After months of insisting that voting by mail was an inherently flawed process that would lead to massive fraud in the 2020 election, President Trump on Tuesday encouraged residents of the state of Florida to cast their ballots that way.

Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True. Floridas Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail! #MAGA  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020

The abrupt reversal comes as the coronavirus pandemic has worsened in Florida and Trumps poll numbers have fallen in what is viewed as a must-win state for his reelection. More troubling for Republicans in the state, Democrats have far outpaced the GOP in terms of mail-in ballot requests in recent months. Trumps own rhetoric criticizing mail-in voting is seen as helping dampen enthusiasm among his supporters for what health experts say is a safer means of participating in the 2020 election.

At a press briefing Tuesday, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump, who has voted by mail in past elections, was referring to a victory in the courts in Florida, but gave no further details. In July the U.S. Supreme Court let stand a lower courts order in a complex case involving the right of former prisoners to vote in Florida elections  a right that voters overwhelmingly approved in a referendum in 2018. The Republican-controlled state Legislature passed a bill requiring ex-felons to reimburse the state for unpaid fines and court fees before they could register to vote  effectively nullifying the provision, since even determining the amount they owe is virtually impossible in most counties. A lower court ruling backing the states position was allowed to stand by the Supreme Court.

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President Trump speaks at the White House on Tuesday. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Later in the day, Trump was asked to explain his tweet about mail-in voting in Florida.

Florida has been working on this for years and they have a very good system of mail-in and that would be absentee or even beyond absentee, Trump said at a White House briefing.

So far Florida is the only state where the president is encouraging residents to vote by mail. On Monday, Trump threatened legal action against the state of Nevada after its Legislature approved a bill that guarantees mail-in ballots will be sent to all registered voters.

Well be suing in Nevada, Trump said during a White House press briefing, and thats already been taken care of.

He also said Monday that he had the authority to issue an executive order limiting mail-in ballots in the 2020 election.

I have the right to do it, Trump said during a White House press briefing. We havent gotten there yet. Well see what happens.

The U.S. Constitution does not grant the president such powers. Instead, the power to tailor elections falls to Congress and the states.

Thanks to the coronavirus pandemic, which as of Tuesday afternoon had infected at least 4.7 million Americans, killing more than 156,000, requests for mail-in ballots have far exceeded the number of requests in past presidential election years.

McEnany began her briefing by pointing out that it was Day 42 of the botched New York City primary, where still there is no election results in one congressional race, which the New York Times notes is due to the deluge of 400,000 mail-in ballots.

But there is little evidence to support Trumps claim that the practice results in widespread fraud. A few states conduct elections almost entirely by mail, and Trump himself and other members of his administration have voted by mail in recent elections.

McEnany said that Trump, who is now a legal resident of Florida, requested an absentee ballot.

Absentee voting is different than mass mail-out voting, she explained.

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Truth is stranger than fiction. and proving that is a Ukrainian mom who dug her son a 35-feet-long undergound tunnel to help him escape from prison.

Of all the prison heists you've heard or read about, the stunt this mom pulled is definitely going to be on top of the list. The 51-year-old woman single-handedly dug a 35-feet-tunnel into jail to free her convicted son, who is serving a life sentence for murder in Ukraine.

The unnamed 51-year-old woman started her grand masterplan by renting a house located near the jail in Zaporizhia, in south-east Ukraine.

Using shovels and pickaxes, the mum then managed to dig a tunnel, working only at night so as not to attract any attention to what she was up to

In the end, she managed to carve out a 10 feet-deep tunnel, which started in a field near her son's prison and then ran 35 feet underground just under the prison walls.

The woman would stay indoors so that locals wouldn't recognize her as an outsider, but by the time night fell, she would arrive at the dig site on a silent electric scooter, using a small trolley inside the tunnel to collect the debris.

She was somehow able to keep this up for three weeks until she was eventually found and arrested.
Sorry its a bit messy, she says. We try to clean it up, but sometimes were in a rush. The 29-year-old has been sleeping rough for four years. Trouble at home saw the couple head to Perth, but lifes not much better here. We usually try to sleep undercover somewhere, she says as she rolls a cigarette from whats left of others butts.

Its safer to sleep during the day. Vickis tale is not unlike others who live in the central business district park: theyre escaping violence at home, in the grip of crippling addictions, or they have mental health issues. Vicki has two black eyes. I can only imagine how bad her past must have been for her current situation to be preferable. Everybodys story is pretty much the same, she says.

Once you get here, its hard to get out. Ive got just enough time to let Vicki know of a fresh strategy launching in Perth this week to combat homelessness in WA. That sort of shit usually lasts about a day, she says. Youve gotta go now. Her boyfriend is approaching.

It's all drugs. It's f---ed' Them two argue all the time, Aileen says of Vicki and her partner. At 60, and homeless for the past six years, the matriarch for many of the younger kids sleeping rough in Perth has raised her own child without a roof over his head. Shes proud of the job she did. Her son got a bit of schooling, and hes got his drivers licence.

But the weekend saw him thrown in jail after a brawl, and now Aileen is scared. Im lost without him, she says. We usually stick together, but Im out on the streets by myself now. Aileen favours an inner city squat over sleeping in a park, but without her son around, she feels like shes in more danger than usual. Do you know how many homeless old women there are on the streets? she says.

Were mothers of kids; its f---ed up. Ive seen people get killed; like, get stabbed and stuff. While Aileen is speaking, a man on the other side of the park hits a woman over the head with a bottle. Did you see that? she asks. Its all drugs. Its f---ed.

Leaving her own brand of family violence behind her, Aileen reckons shes safer on the streets than where she came from. But she admits to her own drug use, and says she often uses amphetamines to keep her awake at night, the most dangerous time of any homeless persons daily life. Sometimes [drugs] are good because it means I can sit and watch other people while they sleep, Aileen says. We take turns watching over each other. If youre not on it yet, you soon will be

At 100 bucks a pop, a packet of the drugs Aileen favours doesnt last her long, but when she runs out, theres plenty more around. Its everywhere, she says. Everyone sells it. If youre not on it yet, you soon will be. She says most people living rough favour uppers, but there are heroin addicts who have their own little circle. I feel completely lost, Aileen says.

These people dont care if they rob an old woman for drugs. Ive got nothing - Ive got no phone - the c---ts took it off me. Ill probably die out here No stranger to begging for money, Aileen says her pension usually lasts a couple of days before shes asking people on the street for cash. Do you think I want to live like this? she asks.
Ontario reported 91 cases of COVID-19, bringing the total to 419 new infections across the province over the long weekend, and announced Windsor-Essex will continue in Stage 2 until it can get a better handle on local transmission of the virus.

The 91 cases included nine in Windsor-Esex, which has the largest number of active infections in Ontario at 262, well above much larger Toronto which has 184 and moved to Stage 3 last Friday, allowing bars and restaurants to serve patrons indoors and movie theatres, gyms and playgrounds to reopen.

We are working hard with our federal and local partners to provide the communities of Windsor-Essex with the support they need, said Health Minister Christine Elliott.

The government has come under criticism for not doing more weeks ago to help in the region where farm outbreaks have been persistent, but has sent emergency medical teams and is doing more testing for the virus on farm and greenhouse operations.

Ontarios associate chief medical officer Dr. Barbara Yaffe said Windsor-Essex, the only region of the province not in Stage 3, is getting closer.

Things are slowly improving but theyre not quite there yet, she told a news conference. We want to be extra careful.

Elliott said almost half of the provinces public health units did not find new infections of COVID-19 as of numbers reported at 4 p.m. Monday.

Twenty-nine of 34 public health units are reporting five or fewer cases, with 16 reporting no new cases, she wrote on Twitter.

There were 22 new cases in Toronto, 16 in Peel, five in York and nine in Chatham-Kent, according to the Ministry of Health figures.

The new COVID-19 smartphone app launched Friday was downloaded just over 1 million times across the country, but no separate figures were available for Ontario where opposition parties said low-income residents with older phones are unable to use it because their operating systems are not compatible.

Authorities hope the app will provide an extra layer of help when an expected second wave of the virus arrives in the fall and winter by notifying people who have been in close contact with a person who has tested positive and is also using the app.

The public health unit in Ottawa issued an advisory on Twitter warning area residents to watch for a new coronavirus scam.

No one from Ottawa Public Health (or any health agency) will ever call you and ask for your credit card number so we can mail you a COVID-19 test. These calls are a scam, they are fraudulent and lets all let the awfulness of that sink in, shall we?

The number of Ontarians in hospital with COVID-19 increased by three to 78, according to Ministry of Health figures, with three more patients in intensive care pushing the total to 28 and two more of them on ventilators, increasing that figure to 15.

A Star compilation of data from Ontarios public health units at 5 p.m. Tuesday showed 125 new and probable cases in the previous 24 hours, raising the tally to 41,680 since late January. There were three additional deaths, for a total of 2,820.
By Azernews





By Ayya Lmahamad

A group of foreign specialist working in the field of fight against COVID-19 have been invited to Azerbaijan in line with President Ilham Aliyevs instruction to the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers, local media reported on August 3.

Six specialists have arrived from Italy and will spend two weeks in the country.

Italian Deputy Ambassador to Azerbaijan Umberto Boeri has said that the team of civil defense medical personnel, consist of six highly qualified doctors and nurses from the regions of Piemonte, Tuscany, Valle dAosta and the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Rome, which has been cooperating with the Azerbaijani Health Ministry since June.

Chairman of the board of the Azerbaijani Management Union of Medical Territorial Units Ramin Bayramli said that: "Discussions will be held during the visit in line with our protocol for treatment and prevention of the disease. We are very interested in their opinion in connection with the forecast on pandemic, as well as forecasts of the World Health Organization. It is possible that in the autumn months the disease will be observed in parallel with other respiratory diseases.

Bayramli expressed confidence that support of Italian specialists and joint work with Azerbaijani doctors in this direction will be an important contribution to the fight against COVID-19.

Moreover, on August 3, Azerbaijan and China agreed on sending a group of medical experts from China to Azerbaijan to help the countrys fight against COVID-19.

The exchange of notes was signed by the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Management Union of Medical Territorial Units Ramin Bayramli and Chines Ambassador to Azerbaijan Guo Min.

Bayramli noted that Azerbaijan attach special importance to bilateral cooperation with China. He recalled that Azerbaijan has shown solidarity with the Chinese people from the very first days of Chinas struggle against the pandemic, providing Beijing material and moral support. In addition, China supported Azerbaijan and sent individual protection means and some medical equipment.

Medical specialists from China will stay in Azerbaijan for 15 days toprovide Azerbaijani colleagues with methodological support and discuss future cooperation.

"From a methodological point of view, we will have the opportunity to personally discuss the measures applied in China to prevent the disease. We, in our turn, will share our experience in connection with measures taken in Azerbaijan. Mutual exchange of opinions will be held. It is possible that relevant changes will be made to the protocols for the future activity, Bayramli said.

Bayramli stated that currently one of the most important issues is the launch of scientific research in this field in the country. Thus, serological tests will be carried out and results analyzed.

In addition, one of the most important scientific directions is the issue of vaccination. In many countries, including China, research is underway to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. Azerbaijan also plans to join and participate in the research process, he added.

Earlier, on July 8, a group of COVID-19 specialists from Turkey and Russia visited Azerbaijan as part of measures to curb the spread of the pandemic in the country. On July 13, 115 specialists from Cuba arrived to Azerbaijan to counter the spread of coronavirus disease. In addition, on July 30, the International Bank of Azerbaijan and the organization for the State Compulsory Medical Insurance Agency Specialists have arranged visit of medical experts from Turkey to help the countrys fight against COVID-19.

Azerbaijan registered its first COVID-19 case on February 28 and introduced the special quarantine regime on March 24.








A Tanzanian miner who became an overnight millionaire earlier this year after unearthing two rare stones has struck lucky once more by selling another gem worth 1.5 million.

Saniniu Laizer's third discovery of Tanzanite since June weighed in at 6.3kg.

He said the money raised from its sale will be used to build a school and a health facility in his community in Simanjiro district, in Tanzania's northern Manyara region, the BBC reported.

Tanzanite - one of the rarest gemstones on Earth - is only found in northern Tanzania and is typically used to make ornaments.

The precious stone has a variety of hues - including blue, green, red and purple - while its value is determined by rarity, with finer colour or clarity driving the price up.

Mr Laizer's latest find meanwhile comes just months after the 52-year-old unearthed two of the biggest rough tanzanite gemstones ever found.

The artisanal miner and father of more than 30 children sold the dark violet-blue gemstones, each about the size of a forearm, to Tanzania's Government for 2.6m in June.

The gems - weighing 9.2kg and 5.8kg respectively - were unearthed in one of northern Tanzania's tanzanite mines.

Mr Laizer unearthed two of the biggest rough tanzanite gemstones ever found in June (Reuters) / via REUTERS

Speaking to the BBC at the time about his finds, Mr Laizer said the windfall would not change his lifestyle, and that he planned to continue looking after his 2,000 cows.

He did, however, attract major domestic and international attention for his efforts and was appeared on television being presented with a large cheque after the Bank of Tanzania bought the gemstones.

President John Magufuli also phoned to congratulate Mr Laizer live on television.

Mr Laizer sold his finds in June to Tanzania's government for 2.6m / AFP via Getty Images

Tanzania last year set up trading centres around the country to allow artisanal miners to sell their gems and gold to the government.

Artisanal miners are not officially employed by any mining companies and usually mine by hand.

Mr Magufuli inaugurated a wall around tanzanite mining concessions in northern Tanzania in April 2018 after ordering its construction a year earlier in a bid to control illegal mining and trading activities at such sites.

At the time he said 40 per cent of tanzanite produced there was being lost.
Niagara Regional Police have arrested a Port Colborne man in relation to a theft from a vehicle.

On July 28, officers responded to the area of Minto and Elm streets following reported thefts that had occurred overnight.

An investigation was launched, and a suspect was identified, said a news release issued Tuesday.

On Saturday a suspected was located. Kyle Cooper, 28, is charged with theft under $5,000 and fail to comply with a release order.
By Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News

President Donald Trump took aim Monday at the coronavirus task forces coordinator, Carlisle native Dr. Deborah Birx, slamming her as pathetic for raising alarm about coronavirus resurgences sweeping across most parts of the country.

In a tweet, Trump suggested Birx is only voicing concern about the new outbreaks because House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., recently criticized her for being overly optimistic about the pandemics trajectory.

So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics, Trump tweeted, using a label for COVID-19 many consider racist. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!

A spokesman for the White House coronavirus task force did not return a request for comment.

Trumps broadside was directed at remarks Birx made on CNN Sunday.

In the appearance, Birx warned that the virus is currently spreading faster and more aggressively than it did at the outset of the pandemic in March and April.

It is extraordinarily widespread, she said. Its into the rural as equal urban areas.  To everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus.

Birx also urged Americans across the country to wear face masks as much as possible: You need to really consider wearing a mask at home, assuming that youre positive, if you have individuals in your households with comorbidities.

Pelosi did not back up Birx on Monday.

She has enabled (him), the speaker said on CNN after Trumps Twitter assault. I dont have confidence in anyone who stands there while the president says Swallow Lysol and its going to cure your virus.

Birx isnt the only prominent member of the White House task force Trump has attacked publicly.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, Birxs colleague and fellow infectious disease expert, has repeatedly drawn Trumps ire for giving similarly dire warnings about the virus.

More than 154,000 Americans have died from COVID-19 so far  by far the worst national death toll in the world.

Public health experts fear the U.S. tally will get worse, as the virus continues to rebound in Southern, Midwestern and Western states that rushed to reopen their economies.

But Trump keeps pushing the false idea that the mass COVID-19 resurgences are caused by increased testing capabilities.

Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools! Trump wrote in a Monday morning tweet posted before his slight against Birx.

Despite Trumps claims, testing alone does not account for the new outbreaks.

Beyond testing, coronavirus infection, death and hospitalization rates are also on the rise, meaning more people are getting sick and that the virus is spreading faster.
Dedar Singh Gill, an Indian origin judicial commissioner and intellectual property expert in Singapore has been sworn in as the judge of the city-states high court. According to PTI, his appointment was cleared in April this year. However, he took the oath on August 3 in the presence of President Halimah Yacob.

First joined the supreme court in 2018

Justice Gill, who graduated from National University of Singapore with honours in 1983. He first joined the Supreme court in August 2018, where he was appointed as judicial commissioner. Previously, he served as the managing director of the intellectual property department at Drew and Napier.

Read: Singapore Reports 226 New COVID-19 Cases

Read: Singapore: Unemployment Rate Spikes Amid Coronavirus Pandemic

While working for the firm, he appeared as a counsel before the High Court and Court of Appeal for major corporate clients. There he established a reputation for his expertise in intellectual property law. After assuming his Supreme Court role in 2018, Gill was appointed by Chief Justice Sundaresh Menon to manage the intellectual property list of the High Court and worked on reviewing the intellectual property dispute resolution system in Singapore. In addition, to that, he also has experience in cases related to contract, tort and negligence matters.

Read: Rajya Sabha MP Amar Singh Passes Away In Singapore Hospital After Prolonged Illness

Read: Singapore PM's Nephew Fined For Criticizing Judiciary Online

Image credits: Yespunjab.com




Lee Jae-myung, governor of Gyeonggi Province, further narrowed his gap with front-runner Lee Nak-yon, a former prime minister, in a poll of potential presidential candidates released Tuesday.







Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl remained in third in last week's survey conducted by pollster Realmeter.







The favorability rating of Rep. Lee Nak-yon of the ruling Democratic Party (DP) fell to 25.6 percent at the end of July from 30.8 percent a month earlier. His popularity has continued to slide after peaking at 40.2 percent in April.







The score of Lee Jae-myung from the same party rose to 19.6 percent, the highest he has ever seen, from June's 15.6 percent, after the Supreme Court overturned his conviction of election law violations in mid-July.







The gap between the two liberal politicians narrowed to six points from 15.2 points.







Yoon saw his popularity grow 3.7 percentage points to 13.8 percent. He has emerged as a potential candidate of the conservative opposition United Future Party (UFP), although he has not declared any interest in politics.







The trio was followed by former presidential candidate Hong Joon-pyo of the UFP with 5.8 percent, another former presidential candidate Ahn Cheol-soo, who heads the minor People's Party with 4.9 percent, and former Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon of the UFP with 4.3 percent.







The survey, commissioned by OhmyNews, a media outlet, was conducted on 2,560 adults across the country from July 27-31. It has a margin of error of 1.9 percentage points with a 95 percent confidence level. (Yonhap)


Spain's former king Juan Carlos, at the centre of an alleged $100-million corruption scandal, has reportedly fled to Portugal after a shock announcement he was going into exile. The 82-year-old revealed Monday that he had decided to leave Spain to help his son, the current King Felipe VI, "exercise his responsibilities". The letter, published by the royal palace, did not mention where he would go, nor when exactly he would leave. Spanish media went into overdrive Tuesday about where Juan Carlos had fled as the palace refused to reveal further information. Online newspaper El Confidencial said the former head of state was in Portugal, where he spent part of his youth, at the town of Azeitao, 30 kilometres (18 miles) south of the capital Lisbon. He was "staying with the Brito e Cunha-Espirito Santo family that he has maintained friendly relations with" since his own family's exile during the Franco dictatorship. "Until further notice, this will be his residence after he ruled out other more distant destinations such as the Dominican Republic or New Zealand," said El Confidencial. Daily newspaper ABC had earlier reported that Juan Carlos left Spain on Sunday and flew to the Dominican Republic via Portugal. Dominican television station Canal de Noticias even said the country was "carrying out preparations for his arrival". However the Republic soon denied that the ex-king had entered the country. The foreign ministry told AFP it had "no information" about Juan Carlos eventually spending time there. Im Madrid, a royal palace spokesman refused to reveal his whereabouts saying: "The only information we have is the information which was published on the website of the royal palace yesterday." Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he did not know where Juan Carlos had gone but suggested King Felipe had pressured his father to go abroad. "The government and I completely respect the decision of the royal palace to distance itself from the questionable and reprehensible conduct" of a member of the royal family, Sanchez told a press conference. Former queen Sofia, who has lived separately from the ex-king for many years, is still in Spain, a source close the palace told AFP. - Saudi funds - Juan Carlos has been under a cloud since reports surfaced that he allegedly received funds from Saudi Arabia and probes are now under way in both Switzerland and Spain. Spain's Supreme Court announced in June an investigation to determine his legal responsibility -- but only for acts committed after his abdication in 2014, because of the immunity he holds. The suspicions centre on $100 million (85 million euros) allegedly paid secretly into a Swiss bank account in 2008. An inquiry opened in Spain in September 2018 following the publication of records attributed to German businesswoman Corinna Larsen, a former mistress of Juan Carlos. She claimed he had received a commission when a consortium of Spanish companies were awarded a high-speed railway contract to link the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia. Larsen told Swiss investigators he had transferred to her nearly 65 million euros in the Bahamas, "not to get rid of the money", but "out of gratitude and out of love", according to El Pais daily. - 'Distanced itself' - Swiss media reported last March that Juan Carlos was paid $100 million into a Panamanian foundation's Swiss bank account by late Saudi king Abdullah in 2008. Britain's Daily Telegraph reported that Felipe VI was also a beneficiary of the foundation. In response, the king withdrew from his father an annual royal stipend of nearly 200,000 euros and renounced his inheritance. "The media have done their job in denouncing these alleged irregular practices, judges and prosecutors have taken action...and the Royal House has distanced itself from these alleged behaviours, and I stress alleged, which could be irregular," Sanchez said. Juan Carlos ascended the throne in 1975 on the death of the fascist dictator Francisco Franco and ruled for 38 years before abdicating in favour of his son Felipe VI in June 2014. He was a popular figure for decades, playing a key role in the democratic transition from the Franco dictatorship which ruled Spain from 1939-1975.
Dr. Kreangkrai Pong Sangthongdang

Amlan International has named Dr. Kreangkrai Pong Sangthongdang as Thailand Country Manager, leading local business development efforts

Amlan International has named Dr. Kreangkrai Pong Sangthongdang as Thailand Country Manager, leading local business development efforts

CHICAGO, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amlan International has named Dr. Kreangkrai Pong Sangthongdang as Thailand Country Manager, leading local business development efforts. Amlan International is a subsidiary of Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC), a leading manufacturer of sorbent minerals.



Sangthongdang brings more than 22 years of experience in the feed industry, focused on animal health medicine and feed additives for poultry and swine. Previously, Dr. Pong held leadership roles in marketing and business development at Intervet (MSD) and Ceva Animal Health. Most recently, he was Business Development Director at Diamond V where he successfully positioned their gut health products with key customer accounts. Sangthongdang earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine from Chulalongkorn University and has a Master in Business Administration from Kasetsart University, with a major in Marketing.

Dr. Pong will further strengthen Amlans position in a market that is leading in livestock production technology and value exports among its neighboring countries in Asia. Sangthongdang will lead Amlans strategic efforts from Bangkok.

We are excited to grow our team in Thailand and welcome Dr. Pongs leadership and experience to Amlan International, says Flemming L. Mahs, President of Amlan International. Amlan has made a significant investment to grow this important market. This momentum will spark new, innovative solutions for animal protein producers worldwide.

Amlan International

Oil-Dri Corporation of America (NYSE: ODC), a Delaware corporation doing business as Amlan International, is a global leader in proven solutions that improve the intestinal health and productivity of livestock. Amlan has grown its product offering across the intestinal health and AGP-alternative market, driven largely by the research conducted at its laboratory campus in Vernon Hills, Illinois.

Story continues

Amlan International sells animal health products outside of the United States. Product associated claims do not constitute medical claims and may differ based on government requirements. Product availability may vary by country.

Reagan Culbertson

Media Contact

press@amlan.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d4f1e29c-226d-4646-ad86-8fbab2562417




Two additional COVID-19 deaths were reported Tuesday in Lake County as the Region saw a lower-than-average daily case increase, according to updated health statistics provided by the Indiana State Department of Health and local health departments.

Death totals across the Region included 273 in Lake County, 41 in Porter County, 29 in LaPorte County, 10 in Newton County and two in Jasper County.

There were 14 new deaths statewide Tuesday, bringing the state's total to 2,794. New deaths were reported between June 29 and Monday. All data were provisional and subject to change as more information is reported to the state.

ISDH listed another 202 deaths as probable, up two from the day before. A probable death means there was no positive test on record but a physician listed COVID-19 as a contributing cause, based on X-rays, scans and other clinical symptoms. One of the deaths in Porter County's total was listed as probable.

The Region added 62 additional coronavirus cases Tuesday.

Lake County reported 38 new cases, bringing its total to 7,139. Porter County added 16 more cases, bringing its total to 1,222. LaPorte County's cases increased by five for a total of 843.
EAST HAVEN  For the second time in two weeks, the town has received a federal grant for the Fire Department, officials said.

This time its a $59,090 award under the Federal Emergency Management Agencys Assistance to Firefighters grant program to replace two aging cardiac defibrillators, said Mayor Joe Carfora and Fire Chief Matt Marcarelli.

The grant follows a $68,819 award the town and the Fire Department received last week under a similar FEMA grant program for COVID-19 personal protective equipment.

This time around, East Haven received one of $59 million in direct assistance grants to 392 fire departments nationwide, Marcarelli and Carfora said.

Public Safety has been and will continue to be a priority for my administration said Carfora. For the first time in 40 years we will be seeing an increase in staffing in both police and fire departments.

At the same time, I have encouraged department heads to seek innovative ways to seek funding for their departments to lessen the burden on the average taxpayer, he said.

These grants are extremely competitive, but when successful allow the fire department to enhance and improve their equipment and safety without hurting the taxpayers pocket, Carfora said.

Marcarelli is at the forefront of these grant efforts, he said.

The 2020 Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program is a competitive funding opportunity under FEMA. The grant is electronically scored, and then peer reviewed before moving onto funding. The East Haven Fire Department has received $1.02 million in federal grant awards in recent years.

FEMA is part of the federal Department of Homeland Security.

The latest grant will be used to replace two aging Medtronic Lifepak Cardiac Defibrillators, Marcarelli said, adding that they are the most heavily-used tool for Fire Department paramedics, used about 4,000 times per year.

Support to obtain the grant came from state Rep. Joe Zullo, R-East Haven, as well as U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro, D-3, and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn.

The latest round of Assistance to Firefighters grant to Connecticut fire departments also includes:

Bridgeport  Federal share of $601,727 for firefighter training.

Bristol  Federal share of $139,797 for firefighter training.

Danbury Federal share of $572,727 for firefighter breathing apparatus.

Enfield  Federal share of $ 127,262 for portable radios, mobile radios and a base radio station.

Guilford  Federal share of $445,454 for 70 firefighter breathing apparatuses.

Hartford  Federal share of $173,000 for firefighter cancer screenings.

Manchester  Federal share of $ 49,427 for wellness & fitness equipment.

New London  Federal share of $307,229 for firefighter training, hazardous materials equipment, firefighter cancer screenings and wellness & fitness equipment.

Oakdale  Federal share of $46,666 for a diesel exhaust system for the fire station.

Poquonnock Bridge Fire Department, Groton  Federal share of $47,928 for vehicle extrication training.

Waterbury Federal share of $76,509 for incident command training.

West Haven  Federal share of $ 86,000 for an air compressor and for diesel exhaust systems for two fire stations.

Willimantic Fire Department, Windham  Federal share of $136,135 for technical rescue training.

mark.zaretsky@hearstmediact.com
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In this May 2020 photo provided by Eli Lilly, researchers prepare mammalian cells to produce possible COVID-19 antibodies for testing in a laboratory in Indianapolis.

The National Institutes of Health announced Tuesday that it is starting two trials testing whether an experimental antibody drug can work as a safe and effective treatment in patients with Covid-19.

The trials, called ACTIV-2 and ACTIV-3, will look at U.S. drugmaker Eli Lilly's experimental treatment known as LY-CoV555, which is being developed in partnership with Canadian biotech firm AbCellera. The companies announced Monday that they began a phase three trial testing whether the treatment can prevent the spread of coronavirus in residents and staff at nursing homes.

One of the trials will test Eli Lilly's experimental treatment on people with mild to moderate Covid-19 symptoms who have not been hospitalized and will enroll 220 volunteers.

The second trial, in a late stage, will look at patients who have been hospitalized with mild to moderate Covid-19 with fewer than 13 days of symptoms and aims to enroll a total of 1,000 people. Once selected for the trial, participants will be randomly assigned to receive either an intravenous infusion of the drug or a saline placebo infusion.

Participants will also receive standard care, including doses of Gilead Sciences antiviral drug remdesivir. Participants will be assessed after five days and followed for 90 days after enrolling in the trial.

Researchers in the phase three trial want to see whether the antibody treatment can promote a sustained recovery for two weeks at home, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which is part of NIH, said on a conference call with reporters.

"Studying the impact of this investigational therapeutic on multiple patient populations at the same time is critical to determining whether it can help COVID-19 patients with differing levels of disease severity," Fauci said. "These concurrent trials have the potential to yield significant and comprehensive clinical data."

The trials are part of the NIH's Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccines program, a partnership with pharmaceutical companies and other U.S. agencies to coordinate drug and vaccine research.

There are no FDA-approved drugs for the coronavirus, which has infected more than 18 million people worldwide and killed at least 694,715 in about seven months, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. In May, the Food and Drug Administration granted remdesivir an emergency use authorization, allowing hospitals and doctors to use the drug on patients hospitalized with the disease even though the medication has not been formally approved by the agency.

Eli Lilly's drug is part of a class of treatments known as monoclonal antibodies, which are made to act as immune cells and scientists hope can fight the virus. The treatment was developed using a blood sample from one of the first U.S. patients who recovered from Covid-19. AstraZeneca and Regeneron, among other companies, are also working on so-called antibody treatments.

The late-stage NIH trial can be modified to test additional experimental therapeutics, allowing novel treatments to enter, the agency said.

Patients may now volunteer for the trial, which will take place at select hospitals around the world, the NIH said.

The late-stage trial will initially enroll 300 participants. Researchers will add an additional 700 participants if Eli Lilly's treatment proves to be safe and appears to be effective. Researchers also expect to enroll more severely ill participants, such as those with organ failure requiring mechanical support.

U.S. officials expect to have more than 100,000 doses of the treatment by the end of the year.

Researchers expect results from the trials by November, Fauci said.
In 2017, Mark Zuckerberg gave the commencement address at Harvard. As was noted at the time, Zuckerbergs speech was laden with socialist talking points. Would the Mark Zuckerberg of 2017 have started Facebook? Likewise, would the Mark Zuckerberg of 2004 -- who was instrumental in building the worlds largest, most popular social network -- have given the 2017 commencement address at Harvard University?

How could a man who led the development of one of the worlds leading social networks give a speech that touts principles that run completely contrary to what is necessary to build such a company? Tragically, as recent events have made clear, Zuckerberg is far from alone.

Facebook was launched in February 2004. While Zuckerberg wrote the code, the company never would have become the social network it is today without a wide array of venture capitalists. In the summer of 2004, Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal, made a $500,000 startup investment into Facebook. Thiel was Facebooks first outside investor.

With over two million users, by the spring of 2005 Facebook was valued at nearly $100 million. At that time, American venture capitalist firm Accel made a $12.7 million investment. After Facebook went public in early 2012, Accel was listed as the second biggest -- behind Zuckerberg -- stakeholder in Facebook.

Almost exactly a year after Accels initial investment, a second round of funding was acquired. This time, several venture capitalists put up over $27 million. Thiel and Accel also provided additional investments. Such capitalists made Zuckerberg a millionaire. According to the Guardian, In 2008, Zuckerberg aged just 23, was named the youngest ever self-made millionaire by Forbes. This was thanks in large part to American capitalists and capitalism.

According to Investopedia, as of June, 2020, after Zuckerberg, the next four largest shareholders in Facebook are all investment management companies -- i.e., capitalists -- such as Vanguard and T. Rowe Price. Facebook has created numerous millionaires and multiple billionaires. Almost all of this is the result of revenue generated from advertising -- from companies like Panasonic and Microsoft -- companies that engage in capitalism.

Of course, Facebook is far from alone when it comes to IT-related companies that owe their rise to capitalism. Google was officially incorporated in a garage in Menlo Park, California in September 1998. Less than a year later, in June 1999, venture capitalist rivals Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers and Sequoia Capital together made the first large (nearly $25 million) investment in the young company. Initially, Google cofounders Larry Page and Sergey Brin opposed the idea of an advertisement-funded search engine. According to Planet Google, In an April 1998 academic paper prepared when [Page and Brin] were still students, they criticized advertising funded search engines, which they believed would be inherently biased towards the advertisers and away from the needs of the consumers.

Nevertheless, in an effort to monetize their work -- something that capitalism demands -- in the year 2000, Google began selling ads that were associated with search keywords. The advertising of products has been very good to Google. Again, according to Investopedia, The bulk of Googles 162 billion dollar revenue in 2019 came from its proprietary advertising service, Google Ads.

In an effort to capitalize on the explosion of the internet, in 1994, Jeff Bezos left the Wall Street firm where he was employed and started -- also in a garage -- an online bookstore that would soon be known as Amazon. According to Amazon.com, Inc. History,

After reading a report that projected annual Web growth at 2,300 percent, Bezos drew up a list of 20 products that could be sold on the Internet. He narrowed the list to what he felt were the five most promising: compact discs, computer hardware, computer software, videos, and books. Bezos eventually decided that his venture would sell books over the Web, due to the large worldwide market for literature, the low price that could be offered for books, and the tremendous selection of titles that were available in print.

Of course, selling books was only the beginning. Amazon now sells almost anything that can be purchased. It is an Everything Store. In other words, Jeff Bezos saw the awesome opportunity the internet provided to sell things, and he led the creation of one of the worlds largest companies built on that principle.

To get the company up and running, in 1994 Bezos began pitching his idea to several dozen family, friends, and other investors. He hoped to raise around $1 million. About 20 agreed to invest and just over $980k was raised. In 1995, Amazon got $8 million from venture capitalists Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers -- who, as noted above, were also early investors in Google.

How do you think Bezos got those first 20-something investors to write him checks? What was the lure? Of course, like everyone else starting a business and looking for investors -- whether behemoths like Amazon, Facebook, and Google, or a small, single-location restaurant in your hometown -- no doubt what got people to buy in was the hope of a return on their investment.

The idea that private citizens can freely start, own, invest in, or otherwise make money from a business is the essence of capitalism and is as American as apple pie. As author W. Cleon Skousen points outs, the U.S. was the first nation on earth of any size or consequence to undertake the structuring of a whole national economy on the basis of natural law and the free-market concept described by Adam Smith.

Called the Founding Father of capitalism, Smiths The Wealth of Nations, published in 1776, is one of the most important books in the history of humanity. A collection of five books, The Wealth of Nations is widely considered the worlds earliest, most comprehensive defense of a free-market economy.

The Wealth of Nations had an almost immediate impact on government financial policy -- especially in the U.S. -- and is considered by many to be the most important treatise on economics ever written. Writing to John Norvell in 1807, Thomas Jefferson said that on the subjects of money & commerce, Smith's Wealth of Nations is the best book to be read.

If conservatism seeks to conserve anything, it is those things that have been settled for all time. As history has clearly demonstrated, no economic system has proven better than the free-market economics touted by Smith and embraced by Americas Founding Fathers, the free-market economics that allowed for the creation of Amazon, Facebook, Google, and the like. Thus, if conservatism seeks to conserve anything, it is capitalism.

The American left and the modern Democrat Party seek to destroy capitalism in America. Led by the likes of Ilhan Omar and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, this is especially true of younger Democrats. The Democrat Party has gone so far left that Democrats now significantly prefer socialism to capitalism. More than three-fourths of Democrats say that they would vote for a socialist for president of the United States.

Likewise, despite the fact that their companies were built on, and their fortunes were made because of, capitalism, and despite the fact that conservatism is the political philosophy that embraces, promotes, and protects capitalism in America, Mark Zuckerberg, Larry Page, Sergey Brin, and Jeff Bezos time and again demonstrate that they are, if not openly devoted to leftism and the Democrat party, typically very hostile to conservatives and conservative principles.

Thus, we again see that -- after having employed and personally benefitted from the forces of capitalism, and thus, conservatism -- Big Tech leftists have hypocritically decided that what worked for them is simply not for everyone else.

Trevor Grant Thomas

At the Intersection of Politics, Science, Faith, and Reason.

www.trevorgrantthomas.com

Trevor is the author of The Miracle and Magnificence of America

tthomas@trevorgrantthomas.com
After bringing heavy rain and flooding to Florida over the weekend, Tropical Storm Isaias began its attacking up the Southeast coast Monday, killing at least one person after a tornado it spawned obliterated a mobile home park in North Carolina.

Reuters reported Tuesday that the fast-moving storm knocked out power to hundreds of thousands and threatened to trigger more tornadoes, with the center of the storm about 100 miles (160 km) south of Washington as of 8 a.m. Eastern time (1200 GMT), the National Hurricane Center said.

More than 600,000 homes and businesses in North Carolina and Virginia were without power, according to electric companies, Reuters said.

The storm had regained hurricane strength late on Monday just before making landfall in southern North Carolina shortly before midnight. North Carolina Emergency Management reported on Twitter that three tornadoes affected the eastern part of the state, where damage was observed in Brunswick, Bertie and Hertford Counties. More details will be available after the NWS gathers and compiles data.

Gov. Roy Cooper and emergency officials were expected to hold a press conference on the storm at 3 pm EST today, the agency said.

Isaias was downgraded to a tropical storm while flooding homes and streets in North Carolina, killing one person and injuring several others in a mobile home park, officials told local media.

News pictures showed a field of debris where the mobile home park once stood in Bertie County in the northeastern corner of North Carolina.

Three or four people were missing, and at least two of them were children, WITN television reported, citing Sheriff John Holley. Some 10 to 12 mobile homes were destroyed and vehicles were tossed atop each other, the sheriff said.

Cooper declared a state of emergency ahead of the storm and said North Carolina had received a federal emergency declaration for 25 counties so far.

According to the Associated Press, the storm weakened from a hurricane to a tropical storm on Saturday afternoon, and its most damaging winds remained offshore, sparing Florida from major problems.

Upper-level winds later sapped much of the storms strength, said Stacy Stewart, senior hurricane specialist at the hurricane center in Miami.

We were expecting a hurricane to develop and it didnt, Stewart said Sunday. Its a tale of two storms. If you live on the west side of the storm, you didnt get much. If you live east of the storm, theres a lot of nasty weather there.

Associated Press reporters Wilfredo Lee and Danico Coto, and Reuters reporter Daniel Trotta contributed to this report

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Windstorm Hurricane North Carolina
Earlier today, a report from Axios claimed that Apple is interested in acquiring TikTok. Apple has issued a statement and says it has no interest in acquiring TikTok. The earlier report was sourced from someone outside Apple who claimed to know about the deal.

Yesterday, President Trump announced TikTok would be banned if the sale doesnt happen by Sept 15. Microsoft announced that it is in talks with TikTok and is looking to acquire the services within the deadline. If the deal goes through, then, TikTok will not be banned from the US. Trump also added that the US treasury should get a lot of money as part of the deal. Microsoft has assured that it will acquire TikTok after complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the US.

Last week Trump said that he is planning to ban TikTok and a slew of other Chinese apps for posing a national security risk. Initially, Trump was against the idea of Microsoft acquiring TikTok. However, he later changed his decision.

I dont mind whether its Microsoft or someone else, a big company, a secure company, a very American company buys it, Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. Itll close down on Sept. 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal, so the Treasury of the United States gets a lot of money.

An Editorial in China Daily Newspaper says that the Chinese government will not allow for theft of a Chinese tech company. It further claimed to know of several ways to respond if the administration carrier out its planned smash and grab.

Our Take

Apple might end up as causality in this war. The Chinese government might end up retaliating by banning Apple. China has already banned Facebook and Google. Due to the escalating trade wars of the recent past, Apple has been replaced by Huawei when it comes to the premium smartphone segment.

[via Reuters
Vikas Singh, the lawyer of Sushant Singh Rajputs father KK Singh, has said Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar has endorsed the familys demand for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into the case. KK Singh has been unhappy that Patna SP Vinay Tiwari was quarantined soon after his arrival in Mumbai to investigate the death of the actor.

Vikas Singh said in a statement on Tuesday, I dont think any state government would have quarantined an enforcement officer. Quarantining of a police officer clearly means they want to disable or obstruct the investigation by Patna police. Patna police started investigating the case after an FIR for abetment to suicide was lodged against Rhea Chakraborty by Sushants father in the city.

Basically, Mumbai Police is buying time to ensure that the evidence gets destroyed. So we decided that this matter should be given to CBI and Nitish Kumar had earlier promised that if the father wants a CBI probe, it will be handed it over to CBI: Vikas Singh https://t.co/S5ZxFaf0gT  ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

He added, Basically, Mumbai Police is buying time to ensure that the evidence gets destroyed. So we decided that this matter should be given to CBI and Nitish Kumar had earlier promised that if the father wants a CBI probe, it will be handed it over to CBI.

KK Singh on Tuesday requested Nitish Kumar to order a CBI investigation in the case related to the actors death. His request comes as an official of the Bihar Police, Patna (Central) Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari was home quarantined in Mumbai, where he had gone to take part in investigations, by the Brihannmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff.

A bench of Bombay High Court (HC) will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking transfer of Sushant Singh Rajputs death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday.

Earlier, KK Singh had revealed that he had filed a complaint with Mumbai police in February claiming his sons life was in danger. He also accused the Mumbai Police of inaction even after 40 days of the actors death.

Watch Sushants fathers video message; says culprits are fleeing

In a self-made video, Singh alleged that the accused in the actors death are on the loose and Patna Police should be provided with help. On February 25, I informed Bandra Police that the life of my son Sushant is in danger. He died on June 14 and I asked them to act against people named in my Feb 25 complaint. No action has been taken even 40 days after his death. So, I filed FIR in Patna. Patna Police swung into action. But the accused is running away(on the loose). Patna Police should be given help. I thank Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his colleague Sanjay Jha who gave support to the truth in this hour of grief, he said.

After the actors demise on June 14, he asked the police to take action against the people named in the complaint given by him on February 25, said Singh, adding that no action has been taken.

Also read: Rhea Chakraborty was not allowed to attend Sushant Singh Rajputs funeral, her name struck off the list: lawyer

An FIR was filed by Patna Police against actor Rhea Chakraborty in the Rajputs death case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including abetment of suicide. Bihar Police started the investigation and dispatched a team to Mumbai. However, this had led to a turf war.

(With ANI inputs)

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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A Virginia native has made U.S. Navy history after becoming the first Black female to receive her Wings of Gold as a tactical air pilot on July 31.

According to a report by NBC12, Lt. j.g. Madeline G. Swegle received her Wings of Gold and was designated a naval aviator along with 25 classmates during a small ceremony at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville, Texas.

VT-21 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Matthew Maher presented Wings of Gold to each of his graduates during the ceremony, the report said.

Swegle, a 2017 graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, is currently assigned to the Redhawks of Training Squadron (VT) 21 under Training Air Wing 2 at NAS Kingsville. She completed her final undergraduate TACAIR training flight in a T-45C Goshawk jet trainer aircraft on July 7.

BZ to Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle on completing the Tactical Air (Strike) aviator syllabus. Swegle is the @USNavys first known Black female TACAIR pilot and will receive her Wings of Gold later this month. HOOYAH! @FlyNavy @NASKPAO #ForgedByTheSea #CNATRA #CNATRAgrads pic.twitter.com/FKSlURWQhJ  Naval Air Training (@CNATRA) July 9, 2020

According to the U.S. Navy, Swegle is part of a new generation of TACAIR pilots to qualify on state-of-the art Aircraft Launch and Recovery Equipment (ALRE) unique to aircraft carrier USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN 78), the Electromagnetic Aircraft Launch System (EMALS) and Advanced Arresting Gear (AAG). She completed carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast on May 20, the report said.

Im excited to have this opportunity to work harder and fly high performance jet aircraft in the fleet, Swegle said. It wouldve been nice to see someone who looked like me in this role. I never intended to be the first. I hope its encouraging to other people, the report quoted.

Swegle followed in the footsteps of others who have paved the way.

Lt. Cmdr. Brenda E. Robinson, the Navys first African American female naval aviator, was the 42nd woman to be designated a naval aviator. She earned her Wings of Gold June 6, 1980, the report said.

Capt. Vernice Armour became the first Black female pilot in the Marine Corps and the first Black female combat pilot in the entire U.S. military, the report said. She earned her wings in 2001 and was subsequently stationed at Camp Pendleton in California with Marine Light Attack Helicopter Squadron 169, according to a Marine Corps news release.

"It would've been nice to see someone who looked like me in this role; I never intended to be the first. I hope it's encouraging to other people." Posted by NTD Television on Tuesday, August 4, 2020

What is the significance of Swegles achievement?

According to the NBC12 report, Swegles historic achievement is significant due to the fact that Naval aviation is overwhelmingly composed of white males. A 2018 investigation conducted by Military.com found that out of the 1,404 pilots that flew F-A/18s only 26 of them were Black. Additionally, that investigation discovered that less than 2% of all pilots assigned to jet platforms were Black.

The Navy announced in June that it was creating a Task Force One Navy to address systemic racism, advocate for the needs of underserved communities, work to break down barriers and create equal opportunities for professional development and other opportunities within the Navy, the report said.

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After Bihar Police, Maharashtra government on Friday filed a caveat in Supreme Court with a plea to be heard before a CBI probe is initiated in the death case of late Bollywood star Sushant Singh Rajput. The caveat was also filed in response to actress Rhea Chakraborty's plea for transfer of the FIR from Patna to Mumbai. Maharashtra government standing counsel Sachin Patil said, "We have filed a caveat in the Supreme Court in actress Rhea Chakraborty's transfer plea."

Earlier this week, Bihar government and Sushant Singh Rajput's father Krishna Kishore Singh also moved the top court (Supreme Court) and filed caveats, in an attempt to ensure that Rhea Chakraborty does not get the relief of transfer of the case from Patna to Mumbai. On Thursday (June 30), Rajput's father filed the caveat through lawyer Nitin Saluja and urged the court that "Let nothing be done in the above matter without prior notice to the undersigned."

Hearing Will Be Held On August 5 According to reports, since several politicians are also asking for a CBI probe in Sushant's death case, a quick hearing on Maharashtra government caveat is set to be held on August 5. Supreme Court Dismissed PIL Seeking A CBI Probe In The Case For those who don't know, a caveat is a formal notice filed by an interested party requesting postponement of a court proceeding or other action until the filer is informed or can be heard. In July Supreme Court has already junked a PIL filed by Alka Priya, seeking transfer of probe into Rajput's death case from Mumbai Police to the CBI. Chief Justice SA Bobde said that the Mumbai Police should be allowed to do their job and added, "Go to Bombay High Court if you have anything concrete to show." Sushant Passed Away On June 14, 2020 Rajput, aged 34, passed away by suicide in his apartment in Bandra, Mumbai on June 14. Since his passing, Mumbai police has filed an ADR, (Accidental Death Report) while investigating further to find out the cause that led him to take the drastic step.

Sushant's Family Lawyer: Mumbai Police Is Buying Time To Ensure That The Evidence Gets Destroyed

Sushant Singh Rajput's Death Case: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Recommends CBI Probe

Worried about your mental well-being or of someone you know? Help is just a call away. Reach out to the nearest mental health specialist at COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ)- 0832-2252525, Parivarthan- +91 7676 602 602, Connecting Trust- +91 992 200 1122/+91-992 200 4305 or Sahai- 080-25497777/ SAHAIHELPLINE@GMAIL.COM
Younger Americans are reporting that the coronavirus pandemic has negatively impacted, or even wrecked, their financial stability at rates almost twice as high as their baby boomer parents. While the pandemic is potentially more of a health concern for older generations, younger Americans are feeling the financial impact. That's according to a new report from Age Wave and Edward Jones that surveyed 9,000 Americans across five generations in May and June. The report found that roughly a third of millennials (ages 24 to 39) and Gen Z (ages 18 to 23) say that Covid-19 has had an extreme or very negative impact on their financial security. Meanwhile, only 16% of baby boomers (ages 56 to 74) and just 6% of the silent generation (ages 75 and older) felt the same.

Zoom In Icon Arrows pointing outwards

Additionally, younger generations were more apt to report that they have also suffered a mental decline since the pandemic started in March. The survey found about 37% of Gen-Zers and about 27% of millennials say Covid-19 say has negatively impacted their mental health, compared to 15% of baby boomers and just 8% of the silent generation. "There are a lot of young people that are kind of running around pulling their hair out right now," says Ken Dychtwald, psychologist and founder and CEO of Age Wave. Meanwhile, older generations reported having fortitude, Dychtwald says.

Why older generations may be more resilient

The mental and financial resiliency of older generations is due, in part, to their ability to rely on safety nets, Dychtwald says. Those over 65 have Social Security and Medicare benefits that haven't been impacted by the pandemic. "If you're retired, you've moved on from the chaos of the workforce," Dychtwald says. "People in their 20s, 30s, 40s and even 50s are getting up each day and trying to figure out if they're going to continue to have a job, if they're going to get an unemployment check, if they're going to be able to pay the bills. If you're retired, you're not worried about that." Not only do older generations have safety nets, they're also more likely to rely on home equity to get through this latest financial upheaval. About 78% of retirees own their homes and 60% have paid off their mortgage, according to Age Wave. "They've got lower rent and mortgage payments than the kids living next door or the Gen-Xer trying to raise a family across the street," Dychtwald says. The combination of having safety nets and a secure home, as well as some perspective on having lived through other times of hardship, all contribute toward building up older generations' ability to stress less during this time. Many boomers are actually helping out their adult children. Since the pandemic began, 1 in 4 parents, which is roughly 24 million Americans according to Age Wave's estimates, have provided financial support to their adult children. About 37% of Gen Z respondents reported receiving aid from their parents, while about 26% say they've moved back home.

The Covid-19 pandemic will have a lasting impact
Mumbai, Aug 4 : Bollywood actress Sara Ali Khan loves to bring out her inner poet once in a while, with quirky rhyming every once in a while.

The actress's recent post is an instance.

"The calm before the storm... Nothing will ruin Sara or Uni's form... Weather will change, rain will transform ... We will embrace it, be ourselves and not conform," Sara posted on her Instagram.

She also shared two pictures where she is seen in a neon bikini, sitting on a unicorn float in a swimming pool. In the images, she is enjoying the rain during her day out.

Earlier this week, Sara shared pictures of herself doing yoga by the pool.

"Happy Sunday #sundayfunday #sunnyday#sunnysunday If only peace, serenity and green truly made you wiser.. but at least I got the day right this time." she had written as caption.

Sara, along with actors Akshay Kumar and Dhanush, is set to resume shooting in October for their upcoming co-starrer. The film, Aanand L. Rai's "Atrangi Re", will follow a shooting schedule across Madurai, Delhi and Mumbai. Sara and Dhanush had already finished the film's first schedule in Varanasi before the lockdown. Written by Himanshu Sharma, "Atrangi Re" is slated to open in 2021.

She will also be seen opposite Varun Dhawan in the remake of the 1995 hit film "Coolie No. 1". The new version is directed by David Dhawan, who also helmed the original film of the same name, starring Govinda and Karisma Kapoor.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Two men have been arrested as part of a PSNI operation targeting the New IRA in Strabane.

The men, aged 26 and 34, were detained in the town on Monday in connection with a weapons find in the area in March and recent attempted paramilitary-style attacks.

Both men are currently being questioned in Musgrave Serious Crime Suite in Belfast.

As part of the two-day police operation, five houses in Strabane were also searched a number of items were taken away for further examination.

Detective Chief Inspector Andrew Hamlin said searches were also carried out on a piece of land in the greater Strabane area in connection with the discovery of a mortar device in the town in September 2019.

The mortar was found on a wall close to a police station and thought to be an attempt to kill PSNI officers.

DCI Hamlin said: The reckless actions of the New IRA place our communities at risk and they do not care  but we care and we are determined to disrupt their violence and their criminal activities.

We believe the New IRA were responsible for the ill-conceived attack in September last year which put the lives of the local community and local police officers at risk.

"Whilst the device was aimed at the nearby police station and was undoubtedly designed to injure or murder police officers who work to keep local people safe, it was recklessly left in a public area, just metres away from a number of family homes.

A number of small children were in close proximity to the deadly device and it is disgraceful that their lives were put at risk. A number of older and vulnerable people were also forced to leave the comfort and safety of their own homes.

The search and arrest operation over the last two days also focused on recent attempts to carry out violent attacks against people in the Strabane community. Members of the New IRA profess to have the interests of the community in mind and yet they are happy to carry out unimaginable violence against local people. This hypocrisy will not be lost on the community."

Anyone with any information regarding dangerous or illegal activity in the Strabane area has been urged to contact police on 101. Information can also be provided anonymously to Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.
A new Australian study shows the rate of transmission of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) between children attending school could be minimal.

The study is particularly relevant because of the high rates of transmission of the virus across the world that have necessitated the closure of schools. As of today, there are over 18.38 million cases of SARS-CoV-2 infection around the world, which have taken nearly 700,000 lives.

The new study titled, "Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in Australian educational settings: a prospective cohort study", is published in the latest issue of The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health. The study was funded by the New South Wales Department of Health.

What was this study about?

Researchers led by Professor Kristine Maccartney from the National Centre for Immunization Research and surveillance, the Children's Hospital at Westmead and the University of Westmead, Australia explain that schools around the world have shut down to prevent the virus transmission. Still, no studies are looking at the actual risk of transmission of the virus among children should the schools reopen. Studies have shown that COVID-19 affects children with less severity, and generally, the illness is milder compared to adults.

The researchers write that "children are less likely to be the primary infection source in household clusters, compared with adults." They added that while school closures could help prevent the spread of viral infections such as influenza, such measures during the COVID-19 pandemic are not clear. Closing schools, on the other hand, has "significant social and economic impacts on children and families" and affects national and global economies, they write.

In Australia, during the initial phase of the epidemic, schools remained open. However, attendance at this time remained poor. Australia's eight states and territories, including New South Wales (NSW), have kept schools open according to the national policy.

These schools observed precautions such as "physical distancing, hygiene measures, and educational facility cleaning." Online learning was initiated on March 23, 2020, and schools were open only for children who needed to be there, including children of health care and essential workers who had no other care options.

This is the first study that looks at the spread of SARS-CoV-2 infection among children and adults in schools and early childhood education and care (ECEC) settings. The authors conducted this study in the hope that findings could help policymakers, health-care providers, and the public to understand the risk of the spread of the infection among children.

What was done?

For this study all cases of COVID-19 that had been confirmed in the lab using RT PCR under the age of 18 were included. Adult cases who attended a school or ECEC setting were included. The study duration was between January 25 and April 10, 2020.

Adults and children attending schools or educational facilities while they were capable of spreading infection  i.e., 24 hours before the onset of symptoms were included. These were in accordance with the national guidelines.

For all the cases identified and their close contacts 14 days quarantine was mandated with monitoring of symptoms and testing for the virus. Nucleic acid testing and SARS-CoV-2 antibody testing in symptomatic and asymptomatic contacts were also offered. All secondary cases (cases infected by those attending schools and ECEC) were also recorded.

What was found?

For this study, the researchers included a total of 15 schools and 10 ECEC settings in the most populous state of NSW. From these 12 children and 15 adults were found to be infective while attending these institutions. These index cases had a further 1,448 contacts who were monitored and followed up.

Results showed

633 or 43.7 percent of the contacts of the index cases underwent nucleic acid testing, or antibody testing, or both.

18 or 1.2 percent of secondary cases were recorded.

There were three children and two adults (5 out of 914 contacts in schools) who were secondary cases (this put the attack rate at 0.5 percent wrote the researchers).

Among the 9 ECEC settings, there were 497 contacts; there were no secondary cases of infection.

In one ECEC, there was a spread of infection to six adults and seven children. Here the secondary attack rate was 13 of 37 or 35.1 percent wrote the researchers.

Overall there was 28 percent (5 cases) out of the 18 secondary infections that turned out to be asymptomatic. These five asymptomatic positive cases were three infants aged 1 year, one teenager aged 15 years, and 1 adult.

Conclusions and implications

The authors concluded that transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in educational settings was low during the initial wave of the epidemic in NSW among 1.8 million children.

The researchers concluded, "With effective case-contact testing and epidemic management strategies and associated small numbers of attendances while infected, children and teachers did not contribute significantly to COVID-19 transmission via attendance in educational settings."
California lawmakers are poised to vote on a statewide ban on flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images)

Few bills that pass through Sacramento have as much potential to save lives as SB 793, which would ban flavored tobacco products, including menthol cigarettes and vaping liquid, from being sold in stores in California.

Why? Because fruity flavors in e-cigarettes and cigarillos and menthol flavors in traditional cigarettes lure teenagers, putting them at risk for a lifetime addicted to a deadly and costly product. It's no surprise why that happens: Unflavored tobacco is unappetizing to the uninitiated, and studies show that the vast majority of kids who try tobacco products use a flavored one first.

The bill is up for a key committee hearing Tuesday in the California Assembly. Public health groups and other advocates of the ban are concerned that, once again, there isn't sufficient support among committee members for the ban to pass. A similar proposal from the same author, Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), stalled last year after being gutted with hostile amendments.

But that was long before a deadly infection that attacks the respiratory system emerged and spread across the globe. Infectious-disease experts say it is likely that the novel coronavirus will become endemic like influenza, meaning it will be a persistent threat to humans, especially those in poor health, and managed only by regular immunizations, medicine and improved health. Surely there's no better time than 2020 to protect another generation from getting hooked on tobacco products that destroy their lungs and make them susceptible to COVID-19 and other respiratory illnesses.

The bill's opponents are primarily makers and sellers of tobacco and nicotine products. They can't challenge the health implications of tobacco use, so they argue that depriving retailers of sales to adults during an economic downturn will lead to financial calamity for small businesses. It will certainly affect some retailers, such as convenience stores and grocers, although it's hard to imagine that many are dependent on flavored tobacco products for their survival.

The human and personal cost of smoking tobacco, meanwhile, far outweighs any potential drop in revenue for tobacco retailers. A pack-a-day cigarette habit costs as much as $3,000 per year in California, not to mention good health and possibly years of life. (Vaping is so new we don't yet know its long-term health implications.) And while a ban would reduce tobacco sales tax revenue to the state by as much as $110 million in the first year alone, it could save an estimated $13 billion in annual healthcare costs.

Furthermore, retail age limits have not stopped teens from smoking or vaping, the latter of which has been rising sharply in recent years and can lead to a smoking habit. What does work is getting flavored products off the shelves altogether. When the FDA banned flavors other than menthol in traditional cigarettes in 2009, youth smoking rates dropped. The state should take the next logical step and prohibit the sale of all flavored tobacco products.
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NRL star Latrell Mitchell has pleaded guilty to a firearms charge after being fined over a raucous group camping trip to a regional farm.

The Rabbitohs player, 23, was given a $50,000 fine by the NRL after photos emerged of him and nearly a dozen others around a camp fire, motor-cross riding and shooting at Mitchell's farm near Taree on the New South Wales mid-north coast in April.

The activities clearly violated COVID-19 restrictions and Melbourne Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr was also fined $50,000 after pictures emerged of him motorbiking at the beach.

Addo-Carr was charged with using an unauthorised firearm on the same trip, while Mitchell faced one charge of giving a firearm to a person who did not have a licence or permit.

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NRL star Latrell Mitchell (pictured with his girlfriend Brielle) has pleaded guilty to a firearm charge in the wake of his infamous camping trip in April

On Tuesday, a guilty plea was entered at Taree Local Court by Mitchell's lawyer.

The footy star had been charged after going to Taree Police Station on April 28 to surrender his firearms and gun licence.

The case has been adjourned to November 9 for sentencing, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Magistrate Greg Elks noted both men were 'tied up' with the NRL season and being confined to their team bubble.

Addo-Carr's lawyers requested they be given more time to consider their client's case.

Mitchell was slapped with the hefty fine - $30,000 of which was suspended - and a breach notice after the photos of Mitchell and several men, including Addo-Carr, surfaced on social media.

The Rabbitohs star was slapped with a $50,000 fine - $30,000 of which was suspended - and a breach notice after photos of Mitchell and several men, including fellow NRL player Josh Addo-Carr, surfaced on social media

Melbourne Storm winger Josh Addo-Carr was also charged with using an unauthorised firearm on the same trip. His lawyers have asked for more time for his case to be considered. He is pictured during the trip on the weekend of April 25

Mitchell (pictured with partner Brielle) will appeal a $50,000 fine handed down by the NRL due to 'false evidence' after he was caught flouting coronavirus social distancing rules

But Mitchell argues he was also penalized for being at the beach despite claiming he wasn't there, The Daily Telegraph reported in May.

The 22-year-old also contends he did not breach coronavirus restrictions because he was at work on his 222ha cattle farm.

The South Sydney Rabbitohs also launched their own appeal after they were fined $20,000 by the NRL over an incident with Cody Walker.

Walker, who was filmed kicking a man during a melee, was handed a two-game suspension and a suspended $15,000 fine.

The Rabbitohs were issued a $20,000 breach notice for failing to alert the NRL's Integrity Unit about the December 2019 incident.

Mitchell's manager Matt Rose said: 'I can confirm we are appealing the NRL's breach notice and fine imposed on Latrell because of inaccurate information used to the impose the sanction.

'We are simply trying to clear up some untruths that have been circulating on this matter since it became public.'

Pictures from the trip show the group of men motor-cross riding and shooting at Mitchell's farm near Taree, on the NSW Mid North Coast, clearly violating COVID-19 restrictions

The 22-year-old contends he did not breach coronavirus restrictions because he was at work on his 222ha cattle farm

Mitchell bought the cattle farm earlier in the year and set up an ABN to run as a business.

When the coronavirus rules came into effect and the NRL season was put on hold, it's understood Mitchell went to Taree so he could get to work as a farmer.

His partner Brielle had already planned to give birth to the couple's second child in Taree to be near Mitchell's parents. Their daughter Aleena was born in April.
New Delhi, Aug 5 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to close the hearing on a plea seeking rapid Covid-19 testing and declaration of results in 48 hours, saying that its jurisdiction "to continuously monitor the situation even in a disposed of petition cannot be curtailed by taking to such technicalities".

"The resistance of the Delhi Government to this Court monitoring the progress made in ramping up the testing, is incomprehensible when admittedly, this is not an adversarial litigation and it is purely in the interest of the citizens of Delhi that all government departments and agencies act in tandem and work collectively to deal with the Covid-19 pandemic for larger public good," said a division bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Justice Subramonium Prasad.

The observations were passed after advocate Satyakam, appearing for the Delhi government, raised technical objections over the maintainability of the said application.

Satyakam said that when the main petition in the present matter was disposed of earlier by taking note of the submissions made by him regarding the measures taken by the Delhi government to expedite receipt of reports for testing of Covid-19 infection, no further orders ought to be passed merely on the strength of a miscellaneous application moved thereafter by an intervener.

Responding to the objections being raised by the counsel, the bench said: "We therefore decline to close the matter as requested. We will not let you rest on your feet.... Why is the Delhi government getting cold feet." During the course of hearing, an ICMR official told the bench that it is satisfied with the extent of testing being done by the Delhi government by adopting RT-PCR and RAT testing.

"Simply because 60 per cent of the reports of RAT tests are negative, is not reason enough for a person to undergo RT-PCR testing unless and until after being declared as negative in the RAT test, the said person has symptoms that are visible to the attending doctor, for undergoing RT-PCR testing," he submitted.

He also clarified that the recommendation for undergoing the RAT test is for containment zones, hotspots and health care settings in certain circumstances. For other areas, the guidelines of the ICMR apply for undertaking the RT-PCR test, as per the particular groups identified in the advisory, he told the court.

Meanwhile, the Delhi government, in its latest status report, stated that an expert panel comprising of members of the Niti Aayog, the AIIMS, the ICMR and the NCDC have suggested a roadmap for strengthening of the Covid-19 survey and the government has revised its response plan, reviewed the containment zones and factored in the cluster analysis undertaken by the state Department of Health and Family Welfare.

"For the purpose of redesigning the containment zones, technical support was taken from the NCDC and the quantum of testing efforts was increased substantially both, in terms of RAT and RT-PCR," the status report said.

It was further submitted that RAT tests were ramped up from 18,760 between June 11-20 to 81,194 from June 21-30. Similarly, as against 66,394 RT-PCR tests conducted between June 11-20, 74,227 RT-PCR tests were conducted from June 21-30.

While listing the matter for further hearing on August 19, the court has now asked the Delhi government to file a fresh status report after obtaining necessary clarifications from the ICMR with regard to the manner of implementation of its advisories for deploying the RAT tests and the RT-PCR tests in different part of Delhi.

Advocate Rakesh Malhotra, through his petition, had raised a grievance that the Delhi government is not taking expeditious steps to furnish reports after conducting tests for Covid-19 on suspected people, within a reasonable time of 48 hours or even earlier and as a result of the delay, contact tracing is also getting delayed and the infection is multiplying rapidly in Delhi.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Colin Johnson has watched the effects of the pandemic on the economy firsthand.

The 30-year-old manager of the Danforth Mosaic Business Improvement Area has seen businesses close, their owners racking up debt.

Many of these business owners are his age. They moved to the neighbourhood to start a family and are now watching their savings disappear.

It doesnt exactly inspire confidence in his generations future.

Young people are going to be footing the bill for this pandemic for the rest of our lives, said Johnson.

He sees a lot of debt, both household and government, fewer opportunities, fewer incentives to start a business, less social security and less money in the bank.

As more small businesses close, he believes young Canadians will make big changes: theyll be less attracted to living in cities like Toronto, and they may re-evaluate post-secondary education. He calls it a social phenomenon.

This could end up defining our entire generation more than anything, he said. We were a generation that was promised everything but got nothing.

Almost 30 per cent of Generation Z Canadians (born in 1997 or later, according to the Pew Research Center) and a quarter of younger millennials between 25 and 30 years old have lost their jobs or been put on unpaid leave because of the pandemic, according to a survey by Deloitte Canada published in June.

Only a third of millennials and 38 per cent of the Gen Zs surveyed said their employment and income were unaffected by the COVID-19 shutdown.

Meanwhile, more than half of post-secondary students had their courses or work placements delayed or cancelled, according to a May report by Statistics Canada. More than 10 per cent of students said they could not complete their degree as planned.

In a national survey of young Canadians by Abacus Data for World Vision, younger Canadians were more concerned about the long-term impacts of the pandemic than the shorter-term impacts compared to older Canadians, said David Coletto, CEO of Abacus Data.

Even though younger Canadians disproportionately lost work  likely because many are in hard-hit sectors like retail or food service  they will be feeling the effects of the pandemic for their whole lives, Coletto said.

Young Canadians have already felt a number of economic setbacks prior to the pandemic, such as increasing difficulties buying a home or finding a stable career, said Coletto.

This is just another hurdle, and a big hurdle, he said.

The survey found that young Canadians were also more likely to feel mental effects from the pandemic, which Coletto attributes in part to the long-term worries but also to the fact that they may be more likely to live alone or in unstable situations.

Its a generally anxious period of your life, he said. Youre trying to figure things out, youre trying to create some stability.

The pandemic is creating that much more uncertainty, Coletto said.

Andrew McAllister is one of the thousands of Canadians who was laid off due to COVID-19. A 29-year-old stagehand in Toronto, hes concerned his job may never be the same. After all, as he puts it, his work is all about large gatherings of people.

McAllister has been on the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) and is taking courses to diversify his skill set. He suspects streaming and other forms of digital production will continue to grow in popularity and he wants the skills to work digitally.

I dont think anything is going to be quite the same again, he said.

Thats how photographer Giancarlo Pawelec feels, too.

All his bookings were cancelled in a matter of days in March and he believes small businesses like his have been disproportionately affected by the pandemic.

While he wants to continue working as a photographer, he will likely have to give up his studio space.

Life as we know it is over, said Pawelec.

Whats most difficult of all is not knowing whats next.

Jenn Dunstan, 33, has fortunately continued to work during the pandemic  she does digital advertising, which hasnt taken the same hit print has  but her two school-aged children have been home the entire time.

Things are a little easier now that school is out, she said, but when they were doing remote learning, she was hanging on by a thread.

Dunstan feels her generation is in limbo, unable to plan for the future.

It almost feels like everything is paused, like were all just in survival mode, she said.

Many post-secondary students say their degrees and career plans now seems far-fetched. Online learning is difficult, and some graduations have been delayed thanks to cancelled work placements.

Bilal Abowat, 23, is doubtful hell succeed in his plan to graduate in 2021, get a job and move into his own place. The internship he needs to complete to graduate will likely now be online, and hes concerned the job opportunities that were there before no longer exist.

Anushka Yadav, 22, is facing that same doubt. The international student is set to graduate from journalism at Humber College in September. Her program also required internship hours to graduate. When her placement was cancelled, she cobble together two different placements to make up the hours, all while working part-time and completing her program. But, at the same time, the media industry has seen its own rounds of layoffs as the pandemic affects advertising revenue.

It just kind of seems bleak at this point, Yadav said.

Amin Ali, a 19-year-old student in public policy who just transferred universities for his second year, is concerned the pandemic could impact his future co-op placements.

The pandemic makes it impossible to plan ahead and the constant low-grade stress it emits is compounded by the difficulties of working and studying remotely, he said.

Ashleigh Thomas, a 25-year-old freelance writer, has been applying to jobs anywhere and everywhere but with no luck so far. She said her friends dont feel secure either.

A lot of my friends ... just left school and were going to look for jobs in their fields and the field is decimated or on pause, she said.

She feels young Canadians are being portrayed as leeching off CERB, when in reality her generation has been put on pause indefinitely after already being dealt a rough hand  she said the pandemic is highlighting issues like the need for a higher minimum wage.

At the same time, Thomas is dealing with anxiety, exacerbated by the stress of the pandemic and not knowing whats next.

I dont really know how to plan ahead, she said.
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Not only medical treatment, Emirates will also pay for the funeral of its passengers if they succumb to coronavirus. The airline's new strategy is aimed at boosting passenger demand amid the pandemic. The Dubai-based airline said last week that they would offer up to $1,765 for a passenger's funeral if they die of COVID-19.

Emirates would also cover the medical expenses of up to $176,000 if a passenger is diagnosed with COVID-19 during their journey. The airline would pay for around $118 per day for quarantine costs, including hotel room, for up to two weeks. The coverage is available till October 31. The airline said that the cover is valid for a period of 31 days from "the moment you take your first flight, and it covers you even if you travel onwards to another city".

However, testing costs are not covered and the passengers must get in touch with the airline to get the expenses approved.

"It is an investment on our part, but we are putting our customers first, and we believe they will welcome this initiative," Emirates Group CEO Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum said in a statement. The cover would be provided through NEXtCARE, an arm of insurance provider Allianz. The cover would be applied automatically and is free.

Emirates is not the only airline to offer medical cover. These moves come as the airline industry is severely hit by the pandemic. Emirates, too, saw demand falling 90 per cent, according to airline President Tim Clark, as mentioned in Business Insider. Emirates is also one of the most-badly hit airlines as it only flies internationally and international travel has dropped to zilch. The airline has managed to keep up revenue through cargo operations.

However, fear of coronavirus treatment costs is not the only deterrent in international travel. Most countries have imposed travel restrictions and imposed border closures. Even the countries that have reopened, strict quarantine rules remain.

Also read: Mumbai rains updates: Trains stopped, offices shut; red alert issued for next 48 hrs
The United States will reduce its military presence in Afghanistan to about 4,000 troops "very soon", U.S. President Donald Trump said.



"We are largely out of Afghanistan", Trump said in an interview with the news website Axios, aired on Monday.



"We'll be down in a very short period of time to 8,000, then we're going to be down to 4,000, we're negotiating right now", the US president elaborated, without specifying the exact time, but saying that it will happen "very soon".

Asked how many U.S. troops will remain in Afghanistan on election day in November, Trump said that it would be "anywhere from four to five thousand".

The statement by the president comes after US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo last week said that Trump's expectation was to get all remaining US troops out of Afghanistan by May 2021.
Washington, Aug 4 : In an interview, US President Donald Trump claimed that America was "lower than the world" regarding coronavirus data, before suggesting South Korea's figures were so low because they were faking their statistics.

In the interview with AXIOS news on Monday, the President handed the reporter a series of charts and graphs to illustrate that the US was "lower than the world" for COVID-19, the Daily Mail reported.

The interviewer clarifies he was asking about death as a proportion of population, not death as a proportion of cases.

"That's where the US is really bad," the reporter said of the death as population propotion cases.

"Much worse than South Korea, Germany, etc." Trump responds: "You can't do that." "You have to go by where - look, here is the US," Trump says, holding out of his charts. "You have to go by the cases." The interviewer then points to South Korea, which he says has a population of 51 million, but only 300 coronavirus deaths.

"You don't know that," Trump said, adding: "I won't get into that because we have a very good relationship with the country. But you don't know that. And they have spikes." When the conversation moves to testing in the US, the President said: "Don't we get credit for that?... Death is way down from where it was... Where it was is much higher than where it is right now." Trump also said that COVID-19 number were going down in Texas and Arizona, two states which have experienced a sudden, exponential resurgence in coronavirus cases, the Daily Mail reported.

It was not immediately clear what day Trump's latest reports were referring to.

As of Tuesday, the US accounts for the world's highest number of coronavirus cases and deaths at 4,717,716 and 155,471, respectively, according to the Johns Hopkins University.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
A special court here on Tuesday extended till August 7 the NIA custody of Delhi University's associate professor Hany Babu, who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case.

Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, 54, associate professor in the Delhi University's Department of English, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last week for his alleged involvement in the case.

The NIA submitted that the accused had links with the CPI (Maoists).

The special court had last week remanded him in NIA custody till August 4.

As his custody ended on Tuesday, he was produced before the court by the probe agency.

Seeking his custody further,the NIA informed the courtthat some 1.26 lakh mails have been recovered from his email account and they need to be scrutinised.

His social media accounts, which were used for communicating with other accused persons, suspects and sympathisers of CPI (Maoists) also needed to be scrutinised, it said.

The NIA further said investigations revealed that Tharayil was in contact with the other arrested accused and they were involved in raising fund for Maoists released from prison, and further probe in this regard was underway.

It came to light during the probe that a conspiracy was hatched by the accused persons, who promoted enmity between variouscaste groups. It led to violence,loss of life and statewide agitation, the NIA said.

After hearing the probe agency's submission, special court judge R R Bhosale granted the accused's custody to NIA for three more days.

The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The Pune police filed a charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet in the case on November 15, 2018 and February 21, 2019, respectively.

The NIA took up the investigation in the case on January 24 this year.
NIAID director Anthony Fauci said Monday schools and colleges should be able to reopen for in-person classes, but they must take precautions to ensure the safety of students and teachers during the pandemic, per CNN.

Of note: Students benefit psychologically from being in a classroom, Fauci said. The American Academy of Pediatrics has advocated for in-person classes resuming, noting in a statement the mental health benefits of doing so. "[T]here is already evidence of the negative impacts on children because of school closures in the spring of 2020."

Zoom in: In a separate interview with the JAMA Network Monday, Fauci expanded on comments he made last week that "if you have goggles or an eye shield, you should use it" by recommending that teachers wear face shields.

This is because while young children may be less susceptible to COVID-19, they're capable of spreading it as they can have a "have a higher viral load in their nasal pharynx," he said.

Yes, but: Fauci said during a video conference with physicians and medical students at New Hampshire's Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center Monday that schools in coronavirus hot spots should not reopen.

"There may be some areas where the level of virus is so high that it would not be prudent to bring the children back to school," he said.

"So you can't make one statement about bringing children back to school in this country, it depends on where you are."

The bottom line: Fauci told the Journal of the American Medical Association's Howard Bauchner in the JAMA Network interview that with the U.S. reporting 50,000 to 60,000 new cases per day "we're going to have a really bad situation in the fall," unless the numbers decrease.

Getting the daily case number down to 10,000 by next month would enable the U.S. to regain a level of control, he said.

By the numbers: More than 155,400 people have died of COVID-19 and over 4.7 million have tested positive for the virus as of Tuesday morning.

Go deeper: Reopening schools is a coronavirus wildcard
Mumbai woke up to heavy rain, with the city receiving more than 230 mm of rain int he last 10 hours.

The rain continued through the night which led to waterlogging. Early morning visuals in news agency ANI showed people wading through waist-deep water in several low-lying areas of Mumbai.

Buses, shops and other structures are submerged in water.

The downpour has led to disruption of transport services in Mumbai. The BEST bus services have been diverted on 56 routes in various parts of the city and its suburbs due to waterlogging, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said.

Watch: Heavy rainfall, waterlogging in parts of Mumbai; red alert issued

The local train service, considered lifeline of Mumbai, has also been affected. According to the BMC, trains on central, western and harbour lines have completely stopped.

The weather department has sounded a red alert for two days (Tuesday and Wednesday) for extremely heavy rain in Mumbai.

According to BMC, Mumbai city received 140.5 mm rain from 8 am on August 3 to 3 am on August 4. The Eastern and Western Suburbs recorded 84.77 mm and 79.27 mm of rainfall respectively.

BMC issued suitable warnings and advisories to all coastal security agencies and disaster management department. It has also appealed to all offices and other establishments, except emergency services, to remain shut today.

The city corporation has also put on alert fire brigade, pumping stations and operating staff at temporarily installed 299 pumping machines.

The IMD said that extremely heavy rain will occur at isolated places in Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra on August 4 and August 5.

Ratnagiri district is also expected to receive extremely heavy rain on August 4, while Paldhar district is expected to receive extremely heavy rain on August 5.
The western coastline of the Isle of Rum (Getty).

Post-lockdown, British people are falling into two camps: those who are craving social interaction and those who have embraced alone time and feel anxious about the prospect of normality returning.

If you fall into the latter category, you might be interested to know about an opportunity to make that remote lifestyle your new normal.

The Isle of Rum, a remote Scottish outpost neighbouring the Isle of Skye, is actively seeking people who are looking for a slice of the quieter life.

Read more: The UKs top beach, city and country destinations

Currently home to 40 residents, the island wants to add to their community by seeking out like-minded people to join them.

With only six children currently living on the island, it needs to attract more families to fill up schools and provide a future for the island.

Waterfall on South Coast of Rum cc-by-sa/2.0 -  Tony Page - geograph.org.uk/p/41742

The rocky island is just eight miles end to end and is located in Scotlands Inner Hebrides.

The Isle of Rum Community Trust says it wants new residents to move into four new eco-homes, which are currently under construction.

The two-bedroom properties will be located on the outskirts of Kinloch village and anyone who fancies a change of pace is being encouraged to register their interest on the islands website. Anyone with a special set of skills or trades who could help diversify the island and its economy will seemingly get extra points.

Read more: Bacon butties named Britains favourite sandwich

The Isle of Rum has had a difficult job trying to encourage people to re-locate to the far-flung location, but the community is hoping that the extra houses and new job opportunities might make the prospect more appealing.

Job opportunities in childcare, food production, house maintenance, fish farming or marine and mountain tourism are already available, according to the website. The island is also set up for people with young families.

Sailing around Rum Island, Inner Hebrides Scotland (Getty).

If youre into animal watching, youll appreciate this location even more.

Up until 1957, The Isle of Rum was called The Forbidden Island but it was then sold to a wildlife conservation team, which allowed wild animals to thrive under its care.

Story continues

White tailed eagles also inhabit the island. (Getty Images)

It boasts deer, wild goats, ponies, golden and white-tailed eagles, as well as a colony of Manx shearwaters on its eight-mile stretch.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK Lifestyle
SHOULD consultancy work deadlines be met as planned, the construction of the New Cebu International Container Port (NCICP) would be expected to start this year, a top official of the Cebu Port Authority (CPA) said.

Leonilo Miole, CPA general manager, said consultancy works on the P10.1 billion port project in Tayud, Consolacion  some eight kilometers from the Cebu base port  are currently ongoing. He said there are two components in the procurement for the project: the procurement for consultancy which is now ongoing and another for construction.

The procurement for civil works is expected to start in October this year, Miole said in an online talk show aired on the official Facebook page of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas.

Miole said the Covid-19 crisis might delay meeting this deadline, but he said he is hopeful the multi-billion project can start this year so it will be completed in five years.

The NCICP is one of the flagship projects under the Duterte administrations Build, Build, Build infrastructure program.

Once this project is realized, Miole said the Cebu International Port (CIP) located in Cebu City would be transformed into a domestic port, while NCICP will serve international cargoes.

He added that this would enable CPA to address the congestion problem in the domestic operations.

In June 2018, the Philippines and South Koreas Export Import Bank of Korea (Kexim) had signed a US$172.64 million (P8.48 billion) loan agreement for the construction of a new international port in Cebu.

The Philippines will provide a counterpart fund of $26.09 million (about P1.28 billion) for the project.

The NCICP will be built on a 25-hectare reclaimed land in Tayud, Consolacion in northern Cebu.

It will include a berthing facility with a 500-meter-long quay wall that can simultaneously accommodate two 2,000 twenty-foot equivalent unit vessels; operating facilities and structures for containers such as a freight station and an inspection shed; an access road and bridge; and a dredged waterway and turning basin. The loan also includes procurement of cargo-handling equipment.

Story continues

A new international terminal is seen as the long-term solution to the growing volumes handled at the CIP, the current base port.

The project is seen not only to free up the base port but also to enhance the transport infrastructure system for the unimpeded flow of goods and services in the Visayas.

Several feasibility studies, the most recent one by Kexim, suggest locating the new seaport hub in Tayud, Consolacion. (WBS with PR)
A study by scientists from the University of Southampton has examined the chances of getting COVID-19 in a train carriage carrying an infectious person.

Based on high-speed routes in China, researchers from WorldPop found that for train passengers sitting within three rows and five columns of an infected person between 0 and 10% (10.3) caught the disease. The average rate of transmission for these 'close contact' travellers was 0.32%.



The study, in collaboration with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, China Academy of Electronics and Information Technology, and Chinese Centre for Disease Control and Prevention, also showed that passengers travelling in seats directly adjacent to an index patient suffered the highest level of transmission, with an average of 3.5% contracting the disease. For those sitting on the same row, the figure was 1.5%.



The 'attack rate' for each seat - the number of passengers in a given seat diagnosed with COVID-19, divided by the total number of passengers travelling in the same seat - increased by 0.15% for every hour that a person travelled with an index patient. For those in adjacent seats, this rate of increase was higher at 1.3% per hour.



Interestingly, the researchers found that only 0.075% of people who used a seat previously occupied by an index patient went on to contract the disease, News Wise reported.



The WorldPop team, experts in population mapping, used sophisticated modelling to analyse anonymised itinerary and infection data relating to train passengers on China's high-speed G train network. This included those who had COVID-19 at the time of travel and their close contacts (who showed symptoms within 14 days of travel). The data, covering a period between 19 December 2019 and 6 March 2020, included 2,334 index patients and 72,093 close contacts. Their travel times ranged from between less than an hour to eight hours.



The researchers conclude that given the attack rates estimated for passengers in the same row as an index patient, a safe social distance of more than one metre is required for one hour spent travelling together. After two hours of contact, they consider a distance of less than 2.5 metres may be insufficient to prevent transmission.
North Korea has deployed 1,500 elite special forces soldiers to the Sino-Korean border area of northern Ryanggang province to target corruption and smuggling while preventing citizens from escaping to China, sources in the region told RFA.

The soldiers, part of an official counter-terrorism unit in North Koreas military, are seen as an annoyance to residents of the area, who have been chafing under extreme scrutiny since the outbreak of COVID-19, sources said.

On the 2nd, 1,500 special forces soldiers arrived in Hyesan, a Ryanggang military official, who requested anonymity for security reasons, told RFAs Korean Service Monday.

Upon arrival, the soldiers were dispersed all along the Sino-Korean border line in Ryanggang province. [They] are known to be highly trained and educated in political ideology, the source said.

Some of the special forces unit will be tasked with reining in corruption, cracking down on border security agents who accepting bribes from small-time smugglers or who engage in smuggling themselves.

Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic in January, North Korean and Chinese authorities have closed borders, and North Korea has severely cracked down on smuggling.

Illegally moving goods in and out of China has been the lifeblood of North Koreas nascent market economy, especially in the face of U.S. and U.N. sanctions aimed at depriving Pyongyang of cash and resources for its nuclear and missile programs.

The deployment comes amid a campaign to tighten border controls in the face of suspected cases of coronavirus and after a major corruption case was revealed in Ryanggang.

RFA reported last month that an unknown number of government and border security officials were implicated in a case in which smugglers were caught trying to move gold and platinum into China from Ryanggang.

Now, border officials will be policed by elite soldiers, who have the authority to crack down on all illegal and anti-state activities in the border area, according to the source.

Groups of between 150 and 300 of the soldiers were deployed to each military unit along the border, including in the city of Hyesan, and in Pochon county, the source said.

Members of law enforcement agencies and border guards here in Ryanggang are also on high alert as they are under the control of the special forces, at least in the border area, said the source.

A resident of Pochon county confirmed to RFA that 300 of the elite troops arrived Sunday evening and began work Monday. They were deployed in groups at border guard posts, camping with the guards.

From the 3rd, these special forces soldiers began a crackdown on the movement of residents and on various illegal activities in the border area of Pochon country, said the second source, who requested anonymity to speak freely.

They seem to have been sent to the North Korea-China border to strengthen control over North Korean escapees, while keeping an eye on border guards and other law enforcement agencies in the border area, the second source said.

The Pochon county source said the presence of elite troops on their doorstep is creating a more intense atmosphere and residents are starting to panic.

Ryanggang has already seen security doubled and tripled due to the coronavirus crisis, but now that the special forces are here, the citizens are even more incensed.

The special forces sent to Ryanggang are part of the XI Corps of the Korean Peoples Army, which considers among its forbears a unit that is notorious in South Korea.

The 124th army sent 31 North Korean commandos dressed in South Korean army uniforms to attack on the presidential Blue House in Seoul, in a failed bid to assassinate President Park Chung Hee on January 21, 1968.

Reported by Sewon Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Eugene Whong.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:53:31|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission said on Tuesday that it has opened an in-depth investigation to assess the proposed acquisition of Fitbit by Google, under the European Union (EU) Merger Regulation.

The move was prompted by concerns that the proposed transaction would entrench Google's already strong market position in online advertising by increasing the amount of data that Google could use for personalization of the adverts, the commission said in a statement.

By acquiring Fitbit, Google would acquire the database maintained by Fitbit about its users' health and fitness, as well as the technology to develop a database similar to Fitbit's, said the Commission.

The data collected via wrist-worn wearable devices appears, at this stage of the Commission's review of the transaction, to be an important advantage in the online advertising markets, said the statement.

By increasing the data advantage of Google in the personalization of the ads it serves via its search engine and displays on other internet pages, it would be more difficult for rivals to match Google's online advertising services.

Last week, CNBC reported that the bid for Fitbit, announced last November, would see Google compete with market leader Apple and Samsung in the fitness-tracking and smart-watch market, alongside others including Huawei and Xiaomi from China.

The report said the European Commission, following the end of its preliminary review on Aug. 4, would launch the probe to explore in depth the use of data in healthcare. Enditem




By Lee Gyu-lee







Celebrities, including comedian Yoo Jae-suk and actor Park Seo-joon, are mobilizing to provide disaster assistance, after heavy rain caused significant casualties and damage across Korea.







The torrential rain, which started over the weekend, has triggered landslides in several places and flooded residential areas, mostly in the Seoul metropolitan area and the central region. The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasures Headquarters reported 13 people dead, 13 missing and about 2,228 evacuees, as of Tuesday afternoon.







To help those affected by the rain and floods, comedian Yoo donated 100 million won ($83,700) Monday to an emergency relief fund for flood victims. The Korea Disaster Relief Association manages the fund.







According to the association, Yoo has previously stepped forward to help in disaster situations, including the 2014 Sewol ferry disaster, the 2017 Pohang earthquake, and the 2019 Gangwon Province forest fire.







"Yoo has been making generous donations every time we start a disaster relief campaign," the association said. "Because many people are suffering from unexpected heavy rain nationwide, we hope Yoo's donation will start the spread of good deeds."







Following Yoo, several other celebrities also contributed hefty sums to the same relief fund.







Actor Park Seo-joon and actress Yoo In-na donated 100 million won ($83,700), and 50 million won ($41,900) each.







Comedian Yoo Byung-jae and comedian/TV personality couple Hong Hyun-hee and Yun Jae-sung shared their contributions  10 million won ($8,400) and 20 million won ($16,700)  on social media, encouraging fans to join them.







"I hope this will help victims across the country who are affected by the sudden rainfall," Hong wrote.







Meanwhile, property damage has increased to over 1,480 private assets and 1,470 public facilities as of Tuesday.


CALEXICO, Calif. - Dr. Tien Vos last stop of the night is the home of a 35-year-old woman who has diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and, now, the coronavirus. The virus killed her father six days earlier. The oldest of her four children, a 15-year-old boy, learned he had it that morning.

Tilted back in a reclining chair at her bedside using an oxygen device, Cynthia Reyes tells the doctor she can no longer stand up herself.

I cant catch my breath. It takes a long time to get to the restroom. I feel like Im going to faint, she says anxiously.

Vo, who exchanges text messages with Reyes every few hours and speaks with her almost daily, listens and nods.

Ive tried my best already, but sometimes, you know, we cant do enough, Vo says after leaving.

Reyes lives in Californias often-forgotten Imperial County, a farming region along the Mexican border. Until recently, it had the states highest coronavirus infection rate and its two hospitals were overwhelmed. The county is largely Latino and low income, groups that have suffered disproportionately from the virus.

Vo is a rock star for bringing medical services, says Alex Cardenas, a former mayor of El Centro, the county seat. The doctors two clinics have done more than 27,000 coronavirus tests since March 23, with a positive rate between 25% and 30%.

Vo and his wife, a nurse practitioner, emigrated from Vietnam as teenagers. They drifted west from New York to settle 10 years ago in Imperial County, which produces a major share of vegetables in U.S. supermarkets during the winter.

Vo, 43, says he stayed because people are friendly and appreciative. He sees happiness in their eyes when they greet him.

They really need a doctor here, he says from the front seat of a company van between house calls. Theyre not very hard to please. They chat with me. They text me every day.

To date, Imperial County has had more than 5,200 cases for every 100,000 people, nearly triple that of hard-hit Los Angeles County, the nations largest county. Nearly 20% of Imperial patients have tested positive, compared with 6.3% statewide.

Deaths have reached 220 in a county with about 180,000 residents. San Francisco has five times the population but two-thirds fewer deaths.

El Centro Regional Medical Center, which briefly stopped taking patients in May, is bursting at the seams, says Dr. Adolphe Edward, chief executive officer. Tents set up in a parking lot serve COVID-19 patients, one an emergency room and one an intensive care unit.

A lack of beds has forced the transfer of more than 600 coronavirus patients to hospitals elsewhere in California and brought an influx of state and federal aid, including a spillover 80-bed hospital in a community college gymnasium and additional intensive-care beds.

There is no single reason for Imperial Countys plight, but inequalities loom large. It often has the highest unemployment rate among the nations 389 metropolitan areas. The jobless rate was 27.3% in June.

Imperial is 85% per cent Latino, with elevated rates of diabetes and obesity. Wind-blown dust contributes to asthma. Its 21% poverty rate is among Californias highest. Crowded, multigeneration households spread the virus quickly.

Mexicali, Mexico, an industrial city of 1 million people, brings additional strain when people cross the border for medical care. Many are U.S. citizens and legal residents.

Imperial County is surrounded on three sides in the U.S. by vast, uninhabited desert and Mexicalis urban sprawl to the south. Settlers diverted Colorado River water with a dike that breached in 1905, causing a two-year flood. Large farms have been passed through generations of families of white European descent.

Colorado River water gravitates through hundreds of canals along highways and dirt roads to the farms, getting saltier before it empties into the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake. It was once a desert playground for speedboat racers and Hollywood entertainers but now is evaporating as less water seeps down from the river.

The lakes shores occasionally are blanketed with the carcasses of oxygen-starved tilapia, while dust from newly exposed lakebed is kicked up by desert winds, helping explain why air quality in the area violates federal standards.

Dulce Garcia, who was born in Mexico and settled with her family in Californias Central Valley when she was 12, moved to Mexicali 10 years ago after her husband was deported. She walks across the U.S. border to her job in Calexico to work as a medical assistant at a El Centro Regional Medical Center clinic. She is one of the hospitals 60 employees who live in Mexicali.

Garcia, 38, rents a room in a Calexico house with other women, letting her register her U.S.-born sons, ages 17 and 15, in the citys public schools. She sleeps some nights on the U.S. side but usually returns to her apartment in Mexicali. Her husband picks her up in their 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for a 10-minute drive to their leafy neighbourhood with a large park for evening strolls.

Garcia, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is uncomfortable crossing the border daily to be around COVID-19 patients but, like many others, sees no alternative. A U.S. salary goes much further with Mexicos cost of living and makes up for the scant wages her husbands construction job pays in Mexicali.

Everybodys scared of the pandemic, but we have to cross, Garcia said after pulling out her travel documents for U.S. border inspectors at the end of a hallway, where a guitarist sang Mexican ballads for morning commuters. We have to survive.

During harvests, Garcia is part of a second wave of daily commuters, made up of workers with later hours and students.

Thousands of farmworkers who live in Mexicali begin lining up shortly after midnight at the border, filling streets of tiny downtown Calexico until buses take them to fields to pick lettuce, spinach, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and celery. In spring, they harvest cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon.

Vos clinic is just outside the sleepy downtown shopping area, which gives way to wide streets and large strip malls. President Donald Trump visited the city of 40,000 people last year to see his new border wall of 30-foot (9-meter) steel poles coated in black paint.

Cars filled Vos parking lot when he began drive-through virus testing in March. He soon began taking walk-ins, with lines wrapping around his building.

Vo met his wife when she was in college in New York City and he was doing his residency there. They moved to upstate New York, Phoenix, Yuma, Arizona, and finally Imperial County, where he says they have about 40,000 patients. They also own a 31-bed nursing home.

Part of the appeal is proximity to family in Southern Californias Orange County, a magnet for Vietnamese immigrants where they were raised as teenagers in the 1990s. Their parents still live there. The couple have two children, a 9-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.

The indefatigable doctor is often on the move in blue scrubs, even after his clinic closes at 6 p.m. weekdays. He eases up slightly on Sundays, when he shuts down at 2 p.m.

Cardenas, the former El Centro mayor and lifelong resident, is Vos driver on a recent night of meal deliveries for people who are quarantined and dont have anyone to shop for them.

Their first stop is the mobile home of a 62-year-old man who lives alone with diabetes and asthma. Next is the modest, two-story house of a 55-year-old diabetic, one of seven people infected with the virus in a household of 12 people spanning three generations.

Judith Aguirre, 53, believes her husband got the virus at his dialysis centre because so many other patients got it. She, a pregnant daughter and four of eight grandchildren got it next in their five-bedroom house.

Doctor, we really appreciate what you do for the valley, Aguirre said after Vo delivered boxes of barbecue beef, macaroni and cheese, bread and coleslaw. Ive heard that you call in the middle of the night. You do house calls.

At Vos last stop, Reyes talks about her 69-year-old father, a very strong man who died three weeks after being diagnosed with the virus.

All of a sudden, he went to the hospital and he couldnt breathe, she said.

A week later later, Reyes symptoms had improved, but she was still on the oxygen device and a long way from a full recovery.

___

This story has been corrected to show Vos wife is a nurse practitioner, not a nurse; and to show the couple has two children, not two sons. The daughter is 9 and the son is 10 years old.
Into the Wilderness: A Journey of Faith: an enthralling book that contains a womans faith-driven moments in life that speak of her suffering and healing by the grace of God. Into the Wilderness: A Journey of Faith is the creation of published author Tracy M. Lewis, PhD, a former youth pastor, social worker and principal, and a veteran of the United States Air Force and National Guard.

Lewis shares, Into the Wilderness: A Journey of Faith is the spiritually inspiring and surreal true story of a young girl from West Virginia who, at the age of twelve, suddenly finds herself deposited into the harshest environment imaginablethe streets and public schools of South Central, Los Angeles.

There, she struggles to survive not only the violence, crime, and destruction around her but also the resulting trauma, depression, sadness, and sense of hopelessness. Her sudden friendship with a Jewish family at the age of fourteen leads to a desire to know God for herself and a much-needed encounter with Jesus at the age of sixteen.

Five years later, a God-directed mission into the wilderness of Alaska quickly builds her faith in a powerful way, and her relationship with God is strengthened as she learns the meaning of spiritual warfare.

For people who need answers to the questions, Is God Real? Does God care about me? Do I have a purpose? This book is for them.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Tracy M. Lewis, PhDs new book hopes to enlighten readers of Gods abounding love for them and His plans for their lives, especially in times of despair and loss.

This book presents truthful circumstances in life that exude with trust in God and the wisdom of understanding ones purpose in life as willed by the Lord.

View the synopsis of Into the Wilderness: A Journey of Faith on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase Into the Wilderness: A Journey of Faith at traditional brick-and-mortar bookstores or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about Into the Wilderness: A Journey of Faith, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
(Newser)  Aspiring lawyers in Texas now have the 19th-century privilege of bringing tampons and pads to their bar exam, which is administered over several hours-long sessions. The Texas Board of Law Examiners has retracted its ban on feminine hygiene products after discrimination complaints. Executive Director Susan Henricks said the ban was meant to ensure a fair exam, given concerns about smuggled study materials and smartphones. She also said products were provided. But at her exam last summer, Sarah Riffel could find only super-absorbent tampons, which aren't suitable for everyone, per the Texas Tribune. "A tampon that is too large for a particular user may cause pain or discomfortand, in fact, may be unusable. Even worse, it may make the applicant susceptible to toxic shock," reads a July 20 letter sent to the National Conference of Bar Examiners, signed by hundreds of lawyers and students.

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Texas Supreme Court justices Brett Busby and Eva Guzman also pushed to overturn the ban, while the National Conference of Bar Examiners came out against prohibitions, per the Tribune. The board then conceded. Exam administrators "understand the need for access to feminine hygiene products" and "know that the overwhelming majority of applicants have no design or intention to compromise the integrity of the examination," Henricks said. She added tampons and pads would be permitted in clear plastic bags at an in-person exam set for September. (Test takers will write in hotel rooms with the doors open to proctors.) It's unclear if the same policy will apply to a large, single-room exam tentatively scheduled for February. Officials have also clarified that there is no ban on the products at bar exams in West Virginia and Arizona, per the ABA Journal. (Read more bar exam stories.)
Sure, it might be warm Wednesday, but what about the rest of the week?
New Delhi:

Delhi Police are probing a possible link between Gurugrams dreaded Kaushal gang and two back-to-back firing incidents cum extortion threats in Delhi within 48 hours last week. One person arrested on Monday for the shootings allegedly claimed he was following the gangsters orders, police said.

At least 10 teams, including members from the special cell and crime branch, were formed after the firing incidents by gunmen, who left a letter at each spot, demanding R1 crore as protection money on behalf of Kaushal, who is presently lodged in Hisar jail.

The first firing took place on July 31 at a sweet shop in west Delhis Hari Nagar, where two bike-borne persons opened fire and left a letter, demanding R1 crore. Even as the west district police were probing the case, a similar incident took place the very next day, when three masked men opened fire at a car showroom near the Sultanpur Metro station in south Delhi and left a similar letter.

Initial investigation hinted that at least five gangs, mostly based in Haryana, joined hands with Kaushals group to carry out extortions and establish themselves in Delhis crime world, which has been lying void after the arrest of gangsters such as Jitender alias Gogi, Jyoti Prakash alias Baba, Vikas alias PK, and Sandeep alias Dhillu, police said.

Officers said some members of the so-called Kranti gang led Rajesh Bharti, who was killed in a shootout in south Delhi in 2018, also joined Kaushal.

Gangsters such as Kuldeep Gadoli, Sandeep alias Kala Jatheri, Sube Gujjar and their accomplices are now working with Kaushals gang and their prime focus is to expand their empire to the national capital. There was another firing and extortion demand case in Najafgarh two-three months ago and the name of Kaushals gang had emerged during the investigation, said a special cell officer, requesting anonymity.

Members of the special cell and crime branch were put on the job to break the emerging nexus of different gangs and nab their members, senior police officers privy to the case said.

Deputy commissioner of police (special cell) Sanjeev Kumar Yadav said, We have been receiving information that gangs from Haryana are trying to establish base in Delhi. Our teams are committed to thwart their attempts.

A plumber till 16 years ago, Kaushal, 39, was arrested in August 2019 by Haryana Police from the Delhi airport. He was involved in more than 200 cases of murder, extortion, blackmail, and threat calls. Kaushal fled to Dubai and shifted eight locations there since December 2017. A Red Corner Notice and a lookout circular (LOC) were issued against him.

Another officer said on condition of anonymity that Kaushal is also trying to get himself shifted to a Delhi prison, to avoid threat to his life from rivals and seek the support of Delhis jailed gangsters.

On Monday, the special cell caught 24-year-old Kapil alias Ravi Kumar, who was involved in the recent shootings, after an exchange of fire in outer Delhis Rohini. Five bullets were exchanged and one fired by the police hit Kapils leg. Two policemen took one bullet each in their bulletproof vests, an officer associated with the raid said.

Kapil told police he was acting on the directions of Kaushal and his aide Sachin, whom he had met in Bhondsi jail this year, DCP Yadav said. Sachin is Kaushals hitman and he was with Kapil in both the firing incidents. Sachin told Kapil that Kaushal had selected him for some work and later included him in the firings, said Yadav.

Since Kaushals name emerged in the car showroom firing case, our team will question him and take his custody if needed, said deputy commissioner of police (southwest) Devender Arya.

Preet Pal, assistant commissioner of Gurugram police (crime), said, We will extend our support to Delhi Police as and when they need in their cases involving Kaushal and other gangs.
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
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Anyone who equipped themselves with fans and paddling pools to survive last weeks sweltering temperatures can sit back, smug  and cool  because the heatwave is set to return by the weekend.

By Friday, England will bake in temperatures of up to 37C (99F), hotter than the Bahamas or Lisbon, as the Met Office issued a heat health alert for the South East.

The level two alert, which means that temperatures are expected to reach a certain high on two consecutive days, will be in place from midday on Thursday until 9am on Sunday.

The value temperatures must reach to trigger an alert varies depending on the region affected  in the North East, temperatures would need to reach 28C (82F) over the same period  but the threshold is 30C (86F) on average.

People on Marazion Beach and Saint Michael's Mount, Cornwall, enjoying the warm weather just before a heatwave hits England and lasts through the weekend

The full Sturgeon Moon glows red as it rises up from behind The Needles lighthouse on the Isle of Wight viewed from Mudeford Quay in Dorset on a clear summer evening

A waterspout is pictured off the coast of Oostduinkerke, Belgium. Waterspouts usually develop over tropical, warm waters in spring or summer months

Paddle boarders and kayakers on the sea near Sandbanks, Dorset as England is set to be hotter than the Bahamas or Lisbon this week

Warm air from Europe is expected at the end of the week, with southerly winds sweeping hot and dry conditions across most of England.

Temperatures could peak at around 32C (90F) in the South on Thursday and 26C (79F) in the North.

While the Bahamas could be 31C (88F) on Friday, the Met Office has said temperatures in England could reach 37C (99F), and Lisbon may peak at around 30C (86F) by the weekend.

Although the hot spell is due to last throughout Saturday, the temperature is expected to drop and by Sunday, some parts of the country could see thunder storms.

The beginning of the week sees milder temperatures after last Friday was the third hottest day since records began in 1910, after a high of 37.8C (100F) was recorded at Heathrow airport

While the Bahamas could be 31C (88F) on Friday, the Met Office has said temperatures in England could reach 37C (99F), and Lisbon may peak at around 30C (86F) by the weekend

People enjoying the warm weather today in in St James's Park in London. When temperatures pick up again this week, they could could peak at around 32C (90F) in the South on Thursday and 26C (79F) in the North

Pelicans also enjoyed the sunshine today in St James's Park in London as England braces for hot spell is due to last throughout Saturday

Crowds of holidaymakers and sunseekers flock to the packed beach at the seaside resort of Lyme Regis in Dorset to socak up the scorching hot sunshine as the week gets of to a glorious hot and sunny start

Bonnie Diamond, a forecaster for the Met Office, said the North West would see an unsettled start to the week, while the South should enjoy a dry spell  with warmer weather spreading across England and Wales from Thursday.

It follows a weekend of hot weather which saw some of Englands most popular tourist hotspots deluged with visitors.

The Met Office confirmed last Friday was the third hottest day since records began in 1910, after a high of 37.8C (100F) was recorded at Heathrow airport.
In a major relief for Mumbaikars, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) said all shops in the city will be allowed to remain open all days from Wednesday irrespective of the odd-even rule. Under the rule, shops on one side of the road used to remain open on one day, while those on the other side used to function the next day.

In a circular issued under the Mission Begin Again, the civic body also allowed the counter sale of liquor in Mumbai with proper social distancing norms. "It is further directed that all shops shall remain open on all days on all sides of roads irrespective of odd and even (rule)," the circular said.

The relaxation came amid indications that the number of new COVID-19 cases in Mumbai is more or less stabilising since the last few days. On Monday, Mumbai added 970 new cases, taking the cumulative count to 1,17,406. The BMC said all essential shops which were allowed to remain open earlier shall continue to do so whereas all non- essential markets, market areas and shops will remain open from 9 am to 7 pm.

Malls and market places will be allowed to work from 9 am to 7 pm from Wednesday. However, theatres, food courts/restaurants will continue to remain shut. "Kitchen of restaurants and food courts will be allowed to operate in malls wherein only home delivery through aggregators will be allowed," the BMC said.

Apart from allowing sale of liquor at shop counters, the BMC said home delivery of booze is allowed with strict compliance with norms. The corporation warned filing of criminal cases against owners of shops and persons found violating its directives. Referring to the national directive for COVID-19 management, the BMC said consumption of liquor, paan and tobacco in public places is prohibited.

It added e-commerce activities for essential as well as non-essential items and material will be permitted. All the industrial units presently open will continue to operate, it added. The civic body said all government offices (excluding emergency, health and medical, treasuries, disaster management, police, NIC, food and civil supplies and municipal services) will function with 15 per cent strength or 15 persons, "whichever is higher".

All private offices can operate up to 10 per cent strength or 10 people "whichever is more", it said. The BMC said the movement of persons for the purpose of non-essential activities like shopping and outdoor exercises shall be restricted within the neighbourhood area limits on the condition of adherence to wearing masks, maintaining social distancing and personal hygiene.

Also read: No jobs in villages, two-third of migrants return to cities
UPDATE: Tornado watch expanded to all of N.J. as Tropical Storm Isaias hits state

UPDATE: Tornado warning issued for part of N.J. with Tropical Storm Isaias set to lash state

Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to deliver a powerful punch to New Jersey Tuesday with up to 6 inches of rain in spots and winds gusts up to 75 mph, which could cause widespread flooding and power outages, according to the latest forecast.

The National Weather Service has expanded a tornado watch to the entire state as Isaias, which made landfall as a category 1 hurricane Monday night in North Carolina, tracks along the I-95 corridor through New Jersey. The tornado watch expires at noon for Cape May, Cumberland and Salem counties and continues until 4 p.m. for the rest of the state.

Isaias slightly weakened and picked up speed overnight. It was about 270 miles southwest of Atlantic City at 5 a.m. and hurtling north-northeast at 28 mph, packing maximum winds of about 70 mph with tropical-force winds extending 140 miles from the center, according to the National Hurricane Center.

South Jersey will begin feeling Isaias effects by mid-morning as heavy rain and strong winds start to lash the state. North Jersey can expect rain to start later this morning with conditions beginning to deteriorate around noon. Some heavy rain started earlier along the Delaware River.

Tropical Storm Isaias, which made landfall as a hurricane Monday night, is expected to bring up to 6 inches of rain, wind gusts up to 70 mph and flooding to New Jersey on Tuesday.

The storm will move through New Jersey fairly quickly, but will certainly leave its mark before clearing out starting late this afternoon in South Jersey and during the evening in North Jersey. Along the shore, winds of 45 to 55 mph with gusts from 65 to 75 mph are possible. Winds inland are expected to reach 35 to 45 mph with gusts of around 50 to 60 mph.

PS&G, the states largest utility, is preparing for potential power outages, with 1,300 crews from 13 states and Canada en route to New Jersey, a spokeswoman said.

Tropical Storm Isaias, which made landfall as a hurricane Monday night, is expected to bring up to 6 inches of rain, wind gusts up to 70 mph and flooding to New Jersey on Tuesday.

Rain amounts will vary from about 1 to 1.5 inches along the immediate coast in Cape May and Atlantic counties to up to 6 inches in the northwestern corner of the state. Areas west of the Interstate 95 corridor will get the most rain. The heavy rain could trigger flash flooding a well as river flooding. Minor to moderate coastal flooding is also a worry.

The entire state remains under a tropical storm warning and a flash flood watch Tuesday. The flash flood watch expires at 6 a.m. Wednesday for the five northeast counties (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic and Union) and at midnight for the rest of the state.

In addition there are coastal flood advisories for Atlantic, Burlington Cumberland, Camden, Cape May, eastern Essex, Hudson, Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean, Salem and eastern Union counties.

Tropical Storm Isaias, which made landfall as a hurricane Monday night, is expected to bring up to 6 inches of rain, wind gusts up to 70 mph and flooding to New Jersey on Tuesday.

A state of emergency went into effect in New Jersey at 5 a.m. with Gov. Phil Murphy urging people to stay off roads.

State Motor Vehicle Commission, which have been jammed with lines after months of coronavirus closures, will remain closed on Tuesday due to the storm. In addition, all state parks and wildlife management areas are closed and campgrounds are being emptied of visitors, officials said.

NJ Transit officials said the agency plans to operate regular service on its rail, bus, light rail and Access Link system through Wednesday, as long as weather conditions allow safe operation.

Tropical Storm Isaias is shown in satellite images as the storm heads toward New Jersey with heavy rain and high winds expected throughout the day.

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.
Hundreds of thousands of people are without power after Hurricane Isaias made landfall in the US, bringing with it winds of 85mph and the threat of storm surges and flash floods.

By the time the eye of Isaias hit southern North Carolina it had strengthened into a category one hurricane from a tropical storm.

It is due to make its way up the US eastern coast towards Washington, Philadelphia and New York, the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) said.

"Power outages in North Carolina from Isaias have now surpassed 200,000 outages," the Carolina Weather Group said.

Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and struck the Bahamas, but remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend.

"Only gradual weakening is anticipated after Isaias makes landfall in the Carolinas and moves across the US mid-Atlantic," the NHC said.

"Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to completion."

Ferry operators completed evacuations from Ocracoke Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks, moving more than 3,500 people and 1,700 vehicles off the island over four days.

Coastal residents secured their homes, shops and restaurants closed early and most beachgoers abandoned the sand and surf with storm surges of up to 5ft (1.5m) and up to 8ins (20cm) of rain forecast in areas.

"All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast US," said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the NHC.

The NHC also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina early on Tuesday, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later.

A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned of severe inland flooding as rescue teams, high-water vehicles and helicopters were put on standby in the state.

Storm shelters were preparing to accommodate evacuees with at least 115 square feet (10 square metres) per person to ensure COVID-19 social distancing.

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Mr Cooper said: "North Carolinians have had to dig deep in recent months to tap into our strength and resilience during the pandemic ... but we have to dig a little deeper. Let's keep each other safe from the wind and water, as well as from the virus."

Authorities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ordered swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents.

President Donald Trump on Monday described Isaias as "very serious" and urged communities to stay "vigilant".
Hospitalizations from COVID-19 have leveled off in the past week after rising sharply throughout July, but Alabamas ICUs remain nearly full. Many hospitals have added extra beds to meet demand and officials are concerned about what will happen as schools open in the coming weeks.

The good news is hospitalizations right now are more flat than theyve been recently, said Dr. Don Williamson, president of the Alabama Hospital Association. We can manage if things stay as they are. If we had a surge (of patients), we could manage that as long as they were distributed across the state, but thats not the way it works.

As of Monday, just 15% of Alabamas ICU beds were available, he said, which translates to 238 beds.

The numbers are better outside the ICU, said Williamson. About 29% of total adult hospital beds are available across the state, or 2,343 beds.

Williamson worries that even as hospitalizations have flattened recently, schools and colleges resuming in-person instruction could push the surge higher, straining already overloaded hospitals.

Im very worried that when school starts in a couple of weeks, were going to, by the end of August see some really unpleasant numbers in terms of hospitalizations, he said. I dont expect it necessarily to be children. But Im really worried about teachers, parents and grandparents.

On Monday, 1,529 Alabamians were hospitalized with COVID-19. And 18-19% of Alabamas COVID tests return positive over the past 10 days, compared with just 8% nationally.

That is very, very, very high, said Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, an infectious disease physician at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, on Friday. Its worrisome, especially as we increase testing, when positivity doesnt budge, that means youre detecting more absolute numbers of cases.

Those case numbers, said Williamson, dont give me a lot of hope that we somehow turned the corner.

Across the state

Hospitals in Birmingham, Mobile, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Dothan and Opelika have already added beds and implemented surge plans.

I worry about individual communities, because thats how the outbreak affects people, he said. Any place in the state you have suddenly 100 new COVID patients who need hospitalization, thats a problem.

Particularly worrisome are communities like Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Dothan, which have less than 10% of ICU beds remaining.

On Monday afternoon, UAB Hospital reported its highest-ever number of COVID patients, at 124. The hospital has converted its general waiting room into a 10-bed COVID acute care area, and had previously converted other hospital units into COVID units.

Birmingham overall has about 500 total ICU beds and sits right at 90% capacity, said Williamson.

The Huntsville/Madison County area in North Alabama has seen stable and manageable hospital volumes in recent days, said Crestwood Hospital CEO Dr. Pam Hudson. On Monday, Madison County had 121 COVID hospital patients, 40 of whom are in the ICU.

But, she said, theres been a sharp uptick in ICU patients needing ventilators.

Instead of it being 30-40% of patients in the ICU needing a ventilator, its closer to 60%, she said.

Huntsville Hospital Health System, which operates several hospitals across North Alabama, had 208 COVID patients on Monday, down slightly from its highest level a few days earlier.

On Monday, East Alabama Medical Center in Opelika had 45 hospitalized COVID patients, with 26 of its 30 critical care beds in use. The hospital has created alternate care sites to centralize patients with COVID and used other employees to help care for patients. EAMC, Lee County, is the closest hospital to Auburn University, which plans to welcome students back to campus in the coming weeks.

We do have concerns, but we also know that schools and parents have difficult decisions to make and there is no right answer to every situation, said John Atkinson, spokesperson for EAMC. He said the concern over hospitalizations lies mostly with students parents, grandparents, teachers and staff.

If students and staff are both wearing masks, the level of transmission at school should be limited, he said.

In some instances, some smaller Alabama hospitals near state lines have transported a few critical care patients out of their hospitals and into hospitals in other states, said Williamson. That happens usually because the Alabama hospital to which they normally transfer patients is full.

Nurse shortage

This week, the National Guard is assessing potential sites for adding more COVID-19 beds if hospitals become full.

There are no immediate plans to pull any triggers, said Williamson. When you start moving patients off-site, you compound the challenges of taking care of them by pulling staff away from the main hospital, and not having them closer to basic infrastructure.

And beds arent typically the biggest problem for hospitals; its having enough nurses and staff.

Some Alabama hospitals have even looked at potentially bringing in nurses from other countries because the nursing shortage is nationwide.

Taking care of a COVID patient is more labor-intensive than for some other patients, he said. You may be able to assign one nurse to six patients on a general medicine ward. But for COVID you may need one nurse for four patients.

And Alabama had a nursing shortage prior to COVID.

Williamson said he worries about staff growing exhausted, working extra shifts to handle the surge in patients, even as some staff are out sick with COVID themselves. He also worries about the emotional toll.

They know now how difficult and challenging COVID patients can be, and now theyre getting hit with the second wave, he said. Many are stressed, already knowing what the future will look like.
Seventy-five years ago Thursday, the U.S. became  and remains  the only country in the world to detonate a nuclear weapon against an enemy.

At 8:15 a.m. local time on Aug. 6, 1945, an American Boeing B-29 aircraft named Enola Gay dropped a 9,700-pound uranium bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" over Hiroshima, Japan. About 70,000 people were killed instantly by the explosion, which had a radius of around a mile.

Three days later, on Aug. 9 at 11:02 a.m. local time, a second atomic bomb, named "Fat Man," was unleashed by the U.S. over Nagasaki, Japan. This time, 40,000 people died straight away  within five years, the number of deaths approached 140,000, according to archived estimates by the U.S. Department of Energy. The Hiroshima death toll reached an estimated 200,000 by 1950 as those who survived the blast succumbed to fatal burns, radiation sickness and various cancers.

On Aug. 14, 1945, Japan surrendered unconditionally, effectively bringing an end to World War II.

Three-quarters of a century later, tensions, complications and uncertainties over nuclear weapons and how to ensure they are not used again are still very much with us.

Among the recent developments:

The Trump administration has withdrawn from a 2015 nuclear accord with Iran and world powers designed to limit Tehran's nuclear capabilities.

President Donald Trump-led talks with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un aimed at denuclearization on the Korean Peninsula have stalled.

The Trump administration has suspended compliance with the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty , a Reagan administration-era initiative that slashed the number of midrange missiles held by the U.S. and Russia.

Trump has abandoned the Open Skies Treaty  negotiated by President George H.W. Bush after the collapse of the Soviet Union and designed to be a check on nuclear weapons by allowing surveillance flights over signatories' territories.

Trump has signaled he may not renew New START , the last major U.S.-Russia nuclear arms control treaty, unless China also agrees to be bound by its constraints. Beijing has not committed either way. New START expires in February, just weeks after there's a new, or renewed, U.S. president in the White House.

Marshall Billingslea, the top U.S. envoy for nuclear negotiations, has confirmed the Trump administration has discussed holding the first nuclear test since 1992. "I won't shut the door on it, because why would we," Billingslea said in late June in Vienna, Austria, although he said there is no reason to carry out a test "at this time."

Story continues

Fred Carriere, who teaches international relations at Syracuse University, said that one of the major impediments to getting countries to denuclearize, whether the U.S., North Korea or Iran, is that "everybody always wants everything up front, with the promise that good things will follow later on, but few will ever be able to accept this strategy."

In the case of North Korea, for example, negotiations broke down over Pyongyang's insistence that Washington immediately halt economic sanctions.

"North Korea is not going to give up its nuclear weapons unless it can be absolutely confident that it has turned over a new leaf with the U.S," said Carriere.

'Faded away into a dark nightmare': North Korea says Trump's diplomacy has failed

'My God, what have we done?'

Meanwhile, the stories of atomic bomb survivors, a dwindling number, have shaped the way we think about the consequences of using nuclear weapons.

When Robert Oppenheimer, an American theoretical physicist and one of the designers of the atomic bomb, was asked in an NBC television interview in 1965 to reflect on the legacy of what's known as the Trinity test  the code name for the first detonation of a nuclear device on July 16, 1945  Oppenheimer responded to the question by saying that as he watched the huge blast wave ripple out over a remote desert area of New Mexico, a line from the Hindu scripture Bhagavad Gita ran through his head:

"Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds."

Koko Tanimoto Kondo, 75, is one person whose world was destroyed on Aug. 6, 1945.

A recent photo of Koko Tanimoto Kondo in Hiroshima, Japan.

Kondo was 8 months old and with her mother when the house in Hiroshima they were in, a parsonage of the church where her father was a minister, caved in and buried them under mounds of twisted metal and rubble as Japan's most industrialized city was consumed by the searing heat of the world's first nuclear attack.

Opinion: We monitor everyone in charge of nuclear weapons except presidents

They escaped after her mother, who flitted in and out of consciousness, saw a tiny crack of light through the wreckage and, working the hole bigger bit by bit, was eventually able to make an opening large enough to push her baby out and then crawl out herself.

In a recent Zoom call, Kondo described how a medical student told her parents that he did not think that their baby, racked with fever and injuries, would survive.

"But here I am today, 75 years later," she said.

For years, Kondo underwent annual examinations so doctors and scientists could study the impact of radiation on the human body, a process she described as "humiliating."

In 1946, Kondos father, Kiyoshi Tanimoto, made an appearance in "Hiroshima," a book about survivors by American journalist John Hersey. In Hersey's account, Tanimoto is described in the wake of the blast as frantically running around trying to help the wounded and dying and encountering "rank on rank of the burned and bleeding."

Tanimoto later started a program called Hiroshima Maidens that enabled Japanese girls physically altered by the bombing to travel to the U.S. to have corrective plastic surgery.

In the Zoom call, Kondo, who has devoted her life to campaigning for peace with various organizations and civil society groups, said that one of her earliest memories of Hiroshima was being comforted by a group of teenage girls  Hiroshima Maidens.

"I could not see their faces. Their lips were seared to their chins. Their eyes would not close because of the burns. One girl, I recall, was trying to comb my hair but when I turned to look at her hand I saw that all her fingers had been melted away," she said.

Kondo said she vowed that day to find the person who dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.

"I wanted to kick or bite or punch this person," she said.

Some years later, in 1955, Kondo would get her chance when, on a trip to the U.S. with her family, she appeared on an NBC show called "This Is Your Life."

Also appearing on the show that day was Capt. Robert Lewis, co-pilot of the Enola Gay, the American Boeing B-29 that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima.

Kondo changed her mind about revenge as she watched the show's host ask Lewis how he felt after dropping the bomb. With tears welling up in his eyes, the pilot said that he had written in his flight log on Aug. 6, 1945: "My God, what have we done?"

On the Zoom call, her voice cracking and tears welling up in her own eyes, Kondo said her encounter with Lewis made her realize she "shouldn't hate this person. If I should hate anything, I should hate the war itself."

In a follow-up email, Kondo said: "I constantly remind young people that they need to learn from history, that what happened in Hiroshima must never happen again."

Nuclear annihilation: See what would happen if a nuclear blast hit your ZIP

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: As Hiroshima bombing turns 75, six nuclear arms changes under Trump
Good Morning America

The reality is far worse than even parents may realize, according to Danielle Christian, a high school guidance counselor in Paris, Texas. "If youre not currently working in the world of education, theres no way that you can understand what is going on in schools right now," Christian wrote in now-viral Facebook post. Christian, also the mom of a second-grade student, told "Good Morning America" she has worked in education for 13 years and has never seen anything like what teachers, administrators and students are going through now amid the pandemic -- from facing school closures over the past two years to learning loss, experiencing mental health struggles and needing absences due to quarantine and illness.
Collapsed stationery retailer kikki.K has been saved from administration by a US-based buyer which will see the business continue to operate with a reduced store footprint in Australia.

The business entered voluntary administration in early March, blaming a "perfect storm" of retail conditions for the failure, including Brexit, civil unrest in Hong Kong, a shift to more customers buying online and the coronavirus pandemic.

Kikki.K, founded by Swedish entrepreneur Kristina Karlsson in 2001, fell into administration in March. Credit:Josh Robenstone

On Tuesday the business announced it had signed a partnership with fellow stationery company Erin Condren Design, a US business which is popular for selling desk planners emblazoned with inspirational quotes and designs.

Thirty stores and 250 jobs will be retained under the newly restructured business, with 35 stores set to shut and around 200 jobs to be lost. The majority of stores will be Australian-based, with two in New Zealand, one in Singapore, and two in Hong Kong.
CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cboe Global Markets, Inc. (Cboe: CBOE), one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, today announced it has completed its acquisition of MATCHNow, the largest equities alternative trading system (ATS) in Canada.

Toronto-based MATCHNow is a Canadian marketplace that offers execution for institutional, proprietary and retail orders by combining frequent call matches and continuous execution opportunities in a fully confidential trading book. Founded in 2007, MATCHNow has grown to account for nearly 65 percent of market share in total Canadian dark trading, or approximately 7 percent in total Canadian equities volume.1

With this acquisition, Cboe gains a foothold in a key global capital market, while expanding the company's geographic presence and diversifying the product capabilities of its equities business. Following a proven playbook used to grow its European equities business, Cboe plans to leverage its world-class technology, product innovation and expertise in operating markets to build out a more complete North American equities business.

Ed Tilly, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Cboe Global Markets, said: "As a global exchange operator with significant U.S. and European equities marketplaces, we believe Cboe's core strengths will bolster MATCHNow's ability to bring more choice and competition to the Canadian marketplace. Adding MATCHNow to the Cboe roster is part of our vision to create a broader North American equities platform, helping Cboe deliver our innovative solutions to a wider customer base. I am delighted to welcome Bryan Blake and the entire MATCHNow team to Cboe and am excited by the opportunities this deal can create."

MATCHNow shares Cboe's customer-first approach to providing solutions that address real needs in the marketplace, including the exploration of new order types that can help further enhance liquidity. MATCHNow's Conditional Orders, which enable subscribers to electronically indicate block size liquidity in MATCHNow, are meeting market participants' demand for more choice and flexibility, providing a valuable source of additional liquidity in Canada's equities markets.

MATCHNow Chief Executive Officer Bryan Blake, who joins Cboe as Vice President, Head of Canadian Equities, said, "Cboe's legacy of innovation not only includes its flagship products, but also its ability to create and develop new markets and market models, many of which have grown to become some of the largest, most-relied upon in the world. I couldn't be more excited for MATCHNow's future as part of the Cboe team. Their demonstrated experience will be essential to building out a comprehensive equities platform in Canada and beyond."

For additional information on MATCHNow, visit http://matchnow.ca/.

Cboe acquired MATCHNow from Virtu Financial, Inc. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, however, the company noted that the purchase price is not material from a financial perspective. The acquisition is expected to be immediately accretive to earnings, contributing approximately $0.01 to earnings per share in 2020. MATCHNow is a profitable business that generated over CAD10 million in revenue in 2019.

RBC Capital Markets ran the transaction process for the MATCHNow business. Cboe was represented by legal counsel at Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP.

About Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

Cboe Global Markets (Cboe: CBOE) is one of the world's largest exchange holding companies, offering cutting-edge trading and investment solutions to investors around the world. The company is committed to defining markets to benefit its participants and drive the global marketplace forward through product innovation, leading edge technology and seamless trading solutions.

The company offers trading across a diverse range of products in multiple asset classes and geographies, including options, futures, U.S. and European equities, exchange-traded products (ETPs), global foreign exchange (FX) and volatility products based on the Cboe Volatility Index (VIX Index), recognized as the world's premier gauge of U.S. equity market volatility.

Cboe's subsidiaries include the largest options exchange and the third largest stock exchange operator in the U.S. In addition, the company operates one of the largest stock exchanges by value traded in Europe and is a leading market globally for ETP listings and trading.

The company is headquartered in Chicago with a network of domestic and global offices across the Americas, Europe and Asia, including main hubs in New York, London, Kansas City and Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.cboe.com. 



CBOE-E

CBOE-OE

CBOE-C

Cboe Cboe Volatility Index, VIX, Cboe Global Markets, and MATCHNow are registered trademarks of Cboe Exchange, Inc. All other trademarks and service marks are the property of their respective owners.

Cautionary Statements Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. You can identify these statements by forward-looking words such as "may," "might," "should," "expect," "plan," "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "predict," "potential" or "continue," and the negative of these terms and other comparable terminology. All statements that reflect our expectations, assumptions or projections about the future other than statements of historical fact are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements, which are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions about us, may include projections of our future financial performance based on our growth strategies and anticipated trends in our business. These statements are only predictions based on our current expectations and projections about future events. There are important factors that could cause our actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements.

We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks and uncertainties emerge from time to time, and it is not possible to predict all risks and uncertainties, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

Some factors that could cause actual results to differ include: the impact of the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, including changes to trading behavior broadly in the market; the loss of our right to exclusively list and trade certain index options and futures products; economic, political and market conditions; compliance with legal and regulatory obligations; price competition and consolidation in our industry; decreases in trading volumes, market data fees or a shift in the mix of products traded on our exchanges; legislative or regulatory changes; our ability to protect our systems and communication networks from security risks, cybersecurity risks, insider threats and unauthorized disclosure of confidential information; increasing competition by foreign and domestic entities; our dependence on and exposure to risk from third parties; fluctuations to currency exchange rates; our index providers' ability to maintain the quality and integrity of their indexes and to perform under our agreements; our ability to operate our business without violating the intellectual property rights of others and the costs associated with protecting our intellectual property rights; our ability to attract and retain skilled management and other personnel; our ability to minimize the risks, including our credit and default risks, associated with operating a European clearinghouse; our ability to accommodate trading volume and transaction traffic, including significant increases, without failure or degradation of performance of our systems; misconduct by those who use our markets or our products; challenges to our use of open source software code; our ability to meet our compliance obligations, including managing potential conflicts between our regulatory responsibilities and our for-profit status; damage to our reputation; the ability of our compliance and risk management methods to effectively monitor and manage our risks; our ability to manage our growth and strategic acquisitions or alliances effectively; restrictions imposed by our debt obligations; our ability to maintain an investment grade credit rating; impairment of our goodwill, long-lived assets, investments or intangible assets; and the accuracy of our estimates and expectations. More detailed information about factors that may affect our actual results to differ may be found in our filings with the SEC, including in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019 and other filings made from time to time with the SEC.

We do not undertake, and we expressly disclaim, any duty to update any forward-looking statement whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

1Market share by volume traded in trailing 12-month period as of Dec. 31, 2019

SOURCE Cboe Global Markets, Inc.

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USA.Life founder hails platform as alternative to Facebook, Twitter for Christians and conservatives

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As a growing number of conservatives and Christians across the United States believe social media giants are censoring them, a new platform aims to be a refuge for those who are seeking alternatives to Facebook and Twitter.

Founded in early 2019 by pastor and Silicon Valley technology expert Steven Andrew, USA.Life bills itself as the answer to Facebook and Twitter censoring Christians, Conservatives, and Liberty. The platform very closely resembles Facebook. Users can send messages, join groups, and become friends with other users.

Along with likes, reactions to comments also include "the unique Christian Cross Amen."

Last year, Andrew explained that Facebook blocked 5 million people per month from my account alone, so I started USA.Life to give conservatives a social network that didnt block their First Amendment right to free speech.

On Wednesday, Twitter's censorship was mentioned during the House Judiciary Subcommittee's hearing on antitrust when Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis., asked Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg why the [Twitter] platform had temporarily suspended Donald Trump Jr.s account. The suspension came after the presidents son shared a video of doctors talking favorably about hydroxychloroquine, a drug that some claim can cure the novel coronavirus, when used early in treatment along with zinc and Zithromax.

Zuckerberg said he had no desire to engage in censorship, but defended Twitters decision to suspend Trump Jr.'s Twitter account and remove the video holding up hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the novel coronavirus. If someone is going to go out and say that hydroxychloroquine is proven to cure COVID when in fact it has not been proven to cure COVID, and that that statement could lead people to take a drug that, in some cases, some of the data suggests that it might be harmful to people, we think we should take that down, he said.

Facebook has also faced multiple accusations of censorship from Christians, pro-life groups and everyday users.

The Christian Post reported last week that Facebook was censoring a Christian ministry's posts that shared the stories of people who once identified as LGBT before they chose to follow Christ. Facebook accused the ministry of promoting "conversion therapy."

Anne Paulk, president of Restored Hope Network, told CP that at the behest of the leftist Media Matters activist group, Facebook removed posts from their most recent conference, saying that the videos violated "community standards."

More than 100,000 people, churches, and businesses have already set up accounts at USA.Life. The company hopes to have more than 1 million users by the end of 2020. Unlike Facebook, which gives users a limit of 5,000 friends, USA.Life allows users to have up to 10,000 friends.

USA.Life is not the only alternative social media platform that has popped up in recent years. Parler, which has 2.7 million users, was founded two years ago by John Matze Jr. and Jared Thomson. Prominent users include Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, Rand Paul, R-Ky., Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., pro-life activist Lila Rose, and the Trump 2020 campaign.

For their part, the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google have denied allegations that they engage in censorship. During Wednesday's hearing on Capitol Hill, Zuckerberg vehemently denied the accusation that his company engages in censorship.

We have distinguished ourselves as one of the companies that defends free expression the most, he said. We do not want to become the arbiters of truth. That would be a bad position for us to be in and not what we should be doing.

As conservatives begin to embrace alternative social media sites such as Parler and USA.Life, lawmakers on Capitol Hill are working to hold the major tech companies accountable for their censorship. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Mo., has introduced legislation that would strip social media companies, which claim to act as neutral platforms instead of publishers, of their special immunity from lawsuits if they do not act in good faith and stop censorship.

In addition to founding USA.Life, Andrew has founded 1776Free, an alternative search engine to Google. 1776Frees crowdfunding page describes it as the answer to Google and others censoring Christians, conservatives, patriotic speech, family values, and liberty.
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Astro, Unifi TV raided too over Al Jazeera documentary

 UPDATED 10.35PM | Added Bukit Aman CID director Huzir Mohameds statement regarding the raids.

Bukit Aman has confirmed the police have conducted joint raids with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission against the offices of Astro and Unifi TV, in addition to that for the Qatari broadcaster Al Jazeera.

The raids are a part of an ongoing investigation into the "101 East" episode that highlighted alleged mistreatment of undocumented migrants in Malaysia.

In a statement today, Bukit Aman CID director Huzir Mohamed said police have executed search warrants granted by the Kuala Lumpur Magistrate Court and Sepang Magistrate Court against the three broadcasters.

He said it has seized computers for analysis by MCMC and recording additional witness statements during the raid.

The findings of the investigation will be submitted to the attorney-generals office in the near future.

The police emphasizes that this action is done in accordance with the law. No individual nor entity will escape action if it has clearly violated laws that are in force in Malaysia, he said.

For the record, Astro runs a satellite TV service while Unifi TV runs an internet TV service. Both services offer programming from Al Jazeera, which has a bureau office in Kuala Lumpur.

Earlier today, Al Jazeera has confirmed that its Kuala Lumpur office was raided this morning.

Al Jazeera's management based in Qatar condemned the raid and described it as an attack not only on itself but also on press freedom as a whole.

"Al Jazeera calls upon the Malaysian authorities to cease this criminal investigation into our journalists," said Giles Trendle, the managing director of Al Jazeera English.

"Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities crackdown on media freedom and shows the lengths they are prepared to take to try to intimidate journalists," he said in a statement.

Story continues

Trendle added that Al Jazeera stands by its journalists and their reporting.

"Our staff did their jobs and theyve got nothing to answer for or apologise for. Journalism is not a crime," he stressed.

In an immediate response, human rights group Amnesty Internationals Malaysian chapter tweeted that the raid was an attempt to silence critics.

The government's crackdown on migrants and refugees, as well as on those who speak up in their defence, is clearly meant to silence and intimidate and should be condemned.

Protect migrants. Protect freedom of expression, it urged.

Malaysiakini earlier reported that at least two uniformed personnel and five others in plainclothes had raided the office on Level 27, G Tower, and seized several devices believed to be used in the production of the 25-minute documentary, "Locked Up in Malaysias Lockdown".

Al Jazeera in its statement confirmed that two computers were seized during the raid.

Al Jazeera staff leaving Bukit Aman after questioning (file pix)

Previously, the broadcaster expressed concerns over the harassment faced by its staff due to the backlash over the documentary.

When contacted, lawyer Hisyam Teh Poh Teik confirmed that his team was present during the raid.

A source from the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) said questions on the matter should be directed to the police.

Bukit Aman CID deputy director (investigations/legal) Mior Faridalathrash Wahid confirmed the raid.

"Yes, at 11.30am today, the Classified Crime Investigation Unit together with a team from MCMC," he told Malaysiakini.

It is understood that the raiding team had spent around one and a half hours at the premise.

"Same as reported earlier," Mior said when quizzed on details of investigations that prompted the raid.

Earlier last month, Mior reportedly said police had begun an investigation into reports on an alleged attempt by Al Jazeera to tarnish Malaysias image through a documentary on how the country treated undocumented migrants in an effort to curb the spread of Covid-19.

The investigation followed a report made by the Immigration Department at the Precinct 7 Police Station in Putrajaya, he added.

"We have opened investigation papers under Section 500 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998," Mior had told Bernama.
West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice has extended an order that closed all bars in Monongalia County for an additional 10 days due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The latest order is effective until Aug. 13. The county includes West Virginia Universitys Morgantown campus. Students will start moving back into campus residence halls starting Aug. 15 for the fall semester.

Monongalia County has reported at least 900 confirmed virus cases, by far the most in the state, according to state health officials. More than half of the countys active cases are in the 20 to 29 age group,

Justice initially closed the countys bars on July 13. He extended the 10-day order on July 23 and again on Saturday.

The order does allow customers to purchase take-out food and drinks from Monongalia County bars. It also allows dining in bar areas of restaurants, hotels and other similar facilities.

Statewide, there have been at least 6,850 confirmed virus cases and 117 deaths, health officials said.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Two primary schools in south China have received wide attention online by awarding live carp and slices of pork to their best-performing students.

Photos and videos, showing some pupils in Sanjiang Dong Autonomous County of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region happily showing off the fish and pork, were widely spread online and were soon among the top buzzwords on Chinese social network Weibo.

Some 200 pupils at Jiangchuan Primary School in Sanjiang each got a live carp, and pupils in another school of the same county received pork for their good grades at the just-concluded final exam.

Li Xiaoxue, vice principal of the Jiangchuan school, said that it was the third consecutive semester that students have been motivated with live carp as the carp symbolizes wealth and courage in the country, and the awards were welcomed by students and their families.

In Chinese legend, a carp turns into a dragon after jumping over a mountain across the Yellow River. The story is often used to encourage children from deprived families to climb social ladders by studying hard. The Chinese word "fish" is also a homophone for "abundance", and a symbol of wealth.

All students in the Jiangchuan school live in the Nanzhan community where all the residents were relocated from poor and remote areas of the county.

"Life has been hard for these students, and we hope the special awards hearten them," said Li, adding that since the Nanzhan community is located right next to the school, the students can share the fresh fish and the joy of winning with their families.




A woman has shared her simple hack to remove oily stains from plastic containers - and it will only take you a minute, with no scrubbing required.

Adi Kempler, from the US, shared her trick on TikTok, explaining that all you need to clean your containers is some washing up liquid, a little warm water and some ripped-up paper towel.

'This hack has saved so many of my containers, friends,' Adi posted on TikTok.

Scroll down for video

BEFORE AND AFTER: A woman has shared her simple hack to remove oily stains from plastic containers - and it will only take you one minute, with no scrubbing required

Adi Kempler, from the US, explained all you need to clean your containers is some washing up liquid, a little warm water and some ripped-up paper towel (the trick pictured)

How to clean your plastic containers 1. Add a small amount of dishwashing liquid, some warm water and torn-up paper towel to your container. 2. Put the lid on and shake for 45-60 seconds. 3. Remove the lid and the paper towel, rinse under warm water and give the container a further wipe if it needs it. Advertisement

In the video, Adi can be seen filling her plastic container with a small amount of washing up liquid, some warm water and a piece kitchen of towel, torn into small pieces.

Once she has all of the elements inside it, she simply places the lid on top and shakes it vigorously for between 45 and 60 seconds.

Adi said: 'So, I never post on here but I really wanted to share this trick for getting greasy stains out of containers'.

She added that the trick has 'saved' her from throwing out so many old containers in the past.

After shaking the container for 45-60 seconds, Adi said you should remove the towel from inside and tip out the soapy water.

Then, simply give the container a rinse under the tap and a further wipe if needs be, before draining on your draining board.

Once Adi has dishwashing liquid, water and paper towel in the container, she simply places the lid on top and shakes it vigorously for between 45 and 60 seconds (pictured)

The reason why the trick works is that the paper towel helps to absorb all of the oily residue during the process of shaking, leaving the surface of the container completely clean.

The trick has been watched by nearly half a million online, thousands of which said they couldn't wait to try it for themselves.

'What? That might have just changed my life,' one woman posted underneath the video.

The reason why the trick works is that the paper towel helps to absorb all of the oily residue during the process of shaking, leaving the surface of the container completely clean

'Omg, that's amazing,' another added.

Others highlighted the fact that you can also get rid of stains from tomato sauces and bolognese by putting your containers out in the sun for a few hours.

You could also add a few teaspoons of sugar, some ice cubes, dishwashing liquid and soap into a container before doing the same shaking.
Maharashtra chief ministers son and state minister Aaditya Thackeray dismissed rumours linking him to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput and called it dirty politics born out of frustration. Thackeray, in a statement that he tweeted, said that he is not even remotely connected to the case. He added that having friends in Bollywood is not a crime.

In the statement, Thackeray added that he is keeping calm despite the baseless allegations being levelled against him and his family. Without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party or its leaders, who have alleged that a young minister was at a party a night before Rajput allegedly took his life, said that the BJP has a stomachache looking at the popularity of the Maharashtra government.

Those who are pricked by the success and popularity of the Maharashtra government have started dirty politics over the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Unnecessary mud slinging on me and the Thackeray family. This is nothing but dirty politics arisen out of frustration, he said in the statement.

Also Read: Anupam Kher says Sushant Singh Rajputs family deserves to know the truth

He added that he will never do anything that will hurt the prestige of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena and the Thackeray family.

I am not even remotely connected to the case. I wish to say as the grandson of Hinduruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray, that I will never do anything that would hurt the prestige of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena and Thackeray family. The people who are levelling baseless allegations should understand this, Aditya said in the statement he tweeted on Tuesday evening.

Also Read: Rhea Chakraborty left Sushant Singh Rajput when he wanted to start farming, says familys lawyer

This is the first time that Aaditya has spoken on the raging controversy over Sushant Singh Rajputs death which has led to several people including high profile politicians accusing the Maharashtra government of aiding in an alleged cover-up of foul play in Sushants death.

Senior BJP leader and former Shiv Sainik Narayan Rane had earlier today alleged that the Maharashtra government was trying to save someone in the probe.



Sushant Singh death: PIL in Bombay HC seeks transfer of investigation to SIT or CBI

Former deputy chief minister of Bihar, Sushil Modi, too, had alleged that Uddhav Thackeray was trying to shield the Bollywood mafia at the behest of Congress party, a coalition partner in Maharashtra government.
The pandemic that shuttered most of the nation between March and June shattered the local real estate market as uncertainty over the virus and job security led sellers to take homes off the market and buyers to be wary.

Efforts by state and federal governments to shore up both the market and consumers will likely help the market bounce back as economic restrictions put in place in March have eased, area realtors say.

The COVID-19 outbreak led to an unprecedented economic downturn in both the U.S. and in Virginia, the Charlottesville Area Association of Realtors report for the second quarter of 2020 states. However, there is evidence that the economy has reached a turning point, and conditions should be improving over time.

The report notes that the nation lost 22 million jobs in March and April, with 7.5 million coming back as economies reopened in May and June.

Second quarter figures for this year show that 33% fewer homes were on the market and 217 fewer homes sold in the area compared to the same April-to-June time frame as last year.

That drove the prices of homes sold in the area up 4%, figures show.

Given the economic shutdown and the year weve had so far, it could be a lot worse, said Tom Woolfolk, CAAR president and realtor with Keller Williams Alliance  Charlottesville. It sounds funny to say, but its still a good market. The biggest problem is that we were already tight on inventory and the quarantine just exacerbated the problem.

There were 1,181 sales across the region in April, May, and June, a 16% drop from the same time frame in 2019 and the sharpest decline in four years, the report states. Sales across Virginia declined by 10% in the quarter compared to last year.

Of the counties in CAARs area, only Louisa County saw an increase in sales with a 3% rise in the second quarter compared to last year, from 208 homes sold in 2019 to 215.

Albemarle County home sales fell from 652 in the second quarter of 2019 to 500 this year, a 23% drop. Charlottesville sales also fell with 163 home sales in the second quarter compared to 197 during the same time last year. Thats an estimated 17% fall.

Other counties in CAARs coverage area include Greene County, which had a 16% drop in sales from 111 in 2019s second quarter to 93 this year; Nelson County, which fell 12% with 72 sales this year compared to 82 last year; and Fluvanna County, which dropped 7% in the second quarter with 138 sales compared to 148 in the same time frame of 2019.

Woolfolk said a general sense of anxiety squeezed the market in the second quarter. Looming furloughs and the specter of job losses led buyers to curb their enthusiasm. The same concerns led buyers to take homes off the market or not list them.

There were so many uncertainties about the virus. How lethal is it? How contagious is it? Am I putting myself and my family at risk if potential buyers traipse through my house? he said. As more is known and more jobs come back, I think the market is likely to spring back in the third quarter. It may not be where it could have been, but it will likely improve.

The CAAR report backs up his optimism. The report notes that through spring and into the summer, mortgage rates have fallen to 3.07% for the average 30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Thats down from 3.75% in 2019. Those record low rates have spurred refinancing and helped sustain the for-sale market.

Woolfolk also noted that a federal stimulus package passed to support commerce and citizens during the shutdown helped stabilize the market. Known as the CARES Act, the law provided funds to support independent contractors, small businesses, commercial and residential tenants and owners.

We didnt have anything similar back in 2008 or 2009 during the recession and the fundamentals of the economy were really good going into this, he said. Real Estate was lucky in some ways because some sections of the economy were shut down entirely and home sales were allowed to continue.

The median sale price of a home sold in the region rose from $318,000 in 2019s second quarter to $331,500 this year, the report states. The median price is the price point where exactly half of the houses sold for less and half sold for more.

Albemarle Countys median sale price of $397,750 was the highest in the CAAR area, about 3% higher than the $385,000 median cost in the second quarter of 2019. Charlottesvilles median sale price of $369,000 was the second highest in the area and 5% more than the 2019s $349,900.

Nelson County saw the highest percentage increase in median sales price with a 17% hike between years with $260,000 this year compared to $222,500 in the second quarter of 2019.

Greene County median sales rose 16% to $301,500 from $260,000 in 2019; Louisa and Fluvanna counties both saw 11% rises with Louisas $260,000 median cost this year compared to 2019s $235,000 and Fluvannas $257,500 median price for 2020 compared to last years $231,000 for the second quarter.

The prices of existing homes are often held in check by new construction coming onto the market, but the pandemic slowed the number of homes started during the second quarter, according to the report.

The figures show new residential construction activity slowed with 67 permits issued in May for new residential housing units in the Charlottesville metropolitan area, down 36% from May 2019.

During the first five months of 2020, 344 permits issued for new residential units, about 21% fewer than the same time in 2019. More than 80% of these new residential permits were for single-family homes, and less than 20% were for townhomes and units in multifamily buildings, both rental and condominium buildings, the report shows.

Woolfolk said the lingering concerns over the virus will likely hold back the housing market in some way for the rest of the year.

I think eventually a lot of the anxiety will go away as theres more known about it and maybe a vaccine, but we dont have anything in our experience like this, he said. There are a whole lot of questions and not a whole lot of answers, yet.

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Click through North Dakotas Division of Medical Marijuana website, past the addresses of every cannabis dispensary in the state, into the presentations and annual reports, and youll eventually come to a 32-slide presentation about the states medical marijuana program. Youll see the 26 diseases that can be treated with marijuana, a colorful flowchart showing the types of available marijuana, and a step-by-step process for certifying new users.

And then there will be this: Incidents involving overdose or adverse reactions are to be reported to the Department. What kinds of adverse reactions should patients look out for? Incredibly, the website doesnt say.

Ohios website lists 21 diseases that can be treated with marijuana. The website even explains how children can obtain medical marijuana cards. But it says nothing about any possible side effects or risks.

New York States medical marijuana website explains everything patients need to get a license. But not one of its 107 frequently asked questions addresses side effects or risks.

This is odd because we are talking about a substance that has been given the legal status of medicine by 33 states, plus the District of Columbia. And we all know that medicines come with risks. Indeed, we expect to see those risks listed in clear, comprehensive, and conspicuous ways.

Yet two-thirds of the nations medical marijuana program websites  websites that suggest dozens of therapeutic benefits to millions of potential patients  are silent about possible risks.

The failure of states to address the potential risks of medical marijuana consigns many sick and vulnerable people to learning of its hazards through painful firsthand experience.

As a psychiatric physician, Ive met many patients who have learned the hard way about the harmful effects of marijuana. Most of my patients were shocked to hear that their experiences  panic attacks, psychosis, mood problems, intractable vomiting, addiction  are well-documented risks. Many believed that government approval of marijuana as a medicine meant that it was benign.

Websites aside, packaging is also a problem. Maine doesnt require any sort of health warning on marijuana packages. Pennsylvanias only health warning cautions that the product might impair the ability to drive or operate heavy machinery. And Minnesotas required label states that there is limited information on the side effects.

I invite states like Minnesota to review the results of clinical studies showing that one in every 14 patients had to withdraw because of side effects from medical marijuana. Or summaries of side effects reported from thousands of cannabis consumers. Or the recent 468-page report from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine about the health effects of marijuana. Or the results from placebo-controlled clinical trials of marijuanas main chemical ingredients THC and CBD.

Since THC and CBD are approved by the Food and Drug Administration, their manufacturers are required to disclose risk data. And states should pay attention to those disclosures, in particular because highly-concentrated, pharmaceutical-strength THC and CBD products are widely available under most state medical marijuana programs.

Disclosures based on clinical trial data for THC include: paradoxical nausea or vomiting that could lead to dehydration or electrolyte imbalances; changes in brain excitability that could make it easier for someone to have a seizure; changes of blood pressure or pulse that could negatively impact someone with heart disease; and a host of psychiatric and cognitive side effects that include anxiety, paranoia, and hallucinations.

Meanwhile, required disclosures about CBD include the fact that over 10 percent of patients in clinical trials of CBD experienced signs of liver damage. And about 10 percent of patients treated with CBD experienced irritability or anger from it.

If the makers of federally regulated THC and CBD are required to disclose this information to the public, why arent the states demanding similar advisories?

Despite its risks, there are sound arguments to approve medical marijuana. But states that give marijuana the name and status of medicine have an urgent duty to inform the public about its scientifically credible risks.

They wouldnt make it legal if it were bad for you, said one of my patients.

How can something thats good for PTSD cause panic attacks? asked another.

And this from a patient who incurred thousands of dollars in medical bills dealing with the aftermath of cannabis side effects: I know there arent a lot of us, but there should be warnings about this.

He was right about the need for warnings. Wrong about the number of people facing these potential risks.

There are roughly 221 million people  including 48 million kids  in states where marijuana has been named a medicine. These include patients who suffer from depression and could see their symptoms worsen. Mothers who could give birth to babies with low birth weights. Children who could face an increased risk of addiction, depression, and suicide.

We must allow our citizens to make informed choices. A page on a website, a label on a box. The platforms exist. Its time we use them properly.

Erik Messamore is a psychiatrist and can be reached on Twitter @ErikMessamoreMD and LinkedIn.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
An urgent warning has been issued to Jetstar passengers after a man who dodged hotel quarantine by claiming to be a consular official tested positive for coronavirus.

The man in his 20s returned to Sydney last week from Afghanistan before flying to Maroochydore in Queensland and then driving to his home in Toowoomba on Friday.

He had been granted permission to self-isolate at his home as he was allegedly listed as a consular official on a border declaration pass, the Courier Mail reported.

Australian diplomats and consular staff have been allowed to return home during the pandemic without the need to enter hotel quarantine.

However, the man was a private security contractor, not a diplomatic or consular staff member, Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokesman said.

An urgent warning has been issued to Jet passengers after a man who dodged hotel quarantine by claiming to be a consular official tested positive for coronavirus

It is understood he was employed by a private security firm based at the Australian Embassy.

He flew from Sydney to Maroochydore on Jetstar flight JQ790 on Friday, July 31, which had 149 passengers aboard.

The man then drove to his home in southern Queensland before testing positive for the illness.

Queensland health authorities have been scrambling to contact passengers who were seated near him on the plane.

Queensland's Chief Health Officer Dr Jeannette Young said authorities were still trying to track down 14 passengers.

There is no requirement for domestic planes to keep contact details of passengers.

'Two passengers have no contact details,' she said.

Queensland health authorities have been scrambling to contact passengers who were seated near him on the plane

'I want people to quarantine at their point of arrival...I don't think we should allow people to get on a domestic flight.

'We've got 14 people we are trying to contact who were on that plane. Two... have no contact details, the airline cannot tell me how I can get hold of those people.'

A Queensland Health spokesman said authorities were looking into the matter.

'Irrespective of this person's circumstances, we are concerned with the number of overall exemptions and the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee is reviewing criteria and will provide advice to National Cabinet.'
Nicola Sturgeon urged those contacted by Scotland's test and protect system to self-isolate. (Getty)

The number of people infected by an outbreak of coronavirus linked to an Aberdeen pub has risen to 32, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The first minister warned on Tuesday that the number of people who contracted the virus at the Hawthorn Bar on 26 July could grow even further.

Sturgeon said 5 of Scotland's 23 new positive cases were detected by NHS Grampian and were linked to the cluster, which emerged on Sunday.

Two staff members in the pub were said to have tested positive and the venue has now closed because of the outbreak.

The cluster of 32 cases is linked to the Hawthorn Bar in Aberdeen. (Google)

"This particular cluster is another reminder that this virus is still out there and hasn't gone away, Sturgeon said.

"It remains extremely infectious and, of course, it remains extremely dangerous and all of of us have a part to play in denying it the opportunities to spread."

She said 120 contacts had been identified through the test and protect system and added that the incident management team had recorded an increased number of cases, up from 27 to 32.

Sturgeon urged anyone who had been contacted by the system to self-isolate for 14 days, emphasising that the need to quarantine should be seen as non-negotiable

"For example, on a Monday you might test negative for the virus but by the Tuesday you might have developed the virus without knowing it, Sturgeon added.

At that point you could be infectious and yet it might not be until the Thursday or the Friday that you start to show any symptoms.

"In fact you might never show any symptoms at all but, if you are not isolating, you could nevertheless be spreading the virus."

Ms Sturgeon also urged employers not to think that testing a member of staff who is a close contact of a positive case is an alternative to self isolation.

She added: "That is simply not the case and I must stress that. There are simply no shortcuts here when it comes to trying to contain the spread of this virus."

Coronavirus: what happened today

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Posted on: August 4, 2020 3:19 PM

Dean of Athooch, Daniel Garang Ayuen, among 20 killed in mob attack in Makol-cuei

The Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral in Makol-cuei, Daniel Garang Ayuen, was among more than 20 people killed when a mob attacked the town last week. Eleven people were injured and several children abducted in the attack, which took place just before 5 pm EAT (2 pm GMT) last Monday (27 July). The dead include 14 women and children who had sought sanctuary in the cathedral compound.

The Primate of the Episcopal Church of South Sudan, Archbishop Justin Badi Arama, joined with archbishops from South Sudans internal provinces this week to mark the nations Martyrs Day, and to pray for South Sudan. During our time together we prayed especially for Jonglei Internal Province, which includes the Diocese of Athooch, he said.

The Bishop of Athooch, Moses Anur Ayom, appealed for prayer. He said that the attackers also burned [the] church compound and destroyed worship instruments in the church. They also burned the whole village. People are now scattered. Some people want to stay in Cathedral.

Pray for the government committee that was formed to find a solution to this matter, he said. Some government officials are implicated in these attacks. Pray also efforts of the South Sudan Council of Churches which is seen as a neutral.

A survivor of the attack, 80-year-old Chuti Maker, is recovering at Bor State Hospital from several knife wounds in the back and chest. He said that the attack was carried out by dozens of armed men wearing military uniforms. They started shooting randomly and set the houses on fire, he told Voice of Americas South Sudan in Focus programme. We started to run and they chased after us. When they stabbed me on my back, I fell on the ground. I was stabbed again in my chest. When I fell, the two men chasing me started arguing over whether to shoot me or not before they left.

What do Anglicans Believe?  New study guide published by Anglican Communion

A new study guide on Christian doctrine has been published by the Anglican Communion. What do Anglicans Believe is an introduction to Christian doctrine. It draws on both Anglican and ecumenical statements of belief.

The study guide, published yesterday (Monday), introduces a number of ecumenical texts and then asks questions to help students consider the practical application of the agreements in the life of their churches; including whether or not the life of their church demonstrates that it is of Jesus Christ and what he does; and how churches can show this more clearly.

In addition to use in theological colleges, it is envisaged that the study guide will be used by Christians across the world in home groups and study programmes.

The study guide has been written by the Theological Education in the Anglican Communion (TEAC) team at the Anglican Communion Office in London, with three members of IASCUFO  the Inter-Anglican Standing Commission on Unity Faith and Order.

The Anglican Communions Director for Theological Education, the Revd Dr Stephen Spencer, explained that the study guide builds on dialogue about doctrine that Anglican Churches have had with each other, and with other churches across the world ever since they were formed, saying: over recent decades these conversations have produced a rich and authoritative collection of agreed statements, written by Anglican theologians in partnership with theologians from other churches, to create a broad and rich map of the Christian faith as it has been received and handed on by these churches.

Dame Mary Tanner, who previously served as both European President of the World Council of Churches and as Moderator of its Faith and Order Commission, welcomed the new study guide, describing it as such an important guide on Christian doctrine from Anglican and ecumenical sources.

She said: It offers such a good, engaging way to help students and clergy become familiar with ecumenical documents in a way that is relevant for their own lives and local experiences in worship and in mission and to ensure that that work is not forgotten. And its use of questions to readers will draw them into the subject. It is just what the Faith and Order commission in my day would have hoped for ie. receiving the fruits of the convergence statements in changed lives and in changed, closer relations with others who could also recognise the faith of the church in the documents.

The study guides can be downloaded free of charge in English, Spanish, French and Portuguese from anglicancommunion.org/teac.



What do Anglicans believe? (ISBN: 978-1-913863-00-5)

A Study Guide to Christian Doctrine from Anglican and Ecumenical Statements



En que creen los Anglicanos? (ISBN: 978-1-913863-01-2)

Una Guia de Estudio para la Doctrina Cristiana a partir de las Declaraciones Anglicanas y Ecumenicas



En quoi croient les Anglicans? (ISBN: 978-1-913863-02-9)

Un guide d'etude pour la Doctrine Chretienne a partir de Declarations Anglicanes et cumeniques



Em que os Anglicanos Acreditam? (ISBN: 978-1-913863-03-6)

Um Guia de Estudo para a Doutrina Crista a partir de Declaracoes Anglicanas e Ecumenicas

African Anglicans join voices against human trafficking

Trafficking in persons is a serious crime and a grave violation of human rights, the Council of Anglican Provinces in Africa (CAPA) said last week in a statement to mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons (Thursday 30 July). The General Secretary of CAPA, J W Kofi deGraft-Johnson, described it as a transnational organised crime that affects communities globally.

In the statement, CAPA called on people to join the campaign against human trafficking, saying: societies are judged by how they treat the least among them. Today we urge you to look at the plight of people in our communities who have been reduced to merchandise. They are bought and sold for labour, sexual exploitation, slavery or practices similar to slavery, servitude or for the removal of body organs. . .

Every year, thousands of men, women and children fall into the hands of traffickers either in their own countries or abroad. Almost every country in the world is affected by human trafficking, whether as a country of origin, transit or destination for victims. According to the Global Slavery Index (2018) Regional Analysis of Africa, 62 per cent of Africans are vulnerable to modern slavery and the estimated number of people living in modern slavery is about 9,240,000.

In the statement, deGraft-Johnson said that the Covid-19 pandemic had exposed and worsened many global inequalities, created new obstacles on the path to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals and left millions of people at greater risk of being trafficked for sexual exploitation, forced labour, forced marriage and other crimes.

These realities on the plight of migrants, refugees, internally displaced persons among others from different Anglican Provinces on the continent undergirds CAPAs response to the migration and human trafficking issues on the continent.

CAPA, in collaboration with other partners and stakeholders, seeks to lend support to regional and global efforts to respond to the issues of migration and trafficking on the continent. Mindful of national, sub-regional and continent-wide actions on the issues of migration and human trafficking, CAPA invites all to join in the fight against human trafficking especially as we mark the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons.

The theme for last weeks World Day Against Trafficking in Persons focused on the first responders  people who work in different sectors to identify support, counsel, and seek justice for victims of trafficking, and challenge the impunity of the traffickers.

Faith communities are the backbone of society, the CAPA statement said. We therefore invite you to join in the fight against human trafficking and to support victims in multiple ways as first responders and by supporting others already doing the work. We call upon you today to join us as we fight to protect our neighbours.

Your contribution could be to speak about the ills of trafficking in persons, raise awareness of the potential of trafficking among those vulnerable to the crime, sharing of information, challenge structures that expose the vulnerable and the marginalised to the crime of human trafficking, offer prayers for those caught in the web of traffickers and being trafficked and above all provide support to those affected by the ills of trafficking.

Together we can and we must raise our voices against trafficking in persons.

Dr Agnes Aboum tells WCC how Covid-19 must change mission

[by Julanne Clarke-Morris] Dr Agnes Aboum of the Anglican Church of Kenya has laid out key challenges for the worlds churches as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, in her address as Chair of the World Council of Churches (WCC) Executive Committee.

Dr Aboum set out the key issues that churches and their communities need to bring to the fore as they deal with the health crises, lockdowns and the economic impact of Covid-19. She outlined the criteria for mission responses to Covid-19 in an online address to the WCC Executive Committee meeting on 23 July.

Dr Aboum has told global ecumenical leaders that while Covid-19 has negatively affected churches ability to spread hope and care for the vulnerable in person, there are many more areas where the churches mission priorities need to shift to help mitigate the social and economic impact of Covid-19 on poor and vulnerable communities.

Dr Aboum has laid out key areas where churches need to be vigilant and work to prioritise their mission resources in light of the pandemic.

Firstly, she said, churches need to raise awareness of how the pandemic has affected societies more widely than by its direct impact on public health. Dr Aboum identified how the pandemic has:

sharpened global and social inequalities, particularly as industries close down and global food supplies expose more people to food insecurity

provided authoritarian Governments with a vehicle to engage emergency pandemic rules that limit human rights, especially of persecuted minorities, including churches

led to increased family violence and economic pressure on women

led desperate families to resort to child labour or transactional sex to stay alive, which is also more likely with the safeguard of schooling removed

provided fuel to nationalist ideas and xenophobic policies

threatened the security of at risk communities, for example in Nigeria where Islamic State and al-Qaeda extremists claimed Covid-19 was punishment from God and attacked locked down villagers who became sitting targets.

Dr Aboum told the WCC Executive that all around the world churches are well-positioned to lead communities by their own Covid-19 responses  by advocating for the most vulnerable communities and providing an example of best practice, through:

promoting safe gatherings, providing accurate health information on transmission prevention, and adopting best practice on hygiene and tracing systems in all churches;

targeting urban slums and other potential Covid hot spots for extra health support and information;

targeting mission support for organisations that prevent violence against women and children and support survivors of family harm;

calling on governments to monitor and mitigate the negative impact of the pandemic on women, including lost income due to increased child care, and loss of national health spending on reproductive health as resources shift to Covid response;

calling on governments to put resources toward minority communities that face higher risk from Covid-19 conditions, including persecuted religious minorities; and

spreading hope and building human unity and solidarity through online and remote communications, particularly working to help communities guard against nationalism and xenophobia in response to the pandemic.

The full text of Dr Aboums address as Moderator of the World Council of Churches Executive Committee on 23 July is available here.

Executive Archdeacon of Edmonton to be Anglican Church of Canadas new General Secretary

Archdeacon Alan Perry has been selected as the new General Secretary (provincial secretary) of the Anglican Church of Canada. He will succeed Dr Michael Thompson, who retires on 31 August. For the past eight years, Perry has served as Executive Archdeacon in the Diocese of Edmonton. He is a member of the General Synod pension committee and has previously served as a priest in parish ministry in the diocese of Montreal. He has extensive experience with General Synod and the Provincial Synod of the ecclesiastical province of Canada, as well as a passion for justice ministry and ecumenical relationships.

His appointment was approved at an online meeting of the Council of General Synod last week.

During the meeting, the Primate of the Anglican Church of Canada, Archbishop Linda Nicholls, paid tribute to Dr Thompson ahead of his retirement. He had walked with the church through a period of great challenge and helped the church find its way to the current moment, she said, adding that has handed it on in good shape.

Foundations of Englands oldest church restored

The remains of what is said to be the oldest Christian church in England have undergone a restoration process. The stone foundations, next to Colchester Police Station in Essex, were discovered more than 40 years ago when land was excavated to make way for a new road. It is thought that the church was built around AD 320 towards the end of the Roman occupation of Britain.

The High Steward of Colchester, Sir Bob Russell, told the Colchester Gazette newspaper that he was grateful that the local council had now arranged for more extensive restoration of the remaining stonework of this amazing survivor of the early days of Christianity in our country.

With the success of the restoration work just completed, I renew my call for direction signs to be erected on existing poles with signs around the town centre. This should be promoted as a major tourist attraction, along with the Roman Chariot Circus which is the only one known to have existed in this country.

The restoration work was carried out by Bakers of Danbury, a specialist church and ancient monument contractor, commissioned by Colchester Council and supported by Colchester Archaeological Trust.
BALTIMORE, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The University System of Maryland (USM) today announced the launch of a new instructional design support service, available this summer and fall to faculty across the USM, designed to provide concierge-level support to help faculty transition to teaching online. The system will tap independent instructional design firm iDesign , which has worked with more than 100 institutions to design, build and support award-winning online courses.

"While the system continues to navigate this unprecedented period of uncertainty, we understand that it's imperative as a system that we put in place resources, tools and scaffolding to help faculty succeed in online teaching, regardless of their experience level," said MJ Bishop, the associate vice chancellor and director of the University System of Maryland's William E. Kirwan Center for Academic Innovation. "This support center will help us build surge capacity for faculty, providing them with instructional design support they need to thrive and do their best work in the online environment."

The Instructional Design Support Center (IDSC) is designed to ease the transition to online teaching for faculty and, by extension, improve course quality for students. The center will help meet the diverse needs of facultywhose course loads, disciplines, and experience-level with online teaching vary widely.

Over the course of the summer and leading into the school year, more than 11,000 faculty across 10 USM campuses will receive access to a hub of resources to support online teaching and course design, templates for use within learning management systems used on campus, and a la carte access to instructional design support services and troubleshooting. The participating campuses that will each receive customized IDSC deployments include: Bowie State University; Coppin State University; Frostburg State University; Salisbury University; Towson University; University of Baltimore; University of Maryland, Baltimore; University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science; University of Maryland, College Park; and University of Maryland Eastern Shore.

An April survey found that more than 50 percent of faculty agreed that greater access to digital resources would be most helpful to support online instruction, while nearly half pointed to online resource hubs with information about how to quickly transition to online learning.

"The pandemic has shown just how critical faculty-driven innovation, creativity and leadership continues to be, especially during this moment when our students are facing uncertainty inside and outside of the classroom," said Whitney Kilgore, Ph.D., co-founder and chief academic officer of iDesign. "The University System of Maryland has been at the forefront of advancing quality and rigor in the delivery of online courses, and this partnership is another example of how the system is helping campuses to better serve students by empowering faculty and responding to their needs."

Through the partnership with iDesign, USM faculty will also gain access to the company's popular Online Teaching Pathway, an immersive course sequence designed to provide faculty with an immediate primer on best practices in remote teaching. Through the short-form courses, faculty and other higher education professionals will be able to access vetted teaching resources, practice examples, and effective techniques used by experienced online instructors. Recently, the USM and member institution University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) formed a $2.6 Million partnership, USM OnTrack, to work with provosts, teaching and learning center directors, instructional designers, technology professors, and others to support and assess expansion of high-quality online learning across the system.

About iDesign: iDesign partners with colleges and universities to build, grow and support online and blended programs. We are passionate about helping faculty harness the potential of emerging technologies to design courses and degrees that make an impact, whether they are fully online, flipped, blended, adaptive, or competency-based. Our unbundled, fee-for-service model is rooted in a commitment to flexibility and institutional autonomy, while our analytics platform supports continuous improvement through rigorous measurement of student engagement and course quality. From statewide university systems to private colleges, our custom solutions pair instructional design with technologies to enable great teaching. To learn more, please visit www.idesignedu.org .

SOURCE idesignedu.org
I am glad that the Kanye campaign has realized that their petition was so deficient that it wasnt even worth defending, Salmon said in a phone interview. It sort of highlights the fact that it shouldnt have been submitted in the first place.
The U.S. Army selected REDCOM because of our flexibility as an organization. We can design, engineer, manufacture, and support our solutions in one location, and we can meet emerging requirements faster than our competitors.

REDCOM Laboratories, Inc., the leading supplier of advanced communications solutions for the tactical edge, has been awarded a contract for the US Armys Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T). The five-year contract, which is being ordered through NexTech Solutions LLC, is valued at $31.9 million and includes licenses for REDCOM Sigma call control software and associated support contracts.

The objective of the Armys network modernization program is to simplify the network incrementally. To do this, the Army is adopting hardware and software that streamline network initialization and management while also increasing capabilities. This endeavor will allow the Army to establish a network that is expeditionary, mobile, hardened, and simple.

The U.S. Army selected REDCOM Sigma for these network modernization efforts due to the softwares small footprint, intuitive interface, resilient architecture, ability to interoperate with existing devices, and simple licensing model.

REDCOM Sigma is a software-based call and session controller designed to increase the warfighters operational flexibility while reducing size, weight, and power (SWaP) requirements and cutting deployment times. Designed specifically for government and military users, REDCOM Sigma is based on open standards with a focus on interoperability, flexibility, and resiliency, and is listed on the DoDIN Approved Products List (APL).

The U.S. Army selected REDCOM because of our flexibility as an organization. We can design, engineer, manufacture, and support our solutions in one location, and we can meet emerging requirements faster than our competitors, said Dinah Weisberg, President & CEO, REDCOM.

REDCOMs VP of Strategy Mike Sweeney expands on this sentiment: By selecting REDCOM, the Army instantly improves its operational flexibility at the tactical edge and reduces its overall footprint. REDCOM solutions align to the Armys future operating requirements, allowing them to quickly integrate new technology while maintaining support for legacy infrastructure.

REDCOM has a history of responsiveness to the needs of premier customers such as the U.S. Army, said Chris Hasenauer, Chief Operating Officer, REDCOM. We worked closely with the Army Program Office to receive requirements during early evaluations. We were able to respond quickly with software development, interoperability testing, and validation, and met every milestone set by the Program Office. This exemplifies not only our responsiveness as an organization, but also the dedication to our customers.

The contract will see REDCOM software deployed to numerous product managers within Project Manager Tactical Networks (PM TN). Under PdM Mission Network, REDCOM Sigma is part of the Network Integration Technical Enhancement (NITE) modernization effort that will refresh the Armys fielded Tactical Network Transport  At-The-Halt (TNT-ATH) equipment and be received by four infantry brigade combat teams starting next year. Supporting the Armys Capability Set 23 efforts to provide on-the-move (OTM) network connectivity to armored brigade combat teams (ABCTs) REDCOM Sigma is included in the Tactical Network Transport  On-The-Move (TNT-OTM) prototype integrated into ABCTs and OTM configurations integrated on a variety of tactical vehicles.

Under Product Manager Network Modernization, REDCOM Sigma will support and modernize Enroute Mission Command (EMC), Commercial Coalition Equipment (CCE), and Disaster Incident Response Emergency Communications Terminal (DIRECT) equipment. Finally, as part of the Armys capability set 21 modernization efforts and following the Expeditionary Signal Battalion  Enhanced (ESB-E) pilot this contract will see REDCOM Sigma included in the equipment package to the services ESBs with three expeditionary signal battalions currently slated to receive CS 21 enabling capability.

About REDCOM

REDCOM Laboratories, Inc. is a woman-owned small business that specializes in the design and manufacture of advanced tactical and strategic communications solutions with a focus on interoperability, flexibility, and ease of use. REDCOMs MIL-spec products are optimized for low size, weight, and power (SWaP), making them the ideal communications core for the U.S. Army at the tactical edge. REDCOMs customers include all branches of the military, government agencies, emergency responders, integrators, and telecom service providers. For additional information, please visit the REDCOM website at http://www.redcom.com.

About PEO C3T

Headquartered at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, Program Executive Office Command, Control, Communications-Tactical (PEO C3T) develops, acquires, fields and supports the Armys tactical network, a critical modernization priority. PEO C3T delivers the hardware and software required to provide Army formations with an expeditionary, mobile, simple to use and hardened tactical network. For more information, please visit the PEO C3T website at https://peoc3t.army.mil/c3t/.
She's never been shy of brazenly flaunting her figure.

And Love Island star Georgia Steel once again set pulses racing as she took to Instagran to post a pair of topless snaps from a field in Yorkshire.

The reality starlet, 22, posed in little more than a pair of denim cut-off shorts for the sexy snaps she shared with her followers on Instagram.

Sizzling: Love Island star Georgia Steel, 22, once again set pulses racing as she took to Instagran to post a pair of topless snaps from a field in Yorkshire

Georgia showcased her amazing figure as she showcased her bare back in the revealing images.

With a tiny daisy in hand, the star looked sensational as she posed for the raunchy images.

The post was playfully captioned: 'Swipe for a daisy.'

Jaw-dropping: The reality starlet posed in little more than a pair of denim cut-off shorts for the sexy snaps she shared with her followers on Instagram

Having recently returned from a sunny break to Ibiza, Georgia continued to bring the heat following her Ibiza getaway by posing completely topless.

The brunette cryptically captioned the daring shots: 'Everything is falling into place just the way it's meant to.'

Elsewhere, she recently broke her silence on her split from Callum Izzard.

Speaking on FUBAR Radio, she revealed she's in no rush to jump into a new relationship. She said: 'I'm a good believer in everything happens for a reason and I'm just rolling with it.'

Sheer luck: Having recently returned from a sunny break to Ibiza, Georgia continued to bring the heat following her Ibiza getaway by posing completely topless

Callum and Georgia's whirlwind romance began in August 2019 when they met during the filming of Ex on the Beach: Peak Of Love, with the couple becoming engaged just a month later.

But despite her fast-paced courtship, Georgia admitted she's in no hurry to dive headfirst into a new romance.

When asked if she's had many guys sliding into her DMs, the beauty explained: 'I just want some time now to just focus on myself and I'm not really wanting to rush into anything. I'm just wanting to take every day as it comes!'

Steamy: The brunette cryptically captioned the daring shots: 'Everything is falling into place just the way it's meant to'

Speaking of moving on from Callum, she went on to add: 'Obviously I want to get over that whole thing firstly.'

Georgia was recently living with her ex-fiance in Essex, but it appears lockdown got the better, leading to their split.

A source told The Sun Online: 'Callum has moved out of their Essex apartment during lockdown.

'They were recently flat hunting in Manchester together, but it's been called off. Georgia is now planning to move up to Manchester alone.'
Thousands of small businesses in the screen production industry could be left on the cutting room floor, if Australian content quotas are not reinstated.

The Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman Kate Carnell says the emergency quota suspension introduced in response to the COVID-19 crisis has taken a heavy toll on the screen production industry, 86% of which are small businesses.

Screen Producers Australia has been calling on the Federal Government to provide certainty to the struggling industry by confirming sub-quotas for 2021. But networks are pushing for them to be overhauled as part of de-regulation.

As it stands, Australian broadcasters are under no obligation to produce new, locally made content until the end of this year at the earliest, Carnell said.

This is hurting thousands of small production companies that would ordinarily be creating Australias best drama, documentaries and childrens content.

We know that many of these small production companies are ready to return to work, but there are limited projects in the pipeline due to the uncertainty over how long this quota suspension will remain in place.

Its very difficult to attract investment under these circumstances, which could ultimately drive many of these small businesses to the brink.

Thats devastating for the small businesses involved and the entire production industry.

It also has significant ramifications for our culture and the telling of Australian stories. What would we do without Bluey or iconic Australian films such as Crocodile Dundee or Top End Wedding?

A recent Deloitte Access Economics estimates the Australian film and television industries directly contribute $5.8 billion to the economy and about 46,000 full times jobs.

The industry needs a clear commitment that the quota suspension period will not be extended beyond 2020. The government should also ensure mandatory Australian-made quotas apply to all other streaming services, she continued.

While the government has invested in attracting foreign productions to our shores, much more could be done to directly foster the Australian screen production industry.
UPSC CSE Result 2019: Lt Guv congratulates Delhi Police officials daughter for securing 6th rank in UPSC exam

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal on Tuesday congratulated the daughter of a Delhi Police assistant sub inspector who secured sixth rank in the UPSC civil services examination 2019.Heartiest congratulations to Vishakha D/o Delhi Police ASI Raj Kumar for securing 06th rank in UPSC 2019. Wish her successful & fulfilling career. Vishakha Indeed a proud moment for @DelhiPolice! Baijal tweeted. Read story here

UPSC CSE Result 2019: Anmol Jain from Bhopal secure 14th rank in his final attempt

A 28-year-old Anmol Jain from Bhopal secured 14th rank in UPSC civil services final exam 2019, results of which were announced on Tuesday. A graduate from IIT Delhi, Jain cleared the exam in his fifth and final attempt. Jain recently secured third rank in Indian Forest Services exam, conducted by UPSC. Read his story here

7 candidates of Jamia Hamdard coaching academy clears UPSC exam

Seven candidates of Jamia Hamdard Residential Coaching Residential Academy have successfully cleared the UPSC civil services exam 2019, the result of which was declared on Tuesday, August 4. Read full story here

Son of a farmer in Madhubani, Mukund bags AIR-54 in first attempt

Mukund Kumar, son of a farmer in Bihars Madhubani bagged 54th rank in his first attempt in the of the UPSC Civil Services Examination- 2019, the result of which was declared on Tuesday. An English honours degree holder from Delhi University, 23-year-old Mukund completed his primary schooling from Rajnagar Awsiya Sharda Vidyalaya in Madhubani district. Earlier, this year, Mukund had also cleared 64th combined competitive main exam of Bihar Public Service Commission (BPSC) besides he had written papers for 65th BPSC prelims. Read his full story here.

PM Modi congratulates UPSC Civil Service exam qualifiers

Congratulations to all the bright youngsters who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2019! An exciting and satisfying career of public service awaits you. My best wishes! PM Narendra Modi tweeted.

For those youngsters who did not get the desired result in the Civil Services Examination, 2019, I would like to tell them- life is full of several opportunities. Each and every one of you is hardworking and diligent. Best wishes for all your future endeavours, he added.

For those youngsters who did not get the desired result in the Civil Services Examination, 2019, I would like to tell them- life is full of several opportunities. Each and every one of you is hardworking and diligent. Best wishes for all your future endeavours.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) August 4, 2020

UP CSE Result 2019: Divya Shakti of Bihar bags AIR- 79

Divya Shakti of Bihars Bettiah cracks UPSC civil services exam 2019 in second attempt, bags AIR-79 in her second attempt. When asked if she was confident of securing ranks in top 100 finalist, she was somewhat forthright. This is beauty of UPSC. Even the number one ranker does not know where he or she stands. I couldnt clear my preliminary in my first attempt either, she put it straight. Read her story here.

UP CM Yogi Adityanath congratulates UPSC civil services exam qualifiers

Chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath congratulated the successful candidates.

Hearty congratulations to all the successful candidates and their parents, for clearing the UPSC Civil Services Examination- 2019. New India has high expectations from you. I have full faith that all of you will make a significant contribution to the development and public welfare of the country with full dedication and hard work he tweeted.

       -2019          



                               Yogi Adityanath (@myogiadityanath) August 4, 2020

UPSC CSE Result 2019: This woman of Patna parted from 3 YO son, bags AIR-90 in first attempt

Anupama Singh of Patna,Kankerbagh moved to Delhi leaving her three-year-old son and husband to prepare for UPSC Civil Services Exam. She cracked the exam in first attempt by securing AIR- 90. She has pursued MBBS in gynaecology from Patna Medical and College Hospital in 2011 while Master of Surgery(MS) from Banaras Hindu University in 2014. Read her story here.

UPSC CSE 2019 women topper Pratibha Verma is from Uttar Pradesh

Pratibha Verma from Uttar Pradesh -- the All India women topper who has secured AIR 3rd rank in the UPSC 2019 examination. Read more

UPSC CSE 2019 Result: Son of a former village Sarpanch, Pradeep bags AIR- 1

Pradeep Singhs father Sukhbir Singh is former village Sarpanch. Singh hails from Sonepat in Haryana. He has bagged AIR- 1 in UPSC CSE 2019. Read more

UPSC CSE Result 2019: Daughter of Hisars divisional commissioner bags AIR- 222

Devayani, the daughter of Hisar Divisional Commissioner, Vinay Singh has bagged AIR-222 in UPSC civil services exam 2019.

UPSC CSE 2019 topper Pradeep Singh is from Sonepat

The UPSC SE 2019 topper Pradeep Singh is from Tewri village in Sonepat. His family is staying in Sonepat.

UPSC CSE 2019 topper Pradeep Singh is from Haryana

The All India Rank- 1 holder Pradeep Singh is from Haryana.

Welcome to the world of challenges and opportunities: Purnea DM tweets for successful UPSC candidates

Rahul Kumar, IAS who is serving Purnea,Bihar as the district magistrate said in a tweet, #UPSC #CivilServices results declared. Many congratulations to all the successful candidates. Welcome to the world of challenges and opportunities. #CSE2019.

#UPSC #CivilServices results declared. Many congratulations to all the successful candidates. Welcome to the world of challenges and opportunities. #CSE2019  Rahul Kumar (@rahulias6) August 4, 2020

UPSC CSE Final Result of 11 candidates withheld, candidature of 66 recommended candidates provisional

The candidature of 66 recommended candidates is provisional while the result of 11 candidates has been kept withheld, stated the press note issued by the Press Information Burea (PIB).

UPSC CSE Result 2019: Pratibha Verma tops among women candidates

Among the 829 successful candidates, Pratibha Verma who bagges AIR- 3 has emerged as the topper among women candidates

UPSC CSE Final Result 2019: BJP MP congratulates successful candidates

PC Mohan, BJP Lok Sabha MP, Bengaluru Central congratulated the candidates who cleared the UPSC exam. Congratulations to all those who cleared the #UPSC Civil Services Exam 2019. With their knowledge, experience, and understanding of public affairs a new and exciting phase of their lives awaits to device effectual policy for the welfare of our nation, he said in a tweet.

This too shall pass. Keep working, an IAS officer Abinash Mishra tweets for those who couldnt pass UPSC exam

An IAS Officer Abinash Mishra from Odisha, who cracked UPSC IAS exam in 2017 shared a motivational tweet for those who could not clear the UPSC Exam. Congratulations to all those who could make it to the list in civil services exam 2019. Those who could not, I know its a tough time. I was there too in your place. Remember this too shall pass. Keep working. May you win soon, he said.

Congratulations to all those who could make it to the list in civil services exam 2019.

Those who could not, I know it's a tough time. I was there too in your place. Remember this too shall pass. Keep working. May you win soon#upsc  ABINASH MISHRA IAS (@abinash_XD) August 4, 2020

UPSC CSE Final Result 2019: Out of the top 25 rank holders,13 are male, 12 female

Out of the top 25 rank holders in the UPSC civil services final exam 2019,13 are male while 12 are female.

UPSC CSE Result 2019: Son of a petrol pump attendant Pradeep Singh bags AIR 26

Another topper named Pradeep Singh, who got 26th rank in UPSC civil services exam 2019, is from Indore in MP. He is son of a petrol pump employee. He was selected last year with 93 rank but wanted to be an IAS officer so he reappeared in the exam

AIR 26 UPSC CSE 2019 pic.twitter.com/AF2aKboNfQ  Pradeep Singh (@_pradeepsingh_) August 4, 2020

UPSC CSE Final Result 2019: Son of a former DGP of Assam gets 59th rank

Aranyak Saikia--son of former Assam DGP Kuladhar Saikia secures 59th rank. A 2017 batch IPS officer, Aranyak is already serving in Karnataka. Another Assamese Tapan Deka secures 766 rank

West Bengal CM Mamata Banerjee congratulates successful candidates of UPSC exam 2019.

Chief minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee tweeted, Congratulations to all successful candidates of the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2019. May you have a bright future in serving the people of our great nation. Those who didnt qualify, try harder. With determination, you shall succeed.

Congratulations to all successful candidates of the UPSC Civil Services Exam 2019. May you have a bright future in serving the people of our great nation. Those who didnt qualify, try harder. With determination, you shall succeed.  Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) August 4, 2020

UPSC CSE Final Result 2019: Check top 3 rank holders

Pradeep Singh has secured first rank in UPSC civil services 2019 exam. Jatin Kishore and Pratibha Verma have secured second and third positions respectively.

UPSC CSE Final Result 2019: 829 students qualify

A total of 829 students have qualified the UPSC CSE final exam. Every year over seven lakh candidates appear for the UPSC CSE exams.

UPSC civil services result 2019: When to check marks

UPSC will release the marksheet of candidates who have qualified the UPSC Civil Services Exam within 15 days from the date of declaration of results

UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2019 declared

UPSC has declared the civil services 2019 final result today, August 4 at upsc.gov.in.
Sushant's Family Had Texted Mumbai Police In February

On February 19, Sushant's brother-in-law had sent a message to Mumbai police, in which he mentioned that his wife keeps worrying about Sushant's well-being. Six days later, the Mumbai police official replied, "Noted sir."

Sushant's Family Had Levelled Serious Allegations Against Rhea Chakraborty

One of the messages read, "Just after couple of days of association, she moved in at Sushant's place. On the pretext of curing him of depression, she and her family took him to a resort near airport and kept him there for three months together. Since then, they are managing him and his business affairs. He is downhill since then."

One Of The Chats Hint That Sushant's Family Was Worried That The Actor Might Be In Danger

Sushant's family had told the official, "Budha, his DCE classmate who stays with him. He'll get you the background. The idea is that he should not be hurt for being all by himself there."

It further read, "When the matter went out of hand, Sushant called up my wife to be rescued. He stayed with us 2-3 days. went back fine citing his shooting commitments. He is downhill again with reports of Rhea firing all Sushant's loyal team members and putting her own stooges."

Sushant's Family Had Informed Mumbai Police That The Actor's Life Was At Risk

"His third sister, a Delhi-based lawyer, who used to be with him and visit him frequently is panicky that he has surrendered to a manipulative group of people and his life is at risk," read another message.
The Shiv Sena on Tuesday took a dig at Union Home Minister Amit Shah stating that despite being infected with Covid-19 and staying in isolation he will continue posing a threat to the Rajasthan state government.

Corona has attacked Home Minister Shah and as a result, he had to go into isolation. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot should not get too happy over this. Wherever Shah is, he can continue his political operations from there only and, therefore, the danger on Gehlot government still persists, an article in Saamna, the party mouthpiece, read.

The Home Minister went into isolation and Gehlot too had to take his MLAs into isolation means the danger still persists, it added.

Wishing Union Home Minister Amit Shah a speedy recovery from the infection, Sena said that his absence will be felt on August 5 during the bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

It also suggested that the whole Union Cabinet would have to be isolated as per Shahs appeal to people who had met him.

It is true that the government followed social distancing but now Home Minister Shah has himself appealed to all those who came in contact with him to isolate themselves and get themselves tested for corona. If the Home Minister says so then all the Ministers in the Cabinet will have to be isolated, the Shiv Sena said through an editorial published in party mouthpiece Saamna.

It further said that Shah and multiple BJP Chief Ministers and Ministers in state governments, including Uttar Pradesh, testing positive for Covid-19 revealed a frightening picture of the pandemic in the country, and added the names of the priest and other functionaries of the Ram temple in the list.

It is being seen that Uttar Pradesh has become a big hotspot for corona and Ayodhya is no different. A senior Minister of the Uttar Pradesh government passed away due to corona on Sunday. Three other Ministers and UP BJP chief Swatantra Dev Singh are also in the grasp of the disease, the editorial read.

It further added that the Prime Minister laying the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya tomorrow would be a sight worth remembering for all and said that the ceremony would mark the satisfactory end of the fight for the Ram temple started by senior leaders LK Advani, Murli Manohar Joshi, who would take part in the ceremony through video conferencing.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5.
Thiruvananthapuram, August 04 : Congress MP T N Prathapan has hit out at the leaders of the congress at the national level who have welcomed the construction of the ram temple at Ayodhya.

Pulling no punches, he categorically stated that those congress leaders cribbing about not being invited to the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ram temple had no place in the congress party.

I dont think the Indian national congress (INC) is the right place for those complaining about not being invited to the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ram temple, Mr. Prathapan wrote in a facebook post on Tuesday.

Nehru, Gandhi, and Azad are the heroes of the congress party, not Savarkar and Godse, he caustically reminded those leaders.

Branding the foundation stone laying ceremony of the Ram temple as a politico-religious event sponsored by the sangh parivar, the congress MP said that nothing would happen to the soul of India and the congress party if we (congress leaders) stayed away from the function.

He reminded the congress leadership that it was better to lose elections than to stoop low for electoral gains.

The supreme court verdict on Ayodhya should be respected but that didnt mean we should endorse the destruction of the babri masjid, he wrote, asking how Hindus and people who believed in secularism could accept Hindutva terrors erecting a temple on the remains of the mosque.

The supreme court had termed the destruction of the mosque as an egregious violation of law. Still the court verdict allowed the construction of a Ram temple on the place where a mosque stood. Those who believe in the constitution and secularism have a constitutional duty to accept the verdict of the top court even if we disagreed with it. But people should not harbor the illusion that we would forget the razing of the mosque and the anti-minority riots that ensued, Mr. Prathapan wrote.

Even as he came down on the congress leadership, he reserved his sharpest punches for the sangh parivar and the BJP.

He categorically stated that the Ram temple to be constructed by the sangh parivar had no claim to the religious piety enjoyed by the other Ram temples in Ayodhya because the temple that would be constructed on the remains of the babri masjid did not embody religion or faith but politics and hatred.

How will secular India accept the fact that a section of people, in a secular country like India, razed a place of worship to build their own place of worship over it? he asked rhetorically.

The congress MP accused the sangh parivar of turning Lord Ram into a symbol of annihilation and genocide.

People who worship Godse, the biggest terrorist in the countrys history, has turned lord Ram, who is the epitome of self-sacrifice, into an embodiment of annihilation and genocide, he charged.

The lord Ram of hindu culture would not be happy about a temple being brought up on the remains of a mosque. Instead, he would be seething at and cursing the sangh parivar over their brand of venomous politics, the facebook post read.

Senior congress leaders Kamal Nath and Digvijay Singh had the other day endorsed the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The congress also complained about its leadership not being invited to the foundation stone laying ceremony or 'bhoomi pujan' of the temple. Priyanka Gandhi also welcomed the construction of the temple, writing in a tweet that the Ram temple would pave the way for unity in the country.

The Indian union muslim league, a senior ally of the congress-led UDF in Kerala, has come out against the statements of the national leaders of the congress.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan
NORWAY - After halting all trips due to procedural errors which caused COVID-19 outbreak on their ship including five passengers and 36 crew, a Norwegian cruise ship line apologized on Monday but officials from the health sector fear that the ship could have infected numerous towns and villages along the western coast of Norway.

Previously on board the MS Roald Amundsen, the 41 people who tested positive were admitted at North Norway's Tromsoe's University Hospital. The ship is currently docked in the area, which is just north of the Arctic Circle, CBS News reported.

Daniel Skjeldam, CEO of the Hurtigruten shared in a statement that based on their initial evaluation, there has been a failure in a number of their internal procedures.

He also added that since their ship sails along the picturesque coast of Norway, from the coast of Bergen in the South going to the Kirkenes in the North, all of the areas within their route are now

part of a full review process handled by their own company.

Passengers of the cruise line company who had been on board on MS Roald Amundsen from dates July 17-24 and another trip from July 25-31 which are trips from Bergen to the popular site of polar bears, Svalbard's Arctic archipelago. Based on the company's record, there were 209 guests onboard during the first trip while there are 178 guests on the second trip.

Read also: Moderna's COVID-19 Vaccine Triggered Immune Response in Monkeys

Out of 158 MS Roald Amundsen crew members who were tested for COVID-19, 122 of them had 122 negative results.

Aside from its leisure purposes, the cruise ship also serves as a local ferry as it can transport you from one port to another on the western coast of Norway. Not only passengers dispersed during these trips but most likely the virus, as well as some of its passengers, disembarked along the route causing a higher chance of virus transmission to their local communities.

According to BBC, 69 municipalities were affected in Norway because of the incident.

As of the moment, the municipality of Tromsoe is currently urging anyone who traveled using the ship or had any contact with the ship to communicate with the health authorities.

Since guests of the cruise ship came from all over the world, the start of the outbreak remains a mystery. Out of 36 crew members that tested positive with COVID-19, 33 of them came from the Philippines while the other three came from France, Germany, And France.

Based on the statement of Skjeldam, officials of the cruise ship did not know that a notification should be sent to the passengers after the report of the first case on Friday aside from following the doctors' advice.

Norwegian Institute of Public Health, Line Vold stated that his advice was to inform passengers and crew as soon as possible so they could mow their health and proceed into quarantine if there is a need.

Meanwhile, Skjeldam also admitted that their company had mistakes and saddened by what happened but they are taking full responsibility for it.

Related article: Russia Eyes August Registry of First Coronavirus Vaccine

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Virgin Atlantic has become Richard Branson's second airline to file for Chapter 15 bankruptcy in the U.S. this year as the industry continues to be ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

The company's filing in U.S. bankruptcy court in the Southern District of New York said it has negotiated a deal with stakeholders 'for a consensual recapitalization' that will get debt off its balance sheet and 'immediately position it for sustainable long-term growth'.

Yesterday's move came on the same day the billionaire's space firm, Virgin Galactic, announced he will become one of the first to go into space on his company's rockets in an initiative costing millions of pounds.

The U.S. filing is in addition to a proceeding filed in a British court, where Virgin Atlantic obtained approval Tuesday to convene meetings of affected creditors to vote on the plan on August 25.

A Virgin Atlantic spokesperson said that the company was pursuing a 'solvent restructuring' under British law. The filing means the airline is not yet going into liquidation or going out of business - but the company warned that if a deal with creditors isn't reached, it could run out of cash by September.

The company's filing comes just a day after Branson announced he could launch into space aboard his Virgin Galactic aircraft as its first passenger early 2021, potentially blazing a path for commercial flights.

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Virgin Atlantic has become billionaire Richard Branson's second airline to file for bankruptcy this year as industry continues to be ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic

This marks yet another blow for Branson's Virgin brand, coming just months after sister airline Virgin Australia filed for voluntary administration there in April, as well as Chapter 15 protection in the U.S.

Virgin Australia said on Wednesday it would make permanent cuts to one-third of its workforce and focus on being a short-haul operator as part of a new business plan under the ownership of Bain Capital.

What is Chapter 15 bankruptcy? Chapter 15 of the U.S. bankruptcy code allows foreign debtors to apply for protection of their assets in America from U.S. creditors. A Chapter 15 filing is typically accompanied by a bankruptcy or equivalent filing in a company's home country. The law allows cooperation between the United States courts and the foreign courts, as well as other authorities of foreign countries involved in cross-border insolvency cases. Advertisement

The country's second-biggest airline had entered voluntary administration in April owing nearly A$7 billion to creditors, having been unprofitable for seven consecutive years before the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Virgin said 3,000 of its 9,000 staff would be affected by the cuts.

A spokesman for Virgin Atlantic said the Chapter 15 bankruptcy filing was part of a court process in the UK to carry out the restructuring plan announced last month.

The process was supported by a majority of the airline's creditors, and the company hoped to emerge from the process in September, she said.

In written submissions to the High Court in London, Mr Allison said: 'The group's financial position has been severely affected by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused unprecedented disruption to the global aviation industry.

'Passenger demand has plummeted to a level that would, until recently, have been unthinkable.'

He said: 'As a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, the group is now undergoing a liquidity crisis.

'Absent a restructuring and an injection of new money, it is projected that the group's cash flow would drop to a critical level by the week commencing 21 September 2020.'

Airlines have been some of the hardest hit by the pandemic as borders shuttered and travel bans issued when nations went into lockdown earlier this year.

Virgin Atlantic, which is based in London and 49 percent owned by Delta Air Lines, was forced to ground all passenger operations back in April.

The airline took its planes to the skies once more in July but, as travel restrictions continue and consumer confidence is low, it has failed to draw the crowds back in.

'The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has had an adverse impact on not only [Virgin Atlantic], but the aviation industry as a whole, occasioning the near shutdown of the global passenger aviation industry,' the company's lawyers wrote in Tuesday's filing.

'While [Virgin Atlantic] has taken various measures to manage its liquidity in light of the unprecedented financial and operating conditions it faces, a more comprehensive recapitalization is necessary to secure the future of its business and ensure that it is able to meet its liabilities and funding requirements beyond mid-September 2020.'

Chapter 15 is a form of bankruptcy protection for companies that span multiple countries, providing a way for foreign businesses to protect U.S. assets from creditors.

Richard Branson has said he will sell his private island to save his ailing travel company

The filing marks the latest in a string of dire warnings for the airline.

In a London court hearing earlier Tuesday, Virgin Atlantic said it will run out of cash as soon as September unless a rescue deal is quickly approved.

The company is seeking a $1.6 billion rescue package and said that, without it, available cash will plummet and it will be forced to fold.

The restructuring package was announced last month but, despite securing the backing of most stakeholders, it is yet to be finalized.

It would allow Branson, who was criticized for asking the UK government for a bailout, to retain his 51 percent stake in the firm.

Branson has also said he will sell his private island to save the ailing company.

A UK judge gave the green light for the firm to convene four creditor meetings for August 25 to vote on the restructuring plan.

The Virgin Atlantic check-in area is seen empty at Heathrow airport, London, in April as the coronavirus pandemic wrought havoc on the airline industry

'With support already secured from the majority of stakeholders, it's expected that the restructuring plan and recapitalization will come into effect in September,' a spokeswoman for Virgin Atlantic said.

'We remain confident in the plan.'

This comes off the back of various efforts to save the struggling company.

The airline, 51 percent owned by Bransons Virgin Group and 49 percent by U.S. airline Delta, closed its Gatwick base and cut more than 3,500 jobs to contend with the fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic, which has grounded planes and hammered demand for air travel.

It said it needed to recapitalize 'to not only survive the exigent threats posed by the COVID-19 global pandemic but to thrive once the immediate global health crisis passes.'

In July, Virgin Atlantic said it has agreed a rescue deal with shareholders and creditors worth 1.2 billion pounds ($1.57 billion) to secure its future beyond the coronavirus crisis.

Virgin said in a court filing reservations are down 89 percent from a year ago and current demand for the second half of 2020 is at approximately 25 percent of 2019 levels. Virgin Atlantic also owns Virgin Atlantic Holidays, a tour operator business and Virgin Atlantic Cargo.

The high-profile Branson had attracted criticism after calling for government help for Virgin Atlantic to survive the downturn.

Delta CEO Ed Bastian has previously made it clear Delta will not offer a cash injection to save Virgin Atlantic from bankruptcy, according to Business Insider.

Virgin Atlantic mainly operates out of the UK and also has administrative offices in Atlanta, Georgia and New York.

On Monday, Branson said he could launch into space aboard his Virgin Galactic aircraft as its first passenger early 2021.

Billionaire Richard Branson could launch into space aboard his Virgin Galactic aircraft as its first passenger early 2021, potentially blazing a path for commercial flights

The firm has repeatedly pushed back the date it will take the first tourists outside Earth's atmosphere, but said 600 'future astronauts' have already paid $250,000 to reserve a seat

The firm has repeatedly pushed back the date it will take the first tourists outside Earth's atmosphere, but said 600 'future astronauts' have already paid $250,000 to reserve a seat.

Branson's trip to space hinges on the success of two upcoming test flight programs, Virgin Galactic Holdings Inc said, with the first powered spaceflight scheduled for this fall from Spaceport America.

Virgin Galactic competes with billionaire-backed ventures such as Jeff Bezo's Blue Origin, which are all vying to usher in a new era of space tourism, racing to be the first to offer sub-orbital flights to civilian space travelers.

Virgin Galactic offers zero-gravity experiences to customers with its centerpiece SpaceShipTwo plane and has long-term point-to-point travel plans to quickly transport passengers from city to city at near-space altitudes.

Virgin Galactic said Monday it 'expects to advance to the next phase of its test flight program' in the fall with two manned flights.

'Assuming both flights demonstrate the expected results, Virgin Galactic anticipates Sir Richard Branson's flight to occur in the first quarter of 2021,' the company said in a statement.

The spacecraft will be taken up by a special plane and released at high altitude. Seconds later, the spaceship will ignite its engine and blast upward with an acceleration of 3.5 g, meaning three and a half times that of Earth's gravitational force

Virgin Galactic unveiled the design of the spaceplane cabin and seats last month in a livestream on YouTube that presented its interior in virtual reality to let people really experience it

Virgin Galactic worked with London design agency Seymourpowell on the cabin interior, described as 'an elegant but progressive, experience-focused concept'

The groundbreaking flight by Branson, Virgin Galactic's founder, would pave the way for commercial voyages to begin.

The program has been hit by serious snags, however, with a devastating crash in 2014 caused by pilot error delaying the development of passenger aircraft SpaceShipTwo.

Getting tourists into space is not a simple exercise.

The spacecraft will be taken up by a special plane and released at high altitude. Seconds later, the spaceship will ignite its engine and blast upward with an acceleration of 3.5 g, meaning three and a half times that of Earth's gravitational force.

It will then cut off the engine, which will create a feeling of weightlessness for a few minutes as the spacecraft reaches its highest point, about 50 miles above the planet, and then begin its descent
India on Tuesday described as an exercise in political absurdity a new map issued by Pakistan that lays claim to the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh, and Junagadh in Gujarat state, on the eve of the first anniversary of the scrapping of J&Ks special status.

Releasing the political map during a meeting in Islamabad attended by his cabinet and senior officials, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan said this was the first step towards a political struggle to achieve the right of self-determination for the Kashmiri people.

Hours later, Indias external affairs ministry described the so-called political map of Pakistan released by Khan as an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and of Ladakh.

These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms [the] reality of Pakistans obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism, the ministry said in a brief statement, repeating New Delhis assertion that Islamabad uses terror as an instrument of state policy.

Over the past few days, the Pakistani leadership has pulled out all stops to rake up the Kashmir issue ahead of the first anniversary of the Indian governments decision on August 5, 2019 to scrap Jammu & Kashmirs special status under Article 370 of the Constitution, and split the state into two UTs.

Pakistans new map includes the whole of the UT of Jammu & Kashmir as part of the countrys territory, describing it as Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir and a disputed territory whose final status is to be decided in line with UN Security Council resolutions. The boundary of Himachal Pradesh is depicted as the international border.

In a nod to Chinas sensitivities, the map does not depict the Ladakh region, with a legend stating frontier undefined. An annotation on the map states the boundary in this area will be decided by sovereign authorities concerned after the final settlement of the Jammu & Kashmir dispute. During the ceremony at which the map was unveiled, Pakistans foreign minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi referred to the India-China border standoff in Ladakh and said Pakistan, too, has a view on the matter.

Qureshi also said the map includes Siachen glacier as part of Pakistan to challenge the regions illegal occupation by India. He further said the map depicts the boundary in the disputed Sri Creek region of Gujarat according to Pakistans stated position on the issue to challenge Indias claim.

Khan described the unveiling of map as a historic move that he said was backed by his cabinet, the Kashmiri leadership and all of Pakistans political parties. The move reflects the desires of the people of Pakistan and Kashmir and rejects Indias illegal action of August 5 last year, he said, speaking in Urdu.

The new map will be used in schools and colleges and internationally and the only solution to the Kashmir issue can be found under the UN Security Council resolutions, which clearly give the right to the Kashmiri people to vote on whether to go with Pakistan or India, Khan said.

The map also depicts the Junagadh and Manavadar region of Indias Gujarat state as part of Pakistan. The nawab of Junagadh had opted to accede to Pakistan in September 1947, before fleeing from India with his family the following month. Junagadh voted overwhelmingly to stay with India in a plebiscite held in the region in 1948. Experts believe Pakistan has no legal ground for claiming the region.

Indias move to nullify Article 370 last year had triggered a strong reaction from Pakistan, with whom Indias ties were then at an all-time low following the standoff over the Pulwama terror attack. It was also opposed by Pakistans iron brother ally China, which believed it would affect its territorial claims in Ladakh, especially after India included Aksai Chin region in new maps of the union territories.

Pakistan plans to observe August 5 as Youm-e-Istehsal (day of exploitation) and Khan is scheduled to go to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), to deliver a speech. On Monday, Pakistans foreign and defence ministers visited areas along the Line of Control (LoC) to raise the Kashmir issue.

The Pakistani leadership has also attempted to mobilise support for its position on Kashmir from the countrys traditional allies, with only Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan assuring Khan and President Arif Alvi of his countrys backing on the issue.

On Tuesday, Khan repeated his allegation that India is trying to settle people from outside so that Kashmiris become a minority. He added: The map is the first step and we will launch a political struggle. We dont believe in military solutions, we believe in political solutions.

Qureshi also said the Kashmir Highway in Islamabad has been named the Srinagar Highway. Solidarity walks, photo exhibitions and seminars will also be organised to protest against alleged atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir, he said.

Academic Happymon Jacob, who closely tracks India-Pakistan relations, said Islamabad should stop mouthing the worn-out platitude that it supports the Kashmiris right to self-determination.

It only seeks to wrest Kashmir from India, he said, adding that making the LoC the international boundary is the only solution available to either side.
Israeli military says killed four people at Syria border

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 8:51 AM

The Israeli military says it killed four men near the border between the occupied Palestinian territories and Syria, claiming that they were planting explosives.

Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus told reporters on Monday that the men "were inside Israeli territory but beyond the fence" separating the Israeli-occupied sector of the Golan Heights and the Syrian part of the territory.

He added that an Israeli commando unit, backed by airstrikes, fired simultaneously towards the men after 11 pm Sunday (2000 GMT).

"Our estimate is that all four were killed," Conricus said in the telephone briefing. According to the military, no Israeli casualties were reported.

There was no confirmation of the Israeli claim by any other party. The Israeli military did not link the men to any organization.

Israel has placed its forces near the border with Lebanon and Syria on high alert after Lebanon's Hezbollah resistance movement announced the death of one of its members in an Israeli airstrike in Damascus on July 20 and promised retaliation.

Last week, Israeli and Western media outlets claimed that Israel's forces had thwarted an effort by Hezbollah fighters to infiltrate into the occupied territories through Shebaa farms along Lebanon's southern border.

Last Monday, Hezbollah dismissed the claim about border clashes as fake, saying it was aimed to boost the morale of Israeli forces by fabricating fictitious victories.

The area of the Sunday incident was the same spot where two years ago, Israel had operated a field hospital to treat Takfiri militants wreaking havoc in Syria.

"We spotted irregular night-time activity in this specific location for the past week and we had a commando unit deployed in the area," Conricus said.

The occupying regime has been providing medical treatment to extremist elements wounded during fighting in Syria.

Tel Aviv frequently attacks military targets inside Syria in what is considered as an attempt to prop up Takfiri terrorist outfits that have been suffering heavy defeats against Syrian government forces.

Israel seized the Golan Heights from Syria after the 1967 Six-Day War and later occupied it in a move that has never been recognized by the international community.

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When is the last time you read a headline in the Albuquerque Journal about a fender bender or a flat tire? Imagine if these incidents were repeatedly lumped in with serious accidents involving totaled cars, hospitalizations and highway deaths.

That is, in effect, what the daily coronavirus case count can be compared to. Some days in somber tones, some days with morbid exuberance  NM 467 new cases shatter single day record.

We read with horror and fascination. But have you ever wondered how many of those cases will have no symptoms? How many of those cases will have mild symptoms? 

The Albuquerque Journal has no idea regarding these questions, it does not even bother making an estimation based on scientific data. Therefore can it be considered a useful metric in making decisions that can bankrupt business owners or deny your child an education?

On April 15 the CDC recommended states start reporting probable COVID-19 cases. That means if you exhibit symptoms but still test negative, or dont test at all, you are counted as a COVID case.

In June, the waters were further muddied when positive antibodies were also added to the positive case counts. Yes, that means if you had coronavirus in April, didnt know it and fully recovered you would still be considered positive if you have antibodies in late July. This makes the case count impossible to understand and sadly exploitable.

My fellow New Mexicans, this has certainly been a sad and shocking time in our state. I have a mother with dementia in a care facility in Iowa so I in no way want to minimize those who are mourning the death of a loved one, the danger to our residents in care facilities and those with health conditions that make them vulnerable.

That being said, the reporting on this issue has been hysteria-inducing. The governor has then made use of that fear to take away your right to educate your child, pray in your church, hold a funeral for your loved one and operate your business in a way that you see fit.

I can only describe what I see here as a mass case of Stockholm syndrome. We will not question or challenge the governor, she will keep us safe. This has happened wittingly or unwittingly with data reported by this newspaper.

The situation will not improve until our press begins to grapple, research and investigate this issue and meaningfully inform the public. Informing the public involves more than  regurgitating an obscure number with various degrees of hysteria each day. Focusing on metrics that truly matter  would go a long way to solve this problem.
Sonipat, Aug 4 : Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank will inaugurate a global two-day conference starting Thursday on transforming universities impacted by Covid-19, organisers of the conference O.P. Jindal Global University (JGU) and International Institute for Higher Education Research and Capacity Building (IIHEd) said on Tuesday.

The virtual conference which will bring together over 80 thought leaders from 15 countries comes soon after the launch of the National Education Policy 2020 which aims to reimagine and transform the future of education and universities of India.

There will be 15 thematic panel discussions, four keynote addresses, and two special dialogues including a special panel led by women leaders from universities during the conference on "Reimagining and Transforming the University: Confluence of Ideas during and beyond the COVID-19 Disruption".

It will bring together on a single platform the Union Education Minister and Professor D.P. Singh, Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC); and Professor Pankaj Mittal, Secretary General, Association of Indian Universities (AIU).

Eminent leaders of the Indian higher education landscape including Professor Virander Chauhan, Chairman, National Assessment and Accreditation Council (NAAC); Professor Anil D. Sahasrabudhe, Chairman, All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE); and Professor Bhushan Patwardhan, Vice Chairman, University Grants Commission (UGC) will also attend the event, JGU said.

"We are extremely excited to bring together 80+ thought leaders from 15 countries across two days to create some very thought-provoking dialogues to re-imagine and transform the idea of a university," C. Raj Kumar, Vice Chancellor of O.P. Jindal Global University, said in a statement.

"With the current Covid-19 pandemic, it is very important for leaders of higher education from across the globe, come together to re-define the future of universities, which will impact the life of students, academics and nations," he said.

JGU has partnered with six global education networks -- Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU), Association of Indian Universities (AIU), Coimbra Group of Brazilian Universities, Laspau (A Harvard University affiliated network), the STAR Scholars Network and Qatar Foundation - for the conference on August 6-7.

The conference will bring representation from over 55 universities and colleges across Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Kuwait, Malaysia, Mauritius, Singapore, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, the US, and Qatar.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Credit: Shutterstock

In Victoria, more than 1,100 health-care workers have now been infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Some 11% of active cases are workers in the health-care sector.

Health-care workers are reported to be among those fighting for life in Victorian intensive care units.

While we don't know what proportion of the Victorian health-care workers currently infected with COVID-19 acquired it at work rather than in the community, it's almost certain a portion of these infections were contracted in the workplace.

Early experience from China found the proportion of health-care workers who contract COVID-19 can be up to 29% in settings with inadequate personal protective equipment, or PPE.

Lessons from China also show workplace transmission of SARS-CoV-2 can be reduced to negligible numbers with sufficient supply, and correct use of, airborne precaution PPE.

Right now, Australia is sitting somewhere in the middle. National guidance needs to be urgently updated to reflect safest practice and acknowledge what we're learning about the airborne spread of the virus.

What is PPE?

PPE is a crucial part of controlling exposure to hazards in all workplaces.

It includes items such as masks, respirators, face shields, gowns and gloves.

PPE is categorised into three tiers, corresponding to the type of hazard.

Level 1: standard and contact precaution PPE

This PPE limits exposure to standard contact hazards. Examples include face coverings and administrative controls such as hand hygiene, cough etiquette and physical distancing.

Level 2: droplet precaution PPE

This PPE prevents exposure to contact and droplet hazards. Examples include surgical masks, eye shields or goggles, long-sleeved gowns, and gloves.

Level 3: airborne precaution PPE

This PPE aims to prevent exposure to contact, droplet and airborne hazards. It includes N95/P2 respirators or powered air-purifying respirators with a P2 filter, eye shields or goggles, fluid-resistant gowns, double gloves, disposable head and neck wear, and protective footwear.

Current Australian guidelines

The national guidance on the use of PPE in hospitals during the COVID-19 outbreak has been written by the Infection Control Expert Group and endorsed by the Australian Health Protection Principal Committee.

The guidance doesn't recommend universal airborne precaution PPE for health-care workers dealing with patients suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19. It only recommends level 3 protection for highly specialised procedures such as intubating a patient.

A preprint in the Medical Journal of Australia has criticised the current guidance, noting it's not aligned with increasing scientific evidence regarding airborne transmission of SARS-CoV-2 and is therefore inadequate to protect health-care workers.

Inadequate national guidance has led to an inconsistent and non-standardised approach to airborne precaution PPE across all health-care settings.

In the absence of strong national safety guidance, some hospitals and jurisdictions are making independent improved safety recommendations to their staff.

Why we need level 3

Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 occurs by direct contact with droplets and contaminated surfacesbut emerging data suggests it can also be spread by the airborne route.

An analysis of health-care worker deaths in the United Kingdom found none among wearers of level 3 PPE, suggesting airborne precaution PPE was protective.

Importantly, surgical masks are primarily designed to protect the environment from the wearer. They're not designed to protect the wearer from respiratory pathogens.

A recent review found N95 respirators offered significantly better protection against viruses including COVID-19 than surgical face masks, while one study found N95 respirators provided 8-12 times more protection than surgical masks against small viral particles.

In Australia, N95 is synonymous with P2 respiratory protection and refers to the filtration efficiency (so N95 means 95% of particles are filtered). But it's the total inward leakagewhat goes through and around the facemaskthat's the critical factor in determining the level of protection the wearer achieves.

To ensure total inward leakage is minimised, respiratory masks used under level 3 PPE must meet certain standards, including fit testing and the training of wearers in their use.

We need immediate action

SARS-CoV-2 is a highly contagious virus with the potential to cause significant ill health and death. In health-care settings, it should be classified as a lethal biohazard and managed accordingly.

The safest approach is to consider all people with confirmed or suspected COVID-19 in hospital, being transported to hospital or being tested for COVID-19 as being able to spread the virus via the airborne route. As such, the use of airborne precaution PPE with a correctly fitted N95/P2 respirator is essential.

There's also an urgent need for a national registry of health-care worker infections, containing data about the category of health-care worker, where the infection was acquired, severity of disease, hospitalisation, intensive care and death numbers.

This will give us a better understanding of the scope and specifics of the problem, and inform policy and prevention strategies.

Finally, adequate supply of airborne precaution PPE must be available throughout Australia to protect health-care workers from COVID-19.

Explore further Surgical masks good for most COVID-19 treatment

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said U.S. military generals have told him that they seem to feel the massive explosion that rocked Beirut on Tuesday, killing at least 70 people, was a terrible attack likely caused by a bomb.

Trump was asked why he called it an attack and not an accident, especially since Lebanese officials say they have not determined the cause of the explosion. He told reporters at the White House: It would seem like it based on the explosion. I met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was. This was not a  some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of a event. ... They seem to think it was a attack. It was a bomb of some kind, yes.

Trump offered condolences to the victims and said the United States stood ready to assist Lebanon. It looks like a terrible attack, he said.

A Pentagon spokesman declined to comment on the matter Tuesday night, referring questions back to the White House.

The explosion flattened much of a port and damaged buildings across the capital, sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. In addition to those who died, more than 3,000 other people were injured, with bodies buried in the rubble, officials said.

The cause of the blast was not immediately known, but initial reports suggested a fire had detonated a warehouse at the port. Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said it might have been caused by highly explosive material that was confiscated from a ship some time ago and stored at the port. Local television channel LBC said the material was ammonium nitrate.

Witnesses reported seeing a strange, orange cloud like that which appears when toxic nitrogen dioxide gas is released after an explosion involving nitrates.

-

Associated Press writers Bassem Mroue in Beirut and Deb Riechmann in Washington contributed to this report.
HALIFAXNova Scotias police watchdog is probing the shooting of a 25-year-old man in New Glasgow by a municipal police officer.

The Serious Incident Response Team says it will investigate the incident late Monday in which a New Glasgow Regional Police officer used a firearm while responding to a report of a weapon.

The police force says when officers arrived on Washington Street in the town at about 10 p.m., they encountered a 25-year-old from Pictou County and the shooting incident occurred.

Paramedics were called to the scene and the man was transported to Aberdeen Hospital and later to the Queen Elizabeth II Health Sciences Centre in Halifax.

The mans condition was not immediately disclosed, and no one else was injured.

The Serious Incident Response Team independently investigates all serious incidents which arise from the actions of police in Nova Scotia.

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Illustrative image (Photo: internet)

The new agreement (EVFTA) includes commitments to implement the International Labour Organizations (ILO) core standards as well as the UN conventions relating to, for example, the fight against climate change and the protection of biodiversity.

Phan Thi Thanh Xuan, deputy chairwoman and general secretary of the Vietnam Leather and Footwear Association said, This is an important agreement to Vietnams export industry. For the leather and footwear industry, it is necessary to focus on labour and environmental criteria, such as improving capacities to meet and take advantage of the opportunities provided by the EVFTA.

Xuan also warned that businesses could lose orders from the EU if they do not ensure their labourers rights.

Sustainable development and the circular economy are now a trend. Many importers require each pair of exported shoes to be accompanied by a certificate, which must clearly state how the shoes can be recycled after use, Xuan said. Importers also require businesses to demonstrate their environmental, employment, and labour regimes, as well as how they handle carbon emissions. If businesses do not meet these requirements, they will not be able to participate in the global value chain.

In the EVFTA, provisions related to social and environmental development can be found in Chapter 13, on trade and sustainable development. The provision on multilateral labour standards and agreements is of particular interest as it stresses the commitment of both parties to the fundamental rights at work, in accordance with obligations stemming from their participation in the ILO.

Four rights are pinpointed  the freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining; the elimination of all forms of forced or compulsory labour; the effective abolition of child labour; and the elimination of discrimination with respect to employment and occupation.

In addition, Chapter 13 also provides for the obligation of both parties to make sustained efforts towards ratifying the fundamental ILO conventions, which cover the four aforementioned rights as well. This issue is to be monitored closely considering that only some of them are currently in force in Vietnam, according to the European Papers Jean Monnet Network.

However, the country has already made progress on some of these commitments as Vietnam ratified the ILO Convention 98 on collective bargaining and adopted the revised Labour Code in November 2019. The nation also confirmed a timeline for the ratification of the remaining two fundamental ILO conventions on freedom of association and on forced labour.
MILWAUKEE, WI As the use of hand sanitizers increased during the COVID 19 pandemic, State health officials in Wisconsin say the number of calls to poison centers related to possible toxic alcohol exposures has also increased.



"More hand sanitizer is being produced, either at home or in other countries, and it can contain a variety of chemicals and alcohols that can be dangerous, if not deadly," the Wisconsin Department of Health Services said in a news release Tuesday morning.

Officials say there has been a dramatic increase in hand sanitizer products, labeled to contain ethanol  also known as ethyl alcohol  but that have actually tested positive for methanol contamination.

"Methanol, or wood alcohol, is a substance that can be toxic when absorbed through the skin or ingested, and can be life-threatening," the Wisconsin DHS said in the news release.

Officials say the New Mexico Poison Control center recently reported three deaths and one case of permanent blindness due to ingestion of methanol contaminated hand sanitizers.

"Hand sanitizer is great to use when soap and water aren't available, but frequent, thorough handwashing is the best way to prevent spreading viruses like COVID-19," said Stephanie Smiley, interim State Health Officer.

Doctor David Gummin, Medical Director of the Wisconsin Poison Center has this advice for anyone who uses hand sanitizers:

Use only as directed on hands. The accidental ingestion of even a relatively small amount of methanol by children may pose a serious poisoning risk. Symptoms of methanol poisoning are nausea, vomiting, headache, blurred vision, permanent blindness, seizures, coma, permanent damage to the nervous system or death.

There is concern for poisoning related to the most common ingredient in hand sanitizers, ethyl alcohol. These products typically contain over 60% ethyl alcohol, a stronger concentration than most hard liquors. A child ingesting any more than a lick or a taste of this product could be at risk for alcohol poisoning. Ingestion of as little as an ounce or two could be fatal in a small child.

If you or a child accidentally swallows hand sanitizer, call the Wisconsin Poison Center right away. Dont wait for symptoms to develop. Call the Poison Center at 800-222-1222 anytime day or night.

Story continues

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration advises consumers not to use these hand sanitizers containing these National Drug Code numbers. This list was updated Aug. 3 by the FDA. The National Drug Code numbers can be found on the label.

Blumen Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer with 70 percent Alcohol  Not listed

Blumen Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear Ethyl Alcohol 70 percent  Not listed

BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear  60599-015-00

BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Clear  60599-015-01, 60599-015-02

KLAR AND DANVER Instant Hand Sanitizer  33992-8010-1

MODESA Instant Hand Sanitizer Moisturizers and Vitamin E  60599-007-33

BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer  60599-012-04, 60599-012-08

BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer  60599-012-00, 60599-012-01, 60599-012-02, 60599-012-03, 60599-012-05, 60599-012-06, 60599-012-07, 60599-012-10

BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe  60599-013-00, 60599-013-01, 60599-014-00

BLUMEN Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender  60599-016-00

BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer  60599-018-02, 60599-018-04, 60599-018-06, 60599-018-07

BLUMEN Clear Advanced Hand Sanitizer  60599-017-00, 60599-018-00, 60599-018-01, 60599-018-02, 60599-018-04, 60599-018-06, 60599-018-07

BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer  60599-017-00, 60599-018-01

BLUMEN Clear LEAR Advanced Hand Sanitizer  60599-017-01, 60599-018-00, 60599-018-03, 60599-018-05, 60599-018-08, 60599-019-00

The Honeykeeper Hand Sanitizer  60599-020-00, 60599-020-01

BLUMEN Advanced Hand Sanitizer Clear  60599-024-00

BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer  60599-025-00

BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Aloe  60599-026-00

BLUMEN Clear Advanced Instant Hand Sanitizer Lavender  60599-027-00

BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol  60599-028-00

BLUMEN Aloe Advanced Hand Sanitizer, with 70 Alcohol  60599-029-00

Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Lavender, with 70% alcohol  60599-046-00

Blumen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Aloe, with 70% alcohol  60599-047-00

Blumen Antibacterial Fresh Citrus Hand Sanitizer  60599-501-01

Blumen Hand Sanitizer Fresh Citrus  60599-502-01

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BLUMEN Instant Hand Sanitizer Fragrance Free  60599-854-00

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Assured Aloe  60599-999-10

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Assured Instant Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer with Aloe and Moisturizers  72758-009-23

Assured Instant Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer with Vitamin E and Aloe  72758-010-23

Modesa Instant Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer with Moisturizers and Aloe Vera  72758-011-23

Modesa Instant Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer with Moisturizers and Vitamin E  72758-012-23

Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% Alcohol  62583-020-08

Herbacil Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer 70% Alcohol  62583-020-16, 62583-020-33, 62583-020-42

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Earths Amenities Instant Unscented Hand Sanitizer with Aloe Vera Advanced  74949-002-20, 74949-002-25, 74949-002-49, 74949-002-60

Hand Sanitizer Agavespa Skincare  77415-000-00

Vidanos Easy Cleaning Rentals Hand Sanitizer Agavespa Skincare  77056-000-01

dgreen Advanced Sanitizer Alcohol Free  74155-211-04, 74155-211-07, 74155-211-08, 74155-211-19, 74155-211-20, 74155-211-38, 74155-201

dgreen Advanced Hand Sanitizer Antibacterial Gel  74155-201-03, 74155-201-19, 74155-201-20, 74155-201-38, 74155-211

Hand Sanitizer  74155-111-07, 74155-111-08, 74155-111-19, 74155-111-20, 74155-111-38

Hand Sanitizer Gel  74155-101-07, 74155-101-08, 74155-101-19, 74155-101-20, 74155-101-38

Clean Humans Hand Sanitizer  Not listed

CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 75% Alcohol  74589-009-01

Lavar 70 Gel Hand Sanitizer  74589-006-01

All-Clean Hand Sanitizer  74589-002-01

Esk Biochem Hand Sanitizer  74589-007-01

The Good Gel Antibacterial Gel Hand Sanitizer  74589-010-10

CleanCare NoGerm Advanced Hand Sanitizer 80% Alcohol  74589-005-03

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Saniderm Advanced Hand Sanitizer  74589-001-01

Hand sanitizer Gel Unscented 70% Alcohol  75744-0200-3, 75744-0200-4, 75744-0201-5, 75744-0202-1, 75744-0250-1, 75744-0250-2, 75744-0500-1, 75744-1000-1, 75744-1000-3, 75744-1001-1

Medicare Alcohol Antiseptic Topical Solution  77740-000-00, 77740-000-01, 77740-000-02, 77740-001-00, 77740-001-01, 77740-001-02

GelBact Hand Sanitizer  71761-000-00

Hand Sanitizer  71761-000-01, 71761-000-05, 71761-000-10, 71761-000-20, 71761-000-22, 71761-000-37, 71761-000-99

TriCleanz  71761-001-00

Sayab Antisepctic Hand Sanitizer 100  75292-001-00

Jaloma Antiseptic Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 62% with Vitamin E  65055-600-00, 65055-600-01, 65055-600-02

Leipers Fork Distillery Bulk Disinfectant per 5 gallon and Leipers Fork Distillery 16 oz bottle  Not Listed

Andys Best  73755-120-01, 73755-120-02, 73755-120-04

Andys  73755-110-01, 73755-130-02

NeoNatural  73755-200-01, 73755-200-02

Plus Advanced  73755-300-01

Optimus Instant Hand Sanitizer  75416-001-04

Optimus Lubricants Instant Hand Sanitizer  75416-005-01

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Selecto Hand Sanitizer  76753-002-01

Shine and Clean Hand Sanitizer  76753-001-01, 76753-001-02, 76753-001-03

Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl Alcohol  77106-002-01

Hand Sanitizer Disinfectant Gel 70% Ethyl Alcohol Rinse Free Hand Rub  77106-001-01 77106-001-02, 77106-001-03, 77106-001-04, 77106-001-05, 77106-001-06, 77106-001-07, 77106-001-08

Mystic Shield Protection hand sanitizer  75477-435-02, 75477-435-10, 75477-435-12, 75477-435-25, 75477-435-50, 75477-534-10

Greenfrog Hand Sanitizer  77031-454-05, 77031-454-34, 77145-000-01, 77145-000-02

Greenfrog Hand Sanitizing wipes  77145-001-00, 77145-001-01, 77145-001-02, 77145-001-03

Datsen Hand Sanitizer  Not Listed

Alcohol Antiseptic 62% Hand Sanitizer  74844-162-02, 74844-162-08, 74844-162-17, 74844-162-34

Bernal Hand Sanitizer  74541-270-01, 74541-270-02, 74541-270-04, 74541-270-06, 74541-270-08, 74541-270-17, 74541-270-34, 74541-270-37

Alcohol Antiseptic 65% Hand Sanitizer; Alcohol Antiseptic 70% Hand Sanitizer  74844-165-02, 74844-165-08, 74844-165-17, 74844-165-34, 74844-170-02, 74844-170-08, 74844-170-17, 74844-170-34

Born Basic. Anti-Bac Hand Sanitizer 70% alcohol  76891-104-11, 76891-104-12, 76891-104-13, 76891-104-14, 76891-104-15, 76891-104-16, 76891-104-17, 76891-104-18, 76891-104-19, 73389-104-11

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Scent Theory  Keep It Clean  Pure Clean Anti-bacterial Hand Sanitizer  76891-102-11

Cavalry  75460-070-01, 75460-070-02, 75460-070-05, 75460-075-38, 75460-080-38

ENLIVEN Hand Sanitizing Gel  74882-341-01, 74882-341-02, 74882-341-03

Lux Eoi Hand Sanitizing Gel  74882-007-01, 74882-007-02, 74882-007-03

Scent Theory  Keep It Clean  Pure Clean Anti-bacterial Hand Sanitizer  73389-102-11

Command Gel AntiBac Instant hand sanitizer  50058-100-08

Bersih Hand Sanitizer Gel Fragrance Free  75165-000-01, 75165-001-01, 75165-003-02, 75165-004-01, 75165-005-01, 75165-006-01, 75165-250-01

Bersih Antiseptic Alcohol 70% Topical Solution hand sanitizer  75165-600-01

Purity Advanced Hand Sanitizer  75165-008-01

Hand Sanitizer Gel Alcohol 70%  79095-000-01, 79095-001-01, 79095-002-01, 79095-003-01, 79095-004-01, 79095-005-01, 79095-006-01

Lite n Foamy Lemon Blossom Hand Sanitizer  64009-331-82, 64009-331-85, 64009-331-88

foamyiQ Lemon Blossom Hand Sanitizer  64009-202-06

TriCleanz Tritanium Labs Hand Sanitizer  77757-111-01

Britz Hand Sanitizer Ethyl Alcohol 70%  76676-402-01, 76676-402-02, 76676-402-14

Parabola Hand Sanitizer  76676-402-03, 76676-402-09

Urbane Bath and Body Hand Sanitizer  76676-402-04

Cleaner Hand Sanitizer Rinse Free 70%  76676-402-07, 76676-402-08

Handzer Hand Sanitizer Rinse Free  76676-402-10, 76676-402-11

Kleanz Antibacterial Hand Sanitizer Advanced  76676-402-05, 76676-402-06, 76676-402-12, 76676-402-13

Be Safe Hand Sanitizer  76676-402-16, 76676-402-17, 76676-402-18, 76676-402-19

Wave Hand Sanitizer Gel  76676-402-20

DAESI Hand Sanitizer  77268-001-01

This article originally appeared on the Milwaukee Patch
(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Having sent officers from the Department of Homeland Security to Portland, Oregon, President Donald Trump is now saying that he will send more federal agents to other U.S. cities to fight crime. His actions, already heavily criticized by elected officials in Oregon, raise serious constitutional questions. How and when may the president deploy armed federal officers across the country? What are the limits? And, what if anything, can states or citizens do about it?

The president, as head of the executive branch, has the constitutional duty and authority to take care that the laws of the United States are faithfully executed. This includes sending federal officers to protect federal property and enforce federal law.

Good examples arent hard to find. When President Barack Obamas administration sent federal officials to confront Cliven Bundy in 2014, that was perfectly lawful and constitutional. When a citizen claims that the federal government does not own federal land, it can be appropriate for the government to demonstrate that it in fact does own that land.

Similarly, although of much greater moral significance, President Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the 101st Airborne to enforce federal law and the Constitution by integrating the Little Rock schools in 1957. This was an extraordinary act, but entirely legitimate in light of the state of Arkansass open resistance to the authority of the U.S. Supreme Court.

Most famously, President Abraham Lincoln sent federal troops to suppress the secession of the Confederate states based on the argument that he must enforce federal law and protect federal property, including Fort Sumter.

Yet these executive rights and responsibilities are extremely different from what Trump is presently doing. In Portland, it appears that no federal property has been jeopardized by any failure of state or local police. As for the enforcement of federal law, that is restricted to crimes affecting state commerce and specifically enumerated in federal law or in the Constitution. That does not include ordinary criminal investigation or the policing of the streets. It certainly does not include the exercise of protected constitutional rights like peaceful protest.

Story continues

It follows that it is unconstitutional and unlawful for DHS officers to enforce non-federal law unless they are deputized by state or local officials  not the president  to do so. And Portland officials, far from making the DHS officers into deputies, have instead publicly expressed their outrage at the officers presence and demanded their removal.

In an attempt to push back, the Oregon attorney general Ellen Rosenblum announced Friday that she planned to file a lawsuit in federal court, and on Monday, she asked for a temporary restraining order while that lawsuit goes forward. Read closely, the lawsuit does not directly challenge Trumps authority to send the DHS officers to Portland. Thats because the AG understands that the president may send the officers to protect federal property and enforce federal law. Rather, the lawsuit alleges that DHS officers, unidentified because they were not wearing name tags, violated the federal constitutional rights of Oregon citizens by arresting them and detaining them without cause while they were exercising their constitutional right to freedom of speech and movement.

On its own, the lawsuit is unlikely to have much of a deterrent effect on Trump. A possible next step would be for the state to file a fresh lawsuit challenging not only the officers conduct but their very presence to the extent that they are not protecting federal property or enforcing federal law. A federal court could conceivably issue a declaratory judgement restricting the DHS officers function to its appropriate constitutional limits. There would be a question of whether the state had standing to challenge the officers presence; to address that concern, the state would presumably allege that its citizens were being hampered in the exercise of their rights and that the state was obligated to expend resources on monitoring the DHS officers.

Nonetheless, any lawsuit will be hard to win as long as the Trump administration can state some legitimate basis for the presence of the DHS officers. It might make a difference that Trump has been talking openly about these federal agents as though they were ordinary crime fighters, a function clearly outside their constitutional authority, or his. Some lower federal courts have on occasion treated Trumps pronouncements as indicating his intent for purposes of constitutional analysis. However, it is also very possible that courts would want to avoid getting into the business of monitoring federal officials as they do their jobs across the nation.

The upshot of all this is that Trump has once again found a soft spot in the system of constitutional order that he can exploit for what he hopes will be political gain. That said, the effort could potentially backfire even with his hardline supporters. Federalism is traditionally a conservative standpoint in U.S. politics. At least some Trump voters have libertarian instincts and will not like the idea of unidentified federal officers roaming around and making arrests. They have a constitutional point.

The challenge now is to see if the courts can help draw a line that protects the Constitution while preserving appropriate executive discretion for future, more normal presidents.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Noah Feldman is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist and host of the podcast Deep Background. He is a professor of law at Harvard University and was a clerk to U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Souter. His books include The Three Lives of James Madison: Genius, Partisan, President.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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GREENWICH, Connecticut, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gramercy Funds Management issued the following statement after the Argentine Government announced an agreement was reached today between Argentina and an important subset of its creditors.

"We believe that this consensual breakthrough is yet another important building block in the collaborative approach needed to help address Argentina's debt challenges," said Robert Koenigsberger, founder and CIO of Gramercy. "This agreement will allow the country to sustain high growth, reduce poverty, and enable more Argentines to meet their legitimate aspirations for a better standard of living for their families - all of which are also essential for improving creditworthiness and breaking the cycle of boom-bust external financing."

"Gramercy will continue to work closely with the Argentine authorities and other stakeholders with a view not only to finalize this important debt agreement but also to open the way for more pro-growth and financially-sustainable investments in Argentina," Koenigsberger concluded.

About Gramercy Funds Management

Gramercy is a dedicated emerging markets investment manager based in Greenwich, CT with offices in London and Buenos Aires. The $4.75 billion firm, founded in 1998, seeks to provide investors with superior risk-adjusted returns through a comprehensive approach to emerging markets supported by a transparent and robust institutional platform. Gramercy offers both alternative and long-only strategies across emerging markets asset classes including capital solutions, private credit, distressed debt, USD and local currency debt, high yield/corporate debt, and special situations. Gramercy is a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC and a Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). Gramercy Ltd, an affiliate, is registered with the FCA. For more information, please visit www.gramercy.com
You know who doesnt suffer from white fragility? J.P. Sears, thats who. Here in this 5-minute video, J.P. offers his short course in attaining a Ph.D in White Wokeology, which you get through Twitter University (though he doesnt actually say where the program is accredited).

I cant believe J.P. hasnt been rounded up and sent to a sensitivity training relocation camp in Cambridge or somewhere.
The Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) has invited President Muhammadu Buhari to commission a 29-kilometre road linking Ogbia community to Nembe in Bayelsa State.

The NCDC spokesperson, Charles Odili, in a statement on Tuesday said the road was built by the commission in partnership with the Shell Petroleum Development Company (SPDC) at a cost of N24billion.

The road cuts through swampy terrain with spurs to 14 other communities, needing 10 bridges and 99 culverts to conquer the swampy terrain. The construction involved digging out four metres of clay soil and sand filling it to provide a base for the road, he explained.

The road has cut the journey time to Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, from three hours to one and a half hours.

The development comes amid a forensic audit of the NCDC following allegations of massive corruption and mismanagement of funds.

The NDDC was set up to change the economic and infrastructural outlook of the Niger Delta but trillions of naira sunk into it has not yielded any visible results as infrastructural development has been sluggish.

This informed Mr Buharis decision to order a forensic audit into the finances of the agency since its inception.

Mr Buhari said his administration is determined to get to the root of the problem undermining the development of the region.

The National Assembly has also engaged in a series of probes, including into allegations of procurement infractions at the Commission.

In Tuesdays statement, Mr Odili said scholars of the Commission who are facing hardships abroad because of the non-remittance of their fees and stipends would be paid by the end of the week, following the order of President Buhari.

He said the delay in the remittance of the fees was caused by the sudden death of Ibanga Etang, the then Acting Executive Director, Finance and Administration, EDFA, of the Commission in May.

Under the Commissions finance protocol, only the Executive Director (Finance) and the Executive Director (Projects) can sign for the release of funds from the Commissions domiciliary accounts with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

With the death of Chief Etang, the remittance has to await the appointment of a new EDFA.

Senator Akpabio, the Honourable Minister, said President Buhari who has been briefed on the protest by students at the Nigerian High Commission in London, has ordered that all stops be pulled to pay the students by the end of this week. We expect a new EDFA to be appointed this week. As soon as that is done, they would all be paid.

On the list of NDDC contracts handled by members of the National Assembly, Mr Odili said the one submitted by Mr Akpabio was not compiled by the minister but came from files in the Commission.

The NDDC spokesperson said the list submitted to the National Assembly was actually compiled by the then management of the Commission in 2018. He said there was another set of lists for emergency project contracts awarded in 2017 and 2019 but these were not submitted to the National Assembly.

The Interim Management Committee, IMC, of the Commission stands by the list, which came from files already in the possession of the forensic auditors. It is not an Akpabio list but the NDDCs list. The list is part of the volume of 8,000 documents already handed over to the forensic auditors.

The official said prominent indigenes of the Niger Delta whose names were on the list should not panic as the Commission knew that people used the names of prominent persons in the region to secure contracts, adding that the ongoing forensic audit would unearth those behind the contracts.

The spokesperson said the intention of the list was to expose committee chairmen in the National Assembly who used fronts to collect contracts from the Commission, some of which were never executed.

Mr Odili noted that the list did not include the unique case of 250 contracts which were signed for and collected in one day by one person ostensibly for members of the National Assembly.

On the forensic audit exercise, he said that it was on course and the Commission had positioned 185 media support specialists to identify the sites of every project captured in its books for verification by the forensic auditors.
Hunter King and her fiance Nico Svoboda have ended their relationship nearly two years after they got engaged.

The Life In Pieces star and her camera operator beau, both 26, have been separated for a while now, though they have continued to be friends, according to Us Weekly.

Hunter had led her fans to think they two had broken off their engagement after she posted photos and videos to Instagram in which she wasn't wearing her engagement ring.

Splitsville: Hunter King and her fiance Nico Svoboda, both 26, have separated after almost two years being engaged, according to Us Weekly

'They called off their engagement a few months ago,' a source told the publication.

'It was an amicable split. They obviously still follow each other on social media and care about one another.'

The couple hadn't been pictured together on her Instagram since August of 2019, when they celebrated their one-year engagement anniversary.

Nico's Instagram confirmed that the two were together in February of this year, when they celebrated Valentine's Day together, and he referenced her again in April.

'Hunter is the sweetest, most loving person Ive ever met in my entire life. Her talents extend past acting, yet shes always humble. And her catalogue of over a 1000 dance moves,' he wrote after a fan asked his 'favourite thing' about Hunter.

The end: 'They called off their engagement a few months ago,' a source told the publication. 'It was an amicable split. They obviously still follow each other on social media and care about one another'

Timeline: Nico's Instagram confirmed that the two were together in February of this year, when they celebrated Valentine's Day together, and he referenced her again in April; shown in February

Hunter and Nico both met in July 2016 on the set of The Young And The Restless, which she has starred on since 2012.

They announced their engagement a little over two years later in August 2018.

'I love you I love you I love you I love you FIANCE!!!! I CANT BELIEVE I GET TO MARRY MY BEST FRIEND!!!' Hunter gushed on Instagram at the time.

'Thank you for making yesterday the best day of my entire life! I cant wait to marry you and spend our future going on endless adventures together. I am one lucky lady (And a HUGE thank you to @heirlumephotography for hiding in a tent to capture this amazing moment. Ill cherish these pictures for forever) I LOVE YOU @neekotto.'

Planning it out: In February, Hunter said the couple, who met on the set of The Young And The Restless, wanted to have a destination wedding

In February, Hunter told Soaps In Depth that she and Nico still hadn't decided where they would hold their nuptials.

'We liked the venue because you could do anything you wanted, whereas other venues, you had to pick Package A or Package B, using their caterers and vendors. Our venue, you could bring in all your own stuff  but it then created so much work!' she said of the first spot they fell in love with.

'We wanted to make it easier on ourselves. So we decided that if were going to spend the money on the wedding, why not make a vacation out of it? Now were looking into a destination wedding.'

Acclaimed: The actress has appeared on The Young And the Restless since 2012 and won two Daytime Emmys. She was on CBS' Life In Pieces for fours seasons before it was canceled last year; shown in February

Prior to Hollywood's coronavirus shutdown, Hunter had been part of the main cast of The Young And The Restless as Summer Newman.

The role was a hit with critics, and Hunter twice won Daytime Emmys for her work on the long-running soap.

While she was still appearing on the daytime series, she also was part of the CBS sitcom Life In Pieces, which also starred Colin Hanks, Zoe Lister-Jones, Dianne Weist and James Brolin.

The series was canceled in May 2019 after four seasons on the air.
Raut reiterated Shiv Senas contribution towards the Ram Mandir movement saying his party laid the foundation of the temple construction

Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is not likely to attend the bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir. (PTI Photo)

Mumbai: Owing to the coronavirus outbreak in Ayodhya, Maharashtra Chief Minister and Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray is not likely to attend the bhoomi pujan ceremony of the Ram Mandir in the holy town.

The situation is critical in Ayodhya and everyone believes VIP movement should be as less as possible. The Prime Minister is going there, we wish him well. The CM can go there later any time, said senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Monday.

PM Narendra Modi will perform the bhoomi pujan of the proposed Ram Mandir at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on August 5.

Rauts remarks have come after UP cabinet minister Kamal Rani Varun succumbed to the virus. Earlier, there were reports that 17 people connected with the event  a priest and 16 policemen and security guards  have tested positive for coronavirus in Ayodhya.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah, who would be present at the function, has also announced that he has tested positive for coronavirus.

We do not want to bring politics in the bhoomi pujan ceremony. There is a kind of medical emergency in Ayodhya. It is important that the PM is going there. We will go there later, he said.

Raut reiterated Shiv Senas contribution towards the Ram Mandir movement saying his party laid the foundation of the temple construction.

The temple would not have been possible had the Babri Masjid not been brought down. Even the BJP, VHP and the Sangh Parivar have accepted that Shiv Sainiks razed the mosque, he added.

CM Thackeray has given `1 crore for it, said the Sena Rajya Sabha MP.

Incidentally, Thackeray had earlier suggested that in the view of the Covid-19 pandemic, the bhoomi pujan ceremony in Ayodhya should take place via video conferencing. However, he faced the wrath of the BJP for his demand.

The Babri Masjid in Ayodhya was demolished on December 6, 1992 by Karsevaks. The Supreme Court gave its verdict on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri masjid land title dispute on November 9, paving the way for temple construction. In its judgement, the SC allowed the construction of a Ram Mandir at the disputed site at Ayodhya and directed the Centre to allot a five-acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a mosque.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The Staten Island Ferry will be shut down Tuesday afternoon amid tropical storm conditions that could include tornadoes and water spouts.

According to an emergency notification from the city Department of Transportation, boats will not run from 1 to 5 p.m., as experts are calling for an increased threat of tornadoes, water spouts and strong wind gusts.

An alert posted on NYPD Staten Islands Twitter account advised residents to please exercise caution in all travels in & around the tri-state area.

UPDATE: The #StatenIslandFerry will not run from 1PM-5PM today 8/4 due to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service inidicating there is an increased wind & tornado (water spout) threat because of Tropical Storm Isaias. pic.twitter.com/jB6gh0tquq  NYC DOT (@NYC_DOT) August 4, 2020

Tornadoes have already been spotted Tuesday morning in New Jersey and coastal areas along the East Coast, as an alert remains in effect through Tuesday afternoon for the New York City area.

The city Department of Transportation announced earlier in the day that service would be modified for the evening rush, from 3:30 to 8 p.m.

On the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, empty tractor-trailers and tandems will be prohibited from noon to 8 p.m., while drivers are instructed to drive at reduced speeds during that time period due to strong wind gusts and wet roadways.

Borough President James Oddo tweeted Tuesday that residents should please plan accordingly and stay safe.
My moms big thing was that the kitchen is not only where everyone comes, but where everyone should want to come, so there should always be a treaty-treat out, Ms. Faulkner said of Mrs. Harris, who died in late November of 2016 and never got to see the house. Her whole thing was that you should have a clear counter space to leave out snacks.

Thus, the marble-topped island that was hastily drawn for the property developer.

Lets just say that mother gave daughter her marching orders. Blue is important to me, so what my mom would say is, Then let me see blue everyplace you go in the house  but in different textures, and dont make it obvious, Ms. Faulkner said.

She pointed, first, to the tufted navy-blue velvet sofa in the family room, just off the kitchen, with the blue theme picked up on accent pillows in the living room. Blue is also represented in the pattern of the cushions on the chairs around the dining table and in a custom-made abstract painting.

A plant on a shelf in the living room nestles in an azure pot. Nearby is a photo of a beach Ms. Faulkner and Mr. Berlin hiked on the big island of Hawaii; an expanse of royal-blue water features prominently. (Admittedly, its pure coincidence that the mats on the living room floor, an accommodation to the resident gymnasts, Danika and Bella, are also blue.)

My mother used to tell me that my taste  how did she put it?  she said it didnt have texture, Ms. Faulkner said. She told me I had a very flat-page way of decorating. She used to say, Lets make life more beautiful. Just make it beautiful.

Message received, Mom. On a wall in the dining room hangs an artwork made from trash, a work by women living in a village outside of Cape Town. During a trip to Amsterdam several years ago, Ms. Faulkner, a self-described bovine lover, had a ceramic cow made in her favorite colors  blue included, of course. It stands on the white acrylic buffet in the dining room next to a multicolored string bowl made by Danika for a fund-raiser to feed the hungry in Hoboken, N.J.
Officia lWhite House Photo by Shealah CraigheadBy: ERIC MOLLO, ABC News



(NEW YORK)  In an interview with Axios on HBO that aired Monday night, President Trump says he never discussed reports of Russia offering bounties to Taliban militants for the killing of US soldiers during a recent conversation with Russian president Vladimir Putin. The New York Times reported that the president was briefed on the information. However, The White House says the president was never formally briefed on it.



The president told Axios Jonathan Swan, We don't talk about what we discussed, but we had plenty of discussion.



President Trump discredited information regarding the Russian bounties in a tweet, while The White House has maintained it has not been fully verified. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says Russia is supplying the Taliban with weapons, however, and has done so for years. Despite multiple calls with Putin in 2020, bounties have still not been brought up.



President Trump has called reports of bounties a hoax.



[Bounty intelligence] never reached my desk, the president said in the Axios interview, claiming US intelligence didnt think it was real.



National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien said in June that the president did not believe the content in the reports was necessarily fake, but that the initial reporting was a hoax. O'Brien did say the information about bounties was shared with other countries fighting in Afghanistan.



Mick Mulroy is an ABC News defense consultant and former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Middle East. Mulroy says claims of bounties made by Russia ought to be investigated because of that nations aggressive tactics:



We don't want a war with Russia. That would not be in anybody's advantage but we also have to recognize that the mentality of Russia doesn't understand anything except for strength, in my opinion. We need to explore all options if they continue to do this, but all of our efforts should be getting them to cease and desist.



Their threat, according to Mulroy, is significant because of Putins leadership:



Although they [Russia] are number two on our national security because of the capacity of China, their intentions and their actions I think put them really as number one when you have an absolute power leader like Vladimir Putin, whose main effort is to be the counterweight to counter force the United States.



ABC News defense consultant and retired US Navy SEAL Eric Oehlerich contends that until Russia is discouraged from acting with such aggression, their behavior will continue:



We're talking about Russians paying bounties for Americans on the battlefield. Unless there's a hard line that's drawn on that sort of activity, that activity is going to continue and it's going to escalate... We know that there was Russian activity within our last election. It's in the same strategy of them to just create all these pressure points on our society to help pull it apart. So it matters because if the Russian boldness of action is not checked, then the cyber-attacks will not only stay where they are, they will increase. The activity against our service members overseas it's not going to stay where it is. It's going to increase. So there has to be some hard lines that are drawn.



Mulroy explains that the allegation of Russian bounties is not just an issue important to the military, but to every American citizen, and it is an issue for which he believes Americans should hold their elected officials accountable:



I think the American people should hold their representatives to account to dig into what is occurring over there and find the facts The military is not a separate part of America. They are fully integrated into American society and they're out there and doing their duty: following orders of officials that are elected by the United States citizens. So this is very much important to them, and they should take this very seriously.



If reports of bounties go unaddressed, further issues could arise, according to Oehlerich:



The sooner that you establish the right relations in this relationship, the better for everybody involved with him [Putin] being a long term problem Its expressing support for a proactive relationship with the way that Russia is carrying itself out. It is voicing support for being active in this and letting them know unequivocally that it's unacceptable and there's a price to pay for it. Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
The Real Housewives of Potomac's fifth season is set to see one of the biggest fights in the franchise's history when Monique Samuels and Candiace Dillard come to blows in a barnyard bust-up.

And cast member Ashley Darby tells Daily Mail Australia that she's strictly team Monique in the explosive feud.

'I'm definitely there for Monique. I check on her,' the 32-year-old said.

EXCLUSIVE: 'I'm definitely there for Monique': Real Housewives of Potomac's Ashley Darby (pictured) is on Monique Samuels' side in the star's feud with Candiace Dillard

'I've always made it clear to Monique that I really value the woman that she is. We've had some issues in our friendship in the past, but when the time was really rough for me Monique was always there for me,' she continued.

'So, during that difficult time, even now, I have her back 100 per cent because she really showed her loyalty to me so I'm reciprocating that and I am 100 per cent loyal to Monique.'

Ashley also revealed that she's made up with co-stars Robyn Dixon and Gizelle Bryant after years of feuding, but when it comes to Candiace, it's a different story.

'Candiace is a woman who just doesn't necessarily know when to stop,' she said.

Drama: Candiace (left) and Monique (right) will come to blows in an upcoming episode of RHOP's fifth season, which is currently airing on Foxtel, Hayu, and Bravo

'I'm not just talking in relation to what happens in the show. But also sometimes she can be persistent on social media. She doesn't really have the instincts of when enough is enough and it can be overwhelming for anybody,' Ashley continued.

'She really tested me last year when I was giving birth to my son on a Sunday when the show was airing, and she was just saying these horrible things about me, literally as I'm pushing a human out of my body. Like, you have no decency.'

While Ashley was giving birth to her son Dean last year, Candiace was tweeting negative comments about her in response to an episode of The Real Housewives of Potomac that was airing.

'I am 100 per cent loyal to Monique,' Ashley told Daily Mail Australia. (Monique pictured)

Last October, Monique and Candiace got into a physical altercation while filming scenes for the Bravo show.

As a result, Candiace filed a complaint with the District Court of Montgomery County in Maryland to bring second degree assault charges against Monique.

Monique later filed the same charges against Candiace, before the charges on both sides were eventually dropped.

Clash: Last October, Monique and Candiace got into a physical altercation while filming scenes for the Bravo show, which resulted in the women filing charges against each other

At the time, Monique's attorney, A. Scott Bolden, told Us Weekly: 'Consistent with [Dillards] prior bad acts, offensive words and conduct, and her reputation for physical threats and verbal outbursts on the show, through third party interviews and the review of other evidence, the government concluded not to move forward against my client, Mrs. Samuels.

'And while the government decided not to pursue my clients defensive claim against Candiace, we are very satisfied that justice was done.'

He added: 'It is our sincerest hope that both parties can move forward without any further judicial actions or involvement and that this dispute can be resolved through mediation or a thoughtful conversation between the parties, without threats, goading or bad behavior that Candiace is so well known for.'

Legal: Candiace (pictured) filed a complaint with the District Court of Montgomery County in Maryland to bring second degree assault charges against Monique, which was later dropped

Candiace's lawyer, James L. Walker, Jr, said at the time that his client had been 'sadly attacked, physically and personally, by Mrs. Monique Samuels and her legal team. Even today as she is vindicated and there is no proof whatsoever that she committed a crime against her cast mate, they are still attacking her.'

He continued: 'We would hope that Mrs. Samuels is getting help and treatment, as the evidence we saw clearly showed her as the aggressor and bragging about her assault on our client.'

The altercation has been heavily featured in the trailer for The Real Housewives of Potomac's fifth season and is set to play out in upcoming episodes.

Drama: The altercation has been heavily featured in the trailer for The Real Housewives of Potomac's fifth season and is set to play out in upcoming episodes

While Ashley tells Daily Mail Australia that she'll stir the pot as usual, she also says that viewers will see a more mature side of her this season.

'I always have my spoon in my back pocket just in case I need to work it out, but I did have my baby in July last year, so more so [you'll see] my motherhood journey,' she explained.

'We started filming the show when I was two months postpartum, so I was still going through it being a first time mum.'

'I've been on since season one and I've grown a lot as a person and our relationships have evolved so much,' she continued.

'With some new dynamics to our group, the dynamics are really interesting ... We will certainly not disappoint!'

Stream The Real Housewives of Potomac Season 5 on hayu & Foxtel now
NASHVILLE, Tenn., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Radiation Business Solutions (RBS) announced that they have reached an agreement to purchase MBR Medical Billing, Inc., a radiation oncology medical billing company with offices in State College, PA and Lewistown, PA, effective July 31, 2020.

"Over 1,800 patients every day will be positively impacted by our combined team. The MBR acquisition edges us closer to our national goal of 4,000 daily radiation oncology patients with reduced financial toxicity. MBR has excelled in building long term physician relationships, and I am grateful we have joined forces," said Daniel Moore, Chief Executive Officer of RBS. "We believe the national coalition of radiation oncologists represented by RBS have a stronger voice in the new dialogues with payors, hospitals, and government agencies than any of us could accomplish independently. We are impacting more patients and championing more radiation oncologists with this transaction  a rising tide lifts all boats!"

James Matthews, President of MBR, says, "Finding the right company to acquire us was a long and careful process as we searched for an organization that shared similar values, would maintain the MBR team, and had specialty expertise in radiation therapy. I am confident that RBS will continue to provide the 'all about the clients' level of service and relationships that my team and I have built."

MBR employees will be joining RBS, including Stuart Hess, who will now serve as Vice President, Northeast Operations.

Radiation Business Solutions, headquartered in Joelton, Tennessee, provides billing, management, de novo center development, and joint venture opportunity to radiation oncologists in both freestanding and hospital centers. With the addition of MBR, RBS now serves nearly 120 physicians at over 60 cancer centers located in 23 states. RBS also owns and operates four freestanding radiation oncology centers through the company's development arm, RBS Evolution, and has partnered with Apollo Healthcare to provide value to proton centers as well. For more information, please visit www.RadiationBusiness.com.

SOURCE Radiation Business Solutions

Related Links

http://www.radiationbusiness.com


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The mobile operator Kyivstar in July and early August connected 741 settlements, the territory where 380,000 people live, to the 4G network.

According to the press service of the operator, in particular, settlements in Volyn, Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne and Ternopil regions were connected.

"These are mainly remote villages, where 20 to several thousand people live. It became possible to connect these settlements to high-speed mobile Internet thanks to the use of 900 MHz radio frequencies," the company said.

Kyivstar also noted that in July 2020 the mobile operators of Ukraine began to exchange radio frequencies in the 900 MHz range.

Over the two years since the launch of 4G, more than 11 million of our subscribers have already used the capabilities of the new communications technology. For Ukrainian citizens living in rural areas to also get access to 4G services, Kyivstar plans to invest up to UAH 5 billion in the coming years," Kyivstar President Oleksandr Komarov said.

According to the data provided, today Kyivstar's 4G network covers more than 12,000 large and small settlements. The company plans to provide access to high-speed mobile Internet for 90% of the Ukrainian population in two years.
Worshippers gather in the parking lot for a church service at Calvary Chapel of Temecula on July 26. (Los Angeles Times)

To the editor: Please don't paint all evangelical Christians with a broad brush. I realize that incendiary statements like "I don't believe in COVID, and God will never allow me to contract it" sell papers and make for "fun" reading, but not all believers are so one-dimensional. ("In California's 'Bible Belt,' churches find ways around state's coronavirus lockdown orders," Aug. 1)

I also believe that "I am covered by the blood," but I don't believe that gives me the right or mandate to ignore COVID-19.

I am social distancing, wearing a mask and have not yet been back to our church. And, our church is having services outside on the lawn, with a scaled-down worship team, no singing, mask wearing, distancing of six feet and screening as the people arrive. I am part of the worship team and miss singing like crazy.

I have tested negative because of my precautions, but I don't relish having to struggle for breath or putting my beloved fellow church members at risk. My God is bigger than in-person worship.

Ritajean Strauss, San Diego

..

To the editor: Possibly the most important yet crumbling foundation of our Constitution is the separation of church and state.

Please, do come to worship in your church, maskless, with all the fervor and fellowship you require. Then stay there, to shield the innocents of the state from the virus you've acquired. Some of you will survive the illness, some will not.

Jesus demands that you love your neighbor, and spreading the coronavirus among them will kill.

Secular America: Speak up.

Greg Hilfman, Topanga

..

To the editor: The high-risk behavior of some Southern California "Bible belt" churches reminds me of the old Presbyterian joke about young people who sow their wild oats on Saturday night and then go to church Sunday and pray for crop failure.

Cynthia Hart, Culver City
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  Officials of the embattled Philippine Health Insurance Corporation have stolen some 15 billion from the agency using different fraudulent schemes, a former official claimed Tuesday.

The state-run agency's former anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith, who earlier resigned due to "widespread corruption" within the office, alleged that "mafia members" were in charge of what he calls "crime of the year" due to anomalous transactions.

"Naniniwala po ako na ang perang winaldas at ninakaw ay humigit kumulang 15 billion," said Keith, testifying before the Senate Committee on the Whole.

[Translation: I believe that the total amount of money spent and pocketed amounted to more or less 15 billion.]

"Naniniwala po ako na ang dahilan kung bakit hindi natatapos ang korapsyon sa PhilHealth at naging kultura na po nito, ay ang pagtatalaga ng mga sindikato o mafia ng kanilang kasamahan, kasabwat o kapwa sindikato sa mga matataas na posisyon na nakakatulong sa kanilang iligal operasyon."

[Translation: I also believe that the reason why the culture of corruption continues to proliferate in PhilHealth is due to the delegation of mafia syndicates of additional members who also belong to top positions, which helps prolong illegal operations.]

Keith accused PhilHealth President and CEO Ricardo Morales of also instructing him to talk to Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Greco Belgica to amend a pending case involving the agency's overpriced COVID-19 testing kits.

"Inutusan ako para hilutin ang kaso sa overpriced test kits," Keith bared.

[Translation: He asked me to negotiate on the case involving overpriced test kits.]

The PhilHealth chief later tried to discredit Keith, saying the former official was "vengeful" after being rejected for a position he coveted. Morales cited alleged sexual harassment cases against Keith and his removal from the police force as reasons for not hiring him as his executive assistant.

Morales added that he was doubtful about Keith's fraud allegations since in over nine months Keith had been the anti-fraud legal officer, he failed to submit any report on anomalies in the agency.

Keith claimed that the 15 billion covers the unauthorized release of interim reimbursement mechanisms or funds allocated for "fortuitous events" such as the pandemic, to hospitals who have not yet recorded COVID-19 cases. The amount also included the alleged overpriced information technology systems the agency proposed to purchase, he added.

READ: PhilHealth chief in hot water over cash releases to healthcare providers, alleged 'overpriced' testing kits

PhilHealth board member Alejandro Cabading also pointed fingers at several officials for allegedly manipulating operations inside PhilHealth to block corruption probes. He named Atty. Rodolfo del Rosario, now Senior Vice President of the Legal Sector; Corporate Secretary Jonathan Mangaoang; Dennis Mas, SVP for Management Services Sector; and Renato Limsiaco, SVP for the Fund Management Sector.

"Ini-intimidate 'yung mga tao sa loob na mag-i-investigate," said Cabading.

[Translation: The people tasked to investigate were being intimidated.]

Senator Ping Lacson also earlier gave the same names, except for Dr. Israel Pargas, SVP for Health Finance Policy Sector, and tagged them as the officials involved in the long-standing corruption allegations within the agency.

The senator alleged that these officials do not run out of "malevolent schemes to enrich themselves of a deeply-rooted mafia syndicate" manipulating the financial records of PhilHealth despite changes in leadership.

Del Rosario denied his involvement in any "mafia" within the agency, adding that he will take legal action against Cabading if he cannot substantiate his accusation.

Meanwhile, Mas did not directly deny being part of a mafia but maintained that he was not charged by the Ombudsman as claimed by Lacson. Limsiaco denied manipulating PhilHealth's financial statements.

10 billion lost in fraud

Morales said even a change of leadership wouldn't change the culture of corruption within the agency. He said over 10 billion was potentially lost to fraud last year. He later added that the agency is investigating around 20,000 cases of potential fraud.

He then pointed out that no healthcare system in the world is entirely "fraud-free."

"Corruption was there in the PhilHealth organization before I came in, and may stay if we don't put a proper system in place," the PhilHealth chief said.
President Donald Trump, accompanied by Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator Scott Pruitt (3rd L) and Vice President Mike Pence (R) is applauded as he hold up the signed Energy Independence Executive Order at EPA headquarters in Washington on March 28, 2017. (Pablo Martinez Monsivais/AP Photo)

Trump Administration Cleans Up the Environment, Critics Carp From the Sidelines

Commentary

Even as President Donald Trump kept his promise to roll back unnecessary regulations that hamper U.S. competitiveness and job creation, his administration demonstrated its commitment to cleaning up the environment and keeping statutory deadlines for making environmental decisions.

Trumps efforts to spur significant economic growth and create high-paying jobs began shortly after his inauguration, when on Jan. 30, 2017, he signed Executive Order 13771, directing agencies to issue at least two deregulatory actions for every new regulatory action.

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) exceeded this goal by removing five outdated or unnecessary regulations for every new regulation it imposed. As of July 2020, EPA finalized an estimated 64 deregulatory actions, reducing the regulatory costs on businesses and individuals by $94 billion. EPA has an additional 39 deregulatory actions in process, which should further reduce regulatory costs by billions. Even better, this will expand consumer freedom by leaving products they like on the market. And, more importantly, it will leave more money in their pockets to spend on the goods and services they, as opposed to regulators, find most vital.

Despite claims that the Trump administrations regulatory reform efforts have harmed the environment or human health, the effort to streamline regulations and focus on the agencys core functions have paid big environmental dividends.

From 2017 to 2019, emissions of each of the regulated criteria pollutants declined: Carbon Monoxide fell 8 percent; Lead dropped 20 percent; Nitrogen Oxide fell 14 percent; Ozone was reduced by 6 percent; Particulate Matter 2.5 declined 4 percent; Sulfur Dioxide went down 35 percent; and Volatile Organic Compounds dropped 5 percent. This amounts to an overall decline of criteria air pollution of 7 percent under the Trump administration, during which time the number of days listed as unhealthy for especially sensitive or at-risk populations and groups (the children, the elderly, etc.) dropped by 40 percent.

And the Trump administrations record for cleaning up potentially toxic Superfund waste sites is just as impressive. Trumps EPA has cleaned up and removed almost more sites from the Superfunds National Priorities List (NPL), the sites posing the greatest danger to human health, in its first three years, with 57 sites certified as cleaned and removed from the NPL, than the Obama administration did across its eight years. In 2019 alone, Trumps EPA removed 27 sites from the NPL, more than double the largest number of sites removed under Obamas EPA in any single year12 in 2014and the largest number of sites certified as clean and delisted in a single fiscal year since 2001.

Under the 1970 Clean Air Act (CAA), EPA is required to set national standards for regulated pollutants with an adequate margin of safety and to protect public health and welfare. The law also requires the agency to review these standards every five years to confirm whether based on the best available science, the existing standards, in fact, adequately protect public health, and if they do not to implement new standards. Under previous presidential administrations, EPA has regularly and repeatedly failed to review the air pollution standards by the legal deadline, sometimes missing the deadline by five years or more. This has sparked numerous lawsuits from environmental groups to force the government to conduct the reviews. Even the Obama administration failed to meet the CAAs review provisions.

Not so with the Trump administration. Thus far, two criteria pollutants were due for review by EPA during Trumps first term and the agency completed their reviews by the required deadline. In July, EPA announced it is leaving in place the current air quality standards for ground level ozone because the best available science indicates they sufficiently protect human health.

This followed a scientific review EPA completed of particulate matter in April, at which time the agency concluded current standards remain justified.

Nor has the Trump administration been content simply to update existing environmental standards. In June, EPA granted nearly decade-old petitions to add the chemical compound 1-bromopropane to the list of hazardous air pollutants regulated under the CAA. And, in July, much to my chagrin, the Trump administration even rewarded climate alarmists by proposing first-time-ever mandatory restrictions on greenhouse gas emissions from aviation manufacturers.

And all this progress has taken place even as the EPA has been saddled with the emergency responsibility of analyzing and certifying the safety of new disinfectants in response to the coronavirus pandemic. On July 23, EPA certified 32 new surface disinfectants to the agencys list of products expected to kill the novel coronavirus that causes COVID-19. Indeed, since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, EPA has approved more than 460 products as disinfectants for surfaces, or personal sanitizers, or as protective equipment.

President Trump can be accused of a lot of things, but leaving the environment or public health in the lurch in the pursuit of making America great again isnt one of them. Trump has promoted U.S. economic, energy, and national security, all while helping the environment to be the cleanest its been since the beginning of the 20th century.

H. Sterling Burnett, Ph.D., is a senior fellow on energy and the environment at The Heartland Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit research center headquartered in Arlington Heights, Illinois.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Press Release

4 August 2020

The World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) is calling on destinations to recognize the needs of travellers with disabilities or specific access requirements as they open up to visitors again. In partnership with the ONCE Foundation of Spain and the European Network for Accessible Tourism (ENAT), the United Nations specialized agency has released new guideline to ensure accessibility and inclusivity as the responsible restart of tourism gets underway.

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According to the newest data from UNWTO, 40% of global destinations have now eased restrictions on travel introduced in response to COVID0-19. Now, with tourism steadily returning, UNWTO has joined disabled people's organizations and organizations from across civil society to design a basic set of recommendations aimed at maintaining the ethos of "Accessible Tourism for All" in the new reality.

Accessibility means opportunity

The "Reopening Tourism for Travellers with Disabilities" guide also notes the opportunities available to destinations that take steps to accommodate the specific needs of persons with disabilities, those with specific access requirements and seniors. This is particularly relevant now since tourism has been among the hardest hit of all major economic sectors, with businesses big and small at risk.

UNWTO Secretary-General Zurab Pololikashvili said: "Much progress has been made in making tourism more accessible to all. As we guide the responsible restart of tourism, we must make sure that this progress is not rolled back. Instead, it must be stepped up as it will benefit everyone. These Guidelines, produced in collaboration with ONCE Foundation and ENAT show that simple, thoughtful measures can make a real difference for travellers - and in return, allow destinations to welcome this wide and diverse demographic as they look to recover from COVID-19."

Fundacion ONCE Vice-President, Alberto Duran, underlined: "We are making great efforts to help everyone enjoy travel and tourism. It is fundamental that we use this time of change to sensitize all stakeholders to the need to include persons with disabilities and their families in tourism, leaving no one behind. These clients can help businesses stay afloat in these challenging times, representing opportunities for all."

ENAT President, Anna Grazia Laura stated: "These practical guidelines for curbing the spread of COVID-19, with due regard for accessibility and inclusion within tourism, can contribute to global efforts to reassure all visitors, benefitting tourists, businesses and destinations alike."

Guidelines for whole of the sector

The Guidelines are a set of basic recommendations addressed at different stakeholders working across the whole of the tourism value chain. All are aimed at helping stakeholders, including accommodation providers, bars, restaurants and tourism offices, adjust to new health and sanitary demands without reducing accessibility. The recommendations cover four distinct areas:

Travel Planning and Protocols: Including steps to guarantee seamless travel, and for making relevant information available and accessible to all

Including steps to guarantee seamless travel, and for making relevant information available and accessible to all Transportation: Including the importance of upskilling employees, adjusting protocols for passengers with disabilities/access requirements at airports and stations, as well as the provision and hygienic upkeep of mobility equipment

Including the importance of upskilling employees, adjusting protocols for passengers with disabilities/access requirements at airports and stations, as well as the provision and hygienic upkeep of mobility equipment Accommodation, Bars and Restaurants: Focusing on accessibility to cater for different needs of clients, guaranteeing social distancing, and enhanced hygiene procedures in all tourism-related establishments

Focusing on accessibility to cater for different needs of clients, guaranteeing social distancing, and enhanced hygiene procedures in all tourism-related establishments Tourist Activities: Including recommendations to help destinations and attractions adapt existing protocols by taking into account accessibility issues related to queuing, health and safety measures, and new venue capacities

Fundacion ONCE Vice-President, Alberto Duran, said: "We are making great efforts to help everyone enjoy travel and tourism. It is fundamental that we use this time of change to sensitize all stakeholders to the need to include persons with disabilities and their families in tourism, leaving no one behind. These clients can help businesses stay afloat in these challenging times, representing opportunities for all."

ENAT President, Anna Grazia Laura stated: "These practical guidelines for curbing the spread of COVID-19, with due regard for accessibility and inclusion within tourism, can contribute to global efforts to reassure all visitors, benefitting tourists, businesses and destinations alike."

The full set of recommendations, "Reopening Tourism for Travellers with Disabilities: How to Provide Safety Without Imposing Unnecessary Obstacles" can be downloaded here.
Sept. 30, 2015

Varied Rebel Groups Make Up the Opposition

Some 7,000 armed groups have formed during more than four years of civil war, according to the Carter Center. All groups are fighting against the Assad regime and the Islamic State, but different political ideologies and territorial divides have split the opposition into many factions. Here are some of the groups that make up the rebels.In the province of Aleppo, two groups are fighting government forces and the Islamic State. The more moderate Fatah Halab Operations Room excludes hard-line groups, while the Ansar al-Shariah Operations Room, formed as a response to Fatah Halab, works with the Nusra Front, an affiliate of Al Qaeda.In central Syria around Idlib, Latakia and Hama, the largest group is the Army of Conquest, which has been a target of the Russian airstrikes. The group, also called Jaish al-Fatah, is a loose alliance of mostly Islamist factions, including the Nusra Front, Al Qaedas Syrian affiliate; Ahrar al-Sham, another large group; and more moderate rebel factions that have received covert arms support from the intelligence services of the United States and its allies.In the Damascus region, the Army of Islam, a group with financial backing from Saudi Arabia, has declared war on Russia. It is one of several armed groups that form the East Gouta Council.In the South, the Southern Front is a coalition of smaller armed groups that has coordinated with the United States. The coalition supports a secular government.
46% of Luxembourg residents have cancelled at least one holiday due to the pandemic. Fortunately, 65% of cancellations have not had a negative financial impact.

In a recent survey on tourism, Statec reported that the majority of costs incurred by holiday cancellations were not charged to the travellers themselves.

46% of residents have had to cancel leisure trips due to the pandemic. Deposits had been put down for 59% of cancelled stays - luckily, for 65% of cancellation cases, the would-be holidaymakers were not left worse off.

Statec reported that 36% of holidays were reimbursed in full, while 29% were replaced or postponed. However, reimbursement only covered a partial amount of the costs incurred for 14% of cancellations, leaving residents to pick up the rest.

 STATEC

Finally, for 11% of cancelled stays, service providers are yet to compensate the residents concerned at the time of the survey.

Insurance companies covered just 2% of cases, reimbursing part of the costs. For all other holidays, residents bore the costs for 49% of cases, while for the other half, a decision has yet to be made.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd on Tuesday announced the launch of Favipiravir, under brand name FluGuard, at Rs 35 per tablet for the treatment of mild to moderate cases of Covid-19 in India.

Favipiravir is an oral anti-viral treatment approved in India for the potential treatment of patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 disease.

The stocks of FluGuard will be available in the market from this week, Sun Pharma said.

"With over 50,000 Covid-19 cases being reported daily in India, there is an urgent need to provide more treatment options to healthcare professionals," Kirti Ganorkar, CEO of India Business, Sun Pharma, said in a statement.

"We are launching FluGuard at an economical price to make the drug accessible to more and more patients, thereby reducing their financial burden. This is in line with our continuous efforts to support India's pandemic response." Sun Pharma said it will work closely with the government and the medical community to ensure availability of FluGuard to patients across the country.

Several other companies have launched the generic versions of Favipiravir so far in India.

Last week, Hetero, announced the launch of generic Favipiravir in India under the brand name Favivir at Rs 59 per tablet.

Earlier, Cipla announced the launch of Favipiravir in the country under the brand name Ciplenza at Rs 68 per tablet.

Glenmark Pharmaceuticals made its Favipiravir drug available under the brand name FabiFlu at Rs 75 per tablet.
Member of Parliament (MP) for Sekondi constituency, Andrew Kofi Egyapa Mercer says former President and NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama can promise heaven or hell, yet he will not win the 2020 elections.



Hon. Egyapa Mercer was reacting to a viral video on Sunday capturing the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia in an altercation with some Miltary officers at Banda in the Bono Region.



It could be recalled that in the wake of disturbances that resulted in the untimely death of one person in the area about a week ago, Military personnel were dispatched to assist other security agencies to restore calm in the area.



In the video, the Military had blocked the road to stop busloads of people from accessing the registration centres while Mr. Asiedu Nketia, affectionately called General Mosquito, who was spotted at Banda also went on the phone complaining bitterly to some people believed to be leaders of the NDC.



The NDC General Secretary had heated arguments and accused the Military of denying people who are believed to be NDC members from taking part in the registration exercise in the area.



Addressing the issue on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', Hon. Egyapa Mercer opined that desperation is leading the former President and the National Democratic Congress to make certain utterances and allegations against President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his government.



According to him, the stories that the government is trying to intimidate and prevent people from participating in the registration exercise are mere falsehood.



He asked Ghanaians not to fall for the tricks of Mr. Mahama and his NDC saying ''Ghana, we are not at war. It is not because of your political aspirations that people are going to lock their heads against one another''.



Listen to his full submissions below:





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









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August 3, 2020 Whole-of-nation approach needed to overcome COVID-19 crisis; Bong Go urges DOH to improve communication efforts, expresses support in establishing pop-up bicycle lanes Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography Christopher "Bong" Go expressed on Monday, August 3, his support on the adoption of Senate Resolution No. 483. The resolution calls for the Senate to act as a Senate Committee of the Whole to conduct an inquiry regarding the state of the health of the nation. The inquiry will center on the status, capability and plan to combat the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in the country. "As Chairperson of the Committee on Health and Demography, I fully support the conduct of an inquiry into the state of our health system during this time of crisis," Go said in his manifestation of support. The Senator further explained that more responsive measures must be provided by the government in order to strengthen efforts to prevent the further spread of the virus and help Filipinos overcome the ongoing crisis. "We must ensure that this government continues to be responsive with its measures that squarely address the pandemic," he said, adding that the legislative branch can help government agencies improve measures to effectively address the ongoing crisis. Go also urged government agencies to improve its communication efforts and disseminate the right information to the public. "We need timely, accurate and relevant information on COVID-19-related updates and initiatives to strengthen the country's collective efforts to overcome the COVID-19 pandemic," Go added. Meanwhile, Go also encouraged government officials to consult more subject-matter experts from various fields and involve groups who are willing to share their expertise. He emphasized that a whole-of-nation approach is needed to overcome the ongoing crisis. "This pandemic needs a whole-of-nation approach. It is important that we involve and consult our experts from all fields and open the doors to those who want to help and share their expertise," Go said. Previously, Go also said that he will continue to engage with various sectors and assure them that their voices will be heard by the government. "Bukas po tayo sa mga suggestions mula sa mga doktor, ekonomista, at iba pa dahil marami naman pong gustong tumulong. Pakinggan po natin ang mga hinaing ng iba't ibang grupo tulad nitong mga nasa medical community," he stressed earlier. "Nakasalalay po ang ating mga desisyon sa tamang impormasyon na base sa science at health experts. Tulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan na gumawa ng tamang desisyon para sa kanilang pamilya tulad ng mga desisyon na ginagawa ng Pangulo at ng gobyerno para sa kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino," he said in a previous statement, explaining that such information can also empower the people and allow them to help fight the pandemic. "Sa ating mga health officials, pakiusap lang po: tulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan na makabangon gamit ang tama at klarong impormasyon. Huwag na po natin dagdagan ang iniisip ng taumbayan lalo na't hilong hilo na po lahat dahil sa hirap na dulot ng pandemya. Siguraduhin niyo po na maipaliwanag ng maayos at tama ang impormasyon na inyong binibigay," he appealed. In the same Senate session, Go also manifested his support for Senate Bill No. 1582 establishing a network of pop-up bicycle lanes and emergency pathways for use during the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic being sponsored by Sen. Pia Cayetano. "During the hearing of the Senate Committee on Sustainable Development Goals, I reiterated my support for the use of bicycles as an alternative mode of transportation. I have been urging various government agencies to designate bike lanes to ensure the ease and safety of those who opt to use such mode of transportation as well as the general public," Go manifested during the period of interpellations of the said proposed measure. "Siguraduhin natin na properly assigned ang mga lanes na ito, mas maaayos na demarcation at lighting at assured ang safety ng lahat ng nasa daan. Safety first," he added. Go said that this proposed measure is not only necessary to help ease transportation concerns but is also relevant to the issues surrounding environmental and health concerns, especially during this time of pandemic. "Ngayon, sa panahon ng pandemya, naging malaking konsiderasyon ang social distancing. Ang paggamit ng bisikleta ay isang simpleng paraan upang makamit ito. Maganda ang initiative na ito hindi lamang para sa kaligtasan ng lahat kundi para na rin sa kalusugan ng lahat," he said.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is praising his governments economic performance in the face of the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to rage across Iran with alarming mortality rates.

Irans economy has proven more resilient, Rouhani said Aug. 4, drawing a comparison with European countries and the United States, where he said gross domestic product (GDP) has fallen by 10% and 30% respectively. The Iranian president, however, did not offer similar statistics on his governments economic record. However, in June, Economy Minister Farhad Dezhpasand said the coronavirus had cost Iran 15% of GDP.

At a meeting of the governments economic coordination board in Tehran, Rouhani accused Irans enemies of projecting a blackened image of his governments response to the pandemic by spreading rumors and false statistics with the aim of producing public disillusionment. He described this as psychological warfare advanced by an enemy that has already faced failure in its economic war, a term the Iranian leadership uses in reference to the US maximum pressure policy and sanctions regime against Tehran. Rouhani also unleashed a ferocious attack against critics, who continue to question his governments performance during the pandemic, linking them to the same campaign orchestrated by the enemy.

Since the onset of the pandemic in Iran in late February, the Rouhani administration has been accused of understating how many people have been infected and killed by the coronavirus. The official daily mortality number has been hovering above 200, staying on an alarming streak of record highs that began early in July. Local officials, health experts and medical workers, however, have long placed the real death toll well above the official rates.

Indeed, Payam Tabarsi  the chief infectious disease specialist at Masih Daneshvari Hospital, the largest COVID-19 center in Tehran  recently challenged the official figures and sounded the alarm on fresh spikes rolling across the megacity of some 9 million people.

Worn-out medical workers battling the virus on the front lines are also worried that the ongoing transmission pace could soon bring them to their knees. As many as 138 members of Irans medical community had succumbed to the coronavirus as of July 25.

The Rouhani team is rejecting calls to cancel a series of nationwide university entrance tests, which are estimated to bring together over 1 million high school graduates in examination rooms that experts fear could serve as potential COVID-19 clusters. Government officials, nevertheless, plan to press ahead, albeit with strict social distancing protocols in place.

The Iranian president and Health Ministry officials have on various occasions blamed new jumps on public disregard for health precautions, specifically pointing fingers at young partygoers and wedding attendees. In counterargument, critics trace the roots of new outbreaks to the states fast-paced and disorderly economic reopening.

Mohammad-Reza Mahboubfar, a member of a national committee tasked with outlining coronavirus prevention policies, has particularly questioned what he called the governments confused management, which he said gives the economy precedence over public health by refusing to impose effective lookdowns on hot spots. In an interview with the pro-Reform daily Aftab-e-Yazd, Mahboubfar warned that unless the government seriously reconsiders its current approach, Iran will have to brace for a looming catastrophe around September, when daily coronavirus mortality could jump by six times and hit the 1,600 mark.
Afghan security personnel take position on top of a building where insurgents are hiding, in the city of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, on Aug. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

Afghan Forces Retake Prison After Deadly Attack by ISIS Group

JALALABAD, AfghanistanMilitants affiliated with the ISIS terrorist group stormed a prison in eastern Afghanistan in a daylong siege that left at least 39 people dead, including the assailants, and freed nearly 400 of their fighters before security forces restored order, a government official said on Aug. 3.

The attack underscored that ISIS in Afghanistan is still a formidable presence, and highlighted the challenges ahead as U.S. and NATO forces begin to withdraw following Washingtons peace deal with the Taliban.

The peace accord aims to recruit the Taliban to battle the militants, which U.S. officials have told The Associated Press is the Americans biggest foe in Afghanistan. Both the Taliban and the ISIS affiliates are staunch rivals.

At least 10 of the dead were militants involved in the assault to free their comrades from the prison in Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province, said Ajmal Omar, a provincial council member. The rest of the dead were believed to be prisoners, civilians, and Afghan forces, although no official breakdown was given.

Another 50 people were wounded in the attack that began on Aug. 2, when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives-packed vehicle at the entrance to the prison complex some 115 kilometers (70 miles) east of Kabul, Omar said.

Other militants simultaneously stormed the prison and took up positions in nearby residential buildings. They fired on Afghan troops for several hours, even after the security forces retook the prison and began recapturing some of the inmates.

Of the five prisoners killed by the militants, at least three were members of the Taliban, showing the tensions between the two factions.

An AP photographer who went inside the prison, which houses about 1,500 inmates, said he saw the bodies of five of the attackers and at least four prisoners.

Omar said about 430 prisoners stayed in their cells or hid during the siege. It was unclear on Aug. 3 how may prisoners remained at large.

One inmate, who gave his name as Azizullah, said he heard the powerful explosion, followed by the militants storming into the main prison block, shouting for their fighters and telling them to flee.

The aim of this attack was to rescue all Daesh members inside the prison, and unfortunately that included five or six senior Daesh people, Omar said, using an Arabic acronym for ISIS. Among the prisoners who escaped was the groups shadow governor for neighboring Kunar Province, he said.

The ISIS affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility for the attack. The militants have established a base in Nangarhar Province.

Afghanistan has seen a recent surge in violence, with most attacks claimed by ISIS militants. U.S. and Afghan forcesalong with the Talibanhave pounded ISIS positions.

While the groups strength might have been reduced, analysts say it is still able to stage such high-profile attacks such as the jailbreak.

Rumors of the demise of ISIS in Afghanistan are greatly exaggerated. It retains the capacity to carry out attacks, and it continues to gain new recruits ranging from disaffected former Taliban fighters to newly radicalized young Afghans, said Michael Kugelman, deputy director of the Asia Program at the Washington-based Wilson Center.

The attack on the jail took place in terrain where ISIS has long had a deep presence, and it used tactics that the group has frequently deployed in Afghanistan, he said. It amplifies, for Kabul and Washington and other NATO partners, just how serious the ISIS challenge remains.

On Aug. 1, authorities said Afghan special forces killed a senior ISIS commander near Jalalabad.

The Talibans political spokesman, Suhail Shaheen, told the AP that his group wasnt involved in the prison attack.

We have a cease-fire and are not involved in any of these attacks anywhere in the country, he said.

The Taliban had declared a three-day cease-fire starting on July 31 for the major Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha. The cease-fire expired at midnight on Aug. 2, although it wasnt immediately clear if it would be extended.

The U.S. reached the peace deal with the Taliban in February, but a second, crucial round of negotiations between the Taliban and the political leadership in Kabul has yet to begin.

Washington has been pushing for an early start to intra-Afghan negotiations that have repeatedly been delayed since the Taliban accord was reached.

While the ISIS group has seen its so-called caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria eliminated after years of fighting, the group has continued its attacks in Afghanistan. The extremists also have battled the Taliban, which was toppled from power in 2001 in a U.S.-led invasion following the Sept. 11 attacks.

A United Nations report released in July estimated the membership of ISIS in Afghanistan at 2,200. While its leadership has been depleted, it still counts among its leaders a Syrian national named Abu Said Mohammad al-Khorasani.

The report also said the monitoring team had received information that two senior ISIS commanders, Abu Qutaibah and Abu Hajar al-Iraqi, had recently arrived in Afghanistan from the Middle East.

By Rahmat Gul & Rahim Faiez
By David Lawder

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior U.S. and Chinese officials will review the implementation of their Phase 1 trade deal and likely air mutual grievances in an increasingly tense relationship during an Aug. 15 videoconference, two people familiar with the plans said.

U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer and Chinese Vice Premier Liu He, the principal negotiators for the two countries, will participate in the meeting, an initial six-month review of the pact activated on Feb. 15.

The meeting plans were first reported by the Wall Street Journal. The U.S. Trade Representative's office and the U.S. Treasury did not respond to requests for comment.

Under the Phase 1 trade deal signed in January, China had pledged to boost purchases of U.S. goods by some $200 billion over 2017 levels, including agricultural and manufactured products, energy and services.

But China, battered by the global coronavirus recession, is far behind the pace needed to meet its first-year goal of a $77 billion increase. Imports of farm goods have been lower than the 2017 level, far behind the 50% increase needed to meet the 2020 target of $36.5 billion.

Beijing has bought only 5% of the energy products needed to meet the Phase 1 first year goal of $25.3 billion

One of the people familiar with the plans said Chinese officials hoped to discuss other issues beyond the Phase 1 trade deal implementation.

"It's both the normal semi-annual review and also comes at a time when the relationship continues to deteriorate. Naturally there is much to discuss," the person said.

China's ambassador to the United States, Cui Tiankai, said on Tuesday that there was always a plan for high-level consultations six months into the pact, but the two sides have remained in regular contact over the trade deal.

"If they do have such a meeting I guess it will be very positive," Cui told a virtual event sponsored by the Aspen Security Forum.

Story continues

Trump has threatened to end the trade pact over China's handling of the coronavirus, which originated in the city of Wuhan, and tensions have risen over U.S. sanctions related to China's security crackdown on Hong Kong.

The latest irritant between the world's two largest economies is Trump's threat to ban U.S. use of the Chinese-owned video app TikTok unless it is sold to a non-Chinese buyer.

White House officials on Tuesday could not say how Trump's suggestion that the U.S. Treasury get a significant portion of the proceeds of the sale - potentially to U.S. software giant Microsoft <MSFT.O> - could be implemented.

(Additional reporting by Michelle Nichols in New York and Kanishka Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Jonathan Oatis, Tom Brown and Lincoln Feast.)
A day after Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa was tested positive for coronavirus, former CM and leader of opposition Siddaramaiah has also confirmed that he has tested positive for the COVID-19.

He has requested all those who came in his contact to check out for symptoms. "I have been tested positive for Covid-19 and also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution. I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms and to quarantine themselves," he tweeted today.

I have been tested positive for #Covid19 & also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution.



I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms & to quarantine themselves. Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 4, 2020

Siddaramaiah was admitted to Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru after he complained of high fever around 12am last night. He has been admitted to the same hospital where CM Yediyurappa is undergoing treatment for Covid-19, India Today reported. Siddaramaiah had earlier reported fever because of urinary tract infection, following which he underwent the COVID-19 test.

Yediyurappa, 77, had said he tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday. He also requested all those who had come in contact with him to exercise self-quarantine. Yediyurappa's son Vijayendra and daughter Padmavathi both have tested positive for COVID-19. Six of Yediyurappa's staff members have also tested positive.

He is the second chief minister after Madhya Pradesh CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan who has tested positive for COVID-19. Doctors have said he was "doing well" and is "clinically stable". State Medical Education Minister K Sudhakar tweeted wishing for Siddaramaiah's speedy recovery and said he was in constant touch with Manipal hospital doctors. "His (Siddaramaiah) health is stable and there is no need to worry."

Besides, Union Home Minister Amit Shah is also undergoing treatment at the Medanta Hospital in Gurugram after he said he had tested positive for coronavirus and had mild symptoms.

Notably, amid the rising COVID-19 cases in India and overwhelmed hospitals, the Congress had yesterday attacked the home minister for choosing a private hospital for treatment instead of a government hospital like AIIMS-Delhi.

"...Wonder why our Home Minister, when ill, chose not to go to AIIMS but to a private hospital in a neighbouring state. Public institutions need the patronage of the powerful if they are to inspire public confidence," Tharoor had said in a tweet.

ALSO READ: Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa tests positive for coronavirus

ALSO READ: Amit Shah tests coronavirus positive, admitted to hospital

ALSO READ: IT Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad goes into self-isolation; met Amit Shah on Saturday
When Chopard outdo themselves, it's on two different fronts. One is jewelry timepieces, often unique pieces which are highly adorned with stones that are the main attraction. The other is the brand's high watchmaking collection, L.U.C. Mostly for men, it encompasses every complication and all the know-how Chopard have gathered in their Fleurier and Geneva manufactures. So it surely comes as a surprise that the first watch from this top 5 should be a member of the Chopard main collection, and made for ladies. Happy Sport Manufacture is neither a high jewelry nor a high watchmaking timepiece. Happy Sport has been a resounding and continuous success for over 25 years. When celebrating that anniversary, Chopard had at last fitted their smaller manufacture movement, caliber 09.01-C, in their best-seller. For indeed, the Happy of all sorts make for the brand's majority of sales. So this model's becoming successful was an absolute must.

Chopard Happy Sport Manufacture  Chopard

The L.U.C Quattro Regulateur is a surprising member of any top 5. The regulator display separates the minutes from the hours, which are shifted to a sub-dial not unlike a small seconds'. It is therefore a rarity, an oddity even. Its original purpose is to make the information separate and therefore, clearer. But in this case, clearer, it is not. This model is proof that L.U.C goes through watchmaking history in their own way, executing every classic, in terms of style or technique, from the last 150 years. Introducing a regulator was indispensable, as it was to make it slightly off the beaten track. Therefore the Quattro Regulateur features the date, a second timezone and a power reserve (of 9 days, thanks to the Quattro system and its four barrels). It resulted in perfect symmetry, a sport-like style and a set of functions that is probably one-of-a-kind.

Chopard L.U.C Quattro Regulateur  David Chokron/Worldtempus

Even more surely one-of-a-kind, since it's utterly peerless, the L.U.C Fullstrike is the absolute flagship of Chopard's watchmaking expertise. Launched in 2016, it is the first minute repeater created by the brand, entirely so but for a number of consulting missions required by the chiming system's particular nature. Let's not dwell on its numerous safety devices, its chiming reserve which allows it to strike the hours, quarters and minutes up to twelve times, or the finishings of its German silver movement. The Fullstrike is the only watch on Earth with sapphire chimes. They are crafted from the same block of material as the sapphire glass, and together, they are a single, continuous component. When the movement strikes the gongs, their vibration is also the flat surface's, like a loudspeaker. It is loud and it is melodic.

Chopard L.U.C Fullstrike  David Chokron/Worldtempus

During the arm's race of the short-lived high frequency quest, Chopard had decided to sing with the choir of brands that had ventured beyond the 5 Hz ceiling. The aptly named L.U.C 8HF beats at 8 Hz, or 57,600 vibrations per hour. It could as easily have been 10 or 9 or 7, but 8 is a lucky number in the Chinese culture, and that made the choice easy. As often in the high frequency realm, the whole escapement in made of silicon. It's light, easy to manufacture in otherwise impossible shapes and so smooth the moisture in the air is enough to lubricate it, even at high speed. The 8HF had a slightly badass look, a ceramic case (an oddity for Chopard) and a crown at 4 o'clock.

Chopard L.U.C 8HF  David Chokron/Worldtempus

Chopard's men style is often classical, lean and quiet. The XPS, with its ultra slim case thanks to a micro-rotor movement, is the perfect example. Yet Chopard insist on having all their movements chronometer-certified, which demands a seconds' hand. That kind of gets in the way of the aforementioned leanness. So the latest installment of the XP (no S therefore no seconds) is a great design. It sets itself apart from the XPS with a younger appeal, a more informal look with its vertical-brushed dials, blued applied indices and cloth straps, made of cashmere, tweed (and surely more interesting stuff coming up). The first one in the series, grey and blue, made of steel, was paving the way for the future.
HBO

President Donald Trump refused to say whether he found the civil rights icon John Lewis impressive, grumbling that the longtime Democratic congressman and voting rights pioneer didnt come to his inauguration or State of the Union addresses.

Toward the end of a wide-ranging interview in which Axios reporter Jonathan Swan grilled him on coronavirus and Russian bounties, the president was asked whether he believed systemic racism exists.

After saying I hope the answer to that question is no, Trump attempted to deflect when confronted with the facts that Black men disproportionately die at the hands of police compared to whites.

OK, if thats the number, it speaks to something that to me is unacceptable, Trump said in the interview, which aired Monday night on HBO.

The president, however, wouldnt definitively say that systemic racism exists. Instead, he fell back to his well-worn talking points about passing criminal justice reform and creating opportunity zones in order to repeat his claim that hes done more for Black Americans than any other president outside of the possible exception of Abraham Lincoln.

You reallyyou believe you did more than Lyndon Johnson, who passed the Civil Rights Act? an incredulous Swan asked.

I think I did, yeah, Trump shot back, citing criminal and prison reform.

Swan noted that Johnson passed civil rights legislation in the 1960s, something that apparently left Trump unimpressed.

Take a look at what Lyndon Johnson did, Trump huffed. How has it worked out? Because, frankly, it took a long time.

You think that was a mistake? Swan wondered aloud as Trump rambled on about his own personal achievements.

Watch video below

After the president finished patting himself on the back about how Black Americans were doing better than they had ever done in the history of this country under his administration, Swan turned the conversation to Lewis.

John Lewis is lying in state in the U.S. Capitol, he asked. How do you think history will remember John Lewis?

Story continues

I dont know. I really dont know. I dont know. I dont know John Lewis, Trump replied, adding: He chose not to come to my inauguration. He choseI dontI never met John Lewis actually, I dont believe.

Swan continued to press the issue, asking the presidentwho once called the civil rights legend all talk, no actionif he found Lewis impressive.

I cant say one way or the other, Trump, who skipped Lewis memorial services, said. I find a lot of people impressive. I find many people not impressive. But no, he didnt come to my inauguration. He didnt come to my State of the Union speeches, and thats OK. Thats his right. And, again, nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have. He shouldve come. I think he made a big mistake. I think he shouldve come.

Swan attempted one more time to give Trump an opportunity to say something nice about the man whose skull was fractured marching for the right to vote. The president offered the slightest of compliments.

But taking your relationship with him out of it, the Axios reporter asked. Do you find his story impressive, what hes done for this country?

He was a person that devoted a lot of energy and a lotta heart to civil rights, Trump shrugged before adding: But there were many others also.

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To say its been a chaotic time for San Antonio parents eager to send their children back to school this fall during a pandemic is an understatement.

Just ask Inga Cotton, a mom of two and founder of the San Antonio Charter Moms group, a nonprofit organization that supports parents as they select schools, whether they choose charters or not.

Cotton and moderators of her Facebook discussion group have tried to answer questions from stressed parents who are trying to make rational life, work and school plans while a political tug-of-war among state and local leaders emits differing messages, sometimes multiple times a week, about when schools will reopen.

We need a bottom line. Is my child going to be going to school on this date or not? But to get there you have to go through a civics lesson, Cotton said.

Parents hope to get some answers Wednesday evening during the citys virtual town hall on the issue.

Dr. Junda Woo, medical director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District, said she will give educators and parents a preview of new guidance for local schools to determine when and how to safely send children back to classes in person.

More Information How to watch Watch or listen live on the the city of San Antonio's website, the city's Facebook page, and on the ExpressNews.com homepage. It will be broadcast on cable channels AT&T 99, Grande 20, Spectrum 21 and on digital antenna channgel16.1. The public can also listen live by dialing 210-207-5555 and selecting option 1 for English or option 2 for Spanish. Questions can be submitted by email to COVID-19@sanantonio.gov or by phone on the COVID-19 hotline, 210-207-5779. See More Collapse

During a virtual town hall Wednesday evening, Woo also will listen to community feedback and answer audience questions about the reopening of schools while the coronavirus continues to surge in Bexar County.

Woo will be joined by David Nungaray, principal of Bonham Academy in the San Antonio Independent School District. They co-chair the citys COVID-19 PreK-12 Consultation Group, an advisory panel on school reopenings that includes students, parents, educators and school leaders.

Required Reading: Get San Antonio education news sent directly to your inbox

Over the summer, Texas schools have received reopening guidance from the Texas Education Agency and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But neither zoom in to city level data. Woo said her guidance will be more detailed and include local metrics, such as positivity rates of the disease in the county and its rate of spread.

Woo said local superintendents are hungry for recommendations.

What Ive been hearing loud and clear from the superintendents is that they want to follow the public health recommendations, she said.

If it were up to Woo, schools would stay closed to in-person instruction through Sept. 7, at the earliest, and most districts in Bexar County have agreed to have virtual classes until then, if not later. She, along with city and county leaders, issued an order on July 17 that prohibited schools from reopening for in-person instruction until the week of Labor Day.

But Attorney General Ken Paxton opined, and Gov. Greg Abbott agreed last week, that local public health officials dont have the authority to issue such orders preemptively. Only in response to a campus outbreak can the health district close a school, they said.

Some districts that straddle two or more counties, such as Comal and Boerne ISDs, said they shouldnt be subject to Metro Healths order for their schools that are located in Bexar County. With backing from Paxton and Abbott, they decided to reopen schools in Bexar County for in-person instruction later this month, matching the schedule for the rest of their schools. Some of the citys most popular religious schools also are planning to reopen in a few weeks.

On ExpressNews.com: Heres what going back to school will look like in Bexar County this fall

The controversy has been a source of lively discussions in the moms group, Cotton said. In July alone, there were more than 15,000 comments, about three times the typical monthly amount, she said, illustrating the engagement of parents trying to figure out the bottom line.

Those parents who prefer in-school instruction  because they need to return to work, have kids who yearn to be reunited with their friends or were dissatisfied with distance learning  found Metro Healths order to delay frustrating, Cotton said.

This is a really stressful time for parents, she said. They want someone to tell them when schools open again and if its going to be safe. Nobody can really say that.

But parents such as herself, who already had decided their kids will continue with remote learning, felt more like bystanders, largely unaffected by the back and forth about in-person classes.

Responding to the governor, Mayor Ron Nirenberg said Woo will issue an amended directive later this week. Woo called it guidance and said she will release it sometime after the town hall.

I have a lot of it laid down already, but I do think that the community has wisdom that I dont have, so I want to wait until after the town hall and see if there are other kinds of tweaks that need to be made, Woo said.

She will explain the public health indicators that the advisory panel will watch to assess the local COVID-19 situation and make decisions about bringing students, teachers and staff into schools.

Woo said shes struggled to strike a balance between reopening schools for the neediest children, such as those who receive special education services or who dont live in favorable learning environments, and limiting the potential for community spread. She said her guidance will call for allowing those student populations back into buildings in extremely limited settings.

I think a lot of people, when they think about reopening schools, they may have in their mind a picture that is not the picture that is the safe way that I have in my mind, she said.

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
Canadian households are showing a new-found economic optimism, a good sign for the nations nascent recovery.

After stalling at the end of June, sentiment around personal finances, job security, economic growth and real estate are all beginning to march higher again, telephone polling shows.

The Bloomberg Nanos Canadian Confidence Index, which has risen three points over the past two weeks to 49.8, has returned to the torrid pace of gains recorded early in the rebound and has now recovered about two-thirds of its pandemic losses.

The pickup in household confidence is a welcome development, as economists and policy-makers try to gauge the resiliency of the economic rebound. While the recovery from the deep downturn has been strong, there are worries the jump in activity and spending will peter out  in part because of concerns the recession will have lasting negative impacts on consumers confidence.

While still below pre-pandemic levels, the Bloomberg index hit a milestone last week. Reaching 50 points means sentiment is no longer considered net negative, which it had been every week since the COVID-19 pandemic hit across the country. Just two weeks ago, the index stood at 46.7. It hit a record low 37.1 in April.

After a crushing period of consumer confidence in Canada arising from the COVID-19 pandemic, for the first time since March 2020 sentiment is at a neutral as opposed to a negative posture, said Nik Nanos, chief data scientist at Nanos Research.

Every week, Nanos Research surveys 250 Canadians for their views on personal finances, job security and their outlook for the economy and real estate prices. Bloomberg publishes four-week rolling averages of the 1,000 responses.

Survey highlights

Leading the improvements in the overall index are Canadians perception on real estate, with 30 per cent of respondents expecting higher housing prices. Thats double levels recorded for that question a month earlier.

While concerns about economic growth remain elevated, the share of Canadians who say the economy will weaken is now down to 53 per cent. That figure was 59 per cent two weeks ago. Canadians are also showing less worry about their personal finances and losing their jobs.
Big powers' miscalculations root cause of surge in extremism in West Asia: Iran FM

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 4:10 PM

Iran's foreign minister says miscalculations and major mistakes made by the world's big powers over the past decades are the main cause of the surge in extremism in the West Asia region.

Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks in a speech delivered at the Faculty of World Studies at the University of Tehran on Monday, the second part of a five-part course in international relations entitled, "World in Transition," which is being offered by Iran's top diplomat.

"Extremism was a result of miscalculations and occupation [of regional countries by world powers]. The main problem, which evolved into the existing sad conditions is the problem of 'misunderstanding' and 'miscalculation', which caused both regional powers and superpowers to make mistakes," Iran's foreign minister said.

"Miscalculations made by big powers, or in other words superpowers, with regard to the world's modern order have resulted in consequences, which are by far more disastrous than the mistakes made by other countries," Zarif emphasized.

He described the 2003 US-led invasion of Iraq as one of the big powers' miscalculations, saying that there were many ambiguities surrounding the attack at its onset.

"But something was conspicuous. It was clear from the very beginning that this [US] war [against Iraq] would lead to the spread of extremism in the world."

In early 2003, the United States, backed by the UK, invaded Iraq under the pretext that the regime of the country's former dictator, Saddam Hussein, possessed weapons of mass destruction (WMD). No such weapons, however, were ever found in Iraq.

The invasion plunged Iraq into chaos and led to the rise of terrorist groups, including the Daesh Takfiri group, across the region.

The US and a coalition of its allies further launched a military campaign against purported Daesh targets in Iraq in 2014, but their operations in many instances have led to civilian deaths.

Elsewhere in his speech, Zarif touched on the US withdrawal from several international treaties, and said such a policy is just similar to those bigoted and obstinate ideas that contravene the world's realities on the ground.

Some players in the international scene, like the United States, have struggled to take control of the situation by resorting to old-dated rules and reliance on their military superiority, but their approach led to a "disaster," the top Iranian diplomat added.

The US under President Donald Trump has pulled out from several international treaties in defiance of global outcry.

Trump, a hawkish critic of a landmark 2015 nuclear deal between Iran and six world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), unilaterally withdrew Washington from the agreement in May 2018, and unleashed the "toughest ever" sanctions against the Islamic Republic in defiance of global criticism.

The Trump administration also pulled the United States out of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty (INF) with Russia last year. The 1992 treaty allows member countries to conduct short-notice, unarmed, reconnaissance flights over the other countries to collect data on their military forces and activities.

Trump has also pulled his country out of the UN cultural organization UNESCO and the Paris climate accord.

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A leading association of Turkish doctors said on Tuesday that nearly 1,000 people are being infected with the coronavirus every day in Ankara alone, questioning the accuracy of government figures which put the daily nationwide tally of new cases at around the same level.

The number of new cases has gone up significantly over the past week, said Ali Karakoc, the general secretary of the Ankara Chamber of Doctors, Turkeys second largest with 13,000 members. Official data fail to reflect the true state of play in the country.

The Ministry of Health declined to comment when asked about the allegations of discrepancies.

Turkey Eases Virus Measures After Declaring #MissionAccomplished

The intervention caps days of criticism from opposition politicians and some doctors who say the daily case count provided by Health Minister Fahrettin Koca portrays a far rosier picture than the reality. Experts began to raise doubts after the official figures began to conflict with regional and provincial numbers.

Aydin Barus, governor of eastern Malatya province, said on Aug. 1 that there had been more than 100 new daily cases there in the preceding four days, according to the Hurriyet newspaper. The government reported fewer than 50 cases during that period for a broader region including Malatya and seven other provinces.

Koca has been warning of a potential spike in new cases due to poor social distancing, especially in coastal towns where millions of Turks flocked after the government declared victory against the virus in June and eased restrictions to rescue a deteriorating economy.

Even so, the official daily count of new infections has remained stable at under 1,000, while authorities stopped providing a detailed breakdown of patients in intensive care units or on ventilators. Hospitals are fast running out of beds and new patients are being asked to quarantine and take medication at home.

It seems as if they are making an effort to keep the daily coronavirus number below 1,000, Bulent Nazim Yilmaz, secretary general of the Turkish Medical Association, told Bloomberg by phone. The numbers we receive on the infected and hospitalized patients are way above the official figures.

On Tuesday, the governors office in the capital, Ankara, ordered all coronavirus patients except those with serious conditions to be diagnosed, isolated and treated at home. Hospitals were instructed to reserve at least half of their beds for virus patients, according to instructions sent to healthcare officials seen by Bloomberg.
A cat that was detained at Sri Lankas main prison while allegedly trying to smuggle drugs and cell phone SIM cards has escaped, according to media reports on Monday.

The feline was detected by jail intelligence officials on Saturday at the high-security Welikada Prison, a police official said.

The official said nearly two grams of heroin, two SIM cards and a memory chip were found in a small plastic bag tied around the cats neck.

While there is no stipulation for animal arrest under Sri Lankan law, police were hoping the cat could lead them to the smugglers den, the media reports suggest. But it escaped on Sunday from a prison room where it was kept. The cat reportedly scampered out of its holding room and escaped through a fence when prison guards came in to feed it.

The prison had reported an increase in incidents of people throwing small packets of drugs, cell phones and phone chargers over the walls in recent weeks. Sri Lanka is battling a major drug problem with some anti-narcotics detectives also implicated in selling confiscated drugs. Police last week seized an eagle allegedly used by drug traffickers to distribute narcotics in a suburb of Colombo. There was no immediate comment from prison authorities.

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The state Attorney Generals office on Monday recommended fines of up to $10,000 a day and possible imprisonment for the owners of a gym who were found to be in contempt of a state executive order to remain closed during the coronavirus pandemic shutdown.

Its the latest salvo in a very public dispute between the owners of the Atilis Gym in Bellmawr and Gov. Phil Murphy.

Owners Frank Trumbetti and Ian Smith kicked in a plywood barricade at the front door of the gym Saturday morning and reopened it to patrons, officials said. The building had been shuttered a week earlier to mandate compliance with the shutdown order, which the pair had repeatedly violated, claiming it was a financial hardship and driving them out of business.

Trumbetti and Smith were also arrested by Camden County sheriffs at the gym on July 27 after refusing to leave. They were released after appearing before Mercer County Civil Court Judge Robert Lougy and ordered to reappear on Aug. 16.

The suggestion of a $10,000 daily fine and possible imprisonment was made Monday by the AGs office to Lougy.

Smith, 33, of Delanco Township, and Trumbetti, 51, of Williamstown, were charged with one count of fourth-degree contempt, one count of obstruction, and one count of violating the Disaster Control Act.

Atilis Gyms brazen conduct is abhorrent to an organized judicial system, jeopardizes the public health and the safety of New Jerseyans, and must not be tolerated, the AGs office said a letter to the court. It is clear that additional sanctions and relief are necessary to coerce Atilis Gyms compliance with the courts order.

The Camden County Prosecutors Office also filed a disorderly persons complaint against the pair Monday for allegedly kicking in barrier in front of the gym, an action that was photographed by multiple media outlets after Smith promised to do so the day before while at the Statehouse in Trenton.

We are prepared to lose every single battle along the way and that wont stop us, Trumbetti told NJ Advance Media on Monday. No matter what it takes, we will see this through until the very end.

The gym owners are scheduled to appear before borough officials Tuesday for a hearing on the revocation of their business license.

State officials said an internet GoFundMe drive has raised $143,000 for the gym and that a $10,000 daily fine would not be outside of their means. On the fundraising page, Trumbetti and Smith said the money would be used for legal fees and to pay accruing bills for the gym while it has not been able to operate.

The owners have made multiple appearances on television news shows and have been vocal in their opposition of the business shutdowns in New Jersey, and Trumbetti and Smith claim they are being singled out by Murphy.

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.
Jif No Added Sugar Creamy Peanut Butter Spread is perfect for making sandwiches to fuel a fun summer day, for smoothies, for baking warm and gooey cookies with the family and even for taking smooth and creamy bites directly out of the jar, with no stirring required.

The new product comes in either a 15.5oz jar (pack of 1, 3 or 12) or a 33.5oz jar (pack of 1 or 8) and retails at the below pricing:

Jif No Added Sugar Creamy Peanut Butter 15.5oz $3.19

Jif No Added Sugar Creamy Peanut Butter 33.5oz $5.99

**Not a low calorie food. 200 calories, 17g fat, 3.5g saturated fat, and 2g total sugars per serving.

About The J. M. Smucker Company

Inspired by more than 120 years of business success and five generations of family leadership, The J. M. Smucker Company makes food that people and pets love. The Company's portfolio of 40+ brands, which are found in 90 percent of U.S. homes and countless restaurants, include iconic products consumers have always loved such as Folgers, Jif and Milk-Bone plus new favorites like Cafe Bustelo, Smucker's Uncrustables and Rachael Ray Nutrish. Over the past two decades, the Company has grown rapidly by thoughtfully acquiring leading and emerging brands, while ensuring the business has a positive impact on its 7,000+ employees, the communities it is a part of and the planet. For more information about The J. M. Smucker Company, visit jmsmucker.com.

The J. M. Smucker Company is the owner of all trademarks referenced herein except for Rachael Ray, a registered trademark of Ray Marks II LLC, which is used under license.

SOURCE The J. M. Smucker Company

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A detailed analysis report of the Global Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market has been covered in the report coupled with a thorough description of each company profile with information on the H.Q, future capabilities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial outline, partnerships and new product launches and developments.

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The report classifies the market into different segments based on product, type of device, application and end-user. These segments are studied in detail incorporating the market estimates and forecasts at regional and country level. The segment analysis is useful in understanding the growth areas and probable opportunities of the market.

Final Report will cover the impact of COVID-19 on this industry.

Browse the complete Global Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market Research Report  Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast Till 2026 @ https://www.decisiondatabases.com/ip/8888-electroceuticals-bioelectric-medicine-market-report

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Medtronic PLC

St. Jude Medical, Inc.

Boston Scientific Corporation

Cochlear Limited

Sonova Holding AG

Livanova PLC

Biotronik

Nevro Corp.

Second Sight Medical Products, Inc.

Electrocore LLC

A detailed description of each has been included, with information in terms of H.Q, future capacities, key mergers & acquisitions, financial overview, partnerships, collaborations, new product launches, new product developments and other latest industrial developments.

SEGMENTATIONS IN THE REPORT:

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Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators

Cardiac Pacemakers

Spinal Cord Stimulators

Cochlear Implants

Deep Brain Stimulators

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators

Vagus Nerve Stimulators

Sacral Nerve Stimulators

Retinal Implants

Other Electrical Stimulators

By Type of Device:

Implantable Electroceutical Devices

Non-Invasive Electroceutical Devices

By Applications:

Cardiac Pacemakers and Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators Market

Spinal Cord Stimulators (SCS) Market

Cochlear Implants Market

Deep Brain Stimulators (DBS) Market

Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulators (RENS) Market

Vagus Nerve Stimulators Market (VNS)

Sacral Nerve Stimulators (SNS) Market

Retinal Implants Market

Other

By End User:

Hospitals

Research Institutes

Individual Users

By Geography:

North America

Europe

Asia Pacific

Rest of the World

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The Global Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market has been exhibited in detail in the following chapters 

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Chapter 4 Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market Value Chain Analysis

Chapter 5 Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market Analysis By Product

Chapter 6 Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market Analysis By Type of Device

Chapter 7 Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market Analysis By Applications

Chapter 8 Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market Analysis By End User

Chapter 9 Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Market Analysis By Geography

Chapter 10 Competitive Landscape Of Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Companies

Chapter 11 Company Profiles Of Electroceuticals/Bioelectric Medicine Industry

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The re-election campaigns of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State, and his new political party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recently suffered a major setback, when they were totally disgraced penultimate week outside the Palace of the Oba of Benin, Ewuare II.



The governors convoy was blocked. The angry residents numbering hundreds booed and jeered at him and his guests. They called him various derogatory names, particularly thief. It degenerated into violence, scores were injured and properties vandalised.



That development did not go down well with the governor and the PDP and has generated different reactions from both parties, because of the potential implications it has on the governors political fortunes. The direct interpretation of the incident could that he had been rejected by the people and that his defeat is not just imminent, but would be overwhelming.



Not anybody could fathom that level of outrage outside the Benin palace against an incumbent governor and the implications are huge. For one, if it was just the youth, who reacted like that, they had sent a clear signal to the Oba that they weere done with Obaseki.



The reason was simply because in Edo State, the Oba of Benin is well respected in political decisions and a politician, who does not have the backing of the palace would find it very difficult, if not impossible to garner the support of the people.



The PDP claimed that the APC sponsored the attack and that the grand plan was to eliminate the entire opposition leadership, because Obaseki had the PDP National Chairman, Uche Secondus, members of the PDP National Working Commissttee (NWC), Governor Neysome Wike (Rivers State), Governor Ifeanyi Okowo (Delta State), Governor Aminu Tambuwal (Sokoto State), Governor Seyi Makinde (Oyo State) and other notable leaders with him.



Earlier, at a press conference, the APC had pointed fingers at Governor Obaseki over the violent incidence at the Obas palace. The Vice Chairman, Media and Publicity Committee of the APC Campaign Council, Mr. Patrick Obahiagbon, specifically blamed the clash on the PDP.



He alleged that the governor resorted to violence, because the duo of former governor and former National Chairman of the APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole and business mogul, who his government had been victimising for fear that he was planning to pick the APC governorship ticket, Captain Idahosa Wells Okunbo.



Obahiagbon stated that after the palace incidence, APC supporters were accosted and attacked on the street of Benin, stressing that it is unacceptable to us as a party. How long more can we persuade our teeming party loyalists to hold back?



The former House of Representatives member, who said the opposition PDP unleashed terror on the citizenry by enlisting the support of renowned cultists in Benin, further alleged that Obaseki is working on plans to arrest the duo of Oshiomhole, Okunbo and other APC leaders on the eve of the election for not supporting him. He also claimed that there was a plan to set Okunbos farm on fire.



The PDP and the governor were planning to arrest and detain the former National Chairman of the APC Comrade Adams Oshiomhole on the eve of the election and also set fire on the farm of billionaire businessman, Captain Hosa Okunbo for refusing to back the second-term agenda.



Obaseki is planning to continue his persecution of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole with trumped-up and inconsequential charges at the eleventh hour of electoral politics. His plan is to arraign Oshiomhole for a probe that has been revealed as nothing but a targeted political witch-hunt and then deny him bail on the eve of election to paralyse the APC.



He is planning to use COVID-19 as a ruse to neuter grassroots leaders of our party, the APC on the eve of the gubernatorial election by abducting and detaining them in isolation center. This way, disenfranchising them and forestalling the political force they would deliver in pursuant of APCs victory, Obahiagbon alleged.



Not unmindful of the attacks on him just on the ground of assumption that he was the preferred candidate for the governorship and his perceived support for the APC candidate, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, Okunbo was quick to state that he had no hand in the embarrassment the governor faced at the palace.



He said: I condemn the booing of the governor and the PDP team, and the reprisal attack. I am particularly pained that some ungodly insinuations in some quarters have linked me with the unfortunate saga.



But away from all the rhetoric, the governors goodwill is fast dwindling among the people and so also is his political fortunes.



In 2016, his cousin, Dr. Don Pedro Obaseki categorically urged the people not to vote for him. He didnt stop at that, he stepped down his ambition and endorsed Ize-Iyamu of the PDP then on the ground that he was the best candidate for the election.



I will rather support Pastor Ize-Iyamu, who represents the collective aspiration of Edo people than support Godwin Obaseki, who is being promoted by external political and economic investors, Obaseki stated in 2016.



Talking about making a choice between Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki, his first cousins said: Osagie is actually an uncle and Godwin is a cousin, so both of them are family. But it is not the family I am looking at because I can no longer wish Edo State based on family filiations; I cannot because someone is my brother because we answered the same name wished away the collective patrimony of the entire Edo nation.



You dont need to be told I am a very convinced young man, I have come to praising my conviction even as a young boy, when we were fighting as a CLO Director, running radio Kudirat and in Godwin I would not lie, I see nothing that represents my vision to change Edo State.



The APC candidate, Ize-Iyamu, also feels there are enough reasons why the people dont want the governor to have a second term. In a recent interview, he said contrary to claims that Obaseki has been a performing governor, who is hated by a political godfather that is mad at him because he was not allowing the access to the states purse, but identified several factors that made the governor ineligible for a second term.



They say we have a technocrat as a governor. How can you have a governor, who didnt pass his school certificate? How was he able to enter university with three credits and none of them were English and Maths? He is always talking about godfather. Who is the godfather? This is the governor, who increased security votes of the state from N6bn to N7.5bn. The money goes to him.



The APC governorship hopeful said Governor Obaseki is not getting the peoples support, because he has not made good his campaign promises in the education, security and health sectors, and that despite all accolades he receives for his major achievements in the education sector, Edo Best, he did not employ teachers throughout his first term of office.



While he continues to appeal to his supporters not resort to violence, Ize-Iyamu has repeatedly assured the people of the state that given the opportunity to lead, he would ensure that the people experience economic growth and infrastructure development.



Thus, from the orchestrated show that held outside the palace of the Obas place to the much anticipated election of September 19th, it is evident that the battle is already a lost for Obaseki and that indeed, the governors defeat would come handy as a critical lesson in poor and vindictive leadership. Importantly, re-electing Obaseki coud mean rewarding treachery, betrayal and ingratitude.

*Biliaminu wrote from Kaduna
OSTERSUND, Sweden, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Skanska has signed a contract with the Florida Department of Transportation to design and build a new interchange at State Road 557 of Interstate 4 (I-4) in Polk City, Florida, USA. Skanska will include the contract worth USD 70 M, about SEK 615 M, in the US order bookings for the third quarter of 2020.

The design and reconstruction will transform the interchange from an existing partial cloverleaf interchange configuration to a diamond interchange. A new bridge will be constructed to carry State Road 557 traffic over the newly widened I-4 to accommodate future tolled express lanes and a high-speed rail corridor. The roadway project will be a major improvement to the traffic patterns and enhance motorist safety.

Additionally, two new bridges will be constructed on I-4 to allow for wildlife crossings between the natural areas to the north and south of the project. Wildlife fencing will be provided along the I-4 limited access right-of-way line to channelize wildlife movement.

Construction will begin September 2020, with the new bridge expected to open by 2023. Project completion is scheduled for July 2023.

Skanska is one of the leading construction and development companies in USA, specializing in building construction, civil infrastructure and developing commercial properties in select U.S. markets. Skanska USA had sales of SEK 74 billion and about 7,900 employees in its operations in 2019.

CONTACT:

For further information please contact:

Maritza E. Ferreira, Communications Director, Skanska USA, tel +1 (404) 946 75 21

Jacob Birkeland, Head of Media Relations and Public Affairs, Skanska AB, tel +46 (0)10 449 19 57

Direct line for media, tel +46 (0)10 448 88 99

This and previous releases can also be found at www.skanska.com.

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

https://news.cision.com/skanska/r/skanska-transforms-new-interchange-in-florida--usa---for-about-usd-70-m--about-sek-615-m,c3163456

The following files are available for download:

https://mb.cision.com/Main/95/3163456/1286750.pdf 20200804 US interchange Florida

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NEW YORK, August 4, 2020 -- Researchers from the Advanced Science Research Center at The Graduate Center, CUNY (CUNY ASRC) are part of a multi-institution team of scientists that has been awarded one of three newly announced $1.8 million, phase 1 grants from the Centers for Chemical Innovation (CCI) -- part of the National Science Foundation Division of Chemistry. The grant will fund the team's work to help establish the NSF Center for the Mechanical Control of Chemistry (CMCC).

"Mechanical force is the next frontier in organic chemistry," said professor Adam Braunschweig, whose lab at the CUNY ASRC Nanoscience Initiative is part of the multi-institution team. "Using force, instead of heat, to accelerate reactions, could lead to more efficient ways to make drugs or reduce the use of dangerous industrial solvents in the chemical industry. Our group will lead the reaction design team in an effort to develop new, predictive rules that anticipate how reactive chemicals will respond to mechanical stress."

The overall project will be led by Texas A&M University chemist James D. Batteas, who will serve as the principal investigator. The team will include co-investigators Jonathan Felts from the Texas A&M Department of Mechanical Engineering; Adam Braunschweig from the CUNY ASRC,; Robert Carpick and Andrew Rappe from the University of Pennsylvania; Danna Freedman from Northwestern University; and Ashlie Martini from the University of California, Merced. Together, the team will bring critical expertise in chemistry, physics, materials science, and engineering mechanics to the project.

CCI initiatives support projects that are too complex and multi-faceted for individuals or small groups of researchers to tackle on their own. CCI was designed to bring together researchers with diverse expertise to support high risk, transformative science; energize the chemistry research community; and enable researchers to take on grand challenges while creatively engaging the public in the scientific enterprise.

As the first CCI to be funded in Texas and one of 30 created since the program began in 2012, the CMCC seeks to better understand how the application of precise mechanical forces can be used to alter chemical reaction rates and pathways at surfaces and interfaces. One of the CMCC's primary goals is to develop quantitative models for mechanochemical synthesis that will have significant impact on the synthesis of materials, ranging from everyday commodity chemicals, to novel materials for advanced electronics, to pharmaceuticals.

The use of mechanical force to drive chemistry dates to antiquity, but developing it into a reliable method for chemical synthesis largely has been ignored because the tools to investigate how the application of force affects reactions were until recently highly underdeveloped. CMCC aims to create a new toolbox that will allow researchers to define and control the forces applied to molecules in very precise ways. In partnership with Eastman and Dow Chemical Companies, the center will seek to apply the transformative knowledge of the mechanochemistry it develops to industrial-scale processes to enable new approaches for more energy efficient, more selective, and safer chemical syntheses.

"The broader impact of this work will be a new perspective on chemical reactivity that will guide the development of new technologies for chemical synthesis," Batteas said. "Imagine being able to do on-demand synthesis without the need for complex reactors. Such approaches may enable, for example, more rapid prototyping of customized drugs or the ability to carry out complex chemical syntheses on Mars using only locally sourced materials."

The CCI Program is structured in two phases -- an initial solicitation that results in awards supporting a center's scientific, management, and infrastructure development en route to an opportunity for $20 million in subsequent funding, based on a demonstrated capacity for sustainable large-scale science and transformative impact in chemistry.

At the heart of the CMCC is the training of a diverse cadre of graduate and undergraduate students in chemistry, physics, mechanics, and materials science who will play key roles in center research and outreach activities. Current plans include a mechanochemistry-themed STEM summer camp for high school students, science history exhibits, entrepreneurship opportunities, and training in both technology transfer strategies and public policy.

###

About the Advanced Science Research Center

The ASRC at The Graduate Center elevates scientific research and education at CUNY and beyond through initiatives in five distinctive, but increasingly interconnected disciplines: environmental sciences, nanoscience, neuroscience, photonics, and structural biology. The ASRC promotes a collaborative, interdisciplinary research culture with renowned researchers from each of the initiatives working side-by-side in the ASRC's core facilities, sharing equipment that is among the most advanced available.

About The Graduate Center of The City University of New York

The Graduate Center of The City University of New York (CUNY) is a leader in public graduate education devoted to enhancing the public good through pioneering research, serious learning, and reasoned debate. The Graduate Center offers ambitious students more than 40 doctoral and master's programs of the highest caliber, taught by top faculty from throughout CUNY -- the nation's largest public urban university. Through its nearly 40 centers, institutes, and initiatives, including its Advanced Science Research Center (ASRC), The Graduate Center influences public policy and discourse and shapes innovation. The Graduate Center's extensive public programs make it a home for culture and conversation.
At the mention of pigs, Liu Bing made a face and covered her nose with her hand.



"Whenever I approach the pigsty, it is smelly," said the middle school student from the suburbs of Chengdu, Sichuan province, who helps keep pigs at home.

But she had a change of heart after seeing a 3,000-year-old ceramic pig recently unearthed from an archaeological site not far away that bears an uncanny resemblance to the green piggies in The Angry Birds Movie. Now she thinks pigs are cute.

"I am familiar with The Angry Birds Movie and was surprised to find that the adorable piggy ancestor was from Sichuan," Liu giggled.

Since October, the Sichuan Provincial Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute, together with the Deyang Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute and Guanghan Cultural Relic Bureau in Sichuan, has been digging in the Lianhe Ruins in Guanghan's village of Lianhe, not far from the Sanxingdui Ruins, Sichuan's most important archaeological discovery, which was found in the last century.

Digging in Lianhe has yielded relics spanning nearly 5,000 years, from the Neolithic Age to the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Finds include ash pits, tombs, porcelains and stoneware.

The most eye-catching find is a pottery pig that has a strong resemblance to the green piggies of the imported computer-animated comedy film.

Pig figures are common among the relics from ruins in the Shang and Zhou dynasties (c. 16th century-256 BC). They were domestic animals back then.

"True-to-life pigs have been found in the Sanxingdui Ruins. But the pottery pig from the Lianhe Ruins is artistic and adorable," said Xin Zhonghua, a deputy research fellow with the Sichuan relics institute who is in charge of excavating the Lianhe Ruins.

He guessed that the pottery pig was part of an ornament of some kind.

Though a few netizens have joked that green piggies originated in China and that The Angry Birds Movie borrowed the image, more of them seemed to show genuine interest in the cultural relics at the Sanxingdui Museum.

The Sanxingdui Ruins were discovered by accident in 1929 by a farmer digging in his field. Since then, more than 10,000 relics have been unearthed.

The discovery of the Sanxingdui Ruinswhich is believed to have served as a capital for several kings of Shu, the ancient name for Sichuanoffers strong evidence of the diverse origins of Chinese civilization.

Researchers say ancient China had several cradlesparticularly in the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys. Before the Sanxingdui Ruins excavation, it was believed that the Yellow River Valley was the sole point of origin. Sichuan is in the upper reaches of the Yangtze.

Relics from those ruins, including gold, jade and bizarre bronze masks with protruding eyes, are in the Sanxingdui Museum, which opened in 1997.

Liu Bing had visited the Sanxingdui Museum. But the pottery pig rekindled her interest.

"Because of COVID-19, I cannot travel far. The museum is nearby," she said. "It will be my ideal getaway this summer to see the bronze masks with the bulging eyes and the pottery pigs' brothersthe realistic ones I ignored on my previous visit to the museum."
Sushant Singh Rajputs friend, Siddharth Pithani has released some screenshots of messages that he received from Sushants brother-in-law, OP Singh. These messages were released sometime after Sushants family released the screenshots that they had sent to Mumbai Police. Sushants family had made it clear that they were not happy with his company and these screenshots released by Pithani indicate the same.

OP Singh, Sushants brother-in-law sent these messages to Siddarth as Sushants family was unable to contact Sushant in any way. Pithani was Sushants flatmate and used to live with him in his Bandra flat. He had forwarded these messages to Rajput and Mumbai Police had accessed these messages on Sushants mobile phone as well. The late actors family was unhappy with the company he was in and they could not contact him. Sushants brother-in-law had also filed a complaint that there might be a threat to Sushants life.

Messages sent to Siddarth Pithani by OP Singh:

Reached Chandigarh. Thanks for your fervent invitation to Mumbai. It connected me to scores of old friends.

Appreciating that you are not in charge of your life, career or house, I am happy that I guessed the situation correctly and planned my visit accordingly.

Please keep my wife away from your problems. It is because of the company you keep, unhelpful habits and gross mismanagement. I am determined to ensure that my wife is not penalised only because she is good

Appreciating that I am the only one who can help you, I am still available. In case of need, tell whoever is in charge of your upkeep and maintenance  your girlfriend, her family or your manager -to work out a mutually agreeable arrangement with my office.

The message is to let you know my thoughts on the subject. If you find it unnecessary, simply ignore, have a government to run, a department to manage and a family to look after. Awfully 1 short on time and energy.  From Jijaji.

Also read: Received no written complaint: Mumbai Police on SSR fathers claims

Also read: I pray for your health and long life: Lata Mangeshkars special Rakhi message to PM Modi

These messages were sent by Sushants brother-in-law in February 2020, the same time when a complaint with Mumbai Police was filed by him stating Sushants life might be in danger.

Also read: Bombay HC to hear plea seeking transfer of SSR death probe to CBI today
Press Release

August 4, 2020 De Lima thanks US Senators for demanding definitive US response over her continued unjust detention, PH HR abuses Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has expressed gratitude to the five US Senators who continue to show concern over the threats to press freedom and worsening human rights violations in the country, including her continued unjust detention. In separate letters she sent to US Senators Edward Markey, Richard Durbin, Jeffrey Merkley, Patrick Leahy, and Benjamin Cardin, De Lima thanked the five US Senators for writing to US State Department Secretary Mike Pompeo to ensure that these concerns will not go unacted upon by the US government. "I am deeply heartened by your determined call for accountability from the US government to act with solidarity over the plight of Filipinos, myself included," part of De Lima's letter to Leahy read. "Your collective and unceasing efforts in camaraderie with Filipinos, myself included, has my deepest respect and admiration," she told Merkely. During these times when "there seems to be little hope," De Lima told Markey that "news that the international human rights community are at the forefront taking steps to advocate my cause is enough to fuel my faith that truth and justice will eventually prevail." In her separate letters to Durbin and Cardin, De Lima highlighted how the support from the international community has unfailingly strengthened her resolve to fight the oppressor. "My situation is certainly arduous but it is the affirmation and solidarity from leaders like you that help keep me going, and validate the relevance of my work," she told Durbin. "I am very fortunate to have champions like you who are at the forefront to make sure that I obtain justice and be able to keep on advancing our common goals for human rights, democracy and rule of law," she told Cardin. In a letter dated July 29, the five US Senators wrote to Secretary Pompeo informing the latter about the recent, ongoing human rights abuses in the Philippines. The concerns they raised include De Lima's situation, both the aspects of the continued unjust detention and the recent incommunicado detention, as well as the finding of guilt in the cyber libel case against Rappler CEO Maria Ressa, the shutting down of ABS CBN Network, and the enactment of the Anti-Terror Act. The US solons pointedly stated that the "Trump administration has not seemingly utilized statutory authorities granted by Congress", citing the non-application of Global Magnitsky sanctions to Philippine officials implicated in the EJKs and the prolonged and arbitrary detention of De Lima. They ended their letter to Secretary Pompeo with a request for written responses to several questions by Aug. 19, 2020 on topics that include US actions on sanctioning those involved in gross human rights violations in the country and on raising De Lima's illegitimate detention with Philippine government counterparts, among others. Additionally, they requested for written responses if the Philippine government reversed new restrictions imposed during COVID-19 on De Lima's ability to communicate and meet with visitors including her staff. Last Dec. 20 2019, Trump signed into law the US Fiscal Year 2020 State and Foreign Operations Appropriations Bill which includes a provision banning the entry of Philippine government officials involved in De Lima's "wrongful imprisonment." On January 8, the bipartisan resolution, logged as US Senate Resolution (SR) 142, calling for her immediate release from wrongful imprisonment and invoking Global Magnitsky sanctions against her persecutors, was unanimously approved by the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
by Bernardo Cervellera

The book Cina COVID 19. La Chimera che ha cambiato il Mondo (Edizioni Cantagalli, Siena, 2020, 272 pages, 20 euros) by scientist Joseph Tritto was released today. China conducted bioengineering experiments with French and US financial and scientific help. The work was meant to develop vaccines, gradually morphing into military research. The Wuhan lab is now run by Chinas People's Liberation Army under General Chen Wei, an expert in biochemical weapons and bioterrorism. Vaccines are a commercial venture. Getting China to sign the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention is one objective.

Rome (AsiaNews)  COVID-19, which is killing and infecting people all over the world, is not a naturally occurring virus; instead, it was created in Wuhan, in a level-4 biosafety laboratory. Not only Chinese, but also French and US scientists contributed to the production of this "chimera," an organism created in a lab.

Until a few months ago, such an idea would have been labelled a conspiracy theory, contemptuously dismissed by people who believed in Chinas innocence, treated as absurd by several scholars who defended the "innocence" of science.

Now such thesis is presented with extensive documentation, dates, facts, names by an internationally renowned scientist, Prof Joesph Tritto, president of the Paris-based World Academy of Biomedical Sciences and Technologies (WABT), a non-governmental institution founded in 1997 under the auspices of UNESCO.

Prof Tritto, 68, is the author of Cina COVID 19. La Chimera che ha cambiato il Mondo (China COVID 19. The chimera that changed the world), a book that was released today by Edizioni Cantagalli.

In its 272 pages, which can be read like a thriller, Prof Tritto explains the origins of the virus with precision and scientific resolve, starting from the Chinese attempt to study vaccines against SARS, inserting genomes from HIV into organisms (which makes them more aggressive), adding elements of coronavirus discovered in horseshoe bats, using a method called reverse genetics system 2.

Prof Shi Zheng Li, head of the Wuhan laboratory, was the leading figure in these genetic engineering experiments, but the lab received help from the French government and the Pasteur institute, from which the Chinese learnt how to use HIV genomes.

Some US scientists also helped, including Prof Ralph S. Baric, of the University of North Carolina, with funds from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). US scientists were interested in studying coronaviruses, which was prohibited in their country until 2017 due to their dangerousness.

Prof Tritto has a respectable curriculum. He is a doctor in urology, andrology, infertility microsurgery, and a professor in microtechnology and nanotechnology in the United Kingdom and India. He is a visiting professor and director of nano-medicine at Amity University in New Delhi (India).

For this very reason he could closely vet the research done in Wuhan. In his view, the latter began as a way to fight disease, but gradually turned into bioengineering studies to build lethal biological weapons.

It is no coincidence that in the past five years, the Wuhan lab received the largest portion of Chinas funding for virologic research, turning it into an advanced research centre under the direct control of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese government.

According to Prof Tritto, Prof Shi Zheng-Li probably had no interest in doing work for the military or other purposes, unless she was forced to do so. Nobody doubts her good faith.

However, the fact remains that after the laboratory came into the spotlight because of the pandemic, Peoples Liberation Army Major General Chen Wei (picture 1), an expert in biochemical weapons and bioterrorism, was appointed head of the Wuhan Institute of Virology, working with a team that includes Zhong Nanshan, a famous pulmonologist with long experience in infectious lung diseases.

In effect, the Wuhan Institute of Virology was placed under the control of Chinas military. Since then, nothing is known about Professor Shi Zheng-Li who seems to have disappeared.

In Trittos book, scientists come out badly. Driven by the desire for knowledge, they become eager for power, ambition, careerism and money.

Part of the book is devoted to vaccine research, in which institutes and labs compete against one another, not for the sake of medicine and to save the millions of coronavirus patients, but only to be the first to sell vaccines around the world.

China is well placed in this area. According to Prof Tritto, Beijing has only released partial data, and not made available the original genetic structure of the coronavirus (mother virus). Why? Because only with the original structure of the virus is it possible to produce a truly universal vaccine, effective everywhere on earth. Over time, viruses mutate and a vaccine produced by a mutated virus is effective only during a certain period time and in certain areas.

In other words, narrow commercial interests are the driving force, not love for science. Yet, lest we forget  and Prof Tritto does not  there are many heroes in this pandemic. In addition to the doctors and nurses who gave their lives to treat patients when they arrived in great numbers in emergency wards, we must cite the first doctors who reported the epidemic in Wuhan, who were forced into silence by police, threatened with dismissal.

One of these people is Dr Ai Fen (picture 2), who reported a "strange influence" as early as November and was muzzled by hospital authorities. Another one is Dr Li Wenliang (picture 3), an ophthalmologist who was forced to keep quiet and then died of COVID-19, infected by one of his patients. Nothing is currently known of Dr Ai Fen, who is missing.

Prof Trittos book also goes after the World Health Organisation, which has become - according to many - a "puppet" in Chinas hands, complicitous in its silence on the epidemic.

However, the book is not only turned to the past. Prof Tritto wants to see worldwide rules adopted for chimera research, level-4 biosafety labs, and cooperation between military and civil labs. China and other countries should also be forced to sign the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC).
President Donald Trump continues to claim the U.S. is doing better than other countries in handling the coronavirus pandemic, despite having the most Covid-19 cases and deaths worldwide.

Trump clashed with Axios reporter Jonathan Swan in a new interview released Monday on HBO, showing several charts and graphs comparing Covid-19 in several countries. The U.S. has confirmed more than 4.7 million cases and 155,478 deaths as of Tuesday, accounting for nearly a quarter of the 18 million cases and 694,703 deaths globally.

Right here, United States is lowest in numerous categories, Trump said, handing the reporter a chart. Were lower than the world.

Lower than the world? What does that mean? Swan responded.

According to Johns Hopkins University figures, only two other countries have reported more than a million cases: 2.8 million cases and 94,665 deaths in Brazil, and 1.9 million cases and 38,938 deaths in India. No other country besides the U.S. and Brazil have topped 50,000 deaths.

Trumps figures appeared to be comparing countries by deaths as a proportion of total cases, while Swan said he was looking at the death toll as a proportion of the population.

Thats where the U.S. is really bad, said Swan, a national political correspondent for Axios. Much worse than South Korea, Germany, et cetera.

You cant do that, Trump said. You have to go by the cases... What it says is that when you have someone where theres a case, the people that live from those cases.

In observed case-fatality ratios, the U.S. is seeing 3.3 deaths per 100 confirmed cases, or 3.3%, which is lower than a dozen countries including Brazil (3.4%), Egypt (5.2%), Mexico (10.8%) and the United Kingdom (15.1%). However, in population comparisons (which include confirmed cases and healthy people), the U.S. is seeing 47.5 deaths per 100,000 people; only Chile, Peru and the UK have a higher mortality rate.

Swan said its surely relevant to compare deaths to a countrys population, noting that South Korea has a population of 51 million but only 300 deaths from coronavirus.

You dont know that, Trump responded.

You think theyre faking their statistics? South Korea, an advanced country? Swan asked the president.

I wont get into that because we have a very good relationship with the country. But you dont know that. And they have spikes, Trump said.

Trump further claimed that the U.S. is reporting more coronavirus cases than other countries because of increased testing and said death is way down from where it was.

Swan argued that coronavirus cases and deaths in the U.S. were previously on the decline, but have gone back up nationally. The U.S. is averaging close to 65,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths per day, up from 21,000 daily cases in May and 730 daily deaths in June.

They are dying, thats true. And you have  it is what it is. But that doesnt mean we arent doing everything we can. Its under control as much as you can control it. This is a horrible plague, Trump said.

Trump was also asked about the ongoing protests against police brutality and racial injustice in Portland, and the federal response to those protests. When pressed about unidentified police kidnapping protesters in unmarked vans, the president insisted that Antifa people were to blame.

Trump also claimed without evidence that, if not for federal authorities, protesters would have killed Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler when he joined them in front of the Mark O. Hatfield Federal Courthouse in Portland. Reporters on the ground for The Oregonian/OregonLive were present at that protest and observed protesters challenging Wheeler, asking him questions and occasionally shouting at him. Wheeler was later tear gassed by federal officers along with the rest of the crowd.

You can watch President Trumps remarks on the Portland protests here:

In the wide-ranging interview, Trump doubled down on his well-wishes for Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime companion of Jeffrey Epstein who stands accused of facilitating the abuse of girls by the now-deceased sex offender. Among other claims, Trump suggested that China purposely sent the novel coronavirus to the US, repeated unsubstantiated claims of mail-in voting fraud, and dismissed reports of Russian bounties on American troops in Afghanistan. He also defended his decision not to attend Rep. John Lewiss funeral by complaining that the Georgia congressman and civil rights leader chose not to come to my inauguration.

See the full episode:
Delhi University (DU) professor Apoorvanand was questioned by the Delhi Polices special cell on Monday in connection with the ongoing probe into the north-east Delhi riots that took place in February.

On Tuesday, Apoorvanand tweeted his statement that on Monday he was called by the special cell to appear for the investigation. He wrote, I spent five hours there. The Delhi Police also considered it necessary to seize my phone for the purpose of investigation. While cooperating and respecting the rights of police to conduct a full, fair and thorough investigation, one can only hope that the probe would focus on the real instigators and perpetrators of the violence against a peaceful citizens protest and the people of north-east Delhi.

When contacted, the professor said Monday was the first time that he had been approached by the police.

 I am surprised if not shocked. I want to put it on record that I was not harassed.The interaction was very polite and courteous. But to even assume that I may have information about the murders and the robbery that took place as part of the riots is wrong. I have been a critic of the new citizenship law but, at the same time, I had also opposed the road blockade during anti-CAA (Citizenship (Amendment) Act) protests. Some of us went to Jafrabad, Khureji and other (protest) sites, asking people not to block roads. In Khureji, we succeeded in advising people to vacate the roads, but we failed in other places. It is on record (social media video recordings) that we had asked people not to block roads. That form of protest has exhausted its life. But it is equally erroneous to say that the protests were themselves a source of violence. In fact the violence was unleashed on them, he said.

Apoorvanand, a professor at DUs department of Hindi, said an investigating agency is within its right to summon anyone for an investigation but it was disturbing to see a theory emerging which treats the supporters of the protesters as the source of violence.

I would urge and expect the police to be thorough, just and fair so that the truth prevails. The real perpetrators of the violence will be let off if one follows this narrative. Also, if police say the violence was planned at protest sites, then I would call it an abject failure of intelligence.

A Delhi Police spokesperson confirmed that the professor was summoned in a case relating to north-east riots and that he had arrived at the special cell office in Lodhi Colony on Monday. As a part of the investigation, his mobile phone was taken into possession by the investigation team, the spokesperson said, while refusing to comment on the ongoing investigation.

On Saturday, the special cell had also questioned former JNU student Umar Khalid on his alleged role in the north-east riots in February, in which 53 persons were killed and over 400 injured.

Police have alleged that Khalid, a prominent voice during the anti- CAA protests, was one of the main persons who orchestrated the riots along with local politicians and a few activists. Saturday was the first time that Khalid was questioned, though his name figures in multiple charge sheets filed in the riots cases.

Apart from the 700 cases registered by the local police and the crime branch in the riots, the special cell (anti-terror unit) registered an FIR 59/2020 to probe the larger conspiracy behind the violence that raged from February 23 to 26. As part of the probe, police have arrested many who had led protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

Some of these arrested persons, who were prominent faces of the protests, such as Jamia student Safoora Zargar, Sharjeel Imam, and Meeran Haider, among others, have accused the police of targeting anti-government voices under the garb of probing the riots.

Police have said some leaders of the CAA protests had mobilised people, spread falsehood about the new law and orchestrated the riots. But Zargar, Imam and Haider have denied the polices allegations and said they had only held peaceful demonstrations.

Apoorvanand in his statement on Twitter also said the police investigation should not lead to further harassment and victimisation of the protesters who asserted their democratic right through constitutional means while expressing their dissent to the passage of CAA and the decision of the Union government to operationalise the National Population Register (NPR) and the National Register of Citizens (NRC) all over the country.

 They (police) havent placed any restriction on my travel or told me whether I would be called in again. I am ready to cooperate with the investigation, he said.
Seattle's police chief has pleaded with city officials to 'stop mob rule and do the right thing' after 'aggressive' protesters marched on her home Saturday.

Carmen Best wrote a letter to the council Monday two days after protesters showed up at her home Saturday night. Best, who opposes a 50 per cent cut in police funding, said council members need to 'forcefully call for the end of these tactics.'

Protesters recently also appeared outside the homes of Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan and some people on the City Council as demonstrations continue following the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Best last month spoke out against a plan proposed by advocates to cut the police department budget by 50 per cent and reallocate the money to other community needs. 'We will be much less safe,' she warned.

The Seattle Times reports residents blocked a road into Best's neighborhood during the demonstrations. Footage appears to show armed neighbors blocking the road. A protester says: 'We don't have guns, you're the ones with guns.'

Neighbor Jamie Roulstone said: 'It was not peaceful. They were here to intimidate. Scare people. Scare children. There were children out there and they were asking them what schools they went to. They were yelling the most horrible things youve ever heard in your entire life.'

Best's letter said her neighbors 'were concerned by such a large group' and didn't allow protesters to 'trespass or engage in other illegal behavior in the area, despite repeated attempts to do so.'

Seattles police chief urged the City Council to tell protesters to stop visiting the homes of elected officials and others during emotional debates over reducing funding for police

The Seattle Times reports residents blocked a road into Best's neighborhood during the demonstrations. Footage appears to show armed neighbors blocking the road. A protester says: 'We don't have guns, you're the ones with guns.'

But councilmember Tammy Morales said: 'I take exception to the response by our police chief who celebrated that her neighbors met with these young people with guns.'

Snohomish County Sheriff Adam Fortney said most of the protesters were dispersing or had already left when deputies arrived.

He said he spoke with Best, who was not at the home at the time, on the phone and 'assured her that his office would deploy whatever resources were necessary to protect her, her family and her property.'

Chief Best said: 'When the people showed up to my house, it certainly felt very personal about me. It really does seem like a mob mentality, and bullying, to intimidate a public official.'

Seattle City Council members are eyeing proposals to shrink the police department, starting with budget proposals that could reduce the force by as many as 100 officers through layoffs and attrition this year.

Most of the proposals, including cuts aimed at the SWAT team, encampment-removal team and mounted unit, appear to have enough support to pass.

Yet the package unveiled by some council members won't immediately accomplish what many protesters have been calling for, and what Best has issued warnings about: Reducing the Police Department's spending by at least 50 per cent and redirecting that money to other areas.

After it emerged seven of nine members of the Seattle City Council have indicated they support the plan to cut the department's budget in half Best said: 'I'm hoping that the council will reconsider this very rash and reckless decision and allow us to do the work that we're supposed to do for the city of Seattle.'

She wrote in an earlier letter to Seattle Mayor Durkin that approving the plan would amount to 'political pandering'.

Protesters recently appeared outside the homes of Mayor Jenny Durkan and some people on the City Council as demonstrations continue following the police killing of George Floyd

The area, known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP, was cleared out on July 1 on an order from Mayor Durkin who had declared the ongoing protest an 'unlawful assembly

Best argued the same in a video message posted on YouTube to the department, where she suggested that cutting the police budget in half would ask residents 'to test out a theory that crime goes away if police go away'.

But the calls for defunding cops were also driven by protesters who took over Seattle's East Precinct building after police abandoned it amid violent protests.

Demonstrators set up a cop-free 'autonomous zone' in six blocks and a park.

The area, known as the Capitol Hill Organized Protest, or CHOP, was cleared out on July 1 on an order from Mayor Durkin who had declared the ongoing protest an 'unlawful assembly.

And Seattle is not alone in considering the concept of defunding cops after the police-related slaying of George Floyd on Memorial Day.

Protests erupted after the 46-year-old black father of five died during an arrest when white office Derek Chauvin pressed his knee against the man's neck for close to nine minutes.

Floyd's death, which cost Chauvin his job and got the ex-cop charged with murder, set in motion nationwide protests, driven by the Black Lives Matter movement and a call for police reform and end to systematic racism.

Lawmakers in more than a dozen US cities responded with proposals to reform policing by defunding departments and reallocating financial resources to social needs and programs.

Minneapolis made the controversial move of considering a proposal to disband its department entirely and approved the plan by a unanimous city council vote of 12 to 0 on June 26.

New York City followed on July 1, after its council voted to slash $1billion from the NYPD budget.
Positive vaccine news

Novavax, the little-known Maryland company that received $1.6 billion from the federal government to produce an experimental coronavirus vaccine, announced encouraging results in two preliminary studies on Tuesday.

In one study, 56 volunteers produced a high level of antibodies against the virus without any dangerous side effects. In the other, researchers found that the vaccine strongly protected monkeys from coronavirus infections.

There are other vaccines that are further along with clinical trials, but Novavaxs stands out because it is protein-based  the same proven technology used for existing vaccines against diseases like shingles  which could make it safer and easier to manufacture in large amounts.

Our colleague Carl Zimmer, a science writer and author of A Planet of Viruses, thinks there will be a number of coronavirus vaccines that will turn out to be safe and effective. I think that there will be a patchwork, he told us. India, China, and Russia, could all end up with their own successful vaccines, he said, and there may be vaccines that are better for old people and other groups.
A group of about 300 Charleston area residents filed suit against Isle of Palms on Tuesday, seeking an injunction to block the barrier island's July 15 decision to temporarily prohibit non-residents from using 763 parking spots near the popular beach.

The sweeping changes, which left just 10 free parking spots on the island for non-residents, violate state law, according to the lawsuit; specifically, the South Carolina Beachfront Management Act and the Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act, which require municipalities to provide and maintain public beach access.

The lawsuit also alleges that the City Council meeting where the parking restrictions were approved violated the state's Freedom of Information Act because "the published agenda says nothing about a proposed parking ban" but rather listed a proposed ordinance to regulate beach chairs and umbrellas.

The City Council action restricted non-resident public parking on the island to a several-block area in the commercial district, as well as a small, free parking lot near Breach Inlet. Officials said the restrictions were aimed at slowing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Negative public reaction from beach-goers, including many of the more than 90,000 people who live in neighboring Mount Pleasant, was swift. A Facebook group called Charleston Area Public Beach Access and Parking Group was formed and quickly gained 5,600 members, and the lawsuit filed Tuesday names that group as the plaintiff.

Before the lawsuit was filed, the group's lawyer, Thomas Goldstein, contacted Isle of Palms Administrator Desiree Fragoso seeking to negotiate a compromise, without success, according to a post by the Facebook group's administrator, Lee Rowland.

"No one wishes to interfere with or subvert the city's efforts to control the spread of a serious, highly contagious infection (coronavirus), but there are simpler, more effective, narrowly tailored programs for promoting this goal," said Goldstein's letter to Fragoso, also posted on the group's Facebook page.

A GoFundMe page set up to create a legal fund for the group has so far raised $17,850 from more than 300 donors. The lawsuit demands that Isle of Palms pay for the legal expenses.

When contacted by The Post and Courier, Fragoso said the city received a copy of the lawsuit Tuesday afternoon but was still reviewing it and would have no comment.

Goldstein also declined to comment, saying that the lawsuit speaks for itself.

In addition to challenging the parking restrictions, the suit claims the city's increase in parking fines  to $100 for parking in a formerly free area that's now reserved for residents only  is excessive and violates the South Carolina Constitution.

Some island residents are among those who have objected to the parking restrictions, including Robert Johnston, who complained to the state Attorney General in mid-July.

Its fundamentally un-American, and it has nothing to do with (COVID-19), Johnston told The Post and Courier last week. How does raising the parking fee stop COVID?

The lawsuit challenges only Isle of Palms' parking restrictions. Folly Beach also temporarily eliminated most free beach parking in July and raised parking fines, but there were no known legal challenges to that town's actions as of Tuesday.

The roughly 300 plaintiffs in the Isle of Palms lawsuit include residents as well as non-residents, according to the filing. If successful, the lawsuit would return parking rules on Isle of Palms to the way they were prior to the July 15 City Council vote.
Retired teacher Subhash Salkar, who was glued to the TV since Wednesday morning to watch the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony for Ram temple in Ayodhya, says he would like to visit the city at least once before he dies. Salkar, a BJP leader, was part of a group of 750-odd `karsevaks' (volunteers) from Goa who were present in Ayodhya when Babri Masjid was demolished on December 6, 1992. Union AYUSH minister Shripad Naik as well as former Defence Minister late Manohar Parrikar were also in that group, Salkar, 71, reminisced. "If there were no restrictions due to COVID-19, I would have certainly traveled to Ayodhya to witness the ceremony," he said.
Washington: As three former presidents gathered in Atlanta, Georgia, last week to offer stirring tributes to former Democratic congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis, President Donald Trump was absent.

In an interview that aired on Monday night in the US (Tuesday Australian time), Trump had few kind words of his own for Lewis who died on July 17.

US President Donald Trump has taken a swipe at the late, respected Democratic Congressman and civil rights leader John Lewis. Credit:AP

Asked by interviewer Jonathan Swan, a former political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age, how history would remember Lewis' contributions to the nation, Trump demurred.

"I don't know. I don't know John Lewis," Trump said in the Axios on HBO interview. "He chose not to come to my inauguration."
04.08.2020 LISTEN

Information reaching this portal indicates that Sherina Mohammed alias Hajia Filipino, aged 40, the prime suspect connected to the killing of Madam Akua Denteh has been arrested.

The 90-year-old Denteh was lynched at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality of the Savannah Region for being a 'witch.'

According to the Ghana Police Service, the suspect was arrested at her hideout in Yeji in the Bono East Region.

Police are transporting the suspect from Yeji to the Salaga Divisional Command for interrogation.

Sherina Mohammed was brought into the community to allegedly cast out witchcraft and after some purported rituals, she reportedly labelled the 90-year-old woman as a witch.

When the woman was informed, she denied being a witch and appealed to the soothsayer to spare her, but her plea fell on deaf ears, DGN Online gathered.

Reports say the woman was openly beaten to death by Sherina Mohammed with support from a mob in the community.

Latifah Bumaye, 25, a trader believed to be an associate of the ringleader and five other suspects have been arrested and arraigned before the Bole District Magistrate court and demanded to reappear in court on August 20.

---Daily Guide
Former Air Force base in Gettysburg on market for $4.5 M

A former air force base near Gettysburg is up for sale. The base is listed as having 50 beds and 15 bathrooms on a 42-acre parcel of land.
NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWS WIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Softlab9 Technologies Inc. (CSE:SOFT)(Frankfurt:APO2)(OTC PINK:SOFSF) ("SOFT" or the "Company"), is pleased to provide this update to shareholders on the proposed acquisition of CleanGo GreenGo Inc. (CGGG).

CleanGo GreenGo Calgary Facility Readiness

The Calgary manufacturing, bottling and fulfillment facility for CleanGo GreenGo received the final components for its assembly line. The facility is now fully operational and ready to fulfill orders. There has been an unprecedented demand for its products due to the current pandemic. With the new facility up and running, CleanGo GreenGo is now equipped to meet that demand.

CleanGo GreenGo Audits and Due Diligence

CleanGo GreenGo has retained auditors in Vancouver, B.C. to conduct their audits. Work has commenced on the 2018 and 2019 audits of the company's financials. A review engagement will also be conducted from January 1st, 2020 till June 30, 2020. The company expects these audits to be complete before the end of August 2020, which is in line with the proposed timeline for approval of the closing of CleanGo GreenGo at the Annual General Meeting.

CleanGo GreenGo Opportunities

For the past few months CleanGo GreenGo has been evaluating several opportunities created by the current health crisis. The company continues to pursue prospects related to the disinfectant and sanitizing markets that would complement its current business plan.

Annual General Meeting

The company has set Sept 10, 2020 as the date for the Annual General Meeting (AGM) whereby shareholders will be given an opportunity to vote for the closing of the proposed CleanGo GreenGo acquisition. The AGM will be held at Suite 610-700 West Pender Street, Vancouver, B.C., V6G 1G8.

Rahim Mohamed, CEO of Softlab9 said, "We look forward to completing this transaction with CleanGo GreenGo. We have been closely monitoring the current pandemic situation and looking at potential projects for acquisition that would complement CleanGo GreenGo. We believe there are several items we can add to the CleanGo GreenGo family of products that will create further shareholder value, and also bring value to the CleanGo GreenGo brand."

Anthony Sarvucci, CEO of CleanGo GreenGo said, "We are pleased with the commissioning of our Calgary facility, as this marks a significant milestone for the company. Our ability to control costs and monitor the quality of our 'Made in Canada Products' will help us achieve better margins. We look forward to completing the proposed transaction with Softlab9 and continuing our successful collaboration."

About CleanGo GreenGo Inc.

CleanGo GreenGo Inc. is an FDA and Health Canada approved Manufacturer of Green, Non-Toxic, and Biodegradable suite of cleaning products for industrial, commercial and consumer markets. CleanGo GreenGo, also manufactures hand sanitizer gel which is sold throughout the USA and Canada. CleanGo's products have been tested in 2015 in the USA to kill the human coronavirus. CleanGo's products are sold on various online platforms, including Amazon, as well as through distribution in retail, wholesale, and government agencies. CleanGo GreenGo utilizes a Patent Pending IP. The Patent was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office in February 2020 and currently holds a Patent Pending Status.

About SoftLab9

SoftLab9 is a technology incubator specializing in developing, launching, and acquiring vertically integrated companies. They foster a portfolio of assets internally while providing engineering, capital, executive management, and industry experience. The Company brings together innovative ideas based on solid foundations and experienced teams to build leading companies.

Cautionary Note:

The Company is not making any express or implied claims that CleanGo GreenGo or any other product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain the Covid-19 (or SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time. Do not drink or consume any of the products at any time. Follow the instructions on the bottles. The products mentioned are meant to be used on surfaces and hands to sanitize to protect against bacteria and viruses. CleanGo GreenGo is not a cure, nor does it imply to be a cure for COVID-19.

For further information please contact:

Rahim Mohamed

Chief Executive Officer

Phone: (403) 605-9429

RM@softlab9.com

https://www.soft-lab9.com/

Paul Searle

Corporate Communications

Citygate Capital Corp

Phone: (778) 240-7724

psearle@citygatecap.com

NEITHER THE CANADIAN SECURITIES EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

Forward-looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and U.S. securities legislation, including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements in this presentation that are not purely historical are forward-looking statements and include statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, and orientations regarding the future, including without limitation statements related to the use of the proceeds of the Private Placement and the Company's prospect of success in executing its proposed plans, including its plans to complete the acquisition of CleanGo GreenGo. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as "will", "plans", "expects", "may", "intends", "anticipates", "believes", proposes" or variations of such words including negative variations thereof and phrases that refer to certain actions, events or results that may, could, would, might or will occur or be taken or achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on certain assumptions by management regarding the Company, including, without limitation, the Company's ability to acquire CleanGo GreenGo and obtain required regulatory approvals and the timing thereof. Actual results could differ from those projected in any forward-looking statements due to numerous factors including, risks and uncertainties relating to the inability of the Company, to, among other things, obtain any required governmental, regulatory or stock exchange approvals, permits, consents or authorizations required to execute its proposed business plans, and obtain the financing required to carry out its planned future activities. Other factors such as general economic, market or business conditions or changes in laws, regulations and policies affecting the Company's operations may also adversely affect the future results or performance of the Company. The Company can provide no guarantee that it will be successful in completing the Private Placement or completing the acquisition of CleanGo GreenGo. Investors are cautioned that forward looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements, except as expressly required by law.

SOURCE: Softlab9 Technologies Inc

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600229/Softlab9-Provides-Update-on-CleanGo-GreenGo-Acquisition
Cartel leader, one of Mexicos most wanted, arrested

Mexico City, Mexico  A man considered the leader of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel has been taken into police custody. Cartel leader Jose Antonio Yepez, who is also known as El Marro, was arrested Sunday and transferred to a maximum security prison Monday night.

El Marro has been captured. In a coordinated operation by federal and state forces, his capture has been finalized and the release of a kidnapped businesswoman has been achieved, announced the Attorney General of the state of Guanajuato.

News of his arrest was acknowledged by many including Christopher Landau, the US Ambassador to Mexico.

Excellent news to start this Sunday: the capture of the criminal El Marro in Guanajuato. Criminals think they are alive and ready, but in the end the good guys always win. Long live the rule of law! he posted on social media.

The Ministry of National Defense reported the arrest was made Sunday, adding that along with Jose Antonio Yepez, eight others were taken into custody in the municipality of Santa Cruz de Juventino Rosas, among them, the alleged head of security for the cartel.

Yepez, who had been on Mexicos most wanted list, has since been transferred to Puentecillas, a maximum security prison in Guanajuato. Jose Antonio Yepez, leader of Cartel de Santa Rosa de Lima, was wanted on charges of organized crime and extortion.
Nurses on the front line of Victoria's COVID-19 crisis have shared hard-hitting images of their faces heavily bruised from their protective equipment - as they plead with the state's residents to stop complaining about wearing masks.

All Victorians are required to wear a face covering in public after Premier Daniel Andrews extended compulsory mask-wearing to the rest of the state on Sunday night in an attempt to curb an explosion in coronavirus infections.

Enforcement of the government order with $200 penalties has led to anti-maskers going viral by defying policemen and shop policies telling all customers to wear a mask.

Health workers have called on people to do their civic duty and wear a mask - revealing they have to wear them for entire shifts to prevent coronavirus transmissions.

Pictured: Melbourne nurse Grace Currie with masks and a plaster on her face after wearing a heavy duty protective mask to protect herself from COVID-19. Nurses across the city have called on Victorians to do their civic duty and wear a face covering

'I dont care how uncomfortable you think your face mask is,' western Melbourne ICU research unit manager Sam Bates told ABC's 7.30.

'Im wearing one all day. I dont want to wear one all day. So please, if you have to wear one when you go out in public, just for half an hour or an hour, please do so.

'Every little bit helps.'

Royal Melbourne emergency nurse Abbey Fistrovic said the public were as much on the front line of the battle against coronavirus as health workers.

'I just saw our numbers which are up again and it's disheartening because I have the mask pushing all over my face and just being highly uncomfortable and [I'm] just thinking, when is this ever going to end?' she said.

Another Royal Melbourne emergency department nurse Mel Pearson said health workers were dehydrated because the industrial-grade N95 masks and face shields cannot be removed at all while working.

Last month, a Melbourne nurse slammed fellow 'dumb and selfish' Victorians who continue to flout the state's strict lockdown rules in an angry Facebook post which has gone viral online.

Jemma Hilliard, who wears a mask for 10 hours a day at work, had a blunt message for those who refuse to comply.

Last month, Melbourne nurse Jemma Hilliard (pictured) had a blunt message for those who refuse to comply with mask-wearing directives

Ms Hilliard has to wear a face mask up up to 10 hours day and had a blunt message for anyone who refuses to wear one to 'Man the f**k up'

'COVID isn't polite enough to step back and not infect you because you want to speak to someone in person or on the phone and you 'simply can't deal with simultaneously wearing a mask'. Man The F*** Up,' she wrote.

'This is not about COVID-19 the virus, this is about COVID-19 the pandemic. It's you, the dumb, selfish Victorians who are actually killing us.'

Nurses around the world have shared photos of their bruised, pressure-marked faces to drive home the reality of the pandemic and to encourage people to stay at home.

During the onset of the pandemic in March, Italian nurse Alessia Bonari shared a photo of her face bruised red because of her face mask.

US nurse Syndi Lane shared a photo of her in March with heavy bruising from wearing a hospital mask all day

Italian nurse Alessia Bonari also in March shared a photo of her pressure-marked face, while calling on the public to do their bit and stay at home

A woman wearing a mask at a tram stop on the first day of stage four restrictions in Melbourne on Monday

'What I ask anyone who is reading this post is not to frustrate the effort we are making, to be selfless, to stay at home and protect those who are more fragile,' she wrote in an Instagram post beside the image.

The same month, US nurse Syndi Lane shared a selfie of her with heavily bruised cheeks from her personal protective equipment.

'My face hurts after wearing an N95 for 13 f***ing hours, which happens to be the same N95 I wore yesterday for 12.5 hours, and the same one from all last week,' she said.

Inside the wave of COVID-19 deniers who push absurd conspiracy theories, post bizarre rants and put YOU at risk by holding illegal mass meetings and refusing to wear masks - and 'Bunnings Karen' is just the tip of the iceberg

By Nic White for Daily Mail Australia

A dangerous wave of coronavirus deniers is organising to make life hell for police and shop workers trying to enforce mask wearing.

The loosely coordinated group provoked outrage with a series of stunts making a mockery of police checkpoints and mandatory mask laws.

Kerry Nash, the 'Bunnings Karen' who was briefly arrested outside the Melbourne store, is now one of Australia's most reviled women - but just the tip of the iceberg.

Others have called masks the 'mark of the beast', bragged about talking their way past police blockades, and threatened officers checking they were self-isolating.

In earlier videos, a mother chucked a hissy fit because a playground was closed, and a hungry man compared a ban on dining-in at McDonald's to Nazi Germany.

All the infuriating videos show the obnoxious troublemakers spouting suspiciously similar nonsense to back up their refusal to cooperate.

That is because they are all reading from the same script they believe will protect them from fines or prosecution, and even allow them to sue police for unlawful detention.

Some of the group members are also affiliated with the Church of United Kingdom of Australia, which is planning an illegal rally in Melbourne on Friday.

Bernardette Cassar

One of the chief proponents of the script and the legal fictions that go along with it is a civil engineering graduate turned kitchen designer.

Ms Cassar has not had a run-in with police during the coronavirus pandemic, but posts relentlessly about what others should do if they are.

She posts a widely-shared 'checklist' of materials including the step-by-step list of responses to police questions, the legal arguments behind it, and a schedule of 'fees' to charge police for 'unlawful detention'.

Bernardette Cassar preaches anti-mask wearing, refusal to give details to police, and that 5G is the work of Satan

The documents are to be printed out and kept in your car at all times ready to be used if a follower is pulled over by police.

There is also a flowchart showing the process of 'lawful dissent' that makes demands for restitution if arrested or forced to do something by the state.

'We will be living under a total dictatorship very soon! Exercise your rights before they are completely stripped always,' she wrote in one post.

'Will you EDUCATE yourself, learn that all is one big LIE, listen when someone wants to show you the TRUTH and following through with ACTIONS we provide?

'Or stick your head in the SAND and continue to believe the FALSE evidence that those in POWER are using to take your RIGHTS away day by day?'

She posts a widely-shared 'checklist' of materials including the step-by-step list of responses to police questions, the legal arguments behind it, and a schedule of 'fees' to charge police for 'unlawful detention', which are kept in her car in case she is pulled over

There is also a flowchart showing the process of 'lawful dissent' that makes demands for restitution if arrested or forced to do something by the state

Ms Cassar also preaches that Australia is run by a corporation, and that women are being tracked by microchips in their Victoria's Secret bras.

She partakes in many conspiracy theories, including running an anti-5G group that claims the technology is the work of Satan.

'You guys need to turn off that stupid box and stop listening to the stupid media who has been bought by these people,' she said.

'We are allowing them to control us.'

Nick Patterson

Former MMA fighter Nick Patterson is one of the group's ringleaders who hosts a weekly meeting of up to 50 followers in his Melbourne gym.

A photo from a meeting at 6pm on Sunday showed a tight circle of followers with Mr Patterson in the middle - even as gatherings of more than two were banned.

'A great night together discussing the putrid conduct of the police, government and media lies. We are strong and won't bow down to these oppressors,' he wrote.

He also praised Eve Black, who was widely condemned for refusing to provide her details to officers as she left a coronavirus hotspot.

Former MMA fighter Nick Patterson) is one of the group's ringleaders. He hosts a weekly meeting of up to 50 followers in his Melbourne gym

'Thank you for sharing your experience with us and how media created a work of fiction with their slanderous narrative to demonise you, a true libertarian. God bless the righteous and give them power to prevail,' he said.

Ms Black replied: 'Thank you for having me there. It was so amazing to be in a room full of people who support and celebrate me during this tough time.'

Mr Patterson's website John 8 acts as a resource for anti-mask conspiracy theorists, including the script they read out to police, and the dubious legal argument behind it.

'I want to help people learn the Truth so they can become strong, not just with knowledge, but with the mindset of a warrior,' it reads

He also posts numerous videos on Facebook airing his views, including one where he went to a supermarket without a mask.

'I went shopping earlier and I got heckled a little bit. So we're going to go see how it looks when we go in again,' he said on Friday.

'The problem with communism is it bring everyone down to the lowest, most ignorant denomination (sic), so let's have a look at the crazieness (sic).

He also posts numerous videos on Facebook airing his views, including one where he went to a supermarket without a mask

'Apparently there's a law that means you have to wear a mask, but if you study law they need a declaration of override through the parliament, but parliament's shut so they can't get one.

'But because the TV tell people that it's a new law, people believe it.

Mr Patterson said Australia once had the Anzac spirit about fighting for your rights but 'now people just roll over and let people put muzzles on them, restrict their breathing.'

Mr Patterson in other posts claims people who 'are wearing their masks will easily accept a mark'.

'If there is a moral reason for wearing a mask then I surely can't see it. There is no legal powers to force healthy people to wear masks, so why are the police, government and media telling a big fat lie??'

Eve Black

The young Melbourne woman became a hero to her 'cause' when she shared footage of herself driving past an officer at a COVID-19 police barricade in Melbourne.

When a police officer asked her where she was headed and why she was attempting to leave, Ms Black simply told him she didn't need to share that information.

Instead of sharing her personal information, Ms Black asked the officer whether she'd 'disturbed the peace' by trying to leave her town.

'No,' the officer responded. 'I just asked what your reason for leaving today is.'

Eve Black became a hero to her 'cause' when she shared footage of herself driving past an officer at a COVID-19 police barricade

Ms Black responded: 'I don't need to tell you that. I don't know you.'

Initially, the officer persisted. 'Where have you come from,' he asked again.

'I don't need to answer your questions. Have I committed a crime? Have I committed a crime?' she asked twice.

Instead of answering her question, the officer waved Ms Black through the checkpoint.

'Just keep going,' he said as he let her and her passenger drive past.

Ms Black admitted she was 'nervous as heck' as she approached the checkpoint, but encouraged her friends and family to 'know their rights' during lockdown.

'I just read from the sheet and he could obviously see it wasn't worth the trouble,' she explained.

Ms Black said she didn't 'regret' sharing the video which has since been heavily criticised

Ms Black wiped most of her Facebook profile after the video went viral but still actively discusses refusing face masks and related issues on other profiles such as Mr Patterson's.

'I have privatised my acc (sic) because I have better things to do than be a punching bag for your fear,' she wrote.

'I regret nothing, I'm just tired of the abuse and threats. Wake up, sleeper.'
Late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs sister Shweta Singh Kirti has reported a fake Twitter profile in her name and has asked her followers to report it too. Shweta said that the profile had blocked her.

Shweta Kriti Singh is a fake profile, please be aware. #fakeprofile, she wrote in a tweet. She attached a screenshot of a tweet by the fake profile that claimed to be Shwetas. The fake tweet sent out on Raksha Bandhan read that all those asking for justice of Sushant were her brothers and asked everyone to retweet her.

Please, report this profile, my sister Neetu Singh is not on Twitter, first she was using my name and now she has changed the name to Neetu, her twitter handle Is @sistersusant, I cant tag her because she has blocked me. I request everyone to report this fake profile.  shweta singh kirti (@shwetasinghkirt) August 4, 2020

Shweta added that the fake profile later switched their name to Sushants other sister, Neetu. Please, report this profile, my sister Neetu Singh is not on Twitter, first she was using my name and now she has changed the name to Neetu, her twitter handle Is @sistersusant, I cant tag her because she has blocked me. I request everyone to report this fake profile, she wrote.

Sushants followers were angry at the fake profile for trying to gain followers out of the tragedy. Wtfu making fake ids just to get more followers shame on this nonsense people fake id unfollow him/her, read a tweet. Lets pick on this and report and re-report to Twitter as a fake account. A lot of requests would force them to disable the account, read another tweet.

Also read: Happy birthday Vishal Bhardwaj: 10 popular songs he composed for Gulzar

Shweta has been sharing regular posts and pictures with her late brother on social media. On Monday, she shared a picture of all the siblings as children, celebrating Raksha Bandhan. Happy Rakshabandhan mera sweet sa baby... bahut pyaar karte hain hum aapko jaan... aur hamesha karte rahenge... you were, you are and you will always be our PRIDE! @sushantsinghrajput #HappyRakshaBandhan, she wrote.

Sushant died on June 14 at his Bandra home. As per the Mumbai Police, he was suffering from depression. The Mumbai Police are investigating his death, while Bihar Police have launched an investigation against Sushants actor girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty after an FIR was lodged by Sushants father last week.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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By Jung Min-ho





New Zealand nationals were among the victims confirmed dead after a mudslide engulfed a resort pension in Gapyeong, Gyeonggi Province, amid heavy rain in Korea's central regions earlier this week, according to a local media report.





Police and rescue workers said Tuesday that they recovered the bodies of three people, who were inside when it was buried under a landslide Monday morning.





According to JoongAng Ilbo, a local daily, the victims were New Zealand citizens  a pension owner, 65, her daughter, 36, and her grandson, 2. A spokeswoman for the New Zealand Embassy in Seoul told The Korea Times that she could not immediately confirm the report.





On the same day, a landslide swept over a temporary building in a semiconductor parts plant in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province, killing three workers in their 30s and seriously injuring one in his 50s.





The Central Disaster and Safety Countermeasure Headquarters said the downpour had left 13 people dead and 13 missing across the country as of Tuesday morning.





More than 1,000 from 629 households were forced to leave their homes; more than half of them were in North Chungcheong Province, followed by 391 in Gyeonggi and 70 in Gangwon.





Property damage has also continued to snowball, with 1,483 private assets and 1,475 public facilities damaged. A total of 5,751 hectares of farm land have been swamped or buried.


The Anti Corruption Bureau (ACB) of Rajasthan has trapped the Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) in Sriganganagar district and his middleman while taking a bribe of 2 lakh. The bribe was taken to settle a family dispute between a Canada-based resident and his spouse of Raisinghnagar block in the district.

Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) of ACB, Dinesh MN told HT that the ACB headquarter received a complaint from the NRI husband stating that ASP Amrit Lal Jingar, through his middleman Ashok Bishnoi, offered him to settle the dispute with his wife by giving her 25 lakh as compensation and 2 lakh to ASP Jingar for his mediation.

The complainant had already paid Rs 1 lakh to the ASP while his wife was demanding 45 lakh for the settlement of the divorce case. The complaint was forwarded to the special unit-2 (SU-2) of the ACB for verification and after the demand was proved the ACB team led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, Mangilal Choudhary of SU-2, trapped the middleman Ashok Bishnoi accepting the bribe for ASP Jingar around 1.30 am on Tuesday night.

Also read: Ram temple event - Auspicious moment will last only 32 seconds

ACB sources said that when another team of ACB raided the official residence of the ASP at Raisinghnagar, his gunman opened fire on the team and the ASP managed to slip away from the spot. The ACB team informed the headquarter about the escape of the alleged accused and after the intervention of Inspector General of Police, Bikaner range- Prafulla Kumar, and District Superintendent of Police- Rajan Dushyant, the ASP agreed to appear before the ACB team. Meanwhile, the ACB has arrested ASP Amrit Lal Jingar and his middleman Ashok Bishnoi who are being interrogated at the ACB office in Sriganganagar.

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Teachers and school staff are demanding in-person classes not be held until sufficient safety protocols are established.

Teachers and support staff at more than 35 school districts across the United States on Monday are protesting against the reopening of schools while COVID-19 is surging in many parts of the country.

They are demanding in-person classes not be held until scientific data supports it, safety protocols such as lower class sizes and virus testing are established, and schools are staffed with adequate numbers of counsellors and nurses, according to a website set up for the demonstrations.

On Twitter, the Milwaukee Teachers Education Association showed protesters making fake gravestones that said Here lies a third-grade student from Green Bay who caught COVID at school and RIP Grandma caught COVID helping grand kids with homework.

TODAY IS THE DAY! Students, teachers, parents, & communities across country are rising to #DemandSafeSchools! Art Teachers made gravestones for car caravan paying tribute to those whom undoubtedly will die if profits r placed over health. #EdEquityOrElse https://t.co/fmThzDcy8q pic.twitter.com/Uy5CLMnNuv  MTEA (@MTEAunion) August 3, 2020

Teachers are also demanding financial help for parents in need, including rent and mortgage assistance, a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and cash assistance.

Many of these issues are at the centre of a political tussle in Washington, where Congressional Democrats and Trump administration officials will resume talks on Monday aimed at hammering out a coronavirus economic relief bill after missing a deadline to extend benefits to tens of millions of jobless Americans.

The coronavirus, first recorded in China in December, has infected 4.6 million people in the US and killed more than 155,000 Americans since February. Deaths rose by over 25,000 in July and cases doubled in 19 states during the month.

Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020

President Donald Trump has made school reopenings for classroom instruction, as they normally would in August and September, part of his re-election campaign. The Republican president is trailing in opinion polls against Democratic candidate Joe Biden ahead of the November 3 election.

Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools! Trump tweeted on Monday.

While reported case numbers may be linked to more testing, recent increases in hospitalisations and deaths have no connection to more people being tested for the virus.

Florida teachers, whose unions are against their members returning to school, hold a car parade protest in front of the Pasco County School district office in Land O Lakes, Florida, US [Octavio Jones/Reuters]

The United States is in a new phase of the outbreak with infections in rural areas as well as cities, Deborah Birx, the coordinator of Trumps coronavirus task force, said on Sunday.

What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread, Birx said on CNNs State of the Union programme.

On Monday, Trump lashed out at Birx for her comments. Trump accused Birx of capitulating to criticism from Democrats that the federal governments response to the pandemic has been ineffective.

So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic! Trump wrote.

So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020

House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi said on CNN on Monday that Birx has enabled Trump, who played down the seriousness of the virus in the early stages and pushed for a quick reopening of the economy and schools following weeks of lockdowns.

I dont have confidence in anyone who stands there while the President says swallow Lysol and its going to cure your virus, Pelosi said in a reference to Trump at a coronavirus briefing in April with Birx present.

Trump had asked whether injecting disinfectant into the body could be a treatment for the virus, leading makers of those products to issue warnings against doing so.
Social distancing measures to control the spread of coronavirus 'make people feel safer spending money and working' which actually helps the economy, a study has found.

Researchers from the University of Copenhagen compared drops in economic activity due to Covid-19 reduction measures in Sweden and Denmark.

The two Scandinavian countries were similarly exposed to the deadly virus but only Denmark imposed significant restrictions on social and economic activities.

They found that spending dropped by about 25 per cent in Sweden and by about 29 per cent in Denmark, suggesting lockdown measures weren't to blame.

Measures to restrict social contact, particularly among the young, allowed the elderly to feel more confident going out and spending money, they found.

The team said the virus caused economic activity to reduce and it happens regardless of whether governments mandate social distancing or not.

Researchers say efforts to slow the spread of coronavirus through lockdown measures can help to improve the economy by making older people feel safe going out

Study authors found that social distancing reinforces the virus-induced drop in spending for low-health-risk individuals.

However, they found that these measures increase the spending from high-risk individuals by lowering the overall prevalence of the virus in the society.

Social distancing laws that restrict the activities of private businesses are often seen as sacrificing the economy to save lives from Covid-19.

Many countries have experienced massive reductions in consumer spending around the time they began to shut down.

The researchers say data from Sweden and Denmark suggest that these restrictions are responsible for only a small portion of the drop in spending.

'This suggests that most of the economic contraction is caused by the virus itself and occurs regardless of social distancing laws,' the authors explained.

One of the key policy choices facing governments in the coronavirus pandemic is whether to shut down economic activity to slow the spread of the disease.

A lot of economic activity happens in high density areas such as restaurants and trains or where close contact is required such as hairdressers and dentists.

Study authors found spending in Sweden dropped by 25 per cent and 29 per cent in Denmark despite Denmark having significant lockdown measures

The severity of restrictions to minimise contact and slow the virus spread varies considerably across countries.

Many governments are considering day by day whether to loosen, maintain, or tighten restrictions in response to new data on Covid-19 cases and mortality.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson opted to reintroduce some lockdown measures in the North of England and pause planned relaxing of other measures due to new data on increases in the spread of the virus.

The team behind the study say the choice facing governments is often portrayed as a trade-off between 'saving lives and saving the economy'.

'By this logic, more severe restrictions help to contain the virus and reduce the ultimate death toll, but they cause more economic pain,' the team wrote.

However, the team say this doesn't consider the possibility that the virus itself inflicts significant harm to the economy even without lockdown measures.

They say this comes as the result of people cutting back on consumption and work due to perceived personal health risks or efforts people take to cut their own economic activities for the health of others.

'Furthermore, this points to an indirect mechanism by which government-mandated shutdowns can actually improve economic outcome,' the team explained.

RESEARCHERS USED BANK ACCOUNT DATA TO TRACK SPENDING Researchers examined bank account transaction information for Sweden and Denmark. The anonymous information allowed them to track spending habits from different groups in the community. They found that lockdown measures designed to slow the spread of the virus increased spending among the elderly as they 'felt safer'. At the same time it reduced spending among younger people who were more likely to go to densely packed businesses such as clubs and pubs. Overall, they found the impact of lockdown was minimal on spending compared to the effect of the virus itself. Advertisement

Basically, the team found that by reducing the spread of the virus, shutdowns can make people more comfortable with going outside, spending money, and working.

It is particularly beneficial to people in higher-risk categories such as the elderly.

Shutting down sectors where people are closer together such as pups and clubs constrain the choices of the young, who would otherwise contribute most to the spreading of the virus, the Scandinavian authors said.

This in turn induces high-risk people - such as the elderly - to actually spend more money than they otherwise wood as they are at a lower-risk of catching Covid-19.

To come to this conclusion the team studied economic data from bank accounts in Denmark and Sweden between January 1, 2018 and April 5, 2020.

This was a 'natural' experiment as Denmark and Sweden were roughly equally exposed to the virus but only Denmark imposed lockdown measures.

Starting March, 11 2020, Denmark introduced social distancing laws that included the full or partial shutdown of many venues of economic activity.

Unlike Denmark and almost every other Western country, Sweden adopted a light-touch approach that involved limited restrictions.

After about two weeks of the Danish shutdown excess deaths in Denmark increased much less rapidly than they did in Sweden.

Shutting down sectors where people are closer together such as pups and clubs constrain the choices of the young, who would otherwise contribute most to the spreading of the virus, the Scandinavian authors said

The team compared spending between the two countries to isolate the casual effects of social distancing laws on economic activity.

'We find that the Danish shutdown had a modest effect on aggregate spending,' the team explained, adding it reduced spending by about 4 percent points.

There was a 29 per cent drop in spending in Denmark and the 25 per cent drop in spending in Sweden through the COVID-19 pandemic.

They also discovered that the shutdown reduced the spending of the young and increases the spending of the elderly.

'The positive effect of the shutdown on the economic activity of the elderly suggests that the Danish shutdown served to contain the spread of the virus and hence reduced the need for extreme self-isolation among those most at risk for severe health consequences,' the team explained.

Gross domestic product has plummeted into negative territory in the UK during the pandemic

In many countries, the introduction of social distancing laws in response to Covid-19 has occurred at the same time as a sharp contraction in economic activity, including consumer spending.

The team say this suggests the laws are responsible for economic harm, but argue that isn't the case and the virus itself is what caused most of the downturn.

'The fact that the shutdown has only a small effect on consumer spending suggests that most of the economic contraction occurs regardless of whether governments mandate social distancing or not,' they said.

'Moreover, while these results confirm the popular notion that the lives saved by a shutdown come at an economic cost, the trade-off is much less stark than suggested by the large drops in economic activity around shutdowns.

'Governments should weigh the benefits of the public health interventions in terms of reduced mortality and serious illness against the small differential cost in terms of economic activity.'

The team say while their study focused on Scandinavian countries, it also extends to other nations that introduced income-support policies such as furlough.

The findings have been published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Authorities said the blast was linked to 2750 tons of ammonium nitrate stored in a port warehouse, It's still unclear what exactly caused the explosion. But a number of experts believe military munitions and propellants were present as well as the ammonium nitrate. Ammonium nitrate, a compound of ammonia and nitrogen, is a highly volatile material used in agricultural fertilisers and bombs. The Lebanese Health Ministry said hospitals were overwhelmed by an influx of casualties. The Lebanese Red Cross said hospitals in the city were either so full or so badly damaged that hundreds of patients have had to be turned away or treated on the street or in car parks. Major General Abbas Ibrahim, the head of Lebanon's General Security Directorate, said the ammonium nitrate had been seized from a ship and kept in a warehouse at the port, causing disbelief that such a dangerous substance could be stored in the densely populated capital. It may have been there for up to six years. "It appears that there is a warehouse containing material that was confiscated years ago, and it appears that it was highly explosive material," he said.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said one Australian had been killed in the blast and embassy staff were working to determine how many others had been injured. "I can confirm there has been one Australian that has been killed," Morrison said on Wednesday morning. "Which is terribly devastating and, obviously, we can't give more details about the specifics at this time but our sympathies to all of the people in Lebanon. "There is such a large Lebanese Australian community here and they would be worried about loved ones. The details will hopefully be provided soon."

A number of staff members at the Australian embassy have received glass injuries from the smashed windows, but no employee is believed to be seriously injured. It is understood that an Australian consular team was travelling to Beirut to assist the local team with any Australian casualties. Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud said the capital was a disaster area, with the damage "enormous". This reminds me of what happened in Japan, to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, he said.

Ive never seen damage of this size and width and so catastrophic. This is a national catastrophe. This is a problem for Lebanon, and we dont know how were going to get out of it." Lebanese President Michel Aoun said in a Twitter post it was "unacceptable" that so much ammonium nitrate could have been stored in central Beirut for so long. He also declared a two-week state of emergency. An injured man walks at the explosion scene that hit the seaport, in Beirut. Credit:AP The Lebanese Red Cross has issued an urgent call for blood and was bringing ambulances from elsewhere in the country into Beirut to help. Lebanons Prime Minister, Hassan Diab, declared Wednesday a national day of mourning for the victims.

In a televised speech, he said he would soon "reveal facts" about the warehouse where the explosion occurred and suggested there may have been issues with the site for several years. "I promise you this catastrophe will not pass without accountability. The people who are responsible will pay a price," he said. The force of the explosion flipped cars on the roofs. Credit:AP Amal Saad, a political science professor at the Lebanese University, tweeted: "No words can describe what I just saw at the hospital ER." "I rushed there because of severe pain in my left arm and swelling. We couldnt get to the entrance because of the pile of corpses that hadnt been moved. The dozens of severely injured people, including migrant workers. No words."

At a White House press conference on Tuesday (Wednesday AEST) Trump said the explosion "looks like a terrible attack". Asked if he was confident if the explosion was an attack rather than an accident, Trump said: "It would seem like it based on the explosion. Civilians carry a person at the explosion scene that hit the seaport. Credit:AP "I've met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that it was not a...some kind of manufacturing explosion type of event." He said the generals "seem to think it was an attack".

"It was a bomb of some kind," he said. But the Australian government has seen no evidence the explosion was deliberate, with senior government sources saying it appeared it was an accident. Smoke rises in the aftermath of a massive explosion in Beirut. Credit:AP British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the images coming out of Lebanon were "shocking". "All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected."
The Pope to donate 100,000 to help migrants on border of Belarus and Poland

Fourth vaccine against COVID-19 is not enough for Omicron

World is on verge of country defaults

French Foreign Ministry considers unacceptable Azerbaijan statements about Pecresse

US to return two valuable artifacts over 4,000 years old to Iraq

Germany may consider halting Nord Stream 2 if Russia attacks Ukraine

Israel successfully completes test of anti-ballistic missile system

Plane landing in Sochi struck by lightning

Putin and Aliyev discuss Ukraine situation

Greek PM Mitsotakis threatens Turkey with sanctions

Handelsblatt: US and EU abandon idea of disconnecting Russia from SWIFT international payment system

Artsakh President meets representatives of non-governmental organizations

Avalanche kills person in Iran

Erdogan says he is pleased with decline in volatility of lira

NEWS.am daily digest: 18.01.22

Turkey and Azerbaijan to start laying gas pipeline to supply Nakhichevan

UK begins to supply Ukraine with anti-tank weapons

Armenian PM holds meeting on Armenia's Transformation Strategy until 2050

Nagorno-Karabakh: Remains of another Armenian soldier found in Jrakan region

Tehran to not accept any border change in South Caucasus

Dollar holding relatively steady in Armenia

Armenia special representative: Future process depends on Turkeys constructiveness degree

Erdogan: Gas from Mediterranean to Europe can only be pumped through Turkey

Iranian Consul General discusses customs cooperation in Nakhijevan

Inecobank brings Apple Pay to customers

Parliament vice-speaker says he is familiar with Armenia proposals on border demarcation commission work

US Secretary of State to visit Kyiv

Russia, Iran and China to hold joint naval drills

OSCE Chairmanship on Aliyev statement: We reiterate our full support to Minsk Group Co-Chairs

Artsakh NSS denies rumors about penetration of Azerbaijanis into Karabakh villages

Indonesian parliament approves bill to relocate capital

Armenia PM to Bulgaria colleague: Our interstate relations are marked by continuous development of cooperation

Armenian President meets Abu Dhabi Crown Prince

Azerbaijan to ban foreigners from visiting Nagorno-Karabakh occupied part

European Parliament new speaker elected

Armenian National Interests Fund participates in Abu Dhabi Sustainable Development Week summit

North Korea fires missiles for fourth time this year

ECHR recognizes violation of Armenian PM's rights after 2008 elections

Turkey reveals plans to produce combat aircraft

Karabakh official: Azerbaijan presidents impudent behavior is due to OSCE Minsk Group Co-Chairs silence

Azerbaijan special services force Artsakh resident to intelligence work

Copper price is stable

Minister of State: OSCE MG Co-Chairs must accept exercise of Karabakh people's right to self-determination

Armenia President, UAE Minister of State discuss possibilities of cooperation in science and technology

Investigation into criminal case of several Armenia soldiers returned from Azerbaijan captivity is over

Canada sends detachment of special forces to Ukraine

Armenia ex-President Kocharyan, former deputy PM now MP Gevorgyan case trial resumes

2 more persons die of coronavirus in Artsakh

Armenia family has 10th child

Converse Bank brings Apple Pay to customers

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Lacote: French institute to operate in Armenia (PHOTOS)

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Armenia President in UAE, meets with Emirati environment minister

Armenia legislature approves changes to several laws

Differences in data on coronavirus deaths in Armenia are corrected

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Norway to begin Breivik early release hearing

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Scientists discover large breeding colony of icefish in southern Antarctica

China creates low-gravity artificial moon

Tehran welcomes normalization of Armenia-Turkey relations

Russian and Iranian Foreign Ministers discuss regional issues

UN Secretary-General: Vaccinate whole world to end pandemic

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Armenian President meets with Executive Director of Mubadala Investment Company

UAE counting on Turkey

Indonesia to move capital by 2024

Passenger traffic at Armenian airports decreased by 30%

Armenian Investigative Committee: Six soldiers captured in November arrested

Turkish government to discuss Rubinyan-Kilic meeting results

German FM threatens Russia in case of aggression against Ukraine

Armenian MFA senior staff meets with ambassadors to European countries

Turkish court acquits German journalist Mesale Tolu

Turkish UAV intercepted over Greek island

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Xi Jinping: Confrontation between major powers can have disastrous consequences

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Court obligates Armenia ruling force MP to prove ex-President Sargsyan lost more than $100M in casinos

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Aurora Police Apologize After Handcuffing Children in Traffic Stop Mixup

Police in a suburb of Denver, Colorado, have apologized after a black family, with children ranging in age from six to 17, were detained at gunpoint and some handcuffed during a traffic stop that targeted the wrong car.

After realizing the mistake, officers immediately unhandcuffed everyone involved, explained what happened and apologized, said Aurora Police Department Interim Chief Vanessa Wilson, prefacing her explanation of the incident by saying, We first want to offer our apologies to the family involved.

Aurora police on Sunday stopped the wrong vehicle, Wilson explained, and since they believed it had been stolen, followed high-risk stop procedures that involve drawing their guns and ordering occupants to get out of the car and lie prone on the ground.

A video taken Sunday by a bystander shows the children in a parking lot in Aurora, with the 17-year-old and 12-year-old lying on their stomachs with their hands cuffed behind their backs and a 14-year-old girl lying next to the 6-year-old also on their stomachs next to the car.

The children can be heard crying and screaming as several officers stand to the side, while a woman on the other side of the car is seen being led away in handcuffs. One of the officers then says to the children, Can I get you guys off the ground? to which one of the children can be heard saying, Yes, I want to get up! The officer is seen helping the handcuffed 17-year-old and 12-year-old sit up, leaving them sitting with their hands behind their backs.

In remarks to 9news, the driver of the stopped vehicle, Brittney Gilliam, called the officers actions a case of police brutality.

Theres no excuse why you didnt handle it a different type of way, Gilliam told the station. You could have even told them step off to the side let me ask your mom or your auntie a few questions so we can get this cleared up. There was different ways to handle it.

I have called the family to apologize and to offer any help we can provide, especially for the children who may have been traumatized by yesterdays events. I have reached out to our victim advocates so we can offer age-appropriate therapy that the city will cover, Wilson said in a statement.

Wilson said officers were notified of a possible stolen vehicle on Sunday morning and when they identified a car that matched the license plate number and description, they proceeded to conduct the traffic stop.

The people inside of the car were ordered out onto the ground, and some were placed in handcuffs, Wilson said, adding that shortly afterwards officers discovered that they had the wrong car. Their mistake was due, in part, to the fact that the car with the family had the same plate information, but was from a different state, she said. Wilson added that what made the confusion worse is that the vehicle that was stopped was reported stolen earlier this year.

Besides acknowledging the mistake and issuing an apology, Wilson said she has directed her team to consider new practices and training because we must allow our officers to have discretion and to deviate from this process when different scenarios present themselves, referring to the standard operating procedures police are required to follow when conducting a high-risk traffic stop. Wilson also said an internal investigation has been launched into the officers conduct during the incident.

The Aurora Police Department is also under scrutiny for the death of Elijah McClain, a black man stopped by officers as he walked home from the store last August after someone reported him as suspicious.

People protest over the death of Elijah McClain, in Aurora, Colo., on June 27, 2020. (Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images)

Police placed him in a chokehold that cuts off blood to the brain and paramedics injected him with ketamine, a sedative. McClain suffered a heart attack and was later declared brain dead and taken off life support at a hospital.

It comes as protests around the country, sparked by the police custody death of George Floyd, have called for a review of police methods.
Picture 1

Taat CEO Setti Coscarella holding a Beyond Tobacco Original cigarette pack

Taat CEO Setti Coscarella holding a Beyond Tobacco Original cigarette pack

After resigning as a lead strategist at Philip Morris International, the worlds largest tobacco company, Setti Coscarella has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Taat as it approaches the planned launch of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes. At Philip Morris, Coscarella led a commercialization team for its Reduced Risk Products (RRP) portfolio and launched a new business unit as well as several initiatives that transformed how RRPs are marketed in Canada. The Company believes that Coscarellas experience with RRPs is especially relevant to Beyond Tobacco given their substantially similar target markets. Over the course of this summer, Taat has announced many developments relating to Beyond Tobacco including positive results from initial retail market testing, a successful test production run, and agreements with two U.S. distributors. Taat anticipates that Mr. Coscarellas leadership can maximize the early-stage and long-term performance of Beyond Tobacco following its planned launch.



LAS VEGAS and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD. (CSE: TAAT) (OTC: TOBAF) (FRANKFURT: 2TP2) (the Company or Taat) is delighted to announce that it has appointed Setti Coscarella, who recently resigned as a lead strategist at Philip Morris International (Philip Morris), to lead Taat as its Chief Executive Officer as the Company prepares for the planned Q4 2020 launch of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes. Holding an MBA from the Schulich School of Business, Mr. Coscarellas professional experience includes analyst and investment banking roles at three of Canadas Big Five financial institutions, as well as positions in private equity and management consulting. Coscarella also co-founded The Gentlemens Expo (TGE), an annual consumer show in Toronto that attracts more than 25,000 attendees each year. During his tenure at Philip Morris, Coscarella led a commercialization team and was a lead strategist for Reduced Risk Products (RRP), an emerging category in the tobacco industry to provide alternatives for smokers to reduce their exposure to contents of traditional nicotine-based products that are known to be harmful. The Company believes that Mr. Coscarella is uniquely suited to the CEO role given his proven track record in finance, management, and entrepreneurship, as well as his familiarity with the tobacco industry from the perspective of its biggest player.

Story continues

In its June 22, 2020 press release, the Company announced it was planning on launching Beyond Tobacco cigarettes as a better-for-you alternative to tobacco cigarettes that contains no nicotine or tobacco. The intended value proposition of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes is to offer a user experience that closely resembles the experience of smoking a traditional cigarette, which the Company has sought to achieve with a traditional stick format and cigarette-style packaging that it expects to be familiar to smokers. A proprietary blend of tobacco flavouring and an enhanced volume of smoke exhaled are designed to make the experience of smoking a Beyond Tobacco cigarette substantially similar to that of smoking a tobacco cigarette. Each stick of Beyond Tobacco contains at least 50mg of cannabidiol (CBD, a non-psychoactive derivative of hemp), which has been shown to mitigate tobacco withdrawals and reduce dependency upon tobacco. Beyond Tobacco is to be offered in an Original variety as well as a Menthol variety.

Mr. Coscarellas professional career began at Scotiabank, where he was a risk management analyst for commercial credit. In subsequent years, Coscarella pivoted to a financial analyst role at CIBC, and then to investment banking at TD Securities where he conducted research and built financial models relating to company valuations for M&A, IPOs, and secondary public offerings. Coscarella then founded the Toronto-based boutique advisory firm Severus where he provided management consulting services to mid-sized companies to assist with growth, structuring, and financing. Building upon his M&A experience, Coscarella was appointed director of corporate development for GL Capital Corp. (GLCC) where he administered the development of its investment portfolio consisting of assets to include real estate, operating companies, and equity in newly-launched startups. Coscarella centralized the back office functions of GLCCs companies to improve overall efficiency of operations. Coscarella also developed innovative commercialization efforts resulting in 30% year-over-year revenue growth. In 2012 Coscarella co-founded TGE, which quickly became regarded as a high-profile mens lifestyle consumer show in Toronto. Prior to the show being acquired by a large expo producer in 2016, Coscarella built a roster of more than 200 vendors and sponsors (including LOreal, Loblaws, Diageo, InBev, and OLG), and grew TGEs attendance from 3,000 in 2012 to 25,000 in 2016.

In 2017, Coscarella joined Philip Morris in its Toronto office to lead a commercialization team for its RRP portfolio. In this capacity at Philip Morris, Coscarella rapidly ascended the ranks and began advising the senior executive team on innovative strategies for navigating the route into the Canadian market for the RRP category, which is one of Philip Morris fastest-growing categories globally. His leadership and execution led to the launch of numerous successful initiatives that collectively yielded a fivefold increase in leads and purchases for RRP. Between these initiatives and a new business unit created by Coscarella dedicated to the commercialization of RRP in Canadas challenging regulatory environment, Mr. Coscarella played a significant role in revolutionizing how RRP is marketed in Canada.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ab8a7d02-bed5-4798-a065-58b9b6fc2905

The history of the Philip Morris global tobacco conglomerate dates back to 1847, when its founder opened a tobacco shop in London, England. Over time, Philip Morris expanded into numerous markets internationally. As of 2020 it is the worlds largest tobacco company with USD $79.82 billion annual revenue (20181) and the largest or second-largest market share position in several of more than 180 total markets served by Philip Morris. Well-known cigarette brands of Philip Morris include Marlboro (the #1 cigarette brand since 1972), L&M (4th best-selling cigarette outside of U.S. and China), Chesterfield, and its eponymous Philip Morris brand of cigarettes. Alongside competitors Altria, British American Tobacco, Imperial Brands, and Japan Tobacco International, Philip Morris is one of the five tobacco firms that comprise what is known as Big Tobacco.

In the Companys June 29, 2020 press release, it detailed the results of its first phase of retail market testing in which test versions of Beyond Tobacco cigarettes were sold in more than 50 retail stores in Nevada and California. The sentiments of users consistently reflected the impression that the experience of smoking a Beyond Tobacco cigarette was comparable to that of a traditional cigarette with no significant experiential differences. During this research phase, more than 75% of participating retailers re-ordered Beyond Tobacco after their initial inventory sold out. The Company later announced that an intensive series of focus groups conducted by Nevadas largest consumer product testing firm will be conducted to obtain further insights prior to the planned launch of Beyond Tobacco. Additionally, in its July 20, 2020 press release the Company unveiled live-action footage of a full-scale test production run of Beyond Tobacco in its cigarette production facility. This test run confirmed initial production capacity estimations of one million sticks per day which, on an annualized basis, equates to 0.168% of the total amount of individual cigarettes sold domestically in 2018 according to data from the Federal Trade Commission2. With very few hurdles preceding the official launch of Beyond Tobacco, the Company believes the induction of Mr. Coscarella as its CEO is a timely development that can potentially maximize the performance of the anticipated product launch.

Becoming CEO of Taat is an incredible opportunity for me, said Mr. Coscarella. For a matter of decades, public attitudes towards tobacco have consistently called for a less-risky alternative to traditional cigarettes. This is something that Philip Morris recognized with its attention to the RRP category, as well as its Unsmoke campaign. What appealed to me about Taat is how they have developed Beyond Tobacco to be a cigarette alternative that is designed to emulate a tobacco cigarette, but without any tobacco or nicotine. Other consumer product categories have had their legacy incumbents disrupted by innovations in delivering desirable alternatives for meat, dairy, sugar, and even beer and wine. Consumers seem to be embracing this approach to positive changes in which they keep their habits such as eating meat or drinking milk while quietly cutting out the things they wish to avoid, and I believe this trend can carry over to tobacco as well. Over one billion tobacco users worldwide3 have one thing in common; they are consuming nicotine, a drug that is effectively useless. The molecule in our tobacco-free and nicotine-free cigarettes is delivered in a near-identical format to legacy tobacco products, and I strongly believe that smokers would be eager to make the switch if presented with the option. The early-stage market research results for Beyond Tobacco reflect an extraordinary reception of the product among smokers, and I am very eager to be in the drivers seat of Taat as we approach the planned launch of Beyond Tobacco in Q4 2020.

With the appointment of Setti Coscarella as the Company's Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Coscarella has succeeded Joel Dumaresq in this position. Following this succession, Mr. Dumaresq will assume the role of CFO and Theo van der Linde will step down from his position as CFO of the Company. Taat is grateful for the contributions made by Mr. van der Linde to the Company and provides its best wishes to Mr. van der Linde for his future endeavours.

References

1 - http://media.corporate-ir.net/media_files/IROL/14/146476/PMI-FINALFILES/pdf/PMI_2018_CompleteForm10K.pdf (Page 14)

2 - Table 1B (Page 13) of the FTCs Cigarette Report for 2018 indicates that 216.9 billion cigarette units were sold domestically in 2018. Based on a projected production capacity of one million Beyond Tobacco sticks per day (365 million sticks per year), it is concluded that this annualized capacity equates to 0.168% of cigarette units sold domestically in the year 2018. https://www.ftc.gov/system/files/documents/reports/federal-trade-commission-cigarette-report-2018-smokeless-tobacco-report-2018/p114508cigarettereport2018.pdf

3 - https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/tobacco

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the Company,

TAAT LIFESTYLE & WELLNESS LTD.

Setti Coscarella

Setti Coscarella, CEO

For further information, please contact:

Jamie Frawley

1-833-TAAT-USA (1-833-822-8872)

investor@taatusa.com

About Taat Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd.

Taat Herb Co., the flagship brand of Taat Lifestyle & Wellness, is an early-stage life sciences company based in Las Vegas, Nevada innovating nicotine-free and tobacco-free alternatives to traditional cigarettes. With a unique proprietary blend of all-natural ingredients and meticulous engineering of the user experience, Taat Beyond Tobacco cigarettes are designed to emulate every aspect of legacy tobacco products with no significant difference to the user. Taat Beyond Tobacco cigarettes provide benefits that include mitigation of tobacco withdrawals, and reduction of tobacco dependency. With an expert-led go-to-market strategy, the Company's objective is to position itself in the US $814 billion (2018)1 global tobacco industry to capitalize on the growing worldwide demand for better-for-you alternatives to traditional cigarettes.

For more information, please visit http://taatusa.com .

References

1 British American Tobacco - The Global Market

Statement Regarding Effects of CBD on Smoking Cessation

The Beckley/Exeter research program (University of Exeter) carried out a pilot study that found after several weeks following cannabidiol ("CBD") treatment, CBD helped tobacco smokers to reduce the amount of cigarettes smoked by as much as 40%. A follow-on study is planned, which will include a brain imaging component to examine the brain activity patterns underlying the probable therapeutic effects of CBD.

Source: https://beckleyfoundation.org/cbd-for-smoking-cessation/

Link to Study: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S030646031300083X

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Often, but not always, forward-looking information and information can be identified by the use of words such as plans, expects or does not expect, is expected, estimates, intends, anticipates or does not anticipate, or believes, or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results may, could, would, might or will be taken, occur, or be achieved. Forward-looking information in this news release includes statements regarding the potential launch of Taat hemp cigarettes, in addition to the following: Potential outcomes from the appointment of Setti Coscarella as the Companys Chief Executive Officer. The forward-looking information reflects managements current expectations based on information currently available and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information. Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking information are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on such information and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed timeframes or at all. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include: (i) adverse market conditions; (ii) changes to the growth and size of the tobacco and CBD markets; and (iii) other factors beyond the control of the Company. The Company operates in a rapidly evolving environment. New risk factors emerge from time to time, and it is impossible for the Companys management to predict all risk factors, nor can the Company assess the impact of all factors on Companys business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ from those contained in any forward-looking information. The forward-looking information included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law.

The statements in this news release have not been evaluated by Health Canada or the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. As each individual is different, the benefits, if any, of taking the Companys products will vary from person to person. No claims or guarantees can be made as to the effects of the Companys products on an individuals health and well-being. The Companys products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

This news release may contain trademarked names of third-party entities (or their respective offerings with trademarked names) typically in reference to (i) relationships had by the Company with such third-party entities as referred to in this release and/or (ii) client/vendor/service provider parties whose relationship with the Company is/are referred to in this release. All rights to such trademarks are reserved by their respective owners or licensees.

Statement Regarding Third-Party Investor Relations Firms

Disclosures relating to investor relations firms retained by Taat Lifestyle & Wellness Ltd. can be found under the Company's profile on http://sedar.com .




For more information about SGTI and the FTSE4Good Index Series, please refer to Annex A.

CapitaLands inclusion in the SGTI and FTSE4Good Index Series add to the Groups listings in other sustainability-linked rankings and indices in the region and globally in 2020. CapitaLand was ranked 63rd in the Global 100 Most Sustainable Corporations in the World 2020. CapitaLand also emerged as the top real estate company in Singapore and Southeast Asia in The Sustainability Yearbook 2020 rankings by S&P Global, in cooperation with RobecoSAM. Ranked amongst the top 10 real estate companies in the world, CapitaLand has been listed in The Sustainability Yearbook for over a decade.

In CapitaLands 11th Global Sustainability Report released in May 2020, the Group reported that it has achieved utilities cost avoidance of S$208 million in 2019 since 2009. In 2019, the Groups energy and water consumption intensities were reduced by 19.2% and 22.4% respectively from the base year of 2008. CapitaLand also achieved a 29.4% reduction in carbon emissions intensity since 2008.


A tourist damaged a 19th century plaster model by sculptor Antonio Canova while taking a selfie.

The tourist, who has been revealed as a 50-year-old man from Austria, leaned on the 'Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix' artwork while posing for a photograph.

He accidentally broke off three of the toes of the sculpture, at the Gypsotheca Antonio Canova museum in Possagno, Italy on July 31.

The man's name has not yet been released.

A tourist who damaged a 19th century plaster model by sculptor Antonio Canova has been identified by Italian police

CCTV footage shows the man jumping onto the 200-year-old statue's base to take the picture and snapping off its toes in the process

CCTV footage shows the man jumping onto the 200-year-old statue's base to take the picture and snapping off its toes in the process.

Speaking to CNN, police said the man was part of a group of Austrian tourists.

They said the incident happened when the man broke away from his friends to get a selfie while 'sprawled over the statue.'

According to investigators, there could be further damage caused to the base of the sculpture that is yet to be discovered.

The man was reportedly identified through personal contact details left at the museum as part of new requirements for tracking visitors amid the coronavirus.

The 'Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix' marble sculpture by Antonio Canova at the Galleria Borghese museum prior to the incident in May this year

According to a press release from Treviso Carabinieri, when contacted by police the man confessed to the 'stupid move'.

Antonio Canova was an Italian neoclassical sculptor who lived from 1757 to 1822 and was renowned for his marble statues.

His 'Paolina Borghese Bonaparte as Venus Victrix' is a 1805-1808 marble sculpture.
NEWS HIGHLIGHTS: - Wisconsin companies partner to offer Vital Essentials Freeze-Dried Hemp Chews in 30 Festival Foods locations. - Three condition specific formulations of Hemp Chews are now available in the pet section of Festival Foods.
A 52-year-old Nigerian healthcare assistant, Emmanuel Adeniji, has been sentenced to 11 years imprisonment for raping a 72-year-old woman in the United Kingdom.

He raped the woman with Alzheimer in a nursing home, according to court details.

He initially denied the charge but later confessed to raping the elderly woman on her bed in the early hours of April 3, 2020.

That was during the height of the Covid-19 lockdown.

The victim's family said the 72-year-old patient was found in a distressed state later that morning by a staff member.

Adeniji of Royal Canal Court, Kilcock in County Kildare prior to the attack had worked for the nursing home for 15 years and had never been convicted for a crime.

Speaking on the incident, the victim's daughter informed the Central Criminal Court that her family have been unable to hug her mother to comfort her since the attack and that they hoped she is able to forget what happened.

He single-handedly destroyed our mam's life, according to her.

CCTV footage from the nursing home at the time of the rape showed Adeniji going in and coming out of the woman's room at about 03:00 local time on 3 April.

Later that morning, another staff member found the victim upset but coherent. The Gardai (Irish police) were immediately called and the woman was able to make a statement about the rape and DNA samples were taken.

Adeniji was arrested 11 days later.

--Daily Guide
Toby Antony By

Express News Service

KOCHI: Even as the probe by the NIA is expected to shed light on proceeds from the smuggled gold being used to fund terror activities, there have been multiple related incidents in the past in the state, it has emerged.As per state intelligence officials, there had been at least two incidents in which names of persons involved in terrorist cases were linked to smuggling or looting of gold in the state.

In 2002, when terror activities were yet to spread their tentacles in Kerala, a gang under Thadiyantevida Nazeer, said to be the Southern India Commander of Lakshar-e-Taiba (LeT) involved in several terrorism cases, had robbed a jeweller of 2.5kg of gold. The incident occurred on June 22, 2002, when Mathew Kachapilly, owner of Kachapilly Jewellers, Kizhakambalam, was attacked by the gang barely 400m from his house. It was one of the first incidents in which the gold was looted to fund terror activities. The Crime Branch, which probed the case, tracked down those behind the incident in 2012. Nazeer and four others having a history of terrorist cases were arrested. The same group was involved in the Kalamassery bus torching case, Kozhikode twin blasts case, Kashmir Recruitment case and Bengaluru blast case. K P Sabir, suspected to be in Pakistan, is the only accused to be arrested in the case, an official said.

In 2014, the Customs had unearthed a racket, which attempted to smuggle around 2kg of gold from Dubai by moulding gold with alloys, at the Kochi airport. PK Anaz, a native of Perumbavoor acquitted by NIA Court in the Kashmir recruitment case, and Abdul Halim from Kannur were booked. Halim was accused in Kozhikode twin blasts case and Kalamassery bus torching case. He was acquitted in the twin blasts case.



Whether they were involved in gold smuggling for terror funding was not probed. Halim and Anaz have several cases pending against them. Halims name cropped up again in 2016 when a group posing as Vigilance officers looted a businessman in Perumbavoor, an official said.
JB Hi-Fi is closing stores across coronavirus-stricken Melbourne as the city settles into a strict six-week lockdown.

The electronic giant announced its temporarily closures on Tuesday, confirming 46 JB Hi-Fi and 21 Good Guys stores will shut for six weeks from Wednesday.

Stores will reopen when Melburnians emerge from the city's Stage 4 lockdown, which was announced on Sunday and implemented to stem the spread of COVID-19.

Myer in Melbourne's CBD will also close from midnight on Wednesday while Bunnings and Officeworks will close to everyone other than tradies.

JB Hi-Fi (pictured) announced its temporarily closures on Tuesday, confirming 46 JB Hi-Fi stores will shut for six weeks from Wednesday

A total of 21 Good Guys stores (pictured) will also close. Online operations will continue

Melbourne's restrictions include wearing a mask in public and abiding by an 8pm curfew as well as only leaving the house to grocery shop, provide care, exercise and study or work.

Weddings are now off limits along with late night public transport and community sport.

Schools have also shut down for six weeks and citizens are restricted to moving in a 5km radius of their homes.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday announced an on-the-spot fine of $4,957 for people caught breaching isolation orders in Victoria after more than 800 people could not be located during Australian Defence Force door knocks on Monday.

Melbourne's Stage 4 restrictions include wearing a mask in public (pictured) and abiding by an 8pm curfew as well as only leaving the house to grocery shop, provide care, exercise and study or work. Pictured: Shoppers queuing outside a Costco outlet in Melbourne

JB Hi-Fi's announcement comes as fears grow of a second wave in Queensland after a group of men from Victoria lied on their declaration forms at the NSW-QLD border to avoid being hotel quarantined.

The men - aged 29, 25 and 23 - from Logan, south of Brisbane, used false 'G' pass declarations on Sunday after spending weeks in Melbourne, police said.

An investigation was launched into the potential border breach and one of the men has since reported having COVID-19 symptoms.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Tuesday confirmed the men had been taken into hotel quarantine and tested for coronavirus.

The state currently has 12 active cases of COVID-19.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday announced an on-the-spot fine of $4,957 for people caught breaching isolation orders in Victoria after more than 800 people could not be located during Australian Defence Force door knocks on Monday. Pictured: A Nurse conducting a COVID-19 test in Sydney

Online operations at JB Hi-Fi stores in Melbourne, including home delivery and click and collect, will continue to operate. Picture: People walking just hours before the 8pm curfew in Melbourne is implemented

Seven people are in hospital and 9,900 Queenslanders were tested for coronavirus in the past 24 hours.

'We don't want people to do this, it's not right,' Ms Palaszczuk said.

'People are obviously lying on the declaration forms. It is undermining all of the great work that Queenslanders have done.'

Online operations at JB Hi-Fi will continue to operate, The Age reported.

Warehouse operations will run throughout the temporary six-week closure.

Daily Mail Australia reached out to JB Hi-Fi for comment.
US President Donald Trump on Monday said the popular Chinese app, TikTok, would be banned in the country beginning September 15, unless it is bought by an American company and asserted that a substantial amount of the buyout deal should go to the treasury.

Technology giant Microsoft is in talks with TikTok's parent company ByteDance to buy its US operation. However, the president is in favour of a complete 100 per cent purchase and not the 30 per cent as reportedly being negotiated now.

Trump confirmed to reporters that he spoke to Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella on the issue. "We had a great conversation. He (Nadella) called me to see how I felt about it. I said, look, it can't be controlled for security reasons by China...(its) too big, too invasive. It can't be...I don't mind whether it's Microsoft or somebody else, a big company...American company buys it. It's probably easier to buy the whole thing rather than to buy 30 per cent of it," Trump told reporters in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

"I said how do you do 30 per cent? Who's going to get the name. The name is hot. The brand is hot. Who's going to get the name and who is going to get that when it's owned by two different companies. So, my personal opinion was, you probably better off buying the whole thing rather than buying 30 per cent of it. I think buying 30 per cent is complicated and I suggested that he can go ahead. He can try," he said.

Trump said he has "set a date at around September 15 at which point it (TikTok) is going to be out of business in the United States". However, he said, "If somebody, whether it's Microsoft or somebody else buys it. That would be interesting, I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it."

Trump said there would have to be a substantial payment to the US government as part of the deal. A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the treasury of the US because we're making it possible for this deal to happen. Right now, they don't have any rights unless we give it to them. So, we're going to give them the rights that has to come into. It has to come into this country. It's a little bit like the landlord tenant. Without a lease, the tenant has nothing. So they pay what's called key money or they pay something, he said.

Trump said TikTok is a great asset "but it's not a great asset in the US unless they have the approval of" the American government. "So it'll close down on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal. An appropriate deal. And the Treasury gets a lot of money, a lot of them," he said.

Meanwhile, Redmond-headquartered Microsoft, in a statement on Sunday, said following a conversation between Nadella and Trump, it is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the US. Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the President's concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury, the statement said.

Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok's parent company ByteDance in a matter of weeks and will complete these discussions in any event by September 15, it said. Trump last week threatened to ban the popular video-sharing app in the US after concerns were raised that it could be a national security risk.

Microsoft said the discussions with TikTok's parent firm ByteDance will build upon a notification made by Microsoft and ByteDance to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS). Microsoft added that "in any event" it would finish talking with ByteDance no later than September 15.

The two companies have provided notice of their intent to explore a preliminary proposal that would involve a purchase of the TikTok service in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, and would result in Microsoft owning and operating TikTok in these markets. Microsoft may also invite other American investors to participate on a minority basis in this purchase.

The company said among other measures, Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikTok's American users is transferred to and remains in the US. US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday said TikTok cannot stay in the current format in the US as it "risks sending back information on 100 million Americans".

Mnuchin said he has spoken to several top American lawmakers and all agree that "there has to be a change". In recent weeks, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused TikTok of collecting personal information of Americans. TikTok has previously stressed that its US user data is already stored on US-based servers and backed up in Singapore, and is therefore not subject to Chinese law as some US officials have feared.

Also read: Republican lawmakers support plans to sell US operations of TikTok

Also read: Donald Trump to take broad action on apps linked to Chinese Communist Party: Mike Pompeo
MYRTLE BEACH  After storm surge and coastal flooding closed roads and challenged rescue teams across the Grand Strand, Hurricane Isaias' has been downgraded to a tropical storm as it made its way through North Carolina early Tuesday.

As of 8 a.m., the storm's winds had dropped to 70 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center as it lumbered into Virginia with heavy rains.

The storm still packed a punch. The Hurricane Center warned that residents should expect strong winds and heavy rain to spread north along the mid-Atlantic coast into the day Tuesday.

By early Tuesday, much of the impact to South Carolina had subsided.

The Hurricane Center had canceled all warnings in South Carolina and most of North Carolina, as the storm targeted points north. At 8 a.m., the storm was centered over southeastern Virginia near Tappahannock. It was traveling about 33 mph to the north-northeast. Tropical-storm-force winds extend outward up to 140 miles.

Winds from Isaias began arriving in Myrtle Beach about 8 p.m. on Monday, around the same time as high tide. The result was widespread coastal flooding that closed streets in areas near the ocean and along inlets.

Public safety officials deployed high water vehicles to rescue families from storm surge and coastal flooding, with no formal evacuation orders made for any of the three evacuation zones in Horry County on Monday.

Isaias has officially made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, NC at 11:10PM. #Isaias will continue to track north tonight, therefore the Tropical Storm Warnings for Charleston & Berkeley Counties have been canceled. #scwx #chswx #gawx #savwx  NWS Charleston, SC (@NWSCharlestonSC) August 4, 2020

The storm officially made landfall at 11:10 p.m. at Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, according to the National Weather Service.

As Isaias moved up the coast Monday night, impacts to the Charleston area lessened and officials removed storm surge and hurricane warnings for areas up to McClellanville.

"While the worst of the storm is past the city, citizens are urged to continue to use caution as standing water may remain into the night and there may be downed power lines, trees and debris that have yet to be reported or cleared," Charleston officials said in a news release. "City crews will begin conducting damage assessments in the morning. Citizens who parked their vehicles in the free city parking garages are reminded to remove their vehicles by 10 a.m. Tuesday."

Midway Fire in Georgetown responded to homes in Litchfield Beach using special vehicles designed to drive through flood waters. In Cherry Grove, North Myrtle Beach spokesperson Pat Dowling said firetrucks couldnt reach homes where electrical issues were causing smoke.

North Myrtle Beach has two highwater vehicles, acquired from the federal government through a military surplus program. Dowling said they are great resources for getting people out of harms way during a flood.

(We) cannot get a firetruck into Cherry Grove yet, so we sent a high water rescue vehicle to get the people and their pets out of the house and out of Cherry Grove, Dowling said.

While no evacuation order was issued, most of the Cherry Grove and North Myrtle Beach area are in Evacuation Zone A , which is closest to the ocean.

Dowling said the tides seem to be receding, which could help decrease flooding issues near the coastline.

Meanwhile, Conway Fire Chief Le Hendrick pointed to Hurricane Matthew in 2016 as an example of what his crew expected to experience  less rain, more wind. As of 10:30 p.m. Monday night, his foresight was accurate.

The wind is going to be our biggest concern. The ground is pretty saturated with rain so we are expecting down trees and power lines, Hendrick said.

While public safety officials stayed busy on Monday night, Horry County Public Safety Director Randy Webster also spoke to significant beach erosion that is expected due to Isaias' high winds and subsequent high tide that beachgoers experienced late Monday.

The National Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet and up to 8 inches of rain in spots, as Isaias moved up the coast. The Carolinas weren't the only states at risk.

All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast U.S., said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.

The center also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina on Monday night and early Tuesday, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later Tuesday.

Up the coast in southern North Carolina, high winds from Isaias inner core knocked down trees and power lines, blocking roads. No major damage was initially reported.

According to the Weather Channel, 190,000 homes are without power in South Carolina and North Carolina as of midnight.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
By Trend

Over the past 24 hours, Armenian armed forces have violated the ceasefire along the line of contact between Azerbaijani and Armenian troops 30 times, Trend reports referring to Azerbaijani Defense Ministry.

Armenian armed forces were using large-caliber machine guns.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Former prime minister Paul Keating has encouraged smaller industry superannuation funds to merge as restrictions from the coronavirus pandemic continue to hit areas like tourism and hospitality, raising concerns about the stability of funds targeting specific sectors.

A future with 10 industry funds each managing about $100 billion following a period of major consolidation would help the sector be more efficient, Mr Keating said during an Industry Super Australia teleconference on Tuesday morning. Industry Super represents 15 industry funds with more than 5 million members.

Former prime minister Paul Keating. Credit:Sam Mooy

Mr Keating also backed Assistant Minister for Superannuation Jane Hume's concerns the economic crisis spurred on by the coronavirus outbreaks show a need for super funds with high concentration of members working in retail, tourism and hospitality to consolidate. He said her view was reasonable.

Restrictions imposed to limit the spread of COVID-19 have hit these industries particularly hard leading to lower super payments due to job losses and cut hours, and cash withdrawals of up to $20,000 for workers accessing their retirement funds early under expanded hardship provisions.
NORWICH, England, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BizClik Media announced today the launch of the August edition of Mining Global Magazine.

In this issue, Mining Global steps inside Oren, designed by Shell and IBM as the world's first B2B marketplace platform for the mining industry. In a wide-ranging interview, Shell's Global Marketing Vice President Carol Chen talks about Oren's vision, and the power of data integration.

We continue the theme of data with CRU Group's Director of Technology & Analytics Will Blake, who tells us about the importance of data for mining enterprises. We also speak with Thorsten Scholz, CTO of Forwood Safety, about how his company is harnessing new technologies to transform the mining industry's safety culture, and eradicate workplace fatalities.

Elsewhere in the magazine, Ludovic Donati, CDO of Eramet, introduces the innovative technologies that his company has introduced - including artificial intelligence and machine learning - to keep Eramet ahead as the digital era transforms the mining industry.

As the world's largest gold mine steadies itself after the impact of new ownership, our latest 'Top 10' feature gives a profile of the world's biggest mines.

READ MINING GLOBAL MAGAZINE NOW

Contact:

Shirin Sadr

[email protected]

+44-2080542069

About Mining Global Magazine

https://www.miningglobal.com/

Mining Global is a 'Digital Community' for the global mining industry that connects the world's largest mining brands and their most senior executives with the latest trends as the mining industry pivots towards technology and digital transformation.

Mining Global is a 'trusted authority' on the latest mining news combining 'Executive Thought Leadership Interviews' with the very latest case studies on mining 4.0, mining investments, mining innovation, automation & AI, supply chain and sustainability.

The focus of Mining Global's 'Digital Community' is to provide our users with the 'Ultimate Digital Experience' - an incredible digital magazine, an world-class website, an award-winning newsletter service as well as video reports, podcasts, blogs, webinars, white papers, research reports, virtual events and a database second to none.

Mining Global also offers its advertising partners a unique blend of digital branding, content syndication and executive thought leadership articles as well as a 'gated intelligence community' providing ultimate demand generation and measurable 'Ad-Campaign' ROI's.

Mining Global is read by industry professionals at all levels, resource investors, equipment suppliers as well as technology and consulting executives.

About Bizclik Media Group

https://www.bizclikmedia.com/

BizClik Media Group is a UK-based media company with a global portfolio of leading industry, business and lifestyle digital communities.

BizClik Media is fast becoming the trusted authority in Digital Media with a portfolio of brands across Technology & AI, Finance & Insurance, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Energy & Mining, Construction, Healthcare, Wireless Communications & Data Centres.

BizClik Media also publishes the 'highly acclaimed' Business Chief Magazine community which features a global website portfolio plus individual business magazine editions for North America, APAC & EMEA.

SOURCE BizClik Media
SRINAGAR: The J&K Administration has imposed a curfew on August 4 and 5 - the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 - in view of intelligence warning that the separatists and Pakistan-backed terror groups were planning to observe August 5 as Black Day.

The curfew orders were passed after the J&K Police received intelligence inputs that separatists and terror groups were planning to disrupt the law and order in Kashmir Valley on the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, that gave special status to the former state of J&K.

During a meeting of the Gore Group of the J&K Administration, J&K Police, intelligence agencies and other security forces, the decision to impose curfew was taken. The meeting was attended by General Officer Commanding 15 Corps and Director General J&K Police and Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir.

After the meeting, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar issued the order late on Monday for imposing two days curfew/restrictions in Srinagar on 4-5th August.

The order cited a report from Senior Superintendent of Police of the district that a series of inputs have been received suggesting that separatist and Pak sponsored groups are planning to observe 5th August as Black Day, therein apprehensions of violation action or protests are not ruled out.

The order said, to prevent such violence and loss of life and property, it's imminent to impose curfew in the district. Therefore, after having considered the material facts in report and examining the situation in the backdrop of prevailing factors, I, District Magistrate, Srinagar, by virtue of powers vested in me u/s 144 Cr PC hereby order complete restrictions on public movement/curfew in the territorial jurisdiction of District Srinagar, the order read.

These restrictions shall come into force with immediate effect and shall remain in force on 4th and 5th August 2020, it added. However, medical emergencies and movement of staff on COVID-19 duty with pass/Valid Cards shall be exempted from above restrictions.

Meanwhile, the Peoples Democratic Party in a press conference on Monday said that we have not accepted the abrogation of Article 370 and will oppose it.

There are also inputs that terrorists may disrupt the peace in Valley on August 4 and 5. A major tragedy was averted by alert security forces in the morning on Srinagar-Baramullah Highway where an IED was detected and later diffused.

Security has been tightened across the Kashmir Valley and the additional deployment will remain in place till August 15. It may be recalled that on August 5 last year, the central government abrogated Article 370, and the state was divided into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh.
Two men have been charged after gardai seized more than 441,000 worth of cocaine and cannabis, cash to the value of more than 19,000, and two Rolex watches as part of Operation Tara at the weekend.

The men were arrested following a search of a house in the Clonsilla area of west Dublin by the Dublin Metropolitan Region West Divisional Drugs Unit on Saturday.

Operation

At approximately 7.30pm, gardai conducted the search under warrant at a house in the residential estate of Charnwood Grove in Dublin 15.

During the course of the search operation, suspected cocaine with an estimated value of 171,000 and suspected cannabis herb with an estimated value of 270,000 were seized along with the cash, Rolex watches and other drug paraphernalia.

The two men were arrested at the scene and taken to Blanchardstown Garda Station and detained under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act.

Charged

Keith Banks (41), from Castleknock Glade, and Brian Wildman (37), from Charnwood Grove in Clonsilla, appeared at Dublin District Court yesterday charged with possession of drugs and possession of drugs with the intent to supply.

The court heard they made no reply when charged.

Both men were remanded in custody in Cloverhill Prison to appear in court again on August 6 via video link.
Man, dog pronounced dead after early morning explosion, structure fire near Harbor Springs

A man and a dog have both died as the result of an explosion and structure fire early Tuesday morning in West Traverse Township near Harbor Springs.
San Quentins Death Row is shrinking at an unprecedented rate. Shouldnt we all be pleased with that outcome?

The recent mortalities on Death Row came by extrajudicial means, namely COVID-19 complications, and thats why depleting the ranks of Condemned Row should not give anybody, even death penalty advocates, any comfort. Death Row is a microcosm of the larger society. The COVID-19 virus is out of control, and several measures taken to control it only made matters worse.

Clinton T. Duffy, warden of San Quentin Prison during the 1940s and 1950s, executed 88 men and two women during his time of office under several governors. That was an average of just over 7.5 executions per year during Duffys 12 years as warden.

Gov. Gavin Newsoms administration has easily topped Clinton Duffys execution rate with 11 deaths on his watch this year, and the end is nowhere in sight. Newsom, in surpassing the legendary Duffys kill rate, would gain the particularly dubious distinction of thinning the ranks of Californias condemned prisoners by inadvertence.

When you read the rap sheets of the Death Row inmates, you cannot help but be horrified. A court sentenced each man to die for his crime. Since the defendant was condemned, why not let nature take its course? This kind of logic is widespread in the press and the public, but nobody speaks openly about it. This bad thinking is not just morally wrong; it is socially destructive.

It does not help that Newsom says he opposes capital punishment and has declared a moratorium on carrying out executions while hes in office. Those 11 members of San Quentins Condemned Row are every bit as dead as Clarence Ray Allen, 76, who was put to death Jan. 17, 2006, the last time the death chamber was used.

The truth is that the Death Row fatalities reflect a much bigger crisis in the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

State prison is almost a perfect locale for incubating and spreading the virus. Most San Quentin inmates are confined in a space the size of a walk-in closet. Social distancing is impossible. Three shifts of prison correctional officers enter and leave the prison on a daily basis, and many of them have fallen ill as well, at least 200 at San Quentin alone.

But Newsom as well as the federal judge overseeing the beleaguered prison system have done little more than wring their hands and make token gestures toward addressing the basic problem.

Releasing prisoners is politically sensitive, and COVID-19 has added an extra layer of public concern. County officials are especially wary of releases from state prison.

We have done everything we can to contain the virus, but they arent helping, Richard Egan, Lassen County administrative officer, told the Los Angeles Times, referring to CDCR.

Obviously, Duffy carried out executions intentionally. With no margin for error, Newsoms Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation proved to be error-prone.

As recently as mid-May, San Quentin and other state prisons north of Fresno were COVID-19 free. At the end of May, 121 elderly inmates from the Chino prison were taken by bus to San Quentin. An unknown number of the Chino prisoners were infected, and the COVID virus spread quickly once it hit the San Quentin mainline population.

Within a few weeks San Quentin and other state prisons were transformed into the largest network of field hospitals in state history.

Newsom has been forthright in acknowledging the blunder.

It is incredibly frustrating that we had one person make the decision to transfer a few patients from one prison, Chino, into San Quentin, he said earlier in July. That decision created a chain of events that we are now addressing and dealing with. Im not here to sugarcoat that.

Assemblyman Marc Levine, a Democrat who represents Marin County, was more impatient. He called the Newsom administrations actions an unacceptable and unmitigated disaster delivered by a lack of planning and preparation.

U.S. District Court Judge Jon Tiger wiped away tears last month as he addressed conditions at San Quentin prison, calling the recent transfer of infected prisoners to the facility a significant failure of policy and planning. The judge urged authorities to find ways to transfer or release more prisoners to avoid unspeakable carnage. The CDCR reported on Monday that more than 8,287 prisoners statewide have tested positive for COVID-19, including 49 deaths. San Quentin reported 145 active cases and 21 deaths.

But neither Tigar nor Newsom was prepared for the release of large numbers of state prisoners, even those who claim to be vulnerable because of age or other infirmities.

William Drummond is a professor of journalism at UC Berkeley and author of Prison Truth: The Story of the San Quentin News.
The red alert was issued for the second consecutive day as rains have been lashing Mumbai and adjoining districts since Tuesday night

A family moves to safety after being caught in flooded waters caused by heavy rains at King's Circle in Mumbai.  Rajesh Jadhav photo

Mumbai: A 35-year-old woman and her two children were swept away in a swollen nullah after their house collapsed due to heavy rainfall in suburban Santacruz here on Tuesday afternoon, an official said.

The incident took place at around 11.30 am in Dhobighat locality, where a ground plus one-storey house attached to a nullah collapsed as rains lashed the area, the official from the fire brigade said.

A woman and her three children, aged between one to seven years, fell into the flooded nullah and were swept away, he said.

While the police managed to rescue a two-year-old girl before the fire brigade arrived at around 12.15 pm, a search is underway for the woman and her two other children, he said.

At least two fire engines, an ambulance, NDRF and other rescue teams have been pressed into service, the official said.

Meanhwile, The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) and some other parts of Maharashtra for Wednesday.

The red alert was issued for the second consecutive day as rains have been lashing Mumbai and adjoining districts since Tuesday night.

"The red alert of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places has been issued for Wednesday. The probability of it is very likely, which means it could actualise up to 75 per cent," an IMD official said here.

The alert was issued for Mumbai, Thane, Palghar, Raigad, Pune, Ahmednagar and Nashik districts, he said.

While the warning for Mumbai is only for Wednesday, that for Thane, Palghar and Nashik is for Wednesday and Thursday, the official said.

Extremely heavy rainfall is defined as a rainfall above 204.4 mm in 24 hours, he said.
A group of hackers who reportedly acessed the Twitter accounts of celebrities, were taken down by rival gang who shared a database of their usernames and messages, which led to their arrests by the FBI.

Graham Ivan Clark, 17, was arrested Friday in Tampa. Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando, Florida; and Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, U.K. have also been charged in relation to the hack, which took place on July 15.

The scheme commandeered Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls and scammed people around the globe out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin. It also saw the men allegedly make thousands by selling people's usernames.

The young men were finally caught thanks to a rival group of hackers who had shared a database full of their usernames and private messages, leading the FBI to the three men, Wired reports.

That information was shared at the beginning at April and acquired by the FBI on April 9.

The data gathered from that showed Bitcoin addresses and IP addresses which law enforcement are said to have used to trace the three men arrested.

Graham Ivan Clark, 17, left, was arrested Friday in Tampa. Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando, Florida; and Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, U.K., right, have also been charged in relation to the hack, which took place on July 15

The hack is said to have begun with a Discord message from user Kirk#5270, who wrote: 'I work for Twitter. I can claim any name, let me know if youre trying to work.'

Another user, who went by the names of Ever so anxious#0001 and Chaewon, then lined up buyers for Twitter handles including an offer of $5,000 for the handle @xx. A third, Rolex#0373, then joined in, offering sought-after account names for $2,500 upwards.

Fazeli is thought to be Rolex, Sheppard is Chaewon. Clark is not identified as Kirk#5270 in court documents but is accused of being the mastermind.

Hillsborough state attorney Andrew Warren said: 'He gained access to Twitter accounts and to the internal controls of Twitter through compromising a Twitter employee. He sold access to those accounts.

'He then used the identities of prominent people to solicit money in the form of bitcoin, promising in return that he would send back twice as much bitcoin.'

Clark will be prosecuted as an adult. He faces 30 felony charges. Sheppard and Fazeli were charged separately in California federal court.

In one of the most high-profile security breaches in recent years, bogus tweets were sent out on July 15 from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Celebrities Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked.

The tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address. The hack alarmed security experts because of the grave potential of such an intrusion for creating geopolitical mayhem with disinformation.

A total of 130 accounts were targeted.

The scheme commandeered Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls and scammed people around the globe out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin

In one of the most high-profile security breaches in recent years, bogus tweets were sent out on July 15 from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk

Court papers in the California cases say Fazeli and Sheppard brokered the sale of Twitter accounts stolen by a hacker who identified himself as 'Kirk' and said he could 'reset, swap and control any Twitter account at will' in exchange for cybercurrency payments, claiming to be a Twitter employee.

How the hacker's 'sloppy' work covering their tracks made them easy to track The FBI were able to track down three hackers who pulled off the largest Twitter breach in history because they were 'extremely sloppy' with how they moved their Bitcoin transactions around. Authorities were able to obtain data about the Bitcoin addresses involved in the hack by analyzing blockchain - a ledger that records cryptocurrency transactions. They then traced the addresses to Coinbase - a digital currency exchange that stores Bitcoin. Both Fazeli and Sheppard had registered and verified their Coinbase accounts with their real driver's licences, according to ZNET. Fazeli also used his home IP address, meaning investigators were able to easily trace his location. Furthermore, the alleged hackers did not move around the Bitcoin funds they received in a bid to throw detectives off the trail. Such an act is known as 'tumbling', and is the digital equivalent of money laundering. Cybersecurity expert Jake Williams told The Associated Press that their efforts were 'sloppy'. Twitter has officially stated that the hacker - purported to be Clark- gained access to a company dashboard that manages accounts on July 15. He did this by using social engineering and spear-phishing smartphones to obtain credentials from 'a small number' of Twitter employees to break in to the internal systems. From there, the hackers targeted 130 accounts. They managed to tweet their bogus tweet from 45 prolific accounts. They also accessed the direct message inboxes of 36 others, and download the Twitter data from seven separate accounts. Advertisement

The documents do not specify Kirk's real identity but say he is a teen being prosecuted in the Tampa area.

Twitter has said the hacker gained access to a company dashboard that manages accounts by using social engineering and spear-phishing smartphones to obtain credentials from 'a small number' of Twitter employees 'to gain access to our internal systems.' Spear-phishing uses email or other messaging to deceive people into sharing access credentials.

'There is a false belief within the criminal hacker community that attacks like the Twitter hack can be perpetrated anonymously and without consequence,' U.S. Attorney David L. Anderson for the Northern District of California said in a news release.

The evidence suggests, however, that those responsible did a poor job indeed of covering their tracks. The court documents released Friday show how federal agents tracked the hackers through Bitcoin transactions and by obtaining records of their online chats.

Although the case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said his office is prosecuting Clark in state court because Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in financial fraud cases when appropriate. He called Clark the leader of the hacking scam.

'This defendant lives here in Tampa, he committed the crime here, and he'll be prosecuted here,' Warren said.

Security experts were not surprised that the alleged mastermind is a 17-year-old, given the relatively amateurish nature of both the operation and how participants discussed it with New York Times reporters afterward.

'This is a great case study showing how technology democratizes the ability to commit serious criminal acts,' said Jake Williams, founder of the cybersecurity firm Rendition Infosec. 'There wasn't a ton of development that went into this attack.'

Williams said the hackers were 'extremely sloppy' in how they moved the Bitcoin around. It did not appear they used any services that make cryptocurrency difficult to trace by 'tumbling' transactions of multiple users, a technique akin to money laundering, he said.

He also said he was conflicted about whether Clark should be charged as an adult.

'He definitely deserves to pay (for jumping on the opportunity) but potentially serving decades in prison doesn't seem like justice in this case,' Williams said.

The hack targeted 130 accounts with tweets being sent from 45 accounts, obtained access to the direct message inboxes of 36, and downloaded Twitter data from seven. Dutch anti-Islam lawmaker Geert Wilders has said his inbox was among those accessed.

Court papers suggest Fazeli and Sheppard got involved in the scheme after Clark dangled the possibility of obtaining so-called OG Twitter handles, short account names that due to their brevity are highly prized and considered status symbols in a certain milieu. They said Sheppard purchased @anxious and Faceli wanted @foreign.

Internal Revenue Service investigators in Washington, D.C., identified two of the defendants by analyzing Bitcoin transactions on the blockchain  the universal ledger that records Bitcoin transactions  that they had sought to make anonymous, federal prosecutors said.

The tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address. The hack alarmed security experts because of the grave potential of such an intrusion for creating geopolitical mayhem with disinformation. Obama's account was hacked

Celebrities Kanye West, pictured, and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked

Marcus Hutchins, the 26-year-old British cybersecurity expert credited with helping stop the WannaCry computer virus in 2017, said the skillset involved in the actual hack was nothing special.

'I think people underestimate the level of experience needed to pull off these kinds of hacks. They may sound extremely sophisticated, but the techniques can be replicated by teens,' added Hutchins, who pleaded guilty last year to creating malware designed to steal banking information and just completed a year's supervised release.

British cybersecurity analyst Graham Cluley said his guess was that the targeted Twitter employees got a message to call what they thought was an authorized help desk and were persuaded by the hacker to provide their credentials. It's also possible the hackers got a call from the company's legitimate help line by spoofing the number, he said.

Fazeli's father said Friday he hasn't been able to talk to his son since Thursday.

'I'm 100% sure my son is innocent,' Mohamad Fazeli said. 'He's a very good person, very honest, very smart and loyal.'

'We are as shocked as everybody else,' he said by phone. 'I'm sure this is a mix up.'

Attempts to reach relatives of the other two weren't immediately successful. Hillsborough County court records didn't list an attorney for Clark, and federal court records didn't list attorneys for Sheppard or Fazeli.
Bus and train services have been halted and altered in owing to incessant rain on Tuesday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) informed, while also appealing to offices in the city to remain shut.

"The Western and harbour line between Kurla and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) have been completely stopped; the central line is running at a slow speed. The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) bus services have been diverted in at least eight routes in various parts of City and the suburbs " the said.

The also appealed to all offices and other establishments to remain shut on Tuesday, except those of Emergency services, due to the advisory that had been issued by the IMD in light of the prediction of more downpours later in the day.

With over 10 hours of throughout the night, people in several parts of on Tuesday woke up to severely waterlogged streets. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) sounded a red alert for today and tomorrow for extremely heavy rain in Mumbai.

With a high tide expected at 12:47 pm, the has issued an alert to all concerned departments and also to citizens to not go near any beaches or low lying areas. Tidal waves of around 4.51 meters have been predicted due to the heavy rains.

According to the BMC, Mumbai city received 140.5 mm rain from 8 am on August 3 to 3 am on August 4. The Eastern and Western Suburbs recorded 84.77 mm and 79.27 mm of respectively.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Donald Trump has threatened to sue the state of Nevada for what he calls an "illegal late night coup" in which the state government determined it would mail out ballots for the 2020 US election to all of its residents.

The president tweeted that the move would prevent Republicans from scoring electoral victories.

"In an illegal late night coup, Nevada's clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state," Mr Trump wrote. "Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-in Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!"

Mr Trump has previously claimed that removing roadblocks to voting hurts Republicans' electoral chances.

Earlier this year, Mr Trump said he rejected a Democrat-developed version of the CARES Act in part because it would have removed significant hurdles to voting and would have  in his opinion  ensured Republican electoral losses.

"The things they had in there were crazy. They had things, levels of voting that if you'd ever agreed to it, you'd never have a Republican elected in this country again," Mr Trump said in a Fox News interview .

Mr Trump's suggestion that the USPS can't handle the volume of a mail-in voting election may be correct, but its inability to do so would in part be the fault of the president's administration.

His outburst on Twitter isn't his first time railing at Nevada over mail-in voting.

In May Mr Trump similarly complained when the state mailed out ballots for primary elections. He claimed state legislators were trying to "cheat" and threatened to withhold federal funding in retaliation.

Mr Trump has criticised mail-in voting, suggesting it will lead to high levels of voter fraud. Election experts have argued that while there is a slightly higher risk of fraud, security measures can mitigate the risk.

The president  as well as many of his family members and aides  has voted by mail in the past. However, he said what he did was different because it was "absentee voting" as opposed to mail-in voting.

Recommended Trump doubles down on possible election delay

Mr Trump claims that absentee voting is different  and acceptable  because it requires a voter to request a ballot, rather than having one mailed to them automatically.

"A person has to go through a process to get and use them. Mail-In Voting, on the other hand, will lead to the most corrupt Election is USA history," Mr Trump tweeted.

Voting rights experts have argued that there is essentially no difference between absentee and mail-in voting.
Aug 4 (Reuters) - A court in Cape Verde has rejected an appeal from a detained Colombian businessman seeking to avoid extradition to the United States on money laundering charges, his defense team said on Tuesday.

Alex Saab, who has been working on behalf of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, was arrested in June when a plane he was traveling on landed in the West African island nation. Maduro's government said Saab was traveling as a state "agent" on business to obtain humanitarian supplies to help combat the coronavirus pandemic.

The United States last year charged Saab in connection with a bribery scheme to take advantage of Venezuela's state-controlled exchange rate. It also sanctioned him for allegedly orchestrating a corruption network that allowed him and Maduro to profit from a state-run food subsidy program.

Saab's defense team, led by former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon, said in a statement that it would appeal the decision against "Special Envoy Saab" before Cape Verde's Supreme Court.

If that appeal were to fail, Saab's lawyers said they would then make a request to the Constitutional Court. His lawyers called the U.S. charges "politically motivated."

The U.S. Department of Justice said in June that Saab, who also has a Venezuelan passport, was arrested pursuant to an Interpol red notice issued with respect to his indictment. (Reporting by Angus Berwick Editing by Brian Ellsworth and David Gregorio)
Over 3,000 people were injured and at least 30 were killed in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed his condolences to the families of the victims of a recent blast in Beirut.

"Deeply shocked by news of massive explosions in Beirut and many casualties. My deepest condolences to the relatives and close ones of the victims," he tweeted on August 4.

Read alsoUkraine's Foreign Ministry says no information about Ukrainian victims of Beirut blast

"I also wish speedy recovery to those injured. My thoughts are with the people of #Lebanon on this tragic day," he added.

Over 3,000 people were injured and at least 30 were killed in an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on August 4.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. As part of the CIS Inter-Parliamentary Assemblys International Observer Mission, Armenian Members of Parliament Alexei Sandikov (My Step bloc) and Armen Yeghiazaryan (Bright Armenia party) will depart for Belarus to carry out an observer mission in the upcoming presidential election in the country, the parliaments press service said.

The presidential election in Belarus is set for August 9.

Five candidates, including incumbent President Alexander Lukashenko, are running for office.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
UN chief warns of generational catastrophe as pandemic forces schools to be shut down in more than 160 countries.

The coronavirus pandemic has caused the largest disruption in education in history, with schools closed in some 160 countries in mid-July affecting more than one billion students, the United Nations has said.

Launching a new policy brief on Tuesday, UN chief Antonio Guterres said the reopening of schools, once the local transmission of the virus is under control, must be a top priority for countries.

Lockdown measures have also forced at least 40 million children to miss out on pre-school, Guterres said.

This came on top of more than 250 million children already being out of school before the pandemic and only a quarter of secondary school students in developing countries leaving with basic skills, he said in a video statement.

Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities, said Guterres, as he launched a UN Save Our Future campaign.

We are at a defining moment for the worlds children and young people, he added. The decisions that governments and partners take now will have lasting impact on hundreds of millions of young people, and on the development prospects of countries for decades to come.





The new coronavirus has infected more than 18 million people worldwide and killed at least 692,000, according to data collected by the Johns Hopkins University.

Closures of schools and other learning spaces have affected 94 percent of the worlds student population, up to 99 percent in low and lower-middle income countries, according to the UN.

In an attempt to prevent the spread of the virus, many countries switched to online learning, but rights groups say this has only widened the learning gap between the rich and poor.

A new report published last month by international charity Save the Children said almost 10 million children may never go back to school because of deep budget cuts and rising poverty caused by the pandemic.

OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020

In the United States, the worst-affected country by the virus, the issue of reopening of schools has sparked a fierce political debate and concern among educators.

On Monday, teachers and support staff at more than 35 school districts across the US protested against the reopening, while President Donald Trump continues to push for classroom instruction, as they normally would in August and September, as part of his re-election campaign.
From left, Donald Trump and his girlfriend (and future wife), former model Melania Knauss, financier (and future convicted sex offender) Jeffrey Epstein, and British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell pose together at the Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach, Florida on Feb. 12, 2000.

President Donald Trump in a new interview suggested that accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein might have been killed in jail instead of having committed suicide, and defended his well wishes to Epstein's alleged accomplice, Ghislaine Maxwell.

Trump also said, "First of all, I don't know that," when he was reminded that Maxwell now faces charges related to alleged sexual abuse of children by the wealthy investor Epstein.

"But I do know that her friend or boyfriend [Epstein] was either killed or committed suicide in jail," Trump said of the British socialite Maxwell. "She's now in jail."

"Yeah, I wish her well. I'd wish you well, I'd wish a lot of people well," he told Jonathan Swan of Axios in the interview.

"Good luck, let them prove somebody was guilty," Trump said.

Tweet

Years ago, Trump had socialized with Epstein and Maxwell, whose other high-profile friends had included former President Bill Clinton and Britain's Prince Andrew.

Epstein, 66, died last August in a jail in Manhattan by what federal officials and the New York City Medical Examiner's Office have said was a suicide by hanging.

At the time, Epstein was awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges related to the alleged abuse of dozens of underage girls from 2002 through 2005.

Attorney General William Barr has said that Epstein's death, which occurred weeks after another apparent suicide bid by him in the same high-security federal jail, was the result of a "perfect storm of screw-ups," but also said he is sure Epstein killed himself.

Barr said he personally reviewed security footage that shows no one entered the area where Epstein was being kept at the time he died.

Two guards at the jail who were supposed to be keeping an eye on Epstein and other inmates on the night of his death have been criminally charged with trying to cover up their failure to do so.

Maxwell, 58, was arrested last month on charges related to her allegedly recruiting and grooming several underage girls to be sexually abused by Epstein in the mid-1990s

She also is accused of perjuring herself by lying under oath during a deposition for a civil lawsuit filed by Virginia Giuffre, who has claimed that she was recruited by Maxwell to be abused by Epstein while working as a teenager in the spa at Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Maxwell has pleaded not guilty and is being held without bail in a federal jail in Brooklyn, New York.

Swan noted that at a White House news conference on July 21 Trump was asked by a reporter if in Maxwell's case "you feel that she's going to turn in powerful men."

"I just wish her well, frankly," Trump had answered at the time, going on to say, "I've met her numerous times over the years, especially since I lived in Palm Beach, and I guess they lived in Palm Beach."
Researchers from Sweden and Brazil have identified a novel mutation in a strain of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) obtained from a patient in Stockholm, Sweden, in late April.

Tatiany Soratto and colleagues from the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, and the Federal University of Santa Catarina, in Brazil, say it is possible the unknown mutation could affect the ability of the virus to bind to host cells.

The mutation is located at the surface of the S1 subunit of the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, the main surface structure the virus uses to gain entry to host cells. The S1 subunit contains the binding domain for the host cell membrane receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2).

The study also found that of four near-complete genomes assembled from infected patients, three belonged to one of the genetic groups that the Public Health Agency of Sweden had previously reported as having declined in prevalence by late April.

The team warns that further investigation is needed to ensure that the spread of different SARS-CoV-2 strains is properly characterized.

A pre-print version of the paper is available on the server bioRxiv*, while the article undergoes peer review.

SARS-CoV-2 spike (S) modelled with SWISS-MODEL (Waterhouse et al., 2018) using 6ZGH structure as a template, drawn and colored in UCSF Chimera (Pettersen et al., 2004). N-terminal domain (NTD) is colored green and Receptor-binding domain/Cterminal domain (RBD/CTD) is red. The enlarged inset shows the location of R634H mutation (blue).

Monitoring and analyzing SARS-CoV-2

Since the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak first began in Wuhan, China, late last year, it has spread at unprecedented rates and affected almost every country in the world.

The rapid viral spread and devastating health and socioeconomic consequences globally have led to urgent efforts to characterize the virus, track its spread and study its biological features to help identify potential treatment strategies and monitor the effectiveness of mitigation measures.

Checking SARS-CoV-2 genomes

In Sweden, by the end of April, the virus was reported to be infecting approximately 600 people per day and killing about 90 per day.

On 26th April, Soratto and the team collected and tested nasopharyngeal swabs from 23 patients with suspected COVID-19 at the Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm, Sweden.

Seventeen of the patients were confirmed as positive for SARS-CoV-2 by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) testing. After extracting viral RNA and synthesizing complementary DNA, libraries with 350-base pair (bp) fragments were generated and prepared for shotgun sequencing.

After removing low-quality sequencers and adapters and the human genome reference, the researchers mapped the remaining reads to the complete genome of SARS-CoV-2 Whuan-Hu-1, as accessed in GenBank.

Once mapped, the Genome Detective Virus Tool was used to assemble the reads with the GenBank SARS-CoV-2 genome used as a reference, and single nucleotide variants were assigned to each genome.

The researchers were able to assemble four near-complete genomes that covered 99.7 to 99.8% of the GenBank reference genome and all of the coding region.

A variant was identified that could have destabilizing effects

Compared with the reference genome, the four assembled genomes each had between 9 and 14 nucleotide variants.

The team reports that all four genomes had mutations in the noncoding position 241 C (cytosine) to T (thymine) and three mutations in coding regions, which were two C to T at 3037bp and 14408bp, and one A (adenine) to G (guanine) at 23403bp.

In one of the genomes, a variant was found at 23463bp that was not found in any other GenBank SARS-CoV-2 genome. The mutation changes an arginine residue to a histidine residue at position 364 in the S1 subunit of the viral spike protein.

The researchers say this variant in the spike protein could have destabilizing effects.

The variant is located at the surface of the S1 subunit, and could possibly affect the attachment of the virion to the cell, even though it does not change the receptor-binding domain itself, writes the team.

Three genomes were strains previously thought to have declined in Sweden

On comparing the four SARS-CoV-2 genomes obtained from patients in Stockholm with those detected globally, the researchers found that they belonged to the genetic strains 20C/B.1/G and 20B/B.1.1/GR.

The Public Health Agency of Sweden had previously reported these genetic groups as two of the three main strains found in Sweden.

However, three of the genomes are from group B.1/G, which was also reported by the Public Health Agency of Sweden to have declined in prevalence by late April, say Soratto and team.

This lineage has spread to more than 20 countries in Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia and corresponds to the Italian outbreak, write the researchers. More investigation is needed in order to ensure that the spread of different types of SARS-CoV-2 is fully characterized, they conclude.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Machine learning algorithm uses high-temporal-resolution growth curves to identify pathogens with 98% accuracy and predict antibiotic resistance just as well as genetic-based methods

Biomedical engineers at Duke University have shown that different strains of the same bacterial pathogen can be distinguished by a machine learning analysis of their growth dynamics alone, which can then also accurately predict other traits such as resistance to antibiotics. The demonstration could point to methods for identifying diseases and predicting their behaviors that are faster, simpler, less expensive and more accurate than current standard techniques.

The results appear online on August 3 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

For most of the history of microbiology, bacteria identification has relied on growing cultures and analyzing the physical traits and behaviors of the resulting bacterial colony. It wasn't until recently that scientists could simply run a genetic test.

Genetic sequencing, however, isn't universally available and can often take a long time. And even with the ability to sequence entire genomes, it can be difficult to tie specific genetic variations to different behaviors in the real world.

For example, even though researchers know the genetic mutations that help shield/protect bacteria from beta-lactam antibiotics--the most commonly used antibiotic in the world--sometimes the DNA isn't the whole story. While a single resistant bacteria usually can't survive a dose of antibiotics on its own, large populations often can.

Lingchong You, professor of biomedical engineering at Duke, and his graduate student, Carolyn Zhang, wondered if a new twist on older methods might work better. Maybe they could amplify one specific physical characteristic and use it to not only identify the pathogen, but to make an educated guess about other traits such as antibiotic resistance.

"We thought that the slight variance in the genes between strains of bacteria might have a subtle effect on their metabolism," You said. "But because bacterial growth is exponential, that subtle effect could be amplified enough for us to take advantage of it. To me, that notion is somewhat intuitive, but I was surprised at how well it actually worked."

How quickly a bacterial culture grows in a laboratory depends on the richness of the media it is growing in and its chemical environment. But as the population grows, the culture consumes nutrients and produces chemical byproducts. Even if different strains start with the exact same environmental conditions, subtle differences in how they grow and influence their surroundings accumulate over time.

In the study, You and Zhang took more than 200 strains of bacterial pathogens, most of which were variations of E. coli, put them into identical growth environments, and carefully measured their population density as it increased. Because of their slight genetic differences, the cultures grew in fits and starts, each possessing a unique temporal fluctuation pattern. The researchers then fed the growth dynamics data into a machine learning program, which taught itself to identify and match the growth profiles to the different strains.

To their surprise, it worked really well.

"Using growth data from only one initial condition, the model was able to identify a particular strain with more than 92 percent accuracy," You said. "And when we used four different starting environments instead of one, that accuracy rose to about 98 percent."

Taking this idea one step further, You and Zhang then looked to see if they could use growth dynamic profiles to predict another phenotype--antibiotic resistance.

The researchers once again loaded a machine learning program with the growth dynamic profiles from all but one of the various strains, along with data about their resilience to four different antibiotics. They then tested to see if the resulting model could predict the final strain's antibiotic resistances from its growth profile. To bulk up their dataset, they repeated this process for all of the other strains.

The results showed that the growth dynamic profile alone could successfully predict a strain's resistance to antibiotics 60 to 75 percent of the time.

"This is actually on par or better than some of the current techniques in the literature, including many that use genetic sequencing data," said You. "And this was just a proof of principle. We believe that with higher-resolution data of the growth dynamics, we could do an even better job in the long term."

The researchers also looked to see if the strains exhibiting similar growth curves also had similar genetic profiles. As it turns out, the two are completely uncorrelated, demonstrating once again how difficult it can be to map cellular traits and behaviors to specific stretches of DNA.

Moving forward, You plans to optimize the growth curve procedure to reduce the time it takes to identify a strain from 2 to 3 days to perhaps 12 hours. He's also planning on using high-definition cameras to see if mapping how bacterial colonies grow in space in a Petri dish can help make the process even more accurate.

###

This research was conducted in collaboration with groups of Deverick J. Anderson, Joshua T. Thaden and Vance G. Fowler from the Duke University School of Medicine, and Minfeng Xiao from BGI Genomics.

This research was partially supported by the National Institutes of Health (LY, R01GM098642, R01GM110494, 1A1125604), the Army Research Office (LY, W911NF-14-1-0490), the David and Lucile Packard Foundation, the Shenzhen Peacock Team Plan grant (MX, No. KQTD2015033117210153), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (DJA, U54CK000164), AHRQ (DJA, R01-HS23821), NIH (VGF, R01-AI068804), and the National Science Foundation's Graduate Research Fellowship (CZ, HRM).

"Temporal encoding of bacterial identity and traits in growth dynamics." Carolyn Zhang, Wenchen Song, Helena R. Ma, Xiao Peng, Deverick J. Anderson, Vance G. Fowler Jr, Joshua T. Thaden, Minfeng Xiao, and Lingchong You. PNAS, 2020. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2008807117
Amber Turner and Dan Edgar made a splash as they continued to film scenes for the upcoming series of TOWIE in Essex on Sunday.

The couple appeared in high spirits as they made their way around around a inflatable assault course.

Filming for the hit ITVBe show resumed earlier this month after it was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Wet and wild: Amber Turner and Dan Edgar made a splash as they continued to film scenes for the upcoming series for TOWIE in Essex on Sunday

Amber, 27, who has recently lost a stone in weight, showed off her toned physique in a skintight wetsuit which had green panelling on the sleeves.

She kept her blonde hair out of her face by tying it into a bun and enhanced her tan with a bronzed make-up look.

Dan, 30, meanwhile opted for a black and red striped wetsuit and donned a life jacket ahead of hitting the obstacle course.

Happy: The couple appeared in high spirits as they made their way around around a inflatable assault course

Action: Filming for the hit ITVBe show resumed earlier this month, after it was halted due to the coronavirus pandemic

Crash! Amber threw herself into the obstacle course but lost her balance at one point

Slender: Amber, 27, who has recently lost a stone in weight, showed off her toned physique in a skintight wetsuit which had green panelling on the sleeves

Stunning: She kept her blonde hair out of her face by tying it into a bun and enhanced her tan with a bronzed make-up look

Worn out: Dan needed a moment's rest after crashing around the assault course

The pair showed off their competitive side as they crawled under nets and clambered up ladders.

Dan threw himself into the fun game and leapt off of a slide while Amber hurtled down and flew into the water.

After the adrenaline-fuelled activity, Dan lay on the pavement looking exhausted.

Superman: Dan threw himself into the fun game and leapt off of a slide

Loved-up: The couple have been stronger than ever after spending lockdown together

Change of heart: Amber and Dan reunited their on-off relationship in May last year after a brief split which saw the Lothario pursue a relationship with his co-star Chloe Sims, 37

The couple have been stronger than ever after spending lockdown together.

Amber and Dan reunited their on-off relationship in May last year after a brief split which saw the Lothario pursue a relationship with his co-star Chloe Sims, 37.

The blonde beauty previously talked about how Dan has become a 'changed man' since they gave their romance another go.

In love: The blonde beauty previously talked about how Dan has become a 'changed man' since they gave their romance another go

There she goes: The pair showed off their competitive side as they crawled under nets and clambered up ladders

Sore muscles: Amber looked like she was a little sore after exerting herself on the assault course

Amber told The Sun: 'Sometimes you have to go through really low points in life, and Dan admits what happened was a real low for him. He lost me. I was gone and he wasn't in the best place.

'When you lose someone it makes you realise how much you want them and need them in your life, he's not someone in their mid-20s anymore, he's mature and serious about life.

'Obviously joking around, but he has had his mid-life crisis already. Now he's such a changed person. He's so happy and focused on his future. I'm excited for the future with him.'

Splash! The pair looked a little chilly as they swam in the water

Bit chilly! Amber grimaced as she hurtled into the lake

Packing on the PDA: Dan wrapped his arms around Amber after the fun activity

Exhausted: Amber had to help Dan reach the inflatable course as he floated in the water

Amber embarked on a romance with Dan in 2017, when she joined the cast of TOWIE.

She admitted to her boyfriend at the time Jamie Reed she was cheating on him with Dan.

However the pair had several explosive splits after Dan struggled to commit to the blonde beauty following his break-up from Kate Ferdinand.

They officially called it quits at Christmas in 2018 but months later Amber was furious to learn of how he had a holiday fling with Chloe in Thailand.

The pair then decided to reunite however their relationship caused drama in Essex, with Amber and a jilted Chloe rowing over Dan.

Eyes for him: Amber embarked on a romance with Dan in 2017, when she joined the cast of TOWIE

Completed: The reality star punched her arms in the air after completing the course

Needing a rest: After the adrenaline-fuelled activity, Dan lay on the pavement looking exhausted

Having the time of her life: Amber beamed as she crawled under inflatable objects

Earlier this month, Amber revealed she had lost one stone and five pounds by following her new fitness plan, Active With Amber.

Detailing her lifestyle overhaul, Amber captioned the images: 'Girls it's here! My Brand new @activewithamber_ : THE TONED BODY PLAN, is now LIVE.

'Whether you did the first plan or this is your first one, you are going to love it! It changed my body so much and I feel the best I've ever felt!

'I've felt so self conscious & really didn't want to post my before pics because i was very unhappy with my body, but wanted to show you guys the power of my plan!' (sic)

Revealing she lost weight without the help of a personal gym, the girlfriend of TOWIE co-star Dan Edgar added: 'It's b****y amazing, i did it in my own home, no gym, no PT - Just a set of 4KG adjustable dumbbells! I've lost 1 stone 5 pounds!

Adventure: The star posed for the camera as she headed out on a paddleboard

Up in the air: The pair bounced around as they tried to negotiate their way around the course

'So in my new plan you'll find 10 brand new workouts and new styles of training. Brand new healthy recipes, Plus my 5k Kickstart...4 mp3 workouts that you can download to your phone and listen to while you're running.

'I'll be in your ears, alongside some motivating music, guiding you through interval training sessions....and you get all of this for just a one-off payment.

'Whether you're a beginner or a total fitness enthusiast you can do this plan and get so much out of it. Click the link in my bio to get yours!' (sic)

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Jaipur, Aug 5 : Scrapping the sedition charges clamped on Congress MLAs accused of alleged horse-trading to topple the state government in Rajasthan, the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police on Tuesday transferred the case to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB).

Reacting to the development, Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia said "the intention of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and the state government has now been exposed as it's clear that they hatched a conspiracy against their own MLAs to intimidate the Independents and small party MLAs, in the name of SOG and ACB".

An SOG official confirmed that the offence of MLAs does not fall under the category of Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and therefore, the case has been transferred to the ACB.

According to a statement issued by SOG, a legal opinion was taken in relation to the complaint filed on July 10, which confirmed that this case is not an offence under Section 124A of the IPC, officials said, adding: "Prima facie the crime comes under the Prevention of Corruption Act 2018. Therefore, all documents have been sent to ACB for further action." It needs to be mentioned here that rebel Congress leader Sachin Pilot was also summoned under Sections 124 A (under sedition charges) and 120 B which left the former deputy Chief Minister aggrieved and tormented.

The SOG registered the first FIR on July 10 under sections 124A and 120B of the IPC and arrested two accused in this regard.

Thereafter, on July 17, on the complaint of the government chief whip Mahesh Joshi, two more FIRs were registered in similar sections.

On the same day, one Sanjay Jain, an agent allegedly mediating for horse-trading, was arrested and after being presented in the court, was taken into police remand.

The case is related to the alleged audio tapes which surfaced last month in which Sanjay Jain can be heard talking to Congress MLAs Bhanwarlal Sharma and Gajendra Singh planning to topple the government through horse-trading.

Poonia said: "We had said earlier that 124A is a case of treason, it was a law declared in 1870 during the British era which was imposed on Mahatma Gandhi by the British government and same law was imposed on freedom fighter Lokmanya Balgangadhar Tilak for writing articles in a magazine.

"How instability within the party can be put under the treason was questionable. The withdrawal of the sedition case makes it clear that the government was wrong and mistaken in this case. Withdrawing the sedition case is a moral defeat of the government. This has also exposed the conspiracy being carried out by the government. The government wanted to intimidate independents and small party legislators, in the name of SOG and ACB. It has been proved that the Chief Minister is using SOG, ACB, and Rajasthan Police as instruments to save his chair," he added.
The Delhi high court on Tuesday said it did not understand the reason for the Delhi governments resistance to the courts monitoring from time to time the ramping up of Covid-19 testing in the city.

The remark came after the Delhi government told the court that issues raised (by other pleas) have already been addressed and adequate steps have been taken to manage health care and other services in the national capital.

A bench of justice Hima Kohli and justice Subramonium Prasad, while hearing a plea filed through advocate Rakesh Malhotra seeking to increase Covid-19 testing in the city, was told by the Delhi government counsel that last week, another bench of the Delhi high court had disposed of a similar plea during which the court had noted that adequate steps have been taken by the government to fight the pandemic.

Delhi government counsel Satyakam also raised questions on the maintainability of the application and said the petitioner should have filed a separate petition rather than filing an application in an already disposed of matter.

He said such applications can be filed only for making corrections/modifications in the order but not for raising fresh concerns and hence the matter should not be heard any further.

However, the court said the earlier pleas, which were decided by the other benches, were concerned with the treatment, availability of beds, personal protective equipment kits, ambulances and denial of treatment to patients.

The bench also said in the course of the past two months, rapid expansion has taken place in terms of testing as the Delhi government understood the breadth of the infection and took measures to deal with it. It also said that taking note of the orders and facts in place, lieutenant-governor (L-G) Anil Baijal had also constituted a committee to look into Covid-19 testing and care.

...the resistance of the Delhi government to this court monitoring the progress made in ramping up the testing, is incomprehensible when admittedly, this is not an adversarial litigation and it is purely in the interest of the citizens of Delhi that all government departments and agencies act in tandem and work collectively to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic for larger public good. The technical plea taken by the government on the maintainability of an application in a disposed of matter would have engaged this Court had it been a routine litigation between two private parties. This is not so here, the court said.

During the hearing, the Delhi government, in a status report, told the court that the mandate of the Delhi government is to ramp up testing and deploy a combination of both rapid antigen testing and RT-PCR testing in such a manner that all categories of vulnerable groups and areas are covered.

It also said the Delhi government, till July 30, had conducted 5,24,431 RT-PCR tests -- 27,604 tests per million -- which are more than double the national average of 13,647 tests per million.

It asked the Delhi government to file a fresh status report and posted the matter for August 19.
The worst economic crash and destruction of jobs in Australia since the 1930s Great Depression will deepen further following the expanded COVID-19 shutdown imposed on the state of Victoria on Sunday.

Workers, especially those in casual and insecure employment, will bear the burden of the sweeping state of disaster restrictions announced by Victorias Labor government, set to last for at least six weeks.

Workers line up outside a Centrelink office in Melbourne (Photo: @LordSedgwick, Twitter)

The more intensive shutdowns in Victoria, which accounts for a quarter of Australias gross domestic product (GDP), are expected to reverberate across the country, wiping out hundreds of thousands more jobs and cutting more than $3 billion a week off the GDP.

The stage four restrictions, which are backed by the federal Liberal-National government, are a direct result of the disastrous return to work push by all the Australian governments since May. The profit-driven reopening of the economy by the bipartisan national cabinet of federal, state and territory government heads, has caused a deadly resurgence of the pandemic.

That started in Victoria, where an estimated 80 percent of the infection transmissions have come from workplaces that the government kept open or re-opened, including retail and hospitality businesses, meatworks, warehouses and construction sites.

Even before the Victorian lockdown, young workers, in particular, were confronting the worst levels of unemployment and underemployment since the Great Depression, affecting more than 2.5 million workersor nearly a fifth of the labour force.

Now the Victorian emergency has shattered the already dire economic and budget forecasts that the federal government issued less than two weeks ago on July 23. Even by those predictions, another quarter of a million jobs would have been eliminated by December.

According to the July 23 budget update, the economy will contract by 3.75 percent during 2020 and the annual federal budget deficit blow out to $184 billion by next June. That will be by far the biggest deficit since World War II. It will be almost 10 percent of GDPmore than twice the proportion recorded during the global financial crisis of 200809.

Those calculations were based on continuing the reopening drive, despite the COVID-19 surge already occurring by then in the two most populous states, Victoria and New South Wales. They assumed that the reimposition of a stage-three partial shutdown in Victoria would last only six weeks, no new safety shutdowns would occur anywhere else in the country, interstate borders would reopen and international travel would resume from January 1.

Yesterday, federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg admitted that the cost of Victorias new stage-four restrictions would be higher than Treasury estimates and felt beyond state borders. He gave no explanation for offering such misleading forecasts on July 23.

Deloitte Access Economics senior partner Chris Richardson said job losses were likely to be worse than previously predicted. Were going to see, compared to the forecasts in July, more jobs lost, unemployment higher and unemployment staying higher for longer, he said.

The Victorian shutdown has demolished the myth propagated by the governments and the corporate media that Australia would be an exception to the intensifying global pandemic and economic breakdown.

Yesterdays Australian Financial Review editorial conceded: When the national cabinet announced the three-stage reopening plan in May, it appeared that Australia was still the so-called lucky country even amid the worst global pandemic in a century. Now there would be a great leap backwards.

The newspaper has been among the most vociferous voices demanding reopening, regardless of the known danger of new outbreaks that would cost lives and livelihoods.

Even now, the demands of the corporate elite continue to dominate the government response. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday said construction projects, meat plants and various manufacturing operations would be permitted to stay open during the state of disaster, subject to some safety rules.

Predictably, workers are being made to pay the price for the crash, via job losses, pay cuts and freezes, and attacks on working conditions, as well as social spending cuts, amid the biggest corporate handouts in history. Since March, the federal, state and territory governments have handed out more than $300 billion in stimulus packages. Most has gone to big business, including via JobKeeper wage subsidies that have so far kept millions of their employees on the job, generating profits.

Once Prime Minister Scott Morrisons federal government starts slashing the JobKeeper subsidies and JobSeeker jobless benefits in September, and governments end freezes on rental evictions and mortgage repayments, working class financial stress, poverty and homelessness will grow.

Investment bank Morgan Stanley commissioned a survey of the six million households paying off mortgages and found that 55 percent of them had survived on JobKeeper, JobSeeker or the early withdrawal of superannuation retirement funds. Unless they found decent-paying jobs within six months, they could default and lose their homes.

Writing in the Australian, financial journalist Alan Kohler warned of a looming debt emergency. He wrote: The average mortgage is $467,700, so those people collectively owe more than $1 trillion. Even if this groups average mortgage is half that, and even if only a third of them dont get a job and cant meet their repayments, the loans in default would be equal to the entire capital of the Australian banking system.

Another survey pointed to the crisis facing small family-owned businesses, which include many workers who previously lost their jobs. The digital credit reporting agency CreditorWatch reported that the average invoice payment delay in June was 49 days, more than triple what it was a year ago. These overdue payments indicate that many businesses are insolvent, but are currently permitted to keep trading, an exemption due to end on September 25.

Even before COVID-19 first struck in March, young workers were suffering an historic decline in incomes, due to the cutting of hours and pay. A recent Productivity Commission report found that since the 200809 global breakdown, the average labour income of those under 25 had fallen by 14 percent in real terms. Those aged 25 to 34, experienced a 7 percent drop.

This reversal is now worsening because younger workers have been the first to lose their jobs or hours in the pandemic. That is also feeding into growing social inequality.

Recent Australian Taxation Office data confirmed a widening income gulf between the residents of the richest and poorest suburbs of Sydney and Melbourne, the two most populous cities, long before the pandemic.

For example, the average income among the residents of wealthy Double Bay on Sydney Harbour grew by 85 percent between 201314 and 201718 to $242,428, the highest in the nation. That was six times higher than in working class Auburn, in Sydneys mid-west, where the average income increased by 4 percent to $37,686, the lowest in Sydney.

Apart from a huge average wage gap, the biggest difference was capital gains from investments. In Double Bay, 419 residents declared net capital gains worth $221 million or $527,000 each in the 201718 tax year. In Auburn, 249 people declared net capital gains totalling $5.1 million or $20,500 each.

At the same time, low-paid and highly casualised workers in frontline services, such as aged care, healthcare, retail, transport and security are the most likely to be exposed to COVID-19 infection, threatening their lives and health, and those of their families.


India's top military and strategic brass on Tuesday reviewed the overall situation in eastern Ladakh amid indications that the latest round of talks between senior military commanders of Indian and Chinese armies on the next phase of disengagement of troops may not have produced encouraging results, people familiar with the developments said.

They said India will maintain a high-level of alertness in all the sensitive areas along the Line of Actual Control(LAC), and that the Army has started preparations to maintain its current strength of troops and heavy weaponry in eastern Ladakh during the winter months.

With China showing reluctance to disengage its troops from areas like Pangong Tso and Depsang, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Army Chief Gen MM Naravane reviewed various aspects of the three month-old border standoff. A number of other officials were part of the meeting of the China Study Group which also includes Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Defence Secretary Ajay Kumar.

It is learnt that Gen. Naravane apprised the meeting about deployment of troops and necessary arrangements that will be required for stationing the soldiers in the high-altitude region during the harsh winter months when the temperature goes down below minus 20 degree celsius. "There is no question of lowering our guard at all," a person aware of the deliberations at the meeting said without elaborating.

At the fifth round of military talks on Sunday, the Indian army categorically conveyed to China's PLA that it will not compromise on India's territorial integrity, and that the disengagement of troops from Pangong Tso and a few other friction points in eastern Ladakh should be completed at the earliest. The Indian delegation also very clearly and firmly communicated to the Chinese side that restoration of status quo ante in all areas of eastern Ladakh was key for overall ties between the two countries, and that Beijing must ensure complete disengagement of its troops from the remaining friction points, sources said.

They said there was no option for the Chinese military but to disengage from the friction points as demanded by India. "We are ready for a long haul," said an official on the condition of anonymity. There have been indications that the negotiations may not have produced very encouraging results, and that both sides will hold more talks to resolve the border row, they said.

Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Wang Wenbin, meanwhile, said the two sides should always place the boundary issue in an "appropriate position" in bilateral relations, and avoid differences escalating into disputes. Wang made this remark at a media briefing in Beijing when asked to comment on Minister Jaishankar's comments in a recent interview to a leading English daily in India that the state of the India-China border and the future of the ties between the two countries cannot be separated. The question was posed by a representative of the Chinese official media.

The Chinese army has pulled back from Galwan Valley and certain other areas but the withdrawal of troops has not moved forward from the Finger Four and Eight in Pangong Tso as demanded by India. The mountain spurs in the area are referred to as Fingers. China also has not completed withdrawal of troops from Gogra areas. The focus of the Sunday talks was on finalising the modalities for further de-escalation, and disengagement of troops from various friction points, sources said.

The Indian delegation was led by Lt Gen Harinder Singh, the commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps, while the Chinese side was headed by Major General Liu Lin, commander of the South Xinjiang military region. The previous round of Corps Commander-level talks had taken place on July 14 and it lasted for nearly 15 hours.

The Sunday military talks on the Chinese side of the LAC took place 10 days after both sides held another round of diplomatic talks on the border standoff. The formal process of disengagement of troops began on July 6, a day after a nearly two-hour telephonic conversation between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on ways to bring down tension in the area.

The first round of the Lt General talks was held on June 6 during which both sides finalised an agreement to disengage gradually from all the standoff points beginning with Galwan Valley. However, the situation deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed as the two sides significantly bolstered their deployments in most areas along the LAC.

The Chinese side also suffered casualties in the June 15 clashes but it is yet to give out the details. According to an American intelligence report, the number of casualties on the Chinese side was 35. The second round of talks took place on June 22.

In the third round of military talks on June 30, both sides agreed on an "expeditious, phased and step wise" de-escalation as a "priority" to end the standoff. Following the Galwan Valley incident, the government has given the armed forces "full freedom" to give a "befitting" response to any Chinese misadventure along the LAC. The Army has sent thousands of additional troops to forward locations along the border following the violent clashes.

The IAF has also moved air defence systems as well as a sizable number of its frontline combat jets and attack helicopters to several key air bases.
(Newser)  For almost 200 years, enslaved people suffered and died on Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina. Ryan Reynolds now acknowledges that it was a poor choice of wedding venue. The Canadian actor tells Fast Company that he and wife Blake Lively will "always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for" the insensitive move in 2012. "Its impossible to reconcile," he says. "What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy." He says they feel "shame" over the "giant f---ing mistake," which led to him being called a hypocrite after he praised Black Panther in 2012.

story continues below

Reynolds says a mistake like that can "cause you to shut down or it can re-frame things and move you into action." He says the actions he and Lively have taken since the controversy include $1 million donations last year to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Young Center for Immigrant Children's Rights, CNN reports. He says they donated another $200,000 to the legal defense fund in June this year, and his production company and marketing agency, Maximum Effort, is focusing on diverse hiring and providing workers with equity. "When you add perspective and insight that isnt your own, you grow," he says. "And you grow your company, too." (Read more Ryan Reynolds stories.)
Every guest who is invited for the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony for the grand Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, will be gifted a silver coin as 'prasad'.

The guests will also be given a box of 'laddoos' and a photograph of Ram Darbar.

According to sources, over 1.25 lakh laddoos, called 'Raghupati laddoos' will be distributed to guests, residents of Ayodhya and others on August 5.

All the guests who are coming from other districts or state, have been asked to reach Ayodhya by Tuesday evening because the borders of the district will be sealed in the evening.

A total of 175 people have been invited to the Sri Ram Temple Trust for bhumi pujan, including about 135 saints who will come from different parts of the country. There is a code on every invitation card, which is designed for security.

Former deputy Prime Minister L.K. Advani, Dr Murali Manohar Joshi and former Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Kalyan Singh will not be attending the ceremony.
The news of former SDLP leader John Hume's death has received extensive coverage on radio, television, in print and online.

After his death was confirmed on Monday morning tributes have filled the airwaves and column inches, documentaries have been broadcast and opinion pieces written.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next John Hume 1937 - 2020: A life in pictures Close John Hume playing with his children John Hume is carried aloft through Londonderry city centre after being returned as MP for Foyle in 1987 John Hume on his wedding day with wife Pat John Hume is detained by soldiers during a civil rights protest in Londonderry in August 1971. John Hume John Hume in thoughtful mood at the SDLP party conference in Newcastle in 1979 Bertie Ahern and John Hume as they took part in a press conference on the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Belfast. Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker. U2 star Bono is flanked by David Trimble and John Hume on stage during a special concert in Belfast to promote the Yes vote in the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement (Chris Bacon/PA) PA John Hume with his good friend, Senator Ted Kennedy, in the Bogside John Hume with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan John Hume and his wife Pat at the Foyle Arts Centre in Londonderry after hearing that he and David Trimble were to share the Nobel Peace Prize Photopress Belfast John Hume with party colleague Seamus Mallon John Hume and David Trimble with U2 frontman Bono celebrating the Good Friday Agreement The SDLP team led by leader John Hume arrives at Stormont in 1999 to start the process of selecting ministers for the devolved government John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim Photopress Belfast John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim Photopress Belfast Hometown heroes: John Hume celebrates with Derry City players after their 2010 First Division win SPORTSFILE Former SDLP leader John Hume and Bill Clinton pictured in front of the Guildhall. Photo-Jonathan Porter/Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (left) and SDLP leader John Hume (Chris Bacon/PA) PA John Hume worked with Ian Paisley PA SDLP leader John Hume with his wife Pat speak to the media after he and David Trimble won the Nobel Peace Prize (PA) PA John Hume in front of the Stormont Building in 2002 (Paul Faith/PA) John Hume with David Trimble (PA) PA Bill Clinton in front of the Guildhall with former SDLP leader John Hume and his wife Pat. Photo-Jonathan Porter/Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. SDLP Conference, St Columb's Hall, Derry 12th March 2016. SDLP Leader Colm Eastwood John Hume at the conclusion of the conference Photo:Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. File photo dated 19/10/2000 of the Dalai Lama (left) meeting with fellow Nobel peace laureate John Hume, the former SDLP leader has died at the age of 83. Photo: Martin McCullough/PA Wire PA File photo dated 24/08/2014 of John Hume and his wife Pat, the former SDLP leader has died at the age of 83. PA Photo.Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Handout File photo dated 12/04/2000 of Former South African President Nelson Mandela meeting John Hume at the South African Embassy in Dublin Photo: PA Wire PA / Facebook

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The face of the man who has been called Northern Ireland's Martin Luther King adorned the cover of newspapers across the UK and Ireland on Tuesday morning.

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We profile some of the best below:

Guardian front page, Tuesday 4 August 2020: Russians stole secret documents from ex-ministers personal email pic.twitter.com/md03tP0XMt  The Guardian (@guardian) August 3, 2020

Good morning. Here is the front page of today's Irish Independent. Posted by Independent.ie on Monday, August 3, 2020

A special edition of the Derry Journal today in tribute to a man who has shaped our city and our country. John Hume RIP. pic.twitter.com/FsEKcl1IJU  Derry Journal (@derryjournal) August 4, 2020

In tomorrow's @BelTel we take a look at the life and legacy of John Hume #realstoriesworthpayingfor pic.twitter.com/oIveCDAENL  Belfast Telegraph (@BelTel) August 3, 2020

Just published: front page of the Financial Times, international edition, Tuesday 4 August https://on.ft.com/2DxDZWE Posted by Financial Times on Monday, August 3, 2020

Today's Irish Sun front page pic.twitter.com/nCni7L1AtU  The Irish Sun (@IrishSunOnline) August 4, 2020

Ireland bids farewell to a peacemaking giant... plus don't miss your weekly Good Health pullout. For more, see https://t.co/7yQSg4dmA7 pic.twitter.com/b0k0kyOt16  The Irish Daily Mail (@irishdailymail) August 4, 2020
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Tuesday carried out raids at 11 locations in Jammu and Kashmir in connection with its probe into the alleged violations of the Master Plan at Patnitop hill station by owners of hotels and other commercial establishments in connivance with public servants.

The raided places included official and residential premises of public servants, including Rakesh Kumar Sarangal, Additional Commissioner, Jammu; Raman Kumar Kesar, Joint Transport Commissioner, Jammu; and Rajendra Singh, KAS, Dy Commissioner, Sales Tax and Recovery.

The CBI seized documents related to fixed deposits and investments in immovable properties.

A CBI spokesperson said that different agency teams carried out searches at locations in Jammu, Udhampur, and Kathua districts at the offices/residences of other public servants as well, including then CEOs of Patnitop Development Authority (PDA) and others.

These officials include then CEOs of PDA -- S.M Sahni, KK Gupta and Dr MA Malik -- besides PDA Inspectors Amresh Jasrotia and Zaheer Abbas. Office premises of Transport and Sales Tax Departments too were raided.

The CBI booked 74 persons in the case after a preliminary enquiry (PE) into the Master Plan's violations and collected documents of over 50 hotels from authorities concerned, like the District Collector, and Forest, Tourism and Electricity Departments.

According to the CBI, 59 hotels and resorts allegedly violated the Master Plan.

On January 15, the CBI had registered the PE after Jammu and Kashmir High Court on December 31, 2019 ordered the agency to complete the probe within eight weeks and submit its report.

The court order came on a PIL filed by Hotel and Restaurant Association President, Patnitop, wherein he alleged glaring violations that resulted in the construction of 70 per cent of hotels and restaurants in Patnitop without permission.

The CBI had constituted a team of more than 30 officers who camped at Patnitop, Udhampur, and Jammu for the probe in January this year.
Shes ignored the evidence and gone in the media and said things that are not based in evidence at all and even the most generous understanding of what shes said cant be justified by the data we have, Rasmussen said. When you do something like that, youre not doing your job competently and its really difficult to gain the respect of your colleagues when youre all scientists and youve shown such willful disregard for the science.
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DHL Express announced that it will add four 767-300 Boeing Converted Freighters (BCF) as part of the logistics companys efforts to continue modernizing and growing its fleet with cost-efficient and reliable freighters.



This step is part of DHLs effort to modernize its long-haul intercontinental fleet in order to fly more eco-friendly and cost-efficiently. The aircraft are converted from passenger to freighter configuration by Boeing to fit the needs of DHL Express and meet the rising global demand for express services.



We are excited to introduce additional Boeing 767 freighters to the DHL Express air network, explained Geoff Kehr, senior vice president, Global Air Fleet Management, DHL Express.



We have operated the 767-300F model across our global fleet for many years and look forward to continue investing in the platform by adding more 767-300BCFs. The freighter type offers a proven versatility and we appreciate the opportunity to further enhance efficiency while simultaneously improving our environmental footprint. This brings us closer to our Strategy 2025 goals and ensures we deliver the best quality service possible to our customers.



The world's most efficient medium wide-body twin-engine freighter, the Boeing 767 freighter family boasts the lowest direct operating costs, best payload-to-weight ratio and allows airlines to develop new opportunities in the long-haul, regional and feeder markets. The 767-300BCF has virtually the same cargo capability as the 767-300F production freighter with approximately 50 tonnes structural payload at a range of approximately 3,000 nautical miles (5,556 kilometres) and 412,000 pounds (186,880 kilograms) maximum takeoff weight.



Boeings 767 freighter, whether it is a production or converted option, offers an unmatched combination of capacity and capability as well as superior economics. We are delighted DHL has selected Boeing platforms to optimize their operations, said Ihssane Mounir, Boeings senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing.  TradeArabia News Service
Washington, Aug 4 : US President Donald Trump called a New York City prosecutor's inquiry into his tax returns an attempt by Democrats to damage him in the election year.

"This is just a continuation of the witch hunt. It's Democrat stuff," Trump told reporters in the White House on Monday, adding that he knew nothing about the investigation, reports Xinhua news agency.

Earlier on Monday, a court filing suggested Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, a Democrat, is pursuing a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization.

In the court filing, lawyers for Vance said the attorney was justified in demanding the President's tax returns because of public reports of "extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization." At the time when Vance issued a subpoena to Trump's accountants, "there were public allegations of possible criminal activity" at the president's company "dating back over a decade", the lawyers said.

The Supreme Court in July rejected Trump's claim that he was immune from grand jury investigations such as the one led by Vance.

Trump's attorneys have filed a new complaint following the 7-2 ruling, arguing that the subpoena is overly broad and amounts to presidential "harassment".

US District Judge Victor Marrero has scheduled arguments to be fully submitted by mid-August, according to local media reports.
Students of American history will recall the colorful figure of Carrie Nation, who in her enthusiasm for the temperance movement, took to whacking up saloons with a hatchet. The six-foot-tall Nation would later go on to earn her a living from her notoriety by selling small axes as souvenirs.

Nations avid co-laborers in the temperance movement would later succeed in passing legislation prohibiting all alcohol consumption.

The broad sweep of what she and others saw as a deleterious influence on individual and national health and welfare accomplished little in the way of removing the scourge of alcoholism.

But the temperance movement did assist in accelerating the rise in criminal enterprises, fostering a general contempt for civil authorities and an undermining of civil authority, particularly in the big cities; which saw a tremendous explosion of criminal enterprises interested in supplying booze to the thirsty American public. Law enforcement was often diverted from pursuit of serious criminality and government corruption while officers energies were consumed by arrests of alcohol-consuming citizens and smashing barrels of beer.

But in addition to nearly decapitating law and order, Prohibition eliminated something enormously important to American democracy, as John Grinspan pointed out in his New York Times article, titled, The Saloon, Americas Forgotten Democratic Institution.

Grinspan wrote the American saloon, rather than always being the stereotypical den of iniquity, was often a place where survivors of the Industrial Revolution could drink and debate, politick and speechify. The new American proletariat took full advantage of their relatively open political system, voting at higher rates than rich men. More than the beer, saloons provided a gathering place in a nation with little public space for working-class men to argue the issues or meet the candidates.

But, [D]uring the heyday of saloon politics, in the 1870s and 1880s, the well-to-do began to question the entire logic of voting rights for all. They worried that they were being outvoted by the working classes, whom they dismissed as the stupid, the lazy, the drunken  the whole mass of scum and dregs of society. So reformers moved to crush saloons, knowing that when removed from the beer keg and the tap, local political clubs die young.

In other words, the elite of the day thought the deplorables of society should be deprived of places in which their voices could be freely expressed lest they wind up voting out the entrenched power players who sought to snatch democracy from the working classes.

In short, the power players of politics found the easiest way to get rid of resistance was to shut down the places where potential resistance might lurk. Powerful interests sought to break down any rival political structures, including the grass roots civic networks, some of which were saloons.

Due to the draconian responses to COVID-19, America has been seeing the temporary triumph of the new ax wielders. A whole network of institutions that are the bedrock of neighborhoods are under attack, including shops, bars, pubs, restaurants, concert halls, movie theaters and churches. Even some church choirs are silenced by a 'no singing' rule.

The smashers of neighborliness and camaraderie are, like Carrie Nation, doing so in the name of righteousness and the improvement of Americans physical healtha principle that seems fair enough.

But if the health of Americans was truly the issue, there would not be so much arbitrariness and inconsistent application of rules and regulations. The people who are under the laws of the new Prohibition can see the inconsistencies clearly. It seems odd to them that COVID-19 virus is apparently far more active in churches, small businesses, and eateries, than it is in densely packed crowds of protestors whose righteous ideology apparently immunizes them from the viruss deleterious effects.

It even would be acceptable if it were a sensible means of protecting ones and others health. Most reasonable people are open to sensible precautions. But even when the State has allowed the denizens of the cities and small towns it is protecting from the virus to gather, government officials continue to regulate venues in ways that have nothing to do with health but which make the public discourse and camaraderie of bars, cafes and eateries nearly impossible.

For example, recently the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board updated their COVID guidelines to define the acceptable purchase of alcohol at a restaurant or bar. If you want a drink, you have to purchase a meal, defined as food prepared on the premises, sufficient to constitute breakfast, lunch or dinner. Just to be absolutely clear, a snack, such as pretzels, popcorn, chips, or similar food, does not meet the definition of a meal. Also, no drinking after eating your meal! Additional drinks may be purchased while the customer is consuming the meal, but no further drinks may be purchased after the meal is finished.

Not only is the customer told when, where and how to eat and drink, but more arbitrary regulations ensure no friendly give and take is allowed. Customers who formerly enjoyed shoulder-to-shoulder, elbow-to-elbow discussions have been replaced with expressionless, masked and muffled anonymous clients who sit at tables six feet apart from one another, only daring to lower their masks to eat, not to talk. Meanwhile, the familiar senior citizen coffee klatsches at McDonalds have been abruptly disbanded and sausage biscuits are now impersonally dispensed from the takeout window.

What do all of the minute regulations have to do with public health? Not very much.

One cannot help but wonder if in addition to suppressing free discourse, something else is at work; namely H.L. Menckens view of puritanism, which he called The haunting fear that someone, somewhere, may be happy.

G.K. Chesterton knew about that fear. His ballade against the punitive spirit of progressive puritanism certainly is pertinent today:

A Ballade of an Anti-puritan They spoke of Progress spiring round,

Of light and Mrs Humphrey Ward--

It is not true to say I frowned,

Or ran about the room and roared;

I might have simply sat and snored--

I rose politely in the club

And said, `I feel a little bored;

Will someone take me to a pub?'



The new world's wisest did surround

Me; and it pains me to record

I did not think their views profound,

Or their conclusions well assured;

The simple life I can't afford,

Besides, I do not like the grub--

I want a mash and sausage, `scored'--

Will someone take me to a pub?



I know where Men can still be found,

Anger and clamorous accord,

And virtues growing from the ground,

And fellowship of beer and board,

And song, that is a sturdy cord,

And hope, that is a hardy shrub,

And goodness, that is God's last word--

Will someone take me to a pub?



Envoi

Prince, Bayard would have smashed his sword

To see the sort of knights you dub--

Is that the last of them--O Lord

Will someone take me to a pub?

A few decades ago, Cheers was one of the most popular television shows in America. Set in a bar in Boston, Massachusetts, the show featured a group of locals who met to have a drink, relax and socialize. The shows main theme song was Where Everybody Knows Your Name.

Places like Cheers are vanishing overnight, and with them what is comfortable, neighborly, agreeable and sociable. Philadelphias McMenamins Tavern, a favorite pub located in Germantown, is in danger of disappearing. The waiter who has known you for the last twenty years and who brings you your favorite microbrew without asking what you want is now out of a job.

People who knew who you are and with whom you amiably rubbed elbows at the bar or in the pew, are now excised from your life. At the local cafe, its been your neighbor youve been talking with. Its your neighbor whose business youve been supporting. The camaraderie, humor and mutuality of belonging to the human race is there at the local tavern. The mutuality of the faith community that recites creeds, sings hymns and prays together is found when meeting in person, not in cyberspace. 'Tavern' and 'tabernacle' spring from the same Latin root, taberna.

Just as bad, the demise of the familiar pub, the neighborhood restaurant and cafes; and the shutting down of church fellowships seems to have left protest marches as the only viable outlets for free speech.

Something is profoundly wrong with a society when the only acceptable and freely chosen social gatherings are protest marches rather than humble camaraderie as the unifying emotion. Somethings desperately amiss when the chief form of socialization is angry protest. Its on the local level that true diversity exists, not on the macro stage with blaring megaphones drowning out all other voices.

As Grinspan wrote, [T]he point of the saloon was never the lager. It was the shared institution. Today it often feels as if the only shared spaces are big-box checkout lines and fast-food parking lots. What we need, more than tweets or memes, is the kind of civic life that transpires when men and women gather face to face and, as a fan of old saloons put it, political matters ebb and flow free as froth on the beer.

For the love of Philadelphia and other cities, bring the civic life back. Bring back places like Joes Pizza; McMenamins Tavern, Tenth Presbyterian Church meetings at the Black Sheep pub; and Zion Baptist church dinners and prayer meetings.

Citizens might begin bringing back their local civic life by nonviolent means, opening up and going to pubs, restaurants and churches in defiance of the States overreach.

As for those who fear viral infections, be they COVID-19 or free public association and discourse in all its manifold forms?

Just stay home.

--Fay Voshell regularly contributes to American Thinker. She may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com

Image credit: Library of Congress, via Wikimedia Commons, public domain
ZURICH, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Amcor plc (NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC) will announce its full year results for the twelve months ended 30 June 2020 before the US market opens at 3.00am US Eastern Daylight Time / 5.00 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday 18 August 2020.

A conference call and webcast to discuss the results will be held at 7.30 am US Eastern Daylight Time / 9.30 pm Australian Eastern Standard Time on Tuesday 18 August 2020. For those wishing to participate in the call please use the following dial-in numbers:

US and Canada: 866 211 4133 (toll-free) Australia: 1800 287 011 (toll-free) United Kingdom: 0800 051 7107 (toll-free) Hong Kong: 800 901 563 (toll-free) Singapore: 800 852 6506 (toll-free) All other countries: +1 647 689 6614 (this is not a toll-free number) Conference ID 7896918

Access to the webcast and supporting materials will be available via the Investors section of Amcor's website (www.amcor.com/investors). A webcast replay will be available at the conclusion of the call.

In line with Amcor's reporting obligations, an Annual Report on Form 10-K will be filed with the SEC by Monday 31 August 2020.

For further information please contact:

Investors:









Tracey Whitehead Damien Bird

Head of Investor Relations Vice President Investor Relations

Amcor Amcor

+61 3 9226 9028 +61 3 9226 9070

[email protected] [email protected]







Media  Europe Media  Australia Media  North America Ernesto Duran James Strong Daniel Yunger Head of Global Communications



Amcor Citadel-MAGNUS KekstCNC +41 78 698 69 40 +61 448 881 174 +1 212 521 4879 [email protected] [email protected] [email protected]

About Amcor

Amcor is a global leader in developing and producing responsible packaging for food, beverage, pharmaceutical, medical, home- and personal-care, and other products. Amcor works with leading companies around the world to protect their products and the people who rely on them, differentiate brands, and improve value chains through a range of flexible and rigid packaging, specialty cartons, closures, and services. The company is focused on making packaging that is increasingly light-weighted, recyclable and reusable, and made using a rising amount of recycled content. Around 50,000 Amcor people generate US$13 billion in sales from operations that span about 250 locations in 40-plus countries. NYSE: AMCR; ASX: AMC

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By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: GMR Infrastructure is currently planning on divesting some of its non-core assets in an effort to gain significant value, especially through the sale of at least 50 per cent of its real estate assets, according to the companys recent investor presentation.

The firm even said that its land at strategic industrial locations will benefit from the possible manufacturing dislocation from China. The plan is to divest large part of other assets identified as non-core divestment initiative, the presentation said, adding that GMR has 10,500 acres of port and industrial land.

As for the companys its Kakinada Special Investment Region (SIR) in Andhra Pradesh, it said that discusssions were going on with several clients for the monetisation of the land. The Government of Andhra Pradesh signed MoUs with Haldia Petrochemicals Ltd to set up a refinery cum petrochem project in 2,500 acres and with HPCL-GAIL consortium for Petrochem complex in 2,000 acres land, it said. In additiona, another pact has been inked with a stainless steel manufacturer for 500 acres and an Australian Lithium Refinery for 100 acres.

The port-based Kakinada SIR in the Krishna-Godavari basin has plans for an all weather multi-purpose deepwater port, a logistics park, a petrochemicals cluster and an eco-industrial park, it said. According to the firm, 4,650 acres there have been notified as SEZs and utility and environment approvals are already are in place. In Kakinada SEZ in Andhra Pradesh, however, the company has continued its efforts for various government approvals and technical studies it said, with demand for industrial parks expected to revive soon.
Senators Kelly Loeffler (R-Ga.) and Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) on Monday introduced legislation "to put a stop to violent looting, vandalism, arson, and destruction of property and small businesses."

The Holding Rioters Accountable Act of 2020 would grant authority to the U.S. Attorney General to reduce certain U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) grants and funding to jurisdictions where state and local prosecutors are abusing prosecutorial discretion and failing to prosecute crimes arising from riots and other violent protests.

Senator Loeffler said, In too many cities across our country, peaceful protests have turned into riots, leaving a trail of destruction to private property and federal buildings. Small businesses already hurting from the pandemic have had their hard work and livelihoods destroyed as rioters have smashed and looted.

"In many cases, local officials and prosecutors have turned a blind eye and allowed the chaos to continue. In Portland, a local prosecutor dismissed charges on 59 individuals connected to the riots, including nine cases involving felony charges such as arson and theft. Protesters across the country have thrown rocks through store windows, set fire to construction sites and spray-painted buildings. This cannot stand. We need to take action to protect businesses and ensure that those who seek to cause mayhem and damage are held accountable for their actions. The legislation I have introduced today will help restore order and keep Americans lives and livelihoods secure.

Senator Cotton said, What were once peaceful protests have turned violent - even deadly. We should do everything in our power to stop these riots and help support local law enforcement.
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Linkedin (Reuters) London, United Kingdom  Tue, August 4, 2020 17:38 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b86d2a 2 People Meghan-Markle,birthday,royals,Britain,Royal-Family Free

Britain's royal family wished happy birthday to Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, wife of Prince Harry, via Twitter on Tuesday in a show of friendliness after a rocky period that saw the couple move to the United States.

The official Twitter account for Buckingham Palace, which gives updates on the activities of Queen Elizabeth and other royals, posted a 2018 picture of the monarch with Meghan, who is celebrating her 39th birthday.

Wishing The Duchess of Sussex a very happy birthday!



 The Queen and The Duchess are pictured during a joint visit to Chester in 2018. pic.twitter.com/jTv8NmISYo  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 4, 2020

Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his elder brother, Prince William, also posted messages to wish her happy birthday.

Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex today!  pic.twitter.com/42VD8c8q69  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) August 4, 2020

Meghan and Harry moved to Los Angeles with their baby son Archie earlier this year after they gave up their official royal roles following disagreements with other family members and in the face of huge media attention.

Harry, 35, has admitted that he and William had fallen out, while Meghan felt "unprotected" by the royal family when she was pregnant, according to documents her lawyers filed as part of her legal action against a tabloid newspaper.

Last month, the couple distanced themselves from a biography about them which says Harry believed some of his relatives did not like his American wife, a former actress, and others believed their popularity needed to be reined in.
The report broke down claims handling complaints into four types  unsatisfactory settlement/offers, delays, denial of claim, and adjuster handling.

Among claims handling-related customer complaints, the report said that the single biggest type was about unsatisfactory settlement offers. For the year 2019, there were 890 instances of such complaints, LendingTree and ValuePenguin found. The second-most common issue was claim delays, with 834 complaints in 2019. Denial of claim and adjuster handling complaints followed at 550 and 313, respectively.

Per state, the most common issues raised by insurance customers varied. While 100% of complaints in Vermont were about claims, 79% of the complaints lodged in Maryland were related to policy cost and cancellations. California was the state with the most home and auto insurance complaints, recording 772 complaints in 2019  most of which were related to unsatisfactory settlements or offers.

Its no surprise that claim issues got the most attention among consumers. Handling one of these covered events, such as a car accident or theft in the home, is stressful enough, the report noted. But the promise of getting fair and prompt reimbursement after a loss is the reason you buy insurance in the first place.

LendingTree and ValuePenguins report also revealed the most common insurance-related complaints among the top 10 leading US insurers. They were:

Among this top 10 group, Nationwide had a complaint index of just 0.43 for car insurance  meaning its customers are only 43% as likely to file a complaint as they would at another insurer. Meanwhile, Chubb led the way for home insurance with a complaint index of just 0.15.

On the flipside, among those that didnt fare well, Liberty Mutual car insurance customers were reported as 96% as likely to file a complaint as the typical insurance customer  so still beating the national average. For home insurance, Allstate had a complaint index of 1.2 meaning it performed worse than the national average.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Deloitte announced today that Monica O'Reilly has been named the new leader of its financial services industry practice, which serves 94% of the financial services companies on the Fortune 500 list last year. In addition, Mark Shilling has been named as Deloitte's banking and capital markets sector leader.

O'Reilly, a principal with Deloitte & Touche LLP, succeeds Kenny Smith, who retired from Deloitte after 27 years in May. Shilling, a principal with Deloitte Consulting LLP, previously served as the banking and capital markets sector leader for that business unit. He succeeds Scott Baret, who will be shifting into a strategic client-focused role supporting Deloitte's portfolio of banking and capital markets clients.

"Monica and Mark's deep understanding of the industry and business issues that impact financial services has positioned them as leaders among our distinguished clients, colleagues and across the industry," said Seema Pajula, vice chairman and U.S. Clients, Industries and Insights leader for Deloitte LLP. "I look forward to seeing our organization advance and our clients succeed under their combined leadership."

O'Reilly will lead the overall strategic direction of the broad client-facing efforts in the industry, as well as direct its go-to-market strategies and resources. She is the first woman to hold this role. Shilling will do the same in banking and capital markets Deloitte's largest sector by revenue  with the two often working together when it comes to Deloitte's largest clients.

Deloitte's financial services industry practice is the professional services organization's largest in terms of headcount and revenue. This includes banks and capital markets firms, payments companies, investment managers like mutual funds, hedge funds and private equity firms, insurers and real estate companies.

"The response to the pandemic is the prologue to the future of financial services," said O'Reilly. "All of the imminent shifts we've been tracking over the last decade  including the acceleration of digital technologies and how work is changing  are impacting today. I am thrilled to be named the leader of such a talented team, especially at such an important inflection point in the industry as we help our clients navigate the path forward."

O'Reilly has nearly 30 years of experience, advising many of Deloitte's largest financial services clients in in risk management, regulatory compliance, and controls consulting. She previously served as the financial services industry leader for Deloitte's Risk & Financial Advisory business, where she was responsible for the group's market growth, solutions development, and service delivery. She will retain that role. She has deep experience in the payments industry, an area of increasing focus for Deloitte moving forward. O'Reilly, who joined Deloitte in 2002, resides with her family in San Francisco.

Shilling has nearly 25 years of experience in the financial services industry, advising CIOs, CFOs, and Chief Data Officers on large scale/global programs that enable cost and risk reduction, asset efficiency, control and compliance, and digital banking. In his role as the leader for Deloitte Consulting's banking and capital markets unit, he has specialized in bringing agile, multi-disciplined teams (across strategy, technology, operations, and human capital) to global and regional clients, along with fintech and emerging ecosystem players. Shilling, who joined Deloitte in 2008, has a computer sciences background and previously also led Deloitte Consulting's data and analytics business unit. He resides with his family in Summit, NJ.

About Deloitte

Deloitte provides industry-leading audit, consulting, tax and advisory services to many of the world's most admired brands, including nearly 90% of the Fortune 500 and more than 7,000 private companies. Our people work across the industry sectors that drive and shape today's marketplace  delivering measurable and lasting results that help reinforce public trust in our capital markets, inspire clients to see challenges as opportunities to transform and thrive, and help lead the way toward a stronger economy and a healthy society. Deloitte is proud to be part of the largest global professional services network serving our clients in the markets that are most important to them. Now celebrating 175 years of service, our network of member firms spans more than 150 countries and territories. Learn how Deloitte's more than 312,000 people worldwide make an impact that matters at www.deloitte.com.

Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member Deloitte refers to one or more of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited, a UK private company limited by guarantee ("DTTL"), its network of member firms, and their related entities. DTTL and each of its member firms are legally separate and independent entities. DTTL (also referred to as "Deloitte Global") does not provide services to clients. In the United States, Deloitte refers to one or more of the US member firms of DTTL, their related entities that operate using the "Deloitte" name in the United States and their respective affiliates. Certain services may not be available to attest clients under the rules and regulations of public accounting. Please see www.deloitte.com/about to learn more about our global network of member firms.

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A new witness says they saw Andrew at the nightclub with Giuffre. (Reuters)

A lawyer representing some of the alleged victims of Jeffrey Epstein says a woman has come forward claiming to have seen Prince Andrew at a nightclub with Virginia Giuffre - despite his denial he was there.

Andrew, 60, said he was at Pizza Express in Woking and then at home on the night of 10 March 2001, the night Giuffre, also known as Virginia Roberts, says they were at a nightclub in London.

But Lisa Bloom, a US lawyer who represents some of the alleged victims, said a woman has come forward claiming to have seen them, and the information has been passed to the FBI.

Shukri Walker has told Bloom she saw Andrew, Giuffre, as well as Epsteins girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell in the club, backing up Guiffres account.

Bloom told the PA news agency in an email: I can confirm that I spoke to the FBI and gave them all of the information Shukri provided to me.

She credibly alleges that she was there at the Tramp nightclub in 2001 and specifically recalls Prince Andrew being there with Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell.

She had never been in the presence of a royal before or since and so it was very memorable to her.

She was disappointed when she saw Prince Andrews now infamous interview where he denied being there.

Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim of Jeffrey Epstein, says Prince Andrew had sex with her. (Reuters)

Ms Bloom added: I represent six victims of Jeffrey Epstein. We demand that everyone who helped him abuse girls be brought to justice.

And we demand that everyone with information about Epstein or Maxwell, including Prince Andrew, assist authorities by providing full information and documentation.

Walker told The Sun she recalls seeing Andrew at Tramp because she accidentally stepped on his foot while dancing.

She said: When I watched the BBC interview and saw Prince Andrew deny knowing Virginia, saying he has no recollection of that night I had to come forward.

Because I was there and I do have a recollection of it.

Maxwell is in prison in New York, after her bail request was denied, and will face trial in July 2021 on charges of of trafficking minors for her former partner. She pleaded not guilty.

Story continues

Epstein took his own life in prison before he could come to trial.

Andrew with Ghislaine Maxwell at Royal Ascot. (Getty Images)

Read more: Royal aides 'happy' with Prince Andrew interview before public reaction, says Emily Maitlis

Andrew was friends with Maxwell from the time she was at university, its previously been reported, and says she was the one who introduced him to Epstein.

However other reports indicate she was not at the party where the two men first met.

Andrew is accused by Giuffre of having sex with her when she was a minor in US law, after she had been trafficked for Epstein.

The Duke of York categorically denies any allegation of sexual contact with her and any wrongdoing.

In a now settled defamation lawsuit, and in other cases, Giuffre says she was recruited by Maxwell in 2000.

The Sun reported the FBI decided it did not need Walkers testimony.

An FBI spokeswoman told the PA news agency it would not comment on the developments surrounding Walker.
04.08.2020 LISTEN

Today is a very sad day for Africa because colonial oppression has succeeded in using sanctions to force the oppressed and dispossessed to compensate the oppressor for vandalizing our land. More critically, today, a nail was also put into South Africas fight for land without compensation.

Many Zimbabweans do not appreciate our fight against sanctions, but that fight is about ensuring that our governments remain sovereign to make decisions that benefit the people and not foreign interests. So, while we were fighting against corruption, the Zimbabwean government was forced by sanctions to compensate white farmers. Now, the nation will take high interest debt which we will repay for the next 30-50 years.

The debt wont build schools, hospitals or infrastructure, and when we fail to pay, it will multiply just like the $800mil Rhodesian debt we are still repaying today.

The more I think (and feel) about developments in Zimbabwe, the more I am drawn to an analysis of the psychological implications of the recent take-over by Zimbabwe's new president, Emmerson Mnangagwa and his actions in relation to white farmers and the land question.

In the very early days of "the coup", British Prime Minister, Theresa May, declared her country's support of the incoming leadership of Zimbabwe, referring to her country as Zimbabwe's "old friend".

We know that the "old" relationship between Britain and Zimbabwe, as with South Africa, is a colonial one. It is a relationship of imperialism, extraction and occupation of the richest and biggest chunks of land in the country by white settlers. So when a prime minister of a colonial imperialist power refers to an African country as an old friend, one cannot help the flashes in the mind of a reoccupation and recapture of Zimbabwean land and economy - because conquest and exploitation are definitive of the relationship between Britain and Zimbabwe.

Mnangagwa's own enthusiasm for "international investors" and their promise of "jobs" for the people of Zimbabwe is unsettling. On a recent trip to South Africa, Mnangagwa embarked on a recruitment drive for Zimbabweans to return home to rebuild their country. Note that the securing of labour for the economy was the gist of his message, not investment by other African countries into Zimbabwe; not an opportunity for Zimbabweans to own the economy, but rather to participate mainly as labour in the rebuilding of their country.

In Mnangagwa's mind, it would seem "investors ", read: legitimate owners and beneficiaries of the economy, must be British/European, and workers black Africans/Zimbabweans. The legitimation of white power over black servitude observed in Mnangagwa is internalized racism that plagues South Africa's oldest liberation movement - the African National Congress (ANC).

Back in the early 1900's, leaders of the movement traveled to Britain to petition the Queen against the subjugation of blacks by white rule. Bear in mind, it is impossible to appeal to an authority one doesn't recognize and respect as legitimate. In fact, a closer look at their mission reveals an elitist pursuit of a qualified franchise for a particular caliber of black men (with royal heritage, educated and urban).

Again, the recognition of white British authority over African territory by Africans speaks to the early psychological defeat of black leaders right at the beginning of the organized struggle. Mnangagwa is simply following the long line of African leaders who genuinely believe in the superiority of whites, and their "god-given right " to rule over us. This is not just a Southern African problem - remember the appeal Thomas Sankara made in 1984 to countries formerly colonized by France to desist from paying tax and blindly accepting aid; but rather use all their means to develop self-reliant countries and continent.

Granted, many African leaders are in the business of securing self interests that come guaranteed with selling their country's economy to "foreign investment ". But one has to wonder if there isn't another way of making a quick big buck without surrendering an entire country's riches and generational wealth to foreigners. A way that secures individual and collective interests at the same time would have to start with the belief that Africans can handle their own economies.

Mnangagwa has every opportunity to experiment with economic models that secure more ownership of the land, its resources and means of production by the people of Zimbabwe.

Europe is out looking to get back in. Zimbabwe has endured almost two decades of divestment and economic downturn. In the interest of long term sustainable empowerment of natives, the whole country can afford to take their time in negotiating a new and genuinely beneficial approach to the economy.

Mnangagwa is not taking his time. He is tripping over himself trying to reverse every gain of the land revolution in that country as quickly as possible. In fact, it seems he is too eager to make a clean break from the recent past, and return Zimbabwe to white hands as swiftly as he can. The return of white farmers, and their reoccupation of farms without compensation to the black farmers is evidence not just of an extension of goodwill to Europeans, but rather a clear message to Zimbabweans that they cannot exercise legitimate control over their land and economy. It is a message of defeat and incapacity for the people of Zimbabwe. It says blacks need whites to survive in their own country.

It is the same message being communicated to South Africa by rating agencies; that our own decisions cannot yield success unless sanctioned by Western powers. More importantly, it is not the message from the rating agencies, but our very own political and business leaders that have internalized the dictatorship of rating agencies, foreign investors and Western government sentiments over our own ideas of what we need to do with our own affairs.

In the current state, we don't have ideas of our own. We have no leadership, no land or economy nor agency outside of what the global capitalist system allows us. What we have seen so far from Mnangagwa's leadership is that once afforded some kind of leeway to make independent choices, the African leader runs to surrender to the Queen.
Ms. Bass said she had made a mistake calling Castro Comandante en Jefe, a description widely detested by Cuban exiles. Wouldnt do that again, she said Sunday on NBCs Meet the Press. Talked immediately to my colleagues from Florida and realized that that was something that just shouldnt have been said.

She said she had gone to Cuba to help the Cuban people by building houses and later to recruit doctors for the United States. Now, that doesnt excuse the fact that I know the Castro regime has been a brutal regime to its people, she said.

Chapters of her career that might have gone unnoticed, even as the leader of the Assembly or a prominent member of Congress, are now coming to the forefront with the scrutiny that comes with being a potential candidate for vice president.

In one example, Ms. Bass spoke effusively about the Church of Scientology, the organization scrutinized over cultlike practices and alleged abuse of members, at the opening of its world headquarters in Los Angeles in 2010. Over the weekend, she tweeted a statement explaining why she had attended and added, Just so you all know, I proudly worship at First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in South LA. She said initially that it was a big project in her district, before acknowledging on Wednesday that it was outside the district at the time.

Back in her days as a street organizer, she had never thought about running for office  not for the Assembly, not for speaker and not for Congress.

And certainly not for vice president.

Oh God, no! she said. There isnt anything in my background that would make you think that I was planning to run for office, period.

As Mr. Biden closes in on making his choice, Ms. Bass has become a classic inside player, calling party leaders, giving interviews and joining Mr. Biden for a virtual fund-raiser where, in a preview of sorts, she attacked Mr. Trump. Yet she never forgot the lessons she learned in those first days as Assembly speaker.
In a major disappointment for Indian IT professionals, US President Donald Trump on Monday (August 3) signed an executive order banning federal agencies from hiring H1-B visa holders for federal contracts.

Earlier on June 23, President Trump had passed an order suspending the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020. The Trump administration had justified the move saying it was done to safeguard the American workers in the time of coornavirus COVID-19 pandemic. The new restrictions came into effect from June 24.

The H1B visa is most sought-after among Indian IT professionals as it allows US companies to hire foreigners for jobs which require theoretical or technical expertise.

Speaking to mediapersons on Monday, Trump said, "Today, I am signing an executive order to ensure that the Federal government lives by a very simple rule: Hire American".

"Today, I am signing an executive order to ensure that the Federal government lives by a very simple rule: Hire American." pic.twitter.com/G8YGU99XMb  The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 3, 2020

President Trump asserted that he will not tolerate sacking of American workers in the pursuit of cheap foreign labour.

"As we speak, we're finalising the H-1B regulation so that no American workers be replaced ever again. H-1B should be used for top highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour programmes and destroy American job, said Trump.

It is to be noted that the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) Skip Thompson has been fired by President trump for hiring foreign workers. Trump said that he will also sack other board members of TVA if they continue to hire foreign workers. President Trump took the decision after TVA announced that it would outsource 20% of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries.

Trump also ordered the TVA board to hire a new chief executive officer who puts the interests of Americans first. According to Trump, the incumbent CEO Jeff Lyash earns $8 million a year.

The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year. We want the TVA to take action on this immediately. ... Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: Youre fired, Trump said.
The organizations on the Best Workplaces for Innovators list have created cultures that empower employees at all levels to thrive.

Fast Company recently announced the winners of Innovative Team of the Year, a new category within its annual Best Workplaces for Innovators list, which highlights the most innovative teamsgroups of employees, nominated by their companies, that took advantage of a pro-innovation environment to build or develop something extraordinary. Cloudticity was recognized as an honorable mention on the list.

The team of the year was the Pandemic Response Team at biotech firm AbCellera, which combined microfluidics, data science, machine learning, bioinformatics, and genomics to bring the first COVID-19 antibody to clinical trials in under 90 days, a process that typically requires three to six years.

The organizations on the Best Workplaces for Innovators list have created cultures that empower employees at all levels to thrive. This year, we wanted to recognize the people and teams that embraced the challenge to innovate by allowing employers to nominate internal working groups for Innovative Team of the Year, said Fast Company editor-in-chief Stephanie Mehta.

Developed in collaboration with Accenture, the 2020 Best Workplaces for Innovators list showcases 100 winners from a variety of industries, including computer science, biotech, consumer-packaged goods, financial services, cybersecurity, and engineering.

At Cloudticity we value our ability to provide a safe space for employees to be creative, to experiment, to make mistakes, and to try again. By giving the team permission to fail weve found that they're able to achieve successes that surpass what was initially envisioned. We are thankful to Fast Company for recognizing that Cloudticity is a great workplace for innovators, said Gerry Miller, Founder and CEO at Cloudticity.

Cloudticity is a cloud technology partner that focuses exclusively on helping healthcare organizations be successful on the public cloud. Distinguished for having built some of the largest healthcare systems on the cloud, including the first patient portal, the first health information exchange, and the first meaningful use compliance for a large hospital system, Cloudticity solutions empower healthcare organizations to deliver the next generation of lifesaving healthcare solutions.

Most recently Cloudticity has been recognized by Amazon Web Services (AWS) for Best Solution Delivering COVID-19 Value in the AWS Public Sector Partners Awards 2020. You can learn more about Cloudticitys award winning implementation in the state of New York here.

To see the complete list, go to: http://www.fastcompany.com/best-workplaces-for-innovators/2020

Fast Companys Best Workplaces for Innovators issue (September 2020) is available online now, and the print issue will be on newsstands beginning August 11, 2020. Join the Best Workplaces for Innovators conversation, using #FCBestWorkplaces.

ABOUT FAST COMPANY

Fast Company is one of the worlds leading business media brands, with an editorial focus on innovation and deep emphasis on creativity, technology, social impact, leadership, and design. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company magazine is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.

ABOUT ACCENTURE

Accenture is a leading global professional-services company, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, consulting, digital, technology, and operations. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries and all business functionsunderpinned by the worlds largest delivery networkAccenture works at the intersection of business and technology to help clients improve their performance and create sustainable value for their stakeholders. With 482,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries, Accenture drives innovation to improve the way the world works and lives. Visit us at accenture.com.

ABOUT CLOUDTICITY

Cloudticity helps healthcare organizations transform healthcare by unlocking the full potential of the cloud. Through groundbreaking automation and deep cloud and healthcare expertise, Cloudticity solutions empower healthcare organizations to develop, deploy, and scale the industrys next breakthrough solutions. Unleash healthcare ingenuity without limits. Learn more at cloudticity.com

For more information contact:

Kate Z. Wang

Director of Marketing

Cloudticity

kate.wang@cloudticity.com
Researchers from University of Hong Kong, Yonsei University, and Chinese University of Hong Kong published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the relationship between animated movement speed in video ads and consumers' assessment of the product size.

The study forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing is titled "Speed Up, Size Down: How Animated Movement Speed in Product Videos Influences Size Assessment and Product Evaluation" and is authored by Michael Jia, B. Kyu Kim, and Lin Ge.

In video ads, products cannot be shown at their actual physical sizes. When no explicit size information or point of reference is provided, product size may be unclear to consumers. Given the potential ambiguity and the importance of size assessment in consumer preference formation, it is highly beneficial for marketers to know what visual cues consumers might use to infer the physical size of a product shown in video ads.

Video advertising often involves dynamic presentations of products that are displayed to move in a lively fashion, similar to how animals move. For instance, an audio speaker can be animated to flash in, bounce, turn around, or spin actively in video ads although it cannot move spontaneously in reality. In this case, the overall animated movement pattern may look similar to various movements insects or birds perform in the air, fishes perform in the water, dancers perform on the stage, or superheroes perform in movies. As another example, when a Swiss Army knife is animated to unfold its moveable parts (e.g., blade and corkscrew) or transform its shape, these movements may also to some extent resemble the way animals move their body parts. When creating video ads, graphic designers can animate products to move either faster or slower.

Jia explains that, "We conducted a series of experiments to examine whether and how the animated movement speed of a product displayed in video ads can influence consumers' size assessment of the product. We found a speed-based scaling effect, meaning that consumers estimate the size of a product to be smaller when the product is animated to move faster in video ads." Moreover, a product's animated movement speed is more likely to color product size assessment for consumers who perceive the product's animated movement pattern as more similar to animals' movement patterns.

The findings offer important implications for marketers, graphic designers, and online advertisers. For products for which a small size is preferred by consumers due to considerations of portability or storage constraint (e.g., mobile devices), practitioners can animate products' movements to be fast in video ads to communicate a small product size. In contrast, for edible products (e.g., food and drinks) and household products (e.g., detergents), consumers generally consider large product size desirable. To summarize the practical value of the research, Kim says, "Practitioners should avoid fast animated movements for these products in video ads if they adopt a value-based positioning such as a larger quantity for the same price. To leverage the speed-based scaling effect, practitioners can animate a product to move like animals' movement patterns."

In the contemporary digital era, consumers are constantly exposed to product videos. When creating video ads, practitioners should be aware of the general negative relationship between animated movement speed and size assessment. Guided by this principle, they can determine the ideal animated movement speeds for their products through speed calibration tests tailored to their products' natures and marketing communication objectives.

Explore further How to make web advertising more effective

More information: He (Michael) Jia et al, Speed Up, Size Down: How Animated Movement Speed in Product Videos Influences Size Assessment and Product Evaluation, Journal of Marketing (2020). Journal information: Journal of Marketing He (Michael) Jia et al, Speed Up, Size Down: How Animated Movement Speed in Product Videos Influences Size Assessment and Product Evaluation,(2020). DOI: 10.1177/0022242920925054
Nippon Steel decided on Tuesday to immediately appeal a South Korean court ruling that took effect the same day that allows for the seizure of company assets as compensation for wartime labor during Japanese colonial rule.

Shares of Nippon Steel in its joint venture with South Korea's Posco will be seized unless it files an appeal by Aug. 11.

"Our understanding is that [the wartime labor issue] was settled completely and finally, through the 1965 Agreement on the Settlement of Problems concerning Property and Claims and on Economic Cooperation, which was the legitimate agreement between nations," Nippon Steel said on Tuesday.

"We continue to respond in the appropriate manner, considering diplomatic negotiations by both the Japanese and South Korean governments," the company said.

As the South Korean court can now order sales of Japanese company assets and liquidate them, "we will respond resolutely with all options in sight," Japan's Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told media on Tuesday. He did not mention any specific measures.
Visitors from Rhode Island traveling to Connecticut must quarantine for 14 days on arrival or face stiff fines, Gov. Ned Lamont announced in a tweet Tuesday.

The neighboring state joins Puerto Rico and 33 states across the country impacted by the quarantine requirement.

Delaware and the District of Columbia, both previously on the list, were taken off.

The announcement comes as the neighboring state of a little over 1 million people has seen a slight bump in COVID-19 cases since mid-July, according to data published by the Rhode Island Department of Health.

Hospitalizations in the state have also slowly risen during the same time period.

Out-of-state visitors who dont self-isolate for 14 days can face $1,000 fines, Lamont announced last month.

The announcement comes several weeks after Rhode Islands Department of Environmental Management asked Connecticut and Massachusetts visitors to stay away from the states beaches amid overcrowding.

Rhode Island drew criticism from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and the American Civil Liberties Union early on in the pandemic after state troopers began pulling over New York motorists and questioning them on where they intended to stay.
Heavy rain is forecast until 1pm today in Donegal, Galway and Mayo. Localised flooding and poor driving conditions are expected.

A status yellow rainfall warning has also been issued for counties Clare, Cork and Kerry.

The warning will come into effect at 3pm today until midday on Wednesday.

Heavy rain throughout the evening, night and tomorrow morning is expected to give accumulations of 20 to 40mm, with potentially higher amounts in mountainous areas.

It is forecast that as soils are saturated from recent rainfall, this additional rainfall will lead to spot flooding.
British Airways (BA) pilots belonging to the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) have accepted a union recommended deal involving hundreds of job losses and massive pay cuts.

Under the deal, 270 of BAs 4,300 pilots will be made redundant. Those remaining will suffer an immediate 20 percent pay cut, which will supposedly reduce to 8 percent in two years. The deal also claims that pay levels will be restored at some indefinite future point over the longer term. A part-time workforce is to be created in the form of a standby pool of 300 pilots on reduced wages, who will only return to their jobs as demand picks up in the aviation industry.

BALPA members voted by an 85 percent majority on an 87 percent turnout to accept the proposal. They did so with a gun pointed to their heads by the union.

BA, like other airlines internationally, is using the COVID-19 pandemic to impose long-planned cuts in jobs, pay and conditions, to gain a competitive edge in an increasingly cutthroat market. BAs owner, International Airlines Group, initially announced plans to cut 12,000 jobs from its current workforce of 42,000 and sack the remaining 30,000 to be rehired on reduced pay and worse conditions.

BALPA was in negotiations with BA for three months as the company finalised its assault on the workforce. The union agreed the rotten deal with BA in principle on July 6, but it only made it public on July 22, leaving just one week for its BA members to vote on the proposal and the union recommending a yes vote. Making clear that they had no intention of offering workers anything better, the union stated, BALPA is recommending its members accept these proposals as the best that can be achieved in these incredibly difficult circumstances.

Given the ruthlessness with which BA and its partner BALPA have imposed the pay cuts, no one should believe that they will ever be reversed. Instead, they will set a new benchmark for the industry.

Pilots salaries represent a major financial cost for airlines. Experienced long-haul captains in the industry often earn 100,000 or more. BA has higher-than-average pilot salaries and an experienced long-haul pilot can earn 150,000. However, starting basic salary for a BA captain is about 75,000, according to BALPA. No doubt BA is looking towards shifting out its more highly paid pilots, in favour of employing those on lower pay.

This was the second sell-out deal in a matter of weeks negotiated by BALPA. It sealed a deal with Ryanair involving a 20 percent pay cut at the beginning of July. That agreement also committed the pilots to more flexible working rotas and leave arrangements. Again, the lost pay is supposed to be restored gradually over the next four years. BALPA justified the deal saying it meant that 260 pilot jobs had been saved. Yet 70 pilot posts are now under threat if Ryanair goes ahead with plans to close its bases at Leeds/Bradford, Prestwick, Bournemouth and Southend.

BA is pressing the advantage handed to it by BALPA and is engaged in negotiations with other sections of its workforce, including cabin crew, engineers and office staff. The company had issued an ultimatum to its non-pilot staff saying they must accept either redundancy terms, or a wage cut and inferior terms and conditions, by Monday, August 3. The company warned that staff opting for neither option may be cut loose with no redundancy package.

The Unite union represents many of the companys cabin crew staff, who have a long record of militant struggle against attacks by the company. It is already planning a sell-out.

On July 27, Unite General Secretary Len McCluskey sent a letter to BA chief executive Alex Cruz on his plan to fire and rehire thousands of your workforce on August 7. The media focussed on McCluskeys threat that Unite was ready to proceed to industrial action with immediate effect. But the main portion of McCluskeys letter was a plea to Cruz to work with Unite as the only realistic way to ensure continued profitability for the company.

He wrote that Cruz and his management team had dragged the good name of British Airways through the mud, adding, I have attempted for months to try to get you to understand the need to treat your workers with respect and dignity and this is the only way to get through this pandemic together.

It is your staff, not you, that have for many years, built the good name of British Airways and contributed billions of pounds to its profitability year on year.

McCluskey insisted that the unions main concern was to avoid strikes and suppress its members opposition to BAs attacks. Instead of criticising Unite reps, you should actually listen to them  and you might, at long last, realise that the only way to have a lasting peace and avoid months/years of industrial unrest is to work with us to achieve an acceptable way forward.

On BAs fire and rehire threats, McCluskey wrote, We will work every hour between now and then [August 7], to convince you not to do so. You can take this letter as our commitment to do that.

BA workers can have no confidence in Unite to lead a fight to defend their jobs and livelihoods. In July, the World Socialist Web Site highlighted a New Economics Foundation report published in consultation with the Trade Union Congress which showed Unite has already accepted a 10 percent redundancy level in the aviation industry. Yesterday morning on Radio 4, McCluskey declared we will accept the pilots deal secured by BALPA, complaining, British Airways are not offering [Unite] the same deal.

The attacks on aviation industry workers are part of an international assault. Last month, Emirates Airline announced plans to cut 9,000 out of its 60,000 pre-COVID-19 pandemic employees. In June, the Australian carrier Qantas said it would make 6,000 redundant while a further 15,000 staff would be stood down, out of a pre-pandemic total of 30,000. In May, Qatar Airways revealed it would cut a fifth of its 45,000-strong workforce.

A FlightGlobal article noted that it is in North America that the most stark examples of job-cutting are emerging. United Airlines warned in July that 36,000 of its employees, representing 45 percent of its workforce, could lose their jobs. Air Canada has cut its workforce by 60 percent, or 20,000 jobs, as a temporary measure officially.

At the end of July, the International Air Transport Association (IATA), representing 290 airlines, said it did not expect global air travel to return to pre-pandemic levels until 2024. COVID-19 has reduced the annual $1.3 trillion revenues of the airline industry by around $460 billion, more than a third.

The collaboration of the unions with the aviation industry is likewise an international phenomenon. In July, the Icelandic airline Icelandair negotiated a new contract with the Icelandic Cabin Crew Association (FFI) after its members had rejected two previous deals. From an original 900 cabin crew members before the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the airline will continue with just 200 as it restarts operations. Massive cuts have been pushed through at Lufthansa by the German unions Verdi, UFO and Cockpit.

The deals being signed by BALPA and other unions internationally make clear that workers are dealing with organisations that function as an arm of management, ensuring the imposition of pay and job cuts and attacks on working conditions. The role of unions in enforcing ongoing attacks on jobs and conditions has been accelerated by the COVID-19 crisis. In opposition to this hellish race to the bottom, BA workers must build rank-and-file committees, allied with workers in Europe and around the world, to defend jobs and conditions.
Channel samples returned up to 122 grams/tonne (3.56 oz/ton) gold over a meter

Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2020) - FALCON GOLD CORP. (TSXV: FG), (FSE: 3FA) ("Falcon" or the "Company") is pleased to announce it has sampled and confirmed the high-grade gold mineralization on its Spitfire & Sonny Boy project near Merritt, B.C. The Company's field crew completed a preliminary geological investigation on the claims to assess the economic potential of the past producing Master Vein.

The Company geologist mapped and channel sampled the Master Vein in a blasted trench and along strike.The highlight sample averaged 59.8 g/t Au (1.74 oz/ton Au) over 2.2 m which included a 1 m interval assaying 122 g/t (3.56 oz/ton) Au. Approximately 125 m southeast along strike, another channel sample of the Master Vein returned a second strong assay of the vein that showed 11.4 g/t Au over 1 meter. A new potential vein structure, the Cliff Vein, was discovered down slope from the Master Vein, approximately 25 meters lower in elevation. A grab sample of the Cliff vein assayed up to 22.8 g/t Au.

In addition to the vein and mineralized rock sampling, the geological team conducted a sampling of outcrops throughout the claims. These samples are undergoing whole rock geochemical analyses. These results are pending but will give further insight into the deposit scale and potential for more gold occurrences yet to be discovered.

Table of selected assay results from the Spitfire & Sunny Boy Claims 2020 sampling program.

Station ID Sample # Sample Type Width

(m) Assay

(g/t Au) Assay

(oz/t Au) Location CH20-01-01 467712 Channel 1.0 122.00 3.56 Master Vein CH20-01-02 467713 Channel 1.2 7.99 0.23 Quartz stringers CH20-02-01 467714 Channel 1.0 11.40 0.33 Master Vein Cliff Vein 467716 Grab n/a 22.80 0.67 Cliff Vein

"The Merritt area has a long history of exploration and gold discoveries. Explorers focused on narrow high-grade veins while not seeing the less obvious geological indications of broader mining widths. The Company's field crew has dedicated their work this season to studying the structure and geochemistry. The project continues to impress us as results come in. We believe the Nicola Lake area hosts the makings of a significant new gold camp," states Karim Rayani Falcon's Chief Executive Officer.

The Spitfire & Sunny Boy Project

The first recorded discoveries were made on the Spitfire & Sonny Boy claims in 1908, which is currently located in the north east portion of the property claim block. Most of the early exploration focused on quartz veins that hosted gold, copper and silver. High grade gold values have been reported at 124 to 127 g/t Au and 309 to 514 g/t silver ("Ag") in quartz vein material from underground workings by Quilchena Mining and Development Company Ltd. The high-grade veins have been trenched, pitted, blasted, and drilled but have never been commercially mined. The main showing, Master Vein, boasts high-grade gold mineralization up to 50.53 oz/t as sampled by Ken Sanders, P. Eng in 1974. To the south-west of the Sunny Boy Zone in an area referred to as the "AL" showing soil geochemistry, geophysics (magnetometer/VLF), trenching, sampling and diamond drilling have been performed on the mineralized veins. The best drill result was reportedly 3.77 g/t Au, 0.24 % copper, and 32.9 g/t Ag over 13.4 meters.

The Spitfire & Sunny Boy discovery has been referred to as an epithermal gold deposit by past operators. The gold zones are hosted within the Quesnellia terrane, characterized by submarine volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks of the Nicola group to the south and the Takla group in the north. The gold mineralization and geological setting of the project bear strong similarities to other developed projects in the region such as the epithermal gold deposits, Prospect Valley and Shovelnose, currently being explored by Westhaven Ventures Inc.

Falcon's due-diligence work in 2019 confirmed the presence of gold mineralization along the Master Vein over a 300-meter strike length with samples ranging from 0.33 to 2.74 ounces per ton ("oz/t") Au. Based on the sporadic past exploration, the Company has identified EM and IP geophysics, structural mapping, and excavating large surface blast pits to expose insitu bedrock as the best approach for identifying new mineralized structures for both gold and base metals discoveries.

In closing, Karim Rayani comments, "We are keeping a close eye on similar projects in the area. We are noting the success of certain larger operators and the exploration techniques used to delineate gold mineralization along strike. Our next steps are to confirm the extent of gold mineralization at depth. Our discovery of 7.99 g/t Au in the silicified wallrock could open up significant new zones for our pending drill program. Furthermore, the recent acquisition of new claims adding 500 meters of strike length (Previously announced June 4th 2020) will further add to the exploration potential as we continue to press along strike and to depth."

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Mr. Alex Pleson, P.Geo., who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Falcon Gold Corp. & the Central Canada Gold Mine Project

Falcon is a Canadian mineral exploration company focused on generating, acquiring, and exploring opportunities in the Americas. Falcon's flagship project, the Central Canada Gold Mine, is approximately 20 km south east of Agnico Eagle's Hammond Reef Gold Deposit which has Measured & Indicated estimated resources of 208 million tonnes containing 4.5 million ounces of gold. The Hammond Reef gold property lies on the Hammond fault which is a splay off of the Quetico Fault Zone ("QFZ") and may be the control for the gold deposit. The Central Gold property lies on a similar major splay of the QFZ.

History of Central Canada gold mine includes;

1901 to 1907 - Shaft constructed to a depth of 12 m and 27 oz of gold from 18 tons using a stamp mill.

1930 to 1934 - Central Canada Mines Ltd. installed a 75 ton per day gold mill. Development work included 1,829 m of drilling and a vertical shaft to a depth of 45 m with about 42 m of crosscuts and drifts on the 100 m level. In December, 1934 the mine had reportedly outlined approximately 230,000 ounces of gold with an average grade of 9.9 g/t Au.

1935 - With the on-going financial crisis of the Great Depression, the Central Canada Mines was unable to fund operations and the mine ceased operations.

1965 - Anjamin Mines completed diamond drilling and in hole S2 returned a 2 ft section of 37.0 g/t Au and hole S3 assayed 44.0 g/t Au across 7 ft.

1985 - Interquest Resources Corp. drilled 13 diamond holes totaling 1,840 m in which a 3.8 ft intersection showed 30.0 g/t Au.

2010 to 2012 - TerraX Minerals Inc. - conducted programs that included line cutting, geological surveys and drilled 363 m.

The Company also holds 3 additional projects. The Camping Lake Gold property in Red Lake, a 49% interest in the Burton Gold property with IAMGOLD near Sudbury Ontario, and the Spitfire and Sunny Boy Gold Claims near Merritt, B.C.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

Falcon Gold Corp.

"Karim Rayani"

Karim Rayani

Chief Executive Officer, Director

Email: info@falcongold.ca

Telephone: (604) 716-0551

Cautionary Language and Forward-Looking Statements

This news release may contain forward looking statements including but not limited to comments regarding the timing and content of upcoming work programs, geological interpretations, receipt of property titles, etc. Forward looking statements address future events and conditions and therefore, involve inherent risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements.

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.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61030
She hasn't been shy in slamming some of her former Bachelorette suitors, who are now appearing on Bachelor in Paradise.

And now Angie Kent has taken another swipe at Ciarran Stott.

The 30-year-old former Gogglebox star likened him to Mean Girls character Regina George, and said she would have kicked him off The Bachelorette earlier if she knew what he was really like.

'I would have sent him home sooner!' The Bachelorette's Angie Kent slammed Ciarran Stott AGAIN this week and likened him to Regina George in a scathing Instagram post

Angie made the jab in a scathing Instagram comment under a Mean Girls meme posted by Bachie Funny.

'Who here has ever had feelings for Ciarran Stott?' the meme read.

Ouch! The 30-year-old former Gogglebox star likened Ciarran (pictured) to Mean Girls character Regina George and said she would have kicked him off The Bachelorette earlier if she knew what he was really like

'Who here has ever had feelings for Ciarran Stott?' Angie made the jab in a scathing Instagram comment obtained by Bachie Funny. The comment came under a hilarious Mean Girls meme

Scathing: 'She doesn't even go here! Sorry Straya! If I knew sooner I would've sent him and his hype man home second episode when I sent old mate politician home, because NO ONE f**ks with my sisterhood,' Angie commented underneath

It then showed a number of former Bachelor stars raising their hands.

Angie commented underneath: 'She doesn't even go here! Sorry Straya! If I knew sooner I would've sent him and his hype man home second episode when I sent old mate politician home, because NO ONE f**ks with my sisterhood.'

She added: 'Sorry that at some point we were all victimised by Regina George.'

In her post, Angie was referring to Timm Hanly as Ciarran's hype man, and disgraced politician Jess Glasgow, who she booted off the show after behaving inappropriately on the show.

No one's safe! In her post, Angie was referring to Timm Hanly (pictured) as Ciarran's hype man, and disgraced politician Jess Glasgow, who she booted off the show after behaving inappropriately on the show

Last week, Angie accused some of her Bachelorette suitors of 'lying' their way through the show to get a ticket to Fiji for Bachelor in Paradise.

Angie, who confirmed her split from boyfriend Carlin Sterritt last month, said she was speaking out after having 'stayed silent for ages'.

A fan had asked Angie on Instagram if it was 'naive' for her to think 'everyone was 100 per cent genuine' on the reality dating program, adding: 'Is it also not a bit full of yourself to think a dozen guys would all be into you?'

Angie hit back, saying: 'Never did I ever expect 20 dudes to come in full throttle and like me. I'm not that naive.'

'But I did come on hoping that the men who were acting like they were equally interested and invested in what we had going was the truth.'

She's had enough! Last week, Angie accused some of her Bachelorette suitors of 'lying' their way through the show to get a ticket to Fiji for Bachelor in Paradise

Angie said she didn't want her suitors to 'pretend' or fake their feelings, but hinted that some of them did just that so they could have more screen time.

She continued: 'If you wanna stay on to d**k around you can. But don't pretend to want to be in it to be the one at the end, when I was there fully vulnerable wanting to find someone.'

She explained that she'd told the guys numerous times during filming that they were free to leave if they wanted to.

Angie added: 'All I wanted was honesty. Not all of them to like me.

'They can leave if they don't like me. That's life. I'm a realist. But they did know who I was before auditioning so they had a solid amount of time pre-show and on the show to leave or have fun with the blokes instead of lie. That's all I'm saying.'

The comments were screen shot and shared last week by the So Dramatic podcast.

She also recently accused some of her Bachelorette suitors of 'using' her as a way to get onto Bachelor in Paradise.

The current season of Bachelor in Paradise includes six of Angie's former suitors, including runner-up Timm Hanly, Ciarran Stott, Jackson Garlick, Matt Whyatt, Alex McKay and Niranga Amarasinghe.
When tens of thousands of kar sevaks, or Hindu religious volunteers, packed trains, trucks and buses to descend on the Uttar Pradesh town of Ayodhya in 1990, few carried the conviction that their dream of a Ram temple rising from the sanctum sanctorum of the disputed 16th-century structure would ever translate into reality.

The Ram Janmabhoomi movement was at its zenith and the lanes of Ayodhya rang with chants of Mandir yahin banayenge (the temple will be built here), but the contentious issue was caught in a legal tangle and a political consensus looked impossible. The country was vertically divided between maintaining status quo at the disputed site and the Hindutva demand for the liberation of Ram Janmabhoomi.

Also read: 150 cops recovered from Covid-19 will be PMs security ring

At a press conference, journalists even asked former Vishwa Hindu Parishad chief Ashok Singhal, who was leading the mass movement, if the temple would ever be built. The firebrand leader was not amused.

Sitting in Karsewakpuram, the nerve centre of the temple movement in Ayodhya, he told them, Yes, Ram temple here at the sanctum sanctorum will turn into a reality --(although) it may not happen in our lifetime. Some others, including former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh, Ramchand Paramhans, the chief of the influential Digamber Akhara, and current UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, shared the conviction that a temple would arise at the spot.

Despite the efforts of these leaders, enthusiasm around the movement cooled by the 2000s. The VHP and its rival group, the Babri Masjid Action Committee (BMAC), kept the issue simmering by marking December 6 as shaurya diwas (day of valour) and day of mourning, respectively, after the Babri Masjid on the site was demolished on that date in 1992. Public attendance at Ayodhya events was thin.

Also read: Vedic rituals set stage for Ayodhya ceremony

Even visits by senior leaders of the VHP and its parent organisation, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), dwindled and local firebrand voices fell silent after the death of Paramhans in 2003. Hindu seers continued to raise the emotive issue, especially before elections, but public gatherings were replaced by debates, discussions, negotiations and the legal case. The fight moved from the streets to the court, and in Ayodhya, life returned to normal. Over the years, common people also started doubting the effectiveness of the temple movement in extricating the issue from the legal web, as regional powerhouses, the Samajwadi Party and Bahujan Samaj Party, dominated state politics.

All that changed with the rise of Narendra Modi to power at the Centre in 2014 and Yogi Adityanath becoming UP chief minister in 2017.

SEEDS ARE SOWN

The documented history of the dispute is 167 years old. It goes back to 1853, when the first report of communal violence at the site was recorded. In 1885, a local priest unsuccessfully petitioned a local court to start prayers at the site and in 1949, idols of Ram appeared under the central dome of the Babri Masjid, triggering one of the longest legal battles over land ownership, which finally concluded in November 2019 in the Supreme Court.

There were three major turning points appearance of idols of the deity in 1949, the order of the Faizabad sessions judge allowing darshan of the deity by unlocking the gates in February 1986, and the demolition of the disputed structure in December 1992.

It was in 1983 when the RSS and the VHP first raised the emotive issue of Ram temple.

At a public meeting in Uttar Pradeshs Muzaffarnagar town, Dau Dayal Khanna, Dinesh Tyagi, Gulzari Lal Nanda and Rajju Bhaiyya spoke about constructing a temple at the disputed site. Khanna, a former state minister, and Singhal later visited Ayodhya where they met Paramhans.

At a meeting of 50 saints, a decision was taken to form the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mukti Yojana Samiti under the chairmanship of Mahant Avaidyanath, a Lok Sabha member, the head of the Gorakhnath mutt and the spiritual guru of current UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

By October 1985, the VHP, which was constituted in 1964, launched its first formal Rath Yatra demanding the unlocking of the disputed structure, which had been out of bounds for the public since 1949.

In February 1986, the Faizabad district court ordered the unlocking of the disputed structure on the petition of a 28-year-old local Hindu lawyer, pushing the dispute into the national spotlight and triggering communal tension across India. The BMAC, a key Muslim party in the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid case, was also born that year.

Soon after the locking, the VHP and various Hindu groups intensified their public mobilization campaigns. The first big event was the Ram Shila Puja held in thousands of villages across the country. About 250,000 consecrated shilas or carved stones reached Ayodhya in a matter of months and were stored near the disputed structure. After lying idle for three decades, these will finally be used for the Ram temple, whose foundation laying ceremony is on Wednesday.

In 1989, a shilanyas (foundation ceremony) was performed near the disputed structure, the permission for which was granted by the Congress government in the state. In a balancing act, a confused Congress wanted to win over Hindus without losing Muslims.

Before the 1989 Lok Sabha election, then Union home minister Buta Singh flew to Lucknow in the early hours of the morning and drove straight to the chief ministers residence at Mall Avenue in Lucknow. Senior VHP leaders were already present there. Then chief minister, ND Tiwari of the Congress, walked out in a huff after signing an agreement. The permission for shilanyas was conditional, binding the VHP to a court ruling, the leaders said.

Weeks later, prime minister Rajiv Gandhi launched his election campaign from Faizabad, four kilometres away from the shilanayas site. He spoke about Ram Rajya and not Ram temple. But while the Congress attempted to maintain ambivalence, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) doubled down on Hindutva. When the results were announced, the Congresss tally from Uttar Pradesh fell from 15 to five seats. The BJP won eight of the 85 seats and its tally in the Lower House soared from two to 85 seats.

This momentous election marked the fall of Congress in UP politics, the rise of BJP and the dominance of two regional powerhouses who would go on to become multi-term chief ministers: Mulayam Singh Yadav and Mayawati.

SHOCK AND SILENCE

As the 90s dawned on India, the country was vertically divided on the issue politically. The shilanayas activated the opposition parties, which came together under the banner of Janata Dal before the 1989 polls. Former Prime Minister Vishwanath Pratap Singh along with leaders belonging to left parties gave a call for  Ayodhya chalo. Members of the National Integration Council, a body of politicians and intellectuals set up in 1961, went on an inspection that left them more confused as the disputed structure appeared like a mosque with an idol of Ram inside. Some members paid obeisance inside. Perplexed, some asked, But where is the Babri mosque?

In December 1989, Mulayam Singh became the chief minister of UP for the first time, but he was dependent on the support of Congress, which was also backing the Chandrashekhar government at the Centre, albeit for few months. Mulayams relations with VP Singh had soured after a split in the Janata Dal as both wanted to be the messiah of Muslims in UP.

In September 1990, BJP veteran LK Advani embarked on Somnath-Ayodhya yatra.

In October 1990, he was arrested in Samastipur in Bihar by then chief minister Lalu Prasad. But kar sevaks had reached Ayodhya in millions by then and started gathering near the disputed structure. Such was the frenzy that despite heavy deployment of security forces, the crowds kept moving towards the site in great waves, with one group managing to reach the dome. The Mulayam Singh government ordered the police to fire at the crowd, resulting in a pitched battle, in which around 20 people were killed. The government fell.

Assembly elections followed. The BJP grew from 57 to 221 members in the 425-member House in 1991. Kalyan Singh became chief minister. When the Lok Sabha election results were declared, no party was close to a majority but the BJP reaped rich dividends, bagging 51 Lok Sabha seats  its highest tally in the state until then.

DEMOLITION

The BJP government quickly changed the complexion of the disputed area. The government acquired 2.77 acres of land around the 0.313 acre disputed shrine through a notification, ostensibly to promote tourism and provide amenities to the pilgrims. The acquisition was challenged in the court that disallowed transfer of the land or construction of a permanent structure thereon.

Next, the Kalyan Singh government demolished various temples and buildings - Sankat Mochan, Sakshi Gopal Mandir, Falahari Baba, Sumitra Bhawan notable among them - to level the ground as the court had not banned demolitions. The entire area was levelled.

In early 1992, the government gave 42 acres of land to the Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas, a key Hindu party in the case, on a 99-year lease on an annual rent of 1 per year for the construction of Ram Katha Park. The trust also bought some additional six acres of land.

It is in this 48 acres of land where kar sevaks congregated in December 1992 for roughly a week before marching towards the disputed site.

On December 6, 1992, the disputed structure was demolished. PV Narasimha Rao, the then Prime Minister, dismissed the Kalyan Singh government. The Centre acquired 67 acres of land, including the one belonging to the trust.

The demolition also pushed Congress to the margin of state politics as Mulayam Singh, supported by left parties and the Janata Dal, projected himself as the saviour of Muslims.

Some senior BJP leaders feared losing a potent public issue in the political arena. Senior state minister Azam Khan, who was closely associated with BMAC, had then said: The BJPs deterioration started slowly after December 6, 1992 and thats why LK Advani never wanted the mosque to go. They wanted to keep the issue alive.

For the next 25 years, the BJP came close to power but never won a majority in Uttar Pradesh. In the 1993 and 1996 state assembly elections, it won 177 and 174 seats, respectively. Its numbers sharply fell to 88 in 2002, and 51 in 2007. It only returned to power in 2017 with a thumping majority of 300-plus seats.

The BJP continued to perform strongly in Lok Sabha elections from UP- from eight in 1989 to 51, 52 and 59 seats in 1991, 1996 and 1998 elections. But these number started slipping; in 1999, the party won just 29 seats, which plummeted to 10 in 2004, when the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government took power at the Centre.

A NEW CHAPTER

From August 5, a new chapter will start in Ayodhya.

The city is geared up for the ground-breaking ceremony. Bhajans have replaced the frenzy; and reconciliation appears set to triumph over anger and agitation. Muslims are forming a trust to build a mosque five kilometers away from the disputed site.

Religious sentiments are palpable but communal amity prevails with even firebrand BJP leaders talking about Muslim participation in the construction of the temple, reminding many of Kalyan Singhs words, Let Muslim brothers participate in building the Ram temple, I will lay the first brick of their mosque.

While thousands of kar sevaks who might have wanted to be there will be missing due to the raging pandemi, global celebrations are all set to mark the mega event.

The temple city has been painted in saffron. Groups have surfaced in every corner to sing bhajans. The tone of the Jai Shri Ram slogans has changed from combative to celebratory. The streets are already reverberating with microphones playing Ram dhun or Akhand Path.

In the words of a Ram devotee, Rams vanvas [exile] was 14 years. But the fight for his temple at his birth place has been 572 years old. The Babri Masjid was built in 1528. In 2020, the Ram temple is finally on its way.
Sri Lanka's Rajapaksa family will likely consolidate power after Wednesday's parliamentary elections. The powerful clan has held sway over the country's politics for decades, as well as having a major influence in key state institutions such as the national airline and state corporations. Close relatives have also been appointed to top diplomatic posts aborad. Here are the key members of the dynasty: - 'The Patriarch' - Mahinda Rajapaksa, 74, is the patriarch of the family and served as prime minister in 2004 and then president from 2005 until January 2015. He was appointed prime minister a second time by his brother Gotabaya in November. Mahinda is adored by the Sinhala-Buddhist majority for crushing separatist Tamil rebels in May 2009 following a highly controversial military offensive that ended a decades-long civil war. During his rule Sri Lanka also moved closer to China, borrowing almost $7 billion for infrastructure projects -- many of which turned into white elephants mired in corruption. - 'The Terminator' - Gotabaya Rajapaksa, 71, was the main lieutenant of Mahinda during his reign, holding the influential post of secretary to the ministry of defence with responsibility for day-to-day control of the armed forces and police. Dubbed "The Terminator" by his own family, he is feared by foes for his short temper. He has faced several corruption allegations, but his court cases have been frozen or withdrawn as he enjoys immunity after winning the presidency in 2019. - 'Mr. Ten Percent' - Basil Rajapaksa, 69, is a political strategist who managed the economy under Mahinda. He was called "Mr. Ten Percent" in a BBC interview in reference to commissions he allegedly took from government contracts. Subsequent administrations failed to prove any charges he syphoned off millions of dollars from state coffers, but he still faces several prosecutions for corruption and unexplained wealth. As a dual US-Sri Lankan citizen he was prohibited from standing for elected office but is currently a senior adviser to the government. - 'The Bodyguard' - Chamal Rajapaksa, 77, was speaker of the Sri Lankan parliament when brother Mahinda was president and is also a former minister of shipping and aviation. Formerly a police officer, he once served as a personal bodyguard to Sirimavo Bandaranaike, the world's first woman prime minister. He is expected to continue to serve in the prime minister's cabinet in the new government to be formed after the polls. - The Scion - Namal Rajapaksa, 34, a lawyer, is the scion of the family dynasty and the eldest son of Mahinda. He entered parliament in 2010 aged just 24. During his father's decade in power, Namal was highly influential although he did not hold any portfolio. The former regime accused him of money laundering and other corruption charges, for which he still faces trial. He is expected to play a key role in the new administration, and observers say Mahinda is grooming him to become a future president.
WINDOW ROCK, Ariz.  Navajo Nation health officials have reported 35 more cases of COVID-19 and one additional death.

That brings the total number of people infected to 9,103 and the known death toll to 461 as of Sunday night.

Tribal health officials said 81,665 people have been tested for the coronavirus and 6,736 have recovered.

The vast majority of people who are diagnosed with COVID-19 recover.

For some people it causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough.

But for some people who contract the virus, especially those who are older or have underlying health conditions, it can cause more severe illness and death.

Late Friday, lawmakers on the Navajo Nation approved a massive spending bill to respond to the coronavirus pandemic that includes money for water projects, power lines, broadband and casino employees who have been laid off.

The Navajo Nation Council passed the nearly $651 million in spending after discussing it for more than 28 hours in a special session over three days.

The money comes from the Navajo Nations share of $8 billion in federal coronavirus relief funding that was set aside for tribes.
NRL star Kotoni Staggs has been caught up in an alleged revenge sex tape scandal after a 'personal' video circulated online.

The Brisbane Broncos confirmed on Tuesday afternoon they are aware of the video recording involving the 21-year-old.

'The video is of a highly personal nature and has been released without his consent,' the club said in a statement.

NRL star Kotoni Staggs (pictured) has been caught up in an alleged revenge porn scandal

Brisbane Broncos said they are working with the NRL Integrity Unit and 'alerted it as soon as becoming aware of the issue'.

An NRL official said the Integrity Unit was aware of the matter.

It's understood Staggs will be interviewed by the Integrity Unit within the next 24 hours, although it is unlikely he will face any repercussions from the league.

The non-consensual sharing of personal images online is a criminal offence in Australia and is considered image-based sexual abuse.

The video was allegedly released by a woman known to the Tonga international rugby league player.

Channel 7 reporter Chris Garry said the 'sensitive' video had been distributed on Tuesday and police were looking into the incident.

The Brisbane Broncos confirmed on Tuesday afternoon they are aware of the video recording involving the 21-year-old. Staggs is pictured at Broncos training in 2019

'It's understood police are investigating the woman who released the video and she could face charges. Kotoni expected to be cleared,' he wrote on Twitter.

The revelations come as the Broncos prepare to face South Sydney in a grudge match at ANZ Stadium in Sydney on Friday night.

Staggs returned to the field last month after recovering from a hamstring injury, scoring two tries and starring in his team's narrow defeat to the Cronulla Sharks.

On July 17, Staggs wrote on Instagram: 'Rehab is a Challenge every day. Can't wait to be back with the brothers.'
Switzerland has extradited a man who has caused 2016 at an illegal street race in Berlin in a serious accident. A court had sentenced the 25-Year old, among other things, because of dangerous interference in road transport to 19 months in prison, as the Federal police announced on Tuesday. The speeder not have taken the penalty but and leave the country. On Monday, the authorities of Switzerland, handed over the Wanted in Weil am Rhein (Kreis Lorrach) to the Federal police.

in 2016, had supplied the man the information, to the right in the middle of Berlin, a forbidden road race. He had tried with a high Tempo and in defiance of all rules of the road to overtake a second car. In doing so, he caused an accident, his opponent was seriously injured.

Updated Date: 04 August 2020, 16:19
By Akbar Mammadov

Head of the Interior Ministrys press service Ehsan Zahidov has described as false allegations circulated in social media about the torture of activists Fuad Gahramanli and Seymur Ahmadov, the ministry reported on August 3.

Both activists were detained on charges of violation of public disorder and resistance to police during the unsanctioned rally on the night leading to July 15.

Zahidov said that false and biased information have been circulated about alleged pressure on Seymur Ahmadov.

The ministrys spokesperson stressed that upon his instructions, the ministrys officers visited the detention centre, received an explanation from Seymur Ahmadov, and inquired about the conditions of his detention and his health.

Ahmadov unequivocally denied what was has been written about him, saying that he had not been subjected to any violence or torture, and that has no complaints about the conditions of detention or his health, Zahidov noted.

As for the allegations that Fuad Gahramanli was allegedly subjected to torture in the Main Organized Crime Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, I state unequivocally that Fuad Gahramanli has not been brought to the Department, neither has he been there, Zahidov added.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Evergrande Health, the Hong Kong-listed subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate China Evergrande Group, said on August 3 it has launched six first-phase Hengchi-branded models, which are named based on a numerical sequence from 1 to 6.

(Hengchi 1)



The real estate giant announced its NEV brand Hengchi about a year ago. The first car, the Hengchi 1, is scheduled to go into mass production in 2021.



(Hengchi 2)





(Hengchi 4)



Positioned as an all-electric ultra-luxury D-segment sedan, the Hengchi 1 features a wheelbase of 3,150mm. The Hengchi 2 is designed as a pure electric luxury B-segment sedan and the Hengchi 4 will be an all-electric seven-seater luxury MPV model. All of the three models are designed by Anders Warming, who has had chief designer roles at the brands BMW, MINI and Borgward.

(Hengchi 3)





(Hengchi 5)

(Hengchi 6)



Moreover, the Henchi 3 is positioned as a pure electric luxury large-sized SUV, and the Hengchi 5 and 6 are engineered into an all-electric A-segment SUV and a battery-powered A-segment crossover SUV respectively.



Evergrande seeks to become a global powerhouse for new energy vehicle engineering and production over the next three to five years by increasing EV output and sales to 5 million within 10 to 15 years, Xu Jiayin, chairman of Evergrande Group said in November 2019 when the group formed strategic cooperation with up to 60 world's leading auto parts suppliers.

The Board of Evergrande Health proposed to change the company's name to China Evergrande New Energy Vehicle Group Limited, which may be simply referred to as Evergrande Auto, as the NEV has become its most important business, the Hong Kong-listed company announced on July 27.

According to the announcement, Evergrande Health and its subsidiaries (collectively called the Group for short) are dashing with all their might to develop NEV business and have formed a NEV industry chain covering power battery, motor powertrain, advanced vehicle manufacturing, vehicle sales and smart charging.

The company also noted that the Group also possesses world's leading core technologies in key aspects and has implemented a global integrated R&D model to coordinate the R&D works in China, Sweden, Germany, the UK, the Netherlands, Austria, Italy, Japan, South Korea and other countries (photo source: Evergrande Group).


Hotels repurposed as quarantine places for foreign experts

Ho Chi Minh City has decided to choose eight hotels with 3- to 5-star standards in the districts 1, 3, 5, 7, and Tan Binh with a total of 1,485 rooms to function as quarantine places. The smallest hotel among these has 77 rooms and the biggest has 350 rooms.

The eight hotels are Holiday Inn Hotel, BIS Saigon Aiport Hotel, Bat Hotel, Des Arts Saigon Hotel, Le Meridien Saigon Hotel, IBIS Saigon South Hotel, De Nhat Hotel, and Norfolk Hotel.

In order to prevent any spread of the coronavirus, Ho Chi Minh City Health Department will guide the hotels according to the regulations for COVID-19 prevention, and coordinate with the relevant units to intensify the periodic and irregular inspections and supervision of the locations chosen.

Foreign workers like experts and managers entering Vietnam must be isolated at concentrated medical facilities or isolated areas. Enterprises are responsible for paying all medical expenses and other related fees to the isolation for them.

In Hanoi, some 3- to 5-star hotels, such as Sofitel Metropole Hanoi, Muong Thanh Xa La, InterContinental West Lake, Crowne Plaza, and Hoa Binh are also on the list of concentrated isolation points for foreign experts, skilled workers, and foreign diplomats to work in Hanoi. Recently, the Hanoi Peoples Committee has promulgated additional regulations on the establishment of a paid isolation facility for experts at the Binh An 3 Hotel, Minh Phu commune, in Soc Son district.

In addition to the two major cities, a number of other localities have organised paid isolation areas for foreign experts. As such, Bac Ninh province has welcomed nearly 3,000 experts and foreign workers. According to the director of Bac Ninhs Department of Health, the province has not yet to charge a separate quarantine fee for foreigners, but businesses will choose the hotel to be used as a quarantine area, with the province supporting the pandemic prevention measures.

In other localities such as Haiphong, Bac Giang, and Vinh Phuc, foreign experts will be proactively selected by the company which selects isolation locations and pays for accommodation based on the list of locations assessed by the city. Haiphong does not allow people to stay in hotels in the inner city. Meanwhile, Vinh Phuc province has just granted certificates for 146 invited foreign experts to work in the city.

In Thai Binh province, the three centralised fee-collecting locations are Dieu Linh Hotel, Thai Thuy District Political Training Centre, and Viet Village Hotel and Restaurant Complex. Foreigners previously staying at these establishments have been satisfied with the facilities.
Dr Paul Thompson promoted to Chief Scientific Officer

Dr Nick Edmunds promoted to Chief Technology Officer

Mission Therapeutics ("Mission"), a drug discovery and development company focused on selectively inhibiting deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs), today announced the promotions of Dr Paul Thompson to CSO and Dr Nick Edmunds to CTO with immediate effect.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005075/en/

Dr Paul Thompson (left) and Dr Nick Edmunds (right). High-resolution images available on request. (Photo: Business Wire)

Dr Paul Thompson (CSO)

In his new role, Dr Thompson assumes responsibility for Mission's discovery, validation and translational science activities, as well as biomarker research and target selection on novel DUBs.

Dr Thompson has ~18 years' experience in translational research and early clinical development. He joined Mission as Medical Director for CNS in 2016, and in 2018 was promoted to Vice President of Clinical Development.

Previously, he has worked at ONO Pharma UK, where he was Clinical Science Director, and GlaxoSmithKline, where he led global project teams as Director of Discovery Medicine in Neurology, following earlier roles leading laboratory biomarker research and experimental medicine studies. Dr Thompson holds a PhD in Immuno- and Cell Biology from University College London and an MBiochem from the University of Oxford.

Dr Nick Edmunds (CTO)

Dr Edmunds assumes responsibility for Mission's world-leading DUB platform and chemistry, in addition to exploratory toxicology and ADME activities.

With over 15 years' pharmaceutical industry experience, Dr Edmunds has a track record in drug discovery and early clinical development. He joined Mission as a Senior Director in September 2018 from AstraZeneca and was promoted later that year to Vice President and Head of DUB Discovery.

At AstraZeneca Dr Edmunds held senior roles in Drug Safety and Metabolism, including Senior Director, Head of New Modalities and Director of Safety Pharmacology. Prior to that, he was a Research Fellow at Pfizer Global Research and Development, US, and the Cardiovascular Discipline Leader in Global Safety Pharmacology at Pfizer Global Research and Development, UK. Dr Edmunds holds a PhD from the Department of Pharmacology, University of Bath, and a BSc in Pharmacology from the University of Leeds.

Commenting on the appointments, Dr Anker Lundemose, CEO of Mission Therapeutics, said: "We are very pleased to be able to make these well-deserved promotions. Both Paul and Nick have already made substantial contributions to the advancement of Mission's platform and pipeline. They will continue to play a pivotal role as the Company embarks upon the next exciting stage in its development, to continue progress of the AbbVie and Pfizer collaborations and bring our first-in-class USP30 inhibitor into the clinic."

- ENDS -

NOTES TO EDITORS:

About MissionTherapeutics

Mission Therapeutics is an early-stage drug development company targeting the ubiquitin pathway for the treatment of kidney disease, neurodegenerative disease, rare mitochondrial diseases andfibrosis. The Company has built a leading platform for the discovery and development of first-in-class, small molecule drugs that selectively target deubiquitylating enzymes (DUBs) an emerging drug class that is attracting significant commercial interest in the area of protein homeostasis.

Mission has strong links with key academic and research centers, including Prof. Steve Jackson's Cancer Research UK Laboratories at the University of Cambridge Gurdon Institute, and leading UK centres in neurodegenerative diseases. The Company also has secured major industry partnerships, including its collaboration with AbbVie in November 2018, for the research and preclinical development of specified DUB inhibitors for the treatment of Alzheimer's Disease and Parkinson's Disease. The Company is managed by a team with broad international, commercial and clinical-science experience.

To date the Company has received 73 million $101 million in funding and its investors comprise blue chip institutional and corporate investors including: Pfizer Venture Investments, Sofinnova Partners, Roche Venture Fund, SR One, IP Group and Schroders Adveq. Mission Therapeutics was founded in 2011 and is based at the Babraham Research Campus, Cambridge, UK.

For more information, please visit our website, www.missiontherapeutics.com, or follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005075/en/

Contacts:

Mission Therapeutics Ltd

Anker Lundemose MD PhD

Chief Executive Officer

Tel: +44 (0)1223 607 340

Instinctif Partners

Melanie Toyne-Sewell Katie Duffell

Tel: +44 (0) 20 7457 2013

E: missiontherapeutics@instinctif.com
Full of all vim and vigour, about 28-year-old Divya Shakti, who notched up 79th rank in union public service commission (UPSC) examinations, on Tuesday felt that human potentiality is inexhaustible and said like any other walk of lives, time has left scope for the improvement in the administration.

There is no gain saying the fact that pools of talents have rendered their services for the nation and brought about sea changes in our country. Still I believe, time leaves huge scope of improvement. The technological innovations are going to help the future administrative officers a great deal in making a mark for themselves, said Divya Shakti, who cracked the examination in second attempt.

Read More: Meet UPSC civil services exam 2019 topper Pradeep Singh from Haryana

When asked if she was confident of securing ranks in top 100 finalist, she was somewhat forthright. This is beauty of UPSC. Even the number one ranker does not know where he or she stands. I couldnt clear my preliminary in my first attempt either, she put it straight.

Born and brought up in a doctors family, Divya opted for PCM (physics, chemistry mathematics) in after her matriculation, choosing to avoid biology, a subject sin quo non to become a doctor, at tender age itself. All of our siblings have liberty to do what we wanted to study and all three of us are now settled in professions other than medicos, said Divya Shakti, who did her master in economics in 2016.

Divyas parents are on cloud nine today. Her success means a lot and is also full of learning experiences. As a guardian, I believe we should never impose our decisions. Every sincere student is his or her best judge and guardian should cooperate and enlighten the dream they nurse. Whatever the decisions she has taken are hers, said Dhirendra Kumar Singh, Divyas father, ex-superintendent of government medical college hospital (GMCH), Bettiah.

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The COVID-19 pandemic sent shock waves through Canadian markets in the late winter and early spring. Some sectors were hit harder than others. Unfortunately, Canadas energy heavy TSX index was weighed down further by a price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia earlier this year.

Today, I want to discuss whether recent trends in the oil and gas sector could have a negative impact on Canadian energy stocks. Lets jump in.

Oil glut: How will it impact energy stocks?

In late 2019, oil prices were boosted by heightening tensions in the Middle East. Moreover, OPEC has worked diligently to keep production as low as they feasibly can to underpin low prices. This effectiveness of this strategy has waned in recent years, and many producers may now be facing an oil glut.

OPEC has elected to ease some production cuts in August. While oil prices have largely flattened out in the summer, some analysts are now worried that this uptick in production could stir volatility. Worse, the COVID-19 pandemic has continued to ravage the United States.

This has some in the industry anxious that oil and gas demand could be headed south in the months ahead. On the other hand, positive economic data in Europe, Asia, and the U.S. stirred an uptick for oil to kick off this month.

Today, I want to discuss two top TSX energy stocks that Im still bullish on in early August. Fears of an oil glut are not unfounded, but this pathway is by no means guaranteed.

Two stocks to watch in August

Back in July, Id discussed why I had my eyes on Imperial Oil (TSX:IMO)(NYSE:IMO). This company explores for, produces, and sells crude oil and natural gas in Canada. Its shares have dropped 37% in 2020 as of close on July 31.

Value investors who are looking at energy stocks have good reason to be excited about Imperial Oil. The company boasted a cash balance of $1.4 billion at the end of Q1 2020, putting it in a strong liquidity position. Moreover, shares of Imperial Oil last possessed a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.3 and a price-to-book value of 0.6. This puts the stock in attractive value territory relative to industry peers.

Story continues

As an energy stock, Imperial Oil also offers a quarterly dividend of $0.22 per share. This represents a solid 4.2% yield.

Suncor is a Canadian energy giant that has taken its lumps during this crisis. Its stock has plunged 48% so far this year. The company took a major hit in the first quarter of 2020 due to significant weakness and volatility in commodity prices. If oil prices are pushed into turbulence before this year is through, Suncor could be in for a rough conclusion to 2020.

On the other hand, Suncor is a massive player in this space that has achieved impressive earnings growth in recent years. This energy stock last had a favourable P/B value of 0.9. It reduced its quarterly dividend to $0.21 per share, which still represents a 4% yield.

Should you avoid energy stocks?

Investors should not wave off the possibility of oil price volatility in the face of these headwinds. Of the two energy stocks above, Im much more bullish on Imperial Oil as we start the month of August.

The post WARNING: Will Energy Stocks Suffer Due to an Oil Glut? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

Fool contributor Ambrose O'Callaghan 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
To support Nigerias effort to rebuild the countrys petroleum industry following the devastating impact of COVID-19 on the global economy, the United Bank for Africa Plc (UBA) on Tuesday announced a $1.5 billion financing package for the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and its upstream subsidiary, the Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC).

Out of the financing package, the bank said as the Initial Mandated Lead Arranger, it would provide the Naira equivalent of $200 million to support investment growth and liquidity requirements of the national oil company, while a consortium of Nigerian commercial and international banks would arrange the balance of $1.3 billion as part of a pre-export finance facility for the corporation.

The bank described the $1.5 billion facility as timely financing for post-COVID 19 economic growth of Nigerias petroleum industry, to help boost the Nigerian oil production capacity and government revenue.

The $200 million facility will provide the much-needed capital for investment in NNPCs production capacity, which is of strategic importance to the Nigerian economy and the countrys leading source of foreign exchange earnings, the bank said.

UBAs position as the Mandated Lead Arranger recognizes the Groups strength in structuring and deploying financing to the oil and gas sector, and the depth and liquidity of the Groups balance sheet, it added.

Details of the $1.5 billion facility showed that it was structured in two tranches, consisting $1 billion in the first tranche, to be provided in dollars, and to be repaid over a period of five years, with UBA as the Facility Agent Bank.

The second tranche of $500 million, the bank said, would be provided in local currency, over seven years, with UBA acting as Lead Bank, providing $200 million in Naira equivalent.

The bank said both facilities would be repaid from an allocation of 30,000 barrels per day of NPDCs crude oil production.

Other members of the consortium financing the NNPC deal include Standard Chartered Bank, AFREXIM Bank, Union Bank and two oil trading companies, Vitol and Matrix.

The Group Chairman of UBA, Tony Elumelu, said this was the most recent support by the bank for Nigerias petroleum industry, which is facing one of the most economically challenging years witnessed in recent times.

With the sharp drop in the price of crude oil at the international oil market and the ensuing hardship that followed the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic, Mr Elumelu urged the private sector to come together and contribute meaningfully to the economy.

This facility is a clear evidence of this support by UBA, which is providing an investment that will significantly improve Nigerias production capacity and in doing so also demonstrating the strength, depth, and sophistication of our commercial banking capability.

I believe that together, working with governments, we can create more jobs and more wealth for people, not only in Nigeria but across Africa, he said
A pastor of the Winners Chapel in Njaba, Imo state has been arrested for alleged defilement of an 11-year- old daughter of a fellow past...

A pastor of the Winners Chapel in Njaba, Imo state has been arrested for alleged defilement of an 11-year- old daughter of a fellow pastor.





The Pastor identified as Joseph Anthony blamed temptation for his action.





According to him, he had just been transferred to the Njaba chapter of Winners Chapel.







He was waiting to be assigned his residential apartment, when another Pastor offered to harbour him temporarily.





Police Commissioner, Isaac Akinmoyede said Joseph Anthony took advantage of the fact that he was at home alone with the victim and had carnal knowledge of her.





The paedophile pastor was among the dozens of suspects paraded by the Imo Police Command on Monday.





They were involved in various crimes, ranging from robbery, kidnaping and rape.




"Doctor" Jordan Breeding is putting in overtime to explain why assembling the Suicide Squad makes no friggin' sense! This content was cut from last week's full episode which you can watch here:

Writer: Jordan Breeding

Director of Photography: Caleb Gritsko

Editing: Andy Sowar, Jordan Breeding, Caleb Gritsko



Check out more of Jordan's Cracked work, see his other work, or connect on Twitter. And be sure to subscribe to Cracked's YouTube channel to check out episodes of our new and classic series.

New episodes of "Your Brain on Cracked" run every Friday at 3pm EST, or catch up on past YBOC episodes.
Houston, Aug 4 : Houston, the largest city in the US state of Texas, will issue fine of US $250 to those who violate the mask order, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said.

During the daily press conference, Turner said the fine would be issued to those who have been warned once and continually ignore the mask order. People are required to wear face covering in public places in the city until the end of August, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

The aggressive move was instructed to Houston Police Department by the mayor to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.

Last week, Turner laid down the challenge to reduce the city's COVID-19 positive rate from 23 percent to 5 percent or below in August. The positive rate dropped to 17.6 per cent on Monday which was still "way too high", according to David Persse, Houston's public health authority.

Official figure showed that as of Monday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Houston is just under 50,000, and 472 people have died.
The NYPD is being asked to make miracles happen. While city residents cry for protection and safety, there are people and politicians in power who ignore that cry and try to make the departments job to protect and serve even harder.

You can see it right now: While shootings have gone up in the city and more police officers get attacked on the job, all you hear are calls to defund the police. In the worst cases, they want to abolish the police and cost us thousands of good-paying jobs, and good hard-working people. The mayor turned his back on the police, but I never thought all the other politicians would, too.

When you defund the police, all youre doing is defunding programs that work. Were talking about programs that are going towards fighting domestic violence, preventing substance use in our kids, and building a relationship of trust between the NYPD and the city we all love. Its a call to cut police salaries at the moment we need them most. When I was younger, I remember the local beat cop always knew my name. Now, that same cop is getting harassed on the streets and being threatened with losing the job they chose to serve their community.

Luckily, there are some politicians who understand that if we want safer communities, we need to invest in our police. Our Rep. Max Rose was one of the few to say he wont accept any defunding of the police, and then he backed that up with more money. Hes pushing for a 50% increase in mental health grants for police officers, instead of threatening to take their jobs away from them.

And before that he got millions for the NYPD counter terrorism unit. This is the type of consistent leadership and support we need for our men and women in blue. We need someone to fight for them the same way they fight for us. That doesnt take a miracle, but it does take acknowledging the work they do.

(Regina Esposito is a New Springville resident.)
Those who make it through enter a probationary period that lasts at least a year but can often take much longer, and membership is not guaranteed. But those who make the cut must take an oath, swearing to be ready at all times to sacrifice my all for the party and the people, and never betray the party.
In one study, 56 volunteers produced a high level of antibodies against the virus without any dangerous side effects. In the other, researchers found that the vaccine strongly protected monkeys from coronavirus infections.

Although its not possible to directly compare the data from clinical trials of different coronavirus vaccines, John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine who was not involved in the studies, said the Novavax results were the most impressive he had seen so far.

This is the first one Im looking at and saying, Yeah, Id take that, Dr. Moore said.

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University who was not involved in the studies, called them encouraging preliminary results, but cautioned that it wont be possible to say whether the vaccine is safe and effective until Novavax conducts a large-scale study  known as Phase III  comparing people who get vaccinated with people who get a placebo.

The company, which has never brought a vaccine to market in its 33-year history, has said that if its vaccine is shown to be effective, it can produce 100 million doses by the beginning of next year, or enough to give to 50 million people if administered in two doses. Under its deal with the federal government, the company will also receive money to undertake large-scale manufacturing of millions more doses if the vaccine is shown to work.

Novavaxs vaccine is one of more than two dozen products to have entered the first round of safety tests in people, known as Phase I trials. Five other coronavirus vaccines are already in Phase III trials, in which thousands of people are tested to see if a vaccine works.
In some alternative universe, the state of Texas has been a national model in its response to COVID-19.

In this parallel world, Gov. Greg Abbott didnt capitulate to anti-maskers and business pressures in quickly reopening the Texas economy, but instead held the line on key public health benchmarks before getting back to business. In this other world  one that, to be clear, we are imagining  he reopened with a mask mandate, and the state hired an experienced contact tracer to keep COVID-19 in check. In this other world, many children are returning to school on campus this year because case counts are under control.

But thats not our Texas. Its just a fantasy of what might have been.

In reality, the state of Texas has made many unforced errors in its response to COVID-19, with tragic and unrelenting consequences.

It is clear Abbott reopened the states economy too soon this spring, moving forward even though Texas had yet to meet key health benchmarks for doing so.

Let us all remember that when Texas reopened in May, it had not achieved a sustained reduction in cases for 14 days but rather had hit something of a lowish plateau. It was also nowhere near a benchmark to provide up to 30,000 daily COVID-19 tests and was woefully short on contact tracers. These were three key benchmarks for safely reopening outlined by Dr. Mark McClellan, a former Food and Drug Administration commissioner under President George W. Bush and adviser to Abbott.

Another error was Abbotts slowness in mandating masks across the state. He issued his order requiring face coverings July 2, a day in which Texas reported 7,915 new cases, according to state data. While this order has saved lives and was the right thing to do, it was also overdue to the extreme. By July 2, the virus was already rampant in Texas. A mask requirement should have coincided with any reopening.

And yet another error was the states decision to award a $295 million contact tracing contract to MTX Group, a little-known company with a headquarters in North Texas and big questions about its readiness. As weve learned from Houston Chronicle reporter Jay Root, the Department of State Health Services awarded this contract in a matter of days. It was never publicly posted, and MTX Group was selected without input from state leaders.

We have since learned the companys CEO, Das Nobel, falsely represented himself on his LinkedIn profile, claiming a doctorate degree from Colorado Technical University. His page has since been updated to clarify he did not complete his dissertation.

Training documents were incorrectly shared with tracers, who were at least initially working on their own computers, relying on personal email addresses. This is a dynamic that raised concerns about potential violations of medical privacy.

Also horrifying is how over the course of several weeks in May and June  a time when case counts were rising and contact tracing could have been deployed to limit spread  some contact tracers said they did little to no work.

MTX is now handling significantly more cases, and a DSHS spokesman has called these concerns old and outdated, but this misses the point. Better contact tracing in May and June was an opportunity to keep Texans safe and help limit the spread of COVID-19 in July.

Lawmakers have expressed bipartisan outrage over this albatross of a contract, and rightly so. But whats most troubling is how this debacle serves as yet another stark reminder that no one benefits when public health fundamentals are cast aside in a pandemic. With COVID-19 so prevalent in Texas  more than 7,000 deaths as of this writing, thousands of new cases every day and a humanitarian crisis in the Rio Grande Valley  even the best designed contact tracing is likely to fail. Its just a matter of sheer volume, experts have said.

What worries us is history will repeat itself with the return to school. Everyone wants kids back at school, and some desperately need to be there. But having students return to campuses for in-person learning with little regard for the prevalence of COVID-19, inherent risks and corresponding public health guidance, is to invite potential tragedy. Have no lessons been learned?
Job Title: Project Technical Officer  Shelter

Organization:

Catholic Relief Services (CRS)

Duty Station:

Uganda

Reports to: Project

Manager  Shelter

About US:

Catholic Relief

Services (CRS) is an international non-governmental organization (NGO)

supporting relief and development work in over 100 countries around the world.

CRS carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist

the poor and vulnerable overseas. CRS Catholic identity is at the heart of our

mission and operations; serving people on the basis of need, regardless of

creed, ethnicity or nationality. CRS works through local church and non-church

partners to implement its programs.

CRS has worked in

Uganda since 1965, initially providing emergency assistance to Sudanese

refugees living in the north. Over the years, CRS has expanded its programming

to also address development needs in western, central and eastern Uganda. CRS

projects in Uganda currently include agriculture, health, microfinance, peace building

and youth. CRS Uganda implements its programs through partnerships with local

organizations, including the Catholic Church, other faith-based organizations

and community entities for maximum impact and sustainability.

About the Project:

CRS recognizes that

Home and Community are the foundations of family life. But, when disaster

strikes, lives are shattered in the blink of an eye. The loss of a home can

have a grave impact on a familys well-being, their identity, their security

and safety. CRS recognizes that safe homes are the first step for families to

rebuild their lives.

Through direct

implementation, CRS plans to demonstrate how the owner-driven shelter approach

increases the participation of families, is more cost-effective, and supports

local markets. Using shelter as an entry point, CRS will also demonstrate how

empowering communities through the Community Conversation methodology,

Community Centers, and a household-level case management system can lead to a

more holistic, community-centered approach that will increase the effectiveness

of shelter interventions and improve the quality of the response.

Shelter construction

activities will be complemented by the pilot of a Community Center, which will

act as a hub for local government, partner agencies, national and international

NGOs and private sector to facilitate an integrated system of services. Support

could include connections to project activities, referrals for protection and

health needs, legal services, training, and local initiatives, as well as space

for community activities, rentable market space for small business owners, and

opportunities to extend the impact of programming by sharing information on

best building practices, costs estimates, livelihood strategies, etc

Job Summary: The

Project Technical Officer  Shelter Technical Officer is responsible for the

quality standards in the construction of the shelters through the CRS

emergency response programming in Bidibidi Refugee Settlement. S/he will

work closely with the shelter and settlement project manager, community mobilization

officer and target communities to ensure the design and implementation of

shelter

Programming meets

the highest technical and accountability standards. S/he will provide technical

input to shelter needs assessment, in collaboration with the Bidibidi

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) Officer and

the Community Mobilization Officers. S/he will participate in the orientations

and trainings provided to hired labor or volunteers and respected third parties

in the host community as needed.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

 Ensure shelter construction is in accordance

with design specifications through daily site supervisions.

 Prepare field reports and maintain a filing

system for project documentation.

 Conduct stage approval and Prepare cash

support stage payments to project participants.

 Evaluate performance of carpenters and hired

labor to ensure shelter quality and safety.

 Ensure that design concerns raised by project

participants or construction crews are raised to the shelter and settlement

project manager.

 Coordinate with other CRS departments

concerning all aspects of project implementation.

 Promote safety driven construction practices

(safety culture) by regular review of project site safety initiatives and

compliance by contractor.

 Ensure procurement of shelter materials are

of high quality and delivered on time.

 Conduct quality of local materials used by

project participants and guide them.

 Conduct on-site training of construction

crews under owner driven shelter construction approach.

 Prepare and conduct signing of design concept

form by project participants or proxies.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

 The ideal applicant must hold a Bachelors

Degree in engineering, or extensive equivalent experience

 At least five years relevant work experience

as building trade carpenter mason specializing in local construction methods

specific to northern Uganda.

 Knowledge of local building design standards;

experience with humanitarian shelter a plus.

 Required experience working in West Nile

sub-region, Yumbe district preferred.

 Proven ability to build/work in a team and to

manage and motivate personnel drawing on individual skills to advance agendas

and problem solving. Familiarity with affected populations culture, ability to

develop the respect from a wide range of people and to communicate effectively

on appropriate shelter solutions

 Excellent communication and negotiation

skills

 Fluency in English with good verbal and

written communication skills

 Demonstrated experience with assessments and

analytical and planning skills.

 Effective inter-personal skills and

consensus-building

 Demonstrated experience of integrity and

professionalism

 Self-reliance and an ability to work in a

challenging and demanding environment

 Knowledge of the local languages spoken by

South Sudanese and host communities living on or near Bidibidi settlement

These are rooted in

the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to

fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

 Serves with Integrity

 Models Stewardship

 Cultivates Constructive Relationships

 Promotes Learning

Emergency Competencies

Each staff member

working in emergencies is expected to use the following competencies to fulfill

his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.

 Communicates strategically under pressure

 Manages stress and complexity

 Actively promotes safety and security

 Manages and implements high-quality emergency

programs

 Influence Competencies (for all Homes and

Communities Staff)

 Effectively communicates the agencys

priorities and leverages local relationships to bring stakeholders perspective

to decision-makers, based on job-specific responsibilities

How to Apply:

All interested and

qualified candidate please Email a cover letter and CV only to

ug_recruitment@crs.org

Large files and/or

scans of documents will lead to rejection of your application, in the subject line

of the email, copy and paste  PROJECTTECHNICALOFFICERSHELTER only

All applications

that do not contain this exact subject line will be rejected and not read

Only selected

candidates that meet the requirements will be notified.

EOE/M/F/D/V

CRS is an Equal

Opportunity Employer

Deadline: 13th

August 2020 at 5:00 pm

For more of the latest jobs,

please visit https://www.theugandanjobline.com or

find us on our facebook page https://www.facebook.com/UgandanJobline
A top Australian university has been slammed for removing a social media post supporting human rights in Hong Kong after pressure from Chinese nationalists.

Academic and Australian Human Rights Watch director Elaine Pearson wrote the article, which was posted to the University of New South Wales website.

UNSW then promoted the article on its social media pages, but both those posts were mysteriously removed by Saturday.

The article by Ms Pearson, who is also an UNSW adjunct lecturer, was also temporarily removed from the website before reappearing in the business and law section labelled as 'opinion'.

The move to remove the posts has sparked outrage, with several federal MPs calling it 'censorship' and accusing the university of bowing to Chinese pressure.

The piece calling for human rights in Hong Kong (pictured:, pro-democracy supporters scuffle with riot police during an detention at a rally in Causeway Bay district on May 27)

UNSW (pictured, its campus) has been slammed for removing a social media post calling for human rights in Hong Kong after Chinese nationalists complained

The first tweet from the university directly quoted Ms Pearson's article, saying: 'Now is a pivotal moment to bring attention to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Hong Kong'.

People in Hong Kong have seen their human rights eradicated in a matter of weeks as Beijing brought in sweeping new national security laws that essentially block any form of dissent against the government.

Hong Kong had previously operated under the 'one nation, two systems' model that allowed the state to have a different political and legal system to mainland China following the handover from the UK in 1997.

An editorial in the Global Times, a mouthpiece for the communist government, demanded an apology from the university - even after the posts were removed.

'Students who are still outraged have said the university's behaviour brings ''shame to Chinese students'',' the article said.

Liberal senator James Paterson accused the university of valuing revenue from Chinese students over academic freedom.

'Academic freedom and free speech on campus are core values of any self-respecting higher education institution and they should never be sacrificed for lucrative international student income,' he told the Sydney Morning Herald



Almost 70 per cent of all overseas enrollments at UNSW come from China.





Ms Pearson said the move to take down the social media posts was worrying, and showed UNSW was bowing to censorship.

'Clearly those pro-CCP supporters feel they can bully the university into censoring certain views,' she told The Australian.

Police fire tear gas to clear pro-Democracy protesters during a demonstration on Hungry Ghost Festival day in the Sham Shui Po district on August 14, 2019 in Hong Kong (pictured)

'I think the university needs to make it very clear that is absolutely not negotiable and that academic freedom is very important to Australian universities.'

She said there was a lot of concern at Australian universities about academic freedom, and 'particularly around Chinese government threats to that'.

Liberal MP Tim Wilson said the university was showing 'cowardice', while Labor senator Tony Sheldon said the move was censorship and there was a 'big problem'

The university later posted another tweet which said: 'Opinions expressed by our academics do not always represent the views of UNSW.

'We have a long and valued relationship with Greater China going back 60 years.'

Both posts were later removed.

A UNSW spokeswoman said the posts were removed because they were 'not in line with our policies'.

A UNSW spokeswoman said the posts were removed because they were 'not in line with our policies' (pictured, the university's campus in Sydney)

Relations with China are already under heavy strain after Australia led international calls for a coronavirus inquiry (pictured, Chinese soldiers in Tienanmen Square in October)

She said the views of an academic were being misconstrued as representing the university.

'UNSW protects academic freedom and freedom of speech, respecting the right of academics and others to express their views within the law.'

Relations with China are already under heavy strain after Australia led international calls for a coronavirus inquiry.

Beijing has told students and tourists to stay away from Australia, and penalised beef and barley exports.

China claims Australian law enforcement agencies are targeting Chinese people, 'arbitrarily' searching them and seizing their belongings, and has issued a stern warning to its citizens not to travel Down Under.

Australia has enraged Beijing by offering to extend visas for Hongkongers in response to controversial new national security laws.
California AG Charges Husband of LA Prosecutor for Pulling Gun on BLM Activists

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra filed charges against the husband of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey for pulling a gun on Black Lives Matter activists in March, according to a charging document published on Tuesday.

David Lacey was charged with three counts of assault with a firearm, a misdemeanor, according to the document (pdf), which was filed in the Superior Court of California on Monday.

In an emailed statement to The Epoch Times, David Laceys lawyer, Samuel Tyre, said, My client and I are disappointed that the Attorney Generals Office felt that the conduct at issue amounted to criminal behavior. We disagree entirely with their assessment, but we have the utmost faith in the justice system, and we are confident that the correct result will be reached.

The incident unfolded in March at the Laceys home.

Melina Abdullah, who helped found Black Lives Matter LA, and other activists approached the house around 5:40 a.m. and knocked on the door. They were met by David Lacey, who Abdullah said pulled a gun and pointed it at my chest.

In video footage the activist shared, David Lacey appears to brandish a gun while saying, Get off of my porch. I will shoot you.

After a woman asks him to tell Jackie Lacey that were here, he added, I dont care who you are, get off my porch.

Melina Abdullah from Black Lives Matter addresses a demonstration calling for the removal of District Attorney Jackie Lacey in Los Angeles, Calif., on June 17, 2020. (Valerie Macon/AFP via Getty Images)

He said he was going to call the police.

Jackie Lacey told reporters at a press conference following the incident that she and her husband called the police and werent sure what was happening when he ran downstairs and pulled his gun.

Jackie Lacey said she does not believe it is fair, or right, for activists to show up at peoples homes, and the incident wasnt the first time it happened. Offers to meet with Black Lives Matter were rejected, the district attorney said, accusing activists of wanting to embarrass or intimidate her.

David Lacey was profoundly sorry and did not mean anyone any harm, his wife said, adding that she was regretful, too.

In the emailed statement, David Laceys lawyer said his clients human instinct is forever and always to protect his wife and his family and to keep them safe from physical harm, adding, We look forward to all relevant facts coming to light.

In a statement issued through her campaign, Jackie Lacey said: The events that took place earlier this year have caused my family immense pain. My husband acted in fear for my safety after we were subjected to months of harassment that included a death threat no less than a week earlier. Protesters arrived at my house shortly after 5 am while I was upstairs. My husband felt that we were in danger and acted out of genuine concern for our well being.

Black Lives Matter LA didnt respond to a request for comment. In a social media statement, the group shared a story about David Lacey being charged, using the hashtag #JackieLaceyMustGo.

The Los Angeles Police Department presented the case to Becerras office in April to avoid Laceys office having to prosecute the district attorneys husband.

Lacey, the countys first black district attorney, is facing a challenge from former San Francisco district attorney George Gascon. Lacey saw Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Laura Friedman, a state assemblywoman, withdraw their endorsements in June.
Charities and not for profit organisations supporting vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic can apply now to get support from almost 6m raised during RTE Does Comic Relief.

The Community Foundation for Ireland is opening the application process for not for profit organisations of all sizes meeting the challenges caused by Covid on the ground in local communities.

Groups nationwide are being advised that they have just over eight weeks to make their application, with September 30 set as the closing date.

Announcing the commencement of applications Denise Charlton, Chief Executive Officer of The Community Foundation for Ireland, said:

RTE Does Comic Relief was not only a unique night on Irish broadcasting, it also brought us together as a country as one to support people hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic. We have seen extraordinary generosity from 1.4m viewers, corporate supporters as well as significant matching support from Government.

"The process of converting that generosity into support and actions on the ground in communities in Offaly and across the country is now underway. The opening of applications is a big moment for charities who are helping vulnerable people during these difficult days and in many cases providing a vital lifeline.

"We are ready to support groups of all sizes, big and small, those in urban and rural areas as well as those cut off from loved ones by Covid-19."

"Local groups should be advised that funding will be provided under two strands, which recognise that the way not for profits have had to adapt and change their work under HSE restrictions and guidelines. Groups expected to benefit will include those working with older people, people medically at risk of Covid-19, people with disabilities and those in unsuitable accommodation.

"Under Demand for Digital groups can seek support for investment in software and hardware to improve their ability to continue to work while keeping their staff, volunteers and people they support safe. An Adapt and Respond strand will allow groups to seek funding to ensure their work remains effective and continues to deliver for those who need support.

"There is a strong not for profit network in Ireland. However, it is facing unprecedented demand at a time when donations are also down. This is why the RTE Does Comic Relief funding is particularly important.

Deirdre O'Kane, Steering Group, Comic Relief in Ireland, said: "I'm so pleased we're now at the point of opening applications to charities and organisations, small and large. It's another key step for the project and brings us closer again to delivering help to where it's needed - with those most impacted by the pandemic in Ireland."

Full details of the strands, as well as other information and support, is being placed on www.communityfoundation.ie.
When Debbie Krebs got the bill for a March emergency room visit, she immediately noticed something was missing: her coronavirus test.

Krebs, a lawyer who focuses on insurance issues, had gone to the Valley Hospital in Ridgewood, New Jersey, with lung pain and a cough. A doctor ran tests and scans to rule out other diseases before swabbing her nose. A week later, the medical laboratory called, telling her it was negative.

Krebs had a clear memory of the experience, particularly the doctor saying the coronavirus test would make her feel as if she had to sneeze. She wondered whether the doctor could have lied about performing the test, or if her swab could have gone missing. (But if so, why had the laboratory called her with results?)

The absence of the coronavirus test made a big price difference. Congress, Krebs had heard, barred insurers from charging patients for visits meant to diagnosis coronavirus. Without the test, Krebs didnt qualify for that protection and owed $1,980. She called the hospital to explain the situation but immediately ran into roadblocks.

When I called the hospital, they said, You did not get a coronavirus test, she said. I told them I absolutely did.

Across the country, Americans like Krebs are receiving surprise bills for care connected with coronavirus. Tests can cost between $199 and $6,408 at the same location. A coming wave of treatment bills could be hundreds of multiples higher, especially for those who receive intensive care or have symptoms that linger for months. Services that patients expect to be covered often arent.

This patchwork of medical billing is one reason The New York Times is starting something new: soliciting your medical bills. Were asking you to send us copies of your bills for coronavirus testing and treatment, so we can understand what costs look like across the country. We want to know how patients are managing their medical bills in the midst of a pandemic. This is part of our larger effort to understand how the pandemic is reshaping U.S. health care.

American medical billing is unlike that of any other developed country. The government does not regulate health care prices but instead lets insurers and hospitals negotiate fees. Those deliberations happen in secret, and patients often do not learn the cost of their care until a bill shows up in the mail.

Sometimes, insurers give reporters a peek at their data. Thats how I learned that a laboratory in Texas had charged $2,315 for individual coronavirus tests. But more often, they keep that information confidential, which is why we need readers bills and explanation-of-benefit documents for any care related to coronavirus.

Readers bills have already shown that surprise medical bills for coronavirus have been in the United States nearly as long as the disease itself.

In late February, an American man and his 3-year-old daughter were hit with medical bills totaling thousands of dollars for care received during a government-mandated quarantine. This was only weeks after Washington state announced the countrys first known case.

I assumed it was all being paid for, Frank Wucinski, the patient, said at the time. We didnt have a choice. When the bills showed up, it was just a pit in my stomach, like, How do I pay for this?

The federal government has since resolved to give Americans special protections against outlandish medical bills. Congress enacted new rules to make the tests a rare oasis within the U.S. health care system  the price had to be public; and copayments, deductibles or other charges werent allowed.

Or at least, Congress tried to. The experiences of patients who had or suspected they might have COVID-19 show how hard it is to write different billing rules for a tiny sliver of the countrys $3 trillion in health spending. Numerous doctors offices and hospitals do not post the cash prices for their coronavirus tests, despite the federal requirement to do so. Some patients have encountered unwarranted copayments as doctors and hospitals have stuck to their regular billing habits. Others have failed to qualify for the protections because they did not receive a coronavirus test as part of their care  or, in the case of Krebs, had it left off the bill.

Aside from mandating that COVID-19 tests cost the patient nothing, there are no new rules to protect insured Americans from coronavirus treatment bills. Health policy experts worry that even those with good insurance could end up facing high costs. One outcome they envision: A patient goes to an in-network hospital for coronavirus treatment, but that hospital is overwhelmed and has no beds left. The patient is transferred to an out-of-network hospital and gets significant bills as a result.

Our system is so complicated, said Karen Pollitz, a senior fellow at the Kaiser Family Foundation. If things arent exactly right or werent coded correctly, you get thrown into the blizzard.

The protections that do exist are based on the receipt of something that can be in short supply: a coronavirus test. If doctors cant obtain a test and turn to other diagnostic methods  testing for other diseases, for example  the patient will have to cover the visits cost.

The Trump administration has also set aside an undisclosed sum to pay for uninsured Americans testing and treatment, a program that has become increasingly important as millions have lost coverage in the economic downturn. So far, that fund has paid out $348 million to providers, but it is unknown how much money remains or what happens when it runs out.

Billing challenges have persisted, despite these new rules and programs. Many stem from the decision by legislators to condition aid on receipt of a test.

Dr. Kao-Ping Chua, a pediatrician in Michigan, started running into problems in March when he had patients with coronavirus-like symptoms seeking tests. His health system, like many others, required patients to undergo testing for other conditions before coronavirus.

I had to tell my patients that, if the test I run first comes back positive and says you have the common cold, youll have to pay for it, he said. But if you test negative, that allows you to get the COVID test, and that waives your cost sharing.

Luciano Aita, 35, sought treatment in early July at St. Marys Medical Center in San Francisco after his chest started closing up and he felt as if he couldnt breathe.

I was super scared and worried about COVID, since I never had experienced anything like that before, he said.

A doctor checked his blood pressure, listened to his lungs and took his temperature  but did not administer a coronavirus test. He recalls being told that the emergency room was giving the test only to critically ill patients, and he did not qualify.

Aita, who lost his job at a record store at the start of the pandemic and is uninsured, received a document at the end of his visit estimating he would owe $1,157. If the hospital had tested him for coronavirus, the federal fund could have covered the visit entirely.

Last week, he received a medical bill for the visit that was only $350. He initially thought this was good news  that the hospital had dropped his charge. But when he looked into the issue, he learned this was an additional charge from the doctor who saw him.

I understood that if it was related to COVID, it would be taken care of, Aita said. Its a pandemic, Im unemployed, and now Im dealing with the stress of this situation.

A spokesman for Dignity Health, which owns St. Marys Medical Center, said the hospital uses CDC protocols to decide who is tested, but he declined to comment on Aitas case.

We have suspended billing patients for their portion of their bill for the testing and treatment of COVID-19 while we work with insurers and the government to exhaust financial assistance options for patients, said Chad Burns, the spokesman.

Aita, however, does not appear to qualify for those protections because he did not receive a test.

As coronavirus spreads and hospitalizations mount, so will the ranks of those managing unexpected bills.

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates that a fifth of all coronavirus hospitalizations could result in a surprise medical bill from an out-of-network doctor who became involved in the patients care. The nonpartisan foundation also projects that, on average, an American with employer-sponsored coverage would face $1,300 in costs for a coronavirus hospitalization.

Congressional staffers working on the issue say theyve come across cases in which health providers are not following the new rules on coronavirus billing. The providers are charging patients for services when they shouldnt, or not posting their cash prices for testing online as they are legally required to.

Billing offices may just be doing what theyre used to  looking at your card, seeing that it says $30 copay and collecting it, Pollitz said. The person at the front desk may not know you got a test. The protections arent airtight.

Congress is currently split over how far to go in protecting coronavirus patients from surprise medical bills. House Democrats have supported mandating that insurers cover all costs related to treatment as part of the HEROES Act, a larger stimulus package.

Senate Republicans introduced their stimulus proposal, the HEALS Act, last week. It does not include a similar mandate.

In the case of Krebs, she shared her bill with me after reading another article I wrote about coronavirus test billing. Together, we tracked down a record for her coronavirus test to prove that it did indeed occur.

Two days after I inquired about the case, the Valley Hospital resubmitted her bill with the coronavirus test included. Her insurer, Aetna, reprocessed the bill and confirmed that she would no longer be charged.

We were trying to come up with extraordinary processes quickly to react to the many changes placed on all of us, including payer requirements of coverage, Josette Portalatin, an assistant vice president at the hospital, wrote in an email to Krebs. We apologize that your lab COVID test was not on your original claim, but happy to report we tracked down the issue.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
MINSK, Belarus - Belaruss authoritarian president vowed to maintain a close alliance with Russia even as he blasted the country Tuesday for sending in military contractors with allegedly nefarious purposes as he campaigns to win a sixth term in office in a weekend election.

In a state-of-the-nation address ahead of Sundays election, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the partnership between the neighbouring countries reflects historic ties.

Russia has always been and will remain our close ally, irrespective of who takes power in Belarus or Russia, Lukashenko said.

The pledge contrasts with Lukashenkos diatribes against Russia following the arrest of 33 Russian contractors in Belarus last week on charges of planning to stage mass riots. Moscow has dismissed the accusations, saying the contractors were heading to another country and stayed in Belarus after missing a connecting flight at the Minsk airport.

While he spoke of preserving warm relations with Moscow, Lukashenko stood his ground on the arrested contractors, dismissing the Kremlins explanations as lies. He asserted the arrested individuals told investigators they were sent to Belarus and told to wait for further orders.

He alleged that another group of militants had been sent to southern Belarus, adding that we will have to run through the forests to catch them, but we will get them all. He provided no further details.

Lukashenko warned Moscow against trying to stoke tensions in the country he has led for 26 years, saying that instability could spread across the border and engulf Russia.

It will explode in such a way that it would reverberate all the way to Vladivostok, he said, referring to Russias far eastern port city.

In Moscow, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed the Belarusian accusations as a theatrical performance but added that the close ties between the two nations are rooted in history and based on pragmatic co-operation.

During his five terms as president of Belarus, Lukashenko has relied on cheap Russian energy and other subsidies and loans worth billions of dollars to shore up the Soviet-style economy in the nation of 9.5 million people. But at the same time, he has engaged in fierce economic arguments with the Kremlin, resisting Russian attempts to take control over Belaruss economic assets.

Russia this year has sharply scaled down its subsidies, saying Belarus needs to accept closer economic integration if it wants to receive Russian energy at a steep discount. Lukashenko has described the move as part of Moscows efforts to subdue its neighbour.

Lukashenko obliquely referred to those arguments in his state-of-the-nation speech, lamenting that Russia has shifted from brotherly to partner-like relations with us.

But he argued that Moscow needs warm relations with its neighbour to the west.

Russia fears losing us because it has no really close allies left except us, he said. And the West has shown increasing interest in us.

Throughout his presidency, Lukashenko has sought to scare the Kremlin with the prospect of turning to the West. The tactics have worked to some extent, even though Lukashenko has earned the nickname of Europes last dictator in the West for his authoritarian ways.

The 65-year-old former state farm director has stifled dissent and independent media and extended his rule through votes the West has seen as rigged.

Early balloting began Tuesday in Belarus ahead of Sundays presidential election, which the opposition sees as fertile ground for vote-rigging.

This time, the Belarusian leader has faced the toughest challenge yet from the opposition, amid public fatigue with his rule and fallout from the coronavirus pandemic. Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the wife of a jailed opposition blogger, has unified fragmented opposition groups and attracted tens of thousands to her campaign rallies.

On Tuesday, Belarusian police abruptly banned Tsikhanouskayas previously approved rallies in the cities of Slutsk and Soligorsk. They dispersed hundreds of people who had gathered for the rallies and detained about 30 people in total, according to Belarusian human rights organization Viasna.

The police actions marked the first crackdown on a sanctioned Tsikhanouskaya campaign rally and appear to signal a toughening of the government authorities stance in the days before the election.

Belarusian authorities have detained more than 1,000 participants during protests since the start of the presidential campaign.

In his speech, Lukashenko pointed to alleged plans to organize a massacre in Minsk  again giving no details  and sternly warned opposition supporters against holding unsanctioned protests.

The response will be instant and the sanctions will be harsh, he said.

___

Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
The act, which allocates $900 million a year to the Land and Water Conservation Fund and provides up to $9.5 billion over five years to begin clearing up a maintenance backlog at national parks, was approved on a 310-to-107 vote in the House. It was introduced by Representative Joe Cunningham, Democrat of South Carolina.

But no Democrats were invited to the signing ceremony, which was attended by six Republican senators and three Republican congressmen, in addition to senior administration officials. Mr. Trump did not mention Mr. Cunningham or any of his Democratic colleagues in his remarks.

When asked why Democrats were not invited or acknowledged, Kayleigh McEnany, the White House press secretary, said that the only thing were recognizing about congressional Democrats right now is how appalling it is that there are Americans going who are going without paychecks because they refuse to partner with Martha McSally, Republicans and the president to make sure those payments go out."

Ms. McEnany was referring to the stalemate on Capitol Hill between Republicans, including Ms. McSally of Arizona, and Democrats as they negotiate another round of federal aid to address the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr. Trump was persuaded to support the bill by two Senate Republicans from Western states  Senator Cory Gardner of Colorado and Senator Steve Daines of Montana  who are facing tough re-election battles and saw the measure as helpful to their states and their electoral chances. Mr. Daines and Mr. Gardner met with the president last year and told him that signing the measure would give him a significant conservation legacy.
Its not going to produce a Kumbaya moment like we had in March or April where everybody voted aye, but the American people in the end need help, McConnell said. And wherever this thing settles between the president of the United States and his team who have to sign it into law, and the Democrats not insignificant minority in the Senate and majority in the House, is something Im prepared to support, even if I have some problems with certain parts of it.
TAMPA, Fla. - A Florida teen identified as the mastermind of a scheme that gained control of Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to multiple counts of fraud.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

TAMPA, Fla. - A Florida teen identified as the mastermind of a scheme that gained control of Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to multiple counts of fraud.

Graham Ivan Clark, 17, is accused of using the hijacked Twitter accounts to scam people around the world out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin.

The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office, Fla., released the photo Graham Ivan Clark, 17, after his arrest Friday, July 31, 2020. Clark is accused of hacking Twitter, gaining access to the account of Bill Gates, Elon Musk and many others. Clark was able to scam people around the glove of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin. (Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office via AP)

He is charged with 17 counts of communications fraud, 11 counts of fraudulent use of personal information, and one count each of organized fraud of more than $5,000 and accessing computers or electronic devices without authority. The brief hearing in Tampa took place via the video conferencing service Zoom.

Clark is scheduled for a bond hearing on Wednesday. He remains in the Hillsborough County Jail with bail set at $725,000, according to court records.

Clark was arrested on Friday in Tampa, and the Hillsborough State Attorney's Office is prosecuting him as an adult, a news release said.

Two other men were also charged in the case. Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, U.K., and Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando were charged separately last week in California federal court.

As part of the high-profile security breach, bogus tweets were sent out on July 15 from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Celebrities Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked.

The tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address.

Court papers in the California cases say Fazeli and Sheppard brokered the sale of Twitter accounts stolen by a hacker who identified himself as Kirk, and said he could reset, swap and control any Twitter account at will in exchange for cybercurrency payments, claiming to be a Twitter employee.

The documents do not specify Kirks real identity but say he is a teen being prosecuted in the Tampa area.

Twitter has said the hacker gained access to a company dashboard that manages accounts by using social engineering and spear-phishing smartphones to obtain credentials from a small number of Twitter employees to gain access to our internal systems. Spear-phishing uses email or other messaging to deceive people into sharing access credentials.

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Although the case was investigated by the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said his office is prosecuting Clark in state court because Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in financial fraud cases when appropriate. He called Clark the leader of the hacking scam.

This defendant lives here in Tampa, he committed the crime here, and hell be prosecuted here, Warren said Friday.

Clark is represented by Tampa attorney David Weisbrod. He has not yet responded to a phone call seeking comment about his client's case.

Fazelis father told The AP on Friday that he's 100% sure his son is innocent.

Hes a very good person, very honest, very smart and loyal, Mohamad Fazeli said. We are as shocked as everybody else. Im sure this is a mix up.

Federal court records didnt list attorneys for Sheppard or Fazeli.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Makara Mining Corp. (CSE:MAKA)(FSE:MK0)(OTC PINK:MAKAF) ("Makara" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it will be conducting a 2,000 meter reverse-circulation ("RC") drill program on the Rude Creek Gold Project ("Rude Creek" or the "Project") in the White Gold region of the Yukon, Canada. Commencement of drilling is anticipated for mid-August and the program is fully funded.

Highlights

A robust RC drill program will follow up encouraging soil sample results (up to 1,167 ppb Au) and coincident ground geophysical anomalies at the NE prospect, Rude Creek (see news release dated July 27 th , 2020)

, 2020) 2,000 metres in up to 20 holes ranging in depth from 100m to 150m

Midnight Sun Drilling Inc. ("Midnight Sun") has been retained to carry out the drill program in mid-August, 2020

Details of the Drill Program

Rude Creek hosts an orogenic gold occurrence that has strong geological similarities to Newmont's nearby Coffee Creek gold deposit. This year's fieldwork at Rude Creek will focus on the large NE prospect, consisting of a 1,000m by 1,600m gold-in-soil anomaly. As announced on July 27th, 2020, recent close-spaced, follow-up soil sampling at the NE prospect returned a strong 150m by 300m gold-in-soil anomaly (open to the south) with values up to 1,167 ppb Au.

RC drilling will total 2,000 metres within up to 20 holes (ranging in depth from 100m to 150m). The focus of the drilling will be to test the northwest trend identified by recent soil sampling. The northern end of this trend was initially drilled in 2019, returning 9.15m of 1.42 g/t gold and 20 g/t silver (ROY-RC-19-09); however, the rest of the trend remains untested.

Midnight Sun has been retained for the 2000-meter RC drilling program at Rude Creek. Midnight Sun is an experienced, Yukon-based drill contractor with expertise in fly-in, reverse circulation drilling.

Jean Pautler, of JP Exploration Services Inc., will inspect the drill program and update the technical report (NI 43-101 compliant) based on work conducted at Rude Creek in 2020. Ms. Pautler is an experienced Yukon-based geologist with experience within the White Gold region and the Dawson Range, including with the Rude Creek project.

Regional Development

Rude Creek is situated 12 kms southeast of the large tonnage Casino copper-gold deposit, owned by Western Copper and Gold, which is being seriously considered for large-scale development. Newmont's sizeable Coffee orogenic gold deposit is located 45 kms to the northwest of Rude Creek.

The Coffee Creek and Casino projects, together with the Rude Creek and other gold projects in the area, are all contributing to the White Gold and Dawson Range gold belts becoming one of the most rapidly evolving regions of the Yukon. Plans for a 'resource road' to connect these currently isolated projects are underway as part of the 'Yukon Resource Gateway Project', funded jointly by the Government of Canada, Government of Yukon and the mining industry. Completion is scheduled for 2023. Rude Creek is proximal and well positioned alongside future development of the 'resource road' and the Coffee Creek and Casino projects.

Qualified Person

Technical information in this news release has been approved by Grant Hendrickson, P.Geo. and 'Qualified Person' as defined under National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About the Company

Makara Mining Corp. (CSE:MAKA)(FSE:MK0)(OTC PINK:MAKAF) is a mineral exploration company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of gold properties. The Company is based in Vancouver, B.C and holds an option over the Rude Creek Property located in the Yukon and the Kenora Gold Property located in Northwestern Ontario. Additional information about the Company is available at www.makaramining.com.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Grant Hendrickson

Director and Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: 604-372-3707

Email: grant@makaramining.com

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements that are not historical facts, including without limitation, statements regarding future estimates, plans, programs, forecasts, projections, objectives, assumptions, expectations or beliefs of future performance, and statements respecting the Company's anticipated exploration program at Rude Creek and regional development plans for the areas surrounding Rude Creek are "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including those detailed from time to time in filings made by the Company with securities regulatory authorities, which may cause actual outcomes to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. These factors should be considered carefully and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements and information contained in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly or revise any forward-looking statements or information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless so required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Makara Mining Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/599845/Makara-To-Conduct-2000-Meter-Drill-Program-On-Rude-Creek-Gold-Project-Yukon
04.08.2020 LISTEN

Mr. Robert Dambo, communications team member of the Peoples National Convention (PNC) has declared his intention to contest the Secretary Position in the Ashanti Region.

The party is making preparations to go to the polls to elect persons to crucial positions ahead of the 2020 General Elections scheduled for December 7.

In a statement from Robert Dambo, he stated, I am very happy to indicate that after further consultation and consensus building with the grassroots and elders of the Peoples National Convention. I deem it an honor to announce my intention to contest the Ashanti Regional Secretary position of the party.

According to him, he has gone through all the ranks and file of the party and as a result has the requisite skills and competence to lead the party as the next regional secretary.

Robert Dambo has pledged on a five-star approach in restoring hope for PNC Ashanti and Election 2020. They include re-branding the P.N.C, proper restructuring, unity of purpose, potent communications machinery, and identifying and reviving our founding members.

Read full statement below:

I am very happy to indicate that after further consultation and consensus building with the grassroots and elders of the Peoples National Convention,

I deem it an honour to announce my intention to contest the Ashanti Regional Secretary position of the party.

I have gone through all the ranks and file of the party and as a result, I have the requisite skills and competence to lead the party as the next regional secretary.

My experience, skills and expertise range from being Youth Organizer for Afigya Kwabre South, Ashanti regional deputy youth organizer, communications team member, Deputy National Treasurer, parliamentary candidate for the good people of Afigya Kwabre South and Chairman of same constituency respectively, place me on the pedestal to lead the party as the regional chief administrator.

I pledge on FIVE STAR approach in Restoring Hope for PNC Ashanti and Election 2020;

1. Re-branding the P.N.C

The fortunes of the Peoples National Convention keeps dwindling and it is high time we revisit our past to access and profess solutions to arrest our shortcomings and any bottlenecks that have rendered us unattractive to the voting population. Ghanaians have been demonized into N.D.C and N.P.P but Robert Dambo is the ONLY political messiah to help debacle the chains of mediocrity and egotism that is putting people off and as such not contributing their quota to the partys growth and development in the region.

The P.N.C is weak and we need energetic youth who will help re-strategize and position the party in the minds of the Ghanaian youth to enable him make an informed choice at the polls.

The P.N.C lack visibility and we must be seen in every household in Ashanti region.

The 3y3 kube syndrome must be replicated in every household in kumasi and its environs.

2. Proper Restructuring

The P.N.C has lost direction and focus and it is high time the structure of the party works.

We need proper collaborative effort and one office must not override or sideline the other in function and operations.

The re-branding is not a magic potion for success unless the structure of the party is well defined and restored.

The structure of the party must reflect modern Democratic Party structures for transformation, and the only vehicle for safeguarding the party is respecting the party structures without abusing them for our selfish and parochial interests.

The structures of the party must be used in all related party activities.

The strength of every political party lies in it structures and without a collaborative effort we cannot overcome the hurdles that is creeping in against the strength of the party.

A well- structured party provides a unified system of engagement by the chief administrator of the party.

3. Unity of Purpose

Individual differences permeate in every organization but the differences must not override the collective and overall objectives of the organization.

Arrogance, egotism and muscle flexing is one of the major factors thwarting our effort of growth as a party but building in our continuous extinction and rejection at the polls.

The P.N.C needs a unifier to help overcome our differences and mend the troubling cracks going into the 2020 elections.

Governance is a serious business and if we cannot organize our own people under the coconut tree, how then do we unite and lead the heterogeneous Ghanaian.

It is very clear that Ghanaians are dissatisfied with the N.P.P, N.D.C and the P.N.C is the only alternative but they would not give us the opportunity to lead and provide good governance to the people of Ghana if we do not prove we are united with purpose.

4. Potent Communications Machinery

As a matter of urgency, the P.N.C cannot go into the 2020 elections without a stronger, well-structured and a potent communications machinery of force. Marketing is the price we pay for being unremarkable Eric T. Wagner.

As I often say, it is without a doubt that we are the ideas oriented political party in our modern political dispensation but the ability to decode our policies is one of the factors hinging on our continuous disgrace at the polls.

I am going to collaborate with the communications machinery to identify potentials, build their capacity and resource them for the task ahead.

The P.N.C manifesto is an ideas hub that must be written in the language of the electorate, simple and clear without ambiguity. Most of our policies that have gained national attention and international recognition include, Youth employment, TATA/ Metro mass transport system, free education, NHIS, School feeding, the establishment of National Science, technology and innovations village, the establishment of growth poles to mention but a few.

The P.N.C has the men but they are often not utilized due to fear of collective benefits but individual gains. I will strengthen our base if I am given the nod to lead the party.

5. Identifying and Reviving our founding members

Our founding members are always left out in key decision making and as a result, the spirit of socialization is missing.

It is very instructive and imperative to give honour to whom honour is due because the founding members are to pass unto us what was bequeathed to them but if we do not recognize their knowledge and experience, we would always falter.

I am going to bring all of them onboard and those who are incapacitated are going to be provided with periodic stipends.

Every political party in Ghana has a strong regional support base that decides on the margin of votes and formation of government.

Our founding members have a role to play.

I call for issues based campaign.

Comrades, I present my visions to you and it is my hope that with all hands on the deck we can build a better, attractive, collaborative, united and appealing Peoples National Convention capable of leading the republic of Ghana in the 2020 elections. Service with Honesty Together We Can.
By a strange twist of fate, the Korean diplomat accused of sexually assaulting a local staffer at the embassy in Wellington is now a consul general in the Philippines.

The Foreign Ministry recently asked the Philippines to extradite its former ambassador to face charges of sexual harassment here. The move comes even as the ministry is dragging its heels over one of its own diplomats, who is accused of sexual harassment in New Zealand.

Sources said Monday that the ministry has asked the Philippines several times to extradite former ambassador Noe Wong to face arrest for groping a Korean woman in her early 30s here last December.

When the allegations surfaced early this year, Wong returned to the Philippines, quit his post and went into hiding. He is not a career diplomat but a politician who got the post as a reward for services.

Police here turned to Interpol in May, which issued a red notice for Wong. The ministry expressed "concern" and "regret" to the Philippines and asked for cooperation in sending Wong to Korea.

"The Philippines didn't show much enthusiasm in responding to the request and was once again reminded of the incident through diplomatic channels," a diplomatic source said.

But the ministry has been doing the same to New Zealand in shielding the Korean diplomat, identified as Kim, who is accused of repeatedly groping a male staffer at the Korean Embassy in Wellington in 2017.

Kim was only docked a month's pay and packed off to a new appointment. New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern recently brought the case up with President Moon Jae-in.

A senior ministry official said that Kim has been recalled to Seoul after the issue escalated into a major diplomatic sticking point with New Zealand. "The best way of handling the problem raised by New Zealand is through formal judicial proceedings," the official said. "We're willing to cooperate according to judicial and extradition procedures if New Zealand makes an official request."

The Foreign Ministry summoned New Zealand Ambassador Philip Turner to explain its position.


Signing Ceremony

YOKOHAMA, Japan, Aug 4, 2020 - (JCN Newswire) - Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS), has received an order for an Air Quality Control System (AQCS) to be installed in the newly-built power generation facility of a chemical plant in Pulawy in southeastern Poland. The adoption of AQCS technology, including the flue gas desulfurization (FGD) system for which MHPS has the top global share(1), will contribute to the cleaning and reduction of air pollutants. The completion and handover is scheduled for October 2022.Pulawy is located approximately 130km southeast of the Polish capital of Warsaw. MHPS will provide the system to the plant operator Grupa Azoty Zaklady Azotowe "Pulawy" S.A. through the local general contractor Polimex Mostostal S.A. MHPS will supply a complete set of core components, including the NOx Removal System, electrostatic precipitator, FGD system, and wastewater treatment equipment, as well as dispatch engineers to the site to support trial runs. This system is compliant with the latest European environmental regulations.MHPS has consolidated the environmental technologies for thermal power plants that were developed and accumulated by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) and Hitachi, Ltd., making MHPS one of the few manufacturers in the world able to offer an end-to-end AQCS as a single company. Its world-leading technologies and reliability greatly reduce air pollutants such as a sulfur oxide (SOx), nitrogen oxide (NOx), and particulate matter, helping to significantly improve the global environment.Going forward, MHPS will further focus its efforts on the widespread adoption of AQCS technologies in Europe, where electricity demand is projected to grow amid tighter emissions regulations, as well as provide the energy security that is essential to economic development, and contribute to lessening environmental loads.(1) FGD systems installed in thermal power generation facilities with output of 5MW or more, based on figures for technology owners (including operators provided with technology) in the McCoy Power Report, a U.S. market research firm that provides detailed analysis on the global power generation business. MHPS held 37.2% of the global market in 2019, and for the six-year period from 2014 had the top market share of 37%, with a combined 51,010 MW of output.About Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd. (MHPS), headquartered in Yokohama, Japan, is a joint venture formed in February 2014 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. and Hitachi, Ltd. integrating their operations in thermal power generation systems and other related businesses. MHPS today ranks among the world's leading suppliers of equipment and services to the power generation market, backed by 100 billion yen in capital and approximately 20,000 employees worldwide. The Company's products include GTCC (gas turbine combined-cycle) and IGCC (integrated coal gasification combined-cycle) power plants, gas/coal/oil-fired (steam) power plants, boilers, generators, gas and steam turbines, geothermal power plants, AQCS (air quality control systems), power plant peripheral equipment, digital solutions and solid-oxide fuel cells (SOFC).For more information, please visit www.mhps.com.Source: Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems, Ltd.Copyright 2020 JCN Newswire . All rights reserved.
LONDON and FRANKFURT, Germany, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Raymond James has appointed two new senior hires to its European Investment Banking business, with Tobias Ramminger joining as Managing Director for Diversified Industrials focused on industrial technology and automation, and Sherif Abdel-Aziz, who is returning to Raymond James as a Director in the same team.

Both join Raymond James from Lincoln International and are set to join the Frankfurt and Munich offices, respectively. Their appointments are just the most recent signs of further growth of Raymond James's global industrials practice, following Alastair Rogers who also joined as a Managing Director in April this year as well as a number of veteran industrial banker hires in the US. Further bolstering the firm's capabilities in industrial technology specifically, Raymond James is also adding a Managing Director in the US focused on this sector to support the global momentum happening in the space.

Ramminger has more than 12 years of experience in M&A, advising on sell- and buy-side transactions, capital raises and joint-ventures focusing on the global industrial technology and automation sector. His recent transaction successes attest to the depth of his experience and the momentum of the sector. He has previously served as a M&A professional at Schaeffler Group, DC Advisory and Rothschild.

Abdel-Aziz, also a specialist in industrial technology M&A, has a 10-year track record of advising international corporations, financial sponsors, and family-owned companies on a variety of complex sell-side and buy-side transactions. Prior to Lincoln International, Abdel-Aziz also served as a Manager at EY's M&A team in Frankfurt and was part of the M&A team at Metzler Investment Bank.

"It's been hard to ignore all the activity over at Raymond James since the firm arrived on the scene in 2016," said Ramminger, "and there's a palpable excitement that comes with joining its growing team at this stage in the journey. The current situation makes industrial technology and automation an even more important sector with corporates rethinking their long-term strategic priorities and private equity funds seeking to support highly compelling technology growth cases. We see lots of activity and I'm pleased to be joining an organisation with a global partnership, great history of successful transactions, and a client-driven service that will help our clients to realize their targets."

Steve Hufford, Co-head of European Investment Banking and Chief Operating Officer of Investment Banking, added, "With Tobias's impressive depth of knowledge and investment philosophy, we are confident that his M&A expertise will add yet more rigour to our expanding Diversified Industrials practice. Meanwhile, as a Raymond James alumnus, we know Sherif will fit right in, and I look forward to having his sharp analytical skills and integrity back on the team."

Allan Bertie, Managing Director and recently named Co-head of European Investment Banking, added "We've built a highly scalable model here at Raymond James, and I'm thrilled to be welcoming yet more talented investment bankers through our doors. Germany has shown itself to be a real hotspot for our industrials business, and the hiring of Tobias and Sherif are an indication of the growth and potential we see in the market. The Diversified Industrials practice has been on a global expansion drive in recent months, and together with a number of other significant hires in Europe and the US, continues to go from strength to strength."

About Raymond James European Investment Banking

Raymond James European Investment Banking provides M&A advisory to mid-market companies, corporations and private equity firms on international transactions. This includes consultancy on mergers & acquisitions, financing, restructuring and secondaries. They exclusively represent the interests of their clients at all stages of the transaction process - from the definition of strategic goals to the negotiation of financial terms and the conclusion of the deal. Raymond James has dedicated teams focused on the following sectors: Diversified Industrials, Financial Services, Technology & Services, Health Care, and Consumer & Retail. Within the group, the London-, Munich- and Frankfurt-based advisory team is part of the Investment Banking division. With more than 350 M&A advisors, Raymond James Investment Banking is already a market leader in deal volume in the U.S., and in 2016 was named "Investment Banking Firm of the Year" (The M&A Advisor) and "USA Middle Market M&A Investment Bank of the Year" (Global M&A Network). Raymond James & Associates, Inc., member New York Stock Exchange/SIPC. Disclosures for these awards can be found at raymondjames.com/corporations-and-institutions/accolades.

About Raymond James Financial

Raymond James Financial, Inc. (NYSE: RJF) is a leading diversified financial services company providing private client group, capital markets, asset management, banking and other services to individuals, corporations and municipalities. The company has approximately 8,100 financial advisors. Total client assets are $858 billion. Public since 1983, the firm is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol RJF. Additional information is available at raymondjames.com.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1223277/Tobias_Ramminger.jpg
By all yardsticks, 2024 isn't expected to be like 2014 or 2019.

But with the mandir expected to be ready in time for the next Lok Sabha polls, Modi will have a new ally in Ram to see him through, observes Saisuresh Sivaswamy.

IMAGE: A model of the Ram temple displayed at Kar Sewak Puram in Ayodhya, August 3, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

In the 1990s when his political power was at its zenith, what with holding the 'remote control' to the Maharashtra government, there went a man who fashioned himself as the Hindu Hriday Samrat, king of Hindu hearts.

But the self-styled king, Bal Thackeray, chose the title more to poke his finger in the eye of the dominant left-secular brigade for who anything that came with the prefix Hindu was anathema, and less to lay claim to the crown. His reach didn't cover even all of Maharashtra, after all.

In reality, there has been no Hindu Hriday Samrat ever. Hindu kings, aplenty; ruler of hearts, many. But while every ruler did so by the power and grace of the kingdom's presiding deity like Chhatrapati Shivaji's Bhavani or the Travancore royal family's Padmanabhaswamy -- no one ruled as a 'Hindu'. In a land of and by the Hindus, there was no need to overstate the fact.

But the pomp and splendour that is underway in the temple town of Ayodhya is a different matter altogether. Ostensibly it is to lay the foundation stone to the grand temple to Lord Ram, and for sure there is no other real agenda either. But sometimes there are matters ex-agenda that gather a life of their own and tell a different story.

One such is underway in Ayodhya.

Where a myth is being built. A legend is being born.

Who would have thought that when the Ram Janambhoomi movement took shape, a movement whose potency the Bharatiya Janata Party had no clue about then except to eye it as a possible ride to power, the fruits of the mass agitation would be reaped by someone who didn't temper the steel in its fires?

Who would have thought too that the man who fashioned the legend of Ram into an electoral weapon, tied his cutout to a rejigged Toyota van and traversed the length and breadth of the country, would today be sitting out the grandest moment in the movement's history?

Indians have known Ram all their lives. He is in the greeting they utter every day, he is part of the chant as they are carried away to the funeral pyre. Mahatma Gandhi reignited his dormant countrymen with Ram Dhun, even searing the Lord eternally in our minds with his final words as Nathuram Godse pumped bullets into him.

But Gandhi's Ram was a pacifist. A fitting motif to the non-violent Ahimsa movement that the Father of the Nation espoused.

Lal Kishenchand Advani had no need for a pacifist. He wanted a warlord.

Gandhi's pacifism and non-violence had had their time in the Sun; it had only lulled Hindus into a false sense of wellbeing and made them pushovers, Advani and his compatriots had decided.

But even before Advani could seize Ram for his own party, the Congress under Rajiv Gandhi had seen the writing on the wall. Four hundred plus Lok Sabha seats don't fall into a political tyro's lap unless the Hindu community had broken the barn door to usher in a new beginning in the light of the daily massacres in the Punjab.

With the Hindus so solidly behind him, why did Jawaharlal Nehru's grandson then decide to swing to the other extreme and cave into Muslim fundamentalists over the Shah Bano verdict -- and usher in a chain of events that should hopefully end this week -- will forever remain a matter of conjecture.

If Rajiv Gandhi hadn't done that, who knows, it may well have been Prime Minister Rahul Gandhi in Ayodhya on Wednesday. A chilling thought, some would say, but there it is.

IMAGE: An illuminated view of Ayodhya ahead of the bhoomi puja ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Photograph: ANI Photo

The strange part is that despite no central government actively opposing the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya it took so long to be accomplished.

Rajiv Gandhi's support to the project is well documented. His successor as prime minister, V P Singh, indulged in a series of parleys with leaders from both communities, and was outed when Arun Shourie, one of the participants, revealed his 'wahaan masjid hai hi kahaan?' remark in his newspaper.

Chandra Shekhar was actively involved in finding a solution to the issue, and may even have succeeded if his government had not been pulled down.

Which brings us to P V Narasimha Rao on whose watch the masjid was brought down and who was excoriated by all for it, the Congress even ousting him from its pantheon of leaders.

A generation has almost passed since that December day which Advani had described as the 'saddest day of his life', and how much the republic has travelled in this time can be gauged from the fact that other than the usual suspects no one is opposed to the temple's construction.

Heck, the Congress, reading the pulse of the people and unwilling them to antagonise them any further, only last week reinstated Rao to his rightful position among the party greats.

Lord Ram may have crossed the ocean to Lanka, but getting the BJP over the Mandal divide was another task. Vajpayee tried and failed, as did Advani, the BJP's two greatest leaders ever.

If indeed fortune favours the brave, and it is true that politics is the art of the impossible, then Narendra Modi must be politically fortunate, or fortunately political, have your pick. For there is no other way to describe how he came to succeed where the man whose Ram Rath Yatra he accompanied in the 1990s failed.

While the numbskulls in the Congress were bleeding UPA 2 from within, expecting Rahul Gandhi to take over a newlook UPA 3, Modi utilised the public disgust at its non-governance, in a quick palace coup elbowed out Advani from the prime ministerial race, and took over the mantle.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Damodardas Modi during a roadshow in Varanasi, April 25, 2019. Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

For the RSS bosses it must have been a tough call. Neither Vajpayee, as incumbent prime minister, nor Advani could overcome the Hindu faultline that kept the party's electoral tally around 180 seats which forced it to compromise on its core issues for the sake of power. Along comes the chief minister of Gujarat, who has faced public opprobrium like no other leader has, with a promise to create history.

The amazing thing was not that the RSS trusted Modi to deliver, but that he actually did.

And the most amazing thing is that unlike other prime ministers, both his electoral wins are powered by an all-Hindu vote across class and class segments. There may be a minor non-Hindu component to his vote, but nothing that would rock his win if it did not accrue to him.

And because his vote is spread throughout the Hindu bloc, no one segment can either lay claim to him or hold him to ransom. Which is how he is surviving one administrative landmine after another with nary a scratch on him.

Modi may not be the first prime minister to know what his voters want of him, but he also knows that much of those who don't vote for him for whatever reason, too want the same things.

Which has not only given him immunity against failure but also has given him the leeway to execute some bold policy strokes, be it the scrapping of Article 370 or instant talaq. There may be genuine reasons as to why he quickly moved on these two issues, but that there is a groundswell of Hindu support for these measures is undeniable. As there is for a Uniform Civil Code, the only thing left of the BJP's three core issues.

But Ram Mandir is the most critical of them all.

Just as all the names who built up the BJP from scratch have been put out to pasture, same is the case with the temple movement. All those who were in the forefront are either in retirement or on the way there.

Standing on their shoulders is the man who has found a trick to weave his way to a critical mass of Hindu support.

By all yardsticks 2024 isn't expected to be like 2014 or 2019. But with the mandir expected to be ready in time for the next Lok Sabha polls, Modi will have a new ally in Ram to see him through.

So just as well he gets his coronation on Wednesday.

Saisuresh Sivaswamy has been a journalist for 35 years and wrote his very first column for Rediff.com on January 25, 1997. You can read his columns here.

Feature Production: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Beirut (AsiaNews)  Two huge blasts this afternoon turned the houses and streets in and near Beiruts port area into a war zone. The explosions were so massive that they were heard as far away as Tyre and Sidon (Sayda).

In many of the capitals neighbourhoods, windows were blown out, cars upturned or wrecked, trees uprooted.

So far, Lebanons Health Ministry has reported at least 27 dead and 2,500 injured, but the toll is bound to rise. Some buildings are rubbles with people still under, with first responder teams trying to rescue them.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab has announced a national day of mourning for tomorrow. President Michel Aoun called for an urgent meeting of the Supreme Defence Council, also tomorrow.

General Security Directorate chief, Major General Abbas Ibrahim, said that the explosions occurred in a warehouse where "highly explosive material" was stored, but did not say more on what might have caused the conflagrations.

Over the past few days, tensions have been running high as the country felt threatened both in the north and the south.

In Israel, south of the border, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that he is ready to go to war to stop Hezbollah violence.

In the north, weapons have been arriving (from Turkey), which could be used against Shia-dominated Hezbollah, a few days before the final verdict by the International Tribunal into the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafic Hariri.

Israel immediately released a statement saying it was not involved in the blasts and offered medical aid to treat the injured. Irans Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif expressed closeness to the "resilient" Lebanese people.

Meanwhile, the hospitals are full of people seeking treatment, many injured from broken glass or the shock wave caused by the explosions.
PATNA: Senior Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut on Tuesday called Nitish Kumar governments decision to recommend a CBI probe into late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death case as ''incorrect and politically motivated'', triggering a bitter war of words between the Maharashtra and Bihar government over the issue.

Shiv Sena Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Raut said that the Bihar government has not taken the right step by recommending a CBI probe into the actors death. "The Nitish Kumar government wants to take political advantage of its decision in the upcoming assembly election in the state," Raut said.

Raut had earlier tweeted, ''people living in glass houses shouldnt pelt stones,'' in a loaded hint, while commenting on the Sushant Singh Rajput case on Monday.

           ......

" ...,

     ..      .."

    !!!!

 !  Sanjay Raut (@rautsanjay61) August 3, 2020

His remarks came shortly after the Bihar government on Tuesday recommended a CBI inquiry into the alleged suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput. According to official sources, the Nitish Kumar government recommended the CBI inquiry after Sushant Singh`s father KK Singh asked for it.

Nitish Kumar, while talking to reporters, said, "As soon as Sushant`s father KK Singh gave consent, I directed the DGP to do the paperwork for the recommendation of the CBI probe."

Kumar said that this demand was made by all and that the police were investigating the case registered in Patna. But the Bihar police team in Mumbai was not getting cooperation from Maharashtra Police. In such a situation, CBI investigation was necessary, he said.

He said, "Hopefully, CBI will take up the matter soon and investigate. The scope of the CBI is large." Sushant Singh`s brother and BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Bablu thanked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for recommending the CBI inquiry and said that now the truth will come out.

On Monday, the Sushant Singh suicide case was raised in the Bihar Assembly and almost all lawmakers demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Fans of Sushant have been demanding a CBI probe since his death by suicide on June 14. However, the Maharashtra government maintained that the case won't be transferred to the CBI as the Mumbai Police is carrying out the investigation well.

Last week, Sushant's father KK Singh filed an FIR in Patna against the actor's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, accusing her of cheating and harassment, after which the Bihar Police launched a parallel investigation in the case in Mumbai.

However, the probe by Bihar Police didn't go down well with Maharashtra and turf intensified on Monday after IPS officer Vinay Tiwari was quarantined by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as he landed in Mumbai.

Sushant was found dead in his apartment. He was said to be under stress and depression. There has been a huge outpour of anger by his fans on social media, alleging that the case needs to be investigated by the CBI for a fair probe.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI  A pastor at Calvary Church in Grand Rapids has tested positive for coronavirus, and roughly 10 church staff who came into contact with him are now self-quarantining.

Jim Samra, senior pastor at the nondenominational megachurch, was notified Sunday, Aug. 2, that he had tested positive for COVID-19, according to a letter emailed to more than 5,000 congregants.

Samra has been in quarantine since the night of Tuesday, July 28, and neither he nor the Calvary staff he came into contact with were present at Sunday church services, officials said.

All who interacted with Pastor Jim were informed of their potential exposure and have been quarantining. His wife, Lisa, is also experiencing symptoms and is awaiting test results, the church said in its letter. Your prayers are appreciated for Jim, his family, and those he came in contact with, as well as Calvary leadership as we navigate this situation.

Lead Pastor Tom Olsson said another staff member tested positive for COVID-19 on Monday. He said he was not sure whether that staff member came into contact with Samra prior to being diagnosed with the respiratory disease.

Olsson said he spoke with Samra on Monday morning. He said that while the pastor is still feeling sick, he is feeling better. His symptoms are kind of coming and going.

It is not believed that Samra contracted the coronavirus at a Calvary event, Olsson said.

Jim had been out on vacation the previous two weeks, he said. So he had not been at the office at all over those previous two weeks.

Olsson said Samara also did not preach at the church over those two weeks.

Samra did, however, attend church service as a spectator at Calvary on Sunday, July 26. But he sat in the back of the room in tiered seating, wore a mask, and had limited contact with other people, Olsson said.

Samra returned from vacation and went back to the office on the following Monday and Tuesday, where he had contact with 10 or 12 Calvary staff members, Olsson said. Those staff are now quarantined, and none have indicated to Olsson that they are sick, Olsson said.

In response to the incident, Calvary is taking steps to limit contact between church staff and congregants. The church says staff will work remotely through Aug. 16, and that ministry to those birth through young adults and to senior adults will be conducted virtually.

The church is also examining how it will conduct its Sunday, in-person worship services. Up to now, Calvary has been offering a reduced-capacity in-person service that can also be viewed online. The church has seating for about 2,100 people, but has limited attendance to less than 25 percent capacity.

It has also required that congregants wear masks and follow social distancing guidelines. The church has also installed hand sanitizing stations and is cleaning the worship area before and after each worship service, Olsson said.

We are a church that is meeting in person, but we have put in substantial safety measures to make it the safest environment possible, he said.

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Virgin Australia will sack 3000 employees, or about a third of its workforce, retire its budget Tigerair brand and offload its long-haul international jets as part of a re-launch under its new owner Bain Capital.

Australia's number two airline, which went into voluntary administration in April owing $6.8 billion, said the relaunch plan announced on Wednesday morning would make it a "stronger, more profitable and competitive" carrier in the post COVID-19 world.

Virgin's new owners said the plans would make it a "stronger, more profitable and competitive" carrier. Credit:James Alcock

A key part of the overhaul is stripping Virgin's fleet back to just its Boeing 737s for domestic and international short-haul flights, and its Fokker 100s and Airbus A320s for regional and charter services. Virgin's long-haul Boeing 777s and Airbus A330s, Tigerair's A320 and regional ATR turboprops will all go.

Virgin will retire its budget Tigerair brand but will maintain its Air Operator's Certificate so it has the option of relaunching a new ultra-low cost arm in the future.
Two teenage entrepreneurs who made $72,000 in four weeks during lockdown have revealed their tips for starting a business from scratch.

Lachlan Delchau-Jones, 18, and Taylor Reilly, 19, from Brisbane, built a successful online business overnight from their bedrooms by selling craft and hobby products to bored Australians stuck at home.

With Melburnians now under a strict stage four lockdown, the pair say the next six weeks are an ideal opportunity for those holed up inside to create a project of their own.

Over the past couple of months, as Melbourne's COVID-19 restrictions tightened to battle the city's horror second wave, the teenagers' family and friends have felt the financial blow of services slowing down.

Brisbane entrepreneurs Lachlan Delchau-Jones, 18, (left) and Taylor Reilly, 19, (right) made $72,000 in a month with an online business they built during Australia's recent lockdown

As Australia's 7.4 per cent unemployment rate continues to rise, the pair said more and more people are recognising the importance of having a second stream of income.

A lot of people relied on one source of income and have felt the impact,' Mr Delchau-Jones told Daily Mail Australia.

'I think it is very important that people diversify and learn how to have a second stream of income as a safety net.

'People that have just been laid off are in two minds about whether to try and do something to get quick cash or whether to start a passion project.

'The next six weeks is key to build something practical that you can have over this time to keep the ball ticking over, but also something that can also be maintained afterwards.'

For those who find themselves in dire financial circumstances, the pair recommended rummaging through the house for items to flog for quick cash.

But once financially stable, the teenagers said there are four steps you can take to start earning some money on the side.

Mr Reilly (pictured) said: 'Choose something they are passionate about, is because if you dont you will give up on it very quick'

Mr Delchau-Jones (pictured) said the next six weeks are an ideal time for locked-down Melburnians to build a passion project

The first step is to pick a product or a skill you are passionate about, which will keep you motivated to see it through.

'The first thing you want to figure out is do you have a skill monetise from your job,' Mr Reilly said.

'For example, if I were a graphic designer I would be trying to figure out a way to become a freelancer and monetise my skills outside of employment.

LACHLAN AND TAYLOR'S FOUR STEPS FOR STARTING A BUSINESS AT HOME Step one: Pick a skill or a product that you are passionate about Assess what skills you possess that you can monetise or select a product you are passionate about that consumers need Step two: Build an online presence Build a website and grow your social network Step 3: Go live Start running Facebook ads to bring attention to your business Step 4: Take the leap Consider whether the project is a hobby, a side hustle, or a new full-time business Advertisement

Alternatively, select a product or skill you possess that you can turn into a business, that satisfies a 'need' rather than a 'want' in the market place.

'If your product satisfies a need, then people will buy it,' Mr Reilly said.

'Determine your market. There will be a group out there who will need your product. Their money will go to the products that solve the biggest problems for them.'

Next, start building an online presence.

This entails creating a website and leveraging your relationships to build a social network to spread awareness about your product or service.

While building a website seem daunting, Mr Delchau-Jones and Mr Reilly said there are many free resources available online to guide people through this process.

A lot of people panic about this part,' Mr Reilly said.

'But there are so many resources that they can utilise for free. You can learn how to build something and get it up in a day.

'This is the stage to begin growing your network. Ask your friends and family who they may know that may need your service.

'Leverage Facebook groups by posting about your service. Even if people in the group do not need it, they may recommend it to someone that might.'

Step three is to go live with your website and begin running advertisements.

This can be done easily using social media advertising programs, such as Facebook Ads manager.

'Try to use Instagram, Facebook advertising and all of these things to bring in business,' Mr Reilly said.

'You may not make as much money as you want, but you need to just jump in and get the ball rolling.

The final step is to take the leap and evaluate how big a role your new project will play in your life.

'Once you set up all of this infrastructure, you have to decide whether this is a hobby, or a side hustle, or a new business for myself,' Mr Reilly said.

'There is going to come a time in three or six years time, where people are going to have their jobs. They will get to a point where it is time to decide whether or not to pursue it or keep going back to work.

The light bulb moment was sparked by Lachlan Delchau-Jones (pictured) while watching the news while in lockdown

'You will have to decide what is going to be a bit more profitable.'

The ambitious pair have been creating their own business ventures and websites since their early teens, long before they met online.

A light bulb moment while watching a new segment about the soaring sale of brainteaser puzzles while cooped up in their homes in Brisbane during the recent lockdown in April.

It sparked a lucrative online store that earned them more than $70,000 in 30 days.

'I called Taylor and told him I had just watched a news segment on ''how to stay occupied during the lockdown'' and I said ''there is something here'',' Mr Delchau-Jones previously told Daily Mail Australia.

Using a retail method called dropshipping, the pair decided to sell products in the craft and hobby niche to keep Australians entertained during isolation.

Dropshipping involves a vendor fulfilling orders from a supplier who then ships the product directly to the customer.

Knowing timing was vital as Australians would be seeking ways to stave off boredom over the impending Easter long weekend, Taylor rushed to Lachlan's house to begin building a business from scratch.

Taylor Reilly (pictured) hopes he and Lachlan can expand the business venture internationally

Over the next four hours, the teenagers sourced a supplier in China and built a website then set up Facebook marketing to run ads for the product online.

'Within a few hours we went from nothing established to a full fledged business,' Mr Delchau-Jones said.

'I called Taylor over at 10pm, and by 2am our computers were off and we were rocking and rolling to start the next morning. By 7am Saturday our ads went live.'

'We went into it thinking 'let's try and make a couple of hundred dollars this weekend'.

The teens' optimistic expectations were exceeded in the days that followed.

'The first day we were in business we made $600 bucks,' Mr Delchau-Jones recalled.

Orders amassed over the weekend and by Tuesday, when they could cash out their earnings via Shopify, they had hit $16,000 dollars having only spent $1600 on social media advertising.

The teenagers started processing thousands of dollars worth of orders within days of starting their online store. A screenshot shows their income days before they ended their project

A graph shows how their sales progressed throughout the first few weeks of their month-long coronavirus project

Mr Delchau-Jones and Mr Reilly used Facebook Ads Manager to keep track of their advertisement campaigns (pictured)

When they ended the project on May 10 they had made a whopping $72,000.

Mr Delchau-Jones and Mr Reilly credit their success to timing and the coronavirus lockdown which saw more Australians spending time at home while businesses cut down on advertising costs.

'In terms in dropshipping those numbers are something you don't normally see. It is completely out of the ordinary,' Mr Delchau-Jones said.

'We created it as a project for the month to prove what was possible.

'It was very surprising. I knew we were onto something, but I still wasn't 100 per cent certain about capitalising at this time so I wasn't sure how it was going to go.

'A lot of people were pulling out [of ads] and people were unsure going in to lockdown. Everyone stopped advertising and ads got cheaper so we were just trying to capitalise and that we did.'

Mr Reilly (pictured) is an Australian eCommerce businesses owner and the founder of TBR Enterprises,. He is also a Co Founder of Ecom Gym and Better Brand which he started with Mr Delchau-Jones in the past 12 months

In the wake of their newly found fortune, Mr Delchau-Jones is now renting a flashier apartment, while Mr Reilly has decided to save his earnings.

The pair each currently have four side projects running, including working with Influencers to help them better manage their business.

While entrepreneurship is not for the faint-hearted, the Queenslanders said their steps can be adopted by anyone, from parents, people working full-time, to students.

However, they acknowledged many people may be hesitant to step outside of their comfort zone.

'People are naturally scared of failure but it is natural to expect that you will encounter them in everything you do,' Mr Reilly said.

What you will find is that a lot of people make excuses as to why they dont have the time.'

The Brisbane entrepreneurs (pictured together during recent lockdown) rushed to build a website on Good Friday in time for the Easter long weekend

'Everyone has an hour a day, it adds up.

When you dont have a job, doing something is better than nothing.'

Although they promise there will be setbacks, the teenagers said the process is an opportunity to learn.

The only way to gain experience is to make the jump.

'Of course there are errors but don't over think it. Once you jump into action and start implementing what you have learned you can reach success,' Mr Delchau-Jones said.

Mr Reilly added: 'You have to put yourself in an uncomfortable position to put yourself in a more comfortable position.'

'You cant sit on the fence with these things.'

'Go in and get your feet in the mud.'
FIA doctor Professor Gerard Saillant says he is "surprised" that so few cases of coronavirus have been detected since the 2020 'corona calendar' kicked off last month.

Thousands of tests have been carried out since the racing began in Austria and then moved on to Hungary and Britain.

But so far, only two employees of a cleaning company in Hungary and Racing Point driver Sergio Perez have tested positive.

FIA president Jean Todt says the protocols set up to deal with the infections worked well, especially in Perez's case.

"The two people who were with him were immediately quarantined," he told AFP France. "The other three were checked and then were allowed to work, albeit at the factory."

Perez was replaced at Silverstone by Nico Hulkenberg, and Todt says he personally signed the former Renault driver's super licence.

The strict measures against the virus have been criticised by some, but the head of the FIA's medical commission says he is positively surprised.

"What surprised me is that there have not been more cases," said Professor Saillant.

"That there were three cases out of 12,000 tests strikes me as remarkable," he added.

(GMM)
The leader of the New Mexico group Cowboys for Trump has been barred from in-person visits with his son following social media posts that have generated threats and for refusing to abide by COVID-19 mask requirements, a state district judge ruled.

District Judge Mary Rosner ruled last month that Couy Griffin can see his son only on Facetime calls after he ignored orders to remove social media photos of his son at Cowboys for Trump events. The judge said Griffin also has repeatedly defied health orders to put a mask on his son at public events and has openly said he will continue to do so.

Instead, Griffin has participated in manipulation in a custody dispute by asking his son to pray that his mother do the right thing, Rosner wrote.

Mr. Griffins actions have been selfish and place the minor child at risk, in addition to his ex-wifes unborn child, Rosner said.

The ruling comes after lawyers for Griffins ex-wife, Kourtnie, filed an emergency motion in May to modify their custody and visitation agreement. The motion said Couy Griffin has publicly expressed views and opinions which have incited threats of violence to his ex-wife and son.

Kourtnie Griffin, an Iraqi war veteran, understands passions for God and country, and believes her ex-husband has a right to express his views, her lawyers said. But she did not take her minor child to war with her as Couy Griffin is doing by taking their son to President Donald Trump campaign events during a pandemic, the attorneys said.

Griffin told the Associated Press hes had to make sacrifices for his beliefs and didnt think it was fair that the court will keep his son away from him.

Last week, Griffin faced criticism after he posted a Facebook live video where he said some Black NFL players should go back to Africa if they wanted to stand for Lift Evry Voice and Sing  traditionally known as the Black national anthem  as a gesture of solidarity against racial injustice.

Griffin also offered to give people of color what he called a 101 lesson on racial identity and said anyone who does not identify as American first or opposes the Second Amendment right to bear arms should leave the U.S. or go home.

Griffin also said the reelection campaign for Trump would distance itself from Cowboys for Trump after Griffin posted the video.
PLO asks Europe to show decisive action against Israeli settlement expansion activities

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 2:06 PM

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) has called on Europe to take practical measures to prevent the Israeli regime from advancing its plans to build hundreds of new illegal settler units in the strategically sensitive E1 region of the occupied West Bank.

"We welcome the letter of protest signed by the European Union Representative and 15 European ambassadors [a few days ago] against Israel's plans to commence construction in the illegal settlement of Givat Hamatos and possibly the E1 Area on the outskirts of occupied al-Quds," said Hanan Ashrawi, member of the PLO's Executive Committee.

"Nevertheless, we believe that the European Union and the envoys should adopt practical measures that would deter Israel from treading the path of illegality, impunity, and land expropriation. Rhetorical opposition has not stopped Israel. In fact, Israel is adamant to press ahead with its criminal actions because it is confident that verbal opposition will not change into practical actions," she added.

The senior PLO official further highlighted that the Israeli plan would "completely separate occupied al-Quds from its natural Palestinian surroundings, and split the occupied West Bank in half. They (Israeli officials) would complete the Greater Jerusalem colonial project with the theft of strategic Palestinian land and in light of absence of any firm action to establish a Palestinian state."

"While the international community is concerned with the possibility of [West Bank] annexation, Israel is implementing the scheme on the ground without any obstruction. This includes the choking siege and silent ethnic cleansing of Silwan, al-Issawiya and Wadi al-Joz [neighborhoods in al-Quds] through home demolitions, systematic acts of violence, and megaprojects that will displace thousands of Palestinians," Ashrawi pointed out.

She urged European states "not to allow Israel to carry out this ruse. The principle of accountability is undermined  as long as Israel is given carte blanche to continue its gross violations of Palestinian rights and international law."

Critics say construction in the E1 area would effectively complete a crescent of Israeli settlements around East Jerusalem al-Quds dividing it from the rest of the West Bank and its Palestinian population centers. It would also nearly bisect the West Bank jeopardizing the prospects of a contiguous Palestinian state. Palestinians describe the E1 plan as an effort to Judaize Jerusalem al-Quds.

Also on Monday, Jordan condemned the Tel Aviv regime's plans to construct more than 1,000 new settler units in the E1 region.

Jordanian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Deifallah al-Fayez reiterated his country's outright rejection of all forms of Israeli settlement construction and expansion activities, adding that settlements are illegal under international law and undermine chances for a so-called two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

More than 600,000 Israelis live in over 230 settlements built since the 1967 Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories of the West Bank and East Jerusalem al-Quds.

The UN Security Council has condemned Israel's settlement activities in the occupied territories in several resolutions.

Palestinians want the West Bank as part of a future independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem al-Quds as its capital.

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(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Weeks before she lost her job, Judy Konopkas desk was already clear. Gone were the photos and plants, the vintage typewriter and illustrated calendar. The wall where she had once tacked up a print-out of an inspirational quote was bare. By the time she walked into the brisk New England winter air on her last day, exiting the building where she had worked for the better part of two decades, Konopka didnt have so much as a box to load into her 2007 Pontiac Vibe.

Konopkas departure from Northeast Utilities in 2014 wasnt billed as a layoff. Her employers merger with a Massachusetts power company would eliminate 350 jobs through attrition, the chief executive officer said when the deal closed in 2012. For a while, the staff believed it. The tie-up created a $12 billion company that eventually became Eversource Energy, with about 4 million customers across New England. Management gave reassurances that there would be more than enough work to go around after the deal, Konopka recalls  there was even a flutter of anticipation about the chance to do projects on Cape Cod.

But group by group, over the course of several months, teams were being displaced. Konopka, a web designer, was one of about 200 information technology employees to be laid off. Several not only had to watch their jobs go to foreigners, but also to train their replacements.

Many new hires were H-1B visa holders  mostly young, educated guest workers hired for specialty occupations such as engineering or computer programming that require at least a bachelors degree. Created in 1990 as part of President George H.W. Bushs plan to expand legal immigration, the program had an initial cap of 65,000 approvals each year.

Over the past three decades, however, the H-1B visa category has become a reliable mill of temporary human capital. Congress raised the limit to 195,000 in the early 2000s before bringing it back down again  though thanks to exemptions, most petitions are approved outside the latest 85,000 limit. (In 2018, for instance, more than 200,000 were approved outside the cap.) The population of H-1Bs in the U.S. has swelled to almost 600,000. They now account for about 10% of the U.S. information technology workforce.

Story continues

On Monday, President Donald Trump signed an executive order that will increase scrutiny of federal contractors' use of the H-1B holders to replace U.S. workers. This follows his temporary suspension of the visa program in June. Both actions come as the president seeks to protect jobs lost during the coronavirus outbreak and as the November election looms.

Many now worry that plugging this wellspring of capable minds will hamper any economic recovery and threaten the U.S. ability to innovate. Theres no doubt that Americas dynamism will continue to depend heavily on its ability to attract the worlds smartest and most accomplished to its shores. Yet the experiences of Konopka, who worked her way up from a secretary, and thousands of other displaced workers across the country also tell another story: Americans have plenty of education, talent and experience  but an ever-ready supply of less expensive and more dependent guest workers gives companies less incentive to invest in them.

***

Companies have long complained of a skills gap among job seekers who arent keeping up with the demands of the labor market. Almost 70% of U.S. employers reported a talent shortage at the end of 2019. Businesses rank engineers and IT personnel, including cybersecurity experts, network administrators and technical support, among the top five roles that are hardest to fill, according to the Manpower Group.

Believers in the skills gap arent limited to board rooms and C-suites. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, editorial pages, think tanks, universities and other worthy institutions have fretted about Americas competitiveness. President Barack Obama warned about this generations Sputnik moment, while his advisory council blasted schools for failing systematically to produce enough students interested in science, technology, engineering and math.

In 2017, the administration of President Donald Trump directed the Department of Education to channel at least $200 million a year toward STEM, noting that coding skills are critical for high-paying jobs. Too few schools are providing students an adequate foundation in STEM and computer science, the president said.

Its true that the U.S. K-12 education system has serious problems and needs sustained improvement. Average U.S. test scores are mediocre, and the U.S. cant hope to succeed in the 21st century if its high school graduates arent competent in science and mathematics. But as the demographer Michael Teitelbaum, author of Falling Behind? Boom, Bust and the Global Race for Scientific Talent, has noted, there is a big disconnect between this broad educational imperative and the numerically limited scope of the science and engineering workforce. In most countries, only 5% to 10% of the labor pool ends up in occupations that require high levels of science and math, almost all of which draw upon students who were in the top-performing quartile of high-school test-takers. To determine if the U.S. educational system is failing to produce enough high-skilled workers, its more instructive to look at how the best students are faring.

There, the outlook is much brighter. American citizens and permanent residents have been graduating with a record number of bachelors degrees in computer science and engineering over the past five years. In 2018, U.S. colleges and universities awarded roughly 365,000 undergraduate STEM degrees(2), up 60% from a decade earlier, according to calculations based on data from the National Center for Education Statistics. Of that total, 92% went to Americans and permanent residents. Meanwhile, test scores among seniors majoring in computer science in the U.S. substantially outperform those in China, India and Russia, according to research published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The skills advantage of the United States is not because it has a large proportion of high-scoring international students, a group of academics and experts found.

It's important to note that these areas of study  and the occupations they may lead to  tend to get jumbled in conversations about STEM. But distinctions are critical: Just as emerging markets cant be considered a monolithic asset class, the STEM labor market is almost impossible to assess as a whole. At any given time, some fields will be doing well, and others wont.

To assess the skills gap, then, it makes sense to look at the sector where most H-1Bs are heading: technology. In fiscal 2019, two-thirds of approved H-1B petitions were for computer-related occupations, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. Are these guest workers filling a dire shortage?

The data suggest otherwise. In 2018, the U.S. had between 95,500 and 143,000 job openings in IT occupations that typically went to candidates with a bachelors degree or higher in computer science or engineering, according to Hal Salzman, a professor at Rutgers Universitys Edward J. Bloustein School of Planning and Public Policy. American citizens and permanent residents earned about 100,000 degrees in computer science or related engineering fields, filling the low end of that estimate. But unlike in law or medicine, in technology you dont need a computer science degree to work: In fact, two-thirds of new entrants in IT occupations major in other disciplines. That means most openings can be filled from a much larger pool of qualified candidates  just consider any number of the 1.8 million Americans who graduate each year.

Even if you insisted on filling these jobs only with computer science majors  an approach that neither Steve Jobs nor Bill Gates would theoretically endorse  creating another 40,000 or so to meet the top end of demand shouldnt be difficult: According to Salzman, this field has the second-lowest STEM credit requirement of all such majors.

Set this broader pool against the inflow from abroad, which included 53,000 foreign graduates with degrees in computer science or related engineering fields, as well as 48,000 initial H-1Bs destined for computer occupations in 2018, not to mention the tens of thousands of potential applicants, if not more, from the alphabet soup of other visa categories. What we see is an industry awash with supply. The story in Washington is that we have this STEM skills gap and U.S. students are just not capable. What the data shows you is that, in fact, U.S. students are both interested and capable of doing this kind of work, said Ronil Hira, an associate professor of political science at Howard University who studies visa programs. None of the evidence indicates a significant shortage.

Even job-opening forecasts cant always be taken at face value. As a recent report on undergraduate enrollment in computer science by the National Academy of Sciences notes: Many estimates come primarily from sources tied to industry, which could be argued has some incentive to justify a more favorable hiring environment  to expand the pool of potential hires and create more competition, leading to more highly qualified talent and enabling them to offer lower wages.

Indeed, any armchair economist can tell you that if laborers were truly scarce, employers would be scrawling out bigger paychecks with fat signing bonuses and generous benefits. Yet as with the rest of the economy, wages in many computer occupations have flat-lined. In two of the fastest-growing fields  software developers and information security analysts(3) average annualized wages grew 0.1% and 0.9% from 2014 to 2019, according to Salzman and Khudodod Khudododov, a research analyst at Rutgers. That compares with 0.9% for nurse practitioners, zero growth for accountants and auditors, and a decline of 0.4% for management analysts, which includes consultants. In short, no one is doing particularly well, and coding skills are no ticket out of that.

True, overall wages in the tech sector are higher than in other fields. The median annual wage for computer and IT occupations is $88,240, more than double the level for other jobs. That doesnt mean the industry is growing. Layoffs have accelerated, with 64,166 job cuts in 2019, up 351% from a year earlier. That outpaces the number of new hires planned by three to one, according to Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. Salzman and Khudododov found computer programming employment sank 34% from 2014 to 2019  a curious trend for an industry facing a shortage.

Another metric to consider is vacancies. Do these postings languish on job boards? Andrew Weaver, an assistant professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaigns School of Labor and Employment Relations, found that persistent hiring problems are much less common than the prevailing skills gap narrative suggests: In IT, just 11% to 15% of U.S. help desks faced extended vacancies, compared with 16% to 25% for manufacturing  even though IT positions require more education and training. Typically, youd expect just the opposite: In a tight labor market, higher-skilled positions would see more long-term openings, Weaver said.

Even those hard-to-fill positions can be a consequence of too many good applicants, according to Peter Cappelli, a professor at Wharton and author of Why Good People Cant Get Jobs. Filtering software weeds out resumes that dont meet an employers qualifications. In this case, it might pay off for employers to wait for someone who is perfect for the job, not merely qualified, or even see who will do the job at a wage well below the market rate, he wrote. Just as there is no shortage of diamonds even though they are expensive  you can buy all you want at the market price  not being able or willing to pay the market price for talent does not constitute a shortage.

And this is precisely whats happening with H-1B workers and their American counterparts.

Technically, employers must pay H-1Bs a prevailing wage, which should match or exceed what a comparable American would make. (Contrary to popular belief, the H-1B application process does not require employers to make any effort to hire Americans first.) This wage level is to prevent undercutting U.S. workers and exploiting foreigners.

In practice, though, companies have ample discretion in setting this level, and often find loopholes, such as hiring through outsourcing firms. A recent paper by Hira and Daniel Costa for the Economic Policy Institute concludes that companies in the D.C. metro area got a 36% discount from the median wage level for the most common certified H-1B occupation (a category of software developers) in the wage bracket for entry-level positions, a difference of $41,746 per employee in fiscal 2019. The discount came to 18%, or $20,863, for the second-lowest bracket. This can amount to billions of dollars of potential savings for employers. Hira and Costa found that the Labor Department certified 60% of H-1B jobs at levels well below the local median wage for the occupation.

These visa holders are not only less expensive, they also have less bargaining power vis-a-vis their employers. For no small number of them, what begins as a promising career entry point often ends up becoming a version of bonded labor, says Salil Choudhary, a former H-1B holder who became an American citizen in 2010. When immigration status is tied solely to an employer, problems such as getting underpaid and overworked often go unreported, for fear of retribution. Choudhary, who studied as an engineer in India, recalls getting sucked into projects without getting paid for overtime. If youre working 16-hour days, youre taking two jobs from the U.S. market... In every way you are screwing up the system, he said. And equalizing salaries isnt necessarily the answer if it means employees are forced to work 18- or 19-hour days  a prospect most U.S. workers wouldnt stomach.

Youve created a low-cost, high retention indentured servant model, said Bruce Morrison, an immigration lobbyist and former Democratic congressman who helped write the original H-1B statute. Thats what Americans are competing with, and theyre too smart to compete, so they go somewhere else.

So rather than drawing Americas sharpest minds into technology, a combination of depressed wage growth, high churn, long hours and a lack of employee development in effect encourages talented graduates to pursue more lucrative fields, such as finance. Remember, most tech employees arent sitting around foosball tables sipping kale smoothies on Sand Hill Road. Theyre more likely to be in a back office somewhere in Jersey City or Tampa.

***

Such considerations were absent from Big Techs response to the Trump administrations restrictions on H-1Bs. Instead, a chorus of titans blasted the White House for narrowing the path for the worlds best and brightest to come spur American innovation. Sundar Pichai, CEO of Google-owner Alphabet Inc. and an Indian immigrant himself, tweeted: Immigration has contributed immensely to Americas economic success, making it a global leader in tech, and also Google the company it is today.

But H-1B visa holders are not immigrants. (Nor are they as exceptional in their qualifications as other employment visa categories.) They are guest workers with a three- to six-year limit on their stay that's often extended, stuck in a weird netherworld of being permanently temporary, says the EPIs Costa. They pay U.S. taxes but receive few of the protections that American workers enjoy  namely, unemployment insurance.

The data can be hard to parse, but a large share of H-1Bs are eventually sponsored for permanent residency by companies, and a big portion of green card applications are for people on H-1B visas. Given the backlog of applicants, though, it can take years, and decades in the case of many Indian tech workers, to get one. Meanwhile, H-1B holders with pending green cards have very little job mobility  that is, the ability to switch employers. Keep in mind, too, that companies have the option to directly sponsor workers who are still abroad, which used to be more common, according to Hira. The green card backlogs and employer preferences have made the H-1B a principal, but not only, way station to the green card, he wrote in an email. Employers like the try-before-you-buy feature of this system.

In this way, H-1Bs have become an unfortunate prop in the narrative that the U.S. has an urgent unmet economic need that its struggling educational and immigration systems cant fill. Deep-pocketed tech companies that lobby Washington on immigration are joined by universities and research institutions seeking to expand their STEM programs and attract foreign students willing to pay top dollar tuition, in part to get into the U.S. employment pipeline. As Teitelbaum observes, whats emerged is an elaborately successful campaign to keep labor and capital flowing.

Teitelbaum sees at least five distinct alarm-boom-bust talent shortage cycles, which the U.S. has repeated every 10 to 20 years since World War II. Politicians, the business community, an institutional report or the media express concerns that the U.S. lags international peers in science and engineering; the government duly boosts the supply of students and workers; a flooded market becomes prone to shocks; suddenly, a cohort of bright-eyed graduates whove spent years in labs and libraries find themselves in a lousy job market with few career prospects. Younger generations of students get discouraged and pursue different career paths, and so the cycle begins anew. You can trace this in endeavors from nuclear weaponry and the space race to the war on cancer, peak Cold War defense spending, and boom-busts in tech and biomedical research.

Now we might find ourselves looking at another kind of bust, with 17 million unemployed and roughly a third of those jobs possibly never coming back. The tech industry has shed more than 72,000 jobs since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic, according to one industry tracker. Then consider the other STEM labor markets that might be affected. Aeronautical engineers, for example, now face diminishing prospects with the airline industry in shambles. Airbus SE and Boeing Co. together have plans to cut more than 30,000 workers.

As we pick through the rubble of a labor market ravaged by Covid-19, a critical question will be how to get unemployed Americans from occupations that have gone bust into other fields. A laid-off aeronautical engineer could become a very successful Silicon Valley tech worker, said Teitelbaum. But not if you arent willing to retrain him.

For years, the steady flow of relatively cheap, ready-to-work H-1Bs has helped diminish incentives for many companies to invest in training and development. In a 2011 op-ed for the Wall Street Journal, Cappelli, the Wharton professor, wondered how businesses could complain of difficulties finding qualified candidates with unemployment hovering just below a post-recession high of 10%. He noted that blame gets passed around  schools are failing, immigration policy is insufficient and Americans are lacking skills. But I believe that the real culprits are the employers themselves, he wrote.

Not much has changed in the years since. Though companies in North America spent $169.4 billion on training last year, workers and managers are dissatisfied with the outcome. Government programs such as Trade Adjustment Assistance, which helps employees displaced by globalization trends, have been largely written off as ineffective.

Academics like Weaver at Illinois have proposed better coordination between employers and community colleges or universities. This approach would not only widen students job-search networks and help companies design roles that better suit the future workforce, it also ensures that the skills being taught match up with requirements. Often, hiring managers ratchet up specifications during a downturn to help screen out the inevitable flood of candidates. That means employers sifting through the current pool of applicants will have their pick, but they could be eliminating people with decades of experience, like Konopka, whose talents aren't easily identified by an algorithm.

Konopka ended up using her TAA assistance to finish a graphic design degree, and she works as an artist with two shops on Etsy where she sells her prints and restored photographs. She went from making $90,000 a year to $35,000. But even if the labor force has lost her IT expertise, at least she's now content. The quote she once had on her wall was, Everything you want is on the other side of fear  and notwithstanding a $4,000 health-insurance deductible, Konopka swears she will never go back to IT. Id prefer to work for myself, she said. Thats why Im an artist now, because nobody can replace my art.

***

Rather than shepherding exceptional talent to the U.S. and turning them into Americans, the H-1B system has given companies a steadily expanding supply of guest workers who are themselves stuck in indentured limbo. As Labor Secretary Eugene Scalia wrote recently in an opinion piece, The H-1B program was never intended to create a pool of foreign labor that displaces Americans opportunities for good-paying jobs.

Trumps latest executive order could set some much needed H-1B reforms in motion. For one, it seeks to close a loophole that enabled companies to hire guest workers  through outsourcing firms  without attesting to the Labor Department that they could cost Americans like Konopka their jobs or hurt their wages. (Outsourcing firms themselves theoretically must be able to support these claims  but of course their employees arent affected, as Scalia noted at the signing.) Meanwhile, increased collaboration between the Departments of Labor and Homeland Security, announced Friday, means that the secretary of labor is more likely to initiate fraud investigations, rather than waiting for complaints to be filed. These measures are part of a broader revamp of the H-1B program the White House has initiated, with more likely to follow in the coming weeks, Bloomberg News reported. Yet some of the more substantial regulatory changes on the table never managed to get legislative traction before the coronavirus, and may not advance in a Biden administration. Absent enforcement of these proposals, Trumps June order mostly imposes a blunt and temporary ban that has thrown thousands of lives into chaos.

If the U.S. is going to compete in the global race for talent, it needs to offer the best and the brightest workers less convoluted pathways to legal immigration, instead of false promises that lead to exploitation and decades-long waiting lists. And if the U.S. is equally committed to providing its citizens with the broadest range of opportunities, as it should be, companies must also be able to prove they have found candidates who legitimately fill needs that domestic workers cant. A system in which Americans have to train their replacements doesnt pass the test. Until we find a better balance between those needs, our broken labor market will remain a collection of easily replaceable parts.

(1) The NCES definition does not include health-related fields.

(2) The BLS category for software developers includes software quality assurance analysts and testers. Information security analysts includes cybersecurity.

This column does not necessarily reflect the opinion of the editorial board or Bloomberg LP and its owners.

Rachel Rosenthal is an editor with Bloomberg Opinion. Previously, she was a markets reporter and editor at the Wall Street Journal in Hong Kong.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

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After the group was chased out of Yazidi areas in 2015, little has been done to heal the wounds of the minority group.

A couple of hundred people gathered in Iraqs Sinjar to remember the ISIL (ISIS) massacre and enslavement of the Yazidi people in August of 2014.

During the ceremony on Tuesday, the audience watched a play and listened to the testimonies of the survivors.

It has been six years that we repeat this play and this ceremony but in vain. If it had led to anything then at least my brothers, my father and my uncle would be with us. We dont know anything about them. We dont know if they are alive or dead, said Badriya Faisal, a survivor.

The Yazidis are an ethnoreligious minority numbering approximately 550,000 in their heartland of northwest Iraq before ISIL swept through the rugged region in 2014. Their belief combines elements of several ancient Middle Eastern religions.

ISIL, which considers the Yazidis heretics, slaughtered thousands of Yazidi men and abducted women and girls. Yazidi children were forcibly converted to Islam, taught Arabic and banned from speaking their native Kurdish.

In this September 12, 2019 photo, Yazidi women visit Lalish, the holiest Yazidi shrine, in Iraqs Dohuk province [File: Maya Alleruzzo/AP]

After the ISIL fighters were chased out of Yazidi areas in 2015 by the Iraqi army and the US-led military coalition, little has been done to heal the wounds or secure the minority group against a possible resurgence.

Hundreds remain missing and dozens of mass graves  more than 70  have not yet been exhumed.

Our mass graves are still as they were. They havent been opened, and there are still people in the hands of ISIL and they have not been liberated, even after six years, said Nishtiman Khalaf, an activist.

Many children who were raised under ISIL and indoctrinated in the groups ideology are believed to still be living in camps in Syria.

More than 400,000 Yazidis are living in displacement while control and administration of the Sinjar region remain disputed between the Iraqi politicians.

According to Hussein Qaidi, head of the Office for Yazidi Abductees Affairs, more than 6,400 Yazidi men, women, and children were kidnapped when ISIL took control of the city of Mosul in June 2014.

Nearly 3,500 people were rescued but 2,800 others are still in captivity, said the group.

Sinjar, in Iraqs northwestern Nineveh province and near the border with Syria, remains largely empty.

The ISIL fighters destroyed villages and religious sites, lined men up and shot them before kidnapping thousands of women and children and trading them in modern day chattel slavery.

I dont believe there will be a reconciliation without justice because those who committed the crimes were people from the area specifically, said a Yazidi man at the commemoration.

The United Nations has called the attacks an act of genocide against the minority group.
Former Tibetan resistance fighter Ama Adhe, who spent more than a quarter century as a political prisoner for her role in fighting off Chinese invaders in eastern Tibet has died in Dharamsala, India, at the age of 88, Tibetan sources say.



Born Adhe Tapontsang in 1932 in Nyagrong, a Tibetan-populated county in western Chinas Sichuan province, Ama Adhethe name Adhe means Motherplayed a central role in organizing resistance to Communist Chinas invasion of independent Tibet in the late 1950s.



Captured by the Chinese in 1958, she spent the next 27 years in prison, enduring torture, forced labor, and constant hunger, before finally being released in 1985 and later escaping into exile in India.



Speaking in an interview with RFAs Tibetan Service in 2017, Ama Adhe recalled the events that led to her involvement in the resistance against the Chinese invasion in the historical Kham region of eastern Tibet:



On April 28, 1950, the Chinese invasion began, and from that day onwards my life turned upside down, she said.



In 1956, when the Chinese began [to tighten their control] under the guise of introducing democratic reforms in my hometown of Kardze, my husband died unexpectedly, so I joined the Tibetan resistance of the Khampas to help Tibetan men fight the Chinese military.



On Oct. 16, 1958, Ama Adhe was arrested by the Chinese for taking part in the resistance and for having encouraged other women to join and supply fighters with food and other provisions, she said.



There were around 300 women prisoners with me at that time, and most of them died later of starvation. I was only 27 years old. It was tormentboth physically and mentally, she added.



Escape to India



When the situation began to relax in Tibet in 1979, Ama Adhe applied for parole, she said.



And in 1985 I was finally able to return to my hometown to meet my family, and I saw my daughter for the first time in 27 years. She was only a few months old when I was imprisoned, and I couldnt recognize her.



A son had meanwhile died.



In 1987, I fled into exile in India, and my dream of meeting [exiled spiritual leader] the Dalai Lama came true, she said.



Two years later, Ama Adhe traveled to the U.S. and Germany, where she spoke publicly about Chinese atrocities in Tibet and told stories of her life under Chinas rule.



Her autobiography, Ama Adhe: The Voice That Remembers: The Heroic Story of a Womans Fight to Free Tibet, was co-written with Joy Blakeslee and was published in 1997.



Reported by RFAs Tibetan Service. Translated by Tenzin Dickyi. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Nguyen Xuan Thanh, Director General of the Secondary Education Department under the Ministry of Education and Training, talks about changes for term times in the 2020-21 school year.

A revision session at Tran Hung Dao High School in Hanoi.

Do you think the Ministry of Education and Trainings decision to cut two weeks from the upcoming school year will make the curriculum become too compact?

The decision to cut two weeks from the 2020-21 school year has been calculated very carefully. The Ministry of Education and Training strongly believes that though students will have to learn for only 35 weeks instead of 37 as in the previous school years, there will be no difference in the knowledge they get in the upcoming school year. Under the new programme, all schools will have 35 weeks to accomplish their design school programmes, including extra-curricular activities.

Will the Ministry of Education and Training give instructions on how to develop the new curriculum to schools or will the schools develop their own?

The Ministry of Education and Training only gave guidelines on how to streamline the school curriculum for the second semester of the 2019-20 school year. For the 2020-21 school year on, the MOET will start drafting instructions for all schools nationwide. To do that well have to review the school curriculum for all grades 1-12.

Will you please talk a bit more about the 2020-21 curriculum?

The MOET will give detailed instructions for the 2020-21 school year for all grades. The learning contents in the 2020-21 school year will include the knowledge the students of all grades have missed in the previous 2019-20 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, in maths for 9th graders, the teachers will help the students review what they learned in the 8th grade and they will fill in any knowledge gaps the students have missed in the 2019-20 school year. We hope by doing that the students will have time to fill in the knowledge that they didnt get in the previous school year.

How do you respond to the proposal submitted by many private schools in Hanoi to the MOET on letting schools start the 2020-21 academic year four weeks earlier than public schools?

Due to the impacts of the COVID-19, the school year 2020-21 ended a bit later than in previous years. It means that private schools could start their school year at any time they think it is suitable for them. However, what I want to say is the schools should let the students have time to compensate for their late summer holidays due to the pandemic.

However, in the long run, I think, private and public schools should have the same school curricula developed by the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET). In other words, either a public school or a private school, in a school year, the students, in all grades, will have to attend classes for 35 weeks.

When will the 2020-21 school year start?

According to the plan, the 2020-21 school year will start on September 5 nationwide. The first term will start on September 5 and end on January 18.

The second term will then start the next day. The students will go to school for two weeks and then have one week of holiday for the Lunar New Year and ethnic minority students in some regions will have another week off for their new year festivals.

May 31 will be the last day of the school year and the students will have their three-month summer holiday. VNS/Thanh Nien

HCM City expects more 54,000 new students in the next academic year HCM City schools will have 54,000 students entering primary, middle and secondary schools in the 2020-21 academic year.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 17:12:54|Editor: huaxia

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DHAKA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Bangladesh's COVID-19 cases topped 244,000 on Tuesday with about 1,918 new cases reported, and deaths from the virus increased to 3,234.

Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a briefing on Tuesday that 1,918 new COVID-19 positive cases and 50 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.

"The number of confirmed infections in the country totaled 244,020 while fatalities stood at 3,234," she said.

According to the official, 7,712 samples were tested in the last 24 hours in labs across the country.

She said the total number of recovered patients in the country stands at 139,860 with 1,955 new recoveries.

According to the official, the COVID-19 fatality rate in Bangladesh is now 1.33 percent and the current recovery rate is 57.31 percent in the country. Enditem
Hyderabad, Aug 4 : Telangana's Industries Minister K.T. Rama Rao on Tuesday exuded confidence that the first vaccine for novel coronavirus will be rolled out from Hyderabad, which has emerged as the vaccine capital of the world.

More than 150 vaccines for Covid-19 are under development at various stages across the world. "Within India, we have 6 companies in the race and 4 of them are headquartered in Hyderabad," he said while speaking on 'The vaccine race - Balancing science and urgency' organised by the state government at Genome Valley.

The participants in the discussion were heads of Bharat Biotech, Biological E and Indian Immunologicals. Rama Rao noted that the three companies were leading the vaccine race.

The minister, who also visited Bharat Biotech facility at Genome Valley, said the state was proud that Bharat Biotech was a frontrunner in developing vaccine for Covid-19. He was confident that the much-needed breakthrough would come from Hyderabad and Bharat Biotech.

"Hyderabad's life science ecosystem has truly fortified its position and shown its strength to the world not only from our pharmaceutical sector but also biotechnology and vaccine manufacturing," he said.

KTR, as the minister is popularly known, said Hyderabad continued to remain one of leaders in vaccine manufacturing, accounting for one third of vaccines used globally. He said the city was also home to pharma companies producing drugs like Remdesivir and Favipiravir.

The minister assured the state government's support to the ongoing efforts by the companies to develop the vaccine. He visited Genome Valley to know about the challenges faced by the companies in the vaccine development and the support required from the government.

He said the current unprecedented times were also exciting times from the perspective that every adversity has inherent opportunity that lies within.

"In the current pandemic situation, the life sciences sector has emerged as the key sector and the vaccine industry is the biggest ray of hope. And the world is once again looking up to us to provide a solution. It is said time and again that India's vaccine sector will play a critical role in developing and producing vaccines at scale for distribution across the world. Hyderabad's importance in the global vaccine landscape is only growing," he said.

KTR said he was happy to note that Biological E has joined the pursuit to develop a Covid-19 vaccine and have made significant progress in this direction. He assured the companies that the state government is committed to play an enabling role in global vaccination efforts against Covid-19.

The minister, who moderated the discussion, said while there will be a vaccine, the world may have to wait for 6-12 months.

World Health Organisation (WHO) chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan, who addressed the session through video conferencing, stressed the need for a plan to ensure fair and equitable distribution of vaccines as and when they were available.

Asked by the minister about the rationale behind WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus' statement that there may never be a Covid-19 vaccine, she said he was warning people not to believe that the problem will be solved in 6 or 12 months as the world had still not understood the virus and developing a successful vaccine for lifelong protection was not easy. "He is preparing people for long term. He is saying vaccine is not a silver bullet," she said.

Dr. Krishna M. Ella, Chairman and Managing Director, Bharat Biotech International Ltd, urged the minister to announce procurement strategies for Covid-19 vaccines, when they become available.

Mahima Datla, Managing Director, Biological E Ltd, said that their company stands by the philosophy that no person gets left behind, irrespective of their country or financial status and that the vaccines they manufacture be made accessible in an equitable fashion.

Dr. Anand Kumar, Managing Director, Indian Immunologicals Ltd, said that all the organisations working for the vaccine development of Covid-19 in India should come together and collaborate to ensure the timely development of a vaccine in India.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
San Carlos parents are cheering that the school district is offering full-time pandemic day care to working parents, but the cost  $1,750 a month  means its out of reach for some families.

The program, an extension of a paid after-school program, will offer two teachers to supervise play time and distance learning for a group of 12 to 15 students in transitional kindergarten to third grade who bring their own classwork and technology. The school district said its not providing instruction, but child care as an option to purchase for families that need it.

With the start of the school year looming and state guidelines prohibiting a majority of California counties, including those in the Bay Area, from allowing schools to offer in-person instruction, parents, school districts, local governments and nonprofits are scrambling to support those stuck with virtual learning.

But the San Carlos plan has bothered some families. As well-off Bay Area parents have started to form pandemic pods and micro schools for their kids to deal with distance learning, debates about equity and education have raged. Some parents in San Carlos are worried that the districts paid day care  now the only in-person option  is out of reach for some, widening the gap for families who usually depend on school to fill child care needs.

Photos by Jamie Cotten / Special to The Chronicle

Its great that the school is finding creative solutions for working parents and to support students, said Kathryn Boberg, a parent from the public school system. I just hope its open to all working parents and students regardless of income, because its a public school.

San Carlos schools Superintendent Michelle Harmeier said the district was providing a vital resource as a paid option, like it did in the past. In the spring, the child care program laid off workers and kept going for only about 20 kids of essential workers at a budget deficit, she said. The district is extending it this fall because of the demand from families.

Child care advocates say the program points to the problem that there is no single care solution in San Mateo County, which has 26,000 children ages 5 to 12 in households with working parents, according to resource agency Child Care Coordinating Council of San Mateo County.

David Fleishman, the organizations executive director, said the hardest hit are low-income families, especially single mothers and women of color. Their jobs, which are usually more vulnerable and less flexible, depend on affordable care.

The lack of countywide care is highlighting, if it wasnt obvious and severe enough already, the tremendous disparities, he said.

San Mateo County groups are racing to fill a feared child care crisis. Fleishmans organization runs a program that connects low-income families to state-funded vouchers, but said there was already a long waiting list before the pandemic. Now the need has grown, but child care providers dwindled from around 900 to about 240.

The county is allocating $2 million in grants from federal coronavirus funding to help early childhood providers stay afloat, Fleishman said. Advocacy group Community Equity Collaborative and Redwood City Councilwoman Giselle Hale kicked off a fundraising campaign Tuesday to double that amount.

But these funds are geared only for early childhood, leaving the parents of school-age kids still wanting, Hale said. As a working mother of a special education child, she said she shelved her consulting firm job to supervise schooling and provide care and has watched the careers of her friends who are also moms crumble during the pandemic.

Other cities are funding their own programs. San Francisco is opening learning hubs to help kindergarten through sixth-grade students, especially those without access to the internet or support from working parents. The city-run learning hubs are free and prioritize the children of essential workers as well as vulnerable kids.

Jamie Cotten / Special to The Chronicle

The state Public Health Departments reopening guidelines prohibit in-person instruction if a school is in a county on the state monitoring list. As of Monday, every county in the Bay Area is on the list and none is approved for opening, although schools can apply for a waiver to reopen in-person learning.

The San Carlos school district says its program will provide child care, not education.

Were providing a critical child care support for parents who need it, and we understand that all parents are going to be challenged in supporting their children with distance learning this year, Harmeier said. Were only doing it because parents are asking us to please provide day care.

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.

Kathy Parmer-Lohan, director of the San Carlos Education Foundation, which raises money for schools, said the district is doing its best with limited resources.

Theyre trying to accommodate child care where they can, but they cant help every family, she said. They dont have the budget to offer that for all students.

Priority for registration is given to school district staff, essential workers, and households where parents are required to work outside of the home, then will be opened to other families.

The program is available to students at four elementary schools in the district, which has more than 3,000 students. Parents can choose two, three, or five days of child care from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. for $11 an hour. The schedule is blocked off into playtime, supervised virtual classwork, and outside activities. The program pledges to practice safety protocols, including masking, no mixing of groups, physical distancing, daily health checks, and regular cleaning and handwashing.

The district estimates 75 to 100 kids will participate, Harmeier said.

Kendra Campbell, Parent Teacher Association president at Arundel Elementary School, said she is fortunate that she can supervise her incoming first-grade son and third-grade daughters schooling since she works from home.

She knows not everyone has the resources to pay for day care through the school district or elsewhere. In the spring, the Parent Teacher Association pooled resources and created a program to give Safeway gift cards to families in need. In a pandemic, no options are easy for working parents, she said.

The school district is providing the best education with the constraints that were under, she said. Its a tough situation any way you look at it. I dont want teachers to be at risk, I dont want kids to fall behind, but this isnt making anybody happy. We have to do the best we can.

Mallory Moench is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: mallory.moench@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @mallorymoench
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The UK government suffered a defeat as it attempted to pass a policing bill that would have restricted protests outside parliament. Home Secretary Priti Patel's policing bill would crack down on protests in central London outside the Houses of Parliament, Downing Street and Whitehall. The bill deems any demonstration that makes "the passage of a vehicle more difficult" illegal, severely restricting the size of protests in these areas. Protesters would have been at risk of lengthy prison sentences by the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill as actions such as making loud noise could be deemed as "serious annoyance." However, an amendment protecting ways to organise protests around parliament was passed in the House of Lords on Monday (January 17). Footage from January 17 shows protesters supporting the Kill the Bill movement gathering in Parliament Square, central London. The Kill the Bill movement has been strongly opposed to the policing bill and have organised a long series of protests across the UK.
Members of Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) have welcomed the decision to allow malls to operate between 9am and 7pm from August 5.

The decision was taken on July 31 when new guidelines were issued by Pune municipal commissioner Vikram Kumar.

Amitabh Taneja, chairman, Shopping Centres Association of India, said, SCAI has developed and rolled out stringent standard operating procedures (SOPs) in over 500 shopping malls across the country that opened up and have successfully been able to implement social distancing guidelines along with other necessary measures in the best possible manner.

The mandatory use of the governments Aarogya Setu app to enter malls, reduced parking to maintain social distancing, encouraging contactless payments, isolation room facility, availability of oxygen cylinders, ambulance-on-call, are some of the measures undertaken, added Taneja.

As per data available with the SCAI, there are more than 20 malls in Pune and seven in Pimpri-Chinchwad.

Even though shops in malls were not open since the last four months, mall owners were completely keeping tight security checks and hygiene at the malls.

We all are geared up to follow the hygiene norms as per SOPs given by Shopping Centres Association of India. On every floor, there will be a social distancing officer to guide the people. The officer will keep a track of people to make sure that there is no rush or crowd, said Shashank Pathak, centre director, Westend mall, Aundh.

The Westend Mall has also tied up with an hospital which is just 500 metres from the mall. If the mall administration finds a case where a person is coughing or he/she displays temperature anomalies then they will be put under the isolation facility,which has been made in the parking slot.

Patients can be kept safely at the isolation facility. We will call an ambulance and doctors and they will be escorted out of the mall, added Pathak.

Rashmi Sen, chief operations officer - malls, The Phoenix Mills, said, This is a positive step towards rekindling Indias consumption story. Our malls have incorporated the highest quality SOPs to ensure the safety of our customers, retail partners and employees across our properties.

We are fully prepared to welcome our guests with the new safe shopping experience, she added.
Staff who have returned to campus say there are many reasons why working at Epic is better, Faulkner wrote. For example, they say that when we are at work we are on the Epic network and connections to the software and each other are better. You can shut the office door and focus without distractions, which is not always possible if you live with others or in a noisy environment.
A medical professional takes a throat swab sample for a nucleic acid test at Beijing Anzhen Hospital, affiliated to Capital Medical University, in Chaoyang District in late June. [Xinhua]

China continues to conduct testing for COVID-19. While the pandemic has been brought largely under control in the country, new cases are still surfacing.

The coronavirus disease has killed more than 600,000 people and sickened 18 million globally. Death toll on the Chinese mainland was 4,634 and confirmed infections 84,428 as of Monday.

China Daily spoke with some who had taken nucleic acid tests in Beijing recently about their experiences. The interviewees of different ages got the test as a requirement for travel or work. Such a test extracts the viral RNA, if present, via a swab sample.

While government-mandated testing is free of cost, individuals taking the test on their own pay from 100 yuan ($15) to 600 yuan plus in the city, depending on the hospital or medical company, the interviews suggest.

Shaun Bliss, a British technology consultant who visited Beijing recently, said he took the test in Haidian District on June 29 prior to his train trip to Hebei Province. "At the station, everyone was indeed asked for their proof of test."

Bliss booked an appointment through a testing company and paid 260 yuan. A private hospital had quoted him 608 yuan.

"Two people tested at all times. Four people were doing the paperwork and handing out tubes with barcodes. Each test (throat swab) took about 40 seconds. The waiting time was approximately 30 to 40 minutes," he said of the site, a hotel parking lot.

All interviewees said the result was available within 48 hours, first online and then on paper. A negative result is usually valid for a week.

It was his eighth COVID-19 test. "I have also had three antibody blood tests. The others all during the first month of my return to China from abroad."

He said testing is necessary to mitigate the threat of the virus. "Especially if one surprise symptomatic case is found, like in the Xinfadi market outbreak."

Cluster infections of more than 100 had emerged linked to Beijing's largest wholesale food market in mid-June. Many have been tested since.

Bliss recommended testing a random sample of people in a city each month and overseas travelers weekly for five weeks upon their return.

China announced travel restrictions for foreigners in March, but some flights have come into the country since with mostly overseas Chinese travelers and few foreigners who undergo mandatory, paid quarantine in hotels.

Yan Duan, an office worker in Beijing, took her first COVID-19 test along with her family on June 24 in Daxing District. The area was among locations where municipal authorities organized testing kiosks near residential compounds after the market outbreak.

"The test was for free. You gave your name and ID and were told about a time when the entire compound could line up," she said. "It was a voluntary sign up."

Yan said three kiosks were set up outside 22 buildings there. "Thousands took the batch tests over three or four days."

She did the test again on July 21 at a public hospital ahead of a business trip to Jilin Province. She called 114, a city-service number, to schedule her test that cost 120 yuan. The site was packed on the day, but the process was quick, she said.

Medical workers in hazmat suits inside testing booths collect swab samples through counters, a protocol similar to other countries.

Yan would have had to produce her result at the airport. Her trip was canceled last week after dozens of new infections were detected in parts of China.

Yan said testing should be voluntary and that data privacy is equally important. Health authorities should notify residents of an area where an infection is found for effective contact-tracing but the identity of an individual who tests positive should not be disclosed to the public, she said.

"I saw in a group chat (of a phone app) one such person's identity leaked, including information about the family," she said. "Usually officials will not reveal names in public, but they also need to stop any leaks to protect privacy."

Donna Du, the owner of a hair salon in Beijing, did two free tests  outside her apartment in Dongcheng District on June 30 as part of mass testing after the city's "second wave" and near her workplace in Chaoyang District on July 1 following service industry requirements.

By testing, Du said, she and her staff members are making the salon safer for patrons at a time when business is down.

Steven White, an associate professor at Tsinghua University, took a nucleic acid test in a Chaoyang hospital on July 21 before leaving for a bike tour in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. He was looking forward to taking a flight, White, an American, said prior to his journey.

He went for the test without an appointment or a referral, fed his information into an app, got labels for vials, made the sound "Aaah" for a throat swab and left after giving a nurse the labels. The process was about 10 minutes long and cost 100 yuan, he said. "There should be as few barriers to testing as possible."

China and some places in Southeast Asia have coped better with COVID-19, owing perhaps to the region's experience of SARS in 2003-04, he said.

More than 100 hospitals and companies have conducted the tests in Beijing in the past two months, according to Hong Liu, project manager for COVID-19 testing at Mygenostics Inc, a Chinese company that works on genetic diagnosis.

After the mid-June infections in the city, the company initially did"10,000 tests a day"  while some people visited the facility, its teams mostly went to sites to collect swab samples with the help of volunteer nurses from hospitals, Hong said.

"We still have hundreds daily." A test costs 178 yuan at the facility.

Swab samples are transported in special containers from testing sites to the company's lab for analysis. At least 90 samples can be tested at one time in one part of a machine. A batch analysis takes three hours or more, a standard practice, he said.

If part of the RNA in a swab sample matches that of the virus, the test is positive.

(Source: China Daily)
Thiruvananthapuram, August 04 : Healthcare experts have taken exception to the CPI(M)-led LDF governments decision to deploy police officers for tracing the primary and secondary contacts of covid-19 positive patients.

The Kerala unit of the Indian medical association (IMA) on Tuesday wrote to chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan urging him to reconsider the decision. The IMA is of the view that healthcare professionals would be more suited to carry out contact tracing.

The police could support the healthcare professionals in covid containment measures by ensuring people adhere to quarantine regulations and similar things but they lacked the requisite expertise to carry out contact tracing, the IMAs letter suggested.

The IMA also reportedly expressed its displeasure at the endorsement given by the chief minister and health minister K K Shailaja to the use of homeo medicines pushed by the ayush ministry of the central government purportedly to boost immunity.

IMA Kerala unit vice president Sulfi Noohu told a private news channel that the IMA was opposed to the governments decision to have the police carry out contact tracing.

The police force was already stretched. Deploying them for covid contact tracing would overburden them, he opined.

He also said that he was of the view that a compassionate approach was needed while carrying out covid-related activities like contact tracing. So healthcare professionals would be better suited for the task than police officers, he added.

The chief minister in his daily press briefing the other day had announced that police officers would be deployed for tracing the primary and secondary contacts of covid-19 patients in view of the surge in cases of the contagious infection. This would reduce the burden on healthcare workers, who in turn could focus on treating the covid patients, he had reasoned.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
SoftBank Group Corp under-reported income to Japan's tax authorities by around 40 billion yen ($380 million) in the financial year ended March 2019, a person with knowledge of the matter said, requiring the conglomerate to resubmit filings. The under-reported income was offset by losses recorded that year, the person said, meaning no additional tax was paid.

SoftBank was told it booked expenses in the wrong period, made calculation errors when converting foreign denominated debt and under-reported income at overseas affiliates, SoftBank said without providing details. SoftBank's domestic wireless unit, SoftBank Corp, was also told it under-reported income by 3 billion yen due to booking expenses in the wrong period, a spokesman for the telco said.

It paid additional tax of more than 1 billion yen, the spokesman said.

Also read: PUBG in India: Gamers stare at huge losses if govt goes ahead with ban
ISTANBUL  Turkish media was abuzz with rumors on Aug. 4 that Muharrem Ince, a former presidential candidate and member of Turkeys main opposition Republican Peoples Party (CHP), is seeking to establish his own breakaway party following disagreements with CHP leadership.

The news was initially reported Aug. 1 by the pro-government Hurriyet newspaper, which described Ince as frustrated with his minor role in CHP politics following a failed presidential bid in the 2018 elections. The next day, Ince said in a tweet he did not speak with any news outlet and he would explain himself after he made a decision that I believe is right for my country.

Then on Aug. 4, Saygi Ozturk, a reporter with the opposition paper, Sozcu, published an interview with an Ince aide who said the politician would leave the CHP and form a new party before the end of the year.

Our party will have individuals who are experts in their fields, and their presence will excite everyone, Ince allegedly told Sozcu through the unnamed aide.

While the reports remain unconfirmed, observers said Ince may be floating a trial balloon to gauge his popularity if he were to undertake such a feat. A longtime key figure in the CHP known to draw crowds with his charisma and fiery speeches, Ince has been largely sidelined in the party since the 2018 elections against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, in which he drew about 30% of the vote.

Frustrated by his sliding stature in recent years, Ince may be trying to leverage rumors he is forming a new party to gain concessions from CHP leadership, said Merve Tahiroglu, Turkey program coordinator at Washington-based Project on Middle East Democracy.

He hasnt done anything really over the last two years, so its not like he has a promising new platform or an agenda that is radically different than the CHPs, Tahiroglu said. He seems disgruntled that he hasnt been given a better leadership role within the CHP, and thats why hes doing this."

The developments come after the CHP held a congress on July 25 in which Kemal Kilicdaroglu was re-elected as party chair for the seventh time since he first took the helm in 2010.

During the event, key party figures from the CHPs Istanbul branch were celebrated, including City Mayor Ekrem Imamoglu and Provincial President Canan Kaftancioglu, both of whom have gained international recognition after sweeping into power with victories in the 2019 municipal elections.

Left out of the spotlight was Ince, who currently holds no formal position after serving two terms as CHP parliamentary group deputy chair and has been largely out of public view since the presidential run. In the Sozcu interview, Ince reportedly complained he was seated next to the bathroom during the congress and he took offense at the perceived gesture.

Hes been very much isolated, excluded from elite politics with the CHP  and Kilicdaroglu hasnt given any indication hell be a candidate for the party in the next presidential election, Berk Esen, assistant professor for International Relations at Bilkent University in Ankara, told Al-Monitor.

Esen added, I think thats why hes considering this move. He realized there isnt any path to the top for him as long as Kilicdaroglu is there.

Two years earlier, Ince stood as a formidable challenger to Erdogan, drawing broad national appeal by embracing conservative values often dismissed by CHP figures and performing traditional folk dances on the campaign trail. Yet his time in the limelight ended suddenly on June 24, 2018, when election results signaled a CHP loss and he was nowhere to be found.

His brand as an outspoken political force instantly collapsed when he abstained from giving a concession speech that night, instead telling a reporter via mobile text message that he had lost the elections.

When I look at social media and when I speak with people about Ince, I see many have never forgotten that night, said Edgar Sar, a political scientist and co-founder of the IstanPol Institute, a think tank based in Turkey.

More recently, Ince made headlines by joining the first mass prayers outside Istanbuls Hagia Sophia, which was reconverted into a mosque following a July court decision. Though the CHP has long maintained a secular approach to party politics, Ince was among the first modern party figures who did not shy from religious subjects and broadened the partys appeal to pious voters.

Following Inces gains with conservatives, the CHP introduced other candidates who publicly exhibited religious values such as current Istanbul Mayor Imamoglu.

In some ways, I think he set the mold that Imamoglu refined. The secularists who can pray, Alan Makovsky, a senior fellow for National Security and International Policy at the Center for American Progress, told Al-Monitor.

But I dont see him making a ripple if he were to form his own party, Makovsky added.

Though he remains a charismatic figure with name recognition among older CHP voters, observers believe he does not have the support to create a formidable political movement.

He will have to rely on his charisma and nothing else, Sar told Al-Monitor. That charisma has limits.

Still, since the establishment of Turkeys presidential system in 2018, which allows for party alliances to help smaller political groups surpass the nations 10% electoral threshold, some believe Inces future maneuvers could have an impact beyond the further fragmentation of opposition movements.

Under a presidential system with alliance politics, two percentage points means a lot, Esen said. Thats the reason why Kilicdaroglu talks with Temel Karamollaoglu, even though his [Felicity] Party gets 0.5% of the vote.

Yet for now, many view the rumors of a new party led by Ince as a negotiation tactic with Kilicdaroglu. Tahiroglu said Ince represents a confrontational approach to politics that has tired voters seeking less polarizing leaders after a slew of election cycles over the last six years.

The decision to form a new party seems completely unnecessary in this political climate, particularly from the left bloc, Tahiroglu told Al-Monitor.
TikTok, probably the most controversial social media website out there, that has been caught for doing may unsavoury practices in the past that the company wants us to forget. From spying on its users to questionable data security practices to censorship to blocking content from the LBGTQ+ community is the unfortunate legacy of the Chinese social media website that we cannot afford to forget any longer. Weve compiled four instances whether the social media platform was found indulging in shady practices until its very recent ban that everyone should know about.

1. Spying On Phones

iOS 14 beta has a banner to confirm when you paste from another device (eg copy on a Mac and paste on iPhone)



Seems to be bugging out and showing with every keystroke in TikTok pic.twitter.com/aFKNfZnpyb  Jeremy Burge (@jeremyburge) June 24, 2020

Thanks to the upcoming iOS 14 Beta update, it was discovered TikTok had been spying on every text you would copy on your clipboard. The app could read any text that had been copied on your phone and was used for tracking users. In April this year, TikTok was also found to be tracking users with invasive practices and promised to stop spying on its users. However, this discovery was the last blow for many users who simply could not forgive the app for spying on private and sensitive text messages. It is also assumed TikTok may have been spying on Android users as well using a similar tactic.

2. Suppress Poor and Ugly Users

 Intercept

Yup, it sounds exactly what it is supposed to mean. In a leaked internal document, TikTok asked its moderators to not promote any content from poor users with videos shot in slums or dilapidated housing. The moderators were also asked to suppress content creators with ugly facial looks and described them as undesirable users. These undesirable users were also described in detail with attributes such as being chubby, obese, too thin, abnormal body shapes, having a beer belly, too many wrinkles or have medical issues such as dwarfism. TikTok said that these practices were issued to prevent bullying on its platform; however, the intention seemed way more sinister as the company was looking to improve its image. The same directive was also used to block content from LGBTQ+ content creators as well.



3. Anti-China Content Censorship

So @TikTok_IN has removed my last video which had jokes on China, jaisa desh, vaisi app. Kuch bolne ki freedom hi nahi hai.  Saloni Gaur (Nazma Aapi) (@salonayyy) May 29, 2020

 x_feroza_TikTok

There have been numerous instances where TikTok outright deleted content on the platform that was critical of the Chinese Government. Previously, the social media platform banned any pro-democracy acts in Hong Kong and content around the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989. The social media platform also blocked American user Feroza Azizs viral video that disguised a makeup tutorial video to talk about the Uighur internment camps in China. Similarly, the social media platform also removed Indian comedian Saloni Gaurs video that consisted jokes on the Chinese Government, TikTok and Chinese apps in general.



4. China Data Storage

 BCCL

TikTok was using and storing most of the data gathered from the social media platform in China which can be used by the Chinese authorities for spying purposes. TikTok was banned in India due to these very reasons and now wants to come back to the county and store data locally. The reason why this is a big deal is as there is a certain law that mandates Chinese organisations and citizens to support, assist and cooperate with the state intelligence work in accordance with the law, and keep the secrets of the national intelligence wprks known to the public.


Absent a deal with Microsoft or another U.S. company TikTok will have to close its U.S. operations by Sept. 15, President Trump said Monday.

I dont mind whether its Microsoft or someone else, a big company, a secure company, a very American company buys it, Trump told reporters at the White House. Itll close down on Sept. 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal, so the Treasury of the United States gets a lot of money.

The federal government will have to be paid an amount equal to a percentage of the deal, whether its Microsoft or somebody else or it was Chinese, he said.

The president had initially said on Friday that he would immediately ban the short-form video app on Saturday through an executive action. However, after speaking with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella over the weekend, the president gave the company 45 days to work out a deal with ByteDance, the Chinese technology firm that owns TikTok.

Microsoft is looking to purchase TikToks operations in the U.S., Canada, Australia, and New Zealand by the Sept. 15 deadline and, Microsoft said in a blog post Sunday, it might invite other American investors to take minority stakes in the deal.

The United States should get a very large percentage of that price, because were making it possible, Trump said when asked about his call for the Treasury to get paid a share of a TikTok deal. Microsoft said it would provide economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury in its statement on Sunday.

It would be unprecedented for the U.S. government to collect a portion of a transaction involving companies in which it doesnt hold a stake.

As part of the deal, Microsoft said it would make sure private data of the apps 165 million American users would be transferred to and stored in the United States, though a TikTok spokesperson said that data is already stored in the U.S.

The White House and other lawmakers have voiced concern that ByteDance could give up American users data to the Chinese Communist Party or use the app to influence its users.

Story continues

Trump said Monday that TikTok cant be controlled for security reasons by China. Too big, too invasive, and it cant be. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo accused TikTok and other Chinese apps of feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party in a Fox News appearance on Sunday.

[Microsoft] is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury, Microsoft said.

During this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President, the company added.

More from National Review
The hearing was virtual. The teen, who is in the custody of the Department of Youth Rehabilitation Services, was not seen on camera since he was not in the courthouse. Instead, his attorneys, the judge and prosecutors appeared. The teen was heard answering several questions posed by the judge.
The Solar Park project is the largest single-site solar power plant in the Middle East. It comprises both photovoltaic and concentrated solar power technologies and will boast a total capacity of around 5GW once complete.

The two groups have been cooperated with each other in the 700MW Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) project and the 250MW PV solar power project, which are the fourth phase of the Solar Park. Shanghai Electric Group worked with ACWA Power for bidding the tender of the latest phase of 900MW and finally won.

The global solar power industry is booming in the recent years. Marked by this new phase of partnership, Shanghai Electric Group has cemented its expansion in new energy sector in the Middle East and is expected to expand eventually across the globe.

"ACWA Power and Shanghai Electric are both acknowledged as important participators in the global energy field. The contract signing of 900MW Solar Park project is another milestone along the journey of the pair's cooperation. I hope the upcoming plant will be another benchmark in the region as well as worldwide," said Zheng at the ceremony.

Abunayyan said at the event that since the inception of the partnership in 2008, ACWA Power and Shanghai Electric Group have made quite a lot of breakthroughs, demonstrating to the world that the Group is a reliable and trusted partner. "As we move swiftly forward with implementation, the signing of the EPC contract between ACWA Power and Shanghai Electric for the fifth phase of the Solar Park project represents a crucial milestone of the cooperation between the two companies," said Abunayyan. He added that to the latest project, the Group will bring more pioneering technologies and create larger value than before.

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Solar Park will be a key pillar in fulfilling Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050 to increase the share of clean energy in Dubai's total power output to 75 per cent by 2050. The project sets the benchmark for the rest of the world through leveraging the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model and carrying forward large-scale, cost-competitive projects.

For more information, visit www.shanghai-electric.com

Video - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1222980/900MW.mp4

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1190744/Logo.jpg

Related Links

www.shanghai-electric.com



SOURCE Shanghai Electric
Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio

The Hurdy Gurdy Museum of Vintage Radio was set up in the Martello Tower at Abbey Street in Howth, Co. Dublin by the late Pat Herbert in 2003.

Pat started his wonderful collection in London in the 1950s and continued until his death on June 18th 2020. An amateur radio station EI0MAR was set up in the tower, facilitated by Tony EI5EM. We are delighted to announce that the great work will be continued by Pats son Simon.

The museum is currently closed due to Covid-19 but will reopen as soon as possible. You can contact the museum by email at hgmovr at gmail.com or by phone on 086-3818865. You can visit the website at

https://sites.google.com/site/hurdygurdymuseum/home

IRTS
Kabul/New Delhi, Aug 4 : Of the 11 ISIS suicide bombers involved in the Afghanistan prison break terror attack that left 39 people dead on Monday, one was a doctor from Kerala.

Official sources told IANS that the ISIS suicide bomber has been identified as Kallukettiya Purayil Ijas, a physician and resident of Kasargod in Kerala.

On Sunday evening, as per official sources in Kabul, 11 ISIS terrorists stormed the Jalalabad prison to break free their cadres, killing 39 people. In a fierce gun-battle which lasted for almost 24 hours, the Afghan security forces killed all the 11 attackers.

Ijas, according to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) which has been investigating his case, went to Afghanistan to join the Islamic State's Khorasan Province branch of Daesh, the global Islamist terror group, in 2016.

As per the NIA chargesheet in the case, Ijas had gone to Afghanistan along with his pregnant wife Reffeala. While Ijas at the time was 33 years old, his wife was 26. Sources said Reffeala and their child are in the custody of Afghan authorities.

In July 2016, a parent from Kasargod had lodged a police complaint, stating that his 30-year-old son Abdul Rashid was missing along with his wife Ayisha (Sonia Sebastian) and child for almost two months after they had gone to Mumbai.

Around the same time, 14 other cases of missing people, including Ijas, were registered by their parents and relatives in the police station of the same area. Preliminary investigation revealed that the missing persons had left India to join the ISIS.

During the investigation by Kerala Police, the role of 29-year-old Yasmeen Mohammad Zahid, a resident of Batla House in Jamia Nagar, New Delhi, but originally from Sitamarhi district in Bihar, as a co-conspirator of Abdul Rashid was revealed.

She was arrested on August 1, 2016, after she got intercepted at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi while attempting to flee India for Afghanistan along with her child.

As per the Kerala police, Yasmeen was actively aiding Abdul Rashid in his activities, including raising funds to support the ISIS. The case was handed over to the NIA after she was arrested.

The NIA investigation revealed that Yasmeen "was highly influenced and radicalised with the pro-jihadi ideology" and recruited the main accused Abdul Rashid. She "compelled her husband to divorce her and upon her compulsion, her husband pronounced third talaq in the month of Ramadan, 2015. Immediately after the third talaq, she had left her place of work at Kollam and gone to the house of Ijas at Kasargod for attending the secret, pro-ISIS classes conducted by Abdul Rashid," the NIA chargesheet said.

The NIA investigation revealed that Abdul Rashid, Yasmeen and others were involved in activities to further the objectives of the ISIS in Kerala and other places of India. Fifteen people, including Ijas, had fled from Kerala to join the terror group in Nangarhar province in Afghanistan.

Though the NATO and Afghan forces claim to have killed most ISIS members in Nangarhar, sources said many escaped from the area unscathed. In the chargesheet, the NIA listed Ijas, a resident of Hamsa Sagar, Thekkepuram, near the government hospital in Padana, Kasargod, as an accused and absconder in the case.
Were excited to have a space of our own as we simultaneously welcome new clients and hires to the ARPR family.

ARPR, an award-winning tech PR agency at the epicenter of the future of PR, announced that it has expanded from co-working space to approximately 1,000 square feet in historic uptown New Orleans. The relocation of its second office comes shortly after the company more than tripled the size of its headquarters in Atlanta, moving into 7,300 square feet in the BB&T Tower in Atlantic Station.

This week marks eight years since our agency was born out of my (tiny) dining room in Atlanta. From there, we opened our New Orleans office in a local co-working space, which we called home the past seven years, said ARPRs CEO Anna Ruth Williams. "Were excited to have a space of our own as we simultaneously welcome new clients and hires to the ARPR family.

The new office space will support the agencys projected growth in the second half of the year while providing an environment for its employees to continue to push the limits of what a PR firm can achieve. The new, collaborative workspace offers outdoor workspaces, a private conference room, an abundance of soft seating and natural lighting and an improved layout that will help with both solo and team work.

Every element of the ARPR brand is strategically crafted to align with our culture and commitment to both employees and clients, said Blair Broussard, ARPRs Chief Operations and People Officer. Members of our Army of Awesome have missed each other during COVID-19, but the new street-level office is spacious enough that our Louisiana team can safely work on a flexible schedule and get their (masked) facetime fix!

To learn more about ARPRs client roster, marketing services and to view our job openings, visit http://www.arpr.com.

ABOUT ARPR

ARPR is an award-winning tech PR agency at the epicenter of the future of PR. Headquartered in Atlanta, ARPR helps its clients reputations thrive and their sales pipelines prosper through highly-integrated marketing strategies that push the limits of what a public relations firm can achieve. Since 2012, ARPR has twice been named Small Agency of the Year, dubbed a Best Place to Work six times, was honored as the 2016 Technology Agency of the Year, the 2018 Agency that Gets Results and the 2019 Fastest Growing PR Agency. For more information on ARPR clients and services, visit http://arpr.com and follow @AR_ _PR on Twitter and Instagram.
Alayjah Burnett, 12, attends an online class at her home in Vallejo, California, on April 23. Her mother, Michelle Burnett, was denied time off to pick up a laptop from Alayjahs sisters school and then terminated after claiming the leave was permitted under the Families First Coronavirus Relief Act. Burnett was told she fit one of the employer exemptions in the law. Photo: Paul Chinn/The San Francisco Chronicle via Getty Images

Squint and MomPossible.org looks as though its only here to help. Suddenly schooling at home? it asks. Take our quick quiz to unlock your familys sense of freedom and joy during this time of crisis. In a series of videos, harried mothers commiserate with women whose children can no longer go to traditional schools. There are legal resources, practical advice, even a Facebook support group. To an isolated and overwhelmed mother, MomPossible.org could be a rare boon.

But the website is more complicated than it initially appears. A logo at the top left-hand side of the page identifies it as a project of the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, a far-right organization with links to anti-abortion, anti-LGBT activists in the U.S. and overseas, including Russia and Brazil. The groups founder, Michael Farris, now leads the Alliance Defending Freedom, a sprawling legal-advocacy group that opposes marriage equality and civil rights for trans people in the courts. In several places, the site urges mothers to call HSLDA for legal resources and practical help, and its quick start guide to homeschooling directs parents to become members of the organization. Its not exactly a harmless source of pandemic advice for moms.

HSLDAs bid for mainstream appeal arrives at a critical moment for parents. As school districts and states debate reopening plans, parents are beginning to explore nontraditional ways to school. Though its too early to know whether the pandemic will grow HSLDAs membership, other homeschool associations report new interest from frustrated parents. In New Hampshire, groups are seeing a major increase of inquiries [about] homeschooling around the state. It is not isolated to a handful of communities, one advocate told New Hampshire Public Radio. Similar reports from Montana, California, and Alaska suggest that the phenomenon has national scope. At the same time, some virtual charter schools say enrollment has surged, a trend they, too, attribute to the pandemic.

But a minefield awaits anxious parents. Though public schools arent miniature utopias, the alternatives are often poorly regulated, and that can leave parents and children vulnerable to bad actors. Virtual charter schools and lax homeschooling laws facilitate both educational neglect and, in the case of charters specifically, fraud. A parental exodus from traditional public schools could set children back academically  for good.

Virtual charter schools, which offer a fully online curriculum to students, and advocates for homeschooling make bold promises to parents. Children can learn at their own pace, free from uncaring teachers and onerous regulations. Even in normal times, the pitch has appeal. Harsh discipline and testing regimes can earn public education its critics on the left, too, though charter schools arent always much of a reprieve. Draconian  and heavily racialized  discipline policies generate poor publicity for charters, too.

The pandemic didnt necessarily make public school less popular. It simply added an additional variable to parental decision-making. Parents are bracing for all-digital learning or traditional classroom instruction or maybe some combination of the two, and which one they face depends on where they live, not necessarily what they think is best. If parents believe in-person instruction is too dangerous, they may want to go virtual  if the local district, and their own resources, allow it.

In these circumstances, virtual charter schools and homeschooling can have an attraction. Cybercharters promise parents structure and experience. School districts are scrambling to figure out e-learning for the first time; cybercharters have it down pat, at least in theory. Meanwhile, parents who worry that virtual classes will leave their children behind might prefer to formally homeschool. But both options remove children from the level of oversight provided by traditional public schools. The results can be disastrous.

Once parents remove their children from public school in order to teach them full time at home, theyre essentially on their own. The exact level of oversight varies from state to state, but regulations are generally thin stuff. That situation exists in part owing to HSLDA, for whom homeschooling is a front in a much bigger culture war. Government oversight might come between a parent and his God-given right to teach his children whatever and however he pleases. As Political Research Associates observed in a recent watchdog report, HSLDA has lobbied hard against any proposal to regulate home education, most often in the form of testing requirements, school-district reviews of curriculum plans, and the occasional home visit from the state. The groups efforts are successful. In 40 states, parents can homeschool without a high-school diploma, and fewer than half require some form of testing or evaluation for homeschooled children, ProPublica reported in 2015.

Though groups like HSLDA boast of superior academic outcomes for homeschooled students, the lack of regulation means its difficult to track the real success or failure of home education. Meanwhile, high-profile cases of educational neglect and physical abuse illustrate the pitfalls of deregulation. Before David and Louise Turpin imprisoned and starved their 13 children, they told the State of California they intended to operate their own private school at home. They filed the necessary paperwork, and that was the end. The state did not monitor them; never once inquired further about the children in their care. The Turpin case inspired enough temporary horror that some California lawmakers began a push for further regulation. HLSDA opposed them: A representative for the group said at the time that he was satisfied with Californias current homeschooling laws. In a more recent case, fugitives Lori Vallow and Chad Daybell pulled their children, J.J. and Tylee Ryan, out of public school to homeschool not long before the family went missing. The childrens bodies were later discovered on Daybells property. The couple now faces charges in their deaths.

While virtual charters offer a greater level of oversight, and keep children in contact with professional teachers, educational outcomes arent exactly stellar, either. In Oklahoma, where a Republican governor has refused a mask mandate despite rising cases of COVID-19, one virtual charter school provides a useful case study. Epic Charter Schools is adding 1,000 new students a day, the Associated Press reported earlier this July. Oklahoma Watch, a nonprofit investigative outlet, found that fewer than one in five Epic graduates enrolled in a state college, a rate far lower than that reported by traditional public-school districts. Epic also employed fewer college counselors  three for its entire 21,000-student population  while publicly run schools are required to hire one counselor for every 450 children. Students rushed through their courses; two told the outlet they finished entire high-school English classes without reading a single novel. Nationwide, half of all virtual charter schools reported graduation rates of less than 50 percent, EducationWeek reported in 2019.

Epic is also under investigation. An affidavit filed by Oklahoma state investigators in 2019 accused the charter operator of embezzling millions by creating ghost students to artificially inflate attendance figures, according to the Tulsa World. Epic teachers told the paper that school administrators pushed them to participate in the scheme; two eventually sued. Epic attorneys are still fighting the state auditor over a request to review the charter operators spending records. The problem with cybercharters isnt limited to Oklahoma. In Indiana, a Chalkbeat investigation found that cybercharter schools were rarely penalized for poor performance, and there arent many legal mechanisms available to compel oversight bodies to act. Thirty-five virtual or blended-learning charter schools owe the Ohio Department of Education $137 million for misrepresenting enrollment and attendance figures. Half of the institutions have closed, the Columbus Dispatch reported, which means the state might never get its money.

Parents can try to make up academic deficiencies on their own. But most have no teaching experience, and time is a luxury, even if youre stuck at home. Essential workers are still leaving their homes  and children  for their jobs. Parents who can work from home can find it difficult to balance child care with their professional lives, especially if theyre mothers; the coronavirus did not end the second shift. Parents who have been laid off dont exactly have a universe of free time at their disposal, either. The act of looking for work is a job on its own, even when there isnt a historic recession. The virtual charter school must pull its full weight if its going to replace parental assistance in the home. For all the same reasons, a formal homeschool curriculum might not be much of a solution, either. If parents become overwhelmed, children have nowhere else to turn. Families are outside the reach of education professionals altogether. (In the interest of full disclosure, I was homeschooled for eight years.)

Parents tend to love their children, of course. The object of homeschooling full time in lieu of virtual education is to make sure students dont fall behind their peers during the pandemic. But the nations homeschooling laws arent set up to help parents educate, or to make sure children learn  and neither, for that matter, are the regulations set up to govern virtual charter schools. That lax atmosphere maximizes the power of lobbying and advocacy groups  and for them, the pandemic is a rare opportunity. HSLDA subsidizes its work with membership dues, and its effective lobbying efforts rely on enthusiastic supporters. The friendly new face it displays on MomPossible.org is calculated for recruitment. For virtual charter schools like Epic, enrollment is lucrative. A childs right to an education is a secondary concern.

Few people are satisfied with the choices at their disposal next month. Teachers, too, are coping with unprecedented demands, often on top of low salaries and scarce funding. But unless a parent can afford private tutors or nannies, on their own or in conjunction with other households of similar means, education alternatives arent really alternatives at all.
People with cystic fibrosis can apply for a grant to go towards PPE costs (Jane Barlow/PA)

Thousands of people with cystic fibrosis (CF) in Ireland will be given a grant to buy Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

The grant of 100 euros per applicant is in place from today.

Cystic fibrosis is caused by a genetic mutation which disrupts the bodys ability to regulate salt and water transport, causing damage to the lungs, digestive system and other organs.

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland has been helping people with cystic fibrosis during the Covid-19 pandemic through a range of measures.

These measures include the introduction of online counselling for members, access to online exercise supports and mentoring, and financial support for a number of hospital CF units to develop virtual clinics.

The PPE grant fund is now open for applications.



Application for the PPE grant is an ONLINE PROCESS. The value of this grant is 100 per person with CF.



People with cystic fibrosis, or their guardians, wishing to apply can do so online at https://t.co/ot5nguBOI3 pic.twitter.com/T2OTRWAPKL  CF Ireland (@cf_ireland) August 4, 2020

Well-being initiatives have also been launched, alongside teaching support and educational webinars, as well as the provision of practical supports to people with CF such as emergency finance and access to everyday items such as alcohol-based hand gel.

Philip Watt, CEO of Cystic Fibrosis Ireland, said: People with cystic fibrosis are still cocooning but as we move towards further possible relaxation of the Covid-19 regulations in forthcoming weeks and months, it is important that they have some practical assistance towards the costs of PPE if and when they go back to study, training or employment.

While people with cystic fibrosis are well used to observing regular and proper hand-washing, cough etiquette and social distancing, research among our members has highlighted PPE as a particular issue.

As a member-led organisation, we know that there are additional costs associated with purchasing PPE for non-hospital activities and we hope that this initiative will help with some of these additional expenses as we continue to navigate our way through this pandemic.

I would encourage all those with cystic fibrosis in Ireland who feel they would benefit from this grant to apply before the closing date of August 22.

People with cystic fibrosis, or their guardians, can apply online at cfireland.ie.
The rig count in the oil-rich nation of Venezuela has fallen to zero after drilling rig operator Nabors pulled its last rig from service as oil major Chevron halted its drilling program in the troubled South American nation.

Nabors CEO Anthony Petrello told investors Thursday that the company is in the process of shutting down activity in Venezuela. The company's exit comes months after the Trump administration levied harsher sanctions against the country in an attempt to unseat strongman Nicolas Maduro.

Headquartered in Bermuda with its principal offices in Houston, Nabors owned the last operating drilling rig in the entire South American nation, which holds the world's largest proven oil reserves in the world.

The rig had being operating in the Petropiar field where Chevron and the state-owned Petroleos de Venezuela SA, or PDVSA, have a joint venture that has been plagued over the past two years by power failures, equipment theft and a poltical tug-of-war.

Politics: Houston companies caught in political tug-of-war over Venezuela sanctions

Although U.S. officials levied sanctions against Venezuela, the Trump administration issued licenses that allowed Chevron, Nabors, Schlumberger, Hallibuton and Baker Hughes to remain there to counter the Russian and Chinese presence in that nation's vast oil fields.

Nabors had four drilling rigs operating in Venezuela at the beginning of 2019 but gradually pulled them from service over the past year and a half.

In a statement issued in February, Nabors expressed concerns that its rigs ran the risk of being be seized by the Venezuelan government or that it might not get paid for its services.

Fuel Fix: Get daily energy news headlines in your inbox

Venezuela is costing Chevron. The company posted an $8.3 billion loss in the second quarter, of which $2.6 billion came from writing down the value of its assets in the South American nation.

The California oil major has stopped drilling new wells in Venezuela but the company confirms that it still has employees overseeing maintenance and lingering production at their remaining assets.

"Chevron will continue to fulfill its contractual obligations as permitted under the current sanctions and general license, with the intent to return to normal operations in due course," company spokesman Ray Fohr said.

More: Read the latest oil and gas news from HoustonChronicle.com

Maduro has managed to remain in power but the sanctions have cut Venezuelan oil production to 356,000 barrels per day, a level not seen since 1929, said Russ Dallen, founder of the investment bank Caracas Capital.

Nabors pulling its last drilling rig from service and exiting the South American nation bring the rig count there to zero, Dallen said.

"We believe that this is the lowest amount of rigs operating that Venezuela has had since 1914, when the first real Venezuela oil well -- Zumaque-I -- was drilled," Dallen said.
Kareena Kapoor Khan, a fourth-generation actor, has weighed in on the nepotism debate that has been reignited in the wake of Sushant Singh Rajputs death. Those from film families have been at the receiving end of much criticism amid allegations that the late actor was shunned for being an outsider.

In an interview with Barkha Dutt, Kareena said that instead of actually understanding the situation, people are in attack mode. She added that instead of looking at everyone from a privileged background in a negative light, the larger picture needs to be looked at.

21 years of working would not have happened with just nepotism. It is not possible. I can take a long list out of superstars children for whom its not been able to happen that way, she said, adding that the idea is to keep working hard and moving ahead.

Kareena said that she does not look at her journey as having got opportunities just because of her lineage. It might sound weird but my struggle is there. There is a struggle but it probably is not as interesting as somebody who comes in a train with just Rs 10 in his pocket. Yeah, its not been that and I cant be apologetic about it, she said.

According to Kareena, the audience is the final decider of who becomes a star. She cited the example of Shah Rukh Khan and Akshay Kumar, who came with no connections to the film industry, but became successful because the audience welcomed them with open arms.

The audience has made us, nobody else has made us. The same people pointing fingers, they are only making these nepotistic stars. Aap jaa re ho na film dekhne? Mat jao (You are going to watch the films, right? Dont go). Nobody has forced you. So I dont understand it. I find this whole discussion is completely weird, she said.

Kareena said that those coming from film families work just as hard as outsiders. The idea is that today so many of our biggest stars whom you (the audience) have chosen, whether it is Akshay Kumar or Shah Rukh Khan or Ayushmann Khurrana or Rajkummar Rao, are all outsiders. They are successful actors because they have worked hard. Whether it is Alia Bhatt or Kareena Kapoor, we have also worked hard. You are enjoying our films and watching them. So, its the audience that makes or breaks us, she added.

Also read | Amitabh Bachchan hits back at troll who says actor must have taken money from Amul: Dont endorse and never have before

After Sushants death on June 14, it has been alleged that he was replaced from films for being an outsider. Kangana Ranaut claimed that the movie mafia had a role to play in isolating him and destroying his career.

However, Sushants father KK Singh believes that Rhea Chakraborty abetted his suicide and misappropriated crores from his bank account. An FIR has been filed on his complaint against her and six others in Patna under various sections of the Indian Penal Code.

In an interview, Vikas Singh, the lawyer of Sushant Singh Rajputs family, said that the case has nothing to do with nepotism. If tomorrow, the Mumbai Police feel that any outsider or any person who comes from a small town to this industry needs protection and they feel like it is a cognisable offence, then they can go ahead and do that angle, he said.

Maybe an actors association or producers association can take up this matter but I dont think that this case has anything to do with what Kangana has suggested or anybody else is talking about, he added.

. Follow @htshowbiz for more
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 06:08:49|Editor: huaxia

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A nurse takes care of three babies in a damaged hospital after the explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 4, 2020. Two huge explosions rocked Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, leaving at least 50 people killed and 2,500 others injured. The number of casualties were expected to rise as the counting continued. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Two huge explosions rocked Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, leaving at least 50 people killed and 2,500 others injured.

The blasts rocked the Port of Beirut at around 6:10 p.m. local time (1610 GMT), shaking buildings all over the city while causing massive casualties and damages.

Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan was quoted by al-Jadeed TV as saying that more than 50 people were killed and 2,500 others were injured in the blasts.

The number of casualties were expected to rise as the counting continued.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab urged friendly countries to help Lebanon overcome the repercussions of the disastrous explosions.

Meanwhile, Diab declared Wednesday a national mourning day for the victims of the explosions.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for an emergency meeting of the Higher Defense Council to discuss the reasons and repercussions of the explosions.

The causes of the blasts remained unknown, but Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammad Fahmi said that the explosive chemicals stored at Port of Beirut may have caused the explosions.

"Customs' authorities must be asked about the reasons behind storing such chemical materials at Port of Beirut," Fahmi said.

Many countries in the region expressed solidarity and sympathy with Lebanon over the explosions that have dealt a further blow to the country already plagued by the COVID-19 pandemic and an economic crisis.

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday that Iran is ready to offer help to Lebanon after the huge blasts caused massive casualties and damages in Beirut.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon," Zarif tweeted.

"As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary," he said.

"Stay strong, Lebanon," he added.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi also expressed sympathy with the Lebanese government and nation over the incident, while announcing his country's readiness for providing help to the Arab country.

Iran is following the news on the incident with "deep grief" and "expresses solidarity with the Lebanese nation and government at this difficult time," said Mousavi in a statement.

Turkey on Tuesday expressed sorrow over the massive casualties and damages caused by the huge explosions in Lebanon.

Two Turkish citizens were slightly injured in the blasts, said the Turkish Foreign Ministry in a written statement.

"We wish God's mercy on those who lost their lives in this incident, urgent healing to those who were injured, and condolences to the Lebanese people, friends and brothers," said the statement.

Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah al-Sisi extended his condolences to Lebanon over the deadly explosions that rocked the Lebanese capital.

"My sincere condolences and sympathy go to the government and people of Lebanon, over the tragic explosions that happened today in the Lebanese capital Beirut," Sisi wrote on his official Facebook page.

Sisi also wished speedy recovery for those injured in the blasts, while extending condolences to the families of the killed.

Palestine on Tuesday expressed its solidarity with Lebanon following the massive explosions in Beirut.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said his country is ready to provide any support it could to Lebanon to help it recover from the tragedy, while sending his condolences to the families of the victims.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said in a press statement that Palestine is "ready to put all its capabilities" for the service of Lebanon and provide any needed assistance immediately.

Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi also expressed sorrow over the "devastating tragedy," expressing the wish for Beirut to overcome the calamity.

In the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Islamic Hamas movement, phoned Lebanese President Michel Aoun to express his support midst this grave situation in Lebanon. Enditem
Agriculture has been singled out in a unanimous Supreme Court judgement which found that the State failed to provide an adequate plan to tackle greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and climate change.

The court criticised the National Mitigation Plan 2017, produced on foot of the Climate Action and Low Carbon Development Act 2015 which required government to come up with a strategy to drive the country's "transition to a low-carbon, climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable economy by 2050" - or national transition objective (NTO).

The case was taken by a grouping of climate activists and organisations under the Friends of Irish Environment (FIE) banner. FIE want the Government to take more radical action to tackle the climate crisis.

The seven Supreme Court judges found that the National Mitigation Plan was vague, lacked ambition and didn't spell out what society at large was to do to reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. In addition, the plan's efforts to tackle emissions from agriculture were singled out for particular criticism.

The judges said several of the proposals made in the agriculture chapter of the plan required "further research" into areas such as beef genomics and the behavioural barriers which influence farmers' participation in environmental schemes.

"This chapter also contains somewhat vague proposals to 'continue to improve knowledge transfer and exchange to farmers by developing a network across State agencies and relevant advisory bodies' and to 'further develop the range and depth of sustainability information collected for beef, dairy and other agriculture sectors.'"

The judges said there was "a clear statutory obligation on the Government, in formulating a plan, to at least give some realistic level of detail about how it is intended to meet the NTO."

The Government has started work on its new Climate Action Plan with a much more detailed strategy published last year which is now the country's blueprint for tackling climate change.

The new Climate Act will make all Government departments and ministers and all the agencies and bodies under their remit work within 'carbon budgets' and will require specific actions to reduce emissions and detail assessments of how they are performing.
All the ingredients for an Afghan peace deal are now in place, but the various stakeholders must show themselves to be ready and willing to work hard for it to succeed, writes Amina Khan

Statements coming from former Afghan government chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, and, more importantly, the Taliban have been expressing the view that the much-awaited intra-Afghan talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government may finally take place, a key component of the peace process that has been designed to bring stability to Afghanistan.

The fact that the Taliban have expressed their willingness to engage with Kabul is a significant development considering that they have refused to do so in the past, including up until recent weeks. According to the US-Taliban Agreement made in February, the intra-Afghan talks were meant to begin on 10 March, and it has been unclear since if they would in fact begin.

While no specific date has been given, it is evident that the groundwork has already been laid in anticipation of the much-needed talks, such as the appointment of Abdullah as chair of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR) that will spearhead the Afghan peace process on Kabuls behalf. Moreover, like during the previous three-day Eid ceasefire declared by the Taliban from 24-26 May, the group recently declared another three-day ceasefire to respect the Eid Al-Adha.

But while steps are being made in the right direction, issues revolving around the release of Taliban prisoners continue to be contentious. While the Taliban claim to have fulfilled their part of the US-Taliban Agreement by releasing all the 1,000 Afghan government prisoners they held, the Afghan government has yet to fulfill its part by releasing 5,000 Taliban prisoners.

Time and time again, President Ghani has caused unnecessary delays in the release of Taliban prisoners, which has led to a delay in the intra-Afghan talks. However, according to the Afghan government, so far 4,600 Taliban prisoners have been released, including the recently freed 500 Taliban prisoners in response to the groups three-day ceasefire announcement. The fate of the remaining 400 remains unclear although Ghani has said that a loya jirga, or community meeting, will be convened to discuss their release.

While news of the intra-Afghan talks is no doubt a much-needed move in the right direction, it is only the beginning of a highly sensitive and complex process that will require patience and compromise from all sides. After all, as the recent past has shown, highs can quickly be replaced by lows, and a number of hurdles continue to stand in the way of peace.

While the Taliban finally appear to have abandoned their previous rigidity of not engaging with Kabul, their reluctance to abandon or reduce the use of violence against Afghan government forces continues to be a stumbling block in the way of peace. Sustained efforts on all fronts must thus be carried out before optimism can take over.

Due to the language used in the US-Taliban Agreement that says that international forces will not be targeted, the Taliban have halted attacks against these forces. However, they have continued to target government forces. For any meaningful progress towards peace to take place, the Taliban will have to revisit this strategy and realise that they can no longer rely on violence as a means to further their goals.

If the Taliban truly want peace, they must honour their commitment across the board and not differentiate between those they can kill and those they cannot. Their justification for attacking government forces is weak, since no attacks can be condoned. Moreover, they must begin to see the government as an equal. If they can accept the US, their erstwhile primary enemy, as an interlocutor, it is not far-fetched to imagine that they can, and should, also accept the government as an equal.

Moreover, this is a historic opportunity for the Afghans to rewrite their history. For the Taliban, it is a unique and timely moment as well since the group is suffering from war fatigue, and it must desire an end to the decades of bloodshed in the country. The group can also present itself as a responsible and mature stakeholder and secure for itself a legitimate place in the Afghan polity, which is not something that has always been on the cards.

At the same time, Ghani and Abdullah also have the chance to play active and meaningful roles to deliver peace to the Afghan people, who have waited for far too long and gone through far too much violence and trauma. All the ingredients for a peace deal are in place; it is now up to the stakeholders to show themselves as both ready and willing to work hard for it to succeed.

US ROLE

The US, a major stakeholder and signatory to the deal, has a responsibility as well. It must push all sides to fulfill their part of the agreement and ensure a credible and workable peace deal, one that is acceptable to all stakeholders and that is for the benefit of the Afghan people.

As has been seen in the past, haphazard and hasty compromises that are prone to collapse need to be avoided at all costs. Instead, Washington will need to play a proactive role, ensuring it allows the Afghans to come up with their own plans, but knowing when to intervene and put pressure on all sides, particularly the Taliban regarding a reduction and eventual halt in their attacks.

Washington will also have to make sure that the Afghan government does not create hurdles to the implementation of the agreement, such as causing delays in the exchange of prisoners or in the holding of the intra-Afghan talks as it has done in the past.

An important concern that has been missing so far from the discourse about the peace process has been the question of national and social healing as well as national reconciliation and reintegration. Afghanistan needs to see concrete steps made on these fronts. Political and national reconciliation have time and time again posed challenges to pursuing peace talks with the Taliban, thus highlighting the fact that the major threat is not external but internal.

Strategies involving civil society, government bodies and external support must all accompany any political moves for peace. The ownership and desire for it must come from the Afghans themselves, and the countrys political leadership must provide support and a suitable platform. The Afghans have to try and overcome the past, as bloody and difficult as that may be, and forget previous enmities by focusing instead on creating a new history for themselves that must be based on inclusiveness.

But for this to happen, Kabul and the Taliban must move beyond petty politics and think about the people of Afghanistan who have suffered for far too long and who they both claim to represent. The need of the hour is for all Afghans to unite and call for a peaceful and stable future. Without this, the countrys potential that is now often being touted  of mineral resources, of its strategic geographical location in the region, and as a conduit for the whole of South and Central Asia  will be a moot point.

While the results of the intra-Afghan talks will only start to show themselves later, it is important to recognise their occurrence as historic. After all, this will be the first time the Taliban has met with the Afghan government since 2001. Important questions need to be answered, primarily about the desired outcome of the talks.

Now that the intra-Afghan talks are finally on the verge of occurring, critical aspects essential for peace that were overlooked in the US-Taliban Agreement need to be addressed and focused on in the upcoming talks, including the US troop withdrawal. For its part, the US needs to ensure the responsible withdrawal of its forces without undue haste. A hasty withdrawal could have consequences leading to the collapse of the government in Afghanistan and the outbreak of a civil war that could make the country the perfect refuge for terrorists. For now, any reduction in US troops should depend on the outcome of the intra-Afghan talks.

Even though the Taliban have continued to emphasise the need for the withdrawal of the US forces, at the same time the group has stated that it would like to have friendly ties with the US and would like to see the US help to rebuild the country through reconstruction and development, clearly indicating that any remaining US soldiers and contractors could continue to operate in the five military bases in Afghanistan. This highlights the Talibans inclination to accept a continued US presence in the country on their terms.

A ceasefire remains the most difficult pre-requisite for any durable peace process to begin. Therefore, securing a sustained ceasefire and one that holds should be the main focus of the upcoming intra-Afghan talks. Counter-terrorism guarantees by the Taliban have also been a critical condition for the US for any peace deal, and for the most part these have been achieved. The Taliban have not been collaborating with any terrorist groups, and this has been exemplified by their resistance to the Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) in Afghanistan, with which they have fought since the emergence of the Islamic State (IS) group in Afghanistan in 2014/2015.

So far, little to no progress has been made on what kind of political set-up Afghanistan will have in the future after the intra-Afghan talks. It is therefore essential that this future political set-up, together with power-sharing arrangements between the different political factions, the question of a new constitution for Afghanistan and the rights of women, are sincerely addressed in the intra-Afghan talks and not overlooked as they were in the US-Taliban Agreement.

Without addressing such pivotal questions, the talks will be merely an exercise in futility. It is Washingtons responsibility to ensure relative stability in the country before it withdraws its forces, including the creation of an inclusive political set-up that is acceptable to all.

One option could be to push for the continuation of the current political structure and accommodate the Taliban within it. Another option could be for an inclusive interim set-up, an idea which was largely supported by all the Afghan political factions at the 2018 Moscow talks.

Afghanistan has suffered from decades of war, political instability and corruption. The new challenge of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has already claimed more than 1,200 lives in the country, is a huge test for its political leadership but also an opportunity for all Afghans to come together, to accommodate each other and to take a chance on peace.

The aim now more than ever should be to focus on achieving peace in Afghanistan. As a first positive gesture, the Taliban must demonstrate a visible reduction in violence, not as a means of weakness or surrender, but rather as an opportunity to further their cause through political engagement. This should be accompanied by the upcoming intra-Afghan talks, which should lead to a timeframe for a gradual and responsible US troop withdrawal, leading to a sustained and credible ceasefire that is not prone to collapse.

*The writer is director of the Centre for the Middle East and Afghanistan at the Institute of Strategic Studies in Islamabad.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Since the church launched its capital campaign in January, St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church in The Woodlands has been raising the funds for a $16.1 million expansion plan that will start with a new chapel.

By the end of next month, the church is expected to have its plans for the chapel submitted to The Woodlands Township.

The Horizon campaign aims to raise $10 million to finish three construction projects and an outreach project to help rebuild Catholic churches that are part of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston that were impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

The three construction projects are a $4.5 million new chapel, a $7 million multi-purpose building, and a $2 million welcome center and a $2.6 million outreach project. Altogether, the projects are estimated to cost $16.1 million, but St. Anthony plans on raising $10 million and financing $6.1 million through the archdiocese.

The church raised half of its goal in the first 90 days, but when COVID-19 hit the fundraising slowed down. For the moment, fundraising for the rest of the $10 million is on hold until the economy settles. But the chapel project is moving forward now and the church hopes to break ground before the end of the year, said Stephen Lenahan, director of Development and Communications for St. Anthony.

We started here in 1997 with 300 families at Oak Ridge High School, and since that time, in 23 years, weve grown from 300 families to over 7,500 families, Lenahan said of the churchs need for a new chapel. Even before coronavirus, it became a space issue just booking weddings, funerals, other liturgical events throughout the year.

The church does have a small chapel already that sits about 50 people but it is used daily, which puts it mostly out of commission for events. The new chapel will seat 350 people and will primarily be used for daily mass, weddings, funerals, and any other liturgical celebration that doesnt need to be in the main church, which seats about 1,500.

The chapel will be named Our Lady of the Angels after a chapel in Assisi, Italy, that Saint Francis thought he was called by God to rebuild. The chapel remains today and as an early Franciscan, Saint Anthony would have prayed and visited the chapel.

Lenahan said the church is planning on an 11 to 12-month build, ideally opening the doors to the new chapel by Christmas of 2021. The chapel design was already approved by the township in a previous capital campaign but was added to this new campaign. Lenahan said the church hopes to be finished with the permitting process by the end of September.

The architecture is going to be rich in Catholic tradition and art, Lenahan said. Its going to be a little bit different than our main sanctuary when you walk into it.

In classic Catholic tradition, the church has been gifted 15 saint relics that will be housed in the new chapel.

More information about the capital campaign can be found at ap-horizon-english.squarespace.com.

jamie.swinnerton@chron.com
A deal to sell Peterboroughs municipally owned electricity distribution system to Hydro One closed on the weekend for $105 million after nearly five years of discussion and planning.

The sale includes the wires, poles and transformers of Peterborough Utilities, which delivers electricity to 37,000 customers in Peterborough, Lakefield and Norwood.

Now that the deal has closed, the city is expecting to net somewhere between $50 and $55 million once fees and debate are paid.

On Tuesday morning there was a gathering outside the Peterborough Utilities offices on Ashburnham Drive to mark the closing of the sale.

Mayor Diane Therrien was there along with other local politicians and Hydro One officials.

The moneys been received in escrow, she said, and will be transferred to the city later this month, with a council debate  perhaps in fall  about how exactly to use the proceeds going forward.

Therrien had not been in favour of the sale when the previous council approved it (she was a councillor then).

She said Tuesday that people asked her when she was campaigning for mayor whether she would undo the sale.

That wasnt feasible, she said, so the city worked to ensure jobs would be retained and citizens would see some benefits from the sale.

I think right now its about working together and moving forward, in the spirit of partnership, she said.

No ones losing a job, said Hydro One vice-president of distribution Lyla Garzouzi, on Tuesday.

She also said Hydro One is still planning to build a new operations centre and a fleet maintenance garage in Peterborough.

Starting this month, Garzouzi added, customers will see their base distributions rates decreased by one per cent and frozen for five years.

Meanwhile Hydro One has also donated $25,000 to the YES shelter for youth and families, as well as $75,000 that will be shared between the communities served by PDI for as-yet unspecified projects.

PDI was the distribution arm of Peterborough Utilities Inc., which will continue to exist as a power generation company.

Peterborough Utilities Inc. was founded 105 years ago; PDI was one of its branches.

The sale idea was first proposed to council in early 2016, and it was never popular with the public: many citizens were concerned a sale would send electricity rates soaring.

But the board of City of Peterborough Holdings Inc., which governs PDI, had advised council at the time that replacement of PDIs aging infrastructure would cost so much it would soon threaten the distribution systems viability, and so the city was better off to sell.

Now that its sold, council has several options to consider for using the proceeds.

So far councillors have voted only to invest the principal and spend the returns, with no decision yet on exactly where to invest that money and what projects could benefit from the generated interest.

Therrien said that although $50 million may seem like a lot of cash, it could be spent in a day on a single project (the new twin pad arena planned for Fleming College, the mayor cited as an example).

It ($50 million) sounds like a lot  but really we do need to be careful how were allocating it, Therrien said.

Otherwise, its like when people blow their lottery winnings. We dont want to do that  we want to be smart how we invest it.

Last year city staff suggested council bank the proceeds in a Toronto investment firm or invest in the citys own renewable energy company.

But in June, four new ideas emerged from citizens that council will consider: creating a home energy retrofit program, creating a trust to support renewable energy projects, investing all the money in a local bank (RBC Nesbitt Burns) or investing some of the money in the Community Foundation of Greater Peterborough.
Press Trust of India

US President Donald Trump on Monday said the popular Chinese app, TikTok, would be banned in the country beginning 15 September, unless it is bought by an American company and asserted that a substantial amount of the buyout deal should go to the treasury.

Technology giant Microsoft is in talks with TikTok's parent company ByteDance to buy its US operation.

However, the president is in favour of a complete 100 percent purchase and not the 30 percent as reportedly being negotiated now. Trump confirmed to reporters that he spoke to Microsoft's India-born CEO Satya Nadella on the issue.

"We had a great conversation. He (Nadella) called me to see how I felt about it. I said, look, it can't be controlled for security reasons by China...(its) too big, too invasive. It can't be...I don't mind whether it's Microsoft or somebody else, a big company...American company buys it. It's probably easier to buy the whole thing rather than to buy 30 percent of it," Trump told reporters in the Cabinet Room of the White House.

"I said how do you do 30 percent? Who's going to get the name. The name is hot. The brand is hot. Who's going to get the name and who is going to get that when it's owned by two different companies. So, my personal opinion was, you probably better off buying the whole thing rather than buying 30 percent of it. I think buying 30 percent is complicated and I suggested that he can go ahead. He can try," he said.

Trump said he has "set a date at around September 15 at which point it (TikTok) is going to be out of business in the United States".

However, he said, "If somebody, whether it's Microsoft or somebody else buys it. That would be interesting, I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it."

Trump said there would have to be a substantial payment to the US government as part of the deal.

(Also read: Microsoft TikTok deal: From security concerns to what the deal means, here's all you need to know)

A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the treasury of the US because we're making it possible for this deal to happen. Right now, they don't have any rights unless we give it to them. So, we''re going to give them the rights that has to come into. It has to come into this country. It's a little bit like the landlord-tenant. Without a lease, the tenant has nothing. So they pay what's called key money or they pay something, he said.

Trump said TikTok is a great asset "but it's not a great asset in the US unless they have the approval of the American government."

"So it'll close down on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal. An appropriate deal. And the Treasury gets a lot of money, a lot of them," he said.

Meanwhile, Redmond-headquartered Microsoft, in a statement on Sunday, said following a conversation between Nadella and Trump, it is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the US.

Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the Presidents concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury, the statement said.

Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikToks parent company ByteDance in a matter of weeks and will complete these discussions in any event by 15 September, it said.

Trump last week threatened to ban the popular video-sharing app in the US after concerns were raised that it could be a national security risk.

Microsoft said the discussions with TikTok's parent firm ByteDance will build upon a notification made by Microsoft and ByteDance to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

Microsoft added that "in any event" it would finish talking with ByteDance no later than September 15.

The two companies have provided notice of their intent to explore a preliminary proposal that would involve a purchase of the TikTok service in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, and would result in Microsoft owning and operating TikTok in these markets.

Microsoft may also invite other American investors to participate on a minority basis in this purchase.

The company said among other measures, Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikToks American users is transferred to and remains in the US.

US Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on Sunday said TikTok cannot stay in the current format in the US as it "risks sending back information on 100 million Americans".

Mnuchin said he has spoken to several top American lawmakers and all agree that "there has to be a change".

In recent weeks, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has accused TikTok of collecting personal information of Americans.

TikTok has previously stressed that its US user data is already stored on US-based servers and backed up in Singapore, and is therefore not subject to Chinese law as some US officials have feared.
By David Shepardson and Eric M. Johnson

WASHINGTON/SEATTLE (Reuters) - The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it is proposing requiring four key Boeing Co <BA.N> 737 MAX design and operating changes to address safety issues seen in two fatal crashes that led to the plane's grounding in March 2019.

The agency is issuing a proposed airworthiness directive to require updated flight-control software, revised display-processing software to generate alerts, a revision of certain flight-crew operating procedures and changes in the routing of some wiring bundles.

While the measures align with those expected by Boeing and aerospace analysts for months, the announcement comes after a series of delays and sets in motion the final sequence of events that could lead to the FAA lifting a grounding order on the plane later this year.

There are still a number of hurdles, including collecting public comments on the changes for 45 days, and finalizing a new set of pilot-training procedures. Transport Canada and Europe's EASA have their own concerns.

Given the work left, it remains unclear whether U.S. flights will resume before year-end.

Boeing shares closed 2.7% higher on Monday, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was up nearly 1%.

In response to the FAA's proposal, Chicago-based Boeing said it was "continuing to make steady progress towards the safe return to service, working closely with the FAA and other global regulators."

The FAA said in a separate 96-page report on Monday it "has preliminarily determined that Boeing's proposed changes to the 737 MAX design, flightcrew procedures and maintenance procedures effectively mitigate the airplane-related safety issues." The airworthiness directive seeks to require Boeing changes.

The crisis over the grounding of the once top-selling 737 MAX has cost the U.S. planemaker more than $19 billion, slashed production and hobbled its supply chain, with criminal and congressional investigations still ongoing.

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The FAA's review has taken more than 18 months and included more than 40 full-time engineers, inspectors, pilots, and technical support staff. To date, the FAA has conducted more than 60,000 hours of review, certification testing, and document evaluation.

The agency is also proposing that 737 MAX operators conduct an Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor system test and perform an operational readiness flight before returning airplanes to service.

The changes are designed to prevent the erroneous activation of a key system known as MCAS tied to both crashes, to alert pilots if two AOA sensors are receiving conflicting data and to ensure flightcrew can respond to erroneous stabilizer movement.

The FAA said the changes minimize "dependence on pilot action and the effect of any potential single failure".

The wiring change will ensure the MAX complies with FAA's wire separation safety standards.

(Reporting by David Shepardson in Washington and Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Tom Brown and Richard Pullin)
SALISBURY, Md., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite the Ivory Tower cliche, most higher education institutions are in the community -- both locally and internationally -- to help make the world a better place. Great Value Colleges (GVC) did extensive research to find the 30 Colleges That Are Excelling at Community Outreach. What these colleges are doing -- from community outreach to the coronavirus battle -- is amazing.

"The role a college plays in the local community has always been important," said GVC Editor Julie McCaulley. "During these difficult times, with all of the uncertainty and fear, the need for schools to reach out and be involved with the people has increased dramatically. Colleges and universities are really stepping up to fill that need."

GVC's methodology is included in the article. Here are a few of GVC's 30 Colleges That Are excelling at Community Outreach.

Florida International University - Miami, Florida

In 2019 alone, Florida International University placed 200 high school students in summer internships, attracted 1,000 attendees at its community-building events, and much more. In 2020, the college's Office of Engagement has adapted its services to meet the needs of coronavirus. It's connecting people who have lost jobs with employment opportunities and providing free resources to make people more employable.

California University, San Marcos - San Marcos, California

California State University has numerous community outreach programs. The Tribal Initiative is possibly the most impressive. It works in a variety of ways to boost college participation and career achievement among Native American communities. Since 2007, the program has partnered with 25 tribes to increase recruitment and retention of Native Americans. Since the coronavirus crisis emerged, its Shiley Institute for Palliative Care has offered healthcare workers free access to over 20 online palliative care courses.

Auburn University - Auburn, Alabama

Auburn University has a century-old mission to partner "with communities, businesses, schools, and government to help people meet their educational goals and to improve quality of life." This mission has been successful around the world, from healthcare programs in Africa to meals for its local community. In fact, $26 million is awarded to college outreach and extension initiatives every year.

University of Maryland, Baltimore County - Baltimore, Maryland

This university's students, faculty, and staff provide over 2 million hours of community service in Maryland annually. It works with the Staff Senate Community Outreach Committee to conduct drives for school supplies and food baskets. The university has also made many important partnerships with external organizations. This is continuing throughout the coronavirus crisis.

Stonehill College - Easton, Massachusetts

Students here give almost 100,000 hours of service to community projects. Projects range from assisting at nursing homes to building houses in Nicaragua. Every August, the college organizes Community Engagement Day for freshmen to find out all the community outreach opportunities available to them. The college is also making face shields and donating equipment to fight coronavirus.

Duke University - Durham, North Carolina

In 2019, more than 4,800 students put in over 1.6 million hours of work with more than 600 community organizations. Some achievements included providing farm-grown meals for Rwandan hospital patients, teaching STEM classes in California, and planting trees in Costa Rica. In the coronavirus era, the college offers free legal assistance to small businesses and nonprofits.

College of William & Mary - Williamsburg, Virginia

College of William and Mary encourages its students, faculty, and staff to engage in coronavirus relief in many ways, such as volunteering at food pantries or by creating art for medical staff and patients. Every year, the college's students dedicate over 245,000 hours to community support activities. It has more than 100 partnerships with nonprofits and community organizations.

Saint Louis University - Saint Louis, Missouri

In 2018 alone, Saint Louis University's students, faculty, and staff dedicated 1.7 million hours to community service efforts. Almost 90 of the college's courses incorporate service-learning into its studies. The college provides $6 million of free legal services every year and delivers over 2,500 meals to needy families.

About GreatValueColleges.net Great Value Colleges is a leader in the educational field. Its mission is to help students get the best possible education for their money by presenting in-depth and well-researched college rankings along with information about scholarships and career options.

Contact: Julie McCaulley, Editor Phone: 518-496-0845

Email: [email protected]

http://www.greatvaluecolleges.net/contact/

SOURCE Great Value Colleges
Lesa Lopez, 52, from California, has been charged with murder, use of a deadly weapon and great bodily injury in the 1988 killing of her baby son, who was found inside a paper bag

A California mother has been arrested for the killing of her newborn son, whose body was found stuffed into a bag dumped by a creek 32 years ago in the Bay Area, in a case that was solved thanks to DNA testing and genetic genealogy.

The Alameda County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that 52-year-old Lesa Lopez has admitted to investigators that she was the mother of the slain baby and implicated herself in the 1988 killing.'

'Lopez, who was 20 years old at the time ... told investigators she hid the pregnancy from her family and friends and provided details of what happened,' said sheriffs Office spokesman Sgt. Ray Kelly.

Lopez, of Salida, was arrested on July 23 and charged with murder, use of a deadly weapon and great bodily injury. She is being held on $2million bail.

Two children playing found the babys body on May 15, 1988, inside a paper bag left among trees and bushes on the bank of a creek in Castro Valley. An autopsy revealed the baby was alive at birth and was killed, Kelly said.

Two children playing in the bushes near a creek in Castro Valley, California (pictured),found the baby's remains in May 1988

The boy, dubbed by investigators as Baby Joe Doe, was given a funeral at St. Leander Church in San Leandro attended by more than 200 people. A priest posthumously named him Richard Jayson Terrance Rein after the churchs vicars and priests.

In 2005, the DNA of a woman, believed by investigators to be that of the baby's mother, was found in evidence collected from the crime scene and submitted to to CODIS, the national DNA database used by law enforcement, but it did not produce a match.

Multiple investigators with the sheriffs office tried to solve the case over the last 32 years 'for a baby boy who never had a voice and never had the chance of living a full life,' Kelly said.

Last year, investigators again took up the case with the help of experts in forensic genetic genealogy from the FBI and private labs, including Oklahoma-based DNA Solutions and Gene By Gene, which owns the genealogy website FamilyTreeDNA.

After extensive genealogy research, surveillance and DNA 'surreptitiously obtained' from Lopezs discarded trash, cold-case investigators linked Lopez to the crime scene, Kelly said.

Lopez's baby son, posthumously named Richard Jayson Terrance Rein, was given a funeral at St. Leander Church in San Leandro attended by more than 200 people

They used the same advanced DNA testing that helped crack the decades-old Golden State Killer case. In 2018, police investigators identified Joseph DeAngelo Jr., a former police officer, after using DNA from crime scenes to find relatives of their suspect through a popular genealogy website database.

They tailed DeAngelo and secretly collected DNA from his car door and a discarded tissue to get an arrest warrant. DeAngelo, who terrorized California as a serial burglar and rapist and went on to kill more than a dozen people while evading capture for decades, pleaded guilty last month.

Genetic geneologist Dr Barbara Rae-Venter, who helped identify DeAngelo as the Golden State Killer, also assisted in Lopez's case.

Santa Rita Jail records indicate that Lopez is due in court for a plea hearing on Wednesday.
Israel has nothing to do with a huge explosion at the Beirut port area on Tuesday, an Israeli official said.

"Israel has nothing to do with the incident," the official said on condition of anonymity. Israel's Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told Israeli N12 television news that the explosion was most likely an accident caused by a fire.

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The worst of the rain was yet to come, according to the National Weather Service, but Tropical Storm Isaias already drenched the Lehigh Valley by Tuesday morning.

The Saucon and Monocacy creeks were close to flooding a little after 11 a.m., Bethlehem Mayor Bob Donchez said. By 11:30 a.m., pictures showed the Monocacy Creek over its banks at the Colonial Industrial Quarter.

The situation right now, and getting worse. Thank goodness Musikfest isnt here, it would of been washed away! Posted by Brian Nicas on Tuesday, August 4, 2020

Area roads were closed due to flooding, including portions of Freemansburg Avenue, Farmersville Road, Easton Avenue and Willow Park in Bethlehem Township; Fifth Street and part of Route 378 in Bethlehem and Lehigh Drive in Easton.

In Palmer Township:

Isaias brought a tornado warning for northern Northampton County, and the National Weather Service confirmed a tornado in Ocean City, New Jersey.

#Isaias have proven to be a prolific tornado producer the past 24 hours



.@NWS offices have already issued nearly 100 tornado warnings across 10 states pic.twitter.com/FtzSTALOTa  Greg Diamond (@gdimeweather) August 4, 2020

Please subscribe now and support the local journalism YOU rely on and trust.

Sarah Cassi may be reached at scassi@lehighvalleylive.com.
GENEVA/BRUSSELS, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Eight candidates from Mexico to Moldova are bidding to become the next director-general of the World Trade Organization to replace Roberto Azevedo, who steps down at the end of August.

CHALLENGES

The next chief would broker international trade talks in the face of widening U.S.-China conflict, protectionism increased by the COVID-19 pandemic and pressure to reform trade rules.

U.S. President Donald Trump's "America First" policies have upended the global trading order and presented an existential threat to the WTO. Trump has called the institution "broken" and "horrible". Washington has blocked appointments to the WTO's Appellate Body that settles trade disputes, which now no longer has the minimum number of judges to convene.

HOW THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL IS CHOSEN

The candidates have been given two months to campaign until September 7. Normally this would involve trips to national capitals, but with the pandemic much of that is being done in a virtual format.

The next phase involves whittling down the field, initially to five then two, before a final decision is taken.

The WTO is a members-driven organisation with decisions reached by consensus among 164 countries. Three WTO ambassadors who chair leading committees will lead the process, seeking to establish which candidates have the widest support.

In so-called "confessionals", members will tell this "troika" their preferences, without ranking them and without vetoes in a process expected to last two months. The first phase will be on Sept 7-16. Voting on the next director-general is seen only as a last resort if consensus cannot be reached.

The process does not always work smoothly. In 1999, former New Zealand prime minister Mike Moore and Thailand's Supachai Panitchpakdi divided WTO members, with a compromise finally found to give each a term, shortened to three years from four.

Azevedo's term will finish before his replacement takes office, but WTO members failed to agree on a temporary caretaker director-general, meaning the four deputies will stay on in their current roles.

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MORE SOFT THAN HARD POWER

The Marrakesh Agreement that established the WTO in 1995 does not give a detailed description of the director-general role. The responsibilities should be "exclusively international in character".

The incoming chief would be expected to appoint four new deputies, present budget proposals, and chair the trade negotiations committee which oversees multilateral accords such as on fishing subsidies.

The director-general can also intervene in trade disputes, in very rare cases offering mediation, more often by appointing people to adjudicating panels when parties cannot agree.

Otherwise, the director-general does not forge global trade policy, but is meant to act as a neutral broker: part administrator, part peacemaker. (Reporting by Emma Farge and Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)
Four held in Gujarat, days after 6 workers died due to inhalation of chemical fumes leaked from tanker

IMD predicts heavy rains for Gujarat in next three days

India

pti-Madhuri Adnal

Ahmedabad, Aug 04: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted fairly widespread rainfall in Gujarat, with heavy to very heavy showers in isolated places of the state, between Tuesday and Friday. Several parts of Saurashtra region, especially Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Amreli and Rajkot districts, received heavy rainfall on Tuesday.

Veraval in Gir Somnath received 132 mm rainfall between 6 am and 4 pm on Tuesday, followed by Mangrol in Junagadh district at 121 mm, Khambha and Bagasra in Amreli at 120 mm and 119 mm respectively, the State Emergency Operation Centre said.

Heavy to very heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh in next 24 hours: IMD

The MeT department also issued warnings for fishermen to not venture into the Arabian Sea along the south and north Gujarat coasts till August 8, as the sea will be rough with wind speed of up to 45-55 kmph due to the squally conditions.

Vivo pulls out of IPL, Chinese-owned Vivo pulls out amid row | Oneindia News

"In view of favourable monsoon conditions, Gujarat is very likely to experience an active wet spell from August 4 to August 7," the IMD said. Gujarat region, Saurashtra-Kutch as well as Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli will receive light to moderate rainfall during this period, it said.

WATCH: High tide hits Mumbai; Landslide in Kandivali

Isolated parts of the region will also receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely isolated rainfall, it said. Saurashtra, south Gujarat and adjoining east-central districts are likely to experience "fairly widespread to widespread rainfall" due to a low pressure area that has formed over Bay of Bengal and a cyclonic circulation created in south Gujarat region and neighbouring areas between 3.1 and 7.6 km, said Jayant Sarkar, director of the Ahmedabad MeT centre of the IMD.

"South Gujarat region, especially Valsad, Navsari, Dang, Tapi, Surat and Bharuch districts, will receive rains, while showers will also be witnessed in coastal districts of Saurashtra such as Bhavnagar, Amreli, Gir Somnath and Junagadh," he said. North Gujarat may not witness much rainfall, he said, adding that the wet spell will to some extent reduce rain deficiency in the state.
New Delhi, Aug 3 (IANS) The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval to Pune's Serum Institute of India (SII) to conduct clinical trials of Oxford University-Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine in India.

The SII received approval by the India's top drug regulator on Sunday after a thorough evaluation based on the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  The FBI on Tuesday raided the Cleveland offices of a company with ties to a Ukrainian oligarch that owns several downtown buildings.

FBI spokeswoman Vicki Anderson said agents searched the offices of Optima Management Group in One Cleveland Center at East 9th Street and St. Clair Avenue. A spokesman for the IRS also said his agencys investigators were present.

Optima is a conglomerate of companies across the United States that has interests in real estate in Cleveland, including One Cleveland Center, the 55 Public Square building and the Westin Cleveland Downtown. Its offices are visible from an entrance and windows on the side of One Cleveland Center, and on Tuesday multiple agents were seen carrying and moving computers, boxes and other items both inside the office and later as they loaded materials into a van.

Anderson said agents also executed search warrants at an office in Miami.

Federal authorities in Cleveland have been conducting a wide-ranging probe involving Ukrainian oligarch Igor Kolomoisky that has been ongoing for quite some time. Kolomoisky is a principal of the Privat Group, a large Ukrainian business company, and principals of the company are also part of Optima.

Optima had a much larger presence in Cleveland about a decade ago when it bought several buildings under the leadership of executive Chaim Schochet. Its presence in Northeast Ohio has dwindled in recent years.

Optima also controlled Warren Steel Holdings, a mill northwest of Youngstown that closed in 2016.

Kolomoisky and a fellow Ukrainian billionaire formed PrivatBank in the early 1990s. It became one of the Ukraines key financial institutions, according to Forbes. The Ukrainian government nationalized the bank in 2016 after an investigation suggested there was large-scale fraud over a decade-long period, Forbes reported.

The financial news outlet places Kolomoiskys net worth at about $1 billion. He remains a complicated political figure in his home country. He is a former governor of Ukraines Dnipropetrovsk region.

Published reports said that Kolomoisky had refused to set up a meeting with President Donald Trumps ally Rudy Giuliani and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in an attempt to dig up dirt against Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden last year.

Kolomoiskys attorney Michael Sullivan declined comment.

Read more:

Ukrainian-linked investment company in FBI probe was once one of downtown Clevelands biggest landlords

Ukrainian oligarch with ties to downtown Cleveland real estate under FBI investigation

The most important guy youve never heard of: Chaim Schochet, 25, builds downtown Cleveland empire

AECOM Centre in downtown Cleveland sells to New Jersey buyer with renovation plans
Australias second-largest city, Melbourne, grappling with a spiraling coronavirus outbreak in a country that once thought it had the pandemic beat, has now imposed some of the toughest restrictions in the world.

But as officials cast about for ways to break the chain of infections, the city has become a confounding matrix of hefty fines for disobedience, minor exceptions for everything from romantic partners to home building, and endless versions of the question: So, wait, can I ____?

Restaurant owners are wondering about food delivery after an 8 p.m. curfew began Sunday. Teenagers are asking if their boyfriends and girlfriends count as essential partners. Can animal shelter volunteers walk dogs at night? Are house cleaners essential for those struggling with their mental health? Can the COVID-tested exercise outside?

This is such a weird, scary, bizarro time that we live in, said Tessethia Von Tessle Roberts, 25, a student in Melbourne who admits to having hit a breaking point a few days ago, when her washing machine broke.

Our health care workers are hustling around the clock to keep us alive, she said. Our politicians are as scared as we are, but they have to pretend like they have a better idea than we do of whats going to happen next.

Pandemic lockdowns, never easy, are getting ever more confusing and contentious as they evolve in the face of second and third rounds of outbreaks that have exhausted both officials and residents. With success against the virus as fleeting as the breeze, the new waves of restrictions feel to many like a bombing raid that just wont end.

For some places, risk calculations can change overnight. In Hong Kong, officials banned daytime dining in restaurants last month, only to reverse themselves a day later after an outcry. Schools in some cities are opening and closing like screen doors in summer.

But in many areas where the virus has retreated and then resurged, the future looks like a long, complicated haul. Leaders are reaching for their own metaphors to try to explain it.

In California, Gov. Gavin Newsom has compared his opening and shutting of businesses to a dimmer switch. Dan Andrews, the premier in Victoria, where Melbourne is the capital, has repeatedly referred to pilot light mode for industries like construction and meatpacking, which have been ordered to temporarily reduce their workforces.

Whatever the metaphor, its dark. Melbourne, a city of 5 million that is considered a capital of food and culture, is becoming a prime example.

It, and the rest of Australia, was once a shining victor, believing the virus to have been licked as of late June. Then Melbournes hotel quarantine program broke down, with returning travelers passing the virus to security guards, who carried the contagion into their neighborhoods.

The spread continued even after Melbourne started a so-called Stage 3 lockdown in early July  until recently, the highest level of restrictions  with no large gatherings and most people working from home. Officials grew increasingly angry as they discovered that the perception of a problem solved had produced complacency.

Traffic data showed people in Melbourne driving more in July than they had during the first Stage 3 lockdown, in March and April. Even worse, almost 9 out of 10 people with COVID-19 had not been tested or isolated when they first felt sick, Andrews, the states top leader, said in late July. And 53% had not quarantined while waiting for their test results.

That means people have felt unwell and just gone about their business, Andrews said.

He made face masks mandatory the next day, on July 22.

Still, infections have continued to rise. They peaked at 753 new cases July 30 and have hovered around 500 a day ever since, with the death toll in Victoria now standing at 147, after 11 deaths were recorded Monday.

Those figures have paved the way for a Stage 4 lockdown  what officials are calling a shock and awe attack on the virus  that will last at least six weeks.

Overwhelming force, with precision, seems to be the goal. The chief modelers of the pandemic response in Australia have found that the virus can be suppressed only if more than 70% of the population abides by social distancing guidelines and other public health rules.

Andrews said the new restrictions would take 250,000 more people out of their routines, in the hopes of reaching the necessary threshold.

So retail stores will be closed. Schools will return to at-home instruction. Restaurants will be takeaway or delivery only. Child-care centers will be available only for permitted workers.

Those are the restrictions that are already well understood. The rules requiring more explanation are tied to the curfew and industries that have to cut back.

Large-scale construction projects of more than three stories, for example, will have to reduce their on-site workforce by 75%, and workers will not be able to work at more than one location. Small-scale construction cannot have more than five workers.

All of which sounds clear. But does bathroom renovation, for example, amount to home building in an apartment with one bathroom? And what about fixing things that break, like Von Tessle Roberts washing machine?

Some businesses, such as cleaning services, are already emailing customers to say they think they can do some work, for people who pay through welfare or who need help for mental health reasons. But, like many others, they are still seeking official clarification.

Andrews, a Labor politician sometimes described as awkward and paternal, has become the dad everyone needs answers from. He now oversees what may be the countrys most intrusive bureaucracy since Australia was settled by English prison wardens and convicts.

On Tuesday, Andrews answered questions from reporters about dog-walking (allowed after curfew, sort of, only near home) and other subjects of great confusion at a news conference in Melbourne.

Thanking those who complied with the new rules and scolding those who did not, he announced that no one in self-isolation would now be allowed to exercise outdoors. A door-knocking campaign to check in on 3,000 people who had COVID-19 or were waiting for test results found that 800 of them were not at home.

All 800 have been referred to the Victoria police for investigation. The fine for violators, he said, will be 4,957 Australian dollars ($3,532).

Working, even legally, will also become trickier. Other than, say, hospital workers with formal identification, everyone traveling for a job deemed essential during the lockdown must carry a formal document  a work permit signed by the employer and employee.

For Cara Devine, who works at a wine store that closes at 8 p.m., that means carrying a government form with her everywhere and hoping that the police recognize her task as essential when she heads home after the curfew. But she also worried about the Uber drivers who take her back and forth.

Even before the newest restrictions, Ive had two Uber drivers being really late picking up from the shop because they got stopped by the police, taking about an hour out of their work time, she said.

The police are already confronting opposition. On at least four occasions in the past week, they reported having to smash the windows of cars and pull people out after they refused to provide a name and address at a police checkpoint. The Victoria police commissioner, Shane Patton, said a 38-year-old woman had also been charged with assault after attacking a police officer who had stopped her for not wearing a face mask.

Some criminologists are questioning whether the harsher enforcement will help. Mostly, though, Melburnians are just trying to endure.

Walking to get groceries, Peter Barnes, 56, said he welcomed the stricter rules, although he admitted his city was starting to feel like George Orwells 1984, with the heavy hand of the state around every corner.

Those focused solely on the economics, he said, should remember the obvious: You cant hire a corpse. Very bad employment prospects for people who are dead.

By Monday night, the city seemed to be in listening mode. The streets were emptying out, silent in hibernation.

Its like a Sunday in the 1950s, said Mark Rubbo, the owner of Readings, Melbournes largest independent bookstore.

He also noted that people were stocking up again on books through online orders, with a memoir called The Happiest Man on Earth, about a Holocaust survivor, becoming a runaway hit.

Von Tessle Roberts has found another solution, perhaps just as likely to grow in popularity: Stand on your front porch and scream. Thats the name she has given to an event she posted on Facebook, set for Friday at 7 p.m. By Tuesday afternoon, 70,000 people had expressed an interest in joining her collective shout in anguish.

Yelling is great, she said. Its less dehydrating than crying.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
China could take aim at American journalists in Hong Kong, if the US doesnt renew visas for Chinese journalists, Global Times Editor-in-Chief Hu Xijin said.

From what I know, given that the US side hasnt renewed visa of Chinese journalists, Chinese side has prepared for the worst scenario that all Chinese journalists have to leave the US, Hu said Tuesday on Twitter. If thats the case, Chinese side will retaliate, including targeting US journalists based in HK.

The Global Times is a tabloid run by the Peoples Daily, the flagship newspaper of the Communist Party. Hus tweets have become closely watched after accurately forecasting previous moves by Chinas government.

Hong Kong is a part of China, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a daily briefing in Beijing later Tuesday. When China is forced to make a necessary and legitimate response, it is within the legitimate diplomatic power of the Chinese government.

Wang said the US restrictions on Chinese journalists had severely interfered with their normal operations in the US.

The cause and responsibility for the current situation lies solely with the US, he said. If the US continues with its wrongdoings, China will be forced to make necessary and legitimate responses and resolutely safeguard its own legitimate rights and interests.

The US State Department didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

In Crosshairs

Such a move would be an escalation of a tit-for-tat fight that has ensnared media employees in both countries. After the US imposed visa restrictions on Chinese journalists, Beijing in February expelled more than a dozen of their American counterparts, including three Wall Street Journal reporters.

The Trump administration then ordered Chinese state-owned news outlets -- including the Xinhua News Agency -- to cut the size of their US-based staff, part of a broader response to Beijings restrictions on American journalists.

Unlike mainland China, Hong Kong doesnt issue journalist visas and is supposed to maintain independent control over immigration. But the citys ability to determine its own immigration policy is being increasingly undermined.

In 2018, Hong Kong denied a visa renewal for Victor Mallet of the Financial Times, following his hosting an event with a local independence activist at the Foreign Correspondents Club. It also refused entry to Human Rights Watch executive director Kenneth Roth. Some of the American reporters kicked out of China earlier this year werent allowed to go to Hong Kong.

Steps to squeeze journalists in the semi-autonomous financial hub could fuel further tensions between the US and China. The worlds two biggest economies have seen relations worsen in recent months on everything from trade to Hong Kong, on which China has imposed sweeping national security legislation thats raised fears about basic freedoms -- including of the press.

The European Union said in a statement this week that the citys proposed year-long postponement of key Legislative Council elections previously set for Sept. 6 would delay the renewal of its democratic mandate and call into question the exercise of the democratic rights and freedoms guaranteed under Hong Kongs Basic Law.

Hu said earlier that a number of Chinese journalists will see their visas expire on Aug. 6, and none of them have yet been renewed. Beijing is preparing for a worst-case scenario where the US forces it to withdraw all Chinese journalists, and will retaliate fiercely to refusals to renew their visas, Hu wrote on Weibo.
Tenant farmers have labelled the government's proposals for a new Environmental Land Management Scheme (ELMS) in England as 'disappointing' and 'uninspiring'.

The post-Brexit scheme will see farmers paid for work that enhances the environment, such as tree or hedge planting, river management to mitigate flooding, or creating habitats.

Moving away from a system that pays farmers for the total amount of land farmed, the scheme will instead pay for public goods.

But the Tenant Farmers Association (TFA) said the proposal, which will replace the EU's CAP, was 'lacking in aspiration'.

It said farmers should be 'rewarded adequately' for the value provided in their production of public benefits, rather than simply being offered payments for their income foregone.

TFA farm policy adviser, Lynette Steel said: "The new scheme must be outcome focused, targeting the farmed environment and sustainable food production."

The body said the scheme should be 'relevant' to farming tenants, and only active farmers should be permitted to have access to it.

Active farmers are defined as those in occupation of land, or with grazing rights on commons, taking the entrepreneurial risk for the farming activities on that land and in day-to-day management control.

Ms Steel said: Many tenant farmers could be excluded from participating in the scheme, either due to the terms of their agreements, or their lack of security of tenure.

"The agriculture bill, currently in parliament, goes some way to providing a mechanism to allow farm tenants to object to their landlords refusal to allow entry into ELMS.

"However, this does not extend to tenants occupying under Farm Business Tenancies governed by the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995," she said.

Ms Steel added this was a 'serious omission' that needs to be corrected within the bill at the report stage in the House of Lords.

She said: There is considerable work ahead and we have concerns about the capacity of the government machine to deliver ELMS within the timescales envisaged.

"Couple this with uncertainty around the wider policy environment, including our trading relationship outside the EU, it is a major worry we are still unable to understand fully how ELMS fits in.

"This is why the TFA and others have argued for a pause to allow for the development of a good rather than an inadequate scheme, Ms Steel added.
Victoria's economy-crippling Stage 4 coronavirus lockdown should be reviewed early to see if retail chains can be opened and allowed to trade under tight safety protocols, according to the boss of Kmart and Bunnings' parent company.

Rob Scott, the managing director of Wesfarmers which also owns the Australian stores of Officeworks and Target, said lockdown will not diminish demand for their products, and allowing more businesses to operate will save jobs.

Faced with an ongoing second wave of COVID-19, Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews introduced draconian Stage 4 restrictions in Melbourne on Sunday, under which most businesses will be closed except for essentials like supermarkets, chemists and petrol stations.

As a result, Wesfarmers' businesses Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks and Target were preparing to furlough workers and would move to click-and-collect or online trade only.

Rob Scott, the managing director of Wesfarmers which also owns the Australian stores of Officeworks and Target, said lockdown will not diminish demand for their products, and allowing more businesses to operate will save jobs

People walk past Louis Vuitton on Tuesday. Retail stores across Melbourne will close to customers as further stage 4 lockdown restrictions are implemented in response to Victoria's ongoing COVID-19 outbreak

With 25,000 stores in Victoria, Wesfarmers said job losses seemed inevitable given the lockdown will remain until Sept. 13.

'I am concerned that there will be quite a number that unfortunately we would need to stand down under these rules,' Mr Scott told ABC Radio National on Tuesday.

Mr Scott said he spoke to Federal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg before Mr Andrew's announcement on Sunday and urged for Bunnings and other retailers to stay open.

'I accept that the government has worked around the clock to try come up with a set of rules, we have learnt a lot from the New Zealand shutdown.

'What we learnt is that as people are confined at home for many weeks, there are certain products - particularly those you need to use around the house, to school your kids from home, to entertain your kids - that are going to be in very strong demand.'

Premier Daniel Andrews introduced stage four restrictions in Melbourne on Sunday after weeks of stay-at-home orders and compulsory mask-wearing failed to stem the spread of COVID-19

Bunnings is being forced to close and only remain open for trade customers, with ordinary shoppers told to use click-and-collect

Mr Scott has called on the retail restrictions to be reviewed, as 'big box' stores such as Bunnings and Officeworks could keep in-store customers spread out.

'I'm hopeful that in the coming weeks as we start to see the demand coming from households and families for additional products and as we try and reduce the devastating toll this is going to place on household budgets that we can find a way to keep product flowing in a safe way,' Mr Scott said.

Mr Scott said Wesfarmers had two weeks' pay in place for workers who were let go during the lockdown, but after that staff would need to look at government subsidies.

With 25,000 stores in Victoria, Wesfarmers is working to figure out how its stores will survive the coming six weeks (a man walking through Melbourne on Tuesday)

As a result, Wesfarmers is preparing to send thousands of workers at Bunnings, Kmart, Officeworks and Target home, as retail is being moved to online trade only

Victoria's Jobs Minister Martin Pakula said if modifications to the retail lockdown could be made without risking public health, he was 'happy to have a conversation.'

Mr Pakula told 3AW radio on Tuesday a hotline for industry took 5000 queries on Monday night after the latest restrictions were announced.

The Victorian government has created grants of $5000 for regional businesses and $10,000 for those in Melbourne and Mitchell Shire to cope with the tougher restrictions.

However, these are not available to sole traders.

Mr Pakula said the state had to draw a line for support for budgetary reasons and sole traders would need to rely on federal assistance.
Tributes have been paid to an Omagh man who died as a result of a quad bike accident on Sunday.

The man was named locally as 35-year-old David Ballantine and it is understood his vehicle had collided with a bridge near his family farm on the Gorticashel Road around 7.45pm.

He was taken from the scene to Altnagelvin Hospital where he later died of his injuries.

A funeral notice described him as the dearly beloved husband of Diane and family, as well as the devoted son of Willie and Betty.

Funeral details have yet to be announced and the house is strictly private, with any donations if desired to the Northern Ireland Air Ambulance.

Local councillor Bert Wilson said he knew the family and that the accident had occurred at a bridge on a twisted section of the road.

I know he would have helped his father quite a bit on the farm and had worked as a plasterer as well," he said.

He will be badly missed and he would have been a great help to his parents around the farm, so it really is a disaster for them.

A lot of the family would live in that area and its a very close knit community. Its very difficult news to get as he really was just in the prime of life.

Sinn Fein MP for West Tyrone Orfhlaith Begley said the local community had been shocked by the sudden loss.

The local community is in shock following the death of a 35-year-old man in a collision involving a quad bike on the Gorticashel Road in Omagh," she said.

"Any death on our roads is one too many. My thoughts are with the family and friends of the man who has lost his life at this sad and tragic time.

A statement from Greencastle GAA Club on social media said that members would like to offer our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of David Ballantine on his tragic passing. Our thoughts are with you all at this very difficult time. May he rest in perfect peace.

The PSNI said on Monday that enquiries are ongoing and have appealed to anyone with information to call 101, quoting reference number 1776 for August 2.
TRAVERSE CITY, MI  A man who allegedly abducted and tortured two teen girls is now also accused of criminal sexual conduct against one of them.

Four new charges were added to the initial list of 13 felonies in relation to the incident involving 13- and 15-year-old sisters that spurred an Amber Alert for the older girl on July 19, UpNorthLive reports.

The Grand Traverse County Prosecutors Office recently charged suspect Brandon Reyes, 20, with one count of assault with intent to murder and three counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, which involves penetration, the TV station reports.

In relation to the criminal sexual conduct charges, Reyes allegedly sexually assaulted the 13-year-old at gunpoint several times, according to the prosecutors office.

The assault with intent to murder charge pertains to the 15-year-old who Reyes alleged ran over with a vehicle, driving back-and-forth over her several times, according to the prosecutors office. The assault nearly split the girls liver in two. She has undergone at least one surgery to treat injuries sustained in the day-long incident.

In the early hours of July 19, the sisters met Reyes - whom police have described as a family friend - at a construction site on Lafranier Road, police said. He allegedly assaulted the teens with a hammer, and then drove them to a secluded area on Keystone Road where they stayed until morning. Reyes is accused of threatening the girls with a gun during that time.

At some point, Reyes allowed the 13-year-old to leave; she went home and told her mom about the incident, police said. Police were then called, and the Amber Alert with a description of Reyes vehicle was later initiated.

The vehicle was spotted at a business in Blair Township shortly before 10 p.m. that day. A Grand Traverse County Sheriffs deputy who arrived on scene recovered the 15-year-old girl, who was injured and unresponsive, and take Reyes into custody.

On July 23, Reyes pleaded not guilty to the initial 13 charges, which include one count of torture, several counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and a felony firearms violation. He is lodged in Grand Traverse County Jail; bond was set at $250,000.

Reyes now faces 17 felony charges; several are punishable by up to life in prison.

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It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze that set off the blast or what kind of explosives were in the warehouses.

A huge explosion near the centre of Beirut killed at least 10 people and sending shockwaves across the Lebanese capital, shattering glass in people's homes and causing apartment balconies to collapse, witnesses and security sources said.

The blast occurred in the city's port area, where there were warehouses housing explosives, Lebanon's state news agency NNA and two security sources said, according to Reuters.

A third security source said there were chemicals stored in the area.

Read alsoKyiv house blast: Zelensky hands first 12 certificates for new apartments over to victims

Footage of the blast shared around by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port district followed by an enormous blast. Those who filming what initially appeared to be a big blaze where thrown backwards by the shock.

At least 10 bodies were taken to hospitals, a security source and a medical source told Reuters.

It was not immediately clear what caused the blaze that set off the blast or what kind of explosives were in the warehouses. The governor of Beirut port told Sky News that a team of firefighters at the scene had "disappeared" after the explosion.

"I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding. Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street," said a Reuters witness.

Huge blast in Beirut just now! pic.twitter.com/hId8JhZMKV  Tobias Schneider (@tobiaschneider) August 4, 2020

The health minister told Reuters there was a "very high number" of injured. Al Mayadeen TV said hundreds were wounded.

Another Reuters witness said she saw heavy grey smoke near the port area and then heard an explosion and saw flames of fire and black smoke: "All the downtown area windows are smashed and there are wounded people walking around. It is total chaos."

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters it was not immediately clear what the cause was, and that there was no indication of any injuries to any U.N. personnel.
WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) The United States is working hard to force Venezuela's President Nicolas Maduro out of office in 2020, Special Representative Elliott Abrams said in a Senate Hearing on Tuesday.

"We obviously hope he does not survive the year... We are working hard to make that happen," Abrams said.

For that to occur, he added, the Venezuelan people must reject the outcome of the upcoming election, with the support of the United States and nearly 60 other countries, as a complete fraud.

Parliamentary elections in Venezuela will be held on December 6.

Abrams said the US must also impose more sanctions and prevent the relationship between Iran and Venezuela from growing.

The previous parliamentary elections were held in Venezuela in 2015, the powers of the current convocation of the National Assembly expire in December 2020. However, the country's president, Nicolas Maduro, more than once last year suggested holding early elections to the National Assembly, which from January 2019 to January 2020 was headed by opposition leader Juan Guaido.
Accessibility

CSU Chico Adopts Speech-to-Text Tech for Faculty

California State University, Chico is offering Otter for Education from Otter.ai to teaching faculty for the upcoming fall semester. The software allows instructors to share live comments and embed education material into online lectures.

This education-specific version of Otter Voice Meeting Notes provides for real-time transcription, which helps students take notes and highlight them during lectures, transcribe research interviews, capture notes from group study sessions and process public audio data for projects. The company suggested that the software was expected to gain pickup especially for accessibility purposes, assisting students who can no longer read lips due to face-covering requirements.

The program works over Zoom and other videoconferencing platforms, recording the proceedings as people speak. It automatically generates a collection of keywords at the top of each transcript, to help students find specific segments of the lecture. Instructors can also embed slides and images into the transcripts to enhance the results.

According to CSU Chico Accessible Technology Manager Jeremy Olguin, adoption of the software is intended "to empower our faculty to help all students to get a better learning experience."

He said the university wants its students "to access our changing learning environment in a way that's most efficient and effective for them. This is the challenge facing the vast majority of learning institutions right now, especially with lectures likely to be taking place in a hybrid mix of on-site and virtual classrooms for the foreseeable future."

The software is also in use at the University of California Los Angeles for students who require academic accommodations. There, the software was adopted as an alternative to the use of peer note-takers because it gave students with learning disabilities "more control over their academic accommodations," explained Nickey Woods, assistant dean for diversity, inclusion and admissions in the graduate division, in a press release. "Otter Voice Meeting Notes empowers our students with automated live transcription, removes their dependency on others, and enables them to access the learning environment in a way that's most efficient for them."

The software uses a subscription model for pricing. The free version provides 600 minutes of real-time transcription each month. Paid editions expand the amount of transcription time allowed and add additional features, such as import of audio and video.
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President Trump said that there would be fewer than 5,000 American troops in Afghanistan by Election Day in November, signaling that the United States would continue to withdraw troops from the country despite limited progress toward the start of peace negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

Were going down to 4,000, were negotiating right now, Mr. Trump said in an interview with Axios that was filmed on July 28 and released in full Monday night.

The presidents statement seems to undercut U.S. diplomats repeated assertions that any further troop reductions in Afghanistan would be based on the Talibans commitment to the Feb. 29 peace agreement signed with the United States. After the signing, the U.S. military is supposed to completely withdraw from Afghanistan in 14 months, a move that senior military officials have called aspirational.

Mr. Trumps drive to pull U.S. forces from war zones, especially Afghanistan, has often put the White House at loggerheads with the State Department, as American negotiators and military officials have tried to keep an already shaky peace process on track.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Congress is now out to highlight the party's contribution to the construction of the Ram Temple, whose groundbreaking ceremony is scheduled to be held in Ayodhya on Wednesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in attendance.

Congress leaders are making statements so that they should not be seen to be left out of the historic event.

On Tuesday, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi issued a statement saying that the construction of the Ram Temple will be a marker of national unity, brotherhood, and cultural harmony.

Former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath organised a recitation of the Hanuman Chalisa at his residence in Bhopal and said that "We are sending 11 silver bricks to Ayodhya from the people of Madhya Pradesh. Tomorrow (Wednesday) is the historic day for which the entire country was waiting."

Congress spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari also congratulated the people of the country on the occasion. Congress has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court which paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Congress leaders are now trying to claim credit as former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi wanted to build the temple.

The Congress which has not been invited for the official programme organised by the Temple Trust does not want any controversy and the party categorically said that it is the prerogative of the Trust to decide the guest list. On Tuesday the party said that it is happy that the Ram Mandir is finally being constructed.

Senior party leader Jitin Prasada said that "The Congress party has already welcomed the construction of the Ram Temple. It is a matter of faith for every Hindu and also personally for me. I am happy that the Ram Mandir is being constructed." In Chhattisgarh, where the Congress is in power, the government has initiated a new tourism circuit that will connect all the important places which Lord Ram is said to have visited during his exile from Ayodhya. The state government has identified 75 places for the Ram Van Gaman Path.

The Congress is highlighting the work done by the previous government and the contributions of late Prime Ministers Rajiv Gandhi and P V Narasimha Rao towards the Mandir issue.

The party leaders are saying that Rajiv Gandhi was the first to make serious moves on the Mandir issue. When he was the Prime Minister he allowed the opening of the locks of the Ram Mandir and then facilitated the Shilanyas there in 1989.

During the tenure of PV Narasimha Rao, the demolition of the disputed mosque took place in 1992 and under his government the adjacent land was acquired.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan

-- Syndicated from IANS
A prosecution barrister told Judge Philip Babington that Booth lost money in his share trading, which included buying Brent Oil shares

A man who called police "Orange RUC scum" after they caught him fighting on a Belfast street has been jailed for two months.

Prosecutors said Jonathan Simpson shouted obscenities and threatened officers as they tried to bring him under control.

The 28-year-old, of University Street in the city, admitted disorderly behaviour and resisting police.

Belfast Magistrates' Court heard he was fighting with another man at Fitzroy Avenue in broad daylight on March 7 this year.

Officers on mobile patrol spotted them throwing punches and falling to the ground.

As the brawl continued Simpson was seen with fists clenched walking towards his foe.

Police restrained and brought him to the ground while the other man made off.

"He continued to struggle, (shouting) 'you Orange RUC scum, you Orange RUC b*******, I'm going to f****** kill you', a prosecution lawyer said.

"He continued to swear, using obscenities and threatening to assault police."

Simpson also accepted have a small quantity of Pregabalin tablets found in his clothing.

His lawyer acknowledged: "This was unacceptable behaviour."

He contended, however, that Simpson should be given credit for his guilty pleas.

Imposing two months custody, District Judge George Conner confirmed the sentence will run concurrent to an unrelated term Simpson is already serving.
New Delhi: Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray on Tuesday (August 4) issued a letter before the foundation stone laying ceremony (Bhoomi Pujan) of Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5.

Greeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Raj Thackeray said the souls of Karsevaks and those who lost their lives would now get a salvation true sense.



"People will also remember Balasaheb Balasaheb Thackeray, who would have been very happy on this historic moment," Raj Thackeray said, adding that this is also a happy moment in the history of independent India, as Lord Ram's exile has ended.

Earlier on Friday, the MNS chief flayed Maharashtra Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray's suggestion for "e-bhoomi pujan" and said the ground-breaking ceremony should be held with great fervour.
MERRILLVILLE  The skies were a little threatening, but rain did not deter families from picking up free school supplies Saturday from Region Women In Action.

A relatively new organization devoted to serving the community, Region Women In Action, used its second project to help families in need just as a new school year begins during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Were focused on bettering the community, so we thought about school supplies for kids so they have what they need, said Najalynn Chandler, community relations administrator for this small group of local young college women.

After participating in a Black Lives Matter protest march in Merrillville, these four women set its sights on school children. Having all attended Merrillville High School, they were accustomed to seeing New Ebenezer Missionary Baptist Church across from MHS.

We knew they had a day care program, so they were involved with children, Chandler said, also citing the value of the churchs circular drive for facilitating socially distanced distributions.
South Africa: Parliament welcomes woman Defence Secretary appointment

The appointment of the new Secretary for Defence, Gladys Sonto Kudjoe, signifies the continued empowerment of women in the defence sector, says Parliaments Portfolio Committee on Defence and Military Veterans.

The committee welcomed the appointment of Kudjoe in a statement on Tuesday.

As the country commemorates Womens Month, we welcome the appointment of Kudjoe in this highly crucial position and we believe that her experience, strength and vast knowledge of the defence industry will contribute to bringing the much-needed stability to the department, said committee cqhairperson Cyril Xaba.

Kudjoes appointment was announced last month ahead of her scheduled first day in office on 1 August 2020.

Kudjoe served as South Africas ambassador to Sweden between 2002 and 2006, and Egypt from 2006 to 2010.

She also held several senior positions in the Department of International Relations and Cooperation.

Kudjoe was the first female Director-General of the State Security Agency (SSA) appointed in 2013. She was with the then South African Secret Service (SASS) for about 13 years before.

We realise the enormous task ahead and the myriad of challenges facing the department and thus we wish her well in her new role, Xaba said.

Xaba has also, on behalf of the committee, expressed good wishes to the outgoing Secretary for Defence, Dr Sam Gulube, who first joined the South African National Defence Force as a medical doctor in the Military Health Services.

Dr Gulube was a key role-player in the drafting of the 2015 Defence Review.

Dr Gulubes contribution to the local defence industry strategy and his focus on the Defence Broad-Based Black Economic Empowerment Sector Code are some of the key attributes which he will be remembered for.

On behalf of the committee, I wish to thank Dr Gulube for his service to the country and wish him well in his much deserved retirement, Xaba said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday accused the opposition and Russia of planning violent unrest and vowed to defend his regime as early voting began in presidential elections. The 65-year-old has ruled over the ex-Soviet country wedged between Russia and Europe with an authoritarian grip for 26 years and has cracked down on the country's emboldened opposition in the lead-up to Sunday's election. During a televised address to the nation, Lukashenko slammed what he said were attempts by his opponents to organise "a massacre" in the capital Minsk, claiming his critics were being backed by "billion-dollar resources" to incite unrest. "Will Belarus survive? Will it survive this hybrid war?" he asked, sweating profusely and repeatedly mopping his brow. "We will not give the country to you. Independence is expensive, but it is worth it," he said, flanked by large Belarusian flags in an auditorium packed with government officials, church leaders and uniformed military personnel. The former collective farm director, who is Europe's longest-serving non-royal national leader, is seeking a sixth term in the upcoming ballot after barring his main rivals from contesting the vote and jailing some of them. Last week the Belarusian security service, the KGB, arrested 33 Russian "militants" that the authorities said were plotting mass riots with the opposition. Lukashenko said that on Tuesday he had received information about "another unit sent to the south" and added that Moscow should stop "lying" and interfering in his country's affairs. "Do not blow up the situation or things will go up in flames and will be felt even in Vladivostok," he said, referring to Russia's Pacific port. Minsk says the men detained last week are members of the Wagner private military company that promotes Moscow's interests in Syria, Libya and Ukraine and is reportedly controlled by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. After Lukashenko's address the defence ministry issued a statement stressing its officers' "full support" for the president amid "attempts to interfere in internal affairs." The defence ministry also said it was beginning drills involving fighter jets and air-defence forces and was also calling up military reservists for exercises next week. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Minsk's actions as putting on a "show." - 'Poor girls' - The leading opposition candidate in the tense polls, 37-year-old Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, is running in place of her jailed husband and has drawn massive crowds at rallies across Belarus in an unprecedented display of frustration with Lukashenko's rule. Tikhanovskaya, a stay-at-home-mother, has teamed up with the wife and campaign chief of two other opposition activists who have been barred from running. In his address, Lukashenko denigrated the women as "these three poor girls". "They don't understand what they are saying or what they are doing," Lukashenko said. Critics slammed the strongman leader's scare tactics, saying he could not offer the country a new path. "Under Lukashenko, Belarus is not developing, and there is no chance that anything will change," said opposition politician Nikolai Kozlov. Early voting began on Tuesday and the election commission said that almost seven million eligible voters could cast ballots at more than 5,700 polling stations. - Tired of 'stagnation' - Independent observers claimed the authorities would pressure public-sector employees to vote for Lukashenko during the early voting period and carry out widespread falsifications before the main election day. Dmitry, a 33-year-old builder who declined to give his last name, said that Belarusians want "to move forward, develop". "People are tired of living in this time of stagnation," he told AFP in Minsk. Tikhanovskaya has called on her supporters to vote on Sunday to avoid manipulation before the count and to wear a white bracelet so independent monitors can easily identify them. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has not recognised any elections in Belarus as free and fair since 1995. The OSCE said it will not send observers to the vote after Belarus failed to issue an invitation in time. The organisation also raised concerns over intimidation and arrests of the opposition.
The Premier League has given the green light to clubs still left in Europe to potentially miss the first two weeks of next season.

Last month, Sportsmail reported that both Manchester sides, Wolves and Chelsea were likely to be permitted to postpone matches that fall within a 30-day grace period following the end of their campaigns.

And sources have disclosed that each has now been told that will be the case.

Pep Guardiola's Manchester City are still vying for success in this season's Champions League

Manchester United are still in the Europa League and have a five-goal last-16 lead against LASK

The new Premier League campaign will start on September 12. However, the Champions League final is not scheduled until August 23. That means that Pep Guardiola's side will not have to return until September 22, missing the first fortnight's fixtures.

The Europa League final is due on August 21, which means that should United and Wolves make the fixture, they would not be back in Premier League action until September 20.

Following Saturday's FA Cup final defeat to Arsenal, Chelsea manager Frank Lampard said he wanted his side to be exempt from having to start on September 12.

Frank Lampard's Chelsea are 3-0 down in their Champions League tie against Bayern Munich

Wolves drew their last-16 first-leg against Olympiacos in the Europa League back in March

The west London side will be back in action this Saturday, August 8, when they play the second leg of their Champions League tie at Bayern Munich, trailing 3-0 from the first encounter.

Should they not be handed an extension, the 30-day period would mean they should start the 2020-21 season on time.

But Lampard believes the fact that his side has played for two weeks longer than most of their rivals should be taken into consideration and that Chelsea should be given an extended break. Discussions are ongoing.
A funeral was held Tuesday in Dothan for an Alabama couple that both contracted COVID-19 and died within an hour of each other.

Wayne Rogers, 65, who had worked for more than 25 years as a state prison officer at Jackson Correctional Institution in Malone, Fla., died about an hour after his wife, Lauri, 61, in adjacent rooms at the Southeast Health medical center in Dothan on July 30, their daughter, Tiffany Davis, said.

Davis, a nurse for a hospice service, said she was with her mother when she died, and then moved to the next room and was with her father when he died. My parents were like a mirror image, with their COVID timeline, as to when their lungs collapsed and when they were put on life support, Davis said in an interview with AL.com.

They both got sick in early July, went to the emergency room on July 12, were sent home to quarantine, then got sicker over the next two weeks. They were admitted to the hospital on July 18.

Davis said it was difficult to watch her parents die one after the other, but she is thankful to the hospital for allowing her in. Im very grateful I was given that opportunity, she said. It was very traumatizing. I didnt know if I could handle it.

Their funeral this morning at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel in Dothan drew friends and family from Alabama and the Florida panhandle, including Warden Chris Brannon from Jackson Correctional Facility, where the Rogers other daughter, Lezlie Burch, also worked in an administrative position until recently.

They loved their family, they loved their community, they loved their country, said Tracey Lee Andress, who lived on the same dirt road as the couple, near U.S. 231 in Rehobeth, south of Dothan, and attended the funeral this morning. She was so loving. If anybody was having a bad day, shed make them laugh.

Lauri Rogers was born in Waterloo, Iowa, and lived the early years of her life there. She moved to Dothan in the 1970s and was employed with Plaza Pharmacy, Doctors Center Pharmacy and Herff Jones until she retired in 2010. Many of her relatives from Iowa attended her funeral this morning, Andress said.

She had a heart of gold and was always the life of the party, the family said in the obituary. Her laughter was contagious, and her smile could light up any room.

Robert Wayne Rogers was born in Marianna, Fla., and lived his early years in Malone, Fla. He was a hard-working man and would do anything for anyone in need, the obituary said. He was a good and loving friend who was also known for his hugs. Wayne and Lauri loved to ride their Harley Davidson motorcycle together.

Lauri said she enjoyed the peacefulness of riding on the back of the Harley behind Wayne. They didnt look the part of Harley riders, Davis said. They were simple country people.

They both attended Bethlehem Baptist Church. Pastor Paul Edenfield officiated the funeral service. Edenfield recalled during the service asking Wayne why he always showed up to church early, as much as 45 minutes early whenever one of his grandchildren was in a church play or involved in an event at the churchs child development center. I love to see my grandkids faces when they open that door and Im the first one they see, Rogers had said.

In addition to daughters Tiffany and Lezlie, they had a son, Robert Rogers II, and five grandchildren.

At the prison in the Florida panhandle where Rogers worked, 21 officers have tested positive, the Miami Herald reported. No inmates have tested positive, but only 11 of about 1,300 inmates have been tested. Statewide in the Florida correctional system, 8,551 inmates and 1,769 staff have tested positive and 53 inmates have died.

He most likely got it at the prison and brought it home to my mom, Davis said.

Her father loved his job as a prison officer, retired once, then went back to the place where inmates respectfully called him Sarge, Davis said.

He could get along with anybody, she said. Hed been there so long, they all respected him.

Wayne had a lawn care business on the side. He was my yard man, said Andress, the neighbor.

He loved to get up at night and go to work, Andress said. He was supposed to retire five or six years ago and he didnt because he loved it so much.

Lauri worked in her yard frequently and loved using gnomes, which were on prominent display in the fairy gardens at their home.

There are not enough words to explain how precious they were, Andress said. Every day I drive out of my driveway, I will think of them and miss them.

The couple had a certainty in their faith and in the afterlife, Andress said. They were just happy people, she said. They were both saved, they both loved the Lord, and they both knew where they were going when they died.
Stating that no substantive evidence has been placed on record by the investigating agency  the CBI, the UT deputy inspector general has refused to grant sanction to prosecute suspended SHO Jaswinder Kaur in a 2017 graft case.

A special CBI court on Tuesday adjourned the case to August 5.

Currently in judicial custody, the graft-tainted inspector had surrendered before a Chandigarh court on July 25 in another Rs 5 lakh graft case from May this year.

In October 2017, sub-inspector (SI) Mohan Singh was arrested for accepting Rs 2 lakh in bribe, allegedly on the directions of the then Sector 31 SHO, Jaswinder Kaur.

Inspector Jaswinder Kaur

Prem Singh Bisht, the complainant, had alleged that the SI, who was the investigating officer in an attempt to murder case, demanded Rs 9 lakh to drop the names of three of his employees from the FIR.

Bisht had alleged that the SI had told him that Rs 8 lakh were for the SHO and remaining Rs 1 lakh for him. The CBI had arrested the SI while accepting Rs 2 lakh bribe, but the case was closed against Kaur as the agency could not find any evidence to implicate her.

However, in the CBI court, the complainant had said that he was taken to SHO Kaur by the SI at Old Car Bazaar in Hallomajra, where a meeting had taken place and SHO had demanded money.

In 2019, Bisht had moved an application to declare Kaur an accused in the case, followed by another application in February 2020, where he stated he was being pressured by the SHO.

Taking cognizance of the applications, the court had directed CBI to place before the sanctioning authority (SSP, Chandigarh) all evidence, so that the authority could apply its own mind whether to give sanction for prosecution.

DIGS RESPONSE

Responding five months from the date of order  February 13, DIG Omvir Singh Bishnoi stated that he had gone through all documents and was of the view that the perusal of chargesheet also reveals that after laying the trap, accused Mohan Singh did not disclose that bribe was obtained by him on behalf of Jaswinder Kaur and he even refused to make call to her.

He added, As per chargesheet filed by CBI, there is no independent, oral, documentary or scientific evidence on record regarding direct demand of bribe by Kaur or on her behalf. The investigating agency further reveals that there is no evidence regarding her meeting with the complainant.

The DIG mentioned that even in the contents of the application moved by Bisht, no new fact has been brought into light. Therefore, no substantive evidence has been placed on record by the CBI to prove her involvement.

Thus, the prosecution sanction under Section 19 of Prevention of Corruption Act is hereby declined, his response stated.

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A former parliamentary aide has urged the Government's chief whip to name a Conservative MP arrested on suspicion of rape at the weekend.

Mark Spencer, who is in charge of discipline and has the ability to suspend Tory MPs from the party, is facing growing pressure suspend the unnamed former minister.

Mr Spencer has insisted the allegations are being treated "very seriously", but has argued that removing the whip would risk breaking the law by potentially identifying the complainant.

But the aide has said that because she did not work directly for the MP she does not believe there is a risk of her identity becoming known by his being named, the Daily Telegraph reported.

The paper quoted the aide, who claims to have post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of her alleged ordeal, as saying to a friend: "[Mr Spencer's] defence today that he can't name the MP because it would identify me is rubbish. I didn't work for this MP and in any case I have lifelong anonymity so there is no risk of me being 'outed' in the press."

The former minister, who is in his fifties, was interviewed under arrest at the weekend at an east London police station over four allegations of rape, sexual assault and coercive control. He has since been released on bail until a date later this month.

The accusations have been made by a former parliamentary aide / Daniel Hambury

He is alleged to have assaulted the woman and forced her to have sex.

The aide also reportedly told friends she asked for a meeting with Mr Spencer on Sunday but had not received a reply.

Mr Spencer has said: "They are very serious allegations and we do take those allegations very seriously. I think it is down to the police to do that thorough investigation, not for the whips' office to investigate this alleged crime, it is for the police and the authorities to do that.

"Once they've come to that conclusion, then we can assess where we're at and the position that the MP finds themselves in. Of course, we've got to bear in mind the victim. We don't want to do anything to identify the victim."

On the request for a meeting at the weekend, a spokesperson told the Telegraph: "Now that a police investigation is under way, it would be completely inappropriate for the chief whip to discuss the case with the alleged victim. The matter is now in the hands of the police."

The aide told ITV News on Monday that she was "devastated" that the MP she accuses of rape has not had the whip suspended, saying: "I feel like the chief whip has never taken my allegations seriously."

There is a history of removing the whip from politicians accused of committing a crime. Former Tory MP Charlie Elphicke lost the whip in 2017 after being accused of sexual assaults. He was last week convicted by a jury of sex assults on two women.

The Labour Party has condemned the decision not to remove the whip from the MP in question, while Anne Milton, the former Tory deputy chief whip, has called him to give it up voluntarily while the investigation is carried out.

Downing Street has declined to say when the Prime Minister became aware of the allegations, and a spokesperson has said it would be inappropriate to comment while a police investigation was ongoing. The Standard has also approached Downing Street for comment.
(Newser)  Honeymooners Feeonaa and Neville Clifton planned to spend two weeks visiting family in the Falkland Islands before heading to South America. Instead, they spent four months stuck in the Falklandsthree in isolation with an elderly auntand another month crossing the ocean in a fishing boat to get back home to New Zealand. "If you like confined spaces, you should definitely consider a fishing trip," says Feeonaa, 48, of Auckland, who was to set foot on land on Tuesday, per the New Zealand Herald. She and 59-year-old Nevilletogether for 25 yearsarrived in the Falklands on March 7, around the time that international borders began to close due to the coronavirus pandemic. Their flight to Brazil was canceled, and the only routes home were through the UK or Africa, which would've required quarantines, per Deutsche Welle.

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"We just climbed every hill we could, because it's quite an isolated space," Feeonaa tells the Herald. After four months of that, the couple heard that a NZ fishing company was collecting stranded crews. Eager to get home, they hopped aboard Sanford Limited's San Aotea II, an Antarctic fishing vessel, for a 27-day crossing of the Southern Ocean. They worked, watched dolphins, and learned to tie knots during the day. At night, they slept in spare crew bunks. "It was pretty incredible," says Feeonaa, who'd never spent a night of sea before. "It's given me a brand new appreciation of the sea." Still, the couple is keen to get home after "a lot of long days." The boat anchored off Timaru on Thursday and Feeonaa and Neville only needed to await negative COVID-19 test results before disembarking. They did indeed test negative, prr Deutsche Welle. (Read more honeymoon stories.)
People will get another chance this week to weigh in on a hotly debated proposal that would require licensed foster homes, addiction recovery houses and other group homes to get zoning permits to locate in residential neighborhoods in Butte.

Commissioners wont immediately decide the fate of that measure following a public hearing Wednesday night, but they will vote on whether to join a multi-county push for passenger rail service after taking comments on that.

The council will meet via Webex videoconference at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, which will be livestreamed on the countys website, and people can call in with comments on those and any other issues at 406-497-5009.

The public also can weigh in via email by sending comments to public-input@bsb.mt.gov and they will be read into the record that night.

Debate on zoning permits for group and foster homes began last September and has intensified in recent weeks, first during a Planning Board meeting and then a Council of Commissioners meeting.

More than a dozen letters were read into the record during each meeting and several more weighed in by phone. Although it will be several more weeks before commissioners decide the matter, citizens have weighed in every step of the way.

I am expecting more feedback, Council Chairman John Morgan said Monday.

The issue began last fall when residents in a west side neighborhood were surprised and angry about a proposed transition home for recovering alcoholics in their area.

Commissioner Eric Mankins, who lives in the neighborhood, has since pushed for a proposal that would require conditional use permits before such homes can locate in any areas with residences.

County officials say fair-housing protections for the handicapped and federal laws prohibit governments from discriminating against the disabled through zoning. Those protections extend to persons recovering from drug or alcohol addiction, they say.

County Attorney Eileen Joyce also says that by state law, individual foster homes would be subject to use permits, just like licensed homes for the disabled or recovering addicts or alcoholics. Numerous foster home parents and advocates, among others, have spoken against the proposed ordinance.

But residents from the west-side area have remained vigilant, saying at the very least, they should know what kinds of homes are planned for their area.

The Planning Board voted 6-2 in recommending commissioners reject the proposal, but two weeks later, the council voted 10-2 to keep pursuing the ordinance, first with the public hearing Wednesday night.

Following another public hearing that night, commissioners will formally decide if Butte-Silver Bow joins numerous counties in southern Montana in establishing the Big Sky Passenger Rail Authority.

Once formed, the authority would investigate, analyze, seek funding for, and develop long-distance inter-city rail service across southern Montana, according to a joint resolution the counties must approve to join.

Missoula and Gallatin counties approved the resolutions last week and public hearings are set next week in Park and Broadwater counties. Other counties that have signaled strong interest are Dawson, Carbon, Big Horn, Prairie, Wibaux, Sanders and Jefferson.

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The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) has appointed Pitchfork Partners Strategic Consulting as its public relations and digital counsel following a multi-agency pitch. Pitchfork Partners will ensure effective communication navigation for ASCIs stakeholders to strengthen its position as an organisation dedicated to safeguarding consumers interests.

ASCI is a self-regulated voluntary organisation that ensures responsible advertising. ASCI positively impacts society with its quick decision making and the accountability taken by brands towards the issues it raises for consumers benefit.

Rohit Gupta, chairman, ASCI, said: When it came to choosing our communication partner, we wanted people who could synergise with ASCIs vision and direction, refresh its communication and ensure that our connection with consumers strengthens more than ever before. We are delighted to have Pitchfork Partners as our communication experts. Pitchforks young team and expertise will help us achieve our mission.

Pitchfork Partners is a strategy consultancy committed to taking care of clients reputation. This is especially important at a time when the COVID-19 pandemic has permanently altered the business landscape, from consumer mobility to media consumption and supply chains. In such a scenario, a brands reputation is its strongest asset. To maintain it, therefore, there is an even greater need to ensure positive experiences for stakeholders. This is why Pitchfork Partners specialises in understanding business needs and aligning communication to business goals, championing reputation building, management, and protection. The consultancy sees itself as a reputation warrior, offering bespoke solutions and a team comprising marketing and communication veterans.

Jaideep Shergill, co-founder, Pitchfork Partners, said: We are elated to partner with ASCI. With the growth in miscommunication through advertisements which in turn harms the consumer, especially in these times, ASCI has a very important role to play. The new consumer protection regulations mean great empowerment for consumers. This is an opportunity for ASCI to make an even stronger impact and underscore its leadership role in consumer protection and responsible advertising. Pitchfork Partners will assist ASCI through its strategic counsel in this effort.
Hanoi out of Covid-19 rapid test kits, tells people to monitor their symptoms

With Hanoi running out of Covid-19 rapid test kits, people, including around 18,000 returning from hotspot Da Nang, have been advised to monitor themselves for symptoms.

The city has screened over 88,000 people returning from Da Nang since July 8, performing rapid tests on over 70,000, Nguyen Khac Hien, director of the Department of Health, said on Monday.

But the rapid test kits ran out on Monday afternoon, leaving around 18,000 unable to be tested, he said.

Hien said: "The number of people screened exceeded our expectations. We recommend that people should monitor their own health, and if one has symptoms like coughing, fever or breathing difficulty, they must go to medical facilities."

The Covid-19 rapid test kits analyze blood droplets to determine if a person is infected with the novel coronavirus. They typically produce results within 10 minutes.

If a rapid test is positive, the person has to take a standard Covid-19 test in which a throat swab sample undergoes a real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test. If the RT-PCR test is negative, the suspected case is deemed not to have contracted the novel coronavirus.

Hanoi had around 100,000 rapid Covid-19 test kits and used 20,000 of them earlier this year, chairman of the city Peoples Committee, Nguyen Duc Chung, said.

Since late July, when the first local infection was found there after over three months, Da Nang has become the epicenter with 142 cases, many linked to some local hospitals like the Da Nang Hospital and the Da Nang Hospital C.

Hanoi has reported two non-imported cases: a 23-year-old man in Nam Tu Liem diagnosed on July 29 and a 76-year-old man in Tay Ho found infected a day later. Both visited Da Nang in July.

Vietnam has had 652 Covid-19 cases, 271 of them active, 374 having recovered and seven dead.

The seventh death, that of a 62-year-old woman in Da Nang, occurred early on Tuesday morning.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Iran amounted to $132.3 million over first five months of 2020, compared to $193.2 million during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee.

The share of Iran in total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover stood at 0.4 percent during the reporting period compared to 0.5 percent during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export to Iran amounted to $83.4 million over the period from January through May 2020, compared to $160.1 million during the same period of 2019.

Irans share in total volume of Kazakhstans export amounted to 0.4 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 0.7 percent during the same period of 2019.

In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Iran amounted to $48.9 million over the reporting period, compared to $33.09 million during the same period of 2019.

Irans total share in Kazakhstans import was 0.4 percent during the reporting period of 2020, while the figure was 0.2 percent during the same period of 2019.

The total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover amounted to $34.9 billion over the period from Jan. through May 2020 which indicates a decrease from $37.5 billion during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export amounted to $22.3 billion during the reporting period of 2020 ($23.6 billion in the same period of 2019), whereas import amounted to $12.6 billion ($13.9 billion).

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Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
Havaianas is known for its easy-to-wear flip-flop. The Brazilian footwear brand is now expanding its classic design with the Japanese-inspired design "Tradi Zori." A thong-style typically made with soles of rice straw called Zori sandal.

In June, the silhouette went a test run as part of the collaboration of Havaianas with Japanese fashion label "Mastermind." As part of a series of seven colorways, Havaianas offers the style this time. You can buy the latest design exclusively online at selected Havaianas retail locations.

According to Footwear News, the traditional square-shaped silhouette was updated for the comfort of the user. The new design has a triple-layer EVA and rubber sole with fabric strap for enhanced support for your feet.

Fernanda Romano, Havaianas CMO, explained that Tradi Zori shows the future of Havaianas. "We're challenging the idea that flip flops are just for the beach and igniting a change in perception," Romano said. "While paying homage to the brand's heritage, this new silhouette is a drastic departure from Havaianas' classic styles and introduces a new form of cultural expression."

Leonardo Boin Fujiska, the designer of Tradi Zori said that the creative process started when he had a trip to Japan and saw several people wearing Zoris with the traditional kimono in the middle of Tokyo.

Fujiska thinks of Havaianas' origin and the Japanese culture. The idea make Fujiska be inspired to recreate the Zori for Havaianas and bring the concept to the urban cities around the world. "Tradi Zori is a true re-imagination of the category," the designer said.

In the early '60s the Brazilian footwear became the same as the look for Brazilian workers. The company registered the license of the rubber flip-flop in 1996. The rubber flip-flop is the only footwear with a strap decorated with two parallel threads. Havaianas flip-flop was initially been blue and white only. But a green version was released due to manufacturing mishaps.

Tradi Zori is available at selected Havaianas stores. The style is limited edition footwear cost $80. It is available in seven colorways, which was inspired by the most popular color combinations over the history of Havaianas.

According to BBC, Havaianas sells about 200 million pairs each year. Domestic and international production is a phenomenon. The company has whole shops dedicated to the footwear brand.

On Twitter, Havaianas tweeted, "Havaianas embodies Brazil's fun, vibrant & spontaneous way of life," The famous Brazilian flip-flop has a strong identity that helped it hold its own against the replications of the designs.

BBC's South America Business Correspondent Daniel Gallas said that Havaianas kicked off in the 1990s. Gallas said, "The company created different prototypes, accepted branding partnerships. With a few tweaks, a product costing ten reais [2, $3] could be sold for ten times that amount."

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Argos has launched an investigation after a woman's Bush washing machine glass door 'blew up' before her 18-month-old son found shards scattered on the floor.

Claire Barnes from Haverhill in West Suffolk was horrified when the 304 device - which she had for three months - malfunctioned.

She only realised the damage when her toddler son showed her the fragments which had been 'blown out'.

Ms Barnes took to Facebook and said: 'Great. Three-month-old washing machine just decided to blow up when not in use and empty.'

'Tried to contact Argos and passed from pillar to post.'

Claire Barnes only realised the damage when her toddler son showed her the fragments which had been 'blown out' (pictured)

Claire Barnes (pictured) from Haverhill in West Suffolk was horrified when the 304 device - which she had for three months - malfunctioned

She also shared pictures of the damage, which has left her with a three-month wait for a repair.

Shocking images show the gaping hole in the washing machine's door where the glass had blown out.

Another photograph showed the two shards of glass that Ms Barnes's son had shown her.

She confirmed her son was unharmed in the July 24 incident, adding: 'He is fine. Fortunately he didn't cut himself.

'Seeing a child holding a massive piece of glass is rather worrying. Argos and Bush have not said what could have caused it.

Ms Barnes took to Facebook and said: 'Great. Three-month-old washing machine just decided to blow up when not in use and empty.' 'Tried to contact Argos and passed from pillar to post'

'The guy on the phone seemed just as shocked as I was. I'm pretty disappointed I've been left five days without a machine.

'It makes it hard for a family of six, left without a washing machine. Luckily I have friends and family to help lend me their washers.

'It honestly looks like someone got a suction cup, a glass knife and just cut it perfectly out.'

Argos confirmed the Bush WMNBX1016W 10kg 1600 spin washing machine has since sold out. but it has not been recalled.

Ms Barnes continued: 'I was sitting in my living room with my children and I heard what I describe as a pop and clang sound sort of like a plate falling.

The mother shared pictures of the damage, which has left her with a three-month wait for a repair

'I came out to inspect and didn't know what it was so assumed it was just something in a cupboard.

'It wasn't till an hour later when I was preparing dinner that my 18-month-old came up to me with a piece of glass that I realised what the sound was.

'No one was near the machine, it was empty and the door was closed. I have no idea how it happened.'

She added: 'He just picked it out of the washing machine where the hole was in the glass.

'They've come out and said it's a three-month wait for a replacement door so I now have to try to get a replacement machine already waited a week without a machine. I'm pretty p***** off.'

A spokesman for Argos said: 'The safety of our products is our highest priority and we are urgently investigating Claire's experience.'
Kabul, Aug 4 : US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and the Talibans deputy leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar discussed the much-awaited intra-Afghan talks and the ongoing situation in Afghanistan, a spokesman of the group said.

The talks took place on Monday via video conference.

"Both sides talked about the inception of intra-Afghan negotiations and the status quo emphasizing that release of the remaining prisoners are essential for commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations," Khaame Press quoted spokesman Suhail Shaheen as saying.

"The Secretary of State also welcomed announcement of ceasefire by the Islamic Emirate on the eve of the current Eid." This comes as the both the Afghan government and Taliban have released hundreds of prisoners following the signing of peace deal between Washington and Taliban earlier this year.

Meanwhile, senior government official said on Monday that Afghan government is convening the consultative Loya Jirga, the grand assembly of Afghan elders and representatives, to find a consensus on the decision to release the remaining 400 Taliban prisoners who are accused of crimes including murder, drug trafficking and abduction, TOLO News reported.

The prisoners in question were named on a 5,000-member list given to the government by the Taliban.

The Afghan government has so far released 4,600 prisoners on this list but has refrained from releasing the remaining 400.

At least 3,200 people will attend the Jirga, according to presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi.

The prisoners, he said, are accused of murder and also for abduction, as well as other crimes.

The Afghan government has not made public any further details about the Jirga and its committees or its duration.
Also Tuesday, the University of Virginia announced that it is delaying in-person instruction and residence hall move-ins in response to an uptick in coronavirus cases.

The two-week delay means undergraduate classes will still start Aug. 25, but all classes will begin online before moving in-person Sept. 8. The university said students will be able to move into residence halls several days before then.

Graduate and professional programs will start as previously planned, UVA said.

President Jim Ryan; Provost Liz Magill; Chief Operating Officer J.J. Davis; and Dr. K. Craig Kent, executive vice president for health affairs, said in an email to the UVA community that they made the decision, which is a change from the initial reopening plans announced June 17, in response to an increase in cases in Virginia and across the country. The university is also experiencing disruptions in its supply chain that is affecting the availability of materials needed for COVID-19 tests, according to a news release.
Mr. Trumps antipathy toward many news organizations has led him to repeatedly threaten to interfere with media companies operations. He twice urged regulators to examine taking away the license from NBC, though it was unclear what license he was referring to. He declared as a candidate that he would not approve AT&Ts acquisition of Time Warner because the company owned CNN, a network he frequently accuses of treating him unfairly, and the Justice Department later sued unsuccessfully to block the deal.

He has also lashed out at companies and their executives for perceived failures in responding to his desires. After Kenneth C. Frazier, the chief executive of Merck Pharmaceuticals, resigned from a presidential advisory council over Mr. Trumps handling of violent white nationalist protests in Charlottesville, Va., the president took after him on Twitter for RIPOFF DRUG PRICES.

Mr. Trump denounced General Motors for closing a car factory in Lordstown, Ohio, and three other plants in the United States, and attacked its chief executive, Mary T. Barra, by name. Later, with the onset of the coronavirus crisis, Mr. Trump criticized Ms. Barra for what he said was the companys failure to make good on a promise to help make ventilators.

Always a mess with Mary B, he wrote on Twitter.

Hes been doing this from the outset, using his power to try to influence corporate deals, said Richard W. Painter, a professor at the University of Minnesota Law School. Being president is not the art of the deal. Hes not in a boardroom. Hes in the White House.

But Mr. Trumps efforts to dictate corporate decisions have been inconsistent, making it harder for executives to anticipate White House demands or reactions.

As he found himself on the defensive this spring in his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, Mr. Trump resisted calls to use the Defense Production Act to pressure industries to make more masks and medical supplies, saying that such a move would be akin to nationalizing our business and that the government was not a shipping clerk.

And even with China, which many in Washington have accused of gaming Americas free-market system by stealing intellectual property and cheating on trade rules, Mr. Trump has not always intervened to take a tougher line.
Prasanta Mazumdar By

Express News Service

GUWAHATI: The virtually-disconnected "thumb of India" is now more connected to its north-eastern palm.

A finger-like protrusion surrounded on three sides by Myanmar and on one side by the Namdapha Tiger Reserve, the Vijaynagar circle in Changlang district of eastern Arunachal Pradesh is one of the remotest locations in India where the BSNL has spread its wings to.

It has launched its mobile and 2G Internet services at the place that is home to Lisu tribe whose population straddles the international border. Families of some retired Gorkha soldiers were also settled there by the government in the 1960s, ostensibly for better protection of the border.

Spread across 8,000 sq km, Vijaynagar was discovered in 1961 by the Assam Rifles during an expedition "Srijit II". It was carried out under the leadership of Major General AS Guraya, the then Inspector General of the paramilitary force. He had named the valley after his son, Vijay.

Vijaynagar has a population of 4,400. The locals are mostly farmers. Some are into poultry farming.

The circle has just one "health clinic" and two schools  one each in Vijaynagar and Gandhigram. There is no college. Most youth go to the nearest town Miao after class VIII and X for further studies. It takes four-five days trek from Miao to reach Vijaynagar. Given the hostile terrain, ration and other supplies are airlifted by the IAF.

ALSO READ | Coronavirus doesnt dare enter these tribal hamlets in Karnataka

The state government and the Indian Air Force (IAF) extended logistic support to the BSNL in transporting equipment. The BSNL said the work was successfully carried out despite difficulties.

"The BSNL staff had to wait at Jorhat in Assam for nearly a month (due to Covid-19 pandemic) to airlift the equipment to Vijaynagar. The work for the installation of tower etc was supervised by Sub Divisional Engineer Karma Tsering," the BSNL said.

Changlang District Magistrate Devansh Yadav told The New Indian Express that the mobile and Internet services would do a world of good to the troops, police and government officials. He said the first call was made by a police officer posted to the place.

"Earlier, the Assam Rifles and government officials relied entirely on VSATs for communication. Some had Wi-Fi-based and laptop dongle Internet. As there was no mobile tower, people were not able to make calls. Now, they will have access to normal telephony and Internet services," Yadav said.

Since the place is yet to be electrified, solar power will make people sustainable. They will not have to depend on external power source, the DM said.

He said the entire operation was carried out by the BSNL and the Arunachal Pradesh Energy Development Agency (APEDA). The APEDA provided solar power and the BSNL installed the mobile tower. They worked closely. The district administration coordinated locally, Yadav said.

The test check was done on July 31. Subsequently, solar panels were dispatched but the helicopter had to return due to poor weather. The IAF was scheduled to make another attempt on Tuesday.

As soon as the solar panels are installed, the unit will be sustainable. We will get normal mobile and Internet connectivity. Now that the tower has been installed, the locals will soon start using mobile phones, the DM said.

There is no road leading up to Vijaynagar. Currently, one is being constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, Yadav said. He added that the terrain is such that after every rainfall, some or the other major changes happen on the ground. That is why the road project is going on at a relatively slow pace.

"Two of the five phases of work has been completed. The forest clearance has been obtained. There is no inhabitation on the way. When the place was discovered, a road was constructed. During early 1970s, the road was motorable when Army vehicles used to ply. After that, no fresh project was undertaken," Yadav added.



ALSO SEE:
Despite the Indian equities market registering a strong comeback since March lows, mutual fund houses have been on a selling spree in 2020, reported Business Standard.

According to the report, fund managers were net sellers in all months in 2020, except May, selling shares worth Rs 9,639 crore.

April saw the most profit-taking as mutual funds sold equities worth Rs 7,965 crore at a time when the market bounced back 14.68 percent month-on-month. They bought shares worth Rs 6,522 crore in May and turned sellers once again in June and July, selling shares worth Rs 8,196 crore.

Since touching multi-year lows in March, the markets made a stellar comeback rising nearly 45 percent till date. Ample liquidity due to stimulus packages, lifting of nationwide lockdown and a record number of retail investors backed the immense rally, but the overhang in the name of COVID-19 still remains a concern with cases crossing 17 lakh in India.

Nonetheless, the stellar rally has roused concerns over market valuations as the D-Street may be discounting a future without COVID, but experts feel, in hindsight, the party could turn out to be premature.

The Street is now looking at the upcoming Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting scheduled for August 4-6.

In the March meeting, the committee had slashed policy repo rate by 75 basis points, bringing it down to 4.4 percent from the earlier 5.15 percent. So far in 2020, the central bank has slashed policy rates by 115 bps.

An SBI research report- Ecowrap stated that the policy rates may remain unchanged and the MPC may look for "unconventional policy measures" to ensure financial stability.

"We believe an August rate cut is unlikely. We believe that the MPC could now well debate what further unconventional policy measures could be resorted to in the current circumstances to ensure financial stability is continued to be addressed."
Joining the long list of brands that have launched Indian versions of Favipiravir, Sun Pharmaceutical Industries said on Tuesday that it has launched FluGuard -- a version of Favipiravir 200 mg -- at Rs 35 per tablet for the treatment of mild to moderate cases of COVID-19 patients in India.

"With over 50,000 COVID-19 cases being reported daily in India, there is an urgent need to provide more treatment options to healthcare professionals. We are launching FluGuard at an economical price to make the drug accessible to more and more patients thereby reducing their financial burden. This is in line with our continuous efforts to support India's pandemic response," Kirti Ganorkar, CEO of India Business, Sun Pharma, said on Tuesday.

With this, close to 11 players -- Glenmark, Cipla and Dr Reddy's and others -- are either selling their versions of Favipiravir in the market or will launch soon.

Also read: Sun Pharma gets DCGI nod to start clinical trial of Nafamostat drug in COVID-19 patients

The company said it'll work closely with the government and medical community to ensure availability of FluGuard to patients across the country. FluGuard will be available in the market from this week.

Favipiravir is the only oral anti-viral treatment approved in India for the potential treatment of patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 infection. Ever since it received approval in India, companies have launched their versions of Favipiravir for different prices. Glenmark Pharma was the first one to launch the Favipiravir drug in India for Rs 103 a tablet. The company later revised the price to Rs 79 a tablet. Brinton Pharma also launched the Favipiravir drug at Rs 59 per tablet. Jenburkt Pharma launched it for Rs 39 per tablet.

Hyderabad-based generic pharma major Hetero also launched Favipiravir under the brand name 'Favivir' to treat mild to moderate COVID-19 cases. Hetero has priced it at Rs 59 per tablet.

Currently, the favipiravir drug is being sold in the price range of Rs 35 and Rs 75 per tablet for 200mg.

Also read: COVID-19 cure: Sun Pharma dengue drug AQCH enters Phase II clinical trial

Besides, Sun Pharma has received approval from DCGI to initiate a clinical trial with Nafamostat Mesilate in COVID-19 patients. Nafamostat is approved in Japan for the improvement of acute symptoms of pancreatitis and treatment of Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC).

The company's drug AQCH, a phytopharmaceutical plant-derived drug, has also been approved for the treatment of COVID-19. The first phase of the drug has been successful. The company received approval from the DCGI for conducting Phase II clinical trial in April.

Sun Pharma stock is trading 1.88 per cent or Rs 10.30 up at Rs 529.65 today as compared to the previous close of Rs 519.40 on the National Stock Exchange.

Also read: Sun Pharma gets DCGI nod to start clinical trial of Nafamostat drug in COVID-19 patients
Time is running out to enrol to make voting easier in the 2020 General Election and referendums.

About 500,000 eligible New Zealanders still havent enrolled to vote and half of them are under the age of 30.

Make voting easy this year by getting your enrolment sorted out now, says Mandy Bohte, National Manager of Enrolment and Community Engagement.

Enrol by August 16 and youll be sent an information pack at the start of voting including an EasyVote card which makes voting faster.

The EasyVote pack will include a list of voting place locations and opening hours.

It will also include information on the two referendums that will be held with the election on whether the End of Life Choice Act 2019 should come into force and whether the recreational use of cannabis should become legal.

These are important issues  enrol by 16 August and it will be much easier to have your say, says Mandy.

You can still enrol right up to and on election day, but anyone enrolled after 16 August will have to cast a special vote which takes a bit longer.

People can enrol or update their details online at vote.nz using a New Zealand driver licence, New Zealand passport or RealMe verified identity.

They can also enrol or update their details by filling in an enrolment form and can call 0800 36 76 56 to ask for a form to be sent to them.

Voting starts in New Zealand on Saturday, September 5, and ends at 7pm on election day, Saturday, September 19.

Applications open for postal voting

Every election, other ways of voting are provided to people who cant go to a voting place.

This year, people who are unable to vote in person can vote by post. They can apply for postal voting from now until August 21 by calling 0800 36 76 56.

Because of COVID-19, arrangements are also being made for people in rest homes and hospitals, and people in managed isolation or quarantine facilities, to vote in the election and referendums.

For more information on the measures in place for COVID-19 go to www.vote.nz/covid-19
Times Union

Times Union reporter Rachel Silberstein was live on Twitter, Facebook and YouTube to talk with Siena College junior Meredith McElroy, who is among thousands of college students in the Capital Region starting out their semester under quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

This is part of a series of discussions with a range of Times Union journalists covering the effects of coronavirus on the community.
A journalist has been hailed a "hero" after leaving Donald Trump floundering during an interview over the US President's response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Jonathan Swan, national political correspondent at the Axios news site, grilled the president on the Covid-19 pandemic during a car crash interview aired by HBO on Tuesday.

Segments show a frustrated Mr Trump rifle through sheets of papers as Mr Swan questioned him on the US's death toll.

He also asked him to explain himself as the embattled president claimed the country had done an "incredible job" and that he had saved "millions of lives".

After the interview was aired, Mr Swan, who is Australian, was described as "one of the best interviewers on the planet" and lauded as an "American hero".

One social media user said: "Jonathan Swan is one of the best live interviewers on the planet.

Political correspondent Jonathan Swan pressed Donald Trump on his handling of the coronavirus pandemic / Axios

"Listening to answers, thinking on his feet, and asking relevant follow-up questions. (Rather than moving on after an answer is completed.)"

Another said the interview showed the president's "incompetence".

"This is what happen when Trump doesnt get to know the questions before the interview," said the social media user in a Twitter post.

Donald Trump struggled to understand why Mr Swan wanted to look at coronavirus deaths in the US as proportion of population / Axios

Others noted the "meme potential" of Mr Swan's expressions as he went head-to-head with the President.

"I feel that Jonathan Swans what the f**** are you even TALKING about face has meme potential," said one person on Twitter.

Mr Swan's expressions changed from confusion to sheer disbelief in looks that were captured and analysed on social media.

"Jonathan Swans facial expressions are all of us," said one Twitter user.

"Kudos to Swan for pushing back in a way trump* is obviously not used to."

During the interview, Mr Trump was seen examining a piece of paper which appeared to show data on Covid-19 deaths in the US.

"Well, right here, United States is lowest in numerous categories," he said. "Were lower than the world."

But Mr Swan questioned the accuracy of the data asking: "Lower than the world?

Oh, youre doing death as a proportion of cases," said the political correspondent. "Im talking about death as a proportion of population.

"Thats where the US is really bad. Much worse than Germany, South Korea, et cetera.

To which the President responded: "You cant  you cant do that.

Mr Swan pressed Mr Trump by insisting: "Why cant I do that?. He then calmly goes on to explain why he thinks it is relevant to look at deaths by proportion of population.

"Its surely a relevant statistic to say if the US has X population and X percentage of death of that population," says Mr Swan.

In South Korea, for example  51 million population, 300 deaths. Its like, its crazy compared to other countries.

The president then repeats: You dont know that. You dont know that.

In another clip from the interview, Mr Trump claimed he had "done more" to improve the lives of black people in the US than the late civil rights leader John Lewis.

Also in the interview, Mr Trump dismissed the legacy of the late Congressman and accused him of having made a "big mistake" by not coming to the American president's inauguration ceremony.

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Mr Lewis - who died aged 80 last month after fighting racism all his life - said at the time that he did not see the billionaire businessman as as a "legitimate president". Later, during debates over immigration, he labelled Mr Trump a racist.
Dave Chokshi was named as the new commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene on Tuesday. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio appointed him to the role following the resignation of former Commissioner Oxiris Barbot. Here are five things to know about the man who will help lead the citys ongoing efforts to keep New Yorkers safe from the coronavirus.

Hes taking over at a difficult time

While the worst of the coronavirus pandemic, with shocking death tolls and overloaded hospitals, is hopefully behind New York City, the pressure is still on city health officials to help guide the continued reopening while avoiding another surge in cases. That means balancing political and economic pressures with what is best from a public health standpoint  the same pressures that apparently led to Barbots resignation. The former commissioner and other higher-ups reportedly butted heads with de Blasio from the earliest days of the pandemic in March, largely over concerns that the mayor wasnt listening to health experts.

Hes coming from NYC Health + Hospitals

De Blasio has appeared to be favoring the citys public hospital system, New York City Health + Hospitals, over the citys health department throughout the pandemic. That was shown most clearly when he assigned the coronavirus contact tracing program to Health + Hospitals over the health department, which has a long history of contract tracing experience. So choosing Chokshi, who has been a part of Health + Hospitals senior leadership, could be seen as a move to better align the health departments leadership with de Blasios public health worldview.

Chokshi has been with Health + Hospitals since 2014, and most recently served as its chief population health officer, where he reportedly led the systems transition to telemedicine during the pandemic. He left leadership in May, but continued his work as a primary care internist at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, while also working as a clinical associate professor at the NYU Grossman School of Medicine. Hes published extensively, most recently authoring Emerging Lessons From COVID-19 Response in New York City in the Journal of the American Medical Association along with Health + Hospitals President and CEO Mitchell Katz.

Hes isnt even 40 yet

Chokshi is just 39 years old and was recognized by Crains New York Business on its 40 Under 40 list last year, along with other government figures like New York City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. And just last month, City & State recognized Chokshi as one of New Yorks 100 most politically powerful Asian Americans. A quick look at the doctors resume shows why. He was raised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and graduated from Duke University before getting his masters degree as a Rhodes scholar at the University of Oxford. He earned his medical degree from University of Pennsylvania, then did a clinical fellowship at Harvard Medical School. He came to New York City in 2011 and worked as special adviser to then-New York City Health Commissioner Thomas Farley. He went to Washington for a year to serve as a White House Fellow in President Barack Obamas administration and as the principal health adviser to the secretary of Veterans Affairs, then came back to New York to work as a senior adviser to then-state Health Commissioner Nirav Shah. He joined Health + Hospitals in October 2014, not long after de Blasio took office.

Hes a man

Barbots resignation is just the latest note in de Blasios checkered track record with female leaders. Theres a gender pay gap at City Hall that is even larger among top officials, and women of color who have worked for de Blasio say they have felt marginalized. Barbot leaving her position is reminiscent of the 2018 resignation of her predecessor, Dr. Mary Bassett. Chokshi will be another man leading a city agency, but as the son of immigrants from India, he will help the de Blasio administrations leadership reflect the diversity of the city. Other high-level South Asian appointees include Counsel to the Mayor Kapil Longani and director of the Mayors Office of Resiliency Jainey Bavishi.

Hell keep seeing patients

Despite taking over as the citys health czar, Chokshi plans to keep up his clinical practice as a primary care doctor at Bellevue, according to a press release from the de Blasio administration. Hes not the only public servant in the family  the mayors office said Chokshis wife is an educator in the New York City public school system. They live with their 14-month-old daughter in Elmhurst, Queens, just blocks from Health + Hospitals Elmhurst Hospital. Chokshi is a registered Democrat who supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.
Black Lives Matter, Palestinian and other activists express solidarity with Kashmiris ahead of revocation anniversary.

Black Lives Matter, Palestinian, Uighur, Indigenous and Rohingya activists have come out in support of the people of Indian-administered Kashmir, calling for a global spotlight on the suffering and their resistance, ahead of the one-year anniversary of the revocation of the regions autonomy by Indias Hindu nationalist government.

On August 5, 2019, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis government abrogated Article 370 of Indias constitution that granted the Muslim-majority region a special status, with powers to make its own laws in all matters except finance, defence, foreign affairs and communications.

The region was placed under an unprecedented security lockdown and internet shutdown for months following the decision, drawing condemnation from rights organisations and the United Nations.

I am sending this strong word of deep solidarity with my precious brothers and sisters in Kashmir facing a vicious Indian occupation generating levels of dominations, social misery and suffering, said Harvard University Professor Cornel West in a video message released on Tuesday by the Stand with Kashmir group.

Lets cast a national global spotlight on both the suffering and the resistance.

Days before the anniversary, thousands of Indian troops were ordered to impose a two-day curfew in Kashmir, blocking main roads with razor wire and steel barricades, citing intelligence reports of looming protests.

Kashmiris have called for the anniversary to be marked as a black day.

A brutal occupation

About 7,000 people were taken into custody whereas hundreds remained under house arrest or behind bars without charge.

This is a message to my Kashmiri brothers and sisters who are enduring a brutal occupation and being repressed by the most violent means, Mariam Barghouti, a Palestinian activist and writer, said in the video message for the US-based Kashmiri diaspora group.

Paramilitary soldiers guard at a checkpoint during a curfew in Srinagar on August 4 [Tauseef Mustafa/AFP]

I know that the plight for self-determination is difficult and oppressors rely on making their violence invisible and that they rely on making us invisible but your voices are heard and your shouts and screams as difficult as they are to utter are heard.

A year on, life remains hard in Kashmir with several checkpoints still in place and half a million jobs lost in the region by the end of 2019, according to the Kashmir chamber of commerce.

Kashmiris fear New Delhis decision to allow Indians from other states to buy land and compete for local jobs are aimed at demographic change in the region of nearly eight million people.

Beyond sharp words from Malaysia, Turkey and UN human rights chief Michelle Bachelet, international reaction over the August 5 decision, has been largely muted.

As a Rohingya, going through a process of what is called a genocide and living in fear of not being able to protect loved ones, I would never understand why the international community takes so long to respond, Yasmin Ullah, a Rohingya activist, said.

Kashmir has been split since 1947 between India and Pakistan, both of which claim it in full. India accuses Pakistan of sending fighters over their de facto Kashmir border to conduct attacks and also of supporting rebels on the ground, charges that Islamabad denies.

In Pakistan, anti-India protests are planned throughout the country while all major cities in Pakistan will hold solidarity marches, along with a one-minute silence.

More than half a million Indian soldiers are deployed in Kashmir, making it one of the most militarised zones of the world [File: Dar Yasin/AP Photo]

Activists from around the world have expressed solidarity with Kashmiris, with Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan accusing India of turning the Muslim-majority region into an open-air prison.

Right now Kashmir is the largest militarised region in the world and right now Kashmiris are stripped of a very basic human rights and forms of self dignity, Aydin Anwar, an Uighur activist, said.

For the Kashmiri cause, I urge you all to continue to remain strong and courages to find against the appaling occupation.

False claims

Ashok Koul, the general secretary of the governing Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), defended last years government move.

The last one year has been very good for Jammu and Kashmir. Militancy has reduced and the number of locals joining militancy has also come down, Koul told Al Jazeera.

But official data show a growing number of Kashmiri youth joining rebel ranks.

Koul dubbed allegations of human rights violations in Kashmir as false claims. Since 1947 this has been the business for diaspora groups and the activists to run these false campaigns. They have been doing it and these campaigns are their bread and butter.
There is a central disconnect in Justin Trudeaus story about the WE scandal.

When the prime minister appeared before the Commons Finance Committee last week, he answered many of the most important questions. He insisted he had no role in giving the student jobs program to WE. You can choose to believe that or not, but the final verdict will rest with the ethics commissioner who is investigating. It seems unlikely that Trudeau would risk being called out by the ethics watchdog for not telling the truth about this central point. Opposition claims that awarding the $544 million pandemic relief program to WE was some sort of payback scheme for speaking fees for Trudeaus family and trips for the family of Finance Minister Bill Morneau are not backed up by the evidence heard to date.

Moreover, he testified that he pushed back on the civil service recommendation to award the contract, because he was concerned about the optics of the deal given his familial ties with the charity.

WE Charity was known to be connected to people in our government, including myself, as Id spoken at their events in the past. So we knew that the selection of WE Charity would be closely scrutinized. We wanted to make sure that the process and decision were the best possible in the circumstances, Trudeau said.

The PMs chief of staff, Katie Telford, supported this version of events and testified she expressed similar concerns. Their stories will be carefully scrutinized by the ethics commissioner, so we can judge their veracity when the report is released.

There should be some comfort in this. The alternative is to believe that the PM and his most senior adviser didnt see the optics as anything to worry about, and that would be truly worrisome.

But here is the disconnect. Trudeau was concerned about the optics and sensitive to the perception of conflict of interest, so much so that he held up the proposal and sent it back for due diligence although the need for student support was real and urgent. Given his acknowledgement, how could he failed to recuse himself from supporting the project when it finally came time to approve the contract? Why didnt he simply declare his affiliation with WE would leave the perception, if not the reality, that he and his family are too close to the charity to take part in such a crucial discussion?

Even if Trudeau somehow didnt see this looming issue, why didnt his advisers, up to and including Telford? How is it that no other member of cabinet saw the potential for conflict or the threat of poor optics? How could no one involved have advised Trudeau and Morneau to get out of the way?

Had that happened, we probably wouldnt be here today, with all the affiliated credibility damage suffered by the government and the charity. And that half a billion dollars might be in the hands of students who need it thanks to the pandemic jobs crisis.

Not that this was a great plan to begin with. Paying students below minimum wage to do charitable work is a scheme fraught with problems and challenges, even though there is no doubt that the idea was well-intentioned to begin with.

Charities and students, both sectors hit hard by the pandemic, deserved better than this. And the government should not stop looking for ways to provide credible support.

This should not have happened. That there was no one around the prime minister and finance minister to sound the alarm is astounding when you think about it. Once again the government has taken a hit in the polls and lost credibility with Canadians. It was entirely avoidable, and thats the worst part.
Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has shut the border with all of New South Wales and the ACT, declaring them both coronavirus hot spots.

The decision will take effect from 1am on Saturday, Ms Palaszczuk said on Wednesday morning.

All travellers from NSW and the ACT will be denied entry except for rare exemptions, with only residents of border communities and essential workers allowed in.

As well as the existing rules on those coming in from abroad, Queenslanders coming back from NSW or ACT will also have to pay for 14 days mandatory hotel quarantine.

The announcement comes despite the Sunshine State recording only one new case of COVID-19 overnight.

Pictured: A pedestrian wearing a face mask walks past a tram in Sydney's CBD on Tuesday. Queensland has moved to shut the border with all of New South Wales and the ACT

'We've seen that Victoria is not getting better and we're not going to wait for NSW to get worse. We need to act and we have taken the decisive decision to act. I said I will not hesitate and today is the day,' she said.

She said the fact NSW was continuing to see cases announced every day was 'of great concern to Queensland'.

The enhanced restrictions locking out almost eight million people follow the revelation the ACT was being used by travellers as a go-between to avoid Queensland's ban on those from Sydney and Victoria.

One man who allegedly drove to the ACT from a Sydney hotspot and then boarded a flight to Brisbane has since been charged.

Ms Palaszczuk said exemptions would be limited and include compassionate reasons.

Those granted permission to cross the border will be given a pass which shows their proof of address and photo ID.

She said the border closure would be reviewed at the end of August.

Ms Palaszczuk said exemptions to the border closure would be limited and include compassionate reasons, essential workers and those who live in border communities

Ms Palaszczuk conceded the closure would be tough for businesses, but it would be even worse for Queenslanders' health if she did not act.

'It is going to be tough for some of our small businesses in some of those communities,' she said.

'But what would be more catastrophic is to take Queensland backwards. My job is to protect Queenslanders Health and to protect our economy and our lifestyle.'

The premier said the one confirmed case involved a 68-year-old woman in Ipswich in the state's south-east.

A pedestrian wearing a face mask in Sydney's Darling Harbour on Tuesday. Ms Palaszczuk said NSW continuing to see daily cases was 'of great concern' to the Queensland government

There are now 11 active cases in Queensland.

1,088 infections and six deaths from the virus have been confirmed state-wide since the pandemic began.

The state's Deputy Premier Steven Miles defended the border closure by saying the nine cases announced in Queensland this week had placed an 'enormous burden' on its health system.

'That week, we've had nine cases here in Queensland,' he said.

Vehicles arriving from New South Wales are checked by police at a checkpoint on the Queensland border at the Gold Coast suburb of Coolangatta on Thursday. Special border permits will be issued to those granted an exemption showing their address and photo ID

'Two travellers from Victoria, three cases of local transmission, two Queenslanders who travelled to Sydney and one returning Queenslander via Sydney as well as that one case today and we don't yet know the source of their infection.'

Sydney's coronavirus clusters continued to grow on Tuesday, with just one of the state's new 12 cases coming from a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.

Of the new cases announced on Tuesday, three came from Victoria and another three were linked to the Sydney restaurant clusters.

One case has been linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park and two cases are people who ate at the Apollo restaurant in Potts Point.

The ACT has not had a case in 25 days, although only 496 tests were conducted by health authorities in the territory in the 24 hours to Tuesday.
NIST Traceable, Whole Slide Imaging Color Transmission Calibration Standard Industry leaders and experts must address color variation issues in digital pathology.

The new NIST Traceable, Whole Slide Imaging Color Transmission Calibration Standard (p/n IAM-9C-WSI) helps researchers calibrate, standardize, and trace color settings for imaging analysis. With this addition, APPLIED IMAGE now offers two choices for color calibration standards for digital pathology. Watch video here.

Market feedback showed that the whole slide imager market would benefit from modifications to the original IAM-9C slide. This new design consists of a modified and simpler color palette, clear background, and thinner design which would help users scan the slide with their WSI in automated mode. This benefit is especially useful for histology, pathology, food processing, and other applications.

Without this type of technology, researchers have to rely on visual inspection to match their system to the correct color profile, that creates a wide range of variability, said Glenn Jackling, CEO, APPLIED IMAGE. Perception of color is one reason its not uncommon for two labs to return different results.

Developing standards for color calibration and color measurement related to digital pathologies has been an elusive objective for many years for the industry. APPLIED IMAGE has leveraged its 40 years of calibration standard development to help create a NIST traceable approach to color calibration by measuring and reporting spectral transmission data for each color patch in 5nm increments, from 340nm to 830nm.

The International Workshop on Harmonization and Standardization of Digital Pathology (April 2019) reported that Standardization of color in Digital Pathology Image and scanners is being demanded by various experts in the field. At the workshop, Prof. Masahiro Yamaguchi (Tokyo Institute of Technology) addressed the importance and challenges of standardization of color pathology image analysis. Staining and scanning processes cause color variation; industry leaders and experts must address color variation issues in digital pathology.

APPLIED IMAGE is dedicated to using its expertise in calibration technology to bring reliable tools to the whole slide imaging market to reduce variability and help researchers set baseline reference standards and color measurements that are traceable. The NIST Traceable, Whole Slide Imaging Color Transmission Calibration Standard (p/n IAM-9C-WSI) supports that effort.

The new IAM-9C-WSI slide is unique in the marketplace, providing calibrated and traceable spectral transmission data for each color on the slide.

IAM-9C Modification:

The NIST Traceable Color Transmission Calibration Slide (p/n IAM-9C), launched in 2018, now has a thinner design. This thinner design will help users achieve better fit, focus, and functionality when the slide is used with industry-standard equipment.

By offering both slide designs, weve made it easier for customers to achieve first-time use success. Were excited that we have products that customers can use in their current image analysis or whole-slide-imaging applications. Having a NIST traceable color calibration standard is the critical first step in ensuring color standardization in both intra- and inter-lab environments, said Glenn Jackling, CEO, APPLIED IMAGE.

IAM-9C-WSI and IAM-9C- Description:

Microscopy color patches for assessing color accuracy. NIST traceable calibration data for each large color patch is supplied as spectral transmission. By using the supplied

spreadsheet, this data can be converted to the color space you need (such as Adobe RGB 1998, L*A*B*, XYZ, etc.)



The film is permanently sandwiched between glass; atmospheric deterioration of the measured values is minimized.

Each slide is individually serialized and calibrated.

Both slides are mounted on a base of D263 optical glass, with an overall thickness of under 1.2MM.

The products include Calibration Certificate, Calibration Data Report, Conversion Spreadsheet, USB Flash Drive with Data and Spreadsheet, and Protective Case.

The APPLIED IMAGE facility is ISO 9001:2015 certified, and its calibration lab is ISO 17025:2017 accredited, ensuring high quality, accurate, and consistent performance.

The NIST Traceable Color Transmission Calibration Slide, part number IAM-9C-WSI is available for direct order, here and part number IAM-9C, is available for direct order, here. Our sales team can be reached by email info@appliedimage.com, or phone (585) 482-0300.

About APPLIED IMAGE Inc.

APPLIED IMAGE is a U.S. based manufacturer of precision-imaged optical components and calibration standards for a wide range of industries and applications. Whether you require NIST Traceable calibration standards, color targets, precision-imaged optical components to test, calibrate, align, control, or measure your optics, photonics, or imaging systems, or need OEM components to work within your product design, we can support your unique requirements.

http://www.appliedimage.com
Estonia and Latvia have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop a joint offshore wind farm in the Gulf of Riga.







According to Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas, in order to meet the renewable energy target set for 2030, investments must be made in various renewable energy sources.







"The offshore wind farm area developed jointly by Estonia and Latvia is a unique project that contributes to the achievement of the countries' renewable energy goals and also creates new opportunities for other offshore park developments," he said.







According to Estonia's Minister of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Taavi Aasa, it is important to build the wind farm together, because it provides an opportunity to apply for support from the European Union for a cross-border project.







"This, in turn, makes it cheaper to build other wind farms in the area, as other projects in the same area would also benefit from the grid infrastructure to be built for the park," said Aasa.







The two governments

previously met in December 2019 to discuss an offshore wind alliance

. Latvian Minister of Economy Ralfs Nemiro and Aasa had agreed on the need for further project progress and decided that the next step was to develop guidelines for a collaborative project.







"It is extremely important for the Baltic region to work towards common goals as a strong alliance. I am very pleased that we have finally been able to achieve active cooperation between Latvia and Estonia in the development of a common renewable energy source," said Nemiro.







Through signing the MoU the two countries have agreed to jointly carry out studies to determine the best location for the construction of an offshore wind farm, taking into account wind conditions, plans, existing projects, environmental protection and all other factors. Once the necessary studies have been carried out and the permits have been obtained, an auction will be held for the offshore area with a building permit and the winner will be able to build an offshore wind farm in that area.







"The open competition ensures equal treatment of market participants, the lowest possible price of renewable energy for consumers and the efficient use of our marine resources," said Aas.







The project will have a capacity up to 1000 MW and is expected to be operational by 2030. The wind farm would produce approximately 3.5 TWh of electricity per year, which is approximately 40% of Estonia's annual electricity consumption.

This story was first reported exclusively for 4C Offshore subscribers. For more information,

click here



For more information on offshore wind farms worldwide,

click here

.
By Ingrid Meulemans

meuleman@grinnell.edu

After Grinnell residents came together last month to honor the life of George Floyd, cut short in an act of murder by Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, a new wave of anti-racist activism is rising in the local community. For Professor Kesho Scott, sociology, who organized the hybrid virtual and in-person vigil held on June 7, two local activist organizations have made promising progress, even in their early stages.

Committee to Reimagine Policing in Grinnell

As per an open letter presented to the Grinnell City Council, the Committee to Reimagine Policing in Grinnell defines itself as a group of community members seeking to seize this moment to examine, learn together from and rectify the historical oppression and violence against Black citizens and other people of color in our own town of Grinnell.

In an interview with The S&B, Kirsten Klepfer, pastor of Grinnells First Presbyterian Church and a member of the committee, said that the groups main priorities right now are to foster an environment for conversations about race within Grinnell and to create a community where the local police department feels accountable to all people.

According to committee member Lily Hamilton 19, the next couple of months are crucial, because current Grinnell Chief of Police Dennis Riley will be retiring. In order to create a more inclusive community and conversation, the committee is hoping to have a voice in the selection process.

We recognize that were an organized group that is able to advocate for community input in this process, said Hamilton. So, we want to ensure that were included.

REDI Grinnell

Meanwhile, Reimagine Equity Diversity Inclusion in Grinnell (REDI Grinnell )  composed of teachers and community members  is focusing its effort on the Grinnell-Newburg School District. Their goal, according to Grinnell-Newburg superintendent Janet Stutz, is to create an educational environment that is actively anti-racist and more inclusive of all histories and backgrounds.

This past spring, Stutz received calls and letters from several recent graduates of the Grinnell-Newburg High School stating that they did not feel their education adequately prepared them for the racial divides and barriers that they underwent and observed after leaving high school.

For Stutz, this was a wakeup call. In an effort to correct shortcomings within the school districts curriculum, Stutz partnered with Professor Caleb Elfenbein, who teaches history and religious studies at Grinnell College, and other community members and district teachers to create REDI Grinnell.

Community diversity and student involvement

According to Scott, who is involved with both the Committee to Reimagine Policing in Grinnell and REDI Grinnell, while these groups may have slightly different paths ahead of them, their shared goal is to create a more equitable and inclusive community.

Scott and Stutz both agree that this will take years of work.

According to Scott, despite the fact that Grinnell is a small town in rural Iowa, problems regarding equity are sometimes amplified due to the fact that diversity is brought in by outside organizations, such as the College, The Mayflower Community and the Unity Health Complex.

This a predominantly white town of 9,112 people, said Scott. 2,000 people come to this town for work. They are our diversity.

Scott, Stutz and other organizers said that Grinnell College students and staff will be an enormous asset during this time of transition and change. While the groups are finding their footing, they are hoping to recruit new, younger committee members, especially from the College.

Jelani McCray and Malcolm Davis, both 21, are currently organizing within the Grinnell College community for a collective called Liberate Grinnell. McCray, who serves as a liaison between Liberate Grinnell and Committee to Reimagine Policing in Grinnell, says that while Liberate Grinnell is excited to collaborate and provide input for the Committee, these groups have slightly different goals.

According to McCray, the Collectives goal right now is to reform the way that Grinnell uses their campus safety officers  namely, he said, the way that Campus Safety often serves as a sort of pseudo-police agency that observes and patrols campus.

Zama Buthelezi 21, who is both a central voice behind the call for more transparency within Campus Safety and an independent organizer, says that while all these groups are not necessarily working together, they are working for a common goal: safety for all people living in Grinnell, even those who are not permanent residents. Although many of these groups are in their beginning stages, Buthelezi foresees them working together in the future and urges students to become involved with local groups.

I dont think its like really possible to live in any place and not engage in it, she said.
(Natural News) If you want to see what Democratic political retribution looks like and the deep states operation to derail President Donald Trumps 2016 candidacy and subsequent presidency didnt do it for you, this story should fit the bill.

In late April, anti-coronavirus quarantine demonstrators were essentially beat up by Capitol Police in Lansing, Mich., while protesting against Gov. Gretchen Whitmers excessive coronavirus shutdown policy that was crippling the states economy and costing residents their jobs.

Big League Politics reported at the time:

Governor Gretchen Whitmer has been the target of high-profile protests in recent weeks due to her restrictions on Michigan citizens. Her goons have hassled Michigan residents for boating, cited people for gathering outdoors in private backyards, and put thousands of small businesses out of commission. This caused protesters to gather outside of her taxpayer-funded mansion last week, and commence the historic Operation Gridlock display that has since gone viral and spread throughout the country.

One protester, Michigan United for Liberty organizer Wendy Darling, was particularly roughed up.

I went above and beyond to get extra press credentials today and then they wouldnt let us in and wouldnt let the Capitol Police come in and took upon theirself to assault and battery me, she told supporters in a Facebook video that has since been taken down.

The treatment of Darling, along with pro-Trump activist Audra Johnson and state house candidate Michelle Gregoire, led to a response from armed patriots the following day, who descended on the capitol building to voice their angst.

Now, it looks like Whitmers administration is engaging in some reprisal politics.

In a separate report, Big League Politics noted, Darling has been hit with felony resisting arrest and felony trespassing charges. Gregoire has been charged with felony resisting arrest as well as misdemeanor trespassing. Johnson has also been slapped with the misdemeanor trespassing charge.

Im still running for state house to fight against corruption but now the establishment sees me as a threat, said Gregoire, who believes that her bid for the the Michigan Houses 62nd district is beginning to worry Democrats.

Im still going to stand, and Im still going to fight for our rights, but now, theyre now coming after me and my family, she added. We cannot allow tyranny to take root in Michigan, and I will not be silenced by fake charges and slander. (Related: Hillary Clinton says lockdown protesters are domestic terrorists.)

Johnson told the news outlet that GOP leaders in the state legislature have essentially caved to Whitmers shutdown policies.

Every time our Republican leaders have been called on to uphold our Constitution and conservative values, they have cowered away from the responsibility that their constituents have trusted them with, Johnson said.

Unless we start demanding them to do what they were elected to do, many more will experience what we are today. They will eventually come for EVERY freedom loving patriot in this country, she added.

All three have turned themselves in to police and have been formally booked and released on bond.

I was mistaken to be a protestor, and was recently charged with trespassing and resisting arrest. I am left with no choice but to defend myself to get these charges dropped, and We The People must also take a stand for fair and equal reporting, Darling wrote on a crowdfunding portal set up to raise money for her defense.

I was rightfully there, but was told to leave by Sergeant of Arms because only press was allowed. I stated that I had the right to be there and was not going to leave because I had press credentials. They did not care, and didnt bother to look at my press credentials until after The Michigan State Police were allowed in the room and got them off of me, she added.

Meanwhile, Black Lives Matter demonstrators and rioters can march in the streets and tear down monuments and statues in the state, without fear of retribution.

Sources include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

NaturalNews.com
The Ministry of Health & Welfare Organisation has issued fresh guidelines for international passengers arriving in India. The new guidelines will come into effect from August 8, 2020.

The new guidelines of MoHFW makes it mandatory for all international travellers to submit self-declaration form on the online portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) at least 72 hours before the scheduled travel.

The MoHFW guidelines added that the passengers will have to give an undertaking that they would undergo mandatory quarantine for 14 days, inclduing 7 days paid institutional quarantine and 7 days isolation at home.

The Ministry, however, said that 14-day home quarantine may be permitted in cases of human distress such as pregnancy, death in family, serious illness and parent(s) with children of the age of 10 years or below.

"If they wish to seek such exemption, they shall apply to the online portal (www.newdelhiairport.in) at least 72 hours before boarding. The decision taken by the government as communicated on the online portal will be final," the guidelines stated.

Travellers may also submit a negative RTPCR test report on arrival in order to seek exemption from institutional quarantine. The samples for COVID-19 test should have been collected maximum 96 hours prior to undertaking the journey. The passnger will have to upload the test report on the portal for consideration.
Experts say there's something we are not getting enough of during the pandemic: hugs.

Emiliana Simon-Thomas, who studies human happiness at UC Berkeley, describes why hugs are important in an article by CBS News.

HOUSTON DOCTORS FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19: Houston doctor tells TV station he's fighting both COVID-19 and stupidity

"When we hug a person, both people in that exchange release oxytocin," she said. "When we release oxytocin, we feel pleasure, we feel warmth, we feel that sense of safety. Our stress physiology becomes quieter. Oxytocin is a really important part of our collective demeanor as a species."

Since the start of the pandemic, we've had to adjust to many things with hugs being something not to engage in for the moment.

With social distancing being at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19, it's also isolating us from that stress relief our bodies need.

Affectionate touch is how our biological systems communicate to one another that we are safe, that we are loved, and that we are not alone," said Johannes Eichstaedt, a computational social scientist and psychology professor at Stanford University in a New York Times article.

People across the world have come up with ingenious ways to hug their loved ones, like the Canadian woman who invented the "hug glove" to embrace her loved ones.

The New York Times went so far as to ask scientists to provide examples of the safest ways to hug.

Some of the do's and don'ts the article shared included the following:

Don't hug face to face.

Don't hug with your checks together facing the same way.

Do hug facing opposite directions.

Do let children hug you around your knees or waist.

It's also important to note that while following these examples you should wear a mask.

As the pandemic continues to disrupt our daily lives, it doesn't have to eliminate this important pick-me-up we all need from time to time.

STAY INFORMED: Sign up to receive breaking news alerts delivered to your email here.
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mapp, the international provider of insight-led customer engagement, is expanding its modular marketing platform Mapp Cloud with a comprehensive product update.

The Summer Update consists of 17 new functions and optimizations that improve efficiency across marketing analytics, customer intelligence and cross-channel marketing.

Special emphasis has been placed on improving the ease of mobile marketing, while creating better links between the individual Mapp modules and third-party systems. This quarterly product expansion furthers Mapp's leading role as a platform for insight-led customer engagement.

Michael Diestelberg, VP Product & Marketing at Mapp, comments: "More than ever, digital marketing is focused on cost efficiency. For marketing teams, reliable, data-based insights for the targeted activation of end consumers are, therefore, all the more important. I am pleased that we are now releasing this Summer Update, following the consistently positive customer response to our recent product enhancements. It is designed to increase the ROI of marketing campaigns by seamlessly delivering customer insights. We are offering a mix of new features that reflect both the latest market developments and the needs of our customers."

Geo-fencing for location-based engagement

The Summer Update has introduced the opportunity to use location-based targeting for push messages on mobile devices. This new feature of Mapp Engage, the cross-channel marketing solution, allows the device's location to be a trigger for targeted customer activation.

This feature, which will be particularly useful to brands in the retail sector, allows marketers to define specific geolocations and send automated push messages as soon as a potential customer is at an appropriate location. Marketing activities can now be customized to encourage consumers to visit stores in real time or to receive better offers than those from competitors, such as bonus programs or sales promotions.

With this update, the implementation of sophisticated A/B tests for marketing automation workflows is now possible. Different variants of a message can be tested, so that marketers can find the one that best achieves their objectives.

Mapp's clearly-designed campaign dashboards meet the highest demands in marketing analytics. The updated package provides even more user-friendly access to dashboards, with login and navigation across the various modules becoming seamless.

With the Smart Alert Library, Mapp has introduced easy-to-manage automated notifications that inform marketers of data anomalies in website and app usage. The feature provides pre-configured templates for frequently used alerts, along with useful explanations for analyzing their causes.

Mapp customers now have the opportunity to check their own system usage. New usage statistics enable users to have complete transparency around all of their expenses that are volume-based. This is especially helpful when Mapp is used by different subsidiaries and departments of a company.

Useful tricks and extended interfaces

Marketing teams will be able to take advantage of some helpful new features that optimize the design and control of cross-channel campaigns. For instance, Mapp Engage now has a native function for shortening URLs for SMS messages. Users can activate it with a single click, without having to access an external URL-shortener  and can thus use the limited number of characters in SMS to its full potential, without having to use long links.

While the eye-protecting dark mode on end devices is popular with consumers, it presents a design challenge for marketers, because they have to adapt their communications accordingly. In Mapp Engage, they can now see a preview of the email renderings in dark mode on Windows, Mac and iPhone.

Mapp's specially developed software development kit (SDK) that enables the acquisition of data from Android apps will be enhanced with crash tracking. Mapp Intelligence, the customer analytics solution, enables data analysts to record app crashes and their causes, in order to improve long term performance.

Mapp Cloud has improved its capabilities for interfacing with third-party systems. The expansion of Mapp's partner ecosystem allows marketers increased flexibility in data exchange and personalization. In the latest version, the connector, Segment.com, has been introduced to the customer data platform. User profiles can be exchanged between the two systems via a standardized API interface and synchronized automatically.

Mapp Engage now supports the cloud storage solutions Amazon S3 and Google Cloud. Secure import and export of data between the Mapp platform and these cloud storage solutions takes place via a Credential Store.

The data management platform, Mapp Acquire, is now capable of integrating with Amazon DSP, to allow programmatic advertising purchasing of display and video ads. The Segmentation Builder, which allows granular target group selection in Mapp Engage, has also been made more user-friendly with extended search and filter functions.

Mapp Intelligence now supports improved product tracking for highly dynamic websites and single page applications. Any product interactions that take place, such as the adding of an item to the shopping cart, can now be tracked using events instead of requiring a page call. This greatly simplifies integration with modern websites. In addition, Mapp has introduced a completely new architecture to provide more stability and consistency when exporting analyses and dashboards to Mapp Intelligence.

About Mapp

Marketers and data specialists should be able to focus on what will make a difference for their business, instead of spending all their time taming the technology behind it. With the insight-led customer engagement platform Mapp Cloud, they can focus on what really counts  and the exciting insights that come with it. Thanks to customer intelligence and marketing analytics, companies can easily and effectively gain data-driven customer insights across all channels in order to trigger highly personalized marketing activities. Customers benefit from AI-supported forecasting models that enable targeted and self-optimizing cross-channel campaigns. Automated messages are sent via the most suitable marketing channel, at the right time, with the optimal contact frequency. Thanks to advanced one-to-one personalization, the highest levels of engagement and long-term customer loyalty are achieved.

Mapp has global offices in six countries. Mapp's digital marketing platform helps more than 3,000 companies break away from the pack by uncovering missed opportunities, including Xerox, PepsiCo, LG, Qantas, Flixbus, MyToys, ING, Infinity and Lloyds Banking Group.

Press contacts:

PR Agency: The PR Network

Matt Cartmell

+44 (0)7930 485 333

[email protected]

https://www.thepr.network

Mapp Digital

Harald Oberhofer

+49 30 755 415 120

[email protected]

www.mapp.com

SOURCE Mapp

Related Links

https://mapp.com


Frits Veerman was punished for turning in his colleague who was selling secret intelligence to Pakistan in the early 1970s.

A whistle-blower wants the Dutch government investigated, accusing it of ignoring his attempts to expose nuclear espionage.

Frits Veerman was punished for turning in his colleague who was selling secret intelligence to Pakistan in the early 1970s.

His colleague ended up building Pakistans nuclear bomb and selling the technology to other countries.

Al Jazeeras Step Vaessen reports from Almelo, the Netherlands.
Elon Musk born in Pretoria South Africa and Dr. Thomas Mensah from Kumasi Ghana West Africa continues to make history through innovation and spectacular achievements.

Elon Musk successfully returned American Astronauts from the International Space Station to Earth, 45 years since Apolo Astronauts returned by landing their spacecraft into the ocean which was retrieved by the US Navy, a major feat in manned space flight.

Dr Thomas Mensahs Fiber Optics innovation connects over a billion people to the internet platform, as well as help Astronauts communicate with Mission Control

through a combination of Satellite communication from Space to Large Satellite dish on earth which then transmit Data, voice and video communication through fibre optics to large screens and displays at NASA. As one of the four people to invent Fiber Optics, Dr Mensah is marvelled by the far-reaching impact of this technology in all areas of human lives, beyond Social Media.

Dr Thomas Mensah, who is an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, has also authored an important Book that is critical for Space Vehicle Design and Development. In his Nanotechnology Commercialization Book, he and Dr Joseph Koo of Austin Texas developed Ablative Materials using Nanocomposites for Space Shields and Rocket Motors. During Re-entry the space capsule reaches temperatures of 3400 degrees F, and plasma and electromagnetic fields stop all communication with the Astronauts for 6 Minutes, Such Space Shields prevent serious Damage to the spacecraft. These Nanocomposite Ablative materials are helpful for even the next challenge of sending humans to Mars.

Dr Thomas Mensah who is a Fellow of the US National Academy of Inventors met the Astronaut Garrett Reisman who is Chief Engineer for the Astronauts Program at Space X in Pasadena California and they became friends, and currently serves on the Board of Advisors of the Silicon Valley of Ghana, established by Dr Mensah at the Kofi Annan Center in Ghana.

The Dragon I Spacecraft was developed as a Public-Private Partnership between NASA and Space X. a Private Company. Ghana is using this model for its Mega projects like the High-Speed Rail being developed by the Railway Ministry. Ghana must continue to invest in Technology even during the COVID-19 crisis.

UAE, the United Arab Emirates has recently sent a satellite to explore the Red Planet during the COVID-19 Crisis, one of the few Non-Super Power Countries to do so. This will ensure that UAE enjoys the benefits of space technology spinoffs as well as help UAE children and students to become Space Scientist and innovators in the future. Such bold investments and vision explain how UAE turned a desert country into one with nice cities like Abu Dhabi and Dubai the latter being the fourth most visited city on the planet.

Dr Thomas Mensah is currently focusing his attention on the Development and Industrialization of Ghana and Africa using his vast network in the Scientific and Technological world so as to move Ghana and Africa into the 21st Century.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 5)  The United Nations and its humanitarian partners announced on Tuesday a 6-billion humanitarian response aid plan for the marginalized sector of the country direly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Humanitarian Country Team (HCT) COVID-19 Response Plan is the largest humanitarian aid plan given by the UN to the country since the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

In a statement, the UN said the response plan aims to provide critical health interventions and multi-sectoral humanitarian assistance to 5.4 million marginalized Filipinos living in poor, urban areas. The program will also target the safety of women and girls.

The HCT response plan will also support the national government in addressing the most immediate challenges related to health, food security, water and sanitation, and risk communication among others.

The pandemic is challenging the capacity of response of any single country in the world. Our role is to make best use of our global knowledge and resources to join Governments efforts to contribute to the safety and well-being of the Filipino people, said Gustavo Gonzalez, UN resident coordinator and humanitarian coordinator in the Philippines.

Around 50 country-based UN and non-governmental partners are contributing to the HCT response plan. Some 23 percent of the response plan has been mobilized so far, according to the UN.

The UN-initiated COVID-19 response plan will be implemented until the end of the year, but it will be updated as needs resulting from the pandemic change.

As we work together to support government efforts to contain the virus against the demand to restore the economy, the UN and humanitarian partners will continue to seize opportunities to build greater resiliency, equity and inclusivity, in short, to build forward better, Gonzalez emphasized.

The country is also part of the $10.3 billion UN Global Humanitarian Response Plan which supports 63 of the most vulnerable countries to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last July, the Bureau of Treasury announced the country's debt soared past the 9-trillion mark in June as the national government borrowed more for its pandemic response measures. The government has so far secured program loans worth 216.3 billion for coronavirus response, with 130.5 billion from the Asian Development Bank and 85.8 billion from the World Bank.
Amid the tough times of a pandemic, Virtuoso Optoelectronics founder and director Sukrit Bhararti started using his production processes to produce masks and other healthcare products. In an exclusive interview with NewsX, Sukrit also shared how a citizen can differentiate between good masks and bad masks, and make an informed purchase.

Recently, Sukrit Bharati, founder and director of Virtuoso Optoelectronics, joined NewsX for an exclusive interview. Bharati, whose organization has just been enrolled in Stanfords seed programme for MSMAs, in these tough times of a pandemic, has taken an initiative that must be lauded; hes started using his production processes to produce masks and other healthcare products. Contributing to the fight against Covid-19, was one of the things that we really wanted to do, we wanted to do our bit. We were good at manufacturing, so we decided to get into manufacturing of respiratory masks.

He feels that masks are an extremely important part of the fight against the pandemic, citing the recent WHO announcement that Covid may be aerially transmitted, he says, Importance of masks has gone up exponentially. There are three categories; the cloth mask, the medical/surgical mask, and the respiratory or N95 mask. Its important to note, that the cloth masks and surgical masks only limit exposure by you, they stop you from spreading the virus, but they do not protect you.

Bharti also explained the proper way to wear masks, and said, You need to use the noseclip effectively, and cover your nose and mouth completely. The purpose of a mask is to make sure that all the air that is coming in is through the mask, so that it gets filtered. He warns against the washing of masks, because it, breaks the fibers of the mask. When using masks to guard against dust and smoke, this may be effective, but when speaking of use against a virus, it is crucial that mask functionality not be compromised he says.

Also Read: Online: the next big thing, its the future of fashion, says ace designer Asra Syed

Also Read: Aatmanirbhar bharat is a phenomenal initiative: Volvo groups president, Kamal Bali

We also asked him how a citizen can differentiate between good masks and bad masks, and make an informed purchase. You must look at the background of the brand to see if its trustworthy, and secondly, you must check for certifications from renowned institutions.

Bharati also warns against purchasing fake masks, something which has become scarily common, due to trends and social usage of certain brands. Dont just buy a brand because everyones buying it, you might just end up with a fake. Instead, do your research, and choose the correct one.

He brought up valves, and the mass markets fascination with them, and explained why they were dangerous. Everyones buying valve masks because they think its effective. Theyre not. With valve masks, youre either getting unfiltered air in, or youre letting unfiltered air out. Either way, youre not getting the full protective use of the mask.

Speaking on Stanfords seed program, and what it means to him and his organization, he says, We wanted to get guidance and mentorship so that we could scale up our company, and provide more employment. Its an attempt to promote sustainable organizations and eradicate poverty, and were proud to be a part of it.

Bharati, and Virtuoso Optoelectronics have displayed a true commitment to the Prime Ministers call for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Were firm believers in the cause. Were in manufacturing, so we understand just how important it is. Thats why we try to make sure we are using Indian production for all of our products, especially the masks, those are 100% Indian produced. While bringing in imports from China or any other country is good, we need to be confident in ourselves that we will be able to manage without them, especially in emergencies like this.

Also Read: High possibility of a Covid vaccine soon, predicts renowned astrologer Dr Aashish Shah
Two French friends who are living in America have gone viral after they filmed themselves trying to pronounce a series of challenging English words.

Students Alexandre Durand and Tom Carles, both 20, who are originally from Paris and are currently living in Charleston, South Carolina, have been trying to master the trickier aspects of the English language for the past two years.

Recording themselves tackling a range of difficult words, including 'isthmus', 'synecdoche' and 'Worcestershire', the pair's hilarious attempts have resulted in their videos going viral on social media.

Tom Carles (left) and Alexandre Durand (right), both 20, stare at the word Worcestershire with perplexed faces before attempting to pronounce the challenging word

The two friends, who are originally from Paris and are currently living in Charleston, South Carolina, sit down to take on the difficult English words

During the footage, the friends sit together and attempt to tackle a list of challenging words in front of them.

In one clip, the students glance at each other with perplexed faces as they try to pronounce words such as 'Worcestershire', 'mischievous' and 'scissors'.

Another clip show the young men stare in confusion at the word 'isthmus' before one of them comically says: 'It's like a Harry Potter character.'

The students later revealed that they first came up with the idea to document their experiences with the English language after disagreeing about the pronunciation of certain words.

They said: 'We got the idea because we were both arguing about the pronunciation of some words.

'Then, we thought that it could be interesting, or even funny to make videos about the way we are saying some of the most hardest words to pronounce in English.

The young men, who have been trying to master the English language for two years, try to tackle the words 'caramel' and rural'

Tom Carles (left) and Alexandre Durand (right) later explained they they first began to film themselves after arguing over how words were pronounced

'The English language is hard. Especially when you're from France because the accent is really thick back home and it is difficult for English people to understand us. Learning a new accent is probably the hardest part of learning English.'

After sharing their comical videos online, social media users applauded the young men for their efforts.

One user wrote: 'Can you please say my name on your tik tok? I will die a happy woman.'

While another person added: 'I'm laughing so hard.'

Elsewhere another Instagram user said: 'AT frenchies to the moon.'
Twenty sexual assault charges now hunt a former UCLA gynecologist. Los Angeles prosecutors expanded their case against him as 17 more charges came on Monday from the initial three filed last year.

The gynecologist, Dr. James Heaps, 67, faces sexual assault charges filed by seven former patients.

Initially, two of the gynecologist's patients came forward with sexual assault charges. Then, five more former charged.

Heaps has been taken into custody, and his bond was set at $650,000, NBC Los Angeles noted.

Prosecutors alleged that the gynecologist assaulted the women during medical exams over seven years, from 2011 to 2018, reported Los Angeles Times.

More Details on the Case

As per the complaint, there are various felonies done by Heaps: sexual battery by fraud, sexual exploitation of a patient, and sexual penetration of an unconscious person.

This makes a total of ten battery cases by fraud, three charges of exploitation of patients, and seven counts of penetration of an unconscious person.

Heaps pleaded not guilty, and is scheduled to come back to court on September 15.

If the court convicts Heaps as charged, he can be put in state prison for 67 years or more, said the district attorney's office.

Heaps' lawyer, Leonard Levine, said his client has former patients who can come forward to prove the claims false.

Levine believes that, after the case gets into court, evidence will show that his client is innocent.

Under the Guise of Medical Treatment

Since Heaps was arrested, more former patients have filed lawsuits against him, saying the doctor did various forms of sexual abuse on them. According to them, Heaps would abuse them under the guise of doing a valid medical treatment.

The UCLA student paper Daily Bruin said Heaps was a UCLA ob-gyn from February 2014 to June 2018, but he was affiliated with the university from 1983 to 2018. He also worked part-time at the Arthur Ashe Student Health and Wellness Center.

There have been victims from UCLA and outside.

Two lawsuits were filed in the Los Angeles Superior Court last July. The first suit on behalf of three women who were UCLA students, and the other was on behalf of six non-student patients in the UCLA Medical Center.

The women claim their abuse took place in the years 1989 to 2017.

A then 44-year-old cancer patient filed one lawsuit against Heaps and the UCLA Board of Regents.

She alleged that in four visits ending in 2017, Heaps did inappropriate touching of her private parts under the guise of a medical exam.

The suit also alleged one nurse from UCLA did nothing while in the room with Heaps and the woman. According to the complaint, the nurse simply walked to a computer, and sat with her back turned to the doctor.

The cancer patient's lawyer said sexual abuse in itself is "horrific," but taking advantage of a cancer patient who places her life in the hands of healthcare workers is "ghoulish."

In 2018, Heaps was allowed to "quietly resign" after an internal probe found that he did not abide by the Regents' sexual misconduct policy. UCLA did not disclose the prior abuses and investigation until a year later when he was charged.

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These are the schools that have canceled classes for Jan. 18

Some school districts across the county are virtual today. Others will make up the snow day.
Barcelona, Aug 4 : Reigning World MotoGP champion Marc Marquez will miss Sunday's Czech Grand Prix after having a second operation on a broken arm, his Repsol Honda Team confirmed on Tuesday. Test rider Stefan Bradl will replace him for the race.

"After a heroic return just four days after surgery in Jerez, Marc Marquez will miss the Brno race with Stefan Bradl joining the Repsol Honda Team alongside Alex Marquez," the Repsol Honda Team said in a statement on their official website.

"After undergoing a second operation on his injured right arm, Marc Marquez and HRC have decided that the World Champion will not ride in the Czech Republic in order for him to recover more," the statement added.

Earlier, Dr Xavier Mir and his team at the Hospital Universitari Dexeus replaced the titanium plate on Monday and Marquez now has to stay in hospital for 48 hours before being discharged, a statement on MotoGP's official website said.

Bradl has bagged three top 10 finishes at Brno from his seven starts in the MotoGP class and only once missed out on points, the team added.

The Czech Grand Prix is in Brno where Petronas Yahama's French rider Fabio Quartararo will go for a third win in three races.
Chinese people illegally enter Vietnam to seek ways to Cambodia

Chinese people have been found illegally entering Vietnam for various reasons including seeking ways to Cambodia according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.









Chinese people were detained in Quang Ninh Province.



Speaking at the Government's regular press meeting on August 3, Chief of the Office of the Ministry of Public Security and spokesman, Maj. Gen. To An Xo said that the country has recently reported a rising number of illegal entries from some neighbouring countries through the borders.



"They include Vietnamese workers who worked in neighbouring countries without contracts and Chinese citizens," the official said. "Due to continuous natural disasters and the virus outbreak in China, they entered Vietnam to seek jobs while some were on holiday or sought ways to move to Cambodia for gambling."



According to a report from the ministry, as many as 504 Chinese people have been found to illegally enter Vietnam in 27 provinces and cities since the beginning of this year. Since June, local public security forces and border guards have uncovered 21 cases involving 177 illegal Chinese immigrants, and launched criminal proceedings against 19 Vietnamese and several Chinese in five cases.



Xo also suggested issuing suitable policies for illegal Vietnamese immigrants, most of them illegal workers in China.
United Nations:

The United Nations Security Council has unanimously imposed its toughest sanctions on North Korea, placing a cap on the hermit states key coal exports after its defiant nuclear tests.

The new sanctions resolution - which was spearheaded by the United States and came after three months of tough negotiations with fellow veto-wielding council member China - passed by a 15-0 vote.

The resolution demands that North Korea abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs and takes aim at the states exports of coal, its top external revenue source.

Under Resolution 2321, North Korea will be restricted from exporting more than 7.5 million tonnes of coal in 2017, a reduction of 62 per cent from 2015.

Samantha Power, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the resolution would strip the regime of more than $700 million in hard currency, dramatically reducing the money it can spend on nuclear and ballistic weapons.

Speaking to reporters with her counterparts from US allies South Korea and Japan, she said the move marked the strongest sanctions regime the Security Council has imposed on any country in more than a generation.

So long as the DPRK makes the choice it has made, which is to pursue the path of violations instead of the path of dialogue, we will continue to work to increase the pressure and defend ourselves and allies from this threat, Power said, referring to the North by its official name, the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon urged all countries to enforce the resolution.

It sends an unequivocal message that the DPRK must cease further provocative actions and comply fully with its international obligations, said Ban, who has flirted with entering politics in his native South Korea after his term ends in a month.

Ban said he was still committed to sincere dialogue to resolve the nuclear issue and stood by calls to provide humanitarian assistance to ease the suffering of ordinary North Koreans.

China is North Koreas primary ally and one of the few markets for its coal.

Although Beijing has traditionally protected Pyongyang diplomatically, believing that Kim Jong-Uns regime is preferable to its collapse, it has grown frustrated by the neighbouring states defiance.

Chinas UN ambassador, Liu Jieyi, reiterated that Beijing strongly opposes the North Korean nuclear testsbut also made a veiled criticism of joint exercises between the United States and South Korea.

Certain parties increase their military presence and scale up military exercises, thus intensifying the confrontation, he said at the Council. This situation must be changed as soon as possible, he said.

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More than 300 prisoners at large after Daesh attacks prison in Afghanistan's Nangarhar

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 3:15 PM

More than 300 inmates have escaped a prison in Afghanistan's eastern province of Nangarhar after Daesh terrorists raided the compound overnight.

The spokesman for Nangarhar's provincial governor, Attaullah Khogyani, said on Monday that of the 1,793 prisoners, more than 1,025 had tried to escape and been recaptured while 430 had remained inside. "The rest are missing," he added.

Khogyani said earlier in the day that at least 29 people had been killed and 50 others wounded in the attack, adding that civilians, prisoners and members of the Afghan security forces were among the casualties.

The attack began on Sunday evening, when gunmen detonated a car packed with explosives at the entrance gate of the prison in the provincial capital of Jalalabad. They then opened fire on the prison's security guards. Two more explosions were reportedly heard coming from inside the prison afterwards.

Later in the day, the Daesh terrorist group claimed responsibility for the attack.

The assault led to a mass jailbreak from the prison believed to be holding hundreds of Daesh members, forcing police to launch a city-wide search for them.

Afghan security forces have managed to take back control of the prison's checkpoint, but fighting is still continuing.

Afghan sources confirmed that three Daesh assailants  out of an estimated 30  had been killed.

Sunday's attack came on the third and final day of a ceasefire between the Taliban militants and the Afghan government for the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, which marks the culmination of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

The two sides are on the verge of completing an agreement for a prisoner swap that is part of a deal between the Taliban and the United States.

Under the deal, the Afghan government, which was not a signatory to the agreement, was required to release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners. The militants, for their part, were obliged to free 1,000 government captives.

Negotiations between the Afghan government and the Taliban militant group were expected to begin shortly, following the completion of the prisoner swap.

There have been no talks with Daesh, which has in recent years claimed responsibility for a string of horrific bombing and other attacks across Afghanistan.

The Takfiri group emerged in Afghanistan in 2015 as it gradually faced defeat and lost its strongholds in Syria and Iraq.

The terrorist group, which has based itself mainly in Nangarhar Province, has an estimated 2,000 to 2,500 militants.

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The beating of the 90-year-old woman to death at Kafaba in the Savannah Region of Ghana saddens my heart a lot, for I never thought such a barbaric, cruel and heartless act can still happen in this 21st century. I have heard of stories where such things happened in the past because of ignorance and lawlessness. But for a community to kill a 90-year- old-woman in 2020, when everyone is worried about COVID 19 pandemic and its economic impact, they must still be in the 17th century.

She died because a fetish confirmed the suspicion of the people and declared her a witch, who has solely retarded the development of the community by ensuring it receives no rainfall. Wow, is this not interesting? How can the people even think that the late 90-year-old Grandma can prevent God from blessing the village with rains and prosperity?

Are they saying she had more power than God? Yet, her power could not stop/ prevent the people from killing her. And the most important question that keeps me awake is that why did she not use her witchcraft to become rich and died a poor old witch? Could poverty be related to witchcraft? I have never seen a rich-old witch, and all the people regarded as witches are always destitute and mostly old-women.

Most women accused of witchcraft are poor and miserable women who find it hard to make ends meet. The worry is that are they called witches because they are poor or they became witches due to poverty? Maybe poverty is to be blamed for what happened. Then again, who is responsible for taking care of the aged in Ghana? Who has to make sure women live a comfortable life till death? WHO IS RESPONSIBLE? I do not have all the answers, but I urge everyone to think about these questions carefully. The answers are related to the real solution to the current problem. Remember, the village people killed her because they are needy and she died because of poverty.

Poverty is the foundation of many other diseases in rural Africa and any other place with witch camps. Poverty causes blindness that prevents people from seeing the reality of issues. Others see any poor woman as a potential witch who will want to kill or destroy their lives. Poverty distorts rational thought and actions. People stay at home without doing any work, yet expect money to fall from the sky. Workers/businesses do not render their services to standard, yet they want to become rich with such bad business ethics.

Many have no financial and family plans and mostly rely and act on the adage that God will provide for the family. SO IF YOU CAN TRUST GOD TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY WHILE YOU DO NOTHING ABOUT IT, WHY CAN`T YOU TRUST THE SAME GOD WITH WHATEVER IS HAPPENING WITH YOU INSTEAD OF BLAMING POOR OLD WOMEN. It is common and tempting to blame others instead of taking responsibility for one`s actions and inactions. However, if you want to find a practical solution to your problem, then you must see yourself as part of the problem to have control over it, for no one else will solve your problems for you while they have theirs.

Surprisingly, women have actively engaged in the killing of the 90-year-old. I hope those women become rich before they grow old. Because one of them might be the next witch, as witches are always the poor-old-women in the communities. Otherwise, if women are actively involved in destroying each other, the fight for equality will become more difficult. I hope women will begin to show more compassion, empathy, love, respect, acceptance, and support towards each other.

Poor women are neither evil nor bring bad luck. Ghana has laws that must be followed by every citizen, and everyone involved in the killing of the 90 years old-woman has to account for justice to prevail. For injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.
Announces the Opening of First European Office For the Development of New Products

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Electromedical Technologies, Inc. ( OTC: ELCQ ) (the Company), a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of bioelectronic devices, including the FDA cleared WellnessPro, designed to relieve chronic, intractable and acute pains by using frequencies and electro-modulation, is pleased to announce that its Director of Technology, Mr. Petar Gajic, will establish a research and development office in Belgrade, Europe for the creation of new products and technologies.



Matthew Wolfson, CEO of ELCQ, commented, Petar Gajic is currently in Belgrade, Serbia right in the middle of Europe (Nikola Teslas birth-place), a perfect place for engineering talents. He is establishing our first European office for the development of our POD device along with other exciting technologies. Mr. Gajic brings years of experience working in computer technology, electrical engineering and programming fields and later as Director of Technology for Electromedical for the past 15 years.

Commenting further, Mr. Wolfson said, Peter was instrumental in the development of the Wellness Pro product line and now we look forward for him to oversee and manage the opening of our first technology office in Europe, and overseeing the development of our NEW Wellness Pro POD . This will help us expedite the development of the Wellness Pro POD at more cost-efficient rates, so that we can bring the product to market ahead of schedule. We continue to execute on our Product Development roadmap, and are excited to begin our European expansion. Mr Gajic will also coordinate research efforts and will be more efficient in working with Nazarbayev University.

https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200423005273/en/Electromedical-Technologies-Announces-Research-Collaboration-Nazarbayev-University



Finally, Mr Wolfson said, Pharmacology has dominated most, if not all, medical treatments for centuries. Todays pharmacology is coupled with precision surgery, biologicals, stem cell regeneration technologies and personalized medicine based on genomics. Meanwhile, it is also evident that drugs have their limitations and can cause harmful side effects. There are alternative medical treatments such as electrical bio-modulation therapies, that are just now coming to the forefront of treating pain. Our goal is to bring awareness to the masses of the Wellness Pro product line and its powerful and effective treatments. Aside from establishing our EU research and development under Mr. Gajics direction, we are also focused on the continuing effects of the COVID -19 pandemic on opioid use and abuse here and elsewhere. As reported by CNN, the U.S. Opioid crisis will worsen during and after the pandemic, and we think this is a significant time for our company and products to really offer a drug free alternative and solution without the harmful side effects of opioids.

https://www.cnn.com/2020/05/07/health/opioid-epidemic-covid19-pandemic-trnd/index.html

Story continues

About Electromedical Technologies:

Headquartered in Scottsdale Arizona, Electromedical Technologies, Inc. is a commercial stage, FDA cleared, bioelectronic medical device manufacturing company initially focused on the treatment of various chronic, acute, intractable and post-operative pain conditions. Through university collaboration agreements the company is working to develop a comprehensive research program in defining the effects of electro-modulation on the human body by studying the impacts of electrical fields in cell signaling and effects on virus assembly and immune responses with the goal of improving human wellbeing. The companys current cleared product indications are for chronic acute post traumatic and post-operative, intractable pain relief.

For more information, visit https://electromedtech.com

Safe Harbor Statement:

This release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations or beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions about future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements and the assumptions upon which they are based are reasonable, we can give no assurance or guarantee that such expectations and assumptions will prove to have been correct. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by the use of words like "may," "will," "should," "could," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. The reader is cautioned not to put undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as these statements are subject to numerous factors and uncertainties, including but not limited to: adverse economic conditions, competition, adverse federal, state and local government regulation, international governmental regulation, inadequate capital, inability to carry out research, development and commercialization plans, loss or retirement of key executives and other specific risks. To the extent that statements in this press release are not strictly historical, including statements as to revenue projections, business strategy, outlook, objectives, future milestones, plans, intentions, goals, future financial conditions, events conditioned on stockholder or other approval, or otherwise as to future events, such statements are forward-looking, and are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements contained in this release are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the statements made.

Electromedical Technologies, Inc.

Matthew Wolfson

Tel: 1.888.880.7888

email: ceo@electromedtech.com

https://electromedtech.com




YouGov said the survey is evidence of how much the UK has 'alienated' itself during the bitter Brexit fallout, including under Boris Johnson's administration. (Getty Images)

People from EU countries would have no intention of helping the UK in a major crisis, a vast new study has revealed.

YouGov provided people from 13 EU member states with a list of 35 countries and asked which ones they would be willing to offer financial help in a major crisis.

Of that 35, only Colombia ranked lower than the UK.

Matthew Smith, from YouGov, said it was evidence of how much the UK has alienated itself from its EU neighbours.

It follows the bitter Brexit fallout since the 2016 referendum  something that continues to this day as the UK and EU struggle to negotiate its future relationship terms.

It was part of a YouGov study which surveyed more than 21,000 people from 14 European countries: Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Lithuania, Netherlands, Poland, Romania, Spain, Sweden and the UK.

On average, people from the 13 EU countries gave the UK a -8% net score in terms of their willingness to help in a crisis. Colombia, at the bottom, had -12%.

By contrast, people from the UK were willing to help all 13 EU nations, the survey found.

Smith said of the findings: These results also demonstrate quite how far the UK has alienated its European neighbours.

Only in Greece, Denmark, Poland and Romania do more people than not say they would be willing to give the UK financial aid in the event of a major crisis.

Watch the latest videos from Yahoo UK News

This is not simply the case that the UK is a rich country and so people wont donate on the basis that the UK can afford to look after itself: people are far more willing to provide financial assistance to the other top wealthy European countries Germany and France.

France had a net score of +21% from its EU neighbours, while Germany had +14%.

It comes as a separate study found Brexit sparked a wave of migration out of the UK to Europe similar to those caused by a serious economic or political crisis.

Migrations to EU countries have risen 30% since the 2016 referendum, according to a joint research project between the Oxford-in-Berlin partnership and the WZB Social Science Centre.

Story continues

The data showed that migration from the UK to EU states averaged 56,832 people per year from 2008 to 2015, but climbed to 73,642 a year from 2016 to 2018.

The number of UK citizens attaining an EU member state passport also leapt by more than 500% across the continent and more than 2,000% in Germany.

The studys authors said: The UK is facing a potential brain drain of highly-educated British citizens, who have decided to invest their futures in continental Europe.
The 2000 hit film Coyote Ugly turns 20 today  and the owner of the real New York City bar that inspired the film is sharing the wild stories the movie didn't show.

Liliana Lovell, who served as a consultant on the motion picture, opened Coyote Ugly Saloon in Manhattan's East Village in 1993  and told the New York Post this week that while some of the crazy scenes depicted in the film are true, they actually only scratch the surface of what has happened inside her bar.

'I've seen some crazy s***, my friend,' the 52-year-old said.

Anniversary! The 2000 hit film Coyote Ugly turns 20 today

Looking back: The owner of the real New York City bar that inspired the film is sharing the wild stories the movie didn't show

Boss: Liliana Lovell, who served as a consultant on the motion picture, opened Coyote Ugly Saloon in Manhattan's East Village in 1993

Even the name of the bar has an origin story that references wild nights out. Lovell explained that 'coyote ugly' refers to 'when you get so drunk that the next day you wake up in bed with some awful guy and youd rather chew your arm off than wake them up.'

Certainly, a lot of sexy stories have come out of her bar, and Lovell herself has even helped fulfill customers' fantasies  for a price.

'I had a guy pay $1,000 to do a shot out of my underwear so I cut my thong underwear off and pulled it out and he did a shot out of it. I dont get it personally. I wouldnt do it, but they do. To this day, they still do,' she said.

Customers would also buy shots to drink through her shoes or socks.

Another time, a regular customer accidentally crashed his motorcycle into the bar. Lovell was shocked that customers inside cheered, assuming the crash was staged.

'The absurdity of how the crowd just loved it when they could have just died,' she said.

Whatever floats your boat! Lovell said she's had customers pay to do shots out of her shoes, socks, and underwear

Stories: A regular customer accidentally crashed his motorcycle into the bar. Lovell was shocked that customers inside cheered, assuming the crash was staged

Inspo: Some popular scenes from the film were inspired by things that actually happened in the bar  for example, Lovell says they really have lit the bar on fire

Some popular scenes from the film were inspired by things that actually happened in the bar  for example, Lovell says they really have lit the bar on fire.

She also admitted that she has 'sometimes' sprayed customers with a hose when they've asked for water, like the characters do in the film with chants of 'hell no, H2O.'

But some things in the movie version of the bar  which was filmed on a set in Los Angeles  didn't happen in real life, and never would.

In fact, Lovell revealed that she has only ever watched the movie once, and couldn't get past how the on-screen bar owner, Lil, bought a round of drinks for the bar when the health department visited  some that 'drives [her] nuts.'

'I would slit my own wrists before I bought the whole bar a round like Lil does when the health inspectors come in,' she told The Ringer.

Soaked: She also admitted that she has 'sometimes' sprayed customers with a hose when they've asked for water, like the characters do in the film with chants of 'hell no, H2O'

Yikes! She once had a female celebrity visit and make a mess. She said the star was drunk and 'missed the toilet' with 'number two'

That's it? Lovell revealed that she has only ever watched the movie once

Some memorable moments have happened after the film's release. Thanks to the bump in name recognition, Lovell has been able to turn Coyote Ugly into an international franchise, and has 29 locations worldwide.

At her bar in Tampa, she said, she once had a female celebrity visit and make a mess. She said the star was drunk and 'missed the toilet' with 'number two.'

It's also still common for customers come in and sing 'Can't Fight the Moonlight,' LeAnn Rimes' song for the film.

Lovell added that film was so popular that she started hiring choreographers at her bars to give fans what they expected.

'The Coyotes do a dance every 40 minutes now. People have fallen, but weve remedied a lot of that  we make the bars wide so theres more space,' she said.

Famous bartender: 'Eat, Pray, Love' author Elizabeth Gilbert, who started working at the bar in 1993, wrote a GQ story about it that inspired the film

Two decades later, Lovell said, she also still keeps in touch with some former bartenders, including 'Eat, Pray, Love' author Elizabeth Gilbert. Years before the memoir, Gilbert started working at Coyote Ugly a week after it opened, and in 1997 wrote a GQ story about it that inspired the film.

Speaking to The Ringer, Gilbert recalled her own wild nights working there.

'Id dance on the bar in leather vests with no shirt on underneath,' she said. 'Im tall and [the ceiling] was so grimey with tar and cigarettes that I could grip on to it to keep my balance.

'Without a doubt the whole thing was a scheme to get mens money. Lil knew that if you show them attention, cleavage, and boss them around, theyre going to work for you forever. She almost had a dominatrix energy to her,' she added.
<! Buhari at the Security Council Meeting >

Nigerias President, Muhammadu Buhari is planning to overhaul the nations security architecture, National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd.) disclosed this on Tuesday.

Monguno, who spoke with newsmen after the security council meeting presided over by Buhari in Abuja, said the president had ordered an overhaul of operational strategies of the nations security network to effectively counter the security situation across the country.

The NSA stated that the government was working on a solution to the security crisis in some parts of the country, saying that the Minister of Defense, Major General Bashir Salihi Magashi (Rtd), was working on something to give effect to President Buharis earlier marching orders to service chiefs.

According to him, the council decried proliferation of drugs, which it said was driving insecurity in the country.

Monguno said the manner of killings of their victims could only mean one thing and that is, the bandits, kidnappers and terrorists were out of their minds.

He said Buhari reaffirmed his last marching orders to the nations security chiefs that their best effort was not good enough.

Monguno said the president told the security chiefs that Nigerians had lost confidence in the security sector and that he was determined to restore that confidence.

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This evening it is understood that Covid 19 cases have been confirmed at Kildare Chilling Plant. It is understood that the company is working with the HSE on this matter.

Meanwhile, last week, separately, following positive results of Covid 19, Irish Dog Foods was temporarily closed in Naas. 31 people tested positive at Eyre Powell Newbridge where there were 120 residents. 31 positive residents are at Citywest, and those who tested negative but were in contact with positive cases are also at Citywest. Those who got negative results are at Eyre Powell, they were not in contact with positive cases.

Serious concerns have been voiced at Eyre Powell and at Direct Provision centres, of overcrowding. Asylum seekers representatives have been appealing for proper accommodation to be given, and for overcrowding to stop. There are also concerns being voiced that the residents are under serious restrictions in accessing work permits. Also it is understood that asylum seekers can't access driving licences.

Movement of Asylum Seekers Ireland (MASI) Lucky Khambule, said: The main issue is that Eyre Powell is overcrowded, they should not have those people there.

Following a request to the Department of Justice to issue a response to the overcrowding at Eyre Powell.

The statement from the Department of Justice said: "The Eyre Powell Hotel is currently operating at less than 80% of its contracted capacity, and the Department has recently committed to no more than three non family members sharing a bedroom in any centre, now and into the future."

The statement said: "Department of Justice staff responsible for Direct Provision Centres liaise very closely with and follow HSE advice, and are in regular communication with all centres.Information notices about social distancing and coughing/sneezing etiquette have been circulated to all accommodation centres and translations have been provided.Risk assessments are issued to centres and, in consultation with the HSE, this information is kept updated on a daily basis and any changing circumstances are responded to effectively.In accordance with best practice, contingency planning is also in hand to address any issues arising in the centres, should circumstances change. This includes procedures for isolation, should that be required."

Also the statement said: "As confirmed by NPHET last week, a number of our Accommodation Centres in the Midlands have experienced cases of COVID-19 which were linked to an outbreak in Kildare.

The safety of our residents is always our highest priority and our centres are carefully following the guidelines published by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC)

All centres are cleaned rigorously paying particular attention to communal areas, lifts and door handles. Translations of public health advice have been provided and residents are encouraged to follow the HSE advice.

The International Protection Accommodation Service (IPAS) has been supporting the Health Response and all cases have been either moved off site or are self-isolating in accordance with advice received from Public Health officials."
Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey has accused the Mumbai Police of not investigating the financial angle in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. He alleged that in the past four years, Rs 50 crore was withdrawn from the late actors account, and Rs 15 crore was withdrawn in the last year alone.

In the past four years, around Rs 50 crore was credited to the bank account of Sushant Singh Rajput but surprisingly all of it was withdrawn. In one year, Rs 17 crore was credited to his account, out of which Rs 15 crore was withdrawn. Isnt this a crucial point to be investigated? We are not going to sit quiet. We will question them (Mumbai Police) as to why such leads are hushed up, the DGP told the media, reports IANS.

Earlier, the DGP had alleged that Vinay Tiwari, the Patna (Central) Superintendent of Police who has been sent from Bihar to lead the investigation, was forcibly quarantined in Mumbai.

Instead of sharing evidence or handing over the postmortem and forensic reports of Sushant, they (Mumbai) have almost house arrested our SP. I have not seen such non-cooperation by any other state police. If the Mumbai Police are sincere in their approach, they should share the investigation with us, he said, according to IANS.

Also see | Step inside Anil Kapoors sprawling bungalow: Rhea Kapoor, Harsh Varrdhan give a virtual tour of their home, watch

On Monday, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh said in a press conference that no money was directly transferred from Sushants bank account to his girlfriend Rhea Chakrabortys account. However, the police are still probing the financial angle.

Bihar Police FIR says Rs 15 crore were siphoned off from Sushants account. During the probe, we found he had Rs 18 crore in his account of which around Rs 4.5 crore are still there. Till now no direct transfer to Rhea Chakrabortys account has been found, still probing, the commissioner said.

Last month, Sushants father KK Singh filed an FIR against Rhea and her family, alleging that she misappropriated crores of rupees from the late actors bank account for personal expenses. Rhea has also been accused of abetment to suicide and threatening to frame Sushant for the death of his former manager, Disha Salian.

Taking cognisance of the FIR against Rhea, the Enforcement Directorate filed a money laundering case against her and her relatives. Reportedly, she will be called in for questioning in the coming days.

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

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Lucknow, Aug 4 : The 'Bhumi Pujan' for the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya will begin at 12.30 pm on Wednesday with Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing the 'Shila Pujan', 'Bhumi Pujan' and 'Karma Shila Pujan'.

According to an official statement, the main 'puja' will be held between 12.44 p.m. and 12.45 p.m. during the 32-second 'Abhijit Muhurat'. It is the same 'muhurat' or auspicious moment when Lord Ram was believed to have been born.

The Prime Minister will lay a 40-kg silver brick to symbolise the start of construction of the temple that is at the core of the ruling BJP's ideology and poll promises. A campaign for the temple marked the rise of the party to the national spotlight in the 1990s.

Modi is likely to spend around three hours in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

He will arrive from Delhi at Lucknow airport at 10.35 am and immediately leave for Ayodhya by a helicopter. The Prime Minister will arrive in Ayodhya at 11.30 am at the Saket Mahavidyalaya where his chopper will land.

At 11.40 am, Modi will go to Hanuman Garhi temple where he will offer prayers for 10 minutes and then proceed to the Ram Janmabhoomi complex where he will offer prayers to Ram Lalla Virajman.

The Prime Minister will plant a 'Parijat' sapling at 12.10 p.m in the temple complex and then proceed for the Bhumi Pujan ceremony.

After the ceremony which will end at 12.45.p.m, the Prime Minister will address the saints for about an hour after which he will fly back to Lucknow around 2 pm and then return to Delhi.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A 30-year-old man from Uttarakhand, who came to Mumbai to sell 400mg of tocilizumab injection, at more than double its market price in black market, was arrested by unit 9 of the city crime branch on Tuesday. The injection is used to treat Covid-19 patients suffering from low oxygen levels.

The drug costs 40,000 but the man, identified as Azam Nasir Khan, was trying to sell it for 1 lakh, the police said. According to crime branch officers, Khan had brought the drug from Delhi .

Based on a tip-off, a team lead by assistant police inspector Sudhir Jadhav, along with officials from the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) department, sent a man posing as a medical store owner, to buy the drug from Khan.

After negotiating the price for the drug, Khan sold 15 injections for Rs1 lakh each. When Khan came to deliver the medicine at Bandra he was arrested, said senior police inspector Mahesh Desai of unit 9.

During inquiry, Khan confessed that he brought the medicine from Delhi to sell in Mumbai. It appears that there are many people involved in the racket. We are probing further to find out if more people are involved in the racket, added Desai.

A local court remanded Khan in police custody till Friday.
Actor Dino Morea has denied reports that he hosted late actor Sushant Singh Rajput and others at his house party on June 13, the night before Sushants death. Dino said he has no connection whatsoever with the case.

There was never any such gathering at my residence , pls get your facts right before making these allegations. DO NOT drag my name into this as I have no connection whatsoever with this, he wrote in a tweet. He also attached a television news clip of former Maharashtra chief minister Narayan Ranes media briefing with his tweet.The clip mentioned that Dino had hosted Sushant and a politician at his home on 13 and they all later moved the party to Sushants house.

Rane has claimed that Sushant was murdered but did not offer any evidence to support it. Sushant did not commit suicide but was murdered, Rane said. He claimed that the state government is trying to save somebody in the matter.

It has been 50 days since Sushants death but Mumbais world-famous police dont know who was with Sushant at the party held (at his home) on June 13, Rane said. Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh on Monday said no party took place at the actors home on June 13.

Sushant, 34, was found dead at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14. Mumbai Police registered an accidental death report and an investigation is underway.

Also read: Neeraj Kabi says instead of arguing about nepotism raise your talent: There is no way that you will be eliminated

The Bihar government on Tuesday recommended a CBI inquiry into the case. Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer insisted the state had no jurisdiction to make such a recommendation. Aditya Thackeray, a minister in the Maharashtra cabinet and scion of the powerful Thackeray clan, whose named was being mentioned in hushed tones over his alleged links to Chakraborty, meanwhile, rejected claims of his involvement in the sordid events that allegedly surrounded Rajputs death.

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HOUSTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Callon Petroleum Company (NYSE: CPE) ("Callon" or the "Company") today reported results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020.

Presentation slides accompanying this earnings release are available on the Company's website at www.callon.com located on the "Presentations" page within the Investors section of the site.

Recent Highlights

Delivered production of approximately 108.7 Mboe/d (65% oil), above the high end of guidance, for the second quarter of 2020





Posted accrued operational capital spending of $85.1 million , 15% below the second quarter target of $100 million





, 15% below the second quarter target of Generated net cash from operating activities of $97.8 million and free cash flow 1 of $18.0 million for the second quarter





and free cash flow of for the second quarter Loss available to common stockholders of $1,564.7 million , or $3.94 per fully diluted share, driven by an impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties of $1,276.5 million , adjusted EBITDA 1 of $153.4 million , and adjusted income per share 1 of $0.01 for the second quarter of 2020





, or per fully diluted share, driven by an impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties of , adjusted EBITDA of , and adjusted income per share of for the second quarter of 2020 Achieved lease operating expense ("LOE") of $50.8 million or $5.14 per Boe for the second quarter of 2020, an improvement of 10% over the comparable three-month period ended March 31, 2020





or per Boe for the second quarter of 2020, an improvement of 10% over the comparable three-month period ended Lowered cost structure with total operating expenses, including full cash G&A costs 1 , of $9.58 /Boe in the quarter, 16% below the prior quarter





, of /Boe in the quarter, 16% below the prior quarter Reduced Delaware and Midland drilling and completion costs versus the prior quarter by approximately $100 per 1,000 lateral feet, representing incremental savings of 11% and 17% respectively





and Midland drilling and completion costs versus the prior quarter by approximately per 1,000 lateral feet, representing incremental savings of 11% and 17% respectively Announced a 1-for-10 reverse stock split effective as of the close of business on August 7, 2020

Joe Gatto, President and Chief Executive Officer commented, "Our operational and financial results for the second quarter reflect Callon's commitment to thoughtful capital allocation and operational execution that we have overlaid on an exceptional, diversified asset base. As oil markets began to erode in March, our team acted quickly to reduce capital activity while maintaining a clear focus on near and long-term operating goals. As a result, our drilling and completion costs are down across the board, second quarter production was well ahead of estimates, and operating costs continue to decline beyond our targeted synergy goals."

He continued, "Our success in reducing our cost structure, combined with leading capital efficiency from strong well productivity and well cost reductions, positioned us to generate free cash flow this quarter. This is just the first step as we have developed a longer-term plan designed to consistently generate free cash flow while maintaining production levels with a reduced reinvestment rate. After moving past the working capital cash impact of expenditures incurred in the first quarter, a meaningful portion of which added to our current inventory of drilled, uncompleted wells, we will be dedicating all of our expected free cash flow to credit facility reductions and forecast our current credit facility balance to decline into year end and continue into 2021."

Mr. Gatto also shared, "Despite tremendous business, social, and personal hurdles resulting from the current pandemic and extreme turbulence in the financial markets, our team has remained focused on synergy realization and the integration of people, systems, and processes. Our operational and financial results highlight our progress as an organization and I applaud the Callon team for persevering through an incredibly difficult past few months. Importantly, we remain committed to their safety and that of our vendors, partners, and communities."

Operations Update

At June 30, 2020, Callon had 1,471 gross (1,298.0 net) horizontal wells producing from established flow units in the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale. Net daily production for the three months ended June 30, 2020 grew 168% to 108.7 Mboe/d (65% oil), as compared to the same period of 2019.

For the three months ended June 30, 2020, Callon drilled 29 gross (27.0 net) horizontal wells and placed a combined 26 gross (24.9 net) horizontal wells on production. During the course of the quarter, all rigs and completion crews ceased activity upon completion of projects in progress. The Company does not have any active rigs or completion crews at this time but does intend to resume development activity during the third quarter. Near-term operational activity will be focused on completing a drilled, uncompleted inventory of approximately 70 wells in both the Permian Basin and Eagle Ford Shale with one dedicated completion crew. The Company also intends to return two to three drilling rigs to service later in the third quarter for the balance of the year.

During the second quarter in the Delaware Basin, the seven-well Dorothy Sansom project was placed on production in April, consisting of targets in the 3rd Bone Spring Shale, Wolfcamp A (2), Upper Wolfcamp B, Lower Wolfcamp B (2), and Wolfcamp C. Initial results have been positive with cumulative production (adjusted for shut-ins during the quarter) matching or exceeding production from primary zones in the Crowley-St. Clair project which was completed in 2019. Comparable wells in the Wolfcamp A and B zones on the Dorothy Sansom project were drilled and completed offsetting parent wells, unlike the unbounded Crowley-St. Claire wells. The current performance is encouraging for future development of offset wells in the area.

At the WildHorse area in the Midland Basin, the Company brought online the nine-well Dunkin/Horton/Wright project that had previously been deferred during the early portion of the quarter. The project consists of Wolfcamp A wells (4), Lower Spraberry wells (3), and a Wolfcamp B and Middle Spraberry test. Initial production from the Wolfcamp A and B has exceeded expectations and significantly outperformed 2019 vintage Wolfcamp A offsets in the immediate area through the first fifty days. Early results from the Middle Spraberry are encouraging for potential future development in the area as production currently continues to outpace initial type curve estimates.

In the Eagle Ford, the Company placed on production the Pena project with a portion of the wells reaching first production at the very end of March and the remainder falling into early April. These wells have produced over 75,000 cumulative Boe (~90% oil) on average (1.2 MMBoe in total) through the first 120 days online, matching type curve expectations.

During the second quarter, Callon saw additional gains in operational efficiency, with average development costs improving. Some of the highlights include:

Delaware well costs further reduced to approximately $850 per lateral foot, an 11% improvement versus the previous quarter and a 23% improvement versus our 2019 average of $1,100 per lateral foot; and





well costs further reduced to approximately per lateral foot, an 11% improvement versus the previous quarter and a 23% improvement versus our 2019 average of per lateral foot; and Midland Basin well costs are now approaching approximately $500 per lateral foot, a 17% improvement over the first quarter and 37% improvement over 2019

Marketing

The Company entered into short-term fixed price contracts in May and June for Eagle Ford Shale production to secure firm transportation and also mitigate the effect of the calendar month average ("CMA") roll calculation on realized pricing. Those fixed price contracts have since returned to our previous MEH linked pricing structure. Callon recently secured incremental firm transportation for production volumes to ensure delivery of barrels produced from the Eagle Ford assets to improve market options for the future.

In addition, the Company has entered into a multi-year agreement with a diverse global player in waterborne oil markets that will be purchasing up to 10,000 barrels per day of oil of Permian Basin production at Brent-linked prices for volumes delivered under our firm transportation agreement to the Houston Ship Channel area on the Echo Pipeline. In April, we began delivering 15,000 barrels per day into the Corpus refinery complex under our firm transportation agreement on Gray Oak pipeline. These barrels are part of multi-year term sales agreements receiving a combination of Brent and MEH based pricing.

Minimal production volumes that were voluntarily shut-in by the Company during the second quarter have been returned to production. The Company is not subject to repayment of volumes or cover cost at second quarter pricing since it met all sales obligations during the quarter.

Capital Expenditures

For the three months ended June 30, 2020, Callon incurred $85.1 million in operational capital expenditures on an accrual basis. Total capital expenditures, inclusive of capitalized expenses, are detailed below on an accrual and cash basis:





Three Months Ended June 30, 2020



Operational

Capitalized

Capitalized

Total Capital



Capital (a)

Interest

G&A

Expenditures



(In thousands) Cash basis (b)

$174,594



$24,787



$6,740



$206,121

Timing adjustments (c)

(90,780)



(3,863)







(94,643)

Non-cash items

1,273







2,162



3,435

Accrual basis

$85,087



$20,924



$8,902



$114,913







(a) Includes seismic, land, technology, and other items. (b) Cash basis is presented here to help users of financial information reconcile amounts from the cash flow statement to the balance sheet by accounting for timing related changes in working capital that align with our development pace and rig count. (c) Includes timing adjustments related to cash disbursements in the current period for capital expenditures incurred in the prior period.

Hedging

For the three months ended June 30, 2020, Callon recognized a hedge gain of $84.2 million consisting of settled positions and monetization of certain future oil positions. During the course of the quarter and through July, the Company has continued to add hedge coverage for oil, natural gas, and ethane in 2021, and restructured certain oil swaps for the remaining six months of 2020 into two-way collars providing additional upside for oil prices to as high as $45 per barrel. Average floor prices for the second half of 2020 for WTI NYMEX oil contracts are approximately $40 per barrel covering just over nine million barrels of production, or roughly 80% of projected oil production for the remainder of 2020.

The Company took advantage of an improved natural gas outlook and entered into a combination of NYMEX Henry Hub swaps and collars for 2021 providing coverage for over 22,000 BBtu or just over 60,000 MMBtu per day at an average floor price $2.61 per MMBtu. Natural gas production is now approximately 70% hedged for the remainder of 2020 and just over 60% hedged for 2021. Details regarding the Company's full hedge positions can be found in the hedge summary within the earnings release or within the appendix of the second quarter 2020 earnings slide deck on the website.

Operating and Financial Results

The following table presents summary information for the periods indicated:





Three Months Ended



June 30, 2020

March 31, 2020

June 30, 2019 Net production











Oil (MBbls)

6,396



5,847



2,848

Natural gas (MMcf)

11,009



9,793



5,031

NGLs (MBbls)

1,657



1,707





Total barrels of oil equivalent (MBoe)

9,888



9,186



3,687

Total daily production (Boe/d)

108,664



100,955



40,516

Oil as % of total daily production

65 %

64 %

77 % Average realized sales price (excluding impact of settled derivatives)











Oil (per Bbl)

$20.41



$45.45



$56.44

Natural gas (per Mcf)

1.11



0.62



1.26

NGLs (per Bbl)

8.74



10.62





Total (per BOE)

15.90



31.56



45.31

Average realized sales price (including impact of settled derivatives)











Oil (per Bbl)

$33.82



$48.90



$54.87

Natural gas (per Mcf)

0.97



1.13



1.91

NGLs (per Bbl)

8.74



10.62





Total (per Boe)

24.42



34.30



44.99

Revenues (in thousands)











Oil

$130,513



$265,767



$160,728

Natural gas

12,242



6,029



6,324

NGLs

14,479



18,123





Total revenues

157,234



289,919



167,052

Additional per Boe data











Sales price (a)

$15.90



$31.56



$45.31

Lease operating expense

5.14



5.70



6.18

Production taxes

1.05



2.14



3.02

Gathering, transportation and processing

2.03



1.57





Operating margin

$7.68



$22.15



$36.11















Depletion, depreciation and amortization

$14.05



$14.31



$17.12

General and administrative (G&A)

$1.01



$0.91



$2.87

Adjusted G&A (b)











Cash component (c)

$0.69



$1.20



$2.42

Non-cash component

0.15



0.41



0.68







(a) Excludes the impact of settled derivatives. (b) Excludes certain non-recurring expenses and non-cash valuation adjustments. Adjusted G&A is a non-GAAP financial measure; see the reconciliation provided within this press release for a reconciliation of G&A expense on a GAAP basis to Adjusted G&A expense. (c) Excludes the amortization of equity-settled, share-based incentive awards.

Total Revenue. For the quarter ended June 30, 2020, Callon reported total revenue of $157.2 million and total revenue including the gain or loss from the settlement of derivative contracts ("Adjusted Total Revenue"(1)) of $241.4 million, reflecting the impact of an $84.2 million gain from the settlement of derivative contracts. Average daily production for the quarter was 108.7 Mboe/d, compared to average daily production of 101.0 Mboe/d in the first quarter of 2020. Average realized prices, including and excluding the effects of hedging, are detailed above.

Hedging impacts. For the quarter ended June 30, 2020, the net (gain) loss on commodity derivative contracts includes the following (in thousands):



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2020 (Gain) loss on oil derivatives $122,369 (Gain) loss on natural gas derivatives 4,695 (Gain) loss on NGL derivatives (4) (Gain) loss on commodity derivative contracts $127,060

For the quarter ended June 30, 2020, the cash (paid) received for commodity derivative settlements includes the following (in thousands):



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2020 Cash (paid) received on oil derivatives $100,470 Cash (paid) received on natural gas derivatives (1,782) Cash received for commodity derivative settlements $98,688

Lease Operating Expenses, including workover ("LOE"). LOE per Boe for the three months ended June 30, 2020 was $5.14 per Boe, compared to LOE of $5.70 per Boe in the first quarter of 2020. The decrease in LOE per Boe was driven by improved field practices and a reduction in workovers during the second quarter of 2020 as compared to the first quarter of 2020.

Production Taxes, including ad valorem taxes. Production taxes were $1.05 per Boe for the three months ended June 30, 2020, representing approximately 6.6% of total revenue before the impact of derivative settlements.

Gathering, Transportation and Processing Expenses. Gathering, transportation and processing costs for the three months ended June 30, 2020 were $20.0 million as compared to $14.4 million in the first quarter of 2020 due to firm transportation contracts that began in the second quarter of 2020. In 2020, the Company began reporting gathering, transportation and processing costs separately due to the assumption of processing agreements in the Carrizo acquisition and certain contract modifications effective January 1, 2020. As such, the Company now records contractual fees associated with gathering, processing, treating and compression, as well as any transportation fees incurred to deliver the product to the purchaser, as gathering, transportation and processing expense. These fees were historically recorded as a reduction of revenue depending on when control transferred to the purchaser.

Depreciation, Depletion and Amortization ("DD&A"). DD&A for the three months ended June 30, 2020 was consistent at $14.05 per Boe compared to $14.31 per Boe in the first quarter of 2020.

Impairment of Evaluated Oil and Gas Properties. Callon recognized an impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties of $1.3 billion for the three months ended June 30, 2020 due primarily to declines in the average realized prices for sales of oil and gas. The decrease in the trailing 12-month average realized price as of June 30, 2020 resulted in a reduction our proved oil and gas reserve volumes of less than 2% of our December 31, 2019 proved oil and gas reserves volumes. The Company did not recognize an impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties during the first quarter of 2020.

G&A. G&A for the three months ended June 30, 2020 was $10.0 million, or $1.01 per Boe, and G&A, excluding certain non-cash incentive share-based compensation valuation adjustments, ("Adjusted G&A" 1) was $8.3 million, or $0.84 per Boe, for the three months ended June 30, 2020 compared to $14.8 million, or $1.62 per Boe, for the first quarter of 2020. The cash component of Adjusted G&A was $6.8 million, or $0.69 per Boe, for the three months ended June 30, 2020 compared to $11.1 million, or $1.20 per Boe, for the first quarter of 2020. The reductions in G&A were driven by the realization of post-merger synergies and further reductions to payroll and non-payroll expenses following the pandemic, including compensation reductions for executives and the board of directors.

For the three months ended June 30, 2020 and March 31, 2020, G&A and Adjusted G&A, which excludes the amortization of equity-settled and share-based incentive awards, are calculated as follows (in thousands):



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2020

March 31, 2020 Total G&A expense $10,024



$8,325

Change in the fair value of liability share-based awards (non-cash) (1,720)



6,516

Adjusted G&A  total 8,304



14,841

Restricted stock share-based compensation (non-cash) and other non-recurring expenses (1,509)



(3,776)

Adjusted G&A  cash component $6,795



$11,065









Capitalized cash G&A $6,740



$7,570

Full Cash G&A Costs $13,535



$18,635



Income Tax Expense. Callon provides for income taxes at the statutory rate of 21% adjusted for permanent differences expected to be realized. Callon recorded income tax expense of $51.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020, compared to income tax expense of $64.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2020. Primarily as a result of the impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties recognized during the second quarter of 2020, Callon recorded a valuation allowance against its net deferred tax assets reducing the net deferred tax assets to zero.

Loss Available to Common Stockholders. We recorded a loss available to common stockholders for the three months ended June 30, 2020 of $1.6 billion, or $3.94 per diluted share, as compared to income available to common stockholders of $216.6 million, or $0.55 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2020. The loss was primarily due to the impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties of $1.3 billion as well as a loss on derivative contracts of approximately $127.0 million recorded during the second quarter of 2020.

Adjusted EBITDA1. Adjusted EBITDA for the second quarter of 2020 was $153.4 million as compared to $217.5 million for the first quarter of 2020. The decrease in Adjusted EBITDA from the first quarter of 2020 was primarily due to an approximate 30% decrease in the average realized price of oil. This was partially offset by increased sequential production as well as a decrease in operating expenses as described above.

Guidance

Callon is reinstating guidance for the full year and updating previous ranges to reflect adjustments to its operational plan and associated expectations.





Full Year



2020 Guidance Total production (Mboe/d)

99.0 - 101.0 Oil production

64% Gas production

18% NGL production

18% Income statement expenses ($MM)



LOE, including workovers

$205 - $215 Gathering, processing, and transportation

$60 - $65 Production taxes, including ad valorem (% unhedged revenue)

7% Adjusted G&A: cash component (a)

$30 - $35 Adjusted G&A: non-cash component (b)

$5 - $7 Cash interest expense

$90 - $95 Effective income tax rate (%)

22% Capital expenditures ($MM, accrual basis)



Total operational capital (c)

$500 - $525 Capitalized interest

$80 - $85 Capitalized G&A

$25 - $30 Gross operated wells drilled / completed

87-89 / 80-82





(a) Excludes the amortization of equity-settled, share-based incentive awards. Adjusted G&A is a non-GAAP financial measure; see the reconciliation provided within this press release for a reconciliation of G&A expense on a GAAP basis to Adjusted G&A expense. (b) Excludes certain non-recurring expenses and non-cash valuation adjustments. Adjusted G&A is a non-GAAP financial measure; see the reconciliation provided within this press release for a reconciliation of G&A expense on a GAAP basis to Adjusted G&A expense. (c) Includes facilities, equipment, seismic, land and other items. Excludes capitalized expenses.

In addition to the updated 2020 guidance provided in the previous table, the Company's initial outlook for 2021 for a "maintenance capital" plan will include average daily production of 90 to 95 MBoe per day from an operational capital spending level of approximately $400 million. Management believes that this program at current prices will yield meaningful additional free cash flow.

Reverse Stock Split

Today the Company also announced that its Board of Directors has approved a reverse stock split of the Company's outstanding shares of common stock at a ratio of 1-for-10, which was approved by the Company's shareholders at the Company's annual meeting of shareholders on June 8, 2020. The reverse stock split will become effective as of the close of business on August 7, 2020 and the Company's common stock will begin trading on a split-adjusted basis on the NYSE at market open on August 10, 2020. The par value of the common stock will not be adjusted in connection with the reverse stock split.

The reverse stock split is intended to, among other things, improve the opportunity for institutional ownership. Upon completion of the reverse stock split, each 10 pre-split shares of common stock outstanding will be automatically combined into one issued and outstanding share of common stock. Any fractional shares that result from the reverse stock split will be canceled, and shareholders who would otherwise hold fractional shares as a result of the reverse stock split will be entitled to receive cash (without interest and subject to applicable withholding taxes) in lieu of such fractional shares. The number of outstanding shares of common stock will be reduced from approximately 397,476,674 as of July 31, 2020 to approximately 39,747,667 shares (without giving effect to the liquidation of fractional shares). The Board has also approved a proportionate reduction of the total number of authorized shares of the Company's common stock pursuant to an amendment to the Company's Certificate of Incorporation. The total number of shares of common stock that the Company is authorized to issue will be reduced from 525,000,000 to 52,500,000 shares.

Second Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call

The Company's conference call to discuss second quarter results is scheduled for Wednesday, August 5, 2020, at 8:00 am CDT. The presentation slides and associated webcast can both be found at www.callon.com located on the "News/Events" page within the Investors section on the site or by clicking on the link below.

www.callon.com/investors/news-events/ir-calendar

Hedge Portfolio Summary

The following tables summarize Callon's open derivative contracts for the remaining two quarters of 2020 and the full year 2021, updated for changes through July 31, 2020:



For the Remainder



For the Full Year

Oil contracts (WTI) of 2020



of 2021

Swap contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 6,291,880





1,377,000



Weighted average price per Bbl $42.08





$42.00



Collar contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 2,863,040





3,741,250



Weighted average price per Bbl









Ceiling (short call) $45.00





$45.02



Floor (long put) $35.00





$40.00



Short put contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 1,104,000









Weighted average price per Bbl $42.50





$



Long call contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 920,000









Weighted average price per Bbl $67.50





$



Short call contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 920,000

(a)

4,825,300

(a) Weighted average price per Bbl $55.00





$63.62



Short call swaption contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 





730,000

(b) Weighted average price per Bbl $





$47.00















Oil contracts (WTI Calendar Month Average Roll)









Swap contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 3,864,000









Weighted average price per Bbl ($2.75)





$















Oil contracts (Brent ICE)









Swap contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 184,000





1,272,450



Weighted average price per Bbl $46.15





$38.24















Oil contracts (Midland basis differential)









Swap contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 3,094,700





4,015,100



Weighted average price per Bbl ($1.75)





$0.40















Oil contracts (Argus Houston MEH basis differential)









Swap contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 3,256,004









Weighted average price per Bbl $0.06





$



Oil contracts (Argus Houston MEH swaps)









Swap contracts









Total volume (Bbls) 368,000





2,969,050



Weighted average price per Bbl $57.71





$39.48









(a) Premiums from the sale of call options were used to increase the fixed price of certain simultaneously executed price swaps. (b) The short call swaption contract has an exercise expiration date of October 30, 2020.



For the Remainder



For the Full Year Natural gas contracts (Henry Hub) of 2020



of 2021 Swap contracts







Total volume (MMBtu) 8,566,000





12,923,000

Weighted average price per MMBtu $2.07





$2.66

Collar contracts (three-way collars)







Total volume (MMBtu) 2,755,000





1,350,000

Weighted average price per MMBtu







Ceiling (short call) $2.73





$2.70

Floor (long put) $2.47





$2.42

Floor (short put) $2.00





$2.00

Collar contracts (two-way collars)







Total volume (MMBtu) 1,525,000





7,750,000

Weighted average price per MMBtu







Ceiling (short call) $3.25





$2.93

Floor (long put) $2.67





$2.55

Long call contracts







Total volume (MMBtu) 3,036,000







Weighted average price per MMBtu $3.50





$

Short call contracts







Total volume (MMBtu) 6,072,000





7,300,000

Weighted average price per MMBtu $3.50





$3.09











Natural gas contracts (Waha basis differential)







Swap contracts







Total volume (MMBtu) 12,885,000





6,387,500

Weighted average price per MMBtu ($0.92)





($0.58)























For the Remainder



For the Full Year NGL contracts (OPIS Mont Belvieu Purity Ethane) of 2020



of 2021 Swap contracts







Total volume (Bbls) 





1,825,000

Weighted average price per Bbl $





$7.62



Adjusted Income and Adjusted EBITDA. The Company reported loss available to common stockholders of $1,564.7 million, or $3.94 per fully diluted share, for the three months ended June 30, 2020, and adjusted income available to common stockholders of $2.1 million, or $0.01 per fully diluted share. The following tables reconcile the Company's income (loss) available to common stockholders to adjusted income, and the Company's net income (loss) to adjusted EBITDA:



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2020

March 31, 2020

June 30, 2019

(In thousands, except per share data) Income (loss) available to common stockholders ($1,564,731)



$216,565



$53,357

(Gain) loss on derivative contracts 126,965



(251,969)



(14,036)

Gain (loss) on commodity derivative settlements, net 84,208



25,126



(1,157)

Non-cash stock-based compensation expense (benefit) 2,761



(2,972)



904

Impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties 1,276,518









Merger and integration expense 8,067



15,830





Other (income) expense 6,759



(1,029)



770

Tax effect on adjustments above(a) (316,108)



45,153



2,839

Change in valuation allowance 377,645









Adjusted Income $2,084



$46,704



$42,677

Adjusted Income per fully diluted common share $0.01



$0.12



$0.19













Basic WASO 397,084



396,682



228,051

Diluted WASO (GAAP) 397,084



396,836



228,411

Effective of potentially dilutive instruments 114









Adjusted Diluted WASO 397,198



396,836



228,411







(a) Calculated using the federal statutory rate of 21%.



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2020

March 31, 2020

June 30, 2019

(In thousands) Net income (loss) ($1,564,731)



$216,565



$55,180

(Gain) loss on derivative contracts 126,965



(251,969)



(14,036)

Gain (loss) on commodity derivative settlements, net 84,208



25,126



(1,157)

Non-cash stock-based compensation expense (benefit) 2,761



(2,972)



904

Impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties 1,276,518









Merger and integration expense 8,067



15,830





Other (income) expense 6,759



(1,029)



935

Income tax expense 51,251



64,048



16,691

Interest expense 22,682



20,478



741

Depreciation, depletion and amortization 138,930



131,463



64,590

Adjusted EBITDA $153,410



$217,540



$123,848



Free Cash Flow. Free cash flow was $18.0 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020. Free cash flow is reconciled to operating cash flow in the following table:





Three Months Ended



June 30, 2020



(In thousands) Net cash provided by operating activities

$97,801

Changes in working capital and other

40,078

Change in accrued hedge settlement

(14,480)

Cash interest expense

21,944

Merger and integration expense

8,067

Adjusted EBITDA

153,410

Less: Operational capital (accrual)

85,087

Less: Capitalized interest

20,924

Less: Interest expense

22,682

Less: Capitalized cash G&A (excludes stock-based compensation)

6,740

Free cash flow

$17,977



Adjusted Discretionary Cash Flow. Operating cash flow was $97.8 million and adjusted discretionary cash flow was $142.7 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020. Adjusted discretionary cash flow is reconciled to operating cash flow in the following table:



Three Months Ended

June 30, 2020

March 31, 2020

June 30, 2019

(In thousands) Cash flows from operating activities:









Net income (loss) ($1,564,731)



$216,565



$55,180

Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:









Depreciation, depletion and amortization 138,930



131,463



64,590

Impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties 1,276,518









Amortization of non-cash debt related items 738



407



741

Deferred income tax expense 51,251



64,048



16,691

(Gain) loss on derivative contracts 126,965



(251,969)



(14,036)

Cash (paid) received for commodity derivative settlements, net 98,688



2,613



(1,157)

(Gain) loss on sale of other property and equipment 







21

Non-cash stock-based compensation expense (benefit) 2,761



(2,972)



904

Non-cash loss on early extinguishment of debt 









Merger and integration expense 8,067



15,830





Other, net 3,521



890





Adjusted discretionary cash flow $142,708



$176,875



$122,934

Changes in working capital (36,839)



31,404



27,789

Payments to settle asset retirement obligations 







(107)

Merger and integration expense (8,067)



(15,830)





Payments to settle vested liability share-based awards (1)



(754)



(129)

Net cash provided by operating activities $97,801



$191,695



$150,487



Adjusted Total Revenue. Adjusted total revenue for the three months ended June 30, 2020 was $241.4 million and is reconciled to total operating revenues in the following table:





Three Months Ended



June 30, 2020

March 31, 2020

June 30, 2019



(In thousands) Operating Revenues











Oil

$130,513



$265,767



$160,728

Natural gas

12,242



6,029



6,324

Natural gas liquids

14,479



18,123





Total operating revenues

$157,234



$289,919



$167,052

Gain (loss) on commodity derivative settlements, net

84,208



25,126



(1,157)

Adjusted total revenue

$241,442

$315,045

$165,895

Callon Petroleum Company Consolidated Balance Sheets (In thousands, except par and per share data) (Unaudited)





June 30, 2020

December 31, 2019 ASSETS







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents

$7,500



$13,341

Accounts receivable, net

95,839



209,463

Fair value of derivatives

31,563



26,056

Other current assets

28,828



19,814

Total current assets

163,730



268,674

Oil and natural gas properties, full cost accounting method:







Evaluated properties

3,777,956



4,682,994

Unevaluated properties

1,762,860



1,986,124

Total oil and natural gas properties, net

5,540,816



6,669,118

Operating lease right-of-use assets

35,926



63,908

Other property and equipment, net

32,444



35,253

Deferred tax asset





115,720

Deferred financing costs

25,993



22,233

Other assets, net

11,224



19,932

Total assets

$5,810,133



$7,194,838

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY







Current liabilities:







Accounts payable and accrued liabilities

$405,596



$511,622

Operating lease liabilities

24,355



42,858

Fair value of derivatives

32,683



71,197

Other current liabilities

15,053



26,570

Total current liabilities

477,687



652,247

Long-term debt

3,350,730



3,186,109

Operating lease liabilities

30,729



37,088

Asset retirement obligations

48,765



48,860

Fair value of derivatives

8,678



32,695

Other long-term liabilities

12,160



14,531

Total liabilities

3,928,749



3,971,530

Commitments and contingencies







Stockholders' equity:







Common stock, $0.01 par value, 525,000,000 shares authorized; 397,396,922 and 396,600,022 shares outstanding, respectively

3,974



3,966

Capital in excess of par value

3,204,310



3,198,076

Retained earnings (Accumulated deficit)

(1,326,900)



21,266

Total stockholders' equity

1,881,384



3,223,308

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$5,810,133



$7,194,838



Callon Petroleum Company Consolidated Statements of Operations (In thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended

June 30,

Six Months Ended

June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Operating revenues:













Oil $130,513



$160,728



$396,280



$301,826

Natural gas 12,242



6,324



18,271



18,273

Natural gas liquids 14,479







32,602





Total operating revenues 157,234



167,052



447,153



320,099

Operating Expenses:













Lease operating 50,838



22,776



103,221



46,843

Production and ad valorem taxes 10,361



11,131



30,041



21,944

Gathering, transportation and processing 20,037







34,415





Depreciation, depletion and amortization 138,930



63,137



270,393



123,145

General and administrative 10,024



10,564



18,349



25,341

Impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties 1,276,518







1,276,518





Merger and integration expenses 8,067







23,897





Other operating 4,135



935



4,135



1,092

Total operating expenses 1,518,910



108,543



1,760,969



218,365

Income (Loss) From Operations (1,361,676)



58,509



(1,313,816)



101,734

















Other (Income) Expenses:













Interest expense, net of capitalized amounts 22,682



741



43,160



1,479

(Gain) loss on derivative contracts 126,965



(14,036)



(125,004)



53,224

Other (income) expense 2,157



(67)



895



(148)

Total other (income) expense 151,804



(13,362)



(80,949)



54,555

















Income (Loss) Before Income Taxes (1,513,480)



71,871



(1,232,867)



47,179

Income tax expense (51,251)



(16,691)



(115,299)



(11,542)

Net Income (Loss) (1,564,731)



55,180



(1,348,166)



35,637

Preferred stock dividends 



(1,823)







(3,647)

Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders ($1,564,731)



$53,357



($1,348,166)



$31,990

















Income (Loss) Available to Common Stockholders Per Common Share:













Basic ($3.94)



$0.23



($3.40)



$0.14

Diluted ($3.94)



$0.23



($3.40)



$0.14

Weighted Average Common Shares Outstanding:













Basic 397,084



228,051



396,884



227,917

Diluted 397,084



228,411



396,884



228,599



Callon Petroleum Company Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended June

30,

Six Months Ended June

30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Cash flows from operating activities:













Net income (loss) ($1,564,731)



$55,180



($1,348,166)



$35,637

Adjustments to reconcile net income (loss) to net cash provided by operating activities:













Depreciation, depletion and amortization 138,930



64,590



270,393



125,503

Impairment of evaluated oil and gas properties 1,276,518







1,276,518





Amortization of non-cash debt related items 738



741



1,145



1,479

Deferred income tax expense 51,251



16,691



115,299



11,542

(Gain) loss on derivative contracts 126,965



(14,036)



(125,004)



53,224

Cash (paid) received for commodity derivative settlements 98,688



(1,157)



101,301



(1,447)

Loss on sale of other property and equipment 



21







49

Non-cash expense related to equity share-based awards 1,041



1,754



4,817



6,299

Change in the fair value of liability share-based awards 1,720



(850)



(5,028)



1,031

Payments to settle asset retirement obligations 



(107)







(771)

Payments for cash-settled restricted stock unit awards (1)



(129)



(755)



(1,425)

Other, net 3,521







4,411





Changes in current assets and liabilities:













Accounts receivable (2,833)



44,071



113,040



38,681

Other current assets (3,567)



(3,807)



(4,348)



(6,101)

Current liabilities (30,439)



(10,251)



(114,127)



(36,254)

Other 



(2,224)







(2,401)

Net cash provided by operating activities 97,801



150,487



289,496



225,046

Cash flows from investing activities:













Capital expenditures (206,121)



(166,219)



(430,569)



(359,430)

Acquisitions 



(11,423)







(39,370)

Proceeds from sale of assets (161)



260,417



10,079



274,296

Cash paid for settlements of contingent consideration arrangements, net 







(40,000)





Other, net 6,992







6,834





Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities (199,290)



82,775



(453,656)



(124,504)

Cash flows from financing activities:













Borrowings on senior secured revolving credit facility 484,500



140,000



4,775,500



360,000

Payments on senior secured revolving credit facility (384,500)



(365,000)



(4,610,500)



(455,000)

Payment of preferred stock dividends 



(1,823)







(3,647)

Payment of deferred financing costs (5,736)



(31)



(6,011)



(31)

Tax withholdings related to restricted stock units (75)



(833)



(388)



(1,858)

Other, net 



(5)



(282)



(5)

Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 94,189



(227,692)



158,319



(100,541)

Net change in cash and cash equivalents (7,300)



5,570



(5,841)



1

Balance, beginning of period 14,800



10,482



13,341



16,051

Balance, end of period $7,500



$16,052



$7,500



$16,052



Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This news release refers to non-GAAP financial measures such as "Free Cash Flow," "Adjusted Discretionary Cash Flow," "Adjusted G&A," "Full Cash G&A Costs," "Adjusted Income," "Adjusted EBITDA" and "Adjusted Total Revenue." These measures, detailed below, are provided in addition to, and not as an alternative for, and should be read in conjunction with, the information contained in our financial statements prepared in accordance with GAAP (including the notes), included in our SEC filings and posted on our website.

Free Cash Flow is a supplemental non-GAAP measure that is defined by the Company as Adjusted EBITDA less operational capital, capitalized interest, net interest expense and capitalized G&A excluding capitalized expense related to share-based awards. We believe free cash flow is a comparable metric against other companies in the industry and is a widely accepted financial indicator of an oil and natural gas company's ability to generate cash for the use of internally funding their capital development program and to service or incur debt. Free cash flow is not a measure of a company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities, or as a measure of liquidity, or as an alternative to net income (loss).





Adjusted Discretionary Cash Flow is a supplemental non-GAAP measure that Callon believes is a comparable metric against other companies in the industry and is a widely accepted financial indicator of an oil and natural gas company's ability to generate cash for the use of internally funding their capital development program and to service or incur debt. Adjusted Discretionary Cash Flow is defined by Callon as net cash provided by operating activities before changes in working capital, merger and integration expenses, and payments to settle asset retirement obligations and vested liability share-based awards. Callon has included this information because changes in operating assets and liabilities relate to the timing of cash receipts and disbursements, which the Company may not control and the cash flow effect may not be reflected the period in which the operating activities occurred. Adjusted Discretionary Cash Flow is not a measure of a company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to net cash provided by operating activities (as defined under GAAP), or as a measure of liquidity, or as an alternative to net income.





Adjusted general and administrative expense ("Adjusted G&A") is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure that excludes non-cash valuation adjustments related to incentive compensation plans. Callon believes that the non-GAAP measure of Adjusted G&A is useful to investors because it provides readers with a meaningful measure of our recurring G&A expense and provides for greater comparability period-over-period. The table contained within this release details all adjustments to G&A on a GAAP basis to arrive at Adjusted G&A.





Full Cash G&A Costs is a supplemental non-GAAP financial measure that Callon defines as Adjusted G&A  cash component plus capitalized G&A excluding capitalized expense related to share-based awards. Callon believes that the non-GAAP measure of Full Cash G&A Costs is useful because it provides users with a meaningful measure of our total recurring cash G&A costs, whether expensed or capitalized, and provides for greater comparability on a period-over-period basis. See the reconciliation provided above for further details.





Adjusted Income available to common stockholders ("Adjusted Income") and Adjusted Income per fully diluted common share are supplemental non-GAAP measures that Callon believes are useful to investors because they provide readers with a meaningful measure of our profitability before recording certain items whose timing or amount cannot be reasonably determined. These measures exclude the net of tax effects of certain non-recurring items and non-cash valuation adjustments, which are detailed in the reconciliation provided.





Adjusted diluted weighted average common shares outstanding ("Adjusted Diluted WASO") is a non-GAAP financial measure which includes the effect of potentially dilutive instruments that, under certain circumstances described below, are excluded from diluted weighted average common shares outstanding ("Diluted WASO"), the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure. When a loss available to common stockholders exists, all potentially dilutive instruments are anti-dilutive to the loss available to common stockholders per common share and therefore excluded from the computation of Diluted WASO. The effect of potentially dilutive instruments are included in the computation of Adjusted Diluted WASO for purposes of computing Adjusted Income per fully diluted common share.





Callon calculates adjusted earnings before interest, income taxes, depreciation, depletion and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") as net income (loss) before interest expense, income tax expense (benefit), depreciation, depletion and amortization, (gains) losses on derivative instruments excluding net settled derivative instruments, non-cash stock-based compensation expense, merger and integration expense, loss on extinguishment of debt, and other operating expenses. Adjusted EBITDA is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP. Accordingly, it should not be considered as a substitute for net income (loss), operating income (loss), cash flow provided by operating activities or other income or cash flow data prepared in accordance with GAAP. However, the Company believes that Adjusted EBITDA provides additional information with respect to our performance or ability to meet our future debt service, capital expenditures and working capital requirements. Because Adjusted EBITDA excludes some, but not all, items that affect net income (loss) and may vary among companies, the Adjusted EBITDA presented may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.





Callon believes that the non-GAAP measure of Adjusted Total Revenue is useful to investors because it provides readers with a revenue value more comparable to other companies who engage in price risk management activities through the use of commodity derivative instruments and reflects the results of derivative settlements with expected cash flow impacts within total revenues.

About Callon Petroleum Company

Callon Petroleum is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the acquisition, exploration and development of high-quality assets in the leading oil plays of South and West Texas.

This news release is posted on the Company's website at www.callon.com and will be archived there for subsequent review under the "News" link on the top of the homepage.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Forward-looking statements include all statements regarding the Company's wells anticipated to be drilled and placed on production; future levels of drilling activity and associated production and cash flow expectations; the Company's production guidance and capital expenditure forecast; estimated reserve quantities and the present value thereof; anticipated returns and financial position; and the implementation of the Company's business plans and strategy, as well as statements including the words "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "forecast," "outlook," "plans" and words of similar meaning. These statements reflect the Company's current views with respect to future events and financial performance based on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions, anticipated future developments and other factors believed to be appropriate. No assurances can be given, however, as of this date, that these events will occur or that these projections will be achieved, and actual results could differ materially from those projected as a result of certain factors. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of which such statement is made and the Company undertakes no obligation to correct or update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by applicable law. Some of the factors which could affect our future results and could cause results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include the volatility of oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids ("NGLs") prices or a prolonged period of low oil, natural gas or NGLs prices and the effects of actions by, or disputes among or between significant oil and natural gas producing countries, general economic conditions, including the availability of credit and access to existing lines of credit; the effects of excess supply of oil and natural gas resulting from reduced demand caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the actions of certain oil and natural gas producing countries; our ability to drill and complete wells; operational, regulatory and environment risks; cost and availability of equipment and labor; our ability to finance our activities; the ultimate timing, outcome and results of integrating the operations of Carrizo Oil & Gas, Inc. and Callon; and the ability of the combined company to realize anticipated synergies and other benefits in the timeframe expected or at all; and other risks more fully discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, available on our website or the SEC's website at www.sec.gov .

Contact Information

Mark Brewer

Director of Investor Relations

Callon Petroleum Company

[email protected]

(281) 589-5200



1) See "Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations" included within this release for related disclosures and calculations.



SOURCE Callon Petroleum Company

Related Links

www.callon.com


Kubler served a maximum of four years after he was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon, inflicting serious injury in Greene County. He was originally charged with attempted first-degree murder in that case. He also served nearly six years for an armed robbery conviction in Rockingham County.

Kubler signed a plea transcript on Monday in which he offered to plead guilty to first-degree murder and accept a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.

But Lester did not accept the offer, saying that prosecutors intend to pursue the death penalty, which would require a trial.

Jerry Jordan, Kublers attorney, said Kublers constitutional rights would be violated because of Chief Justice Cheri Beasleys various orders delaying jury trials in response to COVID-19. Currently, no jury trials are scheduled until October.

Burke, the senior resident superior court judge for Forsyth County, said he is considering the possibility of delaying Forsyth jury trials until January 2021.

He also said that Kublers constitutional rights have not yet been violated and delays in court functions are necessary to blunt the spread of COVID-19.
Islamic State Attack on Afghan Prison Lasts 20 Hours, Kills 29

By Ayesha Tanzeem August 03, 2020

A deadly Islamic State attack on a prison in the eastern Afghan city of Jalalabad has left at least 29 people dead and around 50 others wounded, including prisoners and security personnel. Authorities say the attack by the local IS chapter went well into Monday afternoon after starting more than 20 hours earlier.

Army Chief of Staff General Yasin Zia arrived on the scene Monday to lead the clearing operations.

The Afghan Ministry of Defense said in a statement the facility was "completely cleared." Officials said the operation "resulted in the killing of five attackers inside the prison," along with three inmates killed by IS. Two of the dead were Taliban.

"The prison is now under the control of Afghan security forces," Defense Ministry spokesman Fawad Aman told Afghan channel Tolo News.

Ataullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the Nangarhar provincial government, said clean-up operations were under way in nearby buildings.

The prison held nearly 1,800 inmates at the time it was attacked. Police said they arrested more than 1,000 prisoners who tried to flee but some inmates were still missing.

The attack, claimed by the Islamic State group through its media arm, started with a car bomb blast followed by gunmen storming the facility.

Security officials said their operations moved slowly in order to protect civilians in the area.

Various local health officials confirmed that the wounded as well as bodies of the dead were shifted to Nangarhar Regional Hospital.

Nangarhar was a stronghold of the local chapter of IS, called IS Khorasan, before the Afghan government declared the group defeated in 2019 after several years of sustained military operations by Afghan and U.S. forces. The group, however, has continued to attack targets in areas including in Jalalabad and Kabul.

Most of those attacks have been against civilian targets, like the minority Sikh or Shi'ite communities.

Jalalabad is vulnerable due to its proximity to the border, according to Andrew Watkins, a senior analyst on Afghanistan at the non-profit International Crisis Group in Washington.

"IS-KP's cross-border ties and ideological appeal are rooted in Nangarhar's border areas. For these reasons, attacks on Jalalabad will always be easier than most of the rest of Afghanistan, in terms of logistics and local support," he said.

The Afghan Taliban have distanced themselves from the attack. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said his group "had nothing to do with it."

The Taliban are under pressure to keep the level of violence low in the country ahead of direct talks with the government and other Afghan factions expected to begin this month.

The negotiations to end the decades-long conflict were supposed to be part of a deal the United States signed in February with the militant group. The agreement, that included a timeline for the withdrawal of U.S. forces from Afghanistan, called on the Taliban to demonstrate their commitment to counter terrorism.

Watkins said attacks like these could spoil the atmosphere for talks and needed to be addressed.

"In order to establish greater trust during intra-Afghan negotiations, both sides should quickly discuss practical measures that can be taken to combat the violence of spoiler groups," he said.

The negotiations have been stalled several times over prisoner releases. They had been scheduled to start back in March.

Under the U.S.-Taliban deal, the Afghan government was supposed to release up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for 1,000 Afghan security personnel held by the militants.

President Ashraf Ghani announced last week that he would complete the release of 5,000 prisoners soon. While his announcement was followed by a cease-fire from both sides for the three-day Muslim holy festival of Eid al Adha - Friday, Saturday, and Sunday in Afghanistan - the dispute on the prisoners continued.

The Taliban want the 5,000 prisoners to be those on a list the militants have provided the Afghan government. Ghani said 400 of the 5,000 were involved in serious terrorist attacks and that he did not have the authority to release them. Instead, he wants to call a loya jirga, a traditional grand assembly, on Aug. 7 to decide their fate.

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Officials have said schools throughout the UK will reopen in September, however, some worry this could contribute to a dreaded second coronavirus wave. (Getty Images)

The reopening of schools has been described as an absolute priority amid concerns students are missing out on critical education and social interaction.

In an attempt to control the coronavirus outbreak, the UK government shut nurseries, schools and colleges on 20 March.

Critics argued children rarely become seriously ill with the infection, with some evidence also suggesting they are half as likely to catch it in the first place. It is feared that while virtual lessons enabled some youngsters to keep up their schooling, those from less privileged backgrounds will have missed out.

Read more: Two in five with a lung condition will shield until there is a coronavirus vaccine

Housing secretary Robert Jenrick has said schools throughout the UK will be up and running in September, with the gates previously only being open to select year groups.

This is despite the easing of other lockdown measures being put on hold as a rising number of cases are being reported in England.

Scientists from University College London (UCL) have warned allowing youngsters back to school could trigger a dreaded second peak as soon as December unless the much-criticised track and trace system is scaled up.

Students wear masks as they go to school in Rostock, northern Germany. UK officials have said getting children back in the classroom is an 'absolute priority'. (Getty Images)

Serious second peak without scaled up test and trace

Our modelling suggests that with a highly effective test and trace strategy in place across the UK, it is possible for schools to reopen safely in September, said lead author Dr Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths.

However, without sufficient coverage of a test-trace-isolate strategy the UK risks a serious second epidemic peak either in December or February.

Therefore, we urge the government to ensure test-trace-isolate capacity is scaled up to a sufficient level before schools reopen.

Read more: Coronavirus identified six months ago - what could the rest of 2020 hold?

Under the existing system, anyone in England with symptoms  fever, cough, or a loss of taste or smell  should arrange a coronavirus test.

Story continues

If positive, contact tracers will ask the patient for the details of those they have been close to. These individuals are then told to isolate entirely at home for 14 days.

The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), which advises the government, has said 80% of contacts must self-isolate for the system to be effective.

Overall, 83% of the contacts provided were reached between 28 May  when it launched  and 22 July. This is declining, however, with the number contacted in the past few weeks being below that threshold.

Schools reopening goes hand in hand with adults returning to work

Jenrick has insisted schools will be safe in September, stressing remote learning isn't a substitute for face-to-face education.

While many are undoubtedly keen to return to normality, Englands chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty has warned the country is near the limit when it comes to reopening society.

Professor Graham Medley, chairman of the Sage sub-group on pandemic modelling, has suggested pubs  which reopened in England on 4 July  may have to shut as a trade-off to getting children back in the classroom.

Read more: Hearing problems emerging as coronavirus complication

The UCL scientists have suggested, however, a more effective test, track and trace system could be another solution.

After modelling six different scenarios of schools reopening, the team found a second wave could be avoided if testing increased so that 59% to 87% of those with symptoms were swabbed for the virus.

Among those testing positive, the scientists modelled how things would play out if 68% of their contacts could be traced.

They found three-quarters (75%) of those with a symptomatic infection would need to be diagnosed and isolated if schools return full-time in September.

If schools were to open part-time, the diagnosis and isolation rate could fall to 65%, according to the scientists.

Assuming only 40% of contacts could be traced, 87% and 75% of symptomatic cases would have to isolate to allow schools to operate full or part-time, respectively.

Not all infected individuals develop symptoms, however, they are thought to still spread the virus.

Should diagnoses and contact tracing fall below these levels across the UK, the reopening of schools in September combined with the easing of lockdown means a second wave would likely peak in December.

A part-time reopening would lead to a peak in February 2021, the results  published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health  suggest.

Experts have repeatedly expressed concern of infection rates rising during the UKs winter, when seasonal flu is also circulating.

Read more: Quarantines prevent 'less than one case reaching UK' from Europe a week

Continual lockdown easing combined with insufficient test and trace could even result in a second wave two to 2.3 times bigger than the first, which hit the UK around March, according to the scientists.

The results remained the same when the team modelled children being as infectious, or half as much, as adults. The extent to which youngsters pass on the virus has been debated.

Its important to note our model looked at the effects of school reopening alongside the loosening of the restrictions across society, as school reopening is likely to go hand in hand with more adults returning to work and other relaxed measures across society, said Dr Panovska-Griffiths.

Therefore, our results are reflective of a broader loosening of lockdown, rather than the effects of transmission within schools exclusively, suggesting an effective testtraceisolate offers a feasible alternative to intermittent lockdown and school closures to control the spread of COVID-19 [the disease caused by the coronavirus].

Primary-school students wear masks in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, northern Germany. Scientists have found getting children back in UK classrooms requires a more efficient track and trace system. (Getty Images)

No quick fixes to outbreak

Study author Professor Chris Bonell from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) stressed the results should not put officials off reopening schools.

They should instead be a loud call to action to improve the infection control measures and test and trace system so we can get children back to school without interrupting their learning again for extended periods of time, he said.

A second study that tracked the spread of the coronavirus in 25 Australian schools between January and April found the risk of children or staff transmitting the infection was very low when contact tracing and other measures were in place.

Twenty-seven students or teachers went to a school or nursery while infectious, but only 18 (1.2%) additional people went on to catch the infection out of their combined 1,448 contacts.

Both studies give potential options for keeping schools open and show the clear importance of adequate contact tracing and testing, said Professor John Edmunds, from the LSHTM.

However, many questions remain, including whether there are age-related differences in susceptibility and the likelihood of transmission between children and adolescents.

There are no quick fixes to this terrible pandemic. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that governments around the world need to find solutions that allow children and young adults to return to full-time education as safely and as quickly as possible.

Other experts largely praised the highly informative and timely studies.

Professor Matt Keeling from the University of Warwick pointed out, however, the [UCL] authors assumed if schools were to reopen full time, the transmission probability in community settings would be 90% of its pre-lockdown value.

Therefore the paper actually models the impact of the UK removing almost all of its lockdown measures including the re-opening of schools, he said.

Under such considerations it is unsurprising a large second wave is predicted.

The UCL team also did not specify how the test, trace and isolate system could be scaled up, added Professor Keeling.

This paper therefore is an important addition to the debate around how the country can safely reopen, he said.

Other mitigation methods, such as closing some non-essential leisure activities such as pubs, are more straightforward although have a larger impact on the economy.

Dr Thomas House from the University of Manchester added the assumptions used in the models make the results plausible but potentially pessimistic scenarios, rather than precise predictions.
Due to the arrival of tropical storm Isaia, the Netherlands (Dutch) Defense has been supporting local authorities in Saint-Martin (in the Caribbean). The armed forces assist the police on request with three Iveco Anaconda off-road vehicles. They are intended to be used on roads where police cars can no longer come, for example, due to rainfall or damage.

Follow Army Recognition on Google News at this link



DMV Anaconda (Picture source: Netherlands MoD)

The DMV Anaconda 4x4 (DMV, Dutch Military Vehicles) is a robust all-terrain vehicle. The vehicle has been specially developed for the Marine Corps in the Netherlands Antilles. Their priorities are mobility and humanitarian aid. The Anaconda is foreseen to be armed but can carry a lot of supplies.

The Marine Corps drove 40 Mercedes-Benz G280 CDIs on Curacao. This armored vehicle was actually overqualified for the duties of the Marines in the West. For example defense of Dutch territory, emergency aid in the region, support for the authorities and patrols in difficult terrain. The army has a great need for the MB. Therefore, those of the Marines are replaced by 46 Anacondas.

The Anaconda weighs 6 tons when loaded. It is based on the Iveco Daily 4x4. It is produced in four variants:

* command variant: has no main armament, but is equipped with sufficient radio equipment for a command post;

* patrol variant: has main armament and a limited amount of radio equipment;

* general support variant: is a workhorse without radio equipment but with armament;

* school variant: the same as the general support variant, only with an additional brake pedal that can be folded in for the co-driver.



DMV Anaconda (Picture source: Netherlands MoD)



DMV Anaconda (Picture source: Netherlands MoD)
The Midland Health Departments report on Monday was the largest number of coronavirus cases so far during the pandemic  184.

The number of cases represent a total from the weekend but was nearly double last weekends total (94) and was more than any total from any weekend, including the four-day July 4 weekend when officials reported 155.
Photo: Disney +

Let Black be synonymous with glory, says Beyonce in Black Is King, the visual accompaniment to her 2019 album The Lion King: The Gift. Released early this morning on Disney+, the full-length film is a love letter to people of the African diaspora celebrating the breadth and beauty of Black ancestry.

Reimagining the story of The Lion King across the modern world (including South Africa, West Africa, Europe, New York, and L.A.), Black Is King follows a young boys journey to self-discovery. Beyonce absorbed the lessons of past generations and explored African customs to present elements of Black history and African tradition, all with a contemporary twist. And that rich history manifests itself in all of the fashion, from the clothes to the accessories.

The events of 2020 have made the films vision and message even more relevant, as people across the world embark on a historic journey. We are all in search of safety and light. Many of us want change, said Beyonce on her Instagram when promoting the film. I believe that when Black people tell our own stories, we can shift the axis of the world and tell our REAL history of generational wealth and richness of soul that are not told in our history books. I pray that everyone sees the beauty and resilience of our people.

While big brands like Balmain, Valentino, and Burberry were prominently featured, the creative team tapped into a pool of talented Black designers. Below, see some of the best looks featured in Black Is King from independent Black designers around the globe, all gathered by Beyonces longtime stylist, Zerina Akers.

D.Bleu.Dazzled

D.Bleu.Dazzled specializes in custom crystallized hosiery, lingerie, and performancewear. Founder Destiney Bleu worked with Beyonce for The Formation Tour; shes also worked with Lady Gaga, Shania Twain, Cardi B, Dapper Dan, and Gucci. Her diamond-encrusted bodysuit is truly hypnotic in the opening minutes of Black Is King.

this one my gosh  pic.twitter.com/PLWDuA5GCi  destiney bleu (@destineybleu) July 31, 2020

Loza Maleombho

Loza Maleombho, a West African designer based in Cote dIvoire, has always stood for an image of African royalty which she says Beyonce embodies perfectly. For the film, she made a graphic, structured jacket with gold hardware.

Cote dIvoire-based designer @lozamaleombho is the creative talent behind this structured, geometric jacket. Seems like Kelly Rowland might have had a few recommendations for her former Destinys Child bandmate, given shes previously been seen wearing Maleombhos designs  pic.twitter.com/K3WoAvwR3A  Dazed (@Dazed) July 31, 2020

Lace by Tanaya

Crystal fringe is Lace by Tanayas specialty. According to her Twitter, she made this glittering fringe dress for Beyonce a year ago, and shes thrilled to finally see it in action.

Deviant La Vie

Black Is Kings rope dresses are by Deviant La Vie, founded by Brittany Duet and her partner, Murph. The brand is known for bondage-inspired looks.

This red rope look is Deviant La Vie pic.twitter.com/vTlvFjIlAA  Shelby Ivey Christie (@bronze_bombSHEL) July 17, 2019

5:31 Jerome

Born and raised in The Bronx, Jerome Lamaar launched 5:31 Jerome in 2013 after working with designers like Kimora Lee Simmons and Ralph Rucci. His brand fuses his love for embellishments, maximalism, glamour, and street style  all of which come into play in the Nigerian lace and silk trench/dress hybrid in Black Is King.

Levenity

Designer Venny Etienne of Levenity was a contestant on Project Runway season 17. The garments he created for Beyonce represent his roots in the Marlboro projects in Brooklyn, where he grew up; his Haitian culture; and his current home in Dallas.

S. Garvey

Brooklyn-based designer Sam Garvey made custom floral bodysuits for both Beyonce and her background dancers.

Duckie Confetti

During the part of the film thats an ode to decadent excess, Beyonce wore money-printed pajamas by Duckie Confetti. The pajama set was actually made available to purchase on Beyonces website, and not surprisingly, it sold out quickly. Confetti is known for his theatrical and avant-garde looks. In addition to working with Beyonce in the past, hes also worked with musicians like Cardi B and Teyana Taylor.

Simon Hartman

Melissa Simon-Hartman is a London-born fashion and costume designer. Her Trinidadian and Ghanaian heritage influences the work in her own brand, Simon Hartman, which was featured on Beyonce as the black queen chess piece in Mood 4 Eva.

Adama Paris

Senegalese designer Adama Amanda Ndiaye is the founder of the brand Adama Paris; she also founded Dakar Fashion Week. She says her work aims to promote female entrepreneurship in Senegal and Africa.

Selam Fessahaye

Selam Fessahaye is a Swedish-Eritrean costume designer. This ruffled yellow dress comes from her first ready-to-wear collection, which launched in August 2018.

Lafalaise Dion

The shell pieces seen in the film are the work of Lafalaise Dion, who is inspired by African spirituality and the roots of the cowry shell. It is time for us Black Africans to reconcile with our heritage and reclaim our culture; our spirituality, our gods and embrace it, Dion says in a bio. Our history, we must write it for ourselves. Therefore, I write mine, that of my people through my creations.

LEnchanteur

A few of the large jewelry pieces in the film were made by LEnchanteur, a brand founded by identical-twin designers Dynasty and Soull Ogun. Behind each of their pieces, they hope to communicate timeless inspirations of spirituality.

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The current situation remains serious along both sides of the Indo-Pakistan border where locust monsoon breeding is underway by spring-bred swarms, including those returning from northern India, and substantial hatching and band formation are expected in August, the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) said on Monday.

The UN organisation, in the latest update, said a second generation of summer breeding will start in September. Extensive control operations are in progress in both countries. Some of the swarms that continued east across northern Somalia may still reach India and Pakistan in early August. Amidst the outbreak of locusts, chief minister Ashok Gehlot has demanded Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the locust outbreak should be declared a national disaster.

Gehlot, in his letter to the PM, he said the decision to declare it as national disaster will be appropriate in view of the forecast by FAO of possible damage to crops of Kharif-2020 and Rabi 2020-21 in other states; and looking to weak economic condition of states due to Corona epidemic. This will further strengthen the capacity of states to deal with locust outbreaks.

Pointing out that locust outbreak is an international problem, the Rajasthan chief minister wrote, In order to place a check on the origin of new locust groups, they must be stopped at their point of origin. For this, the GoI should coordinate internationally and negotiate with all locust-affected countries, so that appropriate measures can be taken for effective control of locust.

The locust has bred extensively in Africa and the Gulf countries. Due to this, locust groups are continuously entering the states including Rajasthan from across the border, he said.

Gehlot apprised that locusts entered the state from April 11 and 32 of 33 districts have been affected by the outbreak. In addition to Rajasthan, locusts have been reported in other states including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. Now this problem has become a multi-state problem. Locust outbreaks have been seen on such a large scale in the country after several decades. In such a situation, declaring this problem as a national disaster will be in the interest of all the affected states and the farmers.

In 2019-20, around 6.70 lakh hectare area of 12 districts in Rajasthan was affected by locust. With the joint efforts of Locust Warning Organization and the state government the locust attack was curbed but then to the farmers suffered a lost about Rs 1000 crore. In 2020-21 also, locust control has been done in about 3.83 lakh hectare area so far, but according to earlier estimates of FAO, the locust outbreak would increase. In such a situation, the GoI should take appropriate steps on time, Gehlot said in his letter sent on Monday.
At the signing ceremony, Dr. Amr S. Talaat, the Minister of EMCIT, H.E. Mohamed Elbadri, the Ambassador of Egypt to China, and H.E. Liao Liqiang, the Ambassador of China to Egypt, all delivered remarks on the innovative cooperation between the two countries. After the remarks concluded, Ahmed Tantawy, the Executive Director of Applied Innovation Center (AIC) of EMCIT, Dr. Hu Yu, the Executive President of iFLYTEK, and Dr. Liu Junhua, the Deputy Director of iFLYTEK AI Research Institute, all spoke briefly about the agreement. Mr. Duan Dawei, the Senior Vice President and CFO of iFLYTEK, as well as other guests, attended the ceremony.

Building a Bridge Between China and Egypt

As ancient countries with long histories and splendid cultures, China and Egypt have made significant contributions to the dissemination of human knowledge and science. At the signing ceremony, Dr. Amr S. Talaat, the Minister of EMCIT, spoke about the significance of using translation software to increase the exchange and distribution of knowledge and science, a practice that will be extended and amplified to promote the economic development of both China and Egypt. He concluded by saying that he looks forward to strengthening Egypt's scientific and technological cooperation with China.

"Egypt is the first African country to establish diplomatic relations with China. China and Egypt have established a comprehensive strategic partnership over the past 64 years," said Mr. Liao Liqiang, the Ambassador of China to Egypt. He explained that this cooperation helps to build a bridge of communication, friendship, and international rejuvenation for a quarter of the world's population. Mr. Liao Liqiang emphasized that the China-Egypt relationship is taking solid steps toward building a strong relationship with the Arab world and other African countries.

In his speech, Dr. Hu Yu, the Executive President of iFLYTEK, pointed out that the cooperation presents iFLYTEK with a great opportunity to learn about Middle Eastern and African markets. After the Chinese-Arabic language system is complete, users will be able to use iFLYTEK's AI products. Dr. Hu Yu added that iFLYTEK plans to fully support the research on Arabic speech synthesis, speech recognition, and machine translation.

Dr. Liu Junhua, the Deputy Director of iFLYTEK AI Research Institute, underlined two important aspects of the agreement. First, the two sides will finalize the construction of a high performing Chinese-Arabic automatic translation system. Second, iFLYTEK will provide speech and language technology training and share successful experiences with Egypt, helping young Egyptian researchers and engineers improve their skills.

Seizing Opportunity

Nothing can separate people who share the same vision. Before the signing ceremony, iFLYTEK had been in close contact with EMCIT in AI-related fields to explore cooperation opportunities. In August 2009, iFLYTEK signed a memorandum with EMCIT, and the prospects for cooperation between the two sides are now clear under the strategic framework.

The Egyptian government has started the implementation of AI strategy and is committed to cultivating the technical skills of young citizens as well as a new generation of AI researchers and experts. Additionally, the government continuously promotes the application and development of artificial and cognitive intelligence in various fields. As one of the representative AI enterprises in China, iFLYTEK actively works toward its goal to "Create a Better World with AI," ensuring that multilingual technology research is one of its top priorities.

After more than a year of discussions, Dr. Liu Junhua, the Deputy Director of iFLYTEK AI Research Institute, his team, and Ms. Fan Luting, the Regional Manager of Eastern Europe and the coordinator of this project, drafted and signed the research project agreement with the AIC. This agreement focuses on Arabic speech recognition, speech synthesis, and Chinese-Arabic translation and outlines six milestones to reach within the next three years, defining the responsibility divisions between the two parties. Throughout the next three years, the two parties will work together and develop a high performing Chinese-Arabic Speech Translation System to provide automatic translation services for the increasing demand for Chinese-Arabic bidirectional conversations and promote closer cooperation.

Working Together to Advance Economic Cooperation

The signing of the cooperation agreement represents an important aspect of the global infrastructure development strategy, the Belt and Road Initiative, to advance economic cooperation.

On July 6, the 9th ministerial meeting of the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum occurred. The meeting noted that under the current circumstances, it is crucial that China and the Arab world strengthen their cooperation and move forward together. Taking this meeting as an opportunity, the two sides revamped their strategic communication, coordination and steadily advanced their collaboration in various fields such as pandemic prevention and the improvement of the economic partnership between China and Arab countries.

As a member of the AI national team, iFLYTEK actively promotes the construction of the Speech Silk Road. iFLYTEK is committed to providing Arabic language editions of commercial products and solutions to Egypt to improve China's research of Arabic and to promote economic and trade partnerships along the Belt and Road.

Trying to accomplish something alone can be difficult, but working together makes it easier to achieve mutual goals. With an inclusive attitude, iFLYTEK will continue to actively carry out international cooperation to create a better world for all mankind.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1221805/Signing_Ceremony.jpg

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1222937/Logo.jpg

SOURCE iFLYTEK
Russian hackers stole classified documents from the email account of a British cabinet minister before they were used by Jeremy Corbyn to attack the government, it was claimed last night.

Dr Liam Fox, the former international trade secretary, was the victim of what appears to have been a "state-backed" operation ahead of last year's general election, sources said.

The reports prompted a review of government security last night as ministers and MPs were reminded of the need to follow rules set out by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre, part of GCHQ.

If the claims - which are currently the subject of a police investigation - are proven, it would be the first time a current or former British minister had been successfully targeted by Russian hackers.

Last month Dominic Raab, the UK foreign secretary, announced that "Russian actors" had sought to interfere in the December election "through the online amplification of illicitly acquired and leaked government documents".

He was referring to stolen details of US-UK trade negotiations, which were published online and used by then Labour leader Mr Corbyn to claim the NHS was being put up for sale. Mr Raab stopped short of saying who he believed had stolen the documents in the first place and how they were obtained.

According to a report by Reuters, Russian hackers accessed Dr Fox's account multiple times between July 12 and October 21 last year.

It is unclear which of Dr Fox's email accounts was hacked and when it was first compromised, or whether the successful attempt to access his email happened before or after he lost his role as international trade secretary in Boris Johnson's cabinet reshuffle on July 24 last year.

The report comes amid increasing tensions between London and Moscow, with the relationship deteriorating since the Salisbury Novichok poisonings of 2018.

Last month a report into Russian interference in democracy by the UK parliament's intelligence and security committee concluded that Russia had attempted to influence the outcome of the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.

The UK government also announced last month that a group of hackers linked to Russian intelligence had tried to steal details of Britain's research into a coronavirus vaccine.

Dr Fox's email account was reportedly hacked using a so-called "spear phishing" message, which tricks the target into handing over their password and login details.

Sources said it was not clear if the hackers who stole the trade documents were the same people who later leaked them online. Previous reports had suggested it was one of Dr Fox's advisers who was the victim of the hack.

Dr Fox, who is Britain's nominee for the post of director-general of the World Trade Organisation, was not available for comment last night.

However, a spokesman for the UK Cabinet Office said: "There is an ongoing criminal investigation into how the documents were acquired, and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this point. But as you would expect, the government has very robust systems in place." ( Daily Telegraph London)

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2021]
The Boeing logo is displayed on a screen, at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) in New York on Aug. 7, 2019. (Brendan McDermid/File Photo/Reuters)

US FAA Proposes Requiring Key Boeing 737 MAX Design Changes

WASHINGTONThe U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday it is proposing requiring four key Boeing Co. 737 MAX design changes to address safety issues seen in two crashes that killed 346 people and led to the planes grounding in March 2019.

The agency is issuing a proposed airworthiness directive to require updated flight-control software, revised display-processing software to generate alerts, a revision of certain flight-crew operating procedures and changes in the routing of some wiring bundles.

The announcement is a significant step in the U.S. planemakers long-delayed efforts to return the 737 MAX to U.S. service.

But there are still a number of hurdles, including collecting public comments on the changes for 45 days, and finalizing a new set of pilot-training procedures. Transport Canada and Europes EASA have their own concerns.

Given the work left, it remains unclear whether U.S. flights will resume before year-end.

Boeing shares were up 2.7 percent on Monday.

In response to the FAAs proposal, Chicago-based Boeing said it was continuing to make steady progress towards the safe return to service, working closely with the FAA and other global regulators.

The FAA said in a separate 96-page report on Monday it has preliminarily determined that Boeings proposed changes to the 737 MAX design, flightcrew procedures and maintenance procedures effectively mitigate the airplane-related safety issues. The airworthiness directive seeks to require Boeing changes.

The crisis over the grounding of the once top-selling 737 MAX has cost the U.S. planemaker more than $19 billion, slashed production and hobbled its supply chain, with criminal and congressional investigations still ongoing.

The FAAs review has taken more than 18 months and included more than 40 full-time engineers, inspectors, pilots, and technical support staff. To date, the FAA has conducted more than 60,000 hours of review, certification testing, and document evaluation.

The agency is also proposing that 737 MAX operators conduct an Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor system test and perform an operational readiness flight before returning airplanes to service.

The changes are designed to prevent the erroneous activation of a key system known as MCAS tied to both crashes, to alert pilots if two AOA sensors are receiving conflicting data and to ensure flightcrew can respond to erroneous stabilizer movement.

The FAA said the changes minimize dependence on pilot action and the effect of any potential single failure.

The wiring change will ensure the MAX complies with FAAs wire separation safety standards.

By David Shepardson
In current year, security forces were able to kill 148 terrorists out of which 14 were foreign terrorists from HM, LeT and JeM. (PTI)

New Delhi: There has been a decrease in terrorist violence in Kashmir with 70 incidents reported this year against 107 in the same period last year, said sources in security establishment on Monday.

According to the report, security forces were able to foil six attempts of IED blast in Kashmir Valley by the terrorists through their timely detection, preventing serious casualties.

The report said that the security forces have been able to stabilise the situation in Kashmir after Article 370 was abolished last year in August. It said security forces carried out aggressive anti-terrorists operations to prevent them from creating trouble in the Valley and also increased alertness at the LoC to prevent Pakistan from sending large number of terrorists into Kashmir.

Due to these measures, the number of active terrorists present right now in Kashmir Valley has come down to below 200.

Last year there were intelligence reports that some 350 terrorists were waiting at various launch pads in PoK to infiltrate into J-K. However, Pakistan has increased ceasefire violations with 2,662 such incidents reported along LoC till July end.

In current year, security forces were able to kill 148 terrorists out of which 14 were foreign terrorists from HM, LeT and JeM. In 2019, 152 terrorists were killed in Kashmir by security forces. In 2018, 215 terrorists were neutralized by security forces.

This has also resulted in decrease in protests and stone pelting incidents. The report said that local recruitment is now mostly restricted to "four districts of South Kashmir." Till June 2020, 74 people are reported to have joined terrorist outfits. In 2019, the local recruitment to various terrorists groups was 119 and in 2018 it was around 219.

Security forces also foiled terrorists attempt to carry out terror activities in Jammu division and has killed seven terrorists in Doda and Kishtwar since August 2019, said the report.
However, Anderson said, if no one in the class is wearing a mask in the classroom, it is possible that the entire classroom will have to quarantine if they were within 6 feet of the child who tested positive or if they were exposed to that student for more than 15 minutes.

She said CDHD has been repeatedly asked about why it is concerned about children when they seemingly have mild symptoms.

Research shows that children can become quite ill, Anderson said, and can spread the coronavirus as much as adults can.

We are asking parents to screen their children for any symptoms prior to sending them out in the morning before school. We want them to do this every day, she said. The important thing is to keep the child home if they have fever or are not feeling well, so we can keep the rest of the school in session.

When it comes to COVID-19 testing, Anderson said, Test Nebraska is in Grand Island at the CDHD office from 3 to 6 p.m. on Mondays and 9 a.m. to noon on Fridays. It is also in Aurora at East Park Villa, 1704 L St., from 2 to 4 p.m. every Wednesday this month. Having Test Nebraska in the Central District doubles the number of tests it is able to complete per week.
Australia has closed the national park home to its revered indigenous site of Uluru after some in the community blocked an access route for fear that visitors could carry in coronavirus infections.

The country is battling a new wave of the deadly virus, with southeastern Victoria state reeling from hundreds of infections, while Indigenous Australians are seen at greater risk as they suffer a higher incidence of other health woes.

Its up to tourists to stay away if they come from hotspots or are sick, Thalia Bohl-Van Den Boogaard, the representative of a group of Indigenous Australians protesting against the visits, told Reuters by telephone.

FILE PHOTO: A view of Uluru, formerly known as Ayers Rock, near Yulara, Australia, October 25, 2019. (REUTERS)

A few protesters from the indigenous community stood on the main entrance road to the park on Tuesday, down from the previous days numbers of between 30 and 40 that had turned away tourists before the attraction closed, she said.

The group was concerned by the arrival in a nearby town of 39 people from the northeastern city of Brisbane, a declared virus hotspot, said Bohl-Van Den Boogaard, the chief executive of the Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation.

People here have been locked in their communities for months and months to contain the spread, and now its not up to them to do the right thing, she added, urging visitors to keep away.

People block entry to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, home to Australia's revered indigenous site of Uluru, to visitors from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hotspots, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia August 3, 2020. Picture taken August 3, 2020. (via REUTERS)

About 350 tourists have visited the park following Julys re-opening of the states borders since closure in March during the first wave of the pandemic, Bohl-Van Den Boogaard said.

Parks Australia, the state-run manager of heritage estates and nature sites, said it was working as part of a collective response to minimise the risk of contagion.

At the request of the Mutitjulu Community Aboriginal Corporation, Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park will be closed, a spokesman told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Monday.

People block entry to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, home to Australia's revered indigenous site of Uluru, to visitors from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) hotspots, in Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park, Australia August 3, 2020. (via REUTERS)

The UNESCO World Heritage-listed 348-m (1,142-ft) monolith, formerly known as Ayers Rock, where climbing was banned last year, is closed to sightseers.

An agency spokeswoman said the park would stay closed during discussions with the group and Northern Territory officials to ramp up health screening and testing at the local airport and Yulara, the town the Brisbane group visited.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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CEDAR SPRINGS, MI - Its never too early to start planning for the weekend!

If youre looking for a day trip or an opportunity to get out of the house, practicing social distancing and wearing masks, of course, we have a list of eight great restaurants to visit this weekend.

These are restaurants selected by our local reporters all across Michigan, and in many cases they are restaurants that have been featured on our Michigans Best series, like Cedar Springs Brewing Company, a Top 10 pick for Best New Brewery and a finalist for Best Fries.

Below you will find links to everything from yummy fries to Cajun fish. Plus, check out the links to our recent search for Michigans Best Burger.

GRAND RAPIDS

Cedar Springs Brewing Company provides taste of Germany minus the travel

Cedar Springs Brewing Company is located at 95 N. Main St NE, Cedar Springs, MI 49319. Open 7 days a week. Call 616-696-2337. More info at csbrew.com.

Best New Brewery: Our Top Ten revealed

Best Fries: 44 of the best French Fries in Michigan

MUSKEGON

Smash Wine Bar offers frozen cocktails and live music in downtown Muskegon

Smash Wine Bar is located at 415 W Western Ave, Muskegon, MI 49440. Closed Sundays. Call 231-246-7910. More info at smashwinebar.com.

KALAMAZOO

Downtown Kalamazoo sandwich shop brings high quality ingredients to your lunch break

Artisan Sandwich Co. is located at 348 S. Kalamazoo Mall, Kalamazoo MI 49007. Closed Sundays. Call 269-220-5665. More info at artisansandwich.com.

FLINT AREA

The Scoop of Fenton offers elaborate ice cream options, coffee

The Scoop of Fenton is located at 111 W Shiawassee Ave., Fenton, MI 48430. Open 7 days a week. More info at scoopfenton.wixsite.com/mysite/menu.

BAY COUNTY

Old City Halls ghost stories and revolving menu keep patrons coming in Bay City

Old City Hall is located at 814 Saginaw St., Bay City, MI 48708. Open 7 days a week. Call 989-892-4140. More info at oldcityhallrestaurant.com.

SAGINAW COUNTY

Cajun Krab in Saginaw area serves up seafood dishes galore

Cajun Krab is located at 3210 Bay Rd, Saginaw, MI 48603. Open 7 days a week. Call 989-793-0888. More info at cajunkrab.com.

ANN ARBOR AREA

Ypsilantis Bird Dog Baking opened at the start of Michigans coronavirus lockdown

Not a traditional bakery, Bird Dog Bakings breads, pastries and granola are available at farmers markets, for delivery and by ordering online. More info at birddogbaking.com. Locations at birddogbaking.com/where-to-find-us-1.

JACKSON

WestEnd Farm to Table offers homegrown cooking

WestEnd Farm to Table is located at 4141 W Michigan Ave, Jackson, MI 49202. Open 7 days. Call 517-750-4999. More info at westendfarmtotable.com.

Michigans Best Diner: 27 of the most delicious diners we found on the search for Michigans Best

The Signature Burger at Albion Malleable Brewing Company in the search for Michigan's Best Burger on Friday, March 6, 2020. Albion Malleable was one of three stops in the Jackson area in the search.J. Scott Park | MLive.com

Best Burger

Is also going to recommend Albion Malleable Brewing Company, our pick for Michigans Best Burger. , where its been busy since we made the announcement on Thursday. Co-owner and head brewer Ben Wade said despite being at 50 percent capacity, they nearly set a record, selling 750 burgers through Sunday. And were off to a strong week, he added. Amy Sherman and I recommend any of the burgers, especially the Signature Burger, which is topped with cheese, shredded lettuce, pickles and a special sauce.

Albion Malleable Brewing Company is located at 420 S. Superior St., Albion, MI 49224. Open 7 days a week. Call 517-343-2202. More info on Facebook or at albionmalleable.com.

READ: These are the 10 best burgers in Michigan

READ: 30 Michigan burgers you have to try

READ: Winning Michigans Best Burger instills community pride, Albion Malleable Brewing Co. says

John Gonzalez and Amy Sherman stop by Grand River Brewery in Jackson while on the search for Michigan's Best New Brewery. Grand River made the Top 10. (July 28, 2016.)John Gonzalez

Follow our Michigans Best adventures on social media

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Join in by using the hashtag #mibest

In addition:

Amy Sherman is on Twitter @amyonthetrail, as well as Facebook and Instagram @amyonthetrail.

Email: asherma2@mlive.com

John Gonzalez is on Twitter @michigangonzo, as well as Facebook and Instagram @MichiganGonzo.

Email: gonzo@mlive.com

Baked lasagna is served at Bella Notte Ristorante, 137 W. Michigan Ave. in downtown Jackson, on Monday, July 20, 2020. The longtime downtown Italian restauarant serves a variety of pastas, pizzas, salads and other entrees.J. Scott Park | MLive.com

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BOGOTA - Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe will be placed under house arrest while the Supreme Court advances a witness tampering investigation against him in a titanic blow to one of the nations most enduring but controversial political leaders.

The high courts unanimous decision published late Tuesday states magistrates found possible risks of obstruction of justice while they continue probing accusations the ex-president had a role in bribing potential witnesses against him.

He will fulfil his detention from his residence, said Hector Javier Alarcon, president of the Supreme Court chamber handling the case. And from there he can continue his defence with all the guarantees of due process of law.

The news touched off a firestorm in Colombia, where Uribe remains a domineering voice in the nations highly divisive politics. Critics and civil rights groups praised the Supreme Court for continuing to pursue the accusations against him in a country where the powerful routinely escape punishment for wrongdoing.

The court is showing that everyone  even the most powerful  is equal before the law, said Jose Miguel Vivanco, Americas director of Human Rights Watch.

Meanwhile, the ex-presidents supporters - including President Ivan Duque - decried the court for what they denounced as a political decision. Uribe has not yet been charged and denies the accusations.

It hurts, as a Colombian, that many who have wounded the country with barbarities defend themselves in freedom, Duque said. And that an exemplary public servant who has held the highest position of the state cannot.

Uribe served as president from 2002 to 2010, overseeing the country at a time of continuing conflict with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. His political legacy remains highly polarizing, with some Colombians crediting him for weakening leftist rebels and turning the tide in the countrys long civil conflict, and others decrying his iron-fisted approach. Some of the nations most grave human rights abuses took place during his mandate.

Throughout his career, Uribe has been dogged by allegations of ties to drug cartels and paramilitaries. The civil aviation agency he led in the early 1980s was accused of giving air licenses to drug traffickers. Declassified State Department cables from a decade earlier show U.S. officials were told the up-and-coming politician had ties to cartels.

The current probe stems from accusations made by Sen. Ivan Cepeda, who contends that Uribe was a founding member of a paramilitary group in his home province during the decades-long civil conflict involving government forces, leftist rebels and right-wing bands that left hundreds of thousands dead, displaced or missing.

Uribe accused Cepeda of slander, but the Supreme Court dismissed the case, instead opening up an investigation against the ex-president for purportedly trying to bribe and sway witnesses who could testify against him.

This causes me profound sadness, for my wife, for my family, Uribe said on Twitter. And for Colombians who still believe Ive done something good for the homeland.

The case has divided the South American nations and set off demonstrations both in favour and against Uribe prior to the pandemic. Political analysts have been watching it as an important test of Colombias justice system, which throughout its history has struggled to hold prominent political and military leaders accountable.

This really does mean that nobody is untouchable, said Adam Isacson, an analyst at the Washington Office on Latin America. And that people can try to hold the untouchable accountable without actually being killed.

Though he left the presidency a decade ago, Uribe has continued to exert his influence over the nations politics and was instrumental in launching Duque, a young, relatively inexperienced congressman, into the presidency in 2018.

He led the no campaign in 2016 in which Colombians voted against a historic peace accord with leftist rebels that was later modified and adopted.

The Supreme Court magistrates said in a statement that the house arrest order is based on a great quantity of evidentiary material including testimonies and intercepted phone calls that indicate his presumed participation in bribing witnesses and procedural fraud. The alleged actions happened after the investigation began.

I think this is a decision that will help us consolidate democracy in Colombia, Cepeda said Tuesday. Today, something in Colombia has changed.

As news of the detention spread, about 50 vehicles circled around capital city Bogota, with drivers honking horns, waving Colombian flags and crying out in support of Uribe. Some banged pots and pans from their homes. Downtown, several dozen people gathered to cheer the Supreme Courts decision.

From president to prisoner, one large sign read.

The latest development in the years-long probe comes as Colombia inches toward its expected first peak during the COVID-19 pandemic. The country has now confirmed nearly 335,000 cases and 11,315 deaths. That makes the nation of 50 million ninth worldwide in the total number of coronavirus infections.

The level of polarization in the country is just going to increase significantly, said Sergio Guzman, director of Colombia Risk Analysis. Colombia during the pandemic has had a cause to unite around  and this is going to rip us apart.

_

Associated Press photographer Fernando Vergara contributed to this report.
Changes aim to address issues seen in two crashes that killed 346 people and led to the planes grounding in March 2019.

The Federal Aviation Administration said on Monday that it is proposing requiring four key Boeing 737 MAX design changes to address safety issues seen in two crashes that killed 346 people and led to the planes grounding in March 2019.

The agency is issuing a proposed airworthiness directive to require updated flight-control software, revised display-processing software to generate alerts, revising certain flight-crew operating procedures, and changing the routing of some wiring bundles.

The announcement is significant, but there are still other major steps, including finalising pilot-training procedures, that must be completed before the 737 MAX can resume flights. The public has 45 days to comment on the changes, and it is still unclear if flights will resume before the end of 2020.

The FAA said in a separate 96-page report released on Monday that it has preliminarily determined that Boeings proposed changes to the 737 MAX design, flight crew procedures and maintenance procedures effectively mitigate the airplane-related safety issues in the two fatal crashes. The airworthiness directive seeks to require Boeing changes.

The FAA said the changes minimise dependence on pilot action and the effect of any potential single failure.

The crisis about the grounding of the once top-selling 737 MAX has cost the US planemaker more than $19bn, slashed production and hobbled its supply chain, with criminal and congressional investigations still continuing.

The FAAs extensive review has taken more than 18 months and included the full-time work of more than 40 engineers, inspectors, pilots, and technical support staff. To date, the FAA has conducted more than 60,000 hours of review, certification testing, and document evaluation.

The agency is also proposing that 737 MAX operators conduct an Angle of Attack (AOA) sensor system test and perform an operational readiness flight prior to returning each aeroplane to service. The changes are designed to prevent the erroneous activation of a key system known as MCAS tied to both crashes, to alert pilots if two AOA sensors are receiving conflicting data and to ensure flight crew can recognise and respond to erroneous stabiliser movement.

The wiring change will ensure the MAX complies with the FAAs wire separation safety standards.
Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina on Tuesday assured the mother of a retired Army Major who had served her as a member of the special security force that a "proper" probe would be carried out into his killing by the police.

Major (Retired) Sinha Mohammed Rashed Khan, who took voluntary retirement two years ago, was killed in police firing on Friday at a check-post in Coxs Bazar, triggering an uproar across the country.

Immediately after the incident, the authorities concerned withdrew 16 policemen, including the check-post in-charge.

The prime minister's Press Secretary Ihsaul Karim said Hasina telephoned Rashed's mother and assured the family of providing financial assistance.

"The prime minister assured Rashed's family of carrying out a proper probe into the killing and trying the persons responsible (for the murder)," he told PTI.

The Home Ministry has launched an investigation into the killing, forming a high-level committee.

According to family members, 36-year-old Rashed used to make travel documentaries following his retirement and was staying at Coxs Bazar for the last two months for making a film.

Rashed was killed when he was returning to Coxs Bazar from Teknaf along with an associate in a private car, the Prothom Alo newspaper reported, citing an intelligence agency report.

The report said as the duo reached the check point, police halted the vehicle and after knowing Rashed's identity, signalled them to proceed. However, they immediately stopped them again and ordered the duo to come out of the car.

The report said as Rashed came out of the car, the check-post in-charge inspector Liakat Ali shot him three times.

Shortly after the incident, an operative of the intelligence agency and villagers from nearby area came to the scene and found Rashed lying in a pool of blood but alive. However, when the intelligence agency operative wanted to record the video of the scene identifying himself, police snatched away his handset and the identity card.

According to the report, the policemen delayed in taking Rashed to a hospital in Coxs Bazar. When he was brought to the hospital, the doctors declared him dead on arrival and described the delay as an "ill strategy of police".

Police is yet to issue any formal statement. A local police officer claimed that an altercation between Rashed and the policemen at the check-point took place after they halted his vehicle and attempted a search suspecting him and his associate as robbers. Rashed allegedly brandished his pistol, prompting the inspector to fire the gunshots in self defence.

According to the police officer, foreign liquor and cannabis were recovered during a search at the rest house where Rashed and his associate were staying.
Ayodhya, Aug 4 : Ayodhya will be decorated with nearly 400 quintals of flowers for the 'bhumi pujan' of the Ram temple on Wednesday.

The blue 'aparajita' or Vishnukanta flowers, that are grown in the rural parts of Bengaluru, have been brought in to the holy city for the much-awaited occassion.

The double-toned marigolds in orange and red are being brought in from Kolkata, while orchids are being imported from Thailand.

About 600 kg of red and pink roses, 240 kg gerbera and 300 kg carnations are also being brought in to adorn the venue of the bhumi pujan and also the adjoining temples.

"Nearly 400 quintals of flowers will be used to decorate the 'bhumi pujan' site. Ayodhya and the temples will wear a festive look - the kind never seen before," said Prem Nath, who is overseeing flower decorations on the 'bhumi pujan' site and the makeshift Ram temple.

Image Source: IANS News

According to Prem Nath, flowers will also be used to make 'rangoli' at more than 50 spots in the holy city by the students from Ram Manohar Lohia Faizabad University.

"The aparajita flowers will give a blue shade to the rangolis," he said.

Flower decorators have been engaged to decorate the stretch between Saket PG College, where the Prime Minister will land, to the Nayaghat area.

The decorations began on Tuesday and will end by this evening.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan

-- Syndicated from IANS
I couldnt think of a better way to support this growing industry than to be on the frontlines, servicing equipment for gyms, apartment complexes, hotels, or residences that rely on functioning equipment to keep their businesses running.

Fitness Machine Technicians, specialists in the maintenance and repair of exercise equipment for commercial and residential customers, announced it will open its first location in Kentucky today. John Vinci of Prospect, Ky. will own and manage the local office.

Headquartered in Philadelphia, Fitness Machine Technicians operates in more than 70 markets across the country and offers service/repair and maintenance on a variety of exercise equipment in fitness centers, universities, high schools, hotels, apartment complexes, corporate gyms and private residences.

Vinci says, My wife and I are avid fitness enthusiasts, and we know firsthand the frustration that comes with encountering broken workout equipment. I couldnt think of a better way to support this growing industry than to be on the frontlines, servicing equipment for gyms, apartment complexes, hotels, or residences that rely on functioning equipment to keep their businesses running.

Vinci plans to hire three technicians over the next year as the business grows. All technicians are trained at Fitness Machine Technicians headquarters in Philadelphia.

Vinci grew up in Northern Indiana, studied Finance at Indiana University, and then moved to Chicago to chase a career on the trading floor. He traded on the Chicago Board of Options Exchange and later off the floor for a hedge fund located in the Chicago Board of Trade until 2010. He and his wife then moved to the Louisville area so she could pursue medical school. While transitioning into their new community, Vinci looked into franchise opportunities and decided to pursue a new venture with Fitness Machine Technicians.

Vinci adds, Louisville is a vibrant area that Im looking forward to serving in a new capacity with a strong emphasis on customer service and communication.

Since its inception, Fitness Machine Technicians has been committed to delivering reliable service/repair and preventive maintenance services to customers across the nation. With more than 35 years experience in the fitness industry, Chief Executive and Founder Don Powers created a company that puts its customers first.

Powers notes, Were so excited to have John open our first Kentucky Fitness Machine Technicians. His wealth of knowledge and enthusiasm for the fitness world will be great keys to his success as a member of the Fitness Machine Technicians family!

For more information about having a fitness machine or exercise facility serviced, please contact Fitness Machine Technicians Louisville at 800-674-3133 or visit http://www.FitnessMachineTechnicians.com/louisville.

About Fitness Machine Technicians

Fitness Machine Technicians specializes in the maintenance and repair of fitness equipment for commercial and home exercise facilities. Clients include fitness centers, corporations, hotels, condominiums, high schools, colleges and universities, government, and residential homes across the United States. Its corporate-trained and authorized technicians are committed to providing the most reliable repair and maintenance services.

Fitness Machine Technicians also offers franchise opportunities to individuals with an interest in fitness and looking to run a service-based business based on a proven operating model. The companys award-winning franchise currently has locations in more than 80 territories across the country. For more information, visit the website at http://www.FitnessMachineTechnicians.com or call 844-FMT-FIXX.

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Republican U.S. Senate candidate Tommy Tuberville has a 17-point lead over incumbent Democratic Sen. Doug Jones in Alabama, according to a Morning Consult poll released Tuesday.

The survey of 650 likely Alabama voters shows Tuberville ahead of Jones, 52 percent to 35 percent. Four percent said they would vote for someone else and 9 percent had no opinion.

Tuberville, who secured the Republican nomination after he defeated ex-U.S. Attorney General and erstwhile Sen. Jeff Sessions in last months GOP primary runoff, more than doubled his advantage over Jones from an earlier survey.

Back in February, Tuberville had an 8-point lead over Jones, 50 percent to 42 percent, according to an Alabama Daily News/Mason-Dixon poll. That survey was conducted before the initial GOP primary in March.

Tuberville is leading Jones among independent voters, 34 percent to 27 percent, according to the Morning Consult survey. Both candidates have wide leads among voters of their own parties; Jones leads among Democrats, 95 percent to 1 percent, while Tuberville has an overwhelming advantage among Republican voters, 87 percent to 4 percent.

Democratic strategist Joe Trippi, who is advising the Jones campaign, disputed the polls accuracy in an email to supporters. He said the campaigns own polling shows the race a virtual tie.

Sen. Jones is not down 17 points. We have the race as a virtual dead heat. And we are going to win, Trippi said. There is no way in hell Doug Jones is down by even double digits, much less 17 points. No way  period. Every metric we have seen  from rising support for the senator among suburban women to increased support with independents  points to this once again being a very close race.

The Morning Consult poll was conducted from July 24 to Aug. 2 and has a margin of error of plus-or-minus 4 percentage points.
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It's why there is bipartisan support for Microsoft's plans to buy TikTok's American operations. Still, this question of who should own whose data brings us to an even larger conundrum: Are we, as Samm Sacks, a fellow on cybersecurity policy and China digital economy at the New America think tank, says, "Moving down a path of techno-nationalism."

Is this one of the first dominos in a long chain of dominos to fall that results in each country having their own internet, and by extension, a possible inability to order Domino's overseas in the future? Is this the beginning of the end of the world wide web? (Country wide web doesn't have the same pizazz.) If it is, for once, this wouldn't entirely be the fault of Donald Trump. President of China, Xi Jinping has famously banned numerous American Internet companies within his country. But copying China's policies in response to China's policies doesn't exactly sit well as a response.

Then again, maybe the fewer people to see this video the better.

Support Dan on Twitter and he will talk about his life with you in lieu of getting a therapist.

Top Image: TikTok/ Peter Webber
A steady stream of Mexican residents strolled across the Gateway International Bridge into Brownsville, Texas, on a recent hot and humid evening.

In ones and twos, they walked two-tenths of a mile into America, to a plasma center with a sign welcoming them as heroes; convalescent plasma is being investigated as a treatment for covid-19. Then, a pint or so lighter, they returned home with bandages on their arms.

Selling the liquid part of blood has become one of the few cross-border activities permitted under current restrictions, which divide a community that spans the Rio Grande. The bustle of life around the 1,250-mile border is on pause: In Laredo, the number of people crossing from Mexico by bus is down 60% from a year ago, according to the most recent U.S. government data. In Progreso, visitors traveling by foot have fallen by half.

The usual stream of Mexican shoppers who visit stateside stores has dwindled to a near halt. And Americans who get their medications in Mexico for a fraction of the cost worry they'll be cut off as border-crackdown rhetoric intensifies. Entry points are down to just two lanes in some spots, with the only visitors traveling north on business deemed essential.

Freddy Khlayel-Avalos, an El Paso resident and school board member, has relatives who haven't been able to visit since restrictions were imposed in March. "To me, it's another example of blaming America's problems on immigrants," he said.

The Rio Grande Valley, a four-county region that stretches across Texas's southernmost tip, remains one of America's most afflicted areas, with the highest hospitalization rates, deaths at more than twice the state average, overwhelmed hospitals and refrigerated trucks serving as backup morgues. President Donald Trump's administration has extended border restrictions until at least Aug. 20. The resulting stasis is a stark change for a uniquely binational culture.

In 2016, Nielsen found that 3.5 million consumers crossed the Valley border each year to fill prescriptions, visit family or shop for clothes; 63% of visitors to the U.S. came at least once a month. Those who visited five or more times in a month took an average of 48 trips and spent two-thirds more than all other visitors. The Border Trade Alliance, a nonprofit that represents businesses and local governments, has said "an indefinite halt to cross-border travel will result in an economic calamity."

At La Copa Hotel in McAllen, Mexican shoppers visiting La Plaza Mall next door typically book 90% of the rooms, according to Carolina Sanchez, the general manager. With shopping not considered essential, the hotel has been filling just five or six rooms a night, she said. The only recent influx of business came in July from nearby residents who lost power during Hurricane Hanna and a roofing company that booked rooms for workers repairing damage from the storm.

On the other side of the border, the pandemic's effects are equally grim. Like their U.S. neighbors, Mexican states have seen a spike in covid-19 cases in recent weeks. The Tamaulipas health minister warned last week that hospitals in several cities, including Matamoros, were full, according to Mexico News Daily. KABB television in San Antonio quoted anonymous Mexican officials who said covid-19 victims would be buried in mass graves if funeral homes were unable to cremate bodies within the 12-hour deadline mandated by the state.

People who cross are taking preventive measures seriously, at least at checkpoints, said Luis Torres, a 43-year-old collector for Cameron County's International Bridge System. He said he has some concerns about catching the virus while working, so he uses hand sanitizer frequently, keeps his mask on and wears gloves when exchanging dollar bills for coins that can be used in the turnstiles.

But each country sees the other as the source of infection.

"It turned out to be very lucky for us that we had the wall or we would have been inundated because they have some big problems there," Trump said last month.

Meanwhile, the governor of the Mexican state of Tamaulipas has called on the country's central government to impose stricter border checks. The health minister of Sonora state, which abuts hard-hit Arizona, has urged fewer crossings by U.S. residents. But Americans remain able to travel to Mexico with relative ease.

"There's an increasing resentment on the Mexico side because they're not allowed the mobility that U.S. citizens are given," said Tony Payan, a professor at the Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez and director of the Center for the United States and Mexico at Rice University's Baker Institute. "It's puzzling that the president thinks that Mexicans per se are contributing to the coronavirus cases, when it's U.S. citizens who have not lost their mobility."

Even with northbound crossings down sharply, some on the U.S. side are urging more restrictions. The chief economist for a conservative think tank called for additional controls, arguing that the disease was mostly a Hispanic phenomenon. "Why not #openschools, end universal mandates & check those from Mexico," Vance Ginn of the Texas Public Policy Foundation wrote in a since-deleted tweet.

The jockeying has some Americans worried a further crackdown could keep them not just from family and business, but from vital necessities.

"If I don't take my medication, I will have a seizure," said Carlos Leon, a 32-year-old Laredo resident. He's able to get 50 pills for 36 pesos, or $1.62, in Nuevo Laredo, the sister Mexican city. In the U.S., that would cost about $13 for only 30 pills. Leon, who recently got a job with a staffing company verifying Facebook posts for accuracy, doesn't have health insurance.

"Covid came in to make the invisible very visible, which is systematic disparities in health and well-being," said Eva Moya, an associate professor at the University of Texas at El Paso who focuses on social work and public health.

Meanwhile, America is looking to Mexicans for plasma. The Food and Drug Administration is seeking to "dramatically increase" donations by the end of August, particularly from those who have recovered from Covid-19 and therefore have antibodies. It's a common way to make money in normal times, but donors have become an increasing percentage of visitors now that other crossings are limited.

Donations are deemed essential, and they can pay as much as $65 an appointment, according to CSL Plasma, which operates donation centers across the U.S.

"I know a lot of people who cross for work and to donate plasma," said Torres, the toll collector. "The pay in Mexico is real low. They do it to help themselves out."

Among them on Wednesday was 28-year-old Edgar Soria, who crossed into Brownsville. Soria, who lives in Matamoros, walked directly from the bridge to a CSL location. Emerging from the building, he said simply that he was happy to be part of the effort. Then, he walked off alone toward the bridge back to Mexico.
The Nationals have activated outfielder Juan Soto and right-hander Wander Suero from the injured list, the team announced. Outfielder Andrew Stevenson was optioned to the alternate training site to open one roster spot, while the teams recent placement of Will Harris on the IL left them with an existing vacancy.

Soto isnt in tonights lineup, manager Dave Martinez told reporters (Twitter thread via Mark Zuckerman of MASNsports.com), but hes available to pinch-hit. Soto himself told the club that he felt he needed at least another day to get up to speed for a full nine-inning game. The 21-year-old has yet to play this season since testing positive for Covid-19 on Opening Day and also missed much of the teams Summer Camp, so hes a bit behind. Recently signed utilityman Josh Harrison is getting the nod in left field in Sotos place tonight.

The Nats have gone 3-4 in Sotos absence. Their schedule has been partly interrupted by the Marlins Covid-19 outbreak, as the Nats were scheduled to face the Fish over the weekend but saw that series postponed due to ongoing health concerns with the Miami organization. In a way, the Nationals will benefit from that postponement, as theyll now likely have Soto back in the fold for three games hed have otherwise missed. For the time being, theyll host the Mets for the first of a two-game set. Washingtons next dozen games will come against the Mets and the Orioles. Soto wont be back in the everyday lineup right out of the gate, but hell be back in the heart of the order before long.
SVHC Nurse Named Impact Award Honoree

BENNINGTON, Vt.  The group Vermonters Taking Action Against Cancer has named Southwestern Vermont Regional Cancer Centers registered nurse Rebecca Hewson-Steller as one of its 2020 Impact Award Honorees. SVRCC is a part of Southwestern Vermont Medical Center and Southwestern Vermont Health Care.

"Rebecca truly has a passion for cancer prevention and screening, community health, outreach, collaboration and building partnerships," said Jean Huntington, director of Oncology Services at SVRCC. "She has a unique set of skills and expertise that benefit our community and the Cancer Center."

Hewson-Steller works as a nurse navigator in the Cancer Center and the Breast Health and Imaging Center. In addition to helping recently diagnosed patients cope with their illness and determine their course of action, Hewson-Steller conducts outreach aimed to promote awareness, prevention and screenings. To people outside the Cancer Center, she is best known for helping to organize outreach events to increase the number of people who get screened for colon, skin, cervical, breast and lung cancers.

"Her events are fun and informative, and really help people realize the importance of taking action to reduce their risk," Huntington said.

Amy Deavitt of the American Cancer Society nominated Hewson-Steller for the award. In the nomination, she wrote, "Rebecca works tirelessly on behalf of the patients she serves by going above and beyond to provide the best in cancer care.  Rebecca has been instrumental in breaking down barriers to increase colorectal and lung cancer screenings. Often, Rebecca is in the field at an event  talking a community member through screening logistics or explaining the polyps on display in the inflatable colon.  She clearly loves her job."

The Impact Awards began approximately 13 years ago. The VTAAC coalition of 650 members nominates honorees annually. The VTAAC Executive Committee reviews them and selects two individuals to honor each year. This years other honoree was Amy Pfenning of Community Health Center Rutland. In addition, Justin Pentenrieder has been part of the VTAAC leadership for 10 years and was honored for his numerous contributions in reducing the cancer burden for Vermonters as well as his service to VTAAC.

The goal of VTAAC is to reduce the burden of cancer for all Vermonters. Their 2016-2020 Vermont Cancer Plan outlines the five-year shared goals, objectives, and strategies for reducing the burden of cancer in Vermont with the goals of preventing, detecting, and treating cancer, as well as improving the lives of cancer survivors and their families. For more information, visit vtaac.org.
Credit: Bill Cotton/Colorado State University Photography

With wildfire season in full swing, a COVID-19 outbreak at a traditional large fire camp is a potential disaster. A transient, high-density workforce of firefighters and volunteers responds to blazes while staying in close quarters with limited hygieneconditions that could facilitate the spread of a contagious respiratory disease.

To support fire agencies as they continue their mission-critical work, a team that includes Colorado State University experts has developed an epidemiological modeling exercise for the USDA Forest Service and other fire managers that demonstrates potential risks and various scenarios COVID-19 could pose for the fire management community. Their model is published in the journal Fire.

The report is co-authored by Jude Bayham, assistant professor in the CSU Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics; and Erin Belval, research scientist in the CSU Department of Forest and Rangeland Stewardship; with first author Matthew P. Thompson, Research Forester at the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station. Bayham and Belval worked with Thompson on the study under a longstanding joint venture agreement with the Forest Service on wildfire-related research, which primarily operates through a partnership with the Warner College of Natural Resources. Thompson serves as the team's liaison to the fire management community.

The researchers developed a simulation model of COVID-19 in the context of a wildfire incident in which the population of firefighters changes over time. The team then analyzed a range of scenarios with different infection transmission rates, percentages of arriving workers who are infected, and fatality rates.

They applied their model to real firefighter population data from three recent wildfiresHighline, Lolo Peak and Tank Hollowto illustrate potential outbreak dynamics.

During the Highline fire in Idaho, for example, which at its peak had over 1,000 firefighters on site (See Figure 1.), a worst-case scenario would have seen close to 500 infections, and a best-case scenario of eight infections. (See Figure 7.) The researchers used a variety of infection fatality rates to estimate possible deaths due to COVID-19 on the fires, ranging from a low of 0.1% to an "extreme" of 2%, with a medium, or best-guess, of 0.3%. (See Table 1.)

Model is not a prediction

Like most modeling exercises, the report is not intended to predict real numbers; rather, it is a tool for comparing different scenarios and analyzing how various interventions could have small or large effects.

"There is a need in the modeling community to better communicate what we can and cannot learn from models," Bayham said. "The model itself is not meant to be predictive in the sense of number of cases or deaths, because there are so many things moving."

Bayham said the model does provide insight into the relative benefits of two risk-mitigation strategies: screening; and implementing social distancing measures at camps.

They found that aggressive screening as soon as firefighters arrive at camp could reduce the spread of infection, but those benefits diminish as a wildfire incident goes on longer. For longer campaigns lasting several months, aggressive social distancing measures, including increased use of remote briefings, dispersed sleeping camps, and operating under the "module as one" concept, would be more effective at reducing infections than screening. "Module as one" is a social distancing adaptation in which a crew operates mostly as normal but isolates from other, similarly isolating crews.

"It all comes down to exposure, which is a basic risk management concept," Thompson said. "Reducing the exposure of susceptible individuals to those who may be infectious is the idea behind screening and social distancing. Our results underscore the importance of deploying these risk mitigation measures and provide insights into how characteristics of a wildfire incident factor into the effectiveness of these mitigations."

Bayham added, "Both interventions are useful, and they both have an effect, but they each have times and places where they are even more effective,"

Such findings could help inform the wildland fire management community as it develops guidance for fire response strategies during the pandemic.

Thompson added, "I'm fortunate to have worked with Jude and Erin for several years now, and in my opinion their collective depth and breadth of expertise is uniquely well suited to address this complex issue. We're grateful for the support from the Joint Fire Science Program and more broadly the fire management community to continue this important work."

Extending the work

The team will continue their work with a $74,200 award from the Joint Fire Science Program by way of the USDA Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station joint venture agreement. They plan to extend their model and create an interactive dashboard for agencies to provide real-time modeling and risk assessment support as fire season continues.

They are also working on a model that would be better suited to analyze season-long implications of COVID-19 outbreaks, spread across multiple fires and geographic distances.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: Matthew P Thompson et al. Potential COVID-19 Outbreak in Fire Camp: Modeling Scenarios and Interventions, Fire (2020). Matthew P Thompson et al. Potential COVID-19 Outbreak in Fire Camp: Modeling Scenarios and Interventions,(2020). DOI: 10.3390/fire3030038
LYNDHURST, Ohio -- The COVID-19 pandemic has been costly for Lyndhurst Municipal Court, and therefore things will be a bit more costly for the communities it serves -- and that contribute to its budget.

During Mondays (Aug. 3) online Mayfield Village Council caucus, Finance Director Ronald Wynne told council members that, due to a large drop in the number of traffic citations being issued within Hillcrest communities, the court has seen a big decrease in court cost receipts.

The six communities the court serves -- Lyndhurst, Mayfield Heights, Richmond Heights, Gates Mills, Mayfield and Highland Heights -- help support the court based upon the percentage of cases each community contributes to the court docket during the previous year.

In Mayfields case, the decrease in parking and speeding tickets will lead to an extra payment to the court for the first six months of the year of $31,835. Other member communities will, of course, also have to pitch in more as well.

The (courts) deficit for the first six months was approximately $200,000, Wynne said.

Each July, finance directors meet with the Lyndhurst Municipal Court judge and court staff to review the courts budget for the first six months of the year.

We (finance directors) went over it with the judge (Dominic Coletta), and he said traffic enforcement is the heart of their operating budget, and its taking a hit this year, Wynne said.

He said all the communities, rightfully so, have significantly cut back on their traffic enforcement, and thats impacting the fees the courts realizing and resulting in the operating deficit.

Lyndhurst Municipal Court Judge Dominic Coletta (Photo Courtesy of Judge Dominic Coletta)

Wynne said the court had hopes that, for the second half of the year, enforcement would increase, but the recent rise in COVID-19 cases has kept the number of tickets issued to a minimum.

Theyre projecting right now for the second half of the year a potential deficit of $300,000 to $400,000, Wynne said. Our (Mayfield) portion of (paying) that would probably be $60,000.

The court, in general, has run an efficient operation, Wynne said. The last time (Mayfield) had to pay into their operations was back in 2006. So, since 2006, theyve been self-sufficient and operating very efficiently.

Wynne noted that, with the coronavirus shutdown, fewer people are driving and that police departments are seeking to reduce exposure to the virus by stopping fewer drivers.

Coletta, who did not take part in the Mayfield caucus meeting, was reached by phone at its conclusion. He provided figures that detailed how the citation and dollar numbers have fallen.

Every governmental agency is hurting right now, Coletta said. My attitude has always been show up to work every day, handle these cases -- and not continue cases -- and the courts finances are going to be fine. And that held true for (his first) two years (on the bench).

And then this year came and I had to start really digging into, Geez, how does the court get funded? Its funded with court costs, and the great majority of cases that come into the court are traffic and criminal cases.

As for the numbers, Coletta said that in April 2019, combined traffic citations from police departments in the six communities totaled 830, compared to April 2020s total of 29 -- a 97 percent decrease.

In May 2019, there were 817 citations issued, compared to 155 this May, a decrease of 81 percent. In June 2019, there were 712 citations issued, compared with 173 this June, a drop of 73 percent. And, through July 26, 2019, there were 830 traffic enforcement tickets issued, while this year, through the same date, there were 129 -- an 84 percent decrease.

Coletta said that, from January to July, traffic citations are down from 2019 by 59 percent.

He said that court costs stemming from traffic enforcement since hes been on the bench have accounted for 65 percent of the courts operating budget.

That gives some context as to why there is such a decrease (in operating funds), he said.

Because of heavy expected losses by years end, the six community finance directors may meet again December to be updated on the courts financial situation.

Court additions

Coletta said there are some positive things happening at the court. In December and January, court staff were trained on new case management software, which was purchased with the help of a $100,000 grant from the Ohio Supreme Court.

The Lyndhurst Municipal Court paid the remainder of the $195,000 cost for the software, which was activated in late February.

With that new case management software, we now take e-payments, he said. Weve really tried to work on refining our collection processes. So, in July, although citations were down 84 percent, our traffic/criminal court costs were only down 59 percent during that same time period.

Weve been sending out more reminders to people who have past-due notices, but also having the ability to take electronic e-payments.

Additionally, the court received a $60,000 grant, again from the Ohio Supreme Court, to enhance its video conferencing.

With that money, we have put three new video conferencing units in the courthouse (located at Lyndhurst City Hall), one in each courtroom and one in the prosecutors office, Coletta said. Thats three, but we got funding for seven.

We also put one in the Lyndhurst jail, the Mayfield Heights jail and the Highland Heights jail and the Cuyahoga County jail.

Coletta said having video conferencing equipment installed in the Lyndhurst jail, also located in City Hall, is a help, in that it takes two police officers to escort a prisoner to court for a hearing, and one of those officers is usually called in from the road to do so.

And, he said, its always dangerous to transport a prisoner.

With the new system, prisoners can see and speak with Coletta from jail, and the prisoners lawyer can also be brought into the conference from his or her office. Conferencing also allows those who arent in jail to speak with the judge from their own computer. The conferencing equipment is being installed in the jails this week.

Another grant, this one for $25,000, will allow, by fall or winter, for the court to accept electronic citations from police departments.

Its ironic, Coletta said, because theyre not writing many citations this year.

The benefit, he said, is that human error is lessened because citations wont be written in officers handwriting. And data entry time will be saved, as citations will now be recorded when received from officers.

We havent been just sitting around, Coletta said of the time made available by handling fewer traffic cases. Weve been finding ways to utilize our time.

Read more from the Sun Messenger.
Lisa Wilkinson has publicly spoken out against people who aren't wearing face masks in public amid the coronavirus pandemic.

In two social media posts, the 60-year-old slammed 'maskholes' and criticised people for not wearing masks in her local Woolworths.

Sharing a selfie of herself in a mask, Lisa wrote: 'So I headed to my local Woolies in NSW today, and I reckon there was maybe 10% (if that) of customers wearing masks.'

Speaking out: Lisa Wilkinson has publicly spoken out against people who aren't wearing face masks in public amid the coronavirus pandemic

She added: 'And before you ask, yes I was wearing mine. Anyone else have this experience?'

Before that, The Project presenter shared a shady meme to Instagram about 'maskholes'.

'Definition: An a**hole who refuses to wear a mask as part of public health measures designed to prevent people from dying,' the meme read.

Sharing a selfie of herself in a mask, Lisa wrote: 'So I headed to my local Woolies in NSW today, and I reckon there was maybe 10% (if that) of customers wearing masks'

She accompanied it with a lengthy caption offering her support to frontline workers doing it tough during the pandemic.

'I post this out of complete respect for all those incredibly hardworking frontline healthcare workers, police, border security officers, Bunnings staff and the like who are just DOING THEIR JOBS...' she wrote.

She added: '...And far too polite, patient and professional to ever say this. But Im not!'

Shady lady! The Project presenter also shared a shady meme to Instagram about 'maskholes'

The post received a mixed reception from Lisa's followers, with some agreeing with her while others defended their right not to wear a mask.

'Lisa, some people have health issues and are unable to wear a mask, a little judgemental!' snapped one.

'You are too polite Lisa - there are many other words I would call them,' agreed one fan.

Meanwhile, actress Rebecca Gibney commented with three clapping emojis and a love heart.
(TNS)  Teachers, students, parents and allies rallied outside the Comcast regional headquarters in South Baltimore on Monday afternoon, calling on the company to improve the quality of its Internet services and offer it for free to students and educators as many prepare for another semester of virtual learning.Members of the Baltimore Teachers Union and the Prince Georges County Educators Association staged the car and bike rally, filling the building parking lot and surrounding area. Several dozen vehicles  including a yellow school bus  and additional bikes made their way to the headquarters from Camden Yards. Messages urging Comcast to acquiesce to the demands were taped to vehicles.Similar demonstrations took place in Philadelphia and other cities as part of the National Day of Resistance As Tropical Storm Isaias approached, the group stood outside the building with ponchos and umbrellas as rain poured down and speakers addressed the crowd.Our students need broadband access in order to do distant learning that is meaningful, said Theresa Mitchell Dudley, president of the Prince Georges County Educators Association. Our educators need access to broadband Internet as well so that they can conduct distance learning and provide our students with the opportunities that they deserve. The school systems are not prepared to pay for broadband access for all of our educators.Comcast is making a killing on everybody being home during COVID. They can make resources happen, Dudley said.As the coronavirus pandemic closed school districts and forced students to finish the year from home in the spring, Comcast offered 60 days of free Internet service to new, low-income households as part of its Internet Essentials program. The company in June extended the program through the rest of the year and expanded eligibility to include all low-income households. The company also waived a requirement that excluded customers with a balance from qualifying for the offer.In addition to its Internet Essentials programs, Comcast extended public access to all its hotspots for the remainder of the year. But teachers said its not enough.Dudley, a middle school social studies teacher, pointed out that many teachers make just enough money not to qualify for the Internet Essentials program and cant afford to pay for broadband access. She added that one hotspot wont be enough for households with multiple students.Comcast charges $9.95 a month for the Internet Essentials program, which includes in-home Wi-Fi and download speeds of 25 Mbps. According to a report, Comcast Cable added 323,000 Internet customers in the second quarter of the year, its largest increase in this period in 13 years. Over 600,000 additional customers are receiving Internet service as part of its Covid-19 Keep Americans Connected pledge.A list of demands from the group includes an increase in upload and download speeds, offering the program free for educators and students until 60 days after the full restoration of in-person classes, and offering all Xfinity hotspots for free 60 days after the full restoration of schools.A Comcast spokesperson declined to comment Monday.Several Maryland school districts plan to open the school year virtually . Baltimore City Public Schools announced in July it purchased 10,000 Wi-Fi hot spots for students and schools CEO Sonja Santelises told parents the system was working to equip every student with a device to bridge the technology gap that plagued so many in the spring.They gave us crumbs, Diamonte Brown, president of the Baltimore Teachers Union, said of Comcast. They gave us the high-speed essential package that is absolutely insufficient for meeting the demands of our students and our educators.
Could where you live dictate how long you live? New research at Syracuse University's Maxwell School, published today in the Milbank Quarterly, shows Americans who live in so called blue states tend to live longer than those in red states, primarily due to state policies. Among the findings:

U.S. state policies since the 1980s have cut short American lives, particularly for women. U.S. life expectancy gains since 2010 would be 25% greater for women and 13% greater for men if states policies had not changed in the way they did, with many becoming more conservative.

Enacting more liberal state policies could raise U.S. life expectancy by over 2 years, whereas enacting more conservative state policies could reduce it by 2 years.

In the greatest gap between states, residents in Connecticut outlive their counterparts in Oklahoma by as many as seven years.

The study examined how state policy environments contributed to U.S. life expectancy trends from 1970 to 2014. It used information on 18 policy domains such as abortion and guns, each measured on a liberal-to-conservative scale, for every state and calendar year. The analysis then predicted U.S. life expectancy trends from all policy domains, controlling for characteristics of states and their residents.

"Americans die younger than people in other high-income countries," said Jennifer Karas Montez, sociology professor at Syracuse University's Maxwell School and lead author of the study. "This gap in life expectancy between the U.S. and other countries emerged in the 1980s and has grown ever since. Since that time, gaps in life expectancy between U.S. states also expanded. The difference between the highest and lowest life expectancy states has grown to 7.0 years--the largest ever recorded. These two trends are related: the dismal life expectancy trends of some states have been an anchor on overall U.S. life expectancy."'

For instance, between 1980 and 2017, life expectancy rose by just 2.2 years in Oklahoma (73.6 to 75.8 years) but 5.8 years in Connecticut (74.9 to 80.7 years). Life expectancy in Oklahoma now falls between that of Serbia and Brazil, while Connecticut falls between Denmark and Costa Rica.

The study found that Oklahoma and Connecticut differ in other ways. While these two states were diverging in life expectancy, they were also diverging in their policy orientation. Oklahoma made one of the largest transitions toward a conservative state policy environment among all 50 states. Conversely, Connecticut made one of the largest transitions toward a liberal state policy environment. This polarization in state policy environments has occurred across the U.S. and helps to explain the growing gap in life expectancy between states and the troubling trends in U.S. life expectancy since the 1980s.

Among the 18 policy domains studied, 10 strongly predict life expectancy. More liberal versions of those policies generally predict longer lives and more conservative versions generally predict shorter lives. This is especially the case for policies on tobacco, immigration, civil rights, labor (e.g., Right to Work laws, minimum wage), and the environment. For instance, by changing its labor laws from the most conservative to the most liberal orientation, a state could experience a large 1-year increase in life expectancy. State policies have particularly important consequences for women's life expectancy. This finding reflects the reality that state policies such as minimum wage, EITC, abortion laws, and Medicaid are more relevant for women's than men's lives.

According to Montez, "During the 1980s and after 2010, overall changes in state policies had a negative impact on U.S. life expectancy. After 2010, the small gains in U.S. life expectancy would have been 13% steeper among men and 25% steeper among women if state policies had not changed in the way that they did, with many becoming more conservative."

If all 50 states enacted either liberal or conservative policies, what would happen to U.S. life expectancy? "If all states enacted liberal policies across the 18 domains, our study estimated that U.S. life expectancy would increase by 2.8 years for women and 2.1 years for men," said Montez. "However, if all states enacted conservative policies, U.S. life expectancy would decline by 2.0 years for women and 1.9 years for men. If all states followed current national policy trends, there would continue to be little improvement in life expectancy. This is partly due to countervailing forces: gains in U.S. life expectancy associated with some national policy trends (e.g., toward liberal policies on the environment and civil rights) would be offset by losses associated with other trends (e.g., toward conservative policies on abortion and guns)."

Montez said that trends in state policies since the 1980s have cut short many lives. "Improving U.S. health and longevity requires changing many of those policies," said Montez. "In particular, it is essential to enact policies that protect the environment, regulate tobacco and firearms, and ensure labor, reproductive, and civil rights." But Montez believes e nacting these changes in state policies will not be easy. "On the contrary: policymakers in many states have put the interests of corporations and their lobbyists--particularly the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC)--and wealthy donors over the interests and health of their constituents."

To drive home her point, Montez points out Oklahoma, for example, is one of the most active states in terms of enacting the corporate-friendly and politically-conservative policies promoted by ALEC, while Connecticut is among the least active states.

"Policymakers and the public must recognize," she said, "that putting profits over people cuts lives short."

###
UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Security Council is expected to have a strong focus on counter-terrorism issues in August, according to the informal provisional program of work of the Council published on Monday.

The Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on "the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime" on Aug. 6, Dian Triansyah Djani, permanent representative of Indonesia to the United Nations and president of the Council for the month of August, said at a virtual press conference on the Council's program of work.

There will also be a briefing on secretary-general's biannual strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL or Da'esh) on Aug. 24, the ambassador added.

The Council's other open debate is "pandemics and the challenges to peacebuilding and sustaining peace." The likely briefers include Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Sarah Cliffe, director of New York University's Center on International Cooperation, according to the program of work.

Several regular Middle East meetings are on the program of work as well.

There will be the three monthly Syria meetings: open and closed videoconferences (VTCs) on the political and humanitarian situation and a closed VTC on the use of chemical weapons.

The monthly meetings on developments in Yemen and on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, are also planned in both open and closed format. In addition, the Council will meet for a briefing on recent developments in Iraq and on the two latest secretary-general's reports, on the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq and on the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives. Meetings in open and closed format are also planned ahead of adoptions to renew the UN missions in Lebanon and Somalia.

An adoption is also expected to renew the Mali sanctions regime, as well as the mandate of its Panel of Experts. The Council will be briefed on the latest secretary-general's report on the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, as well as developments in the country following the post-electoral crisis earlier in the year. Council members may also participate in a "virtual visiting mission" to meet with key stakeholders in Somalia ahead of the adoption, according to the Security Council Report (SCR), whose mission is to advance the transparency and effectiveness of the Council.

The Council will be watching developments in Burundi, Iran, Libya, Myanmar and Sudan, as well as those related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and additional meetings may be added as necessary, the SCR said.

Indonesia, the fourth most populous country on earth after China, India, and the United States, has been elected four times as non-permanent member to the Security Council.
Follow live coverage of the aftermath of the explosion



Lebanons Health Minister Hamad Hasan has confirmed that at least 70 people have been killed and several thousand injured in a huge blast in Beiruts port area. Prime Minister Hassan Diab said those responsible for the explosion would pay the price as the international community rallied to provide aid.

The cause of the blast remains unclear but the authorities in Lebanon are working on the assumption that is was an accident and not a deliberate act. The countrys Internal Security Forces commander Major General Imad Osman said the blast occurred in a warehouse storage area where highly explosive materials that had been seized by the country's security forces were being kept.

Trump: Beirut blast "a bomb of some kind"

Update: the explosion has been confirmed by the Lebanese president to have been caused by ammonium nitrate stored unsafely at the port, and not a bomb or deliberately placed explosive device.

President Donald Trump cast the explosion as a possible attack and offered U.S. help.

"The United States stands ready to assist Lebanon," Trump said at a White House briefing. "We will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack."

When asked later about his depiction of the explosion, Trump said that he had spoken with U.S. military officials who think the blast seemed to be an attack, "a bomb of some kind."

Prime Minister Diab said that those responsible for an explosion at the "dangerous" warehouse would be held accountable.

"I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability. ... Those responsible will pay the price," he said in a televised speech. "Facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014 will be announced and I will not preempt the investigations."

Israel, Saudi Arabia, UK offer assistance

Israel, Saudi Arabia and the UK immediately offered assistance.

"Israel has approached Lebanon through international security and diplomatic channels and has offered the Lebanese government medical and humanitarian assistance," a written statement from Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said.

"The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking," UK Primer Minister Boris Johnson wrote on Twitter. "All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected."

Saudi Arabia's foreign ministry also expressed its great concern after the devastating explosion, according to the state news agency.

The statement also affirmed the kingdom's full support and solidarity with the Lebanese people.

Meanwhile, Hezbollah said all of the country's political powers must to overcome the "painful catastrophe" and unite after the tragedy.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:21:13|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- German pharmaceutical and chemical company Bayer announced on Tuesday a net loss of around 9.5 billion euros (11.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the second quarter (Q2) of 2020 due to provisions for the glyphosate settlement in the United States.

At the end of June, Bayer announced to have reached an agreement with a majority of plaintiffs in the litigation concerning its glyphosate-based weed killers. According to Bayer, the company assumed legal cost of up to 10.9 billion U.S. dollars for the settlement and possible future cases.

In the same quarter of the previous year, Bayer recorded a profit of 404 million euros, the company noted.

Bayer's sales in Q2 declined 2.5 percent from the previous year to 10.05 billion euros, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) before special items rose by 5.6 percent to 2.88 billion euros, according to the pharmaceutical and chemical giant.

"Thanks to the growth in our agricultural business, we raised EBITDA before special items and we did so in a challenging environment," said Werner Baumann, chairman of the board of management.

In Bayer's agricultural business, Crop Science, sales from soybean seeds and traits rose particularly strong by 9.3 percent, "with business recovering in North America thanks to an increase in acreages and to shifts in demand from the first quarter arising from uncertainties over COVID-19."

At the same time, sales at pharmaceuticals declined by 8.8 percent, Bayer stated. Contact restrictions and protective measures introduced worldwide due to the COVID-19 pandemic led to a "drop in elective treatments in doctors' offices and hospitals."

According to Bayer, its business in China was held back by the implementation of a volume-based procurement policy that included substantial price reductions for off-patent products.

However, Bayer was able raise sales of its oral anticoagulant Xarelto which allowed treatments to continue outside of hospitals and doctors' offices by 6.8 percent year-on-year, largely due to higher volumes in China, Russia and Germany.

For the current year, the company lowered its outlook slightly, expecting currency-adjusted sales to grow between zero and one percent to 43 to 44 billion euros.

Following the announcement, shares of Bayer decreased by more than 3 percent in early trading on Tuesday, making Bayer the biggest losers among Germany's 30 largest companies listed in the DAX. (1 euro = 1.18 U.S. dollars) Enditem
Booking.com Restructuring Will Pare Its Workforce By Up to 25 Percent

Later than any of its peers, Booking.com announced Tuesday it will be restructuring, and eliminating up to 25 percent of its global employee base, a number Skift estimated to be roughly 4,300 employees.

Glenn Fogel, the CEO of both parent company Booking Holdings and Booking.com, is expected to tell Booking.com employees that Covid-19 hit Booking.com hard.

In my heart, for a long time, I hoped this would not happen, Fogels statement to employees read. Since the beginning, we have been working hard to protect jobs. However, nothing can mitigate the impact this crisis has had and will continue to have on both the travel industry and our business.

The company said it expected the downsizing will match our expectation of the future of travel.

Join Us For Our Skift Global Forum Online Conference September 21-23

Amsterdam-headquartered Booking.com, by far the largest brand in the Bookings Holdings portfolio, had around 17,500 employees in more than 200 offices around the world, according to its careers website. Booking.com, which has a presence in more than 65 countries, was reluctant to detail precisely how many employees would lose their jobs because that figure is subject in part to talks with its works council in the Netherlands, and wide-ranging laws in jurisdictions around the world.

[Update: In a financial filing Tuesday, Booking Holdings stated the company expects to finalize its plans and make relevant announcements to employees on a country by country basis, with the first countries starting in September 2020, and expects to complete all such announcements by the end of 2020. Booking Holdings stated that because of the consultation process required in certain countries it couldnt yet estimate related costs.]

Parent company Booking Holdings, headquartered in Connecticut in the United States, had 26,400 employees at the end of 2019. But its Kayak and OpenTable brands furloughed or laid off around 400 employees in April, and sister company Agoda in Singapore parted ways with around 1,500 employees in May.

Story continues

Competitors executed job cuts months ago. Expedia Group axed 12 percent of its workforce, nearly 2,900 workers, pre-pandemic in February, Tripadvisor trimmed a quarter of its staff, more than 900 employees in April, and Airbnb likewise cut 25 percent of its staff, some 1,900 workers, in May.

Booking.com is heavily dependent on its lodging business, which has been crushed, like those of competitors, during the coronavirus crisis.

Booking.com accepted one round of governmental relief funds in the Netherlands several months ago as it tried to determine its long-term plans and to forestall the job pain, but did not take a subsequent round because the company realized employee cuts would be necessarily given the impact to its business. The company reports second quarter earnings on Thursday.

Booking Holdings did not issue a press release about the restructuring, but issued a financial statement Tuesday.

The company didnt issue any information about its restructuring strategy, and which parts of Booking.com were most severely impacted.

Register Now For Skift Global Forum, Happening Online September 21-23

Note: This story has been updated to reflect the financial filing Booking Holdings issue Tuesday.

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Allentown, PA (18103)

Today

Partly sunny, brisk, and chilly. Winds should ease up later in the day..

Tonight

Partly to mostly cloudy and cold.
Bengaluru, Aug 4 : Karnataka's Covid mortality rate per million population is the lowest among major metros in the country, said a Minister on Tuesday.

"It is satisfying that mortality rate in Karnataka and Bengaluru is better as compared to other states and metro cities," said Medical Education Minister K. Sudhakar.

With 39 fatalities per million population, Sudhakar said the state's mortality rate is one-fifth of Delhi and one-third of Maharashtra.

Per million, Maharashtra recorded 129 deaths and Delhi 202 while it is 56 for Tamil Nadu, compared to Karnataka's 39.

"Delhi records five times and Maharashtra three times more than Karnataka in Covid deaths per million population," observed Sudhakar.

Juxtaposing Bengaluru's mortality rate with other metropolitan cities in India, Sudhakar said the city has the lowest rate.

"Bengaluru Covid mortality per million population is lowest among metros. I urge people to cooperate for early detection and treatment," he said.

According to Sudhakar, Bengaluru recorded 115 virus deaths per million population, compared to Kolkata's 182, Ahmedabad's 223, Pune's 242, Chennai's 306 and Mumbai's 521.

Meanwhile, he warned of strict action against officials for delaying handing over a dead body to relatives at K. C. General Hospital in the city.

On Tuesday, Karnataka registered more number of Covid patient discharges than infections for the third straight day, with record number of 6,777 discharges and also the highest single day rise of cases, 6,259, raising the state's tally to 1.45 lakh.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
BANGALORE, India, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital therapeutics is a subdivision of digital health that provides patients with evidence-based treatment approaches that are powered by high-quality software programs. The distinction between digital health and digital therapeutics is focused on the patients' clinical results. For instance, digital therapeutics do not include consumer-oriented fitness devices such as step-counters and calorie counters.

The global digital therapeutics market size was valued at USD 2.24 Billion in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 9.64 Billion by 2026 with a CAGR of 19.9% during the forecast period.

The major factors driving the growth of global digital therapeutics are increasing mobile and tablet adoption, growing healthcare applications, growing need to monitor healthcare costs and increasing incidence of chronic diseases. Furthermore, high growth prospects in untapped markets would create substantial profit opportunities for producers in the digital therapeutics industry.

The digital therapeutics market report offers a comprehensive quantitative overview of current market dynamics and forecast projections for the period from 2018 to 2026, which helps define the emerging business opportunities.

Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/ALLI-Auto-4F289/_Digital_Therapeutics

TRENDS INFLUENCING THE DIGITAL THERAPEUTICS MARKET SIZE

The ubiquity of smartphones has contributed to a dramatic change in the way people use their devices to access healthcare, making it an ideal platform for providing innovative digital therapy. The increasing penetration of digital devices such as smartphones and tablets is expected to increase the digital therapeutics market size during the forecast period.

The rising healthcare costs have imperatively driven the growth of digital therapeutics market size. Healthcare prices have soared to unsustainable levels in recent years due to rising medication and services prices. This has prompted major companies and the government healthcare industry to adopt advanced therapeutics.

Digital therapeutics are increasingly being leveraged to scale up to a large number of patients and improve healthcare outcomes. Management of diabetes and other chronic diseases are the fields where digital therapy has shown its mettle. Hence the increase in precipitance of chronic disease is, in turn, expected to increase the digital therapeutics market size.

Lack of understanding in developed countries about digital therapeutics and worries about patient data privacy hinders the growth of the digital therapeutics market size.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-4F289/digital-therapeutics

DIGITAL THERAPEUTICS MARKET SHARE

Based on the application, the Diabetes segment was the main contributor to revenue in 2018 and is expected to continue this trend over the forecast period due to the high prevalence of diabetes.

Based on the region, North America held the largest digital therapeutics market share and is expected to continue its dominance during the forecast period. This region's dominance is due to reasons including a rise in the geriatric population, an increase in chronic disease prevalence, an increase in demand for wireless & portable devices, and the availability of sophisticated reimbursement structure aimed at minimizing expenditure.

The Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth rate during the forecast period due to a highly fragmented population base that turns into a large target base and rapid urbanization that involves a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Furthermore, the market is expected to benefit from ongoing reforms in countries to resolve a lack of proper infrastructure and sustainable development through financial inclusion.

By Region

APAC

Europe

North America

LAME.

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DIGITAL THERAPEUTICS MARKET SEGMENTATION

By Application

Diabetes

Obesity

Cardiovascular Disease (CVD)

Central Nervous System (CNS) Disease

Respiratory Disease

Smoking Cessation

Gastrointestinal Disorder (GID)

Others.

By Product

Software

Device

By Sales Channel

Business-to-business (B2B)

Employer

Healthcare Provider

Others.

Business-to-consumer (B2C)

Patient

Caregiver.

Key Companies

2MORROW, Inc.,

Fitbit, Inc. (Twine Health, Inc.),

Livongo Health, Inc.,

Medtronic Plc.,

Omada Health, Inc.,

Pear Therapeutics, Inc.,

Proteus Digital Health, Inc.,

Resmed, Inc. (Propeller Health),

Voluntis, Inc.,

Welldoc, Inc.

Others.

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Digital Therapeutic Devices Market Report

The Digital Therapeutic Devices Market report focuses on market size, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market, and key players. The study objectives are to present the Digital Therapeutic Devices development in the United States, Europe, and China.

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Digital Therapeutics and Wellness Market Report

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Europe Digital Therapeutics Market Report

The Europe digital therapeutics market size was valued at USD 0.50 Billion in 2018 and is expected to reach USD 2.27 Billion by 2026, with a CAGR of 20.6% during the forecast period.

Increased use of smartphones and tablets combined with healthcare apps, increased need to monitor healthcare costs; and increased incidences of chronic diseases push Europe's demand for digital therapeutics.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Manu-0A22/europe-digital-therapeutics

Digital Therapeutics Sales Market Report

The global digital therapeutics sales market will reach USD 460 Million by 2025 from USD 115 Million in 2018, at a CAGR of 21.5% during the forecast period.

Due to the rising prevalence of chronic diseases such as diabetes, asthma, obesity and insomnia, the global digital therapeutics sales market will experience promising growth.

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A massive explosion in the port warehouse district of Beirut, the capital city of Lebanon, sent shockwaves across the city. The explosion was so strong that cars driving in the vicinity were damaged, whereas doors and balconies collapsed in homes, offices and religious places.

The explosion in Beirut's port area claimed 25 lives, while more than 2,500 people were injured, informed Lebanon's health minister. The number of casualties is expected to rise as emergency workers dig through the debris to rescue trapped people and remove the dead. The Beirut port sustained severe damages.

Lebanon's interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up. The minister later told Al Jadeed TV ammonium nitrate had been in storage there since 2014.

"What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe," the head of Lebanon's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. "There are victims and casualties everywhere - in all the streets and areas near and far from the explosion."

Three hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 pm local time, a fire still blazed in the port district, reported Reuters, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

A security source told the news agency that victims were being taken for treatment outside the city because Beirut hospitals were already packed with wounded. Red Cross ambulances from the north and south of the country and the Bekaa valley to the east were called in to cope with the huge casualty toll.

However, it was not immediately clear as to what caused the explosion.

Notably, this explosion happened three days before an UN-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others. The blast that killed Harari also occurred close to the waterfront, caused by a truck bomb.

Videos shared on social media shows a column of smoke rising from the port warehouse district. A few sparks at the base of the smoke column were followed by a huge explosion that sent a ball of white smoke and fire across the city. People as far as 2 km from the site of the explosion were physically thrown back from the shockwaves that swept through the city, Reuters reported. The seismic waves were so prominent that residents initially thought it was an earthquake. The port area was severely damaged.

"I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding. Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street," a witness told Reuters.

Residents said glass was broken in houses from Raouche, on Beirut's western tip, to Rabieh 10 km east. In Cyprus, a Mediterranean island 180 km across the sea from Beirut, residents heard the blast bangs. One resident in Nicosia said his house and window shutters shook. Parents clutched their wards and rushed to safety as the city was swept by shockwaves.

2020 just keeps getting worse. This looks like something you would see at the end of a movie. Let's keep everyone over in #Beirut in our thoughts.  pic.twitter.com/tr0esag1mk  Umbre nuit  (@umbre_nuit) August 4, 2020

closest burst moment part 2 Patlama#Beirut Lebanon pic.twitter.com/jVfgRJ2bC5  Berkan Aga (@berkanyrm_1) August 4, 2020

Momento en que un conductor observa la explosion y siente el impacto de la onda expansiva #Beirut Lebanon pic.twitter.com/bnPmkZu0lk  Berkan Aga (@berkanyrm_1) August 4, 2020

The port of #Beirut has been completely destroyed in todays massive explosion. This is #Lebanons main economic lifeline.



The economic crisis in our country - already worsened by US sanctions - is about to get much worse. pic.twitter.com/vxycOYVrCm  Sarah Abdallah (@sahouraxo) August 4, 2020

So many lives injured and killed by this massive multiple explosions in #Beirut Thoughts and prayers are for the loved one... pic.twitter.com/L4Nx0WO212  rizwan (@rizwankiyan1) August 4, 2020

This video of a father in #Beirut trying to comfort and protect his son from the blast moved me to tears. pic.twitter.com/BTkls3MSxI  Ahmed Shihab-Eldin (@ASE) August 4, 2020

(With Reuters input)
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Oslo, Norway  Tue, August 4, 2020 17:02 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b84dd4 2 News Norway,cruise,coronavirus,COVID-19,travel Free

Norway on Monday announced restrictions on cruises along its coast after dozens were infected with coronavirus on board a ship, as operator Hurtigruten apologized for "mistakes" in infection control.

Ships bearing more than 100 people -- including crew -- will be barred from stopping off or disembarking passengers in Norwegian ports for at least two weeks, Health Minister Bent Hoie said in a press conference.

The decision, which excludes ferries, will affect half a dozen companies with disembarkation permits.

Hurtigruten itself had said all its so-called "expedition" trips will be suspended after a cluster of cases focused on one vessel.

At least 41 people, 36 among the largely Filipino crew and five passengers, tested positive after two July cruises between mainland Norway and the Svalbard archipelago in the Arctic circle.

Both trips were aboard the ship MS Roald Amundsen.

The outbreak in Norway, which in recent months had the spread of the COVID-19 under control, led to criticism of Hurtigruten for restarting cruises prematurely.

The company was attacked for being slow to inform the 386 passengers who had traveled on the Amundsen after the first case was confirmed.

Read also: Norway reimposes quarantine for Spain travelers, but not Tom Cruise

"This is a serious situation for everyone involved. We have not been good enough and we have made mistakes," CEO of Hurtigruten, Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement.

The company said a preliminary investigation had shown failures in several "internal procedures", especially health precautions when embarking foreign crew members and slowness to inform passengers.

Norwegian police have also opened an investigation.

The Roald Amundsen is already anchored in Tromso in the far north of the country, and two other expedition ships that were in service, the Fridtjof Nansen and the Spitsbergen, will remain in port "until further notice" after finishing cruises in the next few days.

Hurtigruten's coastal ferries will continue operations.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health has requested that all passengers on the two concerned cruises should be monitored and tested, as well as quarantining for ten days after their return to shore.

The vast majority are Norwegians, but the manifest also includes some passengers from Germany, Denmark, the UK, the US, France, Estonia and Latvia.

Hurtigruten was one of the first players to resume its activities in a cruise sector heavily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
UPPER THUMB  A 37-year old Caro man has been found competent to stand trial for the alleged murder of a 36-year old woman and the knife attack of their infant child.

Larry E. Lyons is charged with open murder, assault with the intent to murder and child abuse from an incident last December.

The charges against Lyons stem from the Dec. 15, 2019, incident where he allegedly stabbed to death Brandy Marie Dickson, 35, and severely injured their infant daughter, who was 11 months old at the time.

The incident happened at 2900 Gerou Road in Ellington Township.

In January, Tuscola County District Court Judge Jason Bitzer granted a motion for Lyons to undergo a psychiatric exam at the Center for Forensic Psychiatry in Ypsilanti.

The evaluation process to determine competency to stand trial and criminal responsibility is done by a certified forensic examiner. The exam determined Lyons was competent to stand trial.

If found guilty, the charge of open murder is punishable by life in prison, and the assault with intent to murder charge also carries a maximum penalty of life in prison or any term of years, explained Tuscola County Prosecutor Mark Reene.

The investigation showed the attack started inside the home and continued outside, and findings indicate Dickson attempted to protect the child from being stabbed while she was being stabbed.

Dickson was transported by ambulance to a local hospital, but life-saving efforts were not successful.

The baby sustained cuts and stab wounds to her head, and a skull fracture. The child survived the attack and is in the process of recovering from the wounds.

Reene credited the childs survival to the extraordinary efforts of first responders, and the efforts of the Tuscola County Sheriff's Office, Michigan State Police Department, Caro Fire Department, Caro Police Department, MMR and Flight Care.

Dickson was found outside of the home with a knife near her when officers arrived on scene. She was taken to a nearby hospital but succumbed to her injuries.

Dickson and Lyons lived together for a time but were not living together at the time of the attack.

Besides the December 2019 charges, Lyons also faces other charges of domestic violence  third offense, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent as well as an additional child abuse charge. The maximum penalty if convicted on those charges is also life in prison.
The parents of Austin Tice, a freelance journalist missing in Syria, urged the Donald Trump administration to talk directly with the Syrian regime about their son after John Boltons recent memoir alleged Secretary of State Mike Pompeo disapproved of the presidents plan to do so.

We continue to walk the labyrinth of bureaucracy in which the President is calling for engagement, and the State Department maintains an unyielding stance of non-engagement with Syria, Marc and Debra Tice told Al-Monitor in emailed comments.

Writing in The Washington Posts press freedom newsletter on Monday, the Tices explained further: President Trump is committed to bring Austin home. He has spoken out publicly and reached out personally to Syria.  Even so, the Secretary of State did not proceed with discussing US hostages with Syria according to John Boltons book."

Direct dialogue between the US and Syria is the channel for Austins release, they said.

Trump, who has taken a personal interest in freeing unjustly held Americans, had a constant desire to speak with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad about Austin Tice and the other US hostages, which Bolton and Pompeo thought undesirable, the former national security adviser wrote in his memoir "The Room Where It Happened."

Fortunately, Syria saved Trump from himself, refusing even to talk to Pompeo about them, Bolton wrote.

Pompeo has not commented on the allegation, but in a statement described the Bolton book as filled with lies, fully-spun half-truths, and outright falsehoods.

The Tices maintain that their son, who disappeared at a checkpoint in a Damascus suburb in August 2012, is still alive and that a senior US government official has held up his return.

Months before Bolton published his tell-all, Debra Tice told Fox News that insubordinate US officials, whom she declined to name, are opposed to initiating talks with the Syrian government.

The question is, who is going to stand in the way of the president of the United States bringing our son home, and who would want to do that? she said in February.

Austin Tice, a former Marine captain from Texas who served in Afghanistan and Iraq, traveled to Syria the summer before his final year at the Georgetown University Law Center to cover the country's civil war as a freelance journalist for outlets that included McClatchy, CBS and The Washington Post. He disappeared after his taxi was stopped at a checkpoint in a Damascus suburb.

Little is publicly known about his whereabouts or well-being, aside from a 47-second clip that surfaced five weeks after his disappearance. The video, which analysts have speculated was staged to resemble jihadi propaganda, shows a group of armed and masked men forcing a blindfolded, but visibly distressed, Austin Tice to recite a prayer in Arabic.

Although the Tice family says they have not been approached with a claim of responsibility, US officials have indicated they have reason to believe the journalist is still alive. The FBI is offering a reward of up $1 million for information leading to his recovery.

Austin Tice and psychotherapist Majd Kamalmaz are among a handful of US citizens widely believed to be in the custody of the regime or affiliated forces. While not directly accusing the Syrian government of holding their son, the Tices say the regime is in the best position to help secure his release.

Debra Tice said that in March 2014, she received a message from a highly placed regime official who indicated a willingness to meet with a US government official to discuss Austin Tice's case. She alerted both the Obama and Trump administrations about this, but a meeting never happened.

A diplomatic breakthrough seemed within reach in February 2017. Then-CIA director Mike Pompeo spoke on the phone with Syrias intelligence chief, Ali Mamlouk, about releasing Austin Tice in what marked the highest-level communications between Washington and Damascus in years, The New York Times reported. But the back channel reportedly broke down months later after Trump ordered missile strikes against Syrian military targets in response to a suspected chemical weapons attack in rebel territory.

Then, during a press briefing in March, Trump revealed he sent a personal letter to the Syrian government asking for cooperation on Austin Tice. We have to see if theyre going to do this, the president said.

Mickey Bergman, a hostage negotiator with The Richardson Center who worked on behalf of the Tice family early in their sons disappearance, said prisoner releases often come down to incentivizing humanitarian gestures when policy concessions are out of the question.

Those kinds of returns do build goodwill, and we know how much that counts with a president like President Trump. Like him or not like him  that part is very clear about him.

Complicating efforts to negotiate Austin Tices release is the total absence of diplomatic relations between the United States and Syria. The two governments have relied on the Czech Republic, which maintains an embassy in Damascus, as an intermediary. Robert Ford, who served as the last US ambassador to Syria from 2011 to 2014, described the process as cumbersome.

[The Czechs] can relay messages to the Foreign Ministry, but its not the Foreign Ministry that really makes decisions about the fate of Americans in Syrian custody," he told Al-Monitor in March.

I think if we just ask the Syrian government politely, we will get a polite response back that they know nothing about the American in custody or they will politely tell us that the person in custody has been convicted of some offense by the allegedly independent Syrian court, Ford said.

Austin Tice, who would turn 39 next week, appears to now hold the grim title of the longest-held American journalist. His parents have called on members of the media to hold US officials accountable for bringing him home.

Every single day Austin needs you to raise your voice to hasten the day when he will walk free," they wrote. May it be soon."
H arrowing new footage has emerged of a tearful George Floyd pleading with officers to "please don't shoot me" in the moments before his fatal arrest in Minneapolis.

The new police bodycam footage, leaked to the Mail Online, shows Mr Floyd begging officers not to harm him while passengers in his car insist he is "a good guy".

Mr Floyd is seen repeatedly apologising to officers and complaining of claustrophobia and anxiety before eventually being restrained on the ground following the stop on May 25.

The 46-year-old African American man's death sparked outrage around the world after a video emerged of white officer Derek Chauvin kneeling on his neck for almost nine minutes as Mr Floyd gasped: "I can't breathe". Chauvin has been charged with second degree murder.

The newly leaked recordings were captured on the body-worn cameras of former officers Thomas Lane and J Keung who were fired and eventually charged for their involvement in Mr Floyd's death.

Derek Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder / AP

The leaked footage shows Mr Lane tap on the window of a car that Mr Floyd is driving.

"Let's see your hands," says the officer as Mr Floyd opens the car door.

The 46-year-old man immediately begins apologising to the officer, saying "I'm sorry" repeatedly and "please Mr officer" as he complies with Mr Lane's request to show his hands.

"I didn't do nothing", Mr Floyd tells Mr Lane as he begins to cry saying, "I got shot the same way Mr officer before".

"I just lost my mum," Mr Floyd adds as he continues to cry and beg Mr Lane not to shoot him.

George Floyd funeral in Houston - In pictures 1 /32 George Floyd funeral in Houston - In pictures REUTERS REUTERS POOL/AFP via Getty Images POOL/AFP via Getty Images POOL/AFP via Getty Images POOL/AFP via Getty Images Getty Images AP REUTERS REUTERS AP Family members react as they view the casket AP Mourners pause by the casket of George Floyd POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Reverend Al Sharpton arrives for the funeral service AFP via Getty Images Reverend Al Sharpton enters the church for the funeral for George Floyd REUTERS Quincy Mason Floyd, son of George Floyd, enters the church for his father's funeral REUTERS Actors Channing Tatum (C) and Jamie Foxx (R) attend the funeral service of George Floyd Getty Images Terrance Floyd, brother of George Floyd, exits his car before Floyd's funeral AFP via Getty Images he family of George Floyd prepares to enter the the Fountain of Praise church Getty Images Philonise Floyd, brother, of George Floyd pauses at the casket during the funeral POOL/AFP via Getty Images Philonise Floyd, brother, of George Floyd pauses at the casket during the funeral POOL/AFP via Getty Images The Reverend Al Sharpton prepares to lead the family of George Floyd into the sanctuary Getty Images Family members of George Floyd pauses at the casket during the funeral service AP The Reverend Al Sharpton prepares to lead the family of George Floyd into the sanctuary AP

When one of the officers asks a woman who was in the car with Mr Floyd why he was "acting squirrelly" she explains that "he's been shot before". A second passenger tells the officer that Mr Floyd is a "good guy".

Mr Lane and Mr Keung walk Mr Floyd to a squad car but he refuses to enter the vehicle, saying he has claustrophobia.

"Stand up. Stop falling down," Mr Keung shouts when Mr Floyd falls to the ground.

"Please man. Don't leave me by myself man, please. I'm just claustrophobic," Mr Floyd says as he continues to plead with the officers.

He adds: "Y'all, I am going to die in here. I'm going to die, man. I just had Covid, man. I don't want to go back to that."

A bystander tells Mr Floyd to calm down because he "can't win".

George Floyd laid to rest

But Mr Floyd replies: "I don't want to win. I'm claustrophobic and I've got anxiety. I don't want to do nothing to them."

It's at this point that Mr Chauvin and Mr Thao arrive at the scene.

When he's finally in the car Mr Floyd says "I can't breathe". He then ends up on the ground outside of the car struggling while the officers pin him down.

Mr Chauvin presses his knee on Mr Floyd's desk while Mr Lane and Mr Keung help to restrain him.

At one point Mr Floyd says: "Tell my kids I love them. I'm dead."

The officers tell him he's fine but Mr Floyd continues to express difficulty breathing.

"I'll probably just die this way," he says. "I'm through. I'm claustrophobic. My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Everything hurts. I need some water or something, please."

At one point Mr Lane asks: "Should we roll him on his side?" But Mr Chauvin says no and explains that an ambulance is on its way.

At 8.27pm, Chauvin removed his knee from an unconcious Mr Floyd's neck. He was taken to a nearby hopsital and pronounced dead an hour later.

Mr Lane and Mr Keung's bodycam videos were filed with Hennepin Country District Court by Mr Lane's defence attorney.

The recordings were released in July but they are only available for viewing by appointment.

An independent autopsy commissioned Mr Floyd's family said he died of "mechanical asphyxia" due to neck and back compression.

His family has since filed a lawsuit against police officers charged over his death and the city of Minneapolis.

They claim the four officers violated Mr Floyds rights when they restrained him, and say the city allowed a culture of excessive force, racism and impunity to flourish in its police force.

The lawsuit, filed in US District Court in Minnesota, was announced by Ben Crump and other lawyers representing Mr Floyds family members in July.

This complaint shows what we have said all along, that Mr Floyd died because the weight of the entire Minneapolis Police Department was on his neck, Mr Crump said in a statement
When Spain's royal palace announced Monday that former Spanish King Juan Carlos was leaving the country, it omitted a key detail.

Where exactly had he gone?

On Monday, several media outlets reported the former king had traveled to the Portuguese town of Cascais, where he spent parts of his childhood. By Tuesday morning, Spanish newspapers said Juan Carlos, 82, was in the Dominican Republic. But later in the day, the Dominican foreign minister said he had not entered the Caribbean nation, Agence France-Presse reported.

The coverage at times more closely resembled a public manhunt for a high-profile suspect than the sudden flight of a disgraced former king.

Investigators in Switzerland have been looking into offshore accounts reportedly linked to Juan Carlos for years. Those accounts are now also being examined by prosecutors in Spain.

At the center of the probe are a $100 million dollar gift from the king of Saudi Arabia to Juan Carlos in 2008 and whether it had a role in the subsequent contract for a Saudi high-speed railway awarded to a Spanish consortium.

Juan Carlos has not been placed under formal investigation, according to Reuters, and he has repeatedly denied wrongdoing. It is unclear whether he could be charged at all, as his actions before his abdication are covered by immunity.

But after the allegations were made public, his son and successor, King Felipe VI, this year canceled the $225,000 annual grant his father received. Felipe also renounced his own inheritance, further distancing himself from his father.

Through his lawyer, Juan Carlos has said he would "remain at the disposal" of prosecutors in the future.

"Guided by the conviction to best serve the people of Spain, its institutions, and you as king, I inform you of my decision at this time to leave Spain," Juan Carlos wrote in a letter published Monday.

His departure was the latest stage in a fall from national hero to burden to the country's royal family.

The grandson of Alfonso XIII, Spain's last king before the proclamation of the Second Republic, Juan Carlos was designated by Francisco Franco as heir-apparent to the restored crown in 1969. When he became king after Franco's death in 1975, there were concerns about his ties to the fascist dictator. But he was widely credited for having played a key role in the country's transition to democracy, notably helping to thwart a coup attempt in 1981 aimed at restoring Francoist rule.

Juan Carlos was described as a charismatic leader close to the people who could be harsh against those who abused their power. In a 2007 meeting of leaders, when Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez interrupted Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, Juan Carlos told him: "Why don't you shut up!"

But during the 2008 financial crisis, as Spain was suffering a severe downturn, the king and his family faced questions over their lavish lifestyle and accusations of having abused their own power. Allegations of graft by his daughter, Princess Cristina, and her husband began to shine a more uncomfortable light on the monarch.

Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014, citing health reasons, paving the way for Felipe to become king. At the time, royal watchers suspected that political rather than health concerns were behind the transition. Juan Carlos' popularity had dropped to record lows, and analysts suspected the royal family needed a new face to regain trust.

Felipe now has an approval rating of 70% in Spain. But supporters of the royal family worry the controversy surrounding his father could spell new trouble for the king and have serious ramifications for Spanish political unity, already strained by repeated attempts of Catalan separatists to split from the country.

The Barcelona newspaper La Vanguardia described Juan Carlos' departure as both "painful" and "therapeutic."

"The monarchy could not support any longer, and less in the midst of a health and economic crisis, the loss of reputation caused by the information about the alleged opaque businesses and illegal commissions of the king emeritus," the paper wrote.
As the United States and other countries anxiously consider how to reopen schools, Israel, one of the first countries to do so, illustrates the dangers of moving too precipitously.

Confident it had beaten the coronavirus and desperate to reboot a devastated economy, the Israeli government invited the entire student body back in late May.

Within days, infections were reported at a Jerusalem high school, which quickly mushroomed into the largest outbreak in a single school in Israel, possibly the world.

The virus rippled out to the students homes and then to other schools and neighborhoods, ultimately infecting hundreds of students, teachers and relatives.

Other outbreaks forced hundreds of schools to close. Across the country, tens of thousands of students and teachers were quarantined.

Israels advice for other countries?

They definitely should not do what we have done, said Eli Waxman, a professor at the Weizmann Institute of Science and chairman of the team advising Israels National Security Council on the pandemic. It was a major failure.

The lesson, experts say, is that even communities that have gotten the spread of the virus under control need to take strict precautions when reopening schools. Smaller classes, mask wearing, keeping desks 6 feet apart and providing adequate ventilation, they say, are likely to be crucial until a vaccine is available.

If there is a low number of cases, there is an illusion that the disease is over, said Dr. Hagai Levine, a professor of epidemiology and chairman of the Israeli Association of Public Health Physicians. But its a complete illusion.

The mistake in Israel, he said, is that you can open the education system, but you have to do it gradually, with certain limits, and you have to do it in a very careful way.

The United States is facing similar pressures to fully reopen schools, and President Donald Trump has threatened to withhold funding for districts that dont reopen. But the U.S. is in a far worse position than Israel was in May: Israel had fewer than 100 new infections a day then. The U.S. is now averaging more than 60,000 new cases a day, and some states continue to set alarming records.

Israels handling of the pandemic was considered successful at first. The country of 9 million quickly closed its borders, shuttered schools in mid-March and introduced remote learning for its 2 million students. In April, Passover and Ramadan were celebrated under lockdown.

By early May, infection rates had fallen from over 750 confirmed cases a day to double digits. The youngest students, grades 3 and under, and older students taking final exams returned in small groups, splitting the week to take turns using classrooms.

Emboldened by the dropping infection rates, the government completely reopened schools on May 17, the day a new government was sworn in.

In his inaugural speech, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu promised a new budget that would deliver three things: Jobs, jobs, jobs. His new education minister, Yoav Gallant, said that the school systems immediate mission was to allow parents to return to work with peace of mind.

Inna Zaltsman, an Education Ministry official, said administrators also wanted to return the children to routine as much as possible, for their emotional and pedagogic well-being.

Shopping malls, outdoor markets and gyms had already reopened, and soon houses of worship, restaurants, bars, hotels and wedding halls did too. Netanyahu told Israelis to grab a beer and, while taking precautions, Go out and have a good time.

In hindsight, that advice was wildly premature.

That same day, a mother phoned a teacher at Jerusalems Gymnasia Haivrit high school. Her son, a seventh-grade student there, had tested positive for the virus.

By the next day, the school confirmed another case in the ninth grade. Ultimately, Israeli officials said, 154 students and 26 staff members were found to be infected.

There was a general euphoria among the public, a sense that we had dealt with the first wave well and that it was behind us, said Danniel Leibovitch, Gymnasias principal. Of course, that wasnt true.

The Education Ministry had issued safety instructions: Masks were to be worn by students in fourth grade and higher, windows kept open, hands washed frequently and students kept 6 feet apart whenever possible.

But in many Israeli schools, where up to 38 children squeeze into classrooms of about 500 square feet, physical distancing proved impossible.

Unable to comply with the rules, some local authorities ignored them or simply decided not to reopen at full capacity.

Then a heat wave hit. Parents complained that it was inhumane to make children wear masks in steaming classrooms where open windows nullified the air conditioning.

In response, the government exempted everyone from wearing masks for four days, and schools shut the windows.

That decision proved disastrous, experts say.

Instead of canceling school in those days, they just told the kids OK, well you have to stay in the class with the air conditioning on and take your masks off, so you have no ventilation really, said Dr. Ronit Calderon-Margalit, a professor of epidemiology at Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health. You have the ideal circumstances for an outbreak.

The Gymnasia became a petri dish for COVID-19.

When the first case was discovered, the students classmates, teachers and other contacts were quarantined. After the second case, which was not directly linked to the first, the school was closed and everyone was instructed to quarantine for two weeks. All students and staff were tested, often waiting in line for hours.

About 60% of infected students were asymptomatic. Teachers suffered the most and a few were hospitalized, the principal said.

Parents were furious. Oz Arbel told Israels Army Radio that for a school project, his daughters classmates sat at a table and passed around a cellphone with a teacher who was showing symptoms. His daughter and wife became infected.

One Gymnasia student, Ofek Amzaleg, told Kan public radio that a teacher who coughed in class and joked that he didnt have coronavirus was among those who tested positive. Ofek also became infected.

Leibovitch, the principal, said he had no knowledge of any teacher coming in with symptoms.

Seeking to contain the contagion, the Education Ministry vowed to shut any school with even one COVID-19 case. It ultimately closed more than 240 schools and quarantined more than 22,520 teachers and students.

When the school year ended in late June, the ministry said, 977 pupils and teachers had contracted COVID-19.

But the Health Ministry, lacking the infrastructure and resources, did not make contact tracing a priority. In the Gymnasia case, Waxman said, nobody even identified which buses the students had ridden to school on.

Proms were canceled, but graduating seniors in the central city of Raanana held an underground prom party anyway. Dozens contracted the virus.

A nursery schoolteacher, Shalva Zalfreund, 64, sent a note to parents saying she believed she had been infected in her school, where some parents had sent their children from homes with cases of the virus. She died in July.

Outside school walls, the coronavirus returned with a vengeance. COVID wards that had closed with festive ceremonies in late April began filling again, with confirmed infections spiraling to about 800 a day by late June and over 2,000 a day by late July.

Some blamed the hasty school reopening as a major factor in the second wave. Siegal Sadetzki, who resigned in frustration last month as Israels director of public health services, wrote that insufficient safety precautions in schools, as well as large gatherings like weddings, fueled a significant portion of second-wave infections.

But others said singling out schools was unfair when the real problem was that everything reopened too quickly.

The single super-spreader event in the Gymnasia just happened to be in a school, said Dr. Ran Balicer, an Israeli health care official and adviser to the prime minister on the pandemic. It could have happened in any other setting.

Now Israel is confronting the same questions as other countries, trying to learn from its mistakes in planning for the school year that begins Sept. 1.

Public health experts worldwide have coalesced around a set of guidelines for reopening schools.

A major recommendation is to create groups of 10 to 15 students who stay together in classrooms, at recess and lunchtime, with teachers assigned to only one group. Each group has minimal contact with other groups, limiting any spread of infection. And if a case of COVID-19 emerges, one group can be quarantined at home while others can continue at school.

Other key recommendations include staggering schedules or teaching older students online, keeping desks several feet apart, sanitizing classrooms more frequently, providing ventilation and opening windows if possible, and requiring masks for staff and students old enough to wear them properly.

Israel has already moved in that direction.

The government recently appointed a coronavirus czar, Dr. Ronni Gamzu, who transferred responsibility for virus testing and investigation from the Health Ministry to the military. This is an operation, not medicine, he declared.

On Sunday, the government approved plans for returning only grades 2 and lower to school in full-size classes in the fall. Younger children are less likely to become seriously ill, and there is growing evidence that they are less likely than adults and teenagers to transmit the virus to others.

The plans also call for splitting older students into capsules of 18 and for mostly online instruction for grades 5 and above. Principals will have the flexibility to adjust their schools policies based on local conditions.

Even those measures may not be enough.

Menashe Levy, president of the Israeli High School Principals Association, arranged desks 6 feet apart in a standard classroom. It could accommodate 14 students, not 18.

Israel is plunging ahead. Only one option has been ruled out: closing the schools.

This is a long-term pandemic, said Dr. Nadav Davidovitch, a pandemic policy adviser to the government. We cannot close schools for a year.

Isabel Kershner and Pam Belluck c.2020 The New York Times Company
Syracuse, N.Y.  The number of Onondaga County residents hospitalized with Covid-19 has dropped to 17, the fewest since March 26, county officials reported today. The daily number has fallen from a high of 85 patients in late May, according to county health records.

Of the patients currently in hospitals, three are in intensive care, officials said. Seven others are awaiting discharge to nursing homes, pending a negative test result.

The county reported nine new cases of coronavirus since Monday, bringing the total to 3,382 since March. Four of the new cases were attributed to community spread; three occurred in senior living facilities (among residents or staff); one was blamed on travel from Virginia; and one was still under investigation.

There were no new deaths since Monday. A total of 200 county residents have died from the virus.

There are currently 118 active cases of Covid-19 in the county, down 28 since Monday and the lowest since late March. The number of active cases has declined from a peak of 941 on June 8.

According to the state Department of Health, an average of 0.8% of people tested in Onondaga County were positive for the virus during the seven days ending Monday. Regions that have positive test rates below 5% will be allowed by state officials to send kids back to school in September.

News tips? Contact reporter Tim Knauss of syracuse.com/The Post-Standard: email | Twitter | | 315-470-3023
Rating Action: Moody's assigns provisional ratings to six CMBS classes of GB Trust 2020-FLIX

Global Credit Research - 04 Aug 2020

Approximately $583.2 million of structured securities affected

New York, August 04, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service (" Moody's") has assigned provisional ratings to six classes of CMBS securities, issued by GB Trust 2020-FLIX, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2020-FLIX:

Cl. A, Assigned (P)Aaa (sf) Cl. B, Assigned (P)Aa3 (sf) Cl. C, Assigned (P)A3 (sf)

Cl. A-Y**, Assigned (P)Aaa (sf)

Cl. A-Z**, Assigned (P)Aaa (sf)

Cl. A-IO****, Assigned (P)Aaa (sf)

** Reflects exchangeable classes

**** Reflects interest-only and exchangeable classes

RATINGS RATIONALE

The certificates are collateralized by a single loan backed by fee simple and leasehold interests in a joint venture of Hudson Pacific Properties L.P. and Blackstone Property Partners media property portfolio, which consists of four, Class A office properties and three studio properties located in Hollywood, California. Our ratings are based on the credit quality of the loan and the strength of the securitization structure.

The collateral is located in the Hollywood submarket of Los Angeles. The office properties are comprised of four, Class A buildings totaling approximately 837,263 square feet ("SF") built between 2008 and 2020. The office properties are located either within the studio properties or directly adjacent and are 100.0% leased as of August 1, 2020. Netflix leases approximately 86.3% of the net rentable area ("NRA"), or 87.7% of base rent, for the office component. The three studio properties consist of 34 stages, totaling 1,224,461 SF across 37 acres of infill real estate. In-place occupancy at the studio properties is 86.7% as of August 1, 2020, with approximately 68.0% leased to Netflix, ABC, Disney, KTLA and CBS/Viacom.

Moody's approach to rating this transaction involved the application of Moody's Approach to Rating Large Loan and Single Asset/Single Borrower CMBS, Moody's Approach to Rating Structured Finance Interest Only (IO) Securities, and Moody's Approach to Rating Repackaged Securities methodologies. The rating approach for securities backed by a single loan compares the credit risk inherent in the underlying collateral with the credit protection offered by the structure. The structure's credit enhancement is quantified by the maximum deterioration in property value that the securities are able to withstand under various stress scenarios without causing an increase in the expected loss for various rating levels. In assigning single borrower ratings, we also consider a range of qualitative issues as well as the transaction's structural and legal aspects.

Story continues

The credit risk of commercial real estate loans is determined primarily by two factors: 1) the probability of default, which is largely driven by the DSCR, and 2) and the severity of loss in the event of default, which is largely driven by the LTV of the underlying loan.

The first mortgage balance of $900,0000,000 represents a Moody's LTV of 105.0%. The Moody's First Mortgage Actual DSCR is 3.88X and Moody's First Mortgage Actual Stressed DSCR is 0.97X.

Moody's also grades properties on a scale of 0 to 5 (best to worst) and considers those grades when assessing the likelihood of debt payment. The factors considered include property age, quality of construction, location, market, and tenancy. The Property's quality grade is 1.50.

Notable strengths of the transaction include: strategic location, asset quality, limited supply, media services growth and committed sponsorship.

Notable credit challenges of the transaction include: effect of coronavirus, floating rate / interest-only mortgage loan profile, alternative use, tenancy concentration and certain credit negative legal features.

The principal methodology used in rating all classes except interest-only and exchangeable classes, and exchangeable classes was "Moody's Approach to Rating Large Loan and Single Asset/Single Borrower CMBS" published in May 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1227875. The principal methodology used in rating exchangeable classes was "Moody's Approach to Rating Repackaged Securities" published in June 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1230078. The methodologies used in rating interest-only and exchangeable classes were "Moody's Approach to Rating Repackaged Securities" published in June 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1230078 and "Moody's Approach to Rating Structured Finance Interest-Only (IO) Securities" published in February 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1111179. Please see the list of ratings at the top of this announcement to identify which classes are exchangeable classes (indicated by the **) and interest-only and exchangeable classes (indicated by the ****). Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of these methodologies.

Moody's approach for single borrower and large loan multi-borrower transactions evaluates credit enhancement levels based on an aggregation of adjusted loan level proceeds derived from our Moody's loan level LTV ratios. Major adjustments to determining proceeds include leverage, loan structure, and property type. These aggregated proceeds are then further adjusted for any pooling benefits associated with loan level diversity, other concentrations and correlations.

Moody's analysis considers the following inputs to calculate the proposed IO rating based on the published methodology: original and current bond ratings and credit estimates; original and current bond balances grossed up for losses for all bonds the IO(s) reference(s) within the transaction; and IO type corresponding to an IO type as defined in the published methodology.

Factors that would lead to an upgrade or downgrade of the ratings:

The performance expectations for a given variable indicate Moody's forward-looking view of the likely range of performance over the medium term. Performance that falls outside the given range may indicate that the collateral's credit quality is stronger or weaker than Moody's had previously anticipated. Factors that may cause an upgrade of the ratings include significant loan pay downs or amortization, an increase in the pool's share of defeasance or overall improved pool performance. Factors that may cause a downgrade of the ratings include a decline in the overall performance of the pool, loan concentration, increased expected losses from specially serviced and troubled loans or interest shortfalls.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the government measures put in place to contain it and the deteriorating global economic outlook, have created a severe and extensive credit shock across sectors, regions and markets. Our analysis has considered the effect on the performance of commercial real estate from the collapse in U.S. economic activity in the second quarter and a gradual recovery in the second half of the year. However, that outcome depends on whether governments can reopen their economies while also safeguarding public health and avoiding a further surge in infections. As a result, the degree of uncertainty around our forecasts is unusually high. We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety.

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.

Further information on the representations and warranties and enforcement mechanisms available to investors are available on http://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1240116.

The analysis includes an assessment of collateral characteristics and performance to determine the expected collateral loss or a range of expected collateral losses or cash flows to the rated instruments. As a second step, Moody's estimates expected collateral losses or cash flows using a quantitative tool that takes into account credit enhancement, loss allocation and other structural features, to derive the expected loss for each rated instrument.

Moody's quantitative analysis entails an evaluation of scenarios that stress factors contributing to sensitivity of ratings and take into account the likelihood of severe collateral losses or impaired cash flows. Moody's weights the impact on the rated instruments based on its assumptions of the likelihood of the events in such scenarios occurring.

For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.

For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.

The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.

These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.

At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s) announced and described above.

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.

Randy Goldstein Asst Vice President - Analyst Structured Finance Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Blair Coulson VP - Senior Credit Officer Structured Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 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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Samantha Jones, left, has been sentenced to three and a half years in prison after she stabbed her husband to death. (AFP via Getty Images)

A British woman who fatally stabbed her husband in Malaysia has avoided the death penalty.

Samantha Jones, 54, pleaded guilty to a lesser charge on Monday and was sentenced to three and a half years in prison.

Her husband John William Jones, 62, was found dead in the couples resort home on 18 October, 2018.

On Monday her lawyer Sangeet Kaur Deo said prosecutors had reduced the original murder charge to culpable homicide, which is murder without intent, after the defence appealed to the attorney-generals office.

In Malaysia a conviction for murder carries a mandatory death sentence by hanging.

She is very relieved having come to terms with what happened that night and for the court to understand what happened that night. She didnt intend for this to happen, her lawyer said after the hearing in Alor Setar in the northern state of Kedah.

In addition to the jail sentence, Jones was also fined 10,000 ringgit (1,800).

Samantha Jones, left, escorted by a police officer for a previous court appearance in October 2018. (AFP via Getty Images)

Jones, originally from Somerset, was charged with her husbands murder two years ago after his body and a bloodstained kitchen knife were found in the property.

Police say Jones confessed to stabbing her husband in the chest during a heated argument.

Wearing a mask and handcuffed, Jones was escorted by police into the courthouse on Monday.

The couple moved to tropical Langkawi island 11 years ago under the Malaysia My Second Home programme, which gives foreigners long-staying visas.

Sangeet Kaur Deo, the lawyer for Samantha Jones, said the defendant had pleaded guilty to a lesser charge and avoided the death penalty. (AP Photo)

British woman Samantha Jones, right, was detained in October 2018 after the death of her husband in Malaysia. (AP)

Her lawyer said the couple, who had been married for 17 years, were devoted to each other but Jones was struggling with physical violence by her husband.

Unfortunately, Samantha found herself at the receiving end of abuse, the lawyer said.

She supported John through various therapies to address certain problems that he had, none of which worked obviously, until that unfortunate night when things took a turn for the worst.

She has accepted the fact that she needs to serve the sentence. She acknowledged the fact that a life is lost and I think she is looking forward to her own recovery because this was indeed a traumatising event for her.

The lawyer added that Jones, who has spent 20 months in detention, could be released as early as the end of next year with one-third off the sentence for good behaviour.

In 1989, Derrick Gregory, from Ealing, London, was hanged in Malaysia after being convicted of drug smuggling.
There has been a rush of support online for Black Lives Matter. More people who may have been quiet about voicing opinions on human rights, are feeling called upon to speak up, especially through social media.

But being vocal about anything online, can leave a question lingering in the back of someones mind: what would my boss think?

Could an employee be at risk if their organizations stances differ from theirs?

One example of this came recently, when the CEO of Pay2Day sent employees a letter instructing them not to support Black Lives Matter. He later resigned.

The Star spoke with two Toronto employment lawyers about what an Ontario resident should keep in mind when sharing online, and what they can do if it affects their employment.

Mika Imai, an associate at Karimjee Law, pointed out that employers are being brought into the picture more often lately. One way is through social media, when the public makes a widespread call for someones employer to take action if they think that theres something problematic with what the employee is doing, Imai said. That could be when someone participates in social justice protests or, at the other end of the spectrum, engages in white supremacist or neo-Nazi activity.

For an employee, the first thing to consider is if they are unionized or non-unionized. With a union, there needs to be just cause for an employee to be terminated.

Fathima Cader, an employment and human rights lawyer, explained that just cause includes things like serious misconduct, incompetence, and misconduct that prejudices the employers business or reputation. In other words, conduct that would have a negative impact on the business.

So even outside the workplace, even if youre using your personal Twitter account, and you dont mention your employer, or you have one of those views are on my own disclaimers, Cader added, posts could still be subject to scrutiny.

Cader also said to consider if your workplace is intentionally apolitical. I think of government employees as a really key example of that, who are quite risk averse, she said.

It comes down to the kind of reputation and persona that the employer wants to assume, Imai said.

Depending on the cause the employee is supporting, there may not be a perceived negative impact, especially considering the anti-racist stances many companies have taken.

We are seeing employers, just more generally speaking, being expected to take stances on issues that are at the forefront, Imai said, referring to recent statements on Black Lives Matter that corporations have put out, and public commitments to addressing racism within their own companies.

Have the employees actions had a negative impact on the employers reputation? Imai added. And when were talking about something like BLM where there is increasing support publicly for the movement, I think thats going to be a hard case to prove.

If the online posts were, for example, in support of something like neo-Nazism, Our society is not, generally speaking, endorsing that kind of stance, Imai said, so an employer may have a better case to discipline that employee.

On the flip side, in a non-unionized setting, employees have less protection. An employer doesnt necessarily need to give a reason for termination. The only obligation is to provide the employee with notice of that termination or pay in lieu of notice.

The main protection the employee has is that the termination cannot be discriminatory, Imai said.

If what youre reprimanded or terminated for talking about online has to do with something like Black Lives Matter or Idle No More, something to consider calling into question is that both are causes affecting Black and Indigenous people, who are protected by the Ontario Human Rights Code under race.

Is that discriminatory? I think an employee is going to have a decent case to say that it is because it looks highly suspicious, Imai said.

The Human Rights Code offers protection as well if you are not a member of that race, but treated unfairly based on your association. Other protected identities include sexuality, gender, age, ability and more. Political affiliation, however, is not one.

Read the first explainer on what an arrest at a protest could mean for your job.
A 29-year-old Central Coast man has been charged with another 80 child abuse offences after his February arrest allegedly uncovered a national online network of at least nine sex offenders.

Justin Radford was arrested by Australian Federal Police in February following a tip-off from US authorities.

Justin Radford, from Wyong, has been charged with 80 new child abuse offences. Credit:LinkedIn

At the time he was a tape library assistant for Nine Entertainment Co, the publisher of this website.

His Wyong home was raided, electronic material was seized and he was charged with nine offences. He has been in custody since.
Williams College Promotes Seven Faculty Members to Full Professor

WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass.  Williams College has announced the promotion of seven faculty to full professorships, effective July 1, 2020.

They include Jessica Chapman, history; Lisa Gilbert, geosciences; Christopher Goh, chemistry; LeRhonda (Rhon) S. Manigault-Bryant, Africana studies; Ashok Rai, economics; Neil Roberts, Africana studies; and Fred Strauch, physics.

In addition, eight faculty have received new named chair positions: Daniel Aalberts is the Kennedy P. Richardson 71 Professor of Physics; Stephen Freund is the John B. McCoy and John T. McCoy Professor of Computer Science; Marc Gotlieb is the Halvorsen Director of the Graduate Program in Art History; John Limon is the John Hawley Roberts Professor of English; Susan Loepp is the William R. Kenan, Jr. Professor of Mathematics; Lucie Schmidt, is the John J. Gibson Professor of Economics; Eiko Siniawer is the Class of 1955 Memorial Professor of History; and Steven Swoap is the Howard B. Schow 50 and Nan W. Schow Professor of Biology.

Jessica Chapman

Chapman's specialization is the United States and the world, with research emphases on Vietnam, decolonization, and the Cold War. Her teaching interests include U.S. foreign relations, the Vietnam Wars, the Cold War and decolonization, sport and diplomacy, and the relationship between foreign policy and domestic affairs. Her first book, "Cauldron of Resistance: Ngo Dinh Diem, The United States, and 1950s Southern Vietnam," was published by Cornell University Press in 2013. The recipient of a Mellon New Directions Fellowship, she is currently at work on two book projects. She received her B.A. from Valparaiso University and her Ph.D. from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Lisa Gilbert

Gilbert's areas of interest include undersea volcanoes and hydrothermal vents and science education. Her deep-sea research emphasizes the geophysical and geologic structure of mid-ocean ridges, seamounts, and hydrothermal systems. She is also a field geologist, with projects on ancient underwater volcanoes now accessible in New Zealand, Cyprus, Oman, Canada, Connecticut, and the western United States. Each summer, and part-time during the academic year, she leads the Marine Geosciences Research Group at Williams-Mystic. Her ongoing work includes efforts at improving equity in higher education, building partnerships in sustainability education throughout the learning ecosystem, and systems thinking skills development. She received her A.B. from Dartmouth and her Ph.D. from the University of Washington.

Christopher Goh

Goh's research interests most broadly center around the role of metals and have included work on mimicking metal-containing active sites of enzymes, on the design of homogeneous metal catalysts and more recently, on polymers for removing heavy metals from the environment. He teaches introductory courses in chemistry as well as advanced courses in inorganic and organometallic chemistry, bio-inorganic chemistry, and instrumental methods of analysis. He has also taught Winter Study classes introducing students to research and a course on interpersonal communication. His scholarship has been published widely. In addition to teaching, he is a Faculty Fellow of the Davis Center and the Office of Institutional Diversity and Equity.

Rhon Manigault-Bryant

Manigault-Bryant is the author of "Talking to the Dead: Religion, Music, and Lived Memory among Gullah/Geechee Women" (Duke University Press, 2014) and "Womanist and Black Feminist Responses to Tyler Perrys Productions" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2014). She first came to Williams as a Gaius Charles Bolin Fellow in 2006 and has taught at the college since 2011. Her courses include Race, Gender, and the Alien Body: Octavia Butlers Science Fiction, Womanist/Black Feminist Thought, and Blackness 2.0: Race, Film and New Technologies, among others. As a Mellon Foundation New Directions Fellowship awardee, she is pursuing substantive and methodological training in film studies and documentary filmmaking. She received her A.B. from Duke University and her Ph.D. from Emory University.

Ashok Rai

Rai's current research examines the globalization of coffee, drawing on history, literature, ecology, and on fieldwork in Central America and East Africa. In addition to Williams, he has taught at Harvard University, Yale University, and the University of Gottingen. In his teaching and scholarly writing, he uses game theory, a cross-disciplinary mathematical tool, to analyze how people interactin the past and in the present, in cartoons and in business. His research has been published in journals such as World Development, the Journal of Development Economics, and the Review of Economic Studies. He has a B.A. from Stanford University and a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Neil Roberts

Roberts' teaching and scholarship ranges from modern and contemporary political theory to Afro-Caribbean thought, African-American philosophy, critical theory, the politics of race, and concepts of freedom. He is the author of the award-winning book Freedom as Marronage (University of Chicago Press, 2015), the collaborative work Journeys in Caribbean Thought (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2016), and several edited and coedited collections. His latest volume is "A Political Companion to Frederick Douglass" (The University Press of Kentucky, 2018). At Williams, he has served as chair of the religion department and college lecture committee, and is currently the W. Ford Schumann Faculty Fellow in Democratic Studies. He received his B.A. from Brown University and his Ph.D. from the University of Chicago.

Fred Strauch

Strauch is a theoretical physicist whose research aims to develop methods to efficiently and robustly store, transfer, and manipulate quantum information using simple, experimentally accessible control protocols. His current work, which is supported by the National Science Foundation, focuses on the design of artificial solids capable of demonstrating novel quantum transport, with potential application in quantum computers. At Williams since 2008, his courses include Mathematical Methods for Scientists, Philosophical Implications of Modern Physics, Controlling Quanta, as well as Physics and Astronomy Colloquium. He received his B.S. from Loyola College and his Ph.D. from the University of Maryland.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:43:20|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The spread of the COVID-19 pandemic has been accelerating in the Asia Pacific on Tuesday as the Philippines reported a record high of 6,352 new cases, and India announced over 50,000 infections for the sixth consecutive day.

The number of confirmed cases in the Philippines surged to 112,593 after the Department of Health (DOH) reported a record high of 6,352 new cases.

The DOH said that the number of recoveries rose to 66,049 after 240 patients have survived the disease.

The death toll also increased to 2,115 after 11 more patients have succumbed to the viral disease, the DOH added.

On Tuesday, the government reimposed stricter lockdown measures in Metro Manila and adjacent provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan due to the steady spike in COVID-19 cases in these areas. People in these areas in the main island of Luzon are urged to stay at home.

More than 27 million people are affected by the lockdown which will remain in place for two weeks.

In India, the total cases rose to 1,855,745 as 52,050 new cases were reported in the past 24 hours. The country recorded 803 deaths during the same period, bringing the national death toll to 38,938, showed the data released by the health ministry.

Tuesday was the sixth consecutive day when over 50,000 fresh cases were detected across the country in a single day.

There are a total of 586,298 active COVID-19 cases in the country. So far 1,230,509 people have been cured and discharged from hospitals, said the health ministry.

The confirmed cases in Indonesia rose by 1,922 within one day to 115,056, with the death toll adding by 86 to 5,388, the health ministry said.

According to the ministry, 1,813 more people were discharged from hospitals, bringing the total number of recovered patients to 72,050.

The virus has spread to all the country's 34 provinces.

Bangladesh's total cases reached 244,020 with 1,918 new cases reported, and deaths from the virus increased to 3,234.

Senior Health Ministry official Nasima Sultana said in a briefing that 50 deaths were reported in the last 24 hours across Bangladesh.

She said the total number of recovered patients in the country stands at 139,860 with 1,955 new recoveries.

Afghanistan reported 36 newly-confirmed cases, taking the country's total to 36,782, the country's Ministry of Public Health said.

The ministry said in a statement that during the past 24 hours, 187 tests were conducted, of which 15 positive COVID-19 cases are from western Herat province and 21 positive cases are from capital Kabul.

A total of 1,288 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in February, and no deaths were reported within the past 24 hours.

South Korea reported 34 more cases of the COVID-19 as of midnight Tuesday compared to 24 hours ago, raising the total number of infections to 14,423.

Of the new cases, 21 were imported from overseas, lifting the combined figure to 2,482. The imported cases grew in double figures for 40 straight days since June 26.

The number of domestic infections rose to 13 after staying in single digits for the past three days owing to cluster infections at a coffee shop and a restaurant in Seoul.

No more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 301. The total fatality rate stood at 2.09 percent. Enditem
On July 7th 2020 the 500 inhabitants of Nenoksa (Nyonoksa), a village in northern Russia, were given the option of boarding government supplied busses to be moved from their village for 36 hours while a missile test was conducted at the test facility two kilometers (1.25 miles) away. Port authorities at nearby Archangel (Arkhangelsk) warned ships to stay away, between July 6 and July 10, from a large area of the White Sea near the Nenoksa test site. It is not known if the test actually took place but there were no reports of injuries, deaths or radiation as was the case during a similar test a year earlier.

On August 9, 2019, in the White Sea near Nenoksa there was an accidental explosion involving the new, experimental 9M730 Burevestnik (SSC-X-9 NATO ID) Skyfall cruise missile. It was later revealed that five technical personnel died, and Russia admitted that Skyfall used a nuclear-powered engine. Initially it was thought that the explosion occurred while trying to recover a Skyfall missile that had gone down in coastal waters during an earlier test. That theory assumed the missile exploded on August 8th after it had been found and taken out of the water and onto a salvage ship. Technical personnel were seeking to safely remove and store the nuclear power supply. Something went wrong and five people died in the explosion and several more got large doses of radiation. Russia never provided any details of the incident, only that five scientists had died while doing something with a Skyfall missile.

In the nearby port city of Severodvinsk, radiation detection systems showed a spike in radiation. Medications (iodine tablets) were suddenly in great demand. The Russian government said there was no problem but then ordered that radiation monitoring data was unavailable in the area for a while. Before that Russia shared its radiation readings with neighboring countries. Now that was temporarily suspended right after a nuclear accident off the coast. Other countries in the region did not show sustained high radiation levels but would still like to know what is going on.

At the center of all this is a new Russian superweapon. Skyfall is a 12 meter (39 foot) long missile that uses a rocket booster to attain high enough speed so the nuclear-powered engine can take over. The missile is nine meters long after jettisoning the booster rocket. The missile cross section is elliptical (one by 1.5 meters). Using the nuclear power Skyfall could reach anywhere on the planet. Space based sensors could detect it and the missile could be destroyed by an anti-aircraft missile (fired from the air or the surface). This is a prestige project for Russia and not meant to be built in large numbers. Such projects do require one or two successful test flights to prove that the weapon is real and not just theoretical.

Skyfall was using a type of nuclear power that is often used in space satellites and, while dangerous, the radiation released is not long-lasting or plentiful. But the spike in radioactivity was noted next door in Norway and Russia was once more accused of trying to cover up the details of the accident, as they had so infamously done in 1986 during the Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster.

At first, it was reported that the nuclear-contaminated Skyfall explosion had killed two and wounded at least six, but later it was revealed that dozens of people nearby were treated for low-level radiation exposure and that a lot more people were killed. Some civilians were evacuated, and it took several months for more details to emerge because the nuclear propulsion tech in the missile is top secret even though the basic concepts and applications are decades old. The Russians were the heaviest users of this tech, often using it to power remote, unmanned communications facilities in areas like Krasnoyarsk, the Far East and Central Asia. After the Soviet Union broke up in 1991, the location of many of these remote nuclear-powered facilities was lost (or simply forgotten). Some were later stumbled upon by locals who were unaware of the danger and came down with radiation sickness which caused a local panic and investigations that revealed the existence of the lost nuclear power sources. Some of these were in new nations that were created when the Soviet Union came apart so it was an embarrassing international incident for the Russians. The Soviet Union considered the nuclear power sources top secret and when portions of the Soviet Union became independent a lot top secret information was not part of the deal. This even included Chernobyl, which is in northern Ukraine, near the Russian border. Chernobyl was one reason Ukrainians insisted on leaving the Soviet Union in 1991, even if it meant inheriting the Chernobyl mess. The Skyfall project indicates that the Russians did not absorb all the lessons of Chernobyl.
L ondon is a crucible of the nations Covid-19 policy, much as it is the test bed of so much else that influences Britain. This does not always make the capital loved, but it does make it vital at a time when the measure of success for metropolises across the world will not be how glitzy or wealthy they have been, but how innovative they prove themselves in the annus horribilis of 2020 and beyond.

Trade-offs in how to tackle the many impacts of coronavirus have been inevitable. But now that the pattern of recovery looks like a new normal of social distancing and sporadic setbacks of scares and spikes in infection, major cities need to place their bets to emerge in good shape from this scourge.

If I have one frustration with our Mayor, Sadiq Khan, it is that beyond demanding an extension to the jobs furlough scheme it is hard to see where the cutting edge of his instincts lies, beyond complaining about what someone else is doing, which is ok re-election politics but not exactly up to the challenge of an epochal threat.

Having written about the pained relationship of every London mayor and the governing party since the days of Ken Livingstones internecine war with New Labour and Boris Johnsons salty standoffs with the Treasury, I am well aware that the City Hall figureheads inevitably game the London-versus-Government position to best advantage.

But there are times to step up to the plate with something more positive to offer.

Khan must be aware, like Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, that the furlough scheme in its original form cannot go on indefinitely. There are too many unintended consequences, be it in propping up businesses that are doomed or incentivising workers to delay any possible return.

Sunaks headache, by contrast, is that a worsening of the infection rate in the autumn will test his intention to taper down the arrangement. Labours limitation is that it cannot decide what to ask for that is not simply more of the emergency remedies.

City Hall figureheads inevitably game the London-versus-Government position to best advantage

We are now in the tepid middle-period of partial policy solutions that are well-meant but not effective. Eat out to help out offers full restaurants on early weekdays; encouraging public transport nudges us to join the legions of masked avengers heading back to the office.

Welcome as they are, they cannot do the job a global capital most needs: getting its workforce into agile shape for a trying year ahead.

Comments by Pimlico Plumbers boss Charlie Mullins that the furlough scheme is milked by a lot of people who dont want to go back to work are abrasive but reflect a truth that more polite employers are painfully aware of, namely that the appetite to return to work for those who cannot do so from home is variable.

But we cannot sustain a state of permanent, universal lockdown, sucking the life out of businesses, when what recovery needs most is jobs and new opportunities, especially for the young. They have least to gain from furlough schemes that offer so little to the gig economy.

When a second spike is on the cards and the Government is forced to consider ideas from sequestering the healthy middle-aged to an M25-wide London lockdown, tempers fray. The Mayor feels under-consulted, which he undoubtedly is by a Number 10 machine which is distrustful and inward-looking.

But the best way Khan can put himself on the map of national policy is to lead an innovative agenda that Whitehall and Downing Street cannot ignore  as he did with the laudable clean air commitment.

Simply asking for more money is the old do-you-speak-Labour test  fine for a dividing line with the Tories (not exactly a major threat in London), far less convincing as a way to lead the capital.

Put bluntly, the other reason Downing Street dismissed Khan is that a desire to trade on grievances makes even the reasonable policymakers around Johnson, such as Munira Mirza, who know and understand the frustrations of the mayoralty, loth to open up channels of communication.

They need an olive branch. An astute report by Richard Brown, for the Centre for London think tank, points out that central London has often reshaped what it does to point the way out of recessions, austerity and sundry other times of trouble.

This time, the shift will be harder to master. Residential London these days feels lively: we flock to yoga studios, delight in someone else putting real froth on our cappuccinos, and mask up to enjoy the silent companionship of a (distanced) shared work table in a cafe.

Wake-up call: Sadiq Khan grabs a coffee at a cafe in Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park / PA

Central London, however, looks like a commuter economy without commuters. That is the problem the Mayor and Number 10s policy unit need to bridge their injured divide over if they are to address it speedily. Because an empty central London is a curse: a ghost town in the centre of the capital means a hole in the heart of the UK at the very time it aspires to sell its wares globally.

Khan has given a welcome boost to a healthier London by enforcing the ultra-low emission zone to reduce traffic pollution.

Alas, it would be a green politics parody to end up with a centre with cleaner air and a dearth of economic, social and cultural life in the Great Wen. Our streets are changing before our eyes. Covid-19 tests the most valuable commodity we have as Londoners: resilience. To reinvent itself, a bold new policy offer is needed  councils giving relief on commercial rents, which cannot sustain the present shock that leaves more premises shuttered by the week.

It also means tax and rent breaks for smaller new businesses, allowing them a foothold in parts of town where big retailers need to downsize; ways to support restaurants and theatres; and safe and durable urban design.

This all requires co-operation far beyond party and personal gripes. So enough of the grievance fest  lets get on with the Covid-proofing plan for London.

If we have to stand Sadiq and Munira a flat white or two from a barista of their choice, it would be worth it to get the sulking over  and the capital restarted.

Anne McElvoy is Senior Editor at The Economist
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President Donald Trump has declared that coronavirus is 'under control' in the United States and that the country's death rate was 'lower than the world'.

In an interview with Axios on HBO that was filmed last Tuesday but only aired last night, Trump said the virus was well-controlled across the US despite the country averaging about 65,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths per day.

'They are dying, that's true. And you have - it is what it is. But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it. This is a horrible plague,' Trump said.

Citing a series of charts and graphs regarding death rates in comparison to cases, Trump said: 'The United States is lowest in numerous categories. We're lower than the world, than Europe.'

After checking the charts, Axios reporter Jonathan Swan clarified that he was asking about deaths as a proportion of the population, saying: 'That's where the US is really bad. Much worse than South Korea, Germany, etc.'

Trump hit back claiming he 'couldn't do that'.

'You have to go by where - look, here is the United States,' Trump said, holding out of his charts. 'You have to go by the cases.'

In an interview with Axios on HBO that was filmed last Tuesday but only aired last night, Trump said the virus was well-controlled across the US despite the country averaging about 65,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths per day

NATIONWIDE: Trump insisted that the US had the virus 'under control' despite more than 155,000 Americans dying from COVID-19. The country is still averaging about 65,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths per day

'Why not as a proportion of the population?' Swan asked.

'What it says is that when you have someone where there's a case, the people that live from those cases,' Trump said.

Swan argued that it was relevant to compare the number of deaths to a country's population but Trump insisted: 'You have to go by the cases'.

The reporter pointed to South Korea, which, at the time of the interview, had 300 deaths and a population of 51 million.

Trump went on to seemingly suggest that South Korea's death rates were so low because they could be faking their figures.

'You don't know that,' Trump said.

Swan, in surprise, responded: 'You think they're faking their statistics? South Korea, an advanced country?'

'I won't get into that because we have a very good relationship with the country. But you don't know that. And they have spikes,' Trump said.

Trump insisted that the US had the virus 'under control' despite more than 155,000 Americans dying from COVID-19.

'Death is way down from where it was. Where it was is much higher than where it is right now,' Trump said.

Even though deaths are currently rising across the US, they do remain well below levels seen in April when an average of 2,000 people a day were dying from the virus.

Swan (right) appeared to be surprised and confused by various claims Trump made, leading to the two of them arguing over statistics

Deaths surged in April in the weeks after coronavirus infections spiked mostly in the Northeast. The number of fatalities are now increasing in Sunbelt states after infections surged there throughout June and July.

The death rate is a lagging indicator and can continue to rise weeks after new infections drop. A coronavirus death, when it occurs, typically comes several weeks after a person is first infected.

When Swan pointed out that deaths were now going back up nationally after initially declining throughout May, Trump claimed 'it's going down again'.

'It's going down in Arizona. It's going down in Florida. It's going down in Texas,' Trump claimed.

Swan, who had pointed out that it's national numbers that had gone down, asked with disbelief: 'It's going down in Florida?'

'Yeah it leveled out and it's going down, that's my report as of yesterday,' Trump said. It wasn't immediately clear what day Trump's latest reports were referring to.

While cases in Florida now appear to be declining, deaths continued to spike to single day highs last week.

After Trump repeated his previous claims that the US has more cases that anywhere else in the world because more tests are being undertaken, the reporter pointed to the surge in hospitalizations and deaths.

'If hospital rates and deaths were going down I'd say terrific, you deserve to be praised for testing, but they're all going up. 60,000 Americans are in hospital, 1,000 dying a day,' Swan said.

Regarding the increased testing, Trump said: 'Don't we get credit for that?' Trump said. 'Because we do more tests, we have more cases.'

Currently, the number of infections across the country has surpassed 4.7 million and more than 155,000 Americans have died from the virus.

The University of Washington's Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation predicted in March that the pandemic could kill more than 81,000 people by July.

In its latest statement in mid-July, the IHME said its model now projects the death toll at more than 230,000 by November 1.

Dr Deborah Birx, the head of the White House coronavirus task force, warned on Sunday that the US had reached a new phase of the outbreak with infections 'extraordinarily widespread' in rural areas as well as cities.

As coronavirus cases continue to surge across much of the country, public health officials are trying to work with governors to tailor responses for each state.

'We are in a new phase,' Birx told CNN's State of the Union. 'What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread.'

Birx warned that people living in multi-generational households in an area that is experiencing an outbreak should wear masks inside the home to protect the elderly or those with underlying conditions.

She said federal officials have been working on individual reports for each state by examining community trends and hospital records.

'Each of these responses have to be dramatically tailored,' she said, adding that what she had witnessed visiting 14 states over the last three weeks gave her cause of concern.

'As I traveled around the country, I saw all of America moving,' Birx said. 'If you have chosen to go on vacation into a hot spot, you really need to come back and protect those with comorbidities and assume you're infected.'

Trump meets with Dr. Birx to tell her 'we're doing very well' in the COVID-19 fight after earlier slamming her warnings the virus is widespread as 'pathetic'

Trump said during his White House briefing on Monday that he had just met with Birx in the Oval Office after tweeting online that she 'hit us' with public comments on the coronavirus in an exchange he termed 'pathetic.'

The president fielded a question about the online attack against yet another member of his coronavirus team after earlier sparring with Dr. Anthony Fauci.

'I think we are doing very well,' Trump said, praising his administration's coronavirus response, even as the the task force chief warned the pandemic was entering a 'new phase'.

'I told Dr Birx I think we are doing very well. She was in my office a little while ago. Shes a person I have a lot of respect for,' Trump said.

Trump said he met with Dr. Birx in his office Monday, but would not respond to a question of whether he disagreed with her assessments about the coronavirus

Trump went on to slam House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who herself blasted Birx for having 'enabled' the president in the administration's coronavirus response.

'I think Nancy Pelosi has treated her very badly,' Trump said. 'Very, very badly. Very nasty. And I'm just referring to the fact that I thought that really they should say the job we have done  whether it is on ventilators or testing,' Trump said, pointing to U.S. testing figures.

Trump declined to answer a question on whether he disagreed with Dr Birx's recent comments on the coronavirus.

Trump accused Dr. Deborah Birx of having 'hit us' in self-defense after she shared information about the spread of the coronavirus

He also vented that the media doesn't write about other countries struggling with the virus, despite numerous media reports about challenges in other nations.

'I don't read about the other countries,' Trump said, 'countries that thought they were over it.'

Trump spoke publicly hours after he went after Pelosi on Monday morning for her blasts at Birx  then accused his own coronavirus task for chief of taking the bait by highlighting the spread of the disease.

The president's language, fired off on Twitter after the public clash, follows intense scrutiny of his relationship with infectious disease expert Fauci as his administration seeks to get a handle on the coronavirus crisis. It appears to be his first public attack on Birx, who like Fauci, has a prestigious medical background.

'So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics,' Trump wrote Monday morning.

'In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!' he wrote.

His tweet did not make entirely clear whether it was Pelosi's high-profile criticism  or Birx's efforts at self-defense, that he considered pathetic.
Outer Melbourne has been blanketed in snow as Victoria shivers through its coldest four consecutive days in 24 years.

A powerful winter blast is sweeping across Australia's southeast from Antarctica, bringing frosty temperatures across the region, with snow forecast down to 400m in Victoria.

Residents in Colac, Ballarat, Meredith, Gordon, Bambra and Birregurra woke to snow covered plains on Tuesday morning as temperature plummeted to below 0C.

Freezing conditions come as two big low pressure systems sparked icy conditions with frost, hail and widespread rain.

A trough is bringing cloudy conditions to Melbourne, with highs of just 11-12C from Tuesday to Friday, while wind chill is expected to make it feel even colder.

Horse trainers in Ballarat in Victoria ride through snow fall as Victoria experiences a bitter cold snap on Tuesday

It's the first time the city has experienced a four-day period where temperatures were at 12C or below since 1996, Weatherzone's Ben Domensino said.

'Outside central Melbourne, temperatures could even get cold enough for snow to fall on some of the hills around the city,' he said.

'Snow is also likely in other low-lying parts of the state on Tuesday and Wednesday.'

The bitter conditions will give Melbourne residents the perfect excuse to stay warm indoors and abide by the stage four lockdown measures implemented on Sunday.

The cold air mass has been described as 'exceptional' as it moves up towards Australia from Antarctica.

Temperatures will plunge to -6C in ski resorts in Mount Buller and Mount Hotham with snowfall expected on Tuesday morning.

In Melbourne, strong winds are expected throughout the week with temperatures falling to to 2 or 3C.

Tasmania is shivering through a cold snap with the mercury falling to 0C in Hobart, with snowfall expected.

Snow is falling in Mt Buller (pictured) and Mount Hotham in Victoria and up into Perisher and the NSW ski slopes

Snow falls on a plain in Colac in Victoria on Tuesday morning, with cold conditions expected for the coming days

Strong icy winds with gusts up to 90km/h are likely from Tuesday evening in Hobart, with maximum temperatures to drop below 10C across most of the state.

A bushwalker alert has been issued for hazardous conditions in the west and Central Plateau regions. Drivers are being warned to watch for slippery black ice on roads.

In southern New South Wales snow could fall in towns that are just 300-400m above sea level on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Residents in the lower parts of the Snowy Mountains could be seeing snow covering up to ten centimetres.

Snow is falling in Perisher, with a full week of snow showers forecast, leaving the slopes ready for keen skiers later in the week.

A wind warning for Tuesday is in place for the Sydney Coast, Illawarra Coast and Eden Coast.

A vigorous cold front swept across the country's southeast on Monday, bringing chilly conditions to Tasmania, Victoria and parts of New South Wales

Colac was blanketed in snow on Tuesday morning, with wind chill making temperatures feel even colder across Victoria

Sydney will remain mostly sunny with some high cloud and temperatures between 7C and 20C until Wednesday.

From Thursday onward heavy cloud and showers will hit the Harbour City and remain for the rest of the week.

Adelaide will fall to a low of just 2C on Wednesday, which is 6C lower than the August average.

Clear skies and light winds are forecast in Adelaide on Thursday as the cool weather remains, with a low of 4C forecast.

'A low pressure system and trough will move over South Australia, continuing their run of cool days with cloud cover and showers keeping temperatures to a minimum,' Weatherzone forecasts.

'These cool conditions in Adelaide and Melbourne are expected to linger until early next week, with daytime temperatures remaining below average and days seeming rather gloomy with thick cloud cover.'

A park bench in Kyneton in Victoria is draped in snow on Tuesday morning after overnight snowfalls

Canberra will remain mostly sunny throughout the week with chilly temperatures hitting as low as -4C on Thursday.

The capital city will see areas of fog and frost in the mornings and light winds most of the week.

While much of the country shivers through the week Queensland remains mostly sunny with a few showers by the coast.

Brisbane will be partly cloudy on Tuesday with light winds as the temperature climbs to a top of 24C.

Western Australia is experiencing a severe low pressure system with heavy showers and storms in the southwest.

Perth's rainy conditions will remain through Tuesday, before clearing through the week with cloudy conditions into a sunny weekend.
Look at the calendar (dont get excited, its not a new year).

Its starting to look more like a clock, ticking down to the start of the school year. Were almost a week into August, meaning the start of school is just weeks away. Normally, this would be the heart of vacation season. But in The Year Without Vacations, there is still a lot of work to do before the ticking counts down to that first bell.

Marc Jaffe, head of Stamford-based Childrens Learning Centers of Fairfield County (CLC), acknowledged what we are reminded of every September, that a child care center is a Petri dish for colds and the like.

Connecticut Office of Early Childhood Commissioner Beth Bye reports that 20 child care facilities closed permanently in just the past month.

Child care centers are the canary in the coal mine for schools. Half of the centers in the state opened last month for the first time since March. Bye says there have been 10 documented cases of COVID-19 among children and 37 among staff.

These are low figures, but indicate that no matter what precautions are taken, COVID will have a presence in our schools this fall. To pretend otherwise is folly. No matter how many efforts are made to stifle the flu, it thins out classrooms and workplaces every autumn.

Connecticut was offered hope from no less than Dr. Anthony Fauci, the national voice of caution about COVID. While joining Gov. Ned Lamont for an update Monday, Fauci said Connecticut is in a good position to avoid a resurgence if residents adhere to the discipline shown in recent months.

Fauci pointed to the wisdom of paying attention to the experiences of other states. While Connecticut is poised to offer some in-person education for most students, Rhode Islands figures tilt toward opening schools favoring a hybrid model heavier on distance learning.

We advise taking that caution a step further. Teachers, parents (and Fauci), should consider some of the lessons offered by premature school openings around the globe. The New York Times reported Tuesday about Israels catastrophic mistakes in reopening schools in full in May. Within days, infections mushroomed throughout Jerusalem.

Sticking to its strict regimen begins with shutting down naysayers who dismiss mask-wearing and social distancing as a hoax. Its the worst possible example to offer children preparing to return to the classroom.

Connecticut education this year will be nuanced as a result of the inequalities between school districts. Its not merely a matter of technology in the hands of students, but how well economically starved districts are positioned to clean facilities. There are countless hidden challenges, such as aging ventilation systems. And while CLC adhered to a strategy of keeping kids outside as much as possible, that wont be possible in centers and schools as temperatures drop.

That first bell will soon ring, but the clock will never really stop ticking this school year.
Christian Wooden, 22, has been charged in the July 27 shooting of a female that occurred at 500 Fisher Ave.

Wooden is charged with aggravated assault and possession of a firearm.

He is in custody at the Hamilton County Jail.


YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. The special COVID-19 department at the Dilijan Medical Center in the eponymous Armenian town is no longer needed as the outbreak is weakening and numbers of active cases are dropping, the hospital said in a statement.

The special ward which was set up to treat exclusively coronavirus patients in this hospital is deactivated since August 1, after the last COVID-19 patient was discharged.

We are happy to inform that due to the weakening of the coronavirus outbreak in Armenia the Dilijan Medical Center is returning to its normal working regime. We are proud to have had our small contribution in this tense and selfless battle against this virus in the country and we carried out our duty with honor. We want to deeply thank all the people who were involved in these heroic works, the doctors, nurses, all health workers, laboratory experts, the food delivery employees and organizers. The COVID-19 department at the Dilijan Medical Center has been shut down since August 1. The entire building has been disinfected and is functioning normally as it did before the outbreak and is ready to receive other patients, the hospital said.

The number of active cases of COVID-19 in Armenia stands at 7930 as of August 4.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
The meeting aimed at promoting bilateral collaboration amid COVID-19, taking full advantage of the Vietnam-Chile Free Trade Agreement and the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP).

Both sides expressed their delight at growth in bilateral trade in 2019, as Chile became Vietnams fourth-largest partner in Latin America with revenue of US$1.23 billion, up 12.95% year-on-year.

Notably, two-way trade then reached nearly US$568 million in the first half of 2020 despite the serious impact of COVID-19, down just 1.04% year-on-year.

The two officials proposed intensifying supply chains as well as the production and export of face masks and protective gear, and to step up trade promotion activities both online and offline.

General view of the virtual meeting. (Photo: qdnd.vn)



Regarding the CPTPP, Hai expressed his hope that Chile will soon carry out procedures domestically to ratify the agreement and create a new driving force for trade relations between Chile and Vietnam in particular and between other signatories in general.

The Chilean official suggested maintaining bilateral cooperation mechanisms to exchange information and foster collaboration in trade promotion, customs, e-commerce, and digital economy.

He asked Vietnam to help strengthen the relationship between Chile and ASEAN, given the country has assumed the ASEAN Chair for this year.
Worley's experience spans a range of industries, including social and digital media, artificial intelligence, insurtech, healthcare, e-commerce, fintech, adtech, enterprise software, network security, and content publishing, as well as biopharmaceuticals and other life science companies, all of which are key players in New York's active emerging companies space.

John Chory, Global Chair of Latham & Watkins' Emerging Companies Practice, said: "Peyton brings terrific experience advising major players in the tech space. He knows the venture capital firms that are driving the tech economy. Combining Peyton's experience with Latham's unmatched global reach makes us better able to meet the needs of our clients."

"Peyton has deep connections in some of the most active, growth sectors in the market. This will be great news to our clients in New York, an important hub for tech innovation," said Michele Penzer, Office Managing Partner of Latham & Watkins in New York. "His experience, skill, energy, and entrepreneurial drive underscore our commitment to deliver top-notch tech capabilities in the city, the country, and around the world."

Marc Jaffe, Global Chair of the Corporate Department, added: "We're thrilled to add Peyton to our vibrant Emerging Companies practice. The fact that he brought his first-class experience and market standing to Latham speaks both to the power of our team, and our ability to deliver the best talent to our clients. Peyton is an outstanding addition to our technology practice and he will help accelerate our strategy."

Worley said: "Latham is a firm that provides the highest levels of counsel to clients throughout the life cycle of an emerging company  wherever in the world that company is. I was attracted to Latham's formidable global platform, and how seamlessly the tech practice works with their top-notch regulatory, litigation, and transactional practices. I see Latham as a great way to open opportunities for the clients I advise."

Worley joins from Cooley LLP in New York. He received his Juris Doctor, magna cum laude, from Boston University School of Law in 2001. He is admitted to practice in both New York and Massachusetts.

About Latham & Watkins (lw.com)

Latham & Watkins delivers innovative solutions to complex legal and business challenges around the world. From a global platform, our lawyers advise clients on market-shaping transactions, high-stakes litigation and trials, and sophisticated regulatory matters. Latham is one of the world's largest providers of pro bono services, steadfastly supports initiatives designed to advance diversity within the firm and the legal profession, and is committed to exploring and promoting environmental sustainability.

Notes to Editors

1 Latham & Watkins operates worldwide as a limited liability partnership organized under the laws of the State of Delaware (USA) with affiliated limited liability partnerships conducting the practice in France, Hong Kong, Italy, Singapore, and the United Kingdom and as an affiliated partnership conducting the practice in Japan. Latham & Watkins operates in South Korea as a Foreign Legal Consultant Office. Latham & Watkins works in cooperation with the Law Office of Salman M. Al-Sudairi in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Contacts

John Chory, Global Chair of the firm's Emerging Companies Practice, +1.617.948.6032

Michele Penzer, New York Office Managing Partner +1.212.906.1245

Marc Jaffe, Global Chair of the Corporate Department, +1.212.906.1281

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MADISON  When a GOP-led lawsuit struck down Safer at Home, Wisconsin Republican leadership said they mainly protested the statewide approach to contain COVID-19 taken by Gov. Tony Evers and the Department of Health Services.

Now, Republicans are, again, fearing the states Democrat-led leadership are going to take decision-making out of local hands.

Many Republicans believe that the data being cited by state leadership to make these health decisions are so flawed they cannot be trusted, repeatedly pointing to how Dane County was late in reporting more than 17,000 negative tests that when finally included in Dane Countys counts dropped the weekly positive test rate from around 6% to barely more than 2%. As such, Sen. Steve Nass, a Whitewater Republican whose district includes the southwestern corner of Racine County; Sen. Van Wanggaard, R-Racine; and others say that the states data shouldnt be trusted.

Theyre using bad numbers, Mike Mikalsen, chief of staff for Sen. Nass, told The Journal Times Monday.

Nass stated Monday that alarm bells are going off with his sources in education that Gov. Evers will use his Emergency Public Health Declaration (Executive Order 82) to prohibit schools, public and private, from starting the year with in-person classes.

This claim is not universally believed amongst even the GOP, however. In a statement, state Rep. Bob Wittke, R-Wind Point, said, At this time, I have no indication Governor Evers or the Department of Health Services will issue an order to close schools.

Spokespeople for Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester, did not respond to requests for comment in time for press Monday.

In mid-July, Evers said that he does anticipate schools will open by early September.

School districts across the nation are frantically compiling back-to-school plans. Racine Unified and Kenosha Unified have already said they wont have students in their schools, at least at the start of the school year in the fall. Other local school districts  like Union Grove School District, Burlington Area School District and Siena Catholic Schools  are planning the opposite approach, hoping to have some version of in-person learning this fall with some virtual options.

Politicized debate rages

On Monday, a caravan led by teachers unions from Racine, Kenosha, Madison and Milwaukee traveled to Madison to pressure the governor into preventing in-school education this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic until scientific and public-health data supports reopening schools.

Among the caravans demands were items unrelated to the pandemic, including removing police from schools, a moratorium on new charter or voucher programs that draw money away from traditional public schools, and increasing taxes on billionaires and using that money to fund public schools.

The pandemic has exposed how underfunded and under-resourced public schools are while laying bare the racial and economic inequities our schools and communities face, the Kenosha Education Association stated.

We see this as an opportunity to make things better for public schools, Racine Educators Association President Angelina Cruz told The Journal Times after Mondays caravan regarding the expanded list of demands.

Mikalsen said that Whitewaters senator has been connecting the dots and that he believes the timing of the caravan immediately following the issuing of a statewide mask mandate is intended to show more support than actually exists for having schools closed in the fall.

This is about politics. Not about health, this is about politics, Mikalsen claimed.

Rep. Greta Neubauer, D-Racine, disagrees fully with Nass assertions. She still trusts the advice from the Wisconsin Department of Health Services and other health organizations, and that the governor is acting to protect lives and not acting on a political basis.

As our community and our state fight back against COVID-19, we must continue to follow the latest public health guidance in our decision-making. Im grateful for the thorough, thoughtful approach RUSD has taken toward the 2020-21 school year, and Im confident that this will continue, Neubauer stated. Since this pandemic arrived in March, Gov. Evers has led with science and has listened to the experts. While Sen. Nass and many of his Republican colleagues continue to politicize necessary public health actions, I am confident that Gov. Evers and RUSD will continue to follow public health experts and the latest data to keep our community safe.

Mikalsen said that the education leaders participating in Mondays caravan have been the ones politicizing the pandemic, not the reverse.

Those mirroring accusations, of each party blaming the other for making something political, have becoming the norm in Wisconsins divided Legislature.

Cruz replied to that claim of politicizing the pandemic.

People are going to die. They shouldnt be playing politics with our kids, she said. Educators are worried about physical health and well-being. ... Teachers want to know that theyre not going to get sick and die by reporting to work.

Polling of RUSD parents are almost evenly divided about sending their kids back to school. A July Family Survey with 4,554 individual responses showed that 29% of RUSD parents/guardians prefer hybrid learning, 35.3% want education to be entirely face-to-face and 35.7% want entirely remote learning. The responses were similarly evenly divided for parents of elementary, middle and high school students about how comfortable they felt about the idea of sending their kids back to school in person.

Wittke, a first-term Republican in the Assembly who previously served as president of the Racine Unified School Board, stated Personally, I believe we need to find ways to safely open schools for in-person education this fall.

Mikalsen made the claim that, by closing schools and making the country appear to be in worse shape, then voters are more likely to cast ballots for change (thus ousting President Donald Trump) in November. Also, he claimed that leadership in Wisconsins largest teachers unions fear they will look foolish if they arent open and other school districts/private schools have in-person classes. As such, Mikalsen claimed that that pressure would motivate Evers to cancel in-person education statewide to prevent that visible discrepancy.

However, Cruz pointed out that the demands for canceling in-person schooling are not new in the past two weeks and that the governors office had no input into Mondays caravan or related demonstrations.

In mid-July, unions representing teachers from Wisconsins five largest school districts (including the Racine Educators Association) delivered a letter to state leaders that called for an all-virtual start to the year. On Monday, an updated letter with similar demands was delivered to the Department of Health Services, this time with signatures from even more school districts.

Elsewhere

This debate is ongoing nationwide.

On Monday in Maryland, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan banned counties from issuing blanket closures of schools, the Baltimore Sun reported.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has also said that most school campuses in the state would not be allowed to open at the beginning of the school year, although the Orange County Board of Education is suing to fight Newsoms order.
Inside Hook

Rumored Jeffrey Epstein ex-girlfriend and alleged accomplice Ghislaine Maxwell is a household name at this point, but it turns out there may have been another woman in the picture as well. The trove of new court documents unsealed last week suggest Epstein was also romantically linked to childrens book author Shelley Anne Lewis, the New York Post reported.

The British-born author was reportedly a frequent passenger on Epsteins private jet, often accompanying him on trips to New York and his infamous private island of Little Saint James. Lewis is thought to have begun dating Epstein in 1999, when she was a 22-year-old working in the contemporary art department of Christies auction house in New York. According to the recently unsealed court documents, Maxwell previously attempted to get Epstein to publicly announce Lewis as his girlfriend instead of Maxwell.
Mnangagwa, who took over from longtime ruler Robert Mugabe after a coup in November 2017, said his administration was facing 'many hurdles and attacks" including "divisive politics of some opposition elements'

Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday warned he would "flush out" political opponents as rights groups reported dozens of activists had been arrested in a crackdown.

Mnangagwa, who took over from longtime ruler Robert Mugabe after a coup in November 2017, said his administration was facing "many hurdles and attacks" including "divisive politics of some opposition elements".

"The bad apples who have attempted to divide our people and to weaken our systems will be flushed out," he warned in a nationwide address.

"We will overcome attempts at destabilisation of our society by a few rogue Zimbabweans acting in league with foreign detractors."

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said Tuesday it had represented more than 20 people arrested since last week when authorities thwarted anti-government protests that had been scheduled for last Friday.

The protests had been called by opposition politician Jacob Ngarivhume, head of a small party called Transform Zimbabwe, against alleged state corruption and the country's slumping economy.

Police banned the protests and government described them as an "insurrection".

Amnesty International has condemned what it calls the "witch-hunt and repression of peaceful dissent."

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Kabul, Aug 4 : The Afghan Interior Ministry said that the Taliban violated the three-day Eid ceasefire 38 times, killing at least 20 civilians and injuring 40 others.

The Ministry said in a statement on Monday that the Taliban violations included terrorist attacks, offensive attacks and mine explosions that were conducted in 10 provinces, reports TOLO News.

According to the Ministry, the Taliban conducted 19 blasts, 15 shellings, two ambush attacks on security forces, killing three people and abducting six others.

"This is against the commitments that the Taliban often make to reduce violence," Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian said.

The Afghan government on Monday stressed the need for a continuation of the ceasefire and said the Taliban is insisting on war and that they did not want a truce "We have always wanted ceasefire... For years, ceasefire has been a key issue for us in any attempt for peace, but, unfortunately, the Taliban has always insisted on violence," TOLO NEWS quoted presidential spokesman Sediq Sediqqi as sayinf.

Taliban has denied they violated of the ceasefire.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A test of weapons in an undisclosed location in North Korea in March - AFP PHOTO/KCNA VIA KNS

Several countries believe North Korea has likely developed miniaturised nuclear devices to fit into the warheads of its nuclear devices, a confidential new United Nations report has warned.

The report by an independent panel of experts monitoring UN sanctions, and seen by Reuters, said the unidentified countries believed the reclusive nations past six nuclear tests had likely helped it to develop the devices.

Although North Korea has not conducted a nuclear test since September 2017, the experts stressed that it was still pressing ahead with its nuclear weapons programme, despite three unprecedented meetings between Donald Trump, the US president, and Kim Jong-un, to negotiate its dismantlement.

The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is continuing its nuclear programme, including the production of highly enriched uranium and construction of an experimental light water reactor. A Member State assessed that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is continuing production of nuclear weapons, the report said.

Professor Vipin Narang, a nuclear proliferation expert at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, explained on Twitter that the technology was not actually not 'miniaturized' warheads, which implies mini-nukes for backpacks or battlefield systems, but 'compact' warheads which implies an appropriate design for ballistic missiles.

The development of the technology had been closely monitored by the South Korean military since at least 2018, said Colonel Moon Hong-sik, the defence ministry spokesperson, adding that Seoul was closely cooperating with Washington over the issue.

North Korea, which has faced UN sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear ambitions, has not responded to the charge.

Kim said last week there would be no more war as the countrys nuclear weapons guarantee its safety and future despite unabated outside pressure and military threats.

The Norths relations with the South and with the US have deteriorated since a failed summit between Kim and President Trump in February 2019 in Hanoi, Vietnam.

The UN report said one country, which it did not identify, assessed that North Korea may seek to further develop miniaturisation in order to allow incorporation of technological improvements such as penetration aid packages or, potentially, to develop multiple warhead systems.
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is among the Pennsylvania nonprofits that advocated for the ability to increase endowment spending in response the economic devastation of COVISD-19 shutdowns. Read more

The shutdown of such cultural institutions as the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Kimmel Center during the coronavirus pandemic has been financially devastating for them, forcing the two nonprofits to go months without revenue from visitors and concertgoers.

The two prominent Philadelphia institutions are among those that successfully advocated for a change in state law that temporarily increases the annual cap on money that nonprofits may take from their restricted endowments to 10% from 7%. The minimum spending amount  2%  remains unchanged.

Advocates for the change say that if endowments are meant for a rainy day, its raining heavily now. Skeptics argue that the money is meant to be there forever and that more crises are sure to come, making it risky to deplete an endowment with no guarantee that it will ever recover.

The new laws flexibility to use up to 10% of endowment funds could be a critical lifeline for charities  but at what cost? Nonprofits that take 10% of their endowment funds for one, two, or three years will no doubt put long-term, perpetual funds at risk to satisfy their short-term needs, said Laura Solomon, an Ardmore lawyer who specializes in nonprofits.

And some donors who funded those same endowments may not be happy to hear that the money they gave to the charity, to hold in trust, is being eroded more quickly than intended. So it could beneficial, but short-sighted, Solomon said.

The legislation signed by Gov. Tom Wolf on July 23 made two other significant and permanent changes to Pennsylvanias nonprofit law. One allows a nonprofit and a living donor to reach an agreement on changing a gifts use without going to Orphans Court for approval. Another gives donors standing to sue nonprofits over how a gift is being used. Previously, only the Attorney Generals Office could do that.

The increase in the spending cap is expected to have the most immediate impact, though its not clear how many nonprofits will take advantage of the change.

Its common for nonprofits to spend 5% or less of their endowments each year, so its not clear how many will make the leap to 10% for fiscal years ending this year, next year, and in 2022. Moreover, the vast majority of nonprofits are very small and dont have an endowment, according to the National Council of Nonprofits.

Even in the best of circumstances, many nonprofits struggle financially. COVID-19 turbocharged those problems.

The Kimmel Center board, which furloughed 80% of its staff, is trying to fill anticipated $5 million revenue gaps this year and next year through fund-raising, with nearly $3 million raised so far, the organizations chief executive, Anne Ewers, said Monday in an emailed response to questions.

Ewers said the organization, which has a $62 million endowment, wants to avoid taking advantage of the new law. Still, she said, If we have no other choice but to withdraw the money, and our board approves, the extra 3% is worth approximately $1.8 million per year.

While we now have this option to help with our survival during this crisis, our long-term goal is to protect our endowment for generations to come, she said. The Kimmel Center, where more than 2,000 work during events, includes the Academy of Music and Merriam Theater.

The Philadelphia Museum of Arts endowment approached $500 million last year, with close to $400 million in restricted funds that are subject to the new law, according to its audited financial statement. That makes the law potentially more significant.

We are grateful for its passage, as it will grant us and others some additional flexibility, but for the museum, it will take us some time to evaluate how it may best be put to responsible use, said a spokesperson for the museum, which announced in June that it would shed more than 100 jobs, or 20% of its staff, through furloughs, voluntary departures, and possibly layoffs.

The museum has been spending 4.5% to 5.5% of its endowment yearly. Based on $400 million in restricted endowment funds, the Art Museum could have spent $28 million under the 7% cap, while the new cap would allow it to spend $40 million, a $12 million increase.

The higher spending cap is in effect for three years, though some nonprofit advocates wanted it to be longer, said State Sen. Scott Hutchinson, a Republican from Western Pennsylvania, who sponsored the legislation in the Senate. We didnt want to do a wholesale change here because endowments for the long term are very important and we dont want them to be drained overnight, Hutchinson said

The prime sponsor was State Rep. Martina White, a Republican from Northeast Philadelphia. She did not respond to requests for comment.

Donald W. Kramer, a lawyer and nonprofit expert at Montgomery McCracken Walker & Rhoads LLP, praised the changes to the relationship between nonprofits and donors as good and said that the ability to spend more made sense  for a limited time.

The question I ask is, how much of our seed corn should we eat? Ten percent for three years seems to be a reasonable proposal at this time, which is in many ways much more critical than other times have been, he said.

Laura Otten, executive director of the Nonprofit Center at La Salle University, worries that some organizations might take advantage of the change just because they can and because its easier than raising more money.

The ones with smart boards, the ones that have created a responsible endowment policy, she said, I dont think they are going to do this.
REUTERS

At least four people in the US are dead after Tropical Storm Isaias raced along the eastern coast of the US, battering trees and power lines, brewing tornadoes and flooding homes after dumping heavy rains across several states.

The storm's battering winds knocked out power for thousands of people in the northeast, and downed trees while tornadoes killed four people and hospitalised at least a dozen others.

More strong winds, heavy rain and flash floods were still expected, and a tornado threat was possible, as the storm raced through New England on Tuesday. Isaias is expected to dump several inches of rain in the region as the fast-moving turbulent weather leaves the US two weeks after it first entered the Atlantic Ocean from Africa.

By Tuesday afternoon, the storm was moving 40 mph (63 kph) with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph (104 kph) as storm warnings remained in effect.

The centre of the storm is forecast to enter Canada by Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service.

Heavy rains from Isaias flooded lower-lying areas of the Carolinas and Virginia, as well as parts of the northeast, as the storm made landfall in North Carolina late on Monday and moved along the coast before continuing on a path through New England.

The storm was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane as it made landfall, with maximum sustained winds of up to 85 mph (136 kph). Isaias killed at least two people in the Caribbean before reaching the US.

But the storm maintained hurricane-like strength as it moved along the East Coast, propelled by warm waters as it reached Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, where it made landfall before midnight on Monday.

Firefighters from Ocean Isle as well as Horry County, South Carolina responded to several fires in the area as the storm hit.

First responders also rescued people from flooded areas in Pennsylvania and Maryland, where nearly 9 inches of rain were reported early on Tuesday. At least 30 people were displaced by an apartment fire in the area, though it's unclear whether the storm was related. No injuries were reported.

Story continues

More than 15 hours after coming to shore, the storm saw sustained top winds of 65 mph (105 kph).

On Tuesday, New York City clocked wind speeds of as high as 80 mph (128 kph), forcing the city to suspend its Staten Island ferry and above-ground subway lines.

A building in Brooklyn partially collapsed as winds tore through the city, and 2,000 trees had fallen across the city, including on train tracks, Mayor Bill de Blasio reported.

More than 2.7 million homes and businesses lost power across the East Coast, including more than 120,000 people in New York City who reported losing power on Tuesday afternoon, marking the second-largest service interruption after Hurricane Sandy struck the region in 2012.

At least 1.2 million people were without power in New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy reported.

Fierce winds pulled off the roof from at least one home in Ocean City, New Jersey.

A 60-year-old man was killed in New York City after a tree was uprooted and crushed his van, according to the New York Police Department. A woman in Mechanicsville, Maryland was also killed after a tree crashed into her car, St Mary's County sheriff's office reported.

In the early hours of Tuesday, at least two people were killed and a dozen others were hospitalised after a tornado ripped through a mobile home community in Windsor, North Carolina.

"Our hearts are heavy as we continue to survey damage and get the big picture about what transpired and just how many were impacted," Bertie County Board of Commissioners chair Ron Wesson said in a statement.

A tornado ripped through an area near Doylestown Hospital in Pennsylvania, flipping cars and damaging several buildings. No injuries have been reported.

Tornadoes were reported in at least seven states.

Read more

Hurricane Isaias makes landfall in North Carolina bringing 85mph winds

Storm Isaias set to smash New York with torrential rain and wind

Hurricane Isaias barrels towards Florida spurring weather warnings
Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh said no politician's name has come up during the investigation by Mumbai police. (PTI Photo)

Mumbai: Mumbai police chief Param Bir Singh on Monday said no party was held at the home of actor Sushant Singh Rajput on June 13, a day before he was found dead at his Bandra apartment here.

Talking to media, Singh also said no politician's name has come up during the investigation by Mumbai police.

There is no question of non-cooperation with the Bihar police team which is in the city in connection with the Sushant Singh Rajput death case, Singh said, adding Mumbai police are seeking legal opinion on the matter.

Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey on Sunday claimed that Vinay Tiwari, the IPS officer from Patna who is in Mumbai to probe a case related to the Bollywood actor's death, has been "forcibly quarantined" by civic authorities in the metropolis.

The investigation by the Mumbai police is in the right direction, he said, adding the case was being investigated from all possible angles.

The Commissioner of Police said it was found the actor had bipolar disorder, and was undergoing treatment and taking medicines for it. "What circumstances led to his death is the subject of our investigation," he added.

After registering an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in the case, the investigation is in progress and till now statements of 56 persons has been recorded by Mumbai police.

The statements of Sushant's sisters have also been recorded, he said.

Sushant was upset after he was linked with the death of his former manager Disha Salian on June 8, he said.

"No politician's name came up during the probe so far. There is no evidence against any politician from any party," Singh said, referring to a query on the name of a prominent young Maharashtra politician being mentioned on social media.

"The FIR by Bihar police says Rs 15 crore were siphoned off from Sushant's account. During the probe, we found he had Rs 18 crore in his account of which around Rs 4.5 crore are still there," he said.

There is no confirmation yet of a direct transfer to the account of Sushant's former girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, he added.

Police consulted forensic experts and doctors during the investigation, he said.

"We obtained CCTV footage of June 13 and 14 of his house but we did not get any evidence about any party being held there," he said.

"The statements of Sushant's father, sister and brother-in-law were recorded on June 16. At that time, they neither raised any suspicion nor complained about any lapse in our probe," he said.

"All angles are being investigated, be it professional rivalry, financial transactions or health," he said.
Hyderabad: The state government has revoked permission for Deccan Hospital, Somajiguda, to treat Covid-19 patients for overcharging patients.

The action was taken by the Director of Health and Family Welfare under the Epidemic Diseases Act. The government in its order stated that private hospitals were flouting the guidelines related to treatment charges.

The government stated that there were several complaints received against Deccan Hospital for overcharging and inappropriate billing. Those who are currently undergoing treatment must be charged on the rates that have been fixed by the government.

Deccan Hospital managing director Dr Damodar Reddy said, We have not received any such notice today. The only letter we got from the government was that our case hearing is on August 10.

A complaint against the hospital had been submitted to the Director of Health for overcharging by a patient and their relatives. Investigations into the complaint are being carried out and doctors at the hospital said all documents related to case have been given to officials.

A senior official said, We will investigate a few more hospitals in the city as the caseload is now decreasing in the GHMC limits.
- Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) made noise after a whistleblower claimed that there is alleged corruption in the state-run firm

- An official earlier said that the state insurance agency will no longer have reserve funds by next year and could collapse in 2022 due to the pandemic

- Its resigned anti-fraud legal officer, however, claimed that its officials pocketed over P15 billion from its funds

- Famous Filipino celebrities then took to social media to frankly react to this alarming news

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Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) is currently the talk of the town after a whistleblower claimed that its officials pocketed over P15 billion from its funds.

Photo courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Source: UGC

In a report by Inquirer, acting PhilHealth Senior Vice President Nerissa Santiago said that by next year, the firm will no longer have reserve funds. She also warned that by 2022, PhilHealth could collapse if COVID-19 persists.

However, according to ABS-CBN News, resigned PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer Atty. Thorrsson Montes Keith held that there is alleged corruption in the state-run firm.

Famous personalities then took to social media to react to this intriguing news.

"Para yan sa kalusugan ng taong bayan na pinagtrabahuhan. Ano na, Philhealth?! Ibalik nyo ang pera!!! Imbestigahan yan ng maiigi at sana ipakita sa atin ng ating Pangulo na talagang maimbestigahan ng maiigi at maipakulong ang mga magnanakaw!!! President Duterte, parang awa nyo na," Zsa Zsa Padilla said.

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"And I am sure no one will go to jail," Jim Paredes tweeted.

"15. BILLION. PESOS. Iniisip mo pa lang kung gaano kalayo ang mararating ng 15 Billion pesos sa Covid response," Bianca Gonzalez posted.

"Woow!! kawawang pilipinas, nakakawalang pag asa," said Jason Abalos.

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PhilHealth was created to implement universal health coverage in the Philippines. However, it is being questioned recently because of the alleged anomalies in the agency.

Its official recently admitted that the state-run firm could go bankrupt next year and collapse in 2022.

Earlier, PhilHealth shared to the public that there is a new rate package for the people who will be hospitalized due to the coronavirus disease.

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- Abel Mutua revealed he helped Comedian Njugush to find his path in the Kenyan film industry

- In return, Njugush decided to reward Abel for supporting his career and this he did by employing Abel's wife, Judy Nyawira

- Nyawira takes care of her family through the earnings she gets from working for Njugush

Video director Abel Mutua has disclosed Comedian Njugush has been taking care of him and his family for quite some time now.

Through a good deed that he did for Njugush back when he was coming up, the filmmaker has seen it repaid through his whole family.

READ ALSO: Diamond excites fans after hilariously dancing to Rose Muhando's Utamu Wa Yesu

Abel Mutua with his wife and Comedian Njugush with Celestine Ndinda plus their son with Abel's daughter Photo: Abel Mutua

Source: Instagram

READ ALSO: Expectant Samburu West MP Naisula Lesuuda poses for beautiful photo with mother, grandmother

During the latest episode of his Celeb First Encounter Youtube show, Abel revealed the comedian had been taking care of him and his family, for the last two years, after the director helped guide his path in the film industry.

Abel and Njugush met way back in 2011 after the filmmaker recognised him when he went to watch a play rehearsal at the Kenya Institute Mass Communication and fell in love with Njugush's comedy act.

Abel promised to work with him in the future, which happened to come in 2013 when he gave Njugush a part in a drama that began their working relationship.

Fast forward to the famous Real Househelps of Kawangware, where Abel also gave Njugush a role and he pushed the show to become one of the biggest in Kenya.

"When he joined the show, even our reviews became better and people noticed us. By the time that year was ending he became a great and I promised him he would became a great person," Abel said.

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Njugush later went into online comedy, which became a hit with his fans, something Able always knew he had in him.

For this good deed, the funnyman devised a plan to reward Abel, for opening doors for him, and it happened to pass through his wife who had skills to help Njugush handle his brand.

READ ALSO: Love wins: Woman honours hubby who accepted her with 4 kids, family disowned him

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As it stands, Abel's wife Judy Nyawira, takes care of her family through the earnings she gets from working for Njugush.

Abel can now put his money into several other things like taking care of his daughter's education and their future.

How amazing is that!

Abel has previously told the story of how he met Jua Cali and how he was impressed by his hospitality after he found himself stranded in an event in Eldoret.

He had been called to perform in an event but got there only to find he had no place to rest or food to eat but Jua Cali who was, apparently, headlining the show, saw him and offered to share his room and food with him, which he thanks him to date.

To make matters worse, he was to earn KSh 30,000 from the event, but he was given KSh 1,000 and promised to be sent the rest which, to date, never happened.

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.

Corona has totally ruined our lives - Walter Waweru | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
As the world awaits a Covid-19 vaccine, the next big advance in battling the pandemic could come from a class of biotech therapies widely used against cancer and other disorders - antibodies designed specifically to attack this new virus. Development of monoclonal antibodies to target the virus has been endorsed by leading scientists. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious diseases expert, called them "almost a sure bet" against Covid-19. When a virus gets past the body's initial defenses, a more specific response kicks in, triggering production of cells that target the ...
The pandemic is certain to ensure that the bhoomi pujan of the proposed Ram Janmabhoomi temple in Ayodhya on August 5 will be an extremely sanitised affair, despite the extraordinary significance of Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modis presence. No doubt the occasion will be solemn and will be marked by the presence of a few hundred guests, carefully chosen for their contributions to a movement that has dramatically altered the politics of India and the mentality of a majority of Hindus.

Yet, it will be a very different occasion from the shilanyas on November 9, 1989, when Kameshwar Chaupal, a Dalit, was specially chosen to lay the first consecrated brick for the temple at a spot that the Congress government of the day had, after much agonising and calculation, deemed to be undisputed. The day had a special significance: It coincided with the fall of the Berlin Wall, an event that culminated in the collapse of the erstwhile Soviet Union. It also marked the first occasion in independent India that there was a mass mobilisation of kar sevaks in Ayodhya for the construction of a Ram temple and, by implication, the removal of the 16th century Mughal shrine that had, however, been functioning as a Ram temple since 1949.

What the jurist Nani Palkhivala described as the Ayodhya years were heady times marked by high emotionalism and political polarisation. Beginning with the consecration of nearly 200,000 bricks from all over the country and culminating in the 1996 general election that saw the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) displace the Congress as the largest party in the Lok Sabha, India was in ferment. On the face of it, the mass mobilisation of Ram bhakts was aimed at the construction of a temple on the spot where lord Ram was believed to have been born  a quasi-religious movement that also incorporated the demand to right a historical wrong. However, the significance of the Ayodhya movement was more far-reaching.

First, the movement reopened a debate that had been left deliberately inconclusive by the founding fathers of the Republic: The meaning of secularism in the Indian context. The premise that the Indian State would maintain a measure of equidistance from all faiths and show equal respect to all beliefs was understood. The Constitution also guaranteed statutory protection to minority religions. At the same time, despite the attempts by modernists to rise above all forms of symbolism, it was generally accepted that the cultural underpinnings of Indian nationhood were, loosely-speaking, Hindu  but not exclusively so.

This loose consensus based on good sense and mutual accommodation was broken in 1976 when, at the height of the Emergency, Indira Gandhi injected the term secularism into the Constitution. Hitherto, secularism had been understood in spirit but never written into the rule book of public life. The immediate consequence of this shift to progressive politics were attempts at a codification of Jawaharlal Nehrus belief  as elucidated by his official biographer S Gopal  that the problem of minorities was basically one for the majority community to handle. The test of success was not what Hindus thought but how Muslims and other communities felt Translated into secularist politics, this implied that Hindus must live in a state of permanent magnanimity, and, in the realm of competitive politics, never assert themselves as Hindus. The Ayodhya movement challenged this pseudo-secularism  LK Advanis coinage that acquired popularity in the 1990s  frontally.

Second, in attempting to re-establish the Hindu underpinnings of Indian nationhood, the Ayodhya movement brought the political Hindu to the centre stage of public life. There was undeniably an element of faith in the movement for a Ram temple, but its mass appeal owed almost entirely to a political context. There was the outbreak of separatism in the Kashmir and the expulsion of Hindu Kashmiris from the Valley, a momentous development that the secular parties chose to brush under the carpet. Then there was the Rajiv Gandhi governments infamous U-turn on the Supreme Courts Shah Bano judgment that sought to effect minor reforms in Muslim personal laws. These, plus the prevarication over the Ram temple and a tacit endorsement of the demolition of the Babri shrine on December 6, 1992, contributed significantly to the belief that Hindus must have a distinctive voice in politics to overcome the sectional veto. This manifested itself loosely in the elections of 1996, 1998 and 1999 and then more powerfully in 2014 and 2019.

Hindutva, as defined by Veer Savarkar in the 1920s and 1930s, was too ideological for popular tastes and its appeal was limited, especially when pitted against Mahatma Gandhis leadership of the national movement that resonated with Hindu symbolism. The new Hindutva that evolved after the post-liberalisation rise in living standards blended cultural pride with a sense of national assertiveness.

The Ayodhya movement was an important input in forging this new mentality and Narendra Modi became its icon. But whereas the first phase of the Ayodhya movement was defined by mass mobilisation, civil unrest and an outpouring of passion, its post-1996 articulation was marked by a quiet confidence that comes with the awareness that the main battle has been won. Ayodhya helped shape the transformation of the meek Hindu and the submissive Hindu into a proud Hindu and even a global Hindu, along the lines Swami Vivekananda had hoped for.

The monument to lord Ram, built on the site of an ancient temple, could yet become a powerful symbol of resurgent nationhood.

Swapan Dasgupta is a Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha)

The views expressed are personal
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 21:55:52|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- An Indonesian court in Bali Island on Tuesday sentenced a man to eight years behind bars for possessing 622.5 grams of cannabis narcotics and 0.37 grams of crystal methamphetamine, highlighting the country's serious battle against drug abuses.

Yoshua Karel Thalao, 30, was convincingly and legally found guilty of possessing, growing and providing the cannabis narcotics and crystal methamphetamine, presiding judge Hari Supriyanto told a court session at the high court in Denpasar city of the resort island.

Thalao shall also pay a fine for the violation, the judge added.

Thalao was arrested on April 10 in southern Denpasar city with scores of evidence seized from him, local media reported.

The Indonesian government has declared a war against drugs as the country is in a drug emergency for rampant drug abuses.

Dozens of drug offenders had faced firing squads for illegally spreading illicit goods in the country. Enditem
Union Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank along with Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh Jai Ram Thakur laid the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Management (IIM) Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh through online mode on Tuesday.

Speaking on the occasion, Nishank said the Centre had taken decision in 2014 to establish seven new IIMs including IIM Sirmaur to fill the gap between demand and supply of corporate leaders created by the then existing IIMs. He added that on 15th August 2014 it was announced that the IIM for Himachal Pradesh would be set up at Dhaulakuan in the Sirmaur district. On 12th March 2015, the State Govt. allotted a 210  acres land at Dhaulakuan for development of the permanent campus of the Institute.

The Minister informed that IIM Sirmaur was operationalized by IIM Lucknow in August as the mentor Institution with the commencement of the first batch of PGP of 20 students, from its temporary Campus at Paonta Sahib, Sirmaur, Himachal Pradesh. And since then the Institution is progressing well and is scaling new heights academically and infrastructurally. He further informed that the current academic activity is operationalised from temporary campus which is fully residential for students with all modern facilities. The students are not only pursuing academics but also engaged in various cultural, sporting and CSR and community outreach activities.

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Tom Kacich is a columnist and the author of Tom's Mailbag at The News-Gazette. His column appears Sundays. His email is tkacich@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@tkacich).
The New Patriotic Party-USA Womens Wing has commended President Akufo-Addo for taking personal interest in the gruesome murder of a 90-year-old woman, Akua Denteh at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality, accused of witchcraft by a local fetish priestess.



The President described the act as barbaric, unfortunate and a big disgrace to Ghanaians, and urged security personnel assigned to the case to ensure swift attention on the incident.



President Akufo-Addo also pledged to make a personal contribution to the Akua Denteh Foundation memorable to the sad incident and also ensure that such an act was never repeated.



The Womens Wing was thankful that tremendous progress was made on the apprehension of those involved and pleaded that no one should be spared regardless of their background, if found culpable to serve as a deterrent to all and sundry.



"We wish to commend the President for listening to the plight and cries of mothers, women, civil societies, churches and the host of Ghanaians who condemned the act and call for swift and stricter punishment for the perpetrators of such heinous crime against one another", they said.



Mrs Barbara Boafo, Women's Organizer of the Wing who said this in a statement signed and copied to the GNA deemed the Presidents directives to the security personnel to fast track investigations as a step in the right direction for the vulnerable in society.



She emphasised that violence, dehumanizing, maltreatment and other forms of atrocities against women has no place in Ghana in particular and the world at large.



The action of the perpetrators is unacceptable which must be condemned with the contempt it deserves and going forward, we must guard against it and make sure that it does not happen again", she emphasized.



Mrs Boafo further called for a paradigm shift, especially at a time when issues of inequality and affirmative action have been overwhelmingly welcomed.



She also commend all stakeholders, especially the Chairman of the Savannah Regional Security Council who initiated a foundation in honour of Madam Akua Danteh, and assured the nation of the progress being made towards the apprehension and prosecution of suspects involved in the murder of the 90-year-old woman.

Source: GNA









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Cairo is expected to host Aguila Saleh, the Speaker of the Libyan House of Representatives (HoR), on Thursday. Salehs arrival in Cairo ends a tour that included Russia, Switzerland, Algeria, Morocco and Jordan, during which he promoted his initiative to resolve the Libyan crisis.

Meanwhile, in its efforts to restart the stalled Libyan political process against the backdrop of the Tripoli war and Turkish military intervention, the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) has organised senior level follow-up committee meetings in the framework of the Berlin Process in the hope of bridging the gaps between the warring parties. Unfortunately, an array of obstacles stands in the way of such efforts, not least the absence of the necessary will to resolve the conflict diplomatically given the complex interweave of divergent positions among regional and international stakeholders. As a result, a number of initiatives have surfaced in an attempt to break down the complex problems into more manageable chunks.

The most salient effort in this regard is Washingtons partial initiative to defuse the standoff over the Sirte-Jufra line. According to Libyan sources and press reports, a high-level US delegation recently held a secret meeting with Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army (LNA), in order to propose a ceasefire plan. According to leaked information on the plan, LNA forces would withdraw to Ajdabiya and the militias fighting for the Government of National Accord (GNA) would pull back by an equal distance on the other side. This would create an 80km wide buffer zone that would be manned by international observers to monitor the ceasefire.

Cairo would probably prefer the concept of a demilitarised zone, with certain publicly declared conditions. These would be the same as those identified by Haftar in his address to LNA troops late last week in which he stated that he cant agree to changing the situation on the ground in Sirte before Turkish-backed mercenaries and GNA militias withdraw. If LNA forces and the Petroleum Facilities Guards withdraw without guarantees they risk leaving the field open to a Turkish-backed assault. They have solid grounds for being suspicious. Numerous statements by GNA political and military officials echo Ankaras aggressive posture. Most recently, on 3 August, Abdel-Hadi Drah, the spokesman for the GNAs Sirte-Jufra Operations Room, reiterated that GNA forces were ready to invade Sirte and Jufra should negotiations fail. He indicated that the negotiations sought not only to eliminate the LNA from Sirte, but also the Russian Wagner Group that allegedly supports LNA forces. There is a division of labour between the GNA and Ankara, which fears open confrontation with Moscow, fears compounded by the dynamics surrounding Russian-Turkish understandings in Syria.

The Americans have not offered reassurances over eastern Libyans central demands for the equitable distribution of oil revenues and reform of the Tripoli-based Central Bank. Officials in Benghazi and Tobruk accuse the GNA-run Central Bank of funnelling oil revenues into Turkish coffers in order to pay for Turkish arms and military presence in Libya.

Although media attention has focused on the Syrian mercenaries in Libya, officials in Cairo maintain that the mercenary situation is far more complicated. There are at least 10 different foreign nationalities fighting on Libyan battlegrounds, and a simple breakdown in numbers offers a gauge of Turkish intentions. Turkeys amassing of mercenary militias in Libya speaks of a relentless determination to immerse the country in violence and anarchy. More ominous, Ankara has been supporting the return to Libya of Al-Qaeda commanders, including the Libyan Islamic Fighting Groups main ideologue Sami Al-Saadi, and its military commander Khaled Al-Sherif. In addition, the groups leader, Abdel-Hakim Belhaj, has been playing an increasingly prominent role in the transfer of jihadists and mercenaries to Libya via his personal airline Wings.

Another indicator of Turkish intentions are the Turkish-led assaults against Sabrata, Surman and Al-Ajailat west of Tripoli where prison breaks were staged to release hundreds of extremists held by the LNA before GNA forces drove the LNA from the coastal towns. Evidently, Ankara is set on creating a Libyan version of Idlib as part of its bid to establish a permanent military presence in Libya.

In light of such assessments, it could be that the visit by the US delegation to LNA General Command headquarters in Al-Rajma, outside Benghazi, to discuss the situation in Sirte independently is a sign Washington is also wary of Turkeys escalatory designs. At the same time, it is also a sign there still exists a channel for dialogue with the LNA which continues to prevail in eastern Libya, and could herald a potential clash between Washington and Ankara. This is one reason why observers believe Turkey will take advantage of the run-up to the US elections to launch an assault on Sirte, just as it took advantage of the worlds preoccupation with the Covid-19 pandemic to flood Libya with weapons and mercenaries.

Ankaras promotion of Islamist extremists in Libya cannot sit well with the US, especially given how the US ambassador to Libya and three other Americans were killed in a terrorist attack there in 2012. The need to fight extremism and terrorism is one area where Cairos and Washingtons views on the situation in Libya overlap. Cairo, too, supports a ceasefire and a return to the peace process. But it also insists that the mercenaries must be removed from Libya where they pose a direct threat to Egyptian national security.

Cairo sees Aguila Salehs political initiative as a means to advance the political process in the framework of the Cairo Declaration. During Salehs visit to Egypt, Cairo will have a chance to be briefed on the outcomes of his recent tour of Arab capitals, Moscow and Geneva. His visit to Morocco may be of particular interest since it coincided with a visit by Khaled Al-Mishri, head of Libyas High Council of State. Although Al-Mishri did not meet with Saleh, it is likely he made an overture through back channels. The GNA, after all, sees Saleh as a political player who might have a project with which it can engage, while it refuses to have any dealings with Haftar.

While Egypt continues to invest as much effort as possible into promoting the prospects of a political settlement to the Libyan crisis, it is simultaneously committed to strengthening the Libyan military establishment. Cairo sees this as the key to reconstructing the Libyan state, restoring stability, and dismantling the network of chronic extremism and anarchy in western Libya.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Sara Connor has been tearfully reunited with her sons for the first time in four years after being locked up in a hellhole Bali jail over the death of a local police officer.

The Byron Bay mother-of-two returned to Australia last month after serving time for her role in the fatal assault of a policeman on a Bali beach.

Connor, 49, touched down at Sydney Airport on July 18, but was whisked away by police to undergo two weeks of quarantine.

On Tuesday night, Connor was filmed embracing her two teenage sons following her mandatory 14-day self-isolation.

'She hadn't seen her kids for four years. It was very emotional, there was a lot of tears,' her bodyguard John McLeod told Nine News.

On Tuesday night, Connor was filmed embracing her two teenage sons following her mandatory 14-day self-isolation

Connor, 49, touched down at Sydney Airport on July 18, but was whisked away by police to undergo two weeks of quarantine

Connor is now focused on living a normal life in Australia, and making up for lost time with her children.

'She wants to pack lunches for the kids, she wants to go and watch them surf and watch their sport, and reconnect with the community,' Mr McLeod said.

Connor and her then-boyfriend David Taylor were jailed in the notorious Keobokan prison after the bashing death of police officer Wayan Sudarsa in Kuta in 2016.

'Her involvement was purely just trying to break up the fight. She's an innocent person for the charges that she went to jail for,' Mr McLeod said.

Connor was photographed looking sheepish last month as she quickly stepped onto the bus that took her to hotel quarantine in Sydney.

She appeared to want her return to Australia to take place quietly as she stood alone waiting in line to get on the bus.

The shuttle bus was escorted by a motorcade of police officers on motorcycles.

Ms Connor (pictured at Sydney Airport on July 18) was jailed alongside her then-boyfriend, British national David Taylor, after they were found guilty of a fatal group assault.

The mum-of-two (pictured at Sydney Airport last month) has left ex-boyfriend Taylor behind, who is serving a six-year sentence in Kerobokan's male prison for his part in the officer's death

Connor spent two weeks quarantining at the five-star InterContinental hotel in the middle of Sydney's CBD.

Celebrities and world leaders such as Oprah, Jennifer Aniston, Cher, Frank Sinatra, Bill Clinton and the Prince of Thailand have all stayed at the hotel over the years.

Connor declined to answer questions from the media as police directed her inside of the hotel.

She attempted to use her hair as a shield to cover her face.

She declined to answer questions from the media as police directed her inside of the hotel (pictured on July 18)

Ms Connor (pictured) attempted to use her hair to cover her face from the media last month

She has left ex-boyfriend Taylor behind, who is serving a six-year sentence in Kerobokan's male prison for his part in the officer's death.

However, there are concerns she could be killed in a revenge attack as soon as she's released after a cop killer on the popular tourist island was recently murdered in Sulawesi upon their release from jail.

'We want to ensure her safety when she is released from prison. We don't want another revenge killing,' Mr Suprapto, the corrections division head of the Law and Human Right ministry's Bali office, told The Daily Telegraph.

Sara Connor (pictured last month) is escorted to a waiting car after being released from prison in Bali

The Australian woman (pictured) covered her face with a headscarf as she was bundled into the back of an immigration vehicle in July

She was all smiles the day before being released from Kerobokan Prison after serving four years for her role in the fatal assault of a policeman on a Bali beach

'Her safety is our consideration. Cases where victims are police officers can attract persecution.'

Prisoners serving time with Ms Connor say she has grown paranoid in the weeks leading up to her release and will lash out at anyone she suspects is trying to take a photo of her.

Although she has retrained as a hairdresser during her sentence and took up painting, insiders say she has grown very withdrawn and now rejects any jail activities including exercise, arts and even food.

'Sara keeps to herself and is not friendly. Not to anyone. She didn't participate in our recent fashion show and never gets involved with dance, or anything that the jail asks her to be part of,' a prisoner, who did not wish to be named, said.

'She thinks people will sell her photo and is crazy and paranoid about that. She loves her ciggies and coffee and hanging out in a quiet corner.'

The Byron Bay mother-of-two was issued her release papers on Thursday after a four-year stint behind bars

Ms Connor showed off her inked fingers (pictured) before she was released from Kerobokan prison in Bali

Ms Connor's 'relaxing holiday' turned into a 'nightmare' when her then British boyfriend David Taylor, beat a police officer of 35 years to death with multiple objects.

They included a mobile phone, the officer's own binoculars and a Bintang beer bottle.

The holidaying couple were cuddling at the water's edge at Kuta Beach before the killing unfolded.

An Indonesian court found that the now 38-year-old 'DJ Nutzo' confronted officer Wayan Sudarsa after Connor had lost her purse.

Ms Connor (pictured) is seen in hand cuffs during her trial at Denpasar District Court in Bali on February 14, 2017

He began to frisk Mr Sudarsa before the situation violently escalated.

Connor was found to have put her arm around the policeman's neck and sat on his stomach an was convicted of fatal assault in company.

The mum, whose children are now 13 and 15, claimed she was bitten by Mr Sudarsa when trying to separate the pair, and ran away, ending her involvement.

Taylor claimed he was 'in fear of his life', when he struck Mr Sudarsa over the head with a beer bottle.

When Mr Sudarsa was motionless, Taylor took the officer's identification cards.

At Ms Connor's trial, the judges said she cut up Mr Sudarsa's ID cards not to protect his identity and stop them from being stolen, but because she panicked and felt guilty.

Ms Connor (pictured) is set to walk free on Thursday after spending the past four years behind bars for her role in the fatal assault of a local policeman at Kuta Beach in August 2016

Connor's 'relaxing holiday' turned into a 'nightmare' when her then British boyfriend David Taylor (pictured) beat a police officer of 35 years to death with multiple objects

A man walks past the main gate of the notorious Kerobokan Prison (pictured) where Ms Connor was being held

Taylor later told Ms Connor the police officer was 'passed out' on the beach.

They had no idea, they claimed, of the seriousness of Mr Sudarsa's injuries.

Dr Dudut Rustyadi, who performed the autopsy on Mr Sudarsa, told their trials it would have taken him at least two hours to die and had someone intervened he might have been saved.

Instead, Ms Connor and Taylor returned to their hotel, cut up Mr Sudarsa's cards and left for nearby Jimbaran later that morning.

Two days later, Ms Connor turned on her mobile phone and learned of his death.

She has since offered $2,500 in compensation offered to the policeman's widow, and has always maintained her innocence.

Taylor is serving a six-year sentence for his part in the officer's fatal assault.

Connor and her British boyfriend were convicted over the murder of a local policeman. She is pictured (above) inside an immigration office after her release
Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday unveiled a new political map of Pakistan that counts Jammu and Kashmir and Junagadh in Gujarat as its territories. This is the most historic day in Pakistans history, Khan said at a news conference after getting cabinet approval for the map.

Indias foreign ministry dissed Imran Khans Pakistan for its obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism.

This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian State of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and of Ladakh. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility, external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a brief statement.

In fact, this new effort only confirms reality of Pakistans obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism, Srivastava said, referring to the so-called political map released by Imran Khan.

An Indian official had earlier described Islamabads effort to publish the document as a cartographic hallucination.

Imran Khans move comes a day ahead of the first anniversary of the Indian government tabling in parliament the legislation to scrap Jammu and Kashmirs special status and splitting the erstwhile state into two centrally-administered territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Imran Khans government has already worked out a long list of programmes to commemorate the first anniversary, including requests to its partners such as China and Turkey to issue statements, or tweets that criticise India.

Also Read: Paks troubled economy is hurting more than Imran Khan wants to believe | Opinion

Over the last one year, Pakistan has made several attempts to raise the change in Jammu and Kashmirs status from a state to a union territory at several international fora but hasnt been able to get much traction. Khans government, nevertheless, counts its effort as a huge success. Imran Khan counted it as his governments biggest success.

A Pakistan watcher in New Delhi said Imran Khans decision to issue the map reflected a desperation at some level to show his constituency back home that he was making progress. It also suits Imran Khans iron brother Xi Jinpings China who feels that India is getting aggressive and the rise of India needs to be monitored and checked, he said.

The new map also comes at a time the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor is coming under increasing pressure.

Also Read: With CPEC in mind, China wants Pakistan to pitch Baloch outfit as terror group in UN

There are reports that Baloch and Sindhi separatist groups in Pakistan have announced they are forming an alliance to attack Chinese interests. On July 25, Baloch Raji Ajoi Sangar, or BRAS, a consortium of four Baloch separatist organizations, announced in a media release an alliance with the Sindudesh Revolutionary Army, or SRA, a little known separatist group operating in southeastern Sindh province. Balochistan is another province in the southwest. This development could increase security costs for Belt and Road Initiative projects in Pakistan.

At his news briefing on Tuesday, PM Khan said the newly-launched map is backed by all political parties of the country which he said support the principled stance of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. This map also opposes the Indian governments illegal act of August 5 last year, he added.

Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi described the map as an unprecedented step.

For the first time in history, our government has openly presented its stance before the world, he said.

In the same vein, Qureshi informed that the Kashmir Highway in Islamabad is being named Srinagar Highway. Solidarity walks, photo exhibitions and seminars will be arranged with coronavirus related SOPs in consideration to raise voices against Indian atrocities in Jammu and Kashmir, said Qureshi.
Bharatiya Janata Party patriarch Lal Krishna Advani on Tuesday said he is humbled that destinay made him the device for the Ram Rath yatra which was taken out from Somnath in Gujarat to Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh in 1990, and served as a defining moment of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. .

In a statement, issued hours before the ground breaking ceremony will take place in Ayodhya to mark the beginning of the construction of the Ram Temple, Advani also referred to the temples construction as the fulfilment of a long-pending dream, but completely sidestepped the controversy over his exclusion from the invite list.

Sometimes significant dreams in ones life take a long time to fruition. But when they are finally realised, the wait becomes very worthwhile. One such dream, close to my heart is now getting fulfilled, he said.

Referring to the temples construction he said, On this auspicious occasion, I want to express my gratitude to the scores of saints, leaders and people from India and the world over who made valuable contributions and sacrifices in the Ram Janmabhoomi movement. And I am also very happy that due to the decisive verdict of the Supreme Court in November 2019, the construction of Shri Ram Mandir is getting started in an environment of tranquility. This will go a long way in strengthening the bond between Indians.

Advani who was the face of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement, along with senior BJP leader Murli Manohar Joshi is also an accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case. In December 1992, kar sevaks ( religious workers) demolished the Babri Masjid that stood at the disputed Ram Janmabhoomi site. Last month Advani sat through the final deposition in the case through a video conferencing facility; the verdict by a CBI special court is expected to come by August 30.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and a host of other senior RSS functionaries are expected to be present for the ceremony on Wednesday morning.

Advani, Joshi and former UP chief minister Kalyan Singh, also a key player in the early years of the movement, will not be present on-site. A functionary at he Vishwa Hindu Parishad claimed invitations were sent out but the leaders were requested to join the ceremony through video conferencing. Since there is a pandemic and all three of them are elderly and in frail health it was decided that they will be requested to not be physically present for the bhoomi pujan, said a VHP functionary. HT couldnt immediately confirm that Advani and Joshi have received invitations.

Advanis statement itself made no reference to the invitation, he instead expressed hope that the construction of the temple would pave the way for inclusion.  It is my belief that the Shri Ram Mandir will represent India as a strong, prosperous, peaceful and harmonious nation with justice for all and exclusion of none to truly usher in Ram Rajya, the epitome of good governance.

Former union minister Uma Bharti who was also part of the Rath yatra has already announced that she will pay obeisance at the temple once the ceremony gets over to avoid the risk of infecting the PM during the ground breaking ceremony.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 11:39:32|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Tuesday that it received reports of 36 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Monday, including 30 locally-transmitted ones.

Of the locally-transmitted cases, 28 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and two in Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

On Monday, six new imported cases were also reported. Of the cases, four were reported in Guangdong Province, and one in Shanghai Municipality and Sichuan Province each, the commission said.

One new suspected COVID-19 case imported from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai.

No deaths related to the disease were reported Monday.

On Monday, 17 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission said.

By the end of Monday, a total of 2,098 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Of them, 2,001 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 97 remained hospitalized, with two in serious conditions. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

As of Monday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland had reached 84,464, including 800 patients who were still being treated, with 36 in severe conditions.

Altogether 79,030 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease on the mainland, the commission said.

There were still five suspected COVID-19 cases, it added.

According to the commission, 547 close contacts were newly discharged from medical observation and there were 21,743 close contacts still under medical observation.

Also on Monday, 21 new asymptomatic cases, including 12 from outside the mainland, were reported, and two asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

The commission said 264 asymptomatic cases, including 112 from outside the mainland, were still under medical observation.

By Monday, 3,589 confirmed cases, including 38 deaths, had been reported in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR), 46 confirmed cases in the Macao SAR, and 474, including seven deaths, in Taiwan.

A total of 2,037 COVID-19 patients in the Hong Kong SAR, 46 in the Macao SAR, and 441 in Taiwan had been discharged from hospitals after recovery. Enditem
An army of undead approaches in "Night of the Living Dead," directed by George Romero, 1968. (Pictorial Parade / Getty Images)

After George A. Romero died in 2017, his wife, Suzanne Desrocher, began the process of bringing the legendary zombie film director back from the beyond. Well, OK, it wasnt Romero himself she hoped to reanimate, but his final project: an epic zombie novel called The Living Dead.

Out this week, its a brisk 656 pages, filled with the gore, the tension and the social commentary of Romero classics like Night of the Living Dead. Its also, accidentally, a timely saga about a mismanaged pandemic and the societal collapse that follows. And while Romeros movies tended to keep a tight focus, this story  freed from Hollywoods meddling and budgetary constraints  sprawls across the nation. There are so many sympathetic protagonists that its impossible to predict who will survive and who will be eaten. (Spoiler: Many of your favorite characters will not make it to the end, at least not as humans.)

The finished book isnt Romeros alone; it came to life only with the help of Daniel Kraus, the best-selling writer of a slew of horror and fantasy novels as well as, with Guillermo Del Toro, the concepts and novels behind Trollhunters and The Shape of Water.

Romero had worked on this book on and off for years, and while hed written hundreds of pages, many were still in first-draft shape, the story nowhere near finished. He and Desrocher never spoke about someone else finishing his labor of love. After his [lung cancer] diagnosis, he didnt want to discuss business, Desrocher says. But after he died, I felt this was an artist with a huge amount of work left to share.

She conferred with manager Chris Roe about how the book might be finished. Roe happened to be from the same Iowa hometown as Kraus, who he knew revered Romero; in 2006 Roe had even introduced the two creators.

I really take Romero seriously, says Kraus, whose passion extends beyond the zombie films to works like The Crazies and Martin. The stuff he talked about is imprinted in my DNA; its almost gospel. I modeled my career after the kind of stories he told and the warnings he gave.

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After one meeting, Desrocher knew shed found the writer to finish The Living Dead. He was totally the right guy, she says. You could feel his passion.

For Kraus, the project was irresistible, and not just because he idolized Romero. Im really into challenging myself and throwing up obstacles, he says  from the experimental slang in his last novel, Blood Sugar, to his collaborations with Del Toro. Its about forcing myself to work in different ways. Sometimes that produces the best stuff.

On The Living Dead, the challenge was honoring Romeros existing writing and his patchy plans. Kraus says the finished novel is about half Romero, half Kraus.

Sometimes there was a snippet he wrote and it no longer worked where he had it, but Id say, Maybe I can get the spirit of that in somewhere else or Maybe this character can be combined with that one, he says. There were large gaps in the middle and the end. I had to get from A to Z but fill in B and D and H and so on. It was a fascinating and unique puzzle. I spent a lot more time thinking and planning than I normally do.

Kraus read interviews and scholarly analyses, talked to Desrocher and others close to Romero, consumed the filmmakers favorite movies and music, and studied all the films  including a long-lost Romero, Amusement Park. (Desrocher is now seeking its release; as for screen rights to Living Dead, she plans to be cautious: Im not prepared to sell my soul and Georges.)

Suzanne Desrocher-Romero worked with Daniel Kraus to bring her late husband's unfinished zombie novel back from the dead. (Christian Stavrakis)

Most useful to Kraus, of course, were Romeros six zombie films, starting with the 1968 classic Night of the Living Dead. They were hugely helpful, especially once I put them in the chronological order of the zombie epidemic, which showed how he thought the first five years of that played out, Kraus says. Having all that data [helped me] intuit what year nine or 10 might be.

It felt important to honor Romeros firm parameters for zombie behavior. There have been endless variations on zombies, but he largely wasnt interested in them, Kraus says, adding that Romero disdained fast-moving or brain-eating ghouls. He wanted biologically logical creatures. How can legs that are rotting run? Why bother with the hard skull when you have an entire soft body.

This explains why the novels characters dont immediately recognize the zombies for what they are. Its always a meta-question hanging over genre movies: Havent these people seen any movies? Shouldnt everyone know the best practices for killing vampires, werewolves and zombies?

Its a paradox, but when dealing with a George Romero project you have to presume George Romero didnt exist and that zombies didnt become these pop culture figures, Kraus says. That would have been too meta, and George would not have been interested in it at all.

Kraus research and kinship with Romero freed him to take creative risks. He knew to avoid bells and whistles and stay tight on the disintegration of the people around the zombies. But he wanted to make the most of what a novel could do that a movie couldnt. Romero had the idea of writing sections from the zombies points of view; Kraus ran (or staggered slowly) with the concept. This twist creates a weird empathy for the creatures. Readers may see the book as dealing with a zombie plague, but it seemed clear to me that there was a human plague, and the zombies are the planets way to flush out the toxins.

Romero was a surprisingly tricky collaborator, considering his condition. He kept coming back from the dead, Kraus says; while he was writing, another hundred pages were discovered, then a nine-page letter in which Romero sketched out characters and plot threads  some of which Kraus had already moved beyond. He strove to honor his late partners wishes whenever he could. It was amazing how much it felt like a standard collaboration, he says.

Horror writer-director George Romero at the 66th Venice Film Festival. (Nicolas Genin)

Then there were unpredictable events on a more global scale. Romero started toying with the idea of The Living Dead decades ago. But a pandemic that causes panicking people to lock themselves away while simmering racial divisions and violence fuel further death and destruction sounds, well, a tiny bit relevant.

I think itll cut a little more sharply now, Kraus says. Romero was very pessimistic; he felt in a crisis we would fail to come together. And he was right. Now we cant even come together to put a slip of cloth over our faces. So to think we would be able to work together to stop a zombie epidemic is hard to swallow. Its playing out in front of us.

While racism, xenophobia and greed are universal traits, the toxic stew of violence, mistrust and sanctimonious individualism feels uniquely American. The novel hints at how the zombie pandemic plays out elsewhere in the world. Kraus believes some other countries would handle it better, but there are no guarantees: You can have a community that is really quite strong, but one wrong guy who speaks just loudly enough can really ruin things.

(Tor Books)

In The Living Dead, one such person calls the outsiders thugs and rants about building walls. And yet his ideas arent totally wrong. Terrible people sometimes do the right thing, and good people sometimes do the wrong thing, Kraus says. We were not thinking that any one of us is going to be able to act entirely honorably when [it all] goes down.

Kraus never considered softening the novel for an audience scarred by recent events. That would dishonor his zombie collaborator. George always intended this to be a dark book, Kraus says. People just do not learn.
(Natural News) Mysterious sounds coming from the sky were recorded in places such as the U.S., Mexico, Slovakia, Italy, Brazil and Argentina, intriguing many people who appear to have heard different noises on different dates.

Most of the recordings coincided with the lockdown, so the sounds could have been present before but only caught the attention of many people due to the quieter surroundings. But some people were not convinced, surmising that the noises foreshadow the apocalypse.

Weird noises from the sky  an omen?

Nature is known to produce noises, from a thunder rumbling to wind rustling. Natures ambient sounds are particularly heard at night, where they travel longer distances than in the day.

But many people were calling the sounds emanating from the sky as the celestial trumpets of the apocalypse. A witness from Bratislava, Slovakia described the sounds occurring in early April as Darth Vader breathing, while May 2 recordings from Colorado were more of a sharp whistle.

In early April, vibrations from the sounds were enough to trigger car alarms in the city Merida in Mexico. Furthermore, audio recordings resemble engine noises even though factories have been silent due to either the holidays or the coronavirus.

San Francisco also experienced a permanent, creepy sound in June, which is said to be reminiscent of blaring trumpets.

However, the noises in these locations are likely not new at all. Several similar reports were also made in the past. And its also possible that an individuals report of new sounds snowballed and made other people listen out and notice the noises as well.

Various explanations for sounds from the sky

People also offered explanations in an attempt to rationalize the eerie sounds.

In interviews regarding similar reports in the past, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) said that the sounds were due to a natural phenomenon.

According to NASA, Earth has natural emissions that sound like music from a science fiction movie, but in reality that hum is known as cielomoto  translated from Spanish as heavenly or sky quakes.

While seismic movements in the land are due to the collision of plates, sky quakes are produced by the collision of hot and cold air masses. This phenomenon is not uncommon at all. But after the worldwide lockdown due to the coronavirus pandemic lulled much of human activity, the sounds are more likely to be heard, said NASA scientists.

In other instances, however, the sounds may be caused by man-made infrastructures in the area such as the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The bridges Seargent said that the mysterious hum is produced by high winds blowing through the railing slats that were recently installed along the bridges bike path.

Other theories proposed phenomena such as meteors, massive tsunami waves breaking far from shore and shallow earthquakes that could produce audible sounds without noticeable shaking.

The celestial booms, as some people put it, might also be caused by the testing of secret military aircraft such as the spy plane that was dubbed Aurora. In fact, some people in particular areas described the sounds they heard as drone-like. (Related: Mystery drone sightings in Colorado, Nebraska have many experts baffled.)

According to television meteorologist James Spann, I would imagine many of them are related to classified missions involving military aircraft.

Its also possible that many of these celestial sounds come from different sources, thus the various explanations for them.

As David Hill, formerly of the US Geological Survey, said, There may be several plausible explanations for any given incidence of a mysterious booming sound, and that the environment where the sound is heard will determine which of the possible explanations are most reasonable.

He cited a sound in the desert as an example, saying that such a sound is not likely due to breaking surf.

Unexplained.news has more on weird and mysterious phenomena on Earth.

Sources include:

StrangeSounds.org

YucatanExpatLife.com

Express.co.UK

Science.HowStuffWorks.com
The State Border Guard Service of Ukraine has informed what documents, in addition to a passport, are required for a trip to Turkey.

To travel to Turkey, one needs to have a passport of a citizen of Ukraine for traveling abroad or an ID-card of a citizen of Ukraine.

In addition, a certificate of insurance is needed (from July 1, entry is allowed only if a tourist has a certificate of insurance for COVID-19, which can be purchased online, from a tour operator, when buying tickets, and directly at the Turkish airport upon arrival).

Also, at the border, a medical examination is provided at the medical control point to detect possible coronavirus infection. If symptoms are detected, a PCR test is carried out free of charge.

As Ukrinform reported, the Ministry of Health of Ukraine expanded the list of "red zone" countries due to the unfavorable situation with COVID-19. The list includes 127 countries.

Turkey is in the "green zone". This is the most popular tourist destination for Ukrainians.

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United States of America US Virgin Islands United States Minor Outlying Islands Canada Mexico, United Mexican States Bahamas, Commonwealth of the Cuba, Republic of Dominican Republic Haiti, Republic of Jamaica Afghanistan Albania, People's Socialist Republic of Algeria, People's Democratic Republic of American Samoa Andorra, Principality of Angola, Republic of Anguilla Antarctica (the territory South of 60 deg S) Antigua and Barbuda Argentina, Argentine Republic Armenia Aruba Australia, Commonwealth of Austria, Republic of Azerbaijan, Republic of Bahrain, Kingdom of Bangladesh, People's Republic of Barbados Belarus Belgium, Kingdom of Belize Benin, People's Republic of Bermuda Bhutan, Kingdom of Bolivia, Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana, Republic of Bouvet Island (Bouvetoya) Brazil, Federative Republic of British Indian Ocean Territory (Chagos Archipelago) British Virgin Islands Brunei Darussalam Bulgaria, People's Republic of Burkina Faso Burundi, Republic of Cambodia, Kingdom of Cameroon, United Republic of Cape Verde, Republic of Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad, Republic of Chile, Republic of China, People's Republic of Christmas Island Cocos (Keeling) Islands Colombia, Republic of Comoros, Union of the Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, People's Republic of Cook Islands Costa Rica, Republic of Cote D'Ivoire, Ivory Coast, Republic of the Cyprus, Republic of Czech Republic Denmark, Kingdom of Djibouti, Republic of Dominica, Commonwealth of Ecuador, Republic of Egypt, Arab Republic of El Salvador, Republic of Equatorial Guinea, Republic of Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia Faeroe Islands Falkland Islands (Malvinas) Fiji, Republic of the Fiji Islands Finland, Republic of France, French Republic French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon, Gabonese Republic Gambia, Republic of the Georgia Germany Ghana, Republic of Gibraltar Greece, Hellenic Republic Greenland Grenada Guadaloupe Guam Guatemala, Republic of Guinea, Revolutionary People's Rep'c of Guinea-Bissau, Republic of Guyana, Republic of Heard and McDonald Islands Holy See (Vatican City State) Honduras, Republic of Hong Kong, Special Administrative Region of China Hrvatska (Croatia) Hungary, Hungarian People's Republic Iceland, Republic of India, Republic of Indonesia, Republic of Iran, Islamic Republic of Iraq, Republic of Ireland Israel, State of Italy, Italian Republic Japan Jordan, Hashemite Kingdom of Kazakhstan, Republic of Kenya, Republic of Kiribati, Republic of Korea, Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Republic of Kuwait, State of Kyrgyz Republic Lao People's Democratic Republic Latvia Lebanon, Lebanese Republic Lesotho, Kingdom of Liberia, Republic of Libyan Arab Jamahiriya Liechtenstein, Principality of Lithuania Luxembourg, Grand Duchy of Macao, Special Administrative Region of China Macedonia, the former Yugoslav Republic of Madagascar, Republic of Malawi, Republic of Malaysia Maldives, Republic of Mali, Republic of Malta, Republic of Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania, Islamic Republic of Mauritius Mayotte Micronesia, Federated States of Moldova, Republic of Monaco, Principality of Mongolia, Mongolian People's Republic Montserrat Morocco, Kingdom of Mozambique, People's Republic of Myanmar Namibia Nauru, Republic of Nepal, Kingdom of Netherlands Antilles Netherlands, Kingdom of the New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua, Republic of Niger, Republic of the Nigeria, Federal Republic of Niue, Republic of Norfolk Island Northern Mariana Islands Norway, Kingdom of Oman, Sultanate of Pakistan, Islamic Republic of Palau Palestinian Territory, Occupied Panama, Republic of Papua New Guinea Paraguay, Republic of Peru, Republic of Philippines, Republic of the Pitcairn Island Poland, Polish People's Republic Portugal, Portuguese Republic Puerto Rico Qatar, State of Reunion Romania, Socialist Republic of Russian Federation Rwanda, Rwandese Republic Samoa, Independent State of San Marino, Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of Senegal, Republic of Serbia and Montenegro Seychelles, Republic of Sierra Leone, Republic of Singapore, Republic of Slovakia (Slovak Republic) Slovenia Solomon Islands Somalia, Somali Republic South Africa, Republic of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Spain, Spanish State Sri Lanka, Democratic Socialist Republic of St. Helena St. Kitts and Nevis St. Lucia St. Pierre and Miquelon St. Vincent and the Grenadines Sudan, Democratic Republic of the Suriname, Republic of Svalbard & Jan Mayen Islands Swaziland, Kingdom of Sweden, Kingdom of Switzerland, Swiss Confederation Syrian Arab Republic Taiwan, Province of China Tajikistan Tanzania, United Republic of Thailand, Kingdom of Timor-Leste, Democratic Republic of Togo, Togolese Republic Tokelau (Tokelau Islands) Tonga, Kingdom of Trinidad and Tobago, Republic of Tunisia, Republic of Turkey, Republic of Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda, Republic of Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom of Great Britain & N. Ireland Uruguay, Eastern Republic of Uzbekistan Vanuatu Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of Viet Nam, Socialist Republic of Wallis and Futuna Islands Western Sahara Yemen Zambia, Republic of Zimbabwe
OTTAWA - The potential sale of social-media platform TikTok to Microsoft is leaving Canada with a sense of deja vu.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

President Donald Trump speaks during a signing ceremony for H.R. 1957  "The Great American Outdoors Act," in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, in Washington. The potential sale of social media platform TikTok to Microsoft is leaving Canada with a sense of deja vu. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP/Alex Brandon

OTTAWA - The potential sale of social-media platform TikTok to Microsoft is leaving Canada with a sense of deja vu.

Experts say the country is once again being pressured to take sides in a debate about digital technology that seems driven more by politics than by policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump is effectively forcing the sale of the Chinese-owned TikTok, citing national-security concerns over the user data and device access potentially available to China's government.

Microsoft has emerged as a potential buyer for the popular video-sharing app, seeking to acquire its presence in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

Michael Geist, an expert in internet law at the University of Ottawa, says the issue feels like a replay of the debate over whether to allow Huawei technology into Canada's 5G wireless data networks.

The federal government still hasn't ended that debate with a decision, while Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou awaits possible extradition to the United States after being arrested in Vancouver and two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, have been detained in China for more than 600 days.

Geist says Canada is once again uncomfortably pressured to take sides in an emerging global digital tech battle and may try to not get too involved in the TikTok talks.

"At this stage, I'm not convinced that the Canadian government has clear policy on the area," Geist said, "meaning our likely response is to stay on the sidelines and let the issue unfold without much input or engagement."

TikTok launched three years ago and now boasts 100 million users worldwide who upload short, catchy videos.

A report earlier this year from We Are Social, a global agency that tracks social-media use, found that TikTok was the sixth most-downloaded app in Canada in 2019, but used by only nine per cent of Canadian internet users aged 16 to 64.

Trump has framed his concerns around a Chinese company having access to Americans' personal data, echoing concerns that earlier this year led a Chinese gaming company to sell Grindr, a gay dating app, to an American company for over US$600 million.

Trump's push comes amid escalating rhetoric towards Beijing over trade and the novel coronavirus pandemic.

"The recent TikTok developments in the U.S. appear to be driven far more by politics than policy," Geist said. "There is little difference in the data collection practices of TikTok and the large U.S. social-media companies."

A decision late last month from the Court of Justice of the European Union highlighted what it saw as the inadequacy of U.S. privacy laws, saying the U.S. government could have unchecked access to user information through its own surveillance laws.

So while bringing TikTok's user data to U.S. servers might alleviate concerns about Chinese spying, it doesn't eliminate concerns of U.S. agencies doing the same to an American-owned platform.

"When Europe passed the strongest privacy regulation in the world, Microsoft decided to offer those protections and rights to everyone  even though they weren't required to by law," said Lauren Reid, president of privacy consultancy The Privacy Pro.

"At the end of the day, Microsoft is a U.S. company and is subject to the U.S. government surveillance programs, which allow unchecked access to the personal information held by private companies."

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On Monday, Trump told reporters he would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless Microsoft or another American company bought the app by Sept. 15, with a portion of the sale going to the U.S. treasury.

Christopher Parsons, a senior research associate at the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab, said Trump's actions to force a sale would be a fairly substantive break with the way governments ordinarily treat internet companies.

In effect, the president's actions suggest that each country should have its own branches of social media companies, Parsons said.

A question for Canadian policy-makers is what they would do if a country demanded part of a domestic tech darling  Parsons used Ottawa-based Shopify as an example  be hived off for similar reasons Trump has for TikTok.

"If Canada were to be involved, I think that it may be less around concerns about there being two TikToks ... and more around are these the kinds of norms we want to be propagated," he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has attacked his reformist political opponents ahead of the country's August 9 presidential election, accusing them of being well-paid "foreign agents" who are attempting to return Belarus to the "chaos" of the 1990s.

Lukashenka rejected calls from his opponents to revert to the 1994 version of the Belarusian constitution, which limited anyone from serving as the country's president to a maximum of two terms.

"Those who demand changes, reforms, and the return of the old constitution just want the return of the chaotic 1990s," Lukashenka told lawmakers from both chambers of parliament who were part of an audience gathered at the Palace of the Republic in Minsk on August 4. "Do not believe those who promise a golden hill."

"By returning the constitution of 1994 we would restore anarchy," said Lukashenka, who had himself been elected president under that constitution.

"Returning to the 1994 constitution would be a gift to criminals. We won't return to the wild 1990s," he said.

"Billions are thrown to destabilize Belarus. So, it is impossible for Belarusians to be against Lukashenka. All those who are against Lukashenka are foreign agents," Lukashenka said, without elaborating.

Western diplomats have dubbed Belarus as Europe's last dictatorship due to what opponents and activists say has been decades of undemocratic rule.

Lukashenkas 26 years of authoritarian rule look increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 election.

However, most analysts say he will likely win through a combination of fraud and repression against an energized opposition.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have attended daily rallies in recent weeks in support of presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old political novice backed by would-be presidential candidates who've been disqualified from running.

"Unfair methods are used to involve our youth into protest actions," Lukashenka said. "No one is going to steal your votes."

Lukashenka called reforms demanded by the opposition "a gift to crime and criminal business," adding that economic reforms and privatization are not necessary and are dangerous.

In recent weeks, Lukashenka has been meeting with Interior Ministry officials and inspecting the military, sending an signal that he may order a crackdown by security forces to quell unrest against his increasingly unpopular rule.

"I call on all parents and teachers to keep our youth from bad deeds.... So that they would not follow the puppet masters," he told parliament.

Lukashenka also said the youth in Belarus are "shamelessly used" for political purposes.

Lukashenka also urged the opposition to stay out of the way and allow his government to bring prosperity to the country.

"Do not stay in the way if you do not know what to do. Let us take care of the country. In two-three years we will rectify the situation."

Lukashenka's government has alleged that 33 mercenaries from the private Russian firm Vagner group who were detained last month in Belarus were trying to destabilize Belarus ahead of the election.

The Kremlin has rejected the accusations, saying that the men were detained while in transit to Istanbul before flying to "a third country."

But Lukashenka has lashed out at Moscow, accusing it of lying about the contractors' presence in Belarus. He has said that unnamed forces were trying to stir a revolt, but they would fail.

"They lied about Istanbul, Africa, and Latin America. They were waiting for the signal. Why did they decide to travel through Belarus, and not from Crimea or Novorossiisk? They told us everything! Stop lying! We know everything," Lukashenka said.

"Their destination was not Istanbul or Venezuela, it was Belarus.... Do not believe in those lies," Lukashenka told the gathering in Minsk on August 4.

The lead up to the August 9 vote has been marred by dubious disqualifications and an unprecedented scale of detentions and other persecution against a backdrop of a pandemic and pro-democracy protests.

More than 1,100 people have been arrested since campaigning began, including politicians, organizers, and journalists.

Authorities have barred aspiring candidates like Valer Tsapkala and popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, the husband of Tsikhanouskaya.

Lukashenka, in his address, slighted Tsikhanouskaya, Maryya Kalesnikava, a coordinator of the campaign of another excluded presidential aspirant, and the wife of Tsapkala, Veranika Tsapkala, by referring to them as "poor girls," unaware of what alleged political operatives had in mind for them.
'COVID-19 comes in, we have our immune response, the immune response overtakes COVID-19 in no time, usually within a day.'

'Fortunately, the majority who get infected will also be in that first category, where there is no damage and the virus is completely overcome.'

IMAGE: A healthcare worker collects a sample at a school turned into a COVID testing centre in New Delhi, August 3, 2020. Photograph: ANI Photo

Is COVID-19 like a thief in the night?

Dr Sanjeeth Peter explains why it is.

The heart surgeon, who is a critical care team member for COVID-19 patient care in Gujarat, sheds light, in a precise and simple way, on this viral disease and its numbers in India.

Like:

Dr Peter, who qualified from the Christian Medical College, Vellore, Tamil Nadu, and the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Australia, and has been operating for 25 years, is the director and chief cardiac surgeon at the DDMM Heart Institute, a super specialty hospital, in the small town of Nadiad, southeast Gujarat, about 60 km from Ahmedabad.

In Part I of this interview to Vaihayasi Pande Daniel/Rediff.com, Dr Peter graphically portrays how COVID-19 is quite like a burglar, who is stealthily trespassing, and breaking into your home ie illegally entering your body. Further he describes what happens during that unlawful entry, by the virus, into your lungs and cells.

There is now a lot of data being made accessible about active cases and recovered cases.

How is this important and what does it mean?

Someone I know well had a bad case of COVID-19. She has come out of it and her COVID-19 test is now negative.

But she was told that she still has COVID-19 in her lungs.

What does that mean?

Is she still an active case or not? Is she a recovered case?

First, (about this) personal acquaintance of yours, who was declared COVID-19 negative, but is COVID-19 positive in the lungs, etc, etc.

Obviously, she's going to be confused.

Does she have it?

Does she not?

Can she transmit? Can somebody else get it from her? Can she get it again?

These are the questions probably going through her mind.

That's why it's a confusing picture.

Let's look at it this way:

I like to give an analogy of a burglar. Let's say this burglar is COVID-19.

This burglar comes into your home to steal something and cause some damage.

We know that this particular burglar is susceptible to or doesn't like fire.

Let's use fire as an analogy for our body's immune response.

The first situation with a burglar named COVID-19: In the first situation, if this burglar comes into your house, you (immediately) detect that this burglar has come in. Before the burglar does anything or takes anything away, your systems are so alert, and your immune response is so alert, that you use fire and the burglar goes away. Sixty per cent of our patients are going to be like that. COVID-19 comes in, we have our immune response, the immune response overtakes COVID-19 in no time, usually within a day. And then COVID-19 leaves. So, you're left with no damage to your house. The house, in this case, is, let's say, both the body and specifically the lungs.

The second situation with a burglar named COVID-19: In the second situation, when the burglar comes in, you realise this only after the burglar has opened the door and come into the house. The characteristic of this burglar is that it replicates very quickly. And that's what COVID-19 does. It replicates very quickly. It gets into the throat, then it gets into the lungs and it starts replicating in the cells. That's when we realise that: 'Okay, this burglar has come in'. Then we again use fire (our immune system response) to get rid of it, and we overcome it. But in the bargain, maybe, we have also caused some damage -- maybe to a table next to it (the fire), or to another chair next to it, because it is fire after all. But it is very minimal damage. We don't even realise it has burnt something that we probably hardly use. We have overcome the burglar. The burglar has gone out. So that's going to happen in another 40 to 50 per cent of patients. There will be a slight response, in terms of maybe a fever, maybe even diarrhea, or maybe any of those other symptoms that (we know about COVID-19). We might even develop a little bit of incessant cough. But in the second situation, everything will also be alright, because we have overcome the burglar.

The third situation with a burglar named COVID-19: In the third situation, the burglar comes in and replicates so fast, that even our capacity (immune response) is not adequate to actually overcome him. The burglar goes around destroying everything in that room in the house and at the end of that time period, the patient is dead. This is probably what is happening in those patients who die within two or three days of (exhibiting) COVID-19 symptoms. I am sure you would have heard of patients who had symptoms and two or three days later they are dead. This is what is happening to those patients. That means it is a viral replication per se that is probably responsible for the death, in such a situation.

The fourth situation with a burglar named COVID-19: This is a classic situation. When the virus comes in and starts replicating, our immune response sets in. And our immune response has been so good that by the 10th or 14th day it has got over the virus -- every single virus particle that there was, because our immune response was so good. But it also triggered off that (too) much of a fire, that it destroyed its own self. Cytokine storm or a hyperactive immune response? Yes, so that's what it is. It's destroyed itself. Then you were left with no virus, sure. In such situations, quite often what has been described, is that by Day 14, Day 15 or Day 16, they may not have any active viral particles there; they may not have any active viruses at all. But yet they are sick on a ventilator, and they are on various other supportive therapies, because their immune response has been so unregulated, that it has responded and caused a massive fire in the situation. Several of these patients succumb.
Detectives in Kirinyaga County have arrested a suspect linked to the murder of Mutira MCA David Kinyua Wanguis mother-in-law.

The 48-year-old suspect attacked the deceased, 49-year-old Joyce Kaira Muthiru, on Wednesday, July 29 at around 7 pm while she was preparing supper. Ms. Muthiru was pronounced dead on arrival at the Kerugoya Referral Hospital where she had been rushed.

After the attack, the suspect identified as Francis Mureithi went into hiding for days before returning to his home where he was promptly arrested.

Kirinyaga Central Police Commander Doly Odour said the suspect confessed to the crime and surrendered the murder weapon, a bloody machete that he used to hack the deceased.

The suspect is being held at Kerugoya Police Station pending arraignment in court.

Mutira Ward Representative David Kinyua Wangui said they were yet to establish the motive for the gruesome murder but revealed that it was a family issue.

We still do not know his intentions. Imagine he is a brother to our father-in-law. This is a family issue but we also appreciate how the police are handling the case.

I believe he was motivated by jealousy and all we can say is we wish the court expedites the issue and justice be served, he told Kenyans.co.ke.

Mr Kinyua is renowned for tabling an impeachment motion against Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru in June this year.

Barely a month later, unknown assailants raided his home and torched his cattle shed, leaving behind two jerricans of petrol after his farmhand raised alarm.
'The CEO will neither be able to guide the senior team in operational matters nor decide on their appointment, compensation or removal.'

'Yet, the CEO is responsible for the profit and loss of the bank!'

'Why would the senior executives listen to him?'

'Which self-respecting professional would want to be a CEO with these constraints?' asks Tamal Bandyopadhyay.

Recently, Federal Bank Ltd got the Reserve Bank of India's approval of its managing director and CEO Shyam Srinivasan's reappointment till September 2021.

The current term of Srinivasan, who took over the mantle in 2010, would have ended in September.

In theory, the RBI can allow Srinivasan, 57, to continue till 2025 and return to the helm again after three years. It plans to cap the tenure of a professional banker as CEO at 15 consecutive years.

The individual could be re-appointed after a gap of three years, provided there's no association with the bank in any way during this period. The retirement age remains 70.

Given a chance, would Srinivasan love to have a longer innings? I bet not.

A discussion paper on governance in banks, put up on the Indian central bank's website in June, has proposed to make the CEO of a bank a titular head!

Srinvasan had run the consumer banking division at Standard Chartered Bank in India before moving to Federal Bank.

The business heads in foreign banks typically have a dual reporting relationship -- to the global business heads in different geographies as well as the local CEO.

If this dilutes the role of a foreign bank CEO, once the new governance regime takes off, the CEOs of Indian private banks would be worse off, playing the role of a glorified company secretary, preparing and circulating the agenda of the board meetings as well as the minutes of the previous meetings 'in a timely manner'.

The governance in private banks needs to be strengthened. Their share of business has been rising.

In financial year 2019, they had 76 per cent share of the incremental advances and 77 per cent of the deposits.

Besides, in the recent past, we have seen extremely poor governance in a few large listed private banks where boards were the handmaidens of the CEOs who lacked integrity.

The principles of the proposed guidelines are in sync with the best practices in the developed markets as outlined in the guidelines of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision on corporate governance principles for banks.

'The board of a bank has overall responsibility for the bank, including culture, governance framework and approving as well as overseeing management's implementation of the bank's strategic objectives. Directors have responsibilities to the bank's overall interests.'

Starting with this preamble, the paper goes beyond culture and governance and roots for micro management by the independent directors. Therein lies the problem.

It strips the CEO and even the non-executive chairman of all powers and wants board-run banks even as the capital markets regulator feels 'the day-to-day management of the company is the responsibility of the management'.

Also, Section 10 B (ii) of the Banking Regulation Act says, 'the management of the whole of the affairs of... a banking company shall be entrusted to a managing director who shall exercise his powers subject to the superintendence, control and direction of the board of directors.'

Going by the paper, a bank must have three lines of defence for risk management -- the business line (including a robust finance and accounting function); a risk-management function and a compliance function independent from the first line of defence; and an internal audit and vigilance function, independent from the first and second lines of defence.

No one can challenge the proposition, but the devil is in the detail. How will it be executed?

The chief risk officer, the head of internal audit, the chief compliance officer and the internal vigilance head will report directly to the respective board committees.

The company secretary will report to the chairman and the head of human resources will report to the nomination and remuneration committee.

Such committees will be responsible for the selection of the executives, approval of their budgets, performance appraisals and compensation.

The CEO will neither be able to guide the senior team in operational matters nor decide on their appointment, compensation or removal.

Yet, the CEO is responsible for the profit and loss of the bank! Why would the senior executives listen to him?

Which self-respecting professional would want to be a CEO with these constraints?

The non-executive chairmen of banks would be lame ducks just as the CEOs. They cannot chair any committee and can't even be a member of the audit and the risk committees.

The chairman and members of audit, risk and nomination committees also cannot be on any risk-assuming business committees such as those for credit and investments.

To put this in practice, each bank will require at least 10 independent directors. So, 20-odd private banks will need around 200 independent directors with immaculate knowledge of different facets of banking, flawless execution and extraordinary commitment.

Otherwise, the task cannot be accomplished through six meetings round the year. Even if they see this as an act of charity (as the compensation is too modest), where will such directors come from? Mars?

The proposed governance norms seem to be pushing for a role reversal -- make the non-executive directors run the bank and take away the executive powers of the CEO who gets the top job after passing the rigorous 'fit and proper' test of the regulator.

Can the non-executive directors run a bank? They can certainly oversee governance and risk-management practices, but isn't risk-taking the CEO's job?

Depositors always look up to the banks, but investors bank on the bankers. They would love to see a Jamie Dimon and an Aditya Puri running their banks forever.

They can always say if there is no floor for the CEO's tenure, why should there be a cap? Can't the RBI sack a compromised or incompetent CEO even before completing a year?

This is a different debate. The spotlight is also on many CEOs' unwillingness to identify and nurture their successors.

But the discussion paper is missing the woods for the trees and if the new norms are put in place, the private banks will be no different from their peers in the public sector.

Incidentally, these norms will be applicable to the government-owned banks in areas where there is no conflict with the provisions of the statutes that govern them and where their major shareholder, the Government of India, 'retains its instructions'.

So, regulations will never be ownership-neutral, the key to corporate governance.

Tamal Bandyopadhyay is an author and senior adviser to Jana Small Finance Bank Ltd.

Feature Presentation: Rajesh Alva/Rediff.com
Heres a useful tip: If you ever find yourself stuck on an uninhabited island in the Pacific, it turns out that writing SOS in giant letters on the sand works.

At least, it did this past weekend for three men whose small boat had run out of fuel and drifted off course among the hundreds of islands and atolls of Micronesia.

The men, said to be mariners from the Micronesian island of Pulap, were reported missing on Friday after setting off for home from the Puluwat atoll, about 25 miles away, a day earlier. In a joint operation, aircraft dispatched by the American authorities in Guam and a ship sent by the Australian military combed the area in a search for the sailors, the U.S. Coast Guard said.

On Sunday afternoon, one of the American aircraft was finishing the final leg of the days patrol when crew members saw the scrawled letters and a blue-and-white vessel on the sand of a tiny uninhabited atoll called Pikelot. Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, the pilot of the aircraft, said he was reaching the end of the planned search grid when he turned the plane to avoid a rain shower.
A COUPLE had their new bicycles stolen while they were out for a drink.

Martin and Angela Calder bought the Carrera Crossfire 2 machines to exercise during the coronavirus lockdown.

The bikes were taken from Hart Street, Henley, where the couple had left them while they went for a pre-meal drink on Saturday.

Mr Calder, 46, said: We felt disbelief, then shock and anger.

The couple, who live in Vicarage Road, had not insured the bikes so are resigned to having to replace them.

They had locked the black, white and green bikes to railings by St Marys Church at about 4.30pm while they went to the Hart Street Tavern across the road for a drink. They were going to the Giggling Squid restaurant next door at about 5.30pm when they noticed the machines had gone.

They found the wire combination lock they had used to secure the bikes had been removed and only its Velcro strap remained.

Mr Calder found more Velcro, which had been attached to the bikes baskets, on the path through the church graveyard leading to New Street.

The software engineer had cycled to Hambleden earlier that day to help a friend and returned to Henley via the Thames Path to meet his wife with her bike in Bell Street before they rode round to Hart Street.

Mr Calder said: I was in disbelief that this could happen in broad daylight with cars and people going past all the time.

We had wrapped the steel wire around the bikes frames, wheels and a number of railings and Id tied it as tight as possible.

The bikes, which cost 325 each, had baskets which the couple used to carry their three-year-old chihuahuas, Tesla and Fenton.

Mr Calder said: We were probably using the bikes every single day and would cycle into town, to Hambleden, Mill End and along the Thames Path.

We loved the bikes but theyve gone now and were both level-headed people so it is what it is. If someone is determined to steal your bike and they have the right equipment, theyre going to do it.

Im just amazed at the brazenness of doing it in broad daylight in a busy high street.

We move on and will just have to get some more bikes and insure them next time.

This kind of thing has happened to me before but not so much to my wife.

I grew up in South Africa so I have been a witness to a number of house burglaries and even chased some burglars once.

Thames Valley Police are investigating and have requested to see footage from two CCTV cameras in Bell Street and one in Hart Street, which are operated by Henley Town Council.
HONG KONG and SHANGHAI, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. (hereafter "Ping An" or the "Group", HKEx:2318; SSE:601318) is pleased to announce that its smart healthcare team[1] has joined the National Clinical Research Center of Kidney Diseases in China, to present its analytic renal pathology system (ARPS) in a paper published in the Journal of Pathology[2], a respected global peer-reviewed medical journal. The system uses deep learning, a type of machine learning, to identify certain types of kidney lesions and cells to help doctors diagnose kidney disease with greater accuracy.

The ARPS is currently being trialed in house by Ping An through AskBob Doctor, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based diagnosis and treatment assistant tool developed by Ping An. AskBob Doctor, launched in June 2019, has been used 33 million times by 430,000 doctors for smart medical decision support, smart imaging recognition, diagnosis follow-up and patient education.

The ARPS focuses on the glomerulus, a tuft-like group of small blood vessels in the nephron, the structural unit in the kidney that filters blood and produces urine. There are about one million nephrons in a human kidney. Identification of glomerular lesions and their structure is critical for diagnosis, treatment and prognosis evaluation in kidney disease. The process is time consuming and requires a very accurate quantitative analysis method. In the research, 400 Chinese patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) were studied, with a comparison of the performance of the ARPS and four junior pathologists.

The study found that the ARPS identified three kinds of intrinsic glomerular cells with 92.2% accuracy, which was 5% to 11% more accurate than the pathologists. With sufficient training, the ARPS could obtain an average precision of 0.882 for intrinsic glomerular cell recognition, surpassing the pathologists by 3% to 15%. It took only 0.6 seconds for the ARPS to estimate the number of intrinsic cells per glomerulus, 50 to 90 times faster than the pathologists. The ARPS also achieved an extraordinary performance for glomerular lesion identification and classification with an average accuracy of 92.8%.

Metric ARPS Doctor 1 Doctor 2 Doctor 3 Doctor 4 Precision 0.882 0.763 0.764 0.828 0.856 Accuracy 0.922 0.810 0.814 0.874 0.882 Time taken 0.6 s/image 32-54 s/image

Source: Identification of glomerular lesions and intrinsic glomerular cell types in kidney diseases via deep learning, Journal of Pathology, 16 June 2020

Dr. Xie Guotong, Ping An Group Chief Healthcare Scientist, said: "Pathology sets a gold standard for disease diagnosis and treatment. It takes several decades to train a qualified pathologist and it is a great challenge to conduct accurate quantitative analyses due to the high complexity of pathological images. The ARPS can be employed in training and improving the level of pathologists in glomerular lesion identification and effectively improve the diagnostic speed and accuracy of junior pathologists. We hope our work can pave a path for highly accurate pathology-based diagnosis, prognosis, treatment and scientific research."

Ping An Group, driven by its "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" strategies, has made great strides in healthcare technology development and innovation. Ping An's smart healthcare team has provided an AI technology platform to more than 17,000 medical institutions across 90 cities in China up to July 2020.

1. Formerly Ping An Healthcare Technology, now part of Ping An Smart City 2. Identification of glomerular lesions and intrinsic glomerular cell types in kidney diseases via deep learning, Journal of Pathology, 16 June 2020

About Ping An Group

Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd. ("Ping An") is a world-leading technology-powered retail financial services group. With over 204 million retail customers and 534 million Internet users, Ping An is one of the largest financial services companies in the world.

Ping An has two over-arching strategies, "pan financial assets" and "pan health care", which focus on the provision of financial and healthcare services through our integrated financial services platform and our five ecosystems of financial services, health care, auto services, real estate services and smart city services. Our "finance + technology" and "finance + ecosystem" strategies aim to provide customers and internet users with innovative and simple products and services using technology. As China's first joint stock insurance company, Ping An Group is committed to upholding the highest standards of corporate reporting and corporate governance. The Company is listed on the stock exchanges in Hong Kong and Shanghai.

In 2020, Ping An ranked 7th in the Forbes Global 2000 list. In 2019, Ping An ranked 29th on the Fortune Global 500 list. Ping An also ranked 38th in the 2020 WPP Kantar Millward Brown BrandZTM Top 100 Most Valuable Global Brands list. For more information, please visit www.pingan.cn.

SOURCE Ping An Insurance (Group) Company of China, Ltd.

Related Links

www.pingan.cn


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Tech may be the star of the show this year, but one other group is not far behind.

The consumer discretionary sector was the S&P 500's best-performing sector in July, climbing more than 7% for the month.

The five largest exchange-traded funds by assets in the space are also beating the market since the March bottom. While the S&P is up over 38% for that time frame,

For XLY, VCR and FDIS, Amazon has been a major driver. That stock, which is sitting near record highs, makes up about 24% of each portfolio.

E-commerce stocks continue to present opportunity in this group, said Jay Jacobs, senior vice president and head of research and strategy at Global X. His firm runs the Global X E-commerce ETF (EBIZ).

"This is one of the sectors that has been most upheaved by Covid-19," Jacobs said Monday on CNBC's "ETF Edge." "Obviously, as people have stayed at home, they haven't been able to go out and go shopping at some of these traditional brick-and-mortar stores."

"Beyond that, you've seen massive changes in consumer habits. People are shopping online for things that they never bought online before, like groceries or even vehicles, and people are changing what they spend money on," he said.

As people working from home begin to opt for things like athleisure over office wear, "we're going to continue to see a lot of disruption in the space," Jacobs said.

"We've seen 23 retail bankruptcies this year so far, and we've seen e-commerce names far outperform the brick-and-mortar names," he said. "So, we're very bullish on the subsector of internet retail."

EBIZ's top five holdings by weighting are Wayfair, Etsy, CoStar Group, Mercadolibre and Shopify.

Todd Rosenbluth, senior director of ETF and mutual fund research at CFRA Research, flagged three other ways to play the group.

However, like in any sector, success largely "depends on what kind of ETF you're buying," he said in the same "ETF Edge" interview.

"You really want to make sure you look inside the portfolio, make sure you're getting the diversification," he said. He added that while FDIS has outperformed, Amazon makes up a 24% chunk of is portfolio.

Another option for investors could be the Invesco S&P 500 Equal Weight Consumer Discretionary ETF (RCD), which has "significantly lagged behind" its cohort and "has equal weighting in those L Brands, Whirlpool, PulteGroup names ... as much as it has in Amazon," Rosenbluth said.

"The downside is it also has roughly the same amount of exposure to Under Armour and Carnival, which is what's weighing it down," he said. RCD is down almost 16% year to date.

Investors can also narrow their focus and play catch-up with an ETF like the SPDR S&P Homebuilders ETF (XHB), Rosenbluth said.

"The homebuilders ETF ... is a good way of playing some of those homebuilding companies as well as Whirlpool," which recently retraced its 2018 highs, he said. "But, again, you've got to make sure you understand what's inside the portfolio."

The XLY traded slightly lower in Tuesday's premarket trading.

Disclaimer
Bare supermarket shelves are now a common sight in Melbourne as panic-buyers rush to stock up on essentials amid the city's strict Stage 4 lockdown.

Meat is now the most popular item among shoppers eager to fill their fridges ahead of abattoirs and meat processing plants scaling back to two-thirds of production.

Premier Daniel Andrews on Monday announced the industry-changing move as part of the COVIDSafe plan after implementing Stage 4 restrictions on Sunday - locking Melburnians down for six weeks.

Shelves have been stripped bare but this time it is not just the toilet paper aisle - milk, vegetables and meat has become scarce in some store. Pictured: The result of Aldi shoppers' panic-buying in Melbourne

As regional Victoria prepares to go into Stage 3 lockdown, long queues of people wearing masks have been seen outside supermarkets across the state.

Stage 3 Stay at Home restrictions apply to regional Victoria, including the Mitchell Shire, from 11.59pm on Wednesday.

It includes residents only leaving home to grocery shop, provide care, exercise and work or study.

Stage 4 only applies to metropolitan Melbourne at the moment, and requires residents to stay within 5km of their homes for shopping and exercise.

Both restriction stages require residents to wear masks.

Long queues of people wearing masks have been seen outside supermarkets across the state

Shelves have been stripped bare in supermarkets as a result but this time it is not just the toilet paper aisle - milk, vegetables and meat has become scarce in some stores.

Shoppers forced to leave empty handed because of the shortages have vented their frustration online, with many uploading photos of the last standing products on supermarket shelves.

Shoppers forced to leave empty handed because of the shortages have vented their frustration online, with many uploading photos of last standing products on supermarket shelves. Pictured: A Twitter user venting their frustration about supermarket shortages online

While the remainder of Victoria is on Stage 3 restrictions, long queues of people wearing masks have been seen outside supermarkets across the state. Pictured: Shoppers waiting in line for a register

Chicken, kangaroo, toiletries and even chocolate so far seem to be the items most snubbed by shoppers amid the start of Melbourne's six-week lockdown.

One Twitter user's post showed cans of Spam, pre-packaged salad, onions, cucumbers, nuts and what looks to be large bags of rice were the most neglected items at one store.

'My friend is an attorney in Melbourne, Australia, and theyre all panic buying the grocery store again because they got locked down even harder this time around,' the user tweeted.

One Twitter user's post showed cans of Spam, pre-packaged salad, onions, cucumbers, nuts and what looks to be large bags of rice were the most neglected items at one store. Pictured: One of four photos tweeted by the Twitter user

Chicken, kangaroo, toiletries and even chocolate so far seem to be the items most snubbed by shoppers amid the start of Melbourne's six-week lockdown. Pictured: A supermarket in Melbourne

Another Twitter user pointed to taking advantage of the Kangaroo meat left on supermarket shelves.

'As #Melbourne approaches curfew and further - meat shortages appear on supermarket shelves. In at least there is plenty of meat left. #Kangaroo #Covid_19 #COVID19Vic,' he said.

The reaction was similar on Facebook, with one user 'disappointed' with the significant shop by one woman at Woolworths Highett.

'So disappointed and angry to see a woman spend about $1,200 at Woolworths highett this morning, with an enormous trolley,' the Facebook user said.

The reaction was similar on Facebook, with one user 'disappointed' with the significant shop by one woman at Woolworths Highett (pictured)

'Her items included about 15 trays of mince. So so selfish. I was the only person who challenged her. Manager was 'no in yet'.

'But your stores must stand up to these individuals and think of those who live week to week and can't get supplies and are possibly frightened now, thanks to that appalling behaviour.'

Others also pleaded with Melburnians to hold off from panic buying as supermarkets will be open for the next six weeks.

The reaction was met with Melburnians pleading with others to hold off from panic buying as supermarkets will be open for the next six weeks. Pictured: A tweet on Twitter about the matter

Panic-buying in Melbourne amid the city's strict six-week lockdown is prompting others to panic buy so they don't miss out on items they want. Pictured: A tweet on Twitter about the matter

Others have seen the funnier side of panic buying amid Melbourne's second lockdown. Pictured: A tweet on Twitter about the matter

Since Stage 4 restrictions were announced, Coles has imposed a two pack per customer limit in Metro Melbourne on mince, chicken breast and chicken thighs.

The limits are in addition to the existing two pack per customer limit on hand sanitiser and one pack per customer limit on face masks.

Woolworths restrictions are even stricter - reinstating a purchase limit of two items per customer on toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes, tissues, anti bacterial wipes, liquid hand wash, disinfectants, bleach, cleaners, disposable gloves, rice, pasta, flour, sugar, spongers and scourers, and frozen vegetables, fish, fruit and poultry.

This limit also applies to long-life milk, canned goods, dairy milk, juice, prepackaged bacon, eggs, mince, sausages, Indian foods and sauces, Mexican dinner kits, salsa, burgers, rissoles, meatballs, prepackaged vegetables, bread and frozen seafood.

Since the implementation of Stage 4 restrictions, supermarkets have reinstated limitations on a number of products to stop people from panic-buying (pictured)

Woolworths (pictured) restrictions are even stricter - reinstating a purchase limit of two items per customer on toilet paper, paper towels, baby wipes, tissues, anti bacterial wipes, liquid hand wash, disinfectants and bleach, among others

Shoppers are also only able to get two packs of fresh meat; 1kg of meat from the butcher; 1kg of small goods and poultry from the Deli; and 2kgs of carrots, onions and potatoes.

On Monday, Coles chief operating officer Matt Swindells told the Today show limits introduced was to 'make sure everyone gets the food they need through the next six weeks of lockdown'.

'I can absolutely tell you that we are doing everything that we can and we have been leading the way with the Department of Health in Victoria on new standards for distribution centre hygiene,' he said.

Woolworths told news.com.au it was 'confident' it was able to 'maintain a good supply of fresh meat of our Victorian customers'.

'Well monitor the impact closely as the new restrictions come into effect later this week,' a representative said.
Forecasters are warning of potential tornados in Massachusetts later Tuesday, as Tropical Storm Isaias makes its way northward along the east coast.

The National Weather Service issued a statewide tornado watch in the commonwealth Tuesday afternoon. It will remain in effect until 9 p.m.

A few tornados, large-sized hail and isolated wind gusts of 80 miles per hour are possible, according to to forecasters.

Tornado warnings were issued late Tuesday morning in six Franklin County communities in Western Massachusetts, but they have since been canceled. The severe storm system threat was likely the result of a strong, warm air advection, the National Weather Service said.

Isaias is currently hovering near Maryland after moving through the Carolinas and Virginia this week. It is barreling north-northeast at 35 MPH, with sustained winds of 70 miles per hour.

Winds in Massachusetts are expected to strengthen significantly in the next few hours as Isaias approaches southern New England.

A very moist airmass is already in place that is supportive of surface-based storms, the National Weather Service said.

A tornado watch was issued in northern Connecticut, Rhode Island, southern New Hampshire and southern Vermont as well.

More than 12.1 million residents across New England are affected by Tuesdays tornado watch, according to the National Weather Service.

A tornado watch has been issued for parts of CT, MA, NH, NY, RI, VT until 9 PM EDT pic.twitter.com/jZeKLwfdld  NWS Boston (@NWSBoston) August 4, 2020

Related Content:
Inc.com columnist Alison Green answers questions about workplace and management issues--everything from how to deal with a micromanaging boss to how to talk to someone on your team about body odor.

Here's a roundup of answers to five questions from readers.

1. I overheard a client badmouthing my team

I recently had a voice mail from a dissatisfied client with whom we frequently collaborate. She had called to notify me of a mistake made by my department, but at the end neglected to hang up her phone properly before commenting on my team's lack of intelligence and other similarly unflattering remarks.

Of course, I plan to follow up with her on a course of action to address her initial complaint, but should I make any mention of the end of her message? What do I say?

Green responds:

Assuming I'm reading your letter correctly and her remarks at the end weren't intended for you to hear, I'd just take it as useful background information--now you know that you have a client with real concerns about your team. That's useful to know and can guide your response in ways other than just directly telling her that you heard her comments.

That said, depending on the relationship with the client, it's possible that it could be useful to address it head-on by saying something like, "At the end of your message, before you hung up, the voice mail recorded your saying X and Y. I don't think that was meant for me to hear, but obviously I want to make sure we address what's causing you to feel that way. Here's my take on the situation/how I'm handling the situation/etc."

But let your knowledge of the client and the relationship be your guide about whether that would help more than harm.

2. I asked my employee to forward his emails to me while he's on vacation

I manage a small team (three employees and myself). One of my employees is getting married and leaving for a two-week honeymoon in Fiji, which is awesome. Since we have a lot of ongoing projects--many of which need our attention at a moment's notice--I asked him to auto-forward me copies of his emails so if something comes up, we can respond right away. I kind of think this is a reasonable request, and my employee agreed to do this, but I still feel just a bit scuzzy, like I'm intruding on his privacy or something. Our company does not otherwise monitor emails. Am I wrong to feel scuzzy about this? Is this a normal request? Did I overstep my bounds asking for this?

Green responds:

In some fields that would be unusual, while in others it wouldn't be uncommon. It depends on the type of work your employee does and the types of emails he gets. Of course, if it is unusual for his role and he feels uncomfortable about it, he'd probably feel obligated to agree since you're his boss. And I do think a lot of people would feel awkward about this--since who knows if he occasionally gets personal emails there or other stuff that isn't obviously wrong to do but still aren't things he'd be thrilled about going straight to his boss.

A typical alternative is for the vacationing person to set up an auto-reply explaining that he's away and asking people to contact Person X at (email address) instead of him. If that would work in your situation, that would be the way I'd go instead.

3. I'm worried we won't have a temp for my maternity leave

I disclosed I was pregnant five months ago and noted my due date of September 12 at that time. It is now August and my boss still has not posted the position for a temp fill-in. We are an office of three people, and so having a temp is crucial. My boss expects me to train this person, yet refuses to take any steps to hire anyone who isn't referred to him personally. What can I do to protect myself from being expected to come in during maternity leave or train someone while I'm supposed to be on leave?

Green responds:

You can let your boss know right now that you won't be able to do that. Say this to him: "I want to make sure you know that I could go out on leave as early as (date) and that I'm going to be 100 percent unavailable once I do--I won't be able to come in to train someone or help out once that happens. So if you want me to train the temp, that person should start no later than (date)."

He's now warned, and then you just stick to that. Remind him again right before your leave that you're not going to be available, and if you do get contacted, either ignore it or take a week to respond and then say "nope, that won't be possible." (And know that if you're taking FMLA, there's something called "FMLA interference" that makes it illegal for your employer to keep contacting you or to try to get you to come in.)

Beyond that, this isn't your problem--don't make it yours.

4. Do people think thank-yous for gifts are optional?

For two years, I supervised a graduate student employee. In May, I bought her a graduation gift for her last day. When I handed her the wrapped gift and card, she said a hollow-sounding "Aw, thanks!" and dashed out of my office without opening it. It's been over a month at this point and I've received no thank-you whatsoever. I'm so annoyed about her seeming lack of appreciation and poor etiquette. Amplifying my irritation is the fact that I used my personal money to purchase the items since our office budget does not allow for gifts, and the recipient knows this since she was part of an office-wide meeting where the restrictions were mentioned. I commented about the lack of a thank-you note to a younger co-worker and she was nonchalant about it, saying she often forgets to send thank-yous for gifts.

Am I expecting too much? I feel like a grumpy elder complaining about "disrespectful whippersnappers"--I'm mid-30s, while she is mid-20s--but have we really gotten to a point where a thank-you note for a gift is optional?

Green responds:

Well, technically, etiquette has never required thank-you notes for gifts that are received in person and where the giver is thanked on the spot. The requirement is for a thank-you, not for one in writing. So your employee fulfilled the letter of the law, although not the spirit of it. Although, of course, since she didn't actually open the gift in front of you, she should have followed up with you and expressed more specific appreciation once she found out what the gift was.

In any case, how are this person's social skills in general? I'd be more inclined to write it off to interpersonal awkwardness or lack of social graces from her in particular than to a sweeping sentiment about the state of thank-yous in general. There have always been people with poor manners; etiquette columns have been answering upset letters about lack of thank-yous for decades.

5. We can't get a word in during conference calls

My company recently merged with another company in another state. Some departments, including mine, ended up split between the two locations. There is a concerted effort to use tech to keep everyone on the same page, with lots of scheduled conference calls.

The problem: Conference calls can be awkward, with all the normal problems of meetings minus the ability to read facial expressions and body language. The folks in the other location often start late. And more than a few of them really, REALLY like to hear themselves talk. It's not uncommon for them to go off on tangents and then run out of time to cover everything or hear from everyone. Sometimes when one of them is opining at length and one of us in my location wants to add a comment or question or correction, we open our mouth and take a breath, ready to jump in at the next opening, only to be left gaping like a fish over the conference phone as the speaker plows right through any millisecond of dead air. When this happens repeatedly in the same meeting, we're left feeling shut down or shut out, sharing frustrated looks with one another as the person on the other end blathers on.



We don't want to be rude and raise our voices or interrupt someone, but it's difficult to get a word in edgewise sometimes. Any tips on how to make sure we can contribute in a timely way and be heard in conference calls with our colleagues?

Green responds:

Whoever is running these calls is failing at facilitating them. That person should be cutting people off if they're going on and on, and should be specifically asking if anyone on your end of the call has anything to say.

So say something to that person ahead of the next call. You should be able to be pretty direct and say something like, "On our end of the calls, we're finding it really hard to get time to speak--people tend not to leave any room for us to jump in. Is there a way to specifically carve out time for us to talk--like checking in to see if anyone here has anything to contribute before the call moves on to the next topic?"
WASHINGTON - A small but singularly influential group is a driving force for an agreement on a stalled coronavirus relief bill: endangered Senate GOP incumbents who need to win this fall if Republicans are going to retain control of the majority.

Confronted with a poisonous political environment, vulnerable Senate Republicans are rushing to endorse generous jobless benefits, child care grants and more than $100 billion to help schools reopen. Several of them are refusing to allow the Senate to adjourn until Washington delivers a deal to their desperate constituents.

Sen. Martha McSally, who has fallen behind in polls in Arizona, is breaking with conservatives to endorse a temporary extension of a $600-per-week supplemental benefit. Republicans up for reelection such as John Cornyn of Texas and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina are demanding results before returning home to campaign. And Sen. Susan Collins is in overdrive, backing help for cash-starved states and local governments  and Maines shipbuilding industry.

The opinions of senators up for reelection are of more consequence to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell than those held by conservatives like Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Pat Toomey, R-Pa., who are broadcasting their opposition to the emerging legislation as costly and ineffective. As other Republicans gripe that theyre going to have to swallow a deal brokered by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., the vulnerable Republicans are craving just such a bipartisan result.

Maybe eight Republicans who are up in tough states have a bigger interest in getting this COVID-19 bill done, said Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio. I think thats accurate.

Republican strategists, grappling with a political environment for their party that has worsened over the summer, said its imperative for GOP lawmakers to be able to head back to their states and districts with a deal in hand to show voters they are taking the pandemic and the economic fallout seriously.

GOP Senate candidates need a deal, a good deal ... so they can get home and campaign on helping small businesses get up and moving again, said Scott Reed, the chief political strategist at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

Republican operative Corry Bliss said it was crucial for incumbents facing tough re-election fights to have wins to highlight through the fall.

This is the most important issue facing the country right now, Bliss said. Theres no better message for Congress to deliver heading into the election than a big bipartisan victory to help families and small businesses get through this difficult time.

Republicans control the Senate by a 53-47 margin, meaning Democrats must gain at least three seats to capture Senate control. But Republicans are defending 25 of the 38 seats in play, and are on the defensive even in traditionally red states due to Trumps deteriorating standings in polls.

Meanwhile, in blue and purple states like Iowa, Colorado and Maine, GOP incumbents are lining up to break with party orthodoxy on issues like child care, unemployment benefits and aid to cash-starved state and local governments.

In Colorado, Sen. Cory Gardner recently pushed for more virus relief after an appearance with Ivanka Trump at a child care facility in the Denver suburbs. It needs to get done now, he told reporters.

His opponent, Democrat John Hickenlooper, has been hammering Gardner over the GOPs decision to pause the coronavirus negotiations for most of the summer. On Tuesday, his campaign held a virtual press conference to press for more relief. Weve seen Sen. Gardner stay silent while Mitch McConnell and President Trump refuse to help millions of Americans, Hickenlooper said.

In South Carolina, Grahams opponent has called out what he has characterized as the Republicans flippant attitude toward real-world concerns over lost wages and unemployment. Jaime Harrison has said Graham is leading the charge to cut additional unemployment relief, referring to Grahams April comment that Congress would extend the current benefits past July over our dead bodies.

Graham is now offering a jobless benefit proposal that is more generous than other GOP proposals.

Cornyn helped start a bandwagon of senators who are demanding the Senate stay at work in Washington until a coronavirus bill is passed. Voters expect a deal  including renewed unemployment benefits that have helped millions of people avert a descent into poverty  and returning home to campaign without one in hand could be a political disaster. With progress coming slowly in the talks, GOP leaders said the Senate will be extending its session into next week and possibly longer.

Back home, Cornyn is facing the first serious reelection challenge of his 18 years in the Senate as Trumps sagging approval and Texas rapidly changing suburbs has the GOP nervous about their grip on Americas biggest red state. His opponent, Democrat M.J. Hegar, is attacking Cornyn for opposing the $600-per-week benefit as too generous in a majority of cases since it pays most people more to not work than to work. He said in June that the benefit would not be reinstated.

At a closed-door GOP lunch last month, conservative Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., urged a freer-spending approach to the legislation that could help endangered colleagues keep their seats  and allow everyone else to hold onto their gavels.

Its difficult to overstate the stakes. Republicans are in their sixth year holding the Senate, and that majority could be the only obstacle to all-Democratic control of Washington next year if Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, defeats Trump in November.

Democrats controlling the chamber could rubber-stamp Bidens Cabinet and judicial picks, if he wins, including likely Supreme Court vacancies. Even a narrow Democratic majority could reverse the GOPs 2017 tax cuts  and thats before the party considers eliminating the legislative filibuster that has been the defining characteristic of the chamber for decades.

This is the most important thing we need to be doing, Cornyn said Tuesday of the coronavirus response measure.

___

Associated Press writers Paul J. Weber in Austin, Texas, Nicholas Riccardi in Denver and Meg Kinnard in Columbia, South Carolina, contributed to this report.
Kamala Harris, then California attorney general, appears alongside Rep. Karen Bass, right, at a news conference. The two women are among the contenders to be Joe Biden's running mate. (Los Angeles Times)

With speculation over Joe Biden's choice of a running mate hitting peak breathlessness, the inclusion of two prominent California Democrats on his shortlist is stirring up the Golden State political scene.

The guessing game over the vice-presidential pick  a quadrennial tradition  has centered its focus of late on Sen. Kamala Harris, long considered a front-runner for the job, and Rep. Karen Bass, a newly ascendant contender. The two women hail from opposite parts of the state and have substantially different resumes, but their fate on the presidential ticket has become inextricably linked, thanks to unusually public jockeying by allies on their behalf.

The maneuvers, both overt and private, underscore the high stakes that come with simply being mentioned as a vice-presidential prospect.

"For both Harris and Bass, being seriously considered by Biden means a boost in their future credibility and visibility," said Rose Kapolczynski, a longtime Democratic strategist in the state. "It lets Kamala recover from a rocky campaign of her own. And it takes a little-known SoCal member of Congress and catapults her onto the national scene."

Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, promised to name a woman as his running mate at the last Democratic primary debate. He is close to making his choice and is expected to announce his decision by next week, a campaign aide said.

Harris and Bass are among the handful of female contenders in the running, including former national security advisor Susan Rice, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

The comparisons between Harris, 55, and Bass, 66, were thrown into relief last month, when Politico published a story assessing Bass' rapidly rising stock and portrayed her boon as coming at Harris' expense. Bass was described as the "anti-Kamala Harris," setting off complaints that the two Black women were being pitted against each other. Subsequent media reports said some Biden allies were concerned about Harris' loyalty after her confrontation with the former vice president over race in a Democratic primary debate last year.

Story continues

But the stories also pointed out troubles closer to home for Harris, a Bay Area native. Rather than rallying around the home-state front-runner for the job, some California politicos have voiced their preference for the lesser-known Bass, who represents Los Angeles.

The break in the ranks started when labor icon Dolores Huerta, who was a co-chair for Harris' failed presidential bid, endorsed Bass, citing her leadership as then-California Assembly speaker navigating massive budget deficits.

Then John Burton, a former California Democratic Party chair, told Politico that Harris' debate clash with Biden could be exploited by the Trump campaign.

And last week, the Sacramento Bee editorial board, led by a former Harris aide, endorsed Bass for the job, in part because of the senator's tenure as California attorney general. The editorial singled out a $400,000 settlement paid by the Department of Justice to settle harassment claims against a former top Harris staffer.

Some of the dissent can be chalked up to good old-fashioned family feuding. Even though Democrats dominate California state politics, they are not monolithic in their political leanings or their personal affinities. Much of the public advocacy on behalf of Bass or Harris reflects long-standing friendships or alliances conveying the kinds of sentiments that usually would be passed along more discreetly.

Harris' popularity on the national stage belies a more ambivalent view of her among California political insiders. She is broadly admired as a charismatic figure who has impressively risen to the top of the state's political ranks. But some say it's difficult to pin down her core beliefs.

She has terrific superficial strengths as a candidate. But those whove watched her long enough and look at her record think its rather shallow," said a San Francisco Democrat who has known Harris for years. The Democrat requested anonymity in order to speak candidly.

Harris' hopes to be vice president have been complicated by lingering sensitivities among some in Biden's camp about their high-profile debate showdown, in which she assailed his work with segregationists to oppose school busing.

Former Sen. Chris Dodd, a member of Biden's vice-presidential search committee, reportedly was put off by Harris' lack of remorse about the incident, according to Politico.

Dodd's comments, echoed by other Biden allies questioning her loyalty, faced a swift backlash, and was widely denounced as a sexist trope that paints ambitious women as untrustworthy. Still, the incident has made some longtime Harris watchers question her sincerity in her relationship with Biden.

While Harris has spent most of her career in executive posts, Bass' political experience is mainly legislative, both in Sacramento and in Washington, D.C  a role that required her to take a team player approach that many of her backers have extolled.

John A. Perez, who succeeded Bass as Assembly speaker, said that both she and Harris would be "spectacular" as picks, and it may come down to which type of experience Biden prefers.

"Sen. Harris has had to learn in real time how to navigate different spaces  being a prosecutor, being an executive and then moving into a legislative role in the Senate. Thats a different dynamic than somebody who came through as a legislative leader," he said. "Shes proven to navigate all those spaces and so the vice president needs to decide which skill sets hes looking for in his running mate."

Former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa in recent days hasnt shied away from praising Bass as a potential pick for vice president. Villaraigosa said he and Bass have been friends and political allies since they met in 1973 working on a Los Angeles coalition against police abuse.

Shes been involved in building coalitions across racial and ethnic lines since we were kids, Villaraigosa said.

Bass came under the national glare last week, when her past comments praising the Church of Scientology and former Cuban leader Fidel Castro drew negative media attention.

Nevertheless, the public chatter comparing the two women was enough to alarm Harris allies, who last week asked for a meeting with Dodd and other members of Biden's vice-presidential search team. The roughly 45-minute call included Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, former Gov. Gray Davis, the mayors of four major cities including San Francisco and various labor and business leaders.

"She's the highest-ranking Black woman in the country. You dont get there unless you are a very special person. Somehow thats getting lost in this," Kounalakis said. "Its not to bash the others. But she has distinguished herself in a far greater way than anyone else on this list."

Ron Herrera, president of the powerful Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said he was dismayed by efforts to undercut Harris' appeal.

We just have to put our best foot forward and all work together and not buy into the whispers and the smears and everything else that may go on, he said.

The pro-Harris campaign continued on Monday as a group of South Asian leaders and donors penned a letter to the Biden campaign praising the senator as "pragmatically progressive" and urging her selection.

So far, both women have shown little public interest in feeding into the narrative that the two are in opposition. Bass has pushed back more vocally, noting that similar comparisons aren't made about white women in the running for the job.

Speaking to The Times last week about what would make a good running mate, Bass sounded a complimentary note for the state's junior senator.

"I think a VP candidate at this particular moment in our history needs to be a unifying candidate who can bring our country together that has been ripped to shreds in so many different ways in the last three and a half years," she said. "I certainly believe that our current senator is an example of a unifying figure."

Harris, who declined an interview request, has largely demurred from speaking about the vice-presidential selection. On Friday, however, she implicitly pushed back on criticisms of her ambition, speaking to a leadership conference for young Black women.

"There will be a resistance to your ambition. There will be people who say to you, 'You are out of your lane,'" she said.

"I've had that experience my entire career," she added.

As Californians  and the rest of the country  await Biden's choice, some Democrats here are hoping efforts to contrast the two women will die down.

"I think its shameful to try to lift one up at the cost of tearing the other one down. Both are well qualified," said Los Angeles state Sen. Maria Elena Durazo, a powerful former labor leader and vice chair of the Democratic National Committee.

The various advocacy campaigns may have limited effect on Biden's personal view of the contenders, said Karen Skelton, a Sacramento-based political consultant.

"It doesnt matter how many Californians call him," said Skelton, who served as political director for then-Vice President Al Gore. "What he cares about is how he feels. Thats what its going to come down to."

Times staff writers Mark Z. Barabak and Jennifer Haberkorn contributed to this report.
Supporters of State Question 805 say their proposal to improve Oklahomas justice system has qualified for placement on the states November general election.

We hope theyre right, because SQ 805 is an idea whose time has come.

The initiative petition would change state law to prevent longer sentences for people on the basis of past nonviolent offenses. It wouldnt affect prison time for anyone who has ever been convicted of a violent crime.

Qualifying for the ballot would be a remarkable achievement. SQ 805 has been running uphill from the beginning. A pandemic and economic collapse complicated the petition process enormously.

The effort was further hamstrung by the resistance of the Gov. Kevin Stitt administration. First the measure was scheduled for circulation beginning the day after Christmas, and then the state refused to process completed petitions because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The state Supreme Court eventually ordered the state to process the petitions. The same court now has found that SQ 805s nearly 250,000 signatures were sufficient for a ballot position.
State Forest Rangers recently rescued an 11-year-old boy who got lost after leaving his tent with his flashlight to go exploring, two men who got lost and were out of food and water  and a woman who was unable to climb out of gorge

Those incidents and others, which occurred between July 29 and Aug. 1, were included in the weekly report by the state Department of Environmental Conservation of Ranger rescues. All information below was supplied by the DEC.

Town of North Elba, Essex County

Wilderness Search: On July 28 at 8:20 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a call reporting an 11-year-old boy missing from his campsite on South Meadows Road. A man from the neighboring site said the boys mother went into her tent to change and when she came out, he was gone. She believed he took his flashlight to go exploring. Forest Rangers Praczkajlo and vanLaer responded to the camp site along with New York State Police. Ranger Praczkajlo, who was first on scene, had a State Trooper wait downstream near the bridge on Adirondack Loj Road running a siren while he began searching the area. At 10:29 p.m., Ranger Praczkajlo advised that he was with the missing boy from Hebron after the child went downstream towards the sound of the siren. The two made their way out of the woods to the road and the boy reunited with his mother by 11:20 p.m.

Town of Colton, St. Lawrence County

Wilderness Search: On July 29 at 11:32 a.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from the St. Lawrence County Sheriffs Office requesting Forest Ranger assistance with locating a missing 32-year-old woman from Colton. The woman was last seen on July 28 at 10 p.m. by a friend at her residence. She sent concerning text messages to family members the morning of July 29, prompting the Sheriffs Office to begin investigating. Forest Rangers Shea, Benzel, Lee, Baldwin and Lt. Terry responded to the womans residence to meet with sheriff deputies and then began a search of the area along with eight deputies, two New York State Troopers and a K9 unit. They also used a drone from St. Regis Mohawk Tribal Police to assist in searching certain areas. The search crew found tracks based on tips from the community and a Ranger found the woman a few miles from where she was last seen. Sheriffs deputies interviewed her and an ambulance transported her to a nearby hospital for treatment. :

Town of Hammond, St. Lawrence County

Wildland Fire: On July 29 at 8:40 p.m., St. Lawrence County 911 requested Forest Ranger assistance for a remote wildfire just off Route 12 in the town of Hammond. Three Forest Rangers initially responded and assisted local fire departments with containment of the fire. Rangers worked the fire all night and the next day with two additional Rangers assisting. Due to the dry conditions, the terrain, and remoteness of the 2.8-acre fire, Rangers fought the fire for three additional days. The fire was finally extinguished on Aug. 2.

Town of Corinth, Saratoga County

Wilderness Rescue: On July 31 at 4:23 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a request for assistance for two 28-year-old male hikers from Rochester who became disoriented while hiking the Western Ridge Trail. They advised they were unsure of their location and out of food and water. Saratoga County 911 provided coordinates placing them on a trail in Moreau Lake State Park. Forest Ranger Donegan responded and at 7:48 p.m. located the hikers and walked them out of the woods.

Town of Wilmington, Essex County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 1 at 10:48 a.m., Essex County 911 transferred a call to DECs Ray Brook Dispatch reporting a 40-year-old woman with an injured ankle on the Flume trail. The caller stated that her friend was climbing a tree when she fell and injured her right ankle, hearing an audible snapping noise. The caller stated that they were approximately a quarter mile up the trail. Forest Rangers Baldwin and LaPierre responded to their location along with members of the Wilmington Fire Department. They proceeded up the trail with an ATV where they found the injured woman and brought her out on an ATV. Once back at the trailhead, the woman was turned over to the Wilmington Ambulance Squad for transportation to a local hospital for further medical treatment.

Town of Niles, Cayuga County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 1 at 5:50 p.m., Cayuga County 911 contacted Forest Ranger Lunt about a 28-year-old woman who was unable to safely climb out of the gorge at the bottom of Carpenter Falls. At 6:40 p.m., Ranger Lunt arrived on scene and, working with the Cayuga County Rope Rescue Team, raised the uninjured woman 80 feet up a steep incline to safety. The incident concluded at 6:50 p.m.

Town of Potsdam, St. Lawrence County

Wildland Fire: On July 26 at 3:30 p.m., Region 6 Forest Rangers responded to assist eight fire departments with suppression of a two-acre fire in the town of Potsdam. Firefighters worked to contain the fire and put out hotspots while Rangers mopped up the fire and put out any additional hot spots for four more days. The fire was declared out on July 31.

Town of North Elba, Essex County

Wilderness Rescue: On Aug. 1 at 9:43 p.m., DECs Ray Brook Dispatch received a call from the Adirondak Loj at Hear Lake reporting six men overdue from hiking Mount Marcy. The group had originally started off as 11 hikers who split up at Indian Falls at 5 p.m. Five of the men turned around to head back down at that time while the other six continued towards the summit. The reporting members stated that the six of them only had trail mix, cell phones and what was left of their water for supplies. During the interview process, one of the men made it out of the woods and down to the Loj. He reported that he last saw the other five men at Indian Falls at 8:30 p.m. before leaving them behind to head to the Loj. Forest Ranger Praczkajlo responded to the Adirondak Loj trailhead, hiked into the woods, and found the group using their last cell phone with battery life as a flashlight. The group was escorted back to the trailhead and were out of the woods by 11:18 p.m. "

MORE:

Look what I caught! Awesome, cute photos of Upstate NY youngsters fishing

Adirondack hiker, 41, slips on rock, hears snap in his ankle: DEC Ranger rescues

Thrills, chills of mountain bike racing at Greek Peak (video)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 03:07:32|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Israeli meat bioprinting company MeaTech announced on Tuesday that it has completed a successful test in sorting stem cells it has produced and turning them into muscle cells.

According to the company, muscle cells are required for meat growth using three-dimensional (3D) printing technology.

This technology aims to enable the production of meat directly instead of raising the entire animal and slaughtering it.

Thus, the company takes a sample of stem cells from an animal, reproduces these cells, and divides them into different meat components, aiming to 3D print the cultured meat in an accurate shape and structure.

In the current experiment, basic stem cells were sorted into muscle cells, by feeding them with a unique compound, to finally form the muscle tissue of the 3D printed meat.

In May, the company also successfully completed an experiment in turning stem cells into fat cells.

Both results brought the company closer to the target of printing a layer of several different cell types to create one complete meat tissue. Enditem
Airbus has deployed its key communication and collaboration solutions - Tactilon Agnet 900 and Tactilon Dabat - in various Kuwaiti government entities, in line with the governments transition plan from narrowband to broadband networks.

Agnet 900 and Tactilon Dabat are currently being rolled-out across local public safety entities in Kuwait to help reinforce the country's mission-critical communication system.

Concerned authorities will benefit from Airbus Tetra network and infrastructure by using their advanced multimedia capabilities such as photo and video services to boost collaborative efforts, said a statement from Airbus.

Agnet 900 is a reliable collaboration platform that enables rapid communication among teams wherever they are and whatever devices they use. Kuwaiti officials can fully maximize Agnet 900s protected voice, multimedia messaging, video and real-time location tracking and reporting services for more systematic and seamless coordination.

Tactilon Dabat, a smartphone and a Tetra radio in one, is for Kuwaiti personnel who require high security in their communication. It operates on both Tetra and LTE/4G networks.

According to Airbus,, the users can optimise the devices video, text, voice data and location tracking and reporting features to connect with their team members anytime, anywhere. The weatherproof Tactilon Dabat also allows multitasking on its big and bright screen.

Andrew Forbes, Head of Middle East and North Africa region for Secure Land Communications at Airbus, said: Kuwait is steadily moving ahead with its digital transformation initiatives as part of its development plan. One of the efforts is intensified adoption of secure communication platforms based on broadband technology as the government steadily moves away from the traditional system.

With the Kuwaiti government fast transitioning from narrowband to broadband networks, Airbus has shown strong support for the move through increased deployment in the country of its secure communication and collaboration solutions, specifically Tactilon Agnet 900 and Tactilon Dabat, he stated.

"In terms of national defence, public security and emergency management, a digital communication system will help reinforce quick co-ordination among concerned bodies, most especially during critical moments. Airbus solutions are capable of guaranteeing a smoother connection and facilitating better communication structure for public organizations whose mission-critical mandate is to maintain safety and security," remarked Forbes.-TradeArabia News Service
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- ServiceTitan, the world's leading all-in-one software and operating system for residential and commercial service and replacement contractors, has named four finalists for the annual Titan of the Year award. The honor recognizes a ServiceTitan user who best represents the company and demonstrates the value it offers for customers and homeowners.

"These four companies exemplify the hard work and values that ServiceTitan stands for," said Ara Mahdessian, ServiceTitan's co-founder and CEO. "We know they all would have experienced success in this industry under any circumstances, but we're honored that ServiceTitan has been part of their excellence. It's rewarding to know that we've helped them grow and stand out in their communities for their performance, service and value."

The Titan of the Year award will be presented during ServiceTitan's annual Pantheon user conference, which is scheduled for Aug. 12-13. This year's event will be virtual.

The four finalists for 2020 Titan of the Year are:

A&A Plumbing ( San Antonio )

) Cody & Sons Plumbing, Heating & Air ( Dallas )

) Hurlburt Heating & Plumbing ( Durand, Wisconsin )

) ProSkill Plumbing, Heating & Air ( Phoenix )

The four companies have more than 20 combined years of experience using ServiceTitan. They have averaged more than 50% annual growth while using ServiceTitan.

Pantheon 2020 also includes appearances by former "Dirty Jobs" host Mike Rowe and Mandy "Bear" Rennehan. For more information, 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

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TROY  Hudson Valley Community College students were booted from their campus apartments with little notice to make way for students from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, which is "de-densifying" its campus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tenants at the privately owned and managed College Suites at Hudson Valley in Troy were informed on July 23 that they had a week to pack up their belongings and find alternate living accommodations, according to documents shared with the Times Union.

A move-out notice posted to doors warned residents that if they were not out of the apartments by 12 p.m. on July 31, they would be charged for $50 an hour, and their belongings would be bagged and put in storage with a fee of $50 per day. New York law mandates that tenants be given 30 days' notice before an eviction.

Some students had signed leases that were to start in August, taking advantage of an early-bird special that was offered to residents in February 2020  contracts that were not honored.

Laurie Campbell-Beazer said her son, who was set to graduate in December 2020, was one of them. He had just accepted a job across the street from HVCC when he received the eviction notice.

"They are telling us our kids don't matter," Campbell-Beazer said. "I was going berserk and crying 24/7. I didn't even eat anything until my son was safely home. I was afraid (of retaliation) for speaking out about this."

A five-month lease signed by Campbell-Beazer's son, who declined to be identified publicly, is executed by Jonathan Garlington, regional manager at United Group of Companies, which owns a slew of student housing properties in the region.

The United Group did not respond to a request for comment.

HVCC sold 41 acres of its property to United Group in 2016 for the purpose of developing privately owned and managed student housing. Since the complex opened in August 2017, hundreds of HVCC students have rented apartments there, according to the college.

Most courses at HVCC have moved online for the fall semester due to the pandemic, so there are fewer community college students residing in the building than usual. Still, HVCC officials said they were surprised to learn of the company's decision to exclude its students in a News 10 report last week.

"We were not informed by the company of any plan that would prevent our students from living there this fall," HVCC spokesman Dennis Kennedy said in a statement. "Upon hearing from concerned students and parents, we immediately reached out to College Suites to discuss the issue and propose alternative solutions. Our administrators were informed that College Suites was entering into an agreement with another local college."

Approximately 20 to 25 new and current HVCC students have been affected. HVCC says it has reached out to the students and made them aware of emergency funds that are available through the CARES Act as well as free legal counsel and help finding alternate housing.

Gagan Darjee, an 18-year-old graduate of Columbia High School in East Greenbush, was set to move into the complex on Aug. 15 with a roommate. When he learned they had three weeks to find a different place to live, he said he felt cheated.

"First they said it was because of COVID-19. Then we found out they were lying about the whole thing," he said.

Darjee, a Nepalese refugee who moved to the U.S. as a child, doesn't have family in the Capital Region and spent his senior year of high school living with a host family in East Greenbush.

He said he was looking forward to moving out and starting his life but found few apartment complexes willing to rent to 18-year-old college students.

"My teacher-slash-mentor, thankfully, I had her to help me through this process. If not, I wouldn't have a safe place to live right now," he said. "There are a bunch of kids probably in a situation similar to mine  if not worse  who now don't have a place to live."

A spokesman for RPI, Reeve Hamilton, confirmed that the Troy college was moving forward with a one-year lease agreement with College Suites at Hudson Valley in order to reduce its campus density in the fall.

He noted that RPI currently leases the property from College Suites at City Station in Troy, which includes City Station West and City Station South.

"Similar to these properties, College Suites at Hudson Valley will be operated as part of the Rensselaer Residential Commons," Hamilton said. "Accordingly, it will be occupied solely by Rensselaer students."

Union College has confirmed that it is also leasing two floors at a downtown Schenectady dormitory built for students at Schenectady County Community College. The College Suites at Washington Square is also owned by the United Group.

Union spokesman Phil Wajda said the rooms are being rented for the colleges fall semester which begins in September.

SUNY Schenectady officials in a statement said they are not aware of any students being displaced from their housing arrangements.

The Attorney General's Office has been contacted and said it is looking into the issue.
Afghan authorities were searching Tuesday for about 270 inmates -- most of them Islamic State fighters -- who remained on the loose after escaping during a deadly prison raid. At least 29 people were killed when Islamic State (IS) gunmen attacked the facility in Jalalabad on Sunday, with fierce fighting lasting until Monday afternoon. More than 1,300 inmates tried to escape, a senior Afghan security official told AFP on condition of anonymity, but most were either swiftly re-arrested or surrendered when surrounded by security forces. But some 270 prisoners are "still on the loose", the official said. "Most of those who escaped are from ISKP," he said, referring to IS's Afghan branch, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province. They included militants responsible for several bloody attacks, a second security official told AFP. Nangarhar provincial governor's spokesman Attaullah Khogyani confirmed many prisoners were still missing, but couldn't say how many were IS members. Officials also said that security forces had shot dead on Tuesday another group of IS fighters who had launched a mortar attack targeting Jalalabad airport from a neighbourhood in the city around the same time when the prison raid commenced. Several mortar shells and other ammunition seized from a house in the neighbourhood were shown to journalists. The brazen prison raid came a day after Afghanistan's intelligence agency announced the killing of a top IS commander near Jalalabad. Nangarhar province, where IS got its first foothold in Afghanistan, has seen repeated attacks by the group, including a suicide bomb that killed 32 mourners at a funeral in May. - Calm shattered - The attacks have continued even though officials last year claimed IS had been defeated in Nangarhar. "A large number of their leadership was arrested or killed... so it (the prison raid) was some sort of revenge to free some of their comrades," a senior Afghan security official said. Some local officials and analysts, however, have cautioned that elements of group remained. "They (IS) want to challenge the monopoly of the Taliban over militancy or anti-state violence in the country," said Abdul Sayed, independent researcher on jihadism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said the Taliban, Kabul and Washington miscalculated about IS's defeat in Afghanistan. "They (IS) now seem to have changed their strategies to (launch) high profile terrorist attacks in Nanagarhar to Kabul to provide proof of their existence," Sayed told AFP. The prison raid shattered the relative calm of the final day of a three-day ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan forces. IS was not part of the truce. The Afghan government still attempted to link the raid to the Taliban, which it said had violated the ceasefire 38 times. Acting Interior Minister Massoud Andrabi said on Twitter that IS's new head in Afghanistan, Shahab Al-Mahajir, was a member of the Haqqani network, considered linked to the Taliban. Washington has branded the Haqqani network, accused of carrying out numerous deadly attacks in Afghanistan, a terrorist organisation. str-eb-us-jds/je
Investors are directing significant capital into the burgeoning build-to-rent sector, with leading developers offering more opportunities as they expand their portfolios.

While the idea is in its infancy in Australia, Mirvac is committed to the sector with three projects across Sydney and Melbourne, while Lendlease and Stockland are also looking at potential moves into the market.

Taxation issues, land availability and demand have been the main hurdles for the progression of the industry, but with new government initiatives and a forecast high-density supply issue looming, albeit in a few years, the sector is looking more attractive.

Mirvac is bolstering its build-to-rent pipeline.

In July, the NSW government acknowledged the need to boost the housing construction industry since the onset of the global pandemic.
He says there is no politics in this.

The regions of Ukraine which were included in the red zone for the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus, but which refused to toughen measures of the adaptive quarantine may see bed occupancy in hospitals skyrocket.

"I'd like to emphasize once again: there is no politics or something else  there is purely concern for the health of Ukrainians and control over the level of morbidity in our country," Ukrainian Health Minister Maksym Stepanov said on TV Channel Ukraine 24.

Read alsoNew rules of adaptive quarantine come into force in Ukraine on Aug 3

"This is very important to prevent an emergency situation in terms of bed occupancy," he added.

Commenting on splitting Ukraine into the quarantine zones, the minister noted: "Such indicators have been approved by the government."

As was reported, the new adaptive quarantine rules in Ukraine became effective from August 3. The quarantine itself was extended until August 31.

Under the new rules, Ukraine is divided into several zones: green, yellow, orange, and red, depending on the COVID-19 threat levels. The division will be reviewed every Friday and migration by a region from one to another zone will be possible the next Monday.

From Monday, August 3, the red zone rules are in effect in the cities of Lutsk and Ternopil, and in Kitsmansky district of Chernivtsi region. Lutsky and Lyubashevsky districts of Volyn region, the city of Ivano-Frankivsk and Tysmenytskyi district of Ivano-Frankivsk region, the city of Lviv, and three areas in Lviv region  Mykolaivsky, Peremyshlyansky and Pustomytivsky districts, as well as the town of Berezhany and Buchatsky district of Ternopil region were designated as the orange zone.

At its special session on August 3, Lutsk's City Council considered a draft resolution on disagreement with toughened lockdown rules after the municipality had been included in the red epidemiological zone introduced as part of the COVID-19 quarantine.
Malaysian police have raided Al Jazeeras Kuala Lumpur office and seized two computers, the news network said, condemning the incident as a troubling escalation in the governments crackdown on press freedoms.

The raid on Tuesday came after authorities in Malaysia announced they were investigating Al Jazeera for sedition, defamation and violation of the countrys Communications and Multimedia Act.

The probe relates to a 101 East programme that aired on July 3 and examined the Malaysian governments treatment of undocumented migrant workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Giles Trendle, the managing director of Al Jazeera English, said the network was gravely concerned by the raid and called on the Malaysian government to cease its criminal investigation against the networks journalists immediately.

Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities crackdown on media freedom and shows the lengths they are prepared to take to try to intimidate journalists, Trendle said in a statement.

Al Jazeera stands by our journalists and we stand by our reporting. Our staff did their jobs and theyve got nothing to answer for or apologise for. Journalism is not a crime.





The raid comes nearly a month after Malaysian police questioned seven of Al Jazeeras journalists over the 101 East episode, titled Locked Up in Malaysias Lockdown.

Since the films release, Al Jazeera said its staff and the individuals interviewed in the programme had faced abuse, death threats and the disclosure of their personal details on social media.

A Bangladeshi man interviewed for the short film, Mohamad Rayhan Kabir, was arrested on July 24 and authorities said he would be deported and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever.

Malaysian officials have criticised the 101 East investigative report as being inaccurate, misleading and unfair. Saifuddin Abdulla, the communications minister, also said Al Jazeera had failed to seek a permit to shoot the film. But the network strongly refuted those allegations, saying 101 East is a weekly current affairs show that does not fall in the category of films requiring a licence.

Amnesty International Malaysia expressed concern over Tuesdays raid in a Twitter post, saying: The governments crackdown on migrants and refugees, as well as those who speak up in their defense, is clearly meant to silence and intimidate and should be condemned.

The Committee to Protect journalists, meanwhile, urged the government of Prime Minister Muhyddin Yassin to stop treating journalists as criminals.

Malaysian authorities must stop harassing Al-Jazeera and drop all investigations into the broadcasters reporters and staff, said Shawn Crispin, CPJs senior Southeast Asia representative.

Al-Jazeera's office in KL was raided by police authorities today. The government's crackdown on migrants and refugees, as well those speak up in their defense, is clearly meant to silence and intimidate and should be condemned. Protect migrants. Protect freedom of expression.  Amnesty International Malaysia (@AmnestyMy) August 4, 2020

In May, another journalist and an activist were questioned over their reporting on the arrests of hundreds of migrant workers during Malaysias lockdown.

Tashny Sukumaran, a correspondent working for the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post, was questioned after she reported on the roundups, while an activist for refugees, Wan Noor Hayati Wan Alias, was also called in about a Facebook post on the treatment of migrant workers and refugees.

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Committee to Protect Journalists CPJ) have urged Malaysia to drop the case against Al Jazeera and to allow journalists to do their jobs.

There has been a distinct pattern under the COVID-19 crisis of media workers targeted under Malaysias Communications and Multimedia Act and Penal Code for simply doing their job, the IFJ said in a statement in July.

It is urgent for Malaysia during the pandemic to prioritise the publics right to know and for the media to be able to report freely and fairly without the threat of persecution.
A council has been charged with health and safety breaches over the death of a five-year-old girl in a playground and faces a potential 2 million legal bill, the Standard has learned.

Schoolgirl Alexia Walenkaki died in Mile End Park when a rotting log swing collapsed on her on July 17, 2015  the day before her sixth birthday.

Tower Hamlets council last week signed off a 2 million extraordinary cost item from its childrens services budget to pay a potential fine and its legal costs, as the Health and Safety Executive brings a prosecution.

The authority has been charged with breaching the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. A hearing is due to take place in October at Westminster magistrates court.

Rotten: Tower Hamlets council neglected to carry out the annual safety check on the playground 10 months before the fatal accident / Glenn Copus

The boroughs mayor John Biggs told the Standard that the authority is planning to plead guilty.

He told a council meeting the sum set aside for the legal case was an estimate that is out there, and about to crystallise as a fine.

In 2018 a report by the CPSs special crime division found that the council, two of its employees and the contractor who designed and fitted the equipment in Mile End Park playground had breached their duty of care.

It highlighted that the council had failed to organise annual inspections of the play equipment and said the wood used was unsuitable.

Although the report found serious breaches and a series of failings, it concluded no criminal charges would be brought against individuals or the local authority.

The most serious breach was found to be the use of poplar or willow wood for the log which killed Alexia. Both have a lifespan of three years and the log was fitted four years before her death.

At the time, Alexias mother Vida Kwotuah said: After everything they found in this report I just feel its not fair. All these wrongs have happened yet nobody prosecuted.

An inquest in May 2018 found there had been an inadvertent use of inappropriate wood in the swings structure by the designer and installer.

Alexias mother Vida Kwotuah / BBC

The design of the playground had specified durable oak to be used to support the swing, but cheaper poplar wood was used, the inquiry heard.

An organisational failure and lack of accountability by the council for failing to carry out its annual inspection for 18 months also contributed to Alexias death, the coroner said.

Tower Hamlets general fund budget for Children and Culture was overspent by 9.7 million last year, including the 2 million it has put aside for the HSE case. A council spokesman said: We are deeply sorry that this tragic incident happened in one of our parks.

Following Alexias death, we immediately made urgent safety checks of equipment at all council-run play facilities and have brought in a more rigorous system for inspecting and maintaining park play equipment.


APPOINTMENT OF A NEW SOCIETE GENERALE GROUP MANAGEMENT TEAM TO ACCELERATE THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE BUSINESSES AND PREPARE THE NEW STRATEGIC PLAN



Press release

Paris, 4 August 2020





Meeting on August 3, the Board of Directors, chaired by Lorenzo Bini Smaghi, approved the propositions presented by Frederic Oudea, Chief Executive Officer, on the evolution of the company's management organisation.

The aim is to build a renewed General Management team, by the side of the Chief Executive Officer, to be composed of two positions of deputy CEO instead of four with very seasoned profiles, and the creation of new roles of Deputy general manager entrusted to a new generation of high-potential managers.

Following Severin Cabannes's decision to retire in 2021, he will leave his position as Deputy Chief Executive Officer at the end of 2020.

Slawomir Krupa, currently Head of Global Banking & Investor Solutions for the Americas, will become Deputy general manager, head of the Global Banking & Investor Solutions activities globally, effective as of January 1, 2021. He will report directly to Frederic Oudea.

Philippe Aymerich, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, currently in charge notably of French Retail Banking activities, sees his supervision extended to all international retail banking and consumer credit activities, following the departure of Philippe Heim, who leaves his position as Deputy Chief Executive Officer today.

Sebastien Proto, currently Head of Group Strategy, will become Deputy general manager, head of the Societe Generale and Credit du Nord networks and the related Innovation, Technology and IT Service Unit, effective as of September 1, 2020. He will report directly to Philippe Aymerich.

Diony Lebot, Deputy Chief Executive Officer, will be entrusted, in addition to her current functions of risk and compliance supervision, internal control and sponsor of the Group's Corporate and Environmental Responsibility, with the supervision of the Group's financial services and insurance activities.

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Finally, William Kadouch-Chassaing, the Group's Chief Financial Officer, is appointed Deputy general manager, head of Finance, reporting directly to Frederic Oudea.

Lorenzo Bini Smaghi comments: "These decisions taken by the Board of Directors aim at renewing the management team around Frederic Oudea, drawing on in-house talents, in order to better support the in-depth changes needed to build the bank of tomorrow".

Frederic Oudea comments: "In order to build by my side the Group's new strategic phase, I wanted to assemble a renewed management team with diversified and strengthened banking skills. Together, we will focus on accelerating the transformation of our business to better serve our clients, particularly in capital markets and retail banking, in an economic environment impacted by the COVID crisis and in a broader context of technological shift and of increased responsibility for banks to finance the positive transformations of economies. The objective of this new organisation is to enable us to strengthen the Group synergies and our efforts to reduce costs.

I would like to highlight the exceptional contribution of Severin Cabannes a member of the Executive Board since 2008. I am pleased that he has agreed to continue in his position until the end of the year. I would also like to warmly thank Philippe Heim for his tenure during his two years as Deputy Chief Executive.

Press contacts:

Corentin Henry +33 1 58 98 01 75 corentin.henry@socgen.com

Fanny Rouby + 33 1 57 29 11 12 Fanny.Rouby@socgen.com



**********

Note to editors



Philippe Aymerich

Philippe Aymerich has been Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of French Retail Banking activities and Group resources (IT, Real Estate and Sourcing) since May 2018. He benefits from a very diversified background within Societe Generale group for more than 30 years holding different positions in business functions, management and controls functions, in France and internationally, within corporate and Investment banking activities as well as retail banking.

He first joined Societe Generale in 1987 as Inspector at the Groups headquarters in Paris and served in this capacity until 1994, at which time he was appointed Inspecteur Principal. He joined Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking in 1997 as Deputy Managing Director of SG Spain in Madrid. From 1999 until 2004, Philippe Aymerich served in New York, first as Deputy Chief Operating Officer and then as Chief Operating Officer for SG Americas from 2000. In 2004, he was appointed Head of the Automotive, Chemicals & General Industries Group in the Corporate & Institutions Division of Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking. In December 2006, he was appointed Deputy Chief Risk Officer for Societe Generale group. He was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Credit du Nord in January 2012.

Philippe Aymerich is a graduate of the French ecole des Hautes Etudes Commerciales (HEC).

Diony Lebot

Diony Lebot has been Deputy Chief Executive Officer in charge of the control functions (Risk, Finance and Compliance) since may 2018. She has developed a strong experience over the last 30 years in various Corporate and Investment Banking activities in France and internationally before joining the Group Risk function in 2015.

Diony Lebot joined Societe Generale in 1986. She held several positions within the Structured Finance activity, Financial Engineering and as Head of Asset Finance before joining in 2004 the Corporate Coverage Department as Head of Corporate Coverage in Europe for the Corporates & Institutions division. She was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Societe Generale Americas in 2007 and became a member of the Societe Generale Group Management Committee. In 2012, she became Deputy Head of Coverage and Investment Banking and Chief Executive Officer for Global Banking and Investor Solutions Western Europe. In March 2015, Diony Lebot was appointed Deputy Chief Risk Officer before becoming Group Chief Risk Officer in July 2016.

Diony Lebot hold a Masters degree in Finance and taxation from Paris I University.

William Kadouch-Chassaing

William Kadouch-Chassaing has been Group Chief Financial Officer since May 2018. William Kadouch-Chassaing started his career as an academic and civil servant. He joined JP Morgan in 1996, as a market economist and strategist. He moved to the M&A department in Paris in 1998 and relocated to London in 2000, as a member of the Technology, Media and Telecom group, where he was responsible for the coverage of media groups in Continental Europe. In October 2007, William Kadouch-Chassaing joined Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking as a Senior Banker. In April 2013, he was appointed Deputy Chief Financial Officer and Head of Group Strategy, becoming a member of the Groups General Management Committee.

William Kadouch-Chassaing graduated from the Ecole Normale Superieure, Sorbonne University and the Institut dEtudes Politiques in Paris, and became a Professor ('agrege') of Economics and Social Sciences in 1992.

Slawomir Krupa

Slawomir Krupa was appointed Chief Executive Officer for Societe Generale Americas in January 2016, in charge of Global Banking and Investors solutions activities for the region.

Slawomir Krupa began his career in 1996 as an Inspector within Societe Generales Inspection department. He left the Group in 1999 to found and run an internet start-up in the field of e-finance in Eastern Europe. He rejoined the Group in 2002 and continued his work within Societe Generales Inspection department. He was appointed to the Management Committee of the department in 2005 and in 2007 was appointed Chief of Staff for Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking. In 2009, he became Head of Strategy & Corporate Development and CEO of Central & Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa for Societe Generale Corporate & Investment Banking. He also became Deputy Head of Global Finance in January 2012, notably in charge of primary bond activities, securitisation, leveraged finance in addition to his regional responsibilities, which were further enlarged in 2013 to include private banking, asset management and securities services.

Slawomir Krupa is a graduate of the Institut dEtudes Politiques de Paris.

Sebastien Proto

Sebastien Proto joined Societe Generale as Head of Group Strategy in September 2018.

Sebastien Proto started his career at the Inspectorate General of Finances (Inspection generale des finances), the French governments interdepartemental auditing and supervisory body, in 2004, before becoming Deputy Chief of Staff and then Chief of Staff for the Minister of Budget, Public Accounts and Civil Service (2007-2009), Chief of Staff to the Minister of Labour, Solidarity and Public Service (2010) and Chief of Staff of the Minister of Budget, Public Accounts and State Reform (2011-2012). He was a Managing Partner at Rothschild & Cie between 2013 and 2018.

Sebastien Proto graduated from ESSEC in Political Science, and previously attended the Ecole nationale dadministration.

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Prince Andrew's ex-girlfriend Lady Victoria Hervey today claimed Ghislaine Maxwell used her as 'bait' to entertain Jeffrey Epstein's friends, saying the paedophile 'kind of sat back and sort of waited for her to sort of go fishing'. The 44-year-old socialite and former 'It Girl', who is the daughter of the 6th Marquess of Bristol and the Duke of York's former love interest, first met the pair 20 years ago and said she was 'really young and naive' at the time. ITV released a clip to MailOnline ahead of tonight's 'Ghislaine, Prince Andrew and the Paedophile' documentary which also featured Lady Victoria describing Maxwell and Epstein as like 'Batman and Robin' and a 'double act'. She said: 'Jeffrey was really the frontman and Ghislaine was the accomplice. It was kind of like a Batman and Robin, and they were a double act. I don't think Jeffrey could have done any of it without Ghislaine.' Presenter Ranvir Singh said: 'And Ghislaine was crucial to getting those girls, was she, do you think to those dinners?' Lady Victoria replied: 'I think he just kind of sat back and sort of waited for her to sort of go fishing and go find however many girls were needed, you know, to entertain his friends. I think I was pretty much used as bait. You know, looking back at, you know I was really young and naive, and she's entertaining these, you know, big businessmen. So I didn't realise it of course at the time, but looking back...' Also pictured: Lady Victoria with Prince Andrew in London in 2002, and with Ghislaine Maxwell in Hollywood in 2004.
A baby-faced IT whiz who masterminded a $17million drug ring on the dark web has admitted his role in the elaborate syndicate.

Cody Ronald Ward, 26, pleaded guilty to a string of drugs charges when he appeared in Nowra Local Court on the New South Wales South Coast on Tuesday.

Sisters Shanese and Patricia Koullias also admitted their roles in what police described as a 'sophisticated online drug distribution network' that involved more than 10,000 transactions on the dark web.

Ward ran the syndicate from his seaside home and employed the two sisters to pack and send drugs across the country through Australia Post.

Detectives described the syndicate, busted in February 2019, as possibly the largest ever on the dark web in Australia.

Cody Ronald Ward (pictured) has admitted to running a $17million dark web drug ring

In a draft amended facts tendered the court on Tuesday, police outlined the detailed investigation into the syndicate where Ward used multiple names and post office boxes across the NSW South Coast region.

Ward used the 'NSWGreat' moniker on dark web marketplaces and conducted 10,500 successful transactions between December 2015 and January 2019, the South Coast News reported.

A nine-month police surveillance operation captured Ward and the sisters dropping off packages of drugs in postal boxes across Nowra and South Nowra.

Ward collected imported drugs mailed to post office boxes under a series of other names, including William Taylor, Ryan Print, Jackson Abbey, Oliver White and George Smith in Ulladulla, Warilla, Albion Park, Windang and Figtree.

Shanese Koullias would store and package orders at a Callala Bay home and deliver orders through the post.

Ward would sign off with a signature that resembled letters 'L' and 'T' while the sisters used signatures with the letters 'A' and 'N', documents stated.

Sisters Patricia Koullias (left) and Shanese Koullias (right) also admitted their involvement

Ward pleaded guilty to three counts of importing a commercial quantity of a border controlled drug and three counts of supplying a prohibited drug greater than a commercial quantity.

He also pleaded guilty to importing and supply of large quantities of MDMA, amphetamine and LSD.

Seven charges were withdrawn by the prosecution and eight offences will be proceed to the district court for sentencing.

Shanese Koullias, 24, pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying a prohibited drug greater than a large commercial quantity.

Her sister Patricia Koullias, 22, pleaded guilty to three counts of supplying a prohibited drug greater than an indictable amount and participating in a criminal group contributing to criminal activity.

Cody Ronald Ward (pictured) pleaded guilty to a string of charges in Nowra Local Court

The IT whizkid regularly boasted about his lavish lifestyle online, including driving luxury cars such as a Maserati (left) and Mercedes Benz (right)

In an electronic interview, Patricia Koullias said she would work in the syndicate one to two days a week, where she was paid about $100 per hour to package LSD tabs and $100 to drop off parcels.

All three cases were adjourned for mention at Nowra District Court on August 10.

Before his arrest in February 2019, Ward posted photos of his new Maserati and fancy international trips to Instagram, while also promoting himself as the CEO of a cyber security firm.

Ward and the sisters were arrested in February 2019 after a nine-month investigation by police led them to five properties where they uncovered several kilograms of illicit drugs - including cocaine and MDMA - drug packaging material and $100,000 cash.

Police found a combined total of $100,000 at the five raids - four homes in Callala Beach and Callala Bay and one in Quakers Hill in Sydney's west.

Patricia and Shanese Koullias (pictured) were hired to pack and send drugs across the country

During the raids at Callala Bay, Callala Beach and Quakers Hill, officers found 764.22 grams of amphetamine powder, 529g of MDMA, 85.5g dibutylone powder, 259g diazepam, 1.38g morphine and 5.67g of cocaine.

They also seized more than 100,000 LSD tabs, 323 oxycodone tablets and cannabis.

Sophisticated computer equipment, money counters, and several vehicles including a Lexus, a Mercedes-Benz, a Ford Falcon and a Maserati were also seized.

Further search warrants seized $62,796 in Australian foreign currencies and a number of NSW and Victorian drivers licenses at a Callala Beach home.

NSW state crime acting assistant commissioner Stuart Smith said at the time the bust was a sign to other drug dealers.

Cody Ronald Ward (pictured) promoted himself as the CEO of a cyber security firm

This Callala Bay home on the NSW South Coast was of five properties raided in February 2019

'We're putting would-be drug pushers on notice,' Asst Comm Smith said.

'You can no longer try to hide the peddling of poisons on the dark web.

'The co-ordinated investigative efforts by local and specialist investigators show that there's nowhere to run and nowhere to hide, even online.

'While we will continue to target the drug trade at every level of the supply chain, we remind the community that the demand of these prohibited substances needs to be addressed.'
Josslyn Mounsey and Thairu Taban had done everything right.

They stayed away from trouble while growing up in a couple of Torontos poorer neighbourhoods. They studied hard, as their immigrant, Black parents had told them to do, and about a year ago landed dream jobs as Metrolinx transit safety dispatchers, with decent pay, benefits and a generous pension plan.

After a rigorous screening process, they swore oaths and reported for work last May at the transit agencys operations centre in a secret location in Oakville.

It was liberating, said Mounsey, 30, and a single mom with three children, to be hired on a 14-month contract, her foot firmly in the door. The Canadian dream her parents had spoken of was real. I just felt like my life is going to begin now.

For Taban, 24, the first day on the job, his a permanent one, was amazing. He remembers thinking of the kids he grew up with and the ones who are younger, and how he could tell them its possible.

And then, for both, the dream came to a crashing and bewildering end, after both failed a Toronto Police Service background check. They have never been told why.

Neither has a criminal record, but they suspect family connections are behind the decisions, rendered by police as a pass or fail, with no reasons supplied to them or to Metrolinx, in an arrangement that has since ended.

The dream, said Mounsey, now feels like a crock of bulls---. If police have your name in their system, youre screwed.

In late May, Mounsey and Thairu, helped by lawyer Glen Chochla, filed nearly identical applications to the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario, alleging systemic racism and discrimination in the background check process and their firings, and that the system disproportionately impacts Black people.

It has been widely proven that Black citizens are subject to a higher degree of surveillance and policing techniques, such as street checks, and that they face socio-economic and other barriers that can lead to more involvement in street life, criminal records  and simply knowing people with them.

Neither Metrolinx nor the Toronto Police Services Board, named as respondents in the applications, has filed a response with the tribunal.

Any allegation of discrimination deeply concerns us, Metrolinx spokesperson Anne Marie Aikins told the Star in an email.

Like any organization, we have more work to do. We are prepared to do that hard work and because of that commitment we have built a diverse and gender balanced transit safety team, said Aikins.

A spokesperson for the police services board said the board had just received copies of the applications and would respond directly to the tribunal after reviewing them.

In response to Star questions, Toronto police spokesperson Connie Osborne said police do not divulge reasons for failures because employment-related information is not under the jurisdiction of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and applicants sign a waiver agreeing to parameters of the check and the outcomes.

The police services own employment process is currently under a service-wide review, looking at policies, practices and procedures with an equity lens to eliminate any potential systemic racism and discrimination, said Osborne, and any changes will strike a balance between the security and an equitable process.

Lawyer Annamaria Enenajor has no connection to the case but is familiar with the allegations and has pushed for amnesty and record cleansing for people with cannabis offences in their past.

She told the Star this kind of background check, because of the potential impact it can have on a persons livelihood, the organizations that conduct them have to be very transparent and careful.

And its so disappointing to see Metrolinx divesting its authority and its power to the TPS to, for no good reason, deny a person employment  It will disproportionately impact people from low-income neighbourhoods and Black people, because those are the ones who the Toronto police have targeted for contact, through regimes like the carding program.

Josslyn Mounseys father was murdered when she was four, and she has since had no contact with family on his side. On that side, there are people, she said, involved in criminal activity. Her mom moved the family out of Regent Park to a safer neighbourhood soon after he died.

Mounsey also had an ex-boyfriend, from her early 20s, who had police trouble, and she had signed as a surety on a drug offence.

On the other side of the family are an uncle and cousin who are police officers in Durham region.

Thairu Tabans older brother took a different path than he did, said Taban, and had a pretty serious criminal record. When they lived in community housing in Flemingdon Park for 15 years, Taban said he would often be mistaken for his brother by police, and asked for ID.

He followed a path that was morally wrong, said Taban, who spoke to the Star in a video call with Mounsey and their lawyer. Ive really distanced myself from him to the point where I really dont communicate with him that much.

Taban also moved out of the neighbourhood and lives with his mom.

Taban and Mounsey believe these connections derailed their careers, with implications for getting any good-paying emergency communications jobs where the employer uses Toronto police to do background checks, and with employers who dont use Toronto, but typically ask if they have ever failed such a check.

(Last year, Toronto police received 194 background requests from outside agencies  including special constable at the TTC, Toronto Community Housing, the University of Toronto  and 93 per cent cleared the checks, said spokesperson Osborne.)

Assuming those (connections) are a basis for concern at all, and Im not sure there is here, said Chochla, their lawyer, communicate those concerns to the candidates and give them an opportunity to address the concerns.

A Toronto police background check, said Osborne, includes a full investigation by a background agent, then a review by a Sergeant and a further review by a Staff Sergeant to ensure there is no bias and that the individual file is assessed accurately by multiple people. If any agency requests us to re-assess a candidate again, we will do so.

Metrolinx discontinued its background check relationship with Toronto police late last year after a contract ended and now uses Cobourg Police Service, Aikins said in the email response.

Aikins said the checks with Toronto police came back as either a  pass or fail with no further information, even upon inquiry. The new deal with Cobourg comes with more information. It remains unclear if the switch to Cobourg is tied to these cases.

Aikins said Metrolinx currently employs 14 dispatchers and most are people of colour.

According to their applications, Mounsey and Taban were hired along with two successful white candidates, out of more than 1,000 applications.

After clearing a third-party check, which included a criminal record check, they started working. Pay started at $26.76 an hour, and would jump to $32.78 an hour after a nine-month probationary period. These were union jobs, their applications state, with a defined-benefit OMERS pension plan.

Metrolinx, an equal opportunity employer as listed on job postings, did not ask for the deeper Toronto police background check, which involves questions about connections to people with criminal involvement, until hires had been made, Aikins said. The jobs were conditional on passing that check.

Mounsey has legal and emergency telecommunications diplomas from Humber College. She passed a vulnerable sector police screening check in 2008, when she enrolled in another Humber program, in early childhood education. That level of criminal record check is the deepest, and looks at pardons and findings of being not criminally responsible due to mental illness.

Mounsey had previously applied to be a Toronto 911 dispatcher, and had already failed the even deeper background check with the Toronto police for that job. She didnt expect the same, opaque pass or fail bar would sting her again. This was not a police job, after all.

Two days into her Metrolinx job, she went to police headquarters on College St. to be fingerprinted but was not required to undergo another background check.

Later that day, she was told she failed the check, based presumably on the earlier one. They already put me on their blackball books, Mounsey told the Star.

She went home, feeling robbed, and thinking she would never get a decent job in her field.

And then I got a random text a month later from Thairu, telling me that he got let go.

Tabans check had taken longer. He was called into a room, where his supervisor broke the news. He was immediately asked to surrender his ID cards and escorted out the building.

It hurt a lot, having to walk out, said Taban, and even more when he broke the news to his mother. It just broke her heart to this day. His diploma in police foundations and certificate in emergency telecommunications, also both from Humber, had gotten him this far, and Toronto police closed the door.

Of their cohort, the two Black candidates had been let go, while the white candidates remain.

They decided to fight to get their jobs back, and enlisted legal help.

At the heart of the failed background checks appears to be the need for dispatchers to make criminal record queries on the job through the Canadian Police Information Centre (CPIC), administered by the RCMP.

Aikins said in the email to the Star that access is strictly controlled by the RCMP, access closely tracked and securely stored by dispatchers, and that it contains information asked for by Metrolinx special constables and fare inspectors when conducting investigations to identify suspects, check for outstanding warrants, safety alerts such (as) violence, sexual assault or weapons.

In Mounsey and Tabans applications, their lawyer, Chochla, noted he sought explanations for the failed tests, and he and his clients were denied them.

Both Mounsey and Taban filed freedom-of-information requests with Toronto police for all police records and reports on them.

Taban received 41 pages, none of which referenced any criminal convictions, his application states. The material, rather, reflected his suspicions about his brothers criminal involvement, and there were several pages that referred to Taban as Black and as Caribbean.

Mounseys package was 116 pages, not a single one referencing criminal convictions. Like Taban, several pages noted she was Black, and most pages related to incidents where she was the victim. There were traffic incidents, and a noise complaint, which Mounsey had made.

In their applications to the tribunal, Mounsey and Taban allege Metrolinx abdicated its discretionary authority on the background checks to Toronto police and blindly accepts the verdict without requiring police to explain.

That, the applications allege, constitutes transfer of a crucial exercise of Metrolinxs discretion to an institution with deep historical traditions and current practices of discriminatory policing, which are ingrained in our society.

The applications also cite data from street checks, or carding, that shows Black people are more likely than white people to be stopped, questioned and documented by police.

Knia Singh, a lawyer and human rights advocate, experienced something similar as a law student at Yorks Osgoode Hall. Without being told why, he was denied a ride-along with Toronto police that was part of a course. He also has no criminal record, and filed a request for his own information. Singh, who was a hip hop producer, was documented in contact cards for being with artists who had criminal records.

Singh, who is Black, did get an unofficial explanation from a senior officer for the denial: he had associated with people with serious records, Singh wrote in his own human rights complaint, filed in 2016, arguing he, too, had been discriminated against. He also filed a police complaint.

A police spokesperson told the Star at the time someone with past or current criminal involvement with the police and/or someone who has past or current association to persons known to police would be reasons why a (ride-along) request would be denied.

Repeated Star analyses of Toronto police contact-card data have shown that at the peak of the practice, upwards of 400,000 cards were filled out a year, and over the years, contained data on over a million individuals known to police. The practice was suspended in Toronto and is now provincially regulated.

Singh, familiar with the allegations by Mounsey and Taban but not involved, called their stories eerily similar to his. While police can no longer easily access historical contact-card data, Singh pointed to many other forms of police documentation as likely reasons for the failed background checks.

Im really disappointed that Metrolinx, such a large employer, cant find a better way to screen potential employees, said Singh.

Singhs police complaint was resolved through mediation, and his human rights case is still before the tribunal.

Mounsey and Taban say in their applications the alleged discriminatory practices of the police and Metrolinx are inextricably intertwined.

Mounsey and Taban are seeking apologies, $80,000 in damages from each respondent, permanent transit safety dispatcher jobs and back pay, plus benefits and pension contributions retroactive to their respective fire dates, along with credit for seniority purposes.

They also want the Human Rights Commission of Ontario to investigate, and supervise an anti-discrimination education and training program for staff at both organizations involved in human resources, recruiting and security checks.

When it comes to whatever material police and Metrolinx have on them, Mounsey and Taban want orders to have it removed.

In the Star interview, both Mounsey and Taban said they are also doing this for young Black people with fewer resources who have lost jobs in similar scenarios.

Much attention has been given to Black youth and the need for more supports, and police wanting to reduce gun crime, said Mounsey, but then youre shutting the door on the Black youth that are coming from Toronto that are trying to better their lives.

It filters people like Thairu and I out, she said.

Chochla said his clients cases send a troubling message to their communities.

The more challenges that are in your background, that can and should be viewed as a tribute to your character, said Chochla. Youve dealt with them and overcome them. Makes you a better person. So, judge me on my character, not where I come from, or the colour of my skin.

Both Mounsey and Taban found other work in the meantime. Mounsey earns $22 an hour as a casual hospital worker, with no benefits. Taban is working as a dispatcher for a private security firm, earning $16.50 an hour, with some benefits, and no pension.

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A number of countries have placed travel restrictions on Luxembourg residents due to the increasing number of coronavirus cases. Here's an overview of the current situation.

Beginning with the Grand Duchy's neighbours, Belgium have placed Luxembourg on an "orange" list, under "increased vigilance".

The government has recommended travellers to undergo quarantine measures and get tested, although this is not an obligation. Since 1 August, a form must be filled out by people who want to stay in Belgium for more than 48 hours.

Travellers to Germany must observe quarantine if they do not have a negative test result less than 48 hours old. This is because there have been more than 50 infections per 100,000 inhabitants in Luxembourg during the last week. German citizens have been advised to avoid travel to Luxembourg as the Grand Duchy is considered an at-risk country, although exceptions to the rule have already been initiated.

Both France and the Netherlands have refrained from imposing travel restrictions.

The rest of Europe



Bulgaria can be visited without any restrictions.

Denmark put the Grand Duchy on a list of "banned countries", meaning that no travel will be possible at all at this stage. Tourists from other countries are only allowed if they have made a reservation for longer than 6 nights. Both lists are updated every Thursday on a weekly basis.

Luxembourgish tourists can travel to Austria without a negative test and with no need for quarantine measures.

When travelling to Estonia, a 14-day quarantine period is mandatory.

Only people with a valid reason for entering the country will be allowed in Finland, which can be family or work-related for instance. Quarantine measures are recommended, but not mandatory. These regulations will be in place until 11 August.

Visitors to Greece must complete a form the day before travel.

Travellers to Ireland will also have to complete a form, as well as observing a quarantine period for 14 days, staying at home and avoiding social contact.

Italy remains a restriction-free destination, although a formal travel declaration is advised.

The same goes for Croatia, which only demands that a form be filled out before entering the country.

Latvia has imposed a 14-day quarantine period for Luxembourgish travellers.

Lithuania has banned all travels at this stage. Upon returning from Luxembourg, Lithuanian citizens must self-isolate. The list of countries is updated on a weekly basis every Monday.

Malta has not imposed any travel restrictions for Luxembourg.

Norway considers the Grand Duchy a red-level risk area, meaning that travellers need to quarantine for 10 days. The list of countries is updated at least once every two weeks.

Poland has not imposed any restrictions, neither has Portugal.

In Romania, people need to isolate for 14 days when travelling from Luxembourg. The list of countries without restrictions is updated every week.

Sweden can be accessed without any restriction.

In Switzerland, Luxembourgish travellers need to quarantine for 10 days starting 23 July.

In Slovakia, a negative coronavirus test no older than 96 hours must be presented, otherwise quarantine measures are imposed until a test can be performed. But even in possession of negative test results, the government still imposes a 5-day quarantine period, paired with another test done in Slovakia.

Slovenia considers the Grand Duchy a red-level risk, meaning that 14 days of quarantine are imposed by the government.

Every tourist travelling to Spain needs to fill out a form before entering the country.

No travel restrictions have been imposed by the Czech Republic. The same goes for Hungary.

The United Kingdom has imposed a 14-day quarantine period.

Cyprus has increased Luxembourg's risk level to "C", meaning that travel is no longer possible. Negative test results and a 14-day quarantine period are imposed for Cyprus nationals when returning from Luxembourg.

Further information on travel restrictions across European countries can be found on the following EU website.

This article is only concerned with tourist travels. Many of the countries listed above have other regulations for business trips or family related visits. We recommend that you familiarise yourself with the respective safety regulations of each destination before travelling.

Most recent update: 3 August 2020.
Lifetime is breaking new ground. This year, it will air a holiday film focusing on an LGBTQ romance, a first for the cable network.

Lifetime airs dozens of movies every year as part of the Its a Wonderful Lifetime holiday programming block. But until now, heterosexual couples have always been at the heart of those romantic flicks. That lack of diversity hasnt gone unnoticed, with many calling on the channel to embrace more diverse stories.

This new Lifetime movie will focus on a gay couple

 The Gay Kiss in Twinkle all the Way Could Herald a Lifetime Christmas Movie Revolution https://t.co/OVDELengHb  Sarah Drew (@sarahdrew) November 30, 2019

RELATED: Vanessa Lachey Shares Why Her New Movie Christmas Unleashed Will Get You in the Holiday Spirit

Lifetime revealed that the upcoming movie The Christmas Set Up will have two male leads. It follows 2019s Twinkle All the Way, which featured an on-screen kiss between Lex (Brian Sills) and Danny (Mark Ghanime).

Casting for The Christmas Set Up is still taking place, with production set to begin later in August. An air date for the film hasnt been announced, but this years Its a Wonderful Lifetime event will begin in mid-October and run through December.

The plot of The Christmas Set Up

While we dont yet know who will star in The Christmas Set Up, Lifetime has revealed a few details about the story.

In the movie, Hugo, a corporate lawyer from New York, and his best friend Madelyn travel to Milwaukee to spend the holidays with his mom Kate. Kate, who is in charge of the local Christmas celebrations, decides to play matchmaker for her single son. She arranges for Hugo  just returned to Wisconsin from a successful stint in Silicon Valley  to run into Patrick, a friend from high school on whom he had a secret crush.

Sparks fly between Hugo and Patrick. But then Hugo gets word hes just received a big promotion that will require him to move to London. Hell have to decide whether his career or love is more important to him.

Lifetime will also air a holiday movie featuring an Asian-American family

A decorated Christmas tree | Medios y Media/Getty Images

RELATED: Christmas Movie Showdown: Lifetime Stars Weigh In On Hallmark Rivalry

In addition to a film with an LGBTQ romance, Lifetime also plans to air its first holiday movie focused on an Asian-American family, A Sugar & Spice Holiday.

In that movie, a young architect named Suzie returns home to Maine to spend the holiday with her Chinese-American family, who run the local Lobster Bar. Once shes back at home, she teams up with an old high school friend named Billy to enter the local gingerbread house competition, continuing the legacy of her late grandmother, a star baker. A Sugar & Spice Holiday will be directed by Jennifer Liao and written by Eirene Donohue.

The Christmas Set Up and A Sugar & Spice Holiday are both part of Lifetimes effort to tell a wider variety of holiday stories, the network says.

We are thrilled to continue our legacy of creating a holiday destination that is welcoming to all at Lifetime, Amy Winter, executive vice president and head of programming, Lifetime and Lifetime Movie Network, said in a statement. With more new movies than any one cable network for streamer, I couldnt be prouder of the incredible talent joining us in front of, and behind the camera, on these new holiday movies.

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BANGKOK (AP)  Facing renewed public outrage, prosecutors in Thailand said Tuesday that police should file drug charges against a scion of the Red Bull energy drink fortune in connection with the 2012 hit-and-run death of a police officer.

An Office of the Attorney General committee also suggested that the charge of causing death by reckless driving against Vorayuth Yoovidhya might be restored after a re-examination of the evidence. Prosecutors dropped that charge late last month, igniting a fresh uproar over a a case that critics say highlights the impunity wealthy Thais enjoy.

The committee is one of several that were set up to investigate how and why charges had been dropped against Vorayuth, whose family is listed by Forbes magazine as the second richest in Thailand, with an estimated wealth of $20.2 billion.

The committee can assure you that the case hasnt ended, a spokesman for the attorney generals office, Prayuth Bejraguna, said at a news conference.

Vorayuth had been accused of roaring down a Bangkok street in his Ferrari at speeds of up to 177 kilometers (110 miles) per hour when he struck a police officer patrolling on a motorcycle. The officer and his mangled motorcycle were dragged for several dozen meters (yards) before his body fell to the road.

Police followed a trail of fluid to the Yoovidhya familys nearby property. The car, which they found there, had a shattered windshield and its bumper was dangling. At first, a chauffeur was blamed for the accident, but Vorayuth later admitted to being the driver. He turned himself in and was released on bail the same day.

His lawyers managed to repeatedly put off any court appearances until April 2017, when a warrant was issued for his arrest a few days after he had left the country. His Thai passports were later revoked.

Despite the legal threats hanging over him, Vorayuth managed after the accident to lead a busy globetrotting life, flying in private Red Bull jets to attend Formula One races, go snowboarding in Japan and cruising in Venice, among other activities. His continuing jet-set lifestyle provoked widespread public anger when it was revealed by an Associated Press investigation.

Story continues

That anger was reignited lat month with the sudden news that the most serious remaining charge against Vorayuth was being dropped. Several lesser charges had already expired.

No specific reasons were given for why the charge was dropped, but an official memo leaked to Thai media cited two new witnesses saying they had seen Vorayuths car traveling safely within the speed limit and that the police officer had recklessly cut in front of him.

Officials at Tuesday's news conference said they would ask for a re-investigation of whether Vorayuth was speeding.

I can assure you that the Office of the Attorney General is seeking the truth and is neither abandoning this case nor considering it closed," said Chanchai Chalanonniwat, a member of the attorney general's committee.

The committee acknowledged that a fresh investigation might also exonerate Vorayuth.

Last week's death in a motorcycle accident of one of the new witnesses in the case added a fresh turn to the case. Although there appeared to be no suspicious circumstances involved, it now has itself become the object of a special investigation, with the victims body ordered seized for examination.

In addition to the new investigation, the attorney general's committee suggested that a charge of using Class 2 drugs be lodged against Vorayuth. The offense is punishable by up to three years imprisonment and a fine.

News emerged last week that when Vorayuth was tested after the accident, traces of chemicals were found in his system indicating cocaine, but that police did not pursue charges after being told it came from an anesthetic used in dental work. Dental experts responded that drugs used for dental work contain chemical compounds distinct from those found in cocaine.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

While the exact origin of the coronavirus remains murky, scientists have been racing to determine how it jumped from animals to humans so they can prevent another pandemic.

The next one could just be a matter of time, a study published recently suggests.

The authors said a virus with similar ability to infect humans may already be out there, carried by a type of bats known for having horseshoe-shaped "leafs" on their noses.

Scientists made that prediction after constructing a family tree of the coronavirustracing its ancestry by comparing its genetic code with that of other coronaviruses found in bats, humans, and a scaly animal called the pangolin.

The lineage of the virus that causes COVID-19 appears to have branched off from its closest viral relatives about 40 to 70 years ago, the authors wrote in Nature Microbiology. And other viruses in the same branch of the family likely share a similar ability to latch onto cells in human airways, said Maciej F. Boni, a Pennsylvania State University biologist and lead study author.

"It's very likely there are lots of other lineages that nobody knows about, because nobody has sampled, that are circulating quietly in bats," he said. "Potentially all of them could have this ability to infect human cells."

Tracing the family trees of viruses is a challenge, as the microbes mutate and swap sections of their genomes in ways that make it difficult to tell what happened when.

Coronaviruses, in particular, are prone to this type of recombination, in part because a bat can carry several types at once. A virus inside a bat can easily pick up bits of genetic code from other viruses infecting the same animalsay, grabbing the instructions for latching onto human cells from one source, while picking up the code to penetrate cell membranes from another.

Yet by using a battery of statistical techniques, the scientists identified three genetic regions in the coronavirus that appeared to have remained intact for decades. They identified the same three regions in another coronavirus that came from a bat found in Yunnan, a province in southern China near Laos.

That virus cannot infect humans but is otherwise highly similar to the one causing the pandemic, which was first identified in human patients in the city of Wuhan. The two viruses seem to have branched apart in the family tree sometime in the 1960s, and almost certainly have undiscovered cousins with the potential to infect humans, said Boni, who collaborated with scientists in Europe and China.

The research represents a valuable advance in tracing the origin of the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19, said Alina Chan, a molecular biologist at the Broad Institute in Cambridge, Mass., who was not involved in the study.

"They've narrowed it down," she said.

A good way to hunt for cousins of these two coronaviruses would be to take samples from bats along the hundreds of miles separating Yunnan and Wuhan, said Boni, a member of Penn State's Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics. That could guide strategies to prevent such viruses from "jumping" from bat to humans in the future, perhaps by identifying live animal markets where better hygiene measures could be implemented.

The coronavirus responsible for COVID-19 was originally thought to have jumped from animal to human at such a market in Wuhan, but Chinese officials later discounted that possibility, as some of the first patients had no apparent connection to that market. Scientists have since speculated that the fateful transmission occurred at some other market. U.S. intelligence officials have suggested that it may have been accidentally released at a research lab, but virologists in academia are generally skeptical of that theory.

By itself, the presence of similar coronaviruses in bats would not mean another pandemic is imminent, said Kevin Olival, vice president for research at EcoHealth Alliance, a nonprofit that works with scientists worldwide to protect people and animals from infectious disease.

The size and range of the relevant bat population and the behavior of humans also are part of the equation.

"To calculate the risk, you've got to put all those pieces together," he said.

Among the countries where the nonprofit has worked with local scientists to sample bat populations is China, though U.S. funding for that collaboration was put on hold by the Trump administration, with officials citing the virus-released-from-a-Chinese-lab theory. More than 70 Nobel laureates denounced the move.

What is not in dispute is that viruses have been jumping from animals to humans for centuries, and that it will happen again.

And coronaviruses carried by bats are a prime suspect.

Similar predictions have been made beforesuch as in 2013, when a Science magazine article was headlined "Bats May Be Carrying the Next SARS Pandemic."

Sure enough, as the world now knows too well, that came true.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

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Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 30) The Senates investigation into the alleged irregularities and fresh controversies hounding state-run Philippine Health Insurance Corporation has been set for Tuesday, August 4, Senator Ping Lacson said Thursday.

The Senate Committee of the Whole will formally open the probe at 9 a.m., Lacson said in a message to reporters.

Lacson and Senate President Vicente Tito Sotto III on Monday filed Senate Resolution 475 which also calls for an inquiry into the allegations of incompetence and inefficiency at the agency that supposedly led to the controversial resignation of some of its officials, including anti-fraud legal officer Thorsson Montes Keith.

Keith, in his resignation letter, had claimed widespread corruption and other anomalies in the PhilHealth system, including an unfair job promotion process.

Officials and staff of the state health insurer including President and CEO Ricardo Morales denied such allegations.

READ: Blessing in disguise? PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officers resignation opens door for Senate probe on alleged corruption, anomalies in the agency

PACC probe results out soon

Aside from the Senate, the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission has also launched an investigation into the alleged anomalies of PhilHealth, with results expected to be released very soon, Commissioner Greco Belgica said.

The PACC in May began to look into the agencys alleged overpricing of COVID-19 test kits upon President Rodrigo Dutertes orders. The chief executive has since directed a fresh probe on PhilHealth following Keiths resignation.

The President knows best. However the President will not hesitate to ax anyone should investigations prove ones involvement in corruption in PhilHealth, the commissioner said in a statement.
India said on Tuesday two more of the seven Indian engineers kidnapped in Afghanistan in May 2018 had been freed and had returned to the country, taking the number of men released so far to six.

The external affairs ministry said in a brief statement the two Indian nationals were released from captivity in Afghanistan on July 31 and returned to India today [Tuesday].

The statement confirmed the two men were part of the group of seven Indians abducted more than two years ago, but didnt give details of the circumstances of their release. Six Indian nationals have now been released so far from captivity, the statement said.

We thank the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for their constant and unwavering support in securing the release of the Indians, the statement added.

The seven men were working on power projects run by the Afghan government when they were abducted in northern Baghlan province. One of them was freed in March 2019 while three more were released last October. There were no immediate details on the status of the lone member of the group who remained unaccounted for.

It was widely believed the engineers  who worked for KEC International Limited, one of the worlds largest companies engaged in building and maintaining power transmission networks  were kidnapped by the Taliban. The militant group, however, hasnt so far said anything on this issue.

Earlier this year, a report from the UN Security Councils analytical support and sanctions monitoring team had acknowledged that three of the engineers were freed last October by the Taliban in exchange for 11 members of the militant group,.

The report had said that 11 Taliban were released from Bagram Airfield detention facility in exchange for three Indian engineers who had been kidnapped in Afghanistan.

The Taliban members who were released included former shadow governors Sheikh Abdul Rahimand Mawlawi Rashid Baluch. Rahim is believed to have been appointed by the Haqqani Network, which is close to the Pakistani security establishment. Baluch was sanctioned in 2015 by the US treasury department, which emphasised his role in the Taliban and Al-Qaida nexus, the report said.
Xtalks Life Science Webinars Finding the right solution to address drug stability concerns associated with moisture, oxygen and volatile compounds is a continual challenge.

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Join Laura Zurlinden, Director of Business Development for Clinical Services, PCI Pharma Services, Badre Hammond, VP Commercial Operations, Aptar CSP Technologies and Tommy Genetski, Associate Director of Key Accounts, Aptar CSP Technologies in a live webinar on Wednesday, August 26, 2020 at 11am EDT (4pm BST/UK).

For more information or to register for this event, visit Extend the Shelf-Life of Oral Solid Doses with Activ-Blister Solutions.

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Police arrest pro-life activists for Black Preborn Lives Matter sidewalk chalk

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Police in Washington, D.C., arrested a man and a woman in front of Planned Parenthood because they were writing Black Preborn Lives Matter with a piece of chalk outside the abortion facility.

Our students and team members were threatened, harassed, and arrested in front of Planned Parenthood in Washington D.C. for painting all Black Preborn Lives Matter, the pro-life group Students for Life tweeted Saturday.

The tweet also carried a video of the incident. Hey folks, I need to tell you now, that if you continue chalking youre going to be placed under arrest for defacing property, an officer can be heard saying.

A Metropolitan Police Department spokeswoman told The Epoch Times that the arrests were for the defacing of property.

The man and the woman were released with citations.

Weve had several offers from legal organizations to help our @StudentsforLife team in light of the unconstitutional arrests and banning of our #BlackPreBornLivesMatter street painting today, Students for Life President Kristan Hawkins said. @MayorBowser, you messed with the wrong students.

Recently, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser painted the streets of the city with the slogan BLACK LIVES MATTER, the pro-life group pointed out in an online petition.

In doing this, the petition says, she proclaimed not only what those of us in the pro-life genuinely believe and fight for every day in-front of Planned Parenthoods and other abortion facilities across America. But she also opened up the streets of Washington, D.C. for public expression.

After applying and receiving our permit and after being told by the Metropolitan police that the Mayor has opened a Pandoras box by painting public streets, Students for Life arrived at the D.C. Planned Parenthood on Saturday, August 1st to six police cars threatening to arrest our team and student leaders if we painted BLACK PREBORN LIVES MATTER, even using the temporary paint we bought that the Police Department specifically requested.

When the members of the group asked if they could use sidewalk chalk to chalk their anti-violence message on the streets, the police threatened to arrest us.

This means, the group said, Mayor Bowser apparently only thinks that SOME Black Lives Matter and that only SOME slogans are allowed to be painted on streets.

Not only has Mayor Bowser bought into the eugenic and racist lies that Planned Parenthood sells and what their political contributions guarantees that what goes inside of Planned Parenthoods each and every day is anything but violence and racism. But she has bought into the lies that only some people have freedom of speech and expression in America, people like her in positions of power, people like her who pride themselves on their wokeness.

Last weekend, the Baby Lives Matter movement painted a blue and pink mural displaying the phrase Baby Lives Matter in front of a Planned Parenthood clinic in the city.

The movement began three weeks ago after artist and pro-life activist Tayler Hansen spent seven hours painting a Baby Lives Matter mural on the street in front of a Planned Parenthood abortion facility in his hometown of Salt Lake City, Utah.

[Ten] unarmed Black Americans were killed by police in 2019. They have murals all around the country. Almost 400,000 innocent babies were murdered by Planned Parenthood in 2019. Its about damn time they get a mural too. #BabyLivesMatter, Hansen proclaimed at the time.

In 2019, abortion was the leading cause of death worldwide. Almost 43 million children were denied the most basic right of all: life, Hansen said in a video posted to Twitter. [That] is why I felt inclined to demonstrate a true peaceful protest dedicated to those abandoned without a voice.
Civilians Say Cameroon Government Undermines War Against Boko Haram

By Moki Edwin Kindzeka August 03, 2020

There are growing concerns among Cameroonians that their government and military are undermining the war against Boko Haram terrorists in the northern part of the country. Civilians and experts have criticized authorities' handling of the threat after a suspected Boko Haram militant attack on Sunday killed 17 people and wounded six others in a camp for displaced people. Cameroon's military rejects the criticism but admits that the Nigeria-based terrorist group is increasing the frequency of its attacks.

Ousmanou Sani, head of the Nguetchewe village community near Cameroon's northern town of Mozogo says they have been counting on community militias for protection from Boko Haram. The 62-year-old says the military presence in their locality has been reduced significantly and their porous border with Nigerian villages is no longer controlled regularly. He spoke via a messaging application from Mozogo.

Sani says the population can bear him witness that only poorly equipped vigilantes are seen most of the time carrying out patrols to protect civilians. He says if the military is stretched, the government should recruit and train vigilante groups members who are ready to protect their communities.

Sani said the absence of the military from 5 of the 6 border control posts may have encouraged suspected Boko Haram militants to attack their locality over the weekend.

Cameroon military acknowledged that several Boko Haram fighters including women crossed over from Nigeria and attacked an IDP camp at Nguetchewe village. The military in a statement said several people either died or were wounded in the attack, but did not give figures.

Sani said 15 villagers died on the spot and one in a local hospital. He said six others were wounded in the grenade attack and more than 70 had fled for safety in neighboring bushes.

The fresh attack took place less than a month after Cameroon Chief of Defense staff Lieutenant General Rene Claude Meka visited northern Cameroon. He says he went to galvanize his troops fighting Boko Haram terrorism. He refuses claims that the military has withdrawn from many of its positions on Cameroon's northern border with Nigeria.

Meka says the Cameroon military is effectively at work protecting all citizens, their properties and public edifices from the terror group. He says he visits the troops regularly to see if there are adjustments to be done for the military to be more professional in its strategies against Boko Haram.

Conflict resolution specialist Joseph-Vincent Ntouda Ebode of the University of Yaounde 1 says Cameroon military should not think that it has defeated Boko Haram. He says although the terrorist group is weakened, it is still very much present in northern Cameroon, Nigeria and Chad.

He says to reduce renewed attacks, the Cameroon military must take into consideration that poor, hungry and disgruntled people are being used as informants by Boko Haram fighters. He says it is imperative for the Cameroon military to take appropriate measures and secure all civilians and infrastructure that can be targets of the terrorist group. He says Boko Haram is already weak and may resort to attacking civilians, refugees and humanitarian workers to send a message that it has not been completely eradicated.

Cameroon reports that since January this year, it has recorded 87 Boko Haram attacks on its northern border with Nigeria. Twenty-two of them were in the northern district of Mozogo alone.

The United Nations reports that Boko Haram violence has cost the lives of 30,000 people and displaced about 2 million in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

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New Delhi: After reports that video-sharing platform TikTok is selling business in the US, Zhang Yiming, founder and CEO of TikTok's parent company, ByteDance has received a lot of flak from the Chinese people.

As per a report in the Bloomberg, now Zhang Yiming has also hidden all his posts from Chinese Social media platform Weibo.

Zhang Yiming, founder and CEO of ByteDance ByteDance CEO has hidden all his Weibo posts from the public, after patriotic netizens called him out for betraying Chinese interest for considering the TikTok US sale, Zheping Huang Bloomberg reporter has tweeted.

Meanwhile, Microsoft on August 2 officially confirmed that it is in talks to acquire the operations of video-sharing platform TikTok in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand markets following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald Trump.

The official confirmation came after reports surfaced that Microsoft has halted its bid to buy the US operations of China-based TikTok after President Donald Trump vowed to ban the short-video making app that has over 80 million monthly users in the country.

US President Donald Trump had in the end of July said that he would ban the popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok from operating in the country through an executive order.

TikTok had by July end unveiled a plan to offer creators $2 billion globally in the next three years. TikTok has denied any Chinese control over its operations.

The move to ban TikTok comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the Chinese government over a number of issues, including trade disputes and Beijing's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
Planning for my kidnapping

Mon 03 August 2020 in in life

Imagine tomorrow you go shopping and, for whatever reason, you never come back. Maybe be someone killed you, maybe someone kidnapped you, maybe you had an accident ... Now imagine you are travelling alone in Thailand and you die. How people who know you are going to find out what happen ? if you are being kidnaped how the police will do to find you, if you got lost how people will find you ? If you die how your family is going to find your papers ?

I wanted to find a way to answer all those questions, basically we can sum up the issues in 3 points :

In case of being kidnaped or getting lost send as much information on your last location, and following locations, your last activity, all your digital information to someone who is going to help liberating you

In case of dying, sending all your documents (passwords, friends list, legal documents, ...) to your family

Not sending those documents by mistakes if you are not on the situations above

First step : collect your position, your activity, your documents, ...

The first step is to be sure that you have the data that you want to send, on my part, the data are:

My current position and recent history My last know activity and a recent history The list of my credentials The list of my legal documents (id, passport, health insurance, work papers, ...)

I've written an article explaining how I'm doing 1. and 2. (position in real time, and last activity), so this is fixed.

For my credentials, I use keepassXC with a keyfile + a master password, the keyfile and the password db is synced using syncthingd with a server that I rent

My legal documents are all tied in one folder on my laptop which is also synced on the same server

So basically we have all the needed documents which are synced in real time on the same server

Second step : Choose how to trigger the sharing of documents

The biggest problem is you want the alert to react quickly but not fire because you have been sleeping for 8 hours. So I chose to rely on the time since I last changed of activity. Currently after 24h without changing activity a first notification is sent to my own email so that if this is a mistake I can stop the system before it is too late. And if 6 hours later I've still haven't changed of activity then a mail is sent to my parents.

So basically if something happens to me my parents will be notified maximum 30h after the event, this is not so great but this is a good beginning. In the future I should try to have an adaptive delay depending on the last activity, for example if my last activity is eating, then I won't eat for 24 hours, so I can trigger the alert after for example 4 hours.

Last step : What to put inside the notification

So my parents will receive an email after 30 hours of inactivity. In this email there is a link to a page which will allow them to retrieve all the documents.

The link is random generated link available only 6 hours, this is important to be safe as you don't want anyone to be able to access all your passwords ...

And the page, there are explanations of that page is about, like, "maybe I was kidnaped, maybe I'm lost, check my last time active on whatsapp, contact xxxx to see if he knows anything" You can also view the current position of my phone and a small location history, that way you can see if I'm still moving, or if the last point if 30 hours old, you can also see my last activity and when it started

And finally you can get the list of all my passwords, for that purpose I created a form, with 6 facts on my life, that only my parents can know all of them, like what was the color of my first car ..., then there you can submit your answer, there is a rate limit on the number of requests you can make to prevent a brute force. If the 6 answers are true, the backend will decode the keepassxc archive and return a json of the archive, containing all of my credentials, including the ssh password to connect on the server to get all the paper documents.

Conclusion

I know that all of that is far from being perfect. I check every few months that the alerting is working, by decreasing the delay to trigger the alert, but the server can go down, ton of things can happen to make the system not working, so that's why I tried to keep everything as simple as possible, postgresql + django + cron. Someone should create a service to manage that at a bigger scale, or maybe that's something that 1password or others could include in their offer
" " Typically, a water tower's tank is sized to hold about a day's worth of water for the community served by the tower. Thomas Northcut / Getty Images

Have you ever experienced a "water failure"? That is, have you ever turned on your faucet and found that no water came out of it? If you get your water from a municipal water system, the answer is probably "no."

We have power failures all the time. Cable TV goes out fairly frequently. Although less common, the phone system goes down every so often, and it is now common to get an "all circuits busy" message when making long-distance calls. But the water in any city or suburb is always there. Water pressure is very reliable.

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A big reason for that level of reliability is the water tower. You see water towers everywhere, especially if you live in a flat area full of small towns. Each water system has one or more towers. In this article, we will look at how water towers work. The next time you drive by a water tower, you will know exactly what it is doing.

Tower, Tank and Pump

" "

A water tower is an incredibly simple device. Although water towers come in all shapes and sizes, they all do the same thing: A water tower is simply a large, elevated tank of water. For example, take the water tower shown at the right. This tower is located in Kill Devils Hill, near Kitty Hawk, NC. It is about 165 feet (50 meters) tall.

Water towers are tall to provide pressure. Each foot of height provides 0.43 PSI (pounds per square Inch) of pressure. A typical municipal water supply runs at between 50 and 100 PSI (major appliances require at least 20 to 30 PSI). The water tower must be tall enough to supply that level of pressure to all of the houses and businesses in the area of the tower. So water towers are typically located on high ground, and they are tall enough to provide the necessary pressure. In hilly regions, a tower can sometimes be replaced by a simple tank located on the highest hill in the area.

A water tower's tank is normally quite large. A normal in-ground swimming pool in someone's backyard might hold something like 20,000 or 30,000 gallons (that's a lot of water!), and a typical water tower might hold 50 times that amount! Typically, a water tower's tank is sized to hold about a day's worth of water for the community served by the tower. If the pumps fail (for example, during a power failure), the water tower holds enough water to keep things flowing for about a day.

One of the big advantages of a water tower is that it lets a municipality size its pumps for average rather than peak demand. That can save a community a lot of money.

Say that the water consumption for a pumping station averages 500 gallons of water per minute (or 720,000 gallons over the course of a day). There will be times during the day when water consumption is much greater than 500 gallons per minute. For example, in the morning, lots of people wake up at about the same time (say 7:00 a.m.) to go to work. They go to the bathroom, take a shower, brush their teeth, etc. Water demand might peak at 2,000 gallons per minute at 7 a.m. -- there is a big cost difference between a 500-gallon-per-minute pump and a 2,000-gallon-per-minute pump. Because of the water tower, the municipality can purchase a 500-gallon-per-minute pump and let the water tower handle the peak demand. At night, when demand normally falls to practically zero, the pump can make up the difference and refill the water tower.

" "

" "

In most towns, the water people drink comes from either a well, a river or a reservoir (normally a local lake). The water is treated in a water treatment plant to remove sediment (by filtration and/or settling) and bacteria (typically with ozone, ultraviolet light and chlorine). The output from the water treatment plant is clear, germ-free water. A high-lift pump pressurizes the water and sends it to the water system's primary feeder pipes. The water tower is attached to the primary feeders quite simply, as shown in this diagram:

If the pump is producing more water than the water system needs, the excess flows automatically into the tank. If the community is demanding more water than the pump can supply, then water flows out of the tank to meet the need.

" " This water tower comes complete with leaf, stem and that funny crease that peaches have.

Form and Function

Water towers come in all shapes and sizes. Take, for example, this giant peach along I-85 in Gaffney, South Carolina.

" " Water towers on top of buildings are a common feature in many cities.

In a city, tall buildings often need to solve their own water pressure problems. Because the buildings are so tall, they often exceed the height that the city's water pressure can handle. So a tall building will have its own pumps and its own water towers. In the following picture, taken from the Empire State Building in New York City, there are at least 30 small water towers visible on the tops of these buildings.

Another interesting fact about water towers -- they can affect your insurance rates! During a fire, the water demand increases significantly and may greatly exceed the capacity of the pumps at the water plant. A water tower guarantees that there will be enough pressure to keep water flowing through the fire hydrants. Fire insurance rates are normally lower in a community in which the water system has water towers.

The next time you are out driving around, especially if you are driving through a series of small towns, take the time to notice the water towers. Now that you know how they work, you will be amazed by how many you see and by all the different forms they take!

For more information on water towers and related topics, check out the links on the next page.

Fun Water Tower Fact For pilots of small, private aircraft, water towers are a huge help because: They are large.

They are elevated, making them easy to see from an airplane

All small towns have them.

Small towns are nice enough to paint the town's name on nearly every tower! If you have ever been in a small airplane flying cross-country, you know that from the air, all small towns look the same; it is very easy to get confused. When you don't have a GPS receiver, water towers make navigation a LOT easier! Read More

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Originally Published: Apr 1, 2000
Reopening

4 August 2020

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European Union authorities on Tuesday announced an investigation of Googles $2.1 billion purchase of the fitness-tracking company Fitbit, raising alarms about the health data the internet giant would be acquiring as part of the deal.

The inquiry shows the increased scrutiny Google and other large technology companies are facing from regulators in Europe and the United States about their growing dominance over the digital economy. Officials have raised concerns that the biggest tech platforms buy up smaller companies to solidify their dominance and limit competition.

Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissions top antitrust regulator, said a preliminary investigation of the Fitbit deal had raised concerns about how Google would use data collected from Fitbit for its online advertising services, a market where Google is already dominant. The health and fitness data could be used to more narrowly target ads, she said.

By increasing the data advantage of Google in the personalization of the ads it serves via its search engine and displays on other internet pages, it would be more difficult for rivals to match Googles online advertising services, the commission said in a statement announcing the investigation.
(Newser)  It's not just Dr. Deborah Birx who believes the nation has moved into a frightening "new phase" of the COVID-19 pandemic, even if that view is unpopular with President Trump. Dr. Anthony Fauci, her colleague on the White House coronavirus task force, sees things pretty much the same way. Community spread, no longer limited to hot spots, is the problem, the Washington Post reports. "Nursing home outbreaks, meatpacking plant outbreaks, prison outbreaksit's unfortunate that they occur but you know exactly what youre dealing with, and you can go in there and try and suppress the infection and contain it," Fauci said Monday. "Whereas when you have community spread, it's insidious." He made the comments at an appearance with Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont.

story continues below

Other Republicans had endorsed Trump's criticism earlier in the day, per the New York Times. "Dr. Birx, like Dr. Fauci, has been wrong much more than she has been right on COVID-19, & their destructive prescriptions have led to the devastation of countless American lives," Rep. Andy Biggs of Arizona tweeted. At a White House news conference late in the day, Trump's words about Birx were less harsh as he defended his administration's handling of the pandemic response. "She's a person I have a lot of respect for," the president said. Trump's apparent Democratic opponent in November, former Vice President Joe Biden, also responded to Trump. "Its hard to believe this has to be said," Biden tweeted, "but if Im elected president, I'll spend my Monday mornings working with our nations top experts to control this virusnot insulting them on Twitter." (Read more Anthony Fauci stories.)
Who will be Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus ultimate challenger in the next elections? This is not a theoretical question. Israelis could find themselves at the ballot boxes later this year, for the fourth time in 18 months. Netanyahu has been plunging in the polls, with his Likud party losing more than 10 Knesset seats in recent weeks. The latest results indicate that the right-wing bloc of parties and the center-left bloc are back to the tie of the past three elections. Nonetheless, so far, no arrowhead, no anti-Netanyahu alternative has emerged to challenge him.

Over the past year and a half, it was Defense Minister and Blue and White leader Benny Gantz who positioned himself as Netanyahus main adversary. But these shoes filled by Gantz, the somewhat limping Netanyahu challenger who led his party through three inconclusive elections, are now empty. With the party splitting over the unity deal with Netanyahu and with the disappointment of followers, his party has few Knesset seats left  both in reality and in the polls.

Other candidates for the challengers job, in descending order of their prospects, are centrist opposition leader Yair Lapid, Yamina party leader Naftali Bennett, former military chief Gadi Eizenkot, Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, Yisrael Beitenu leader Avigdor Liberman. Gantz is last. Popular Tel Aviv Mayor Ron Huldai is a new and surprising addition to the list, albeit still not officially so. He is said to be considering a national political run at the head of a new party.

The coveted goal of whoever takes on the perennial mission of beating Netanyahu is to mobilize the mass protest movement sweeping Israels streets, towns and bridges in recent weeks. This is no mean feat. The growing wave of protests against the prime minister and his policies consists of many disparate, uncoordinated elements. It lacks a centralized leadership of the type that led the summer 2011 socio-economic protest against the Netanyahu government. Among the demonstrators this summer are Israelis protesting the pandemic-induced economic crisis, others demanding Netanyahus resignation over his corruption indictment, still others angry at the handling of the health crisis and even fragments of the political left caught up in the inertia of opposition to Netanyahus annexation plans and other issues.

Unlike 2011, when politicians distanced themselves to avoid tainting the protest with party affiliations, this time leader of the Yesh Atid party Yair Lapid has made a conscious decision to take a stand. He and his fellow party lawmakers have been storming the bridges and intersections every Saturday evening, alongside the so-called black flag protesters demanding Netanyahus ouster. Lapids No. 2  former army Chief and Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon  has also announced he would join the protesters massing outside the prime ministers official Jerusalem residence in order to protect them from harassment by the thugs of the radical right, the Beitar soccer club fans known as La Familia. Lapid is gambling on the protest big-time.

His plan is simple. He is hoping Netanyahu continues to slide in the polls, slipping below Likuds 31-32 seats in the polls to 20-something seats, while Yesh Atid edges up from the 17-19 seats at which it is currently polling and crosses the 20 prefix. Lapid hopes that if both parties land in the 20-seat range, a psychological barrier will be breached. He has embarked on an intense campaign to woo Eizenkot, a game-changing move that he hopes will turn him into the ultimate Netanyahu match-up with significant odds in his favor. His plan has just one flaw: Lt. Gen. (Res.) Eizenkot, who changed into civvies in January 2019, is still far from a decision, and if he does try his hand at politics, there is no guarantee he will go with Lapid.

The unassuming former chief-of-staff of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) is much in demand. Everyone wants to court him, convince him. His IDF predecessors Gantz and Ashkenazi would like to see him climb on board their Blue and White wagon, but that is unlikely given its grim poll results. Should its fortunes shift  initial signs of change have emerged in recent days  and if they offer Eizenkot a top slot, he may agree. Eizenkot and Ashkenazi are brothers in arms, both Golani Brigade veterans and close friends. Together with Gantz, this trio could try to restore the image of the military institution that was once synonymous with political consensus but has been tarnished largely by the political adventurism of Blue and White.

Eizenkot has many other takers. One of them is the chair of the secular right-wing Yisrael Beitenu party, the man who has never feared Netanyahu and has held the balance of power in the past three elections, Avigdor Liberman. Liberman would make Eizenkot his second-in-command along with a promise of succession on the day he decides to throw in his political towel. As defense minister, Liberman did not get along with the IDF chief. The two were often at odds, sometimes seriously, as was the case with the attitude toward Elor Azaria, the soldier who shot a dying, unarmed Palestinian assailant in Hebron in 2016. Nonetheless, they washed their dirty laundry in-house and ended their terms with a sense of mutual admiration and respect.

Two additional candidates are waiting in the wings. One is Yaminas Bennet, the official energizer battery of Israeli politics, the man who reinvented himself in brilliant fashion after the 2019 elections that exiled his right-wing party from the Knesset. Bennett currently enjoys growing popularity, especially due to his performance in the initial months of the coronavirus pandemic when he served briefly as minister of defense. Retrospectively, quite a few people consider him as the only top figure to present a coherent plan to fight the pandemic, displaying uncompromising determination. Bennet has been polling recently at the incredible level of 12-15 seats  compared to his current five  and is seeking a formula that would allow him to vault to new highs.

Last on the list is the perennial, undecided candidate, veteran Tel Aviv Mayor Huldai of the Labor party, may it rest in peace. Huldai is particularly popular among what is left of the political left and the bubble known as the "State of Tel Aviv." However, he is hampered by his limited attraction for other voters. Huldai is yet to decide, but he is an experienced politician and he identifies the leadership vacuum at the center of the political map. This could be the last opportunity for the man who recently marked his 70th birthday.

Will Huldai establish a political party? Will he join an existing candidate (Lapid, Liberman, Gantz-Ashkenazi)? This will all become clear soon, right after Netanyahu himself makes the truly important decision of whether he will gamble on elections this year, despite his own difficult circumstances and those of the state, or be the first to blink in the current impasse with Gantz over the budget approval. If Netanyahu agrees to a two-year budget as per the coalition agreement with his rival-partner Gantz, the election option will be set aside. If he refuses, November elections could well be in the cards.
Some special education students and teachers in Humble ISD will return to campuses for in-person instruction on Aug. 17 after the 45,000-student district's board of trustees voted 6-1 late Monday to reopen schools.

The district will start phasing in students in other grade levels starting on Aug. 24, making the school system the first in the greater Houston region to begin bringing students back into physical classrooms before Labor Day.

Before the vote, Board President Robert Sitton said that whatever they decided would make some parents, teachers and students unhappy.

"We have received hundreds of emails and phone calls, some cordial some not so much," Sitton said. "Tonight, hopefully we can add some clarity so we can get back to doing what we do best, educating our kids."

Under Humble ISD's plan, schools would open virtually on Aug. 11. Students will begin returning on Aug. 24, and while elementary school students will go back five days a week then, middle and high school students will have a modified schedule.

The older students would have A and B days, in which will have one group of students come on "A" days and another group come on "B" days. Middle schoolers will no longer be on the A-B schedules by Oct. 12, but high schoolers will keep the every-other-day schedule until either there is a vaccine or the positivity rate of local COVID-19 tests is less than 5 percent.

Families have the option to keep learning online or to come back to campus.

Trustees heard nearly two hours of public comment before the vote. Of the 37 speakers who addressed how and when schools should reopen, 19 asked the board postpone in-person classes, while 18 said they wanted schools to open for students who want face-to-face instruction on Aug. 11.

Those who pushed for in-person learning stressed the need for parents to have a choice, and that the fears of some should not come before the educational needs of their students.

Jennifer Crass, who pushed for in-person learning, said her daughter has missed out on 21 hours of dyslexia instruction since schools in Humble and across the state were ordered closed in March. She's a 10-year-old going into fifth grade, and Crass worried that she would fall farther behind before she goes onto middle school next year.

"This year is very important for her. We can't risk her ability to read," Crass said. "Time is of the essence for her right now."

Others worried that reopening schools would trigger outbreaks both on campuses and in surrounding communities, and that teachers were being put unnecessarily at risk. They asked that the board delay in-person instruction until infections are less widespread.

Jessica Nolan said she resigned from her teaching job in Humble ISD in recent days as she became frustrated with the board and Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen's response to COVID-19.

"I have resigned after every trustee and the superintendent made every aspect of this reopening political," Nolan said. "I packed up my classroom today. I left my dream job at a campus that I love."

The vote came as state leaders have shifted on whether local health authorities could order schools to be closed last week.

In a guidance letter published on July 18, Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote that he does not believe the health authorities have the power to preemptively order the closure of schools to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks. Hours later, Morath issued new guidance saying school districts could lose state funding if they keep campuses closed solely as a result of local health authority closure orders.

Health authorities in Houston and Harris County had ordered all local campuses to remain closed until at least Sept. 8, joining the ranks of other large counties including Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis counties.

Supt. Elizabeth Fagen had complained about the Harris County order on Twitter, saying that it would prevent special education students from getting in-person services and could have affected schools' ability to serve free and reduced price lunches.

shelby.webb@chron.com
High winds caused widespread damage as trees and tree limbs fell throughout the region, landing on electrical lines, homes, cars and streets as Tropical Storm Isaias surged through Western Massachusetts Tuesday.

Streets across the region were closed. A tree limb fell on Interstate 91 between Springfield and Chicopee  closing a lane and causing traffic confusion  and another fell on Route 57 in Agawam, also causing traffic problems. There were multiple reports of trees falling on homes.

There were no reports of injuries during the storm.

Officials reported more than 170,000 customers without power across the state. There are outages in Chicopee Falls and in Chicopee Center causing traffic problems because signal nights are not working. In Agawam, one-third of the residents were without power and in Springfield there were small outages scattered throughout the city.

Customers in Easthampton, Longmeadow, Monson, Southampton, Otis, Becket, Longmeadow, Montague, Northampton and many other communities lost power power.

There are trees down all over and this is just the beginning of the storm, said Springfield Police Officer Ari Casillas, who was blocking off a section of Atwater Terrace where one tree uprooted and blocked the road Tuesday afternoon. At least two other large limbs fell into the road, one resting on power lines, and another fell on the back of a home at about 4:45 p.m.

There are no injuries over here so thats good, he said.

Tom McColgan, who lives at the corner of Atwater Terrace and Candice Circle, walked outside after he heard several limbs crack and fall nearby.

It is a familiar sound, we have heard it before. There were limbs snapping and I came out to see where they were, he said.

One of the largest ones was propped against the power lines. McColgan said he was shocked he still had power. Another was in the middle of his neighbors driveway.

Isaias brought high winds to Western Massachusetts as it moved north. It was expected to dump between 1 and 3 inches of rain on the region and some areas of the Berkshires  but the rain remained mostly light, so no flooding was reported. Wind gusts reached 50 mph, according to Christopher Besse, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

As of 6 p.m. a tornado watch was canceled for Western Massachusetts but remained in effect for central and eastern Massachusetts, he said.

According to the National Weather Service winds of 20 to 30 mph were expected through most of the night with gusts as high as 45 mph. Winds are expected to reduce to 7 to 17 mph after midnight.

Utility crews had already spread out throughout the region to make repairs but it is expected to be a multi-day event, said Priscilla Ress, spokeswoman for Eversource.

The company has been planning for the storm for days and brought in workers from other New England states and Canada to assist. It also hired multiple private contractors, she said.

But with damage still continuing on Tuesday night due to the high winds, it is impossible to predict how long it will take to make repairs. Restoration efforts will take even longer because crews have to take multiple precautions due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Ress asked people to be patient.

Technical problems caused the Eversource outage map to be out for some time during the storm and people still cannot self-report outages on the companys website or through the app. Residents are asked instead to email customerservicewmass@eversource.com and hundreds of extra customer care representatives are available to assist people, Ress said.

Some of the worst damage was seen in the Berkshires and Hilltowns. In places like Becket, 90 percent of the community has no power. Greenfield, Cummington, Pittsfield, Hinsdale and Otis also have a large number of outages, she said.

Ress stressed that people should stay far away from any downed power lines and keep their children and pets away from them. A live wire can electrify puddles, fences and anything else nearby so people should call 911 and then Eversource if they see a downed line.

The worst of the storm occurred at about 4:30 or 5 p.m., overwhelming the 911 system in Longmeadow. At about 6:15 p.m. firefighters and police were still trying to catch up on calls that came in as much as two hours earlier, said Longmeadow Fire Chief John Dearborn.

Trees fell on at least a half-dozen homes throughout the town and two families were trapped in those homes. No injuries have been reported in the town, he said.

There are more than 100 reports of wires and trees down, he said. There are multiple power outages and roads blocked.

A fire truck was trapped when one tree fell across Route 5 where firefighters responded to a call. Shortly after a second tree fell on the other side of the truck. The truck has been freed, but the same thing happened on Mill Street to some Department of Public Works equipment, he said.

With so many roads blocked, firefighters and police are being forced to walk down streets to reach people who have called for help.

Dearborn asked people to stay at home and shelter in place tonight as police, firefighters, the Department of Public Works and others assess the damage and try to clear roads. Residents should not expect to see electricity restored until morning at the earliest.

Because dispatchers were so overwhelmed, Dearborn asked residents to only call 911 if there is a true emergency such as a serious medical problem.

Agawam also was hit hard by the storm, with several trees falling on homes. No injuries have been reported, Mayor William Sapelli said.

Sapelli asked people to stay off the roads Tuesday night so the Department of Public Works, power company crews and police and fire can do work unhampered.

Sapelli said he was in the middle of a School Committee meeting where members were trying to set rules and regulations for the return to classes during the coronavirus pandemic when the power went out. Members will have to postpone the vote until later this week.

At about 6:30 p.m., not long after he got home, his neighbors tree fell across his street. Because Edgewater Road is a cul-de-sac, he has been unable to leave and tour the town.

It was three to four feet in diameter and it fell across the road, he said. It seems like a high wind, the trees are really blowing around.

Sapelli said he didnt have electricity even before the tree fell. He said he doesnt expect most of the power to restored to the town for at least 24 hours.

Like most communities, Springfield has scattered power outages throughout the city, including one in the Forest Park neighborhood. Trees blocked road and there have been several reports of trees on houses, said William Baker, communications director for Mayor Domenic J. Sarno.

A window on Pynchon Plaza behind Springfield City Hall shattered in the storm, scattering glass all over the sidewalk and roadway nearby. Employees quickly started sweeping up the shards soon after it happened, Baker said.

Driving the short distance home Baker said he saw tree limbs and small branches everywhere. When he arrived home to the Atwater area a large tree was uprooted near his home.

The DPW is out and trying to clear trees and branches as best they can, he said. The cleanup will take days and days.

Chicopee Mayor John L. Vieau said he was driving home at about 5:15 p.m. when he encountered tree limbs that had knocked down power lines across Chicopee Street near Sarah Jane Sherman Park.

I actually ended up blocking the road myself at first. I didnt want anyone to drive under the wires, he said. It was a half-a tree that came down on a utility pole.

There are a number of large maple trees at the edge of the park and some of those trees came down. By 6 p.m. Chicopee Electric Light was on the scene making repairs, he said.

There are no reported injuries but Vieau said he was told a tree came down on a house on Ferry Lane. Like most communities, there were also widespread outages and trees blocking multiple streets across the city.

Im proud of our team, he said. Our crews are out there and our first responders are working diligently to open the streets.

The Chicopee City Council canceled its regularly-scheduled meeting and Vieau sent city employees home at about 3:30 p.m. as a precaution.
Representative image

A curfew was imposed across the valley on Tuesday as authorities apprehended violent protests in view of plans by separatists and Pakistan-sponsored groups to observe August 5, the first anniversary of revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, as black day.

Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in strength across the valley to ensure that the plans of the separatists to disturb peace did not succeed, officials said.

They said police vehicles, fitted with public address systems, went around localities announcing imposition of strict curfew for two days.

"People are requested not to violate the law and stay indoors, " the police said.

Barricades have been set up at hundreds of places in Kashmir, including Srinagar city, to regulate movement of essential services and emergencies while concertina wires have been also been laid, the officials said.

The authorities had announced on Monday that the curfew would be imposed in Srinagar and other parts of the valley in view of the inputs about violent protests endangering public life and property as the separatist and Pakistan-sponsored groups were planning to observe August 5 as a "Black Day".

An order issued by Srinagar district magistrate Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said any such mass gathering would also be detrimental to efforts related to COVID containment.

Choudhary said the movement and assembly of people have been prohibited to avoid the spread of infection, particularly in the wake of a recent spike in cases.

"Therefore, after having considered the material facts in said report and examining the situation in backdrop of prevailing factors, I, District Magistrate, Srinagar, by virtue of powers vested in me u/s 144 Cr PC hereby order complete restrictions on public movement/curfew in territorial jurisdiction of District Srinagar," the order read.

However, medical emergencies and movement of staff on COVID-19 duty with pass/valid cards shall be exempted from the restrictions, the order said.
Rating Action: Moody's Assigns First-Time Baa3 Ratings to AES Panama Generation Holdings; Outlook Stable

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

New York, August 03, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") today assigned first-time Baa3 issuer and debt ratings to AES Panama Generation Holdings S. de R.L. ("AES PGH" or "Issuer") and its proposed $1,381 million Reg S / 144 A Senior Secured Notes in a 7-year and 10-year tranches (due 2027 and 2030; together the "Notes"). The outlook on the ratings is stable.

The Notes will rank pari passu with a 3-year fully amortizing $104.5 million Senior Secured Loan (due 2023), for a total outstanding debt of $1,486 million. AES PGH is an entity created with the sole purpose of issuing consolidated debt of the operating companies of AES Global Power Holdings in Panama. The various assets of AES are operated under four entities (together, the "OpCos" or the "Portfolio"): AES Changuinola, AES Panama S.R.L., and Costa Norte LNG Terminal and Gas Natural Atlantico (together "AES Colon"). The Notes and Loan proceeds will refinance most of existing debt at the OpCos which will in turn enter into Intercompany Loans (ICL) with the Issuer.

Assignments:

..Issuer: AES Panama Generation Holdings S. de R.L.

....Issuer Rating, Assigned Baa3

....Senior Secured Regular Bond/Debenture, Assigned Baa3

Outlook Actions:

..Issuer: AES Panama Generation Holdings S. de R.L.

....Outlook, Assigned Stable

RATINGS RATIONALE

The ratings assigned reflect the strategic, competitive and highly contracted (82% on average) generation portfolio of assets in Panama that contribute to more than 37% of the country's generation. Importantly, a large portion of the energy and capacity is contracted with the three Panamanian distribution companies ("DISCOs"), which are partially government owned and effectively operate as regional monopolies in Panama. As such, we consider that the counterparty risk of these DISCOs reflects the broader electricity demand risk in the country. Furthermore, AES Panama includes natural gas generation assets, which mitigates exposure to low hydro generation, that accounts for more than half of total capacity.

Story continues

The proposed transaction also considers various credit enhancements including a $50 million liquidity facility, additional indebtedness tests and dividend lock-ups. Notwithstanding, the ratings are tempered by the high leverage and refinancing risk. The credit enhancement provided by the dividend lock-up mechanism is tempered by the fact that dividend distributions on AES Panama S.R.L. also relies on the approval of the Government of Panama (Baa1 stable), however risk is partially mitigated by the track-record and good relationship with the Government of Panama. The assigned rating also considers that the transaction will benefit from AES Global Power Holdings' pledge of shares of the OpCos to a trust as security for the ICLs.

Our assigned rating also reflects AES Global Power Holdings' internal dividend distribution policy that considers minimum cash balances at the OpCos and capital investment needs. Dividend distributions are projected to be sizable although this is counterbalanced by the additional indebtedness tests and dividend lock-ups in case there's a default on any of the ICLs.

Moody's Base Case scenario assumes a P(90) generation on the hydro assets in 2023 and 2024 and a cap on AES Colon's LNG storage asset from 2023 to 2030 (up to 24 Trillion British Thermal Units, "TBTU") which represents, on average, a 41% drop on the storage revenues, compared to the Management Case. Under the Moody's Base Case scenario, projected financial metrics are consistent with Ba scores under our methodology. Cash from Operations Pre-Working Capital (CFO Pre-W/C) + Interest / Interest is expected to average 4.3x (2020-2030), CFO Pre-W/C / Debt ratio projected to average 17% and Retained Cash Flow to Debt Ratio to average 9.0% over the same period, as a result of the planned dividend distributions from the OpCos to GPH. We also project that Debt / EBITDA will approach 4.0x at AES Panama in the next 3 to 5 years as the company reduces its debt balance.

ENVIRONMENTAL, SOCIAL, GOVERNANCE CONSIDERATIONS

In Moody's view, environmental risks are not material to AES PGH's credit profile. While the unregulated utilities and unregulated power is among three sectors (besides coal mining and coal terminals) in Moody's environmental heat map that have "immediate, elevated risk" from climate change considerations, AES PGH is considered to have low carbon transition risk since most of its generation capacity is hydro.

Social risks are not material to AES PGH credit profile. AES PGH has low social risk and we are unaware of any concern regarding unions, or communities.

We view AES PGH's corporate governance as a moderate risk. Their dividend distribution policy relies on minimum target cash balances and the decision to distribute dividends is shared with other stockholders at the operating company level. These risks are partially mitigated by the structure that could trap AES Global Power Holdings' portion of the dividends and the pledge of shares as collateral.

The stable outlook reflects our view that AES PGH will maintain stable and visible cash flows that support projected financial metrics. Specifically, we expect that CFO Pre-W/C /debt and the interest coverage ratios will average around 17% and 4.0x, respectively and on a projected basis.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

We could upgrade AES PGH's ratings if the company reduces its debt balances or increases its cash flow generation such that it records CFO Pre-W/C /debt at or above 20% the interest coverage ratio at or above 4.5x.

We could downgrade AES PGH's ratings if the company records FFO/debt below 15% on a sustained basis the interest coverage ratio remains below 3.0x on a sustained basis. Projected Debt / EBITDA above 4.0x on a sustained basis could also exert downward pressure on the ratings.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Unregulated Utilities and Unregulated Power Companies published in May 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1066389. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

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.

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.

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BLOOMINGTON  Eighteen more McLean County residents have been diagnosed with COVID-19 after a record high number of people were tested for the virus at the testing site at the McLean County Fairgrounds.

LaSalle County reported on Tuesday its third COVID-related death in two days. A man in his 90s has died, bringing to 21 the number of COVID-related deaths in LaSalle County since March, said Leslie Dougherty, LaSalle County Health Department public information officer.

LaSalle County Health Department on Tuesday also announced 22 new COVID cases, bringing that county's total to 579 people diagnosed with the virus since March. The 22 new cases ranged from children to people in their 60s.

Of LaSalle's cases, 266 people have recovered.

McLean County Health Department Administrator Jessica McKnight reported Tuesday that the 18 additional county residents who have tested positive for the novel virus brings to 570 the number of people from McLean County who have been diagnosed since March 19.

The latest tally means that 310 county residents have been diagnosed since the increase in cases began at the start of July.

However, the county's positivity rate  the percentage of the more than 26,700 tests of McLean County residents that have come back positive for the virus  remained 2.1%, the health department reported. The county's positivity rate for the seven days ending Monday was 2%.

Sheriff Jon Sandage told The Pantagraph on Tuesday that the number of people associated with the McLean County jail and who have confirmed COVID cases remained five  three inmates, one correctional officer and one counselor. COVID test results have been received for nearly all of the jail's 230 inmates, 70 correctional officers and staff and three counselors, he said.

The 18 additional McLean County cases confirmed on Tuesday follows 718 people tested on Monday at the COVID-19 test site at the McLean County Fairgrounds, McLean County Emergency Management Agency (EMA) reported on Tuesday. That's a record high since testing began at the fairgrounds, 1106 Interstate Drive, Bloomington, on March 28.

Testing is being conducted by Pekin-based Reditus Laboratories.

Reditus CEO Dr. Aaron Rossi told The Pantagraph on Tuesday that people being tested at the fairgrounds should expect results three to four days later.

"They should call us (at the phone number on the sheet of paper they were given after being tested) if they don't hear back," Rossi said.

Of the confirmed COVID cases in McLean County, 451 people have recovered (17 more than Monday), 102 are isolating at home (one more than Monday) and two are hospitalized, unchanged from Monday, the health department reported.

Fifteen county residents have died of the virus. The most recent deaths were reported on July 7 and 9.

"Everyone is at risk for getting COVID-19 if they are exposed to the virus but some people (older adults and people with compromised immune systems) are more likely than others to become severely ill," McKnight said.

Cloth face coverings can reduce the spray of droplets when worn over the nose and mouth, preventing a person who is sick from spreading the virus to others, McKnight said.

Everyone should wear a cloth face covering in public and when around people who don't live in their household and should stay at least 6 feet away from people outside their household, McKnight said.

Meanwhile, Woodford County on Tuesday had eight more COVID cases, that county's largest daily increase, said Andrea Ingwersen, Woodford County Health Department public information officer. That brings to 108 the number of residents of that county who have had confirmed COVID cases since March.

Seven of the eight new cases were people under age 30, Ingwersen said. Of the 108 residents, 69 have recovered, 36 are in home isolation and three died earlier this year.

Tazewell County Health Department reported 14 new cases, bringing that county's total to 404. Of those, 229 have recovered, 157 are in home isolation, ten are hospitalized and eight died earlier this year.

Livingston County Health Department reported six new cases, bringing that county's total to 100. All six had no symptoms at the time of testing, the health department said.

Eighty-one of Livingston County's 100 cases have recovered, 17 are isolating and two died earlier this year.

Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) reported 1,471 new cases of COVID and 19 additional deaths, including an Iroquois County man in his 60s, an Iroquois County woman in her 80s and a Morgan County man in his 90s.

The statewide positivity rate for cases as a percent of total tests for the seven-day period ending Monday was 3.9 percent, IDPH said.

Contact Paul Swiech at 309-820-3275. Follow him on Twitter: @pg_swiech.

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Remote working works, but companies also need to be able to create a culture for employees to buy in to and the importance of the office environment in that process cannot be overlooked

As we start to see the gradual reopening of businesses in Northern Ireland, we are seeing companies who are based in offices gradually phase employees back into work.

These companies are having to strike a balance between bringing staff back to meet commercial needs with providing a duty of care and facilitating those staff who don't have childcare provision or who live with vulnerable family or friends.

So far only a fraction of office workers are back but with schools opening on a phased basis in September it's likely we will see more companies bringing more of their staff back too, while allowing others to keep working from home where possible. However, there are also many firms that will not be returning to the office anytime soon, for example in the ICT sector where remote working is well established. At Glandore we are only seeing 20% of our members' staff back in the office in both Belfast and Dublin.

At the start of the Covid19 outbreak companies were trying to deal with a disaster scenario, lots of volatility and the need for immediate action. Now they are assessing the damage and taking the opportunity through necessity to look at how they go forward. Unfortunately, as a result we are now seeing job losses and some employers will inevitably take the opportunity to reduce both their headcount and their property portfolio.

Our view is that the initial panic has faded, but confidence has not fully returned. Cash flow will improve, but earnings will lag, and no one will be quite certain when the recovery phase will begin. Further, any economic improvements won't be consistent. Department heads will need to decide what to do with what's left of their budgets.

Just as no one could have predicted the initial phase, the recovery will also be unpredictable. It must be hoped that purchases that were put off due to the coronavirus will pick up, and customer demand will increase. That organisations will see a jump in demand and will encourage departments to invest more. But any new investments will have limited budgets and spending.

Before Covid-19 we had seen a rise in co-working and working from home in certain industries like ICT. With the overall productivity and output of employees across the island of Ireland improving over the past number of months, a lot of companies are seriously reconsidering the amount of capital that is being put into rent on an annual basis. Remote working works, but companies also need to be able to create a culture for employees to buy in to and the importance of the office environment in that process cannot be overlooked. So how do they do that without eating into their profits due to high rents?

The answer lies in deciding what the best office environment looks like for their staff. A blended approach of working from home and being in the office could become the norm, so employers must assess if they need their current capacity or need to downsize. Flexibility will be key and so companies will require a property solution that meets those needs. Committing to longer term agreements will be very risky given market volatility.

Ultimately employers will need their company to have a base from which to create a culture that those working remotely can tap in to. So, employers will need enough space for those that want a desk in an office to have one, but flexible space for those who don't need it all the time. They can perhaps invest a small amount to help their staff member get set up at home. But the lesson of lockdown is that, in future, employees will want to have options. Some may never want to commute again. Some will have greater childcare issues for months or even years. The future of work is in being flexible.

Glandore is Ireland's oldest provider of flexible serviced offices. It has more than 3,500 desks in nine locations
Actor Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer Satish Maneshinde has claimed she was not allowed to attend Sushant Singh Rajputs funeral and her name was struck off a list of 20. Rhea Chakraborty has always been living in Mumbai. She was in Mumbai on 14 June 2020. She was not allowed to attend the funeral of Sushant as her name was struck off from the list of 20, Maneshinde told ANI.

He also said Rhea is cooperating with police and has already recorded her statement with the Mumbai Police at Bandra Police Station on June 18. Her statement was recorded there. Subsequently, she was summoned to appear on July 17 at Santacruz Police Station. She appeared and recorded her supplementary statement, he added.

Sushants father filed an abetment to suicide case against Rhea in Patna last month. A four-member team is in Mumbai from Bihar to investigate the case.

Rhea had approached the Supreme Court and filed a transfer petition stating that Bihar Police has no jurisdiction to investigate in Sushant Singh Rajputs death case legally and otherwise, her lawyer said. Bihar government and the family of Sushant Singh Rajput have also filed caveats on the matter.

ALSO WATCH | Watch Sushants fathers video message; says culprits are fleeing

Later, when the Bihar Police came to Mumbai to investigate the case on the basis of an FIR registered in Patna, Rhea approached the Supreme Court and filed a Transfer Petition on July 30 for transfer of the case to Mumbai in view of the legal position that a case registered beyond the jurisdiction of the local police station where the alleged incident has taken place can only record a Zero FIR and transfer it for the investigation to Mumbai where the criminal law has already been set in motion. The Bihar Police has no jurisdiction to investigate the case legally and otherwise, he added.

In another development in the case, Patna Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari, who is heading a team probing the case related to the actors death, was home quarantined by the municipal authorities in Mumbai.

(With inputs from ANI)

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What The Study Did: How common burnout was among frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan was evaluated in this observational study, which also examined the factors associated with it.

Authors: Matsuo, M.D., of St Luke's International Hospital in Tokyo, is the corresponding author.

To access the embargoed study: Visit our For The Media website at this link https://media.jamanetwork.com/

(doi:10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.17271)

Editor's Note: Please see the article for additional information, including other authors, author contributions and affiliations, conflict of interest and financial disclosures, and funding and support.

# # #

The full study is linked to this news release.

Embed this link to provide your readers free access to the full-text article This link will be live at the embargo time http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2020.17271?utm_source=For_The_Media&utm_medium=referral&utm_campaign=ftm_links&utm_term=080420

About JAMA Network Open: JAMA Network Open is the new online-only open access general medical journal from the JAMA Network. On weekdays, the journal publishes peer-reviewed clinical research and commentary in more than 40 medical and health subject areas. Every article is free online from the day of publication.

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Michael Goonan split from former girlfriend KC Osborne last month.

And the Married At First Sight star is certainly single and ready to mingle, passionately kissing not one, but two women, over the course of four days.

On Friday, he was out and about with a mystery blonde and on Tuesday, the 28-year-old millionaire businessman had a new woman on his arm - Mahala Lincoln.

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Busy boy! Michael Goonan (right) split from former girlfriend KC Osborne last month. And the Married At First Sight star is certainly single and ready to mingle. He's passionately kissed not one, but two women, over the course of four days, including Mahala Lincoln (left) on Tuesday

The bikini designer, who is CEO and Founder of Mahalo Bikini, and a former correctional Officer, threw her arms around Michael as they enjoyed dinner and drinks at a Brisbane restaurant.

In video clips posted to Mahala's Instagram Stories, the father-of-one looked at the brunette lovingly and cried out, 'What a gorgeous little character!'

Mahala then placed her arms around him, and said to the camera, 'Lucky boy!' before the pair shared a passionate kiss.

In video clips posted to Mahala's Instagram Stories, the father-of-one looked at the brunette lovingly and cried out: 'What a gorgeous little character!'

Smooch! Mahala then placed her arms around him, and said to the camera, 'Lucky boy!' before the pair shared a passionate kiss

She captioned her video: 'He's a lucky boy... sorry ladies, he's now smitten!'

Same wavelength? Michael referred to her as his 'bestie' in his own posts from the same night

She captioned her video: 'He's a lucky boy... sorry ladies, he's now smitten' while Michael referred to her as his 'bestie' in his own posts from the same night.

With her cascading, wavy dark hair and petite figure, Mahala certainly passes for a KC Osborne lookalike.

Michael's outing comes just four days after he was spotted passionately kissing a mystery blonde woman at Press* Food and Wine in Adelaide.

Looking good! Mahala is a bikini designer, CEO and Founder of Mahalo Bikini, and a former correctional Officer

Lookalike: With her cascading dark hair and petite figure, Mahala certainly passes for a KC Osborne lookalike. Mahala is pictured left and KC is pictured right

After they entered the venue, the pair moved outside of the bar with their drinks, where his date had Michael in stitches.

The couple then got very cosy with each other, before Micheal pulled the bombshell in for a big smooch, running his fingers through her luscious long tresses.

Michael, who lives in Melbourne, flew to Adelaide on July 16 and was required to spend two weeks in mandatory quarantine before his big night out.

Busy boy! Michael's outing comes just four days after he was spotted passionately kissed a mystery blonde woman at Press* Food and Wine in Adelaide (pictured)

His former girlfriend KC, 31, announced their split on July 4 on Instagram.

Last week, the professional dancer told WHO magazine that his failed promises of changing his 'playboy' ways was a factor in their breakup.

'He sold me that dream of, "I would stop my playboy ways to have a girl like you, you're such a good girl,"' she said.
Victorias tough stage four lockdown has shattered hopes of a swift economic recovery from the pandemic, with independent modelling showing state government debt ballooning to $60 billion next year.

The modelling comes as a state parliamentary report revealed that the collapse in visitor numbers to Victoria was set to cost the economy more than $23 billion this year  even before the stricter lockdown was announced this week.

RMIT economist David Haywards modelling suggests the budget deficit could be more than $10 billion this financial year, after Premier Daniel Andrews announced the forced closures of thousands of Victorian businesses from Wednesday night, a move expected to lead to 250,000 workers being stood down or sent home.
Representative image

Gautam Chikermane

It is invisible, yet occupies the largest seat. It is silent, yet has the loudest voice on the table. It is neither a factor of production nor a technological innovation nor about mergers and acquisitions. Yet it is the most influential driver of action and shaper of decisions. Corporate boardrooms are having to find space in their conversations for todays geopolitics. Once the playfield of business leaders and investors, the overriding conversations in all boardrooms today are linked to this new intimacy between profits, growth, investor returns de-risking the company from actions of China and on China.

Rapidly changing geopolitics is witness to protective digital walls, decoupling of supply chains from perverse dependency and efforts to secure citizens and nations from the dragons consumptive gaze. This is the permanent, central and real agenda for corporations and top executives across the world.

The most affected are boardrooms of companies in telecommunications, information technology and digital economy sector. However, even boards that oversee traditional manufacturing and trading have been implicated. Across the world, from the United States to Germany, Japan to South Korea and Italy to India, these huge transnational corporations that cater to millions of consumers, employ hundreds of thousands of employees, use hundreds of vendors, drive growth of stock markets for millions of investors, and pay billions in taxes are having to rework their business models in tune with the way their governments are negotiating a China that has upended the assumptions of political and economic conduct of the past century.

The nature of Chinas activities is disrupting the manner in which goods and services have come together in a globalised process that enriched and served these processes. Overnight, well-planned blueprints are having to be cast aside. Until yesterday, the boards signed on to best quality inputs at the most competitive price points. Today, the lowest price offerings carry high embedded costs  one that diminishes national security. Relations between peaceful nations seeking trade and prosperity and an aggressive China relentlessly pursuing real and virtual expansion are impacting corporate decisions like never before.

This malign Chinese behaviour can be arranged into four neat yet overlapping categories. First, physical intrusions and coercion around its borders through military means. These include but are not restricted to Bhutan, Japan, nations in the South China Sea and India. Second, psychological intrusions through information warfare in democracies, using the tools that serve communications, transparency and accountability in democracies. Their public sphere and institutions are seen as handy sharp instruments serving Chinas designs. This, even as it builds and walls that prevent any participation in its own public sphere. Third, technological intrusion through its corporate arms such as Huawei and ZTE, which by the virtue of being incorporated, designed and operating under the National Intelligence Law collect intelligence and information for the benefit of the Communist Party of China from the countries in which they operate. Fourth, controlling multilateral arenas through capture of international institutions such as the WHO as the Made in China pandemic so clearly brought out.

What China does at Ladakh influences boardrooms in India. On June 30, Bharti Airtel CEO Gopal Vittal said the company will comply if the government decides to ban Chinese vendors such as Huawei and ZTE  that it will comply is a legal necessity; that it says it will gives a boost to the expected ban. On July 1, Mahindra Group Chairman Anand Mahindra said India will rise to the occasion to counter Chinese provocation. On July 2, steelmaker JSW Cement Managing Director Parth Jindal said the group will bring down $400 million worth of imports from China to zero over the next 24 months. While no more China voices from corporate India are rising in number and fervour, they are mirroring the actions of other economic actors. On June 11, for instance, the Confederation of All India Traders representing 70 million traders and 40,000 trade associations announced that it will boycott 3,000 Chinese products.

Theres a lot that goes into these decisions. Economics, for instance. Companies sourcing raw material, equipment or capital goods from China will have to pay more. While each commodity will have its unique pricing mechanisms, this will impact corporate balance sheets in the short term through investments that could be 20-30 percent higher. However, amortised over a decade or two, the annual impact on the profit and loss statement, and the resultant valuation on stock markets would be less affected and spread out. With Chinese aggression serving as a political unifier, citizens are consciously discarding Chinese goods in favour of Made in India labels. Consumers are making the case as well. Here, Indian companies need to up their game, at least on quality if not on price. Apples Made in India iPhone 11 is in the market, while its SE2 range is expected in September. The two, economics and consumer behaviour, are linked.

Indias boards are not alone. Conversations of decoupling are happening across the world. The US may want to use its own economic-hegemonic extensions to prevent Huawei from entering Brazil, for instance. However, the real decision to keep Huawei out comes from 9,000 km away, in the boardroom of Telecom Italia, which has excluded Huawei from its core network in a 5G tender; this exclusion applied to the companys operations in Italy as well as Brazil. On July 14, three Portuguese telecommunications firms  NOS, Vodafone and Altice  that cover the country said they would not allow Huawei equipment in the core systems of their 5G networks.

To the East, the Japanese government will be paying Japanese companies to move their factories out of China to Japan or Southeast Asia; putting its money where its mouth is, the government has budgeted half-a-billion dollars for this transition. This would be the paramount agenda for the boards of 57 companies that expect to receive this money. To its west, South Korean tech giant Samsung has decided to end production in its last computer factory in China  China will remain a market but not a production hub anymore, the company said.

Not always are boardrooms in tune with government decisions. In Germany, for instance, while the government has not decided on whether to ban Huawei and while Huawei has asked the government that it not be excluded from the countrys 5G rollout, the company in focus is Deutsche Telekom, which opposes the ban on Huawei. Quoting analysts and industry sources, a Reuters report stated that Deutsche Telekom is seeking to pre-empt such an outcome by rolling out most of its 5G network before a political decision is taken by September.

Complicating the political and boardroom manoeuvres, is the fact that consumers are rejecting the Made in China label, initially in countries facing direct assault of China  an expanding list that includes but is not restricted to India, Bhutan, Vietnam, Indonesia, Australia and Japan  which will slowly permeate towards those countries that do not share borders or are a brunt of direct aggression. For a board to go against its own government may be seen to be virtue signalling; for it to work against its consumers would be corporate suicide.

In other words, the new risk in boardrooms is a five-letter word called China. Democracies are willing to let go of Chinese value chains and nudging their corporations and consumers to pay more rather than succumb to Chinese threats. After successfully weaponising trade in the WTO, health in the WHO, investments along the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), debt through its debt trap diplomacy, narratives through information intrusions, China is now on way towards weaponising data, using companies such as Huawei and ZTE as the tip of its digital spear. As global wealth shifts from oil to data, the latters protection becomes a national security issue, just as the protection of oil pipelines and storage is part of every nations energy security.

Once a company is seen to be a national security threat, the decision to use its products will become financially debilitating. That the US, in its own interest, has decided to ban Huawei and is now pushing Europe to do the same has more to do with a technological decoupling from China than Huawei itself. India must ban Huawei in its own interests, irrespective of what the US does, as has been argued earlier.

China is going to be the biggest disrupter of corporate-government relations. Company boards that were functioning in predictable B2B (business to business) or B2C (business to consumers) environment are confronting a new G2B (government to business) setting. This is particularly so for vendor choices and their management. The notion that governments are driven by politics and companies by economics sounds like a quaint page from pre-2020 history.

The 2020s will see a new coming of age for both these actors. It will be increasingly shaped by geopolitics. It will be driven by political and economic interests and indeed governments will set no-China boundaries for corporations. As citizens reject products from China, boardrooms will have to account for more than just their bottom-line.

(This article first appeared in the ORF)
The police have confirmed that raids took place in Creggan yesterday during which a 14-year-old was arrested on suspicion of assault.

Shortly after the raids a Post Office vehicle was hijacked and set on fire and today another delivery van was burnt out in the Creggan area.

In a statement a police spokesperson said that yesterday, August 3, detectives from the PSNIs Terrorism Investigation Unit (TIU) investigating violent dissident republican activity arrested a 52-year-old man under the Terrorism Act in Derry.

He was taken to Musgrave Serious Crime Suite for questioning, where he remains.

A short time later police conducted a search of a house in the Creggan area.

During the course of this search two males aged 23 and 14, who were present in the property, were arrested on suspicion of assault on police.

They were de-arrested a short time later and a file will be prepared for onward transmission to the PPS.

Chief Superintendent Emma Bond said: Prior to any search activity conducted by the Police Service of Northern Ireland a comprehensive and thorough assessment is undertaken, including the impact on the community which is considered along with the purpose of the search.

We are mindful of the impact that such searches have on the community and we seek to ensure all of our interactions are professional, respectful and courteous.

Protecting the public and keeping people safe is and will always be our priority.

If anyone has a complaint regarding police actions they can contact the office of the Police Ombudsman, a police spokesperson added.

A local councillor has said the hijacked vehicles were a reaction to heavy handed house raids and frustration in the community is boiling over.

Independent Councillor Gary Donnelly said: In working class areas like Creggan, aggressive house raids, stop and search and harassment are part and parcel of the reality of British policing.

Over the last few months the PSNI have been deliberately targeting children and young people (some of whom have additional needs) with arrest and assaults.

They do so with impunity, content that politicians, clergy and so called rights groups will turn a blind eye.

The PSNI or any other version of a British police force will never be accepted by Republicans, they are at war with the republican community and no amount of cheerleading by constitutional Nationalism or fake accountability boards will change that reality.
Diego Luna has had one of the most intense years of his life. Beyond working on his new Amazon Prime Video series, Pan y Circo, he also struggled with both his children coming down with coronavirus preceding the global pandemic and stay-at-home orders that changed everything. But the Mexican actor and filmmaker likes to think positive, and right now hes committed to helping the world transform itself with his new series.

Pan y Circo is about a lot of things, specifically the integration of food with everything from politics to social justice, from the environment to ethnic identity. In the series seven episodes Luna and a group of activists, reporters, and scientists get together to share a meal while debating issues affecting Mexico in general, but the world overall.

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The sense of community is something Luna is excited to see, particularly with regard to how the show translates to American audiences. We were thinking a lot about the importance of doing something that can travel, Luna told IndieWire. It starts from a local reflection but has to become something global. The actor said that living in different environments  or different countries  can often leave people believing theyre disparate from each other. Sitting at the table with the panel reminded Luna of how much he had in common with others, which hes hopeful will help viewers realize they not only have more in common with strangers than they think, but that theyre also not alone.

Theres an intimacy around the table and meal Luna organized, with the actor spending time at the beginning of each episode with the chef creating the food. Luna only personally knew a few of the chefs he worked with on the series; for him, it wasnt just about selecting people he enjoyed listening to, but that he genuinely wanted to improve his cooking skills. I wanted to be around the best chefs, learning how to make the magic they do, Luna said.

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But it wasnt enough to be a great chef in order to be selected for the show, according to Luna. We had to find chefs who had something to say about the topics we were talking about, he said. There had to be a reason for you to cook that menu that would trigger conversation. It wasnt enough for the chefs to focus on whether something was vegetarian or gluten-free. Here, they have to know what they thought about that specific topic, Luna said. I dont think theyd ever been so connected to the people they were going to feed.

In the premiere episode on gender violence, the chef discloses that shed utilized delicate ingredients in a violent manner. We went like holy shit, Luna laughed. The food took on a different form [from there].

Luna described the pre-production as intense, but even after assembling the panelists it was unclear what the interactions would yield. Luna said that he knew everyone at the table certainly had something to say on the topics picked, but that didnt immediately mean a conversation would flow naturally. But for a show with circus in the title, Luna said after the first half hour the conversation became unstoppable. At certain times hed have to take control of the table just to end the episodes. These people just didnt want to leave, he said.

The conversation wasnt just organic, but compelled everyone to speak in a way that, Luna believed, they hadnt ever done. He joked that could have been the result of a lot of tequila, mezcal, and wine being imbibed  but not necessarily. The feeling of sharing the food relaxed everyone in a way, Luna said. The talks became less about someone saying what they needed to, and more listening and reacting to what others were saying. The big challenge was to edit because normally the lunches or dinners lasted for two-and-a-half or three hours and we have to create a 30-minute show. We could have done many shows about one dinner, he said.

But as the panelists were reacting and transforming so was Luna. During the episode focused on identity and racism the actor was forced to acknowledge that hes participated in a racist system. I sat down at this table thinking I wasnt a racist, he said. Ive told my kids Im not a racist, but after this lunch I realized how much I contribute to a system I benefited from. Luna said he was painfully confronted with his own ignorance and it was hard to reconcile. It was from there that the actor realized the ultimate objective of Pan y Circo: to transform a bigger audience and promote healing.

This was only given more prominence by the global health crisis  but it took some time for Luna to realize that. He had locked himself into the editing bay with the first six episodes Amazon greenlit. I couldnt allow anyone to go and edit this, he said. I had to be there every day sitting with the editors finding the exact show we wanted to make. It was towards the end, as they were putting together the credits and music, that the pandemic hit. Luna said that in the past world of four months ago, releasing a series like this in the height of summer would be a bad idea, with people doing more traveling and watching less television.

But once Luna realized that people were reacting to something that was more important than anything else he wanted to use the series to confront the moment. Adding to this fact was Lunas own children contracting the virus, so the pandemic was really all he could talk about. The reflection that has been forced for me [showed] how much I need contact with very few people and how much I have to reflect on whats next to me, he said.

If the series was going to focus on issues that couldnt wait, he explained to his producers, this was one of them. And the six episodes theyd already filled took on grander implications post-lockdown. An episode on gender violence would come back around to discussing how women were dealing with staying at home with their abusers, or an examination on migration translated into a question of what quarantine means when youve left your home behind.

More importantly, Luna hopes all seven episodes of Pan y Circo will put the pandemic into perspective. Lets hope we do get the message out of all of this, he said. For Luna, this has caused him to start looking for more local stories. I have to start telling stories that have been in front of my house, in my neighborhood. Its forcing me to see my profession in a different way, he said.

He said that maybe all this was meant to make him confront more, and he hopes others will as well: I would be really sad if in a few months or a year we turn back and realize we went straight back to what we had been thinking.

Pan y Circo premieres Friday, August 7 on Amazon Prime Video.

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 Close Trump's top economic adviser appears extremely confused over new unemployment executive orders

Donald Trump was whisked out of his daily weekday press briefing by a Secret Service officer following a shooting outside the White House on Monday.

The US Secret Service confirmed that law enforcement had shot a person blocks away from the White House, prompting the president to abruptly end a press briefing as he was escorted to the Oval Office.

He returned several minutes later announcing that a person had been shot and sent to a nearby hospital

The president continued to falsely claim that children are nearly immune from coronavirus, despite a new report that found nearly 100,000 young people were infected within the last two weeks of July alone, as schools prepare to open across the US.

Last week, Facebook and Twitter removed videos shared by the president in which he claimed that children are "virtually immune" from Covid-19, though Centres for Disease Control and Prevention reports show that children are as vulnerable to being able to transmit the virus as adults.

As lawmakers debate additional emergency relief legislation for millions of Americans during a looming eviction crisis and mass unemployment, the president has faced intense scrutiny from Democrats challenging the constitutionality of a series of executive orders that undermine congressional efforts.

Treasury Secretary told reporters that states can access extended unemployment relief "in the next week or two" despite governors signalling that the federal government, not the states, should be responsible for the additional funds.

Secretary Mnuchin also said he has not met with Democrats to repair the stalled emergency relief funding talks, despite House Democrats authoring and passing legislation to do so and meeting Republican resistance, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's accusation that Democrats are "obstructing" relief efforts.

"If they want to meet and want to negotiate and have a new proposal, we'll be happy to meet," Mr Mnuchin said.

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FORT WALTON BEACH, Fla.  A 41-year-old single mother is fighting for her life alone in a Florida hospital.

Brandy Hearne of Fort Walton Beach has a 6-year-old daughter, Lily, and a 13-year-old son, Alex. She hasnt been able to talk to them, or anyone, for more than two weeks.

Thats how long shes been on an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine at Shands Hospital in Gainesville, which she was placed on after her lungs failed while fighting COVID-19, according to her older brother, Barry Boutwell.

Brandy Hearne, a 41-year-old single mom from Fort Walton Beach, Fla., was flown to Gainesville where she is hospitalized with COVID-19. Her family says she is a devoted mom to 6-year-old Lily and 13-year-old Alex. [CONTRIBUTED PHOTO]

Hearne, who works in the finance office of the Okaloosa Tax Collectors office, began feeling ill in early July.

She was flown to UF Health Shands Hospital in mid-July after doctors at Fort Walton Beach Medical Center called Boutwell to tell him they didnt have the ECMO machine she needed. Instead, with her familys approval, they hooked her up to a heart bypass machine that kept her alive long enough to get more specialized care.

When she was hospitalized, her ex-husband moved into her home to take care of their children.

Her 73-year-old father, Carl Fontaine, has some health challenges and is so broken by his daughters illness that he cant talk about it without crying.

You have no idea, he said Sunday. Its probably one of the hardest things in my life. Im 73 years old and this aint right at all.

Coronavirus: How coronavirus COVID-19 attacks the body

During the time she has been hospitalized, Hearne has used up her paid time off, emergency paid time off and Care Act money.

The rent, utilities, car insurance and car payment still need to be paid. Her niece put up a GoFundMe page July 24; as of Sunday afternoon, more than $7,000 had been donated.

While we will never give up hope that she will pull through, we must be realistic in acknowledging that the recovery will not be a short one, the post reads, in part. The hardest part for us is that we can't be there to hold her hand, but I know she feels our love and prayers.

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Boutwell said that right before his sisters lungs failed, she had a couple of days when she seemed to be better. She texted her family members and even sent selfies.

We thought she was on the upturn, he said.

He said he and his sister are close and that they had lost their mother to cancer two days before Hearnes 18th birthday.

She works very hard, spends a lot of time with her children, thats about all you can do when youve got young ones, Boutwell said.

The children have been quarantined and tested and are not showing symptoms, Boutwell said. But they miss their mama.

When she was at FWBMC, Boutwell and his dad spoke to his sister's nurse every four hours.

Every single time they were pleasant. They were very helpful, he said. They were trying to do the best they could. I could hear it in their voices. I believe they saved my sisters life.

The staff at Shands have also been helpful and kind, he said. Boutwell talks to them daily.

What theyre telling us is theyre trying to wait for her to get strong enough so they can get her off the ECMO and insert a tracheotomy," he said. "She could possibly be on oxygen for the rest of her life.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY NETWORK: Florida mom, lungs ravaged by COVID-19, fights for her life alone
Mandatory Credit: Photo by ARNO BURGI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock (10730669a) (FILE) - A High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV or also Humvee) of the US armed forces in Europe drives from the Military History Museum through the city towards the Autobahn in Dresden, Germany, 01 June 2016 (reissued 02 August 2020). According to media reports, the US government wants to reduce the number of soldiers stationed in Germany by up to 12,000. US to withdraw up to 12,000 soldiers from Germany, Dresden - 01 Jun 2016 - ARNO BURGI/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock

Most Germans are unconcerned by US plans to withdraw almost 12,000 troops currently stationed in the country, according to a new survey published on Tuesday.

Angela Merkels government has expressed dismay at the move, which Donald Trump said was in response to Germanys failure to pay enough towards the cost of its defence.

But a poll by YouGov found 47 per cent of Germans are in favour of reducing the number of American troops based on their soil.

Only 32 per cent were opposed to any drop in the US presence, while 21 per cent expressed no opinion on the issue.

Most striking of all, a quarter of those surveyed said they would support a complete withdrawal of all US troops from Germany.

An F-16 fighter aircraft flies over the runway of the US military airportin Spangdahlem, Germany, Thursday, July 30, 2020. Spurred on by President Donald Trumpas demand to pull troops out of Germany, the U.S. will bring about 6,400 forces home and shift about 5,600 to other countries in Europe. (Harald Tittel/dpa via AP) - Harald Tittel/DPA

The US currently has around 36,000 military personnel stationed in Germany, a legacy of the Cold War division of the country.

The Pentagon announced the withdrawal of around 11,900 of its troops last week, claiming the move was intended to strengthen Nato and deter Russian aggression.

But President Trump said it was intended to punish a delinquent Germany, adding: Theyre there to protect Germany, right? And Germany is supposed to pay for it. Germanys not paying for it. We dont want to be the suckers any more.

Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer, the German defence minister, said the move was regrettable, but the new findings suggest most Germans do not agree.

The presence of US forces has long been controversial in Germany. US bases in Germany have provided support to operations in Afghanistan and Iraq, and many Germans argue the troops are not in their country to contribute to its defence but to project American power across the world.

German concern at the withdrawal has been largely confined to potential job losses for locals employed by the US military.
Remote workforce technology like virtual private networks (VPN) is nothing new for most financial institutions, though the technology has been primarily viewed as a secondary channel for working. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic forced a new reality upon most businesses, requiring the adoption of a new perspective on how we work.

The Race to Standup VPNs

As businesses faced the reality that most, if not all, employees and peers were going to be forced to shelter in place, the sudden need to implement or expand VPN access was a logical reaction. However, this proved to be a frustrating exercise for many institutions.

Financial institutions faced several challenges as they worked to provide their employees with VPN access. The rush to acquire laptops created a supply issue, and the sudden demand created a backlog for many IT departments and vendors working to configure new laptops. There was also the issue of remotely teaching employees, some of whom were not familiar or comfortable with the laptop formfactor or connecting to a VPN, how to do so while working remotely.
While adding Puerto Rico to the stay-at-home list because the island now has more than 15 cases per 100,000 residents, Arwady said Iowa, Kansas and Utah are now below that threshold. If they stay under 15-per-100,000 for another week, they would be removed from the list, she said.
Dear Franny The Shopaholic: My boyfriend loves strawberry rhubarb pie. He used to get it at the bakery department of ShopRite, but they stopped making it. We would like to make our own, but cant find fresh rhubarb anywhere? Can you help?  Pieless Kelly, Margate

Dear Pieless Kelly:

Just so you know, ShopRite still makes an 8-inch Strawberry Rhubarb pie for $5.99. It is even on their website/app. Also, Dole has a pound of frozen rhubarb on sale this week for $3.99. I have occasionally seen fresh rhubarb at Santoris Produce in Somers Point and M&S Produce on the Black Horse Pike in Egg Harbor Township.

Dear Franny The Shopaholic:

I am looking for individual 12-ounce cans of flavored soda, such as orange, grape and black cherry. I have checked Acme and ShopRite. Where might I find these sodas?  JB

Dear JB: This week at ShopRite you can get a 12-pack of Orange Sunkist soda two for $10. Also, a 12-pack of Sunkist Grape soda is two for $10 or mix and match and get one 12-pack of each for $10. A six pack of Dr. Browns Black Cherry soda is $2.99.
Vietnam announced 27 locally-transmitted COVID-19 infections, one imported case, and two deaths on Tuesday, according to the Ministry of Health.

Twenty-three cases were reported in Da Nang, a beach city in the central part of the country, while three patients were confirmed in neighboring Quang Nam Province.

One patient was recorded in Dong Nai Province. He is a doctor at Dong Nai General hospital and had come into contact with a COVID-19 patient when visiting a relative at Da Nang Hospital in the namesake city.

The other infection was imported from Equatorial Guinea, a Central African country.

The patient is a Vietnamese returnee who had arrived in Hanoi aboard a flight with 218 other compatriots on July 29. They were all sent to a quarantine center upon landing. Health authorities have detected at least 21 patients among them.

The two deaths recorded on Tuesday were sexagenarians who had suffered serious underlying medical problems, including chronic renal failure.

Vietnam has registered 670 COVID-19 patients as of Tuesday evening, with 308 imported cases quarantined upon arrival.

The Southeast Asian country announced four recoveries on Tuesday, taking the total to 378.

It has also documented eight virus-related fatalities who all had severe pre-existing conditions.

Two hundred and twenty-two local infections have been linked to Da Nang since July 25, when Vietnam recorded the first local transmission after having gone 99 days with no documented community spread.

The 222 cases consist of 158 in Da Nang, 44 in Quang Nam, three in Quang Ngai Province, three in Dak Lak Province, two in Dong Nai Province, eight in Ho Chi Minh City, two in Hanoi, one in Ha Nam Province, and one in Thai Binh Province.

Vietnam is quarantining 133,279 people who had close contact with confirmed patients or entered the country from virus-hit regions.

The nation has closed its borders to foreigners since March to prevent coronavirus spread.

But foreign experts and skilled workers are still allowed to enter the country, subject to government approval and mandatory quarantine.

Vietnamese returnees from abroad on board government-sanctioned planes have to undergo compulsory collective isolation as well.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
A 16-year-old boy has been charged in a fatal daylight shooting in Scarborough last month.

On July 4, police responded reports of a shooting in a parking lot in the area of Morecambe Gate and Chester Le Boulevard, near Victoria Park Avenue, around 1:40 p.m. When they arrived they found a man suffering from gunshot wounds.

The man was rushed to hospital, where he died soon after. He has since been identified as Andre Charles, 43, of Toronto.

On Tuesday, a 16-year-old boy was arrested and charged with first-degree murder. He was scheduled for court at 1911 Eglinton Avenue E. and cannot be identified because he is a minor.

Shamar Bailey, 21, of Toronto, was also charged with first-degree murder in connection with the shooting on July 29.

A third suspect is still outstanding, Toronto police say. Kwami Garrwood, 21, of Toronto, is wanted on first-degree murder charges. Police say he may be armed. Anyone who sees him should not approach him, and call 911 immediately.
Aug 4 (Reuters) - A U.S. judge late on Monday ordered all local boards of election in New York state to count "thousands" of absentee ballots received the day after a congressional primary held last June 23 but previously disqualified because of postmark problems.

According to the ruling by Judge Analisa Torres of Federal District Court in Manhattan, the absentee ballots are to be counted "without regard to whether such ballots are postmarked by June 23." Carolyn Maloney, the Democratic Party incumbent, got 40.29% of votes previously counted, while challenger Suraj Patel received 38.43%.

The ruling also ordered ballots received on June 25 be counted, as long as such ballots are not postmarked later than June 23. It wasn't immediately clear exactly how many ballots were affected.

Media had reported that about 12,000 ballots were disqualified. About 1.2 million New York voters, including 414,582 in New York City, voted by absentee ballot in the primary, the ruling said.

New York was one of five states that conducted statewide primaries in June, encouraging mail-in balloting as a safe alternative to in-person voting during the coronavirus pandemic, bringing record numbers of absentee ballot requests.

According to the ruling, there is "uncontroverted evidence" that thousands of absentee ballots were not postmarked.

Meanwhile, President Donald Trump vowed on Monday he would sue Nevada after the state's Democratic lawmakers passed a bill to send mail-in ballots to every voter ahead of November's presidential election in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

In an interview with Axios on Monday, Trump said that use of voting by mail was a problem. He further warned "lots of things will happen during that period of time." (Reporting by Aishwarya Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell)
With people flocking to beaches across the region, it didnt take long for St. Catharines city council to make some changes aimed at addressing overcrowding issues at Sunset Beach and Lakeside Park.

On July 13, council passed a motion restricting access to city beaches to Niagara residents only. Shortly after, council also increased parking fines in the Sunset Beach area along Port Weller from $30 to $100.

According to Port Weller Residents Association president David DeRocco, something had to be done to prevent the mass of people who flocked to Sunset Beach on Canada Day from happening again.

A longtime resident of Port Weller, who has lived at his house by Sunset Beach (then-called Municipal Beach) since 1963, DeRocco said the main concern coming from residents is the long-term implications of the changes the city has made when it comes to parking, and the potential impact to those living in the neighbourhood.

There are some people that are happy, there are some people that arent. We at the Port Weller Residents Association are of the mind that they have enacted a 12-month solution to a 12-week problem.

For DeRocco and many other residents, the tighter restrictions on parking are proving to already have an impact.

I have lived in this house for 55 years and now cant park in front of my own house, which for some of the people who have smaller lots and smaller driveways but multiple cars, it is going to be a real issue.

People are starting to realize that the enforcement is real, there are going to be consequences, and they are going to have to change their old parking habits in front of their own homes, he said.

The question of whether the new parking restrictions will be permanent has left many residents hoping the city can find a balance between addressing the large crowds gathering during a pandemic and the wishes of area homeowners, said DeRocco.

There are all these parking restrictions now that are quite necessary given the volume of traffic that was flowing through the neighbourhood. The fact that its looking like it could be a permanent parking solution has a lot of residents upset.

Others who live in the Sunset Beach area, including Irene Blokhuis, said the parking restrictions havent been an issue for them.

Blokhuis, who lives on Lombardy Street, said parking restrictions on her street have been in place for years, but can understand why others in the neighbourhood just a few streets over may be upset.

The lots are kind of unique, it is not all uniform. So you have some people that live on a corner lot that might not have a full driveway that might have had to use a section beside the street for parking, and now they have lost that, so it impacts some people very much.

Overall though, both DeRocco and Blokhuis agree the limitations on the beach and the parking restrictions were a necessary measure, and have led to much better day-to-day conditions in the neighbourhood.

Blokhuis said situations which occurred on Canada Day and in early July could not be allowed to continue into the civic holiday weekend.

From my vantage point on Lombardy, it was not normal. It is a very narrow street and sometimes the cars were four deep across the street. People blocking driveways, unloading their supplies for the day including barbecues and coolers.

I think whatever is being done to keep us safe is a good thing. We are still in a pandemic.

DeRocco also hopes the restrictions to the beach will be temporary, and can eventually be lifted when conditions improve.

I think most people in the neighbourhood are quite happy right now with the Niagara-only residents restrictions, not as a permanent solution but definitely during the COVID crisis.

Blokhuis said in any case, the No. 1 priority should be the safety of all people, not only the residents of Port Weller, but anyone who visits the beach this summer from across the region.
WATERLOO  The states longest active serving judge is retiring.

District Court Judge George Stigler stepped down Wednesday after 42 years, four months and four days on the bench, capping a decades-long career in Iowa law and military justice.

Most people want someone to listen to them, even if they arent right on the law or on the facts. They feel better if someone listens to them. Its always been my notion that we should treat people as you would want to be treated, Stigler, 70, said.

Born in Mississippi to sharecroppers, Stigler came to Waterloo when he was 6 years old as his family traveled north for better job opportunities. His introduction to the legal profession came at the behest of two college professors  Thomas Ryan and Charles Quirk  who urged him to try out law school while he was in his final year of his undergraduate history degree at the University of Northern Iowa.

Its a fortuity where someone has an interest in someone else and can really impact their lives, and thats why I feel so strongly about teachers. I remember from grade school on, outstanding teachers, them taking an interest in me and suggesting various courses, and I followed on most of those suggestions and they turned out for the most part for the better, Stigler said.

Stiglers college studies had coincided with the heighth of the Vietnam War. With a draft number of 13, he knew military service was in his future, so he signed up with the Iowa Army National Guard in December 1971 after earning his bachelors degree and was assigned to the Waterloo-based 1st Battalion, 133rd Infantry.

He later transferred to an Army medical unit in Iowa City, where he was attending classes at the University of Iowa School of Law.

Back in Waterloo with a law degree, Stigler held a part-time private practice while working part time as an assistant prosecutor with the Black Hawk County Attorneys Office.

He was appointed to the bench as an associate judge in March 1978 and became a district court judge in February 1985.

Stigler continued serving with the National Guard, and in 1983 his first sergeant convinced him to join the Judge Advocate Generals Corps. He started as a lawyer with the rank of first lieutenant and retired as a full colonel in 2010, holding the position as the state staff judge advocate for the Iowa Army National Guard and the judge advocate for the joint force headquarters at Camp Dodge.

In his years dispensing justice, Stigler has seen a number of bright people come into his courtroom on criminal charges, and he said the key is to redirect people into employing their talents for useful purposes.

I see all sorts of young people coming through the courthouse.  I see too many young black males getting into trouble, and its simply because they dont have structure in their lives, they dont have male role models to keep them on the straight and narrow, Stigler said.

He said over the years he has seen so many intricate crimes where if the defendants had refocused their talents they could be successful in a legal way.

I think part of the problem that we have is we dont teach kids to use their intelligence for useful things, for good purposes, as opposed to just doing whatever, following the path of least resistance, he said.

Stigler chairs the Judicial Nominating Commission that chooses finalists for open judgeships in the Waterloo-based district, and he oversaw the process that decided among candidates who applied for the position.

In retirement, Stigler plans to keep up his law license but isnt going back to private practice. He also plans to travel, visiting historic locations, and take automotive repair classes so he can do maintenance on his own car.

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At least 33 US states have more than five percent of all coronavirus tests coming back positive, a new report reveals.

These states are mostly in the South and the West, while the Northeast is populated with states that have a positive test rate from 0.7 percent to 4.8 percent.

Arizona currently leads the nation with the highest positive rate at 22.7 percent with at least 11 states also above ten percent.

Many of these states were spared early on in the pandemic, but hit harder when they reopened and lifted restrictions sooner.

Vermont, meanwhile, has the lowest rate at 0.7 percent and is among the states that were hit hard early on but enforced strict lockdowns to drive down cases.

What's more, a number of states with high positive rates also have nursing homes with less than one week's supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as N95 masks, surgical masks and gowns, driving fears that more care homes could experience outbreaks.

Currently, 33 states have at least 5% of all coronavirus tests coming back positive with Arizona having the highest rates and Vermont having the lowest rate (above)

Only one state and DC have no nursing homes without a week's supply of gowns and two states have less than 5% without a week's supply of N95 masks. Pictured: A nurse cares for a coronavirus patient in the ICU at El Centro Regional Medical Center in California, July 28

TOP 10 STATES WITH LOWEST POSITIVE TEST RATES... 1. Vermont 2. Maine 3. New York 4. Connecticut 5. New Jersey 6. New Hampshire 7. Alaska 8. Michigan 9. Massachusetts 10. Hawaii Advertisement

...AND BOTTOM 10 STATES WITH HIGHEST POSITIVE TEST RATES 1. Arizona 2. Mississippi 3. Florida 4. Alabama 5. Idaho 6. South Carolina 7. Nevada 8. Georgia 9. Missouri 10. Texas Advertisement

For the report, the American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) collected data from Johns Hopkins University.

States were broken down into three categories: positive test rates below five percent, between five percent and 9.9 percent, and 10 percent or greater.

Researchers found that 33 states fell into the latter two categories.

Arizona is currently performing the worst with 22.7 percent of tests coming back positive, meaning at least one out of every five people tested has the virus.

Rounding out the 'top five' are three states in the South - Mississippi, Florida and Alabama - and one state in the West, Idaho.

Meanwhile, Vermont is seeing the best results with just 0.7 percent of its tests coming back positive.

Closely behind were four states all in the Northeast, which was the previous epicenter of the US pandemic: Maine, New York, Connecticut and New Jersey

On July 22, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) announced that all nursing homes in states with a five percent positivity rate or greater will be required to test staff each week.

If that policy were to be implemented today, it would mean 11,640 nursing homes across the US would be required to conduct such weekly testing.

'Governors and state health agencies, especially in these 33 states, need to take immediate action to protect our seniors and healthcare heroes by ensuring long term facilities have adequate supplies of PPE and staff support as well as facilitating expedited test results for our residents and caregivers,' said Mark Parkinson, CEO and president of AHCA/NCAL.

'We also need members of the public to do their part to help reduce spread by wearing a mask in public and continuing to practice social distancing. We all have a duty to defend our nation's greatest generation and their essential caregivers.'

New Hampshire had the most nursing homes lacking PPE at about half without one week's supply of N95 masks, surgical masks and gowns, Pictured: Kay Foley, 88 (left) and her daughter Chris Coverdale blow kisses to each other after an outdoor visit at Jones-Harrison nursing home in Minneapolis, Minnesota, July 20

For the second half of the report, the team looked at a state-by-state breakdown of the percentage of nursing homes without a one-week supply of various PPE.

In regards to N95 masks, only two states had less than five percent of nursing homes without a seven-day supply, Texas and Utah.

Thirty-six states had at least five percent of nursing homes without a one-week's supply of surgical masks.

When it came to gowns, only one state, Alaska, and Washington, DC had no nursing homes without a week's supply of them.

In all three categories, New Hampshire had the highest percentage with about half of its 74 nursing homes not having a week's worth of PPE.
In 1761, at roughly age 7, the girl who would become Phillis Wheatley was taken from Africa to Boston and sold to the wife of a local merchant who educated her. Within a dozen years, she had published a book of verse in London and become perhaps the most famous Black person in the British Empire as well as a symbol for anti-slavery campaigners. Until recently, though, we knew her life story only through a tendentious memoir, written well after her death, by a woman who claimed to be a relative of her mistress.  The New Yorker
Delhi University professor Apoorvanand was questioned by the Delhi Police's Special Cell in connection with the northeast Delhi riots, police said on Tuesday. The professor, who teaches Hindi at the varsity, said he spent five hours at the Special Cell's office and his phone was also seized by the police.

"On Monday, August 3, 2020, I was asked by the Special Cell, Delhi Police, to appear before it in the investigation into FIR no 59/20 related to the violence that happened in NE Delhi in February, 2020. I spent five hours there. The Delhi Police also considered it necessary to seize my phone for the purpose of investigation," he said in a statement shared online.

He urged the police to conduct a "thorough and fair probe" in the matter.

"While cooperating and respecting the right of police authorities to conduct a full, fair and thorough investigation, one can only hope that the probe would focus on the real instigators and perpetrators of the violence against a peaceful citizens'' protest and the people of Northeast Delhi," he said in the statement.

He further said the investigation should not lead to further harassment and victimization of the protestors and their supporters, who asserted their democratic rights through constitutional means while stating their dissent to the passage of the Citizenship Amendment Act, 2019 (CAA) and the decision of the government to operationalise the National Population Register (NPR) and the National register of Citizens (NRC), all over the country.

"It is disturbing to see a theory emerging which treats the supporters of the protestors as the source of violence. I would urge the police and expect their probe to be thorough, just and fair so that truth prevails," the professor said.

The Delhi Police said that the professor was summoned in a case relating to north-east riots, by Special Cell, Delhi Police.

"He came to Lodhi Colony office yesterday (Monday) afternoon in response to a notice and was examined in connection with the investigation of the case. As a part of investigation, his mobile phone was taken into possession by investigation team," the police said.

In February, the northeastern parts of the national capital were rocked by communal violence that claimed at least 53 lives and injured many people.

The police have been criticised for their handling of the investigation in various quarters, including by student activists, filmmakers and civil society groups, who have accused the force of carrying out a "witchhunt" at a time when the country is battling the coronavirus pandemic.
Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday set up a fresh row over investigations into Sushant Singh Rajput death, recommending a CBI probe into the actors death on June 14. Kumars announcement came after Bihar police chief Gupteshwar Pandey spoke with the actors father earlier in the day.

The state government has sent its recommendation for a CBI probe into the FIR registered by Sushant Singh Rajputs father KK Singh, Nitish Kumar tweeted on Tuesday afternoon after completing the paperwork to make the recommendation.

Kumar had earlier in the day announced that his government would seek a CBI probe after Bihar lawmakers across parties demanded that the central investigating agency take up the case.

Bihar lawmakers had yesterday again pushed for a CBI inquiry in the state assembly. BJP leader Neeraj Singh, who is also Sushants cousin, was the first to raise the demand. Leader of Opposition Tejashwi Yadav quickly backed him up, saying Sushant Singh Rajputs family should get justice.

The actors suicide in Mumbai has been a politically sensitive case in Bihar, Sushant Singhs home before he moved to Mumbai. Bihar assembly elections are scheduled later this year and no party wants to be seen standing on the wrong side of the narrative around Sushant Singh Rajputs death in Bihar.

But the attempt by Bihar Police to launch a parallel investigation into Sushant Singhs death in Mumbai had been a controversial one, right from the beginning over the jurisdiction of the state police for offences alleged to have taken place in Maharashtra.

Satish Maneshinde, the lawyer who is representing actor Rhea Chakraborty, was the first to launch a counter-attack at the Bihar government, wondering how it could recommend transfer of a case that it had no business investigating. Maneshinde told reporters that the Bihar police could only register a zero FIR.

A zero FIR is registered by a police station when an offence reported to it has been committed in the area under the jurisdiction of a different police station.

Mumbai Police commissioner Param Bir Singh has made the same point. The law is clear. If the incident has not happened in our jurisdiction, we register a zero first information report [FIR], and transfer it, the Mumbai police chief said on Monday.

But the sharpest attack came from Randeep Surjewala, the Congress chief spokesperson.

Surjewala said it was time for the chief minister to read the Constitution again.

It is the responsibility of the state government to maintain law and order within the state. In Maharashtra, it is the responsibility of Maharashtras coalition government led by Uddhav Thackeray to enforce the law. Nitish Kumar should read the Constitution again. Nitish Kumar or the Bihar government cannot interfere with the investigations by trying to force its way in, Surjewala said.

The standoff between Mumbai and Bihar police over the Sushant Singh case is seen to mirror the rivalry between the Nitish Kumar-led NDA government in Bihar and Uddhav Thackeray-led Maha Vikas Aghadi coalition that comprises the Shiv Sena, Congress and Nationalist Congress Party.
So if were going to plan for an economic recovery, it cant simply get us back to where we were six months ago. A just and inclusive economic recovery must help us build back better than weve ever been before.

President Donald Trump isnt up to the challenge. At the moment when we most need a leader to bring us together, while the horrific killing of George Floyd is forcing us to confront the legacy of systemic racism that has long been a stain on our nation, Trump has been trying to divide us. Its a disgraceful refusal to carry out his responsibilities as president.

But this is an election year. We have a real opportunity to turn the page by building a more inclusive, just and fair economy  and we can do that by electing Joe Biden.
A year after Jammu & Kashmir was divested of its special status and split into two union territories, the security situation in the region has not only stabilized but also progressively improved with more support from the people, multiple army, police, and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) officers said.

According to government data, the number of violent incidents in Kashmir was down to 120 from January to July, compared to 198 during the same time last year. The stone-throwing incidents--102--have also significantly reduced this year. As many as 532 such incidents were reported in 2018 and 389 in 2019.

Officials said terrorists are unable to carry out grenade attacks due to a robust presence and better coordination between security forces. Only 21 grenade attacks have been reported so far this year as compared to 52 during the same period in 2019.

There may have been a significant decline in terror-related incidents as well as local terrorist recruitments but Pakistan has ramped up its activities considerably since the nullification of Constitutions Article 370 that stripped Jammu & Kashmir of its special status on August 5 last year, one of the army officers cited above said.

A heightened infiltration activity and the Pakistani armys cease-fire violations along the Line of Control (LoC) and targeting of civilians by terror groups remain areas of concern for security forces.

Officials cited intelligence inputs and added they suggest all terror launch pads across the LoC, or the de facto border between India and Pakistan in Jammu & Kashmir, are active with close to 250 terrorists waiting to sneak into Kashmir.

The tempo of anti-terror operations in the hinterland has denied terrorists space to operate even as soldiers deployed along the LoC are in a high state of alert to thwart Pakistans attempts to push in infiltrators, a second army officer said. The officer added counter-terror operations based on accurate intelligence have yielded results during the last one year and the security forces have killed 136 terrorists, including 14 Pakistanis, till July-end.

A third officer said the local terror recruitment remains confined to four districts of South Kashmir. Only 67 young men are believed to have joined terrorist ranks since January compared to 105 during the same time last year. The number of terrorists active in the Valley is estimated to be below 200.

There has also been a drastic reduction in improvised explosive device (IED) blasts and only four such low-intensity attacks have been reported since August 5 last year. In 2019, eight IED blasts were reported in the first seven months of the year. They included the Pulwama attack in which 40 CRPF personnel were killed in February 2019 and brought India and Pakistan on the verge of war.

Officials said the influence of separatists or terror groups in calling for bandhs has also diminished with only four strike calls this year compared to 30 in 2019. Fewer protests have taken place this year compared to the previous two years, with the security forces being able to counter disinformation campaigns run by inimical elements by engaging with the local population, said a fourth officer.

Officials said Pakistan-backed terrorists were trying to mount attacks on civilians to intimidate them into following their so-called Azadi narrative and to create unrest. But coordinated operations have significantly degraded their ability to carry out attacks, they added.

CRPF special director general (Jammu & Kashmir Zone) Zulfiqar Hasan said: The security forces have been on the top in the Valley. Most of the militant leadership has been eliminated, which is a huge setback for them. Significantly, there have been very few civilian killings and recruitments of locals have come down. He added there is better coordination between security forces and the public now. The terrorists are not getting any support from locals.

Hasan said the law and order incidents connected with the counter-terror operations have come down as now people do not come out in numbers to disturb the security forces. We have not had any big such incident of locals hindering our operations.

The fourth officer cited above said the situation has improved but warned Pakistan is likely to step up efforts to create instability in the region. The Armys focus is on strengthening its anti-infiltration measures to prevent Pakistan-based terrorists from sneaking into Kashmir. Our soldiers are ready to deal with any Pakistani misadventure, he said.
At least 12 terminally ill New Jersey residents have ended their own lives under the states new aid-in-dying law which went into effect one year ago.

The government released new data Friday offering the first official summary of how the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act has played out in the state.

The report shows from August 1, 2019, when the law went into effect, through December 31, 12 people ended their lives under the provisions of the law.

They were between the ages of 50 and 93. Six were men and six were women, according to the Department of Health report.

Seven of them had cancer, the states second most common cause of death after heart disease, and three had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS. Nine of them had a bachelors degree or higher.

Ten of the 12 died at home, one passed at a nursing home and one in another persons home, health officials said. Eleven were white and one was Asian.

Twelve terminally ill New Jersey residents ended their own lives under the state's aid-in-dying law that went into effect last year, according to a Department of Health report

According to the report most of the patients took cocktails of multiple drugs. The law requires patients to self-administer the drugs.

'New Jerseys law empowers terminally-ill residents to make their own end-of-life choices humanely and with respect and dignity,' Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a statement to the New Jersey Herald.

The controversial law passed on March 25, 2019 after nearly seven years debate and challenges in court.

The law allows doctors to prescribe life-ending medication to terminally ill patients who have six months or less left to live. It also protects doctors and pharmacists who prescribe the medication from criminal charges and has a framework to protect against abuse.

Two doctors must confirm a terminal diagnosis and patients must request the medication twice verbally and once in writing. All verbal requests must be at least 15 days apart.

Before Fridays numbers it was not known how many people obtained medication through the law.

In this photo provided by the New Jersey Office of the Governor, N.J. Gov. Phil Murphy signs the Medical Aid in Dying for the Terminally Ill Act on Friday, April 12, 2019

In New Jersey 42 medical centers, hospitals and hospices adopted policies to allow doctors to participate in the aid-in-dying legislation, according to Compassion and Choices.

Patients who support the law say it gives them control over the last days of their life and peace of mind.

'Since the law took effect, I have felt free to enjoy the rest of my life without worrying about needlessly suffering in agony when it ends,' Susan Boyce, a resident of Rumson, said in a statement to advocacy group Compassion & Choices.

She has Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency, which limits her lung function and requires her to use an oxygen tank.

'For the last year, up until the COVID-19 pandemic hit, I have been traveling with my family and enjoying outdoor activities like camping. Before the law passed, I didnt have the peace of mind to do that,' she added.

Today theres still an ethical debate over the implications of helping patients die. Religious leaders have voiced their opposition to the law.

According to the report most of the patients took cocktails of multiple drugs. The law requires patients to self-administer the drugs

Gov. Phil Muphy signed the bill into law last year but noted it wasn't an easy decision as his faith conflicted his decision.

'After careful consideration, internal reflection and prayer, I have concluded that, while my faith may lead me to a particular decision for myself, as a public official I cannot deny this alternative to those who may reach a different conclusion,' Murphy wrote in April 2019.

Similar versions of the law have been in effect for over two decades in different states.

Oregon was the first to approve such a measure in 1998. Washington state followed in 2008.

Today medical aid in dying is legal in 10 jurisdictions: California, Colorado, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Montana, Maine, New Jersey, Oregon, Vermont and Washington.

According to a 2018 Gallup poll 72 percent of Americans supported laws that allowed patients to receive medical aid in ending their lives.

However, medical aid in dying is distinct from helping someone commit the act of suicide, which is prohibited by status in 42 states.
Tucked into the defense authorization bill pending in Congress is a provision that toxic site activists say will arm Michigan with the regulatory firepower needed to force the military to clean up forever chemical pollution to strict levels.

The amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)  an annual bill that contains hundreds of military budget and policy provisions  would require the Department of Defense to use the most stringent applicable standard when cleaning up PFAS contamination at places like Camp Grayling or the former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda.

Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Holly, authored the provision, which passed the House Armed Services Committee on a party line vote and made it into the bill passed by the full House.

If signed into law, Slotkin says her amendment would eliminate the need for drawn-out negotiations between states and the military over whether to abide by an unenforceable federal life-time advisory threshold, or by stricter, enforceable state limits being developed to combat PFAS contamination.

The provision is among several addressing PFAS contamination in this years defense bill, but activists whove been pushing the U.S. Air Force to hasten and expand its efforts to clean up PFAS migrating through the environment in Oscoda and elsewhere say its the one to watch.

Her amendment is the most important PFAS legislation in DC right now, said Tony Spaniola, an attorney and leading PFAS activist in Michigan who owns a home near Wurtsmith base, where widespread pollution has sparked health advisories warning people not to consume fish, deer and other wildlife in several areas, and avoid toxic surface water foam.

Its a big deal, Spaniola said. It really is.

In Michigan, passage of Slotkins amendment would force the Department of Defense to comply with both stricter groundwater cleanup levels triggered by adoption of new high-profile state-level drinking water standards, as well as an obscure state rule on the books since 2014 that sets a very low limit on one particular PFAS chemical in surface waters.

In Oscoda, state regulators have had trouble getting the Air Force to comply with a low, 12 parts-per-trillion (ppt) Michigan cleanup threshold for the toxic compound PFOS at the point where groundwater vents to surface bodies like Van Etten Lake and the Au Sable River  both of which are contaminated by PFAS chemicals leaching through the old base.

The Air Force has agreed to use that standard as a benchmark during a forthcoming phase of site testing and investigation at Wurtsmith, but has not yet committed to cleaning up to that level. The Air Force says it will decide whether to comply in the future when the long, slow remediation process requires them to evaluate relevant state laws.

Related: With trepidation, Michigan settles Wurtsmith cleanup dispute

The 12-ppt standard was passed several years before PFAS contamination gained state and national attention. Its being used successfully by the Michigan Department of Environment, Great Lakes and Energy (EGLE) to force industrial polluters to filter the chemicals from effluent thats being sent to municipal wastewater plants and discharged to state waterways.

New state cleanup standards have the potential to escalate things further. Enforceable limits on several types of PFAS in public drinking water taking effect in Michigan this week have a secondary impact: They tighten groundwater cleanup standards for PFOS and PFOA down to 16-ppt and 8-ppt  an eightfold drop from states previous groundwater cleanup level of 70-ppt, which was set abruptly back in early 2018.

On a Monday call with reporters in which she appeared alongside EGLE director Lisel Clark, Slotkin said her NDAA amendment would give those state standards some real teeth when applied to military sites.

When I started hearing from the state there was interest in promulgating a state standard, I started to think about how we could tag team it at the federal level, she said.

In February, Slotkin questioned Secretary of Defense Mark Esper during a committee hearing and said his answer to her question about whether hed commit the department to compliance with Michigans then-pending standards  I think if thats regulation driven by law, wed be required to, Esper said  prompted her to begin drafting legislation.

A Washington visit with some Oscoda residents was also a push, Slotkin said. That was about a year ago and has sort of played into everything thats come since.

Slotkin, a former CIA analyst and Pentagon official who is seeking reelection this fall to a second term representing Michigans 8th district, has made PFAS a big part of her focus.

She equates environmental security with homeland security and successfully inserted several PFAS-related provisions into last years NDAA, including one that requires the Environmental Protection Agency, for the first time, to include PFAS on the list of chemicals that drinking water utilities must test for.

She has applied for a seat on this years NDAA conference committee in order to shepherd her amendment through the reconciliation process where the House and Senate bills are mashed together into one that goes to the White House.

Slotkin knows its going to be a battle.

The Defense Department is facing huge liability for PFAS contamination across the country and has been a major voice within the Trump Administration advocating for weaker standards. According to a 2018 Pentagon report to Congress, the military prefers PFAS cleanup levels around 380-ppt, which is nearly six times higher than the EPAs unenforceable health advisory level of 70-ppt that the Defense Department has been using as its standard threshold.

The Defense Departments cleanup estimates reach into the billions across the globe for active and closed bases where decades of PFAS-laden AFFF firefighting foam use for training and emergencies have left a toxic legacy behind in hundreds of communities.

The Pentagon has pushed back against state standards in several states. In Michigan, the Air Force has invoked its sovereign immunity from state law during disputes over compliance with the 12-ppt standard. The Air Force has resisted compliance with similar state environmental law enforcement in New Mexico, Colorado and New York.

The military has allies in Congress. During committee markup in July, Republicans lambasted Slotkins amendment as a bridge too far, claiming it would create a patchwork of regulations across the country that would hamper military budgeting and combat readiness.

Michigan delegate Rep. Paul Mitchel, R-Dryden, got into a testy exchange with California Democrat John Garamendi, who suggested that constituents across the country would probably want their state and local areas cleaned up to the strictest standard available.

Ill stay in Michigan, you stay in California, Mitchell said. I think well both be happier.

You may want to look at your neighbor, who is proposing a higher standard for your neighborhood, Garamendi shot back.

Mitchell and Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado argued without evidence that states would somehow set standards beyond what toxicologists have determined is defensible.

I think rational science ought to apply to it, said Mitchell. Simply setting standards because you want to pick a number doesnt apply as science.

Slotkins retort: The science from Mr. Mitchells alma mater (Michigan State University) is what is behind the governor wanting a higher standard for our PFAS cleanup.

On Monday, she termed it all a sporty exchange.

Listen, its controversial, Slotkin said. Im under no illusions that this is something the Pentagon will fight. Were going to do everything we can to have it stay in.

Related Stories:

Slotkin leads House effort to limit military action against Iran

Slotkin pushes solutions, decency in reelection bid

With trepidation, Michigan settles Wurtsmith dispute

Michigan veterans face uphill battle proving toxic exposure

Quit horsing around, Oscoda residents tell Air Force
Written by ACM

*Strasbourg/Angelo Marcopolo/- Emeritus Pope Benedict, who, despite his 93 Years of Age, has a Strong Health, probably due also to his notorious Love of Nature on Mountains, optimisticaly Hopes to ReStart using his Pen to Write himself when he will recuperate forces, as he reportedly said after meeting with his Journalist BioGrafer, SeeWald, (whose Name already Means Sea or Lake and Forest !), last WeekEnd, while Facing "a Painful Phase" in a "Not Worrying" Health Issue, "No Hard to Overcome", which Coincided with a Debate and Vote on a Controversial Draft Bill in the French Assembly, seeking to Impose massive Artificial Fabrications of Children by Technocrats on demand by Lesbians, at the Same Time with Genetic Manipulations on Human Embryos Needless of any Authorisation, soon after Gene Editing became Easy with New Technics (CRISPR-Cas9) since 2015+, and Despite a Recent Scandal of Genetic Manip. Heritable by Next Generations, at the End of November 2018, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/faiblevotesurreformebioethiqueenfrance.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/heritablegenemaniptrumpxihumanity.html , etc).

Benedict has Earlier stressed his "Opposition" to "the Production of Humans in Laboratories", as well as to the Controversial and ImPopular "Same Sex Marriage", while Also Strongly Denouncing the Fact that Dissidents who DisAgree with such Changes, are "ExCommunicated", Facing even Attempts to "Silence" them, as he Warned even for himself, on May 2020, on the occasion of a Previous Part of his Biografy, and while the Procedure on the above-mentioned Controversial Reform of the French Law on BioEthics was still on Preparation, after having been initially Postponed by the Virus' Pandemic.

In Fact, the Pope Emeritus, who Governed the 1,4 Billions Strong Catholic Church from 2005 up to 2012, After Working at Top Level Key Positions inside Vatican for Many Years, in his Capacity as a Brillant German Bishop originaly Named Joseph Ratzinger, Writer of Man Books, and Close Collaborator EnTrusted by the World-Famous Previous Pope John Paul II, was Reportedly Astonished mainly by some "Aberant and Ill-Intended Reactions", added to "Malicious Deformation of the Truth", Directed Against him, and "Aiming to Silence My Voice", as he had Reportedly Denounced then, apparently Pointing at least also to some notoriously "Reformist" Bureaucracy at the Top "Admiistration" Even of his Own Country, Germany's, Church, (that he had Surprisingly Dared Call to Mark a "ReVival", by "ReBuilding" anew the Christian Catholic Community, Starting by its Foundations, particularly Thanks to New Popular Movements from the GrassRoots, as he had remarkably said during his Long Official Trip to Germany, as a Fully-Fledged Pope, Already as Early as since 2011, after Berlin and Erfurt, at Nearby Freiburg : See "Eurofora"s PressReports from those Landmark Events, among others, f.ex. also at : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/lombardibundestagpopespeech.html + http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/kretschmannonpopebundestagcall.html, etc).

Meanwhile, However, his "Personal Friendship with (Present) Pope Francis has Developed" Further, as Benedict has Already said on May this Year (2020), and, Concerning the Nowadays' "Hot" Bio-Ethical Issues Raised by the Above-Mentioned, current Controversial Attempt to Deeply ReVise the Relevant French Legislation, (Comp. Supra), including, Mainly, IVF for Lesbians, Research on Human Embryo Genetics, etc., Francis Stands Also Firm on the Side of Natural Births, and for the Protection of Human Life "Since Conception", therefor Opposing f.ex. for Children to be "Deprived of the Right to have a Father", as the Head of Fench Catholic Church's (Historicaly the Biggest in the Country) Group on BioEthics, ArchiBishop d'Ornella, Recently stressed at a Press Conference in July 2020 on that Bill, Just Before the French National Assmbly reStarts to Debate and Vote on it, Launching also an Invitation to President Macron for a "Real Dialogue", between Citizens and the State, particularly After teh Recent Technological and other Developments (Comp. Supra), as he said in Reply to an "Eurofora" Question, (See: http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/fornewfulldebateonbioethicsinfrance.html, etc).

According to German Newspaper "Passauer Neue Presse" Today, (citting Benedict's Journalist BioGrafer SeeWald, and a Medical Doctor) But Also Other Informed Sources, it seems that the Pope Emeritus might Suffer, currently, from a Kind of "Skin" Issue, at the "Left Side" of his Face, which could have been, reportedly, Provoked by a "Bacteral Infection", that, according to Medical Encyclopedias, usualy has an Incubation Period of About 4 Days, so that it would, Surprisingly ... Coincide with the Timing of that French Assembly's "Hot" Debates and Votes on this Controversial Reform in BioEthics ! (Comp. Supra).

It's also a Fact, Nevertheless, that, pushing to Impose, for the 1st Time in History, Massive Artificial Fabrications of Children by Technocrats, at the Same Time that Genetic Manipulations on Human Embryos No More Need Any Authorisation, while Gene-Editing has Recently become Easier and Faster than ever, added Even to Heritable Germ-Line Modifications into Future Generations, (Comp. Supra), Strictly Prohibited by CoE's "Oviedo" Convention on Human Rights and Dignity of the Human Person vis a vis Biology and Medical applications, Obviously, provokes Serious Risks putting into Danger the Future of Humanity ! (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/faiblevotesurreformebioethiqueenfrance.html).

But Benedict, when he was led to Retire, Back on March 2013, (a "1st" in History, in fact), had been Warmly Called, Both by "Eurofora" and Many Others, to Find a Way, in Agreement with Pope Francis, to be, at least, Able to Speek on certain Exceptioaly Important Issues (as Core Bio-Ethical matters, on which he had Already Worked Intensively, During a Long Time, etc), Crucial for Humankind. And, Indeed, at an Emotional Last Public Address to the People Gathered at "Castel Gadolfo" to Greet Him, the Pope Emeritus Concluded his Last Words by Acknowledging, (with an Exceptionaly trembling voice), that he "Still Wish(ed), Heartfully, with ...Love..., Prayers, ...Thoughts, (and) All ...inner forces, to Work for the Common Good, for the Good of the Church, and of HUMANITY !" (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/lombardionbenedictcontacts.html).

Now, Thanks also to the Surprizingly ...Weak Vote from the Governing Majority on that Controversial and Dangerous for Humankind Bill on BioEthics, Later than MidNight, at ...3 a.m. in Early Morning Last Saturday in the French Assembly, (1.8.2020), where, on the Contrary, the various Dissidents appeared Stronger than Expected, (See : http://www.eurofora.net/newsflashes/news/faiblevotesurreformebioethiqueenfrance.html), Added to Benedict's Pioneer Initiative, Already since 2011 at a Landmark Speech at the German Bundestag in Brerlin, to Try to Link "Greens"' and Others' Ecology Aspirations, also with the Protection of "Human Nature", (See : ..., etc, almost in the Same Line as "Eurofora"s equivalent Attempts in German "Greens" Party National Annual Congress, as Early as since 2010 at Nearby Freiburg, See ..., etc), which Fits Well Pope Francis' 1st Encyclique on 2014, Notoriously Focused on "Ecology", etc., (Pertinently Reminded by Mgr d'Ornellas at his Recent Press Conference on 7.2020, Comp. Supra), => All these Converging Developments, Older (but Still Valid) and Recent Alike, Clearly Indicate that there are Real and Growing Chances for Benedict, (whose Latest Volume on his Biografy has, reportedly, been Already Booked for Editions in 10 Languages, accross the World), to Hopefully, Join, in one way or another, the Common Fight, in Crucial BioEthical Issues, Both in France nowadays and soon Elsewhere, to SaveGuard Humanity's Future !

(../..)





("Draft-News")

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The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) submitted a reply brief on Monday in response to arguments submitted last Thursday to the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals by Michigan Democratic Party Governor Gretchen Whitmer and other state officials against the SEP candidates ballot access lawsuit.

In their brief, the SEP candidatesJoseph Kishore for US President and Norissa Santa Cruz for US Vice Presidentpowerfully reiterate the position they have advanced consistently since filing their Michigan lawsuit on June 19: The states ballot access rule that candidates must collect thousands of physical signatures during the pandemic is unconstitutional because it forces SEP members and supporters to violate their political principles, endangers their own and the publics health, and denies socialists the right to cast a meaningful vote.

Kishore and Santa Cruz submitted their appeal brief on July 23 following a ruling by Judge Sean Cox of the US District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan in favor of Whitmer, Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson and Director of the Michigan Bureau of Elections Jonathan Brater two weeks earlier.

The reply brief begins by taking up the claim by both the Michigan government officials and Judge Cox that the SEP candidates did not exercise reasonable diligence to get on the ballot because they abstained from gathering thousands of physical signatures during the raging coronavirus pandemic.

Kishore and Santa Cruz argue that the district courts use of the concept of diligence is Kafkaesque and dangerous because, if they had proceeded to collect signatures during the pandemic, it would have been illegal and would have contributed to the spread of the deadly infection and encouraged noncompliance with Whitmers stay-at-home orders and the advice of public health officials.

Flipping the courts concept around, the SEP candidates state that reasonable diligence is precisely the opposite of what the district court suggested, and actually means that the SEP was correct to have encouraged supporters to stay at home to the extent possible, to comply with state and local emergency directives, and to protect the health and lives of their families and the public.

The SEP brief states that the partys forbearance from signature gathering only bolsters and does not detract from a finding that they were diligent and that this truth is, in fact, conceded by Whitmer and Judge Cox who characterize the SEPs conduct as good, conscientious, understandable and certainly respectable in their own order and filings.

The reply addresses Whitmers new argument on appeal that the SEP should have been prompted by right-ring demonstrators in the Michigan state capital of Lansing to begin collecting signatures during the pandemic. The Whitmer administration wrote in their brief that the gathering of far-right militias effectively demonstrated that First Amendment activities were not precluded by the governors orders, and that the SEP therefore should have thereby been prompted to launch a signature-gathering campaign.

The SEP candidates brief demonstrates that this is a 180-degree change from Whitmers position when the main Lansing demonstration took place. The brief cites Whitmers comments on the anti-lockdown protest, which she said is not appropriate in a global pandemic, but its certainly not an exercise of democratic principles where we have free speech... I ask that everyone who has a platform uses it to call on people to observe the best practices promulgated by the CDC and to stop encouraging this behavior.

Whitmer also said, I respect peoples right to dissent, but that does not extend to endangering other peoples lives. However, when it comes to keeping the SEP candidates off the Michigan ballot, Whitmer argues in court that the protest was free speech and that the SEP was obligated to follow their lead in order to establish that they acted diligently.

This night and day contrast between Whitmers public pronouncements and her positions in litigation points to the practical political reality underlying this litigation, Kishore and Santa Cruzs brief explains, adding: Michigan is a key battleground of the 2020 presidential elections.

Whitmer is a national campaign co-chairperson for presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, the brief notes, while In 2016, the Democratic Party lost the state of Michigan by 10,700 votes, a margin such that that an independent, leftwing candidate could impact the outcome. This supports an inference that legitimate or compelling state interests are not driving Appellees opposition to this action, but partisan political aims.

The brief also points out that the state dishonestly provided incorrect information to the Kishore and Santa Cruz campaign in May, telling a campaign volunteer in a series of phone discussions that the signature requirement was 30,000, when in reality a federal court had struck that requirement down as unconstitutional the previous December.

This dishonest state action was intended to dissuade independent left-wing candidates from even attempting to gain ballot access. Only after Kishore and Santa Cruz filed this lawsuit did the government acknowledge that the prior standard had been struck down. The candidates brief explained that the government is not allowed to dishonestly hide from citizens that its own laws violate the constitution.

In its concluding section, the SEP candidates argue that the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals should protect the basic democratic and constitutional rights in connection with the upcoming elections by reversing the decision of the district court and that the SEP is entitled either to an order placing them directly on the ballot or an order that Michigan state officials provide them with a means of accessing the ballot that they can exercise safely and with reasonable diligence before the printing of ballots begins.

Commenting on the reply brief, SEP presidential candidate Joseph Kishore said: We denounce the antidemocratic ballot access requirement that we should gather thousands of signatures amidst an expanding pandemic. The latest drive to block us from getting on the ballot in Michigan is part of the broader effort by the Democrats and Republicans to exclude and suppress all opposition to the homicidal policies of the ruling class.

The legal arguments being advanced by Governor Whitmer that we should have gathered signatures in violation of her stay-at-home orders and that we should have followed the lead of the far-right militia protesters who took over the state Capitol building in Lansing in April, shows that the primary objective is to keep the SEP off the ballot.

Our election campaign is toward the development of the class struggle, as workers enter into opposition to the back-to-work and back-to-school efforts and the drive to force the working class to pay with their lives in order to pump out profits for the financial oligarchy.

The governor opposed Kishore and Santa Cruzs attorneys request for oral arguments in order to attract as little attention to this case as possible. The Court previously stated that it will reach a decision before the beginning of September.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: Theatre doyen and legendary teacher Ebrahim Alkazi died on Tuesday afternoon after suffering a heart attack, his son said.

He was 94.

Alkazi, who was the longest-serving director of the National School of Drama, produced plays such as "Girish Karnad's "Tughlaq" and Dharamvir Bharati's "Andha Yug".

He mentored generations of actors, including Naseeruddin Shah and Om Puri.

"Dad died this evening at 2.45 pm after a massive heart attack. He was admitted to the Escorts hospital the day before yesterday," his son Feisal Alkazi told PTI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed his condolences for the death Alkazi and said he will be remembered for his efforts to make theatre more popular and accessible across India.

"His contributions to the world of art and culture are noteworthy. Shri Ebrahim Alkazi will be remembered for his efforts to make theatre more popular and accessible across India," the prime minister tweeted.

"Saddened by his demise. My thoughts are with his family and friends. May his soul rest in peace," Modi said.
OTTAWAThe potential sale of social-media platform TikTok to Microsoft is leaving Canada with a sense of deja vu.

Experts say the country is once again being pressured to take sides in a debate about digital technology that seems driven more by politics than by policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump is effectively forcing the sale of the Chinese-owned TikTok, citing national-security concerns over the user data and device access potentially available to Chinas government.

Microsoft has emerged as a potential buyer for the popular video-sharing app, seeking to acquire its presence in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

Michael Geist, an expert in internet law at the University of Ottawa, says the issue feels like a replay of the debate over whether to allow Huawei technology into Canadas 5G wireless data networks.

The federal government still hasnt ended that debate with a decision, while Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou awaits possible extradition to the United States after being arrested in Vancouver and two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, have been detained in China for more than 600 days.

Geist says Canada is once again uncomfortably pressured to take sides in an emerging global digital tech battle and may try to not get too involved in the TikTok talks.

At this stage, Im not convinced that the Canadian government has clear policy on the area, Geist said, meaning our likely response is to stay on the sidelines and let the issue unfold without much input or engagement.

TikTok launched three years ago and now boasts 100 million users worldwide who upload short, catchy videos.

A report earlier this year from We Are Social, a global agency that tracks social-media use, found that TikTok was the sixth most-downloaded app in Canada in 2019, but used by only nine per cent of Canadian internet users aged 16 to 64.

Trump has framed his concerns around a Chinese company having access to Americans personal data, echoing concerns that earlier this year led a Chinese gaming company to sell Grindr, a gay dating app, to an American company for over US$600 million.

Trumps push comes amid escalating rhetoric towards Beijing over trade and the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The recent TikTok developments in the U.S. appear to be driven far more by politics than policy, Geist said. There is little difference in the data collection practices of TikTok and the large U.S. social-media companies.

A decision late last month from the Court of Justice of the European Union highlighted what it saw as the inadequacy of U.S. privacy laws, saying the U.S. government could have unchecked access to user information through its own surveillance laws.

So while bringing TikToks user data to U.S. servers might alleviate concerns about Chinese spying, it doesnt eliminate concerns of U.S. agencies doing the same to an American-owned platform.

When Europe passed the strongest privacy regulation in the world, Microsoft decided to offer those protections and rights to everyone  even though they werent required to by law, said Lauren Reid, president of privacy consultancy The Privacy Pro.

At the end of the day, Microsoft is a U.S. company and is subject to the U.S. government surveillance programs, which allow unchecked access to the personal information held by private companies.

On Monday, Trump told reporters he would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless Microsoft or another American company bought the app by Sept. 15, with a portion of the sale going to the U.S. treasury.

Christopher Parsons, a senior research associate at the University of Torontos Citizen Lab, said Trumps actions to force a sale would be a fairly substantive break with the way governments ordinarily treat internet companies.

In effect, the presidents actions suggest that each country should have its own branches of social media companies, Parsons said.

A question for Canadian policy-makers is what they would do if a country demanded part of a domestic tech darling  Parsons used Ottawa-based Shopify as an example  be hived off for similar reasons Trump has for TikTok.

If Canada were to be involved, I think that it may be less around concerns about there being two TikToks ... and more around are these the kinds of norms we want to be propagated, he said.

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Agriculture is the mainstay of Kenyas economy, employing more than 70% of people in rural areas and contributing 26% of the GDP. However, youth unemployment in the countryside, as well as in the cities, is growing. Some 30% of Kenyans between the age of 20 and 24 are currently out of work. Increasing youth employment in agriculture could do much to address this problem, and it is one of the main aims of CTAs Youth Economic Empowerment through Agribusiness in Kenya (VijaBiz) project.

The project was devised by CTA and a Kenyan organisation, USTADI Foundation, in response to a call for proposals from the International Fund for Agricultural Development. It is implemented and co-funded by CTA and USTADI. We believe there is huge potential to get more young people into profitable agriculture in countries like Kenya, and it is crucial to support the growth of their businesses, says CTAs Ken Lohento, manager of the project. Many young people have innovative ideas and theyre willing to take risks, but they often lack the skills, knowledge and assets they need to establish viable agribusinesses.

Following an invitation to join the project  shared via radio, newspapers and on the internet in September 2018  380 youth groups from Kilifi and Nakuru counties responded. It was stipulated that the groups should have a minimum of 10 members, with at least 30% being women. Ninety percent of those who responded were under the age the 35, including the group leaders. After a comprehensive selection process, and with the support of the two county governments, CTA and USTADI chose 165 youth groups, which between them represent about 2,400 young farmers and 1000 small agribusinesses.

The national launch of the VijaBiz project was held in August 2018 in Nairobi, in the presence of officials from the two county governments and from the National Ministry of Youth. Under the project, the selected groups are receiving support to help develop their businesses. Training sessions are already helping young people identify market opportunities in three value chains  cereals, dairy and fisheries  providing them with the skills required to add value to agricultural products. The youth groups will also benefit from training in leadership and a range of other skills required to strengthen businesses along the food chain, such as the use of ICTs for agribusiness. Mentoring and business operations reviews, as well as access to finance and various growth opportunities, will be offered throughout the projects timeframe.

Examples of the selected groups include the Blessing Hand Self Help Group from Nakuru. This is composed of 12 members, nine of whom are women. They are involved in cereal value addition, grinding, packaging and selling. Another group is the Greenbelt Youth Group, composed of 12 members and engaged in dairy value addition, which involves the sale of fresh milk and locally produced yoghurt. Another is Kibao Kiche Fish Farmers Group, based in Kilifi and composed of 25 members, nine of whom are women. The group is raising fish in ponds to sell to the public.

VijaBiz will be providing the youth groups with grants worth between US$1,000 and US$20,000. These will enable them to buy hardware, such as machinery and cold storage facilities  for vegetables and fish, for example  and to hire the services of business consultants. The two-year project will develop the entrepreneurial skills of 2,250 young people and the enterprises, which benefit from VijaBiz support, will indirectly support at least 10,000 young people.

According to the United Nations, Kenyas population is expected to rise from 50 million today to around 85 million by 2050. Projects that focus on transforming the agricultural sector through youth and women empowerment provide a template for tackling the twin problems of low productivity and high unemployment.
The North Carolina Marine Fisheries Commission is looking for a PR firm to educate the public on the states sustainable commercial fishing industry and the progress that it has made to lessen its impact on the environment.
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...
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leading trade associations and companies representing every sector of the global advertising industry today joined together to launch the Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media, an initiative to advance and protect critical functionalities like customization and analytics for digital media and advertising, while safeguarding privacy and improving the consumer experience. The governing group of the Partnership will include the most influential organizations in advertising:

Trade bodies : 4A's, Association of National Advertisers/ANA, Interactive Advertising Bureau, IAB Tech Lab, Network Advertising Initiative, World Federation of Advertisers

: 4A's, Association of National Advertisers/ANA, Interactive Advertising Bureau, IAB Tech Lab, Network Advertising Initiative, World Federation of Advertisers Advertisers : Ford, General Motors, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Unilever

: Ford, General Motors, IBM, Procter & Gamble, Unilever Agencies : UM (an IPG Mediabrands company), Publicis Media

: UM (an IPG Mediabrands company), Publicis Media Publishers : NBCUniversal

: NBCUniversal Ad Tech/Martech : Adobe, LiveRamp, MediaMath, The Trade Desk

To develop those new standards, the Partnership will convene four working groups of industry stakeholders to shape different elements of the initiative: Business Practices; Technical Standards (which will continue the work of an IAB Tech Lab group launched in March); Privacy, Policy, and Legal Considerations; and Communications & Education. The working groups will engage participants from across the digital advertising ecosystem and around the world to develop consensus-based standards, technologies, and policies.

The Partnership will be led by the ANA's Bill Tucker as Executive Director, ensuring the effort has a core focus on marketer needs. Tucker will continue to serve as Group EVP at the ANA, leading its Data, Technology, and Measurement Practices. In the past, he also held top positions at the 4A's and Starcom Mediavest. Industry veteran Michael Donnelly will take a key role on the Partnership team, bringing experience from senior marketing roles at Mastercard, Coca-Cola, and Johnson & Johnson.

In addition, Dennis Buchheim, President of IAB Tech Lab, will oversee the Partnership's technical standards efforts, contributing his and his team's extensive advertising product leadership experience, while Stu Ingis, Chairman of Venable LLP, will lead the Partnership's legal and policy working group.

"In the ancient story of the Tower of Babel, the city collapsed because its inhabitants lost the ability to speak a common language," said Tucker, in announcing the Partnership. "The digital advertising industry faces a comparable challenge around addressability today, as recent changes announced by operating systems, browsers, and other technologies, if implemented, will significantly impact the traditional marketplace language of cookies and mobile IDs. The Partnership was created to serve as a collaborative forum for our industry to ensure addressability standards that preserve privacy, provide a consistent and effective framework for advertisers, and enrich the consumer experience."

The Partnership released a draft of initial principles that will guide its work. (The principles may be further modified with input from the working groups over time.)

Consumer privacy should remain a foundational pillar of the solution by providing consumers with meaningful transparency and controls, giving the marketplace the tools to understand consumer preferences and the ability to abide by those preferences. Consumers should have access to diverse and competitive content offerings, supported by their choices to engage with digital advertising in exchange for content and services. Business operations, including ad targeting, ad delivery, frequency capping, campaign management, analytics, cross-channel deployment, optimization, and attribution should be sufficiently supported and improved upon through better technological and policy standards for all critical use cases. Solutions should be standardized and interoperable for consumers and businesses across browsers, devices, and platforms, subject to applicable privacy laws and guidelines and to the extent it is reasonably technically feasible, efficient, effective, and improved over existing technology. All browsers, devices, and platforms should allow equal access, free from unreasonable interference, to the new solutions. Companies that utilize the resulting solutions should follow industry and legal privacy standards, with strong accountability and enforcement for those that violate the standards.

"To succeed, next-generation standards for addressability with accountability will require broad support and adoption, which is why we are thrilled to take part in this cross-industry initiative," said Dennis Buchheim, President of IAB Tech Lab. "Through 'Project Rearc', Tech Lab has been laying groundwork that will be helpful to the Partnership. We are excited to build on this work with even broader industry engagement, developing standards that protect both privacy and the ad-based business model that supports the digital economy."

More information about the Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media can be found at www.responsibleaddressablemedia.com.

Additional statements on the Partnership:

Marla Kaplowitz, CEO, 4A's

"Brands continue to shift significant portions of their marketing from broad-based communication to highly targeted efforts reflecting the ongoing advances of digital channels. Ensuring a relevant advertising experience requires the availability of data to provide the right marketing messages to the right consumers at the right time. It also addresses consumer preferences around issues like ad frequency to enhance the overall experience."

Bob Liodice, CEO, Association of National Advertisers/ANA

"The ANA is dedicated to working with our PRAM partners to transform addressable advertising so marketers, agencies, and publishers can use data for advertising business-use cases. At the same time, one of our top priorities is to ensure that the consumer advertising experience is positive, relevant, and respects privacy. PRAM's goal is to provide the tools and guidance needed to meet those challenges."

Randall Rothenberg, CEO, Interactive Advertising Bureau

"An open internet is critical to the recovery of a distressed American economy. It delivers indispensable free services to consumers, serves as a launchpad for innovation, and is a wellspring of jobs for the future. IAB will help bring the publishing community, adtech ecosystem, and brands together in collaboration to support PRAM and identify responsible, privacy-centric solutions to addressability."

Leigh Freund, CEO, Network Advertising Initiative

"Consumers, publishers, advertisers, and technology companies share common objectives: robust, ad-supported digital content across the Internet, and respect for individual privacy. This will be a broad, collaborative effort to restore trust, establish technology standards to enhance consumer privacy, and preserve the ad-supported Internet."

Stephan Loerke, CEO, World Federation of Advertisers

"We believe that it is crucial for the global advertising industry to work together and focus on using data in a positive way to create a better, more sustainable future for online advertising. This means improving the way we use data to reduce consumer annoyance and bombardment, preventing bad actors from profiting from digital advertising and creating the right conditions for a diverse and effective advertising ecosystem to thrive in all markets. We look forward to playing a leading role in driving this vision forward through the Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media."

Media Contact

Andrew Weinstein

202-667-4967

[email protected]

SOURCE Partnership for Responsible Addressable Media

Related Links

http://www.responsibleaddressablemedia.com


Save Log in , register or subscribe to save articles for later. Normal text size Larger text size Very large text size Three months out from the US presidential election, Democratic Party nominee Joe Biden is easily leading President Donald Trump in all the major polls. Biden is ahead by 7.4 percentage points in the closely watched RealClearPolitics national polling average. Just as importantly, most polls show Biden is also leading by substantial margins in the key states that he will need to win in order to claim victory in the electoral college. Despite this clear lead, there is a lot of scepticism about whether the polls can be trusted  and not just because the numbers could tighten between now and November 3. Mention Bidens polling lead and someone will quickly respond, "The polls were wrong in 2016. How can we trust them now?" Can you trust the US election polls? Credit:Fairfax Media Traumatised by Hillary Clintons surprise loss four years ago, many Democrats are wary of polls showing their candidate in the lead. Meanwhile, Republicans are inclined to dismiss bad poll numbers for Trump as "fake news". The President himself has rejected the public polls showing him behind, saying that his campaigns internal polls show him ahead in the states he needs to win. The fact most polls failed to predict the 2016 Brexit referendum result and the Liberal Party's 2019 victory only added to the widespread scepticism about polling. So how much attention should you pay to the flood of polls that will be released between now and election day? What has and hasnt changed in the past four years? Hillary Clinton concedes the presidential election supported by her husband, former president Bill Clinton and her running mate Tim Kaine, in 2016. Credit:Getty Images

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Were the polls wrong in 2016? Yes and no. The prevailing narrative is that the polls got the 2016 result catastrophically wrong. That's not so at a national level, where the polls were pretty much spot on. "The national polls were actually more accurate than usual," says leading pollster and election forecaster Rachel Bitecofer. In fact, the national polls were among the most accurate at predicting the popular vote result since the mid-1930s. On election day, the RealClearPolitics national average showed Clinton defeating Trump by 3.2 percentage points. Clinton ended up winning the national popular vote by 2.1 per cent. If the US decided its president as most countries do  by the national popular vote  the polls would have accurately predicted the winner. The problem is that the US uses its unique electoral college system to decide who wins the presidency. This means that the victor is determined by the results in a handful of battleground states. In a close election, this makes it important to look at the polling results in the key swing states as well as at a national level. This is where things went haywire in 2016. "The state polls  particularly in the upper Midwest  did have a major miss and pointed to the wrong winner," says Pew Research survey director Courtney Kennedy, who served on a committee that conducted a comprehensive evaluation of the 2016 election polls. That review, by the American Association for Public Opinion Research, found that the 2016 state polls had an average error of 5.1 points  compared with an average error of 3.7 points over the previous four elections. The final RealClearPolitics averages showed Clinton ahead in Michigan by 3.6 points, in Wisconsin by 6.5 points and in Pennsylvania by 2.1 points. In the end, Trump won these states by 0.3, 0.7 and 0.7 per cent points, respectively  enough to hand him a surprise victory in the electoral college.

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Why were the state polls wrong? Firstly, it is important to recognise that it is more difficult to conduct an accurate survey of a state rather than the national population. State polls tend to have fewer respondents, meaning that small sampling errors can easily distort the results. State polls also tend to be conducted by firms with less experience and fewer resources than the big national polling companies. In 2016, experts agree there were two specific factors that undermined the accuracy of the battleground state polls. The first is that many pollsters did not adjust for the over-representation of college-educated respondents in their sample. In order to ensure that their results reflect the general population, pollsters usually weigh the data according to age, race and gender. They have not always done so for education levels, which didnt matter much for presidential polling in the past. Traditionally, there has not been a clear correlation between educational attainment and whether someone votes Democratic or Republican. That changed in 2016: college graduates backed Clinton by a nine-point margin, while those without a college degree backed Trump by 52-44 per cent. "People with higher education levels are more likely to participate in polls and in 2016 those folks were significantly more likely to break for Hillary Clinton," Kennedy says. "You had too many Clinton voters and that was the story with poll after poll in the upper Midwest." In other words, the state polls failed to capture Trumps unusually high popularity among white voters without a college degree. The second factor was so-called "late deciders": voters who disliked both candidates and only opted at the very last minute to vote for Trump. Exit polls showed a substantial swing towards Trump in the final week of the campaign in the four states where he won most narrowly. This means the state polls were not necessarily terribly inaccurate; they were simply not able to detect the late surge in support for Trump among undecided voters. (Polling guru Nate Silver has argued that then-FBI director James Comey's decision to announce he was re-opening the investigation into Clinton's private email server cost her the election  a conclusion Clinton herself agrees with.) Bitecofer says the high number of undecided voters was a warning sign that Clinton's victory was not guaranteed. "The polls were sending a clear signal that with, so many people unsettled, anything could happen. And anything did happen." What about shy Trump voters?

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You may have heard of the theory that the polls were wrong because a significant number of Trump's supporters were too embarrassed to tell a pollster that they supported him. Most polling experts say this phenomenon is vastly overhyped or almost totally irrelevant. The evaluation of the 2016 polls by the American Association for Public Opinion Research ran a number of tests and found no persuasive evidence to support the shy Trump voter hypothesis. Joe Biden and wife Jill in Philadelphia in March, campaigning in the time of COVID. Credit:Getty Images Will the 2020 result be any easier to predict? The New York Times polling analyst Nate Cohn believes there have been some improvements with the state polls since 2016. He found that 46 per cent of state pollsters appeared to now weight their results by self-reported education  up from about 20 per cent of battleground state pollsters in 2016. He says the polls should also be more accurate this year because fewer voters say they are undecided or plan to vote for a third-party candidate. "At this point in 2016, about 20 per cent of voters either supported a minor-party candidate or said they were undecided," Cohn recently wrote. "Today, the number is about half that level." John Miles Coleman, from the election forecasting service Sabato's Crystal Ball, says another difference this year is the stability of Biden's lead. The 2016 polls were more volatile than many people remember. In late July, Trump actually led Clinton in the RealClearPolitics national average and he remained in striking distance throughout September. Biden, by contrast, has always led Trump by at least four points and that lead has expanded during the coronavirus pandemic. That said, there are still reasons for caution. The polls performed well in the 2018 midterm elections  almost exactly identifying the Democrats' eight-point popular vote margin of victory in the House of Representatives. But they got some high-profile races wrong. The RealClearPolitics average had Florida Democratic governor candidate Andrew Gillam ahead by 3.6 percentage points on election day. He lost by 0.4 per cent.

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The sorcerer said to have masterminded the lynching of the 90-year-old woman, Akua Denteh at Kafaba near Salaga in the Savannah Region has been arrested by the police.



Identified as Sherina Mohammed, alias Alhajia and aged 40, she was arrested at her hide-out at Yeji on Monday night [August 3, 2020].



She is currently in police custody.



She is the one who is said to have pronounced the 90-year-old Madam Akua Denteh as a witch and allegedly ordered the lynching.



The 90-year-old Madam Akua Denteh was lynched on Thursday, July 23, 2020 at Kafaba in the East Gonja Municipality on an accusation of being a witch.



She had been accused of using her witchcraft to work against allowing rain to fall in the area.



This was because, the sorcerer Sherina Mohammed had said so.



Based on that the old woman was subjected to severe beatings until she became unconscious and died.



After the incident and when the police moved in to effect an arrest of the perpetrators, they fled the area into various hideouts.



The issue of witchcraft allegations, especially against old women are widespread in the northern part of Ghana.



Following the earlier arrest of the Chief of Kafaba and subsequent granting of bail, more suspects on the police wanted list have been arrested in connection with the lynching.



One of the main actors in the lynching and allegedly spearheaded the lynching by whipping the 90-year-old woman has been arrested.



She has been identified as Latifah Bumaye, 33, a granddaughter of the deceased.



She was arrested at Kejewu Bator, a fishing community near Salaga, the capital of the East Gonja Municipality.



She has since been put before court and remanded into custody whilst police investigations continue.



In her caution statement to the police, however, she said she was possessed and was unconscious of her actions.



She accused the sorcerer of working to put her in that state and ordered her to lead in the beatings.



Other accused persons Haruna Aness, 34, Issufa Tanko 35, Shaibu Muntala 29, Sulemana Ali, 35, and Issifa Zakyibo, 32 have all been charged with conspiracy to commit murder and have been remanded into custody.

Source: graphiconline.com









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The government is planning to sign agreements with states within a month to construct affordable rental housing complexes (ARHCs) for urban migrants employed in the industries, service sector, and manufacturing units close to their workplace. This will be in industrial as well as in non-formal urban sectors, a top government official said on August 4.

Housing and Urban Affairs Ministry Secretary Durga Shanker Mishra told reporters that a memoranda of agreement will be signed with states within a month.

He said that besides government-funded flats, vacant plots can also be developed to construct flats under the scheme. However, states will have to choose 'use permission' in their respective master plans to allow the same.

We had a meeting with all the states last week and have shared with them copies of the expression of interest along with a draft of the memorandum of agreement." said Mishra, adding that they have to agree to provide concessional rates for water, sewage, property tax, among others, in writing.

Once we get their acceptance, we will send out expression of interest to all states and provide a window of three months for those who have land available with them. We should be able to sign all the agreements and once these are signed we will issue the expression of interest within a month, he said.

In Delhi, there are around 32,000 flats available under the scheme while Faridabad has around 1,000 dwelling units.

One of the three entities who have pledged to construct these ARHCs include Ajay Shah of Mitsumi Housing Pvt. The firm has pledged to construct ARHCs of 1,000 dwelling units as a labour colony in Surat, Gujarat and 900 houses in Ballabgarh, Haryana. It is currently working on a lighthouse project in Agartala.

Sudhakar Reddy of DSR Group, which has experience of government residential and commercial projects, committed to taking 1,000 ARHC units in Bengaluru using state-of-the-art construction technology. They have executed several lower-income group (LIG) and middle-income group (MIG) housing projects in Karnataka.

Priyanka Gupta of Kaushal Bhaav Skill Solution Pvt has promised to construct ARHC with 240 units for workers' housing, spread over 10 acres in Jaipur, using soil block technology for affordable zero carbon homes, the secretary said.

On July 8, the Union Cabinet approved the development of AHRCs for urban migrants or poor as a sub-scheme under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana-Urban. This scheme has been launched under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana Urban (PMAY-U) as part of Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan.

The ARHCs scheme is expected to aid real estate developers retain the labour force on their sites, the minister said, adding that rental housing would also be beneficial for young people.

According to guidelines issued by the housing and urban development ministry, ARHCs will have a two-pronged approach. First, the existing vacant government-funded housing complexes will be converted into ARHCs through concession agreements for 25 years.

The concessionaire will make the complexes liveable through repair and retrofit as well as maintenance of rooms and filling up infrastructure gaps like water, sewer/septage, sanitation, roads. States/Union Territories will select concessionaire through transparent bidding. Complexes will revert to urban local bodies (ULB) after 25 years to restart the next cycle like earlier or run on their own, the ministry said.

Second, special incentives like use permission, 50 percent additional FAR/FSI, concessional loan at priority sector lending rate, tax reliefs at par with affordable housing will be offered to private/public entities to develop ARHCs on their own available vacant land for 25 years.

Beneficiaries could be labour, urban poor such as street vendors, market or trade associations, industrial workers, manufacturing units, long term tourists, visitors, hospitality sector, students, educational or health institutions.With regard to foreign direct investment (FDI) in affordable rental housing projects, Mishra said FDI would definitely be encouraged. FDI is allowed for affordable housing and should be encouraged for rental housing. We are working on getting affordable rental housing listed in the harmonised list of infrastructure so that they are able to receive loans at a lower rate, he told reporters.

All facilities provided for affordable housing will also be provided for rental housing. We are pursuing this with the Ministry of Finance rigorously, Mishra said.
Opposition defence spokesman Richard Marles says a Labor government would not let backbenchers lead the debate on China, accusing the Morrison government of letting "fringe dwellers" damage Australia's relationship with its biggest trading partner.

Mr Marles hit out at government MPs who had used "muscular language" on China and said under Labor "you will hear one voice  the voice of the leadership".

While criticising the Morrison government for the way it had handled the China relationship, Richard Marles said Labor would be stronger on Beijing in some areas. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The comments are being interpreted by MPs from both sides of politics as a criticism of the anti-Chinese influence group of Coalition and Labor backbench MPs who call themselves the Wolverines.

The Labor deputy leader made the remarks at the National Press Club after delivering a speech in which he attacked the government over the $90 billion future submarines program, saying Australians were less safe as a result of delays in the project.
New taxes are always unpopular. Macroeconomists and policy wonks generally agree that It is counterproductive and unwise to impose new taxes in the middle of a recession, with the possible exception of a fat-cat income surtax that would not materially impact the economy. However, governments at all levels are desperate for new post-COVID-19 revenue sources.Meanwhile, the stock market and the economic data both reveal a growing "COVID chasm" between leading digital businesses and smaller companies that rely on local storefront sales and services. The global technology giants' shareholders have recently enjoyed new all-time-record highs. Yet most economists expect that when federal pandemic-stimulus aid dries up, small-business bankruptcies will increase. And the pandemic has accelerated America's migration away from shopping malls and Main Street shops.Local governments, which are the most highly dependent on property-tax revenues, see this erosion of local commerce most vividly. The stomping elephant in the room is Amazon: Its pre-COVID e-commerce sales were at least seven times those of its nearest competitor, Walmart, and its market share has surged during the pandemic.All of this sets the stage for policymakers in Washington to begin looking at what might have seemed unthinkable just a few months ago: federal taxation of interstate digital commerce, which could have significant revenue implications for state and local governments if they play their cards right.President Trump might love to see a tax on Amazon alone: He harbors a personal grudge because of its founder's ownership of the editorially unfriendlyand because of the recent suspension for "hateful conduct" of the president's campaign-rally videos by Twitch, an Amazon-owned streaming service. Putting Oval Office ire aside, however, it's not far-fetched to think that there could be popular and congressional support for a targeted federal tax on the interstate Internet revenues of all of the goliath digital oligopolies, not only Amazon but also companies like Apple, eBay, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Netflix and Twitter. A federal tax might also apply to the online sales of other giant retailers with big-box storefronts, such as Walmart.One rationale for such a tax is the same as the argument for the levies on online sales that states already collect: that it would help to level the playing field for smaller home-town competitors. By some estimates, the behemoth online retailers enjoy a 5 to 10 percent price advantage over local vendors. Aside from products, cloud and software services often escape sales taxes, as do online ads. A federal levy on those revenue streams would appeal to antitrust progressives who want to help smaller, local businesses compete.The point here is to respectfully spur state and local government officials to start thinking now about how they can tap into a national tax on digital commerce. Even though the total revenue potential today is probably less than $100 billion across all market segments, it's almost inevitable that Congress will eventually need to target this superfast-growing sector of the economy. Whether it's to help pay for swelling federal debt service, national defense, new infrastructure or something like Medicare for All, the low-hanging revenue streams in this sector of the economy cannot be ignored much longer on Capitol Hill. The European Union is already staking its claim State and local governments have been fighting U.S. meddling in the administration of their own online sales taxes, in legal disputes over remote commerce . They also have advanced congressional proposals for "marketplace fairness," which would allow states to tax online sales of companies with no physical presence within their borders. My suggestion here is that their policy teams should think outside their sandbox and start working for a healthy piece of a bigger federalist pie. Presuming that Uncle Sam will never tax e-commerce is like believing the earth is flat. There is no state and local constitutional monopoly for sales taxes, and the Constitution's Commerce Clause clearly tells us who holds the winning cards on interstate taxing authority.Of course, such a tax would have powerful enemies. Industry lobbyists will howl bloody murder while their clients keep raking in billions. Stalwart Tea-Party conservatives in Congress will oppose any new tax reflexively, arguing that it would impede vital economic growth. Alarmists will suggest that it's just a foot in the door for a national value-added tax (VAT) or a federal general sales tax (GST).Some liberals will resist as well, pointing out that sales taxes are socio-economically regressive. That is untrue, however, for cloud-services revenues and software-as-services for affluent customers. A digital advertisement tax hits businesses, not households. And if richer investors in these mega-cap companies suffer a negative wealth effect from reduced market share, the overall economic impact would not be regressive. Eventually those who complain that the United States is the only developed economy without national health care will someday realize that, alarmists' concerns notwithstanding, we are also the biggest outlier without a national VAT or GST. They could pair any such tax with fat-cat levies such as an income surtax on One Percenters. Political moderates would say this is just the price Americans must eventually pay for years of federal fiscal irresponsibility.The novel concept of revenue sharing through federal taxation of a broad spectrum of e-commerce is complex and needs thoughtful policy analysis. Many tech startups rely on ad revenues before they can lure users into paying for services directly, so a small-business exemption is essential. Where to draw the line on taxing software as a service and data storage for consumers versus companies will be an issue. An equally obvious challenge will be determining which companies must collect and pay over such taxes, and how to exclude small retailers that use a common platform like Shopify for their online sales. Whether a federal tax on interstate e-commerce should apply to the local or in-state sales by the goliaths that also have physical stores is debatable, unless the in-state revenues are passed down entirely. (While Congress is at it, lawmakers should consider taxing lucrative online gambling, leveraging federal criminal enforcement power over tax evasion by large illegal operators.)It's hard to imagine the status quo in this realm standing much longer, particularly given the direction Europeans are heading and the mounting congressional discomfort with Big Tech . State and local policy advocates need to play to where the puck is heading.GoverningGoverning
Mashal Khan, the great-grandson of Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan, who was also known as the Frontier Gandhi, a Pakistani national and a freedom fighter, has petitioned the Bombay high court (HC) seeking relief to be appointed as the guardian of Zarin Ghani-Walsh, his grand-aunt, a resident of Breach Candy in Mumbai.

He sought her guardianship, as she is mentally and physically unfit  she has been suffering from Alzheimers disease since 2013 -- to take necessary and appropriate decisions in her own interests.

The court observed that though the health reports sufficed that Ghani-Walsh was in dire need of guardianship, yet it could not decide on the matter until the Centre would take a call on the issue.

The petition, filed by advocate Vaishali Dholakia, has said that Mashal (40) is a resident of Charsadda in Pakistans Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) province.

Ghani-Walsh is the grand-daughter of Frontier Gandhi.

The petition stated that Ghani-Walsh had married a Canadian citizen, Stanley Arnold Walsh, in 1975 and had become a Canadian national.

However, in 1983 she and her husband moved back to India to take care of her uncle PA Narielwalla and continued to live here since.

Her husband had died intestate  without leaving behind a Will  in 2013.

Her only surviving relatives are her brothers three sons, including her grand-nephew Mashal.

The petition also stated that she has been suffering from Alzheimers disease since 2013, her medical report showed.

The petition has stated that after the demise of her husband, Ghani-Walsh appointed Mashal as the executor of her Will in 2013, and as per medical reports, she was not able to sign in a consistent pattern, and as a result, he should be appointed as guardian of her person and property.

On Monday, Mashals counsel Mayur Khandeparkar informed the two-member HC division bench, comprising Justices SC Gupte and Abhay Ahuja, that though there is a statutory provision for the care of a mentally disabled person, there is no legal provision under the Guardians and Wards Act, 1890, or Mental Healthcare Act, 2017, for the appointment of a guardian for a person, who is completely dependent, physically, and mentally unfit to make decisions.

Khandeparkar sought directions that the court declares and accepts Mashal as the guardian of Ghani-Walsh, as he had been regularly coming to India since 2013, and helping her with her property and bank work.

Khandeparkar also prayed that the court might issue necessary permissions for him to operate and execute documents on Ghani-Walshs behalf and also to take her back to Pakistan with him in a bid to allow her to spend her last days there and also be laid to rest near her loved ones.

Public prosecutor, Poornima Kantharia, submitted that the state did not dispute her medical reports.

However, she drew the courts attention to the National Trust Act, 1999, as it provided for a local committee to decide on the guardianship issue.

The bench heard the submissions and observed that it could not decide on the petition without hearing the Centres response and adjourned the matter for its next hearing on August 18.

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Googles Nest line of smart home products will be combined with ADTs security services in a partnership announced Monday by the two companies.

As part of the deal, Google will invest US$450 million into ADT to acquire a 6.6 percent interest in the security and smart home solutions provider.

The companies also agreed to each spend $150 million for co-marketing, product development, technology and employee training.

In a statement, the pair explained that the partnership will integrate Googles hardware and services and ADTs DIY and professionally installed smart home security solutions to innovate the residential and small business security industry.

The future ADT and Google home security solution is expected to advance smart home offerings and attract new consumers seeking premium technology, end-to-end smart home service and trusted security, they added.

Risky Bet

Home security is one of the most popular reasons households purchase smart home devices, observed Jessica Ekholm, a research vice president with Gartner.

She cited a 2018 survey by the firm that found 66 percent of U.S. responders said they were likely to use smart home devices for preventing access to the home while they were away, while 64 percent noted they were likely to use the devices for security when away from home for long stretches of time.

Partnering with ADT will help Google reach potential new customers that are currently opting for managed security services, thus reaching beyond Googles Nest usual clientele, Ekholm told TechNewsWorld.

Frank E. Gillett, a vice president and principal analyst at Forrester Research, though, sees the partnership as a risky move.

This is a very big bet by Google on physical security being a big motivation for people adopting Google products, he told TechNewsWorld. I find that puzzling because I dont think consumers want another $50 a month bill, unless Google can flip ADTs value proposition and change it from an annoying monthly fee and occasional valuable service to a constantly valuable service for which you gladly pay for.

Tapping Into Valuable Channel

However, Gillett acknowledged the deal could give Google an advantage over its rivals in the market. It recruits a motivated partner to emphasize Google over Amazon or Apple as a smart home control system, he said.

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

The deal also gives Google access to an important channel for its smart home products.

Today, Nest products are, by and large, sold at retail, explained Ross Rubin,the principal analyst with Reticle Research.

An important channel for home security and home automation is the professionally monitored service business where ADT is one of the most recognized brands, he continued.

In making Nest products available through ADT, he told TechNewsWorld, Google can expose them to customers who are specifically interested in this kind of functionality and are actively seeking that out by contacting a monitoring service provider.

Google will get better access to that customer base and for ADT, he said, they get access to products that are more sophisticated, have a broader ecosystem than products they have distributed in the past.

Changing Dynamics

Adam Wright, smart home senior research analyst at IDC, observed that the Google-ADT deal illustrates the changing dynamics of the smart home market.

For some time, the market has been categorized as one with clearly defined segments  do-it-yourself versus fully managed services, he told TechNewsWorld.

In the past 12 months or so, DIY vendors are finding added success in areas that have traditionally been exclusive to managed service providers, he continued.

Vendors like Nest, Ring, Samsung, and others have launched installation and professional monitoring services for their DIY home automation and security solutions, which essentially blurs the lines of differentiation between DIY vendors and managed service providers and may increase the appeal of adopting a DIY approach to smart home solutions, Wright explained.

He argued that managed services providers need to respond to encroachments on their market by DIY outfits by pivoting their strategies to allow for a more agile, a la carte approach to their solutions and customer acquisition strategies.

That kind of strategy was behind ADTs launch in January of Blue by ADT. The DIY smart home security offering allows customers to customize a smart home security system on their own terms, with no long-term contracts required.

By offering DIY products alongside the full suite of managed services solutions, managed service providers will be better equipped to reach a broader range of consumers that might be at first reluctant to invest in a whole-home package, Wright said.

So, he added, for Google, this deal can provide a significant boost to its lineup of DIY smart home monitoring and security solutions by positioning it to compete more strongly against both other DIY competitors and also other fully managed service providers like Vivint, Brinks and others.

Cash Welcomed

Googles infusion of $450 million into ADT is more important to the home security company than to the search giant, maintained Mark N. Vena, a senior analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy.

This cash infusion will allow ADT to operate as an ongoing entity without disrupting their current business, he told TechNewsWorld.

It will also help ADT design more bleeding edge products that integrate Google Assistant functionality at a more robust and intuitive level, said Vena.

For Google, he added, it helps them get into the residential and businesses services business. Google could probably do that without investing in ADT, but many customers might be wary of partnering with Google for security services due to Googles somewhat compromised privacy and data protection reputation.

ADT is a trusted brand in this space and this would aid Google as they try to expand their brand and product line in the security services area, Vena explained.

Slicker Hardware

ADT, in turn, can benefit from Googles reputation.

ADT, like most professional services security companies and cable companies, has ugly and badly designed equipment, observed Forresters Gillett.

If ADT uses the slicker hardware and better applications of Google, it will drive sales for Google and customer engagement for ADT, he said.

ADT wants to expand beyond the 20 percent of the market that pays for professionally monitored security because it and others in the industry have been under assault from cable TV and Internet service providers, he added. So for this partnership to be successful, ADT will need to grow its share of the market.
Asserting that neither former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot nor the MLAs supporting him have spoken against the top Congress leadership or the party, three legislators backing Pilot on Tuesday said their fight is about "self-respect", and against the "dictatorial" working style of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Hemaram Chaudhary, a six time MLA and a former Congress legislative party leader, said,"we are true soldiers of the Congress and our fight is not against the party, but we cannot work under Gehlot's leadership".

The chief minister himself has stated that he was not on talking terms with the deputy chief minister, so it is for all to see that what kind of a government he was running, the senior Rajasthan Congress leader told PTI.

The assertion by senior leaders in the Pilot camp came hours after Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that dissident MLAs should give up the hospitality of the BJP and the security of Haryana police if they want to hold a dialogue with the party.

On Saturday, Gehlot in Jaisalmer said that he has no issues with any of the rebels if they apologise to the party high command. The state chief minister also said that he would abide by whatever the leadership decided about them.

Gehlot has accused Pilot and those supporting him of colluding with the BJP to topple his government by allegedly engaging in horse-trading.

Chaudhary said the current standoff within the party in Rajasthan was not the outcome of a single event, but the result of one and a half years of "humiliation and systematic marginalisation" of Pilot within the Gehlot government.

"The continuous public humiliation of our leader (Pilot), sidelining of those close to him, constantly hampering work of the deputy chief minister and depriving him of authority has led to this situation," the MLA from the Gudamalani constituency in Barmer said.

"We could not bear it after a point and the last straw was the serving of a notice by the state police, that too on 'sedition charges' to the sitting deputy chief minister," Chaudhary said.

The MLA hit out at the AICC office bearers dealing with Rajasthan, particularly state in-charge Avinash Pande, alleging that they were completely biased against Pilot and his supporters, and not willing to address their grievances even after repeated attempts over the last 18 months.

He said it was never about opposing the party or its national leadership, but those MLAs supporting Pilot were against the "dictatorial leadership style" of the individual heading the government.

"Surely criticising leadership style of Gehlot can't be a good enough reason for the party to unceremoniously sack Mr Pilot as Deputy CM and PCC president," the MLA said.

Hitting out at Gehlot, Chaudhary cited an RTI inquiry to allege that in the first year of office, zero amount of money was spent on TV/Newspaper advertisements on Pilot, whereas the state government spent more than 25 crore on the publicity of Gehlot.

"Another RTI showed that the CM in the first year of office had used the state aircraft as many as 85 times, while the number of such trips for Mr. Pilot was zero. In fact the details show that Mr. Pilot had not travelled by air on official expense, even once," he claimed.

While making political appointments, official programmes of the state government, transfers and postings of bureaucrats, allocation of funds, the bias against Pilot was there for all to see. The CM chose to target those close to Pilot and the vindictive manner in which CM opposed anyone not paying obeisance to him, was suffocating," Chaudhary said.

Another MLA from the Pilot camp, Ved Prakash Solanki, also echoed Chaudhary's views.

He said watching Pilot, who worked from panchayats to block and district levels to revive the party's fortunes, being sidelined in the government was "heart wrenching" for many party workers.

"Ashok Gehlot tried to portray our grievances as anti-party act or a betrayal of sorts, but the fact is that it is a fight for self respect, honour and our own space in the party and the government which we toiled for five long years to creat," the MLA from Chaksu told PTI.

Indraj Singh, an MLA from Viratnagar, alleged that Gehlot did not allow them to raise issues of farm loan waiver or employment of youth.

"Our fight is about hurt and anger over being sidelined by one person. It is a fight for our self respect and we will not compromise on that," he said.

He said people raising their voice with Pilot were cabinet ministers, a former speaker, and senior Congressmen belonging to various parts of Rajasthan representing a cross section of society and caste combination.

"These people don't deserve to be elbowed out of the party on the whims of one person," the MLA said, in an obvious reference to Gehlot.

The three MLAs also demanded that that party should remove Gehlot and make Pilot the chief minister to "save the party" in the state.

Nineteen Congress rebels, including Pilot, revolted against Gehlot, posing a threat to the Congress government in Rajasthan. However, Gehlot has asserted that he has the support of majority MLAs.

After days of political stalemate, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra last week finally agreed to call the assembly session from August 14.

Pilot and the MLAs supporting him have stated earlier that they are not joining the BJP and want a leadership change in the government.
Clean Works president Mark VanderVeen says Doug Ford didnt seem worried when staff at his company placed the premiers cellphone inside one of the devices it developed to sanitize N95 masks.

VanderVeen assured Ford his BlackBerry would come out the other side in perfect working order with 99.99 per cent fewer microorganisms on it, and he just took our word for it.

Earlier this year when Canadian health-care workers were experiencing a shortage of personal protective equipment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Beamsville company reworked its technology made for sanitizing tender fruit and vegetables to be used to sanitize masks as well.

Clean Works staff soon realized the same Health Canada-approved device could be used for much more than allowing for safe reuse of disposable masks by decontaminating as many as 800 an hour.

As employers including Clean Works step up disinfectant protocols and measures to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, VenderVeen said sanitizing personal items of workers  including electronic devices such as cellphones  has become routine at the company.

The employees come in and put their eyeglasses, their cellphones (into the machine) so theyre not bringing anything into the facility.

Ford visited the facility Tuesday with Vic Fedeli, minister of economic development, job creation and trade, to announce a provincial investment of $2 million in Ontario Together funding to help the company invest in new equipment to increase the production of its Clean Flow Health Care Mini devices that eliminate 99.99 per cent of pathogens and viruses on surfaces.

Ford said Clean Works is one of thousands of businesses across the country who answered the call and joined the fight against COVID-19.

He called its device a made-in-Ontario solution to a very real challenge facing our front-line heroes.

This technology is the first of its kind in the world. Theres nothing else like this on the market, Ford said.

With the provincial funding, VanderVeen said 19 workers will be hired in January, new equipment will be purchased and staff will be trained to enable the company to build five Clean Flow Health Care Mini devices daily.

He said the expansion really pushes forward that opportunity for us to rebuild manufacturing in Niagara region.

Were really excited about this.

Personal protective equipment isnt as scarce as it had been in the spring, but company co-owner Paul Moyer said the same technology can be used to sterilize childrens lunch boxes, backpacks and other items to keep students safe when they return to classrooms in September.

With the reopening of the schools, families are really concerned, VanderVeen said. If we could do something to hep sanitize, decontaminate, get rid of the pathogens, the viruses, the bugs that maybe introduced in the school system, its going to be a great step to smooth and ease some of the concerns.

RELATED STORIES Niagara Region Beamsville company developing device to sanitize masks

Moyer said the company is looking at luggage for airports, for example  that never gets sanitized.

While Clean Works anticipates a huge demand for its product, Moyer said the motivation is doing the right thing.

We were able to pivot into PPE, not just N95 masks, but others. And now were coming up to products going in and out of schools, he said

Fedeli said he, too, expects demand to only increase.

In their shipping department right today is one thats headed for New Zealand, one thats headed for the U.S. and others that are intended for across the country, Fedeli said. The fact that theyre selling them so robustly is an absolute sign that this is a very key piece of equipment that all health facilities should have.

Read more about:
Sushant Singh Rajput's father KK Singh had spoken to Nitish Kumar and requested the CBI to investigate the matter.

KK Singh, father of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on Tuesday requested Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigation in the case related to the actor's death.

Singh spoke to the Bihar CM today and put forth his request for the CBI to investigate the matter.

His request comes as an official of the Bihar Police, Patna (Central) Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari was home quarantined in Mumbai, where he had gone to take part in investigations, by the Brihannmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) staff.

Earlier, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan had also requested the Bihar CM to transfer the case to CBI without further delay. Paswan said that LJP leaders, related to the late actor, had informed him that on 5 August the Supreme Court will hear a petition seeking transfer of the case from Bihar to Mumbai.

"They said that the opportunity to transfer the case filed in Bihar to CBI is with you today. Because today both Bihar and Maharashtra police are investigating the case, but if the probe is handed over to the Maharashtra government then the opportunity of transferring it to the CBI will slip out of the hands of the Bihar government," the letter written by the LJP national chief to Kumar read.

Earlier, KK Singh had revealed that he had filed a complaint with Mumbai police in February claiming his son's life was in danger. The revelation came as he filed an FIR with Patna police, alleging Mumbai police of inaction even after 40 days of the actor's sudden death.

In a self-made video, Singh alleged that the accused in the actor's death case is on the loose, and Patna Police should be provided with help.

"On 25 February, I informed Bandra Police that the life of my son Sushant is in danger. He died on 14 June and I asked them to act against people named in my 25 February complaint. No action has been taken even 40 days after his death. So, I filed FIR in Patna. Patna Police swung into action. But the accused is running away(on the loose). Patna Police should be given help. I thank Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his colleague Sanjay Jha who gave support to the truth in this hour of grief," he said.

After the actor's demise on 14 June, he asked the police to take action against the people named in the complaint given by him on 25 February, said Singh, adding that no action has been taken.

An FIR was filed by Patna Police against actor Rhea Chakraborty in the Rajput's death case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including abetment of suicide. Bihar Police started the investigation and dispatched a team to Mumbai. A controversy erupted after Patna Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari, who is probing the case was quarantined in Mumbai.

A bench of Bombay High Court (HC) will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking transfer of Rajput's death case to the CBI. The scheduled hearing was delayed due to heavy rains in Mumbai.

Check out the post

Hearing in PIL filed in Bombay High Court, seeking transfer of Sushant Singh Rajput's death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation, postponed due to heavy rains in Mumbai. pic.twitter.com/0lHiOYWpTN  ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

The matter will be heard by the bench headed by Bombay HC Chief Justice Dipankar Datta. The PIL for transferring the case related to the actor's death to the CBI has been filed by one Sameet Thakkar, through his lawyer Raspal Singh Renu.

Bihar Government recommends CBI investigation in Sushant Singh Rajput death case: JDU Spokesperson Sanjay Singh pic.twitter.com/MZd6YW37Jw  ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer in the meantime has released a statement saying the Bihar Police did not have the jurisdiction to call for Rajput's case to be transferred to the CBI, reports India Today.

The publication carried a statement by Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer that said, "The Petition Filed by Rhea Chakraborty in SC that Bihar Police had NO jurisdiction to Investigate the case will continue in SC. There cannot be a transfer of a case that had no legal basis for Bihar to get involved."

(With inputs from Asian News International)

*
Police officers and soldiers patrol a popular running track in Melbourne to enforce new restrictive virus-control measures - WILLIAM WEST/AFP

The Australian state of Victoria on Tuesday that military personnel will be deployed to enforce Covid-19 lockdown orders, amid growing concerns about attacks on police.

Australia, once heralded as a global leader in containing Covid-19, is desperately trying to slow the spread of the virus in the populous state to prevent a national second wave of infections.

But authorities warned police were facing a sometimes violent resistance, often by so-called 'sovereign citizens' groups who considered themselves above the law.

In one incident, a policewoman's head was repeatedly bashed into the curb after she stopped a woman who was not wearing a mask in a shopping centre.

Chief commissioner Shane Patton told reporters that the assault "highlights the type of challenges that we're experiencing".

He said that Victoria Police had seen an "emergence" of "concerning groups of people who classify themselves as 'sovereign citizens'" - an anti-government movement which began in the United States.

Victoria earlier this week imposed a night curfew, tightened restrictions on people's daily movements and ordered large parts of the local economy to close to slow the spread of coronavirus.

But nearly a third of those who contracted Covid-19 were not home isolating when checked on by officials, requiring tough new penalties, Daniel Andrews, the state premier, said on Tuesday.

Fines of nearly A$5,000 (2,710) will be issued to anyone breaching stay at home orders. Repeat offenders face a fine of up to A$20,000.

"There is literally no reason for you to leave your home and if you were to leave your home and not be found there, you will have a very difficult time convincing Victoria police that you have a lawful reason," Mr Andrews told reporters in Melbourne.

State Premier Daniel Andrews has said they is "literally" no reason for anyone to leave their home - JAMES ROSS/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock/Shutterstock

The only exemption will be for urgent medical care, said Mr Andrews, adding anyone under a self-isolation order will no longer be allowed to leave their homes for outdoor exercise.

Story continues

"Fresh air at the front door. Fresh air in your front yard or backyard or opening a window," he said.

Mr Andrews said an additional 500 unarmed military personnel will this week deploy to Victoria to assist police in ensuring self-isolation orders are being complied with.

The latest military deployment will join about 1,500 troops already in Victoria and engaged in contact tracing, testing and assisting police at check points. Australia has deployed almost 3,000 troops to help in virus logistical operations.

Australia has recorded nearly 19,000 Covid-19 cases and 232 fatalities, far fewer than many other developed nations after closing its international borders early, imposing social distancing restrictions and mass virus testing.

But as the country began to reopen, community transmissions rose significantly in Victoria which has recorded triple digit new cases for weeks. It now has the bulk of infections in the country, with nearly 12,000 reported cases. On Tuesday, Victoria reported 439 new Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours.

Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne stands deserted during an overnight curfew - Carla Gottgens/Bloomberg

Mr Andrews said 11 people had died from the virus since Monday, bringing the state's death toll to 136. The virus has spread significantly throughout Victoria's aged care facilities, with many of the deaths among the elderly.

Victoria state officials said the latest wave of Covid-19 infections has been driven by residents refusing to adhere to restrictions on their movements.

"There are a number of people who have knowingly breached the curfew - so somebody who decided they were bored and they were going to go out for a drive, somebody who decided that they needed to buy a car after 8:00pm last night," Victoria Minister for Police Lisa Neville told reporters in Melbourne.

With concerns that many people feel they have no choice but to continue working after a Covid-19 diagnosis, Australia said on Monday it would pay people in the state A$1,500 (810) to stay home if they were ordered to and they do not have leave entitlements.

Many internal state borders have been closed which has so far seen the new wave of infections predominately limited to Victoria, with neighbouring New South Wales (NSW) state reporting the next highest number of cases.

NSW on Tuesday reported 12 new cases, though all the cases can be traced back to known outbreaks, some of which were started by infected people travelling from Victoria.
(Photo : Screenshot from: First Coast News Youtube Page ) [VIRAL] Another 'Karen' Charged With Assault After Coughing on a Cancer Patient at Pier 1 (Photo : Photo by   | @marjanblan on Unsplash ) [VIRAL] Another 'Karen' Charged With Assault After Coughing on a Cancer Patient at Pier 1

A viral video uploaded on June 25 shows a woman standing in front of a cashier. She was quarreling with another woman that was taking the video. The suspect suddenly walked towards another woman, wherein she coughed deliberately in front of her face. After that, she walked away, leaving the victim inside the store. The victim, turns out, to be a cancer patient that has a diagnosed brain tumor.

Woman charged with assault after deliberately harming another person

A 52-year-old woman from Jacksonville was recently arrested with assault charges after being caught in cam, deliberately coughing on another person's face.

On June 25, at a Pier 1 store in Florida, the suspect named Debra Hunter coughed on the face of Heather Sprague. It was caught on camera by Sprague herself. In the viral video, it was seen that Debra looks pissed while standing up at the front of the cashier counter.

She was then speaking directly at Sprague in an inaudible sound. Debra even showed a dirty finger against the woman taking the video.

As narrated by Sprague, Debra was complaining to the cashier about returning a certain item that was said to be not in her possession. When the victim heard about the issue, she got her smartphone and decided to video what's happening.

When Debra found her taking video, she walked straight to Sprague and intentionally coughed in front of her face. Upon doing this, she said to Sprague, "I think I'll get closer to you and cough on you." Since she was a white middle-aged woman, most of the people call her 'Karen' for having that attitude against Sprague.

Worse, the suspect was not even wearing any face mask or covering. After this, she decided to leave the store along with the two children that joined her.

It turns out, Sprague was actually sick. The victim was diagnosed with a brain tumor which also means that she has a weaker immune system. In times of Coronavirus pandemic, this was not what she expected in getting some items in the Pier 1 store.

Woman gets charged with assault

After the incident, Sprague filed a report against the woman in the Duval County court. After almost a month, Debra was arrested on July 22.

However, the New Jersey native was immediately released on a $753 bond and set to have a formal court appearance on Aug. 19.

So far, Sprague told her friends on Facebook that she will soon test for Coronavirus in order to know whether she got infected or not.

ALSO READ: 'Karen' Mask: This Viral See-Through Tulle Face Mask Trends on Social Media

This article is owned by Tech Times.

Written by Jamie Pancho

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday announced reservation of 4 per cent seats in its engineering and medical colleges for students hailing from the Ladakh Union Territory.

The decision to this effect was taken at a meeting chaired by Chief Secretary B V R Subrahmanyam here to review status with regard to reservation of seats for students belonging to the Union Territory of Ladakh in professional institutions, for the academic year 2020-21, an official spokesman said.

He said the reservation in professional institutions is governed in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Reservation Act and Rules which have been amended post reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir. The Act and Rules do not apply to Union Territory of Ladakh.

Keeping in view the non-availability of professional institutions in the Union Territory of Ladakh and recommendations of the Advisory Committee constituted by the Government of India, a decision was taken earlier to reserve 4 per cent seats in both engineering as well as medical colleges of Jammu and Kashmir for students from UT of Ladakh.

Accordingly, 24 seats from engineering colleges and 35 seats from medical colleges will be deducted from total number of available seats and the reservation for the residents of J&K will be calculated on remaining seats as per the provisions of JK Reservation Act and Rules, the chief secretary said.

Subrahmanyam asked the General Administration Department to inform the Ladakh Administration accordingly.

Regarding the seats reserved for Ladakh students, the chief secretary directed the Jammu and Kashmir Board of Professional Entrance Examinations (BOPEE) to take up the matter with Ladakh Administration in terms of admission policy and reservation policy to be adopted for selecting their candidates.
(Natural News) Scientists from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (RU) have exposed the mechanisms behind photosynthesis in diatoms, a major group of algae found in the oceans that produce 20 percent of the Earths oxygen.

Their groundbreaking results, published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, demonstrated that diatoms harness light using an active set of pigment-protein complex.

Scientists from Baylor College of Medicine in Texas and Xiangya Hospital of Central South University in China also contributed to the study.

Photosynthesis in diatoms

The team used a bio-imaging tool to demonstrate for the first time that diatoms use a membrane protein supercomplex called Photosystem II (PSII) to capture sunlight and perform photosynthesis. Each diatom cell contained one active and one inactive set of PSII.

Furthermore, the team found that the active set of PSII had antennae complexes that it used to harness sunlight. The structure of the active set of PSII is also similar to that of pigment proteins like chlorophyll, the green pigment essential in photosynthesis.

On the other hand, the team found no such structure on the inactive set of PSII, thus suggesting that this set did not participate in photosynthesis.

These findings open the door to understanding the limitations of the photosynthetic efficiency of diatoms and other algae. The team hopes to examine this efficiency in light of the feasibility of algal-biofuel production.

Diatoms and other algae can store energy in the form of natural oils that, under the right conditions, can be utilized and transformed into biofuels in place of petroleum and other less sustainable fossil fuels.

Senior author Wei Dai notes that further research is needed in order to understand not only the mechanisms behind the photosynthetic abilities of PSII, but also the mechanisms behind robust biochemical energy production in diatoms.

The pressing need for safe and sustainable fuel sources

Fuels are considered one of the most important resources on earth. But natural sources like fossil fuels are fast running out, and it is this fear of shortage that has been pushing scientists in the direction of biofuel production.

Biofuel is a fuel produced from sustainable biomass materials, such as agricultural and forest products. This fuel is often used and touted as a cleaner, safer and greener fuel than fossil fuels.

For the most part, fossil fuels are biomaterials comprised of decomposing plants, animals, algae and other organisms. But despite being accessible and abundant for the time being, fossil fuels are finite.

In fact, the online scientific publication Our World in Data reports that global oil production and consumption continue to rise. In 2012, the U.S. alone produced 2.37 billion barrels of oil.

This also isnt to mention the impact of fossil fuels on the atmosphere. In 2008, the nonprofit science organization Union of Concerned Scientists put out an article tackling the hidden costs of fossil fuels.

In their article published online, the group reported that the process of extracting fossil fuels can generate air pollution and harm local communities. Transporting the fuels from the mine, for instance, can cause air pollution and lead to spills.

Burning fossil fuels also releases toxins and harmful substances into the air, and the fuel products themselves can be hazardous to both public health and the environment. Burning coal, for instance, releases sulfur dioxide that contributes to acid rain.

Acid rain, so-called because of its acidic nature, can be harmful to marine life. It has also been found to damage trees and contaminate entire lakes and streams. In humans, acid rain can irritate the skin upon contact.

Nitrogen oxides, another group of gases and compounds released during fossil fuel combustion, also contribute to acid rain and smog. Prolonged exposure to smog can lead to asthma, bronchitis and other conditions that attack the nasal tract.

Biofuels from algae: Challenges and potential

The idea of using algae as a fuel source is no recent conjecture. In fact, it has long been studied for its potential as such.

For one thing, ponds, lakes, streams and oceans are rich in algae, so running out shouldnt be a problem. Plus, both micro- and macroalgae can be produced on a large scale in a short period of time.

Furthermore, these aquatic organisms arent common food sources for most people outside of a handful of edible algae like chlorella and spirulina. Therefore, harnessing them in large quantities for biofuel production shouldnt cause a problem in terms of food production.

That being said, not all scientists are sold on the idea of algal biofuel. In a recent article published in The Conversation, marine biologist and biosciences professor Kevin Flynn says that it is difficult to scale up the production rate of algal biofuels to generate large enough amounts for commercial use.

For instance, to produce just 10 percent of the transport fuels used across the European Union, ponds three times the area of Belgium need to be scoured for algae. The ponds should also be located near factories as the algae require large amounts of carbon dioxide to photosynthesize.

Nonetheless, recent studies and ongoing research, like the PNAS article, offer a more hopeful outlook into the future of algae as a safer and more sustainable fuel source. (Related: Researchers find a plant that can be used to feed a microalgae strain to boost its potential as a biofuel.)

Read the latest research on diatoms and other algae at Ecology.news.

Sources include:

ScienceDaily.com

OurWorldInData.org

UCSUSA.org

ScienceDirect.com

TheConversation.com




Haiti - Tourism : Official reopening of the Royal Decameron





Saturday August 1, Myriam Jean, the Minister of Tourism, proceeded to cut the ribbon followed by a site visit, marking the relaunch of the activities of the Royal Decameron-Indigo Beach Resort on the Cote des Arcadins, closed since the month of April due to the Covid-19 pandemic.



Accompanied by the Secretary of State for Public Security, Tacite Toussaint, the Mayor of Montrouis, Blaise Elisee, the Delegate of Artibonite, Amisial Jean Osner, the President of the Haitian Tourist Association (ATH) Raina Forbin and Fernando Garcia Regional Director of Decameron, Minister Jean was greeted by the owners of the hotel, sisters Beatrice and Veronique Nadal, who were accompanied by Sales Manager Brice Dumanois.



During her visit to the hotel, the Minister attended a demonstration of the disinfection of rooms and luggage on arrival of customers at the Decameron.



This weekend marks a turning point in the relaunch of tourist activities on the coast, and consequently of the economic revival of the sector which has experienced lean times since the year 2019 strongly disrupted by socio-political unrest, underlined the Minister Jean who committed that the Ministry giving all its support to beach hotels and residents of the coast, but also and above all to ensure respect for the health protocol developed by the Government and the ATH as part of the fight against the spread of the Covid-19 pandemic.



The Ministers visit began with a welcome show and ended with lunch.



See also :

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-23021-haiti-tourism-hotel-royal-decameron-indigo-certified-at-the-highest-level.html

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-15328-icihaiti-tourism-already-1-500-bookings-for-the-new-club-indigo.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-15996-haiti-tourism-official-opening-of-the-decameron-hotel-already-more-than-7-000-reservations.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















Technavio has been monitoring the global railway traction motor market size and it is poised to grow by USD 1.66 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 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/20200804005730/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Railway Traction Motor Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ABB Ltd., Alstom Holdings SA, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Bombardier Inc., Caterpillar Inc., General Electric Co., Hyundai Motor Co., Siemens AG, Toshiba International Corp., and Traktionssysteme Austria GmbH are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

The increased demand for rail logistics has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic might hamper market growth.

Railway Traction Motor Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Railway Traction Motor Market is segmented as below:

Type DC Motors AC Motors Synchronous Motors

Geography APAC North America Europe MEA South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR44593

Railway Traction Motor Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our railway traction motor market report covers the following areas:

Railway Traction Motor Market size

Railway Traction Motor Market trends

Railway Traction Motor Market industry analysis

This study identifies the introduction of new railway projects as one of the prime reasons driving the railway traction motor market growth during the next few years.

Railway Traction Motor Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the railway traction motor market, including some of the vendors such as ABB Ltd., Alstom Holdings SA, Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd., Bombardier Inc., Caterpillar Inc., General Electric Co., Hyundai Motor Co., Siemens AG, Toshiba International Corp., and Traktionssysteme Austria GmbH. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the railway traction motor market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Railway Traction Motor Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist railway traction motor market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the railway traction motor market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the railway traction motor market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of railway traction motor market vendors

Table Of Contents :

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Type

Market segments

Comparison by Type

DC motors Market size and forecast 2019-2024

AC motors Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Synchronous motors Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Type

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market Drivers Demand led growth

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

ABB Ltd.

Alstom Holdings SA

Bharat Heavy Electricals Ltd.

Bombardier Inc.

Caterpillar Inc.

General Electric Co.

Hyundai Motor Co.

Siemens AG

Toshiba International Corp.

Traktionssysteme Austria GmbH

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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.

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Although many people havent wrapped their minds around 5G mobile technology yet, Samsung has already started talking about 6G.

In a report released Tuesday, the South Korean electronics giant reveals its 6G vision of the future, including technical and societal megatrends, new services, requirements, candidate technologies, and an expected timeline of standardization.

While 5G commercialization is still in its initial stage, its never too early to start preparing for 6G because it typically takes around 10 years from the start of research to commercialization of a new generation of communications technology, Sunghyun Choi, head of Samsungs Advanced Communications Research Center, explained in a statement.

In its report, Samsung predicted that earliest commercialization of 6G could occur as early as 2028, with mass commercialization taking place roughly two years after that.

The standards groups that develop protocols for mobile telecommunications, known as the 3rd Generation Partnership Project, or 3GPP, roll new standards about every decade or so, noted Kevin Krewell, a principal analyst in the San Jose, Calif. offices of Tirias Research, a high-tech research and advisory firm.

Assuming theres no big hang up in committees, the Samsung prediction seems about right, he told TechNewsWorld.

Leaving 5G in the Dust

Samsung also sees the technology taking a huge performance leap over 5G networks, which are currently barely getting off the ground. Peak data rates for 6G will be 1,000 gigabits per second, or about 50 times that of 5G, and air latency  the time between when an instruction is issued and when its performed  of 100 microseconds, or one-tenth the latency of 5G.

The goals of 6G will be to take 5G to the next level of magnitude on bandwidth and latency, Krewell said.

The overall goal is to make 6G connectivity even more reliable and robust than 5G, allowing more connected services, such as radio connected drones and real-time augmented reality glasses, he continued.

A comparison of key performance requirements between 6G and 5G [Credit: Samsung]

A D V E R T I S E M E N T

Reliability will be a sensitive issue if 6G is used to control autonomous vehicles, observed Jack E. Gold, founder and principal analyst at J.Gold Associates , an IT advisory company in Northborough, Mass.

6G will need to expand on reliability because if youre using things like autonomous vehicles, you cant have signals going away and causing car crashes, he told TechNewsWorld.

In its report, Samsung maintained that 6G will be used for advanced services, such as immersive extended reality, high-fidelity mobile hologram and use of digital twins in virtual worlds.

Use Cases

Predicting use cases for 6G may be a little premature, however.

Its hard to know what will be the technology that drives the adoption of 6G, Krewell said. In 2010, did we know that AR and VR, autonomous vehicles, and drones would be high on our list of uses for 5G?

Its really hard to conceptualize what the use cases for 6G might be, when were still trying to figure out the use cases for 5G, added Jason Leigh, a senior research analyst for mobility at IDC, in Framingham, Mass., a market research company.

Nevertheless, if 6G lives up to its speed and latency specs, it could be used in a variety of ways.

Features like these could support a wide range of advanced education, training and certification processes in various industries, said Charles King, the principal analyst at Pund-IT, a technology advisory firm in Hayward, Calif.

They could also enhance remote support for healthcare and other hard to come by services for rural communities, he told TechNewsWorld.

Immersive applications for product and industrial design are likely, he added. There will also likely be numerous military applications, from advanced communications to real-time battlefield analysis.

Propagation Problems

Because 6G will be operating in the terahertz bandwidth, its expected to encounter problems similar to those currently facing 5G millimeter wave technology. Thats acknowledged in the Samsung report.

To cope with the difficult propagation characteristics of THz band, the report noted, it may be natural to enhance the massive MIMO technology that was introduced to support millimeter wave (mmWave) band in 5G. Since the THz band requires much more antennas than the mmWave band, there may be significantly more practical difficulties. MIMO  multiple-input, multiple-output  is a way for multiplying the capacity of a radio link.

The challenge with millimeter waves is they can only travel three blocks, and they dont penetrate doors very well, Leigh told TechNewsWorld. When you get up to that terahertz level, those propagation issues multiply.

Initially, wireless carriers will likely adopt the same phase-in strategy theyre using with their 5G transition when they introduce 6G. Early 6G phones will support 5G and 6G until the newer technology becomes ubiquitous.

You take the best of whats already available and leverage that to take you to the next step, Gold explained. Eventually, you reach the next step and get rid of the older stuff.

More Machines Than People

If 5G is any indicator, carriers could have problems selling 6G to consumers.

The sell for consumers seems pretty hazy, King said. That is, unless vendors come up with entirely new types of devices and form factors.

Businesses which could utilize 6G features and functions to improve efficiency, lower costs or create new market opportunities seem the likeliest targets, he added.

However, consumers may not be playing as big a role in 6G adoption as theyve played in past new generation rollouts.

The Samsung report noted that its expected that the number of connected devices will reach 500 billion by 2030, which is about 59 times larger than the expected world population at that time of 8.5 billion.

Mobile devices will take various form-factors, it continued, such as augmented reality glasses, virtual reality headsets, and hologram devices.

Increasingly, it noted, machines will need to be connected by means of wireless communications. Such connected machines will include vehicles, robots, drones, home appliances, displays, smart sensors installed in various infrastructures, construction machines, and factory equipment.

As the number of connected machines grows exponentially, those machines will become dominant users of 6G communications, the report maintained.

Looking back at the history of wireless communications, technologies have been developed assuming services for humans as the major driving applications, it continued. In 5G, machines were also considered in defining requirements and developing technologies.

We expect new 6G technologies have to be developed specifically to connect hundreds of billions of machines taking into account what is required for machines, it predicted.
A Realme phone, RMX2170, has been given the stamp of approval by TUV Rheinland, which tested the 65W fast charger for safety (it outputs outputs 6.5A at 10V). The phone has a two cell battery with 2,200 mAh rated capacity per cell (so 4,400 mAh total).

This phone may be the Realme X3 Pro, though other models have been misidentified as the X3 Pro, previously, so it's not entirely certain.



TUV Rheinland's certification of the RMX2170, perhaps the Realme X3 Pro

The RMX2170 was recently certified by the Wi-Fi Alliance as well with Android 10. It only supported Wi-Fi 5 (ac) while Snapdragon 865 phones support Wi-Fi 6 (ax).

That does line up with the current Realme X3 models, which use a Snapdragon 855+ and support only Wi-Fi 5. It's not a guarantee, however, as the company's S765G-based models also lack Wi-Fi 6 (even though the chipset supports it).

Via
SPRINGFIELD  When the United States claws its way out of the economic collapse associated with the COVID-19 pandemic, it will look much more like the Great Depression than the Great Recession, Congressman Peter DeFazio said Monday afternoon during a virtual town hall streamed online from his Springfield office.

We will need jobs and infrastructure improvements that create millions of jobs in construction, DeFazio said. But there will also be jobs created in design, engineering and manufacturing.

And jobs can be multiplied if the United States imposes a Buy America mentality by no longer buying equipment from countries like China.

We should start producing our own medications and personal protective equipment, DeFazio said.

If we move our national transportation system away from fossil fuels to electrification, that will create millions of jobs and reduce our fossil fuels emissions, DeFazio added.

DeFazio said he has always opposed free trade deals, because they ultimately lead to fewer jobs for American citizens. He opposed Bill Clintons North American Free Trade Agreement, George Bushs Central America Free Trade Agreement and Barack Obamas TransPacific Partnership.

DeFazio said an influx of money into the U.S. Postal Service is an important part of a national recovery.

He said that is true especially now, when prescriptions for veterans and seniors are delivered by the Postal Service.

Long term, he hopes to infuse $12 billion into the system to purchase a new fleet of electric postal delivery vehicles. He said the current fleet is old and expensive to maintain.

DeFazio said President Trump has not supported ways to shore up the Postal Service because he is against a national vote-by-mail system, which DeFazio strongly supports.

DeFazio said Democrats hope to pass a $2.3 trillion federal CARES program extension that will provide another $1,200 per adult, plus money for dependent children.

A critical element is getting help to local governments, whose revenues have tanked, DeFazio said. They have to be able to support their police, fire, ambulance and community health programs.

The plan would also extend the ban on home evictions, provide $100 billion to aid hospitals and health care operations and $75 billion for COVID-19 contact tracing.

DeFazio said he was pleased the Water Resources Bill recently received approval. It will provide funds for badly needed projects nationwide such as harbor maintenance and rebuilding jetties.

DeFazio accepted calls on a wide variety of topics by telephone and online.

 Health insurance/unemployment: A caller said when someone loses his or her job, they also usually lose their health insurance coverage. Without the $600 added unemployment benefit, how can they afford to replace that insurance? DeFazio said Republicans want to reduce the federal addition to state unemployment checks to $200 from $600, because they say the $600 provides people with more net income than they were earning, thus reducing their desire to return to work. Democrats will continue to push for the $600, although a compromise is possible.

 Foreign election interference: DeFazio said although he couldnt talk much about it due to security issues, the Cyber Defense Force is in place. We are in a way better place this time around, DeFazio said.

 COLAS for seniors: Seniors dont buy lots of big screen TVs or new cars, both of which are used to calculate the national consumer price index, DeFazio said. He supports a CPIE index, which measures prices for things like pharmaceuticals and housing costs, which would provide much more accurate data about the real annual cost of living for seniors, the said.

 Portland protests/anarchists: DeFazio said that peaceful protests are an important part of the American political process. He said that unfortunately a few anarchists are spoiling the process. He said they should be dealt with, but President Trump sent in federal agents who were not trained properly for the task at hand. They were primarily border patrol agents who were used to dealing with drug dealers. They were poorly trained and improperly equipped to quell unruly crowds without escalating the issue.

 Long-awaited unemployment checks: DeFazio said Oregon received $80 million 10 years ago to update its antiquated unemployment benefits computer system and failed to do so. Now people are suffering as they wait. Oregon has added about 700 employees as it whittles down the hundreds of thousands of claims, DeFazio said. This has been a total disaster, DeFazio said. He said his office fields calls about the issue every day, although he has no control over state government. He urged the caller to contact their local elected officials.

 Civilian Conservation Corps: Could a new national work/training program be developed? DeFazio said he has long supported the federal Youth Conservation Corps and Youth Build programs. I want to expand them, and there are always far more applicants than they can accept. They get their GED and they learn skills at the same time.

In closing, DeFazio said that although it might appear we are in a pretty dysfunctional place, this is America and we always have hope. We can and will do better.

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Although the first clusters of atypical pneumonia were reported in Wuhan, China, it doesn't necessarily mean that is where the COVID-19 disease crossed from animals into humans, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Monday.

Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said at a routine COVID-19 briefing on Monday that a much more "extensive retrospective epidemiological study" should be taken to fully understand the links between the cases.

He stressed the need to start studies on the first reported human clusters in order to systematically look for the "first signal at which the animal-human species barrier was crossed," before moving to the studies on the animal side.

The WHO advance team that traveled to China in preparation for an international mission of identifying the zoonotic source of COVID-19 has concluded its mission recently, according to the WHO expert. Future studies will build on the initial investigations done by Chinese experts around the Wuhan seafood market.

Ryan also noted that WHO is moving forward with agreeing on the international team and ensuring that right expertise will be in place to work with the Chinese counterparts to design and implement further studies.
Mumbai: Sashidhar Jagdishan, the 'Strategic Change Agent' at HDFC Bank, will succeed Aditya Puri as the Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of the country's largest private sector lender from late October.

HDFC Bank on Tuesday said the appointment of Jagdishan has been approved by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) for three years starting from October 27.

Puri has led the bank since its founding more than 25 years ago and the appointment of the 55-year-old Jagdishan ends one of the most keenly watched successions in the Indian banking space.

Under Puri's leadership, HDFC Bank has become the most valued Indian lender by investors with a market cap of over Rs 5.71 lakh crore, majorly due to its ability to keep strong controls over dud assets and delivering healthy profit growths, even as the banking system witnessed a spurt in bad loans.

The Reserve Bank approved Jagdishan's name ? the first choice for the bank board ? in response to three names sent to it late on Monday evening, sources said.

A board meeting would be convened to ratify the appointment of Jagdishan, the bank said in a regulatory filing to the stock exchanges. Puri's term ends on October 26.

Jagdishan's journey with HDFC Bank started in 1996, after he quit his job with German lender Deutsche Bank to join as a manager in the finance department in what was then an upstart venture spearheaded by a group of professionals from foreign banks led by Puri.

He became the business head of finance in 1999 and rose to being appointed as the chief financial officer in 2008 and was later appointed as the 'Change Agent'.

The bank said Jagdishan has helped the organisation achieve strategic objectives over the years and played a critical role in supporting the growth trajectory of the bank.

At present, he is the group head for finance, human resources, legal and secretarial, administration, infrastructure, corporate communications, corporate social responsibility and the "Strategic Change Agent" for the bank.

In an interview with a TV channel, Puri said he is "absolutely delighted" and added that Jagdishan has been working "intensely" with him since being appointed as the Change Agent.

"I do believe he has the necessary skills and I am delighted that HDFC Bank is in good hands. The best is yet to come," Puri said, calling Jagdishan as a humane person who cares about people and a thorough executioner.

Under Puri, the bank's profits grew at the rate of over 30 per cent for nearly ten years before the growth got slowed down to 20 per cent in the last few years as the country's economic growth also slid.

Jagdishan will be in charge of a balance sheet that stood at Rs 15.45 lakh crore as of June this year and included over Rs 10 lakh crore in advances. The bank, which was promoted by largest pure-play mortgage lender HDFC, also has a dedicated non-bank subsidiary HDB Financial Services which may go in for listing soon.

The bank had first spoken about looking for a successor in May 2018, when it reportedly told analysts that an internal or external candidate will be announced 12 months prior to Puri's retirement on attaining the age of 70.

This was followed by the surprise resignation of the then deputy managing director Paresh Sukthankar, who was widely seen by many as the natural choice to succeed Puri as he has been with the bank since its inception.

The bank had first formed a six-member internal committee to look at the potential successor, which was reportedly unable to arrive at a consensus. This led to a global headhunting firm being tasked with the job. Earlier this year, Puri had denied having any differences with HDFC's Deepak Parekh over the issue of successor.

Head of wholesale lending Kaizad Bharucha and Citi's Sunil Garg were the two other names sent to RBI by the HDFC Bank board, according to reports.

Once he takes over, Jagdishan will have to grapple with an extremely uncertain economic environment, and also address concerns over practices at its auto lending vertical, where indulgence in bad practices led to the removal or transfer of many key executives.

HDFC Bank executives are accused of bundling a GPS device costing over Rs 18,000 each with auto loans that it made, which led to allegations over privacy and also quid-pro-quos. The bank has had a largely blemish-free record in its over quarter century existence.

Investors cheered the announcement and the HDFC Bank scrip gained 3.94 per cent to close at Rs 1,041.40 a piece on the BSE on Tuesday, and was a major contributor to the 2.03 per cent gains on the 30-share benchmark.
When the SARS-CoV-2 virus penetrates human cells, it lets the human host cell produce proteins for it. One of these viral proteins, called PLpro, is essential for the replication and rapid spread of the virus. An international team of researchers led by Goethe University and University Hospital Frankfurt has now discovered that the pharmacological inhibition of this viral enzyme not only blocks virus replication but also strengthens the anti-viral immune response at the same time.

In the case of an infection, the SARS-CoV-2 virus must overcome various defense mechanisms of the human body, including its non-specific or innate immune defense. During this process, infected body cells release messenger substances known as type 1 interferons. These attract natural killer cells, which kill the infected cells.

One of the reasons the SARS-CoV-2 virus is so successful -- and thus dangerous -- is that it can suppress the non-specific immune response. In addition, it lets the human cell produce the viral protein PLpro (papain-like protease). PLpro has two functions: It plays a role in the maturation and release of new viral particles, and it suppresses the development of type 1 interferons. The German and Dutch researchers have now been able to monitor these processes in cell culture experiments. Moreover, if they blocked PLpro, virus production was inhibited and the innate immune response of the human cells was strengthened at the same time.

Professor Ivan Dikic, Director of the Institute of Biochemistry II at University Hospital Frankfurt and last author of the paper, explains: "We used the compound GRL-0617, a non-covalent inhibitor of PLpro, and examined its mode of action very closely in terms of biochemistry, structure and function. We concluded that inhibiting PLpro is a very promising double-hit therapeutic strategy against COVID-19. The further development of PLpro-inhibiting substance classes for use in clinical trials is now a key challenge for this therapeutic approach."

Another important finding from this work is that the viral protein PLpro of SARS-CoV-2 cleaves off ISG-15 (interferon-stimulated gene 15) from cellular proteins with a higher level of activity than the SARS equivalent, which leads to greater inhibition of type I interferon production. This is concordant with recent clinical observations which show that COVID-19 exhibits a reduced interferon response in comparison to other respiratory viruses such as influenza and SARS.

To understand in detail how inhibiting PLpro stops the virus, researchers in Frankfurt, Munich, Mainz, Freiburg and Leiden have worked closely together and pooled their biochemical, structural, IT and virological expertise.

Donghyuk Shin, postdoctoral researcher and first author of the paper, says: "Personally, I would like to underline the significance of science and research and in particular emphasize the potential generated by a culture of collaboration. When I saw our joint results, I was immensely grateful for being a researcher."

Professor Sandra Ciesek, Director of the Institute of Medical Virology at University Hospital Frankfurt, explains that the papain-like protease is an extremely attractive anti-viral goal for her as a physician because its inhibition would be a "double strike" against SARS-CoV-2. She highlights the excellent collaboration between the two institutes: "Especially when investigating a new clinical picture, everyone profits from interdisciplinary collaboration as well as different experiences and viewpoints."
Nordic Monitors says part of Terzis job was to coordinate actions with MIT, led by President Recep Tayyip Erdo- gans confidant Hakan Fidan. He worked closely with the Pentagon on a train and equip programme for Syrian oppo- sition fighters. After noticing that MIT had been trying to pass off radical militants as moderates, he raised an objection and protested the deception, making himself a target of MIT and his boss Aksakall.

[Terzis murder] had to do with a trap devised by Zekai Aksakall, who did not want such facts to come out into the open, Alakus testified.

Semih Terzi knew very well how the oil taken from ISIS [in Syria] was rerouted [to Turkey]
XM Cyber competed against many of the industry's leading providers of cybersecurity products and services for this prestigious award. The term "Black Unicorn" signifies a cybersecurity company that has the potential to reach a $1 billion dollar market value as determined by private or public investment, and these awards showcase those companies with this kind of incredible potential in the cybersecurity marketplace.

"We're pleased to name XM Cyber as a winner among a small, elite group of cybersecurity industry leaders in our second annual Black Unicorn awards," said Judges Robert R. Ackerman Jr. of www.allegiscyber.com , David DeWalt of www.nightdragon.com and Gary Miliefsky of www.cyberdefensemediagroup.com .

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.

"XM Cyber is very honored to be named a Black Unicorn for the second year in a row," said Noam Erez, CEO and co-founder of XM Cyber. "This recognition is another feather in the company's cap, highlighting the fact that we have the best team and product in the advanced cyber risk analytics space. Customers and prospects can rest assured that we will ride this wave of momentum and continue to deliver a best-in-class product."

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

About Cyber Defense Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazine's 8th year of honoring cybersecurity innovators, in this case the Black Unicorn Awards for 2020 on our Cyber Defense Awards platform. In this competition, judges for these prestigious awards includes cybersecurity industry veterans, trailblazers and market makers Gary Miliefsky of CDMG, Robert R. Ackerman Jr. of Allegis Cyber and David DeWalt of NightDragon with much appreciation to emeritus judge Robert Herjavec of Herjavec Group. To see the complete list of finalists for the Black Unicorn Awards for 2020 please visit https://cyberdefenseawards.com/black-unicorn-awards-winners-2020/

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine was founded in 2012 by Gary S. Miliefsky, globally recognized cyber security thought leader, inventor and entrepreneur and continues to be the premier source of IT Security information. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and limited print editions exclusively for the RSA, BlackHat and IPEXPO conferences and our limited edition paid reprint subscribers. Learn more about us at http://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com . Cyber Defense Magazine is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group.

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A father-of-three who assaulted two workers who were disconnecting the power to his business because of unpaid bill has been let off with a slap on the wrist.

Brendan Romaine told the two workers to not cut off the power to his business in Upper Coomera, on the Gold Coast, because his wife was about to pay the overdue bill.

The workers told him they had to complete the job which angered Romaine and he slapped a clipboard out of the hand of one of the men.

Romaine told one of the workers to take off his glasses before the frustrated business owner slapped him in the face, later claiming he lashed out at the man because of his 'Cheshire cat grin.

Father-of-three, Brendan Romaine (pictured right), told the two workers to not cut off the power to his Upper Coomera business on the Gold Coast because his wife was about to pay the bill

One of the men assaulted, Joel Hoolihan, said the incident was 'pretty full-on'.

'Just went to work doing our job and got assaulted, Mr Hoolihan told 9News.

Romaine told the court he never saw the email containing his electricity bill because it was sent to his spam folder.

He said he received the disconnection notice three minutes before the assault occurred and was waiting to receive the receipt on his phone.

Romaine told one of the workers to take off his glasses before the frustrated business owner slapped him in the face because he had a 'Cheshire cat grin

The 'Cheshire cat' grin that Romaine said provoked him to assault the worker

His lawyer argued the workers should have provided Romaine with the time to prove the bill had been paid by his wife.

If they did this, Romaine's lawyer said the assault could have been avoided.

The magistrate didn't agree with the lawyer's argument and said the men were victims of an unprovoked attack.

Romaine pleaded guilty to assaulting the two workers and was put on probation for 12 months but no conviction was recorded.

'It's a good outcome,' Mr Hoolihan said.
Press Release

4 August 2020

Though many hotels are undertaking cost rationalization to get ready for the after-effects of the COVID-19 lockdown, this is not the time for hoteliers to pause marketing which would end up severely impacting their recovery. Instead, they need to use marketing strategically and in a targeted fashion. Each hotel chain or independent hotel should devise their marketing strategy for 2 phases viz. during lock-down and post lock-down opening. We have accordingly elaborated on the key things to be kept in mind during both these phases.

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Your customers are spending way more time digitally during lockdown and it is critical not to go dark during this period but to keep proactive communication ongoing with your retail & corporate customers and channel partners. Hoteliers should take into account the following marketing considerations during lockdown:

Leverage your social media/email/WhatsApp channels to engage with your customers & partners empathetically. Share with your customers not only what the hotels are doing, in terms of providing a safe environment and contributing to society's most vulnerable sections during this crisis, but also nurture your emotional connect with your customers through engaging videos.

Even though there are limited stay related searches right now on Google, intensify SEO efforts to improve and maintain your rankings on the relevant keywords. Do not abandon your SEO work, as your rankings will take a hit and it will be too late to tap the search surge if you have to restart SEO.

Pause media spend on Search Ads & Social Media Ads and preserve the budget for utilization post lockdown. Strategic boosting can be done on select social media posts to meet certain objectives.

If your restaurants are operational & delivering, promote the same hyper-locally through social media campaigns.

Undertake strategic initiatives for which you don't find time normally: Website review & enhancements Creation of visual content & blogs for leveraging over a period of time Loyalty program evaluation & implementation Corporate brochures & presentations On-property branding



The current pandemic would affect not only customer behavior but also, in the short-term, the customer segments themselves. Hence, marketing strategies must adapt dynamically for several months post opening to ensure marketing efforts are appropriately targeted and give the desired results. The following key marketing considerations should be kept in mind for post lockdown opening:

Re-gaining consumer confidence on the hotel's safety/ hygiene standards is the first and most important step to attracting back & retaining your customers. Hotels should proactively communicate on all their digital channels the steps they are taking in this regard.

As can be seen from China's experience and the same can be expected in India that post lockdown for several months, leisure travel would be mostly domestic and that too initially to nearby locations within driving distances. Hence for the leisure travel segment, hotels should focus their energies on targeting locally as well nearby feeder markets with value-added & extended stay packages. Further, from a customer demographic perspective, Millennials and Gen Z are expected to lead the initial travel wave. These elements should be built into targeting across social media and search ads.

Essential business travel is expected to pick-up, as flights become operational due to pent-up requirements but on an overall basis the business travel segment would be slow to come back. Non-essential business travel is expected to reduce for some time as organizations get used to virtual meetings, trainings and even events. However, human nature does not change, and over a period of time, organizations would look again towards driving a common culture & vision through in-person meetings. Hotels should monitor this evolving trend proactively, and plan accordingly for both offline as well as digital marketing.

For the MICE segment, especially due to the resultant economic downturn most organizations for FY 20-21 would likely do their meetings, events & incentive tours only locally and avoid outbounds. Hotels would need to communicate ways they ensure hygiene and social distancing to assure their corporate customers and should prepare a plan for tapping their local businesses.

The social events segment, including pre-wedding and wedding functions and anniversaries and other celebrations are a big business opportunity. Hotels should aggressively tap this segment, to address the backlog. Customers would likely go with those hotels that are able to reassure the customers with strict adherence to hygiene.

To make their marketing compelling to the travellers, hotels should look at creating value-added packages, provide cancellation flexibility and even look at offering "Book Now Stay Later" vouchers valid for say 6 months to encourage impulse purchases.

A hotel's website and social media handles play an even greater role than before, by enabling customers to get all details on the hygiene processes in place, as those would become critical criteria for booking. This offers hotels an opportunity to convert this traffic into bookings. Hotels would do well to also enable all other channel partners viz. OTAs as well as offline with the hygiene information to drive bookings from all channels.

With the 1st quarter of FY 20-21 already impacted, hotels need to use this time to plan out and implement aggressive revenue recovery strategies leveraging strategic and targeted marketing initiatives.

This article is by guest authors Mansi Bhatnagar & Vivek Bhatnagar.
B Anbuselvan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: Is the three-language formula prescribed in the National Education Policy-2020 a ploy to push Hindi into non-Hindi speaking States? The unveiling of the policy has triggered emotional debates, after a long gap of 53 years, over the subject in Tamil Nadu. With the ruling AIADMK rejecting the three-language formula outright and reiterating two-language policy, the State appears to have thwarted a perceived third attempt for imposition of Hindi in the last 83 years. Barring BJP, no other political party has backed the policy.

In 1937, the first attempt for Hindi imposition was prevented through a series of protests by Dravidar Kazhagam and a few other organisations in Madras Presidency. In 1967, massive agitations led by DMK spoiled the second attempt.

Unlike the National Education policy-1968 which mandated teaching of Hindi in non-Hindi speaking States, the latest NEP does not explicitly mention the third language shall be Hindi. Instead, the policy noted that three languages learned by children will be the choices of States and the students, provided two languages must be native of India. This means, apart from Tamil and English, students must learn any one of Indian languages.

Several linguistic activists and educationists observed that the move would eventually end up in students being forced to learn Hindi because of scarcity of teachers in other languages. Aazhi Senthil Nathan, convener of CLEAR (Campaign for Language Equality and Rights) said indicators of social, economic and educational development of the State are testimony that the States two-language policy was a successful model. Three-language policy is neither politically needed nor it is educationally effective, he said.

Educationist Prince Gajendra Babu said that school children need to learn many things and all their mental power need not be spent on learning languages. The Centre has allotted `50 crore for development of Hindi, while no such funds are given to other languages. Apparently, there will be no faculties for teaching other languages, except Hindi. The move is aimed at promoting Sanskrit via Hindi, he said.

The BJP, however, said allegations against the Centre does not hold water given that more than four lakh people from the State learn Hindi every year. Advertisement boards inviting people to learn Hindi are displayed in every street of the State. Can anyone deny that? BJP State general secretary Karu Nagarajan said. Students studying in private schools learn Hindi for several years.

Does that make any difference to local language? Now people from economically weaker sections and rural students who study in government schools will be deprived of the opportunity to learn Hindi for free, said Nagarajan, adding that he noted nowhere in NEP it is said that students will have to learn Hindi.

Senthil Nathan said West Bengal, Punjab, Odisha and Maharashtra have accepted the three-language policy since 1968 and allowed teaching of Hindi from school level since then, while Northern States still follow two-language policy.

How many people in Northern states learned Tamil or Telugu for the past 50 years. For a brief period of time, Tamil was taught in Haryana so as to prevent the teaching of Punjabi as a third language. But in contrast, many people have ignored their own mother tongue in non-hindi speaking States. Hindi promotion will not achieve anything but create a conducive atmosphere for employment of Hindi speaking population, he said.

Rejected!

With the ruling AIADMK rejecting the three-language formula outright, the State appears to have thwarted a perceived third attempt at Hindi impositions
New research into people's coping strategies faced with COVID-19 highlights the mental health toll for those shielding

Coronavirus and the imposition of lockdown this year 'significantly raised' mental health challenges, particularly so for the most vulnerable groups, including those shielding, according to the first study to look at people's coping styles in face of the pandemic.

The new research, published today [Tuesday 4 August 2020] in the journal American Psychologist, draws on survey responses from over 800 people recruited online and via social media who answered questions over a ten-day period when the UK was in full lockdown (from 17 - 26 April 2020).

The study from psychologists at the University of Bath is the first study to substantiate extensive media debate that health anxieties were heightened as a result of the pandemic, and it is also the first study to indicate that those in vulnerable groups are clinically more distressed as a result.

Results suggest that a quarter of all participants revealed significantly elevated anxiety and depression, exacerbated by lockdown and isolation.

Nearly 15% reached clinical levels of health anxiety, which reflects that health-related anxiety has become distressing and is likely to be causing preoccupation and disruption to normal activities. Health anxiety focusses on the fear of having or contracting a serious illness despite medical reassurance.

Lead author, Dr Hannah Rettie from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology explains: "The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global uncertainty which has had a direct, detrimental effect on so many people across the UK and around the world.

People have been unsure when they would see relatives again, job security has been rocked, there is an increased threat to many people's health and government guidance is continuously changing, leading to much uncertainty and anxiety.

"What our research focused in on is how some individuals have struggled to tolerate and adapt to these uncertainties - much more so than in normal times. These results have important implications as we move to help people psychologically distressed by these challenging times in the weeks, months and years ahead."

Deeper analysis reveals that those in vulnerable groups - classified according to the UK government 'vulnerable' categories - report twice the rates of health-related anxiety than the general population.

Those who identified themselves in these categories were on average more anxious and depressed, with anxiety and health anxiety specifically significantly higher than in non-vulnerable groups. Those who are in the vulnerable group are at risk both physically and psychologically.

Average age of participants in the study was 38 years old, 22% of whom had a pre-existing medical condition. The majority of respondents were female (80% female: 20% male).

The team who led the work hope their findings can help inform clinical practice in dealing with the mental health aftermath caused by these tumultuous past six months.

They suggest one of the most important findings concerns those in vulnerable groups who demonstrate significantly higher levels of distress yet are also those most likely to have shielded for longest.

This needs to be addressed by policymakers to ensure adequate and appropriately tailored provision of mental health services moving forwards, they say.

The researchers suggest that clinicians could use their findings to target intolerance of uncertainty as part of standard psychological therapies, focussing on developing coping skills to reduce distress.

This could also be extended to public resources, drawing out individuals' abilities to manage uncertainty and reduce reliance on less effective coping strategies, for example denial or self-blame.

This is important research which looks at the potential mechanisms in COVID-19 related distress, a recently prioritised area of research. These findings can help us to tailor our existing psychological treatments to help those most in need but may also be useful in considering what coping strategies might be particularly helpful at a new time of uncertainty. Jo Daniels Research Lead, Department of Psychology, University of Bath

Daniels has written and spoken extensively about health anxiety and how this relates to coronavirus.

"We are also now better informed as to the likely number of the population that are experiencing clinical levels of health-related anxiety."

"This may serve to normalise distress at this difficult time and promote the uptake of emerging models of COVID-19 related distress for those who may need support at this time of uncertainty."

"While this research offers important insights into how common distress was during 'lockdown', it is important to stress that anxiety is a normal response to an abnormal situation such as a pandemic. It can be helpful to mobilise precautionary behaviours such as hand-washing and social distancing.

Yet for many, as reflected in our findings, anxiety is reaching distressing levels and may continue despite easing of restrictions - it is essential we create service provision to meet this need, which is likely to be ongoing, particularly with current expectations of a second wave. Further longitudinal research is needed to establish how this may change over time."
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.4

By Fidan Babayeva  Trend:

The import of products from China to Azerbaijan increased by 12 percent over the first six months of 2020, compared to the same period of last year, and made up $663.4 million, Trend reports referring to the statistical bulletin of the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.

In the reporting period, Chinas share in the total import volume of Azerbaijan showed a growth from 0.31 percent to 13.3 percent.

Meanwhile, the export of Azerbaijani products to China amounted to $246.4 million which is 2.7 times less than in the first half of last year. Chinas share in the total export volume of Azerbaijan decreased from 6.8 percent to 3.2 percent.

The foreign trade operations between Azerbaijan and China amounted to $909.9 million from January through June this year, which is 40 percent less than in the same period of 2019.

The balance of foreign trade turnover between Azerbaijan and China during the reporting period was positive and stood at $416 million.

The total foreign trade turnover of Azerbaijan amounted to $12.6 billion from January through June 2020, which is 34.1 percent less than in the same period of 2019.

The balance of foreign trade turnover on an annualized basis declined by 10 percent and remained negative, amounting to $2.6 billion.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Fidan_Babaeva
A grieving mother is hopeful her son will wake from a coma after he was allegedly beaten to a pulp during a random attack halfway across the world.

Gold Coast father Jake Perry, 24, was placed on life support on July 26 after allegedly being attacked by strangers while walking home in the town of Alton, Hampshire, in the south of England.

His mother rushed to the UK thanks to the generosity of strangers and remains at his bedside in the hope he will live to see his young daughter grow up.

Erika Perry was able to secure an exemption to travel to the UK after a crowdfunding campaign to pay for the mercy flight garnered more than $20,000.

Jake Perry, 24, (pictured) was placed on life support on July 26 after allegedly being attacked by strangers while walking home in the town of Alton, in Hampshire in the south of England

But initial fears he may never wake up have been replaced by hope as his condition slightly improves.

'We're told that Jake's condition is still tenuous, however it would appear as if the brain swelling has reduced to a point where the doctors have decided that it's time to try and gradually "encourage" him out of his induced coma,' the family wrote.

'We're told that his temperature is fluctuating quite a bit lately and he's contracted a mild case of pneumonia, so he's been put on a very strong course of antibiotics to combat this (apparently this is quite common when under an induced coma).

Ms Perry described Jake (pictured) as a 'fun, energetic, young man' who is a 'loving son' and 'great father'

'We're also told that he presently isn't showing any signs of motor function and one pupil isn't dilating, but again we're told this is fairly common in this type of situation.'

His mother has been limited to seeing her son for only one hour per day, due to COVID-19 restrictions.

But the chance to see him in person has offered some solace to his grieving mum who initially thought he may die before she had a chance to reach his side.

The family also revealed more details about the extent of the injuries.

They said he may be permanently disabled if he survives.

After the alleged attack, his mother posted a tearful video on social media begging the community to help pitch in so she could visit her only son.

Jake Perry, 24, (pictured with mother Erika Perry) is on life support with serious head injuries caused during an alleged random attack on Sunday morning in the leafy town of Alton, in England's Hampshire region

'Let me be by his side before it's too late,' she said.

'While I am hoping for the best outcome, his status is critical and time is of the essence. If I am able to see him anytime soon, it will only be with your help.

'I am a single mother without the means to do this and desperately need your help.'

Mr Perry had relocated to Alton several years ago to raise his three-year-old daughter, leaving his mother on the 'other side of the world'.

After being admitted to the Southampton General Hospital doctors discovered a massive hematoma which caused significant swelling and bleeding on the brain.

The young Australian father (pictured) moved to the United Kingdom to care for his toddler daughter

Ms Perry described Jake as a 'fun, energetic, young man' who is a 'loving son' and 'great father.'

The grieving mother had been told a flight would cost around $14,000 because of international travel bans in place due to COVID-19.

But the Gofundme campaign was so successful generous supporters helped her raise more than $20,000 in only 24 hours.

By last Thursday she had managed to arrange a flight through the Australian consulate to the coronavirus hotspot, which is listed as a code red country on the government's travel advice website Smart Traveller.

His Mother Erika Perry (pictured) made the desperate dash to be by his side after crowdfunding money for the flight and gaining a travel exemption to fly out of Australia

She hopped on a plane, thanking her supporters for giving her a chance to see her son one last time.

'I cannot explain how grateful I am, or how much this restores my faith in humanity,' she said.

'All of this has happened so quickly that I could never have imagined it would be possible, but thanks to all those very special people who have helped me through the last 48hrs, it does look like I will be able to see my son.'

Three men in their 20s have been arrested and charged over the alleged assault.
White House adviser Peter Navarro has told CNN that Microsoft might not be the right company to buy TikTok's US operations, because of the US technology giant's existing business in China.

"This is not a white hat company," Navarro says, claiming the Chinese Communist Party uses Microsoft software, a potential conflict, and asks whether TikTok in the US should be "simply banned" rather than sold.

A race to sell Chinese-owned TikTok before it is banned by the US is the most high-profile case yet of company-level fallout from the widening gulf between the two countries.

Mr Navarro declined to say whether he is advising President Trump against Microsoft's bid to purchase TikTok.

Meanwhile, the potential deal for Microsoft to buy TikTok's US operations provoked an outcry yesterday on Chinese social media as well as criticism from a prominent Chinese investor in TikTok owner ByteDance.

The US tech giant formally declared its interest on Sunday after President Trump, - who has cited national security risks posed by the Chinese-owned short video app - reversed course on a planned ban and gave the two firms 45 days to come to a deal.

The proposed acquisition of parts of TikTok, which boasts 100 million US users, would offer Microsoft a rare opportunity to become a major competitor to social media giants such as Facebook and Snap.

Shares in Microsoft, which owns the business social media network LinkedIn and is also seeking to buy TikTok's Canadian, Australian and New Zealand interests, rose nearly 3pc in early trades yesterday.

ByteDance has not publicly confirmed the sale talks. But in an internal letter to staff yesterday, the company's founder and CEO Zhang Yiming said the firm had started talks with a tech company it did not identify to clear the way "for us to continue offering the TikTok app in the US".

Clinching a deal that will satisfy all parties and potentially act as a lightning rod for US-China relations will be a tall order.

People close to the situation have told Reuters that all of TikTok could be worth $50bn (42.5bn), but the forced sale of the US division and some other units alone will likely yield much less than that.

"A forced deal under Washington's shotgun could open up for endless litigations if it should result [in] an unfavourable outcome to existing private shareholders," said Fred Hu, chairman of Primavera Capital Group, an investor in ByteDance and one of China's best known private equity groups.

Mr Hu said Microsoft was a credible buyer but questioned how selling large parts of TikTok's operations at an early stage of its growth could ever be a good deal for ByteDance.

"It absolutely makes no sense. Bytedance is an innocent victim of the mad politics and mad geopolitics," he said. "It is a sad outcome for Bytedance, for entrepreneurial capitalism, and for the future of global commerce."

"This is not a standard M&A situation, this is hard to predict," said one senior banker with a US bank in Hong Kong, saying that it would be a question of how to structure a deal in a way that would keep Washington happy.

Reuters
The Federal Government on Tuesday raised the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to 5 million naira.

The government also mandated broadcast stations to devote airtime for public education and enlightenment on emergencies such as the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, made this known in Lagos on Tuesday while unveiling the Reviewed Broadcasting Code.

This was contained in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Information and Culture, titled, Remarks By The Hon. Minister Of Information And Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, At The Unveiling Of The Reviewed Broadcasting Code In Lagos On Tuesday, Aug. 4th 2020.

According to the statement made available on the social media platforms of the ministry, Mohammed said the amendments were necessitated by a Presidential directive, in the wake of the 2019 general elections, for an inquiry into the regulatory role of the National Broadcasting Commission as well as the conduct of the various broadcast stations before, during and after the elections.

The minister noted that the recommendations were approved by President Mohammed Buhari, to reposition the NBC to perform its regulatory role better mostly in the areas of political broadcasting, local content, coverage of emergencies, advertising, and anti-competitive behaviour.

Mohammed, who explained that section 2h of the NBC Act empowers the Commission to establish and disseminate a National

Broadcasting Code, said, There are many desirable provisions in the new Broadcasting Code:

The provisions on Exclusivity and Monopoly will boost local content and local industry due to laws prohibiting exclusive use of rights by broadcasters who intend to create monopolies and hold the entire market to themselves. It will encourage Open Access to premium content.

The law prohibiting backlog of advertising debts will definitely promote sustainability for the station owners and producers of content.

The law on registration of Web Broadcasting grants the country the opportunity to regulate negative foreign broadcasts that can harm us as a nation. Such harms could be in the area of security, protection for minors, protection of human dignity, economic fraud, privacy etc.

The provisions on responsibility of broadcast stations to devote airtime to national emergencies: This provision obviously mandates terrestrial and Pay TV channels to make their services available to Nigerians at time of national emergencies  like the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic  for their education and enlightenment.

The provision raising the fine for hate speech from 500,000 Naira to 5 million Naira.

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia  Tue, August 4, 2020 17:47 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b872a7 2 SE Asia Al-Jazeera,Malaysia,migrant-workers,documentary Free

Malaysian police Tuesday raided Al Jazeera's Kuala Lumpur office and seized computers as part of an investigation into a documentary about migrants that has angered the government, the broadcaster said.

Authorities launched the probe into the Qatar-based broadcaster's program last month, adding to concerns about worsening media freedom in Malaysia.

The documentary -- "Locked Up in Malaysia's Lockdown" -- looked at the detention of undocumented foreigners when strict coronavirus curbs were in place, as well as the plight of other migrants.

The broadcaster confirmed the raid in a statement and said two computers were seized.

"Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities' crackdown on media freedom," said Giles Trendle, managing director of Al Jazeera English.

"Al Jazeera calls upon the Malaysian authorities to cease this criminal investigation into our journalists."

Police did not respond to requests for comment.

The government has slammed the program as misleading and inaccurate, and police are investigating the broadcaster for breaking laws against sedition, defamation and transmitting offensive content.

Seven Al Jazeera journalists, including five Australians, were called in for questioning last month while a Bangladeshi migrant worker interviewed in the program has been arrested.

Police have insisted the investigation will be fair, and the journalists are being questioned as witnesses rather than suspects.

Authorities insist the arrests in May of undocumented migrants were necessary to protect the public, although rights groups raised concerns that placing them in detention centers could increase the risk of coronavirus infection.

Malaysia is home to large numbers of migrants from poorer countries -- including Indonesia, Bangladesh and Myanmar -- who work in industries ranging from manufacturing to agriculture.

Concerns about a worsening climate for the media have been growing since a scandal-plagued party seized power as part of a coalition earlier this year.

Leading independent news portal Malaysiakini has also been taken to court for alleged contempt over readers' comments on its site critical of the judiciary.
With more than 516,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, California has reported the most infections of any state, but Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Monday said there is some hope on the horizon.

In June and July, the number of cases in California surged, following an ease in lockdown restrictions. Over the last two weeks, the state saw an average of 121 deaths every day, with 214 reported on Friday  a 21 percent increase over the previous record that had been set on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Times reports.

However, the number of hospitalizations statewide has gone down about 10 percent over two weeks, and ICU admissions have fallen by 5 percent. Newsom also said the state has greatly increased its testing capacity, and the share of positive COVID-19 tests has dropped to 7 percent. This rate is "not where it needs to be, and it's still too high," Newsom said, but it's "good to see this number trending down, not trending up."

Newsom credits the small improvements to people being required to wear masks, social distancing, and the "very, very difficult" decision to shutter bars and prohibit indoor dining. There are 38 counties on the state watchlist, including every county in Southern California and the San Francisco Bay Area, and Newsom said everyone needs to stay vigilant, as "we can quickly find ourselves back to where we were just a few weeks ago, a month ago." The virus, he continued, "is not going away. It's not just going to take Labor Day weekend off. It's not going to take Halloween off, the holidays off."

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By PTI

KOLKATA: Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the release of medical practitioner Kafeel Khan, booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for alleged hate speech.

Chowdhury contended that "grievous injustice" was being meted out to the Uttar Pradesh doctor.

Khan is in detention for allegedly making an inflammatory speech on the Aligarh Muslim University campus during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

With just a day to go for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Chowdhury, in his letter to the PM, said, "Ramraj (Lord Ram's rule) is antithetical to injustice, discrimination and retribution".

READ| Jailed Kafeel Khan offers help in fighting COVID-19

"I, on behalf of my party, vehemently opposed the legislation (CAA) inside the Parliament and outside.

However, no NSA was invoked against me or the millions of other protesters across the country.

"I am quite bewildered as to why a young medical practitioner has been implicated despite the fact that freedom of expression has been engraved in the hallowed Constitution of India," Chowdhury wrote in the letter.

The senior Congress leader urged Modi to secure justice for Khan, who had been in jail since January.

"Even international forums such as the United Nations have been persuading you for the release of Kafeel Khan.

Sir, I firmly believe that 'Ramraj' is simply antithetical to injustice, discrimination and retribution," the Lok Sabha MP from Berhampore said.

Khan was arrested at Mumbai airport on January 29 in connection with a case registered at Aligarh's Civil Lines police station under section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code.

The section relates to enmity promotion between groups over religion and other differences.

On February 10, Khan was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court but not immediately released by Mathura Jail authorities.

His family then moved the court in Aligarh, claiming contempt of the HC order. The court issued a fresh release order on February 13.

But before it could be executed, the authorities invoked the National Security Act against him.

The paediatrician had earlier faced arrest following the deaths of over 60 children in a week at a government hospital in UP's Gorakhpur in 2017. About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges.
Gomez said that if the counting were to be stopped now, for example, it probably would result in his state picking up additional congressional seats. Gomez, who studied census history in graduate school, said its also possible that by rushing the data collection, the census could also undercount rural areas where the president has a steadfast base of support.
Albert Einstein said, Stay away from negative people. They have a problem for every solution. We all know people who have a problem for every solution. This is what can oftentimes kill a communitys efforts to move forward. Just as perfect can be the enemy of great, at times it is wise to settle for good, if it moves you in the direction of great.

For a community to achieve greater success and become what it is capable of becoming, they dont need to always add new initiatives. They may need to remove a few projects. Here are a few things a community might consider removing in order to be more successful and capable of achieving new heights. Many of these can be kicked to the curb immediately, others take much more effort.

 Eliminate short-term thinking  The most successful communities have ultimate long-term goals and strategies that set their direction. All their short-term thinking then feeds into those long-term goals and strategies. They understand their long-term thinking or goals will determine their short-term thinking and habits. The wrong set of habits are destructive to achieving their goals and objectives. Your thinking and habits shouldnt be something you just do, they must be something you embrace in your community DNA.

 Give up thinking small  Your community must think big. Far too many communities dont have the courage to think big. Historically, the only large successes ever experienced are those derived from big ideas. Too many communities have experienced defeat for so long, they no longer believe in themselves. They create small-minded goals easy to reach and deemed safe, so they arent viewed as failing. This reflects the small mindedness of a community. If you dont believe in your downtown, your defeated attitude is the communitys problem. Successful communities all over the country are proving the defeated attitude is simply a narrow-minded albatross holding communities from gaining greater heights. It has been said, you never make a shot you dont take. Dare to dream and dare to achieve.

 Give up your excuses  Randy Pausch expressed it best when he said, Its not about the cards youre dealt, but how you play the hand. Successful communities understand they are responsible for their success, their failures, their strengths and their weaknesses. While certainly helpful, they learned long ago not to solely rely on the government and other entities to achieve success. They have charted their own course making no excuses, dealing with the economics and winds of change as they arrive. They understand every day is a gift and they make the most of it.

 Give up a fixed mindset  Communities with fixed mindsets might think their futures are pre-determined and cannot be changed. Successful communities know they must invest an immense amount of time, effort and resources in changing traditional mindsets, educating themselves and the pubic with new mindsets, outlooks and skills.

 Give up on the silver bullet  While we all want silver bullets, they are hard to find when it comes to building communities. Revitalizing a downtown, or community for that matter, takes years of painstaking effort. Successful communities understand making small and continuous improvements on a daily, weekly and yearly basis gives them consistent results over time. Dont, however, confuse this slower evolution with the need for an occasional rapid revolution. Every community needs a revitalization revolution now and again to kick start success.

 Give up your perfectionism  As stated above, perfect is the enemy of great. Great is the enemy of good. Understand change and transformation are never clean and clear, it can be very hard and even ugly. Take action knowing that it wont be perfect. Dont fret, keep moving forward and correct along the way. Beware of those naysayers always focused on the negative and the less than perfect initiatives that will pop up  they are a cancer to the community. Nothing is ever perfect, no matter how much you try.

 Most critical, give up on toxic people  As the quote used at the outset of this column reads, toxic people must be ignored and marginalized. You know who they are. They literally have problems for every solution. They create problems, they start or perpetuate rumors, they drag others into the fray and are just plain destructive to communities. They are a cancer to any forward-thinking community. If you cant convert them to your positive-thinking team, they must be moved to the category of irrelevant. Instead, spend your time with positive people, motivating people, change agents and forward-thinking individuals. Your community will reap the rewards in short order.

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. His email at: john@360MediaAlliance.net.
LOS ANGELES - A former gynecologist who worked for the University of California, Los Angeles pleaded not guilty Monday to sexually assaulting seven patients.

James Heaps, who had previously been charged with assaulting two patients, entered pleas to additional charges for a total of 20 felony counts, according to a statement from the Los Angeles County district attorneys office.

Heaps, 63, was taken into custody and held on $650,000 bail. The charges carry a potential sentence of more than 67 years in prison.

Heaps worked at UCLAs student health centre and UCLA Medical Center. He is accused of sexually assaulting patients between 2011 and 2018.

Heaps retired in 2018 when the university declined to renew his contract.

Heaps also has been sued by women who contend that he improperly groped or fondled them during examinations.
LOS ANGELES  The husband of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey has been charged with pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter members who demonstrated outside the couples home the day before she faced a primary election in March.

The state attorney general filed three misdemeanor charges Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against David Lacey for assault with a firearm for the March 2 incident.

Lacey, 66, pointed a gun at demonstrators who protested outside the couples home before dawn on March 2 and said I will shoot you, according to video of the incident.

Jackie Lacey offered an emotional apology at the time, saying her husband told her he pulled the gun and told protesters to leave.

Lacey's campaign issued a statement Tuesday saying her husband thought they were in danger and was trying to protect them.

The events that took place earlier this year have caused my family immense pain, Lacey said in the statement. My husband acted in fear for my safety after we were subjected to months of harassment that included a death threat no less than a week earlier.

Lacey, the first Black person and first woman to run what is the nation's largest local prosecutor's office, has been targeted for nearly three years by Black Lives Matter protesters, who have held weekly demonstrations outside her office calling for her ouster. The protests were once small, but have numbered in the hundreds and thousands after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

Protesters claim she has failed to hold law enforcement accountable in fatal shootings. She has charged one officer in a fatal on-duty killing, but has declined to file charges in more than 340 other fatal shootings.

Melina Abdullah, who is the victim named in count one of the criminal complaint, declined to comment but said she would hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon before Black Lives Matters weekly Jackie Lacey Must Go protest outside the Hall of Justice.

Lacey faces a runoff in November for her third term. She is being challenged by former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, a longtime police officer and former chief who vows to reform the office.

David Lacey, who is also Black, was an investigative auditor with the DAs office until his 2016 retirement. He was seen in video shot by protesters telling them: I will shoot you. Get off of my porch.

His attorney issued a statement saying they were disappointed that he was charged with a crime, but they wouldn't discuss the facts at this time.

We disagree entirely with their assessment, but we have the utmost faith in the justice system, and we are confident that the correct result will be reached, attorney Samuel Tyre said. My clients human instinct is forever and always to protect his wife and his family and to keep them safe from physical harm.

The charges were first reported by Politico.
Two enormous explosions devastated Beirut's port on Tuesday, leaving at least 73 people dead and thousands injured, shaking distant buildings and spreading panic and chaos across the Lebanese capital. The second blast sent an enormous orange fireball into the sky, immediately followed by a tornado-like shockwave that flattened the port and swept the city, shattering windows kilometres (miles) away. Prime Minister Hassan Diab said that 2,750 tonnes of the agricultural fertiliser ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a portside warehouse had blown up, sparking "a disaster in every sense of the word". Bloodied and dazed wounded people stumbled among the debris, glass shards and burning buildings in central Beirut as the health ministry reported 73 dead and 3,700 injured across wide parts of the country's biggest city. "What happened today will not pass without accountability," said Diab. "Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price." General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim earlier said the "highly explosive material" had been confiscated years earlier and stored in the warehouse, just minutes walk from Beirut's shopping and nightlife districts. The blasts were so massive they shook the entire city and could be heard throughout the small country, and as far away as Nicosia on the eastern Mediterranean island of Cyprus, 240 kilometres (150 miles) away. A soldier at the port, where relatives of the missing scrambled for news of their loved ones, told AFP: "It's a catastrophe inside. There are corpses on the ground. Ambulances are still lifting the dead." "It was like an atomic bomb," said Makrouhie Yerganian, a retired schoolteacher in her mid-70s who has lived near the port for decades. "I've experienced everything, but nothing like this before," even during the country's 1975-1990 civil war, she said. "All the buildings around here have collapsed." Her 91-year-old uncle, who lived in the same building, was wounded in the blast and later died. AFP correspondents across the city saw shop and apartment windows blown out and streets covered with broken glass. Photos posted online even showed damage to the inside of Beirut airport's terminal, some nine kilometres from the explosion. Hospitals already struggling with the country's coronavirus outbreak were overwhelmed by the influx of wounded people and the country's Red Cross called for urgent blood donations. - 'We saw the mushroom' - As the national defence council declared Beirut a disaster zone, Diab appealed to Lebanon's allies to "stand by" the country and "help us treat these deep wounds". Condolences poured in from across the world with Gulf nations, the United States and even Lebanon's arch foe Israel offering to send aid. AFP video footage showed areas of near-complete devastation, with cars flipped onto their roofs like children's toys, warehouses flattened and survivors drenched from head to toe in their own blood. "We heard an explosion, then we saw the mushroom," said a Beirut resident who witnessed the second deafening explosion from her balcony in the city's Mansourieh district. "The force of the blast threw us backwards into the apartment." An AFP correspondent at the scene minutes after said every shop in the Hamra commercial district had sustained damage, with entire storefronts destroyed and many cars wrecked. A huge blaze sent up black smoke from the port area, as helicopters dumped water on burning buildings. A ship moored off the port was on fire, and the blasts also damaged a vessel deployed with United Nations peacekeeping force UNIFIL and injured some of its personnel. - 'Like an earthquake' - Hundreds immediately shared their shock and grief on social media. "Buildings are shaking," tweeted one resident, while another wrote: "An enormous, deafening explosion just engulfed Beirut. Heard it from miles away." Online footage from a Lebanese newspaper office showed blown out windows, scattered furniture and demolished interior panelling. The explosions hit a country already reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades which has left nearly half of the population in poverty, as well as from the coronavirus pandemic. Lebanon's economy has collapsed in recent months, with the local currency plummeting, businesses closing en masse and poverty soaring at the same alarming rate as unemployment. Charity Save the Children said "the incident could not have occurred at a worse time". The explosions came three days before a UN tribunal's verdict on the murder of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, who was killed in a huge 2005 truck bomb attack. Four alleged members of the Shiite Muslim movement Hezbollah are on trial in absentia at the court in the Netherlands over the huge Beirut bombing that killed Sunni billionaire Hariri and 21 other people. A woman in the city centre Tuesday told AFP the blast "felt like an earthquake" and "bigger than the explosion in the assassination of Rafic Hariri in 2005". ho-bek-rh-lar/fz A helicopter pours water onto the fire at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut A wounded man walks near the scene of the explosion in Beirut An injured man lies at the back of a car before being rushed away from the scene of a massive explosion at the port The blast in Beirut's port area sent a huge plume of smoke into the sky The blast which rattled entire buildings was felt across the city and far beyond The huge numbers of wounded quickly overwhelmed Beirut's hospitals
China Daily says pressure on ByteDance to sell US operations to Microsoft or risk closure amounts to a smash and grab.

China will not accept the United States theft of a Chinese technology company, state media said, adding that Beijing has ways to retaliate against Washingtons pressure on Chinese-owned app, TikTok.

The Trump administrations pressuring of ByteDance, TikToks parent company in China, to sell its US operations to Microsoft or risk closure amounts to a smash and grab, the state-run China Daily newspaper wrote in an editorial on Tuesday.

While Beijing will likely be cautious in imposing equivalent restrictions on US companies in China, it has plenty of ways to retaliate, the paper said.

Microsoft said on Monday it was in discussions with ByteDance to buy parts of TikTok after US President Donald Trump gave the companies 45 days to reach a deal.

Trump has threatened to ban TikTok in the US on national security grounds by September 15, whether or not a deal with Microsoft is reached.

TikTok has as many as one billion worldwide users, who make quirky 60-second videos with its smartphone app.





Outright bullying

Also on Tuesday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin accused the US of bullying over TikTok, accusing the Trump administration of trying to financially benefit from the deal.

This goes against the principles of the market economy and the [World Trade Organizations] principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination, Wang said. Its outright bullying.

The popular app has been under formal investigation on US national security grounds, because it collects large amounts of personal data on users and is legally bound to share it with authorities in Beijing if they demand it.

Its got to be an American company its got to be owned here, Trump said on Monday. We dont want to have any problem with security.

Beijing slammed the move as political manipulation.

Wang told a regular press briefing Tuesday: The US, without providing any evidence, has been using an abused concept of national security unjustifiably suppressing certain non-US companies, said Wang.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said over the weekend that Washington may take action shortly against TikTok and other Chinese companies believed to share data with the Chinese government.

ByteDance said in a statement on Monday it was still committed to being a global company despite complex and unimaginable difficulties, including the tense international political environment.

Hostile actions

Meanwhile, China on Tuesday said it would retaliate if Washington continues what it described as hostile actions against Chinese journalists based in the US.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the ministry understands that no Chinese journalist in the US have had their application for a visa renewal approved since Washington in May moved to limit their visas to 90 days with an option for an extension.

On Monday, Wang accused the US of monitoring, harassing and willfully detaining Chinese students and researchers in the US.

The US actions have seriously violated the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese citizens and severely disrupted the normal cultural and personnel exchanges between China and the US, which amounts to outright political persecution, Wang said.
MUMBAI: Maharashtra Environment Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday (August 4) broke his silence on allegations of his involvement in Sushant Singh Rajput death case and dismissing all reports calling it 'dirty politics'.

The Shiv Sena leader and son of Maharashtra Chief Minister issued a statement in Marathi on Tuesday, rubbishing reports and theories that have been doing the round on social media linking him to actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

Calling the allegations against him as 'baseless', the minister said he is unnecessarily being targeted by opposition parties. He said if anyone has evidence of any charges, then it should be handed over to Maharashtra Police as they are investigating the matter.

He took a potshot at the opposition saying this was coming as political despair since 'some could not digest the success of efforts put in by the ruling Maharashtra government in bringing the CVOID-19 pandemic under control.'

He also admitted that he shares a good bond with many Bollywood celebrities, which he pointed out, is not a crime.

He said the opposition party is doing very low-level politics and the Thackeray family won't stay quite on it.
THREE Solidarity-People Before Profit TDs have complained to the Ceann Comhairle after comments from Fianna Fail TD Marc MacSharry about public sector workers.

Deputy MacSharry last week defended comments he made stating there are many elements in the public service who are using this situation as cover to lie on the couch and watch box sets, returning an odd call here and there and doing the maximum of the minimum to tick over during this period.

The three TDs have asked the Ceann to raise the issue at the Dail procedures committee, alleging Mr MacSharrys comments amount to defamation of public servants.

Richard Boyd Barrett TD said the Fianna Fail TDs comments amounted to targeted harassment of workers who had kept the State running through the pandemic.

Deputy Brid Smith said many public sector workers were hurt by the comments given the sacrifice and efforts they had made over recent months.

Its a scurrilous and ignorant remark that will result in many workers facing further abuse for failures that have nothing to do with them.

Deputy Gino Kenny added: If there are failures in the provision of public services the fault lies with this government and past governments who implemented cuts in funding, not with workers who have kept this state functioning through the crisis.
Attacks, Abuses On the Rise in Africa's Sahel Region

By Anita Powell August 03, 2020

While global attention remains centered on the coronavirus, a U.S. special envoy is sounding the alarm about crises in Africa's Sahel region, especially the political unrest in Mali, and the growing number of alleged human rights violations and abuses in the troubled region.

Amid the world focus on the coronavirus pandemic, another force is bringing death and destruction to the vast, arid region of Africa known as the Sahel. J. Peter Pham, the U.S. top envoy to the region, says recent developments there are of great concern.

"In the last quarter, by our count  that's the quarter ended June 30th  there were 270 attacks by extremists in Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. That number represents an almost 40 percent increase from a year earlier. So that's significant. That's worrisome as a trend," he said.

U.N. peacekeepers and U.S. forces have worked for several years on a multibillion-dollar peacekeeping mission in the region, though the Trump administration has publicly questioned the value of the costly mission and pushed to cut budgets and troops numbers in Africa.

Pham says this is fundamentally a governance problem, not a military one.

"Let's face it: if we really examine the crisis in the Sahel, at the end of the day, it's a crisis in state legitimacy, in governance, in providing basic goods and services and inclusion to various populations. As a result of this, I'm particularly concerned about recent human rights abuses which have been reported, especially the ones reported out of Burkina Faso by Human Rights Watch. These abuses have to stop, because not only are they morally and ethically wrong, but they're also counterproductive in the fight against extremism by delegitimizing governments, alienating people from them."

It is, military officials acknowledge, a tough battle for them to shoulder. U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Marcus Hicks, the head of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, told VOA in 2018 "we are not winning" in the fight to stamp out violent extremism, led by several al-Qaida-linked groups, in the region.

Pham noted weak institutions, like Mali's challenged government, have also sparked public protests that may lead to further instability

VOA asked Pham: are we winning in the Sahel?

"It depends on what time horizon you use and what definition you use for winning," he said. "If it's scoring specific successes, I think what our French partners manage to do with U.S. cooperation and support, with the elimination of the emir of al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, Abdelmalek Droukdel, a month or so ago, that certainly was a success. On the other hand, the expansion of insecurity in places like Burkina Faso, in the middle belt of Mali, certainly cannot be counted a success. So I think there are specific successes in this long fight. At the same time, there are ongoing challenges and and difficulties. So I think it's a matter of accounting and how one looks at that."

There's no straight answer, he said, because this is not a straightforward military problem with conventional forces on the battlefield. This is, he said, a situation that requires attention, patience and diplomacy.

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Someone leaked police body cam footage of George Floyds arrest to the Daily Mail. There are two videos, embedded below. Make of them what you will.

To me, what is most striking is how crazy Floyd was from the beginning. The officers tried to get him out of the vehicle in which he was parked and into their squad car so they could take him to a police station and book him for passing a counterfeit bill. This proved impossible. Floyd, in a highly emotional state, was yelling, Dont shoot me! Dont shoot me! when there was no prospect of his being shot.

Floyd wouldnt get into the squad car, saying he was claustrophobic. The officers struggled with him for around ten minutes, but were never able to get him securely inside the squad car. At one point he tumbled out the opposite door of the squad car, onto the street. The officers, believing correctly that Floyd was high on drugs, called for an ambulance.

Floyd complained of being unable to breathe long before anyone knelt on his neck. (Shortness of breath is a symptom of fentanyl overdose.) He apparently preferred being on the ground to being inside the squad car. One of his companions, his ex according to the Daily Mail, made a finger-twirling-next-to-the-temple gesture to explain his mental state.

A more likely explanation is drugs. The toxicology report that was part of his autopsy found that Floyd had 11 ng/mL of fentanyl in his blood, along with other drugs and metabolites. Published literature (based on a modest Google search) finds lethal overdoses of fentanyl down to 5 ng/mL, less than half the concentration in Floyds blood. If I am misreading the literature, I am happy to be corrected.

Pretty much everyone who watches the famous video thinks he sees Floyd dying on account of a police officer kneeling on his neck. But Floyds autopsy found no evidence of physical trauma in the neck area, and documented no other signs of death by asphyxiation. It may be that what we are actually seeing in the video is one of tens of thousands of deaths due to opioid overdose. Or it may be that Floyd died later, on the way to a hospital.

I am not a doctor and have no opinion on Floyds cause of death, but if the state actually tries to convict Derek Chauvin of homicidewhich remains to be seenthe public will finally get a look at medical testimony as to what happened. But by then it will be much too late to matter.

Here are the videos. As I said, make of them what you will:
The army on Tuesday set August 31 as the deadline for short-service commissioned (SSC) women officers to submit their applications for permanent commission (PC), days after the government issued a formal order granting them PC following a Supreme Court verdict.

Detailed administrative instructions have been issued to all affected women officers giving out guidelines for submission of applications for consideration by a selection board, an army spokesperson said. He said the Army headquarters was in the process of convening a special selection board for screening women officers for PC.

Specimen formats and detailed checklists have been included in the administrative instructions in order to facilitate correct documentation, he added.

The governments July 23 order specified grant of PC to women officers in 10 streams --- Army Air Defence (AAD), Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers (EME), Army Service Corps (ASC), Army Ordnance Corps (AOC), and Intelligence Corps in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate General (JAG) and Army Educational Corps (AEC).

The selection board will be held after the receipt and verification of applications.

The Supreme Court in February ruled that women should be considered for command roles and that all women officers are entitled to PC. It asked the army to give them PC within three months in a major boost to gender parity.

The Centre got a one-month extension on July 7 to implement the Supreme Courts verdict after it moved an application before the apex court seeking the extension of the deadline by another six months citing the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown imposed to check its spread from March 25.

The Supreme Courts judgment was hailed for creating a new equality paradigm in the armed forces. It upheld a 2010 Delhi high court verdict. The Supreme Court ruled that women officers, who joined the Indian Army through SSC, are entitled to permanent commission even if they have more than 14 years of service.
The CEO of Wingara AG Limited (ASX:WNR) is Gavin Xing, and this article examines the executive's compensation against the backdrop of overall company performance. This analysis will also look to assess whether the CEO is appropriately paid, considering recent earnings growth and investor returns for Wingara.

See our latest analysis for Wingara

Comparing Wingara AG Limited's CEO Compensation With the industry

At the time of writing, our data shows that Wingara AG Limited has a market capitalization of AU$27m, and reported total annual CEO compensation of AU$398k for the year to March 2020. We note that's an increase of 27% above last year. We note that the salary portion, which stands at AU$266.5k constitutes the majority of total compensation received by the CEO.

On comparing similar-sized companies in the industry with market capitalizations below AU$279m, we found that the median total CEO compensation was AU$468k. From this we gather that Gavin Xing is paid around the median for CEOs in the industry. Furthermore, Gavin Xing directly owns AU$2.6m worth of shares in the company, implying that they are deeply invested in the company's success.

Component 2020 2019 Proportion (2020) Salary AU$267k AU$275k 67% Other AU$131k AU$39k 33% Total Compensation AU$398k AU$314k 100%

Speaking on an industry level, nearly 57% of total compensation represents salary, while the remainder of 43% is other remuneration. Wingara is paying a higher share of its remuneration through a salary in comparison to the overall industry. If salary dominates total compensation, it suggests that CEO compensation is leaning less towards the variable component, which is usually linked with performance.

Wingara AG Limited's Growth

Wingara AG Limited's earnings per share (EPS) grew 58% per year over the last three years. Its revenue is up 20% over the last year.

This demonstrates that the company has been improving recently and is good news for the shareholders. It's also good to see decent revenue growth in the last year, suggesting the business is healthy and growing. While we don't have analyst forecasts for the company, shareholders might want to examine this detailed historical graph of earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Story continues

Has Wingara AG Limited Been A Good Investment?

Given the total shareholder loss of 14% over three years, many shareholders in Wingara AG Limited are probably rather dissatisfied, to say the least. So shareholders would probably want the company to be lessto generous with CEO compensation.

In Summary...

As we touched on above, Wingara AG Limited is currently paying a compensation that's close to the median pay for CEOs of companies belonging to the same industry and with similar market capitalizations. Meanwhile, shareholder returns paint a sorry picture for the company, finishing in the red over the last three years. But earnings growth is moving in a favorable direction, certainly a positive sign. It's tough for us to say CEO compensation is too generous when earnings growth is positive, but negative investor returns will irk shareholders and reduce any chances of a raise.

It is always advisable to analyse CEO pay, along with performing a thorough analysis of the company's key performance areas. That's why we did our research, and identified 3 warning signs for Wingara (of which 1 shouldn't be ignored!) that you should know about in order to have a holistic understanding of the stock.

Important note: Wingara 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.
Police in Boston are investigating a stabbing near a Roxbury playground that left one man dead, authorities said.

Just after midnight on Tuesday, officers responded to a report of a person being stabbed at 1024 Massachusetts Ave. The address is the location of Clifford Playground in Roxbury.

Upon arrival officers found a man suffering from stab wounds, police said. He was taken to local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police didnt provide any information on the identity of the victim.

Police continue to investigation the incident and will provide updates when they become available.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to contact the Boston Police Department.
ArcelorMittal, the worlds second largest steel producer, laid off 877 workers last Saturday at its Indiana Harbor Mill in East Chicago in northwest Indiana. Seven hundred seventy-four workers will be laid off indefinitely, and 103 salaried employees will be laid off permanently.

ArcelorMittal Steel Mill, East Chicago, Indiana (Credit: Flickr.com/David Wilson)

Also on Saturday, 353 operations and 72 maintenance employees were laid off at ArcelorMittals Eggers Avenue plant in Cleveland, Ohio. In a Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) notice sent last Saturday to the state of Indiana, ArcelorMittal Indiana Harbor Vice President and General Manager Wendell Carter said, Many of the companys customers closed their operations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite their reopenings, business conditions continue to be depressed during the pandemic, with no significant improvement in demand for the products we manufacture foreseen in the near term. This has had a direct impact on our business.

The layoffs in Indiana and Ohio are part of an ongoing global assault on steelworkers jobs and working conditions. In early June, workers at ArcelorMittals plant in Ilva, Italy, in the countrys impoverished south, struck in opposition to plans to slash 5,000 jobs.

At the same time, the company has forced workers to labor under unsafe conditions in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, jeopardizing the health and lives of workers and their families. At ArcelorMittals plant in the Mexican port city of Lazaro Cardenas, at least 21 workers have died from COVID-19.

While the company has spent years enriching its investors via stock buybacks and dividends, it has sought to justify its attacks on workers by pointing to its recent disastrous financial performance. The company announced last week a net loss of $559 million for the April-June quarter, worsening substantially from last years second quarter net loss of $447 million. Sales plummeted to $11 billion, compared to last years second quarter earnings of $19.3 billion. For the first half of 2020, sales decreased by 32.9 percent to $25.8 billion when compared with $38.5 billion for the first half of 2019, primarily due to lower steel shipments, which declined 23 percent from last years first half.

Despite the drop in revenue and income, the company has managed to pay down debt, with net debt down to $7.8 billion at the end of June.

The forced and reckless reopening of the economy in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic has spurred steel production more recently, driven in part by the resumption of production by auto plants. Integrated steel mills rely on auto production for about half their demand, and ArcelorMittals plants in northwest Indiana feed the nearby Ford Chicago Assembly Plant, which reopened in mid-May.

Along with the restart of production, backed by both the Trump administration and Democratic Party state governors, the cheap-money policies of the Federal Reserve and the transfer of trillions to banks and corporations via the CARES Act have massively reinflated the stock market. ArcelorMittals share price has rebounded 43 percent since late March.

With demand for steel ticking back up, the companies have moved recently to reopen partially idled plants. US Steel announced last month it would restart another blast furnace at its Gary Works in Indiana to meet increased demand in part due to the reopening of the Fords Chicago Assembly Plant, and yesterday, ArcelorMittal announced it would restart its #4 blast furnace at Indiana Harbor.

Nevertheless, the steelmakers are determined to use the economic crisis to implement even more painful attacks on jobs and working conditions, adding to a yearslong assault on workers.

Last week, ArcelorMittals Chief Executive Officer Lakshmi Mittal indicated further structural changes, i.e., cost cuts, were being considered, saying in the second quarter earnings statement, There are now signs of activity picking up, especially in regions where lockdowns have ended, but clearly it is prudent to remain cautious about the outlook. Against this context, we are examining what structural changes might be required to ensure the company is well configured to prosper in the coming years as demand recovers.

The layoffs in Indiana and Ohio will have a devastating effect on local communities. Before the pandemic and economic crisis, 36 percent of Gary, Indianas residents, which sits to the east of East Chicago, lived below the official poverty threshold of $24,600 for a family of four as of 2017. The Food Bank of Northwest Indiana recently reported that it distributed about 1.1 million pounds of food in June alone. In 2019, the food bank distributed 5.1 million pounds of food for the entire year.

ArcelorMittal is the second-largest steel producer in the world, surpassed this year by Chinas Baowu, and the largest in the United States. According to ArcelorMittal USA, it employs approximately 18,000 workers at 27 operations in the United States.

Of these 18,000, some 15,000 hourly production, maintenance, office and technical are members of the United Steelworkers union (USW), which has worked hand in hand with companies for decades to shutter steel mills, decimate jobs and force through concessions agreements.

Since the 1980s, the USW has rammed through contracts which have gutted the living standards of steelworkers and undermined their safety. In 2018, the union sought to suppress the widespread opposition to further givebacks in contract negotiations that year, ignoring unanimous strike votes at ArcelorMittal and US Steel, while seeking to channel anger behind reactionary nationalism and anti-Chinese chauvinism.

The recent and tragic death of 71-year-old steelworker George Salinas at the Indiana Harbor Mill is the latest outcome of decades of collusion between the union and the company.

The fight for the defense of jobs and safe working conditions requires steelworkers to take matters out of the hands of the pro-corporate USW and form new organizations of struggle, rank-and-file safety committees, linking up with their brothers and sisters throughout the US and around the world.

At plants in Michigan and Ohio, autoworkers have formed rank-and-file safety committees independent of the United Auto Workers union in order to demand protection from the coronavirus and an end to retaliation. As one Toledo Autoworker put it, Workers must stand up and say, Enough is enough, and form rank-and-file committees and link up with auto workers and other sections of workers.

The World Socialist Web Site and Socialist Equality Party will do everything possible to assist steelworkers in forming rank-and-file safety committees. To learn more, contact us today.
Where the former king of Spain, Juan Carlos I, has decided to set up a new home is irrelevant considering the magnitude of the crisis he has left for the current monarch and Spain as a whole.

The King Emeritus had been keeping an extremely low profile since his abdication in 2014 but whether he is in Spain or not really does not solve the problem his son, King Felipe now faces.

Yesterday, Spanish politicians and citizens reacted to the news that the former king who brought democracy back to Spain after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco was going into self-imposed exile.

For a monarch who was once idolised and much loved by the majority of Spaniards for having overseen the transition, his fall from grace has come as a huge blow to Spain and divided the country. On the one hand, his decision to leave the country, has upset monarchists and the right wing, on the other it has given the far left and republicans more ammunition for their campaign for a referendum to be held about the future of the monarchy in Spain.

One royal watcher said yesterday that she does not think a referendum will happen because King Felipe is well-liked and a good leader while separating himself from his father. However, King Felipe is not the only person with a say - his fathers activities are already being looked into by the courts in Spain, UK and Switzerland, never mind what conclusions the Spanish come to.
C urrent Covid-19 testing and contact tracing is inadequate to prevent a second wave of the virus after schools reopen, scientists have warned.

The NHS Test and Trace programme needs to be scaled up in order to reopen schools safely, researchers have warned in a new study.

The modelling study - which simulates various scenarios - examined the possible implications of schools reopening in the UK coupled with broader reopening of society, such as more parents returning to the workplace and increased socialising within the community.

The authors found that "with increased levels of testing... and effective contact tracing and isolation, an epidemic rebound might be prevented".

But in a worst-case scenario, a second wave could be 2.3 times higher than the first, according to the study published in The Lancet Child And Adolescent Health.

UK Schools begin to reopen during Coronavirus lockdown ease 1 /28 UK Schools begin to reopen during Coronavirus lockdown ease Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures PA Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Harris Academy Primary School in Croydon Jeremy Selwyn Parents and children arrive at Watlington Primary School as some schools re-open Reuters Lessons with reduced class sizes at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures PA Parents and children arrive at Watlington Primary School as some schools re-open Reuters Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk PA Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures. PA Parents drop off children at Queen's Hill Primary School, Costessey, Norfolk, as pupils in Reception, Year 1 and Year 6, begin to return to school as part of a wider easing of lockdown measures. PA

It comes after one scientist suggested that pubs may need to shut to allow schools to reopen.

Professor Graham Medley told the BBC on Sunday there may need to be a "trade-off", with the reopening of schools seen as a "priority" for children's wellbeing.

In the new study, researchers from UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) simulated what would happen in an "optimistic" scenario assuming 68 per cent of contacts of people who tested positive could be traced. In the more pessimistic scenario the system had 40 per cent coverage.

But one of the authors, Chris Bonell, professor of public health sociology at LSHTM, said the current testing system has "about 50 per cent coverage".

"Our findings suggests that it might be possible [to avoid] a secondary epidemic wave in the UK, if enough people with symptomatic infection can be diagnosed and their contacts traced and effectively isolated," he said.

"Reopening schools fully in September, alongside reopening workplaces in society, without an effective test, trace, isolating (TTI) strategy could result in a second wave of infections between two and 2.3 times the size of the original wave.

"This is a scenario with model, not a prediction of what is going to happen. It all depends on the other measures and the level of TTI coverage.

"Currently, TTI is not achieving the levels that we modelled. Looking at the NHS reports from the TTI system, it looks like it's about 50 per cent coverage."

He added: "The most recent data [shows] about 81 per cent of positives are interviewed, about 81 per cent of those report contacts and about 75 per cent of those contacts are reached so overall that equates to coverage of 50 per cent.

"It looks from the ONS data like there are about 4,200 new infections per day. And it looks like from the testing data there are about 4,200 testing positive per week. So it looks like about one in seven. So, that's not good enough, basically."

But he said the coverage rates were following an "upward trend".

The authors said that without appropriate levels of testing and contact tracing, reopening of schools together with gradual relaxing of the lockdown measures are "likely to induce a second wave that would peak in December 2020 if schools open full-time in September".

The model assumes that around 70 per cent of people would return to workplaces once their children returned to school and up to a 90 per cent increase of mixing within the community with schools reopening.

Dr Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, senior research fellow and lecturer in mathematical modelling, at the Institute of Epidemiology and Health Care, UCL, added: "Our result show that reopening schools fully in September will not lead to a second wave if accompanied by a comprehensive test, trace and isolate strategy."

Russell Viner, professor of adolescent health at UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, added: "This is model data but the real data is showing very little transmission in schools."

The research from Australia, also published in the same journal, examined real world data from the first wave of Covid-19 in New South Wales.

The data from January to April examined lab-confirmed Covid-19 cases in educational settings.

Researchers investigated onwards transmission.

Data from 15 schools and 10 nurseries showed that although 27 children or teachers went to school or nursery while infectious, only an additional 18 people later became infected.

The authors concluded: "Children and teachers did not contribute significantly to Covid-19 transmission via attendance in educational settings".

A Government spokesman said: "Plans have been put in place to ensure schools can re-open safely. Local health officials, using the latest data, will able to determine the best action to take to help curb the spread of the virus should there be a rise in cases."
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Mawson Resources Limited ("Mawson" or "the Company") (TSX:MAW)(Frankfurt:MXR)(OTC Pink:MWSNF) announces that it has changed its name to Mawson Gold Limited and that effective August 6, 2020, the Company will commence trading under its new name on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the same stock symbol. The CUSIP number assigned to the Company's shares following the name change is 577789100 and ISIN CA5777891006.

Michael Hudson, CEO, states, "After 10 years of focusing on gold exploration in Finland, and more recently Australia, the name change to Mawson Gold better reflects and brands our core business. Shareholders can anticipate results from drill programs from three globally significant precious-metal terrains (Finland and both the Victorian Goldfields and Mt Isa in Australia), plus a resource upgrade in Finland, during the remainder of the 2020 year."

In Finland, the 100% Rajapalot gold-cobalt exploration project is the Company's flagship property, located just south of the Arctic Circle in Finnish Lapland where the Company has made a significant greenfields discovery:

In late 2018, a pit and underground maiden Constrained Inferred Mineral Resource of 424,000 ounces of gold at 3.1 g/t AuEq (4.3 million tonnes at 2.3 g/t Au, 430 ppm Co) at 0.37 g/t AuEq cut-off open pit and 2 g/t AuEq underground was calculated.

Better drill holes drilled this year after the 2018 resource include drill hole PAL0222 8.2 metres @ 19.1g/t gold and 1,572ppm cobalt and PAL0228 7.0 metres @ 17.0g/t gold and 2,168ppm cobalt;

Metallurgically, gold is free milling which augers well for a conventional and simple flow sheet;

A resource update is planned during Q3 2020 and the project is on a runway towards further resource expansion with only 5% of the mineralized host horizon tested within a 100 square kilometre area;

Drill targets for the program are well constrained, given the continuity of the linear high-grade gold mineralization within electromagnetic ("EM") conductors;

Fixed loop EM surveys are ongoing and will aid in defining further blind mineralized bodies. Drilling with one drill rig will recommence in September. A 20 kilometre, five drill rig resource expansion and definition program is planned from December 2020.

In the Victorian goldfields of Australia:

The Company owns or is joint venturing into three high-grade, Fosterville-style (shallow-orogenic epizonal) exploration projects with numerous untested historic mines.

Mawson holds the right of first refusal on largest contiguous land package in the State of Victoria with 3,600 sq km of high priority exploration ground.

The Redcastle project, where Mawson is earning 70% interest, is one of the most significant historic epizonal goldfields in the state, with high-grades and common visible gold in a quartz (+/- stibnite association); The first mined of three historic central Victorian goldfields (ca. 1859). Mining at the nearby Costerfield and Fosterville began later in ca. 1860s and 1890s respectively; Extremely high gold grades were mined over a 4.5 x 7 square kilometre area containing over 24 historic mining areas that extend over a combined 17 kilometres of combined high-grade vein strike; The Welcome Group of mines, on the western margin of Redcastle, were exploited over 2 kilometres strike length from 1859-1865, down to a maximum depth of 125 metres and extracted 20,583 oz @ 254.6 g/t gold ;

Mawson's 100% owned Sunday Creek project, hosts historic epizonal gold mines over greater than an 11 kilometre trend. Prior drilling has tested only 800 metres of this trend to an average of 80 metres depth. Selected drill results include: CRC013: 21 metres @ 4.8 g/t gold from 9 metres including 2 metres @ 28.8 g/t gold from 15 metres, and; VCRC022: 8 metres @ 11.3 g/t gold from 66 metres including 2 metres @ 40.3 g/t gold from 70 metres; Trenching has also revealed broad low-grade halos to higher grade mineralization with one surface trench returning 166 metres @ 0.9 g/t gold ;

Mawson has commenced a detailed geophysics program at Redcastle, and will undertake 5,000 metres of diamond drilling at both the Sunday Creek and Redcastle projects in the Victorian Goldfields, commencing from mid/late August.

In the Mt Isa South-East project in Queensland, Australia:

While the Company remains focussed in Finland and Victoria for gold, over the last 3 years Mawson's strategy has been to acquire district-scale areas undercover and along strike from large mines. The Company has built a significant position of 483 square kilometres of granted exploration licences in the Cloncurry district of Mt Isa, over a combined 60 kilometres of strike, and is surrounded by South32 Ltd and Sandfire Resources Ltd;

Mawson will receive $200,000 funding under the Queensland Government's Collaborative Exploration Initiative (CEI) to fund drilling the F11 target, which is strike-parallel to South32 Ltd's Cannington silver-lead mine, the ninth largest silver producer in the world with 12.3 Moz produced in 2019. At its prime in the early 2000s Cannington was the world's largest single silver producer, and represented about 6% of the world's primary silver production. Deposit styles sought at F11 include both Cannington silver-zinc (Broken-Hill type) and iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG);

The Mt Isa area is one of the most metal-endowed areas of the world, and contains 5% of the world's silver resources, 1.7% of the world's copper resources, 21.2% of the world's lead resources and 11% of the world's zinc resources, within numerous world-class mines. Most of these mines were discovered within outcrop or subcrop areas.

Technical and Environmental Background

Michael Hudson, Chairman and CEO for the Company, is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects and has prepared or reviewed the preparation of the scientific and technical information in this press release.

None of the drill data on the Company's projects in the Victorian goldfields in Australia have been independently verified at this time. These historical data have not been verified by Mawson and are quoted for information purposes only. Assay techniques for gold and antimony are unknown at this stage.

An independent National Instrument 43-101 Technical Report (the "NI 43-101 Technical Report") on the Mineral Resource Estimate for the Raja and Palokas Prospects, at the 100% owned Rajapalot Project in Finland, , in support of the Company's news release dated December 17, 2018 was authorized by Mr. Rod Webster of AMC Consultants Pty Ltd ("AMC") of Melbourne, Australia, and Dr. Kurt Simon Forrester of Arn Perspective of Surrey, England. Each of Mr. Webster and Dr. Forrester are independent "qualified persons" as defined by National Instrument 43-101. The NI 43-101 Technical Report may be found on the Company's website at http://mawsonresources.com/assets/docs/reports/2020-02-20-tra-raja.pdf or under the Company's profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. For the 2018 resource, the gold equivalent ("AuEq") value was calculated using averaged prices of the time, resulting in the following formula: AuEq g/t = Au g/t + (Co ppm/608) with assumed prices of Co $30/lb; and Au $1,250/oz. AuEq varies with Au and Co prices.

About Mawson Resources Limited (TSX:MAW, FRANKFURT:MXR, PINKSHEETS:MWSNF)

Mawson Resources Limited is a gold exploration and development company. Mawson has distinguished itself as a leading exploration company with a focus on the flagship Rajapalot gold-cobalt project in Finland and its Victorian gold properties in Australia.

On behalf of the Board,





"Michael Hudson"

Michael Hudson, Chairman & CEO Further Information

www.mawsonresources.com

1305 - 1090 West Georgia St., Vancouver, BC, V6E 3V7

Mariana Bermudez (Canada), Corporate Secretary, +1 (604) 685 9316, info@mawsonresources.com



Forward-Looking Statement

This news release contains forward-looking statements or forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws (collectively, "forward-looking statements"). All statements herein, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. Although Mawson believes that such statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as: believe, expect, anticipate, intend, estimate, postulate, and similar expressions, or are those, which, by their nature, refer to future events. Mawson cautions investors that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results or performance, and that actual results may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, including, but not limited to, timing of the updated resource on the Company's Finnish projects, the Company's expectations and timing of the resource expansion and definition program at Rajapalot, Finland, timing and successful completion of the geophysics and drill programs planned at Redcastle and Sunday Creek, capital and other costs varying significantly from estimates, changes in world metal markets, changes in equity markets, the potential impact of epidemics, pandemics or other public health crises, including the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus known as COVID-19 on the Company's business, planned drill programs and results varying from expectations, delays in obtaining results, equipment failure, unexpected geological conditions, local community relations, dealings with non-governmental organizations, delays in operations due to permit grants, environmental and safety risks, and other risks and uncertainties disclosed under the heading "Risk Factors" in Mawson's most recent Annual Information Form filed on www.sedar.com. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Mawson disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise.

SOURCE: Mawson Resources Limited

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600288/Mawson-Resources-Changes-Name-to-Mawson-Gold
MBABANE  The country has recorded two new COVID-19 related deaths, bringing the total to 45 in the country.

The deaths were confirmed by the Minister of Health Lizzie Nkosi yesterday.



The first death is that of a 73-year-old man from the Manzini Region who passed away on Sunday while under care in one of the countrys health facilities. While on admission, the deceased, according to the minister, presented with severe respiratory distress and had a known pre-existing illness.



The second death is of a 67-year-old woman from Shiselweni Region who also died while admitted to one of the countrys health facilities after presenting with shortness of breath on July 28, 2020.

Her condition deteriorated quickly, according to the minister. The minister said the woman passed away on the night of admission in isolation ward and her results later came back positive for COVID-19. Meanwhile, the country recorded 63 new cases of COVID-19. This means that the total number of COVID-19 cases in the country is 2838.



Hhohho Region had the highest cases as it recorded 38 followed by Manzini with 15 while Lubombo had six and four from Shiselweni Region.

From the confirmed cases, five presented with severe symptoms while 31 had a mild disease and 27 were asymptomatic.

Both age bracket one to nine and 80 years and above each had a case.



There were 39 new recoveries yesterday, bringing the total to 1238. This means that current active cases are 1 540.
A federal judge in Manhattan ruled late Monday that at least 1,000 disputed ballots in a closely watched Democratic congressional primary should be counted, upending a race that remains undecided six weeks after the election and that has drawn the attention of President Trump and embarrassed the New York City Board of Elections.

The ruling, by Judge Analisa Torres of Federal District Court in Manhattan, may not affect the outcome in the June 23 primary. Representative Carolyn B. Maloney is leading her Democratic challenger, Suraj Patel, by some 3,700 votes, and the judges decision was narrowly drawn to force the counting of only a portion of the 12,500 disputed absentee ballots.

Still, the judges decision is the latest twist in a race that has been used by the president to cast doubts on the efficacy of vote-by-mail systems nationwide, even as he trails in polls in his bid for re-election. The coronavirus outbreak has prompted states across the nation to consider expanding mail-in voting for the general election in November, as public health officials worry that convening at polling locations may spread the disease.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : As China's commitment for disengagement at the border in Eastern Ladakh remains unsatisfactory, India has directed its armed forces to prepare for a long haul, sources said on Tuesday.

The revelation came during a review meeting on Tuesday afternoon in the South Block as deliberation took place over the fifth round of Corps Commander level talks.

The members of the China Study Group along with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met to discuss the results of dialogue during the fifth round of Corps Commander level talks.

Sources said that Chinese disengagement plan at Pangong Lake and Depsang remains "unsatisfactory".

It was also decided that there was no question of diluting India's stand.

"Future strategies for disengagement at the border to be chalked out and till then forces have been told to plan for a long haul," said a source privy to the meeting.

It was also discussed that Beijing has started troop and material build-up in depth areas across the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The fifth round of talks took place between the 14 Corps commander Lt General Harinder Singh and South Xinjiang Military District chief Major General Liu Lin at Moldo on August 2 and it lasted for 10 hours.

India found that the Chinese side has started the build-up in three sectors of the LAC -- western (Ladakh), middle (Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh) and eastern (Sikkim, Arunachal).

Intelligence agencies also alerted that China has also mobilised soldiers near Uttarakhand's Lipulekh Pass, a tri-junction between India, Nepal and China situated atop the Kalapani Valley.

India had urged China to remove forces from Pangong Lake and Gogra where disengagement has not taken place.

At Pangong Lake, China has strengthened their positions between Finger-5 and 8, and India is to take up this move very strongly. The mountain spurs jutting into the lake are referred to as Fingers in military parlance.

The People's Liberation Army (PLA) has refused to pull back eastwards from the 8-km stretch it has occupied from Finger-4 to Finger-8 by building scores of new fortifications there since early May.

The Chinese troops are also in Depsang which continues to block Indian soldiers from going to their traditional patrolling in the region.

The Depsang Plains, a table-top plateau to the north of Galwan, remains a major hotspot due to its strategic location providing access to the logistical hub and airstrip at Daulat Beg Oldie and the critical Karakoram Pass in the north.

Since the PLA troops are not moving back as per consensus, the Indian Army has kicked off the massive logistical exercise for advance winter stocking with rations, specialised clothing, prefabricated shelters, Arctic tents and other equipment to maintain.

India has deployed over 35,000 troops in Ladakh.

China is not complying with the roadmap for a complete pullback that was drawn out during the Corps Commander level meet on July 14.

Till now two rounds of deliberations have taken at Moldo (China) and two in Chushul (India).

The countries are locked in a three-month-long stand-off at multiple points, hitherto unprecedented along the border.

China had changed the status quo on the LAC at various places, moving inside the Indian territories. India has objected to it and is taking up the matter with China at all levels.

The troop disengagement happened only at patrolling point-14 in Galwan Valley, the site of the June 15 clashes, and patrolling point-15 in Hot Springs.

On June 15, as many as 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese soldiers were killed in a violent clash in the Galwan Valley.

(Sumit Kumar Singh can be reached at sumit.k@ians.in)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Thousands of Melbourne workers could miss out on much-needed JobKeeper payments because their employees will be ineligible.

The stage four lockdown that came into effect across the city on Sunday has stopped economic activity in its tracks, with millions of Victorians ordered to stay home for the next six weeks.

AMP Capital chief economist Shane Oliver predicts the shutdown could cost the state $14billion and have a ripple effect on the national economy in three months to September, the Herald Sun reports.

Thousands of Victoria workers are set to be stood down as JobKeeper requirements lock national companies out of the payment scheme. An employee is pictured wiping down an eftpos machine in a Collingwood Coles store in April

As companies close their doors and shed staff, tens of thousands of employees will be forced to go on unemployment benefit JobSeeker - worth almost $400 less a fortnight than the JobKeeper subsidy.

Businesses can only access JobKeeper, a $1500 fortnightly subsidy paid to keep staff on the books, if their turnover has crashed by at least 30 per cent, or 50 per cent for businesses turning over more than $1billion a year.

The criteria has locked out some of the biggest national companies, which will not meet the threshold because their stores in other states continue to operate as normal.

This is the case for Australian conglomerate company Wesfarmers, which employs 25,000 workers across Bunnings, Officeworks, Kmart and Target in Victoria.

Managing director Rob Scott said many of those staff members will be stood down, and would receive two weeks' pay.

After that, Mr Scott said workers would 'need to look at what government subsidies are available'.

'We will be doing everything we can to keep particularly our permanent team members on board,' he told the ABC.

Employers and business groups are calling for the federal government to change the JobKeeper requirements and for the state government to refine its business restrictions.

Wesfarmers Managing Director Rob Scott has warned many of the company's 25,000 workers in Victoria will lose their jobs, and be forced onto JobSeeker payments as the conglomerate does not fulfil the JobKeeper criteria. He is pictured speaking at the Wesfarmer 2018 annual general meeting in Perth

A woman wearing a facemask is seen crossing the road as a large group of police are seen patrolling the streets just hours before the stage four lockdown came into effect on Sunday night

'The Victorian economy is going to go into a coma and a lot of businesses going into a coma are not going to wake up,' Industry Group chief executive Innes Willox told The Australian.

'We are going to see mass unemployment, we are going to see a lot of insolvency, a lot of business closures. Victoria went through the worst of the early 1990s recession. This is a different scenario but the outcome will probably be worse.'

The federal government has maintained the requirements for JobKeeper remain the most fair and effective way to manage the scheme.

Treasurer Josh Frydenberg on Monday said he was open to easing the eligibility criteria.

On Tuesday night, he met with business groups to discuss the support they needed and problems they face amid the crisis.

It is understood the federal government believes national businesses are better equipped to handle localised restrictions.

Unions have also called for JobKeeper to be kept at current levels for Victorian workers beyond September, when it is set to drop from $1500, to $1200.

The second phase of JobKeeper will begin on September 28.

Melburnians have been ordered to remain at home for the next six weeks as the city grapples with a horror rise in COVID-19 cases. A couple wearing facemasks walk as they look at their phones in the CBD during the last hours before the stage four lockdown commenced
SALES

Knoxfield

A food importer and wholesaler has snapped up a large office warehouse on a 7652 sq m site at 1 Kingston Park Court. The deal, struck at a price above $8 million, was negotiated by Richard Wilkinson and Jonathan Mercuri from Colliers International. The record building rate in Melbournes South East suggests the market is still extremely strong, Mr Wilkinson said.

Tullamarine

Investors have swooped on two sub-million dollar industrial sites. Gorman Commercials Andrew Prowse negotiated the sale of Factory 1 at 27Carrick Drive, Tullamarine, for $540,000 on a yield of 5.2 per cent. Another unit, 20 Boileau Street in Keysborough, sold for $533,000 on a yield of 4.9 per cent. Both campaigns received strong, constant interest in particular from SMSF buyers looking for yields, Mr Prowse said.
CHERRY VALLEY, CA - AUGUST 01: A helicopter drops water on the Apple Fire as an excessive heat warning continues on August 1, 2020 in Cherry Valley, California. The fire began shortly before 5 p.m. the previous evening, threatening a large number of homes overnight and forcing thousands to flee before exploding to 12,000 acres this afternoon, mostly climbing the steep wilderness slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains. (Photo : David McNew/Getty Images)

CHERRY VALLEY, CA - AUGUST 01: Flames and heavy smoke approach on a western front of the Apple Fire, consuming brush and forest at a high rate of speed during an excessive heat warning on August 1, 2020 in Cherry Valley, California. The fire began shortly before 5 p.m. the previous evening, threatening a large number of homes overnight and forcing thousands to flee before exploding to 12,000 acres this afternoon, mostly climbing the steep wilderness slopes of the San Bernardino Mountains. (Photo : David McNew/Getty Images)

The vast wildfire raging in the mountains east of Los Angeles, the first major fire in Southern California this year that has prompted the evacuation of about 8,000 people and 2,586 homes, started from a malfunctioning vehicle, according to fire officials on Monday.

CAUSE DETERMINED ON THE APPLE FIRE IN CHERRY VALLEY. Please see the attached news release with information on the cause of the #AppleFire in Cherry Valley. pic.twitter.com/nEjh8CM0ku  CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department (@CALFIRERRU) August 3, 2020





In Riverside County, the fires have ravaged approximately 26,000 acres of dry brush and timber since it started Friday evening, the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection reported.

About 2,500 homes in mountain, canyon, and foothills neighborhoods were given evacuation orders and advisories. Hiking trails and camping grounds in San Gorgonio Wilderness area of San Bernardino National Forest were closed as officials allowed the flames from the Apple Fire to move up to Mount San Gorgonio area. Officials said it was not safe for crews to work in a 3,350-meter steep peak.

California fire officials reported one home, and two outbuildings were destroyed, but there are no reported injuries so far.

The smoke plume was visible for several m and caused poor air quality.

READ: Brazil Records Big Increase in Amazon Forest Fires



Sparked by Malfunctioning Diesel Vehicle

Fire officials on Monday said that the fire was sparked by a malfunctioning diesel vehicle. The vehicle emitted burning carbon from its exhaust system, starting several fires Friday along Oak Glen Road in Cherry Valley.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection urge anyone who may have seen such a vehicle to contact investigators.



Social Distancing Measures in Evacuation Centers

Only five percent of the fires were contained on Monday morning. Adding to the evacuees' stress are the rules against coronavirus in the evacuation centers, American Red Cross John Medina said. Volunteers had to adjust their approach with evacuees at this time that social distancing is required.

Medina said that volunteers used to have ''close contact'' with evacuees to show warmth, love, and care as part of the recovery process during a disaster. In this time of pandemic where social distancing is required, it is difficult to do that when one is six feet away, he added.

But according to Bill Boehm, the pandemic has not stopped people from coming together to help each other. Boehm helped his mother evacuate her home with three horses.

"Everyone seemed to be wearing masks and such, so that type of precaution was still going on," Boehm said.

According to Captain Fernando Herrera of Cal Fire, "Folks not taking advantage of it over concerns about COVID-19, we have measures in place. We planned for these months ahead."

READ ALSO: A River of Black Sludge With Debris Flooding Through Arizona



Hundreds of Homes Saved

Firefighters rescued over a hundred homes this weekend as the California fire department stationed engines in every neighborhood as over 1,300 firefighters stood guard.

Firefighters also had to make an air attack to contain the fires from consuming the communities below but pushed it towards the San Bernardino National Forest.

Joanne Erbe, a resident, said that "the firefighters did a fabulous job keeping everything under control they were on it right away."

Governor Gavin Newsom announced the state got a FEMA grant to pay for the continuing firefighting efforts.

Approximately 8,000 people have been evacuated since Friday.

READ NEXT: AI Predicts Wildfires by Mapping Dryness of Forests
Award-winning novelist John Boyne, inadvertently incorporated items from The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild into his book, but he said he'll leave it as it is.

Writer Dana Schwartz took notice of Reddit's thread talking about John Boyne's novel A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom. The thread shows a photo of one of Boyne's chapters, where the author was talking about dying materials used in dressmaking. That passage included items such as "Hylian shrooms" and "Oktorok eyeball."

In her twitter post, Schwartz noted that if the ingredients mentioned in the book look weird, that's because they were from the said video game. She asked if it was some sort of homage. The book is not a fantasy, she added, but rather a historical drama set in the real world.

Read also: 'Avatar: The Legend of Korra' Making Its Way to Netflix Next Month

Schwartz's theory was that when Boyne googled "how to dye clothes," he found the site with a listing of monster parts. That led Boyne to put the items in his "very serious" book accidentally. The site was Polygon, and it turned out that Google's algorithm incorporated one of this site's guides in the top search results.

That's an excellent job for Polygon's SEO but an embarrassing mistake for Boyne. She said she was embarrassed for Boyne and that this is her nightmare. However, she did find it also very funny.

The author of the award-winning book The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, replied to Schwartz's Twitter post and said that he indeed find it kind of hilarious and would leave the text as it is. He admitted that while he does not remember, he thinks he must have googled it. "Hey, sometimes you just gotta throw your hands up and say, "yup! My bad!"

Check this out: Apple Watch Series 6 will likely sport a range of new health features

Schwartz's advice to novelists is to read the full context of the things they're looking up for their books, and if they make mistakes, at least "let them be hilarious."

About John Boyne

Born in 1971, John Boyne is an Irish author who has written eleven adult novels and six novels for children. His most notable work is The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas, New York Times No.1 Bestseller, selling 10 million copies worldwide. The novel was also adapted for a feature film, a ballet, an opera, and a play.

Other popular novels by Boyne include A Ladder to the Sky and The Heart's Invisible Furies. Boyne is a Hennessy Literary 'Hall of Fame' Award recipient. In 2015, he was awarded by the University of East Anglia with an Honorary Doctorate of Letters.

John Boyne's latest novel is A Traveller at the Gates of Wisdom. An epic story that began in Palestine in AD1 that continued to the present day and beyond to the year 2080. Reviews Revues described the novel as 52 mini novels in one.

Read next: Over 21TB of Source Code of GitHub Programs Have Been Buried in an Underground Vault
Australian banks allowed borrowers owing another $40 billion to pause their repayments in June as an emergency response to the coronavirus, taking the total value of deferred home loans and small business loans to $274 billion.

As banks signalled they would seek to support struggling customers in Victoria, official figures on Tuesday showed that even before the state's second lockdown, the total stock of deferred loans held by banks was accumulating.

The value of home loans and small business loans on deferral hit $274 billion in June. Credit:Paul Jeffers

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) said $40 billion in loans were approved for deferral in June, more than double the $18 billion in loans that exited deferral during the month.

In an attempt to cushion the economy from COVID-19's impact, banks have allowed borrowers thrown into financial distress to pause their loan payments for up to six months, with the possibility to extend the deferral period to 10 months or until March next year.
Inside Hook

One year after its rival network the Hallmark Channel sparked controversy by pulling an ad for Zola that featured a same-sex wedding, Lifetime has announced The Christmas Set Up, its first-ever holiday movie to center around an LGBTQ romance.

As the Hollywood Reporter notes, The movie will follow Hugo, a corporate lawyer in New York who heads home to Milwaukee for the holidays, where his mother arranges for him to run into his secret high school crush, Patrick. As their mutual attraction grows, Hugo is faced with a decision to accept a promotion in London or remain in Milwaukee.
Kenyas hottest pastor recently paid a courtesy call to Kenyas youngest preacher.

The celebrity city preacher, Revered Lucy Natasha, visited the controversial 10-year-old, Evangelist Victor Githu, and offered a helping hand to his family.

The trendy preacher with close to half a million followers on Instagram took to the social media platform Sunday to publicize the visit, revealing some of the goodies her charity initiative, The Natasha Hand of Compassion, delivered to Githu and his family.

Also Read: 10 Things You Did Not Know About Reverend Natasha, Kenyas Hottest Pastor

On top of three months of household shopping, Rev Natasha also blessed Githu with an iPad and cash for his mother to start a business.

What a joy it was blessing Kenyas youngest preacher Victor with an IPad for his online studies and also gave his mother business capital as I visited him in there home. In this season be a blessing to somebody, Natasha wrote.

In another post, she wrote: The Natasha Hand of Compassion team visited Kenyas youngest preacher, Evangelist Victor to be a blessing to him and his family by giving him an IPad, three months of household shopping and business capital for his mother. We are called to touch lives through sharing Gods love. Your sons and daughters will serve God and partake of supernatural favor.

The child pastor shot to fame earlier this year when videos of his sermons started emerging on social media. In an interview with a local blog, Victor revealed that his ministry faced ridicule and he even contemplated suicide at some point.

When I told my mother I wanted to be a preacher, it did not turn out well. We would fight with her and she used to beat me a lot. She was always angry because of what people used to say. I remember we had a shop and she would leave me to work but I would end up closing it and go out to preach. I started preaching when I was five years old. I began talking at seven months and struggled to walk for two years. People started calling me pastor when I was little and that inspired me a lot, he narrated.

I told myself, you lady if you do not want me to preach, it is better I commit suicide but as I was trying to tie the rope I remembered I needed to say goodbye to my brother. My brother could not let me die and he immediately ran to inform my mum.

Check out photos of Lucy Natashas visit to Victor Githu below.
New York, Aug 4 : Parents are the "ultimate decision makers" on whether or not they want to send their children to school, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo said.

"This is between the school districts and the parents," Xinhua news agency quoted Cuomo as saying on Monday.

"The ultimate decision makers are the parents, and I don't hear enough of the parents' concerns and the parents' involvement and the dialogue with the parents." The Governor said he would issue a decision on school reopening this week.

Local districts were required to submit their reopening plans to the state until July 31.

Cuomo said some school districts' plans are indecipherable.

Some don't have enough detail, and some raise questions to be answered.

While members of the State Education Department and other officials are reviewing them, Cuomo stressed the importance that districts create dialogue with parents and families.

He is encouraging school districts to set up conversations with families as soon as possible to address questions or concerns associated with reopening.

As of Monday afternoon, there have been more than 416,000 COVID-19 cases, with over 32,000 deaths, in New York state, the once epicentre of the pandemic in the US.
Building on this information, and on epidemiologic information on the U.S. outbreak from CDC, the FDA's traceback investigation was able to identify Thomson International, Inc. as a likely source of contaminated red onions in the U.S. There have, to date, been 396 reported cases in the United States and 114 in Canada.

United States :

Total Illnesses: 396

Hospitalizations: 59

Illness Onset Date Range: July 12, 2020

States with Cases: AK (6), AZ (14), CA (49), CO (10), FL (3), ID (5), IL (10), IN (2), IA (15), KS (1), KY (1), ME (4), MD (1), MI (23), MN (10), MO (6), MT (33), NE (5), NV (5), NY (4), NC (3), ND (5), OH (7), OR (71), PA (2), SC (1), SD (11), TN (5), TX (1), UT (61), VA (4), WA (2), WI (5), and WY (11).

Canada :

Total Illnesses: 114

Hospitalizations: 16

Illness Onset Date Range: Mid-June and mid-July 2020.

Provinces with Cases: British Columbia (43), Alberta (55), Manitoba (13), Ontario (2), and Prince Edward Island (1).

Thomson International, Inc. of Bakersfield, California is recalling Red, Yellow, White, and Sweet Yellow Onions shipped from May 1, 2020 through the present. The onions are being recalled because they have the potential to be contaminated with Salmonella.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems. Healthy persons infected with Salmonella often experience fever, diarrhea (which may be bloody), nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, infection with Salmonella can result in the organism getting into the bloodstream and producing more severe illnesses such as arterial infections (i.e., infected aneurysms), endocarditis, and arthritis.

Additional Resources:

Marler Clark, The Food Safety Law Firm , is the nation's leading law firm representing victims of Salmonella outbreaks. The Salmonella lawyers of Marler Clark have represented thousands of victims of Salmonella and other foodborne illness outbreaks and have recovered over $750 million for clients. Marler Clark is the only law firm in the nation with a practice focused exclusively on foodborne illness litigation. Our Salmonella attorneys have litigated Salmonella cases stemming from outbreaks traced to a variety of foods, such as cantaloupe, tomatoes, ground turkey, salami, sprouts, cereal, peanut butter, and food served in restaurants. The law firm has brought Salmonella lawsuits against such companies as Cargill, ConAgra, Peanut Corporation of America, Sheetz, Taco Bell, Subway and Wal-Mart.

SOURCE Marler Clark, The Nation's Food Safety Law Firm

Related Links

http://www.marlerclark.com


INTEK programmes prepare the younger generation for the future

As part of the technology development fund founded by INTEKs initial members and IT companies partnering with the institute, the financial aid programme supplies a tuition subsidy for each beneficiary student. Until now, INTEK is the only IT institute in Vietnam executing such an innovative financial scheme.

According to Jennie Hoang Phuong, chief marketing and admissions officer at INTEK, to help students not to worry about any debt burden, the financial aid works as an interest-free loan and students tuition fees are waived during their studies. Especially, once students meet the eligibility criteria of the programme, they also take part in a 30-per-cent off scholarship from the technology development fund.

The programme is part of a revenue sharing agreement, which requires students to secure an amount of VND35 million ($1,500) on a fixed-term deposit account as a goodwill commitment out of the total tuition fee of VND175 million ($7,500).

Afterwards, they will derive appropriation from their monthly income for repayment until the full tuition is paid within four years upon graduation. Upon full repayment, their deposit will be returned to them.

The revenue sharing agreement is available for each student enrolling in a one or two year programme to become a full stack developer or solution architect at INTEK. In 2020, INTEK admits students through assessment programmes called Survival Mode and Blitz Mode. The necessary minimum score required to participate in the programme is 2.75 in both modes.

The Survival Mode is designed for students who do not have any clue about technology. After passing a gamified test orientating themselves in mathematical logic, students are getting a 14-day apprenticeship to take a closer look at the IT working environment. Subsequently, INTEK will let them know whether they have qualified for the training programme.

On the contrary, Blitz Mode is reserved for people with IT backgrounds. Within merely one day, applicants will participate in an IT IQ test, teamwork activities, and an interview  all set like a real recruitment day of IT companies.

Students who are accepted at INTEK have the chance to discover a stimulating educational environment without strict curricula, theories, teachers, classes, and homework. Instead, they will experience new ways of knowledge acquisition through real projects, improve necessary skills for future jobs, and educate themselves with the right mindset required for their advancement.

The scholarship programme aims to lighten the financial burden of recipients. While many young people are passionate about technology or have a flair for IT but cannot achieve high-quality education, the programme helps to circumvent their financial hardship, which somehow prevents students from keeping their dream alive.

INTEK, together with partnering IT companies funding the programme, hopes that the next IT generations are impeccably educated. Therefore, they aspire to ease students in the financial aspect to facilitate a successful learning environment. However, INTEK also insisted that students getting into the programme have to show their best efforts and keep the ball rolling throughout the study time.

INTEK claims that it is important for students to have explicit goals and a strong will to go with the programme. Its duty compliance will push students forward and not cease their exertions until they are well-qualified.

IT companies funding the programme are also looking for people they invest in. Those who are able to maintain scores of above 2.75 during the study period can work in some of these IT companies and earn an income fitting their ability.

Phuong added that to successfully run the programme, it is required for both INTEK and its students to cooperate. INTEK gives students a chance to step into a decent education. Meanwhile, beneficiary students are responsible for their choice and have to commit to the programme.

Through the programme, INTEK partly educates Vietnams young generation on how to cherish opportunities they get to sustain their future. Therefore, it is not about a one-way present from educators, but about the responsibility of recipients to cultivate the endowment.

Additionally, the money students borrow today to plan for their future will be added into the technology development fund to help the next IT generations at the institute. INTEK also hopes that their students will extend the value they receive back to the next generations.
Turkey is stirring up trouble wherever it can. That is Ankaras cardinal policy these days. It ignites fires in the Arab world in order to create roles for itself and expand its presence in areas far beyond its borders. Then it fans the flames right beneath the noses of world powers that once exercised extensive influence in the region.

An array of global and regional developments has opened windows for the Turks to expand beyond their borders and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has taken advantage of every crisis, fuelled every disturbance and played every trick in the book in the pursuit of regional hegemony. The Turkish autocrats ambitions are unbounded. With two years to go until the next election, and economic woes mounting at home and political opponents and rivals increasing, hes growing more and more desperate. He has a project in his head. Hes fighting for it at home and abroad. And the menace of that project is growing clearer by the day.

As he chases his dreams of power and wealth, Erdogan has embarked on an extended folly of foreign interventionism. As the domestic opposition has cautioned, his adventures in Libya, Syria, Iraq and elsewhere are damaging Turkeys image in the Arab region and among regional organisations such as the Arab League and EU. Beneath the guise of protecting Turkish national interests, his fallacies and fictions are endless. He speaks of looming perils facing Turkey, yet dispatches troops to distant lands. We will protect our interests in the Middle East and Aegean, he proclaims in one breath. We will exercise our sovereign rights, as we did when we reopened the Hagia Sophia for prayer, he adds in the next. He has already stretched those sovereign rights to neighbouring territories, which Turkey has effectively annexed. What other lands does he have in mind?

Needless to say, he is indifferent to regional condemnation of his policies as he boasts of crowning our struggle from Syria and Iraq to Libya, of bringing victory to ourselves and our brothers over there, and of championing the downtrodden in all parts of the world. Who does he think he is fooling? It is palpably evident to all that Erdogans neo-Ottoman hegemonic project poses a grave threat to the peace and security of the Middle East and the Eastern Mediterranean. Many members of the international community are naturally concerned. France, which has had a direct run-in with Turkish belligerence, is particularly acute to the dangers posed by the expansion of Turkish military operations into Africa. Turkish encroachment into Africa threatens areas where France has a longstanding presence and influence, most notably the Sub-Saharan Francophone countries where Ankara is using humanitarian and educational aid, and other outwardly philanthropic enterprises, to sow discord and upheaval.

Erdogan, given his particular obsessions, has made a particular point of threatening Egyptian interests, in East Africa in particular. Whenever possible, Ankara targets countries where the state is crumbling or collapsed. Its aim is to fuel discord and divide societies, establish a foothold with permanent military bases, then launch military expeditions and split the spoils with Turkeys proxies. While Turkey creates crises in the pursuit of Erdogans adventures, Egypt tries to solve them. It works to prevent social disintegration and the erosion of territorial integrity, to restore national security and to promote peaceful solutions to disputes. Unlike Turkey, Egypt has no interest in gaining control over Libyan petroleum wealth, or that of any other country. When the Erdogan propaganda machine claims otherwise, it is merely to deflect attention from Ankaras own acquisitiveness.

The longer the international community fails to stand up to Erdogans regional designs, the more the realm of civil strife and warfare will expand and the harder it will become to foster peaceful solutions to the crises in Syria and Libya. If world powers, moved by certain interests or calculations of their own, continue to turn a blind eye to Erdogans ambitions or actively indulge his desire for more hostile policies against other countries of this region, they will be in part to blame for a spiralling cycle of conflict and chaos that will be difficult if not impossible to contain.

Containing Erdogan is the key to restoring a degree of equilibrium needed to restart a genuine peace process. This applies in particular to Libya with which Turkey shares no borders, using armies of mercenaries brought over from Syria and unleashed unchecked against the Libyan people.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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China said on Tuesday that the United States should immediately stop the political suppression of the U.S.-based Chinese media and journalists.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks when commenting on the fact that no Chinese journalists in the United States have had their applications for visa renewal approved since May.

In May, the U.S. side issued new guidelines, restricting visas for journalists of Chinese origin to 90 days with the possibility of extension.
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A reading station has become a new mecca for local bookworms since it was opened by a riverbank in Vietnam this year.

On the weekend, many readers of all ages come to the reading station, located along the iconic Huong (Perfume) River in Hue City, for reading all kinds of books for free while indulging in the relaxing atmosphere.

Readers are allowed to freely choose from any books in the Free Reading Station in a park opposite Hai Ba Trung High School.

The reading station was launched in May by Hueseed, a club whose members are working at the Hue Institute for Development Studies in the central part of the country.

Phan Dang Nhat Huy, a student from the Hue University of Sciences, has become a regular visitor to the reading station since it was opened.

He comes here every weekend and finds it fantastic to read books beside the people who share his love of books and reading while cherishing the fresh air from the beautiful surrounding nature.

"This reading space introduces many interesting books to us and inspires us to read more, Huy told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper.

Phan Thi Linh, a senior at the Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy, is one of the members of the reading station project.

As a person who has been fond of reading ever since she was a child, Linh finds it saddening that books nowadays are not loved by as many people.

Driven by a desire to promote reading among the people living in Hue City, Linh and other members decided to open the reading station project.

Not everything was smooth sailing for the group. According to Linh, in the beginning, they encountered many difficulties, from finding a location to sourcing the books.

"The biggest challenge for us was the lack of variety regarding the number of book titles and genres available for readers to choose from, Linh said.

Fortunately, after the reading station went into operation, we received many donations of books from both individuals and organizations, which helped the project operate properly."

The project's members now aim to create a useful, enticing space to read for the local community, and later to turn it into a networking venue where people can connect and exchange books, said Le Nguyen Kieu Xuyen, a project co-founder.

Currently, Hueseed is trying to create more spaces for reading books across the city and urges the community to lend a helping hand to the cause.

The club plans to connect with publishing houses and cultural companies to hold book events or competitions relating to book reading or writing for readers across Thua Thien-Hue, whose capital is Hue City.

The project has received approval from the leaders of the Hue Institute for Development Studies, where most of the project members are working as contributors.

"Although Hueseed's Free Reading Station was only recently opened, it has drawn in good support and become an inspiration for book readers, said Cung Trong Cuong, director of the institute.

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A woman in Florida was upset that her Burger King order took too long, so according to the Orange County Sheriffs Office, she got a man to come to the restaurant and shoot one of the employees.

According to a WKMG report, deputies found Desmond Armond Joshua, 22, suffering from a gunshot wound in the parking lot of an Orlando Burger King when they arrived just after 7:30 p.m. last Saturday. He was pronounced dead at an area hospital.

A woman who was angry about the delay got out of her vehicle and began yelling that she was going to have her man come to the restaurant. Records show an employee refunded her $40 and asked her to leave, the report said.

According to the report, deputies said the woman waited in the parking lot in her black sedan for a few minutes then drove away and returned with a white truck with a man identified as 37-year-old Kelvis Rodriguez-Tormes, who was demanding that Joshua fight him.

According to the affidavit, a witness intervened to stop the fight when Rodriguez-Tormes put Joshua in a headlock and started choking him, the report cited. According to WKMG, records show both Rodriguez-Tormes and the woman were interviewed after the shooting, and though their statements are mostly redacted, they indicate that Rodriguez-Tormes dismantled the gun used in the shooting and placed it in a location which cannot be located.

WKMG reported that Rodriguez-Tormes is charged with first-degree murder with a firearm, destruction of evidence and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Video was recovered, the report said, as part of the investigation, showing Joshua in a physical altercation with a male who had him in a headlock, according to the affidavit.

A witness said the drive-thru was backed up because the restaurant was busy that night, causing customers to have to wait longer than usual, per WKMG.

After the witness pulled Rodriguez-Tormes off of Joshua, deputies said Rodriguez-Tormes then went to his truck and got the gun, telling Joshua, You got two seconds before I shoot you.

Rodriguez-Tormes shot Joshua shortly thereafter, then fled in the white truck, deputies said. The black sedan fled also, WKMG reported.

Officials said Joshua was rushed to a nearby hospital where he died. According to investigators, he had just started working at the Burger King a few days earlier, the report said.
$5,000 Genius Tech Giveaway "Were grateful to the educators adapting to support students across the country, and are excited to empower a school with our annual giveaway," SignUpGenius Marketing Director Kate White said.

SignUpGenius, a leading online sign up tool for event and volunteer management, celebrates back-to-school season with its annual giveaway.

People can enter their favorite school to win the grand prize  $5,000 cash to invest in technology that benefits students and teachers. The winner will be selected randomly after the contest concludes on September 15. Nominators can enter the giveaway once daily.

Schwarzkoff Elementary School in Sterling Heights, Michigan won the giveaway in 2019. Special education teacher Lisa Di Pirro nominated the school, and shared that the schools technology had been outdated due to underfunding. They planned to use the money to upgrade technology in their classrooms.

My school uses SignUpGenius to organize volunteers for all our major school events, Lisa Di Pirro said. We love how it helps make our school events less stressful and more successful.

Up to 22 million people visit SignUpGenius each month to organize events and volunteers. During the COVID-19 pandemic, schools have found new ways to use SignUpGenius to host online learning sessions, schedule virtual parent and student meetings, and distribute essential items to keep children safe and fed.

With many schools continuing virtual learning during the pandemic, technology is more critical than ever to connect teachers and students, SignUpGenius Marketing Director Kate White said. Were grateful to the educators adapting to support students across the country, and are excited to empower a school with our annual giveaway.

Giving back is at the heart of the SignUpGenius culture. The company donates to various nonprofits in the Charlotte area, as well as organizations important to employees. The team has volunteered in schools serving low-income students, cleaned and prepped used books for a literacy program, and served meals to families of pediatric patients at a local hospital. In addition to organizing service projects throughout the year, SignUpGenius empowers team members to support the nonprofits of their choice by offering two annual dedicated volunteer days and matching donations up to $500.

About SignUpGenius

SignUpGenius simplifies the process of coordinating events and people by providing online sign ups for nonprofits, schools, sports, churches, families, colleges, businesses and organizations. By enabling up to 22 million unique visitors per month to sign up for tasks online, SignUpGenius has done away with the need for paper sign ups, reply-all emails and phone trees. In 2020, SignUpGenius launched Lumaverse Technologies (Lumaverse), a platform of leading group management solutions focused on nonprofits and K-12 schools. Lumaverse expands the power of SignUpGenius by coupling it with technologies that solve volunteer, member, event and fundraising management challenges.
The Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has given approval to Pune's Serum Institute of India (SII) to conduct clinical trials of Oxford University-Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine in India. The SII received approval by the India's top drug regulator on Sunday after a thorough evaluation based on the recommendations of the Subject Expert Committee on COVID-19.

In a statement, the Health Ministry said, "Drugs Controller General of India has given approval to Serum Institute of India, Pune to conduct Phase II+III clinical trials of Oxford University-Astra Zeneca COVID-19 vaccine (COVISHIELD) in India."

The institute had submitted a application seeking permission for conducting the trial in July last week.

The vaccine candidate is in the midst of Phase II and III clinical trials in the UK, Phase III trials in Brazil, and Phase I and II clinical trials in South Africa.
A search operation is reportedly being conducted by the police in Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts, according to media reports

New Delhi: A territorial Army personnel has gone missing and his vehicle was found burnt in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Monday.

Rifleman Shakir Manzoor was part of the 162 Battalion had gone home to Shopian on leave. It is suspected that he has been abducted by terrorists, the army said.

Tweeting under the hashtag #TerrorismFreeKashmir, the army said: "Rifleman Shakir Manzoor of 162 Battalion (TA), is missing since 5 pm yesterday. His abandoned burnt car has been found near Kulgam. It is suspected that the soldier has been abducted by terrorists. Search op in progress."

Rifleman Shakir Manzoor of 162 Battalion (TA), is missing since 1700hrs yesterday. His abandoned burnt car has been found near #Kulgam. It is suspected that the soldier has been abducted by terrorists. Search op in progress.#TerrorismFreeKashmir #Kashmir@adgpi @NorthernComd_IA  Chinar Corps - Indian Army (@ChinarcorpsIA) August 3, 2020

The burnt vehicle, registered in the name of Manzoor, was found from Rambhama area of neighbouring Kulgam district.

The officials said Manzoor serves in the Territorial Army and could not be contacted.

They suspect that he might have been kidnapped by militants, adding that efforts were on to trace him.

A search is on for him across Shopian, Kulgam and Anantnag districts. The police are using drones and sniffer dogs, sources said.
Vice President Mike Pence has hit back at Andrew Cuomo's criticism by claiming the New York Governor made 'poor decisions' in his response to the coronavirus crisis in the state.

New York has been the worst-hit state in the pandemic with upwards of 32,000 deaths and 422,000 confirmed cases.

Pence said: 'Our hearts grieve for the fact that one in five of all the American lives that have been lost in the coronavirus pandemic were lost in the State of New York and some of that was because of poor decisions by the state and by Governor Cuomo.'

His comments come after Cuomo told MSNBC on Monday: 'We see the health experts, Johns Hopkins and others saying the nation has to hit a reset.

He added: 'The reset has to start at the top. We have confusion, we have chaos, we don't have operations set up, and I think it has to start with the President of the United States.'

Pence told Fox News host Laura Ingraham: 'I liked it better when he said that President Trump's leadership in the pandemic was, in his words, "phenomenal".'

He added: 'I couldn't be more proud of the support that we rendered to the people of New York and I think the people of New York know that, health care workers know that, families know that.'

The number of cases across the US is currently spiking and another 30,000 deaths are predicted

Cuomo yesterday dubbed the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic the 'worst government blunder in modern history' and said states like Florida and Texas were foolish to follow the advice coming from the Trump administration.

At a press conference - where he called on New Yorkers to continue social distancing and wearing masks - he pointed to how the numbers had turned around in his state while others are growing elsewhere.

Experts predict there will be another 30,000 deaths in the US by the end of August. To date, more than 150,000 have died and there have been more than 4million cases.

Both Florida and Texas are seeing a rise in coronavirus cases and deaths, whereas New York's numbers have been holding steady for several weeks now after slow but significant decline since May.

Since the start of summer, there have been large gatherings of people on lakes, in boats and on beaches, despite advice from the CDC to avoid crowds.

There has been no national mandate to wear masks - something Cuomo called for - and from the beginning, states have been tasked with making their own decisions when it comes to containing the virus.

Two diners pictured enjoying a bite in Korea Town in Manhattan on July 31 as the city continues with Phase 4 of re-opening

Cuomo also claimed the rest of the country was 'in denial' about what happened in New York City, the epicenter of the virus in April, and did not believe it would impact them in the same way.

'This was the worst government blunder in modern history. It was a mistake to deny the reality that happened in New York,' he said.

On Twitter, he went on: 'The national COVID response was a historic and colossal blunder by the federal government.

'Six months and this virus is still out of control around the country. Six months wasted,' he said.

It came as Dr. Deborah Brix, one of the members of the White House coronavirus task force, said there was 'extraordinary spread' across the country.

Packed outdoor dining in Hell's Kitchen going into the streets that were closed to traffic pictured on July 21

Cuomo fumed that it was 'entirely predictable'.

'If the new phase is extensive spread, what was the old phase? That was limited phase what we went through.

'It was entirely predictable. It's exponential increase which is what a virus does. It is the exponential pyramid of viral spread. It was a mathematical equation,' he said.

In the state of New York, there were three deaths on Sunday. No deaths were reported in New York City on Saturday.

At the peak of the pandemic, nearly 800 people were dying in the state every day.

New York's coronavirus response has been far harsher than other states and Cuomo has been criticized for many components of it.

Recently, he has begun forcing bars to sell food to outdoor diners or risk being shut down.

His reasoning for it is that people who are looking to 'party' and gather in large groups will be deterred by having to order food.

Restaurants across New York City have responded by offering $1 menus.

As of Monday at 1pm New York City had more than 222,500 cases of Covid-19 and nearly 19,000 confirmed deaths with an additional 4,600 probable deaths. There were also 56,365 reported hospitalizations.

As of Monday at 1pm New York City had more than 222,500 cases of Covid-19 and nearly 19,000 confirmed deaths with an additional 4,600 probable deaths

New York first opened outdoor seating on Phase 2 of reopening on June 22 but have run into issues of rowdy diners, tables being too close together, and crowds drinking in the streets outside bars.

When outdoor services first opened New York reported spats with boisterous and non-compliant patrons who challenged social distancing rules.

Bars attracted hordes of revelers who started to drink in the street in defiance.

On July 17 the New York State Liquor Authority issued guidance requiring that alcoholic beverages must be accompanied by the purchase of a food item in a bid to crack down on drunken customers.

Under the guidance food is defined as 'sandwiches, soups or other foods, whether fresh, processed, precooked or frozen' and rules out snacks like chips, pretzels and nuts.

Furthermore Cuomo has sent out SLA teams to observe restaurants over the past month and issue citations to eateries that violate these strict outdoor dining and alcohol guidelines.

On Monday De Blasio announce the citys infection rate was as low as one percent.

On Saturday NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo said the states hospitalizations were the lowest since the start of the pandemic.
A group of Worcester Public Schools employees is calling on the local educators union to push the district to eradicate systemic racism from the schools.

Some Worcester teachers, students and residents have spent years demanding change from the school system, citing incidents of racism like higher discipline rates for students of color.

Member Voice, a grassroots group of Worcester Public Schools employees that formed to address issues of racism in the district, is not only calling on the Educational Association of Worcester to push to eradicate systemic racism, but is also asking for the union to issue a statement supporting the Black Lives Matter movement and for a retraction of prior public comments from union president Roger Nugent.

Yahaira Rodriguez, a paraeducator and part of Member Voice, said the group started organizing a few months ago following concerns about a lack of communication and a lack of trust. Coupled with those issues was educators fear of retribution against themselves or the union, she said.

It got to a point where we couldnt continue to be silenced and thats how Member Voice came to be, Rodriguez said.

On June 13, Nugent was quoted in an article published in the Worcester Telegram and Gazette saying the vast majority of teachers support having [School Resource] officers in the schools, without using a poll or meeting with educators as evidence to support the claim, according to a news release from Member Voice.

This statement came during incredible social unrest following the deaths of George Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and during increasing public debate about the size and scope of the local police budget, the news release read. EAW leadership has made broad claims and endorsements several times in the past two years, damaging our relationship with the community and particularly with families of color.

Member Voice said a letter signed by 60 public school employees has been sent to the EAW expressing deep concerns, frustrations, and embarrassment over the statement by Nugent.

We care deeply about our students and our community and felt that a lot of comments that have been made dont represent us and do not represent how our students are feeling the support they require, said Netta Rappaport, an elementary music teacher and part of Member Voice.

As of Tuesday, Member Voice said there has been no EAW response to the letter calling for the retraction of Nugents statement on June 13 and the request for a public statement supporting the Black Lives Matter movement.

Nugent told MassLive on Tuesday that he does not intend to retract the June 13 statement.

What I said was the truth. When I talk to you people in the media, every time you ask me a question I cant say, let me go take a poll, Nugent said. I think they just took it very literally, that Im saying all members. Thats not true. All members dont want the police in the schools. Its my experience that the majority of people that spoke to me, especially at the secondary level, do want the police in the schools.

On July 10, the EAW released a poll asking members their opinions about the Black Lives Matter movement and police unions. Member Voice said called the poll poorly written and hastily executed and said members only had two days to fill out the poll, results of which have not been made public.

Nugent said that the EAW does not endorse organizations as a policy.

There are so many people that are for Black Lives Matter passionately but there are people that are not just as passionately and I just think that its in the unions best interest that we forgo that because we dont do it anyway, Nugent said. Its policy.

Rodriguez said Member Voice is not targeting Nugent as a person, but rather fighting for transparency and working to ensure all voices of the educators union are heard.

We just want to be represented by a union that is taking into consideration everybodys thoughts on something and when theyre speaking making sure they have data for what theyre saying, Rodriguez said.

Member Voice is a fluid group with educators participating as they can, Rodriguez said.

It is the opinion of Member Voice and our allies in the WPS that the current EAW leadership has abdicated their responsibility to make public statements that are beneficial to our students and our schools cultures. Refusal to acknowledge racism is participation in systemic racism, read the news release from Member Voice.

The group said it plans to hold virtual town halls and community forums on systemic racism in schools, and will also work internally within the EAW to address making future statements more representative and supportive of the diverse views of the unions members.

Related Content:
South Korea, New Zealand must work together on diplomat probe



The government has taken an inevitable step of ordering home a diplomat alleged to have indecently assaulted a local embassy worker in 2017 in New Zealand. The action follows New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern raising the issue in a phone call with President Moon Jae-in about a week ago, and other senior ranking officials urging Seoul to take action. The Foreign Ministry has said that it will cooperate on criminal matters and extradition if the New Zealand side makes an official request, within the scope of diplomatic immunity.



It is the due course of action, albeit belated. Back in 2017, a local staff member at the Korean Embassy in Wellington reported that the diplomat, then a deputy ambassador, allegedly groped him on over three occasions. There was no action taken by the embassy. The alleged victim then filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission of Korea. The Korean diplomat, who was ordered home from his post in the Philippines, did not cooperate with the commission nor with the ongoing New Zealand police investigation. The diplomat received a light disciplinary warning after returning to Seoul in 2018.



A South Korean foreign ministry official noted that New Zealand highlighting the issue in the leaders' phone call was considered very unusual diplomatic practice. The series of developments, however, makes it hard to dismiss New Zealand's concerns that Seoul is dragging its feet.



Allegations of indecent assault are grave, a matter that the two countries should work through in juridical proceedings. Seoul should fully cooperate on any official requests from Wellington and the latter should also trustfully work with its official counterpart to resolve the matter.


Man Fatally Shoots Burger King Worker Over Drive-Thru Wait in Florida: Officials

A Florida woman who is angry because her Burger King order took too long allegedly convinced her man to return to the restaurant, where he shot and killed an employee, said police.

The employee, Desmond Armond Joshua, 22, was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead, officials told local news website ClickOrlando. The suspect, 37-year-old Kelvis Rodriguez-Torres, was charged with first-degree murder, destruction of evidence, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, authorities said.

Surveillance footage recovered from the scene allegedly showed Joshua in a physical altercation with a man who had him in a headlock, said police.

A witness told the news outlet that the drive-thru was backed up, causing customers to wait longer than normal. A woman who was waiting was angry about the delay, declaring that she would have her man come to the restaurant. An employee then refunded her $40 and asked her to leave, according to police.

She then returned in a vehicle with Rodriguez-Torres, who was demanding that Joshua fight him. A witness came to Joshuas aid and Rodriguez-Torres placed him in a headlock and choked him, police said. The witness was later able to separate the two.

Rodriguez-Torres then went to his truck to get his gun, telling Joshua, You got two seconds before I shoot you. He then shot Joshua before fleeing in his truck.

The police affidavit stated that Rodriguez-Torres dismantled the gun he allegedly used to shoot Joshua and hid it in an unknown location, according to the Orlando Sentinel newspaper.

WFTV reported that Joshua was recently re-hired at the Burger King location.

Other details about the incident were not provided. Its not clear if Rodriguez-Torres has a lawyer.




President Muhammadu Buhari

President Muhammadu Buhari may likely relieve the military heads of their job, according to the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno.

Monguno revealed this while briefing newsmen of the outcome of the National Security Council meeting on Tuesday, according to a report by DailyPost.

According to NSA, the President expressed dissatisfaction with the security situation under the watch of the military heads.

Its worth noting that there has been persistent calls for the Service Chiefs to be sacked by the President.

The latest development is coming after the Governors Forum also bemoaned the security situation in the country.

The NSA also disclosed that the council noted that proliferation of drugs is driving insecurity in the country.

Monguno said the manner of killings of their victims can only mean one thing and that is, the bandits, kidnappers and terrorists are out of their minds.

Details later.
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Linkedin May Ponzo and Jordi Rubio (Reuters) Palafrugell, Spain  Tue, August 4, 2020 17:31 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b85d42 2 Science & Tech Spain,virtual-waiter,App,coronavirus,COVID-19,contactless,restaurant Free

A restaurant on Spain's northeastern Mediterranean coast is pioneering a dining experience that allows customers to avoid most face-to-face contact with staff and minimize the risk of coronavirus contagion.

Customers at Funky Pizza, in Palafrugell on the Costa Brava popular with tourists, can browse the menu, order and pay via the "Funky Pay" app on their phones - the first time a purpose-designed app has been integrated into a restaurant's ordering system in Spain.

A waiter does bring the order to the table.

"Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID," said restaurant owner Carlos Manich.

Read also: In Spain, bar bot serves up contact-free beers

Staff manage the orders from screens behind the bar.

The restaurant has had to adapt to social distancing rules by becoming table service only and reminding customers on entry they must wear face masks at all times when not at their tables.

"The application is very user-friendly ... and you can also track your order and see when it is in the kitchen or when it will be arriving," said Claudia Medina, 26, eating at the restaurant.

But some customers disagreed. "I think we lose the feeling with the waiter, for example when you order you can't ask about different preferences or quantities," said customer Javier Comas, 26.
DETROIT, MI  A Bloomfield Hills police officer was found dead inside the police station hours after he cut up a tree that had been blocking a local road, authorities said.

According to Officer Down Memorial Page, a website that pays tribute to fallen officers, Sgt. Steven Splan was found unresponsive in the departments station about 11 p.m. Sunday after suffering a heart attack, the citys Public Safety Department said.

The department confirmed the information.

He was on fire duty and a tree was blocking the roadway, Sgt. Daniel Madden said, adding that city workers were busy elsewhere when Splan and other officers helped remove the tree.

Splan served for 15 years with the Bloomfield Hills Police Department. He is survived by his wife and four children, the site said, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

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Emily Andre has penned a message of support for Dr Alex George following the tragic death of his younger brother Llyr.

Writing in her OK! Magazine column, Emily, who is also a doctor, admitted she 'can't even imagine what he is going through.'

Love Island star Alex, 27, told his followers on Instagram late last month that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health' in an emotional post.

Support: Emily Andre has penned a message of support for Dr Alex George following the tragic death of his younger brother Llyr

Writing in her column, Emily said: 'I can't even imagine what he is going through and I'm sending him and his family so much love.'

'It sounds like Llyr was a lovely, talented person. He was also about to start training to be a doctor,' she continued.

'It just goes to show that you never know what someone is going through on the inside when they seem so successful on the outside.'

On Monday, Dr Alex appeared to confirm that his family had laid Llyr to rest that day as he took to the social media platform to share an update.

Loss: Love Island star Alex, 27, told his followers on Instagram late last month that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health' in an emotional post

The A&E doctor wrote: 'Life throws us in at the deep end sometimes, however, with family and friends we overcome the most seemingly insurmountable challenges. Today is for you Llyr.

The previous evening, Dr Alex shared a post which read: 'Tomorrow will be the hardest day of my life. We will get through for Llyr and the rest of the family.

Llyr died just weeks before he was due to follow in his older brother's footsteps and start medical school.

Dr Alex recently said he is 'still going' and 'will be OK' in time in an Instagram story shared on Thursday.

Hard day: On Monday, Dr Alex appeared to confirm that his family had laid Llyr to rest that day as he took to the social media platform to share an update

Sad: The A&E doctor wrote: 'Life throws us in at the deep end sometimes, however, with family and friends we overcome the most seemingly insurmountable challenges'

He said: 'So many of you are checking in on me so I want to say thank you and let you know I am still going.'

'In time I will be ok.'

Taking to his Stories on Monday, the Love Island star thanked his followers for their support as he candidly discussed his grief.

Trying to cope: The Love Islander recently thanked fans for their well wishes and concerns as he grieves with his family

Tragic: Dr Alex announced to Instagram last week that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health'

He wrote: 'These are the hardest times I could ever have imagined.

'The kindness and love our family has received has been incredible and I am so grateful.

'In the darkest times we must pick ourselves up, find strength and be there for our family and friends. That is exactly what I will do.'

Emotional: The grieving star also emotionally revealed that he and his family are going through the 'hardest' and 'darkest' times

Distraught: Dr Alex announced to Instagram that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health' (posted on Instagram in 2018)

Dr Alex also took to his stories on Saturday morning, thanking his followers for their support and said that he needs to time to take in the tragic news.

He wrote: 'Thank you for all the messages of kindness here and to my phone. I am incredibly grateful of the support and it means so much.

'I am sorry that I can't reply yet. I need to try and process what has happened somehow.'

In the emotional tribute announcing Llyr's death, the A&E doctor wrote: 'I can't believe I am actually writing this post.

'I have lost my beautiful little brother to mental health. I love you so much Llyr. The kindest and most caring soul.

'I was so proud of you starting medical school next month, you would have been the most incredible doctor. We are hurting so bad. No words can explain.

'As a family we are devastated. We love you and miss you so much. Please rest in peace x Our boy.'

Moving: In his emotional post on Friday, he said 'I was so proud of you starting medical school next month, you would have been the most incredible doctor'

It is believed Dr Alex's brother would have been 19 at the time of his death. MailOnline has contacted his representatives for comment.

In 2018, Dr Alex competed on ITV's Love Island, the popular reality dating series which has seen former contestants Sophie Gradon, 32, and Mike Thalassitis, 26, as well as 40-year-old host Caroline Flack kill themselves.

Many of Alex's Love Island co-stars rushed to pay tribute to his late brother in the comments of his post, with Rosie Williams writing: 'Oh no Alex! This is so awful.

'I'm so so sorry from the bottom of my heart. Sending you all the love in the world. Thinking of you and your family through this terrible time.'

Charlie Brake penned: 'So, so sorry mate. Here if you need anything. Devastating,' Frankie Foster wrote: 'Sending my love to you and family mate.'

Samira Mighty wrote: 'Stay strong,' and Wes Nelson added: 'So sorry to hear this Alex! Stay strong I love you mate!'

Josh Denzel also commented: 'Brooo here if you need me.'

Sympathies: Many of Alex's Love Island co-stars rushed to pay tribute to his late brother in the comments of his post

Dr Alex is currently working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic at the University Hospital Lewisham in south-east London.

Originally from Carmarthen, Wales, he studied medicine at the University of Exeter before he set his heart on finding romance on Love Island.

He struggled to find his dream girl in the villa, though he did enjoy a brief fling with Alexandra Cane and started dating Amelia Bath in December 2018.

The couple recently split after struggling to see each other during lockdown.

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
MV Index Solutions GmbH, a Frankfurt, Germany-based company that develops, monitors and licenses a selection of focused, investable and diversified benchmark indices, acquired BlueStar Indexes, a New York-based research-driven provider of indices and financial data focused on serving the needs of innovative ETF issuers, index fund sponsors and asset managers around the world.

The amount of the deal was not disclosed.

With this deal, the two specialist index providers are joining forces to provide indices and data for the global ETF, index fund and structured products industry. The acquisition brings together operations and staff in Frankfurt, New York, Tel Aviv and San Francisco, a highly-experienced management team with an average of 20 years of index industry experience. The company will have more than $18 billion in licensed product assets tracking its combined index family, with clients in North America, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, and will continue to use both the MVIS and BlueStar brands. Some of the benchmarks maintained by the firm include the MVIS Junior Gold Miners Index, the BlueStar Israel Global Technology Index, the MVIS US-Listed Semiconductor 25 Index, the BlueStar 5G Communications Index, and the MVIS CryptoCompare Institutional Bitcoin Index.

The expanded MV Index Solutions capabilities in dynamic index categories include:

A broad range of Thematic Indices

Industry-leading family of Hard Asset Indices

A Digital Asset Index Family

Emerging Market equities and fixed income Israeli equities and bonds

Global fixed income indices

Founded in 2011 as a wholly-owned affiliate of New York-based, Van Eck Associates Corporation and led by Thomas Kettner, Managing Director, MV Index Solutions develops, monitors and licenses the MVIS Indices, a selection of focused, investable and diversified benchmark indices. The indices are especially designed to underlie financial products. MVIS Indices cover several asset classes, including equity, fixed income markets and digital assets and are licensed to serve as underlying indices for financial products. More than 90 indices with approximately USD 17.02 billion in assets under management (as of 31 July 2020) tracking these benchmarks are currently invested in financial products based on MVIS Indices. MVIS is registered as a benchmark administrator under the European Benchmarks Regulation since July 2019 and its Index methodology and operational process adheres to IOSCO guidelines.

Led by Steven Schoenfeld, Founder and Chief Investment Officer, BlueStar Indexes is a research-driven provider of indices and financial data focused on serving the needs of innovative ETF issuers, index fund sponsors and asset managers around the world. Based in New York, with four full-time employees, and an Index Advisory Committee and Thematic Index Sub-Committee, the firm maintains more than 30 indexes, with approximately $1 billion in assets tracking its indexes. Since its founding in 2011, BlueStar has innovated with unique Israeli equity and fixed income and Thematic tech indices, and has become a key index provider to Israels dynamic and highly-competitive index fund/ETF industry.

FinSMEs

04/08/2020
By Akbar Mammadov

An Indian citizen living in Armenia has reported racist attacks he has received from Armenian nationalists.

In a letter addressed to Day.az news website, Venkata Pravin Chodavaparu said that he and his spouse have been subjected to racism from the authorities and residents in Armenia where he moved in 2016.

Human rights are not respected here! I am subjected to insults and beatings by the Armenians simply because I am not a 'white migrant'. I have to constantly fight for my rights, but unfortunately, the Armenian government did not provide me with any support.

My life is under threat because I am against the aggressive policy of Armenia towards Azerbaijan and condemned the Khojaly genocide," he wrote in the letter.

Furthermore, Chodavaparu asked for help from the European Union and emphasized that the Armenian government will bear responsibility if anything happens to him.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Interplay Learning is the leading global provider of online and VR training for the essential skilled trades. Making sure our service techs are trained with the best-in-class, job-relevant content, safely, is one of our top priorities, said Jeff Hazel, Edward Rose & Sons Service Training Manager.

Interplay Learning, the leading provider of online training for skilled trades utilizing virtual reality (VR) and 3D simulations, announced today it officially began working this month with Yardi to create and provide training materials for up to 1,000 of Edward Rose & Sons service technicians.

This three-way partnership introduces a new standard of technical training to the property management industry while also promoting safe social distancing practices in the near term during the COVID-19 pandemic. Interplay Learnings VR and simulation-based technical trainings are adaptable to any learning management system, which is of critical importance for companies that are already committed to a platform. Yardi, a leader in Learning Management Systems and the platform used by Edward Rose & Sons, is integrating with Interplay Learning to deliver this content. For Edward Rose & Sons, the investment in sophisticated, modern service technician training marks a turning point.

Making sure our service techs are trained with the best-in-class, job-relevant content, safely, is one of our top priorities, said Jeff Hazel, Edward Rose & Sons Service Training Manager. With more than 60,000 multifamily units across the country, the servicing of HVAC, electric, and plumbing systems by third parties is a major company expense. We expect that our partnership with Interplay Learning will drive significant cost savings.

Hazel sees Interplay Learning filling in a vital missing piece for the company, and Doug Donovan, CEO of Interplay Learning, agreed. Were thrilled to work with Edward Rose & Sons and expect to drive value to their bottom line. He explained, Our simulation-based learning system means better-trained service technicians in a shorter amount of time. The ultimate result is fewer expensive third-party contractor service calls and fewer tenant callbacks, while improving the experience for both the tenants and the service techs. In addition to robust training materials, the content can be used to test core competencies in new hires, putting them on track to close gaps in their knowledge base.

Patty Evans, Director of Yardi Aspire said, The Interplay Learning courseware is a perfect complement to the hands-on and simulation-based software training curriculum and immersive soft skills and compliance training curriculum offered by Yardi Aspire. Whether your employees are mastering software or maintenance skills, hands-on and practical application-focused learning experiences are the most effective way to facilitate the conversion of knowledge to job skills.

About Interplay Learning

Founded in 2016, Interplay Learning is the leading global provider of online and VR training for the essential skilled trades. The Austin, Texas-based firm develops and delivers scalable, highly effective digital learning simulations for the HVAC, Plumbing, Electrical, Solar and Facilities Maintenance workforce. Using the digital experiential learning platform, Interplay Learning allows its customers to practice hands-on learning and train to be job-ready in weeks, not years. The company was named to the 2019 Inc. 5000 list, won the AI Breakthrough Award for Best Use of Virtual Reality for Enterprise Applications and is an AHR Expo  Innovations Awards 2020 Winner. Interplay Learning is building better training, better careers and better lives for its customers and their employees. Welcome to the next generation of the skilled labor workforce. Visit https://www.interplaylearning.com/ to learn more.

About Edward Rose & Sons

Established in 1921 by Edward Rose, Edward Rose & Sons is a family owned company providing modest to brand new luxury apartment communities throughout the Midwest and surrounding states. It handles all phases of development: from land acquisition to construction to management and maintenance. They take great pride in the communities they create. The company, while expanding, also strives to be aware of the natural settings in which they are building. Visit https://www.edwardrose.com/ for more information.

About Yardi

Yardi develops and supports industry-leading investment and property management software for all types and sizes of real estate companies. Established in 1984, Yardi is based in Santa Barbara, Calif., and serves clients worldwide. Yardi Aspire, Yardis Learning and Content Management software solution, delivers intuitive and innovative online training management tools and exclusive Yardi software and product training, plus critical compliance, leasing, professional, and safety skills training. For more information on how Yardi is Energized for Tomorrow, visit https://www.yardi.com/

Media Contact

Ria Romano, Partner

RPR Public Relations, Inc.

Tel. 786-290-6413

press (at) interplaylearning.com
Katy Perry wasn't taking any chances on Monday.

The very pregnant Smile songstress, 35, was on high alert as she ran errands around Santa Barbara.

Katy was prepared for anything during the mid-day outing, tucking a small pepper spray attached to her keychain into her cleavage just in case.

Almost there! Katy Perry looked like she was ready to welcome her daughter any day now while out in Santa Barbara on Monday

The fiancee of Orlando Bloom covered her ever-growing belly with a grey frock cinched in the center with a suede cord.

She was prepped for the summer sun, added a straw visor and sunglasses to her ensemble.

Dressing things up a bit, the quirky fashionista rocked dangling earrings and slides that matched her headwear.

Bumping along: The fiancee of Orlando Bloom covered her ever-growing belly with a grey frock cinched in the center with a suede cord

Masked up: The expecting beauty made sure to keep safe and wear a mask

Ad-visor-y: She was prepped for the summer sun, added a straw visor and sunglasses to her ensemble

Finishing touches: Dressing things up a bit, the quirky fashionista rocked dangling earrings and slides that matched her headwear

She carried her keys in her hand as she sauntered into a cafe to pick up some snacks.

But on the way out her hands were a little more full.

Katy juggled a FaceTime conversations and food carrying while making her way back to her car, meaning she had no other choice than to secure her keys in her cleavage.

Lots to carry: Her hands were full as she multi-tasked on her way out

That's the spot! Katy juggled a FaceTime conversations and food carrying while making her way back to her car, meaning she had no other choice than to secure her keys in her cleavage

After that the diva headed home to reunite with fiance Orlando Bloom.

Earlier this month, the couple made the decision to push back their nuptials for the second time due to coronavirus.

In a new interview, the artist admitted the couple are focusing on 'delivering a healthy child' as they prepare to welcome their daughter into the world next month.

They were rumoured to have originally planned to tie the knot last winter, before postponing the ceremony - allegedly set to take place in Japan - to this summer.

Homeward bound: After that the diva headed home to reunite with fiance Orlando Bloom

2020 plans: Earlier this month, Katy and Orlando made the decision to push back their nuptials for the second time due to coronavirus

Priorities: In a new interview, the artist admitted the couple are focusing on 'delivering a healthy child' as they prepare to welcome their daughter into the world next month

Katy told The Mirror: 'You cant plan anymore in 2020 because those plans are always cancelled.

'We just want to deliver a healthy child. Everyone has to take life one week at a time right now.'

She echoed her comments in a recent interview with Howard Stern, detailing: 'Obviously, that will happen in the future, but for now we just want to deliver a healthy child. And that's what's coming up right now!'
Aug 4 (Reuters) - U.S. pipeline company Equitrans Midstream Corp said on Tuesday it still expects to complete the $5.4 billion Mountain Valley natural gas pipeline from West Virginia to Virginia in early 2021.

Mountain Valley is one of several U.S. oil and gas pipelines delayed by regulatory and legal fights with environmental and local groups that found problems with federal permits issued by the Trump administration.

Other projects similarly held up include TC Energy Corp's $8 billion Keystone XL crude pipeline and Energy Transfer LP's Dakota Access crude pipeline, which are still involved in court battles.

Equitrans said in its second-quarter earnings statement that the project's costs could rise by 5% to around $5.7 billion if it needs "to adapt the construction plan for potential complex judicial decisions and regulatory changes."

When Equitrans started construction in February 2018, it estimated Mountain Valley would cost about $3.5 billion and be completed by the end of 2018. But successful legal challenges to federal permits resulted in lengthy delays and higher costs for Mountain Valley.

Equitrans said it expects to receive new approvals soon from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that will enable it to finish building the last 8% of the project.

The 303-mile (488-km) pipeline is designed to deliver 2 billion cubic feet per day from the Marcellus and Utica shale in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia to consumers in the Mid Atlantic and Southeast.

Mountain Valley is owned by units of Equitrans, NextEra Energy Inc, Consolidated Edison Inc, AltaGas Ltd and RGC Resources Inc.

(Reporting By Scott DiSavino; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
Why the Ram Mandir will be a beacon of light for humanity

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

August 5 will be probably be one of the most eventful days in Indian history. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the Bhumi Pujan paving the way for the construction of a grand Ram Mandir at Ayodhya.

This has become possible after years and years of struggle in which several Kar Sevaks have laid down their lives. Also not to mention the various rounds of litigation, following which the Supreme Court finally in November 2019 paved the way for the construction of the Ram Mandir.

So, what makes the Ram Mandir so important and why is India sentimental and proud about it. OneIndia caught up with Dr. D K Hari and Dr. Hema Hari, who together have authored the trilogy, Historical Rama, Ramayana in Lanka, Ayodhya-War and Peace apart from making a series of short films on historical Rama, which are available for viewing on their Bharath Gyan YouTube Channel.

In pictures: How will Ram Mandir look like

The upcoming Ram Mandir will be a beacon of light for humanity. The event is significant in the civilisation history of the land of Bharat. It is a sentiment of Bharat, Dr. Hari and Dr. Hema say.

The beginnings:

This region of Bharat was ruled 7,100 years ago as the kingdom of Kosala with its capital at Ayodhya . The kingdom was Kosala and its capital Ayodhya. That is why Rama's mother was called Kausalya. Rama is also called as Kosala Rama. The word Ayodhya comes from the word Ayudh meaning that which cannot be conquered by war, where peace reigns and is located on the banks of the Sarayu River.

Ayodhya is mentioned in the Atharvaveda itself for the construction of the fort. Ayodhya is mentioned in history (Ramayana epic) and the Vedas as well. Ramayana is an itihasa (work of history) as this word has three components- it, ha and asa. It means it thus happened.

The term mythology was applied to Ramayana by the colonial historians. Until then Ramayana was always called itihasa, Dr. Hari and Dr. Hema, who run Bharath Gyan and who have authored over 100 books till date collectively as Autobiography of India say.

Maryada Purushottam:

Why is Rama so popular even 7,100 years after His times? It is because he was a Maryada Purush. Of the 16 characters that a human can aspire to have, there is only one who could exhibit all these 16 qualities in a human form and that is Shri Rama.

Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan on Aug 5: Know Timing, How To Watch LIVE

Before writing the Ramayana, Valmiki met with Narada and asked him is there any person or gunwan who has all these qualities either in the present or in the past. Narada told him, we have someone in the present and that is Shri Rama. Valmiki then goes onto write the Ramayana as a canvass to bring out the nature of the 16 qualities in the respective contexts. It is because Rama exhibited these qualities in actual trying times and stood by them that we respect him as Maryada Purushottam Shri Rama even today, 7,100 years later too.

This is why people have venerated Shri Rama for these qualities. It is not for the battle and victory over Ravana alone, but for all these qualities that we respect him and look up to him as a role model. We aspire to have at least some of his qualities.

This Temple of Rama which is coming up with the Bhumi Pujan along with the vigraha or of Ram Lalla is very important. It is important in the context of the 16 qualities that Lord Rama had and which every human being should aspire to have. The message that this Temple will convey are these qualities to humanity at large, say Dr. Hari and Dr. Hema.

Global influence:

Lord Rama is called Ajaanu Bhava, which means tall, handsome and striking both in physical stature and character, by virtue of the actual guna, he carried through out his life.

Right from those times, there has been a widespread influence of Shri Rama which also included Mahatma Gandhi speaking of a Ram Rajya. The present king of Thailand is called Rama 10 and his father was Rama 9.

There is an influence of Shri Rama all over the world say Dr. Hari and Dr. Hema. The ancient civilisations of Such as Mayan, Inca, Aztec etc which were destroyed by the Spanish celebrated a festival around an ideal couple who were also called Rama Sitva. This has been mentioned by none other than Sir. William Jones, a British High court Judge, linguist and luminary of the 1780s. All these civilisations revered the Sun just as Shri Rama and his dynasty which is hailed as a Solar dynasty.

PM Modis full itinerary for Ram Mandir Bhumi Pujan

This is how the name of Bhagawan Shri Rama spread from Americas in the East for Bharat, to the Egyptian civilisation in the West of Bharat, where all the Pharaohs belong to the solar dynasty too just like Shri Rama from solar dynasty. All the Pharaohs were called RMS (Ra ma sa). The word Ramses is a Greek-Anglo corruption.

The spread of Rama from Egypt in the west to America in the East with the various signs of connect with Shri Rama across civilisations in between, brings out the international spread of the glory of Bhagawan Shri Rama across millennia and continents. This was because of the qualities of Shri Rama, which transcend time, history, civilisation and geography say Dr. Hari and Dr. Hema.

Shri Rama belongs to the Ravi Kula, where Ravi stands for Sun. The upcoming Ram Mandir will also be a beacon of light for generations of humanity to come. It will throw light on the qualities and character of Shri Rama, which the whole humanity should imbibe and strive to live up to.

That is a true obeisance that we can pay to Bhagawan Shri Rama and is his Ram Lalla murti , our forefathers and to humanity as a whole. It is for all these collective reasons that this Bhumi Pujan is to be looked up to as a major event of celebration for humanity as a whole, Dr. D K Hari and Dr. Hema Hari say.
An ancient Inca offering was pulled from a lake in Bolivia that may have been used in human sacrifice rituals more than 500 years ago.

Archaeologists discovered the stone box at the bottom of Lake Titicaca, containing a small gold bracelet and a llama figurine made from a shell.

The structure was carved from andesite rock, which is found in most of the worlds volcanic areas, with grooves on each side that held ropes to lower it from a boat.

Previous finds suggest Incas placed blood from children and animals inside the structure that turned the water red as a way to glorify and appease the gods.

An ancient Inca offering was pulled from a lake in Bolivia that may have been used in human sacrifice rituals more than 500 years ago

The Inca Empire stretched across the South American Andes from the early 13th century until Spanish colonists invaded the land in the late 1500s.

Lake Titicaca was a popular location for pilgrimage, where people would travel to submerge offerings near an underwater reef.

There are written accounts by the Spaniards of such underwater offerings, but no evidence has ever been found  until now.

Our underwater surveys discovered an offering consisting of a large, isolated stone box placed on lake sediment to the south-west of the reef at a depth of 5.505.80m below lake level, the team wrote in the study published in the journal Antiquity.

Archaeologists discovered the stone box at the bottom of Lake Titicaca, containing a small gold bracelet and a llama figurine made from a shell.

Lake Titicaca was a popular location for pilgrimage, where people would travel to submerge offerings near an underwater reef

Although the stone box was not buried in the sediment, a slight concretion of its lowest few centimeters suggests that it had not moved since its deposition.

The box was sculpted and polished from an andesite block, with grooves on the side allowing it to be attached to ropes and lowered to the depths.

In the center is a circular covering made of a dark, gray clay and small fish bone fragments.

After carefully removing the lid, the team was welcomed by two artifacts  a small gold cylindrical gold sheet and a camelid, or llama, figurine made from a pink Spondylus shell.

The team notes that at least 28 stone boxes have been discovered in the area, but only four were partially intact.

The four preserved structures contained miniature male, female and camelid figurines made of gold, silver and Spondylus shell.

Researchers suggest the figurines may have once been clothed with decorative textiles and featherwork.

The latest box, called the Kakaya box, was discovered near the Kakaya Reef and was used in the same traditions of those previously discovered.

The box was sculpted and polished from an andesite block, with grooves on the side allowing it to be attached to ropes and lowered to the depths. In the center is a circular covering made of a dark, gray clay and small fish bone fragments

The latest box, called the Kakaya box, was discovered near the Kakaya Reef was used in the same traditions of those previously discovered

However, this structure was different as it was rectangular with a circular lid  the others were tall with quadrangular caps.

The small gold foil represents the miniature version of a bracelet worn by Inca nobleman on their right forearms, which have also been uncovered at burial sites.

These sacrifices represent clear archaeological evidence for the capacocha, an Inca ceremony involving the ritual immolation of children to significant huacas or deities to recognize, glorify and appease them, reads the study.

Previous papers have noted that the rituals required ancient Incas to place blood of children and animals in the stone boxes and then lowered them to the bottom of the lake to worship the Sun god.
Set deep within the High Atlas mountains of Morocco, the village of Asni is quiet after sunset when the dry air turns bitterly cold. While the people of Asni sleep, one young woman  Ghita Moulid  remains awake.

The blue light from her old laptop illuminates her face as she diligently takes notes from the screen. The 20-year-old university student sits on the floor, huddled in blankets and rugs against the cold.

She is inside a makeshift study room, made with the help of her parents  long wooden poles prop up a patchwork mix of traditional rugs and blankets, in a home-made lean-to against the side of her house.

The lean-to is one of two areas around Moulids house with an internet connection. She will have to sit here  or on her roof  if she wants to access her online materials for her university studies.

Normally, Moulid would be at university in Casablanca, but she went back to her village in May following Moroccos lockdown that began March 20.

Restrictions are now lifting, but schools and universities are closed until at least September. It remains unclear how or in what form classes will restart.

The coronavirus pandemic is not unique in the way that it hits those with the least privilege the hardest. The divide between those with digital tools and access to technology and those without has meant that the rich have moved their lives online, while the poor have watched their income, education and social lives grind to a halt.

According to the World Economic Forum, just over half of households worldwide do not have access to the internet and the digital divide affects women more than men.

While the digital divide is not specific to Morocco, only 49.7% of Moroccans had access to the internet in 2017.

Although Moulid can access the internet from outside her house, the connection is nowhere near strong enough to upload large files  like the recent video coursework for her business management degree.

It takes a strong connection [to upload] a video and in my village we don't have that connection, Moulid told Al-Monitor. So my father [woke up] with me at 6 a.m. and we walked 14 kilometers [to find a connection].

It took Moulid and her father three hours to walk the 9 miles to find a strong enough internet connection to submit the coursework.

Access to a stable internet connection is not just affecting university students. At the onset of the lockdown and secondary schools closing their doors, the Moroccan government created online educational resources for affected students.

Having amazing online education is great, but it's useless if you can't access it, Sonia Omar, fundraising and communications manager for the charity Education for All, told Al-Monitor. According to Omar, the Moroccan government did televise some lessons, but many students found it difficult to find out when the lessons were broadcast.

Education for All helps young women gain an education by providing boarding houses near schools for the girls to stay in. Schools are often too far for girls based in rural areas to walk to every day, and in these areas they are often expected to help around the house instead of going to school.

If you live in Marrakech and you are part of a fairly wealthy family, you probably have your own devices. You probably have broadband internet at home. In [rural] Morocco some of these girls don't even have their own room for studying, Omar added.

In my opinion they are forgotten, Khadija Oukattou, a house mother at one of Education for Alls boarding houses, said about her students. She told Al-Monitor that the government is doing its best, but admitted that some were left behind during this crisis. [The government] is not here. They do things in other places in the cities, in places near the cities, but our area needs a lot of attention.

Speaking through an interpreter, Oukattou noted, Many of [the students] don't have their own devices. Even if they have a phone, they can't really afford an internet connection. Or they have limited call data without being able to connect to the internet because they live so remotely.

Moulids village is in the High Atlas region of Morocco, where illiteracy rates are estimated as high as 90%. According to the World Bank, only 26% of Moroccan girls in rural areas enroll in secondary school.

For these girls, getting an education is already rare. The coronavirus lockdown that has been in effect for nearly six months has caused a vast educational gap that will be hard to close.

Education for All attempted to solve this problem by raising money to buy tablets and data for students so they could continue their studies during the lockdown. Only 25 final year students out of the organization's 230 beneficiaries received a tablet  the rest will need to wait until school reopens to resume their education.

For many students the lockdown means no education or contact with teachers for at least six months. Education for All has started another fundraising campaign so that all the students in their final two years of study will receive a tablet for home study.

Both Omar and Oukattou are certain there are things that the government could do to support the girls. We understand this is a very new situation; however, we hope that they will take into account [these girls] and provide more support, Oukattou said.

Omar added, There are practical things they could do  such as make devices available, subsidize internet costs or even offer free internet access so that girls can study and poor families can stay connected.
Terrorist death threats and abuse failed to intimidate John Hume, who has earned a place in history as the father of the current peace process in the North.

The former SDLP leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner died yesterday, aged 83, following a short illness.

Mr Hume spent his entire political career working to try to remove the North from the United Kingdom and turn it into a united Ireland.

But he is best known for his efforts to secure peace and a power-sharing government in the North which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

He simply never gave up, although at one point his life was under constant threat.

He formed close links with powerful political figures in Britain, America and Europe to find a peaceful response.

The eldest of seven children, John Hume was born on January 18, 1937. The family lived in a small terraced house in the Glen area of Derry.

His first calling was to study for the priesthood in St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Co Kildare, but he opted instead to become a secondary school teacher in his home town.

He married Patricia Hone in 1960 and the couple had five children, three daughters, Terese, Aine and Maureen and two sons, Aidan and John.

Chronic social problems in Derry politicised the young teacher who decided that financial cooperation between all sides could lift people out of poverty. His solution was to help set up the first Credit Union in the North.

Hume campaigned for civil rights. When police batoned participants in a march in 1968, it transformed the Civil Rights protest into a mass movement with Hume at the forefront.

By February of the following year he was elected as an Independent Nationalist to the Stormont Parliament.

He also made his first trip to America and convinced the influential Ted Kennedy that there was an alternative to the IRA to get social justice in the North.

In 1973 he was elected to the short-lived Northern Ireland Assembly and appointed Minister for Commerce.

Secret

A founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), Hume became party leader in 1979, the same year he was elected to the European Parliament.

The pivotal moment for Hume came in 1987 when he was on holidays with his wife in Gweedore in Donegal. He was asked to meet Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, and the pair talked in secret over the next six years.

The talks ultimately led to the 1994 cease-fire between the IRA and the Unionist paramilitaries.

At Easter 1998, the Northern Ireland political parties signed what became known as the Good Friday Agreement, in which Hume played a leading role. In the autumn of that year the Nobel Committee decided to award the Peace Prize to Hume and Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble.

Hume was also awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize and Martin Luther King Award and is the only person to get all three major peace awards.

Hume became seriously ill at a peace conference in Austria in 1999 when his intestine ruptured. He had to have three abdominal operations and was put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit. After his retirement, memory difficulties intensified and became quite severe.

He announced a complete retirement from politics on February 4, 2004.

John Hume's hope for Ireland was one of "partnership where we wage war on want and poverty, where we reach out to the marginalised and dispossessed, where we build together a future that can be as great as our dreams allow".
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Private life insurer Exide Life Insurance reported an 89 percent growth in FY20 to Rs 28.3 crore when other insurers saw COVID-19 severely hitting their businesses.

In the same period, many bigger players had started slipping into the red. While ICICI Prudential Life Insurance posted a 6.3 percent year-on-year (YoY) decline in FY20 net profit, HDFC Life saw a flat profit after tax of Rs 1,297.45 crore.

In Exide Lifes case, it was not only able to maintain a steady top-line and bottom-line but also paid out bonuses to participating business policyholders.

A participating policy is one in which insurers share profits with customers. These profits are paid out as bonuses or dividends.

In FY20, Exide Life saw a 13.1 percent Y-o-Y growth in bonus pay-outs to participating business policyholders to Rs 324 crore.

Even though the lockdown situation is improving across the country, Exide Life has applied brakes on its expansion plans. The focus is now on cost-efficiency, said Kshitij Jain, MD & CEO, Exide Life Insurance, in an interview to Moneycontrol.

In February 2020, the plan was to double the industry growth. That scenario changed once the lockdown was announced. Now, it is all about cost-efficiency. We will be ready for expansion when the market situation is conducive. But we are still cautious on costs, he added.

The man behind the growth

Jains contribution to the company's growth cannot be understated. Part of the founding team, he came on board in December 2000 and was initially leading sales and distribution.

He was promoted as MD & CEO in June 2006. The company has been reporting profits for eight consecutive years. This was achieved mainly by reducing operating costs and focussing on traditional businesses like protection (term plans) that offer higher margins.

Not only has Jain been able to steer the company from losses to profits, he was also the CEO in January 2013, when ING announced its exit plans from Exide Life by selling its stake to joint venture partner Exide Industries.

INGs exit from the Indian life insurance joint venture was part of the intended divestment of INGs Asian Insurance and Investment Management businesses.

Since then, Exide Industries has a 100 percent shareholding in the life insurance company. Now, it is among a handful of life insurers without any foreign partner.

Exide Life had reported a 10.7 percent year-on-year growth in new business premiums for FY20 at Rs 888.65 crore.

Jain explained that FY20 was a good year as far as solvency was concerned as well. It stood at 210 percent versus the regulatory requirement of 150 percent.

All stakeholders were looked after. There are three things we are looking after in this business: quality of business, proprietary channel and product mix. We had a strong show in all these segments. With respect to distribution, we saw a growth in business for both agency channel and from direct channel, he added.

Several bank-led insurers saw a steep decline in business in FY20 due to a focus on unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips), which fell out of favour with customers after COVID-19 hit India. Exide Life has 95 percent business coming in from traditional plans, and these products have seen traction even amidst the lockdown.

Take ICICI Prudential Life for instance. Almost 60-65 percent of its new business comes from Ulips. Bank-led insurers have large presence in the Ulip portfolio with account holders being cross-sold these products, which have a higher ticket size.

But, Exide Life has not been completely unaffected by COVID-19. The life insurer saw a 34.3 percent Y-o-Y decline in new premiums to Rs 101.83 crore in Q1FY21. Other financial numbers are not yet available for the June quarter.

Exide Life is a smaller player, primarily since it is not promoted by large banks and relies on agency channels and direct business and co-operative banks to write business.

We saw a significant decline in premium as corporate agents and brokers who often rely on face-to-face interactions saw a decrease in business. Agents and direct channels did not feel much of an impact, he added.

COVID-19 lessons

Jain said that the company has learnt some important lessons from COVID-19. The company did not lose even one day of operation, post the lockdown, since Exide Life had adopted a digital-first approach two years ago.

The lockdown has taught us that there are big possibilities for increasing productivity due to the lockdown through our digital push. Our agents and direct channel had adapted to this quickly. Even underwriting has moved to video calls, he said.

Going forward, Jain said that Exide Life will be on the lookout to get new distribution channels to sell their products. Among the new-age payments firms, Exide Life is already tied up with Fino Payments Bank.
Forest fire approaches the village of Pettino near L'Aquila.

Firefighters, soldiers and civil protection volunteers are working around the clock in an effort to combat a wildfire that is approaching the village of Pettino, near L'Aquila in the eastern region of Abruzzo, reports Italian news agency ANSA.

The flames are about 200 metres away from the village, with an evacuation plan in place even though there are hopes that the arrival of rain will help put out the blaze.

More than 500 hectares of woodland and vegetation on Monte Pettino and Monte Omo have been destroyed in the blaze which began six days ago, in the fringes of the Parco Nazionale del Gran Sasso, and which was likely started deliberately.

There are currently 85 firefighters at work, along with six Canadair planes and two helicopters, in attempts to put out the blaze, according to ANSA.

There are numerous other forest fires raging in Italy at present, with blazes in Torpe, in the province of Nuoro in Sardinia; as well as in several areas around the Sicilian province of Palermo.

Photo AbruzzoLive
Sun Pharma latest to sell Covid-19 drug favipiravir in India

India's Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd said on Tuesday it would soon begin selling its version of favipiravir, becoming the latest generic drugmaker to supply the antiviral to treat Covid-19 in the world's third worst-hit nation.

Favipiravir, along with another antiviral, remdesivir, has emerged as one of the most sought-after drugs at hospitals fighting Covid-19 in India, which saw a surge of 50,000-plus infections for the sixth straight day on Tuesday. Sun's version of favipiravir, to be called FluGuard, will cost 35 rupees (47 cents) per 200 mg tablet, making it the cheapest version available. Stocks will be available from this week.

Shares in Sun Pharma, one of the world's largest generic drug manufacturers, climbed after the news and were last up 1.7% in an upbeat Mumbai market. Favipiravir was originally developed by Japan's Fujifilm Holdings Corp as Avigan. Once hyped as a potential Covid-19 treatment by Japan's prime minister, Avigan faces uncertain prospects in the country, dampened by disappointing clinical studies. Still, Indian regulators gave emergency approval to favipiravir in June in an effort to tackle the 'urgent and unmet' need for Covid-19 treatments in the country.

Separately, another Indian drugmaker, Jubilant Life Sciences Ltd, on Monday announced the launch of its version of remdesivir, priced at 4,700 rupees per 100 mg vial. Jubilant is among the companies producing the drug under licence from U.S.-based Gilead Sciences Inc.
Egypt is reopening churches for the first time in nearly four months, after a major decline in the number of recorded coronavirus cases in recent days. The number of new cases is also down in Sudan, while Libya, Tunisia and Algeria have been witnessing an increase.

Worshippers gathered for the first church service in nearly four months in Egypt's historic port city of Alexandria. Authorities reopened churches across the country on Monday.

Those attending appeared to abide by strict safety rules regarding social distancing and the use of face masks.

Mosques are open on weekdays but remain closed for Friday prayers and major holidays.

Egypt's Health Ministry indicated Sunday that there were just 167 new cases during the previous 24 hours and only 31 deaths. Figures for new cases have fallen dramatically in recent days, prompting the government to relax a number of restrictions.

Neighboring Sudan has also witnessed a relative drop in the number of cases in recent days with under 100 new cases per day for most of the past week.

Nearby Libya, however, is witnessing a rise in the number of new infections, according to Arab media.

Libyan news channel 218TV reported that the Islamist militia-dominated port city of Misrata has been placed under curfew by authorities after six people died of COVID-19 over the weekend. Arab media reports say that mercenaries from outside Libya have been entering the country through Misrata. COVID-19 is the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Children wear protective face masks as they look at clothes in a shop ahead of the Eid al-Adha celebrations amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Misrata, Libya, July 28, 2020.

Paul Sullivan, who is a professor at the National Defense University in Washington, told VOA that he thinks the recent increase in the number of cases in Libya "is likely due in part to the movement of mercenaries into the country."

He added that in periods of conflict, social distancing takes a back seat, particularly if you are a mercenary who is not part of the community."

Meanwhile, Algeria, with a population of about 44 million people, has seen a rise in the number of cases to more than 600 a day in recent days, double the number of infections from just a month ago. The European Union suspended travel from Algeria to the EU last week due to the increase.

Said Sadek, well-known Egyptian political sociologist who is now in Tunisia, told VOA that he thinks there has been a rise in the number of coronavirus infections in Tunisia and other parts of north Africa, "because many people began relaxing their behavior after the number of cases dropped." He added, "Many family members visit from France and other parts of Europe, bringing the virus back with them."

Saudi TV reported that there were "no reported cases of COVID-19" among those who participated in this year's annual hajj, or Islamic pilgrimage. Saudi Information Minister Majed al Qasseri noted that "the extensive spread of the coronavirus and its clear danger to humanity forced Saudi Arabia to seriously limit the number of people attending this year's pilgrimage."
Fears over the use of Australian TikTok users' data could soon be allayed, with the Chinese-owned app in talks with Microsoft over a possible sale.

President Donald Trump told reporters on Tuesday that in 45 days, TikTok would be shut down in the US over concerns about its ownership and how users' information is harvested.

Australian security agencies fear users' private data is currently being sent to authorities in Beijing, who are world leaders in data collection, AI and facial recognition software.

Although a sale to Microsoft will essentially mean data will be sent to a US tech firm instead of the Chinese Communist Party, leading Australian cyber expert Dr John Lee said Australian TikTok users will be far better off.

Scroll down for video

A ban on the popular Chinese video app TikTok is appears inevitable in Australia, after US President Donald Trump (pictured) announced he will shut down the digital platform in America

'Under Chinese law no data is considered private. The Government can access any data it deems fit for any reason,' Dr Lee told Daily Mail Australia.

'But in Australia and the US there is legislation which limits the extent to which governments can access data.

'It doesn't really matter if we like or trust Xi Jinping or Donald Trump, it is about how their institutions operate in those countries.

'To put it bluntly, Xi Jinping can do whatever he wants with the data and how the laws are written and Trump can't.'

If the sale goes through, it will alleviate the national security concerns of the Australian government who are currently holding a clandestine investigation into all Chinese social media platforms.

President Trump has declared September 15 the date by which TikTok needs to have been sold to a US company, or 'it is going to be out of business in the US'.

'It can't be controlled for security reasons by China, it's too big and too invasive,' he added.

TikTok (pictured) is one of the most popular apps in the world and had 315 million downloads in the first quarter of the year

HOW DOES TIKTOK WORK? Users post videos of themselves and broadcast them on the app

Anyone can find these videos and post comments on them

It also allows you to message that person privately

Some of the most popular videos are watched more than 10 million times

Each TikTok video is generally 15 to 60 seconds long

The videos are typically set to music, often showing the user dancing, doing a trick, or lip-syncing Advertisement

Dr Lee said the president was not bluffing.

'It is a serious issue. The timing of it may be politically inspired but the substance of it isn't politically inspired,' the former government adviser said.

'It is an issue in America that both sides of politics acknowledge.'

But while talks are continuing between TikTok's parent company ByteDance and Microsoft, China's authoritarian regime may not be willing to hand over the 15-second video app which has soared in popularity during the coronavirus pandemic.

The platform currently has 1.6 million users in Australia - most of whom are under 25.

'It seems pretty clear that from September 15, they won't be allowed to operate in the US. If that is the case they might as well realise their commercial value,' Dr Lee said.

'From the point of view of the parent company, there will certainly be a strong commercial incentive to offload it to Microsoft if possible.

'But the hiccup could be the Chinese government who might not like the optics of it being sold to an American company.

Australian security agencies fear user's private information is being sent to authorities in Beijing, who are world leaders in data collection, AI and facial recognition software. (pictured, women taking a selfie in Sydney on July 22)

TikTok is a Chinese social media app where users can live stream, create short videos and music videos and Gifs with a host of functions. Pictured: A video shared by soldiers

'It would be quite humiliating to the Chinese Communist Party if TikTok were sold and that might be the only reason why it may not happen.'

TikTok has denied claims the app is being used by Beijing to keep tabs on anyone who criticises the totalitarian regime.

'TikTok does not share information of our users in Australia with any foreign government, including the Chinese Government, and would not do so if asked,' the company told Daily Mail Australia.

'We place the highest importance on user privacy and integrity'.

TikTok has denied claims the app is being used by Beijing to keep tabs on anyone who criticises the totalitarian regime
Queensland police will investigate documents used to grant diplomatic quarantine exemptions to a private security contractor who returned home to Toowoomba from Afghanistan last week before testing positive to COVID-19.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk told reporters on Tuesday that she had forwarded the information provided to state health authorities, including a letter on Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade letterhead, to the police commissioner.

"If there is any suggestion that it is not an authentic letter, then that needs to be investigated by the police," she said.

The man in his 20s flew from Sydney to the Sunshine Coast on Friday after returning from the Afghanistan capital of Kabul, before travelling by car to his home in Toowoomba, about 230 kilometres away.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / How to be an entrepreneur is not taught at school, so David Kollar dropped out of it. However, this did not stop him from achieving his dreams and creating a multi-million dollar company.

"I was born in Slovakia and moved to Canada as an immigrant at the age of 7. After working over 20 jobs, getting kicked out of multiple high schools and dropping out of college, I started my journey in fashion at 16 years old. A decade later Kollar Clothing became a household name in North America, selling in over 250+ retailers globally." States David.

David did not learn design skills through a normal education pathway. Instead, he relied on the skills that he taught himself over the years. He harnessed the power of the internet to help guide him as well, using sites like youtube where people were posting their own fashion content to understand his own pathway in design.

"I started the company by teaching myself how to design, by asking questions, and by watching YouTube videos. In 2020, Kollar Clothing is a multi-million dollar brand that has been worn by celebrities such as Shawn Mendes, Steph Curry, Chris Delia, Young Thug, Gunna, and Lil Keed to name a few. I am a young entrepreneur who started a business with only an idea and a dream." Explains David.

David is different from other designers because his goal is to make quality luxury clothing that lasts. He believes that it is easy to make fast and trendy clothes, but making them last is the difficult part. That is why he strives to do just that. If they aren't trendy and quickly put together, then they cost a fortune. This is something that David also does differently by making his clothes affordable as well.

"Everyone makes luxury products at ridiculous price points; some of it is not even good quality. Everyone also makes fast fashion with fair prices that are trendy, but the product falls apart. Kollar is about defining luxury menswear by quality and not by price point. Kollar's goal has always been creating detailed, high-quality products at attainable price points, but keeping it exclusive and letting it sell out and then moving on to the next style. This creates a hype that real fashionistas can buy a product and enjoy the quality, especially during times like these when everyone has lost their jobs." Says David.

As with many other businesses, David has been struggling due to the pandemic. People are less willing to spend money on luxury items because they do not have a lot of money to spare on non-essential items. David and his team are trying to adapt to the situation by making good clothing that can be worn both indoors and outdoors.

"Right now the main obstacle we are facing is Covid-19. We are trying to be more creative with how we make products to ensure we're creating products that are comfortable that can be worn at home and when you're outside. Our goal is to continue to sell attainable price points but not be cheap on quality and create too many products that may saturate the brands longevity and branding." Remarks David.

David is an excellent rags to riches tale that shows how dedication and hard work can get you far in life. His trial and error process led to him refining his brand and finding the right niche that fit his brand. He started his company with only 500 dollars to his name and is now a multimillionaire.

"I really started from the very bottom. Coming to Canada from Slovakia, my mom had to sew in the basement for brands to ensure she could take care of her kids while paying the bills and feeding them. I started the brand with $500 and now it is a multi-million dollar company. I employ a lot of young employees and give them an opportunity to work in fashion. I mostly hire people with passion and a hardworking personality like what I had growing up when creating my brand." David Claims.

If you would like to find out more about David, you can follow him on instagram @davidkollar, and you can check out his website at kollarclothing.com.

CONTACT:

Paula Henderson

646-736-2071

phendersonnews@gmail.com

About VIP Media Group:

VIP Media Group is a hybrid PR agency. Their diverse client base includes top-class entrepreneurs, public figures, influencers, and celebrities.

SOURCE: VIP Media Group

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600276/Meet-David-Kollar-The-Man-Behind-The-Multi-Million-Dollar-Luxury-Brand-Kollar-Clothing
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Virgin Galactic expects to begin powered test flights from Spaceport America in southern New Mexico this fall, paving the way to fly company founder Sir Richard Branson to space in early 2021, company executives said during a second-quarter earnings call Monday afternoon.

Since May, the company has conducted two glide flights over the spaceport with its passenger rocket, the VSS Unity, allowing Virgin Galactic teams to collect key data on performance while providing critical experience for the two spaceship pilots in the cockpit. On those flights, the Unity was carried on the underbelly of the mothership, VMS Eve, to about 50,000 feet before breaking away to glide back down to the spaceport runway.

But this fall, the company plans to conduct two powered flights, whereby the Unity will fire up its rocket motors after breaking away from Eve to shoot to the edge of space at 50 miles up, said Virgin Galactic Chief Space Officer George Whitesides on Monday.

Were now preparing for the next stage of powered flight testing, Whitesides told conference call participants.

The first powered flight will again only include two test pilots. But the second flight will carry four mission specialists in the passenger cabin, where paying tourists will eventually be seated for the ride to space. That passenger crew of company employees will evaluate all cabin operations during flight, Whitesides said.

Then, assuming both powered flights yield expected results, the company will fly Branson to space, said Virgin Galactic CEO Michael Colglazier.

Safety remains the top priority, Colglazier said. If all goes well, then we anticipate Sir Richard Branson to be on a powered flight in the first quarter of 2021.

Bransons trip to suborbit would kick off the companys long-awaited commercial operations, allowing up to six paying passengers at a time to fly to space, where theyll be able to float for a few minutes in microgravity and view the Earths curvature.

To date, 600 customers have paid up to $250,000 each for the anticipated space adventure.

Another 700 people have put down $1,000 deposits to be first in line to buy tickets when the company reopens sales for seats on the rocket, Whitesides said. Thats up from 400 people that had made deposits as of last March.

The coronavirus has slowed Virgin Galactics progress in recent months as the company abides by strict safety protocols, Whitesides said. Thats limited the number of people that can be onsite at the spaceport, and at company headquarters in California, where Virgin Galactics manufacturing subsidiary, The Spaceship Company, is now building two more passenger rockets for operation at the spaceport.

But the company continues its march to commercial launch, achieving key milestones during the second quarter, Whitesides said. That includes:

n Near completion of the second passenger rocket in California, with ground testing on that ship to begin this fall. About 75% of parts fabrication is also finished for the third rocket, with full assembly of that vehicle expected next year.

n Three more Federal Aviation Administration requirements were met for FAA approval of commercial operations, meaning 27 of the 29 needed elements have been achieved. When we complete the remaining elements, well be cleared to fly customers to space, Whitesides said.

n The company finished construction and received a certificate of occupancy for the third floor of Virgin Galactics Gateway to Space building at Spaceport America. Thats where all training and flight preparation for customers will take place.

The company is also moving forward on future commercial ventures. That includes working with NASA to line up a pipeline of paying customers for flights to the International Space Station, and development of supersonic vehicles that can provide high-speed, point-to-point travel across the globe.

The company already signed up 12 paying customers for travel to the ISS, which will include end-to-end training to prepare them for the trip. Some of that training will take place at Spaceport America, Whitesides said.

And Virgin Galactic also revealed an initial design concept Monday morning for its future high-speed vehicle, which is expected to travel at three times the speed of sound to potentially transport people from Los Angeles to Tokyo in just two hours, and from New York to London in one. The company announced a new memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce to help build propulsion systems for the aircraft.

Those vehicles will represent a paradigm shift in human air travel, Whitesides said. It will drastically cut travel times.

Whitesides is leading the efforts to build those future operations as the companys new chief space officer. He stepped down as CEO on July 20, allowing Colglazier, a former Disney executive, to take the reins.

The company reported a $63 million net loss during the second quarter as it continues to prepare for commercial launch. But it still has substantial funds to continue moving forward, with $360 million in cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, said Chief Financial Officer Jon Campagna.
The Bihar Police chief amped up the fight with Maharshtra over Sushant Singh Rajput case by saying Mumbai has closed all communication channels with them.

Theyve forcibly quarantined an IPS officer. If Maharashtra government is proud of their police, then tell us what theyve done in 50 days after death of Sushant Singh Rajput? Mumbai has closed all communication channels with us. This indicates that something is wrong, Bihars Director General of Police (DGP) G Pandey said on Tuesday.

The case had turned into a full-fledged inter-state fight on Monday with civic authorities in Mumbai quarantining a Bihar Police officer at the helm of a probe into the actors suspected suicide.

Bihar Police alleged that IPS officer Vinay Tiwari was forcibly quarantined. Chief minister Nitish Kumar termed the move inappropriate. In its defence, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation said the step was taken in accordance with Maharashtras guidelines to stop the spread of Covid-19.

Later, the Mumbai Police, who too are probing the actors death, said Bihar Police did not have any jurisdiction in the case.

Inspector General of Police (IGP), Patna (Central) Sanjay Singh wrote a letter to BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner on Monday, asking him to relieve Tiwari from home quarantine as it is creating obstructions in the probe of case.

City SP Vinay Tiwari had reached Mumbai on August 2 for further investigation and better coordination in connection with the case. Notice of him reaching Mumbai had been given in writing by SSP, Patna to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-9, Bandra, the letter read.

An FIR has been registered in Patna, based on a complaint filed by Rajputs father KK Singh, against actor Rhea Chakraborty under several sections including abetment to suicide. A team of Bihar Police is in Mumbai to probe the matter.

The Bombay High Court will hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking transfer of the case from the Mumbai Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). The hearing was scheduled to take place on Tuesday but has been postponed due to rain.
The three-year-old is following in the footsteps of his professional climber father. (SWNS)

A three-year-old boy has become the youngest person to reach the summit of a 10,000ft mountain.

Following in their professional climber fathers footsteps, Jackson Houlding and sister Freya Houlding, seven, reached the top of Piz Badile on the border of Switzerland and Italy.

Dad Leo Houlding, 40, climbs some of the most dangerous peaks on earth and his GP wife, Jessica, 41, is an avid climber, too.

Freya was named the youngest climber to reach the top unaided, while her brother was the youngest person ever to make it to the top.

They are all following in their dad's footsteps. (SWNS)

Jackson, who was given Haribo sweets as a treat for his achievement said: It was really good, I enjoyed the bit I climbed on my own and the Haribo sweets.

Read more: Parents saving 3,800 a year by using grandparents as childcare

Speaking from Bregaglia, Switzerland, Leo Houlding said: "It's a super classic route, the best of its grade in the world.

"What was exceptional was we did it with our seven year-old-daughter Freya and our three-year-old son Jackson.

"My daughter climbed it all by herself, all the way, including all the hiking and everything - it was very impressive. She only just turned seven last week.

"My wife Jess carried Jackson on her back who weighs about 15kg, I carried all the camping equipment and food which weighed a bit more.

"We've done quite a bit of stuff in the UK and Europe in previous years, but every summer the kids are bigger and more capable than the past year.

"We did Triglav in Slovenia, but this was a league above that in terms of grandeur and difficulty.

The climb took the family three days. (SWNS)

Piz Badile is a mountain in the Bregaglia range and is considered to be one of the six great faces of the Alps.

It's a 1,000m long knife edge ridge and you're using your hands the whole way, it's a really long rock climb, Houlding explained.

There's always danger in the mountains, there's hazards of fall, hazards of weather, hazards of rockfall.

Despite the risks, the professional felt confident the whole time. He led the climb, given his experience, as being at the front of the pack is the riskiest position.

Story continues

For falling, it's the person who goes first at risk - so I led the whole climb. I'm a professional climber, the most experienced person goes first.

"In mountain activities there is more risk than in other activities, but we chose this climb because there is a lot less objective hazard - you can control the risks I just mentioned, he added.

They celebrated Leo's 40th birthday at the top. (SWNS)

Last year, Leo took on a trek without his family to a remote mountain known as Spectre, which is so isolated only ten people have ever seen it.

He was the first British person to ever climb it.

Spectre is a jagged mountain peak in Antarctica, 450km south of the South Pole, and he battled Antarctic conditions for more than 2,000km to make the climb.

Additional reporting by SWNS.
Photo: (Photo : pexels.com)

A pregnant woman in Columbia was shot in her home, Friday.

She was rushed to the hospital after the shooting. However, she did not survive. Because of this, the baby was born, even if the woman was only 28 weeks pregnant. The baby is still in a risky condition.

Officials are still reviewing the incident. The police will give a $5,000 reward to those who can provide information about the crime.

READ ALSO: Son killed, husband injured in a shooting incident at New Jersey judge's home





The shooting incident that killed the pregnant woman

Reports say that gunshots were heard in the area at around 11 in the evening of Friday.

When the police arrived, they learned that a pregnant woman was shot in one of the rounds of gunshots. Gun was fired outside their home.

The pregnant woman was rushed to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Center. She did not survive the shooting, and her baby was delivered early.

The pregnant woman's boyfriend was also in their home when the event transpired. However, he no longer commented to the press about what happened.

He describes his partner as a person with a fantastic spirit.

READ ALSO: Son calls dad for help after being beaten and shot with two best friends





The neighbors' accounts on the shooting incident

One of the neighbors described the incident as very sudden. That is since the neighborhood is very peaceful, and no such events have ever occurred before. This neighbor said," This is a quiet neighborhood. There are usually little kids playing in the street."

Initially, a neighbor thought that the incident was because there were late-night construction works in the area. It was only after a few minutes when he realized that what he heard were gunshots because police arrived.

READ ALSO: Pregnant woman shot to death while pushing 1-year-old daughter in a stroller





The police investigation on the pregnant woman's death

The Howard County Police have investigators asking neighbors about the incident.

The motive for the shooting is still to be determined. Police are also examining whether there are other targets in the shooting incident.

They are also asking the entire neighborhood to check their doorbell and security footage. That is to see if there is anything suspicious around the time of the crime.

Officials believe that the public's cooperation will help give justice to the pregnant woman's death and her baby, who is in critical condition.

The victim is a Muslim, and the community is also calling for the public's help in the incident. According to the director of the council on American-Islamic public relations," At this point, there are too many unanswered questions, and the community's help can make a tremendous difference."

The police are also offering a reward to anyone who has pertinent information on the pregnant woman's killing. The reward from the Howard County Police Department is $5,000. The person who will give the information may keep their identity if they choose to do so.

Anyone who knows anything about the suspects may call the police hotline at 410-313-STOP. An email containing the information may also be sent to HCPDCrimeTips@howardcountymd.gov.

READ ALSO: 6 children [from different incidents] fall victim to gun violence during the 4th of July weekend
A satellite image shows Subi Reef, one of Chinas four main bases and artificial islands in the South China Sea, July 3, 2020.

China has deployed warships and sent fighter jets on a long-haul flight to bases it occupies in the disputed Spratly island chain, according to satellite imagery and state media, in the latest show of Chinese military strength in the South China Sea.

That comes ahead of a major, multi-nation military exercise led by the United States planned for Aug. 17 to 31 near Hawaii which will be attended by nations across the Indo-Pacific. A Philippine naval ship has already set sail for the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) drills. Other nations expected to attend include Vietnam, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia.

Advanced fighter jets with Chinas Southern Theater Command flew to the Chinese-occupied base at Subi Reef within the past week, according to Chinese state media.

A Hunan province-based Chinese state-owned broadcaster aired a documentary about the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) brigade involved in that drill over the weekend. In the video, four Su-30MKK fighter jets reportedly perform a mid-air refueling while on a 10-hour flight to Subi Reef, with the brigades commander noting this breaks the PLAAFs previous record for long-range flights and demonstrates Chinas ability to send any aircraft as far as the Spratlys at a moments notice.

However, experts at the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI)  part of the U.S. Air Force-affiliated Air University  pointed out it takes less than 10 hours to fly directly to Subi from Changsha, the brigades likely home base in Hunan.

Assuming the video is showing the actual event, they appear to be departing and arriving from Changsha, Brendan Mulvaney, director of CASI, said after seeing the video report and conferring with colleagues.

The math on a 10-hour trip doesnt make sense. It's about 1,300 miles from Changsha to the Spratlys, which should only take two to three hours at typical cruise speeds. At 10 hours round trip, that implies theyre flying at 260 mph which is unlikely, he said.

Instead of testing the endurance of the aircraft itself or the feasibility of the trip, experts surmised the exercise was likely aimed at testing the physical fitness of the pilots under the conditions of a grueling long-distance flight.

The Su-30MKK is physically capable of sustaining 10-hour flights with mid-air refueling, Mulvaney said. The question is whether a pilot is physically capable of doing so.

Subi Reef is one of Chinas four biggest artificial islands in the Spratlys, an archipelago of rocks and reefs in the southern half of the South China Sea that Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei all hold claims.

It is a key stopping point for Chinas ships on their way through the area, and satellite imagery showed two identifiable China Coast Guard ships there on Monday morning.

Subi Reef sits less than 13 nautical miles from Thitu Island, a feature occupied by the Philippines that was recently upgraded with a beaching ramp and improved airstrip. However, Thitus facilities pale in comparison to those at Subi, which has a 3,000-meter runway, radar and communications arrays and shelters for missile batteries.

China Coast Guard and maritime militia ships are commonplace off the coast of the Philippines, whose President Rodrigo Duterte last week conceded that he had no power to enforce the Philippines ownership of territories claimed by China in the South China Sea.

China is claiming it, we are claiming it. China has the arms, we do not have it. So, its simple as that. They are in possession of the property, Duterte said in his annual State of the Nation Address.

So what can we do? We have to go to war. And I cannot afford it. Maybe some other president can. But I cannot, he said.

China also has deployed two warships to Mischief Reef, which lies about 150 miles off the Philippine island of Palawan. Satellite imagery shows what appear to be a Type 054A frigate and a Type 056 corvette in service with the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) sailing in Mischief Reefs expansive lagoon on Sunday. Other ships running supplies to and from Mischief Reefs settlement are also visible.

Mischief Reef is Chinas largest artificial island in the South China Sea. Technically, under international law it is considered a low-tide elevation, but after large-scale reclamation efforts China has built it into a formidable base of operations, with a massive harbor and airstrip.

The U.S. updated its position on the South China Sea last month, refuting Chinas insistence on holding maritime rights to the area and calling Chinas claims to features that sit on the Philippine continental shelf illegal. In particular, the U.S. State Department stated on July 13 that China holds no lawful territorial or maritime claim to Mischief Reef or Second Thomas Shoal, both of which lay within Philippine waters.

For its part, Philippines has sent some conflicting signals about its stance toward China. Duterte has sought closer ties with Beijing, but more recently the Philippines appears to have tracked back toward its long-standing U.S. alliance and repudiated Chinas claims to historic rights over virtually all the disputed waterway.

Philippine Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana welcomed the U.S. statement of July 13. And the Philippine Navy will attend RIMPAC. Its most modern warship, the BRP Jose Rizal, departed for Hawaii July 29.
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(Kitco News) - Mexico-focused development company Minera Alamos (CVE:MAI) said today that it acquired the Cerro de Oro gold project comprising the Zacatecas I and Zacatecas II concessions near Concepcion del Oro, Zacatecas, Mexico.

The company said that the acquisition of the two core claims in the district that contain a significant gold project with 76 holes and 8200 m of historic drilling and bolsters the companys total claim holdings in the Concepcion del Oro district to approximately 6,500 ha in size.

The Cerro de Oro gold project has many characteristics that mimic the El Castillo gold mine our team developed under the Castle Gold Corporation banner from 2007 until its eventual sale in 2010. stated Darren Koningen, CEO of Minera Alamos, in a news release. Cerro de Oro contains a large disseminated gold system with a significant oxidation profile and a low implied strip ratio with the majority of mineralized areas outcropping at surface. Northern Zacatecas has a rich mining history and hosts some of the largest gold deposits in north-central Mexico. We look forward to working with the local community and Mexican mining authorities to rapidly advance permitting and establish a new mine in the district.

The transaction is expected to be non-dilutive funded by asset sales.

The team at Minera is extremely excited to have added the Cerro de Oro project to our pipeline of gold development projects for less than 1% dilution of our existing issued share capital. We will continue to pursue complementary asset level acquisitions that serve the best interests of our shareholders. stated Doug Ramshaw, President of Minera Alamos. Recent disposals of some non-core equity holdings have more than covered the initial payments for this new acquisition even including our minimum planned expenditures as we initiate permitting related activities for the Cerro de Oro project in the second half of the year.

Minera Alamos was up 13% to 69 cents a share as of 3:30 p.m. ET.
A police officer's body-worn camera did not capture the moment he shot a man dead in a Melbourne park after he failed to switch on the device.

The Broadmeadows police officer was responding to a frenzied attack at John Coutts Reserve in Gladstone Park on July 16 where Gabriel Messo was stabbing his mother Lilla to the head with a stick.

Gabriel Messo and his mother Lilla. Credit:Facebook

At a directions hearing into the matter on Tuesday, State Coroner John Cain heard the officer repeatedly called for Mr Messo to stop the attack before fatally shooting him in the chest.

"The police officer involved in the discharge of their firearm was wearing a body-worn camera, however, it was not turned on prior to the incident," counsel assisting the coroner Lindsay Spence said.
Sushant Singh Rajput's family lawyer Vikas Singh has asked for a CBI inquiry of the case. The lawyer has stated that the Mumbai Police is not thoroughly investigating the case. Singh further stated that problems are being created for investigating officers so that they can't inquire about the case properly. He alleged that this is benefiting people responsible for the actor's death.

Vikas Singh has also urged Chief Minister Nitish Kumar to demand a CBI inquiry for the case.

Separately, Bihar DGP G Pandey has said the Mumbai Police forcibly quarantined an IPS officer who had landed at the city to investigate the case. "They've forcibly quarantined an IPS officer. If Maharashtra government is proud of their police, then tell us what they've done in 50 days after the death of Sushant S Rajput. Mumbai has closed all communication channels with us. This indicates that something is wrong," said Pandey.

Pandey's comment is in connection with IPS officer Vinay Tiwari who had reached Mumbai on Sunday night to investigate the case but was quarantined by the BMC.

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput Googled his name, 'painless death', 'bipolar disorder' hours before death

Meanwhile, Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer Satish Manishinde has contested Pandey's claim that the actress is missing. Pandey had said that they have not been able to call her for questioning. Chakraborty's lawyer said that no notice or summons have been received by the actress from Bihar Police.

On Monday, Sushant Singh Rajput's father released a video and stated that he had contacted Mumbai Police in February to inform them that the actor's life is under threat. "On February 25, I informed Bandra Police the life of my son was in danger. He died June 14 and I asked them to act against people in my complaint. No action was taken even 40 days after. So I filed FIR in Patna and Patna Police swung into action," said KK Singh in the video.

However, Shahji Umap, Deputy Commissioner (Operations) Mumbai Police said, "Today KK Singh, father of late Sushant Singh Rajput, released a statement saying the family made a written complaint to Bandra Police on February 25. It must be clarified that no such complaint has been addressed to Bandra Police on that date."

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: Bihar Police looks into actor's finances; friend says forced to give false statements

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: ED files money laundering case
For 32 years, Sausalito has protected its scrappy industrial waterfront, banning both housing and offices in the 225-acre Marinship district, which stretches for about a mile north of downtown.

And, for the most part, its worked. Instead of expensive condos and trinket-filled tourist shops, Marinship remains a place where vessels are hauled out and repaired, houseboats built, sails sewn and outboard motors tuned up. Hundreds of maritime workers and artists live and toil on the water, a world apart from the glass towers visible across the bay.

But with the Black Lives Matter movement forcing cities to confront historic racial, social and economic inequality, Sausalito officials are debating whether some land in Marinship might be appropriate for low-income or senior housing. In July, during a contentious, eight-hour meeting that focused on both racial justice and a new, 20-year general plan  a state-mandated document meant to guide development  the City Council voted 4-1 to erase language that barred land-based housing there.

At the meeting, Vice Mayor Ray Withy said: We cannot hope to increase diversity in Sausalito if you dont increase the diversity of available housing for a multitude of income levels.

Mayor Susan Cleveland-Knowles agreed, saying, We are an overwhelmingly white community and that opening select sites to housing is the only way we can increase diversity in our town.

McArdle Hankin / The Chronicle

The conflict between preserving light industry and meeting the need for housing has played out across the Bay Area, from San Franciscos central waterfront to West Oakland to South San Francisco. Supporters of zoning restrictions say prohibiting residential and office development preserves often well-paying blue- collar jobs and ensures a diverse economic base. Housing advocates say opposition to residential development will continue to drive up prices and force thousands of workers to relocate.

On the website of the Sausalito Working Waterfront Coalition, which advocates for those whose livelihoods are linked to the Marinship, Bob Silvestri lashed out at consultants working on the general plan, saying the vision laid out a predictable, banal, soulless celebration of consumerism, bereft of character or sense of place.

Coalition members say current Marinship protections are not just about preserving the citys maritime legacy but about supporting its economic future. The area has a strong base of manufacturers, something that became apparent during the early days of the coronavirus pandemic when two Marinship companies  Universal Sonar Mount and Starbuck Canvas Works  collaborated to quickly manufacture 1,300 plastic face shields that were donated to first responders.

To Planning Commissioner Janelle Kellman, the collaboration showed that the Marinship is vital as a center of industry and that the city should seek to encourage the growth of those companies rather than replace them with housing.

Marinship, she said, has a history of contributing to the safety and security of our nation.

Sausalito resident John DiRe, a retired engineer, said that instead of relaxing the zoning to allow for residential development, the city should expand the districts light industrial space, which generates about 41% of the citys business taxes. He said the new general plan should seek to convert some of the office space allowed in the 1970s and 80s to arts and light industry.

People in the Marinship are welcoming of change if that change is reducing office uses, he said. What is going on down here is so special, up and down the Marinship. The working waterfront is booming. It has never been busier.

McArdle Hankin / The Chronicle

But the question of who is benefiting from the busy Sausalito waterfront is especially charged, given its history as a jobs center for Black Americans during World War II. More than 2,200 Black workers, mostly transplants from the South, migrated to Marin County during the war, working to pump out 92 cargo ships in about five years. But while Blacks were allowed to work alongside whites in Sausalito, they were barred from buying or renting property there, and instead were housed in Marin City, an unincorporated area a mile northwest of the shipyards.

Today, Marin City remains poor and isolated from Sausalito and the rest of Marin County, economically, geographically and racially. Marin City is 40% Black, 13% Latino and 7% other minority groups, and about 40% white. Its median household income of just under $43,000 is less than half the countys median. Sausalito, by contrast, is 92% white and just 1.5% black. Its median household income is $110,000.

Marin City  physically cut off from Sausalito by Highway 101  has four major affordable housing complexes, including 300 units at Golden Gate Village, 225 at Ridgeway Apartments and 56 at Ponderosa Estates. Sausalito has just 38 units of affordable senior housing.

Paul Austin, who runs Play Marin  a Marin City nonprofit dedicated to bringing kids of different racial and economic backgrounds together  said that allowing some affordable housing in the Marinship flatlands would do wonders for the entire ZIP code by integrating schools and creating housing opportunities for teachers and nurses who cant currently afford to stay in Marin County.

He said that he welcomes the racial justice discussion Sausalito City Council has embarked on, but that we have to put the onus back on the residents in Sausalito to make sure the debate is followed by action.

If it gets shot down, it would show me that Sausalito is very much a place where people say the right things about diversity and inclusion, but when it comes to their own backyard, its a different matter, Austin said. If they vote yes, that will show me that they are ready to set a higher standard for justice and equity.

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.

Pastor Marcus Small, who leads Peoples Inter-Cities Fellowship in Marin City, said many in his congregation have been forced to move to Vallejo, Sacramento or Vacaville because Marin is so expensive. Sausalito homes average $1.5 million, according to Zillow, and an average two-bedroom apartment rents for $4,000.

As American citizens, Black folks should have the right to live wherever, and that includes Sausalito, Small said. And that would require some more affordable housing.

Todd Trumbull

If some housing is allowed in the Marinship, the question of where exactly it would go is sure to be controversial. The citys traditional hillside neighborhoods are largely built out and the flatlands that stretch along the waterfront represent some of the only large parcels on which new housing could be constructed.

Others point to several office complexes that were built in the 1980s, before the 1988 Marinship plan banned new offices. One of these properties is Marina Office Plaza, an 86,000-square-foot facility. Property owner Brenda Berg would like to explore converting the land to senior housing, a need she discovered firsthand a few years ago when her husband developed Lewy body dementia and had to be placed in an assisted living facility in Santa Rosa.

Sausalito has an unusually large senior population  37% of residents are over 60  and replacing an office building with senior housing would not interfere with maritime or arts uses, the Bergs argue.

Nobody wants to replace the arts or light industry or maritime, nobody is saying, Lets build a gleaming condo tower 150 feet tall, said Carlo Berg, who manages the property with his mother. You cant have an age-friendly city if you dont have age-friendly land-use policy and wont even consider housing.

Meanwhile, the debate over whether Sausalito will open up some of its flatlands for housing will be decided this fall as the general plan goes before the Planning Commission in September and the City Council in October.

At the July City Council meeting, Mayor Cleveland-Knowles acknowledged that it would be a tough political fight.

I have met a lot of resistance in town and continue to meet a lot of resistance in town to expanding our housing opportunities, she said.

J.K. Dineen is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jdineen@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @sfjkdineen
On an upcoming episode of Bachelor in Paradise, Ciarran Stott faces off with Kiki Morris' mother - and it does not go well.

In a preview clip which aired on Tuesday, the 26-year-old is left speeches after the mother of his 32-year-old love interest called him a 'dog'.

Ciarran bit his lip during the onslaught, as Kiki's mum questioned him about his affair with Jessica Brody, 31.

Oh dear: On an upcoming episode of Bachelor in Paradise, Ciarran Stott (left) faces off with Kiki Morris' mother (right) - and it does not go well

'It's pretty serious when you sleep with someone else,' she said, with Ciarran mumbling, 'yeah, yeah'.

Then she laid into him mercilessly while Ciarran stared at her with a tense expression on his face.

Kiki's mum snapped: 'And the fact that you weren't man enough to tell her yourself, it's a real dog act, actually. It's just crap. You're a lying, cheating dog!'

Questions: In a preview clip, Kiki's mum questioned him about his affair with Jessica Brody, 31

Erm? 'It's pretty serious when you sleep with someone else,' she said, with Ciarran mumbling, 'yeah, yeah'

Then she laid into him mercilessly: 'And the fact that you weren't man enough to tell her yourself, it's a real dog act, actually. It's just crap. You're a lying, cheating dog!' she snapped

He is not amused: Ciarran stared at her with a tense expression on his face

The confrontation comes after Ciarran betrayed Kiki multiple times - first by sleeping with Jess, despite promising Kiki he would wait for her to arrive in paradise.

Next she learned that Ciarran had made the same promise to his ex, Renee Barrett, 26, who tearfully revealed that the pair had split only a week before the show began filming - with Ciarran suggesting they'd reunite in paradise.

During Tuesday's episode, Kiki learned that Renee had even brought along an $800, custom-made ring to give Ciarran when they reconciled.

Betrayed: The confrontation comes after Ciarran betrayed Kiki (pictured) multiple times - first by sleeping with Jess Brody, despite promising Kiki he would wait for her to arrive in paradise

Not amused: Next she learned that Ciarran had made the same promise to his ex, Renee Barrett, 26, who tearfully revealed that the pair had split only a week before the show began

After all that, she finally realised she'd been betrayed - and stormed out, saying, 'I don't trust you anymore!' and telling the British export to 'f**k off'.

She then admitted she may not give Ciarran her rose at the final ceremony.

'Do I want to let him off the hook and give him my rose willy-nilly? Bloody hell, Ciarran. I don't trust you anymore. It's a simple as that,' she said.

Bachelor in Paradise continues Wednesday at 7.30pm on Channel Ten
Twitter has revealed it is expecting a $250 million (192 million) fine from the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) for misleading users over the use of their data.

The social media giant used phone numbers and emails for targeted advertising between 2013 and 2019, the FTC alleges.

Twitter had already admitted to email addresses and phone numbers being used for advertising purposes last year but said it was done inadvertently.

Twitter generally requests users' phone numbers and emails for security purposes, including two-factor authentication.

The company is already recovering from a high-profile security breach last month, which it said could have an 'adverse impact' on business and reputation.

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The US Federal Trade Commission is probing Twitter Inc for alleged violations of a law that prevents the social network from using personal data provided for security purposes to target ads

'On July 28, 2020, the Company received a draft complaint from the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleging violations of the Companys 2011 consent order with the FTC and the FTC Act,' Twitter said in its 10-Q filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission.

'The allegations relate to the Companys use of phone number and/or email address data provided for safety and security purposes for targeted advertising during periods between 2013 and 2019.

'The matter remains unresolved, and there can be no assurance as to the timing or the terms of any final outcome.'

According to the filing from Twitter, the FTC's complaint, lodged last month, could result in a loss of between $150 million and $250 million.

The FTC allegation followed the announcement of Twitter's Q2 financial results, released the week prior on July 23.

'We received a draft complaint from the FTC alleging violations of our 2011 consent order,' the company told MailOnline.

Pictured, Twitter CEO and co-founder Jack Dorsey. According to a regulatory filing from Twitter, the FTC's complaint, lodged last month, could result in a loss of between $150 million and $250 million

'Following standard accounting rules we included an estimated range for settlement in our 10Q filed on August 3.'

The imposed fine results from a violation of an agreement with the FTC in 2011 to no longer mislead its users over the use of personal information.

Before the agreement was signed, the FTC alleged that 'serious lapses' in Twitter's data security allowed hackers to obtain unauthorised control of the site.

This included access to non-public user information such as messages, tweets that consumers had designated as private and the ability to 'send out phoney tweets from any account'.

Twitter disclosed the practice of using phone numbers and emails for advertising last October but said it was done 'inadvertently' and apologised for the 'error'.

'We recently discovered that when you provided an email address or phone number for safety or security purposes (for example, two-factor authentication),' it said in a blog post at the time.

'This data may have inadvertently been used for advertising purposes, specifically in our and Partner Audiences advertising system.'

Twitter didn't reveal how long the practice had been going on for in the post.

On Twitter, phone numbers were intended to set up two-factor authentication, to help users secure their account from would-be hackers.

If a password is entered incorrectly too many times or Twitter detects a sign-in on a new device that hasn't been associated with one's account, the company sends a code to a registered phone number or email address.

However, the company revealed that it inadvertently used the information to help match users' accounts with stores they may shopped at.

This allowed ad partners that had access to a person's phone number  such as a retailer with a rewards program  to match that number with a customer's Twitter account and advertise directly on the platform.

Twitter said that around 130 accounts were affected in a high-profile hack towards the end of July

'When an advertiser uploaded their marketing list, we may have matched people on Twitter to their list based on the email or phone number the Twitter account holder provided for safety and security purposes,' Twitter said back in October.

'This was an error and we apologise.'

Twitter's privacy policy reads: 'We believe you should always know what data we collect from you and how we use it, and that you should have meaningful control over both.'

The news regarding targeted advertising follows Twitter's high-profile security breach last month, which targeted 130 user accounts.

Twitter said it is 'continuing to assess what other malicious activity the attackers may have conducted' in this week's filing to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
In Hollywood, going against the grain and being a conservative requires intestinal fortitude and intellectual rigor. On the other hand, going with the flow and being a leftist requires absolutely nothing from the wealthy, useless people who embrace Marxism because they think it gives them an intellectual gloss.

It's that shallow Hollywood leftism and unadulterated ignorance that lies behind Seth Rogen's recent negative remarks about Israel. Unfortunately, despite being dangerously ill informed, Rogen's statements about Israel have buoyed up leftists, who see him as a new ally in their fight to destroy the world's only Jewish state.

Seth Rogen is not shy about his being Jewish. However, like so many of today's young Jews, including those in Hollywood, he's a leftist. He's embarrassed by the way Jews have prospered in America, and, because he's too ill informed to know better, he's embarrassed by Israel's very existence.

To his credit, in August 2014, Rogen, along with several other young Hollywood Jews, was one of the signatories on a statement defending Israel in its war with Hamas. Four months later, though, Rogen joined several young Hollywood Jews at a James Franco comedy roast that spawned anti-Semitic jokes and stereotypes that one would typically hear at a NeoHitler Youth lodge dinner. Talk about being conflicted.

By the end of last month, Rogen had resolved his conflict. He now wholly embraces the leftist view that the Jews in Israel are occupiers who stole the land from indigenous people. He was, he says, "fed a huge amount of lies about Israel."

When Isaac Herzog, head of the Jewish Agency, said that Rogen later apologized for being misunderstood on the subject, Rogen instead doubled down. (By the way, Rogen, whose net worth is $55 million, also says his father is a socialist, which explains a lot.)

Seth Rogen is a zhlob (a gauche, tactless nothing of a person), so, theoretically, we should ignore him when it comes to Israel and its history. Sadly, though, his prominence means that hard leftists (at Jacobin magazine, for example, to which I will not link) can use him to sell their fake history that the Zionists forcibly displaced the "true indigenous people"  i.e., the Palestinians. This false history justifies allying with Palestinians to destroy the Jewish state.

In truth, because the biblical Philistines are no longer around, Jews are Israel's indigenous people. The Bible says the Jews arrived in what is now Israel somewhere around the 18th through 16th centuries B.C. From that time forward, Jews have continuously and uninterruptedly occupied the land. (And if you don't believe the biblical version, there's good archaeological evidence of Jews in Israel by the end of the 13th century B.C.).

No matter who occupied the land (Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, Romans, Christians, Saracens, Mamluks, Ottomans, or the British), Jews have always been there. They are the one constant.

So who are the Palestinians? It's complicated. During the Ottoman occupation (15161917), Syria-Palestine was an arid, malarial region that repelled most people. A small community of Jews lived there as they always had, and they were joined by the Druze, a renegade Muslim sect. There were also a handful of Christians and Muslims, drawn to their holy sites. Also, some fellahin  Arab peasants  squatted in plots of land that wealthy Turks in faraway Istanbul owned.

Beginning in the early 19th century, disparate refugees drifted in from the Muslim world. Thus, Algerians who left North Africa when France conquered Algeria in 1830 settled in what is now mostly modern Jordan.

In the region around Jericho, one would find Circassian immigrants from the Russian Caucasus, whom the Turks settled in Syria-Palestine in the second half of the 19th century. The Circassian "Arab" Muslims were easy to spot because they had platinum blond hair and blue eyes. Their descendants still do.

Lastly, there were a few Senussi Muslims from Tripoli who trickled into Syria-Palestine after WWI to escape persecution in their homeland. (By 1934, Italian governor Rodolfo Graziani had reduced their population from around 2,500,000 to about 60,000.)

When Jews from the diaspora began to return to their homeland, they purchased tracts from the Ottoman owners  and yes, they then dispossessed the squatters.

In 1922, after the Ottomans gambled wrong by siding with Germany in WWI, thereby losing their colonies in the Middle East, the League of Nations divided the land roughly in half. W hat is now Israel was set aside for the Jews; what is now Jordan went to the Arabs. The Jews were happy; the Arabs were not. The British wouldn't leave anyway, so it was academic.

In 1947, when the British finally left, the Jews were willing to accept a sliver of the land they had been granted in 1922; the Arabs, getting much more, were still unhappy. Ever since then, Arabs have attacked the Jews, and every time they've done so, they've lost land in accordance with longstanding rules of war.

If Rogen weren't so ignorant, he'd know this. As it is, this putz has played into the hands of the far left, which has long been dedicated to Israel's destruction.

Image: YouTube screen grab.
Anupam Kher has shared a video message to encourage his industry colleagues and fans to speak up for Sushant Singh Rajput so as to make his family feel that they are not alone in their fight for justice. He said the actors death case must reach a logical conclusion.

Sharing the video on Twitter, he wrote, Sushants family & fans deserves to know the truth. So much has been said, there are so many conspiracy theories, but it is not about who stands on which side anymore, it is about ensuring that this case reaches a logical conclusion. We must know the truth. #JusticeforSushant.

Sushants family & fans deserves to know the truth. So much has been said, there are so many conspiracy theories, but it is not about who stands on which side anymore, it is about ensuring, that this case reaches a logical conclusion. We must know the truth.#JusticeforSushant pic.twitter.com/leL6ItKFuu  Anupam Kher (@AnupamPKher) August 4, 2020

He says in the video in Hindi, There have been so many ups and downs in the Sushant Singh Rajput case. Not commenting on the case is like shutting your eyes. I didnt speak anything about it for many days, many people are avoiding commenting on it because they cannot figure what to say. But looking at the current situation and being a co-star and a human being, it becomes our responsibility to take it to a logical end. One may not take anyones side or criticise anyone but keeping quiet at this time doesnt help. Who is right and who is wrong, this must be revealed. His relatives, his fans and his well wishers who are fighting for justice, should feel that we are with them. Unseeing a wrong is a sign of cowardness and being a coward is not a good thing.

Anupam had played the role of Sushants father in one of his first solo blockbusters, MS Dhoni - The Untold Story.

Also read: Rhea Chakraborty left Sushant Singh Rajput when he wanted to start farming, says familys lawyer

Sushants real father K K Singh had on July 25 lodged a police complaint against his girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty of abetting his suicide, keeping him in wrongful confinement and defrauding him of crores of rupees. Political parties in Bihar and quite a few film actors had demanded a CBI probe into the death of the Patna-born actor who impressed the audiences during a brief but promising career. The Bihar government has now recommended a CBI investigation in the case.

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As Ellen DeGeneres faces her a slow and painful fall down of her career, it was rumored that the veteran talk show host is not also doing well in the personal life department.

It is after the 62-year-old host and her wife, Portia de Rossi, were rumored to be at the edge of divorce due to having a constant fight while on quarantine.

Ellen DeGeneres, Portia De Ross Divorce Rumor

According to "In Touch Weekly," the Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi are experiencing a rough patch on their marriage almost at their breaking point.

The sources claim that the drama in her private and public life is too much to handle for Ellen.

"Ellen has a lot on her plate. First, there was employee backlash after her show's staff was forced to take pay cuts as Ellen started taping from home due to the coronavirus. Then people started lashing out at her on social media, sharing stories about how mean she is behind the scenes. Now, she's stressing out about the possibility of her show being axed for good. It's not looking good," the insider claims.

"Portia wants out! Could it get any worse for Ellen?" the source added.

The insider also claims that the 47-year-old actress could no longer take the "yelling and childish" tantrums of Ellen. Their fights magnified after spending almost every day during the coronavirus lockdown.

And just like any other celebrity divorce, it is expected that Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's marriage fall out could be worth $500 million divorce battle.

No Divorce, Portia De Rossi Says #IStandByEllen

On Monday, Ellen's wife of 12 years took to social media and dropped a massive hint that there are no divorce talks at hand and that she will support her spouse in these difficult times.

Portia broke her silence on Ellen's controversies by dropping an Instagram post showing massive support to Ellen's battle.

"To all our fans....we see you. Thank you for your support," Portia wrote, alongside a text photo saying "I Stand By Ellen" in blue and white color.

Portia encourages Ellen's fans and friends to show their support by using the hashtags #stopbotattacks, #IStandWithEllenDeGeneres, #IStandByEllen and #IstandByEllenDeGeneres 

Portia's Instagram entry, which now has over 88,000 likes, is a clear indication that there is no truth behind the divorce rumors and that she will have Ellen's back no matter what.

Celebrities Supporting #IStandByEllen Movement

After posting the #IStandByEllen movement, some of Ellen DeGeneres and Portia de Rossi's celebrity friends and people whose lives touched by Ellen also took to Instagram to express their support.

One of the first to publicize their support is actor and talk show host Jerry O'Connell who posted the same photo on his Twitter and said that he "always have" and "always will" love the couple.

Famous Argentine polo player Nacho Figueras also defended Ellen in an Instagram post, saying he is ready to be criticized for backing up the TV host. Figueras also challenged Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Michelle Obama, and other A-list friends of Ellen to do the same.

READ MORE: #ReplaceEllen: Fans Shipping These Stars To Replace Ellen DeGeneres From Her Show
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Delhi High Court is likely to hear on Wednesday, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking a ban on the collection of diagnostic samples for COVID-19 testing by online health service aggregators posing as "medical diagnostic laboratories".

The petition filed by Rohit Jain, a practicing pathologist in Jaipur, through his lawyer Shashank Deo Sudhi seeks the court's direction to issue guidelines for registration and minimum standards for sample collection centres operated by online aggregators.

Jain in his petition further sought banning of the illegal online health service aggregators which are not registered under Clinical Establishment (Registration & Regulation) Act 2010 or under any other regulations and without any medico legal liability for collecting and testing the patient samples for diagnosis.

The plea which is likely to come up before the court for hearing on Wednesday claimed that large number of unauthorised pathological labs are being run by under-qualified technicians who are providing totally unscientific diagnostic test reports rendering the lives of common and innocent citizens vulnerable based on false and fake diagnostic reports across the NCT of Delhi.

The petitioner further alleged that many of the online health service aggregators are also not following the Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, 2016 for proper disposal of bio-medical waste. "The illegal and fake online health service aggregators are not registered with state pollution control boards or any pollution control committee as prescribed under the law," the petition said further.
It was two days before the election of the next Lord Mayor, and Hazel Chu had nothing to wear. With the shops closed during lockdown, she had taken a chance online, and ended up returning everything.

"I spent a whole day looking in every high street store possible - Penneys, Zara, BTs, everywhere. I was about to cry at that point!" she says. "My problem after Covid is I've gained three dress sizes and nothing in my wardrobe would fit."

On her last attempt, Chu went to Kildare Village, where she finally tracked down a dress in Escada that was just right for the occasion. But what do you wear with a plain black dress and the 322-year-old chain of office?

"I said, what is me? I have a lot of shoes - about 60-odd pairs," she says sheepishly. "I thought for a photo, the red Jimmy Choos would be good, but then I thought, I want to wear my high-tops."

And so, after her official photos, she changed out of her heels into a pair of red Reeboks. With her matching lipstick, the result was simple yet loaded with personality, befitting her new role.

"With this job, there is the perk that I can bring in my own style, hence you see the red high-tops. I don't make any apologies for it," says Chu, though she adds she won't be abandoning her heels for good.

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In our media-saturated world, fashion is a key communications tool for politicians in building their brand. Photos travel faster and wider than a lengthy speech, and what you choose to wear can speak volumes about your political values. Critics pay attention to details such as how much an outfit costs or how and where it was made, as well as what that says about the wearer - a high street piece conveys frugality, a decade-old pair of shoes suggests meticulousness, a sustainable brand indicates a passion for environmentalism, an Irish designer signals patriotism, and so on.

Chu has long been interested in fashion - "at a young age, there were two things I wanted to be: a fighter pilot or a fashion designer," she laughs - and even interned with designer Yoana Baraschi in New York, but the business of shaping her political image is one she's still figuring out.

"I've managed marketing and PR for some of the biggest companies in the world, yet I've never looked at myself as a marketing piece until recently," she explains. Her style during the election tended to be casual, both to make herself and her voters feel comfortable.

When she wore red lipstick, Chu says people accused her of copying American congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. "This is me, and I like wearing it. A lot of people say it's not appropriate for X, Y, Z; I always think, 'you're not the person wearing it'. No matter what I put on my feet or my face, it's mine."

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Male politicians, too, use image in political branding. Although most play it safe in a pinstriped suit and tie, details matter. For example, Dublin Central TD Gary Gannon's eye-catching campaign posters featured a silhouette of his beard. "I am conscious that it can be distinctive - I'm a tall man with a big ginger beard, and you don't normally see them in the Dail," he says with a laugh. "I just like having a beard, I don't have much of a cheekbone so it gives me a bit of definition."

His Dail photo, too, is quite distinctive thanks to his camel coat. He says he didn't realise the photos were being taken that day, but he's happy it stands out. "It gives me a little bit more of a personality," he notes. The classic coat, from Debenhams, is sharply cut - no sagging shoulders or baggy sleeves - elevating the typical politician's uniform yet conservative enough to avoid startling the horses.

The Social Democrats TD generally prefers to support Irish businesses, and refrains from shopping online. "I want to make sure that I go to a local shop and buy my suits locally, so I go to a suit shop in Glasnevin, Collar and Cuff," he says.

Although he's keen to look "presentable" as a voice of his community, he points out that he still doesn't receive anywhere near the same scrutiny as women in politics.

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"I don't think my experience is comparable to my female colleagues, especially the comments on what they're wearing," he says. "I wouldn't get judged in the same manner, but I love nothing more on the weekend than going to the shop in a tracksuit, and I'm very conscious sometimes, 'Jesus, you don't see many politicians around wearing a tracksuit'. There was a time where I was nearly apologetic about it, but I quite quickly got over it."

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill, TD for Dun Laoghaire, says her primary objective for her working wardrobe is that it won't detract from her words.

"I like simple, professional clothes that are not distracting in any way," she explains. "I enjoy fashion myself personally, and I enjoy makeup. I remember Laura Kennedy in the Irish Times once saying she writes about philosophy and lipstick, and she doesn't see that as in any way a contradiction. Certainly I don't think the fact that I might like to wear a bright-coloured lipstick has anything to do with my background, education or ability."

The Fine Gael TD seeks out well-made pieces from ethical designers, and is proud to have held onto the suit her mother bought for her when she was 21.

"I still wear clothes that I bought 10, 12, 15 years ago, and I'm absolutely fastidious about reheeling and repairs. I would rather buy one thing and wear it for 10 years than buy lots of cheaper things. I'm very sensitive about fast fashion, and I try to avoid it," she says, favouring Irish designers such as Louise Kennedy and sales finds from contemporary brands like Elie Tahari.

While it's important clothes don't pull focus, they can also help to reinforce political messages. Green Party TD Francis Noel Duffy points out that he is conscious of how clothes can function as communication devices. "[What I wear] is kind of a statement, and I suppose some of that is coming out of disputes within the party. I'm trying to show signs of strength," he says.

Before studying to become an architect, Duffy considered going to art college to do fashion, and spent time working for a boutique in Monaghan, which gave him an insight into men's wardrobes. Now, the Dublin South-West TD's style sets him apart from his peers.

"I would be slightly embarrassed by some of the stuff I've worn, is it too over the top? But it's nice to look nice. And most men are afraid to. Men are quite conservative when it comes to dressing, and a lot of men are dressed by their wives or their mothers," he says, adding that it's "the opposite reality" in his house, as he occasionally shops for his wife, deputy party leader Catherine Martin.

"[The pressure] is still going on women, and I think it's disgraceful. Men can go around like slobs and nothing is said. If I get any sort of criticism, it's because I'm maybe overdressed. I take pride in dressing well, I'm representing my community and myself, but so many questions are asked of women that wouldn't be asked of men."

He describes his clothes as "kind of hipster", and says he loves the "smartness" of how men dressed in Victorian times.

"I'm very fussy about what I wear," he laughs, noting that he often shops in secondhand stores or TK Maxx. "I've a very good eye for picking things and I match things that people wouldn't normally think to match." Recently in the Dail he wore a pair of checked trousers, a waistcoat he'd got from a red suit, and a burgundy coat to go over it. "It was a complete mismatch, but it also matched," he says.

And though the goal is to look professional and make a good impression, he notes that a sophisticated outfit can go a long way to boosting confidence.

"I don't like the limelight. I find it difficult, and I know that might sound odd as a politician," he says. "You are power dressing. There's a lot more beyond what you're wearing, but you're trying to sell yourself as best you can. And it's the peg, not the garment, that sells it."
Kayleigh McEnany said Tuesday that Democrats are not serious about negotiating a deal on the next coronavirus stimulus bill as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows arrive on Capitol Hill for more talks on the sweeping package.

'Democrats are fundamentally unserious and they're making a mockery of the process,' the White House press secretary told reporters Tuesday afternoon.

'Right now we have Secretary Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, once again, asking Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer to come to the table,' McEnany said of the two senior administration officials engaging in another round of negotiations.

'The ball is in their court here,' she said of Democratic leaders. 'We've made at least four offers, they've made zero offers. It's unacceptable for hard-working Americans.'

President Donald Trump said during a coronavirus press briefing on Tuesday evening that Democrats just want additional funding for their states, which is why he claims they won't budge on certain measures.

Democrats are demanding $1 trillion be allocated for state and local governments, even though that is the total price of the GOP-proposed package.

'We're talking with the Democrats  they seem to be much more interested in solving the problems of Democrat-run states and cities that have suffered greatly through bad management,' Trump told reporters.

'They're looking for $1 trillion to help out with cities that are run by Democrats, in some cases radical left Democrats that have not done a good job,' he continued in insisting their priorities are not on making a fair deal.

Following Capitol Hill meeting, Meadows revealed that Republicans did make more concessions in negotiations with Democrats than the opposition party was willing to make.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have raised their previous COVID-19 relief package price tag up by $400 million, a move McEnany slammed as a sign they aren't taking talks seriously.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany slammed Democrats for 'making a mockery' of coronavirus relief package negotiations

'Democrats are fundamentally unserious and they're making a mockery of the process,' McEnany told reporters at the White House Tuesday afternoon

The claims comes after Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (pictured) is demanding the Democratic package price tag be upped to $3.4 trillion from the previous $3 trillion

President Donald Trump lamented during a coronavirus press briefing Tuesday that Democrats are only interested in securing the $1 trillion for state and local governments to help bail out the cities

'We're talking with the Democrats  they seem to be much more interested in solving the problems of Democrat-run states and cities that have suffered greatly through bad management,' Trump said of Democrats despite signals from Capitol Hill that negotiations are back on track

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin returned to the Capitol for another afternoon of negotiations with lawmakers  previously he has helped reached a deal on two other stimulus packages acting as a liaison between Congress and the White House

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows tagged along as he and Mnuchin enter their second week of negotiations, and claimed Republicans made more concessions than Democrats during talks Tuesday

'Right now the Democrats are being fundamentally unserious,' McEnany lamented. 'They've offered no concessions, they've offered no plans. If anything, they're moving the opposite way. And to demonstrate their unseriousness, their $3 trillion plan, they've now said, 'Oh, needs to be $3.4 trillion.''

Pelosi suggested Monday night that a deal won't be reached until next week at the earliest  meaning jobless Americans will go at least two weeks without enhanced unemployment benefits.

McEnany also blamed Democrats for Americans losing out on the benefits, claiming they would not agree to a compromise detailed by Republican Senator Martha McSally that would extend the $600-per-week unemployment boost by a week while negotiations commenced.

'Democrats, as I noted on Friday, were offered the Marth McSally bill, which would have been extending unemployment insurance for at least seven days while these negotiations continue,' she said. 'That was rejected by Chuck Schumer, which should tell you exactly where Democrats stand and it's against hard-working Americans who lost their jobs through no fault of their own.'

Meadows and Mnuchin have spent the last two weeks at the Capitol engaging in talks with Democrats and Republicans  and they are on the Hill again Tuesday afternoon to attempt to reach a compromise.

They first attended the Senate GOP lunch, before heading into negotiations with Pelosi and Schumer, which will be followed by a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who has remained largely silent on the matter of another sweeping coronavirus stimulus bill.

Despite several meetings over the last two weeks between Schumer and Pelosi with Mnuchin and Meadows, the four have not reached an agreement on a single issue.

Pelosi told Democratic colleagues during a call on Monday that they had not been able to reach an agreement on the price tag for the fourth sweeping coronavirus package, but claimed Republicans will come their way on the bill, claiming they just don't 'know it yet.'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi told Democratic colleagues during a call Monday that a coronavirus relief package deal won't be reached until next week at the earliest

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin (left) and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows (right) are on Capitol Hill Tuesday afternoon for yet another day of negotiations with lawmakers

Meadows has signaled he will give Democrats 24 hours to reach an agreement before he pushes for executive orders that can achieve some of the same results as legislation

The California congresswoman proposed her HEROs bill last month, which includes $3 trillion in relief and economic stimulus, but the Republican HEALs bill has a total cost of $1 trillion  the amount Democrats want to go to state and local governments.

She also said GOP figures will not concede to giving any money to state and local government to mitigate the virus and claims her desire to enhance federal food stamp programs in the bill is 'not where we need.'

One of the biggest issues for Americans, however, is the expiration of enhanced unemployment benefits of $600-per-week, which expired on Friday with no new deal on the table.

McConnell, from the Senate floor last Monday, detailed the the GOP-proposed bill included a decrease in benefits from the $600 boost to $200-per-week. The boost would then be phased out, in the Republican plan, then capping unemployment benefits at 70 per cent of the individual's pre-coronavirus wages.

Democrats want to keep the $600 boost, which was included as part of a previous coronavirus relief package but had an expiration date.

Pelosi claimed during the phone call Monday that neither side is willing to budge on unemployment benefits.

On Sunday, Pelosi said, 'The fact is we will be close to an agreement when we have an agreement,' and is now claiming that might not happen until next week at the earliest.

This means Americans who have lost their job in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic will go without their enhanced unemployment benefits for two weeks, at minimum.

The negotiation stalemate comes as $600-per-week enhanced unemployment benefits expired Friday, meaning those left jobless in the midst of the pandemic will lose thousands of dollars if a stimulus deal is not reached soon

President Donald Trump said last week that he wants a bill to get passed that includes an unemployment benefits enhancement, just at a lower amount than the previous boost, and allocates $105 billion for schools to help them reopen in the fall.

Republicans proposed in their bill another round of $1,200 checks for Americans

He also wants to issue another round of $1,200 checks to Americans like the one sent out earlier this year.

Meadows and Mnuchin have been negotiating on behalf of the president on Capitol Hill, and while the Treasury secretary is more keen on negotiations  as he has successfully reached two deals with Democrats already  Meadows has grown tired of talking.

Meadows signaled that he will give negotiations another 24 hours and then will push for the president to sign a series of executive orders that solve some of the issues on the table and declare a victory for Trump.

Republican Senator John Cornyn, who is up for reelection in November, suggested Monday that the Senate cancel its August recess to get more work done.
Indonesia is likely to have hit one million cases of coronavirus already - nearly 10 times its official number - two of the country's leading epidemiologists say.

Australia's giant northern neighbour has officially reported 113,134 cases and 5302 deaths as of Monday evening, but testing rates remain very low, at about 12,000-17,000 people per day.

Drs Yohanes Ridora, left, and Nabila Kirtti pose during a virtual fashion show of personal protective equipment (PPE) in Yogyakarta, Indonesia. The fashion show was held as a form of gratitude for medical personnel. Credit:Getty Images

But Dr Pandu Riono, a University of Indonesia epidemiologist and Dr Dicky Budiman, who has 20 years experience tackling pandemics including SARS and HIV and has worked for the ASEAN secretariat and the World Health Organisation, suggest the number of cases is likely to be one million.

Indonesias ability to control the coronavirus outbreak is hugely consequential for its key strategic partner and ally Australia at a time of rising tensions in the South China Sea. The economic partnership is growing in importance, too, with a free trade deal entering into force in July.
U.S. President Donald Trump arrives to speak at a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on Aug. 3, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump Fires Board Members of Gov-Owned Tennessee Valley Authority Over Outsourcing of US Jobs

President Donald Trump announced on Aug. 3 that he had fired two members of the the federally-owned Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), saying that its chief executive Jeff Lyash is ridiculously overpaid and that the corporation is seeking to outsource American jobs to foreign workers.

Trump said Monday that he was formally removing TVAs chair of the board and another board member, and warned that if the corporation continues to hire foreign labor, he would fire other members of the board too.

The president, who has the authority to appoint the TVA board, said during a meeting of technology workers at the White House that the actions of the ousted TVA members had prompted him to sign the Hiring American order, which requires federal agencies to prioritize U.S. labor in federal contracts, ensure only American citizens are appointed to the competitive service, and stop employers from moving H-1B workers into jobs in a way that displaces U.S. workers.

The White House said in a release that the Hiring American order follows a recent announcement by TVA that it plans to outsource 20 percent of its tech jobs to foreign countries. The statement said TVAs action could lead over 200 highly-skilled American technology workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to low-cost foreign workers hired on temporary work visas.

Created in 1933, the TVA provides flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development to the Tennessee Valleya region that was hard hit during the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Kentucky, as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina, and Virginia.

TVAs decision is also expected to cost the local economy tens of millions of dollars over the next 5 years, the statement said, adding that Trumps action would combat employers misuse of H-1B visas, which were never intended to replace qualified American workers with low-cost foreign labor.

TVAs CEO, Trump claimed, had betrayed American workers. He said the TVA board must hire a new chief executive officer that puts the interests of Americans first.

He gets $8 million a year so that was just a succession of deep swamp things happening and its a disgrace the new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year, Trump said. We want the TVA to take action on this immediately.

Responding to the presidents claims Monday that TVAs chief executive officer earns $8 million a year, a TVA spokesman told The Epoch Times in an email that Lyashs annual salary is $1,058,000. Lyashs total compensation, however, which includes calculations of his future pension benefits, does come to some $8.1 million, per Securities and Exchange Commission guidelines, the spokesman said.

Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board. If you betray American workers, then you will hear two simple words: Youre fired, Trump said, before signing the executive order.

The announcement followed calls from nonprofit U.S. Tech Workers to stop TVA from outsourcing much of its data and programming work. The group, which opposes expansion of H1-B visas to skilled foreign workers and is led by Kevin Lynn, criticized the corporation in June after it laid off 62 IT workers.

TVA told The Epoch Times in an emailed statement that it understands and supports the Trump administrations Hiring American order.

We want to ensure that U.S. employees have good opportunities through our employment and supply chain practices, a spokesman said. We look forward to working with the White House, continuing a dialogue and supporting future policies in this direction.

All TVA employees are U.S. based citizens. All jobs related to TVAs information technology department must be performed in the U.S. by individuals who may legally work in this country.

Tom Ozimek and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
GREENSBORO  A man who broke into a Greensboro residence today was arrested after he was found with two firearms, according to a news release from the sheriff's office.

Deputies responded to a reported residential burglary at on Sue Ellen Court after the resident received a notification from his security camera that a person was inside his home, the sheriff's office said.

The suspect, identified as Phuk Siu of Greensboro, fled when deputies arrived.

Siu was arrested in a nearby neighborhood at about 7:35 a.m. after an extensive K-9 search, the sheriff's office said. Sui reportedly had two handguns in his possession.

Siu was charged with breaking and entering a motor vehicle, larceny of a firearm, possession of a stolen firearm, two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon and resist, delay, obstruct. He was also served with an order for arrest out of Rockingham County and warrants for arrest from the Greensboro Police Department.

Siu is in custody at the Guilford County Jail under a $20,000 secured bail.

Anyone with information related to this incident is asked to contact Detective C. Thomas at the Guilford County Sheriffs Office at 336-641-2683.

Contact Jamie Biggs at 336-373-4476 and follow @JamieBiggsNR on Twitter.

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2020 MRO spend expected to drop by more than 50%

In its Changing Landscape of the Aftermarket Industry Webinar, IBA said Covid-19 has driven a mix of airline failures and administrations, early lease returns and accelerated retirements, all of which inform IBAs analysis which draws on data from IBA.iQ, the leading platform for aviation intelligence.

IBA estimates that of around 800 aircraft it has identified as subject to exit from their current fleets in the short term, around 450 of these face permanent retirement. Around half of expected retirements are aircraft over 20 years old whilst younger retirements expect to feature types including the A380, A340-600 and 777-200LR.

Along with unprecedented early retirement, IBAs view is that pre-Covid aftermarket supply chain challenges remain alongside a list of variables that are capable of disrupting supply and demand. These include fleet utilisation, new fleet introduction, OEM production rates and aftermarket strategies and labour migration, as well as pricing pressure affecting the threshold of material becoming beyond economic repair (BER).

Revisions to MRO spend will be made in the long term, although at present narrowbody aircraft utilisation is increasing whilst the widebody fleet is lagging behind. Early retirement is set to disrupt the supply chain due to the increase it will drive in aircraft part outs until saturation occurs, along with reduced engine shop visits as a result of low utilisation rates.

IBA expects engine shop visit demand to collapse for the next two to three years as both utilisation and maintenance expenditure see massive reductions. Later stage shop visits on mature engines are most vulnerable but all engines are seeing significant maintenance offsetting. Some will never now occur but IBA expects many will and could lead to a new Bow Wave of concurrent shop visits in the mid 2020s.

World fleet developments will impact supply and demand for and hence the pricing of aircraft parts, which could impact both the market or trading value and the residual value.

Suppliers will be compelled to assess their current and future inventories for interchangeability and flexibility across new aircraft platforms, and may have to accept a more realistic view in light of both lower demand and increased retirements.

Aircraft in the pipeline for part out prior to Covid, or currently in a stub lease prior to part out, will see their residual values impacted by supply and demand uncertainty.

Phil Seymour, company president of IBA, said: The MRO industry needs to take a more creative approach to maintenance solutions. That includes OEMs and regulators devising safe and flexible ways to prevent aircraft having to undergo such extensive and expensive checks, so that savings can be made at a time when cash preservation is vital, without safety being compromised.

Whilst we expect the market to rebound by the start of 2022, we expect high levels of redundancies of between 35% and 70% in the interim, and so a flexible approach by the MRO industry will be crucial to working through future uncertainty.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse)  Tue, August 4, 2020 10:08 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b67a36 2 Lifestyle Ireland,haunted-houses,ghost Free

A private beach, 2500 square meters, 22 rooms, 25 hectares: this Irish manor can be yours for 2.5 million. That is, if you don't have a problem with ghosts.

Time Out magazine has uncovered an unusual real estate bargain: Loftus Hall is for sale.

This historic manor has been designated the most haunted house in Ireland. It's located in the southwest Hook peninsula, in County Wexford, a 2.5 hour drive from Dublin. The structure, whose foundations date to 1350, was named for the English Loftus family, who arrived as part of Oliver Cromwell's conquest of Ireland in the mid-17th century.

According to legend, one day a strange visitor arrived at the manor after his boat sunk off the coast and was given shelter by the family. Lady Anne Tottenham, a young member of the Tottenham family, fell in love with him.

Read also: Don't open the door!: Japan haunted house goes drive-in

One day while playing cards, she knelt to the floor to retrieve a fallen card and noticed that the stranger had cloven hooves in place of feet. The stranger vanished in a smoky explosion that pierced the roof. Anne never recovered from the shock and she died just a few years later, devastated by the experience.

It is said that both the mysterious stranger and the lovesick young woman haunt the structure to this day, despite the exorcism carried out by a priest.

Fans of dark legends can now own this unusual manor, as long as they have 2.5 million in the bank. If not, you can still indulge your curiosity with a visit to the manor, as Loftus Hall also offers 45-minute tours for those who can overcome their fears. And at the moment, you don't even need to wait for a booking, as live webcams show what's going on in every room at www.loftushallafterdark.com.
Aspo Plc

Press Release

August 4, 2020 at 10.30 a.m.



Invitation to the press conference on Aspo's Half year financial report



Aspo Plc will publish the Half year financial report for January-June 2020 on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, approximately at 10 a.m. Finnish time. The report will be available at www.aspo.com after publication.



A press conference for analysts, investors and media will be held at Hotel Kamp's Symposion cabinetbefore the press conference. Registration beforehand to johanna.suhonen@aspo.com, by Friday, August 7, 2020, at the latest.

The press conference can also be followed by a live webcast at https://aspo.videosync.fi/2020-q2-results, or by calling +358 981 710 310 (PIN: 51123310#) 5 to 10 minutes before the beginning of the press conference. The recording of the event will be available on the company's website later on the same day.

ASPO PLC



Aki Ojanen

CEO





For further information, please contact:

Keijo Keranen, Group Treasurer, +358 400 955 821, keijo.keranen@aspo.com





DISTRIBUTION:

Key media

www.aspo.com





Aspo is a conglomerate that owns and develops business operations in the Northern Europe and growth markets focusing on demanding B-to-B customers. Our strong company brands - ESL Shipping, Leipurin, Telko and Kauko - aim to be the market leaders in their sectors. They are responsible for their own operations, customer relationships, and the development of these. Together they generate Aspo's goodwill. Aspo's Group structure and business operations are continually developed without any predefined schedules.
After taking control of a prison in the Eastern City of Jalalabad, at least 10 fighters from the Islamic State (ISIS) were killed by Afghan security forces, an encounter which ended a siege that caused hundreds of prisoners to escape.

Based on the reports, there were at least 29 casualties amid the prison break that happened Sunday evening. This was after the militants had subsequent clashes with the security forces. Militants were able to take over prison watchtowers which caused the deadly encounters,

According to Reuters, the incident between the two parties happened amid a time where peace talks between the Afghan government and the Taliban are being ushered by the United States. Meanwhile, the Taliban has made it clear that they have also fought against the Islamic State and oppose their beliefs.

In a statement by Attaullah Khugyani, the spokesperson for Nangarhar Province's governor, he said that at the moment, there are still around 300 prisoners who are at large. It was also reported that 1,025 out of the 1,793 prisoners inside the facility tried to escape while 430 did not attempt to break out. He also stated that the rest are still missing.

Meanwhile, the defense ministry also released a statement saying that 10 attackers were killed by Afghan security forces. However, a witness inside the prison and a member of the provincial council claimed that there are more casualties and the number could be around 30.

The attack came after the death of a senior commander of the Islamic State in the hands of special forces. The group has claimed responsibility for the attack and is likely retaliation for their fallen commander.

Read also: 20,000 Acres of Land Burned as Wild Fire Engulfs Southern California

The Prison Break

On Sunday evening, ISIS gunmen detonated a bomb at the entrance of the prison. The facility held prisoners of war, common criminals, Taliban fighters, and Islamic State militants that were captured in a campaign that happened last month.

One of the prisoners who were trapped inside the prison amid the attack narrated the events through a cellphone on Monday. Identified as Mohammad Idres, the prisoner stated that he could see dead bodies on the ground and that they were very hungry inside trapped in the heat without any water to drink.

Moreover, he also stated how the security forces struggled to advance since ISIS men have taken control of strategic points inside the prison.

Meanwhile, according to The New York Times, Afghan Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Yasin Zia arrived in the area on Monday to oversee the ongoing operations of the special forces.

Khugyani also stated that the 29 people who perished in the siege included prisoners, members of the security forces, and civilians. There were also more than 50 people who were wounded amid the battle.

The whole city of Jalalabad was placed under curfew amid the prison siege.

According to the United Nations, data from last month's report stated that there were around 2,200 ISIS fighters in Afghanistan. It also stated that despite their depleted leadership and lack of territory, the group is still capable of high profile attacks such as the siege.

Related article: Taliban Support for Al Qaeda Terrorists Is Against US Agreement to Sever All Ties

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A 43-year-old Toronto teacher who has worked nine schools in the last five years is facing four counts of sexual assault charges, police say.

Police alleged that on July 7, a man communicated with a boy in-person and online, before sexually assaulting the boy.

On July 28, police charged 43-year-old Taher Saifuddin with sexual assault, sexual exploitation, luring a child and making sexually explicit material available to a youth.

Police are concerned there may be other victims.

Steve Saunders, principal of Royal Crown Academy School, said that Saifuddin was on a temporary contract with the school and that the accusations emerged after his contract had ended.

Our top priority is the safety of our students, and we encourage them to report any inappropriate communications they may have to our school staff, Saunders said, adding that the school is cooperating with Toronto police.

Police said Saifuddin had worked at:

Royal Crown Academy School between August 2019 and May 2020

Yorkville High School between August 2019 and September 2019

Westfield Secondary School between February 2019 and June 2019

Progressive Training College of Business between Feb. 12 and Feb. 22 in 2019

Bond International College between September 2018 and January 2019

Madinatul Uloom Academy between September 2017 and June 2018

Yorkville International Academy between October 2016 and June 2017

Merit Education between June and July 2016 and July and August 2017.

Hanson International Academy between January 2015 and April 2015.
One North Alabama school system is turning to electrostatic sprayers to battle coronavirus.

Madison City School Superintendent Dr. Ed Nichols recently tested an electrostatic sprayer that will be used to apply hospital-grade surface disinfectant at schools.

Every school and the systems transportation department will be equipped with a new spray device, the Madison schools said.

Interest in electrostatic sprayers has grown with the increased need to disinfect large indoor spaces such as schools, offices and businesses.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, electrostatic sprayers apply a positive charge to liquid disinfectants as they pass through the nozzle. The positively charged disinfectant is attracted to negatively charged surfaces, which for coating of hard, non-porous surfaces.

Back to school 2020: Reopening plans for Alabama schools

Heres whats going on in education around Alabama:

Two systems open this week for in-person classes

At least 2 school systems in Alabama will re-open this week for in-person learning. Dale County Schools and Jackson County Schools will both reopen for students Aug. 7.

Both systems are offering traditional and virtual plans.

Hoover splits schedule

Hoover City Schools will open the year with a split schedule.

Students are divided into two groups based on last names starting with A-K and L-Z. Attendance days will be based on whether students are in the Hoover High or Spain Park High feeder system. Wednesdays will be reserved for teacher training.

The schedule will be in place for at least four weeks.

Mask plan for students

Russellville City Schools has updated its mask plan to reflect Gov. Kay Iveys announcement that all students grades second and up must wear facial coverings.

The health order requires students in grades 2-12 to wear facial coverings when they are getting dropped off at school, whether in their car or a bus, and throughout the day in places where social distancing cant be maintained. Russellville said grades 2-12 students will wear masks when entering and leaving the building and during all transition times. Teachers may also be required to wear and teach in a facial covering.

Parents will have the opportunity to opt out of their child wearing a mask at school by signature indication of one of the exceptions outlined in the ADPH/Governors guidelines, the system said in a statement.

Systems push back start date

Some Alabama school systems are opting to push back their start dates.

Ozark City Schools moved their start date to Sept. 8. Beginning on that day, all instruction will be provided remotely until further notices.

Guntersville City Schools has moved its start date for students back to Aug. 26. The system will offer both traditional and virtual learning options.
Some Michigan voters reported they did not receive their ballot in the mail as the state votes today in its primary contest.

State officials reassured those voters they can still vote in person in Tuesday's contest but the snafu came amid concerns about how the post office will handle the record numbers of mail-in ballots expected this election year and amid criticism from President Donald Trump of the system.

Michigan will be a crucial state in determining whether Trump or Joe Biden wins the White House.

And all eyes will be focused there to see how it handles the influx of mail-in votes as a test case for the general election. November's contest expects to see unprecedented levels of mail-in ballots as voters use that option to avoid long lines at polling places amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A voter drops off his absentee ballot in Detroit during Michigan's primary; officials urged voters who had not mailed their ballot to drop it off in one of official drop boxes

Canvassers greet cars passing by outside of a polling location at the First Congregational Church during the Michigan Primary Election

Some Michigan voters reported they did not receive their ballot in the mail as the state votes today in its primary contest leading to concerns about what could happen in November election

The post office has suffered mail delays, which workers say is because of policies put in place by President Trump's new post master general

A voter after casting their ballot outside of a polling location at the First Congregational Church during Michigan's primary

Election works in Detroit count ballots

For today's primary, Michigan officials are advising voters to drop off ballots they haven't mailed by Tuesday at their local drop-off location. The state requires ballots to be at the county clerk's office by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

Nearly 2 million people in Michigan requested absentee ballots to vote in the state and congressional primary contests and around 1.28 million people have already returned those ballots, according to the Secretary of State's office.

Around 500,000 people requested absentee ballots in the 2016 primary. Michigan expanded its absentee voting option this year - allowing anyone to request one for any reason - to combat the coronavirus pandemic. The state has more than 92,000 infections and more than 6,400 people have died.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said she expects results to take time because state law prevents officials from starting to count ballots until 7 am on Election Day.

'This means in a year where a record number of people will vote by mail, clerks can't begin counting ballots until the morning of election day,' she said last week. 'We are asking for patience. We are alongside other states preparing people not to get results upon the closing of election night.'

She also expects up to 3 million people to request mail-in ballots for the November general election. At least 77 per cent of voters across the nation in November will be able to vote by mail, according to an analysis by The Washington Post.

President Trump has repeatedly railed against mail-in voting - falsely claiming it leads to voter fraud - and reports of delays in post office deliveries have sparked fears millions of voters could be disenfranchised this November.

Trump told Axios the election could be delayed by its unprecedented scale.

'You know, you could have a case where this election won't be decided on the evening of November 3. This election could be decided two months later.' Trump said in an interview that aired Monday on HBO.

On Monday, the president railed against mail-in voting on twitter and at his press conference, pushing conspiracy theories about the process, demanding New York rerun a June congressional primary that still doesn't have a result and charging the post office is not ready to handle the millions of ballots that will come through its system.

'There's never been a push like this for mail-in ballots,' the president said in criticism but he did not address the concerns that long lines at voting booths could spread the coronavirus.

President Trump has been a repeat critic of mail-in voting and told Axios that it could lead to a two month delay in knowing the election results

A New York Congressional primary contest between Representative Carolyn Maloney and challenger Suraj Patel remains undecided six weeks later

He noted New York's Democratic primary contest - held on June 23 - between Representative Carolyn Maloney and challenger Suraj Patel remains undecided. He called on the state to 'rerun that race.'

'If you look at the New York congressional race which is a disaster, it's been a total disaster. They are six weeks into it now and they have no clue what's going on, and I think I can say right here and now, you have to rerun that race because it's a mess. Nobody knows what's happening with the ballots or the lost ballots and the fraudulent ballots I guess. I think you probably have to take the Carolyn Maloney race and run it over again. This is a small race with literally thousands of people, small thousands and it's all messed up,' he said.

Patel trails Maloney by some 3,700 votes, though more than 12,000 ballots have been disqualified, including about 1,200 that were missing postmarks, he told The New York Times.

The state board of elections in New York said they had several workers stricken with the coronavirus and that put them behind in their counting. Plus turnout was more than anticipated. In New York City alone, more than 10 times the number of absentee ballots received in any other recent election came in.

Trump also repeated his charge that states that are going to mail-in voting are using the pandemic to steal the election.

'They are using covid to try to get the mail-in ballots,' he said.

Cages loaded with ballots in United Postal Service bins rest behind a worker at a Board of Elections facility in New York Wednesday

Trump claimed the U.S. Postal System will not be able to handle the millions of mail-in ballots that will go through its system for the general election

The president also charged the post office would not be ready to handle the millions of ballots expected to go through the mail system this November.

'I don't think the post office has prepared for a thing like this,' he said.

Some state election officials have expressed similar concerns about the post office but postal workers charge that changes made by the new post master general - a large Republican contributor to Trump who was appointed by the president - have led to delays in the mail system.

But President Trump claimed it was the fault of online retailers like Amazon were contributing to the problem because they use the post office to make their delivers. Many online companies use a variety of delivery services - including the post office, FedEx, and UPS - to make deliveries.

'How can the post office be expected to handle -- they have regular mailing and then now on top of that, they have the internet where you have Amazon and these companies doing all the buying instead of going to a department store, they go by through mail so you have massive numbers of purchases now going through the post office, purchases of items and gifts, and that's a tremendous strain on the post office,' he complained during his press conference at the White House on Monday.

Trump added the Republican Party would be suing in Nevada to stop mail-in voting, as it is suing in other states like California. Nevada officials approved the state holding an all vote-by-mail election because of COVID.

The president started off his Monday morning with an attack on mail-in voting, accusing Nevada of conducting an 'illegal late night coup' with its decision to embrace that option as Republicans fret Trump's salvos could hurt them at the ballot box in November.

Lawmakers in Nevada on Sunday passed a bill to have November's vote be conducted by all mail-in ballots. The governor is expected to sign it, meaning Nevada will join several other states that have taken that option as a way to combat the coronavirus epidemic.

Trump and Republicans have warned that such moves will lead to voter fraud despite repeated studies that show that is not the case. The president decried Nevada's decision on Twitter. The state is a critical one for November's election.

'In an illegal late night coup, Nevada's clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!,' he wrote.

President Donald Trump railed against what he called an 'illegal late night coup' in Nevada after state decides to let vote be conducted all by mail-in

Pundits warn Americans won't know if Trump or Joe Biden won on election night because of time it will take to count mail-in votes; election results could take a week or more

The Republican Party has launched lawsuits in several states - including California - that are expanding their mail-in voting options in response to the pandemic. Seven states have decided to automatically mail ballots to voters without them having to request one. Five states already conduct elections by mail-in ballots. And many other states have allowed fear of the coronavirus to be used as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

Trump has repeatedly slammed mail-in voting even as he defends absentee voting, which he used in Florida's presidential primary and plans to use in the general election.

But Republicans are starting to worry that the president's attacks on mail-in ballots could keep their own voters from using that option in November, hurting them on election day.

Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Trump advisers have warned the president he could hurt the GOP at the ballot box, urging him to encourage absentee voting, The Washington Post reported.

Trump has complained on many occasions Democrats are using the coronavirus to steal the election by expanding mail-in voting options.

But governors counter that mail-in voting is needed to prevent long lines at polling places. Additionally, most election workers tend to be retirees, who are more at risk for the virus due to their age.

And studies show low cases of voter fraud in mail-in voting.

'The bottom line is that absentee and mail balloting are secure in America,' Wendy Weiser, the director of the Democracy Program at the Brennan Center, told CNN. 'Election officials, Republicans and Democrats alike, pretty much universally are confident in the system.'

Meanwhile, pundits are warning it's unlikely Americans will know if Trump or Joe Biden is the winner on election night due to the many states using mail-in voting.

'I don't think it's penetrated enough in the average viewer's mind that there's not going to be an election night. The usual razzmatazz of a panel sitting around discussing election results  that's dead,' Brandon Finnigan, the founder of Decision Desk HQ, told The New York Times.

President Trump has stoked elections fears with his tweets and news interviews, leading Democrats to worry he will attempt to delegitimize the election.

'This president is going to try to indirectly steal the election by arguing that mail-in ballots dont work  theyre not real, theyre not fair,' Biden told a virtual fundraiser last week.

Trump warned on Friday the United States would face its 'biggest election disaster in history' with mail-in ballots being used this fall.

'This is going to be the biggest election disaster in history,' Trump predicted of the November contest, adding the results may never be known.

'You won't know the election result for weeks, months, maybe years after. Maybe you'll never know the election result. And that's what I'm concerned with. It'll be fixed. It'll be rigged,' he said at the White House during an event with police chiefs.

'Watch what happens,' he said.

Trump has, of late, refused to say if he'll accept what happens in November.

Asked by Axios' Jonathan Swan, in the interview that aired Monday on HBO, the president wouldn't say if he would accept the will of the voters but did argue Hillary Clinton hadn't accepted the 2016 election.

'Hillary Clinton didn't accepted them. She's still never accepted them,' Trump said.

Clinton formally conceded to President Trump in both a private phone call and in a public speech after the election.

Last week Trump went as far to suggest postponing the election, citing concerns mail-in voting could lead to a 'rigged' and 'crooked' result.

The president, in a brief news conference at the White House on Thursday evening, said he didn't want to see the election delayed but also argued he didn't want to see mail-in ballots go missing, indicating his opposition to mail-in voting remains an issue in regards to the general election.

President Donald Trump doubled down on his threat to delay November's election, citing concerns mail-in voting could lead to a 'rigged' and 'crooked' result

President Trump said he was concerned that mail-in voting, which many states are considering as an alternative to in-person voting to help combat the spread of the coronavirus, could lead to miss ballots and a 'rigged' election

'We're asking for a lot of trouble,' Trump said. 'Do I want to see a date change? No. But I don't want to see a crooked election. This election will be the most rigged election in history.'

More and more states are looking at mail-in voting options as a way to counter the coronavirus pandemic but Republicans believe that favors voting blocs that support Democrats and are suing several states to stop the process.

'I don't want to delay,' Trump added. 'I want to have the election. But I also don't want to have to wait three months and then find out that the ballots are all missing and the election doesn't mean anything. That what's going to happen.'

'And everyone knows it,' he added. 'Smart people know. Stupid people may not know it. Some people don't want to talk about it. But they know it.'

Meanwhile, the U.S. Postal Service is experiencing days-long backlogs of mail, sparking fears the problem could continue into November and affect the election.

Additionally, an internal report from the postal service warned almost half the states are not providing adequate time for workers to deliver ballots ahead of the election.

Several states affected are battleground ones that could decide if Trump or Biden is the next president and it's big cities - which are hot beds of Democratic voters - that will likely be most affected.

U.S. Post Office is experiencing massive delays due to changes implemented by the post master general appointed by President Donald Trump - delays that could affect the election

An internal report from the Postal Service warned there are 24 states with deadlines close enough to the election that do provide or at high risk for not giving the post office time to deliver ballots before the election

Several states affected are battleground ones that could decide if Donald Trump or Joe Biden is the next president

But the delays are the result of changes put in place by Trump fundraiser-turned-postmaster general Louis DeJoy, The Washington Post reported, leading to allegations of that the election is being undermined by politics.

President Trump and his Republican allies have attacked the U.S. Post Office, saying the postal system cannot be trusted to deliver mail-in ballots to the various state boards of elections to be counted. The number of mail-in ballots is expected to be unusually high this year as states are expanding that voting option to help combat the spread of the coronavirus.

The changes DeJoy implemented include prohibiting overtime pay, shutting down sorting machines early and requiring letter carriers to leave mail to avoid extra trips or late delivery on routes. His supporters say the moves are to cut costs and help the debt-ridden service make its way to the black.

But postal workers told the newspaper that the changes have resulted in at least a two day delay in parts of the country along with bins and bins of unsorted, undelivered mail piling up in post offices.

Additionally, many states use a postmark to determine whether or not a ballot meets the deadline to be counted and the delays in processing could affect them, meaning a ballot that was mailed in time still may not have the election day post mark that many states require in order for it to be counted.

An internal report from the Postal Service warned there are 24 states with deadlines close enough to the election that do not provide or at high risk for not giving the post office time to deliver ballots before the election.

The states include the battleground states of New Hampshire, Maine, Michigan, Wisconsin, Georgia, and Ohio.

'Ballots requested less than seven days before an election are at a high risk of not being delivered, completed by voters, and returned to the election offices in time,' the report stated.

Louis DeJoy is an American businessman and Republican Party fundraiser who was appointed in May 2020 by unanimous selection of the Board of Governors of the United States Postal Service to serve as the 75th United States Postmaster General

Post office workers spoke of their fears about the November election.

'I'm actually terrified to see election season under the new procedure,' said Lori Cash, president of the American Postal Workers Union (APWU) Local 183 in Western New York, told The Post.

David Partenheimer, spokesman for the U.S. Postal Service, responded that the delays were temporary and would not impact the upcoming election.

He called allegations DeJoy takes directions from President Trump are 'wholly misplaced and off-base' and pointed out the postmaster general is appointed by a bipartisan board of governors.

Michigan Postal Workers Union President Michael Mize described to a local news outlet how workers were no longer allowed to stay late at their distribution centers until all of the mail for their route was sorted and ready to be sent out.

'Eventually this [is] going to cause long-term, large delays if we don't do something,' he said. He predicted big cities like Detroit and Grand Rapids would be most affected - areas that are heavy with Democratic voters.

The winner of the presidential election would not be sworn into office until Wednesday, January 20, 2021, which would give almost three months for all ballots to be counted.

In 2000, the winner of the George W. Bush and Al Gore contest was not declared until December 12 after numerous recounts in Florida and a ruling by the Supreme Court.
EDMONTONAlberta has come to an agreement with the federal government that makes major cuts to environmental monitoring of the oilsands.

The deal, a copy of which has been obtained by The Canadian Press, lays out research plans for this years field season under a federal-provincial program that oversees all monitoring of the area outside of company leases.

Signed July 7 by top bureaucrats in Ottawa and Edmonton, it reduces funding by about 25 per cent from last years budget. This years budget has been cut to no more than $44 million. The approved budget was $58 million in 2019-20  although about $52 million was spent.

The deal says no fieldwork is to be done on the main branch of the Athabasca River. That means the program wont fund monitoring downstream of the oilsands even as the province considers proposals to allow the water from oilsands tailings ponds to be released into the river.

The agreement also says therell be no field studies on wetlands, fish or insects.

A pilot project gauging the risks posed by tailings ponds has been dropped. Water quality assessment in Wood Buffalo National Park  part of a response to international concerns about environmental degradation at the UNESCO World Heritage Site  is gone.

Under the deal, administrative costs have ballooned to more than $10 million from about $7 million last year. That means nearly one-quarter of the monitoring budget will be spent before a single data point is collected.

A federal official said Tuesday that much of the budget cut is due to the pandemic.

We have missed part of the field season, said Kevin Cash, acting assistant deputy minister of science and technology with Environment and Climate Change Canada.

He said a substantial part of the spring and summer season was lost, which makes up most of the reduction in costs.

Cash added that the decision to cut the budget was made by a 12-person oversight committee that includes six people from Indigenous communities, as well as representatives from industry and the provincial and federal governments.

The monitoring program, initiated in 2012 under Stephen Harpers Conservative government, funds research by outside organizations as well as government scientists.

Between March and the middle of July, Albertas United Conservative government and the provinces energy regulator also suspended a wide array of monitoring activities required of oilsands companies as conditions of their operating licences. The pandemic was cited as a reason for the suspensions.

Jess Sinclair, press secretary for Alberta Environment Minister Jason Nixon, said in an email Tuesday that budgeted funding does not reflect what is actually spent and the funding amount this year is in line with average spending in previous years.

The $43.9 million approved for oilsands monitoring in 2020-21 reflects the expected costs of monitoring required to assure immediate public and environmental health, long-term monitoring and focused activities across the areas of air, water, wetlands, wildlife and vegetation monitoring, she said.

Jim Herbers of the Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute says his funding was cut to $1.4 million from the usual $4 million to $5 million.

Field monitoring is the biggest component of what were not going to be doing this year, he said.

The work around monitoring for amphibians, birds and mammals, that work wont be undertaken. Nor will work on tracking indicators related to plants or changes in habitat.

Herbers said he was told the cuts were made to protect workers from COVID-19.

Bill Donahue, a former senior civil servant with Albertas science and monitoring programs, said leaving the Athabasca River unmonitored is crazy.

Weve got one of the biggest industrial developments  the primary problems of which are contamination of the environment and consumption of water  and theres no downstream monitoring.

The federal official said its an evolving issue and some water quality monitoring could resume as COVID-19 restrictions are eased.

Alberta has a binding agreement with the Northwest Territories to keep track of whats happening with the Athabasca, which flows into the territory. Joslyn Oosenbrug of the territorys Environment Department said her government was told a deal had been reached.

We were not provided with any detailed information about the budget, she said in an email.

The (territory) has made its concerns known about the suspension of water quality monitoring in Alberta and continues to advocate for all monitoring to resume, especially the (oilsands monitoring) program.

Marlin Schmidt, environment critic for Albertas NDP Opposition, pointed out the provincial budget set aside at least $50 million for monitoring paid for through an industry levy.

I feel Ive been lied to, he said.

He said the cuts arent likely to help the image of Albertas industry.

Its critical to protect the environment. Its also critical to show the world we can develop these resources responsibly. Were failing at both.

Read more about:
British airline Virgin Atlantic filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy on Tuesday as a result of the economic disruption set off by the coronavirus pandemic, Business Insider reports.

Why it matters: This is the second airline belonging to billionaire Richard Branson's Virgin Group to file for bankruptcy protection this year, following Virgin Australia's filing in April.

The bottom line: Delta, which owns 49% of Virgin Atlantic, has made it clear that it will not save the airline from potential bankruptcy restructuring with a cash injection, Insider reports. Virgin Atlantic said it would cut over 3,000 jobs in May.

Go deeper: Airlines' social distancing policies are starting to separate their stock prices
Vietnam reports 8th COVID-19-related death

Another person has died of end-stage chronic renal failure, sepsis, acute heart failure and COVID-19, marking the eighth COVID-19-related death in Vietnam so far and the second on August 4.

The latest fatality is a 65-year-old man from Da Nang citys Hoa Vang district who was treated for five months for end-stage renal failure, regular hemodialysis and septic shock at the Nephrology Department of Da Nang Hospital. He was discharged from the hospital on July 24.

A test carried out three days later revealed he was positive for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 and he was transferred to the Department of Tropical Medicine of the Da Nang Hospital.

At that time, he had breathing difficulties and was placed on a ventilator. His condition worsened and on August 4 he lost his fight for life at 8.30am.

Announcing the death, Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said there are still a number of patients in a critical condition and at high risk of losing their lives due to underlying medical conditions and their old age.

Stranded tourists in Danang to be taken home via chartered flights

The Danang Department of Tourism announced on August 3 that it would operate two chartered flights to evacuate tourists stranded in the citycurrently the countrys Covid-19 epicenterto Hanoi and HCMC.

The tourists could not leave Danang due to travel restrictions imposed on July 27 after the central city reported a drastic rise in new local infections of Covid-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.

Tourists who have got stuck in the city should contact the Danang Supporting Center for Tourists to register for the flights no later than 5:30 p.m. on August 5.

If the tourists are staying in a hotel, they must provide a certification from the hotel, a copy or picture of their airline/train/coach ticket, a certification from the tour operator and other documents.

Tourists who are staying at their relatives homes are required to provide a certification from their relatives or the local authorities, a copy or picture of their airline/train/coach ticket and other documents.

According to Nguyen Xuan Binh, deputy director of the Danang Department of Tourism, there are currently over 430 tourists, mainly from Hanoi and HCMC, who are stuck in the city. They will be subject to a 14-day quarantine after returning home and will have to pay for their own air ticket.

Health of all COVID-19 patients returning from Equatorial Guinea improves

All 219 Vietnamese workers who returned to Viet Nam from Equatorial Guinea on July 29 have been tested and only 20 tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2, vice director of National Hospital for Tropical Diseases Nguyen Trung Cap said on Monday.

All the COVID-19 patients were in good health, he said.

The Vietnamese workers had been stranded in the African country, with initial information asserting that nearly half of them already confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Cap explained that many of the workers were confirmed to be suffering from COVID-19 in Equatorial Guinea but had tested negative now possibly because they had recovered from the disease.

However, health care workers were still being cautious and strictly deploying disease preventive measures to avoid risks of cross-infection, Cap said.

He added that all nine critical patients in the group, including six patients with lung damage and three with malaria, had seen their conditions improve.

We have been closely monitoring such complicated cases as we foresee risks if we ignore other diseases that the COVID-19 patients also have, Cap said, adding that so far, there were no serious complications.

The 219 workers, the flight crew of eight and four health care workers who escorted the repatriation flight were taken into quarantine at the Kim Chung branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases upon their arrival in Ha Nois Noi Bai International Airport.

Earlier, all patients at the hospital were moved to the hospital's campus in downtown Ha Noi to make room for, and to be safe from, a large number of coronavirus carrying returnees.

a Nang health worker fainted from exhaustion wants to get back to work

A female health worker in Hoa Minh Ward, Lien Chieu District, a Nang City fainted when arriving at her workplace on Sunday morning after days of tracing people who had contacts with confirmed COVID-19 cases and helping them to go to quarantine areas.

The 48-year-old ang Thi Thu Ha has worked at the Hoa Minh Ward Health Centre for nearly 20 years.

After three COVID-19 cases were confirmed in the ward, for more than a week, she and her colleagues have meticulously traced people who had close contact with COVID-19 patients and supported quarantine work.

On August 1, Ha worked from early morning to 9pm, said the head of the wards health care centre Vo Thi Nga.

Nga said that during this time, health workers barely had any time to take a rest and very often skipped meals because there was so much work to do.

Ha said that she was exhausted and had not adapted to the changes in workload and daily routine in the last few days as a Nang became the hotspot of coronavirus in the country that previously underwent months without local community infection.

When I arrived home on Saturday evening, I was too tired to have dinner. My husband encouraged me a lot and said he would drive me to work as I looked so tired, Ha said.

When arriving at the health care centre the following morning, Ha fainted. She was given oxygen support.

Answering a telephone call on Tuesday, Ha said she felt much better now but she was taking some days off.

When my health condition is okay, I will come back to work, continuing to fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.

On Tuesday morning, the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control said the total number of infections confirmed in Viet Nam reached 652, of which 307 were imported.

As many as 205 community transmitted cases have been detected and linked to a Nang City since July 25. The pandemic has claimed eight lives in Viet Nam so far, all older patients with chronic health issues.

Another patient dies of end-stage chronic kidney failure, COVID-19

A 62-year-old woman residing in Hoa Vang district of central Da Nang city died of end-stage chronic kidney failure, septic shock, multi-organ dysfunction and COVID-19 on early August 4.

This is the seventh death related to COVID-19 in Vietnam so far.

Deputy Minister of Health Nguyen Truong Son said the patient has suffered chronic kidney failure for 10 years and received treatment at Da Nang Hospital since July 18. She was sent to the Hue Central Hospital in nearby Thua Thien-Hue province on July 30.

The official noted that there are currently several COVID-19 patients at high risk of death due to serious underlying health conditions and old age.

The number of COVID-19 cases in the country now stands at 652, including 374 recoveries and seven deaths.

Ten more COVID-19 infections confirmed in Vietnam this morning

Ten more coronavirus infections were confirmed by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on August 4 morning, putting the national tally at 652.

A medical worker takes sample for COVID-19 testing from a man in Vietnam.

Ten more coronavirus infections were confirmed by the National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on August 4 morning, putting the national tally at 652.

The new patients, aged from 30 to 68, include seven in the central city of Da Nang and three in the neighbouring province of Quang Nam. All of them are linked to the Da Nang Hospital hotspot.

These brought the number of cases connected to the outbreak in Da Nang to 205. The outbreak began with the detection of a 57-year-old male patient on July 25, ending the streak of 99 days of no community infections in Vietnam. It has also resulted in six deaths, all of them with serious underlying health conditions.

The national tally now stands at 652, of which 307 were imported cases and quarantined upon arrival.

Of the total infections, 374 have fully recovered so far. Among the remaining active patients, nine have tested negative for the coronavirus SARS-CoV-2 once and 12 at least twice.

A total of 133,279 people who had close contact with those infected with the virus or returned from pandemic-hit areas are being quarantined nationwide, including 1,258 at hospitals, 20,417 at concentrated quarantine establishments and 111,594 at home.

Earlier, Vietnam confirmed 21 more locally transmitted cases of COVID-19 on August 3 evening.

The new patients, aged from 20 to 83, include 15 in the central city of Da Nang and six in the neighbouring province of Quang Nam. All of them are linked to the Da Nang Hospital hotspot.

Officials answer issues related to COVID-19 control

Issues related to the fight against COVID-19 were answered by officials during the Governments monthly press conference in Hanoi on August 3.

Minister and Chairman of the Government Office Mai Tien Dung said the Government will continue considering measures to achieve the dual goal of fighting the pandemic and achieving socio-economic targets.

He added that the Government Office, authorities and Health Ministry will soon outline the Prime Ministers new directive that will still ensure socio-economic activities in the new normal situation.

As for Da Nang city, the PM has decided to deploy medical staff and equipment to the locality to enhance testing and tracing down suspect cases, he said.

Deputy Health Minister Truong Quoc Cuong said the Health Ministry has sent a working team of the most experienced medical staff led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Truong Son to the city.

Da Nang C Hospital, Da Nang Hospital and Orthopedics and Rehabilitation Hospital, along with high-risk and affected areas, were sterilised and quarantined, he said, adding that over 1,000 medical and military students also engaged in the fight.

All plans have been devised and will be launched at the order of the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, he said.

Deputy Health Minister works with Quang Nam on COVID-19 combat

A Health Ministry delegation led by Deputy Minister Nguyen Truong Son on August 3 had a working session with the Peoples Committee of Quang Nam province, a current COVID-19 hotspot, on the prevention and control of the disease.

At the session, Son said that since the first community COVID- 19 case was recorded in the central city of Da Nang on July 25 after 99 days, the ministry has coordinated with experts to set up treatment and testing teams in the central region, including the hotspot of Quang Nam.

The ministry has also established a special task force in the central region which has the right to decide all issues related to human and material resources serving the pandemic prevention and combat, he added.

Vice Chairman of the provincial Peoples Committee Tran Van Tan asked for the ministrys support in testing equipment and biological products serving the testing process as Quang Nam has recorded 34 COVID-19 cases so far.

The ministry should send leading epidemiological experts to Quang Nam to enhance capacity for local hospitals, he said.

Bordering Da Nang city, the epicenter of the current COVID-19 outbreak, Quang Nam has applied social distancing measures under the Governments Decree 16 in pandemic-hit localities and locked down areas where cases with complex travel history are detected, according to the official.

The same day, Deputy Minister Son inspected preparations for receiving and treating COVID-19 patients at the Quang Nam Central General Hospital.

Official clarifies solutions to perform dual tasks of COVID-19 fight, development

With drastic, creative, flexible and timely directions of the Government and the Prime Minister, the engagement of the whole political system and business community, and the strong support from people, Vietnam has obtained important results in performing the dual tasks of fighting COVID-19 and boosting socio-economic development.

The remark was made by Minister, Chairman of the Governments Office and Spokesman of the Government Mai Tien Dung at the Cabinets regular press conference on August 3.

He noted that after 99 straight days without community COVID-19 transmission, Vietnam has recorded locally infected cases in several localities, especially some hospitals in central Da Nang city. The Governments permanent members shortly held three meetings under the chair of the PM to discuss response measures.

In July, the PM chaired a teleconference to promote the disbursement of public investment and official development assistance while working with some major provinces and cities like Ho Chi Minh City and several localities in the central, Central Highlands and Mekong Delta regions to boost public investment disbursement to facilitate growth.

The Government leader also ordered the establishment of seven working teams to visit localities, ministries and sectors to address difficulties facing businesses and step up public investment disbursement, Dung said.

Despites the pandemics negative impact, thanks to breakthrough efforts, Vietnam recorded month-on-month improvement in socio-economic development during the first seven months of 2020, with macro-economic stability sustained, inflation controlled, and the consumer price index growth slowing down.

However, as community transmission of COVID-19 has returned since late July, challenges remain huge for the time ahead, he admitted, pointing out that there are many latent risks to the macro-economic stability; public investment disbursement has yet to meet requirements; many industries are still struggling; the service sector, especially aviation and tourism, has been hardly hit; and the number of businesses dissolved or suspending operations, as well as job losses, have increased.

The Government considers the early August as decisive to whether or not COVID-19 will break out on a large scale, so it is necessary to summon every resource to deal with any outbreaks, especially the one in Da Nang, persistently carry out disease prevention and control measures, fulfill socio-economic development targets, and continue ensuring social security, social order and safety, defence, security and external activities, the official stressed.

Dung also noted several solutions issued by the Government, including drastically implementing synchronous anti-COVID-19 measures but still creating the best possible conditions for the flows of goods, and accelerating the disbursement of public funds which must be viewed as the focal political task for 2020.

Support comes for students in Da Nang stuck in dormitories

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After social isolation order implemented in the central city of Da Nang, all students in the city have been allowed to leave school to prevent Covid-19 outbreaks. However, there many are stranded in dormitories, facing difficulties. Given that, universities and sponsors have been exerting efforts to help them to be assured of staying safe.

Currently, about 1,200 students are staying at dormitories of the University of Da Nang. Cooking is not allowed in the room, while food shops have to be closed, including online sales make these students anxious at first. Given that, the University has managed to provide a cooking area for students.

With the support of benefactors, along with their resources, universities and colleges in the city are willing to accompanying students during this period of time.

300 Vietnamese citizens brought home from Canada, RoK

A total of 300 Vietnamese citizens were flown home from Canada and the Republic of Korea (RoK) on August 2 and 3.

Passengers include children aged under 18, the elderly, pregnant women, those with illness, workers with expired visas and labour contracts, students without accommodations, workers with expired visa and labour contracts, stranded tourists, and those in extremely disadvantaged circumstances.

The Vietnamese General Consulate in Vancouver and the Embassy in the RoK sent their staff to assist these people to complete all required procedures before boarding the flight.

Strict security, safety and hygiene measures were enforced by the carrier during the flight to protect the passengers health and prevent COVID-19 transmission.

Upon arrival at Can Tho airport, all passengers and crew members were given health check and quarantined in line with regulations.

Vietnamese authorities and overseas missions plan to arrange more flights to fly more Vietnamese citizens home, depending on their need and quarantine capacity at home.

Medical staff sent to central region hospitals to treat COVID-19 cases

The Health Ministry has asked five hospitals to send experts to the Quang Nam Central General Hospital and the Hue Central General Hospital to provide support in the treatment of serious COVID-19 cases.

In an urgent dispatch to the directors of Cho Ray Hospital, the University Medical Centre Ho Chi Minh City, and the HCM City Hospital for Tropical Diseases, the ministry asked them to send experts to Quang Nam given the complex developments of COVID-19 in Da Nang and nearby provinces.

On the same day, head of the Health Ministrys Department of Medical Examination and Treatment, Associate Professor and Dr Luong Ngoc Khue signed two documents requesting that hospitals at higher levels deploy staff to the second branch of the Hue Central Hospital.

Accordingly, the Central Hospital for Tropical Diseases was assigned to send a rapid-response team to assist the effort. The Hanoi Medical University Hospital was also tasked with sending experts in intensive care to the branch.

Earlier, on August 2, head of the Hanoi Medical University Hospital Ta Thanh Van sent a working team of eight experts to the Quang Nam Central General Hospital.

The team will also offer help to Da Nang city and other central provinces.

HCM City completes financial assistance for those hit by COVID-19

HCM City has basically completed the provision of financial assistance for those hit by COVID-19, according to Director of the municipal Department of Labour, Invalids and Social Affairs Le Minh Tan.

The move was in line with Resolution No 02 from the municipal Peoples Council, the Governments Resolution No 42, and the Prime Ministers Decision No 15.

Figures from the department and 24 districts and wards show that the city had offered over 590 billion VND (25.6 million USD) to 538,360 out of the 538,621 cases as of late July, including 66,020 workers who become jobless with more than 67.5 billion VND, and those whose labour contracts have been temporarily suspended with 994 million VND.

Districts and wards paid 1.82 billion VND to other workers now not working and over 1.33 trillion VND to 1,330 business households earning revenue of less than 100 million VND per year.

All poor and near-poor households received a further 85.2 billion VND while all ex-revolutionaries entitled to social assistance were granted an additional 232.84 billion VND in total.

Philippines to re-impose stricter COVID-19 lockdown in capital

The Philippines authorities on August 2 said the country will reimpose a stricter COVID-19 lockdown in and around Manila for two weeks from August 4, as it struggles to contain the number of infections that has soared to more than 100,000.

Harry Roque, spokesman of President Rodrigo Duterte, told reporters that the President has approved placing Metro Manila and nearby provinces such as Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan under so-called "Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine" (MECQ) until Aug 18.

The lockdown decision came after 80 local groups representing 80,000 doctors and a million nurses called for tighter controls, saying the country is losing the fight against the coronavirus.

According to the nations Department of Budget and Management (DBM), Duterte has also approved the proposed 4.5-trillion-peso (roughly 91.65-billion-USD) national budget for 2021 during his special meeting with the Development Budget Coordination Committee (DBCC) on July 30.

The budget, which is 9.9 percent higher than this year's budget of 4.1 trillion pesos, aims to sustain the governments effective response to the pandemic by focusing spending on improving healthcare systems, ensuring food security, increasing investments in public and digital infrastructure, and helping communities cope with and prevail against the hardship.

The Philippines continues to grapple with the rapid increase of coronavirus cases despite its strict lockdown measures imposed in mid-March.

Travellers to Singapore to wear electronic tracking device

Starting from August 11, travellers entering Singapore who are serving their stay-home notice (SHN) outside of dedicated facilities will have to wear an electronic monitoring device throughout the 14 days.

This will apply to all travellers including Singaporeans, permanent residents, long-term pass holders, work pass holders and their dependents, said the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA), Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Ministry of Education (MOE) in a press release.

The device will allow them to monitor those serving the SHN more effectively as travel restrictions are progressively lifted, according to the press release.

It is a change from the combination of text messages, voice and video calls and house visits the authorities have been using to make sure the rules are observed.

GPS and 4G or Bluetooth signals are used to determine if a person is within range of their place of residence.

Those wearing the device may receive notifications from it during the stay-home period and should acknowledge these in a timely manner, said the authorities.

Those who tamper with or remove the device during the SHN period can be fined up to 10,000 USD or jailed for up to six months, or face both punishments.

Earlier, the Singaporean Ministry of Health said travellers entering Singapore from selected countries may serve their stay-home notices at home, instead of dedicated facilities, from June 18.

But they will be subject to a compulsory COVID-19 test, for which they must pay, a few days before the end of their SHN.

The new SHN rules apply to travellers who have been in Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, mainland China, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Taiwan and Vietnam in the last 14 consecutive days before their entry.

All other travellers entering Singapore will continue to serve their SHN at dedicated facilities like hotels. Those who are not Singaporeans or permanent residents will have to pay for their stay at these facilities.

Ba Ria-Vung Tau imposes social distancing restrictions despite no new Covid-19 infections

Although the southern province of Ba Ria-Vung Tau has reported no new locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases recently, it has decided to impose social distancing restrictions to ensure community safety by suspending nonessential services from 0:00 today, August 3.

The province has shut down all bars, dance clubs and karaoke lounges and suspended cultural and sporting activities, festivals, fairs, conventions and religious events.

The local residents have been asked to avoid gatherings of more than 30 persons, keep a safe physical distance of at least two meters in public places and wear face masks while going out.

Public transport operators, trade service providers, restaurants, food stalls, retailers and hotels must comply with Covid-19 infection prevention and control measures.

Important political, economic and social events would require permission from the relevant agencies.

Coastal districts must seek consultancy from the provincial government on whether to close the beaches and must abide by preventive measures to ensure safety for locals and tourists.

The Department of Health has been asked to be prepared for large-scale Covid-19 testing and ensure sufficient medical equipment is available in case new local infections are discovered.

Although there have been no new locally-transmitted Covid-19 cases in Ba Ria-Vung Tau recently, the province confirmed six imported cases on July 31, who were sailors of the Panama flag Gas Texiana vessel.
Isabela Giubega wasnt going to let a pandemic get in the way of sharing her Romanian culture with the world.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Isabela Giubega wasnt going to let a pandemic get in the way of sharing her Romanian culture with the world.

Giubega is the leader and choreographer of the Balada Dance Team, which normally thrills crowds with daily live performances at Folkloramas Romanian Pavilion, usually held at the Bronx Park Community Centre on Henderson Highway. She said the small but proud Romanian community in Winnipeg always looks forward to showcasing its culture during that Folklorama week.

INSTAGRAM Members of the Balada Dance Team have been meeting and rehearsing on Instagram Live in preparation for taking part in Balada Dance Team presents Romania at Home.

This was going to be a special year, Giubega explained. The group had decided to develop new routines and had been practising since November.

"We wanted a new show," Giubega said. "We wanted to do new things."

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, Balada wasnt faxed. The group continued practising virtually on Instagram Live. Team members could film themselves and ask questions.

"It was a really big difference over having practices normally, but it was cool," Giubega said.

Then came word that Folklorama 2020 had been cancelled.

"My first reaction was sadness and the second was to ask what we could do now," Giubega said.

In addition to her passion for dance, Giubega also has an honours degree in business, so she combined the two and developed a business proposal for an online show in which she would interview members of the Romanian community and include dance routines on Instagram Live.

"I still wanted to do something that was Romanian, something to showcase our hard work since there wasnt going to be a pavilion this year," Giubega said. "I wanted to show everyone our love and our passion."

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Giubega approached Folklorama and they agreed to support Balada Dance Team Presents Romania at Home, which has grown into a display of most of the action you would see at the pavilion, including dancing, music, cooking demonstrations and other cultural displays including hair braiding.

Each new episode is posted on Twitter and Instagram under the handle @romaniapavilion every second week. They feature Balada members sharing their favourite aspects of Romanian culture.

The opportunity to showcase their homeland is important for people from all cultures, but especially for those with smaller representation in Winnipeg, Giubega said.

While Winnipegs Romanian community doesnt have the numbers of some other ethnicities, they make up for it with fervor, as people fill multiple roles throughout the week.

"Showcasing our talent is uber important to the Romanian community because were a small community," Giubega said.

Look for new episodes of Balada Dance Team Presents Romania at Home every second Monday on Instagram and Twitter.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The most common cause of potentially-fatal heatstroke in dogs is being exercised by their owners, the largest study of its kind has found.

A team at Nottingham Trent University and the Royal Veterinary College found that exertion or exercisewhich could include dogs walking, playing or running with their ownerswas responsible for three quarters (74%) of heat stroke cases. Many of these cases were in the summer months.

Hot weather alone was responsible for 13% of cases, while travelling or being left in hot vehicles accounted for 5% of cases.Other triggers for heat stroke included undergoing treatment at a veterinary surgery or a dog grooming parlour, being restricted to hot buildings or trapped under blankets.

The researchers in dog welfare analysed the anonymised clinical records of more than 900,000 UK dogs, finding 1,222 had received veterinary care for heatstroke at some point during their lives, with almost 400 affected in a single year.

Heatstroke is a potentially fatal condition inflicted on dogs and is expected to become even more common as global temperatures rise. In the current study, 14.2% of affected dogs died as a result of their heatstroke event.

The team, writing in the journal Animals,, found that male dogs and younger dogs were more likely to develop heatstroke triggered by exercise, with breeds including the Chow Chow, Bulldog, French Bulldog, Greyhound, English Springer Spaniel, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Staffordshire Bull Terrier at increased risk.

Older dogs and flat-faced dogs such as bulldogs and pugs were at increased risk of getting heatstroke just by sitting outside in hot weather.

Flat-faced dogs were particularly at risk of developing heat stroke if left in hot cars.

Early signs of heat stroke in dogs include panting, red or dark gums and tongue, confusion and unsteadiness leading to collapse, diarrhoea, vomiting and even seizure leading to coma. If the dog is not cooled and treated by a veterinary surgeon quickly, the condition can be fatal.

Some key findings from the latest paper include:

The majority of heatstroke events were triggered by exercise, with 68% of those events occurring after just walking in the heat

Heatstroke can occur all year round in the UK but the majority of cases are from May to August

Breeds such as Chow Chow, Bulldog, French Bulldog, Greyhound, English Springer Spaniel, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel and Staffordshire Bull Terrier were highly associated with exercise-related heatstroke

"As the world gets hotter, we need to include our dogs in our strategies to stay cool, as they can suffer fatal consequences when we fail to keep them safe," said Emily Hall, a researcher and veterinary surgeon in Nottingham Trent University's School of Animal, Rural and Environmental Sciences.

She said: "It appears that people are hearing the message about the dangers of hot vehicles, but campaigns to raise public awareness about heat-related illness in dogs need to highlight that dogs don't just die in hot cars. Taking a dog for a walk or a run in hot weather can be just as deadly so consider skipping walks altogether during heatwaves, or be sure to take dogs out early in the morning whilst it's still cool.

"We hope our work will help to educate people about the causes of heatstroke in dogs and provide owners and veterinary professionals with crucial information that can be used to identify dogs most at risk and help with more rapid recognition and treatment."

Dr. Anne Carter, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science at Nottingham Trent University, said: "This deeper understanding of the risk factors and triggers for heatstroke in dogs is crucial. We suspect the number of cases of heatstroke could actually be far greater, as many dogs with the condition may not be taken to a veterinary surgery."

Dr. Dan O'Neill, co-author and senior lecturer in companion animal epidemiology at The Royal Veterinary College, said: "The UK is currently in the midst of an ill-fated love affair with flat-faced dogs. Demand for breeds such as the French Bulldog, Pug and British Bulldog has soared during the COVID19 lockdown. I appeal to owners to put the needs of the dog ahead of their own desire to possess something that looks cute.

"Flat-faced dogs have an innately reduced capacity to stay cool and therefore often suffer terribly during hot weather, exercise or even a short car journey. Please stop and think before buying a flat-faced dog."

This new study builds upon the team's recent work, in which they reported that brachycephalic dog breeds were particularly at risk of developing heat stroke.

In July, the Nottingham Trent University researchers also warned about the dangers of leaving their dogs in parked cars after their study found that internal temperatures were hot enough from spring to autumn to pose a risk to dog health.

The latest study is part of the ongoing VetCompass research programme at the Royal Veterinary College, that aims to improve companion animal welfare and was supported by a Dogs Trust Canine Welfare Grant.

Paula Boyden, Veterinary Director at Dogs Trust, said: "This study is vital in our understanding of the key triggers for heatstroke in dogs and in helping to formulate advice to owners. Older dogs and flat-faced breeds, who may find it harder to regulate their temperature, are particularly susceptible to heatstroke in warm weather so it is really important to make sure that you exercise your dog at their own pace and avoid exercising in the heat of the day.

"Be aware that dogs can overheat from exertion even on cooler days, so do monitor your dog when exercising and seek immediate veterinary advice if you are concerned."

Explore further Risk factors for heatstroke in UK dogs

More information: Emily J. Hall et al. Dogs Don't Die Just in Hot CarsExertional Heat-Related Illness (Heatstroke) Is a Greater Threat to UK Dogs, Animals (2020). Emily J. Hall et al. Dogs Don't Die Just in Hot CarsExertional Heat-Related Illness (Heatstroke) Is a Greater Threat to UK Dogs,(2020). DOI: 10.3390/ani10081324
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 23:09:08|Editor: huaxia

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Chinese medical experts pose for a group photo upon their arrival in Baku, capital of Azerbaijan, on Aug. 4, 2020. A team of Chinese medical experts arrived here on Tuesday to share their knowledge of and experience in COVID-19 treatment with their Azerbaijani counterparts. The 10-man team also delivered the last batch of protective equipment donated to Azerbaijan by the Chinese government. (Photo by Tofik Babayev/Xinhua)

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China has sent a team of medical experts to Azerbaijan to help the Central Asian country fight the COVID-19 epidemic, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin announced here Tuesday.

The team, organized by the National Health Commission, consists of experts from Sichuan Province, Wang said at a daily press briefing.

The team left for Azerbaijan on Tuesday, he said. Enditem
AICC spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday said that dissident MLAs should give up the hospitality of the BJP and the security of Haryana police if they want to hold a dialogue with the party.

Asked whether the doors for dissidents are open, Surjewala said that the legislators should first hold a dialogue with the party on the condition that they give up the security of Haryana police in Manesar, and the hospitality and friendship of the BJP.

"Gangrapes are happening, people are being beaten up in Gurgaon. There is no police available for them, but 1,000 policemen are deployed for the security of 19 MLAs. The legislators should first give up the Haryana police's security, and friendship and hospitality of the BJP, return home and only then will the dialogue take place," he said.

Surjewala also read out a statement released by party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the foundation laying of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

In reply to a question, Surjewala said that politics should have 'dharma' instead of having a politics of 'dharma'.

He also said that Bihar police's interference in connection with a probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death was unfair because it was the jurisdiction of Maharashtra Police.

"Bihar police cannot interfere in the jurisdiction of Maharashtra police. Such a situation may lead to anarchy, because enforcing law in a state is the responsibility of the state government," he told reporters outside Hotel Suryagarh where the party MLAs are staying.
It's a crowded field of nominees for this year's Michael Brown Hands Up Don't Shoot Award, but the pitiful tale of the Michigan teenager thrown in jail for being black and not doing her homework at least deserves an honorable mention.

ProPublica launched this invention a couple weeks ago in a lengthy story, summed up in its arresting but utterly dishonest headline, "A Teenager Didn't Do Her Online Schoolwork. So a Judge Sent Her to Juvenile Detention."

According to the fable, 15-year old Grace (not her real name) was sentenced to a juvenile detention center by Oakland County circuit judge Mary Ellen Brennan only because Grace is black, our criminal justice system is "broken," and Brennan is "callous." Worse, the pandemic made it Grace's death sentence, despite there not being a single COVID case reported in the juvenile home.

The national media have reported this lie in lockstep ever since. What kind of monster sentences a "baby" to incarceration and certain death from COVID-19 just because she didn't do her homework?

Everyone from Ayanna Pressley to Hillary Clinton has leapt at the chance to exploit the myth and toss in a few lies of their own.

Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and a handful of other Democrat rabble-rousers sent a congressional letter to Attorney General Bill Barr and education secretary Betsy DeVos demanding a civil rights investigation of Judge Brennan's decision. The letter says the judge cited Grace's mere failure to complete her online coursework "as the definitive reason for sentencing Grace to juvenile detention" and that someone with Grace's ADHD and other issues "should never be criminalized for her lack of participation in an online learning program."

Lies.

The truth is that Judge Brennan's stated reason for sending Grace to juvenile detention wasn't failure to do her coursework, but that Grace was a "'threat to [the] community,'" as shown, among other things, by "the assault and theft charges that led to her probation." And Grace didn't need to be "criminalized" by Judge Brennan for skipping online school; she criminalized herself by committing crimes.

Last month, when Judge Brennan revoked Grace's probation for her numerous violations of its conditions, she took into account Grace's stealing, "incorrigibility," and "several-year history of trouble that includes physical violence against her mother."

Fact check: Probation isn't a make-up test or referral to the school counselor's office. It's a sentence. The burden is on you to prove that the community is safe with you in it.

For years, Grace has been battling with her mother over typical teenage things; like not wanting to clean her room, ignoring her homework; and her mother's attempts to curb "her use of the phone, social media and other technology." But since age 13, the fights got so bad that Grace's mother often had to call police for help. Afterward, as is common with victims of family violence, she would minimize her daughter's outbursts.

Grace's first criminal charge came in 2018 after an argument over swiping her mother's iPhone charger, a fight so bad that police showed up. When they arrived, they discovered that Grace, as coyly reported by ProPublica, "had taken an iPad from her middle school without permission," resulting in her being charged with larceny. In court, Grace impressed the judge as intractable, but her mother begged that her daughter be put into a "diversion" program, sparing her detention if she agreed to get counseling and stay off electronic devices.

In November 2019, a neighbor heard Grace's mother honking her car horn and screaming, "Help me!" and called police. ProPublica reports that "Grace, upset she couldn't go to a friend's house, had reached inside the car to try to get her mother's phone and had bitten her mother's finger and pulled her hair." The police released Grace to a friend's house to cool off, but an assault charge was filed. A few weeks later, she picked up a second larceny charge for stealing another kid's cell phone from school.

This past April, Grace pleaded no contest to domestic violence for assaulting her mother and pleaded guilty to larceny for the cell phone theft. Judge Brennan, aware of the pandemic and trying her best to keep the teenager out of detention, ordered "intense probation," stressing that it would be "zero-tolerance." The conditions required Grace to check in regularly with her caseworker, "no phone and the use of the school laptop for educational purposes only." The judge also ordered that Grace wear a GPS tether, which shows how confident she was that Grace  who had well proven her "incorrigibility"  was going to hold up "her end of the bargain."

She didn't. She complained to her caseworker about being overwhelmed by everything that was expected of her. Her schoolwork didn't get done because she forgot to plug her computer in, and she overslept because "her alarm didn't go off." Her mother told the caseworker, "Grace had been staying up late to make food and going on the internet, then sleeping in."

Again, typical harmless, teenage behavior. But typical harmless 15-year-olds don't have three convictions on their record and a tether on their ankle to remind them that goofing off could lead to a stay in juvey. The caseworker noted that Grace "clearly doesn't want to abide by the rules in the community" and asked the judge to put Grace in detention. Judge Brennan agreed.

In fact, Grace was making great progress in the juvenile home and was due to go home in only a few weeks.

But then the wails went up, and the headlines ran, objecting that only black people get treated this way, and there was "no justification" for Grace's detention. But it was justified, and only one local newspaper had the courage to report that "no evidence has emerged to justify claims of racial injustice."

Now the Michigan Court of Appeals has ordered her release, and Grace's lawyers doubt she'll have to go back. The opportunists and grandstanders who've used her for their own purposes have done Grace and her mother no favors. We can hope that Grace and her mother can manage this time, but with nothing really changed, it doesn't seem likely.

Judge Brennan revoked Grace's probation sincere that if she was ever going to mature enough to stay out of adult prison, she'd need help for her uncontrolled temper, for her choices of violence and theft as the way to get what she wants, and to teach her that actions have consequences.

But thanks to the Court of Appeals, the phony protests, and the fake news, the lesson is loud and clear that actions don't have consequences. And lying works.

T.R. Clancy looks at the world from Dearborn, Michigan. You can email him at trclancy@yahoo.com.
A group of passengers beat and undressed a man who attempted to steal their belongings when he boarded a bus in Mexico.

The shocking incident took place Friday in Texcoco, a municipality in State of Mexico, after two men stopped a public transportation bus.

One of the suspects went inside the bus first and demanded everyone to hand over their belongings before the driver noticed the commotion and sped off with the would-be mugger on board.

The second suspect could be seen running alongside the bus before he was left behind.

Pictured above are some of the bus passengers in Mexico who beat a thief who unsuccessfully tried to rob them last Friday

Two suspects tried to board a public transportation bus in Mexico last Friday and rob its passengers before one of the men (pictured first to the right outside the vehicle) was beaten while his cohort (pictured second to the right outside the vehicle) failed to enter once the driver noticed the commotion and sped off

The man took a couple of steps towards the back of the vehicle and grabbed a cellphone from one of the six passengers.

He subsequently made his way towards the exit door but a male passenger blocked his path and grabbed him by his arm.

The rest of the customers intervened and dragged the man down to the ground as the bus was in motion.

The beaten suspect (right) tried to exit the bus with a passenger's cellphone before he was stopped

A passenger ripped off the bus mugger's pants after they kicked him out of the vehicle

The thief begged for mercy but a passenger countered by questioning his toughness and decision to rob them. He was repeatedly kicked and punched as the driver continued his route.

A second video showed the moment three passengers threw the man out of the vehicle once it came to a stop in the municipality of Los Reyes de La Paz.

One of the bus riders kicked him on the side of the head and left him unconscious while another passenger removed his pants, leaving him naked in the street.
New findings suggest that autistic men, but not women, have enhanced neural excitability in their social brain regions, and this may impact their ability to navigate social situations

New insight on differences in the brains of men and women with autism has been published today in the open-access journal eLife.

The study suggests that autistic men, but not women, have enhanced neural excitability in specific brain regions that are important for social cognition and self-reflection, and this may differentially impact their ability to navigate social situations.

These findings support the idea that imbalances between excitation and inhibition in the brain affect some individuals with autism more than others. They also pave the way for further research to measure the imbalance of excitation and inhibition with non-invasive neuroimaging techniques. This could help scientists evaluate how different treatments may affect this aspect of the brain's biology.

The brain possesses its own natural balance between excitation and inhibition, but this balance differs among individuals. Higher levels of excitation are linked to the function of some autism-relevant genes that are found on the sex chromosomes, and can also be affected by hormones produced in higher quantities in men, such as testosterone. Differences in these sex-related mechanisms are important as autism affects males more than females.

"With this study, we wanted to gain a better understanding of how excitation-inhibition imbalance may affect autistic men differently to women," says one of the study's lead authors, Stavros Trakoshis, a graduate student at the Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia (IIT) in Rovereto, Italy, and also based at the University of Cyprus.

To do this, Trakoshis and his colleagues started by using a computer model that simulates excitatory and inhibitory neurons as they interact and influence each other within the brain. The model allowed them to control the ratio of mixture between excitation and inhibition, simulated these interactions, and then reported neuronal population responses over time. The outputs are similar to data commonly measured with neuroimaging techniques, such as electroencephalography (EEG) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI).

Trakoshis and the team observed that specific statistical attributes of the simulated data changed systematically with changes to the underlying excitation-inhibition ratios. These statistical changes were also validated using data from fMRI scans of brains in living mice that were given drugs to induce enhanced excitation.

After validating that non-invasive fMRI can reveal changes to the underlying cellular excitation-inhibition ratio, the team next applied their technique to fMRI data from adult men and women with autism. This revealed that autistic men, but not women, have atypically enhanced excitation in a brain region called the medial prefrontal cortex. The function of this brain region is typically associated with social cognition and self-reflection. The analysis also showed that, in women with autism, a more intact medial prefrontal cortex response (with less enhanced excitation, for example) was associated with better camouflaging of social difficulties in real-world social situations.

"Our work suggests that sex-related biological mechanisms could be integral for how excitation-inhibition balance develops in autistic men versus women," says senior author Michael Lombardo, Director of the Laboratory for Autism and Neurodevelopmental Disorders at the IIT. "This could help explain why we see phenomena such as camouflaging manifesting differently in autistic males versus females."

"Our approach could also be useful for understanding other neurodevelopmental conditions that affect males more than females, such as attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder," Lombardo concludes.

###

Reference

The paper 'Intrinsic excitation-inhibition imbalance affects medial prefrontal cortex differently in autistic men versus women' can be freely accessed online at https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.55684. Contents, including text, figures and data, are free to reuse under a CC BY 4.0 license.

Media contact

Emily Packer, Senior Press Officer

eLife

e.packer@elifesciences.org

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About eLife

eLife is a non-profit organisation created by funders and led by researchers. Our mission is to accelerate discovery by operating a platform for research communication that encourages and recognises the most responsible behaviours. We work across three major areas: publishing, technology and research culture. We aim to publish work of the highest standards and importance in all areas of biology and medicine, including Human Biology and Medicine and Neuroscience, while exploring creative new ways to improve how research is assessed and published. We also invest in open-source technology innovation to modernise the infrastructure for science publishing and improve online tools for sharing, using and interacting with new results. eLife receives financial support and strategic guidance from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Max Planck Society and Wellcome. Learn more at https://elifesciences.org/about.

To read the latest Human Biology and Medicine research published in eLife, visit https://elifesciences.org/subjects/human-biology-medicine.

And for the latest in Neuroscience, see https://elifesciences.org/subjects/neuroscience.
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More than 100 community organizations in the US have condemned Alliance for Persecuted Peoples Worldwide (APPWW) in a latest open statement over its alleged hateful rhetoric and dangerous behavior toward marginalized communities.

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The statement accuses APPWW of being engaged in harmful conduct that perpetuates hate, religious intolerance, and Islamophobia, and that its leaders are not credible representatives of the local Indian-American diaspora or South Asian communities. The coalition of South Asian communities have called upon social welfare institutions to sign a petition to boycott APPWW for indulging in racism, Islamophobia, xenophobia, casteism, and other forms of hate and bigotry.

The coalition has detailed a series of instances where APPWW has made problematic comments that do not align with its otherwise professed mission of being a voice for the voiceless in our communities from around the world who are persecuted for their gender, religion and race. It highlighted various instances where the group promoted Hindu nationalism by encouraging boycotts of Muslim businesses claiming to buy only from places with a saffron flag; called Black Lives Matter movement a terrorist organization; asked presidential candidates to not hire any of Islamist Ikhwanis-Pak military stooges on Bernie Sanders campaign among other such dangerous insults to marginalized communities.

The letter is backed by a diverse range of local, national and international rights networks including reputed names such as Indian American Muslim Council, Pacific Northwest Ambedkar Group (Dalit), Jews Undoing Institutional Racism, Refugee Womens Alliance (ReWA), Ambedkarite Buddist Association, Latino Advocacy, Muslims for Community, Action and Support (MCAS), Council on American Islamic Relations (National), Hindus for Human Rights, South Asian Americans Together for Washington (SAATWA), Ambedkar International Center, Gurudwara Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur, World Without Hate, Asian Counseling and Referral Service and several others. It further opposed APPWWs views on supporting the discriminatory Citizenship Amendment Act in India through its echoing policy of creating a hindu rashtra as Indians are victims of jehadi systems. APPWW has been actively sharing hate speech through its social media posts and rhetoric where it consistently raised call-to-actions for launching a counter attack on Islam by educating every Hindus. The most latest, the coalition outlined, has been APPWWs instrumental support of a candidate promoting anti-Muslim conspiracy theories.

The coalition mentioned that APPWW has been fueling hatred among communities and despite the hate that its leaders are promulgating they have been trying to influence and build credibility with community leaders and groups. Through its wide scale of public activities and social media presence, the group has been masking its bigotry under the cover of bridge-builders and seeking partnerships with city councils.

Surprisingly, it noted that APPWW has also been receiving funding from reputable organizations such as the WA Census Alliance.

In a bid to expose APPWW and its leaders for what they actually support and represent, this coalition of over 100 organizations from all over have released an online form to record support in condemning APPWW through petitions which can be accessed here (www.tinyurl.com/CondemnAPPWW and www.tinyurl.com/ WeCondemnAPPWW).

In its endnote, the coalition has reiterated that even if they cloak their intentions by exploiting the language of social justice, and present themselves as innocuous or even beneficial, groups such as APPWW are dangerous and harmful to communities, especially as they increase in power and influence.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump's unfounded attacks on mail balloting are discouraging his own supporters from embracing the practice, according to polls and Republican leaders across the country, prompting growing alarm that one of the central strategies of his campaign is threatening GOP prospects in November.

Multiple public surveys show a growing divide between Democrats and Republicans about the security of voting by mail, with Republicans saying they are far less likely to trust it in November. In addition, party leaders in several states said they are encountering resistance among GOP voters who are being encouraged to vote absentee while also seeing the president describe mail voting as "rigged" and "fraudulent."

As a result, state and local Republicans across the country fear they are falling dramatically behind in a practice that is expected to be key to voter turnout this year. Through mailers and Facebook ads, they are racing to promote absentee balloting among their own.

In the process, some Republican officials have tried to draw a distinction between "absentee ballots," which Trump claims are secure, and "mail ballots," which he has repeatedly attacked. In fact, the terms are used interchangeably.

Alabama Secretary of State John Merrill, describing a recent meeting with a group of Republican voters in Fort Payne, said he felt compelled to explain that there is only one kind of mail-in voting in Alabama, and that it is safe and secure.

"They were confused about two different kinds of mail-in balloting," he said, "where one is 'good' and one is not."

Merrill's concerns were echoed by senior White House and campaign aides, as well as GOP operatives in numerous key states including Pennsylvania, Ohio and Iowa, who all spoke on the condition of anonymity to criticize the president.

"It is a problem," said one Republican strategist in North Carolina. "The president has oversimplified the issue to criticize the method of voting, rather than the way it's done. The details matter."

Republican National Committee spokesman Mike Reed disputed the view that Trump's attacks on mail voting are a threat to Republican turnout. "Some are going to vote absentee through the proper process as they always do, and you will see us encouraging them to do that," Reed said. "But many of our voters just prefer to vote in person."

With the novel coronavirus pandemic still raging across the United States, election officials in dozens of states have addressed fears of infection at the polls by preparing for a massive increase in mail balloting. Officials in both parties are building turnout operations geared specifically to mail voting on the belief that a majority of voters will prefer to cast their ballots this way.

At least 77% of American voters will be able to vote through the mail in the fall, according to a Washington Post tracker of state rules.

At the same time, Trump's campaign and the RNC are fighting against the expansion of mail balloting, seeking to stop efforts backed by Democrats and voting rights advocates to loosen rules, such as witness signatures and identification requirements, that would make it easier for people to vote by mail. GOP party officials argue that such restrictions are necessary to prevent fraud.

The president has gone much further, however, launching wholesale broadsides against the concept of voting by mail that have emerged as a central strategy of his campaign.

"The 2020 Election will be totally rigged if Mail-In Voting is allowed to take place, & everyone knows it," he tweeted July 26, one of more than 70 attacks he has made against voting by mail since March, according to a tally by The Post.

Senior Trump advisers, including RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, have warned the president that his broad rhetoric is complicating Republican turnout efforts, multiple strategists said. McDaniel and Justin Clark, Trump's deputy campaign manager, have repeatedly encouraged the president to promote the use of absentee ballots. McDaniel has additionally urged him to stop his blanket attacks on mail voting and present a more nuanced message.

GOP officials around the country said more clarity from the president would help voters. "I think that is the distinction he is trying to draw," Merrill said. "I would hope that he would be more specific in his explanation so people understand what the difference is."

Trump has indicated that he has no plans to back off his attacks on the integrity of the vote, strategists said. Some advisers acknowledged privately that the president may be laying the groundwork to claim the election was rigged if he loses in November.

Just last week, Trump suggested delaying the election until Americans can safely cast ballots in person.

In recent days, Vice President Mike Pence and Attorney General William Barr both spoke publicly about the risk of fraud they said was inherent in mail balloting, without offering evidence. The president also recently elevated Clark, a lawyer who has led his campaign's litigation efforts to restrict the expansion of mail voting. And the White House is expected to repeatedly emphasize the risks of "mass mail-in voting" in upcoming months, according to a senior White House official.

"He tweets about this every day," said a campaign adviser, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal thinking. "Clearly, it's his concerted strategy."

On Monday, the president accused Democrats in Nevada of "an illegal late night coup" after the state legislature passed a bill that would allow ballots to be sent to all active voters, while also requiring a minimum number of in-person voting locations. Trump tweeted that it "made it impossible for Republicans to win the state" and claimed the U.S. Postal Service "could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation."

"See you in Court!" he added.

A campaign official said GOP officials were considering a lawsuit challenging the bill, which was signed Monday evening by Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak, a Democrat. Trump said later in the day that a suit would be filed Tuesday, but he has been known to threaten litigation without always following through.

The president appeared to try to clarify his position on mail voting, telling reporters during a briefing at the White House that "absentee is great," but that "universal mail-in ballots is going to be a great embarrassment to our country."

Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh said there is nothing confusing about the president's distinction between absentee balloting and all-mail voting. He declined to address concerns in the party that Trump has discouraged his supporters to vote absentee.

"President Trump was quite clear that universal mail-in voting, as Democrats are pushing, is ripe for fraud, while normal absentee voting by mail is completely different," Murtaugh said. "There's a vast difference between voting absentee for people who can't get to the polls on Election Day versus mailing every registered voter a ballot, even those who didn't request one."

In fact, only a handful of states are planning to proactively send mail ballots to all voters. They include three that have successfully conducted virtually all-mail elections for years: Washington, Oregon and Colorado.

Democrats are not seeking mail-only elections in most states, in part because many of their voters, especially people of color and younger Americans, have historically been less likely to vote by mail.

Meanwhile, there are now growing signs of a palpable impact on GOP enthusiasm for mail voting.

A Monmouth University poll of registered voters in Georgia taken late last month found that 60% of Democrats are at least somewhat likely to vote by mail this fall, compared to 28% of Republicans.

Glen Bolger, a pollster with the Republican firm Public Opinion Strategies, said that in one swing state he declined to identify, only 15% of voters planning to cast ballots by mail were Trump supporters. "Republicans are skeptical about voting by mail, and that's a problem up and down the ballot," he said.

Similarly, an analysis of current absentee ballot requests in North Carolina shows that Democrats have vastly outpaced Republicans, even though roughly the same numbers of Republicans and Democrats voted by mail four years ago.

"Everybody's up," said Michael Bitzer, a politics professor at Catawba College in Salisbury, N.C., who conducted the analysis. "It's just that Democrats and unaffiliateds are through the roof, and Republicans are not even on the second floor."

Bitzer said Trump's "mixed messages" about absentee balloting are probably one factor, along with more enthusiasm and greater coronavirus concerns among Democrats.

Republicans have been working in creative ways to try to counter the effects of Trump's words. State and national Republicans are inundating their voters with Facebook ads and mailers promoting the message that absentee balloting is safe. Some of the messages claim that Trump is criticizing only the practice of "universal" mail-balloting - sending ballots to all registered voters.

One recent Facebook sponsored post from the Johnston County, N.C., Republican Party exhorted voters not to dismiss a GOP mail piece coming their way: "ATTENTION!!! If you receive an ABSENTEE BALLOT MAILER like shown in this picture, please know that it is legitimate!!!"

"Please don't confuse North Carolina's absentee system with other states' all-mail elections," read the message from party chairman. "NCGOP and JoCo GOP agrees with the President that our current absentee ballot request system is safe and secure."

The assurance was met with skepticism from many commenters. "Burned it! I will go in person to vote straight Republican," wrote one.

"Why is the GOP sending this out," wrote another, adding: "You know damn well that we are arguing against this, and here it is our own damn party sending this horse dung out?!!! Whoever is in charge of this should be fired. I am going to the polls, Don't send me one."

Another recent ad, from the Alaska GOP, lamented how few Republicans have requested absentee ballots and urged supporters to submit their request "NOW."

Reed, the RNC spokesman, said there is a "clear difference" between what Democrats are seeking this cycle and a typical absentee ballot request process.

"Washington Democrats and the media may not understand these distinctions or be willfully misconstruing them, but our voters understand it," he said.

However, some of Trump's advisers don't think he has done a good job explaining the distinction - while others have admitted there really isn't a difference. In one lawsuit pending in Pennsylvania, the president's lawyers argued that "the terms 'mail-in' and 'absentee' are used interchangeably."

More than 30 states - including Florida, where Trump voted absentee in the primary this year - allow any voter to cast a ballot by mail.

For their part, Democrats are challenging measures that they argue create unfair hurdles to voting, such as rules limiting who can cast absentee ballots, while also pushing to extend early in-person voting and ensure that all Election Day voting locations are able to open with full staffs.

Marc Elias, a Democratic lawyer who is leading voting litigation in 18 states this year, said the president's muddled messaging has "sawed off the limbs of every House and Senate candidate in America" trying to maximize voter turnout during a pandemic election.

Some Republicans actions amount to an admission that Trump's rhetoric might be confusing.

In Florida, Republicans have begun encouraging their supporters to vote early in person - an apparent concession to the mistrust of mail balloting Trump has sown.

And a GOP mail piece, sent to voters in North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Michigan, quotes part of a July 10 tweet by Trump, in which he wrote: "Absentee Ballots are fine because you have to go through a precise process to get your voting privilege." But the flier blurs out the second part of the tweet: "Not so with Mail-Ins. Rigged Election!!! 20% fraudulent ballots?"

Reed defended the mailer, describing it as "completely in line" with Trump's position, but he declined to address the blurring of the president's tweet. The fliers were paid for by state parties but produced in coordination with Trump Victory, a joint fundraising committee that includes the RNC.

Political operatives across the country say banking early and absentee votes is crucial to avoid leaving turnout to chance, including the vagaries of weather on Election Day as well as the potential of an autumn spike in coronavirus infections.

A shift to Election Day voting also costs campaigns money, several operatives said; ballots cast by mail shrink the universe of voters who still need to be persuaded with expensive mail pieces, robocalls and TV ads in the final days of the race.

In some states, Republican leaders who had previously followed Trump's lead in discouraging expanded access to mail balloting are shifting their approach.

In Iowa, the GOP-controlled legislature passed a law earlier this year blocking the secretary of state, Republican Paul Pate, from sending ballot request forms to all registered voters without lawmakers' permission.

But in July, after several Democratic counties in Iowa announced they would send request forms themselves, legislative leaders granted the state permission to do so, as well.

Democrats, meanwhile, believe Trump's rhetoric has given them a potential turnout advantage - but they are also preparing for the possibility that the president is laying the groundwork to contest the results after Nov. 3.

It's possible that the Democratic advantage among absentee votes, and the potential Republican advantage in Election Day voting, will mean that the president will appear ahead that night - only to potentially lose as mail ballots are tallied in subsequent days.

The flood of mail votes could also prompt a barrage of litigation over which ballots should be counted.

"Must know Election results on the night of the Election, not days, months, or even years later!" Trump tweetedlast week.

On voting issues, Elias, the Democrats' lead tactician said: "Their sole purpose is to mount a cynical effort to undermine the elections and people's confidence in the outcome."

Even after he was widely rebuked last week for floating the idea of delaying the election, Trump did not repudiate the idea. Stephen Miller, the president's senior policy adviser, defended his boss in a Fox News interview, falsely claiming that the identities of voters who cast ballots are not confirmed, allowing noncitizens to vote.

"This will be catastrophic for our nation," the president said at the White House on Friday. "You'll see it. I'm always right about things like this."
SOUTH LYON, MI -- An increase in coronavirus cases near South Lyon can be attributed to graduation and prom parties, health officials said Monday.

The community between Ann Arbor and Detroit in southwestern Oakland County has had a relatively low case count of COVID-19 positive individuals since the beginning of the pandemic, according to data from the county. Oakland is one of the counties with the most cases in Michigan.

Fifty residents of the 48178 ZIP code, which covers the city, have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 30 days -- a rate of 15 cases per 10,000 people, according to the countys database as of Sunday, Aug. 2. The ZIP code has had 138 positive coronavirus cases and 10 deaths since the pandemic began.

The increased share of cases in the community come from individuals attending graduation parties and outdoor prom events, a county official said Monday. Across the state, graduation parties and other privately hosted social gatherings have accounted for increased cases in July. In the South Lyon area, COVID-19 cases among 15  19-year-olds increased from three cases during late-June to mid-July to 42 from mid-July to early August, county health officials said Tuesday.

The state health department reported an additional 604 coronavirus cases Monday, bringing Michigans total to 83,386. Six more Michigan residents died from the virus, bringing the state total to 6,212 deaths since mid-March.

MORE FROM MLIVE:

Michiganders are bitterly divided on the coronavirus response. Could Whitmer have done more to win Republicans over?

Michigan county-level coronavirus data for Monday, Aug. 3: Western U.P. county still coded red

Thousands of good jobs are available in mid-Michigan and heres how to get one

Your guide to local elections in Michigan on Tuesday, Aug. 4

Whitmer and Trump have different ideas about if and how to reopen schools. But in Michigan, plans are ultimately local.
These four-legged dog-like robots can sit, shake hands and roll over. They also can perform 360-degree camera scans, handle 30-degree grades and climb stairs for hours at a time.

Thats because they are actually 70-pound quadruped robots with distinctly dog-like mobility. Theyre part of a Ford manufacturing pilot program designed to save time, reduce cost and increase efficiency.

Fluffy, the name given by the robots handler Paula Wiebelhaus, is one of the two models Ford is leasing from Boston Dynamics, known for creating sophisticated mobile robots. (The other Ford robot is named Spot after the products actual name.)

The robots, which Ford is piloting at its Van Dyke Transmission Plant, are bright yellow and easily recognizable. Equipped with five cameras, the robots can travel up to 3 mph on a battery lasting nearly two hours and will be used to scan the plant floor and assist engineers in updating the original Computer Aided Design which is utilized when were getting ready to retool our plants.

We design and build the plant. After that, over the years, changes are made that rarely get documented, says Mark Goderis, Fords digital engineering manager. By having the robots scan our facility, we can see what it actually looks like now and build a new engineering model. That digital model is then used when we need to retool the plant for new products.

Without Fluffy, the update would be far more tedious.

We used to use a tripod, and we would walk around the facility stopping at different locations, each time standing around for five minutes waiting for the laser to scan, Goderis recalls. Scanning one plant could take two weeks. With Fluffys help, we are able to do it in half the time.

The old way also was expensive  it cost nearly $300,000 to scan one facility. If this pilot works, Fords manufacturing team could scan all its plants for a fraction of the cost. These cutting-edge technologies help save the company money and retool facilities faster, ultimately helping bring new vehicles to market sooner.

In time, Goderis says, the intent is to be able to operate the robots remotely, programming them for plant missions and receiving reports immediately from anywhere in the country. For now, the robots can be programmed to follow a specific path and can be operated from up to 50 meters away with the out-of-the-box tablet application.

The key to Fluffy and Spots success is their agility, says Wiebelhaus, who controls her robot through a gaming-like device that allows her to remotely see the camera view. Should an issue occur, Wiebelhaus control device features a safe stop that stops it from colliding with anything.

The robots have three operational gaits  a walk for stable ground, an amble for uneven terrain and a special speed for stairs. They can change positions from a crouch to a stretch, which allows them to be deployed to difficult-to-reach areas within the plant. They can handle tough terrain, from grates to steps to 30-degree inclines. If they fall, they can right themselves. They maintain a safe, set distance from objects to prevent collisions.

At times, Fluffy sits on its robotic haunches and rides on the back of a small, round Autonomous Mobile Robot, known informally as Scouter. Scouter glides smoothly up and down the aisles of the plant, allowing Fluffy to conserve battery power until its time to get to work. Scouter can autonomously navigate facilities while scanning and capturing 3-D point clouds to generate a CAD of the facility. If an area is too tight for Scouter, Fluffy comes to the rescue.

There are areas in the plant that you might not want to walk into because they might be tough to maneuver, says Wiebelhaus. Its easier and safer to send Fluffy back there.

Although Fluffy is perfectly capable of rolling over, Wiebelhaus doesnt see dog shows in his future.

Fluffy is an amazing manufacturing tool, said Weibelhaus. Yes, its interesting and new, but Fluffy should really be valued for his work and tenacity. He can do so much more than dance and roll over. We want to push him to the limits in the manufacturing plant and see what value he has for the company.

Source: Ford Motor Co.
CDC director agrees hospitals have monetary incentive to inflate COVID-19 data

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U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield acknowledged during a House hearing Friday that COVID-19 data could be inflated because hospitals receive a monetary gain by reporting COVID-19 cases.

Republican Rep. Blaine Luetkemeyer of Missouri questioned Redfield during a House Oversight and Reform subcommittee hearing on coronavirus containment. He asked about the perverse incentive for hospitals to classify deaths as being coronavirus related when the virus didnt cause the death.

Luetkemeyer voiced concern about how an automobile accident-related death could be recorded as a COVID-related death. In this scenario, the death was recorded as COVID-related because the virus was in the victims system, even if the car accident was the major factor.

As long as you have COVID in your system you get to claim it as a COVID death, which means you get more money as attending physician, hospital, whatever, Luetkemeyer said during the hearing. Would you like to comment on that, about the perverse incentive? Is there an effort to try and do something different.

Redfield responded by telling the congressman, I think youre correct in that and weve seen this in other disease processes too.

In the HIV epidemic, somebody may have a heart attack but also have HIV, Redfield explained. The hospital would prefer the DRG [death report] for HIV because theres greater reimbursement. So I do think there is some reality to that.

.@RepBlaine Luetkemeyer (R) suggests, without evidence, that US coronavirus deaths are inflated because hospitals are conspiring to get more money



"I think there's some reality to that," responds CDC Director Redfield pic.twitter.com/eSLS1LCvF0  Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 31, 2020

Redfield said that death reporting comes down to what a physician thinks and how he or she classifies a death in a death certificate. He also said the National Center for Health Statistics reviews all those death certificates.



I think it is less operable in the cause of death although I wont say there are not some cases, he said. I do think, though, when it comes to hospital reimbursement issues for individuals that get discharged, there could be some play in that for sure.



Luetkemeyer previously posed a similar question to Adm. Brett Giroir, Department of Health and Human Services assistant secretary for health, in a July 2 hearing. However, the discussion was halted due to time constraints.



In the July 2 hearing, the legislator also asked about the discrepancy in COVID-19 reporting that saw an automobile death recorded as a COVID-19 death.



The CDC that gathers the statistics is completely dependent on the reports of the local coroners, Giroir responded. Yes, there appear to be some misincentives to over-code.



On Friday, Luetkemeyer referenced a Colorado study that found COVID-19 reporting data to be inflated.



Earlier this year, the Colorado Health Department reported that nearly a quarter of the coronavirus-related deaths in state statistics did not have the virus listed on their death certificates. The discrepancy caused the state to change the way it reports COVID-19 deaths.



[Giroir] acknowledges that the statistics hes getting from the states are inflated, Luetkemeyer said Friday. We found that the governor of Colorado, who was a Democrat, actually did research on this and found he had to get rid of 12% of the deaths that were recorded in the state.



While Luetkemeyer, Redfield and Polis suggest that data shows inaccurately high numbers of COVID deaths, others have come to an opposite conclusion.



A July study by Yale University concluded that there could be substantially more deaths from COVID-19 than reported.



The conclusion came after researchers compared the number of excess U.S. deaths from any cause with the reported number of weekly COVID-19 deaths from March 1 through May 30 using National Center for Health Statistics data.



The numbers were then compared with deaths from the same period in previous years.



Our analyses suggest that the official tally of deaths due to Covid-19 represent a substantial undercount of the true burden, Dan Weinberger, an epidemiologist at Yale School of Public Health and a lead author of the study, told CNBC.



Fridays House panel discussion was titled The Urgent Need For A National Plan To Contain The Coronavirus. Subcommittee Chairman Jim Clyburn, D-S.C, discussed hospitals in his remarks and said experts predict 150,000 more Americans could die of the virus at the current rate.

Clyburn contended that hospitals could soon have to choose who to treat and who to turn home to die.

President Donald Trump, however, said in a press briefing last Wednesday that the country has made proactive partnerships to build the greatest medical arsenal in history.

Weve contracted with companies  to produce over 200,000 ventilators by the end of this year, nearly seven times more than we normally would, the president said. Weve contracted  to increase U.S. production of N95 masks.

The reason for the switch was to obtain more complete and transparent data.

Despite this reasoning, the new database has experienced delays and discrepancies when it comes to the reporting of available hospital beds and ventilators when the exact number for each hospital is crucial, according to NPR.

If the information is not accurate, it could cost time and lives," Lisa M. Lee, former chief science officer for public health surveillance at CDC, told NPR. "If all the ICU beds are taken up, emergency medical personnel need to take [new patients] to the next town over or to the next county."

Some hospitals have followed the same protocol of sending data for 15 years, then abruptly changed the process on July 10.

Michael Caputo, HHS assistant secretary for public affairs, told NPR that the CDC could not keep up with the old system of reporting data.

Redfield told reporters in mid-July that the CDC agreed to remove the CDCs National Healthcare Safety Network from the collection process in order to speed up the reporting process.
OWLS OF THE EASTERN ICE

A Quest to Find and Save the Worlds Largest Owl

By Jonathan C. Slaght

The wildlife biologist Jonathan Slaght first viewed the forests and mountains of the Primorye at 19 years old, when the wild terrain seemed to call him to explore and ultimately protect the inhospitable land from those who would plunder its timber, minerals and salmon. A veritable Noahs ark of animals coexist in this extraordinary habitat: tigers, bears, leopards, moose, wild boar, sable, fox, deer, elk  and Slaghts chosen subject, Blakistons fish owl. Slaghts hope, and the premise of his engaging tale, is that uncovering the secrets of this mysterious raptor will help win it protection. In conservation, saving one species often means saving many.

Slaghts story begins in 2005, when he teams up with a motley Russian crew to conduct research and build a conservation plan for the owls. From the warmth of an office, it sounds straightforward enough. Slaght has spent years researching wildlife in the Primorye and is well accustomed to the regions peculiarities and privations. Still, he is not wholly prepared for what is to come.

The best time to research fish owls is winter, when the owls strange tracks lie etched on snowy riverbanks, and their feathers flutter visibly in bare branches. It is also a brutal season in the Russian Far East, one that continually threatens to annihilate Slaght and his team as they navigate frozen rivers and their deadly thaw, with massive cracking sheets of ice and sudden slush that could swallow man, beast and snowmobile whole.
It feels like a lifetime ago when colleges across the country took swift action to close their campuses for the remainder of the spring semester  derailing the academic goals of thousands of vulnerable students. Five months later, colleges are grappling with a related quagmire: whether or not to open their campuses this fall. The current predicament will fundamentally shift higher education as we know it and offers a compelling opportunity for credit unions to engage students.

The lives of vulnerable students  current and future  are overwhelmingly complex. Our pre- pandemic research shows that students are juggling multiple jobs, family life, and caretaking. And now, for many would-be first-time students, the decision whether or not to attend college is under careful review.

Imagine yourself as a first-time college student planning to attend school in the fall. Youre a credit union member of modest means. As youre preparing for your first semester, you receive a letter from the colleges president stating a modified schedule with a combination of in-person and remote learning platforms. Tuition remains the same, but your college experience will be nowhere near what you expected. All the while, your familys household income has dropped (more than half of families finances have been affected by the pandemic) and Targets hiring spree at $15 per hour starting wage is becoming increasingly attractive.

Many low- to moderate-income households are staring this scenario in the face and colleges of all shapes and sizes are seeing the impact of this dilemma. Pre-pandemic college enrollment numbers have been consistently slipping. As compared to last year, spring enrollment across the country has declined by over 83,000.

The Covid-19 pandemic has renewed questions about the value of a college education; a typical college graduate earns at least $1 million more than a high school graduate during their lifetime, highlighting that the cost of a college education is still often worth it. Higher education has long been, and continues to be, a symbol of economic mobility and possibility for people in America. Often seen as an equalizer, obtaining a college degree is a doorway for people of all backgrounds to increase their resilience and pursue long-term opportunities. Especially for those college-bound individuals who struggled financially growing up, degree achievement increases the likelihood of their financial health. But the realities of todays environment are putting additional strain on would-be college students.

What should credit unions do?

It is incumbent on all of us  private sector, nonprofits, and governments  to ensure that our higher education system delivers personal and professional opportunities for those individuals able to achieve accreditation. At first blush, it may not seem obvious, but credit unions are in a unique position to help ensure future students are in a better position to attend and complete school.
Two Union City Catholic schools will merge with Academy of St. Joseph of the Palisade in West New York, the Newark Archdiocese announced Tuesday afternoon.

Saint Augustine, at 39th Street and New York Avenue, and Mother Seton Interparochial School, at 15th and New York Avenue, will not reopen in September because of dwindling enrollment and financial problems that have been exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic, officials said.

Officials did not say if the West New York schools name will be changed. St. Josephs school is located on 64th Street.

The archdiocese also announced the closings of five schools, three in Bergen County and three in Newark; as well as a merger of two schools in Union County.

The consolidation leaves Hudson County with just nine Catholic elementary schools. Marist High School in Bayonne closed its doors forever in June, leaving the county with three Catholic high schools.

The Rev. Helber Victoria, the pastor at St. Joseph School, could not be reached for comment on the merger.

The Rev. Jose Maria, pastor of the Saint Augustine parish, placed much of the blame on COVID-19. He said the schools enrollment had dropped below 130, from 200 in previous years; and the coronavirus shutdown halted all fund-raising plans. The 2019 festival raised $50,000, he said.

Its very sad news, but we must understand that this is due to the economic crisis, Maria said.

School officials at Mother Seton Interparochial School, which is the product of a 2006 merger of St. Michaels and St. Anthony of Padua, could not be reached for comment. The school was built as St. Michaels High School.

I recognize that this news is profoundly painful for our students and their families, teachers and principals, school communities, and those who support Catholic education, as well as for our archdiocesan community, said Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin, archbishop of Newark.

The difficult decision to further consolidate our Catholic Schools follows considerable discussion and examination of their viability under the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.
A Pennsylvania State Police fire marshal is investigating the cause of an industrial fire Sunday night in Plainfield Township.

No one was hurt as firefighters from Plainfield and numerous other communities in Northampton and Monroe counties battled the blaze at Smarter Fuel in the 500 block of Male Road, township fire Chief Alex Cortezzo said.

A foam truck was called in from Lehigh Valley International Airport because the company that converted vegetable oil into biofuels in the building had what was similar to a huge grease fire, Cortezzo said.

While enough help was called in to cover a tanker task force, there was enough water from a nearby hydrant to fight the fire, he said.

The fire was reported about 1:45 a.m. and took until 3:15 to get under control, he said. Firefighters remained at the scene until 8 a.m., he added. The fire was well-involved as firetrucks arrived, he said.

No one was in the building at the time of the fire, Cortezzo said.

The Department of Environmental Protection came in after the fire, Cortezzo said. A DEP spokeswoman said she had yet to get a report.

Slate Belt Regional police Chief Jonathon Hoadley said Tuesday that a few years ago the building was shut down due to code violations.

Cortezzo on Tuesday said the building was still in use, but it cant be used in its current condition, he added.

No one answered a call Tuesday at a listed phone number for the business.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting lehighvalleylive.com with a voluntary subscription.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com.
"We're ashamed that in the past we've allowed ourselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is," Reynolds and Lively said in a joint statement on Instagram in May. "We want to educate ourselves and talk to our kids about everything, all of it ... especially our own complicity.
GREENWICH, Conn., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gramercy Funds Management issued the following statement after the Argentine Government announced an agreement was reached today between Argentina and an important subset of its creditors.

"We believe that this consensual breakthrough is yet another important building block in the collaborative approach needed to help address Argentina's debt challenges," said Robert Koenigsberger, founder and CIO of Gramercy. "This agreement will allow the country to sustain high growth, reduce poverty, and enable more Argentines to meet their legitimate aspirations for a better standard of living for their families  all of which are also essential for improving creditworthiness and breaking the cycle of boom-bust external financing."

"Gramercy will continue to work closely with the Argentine authorities and other stakeholders with a view not only to finalize this important debt agreement but also to open the way for more pro-growth and financially-sustainable investments in Argentina," Koenigsberger concluded.

About Gramercy Funds Management

Gramercy is a dedicated emerging markets investment manager based in Greenwich, CT with offices in London and Buenos Aires. The $4.75 billion firm, founded in 1998, seeks to provide investors with superior risk-adjusted returns through a comprehensive approach to emerging markets supported by a transparent and robust institutional platform. Gramercy offers both alternative and long-only strategies across emerging markets asset classes including capital solutions, private credit, distressed debt, USD and local currency debt, high yield/corporate debt, and special situations. Gramercy is a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC and a Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). Gramercy Ltd, an affiliate, is registered with the FCA. For more information, please visit www.gramercy.com

SOURCE Gramercy Funds Management LLC

Related Links

http://www.gramercy.com


China's commerce ministry said Monday that it has started an anti-dumping investigation into polyphenylene ether imports from the United States.

The probe was launched following a request by a domestic company, the Nantong Xingchen Synthetic Material Co. Ltd., on behalf of domestic producers of polyphenylene ether, the Ministry of Commerce said in a statement on its website.

Polyphenylene ether is a polymer with good heat resistance, dimensional stability and mechanical properties. It is used in photovoltaic, electronics and automobile industries.

The investigation is expected to end before August 3, 2021, but may be extended until February 3, 2022, the statement said.
Former Mumbai civic commissioner Praveen Pardeshi will soon join United Nations Institute for Training and Research (UNITAR) as global programme coordinator after the Appointments Committee of the cabinet of the Central government approved the proposal on Tuesday. After being transferred as Mumbai municipal commissioner during the Covid-19 pandemic, Pardeshi was appointed as an additional chief secretary of urban development department on May 9. The 1985 batch IAS officer is due for retirement in November 2021.

Pardeshi was reportedly unhappy with the way he was removed from the civic body. He had protested the transfer by heading on a two-week leave. The proposal for his international deputation was sent to the Centre by the state government on July 8. Pardeshi was assumed to be among the top contenders for the post of next chief secretary.

Principal secretary Bhushan Gagarani has been given additional charge of the urban development department.

The ACC has also cleared the appointment of Pune collector Naval Kishore Ram (2008 batch IAS officer) as deputy secretary in Prime Ministers Office for four years.
Agartala/Aizawl/Shillong, Aug 4 : After malaria, Covid-19 has become the new enemy for Border Security Force (BSF) troopers guarding the international frontiers in northeast India.

According to official records, since last year, only two BSF men died in northeastern states due to malaria against a large number killed for the past many years until 2018.

The BSF troopers, who are deployed on the over 1,880-km-long border with Bangladesh in the region, spanning the states of Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Meghalaya, are now bearing the brunt of Covid-19 with over 1,000 personnel infected so far.

A senior BSF official, however, said that a majority of the infected personnel have already resumed duties following their recovery.

As per the official, the BSF jawans and some officials are getting infected as they come to the region from various states in north and south India.

"The BSF men, after completion of their leave period or when they are transferred, have to move by train or by air for their destinations. During transit or in their hazardous duties along the borders, the jawans come in contact with the dreaded virus," the BSF official, who did not want to be identified, told IANS.

The highest number of BSF personnel (360) tested positive for Covid-19 in Tripura followed by 350 in Mizoram and 300 in Meghalaya. Many family members, including children, of the BSF personnel were also infected.

Mizoram Chief Minister Zoramthanga even made a plea to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ensure suspension of Central Paramilitary Forces (CPMF) movement into the state till August 31.

Zoramthanga, in his letter to Modi, expressed serious concern over rising Covid-19 cases among the security personnel. "Around 70 per cent of 501 Covid-19 cases in Mizoram are from the military and paramilitary forces," he said.

An official of Mizoram government said that infection of Covid-19 among the CPMF was discussed at a meeting on Monday attended by the top officials including Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaung and Director General of Police S.B.K. Singh.

According to the health officials of Mizoram and Meghalaya, besides the BSF men, a large number of personnel belonging to Assam Rifles and the National Disaster Response Force were also testing positive for coronavirus.

Some Indian Army personnel have also tested positive in Nagaland and other northeastern states.

Following the request of the Tripura government, a three-member central team, led by G.K. Medhi, Professor and Head of the Department of Community Medicine of the Shillong-based North Eastern Indira Gandhi Regional Institute of Health & Medical Sciences, submitted their report after a 11-day visit to study the source and other aspects of the coronavirus infection among BSF troopers in Tripura.

BSF's former Deputy Inspector General, Tripura Frontier, Samir Kumar Mitra told IANS on phone from Kolkata that authorities must undertake a massive campaign to make both BSF men and border residents aware of prevention of coronavirus.

"The BSF troopers, while patrolling, must use hand sanitisers, face masks and other protective gear as they come in close contact with infiltrators from across the borders and Indian villagers staying on international borders," he said.

(Sujit Chakraborty can be contacted at sujit.c@ians.in)

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Improves Visibility to U.S. Investors

YAVNE, ISRAEL / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / A2Z Smart Technologies, Inc. (TSXV:AZ) (OTCQB:AAZZF) (FSE:A23) ("A2Z" or the "Company"), an innovative technology company specializing in state-of-the-art automation and electronics technology, is pleased to announce that it has qualified to trade on the OTC Markets Group Inc.'s OTCQB Venture Market under the symbol "AAZZF" - effective August 3, 2020 at the open of trading.

The OTCQB Venture Market is a premier market for entrepreneurial and development stage U.S. and international companies that are committed to providing investors high-quality trading and improved market visibility to enhance trading liquidity. To be eligible, companies must be current in their financial reporting, pass a minimum bid price test and undergo an annual company verification and management certification process. The OTCQB quality standards provide a baseline for financial transparency and provide more comprehensive compliance requirements.

The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) recognizes the OTCQB as an established public market for determining the public market price. This allows broker dealers and their customers to more easily trade stocks.

"OTCQB is a significant milestone for A2Z Smart Technologies," said Bentsur Joseph, A2Z's CEO, and continued, "Graduating to the OTCQB is evidence of our team's combined efforts toward increasing value for investors and strengthening the Company's future."

About OTC Markets Group Inc.

OTC Markets Group Inc. (OTCQX:OTCM) operates the OTCQX Best Market, the OTCQB Venture Market and the Pink Open Market for 10,000 U.S. and global securities. Through OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN, the company connects a diverse network of broker-dealers that provide liquidity and execution services. They enable investors to easily trade through the broker of their choice and empower companies to improve the quality of information available for investors. To learn more about how OTC markets Group Inc. creates better informed and more efficient markets, visit www.otcmarkets.com. OTC Link ATS and OTC Link ECN are SEC regulated ATSs, operated by OTC Link LLC, member FINRA/SIPC.

About A2Z Smart Technologies, Inc.

A2Z Smart Technologies, Inc. is an innovative technology company based out of Israel, specializing in military technology and expanding into the civilian markets. A2Z has been operating for over 30 years and has a client base with 75 recurring clients, including the Israel Defense Forces, Security Forces, and Ministry of Defence among others. A2Z plans to leverage their cash flow-generating core-business to expand into the civilian robotics and automobile markets.

According to Zion Market Research, the Military Robotics space is expected to reach $53.93B by 2027 for a projected CAGR of 13.5%.(Summary of Report)

For additional information, please visit: https://a2zas.com

Twitter: @A@Z_Advanced

On Behalf of the Board,

Bentsur Joseph, CEO

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.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to inherent risks and uncertainties. All statements within this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward looking. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements include fluctuations in market prices, including metal prices, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable laws.

Corporate Contact:

Gadi Levin

+972-8-932-4333

gadi@a2zas.com

Investors:

ClearThink

nyc@clearthink.capital

SOURCE: A2Z Technologies Canada Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600081/A2Z-Smart-Technologies-Upgrades-to-OTCQB
They ended things not long after leaving Bachelor in Paradise to pursue a relationship in the outside world.

But it seems there's no love lost between Brittany Hockley and Timm Hanly.

Speaking to The Kyle and Jackie O Show on Tuesday, Brittany shared a less-than-flattering account of Timm's behaviour after the pair returned to Australia from Fiji.

'He just wanted to party': Bachelor in Paradise's Brittany Hockley (pictured) described her ex-boyfriend Timm Hanly as an 'animal' during a live radio interview about their split on Tuesday

'I didn't expect it to end like this. I thought I was going to leave with this crazy guy and try a relationship in the outside world. But that just did not translate,' said the 32-year-old radiographer.

'It was really strange. The person that Timm was on the show was not the same person in the outside world. He was just not ready for a relationship,' she added.

Brittany explained that she had spent about five days with Timm in Australia before she realised the tattooed larrikin wasn't her Prince Charming.

Disappointed: Brittany said that after leaving the show with Timm (right), he 'was not the same person in the outside world'

Not impressed: Brittany explained that she had spent about five days with Timm in Australia before she realised the tattooed larrikin wasn't her Prince Charming

'[During] this one period and he was just an animal, just a loose cannon. He wasn't ready, he just wanted to party, he didn't want a relationship,' she said, adding that the couple were simply 'not compatible'.

However, Timm has described their split rather differently, telling 10Play that he wasn't in the right 'headspace' to continue a relationship with Brittany.

'I was battling some demons in myself [in Paradise] and I think I took them into the outside. That's why me and Britt didn't really work,' the 27-year-old said.

'I was battling demons': Timm has described their split rather differently, however, telling 10Play that he wasn't in the right 'headspace' to continue a relationship with Brittany

'Bachelorette had just finished airing the finale, I was in the public eye and everyone knew who I was. Then I was trying to hide this relationship with Britt... I just couldn't handle it,' he continued.

During Monday's episode of Paradise, Timm and Brittany abruptly left after deciding they were better off continuing their relationship away from the cameras.

In a bizarre twist, their exit wasn't mentioned afterwards and none of the other contestants seemed to notice their absence.

What went wrong? During Monday's episode of Paradise, Timm and Brittany abruptly left after deciding they were better off continuing their relationship away from the cameras

'Am I dreaming it or were Britt and Timm nowhere to be seen in that episode?' one confused viewer wrote on Twitter.

Another tweeted, 'So are we just not commenting on Timm and Britt leaving early?'

Timm's decision to leave came after his physical altercation with co-star Matt Whyatt at the Bula Banquet the previous night.
A ballot is automatically mandated if a budget is not approved by parliament by Aug. 25

A stand-off between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his main coalition partner over passage of Israel's budget threatens to trigger its fourth election in a little over a year amid an economic crisis fuelled by the coronavirus outbreak.

A ballot is automatically mandated if a budget is not approved by parliament by Aug. 25. Analysts are concerned that a new election and likely protracted coalition talks afterwards would have a crippling impact on an economy already expected to contract 6% this year, with unemployment now above 21%.

Such instability could also make prospects for any return to a long-dormant peace process with the Palestinians even more remote and complicate Netanyahu's bid to annex, with U.S. approval, parts of the occupied West Bank.

The budget is pivotal to a "unity" accord reached after an inconclusive March election. It calls for Defence Minister Benny Gantz of the centrist Blue and White party to take over as premier from right-wing Likud chief Netanyahu in 2021.

The power-sharing pact stipulated that Israel would pass a binannual budget but Netanyahu is now calling for a 2020 budget instead. Gantz insists on sticking to the deal that was to be his insurance policy for a smooth transition of power.

Failure to resolve the dispute could provide Netanyahu with a quick way out of the deal with Gantz and enable him to remain prime minister through an election campaign, possibly as early as November or in March if a 2021 budget is not agreed.

Some analysts point to Netanyahu's corruption trial, which began in May, as a catalyst for the crisis. A snap ballot could lead to a delay in proceedings, and he could opt to pursue a law to block his prosecution if he wins another term.

"The whole issue is really mostly politics," said former Bank of Israel governor Karnit Flug.

UNCERTAINTY

Flug, now vice president of research at the Israel Democracy Institute, said a budget for only 2020 implied government instability, and "that really intensifies economic uncertainty".

Economists said that with a 2020 budget effectively covering only the last quarter, at this late stage passing a separate one for 2021 made no sense.

Cedric Berry, associate director of sovereign ratings at Fitch Ratings, said any budget delay "would heighten concerns about Israels ability to implement prudent fiscal policy and erode (its) track record of debt reduction". He said this could pressure Israel's ratings.

For Netanyahu, now in his fifth term, an election with a health crisis raging would be especially risky. But many Israeli political commentators have been sceptical from the start about his pledge to transfer power to Gantz.

"Gantz is concerned that Netanyahu is aiming to establish the pretext to bring down the government in early 2021 ... Gantz is right to be concerned," said Henry Rome, a senior analyst at the Eurasia Group think tank.

Flug said another election could make Israeli leaders prone to taking populist moves leading to a loss in market confidence, a rise in risk premium and damage to credit ratings.

Amid a second wave of COVID-19 infections, public trust in Netanyahu's handling of the crisis has plummeted. Thousands of Israelis have taken to the streets, demanding his resignation over the graft charges, which he denies.

But opinion polls predict a weak showing for Gantz in any new ballot, with Netanyahu still backed by a large bloc in parliament.

Denying he is pushing for an election, Netanyahu argues that an annual budget would allow the government to stream money immediately to battle the coronavirus and that a longer-term budget would include spending cuts.

Gantz dismissed that as a "fairytale" in an interview with the Ynet website on Tuesday, saying Israel needed a long-term fiscal plan for economic and political stability.

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Abu Dhabi, Aug 4 : Indian citizens were still now allowed to travel to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on visit visas until there is clarification on the travel protocol, Indian Ambassador Pavan Kapoor.

"At this point, it is not clear whether the UAE is allowing people to come on visit visas or not. We are awaiting clarity on that. Also, the government of India is yet to decide whether to allow people to travel on visit visas," he told Khaleej Times on Monday.

The envoy confirmed that airlines are not carrying passengers with visit visa as of now.

Khaleej Times had reported that Dubai has started issuing visit visas to more countries, including India, starting July 29.

Though there was no official announcement, travel agents and Amer centre confirmed that restrictions on a number of nationalities have been lifted while issuing visit visas.

However, it was not clear how the visit visa holders would travel to the UAE as commercial flight operations are still suspended in India.

UAE-bound Vande Bharat mission flights operated by Air India and Air India Express are only flying people with valid UAE residence visa.

Kapoor said the embassy is inundated with queries related to visit visas.

"'We have a visit visa and why are you holding us back?' is what people are asking us. We do not want people landing up here on visit visas and have problems. So we have asked for clarifications and we will decide accordingly," said the ambassador.

Kapoor said jobseekers should "hold on" until things get clearer.

"If you have a confirmed job, then no problem. But our main concern is that people will travel to the UAE to seek jobs and end up in distress. If someone is coming on a visit visa to meet a family member, then it is okay. But if you are travelling for jobs, we need to ask whether it is the right time to do so." Travel agents told Khaleej Times that all the visit visa applications, including that for Indian nationals, they submitted to the General Directorate of Residency and Foreigners Affairs are getting approved.
The Michigan Pet Fund Alliance gave out their Out of the Box Awards on Monday, honoring several award winners, according to a press release.

The Michigan Pet Fund Alliance, a Bloomfield Hills-based organization, has awarded $16,000 since launching the Out of the Box Awards in 2017, which gives animal shelters and rescue groups and opportunity to showcase unique programs.

It also gives access to other animal welfare organization to the ideas presented by the winning programs.

The Humane Society of Macomb Foundation supported the awards, which were given out to five different recipients.

This years submissions were evaluated for originality, goals, results, costs and community engagement, Deborah Schutt, Michigan Pet Fund Alliance founder and chairperson, said in the release.

We are excited to build a database of programs and processes that shelters and rescues can easily take out of the box and update for their needs.

Among the rescues receiving an award was I Heart Dogs Rescue and Animal Haven in Warren, which received $500 and a plaque for their Volunteer Onboarding Standard Operation Procedure that gives structure and standardized testing for their volunteers.

Friends for Animals in Dearborn, another winner, received $500 and a plaque for their Ask the Experts: Learn and Share Workshop where shelter staff and volunteers learn new skills and receive training from animal welfare experts.

Others getting the award included:

Capital Area Humane Society in Lansing, which received $1,000 and a plaque for their PJ Pups program that places dogs in short-term foster homes for sleepovers.

Eva Burrell Animal Shelter in Manistique, which received $1,000 and a plaque for their Adoption By Donation program that removes the fixed price tag to adopt a pet and accepts a voluntary donation amount instead.

Ingham County Animal Control & Shelter in Mason which received $1,000 and a plaque for their InPound Fundraiser that locks community partners in a dog kennel until they raise a set amount of money before they can be released.

For more information on the awards or the Michigan Pet Fund Alliance, visit MichiganPetFund.org.

Judge sentences ex-MSU coach to jail in Nassar-related case

Michigan, five other states form coronavirus testing pact

Remembering Goose Lake  Michigans Woodstock- 50 years later

A Spiritual Walk: What is your perfect vision for healing the world?
Nic Coury/Special to the Chronicle

The Manzoni Estate Vineyards story begins in 1921, when patriarch Joseph Manzoni emigrated to the United States from his native Switzerland. Like many of Swiss-Italian heritage, he wound up in the Salinas Valley, where he first became a dairy farmer before moving into more lucrative row crops, which the family still grows today. Back then, most everyone also made their own wine and grappa, so the movement into vineyards was almost predestined.

But that didnt happen until almost 70 years later, when, in 1990, Josephs son Louie and his grandsons Mark and Michael decided to plant vine rootstock. Nine years later, they were growing clones of Pinot Noir, Chardonnay and Syrah on their Santa Lucia Highlands property, and have been tending to their brand ever since. Today, the Home Vineyard features three clones of Pinot Noir  including the La Tache clone, suspected to be of noble Burgundian origins  that are planted across 5 acres and two clones of Syrah on another acre.
New York: Pakistan`s attempts to involve the United Nations in the context of Jammu and Kashmir has not "borne fruit" and has been strongly refuted by India at every turn, TS Tirumurti, India`s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, has said.

TS Tirumurti said that Pakistans recent efforts to rake up Kashmir issue internationally has fallen flat as no formal meeting of the Security Council on the India-Pakistan issue has taken place since November 1965 and in closed-door meetings, recently held every country, except China, underlined that fact that Kashmir is the bilateral issue between New Delhi and Islamabad

Attempts by Pakistan to try and internationalise what is essentially a bilateral issue are nothing new. Contrary to what the Foreign Minister of Pakistan has asserted. There has been no formal meeting of the Security Council on the India Pakistan issue since November 1965. What came up recently was in a closed-door and completely informally meeting. Under what is called, any other business, which is not even a recorded discussion," he said.

"There was no outcome in the meeting but what is interesting is that in the Security Council. Practically every country, except for China, underlined the fact that this was a bilateral issue to be dealt with bilaterally between India and Pakistan. Therefore Pakistan`s attempt fell flat," he added.

Asserting that Pakistan efforts have not met any traction in United Security Council, the ambassador said, "Even the United Nations Secretary-General, in his statement last August. Clearly referred to the 1972 bilateral Shimla agreement. Consequently, Pakistan`s efforts have not met any traction in the United Nations Security. Even if Pakistan persists, There are no takers here in the United Nations."

"I want to reassure you that the attempt by Pakistan to involve the United Nations in the context of Jammu and Kashmir, has not borne fruit and has been strongly refuted by India at every turn. We will continue to counter their moves in the future as well," he further said.

Last month, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi raised the issue Jammu and Kashmir in his address to the High-Level Segment of UN ECOSOC titled `Multilateralism after COVID 19: what kind of UN do we need at the 75th anniversary?`

Pakistan has been using various UN fora to raise the issue of Jammu and Kashmir ever since India passed the law in Parliament to strip the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir of its special status under the constitution and turn the state into two Union Territories - Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh last year in August.

Islamabad has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India on the matter.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution was its internal matter.
Proper utilization of any one of these digital assets will quickly lead to an increase in sales, lower marketing costs, enhanced brand awareness, accelerated growth, and will enable a company or organization to be found, remembered, and referred to more easily online.

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One word domain names are scarce and appreciating digital assets. Utilizing such powerful urls would ensure that a business or organization will command authority and position themselves properly in their branding, marketing and SEO efforts. Every week more and more companies upgrade or add to their domain portfolios and achieve significantly higher valuations.

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About Grit Brokerage: Grit Brokerage specializes in marketing, negotiating, acquiring and divesting domain names and existing web businesses. A 2015 Domain Broker of the Year nominee, Grit Brokerage delivers world-class customer service by streamlining transactions with personalized attention. For more visit: Grit Brokerage or find us on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook.
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.
Traders at the two central markets in the Obuasi Municipality of the Ashanti Region are calling on authorities to hasten processes to reopen the markets for business to continue.

The closures were as a result of the traders failure to comply with social distancing protocols.

According to the data from the Ghana Health Service, Obuasi leads in the number of COVID-19 cases recorded in the Ashanti Region.

Traders at the two markets, especially those who deal in perishable goods, say they are incurring significant losses.

One of the traders in a Citi News interview said, Our [products] are in and theyve been parked at Tutuka. The mangoes that were brought on Thursday have all gone bad so much so that we had to throw them away. We are therefore pleading with Authorities to please do something about for us and we promise to obey all their directives. They can impose a total lockdown on us if we don't abide by the new measures.

Another trader also said, I sell yam and my tubers of yam are getting spoilt. We were in the market when they came to inform us that the markets have been shut down without giving us a date to leave. Some of us are working with bank loans. So we are therefore pleading with authorities to allow us to sell so we can pay back the bank loans.

The Municipal Chief Executive for Obuasi, Elijah Adansi-Bonah, reacting to the issue, said the authorities will reopen the markets on Thursday, August 6, 2020, if all market leaders agree to comply with the new arrangements put in place.

We are reopening the market Thursday on the condition that we will be able to engage the last two groups of the market leaders to agree with what we will put before them. Weve designed cards for them with which the traders will be coming to the markets with and we will make sure they comply with that, he said.

---citinewsroom
GREENWICH  In summertime, town residents have always had the opportunity to enjoy outdoor music concerts. And this summer is no different in Greenwich.

Well, its a little bit different  due to social distancing rules during the coronavirus pandemic.
The former Deputy National Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fred Agbenyo has also accused the government of using the military to intimidate Voltarians from registering in the ongoing voters registration exercise.



According to him, the government is directing the military-like zombies to achieve their political agenda.



Do the Military in our country determine who a Ghanaian is or not? Does anybody have that right to determine that? That is why the laws say if you have any problem with anybodys identity, there is a complaint form, fill and challenge the person for the issue to be resolved at arbitration. Directing the Military as zombies with your whiskey-intoxicated orders means they are not professional because professional soldiers will not do that, he said on UTVs Adekye Nsroma.



It is clear that the Military has taken the law into their hands. Those that are doing that I do not believe they are trained military men . . . These are criminal elements in military uniforms. No trained military Officer will get involved in things like this and if you speak to a lot of them in barracks, they are not happy about the things happening in this country. A lot of the soldiers are not happy that their name is being dragged in the mud by few elements who just want to achieve their political agenda and this cannot continue. Our laws define who is qualified to register and who a Ghanaian is so why do you discriminate? I can say without any fear of contradiction that is a deliberate attempt to disenfranchise people, particularly the Voltarians, he fumed.







Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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If you didnt exactly have the confidence to put a smart speaker in your home, this latest development in the world of Google Nest smart speakers and smart displays will most certainly not give your confidence a boost. It turns out that Google smart speakers, which include Google Home, Google Home Mini and Google Nest Mini (2nd gen) got some secret powers via an unintended software update that gave the microphone in these smart speakers greater access to what was happening around them. The sounds, to be precise. Users on various online forums, including Reddit, have been sharing their experiences that the Google Assistant powered smart speakers in their homes seem supercharged and are notifying them about any sound they feel is worth notifying the owner about.

A Reddit user Brazedowl says his phone one day notified him about the smoke detector going off in his kitchen. What he had installed wasnt a smart smoke detector, but what he calls a cheap $10 install. There is no way it could have communicated anything to the Google Assistant. Yet his phone was notifying him via the Google Home app. He isnt the only one. Another user vjpal also writes on Reddit that Google Home alerted him that there had been a glass breaking hard incident at their home. The child had accidentally dropped and broke a glassware. But why was this happening? It turns out, Google had warned us about such a smart feature back in May when it announced support for critical sounds. However, that was supposed to be rolled out to paying subscribers for the Nest Aware Home Security subscription. Your Nest speakers and displays will notify you if a critical sound is detected, like a smoke alarm or glass breaking, by sending an alert to the Home app. From there, you can hear an audio clip or listen live within the Home app to confirm the alarm, Google had said at the time.

What happened with these specific smart speakers which the users on Reddit are talking about? They accidentally got a firmware update that enabled this functionality for them. A recent software update enabled these alerts on some of our speakers that didn't have a subscription, but we've since rolled that back, a Google spokesperson has confirmed to Protocol. This unintended functionality has since been reverted for Google Home and Google Nest devices that got this update but are not subscribed to the Nest Aware Home Security.

In fact, if you do read through the detailed privacy and security explanation about how Googles smart speakers and their far-field microphones work (admit it, you dont), the company does say that, occasionally, the Assistant will activate when you didnt intend it to, because it incorrectly detected that you wanted its help (like by a noise that sounds like Hey, Google). If this does happen and you see the lights on your speaker light up in anticipation when you arent actually talking to it, just say, Hey Google, that wasnt for you, and the Assistant will delete the last thing it sent to Google. But the thing is, chances are we probably wont be looking at the Google speaker sitting in one corner of the room when we arent addressing it directly.

The upside of all this is that this software bungle effectively demonstrates how powerful these speakers can actually be, when it comes to home security. The far-field microphones are very capable of detecting, understanding and deciphering ambient noises as well, and not just human voices. Google recently invested $450 million in home security provider ADT, for a 6.6% stake. ADT and Google will integrate and bundle-sell the formers security solutions and Googles smart displays, Nest security cameras, alarm systems, smart doorbells and locks. This is expected to give Google a big advantage in the smart speaker competition against Amazon and their Alexa line-up of smart displays and speakers, as well as Apple's Siri powered HomePod.

This isnt the first time Googles smart speakers are in the line of fire, at least from those who are concerned about their privacy. Last year, Google faced criticism when it became public knowledge that the company was using smart speakers to record conversations in the background, which were then being analyzed by real humans, to improve audio detection capabilities. Google then announced that users could choose to opt in for Voice & Audio Activity, which allows Google to have a team of humans listen to your Google Assistant recordings to improve the voice assistant.
Australia's obsession with gambling has propped up some of the world's biggest corporate bookmakers during the COVID-19 pandemic, sparking fresh calls for a federal government crackdown.

The superannuation sector has also reported savings taken out in the federal governments early-release program being splurged by punters on online gambling.

In this episode, senior journalist Jacqueline Maley joins climate and environment editor Nick O'Malley to discuss why Australia is so addicted to gambling.

Our supporters power our newsrooms and are critical for the sustainability of news coverage.
Johnsons attorney, Nick Burris, said in court Tuesday that Johnson has worked in construction, has two children and is soon expecting a third. Given the high-profile attention given Johnson, Burris said, it would be next to impossible for him to go out and commit an offense if he were placed on electronic home monitoring.
A woman and four children escaped injury in a gun attack.

Police said shots were fired at a vehicle in Jonesborough around 11.30pm on Monday.

Detective Inspector Handley added: It was reported that a dark-coloured Audi A4 vehicle had arrived in the Castle View area.

"One man exited the vehicle with his hood over his face and fired a number of shots at a black coloured Nissan X-Trail parked outside a house in the area.

"It was reported that a woman in her 50s and four children were inside the property but were not injured. Damage was caused to the car following the incident, as the dark coloured Audi A4 made off from the scene.

The suspect vehicle was later recovered in the area of Thistle Court by An Garda Siochana, having been set alight and completely destroyed.

Enquiries are continuing to establish the circumstances, in what was an extremely distressing incident for those inside the house.

Detectives would appeal to anyone who was in the Castle View area of Jonesborough and may have witnessed anything suspicious should contact them on the non-emergency number 101, quoting reference 2310 03/08/20 or submit a report online using our non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/ . You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/ .
Mich. session canceled after senator tests positive: The Michigan Legislature on Monday canceled this week's session and hearings after a state senator tested positive for the coronavirus through screening required by his service in the Michigan Army National Guard. Republican state Sen. Tom Barrett, 39, said he was told the results Sunday after being tested Friday. He said he tested positive despite having taken "reasonable precautions." Videos show him wearing a mask during several committee meetings last week and the week before.
The are likely to see a flat-to-positive start on Tuesday. The SGX Nifty was trading at 10,955 levels, up 38.80 points at 7:36 AM. Asian shares were on track to open higher, after strong manufacturing data and gains in tech stocks boosted global equities and the US dollar overnight. US stocks received an additional lift from Microsoft, which jumped 5.6 per cent after it formally declared interest in TikToks US operations on Sunday.

In commodities, oil prices rose more than 1 per cent on Monday on hopes for economic recovery.

Back home, India has recorded over 50,000 cases in 24 hours for a 6th straight day, taking its tally to 1,855,331. On the global front, Worldometer has recorded 198,932 new cases worldwide in the past 24 hours.

Apart from these, June quarter numbers, and stock-specific action will continue to be on the investors' radar.

Over 50 companies are slated to release their June quarter results later in the day. The list includes names such as Astral Poly Technik, Avadh Sugar, Gujarat Gas, and Unichem Laboratories.

Now, let's take a look at some of the corporate developments.

Munich Re has sold shares worth ~380 crore in Apollo Hospitals. According to BSE bulk deal data, Munich Re sold 2,397,380 shares or 1.72 per cent stake in Apollo Hospitals at an average price of ~1,600.43.

Moody's has upgraded YES Banks long-term foreign-currency issuer rating from Caa1 to B3 as equity capital raise of Rs 15,000 crore has bolstered its solvency.

Jubilant Lifesciences announced that its subsidiary, Jubilant Generics, has launched remdesivir for injection under the brand name JUBI-R in the Indian market at a price of Rs 4,700 per vial of 100 mg;

GMR Infra to divest part of non-core assets; and

Tata Motors has sought shareholders approval to ratify the payment of minimum remuneration to Guenter Butschek, MD and CEO, due to the losses incurred by the firm in 2019-20.
Dear Roger,

What in the world is all this about a COVID-19 vaccine being the work of the devil or the satanic mark of the beast from Revelation 13? Can you explain why this is such a scary but popular idea right now? Is it really biblical?

Thanks, David

Dear David,

Im assuming that youre talking about the current controversy working its way around social media regarding COVID-19 vaccination and the Mark of the Beast referred to in Revelation 13:16-18:

[The beast] also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666.

It all started with Kanye West.

Im sure you recall when Kanye West, the famous rapper, recently gave his life to Christ. Many Christians were excited because his large following gave him the potential opportunity to reach millions of people. But now he has said:

Its so many of our children that are being vaccinated and paralyzed. ...So when they say the way were going to fix COVID is with a vaccine, Im extremely cautious.

Theyre gonna come up with a vaccine, and everybody is gonna have to take it  and inside of that vaccine theres going to be some type of electronic computer device, some type of chip in us, and thats the mark of the beast.

They want to put chips inside of us; they want to do all kinds of things, to make it where we cant cross the gates of Heaven. When I say they, thats the humans that have the devil inside them. And the saddest thing is that we all wont make it to Heaven, that therell be some of us that do not make it.

Before we address the content of Kanyes message, a long-time spiritual growth principle applies here: Listen to the people who listen to God.

Many Scriptures point to this truth, including Proverbs 12:15, which says, The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice. Or Proverbs 15:22, which declared, Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.

Remember that new Christians are just beginners. They know very little about the Bible and even less about hearing God speak the truth. Hopefully, they will become wise as they grow to maturity in Christ. Until then, we need to double-check their interpretation of the Scriptures.

In responding to Kanye, lets first understand the Mark of the Beast. Then we will transition into discussing the science of vaccines. As a note, I brought in my daughter, Brie, to help with that specific issue, because she has graduate-level training in the sciences.

Finally, we will put both concepts together and see how they will mesh during the seven-year tribulation time described in Revelation.

Understanding the Mark of the Beast

1. The Beast (the Antichrist) Demands to Be Worshipped

Remember that the Antichrist is the leader who will consolidate many countries from Western Europe to destroy Israel, conquer the world, and fight against Jesus Christ for control of the earth (for more, see my Ask Roger about the Antichrist and Revelation).

For Satan's plans to succeed, he must have a religious structure to his kingdom. The reason is because man is unable to exist without something to worship or revere.

God has placed a throne-shaped vacuum inside every human heart that He intends to occupy. But if man doesn't worship God, then he'll worship something in its place: himself, a mountain, an idol, the sun, stars, car, job, sports, and so forth.

So, as the Antichrist structures his plans for a strategic final attack to dominate the earth, he attacks on three major fronts: political, religious, and economic. All three attacks involve the Mark of the Beast. Lets look at Revelation 13 again:

[The beast] also forced all people, great and small, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hands or on their foreheads, so that they could not buy or sell unless they had the mark, which is the name of the beast or the number of its name. This calls for wisdom. Let the person who has insight calculate the number of the beast, for it is the number of a man. That number is 666. (Revelation 13:16-18)

During the first century, Caesar Augustus, the Roman Emperor, established a system of emperor worship, whereby every year Roman citizens declared their allegiance to Caesar. This unified the nations of the Roman Empire politically, economically, and religiously.

Each citizen was to burn some incense while declaring Caesar is Lord. If he or she refused, they couldnt buy or sell, providing economic sanctions against those who refused to worship the emperor.

This command to worship the emperor also produced a great quandary for Christians. Caesar was not their Lord. When they refused to worship Caesar, instead declaring, Jesus is Lord they were murdered mercilessly.

During the seven-year tribulation, everyoneincluding Christianswill face the same choice.

Note that the number 666 is the symbol of compliance for worshiping the Antichrist. Each person will be required to receive the mark 666 on their forehead or in the middle of the right hand to prove they will submit to the Antichrist politically, economically, and religiously.

Those without the mark will be unable to buy or sell, facing economic and political sanctions. Scripture tells us that those who refuse for the sake of Jesus Christ will also be murdered maliciously.

Photo Credit: GettyImages/rep0rter

2. The Beast Will Be Recognized by the Number 666

According to Revelation 13:18, once we find the world leader who signs his name with three sixes, we'll know who the Antichrist is.

There are several possible explanations for the relationship between a name and the number 666.

First, Gematria is the ancient practice of adding the sum total of the numerical equivalent of letters of a man's name. In Greek and Hebrew, the letters of the alphabet had definite numerical equivalents. I translated a few names into Greek and added them up for you:

Roger (R+O+G+E+R) = 100+70+3+5+100=278

Trump (T+R+U+M+P) = 300+100+400+40+500 =1340

Biden = (B+I+D+E+N) = 2 +10 +4 +5 +50= 61

While it's easy to turn a name into a number, it's much harder to turn a number back into a name. Incidentally, both Caesar Nero and Bartholomew added up to 666. Neither fits the other qualifications for the Antichrist, which must also occur to identify him clearly.

Next, 666 is the number that represents humanity in the Bible. 666 may be taken to mean an individual who is trying to imitate the Trinity of God, with three sixes in one person. Some rulers, like Caesar Nero, made that claim without evidence.

Finally, the number "7" in both Scripture and Hebrew tradition, is the number that represents perfection. Consistently one less than perfection, 666, could be the personification of evil.

Jesus added up via gematria in Greek is 888 (one more than perfection in every digit);

Iota=10, Eta=8; Sigma=200; Omicron=70; Upsilon=400; Sigma=200.

In conclusion, the real Mark of the Beast will be 666 marked on the bodies of those who bow down to the Antichrist. It will be put into play during the great tribulation. Anything else is not the Mark of the Beast.

Now, lets pivot to the issue of vaccination.

Scientific Facts About Vaccination

Kanye Wests claim that vaccines paralyze children is simply without basis in scientific fact. Im sure youve also heard claims that vaccines cause autism. That is simply untrue.

In 1998, a researcher named Andrew Wakefield published a study that claimed the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine caused the development of autism. It was retracted within months, because the scientific community found it to be based on manipulated data, false claims, and fraudulent scientific practice.

However, in 2005, celebrity Jenny McCarthy picked up on Wakefields paper as an explanation for her sons autism and started the anti-vaxxer movement. Since then, millions of parents decided not to vaccinate their children out of fear that they would become autistic. Even though over 1,500 subsequent studies have proven that there is no link between vaccines and autism, the anti-vaxxer movement is still popular.

Development and widespread use of the MMR vaccine created herd immunity, and nearly eradicated measles in the United States and developed nations by 1993. Since the anti-vaxxer movement began, a resurgence of measles has occurred, especially threatening young children, the elderly, and the immunocompromised.

Sadly, the fearmongering surrounding vaccines as a whole has led to widespread fear of the COVID-19 vaccine.

COVID-19 Vaccine and Computer Chip Rumors

I need to note that a specific rumor spread quickly via social media regarding the government adding computer chips to the COVID-19 vaccine, to track peoples movements. I believe that this rumor has arisen from a combination of three pieces of information:

1. Contact tracing: This is a tool to stop the spread of COVID-19. That means the government does look for everyone who interacts with infected individuals, so that they can warn them of potential infection and ask them to self-isolate through the likely incubation period. However, contact tracing ONLY involves self-reporting by the person with the positive result.

2. COVID-19 tracker apps: These were automatically added to most Apple and Samsung phones during a recent update. I believe that the companies involved had the best intentions, working to give us the opportunity to see where COVID-19 is expanding around us and giving health organizations the ability to track positive infections.

However, I think it was extremely foolish and invasive not to announce the existence of these trackers or give people the choice to install them. We do have the ability to uninstall them.

These actions broke trust between Americans, these major companies, and government. Unfortunately, the repercussions have included widespread mistrust and conspiracy theories.

3. Bill Gates nanobots blog: Founder and president of The Gates Foundation, Bill Gates has funded the development and distribution of crucial vaccines for over 20 years. In his blog, GatesNotes, he wrote several entries celebrating nanobots, which are tiny computers that can function inside the body for medical purposes.

These posts have since been removed.

In theory, they can attack cancer cells or even repair cellular damage.

However, Gates never mentioned adding nanobots or RFID chips to a vaccine for tracking purposes. That is an internet rumor that has been dispelled by Gates himself, scientists from all over the world, and national health organizations.

Nevertheless, the rumor continues to spread, thanks to social media.

Check Your Sources

One of my personal frustration points with social media is the lightning-fast spread of inaccurate information. People rarely check sources before they immediately share a post on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Reddit. Facebook, in particular, is trying to control misinformation, but many users are angry at perceived censorship. I highly recommend checking anything presented as fact with trusted primary resources.

For example, when I saw the Bill Gates rumor, I read the blogs in question, then turned to scientific sources like the Journal of the American Medical Association, the Lancet, and Science magazine for more information. I also waited for confirmation to come from a variety of news sources, which I constantly compare in order to identify bias. It didnt come.

Finally, the website snopes.com is a great resource, because it is specifically designed to debunk internet claims with tested sources. I concluded that the Bill Gates rumor was false, and a few days later, I saw many trusted sources do the same.

Photo Credit: GettyImages/imtmphotojpg

4 Reasons COVID-19 Vaccination Is Not the Mark of the Beast

Here are some things to consider:

1. Deliberate identifying: The Mark in Revelation chapter 13 symbolizes deliberate identification with the Beast. And as such, identifying with Satans kingdom is what will keep you out of heavennot getting vaccinated as intimated by West.

2. Intentional rejection: Taking on the Mark of the Beast is an intentional rejection of the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior during the seven-year period of Tribulation.

3. Loyalty and devotion: Contrary to some of the more fear-inducing theories that have in the past gained steam in some evangelical circles, the Mark cannot be accidentally taken. It is closely tied to the worship of the Beast (Revelation 13:12, Revelation 19:20, Revelation 20:4), and the Mark represents loyalty and devotion to the Beast.

4. Vaccination isnt worship: COVID-19 infection is out of our control. We do not choose whether or not we get the virus. We can choose how much we expose others to it through our behavior. So choosing the vaccine is NOT choosing to identify with and worship anything at all.

One more time, choosing the COVID-19 vaccine is NOT choosing to take the Mark of the Beast. Period.

Kanye West, fearmongers on social media, and uninformed individuals who believe unverified posts or do not check their sources are perpetuating dangerous rumors that WILL cost peoples lives and lengthen the pandemics tragic effects on our world.

COVID-19 Vaccination Will Save Lives

In a study published in AIMS Public Health, researchers estimate that over 200 million cases of polio, measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, adenovirus, rabies and hepatitis Aand approximately 450,000 deaths from these diseaseswere prevented in the U.S. alone between 1963 and 2015 by vaccination.

Smallpox was one of the worlds deadliest and most contagious diseases. It was fully eradicated during the 1970s by worldwide vaccinationsstill one of the most incredible feats of science.

The COVID-19 pandemic will only be truly under control if one of two things happens: Enough people contract the infection to create herd immunity in the population or a safe, effective vaccine is created and distributed to the majority of people on earth.

Thats a tall order, either way. Herd immunity means that enough of the population (usually 70-80%) has survived the infection and gained antibodies to prevent getting it again. That greatly diminishes the possibility of infection for the elderly, immunocompromised, and people who have not yet contracted COVID-19.

Most successful vaccination initiatives depend at least partially on herd immunity, because there will be a percentage of the population who simply cannot develop the antibodies to protect themselves, vaccine or not.

Our worlds pharmaceutical companies, health organizations, and universities are racing to complete a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine. The fastest vaccine ever developed took five years. The goal now is 18 months.

But remember, once the vaccine is created and tested, it will take time to manufacture and distribute seven BILLION doses. By choosing to get the vaccine as soon as it is available, you will help create critical herd immunity to protect the vulnerable and end the pandemic more rapidly.

The COVID-19 vaccine WILL save lives and help end the pandemic.

I know were in uncharted waters. This is frightening territory, and its easy to be caught up in the emotion of it all. I think thats what drives social media rumors most of all!

Dont forget that God is in control. He loves you. He wants the best for you. And He is holding you in the palm of His hand.

Well, David, I hope this helps.

Love, Roger and Brie

Photo Credit: GettyImagesProstock-Studio

Editor's Note : This Ask Roger article features insights from Roger's daughter, Brie Barrier Wetherbee, a sought-after Bible teacher and conference speaker, author, analyst, and Christian theologian.

Pastor Roger Barrier's "Ask Roger" column regularly appears at Preach It, Teach It. Every week at Crosswalk, Dr. Barrier puts nearly 40 years of experience in the pastorate to work answering questions of doctrine or practice for laypeople or giving advice on church leadership issues. Email him your questions at roger@preachitteachit.org.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The Drugs Controller General of India has allowed the Serum Institute of India (SII) to conduct Phase-2 and Phase-3 human clinical trials of a potential Covid-19 vaccine, developed by the Oxford University.

The SII has a manufacturing partnership with AstraZeneca, which has got the licence for the vaccine. The experimental vaccine, AZD1222, produced promising immune response in early-stage clinical trials, the Lancet said two weeks ago, raising hopes it would be available for public use by the year-end.

Sources said the subject expert committee of the Central Drugs Standards Control Organisation gave its nod for the trial on Sunday evening after evaluating it thoroughly. According to the study design, each subject will be administered two doses of the vaccine four weeks apart (first dose on Day 1 and the second dose on 28th day) following which the safety and immunogenicity will be assessed at predefined intervals.

SII has to submit safety data of Phase-2, evaluated by the Data Safety Monitoring Board, to the regulator before it can proceed to Phase-3. Currently, Phase 2, 3 clinical trials of the Oxford vaccine are in the UK, while Phase-3 clinical trial has started in Brazil. In South Africa, the vaccine is being assessed in Phase-1 and Phase-2 trials. This vaccine candidate uses a common cold virus, which has been weakened so that it cant cause any disease in humans, and is genetically modified to code for the spike protein of the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Advantage India

India trial is crucial as it will reveal how pre-existing immunity levels will impact response to the Covid-19 vaccine
Sooner or later, most renters will face a problem in their apartment that requires them to contact their landlord and request a repair or maintenance.

fCertain issues, if dire, are considered emergency repairs. What's the difference between an emergency repair and regular old maintenance, though?

This question causes a lot of confusion, and is particularly important to understand in the era of coronavirus, when you might be leery of allowing repairmen into your home unless it's absolutely necessary.

So before you panic over a drippy faucet or broken AC, here's how to determine whether you're dealing with a standard maintenance request or a serious emergency repair, according to experts who make these calls every day.

Emergency repair vs. maintenance request: What's the difference?

Maintenance requests are a headache, but they're problems that don't pose serious threats to tenantsthink a cracked floor tile or a broken dishwasher.

Emergency repairs, however, directly affect the safety and habitability of a specific unit or building, such as a gas leak, burst pipe, or black mold.

"While some repairs may seem like an emergency, it may surprise renters and homeowners that unless an issue puts them in danger, it's most likely just a regular maintenance request," says Jesse Silkoff, co-founder of a service that connects contractors with homeowners and landlords.

"Landlords and service providers must prioritize problems that can actually cause harm."

For example, an emergency repair is required if a roof starts leaking, Silkoff explains.

However, a broken microwave or a few missing shingles will probably be classified as a normal maintenance request, which can be dealt with within a few days or weeks, depending on the severity of the problem.

Is no heat or hot water an emergency?

So what really constitutes an emergency?

"An emergency repair needs to be addressed immediately, because it impacts the health of the tenants and safety of the property," says Melissa Zavala, a real estate broker.

"It can also be something that, if not addressed immediately, may have a negative impact on the condition of the property. If there is a plumbing leak, it would be crucial to address as soon as possible, to avoid damage to walls, flooring, cabinets, and other areas."

An emergency repair might also be related to a home's security.

"We all know that incidents such as fires, floods, and gas leaks constitute emergencies, but a broken door lock is an emergency, too," explains Xavier Morales, an attorney experienced in tenant safety.

The reason: "If someone can break into your unit, you're no longer safe. Some other emergency examples include windows not opening [as you can't escape] and problems with electrical wiring."

It's also worth noting that what constitutes an emergency repair, as opposed to a maintenance request, varies by state. A broken AC in the summer may constitute an emergency for a tenant in Miami, but not in Maine. Conversely, a broken heater in winter might constitute an emergency in Maine but not Miami.

What usually counts as an emergency repair

As a rule of thumb, the issues listed below are almost always classified as emergencies, explains Sardor Umrdinov, founder and CEO of a contractor network, Home Alliance. However, the only way to be certain is to check with your city and state's government regulations.

Sewage backup: If your sewer line backs up and causes flooding on your property, this is considered an emergency, as it may cause lasting damage.

No running water: If you have no water, or murky water, an emergency repair is generally required to restore your clean water supply.

Overflowing toilets: Not only are toilets essential to the home, but an overflowing toilet can be unsanitary and cause flooding with wastewater.

Gas leaks: Gas leaks pose a serious, life-threatening risk to tenants, which is why they require immediate attention. Call your local authorities if you suspect a gas leak in your property.

Electrical outages: If you suffer from an electrical outage that isn't caused by the local power company, this is typically considered an emergency repair.

Security issues: From broken locks to windows that won't open, anything that prevents tenants from being able to exit their unit or protect their property from theft or other crimes is high-priority.

How to tell if your repair is an emergency

The easiest way to distinguish this is by asking yourself if the problem can wait, without potential for harm to your health or well-being.

"Think about that broken heater during the dead of winter," says Shane Dutka, founder of Review Home Warranties.

"It's dangerous for anyone to remain in an unheated home with falling temperatures, but especially older folks or people who are immune-compromised. If it's likely to affect your health in less than 24 hours, the repair can be escalated to an emergency."

Also remember that service providers must prioritize emergency repairs over other requests, says Ryan Thompson, a plumber in Miami.

"If we have to choose between unclogging a toilet and fixing a broken pipe, we're going to go with fixing the broken pipe, since that may lead to more expensive problems if not fixed right away," he says.

Why tenants should always report issues immediately

Regardless of the severity of an issue, it's critical for tenants to report any maintenance problems immediately. And it they don't, they could potentially be held responsible.

"If tenants are derelict in reporting, and this delay causes secondary damages, tenants can be liable for those damages," says Zavala.

Even if you're not sure whether or not your repair should be deemed an emergency, you're better off documenting and making a complaint as soon as possible. Make sure to keep a paper trail of all correspondence between you and your landlord, too.

The post Is Your Broken AC or Busted Lock an Emergency Repair? How To Tell appeared first on Real Estate News & Insights | realtor.com.
A Canadian dollar coin, commonly known as the "Loonie", is pictured in this illustration picture taken in Toronto

By Fergal Smith

TORONTO (Reuters) - The Canadian dollar rose to a five-day high against its U.S. counterpart on Tuesday as the prospect of more U.S. economic stimulus boosted oil prices and data showed expansion in Canada's manufacturing sector for the first time in five months.

The loonie <CAD=> was trading 0.3% higher at 1.3354 to the greenback, or 74.88 U.S. cents. The currency touched its strongest intraday level since last Thursday at 1.3342.

"All commodities are rallying and the Canadian dollar can't help but follow along with that," said Adam Button, chief currency analyst at ForexLive.

Canada is a major producer of commodities, including gold <XAU=>, which notched a record high above $2,000 an ounce, and oil. U.S. crude oil futures <CLc1> settled 1.7% higher at $41.70 a barrel, supported by hopes the White House and lawmakers in the U.S. Congress are getting closer to a deal on a new economic stimulus package and signs America is making progress in curbing the spread of the novel coronavirus.

"The commodity market is signaling a lot of optimism," Button said.

The IHS Markit Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) rose to a seasonally adjusted 52.9 in July from 47.8 in June. It was the first time since February that the index was above the 50 threshold, indicating expansion in the sector, and the highest reading since January 2019.

Canada's jobs report for July is due on Friday.

The loonie has rallied nearly 10% since March. Its advance on Tuesday came as the U.S. dollar <.DXY>, which had its worst month in a decade in July, lost ground against a basket of major currencies.

Canadian government bond yields eased across much of a flatter curve on Tuesday, with the 10-year <CA10YT=RR> down 3 basis points at 0.438%. On Friday, it touched its lowest intraday level since March 9 at 0.412%.

(Reporting by Fergal Smith; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Paul Simao)
Donald Trump has maintained that the US is beating the rest of the world on the coronavirus death rate, even as thousands of Americans are still dying every week.

Mr Trumps analysis, which he advanced during a discussion with Axios interviewer Jonathan Swan, is based on deaths as a proportion of cases but ignores deaths per capita  a measure that puts the US among the worst countries in the world.

Asked about why the US is in such a bad situation relative to other countries, Mr Trump shuffled through pieces of paper bearing various charts, and handed Mr Swan a line graph which he said showed the US lower than the world in case death.

Oh, youre doing death as a proportion of cases, said Mr Swan, inspecting the graph. Im talking about death as a proportion of population. Thats where the US is really bad. Much worse than South Korea, Germany, et cetera.

You cant do that! Mr Trump replied, this time holding a bar graph. You have to go by  look, heres the United States  you have to go by the cases.

Recommended Trump contradicts White House experts on hydroxychloroquine

What it says is when you have somebody that  where theres a case, the people that live from those cases.

Pressed again on per capita deaths by Mr Swan, who pointed out that the US has fared dramatically worse than South Korea or Germany, Mr Trump returned to testing, protesting that the US does more tests than any other country and asking dont we get credit for that?

It is true that the US has seen a relatively low rate of deaths among those who have tested positive, but as Mr Swan pointed out, the wide disparity in national testing rates makes that figure a dubious indicator of different countries progress.

Meanwhile, according to Johns Hopkins University, the US is currently high up the ranking for deaths per capita, with a score of 47.33 confirmed coronavirus deaths per 100,000 people. The USs total number of deaths sits at more than 154,000, nearly 60,000 ahead of the second-placed country, Brazil.

Mr Trump has bridled at the use of per capita figures before, most famously at a May press conference with the governors of Kansas and Arkansas, where he pushed back on a question about whether the US is genuinely pulling away from the rest of the world with its testing regime.

You know, when you say per capita, theres many per capitas, the president retorted. Its like, per capita relative to what? But you can look at just about any category, and were really at the top, meaning positive on a per capita basis, too.
Opposition parties have pressed the Morrison government to roll out government-funded paid pandemic leave for all Australians as data shows more than a million workers in Sydney and Melbourne do not have sick leave, and more than 800 reports of COVID-19 at workplaces in Victoria in the last week alone.

The government on Monday announced a $1500 coronavirus disaster payment scheme, but it is available only to Victorians. Unions, Labor and the Greens say even that falls short of paid pandemic leave because it is not generous enough and applying for it is more difficult than taking a sick day.

Greens analysis of Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) data showed 546,000 primarily casual workers in Sydney and 507,400 in Melbourne did not have paid leave, giving them an incentive to go to work even if they have coronavirus symptoms. According to ABS statistics, about a quarter of workers nationwide don't have paid sick leave.

Virus cases are escalating in Victoria, with WorkCover, the state's health and safety regulator, receiving 812 reports from employers just in the last week notifying them of staff who had been at work with coronavirus. Before last Tuesday, employers were not required to tell WorkSafe about coronavirus cases at work, but even prior to that, the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services had passed on 1282 COVID-19 notifications to the regulator.
Are We Living in an Unreal City, Apart from Reality?

NEWS PROVIDED BYAug. 4, 2020SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2020 / Standard Newswire / -- Unreal City, a cartoon megalopolis where towers are built of cotton candy, facts scatter like pixie dust and the truth is whatever you feel it to be, is not a figment of imagination, writes Anthony Esolen in his new book, SEX AND THE UNREAL CITY: THE DEMOLITION OF THE WESTERN MIND. It's where we live: "We dwell in the Unreal City. We believe in un-being."Esolen translated the Modern Library edition of The Divine Comedy, as well as the Johns Hopkins edition of Torquato Tasso's Jerusalem Delivered. An award-winning contributor to numerous periodicals, Esolen has authored fourteen books of nonfiction and currently serves as professor of literature and writer in residence at Magdalen College of the Liberal Arts in New Hampshire.In SEX AND THE UNREAL CITY, Esolen reveals that Unreal City has its basis in sexual confusion, when human beings believe that words alone alter reality, that biology is a matter of choice and descriptive words rather than based in fact and plain sight. It's no fantasy, either, writes Esolen, but human beings have demolished the world and rebuilt it with illogical ideas and beliefs.SEX AND THE UNREAL CITY is a guide through modern culture and the wreckage of freedom, political landscapes, schools and universities, and even the Common Core curriculum. Unreal City consists of citizens who view logic as hate speech and where the only sins are political, and, therefore, never in need of forgiveness. Yet Esolen leaves readers with hope, delving into how Catholic theology offers the solid truths that a new city needs to be built upon."Everything Anthony Esolen writes is of the first importance," said Mary Eberstadt, author of Primal Screams: How the Sexual Revolution Created Identity Politics. "SEX AND THE UNREAL CITY is the latest stunning case in point. It is a hauntingly beautiful meditation on the tragic flaws of our age by one of America's deepest and most original thinkers. Read it, give it, treasure it."For more information, to request a review copy or to schedule an interview with Anthony Esolen, please contact Kevin Wandra (404-788-1276 or KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com ) of Carmel Communications.SOURCE Carmel CommunicationsCONTACT: Kevin Wandra, 404-788-1276, KWandra@CarmelCommunications.com
Vietnam confirms 10 new Covid-19 cases

Vietnam reported 10 fresh Covid-19 infection cases on Tuesday morning, raising the countrys total number of patients to 652.



According to the Ministry of Health, all of the new patients aged between 30 and 68 are related to Danang Hospital in the central city of Danang where it is battling the Covid-19 outbreak.



Quang Nam Province has recorded three more Covid-19 cases numbered 643 to 645, consisting of one patient from Danang Hospital and two who had close contact with him.



Meanwhile, the seven others, patients 646 to 652, are from Danang City, including one staff member from Danang Hospital and five patients.



By Tuesday morning, Vietnam had 652 Covid-19 cases, including 307 from abroad, with 374 released from hospital for their full recovery.



Danang has topped the country in Covid-19 infections with 205 new patients detected since July 25.



Currently, 133,279 are being quarantined for pandemic prevention.


Arcadia Publishing, publisher of hyper-local titles, will increase its presence in the childrens market this fall with the release of a new series, Spooky America. The series is the first offering from the Arcadia Childrens Books imprint that was formed last summer with the appointment of former DK editorial director Nancy Ellwood as publishing director. Until the release of Spooky America, Arcadia had a published an occasional chilldren's title.

The imprint will make its debut September 7 with a launch list of eight titles. All books in the series are being adapted from Arcadias Haunted America series, which has published more than 300 adult titles that deal with local lore. The Spooky America books are being rewritten for the middle-grade audience.

Starting this fall, were publishing titles that celebrate the history and lore of local neighborhoods and communities and will get kids excited to read, learn, and dig deeper, said Ellwood in a statement. Ellwood added she expects to expand the age range in the future. Books will be published in $12.99 paperbacks,

The first titles in the series include The Ghostly Tales of Charleston, which Arcadia described as featuring the ghost of a little boy who still plays in the bed and breakfast where he once lived, and The Ghostly Tales of the Queen Mary, which asks the question, Is Winston Churchill still aboard?
By Ayya Lmahamad

A group of Italian and Chinese specialist working in the field of fight against COVID-19 have been invited to Azerbaijan in line with President Ilham Aliyevs instruction to the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers.

Six specialists have arrived from Italy and will spend two weeks in the country to help Azerbaijan curb the spread of the virus.

Italian Deputy Ambassador to Azerbaijan Umberto Boeri has said that the team of civil defense medical personnel, consists of six highly qualified doctors and nurses from the regions of Piemonte, Tuscany, Valle dAosta and the Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute of Infectious Diseases in Rome, which has been cooperating with the Azerbaijani Health Ministry since June.

Chairman of the board of the Azerbaijani Management Union of Medical Territorial Units Ramin Bayramli has said that during the visit, discussions will be held in line with the protocol for treatment and prevention of the disease. "We are very interested in their opinion in connection with the forecast on pandemic, as well as forecasts of the World Health Organization, Bayramli said.

He expressed confidence that support of Italian specialists and joint work with Azerbaijani doctors in this direction will be an important contribution to the fight against COVID-19.

Emergency Medical Team contains six doctors that include two emergency doctors, one infectious diseases expert, one anesthesiologist and two nurses with experience in emergency management.

The medical team will provide the assist to Azerbaijani doctors during the next two weeks.

It should be noted that the visit is supported and coordinated by the EU Civil Protection Mechanism.

"The arrival of these experts is a sign of practical solidarity and partnership between Azerbaijan and the European Union, a practical example of how TeamEurope approach works, said the Delegation of the EU to Azerbaijan.

Moreover, on August 3, Azerbaijan and China agreed on sending a group of medical experts from China to Azerbaijan to help the countrys fight against COVID-19.

The exchange of notes was signed by the Chairman of the Azerbaijani Management Union of Medical Territorial Units Ramin Bayramli and Chines Ambassador to Azerbaijan Guo Min.

Bayramli noted that Azerbaijan attaches special importance to bilateral cooperation with China. He recalled that Azerbaijan has shown solidarity with the Chinese people from the very first days of Chinas struggle against the pandemic, providing Beijing material and moral support. In addition, China supported Azerbaijan and sent individual protection means and some medical equipment.

Medical specialists from China will stay in Azerbaijan for 15 days to provide the Azerbaijani colleagues with methodological support and discuss future cooperation.

"From a methodological point of view, we will have the opportunity to personally discuss the measures applied in China to prevent the disease. We, in our turn, will share our experience in connection with measures taken in Azerbaijan. Mutual exchange of opinions will be held. It is possible that relevant changes will be made to the protocols for the future activity, Bayramli said.

Bayramli stated that currently one of the most important issues is the launch of scientific research in this field in the country. Thus, serological tests will be carried out and results analyzed.

In addition, one of the most important scientific directions is the issue of vaccination. In many countries, including China, research is underway to develop a vaccine against COVID-19. Azerbaijan also plans to join and participate in the research process, he added.

Earlier, on July 8, a group of COVID-19 specialists from Turkey and Russia visited Azerbaijan as part of measures to curb the spread of the pandemic in the country. On July 13, 115 specialists from Cuba arrived to Azerbaijan to counter the spread of coronavirus disease. In addition, on July 30, the International Bank of Azerbaijan and the organization for the State Compulsory Medical Insurance Agency Specialists have arranged visit of medical experts from Turkey to help the countrys fight against COVID-19.

Azerbaijan registered its first COVID-19 case on February 28 and introduced the special quarantine regime on March 24.

---

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Hassan Diab also appeals for international assistance to help Lebanon, which is already mired in major economic crisis.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab has pledged that those responsible for a massive explosion in Beiruts port, which killed dozens of people and wounded thousands, would be held to account.

What happened today will not pass without accountability, he said in a televised address on Tuesday.

Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price.

The exact cause of the explosion that was felt across the capital was not immediately clear, but officials said it could be linked to explosive materials confiscated and stored in a warehouse for years.

Diab, in his speech, promised announcements about this dangerous warehouse that has been in existence for six years, since 2014.

The prime minister also appealed for international assistance to help Lebanon, already struggling with its worst economic crisis and a surging coronavirus outbreak.

I am sending an urgent appeal to all countries that are friends and brothers and love Lebanon, to stand by its side and help us treat these deep wounds, said Diab, whose government gained confidence in February after anti-establishment protesters forced the resignation fo the government of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri.

Chaos in the streets

The explosion on Tuesday destroyed much of the port, damaging buildings across the capital and sent a giant mushroom cloud into the sky.

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr, reporting from Beirut, said the explosion caused chaos in the streets.

The force [of it] was massive  it destroyed buildings, glass everywhere, and it took lives.

Beirut hospitals quickly filled beyond capacity, pleading for blood supplies and generators to keep their lights on.

Lebanon, an eastern Mediterranean nation of six million people, is in the throes of an economic meltdown that has crushed businesses, thrown tens of thousands of people out of work and led the currency to dramatically depreciate.

Those hardships have only intensified in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
Owners of new Chromebooks will want to head on over to the Chromebooks Perks page for a chance to get three free months of Disney+, Stadia, and more. The new perks, spotted by XDA Developers, dont stop there though. Not only is Google offering three months free of those services  typically priced at $6.99 and $9.99 per month. Its also got a few other deals still ongoing.

For instance, Google is also offering up to 100GB of Dropbox and 100GB of Google One storage  for up to a year. These two perks will come in more handy for owners of new Chromebooks than either Disney+ or Stadia. Especially since at least some of the more budget-friendly devices only come with 32GB of storage. Google Drive, as a free service, only offers 15GB of the cloud storage, meant to make Chromebooks just a bit better.

Of course, fees will be associated with Google One after the trial period. Thats if users dont cancel.

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Stadia, Disney+, and other perks wont be available on all Chromebooks

Now, the perks that are available on Chromebooks arent always the same from user to user. Or, put more precisely, from Chromebook to Chromebook. The perks have been available for Chrome OS devices since they first appeared, with Google initially starting the tradition with storage offerings. But not every Chromebook is eligible for every perk. And not every perk is available at all times.

These perks also cycle through fairly quickly. Those that were available in early June, for instance, wont necessarily be available anymore. And those that have been added now wont necessarily hang around for long either. So users will want to head over via the button below to see whats available.

Offsetting that, some older Chromebooks do also become eligible for new perks as theyre released in some cases. So even those who own earlier Chrome OS gadgets will likely want to head over and see whats there.

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There are plenty of other perks still available too

For users who want to check out the perks for Chrome OS gadgets, there are a bunch of other options reportedly available too. One of those is exclusive to Pixel-branded Chromebooks. But that shouldnt be too big a disappointment since its only a $20 discount on Stadia Premiere Edition. Other perks are available for a much wider array of devices.

The Elder Scrolls: Legends players, for example, can get a free copy of The Fall of the Dark Brotherhood expansion. Stardew Valley is also entirely free. And theres an in-app item pack for Fallout Shelter too.

Moving beyond games, Google is also making Calm Premium free for 30-days. VSCO is free for a year as well, for some users. So is Squid Premium  but for 6-months instead of a year. Last but not least, users can get a copy of Duet Display for free.
If Wes Anderson and EL James had a love child, and that baby had a trippy, lucid dream, it would probably look and sound a lot like Sky Atlantics Little Birds.

Loosely adapted from Anais Nins posthumous collection of erotic short stories, Little Birds follows Lucy Savage (Juno Temple), an American debutante who travels to Tangier in Morocco to marry a posh and bumbling English aristocrat (Hugh Skinner). She plans to pursue an unconventional life, free from the societal cage in which shes been trapped in 1950s New York.

Lucys father (played with quiet menace by David Costabile) is a domineering weapons dealer who pumps her full of pills to suppress her troublesome desires  which are, as far as I can tell, cravings for adventurous sex and practically any kind of fun at all. The medication makes her vacant and glassy-eyed, and Temple portrays anxiety convincingly, her smiles empty and her teeth permanently lodged in her trembling bottom lip.

Her new husband Hugo William Constable Cavendish-Smyth (yes, really) is gay. Everyone in Tangier knows it, except Lucy. Their wedding night is an excruciating game of cat and mouse in which she chases him around the bedroom, nibbling his ears and whispering that she wants to ravish him. The drugs dont work, it seems.

All of the action takes place in a surreal, pastel-coloured world that looks like the inside of a strawberry-flavoured Angel Delight. Little Birds eccentric characters could be cousins of the Royal Tenenbaums, with a therapist who randomly breaks into eerie song and a scene where a small chainsaw is used to carve a chicken. It is hyper-stylised and the outfits are exquisite  Villanelle would kill for Lucys ra-ra wedding dress.

The EL James influence comes in through the characters Lucy meets. On the boat over to Tangier, she gets to know Lili von X (Nina Sosanya), an American celebrity who is in Morocco to make a film too sexually risque for the United States. She tells Lucy about having the ultimate sexual climax while watching a death by hanging in Paris. Theres also a dominatrix in town who Lucy becomes fascinated by.

If that all sounds rather hectic and disjointed, thats because it is. Its unclear exactly which characters to focus on and what their motives are, and tonally the show is confused. On the one hand, its very silly and gloriously camp. On the other, there are serious themes of coercion, enforced medication and psychological manipulation, as well as a subplot about colonialism in Fifties Morocco.

Perhaps its best if, like poor Lucy and her husband Hugo are bound to, Wes Anderson and EL James each keep to their own sides of the bed.
The Republican Party is all in on the effort to keep the anti-Trump public from casting anti-Trump votes. The Republican National Committee has established a program to protect the vote by monitoring polling places, challenging voters deemed suspicious and blocking efforts to expand vote-by-mail or relax voting restrictions. The Trump campaign, likewise, is suing to shape mail-in voting in a way that might give the president a strategic advantage. In Pennsylvania, for example, it wants to keep voters from using officially designated drop boxes for their ballots, forcing them to go through the mail system.

There are still other ways in which Trump is trying to optimize for minoritarian victories. On Monday, his Census Bureau announced it would end all counting efforts a month early, in order to accelerate completion of data collection and apportionment counts. Its a last-minute change that threatens the accuracy of the census, and theres a strong chance that any undercount will disadvantage Black and immigrant communities, robbing them of resources and representation that will go, instead, to whiter and more rural areas. This wont affect the upcoming election, but it would shape American politics for the next decade in the Republican Partys favor.

If all of this succeeds  if he sabotages voting just enough to eke out another Electoral College victory  then Trump will be the first president since the advent of a presidential popular vote to win two terms without also winning the most votes. It would be the third such misfire since 2000, another instance in which Democrats won the largest share of voters without winning power.

Yes, everyone knows the rules of American presidential elections. But those rules survived, in part, because this divergence was extremely rare. Before the 2000 election, it had happened only three times: 1824, 1876 and 1888. The Electoral College may not have been the most modern way to conduct a national election, but its outcomes did not consistently violate our democratic intuitions, our collective expectation that one person equals one vote.

For Trump to win, again, without winning the most votes would shatter whatever remaining faith millions of Americans have in the political system. Our simmering legitimacy crisis would almost certainly heat to a boil. After such an outcome, how could you say this was a democracy? How could you say, if you prefer the terminology of the 18th century instead, that this was a republic?

It is true our system was meant to hedge against the tyranny of the majority. But thats why it has multiple and overlapping spheres of representation. The goal was balance, not a system where the arbitrary distribution of voters could meet the abuse of power to produce an almost permanent advantage for one side over the other. That is the tyranny of the minority, which is just another way of saying tyranny.
The immediate past National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Adams Oshiomhole has warned the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) that his party is ready to meet violence with violence during the September 19 governorship election.

Oshiomhole was reacting to Governor Godwin Obasekis alleged threat to deal with APC members and supporters in the guise of dealing with trouble makers.

On Sunday, Governor Obaseki had issued a strong warning to any trouble makers looking to foment violence in the upcoming elections, vowing to visit any perpetrators of violence with the long arms of the law.

Reacting during an interview on Arise Television on Monday, Oshiomhole averred: We will meet violence with violence.

The former APC chairman said his party would not fold its arms and watch Obaseki and the PDP violently steal the peoples mandate.

If they want violence, we will give them violence, Oshiomhole said.

Oshiomhole further explained that, among other things, he turned against his successor because the governor has not met the expectations of Edo people and regretted that he worked with Obaseki in 2016 without asking for his certificate.

Meanwhile, Governor Obaseki has accused APC of importing Police from Abuja to intimidate and harass his supporters ahead of the September 19 governorship election.
Angad Bedi has defended the film Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, after its trailer received online backlash because of Janhvi Kapoor and Karan Johars involvement.

The trailer of Janhvi Kapoor-starrer Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl, which dropped on Saturday, debuted to a lot of mixed responses on Twitter. As the conversation around nepotism continues, Angad Bedi  who plays Kapoor's brother in the film  responded to the insider-versus-outsider debate, calling the backlash 'unfair'.

In an interview with Mid-Day, he said, "It's my film, too... Everyone has a right to their opinion, but people are spitting fire against one another. The flak (that the film is receiving) is unfair. Every industry is competitive."

Karan Johar, who has been at the receiving end of backlash since the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, has produced Gunjan Saxena. However, the Johar and Dharma Productions' credits were missing from its trailer and poster, reports News18.

Bedi further adds that he received this role due to his performance in Soorma. He said that he 'tested' for the role, which eventually was approved by the director and the producers. "There are lakhs of people in the industry, so it's only fair that we all get a chance," Bedi adds.

The actor also shared his experiences in the industry and says that 'every rejection has been a learning experience for him.' Further, he reiterates that thats his 'own trajectory and journey' which is independent of 'someone elses experience'.

Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl is based on the life of one of Indias first female Air Force pilots. The films rights were scooped up by Netflix, which will release it on August 12. The film also stars Pankaj Tripathi, Vineet Kumar Singh, Manav Vij and others.
Bermuda, 4 August 2020 - Avance Gas Holding Ltd (OSE: AVANCE) announces that agreement has been reached for the sale of the 2003-built VLGC Avance, to an unrelated third party for a price of $35 million.

A 10% deposit payment has been received, while delivery and balance payment is expected in primo September 2020.

After debt repayment, the sale will generate approx. $17 million in net cash proceeds, with an expected book profit of approx. $6 million to be recorded in the third quarter.

The sale follows the company's fleet renewal strategy, reducing average age and fuel efficiency of the fleet, initiated with the contracting of two 91,000 cbm LPG dual fuel newbuilding's to be delivered in 2021/2022.

For further queries, please contact:

Peder C. G. Simonsen, Interim CEO and CFO

Tel: +47 22 00 48 15 / Email: p.simonsen@avancegas.com

ABOUT AVANCE GAS

Avance Gas operates in the global market for transportation of liquefied petroleum gas.

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
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Over the past four months, the uncertainty of the spread of COVID-19 has resulted in decisions that changed the way Midland College employees work and engage with students and the community. During that time, we made tremendous efforts to ensure that classes and services were still available to current students, potential students and the community in online and virtual environments. Throughout the four months that Midland Colleges buildings were closed, we remained only one call, email, instant message or video call away. After working through the summer to implement health and safety protocols following guidelines from the Governors Office, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Center for Infectious Disease Control, MC is beginning to gradually reopen its doors.

--Fall semester classes begin on Aug. 24

Approximately 70 percent of our fall course offerings will be online or hybrid (combination of face-to-face and online). We will, however, offer a limited number of face-to-face lecture classes, as well as hands-on classes and training in the Health Sciences and Applied Technology areas. We will employ stringent social distancing and cleaning measures in these classes.
Video conferencing company Zoom is suspending direct sales in mainland China. Zoom will function its video conferencing technology through its partners -- Bizconf Communications, Suirui Zhumu Video Conference, and Systec Umeet. The change will come into effect from August 23, 2020, CNBC noted. Although Zoom did not cite a reason for halting direct sales in mainland China, the move comes after the company faces scrutiny over ties with the country.

"Dear Customers, thank you for choosing our services. We wish to inform you that we will be selling services in Mainland China only through our partners. If you have a need for online video conferencing, you may reach out to our partners," Zoom said on its Chinese website.

"We are now shifting to a partner-only model with Zoom technology embedded in partner offerings, which will provide you better local support," the letter said.

Users in mainland China will be allowed to join Zoom meetings as participants. In May, Zoom allowed only enterprise customers to sign up. Free users were not allowed to host meetings but were allowed to join meetings by hosts.

Previously, Zoom came clean on the Tiananmen Square issue when it had shut down meetings from three activists--Lee Cheuk-yan, Wang Dan, and Zhou Fengsuo. Two activists from Hong Kong and one from the US.

Zoom had said that the Chinese government informed them about the activity being illegal in China and demanded that Zoom terminate the meetings and host accounts. Zoom said that it did not provide any user information or meeting content to the Chinese government. "We do not have a backdoor that allows someone to enter a meeting without being visible," Zoom had stated.

In a blogpost Zoom also reiterated that the company is American and not Chinese. The response was over allegations the company faced over having a Chinese link. Zoom did admit to routing data through Chinese servers back in May when there was a surge in users in the backdrop of global lockdowns.

Zoom CEO Eric Yuan in a blog post wrote, "Recently, questions have also been raised about Zoom and China. At first, this seemed to stem from a temporary misconfiguration in our global data center routing that we fixed. But outside of that isolated incident, in the past few weeks, we have seen disheartening rumors and misinformation cropping up."
'The outrage that followed the destruction of the Babri Masjid was an inability to see the event for what it was: The rectification of a grave historical wrong, the restitution of a hurt of a people and the countering of moral injustice,' argues Vivek Gumaste.

IMAGE: A worker cleans the stone columns kept for construction of the Ram temple at the Karsewakpuram workshop in Ayodhya. Photograph: Pawan Kumar/ANI Photo

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to lay the foundation stone for the Ram Mandir on August 5, it is imperative that we take a second look at the razing of the Babri Masjid in light of the BLM movement and the Hagia Sophia controversy.

On December 6, 1992, a nation watched dumbstruck as the dome of the Babri Masjid sitting atop a site that Hindus believed was the birthplace of Lord Ram, came crashing down under the relentless onslaught of a determined band of kar sevaks.

Speaking to the nation that night, then prime minister P V Narasimha Rao remarked: 'The destruction of the mosque is a matter of great shame and concern for all Indians. This is a betrayal of the nation and a confrontation with all that is sacred to all Indians as the legacy which we have inherited as a part of our national ethos.'

Nearly 30 years later, are the sentiments expressed by Rao still valid or has a new realisation given way to a diametrically opposite contention: that this was not 'a betrayal of the nation', but a reaffirmation of our dignity; that this was not a confrontation with all that is sacred to all Indians but a confrontation of the evils of our past.

The Black Lives Matter movement has turned the spotlight on historical atrocities in an unprecedented manner with a raw, no-holds-barred perspective emerging that threatens to demolish age-old maxims and make us confront unapologetically the ugliness of yesteryear.

History is not an objective chronicle; it is a subjective, one-sided documentation of events often penned by the victors or the dominant community; a distorted recapitulation influenced by the standards of those times.

History is the narrative of the victors, not the story of the vanquished. It celebrates the glory of conquest while paying short shrift to the plight of the victims; genocides are glossed over or marginalised to make the victor more honourable; tyrants are portrayed as benevolent monarchs and evil is projected as good and vice versa.

For long we have taken the written word for granted, accepting it at face value as inviolable truth with minimal or no scrutiny.

We have remained captors of the past, prisoners of the status quo, with no courage or gumption to confront historical delinquencies.

Attempts to re-evaluate history critically, especially from the perspective of the 'other side', have been frowned upon as revivalism and discouraged.

The time has come to change that paradigm.

True, history cannot be changed. But we can change how we look at history. The atrocities of the past need not be accepted tamely as a fait accompli. When we perpetuate the false icons of history, we imbue them with a credibility that is not justified and a glory that is not deserved.

How we view history is vital to how we fashion our future.

The cliched argument that these icons and these misdeeds belong to an era of the past and answerable to the standards of those times is sheer poppycock. Evil is evil plain and simple and cannot be mitigated by the passage of time.

Destruction of temples or religious monuments, killings and exploitation of other humans, is wrong today and was wrong even then.

We are at a crossroads today, an inflection point in time, a rare moment when the traditionally accepted dictums of yore are being challenged with a robust counter narrative.

A moral rage is sweeping across the world; a world where the equations have changed; the slave is no longer a slave, the colonised have been decolonised, the ruled have become the rulers and colour is gradually losing its sheen as a badge of superiority.

This new generation subscribes to a new set of values that irreverently questions the doings of the past, demands restitution and course correction in human thought. That is and must be the way of the future.

The moral verve of the Black Lives Matter protests has sparked widespread rethinking across the globe.

In England the statue of a 17th century slave trader was drowned in the Bristol harbour while in Belgium, King Leopold II, a towering colonial figure, became persona non grata overnight and his statues were levelled to the ground.

But even as the Black Lives Matter movement gains traction across the world awakening the conscience of humanity, a disturbing event in another part of the world seeks to perpetuate the evils of the past -- the decree to re-allow Muslims to offer prayers at the magnificent Byzantine edifice the Hagia Sophia in Turkey.

The Hagia Sophia, the most visited tourist attraction in Istanbul, was built by the Byzantine emperor Justinian 1 in the 6th century. For close to a thousand years it was the centre of Christendom and the largest church in the world. In 1453, when the Ottoman Sultan Mehmed II overran Constantinople, in the manner of Islamic invaders, he converted this magnificent edifice into a mosque to consolidate the domination of Islam over Christianity.

Today, when the razing of the Babri Masjid is viewed through the kaleidoscope of the Bklack Lives Matter movement and the Hagia Sophia controversy, the cloud of shameful questionability that had obscured our perspective then fades away to reveal a sense of confident morality.

India was way ahead of the times when it brought down the Babri Masjid. It had stood as a symbol of brutal Islamic domination over Hindu India: A monument deliberately and provocatively erected with singular schadenfreude at a site which Hindus believed to be the birthplace of their most revered god.

Sometimes logic trumps evidence and this pertinent question says it all: Of all the places in the vast expanse of north India, why was Ayodhya singled out to locate the Babri Masjid? The malintent underpinning the construction of the mosque is undeniable.

The outrage, moral indignation and vicious vilification that followed the destruction of the Babri Masjid was a false patois; a reflection of a mediocre and limited scope of mind; an inability to look beyond the immediate picture and see the event for what it was: The rectification of a grave historical wrong, the restitution of a hurt of a people and the countering of moral injustice.

The international community concurred with our domestic naysayers, branding the incident as an act of blatant majoritarianism.

The New York Times editorialised on December 8, 1992: "The central task confronting India since its birth 45 years ago has been maintaining a secular State in a multi-religious society -- in short, respecting the rights of India's vastly outnumbered Muslim minority. Yet secularism has long been resisted by Hindu militants, and still is. On Sunday, a hateful Hindu mob destroyed a mosque in Ayodhya, igniting bloodstained riots.'

These words, when re-evaluated in light of the Black Lives Matter protests and the Hagia Sophia controversy, appear hollow and puerile.

How is it that a Confederate monument that signifies black oppression can be pulled down, but a structure that hurts Hindu sentiments cannot?

And why is it that the conversion of the Hagia Sophia, an original church, into a mosque is unacceptable but a mosque perched on top of Hinduism's holiest site is acceptable?

The irony of such warped logic and crass double standards is despicably repugnant.

In the quest for historical justice there appears to be discriminatory hierarchy. Some acts are more deadly than others: A classification based on the identity of the victim rather than the gravity of the act.

In the annals of current international debate, victimhood has a colour and that is not brown of the Hindu variety -- a pointer to the deep sense of Hinduphobia prevalent among the media of the Western world.

The Hindu hurt is a tiny or non-existent blip on international consciousness being dismissed as a figment of Hindu majoritarianism. That cannot be allowed to pass and must be called out emphatically

For a truly just world we cannot have arbitrary definitions of victimhood. Caste, colour, religion or any other personal trait cannot be a qualifying factor.

Academic Vivek Gumaste, who is based in the United States, is the author of My India: Musings of a Patriot. You can e-mail the author at gumastev@yahoo.com
A gene transcriptome database, consisting of reference transcripts from over 100,000 rapeseed genes, was released by Chinese researchers, according to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).

A research team from the Oil Crops Research Institute under the CAAS has decoded the transcription information of the rapeseed genome and constructed a landscape of the whole transcriptome of rapeseed genes with an advanced sequencing technique and its self-developed bioinformatics tools.

Containing about 1.2 billion bases and over 100,000 genes, the rapeseed genome lacked a reference transcriptome database owing to the technical restrictions previously, which restricted the research on the functional genes of rapeseed, said the team.

The database is expected to strengthen the understanding of the rapeseed transcriptome and be applied for further functional genomic research, according to the study published in The Plant Journal.
By Trend

Thirty-nine women in Azerbaijans Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic received investment capital worth 25,200 manat ($14,823) within the project entitled "Empowering Women for Sustainable Development", which is funded by the European Union and partially by UNDP, Executive Director of the Azerbaijan Micro-finance Association (AMFA) Jhale Hajiyeva told Trend on June 16.

The project is being implemented by AMFA, Hajiyeva added.

"Twelve training courses on the "Plan for the Future" and "Start and Develop Your Business" topics were held at the Nakhchivan Business Center in May and June," she added. "As many as 319 women took part in the training. As a result of the project, 63 participants from Nakhchivan including 13 persons with disabilities were selected to implement the business plans."

"Those participating in the project are women who have attended the training last year and received a certificate, but did not receive investment capital," executive director noted.

Hajiyeva said that 72 percent of investment capital accounts for the expansion of activity in agriculture, and 28 percent - hairdressing, carpet weaving and other spheres.

The microfinance was introduced in Azerbaijan in the mid-90s.

A group of international non-governmental organizations (INGOs) began offering micro-financing services to low-income local residents in 1996.

In December 2001, the members of the group decided to set up an association that will serve as the coordination microfinance center in Azerbaijan.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
After appearing to hold the COVID-19 pandemic at bay for the past several months, the Papua New Guinea (PNG) government last week confirmed dozens of new cases in the capital, Port Moresby. PNGs Pandemic Response Controller David Manning, also announced a new case in Lae, the capital of Morobe province, some 300kms from Port Moresby.

Health worker performs CPR during simulation (Photo: UN Papua New Guinea)

As of August 3, the total number of cases was 110, including three victims hospitalised in critical condition and two deaths. In mid-July, the country had recorded just 11 cases of COVID-19, before then surging to over 30 within a week. Now, 90 percent of cases have been recorded in the past 14 days.

Government modelling suggests more than 5,000 people may have the virus. Only around 10,000 have been tested in a population of nine million and Manning declared the virus is now widespread in the capital. His deputy, Acting Health Secretary Dr Paison Dakulala admitted last Thursday that authorities were playing catch-up with contact tracing.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has just stepped up its response, deploying more emergency medical staff to strengthen testing capacity and medical supply delivery. Following a request from PNG, Australia dispatched a token eight-member crisis response team.

Many of the recent cases are health workers at the Port Moresby General Hospital, where all non-essential services were suspended. Hospital workers had repeatedly raised concerns about their own safety, the lack of adequate personal protective equipment and staff shortages sparked by the need to quarantine some health workers. The hospitals CEO Paki Molumi said patient care had been affected by the shortages.

Dakulala also warned that the main isolation facility in the capital, the Rita Flynn Centre, can only hold up to 72 patients and is expected to reach capacity. COVID-19 positive patients may be forced to isolate at home.

Authorities had earlier announced a cluster outbreak at the Central Public Health Laboratory, situated on the hospital grounds, where coronavirus testing is conducted. This followed a previous outbreak at Port Moresbys central military barracks.

With community transmission rapidly taking hold, Prime Minister James Marape announced a two-week lockdown of Port Moresby on July 27, including a curfew under the Pandemic Act. Only essential businesses can open and the curfew runs between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. Schools are closed for 14 days, and no motor vehicles are allowed to operate except taxi services. There is also a ban on all domestic flights from Port Moresby for 14 days.

A PNG academic told Radio New Zealand that without the enforcement of strict health measures it will be difficult to contain COVID-19. Henry Ivarature from the Australian National University said the PNG government had erred as the recent surge in cases developed. He said it had invested more in a security approach than one based on public health policy, and I think thats coming back to hurt the government now. Manning, who leads the pandemic response unit is, significantly, also the Police Commissioner.

COVID-19 is set to overwhelm the countrys fragile and ill-equipped healthcare system. Port Moresby governor Powes Parkop told Australias ABC that the capital faced a situation that we dreaded, declaring: We simply dont have the capacity, we dont have enough space in isolation facilities, in the hospital, we dont have enough medical officers and we dont have enough equipment.

The Guardian reported in April that the looming arrival of coronavirus has terrified the public. The health system, which has just 500 doctors and 5,000 hospital beds, cannot deal with even routine illnesses. The General Hospital has appealed for donations of face masks, gloves, protective face shields, and hand sanitiser, as well as pillowcases, blankets, mattresses and laundry detergent.

The prospect of the virus spreading in the former Australian colony threatens a catastrophic social crisis. According to Oxfam, 37 percent of the population lives on less than $US1.25 a day. In Port Moresby tens of thousands live in crowded, unofficial settlements. Malaria, HIV/AIDS, dengue fever, drug-resistant tuberculosis and polio are all rife. More than 60 percent of the population has no access to safe drinking water.

Explosive social struggles will undoubtedly erupt. Repeated strikes by doctors and nurses over the decrepit conditions in the health system have occurred since 2016. Following a sit-in on March 26 by nearly 600 Port Moresby nurses protesting inadequate personal protective equipment, over 4,000 nurses were ready to strike over the lack of preparation for a coronavirus outbreak. The strike was averted by the PNG Nurses Association which, not for the first time, called it off at the last minute.

The deepening crisis in PNG has major implications for the wider region. According to WHO statistics, there are currently some 500 cases scattered across the Pacific. Fiji, the Pacifics second largest country, on Friday confirmed its first COVID related death, among eight active cases. The same day, the number of cases in the Northern Marianas rose by two to 42.

If the virus spreads more widely it could devastate the Pacific Island communities, which have populations with high rates of co-morbidities and public health systems that are fragile and at full capacity, even before the pandemic. Last year 83 people, mainly children, died in Samoa in a measles outbreak that originated in New Zealand.

According to a study published in the Lancet in July, COVID-19 has the potential to cause substantial disruptions to health services, due to cases overburdening the health systems and response measures limiting usual programs. Particularly in poor countries, disruptions to services for HIV, tuberculosis, and malaria could lead to substantial loss of life over the next five years, the report warned.

The regional imperialist powers, Australia and New Zealand, are showing cynical indifference to the social disaster unfolding in their former colonial possessions. The Australian government recently announced a paltry $US500,000 aid package for PNG to respond to COVID-19, following a donation of personal protective equipment for health workers.

New Zealands Foreign Affairs Ministry declared in June that the Pacific will need significant investment to recover from the economic devastation of COVID-19, even if the virus itself is kept at bay. The ministry concluded, however, that its priority is to reinforce the Labour governments Pacific reset strategyi.e. to upgrade NZs diplomatic and military presence in lockstep with Washingtons and Canberras escalating confrontation with China.


Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 20:34:38|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- German carmaker BMW remains fully confident about the positive mid- and long-term business prospects of China, a spokesman of the company told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"We stand firm on BMW's long-term strategy in China, and are committed to our large-scale investments and will continue introducing new products and technologies into BMW's largest single market, especially on e-mobility and digitalization," the spokesman said.

At BMW, the production follows the market, according to the spokesman. As China is by far BMW's largest market, the company has set up two plants for vehicle production and one for powertrain.

"We've announced some big investments in additional plant capacities. So, from a China perspective, we will see an even stronger effect on the local production and supply chain and we have no plans to have any adverse effects here," he said.

"Signs of business rebound have been seen in China since March. This is because, on the one hand, the market was recovering thanks to the series of targeted economic measures announced by the government; On the other hand, the economy in China is proving to be very resilient due to the economic foundation built up over the past decades," he noted.

According to BMW, BMW has more than 400 suppliers in China, and the China market registered an annual sales volume of more than 720,000 units of BMW and MINI vehicles in 2019.

China is also a large production base for the Bavarian company, as about one fifth of the BMW vehicles were produced in China's northeast city of Shenyang last year. Enditem
Israeli army says air raids in southern Syria were a response to an attempt to lay explosives in occupied Golan Heights.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has pledged a tough response to any threats against Israel after it struck Syrian military targets in retaliation for an attempted attack in the occupied Golan Heights.

We hit a cell and now we hit the dispatchers. We will do what is necessary in order to defend ourselves, he said on Tuesday during a tour of a military facility in central Israel.

These are not vain words; they have the weight of the State of Israel and the (military) behind them and this should be taken seriously, the veteran premier added.

Israel launched air raids on military targets in southern Syria late on Monday. The army said it was retaliating after an attempt to lay explosives in the Golan Heights, occupied by Israel since 1967.

Syrian state-run news agency Sana said Israeli helicopters attacked Syrian army positions near Quneitra in the south but caused only material damage. It also said air defences had gone into action near the Syrian capital.

Several Israeli media outlets reported that Mondays actions were in response to an increased threat from the Iran-backed Lebanese group Hezbollah, which has a significant presence in Syria.

In response to an attempted IED attack near the security fence between Syria & Israel last night, we just struck SAF targets in Syria including:  observation posts

 intel collection systems

 anti-aircraft artillery

 command & control systems We hold Syria responsible.  Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 3, 2020

Increased tensions

Tensions have risen in recent weeks along the Israel-Syria frontier after a fighter belonging to the Iran-backed Lebanese Shia group Hezbollah was killed in an apparent Israeli air attack on the outskirts of Damascus two weeks ago.

Israel has since boosted the number of forces on its northern frontier, where it borders Lebanon and Syria.

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah promised revenge, although Israeli commentators have said he seems eager to avoid a major escalation as Lebanon struggles with its internal problems.

Last week, Israel also said it thwarted an infiltration attempt from Lebanon by Hezbollah fighters, setting off one of the heaviest exchanges of fire along the volatile Israel-Lebanon frontier since a 2006 war between the bitter enemies.

Since 2011, Israel has launched hundreds of attacks in Syria, targeting government troops and allied Iranian and Hezbollah forces and vowing to end Irans military presence in Syria.
A new witness last night claimed she saw Prince Andrew in a nightclub with Virginia Roberts on the night he is accused of having sex with her, adding 'He looked like he was having a great time'.

Shukri Walker says the duke danced and chatted with the Jeffrey Epstein victim  and says she is certain it was the prince because she stepped on his foot and then apologised.

Miss Roberts, 36, says she was forced to have sex with Andrew after they left the Tramp nightspot in central London in 2001.

The prince denies the claims and says he was not even in the Mayfair club on the evening in question because he had taken daughter Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey.

The events of March 10 are at the heart of the allegations against Andrew. Miss Roberts  now Giuffre  was a 'sex slave' of the duke's friend, paedophile Epstein.

Prince Andrew, Virginia Roberts, aged 17, and Ghislaine Maxwell at her townhouse in London on March 13, 2001

Miss Roberts says she was forced to have sex with Andrew after they left the Tramp nightspot (file photo) in central London in 2001

Miss Walker told The Sun: 'I remember him dancing and chatting with the young girl.'

She said she remembered the night well because at one point she trod on Andrew's foot.

Miss Walker said she had decided to speak out after seeing Andrew's now infamous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis last year, in which he denied having sex with the then 17-year-old Miss Roberts.

She contacted Lisa Bloom, an American lawyer who represents some of Epstein's victims. The lawyer has reportedly passed on the witness account to the FBI.

Miss Walker said: 'When I watched the BBC interview and saw Prince Andrew deny knowing Virginia, saying he has no recollection of that night I had to come forward.

'Because I was there and I do have a recollection of it.'

She said she saw the Duke of York in the club while she was dancing with a male friend: 'At some point I was dancing with him and stood on the feet of one of the men sitting in the corner and I said, 'I'm sorry'.

'And he was smiling. He said, "No problem". My companion said that the man who I stood on was actually Prince Andrew.

'He looked like he was having a great time. And he was with this young girl who was close to my own age, perhaps even a bit younger than me.

'They were not that alone. They were with the woman who has just been arrested, Ghislaine Maxwell, and Epstein. I will never forget the night because I was told this is a real prince.

'That's the moment that stood out for me. I don't think I would have remembered otherwise.'

Shukri Walker said she had decided to speak out after seeing Andrew's now infamous Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis last year (pictured) , in which he denied having sex with the then 17-year-old Miss Roberts

In the interview, the prince denied being in the Mayfair club on the evening in question because he had taken daughter Beatrice to Pizza Express in Woking, Surrey (file photo)

Miss Walker said she remembered Miss Roberts having an 'awkward expression' on her face.

'I do remember the little girl perhaps was a little bit drunk or just had a weird expression, an awkward expression,' she added. 'But she wasn't smiling, it was the opposite of smiles.'

Now 36, Miss Roberts claims she was forced to have sex with the prince at Maxwell's London house, where the pair were said to have been pictured.

However, Andrew maintains he does not remember meeting her and that the photo is fake.

The royal has been under intense scrutiny since Epstein killed himself while in custody in New York last year.

It is claimed that he met Miss Roberts with Epstein and his friend Miss Maxwell.

After a long time missing, the British socialite was tracked down last month and is now in custody in the US charged with sex trafficking.

Lawyer Miss Bloom says she is a credible witness but the FBI decided it did not need her help.

Buckingham Palace has said Miss Roberts's claims are 'false and without any foundation'.
IF the pandemic has taught us anything its how in these times, staying connected yet apart matters  and one Munster town is highlighting this message.

Irelands tourism capital, Killarney, has faced significant challenges since March but the local authority, as well as business and community organisations, are uniting to fight back.

You'll see the battle lines against coronavirus drawn in the streetscape, which has been transformed in recent weeks as safety measures were put in place. Kerry County Council developed interim mobility plans for 22 towns and villages in the county to ensure public health advice can be adhered to as Covid-19 restrictions ease and premises continue to reopen.

Kerry County Council has taken these steps in the interests of protecting members of the public as business and increased footfall returns in our towns and villages, said Owen O'Shea of Kerry County Council.

Measures to restrict car parking and create 'safe streets' for pedestrians have been implemented in Killarney. Picture: Don MacMonagle

The plans are therefore intended to be effective ways of ensuring that social distancing can be maintained, as is reasonable and practical while ensuring that businesses can resume trading and provide their goods and services to customers, said Mr OShea.

In relation to Killarney specifically, the plan incorporates traffic re-routing measures and changes to car-parking provisions as well as the re-purposing of sections of road space to prioritise pedestrians to enable them to walk safely while still maintaining social distancing. Many of these temporary measures are functional in their appearance but the council is working to enhance them where possible, added Mr OShea.

A number of 15-minute set-down free parking spaces are being provided at locations around the town to facilitate quick drop-off and pick-up from businesses. In addition, age-friendly parking spaces will be provided to enable older and more vulnerable members of the public to park in close proximity to the town centre. Free parking is being provided in the new Rock Road car park from 9am-12 pm daily and a number of new loading bays have been added.

Signs for safe queuing outside Killarney Plaza Hotel, Killarney. Measures to restrict car parking and create 'safe streets' have been implemented by the council to allow people to walk safely while still maintaining social distancing. Picture: Don MacMonagle

The provision of emergency measures followed detailed safety assessments by the councils Covid-19 project team and were published last month. Whereas the rollout of provisions such as this are a function of the executive of the council, the council invited comments and submissions on the plans from the public, said Mr OShea.

There was significant on-the-ground engagement with local businesses, local councillors were briefed in detail on the plans on a number of occasions, and some minor adjustments were made to the plans accordingly.

Killarney Rotary Club has joined forces with the council and Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce to raise awareness of the importance of mask-wearing in a further effort to see visitors return. Rotary Club member Ciara Irwin Foley came up with the idea of erecting signs at approach roads to the town with the words Killarney wears masks.

Within days, the signs were in place and posters were on retail outlets' windows. We welcome a lot of visitors to our town, and our club is united in wishing to protect visitors safety and well-being as well as that of our local community, said newly elected Killarney Rotary president Anne Alcock.

Killarney Chamber of Tourism & Commerce President Paul Sherry said: Any initiative that helps to prevent the spread of the virus ties in nicely with Kerry County Councils campaign to promote Killarney and the wider County as a safe destination to visit, live and work.
Turkish parliament speaker Mustafa Sentop spoke out against US sanctions on Iran amid the COVID-19 pandemic, Tasnim reported.

His remarks came during phone talks with his Iranian counterpart Bagher Ghalibaf.

We are opposed to these sanctions and have made it clear in all international organizations, Sentop noted.

The parties expressed their determination to expand cooperation between the two countries in all areas.

In turn, the speaker of the Iranian parliament highlighted the need to intensify trade and economic ties between the countries in accordance with protocols in the health care, to prevent further economic damage.
Transphorm, Inc. (Transphorm or the Company) (OTCQB: TGAN)a pioneer in the development and manufacturing of high reliability, high performance gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductorstoday announced the Company received approval from FINRA for its common stock to be listed and quoted on the Over-the-Counter (OTC) market. Transphorm will trade on the OTCQB under the symbol TGAN as of market open today.

Transphorms co-founders, Umesh Mishra, Ph.D., CTO, and Primit Parikh, Ph.D., COO, commented, We and our entire worldwide team are extremely proud to have Transphorm be publicly listed and commence trading, marking an important milestone in the Companys evolution. The listing of our common stock provides both existing and prospective investors with direct access to invest in Transphorm and participate in our future anticipated growth as we continue to scale Transphorms high-voltage GaN products for power conversion applications across our growing base of customers.

Transphorms broad product portfolio is comprised of both 650 volt and 900 volt GaN FETs for high-voltage power conversion applications ranging from 30 watts to over 10 kilowatts, including the industrys first JEDEC (commercial/industrial) and AEC-Q101 (automotive) qualified 650 volt devices and the only 900 volt GaN device on the market. With an IP portfolio that exceeds 1,000 patents, the Companys best-in-class products offer the industrys leading quality and reliability (Q+R) backed by field performance of less than 1 failure per billion hours of operation spanning across 65 watt (adapters/fast chargers) products to 4 kilowatt (power supplies/UPS) products. The Companys AEC-qualified devices are currently being evaluated by electric vehicle power conversion suppliers and design partners for design-in on future automotive applications. Today, Transphorm is actively ramping volume production in support of the growing adoption of its GaN power FETs, targeting power adapter, computing, uninterruptible power supply (UPS), data center and communications infrastructure applications.

Transphorm is pleased to acknowledge that B. Riley FBR served as the Companys capital markets advisor through the quotation process. B. Riley FBR is the operating name for B. Riley Securities, Inc., a full-service investment bank and subsidiary of B. Riley Financial, Inc., is based in Los Angeles with offices across the United States, providing corporate finance, research, sales and trading services.

Additionally, the Company will be hosting a Business Update Conference Call in late August. The conference call will be conducted by Transphorms CEO, Mario Rivas, co-founder and COO, Primit Parikh, Ph.D. and CFO, Cameron McAulay. Access information for the live and archived replay of the conference call will be made available in advance via press release and also posted in the Investor Relations Events section of Transphorms website at www.transphormusa.com/investors.

About Transphorm, Inc.

Transphorm, Inc. (www.transphormusa.com), a global leader in the GaN revolution, designs and manufactures high performance and high reliability GaN semiconductors for high voltage power conversion applications. Having one of the largest Power GaN IP portfolios of more than 1,000 owned or licensed patents, Transphorm produces the industrys first JEDEC and AEC-Q101 qualified high voltage GaN FETs. Its vertically integrated device business model allows for innovation at every development stage: design, fabrication, device, and application support. Transphorms innovations are moving power electronics beyond the limitations of silicon to achieve over 99% efficiency, 40% more power density and 20% lower system cost. Transphorm is headquartered in Goleta, California and has manufacturing operations in Goleta and Aizu, Japan. For more information, please visit www.transphormusa.com. Follow us on Twitter @transphormusa.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements (including within the meaning of Section 21E of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and Section 27A of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended) concerning the Company, expected listing and trading on OTCQB, the Companys technology and future anticipated growth. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as may, will, should, would, expect, plan, believe, intend, look forward, and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation: risks related to Transphorms operations, such as additional financing requirements and access to capital; competition; the ability of Transphorm to protect its intellectual property rights; and other risks set forth in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as required by applicable law, the Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200803005174/en/
A satellite image of Subi Reef, from July 3, 2020. Subi Reef is one of Chinas four main bases and artificial islands in the South China Sea.

China has deployed warships and sent fighter jets on a long-haul flight to bases it occupies in the disputed Spratly island chain, according to satellite imagery and state media, in the latest show of Chinese military strength in the South China Sea.

That comes ahead of a major, multi-nation military exercise led by the U.S. to be held near Hawaii Aug. 17-31, which will be attended by nations across the Indo-Pacific. A Philippine naval vessel has already set sail for the Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) drills. Other nations expected to attend include Vietnam, Australia, Brunei, Singapore, Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia.

According to Chinese state media, advanced fighter jets with Chinas Southern Theater Command flew to the Chinese-occupied base at Subi Reef within the past week. A Hunan province-based Chinese state-owned broadcaster aired a documentary about the Peoples Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF) brigade involved in that drill over the weekend. In the video, four Su-30MKK fighter jets reportedly perform a mid-air refueling while on a 10-hour flight to Subi Reef, with the brigades commander noting this breaks the PLAAFs previous record for long-range flights and demonstrates Chinas ability to send any aircraft as far as the Spratlys at a moments notice.

However, experts at the China Aerospace Studies Institute (CASI)  part of the U.S. Air Force-affiliated Air University -- pointed out it takes less than 10 hours to fly directly to Subi from Changsha, the brigades likely home base in Hunan.

Assuming the video is showing the actual event, they appear to be departing and arriving from Changsha, Brendan Mulvaney, director of CASI, said after seeing the video report and conferring with colleagues.

The math on a 10-hour trip doesn't make sense. It's about 1,300 miles from Changsha to the Spratlys, which should only take two to three hours at typical cruise speeds. At 10 hours round trip, that implies they're flying at 260mph which is unlikely, he said.

Instead of testing the endurance of the aircraft itself or the feasibility of the trip, experts surmised the exercise was likely aimed at testing the physical fitness of the pilots under the conditions of a grueling long-distance flight.

The Su-30MKK is physically capable of sustaining 10-hour flights with mid-air refueling, Mulvaney said. The question is whether a pilot is physically capable of doing so.

Subi Reef is one of Chinas four biggest artificial islands in the Spratlys, an archipelago of rocks and reefs in the southern half of the South China Sea that Vietnam, China, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, and Brunei all hold claims to.

It is a key stopping point for Chinas coastguard and navy on their way through the area, and satellite imagery showed two identifiable China Coast Guard ships there on Monday morning. Subi Reef sits less than 13 nautical miles from Thitu Island, a feature occupied by the Philippines that was recently upgraded with a beaching ramp and improved airstrip. However, Thitus facilities still pale in comparison to those at Subi, which has a 3,000-meter runway, radar and communications arrays, and shelters for missile batteries.

China Coast Guard and maritime militia vessels are commonplace off the coast of the Philippines, whose President Rodrigo Duterte last week conceded that he had no power to enforce the Philippines' ownership of territories claimed by China in the South China Sea.

China is claiming it, we are claiming it. China has the arms, we do not have it. So, its simple as that. They are in possession of the property, Duterte said in his annual State of the Union address.

So what can we do? We have to go to war. And I cannot afford it. Maybe some other president can. But I cannot, he said.

China has also deployed two warships to Mischief Reef, which lies about 150 miles off the Philippine island of Palawan. Satellite imagery shows what appear to be a Type 054A frigate and a Type 056 corvette in service with the Peoples Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) sailing in Mischief Reefs expansive lagoon on Sunday. Numerous other ships running supplies to and from Mischief Reefs settlement are also visible.

Mischief Reef is Chinas largest artificial island in the South China Sea. Technically, under international law it is considered a low-tide elevation, but after large-scale reclamation efforts China has built it into a formidable base of operations, with a massive harbor and airstrip.

The U.S. updated its position on the South China Sea last month, refuting Chinas insistence on holding maritime rights to the area and calling Chinas claims to features that sit on the Philippine continental shelf illegal. In particular, the U.S. State Department stated on July 13 that China holds no lawful territorial or maritime claim to Mischief Reef or Second Thomas Shoal, both of which lay within Philippine waters.

For its part, Philippines has sent some conflicting signals about its stance toward China. Duterte has sought closer ties with Beijing, but more recently the Philippines appears to have tracked back toward its long-standing U.S. alliance and repudiated Chinas claims to historic rights over virtually all the disputed waterway.

Philippine Secretary of National Defense Delfin Lorenzana welcomed the U.S. statement of July 13. And the Philippine Navy will attend RIMPAC. Its most modern warship, the BRP Jose Rizal, departed for Hawaii July 29.
Several renowned authors and Hollywood stars called on Egypt to free prominent activist Sanaa Seif and other political prisoners in an open letter published on Tuesday. "We call on the Egyptian authorities to immediately release Sanaa...and all those detained for peacefully exercising their rights," the letter said. Seif, 26, was arrested outside the public prosecutor's office and driven away in an unmarked minivan. She was charged with "spreading false news", "inciting terrorist crimes" and "misuse of social media", her lawyers said. The letter was signed by more than 200 people, including actors Danny Glover, Maggie Gyllenhaal and Thandie Newton and leading writers Noam Chomsky, Arundhati Roy and Nobel Literature laureate J. M. Coetzee. "Sanaa is the latest in a seemingly unending series of arrests that have come to define President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi's rule," the signatories said. Seif, a film editor who worked on the Oscar-nominated documentary The Square, is the sister of jailed activist Alaa Abdel Fattah, a prominent figure in the Arab Spring uprising that unseated longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011. Seif and members of her family were at the prosecutor's office in late June to lodge a complaint after they were allegedly assaulted outside a Cairo prison complex the day before. The family had been at the prison in hope of receiving a letter from Alaa, who was imprisoned last September after rare, small-scale protests demanding Sisi's ouster prompted thousands of arrests. "Tens of thousands of politically motivated detentions have been documented by human rights organisations... Meanwhile, courts and prosecutors have been extending the pre-trial detention of detainees without their presence in court," the open letter said. Under Egyptian law, defendants can be remanded in custody for up to two years but authorities routinely prolong detentions indefinitely. The open letter described how detainees are "trapped in endless cycles of administrative detention, renewed indefinitely, without ever going to trial". "We call on the Egyptian government to end the abuse of pre-trial detention," it said. Advocacy groups including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch endorsed the letter. Egypt has targeted dissidents with a persistent crackdown since then armed forces chief Sisi toppled Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013. Thousands have been swept up in the campaign, not only Islamists but also secular activists, lawyers, journalists, film-makers and most recently social media influencers. Egyptian activist Sanaa Seif and her brother Alaa Abdel Fattah, seen here during a 2014 prison furlough to attend their father's funeral, have both spent long spells in custody
"warning! This is not a weapons-free Zone, it screams in large letters from the sign outside next to the entrance. In the window, revolvers, hunting rifles and carbide are lamps, surrounded by American flags. But this is not a weapons business, but a Burger Restaurant: The "Shooters Grill" is located in the small town of Rifle in the U.S. state of Colorado. Rifle, how rifle. So the city is really.

In the case of "Shooters," as the Locals the Local call, are guns so important as the waffle iron in the kitchen. A cardboard figure of the President is located front of the guests, you can purchase T-Shirts, and so on "God, guns, and Trump" is advertised. The friendly waitress holding a Notepad in Hand, on your belt, a Beretta, caliber 40 depends. "Some customers give us ammunition for a tip," says the young woman, and winks at me.

"Here no one would dare to Rob it"

In the "shooter" is armed with the entire staff, the Colt on the hip belongs to the fixed program. The dishes are called "Smoking Gun"Steaks, "M16 burrito", and "Swiss & Wesson"Sandwiches (with Swiss cheese), the appetizers are referred to as "shooting exercises". It comes with the guests well. "We feel very comfortable here," said Ken Kriz, a Vietnam war veteran who dines here regularly. His wife, Karma agrees: "This is the safest place in the city. Here, no one would dare to Rob it.

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The waitresses, the cardboard-Trump, the menu: all of the sounds ad to a funny Gag, to photo opportunities, with Facebook and Instagram and new customers to attract. This is the a side. But behind the restaurant concept a political Dimension is included. The "Shooters" around in the Small all of the claims that the powerful gun lobby for the country as a whole calls for the following: no restrictions, no bans, no bad Conscience.

Around 300 million guns in the United States, in circulation, statistically, a gun or a pistol comes to almost every inhabitant. Big cities like Chicago or Baltimore, where every year, hundreds die by shootings, are increasing their efforts to ban guns in Restaurants, pubs and shopping centres. The Walmart supermarket chain moved in the last year, the powerful lobby group, "National Rifle Association" (NRA) foamed with rage. Instead of Criminal denounce, crime, the group to streamline the office, respectable citizens. Soon, predicted the NRA would support shopping people elsewhere  in shops, "the America's fundamental freedoms." Particularly in rural regions of the second amendment of the American Constitution, which guarantees all citizens the right to gun ownership is sacred.

"We grow up with this mentality, for us this is quite normal," says Barbara Clifton, the mayor of the city of Rifle. It holds 10,000 inhabitants and the place is particularly conservative: The waste is marijuana is legal, the roofs of urban buildings are paved with solar panels. Just on the subject of weapons, the Locals understand no fun: "We have two councilors, who come armed to our meetings."

Updated Date: 04 August 2020, 02:19
There are strong indications that the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi, will be resigning his membership of the Peoples Demo...

There are strong indications that the Ondo State Deputy Governor, Mr Agboola Ajayi, will be resigning his membership of the Peoples Democratic Party this week.





Ajayi, who earlier resigned his membership of the ruling All Progressives Congress in June and defected to the PDP, is said to be leaving the main opposition party a few days after losing the PDP primary to Mr Eyitayo Jegede.





It was reliably gathered that the deputy governor had almost concluded arrangements for his defection with the leadership of the Zenith Labour Party.





He was said to have been adopted as the standard bearer of the ZLP in the forthcoming governorship election.





A reliable source confirmed to our correspondent on Monday that Ajay would first resign his membership of the PDP before he formerly joins the ZLP.





The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, because he was not authorised to speak on the issue, said, He (Ajayi) will go to his ward to resign from the PDP and he will join the ZLP immediately. Everything will be done this week. The plan has been completed.





The source added that the leadership of the ZLP was already fine-tuning the name replacement with the Independent National Electoral Commission so that Ajayis name would be registered as its candidate in the October 10 governorship election.





The state Publicity Secretary of the ZLP, Mr Felix Olatunde, confirmed the development.
Microsoft recently reminded customers that starting Oct. 13 the company will not support older versions of Office applications connecting to Office 365 and Microsoft 365 services.

In a support document dated July 20, Microsoft listed the applications that will be "supported for connecting to Office 365 (and Microsoft 365) services" such as Exchange Online, SharePoint Online and OneDrive for Business.

Microsoft 365 Apps for enterprise, formerly known as "Office 365 ProPlus;"

Microsoft 365 Apps for business, previously "Office 365 Business;"

Office 2019;

Office 2016, but only the Windows version.

The Office editions left in the cold are those provided with "perpetual" licenses  ones customers paid for once, not repeatedly as for Office or Microsoft 365 subscriptions  including Office 2013 on Windows, which is to receive support until April 11, 2023; Office 2010 for Windows; and Office 2016 for Mac. The last two exhaust general support on Oct. 13. (Mac versions of Office are supported for only five years, rather than the decade Windows' editions receive.)

Although excluding some Office applications from Office 365 service support may seem harsh  especially when those applications are owed years of support  Microsoft softened the blow considerably. "We won't take any active measures to block other versions of the Office client, such as Office 2013, from connecting to Office 365 services, but these older clients may encounter performance or reliability issues over time," the Redmond, Wash. developer stated in the support document.

With support lost more from omission than commission, Microsoft argued that customers "will almost certainly face an increased security risk" and "find themselves out of compliance" rather than be suddenly suspended from accessing, say, OneDrive.

Microsoft has long played with the support of Office applications connecting to Office 365 services. Three years ago, the company said that perpetual-license versions of Office would be able to connect to Microsoft's cloud-based services only during the first half of their 10-year support lifecycle. It set Oct. 13, 2020 as the date when the new policy would take effect.

But in September 2018, Microsoft gave Office 2016 a reprieve, saying that that suite would be able to connect to the services through October 2023.

Office 2019's support for Office and Microsoft 365 services also expires in October 2023.
Samsung's Unpacked 2020 event will feature Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Watch 3.

Samsung has released the second trailer for its Unpacked 2020 event. This teaser trailer shows a glimpse of all the five devices launching along with appearances from BTS, Khalid and Myth.

Samsung in its first trailer revealed that the five devices are the new Galaxy Note 20, Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Buds Live, Galaxy Tab S7 and Galaxy Watch 3. Samsung didnt reveal the names but all five devices have appeared in multiple leaks and reports. The new trailer has hardly a second each of all the new Galaxy devices but all five of them appear in the new Mystic Bronze colour.

The video also features BTS, Khalid and Fortnite gamer Myth teasing the upcoming event. Appearances from all three are expected at the Samsung launch event. Samsung also shows a glimpse of the venue preparations thats taking place in its Seoul headquarters. This event will be live streamed from Korea, and it will be Samsungs first virtual Unpacked. In India, the Samsung event is scheduled to start at 7:30 pm IST on August 5. Its going to be a power-packed event with Samsung launching five new devices.

The highlight would be the Galaxy Note 20 series featuring the Note 20 and Note 20 Ultra. But theres the Galaxy Z Fold 2 as well which is the second-gen Galaxy Fold smartphone. It looks much like the first Samsung foldable but with some improvements. Samsungs new wireless earbuds is another highlight as it features a unique beans-shaped design. After hoards of leaks, all thats left is to witness the devices officially.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  The newly-installed chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines wants to regulate the use of social media under the Anti-Terrorism Act to monitor terrorist activities.

Lt Gen Gilbert Gapay, who formally assumed his post as the 54th AFP chief on Monday, said his office will submit its proposals for the law's implementing rules and regulations (IRR) since his men are in the frontlines in the war against insurgency.

Among his proposals are to add a provision on how to curb radicalism among the youth by monitoring and regulating the use of social media.

"Because this is the platform now being used by the terrorists to radicalize, to recruit, and even plan terrorist acts. That's why we need to have to specific provisions of this in the IRR pertaining to regulating the use of social media," he said in a media briefing.

The close supervision of the online activities of suspected terrorists will help state forces stop their acts while they are still at the planning stage, Gapay said.

"(The Anti-Terrorism Act) is proactive and it is geared to prevent the occurrence of terroristic acts. So pinaplano pa lang nila, dapat masa-stop na natin. We will capitize on that very good aspect of this anti-terror law," he said.

His other suggestions are to enhance intelligence sharing among local and foreign state security forces, closely monitor maritime security to address foreign terrorists slipping into the country's porous borders, and manage the public's access to information on making improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Gapay's suggestion will be collated by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who is part of the nine-member Anti-Terrorism Council.

Lorenzana said the ATC held its first meeting last week. He said the Department of Justice will forward the draft of the proposed IRR. The AFP Chief will then be given a chance to add his input.

Republic Act 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, signed into law on July 3, has yet to be fully carried out as law enforcers agreed to wait for the IRR for as long as theres no imminent threat.

Critics said the new measure relaxes safeguards on human rights and is open to abuse.

Petitions to strike down the controversial law due to its unconstitutionality continues to mount at the Supreme Court. The 21st petition was filed by social media personalities who sought to protect the rights of Filipinos to express themselves online without the fear of being tagged a terrorist for a social media post critical of the administration.

"If we do not fight and if the court wont take action, the terror law could easily be used to stifle Internet freedom in the guise of fighting terror," petitioner Tonyo Cruz said on July 29.

Lawmakers who authored and sponsored the measure maintained it contains enough safeguards against abuse. President Rodrigo Duterte said law-abiding citizens should not fear the law.

CNN Philippines senior correspondent David Santos contributed to this report.
Iran And South Korea Agree On More Humanitarian Trade

Radio Farda August 03, 2020

South Korea and the Islamic Republic of Iran have agreed to establish a working group on expanding humanitarian trade as part of efforts to maintain bilateral partnership within the scope of a U.S.-approved sanctions exemption, a South Korean source close to the matter said Sunday, August 2.

Seoul says it is seeking to expand humanitarian exports to Iran, including coronavirus test kits, amid the worsening COVID-19 outbreak in the Islamic Republic and other essential medicine, like flu vaccines and antidiabetics, South Korean official news agency, Yonhap, cited a local source as saying.

Under U.S. sanctions, about $7 billion of Iranian oil money has been frozen in Korean banks since last year. Korean officials plan to repay part of that by exporting drugs and medical equipment.

In April, Washington approved an exclusive license for Seoul to resume some humanitarian transactions with Tehran, even if they involve Iran's central bank subject to U.S. sanctions. In late May, Seoul sent $500,000 worth of medicine for hereditary diseases in the first such shipment to the Middle Eastern country, Yonhap reported.

Based on the same report, the first session of the newly-formed working group is scheduled to convene early in September.

During joint video sessions, the Islamic Republic officials had expressed their willingness to buy hundreds of millions of dollars of goods from Seoul.

Earlier on June 1, the Governor of Central Bank of Iran (CBI), Abdolnasser Hemmati, had announced that Iran was escalating its pressure on South Korea to release billions of dollars of oil-export revenue. He argued that Seoul was caving in to pressure from its U.S. ally and illegally withholding funds needed to counter the Middle East's worst coronavirus outbreak.

Furthermore, Hemmati complained that South Korea banks were preventing Iran from using the money to buy foods and medicines, which is exempted from U.S. sanctions.

"It is appalling to see that Korean banks have conveniently neglected their obligations, common international financial agreements, and decided to play politics and follow illegal and unilateral U.S. sanctions," Hemmati said in a written response to questions. Iran could launch legal action to gain access to the funds, he said, without naming the lenders in question.

Immediately after the warning, the Islamic Republic Foreign Ministry summoned Seoul's ambassador in Tehran.

The South Korean government has also set up a select working group between its various government departments to increase its humanitarian trade with Iran.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iran- and-south-korea-agree-on-more- humanitarian-trade/30763739.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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The lawyer of actor Sushant Singh Rajputs family, Vikas Singh has made more serious allegation against the actors girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. Vikas says Rhea took over Sushant's finances and alienated him from his family.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, Vikas said Rhea worked systematically to make Sushant more and more vulnerable. First she cut all contact between his father and him, then she replaced his house and management staff, and third, she took over his bank accounts.

The lawyer said that after all this, Rhea started overseeing his mental health. Fourth step was when for the first time, Sushant Singh Rajput had started taking medicines. The family was completely unaware of this - what medicines he was taking, which doctor she was taking him to. She completely conjured up a situation where she could show theres something wrong with him.

Also read: Happy birthday Vishal Bhardwaj: 10 popular songs he composed for Gulzar

He added that Rhea would sit in his meetings with film producers, demanding to be given work opposite him as the condition to cast Sushant. Sushant finally told her that he wanted to do organic farming and take a break from movies. She realised hes of no use to her anymore and she left. From what the family has told me, I feel this could be the trigger point. She walked out of the house, took all his medical records and would keep threatening him that she would make all the reports public. That was one threat he couldnt take strong actions against her. She walked out of that house with the files and blocked him, which made him even more anxious, Vikas said.

An FIR was filed by Rajputs father KK Singh against Rhea in Bihar under several sections including abetment of suicide.Rajput was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14.

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LONDON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 31, Forbes wrote that the Commonwealth of Dominica relies on its Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme to build a green economic strategy. This also catapulted it to the last year's fastest growing economy in Latin America and the Caribbean.

According to Forbes, Dominica has "one of the most prestigious" CBI programmes in the world. Foreign investors and families seeking lifetime citizenship in a flourishing modern democracy can obtain it from Dominica after making an investment into the country and passing a series of due diligence checks. Applicant vetting is Dominica's way of protecting the Programme's integrity and good international reputation.

Forbes Senior Contributor, Daphne Ewing-Chow, explains that Dominican authorities' COVID-19 response was to "safeguard its people while making plans to reboot the eco-tourism sector and develop climate resilient homes and infrastructure to support environmentally responsible growth, much of which is being funded by one of the most prestigious Citizenship By Investment (CBI) Programmes in the world."

"Dominica's Citizenship By Investment Programme is the backbone of its green growth strategy," she adds, listing some of the CBI-sponsored eco projects. This includes building 5,000 new hurricane-proof homes for a population of 72,000, along with modern amenities and 14 new health centres. CBI funds this so-called "Housing Revolution". Another green initiative that the CBI Programme contributed to is the upcoming geothermal plant that can provide clean energy for nearly all Dominicans.

To obtain Dominica's valuable citizenship, CBI applicants have two choices: contributing US$100,000 or more to the Economic Diversification Fund or investing at least US$200,000 in pre-approved real estate. Many of the green projects in Dominica receive financing from the CBI government fund, whereas the real estate option helps build prime eco-luxury hotels on the island. This creates a sustainable economic model that yields long-term results for residents, while attracting some of the highest-quality investors to Dominica.

Forbes credits Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit for the country's economic resilience after two major external shocks before COVID-19  Storm Erika in 2015 and Hurricane Maria in 2017. "Dominica's rapid growth is a testament to Prime Minister Roosevelt Skerrit's vision." The island is the world's third least affected country by the pandemic, with only 18 fully recovered cases and no related deaths.

Read the full article here.

[email protected]

www.csglobalpartners.com

SOURCE CS Global Partners
On Monday, President Obama trotted out his highly awaited endorsement list of more than 100 Democrat down-ballot candidates, and based on the media's reaction, it's the holy grail for those Democrats.

Fox News has a story here. Here's Obama's tweet:

Im proud to endorse this diverse and hopeful collection of thoughtful, empathetic, and highly qualified Democrats. If youre in one of their districts or states, make sure you vote for them this fall. And if you can, vote earlyby mail or in person. https://t.co/PSm3Rf3wkF pic.twitter.com/7RXrJriBz8  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 3, 2020

Much of the attention has been on Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, an openly socialist protege of Bernie Sanders who didn't get one, but that wasn't surprising, given the trouble she's given to the Democrat establishment.

No, amid all this gushing about getting the Obama imprimatur, the news is that at least one candidate views Obama's unsolicited endorsement as the kiss of death.

Here's the Times of San Diego:

Barack Obama on Monday endorsed Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar for election to the vacant 50th Congressional District seat, but the backing could backfire. In an East and North County district where Republicans outnumber Democrats 40% to 30% in registered voters (with 23.4% declining to state), the former president may not be a help. "Far left progressives Elizabeth Warren, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Bernie Sanders and now Barack Obama have endorsed Ammar Campa-Najjar," said the campaign of GOP opponent Darrell Issa, the former 49th District congressman. "And he wants us to believe he's a conservative?" (Campa-Najjar doesn't list endorsements by Warren, Ocasio-Cortez or Sanders on his campaign site.) Contacted for comment on the Issa team remark, Campa-Najjar didn't take the bait. He said: "I'll let the DC politicians fight each other. I'm focused on fighting for the people of this district. I've been endorsed by Republicans, independents and Democrats  anyone who's interested in helping me lift the voices of CA50 is welcome." Campa-Najjar said he didn't solicit Obama's endorsement. When asked if he welcomed Obama's backing, he didn't respond. Neither did the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, contacted for comment. Earlier, Campa-Najjar texted Times of San Diego: "Biden and Trump are tied in this race, but Obama isn't on the ballot."

Look at all the evidence in his statement:

He didn't solicit the endorsement.

He refused to say if he welcomed it.

He tried to dilute it by claiming that people of all parties have endorsed him.

He tried to say Obama isn't important in any case, because he is "not on the ballot."

Sound like a guy who's happy to have that holy grail Obama endorsement?

Obviously, he considers that Obama endorsement the kiss of death. And sure enough, his Republican rival is using it as a weapon to dissuade voters from voting for him. So much for the Obama endorsement meaning something.

Why would that be? Let's unpack this.

First, Campa-Najjar is running to fill disgraced Rep. Duncan Hunter, Jr.'s seat in the last or one of the last red bastions of San Diego County, the back boonies where some people ride horses to work and conservatives are still a majority. In other words, Reagan Country. He's in a battle with former rep. Darrell Issa for the seat, and according to the most recent polls (which aren't that recent), they're running neck and neck.

He'd run earlier against Hunter himself two years ago and lost to the then-indicted congressman. After that, he changed his packaging to that of a Democratic moderate who owns a gun and doesn't think the government should be picking and choosing which businesses to shut down for COVID. It never helped that his grandpa, Muhammad Youssef al-Najjar, was one of the masterminds of the 1972 Munich Olympics massacre and eventually got rubbed out by Israeli commandos. Campa-Najjar now claims he renounces old gramps's "violence," emphasizes his Latino other roots, and says he is a now a Christian. But he certainly was treated like a celebrity on his youthful visits to Gaza, and has called the terrorist chieftain "a legend" on a bulletin board in the past. He also lied about all those years he went to mosque in San Diego, same mosque the 9/11 hijackers frequented. Hard to say if he's really now a moderate, but he's paddling as fast as he can as that to get the votes.

That would explain a little, at least, as to why he doesn't sound too happy about that prized Obama endorsement, something his fellow Democratic candidate, Sara Jacobs, running in the 53rd District, didn't get. The 30-year-old Qualcomm heiress stresses her supposed status as a former "adviser" to the Obama administration in her microscopic work experience, never having held a job for more than a few months. She'd have loved that Obama endorsement, but like Ocasio-Cortez, she got nothing. It would have been easy for him to give it, too, given that her rival is another Democrat (California puts the top two vote-getters on the ballot, which shuts out Republicans) who is tight with the public employee unions and the Bernie Sanders crowd, and she is likely to win.

Instead, the only candidate in the San Diego area who got that Obama endorsement was Campa-Najjar, who didn't want it.

Sound like a Democratic Party that knows what it's doing? You'd think one of them would have told Obama not to endorse this guy, given that he's viewed as an extremist in San Diego's back country. But Obama was convinced he's adored in the district Campa-Najjar is running to take, and, well, the Campa-Najjar reaction tells a different story.

Obama is famous for endorsing hopeless candidacies that sink. One can only hope that, true to form, the Obama imprimatur here will knock out Campa-Najjar for good in those parts.

Image credit: ABC10 YouTube screen shot.
The move comes amid ongoing tussle over the jurisdictional issue between Maharashtra and Bihar Police

Bihar CM Nitish Kumar outside the Vidhan Bhavan before the start of the session. (PTI)

Patna: Bihar government on Tuesday recommended a CBI probe into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput after the deceased actors father KK Singh made a formal request regarding the issue.

The state government recommended a CBI probe into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput after his father spoke to the DGP," Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said.

The move comes amid ongoing tussle over the jurisdictional issue between Maharashtra and Bihar Police. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and DGP Gupteshwar Pandey had earlier expressed displeasure over the mistreatment of Patna police who have been sent to Mumbai to probe the case.

IPS officer Vinay Tiwary, who had landed in Mumbai on Sunday to supervise the ongoing investigation by the Bihar police, was forcibly placed under home quarantine by the BMC authorities. The development was termed as inappropriate and unfortunate by the Bihar CM.

They are not responding to our repeated messages and phone calls. In a way, they have announced that they will not let us work there. I have not seen this kind of non-cooperation in my entire career," DGP Gupteshwar Pandey said.

While backing Nitish Kumars recommendation to hand over Sushant Singh Rajputs death case to the CBI, the Bihar DGP also said that the state police would lodge a formal protest with the BMC authorities over placing IPS officer Vinay Tiwary under forcible home quarantine.

The alleged mistreatment of the Bihar police team in Mumbai had snowballed into a political controversy. The issue was also raised by political leaders, including BJP MLA and the late actors cousin Neeraj Singh in the state Assembly on Monday.

However, on Tuesday after Bihar CM announced his decision to recommend a CBI inquiry into the case, leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav claimed that his party RJD was the first party to raise the issue forcefully in the state Assembly and said that a court-monitored CBI probe would be better.

The Bihar police had launched an investigation last month after Sushant Singh Rajputs father lodged an FIR against actress Rhea Chakraborty, her family members and six others for abetment of suicide of his son and fraud.
By PTI

AIZAWL: The Mizoram government has decided not to allow paramilitary personnel enter the state till August 15 in the wake of the surge in COVID-19 cases among the forces, an official said on Tuesday.

The decision was taken at a meeting between officials of the state government and the paramilitary forces on Monday, he said.

It was agreed at the meeting, which was chaired by Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, that a decision on allowing the security personnel to enter the state would be taken after August 15 based on the prevailing coronavirus situation, the official said.

Chief Minister Zoramthanga also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to temporarily withhold inter-state movement of all paramilitary personnel during this month to contain further spread of COVID-19 in the state.

In a letter addressed to Modi on Monday, Zoramthanga said that the state government has been making massive efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the state since February in spite of its enormous economic and financial challenges.

However, the main hurdle the state is facing in its efforts is the unrestricted movement of paramilitary forces, the chief minister said.

He said that daily statistics of new COVID-19 cases reported in the state indicates that the majority of new cases are detected among the paramilitary.

Zoramthanga also mentioned in his letter that the state government has written several times to the heads of the paramilitary forces in the state to curtail avoidable movement of their personnel and to restrict inter-state travel.

However, from my reading of the records maintained by the state government, it appears to me that the paramilitary forces are going about their deployments and leave sanctions as if it is business as usual, he said.

Zoramthanga said he had been informed that incoming personnel were freely roaming in public places and were using public amenities such as banks, ATMs and visiting marketplaces, which caused panic and unrest in the state.

Considering the COVID-19 tally of the paramilitary forces, I am extremely perturbed about the propensity of the paramilitary forces turning out to be super-spreaders of COVID-19 in the State and therefore, I seek your kind intervention in issuing suitable orders, Zoramthanga said in his letter.

Mizoram reported 22 more cases of COVID-19, taking the state's tally to 504.

Among the new cases are seven security personnel, according to the state health department.

So far, 249 security personnel and NDRF staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state, as per the department.

There are 222 active cases in the state while 282 people have already recovered.

Mizoram shares international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
"phoenixNAP was the only partner that was able to satisfy our strict requirements, and we are certain this partnership will continue to expand and grow in the future," said Mark Price, President of NetActuate.

phoenixNAP, a global IT services provider offering security-focused cloud infrastructure, dedicated servers, colocation, and specialized Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) technology solutions, today announced that NetActuate has joined its carrier-neutral data center in Phoenix, Arizona. This new addition reinforces phoenixNAPs position as a leading interconnectivity hub in Phoenix with the largest number of carriers in its Meet-Me-Room (MRR).

NetActuate operates one of the largest IPv4 and IPv6 peered networks in the world. Present in over 30 enterprise-class carrier-neutral data centers, NetActuate offers IP transit services with 1G, 10G, 40G, and 100G ports, delivering exceptional performance, low latency connectivity, and 24/7 availability. With their recent deployment in phoenixNAPs flagship data center in Phoenix, NetActuate expands its service potential and strengthens its presence in the region.

We are thrilled to have NetActuate join our growing family of over 40 domestic and global carriers, said Ian McClarty, president at phoenixNAP. The deployment of NetActuate in our flagship data center in Phoenix is a testament to our commitment to providing fast, reliable, and secure services. Our state-of-the-art infrastructure will help NetActuate accelerate its network operations while delivering diverse connectivity options to businesses in the Southwest.

In recent years, the Phoenix metropolitan area has seen an exponential increase in companies looking to expand their presence in the region. As a major US data center hub, Phoenix is appealing to businesses due to its redundant power supply, low tax rates, and disaster-free environment. Located at the intersection of the two largest fiber rings, phoenixNAP has become the go-to data center in Phoenix for carriers requiring unmatched availability and faster connectivity options to local, regional, and global markets.

phoenixNAP perfectly complements our expansion strategy. Its strategically interconnected data center facilitates direct access to customers in the highly saturated US Southwest market, said Mark Price, President of NetActuate. We are focused on increasing our presence in this competitive market. Our expansion strategy calls for enterprise-class facilities with established global interconnections, redundant power and cooling, and a proven track record in delivering unbeatable uptime and security. phoenixNAP was the only partner that was able to satisfy our strict requirements, and we are certain this partnership will continue to expand and grow in the future.

Learn more about phoenixNAPs data center colocation in Phoenix.

About NetActuate

Operating one of the 10 largest IPv4 and IPv6 peered networks in the world, NetActuate helps providers get closer to their end users  no matter where in the world they are. Available from over 30 locations worldwide, NetActuates managed network and infrastructure services simplify and accelerate the global distribution of online applications and SaaS platforms. Learn more today at 1-800-419-2656 or at netactuate.com. To learn more about BGP anycast and how it can help reduce latency across diverse global markets, visit NetActuate's anycast information resource site at anycast.com.

About phoenixNAP

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phoenixNAP is a Premier Service Provider in the VMware Cloud Provider Program and a Platinum Veeam Cloud & Service Provider partner. phoenixNAP is also a PCI DSS Validated Service Provider and its flagship facility is SOC Type 1 and SOC Type 2 audited.


BERWYN, Pa., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AMETEK, Inc. (NYSE: AME) today announced its financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

AMETEK's second quarter 2020 sales were $1.01 billion, a 22% decline compared to the second quarter of 2019. Operating income in the quarter was $227.0 million and operating margins were 22.4%.

On a GAAP basis, second quarter earnings per diluted share were $0.72. Adjusted earnings were $0.84 per diluted share. Adjusted earnings adds back non-cash, after-tax, acquisition-related intangible amortization of $0.12 per diluted share. A reconciliation of reported GAAP results to adjusted results is included in the financial tables accompanying this release and on the AMETEK website.

"As we manage through the COVID-19 pandemic we continue to focus on the safety and well-being of all AMETEK colleagues. This remains our highest priority," said David A. Zapico, AMETEK Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

"While our businesses were impacted by the pandemic during the second quarter, AMETEK colleagues rose to the challenge and delivered strong performance that exceeded expectations," added Mr. Zapico. "Our businesses were able to mitigate the impact of sales weakness with impressive operating execution resulting in record adjusted EBITDA margins at 28.6%."

"We further bolstered our already strong balance sheet and liquidity position with outstanding cash generation," Mr. Zapico continued. "Operating cash flow in the second quarter was $315 million, up 28% compared to the prior-year period, and free cash flow conversion was 183% of net income. AMETEK remains well positioned to continue to invest in our growth initiatives during this economic downturn while being positioned to deploy meaningful capital on acquisitions."

Electronic Instruments Group (EIG)

EIG sales in the second quarter were $647.9 million, down 21% from the same quarter in 2019. Operating income for EIG in the quarter was $159.6 million and operating income margins were 24.6%.

"EIG sales in the quarter were impacted by the global pandemic," noted Mr. Zapico. "However, our businesses delivered strong operating performance in the face of these difficult market conditions with excellent operating margins."

Electromechanical Group (EMG)

Second quarter sales for EMG were $364.0 million, down 22% versus the same quarter last year. EMG's second quarter operating income was $84.3 million and operating income margins were a record 23.2%.

"EMG drove outstanding operating performance in the quarter, despite lower sales due to the global pandemic. Through continued execution of Operational Excellence initiatives, EMG expanded operating margins by an impressive 170 basis points over last year's second quarter," commented Mr. Zapico.

2020 Outlook

"AMETEK navigated extremely well through a challenging quarter. Our flexible and proven operating model enabled us to deliver solid results while positioning us for robust growth coming out of the downturn. We have confidence in our ability to react to changing end market dynamics and deliver strong performance while continuing to invest in our long-term strategic initiatives," noted Mr. Zapico.

"Given the on-going uncertainty related to the spread of COVID-19 and the effect that may have across economies, we will not be providing guidance at this time," added Mr. Zapico. "We will provide forward guidance when visibility improves."

Conference Call

AMETEK will webcast its second quarter 2020 investor conference call on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, beginning at 8:30 AM ET. The live audio webcast will be available and later archived in the Investors section of www.ametek.com.

About AMETEK

AMETEK is a leading global manufacturer of electronic instruments and electromechanical devices with 2019 sales of approximately $5.0 billion. The AMETEK Growth Model integrates the Four Growth Strategies - Operational Excellence, New Product Development, Global and Market Expansion, and Strategic Acquisitions - with a disciplined focus on cash generation and capital deployment. AMETEK's objective is double-digit percentage growth in earnings per share over the business cycle and a superior return on total capital. The common stock of AMETEK is a component of the S&P 500.

Forward-looking Information

Statements in this news release relating to future events, such as AMETEK's expected business and financial performance are "forward-looking statements." Forward-looking statements are subject to various factors and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ significantly from expectations. These factors and uncertainties include risks related to COVID-19 and its potential impact on AMETEK's operations, supply chain, and demand across key end markets; AMETEK's ability to consummate and successfully integrate future acquisitions; risks with international sales and operations, including supply chain disruptions; AMETEK's ability to successfully develop new products, open new facilities or transfer product lines; the price and availability of raw materials; compliance with government regulations, including environmental regulations; changes in the competitive environment or the effects of competition in our markets; the ability to maintain adequate liquidity and financing sources; and general economic conditions affecting the industries we serve. A detailed discussion of these and other factors that may affect our future results is contained in AMETEK's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent reports on Form 10-K, 10-Q and 8-K. AMETEK disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Contact:

AMETEK, Inc.

Kevin Coleman

Vice President, Investor Relations

1100 Cassatt Road

Berwyn, Pennsylvania 19312

[email protected]

Phone: 610.889.5247

AMETEK, Inc. Consolidated Statement of Income (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Net sales $1,011,922

$1,289,412

$2,214,140

$2,577,103















Cost of sales 669,195

838,153

1,493,842

1,689,460 Selling, general and administrative 115,737

155,849

261,268

308,974 Total operating expenses 784,932

994,002

1,755,110

1,998,434















Operating income 226,990

295,410

459,030

578,669















Interest expense (22,669)

(21,475)

(45,410)

(44,128) Other income (expense), net 2,131

(3,336)

143,907

(7,004)















Income before income taxes 206,452

270,599

557,527

527,537















Provision for income taxes 40,235

55,096

110,694

107,766















Net income $ 166,217

$ 215,503

$ 446,833

$ 419,771















Diluted earnings per share $ 0.72

$ 0.94

$ 1.94

$ 1.83 Basic earnings per share $ 0.73

$ 0.95

$ 1.95

$ 1.85















Weighted average common shares outstanding:













Diluted shares 230,381

229,328

230,626

229,007 Basic shares 229,225

227,577

229,094

227,219















Dividends per share $ 0.18

$ 0.14

$ 0.36

$ 0.28

AMETEK, Inc. Information by Business Segment (In thousands) (Unaudited)



Three Months Ended

Six Months Ended

June 30,

June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Net sales:













Electronic Instruments $ 647,882

$ 820,247

$1,422,107

$1,627,158 Electromechanical 364,040

469,165

792,033

949,945 Consolidated net sales $1,011,922

$1,289,412

$2,214,140

$2,577,103















Operating income:













Segment operating income:













Electronic Instruments $ 159,593

$ 212,913

$ 330,864

$ 415,997 Electromechanical 84,287

101,065

160,851

199,878 Total segment operating income 243,880

313,978

491,715

615,875 Corporate administrative expenses (16,890)

(18,568)

(32,685)

(37,206) Consolidated operating income $ 226,990

$ 295,410

$ 459,030

$ 578,669

AMETEK, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet (In thousands)



June 30,

December 31,

2020

2019

(Unaudited)



ASSETS





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,130,975

$ 393,030 Receivables, net 620,160

744,760 Inventories, net 621,518

624,567 Other current assets 144,482

263,414 Total current assets 2,517,135

2,025,771







Property, plant and equipment, net 516,575

548,908 Right of use asset, net 164,216

179,679 Goodwill 4,155,636

4,047,539 Other intangibles, investments and other assets 2,957,610

3,042,662 Total assets $10,311,172

$ 9,844,559







LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current liabilities:





Short-term borrowings and current portion of long-term debt, net $ 115,880

$ 497,449 Accounts payable and accruals 901,573

928,409 Total current liabilities 1,017,453

1,425,858







Long-term debt, net 2,753,254

2,271,292 Deferred income taxes and other long-term liabilities 1,054,025

1,031,917 Stockholders' equity 5,486,440

5,115,492 Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $10,311,172

$ 9,844,559

AMETEK, Inc. Reconciliations of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures (In thousands, except per share amounts) (Unaudited)









EBITDA









Three Months Ended



(In millions) June 30, 2020



Net income $ 166.2



Add (deduct):







Interest expense 22.7





Interest income (0.7)





Income taxes 40.2





Depreciation 25.0





Amortization 36.3



EBITDA $ 289.7













EBITDA Margin (EBITDA divided by net sales) 28.6%

































FREE CASH FLOW









Three Months Ended



(In millions) June 30, 2020



Cash provided by operating activities $ 314.6



Deduct: Capital expenditures (10.1)



Free cash flow $ 304.5













Free Cash Flow Conversion (Free cash flow divided by net income) 183%

































ADJUSTED DILUTED EARNINGS PER SHARE









Diluted Earnings Per Share



Three Months Ended



June 30,

June 30,



2020

2019 Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) $ 0.72

$ 0.94

Pretax amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets 0.16

0.14

Income tax benefit on amortization of acquisition-related intangible assets (0.04)

(0.03) Adjusted Diluted earnings per share (Non-GAAP) $ 0.84

$ 1.05

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

The Company supplements its consolidated financial statements presented on a U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") basis with certain nonGAAP financial information to provide investors with greater insight, increased transparency and allow for a more comprehensive understanding of the information used by management in its financial and operational decision-making. Reconciliation of nonGAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures are included in the accompanying financial tables. These nonGAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, and not as a replacement for, or superior to, the comparable GAAP measure, and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures reported by other companies.



The Company believes that these measures provide useful information to investors by reflecting additional ways of viewing AMETEK's operations that, when reconciled to the comparable GAAP measure, helps our investors to better understand the long-term profitability trends of our business, and facilitates easier comparisons of our profitability to prior and future periods and to our peers.

SOURCE AMETEK, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ametek.com






SOME hospitals are allegedly turning away people seeking medical services saying they must first produce Covid-19 medical certificates.





The turning away of patients is allegedly happening across the country at some private and public hospitals.





A Covid-19 test certificate is beyond the reach of many as a rapid test costs about US$20 at private institutions and laboratories while at public institutions its free for people tested after contact tracing.





Health workers, especially nurses, are at a high risk of contracting Covid-19 and available statistics show that more than 300 nurses have been infected countrywide.





Government has however said it had received reports of patients being asked to provide Covid-19 certificates, a development it said must come to an end.





One of those affected by the decision to send away patients without a Covid-19 certificate is a 34-year-old pregnant woman who said officials at Gwanda Provincial Hospital said she could not register to deliver there without Covid-19 test results.





I went to Gwanda Provincial Hospital intending to register for delivery and antenatal care visits since I am still in my first trimester. One of the clerks at the front desk asked if I knew my Covid-19 status and when





I said no, she said there was no way I would register as I am a risk to health care workers, said the woman who preferred anonymity.













She said the clerk told her the decision was effective as from August 1.





The Deputy Minister of Health and Child Care, Dr John Mangwiro, said reports that some hospitals were turning away patients without Covid-19 test certificates had reached his office.





He said they were still investigating the matter but was quick to point out that Government policy was that every patient must be admitted and put in isolation while PCR tests are done to ascertain the patients Covid-19 status.





It is Government policy that no patient is chased away from a medical institution, Covid-19 positive or negative. If the medical staff suspect anything, they should put that patient in a ward and quickly do PCR tests on that patient and if the results come positive, the patient is then put in isolation, said Dr Mangwiro.





We have received such complaints across the country and we will not hesitate to act on the health personnel who defy that policy and chase away patients from the health institutions.





He said it is Government policy that patients are treated with empathy and are attended to as quickly as possible without being put under any prejudice or duress.





Dr Mangwiro said while the patient receives treatment, the PCR and RDT tests should be conducted on the patient as soon as possible.





Let me reiterate that patients should not be chased away from seeking medical attention, they must be treated while PCR and RDT tests are being conducted as soon as they are received at any health institution in the country. That is Government policy which must be followed by medical staff and anyone disobeying must be reported to the Ministry as soon as possible, said Dr Mangwiro.





Matabeleland South provincial medical director Dr Rudo Chikodzere said her office and that of the Gwanda Provincial Hospital medical superintendent were not aware that patients were being turned away.





She said medical staff who turn away patients are violating the rights of the patients and must be reported.





In a statement yesterday, Zimbabwe Nurses Association president Mr Enock Dongo said nurses were not willing to resume their duties as work stations had become a danger to their lives.





Mr Dongo said they were demanding better pay.




The death of a two-day-old baby could have been prevented had her mother not been sent home after her first presentation at hospital before a high-risk birth, a South Australian coroner has found.

Jennifer Willmett travelled two hours to a hospital at Ceduna, on the Eyre Peninsula, in the final stages of her pregnancy in August 2016.

But medical staff determined she was not in labour and the pains she had been experiencing were practice contractions.

Jennifer Willmett travelled two hours to a hospital at Ceduna (pictured), on the Eyre Peninsula, in the final stages of her pregnancy in August 2016

She was discharged the next morning to return with her husband to their home 140km away at Sceale Bay.

However, the couple diverted to the Streaky Bay Hospital when Mrs Willmett feared 'something had happened' and her baby was coming.

She was subsequently transferred by ambulance back to Ceduna where baby Laura was delivered by an emergency caesarean.

In his findings on Tuesday, coroner Anthony Schapel said the baby's death could have been prevented if Mrs Willmett had not returned home, if she had been subject to constant or regular monitoring when she first went to the Ceduna Hospital and if her ruptured uterus had been properly diagnosed.

'To my mind the evidence demonstrates that but for the events of 13 August 2016 Laura probably would have survived, and save for the unconnected brain lesion that might have affected her eyesight during life, she probably would have been born well,' Mr Schapel said.

In evidence to the inquest, the coroner was told that Mrs Willmett had delivered her first baby by caesarean but wanted a vaginal birth for the arrival of Laura.

Counsel assisting the coroner Naomi Kereru said a vaginal delivery with a uterine scar presented a number of risks to both mother and baby.

Mr Schapel said attempts for a vaginal birth after a previous caesarean should be a 'rare occurrence' in any country hospital in South Australia given their inferior level of resources.

He said if women were to be allowed to attempt such a birth, it was imperative they be fully informed of those limitations and that the qualifications of doctors in those hospitals might not be the same as those in major metropolitan hospitals.

The coroner said mothers should also be aware that an emergency caesarean might not be performed as expeditiously as warranted in a country hospital and that the distance from their home to a country hospital might be a complicating factor.
Nebraskas meatpacking plants wont have to worry about any new safety restrictions this year, despite outbreaks of the coronavirus among their workers, after a state lawmaker on July 29 failed to secure enough support for the idea.

Sen. Tony Vargas, of Omaha, fell two votes short of the 30 he needed to introduce a bill in the waning days of the 2020 session. The Legislatures rules only allow new bills to be introduced during the first 10 days of each session, unless a super-majority of lawmakers agrees to suspend the rule. July 29 was the 51st day of this years 60-day session.

Lawmakers voted 28-10 to allow the new proposal.

Many of Nebraskas meatpacking plants were forced to temporarily shutter their operations earlier this year after they became among the nations biggest coronavirus hot spots. In May, state officials acknowledged that nearly one in six coronavirus cases in Nebraska had been linked to a meatpacking plant.

Conservative lawmakers argued that a new bill wasnt necessary because Nebraskas plants have since taken steps to protect their workers, seeking guidance from infectious disease experts at the University of Nebraska Medical Center on how to safely operate.

The companies say they have introduced measures such as social-distancing and plastic barriers that separate employees who work close together.

Sen. Steve Erdman, of Bayard, said one company official told him that many infected workers caught the virus outside of work. Some Midwestern politicians have made similar arguments that workers living in crowded homes bear some blame.

Other lawmakers expressed skepticism about the bill, but said it deserves a public hearing given the viruss impact.

Id hate to be the one to keep it from even being considered, said Sen. Mike Moser, of Columbus.

Sen. Megan Hunt, of Omaha, said after the vote that lawmakers just spat in the face of meatpacking workers who are putting their health at risk during the pandemic.

Vargas represents a large number of meatpacking workers in his south Omaha district, and his father died earlier this year after contracting the coronavirus. He acknowledged that his bill faces long odds in Nebraskas conservative Legislature, but argued that a public hearing would allow workers, advocates and the plants to discuss whats being done.

I am pleading with you, he said in a floor speech to his colleagues. This will send a very direct message to the state.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Legislation Nebraska
Sorrento Therapeutics (SRNE) enjoyed yet another stellar day. Sure, there have been plenty of good weeks so far in 2020  shares are up by a resounding 190% year-to-date. And according to H.C. Wainwright analyst Ram Selvaraju, theres plenty more to come.

Selvaraju reiterated a Buy rating on SRNE shares and boosted his price target to $30. If the market plays nice with Selvarajus forecast, investors could be adding a massive 207% to their portfolios over the next 12 months. (To watch Selvarajus track record, click here)

Thats an extremely bullish call, so what lies behind it? Last week, Sorrento announced it had inked a licensing deal with Columbia University for an innovative new COVID-19 test. The university has given Sorrento the rights to a fast, one-step diagnostic test that samples saliva and can detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus in 30 minutes.

COVI-TRACE  the tests name  will be marketed by Sorrento. What sets it apart from other diagnostic products is that all testing materials are held in a single tube, eliminating the need for any laboratory equipment. The advantages are obvious, as this means the test is mobile and can be used in various settings - either on site, for point-of-care or even for home testing.

With the number of COVID-19 cases spiking, laboratories across the country are finding it difficult to meet the demand. As a result of the current backlog, average turnaround times for test results are reportedly between several days to over a week. Selvaraju expects Sorrento to file for EUA certification immediately.

The 5-star analyst said, We believe that the incentive to facilitate the large-scale and indeed ubiquitous deployment of the COVI-TRACE test is extremely high and governments worldwide may seek to implement this in their respective regions. Our current assumptions viewed in this context may be considered conservativewe utilize a $15 price per test (payable on a cash basis, which obviates the reimbursement part of the equation) and anticipate that roughly 56.5 million such tests could be conducted at peak annually, resulting in total sales of roughly $1 billion."

Story continues

Overall, only one other analyst has thrown the hat in with a review of the high-flying biotech over the past three months. The extra Buy provides Sorrento with a Moderate Buy consensus rating. At $27, the average price target implies upside potential of 181%. (See Sorrento stock analysis on TipRanks)

To find good ideas for healthcare stocks trading at attractive valuations, visit TipRanks Best Stocks to Buy, a newly launched tool that unites all of TipRanks equity insights.
Sudan said on Tuesday it may withdraw from the current round of talks on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) if Ethiopia insists on linking the reaching of a long-term agreement on the filling and operating of the dam to creating a convention on the use of the Blue Nile waters as a whole.

In letter addressed to the South African foreign minister, as the country is currently chairing the African Union and presiding over the negotiations, Sudanese Irrigation Minister Yasser Abbas said that Ethiopia's proposal has "raised serious fears" concerning the path of the current negotiations, as well as the understandings that were reached in previous talks.

The Ethiopian letter [sent by the Ethiopian irrigation minister on 4 August just before Tuesday's scheduled talks] says that the agreement should be focused only on the first filling of the dam. It links reaching an agreement on the operating of the dam in the long-term to reaching a convention on the waters of the Blue Nile, Abbas said.

Ethiopia announced on Tuesday that it had presented a version of what it called guidelines and rules on the mega-dam to Egypt and Sudan, and that both countries had requested to adjourn the talks to consider the Ethiopian proposal.

This is a huge development and change in the Ethiopian stance which threatens the continuation of the talks led by the African Union, and it is also a violation of the Declaration of Principles signed by Egypt, Ethiopia and Sudan in March 2015, the Sudanese minister said in his letter.

The minister stressed the serious dangers presented by the dam for Sudan and its people, including its social and environmental impacts, which would affect the safety of millions of people living on the banks of the Blue Nile, as well as the safety of the countrys Roseires Dam.

Abbas stressed "the necessity of reaching a comprehensive agreement that covers both the filling and operating of the GERD."

Sudan wont risk the lives of 20 million of its citizens living on the banks of the Blue Nile to reach an agreement on the Blue Nile and future projects on it, the minister said.

On Monday, talks between the irrigation ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia resumed via video conference under the auspices of the African Union and with the attendance of observers and experts from the EU Commission, the US and the African Union.

It was announced originally that three nations had agreed that the technical and legal committees were to hold meetings to discuss points of contention on 4-5 August, before presenting their conclusion at a ministerial meeting slated for 6 August.

Last month, Addis Ababa said it had completed the first-years filling of the dams reservoir.

The first round of AU-sponsored talks over the project ended two weeks ago without reaching an accord.

The leaders of the three countries agreed in a mini-summit held subsequently that they would restart talks.

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Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) ("PSH") today announced that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's Public Shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"):

Trading Venue: London Stock Exchange Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 4 August 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 28,029 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 1,866 pence 24.32 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 1,844 pence 24.03 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 1,858 pence 24.21 USD Ticker: PSHD Date of Purchase: 4 August 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 11,467 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 24.15 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 24.15 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 24.15 USD Trading Venue: Euronext Amsterdam Ticker: PSH Date of Purchase: 4 August 2020 Number of Public Shares purchased: 25,054 Shares Highest Price Paid Per Share: 24.35 USD Lowest Price Paid Per Share: 24.05 USD Average Price Paid Per Share: 24.18 USD

PSH will hold these Public Shares in Treasury. The net asset value per Public Share related to this buyback is 36.12 USD 27.60 GBP which was calculated as of 31 July 2020 (the "Relevant NAV"). After giving effect to the above buyback, PSH has 194,156,055 Public Shares outstanding, or 200,130,951 Public Shares calculated on a fully diluted basis (assuming that all Management Shares had been converted into Public Shares at the Relevant NAV). Excluded from the shares outstanding are 16,800,695 Public Shares held in Treasury. The prices per Public Share were calculated by Jefferies.

The number of PSH Management Shares and the one special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) have not been affected.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (LN:PSHD) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005978/en/

Contacts:

Media Contact

Camarco

Ed Gascoigne-Pees Hazel Stevenson +44 020 3757 4989, media-pershingsquareholdings@camarco.co.uk
SAN ANTONIO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Seven decades. That's 25,550 glorious days of serving up hot, fresh Whataburgers to our customers, just the way they like it.

From day one  August 8, 1950  when our founder, Harmon Dobson, opened up the very first Whataburger in a portable metal building in Corpus Christi, Texas. To today, 2020, a year when CEO Ed Nelson helped launch the delivery of customized Whataburgers to customers' front doors it's been quite a ride.

Through it all, you have been with us. Thank you, Whataburger guest, for being by our orange-and-white striped side. It has been our honor to be your hometown Whataburger.

The adversity of the global pandemic challenged us, but it cannot take away our spirit. Together, we created new ways to celebrate birthdays, anniversaries, and life events. We are resilient in our efforts, and we will pull through this together in the spirit of hope, inside and outside our restaurant walls.

As a brand, we have 46,000 employees (we call them Family Members) who have banded together with a renewed focus. And what we've found  is that extra energy and compassion have yielded amazing results.

Some of it has been business focused. This year, Whataburger launched curbside and delivery service, increasing digital transactions to historic levels. With the guidance of our 15-person Strategy Council (a group of tenured Whataburger executives who set strategy and provide counsel for the brand on all major decisions), we've broken sales records; sharpened our operational excellence; built seven new restaurants (with nine more planned by the end of the year); promoted our president (and 16-year Whataburger veteran) to CEO; launched a new, modern restaurant design, while preserving the iconic Flying W and A-frame accents; hired hundreds of new restaurant team members; and served up three new, unique limited-time burgers.

Some of it has been people focused. We have provided and delivered hot food to our first responders and frontline health care workers. The brand awarded $1 million in scholarships to our Family Members and their dependents. We kept our restaurant teams employed so they could provide for their own families during this difficult time. And there were the countless examples of how Family Members made customers' days by picking up the tab because of a forgotten wallet or holding an umbrella while walking customers to their cars in the rain. In return, our customers made Whataburger part of their lives in the most remarkable ways: building tiny dioramas of our restaurants, saying "I Do" at their WhataWeddings, featuring us in their high school senior portraits, constructing Whataburger chicken coops and, well, swaddling their newborn babies in taquito wrappers. There is something unique and cool about all of you. About us. And we wouldn't have it any other way.

And much of our work has been future focused. We've got some exciting news. Whataburger is building 35 restaurants (25 company and 10 franchise) in 2021. We're expanding into new markets (Kansas, Missouri, and Tennessee) and adding to our long-standing Franchisee family by partnering with new franchisees for the first time in 20 years. And later this week, we're unveiling our Whataburger Food Truck at an event supporting educators on Thursday, Aug. 6th.

We've always cared about what you care about. Over the years, the success of schools and students has been a priority for all of us. This year, we are doubling down on our efforts to support students of all ages by launching our signature Whataburger Feeding Student Success program. From hot food to classroom supplies and scholarships, the program is built to help on three levels:

Resource Rooms: We'll be partnering with community colleges and universities to build resource rooms, like the one at Grambling State University announced yesterday, and the one at the University of Texas at San Antonio that has supplied 32,340 pounds of food since the pandemic.

We'll be partnering with community colleges and universities to build resource rooms, like the one at announced yesterday, and the one at the that has supplied 32,340 pounds of food since the pandemic. Scholarships: To support students in our 10-state (and growing!) footprint, the brand is designing the Whataburger Feeding Student Success Scholarship Fund to award scholarships to those attending technical schools, community colleges and four-year universities.

To support students in our 10-state (and growing!) footprint, the brand is designing the Whataburger Feeding Student Success Scholarship Fund to award scholarships to those attending technical schools, community colleges and four-year universities. Hyperlocal Community Involvement: It takes a village. Whataburger will continue its long legacy of partnering with local schools, foundations, organizations and nonprofits to lend time, treasure and talent as they support students in achieving success.

"From all of us to all of you, thank you for the last 70 years," said Whataburger CEO Ed Nelson. "And get ready for the next 70. With the help of our tenured leadership team, the Whataburger Family, and BDT Capital Partners, the brand is taking innovative steps to meet the needs of the next generation of Whataburger fans  while still holding true to the things that matter to our longtime customers. Stay safe. We can't wait to celebrate in person when the time is right."

About Whataburger

Whataburger has focused on its fresh, made-to-order burgers and friendly customer service since 1950 when Harmon Dobson opened the first Whataburger as a small roadside burger stand in Corpus Christi, Texas. Today, the company is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, with more than 830 locations in 10 states and sales of more than $2.5 billion annually. Whataburger has 46,000 Family Members (employees) and more than 14 million customers who like to customize their Whataburgers just the way they like it. Whataburger is currently hiring restaurant leaders and offers competitive salaries, benefits and training. Visit whataburger.com for more information.

SOURCE Whataburger
San Francisco is preparing for a surge in food assistance applications after increased federal unemployment benefits of $600 per week ended and the coronavirus pandemic worsens.

The city has already received more than 25,000 applications for the states CalFresh program since the coronavirus was declared a public health emergency in March, said Shireen McSpadden, executive director of San Franciscos Department of Disability and Aging Services.

With the increased number of residents out of work, the number of people unable to afford enough nutritious food is also increasing, McSpadden said during a news conference Tuesday.

More than 55,000 households citywide were enrolled in CalFresh, which provides money for groceries, as of July.

This month, the state plans to continue emergency benefits in order to max out each households monthly CalFresh benefit. Recent changes such as no longer requiring interviews for assistance have also made it easier to apply for those in need.

More than 9 million Californians filed for unemployment insurance since the pandemic erupted in March, and more than 50 million are out of work nationwide.

McSpadden said that 1 in 4 San Franciscans were at risk of hunger prior to the pandemic and that the African American and Latino communities hit hardest by COVID-19 are particularly vulnerable to food insecurity.

She noted residents who did not qualify for CalFresh assistance because they were receiving the additional $600 per week in federal benefits should reapply for the program once those benefits expire.

Mayor London Breeds proposed budget also sets aside more than $40 million to increase food aid for city residents, McSpadden said.

Emergency city programs like Great Plates Delivered provide meal delivery to older residents while other programs created during the pandemic feed those quarantining because of the virus or experiencing homelessness.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Free, fresh food is also available from the San Francisco-Marin Food Bank at multiple locations. The number of weekly bags of groceries distributed by the food bank has spiked during the pandemic, with the 53,000-plus given out last week equating to almost 1 million meals.

Residents can find more information about how to access food resources by calling 311 or going to www.sf.gov/get-food-resources.

Across California, 2.6 million households were receiving CalFresh aid as of June, up from 2.1 million at the beginning of the year, according to state data.

Chase DiFeliciantonio is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: chase.difeliciantonio@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @ChaseDiFelice
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. The head of the Military-Industrial Committee of the Ministry of High-Tech Industry Artak Davtyan has held a meeting with the executives of companies manufacturing unmanned aerial vehicles in Armenia.

Davtyan, who was recently appointed to lead the committee, presented his vision for developing the industry and listened to the proposals of the company executives, the high-tech ministry said.

The CEOs of the Armenian drone-makers presented their current activities and outlined their ideas for improvement.

The science-based development possibilities, upcoming programs and priorities for perfecting the Armenian-made drones were discussed.

The meeting also discussed the experience of the militarys use of the drones during the latest border clashes in July when Azerbaijan launched an attack on Armenia.

Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Free State soldiers fighting against Republican forces at O'Connell Bridge in Dublin during the Irish Civil War. Photo: Brooke/Topical Press Agency/Getty Images

New research has highlighted the extent to which women were subject to aggression and intimidation during the Irish Civil War - up to and including having shots fired at them in their homes, and having their heads forcibly sheared.

The information has emerged from the newly released records of compensation claims from the time.

It illustrates how some women suffered badly during the conflict.

Dr Gemma Clark, of the University of Exeter, said: "Revolutionary Ireland was not a safe place for many Irishwomen, however there is little evidence sexual violence was widespread during the conflict.

"The records suggest violence against women was not used in a systematic way to realise political or military objectives.

"But it's important to remember that people then, as now, may have been reluctant to report sexual assault. The highly damaging legacies of the Civil War ought not to be forgotten, and these papers give information about the violence and intimidation suffered by people which otherwise would have gone unrecorded."

In one extract from the records, Mary Barry recounted how she and three other girls came under fire at Dillons Cross, Co Cork, in December 1922. Ms Barry wrote that she and the girls had been "singing a song in support of the Treaty when a shot rang out and I fell".

She attributed the attack to "civilians believed to be anti-Treaty or supporters of anti-Treaty forces".

A "party of Irregulars" carried out a night-time raid at Patrick Callanan's home in Dromelihy, Co Clare, in December 1922, shooting his daughter Mai in the foot.

It is not clear if the shooter, William Campbell, meant to injure her foot but records show Mai was suspected of informing the government troops at Kilrush of "the whereabouts of Mr Campbell and other Irregulars".

Serious attacks also took place in the home, where women suffered severe violence. Bridget Barry from Co Cork hid under a kitchen table when "machine gun fire and bullets came through [the] back door". She had given water to "rebels" who came to her front door and the National Troops subsequently opened fire on her home.

Dr Clark's investigations of possible cases of sexual assault were made difficult by omissions and obscure language in the sources.

Women were more forthcoming in compensation claims, by contrast, about forced hair-shearing than sexual assault or rape.

Anne White, a housekeeper for a priest in Co Cork, was assaulted when the house was raided by armed men in April 1923.

Her sister Mary, also a servant, and the priest, "remonstrated" with the raiders but they were threatened with revolvers - and Mary was "badly dragged about and assaulted", which, according to the compensation claim, resulted in lasting physical and psychological damage rendering her unable to work or care for elderly parents.

Anne was forced into a car by the raiders and taken away to an unoccupied house five or six miles away, where she was kept and her hair cut off.

The research is published in the journal 'Irish Historical Studies'.

The claims committee considered 6,616 applications, paying out more than 269,000 to the injured and dependants of the deceased.
Stranger Things season 4 is "set to be the best yet", according to Natalia Dyer, the actress who plays Nancy Wheeler in the hit Netflix series.

The fourth season had only been filming for a few weeks when COVID-19 hit and halted all production. This means the fourth season may not get to us for a wee while, but Dyer actually thinks this could be a "blessing for the writers" as they have had more time to "just sit down, think, and create".

In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, she said:



Normally, we get the first few scripts, and then they have to keep writing due to the schedule of it. It takes a while to craft a script. So, normally, there's a kind of 'writing as we're going', but it seems they've had enough time.

When the actress was asked if the new season would have nine episodes, she responded "it appears to be".

Season one of the show had eight episodes, whereas season two had nine. Season three then also eight episodes, so it would only feel right to have nine episodes for the fourth season.

Earlier in the month, Joe Keery, who plays Steve Harrington, revealed season 4 is also going to be the scariest season yet...

...here's hoping the upcoming season lives up to its expectations!
It says the software patch would require MCAS to rely on two sensors that determine the angle at which the plane is flying, rather than just one. And if the sensors disagree by a certain amount, the system would be disabled for the rest of the flight. MCAS will also be gentler in how it pushes the planes nose down and allowed to engage only once, to avoid overwhelming pilots.
Government is seeking parliamentary approval to borrow a total of $166,120,000 for the purchase of armoured vehicles.

The three separate agreements were laid in parliament Monday and referred to a joint committee on Finance, Defence and Interior.

The first facility is between Government of Ghana (represented by the Ministry of Finance) and Israel Discount Bank Limited for an amount of Seventy-Four Million, One Hundred and Twenty Thousand United States Dollars to finance the supply of Armoured Vehicles to Government of Ghana.

The House has also been requested to approve a Commercial Loan Agreement between Government of Ghana and the same Israel Discount Bank for an amount of $12million for supply of Armoured Vehicles.

The third and final facility is a contract Agreement between Government of Ghana and Elbit Systems Land Limited of Israel for an amount of $80 million for supply of Armoured Vehicles.

All the 3 facilities were laid by Defence Minister Dominic Nitiwul today.

---starrfmonline
Khalil Osiris, Founder, Reflecting Freedom Network As important as the right to vote is the right to productive employment and decent work, said Khalil Osiris, a formerly incarcerated citizen who has experienced firsthand the challenges of reentering the workplace.

Florida-based nonprofit, Reflecting Freedom Network, (RFN) announced on Monday that it will provide free web-based job skills and career training to the states formerly incarcerated citizens and their families. The move comes at a time when over a million Floridians with prior felony convictions are waiting on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to decide on their right to register to vote.

As important as the right to vote is the right to productive employment and decent work, said Khalil Osiris, Founder of RFN and a formerly incarcerated citizen who has experienced firsthand the challenges of reentering the workplace. For more than 600,000 citizens released from Americas prisons each year, and their families, the right to vote and decent work are equally important to their successful reentry.

Leveraging a web-based delivery system provides formerly incarcerated citizens and their families with the flexibility to directly access educational and employment services through our online platform and mobile app, said Osiris. We look forward to partnering with companies to expand job opportunities for Floridians with prior felony convictions. The right to vote, productive employment and decent work are the foundation of democracy.

RFNs platform and mobile app, 1NetworkUSA.com, is available for returning citizens, their families and youth-at-risk. This scalable restorative justice solution includes the following features:



Web-based job skills training

Mobile app available for download on Google Play and Apple App Store

Pathways for accredited high school education

Virtual job placement services with direct access to job opportunities

About Reflecting Freedom Network

Reflecting Freedom Network (RFN), a non-profit organization, is a community of individuals committed to building public/private sector partnerships to promote economic and social justice through accredited education, job skills training and career development. RFNs mission is to provide accessible, affordable pathways for people impacted by the criminal justice system to build better lives for themselves and their families.
The iboss cloud platform allows users to connect directly to cloud applications without needing to send those connections through bottlenecked office connections reducing infrastructure costs and increasing user productivity resulting from fast and secure connections.

iboss, the leader in cloud delivered network security, today announced that is has been named a finalist in the 2020 SaaS Awards for Best Security Innovation in a SaaS Product.

Now in its fifth year of celebrating software innovation, the Software-as-a-Service Awards program accepts entries worldwide, including the US, Canada, Australasia, EMEA and UK. The program strives to represent software innovation and diversity from all of these regions, and more.

The SaaS Awards program celebrates the brightest and the best in Cloud Computing. Any SaaS solution is eligible: the SaaS Awards recognizes SaaS solutions across public clouds, as well as alongside private, single-tenant solutions, off-premise or on-premise.

iboss provides network security as a service, delivered in the cloud, as a complete SaaS offering to ensure fast and secure Internet access on any device, from any location, in the cloud. Built on a proprietary containerized architecture designed 100% for the cloud, iboss is the only vendor on the market that can transition all of the security capabilities found in traditional web gateway proxies and network firewall appliances to the cloud. iboss secures network traffic from anywhere with elastic and instant scaling to meet the demands of the cloud-first future. Users are always connected to iboss cloud, regardless of device or location, to ensure all Internet traffic is secured for compliance, web filtering, malware defense and data loss at all times.

We are honored to be named a finalist in the 2020 SaaS Awards, said Paul Martini, iboss Co-founder and CEO. The need to work from home or outside of the office is the new reality. The iboss cloud platform allows users to connect directly to cloud applications without needing to send those connections through bottlenecked office connections reducing infrastructure costs and increasing user productivity resulting from fast and secure connections.

Head of operations for the SaaS Awards, James Williams said, Software-as-a-Services force for positive disruption never seems to abate, with seemingly unending solutions for modern business. Williams added, This year is of course a special case, with SaaS not only at the forefront of remodelling existing business processes, but also agilely responding with pioneering solutions to unavoidable global disruptions. Indeed, SaaS technologies are now celebrated as providing new and inventive ways for organizations to perform what might have once seemed simple tasks in a changing international landscape. From fulfilling orders to arranging meetings, SaaS technologies are more important than ever.

Final SaaS Awards winners will be announced on Tuesday 25 August 2020 and the program will return in Spring 2021. Hundreds of organizations entered, with international entries coming from North America, Canada, Australia, UK, Europe and the Middle East. To view the full shortlist, please visit: https://www.cloud-awards.com/2020-software-awards-shortlist/.

A sister program to the SaaS Awards, The Cloud Awards, will soon accept submissions for a new 2020-21 program, continuing its recognition of excellence in cloud computing, with a final October deadline.

About the SaaS Awards

The SaaS Awards is a sister program to the Cloud Awards, which was founded in 2011. The SaaS Awards focuses on recognizing excellence and innovation in software solutions. Categories range from Best Enterprise-Level SaaS to Best UX or UI Design in a SaaS Product.

About the Cloud Awards

The Cloud Awards is an international program which has been recognizing and honoring industry leaders, innovators and organizational transformation in cloud computing since 2011. The awards are open to large, small, established and start-up organizations from across the entire globe, with an aim to find and celebrate the pioneers who will shape the future of the Cloud as we move into 2021 and beyond. Categories include the Software as a Service award, Most Promising Start-Up, and Best in Mobile Cloud Solution.

Finalists are selected by a judging panel of international industry experts. For more information about the Cloud Awards and SaaS Awards, please visit https://www.cloud-awards.com/.

About iboss

iboss is a cloud security company that provides organizations and their employees fast and secure access to the Internet on any device, from any location, in the cloud. The iboss cloud platform provides network security as a service, delivered in the cloud, as a complete SaaS offering. This eliminates the need for traditional network security appliances, such as firewalls and web gateway proxies, which are ineffective at protecting a cloud-first and mobile world. Leveraging a purpose-built cloud architecture backed by over 190 issued and pending patents and more than 100 points of presence globally, iboss protects more than 4,000 organizations worldwide. To learn more, visit https://www.iboss.com/.
A Fox News article implied that a shooting in Portland was related to protests against police violence and systemic racism, and other conservative media followed suit. The problem? The shooting happened 5 miles away from demonstrations.

Just after 11 p.m. on Friday night, Portland police responded to the 600 block of Northeast 87th Avenue to find the woman had been shot in the arm and more than 150 shots fired in the area.

The woman was taken to a hospital with what police said were non-life-threatening injuries. Police said at least eight occupied apartments and seven vehicles were struck by bullets, but no other injuries were reported.

That same night, a couple of thousand protesters gathered in downtown for the 65th straight night of protests in Portland against systemic racism and police violence after the killing of George Floyd. The Multnomah County Justice Center, the frequent focal point of protests, is about 5 miles from where the shooting took place in Montavilla.

Portland sees 150-round shooting at apartment building, as crowds continue violent clashes with police, blared the headline from Fox News on Sunday.

Fox News is one of the right-wing news organizations that have painted Portland as a city under siege as the protests continue.

More than 150 rounds were fired and one woman was shot in Portland on Friday night while protesters on Saturday  some of whom appeared to impersonate press  threw glass bottles and shined lasers at city police officers sent to quell the nighttime unrest witnessed for more than two months straight, reads the story, written by Danielle Wallace.

Friday night the Portland protests were markedly more peaceful, and federal officials were no longer standing guard or employing tear gas on demonstrators.

On Saturday night, police and protesters on the east side of the river did clash. That interaction took place outside the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office on East Burnside Street, about 2.5 miles away from Fridays shooting.

The Fox News story acknowledged it was not immediately clear whether the shooting was linked to demonstrations, but presented no evidence to suggest they are.

We have no information to suggest that this shooting was in any way related to protests, Sgt. Kevin Allen, a spokesperson for the Portland Police Bureau, said Sunday evening. While the protests have required significant resources, PPB officers continue to respond to calls for service, including shootings.

Portland did see a spike in shooting and homicides in July. Last month, 15 people were murdered, the most killings in one month in more than thirty years, officials said.

On July 30, there had been a total of 63 shootings so far that month compared to 28 in July 2019, according to the Portland Police Bureau. That number does not include Fridays shooting, which happened on the final day of the month.

Homicides, assaults, burglaries and vandalism are all up this year compared to last year, police numbers show, but total person-to-person and property crimes are still down from previous years.

A resident of the apartment building where the shooting occurred, interviewed by KPTV and quoted in the Fox News story, attributed the uptick to the dissolution of the Gun Violence Reduction Team in July as a result of budget cuts to police units that have targeted a disproportionate number of black people in traffic stops.

But a 2020 increase in shootings predates the teams disbanding. The officers were placed elsewhere, including on the bureaus patrol unit, where they continue to investigate shootings.

What was really lost was the follow-up piece, picking up video, contacting people, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell on Thursday.

-- Lizzy Acker

503-221-8052, lacker@oregonian.com, @lizzzyacker

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
TO THE EDITOR:

Although I agree that the Stronach Township Planning Commission could have spent their time on more worthwhile issues than on an unnecessary Second Amendment Sanctuary issue, already protected under our Constitution, I disagree with the premises stated in the letter to the editor "Reader: Planning commission should have other concerns" published on July 28.

What does the deployment of federal police in Portland, Oregon, and other cities have to do with local politics in Stronach Township? I would give them the benefit of the doubt to handle such issues if they arise in Stronach.

There is no doubt a few police will disregard the right of some to peacefully protest by applying unnecessary force. However, there is also no doubt that a segment of the crowd has proven that they will harm others as is the case with their assault on police. They would burn down the federal courthouses if left unattended, as they are doing to police stations and other public, commercial and private properties.

It is expected and sensible for an owner to protect their property. In the case of the courthouses that are federal properties funded by the taxpayers, the obligation falls on the president and governmental agencies to protect the structures if local authorities don't. If the mayors of these cities, and the governors of these states would support law and order by reasonable enforcement measures by the involvement of their local and state police, while encouraging peaceful protests, the need for federal involvement could be minimized if needed at all. However in some cases they are encouraging the harmful and destructive behavior, by allowing it behind a facade of the protests. The result is that by not keeping the peace, the peaceful protesters suffer by inclusion with the bad actors, and the message of their protest becomes compromised.

An outrageous accusation was made that President Trump murdered 145,000 people. The reference was not stated, however, it was quite apparent that it was in regard to the COVID-19 deaths in the USA. Murder implies that he willfully engaged in actions causing the deaths of 145,000 citizens. Are all leaders of their respective countries with COVID-19 deaths directly responsible for those deaths? President Trump is a flawed man, but a murderer he is not, given the information provided to make this irresponsible claim.

To assert that there is any significant number of people placing greater emphasis on their guns than are on the COVID-19 pandemic, is baseless. To criticize the Stronach Planning Commission's priorities is valid, but I would leave that to their constituents. The letter was nothing more than a format to attack the president. The accusation that there is a shell game being played regarding guns versus COVID-19 by the president, and that there is something to be ashamed of, by not making an association between the president's actions, and those of the Stronach Planning Commission are unfounded. There likely is some Trump derangement syndrome at play here.

Charlie Ganss

Manistee Township
Feeling a bit iffy? Plan your day better with January 19, 2022 horoscope. 

Aries Horoscope: Financial front will be encouraging, one or the other source of income will be active. Your reputation at workplace will increase. You are enjoying a healthy life. You will be aware of every situation at domestic front. Travel packages can be won as a reward. Time to benefit from the property. It is possible that love life begins. Lucky Number- 6 Lucky Colour- Rosy Brown

Taurus Horoscope: The decreasing bank balance will start growing again with the help of someone. You will build your identity on the strength of your ability and expertise. It will be possible to get rid of a chronic disease. You can plan to hang out with the family. Students can be busy with a project. Someone will guide you, pay heed to advices. Profits are being made from the property. Marriage may be finalised with the love partner. Lucky Number- 11 Lucky Colour- Cream

Gemini Horoscope: Financial worries will be over, wealth situation will be strengthened. You will be able to work without interference in the profession. You will be determined to follow the fitness routine. Angry parents can be appeased. You will get a chance to go to any place you want. The performance of the students is going to be excellent. The thoughts related to opponents would weigh on your mind during competition. Many apprehensions related to love affair will cause mental stress. Lucky Number- 9 Lucky Colour- Dark Red

Cancer Horoscope: Your efforts towards improving the financial situation will be successful. Your hard work will yield results and you may advance in career. The health of sick people is improving. Eligible will find suitable life partner. A friend or relative can send you an invitation. It is possible to procure a profitable property deal. Students are working hard, thereby following the path of success. Mutual attraction is taking the form of love. Lucky Number- 22 Lucky Colour- Orange

Leo Horoscope: Leos are enjoying prosperous life. You will demonstrate your skills confidently. The health of sick people is improving. The family is ready to support you. It would be possible to travel in a short notice. Booked property can be acquired. Senior officers will be happy and satisfied with your work. Marriage can be confirmed for the eligible. Lucky Number- 11 Lucky Colour- Orange

Virgo Horoscope: Your work will be appreciated; you will enjoy authority at workplace. Your work skills will be seen by high officials. You have made it your goal to achieve total fitness. You can make exciting plans with family. You may have to travel in connection with some work. You can buy the property you want at the suggested price. Combine study with the meritorious students will be beneficial. You will express love without hesitation. Lucky Number- 15 Lucky Colour- Turquoise

Libra Horoscope: The financial situation will remain stable. You can be entrusted the responsibility of a prestigious project. This will add to your prestige. Alternative treatment may have to be resorted to for illness. You will behave appropriately at home and win the hearts of all. You may travel to have fun. Increasing household expenses will cause concern. It is a time of success for the people aspiring for higher education. Love partners are set to become life partners. Lucky Number- 2 Lucky Colour- White

Scorpio Horoscope: There will be no shortage of funds; money is coming from various sources. There is an opportunity to move forward in career. There will be a tremendous improvement in the condition of sick people. You may aspire to spend comfortable time with loved ones. Property purchases are possible. Students have to maintain good relations with teachers and seniors. The love relationship is strengthening. Lucky Number- 4 Lucky Colour- Peach

Sagittarius Horoscope: You will be able to save money by adhering to a planned budget. There are chances of getting a new job. Follow the daily fitness routine. You may get to meet loved ones in a family get together. There are signs of resolving the property dispute. The determination of the students will bring success. Housewives will work with creativity. You may have to travel for someone else's work. Love proposal may be accepted. Lucky Number- 1 Lucky Colour- Light Brown

Capricorn Horoscope: You will be able to save money by adhering to a planned budget. There are chances of getting a new job. Follow the daily fitness routine. You may get to meet loved ones in a family get together. There are signs of resolving the property dispute. The determination of the students will bring success. Housewives will work with creativity. You may have to travel for someone else's work. Love proposal may be accepted. Lucky Number- 1 Lucky Colour- Light Brown

Aquarius Horoscope: Financial security prevails. Many new sources of income are emerging. The positive effects of changes in food intake are visible on health. The stability of love relationship will bring satisfaction in life. There are strong possibilities of family reunion. Students will live in limelight and will be able to create an identity for themselves. Honesty for work will get rewarded. Opportunities to move forward and progress will be available. Lucky Number- 8 Lucky Colour- Dark Red

Pisces Horoscope: You will be working hard to improve your skills professionally. With this you will be ready to perform better in your career or outperform your rivals. Treatment of sick people is proving effective. The day will be thrilling in the company of children. You may use any new means of transport. New property related offers can be beneficial. Students need to take initiative so that they get noticed. Fragile love affair needs to handle carefully. Lucky Number- 5 Lucky Colour- Dark Green

About Author: Astrologer Manisha Koushik is a renowned Tarot Card Reader, Numerologist, Name Therapist and Vastu-Fengshui Consultant. Know more 

Did we pique your curiosity about your future? Read your detailed Horoscope and Rashifal to know more.
LOGAN, UTAH -- The National Science Foundation has awarded Utah State University a five-year, $26 million grant, renewable to 10-year, $50.6 million, to develop an international research center dedicated to advancing sustainable, electrified transportation. The center is expected to raise more than $200 million over the next decade in government and industry support.

The grant establishes an Engineering Research Center focused on developing new infrastructure that facilitates widespread adoption of electric vehicles. The center is named ASPIRE -- Advancing Sustainability through Powered Infrastructure for Roadway Electrification.

"ASPIRE represents the very best of what a research university brings to the state and community," said USU President Noelle E. Cockett. "The center will provide unprecedented opportunities for students and further Utah State's ability to cultivate a diverse and innovative workforce ready to address complex challenges such as air quality and sustainability."

The center launches at a critical moment in U.S. history. Nationwide, transportation and electric utility infrastructure are in need of extensive renovation. At the same time, vehicle emissions have serious impacts on public health and the environment, and fluctuating oil prices affect household budgets and economic stability. Electric vehicles play an important role in transforming the future of transportation, yet challenges remain to achieve sustainable and widespread adoption. Key to this new model of electric vehicle use is the development of charging technology that is built into roadways and parking facilities. ASPIRE researchers are developing holistic solutions that eliminate range and charging as obstacles to the broader electrification of all vehicles, including passenger cars and long-haul, heavy-duty trucks.

"Now is the time to move past century-old mindsets and rethink how roadways and electric grid infrastructure can be co-designed to support low-cost, sustainable solutions for vehicle electrification and decarbonization of the electric grid," said USU professor and ASPIRE center director Regan Zane.

Since joining USU in 2012, Zane has raised more than $30 million in research funding. The 10-year ASPIRE award brings the total to more than $80 million. In 2015, he launched the multi-institutional, industry-sponsored Center for Sustainable Electrified Transportation, known as SELECT. That same year, USU unveiled the world's first electrified test track. The solar-powered track is equipped with power transfer coils embedded in the roadway, which enable properly-equipped electric vehicles to charge while in motion. Wireless charging reduces the need for heavy battery packs and numerous charging stations.

ASPIRE builds on the success of the SELECT center and incorporates the test track complex as a fundamental ASPIRE research facility.

State leaders have long praised USU's electrified transportation research as a means to improve Utah's air quality. Earlier this year, the state committed $3 million to expand SELECT and help attract NSF funding for the new center.

"Our mission is to improve health and quality of life by catalyzing sustainable and equitable electrification across the transportation industry," said Zane. "We have organized a phenomenal team with proven dedication to students, community and engagement, and we intend to have a lasting positive impact on the state of Utah, our partner states and the nation."

ASPIRE will be headquartered at USU and operated through strategic partnerships with Purdue University, University of Colorado Boulder, The University of Texas at El Paso and the University of Auckland New Zealand. Additional partners include researchers at Colorado State University, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, Virginia Tech and Cornell University and four national laboratories. Global industry partnerships include more than 45 companies and organizations across the transportation and electric utility industries.

ASPIRE is designated as an Engineering Research Center, the National Science Foundation's flagship program for transformative, multi-institutional research. It is one of four new Engineering Research Centers announced Aug 4. It is the first in Utah in over 30 years and the only one dedicated to advancing sustainable transportation. After 10 years, ASPIRE will achieve graduated status and will continue as a self-sustaining research center.

###

ASPIRE Contacts:

Dr. Regan Zane, ASPIRE Center Director, regan.zane@usu.edu, 435-797-9118

Matt Jensen, ASPIRE Communications Director, matthew.jensen@usu.edu, 435-797-8170

Campus Directors:

Grant Covic, University of Auckland, ga.covic@auckland.ac.nz, 64-9-923-8102

Chris Fawson, Utah State University, christopher.fawson@usu.edu, 435-797-2320

Nadia Gkritza, Purdue University, nadia@purdue.edu, 765-494-4597

Qin (Christine) Lv, University of Colorado Boulder, qin.lv@colorado.edu, 303-492-8821

Soheil Nazarian, University of Texas at El Paso, nazarian@utep.edu, 915-747-6911
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department has been plagued by a gang of deputies who sport tattoos with Nazi imagery and have infiltrated a station to enact civil rights abuses against the public, according to a claim made by a whistleblower.

In a claim filed in June against Los Angeles County, Deputy Sheriff Austreberto Gonzalez details that roughly a fifth of the 100 deputies at the Compton Station (CPT) are a part of the gang - called the Executioners.

Another 20 deputies are considered to be 'prospects' or close associates of the gang, the filing states.

The filing has prompted a response from Sheriff Alex Villanueva, who took to Facebook to announce that the department was putting its foot down when dealing with disingenuous deputies. 'Swift administrative action' is taking place as they look into the allegations.

In a claim filed against Los Angeles County, Deputy Sheriff Austreberto Gonzalez claims the Compton station is plagued by a gang of officers who terrorize other deputies and threaten to not enforce laws so they can get preferred treatment

Nearly all the members of the group - called the Executioners - have a matching tattoo to symbolize their status in the gang - comprised of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47

The claim details that the Executioners 'operate at CPT with impunity,' with members acting out against their fellow deputies and the public to increase their standing in the organization.

Nearly all the members have a matching tattoo to symbolize their status in the gang - comprised of a skull with Nazi imagery and an AK-47. The firearm is heavily associated with gang activity and not with law enforcement, the claim states.

Gonzalez is a decorated Marine veteran who has been with the department since 2007 and has spent the last 5.5 years at the Compton location. He claims African-American and women deputies were not invited to join the gang

'Members become inked as 'Executioners' after executing members of the public, or otherwise committing acts of violence in furtherance of the gang,' the claim alleges. Those involved in fatal shootings are 'immediately' tatted during one of the many 'inking parties.'

African-American deputies and women are not allowed to join the Executioners.

The claim names Deputy Jaime Juarez as the inked 'shotcaller' for the Executioners, and details how he and the gang participated in illegal work slowdowns and stopped performing their duties so that they could 'impose their will' on CPT.

Juarez is said to have attempted to flex the gang's influence when trying to sway Captain Larry Waldie to change the Training and Scheduling deputy position. The role hands out shifts to deputies, a desired position for the gang who sought to use their own member to give preferential treatment for shifts.

When Waldie refused, the claim explains, Deputy Juarez and the Executioners responded by slowing their work. The claim states that the gang was paid full salaries as they did little work and costed taxpayers immense losses.

Deputy Jaime Juarez is named as the inked 'shotcaller' for the Executioners. Juarez and the gang allegedly participated in illegal work slowdowns and stopped performing their duties so that they could 'impose their will' on CPT (pictured)

A mouse and mouse pad appear to have the design from the tattoo

Gonzalez is a decorated Marine veteran who has been with the department since 2007 and has spent the last 5.5 years at the Compton location.

WIth a medically fragile daughter who requires serious medical attention, Gonzalez routinely would need to be readily available to care for her.

In 2016, Gonzalez tried to take time off so that he could care for his daughter. The claim states that Jaurez, who was the Training and Scheduling Deputy at the time, refused the time for Gonzales and forced him to use CFRA/FMLA leave.

He even went as far to assign Gonzalez the 'early morning shifts,' giving better scheduling to an inked Executioner and forcing the father to have to use six to eight weeks of PTO so that he could care for his sickly daughter.

The claim also alleges that the gang participated in illegal arrest quotas after being reprimanded for low arrests, resulting in CPT arrest statistics increasing by roughly 300 per cent in one month.

It was during this particular time that Gonzales was partnered with Deputy Illaina Vargas, named in the claim as Jaurez's girlfriend, noticing that she would make unusual misdemeanor arrests in a bid to boost the arrest stats.

Deputies were said to perform illegal arrest quotas so that they could increase their stats (stock)

The filing alleges that as a result of not meeting the new arrest requirements, Gonzales and other deputies were 'demoted' and placed on traffic duty.

Recent allegations surround a February 2020 incident where Gonzales anonymously reported a deputy who assaulted a fellow officer while on duty. A officer working in the InterAgency Board, where Gonzales submitted the anonymous call, turned over the the voice clip to the Executioners.

According to the claim, deputies began threatening Gonzales and forced him to take off of work for numerous days. During his time off, Gonzales was sent a picture showing graffiti on the station wall that read 'ART IS A RAT.'

Sheriff Alex Villanueva released a statement declaring their was no gang at the department but announcing that an investigation was underway

As a result of the treatment, Gonzales stepped down from his field training officer position. He also struggled finding a new partner as deputies refused to work with him because of the stigma attached to his name.

'We have a gang here that has grown to the point where it dominates every aspect of life at the Compton station,' Alan Romero, an attorney representing Gonzalez, explained to the Los Angeles Times. 'It essentially controls scheduling, the distribution of informant tips, and assignments to deputies in the station with preference shown to members of the gang as well as prospects.'

Sheriff Alex Villanueva released a statement declaring their was no gang at the department but announcing the investigation.

'I take these allegations very seriously and recently enacted a policy specifically addressing illicit groups, deputy cliques, and subgroups,' he said, highlighting a February police that made it so that officers could not form groups.

On Thursday, however, Inspector General Max Huntsman said that he was 'aware of no implementation whatsoever' of the policy and added that looking into secret societies proved difficult 'because of the obstruction of the Sheriffs Department.'

The allegations from Compton come as the station faces criticism for excessive use of force, including the May arrest of Dalvin Price and the June fatal shooting of 18-year-old Andres Guardado.

The cliques were first brought to light in a civil case brought by the family of Donta Taylor, who was fatally gunned down in 2016

Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama speaks at a deposition where he reveals his tattoo associated with the Executioners. Los Angeles County settled with Taylor's family for $7million

The cliques were first brought to light in a civil case brought by the family of Donta Taylor, a 31-year-old man who was fatally gunned down during a foot chase in 2016. While deputies claimed Taylor had a handgun, no weapon was found.

Compton Deputy Samuel Aldama was forced to reveal his tattoo at the time of the deposition and revealed the number of deputies who had the same tattoo. Aldama denied the group was a gang and the county settled with the Taylor family for $7million.

'Skeletons, which is a symbol of death, there were flames coming out of Aldama's tattoos which symbolizes he's emerging from hell, there's an AK-47,' attorney John Sweeney, who represented the family, explained to ABC 7.

He later added: 'This is all taxpayer money, so yes, the taxpayers should be very worried. And criminal defense attorneys are going to be lining up making motions for new trials.'
South Africa: COVID-19 pyramid scheme exposed

A joint law enforcement operation has slammed the brakes on a sophisticated pyramid scheme that fleeced 230 000 unsuspecting investors of millions of rands amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

The National Prosecuting Authority, Financial Intelligence Centre (FIC) and the National Consumer Commission (NCC) gave details on the Up Money pyramid scheme at a press briefing on Tuesday.

The scheme was probed by the NCC after an East London resident laid a complaint.

Acting NCC Commissioner Thezi Mabuza said a subsequent investigation revealed that Up Money (Pty) Ltd (Up Money) contravened the Consumer Protection Act by promoting and causing members of the public to join and participate in a pyramid scheme.

Following a request from the NCC and the analysis by the FIC, Up Moneys bank statements, the agencies established that directors of the entity, between 4 May and 2 July 2020, made 221 976 deposits, of R180 each, into an FNB business account, Mabuza said.

The deposits, she said, totalled R42 million.

Over R40 million was deposited through points of sale and purchases at various retail stores. An amount of R3.5 million was transferred from the FNB account into another account held by another company called UniitCo, Mabuza said. The two companies, she said, are linked through directorship and business address. An Up Money director is also the sole director of UniitCo.

Between 24 May and 23 June, UniitCo paid for the purchase of three luxury vehicles, namely an Audi TT, a Hummer H3 and a Jaguar XKR Coupe.

The vehicles, Mabuza said, were not registered as company assets, but registered in the name of a director.

In the wake of this, the AFU sought and was granted a preservation order by the Johannesburg High Court to freeze bank accounts worth more than R18 million and a number of luxury vehicles.

Prosecution

Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) of the NPA, Advocate Ouma Rabaji-Rasethaba, told reporters that criminal prosecutions will get underway.

The criminal charges may include fraud and contraventions of various sections of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA). The sections might be racketeering, money laundering, fraud, theft, assisting another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities and acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities, as well as assisting another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities, said the Advocate.

The application by the AFU is part of the interventions by the NCC and the FIC to salvage more than 228 900 investors, who were defrauded in the multimillion Rand scheme.

Use of social media and recruitment

Rabaji-Rasethaba said the pyramid scheme, which mainly used social media to recruit members, was neither registered with the Reserve Bank, a registered stokvel, nor a financial services provider.

New participants were required to pay a once-off joining fee of R180. This qualified them for a meat pack. The new members were then required to recruit five other new participants. This process was termed level one, she said.

The original investor would then help the five he or she recruited to sign up their five new members each. This would then ensure that the original recruiter moved to level two, whose benefits were a meat pack, groceries and R500.

When those on level one were moved to level two by their recruits, the original organiser was pushed to level three.

The new participants made up the base of the pyramid and provided funding for participants who were recruited earlier.

Those who joined earlier were pushed to the top by the new recruits.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Linkedin N. Adri (The Jakarta Post) Samarinda, East Kalimantan  Wed, August 5 2020

Womens rights activists have called for authorities in East Kalimantan not to bow to pressure from local groups seeking to use Dayak customary law to settle the case of a man alleged to have raped his 18-year-old daughter.

The activists, grouped under the Coalition of Justice for Women, demanded in a petition addressed to, among others, the top brass of the Samarinda Police, the East Kalimantan Police and the Samarinda Prosecutors Office, to bring the suspect to court for his alleged crime.

"The case should not be settled through customary law or be settled out of court," said Yuliwati, one of the activists who participated in the writing of the petition, which was published on change.org.

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Rep. Lee Yong-woo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea, left, and Mirae Asset Financial Group founder Park Hyeon-joo / Korea Times files



By Park Jae-hyuk



It was quite surprising that Mirae Asset Financial Group founder Park Hyeon-joo's name was mentioned at the National Assembly last week.



Rep. Lee Yong-woo of the ruling Democratic Party of Korea criticized the business tycoon unexpectedly, Wednesday, when Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Eun Sung-soo and Financial Supervisory Service (FSS) Governor Yoon Suk-heun were giving briefings to lawmakers at the National Policy Committee.



The main agenda for their briefings was a series of fiascos involving mis-selling of private equity funds, but the lawmaker particularly attacked Mirae Asset and its founder during his question time.



He called it "inappropriate" for Park to direct global investments by Mirae Asset subsidiaries.



"Mirae Asset has invested a lot in real estate overseas, and this has increased risks," he said. "Because the owner has believed that he was going in the right direction, the subsidiaries are facing serious risks in their management."



His remarks came as Mirae Asset is in a legal battle with China's Anbang Insurance Group over a $5.8 billion deal regarding the purchase of 15 luxury hotels in the United States.



The lawmaker also mentioned the "Insight Fund" the company launched in 2007, to say Park betting on the Chinese market at that time caused a severe loss to his customers.



Lee asked the financial regulators whether they think Mirae Asset's management style is appropriate.



The FSC chairman said he would review Mirae Asset's management. The FSS governor agreed with the necessity of Mirae Asset's cautious approach to its investments, hinting that the financial watchdog may put the company on its watchlist.



Industry insiders are making various guesses about the lawmaker's hidden intention.



He is the former co-CEO of Kakao Bank, having moved to the internet-only bank in 2016 from Korea Investment Holdings, the bank's partner. He was elected as a ruling party lawmaker in the 21st general election April 15.



Given that Korea Investment Holdings is a rival of Mirae Asset, some observers speculate that Lee slammed Mirae Asset for the sake of his previous workplace. According to a local news outlet, the Korea Economic Daily, he said Korea Investment Holdings Chairman Kim Nam-goo has not intervened deeply in his company's investments.



There is another speculation that the reason Lee attacked Mirae Asset was to help Kakao defeat Naver in their intensifying competition in the financial industry.



Naver Financial joined hands with Mirae Asset Daewoo to offer cash management accounts to its users in an apparent efforts to compete with Kakao Bank and Kakao Pay. The Naver subsidiary also formed a partnership with Mirae Asset Capital to lend money to small- and medium-sized enterprises.



During a press conference, Tuesday, Naver Financial CEO Choi In-hyuk even said financial firms should be on the alert for Kakao  instead of Naver  citing Kakao offers both banking and mobile payment services.



A day after the Naver Financial CEO made the remarks, however, the former Kakao Bank co-CEO condemned Mirae Asset at the National Assembly.


Body mass index (BMI) is associated with the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and admission to intensive care units (ICU) in African Americans, according to a single center, retrospective cross-sectional study published online in Obesity, the flagship journal of The Obesity Society. This is the first study that focuses specifically on the risk factors within an African-American population.

Age and comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes have been well identified as risk factors for the development of severe disease. Obesity is also emerging as a risk factor for severe disease development. However, this study adds further evidence supporting the association that body mass index is connected with disease severity in the African-American population.

"It is of tremendous importance that we identify risk factors and those individuals who may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection, so that we are able dedicate efforts towards supporting those most affected and in need," said Christine Bojanowski, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care and Environmental Medicine at Tulane University Health Science Center in New Orleans, La. Bojanowski is the corresponding author of the study.

Bojanowski added "this study is of particular interest in response to emerging reports revealing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the African American community in our country. Further inclusive research aimed at optimizing clinical care relevant to the African-American population is critical to ensure an equitable response to COVID-19."

Researchers included 158 confirmed COVID-19 positive African-American patients who presented to Tulane Medical Center between March 12 and April 9, 2020 in their study. Participants were identified through reported laboratory testing during the aforementioned time period. Researchers obtained individual patient data through retrospective, electronic medical record review.

To define and determine severe disease, participants had to require intensive care unit admission for COVID-19 related complications. In the study, this closely aligned with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation.

Researchers found that 85 percent of the severe cases admitted to the ICU had respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. ICU mortality for severe cases was 37 percent; however 21.7 percent of the participants were still intubated and requiring mechanical ventilation at the time of the study, which may impact and potentially increase this percentage.

In unadjusted and adjusted analysis, the factors most associated with ICU admission were age, BMI and lung disease.

The average BMI of participants was 33.2. The results also showed that participants with severe disease requiring ICU admission were older (62 years versus 55 years, p = 0.003) and had higher BMI (36.5 kg/m2 versus 31.9 kg/m2, p = 0.002).

The results confirmed that obesity is a significant determinant of disease severity in the African-American population. Researchers propose that a lower threshold be considered for BMI than the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations that describe individuals with BMI greater than 40 as "high risk" for severe illnesses in COVID-19.

"Instead of stigmatization of black adults with obesity, this pandemic, a hopefully once-in-a-century health crisis, is a clarion call to decrease and eventually eliminate long-standing health disparities and underlying adverse societal structural factors," said Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, FNLA, FASPC, professor of medicine, Gerald S. Berenson Endowed chair in Preventive Cardiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, in a commentary about the study.

Explore further Factors linked to severe COVID-19 in children identified
Infiniti Research is a premier provider of market and customer intelligence solutions. With 15+ years of experience and expertise in 50+ industries, our strategic approaches and solutions provide our clients with a competitive edge. Infiniti's research experts recently announced their latest successful client engagement with retail customer intelligence solutions. To read more about this engagement, read the article here

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005874/en/

Retail Customer Intelligence Solutions: Adapting to the New Normal (Graphic: Business Wire)

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a significant toll on most industries, the retail sector being one of them. The crisis has also led to dramatic shifts in consumer buying behaviors, and the uncertainty of the pandemic has led to reduced discretionary spending. It has left retailers in search of alternative channels to serve their customers. Retail brands need to adopt new channels to build and maintain relationships with customers to overcome these challenging times. Retail customer intelligence solutions can enable this adaptation for brands in the retail industry. With Infiniti's retail customer intelligence solutions, businesses can navigate the COVID-19 crisis, recover from the toll it has taken, and prepare for the new normal. Our experts have detailed the following guide to adapt to the post-COVID normal and meet the changing expectations of customers.

Get in touch with an industry expert to learn how Infiniti's retail customer intelligence solutions help global retail industry clients overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"The COVID-19 crisis has led to dramatic shifts in customer buying behaviors and spending patterns. Besides, the uncertain nature of the pandemic has compelled customers to tighten their wallets and eliminate discretionary spending. These shifts have left many retailers scrambling to serve customers through other channels effectively," says an industry expert at Infiniti Research.

This guide has been developed to assist retail companies in adapting to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic. Infiniti's retail customer intelligence solutions experts detail the following three crucial steps:

Extending digital presence and engagement can partially offset diminished foot traffic by boosting investments in online acquisition

Bringing an in-store feeling to the digital experience can help personalize customer interactions across every touchpoint

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Infiniti Research has 15+ years of experience working in collaboration with global retail industry clients overcoming various business challenges. Request a free proposal to develop long-term actionable strategies that help overcome challenges, and enhance business growth.

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Established in 2003, Infiniti Research is a leading market intelligence company providing smart solutions to address your business challenges. Infiniti Research studies markets in more than 100 countries to help analyze competitive activity, see beyond market disruptions, and develop intelligent business strategies. To know more, visit: https://www.infinitiresearch.com/about-us

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Note: Americans are preparing to choose a leader and a path through a time of extraordinary division and turmoil. Associated Press journalists tell their stories in the series America Disrupted. Today we take a look at some of the Black women running for election in 2020.



Black women have long been the heart of the Democratic Party  among the partys most reliable and loyal voters  but for decades that allegiance didnt translate to their own political rise. There have been zero Black female governors, just two senators, several dozen congresswomen. And the people representing them instead have not met their needs: Disparities, sometimes deadly ones, persist in health care, policing, education and economics.

Now Black women are mobilized and demanding an overdue return on their investment. Over the last several years and across America, Black women ran and won elections in historic numbers, from Congress to county school boards.

Just two years ago, five Black women were elected to Congress, four of them in majority-white districts, according to the Higher Heights Black Women in American Politics 2019 survey.

Now Joe Biden has pledged to pick a woman as his running mate, and at least six of the contenders are Black  including California Rep. Karen Bass, who said, I think what were looking for is representation, acknowledgement, inclusion.

This transformation is taking place in once unlikely places, suburban counties in the South. Black women added their names to down-ticket ballots; they are canvassing, knocking on doors.

Read the full story here:
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Linkedin Apriadi Gunawan (The Jakarta Post) Medan  Tue, August 4, 2020 14:00 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b7a47c 1 National farmer,crocodile,crocodile-attack,North-Sumatra,wildlife Free

After a week-long search, the body of a North Sumatran farmer who was dragged by a crocodile into the Simangalam river was discovered partially eaten on Saturday.

The body of Ponidi, 47, a resident of Kualuh Selatan district in Labuhanbatu Utara regency, was found by a crocodile handler and other residents about 1 kilometer from the scene of the attack.

The Labuhanbatu Utara Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) said it had struggled to find Ponidi, who was attacked on July 26. The agency sought help from a crocodile handler in the search.

With the help of the handler, we have found the victim, whose body was incomplete, with the chest and head missing, Sukardi, the agencys emergency and logistics division head, told reporters on Saturday.

Medan search and rescue (SAR) team spokesman Sariman Sitorus said that when the victims body was found at about noon, it was surrounded by several crocodiles.

Sariman said the rescue team had managed to drive the crocodiles away to recover the victims body.

Ponidi was attacked as he was getting off his boat after crossing the Parit Cina waterway, which connects to the Simangalam river. Ponidi was dragged away in front of his wife and son.

The family had crossed the waterway on the way to their palm plantation. (syk)
The Rotary Club of Chattanooga is partnering with Siskin Childrens Institute to provide a pediatric feeding clinic to serve children, caregivers and parents in 10 Southeast Tennessee counties. Rotary President Elaine Swafford presented a check for $35,000 to SCIs President and CEO Derek Bullard to fund the effort. The new clinic will be named The Rotary Feeding Clinic at Siskin Childrens Institute.Officials said, "Pediatric feeding disorders occur in approximately 30 percent of typically developing children and in up to 80 percent of children with developmental needs.These children might have been born prematurely, have food allergies, gastrointestinal concerns or oral motor dysfunction. Addressing the challenge requires medical treatment through a six- to eight-week intensive program requiring the child to be observed and participate in therapy multiple times each week."Prior to establishment of Chattanoogas feeding clinic, the closest comprehensive feeding clinic was in Atlanta. This distance and month-long wait list made it extremely difficult for local families to get treatment for their children. Currently, treatment is only feasible for local families who have means and parents with very flexible schedules. Participation in such an intensive medical treatment in Atlanta is virtually impossible for Chattanooga families in reduced circumstances."The Rotary Club of Chattanooga is truly excited to be part of this important initiative that will serve so many, said Ms. Swafford. We believe that the interdisciplinary pediatric feeding center will be a real game changer for many local families throughout the region.Mr. Bullard added, Data indicates that establishing a comprehensive feeding clinic will change the lives of hundreds of local children who are at risk of long-term, compromised development and poor future health outcomes. At SCI, the care of children always comes first. The partnership with Rotary allows us to assist families across 10 counties who are desperate to find the necessary services for their children with eating disorders.The Rotary Club of Chattanooga provides annual grants via its Club Projects Committee. Rotary Ms. Swafford noted that during the past six years, the club has provided grants totaling over $255,000, with the vast majority of funding supporting local projects.
When the world has an approved COVID-19 vaccine, who should get that life-saving vaccine first? U.S. health authorities are hoping to release a draft of guidance on prioritization and how to best ration the initial doses by late August, according to the New York Times.

But now we're a getting glimpse at who will be at the front of the line. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention introduced this opening recommendation last week: First, vaccinate 12 million of the most critical health, essential, national security workers. Next on the list would be the 110 million people at high risk from the coronavirus, including people over age 65 who live in long-term care facilities or people of any age who are in jeopardy with certain health risks or who are identified as essential workers.
The Home Office has agreed to scrap a decision-making algorithm used to decide visa applications following allegations that it contained entrenched racism.

The digital streaming tool, which has been used to determine the outcome of visa applications for everyone applying to enter the UK since 2015, will be suspended from Friday pending a redesign of the process, Priti Patels department said.

The decision comes ahead of a legal challenge over the Home Offices use of the algorithm by the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI), in which the charity was to argue that it amounted to racial discrimination in a breach of the Equality Act 2010.

JCWI had asked the court to declare the streaming algorithm unlawful and to order a halt to its use to assess visa applications, pending a review.

The algorithm, which assigns a red, amber or green risk rating to applicants, has played a major role in determining the outcome of visa applications, and meant people with suspect nationalities received intensive scrutiny by Home Office officials and were much more likely to be refused, according to JCWI.

The charity said it contributed to the disproportionate rate of refusals for visa applicants from African countries. According to research last year by the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) for Africa, African people are more than twice as likely to be refused a UK visa as applicants from other parts of the world.

Following the decision to scrap the algorithm, Chai Patel, legal policy director of the JCWI, said: The Home Offices own independent review of the Windrush scandal found that it was oblivious to the racist assumptions and systems it operates.

This streaming tool took decades of institutionally racist practices, such as targeting particular nationalities for immigration raids, and turned them into software. The immigration system needs to be rebuilt from the ground up to monitor for such bias and to root it out.

Cori Crider, founder and director of Foxglove, a tech-justice group which launched the legal action alongside JCWI, described the algorithm tool as speedy boarding for white people.

She added: What we need is democracy, not government by algorithm. Before any further systems get rolled out, lets ask experts and the public whether automation is appropriate at all, and how historic biases can be spotted and dug out at the roots.

A Home Office spokesperson said: We have been reviewing how the visa application streaming tool operates and will be redesigning our processes to make them even more streamlined and secure.

We do not accept the allegations JCWI made in their judicial review claim and whilst litigation is still ongoing it would not be appropriate for the department to comment any further.
President Donald Trump in the Cabinet Room of the White House on Monday. Read more

President Donald Trump is selling fear in Americas suburbs. But outside Philadelphia, even some Republicans dont think voters are buying it.

As polls show Trump in an increasingly weak position against Joe Biden in Pennsylvania and other battleground states, he is seeking to boost his standing among the suburban voters who have fled the GOP during his tenure. His television commercials in the Philadelphia media market declare that you wont be safe in Joe Bidens America, citing a push by some activists in the Black Lives Matter movement to defund the police. One of the ads shows an elderly white woman panicking during a home invasion.

On his Twitter feed and in speeches, Trump has added a new wrinkle to his suburban pitch: Biden would destroy your neighborhood, Trump says, by encouraging the construction of low-income housing, increasing crime and reducing property values.

Amid a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 150,000 lives in the United States, a sputtering economic recovery, and a congressional impasse over new relief measures, the strategy amounts to a bet that voters will fear a Biden presidency as potentially even more catastrophic than the status quo.

But interviews with voters, Republican officials, and independent analysts suggest Trump is misreading a suburban electorate that has become more diverse in recent decades  and more racially progressive. Polls have shown broad support for protests that spread across the country after the police killing of George Floyd. Many were held in the suburbs and also in small towns where Trump won in 2016.

I do not think that type of messaging is going to help Republican candidates, said Bucks County Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, a Republican who served in the state legislature for 25 years.

Im watching Joe Biden, most of his ads have been positive  build up the economy, DiGirolamo said. Im [thinking] to myself, if I was the president, thats what I would be doing. I would talk about what Ive done and what my vision is for America, and get that garbage off the TV, because I dont think its going to work.

Nationwide, Trump outperformed Hillary Clinton in the suburbs in 2016 by 50% to 45%, according to exit polls. Biden now leads among those voters by double digits, according to surveys by ABC News and the Washington Post, and others. Trump didnt perform as well in the Philadelphia suburbs, but still narrowly carried the state by outperforming previous GOP nominees in former Democratic strongholds like Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Trumps strongest showing in the suburbs came in the Bucks County-based 1st Congressional District, where Clinton beat him by only 2 points. Trump now trails Biden in the district by 9 points, according to the results of a July poll released by incumbent Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatricks campaign.

A similar fear-based campaign ahead of the 2018 midterm elections  about a purported caravan of migrants surging toward the U.S.-Mexico border  failed to stop Democrats from sweeping into power in the suburbs that year.

Anna Greenberg, a Democratic pollster who has worked on Pennsylvania campaigns, said college-educated voters have been particularly irked by Trump over things like his treatment of women and his contempt for science.

Immigration, socialism, China, protests, caravans: Theyre all kind of the same thing, underlying it, Greenberg said. Which is, trying to activate peoples fears around America losing its identity, or people of color having too much power.

In recent local elections, suburban Republicans have warned that Democrats would invite crime by adopting Philadelphia-style policies like supervised injection sites. In Delaware County Council races last year, an outside Republican group funded mailers warning that Democrats would halt cooperation with federal immigration authorities, who deport violent immigrants who murder, rape, and kidnap our citizens.

County GOP Chairman Tom McGarrigle told supporters on election night that Democrat Jack Stollsteimers win in the district attorneys race should concern every one of you that has a home, a family or a business in Delaware County.

You shouldnt feel safe anymore, he said.

Democrats now control county government in Delaware, Chester, Montgomery, and Bucks Counties.

Some Trump supporters say there is indeed reason to fear a Biden win. It would be the fall of this country, said Brad Loughin, 66, who lives in Elverson, Chester County. The flag would fall, everything would fall.

Gordon Eck, chairman of the Chester County GOP, said Trump has a number of accomplishments on the economy, foreign policy, border protection, and the appointment of judges that would appeal to voters in the Philadelphia region.

Hes accomplished all those things while facing unprecedented attacks from the Democrats and a large segment of the media, he said.

However, Eck acknowledged, I think sometimes the presidents style has been something that has perhaps turned some segments of our population off to him.

Trumps rhetoric on housing might be another example of that. For weeks Trump has been attacking Biden over a housing rule adopted during the Obama administration, saying Democrats want to abolish the suburbs.

The Suburban Housewives of America must read this article, Trump tweeted July 23, sharing a New York Post opinion article with the headline, Joe Bidens disastrous plans for Americas suburbs.

Biden will destroy your neighborhood and your American Dream, Trump tweeted. I will preserve it, and make it even better!

At issue is the Affirmatively Furthering Fair Housing rule, which was implemented by the Obama administration to combat housing discrimination by placing conditions on some federal funding to local governments. The Trump administration has not been enforcing the rule, and the president last month officially repealed it.

Vincent J. Reina, assistant professor of city and regional planning at the University of Pennsylvania, said Trump had mischaracterized the federal governments authority over local government planning.

It does not have any control over local zoning, he said. It does not have control over use of local dollars.

Changing zoning laws isnt the only way to comply with the rule, he said, and ultimately municipalities could decide to forgo federal funding if they didnt want to comply.

 READ MORE: What is the fair housing rule and how will its repeal affect Philly?

Reina said Trumps claim that low-income housing is associated with crime and lower property values lacks evidence and is rooted in racist stereotypes and misconceptions about affordable housing.

Nevertheless, Trump has warned of dire consequences.

I am happy to inform all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream that you will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood, Trump wrote on Twitter last week.

U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Democrat from Montgomery County, said Trumps rhetoric is transparently racist.

We have a beautiful, diverse country, she said. This president doesnt see that as beauty. Most of us do. This is leadership out of fear.

Michael Hagen, an associate professor of political science at Temple University, said Philadelphias collar counties, like the suburbs of many metropolitan areas, are much more diverse racially and ethnically than they used to be. Theyre not the bastion of white flight they were 30, 40 years ago.

JoAnne, 59, a lifelong Republican from Delaware County who recently became a registered Democrat, said Trumps warning to suburban housewives didnt resonate with her.

I guess technically Im a suburban housewife, but up until a couple years ago I had a full-time job and raised my kids and did what most people do, said JoAnne, who insisted on only being identified by her first name. Not too many people survive on one income anymore, she said.

JoAnne said Trump had totally mishandled the pandemic. She has seen her grandchildren just three times since March, in the backyard with no contact. I dont feel safe, she said.
Sun Pharma on August 4 said it has launched Favipiravir 200 mg under brand name FluGuard at a price of Rs 35 per tablet, for the treatment of mild to moderate cases of Covid-19 in India.

Favipiravir is the only oral anti-viral treatment approved in India for the potential treatment of patients with mild to moderate Covid-19 disease, the company said.

At Rs 35 per tablet, Sun Pharma's Favipiravir version would be the cheapest in the market.

The DCGI has approved Favipiravir versions of half a dozen companies including Glenmark, Cipla, Hetero, Brinton Pharmaceuticals and Jenburkt, despite clinical trial data from Glenmark not being statistically significant.

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

Dr Reddys had earlier signed with the innovator company Fujifilm to sell the drug.
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A New York City party cruise with more than 170 people on board was met by police when it returned to shore over the weekend, leading to the arrest of the captain and two owners.

The Saturday evening boat cruise violated social distancing orders, the New York Sheriff's Department said in a tweet, and was serving alcohol on board without a liquor license.

The four-story boat, the Liberty Belle, returned to Pier 36 in lower Manhattan at around 11:30 p.m. where officers arrested the captain, Joseph Spadaro, and two owners who organized the party, Ronny Vargas and Alex Sauzo, the New York Daily News reported.

 Associated Press
New body-camera footage that has "leaked" shows more details of George Floyd's fatal arrest in Minneapolis.

The Daily Mail obtained and published footage from two Minneapolis police officer body cameras on Monday. Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody on May 25 after former Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for nearly eight minutes while Floyd said, "I can't breathe."

The footage shows about 10 minutes from former Officer Thomas Lanes bodycam and about 18 minutes from former Officer J. Kuengs bodycam. In the video, Lane points a gun at Floyd while attempting to get him out of his car. Floyd can be heard saying, "Please dont shoot me, Mr. Officer."

REMEMBERING GEORGE FLOYD: George Floyd will tour the South in hologram form, replacing 'racist Confederate memories'

It also shows Floyd struggling with officers, pleading and saying Im not a bad guy!

Im not that kind of guy, Floyd is heard saying in the video. I just had COVID, man, I dont want to go back to that.

All four officers involved were fired. Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder. Lane, Kueng and Tou Thao have been charged with aiding and abetting.

The videos were filed in court last month. A Hennepin County judge has allowed journalists and members of the public to view the footage in-person by appointment but has not granted public access to the videos. Journalists from the Associated Press were allowed to view the footage in July. A coalition of journalists previously filed a motion calling for the release of the videos.

CNN reports that Floyd family attorney Ben Crump says that the video supports that Floyd was not a threat when he was arrested.

"The police officers approached him with guns drawn, simply because he was a Black man," Crump said. "As this video shows, he never posed any threat. The officers' contradictions continue to build. If not for the videos, the world might never have known about the wrongs committed against George Floyd."

GEORGE FLOYD: Before dying in Minneapolis police custody, George Floyd grew up in Houston's Third Ward

It is unclear how the Daily Mail obtained the footage.

Floyd grew up in Houston's Third Ward, graduated from Yates High School and moved to Minneapolis to find work. His death sparked protests and calls for police reform across the country.
Two brothers in an inebriated state stabbed each other to death at their home here, police said on Tuesday.

Mohan Lal, 28, and Mota, 32, engaged in an argument over some issue after getting drunk on Monday night. They then stabbed each other with knives, City superintendent of police Maneesh Mishra said.

Police reached the spot after getting information about the incident and took them to MMG district hospital, where they died during treatment.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem, Mishra said, adding that the police have registered an FIR on the complaint of their nephew.

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Hali Levandoski

C-Strategies, a Chicago based strategic communications and public affairs firm, today announced Hali Levandoski has joined the company as Vice President. Levandoski brings years of experience and strong institutional knowledge of public affairs and public policy communications to the firm, which she will leverage in her role to assist in the overall management of the team and continued expansion of the business.

I am thrilled to welcome Hali as our new Vice President as we continue to grow our team and the business, said Becky Carroll, President and CEO, C-Strategies. Her work ethic, experience managing high profile public crises and deep understanding of civic spheres is a bonus for both our firm and clients. I am proud to have Hali join our all-woman team as we continue working with clients that are committed to tackling important issues facing our city and state.

Most recently, Levandoski served as Deputy Press Secretary in the Office of Chicago Mayor Lori E. Lightfoot. In this role, she worked with press personnel across multiple City departments to develop strategy, coordinate media materials and execute key announcements for all infrastructure related projects and fiscal initiatives. Levandoski also created and implemented media strategies for the Citys environmental efforts alongside its newly announced Chief Sustainability Officer. Additionally, she developed and co-managed a multi-departmental task force of City communications professionals to lead the Citys media strategy and response to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

I am so proud to join this team of empowered and talented women at a firm that reflects my own vision and values, said Levandoski. As Vice President, I look forward to drawing upon my past experiences to meet the unique needs of our clients while also working to strategically grow the firm and champion causes that benefit the people of Chicago and Illinois.

Prior to her role as a Deputy Press Secretary, Levandoski worked at a Chicago-based communications and public affairs agency. In this role she worked with industry-leading professionals to develop comprehensive communications plans and media relations strategies to help accomplish their goals.

About C-Strategies

C-Strategies is a strategic communications and public affairs firm whose leadership has served on the front lines of major public policy and political campaigns in Chicago and Illinois for nearly two decades. Employing results-driven tactics and utilizing its networks to build strategic plans, guide public opinion, and manage through crisis, C-Strategies brings passion and veteran experience to help clients meet their business goals, turn big ideas into action and simply get things done. Find out more at cstrategies.com/.
Kaduna State Governor, Nasir El-Rufai, says the state government has spent about N16 billion on security in the last five years.

Mr El-Rufai, who made the disclosure at a meeting with the Council of Emirs and Chiefs, on Tuesday in Kaduna, explained that the money was used to support security agencies and acquire technology and infrastructure to fight insecurity in the state.

The governor noted that the money would have gone into developmental projects if the people had chosen to live in peace.

He therefore, called on all the traditional rulers to help persuade people to choose to live peacefully, and address misleading narratives on current communal conflicts in part of the state.

READ ALSO:

He noted that, part of the misleading narrative on the current crisis in Southern Kaduna, was the false claims of genocide and land grabbing.

The governor emphasised that the claims had no basis whatsoever.

As governor, I authorise any traditional ruler to please tell the media about any inch of land within their domain that has been forcibly grabbed or illegally occupied by anybody or group and I assure you that security agencies will be there the next day to flush them out.

But as far as I know  and I receive security reports every morning, there is no such incidence that the state government is aware of.

But we dont know everything, you know more than us because you are closer to the communities, so please report where indigenous people have been displaced by bandits or anyone else.

Mr El-Rufai assured that the government will continue to support security agencies to restore calm in the affected communities.

To make this sustainable, we call on the traditional institution to collaborate with the security agencies to expose and report criminals in their communities.

He assured the Council that the government would review and upgrade the chieftaincy system, to protect the traditional leaders from administrative and executive arbitrariness.

The governor added that a new law would be enacted to protect the traditional institution and ensure that, before any emirate or chiefdom is created, it will pass through the State Assembly where the representative of the people will have the opportunity to vote and support it before it is done.

The reform will also seek to amend the traditional institution as an enabler of inclusion in the diverse communities.

It will place the Chiefs and Emirs in charge of geographic areas not tribes or ethnic groups, making them the leaders of everyone that lives within their domain.

It is our intention in this law, to specify the functions of traditional leaders and provide for situations under which traditional rulers can be deposed not just because the governor wants to depose the person he doesnt like.

On his part, the Chairman of the Council and Emir of Zazzau, Shehu Idris, appreciated the government for its support of traditional institutions in the state.

He also commended the governments efforts in the fight against banditry and other forms of criminalities, especially in taming the recent killings in some areas in southern Kaduna.

The Emir said that the meeting was to update the traditional rulers on the security issues bedevilling the state as well as responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

(NAN)
The red zone rules are now in effect in the cities of Lutsk and Ternopil, and in Kitsmansky district of Chernivtsi region.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has called on the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine to explain Ukrainians how Ukraine is divided into quarantine zones.

"Volodymyr Zelensky demands that the government clearly explain to people how the country is divided into four zones and why adaptive quarantine is required," the presidential press service said following a recent conference call on preventing the spread of COVID-19 when he was commenting on an update by the government on the epidemic situation in Ukraine.

Read alsoUkrainian city in COVID-19 red zone refuses to toughen lockdown rules

Prime Minister Denys Shmyhal, in particular, informed that the incidence rate had risen to 82.8 per 100,000, bed occupancy in Zakarpattia region alone is almost 69%, and this indicator in Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne regions, and Bukovyna area exceeds 40%.

The new adaptive quarantine rules in Ukraine became effective from August 3. The quarantine itself was extended until August 31.

Under the new rules, Ukraine is divided into several zones: green, yellow, orange, and red, depending on the COVID-19 threat levels. The division will be reviewed every Friday and migration by a region from one to another zone will be possible the next Monday.

From Monday, August 3, the red zone rules are in effect in the cities of Lutsk and Ternopil, and in Kitsmansky district of Chernivtsi region. Lutsky and Lyubashevsky districts of Volyn region, the city of Ivano-Frankivsk and Tysmenytskyi district of Ivano-Frankivsk region, the city of Lviv, and three areas in Lviv region  Mykolaivsky, Peremyshlyansky and Pustomytivsky districts, as well as the town of Berezhany and Buchatsky district of Ternopil region were designated as the orange zone.
Reminiscing about John Hume, it occurs that looking at his career brings to mind an iceberg, both for stature and for the fact that so much of it lies unseen.

A very large portion of his career was sustained and directed by the administrative and political talents of his wife Pat.

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Obviously there are innumerable stories one might tell about a figure like John; but I remember one occasion in particular, when I was engaged in what proved to be a futile exercise, but at the same time illustrated John's willingness to try anything that might yield a peace dividend.

I persuaded him to accompany me to Convoy in Co Donegal to meet a man called Frank Morris who had been jailed for his IRA activities in the Six Counties. At the time, the Troubles, as we came to know them, had scarcely begun. I wanted to persuade Frank, with John's help, that international media had begun taking an interest in the North and the commentary was almost uniformly sympathetic to the nationalist cause.

I then hoped Frank would impress on his Republican colleagues the fact that suitcase bombs going off in streets would surely destroy this image.

John demurred a little at first, saying that he always found that once he succeeded in convincing an IRA man to rely on dialogue not bombs, a harder one in the IRA circle would convince him otherwise.

Yet he agreed to accompany me, but first he had to speak with a constituent in Derry.

When we eventually got to Convoy, Frank was nowhere to be found. His more-than-hospitable wife, however, suggested we spend the night at their home.

However, John and I had to share the same bed.

At the enormous breakfast which she provided the next morning, Mrs Morris ribbed us both, inquiring of John: "What were you two fellas doing last night?"

John looked at her from two heavily pouched eyes - into each one you could have poured a glass of brandy - and replied in heavily accented Derry: "Shleep."

With nothing to show for our efforts, we disconsolately headed back to Derry. John received a call that we should visit Ivan Cooper's house.

On arrival we found Ivan standing beside the wreckage of his car which had been blown up overnight.

John posed for pictures taken by the BBC. Constituency work, Derry style!

A few years later, John got another call offering another possible peace dividend.

It would involve going to Frankfurt to meet an Irish American politician called Ted Kennedy.

John borrowed the money for the fare, and set off to commence what turned out to be one of the most valuable relationships of his rich career.

Like Convoy, the visit could have ended fruitlessly, but at least he would have tried.

His pursuit of peace led him to the realisation that achieving it would ultimately have to hurt those he loved - the membership of his own SDLP party which he helped found and came to dominate.

When Fr Alec Reid began his subterranean peace efforts, putting political opponents in touch with each other; John agreed to meet with Gerry Adams and continued to do so even though the initial talks foundered disastrously; John discovered that the Provisionals intended to photograph the interview.

When it came in 1998, the conferring of the Nobel Prize on John was no more than his just reward.

By the time the Good Friday Agreement era dawned, he was almost burnt out.

His exertions: the late nights, the political strain of dealing with Dublin, Belfast, London and Washington, the indignities of age, all took a heavy toll, but John by now had won not only the ear and trust of the Kennedys but also of Bill Clinton.

He helped to bring the agreement to birth and it is a commentary on the inadequacy of Unionist philosophy that his opponents did not wholeheartedly embrace bringing that infant to a state of healthy adulthood.

His legacy is such that - in Ireland, America, and the UK - those who dealt with John Hume will forever honour his memory.

"Here was a Caesar! When comes such another?"
Hong Kong residents have voiced support for the postponement of the 2020 Legislative Council (LegCo) election amid a grave COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam announced on Friday the decision to postpone for a year the election originally slated in September.

As Hong Kong has reported more than 3,500 infections and 37 deaths, the election, if held as scheduled, will likely boost the risk of infection as the event could involve as many as 4.4 million registered voters and 34,000 election staff.

"The postponement is for our health and safety," said a resident surnamed Ko, who is a safeguard of a residential block in Hong Kong Island.

With hundreds of people entering and exiting every day, two dwellers in the area that Ko is responsible for have been infected with coronavirus, he said. "Not to mention the LegCo election. The risk will be very high as millions of voters will come to the streets."

The government must have considered carefully and had no choice but to postpone the election, Ko said. "Both my wife and I support the government decision. Health and safety must come be the first priority."

As the epidemic showed no signs of abating, the financial company that Chun, a clerk in Hong Kong, worked for, has encouraged its employees to work at home.

From promotion campaigns to voting and ballot count, many activities of the election are likely to compound the spread of COVID-19, Chun said, stressing that the postponement is necessary to push Hong Kong economy back on track and ensure the safety of residents.

Weighed on by the epidemic, the combined income of restaurants fell sharply by 25.9 percent year on year in the second quarter and retail sales declined 33.3 percent in the first half from a year ago, official data showed.

Only after the epidemic is under control, people will go out to dine and shop and the catering and retail sectors and the wider economy will start to recover, a resident surnamed Lee said. "The HKSAR government is doing actively and wisely to cut transmission chains and avoid public gatherings."

Wong Tai Sin District was one of the hardest-hit areas amid the latest wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong. So Ka-Lok, a community organizer of Choi Hung Estate in the district, said there had been 22 confirmed cases in the community and he worried about the worsening epidemic situation.

Given expected gatherings during the election, no one can guarantee that voters will not be infected, So said.

As some voters currently stranded in the mainland or overseas can not return to Hong Kong, their rights would be damaged if the election was held as planned, he added.

An organization named Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link has collected more than 850,000 signatures online since last Friday to show support for the government decision to postpone the election for a year.

Observers also believe the deferment is proper as the election, which will lead to frequent gatherings and dense crowds, can only be held after an effective mechanism to trace and cut transmission chains is put in place.

With the one-year buffer period, Hong Kong will be able to build such a mechanism and focus on containing the COVID-19 spread and reviving the economy, observers said.
Former Karnataka chief minister and senior Congress leader Siddaramaiah on Tuesday (August 4) said that he has tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19 and has been admitted to the hospital.

Siddaramaiah tweeted that he has been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precautionary measure. The former Karnataka CM has urged everyone who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms and quarantine themselves.

I have been tested positive for Covid19 and also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution. I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms and to quarantine themselves," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

I have been tested positive for #Covid19 & also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution. I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms & to quarantine themselves.  Siddaramaiah (@siddaramaiah) August 4, 2020

Earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to hospital as a precautionary measure.

"I have tested positive for coronavirus. Whilst I am fine, I am being hospitalised as a precaution on the recommendation of doctors. I request those who have come in contact with me recently to be observant and exercise self quarantine," Yediyurappa had tweeted.

On Monday, Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb had gone into self-isolation after two members of his family tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19. Deb tweeted that some other members of his family had tested negative and the result of his COVID-19 test is yet to come. The Tripura chief minister added that he has decided to remain in self-isolation at his residence and that "all precautionary measures have been taken".

On Sunday (August 2), Union Home Minister Amit Shah had also tested positive for COVID-19 and was admitted to a hospital in Gurugram. Shah had said that he was "fine" and had decided to admit himself in hospital as per the doctor's advice.

It is to be noted that Shah was present in the meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week to discuss New Education Policy. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also attended the meeting. According to sources, all necessary precautions, including social distancing, were taken during the meeting.
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission(EFCC) on Tuesday re-arraigned a former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mohammed Adoke, for alleged money laundering.

Mr Adoke was re-arraigned alongside a controversial businessman, Aliyu Abubakar, on an amended 14-count charges.

The EFCC, had on February 10 arraigned Messrs Adoke and Abubakar on seven counts. Mr Adoke had six counts while Mr Abubakar had one count.

But with amended charges, Messrs Adoke and Abubakar now have seven-count charge each.

The duo are also standing trial alongside others at the FCT High Court in Gwagwalada in Abuja, in respect of the Malabu oil transaction.

According to the anti-graft agency, the duo in 2013, made payments (in naira and dollar),into the former AGFs accounts.

This is in violation of various provisions of the Money Laundering (Prohibition) Act, EFCC said.

Count one of the charge reads;That you Aliyu Abubakar, sometime in September 2013, in Abuja, within the junsdiction of this Honourable COurt, accepted a cash payment or the sum of $2,000,000.00 (Two million United States Dollars) from Farsman Holdings Limited, through Abdulhakeem Uthman Mustapha, and you thereby committed an oftence contrary to the combined effect of section 16 (1) (d) and of section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.

Count eight of the charge reads That you Mohammed Bello Adoke, sometime in August 2013, in Abuja, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, accepted a cash payment of a sum of United States Dollars, equivalent to N300,000,000.00 (Three hundred million Naira), from Aliyu Abubakar, and you thereby committed an offence contrary to the combined effect of section 16 (1) (d) and of section 1(a) of the Money Laundering Prohibition Act 2011 (as amended) and punishable under section 16 (2)(b) of the same Act.

The two defendants pleaded not guilty to the 14-count charge when read to them.

The court adopted the bail condition granted to the duo on February 10, in the sum of N50m with one surety in like sum.

The court has however adjourned to August 11, 12 and 13 for the trial of the former AGF and Mr Abubakar.

Background

The EFCC had been pursuing Mr Adoke for his alleged role in the controversial transfer of Nigerias OPL 245 oil field.

PREMIUM TIMES reported how almost half of the $1.1 billion paid by Shell and Eni in the controversial OPL 245 deal brokered by Mr Adoke and some other officials of the Goodluck Jonathan administration ended in accounts controlled by Mr Abubakar.

The oil multinationals paid the money through the Nigerian government to Malabu, a company then controlled by Dan Etete, a former petroleum minister who is on the run.

Malabu, which was illegally awarded OPL 245 when Mr Etete was a minister in 1998, then transferred about half of the money into accounts partly controlled by Mr Abubakar.

The EFCC alleges that Mr Abubakar distributed the money to some top officials of Shell and Eni as well as some officials of the Jonathan administration.

Shell, Eni, and their officials are already being prosecuted in Italy for the scandal.

Mr Adoke has denied any wrongdoing and said the actions taken in respect of the transfer of the block were based on the instructions of former President Jonathan and in the best interest of Nigeria.

In 2015, the former minister went on a self-imposed exile outside Nigeria.

He eventually travelled to Dubai where he was arrested by Interpol on the prompting of the EFCC.

Upon his return to Nigeria, he was arrested at the Abuja airport and handed over to the EFCC on December 19, 2019.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 01:54:18|Editor: huaxia

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Dr. Michael Ryan(L), executive director of the World Health Organization (WHO) Health Emergencies Program, addresses a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 18, 2020. (Photo by Chen Junxia/Xinhua)

Wuhan is not necessarily the place where the COVID-19 disease crossed from animals into humans, said a senior WHO expert.

GENEVA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Although the first clusters of atypical pneumonia were reported in Wuhan, China, it doesn't necessarily mean that is where the COVID-19 disease crossed from animals into humans, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) expert said on Monday.

Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said at a routine COVID-19 briefing on Monday that a much more "extensive retrospective epidemiological study" should be taken to fully understand the links between the cases.

Senior students study in a classroom with transparent boards placed on each desk to separate each other as a precautionary measure against the spread of COVID-19 at Wuhan No. 23 Middle School in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, May 6, 2020. (Xinhua/Xiao Yijiu)

He stressed the need to start studies on the first reported human clusters in order to systematically look for the "first signal at which the animal-human species barrier was crossed," before moving to the studies on the animal side.

The WHO advance team that traveled to China in preparation for an international mission of identifying the zoonotic source of COVID-19 has concluded its mission recently, according to the WHO expert. Future studies will build on the initial investigations done by Chinese experts around the Wuhan seafood market.

Ryan also noted that WHO is moving forward with agreeing on the international team and ensuring that right expertise will be in place to work with the Chinese counterparts to design and implement further studies. 
Caleb Reed was a leader with Voices of Youth in Chicago Education, a coalition of community organizations advocating for racial justice in the education system. Reed was found on a sidewalk on July 31, 2020, in the 1900 block of West Granville Avenue in West Rogers Park with a gunshot wound to the head, police said. He was taken to Amita Health St. Francis Hospital Evanston, where he died Aug. 2, 2020.On Aug. 31, 2020, Genove Martin, 18, a friend of Reed, was arrested and charged in his death. According to prosecutors, Martin kind of fired over his shoulder at a Chevy Malibu about three houses down, but Reed was right behind him and the bullet hit him in the forehead. Judge John Lyke Jr. called the shooting a tragedy with a capital T but denied prosecutors request to hold Martin without bail on a first-degree murder charge. Instead, Lyke ordered him held on $300,000 bond.Martin was college-bound, involved in mentoring and community service, and had himself been shot just last year, according to his attorney. Both Reed and Martin participated in Becoming A Man, an academic and character development program offered at schools across the city. Read the story.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 06:56:27|Editor: huaxia

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LIMA, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The novel coronavirus pandemic could raise the level of poverty in Peru by 10 percent, President of the Council of Ministers Pedro Cateriano warned on Monday.

"Preliminary projections estimate that poverty could rise between 8 percent and 10 percent. That would set the country back 10 continuous years in its fight against poverty," Cateriano told Congress, where he asked for a vote of confidence in the cabinet he has been heading since July 15.

Lockdown measures designed to control the spread of the virus and save thousands of lives, have also led to unemployment and a rise in poverty, he noted.

"This crisis could lead to more than 868,000 households not having enough income to pay for the basic food basket and services," he said.

To tackle the crisis, the government plans to spend some 2.285 billion U.S. dollars on welfare programs to help these families, he added.

He also announced several infrastructure projects aimed at reactivating the economy. Enditem
Accra, 3rd August 2020 - Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), attended a thanksgiving service the day after the successful outdooring event on Monday, July 27, 2020 evening.

In his sermon, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, acknowledged that Christians must get into politics to operate with truth and integrity as against the politics of insults and violence.

You are coming in at a time when our politics is bedeviled with all sorts of negative things but as a Christian, dont go that way, he cautioned.

He spoke against the lynching of an old helpless woman to death after being branded as a witch for no reason.

He told the newly outdoored NDC running mate that the mandate she was seeking from Ghanaians should be one to lead and be a servant who will care for the poor, helpless, and marginalized and those who do not count in society as well as champion the course of the vulnerable.

The Presiding Bishop advised her to constantly carry the value of peace along in her political journey, saying Carry peace, walk with peace, talk about the need for peace and let people know you stand with the God of peace.

In brief remarks, Prof. Naana Opoku- Agyemang expressed gratitude to God for how far he has brought her and said she viewed her new position as an important step God has placed in her path.

I do not intend to take this step all by myself; I am trusting God as I take this step and asking everyone to come on this journey with me, she said

Prayers were said for Prof. Naana Opoku- Agyemang and a bible presented to her to symbolize her acceptance to follow Gods guiding principles in her new position.

Family, friends and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) attended the service which took place on Tuesday, 28th July 2020 at the Asbury Dunwell Chapel at the Methodist Church Headquarters.

About the National Democratic Congress

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the party on whose platform President Rawlings, President Mills, and President Mahama successfully won elections and became President of the Republic of Ghana. The NDC has won four out of the seven elections held in Ghana during the Fourth Republic, which followed the coming into force of the 1992 Republican Constitution. It is a social-democratic party.

The current leader and Flagbearer of the Party for the upcoming 2020 presidential and parliamentary elections in December is John Dramani Mahama. He holds the sole distinction in the countrys governance history of having served as a Member of Parliament, a Deputy Minister of State, a Minister of State, a Vice President, and a President of Ghana.

The Vice-Presidential candidate of the NDC is Professor Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, who was Vice-Chancellor of the University of Cape Coast and the first female Vice-Chancellor of a University in Ghana and has also served as a Minister of Education, among her numerous internationally acknowledged credentials.
Israel has denied having anything to do with the huge explosion in Beirut, adding that the country was ready to give humanitarian and medical assistance to Lebanon.

The huge explosion in port warehouses near the city centre as killed more than 100 people, injured over 4,000 and sent shockwaves that shattered windows, smashed masonry and shook the ground.

Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further after Tuesday's blast as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead. It was the most powerful explosion in years to hit Beirut, which is already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.

Lebanon's interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up. Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, denied any role.

'Israel has approached Lebanon through international security and diplomatic channels and has offered the Lebanese government medical and humanitarian assistance,' a written statement from Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said.

The offer comes after two weeks of heightened tensions between the rival neighbours, which involved a series of border clashes between the Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) and Hezbollah on Israel's northern frontier.

Earlier this month, Israel accused Hezbollah of trying to send gunmen across the UN-demarcated Blue Line and said it held the Lebanese government responsible for what it termed an attempted 'terrorist' attack.

Lebanon's interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up

There have been numerous similar border spats in recent years but the most recent full-scale conflict broke out between the two sides in 2006 after Hezbollah killed eight Israeli soldiers and kidnapped two, sparking the 34-day Israel-Lebanon war.

Hezbollah launched rockets at its southern neighbour and Israel returned fire, bombing Lebanese towns, villages and key infrastructure targets.

The conflict ended inconclusively and the two sides are still, technically, at war. Lebanon is one of 31 UN member states that does not recognise Israel's existence.

International aid in the form of emergency workers and medical personnel is already on its way to Lebanon.

France says it is sending two planes with dozens of emergency workers, a mobile medical unit and 15 tons of aid. French President Emmanuel Macron's office says the aid should allow for the treatment of some 500 victims.

French peacekeepers stationed in Lebanon, a former French protectorate, have been helping since the explosions, Macron's office said.

Jordan says a military field hospital including all necessary personnel will be dispatched, according to the Royal Court. Egypt has opened a field hospital in Beirut to receive the wounded.

Czech Interior Minister Jan Hamacek says Lebanon has accepted an offer to send a team of 37 rescuers with sniffer dogs to Beirut. Denmark says it is ready to provide humanitarian assistance to Lebanon, and Greece says it is ready to help Lebanese authorities 'with all means at its disposal.'

Prime Minister Hassan Diab, in a short televised speech, has appealed to all countries and friends of Lebanon to extend help to the small nation, saying: 'We are witnessing a real catastrophe.' He reiterated his pledge that those responsible for the massive explosion at Beirut's port will pay the price, without commenting on the cause.

Diab's speech came the morning after the blast killed at least 100 people and wounded thousands.

Israeli soldiers monitor the country's border with Lebanon near the northern town of Metula earlier this month

Wounded people are treated at a hospital following the explosion, which has left hundreds of casualties in Beirut last night

Smoke was still rising from the port Wednesday morning. Major downtown streets were littered with debris and damaged vehicles, and building facades were blown out.

Lebanese Red Cross official George Kettaneh said at least 100 people were killed and more than 4,000 were wounded, and said the toll could rise further.

After yesterday's explosion, Shi'ite Iran, the main backer of militant political party Hezbollah, also offered support, as did Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni power.

'What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe,' the head of Lebanon's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. 'There are victims and casualties everywhere.'

Hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

A security source said victims were taken for treatment outside the city because Beirut hospitals were packed with wounded. Ambulances from the north and south of the country and the Bekaa valley to the east were called in to help.

The blast was so big that some residents in the city, where memories of heavy shelling during the 1975 to 1990 civil war live on, thought an earthquake had struck. Dazed, weeping and wounded people walked through streets searching for relatives.

'I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability,' Prime Minister Hassan Diab told the nation.

'Those responsible will pay the price,' he said in his televised address, adding that details about the 'dangerous warehouse' would be made public.

The interior minister told Al Jadeed TV that ammonium nitrate had been stored at the port since 2014.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents in the city about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.

Footage of the explosion shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port followed by an enormous blast, sending up a white cloud and a fireball into the sky. Those filming the incident from high buildings 2 km (one mile) from the port were thrown backwards by the shock.

It was not immediately clear what caused the initial blaze on Tuesday that set off the blast.

Lebanon's health minister said more than 50 people had been killed and more than 2,750 injured. Lebanon's Red Cross said hundreds of people had been taken to hospitals.

The governor of Beirut port told Sky News a team of firefighters, who were battling the initial blaze, had 'disappeared' after the explosion.

President Michel Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared. He said it was 'unacceptable' that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored for six years without safety measures.

The prime minister called for a day of mourning.

The explosion occurred three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.

Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the same waterfront, about 2 km (about one mile) from the port.

Western countries including the United States, Britain and France also said they were ready to assist.

Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than 6 million.

It threatens a new humanitarian crisis in a nation that hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and which is already grappling with economic meltdown under one of the world's biggest debt burdens.

Residents said glass was broken in neighbourhoods on Beirut's Mediterranean coast and inland suburbs several kms (miles) away. In Cyprus, a Mediterranean island 110 miles (180 km) across the sea from Beirut, residents heard the blast. One resident in Nicosia said his house and window shutters shook.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 04:51:17|Editor: huaxia

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The Italian Frecce Tricolori (Tricolor Arrows) aerobatics team fly over the new Genoa Saint George Bridge in Genoa, Italy, Aug 3, 2020. Italy's new Genoa Saint George Bridge, which replaces the viaduct that collapsed two years ago and killed 43 people, was inaugurated in the northwestern port city of Genoa on Monday. (Str/Xinhua)

ROME, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Italy's new Genoa Saint George Bridge, which replaces the viaduct that collapsed two years ago and killed 43 people, was inaugurated in the northwestern port city of Genoa on Monday.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella, and Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte, along with other officials attended the ceremony, which was televised live by RAI national public broadcaster.

The ceremony began with a performance of the national anthem, followed by a reading out of the names of the 43 victims along with the names of their home towns or countries of provenance, and a minute of silence in their memory.

"Today is a day of intense emotion," Italian starchitect and Genoa native Renzo Piano, who designed the bridge for free, said in a speech at the ceremony.

Piano, 82, who designed the Center Georges Pompidou in Paris, The Shard in London, and the new Whitney Museum in New York, said:"It is not easy to be the heir of a tragedy, but my great hope for this bridge is that it will be loved."

The bridge construction involved the work of 1,189 skilled construction workers and engineers. "To you our city expresses a heartfelt thank you," said Genoa Mayor Marco Bucci.

Prime Minister Conte also thanked all the workers who "labored with competence and with passion" on the construction of the bridge.

The new bridge consists of a continuous steel deck measuring 1,067 meters made up of 17,400 tons of steel and has 19 steel and concrete spans which are held up by 18 elliptical piers in reinforced concrete.

Equipped with robotic and sensor automation systems for infrastructure monitoring and maintenance, the bridge adopts solar-powered lighting system, according to PerGenova, the consortium that built the new bridge.

DEADLY COLLAPSE

The new structure replaces the Morandi Bridge, a viaduct built in the 1960s whose midsection collapsed during a torrential downpour just before noon on Aug. 14, 2018, sending some 30 cars and trucks crashing onto a riverbed, train tracks, and warehouses that lay 45 meters below.

In the days that followed, a total of 16 survivors were pulled out of the rubble, one of whom subsequently died.

The final death toll stood at 43. The victims were from Albania, Colombia, Chile, France, Italy, Jamaica, Romania, and Peru, according to the Genoa prefecture. Those who died included families with children, couples, and groups of young friends going on holiday.

An investigation into the causes of the deadly collapse is ongoing.
Authorities have been accused of double standards after signs warning Muslims to Celebrate Eid safely were posted.

Sandwich-board style displays across Bradford also instructed No handshake, no hugs, hands off during the religious festival that ended yesterday.

On Facebook, the council said: Watch out for our teams who are out and about reminding people about the guidelines to keep coronavirus at bay and how to celebrate Eid-Al-Adha safely.

However, some questioned why similar public warnings had not been made during other major celebrations, such as VE Day in May.

Bradford has the third highest Covid infection rate in England and is one of several areas in the North where new restrictions have been imposed in an attempt to stop a second wave

One social media user posted: Spoiled our Eid.

Bradford has the third highest Covid infection rate in England and is one of several areas in the North where new restrictions have been imposed in an attempt to stop a second wave.

The news comes following reports that Sage scientists told ministers weeks ago that Eid would be 'problematic' in the fight against coronavirus.

In a report submitted to Number 10 on July 2, experts advising the Government highlighted the Islamic festival as one of 10 events that could see Brits discard social distancing.

Sandwich-board style displays across Bradford also instructed No handshake, no hugs, hands off during the religious festival that ended yesterday

That report said Eid could be 'potentially problematic if occurring in the context of a localised lockdown or in a situation where a lockdown might be expected'.

Minutes from a SAGE meeting a week later, on July 9, revealed scientists were also concerned about spikes in areas in northern England with large South Asian populations.

Experts said: 'Current hotspots are mainly in the Midlands and North of England and are in areas with deprivation, high-density living conditions and significant BAME (particularly south Asian) communities.

'Communications need to reflect this epidemiological picture. Policy leads in CO [Cabinet Office] and DHSC [Department of Health and Social Care] will need to take note and act accordingly.'

The Health Secretary Matt Hancock denied that he had targeted celebrations with a last-minute move to introduce strict new lockdown restrictions on 4.5million people living in Greater Manchester and parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire.

He told the BBC that 'My heart goes out to the Muslim communities in these areas because I know how important Eid celebrations are.'

Eid al-Adha - the festival of sacrifice - follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

It is the second major celebration of the Islamic calendar after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of fasting called Ramadan.

Many Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, which can last between two to four days, by sacrificing an animal for feasts to be shared by family, friends and those in need in large groups.
For the first time ever, there will be no spectators at the Indianapolis 500.

On July 22, Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske, said fan attendance would be limited to 25 percent of capacity.

Today, the speedway announced, there will be no fans at the race scheduled for Aug. 23. It had been rescheduled from Memorial Day weekend because of the coronavirus pandemic.

News from #IMS:



It is with great regret that we announce the Indianapolis 500 will take place on August 23 without fans. This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership.



Full Details: https://t.co/mlC19YG6Ng pic.twitter.com/YryckwCjJ1  Indianapolis Motor Speedway (@IMS) August 4, 2020

According to the Associated Press, Penske had originally said the race would not be run without fans. As the coronavirus spread, that was reduced to 50 percent of capacity and then 25 percent.

Cases have continued to rise  steadily in Indiana and specifically in Marion County, where the speedway is located  and Penske told The Associated Press on Tuesday the reversal on the spectator policy was the toughest business decision Ive ever made in my life.'

We didnt buy the Speedway for one year, we bought it for generations to come, and its important to our reputation to do the right thing, Penske said in a telephone interview.

The speedway made this announcement: It is with great regret that we announce the 104th running of the Indianapolis 500 will take place on Aug. 23 without fans. This tough decision was made following careful consideration and extensive consultation with state and city leadership.

As dedicated as we were to running the race this year with 25 percent attendance at our large outdoor facility, even with meaningful and careful precautions implemented by the city and state, the COVID-19 trends in Marion County and Indiana have worsened.

Since our June 26 announcement, the number of cases in Marion County has tripled while the positivity rate has doubled. We said from the beginning of the pandemic we would put the health and safety of our community first, and while hosting spectators at a limited capacity with our robust plan in place was appropriate in late June, it is not the right path forward based on the current environment.

We encourage Hoosiers to continue making smart decisions and following the advice of our public health officials so we can help get Indiana back on track.

The Associated Press reported, The situation was compounded last week when IU Health, the states largest health care system and a partner of Indianapolis Motor Speedway, said it opposed fans attending the 500.

Until we sustain better control of this virus and its spread, IU Health said in a statement, we strongly encourage IMS to consider an alternative to running the Indy 500 with fans in August.'

The letter blindsided speedway officials, who had worked with health officials on the comprehensive safety plan that included mandatory wearing of masks at all times inside the speedway.

IU Health said it appreciates the speedways safety plan, but risks remained too high to host a large cluster of fans.

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FilmMagic/FilmMagic for Bonnaroo Arts And Music FestivalFrank Ocean is mourning the death of his 18-year-old brother, Ryan Breaux, who died in a fatal car crash over the weekend.

E! reports the accident transpired in the early morning hours on Sunday in Thousand Oaks, California.

Thousand Oaks Police Department shared in a statement that two people were involved in the collision, but provided no further updates on either victim's identity following notification of immediate family.

The accident happened shortly after 1:30 in the morning. According to the police statement, "Upon arrival, deputies discovered the vehicle engulfed in flames. The two occupants of the vehicle were pronounced deceased at the scene by the Ventura County Fire Department."

Police believe the driver of the vehicle lost control and crashed into a tree.

Ocean has yet to publicly comment on the accident.

Pierce Brosnan's son Paris paid tribute to Ryan on social media over the weekend and identified the other passenger in the vehicle as Ezekiel "Zeek" Bishop.

"To my brother, who was talented beyond belief," the 19-year-old penned. "You were just getting started and ready to show the world who you were."

"I will carry you in my heart always. Until I see you again brother. Ryan Breaux forever & Zeek Bishop forever," he concluded.

No funeral services has been announced at this time.

By Megan Stone

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
The Walt Disney Co. lost nearly $5 billion in April, May and June, while its theme parks were shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, according to a presentation Disney executives made Tuesday.

It cost the company $3.5 billion just to close the parks during the third quarter, on top of the $1 billion it cost to shut them down the second half of March.

In all, the company posted a loss of nearly $5 billion for the third quarter, including a $2 billion loss in its parks, experiences and products segment.

Disney's domestic parks  Disney World and Disneyland, as well as Disneyland Paris, resorts and cruise operations were closed for the entirety of the quarter and the final two weeks of the previous quarter.

The company's parks, experiences and products segment revenue declined 85% to $1 billion compared with the same quarter in 2019. Operating income fell $3.7 billion to a loss of $2 billion.

Disney's media networks segment helped offset the losses from parks, experiences and products. Across all segments, the coronavirus pandemic's impact cost the company $2.9 billion in April, May and June.

"This is obviously a very uncertain time," CEO Bob Chapek said during an earnings webcast Tuesday. "We should be in good shape once consumer confidence returns."

Disney has felt the full impact of the coronavirus pandemic, from its theme parks, resort hotels and retail stores, to its cruise lines and TV and film production.

Disney World in Florida and Disneyland Paris both opened in July; Disneyland backed off its plan to reopen July 17 amid the COVID-19 surge in California and has not announced a new reopening date.

Shanghai Disneyland reopened in May. While Hong Kong Disneyland reopened in June, it closed again in July because of a new coronavirus outbreak.

Both California and Florida have the highest numbers of coronavirus cases in the country.

As of Tuesday, the Florida Department of Health counted more than 497,000 total cases, making the state second only to California, with more than 519,000 cases.

Story continues

Guests wear masks as required to attend the official reopening day of the Magic Kingdom at Walt Disney World in Lake Buena Vista, Fla., Saturday, July 11, 2020. Disney reopened two Florida parks, the Magic Kingdom and Animal Kingdom, Saturday, with limited capacity and safety protocols in place in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus surge in Florida has resulted in more cancellations and lower attendance than the company was expecting, with the park operating at lower capacity, Disney executives said Tuesday in the earnings presentation.

Chapek said Disney World had experienced a falloff in visitors coming to the park from out of state. Long-distance travel remains well below last year's volume, and airlines have cut flights from their schedules.

The impact of the park's reopening on the company won't be known until it releases fourth-quarter results.

"We expect demand will grow when the COVID situation in Florida improves," said Christine McCarthy, Disney's chief financial officer.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Disney's theme park coronavirus closures result in $5 billion loss
THE Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) has appealed to government agencies and airline carriers to open more flights to Cebu and fly the repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) closer to their destinations.

The joint statement dubbed A Call to Move Forward released on Tuesday, Aug. 4, was addressed to the Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID), the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Transportation, Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Cebu Province, Mactan-Cebu International Airport Authority, GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp. (GMCAC), Philippine Airlines (PAL), Cebu Pacific Air and Air Asia Philippines.

Considering the efforts and investments made in our Mactan-Cebu International Airport (MCIA) together with other tourism stakeholders, Cebu in general, is ready to accept arrivals and is committed to serve our nearby islands in support to road to recovery, the HRRAC said.

It cited MCIAs Covid-19 testing facility that can cater to at least 1,500 travelers and can release test results within 24 hours, among others.

Landing hub for OFWs

Moreover, HRRAC said it wants the IATF-EID to consider Cebu as a landing hub for OFWs from inbound international flights considering the airports and hotels capacities to produce faster Covid-19 results and offer accessible accommodations.

The group claimed that their members received an advisory from PAL saying that PAL will no longer divert their flights to Cebu and that all its international flights will now be served at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport Terminal 2.

The group said OFWs who arrive in Manila and Clark are billeted as far as Subic to Batangas and their Covid-19 test results are released 48 to 72 hours due to location, which implies that they will stay longer in hotels and spend more on transportation cost.

We would like to appeal to your good office to review the benefits of the facilities in flying directly to Cebu that will service the greater Visayas and Mindanao area, the HRRAC said, stressing that all accommodation facilities and tourism players in Cebu are complying with all health standards set by the Project Balik Buhay, the DOT, the Department of Health and the Department of Trade and Industry.

Story continues

The group also argued that repatriated OFWs bound for the Visayas and Mindanao will find it more convenient and practical to fly directly to Cebu since it will be closer to their destination.

These measures will help lessen the governments expenditure due to shorter stay in the hotel and lower transportation cost, the HRRAC said.

The association has been lobbying for its hotel members whose businesses were severely damaged by the lockdowns brought about by the pandemic. (JOB)


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Singapore -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/03/2020 -- LVI Associates Singapore is a trusted recruitment partner to organisations and individuals in Singapore and all over the world. Established in 2012, the firm has grown alongside the boom in infrastructure demand and come to know this sector on an intimate level. Working with talented people and forward-thinking businesses across the region, LVI Associates Singapore seeks to ensure that connections are made that help all to thrive.



Key to supporting infrastructure jobs in Singapore is the process of reimagining recruitment so that the experience is a more positive one for both the businesses and the people involved. LVI Associates Singapore works to provide peace of mind to all those seeking to benefit from hiring, ensuring that businesses receive maximum benefit from investment in recruitment and that individuals have a positive experience through the process. This lays the foundation for successful ongoing relationships going forward and has also made LVI Associates Singapore the leading specialist recruiter in infrastructure as a result.



The infrastructure sector is a crucial part of any economy, particularly as it can be transformative when it comes to the lives of every day people. Infrastructure jobs in Singapore not only have the potential to benefit those directly involved but also to make a profound difference to the lives of the general public, whether that is in the way that they travel, how they live or how easy it is to receive basic supplies, such as electricity or clean water. Infrastructure is crucial to the evolution of any country and has been highlighted as an investment priority by The World Bank. As a result, despite the challenges of current COVID-19 conditions it remains a local priority in Singapore and in other countries across the globe.



"During uncertain times, LVI Associates Singapore offers reassurance. Crises come in many different forms  financial crashes, oil gluts, and now a global pandemic". commented Andrew McNeilis, Managing Director of APAC at LVI Associates Singapore. He went on to say, "Yet, whatever the challenge, we remain steadfast in our service. We continue to offer guidance to clients in the engineering and infrastructure sectors and help them secure top talent."



LVI Associates Singapore has worked to adapt to the challenges that have been presented to hiring during a global pandemic. The firm has a well-established network of contacts within key businesses, working with the best engineers, project managers, directors and originators in the industry. LVI Associates Singapore has also spent years nurturing ties with exceptional candidates to enable the firm to make the right connections no matter what the current global situation. Not only that but the firm regularly goes above and beyond for clients  for example, providing up-to-date information on anything that will affect the future of work and impact hiring. In these turbulent times, LVI Associates Singapore is a recruitment partner big on trust as well as outcomes.



To find out more information about infrastructure jobs in Singapore visit https://www.lviassociates.sg/about-us.



For any media enquiries please contact Gary Elliott at Iconic Digital  020 7100 0726.



For all other enquiries please contact LVI Associates Singapore: +65 3165 1400.



For more information about LVI Associates Singapore services, please go to https://www.lviassociates.sg.



About LVI Associates Singapore

LVI Associates Singapore is the leading specialist recruitment agency for the infrastructure sector. Reimagining recruitment for this fast moving and innovative industry has enabled the firm to bring together the brightest talent and key enterprises to help continue to drive the sector forward.
New Delhi, Aug 5 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday said that it arrested two more people in connection with its probe into the Kerala gold smuggling case, taking the number of those held so far to 12.

An NIA spokesperson said that Sharafudeen, 38, a resident of Malappuram, and Shafeeq, 31, a resident of Palakkad, had assisted key conspirator Ramees K.T., who has already been arrested, to collect the smuggled gold.

The official said that the two were arrested after their roles in the conspiracy and smuggling of gold through the diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE Consulate at Thiruvananthapuram surfaced in the investigation.

The official said that during custodial interview of Ramees, it was revealed that he was aided and assisted by Sharafudeen and Shafeeq in collecting the smuggled gold from Sandeep Nair, who has also been arrested, at Thiruvananthapuram and further distributing the contraband among thee other co-conspirators.

The arrested accused were produced before the NIA Special Court in Ernakulam which sent them to four days' NIA custody.

The NIA had found links of Popular Front of India (PFI) in the case on Sunday following two fresh arrests by the agency on Saturday.

Muhammad Ali Ebrahim and Muhammad Ali were held by the NIA on Saturday after they were found to be part of the conspiracy in the case that rocked Kerala and has caused a huge dent to the image of Chief Minister Pinarai Vijayan after links of a key accused to IAS officer M. Sivasankar, who was Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and well as state IT Secretary, surfaced. Sivasankar was removed from the posts and later suspended.

On July 30, the NIA arrested Jalal A.M. and Said Alavi E. for conspiring with Ramees to smuggle gold through diplomatic baggage addressed to the UAE consulate at Thiruvananthapuram.

The NIA arrested two more accused, identified as Mohammed Shafi P. and Abdu P.T., on July 31 for playing similar roles in the crime.

The gold smuggling case first surfaced when P.S. Sarith, a former employee of the UAE Consulate, was arrested by the Customs on July 5 when he allegedly was facilitating the smuggling of 30 kg gold in diplomatic baggage from Dubai to Thiruvananthapuram.

The case became murkier when the name of Swapna Suresh, a former employee of the UAE Consulate and later employed with the Kerala government's IT Department, came to light. Her links with Sivasankar came up later during the investigation.

Swapna and co-accused Sandeep Nair of Kochi were arrested by the NIA from Bengaluru after the case was handed over to the agency.
The Srinagar administration on Monday (August 3) ordered a curfew for August 4 and 5, the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

A order copy issued by Deputy Commissioner Srinagar read,"Senior superintendent of Srinagar has reported that a series of inputs have been received suggesting that separatist and Pak sponsored groups are planning to observe 5th August 2020 as Black Day, therein apprehensions of violation action or protests are not ruled out. There are specific inputs about violent protests endangering public life and property.

"In view of restrictions aimed at COVID-19 containment already in place, the movement and assembly of people have been prohibited to avoid spread particularly in wake of recent spike, Thus, any such mass gathering would be detrimental to efforts related to COVID-19 containment as well," added the order.

"The report has further made a case that to prevent such violence and loss of life and property, it's imminent to impose curfew in the district. Therefore, after having considered the material facts in report and examining the situation in backdrop of prevailing factors, I, District Magistrate, Srinagar, by virtue of powers vested in me u/s 144 Cr PC hereby order complete restrictions on public movement / curfew in territorial jurisdiction of District Srinagar, noted the order.

However medical emergencies and movement of staff on COVID-19 duty with pass/Valid Cards shall be exempted from above restrictions.

Additional Deputy Commissioner (Adm), Srinagar shall deploy one Magistrate each to coordinate implementation in each Police Stations jurisdictions. These restrictions shall come into force with immediate effect and shall remain in force on 4th and 5th August 2020. Meanwhile, the restrictions previously ordered vide this office order dated 31st July 2020 on account of Covid-19 shall continue thereafter till 8th August unless revised earlier, concluded the order.
As the coronavirus pandemic shuttered bars and restaurants in March, Phil McDaniels craft distillery in St. Augustine, Fla., stopped producing bourbon. Then he realized there was one alcohol-based product he could make that people would still clamor for: hand sanitizer.

His St. Augustine Distillery soon churned out the first of what became 10,000 gallons of the disinfectant. With sanitizer in short supply nationwide, he quickly sold and donated most of the supplies to hospitals and emergency responders along Floridas northeastern coast.

In the beginning, it was just unbelievable, the sort of frenetic demand that was out there, said Mr. McDaniel, 62. It was so gratifying to us to be able to come in and help.

But as virus cases have spiked again in Florida and other states, Mr. McDaniel said he had no plans to make more sanitizer. Thats because the early demand he experienced tailed off in June when large brands like Purell were able to pump out more product. The price for sanitizer, which had hovered at $50 a gallon, plunged to around $15 a gallon. Today, he still has about 1,000 gallons of it, spread between 250-gallon square totes of finished product and 50-gallon drums of ingredients, sitting in a warehouse.
PM Narendra Modi (File image)

The entire country has become excited in view of the bhoomi pujan ceremony for Ram temple in Ayodhya and there is no other golden moment like Prime Minister Narendra Modi breaking the ground to mark the start of construction work, the Shiv Sena said on Tuesday.

The COVID-19 crisis is prevailing in the country, but it will disappear with the blessings of Lord Ram, an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.

It the ceremony, to be held at Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, will be fika (lacklustre) as Union Home Minister Amit Shah will not be able to attend it.

Shah on Sunday said he had tested positive for coronavirus after showing initial symptoms. He said his health was fine and he was getting admitted to a hospital on the advice of doctors.

The Shiv Sena said it is praying for his speedy recovery. The party, however, cryptically said though Shah is in isolation, the crisis still looms large over the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan.

Gehlot has no reason to be happy that Shah is in isolation as the BJP leader performs political surgeries from wherever he is, the Marathi daily said.

"Prime Minister Modi himself will perform the 'bhoomi pujan' by visiting Ayodhya, the Sena said.

It noted that BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, key leaders attached to the Ram temple construction campaign, will witness the sweet end of the battle of temple construction via video conferencing from Delhi.

Advani and Joshi were advised not to attend the ceremony in view of their age and the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ayodhya, it said.

Uma Bharti, another leader attached to the campaign, will not attend the ceremony in person given the fear of COVID-19, and will watch the ceremony from the banks of the Saryu "through the eyes of her mind, the Shiv Sena said.

"The country has become excited in view of the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony. There is no other golden moment like the countrys prime minister breaking the ground (for temple construction)," the Sena said.

"Coronavirus is prevailing. It has spread in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh and the entire country. This crisis, too, will fade away with the blessings of Lord Ram, it said.

The Sena further said the responsibility of security arrangements in Ayodhya was with the Home ministry, but it was unfortunate" that Shah got infected by the novel coronavirus.

"Prime Minister, RSS chief, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other invitees will be there (for the ceremony), but the ceremony will be lacklustre without Home Minister Shah, the Shiv Sena said.

Referring to the Rajasthan political crisis, it said Gehlot had to shift Congress MLAs from that state in isolation when Shah was quarantined at a hospital.

"That means the threat (to the Gehlot government) persists! the Shiv Sena claimed.

The MLAs were recently shifted to a Jaisalmer resort from Jaipur.

The Sena further said Uttar Pradesh has seemingly turned into a COVID-19 hotspot and the death of the states minister Kamal Rani Varun due to the disease is demoralising for people.

It raised concern over Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa also getting infected by the disease.

The Shiv Sena said Shah had taken utmost care during the lockdown period.

It noted that the Union home minister took part in a public event in Delhi last Saturday and attended the cabinet meeting last Wednesday observing social distancing norms.

Yet, Shah has asked those who came in his contact in the past few days to isolate themselves and get themselves tested for coronavirus, the Shiv Sena said.

"The entire Union council of ministers need to be isolated, if the Home minister is saying this. Shah is close to the prime minister as his second key colleague in the council," the Marathi publication said.

But nothing will happen to the prime minister and the home minister due the blessings of Lord Shriram. Wishes extended by (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi to Shah are important, it said.

Gandhi had on Sunday wished Shah a speedy recovery.
Mumbai, Aug 4 : At least four persons were killed and one went missing in Mumbai and Thane as heavy rain clobbered the country's commercial capital since Monday night with the state government declaring a holiday in the city and the Mumbai Metropolitan Region areas, officials said here on Tuesday.

The day was marked with flooding in several parts of the city, a major landslide on the Western Express Highway, an incident of a double house crash, over 100 trees crashing and several emergency incidents of electric short-circuits.

In the double house crash incident in Santacruz, Rekha M. Kakade and her 18-month old infant daughter Jahnavi were washed away and drowned in a swollen drain.

Another daughter Shivanya was rescued safely but a third daughter is still missing, said BMC Disaster Control.

Rakib A. Mandal, 15, was electrocuted and died on the spot when he came in contact with a live wire of street light on Ghodbunder Road in Thane, while a man was washed away in the floods in Navi Mumbai, said the local police.

Mumbai city recorded 25.2 cms while the suburbs notched 26.8 cms of rain in the past 24 hours, throwing normal life out of gear in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad (the MMR areas), and catching commuters unaware.

The Central Railway's Harbour Line was stopped from the Kurla-Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus and trains crawled on the main lines, but the Western Railway suspended services between Bandra-Churchgate, owing to flooding in Dadar and surrounding areas. After rains subsided in the afternoon, all train services resumed normal operations.

Road traffic was badly hit in the city and the entire MMR region with the BEST diverting its buses on at least 25 routes all over the city, including Dadar, Kings Circle, Parel, Wadala, Chembur, Kurla, Sion and Bandra owing to waterlogging in these areas.

A massive landslide on the Western Express Highway between Kandivali-Malad paralysed south-bound traffic at dawn on Tuesday, but there were no casualties.

Soon afterwards, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation deployed six JCBs to start work of clearing the debris, stones and the highway is likely to be cleared for operations soon.

BMC Commissioner I.S. Chahal, accompanied by top officials P. Velrasu, Chandrashekhar Chore, Sanjay Rathod and others went around various flooded spots in south Mumbai and supervised the anti-flooding operations undertaken.

Homes or shops were flooded in slums or low-lying areas in the suburbs of Malad, Kurla, Ghatkopar, Parel with people struggling to save their valuable belongings from the water.

Flooding was reported in Dadar, Prabhadevi, Bhendi Bazaar, Sir J.J. Hospital Junction, Kurla, Chembur, Tilak Nagar, Sion, Wadala, Mankhurd, Bandra, Andheri, Kandivali and other parts.

The Mithi River was swollen at Dahisar, Borivali, Kandivali and Goreagaon and running above the danger level, forcing many on their banks to evacuate their dwellings with the authorities remaining alert for any eventuality.

The main subways in Khar, Andheri, Malad and Dahisar were also flooded and all vehicular traffic stopped on both sides.

The Mumbai-Ahmedabad Highway, the old Mumbai-Pune highway, major or arterial roads in Mumbai, Thane, Palghar and Raigad were heavily waterlogged or flooded, stranding many vehicles in 3-4 feet deep waters, and causing traffic snarls.

The IMD has forecast spells of more heavy to very heavy rainfall in the city and surroundings over the next 24 hours, besides a high tide with a swell of 3.98 metres early on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump signed legislation Tuesday that will devote nearly $3 billion a year to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands following its overwhelming approval by both parties in Congress.

There hasnt been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect, Trump said, seemingly comparing himself to the 26th president, an avowed environmentalist who created many national parks, forests and monuments that millions of Americans flock to each year.

Supporters say the Great American Outdoors Act is the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century. Opponents countered that the money isnt enough to cover the estimated $20 billion maintenance backlog on federally owned lands.

At a White House bill-signing ceremony, Trump failed to give Democrats any credit for their role in helping to pass the measure, mispronounced the name of one of Americas most famous national parks, blamed a maintenance backlog that has been decades in the making on the Obama administration and claimed to have deterred a march to Washington that had been planned to tear down monuments in the nations capital. No such march was ever planned.

The Great American Outdoors Act requires full, permanent funding of the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund and addresses the maintenance backlog facing national parks and public lands. The law would spend about $900 million a year  double current spending  on the conservation fund and another $1.9 billion per year on improvements at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and range lands.

Trump in the budget proposals he has sent to Congress had previously recommended cutting money allocated to the fund, but reversed course and requested full funding in March.

Interior Secretary David Bernardt said the law will help create more than 100,000 jobs.

The maintenance backlog has been a problem for decades, through Republican and Democratic administrations. Trump falsely claimed it was caused by the last administration.

The House and the Senate cleared the bill by overwhelming bipartisan margins this summer, including significant support from congressional Democrats. No Democratic lawmakers attended the ceremony and Trump, in his remarks, credited only Republicans.

Asked why Democrats werent recognized, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said it was because Democrats and Republicans  including the administration  have yet to agree on extending now-expired coronavirus relief payments and protections.

Her answer focused on Senate Democrats rejection of a proposal by Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., for a one-week extension of a special federal unemployment benefit. She ignored that Senate Republicans themselves are divided over how to proceed on a larger relief package.

The only thing were recognizing about congressional Democrats right now is how appalling it is that there are Americans who are going without paychecks because they refused to partner with Martha McSally, Republicans and the president in ensuring that those payments go out.

Among the bills congressional champions are Republican Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Steve Daines of Montana. Both are among the Senates most vulnerable incumbents, and each one represents a state where the outdoor economy and tourism at sites such as the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone national parks play an outsize role.

Daines and Gardner persuaded Trump to support the legislation, which Gardner has made the cornerstone of his reelection campaign.

Democratic Sens. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Tom Udall of New Mexico all were instrumental in getting the bill passed. Cantwell has spent years working to reauthorize and fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and she worked with Gardner and Daines to make it happen.

For all of us whove fought for years to protect our public lands and invest in our outdoor recreation economy, today is a historic win for Americas beloved shared spaces, Cantwell said in a statement that criticized environmental and public health rollbacks by Trump that benefit the oil and gas industry.

The laws mostly Republican opponents complained it would not eliminate an estimated $20 billion maintenance backlog on 640 million acres (259 million hectares) of federally owned lands. The legislation authorizes $9.5 billion for maintenance over five years.

Lawmakers from Gulf Coast states also complained that their states get too small a share of revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling that is used to replenish the conservation fund.

Ivanka Trump, the Republican presidents daughter and adviser who supported the legislation, described it at the ceremony as a great legacy for the administration as well as the country.

In discussing the beauty of national parks Tuesday, President Trump tripped over one name when he referred to Yosemites towering sequoia trees. He twice mispronounced Yosemites as yoh-SEH-mytz instead of yoh-SEM-it-eez.

Trump also claimed an executive order highlighting the threat of up to 10 years in prison for defacing federal monuments was the reason a march to Washington for the sole purpose of destroying statues was cancelled.

People protesting racial injustice after George Floyds death in police custody in May began toppling monuments around the country of Confederate and other figures considered racist, but no such march to Washington was ever planned.

They were having a march on Washington to knock down a lot of monuments, and I signed it before the march, Trump said of the executive order he signed June 26. We announced it at a news conference that you go to jail for 10 years if you knock down a monument, and the march to Washington never happened. I dont know  thats strange how that all works. Isnt it, though? Isnt that a beautiful thing?

The Rev. Al Sharpton is planning a march on Washington for Aug. 28, the anniversary of the 1963 march in the nations capital led by Martin Luther King Jr.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Kevin Freking and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show the area with the maintenance backlog is 640 million acres, not 640 acres.
The men had been missing for three days when their distress signal was spotted on uninhabited Pikelot Island.

Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS in the sand that was spotted from above, authorities said.

The men had been missing in the Micronesia archipelago for nearly three days when their distress signal was spotted on Sunday on uninhabited Pikelot Island by searchers on Australian and US aircraft, the Australian defence department said on Monday.

The men had apparently set out from Pulawat Atoll in a 7-metre (23-foot) boat on July 30, intending to travel about 43km (27 miles) to Pulap Atoll but sailing off course and running out of fuel instead, the department said.

Searchers in Guam asked for Australian help. The military ship, Canberra, which was returning to Australia from exercises in Hawaii, diverted to the area and joined forces with US searchers from Guam.

The men were found about 190km (118 miles) from where they had set out.

I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfill our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world, Canberras commanding officer Captain Terry Morrison said in a statement.

The men were found in good condition, and an Australian military helicopter was able to land on the beach and give them food and water. A Micronesian patrol vessel was due to pick them up.

SOS is an internationally recognised distress signal that originates from Morse code.
OTTAWAMichael Levitt is resigning as the Liberal MP for the Toronto-area riding of York Centre.

Levitt, first elected in 2015, says he has informed the Speaker of the House of Commons that hell give up his seat as of Sept. 1.

In a Facebook post, Levitt says he has loved being a Member of Parliament but the intense, all-encompassing job has taken a toll on his family  especially since the COVID-19 crisis hit Canada five months ago.

He says its time to put family first and come back home, both physically and mentally.

Levitt says he will soon begin a new career as president and CEO of the Canadian Friends of Simon Wiesenthal Centre, an organization devoted to combating anti-Semitism and promoting human rights.

He say he hopes to use his new position to continue fighting systemic racism in Canada.

Read more about:
On Sunday, police in Aurora, Colorado spotted a car with a license plate number that matched a stolen motorcycle, so they sprang into action. Guns drawn, the white cops forced the occupants  a young black mother and four girls (one just 6 years old)  to lie on their stomachs in a parking lot. Two of the girls were handcuffed. In a video shot by a bystander, the children, clearly in terror, can be heard crying and screaming.

Aurora's police chief said the incident was a "misunderstanding."

From The Washington Post:

The department's interim chief, Vanessa Wilson, said police officers must be allowed to deviate from the written procedure depending on the different scenarios they face in the field.

In a statement on Twitter Monday, she publicly apologized to the Gilliam family and offered age-appropriate therapy to the children involved in the incident. Her agency would examine new practices and training around high-risk stops, she added. Yet Teriana Thomas, Gilliam's 14-year-old niece and one of the girls who had been pinned down, said there was little the police could do to regain her trust.
She's a busy working mother of four gorgeous children.

And footy WAG Rebecca Judd has revealed that she was forced to pick up her three-year-old son Tom from kindergarten recently after he was sent home for 'sneezing'.

She explained on the 3pm Pick-Up on Monday that Tom only had 'a bit of dust' up his nose, but she was glad the school did the responsible thing and sent him home.

Coronavirus scare: Footy WAG Rebecca Judd has revealed that she was forced to pick up her three-year-old son Tom from kindergarten recently after he was sent home for 'sneezing'

'My three-year-old son Tom sneezed at kinder and got sent home,' she told her co-host Kate 'Monty' Dimond while discussing the latest wave of COVID-19 restrictions in Melbourne.

'We had a call. He has not sneezed since... but I appreciated it!' she added with a laugh.

Monty also revealed that she had been embarrassed the day before when she tried to hold in a sneeze at her local butchers.

He's fine! The mother of four explained on the 3pm Pick-Up on Monday that Tom only had 'a bit of dust' up his nose, but she was glad the school did the responsible thing and sent him home

'You'd all prefer if I punched you then sneezed right now!' Monty joked, adding: 'Mine was a bit of dust up the nose though.'

Rebecca, 37, responded: 'Yes, I think that's what Tom's was, too.'

Rebecca and her husband, former AFL star Chris Judd, share four children, son Oscar, nine, daughter Billie, six and three-year-old twins Tom and Darcy.

Double trouble! Tom (pictured here with his brother Darcy) is one of Rebecca's twin sons

The Postcards host is currently homeschooling her eldest two children as Melbourne heads into stage-four lockdown restrictions after a spike in COVID-19 cases.

Last month, she shared several photos to Instagram of Oscar and Billie being home-schooled via Zoom.

One image showed Oscar at his makeshift desk in his bedroom, and Rebecca joked that the boy's teachers should 'use their mute button frequently'.

'What a year. 2020 can f**k right off': Last month, Rebecca shared several photos to Instagram of her eldest children, Oscar (right) and Billie (left), being home-schooled via Zoom

She then posted a photo of Billie studying at a large table while waving frantically at her mother in the doorway.

'Term three coming at ya,' she wrote. 'What a year. 2020 can f**k right off.'

The Judd family lives in a $7.3million mansion in Brighton, an upmarket suburb in Melbourne's south-east.
The Associated Press

The latest twist in the TikTok saga is an especially strange turn in a tale filled with strange turns. Suddenly, Microsoft  known primarily for work software like Windows and Office  is in talks to buy the popular Chinese-owned video app, which has raised national-security concerns for US officials.

The US government is effectively forcing ByteDance, TikToks owner, to sell so it can salvage the app in the US, a huge and valuable market. President Donald Trump has threatened a ban on TikTok and other administration officials and US lawmakers of both parties have said the apps Chinese ownership is a concern.

Its unclear what shape such a ban would take or whether the sale will go through. TikToks users are posting videos saying they are upset and angry. Heres whats at stake.

What is TikTok?

The app is a home for fun, goofy videos that are easy to make and to watch. Thats made it immensely popular, particularly with young people, and US tech giants like Facebook and Snapchat see it as a competitive threat. TikTok says it has 100 million US users and hundreds of millions globally. It has its own influencer culture, allowing people to make a living from posting videos on the service, and hosts ads from major US companies.

ByteDance Ltd, a Chinese company, launched TikTok in 2017, then bought Musical.ly, a video service popular with teens in the US and Europe, and combined the two. A twin service, Douyin, is available for Chinese users.

What concerns US officials about TikTok?

TikTok, like most other social networks, collects data about its users and moderates whats posted. It grabs peoples locations and messages they send one another, for example, and tracks what people watch in order to know what kinds of videos they like and how best to target ads to them.

Similar behavior has raised concerns about American social networks, but Chinese ownership adds an additional wrinkle, because the Chinese government can demand that companies help it gather intelligence. In the case of TikTok, this remains a hypothetical threat, said Samm Sacks, a researcher at Yale Law Schools Paul Tsai China Center  but it could be happening.

TikTok has vowed that US user data is not stored in China and that it would not hand over user data to the government. But experts have said that if the Chinese government wants information, it will get it. The US government has also cracked down on Chinese telecom companies Huawei and ZTE because of this worry. The companies deny that they facilitate spying.

There are also concerns about TikTok censoring videos critical of China, which TikTok denies, or pushing propaganda. Advocates in the US also say the company is violating childrens privacy laws.

(Also read: TikTok to be banned in US starting 15 September unless bought by an American company, says Donald Trump)

Is the threat from TikTok unique?

No. Chinas economic espionage is a well-known threat, and similar user data concerns were raised about Huawei, the telecom equipment maker. The Chinese military or groups with ties to it are accused of massive hacks of sensitive information from credit bureau Equifax and the federal Office of Personnel Management.

But several experts say that the US government is lashing out at Chinese tech companies without taking significant steps to protect Americans privacy with federal legislation and while working to undermine encryption, which allows secure communications that cant be easily read by outsiders.

Were trying to solve the issue of how you manage all the security risk that comes from massive data collection in an unregulated space, and were trying to solve it by playing whack-a-mole with different Chinese companies that we see as threats, Sacks said. We get into dangerous territory where the US government is controlling what Americans can and cant do.... This is technonationalism.

Trump may also have reason to personally dislike TikTok, which has started to join the US political conversation. In June, young people carried out a campaign on TikTok and other apps to troll the president by artificially boosting expected turnout for a Trump rally in Oklahoma. Sarah Cooper, a comedian who lip-syncs Trumps statements in videos that make him look ridiculous, is a TikTok star.

Would a purchase by Microsoft address the administrations concerns?

I think the security concern frankly has come down to the parent company is Chinese and thats what US lawmakers have a problem with, Sacks said. If thats the issue, a Microsoft deal would solve the problem.

In remarks to reporters Monday, Trump said he supported such an arrangement. He said well close down (TikTok) on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it. He said such a deal would require that the US government gets a lot of money because its enabling the deal to happen. But not everyone in the White House may be in agreement; presidential trade adviser Peter Navarro said on Fox News Monday that the deal was a problem because of Microsofts operations in China.

So, Microsoft might buy TikTok? Really?

Really. Other potential Big Tech buyers, especially Facebook and Google, would likely face antitrust concerns if they tried to buy TikTok.

Microsoft does already own the professional and job-hunting site LinkedIn, and it is the No. 4 digital ad company in the US, after Google, Facebook, and Amazon. But TikTok would be a sharp change in direction away from workplace services for Microsoft.

What happens next?

Microsoft is in talks with ByteDance and plans to complete those by Sept. 15. Any deal may involve other American investors as well.

Microsofts plan would be to own and operate TikTok in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. That might complicate things if the service has different owners in different parts of the world.

How would a ban of TikTok work, anyway?

Thats also not clear. TikTok could have been put on a Commerce Department list, like Huawei is, that cuts it off from business with US companies. That could mean it wouldnt work on the Apple and Google app stores. But its an unprecedented situation for a consumer app.

Never in our history since weve had app stores on smartphones have I been able to find an example where an app was actually banned by the US government, said Theresa Payton, the former White House Chief Information Officer and CEO of a cybersecurity consultancy.

What are the political consequences for a ban on TikTok?

Tensions between China and the US have been increasing over trade policy, diplomatic relations and cybersecurity concerns. The US has pressed allies to crack down on Huawei and imposed sanctions. Trump has also misleadingly blamed China for the coronavirus pandemic, calling it the China virus.
With Sonia Gandhi slated to complete one year as Congress interim President soon amid an ongoing battle for one-upmanship between leaders close to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress veterans, she is likely to continue in the top post in the foreseeable future, party sources said on Tuesday.

The sources maintained that "no discussion is going on" at present within the Congress on the President's post, neither initiated by the party nor any individual.

"There is no discussion; and there is no rule that we have to appoint a new President," the sources remarked.

Sonia Gandhi assumed charge of the topmost post again on August 10 last year in the wake of the resignation by her son Rahul Gandhi as Congress President after the 2019 Lok Sabha debacle. Though the party tried to persuade Rahul not to resign, but he did not budge, after which the Congress Working Committee appointed her as the interim chief.

Sonia Gandhi has become the longest serving Congress President and has been credited with the party's victories in two successive general elections in 2009 and 2004.

A party leader, who is privy to all developments in the Congress, pointed out that Sonia Gandhi had just returned from hospital and the party was rallying behind her to fight the BJP onslaught. "She is the rallying point for all sections of the party," the leader remarked.

Sonia Gandhi was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital last week for routine tests and investigations and was discharged on Sunday afternoon.

Notwithstanding the Congress position about status quo on the party chief's post, there have been demands within the party to appoint a new party President. Leaders close to Rahul Gandhi have on at least three occasions demanded that he should be brought back as Congress President.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had demanded it during a CWC meeting. The demand was echoed during the meetings of Congress' Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs in July as well.

A lot of hectic activity is on within the party to this end. Many leaders have met to discuss the proposal to write a letter to the CWC to appoint a full-time President as the opposition party is facing a crisis after rebellions by Congress leaders and MLAs in Rajasthan and earlier in Madhya Pradesh in the last six months.

The Congress leadership seems to be "unhappy" over the recent events.

The source said that when they should be taking on the BJP, party leaders are busy attacking each other on the social media even after a warning from the party.

Chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had said the party needed to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party collectively and the leaders should refrain from airing their views on the social media.

"It's useless to talk of the past. Two elections have taken place. There is no need for a post-mortem," said a Congress leader who wanted that the party leaders should sit together and decide their next course of action.
by Pierre Balanian

The international community has no faith in Lebanon. Even France prefers to manage aid for Lebanese schools through its embassy in Beirut. Two more people take their own life because of the economic situation. Many fear Netanyahu will start a war from the south. Others fear war in the north where Sunni extremists armed by Ankara are ready to take revenge for Rafiq Hariris assassination. The International Tribunal will release its final verdict on Friday, likely against Hezbollah and Syria.

Beirut (AsiaNews)  In a surprise move, Lebanons Foreign Minister Nassif Hitti resigned three days ago (pictured) from the countrys technocratic" government.

Led by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, the latter has been known more for its silence and inaction, completely isolated inside the country, and kept at distance by former allies and friends like the EU, the US and the Arab Gulf states.

Since he took office, the now former foreign minister never made any visits abroad, nor received any foreign colleagues, except for one official visit by the French Foreign Minister, who came to save Lebanons French-Language schools, which like all Lebanese schools may not reopen come next school year due to the COVID-19, but also to the countrys disastrous economic situation.

Even so, Prime Minister Diab criticised the French minister's visit because the US$ 17.5 million allocated to French-speaking schools, for the first time, will not go to the Lebanese government, but will be managed directly by the French embassy in Lebanon at the request of individual schools.

This is a clear sign of distrust towards Lebanon and its political establishment, which has run the country for the past three decades and more.

To justify his flight from what the local press calls "the sinking boat", Nassif Hitti said very little, except: Lebanon is going bankrupt . . . and there is no will to introduce reforms.

"What is the use of a foreign minister in Lebanon, whose diplomatic relations are now only with Syria, Iraq and Iran, which Hezbollah already conducts? tweeted Georges Hayek, an intellectual with the Lebanese Forces, a Christian-based political party, with a wide following.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun reacted immediately, appointing his adviser, Charbel Wahbe, a Christian and a former Lebanese ambassador to Venezuela, as the new foreign minister.

Soon afterwards, it was announced that Kuwait invited the new minister to make an official visit, even though the country is closed for Eid Al Adha celebrations. However, no Kuwaiti source has confirmed the information.

Against this background, more and more people are taking their own lives. The latest are a Lebanese man and a foreign worker, an Ethiopian woman, both of whom hanged themselves. The situation is getting so absurd that the media is barely reporting such stories whilst the general public is largely apathetic.

COVID-19 cases are also significantly up, putting the health system and ordinary people at risk since, because of widespread poverty, food is taking precedence over protective masks. And when people do buy masks, the cheapest, go for at least a US dollar a piece.

Two other factors are also raising great concern. First of all, in Israel, anti-Netanyahu protests might push the Israeli leader to start a war in southern Lebanon. Such a move might help him avoid grassroot anger, reduce tensions at home, and unite Israelis behind him in a show of national unity against an external danger that threatens the "very survival of Israel".

The second factor that is troubling the Lebanese is the final verdict of the International Tribunal, expected this Friday, against those responsible for the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

According to rumours, Hezbollah and the Syrian government of Bashar Al Assad are likely to be blamed. In this case, well-armed Sunni groups in Tripoli (picture 2) and northern Lebanon might take revenge, aided by Syrian mercenaries and Islamic State fighters who have been arriving from Turkey over the past few months. The latter are being taken from Idlib (Syria) to Turkey, then transported by sea to Tripoli in Lebanon along with weapons and money.

At present, everyone is waiting to see the televised address Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah (picture 3) is supposed to deliver tomorrow evening at 8.30 pm, before the sentence.

Meanwhile, grassroot protests by hungry Lebanese tentatively resumed yesterday evening with some rallies held in downtown Beirut (picture 4) and Sidon.
An Idaho judge ruled Tuesday that Chad Daybell will stand trial on charges related to hiding the remains of 'cult' mom Lori Vallow's two children.

Daybell and his wife Lori face charges related to the hiding of the remains of 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua 'JJ' Vallow. The decision to go ahead with the trial was made after two days of preliminary hearings and evidence from witnesses.

An emotionless Daybell listened as magistrate Judge Faren Eddins said probable cause was shown by the state, allowing the case to proceed to an arraignment before a district judge on August 21.

Authorities have yet to say how the two children died, exactly when they died, or whether homicide charges will be filed. The kids vanished in September last year. Their bodies were discovered in June on a property owned by Daybell.

Following the decision JJ's grandfather Larry Woodcock raised his arms and clapped. He told reporters outside court: 'Thank you Jesus.' The boy's grandmother Kay added: 'One down, one to go.'

Lori faces a hearing on the same charges next week.

Larry had been visibly upset at some of the details revealed in court Monday after the first witness, Detective Ray Dennis Hermosillo, told how he had found JJ's body covered in duct tape, dressed in red pajamas and wearing black socks.

Scroll down for video

An Idaho judge ruled Tuesday that Chad Daybell, left, will stand trial on charges related to hiding the remains of 'cult' mom Lori Vallow's two children. Lori Vallow remains in custody on charges of concealing evidence. She is shown on March 6

The remains of Lori's children Tylee Ryan (left) and Joshua 'JJ' Vallow (right) were discovered on the property of her husband Chad Daybell on June 9 - nine months after they went missing

Investigators said they found the bodies by tracking the movements of Lori Vallow's brother, Alex Cox, using cellphone data.

Cox died of an apparent blood clot in his lung at his Arizona home last December. Police in court documents said Cox was involved in the conspiracy to hide the childrens remains, and his name has come up frequently in the hearing.

Court documents in Lori Daybells criminal case include claims that the couple believed dark spirits, or 'zombies,' would possess people.

Following the decision JJ's grandfather Larry Woodcock, right, raised his arms. The boy's grandmother Kay, left, added: 'One down, one to go.'

Larry Woodcock raised his arms and hugged prosecutors following the decision

JJ Vallow's grandpa Larry Woodcock breaks down in tears during evidence Monday

Thank you Jesus Larry Woodcock said as he raised his hands into the air walking out of court today after hearing #ChadDaybells case will advance to District Court. pic.twitter.com/9qXB9w6xD9  Eric Grossarth (@ericgrossarth) August 4, 2020

A friend, Melanie Gibb, said Lori Vallow told her at different times last year that both children had become zombies and that the couple believed the only way to rid a person of a dark spirit was by killing them.

Gibb testified late Monday and early Tuesday, much of her testimony revolving around a phone conversation Gibb recorded after she became suspicious and confronted the couple about the missing children and accused them of multiple lies.

'I know your salvation is in trouble for what youve done,' Gibb told them.

Magistrate Judge Faren Eddins said probable cause was shown by the state, allowing the case to proceed to an arraignment before a district judge on August 21

'Im sorry you feel that way, sweetheart,' Lori Dayball responded.

Lori Daybell told Gibb she couldnt reveal the childrens location for Gibbs own protection because other relatives were trying to get the children. Lori Daybell also questioned Gibbs religious faith and expressed concern Gibb was recording the conversation for police.

Gibb acknowledged to Chad Daybells defense attorney, John Prior, that she initially lied to police about having Joshua 'JJ' Vallow with her.

She said she was persuaded to lie by Lori who she called 'misleading and manipulative'. Gibb said she became concerned that she could be blamed for the children's disappearance, leading her to call Chad and Lori Daybell and record the conversation, which she shared with police and that was also played in court.

Gibb also described how the three of them and others involved in the case become acquainted through a doomsday belief system that led them to 'preparedness' meetings affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In this aerial photo, investigators search for human remains at Chad Daybell's residence in the 200 block of 1900 East in Salem, Idaho on June 9

Lori's friend Melanie Gibb, pictured, gave evidence Monday afternoon

The strange case began last summer after Cox fatally shot Lori's estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix in what he asserted was self-defense.

Vallow had been seeking a divorce, saying Lori believed she had become a god-like figure who was responsible for ushering in the biblical end times.

A short time later, she and the kids moved to Idaho, where Chad Daybell lived.

He ran a small publishing company and had written many fiction books about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from 'beyond the veil.'

At the time, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell. She died in October of what her obituary said were natural causes. Authorities grew suspicious when he married Lori Vallow just two weeks later. Police had Tammys body exhumed last December in Utah for further investigation; the results of that autopsy have not been released.

Detective Ray Dennis Hermosillo from the Rexburg City PD was the first to take the stand

Police began searching for Tylee and JJ in November after relatives raised concerns, and they soon discovered that both children were last seen in September.

Police say the Daybells lied to investigators about the childrens whereabouts before quietly leaving Idaho. They were found in Hawaii months later.

On June 10, officers were searching Daybell's property where Hermosillo said he noticed a '4ft x 2ft area of sod' that stuck out'. He said they dug up the soil, found three large white rocks and then panels of wood.

Once they were removed, he said he was hit with the stench of a decomposing body. 'There was a black, what I can best describe as a plastic bag with a round object protruding through the dirt,' he said.

Officers cut through the plastic bag and saw JJ's hair, he said. 'It appeared to be a small body, tightly wrapped in black plastic, covered in duct tape,' he said.

Chad Daybell told his late first wife that he shot a large raccoon and buried it in the pet cemetery where his new wife Lori Vallow's kids were found dead on the same day one of them as last seen alive

Chad Daybell with his ex-wife Tammy. A text exchange where he went to great length describing his day on September 9 was read aloud in court on Tuesday. It was also the same day Lori's daughter, Tylee, was last seen alive

Chad Daybell texted his late first wife telling her he'd shot a large raccoon and buried it in his pet cemetery where his second wife Lori Vallow's kids were found dead in June, on the same day that one of the children vanished.

The texts were sent from Daybell to his wife Tammy on September 9 last year, the day Lori Vallow's daughter Tylee, 17, went missing.

He said in them: 'I've had an interesting morning! I felt I should burn all of the limb debris by the fire pit before it got too soaked by the coming storm.

'While I did so, I spotted a big racoon along the fence.

'I hurried and got my gun, and he was till walking along. I got close enough that one shot did the trick.

'He is now in our pet cemetery. Fun times!' he said.

A month later, Tammy died mysteriously. Two weeks later, Lori and Chad got married in Hawaii.

By then, Lori's seven-year-old son JJ had also gone missing.

His body was also found on the site Daybell called a 'pet cemetery' in the exchanges.

The texts were brought up on Tuesday at a preliminary hearing for Daybell, who is charged with concealing evidence in the search for Lori's children.

FBI Special Agent Benjamin Dean said they stood out to him when he was going through Tammy's phone because they were longer than any other texts Chad typically exchanged with his wife.

The texts between Daybell and his wife, Tammy, who died suddenly in October, two weeks before he and Lori got married

The pair's previous messages included messages like 'I love you' and 'cant sleep without you.'

Other details emerged about the last time JJ was seen alive - September 22.

Vallow told friends JJ was a 'zombie' and that she'd sent him to stay with her brother Alex Cox on September 22 last year because he was 'out of control'.

It was the last time the boy was seen alive. His remains were found on Vallow's husband Chad Daybell's property, buried in a pet cemetery where a dog and cat had also been buried, earlier this year. His sister Tylee's burned remains were found nearby on the Idaho property.

The day police made the grim discovery, Lori called Chad from jail where she was being held at the time for telling police where JJ and Tylee were for months.

At the time, Chad was still free. He was on the property and the pair spoke on the phone where he told Lori it was 'logical' for police to search the home.

The new details emerged on Tuesday at a preliminary hearing for Daybell to decide whether or not his trial should proceed.

Neither he nor Vallow have been charged with either of the children's deaths and it remains unclear how they died.

To find JJ's body, police tracked data from Lori's brother Alex Cox's phone. Family friend David Warwick testified on Tuesday that on September 22, the last day JJ was seen alive, Vallow asked her brother Alex to come and collect JJ.

This is the last photograph taken of JJ, Tylee and their uncle Alex Cox. It's believed to have been in Yellowstone National Park shortly before the kids vanished in September. Cox died in December

'She said JJ was being a zombie. He was out of control so she had Alex come get him,' he told the courtroom in Idaho.

Lori had complained that JJ was climbing the cabinets and the refrigerator, and that he had smashed a photograph of Jesus.

Warwick testified that he and his girlfriend, Melanie Gibb, were at Lori's home to record a podcast and that they last saw JJ being carried by Cox. He looked like he was sleeping, he said.

Cox died in mysterious circumstances in December last year. His death is one of the many unexplained deaths in Vallow and Daybell's circles.

As part of their case, prosecutors are tying to piece together the days and months before the children vanished.

They have now asked multiple witnesses how close Lori and her brother were.

Cox followed his sister from Arizona to Idaho after shooting dead her ex-husband, Charles Vallow, last summer in an apparent domestic dispute.

At the time, he told police he was protecting Lori from Charles and that the shooting happened in self-defense.

He was never charged for it.

They then moved to Idaho, where Daybell lived with his wife of 23 years. She died not long after Lori arrived with the children.
Ayala Corporation is backing the $387 million B&T wind energy project

The central province of Quang Binh's Peoples Committee has lately informed that the VND8.9 trillion ($387 million) B&T wind energy complex now officially belongs to AMI AC Renewables  a joint venture between Philippines-based AC Energy and local AC Renewables, the former being a member of the Philippines-based multisector company Ayala Corporation.

The energy complex will be built on a 2,244-hectare land, including 156ha of indigo tree forests in the two districts of Quang Ninh and Le Thuy. The project will consist of two parts, the 100.8MW B&T 1 which is estimated to put into operation in December 2020 and the 151.2MW B&T 2 which will be launched in next June.

Aiming to assure the project timeline, the provincial Peoples Committee on March 11 issued Document No.346/UBND-KT on accelerating the implementation of the B&T project to finish before October 2020.

The act took place as Ayala failed to obtain Australian company Infigen Energy in the middle of July. Newswire Reuters stated that the Filipino conglomerate gave up on acquiring Infigen after a month-long bidding war. The withdrawal came right after its rival Spanish power generation company Iberdrola announced that its offer for Infigen was now unconditional. Infigen has asked its shareholders to reject the Ayala bid.

In late June, Ayala offered a whopping $542 million for the deal, showing its ambitions in Australia. Previously, the company stated that the investment in Infigen was a part of its blueprint in the Asia-Pacific, focusing on the four markets of the Philippines, Vietnam, Australia, and India.

Thus, the reason behind Ayala's boosting of investment in Vietnamese energy projects is likely the setback it experienced in Australia with Infigen.

AC Energy is a member of Ayala Corp. According to its website, as of 2018, AC Energy held investments in plenty of wind and solar energy projects in Vietnam, with the capacity of 500MW. AC Energy and other members of Ayala Corporation now hold stakes in several local firms, including CII, SII, BOO Thu Duc Water, and BIM Energy.

B&T Wind Energy JSC was established in August 2017 with the charter capital of VND10 billion ($434,780) and three main shareholders, including Bolat Duisenov (51 per cent), Nguyen Nam Thang (44 per cent), and general director Duong Dinh Tich (5 per cent).

As of the end of 2017, Bolat Duisenov withdrew his entire capital from B&T. At the same time, Thang and Tich also reduced their ownership rates to 0.01 per cent each.

Moreover, the legal representative of the company is currently Roman Miguel De Jesus, head of Commercial Operations at AC Energy, showing the Filipino investor's long-time ambition at B&T.
'Ethiopia's initial filling of the dam 'bears negative implications that show Ethiopia doesn't want to reach a fair agreement,' said Mohamed Abdel-Atti, the Egyptian minister of irrigation

Egypt slammed Ethiopia's unilateral initial filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on Monday during the second round of African Union (AU)-brokered talks.

Egypt criticised the Ethiopian action that was taken without consultation or agreement with downstream countries Egypt and Sudan, a statement by the Egyptian Ministry of Water and Irrigation said.

Ethiopia's initial filling of the dam "bears negative implications that show Ethiopia doesn't want to reach a fair agreement," said Mohamed Abdel-Atti, the Egyptian minister of water and irrigation.

The Ethiopian action "violates the Declaration of Principles" signed in 2015, Abdel-Atti stated.

Monday's trilateral meeting was conducted via video-conference in the attendance of observers and experts from the United States, EU Commission and AU Commission.

Abdel-Atti urged the need to swiftly seal an agreement on the filling and operation of the dam to reach consensus on contentious issues.

He referred to Egypt's suggestion concerning the working mechanism of the talks held for two weeks, stressing that based on the 21 July AU mini-summit -- held via video-conference between the heads of state of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia as well as the president of South Africa, the current chair of the African Union -- the current negotiations will focus on filling and operating the GERD and that talks over future projects will follow in a later stage after an agreement over the mega-dam is reached.

Sudan stresses trilateral accord; Ethiopia repeats stance

During the meeting, Sudan urged signing a trilateral agreement that safeguards its Roseires Dam on the Blue Nile and ensures the smooth exchange of information in accordance with international law, the Sudanese water ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Sudan also criticised the unilateral filling of the dam by describing the move as one that "raised concerns in case of the reoccurrence of such a move in the future, specifically over the environmental and social impacts of the Renissance Dam on farmers on the banks of the Blue Nile."

Meanwhile, Ethiopia "reiterated its commitment to expeditiously finalise talks with a win-win outcome," a statement by the Ethiopian water, irrigation and energy ministry read on Monday night.

Ethiopias water minister Seleshi Bekeli, "underscored the resolve of the heads of government of the three countries to reach a speedy agreement on the first filling in short term and a comprehensive agreement addressing the outstanding issues on the GERD negotiation."

The statement did not address Cairos and Khartoums objections over the unilateral dam filling and other outstanding issues.

Officials from the three nations have agreed that the technical and legal committees will hold meetings to discuss points of contention on 4-5 August before presenting their conclusion at a ministerial meeting slated for 6 August.

AU-sponsored negotiations

Monday's round of AU-sponsored talks came two weeks after the announcement by Addis Ababa that it had completed the first-year filling of the dams reservoir.

The first round of AU-sponsored talks over the project ended two weeks ago without reaching an accord.

The leaders of the three countries agreed in a mini-summit held later on the need for continued discussions over the filling and operation of the dam.

Egypt and Sudan have repeatedly expressed their concerns over Ethiopia's unilateral initial filling of the dam.

Egypt said it agreed with Sudan and Ethiopia on the need to priortise reaching a legally binding deal on the filling and operation of the mega-dam, and the AU called on the three countries to "work expeditiously to finalise the text of a binding agreement."

However, Ethiopian foreign ministry spokesman Dina Mufti said at a press conference in Addis Ababa two weeks ago that Ethiopia wants a guiding agreement on the GERD that is non-binding.

Egypt has voiced concern over Ethiopia's refusal to agree on rules regulating the filling and operation of the GERD during drought and dry years.

Cairo is also concerned about future projects on the Blue Nile, a main tributary of the Nile, and demands binding dispute settlement mechanisms, which Addis Ababa has refused to include in a deal.

Egypt, which relies on the Nile for 95 percent of its fresh water, fears the dam will significantly reduce the rivers flow, especially during the filling stages through periods of drought and dry years. Ethiopia, on the other hand, says the project is key to its development.

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Brazilian iron ore exports appear to be maintaining the pace of their recovery amid the Covid-19 pandemic, with volumes dipping by just 0.7% year on year in July.

But exports were higher month on month, according to figures released by the countrys economy ministry on Monday August 3.



The country shipped 33.99 million tonnes of iron ore last month, compared with 34.23 million tonnes a year earlier.



Last months shipping volumes were 3.94 million tonnes (13%) higher than Junes 30.05 million tonnes.



Brazils Vale is taking a cautious approach with its iron ore output guidance for 2020. It expects to reach the lower end of its guidance of 310-330 million tonnes due to effects of Covid-19 on its operations.



Fastmarkets index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao was at $116.03 per tonne on Monday, up by $5.45 per tonne from $110.58 on July 30 and $16.86 per tonne higher than $99.17 per tonne on July 1.



The average export price for Brazilian iron ore was $70.30 per tonne fob in July, down by 6% from $74.80 per tonne fob in July 2019, according to Brazils economy ministry. In June, the average price was $62.70 per tonne fob.



The countrys revenue from iron ore exports amounted to $2.39 billion last month, down by 6.7% from the $2.56 billion in July 2019, according to the ministrys statistics.
The maiden rights issue



of Spencers Retail of Rs 80 crore to meet its working capital needs and other general purposes opened on Tuesday.

The issue will close on August 18, company officials said.

The retailer is offering 1,06,04,563 rights equity shares of Rs 5 each at an issue price of Rs 75 per equity share, including premium of Rs 70.

The rights entitlement ratio is 2:15, which means the company is offering two rights shares for every 15 shares held.

A is an offer to existing holders to purchase additional shares at a discounted price and is issued in proportion to their existing holding.

The company operates 191 retail stores of various formats in 42 cities, including Nature's Basket which it had acquired last fiscal. Its trading area is 14.60 lakh sq ft.

It has deepened its presence through brick-and-mortar stores in north, east, west and south India, along with an online presence in 17 Indian cities, the officials said.

Spencers reported a net loss of Rs 57 crore and a total income of Rs 2,403 crore on a standalone basis in FY20, they said adding the business remained EBITDA-positive with around 4.6 per cent margin.

The companys net consolidated debt stood at Rs 191.5 crore, the officials said.

In its performance overview, Spencers has maintained that during FY21, it plans to expand its presence in existing clusters. This will also help the company leverage its back end capabilities and optimise marketing costs.

The company will also focus on increasing its non-food business revenues, the officials said.

In FY20, Spencers acquired Nature's Basket which gave it an entry into Mumbai and the western part of India.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Not long ago, President Trump issued a Memorandum on Excluding Illegal Aliens from the Apportionment Base Following the 2020 Census. As the title telegraphs, it directs the Department of Commerce to provide the president with the information needed for him to exclude illegal aliens from his Report to Congress, to be filed in early January, apportioning seats in the House of Representatives among the states.

The action was not a surprise. Last year, the Census Bureau tried to add a question about citizenship status to the 2020 Census, only to have the action knocked out by the Supreme Court over the fine points of administrative law  no justice questioned the right and power of the government to develop such information.

Trump responded with an executive order directing all agencies to cooperate with the Commerce Department to develop information about the citizenship status of the population, including, presumptively, numbers and locations of illegal aliens. The recent memorandum was the logical follow-on to this earlier order, directing Commerce to submit this information along with the numbers developed under its Final 2020 Census Residence Criteria and Residence Situations (Residency Rule), which covers the many issues of who counts where for purposes of the Census, and which includes illegal aliens.

The enumeration developed via the Residency Rule is, in a normal Census, simply repeated by the president in his Report to Congress on apportionment. To adjust it, Trump is relying on the principle, articulated by the Supreme Court in 1992, that the president has some ambit of discretion in converting the numbers he gets from Commerce into his final report on apportionment and that he can legally exercise it to exclude the illegals.

Within a couple of days, three major lawsuits were filed to block Trump's action, by a coalition of 20 states and by the ACLU (both in N.Y.), and by Common Cause (in D.C.).

And already pending in Alabama is Alabama v Department of Commerce, which contends that the failure to exclude illegal aliens from the apportionment challenge constitutes an unconstitutional violation of the rights of legitimate voters and that this contradicts the rules embodied in the Supreme Court's series of one-person-one-vote cases. This litigation has attracted a slew of intervenors, including many of the plaintiffs in the recently-filed cases, who of course argue the exact opposite: that illegal aliens must be included for purposes of apportionment.

The outcome depends on the proper interpretation of the provision of the 14th Amendment that "Representatives shall be apportioned among the several States according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each State, excluding Indians not taxed."

As might be expected, lawyers have worked on this language, and a long history discusses who counts as being "in a state." How should Census treat prisoners, students, expats, tourists, diplomats, travelers, military personnel, and so on?

The upshot is that to be counted as "in a state," one must be an "inhabitant," a term with its own ambiguities, but not as open-ended as "person."

Trump's Executive Order and Memorandum, together with the Alabama complaint, do a good job of articulating the legal and policy reasons for excluding illegal aliens from the apportionment count. For more detail, see the series of articles published in 2019 in American Thinker: Trump should go full frontal after Supreme Court ruling on Census; Roll Tide: Alabama versus the Census; Trump and Barr counter-punch on the Census and illegal aliens; SCOTUS Loses Its Census over Citizenship.

For the argument that illegal aliens must be included, a good tour can be found in the three recently filed complaints, which are as much Progressive essays as legal arguments.

It is far from clear how this battle will develop, given the multiplicity of cases filed, parties, interests, and issues, but it is certain that the developments must come thick and fast. By law, the President's Report to Congress on apportionment must be filed within a week after Congress reconvenes in January, so strong pressures exist to get a final decision, which must come from the Supreme Court, before then.

James V DeLong lives in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.
The current pandemic has proved to be challenging to control without stringent and comprehensive non-pharmacological interventions (NPIs), relying mostly on isolation and contact tracing of cases, along with social distancing. However, strategies like these have a huge human cost in terms of restriction of social interactions, resulting in depressive tendencies, disruption of economic activity, and loss of educational resources.

Now, a new study by researchers at the University of Georgia and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 compares different methods of suppressing viral spread without general social distancing, to allow for personal and business activity to resume. The researchers classify their methods as generalized and targeted methods.

The researchers define these two different intervention types: Targeted interventions are interventions that are applied to specifically identified individuals in a population, typically based on infection or exposure status. Generalized interventions are behavioral or environmental interventions that are adopted broadly within a population.

They evaluate four targeted and one generalized interventions for their effectiveness, cost, and robustness. The targeted approaches are divided into those which target infected persons vs. those which are directed towards uninfected persons.

Targeted Interventions 1: Targeting Infected People

These interventions aim to limit the risk of transmission, with the intensity of intervention increasing from first to last. These may remove the incentive to seek care since being diagnosed as COVID-positive removes the right to work, temporarily, in favor of the duty to protect.

Active Case Finding

Here, the onus is on the health authorities to seek out all possible cases by testing as widely as possible, including those at high risk such as healthcare workers, known contacts, and also by using the lowest test criteria to include as many people as required.

Contact Tracing

This strategy depends on identifying, communicating with, and following up possible exposed individuals from known cases. This not only serves to educate a high-risk segment of the population of their need to watch for symptoms but reduces the chances of spread from traced contacts by advising isolation. In addition, it contributes to active case finding.

Singapore - June 20, 2020: A woman scans a contact tracing QR code before entering a mall on the second day shops reopen during Phase 2 after Singapore's COVID-19 "circuit breaker". Image Credit: EA Alim / Shutterstock

Quarantine

This is the highest level of intervention related to stopping transmission from known cases and involves keeping cases and contacts out of circulation until the infective period is over. This means that secondary cases are isolated even before they develop symptoms, being in the traced contact group, and also dramatically reduces or suppresses the spread from these cases completely. It also reduces the rate of contact or exposure within the whole population.

Targeted Interventions 2: Targeting Uninfected People

This strategy provides an incentive to seek care as this certificate is required to return to work, and priority is given to the protection of other people.

The approach described here consists of certifying healthy people to limit exposure to the virus. Here, social distancing is reduced progressively by allowing certified individuals to enter workplaces, schools, and shops for the period of certified freedom from infection.

This may be due to durable immunity, as when the person tests positive for neutralizing antibodies. It may also be temporary, meaning the viral test has recently come back negative. However, it is essential to note that the researchers say, Durable certification doesnt lead to a reduction in transmission.

The importance is rather in using immune people to provide essential goods and services while still slowing the speed of viral transmission.

Generalized Interventions

These include the population-wide adoption of measures like wearing face masks, hand hygiene, cleaning and disinfection of potentially contaminated surfaces, providing adequate sick leave, and improving measures to ensure sick workers stay home.

Other approaches included here are contact-free transactions, infection barriers in public places where people gather, providing hand sanitizer in public places, avoiding physical contact with hands and faces outside the family, ensuring space between people in public spaces, and restricting gatherings beyond a certain limit.

Analysis of Effectiveness

Using these models for a population of 10 million people, they estimated the costs and benefits of each. They parametrized case finding as identifying 50% of cases, with five contacts traced per secondary infection, a 3-day delay in diagnostic testing, of a valid diagnostic certificate for a period of 7 days, and a 10-day delay in antibody testing.

The researchers assumed an incubation period of 4 days, with preclinical infections being 30% as infective as symptomatic ones. They also assumed that isolation or quarantine reduces it by 90%, and certification produces somewhat the same effect. Generalized interventions are supposed to reduce transmission by 30%. In contrast, social distancing is assumed to reduce viral spread by double that, at 60%.

They conclude that without any social distancing or targeted interventions, most of the population would be infected, with generalized interventions reducing the final size of the epidemic (FSE) by only a small amount. This means that without social distancing, intensive targeted interventions are the only way to prevent infection in most of the population.

The use of active case finding alone would require that 95% of cases be identified  which is an impossible requirement when about 20% of cases are asymptomatic (according to the current researchers  though other studies have put the figure much higher).

Adding in generalized interventions to the first approach pushes down the target for case finding to 80%, which is still much higher than the 1% to 10% of cases thought to have been detected in the first wave. However, the current study assumes that this strategy will detect 50% of cases.

The addition of contact tracing is beneficial, but the imposition of quarantine excludes transmission from general contacts while allowing for 10% of transmission within family members.

They note, Eliminating this last 10% of transmission increases the total number of cases averted approximately tenfold from 250,000 to almost 2,500,000.

With the exact presymptomatic transmissibility being unknown as yet, they looked at different levels, finding that for lower levels, the test can be valid for a longer duration, up to two weeks, and the period of waiting for the test can be increased, safely. However, this becomes more and more unsafe in terms of risking a major outbreak as the level of spread outside the symptomatic period increases to near the symptomatic spread level.

Implications

The findings indicate that while the transmission may be suppressed by any of these methods, a certain level of efficacy is required to achieve suppression of viral spread. The level will vary between strategies. Thus, targeted interventions for infected people will typically produce satisfying results only if a high proportion of cases are detected.

On the other hand, certification of uninfected persons will only be useful if widespread testing is possible. Either way, therefore, the ability to test widely and frequently is fundamental to the success of either of these strategies, in the absence of social distancing. Moreover, generalized interventions would be essential for their multiplier effect, adding that crucial push that achieves suppression of the epidemic.

Future Directions

The researchers call for a more complex model testing the optimal combination of these two types of targeted strategies for better efficacy.

They say, Developing such a model could be a useful future step toward developing a complete understanding of transmission reduction via non-pharmaceutical interventions for acute infectious diseases.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has described the remarks by Maimuna Abubakar, board chairman of the Nigerian Postal Services ...

The Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) has described the remarks by Maimuna Abubakar, board chairman of the Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST), as a disservice to the country.





Abubakar, in tweets on Sunday, alleged that the FIRS stole the agencys mandate, stamps and ideas.





The FIRS, in a recently released circular, said it now has a portal for automated stamp duty collection where all stamp duty paying citizens, government agencies, institutions, and private organisations should log into and pay stamp duties.





But NIPOST opposed the FIRS, saying only the postal agency is empowered to print, mint, produce, retail, and provide adhesive postage stamps.





Reacting to Abubakars outburst in a statement on Tuesday, Abdullahi Ahmad, FIRS director of communication and liaison, said the FIRS is not violating any law by collecting stamp duty.





He said there is a difference between stamp duty and postage stamp, adding that, FIRS is the sole agency of got charged with the responsibility of assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types including Stamp Duties.





We appreciate the general public for demonstrating deep knowledge of the difference between Stamp Duty and Postage Stamp. It is unfortunate that Mrs. Maimuna Abubakar, Chairperson of the NIPOST Board is yet to understand this, the statement read.





Our attention was drawn to the tweet by Mrs. Abubakar. Her indecorous tweet would not have deserved any response but for the sensitive nature of the issue at stake, which if not sensibly treated and promptly corrected would likely mislead the public.





To be sure, NIPOST is a government parastatal established by Decree 41 of 1992 with the function to develop, promote, and provide adequate and efficiently co-ordinated postal services at reasonable rates.





This function is clearly contrary to the claim by NIPOST over the administration of stamp duties in Nigeria. On the other hand, the FIRS is the sole agency of got charged with the responsibility of assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types including Stamp Duties.

Our attention was drawn to the tweet by Mrs. Abubakar. Her indecorous tweet would not have deserved any response but for the sensitive nature of the issue at stake, which if not sensibly treated and promptly corrected would likely mislead the public.  FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020

This function is clearly contrary to the claim by NIPOST over the administration of stamp duties in Nigeria.

On the other hand, the FIRS is the sole agency of got charged with the responsibility of *assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types including Stamp Duties*  FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020

Ahmad also described as shocking the claims by the NIPOST board chair.





He asked the public to disregard Abubakars statement because it is false.





It is therefore shocking to us that such a privileged young lady who happened to be appointed to high office would throw all caution to the air to cast aspersions on reputable public institutions like the National Assembly and FIRS, which she accused of stealing NIPOST idea, he said.





This, to say the least, is a preposterous claim and great disservice to the government and people of Nigeria. We wish to state categorically that, as an agency which operates within the ambit of the law.





The FIRS is determined to not only ensure that all monies collected by NIPOST into its illegally operated Stamp Duties Account are fully remitted into the Federation Account but also make sure that any kobo not accounted for in that account is legally recovered in line with the charge of President Muhammadu Buhari to the recently inaugurated Inter-ministerial committee on the recovery of stamp duties from 2016 till date.





In addition, anyone found culpable of misappropriating the funds in the said illegal NIPOST Stamp Duties Account would be made to face the law as provisioned by the countrys statute books.







We therefore call on right-thinking Nigerians to disregard that ill-advised tweet by Mrs. Maimuna Abubakar and allied misinformation being disseminated by NIPOST in relation to Stamp Duties collection, which by law is the responsibility of the FIRS.  FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020 ests and not any personal ego or interest as NIPOST officials appear to carry on lately. The public is hereby reminded that we at the FIRS are resolute in our resolve to safeguard national interests and not any personal ego or interest as NIPOST officials appear to carry on lately.





This, to say the least, is a preposterous claim and great disservice to the government and people of Nigeria.

We wish to state categorically that, as an agency which operates within the ambit of the law...  FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020

in line with the charge of President Muhammadu Buhari to the recently inaugurated Inter-ministerial committee on the recovery of stamp duties from 2016 till date.  FIRS Nigeria (@firsNigeria) August 4, 2020

We therefore call on right-thinking Nigerians to disregard that ill-advised tweet by Mrs. Maimuna Abubakar and allied misinformation being disseminated by NIPOST in relation to Stamp Duties collection, which by law is the responsibility of the FIRS.
Senate Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks to reporters as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) listens, at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 4, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

Executive Action Possible as Negotiations Continue on Next Virus Relief Bill

President Donald Trump could take executive action on virus relief amid little progress on negotiations between Republicans and Democrats, administration officials said.

Before meeting with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told reporters that Trump may take action if negotiations dont come to fruition soon. Trump said in a separate interview that hes prepared to provide another round of stimulus payments through executive action.

After the meeting, Pelosi and Schumer told reporters that both sides made concessions.

Were still far away on a lot of the important issues, but were still continuing to go at it, Schumer said. Were slogging through, step by step by step. And were making progress.

Pelosi added, We agree we want to have an agreement.

Earlier in the day, Meadows and Mnuchin spoke with Republican senators during a luncheon.

President Donald Trump holds up a walking stick given to him by Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) after he signed the Great American Outdoors Act at the White House in Washington on Aug. 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin heads to a meeting on the CCP virus relief bill at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 4, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

The conversation was mostly a debrief on what Democratic leaders had discussed with White House negotiators in the last meeting, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) told reporters.

The pattern of negotiations sees Meadows and Mnuchin, along with staff members, shuttle between Republicans and Democrats to discuss varying proposals.

I think they have said that theres not a whole lot of movement yet, but a feeling that seems to have been expressed that wed like to get an outcome. I certainly hope we can. The coronavirus is certainly not over. Its still an enormous problem, McConnell said.

Democrats want the Republican-controlled Senate to pass the HEROES Act, which the Democrat-controlled House passed months ago.

Republican leaders stressed that theyre opposed to the $3.4 trillion act.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) speaks after attending the Senate Republican luncheon at the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill in Washington on Aug. 4, 2020. (Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images)

White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows walks to the office of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Aug. 4, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

I think its pretty clear, should be clear to the Democrats, we are not going to pass the HEROES Act. It is not a serious piece of legislation. But we think there is common ground that we can find, Sen. John Thune (R-S.D.), the number two GOP senator, said.

Republican senators have put forth a number of narrow proposals, including a one-week extension of the existing unemployment bonus, which Democrats have shot down.

The GOP is grappling with internal division. Some 15 to 20 senators will likely not vote for another virus relief bill, undercutting the partys 53-47 majority in the upper congressional chamber.

What we are hoping for here is a bipartisan proposal, negotiated by the president of the United States and his team, who can sign a bill into law, and the Democratic majority in the House, that can appeal to a significant percentage of Republicans in the House and Senate. Thats where we are, McConnell said.

In a separate briefing at the Capitol, Schumer described the Republican caucus as divided, accusing them of being unable to put forth a proposal that meets the enormity of the COVID-19 crisis.

We believe, the American people believe, that this is the greatest crisis affecting America in 75 years economically and 100 years healthwise. We believe it needs a big, bold response. A skinny bill that just touches on one or two of the many problems, a bill that says if we have a million starved kids that arent getting fed, we should compromise and feed half of them, that doesnt work, he told reporters.

If the money isnt spent now, the crisis will get worse and cost even more in the future, Democrats argue.

Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) pointed to the increase in COVID-19 cases from three million to four million in the span of about two weeks in arguing we are at a moment when a bandaid is totally insufficient to treat the wound.
(Newser)  President Trump has been quite vocal about his desire to see schools open amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, an order from the Maryland governor may see Trump partly get his wish in one part of that state, in a decision that could affect his own son. On Friday, an order was issued that mandated private and parochial schools in Montgomery County, Md., remain closed for in-person instruction through Oct. 1, per WTOP. But on Monday, Gov. Larry Hogan overturned that mandate, issuing his own emergency order that said the opening or closure of nonpublic schools should be determined by the schools themselves, with input from parents, USA Today reports. The governor's new directive could affect whether St. Andrews Episcopal School, the prep school that 14-year-old Barron Trump attends, opens in the fall.

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St. Andrew's, which was to announce its plans next week, had been mulling either a virtual-only program or a hybrid at-home/in-school plan for the fall, per Business Insider. Montgomery County Public Schools had already announced last month its students would do their first semester onlineand Hogan says if public schools and superintendents were able to make their own decisions after consulting with health officials, private schools should have that same opportunity, as long as they stick to CDC and local health guidelines. "The blanket closure mandate imposed by Montgomery County was overly broad and inconsistent with the powers intended to be delegated to the county health officer," Hogan says in his statement. Asked last month if he'd be OK with his son or grandkids attending school in person in the fall, Trump said he was "comfortable" with the idea, per USA Today. (Read more Barron Trump stories.)
Manila, Aug 4 : Millions of people in the Philippines returned to a COVID-19 lockdown on Tuesday, after doctors warned a surge in new coronavirus cases could push the country's healthcare system to collapse.

Stay-at-home orders are now in place in Manila and the four surrounding provinces of Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan on the island of Luzon until August 18, reports the BBC.

The new lockdown came after 80 medical associations on August 1 called on President Rodrigo Duterte to toughen restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.

On Sunday the Philippines announced a record 5,032 new infections.

In some areas hospitals are reported to have been forced to turn away soaring numbers of patients.

Doctors hope the reinstated restrictions will now give medical workers more time to deal with the spike in cases.

According to the new restrictions, public transport will be shut down and police checkpoints will be set up to limit the movement of people.

Only residents with government-issued passes will be allowed to leave home for essential errands such as shopping for basic commodities.

In mid-March, the Philippines imposed one of the strictest lockdowns which ended in June.

As of Tuesday, the total number of coronavirus cases in the Philippines stood at 106,330, with 2,104 deaths.
Peace maker: John Hume leads a large civil rights protest in Derry in 1968 as he diverts it away from confrontation with police. Photo: Trevor McBride

"Ireland is not a romantic dream; it is not a flag; it is 4.5 million people divided into two powerful traditions. The solution will be found not on the basis of victory for either, but on the basis of agreement and a partnership between both. The real division of Ireland is not a line drawn on the map, but in the minds and hearts of its people."

"When people are divided, the only solution is agreement."

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"All conflict is about difference, whether the difference is race, religion or nationality. The European visionaries decided that difference is not a threat, difference is natural. Difference is of the essence of humanity.

Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace - respect for diversity."

"In my own work for peace, I was very strongly inspired by my European experience. I always tell this story and I do so because it is so simple, yet so profound and so applicable to conflict resolution anywhere in the world It is now clear that the European Union is the best example, in the history of the world of conflict resolution and it is the duty of everyone, particularly those who live in areas of conflict, to study how it was done and to apply its principles to their own conflict resolution."





"I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people."





"I am standing here (in the House of Commons) and telling the Government that I believe we have a real process of lasting peace and a total cessation of violence. Hurry up and deal with it."





"I am a Catholic, I live and work in Derry. My view is that the division in the population, which exists here, must be eradicated if the city is to have a future. Both sides must work to build the city but as a Catholic, I must also bluntly state that Catholics here are faced with blatant social injustice, in the form of gerrymandering, in the form of discrimination."





"Endlessly, our people gathered their strength to face another day and they never stopped encouraging their leaders to find the courage to resolve this situation, so that our children could look to the future with a smile of hope. This is indeed their prize and I am convinced that they understand it in that sense and would take strong encouragement from today's significance and it will powerfully strengthen our peace process."





"Too many lives have already been lost in the pursuit of political goals. Bloodshed for political change prevents the only change that truly matters: in the human heart. We must now shape a future of change that will be truly radical and that will offer a focus for real unity of purpose: harnessing new forces of idealism and commitment for the benefit of Ireland and all its people."





"Throughout my years in political life, I have seen extraordinary courage and fortitude by individual men and women, innocent victims of violence. Amid shattered lives, a quiet heroism has borne silent rebuke to the evil that violence represents, to the carnage and waste of violence, to its ultimate futility."





"I have seen the friendship of Irish and British people transcend, even in times of misunderstanding and tensions, all narrower political differences. We are two neighbouring islands whose destiny is to live in friendship and amity with each other. We are friends and the achievement of peace will further strengthen that friendship and, together, allow us to build on the countless ties that unite us in so many ways."

"The Good Friday Agreement now opens a new future for all the people of Ireland. A future built on respect for diversity and for political difference. A future where all can rejoice in cherished aspirations and beliefs and where this can be a badge of honour, not a source of fear or division."

"I want to see Ireland - north and south - the wounds of violence healed, play its rightful role in a Europe that will, for all Irish people, be a shared bond of patriotism and new endeavour."

"Politics is the alternative to war."
Adaptiv Networks SD-WAN solution to bring unbreakable cloud and Internet connectivity to Atlantic Canada

GATINEAU and MONCTON, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Adaptiv Networks, a leading cloud-native SD-WAN-as-a-Service vendor, announced today its partnership with Dramis Communications Solutions Ltd. a Canadian telecommunication and networking reseller meeting the needs of business and industry in Atlantic Canada.

Businesses in the Atlantic provinces struggle with long circuit provisioning times and expensive Internet connectivity. At a time when businesses are moving back to normalcy, high-cost Internet connectivity could seriously impact their profitability. Adaptiv Networks solutions will provide unbreakableand economicalcloud and Internet connectivity to Dramis customers. Adaptivs seamless failover and orchestrator will allow Dramis to monitor their Internet circuits and troubleshoot without having to roll a truck.

Dramis Communications Solutions Ltd. Is pleased to institute this strategic partnership to market the Adaptiv portfolio of products and solutions throughout the Atlantic provinces, said Murray Simard, President of Dramis. Adaptivs innovative SD-WAN service offerings will provide our customers with a more reliable and robust network experience. Its going to be a path-breaking business model.

"We are pleased to have Dramis as an Adaptiv Networks partner. Dramis understands the challenges of businesses in the Atlantic provinces," explains Bernard Breton, CEO of Adaptiv Networks. They are a reliable and trustworthy provider with a good footprint with small and midsize companies where economical connectivity solutions are critically needed.

Adaptiv Networks operates in a 100% channel go-to-market strategy and provides training and marketing content to help agents communicate the value of SD-WAN to their customers.

About Adaptiv Networks

Adaptiv Networks is the creator of powerful, software-defined wide-area networks (SD-WANs) for the most challenging locations requiring high availability for business-critical application traffic. Businesses rely on Adaptiv Networks Cloud-Managed SD-WAN to provide secure, high-performance, and highly reliable networking for their voice, data, and video communications needs. Adaptiv Networks serves more than 500 customers, with more than 8,000 sites deployed through an ecosystem of more 100 Partners globally.

Story continues

About Dramis Communications Solutions

Founded in 1989, Dramis Communications Solutions Ltd. is a Canadian telecommunications and networking reseller offering security, VOIP and UCaaS solutions. Dramis is a pioneer and industry leader in network cabling solutions. Dramis meets the needs of businesses and industry in Atlantic Canada with networking, telephony, A/V, security, access control, WIFI, and electrical services. A staff of professionals provide sales, service, technical design, and support services from 6 office locations.

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CONTACT: Donna Bastien Adaptiv Networks +1 303 880-4904 donna@marketvueconsulting.com




The Australian ambassador to Iran has visited jailed academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert in her new prison, reporting she is well and has access to food and medicine.

Dr Moore-Gilbert's family released a statement through the Australian government saying it had been "reassured" by the consular visit on Sunday.

Dr Kylie Moore-Gilbert was recently moved from a prison in the capital, Tehran, to a jail in the desert, heightening concerns about her welfare.

Friends and colleagues of the University of Melbourne lecturer have grown increasingly concerned about her welfare after she was moved to a notorious prison in the desert.

The Cambridge-educated academic, who has been sentenced to 10 years' jail for espionage, had been held in Evin Prison in Iran's capital for nearly two years before suddenly being moved to Qarchak women's prison a little over a week ago. Qarchak, in the desert east of Tehran, holds political prisoners, serious drug offenders and murderers and has been described as overcrowded.
By PTI

PATNA: Flood waters rampaged through 16 districts of Bihar on Tuesday, claiming six more lives and affecting over 63.60 lakh people, officials said.

The death toll from the deluge has gone up to 19, a state disaster management department bulletin said.

Nearly seven lakh more people fell victim to the flood fury in the last 24 hours, with rain-fed rivers originating in Nepal, inundating vast swathes.

Large parts of Saharsa and Madhepura districts, hitherto unaffected, were submerged.

Of the six fresh deaths, four occurred in Muzaffarpur district and two in Siwan.

Out of the total flood-related deaths, Darbhanga accounts for the maximum seven, while the rest was reported from Muzaffarpur (6), West Champaran (4) and Siwan (2), the bulletin said.

The 16 flood-hit districts are- Sitamarhi, Sheohar, Supaul, Kishanganj, Darbhanga, Muzaffarpur, Gopalganj, West Champaran, East Champaran, Khagaria, Saran, Samastipur, Siwan, Madhubani, Madhepura and Saharsa.

Altogether 20 teams of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and 13 of SDRF are involved in relief and rescue operations.

Over 4.40 lakh people have been evacuated to safety, the bulletin said.

Nearly 18,000 people are staying in 17 relief camps, while about 9.52 lakh people were being provided food at 1365 community kitchens.
Nicola Sturgeon's SNP sparked fury today after labelling the front-runner to lead the Scottish Tories as a racist for voicing concerns about illegal traveller sites.

In social media attacks on Douglas Ross, the nationalist party claimed the Moray MP had a 'long history of racist views'.

The posts led readers to the party's website where they accused him of having 'abhorrent views' about Travellers.

They cited a 2017 interview in which the former Scotland Office minister clumsily said 'tougher enforcement against gypsy Travellers' would be his top priority if he became prime minister.

He later apologised for saying it would be his top priority but insisted that illegal camps 'is an issue that needs to be addressed' in his constituency.

A spokesman for Mr Ross today said: 'It's disappointing that the SNP are choosing to stoop to this kind of thing.

'Douglas is going to remain focused on his positive message of ending the last decade of division and setting out an ambitious plan to move Scotland forward.'

Mr Ross, left, with former Scots Tory leader Ruth Davidson, who is supporting his campaign

In social media attacks on Douglas Ross, Ms Sturgeon's nationalist party claimed the Moray MP had a 'long history of racist views'.

What did Mr Ross say about Travellers? In the 2017 Meet The MPs interview series with Core Politics, Mr Ross was asked: 'If you were prime minister for the day, without any repercussions, what would you do?' He said: 'I would like to see tougher enforcement against gypsy travellers'. But after he was slammed by opposition politicians and Amnesty, Mr Ross took to the airwaves to issue an apology. Speaking on BBC Radio Scotland, Mr Ross said he would pick another priority such as tackling global famine or eradicating cancer if asked the question again. But he insisted the problem of illegal encampments was a real one for his constituents. He told Good Morning Scotland: 'I do apologise for saying that would be a number one priority as prime minister; that clearly wouldn't be the case for any prime minister. 'If I was given the opportunity to do that quick-fire interview again, I would definitely come up with a different priority.' He added: 'This is an issue that needs to be addressed and it's unfortunate that we cannot openly discuss it for fear of being called a bigot and a racist. 'If we do that then no-one will ever mention this again and the divisions within these communities will maintain and the settled community will feel their voice does not get raised in this argument and problems with the gypsy travelling community will continue because no-one is willing to debate and discuss this important issue.' Advertisement

Mr Ross, 37, is the frontrunner to replace Jackson Carlaw, who was forced out as party leader in Scotland after just six months.

In a statement last Friday week Mr Carlaw, 61, said he made the 'painful decision' after realising he was not the best person to lead the party in the run-up to next year's Holyrood election.

But it is believed he was pressured into quitting by senior figures in the party who are backing Mr Ross, who left his government position in May this year in response to No10 chief advisor Dominic Cummingss 260-mile drive to Durham during the lockdown.

Former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson, 41, who stood down from the role last August after eight years, would stand in for Mr Ross at first ministers questions until he is elected as an MSP.

If elected he is certain to be found a safe seat for the Scottish Parliament elections next year.

In a joint op-ed in the Scottish Daily Mail today, Mr Ross and Ms Davidson called for a 'fresh start' for Scotland.

'We have come together - one of us a former leader, and one now preparing to lead - to offer Scotland that vision of positive change for the future. United in purpose, we want to take on the SNP and take Scotland forward,' they wrote.

'Our vision is very clear. The coronavirus pandemic has shown we must leave the old divisions behind us.

'We cannot go back to the politics of nationalism - of us v them. We believe, therefore, what Scotland needs is a party with a patriotic vision that focuses less on opening up divisions than on opening up opportunities and life chances for our people.

'That means ending the focus on the grievance culture that so dominates Scotland's national life.

'Instead, it means putting all the energies, talents and powers of Scotland into where they should be: on restoring Scotland's reputation for educational excellence, on creating the jobs that ensure our people dignity and opportunity, and on securing a health service with clean, safe hospitals.

'In short, if you want Scotland to move forward from a decade of division and come back together, then both of us are going to be asking for your vote.'
New Delhi: Volvo Cars posted strong global sales in July, with volumes up 14.2 percent compared with the same period last year, the company said on Tuesday.

The company sold 62,291 cars during the month, as Europe, US and China all reported a growth in sales compared with the same period last year. Sales in Europe returned to growth in July, continuing its positive trend as markets lifted restrictions put in place to curb the Covid -19 pandemic.

The double digit volume growth during the month was driven by a continued strong demand for Volvo Cars award-winning SUV range. The V60 estate and the US-built S60 sedan, also contributed to the strong performance, a company statement said.

Volvo Cars Recharge line-up of chargeable models, with a fully electric or plug-in hybrid powertrain, continued to be popular among customers. The share of Recharge models more than doubled in the first seven months, compared with the same period last year.

In the first seven months, Volvo Cars sold 332, 253 cars, down 16 per cent compared with the same period last year.

Volvo Cars sales in Europe reached 28,700 cars in July, up 12.5 per cent versus the same month last year. In the first seven months of the year, sales declined by 24.1 per cent year-on-year.

US sales in July continued to grow year-on-year during the month and reached 9,697 cars, up 10.3 per cent compared with the same month last year. In the first seven months, US sales declined by 10.1 per cent to 52,952 cars, compared with the same period last year.

In China, sales reached 14,410 cars, up 14.0 per cent compared with July last year. In the first seven months of the year, sales declined by 0.3 per cent, compared with the same period last year.

In July, the XC40 compact SUV was the top selling model for the company, followed by the XC60 mid-size SUV and the XC90 large SUV. During the month, SUVs accounted for 72.8 per cent of the companys total sales, up from 63.4 per cent in same month last year.

According to recent IHS data, Volvo Cars was the leading electrified premium brand in Europe during the first half of 2020, with Recharge cars making up almost a quarter of total deliveries in the region.
Early Mars was covered in ice sheets, not flowing rivers

A large number of the valley networks scarring Mars's surface were carved by water melting beneath glacial ice, not by free-flowing rivers as previously thought, according to new UBC research published today in Nature Geoscience. The findings effectively throw cold water on the dominant "warm and wet ancient Mars" hypothesis, which postulates that rivers, rainfall and oceans once existed on the red planet.

To reach this conclusion, lead author Anna Grau Galofre, former PhD student in the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, developed and used new techniques to examine thousands of Martian valleys. She and her co-authors also compared the Martian valleys to the subglacial channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and uncovered striking similarities.

"For the last 40 years, since Mars's valleys were first discovered, the assumption was that rivers once flowed on Mars, eroding and originating all of these valleys," says Grau Galofre. "But there are hundreds of valleys on Mars, and they look very different from each other. If you look at Earth from a satellite you see a lot of valleys: some of them made by rivers, some made by glaciers, some made by other processes, and each type has a distinctive shape. Mars is similar, in that valleys look very different from each other, suggesting that many processes were at play to carve them."

The similarity between many Martian valleys and the subglacial channels on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic motivated the authors to conduct their comparative study. "Devon Island is one of the best analogues we have for Mars here on Earth--it is a cold, dry, polar desert, and the glaciation is largely cold-based," says co-author Gordon Osinski, professor in Western University's department of earth sciences and Institute for Earth and Space Exploration.

In total, the researchers analyzed more than 10,000 Martian valleys, using a novel algorithm to infer their underlying erosion processes. "These results are the first evidence for extensive subglacial erosion driven by channelized meltwater drainage beneath an ancient ice sheet on Mars," says co-author Mark Jellinek, professor in UBC's department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences. "The findings demonstrate that only a fraction of valley networks match patterns typical of surface water erosion, which is in marked contrast to the conventional view. Using the geomorphology of Mars' surface to rigorously reconstruct the character and evolution of the planet in a statistically meaningful way is, frankly, revolutionary."

Grau Galofre's theory also helps explain how the valleys would have formed 3.8 billion years ago on a planet that is further away from the sun than Earth, during a time when the sun was less intense. "Climate modelling predicts that Mars' ancient climate was much cooler during the time of valley network formation," says Grau Galofre, currently a SESE Exploration Post-doctoral Fellow at Arizona State University. "We tried to put everything together and bring up a hypothesis that hadn't really been considered: that channels and valleys networks can form under ice sheets, as part of the drainage system that forms naturally under an ice sheet when there's water accumulated at the base."

These environments would also support better survival conditions for possible ancient life on Mars. A sheet of ice would lend more protection and stability of underlying water, as well as providing shelter from solar radiation in the absence of a magnetic field--something Mars once had, but which disappeared billions of years ago.

While Grau Galofre's research was focused on Mars, the analytical tools she developed for this work can be applied to uncover more about the early history of our own planet. Jellinek says he intends to use these new algorithms to analyze and explore erosion features left over from very early Earth history.

"Currently we can reconstruct rigorously the history of global glaciation on Earth going back about a million to five million years," says Jellinek. "Anna's work will enable us to explore the advance and retreat of ice sheets back to at least 35 million years ago--to the beginnings of Antarctica, or earlier--back in time well before the age of our oldest ice cores. These are very elegant analytical tools."

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This story has been published on: 2020-08-03. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
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Xing Rui (R) hugs with her daughter at the Tianjin Binhai International Airport before going to Wuhan City, Central China's Hubei Province, on January 26, 2020. [Xinhua/Ma Ping]

TIANJIN, Aug. 3 (Xinhua)  Surrounded by pink balloons and friends, Song Yunhan cut her birthday cake with swan-shaped cream decorations, and made a wish on her eighth birthday party on July 27.

Instead of fancy Barbie dolls or ice cream, the little girl only wanted a big hug from her mother Xing Rui, 34, a nurse from north China's Tianjin Municipality, who was dispatched to the city of Wuhan, once hard hit by COVID-19.

"Since I came back from Wuhan, my daughter has never asked for gifts like toys or candies, but has always wanted a hug," Xing said.

At the beginning of this year, when Song's school was just out for the winter holiday, the little girl encountered a Chinese word "Wei Nan" in her homework that she did not understand. Xing pointed at the news about COVID-19 on television and explained; "It means danger and disaster. It can be used to describe the situation in Wuhan."

Xing applied to go to Wuhan just a few days later. It was the first time that she was absent from her daughter's winter vacation.

"Mommy, you told me that when I finished drinking a box of milk, you would come back home. I have finished a few boxes for quite a long time now, so why aren't you home yet? I miss you so much," wrote Song in a letter to her mother.

"I was touched and so happy when I saw the letter. My daughter called out "mom" three times before going to bed every night. She hoped to see me at home when she opened her eyes in the morning," Xing said.

But Xing also knew that her daughter was acting bravely. "She understood what I was doing in Wuhan," she said. "As a parent, I must set a good example."

On March 31, Xing came back to Tianjin and finished a 14-day quarantine period. When Xing came back home, her daughter ran to her and gave her a big hug, which the little girl believed was the best gift for her mother.

"We had never been apart for such a long time, and I could feel my daughter's sense of insecurity. I really cherished the time with my daughter during the summer vacation. For kids, a parents' company is one of the most important aspects of their growth," Xing said.

During this summer vacation, many medics chose to spend more time with their children to make up for their absence during the winter holiday.

My Mom Is a Hero

Since Tianjin waives entrance fees to major scenic spots for medics who went to fight COVID-19 on the frontlines, Lu Jia often takes her 6-year-old daughter to museums during the summer holiday.

Lu's daughter always says to the staff at the scenic spots with pride: "My mom is a hero!"

Lu, 35, a doctor at the nosocomial infection management department at the Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute & Hospital, was among the same batch of medics with Xing.

"My daughter was a source of power to me, and supported me in bravely battling COVID-19. Every time she sang songs for me on video calls, my heart was filled with mixed feelings," Lu said.

When Lu came home, she was pleased to find that her daughter had become taller with a longer hair, and even lost a tooth.

During this summer vacation, Lu's family spent happy times together and tried many new activities. They went camping, visited a zoo, played rope skipping, and did scientific experiments at home.

"In Wuhan, I saw separation and death. I really value the time with my family," Lu said.

A Caring Daughter

For 19-year-old Shi Huihua, the epidemic has taught her to take more responsibility and do chores for her mother, Chen Guijun, 55, a doctor with the infectious diseases department in a hospital located in the Jizhou District in Tianjin.

Shi has sharpened her cooking skills and cooked different dishes for her mother every day this summer.

"I'm happy to have these delicious dishes, but I felt sorry on the other hand," Chen said. "I have no time to take care of her and, instead, she takes good care of me."

Shi gave her mother much support. "My mother might sometimes cry on video calls, and I would comfort and encourage her. Love and dedication should be mutual. I have grown up now, she can rely on me."

In Shi's eyes, her mother is a superwoman who protected people's lives. As a medical student at Tianjin Medical University, Shi was taught an unforgettable lesson amid the epidemic, and now better understands why her mother devoted herself to her beloved career.

(Source: Xinhua)
HOUSTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The North Fort Bend Water Authority ("NFBWA") has announced that it has entered into an agreement to ensure continuous operations of the NFBWA's Bellaire Pump Station, a surface water pumping station, and uninterrupted service throughout its service area. Enchanted Rock's clean and quiet natural gas-powered resiliency microgrid solution will provide the NFBWA with redundant power to prevent potential disruptions due to grid outages.

"We are excited about partnering with the NFBWA to help ensure reliable water supply for Fort Bend County," said Thomas McAndrew, Founder and CEO of Enchanted Rock. "Water is such a critical resource, and the Enchanted Rock solution ensures resilient operations and water for the residents, even during extended power outages."

The NFBWA selected Enchanted Rock based on their years of experience in providing resilient backup power during utility outages due to events such as Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Enchanted Rock delivers long-duration backup power with the cleanest technology available. The company's integrated Reliability on Call (iROC) service will provide the NFBWA with worry-free reliability because Enchanted Rock operates and maintains the systems. The unique iROC model allows the NFBWA to receive full-facility backup at a fraction of the cost of a standard reliability system.

"We are delighted to find a trusted solution that addresses our reliability needs," said Peter Houghton, NFBWA Board President. "This partnership enables us to better protect our community during grid outages."

The NFBWA joins the list of other governmental entities served by Enchanted Rock's resiliency microgrids, which include the Fort Bend County Levee Improvement District No. 2 and Gulf Coast Water Authority. This service is expected to be in operation in Spring of 2021.

The NFBWA resiliency project will be the latest addition to Texas Microgrid, a Houston-based, natural gas-powered distributed generation and microgrid platform. This new project demonstrates the commitment of the Texas Microgrid partners, Basalt Infrastructure Partners, LP and Enchanted Rock to advance the scale of Texas Microgrid's existing 220 MW portfolio. The additions will be funded through the senior-secured construction and term financing that Texas Microgrid entered into during 2019.

About the North Fort Bend Water Authority

The NFBWA is a regional water authority created in 2005 by the Texas Legislature to provide for a long-term alternative surface water supply to the Fort Bend County region. The NFBWA's mission is to provide a plentiful supply of clean water from multiple sources, conserve groundwater and surface water supplies to provide for tomorrow's water needs, and to educate people on the value of water, where our water comes from, and the importance of protecting this vital resource. To learn more, visit www.nfbwa.com.

About Enchanted Rock, LLC

Enchanted Rock provides affordable, long duration backup power to commercial, industrial, and institutional customers by delivering a proven, full-service solution with the cleanest available technology. Enchanted Rock handles the design, construction, commissioning, operations, and maintenance of natural-gas powered generators so utilities can provide their customers with reliable backup power without the expense and challenges that come with maintaining a backup generation system. To learn more about offering electrical resiliency using Enchanted Rock solutions, visit www.enchantedrock.com or visit us on Twitter @ERock_LLC or LinkedIn.

About Texas Microgrid

Texas Microgrid was formed in April 2016 to address the growing demand for reliable, backup generation among C&I customers in Texas. Texas Microgrid builds, finances, owns, and operates natural gas-based microgrids throughout Texas and sells utility grade backup generation under long term customer agreements.

The TMG microgrids rely on proven, quick response natural gas-fired and ultra-clean engines to provide electrical reliability to C&I facilities when normal utility power is not available. In exchange, TMG receives monthly payments from its C&I customers through 15-year contracts. Additional revenues are earned through sales of electricity and ancillary services in the ERCOT power market.

About Basalt

Basalt Infrastructure Partners LLP is the exclusive investment adviser to the Basalt managed funds. Basalt I and Basalt II are infrastructure equity investment funds focusing on investments in utilities, power, transport, and communications infrastructure in the United States, Canada, and Europe. Helios Power represents Basalt's eighth investment in the Basalt II fund. Other investments by the Basalt funds include the Upper Peninsula Power Company (UPPCO), Texas Microgrid, Detroit Renewable Energy and DB Energy Assets in the United States, and North Star, Mareccio Energia, Caronte and Tourist, Manx Telecom, and Connect Fibre in Europe. For more information, please visit www.basaltinfra.com.

SOURCE Enchanted Rock, LLC

Related Links

http://www.enchantedrock.com


Press Release

4 August 2020

MUMBAI, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), South Asia's largest hospitality company, today announced the launch and implementation of I-ZEST: IHCL's Zero-Touch Service Transformation - a suite of digital solutions across its hotels under its brands - Taj, Vivanta and SeleQtions. From zero-touch check-in's and check-out's, digital invoicing, online payment options and QR codes to digital menus in restaurants, I-ZEST's digital features will further ensure social distancing for both, guests and associates, while maintaining secure and seamless services. These digital initiatives come on the back of Company's latest foray into the food delivery service from its iconic restaurants via a dedicated mobile app.

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Vinay Deshpande, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital & IT, IHCL says, "Harnessing the power of digital has become even more crucial in times like this. We are leveraging technologies in a meaningful way to ensure minimal contact while offering the sincere care, warmth and guest-centric service that we are synonymous with, with the same zest and dedication as always. With I-ZEST, we have built an enhanced digital layer over our existing systems for the safety of both, our guests and associates."

Photo: IHCL

I-ZEST's new digital features allows guests to interact and engage with IHCL hotels by minimizing the physical touch, but maximising quality of service. Digital enhancements will span guest experiences, from pre-arrival to departure offering zero to minimal touch options through innovative facilities such as digital pre check-in registrations to contactless guest access to their rooms via optional digital key cards, while maintaining the highest levels of safety and security. Check-outs will also be optimized with online invoicing services without the need to use card machines. Digital menus installed across restaurants will facilitate dining orders through QR codes and digital payments.

I-ZEST's technology-driven measures will also extend to employees, with hotel pre-opening processes now being driven through mobile-application based checklists, a contactless attendance system that uses closed-group facial recognition and QR codes as well as an HR automation platform for leaves and queries, among others.

Visit here to get more information on the additional stringent standards of safety and hygiene at all IHCL hotels as part of Tajness - A Commitment Restrengthened.
A selfless Melbourne woman has cooked hundreds of free meals for people doing it tough in stage four lockdown.

Liana Duric, a volunteer cook for local charities, offered to provide leftover food to anyone in need in south-east Melbourne.

Ms Duric said the meals were available 'for anyone struggling to put food on the table' in her local area, Carrum Downs.

Volunteer cook Liana Duric (pictured) has made hundreds of free meals for those in need and offered them to anyone 'struggling' in Melbourne's stage four lockdown

Ms Duric said she was based in Carrum Downs, southeast Melbourne, and encouraged locals to pick up a meal under caregiving guidelines

The cook offered chicken casserole, pasta bolognese and vegetable frittata(pictured)

'With stage four restrictions now in place for Melbourne Metro, it's more important now than ever before to know that so much help and assistance is available,' she said.

'Especially from charity groups and many people like me who volunteer to cook meals for people experiencing hardships.'

She made a post showcasing her range of meals including chicken casserole, pasta bolognese, vegetable frittata and corned beef casserole on rice.

'Do not be embarrassed to ask for help. We are all struggling but some more than others,' Ms Duric said.

She urged Melburnians to send her a message and explained all the meals were labelled with ingredients and microwave reheating instructions.

'Your privacy is assured so please reach out to me if you need meals,' she said.

'Stay safe and know that there are people who are looking out for you.'

The volunteer cook made a post on Facebook urging residents to 'reach out' for a free meal

Ms Duric said she was providing the free food (pictured) as 'it's more important now than ever before to know that so much help and assistance is available'

The cook also explained charities fall into the category of essential workers and caregivers and can travel outside the 5km exclusion zone and the 8pm to 5am curfew doesn't apply.

'So charities can deliver to you,' she said.

Ms Duric warned those who wished to pick up meals they must stay within their 5km radius and observe curfew restrictions.

Other Facebook users commended the 'Aussie legend' for her generous act.

'What a lovely thing to do for those in need,' one commenter said.

Ms Duric explained charity organisations fell into the category of essential workers and could travel outside the 5km lockdown radius to deliver meals (pasta bolognese pictured)

Another meal on offer was a corned beef and vegetable casserole on rice (pictured)

'So generous and kind. It's lovely seeing this kind of support for people.'

'Wow, you truly are a good and caring human,' another user wrote.

Victoria recorded 439 new coronavirus cases and 11 new deaths in the past 24-hour period.

Melbourne's stage four lockdown, which began on Sunday, forced schools to close and residents limited to shopping and exercising within 5km of their homes.

A handful of essential businesses including supermarkets, petrol stations and pharmacies will remain open for the next six weeks of restrictions.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews also announced further enforcement measures on Tuesday.

Under the Andrews Government's new rules, COVID-19 patients are banned from exercising outdoors and Melbourne residents who repeatedly fail to self-isolate face fines of almost $5,000.
The European Commission has dismissed a demand by senior Tories to rewrite the Brexit withdrawal agreement to reduce the amount of cash Britain has to pay the EU.

Brexiteers including Iain Duncan Smith have claimed that the financial liabilities signed up to by Boris Johnson in the agreement were too great, that the treaty costs too much and denies us true national independence.

But speaking to reporters on Tuesday, a European Commission spokesperson said the agreements financial section included completely normal legal commitments.

Sir Iains concerns relate to the UKs continued liability for European Investment Bank loans, which he claims will mean the financial impact will go far beyond the main settlements in the 39bn divorce deal.

I think its very clear that we are not going to get into a debate with British politicians on liabilities or any other of the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Commission spokesperson said.

The Withdrawal Agreement is there, it is now a firm document that has been accepted by both parties and it is the basis on which both sides are acting.

In this document it is clear that that the United Kingdom has taken a certain number of completely normal legal commitments when it comes to its share of liabilities related to loans that would have been given by the EIB whilst the UK was still a member of the European Union.

He added: What we can say is that the Withdrawal Agreement stands, that in it the United Kingdom has taken a certain number of perfectly reasonable commitments related to the time when it was still a member of the European Union relating to its share of liabilities on loans given out by the EIB, and we have nothing further to comment on this.

The scale of the financial implications are expected to depend on the levels of defaults on loans made available through the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Financial Stability Mechanism, which the UK has contributed to in the past.

Sir Iain claimed that the EU want our money and they want to stop us being a competitor and that the Withdrawal Agreement sadly helps them. He added that the provisions mean Britain would be hooked into the EUs loan book.

Mr Duncan Smith voted in favour of the agreement he is criticising when it was put before parliament.

With trade talks currently showing little progress, Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator with the UK, on Tuesday also stepped up his calls for EU countries and businesses to prepare for the end of the transition period.

Changes are inevitable, with or without agreement on the new partnership, Mr Barnier said. Companies and citizens must get ready.

Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Show all 37 1 /37 Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit supporters celebrating in Parliament Square, after the UK left the European Union on 31 January. Ending 47 years of membership PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Big Ben, shows the hands at eleven o'clock at night AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro Brexit supporters attend the Brexit Day Celebration Party hosted by Leave Means Leave Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage smiles on stage AFP/Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People celebrate in Parliament Square Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A Brexit supporter celebrates during a rally in Parliament square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Police form a line at Parliament Square to prevent a small group of anti-Brexit protestors from going through to the main Brexit rally PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Nigel Farage speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square JD Wetherspoon Chairman Tim Martin speaks as people wave flags Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage arrives Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters gather AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Ann Widdecombe speaks to pro-Brexit supporters PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Brexit supporters wave Union flags as they watch the big screen AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square People wave British Union Jack flags as they celebrate Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Pro-Brexit demonstrators celebrate on Parliament Square on Brexit day Reuters Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter jumps on an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AP Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A man waves Union flags from a small car as he drives past Brexit supporters gathering AFP via Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square A pro-Brexit supporter pours beer onto an EU flag PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square An EU flag lies trampled in the mud Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square Getty Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square PA Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square AFP via Getty

The UK, for its part, on Monday told medicine suppliers that they must rebuild stockpiles for a possible no-deal Brexit at the year, which is expected to disrupt supply lines. Companies had previously warned this might be impossible because of the pressures of the pandemic.

Major sticking points in continuing talks include regulatory alignment, fisheries, justice and police cooperation, and the governance of any deal. The next official round is due to take place in Brussels on 17 August.

After the most recent round of talks Mr Barnier said a trade deal was looking unlikely, but was still possible if the UK shifted its positions.
SILVER SPRING, Md.--Body mass index (BMI) is associated with the development of severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and admission to intensive care units (ICU) in African Americans, according to a single center, retrospective cross-sectional study published online in Obesity, the flagship journal of The Obesity Society. This is the first study that focuses specifically on the risk factors within an African-American population.

Age and comorbidities such as hypertension and diabetes have been well identified as risk factors for the development of severe disease. Obesity is also emerging as a risk factor for severe disease development. However, this study adds further evidence supporting the association that body mass index is connected with disease severity in the African-American population.

"It is of tremendous importance that we identify risk factors and those individuals who may be at increased risk for severe COVID-19 infection, so that we are able dedicate efforts towards supporting those most affected and in need," said Christine Bojanowski, MD, assistant professor in the Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care and Environmental Medicine at Tulane University Health Science Center in New Orleans, La. Bojanowski is the corresponding author of the study.

Bojanowski added "this study is of particular interest in response to emerging reports revealing the disproportionate impact of COVID-19 on the African American community in our country. Further inclusive research aimed at optimizing clinical care relevant to the African-American population is critical to ensure an equitable response to COVID-19."

Researchers included 158 confirmed COVID-19 positive African-American patients who presented to Tulane Medical Center between March 12 and April 9, 2020 in their study. Participants were identified through reported laboratory testing during the aforementioned time period. Researchers obtained individual patient data through retrospective, electronic medical record review.

To define and determine severe disease, participants had to require intensive care unit admission for COVID-19 related complications. In the study, this closely aligned with respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation.

Researchers found that 85 percent of the severe cases admitted to the ICU had respiratory failure requiring intubation and mechanical ventilation. ICU mortality for severe cases was 37 percent; however 21.7 percent of the participants were still intubated and requiring mechanical ventilation at the time of the study, which may impact and potentially increase this percentage.

In unadjusted and adjusted analysis, the factors most associated with ICU admission were age, BMI and lung disease.

The average BMI of participants was 33.2. The results also showed that participants with severe disease requiring ICU admission were older (62 years versus 55 years, p = 0.003) and had higher BMI (36.5 kg/m2 versus 31.9 kg/m2, p = 0.002).

The results confirmed that obesity is a significant determinant of disease severity in the African-American population. Researchers propose that a lower threshold be considered for BMI than the current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommendations that describe individuals with BMI greater than 40 as "high risk" for severe illnesses in COVID-19.

"Instead of stigmatization of black adults with obesity, this pandemic, a hopefully once-in-a-century health crisis, is a clarion call to decrease and eventually eliminate long-standing health disparities and underlying adverse societal structural factors," said Keith C. Ferdinand, MD, FACC, FAHA, FASPC, FNLA, FASPC, professor of medicine, Gerald S. Berenson Endowed chair in Preventive Cardiology, Tulane University School of Medicine, in a commentary about the study.

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Other authors of the study include Ala Alkhatib, Jerry Zifodya, Mohammad Tahboub, Joshua Denson, and Joseph Lasky of the Department of Medicine, Section of Pulmonary Diseases, Critical Care and Environmental Medicine at Tulane University Health Science Center in New Orleans, La. Other co-authors include Jonah Kreniske of the Department of Medicine, Tulane University School of Medicine; Vivian Fonseca and Joanna Khatib, Department of Medicine, Section of Endocrinology and Metabolism, Tulane University Health Science Center and John Lefante of the Department of Biostatistics and Data Science, Tulane School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

This work was supported by a grant from the Louisiana Clinical and Translational Science Center (LA CaTS) U54 GM104940 (C.M.B).

The Obesity Society (TOS) is the leading organization of scientists and health professionals devoted to understanding and reversing the epidemic of obesity and its adverse health, economic and societal effects. Combining the perspective of researchers, clinicians, policymakers and patients, TOS promotes innovative research, education, and evidence-based clinical care to improve the health and well-being of all people with obesity. For more information, visit http://www.obesity.org and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 05:27:32|Editor: huaxia

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HOUSTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Houston, the largest city in the U.S. state of Texas, will issue fine of 250 U.S. dollars to those who violate the mask order, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner said Monday.

During the daily press conference, Turner said the fine would be issued to those who have been warned once and continually ignore the mask order. People are required to wear face covering in public places in the city until the end of August.

The aggressive move was instructed to Houston Police Department by the mayor to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic in the city.

Last week, Turner laid down the challenge to reduce the city's COVID-19 positive rate from 23 percent to 5 percent or below in August. The positive rate dropped to 17.6 percent on Monday which was still "way too high", according to David Persse, Houston's public health authority.

Official figure showed that as of Monday, the number of COVID-19 cases in Houston is just under 50,000, and 472 people have died. Enditem
Lord + Taylors biggest creditors include some of the worlds most recognized fashion brands.

Yesterday, the department store filed for Chapter 11 protection in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. According to the filing, it owes millions of dollars to 10 companies, as well as hundreds of thousands to at least 20 more firms.

More from Footwear News

The retailers largest creditor is the Israel-based Liquidity Capital II LP, with an unsecured claim of $8.5 million. It also owes $4.7 million to G-III Leather Fashions Inc., $3.5 million to Polo Ralph Lauren Clothing and $2.1 million to Michael Kors LLC. Other notable creditors include LOreal Lancome and Facebook Inc, which have respective claims of more than $1.1 million and $1 million.

Whats more, Lord + Taylor owes roughly $960,400 to Ralph Lauren Childrenwear, $772,500 to Caleres Inc., $745,200 to Chanel Inc., $688,700 to Supreme International Corp., $566,100 to Urban Outfitters Wholesale Inc. and $557,100 to Steven Madden Ltd.

Following months of speculation, Lord + Taylor and owner Le Tote Inc. sought bankruptcy protection from creditors as it failed to turn around its business amid the coronavirus pandemic. In April, a source close to the company told FN that it had laid off the majority of its merchants and is seriously considering liquidating its business.

At the time, Lord + Taylor also saw the bulk of its executive team resign, including president Ruth Hartman. Le Tote confirmed then that it had implemented significant companywide layoffs  with only key employees remaining to preserve the business.

However, Lord + Taylors struggles were present prior to the coronavirus spread in the U.S. Before announcing its intention to sell the chain to Le Tote for $75 million in August, previous owner Hudsons Bay Company had struggled for some time to revive Lord + Taylor. HBC, which sealed the deal on its own go-private plans in January, memorably shuttered the companys century-old flagship on New Yorks storied Fifth Avenue, as well as another 10 of its 48 outposts, last year.

Over the past few months, other notable names in the retail space  including JCPenney, Neiman Marcus, J. Crew and just this weekend Tailored Brands  have also gone bankrupt as stores were temporarily shuttered for weeks and consumers reduced spending on nonessential goods.

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Manoj Viswanathan By

Express News Service

KOCHI: The month-long lockdown, loss of livelihood and the fury of tidal waves have reduced the residents of Chellanam, a coastal village in the district, to penury.The residents, who are mostly daily wagers survive on food kits distributed by the district administration and social organisations. The scramble for food kits had led to a fight among women at Cheriyakadavu hamlet in the panchayat on Sunday, which points to the scarcity of food and essentials.

Ernakulam MP Hibi Eden had sent around 100 food kits for distribution in the ward which houses around 350 families. The district administration provides food kits only to people living in three wards that are declared containment zones. There are 21 wards in the panchayat and the entire area has been locked down. The residents are mostly daily wagers and are unable to work. The families have been pushed into extreme poverty, said Pavizham Biju, coordinator of Chellanam 20-20, a non-political organisation.

It has been nearly a month since the district administration imposed the lockdown. There are no jobs and we survive on the food kits distributed by some organisations. Not all families are lucky to get the kits. Tidal fury, virus threat and hunger have pushed us to the edge, said Shaiju P S, a resident of ward 15 in Chellanam, while standing in knee-deep water. His family lives in a thatched hut close to the lake which has swelled following incessant rain.

There are eight families here that are fighting penury and the vagaries of life to survive.Panchayat vice-president K D Prasad said, The entire panchayat has been locked down and the district administration is providing food supplies only to people living in the three wards, which are declared containment zones. The panchayat has given a representation to the tahsildar and health department urging to restrict triple lockdown only to containment zones. The main road should be opened and people should be allowed to work. We had approached the district administration requesting food kits for all families, but no action has been taken.

The association of former judges of Kerala High Court on Monday handed over 100 food kits containing essentials worth `1,150 to people affected by the sea surge and Covid in Chellanam. The kits were handed over to Kannamali police station officials. Justices S Sirijagan and P S Gopinathan, president and secretary, respectively, of the association handed over the kits.
Advisor and daughter of the president Ivanka Trump speaks during an event to highlight the Department of Justice grants to combat human trafficking, in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, on Aug. 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump Admin Awards $35 Million in Housing Grants to Assist Human Trafficking Survivors

The Trump administration announced on Aug. 4 that it will award more than $35 million in grants to provide safe and stable housing to human trafficking survivors.

Presidential adviser Ivanka Trump and Attorney General William Barr said the grants will be shared by 73 nonprofit organizations in 34 states that provide housing and services to victims of human trafficking. The funding is expected to provide 6 to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance to survivors, including to pay rent, utilities, or related expenses, such as a security deposit.

These grants are also expected to assist grantees in locating permanent housing, finding a job, and receiving occupational training and counseling, the administration stated.

Ivanka Trump and Barr made the announcement during a roundtable event at the White House where they were joined by other administration officials, leaders of nonprofit organizations providing support to victims, and survivors of human trafficking. The funding is being provided by the Office for Victims of Crime within the Justice Departments Office of Justice Programs.

About 24.9 million people around the world and in the United States, both adults and children, are trapped in some form of human trafficking, according to the White House. About 1 in 800 people in the United States are living in modern slavery, according to 2018 data by the Walk Free Foundation. The phrase is a broad term used to describe victims of forced labor, sexual exploitation or servitude, and forced marriages, among numerous other abuses.

DOJ housing assistance grants are absolutely critical, Ivanka Trump said during the event. The Human Trafficking hotline had articulated the fact that housing assistance is the number one need, the number one service requested in all of these human trafficking-related crisis cases. So this is targeting a specific need that has been highlighted for the Department of Justice.

She added that the pandemic made the need for housing assistance more urgent, saying that many of the victims found themselves sheltering in place with their traffickers as they are left without options.

Barr said the program is the largest federal investment of its kind. He noted that eliminating the horrific crime and helping its victims is a top priority for the president and the DOJ.

When survivors are liberated from the nightmare of trafficking, they often face a new challengethey have nowhere to live. Tragically, the trauma of trafficking can give a way to new dangers caused by homelessness, and can even result in revictimization by predators, Barr said. None should have to endure that heartbreak.

These new resources, announced today, expand on our efforts to offer those who have suffered the shelter and support they need to begin a new and better life, the attorney general said in a separate statement.

Some of the organizations sharing the grants include Camillus House Inc. in Florida, Alternatives for Girls in Michigan, and The Salvation Army in New York (pdf).

Ivanka Trump has embraced combating human trafficking as one of her focus areas. Her father, President Donald Trump, previously said the issue has been so important to her. The first daughter has previously held multiple meetings on human trafficking, has advocated for anti-trafficking legislation, and hosted a White House trafficking summit in January. She also visited nonprofit groups that help victims during a trip to Atlanta earlier this year.

Similarly, the president has often spoken publicly about the administrations response to the issue and has taken a number of actions since taking office, including signing an executive order on combating human trafficking and online child exploitation. The executive order created a new position dedicated to fighting the issue, as well as expanded prevention education programs, promoting housing opportunities for survivors, and prioritizing the removal of child sexual abuse material from the internet.

In June, the State Department released the 2020 Trafficking in Persons Report, which is described as a tool for diplomatic engagement with governments around the world on human trafficking. This years report called out China and Cuba for their pattern of forced labor and their inaction on the issue.

The Chinese Communist Party and its state-owned enterprises often force citizens to work in horrendous conditions on Belt and Road projects, State Secretary Mike Pompeo said during the launch of the report. Then theres Cuba. Up to 50,000 Cuban doctors have been forced by the Castro regime into human trafficking situations in more than 60 countries around the globe. They are the regimes number one source of income.

In the United States, the National Human Trafficking Hotline stated it had received 11,500 human trafficking reports in 2019, with sex trafficking being the most commonly reported type of trafficking.

Forced labor and human trafficking is estimated to be a $150 billion industry worldwide, according to the International Labor Organization.

Bowen Xiao contributed to this report.
The month of July saw a record number of new cases of COVID-19 worldwide, as the disease continued to tear through the global population.

More than seven million people were infected with the disease last month, compared with 4.4 million the month before. And 165,000 people died, compared with 139,000 the previous month. In total, 18.4 million people worldwide have been infected, and the death toll will have hit, by the end of today, over 700,000.

Indian health volunteers take swab samples as part of the India-Israel Non-Invasive Raid COVID-19 test study camp, at a government hospital in New Delhi, India, Friday, July 31, 2020. (AP Photo/Manish Swarup)

The center of the global disaster is the United States, the wealthiest capitalist country with the most extreme social inequality and where human life is cheapest.

In the United States, there were two million new cases in July, up from 800,000 in June and more than double the previous worst month, April, while 27,500 people lost their lives. If the disease continues at this pace, 330,000 people will die in the US in the course of a year.

White House Coronavirus Task Force Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx warned Sunday on CNNs State of the Union, What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread. She then added that the pandemic is entrenched in both rural and urban areas.

This disaster is the predictable consequence of the White Houses abandonment of all efforts to contain the pandemic as part of its drive to prematurely force workers back into workplaces where the disease is raging. In April, when states throughout the country reopened factories, the country had just passed one million confirmed coronavirus cases and was nearing 58,000 known deaths in this country alone.

Seven weeks ago, Vice President Mike Pence declared that the alarm bells over a second wave of coronavirus infections were overblown. He claimed that great progress was being made, which was a cause for celebration. The administrations success had at that point resulted in 2.2 million cases of COVID-19 and more than 121,000 dead.

Today, the real testament to the administrations response is the ongoing mass suffering and death across the country. There are more than 4.8 million cases in the United States, more than double what they were in mid-June. An additional 38,000 men, women and children are dead, bringing the national tally to just under 159,000.

The situation is similarly dire in Latin America, which has recorded five million cases and well over 203,000 deaths. The situation is most dangerous in Brazil, led by the fascistic Jair Bolsonaro, who has repeatedly dismissed the pandemic as a little flu and has actively ignored warnings from his top public health officials, firing two during the course of Brazils outbreak. The country has so far suffered more than 2.7 million COVID-19 cases and is expected to cross the threshold of 100,000 deaths sometime this week.

In Mexico, led by Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, there have been 439,000 cases and 47,000 deaths, both of which are considered to be vast underestimations of the spread and death toll of the pandemic in the country.

The pandemic has similarly spiraled out of control in India. There are 1.8 million known cases, with more than 50,000 new cases each day. Nearly 39,000 people have died. It took only 25 days to add one million more cases to the current caseload from July 10, when the total COVID-19 cases in India stood at 794,000. This means that more than half of the countrys total cases occurred in the past four weeks.

The disease is also spiking again in European countries, such as Spain, France and, to a lesser extent, Germany. All three of these countries were hit hard when the coronavirus first emerged in Europe in March and April and had done a better job than the US in suppressing their outbreaks. But as a consequence of their governments efforts to get workers back on the job, the number of cases is growing. Germany now averages more than 600 new cases a day, France more than 1,000 and Spain more than 2,000.

Throughout the world, the disease is fueling unemployment, poverty, homelessness and hunger. According to the United Nations, hunger tied to the pandemic is leading to the deaths of 10,000 children every single month.

In April, the World Health Organization warned strongly against premature economic reopenings by any country if it could not reliably find, isolate, test and treat all cases, and trace every contact. During that same period, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the top US infectious disease expert, warned that abandoning restrictions on business operations would cause needless suffering and death.

Instead, the US political establishment, from the White House on down to state governors in both parties, abandoned efforts to contain the pandemic, allowing businesses to reopen and fuel the spread of the disease. The American financial oligarchy is totally indifferent to the death and suffering of millions.

The United States has adopted a de facto policy of herd immunity, forcing workers back into factories, plants and offices so corporations can continue to extract surplus value to pay for the billions or trillions of dollars handed out to the rich.

While this policy is particularly egregious in the United States, it is mirrored in every country, where the primary concern of governments has been to preserve not the health and well-being of the population but the wealth of the financial oligarchy.

The COVID-19 disaster is the product of the anarchy and irrationality of capitalism, most nakedly expressed in the industrialized world in the United States. The destruction of the health care infrastructure over decades is of a piece with the financialization and deindustrialization of the economy and the destruction of jobs, wages and social services.

Instead of global cooperation, the US is using the prospect of a potential vaccine to its own advantage, engaged in what the Wall Street Journal called a high-stakes geopolitical scramble to secure supplies for a scientific breakthrough that could confer enormous economic and political power.

On February 28, now more than five months ago, the International Committee of the Fourth International issued a call for a globally coordinated emergency response to the coronavirus pandemic. At a time when the total number of cases stood at 100,000 and the number of deaths stood at 3,000, the ICFI warned that the danger cannot be overstated. Rather than taking measures to stop the pandemic, the ruling class utilized the health care disaster to gorge itself, profiting off of death and social devastation.

Now, more than 18 million have been infected, and more than 700,000 people have died. Seven hundred thousand people! All with families, friends and coworkers devastated by the loss. And there is no end in sight.

There could hardly be a more damning exposure of the social, political and moral bankruptcy of capitalism. The working class will not forget what has happened. The pandemic, acting upon the preexisting crisis of the capitalist system, has created the conditions for enormous revolutionary convulsions, in the United States and throughout the world.
Once upon a time, before Megxit, Prince Harrys bride Meghan, Duchess of Sussex won over Prince Philip after a conversation about his family. Since then, many royal fans have wondered what Philips relationship is like with his other granddaughter-in-law Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge.

Heres what a body language expert is revealing about his relationship with Prince Williams wife, plus how the Duke of Edinburgh reacted when he first found out that Meghan and Harry were stepping down as senior royals.

Kate Middleton, Meghan Markle, and Prince Philip | ADRIAN DENNIS/AFP via Getty Images

RELATED: Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle Are Banned From Wearing These Colors Around Queen Elizabeth

Prince Philip bonded with Meghan Markle after an important conversation

Before she and Prince Harry tied the knot Meghan reportedly sought approval and ended up bonding with Harrys grandfather.

A source told The Express that this occurred when she asked Philip about his background and ancestry.

The Duke of Edinburgh really got on with her, the source said. The reason he liked her was because she was very bold. Meghan asked a lot of questions about Philips side of the family and his connection to Greece.

How Philip reacted when he heard about Megxit

Members of the royal family attend 2017 Christmas Service | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

RELATED: Prince Philips Deadly Virus Quote Comes Back to Haunt Him

When the Sussexes first announced their plans to step down in January, the Duke of Edinburgh was reportedly blindsided. The Daily Mail reported that he reacted by asking, What the hell are they playing at?

Queen Elizabeths husband was later spotted leaving the Sandringham estate ahead of the royal summit between his wife, Prince Charles, William, and Harry and did not look happy.

Another insider who spoke to The Sun explained that A lot of Philips anger comes from seeing Her Majesty upset.

What body language expert revealed about Philips relationship with Kate Middleton

Prince Philip, Kate Middleton, Princess Charlotte, Prince George, and Prince William at 2017 Trooping the Colour | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

Kate has known Prince Philip and the rest of the royal family longer than Meghan. The Duchess of Cambridge started dating William in the early 2000s and got married in 2011. So what type of relationship has she had over the years with her grandfather-in-law?

According to body language expert Judi James, they appear to have a very good one.

James analyzed photos of Philip and the duchess standing side by side at Trooping the Colour back in 2017 and told The Express, These delightful poses suggest unexpectedly rich bonds between Kate and Prince Philip based on not just affection but also a shared sense of humor and fun.

James added: Both royals tend to be fans of protocol at public events but Philips animated chat here could have put them firmly on the naughty step, as judging from the poses of the rest of the group they are having a chat and a giggle during a fly-past.

RELATED: What Prince Harry Really Whispered to Meghan Markle in Church, According to Lip-Reading Experts
The Ministry of Justice will update the English translations of Japan's business-related laws and regulations.

The full-scale revision, planned to be completed by the end of the fiscal year 2022, is aimed at encouraging foreign investment. It will cover about 770 laws and regulations in which English translations have been made public, such as the Companies Act, the Regulation for Enforcement of the Insurance Business Act and the Cabinet Office Order on Disclosure of Corporate Affairs.

Some 300 as of yet untranslated laws and regulations will be given English versions as well. They include the amendment of the Foreign Exchange and Foreign Trade Act, which aims to enhance economic security by determining what foreign investment in sensitive industries is appropriate.

The ministry began releasing English translations of Japanese laws and regulations on its website in 2009. But it is launching the first wide scale revision because past versions include expressions deviating from its translation rules updated in 2019.

For example, the Japanese word for "arbitration" that was translated as "conciliation" will be changed to "mediation." As international arbitration is increasing for the settling of cross-border business disputes, "we will adopt the latter translation which is internationally used more frequently," said a ministry official.

Translations made public by the government can affect legal interpretations in international mediation. As there are many clauses in laws such as the Companies Act, it will require considerable time for the work to be processed carefully for the sake of overall consistency.

The ministry has set up a task force that includes experts, such as law school professors and executives from stock brokerage companies. The team will make a list of priorities for the translation.

The ministry will consider using artificial intelligence in translating the laws as well as collaborating with the private sector and universities. The ministry will also make a summary a few pages in length of the laws to aid the understanding of foreign investors.

English translations of around 200 laws and regulations were available in 2009, meaning they have nearly quadrupled over the past decade. The average number of accesses to the ministry's website where the translated laws are posted increased to 102,000 per day in 2019 from 62,000 in 2013.
Two groups gathered on opposite sides of Portland on Monday evening in the 68th consecutive day of protests against police brutality and anti-Black racism.

A crowd of about 150 marched to a Northeast Portland sheriffs office and rallied before being pushed back by Portland police, mirroring a similar confrontation that unfolded on Saturday. Another crowd of more than 100 gathered near the downtown Portland Justice Center, an event that also briefly turned tense as police appeared to make an arrest.

Two people were arrested in the demonstration on Portlands east side, and a 15-year-old boy suspected of pointing a gun at people was detained downtown.

After gathering at Laurelhurst Park, the east side group started marching shortly after 9 p.m. on East Burnside Street chanting slogans. About a dozen police officers, wearing helmets but not riot gear, met the crowd outside the the Penumbra Kelly Building at 4735 E. Burnside St., which is used by the Multnomah County Sheriffs Office.

Protesters filled the street in front of the building, blocking traffic. Some stood at the front of the crowd holding shields as they faced police.

Shortly after 10 p.m., police warned via loudspeaker that the building was closed and that people on the property could be arrested or subject to use of force.

Police said objects had been thrown at officers; reporters saw a water bottle and a small inflated pig toy thrown toward police. Protesters also shined laser pointers, bright flashlights and strobe lights at officers eyes, according to police.

Warnings to stay off the property were repeated throughout the night.

Police said that some demonstrators entered the property about 11:30 p.m. One person was arrested.

The demonstration was declared an unlawful assembly about 11:46 p.m., and a dozen police officers ran toward protesters, most of whom retreated off the property. More police followed, pushing protesters at least three blocks down East Burnside Street away from the sheriffs office.

Officers could be seen shoving protesters, some of whom fell to the ground. Police also appeared to spray pepper spray while making an arrest.

People threw items including paint balloons at officers, according to police. One officer was punched, police said, and a second officer was hit in the arm by a stick or baton wielded by a protester.

Video from KOIN-TV reporter Hannah Ray Lambert also showed a police officer stomp on a dropped bullhorn, breaking it. Some in the crowd pulled tables from a nearby restaurant into the street to form a makeshift barricade.

A line of police then blocked the roadway, preventing protesters from doubling back. Shortly after midnight, police threw smoke canisters and other distraction devices before retreating.

Most of the crowd returned to the sheriffs facility, with the crowd only slightly diminished. Some dragged the picnic tables back to the police facility to form a roadblock.

Days earlier, on Saturday, police declared a march to the same location an unlawful assembly and pushed protesters away from the building after police said some in the crowd had thrown objects and shined lasers at officers. That marked the first direct confrontation between police and protesters since the federal officers who had been policing downtown protests began to withdraw from the city on Thursday.

Also on Monday, others gathered outside the downtown Multnomah County Justice Center and an adjacent federal courthouse, an area thats been the site of nightly protests for weeks.

4th & Salmon we have a stand-off between police & protesters pic.twitter.com/afShj3KQog  Mike Benner (@MikeBennerKGW) August 4, 2020

About 10 p.m., Portland police got a report of someone pointing a gun at people. Oregon State Police troopers in the area tried to arrest the suspect, a 15-year-old boy, and were met by a hostile crowd, police said.

A state police Mobile Response Team responded, and the boy was detained.

Items were thrown at the troopers, including a glass object that hit a trooper in the head and shattered, police said. Three troopers suffered minor injuries.

Authorities deployed unspecified munitions to defend the retreating troopers, according to police.

Police seized a pellet gun that looked real, metal knuckles and a knife. The boy was released to a parent, police said, and the case has been referred to prosecutors.

The items above were seized by police.Handout photo/Portland Police Bureau

The tension quickly abated as police left. Protesters began playing basketball using a hoop that had been erected outside of the federal courthouse, video streams showed.

The last few days of protests in the downtown core had been fairly subdued in contrast to the previous few weeks, when protesters clashed with federal police who repeatedly released tear gas and munitions on the crowd.

On Sunday, for example, days after federal police were replaced at protests by Oregon State Police and Portland police, officers were not immediately visible at the gatherings, and crowds were thinner than they have been in previous days.

Earlier Monday, a group called the Trump Statue Initiative erected three living statues around the city, each skewering President Donald Trump.

One statue, entitled Ode to Putin, depicted a protester being dragged into a van by a federal police officer. A second one, group founder Bryan Buckley said, deals with Trumps interference with the post office. And the third called out Trumps statement in support of Ghislaine Maxwell, an associate of the child sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein who was recently indicted on charges of helping Epstein lure and sexually abuse a plethora of young victims.

A small group of clergy members and religious leaders also gathered Monday evening at Salmon Street Springs on the waterfront to support the Black Lives Matter protesters and Moms United For Black Lives. The group said they planned to walk from there to the federal courthouse.

Also on Monday, an 18-year-old made his first appearance in federal court on allegations of tossing a lit firework or explosive into the federal courthouse. Prosecutors said the incident injured a federal marshal.

The majority of arrests from Portland protests have been for nonviolent acts, however, according to an analysis from the Associated Press.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

Jim Ryan of The Oregonian/OregonLive contributed to this report

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Spokesperson of China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System Ran Chengqi(C) speaks during a press conference on the system held by the State Council Information Office in Beijing, capital of China, Aug. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Pan Xu)

China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has played a significant role in the country's flood-control operations, said BDS Spokesperson Ran Chengqi on Monday.

The BDS system has helped the country fight against floods, assisting in deformation monitoring, early warning and resident transfer, Ran said at a press conference.

Based on its constellation and ground stations, the BDS system can provide high-precision services with centimeter-level accuracy in real-time processing and millimeter-level accuracy in post-processing.

With the help of the system and auxiliary equipment, debris flow can be predicted through real-time deformation monitoring to gain time for resident transfer and rescue.

In Shimen County, central China's Hunan Province, the BDS-based monitoring system helped issue early warnings and relocate over 60 people threatened by a landslide, thus ensuring the safety of people's lives and property, according to Ran.

Another distinctive function of the BDS system is short message communication, which allows users to send messages without the support of a mobile network.

The short message communication capability of the BDS-3 system has been greatly improved. Users can send a message of 1,000 Chinese characters at one time, as well as pictures and voice messages, Ran said.

The BDS system can also aid international search and rescue with its bidirectional communication services. Ships in need of rescue can receive a reply from the ground station after sending a distress signal, which is a more advanced method than those used previously.

China will endeavor to provide legal and policy guarantees and create a sound, open environment for the development of the BDS system, according to Ran.

The integration of BDS with emerging technologies, including 5G, mobile communications and big data, will be further promoted to create new business models and growth points, he added.
By Yingzhi Yang and Kane Wu

BEIJING/HONG KONG (Reuters) - A potential shotgun wedding to Microsoft Corp <MSFT.O> for TikTok's U.S. operations provoked an outcry on Monday on Chinese social media as well as criticism from a prominent Chinese investor in TikTok owner ByteDance.

The U.S. tech giant formally declared its interest on Sunday after President Donald Trump, who has cited national security risks posed by the Chinese-owned short video app, reversed course on a planned ban and gave the two firms 45 days to come to a deal.

The proposed acquisition of parts of TikTok, which boasts 100 million U.S. users, would offer Microsoft a rare opportunity to become a major competitor to social media giants such as Facebook Inc <FB.O> and Snap Inc <SNAP.N>.

Shares in Microsoft, which owns the business social media network LinkedIn and is also seeking to buy TikTok's Canadian, Australian and New Zealand interests, rose nearly 3% in early trades on Monday.

ByteDance has not publicly confirmed the sale talks. But in an internal letter to staff on Monday seen by Reuters, the company's founder and CEO Zhang Yiming said the firm had started talks with a tech company it did not identify to clear the way "for us to continue offering the TikTok app in the U.S."

Clinching a deal that will satisfy all parties and potentially act as a lightning rod for U.S.-China relations will be a tall order.

People close to the situation have told Reuters that all of TikTok could be worth $50 billion, but the forced sale of the U.S. division and some other units alone will likely yield much less than that.

"A forced deal under Washington's shotgun could open up for endless litigations if it should result (in) an unfavorable outcome to existing private shareholders," said Fred Hu, chairman of Primavera Capital Group, an investor in ByteDance and one of China's best known private equity groups.

Hu said Microsoft was a credible buyer but questioned how selling large parts of TikTok's operations at such an early stage of its growth could ever be a good deal for ByteDance.

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"It absolutely makes no sense. Bytedance is an innocent victim of the mad politics and mad geopolitics. It is a sad outcome for Bytedance, for entrepreneurial capitalism, and for the future of global commerce," he said.

Tech bankers in Asia said investment banks working on the deal would have to be careful not to antagonize Trump.

"This is not a standard M&A situation...this is hard to predict," said one senior banker with a U.S bank in Hong Kong, saying that it would be a question of how to structure a deal in a way that would keep Washington happy.

Zhang's letter to staff also said ByteDance did not agree with the stance taken by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), which scrutinizes deals for national security risks, that it must fully divest TikTok's U.S. operations.

"We disagree with this CFIUS conclusion," the letter said but added: "...we understand the decision in the current macro environment."

ByteDance did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

The Chinese government declined to comment specifically on the Washington's move to force a sale of TikTok's U.S. operations.

The United States has been "stretching the concept of national security", presuming that companies are guilty without evidence, China's foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a briefing after being asked about U.S. actions against Chinese software companies.

The topic "ByteDance has agreed to divest TikTok's U.S. operations" was one of the most discussed subjects on China's Twitter-like Weibo platform on Monday, with over 920 million views.

Some commentators criticized ByteDance, saying it has not shown as much backbone as Huawei Technologies, also in the crosshairs of U.S.-China tensions and now on a U.S. trade blacklist.

"(ByteDance) kneeled down so fast that it didnat even wait for the Chinese government to retaliate," said one comment that was 'liked' over 5,000 times.

While TikTok is ByteDance's most well known app globally, the company makes the bulk of its revenue from advertising on Chinese apps including Douyin - a Chinese version of TikTok - and news aggregator app Jinri Toutiao.

(Reporting by Yingzhi Yang and Yilei Sun in Beijing and Kane Wu in Hong Kong; Additonal reporting by Lun Tian Yew in Beiing; Writing by Brenda Goh; Editing by Edwina Gibbs and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 10:20:02|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Chinese health authority said Tuesday that it received reports of 36 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Monday, including 30 locally-transmitted ones.

Of the locally-transmitted cases, 28 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and two in Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

On Monday, six new imported cases were also reported. Of the cases, four were reported in Guangdong Province, and one in Shanghai Municipality and Sichuan Province each, the commission said.

One new suspected COVID-19 case imported from outside the mainland was reported in Shanghai.

No deaths related to the disease were reported Monday.

On Monday, 17 COVID-19 patients were discharged from hospitals after recovery, the commission said.

By the end of Monday, a total of 2,098 imported cases had been reported on the mainland. Of them, 2,001 had been discharged from hospitals after recovery, and 97 remained hospitalized, with two in serious conditions. No deaths from the imported cases had been reported.

As of Monday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases on the mainland had reached 84,464, including 800 patients who were still being treated, with 36 in severe conditions.

Altogether 79,030 people had been discharged after recovery, and 4,634 had died of the disease on the mainland, the commission said.

There were still five suspected COVID-19 cases, it added.

According to the commission, 547 close contacts were newly discharged from medical observation and there were 21,743 close contacts still under medical observation.

Also on Monday, 21 new asymptomatic cases, including 12 from outside the mainland, were reported, and two asymptomatic cases were re-categorized as confirmed ones.

The commission said 264 asymptomatic cases, including 112 from outside the mainland, were still under medical observation. Enditem
(Newser)  The same Colorado police department involved in the death of Elijah McClain now has a new controversy on its handsthis time involving a Black family pulled over for an allegedly stolen vehicle. Per the Denver Post, Brittney Gilliam had taken her nieces, sister, and daughter out to get their nails done, but they were pulled over by Aurora cops in their SUV, which happened to have the same license plate number (from Colorado) as a stolen motorcycle with Montana plates. The family was ordered out of the car at gunpoint, and while Gilliam was questioned by police, the four girls, ages 6, 12, 14, and 17, were made to lie prone on the ground, the 12-year-old and 17-year-old handcuffed. In a video shot by a bystander, which has since gone viral on Twitter, the children can be heard crying and screaming as they remain on the ground, with police officers standing around them.

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One officer finally helps the two handcuffed kids sit up; the other two kids are also allowed to sit. Vanessa Wilson, Aurora's interim police chief, says in a statement cited by the Washington Post that the officers were just doing what they were trained to do during a "high-risk stop," but that "we must allow our officers to have discretion and to deviate from this process when different scenarios present themselves." She adds she's told her team "to look at new practices and training" and called the family to apologize. The police note that adding to the confusion was the fact that Gilliam's car had been stolen earlier in the year. "[It] makes me very mad, because I am not anti-police," Jenni Wurtz, who shot the video, tells Denver7. "I'm anti what happened." Meanwhile, Teriana Thomas, Gilliam's 14-year-old niece who was seen in the video, says she's lost trust in the police. "It's like they don't care," she tells KUSA. "Who am I going to call when my life is in danger?" (Read more Aurora, Colorado stories.)
MUMBAI: Two fishermen are missing while 11 were rescued after a boat capsized some 12 kilometres off Gorai beach in north Mumbai on Tuesday (August 4) afternoon, police said.

The boat, Lucky Stat, with 13 fishermen on board, got caught in heavy rains and capsized, a Gorai police station official said.

"Men from another boat in the vicinity jumped in and managed to rescue 11 of the 13 onboard Lucky Stat. However, two are still missing and search operations are continuing for them. The vessel has also not been found," he informed.

Senior Inspector Sanjay Narkar of Gorai police station said the BMC's disaster management department, fire brigade personnel and policemen are involved in rescue operations.

The boat had left from Gorai on Saturday with a week's provisions but were making their back to the shore on Tuesday when the mishap occurred.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-07-22 01:33:51|Editor: huaxia

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VILNIUS, July 21 (Xinhua) -- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Tuesday welcomed the European Union (EU) multiannual financial framework and the European recovery fund reached in Brussels after days of discussion, saying the new budget will make it possible to create a welfare state more effectively.

"My objective at the negotiating table was to secure adequate EU funding for innovation and green policies from both the traditional cohesion and agricultural allocations as well as from the newly established recovery and resilience facility," said Nauseda in a press release from the presidency.

The new budget will see Lithuania secure 1.7 billion euros (1.96 billion U.S. dollars) more for 2021-2027, with total sum of allocations amounting to 14.5 billion euros.

The president hailed it as "a unique opportunity for Lithuania to invest in modernization and our common future".

According to the presidency, Lithuania focused mainly on the financing of cohesion and agricultural policies during the negotiations. It will receive a total of 6.2 billion euros in cohesion funds.

"It is important to point out that our argument -- presented in a consistent way -- that the decline in Lithuanian population affected economic development was taken into account," said the president.

The next multiannual financial framework will provide 5 billion euros in agricultural funds. The president underlined that the good news was that a sum of more than 400 million euros had been granted for direct payments.

"It would accelerate the pace of creating equal competitive conditions for Lithuanian farmers in the EU's internal market," read the release. Enditem
Victoria has recorded 439 new cases of coronavirus and 11 more people have died in the past day, all of them in aged care.

The state will introduce new, tougher penalties for people flouting lockdown quarantine rules, Premier Daniel Andrews has announced.

A fine of $4957 will be issued to people found to have breached a requirement to be self-isolating for a "second or subsequent time".

Mr Andrews said if there were repeat breaches, such as a person going to work when they had the virus, they could be taken to the Magistrates Court, where the maximum penalty would be $20,000.
CHICAGO - A 39-year-old convicted felon appeared to be hunting for somebody to shoot shortly before he opened fire and killed a 9-year-old boy as he played in front of his Chicago home, a prosecutor said Tuesday.

Darrell Johnson has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Janari Ricks on Friday evening in the Cabrini-Green neighbourhood. Johnson was ordered held without bond at a court hearing on Tuesday.

Cook County Assistant States Attorney James Murphy told the judge that security video footage shows a man wearing a mask who they believe was Johnson looking through fences and into courtyards, apparently searching for his intended target.

He went hunting and was looking for somebody to shoot, Murphy said.

When the gunman opened fire, several people tried to run away, including Janari, but one bullet struck the boy in the back and exited through his chest, while another hit him in the arm, prosecutors said. The child was pronounced dead soon after.

Authorities have said Janari was not the gunmans intended target.

Witnesses identified Johnson as the gunman, Murphy said, including one who observed a man wobbling down an alley after the shooting. He explained to Cook County Circuit Judge Susana Ortiz that Johnson limps because he was previously shot in the leg.

The gunman was also captured on video climbing out a vehicle registered to Johnsons girlfriend before the shooting, then fleeing the scene in the same vehicle.

Johnsons attorney, Steve Greenberg, declined to discuss the case, saying only: It is awful when a child or anyone gets shot (and) it is just as bad when the wrong guy gets charged.

Johnson has twice been imprisoned in Illinois, for aggravated vehicular hijacking and felony gun charge convictions, the prosecutor said.

Separately on Tuesday, a judge ordered a third suspect in the July 4 shooting death of 7-year-old Natalia Wallace held without bond. Natalia was killed outside her grandmothers home in the Austin neighbourhood in the citys West Side.

Terrell Boyd, 30, is charged with first-degree murder and aggravated battery/discharge of a firearm in Natalias death. He was taken into custody on Monday in Racine, Wisconsin, and extradited to Chicago.

The children were among 105 Chicago homicide victims in July and part of a grim roster of 38 juvenile homicide victims in the city so far this year. They are also among the citys five homicide victims under the age of 10 years old.

___

The story has been corrected to show the July 4 shooting happened on the citys West Side, not the South Side.
President Trump has been challenging the integrity of mail-in ballots for months despite having frequently used them to cast his own votes  much as countless Americans have done largely without incident since the Civil War. Now its becoming clear how he hopes to close the chasm between this rhetoric and the reality of a system that works just fine: by undermining it himself.

Recently installed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy, a major Trump donor and investor in the Postal Services private-sector rivals, has cracked down on overtime pay and curtailed sorting hours, among other measures ostensibly meant to cut costs. The changes have already led to reported delivery delays of two days or more around the country.

This deliberate slowdown comes as states and voters are preparing to rely on the mail to an unprecedented extent for a presidential election that is less than three months away. The coronavirus is spreading among Americans faster than ever, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has noted that the mail is the safest way to vote.

Nevada is expected to join California and half a dozen other states in mailing every registered voter a ballot under legislation passed Sunday. Twenty-one other states have taken steps to ease voting by mail, from sending every voter an absentee ballot application to loosening or eliminating requirements for requesting one. Nearly 7 million ballots were cast by mail in Californias March election, a record for a primary.

The Postal Services ability to deliver the additional ballots in a timely manner is therefore crucial. Thirty-three states, including most of the closely divided presidential battlegrounds, require absentee ballots to be returned by election day to be counted. Even the voter-friendly states requiring only that ballots be postmarked by election day set delivery deadlines on some subsequent date.

Californias ballot delivery deadline was extended to 17 days after election day under legislation signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom in June, but other states are less forgiving. Under Californias prior deadline of three days after election day, which is more typical of other states, more than 100,000 ballots  about 1.5% of the total  were rejected, mainly for arriving late.

The political implications of a hobbled Postal Service havent gone unnoticed. In his eulogy for congressman and civil rights hero John Lewis, former President Barack Obama noted that those in power are undermining the Postal Service in the run-up to an election that is going to be dependent on mailed-in ballots so people dont get sick. The head of the postal workers union has said new procedures threaten to slow delivery of ballots along with other mail. And four Democratic senators signed a letter to the postmaster last week saying his lack of transparency about the recent changes increases concerns that service compromises will grow in advance of the election and peak mail volumes in November.

In typically unsubtle fashion, Trump has already telegraphed how he might use such conditions to his advantage in the fall. Even though California and other states now take days or weeks to tally results, which facilitates voting by mail and ensures that more votes count, the president suggested last week that a winner should be declared on election day. After Nevada became the latest state to authorize distribution of absentee ballots to all voters, Trump wrote on Twitter that the post office could never handle the traffic of mail-in votes  or so he hopes  and accused the state of using COVID to steal the election. That is precisely the point of his own relentless attack on the safest and surest available means of voting.

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.
Italys EXOR said on Monday that French insurer Covea had agreed to invest a total of 1.5 billion euros ($1.8 billion), partly in entities managed by PartnerRe, after walking away from a deal to buy the reinsurer from EXOR earlier this year.

The agreement is set to normalize relations between the two companies, a source close to the matter told Reuters, after Covea in May pulled out of its planned $9 billion cash acquisition of the Bermuda-based reinsurer.

This agreement draws a line under the failure of the PartnerRe deal, the source said. We preferred to find a productive and practical way to look ahead, which was beneficial for both parties, rather than looking into any potential controversy.

Italian daily Il Sole 24 Ore reported that when the deal fell through the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the two companies included a $175 million penalty for Covea to get out.

EXOR, the holding company of Italys Agnelli family, said Covea would allocate 750 million euros for undisclosed investments related to EXOR.

Covea would also allocate a similar amount with a three- to five-year lock-up period in a number of special purpose insurance vehicles managed by PartnerRe, investing in property catastrophe and other short-tail reinsurance contracts.

After having decided definitively to continue our project to build one of the worlds leading independent reinsurers, were more than happy now to have been able to agree with Covea this constructive cooperation extending also to other fields of our activity, EXOR Chairman and Chief Executive John Elkann said.

($1 = 0.8519 euros) (Reporting by Valentina Za and Giulio Piovaccari; editing by James Mackenzie and Susan Fenton)

Related:

Topics Mergers Reinsurance
Kilkenny charities and not for profit organisations supporting vulnerable people during the Covid-19 pandemic can apply now to get support from almost 6m raised during RTE Does Comic Relief.

The Community Foundation for Ireland is opening the application process for not for profit organisations of all sizes meeting the challenges caused by Covid on the ground in local communities.

Kilkenny groups are being advised that they have just over eight weeks to make their application, with the 30th September set as the closing date.

Announcing the commencement of applications Denise Charlton, Chief Executive Officer of The Community Foundation for Ireland, said: RTE Does Comic Relief was not only a unique night on Irish broadcasting, it also brought us together as a country as one to support people hardest hit by the impact of the pandemic. We have seen extraordinary generosity from 1.4m viewers, corporate supporters as well as significant matching support from Government.

"The process of converting that generosity into support and actions on the ground in communities in Kilkenny and across the country is now underway. The opening of applications is a big moment for charities who are helping vulnerable people during these difficult days and in many cases providing a vital lifeline.

"We are ready to support groups of all sizes, big and small, those in urban and rural areas as well as those cut off from loved ones by Covid-19.

"Local groups should be advised that funding will be provided under two strands, which recognise that the way not for profits have had to adapt and change their work under HSE restrictions and guidelines. Groups expected to benefit will include those working with older people, people medically at risk of Covid-19, people with disabilities and those in unsuitable accommodation.

"Under Demand for Digital groups can seek support for investment in software and hardware to improve their ability to continue to work while keeping their staff, volunteers and people they support safe. An Adapt and Respond strand will allow groups to seek funding to ensure their work remains effective and continues to deliver for those who need support.

"In Kilkenny there is a strong not for profit network. However, it is facing unprecedented demand at a time when donations are also down. This is why the RTE Does Comic Relief funding is particularly important.

Deirdre O'Kane, Steering Group, Comic Relief in Ireland, said: "I'm so pleased we're now at the point of opening applications to charities and organisations, small and large. It's another key step for the project and brings us closer again to delivering help to where it's needed - with those most impacted by the pandemic in Ireland."

Full details of the strands as well as other information and support is being placed on www.communityfoundation.ie.
Funds for Swiss In-Store Behaviour Specialist Advertima

Start-up Advertima, which uses AI to customize in-store experiences, has closed a EUR 15m ($17.3m) funding round, earmarked for further development of its tracking platform.



Founded in 2016 and headquartered in St. Gallen, Switzerland, Advertima uses computer vision and machine learning to analyse people's movement and interpret their behaviour in the real world, in real-time - defining their limbs and the position of their head to assess what they are doing. The technology is privacy-focused, using no facial recognition or other biometrics and storing no images or videos in its in-store visual sensors. Smart signage products linked to this mean the firm can offer in-depth targeting and performance reports alongside audience analytics; while its 'Autonomous Store' solution allows customers to enter a store using a credit card and shop '24/7'.



Chief Executive Iman Nahvi (pictured) says the new funding will add to another EUR 10m ($11.5m) of the firm's own capital to be invested in the upgrade.



Web site: www.advertima.com .




Republican dissidents have disrepected the memory of John Hume by hijacking and burning out two vans in Derry.

The armed seizures by paramilitaries came hours before the remains of the Nobel prizewinner were due to be received at St Eugene's Cathedral in the city.

The first van was left burnt out and blocking the New Road in the Creggan, about 100 yards from where journalist Lyra McKee was shot dead in April 2019.

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Its smoking hulk blocked traffic within 500 yards of St Eugene's Cathedral on the upper bogside.

The second van was set on fire outside the Holy Child primary school in the heart of the Creggan as gangs of youths congregated to watch. The incidents happened between 4.30pm and 5pm, the latter the original time planned for the reception of John Hume's remains in his native city.

One driver was robbed of his mobile phone and other personal possessions after initial attempts to resist the taking of his vehicle.

"They (the dissidents) are doing it to say that we're still here," Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown said after he attended both scenes - where he was repeatedly approached by local people expressing their disgust at the insult to a statesman's memory.

One woman who spoke anonymously said: "We're sick of it. They couldn't leave it alone for one day. It is just attention seeking. John Hume brought us peace, and there are mindless people who just want to go back."

One of the blazing vans had its flames extinguished by a local fire brigade tender, but the other at Creggan shops was allowed to burn itself out. No PSNI units attended.

"In some of these cases they are trying to drawn the police in so that they can have a pop at them, Aye, shoot," said a local man. "Better to leave it burn in some cases."

A third observer, once more refusing to be identified, said: "The people over in the Waterside know how to behave on a day like this. They're showing some respect to a great man. It's a shame that can't be said here in the place where he came from."

Bishop McKeown said local people did not want such happenings, particularly not on such a sad day for the city. The dissidents were "hurting their own" by disrupting traffic and people going about their lives by staging hijackings and firebombings in Nationalist areas. So many people wanted it to stop, he added.
Apple (AAPL) recently reported financial results for its third quarter of fiscal 2020.

For the period, revenues increased by 11% to $59.7 billion year-over-year, with constant currency revenues up 14%. As shown below, quarterly revenue growth at Apple has been all over the map in the past two years.





Year-to-date, revenues have increased by 7% in North America and by 14% in Europe, with growth in those two regions driving the 7% increase in revenues through the first nine months of the year to $209.8 billion (also helped by 9% growth in "Rest of Asia Pacific," offset by small declines in both Greater China and Japan).

Over the same period, Apple has seen revenue growth across all of its major product categories, with iPhone, Mac and iPad growing low-single digits through the first nine months of the year. Collectively, they are up 2% year-to-date to $147.9 billion.

As Chief Financial Officer Luca Maestri noted on the call, "The record business results drove our active installed base of devices to an all-time high in all of our geographic segment and all major product categories."

In addition to low-single digit growth for the legacy products, Apple continues to see outsized growth among its newer categories, with Wearables, Home and Accessories up 27% to $22.7 billion, along with continued growth in Services, which is up 16% year-to-date to $39.2 billion. Note that Services has delivered strong results despite some headwinds from store closures - customers like to try on products like the Apple Watch before they buy. These last two buckets - Services and Wearables, Home and Accessories - accounted for 30% of the company's revenues through the first nine months of 2020; they've now reached a point where continued double digit revenue growth can be a meaningful driver for Apple as a whole.

Story continues

Within that, note that Services alone accounted for 22% of revenues in the quarter. As shown below, the company has more than doubled its Services business in the past four years, from roughly $24 billion in annual revenues in 2016 to roughly $54 billion in annual revenues today.

The company now has 550 million paid subscriptions, an increase of 31% over the past year with double digit growth in each of the company's geographic segments. In addition, as noted on the call, management expects to reach 600 million paid subs by year end.

In the first nine months of 2020, gross profits increased by 8% to $80.3 billion, with gross margins climbing 50 basis points to 38.3% on mix shift towards Services. Over the same period, operating income has increased by 7% to $51.5 billion, with operating margins unchanged at 24.6%. The drop-off largely reflects the continued impact of outsized research & development expense, which has roughly doubled as a percentage of revenues over the past five years.

Unlike most public companies, Apple has continued to aggressively repurchase its shares over the past six months. The company repurchased another $16 billion of stock in the third quarter, bringing the total for the year to $55.2 billion (consuming roughly 90% of the cash from operations generated by the business through the first nine months of the year). In the third quarter, Apple had 4,355 million shares outstanding - down more than 5% from a year ago.

The significant decline in the diluted share count, combined with the high-single digit increase in net income, has resulted in a mid-teens increase in diluted earnings per share through the first nine months of the year, inclusive of an 18% increase in the third quarter to $2.58 per share.

Amazingly, despite the fact that Apple has returned just shy of $150 billion to shareholders since the start of fiscal 2019 - an average of $21 billion a quarter - the company still ended the third quarter with more than $80 billion in net cash on the balance sheet. They've spoken about getting the balance sheet to "net cash neutral" for some time now; the problem is that the business is generating so much cash that they can't give it back to shareholders fast enough.

Conclusion

Given its prodigious cash generation, the strength of its balance sheet and its willingness to continue aggressively returning capital to shareholders, I think you would be hard pressed to find a company that was more well prepared to endure any short-term headwinds presented by the pandemic. Now that we've seen some of the results, it's also clear that they've benefited from some good fortune (most notably government stimulus), as well as shrewd decision-making in the past few years (offers like interest free financing on new devices and trade-in programs).

By my estimations, assuming a continued focus on outsized capital allocation and low-to-mid single digit growth in the core business, I predict that Apple can earn roughly $20 per share within the next five years. That compares to a current stock price of $440 per share. While that is clearly a much higher price-earnings multiple than what Mr. Market attributed to the business five to ten years ago, I think you can also make the case that Apple has shown an ability to effectively monetize their ownership of some of the most valuable real estate in the world - the hundreds of millions of devices that people engage with hours a day - throughout the lifecycle of those devices.

For that reason, I actually think that a fair amount of the change in market perception over the past few years is justified. That said, I still have no position in the stock, and do not see that changing anytime soon.

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COLUMBIA  The lawsuit over Gov. Henry McMaster's decision to spend $32 million of federal coronavirus relief funds on grants to help students afford private school tuition could be headed to the S.C. Supreme Court if attorneys for both sides get their way.

Skyler Hutto, the attorney representing Orangeburg resident Thomasena Adams in the lawsuit, is planning to submit a petition to the Supreme Court soon asking them to consider taking up the case, Hutto said. Attorneys representing McMaster are expected to join on to that request.

Orangeburg County Circuit Judge Edgar Dickson, who ordered the initial temporary halt on McMaster's program and presided over a hearing in the case last week, issued a new order this week releasing control of the case pending the Supreme Court's decision on whether to take it up.

The temporary restraining order will remain in place in the interim.

The case is eligible for Supreme Court consideration without first moving through lower courts because it deals with constitutional questions that could have broad ramifications in the state and because of the time-sensitive nature of the issue.

McMaster's attorneys made clear in court last week that they hope to resolve it before the school year begins in the coming weeks. This early request could effectively shortcut what lawyers on both sides expect to be the ultimate outcome in the case, which is that it would be handled by the state's highest court.

"It's about efficiency," Hutto said. "We are hopeful the Supreme Court will consider this, and we believe this will be the fastest way to get there and get a resolution. We also want the emergency funds to be available before the school year. We just think that constitutionally they can't be used in this fashion."

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The Orangeburg County School Board voted unanimously on Monday to join the lawsuit, according to The Times and Democrat, meaning they will now also be plaintiffs alongside Adams if the Supreme Court takes up the case.

Other additional plaintiffs will include an Orangeburg County public school resource teacher, a parent of public school students in Lexington, the S.C. Education Association and the organization's president, Hutto said.

Hutto argued in Dickson's court last week that McMaster's program would directly benefit private schools, which would violate the state constitution.

McMaster's attorneys countered that the flow of funds is not direct because the parents still decide where to send their children. They also argued that the dispute is more of a political debate than a legal one and it should be left up to legislators and voters to decide whether it is a good decision.

The proposed program, which McMaster announced in Greenville last month, would allow around 5,000 South Carolina students to receive $6,500 grants to help them afford tuition at participating private schools. It would cost two-thirds of a $48 million federal allocation McMaster received to spend on education during the coronavirus pandemic.

If the Supreme Court does not take it up, Dickson's latest order gives the plaintiffs the opportunity to return to the Orangeburg County Circuit Court to resume the action here.
T he Swedish government has pledged to crack down on gangland violence after a 12-year-old girl was killed in a drive-by shooting.

Investigators believe the child was hit by a stray bullet late on Sunday in a car park in Botkyrka, east of the capital Stockholm. It is said to be a popular hangout for teenagers.

Detectives believe two men with ties to a criminal gang were the targets, according to local media.

So far no arrests have been made.

People laid floral tributes and candles in memory of the child / via REUTERS

Ministers in the country have pledged to find those responsible for her death and to enforce tougher punishments on perpetrators of organised crime.

Swedens Justice minister Morgan Johansson promised more police and harsher sentences, as he described his disgust at the shooting.

Home affairs minister Mikael Damberg described the incident as terribly tragic.

Ministers described the incident as 'terribly tragic' / TT News Agency/AFP via Getty Ima

Mr Damberg told Swedish broadcaster SVT: You feel a great anger towards the criminal gangs who show no empathy because their shootings affect others.

The police are now making great efforts in the murder hunt, he stressed.

He added: If we dont stop the new recruitment of young people into the criminal circles, harsh measures will not mean anything.

Sweden has seen a rise in organised crime activity in recent years.

Several gang-related shootings have taken place in the countrys three major cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo.
National Conference (NC) president and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday called for an all-party meeting on August 5, on the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370.

Abdullah has called the meeting of many mainstream political parties at his residence to chalk out a political strategy on lost Article 370. In 2019, Article 370 was scrapped in Jammu and Kashmir and two union territories--Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh came into existence.

Abdullah, confirming the all-party meet, said, "What kind of government is it that they have kept every one caged? My sister is caged. Nobody is allowed to come out. Lets see if they allow anybody to come out."

This is the first political development seen in the last one year after the abrogation of Article 370. However, sources in the administration said that no leader would be allowed to come out of their respective residences on August 5. A curfew is already in place across Srinagar.

The J&K administration has imposed a curfew on August 4 and 5 in view of intelligence warning that the separatists and Pakistan-backed terror groups were planning to observe August 5 as Black Day. The curfew orders were passed after the J&K Police received intelligence inputs that separatists and terror groups were planning to disrupt the law and order in Kashmir Valley on the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, that gave special status to the former state of J&K.

During a meeting of the Gore Group of the J&K Administration, J&K Police, intelligence agencies and other security forces, the decision to impose curfew was taken. The meeting was attended by General Officer Commanding 15 Corps and Director General J&K Police and Divisional Commissioner of Kashmir.

After the meeting, Deputy Commissioner, Srinagar issued the order late on Monday for imposing two days curfew/restrictions in Srinagar on 4-5th August.

The order cited a report from Senior Superintendent of Police of the district that a series of inputs have been received suggesting that separatist and Pak sponsored groups are planning to observe 5th August as Black Day, therein apprehensions of violation action or protests are not ruled out.

The order said, to prevent such violence and loss of life and property, it's imminent to impose curfew in the district. Therefore, after having considered the material facts in report and examining the situation in the backdrop of prevailing factors, I, District Magistrate, Srinagar, by virtue of powers vested in me u/s 144 Cr PC hereby order complete restrictions on public movement/curfew in the territorial jurisdiction of District Srinagar, the order read.
Modelling study suggests reopening UK schools in September must be combined with high-coverage of test-trace-isolate strategy to avoid second wave of COVID-19.

Effective contact tracing and epidemic control measures are essential for safe opening of schools during COVID-19 pandemic, according to two studies published simultaneously in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal.

Modelling the impact of UK schools reopening in September, one study suggests that a second COVID-19 wave could be avoided in the UK, if accompanied by a test-trace-isolate programme with sufficiently broad coverage. The second study, analysing data collected between January and April 2020 in New South Wales (Australia), finds low levels of transmissions in schools and nurseries when control measures are in place.

Children across the globe have been affected by school and nursery closures during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic as governments grapple with efforts to reduce transmission. However, school closures may have detrimental effects on children's physical and mental health and wellbeing and have the potential to increase inequality.

There is a lack of evidence on the role of schools in the transmission of coronavirus, with the majority of existing data based on modelling and very few studies using real-world data from schools to investigate outbreaks. Although much still remains unknown about transmission in educational settings, both studies published today point to the importance of the broader context under which schools are re-opened, as well as to the need for further research on the levels of transmission in children and teenagers.

Modelling reopening of UK schools

The modelling study, led by researchers at UCL and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, provides the first estimates on the levels of test-trace-isolate coverage needed for schools and wider society to reopen while avoiding a second epidemic wave in the UK.

Using workplace, community, demographic and epidemiological data, the authors modelled six different scenarios of school reopening. These included full time and a part-time rota system with half of students attending school on alternate weeks, each within three testing scenarios reflecting various levels of contact tracing and testing. Alongside school reopening, the model included the relaxation of measures across society, which they assumed would accompany one another. For each scenario, they estimated the number of new infections and deaths, as well as the effective reproduction number (R).

The results of the modelling suggest a second wave in the UK might be avoided with increased levels of testing (between 59% and 87% of symptomatic people tested at some point during an active SARS-CoV-2 infection), and effective contact tracing and isolation.

For effective contact tracing and isolation, assuming 68% of contacts could be traced, 75% of individuals with symptomatic infection would need to be diagnosed and isolated if schools return full-time in September, or 65% if a part-time rota system were used. If only 40% of contacts could be traced, these figures would need to increase to 87% and 75%, respectively.

However, if levels of diagnoses and contact tracing fall below this across the UK population, reopening of schools together with gradual relaxing of the lockdown measures are likely to result in a secondary wave that would peak in December, 2020, if schools open full-time in September, and in February, 2021, if a part-time rota system were adopted in September.

In either of these scenarios of continual gradual relaxation control measures and insufficient test-trace-isolate, the authors caution that the second wave could result in the reproduction number (R) rising above 1 and a resulting secondary wave of infections 2 to 2.3 times the size of the original COVID-19 wave.

For the main study, the model assumed that children were as infectious as adults. However, since the evidence that the level of infectiousness in children compared to adults is non-conclusive, they also re-ran the model with the assumption that children and young people were 50% as infectious as adults, with the results remaining.

Dr Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, UCL/Oxford, who lead the study, commented "Our modelling suggests that with a highly effective test and trace strategy in place across the UK, it is possible for schools to reopen safely in September. However, without sufficient coverage of a test-trace-isolate strategy the UK risks a serious second epidemic peak either in December or February. Therefore, we urge the government to ensure that test-trace-isolate capacity is scaled up to a sufficient level before schools reopen." [1]

She continues, "It's important to note that our model looked at the effects of school reopening alongside the loosening of the restrictions across society, as school reopening is likely to go hand in hand with more adults returning to work and other relaxed measures across society. Therefore, our results are reflective of a broader loosening of lockdown, rather than the effects of transmission within schools exclusively, suggesting an effective test-trace-isolate offers a feasible alternative to intermittent lockdown and school closures to control the spread of COVID-19." [1]

Professor Chris Bonell, LSHTM, one of the senior authors on the study, says, "Our study should not be used to keep schools shut because of a fear of a second wave but as a loud call to action to improve the infection control measures and test and trace system so we can get children back to school without interrupting their learning again for extended periods of time. This is even more important in the context of opening up other areas of society" [1]

The authors note some limitations of their study, highlighting that, as with any modelling study, their model rests on a series of assumptions. Although they model scenarios to resemble the UK, some of the assumptions are based on data from different settings.

Although rates of asymptomatic transmission are currently unclear this model assumes that asymptomatic infections account for 30% of onward-transmitted infections. They also note that their study does not account for the behaviour of young people who are not in school and have not assumed increased social mixing outside schools.

COVID-19 transmission in 25 schools and nurseries in New South Wales, Australia

A second, observational study, also published in The Lancet Child & Adolescent Health journal, looked at real world-data from January to April tracking COVID-19 spread within 25 schools and nurseries in New South Wales, Australia. The study finds that the risk of children and staff transmitting the virus in these educational settings was very low when contact tracing and epidemic management is in place.

Although 27 children or teachers went to school or nursery while infectious, only an additional 18 people later became infected (out of 1,448 contacts - a secondary attack rate of 1.2%).

The findings suggest that schools and nursery (known in Australia as early childhood education and care; ECEC) centres do not pose a high risk for onward transmission of coronavirus where effective contact testing strategies are in place.

Unlike many other countries, Australia, which had comparatively low COVID-19 incidence during the first wave of the epidemic, kept schools open during the first wave, with guidance in place for physical distancing and hygiene.

"Our findings are the most comprehensive data that we have yet on SARS-CoV-2 transmission in schools and early years education settings," says Professor Kristine Macartney, Director of the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance and with the University of Sydney, Australia. [1]

The study looked at laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases in the state of New South Wales and identified all staff, and children aged 18 and under who attended school or nurseries while infectious (including 24 hours before the onset of symptoms), using the state's centralised reporting system (the NSW Notifiable Conditions Information Management System).

All cases or their guardians were interviewed at diagnosis to track their attendance at school or nursery as well as any contact with other people during the time that they were infectious. All 3,103 schools and approximately 4,600 nurseries in New South Wales were eligible for analysis, which took place over a three-month period from the first COVID-19 case in 25 January to 10 April 2020 (end of school term).

Close contacts - defined as those with face to face interaction for a minimum of 15 minutes or 40 minutes in an indoor space with an infected person - were identified using timetables, interviews with parents and school officials. Once identified, they were monitored (with regular phone calls) and asked to quarantine for 14 days. If they began to show symptoms, they were asked to take a test, allowing the authors to calculate how many secondary transmissions were associated with each primary case identified.

Overall, 12 children and 15 adults were found to have attended schools or nurseries while infectious. These attendances took place across 15 schools and 10 nurseries.

Contact tracing identified 1,448 close contacts who were followed up with regular phone calls and instructed to be tested if they showed symptoms. 633 (43.7%) of these people were tested for COVID-19 after either showing symptoms or if they opted for a test (using either nucleic acid or antibody testing).

Of the 633 close contacts who were tested following symptoms, 18 were found to have COVID-19, meaning that 1.2% of all close contacts (1,448) were confirmed positive.

These 18 secondary transmissions happened in three schools and one nursery. The nursery outbreak was large, and involved transmission from one adult to six adults and seven children (35.1%; 13/37 contacts). Removing this one outbreak from the analysis resulted in a rate of one infection per 282 (0.4%) close contacts for education settings overall.

In a subset of seven schools and nurseries that underwent additional investigations including antibody testing, symptom surveys and extra nucleic acid testing for the virus, the child-to-child transmission rate was found to be 0.3%, and 1.0% for child-to-staff. The rate of staff-to-child transmission was 1.5% and staff-to-staff was 4.4%, suggesting that children are less likely than adults to spread the virus.

Of the total of 1.8 million children in New South Wales, the study identified only 98 children who were infected, accounting for 3.2% of total COVID-19 infections, confirming low rates of disease in this age group.

"The study adds valuable data but it is important to view these findings in the context of the NSW outbreak. It may be that higher rates of transmission occur in areas with higher levels of infection and where contact tracing and public health measures were not as rigorous as in Australia, where borders were closed and quarantine measures were strongly enforced. Schools were also closed temporarily for thorough cleaning if a pupil or staff member was found to be infected." says Professor Macartney. [1]

The one outbreak in a nursery setting was complex and occurred early in the outbreak, when criteria for testing was more narrow. The study suggests that the transmission stemmed from staff rather than children attending the centre, and a number of children were asymptomatic.

The authors caution that there are some limitations to the study, most notably that the majority of close contacts were tested after developing symptoms, suggesting that some asymptomatic or milder cases may have been missed. Furthermore, children were encouraged to stay home for distance learning from March 22 and although schools did remain open, there was a drop in school attendance from 90% to approximately 5% immediately before the school holidays in April.

In a linked commentary discussing both articles, Professor W John Edmunds, LSHTM, says, "Both studies give potential options for keeping schools open and show the clear importance of adequate contact tracing and testing. Macartney and colleagues suggest that educational settings can remain open provided measures, such as contact tracing, quarantine, and even school closures, are in place to limit spread when cases occur. Panovska-Griffiths and colleagues suggest that the safe reopening of schools in the UK could occur if the TTI programme is greatly improved. However, many questions remain, including whether there are age-related differences in susceptibility and the likelihood of transmission between children and adolescents. We urgently need large-scale research programmes to carefully monitor the impact of schools reopening, as Public Health England's sKID study aims to do. Only in this way can we take the most appropriate measures to mitigate the risks and allow us to reassure parents, pupils, and teachers alike that schools are safe to attend. There are no quick fixes to this terrible pandemic. However, it is becoming increasingly clear that governments around the world need to find solutions that allow children and young adults to return to full-time education as safely and as quickly as possible."

###

No funding was received for Study 1. It was conducted by researchers from UCL, UK, University of Oxford, UK, University of Sydney, Australia, University of Copenhagen, Denmark, Burnet Institute, Australia, Great Ormond St Institute of Child Health, UK, LSHTM.

Study 2 was funded by NSW Health. It was conducted by researchers from The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance, The Children's Hospital at Westmead, the University of Sydney, Nepean Hospital, Australian National University, Western Sydney Local Health District, New England Local Health District, NSW Health, the University of Newcastle and the NSW COVID-19 Schools Study Team, full list at the end of the Article.

The labels have been added to this press release as part of a project run by the Academy of Medical Sciences seeking to improve the communication of evidence. For more information, please see: http://www.sciencemediacentre.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/AMS-press-release-labelling-system-GUIDANCE.pdf if you have any questions or feedback, please contact The Lancet press office pressoffice@lancet.com

[1] Quote direct from author and cannot be found in the text of the Article.

Peer-reviewed / 1 Observational study + 1 Modelling study / People
American actress Kate Walsh has admitted she has no plans to return to New York even though she is now able to fly back home.

The Grey's Anatomy star arrived in Perth for a short holiday in March but found herself 'stuck' in the country after the COVID-19 pandemic took ruthless hold across the globe, leaving borders closed and international travel limited.

However, five months after entering the country, the 52-year-old has happily set up base in Western Australia - with even her own mother begging her to stay away from the United States due to their soaring number of coronavirus cases.

'I don't want to go home': American actress Kate Walsh (pictured) has admitted she has no plans to return to New York even though she is now able to fly back home

Kate has been sheltering in Perth, after becoming stuck in the city while on holiday in March.

She was previously unable to return to her home in New York due to the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic and was able to extend her visa until November.

Now that she can fly back home, Kate says there is no way she'll be making the long-haul flight anytime soon.

Dilemma: The Grey's Anatomy star arrived in Perth for a short holiday in March but found herself 'stuck' in the country after the COVID-19 pandemic took ruthless hold across the globe, leaving borders closed and international travel limited

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph about her new love affair with Australia, the actress explained: 'I didn't really want to go back to New York in the middle of a pandemic when it was pretty gnarly to say the least.

'I couldn't go home initially, and now that I can, I don't really fancy going back. When I have my own mother saying don't come home, my 86-year-old mum we are in a very challenging time!'

Claiming to have found a new 'passion project', Kate revealed her plans to help bolster Australia's local film industry, after it suffered enormously due to global pandemic.

She's doing good: Five months after entering the country, the 52-year-old has happily set up base in Western Australia - with even her own mother begging her to stay away from the United States due to their soaring number of coronavirus cases

Kate believes that Fremantle, which is one of the country's busiest port cities, will make the perfect backdrop for several big-budget projects she is hoping to bring Down Under.

She cited her inspiration as Nicole Kidman, who is preparing to start filming on her new TV series Nine Perfect Strangers, which has reportedly produced 100s of local jobs in New South Wales.

'The whole world is looking to Australia with how amazingly well  even with the surge in Victoria  how Australia in general has handled the pandemic has been remarkable and inspiring,' Kate added.
A day before the Ram Mandir bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya, Bhojpuri star Pawan Singh released a new song titled 'Jai Sri Ram'. It has been composed to celebrate the historic day of August 5. Preparations are going on in full swing for the foundation stone laying ceremony for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday and to mark the day, Pawan released the song.

'Jai Sri Ram' is an audio song. It released earlier today and quickly went viral. As of now, it has garnered over 4 lakh views and very much counting.

It has been sung by Pawan while the lyrics courtesy goes to Vinay Bihari and has been composed by Chhotu Ravat.

Listen to 'Jai Sri Ram' here:

Pawan Singh is a Bhojpuri A-lister with unmatchable acting and singing skills. He has worked with several big names of the industry. Moreover, he releases songs on every ocassion which are loved by his fans and 'Jai Sri Ram' is a special one
Cigarette butts  either causally flicked aside or dumped on the ground from a full ashtray  that end up on streets or parking lots eventually wash into storm drains where they flow to streams and rivers where they pose a danger to birds, fish and other animals.

Connecticut River Stormwater  a group made up of 20 local towns and cities along with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst  has launched a public awareness campaign. It will feature decals on municipal trucks bearing an image taken by Florida Audubon member Karen Mason showing a bird feeding cigarette buts to its babies.

Fish mistake cigarette butts for food. Birds mistake butts for food, said Patty Gambarini, principal environmental planner at Pioneer Valley Planning Commission which convenes and does administrative work for the Watershed Committee.

And of course, all the things that make cigarettes bad for people  nicotine and other substances  make them bad for wildlife, Gambarini said.

We are still seeing a lot of cigarette butts, she said.  People who still smoke ... just flick it away and dont think of it as litter.

A single butt can contaminate between 500 and 1,000 liters of water with compounds like nicotine and heavy metals, according to the news release. The filter is made of a non-biodegradable form of plastic called cellulose acetate, which deteriorates and disperses as plastic microfibers.

The Source to Sea Clean Up will keep track of the numbers of butts and of e-cigarette and vaping waste said Stacey Lennard of the Connecticut River Conservancy and organizer of the cleanup.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:36:25|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on May 17, 2018 shows a container dock of Yangshan Port in Shanghai, east China. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Global enterprises have displayed their confidence in China's economic growth and future development prospects, a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Tuesday, quoting survey results.

Spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks at a press conference when answering a relevant question.

"China has not seen and will not see a large-scale withdrawal of foreign capital or the relocation of the industrial and supply chains," Wang said. "On the contrary, due to the stable expectation of China's economic recovery, continuously optimized business environment, and the advantages of a super-large market and domestic demand potential, many foreign-funded enterprises are speeding up their layout in China, and actively exploring the China market.

Since the COVID-19 outbreak, China has taken the lead in controlling the epidemic and comprehensively advancing resumption of work and production, Wang said.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded by 3.2 percent year on year in the second quarter, making it the first major economy to achieve positive growth, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The purchasing managers' index (PMI) for China's manufacturing sector stood at 51.1 in July, representing the fifth month in a row that the figure remained in expansion territory, Wang said.

Wang pointed out that a recent questionnaire survey conducted by China's Ministry of Commerce showed that 99.1 percent of foreign-funded enterprises said they would continue to invest and operate in China.

The results of a recent survey of more than 150 enterprises, conducted by the U.S.-China Trade Commission, also showed that China's further opening-up and measures to improve the business environment in recent years have created convenience for foreign enterprises' production and operation in China, and U.S. enterprises are still optimistic about the Chinese market.

New cut-resistant gloves developed by U.S. DuPont are unveiled at the product launching center of the second China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, east China, Nov. 6, 2019. (Xinhua/Jin Liwang)

Compared with previous years, more well-known enterprises have signed up for the third China International Import Expo (CIIE), and the average exhibition area of the world's top 500 and industry leaders will increase by 14 percent compared with the second CIIE held last year, which fully shows the confidence of global enterprises in China's economic growth and future development prospects, Wang said.

He stressed that China will continue to open wider to the outside world, and the door of cooperation will be open to all countries.

"We believe that the pie of win-win cooperation between China and other countries will become bigger and bigger," said the spokesperson. 
China does not wish to see tensions between Beijing and Washington escalate further following tit-for-tat consulate closures over the past weeks, the Chinese ambassador to the United States said on Tuesday.

"I don't think a new Cold War would serve anybody's interest," Cui Tiankai told Aspen Security Forum held virtually via Zoom.

Ties between the world's top two economies have sharply deteriorated since the United States last month ordered China to shut its consulate in Houston, triggering a response from Beijing to close the U.S. consulate in Chengdu.

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NORRISTOWN  Just days before a Maryland man allegedly fatally shot his ex-girlfriend at her Lower Moreland home, the woman testified in court that he physically restrained her and tore her dress during a previous domestic-related incident at his home, court papers revealed.

Montgomery County prosecutors maintain the prior testimony of murder victim Jeanne Edwards in a Maryland courtroom last November should be admissible as evidence against William Tomas Torres when he stands trial in connection with Edwards death.

The victim testified about the defendants use of physical force to prevent her from leaving, including throwing her possessions from her car onto the ground, holding her physically and tearing her dress, county Assistant District Attorney Brianna Ringwood and co-prosecutor Matthew Brittenburg wrote in pretrial court documents. These are the topics the Commonwealth now seeks to admit during the upcoming homicide trial.

These controlling actions show his intent, motive, ill will and tell the complete story of their relationship, prosecutors argued.

Defense lawyer Carrie Lynn Allman will have a chance to respond to the prosecutors request when Judge Cheryl L. Austin holds a hearing on the matter later this year.

Torres, 62, of Elkton, Md., is awaiting trial on charges of first- and third-degree murder, simple assault, possession of a weapon and recklessly endangering another person in connection with the alleged Nov. 25, 2019, fatal shooting of Edwards, 57.

Austin has set a tentative Nov. 9 trial date for Torres. The jury trial is expected to last about five days.

In court papers, prosecutors said Edwards and Torres began dating in June 2018.

During their relationship, Ms. Edwards family and friends observed him to be very controlling and jealous, Ringwood and Brittenburg alleged, adding Edwards ended the relationship in September 2019.

Before the relationship ended, police were called to Torres Maryland residence on Sept. 22, 2019, for an alleged domestic-related incident during which Edwards reported a physical altercation with the defendant over her attempt to leave, according to prosecutors. During the alleged incident, Torres grabbed Edwards by both arms to try to restrain her, causing her dress to tear, according to court documents.

At one point during the alleged altercation, Torres bent over and Edwards, in order to get him to stop his actions, used her knee to strike him in the forehead, causing a small cut above his eye, according to court papers.

Torres, who appeared intoxicated and allegedly gave police conflicting accounts of his actions, subsequently was charged with assault by Maryland authorities, court papers indicate.

Torres trial in connection with the incident occurred on Nov. 18, 2019, in Cecil County District Court in Maryland. Edwards testified during the trial at which Torres represented himself.

Torres ultimately was acquitted of the assault-related charge, the Maryland court apparently finding that prosecutors there failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charge, court papers revealed.

While prosecutors want a jury to hear Edwards previous testimony, they want Austin to exclude the Maryland district courts conclusions about the evidence that was presented.

A few days after the Maryland trial, on Nov. 25, Torres allegedly purchased a Winchester brand pump-action shotgun and ammunition from a firearms dealer in Havre de Grace, Md., according to court documents. After purchasing the firearm, Torres allegedly traveled to Edwards home in Lower Moreland.

The local investigation began about 5:24 p.m. Nov. 25 when Lower Moreland police responded to Edwards residence in the 2300 block of Dale Road for a report of a shooting. Arriving officers found Edwards suffering from an apparent gunshot wound, and she was taken to a local hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Edwards son told authorities he arrived home from work and heard a pop as he pulled into the driveway, according to the criminal complaint filed by county Detective Gregory Henry and Lower Moreland Detective Holly Halota.

When he entered the house, the victims son saw Torres, who he knew as his mothers ex-boyfriend, standing in the doorway holding a shotgun pointed at him, according to the arrest affidavit.

Torres told (the victims son) that his mother ruined his life. Torres then fled the house and (the victims son) called 911, Henry and Halota wrote in the criminal complaint.

Limerick Township police arrested Torres a short time later at a private residence in that township.

A woman who resided at the Limerick residence told detectives she knew Torres for about a month and was dating him, according to court papers. The woman said Torres arrived at her home about 6:30 p.m. and said, I need to tell you something, according to the arrest affidavit.

Torres allegedly proceeded to tell the Limerick woman that he purchased a shotgun that day and drove to the home of his ex-girlfriend.

Torres said he then shot his ex-girlfriend twice and was unsure if she made it,' detectives alleged in court papers.

The Limerick woman contacted township police, who observed a shotgun inside Torres 2016 Mercedes Benz, which was parked in the driveway of the Limerick womans residence.

During an autopsy, a forensic pathologist recovered shotgun pellets from the body of Edwards. The autopsy determined Edwards died as a result of multiple shotgun wounds to the torso, according to the criminal complaint.
They note that Biden himself is a former vice president  with enough ambition to fuel his third run for the presidency  and say no one would criticize Republican Vice President Mike Pence for eyeing the top job. And they say the conversation about the candidates has been focused on motives, demeanor or personality traits at a level far greater than it would be, or has been, when men are being considered.
The security risk posed by female ISIS recruits is being 'underestimated' due to gender stereotyping, the head of the UN's counter-terrorism body has said.

Michele Coninsx warned that security services often see female terrorists only as 'victims' and called for a more 'nuanced' approach to dealing with them.

It comes as Shamima Begum, a British 'jihadi bride' who fled her family home in east London in 2015 to join ISIS in Syria, fights to return to the UK so she can stand trial.

Countries 'underestimate' the security risk posed by female ISIS recruits because they view them only as 'victims', UN's terror chief warns (pictured, British ISIS member Shamima Begum)

Begum, who married an ISIS fighter and had three children by him, was reportedly a member of ISIS's armed military police and enforced its strict sharia laws.

She insists that she did not take part in any violence.

A report by the agency that Ms Coninsx runs - the Counter-Terrorism Committee Executive Directorate - warned that some UN member states are failing to properly investigate the roles played by women in ISIS.

While many female recruits are victims of the terror cult, it is possible to hold 'simultaneous roles as supporters and victims', the report said.

Those who joined ISIS's so-called caliphate in Syria had 'supported and facilitated war crimes and terror attacks', the report added.

Women's role in violence - including beheadings, mutilation and stoning - is often ignored, the report warned, partly because of how ISIS itself views women.

'While women are often active as online propagandists and recruiters, their involvement in other types of activities, including violence, was less prominently documented online because of ISIS's restrictive gender norms,' the report said.

Ms Coninsx echoed the report's findings in an interview with The Independent, saying that research into women's roles in ISIS lags far behind that of men.

And, what little research has been done in recent years has often not been fed into practice by security services, she said.

'While there is a growing awareness among policymakers and practitioners that more attention must be paid to women in a counterterrorism context, gender biases unfortunately continue to persisted,' she added.

Michele Coninsx (pictured) said a more 'nuanced' view of female terrorists is needed, after her agency warned it is possible for them to be both 'supporters and victims' of terror groups

'It is important to stress that this doesnt only mean that some continue to underestimate the threat posed by women, but that the complex realities of how and why women become associated with terrorism defy simple solutions and require nuanced approaches.'

Around 900 Britons are though to have left the UK to join ISIS in Syria and Iraq between 2014, when the terror group began capturing territory, and 2019, when its 'caliphate' collapsed.

It is not clear how many of those recruits were women, but at least 15 so-called 'jihadi brides' - including Shamima Begum - have been publicly identified.

Begum left the UK for Syria when she was aged just 15, and upon arrival was married to a Dutch ISIS fighter and lived in Raqqa, the terror group's de-facto capital.

After the fall of Baghouz, ISIS's last sliver of territory in Syria which was recaptured last year, Begum was found living in a detention camp for female ISIS recruits.

In an interview with The Times, a heavily-pregnant Begum said she wanted to return to the UK to give birth to her son and did not regret joining ISIS.

Her son was born just a few days later, but died of pneumonia. She was later stripped of her British citizenship and told she could not return to the UK.

However, the Court of Appeal ruled earlier this month that she should be allowed to return while the case is decided.

The government has appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court, during which time the now-20-year-old will have to remain abroad.
Bunuel wrote:

Published in 1922, Claude McKay became familiar to poetry readers through Harlem Shadows, a book that helped to spur a literary movement known as the Harlem Renaissance.



(A) Published in 1922, Claude McKay became familiar to poetry readers through Harlem Shadows, a book that helped

(B) Published in 1922, Harlem Shadows was the book by which Claude McKay became familiar to readers of poetry, helping

(C) Published in 1922, Harlem Shadows was the book by which Claude McKay became familiar to poetry readers and helped

(D) Claude McKay became familiar to readers of poetry through the publication in 1922 of Harlem Shadows, a book that helped

(E) Harlem Shadows was published in 1922 and was the book by which Claude McKay became familiar to poetry readers, helping

IMO D ; Claude McKay became familiar to readers of poetry through the publication in 1922 of Harlem Shadows, a book that helpedcorrect construction of the sentence and modifier construction makes sentence valid
UPDATE: McDonough was located on the evening of Monday, Aug., 3, police said.

KALAMAZOO, MI - Police are searching for a 73-year-old Kalamazoo woman with dementia.

Janet McDonough was last seen by her family in the 300 block of West Michigan Ave. in downtown Kalamazoo at about 12:47 p.m. Monday, Aug. 3.

McDonough is described as a white woman, about 5 feet, 7 inches tall and thinner than she appears in a photo provided by police. She is believed to have left the area on foot, wearing slacks and a shirt of an unknown color.

Anyone with information about McDonoughs whereabouts or who sees her is asked to contact the Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety at (269) 488-8911 or Silent Observer at (269) 343-2100.

Read more on MLive:

Kalamazoo man, 30, identified as victim in fatal Sunday shooting

Absentee ballot lost in the mail? You can still vote in Michigan primary Tuesday

Michigan retailers report small rebound, but near future relies on back-to-school sales
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump further disparaged his senior health advisers on Monday even as the pandemic deepened its hold on the nation, as the White House's top coronavirus coordinator, Deborah Birx, joined Anthony Fauci and other scientists on the receiving end of the president's ire.

Birx - who built a career leading public health efforts against HIV/AIDS - quickly garnered Trump's favor earlier this year for publicly championing the administration's coronavirus response, becoming a prominent figure inside and outside the White House.

But she soon lost support within swaths of the scientific and medical community for seeming to minimize the virus and to enable Trump's rosy view of the pandemic. This past weekend, Birx lost the backing of the nation's top Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, who privately called Birx "the worst" and publicly said she had no confidence in her.

On Monday morning, Birx appeared to lose ground with perhaps her most important constituency, Trump himself, who dismissed her as "pathetic."

"So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics," Trump wrote in a tweet. "In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!"

Trump was especially incensed that she did not strike a more optimistic tone about states that are doing well and by her praise for Pelosi, an ardent Trump critic, said one senior administration official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of private discussions. When asked about Pelosi's lack of confidence in the handling of the pandemic, Birx replied, "I have tremendous respect for the speaker. And I have tremendous respect for her long dedication to the American people."

In the interview, she also did not rule out the possibility that the nation's coronavirus death toll could double by the end of the year to 300,000 and seemed to suggest that, contrary to the president's stated desires, some schools should offer only distance learning this fall.

Washington Post photo by Jabin Botsford

Trump was especially incensed by her praise for Pelosi, an ardent Trump critic, said one senior administration official, who like others spoke on the condition of anonymity to share details of private discussions. When asked about Pelosi's lack of confidence in the handling of the pandemic, Birx replied, "I have tremendous respect for the speaker. And I have tremendous respect for her long dedication to the American people."

In a news conference Monday, Fauci defended Birx's statements about the pandemic, pointing to "insidious" community spread.

Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden took to Twitter in response to Trump's tweet attacking Birx: "It's hard to believe this has to be said, but if I'm elected president, I'll spend my Monday mornings working with our nation's top experts to control this virus - not insulting them on Twitter."

Trump's criticism of Birx was another reminder that, while he demands absolute loyalty, he rarely repays it in kind. With more than 4.6 million Americans infected, more than 150,000 dead and the economy in shambles, Birx finds herself isolated with increasingly few allies even as she remains responsible for overseeing the nation's response to a cataclysmic crisis.

Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health, said that as a scientist, Birx has most damaged her credibility by seeming to dismiss some of the publicly available evidence.

"She's ignored the evidence and gone in the media and said things that are not based in evidence at all and even the most generous understanding of what she's said can't be justified by the data we have," Rasmussen said. "When you do something like that, you're not doing your job competently and it's really difficult to gain the respect of your colleagues when you're all scientists and you've shown such willful disregard for the science."

Birx first emerged as a household name in the early days of the pandemic, appearing at coronavirus news briefings alongside Fauci, an infectious-diseases expert. The duo formed a reassuring team of medical elders - Birx sometimes talked about her children and young granddaughter - who sought to assuage public fears while also offering public health expertise in an administration frequently dismissive of science. Her elegant and colorful scarves prompted their own social media accounts and, more recently, praise from the president.

Unlike Fauci, who raised Trump's ire with frequent contradictions and by eclipsing him in public opinion polls - her relationship with the president was easy and warm. Two former administration officials who watched the two of them interact said she managed the president well, briefing him in terms he understood and often holding his interest longer than other aides.

But more than five months into the pandemic, Trump has grown exhausted by the dismal coronavirus news and just wants the issue to be behind him, the two former officials said, adding that he now associates Birx with the failures.

Administration officials said Birx has privately argued against Trump's push for the reopening of all schools, citing studies that show there could be outbreaks and problems.

In recent weeks, her time in the Oval Office has dropped, officials said, and she is not always part of decision-making meetings led by Trump son-in-law and senior adviser Jared Kushner and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows.

The White House declined to make Birx available for an interview Monday. White House spokesman Judd Deere said in a statement that Birx's "incredible leadership in the HIV/AIDS field and her honest, thoughtful approach as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator have helped to save millions of lives."

In a news conference Monday evening, Trump said that he has "a lot of respect" for Birx and that he thinks Pelosi has treated her "very, very badly."

A senior Trump aide said Trump had a "positive" meeting with Birx later Monday afternoon.

Birx's reputation has been harmed, however, in the public health community where she has spent much of her life. The turning point, several experts said, was when she began effusively praising Trump in interviews.

"He's been so attentive to the scientific literature and the details and the data," Birx said in a Christian Broadcasting Network interview in late March, praising Trump's "ability to analyze and integrate data."

At the time, Trump was pushing the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, an unproven medical treatment for the coronavirus, and was arguing in favor of reopening the country by Easter despite surging cases across the country.

Another controversial moment came when Birx defended Georgia's reopening in April, which included tattoo parlors and hair salons, where people cannot keep enough distance from one another. Public health officials were dismayed at reports that Birx was questioning the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's official coronavirus death count as too high, when nearly all experts believe it is too low.

Birx had engendered respect from the public health and scientific community for her decades of work on HIV/AIDS, and her time overseeing the President's Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), created by George W. Bush, was praised widely.

She was also beloved by many in the AIDS activist community, which includes researchers and has considerable influence.

Birx has served across multiple administrations and holds the title of global AIDS ambassador. But many AIDS activists have decided they will work to end her career in government if Biden defeats Trump in November, several activists said.

"What kind of nefarious spirit possessed the Debbie Birx that AIDS activists have loved and adored for years?" asked Peter Staley, a longtime HIV/AIDS activist. "Where did she go? We no longer recognize her, and it's too late for an exorcism."

Within the administration, several current and former senior officials described Birx as a politically shrewd power player who keeps close tabs on developments in the president's orbit. Her name was at one point floated for Health and Human Services Department secretary.

But some of these same officials also noted that Birx has made enemies within the White House, in part because a growing number of aides believe she takes different positions with different people and because of sharp attacks on some colleagues.

Her allies, meanwhile, argue that Birx - who served as a physician in the Army - respects the chain of command and is more of a team player than Fauci. They say Trump has generally favored her over others, praising her television appearances and charts.

One White House official argued that Birx is in a difficult situation generally, and also likely the recipient of sexism; this person noted that Birx - who sends around a morning email complete with slides outlining her latest models - provides much of the data upon which the rest of the largely male team relies.

Some experts also praised Birx's use of data to explain the state of the outbreak at various points and acknowledged that she has a difficult job balancing the demands of political leaders with public health considerations.

"It's not an easy job to be sharing a podium with political leaders who may say something you don't agree with," said Tom Inglesby, director of the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. "You have to make a choice - do you choose to correct what you just heard, choose a different moment to correct it in a different way? You can see the challenge that she and Dr. Fauci have with trying to clarify things that are said that they don't agree with."

Birx was at a vacation house in Delaware this weekend when White House officials specifically asked her to appear on the Sunday shows. She expected to face difficult questions but was stung by Trump's scathing tweet, in part because it could limit her ability to do her job, according to one person familiar with her reaction.

"If she doesn't have the president's support," said one ally, speaking on the condition of anonymity to share a candid assessment, "where does her power come from?"

- - -

The Washington Post's Felicia Sonmez contributed to this report.
Six years after genocide, international community must prioritize justice for Yazidi community

3 August 2020 - Six years after ISIL launched a genocidal campaign against the Yazidi religious minority in Iraq, the international community must live up to its promise to deliver justice, survivor and Nobel Peace Laureate Nadia Murad told a virtual event on Monday marking the anniversary.

The young human rights activist, who was among thousands of Yazidi women forced into sexual slavery by the terrorist group, reminded countries that the impacts of its atrocities endure to this day.

Outrage and inaction

Ms. Murad said although 100,000 Yazidis have returned to their homeland in Sinjar, in northern Iraq, they lack vital services such as healthcare and education.

Meanwhile, scores more remain in camps, nearly 3,000 kidnapped women and girls are still missing, and dozens of mass graves have yet to be exhumed.

"The world watched in outrage and demanded that tangible action be taken to end the genocide. But six years later, the international community has failed to keep its commitments to protect those most vulnerable, especially women and children," said Ms. Murad, who now lives in Germany.

Justice is possible now

The commemorative event was held to ensure the world never forgets how ISIL, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, also known as Da'esh, tried to erase the Yazidi community through sexual violence, mass executions, forced conversion and other crimes.

It was co-hosted by Nadia's Initiative, an organization founded by Ms. Murad, alongside Germany and the United Arab Emirates.

ISIL committed "heinous crimes" against all Iraqis, the country's Ambassador, Mohammad Hussein Ali Bahr Aluloom, told the gathering.

"Da'esh tried to wipe out Yazidis in an attempt to destroy Iraqi diversity and peaceful coexistence that is guaranteed by our constitution," he stated.

Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney recalled that the international community established tribunals for genocides in Germany, Bosnia and Rwanda, while the International Criminal Court is currently investigating crimes against Rohingya in Myanmar.

She told diplomats Yazidi survivors deserve no less.

"Doing nothing is not only wrong, it is dangerous because these fighters are not going anywhere and their toxic ideology continues to spread," said Ms. Clooney.

"And justice is possible now, just as it has been possible before, if only it is made a priority."

Resolve differences now

The UN's top official in Iraq urged the authorities in Baghdad and in the autnomous Kurdish region in the north to resolve their differences to better support the Yazidis.

"Stable governance and security structures are crucial foundations for the community to rebuild and thrive," said Jeanine Hennis-Plasschaert, head of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI).

"So, once again, I call on the governments in Baghdad and Erbil to urgently resolve this file, placing Sinjaris' interests first and foremost."

Support Iraqi draft law

Two years ago, the United Nations established an Investigative Team to Promote Accountability for Crimes Committed by Da'esh/ISIL, known by the acronym UNITAD.

Special Adviser Karim Khan outlined some of its activities, which include helping with exhumations, collecting evidence, and working with various authorities in Iraq to better understand Da'esh criminal networks.

However, he explained that UNITAD is "an investigative team on the lookout for a court" so that fair trials for crimes against the Yazidis can be held.

Mr. Khan commended a draft law presented in November which would allow Iraq to prosecute acts committed by Da'esh as genocide, crimes against humanity or war crimes.

"In my respectful view, this is critically important. If we don't call it for what it was; if we don't label the crimes correctly, we are doomed, or at least there is a real risk they may reoccur," he said.

"And I think in terms of giving confidence to the Yazidi community, the courage and the stamina of the international community to create that piece of legal architecture would go a long way."

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Rhea Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajput

Mumbai: Actor Rhea Chakraborty lawyer on Tuesday said the Bihar government cannot recommend a CBI probe in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death when police from that state do not have any jurisdiction to even investigate the case.

The Bihar government has decided to recommend a CBI inquiry in the case of Rajput's death after his father made a request for it, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday.

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Rhea Chakraborty

"There cannot be transfer of a case which had no legal basis to begin with for the Bihar police to get involved. At the most, it would be a Zero FIR which would then be transferred to Mumbai Police, Chakraborty's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said in a statement.

The transfer of a case, in which they (Bihar police) had no jurisdiction, to CBI has no legal sanctity, he said.

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He said the Bihar government, realising that it does not have the jurisdiction to probe the case, is now adopting this "illegal method" of recommending the case to be handed over to CBI.

Rhea Chakraborty and Sushant Singh Rajput Rajput's father K K Singh last week lodged a complaint with Patna police against Chakraborty and her family members, accusing them of abetting the actor's suicide.

A team of the Bihar police is in Mumbai for probing the case and recording statements of witnesses.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 06:49:28|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector expanded in July amid a resurgence in new COVID-19 infections, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported Monday.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 54.2 percent in July, up 1.6 percentage points from the June reading. Any reading above 50 percent indicates the manufacturing sector is generally expanding.

After three months of contraction amid mounting COVID-19 fallout, the economic activity in the manufacturing sector rebounded in June, as states gradually eased lockdown measures and reopened their economies.

"In July, manufacturing continued its recovery after the disruption caused by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic," Timothy Fiore, chair of the ISM's manufacturing business survey committee, said in a statement.

"Panel sentiment was generally optimistic (two positive comments for every one cautious comment), continuing a trend from June," Fiore said.

Sarah House and Tim Quinlan, economists at Wells Fargo Securities, said in an analysis that the July PMI was a bit better than expected and "marked the highest reading in more than a year," adding that details paint a brighter picture than previous months as well.

However, they noted that manufacturing output still remains "woefully depressed," down 11 percent from its pre-pandemic peak according to the Federal Reserve's June industrial production report.

"With depressed global growth, high unemployment and a resurgent virus, the sector continues to face strong headwinds," the economists said, while adding that manufacturers may be poised for a relatively quick recovery compared to services in this particular cycle. Enditem
On July 19, 2019, Savion Hall passed away at a Lubbock Hospital while in the custody of the Midland County Central Detention Center. Subsequently, employees of the Midland County Sheriffs Department began investigating the circumstances of his death. The matter was then turned over to the Texas Rangers for further investigation. After a lengthy investigation, the case was presented to the Midland County District Attorneys Office. As a result of restrictions due to COVID-19, the State could not present the case to a Grand Jury until this summer. On July 15, 2020, a Midland County Grand Jury returned indictments alleging Count I: Manslaughter, Count II: Criminally Negligent Homicide and Count III: Tampering with a Government Record based on the investigation. All of the individuals indicted were nurses but were not employees of Midland County.

On August 3rd, 2020, the Lone Star Fugitive Task Force, which consists of members of the Midland County Sheriffs Department and the United States Marshalls Service, executed the arrest of the final suspect, Esther Ihediwa 45 YOA, of Midland, TX.
Jerusalem, Aug 4 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that his country will attack "anyone who tries to attack us," a day after Israel said it killed "terrorists" near the Syrian border.

Speaking at the Knesset (parliament) on Monday, Netanyahu said that on Sunday night, Israeli troops "thwarted an attempt to plant explosives on the Syrian front," reported Xinhua news agency.

Hours later, Israeli fighter jets and aircraft targeted Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip after a rocket was fired towards southern Israel from the besieged Palestinian enclave. The rocket was intercepted by Israel's anti-rocket Iron Dome system.

"We will hit anyone who tries to attack us and this principle applies to anyone who does," he said.

The incident near Israel's disputed border with Syria took place overnight between Sunday and Monday in the Golan Heights. A military spokesperson said Israeli troops opened fire at four armed men who were implanting explosives near the border. Media reports said later that the four were killed.

The army said that in a patrol near the site on Monday, weapons and a bag with a few improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ready to deploy were found some 25 meters from the security fence on the Israeli side of the Alpha Line, the 1967 cease-fire line between the two countries.

"IDF (Israel Defence Forces) troops on the Golan Heights remain ready for further developments," the military said in a statement, adding it holds Syria "responsible for any aggression from its territory." Tensions along Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria have been on the rise since a fighter with Hezbollah was killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria in July.

Last Monday, Israel said it thwarted an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied such an attempt.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:45:23|Editor: huaxia

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COLOMBO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka's election chief Mahinda Deshapriya on Tuesday assured that all health guidelines have been strictly put in place in the over 12,000 polling booths set up across the country on the eve of a parliamentary election which will elect a new 225-member parliament.

Deshapriya told Xinhua that some of the health measures put in place to prevent a COVID-19 spread included disinfecting all polling booths, and voters will be provided hand sanitizers to maintain hand hygiene when entering and leaving the polling booths.

Voters and all officials would be required to wear face masks and a one-meter distance would have to be maintained by all those present in and out of the polling booths at all times, Deshapriya said.

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, health officers will also be present in all polling booths across the country.

"All health guidelines have been put in place for Wednesday's election. We assure all polling booths will be COVID-19 free," Deshapriya said.

There are some 16.2 million eligible voters in Wednesday's election which will see over 7,000 candidates contesting from political and independent parties.

Voting will begin at 7:00 a.m. local time and end at 5:00 p.m. after it was extended by a further hour to allow those under home quarantine to cast their votes in the final hour.

Sri Lanka has to date over 2,800 COVID-19 patients out of which over 2,500 patients have recovered and been discharged.

Meanwhile, 11 deaths have been reported from the virus. Enditem
Local election candidates are strongly divided on whether Aucklands Regional Fuel Tax (RFT) should remain.

Recently National Party leader Judith Collins promised it would be scrapped if National leads the next Government.

The fuel tax began on July 1, 2018, adding 11.5 cents per litre (including GST) to petrol and diesel and their bio-variants. It supports transport projects that would otherwise be delayed or not funded and was put in place until June 31, 2028.

Among the projects it is funding is work on the Silverdale park and ride, bus network improvements and $66m towards building Penlink.

National MP for Rodney, Mark Mitchell says the country is in the early stages of an economic crisis. I have spoken to many small business owners and employees and its clear that the impact Covid has had on our community is significant, he says. The last thing that hard working Kiwis should be worried about is paying more at the pump.

ACT candidate for Whangaparaoa, Paul Grace, says ACT would use congestion charging to price roads. This would do away with the need for the Regional Fuel Tax. Congestion charging incentivises more efficient use of the road network and, at peak times, the use of public transport alternatives, he says.

Lorayne Ferguson, Labours candidate for Whangaparaoa, says the tax should be retained. The money funds transport projects that Auckland needs and the $1.5 million a year that it contributes would be missed, she says. It could be replaced by a congestion charge but that would fall heavily on those who have no choice but to drive during rush hour. We all pay the RFT and that is only fair, as we all benefit from the improvements it helps to fund.

Whangaparaoas New Conservative candidate, Fiona Mackenzie, says Aucklanders are paying GST on all government-imposed fuel taxes, including this regional one, so the resulting, exorbitant cost of fuel combined with heavy congestion, compliance costs and processes makes living and doing business in Auckland very expensive.

Many residents and businesses on the Hibiscus Coast are heavily impacted by this. New Conservative wants to remove tax-on-tax and supports the further reduction of total tax-takes, she says. Aucklands congestion-busting transport projects have been held up by inefficient and expensive interpretations of the Resource Management Act (RMA) as well as anti-private transport ideology resulting in public spending on less advantageous projects.

Consequently, New Conservatives focus will be on streamlining existing regulations and ensuring they make sense. To that end, we totally support a clean up of the RMA which will stimulate economic growth and the building of new infrastructure.

Local election candidates will be fully quizzed in Hibiscus Matters Election Feature, in September 2 issue.
Richmond Times-Dispatch

RICHMOND  Virginia schools wont receive normal accreditation ratings from the Department of Education for the next two years.

Superintendent of Public Instruction James Lane announced Tuesday he is waiving annual school accreditation for the 2021-22 academic year, a move a state-appointed panel recommended to the K-12 schools chief earlier this year. Instead, all schools will be assigned a rating of Accreditation Waived. Thats the same rating theyve received for 2020-21 after COVID-19 upended the end to this school year.

Waiving annual accreditation for a second year will allow our schools to focus on assessing the impact of the shutdown on students, academically and on their social and emotional well-being, Lane said in a statement.

He added: It will also allow school divisions to make decisions about resuming in-person instruction or reverting to virtual learning that prioritize the health of students and staff, without the added pressure of the possible impact on accreditation.

The ratings often are used to publicly judge a schools quality and help dictate how much support and oversight a school receives from the state.

In Tuesdays announcement, the Virginia Department of Education said without spring Standards of Learning test results this year, there is insufficient data to calculate ratings for the upcoming school year. While the states accreditation system has lessened the weight of standardized test scores, the results still play a key role in the calculations.

Part of the new system, which the state rolled out in 2018, includes year-over-year growth in English and growth in mathematics, meaning without this years results, there also wont be enough data for the 2021-22 ratings.

The state canceled this years SOLs after the U.S. Department of Education granted Virginia a waiver, relieving the state of its requirements under the Every Student Succeeds Act, the federal governments primary K-12 education law.

State guidance released in June said without another federal waiver, the state Education Department expects school districts to give SOL tests in the upcoming school year, which will be held virtually, at least to start, for many students.

Asked if the state is pursuing a testing waiver for the 2020-21 school year, Department of Education spokesman Charles Pyle said at the time it is likely that there would be great interest in Virginia and in other states given the disruption to learning caused by the pandemic.

The U.S. Department of Education has indicated it will not grant testing waivers again in the upcoming school year.

We will continue to work with state and local education leaders on the flexibilities and supports they might need next school year, but the Department has nothing new to announce on this particular subject at this time, said Eli Mansour, the agencys deputy press secretary.

Lane said Tuesday if students are tested in the upcoming school year, the focus should be on evaluating the impact of the pandemic on student learning and establishing a new baseline for measuring student growth.

The former Chesterfield County superintendents decision comes after a task force he created in April, led by Charlottesville Superintendent Rosa Atkins, Fairfax County Superintendent Scott Brabrand and Salem Superintendent Alan Seibert, recommended waiving accreditation for the 2021-22 school year or slightly tinkering with the way schools are judged.

The panel stipulated that should schools not be open for the entire 2020-21 school year, then its recommendation is to waive accreditation.

Twitter: @jmattingly306
Prior to the approval, CRC members Maya Puentes and Jacquelyn Rodriguez asked the village board to postpone the vote, with Puentes asking the board to send the equity training proposals back to the CRC for further review and to make a recommendation. A motion to do so failed by a 4-3 vote by village board members, with the contract ultimately being approved by a 5-2 vote.
By combining two new machine-learning methods, TU Graz physicist Oliver Hofmann was able to refute theories on long-range charge transfer between organic and inorganic materials.  Birgit Baustadter  TU Graz

Oliver Hofmann and his research group at the Institute of Solid State Physics at TU Graz are working on the optimization of modern electronics. A key role in their research is played by interface properties of hybrid materials consisting of organic and inorganic components, which are used, for example, in OLED displays or organic solar cells.

The team simulates these interface properties with machine-learning-based methods. The results are used in the development of new materials to improve the efficiency of electronic components.

Long-range charge transfer as a subject of investigation

The researchers have now taken up the phenomenon of long-range charge transfer. A transfer of electrons from one material to another already occurs in the switched-off state if there are energetically more favourable states for the electrons in the neighbouring material.

This raises the fundamental question of how far this transfer of electrons can extend in organic material, i.e. how many layers it encompasses. Many studies report that for organic-inorganic interfaces this effect is limited to the first layer, i.e. the layer where the (organic) molecules are in direct contact with the (inorganic) metal surface.

On the other hand, some reports assume that the effect also extends over longer distances, to the second layer or beyond. If this is the case, the effect could be used to reduce the electrical resistance of the hybrid material, making it more energy efficient, says Hofmann, explaining why it is so interesting.

New examination method combines two machine learning methods

In order to demonstrate long-range charge transport in organic-inorganic interfaces, the researchers used the new machine learning methods SAMPLE and BOSS to investigate a copper-tetracyanoethylene interface (TCNE/Cu(111)), since there are particularly strong experimental data available here that indicate long-range charge transport, said Hofmann.

There is no clear theory why some systems show this effect. Hofmann and his team wanted to solve this mystery in order to create a basis for how to produce materials with the same property.

By combining both methods, the researchers were able to identify over two million potential interface structures for the TCNE-Cu interfaces and predict the behaviour of the molecules under various experimental conditions. Surprisingly, the results showed that there is no long-range charge transfer, but instead the molecules in the system change their structure.

Molecules change their atomic arrangement

When molecules are applied, usually they retain their general arrangement and pack more closely until, at a certain density, they finally start growing the second layer. In the TCNE/Cu(111) system, however, the adsorbed molecules change from the original lying position to a standing one after a certain amount has been deposited. They thus straighten up in order to be able to crowd even closer together.

However, standing molecules have a completely different charge transfer than lying molecules. The structural transformation is difficult to detect experimentally, but the measurement results are similar to those of long-range charge transport, explains Hofmann.

The investigations refute the hypothesis of long-range charge transfer. The use of the combined machine learning methods SAMPLE and BOSS is intended to support future experiments in material development in such a way that such misinterpretations no longer occur.

By taking a deeper look into the physical processes, the new processes help to ensure that materials are no longer designed to chase an effect that does not exist in this form. Hofmann underlines the advantage of the new method: Thanks to the two methods, millions of different structures can be simulated in the future.

The TU Graz researchers recently published details of the study in Advanced Science (https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202000992).

Details of the machine learning software

SAMPLE (https://www.if.tugraz.at/web.en.php?85) was developed by the Hofmann Group and used for the first time for material design as part of these investigations. BOSS (https://pypi.org/project/aalto-boss/1.0/) is an ML-Software of the Rinke Group at the Aalto University (Finland). Both methods are available as open source software.

For his work in the field of material design Oliver Hofmann was awarded the START Prize 2018 of the Austrian Science Fund FWF (https://www.tugraz.at/en/tu-graz/services/news-stories/tu-graz-news/singleview/a). A portrait of the TU Graz physicist can be found on Planet Research (https://www.tugraz.at/en/tu-graz/services/news-stories/planet-research/singlevie).

This research project is anchored in the FoE Advanced Materials Science (https://www.tugraz.at/en/research/fields-of-expertise/advanced-materials-science), one of the five Fields of Expertise of Graz University of Technology.

Oliver HOFMANN

Dipl.-Ing. Dr.techn.

TU Graz | Institute of Solid State Physics

Petersgasse 16/II

8010 Graz

Phone: +43 316 873 8964

o.hofmann@tugraz.at

Charge Transfer into Organic Thin Films: A Deeper Insight through MachineLearningAssisted Structure

Alexander T. Egger, Lukas Hormann, Andreas Jeindl, Michael Scherbela, Veronika Obersteiner, Milica Todorovic, Patrick Rinke, Oliver T. Hofmann

Adv. Sci. 2020, 2000992

Doi: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202000992
"Were pleased to be affiliated with a tremendous group of professionals working together toward a common goal of supporting the needs of the Department of Defense and furthering the interests of the U.S. government and its Japanese allies." - Stanley Consultants Business Unit Leader John Downes.

Stanley Consultants, a worldwide provider of engineering, environmental and construction services, will continue its support of the $8.7 billion relocation of the Okinawa Marine Corps base to Guam. Stanley Consultants is part of a joint venture partnership ASMD LLC, which recently won a $100 million indefinite delivery/indefinite quantity contract to continue its relocation work.

Headed by Hawaii-based architectural firm Architects Hawaii, the partnership includes Guam-based Setiadi Architects and EMCE Consulting Engineers, as well as Stanley Consultants, RMA Architects and SSFM International. Stanley Consultants has an office in Guam and has performed numerous engineering services in the U.S. territory.

Were pleased to be affiliated with a tremendous group of professionals working together toward a common goal of supporting the needs of the Department of Defense and furthering the interests of the U.S. government and its Japanese allies, said Stanley Consultants Business Unit Leader John Downes.

Stanley Consultants primary roles in the previous contract involved civil, mechanical, electrical and telecommunications engineering design and consulting for utilities, buildings and other facilities and general infrastructure. Other roles included cost estimating, construction and scheduling across a wide range of projects.

In addition to its Guam staff, Stanley Consultants teams in Denver, Phoenix, Anchorage, Minneapolis and Muscatine, Iowa have supported the program.

The contribution from our large network of resources illustrates what Stanley Consultants can bring to bear in support of the U.S. federal government, both domestically and internationally, Downes said.

The original contract was also for $100 million, awarded in 2015 and expires in August. The new contract is good for up to 5 years.

The new Marine Corps base in Guam is named Camp Blaz, honoring Marine Brig. Gen. Vicente Ben Tomas Garrido Blaz. Blaz, who passed in 2014, is the highest-ranking Chamorro to have served in the Marines. He was born in Agana, Guam, in 1928 and was 13 years old when the Japanese invaded and occupied the island. He later graduated from Notre Dame, joined the Marine Corps Reserve and served two tours in Japan and another in Vietnam, according to Stars and Stripes. He served four terms as the territorys delegate to the House of Representatives.

About Stanley Consultants

Stanley Consultants provides program management, planning, engineering, environmental and construction services worldwide. Recognized for its commitment to client service and a passion to make a difference, Stanley Consultants brings global knowledge, experience and capabilities to serve federal, municipal and industrial clients in the energy and infrastructure sectors. Since 1913, Stanley Consultants has successfully completed more than 25,000 engagements in all 50 states, U.S. territories, and in 110 countries. For more information on Stanley Consultants, please visit http://www.stanleyconsultants.com.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Keith DuBay, media relations, Stanley Consultants. 303.925.8258. dubaykeith@stanleygroup.com
Vijayawada, Aug 5 : A special court on Tuesday sentenced a man to death for rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl.

The fifth Additional District-cum-Special Judge for Trial of Offences under POCSO Act sentenced Barlapudi Pentiah to death for the horrific crime he committed on November 10 last year at Gollapudi in Vijayawada.

The accused was arrested within 24 hours of registration of the First Information Report (FIR). The investigation was also completed and the charge sheet filed swiftly.

The trial was completed by March. However, the judgment was reserved when coronavirus induced lockdown was announced.

According to police, this is the 18th conviction in cases of rape or Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act that has been secured by the police since Disha Bill was passed in December 2019.

The impetus given to investigation of crimes against women and children by Disha initiatives, particularly strengthening of police and forensic capabilities helped in speedy conclusion of cases in such heinous crimes, they said.

The scientific investigation by Vijayawada city police supported by DNA analysis created a strong and fool-proof case for prosecution.

Director General of Police Gautam Sawang appreciated the professional alacrity displayed in the scientific investigation done by Vijayawada police and said that this conviction sends a message that those guilty of crime against women and children will not be spared and act as a deterrent to all such predators.

The DGP stated that further consolidation of Disha initiatives in line with the government's vision of a safe and secure society for women and children is on the anvil in a steadfast manner.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Arise and take our stand for freedom as in the olden time. Winston Churchill

Proclaim Liberty throughout All the land unto All the Inhabitants Thereof. Inscription on the Liberty Bell
Southwest Airlines has scaled back its aircraft-cleaning procedures between flights to prevent reduced staffing and busier operations from keeping aircraft on the ground longer than scheduled, according to Bloomberg.

The airline has shifted its sanitation focus to high-touch areas like lavatories and tray tables. With the new policy, armrests and seat belts will not be wiped down between each flight.

Instead, these surfaces will be disinfected each night. Southwest said, "We deep clean each plane from nose to tail for nearly six to seven hours every night, including all high-touch surfaces such as seat belt buckles, tray tables, air vents, arm rests, galleys, lavatories, etc."

The carrier says it also applies an electrostatic disinfectant and an anti-microbial spray "on every surface of the aircraft at least once per month, killing viruses on contact and forming an anti-microbial coating for 30 days."

In addition to this, Southwest will supply anti-microbial wipes for travelers on board who want to disinfect their personal space.

The change comes from the airline wanting to return to normal turnaround times in between flights as its schedule evolves in coming weeks.

"Southwest does deserve credit for the fact that it sells only two thirds of seats on flights, which means no one should be sitting next to a stranger in a middle seat," according to the One Mile at a Time blog, which first reported the change.

The modified cleaning procedures have been tested in the airlines headquarters at Dallas Love Field. The new modified cleaning practices began on August 1 for the entire airline.

A spokesperson for United told SFGATE that the airline still employs electrostatic spraying before each flight.

The shift in Southwest's cleaning protocol comes at such strange time, considering most businesses and other airlines have increased their cleaning and safety protocols, as well as social distancing practices. Is saving time really worth the risk? Only time will tell.
President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing with reporters at the White House in Washington on Aug. 3, 2020. (Alex Brandon/AP Photo)

Trump Signs Order to Expand Access to Telehealth

President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order to further expand access to telehealth services where healthcare practitioners can communicate and provide services for their patients remotely via phone calls or video callsa move the president says will help seniors and rural Americans better access healthcare.

Expanded access to medical care through telemedicine is essential to fighting the virus, Trump said in a statement announcing the move.

Near the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Trump administration had made telehealth criteria more flexible regarding what services qualify under telehealth, as well as the type of healthcare practitioner who may provide telehealth services, and under what circumstances telehealth can be provided.

When the invisible enemy struck our shores, I took immediate action to eliminate regulatory barriers to telehealth, making it easier for patients to consult with doctors from safety and convenience. And really, they have great safety and great convenience right from their homes, Trump told reporters at a press conference at the White House.

Today Im taking action to ensure telehealth is here to stay, the president said. I signed an executive order to make many of our regulatory reforms permanent.

We worked with the leaders of major health insurance companies to ensure coverage for the telehealth visits related to coronavirus, Trump explained about the administrations earlier actions. We cut red tape to allow many services to be conducted by phone, rather than video, which is much simpler, providing a much easier option for many seniors in particular.

The presidents latest executive order builds upon such changes, including making some of the changes permanent.

The order builds upon a series of actions weve all taken to make telehealth available to all, Trump said. We ensured that Medicare covers telehealth visits at no additional cost. Thats no additional cost. And co-payments can be waived for telehealth services.

Trump said that the administration has now vastly expanded coverage, allowing Medicare to cover more than 135 new services through telehealth. The services include physical therapy, emergency department visits, home visits, mental health counseling, and substance abuse treatment.

He added that the executive order will also expand healthcare access in rural America.

In the executive order, Trump acknowledged that rural Americans face unique challenges accessing healthcare services, including limited transportation, shortages of healthcare workers in rural areas, and an inability to fully benefit from technological and care-delivery innovations.

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference at the White House in Washington, on Aug. 3, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

These factors have contributed to financial insecurity and impaired health outcomes for rural Americans, who are more likely to die from five leading causes, many of which are preventable, than their urban counterparts, the executive order states. That gap widened from 2010 to 2017 for cancer, heart disease, and chronic lower respiratory disease.

Trump said that his order will direct federal agencies to deploy strategic investments in rural communications infrastructure to enable quick and easy access for rural Americans. He also said he will be directing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the Department of Agriculture, and the Federal Communications Commission to form a task force that will break down barriers to expanding rural healthcare.

Additionally, revenue for rural providers vary significantly from month to month, making it difficult for many to stay in business. Many, many are having a very difficult time, Trump noted at the press conference. To help fix this problem, my order will create a voluntary Medicare payment system that will give rural hospitals flexibilityreally, great flexibilityand a more consistent income stream to better serve their patients.

The executive order will direct the HHS to announce a new model to test innovative payment mechanisms within 30 days.

President Donald Trump speaks during a briefing with reporters at the White House in Washington, on Aug. 3, 2020. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

According to the executive order, a report by the HHS showed that in April, 43.5 percent of Medicare fee-for-service primary care visits were provided through telehealth, compared to Februarys figure of 0.1 percent, before the public health emergency was declared on the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus. Meanwhile, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) noted a jump in virtual visits for its beneficiaries from about 14,000 in a given week prior to the pandemic to some 1.7 million within just the last week of April.

Trump noted in the order that telehealth visits continued to be frequent after in-person primary care visits resumed in May, which suggests that telehealth is likely to be in more permanent demand going forward.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines Life)  Starting August 4, Metro Manila and neighboring provinces such as Laguna, Cavite, Rizal and Bulacan will be under a two-week Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine. The revert to MECQ  from the recently announced GCQ  was the governments response to the plea of the medical community as COVID-19 cases continue to rise.

Checkpoints have been set up in various areas around Metro Manila and citizens are advised to stay at home and move only within their immediate vicinity to access essential goods. Quarantine passes will be required once again.

But to address the need for continued economic stimulus, many businesses such as malls, BPOs, mining and quarrying, and courier services are allowed to operate under MECQ. On the other hand, cultural centers, barber shops/salons, construction projects, and fitness centers are not allowed to operate. Companies are advised to provide shuttle services for their employees as public transport is suspended for now.

The University of the Philippines OCTA Research team revealed during a Palace briefing that the MECQ may save more than 50,000 COVID 19 cases, but emphasized that it is not enough to flatten the curve.

"Over 200,000 ang aming estimate projection in August pero dahil nag-MECQ tayo, bababa between 50,000 and 70,000 cases," said UP professor Ranjit Rye.

National COVID-19 task force chief implementer Carlito Galvez, Jr. said that this is a critical phase in addressing the COVID-19 crisis. He said that the increase in COVID-19 cases is due to the reopening of the economy and the improved efforts to test more people.

Here are scenes around Metro Manila as we revert into a restrictive community quarantine.

Meat vendors with plastic-outfitted stalls at Las Pinas Citys Zapote Public Market are business as usual. Photo by JL JAVIER

Police and military personnel oversee vehicles passing through a checkpoint along the borders of Las Pinas, Metro Manila, and Bacoor, Cavite. Photo by JL JAVIER

Barangay officers stand outside the Zapote Public Market to monitor pedestrians. Photo by JL JAVIER

Restaurants are only allowed to provide take-out and delivery services during MECQ. Photo by JL JAVIER

Officers strictly monitor customers going inside the Pasig City Public Market. Photo by JL JAVIER

A customer queues in front of a wholesale grocery in Las Pinas. Only a limited number of people are allowed inside. Photo by JL JAVIER

Individuals looking to be tested for COVID-19 wait for a testing facility in Manila City to open around 8 a.m. Photo by JL JAVIER

Uniformed police gather by the closed entrance of LRT-2s Carriedo Station. Public transportation is suspended under MECQ. Photo by JL JAVIER

An elderly man stops by the barred doors of Quiapo Church. The Archdiocese of Manila has suspended religious gatherings during the MECQ. Photo by JL JAVIER

Many of Hidalgo Streets vendors and small establishments in Manila City are still open despite slightly tighter restrictions of MECQ. Photo by JL JAVIER

Traffic build up on Julia Vargas Street along Ortigas Ave. towards a police checkpoint. Photo by JL JAVIER

A queue of tricycle drivers at a terminal in Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City. Tricycle operations are allowed by the Quezon City LGU during MECQ. Photo by JL JAVIER

At a checkpoint along Ortigas Extension in Pasig, motorcyclists are stopped by police to show documents that qualify them for travel. Photo by JL JAVIER

A mall complex in Makati City seems nearly empty as establishments have been forced to limit their services under the MECQ. Photo by JL JAVIER
Weather Alert

...Bitterly cold temperatures expected starting Wednesday Afternoon... ...Slick Roads possible late Wednesday Afternoon and Night... An Arctic blast of cold air will move into the Quad State region Wednesday afternoon, pushing the entire region below the freezing mark by 7 pm Wednesday. Once the cold air moves in, temperatures are not expected to rise above freezing until early Saturday afternoon. Gusty north winds will produce very low wind chills Thursday into Friday morning. Wind chills below zero will be likely over southern Illinois and southeast Missouri, with barely above zero wind chills over west Kentucky and southwest Indiana. Wind Chills will remain in the single digits for parts of the area all day on Thursday and into early Friday morning. Anyone traveling or working outdoors should bundle up in layers to protect yourself from developing hypothermia and frostbite. Consideration should also be given to protect pets and livestock left outdoors. For those with water systems vulnerable to an extended period of sub-freezing temperatures, be sure to keep a trickle of water running through those systems. A Winter Weather Advisory is currently posted for part of southwest Indiana and the Pennyrile region of west Kentucky late Wednesday afternoon and night, where the best accumulation of wintry precipitation is expected. However, with temperatures expected to plummet and remain below freezing, any wintry precipitation still left on roadways and sidewalks across the Quad State late Wednesday afternoon and night will freeze. Travelers should use caution while traveling and be watchful for any slick spots on roadways, especially elevated bridges and overpasses. Please stay tuned to the National Weather Service in Paducah for the latest forecasts and statements associated with this winter event.
(TNS)  Cleveland City Council launched an effort Monday to tackle the so-called digital divide in Cleveland  the gap in access to the Internet that has left as much as two-thirds of the Cleveland school children unable to go online in their homes.Council President Kevin Kelley opened the first of what he expects will be many hearings hearing by noting that the COVID-19 coronavirus crisis laid bare the impact of the divide as children were forced to attend school remotely and people tried to do their jobs online.Now is the time to strike because theres so much attention on it, Kelley said. The goal is to come up with a plan that city council can be a partner in  and support to get to the finish line, which is to provide affordable accessible service to all Clevelanders.As Ohioans took to their homes to try to slow spread of the coronavirus, the impact of no Internet access or poor service quickly became apparent.Cleveland schools has estimated as many as two-thirds of its students do not have sufficient access  something the city, the school district and organizations like the Cleveland Foundation have scrambled to address.Employees confined to working at home need access capable of handling Zoom meetings, which requires greater download speeds than just scanning pages.Digital C, a nonprofit trying to expand Internet access, has regularly ranked Cleveland among the worst cities for connectivity in the country.Among those who joined City Council for the meeting Monday were people involved with the issue: Dorothy Baunach, Digital Cs CEO; Leon Wilson, the Cleveland Foundations director of digital innovation; two representatives from Novarum, the company that engineered a Wi-Fi system a decade ago for Old Brooklyn residents; and Curtis Timmons, the Cleveland schools chief information officer who is tackling remote learning in the school district.All agreed that the causes of the divide, and the solutions, revolve around money.An Internet connection from a major carrier such as AT&T or Spectrum often is out of reach, topping $50 a month, Wilson said.Theres a direct correlation with poverty, Wilson said. We use this term [digital divide] so much. What we really should be saying is a lack of social inclusion.Fiber optic connections directly to households are the strongest, but also the most expensive systems to build. Wi-Fi systems, boosted by signals from tall buildings or transmitters below the tree canopy or perhaps atop Cleveland Public Power light poles, might be a way to lower the monthly bill.That has been Digital Cs focus through partnerships with Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority and its Empower CLE projects in several Cleveland neighborhoods.The Cleveland Foundation has worked similarly with Cleveland schools and through a group called the Digital Equity Coalition.The system in Old Brooklyn, Kelleys Ward 13, cost more than $1 million to put together, paid for with a mix of federal funding, city revenues and contributions from private nonprofit sources.This isnt the first big social issue City Council has taken on. In recent years, working with Mayor Frank Jacksons administration, it has pushed initiatives to tackle poisoning from lead paint in houses, high infant mortality rates, the cost to seniors of maintaining their homes on fixed incomes and legal counsel for Impoverished families facing eviction.But this initiative comes at a time when there is uncertainty about Clevelands financial footing. Income tax revenues have declined. And if people dont return to working downtown, the city could lose tens of millions of dollars of income taxes it collects from suburban commuters.But the issue is too important to not take on, Kelley said, particularly as Cleveland schools prepare to start the year with at least nine weeks of remote learning.If we have nine weeks of remote learning for kids and they dont have good access, thats a problem, Kelley said in an interview with cleveland.com after the hearing.I have to acknowledge its not going to be easy and its not going to be free, Kelley said. Theres a cost of doing nothing, as well.
Police: Man Charged With Shooting at Employee After Being Asked to Wear a Mask

A Pennsylvania man is facing charges of attempted criminal homicide after he allegedly shot at an employee of a cigar shop who asked him to wear a mask.

Adam Michael Zaborowski, 35, entered Cigars international in Bethlehem Township Friday morning without a face covering, according to a probable cause affidavit, despite a statewide mandate by Gov. Tom Wolf requiring masks to be worn in businesses.

Staff at the shop told Zaborowski that he needed to wear a mask inside the store or could have his order taken curbside, according to the affidavit.

Zaborowski became irate, grabbed two cigars from a shelf and exited without paying, the affidavit says.

A store employee followed him to the parking lot to retrieve the merchandise, according to the affidavit. Zaborowski fired a gun in the air before firing two rounds at the employee, according to an affidavit. A patron was sitting behind the employee as the rounds were fired, according to the affidavit.

Zaborowski fled in a blue Dodge Dakota pick-up truck, according to the affidavit.

Adam Michael Zaborowski. (Courtesy of Bethlehem Township Police Dept.)

He was arrested the following day after engaging in a shootout with Pennsylvania State Police and Slatington Borough Police, said Bethlehem Police Department Sgt. Shaun Powell. He remains in the hospital, Powell said, but he didnt give details of any injuries.

Zaborowski has been charged with attempted criminal homicide, aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, two counts of robbery, reckless endangerment, and carrying a firearm without a license. Due to a prior offense, he was also charged with persons prohibited to possess a firearm, his arrest affidavit shows.

Attorney John J. Waldron, who is representing Zaborowski, issued a statement on behalf of his client saying that he has a number of stressful things going on in his life that may have contributed to his actions.

He is facing serious charges. He is lucky to be alive, considering his actions with law enforcement. He has had a series of events which have caused him stress and depression, Waldron told CNN Monday. These are not a defense or excuse. He lost his job, just lost a custody battle for his child and did not cope well with the virus.

People deal with stress differently, he did not deal with it appropriately. His family is very supportive. We will have him examined by a Forensic Psychologist and proceed from there, Waldron added.

The CNN Wire contributed to this article.
PHILADELPHIAAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues into late summer, social distancing and quarantining behaviours have brought challenges to relationships for people of all ages. Couples in the beginning stages of their relationship have had to choose between sudden cohabitation or long distance, while married parents have found themselves juggling their jobs, housekeeping and around-the-clock child care. For those in unhealthy relationships, the situation has created serious consequences: domestic violence has risen due to victims trapped with their abusers.

The sudden life changes brought on by the pandemic can affect any healthy relationship, experts say, but there are ways to productively navigate conflicts and problems. What people are experiencing in their relationships also varies by age, said Leslie Kantor, a professor at Rutgers Universitys School of Public Health who specializes in womens sexual and reproductive health.

If we think about high school students or young adults who may have come back to their parents homes because of COVID, there may be challenges with even having the opportunity to see a partner in person, Kantor said. For some younger people, there can be a little bit more of an overreliance on the physical aspect of a relationship as a way of being connected. So one positive might be that they develop more of an emotional vocabulary and intimacy thats not physical as a result of social distancing.

Kathleen Bogle, an associate professor of sociology and criminal justice at La Salle University, said that current dating behaviours remind her of how people had to navigate decision-making during the HIV/AIDS epidemic.

The questions people are grappling with are remarkably similar, she said. People are asking themselves, Who am I taking a risk for? Do I trust what this person is saying about how many other people theyve seen? How locked down is their quarantine  are they breaking it just to meet up with me, or have they been seeing a bunch of people and are therefore higher risk?

Those conversations can be difficult because if one person is willing to risk more for the person theyre seeing, that can put a strain on the relationship, Bogle said.

If you have to quarantine apart, there are virtual ways to stay connected like FaceTime and Zoom, Bogle said. But thats easier to do when theres an endgame in mind, like just for March and April.

Kantor said that for married or cohabitating couples, having too much time together may create problems.

It can lead to some bad habits like being overinvolved in someones business or not carving out special time together, she said. But the good news is that there are still things people can do to try to keep their relationship fresh, like having a creative date night.

Farida Boyer, a marriage and family therapist based in West Philadelphia, also stressed the importance of spending quality time together as a couple. That can help people listen to each other, she said, which can defuse tension from conflicts.

You want to make sure the time youre spending together is fruitful, not just passing it by, Boyer said. Its important to make space for each person to express what theyre feeling. I can assume what youre going through, but that doesnt necessarily mean I have a clear understanding of how you feel.

Bogle said she thinks overall, conflicts have increased, especially for married couples grappling with how to handle child care. Parents are used to schools taking care of that for most of the day, and now theres a battle of who does what at home, all day every day, she said.

Differing opinions on whats safe and whats not may be another source of conflict.

Maybe one person never wants to go to the grocery store, but the other person doesnt like what the delivery person brings, Bogle said. If youre just operating by yourself, you know what level of risk youre willing to take. But maybe now youre sleeping in the same bed with someone who is fine taking greater risks. A lot of couples have gotten into debates on all that.

When it comes to conflict, Kantor said that one of the most important things you can do is to keep the focus on yourself. Letting the other person worry about their own behaviour and patterns can help decrease the number of disagreements, she said.

I always tell my friends and family that your partner is not your project, Kantor said. Right now is not the time to work on another person. If you want a project, you can work on yourself.

If things get too tense, Boyer recommended taking a break, such as going for a walk. She also said now is a great time to seek professional help.

Dont just give up on your relationship, Boyer said. There are therapists out there who are trained to help people understand whats going on in their relationship.

And during such a difficult time, a little kindness can go a long way, Kantor said.

Everybody should remember were living in an incredibly stressful time and context, Kantor said. It can be really helpful to remember that everyone is doing the best they can. We have to give each other a break.
Rating Action: Moody's downgrades two and affirms four CMBS classes of AHT 2018-KEYS

Global Credit Research - 04 Aug 2020

Approximately $933 million of structured securities affected

New York, August 04, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") has downgraded two and affirmed four ratings on classes in Ashford Hospitality Trust 2018-KEYS, Commercial Mortgage Pass-Through Certificates, Series 2018-KEYS as follows:

Cl. A, Affirmed Aaa (sf); previously on Aug 19, 2019 Affirmed Aaa (sf)

Cl. B, Affirmed Aa3 (sf); previously on Aug 19, 2019 Affirmed Aa3 (sf)

Cl. C, Affirmed A3 (sf); previously on Aug 19, 2019 Affirmed A3 (sf)

Cl. D, Affirmed Baa3 (sf); previously on Aug 19, 2019 Affirmed Baa3 (sf)

Cl. E, Downgraded to B1 (sf); previously on Aug 19, 2019 Affirmed Ba3 (sf)

Cl. F, Downgraded to Caa2 (sf); previously on Aug 19, 2019 Affirmed B3 (sf)

RATINGS RATIONALE

The ratings on Cl. A, Cl. B, Cl. C, and Cl. D were affirmed because the transaction's key metrics, including Moody's loan-to-value (LTV) ratio, are within acceptable ranges. The ratings on Cl. E, and Cl. F were downgraded due to an increase in Moody's LTV as a result of immediate decline in performance due to the coronavirus outbreak and the uncertainty of timing and extent of the recovery. We have assumed a significant drop in net cash flow (NCF) in 2020, followed by two years of improvement in pool performance, resulting in a lower than previously assumed Moody's NCF levels.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, the government measures put in place to contain it and the deteriorating global economic outlook, have created a severe and extensive credit shock across sectors, regions and markets. Our analysis has considered the effect on the performance of commercial real estate from the collapse in US economic activity in the second quarter and a gradual recovery in the second half of the year. However, that outcome depends on whether governments can reopen their economies while also safeguarding public health and avoiding a further surge in infections. As a result, the degree of uncertainty around our forecasts is unusually high. We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, given the substantial implications for public health and safety. Stress on commercial real estate properties will be most directly stemming from declines in hotel occupancies (particularly related to conference or other group attendance) and declines in foot traffic and sales for non-essential items at retail properties.

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FACTORS THAT WOULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS:

The performance expectations for a given variable indicate Moody's forward-looking view of the likely range of performance over the medium term. Performance that falls outside the given range can indicate that the collateral's credit quality is stronger or weaker than Moody's had previously expected.

Factors that could lead to an upgrade of the ratings include a significant amount of pool paydowns or amortization, an increase in defeasance or an improvement in pool performance.

Factors that could lead to a downgrade of the ratings include a decline in the performance of the pool or increase in interest shortfalls.

METHODOLOGY UNDERLYING THE RATING ACTION

The principal methodology used in these ratings was "Moody's Approach to Rating Large Loan and Single Asset/Single Borrower CMBS" published in May 2020 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBS_1227875. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

DEAL PERFORMANCE

As of the July 15, 2019 distribution date, the transaction's aggregate certificate balance remains unchanged at $982 million from securitization. The 7-year (including five one-year extensions), interest only, floating rate loans are secured by fee and leasehold interests in hotels totaling 7,270 guestrooms across 16 states. There is mezzanine debt of approximately $288 million held outside of the trust.

The collateral under the mortgage loan is comprised of six pools of 34 hotel properties diversified across full-service (19 hotels), select-service (10 hotels) and extended-stay (5 hotels) segments. All but two properties (Lakeway Resort & Spa and One Ocean Resort & Spa) are affiliated with nationally recognized flags including Marriott International, Inc, Hilton Worldwide Holdings, Inc, and Hyatt Hotels Corporation.

The portfolio's NCF 2019 was approximately $120 MM, down slightly from approximately $127 MM at securitization. This was not alarming as the US lodging sector neared its cyclical peak in 2018 and 2019. During this time US hotels experienced slowing RevPAR growth rates and some net cash flow erosions due to expenses increasing faster than revenues. For full year 2020 NCF, we expect a significant drop due to coronavirus outbreak induced property closures and travel restrictions that were put into effect in the first half of the year and negative impact from those measures. In the foreseeable future, we expect demand for lodging in leisure drive-to destinations to lead the recovery, followed by the return of corporate transient segment. Due to the length and the magnitude of the disruption, we do not expect hotel performance to return to pre-COVID levels within the next 18 months on average, and the pace of recovery to vary depending on the property's primary market segment and location.

The loan status is non-performing matured balloon as of the July distribution date and there is outstanding P&I advances totaling approximately $1.5 million. The first mortgage balance of $982 million represents a Moody's stabilized LTV of 142%. Moody's first mortgage stressed debt service coverage ratio (DSCR) is 1.02X. However, these metrics are based on return of travel demand for leisure and corporate travel and normalized operation after 24 months of stabilization period. The downgrade of ratings on Cl. E and Cl. F take into account volatility and uncertainty of the pool's near-term performance. There is outstanding interest shortfalls totaling $150,028 affecting Cl. F and Cl. VRR and no losses as of the current distribution date.

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.

The analysis includes an assessment of collateral characteristics and performance to determine the expected collateral loss or a range of expected collateral losses or cash flows to the rated instruments. As a second step, Moody's estimates expected collateral losses or cash flows using a quantitative tool that takes into account credit enhancement, loss allocation and other structural features, to derive the expected loss for each rated instrument.

Moody's did not use any stress scenario simulations in its analysis.

For ratings issued on a program, series, category/class of debt or security this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series, category/class of debt, security or pursuant to a program for which the ratings are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the credit rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular credit rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings, this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt, in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would have affected the rating. For further information please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.

For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit support from the primary entity(ies) of this credit rating action, and whose ratings may change as a result of this credit rating action, the associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity. Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures, if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.

The ratings have been disclosed to the rated entity or its designated agent(s) and issued with no amendment resulting from that disclosure.

These ratings are solicited. Please refer to Moody's Policy for Designating and Assigning Unsolicited Credit Ratings available on its website www.moodys.com.

Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating review.

Moody's general principles for assessing environmental, social and governance (ESG) risks in our credit analysis can be found at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1133569.

At least one ESG consideration was material to the credit rating action(s) announced and described above.

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.

EunJee EJ Park VP - Senior Credit Officer Structured Finance Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Deryk Meherik Senior Vice President/Manager Structured Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653

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Albrecht said if a person were getting medication or treatment to restore their competency to stand trial they might not understand that they owe a debt to society and why. "I think we need more time to understand potential unintended consequences of this bill," she said.

Judiciary Committee Chairman Steve Lathrop of Omaha said he was disappointed by the 11th-hour motion to return the bill to a second round of debate.

Those offenders have already done the maximum amount of time they could be sentenced to if they are found guilty. They would still have to return for a trial, but wouldn't have to spend more time in jail than the crime requires while waiting for trial.

"This bill makes imminent sense," Lathrop said.

Albrecht also objected to a section of the bill that would allow a signature bond for certain misdemeanors.

"This is the equivalent of a no cash bail that the public and this body have stood against for years," Albrecht said.

Lathrop said Albrecht used felonies as examples of the crimes that would apply to that part of the bill but it applies only to misdemeanors and minor violations that require a week in jail at most or no jail time.
SMYRNA, Ga., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Global leaders Murata Electronics and pSemi, a Murata company, announced they are teaming with nonprofit technology incubator, EvoNexus, to provide opportunities for a select number of growth companies to explore engagement in the areas of product development, manufacturing support, licensing, channels to market, investment or other forms of collaboration. From now through August 31, organizations developing disruptive 5G, IoT, Digital Healthcare, Energy, and Mobility technologies are invited to apply.

Utilizing EvoNexus' MarketLink platform, emerging companies aligned with Murata's and pSemi's strategic initiatives and competencies can apply at no cost to virtually meet with the senior management teams of these established leaders in the electronics industry. Upon acceptance, companies will be contacted to schedule a virtual meeting and refine the agenda and framework for the discussion.

"Murata is committed to being at the forefront of innovation, not only through our proprietary technologies, processes, and products, but also in our collaborative relationships. The EvoNexus MarketLink program is an extraordinary platform for us to have dialogue with the innovative companies that will be defining the future of the connectivity, healthcare, energy, and mobility markets. We know that this effort will yield significant, ground-breaking opportunities," stated David Kirk, CEO and President, Murata Electronics North America.

"This program enables pSemi and Murata to remain competitive in the transformative technologies that are shaping our new normal and a post-pandemic future. We are eager to connect with innovators who have unique semiconductor and embedded software solutions for AI, Sensor Fusion, Power Management, Edge Processing and Wireless Connectivity," added Sumit Tomar, CEO, pSemi.

"The global scope and leadership that both Murata and pSemi bring to the table is immense. EvoNexus is excited to connect the dots and put emerging companies in direct contact with these electronics leaders who can have a tangible impact on their business," said Rory Moore, CEO & Co-Founder / Founder, Peregrine Semiconductor Corp. & Silicon Wave, Inc.

To learn more about MarketLink, click here: https://evonexus.org/murata-and-psemi-marketlink-2020/. To apply for the program, visit https://evonexus.org/apply-now/. Applications will be accepted through August 31, 2020. Companies with technologies matching Murata's or pSemi's strategic areas of interest will then be contacted for virtual one-on-one pitch sessions.

About Murata

Murata Manufacturing Co., Ltd. is a worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and sale of ceramic-based passive electronic components & solutions, communication modules and power supply modules. Murata is committed to the development of advanced electronic materials and leading edge, multi-functional, high-density modules. The company has employees and manufacturing facilities throughout the world. For more information, visit Murata's website at www.murata.com.

About pSemi

pSemi Corporation is a Murata company driving semiconductor integration. pSemi builds on Peregrine Semiconductor's 30-year legacy of technology advancements and strong IP portfolio but with a new mission: to enhance Murata's world-class capabilities with high-performance RF, analog and mixed-signal solutions. With a strong foundation in RF integration, pSemi's product portfolio now spans power management, connected sensors, antenna tuning and RF frontends. These intelligent and efficient semiconductors enable advanced modules for smartphones, base stations, personal computers, electric vehicles, data centers, IoT devices and healthcare. From headquarters in San Diego and offices around the world, pSemi's team explores new ways to make electronics for the connected world smaller, thinner, faster and better. To view pSemi's semiconductor advancements or to join the pSemi team, visit www.psemi.com.

About EvoNexus

EvoNexus is California's leading non-profit technology startup incubator with locations in San Diego, Orange County, Silicon Valley, and a virtual program. EvoNexus has successfully launched around 230 technology startups with a survival rate of over 85%. since the incubator's formation in 2010. EvoNexus Ventures have secured over $2B in venture funding and outcomes, $6B in pre- exit valuation and 28 acquisitions. EvoNexus is supported by corporate investors, including some of the largest multinational corporations in the world. For more information, please visit www.evonexus.org.

Contacts:

Amy Talley Jefferson Communications 703-323-8939 [email protected] John Sutherby Murata Americas 508-964-5117 [email protected]

SOURCE Murata
President Donald Trump said Monday he does not oppose Microsoft Corp acquiring the U.S. operations of TikTok and said he will ban the service in the United States on September 15 unless a sale is agreed upon.

The comments came after Trump on Friday said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video app's U.S. operations after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.

Talks of a possible buy of by Microsoft saw the tech company's share price soar by nearly nearly 6%, or $11.53, on Monday.

The president threatened to ban TikTok completely if a sale is not agreed by September 15th

Shares of Microsoft rose almost 6% on Monday after it confirmed that it was continuing talks about buying the popular social-media platform TikTok

The jump added $95 billion to Microsoft's worth in a clear sign that investors back what some experts say could be a game-changing transaction for a mature technology company like Microsoft.

On Sunday Trump said that he had agreed to give China's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft.

Trump also said the U.S. Treasury would need to get a lot of money out of a TikTok deal, but was not clear how that would happen.

Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and 'is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.'

Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations.

During a White House meeting, Trump said he didn't mind if the US tech giant purchased the social media app after having a 'great conversation' with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

On Friday, President Donald Trump said that he would order ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, to sell its US operations

The talks of a TikTok buyout saw gains of $95 billion added to Microsoft's worth bringing its total value to more than $1.6 trillion

WHAT DOES MICROSOFT STAND TO GAIN FROM BUYING THE US ARM OF TIKTOK? TikTok's catchy videos and ease of use has made it popular, and it says it has tens of millions of users in the U.S. and hundreds of millions globally. Its parent company, ByteDance acquired Shanghai-based video app Musical.ly in a $1 billion deal in 2017 and relaunched it as TikTok the following year. In its statement, $1.5 trillion company Microsoft said it may invite other American investors to participate on a minority basis in the purchase of TikTok. Financial terms were undisclosed. ByteDance was valued at as much as $140 billion earlier this year. Any deal with Microsoft to buy TikTok could be worth billions of dollars. It could also expose the company, which already owns Xbox, LinkedIn and Skype, to tech savvy teens. Advertisement

Some congressional aides are worried about a backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump banned TikTok, which has 100 million American users.

Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the U.S. government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.

'A U.S. company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe,' Schumer said on Twitter, adding: 'This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government.'

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.

'So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised?' Navarro said in an interview with CNN. 'Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?'

Navarro said the Chinese government and military use Microsoft software 'to do all the things they do.'

U.S. officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following U.S. laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.
SPRINGFIELD  Some rate relief has been approved for Eversource customers, but a city councilor has called for a state investigation of electric rate increases.

As of July 1, Western Massachusetts customers who are on the Basic Service Supply option are seeing savings of 23% on their electric bill after the six-month supply rate was approved by the Department of Public Utilities, said Priscilla Ress, regional spokeswoman for Eversource. The rate is effective through Dec. 31.

The decrease will result in a monthly savings on the supply charge of $14.55 for residential customers using an average of 550 kilowatt-hours of electricity, Ress said. We were able to secure the lower six-month price thanks to a reduction in wholesale power prices.

Customers are not seeing any additional rate hikes on their bill, she said.

Ward 8 City Councilor Orlando Ramos said he is seeking clarification on the rate issue after receiving a complaint from an elderly constituent last week. He is asking the state Department of Public Utilities to investigate.

Connecticuts Public Utilities Regulatory Authority is instructing Eversource to suspend price increases in that state and restore prior rates until there is a public hearing, NBC Connecticut reported.

Ramos said the public outcry regarding an increased delivery charge by Eversource in Connecticut is the same complaint he received from the Springfield constituent.

Im not certain that the explanation given by Eversource is good enough, Ramos said. Their excuse for the rate hike does not make sense to me, and I believe it should be investigated by the Massachusetts Department of Public Utilities.

The higher-than-normal electric bills our customers received in Connecticut do not apply to our customers in Massachusetts, Ress said.

Rates in Massachusetts and Connecticut differ and are subject to the respective individual regulatory processes in each state, Ress said. Were always working to keep our rates as low as possible.

The cost of delivery to customers in Western Massachusetts has remained virtually the same, but the overall total bill for customers has gone down, Ress said.

Part of that decrease is due to the significant decrease in the cost of our Basic Service Supply rate, which went down nearly 23% as of July 1, Ress said. Its possible that Councilman Ramos is confusing our delivery rates with the delivery rates in Connecticut, which are completely different.

Electric bills consist of two key elements: the supply charge and the delivery charge. Supply is the cost of electricity itself, Ress said. Our customers can either buy the electricity we purchase on their behalf at the current market price, or they can get their power from a third-party supplier. The delivery charge is the cost of delivering energy to a home or business and to maintain a safe, reliable system, she said.

Even with the drop in the price of electricity, our customers can take advantage of deeper savings by making full use of energy efficiency programs available to them, Ress said.

Eversource and other utilities in the state are blocked from shutting off customers electrical or gas service by a state moratorium related to the coronavirus.

Related content:
At a time when there is an acute shortage of those who have recovered from COVID-19 who are willing to come forward and donate their plasma, a group of Assam Police personnel has put their duty to the society first.

On Sunday, 67 personnel from the Assam Police who have recovered from COVID-19 recently donated their plasma at a state-run hospital the capital.

REUTERS

The police personnel donated their plasma at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).

They were felicitated by Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at a programme organised at the hospital's auditorium.

Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal thanked the plasma donors and appealed to the people to "come out and donate plasma to serve humanity".

"With the support of people and bravery of Corona Warriors, we are doing extremely well in our fight against COVID-19," he tweeted.

Our @assampolice personnel are playing an integral role during #COVID19. Those who got infected during the line of duty and have recovered are now coming forward to donate their plasma.



Our Govt is working to recruit more people into the police force: CM pic.twitter.com/iLxjm8P2pk  Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) August 2, 2020

Referring to plasma donation by the police personnel, the chief minister said, "This will encourage others to come forward and do their bit for humanity."

"I commend the courageous and selfless Corona Warriors of Assam Police, whose service goes much beyond the call of duty. They are our heroes," he tweeted. The health minister, in a Twitter post, said, "Khaki stands for sacrifice and compassion.

In response to the appeal of Hon' CM @sarbanandsonwal ji, our personnel donated Plasma today, under the guidance of Hon Health Mininster.



Hon' Ministers @himantabiswa ji, @Pijush_hazarika ji & @DGPAssamPolice felicitated the donors in the presence senior officials. @nhm_assam pic.twitter.com/6y5QLxTjug  Assam Police (@assampolice) August 1, 2020

Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, who was present at the felicitation programme, said that the 67 police personnel responded to the chief minister's appeal and donated their plasma.

AFP

Consultations were held with the Health Department and necessary protocols were followed for the donation, Mahanta said.

A total of 1,552 Assam Police personnel have tested positive for COVID-19 so far, of which four have died and 1,086 have recovered, with 279 of them rejoining duty.

More than 100 people who have recovered from COVID-19 have donated their plasma at GMCH.

Two plasma banks are operational in Assam and another is scheduled to start functioning at the Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) from next week, officials said.

While it has not been officially cleared as a way to treat COVID-19, Plasma therapy which is still in the experimental phase has shown considerable promise.

AFP

Plasma therapy involves the transfusion of blood plasma from recovered patients who have developed antibodies to another patient.

Despite the success rate, Plasma therapy has not widely been used, and one of the reasons behind it is the lack of willing donors.

Across the country, only a small percentage of those who recover are coming forward to donate plasma.

In several states including Assam, governments are setting up plasma banks to make the process easier and bring the donors and recipients together.
VAN BUREN TWP, MI -- Members of the Michigan State Police bomb squad removed a live grenade Monday from a home in the 50000 block of West Huron River Drive in Van Buren Township. Police did not say exactly where on the property the grenade was found but did say it was safely removed from the site.

The bomb squad was called to the property by the Van Buren Township Police for assistance around 5:15 p.m. MSP was able to secure the scene, recover the grenade and remove it roughly 90 minutes later. The grenade will be detonated safely offsite.

MSP warns citizens that if they come across any old explosives to call police immediately and not to handle the device in any fashion, even if it appears to be defunct.
Painkillers like ibuprofen and aspirin can do "more harm than good" for chronic pain, health experts said Monday.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) said there was "little or no evidence" that said the commonly used painkillers used for chronic pain make any difference to a person's quality of life, pain, or psychological distress.

However, the NICE draft guidance said there was evidence that common painkillers can harm, like addiction, reported The Guardian. The draft guidance was published on Monday.

The NICE said these common drugs showed little evidence that they work against chronic pain. Thus, it should not be prescribed for a pain disorder, health experts said.

According to The Sun, chronic pain is a kind of condition that cannot be linked to any other diagnosis or is a symptom of an already existing disease. It can lead to disability, with pain being felt in the muscles and bones and sometimes all over the body.

Health experts said this could also lead to depression. The NICE noted that about a third to half of the U.K. population are affected by chronic pain. Almost half of these cases have been diagnosed with depression, and two-thirds of them cannot work because of it.

To fight chronic pain, the NICE urged doctors to prescribe exercise, psychological therapy, or acupuncture to their patients, said a Yahoo Finance article.

The NICE also urged doctors to develop a care plan that is unique to their chronic pain patients and build a "collaborative, supportive relationship" between them.

Abusing Painkillers

Last year, British Health Secretary Matt Hancock said he was very concerned with doctors giving pain drugs, sleeping pills, and antidepressants to patients.

Figures showed that 13 percent of adults were given the painkillers, opioid that has a good chance of being addictive. Opioids have been one of the drugs most commonly linked to addiction. Many have abused it, experiencing euphoria and withdrawal symptoms.

Misuse of opioids can lead to risky respiratory depression, where the lungs fail to work well.In the U.S. alone, more than 67,000 people died from a drug overdose in 2018, and 70 percent of them were involved in prescription or illicit opioids.

Patients Look for Clear Chronic Pain Cures

Nick Kosky, chair of the guidance committee, said patients are looking for a precise treatment that does make them feel better. The complex conditions can be a very "challenging" thing for doctors to manage.

Kosky said there could be an adverse effect on the mismatch in patients' expectations of health care and what is given to them when treated. To be specific, it will have an impact on how patients get along with health care workers.

One of the harmful effects of this mismatch is that doctors may be able to prescribe ineffective but harmful drugs to their patients to get what they expect.

With the new guidance, Kosky is hopeful that this will change the way patients expect how they will be treated for their chronic pain. In turn, it will help patients trust their health care workers more.

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Mumbai police commissioner stated that they have sought a legal opinion on inter-jurisdictional probe being conducted by the Bihar police

The investigation into suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput seems to have lost priority amidst the tussle between two police forces which has now taken a political turn. (PTI Photo)

Mumbai: The tussle between Mumbai police and their counterparts from Bihar touched a new high after a visiting IPS officer was forcefully placed under quarantine after the authorities having waived off the ritual for the Bihar police team that arrived earlier.

The Mumbai police commissioner meanwhile stated that they have sought a legal opinion on inter-jurisdictional probe being conducted by the Bihar police. The investigation into suicide of Sushant Singh Rajput seems to have lost priority amidst the tussle between two police forces which has now taken a political turn.

The Bihar director general of police has raised objection to the treatment meted out to the IPS officer Vinay Tiwari who was not provided any support or help inspite of his seniority. Also he was forced stamped on his hand and put into 14 days quarantine at 11 pm, hours after his arrival.

The senior Bihar police officials objected to this behaviour stating it was selective and distasteful in a bid to deter him from investigating the matter. The team of four Bihar police officers were not asked to quarantine and hence this step was considered to be intentional to hamper their investigation.

SSP Patna IPS Upendra Kumar Sharma had requested for accommodation and a vehicle for SP central city Patna Vinay Tiwari to IG headquarters in DG office Maharashtra, who was visiting Mumbai for investigation. Accordingly, accommodation arrangements were made at senior officers mess, SRPF GRP VIII, Goregaon and vehicle Maruti Ertiga was arranged for Vinay Tiwari. All courtesies befitting to an IPS officer are duly extended to Vinay Tiwari. MPO Mess, Worli is presently non-operational due to Covid-19 situation, said a Maharashtra police statement.

The Mumbai police meanwhile is seeking legal opinion on the full-fledged probe being conducted inside the jurisdiction of Mumbai police instead of transferring the case here. The city police have recorded statements of at least 56 persons including several Bollywood bigwigs.

We are seeking legal opinion and will act according to what comes of it. The FIR by Bihar police says `15 crore were siphoned off from Sushants account. During the probe, we found he had `18 crore in his account of which around `4.5 crore are still there in the actors account, said Mumbai police commissioner Param Bir Singh.

The two police teams are yet to reach a middle ground to jointly investigate the case.
Putting the health and lives of the people above everything has been the broadest consensus during Chinas COVID-19 response, which manifested the value in the governance of the Communist Party of China (CPC), the largest ruling party in the world.

The fight against the epidemic is also a war in defense of human rights. China has mobilized the entire country to combat the virus, fully demonstrating its people-centered approach in human rights protection.

To determine how much a country respects human rights, it is necessary to know how much it respects and safeguards lives in crises.

Since the outbreak, Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, has taken personal command and planned the response, emphasizing that peoples lives and health must come first.

China has always placed saving lives in the first place during its fight against the epidemic. The government has covered all the cost for treating COVID-19 patients, which maximumly raised the testing and cure rates, as well as lowered the infection rate and fatality rate as possible as it could.

Hubei Province received nationwide support during Chinas epidemic response at the height of the pandemic. Besides, the country has managed to construct the Huoshenshan Hospital in Hubeis capital Wuhan within just 10 days, and built 16 makeshift hospitals in the city at a speed of 1.5 hospitals per day.

It demonstrated the vital importance attached by the CPC, a Marxist ruling party, on its people, as well as the efforts made by a socialist country to protect human rights.

The fact that the country and its ruling party have mobilized the whole nation to safeguard lives also showed that human rights are an integration of individual and collective rights. Individual rights can only be maximized when combined with collective rights.

How a country treats the socially disadvantaged groups is an important indicator measuring its level of civilization and human rights protection.

We will never give up on any patient, said a doctor at the Hanyang branch of the Wuhan Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine.

He said that when Xu Ming, a 95-year-old recovered COVID-19 patient came to him to express gratitude on April 16.

Besides, China has introduced and implemented a series of measures for the socially disadvantaged groups to strengthen their capacity to cope with the risks, such as distributing relief funds among people in need and extending the service terms for public service jobs.

The rights to subsistence and development are the primary and basic human rights. The effective guarantee of the rights to subsistence and the steady improvement of living standards are the preconditions and foundations for fulfilling and developing all other human rights.

While preventing and controlling the epidemic, China has made efforts to ensure the basic supplies for people, allocated funds to help companies and stabilize jobs, and progressed in eliminating poverty.

It has not only relied closely on the people to combat the epidemic, but also engaged in improving the well-being of the people, creating the environment for guaranteeing peoples rights.

As it has managed to contain the virus domestically, China has strived to build a global community of shared future amid the pandemic, which is also one of its attempts to safeguard human rights.

It has reported the epidemic to the World Health Organization promptly, shared the genetic sequence of the virus with other countries, and endeavored to help other countries purchase much-needed medical supplies and equipment in China.

As of the end of May, China had shared diagnosis and treatment plans as well as prevention and control formulas with over 180 countries and more than 10 international and regional organizations, dispatched medical teams to countries with urgent needs, and provided medical assistance to nearly 150 countries and four international organizations.

While it bought some precious time for the world in the fight against the epidemic, it has shouldered its responsibility as a major country, demonstrating humanitarianism for the international community.

Living a happy life is the primary human right and the biggest prerequisite for a happy life is to guarantee the lives and health of the people.

China has mobilized the whole nation and paid great cost to protect the health and lives of its people, which is a perfect interpretation of human rights protection.

Chinas fight against the epidemic has not only created a miracle in the history of preventing and controlling infectious disease, but also written a glorious chapter in the human rights undertakings and advanced the international cause of human rights.
TDP Chief on Monday gave an ultimatum to Chief Minister YS Jaganmohan Reddy to withdraw his three capitals decision within 48 hours or abolish the State Legislative Assembly to seek a fresh public mandate on his decision for trifurcation.

Naidu reminded chief minister Jagan that he and his party leaders had promised the people of AP in the 2019 election campaign that Amaravati would continue to be the only capital city and that it would be fully developed.

After making that promise, the CM has no right to shift Amaravati capital without the approval of all the 5 crore people of the state, Naidu said.

The opposition leader said he dared the AP CM to seek a fresh mandate if he had the courage and if he was fully confident of having total approval of the people for his three Capitals plan.

Naidu said that if the people vote for and bring the YSRCP back to power in the re-election, then the TDP would humbly accept their mandate and it would not raise its dissenting voice again against the decision.

If the CM does not come out with a proper response, the TDP along with the other Opposition parties would intensify their agitation not just through legal battles but also to make the CM as a culprit in the people's court, the former chief minister said.

Naidu said, "The YSRCP leaders made the voters of Andhra believe that Amaravati capital would not be destroyed even if Jagan was made the CM in 2019. But, after coming to power, he backstabbed and betrayed all the 5 crore, people of the state, by going ahead with his Capital shifting without discussing or taking prior approval of the people."

Naidu lambasted that Jagan himself repeatedly uttered the election slogan that he would never break his promises and that he would worship his party manifestoes like the Bible, the Bhagavad Gita, and the Quran. Having sworn on the holy books, the Chief Minister was now relentlessly breaking his promises without any conscience.

Stating that Amaravati was selected duly abiding by the AP Reorganisation Act 2014, Chandrababu Naidu pointed out that no Government would have a right to destroy this as it would only kick up greater problems that would crush the prospects of future generations of people of

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Whitney Houston is saving all her love for Sony.

The rights for the highly anticipated biopic about the late Grammy winner, who would have turned 57 next week, were won by Sonys TriStar Pictures on Tuesday, Deadline reports.

I Wanna Dance With Somebody, named after Houstons 1987 single I Wanna Dance with Somebody (Who Loves Me), is already targeted for a Thanksgiving 2022 release.

The Whitney Houston Estate, Primary Wave, and Houstons Grammy-winning mentor, producer Clive Davis, are all supporting the film, which will see The Photograph director Stella Meghie at the helm.

Oscar-nominee Anthony McCarten  known for his biopic prowess with Academy Award winners The Theory of Everything, Darkest Hour, and nominee The Two Popes  will pen the script.

The Kiwi screenwriter also wrote 2018 1/4 u2032s Bohemian Rhapsody, a musical biographical film about the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury. The film resulted in Rami Malek winning the Oscar for Best Actor.

Its unknown who will portray the Saving All My Love for You singer, whose acting credits included romances The Bodyguard and Waiting to Exhale.

Houston died in February 2012 as a result of an accidental drowning with the effects of atherosclerotic heart disease and cocaine use listed as contributing factors. She was just 48.

Flags were ordered to fly at half-staff later that month in Houstons home state of New Jersey.



2020 New York Daily News

Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com

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President Trump campaigned on a promise to run the economy like his business empire. And for almost four years, he has unabashedly wielded the power of the presidency to insert himself into corporate affairs, helping some companies and punishing others in line with his instincts and inclinations. The latest target of his attention is TikTok, the Chinese-owned social media app under scrutiny for potentially providing the Chinese government with access to American user data. After threatening on Friday to ban the app from the United States, Mr. Trump reversed course, saying he would ...
Hamo Moskofian, a Beirut-based Armenian journalist, was among those injured in a huge blast in the port of Beirut.

The report came as one of his friends posted a photo of the journalist and wished him to get well.

His house was also damaged.
We said, Its election season. Do you see all this political mail? What do you want us to do about that?  the employee said, adding: The carriers were so outraged about the ballots and the political mail, we said we were still going to take the ballots out. Were still going to take the political mail out and deliver it.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 07:18:18|Editor: huaxia

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A customer visits a store in the "Dove Lane" in the old town Tuancheng of Hotan City, northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, May 26, 2020. (Xinhua/Sadat)

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China on Monday urged the United States to immediately withdraw its wrong decision of imposing sanctions on the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and two relevant officials, vowing to "resolutely fight back" if the U.S. side is bent on behaving like this.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to relevant U.S. move, and a recent statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticizing China's Xinjiang policy.

"The U.S. action is a gross interference in China's internal affairs and a grave violation of basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it," Wang told a daily press briefing.

He said Xinjiang-related issues are never about human rights, ethnicity or religion, but about counter-terrorism and anti-separatism. "Xinjiang affairs are purely China's internal affairs. The United States has no right and no ground to interfere."

Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps has made important contributions to promoting Xinjiang's development, ethnic unity, social stability and border security, living in harmony with all ethnic groups as a friendly and supportive companion, said Wang. "The U.S. allegation is nothing but rumor-mongering and mud-slinging."

The Chinese government is resolute in upholding its sovereignty, security and development interests, in fighting violent terrorist, separatist and religious extremist forces, and in opposing any foreign interference in Xinjiang affairs and China's other internal affairs, Wang said.

While commenting on Pompeo's recent accusation about so-called "surveillance" against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, Wang said the allegation has no factual basis at all. "It is a common international practice to use modern scientific and technological products and big data to improve social governance, and the United States is no exception.

The installation of cameras in public places in accordance with law in Xinjiang does not target any specific ethnicity and it aims to improve social governance and prevent and fight crimes. This measure has been widely supported by people of all ethnic groups as it makes the society safer, he said.

"Speaking of surveillance, the United States has long been criticized for its massive surveillance using high-techs," Wang said.

According to a report released by Georgetown University, half of American adults, or more than 117 million people, are enrolled in a law enforcement face recognition network, and African Americans are most likely to be singled out, he said.

Moreover, relevant U.S. agencies have long been conducting massive, organized and indiscriminate cyber theft, surveillance and attacks against foreign governments, companies and individuals in breach of international law and basic norms of international relations, Wang said. "This has been a well-known fact to all."

Pompeo and his likes' remarks are "nothing better than malicious slanders," Wang said. "Such attempt to sabotage prosperity and stability in Xinjiang and seek pretext to have a hand in China's internal affairs is doomed to fail." 
It's hard to be a leader in the best of times, and the Covid-19 pandemic crisis has created an entirely new set of challenges. In the Q2 2020 Vistage CEO Confidence Index survey, a survey conducted by my own company, we asked our community of small- and midsize-business leaders what their most significant leadership challenges are today.

In my company's analysis of their nearly 900 open-ended responses, we found four common challenges, along with approaches to overcoming them and continuing the journey toward recovery.

1. Morale

The most common theme shared by CEOs was maintaining and building morale with their leadership teams and employees. It has been a highly stressful six months, which is now compounded as the number of Covid-19 cases rises across the country. This, coupled with increasing uncertainty around timing of the recovery, is raising the fear factor for everyone. Burnout is becoming a real threat, and leaders will continue to be challenged to motivate a diverse workforce struggling with multiple stressors and the pressure to perform.

Leaders need to encourage their people to take a break away from work when they need one--even if they aren't going away for their typical summer vacation. This is going to be increasingly important for maintaining morale over the next few months as we continue to limp toward recovery. Going forward, your priorities should include keeping employees focused and positive, avoiding executive burnout, and inspiring the organization despite continued uncertainty.

2. Workspace concerns

The pandemic has changed what we consider the workplace. CEOs are grappling with not only when to return to the office but also how to do it. You're likely challenged to redesign the workplace with physical health and safety as top priorities. For those workers who are willing to return to the workplace, creating a feeling of safety is vital. But the challenge is well beyond physical workspace.

Even after Covid-19 is under control, there will likely be more people who will look for and change jobs specifically to have the ability to work from home. Working remotely will no longer be a benefit but a requirement for a certain percentage of the workforce. You'll have to define how a hybrid model will work best for your organization.

3. Growth

Driving and sustaining growth is especially difficult to achieve in this environment. To reboot growth, leaders have to really understand the status of their market and the change in buyer needs, wants, and behaviors based on the level of devastation they've experienced.

At the same time, leaders need to continue to innovate and transform to meet new needs. Almost half (48 percent) of Vistage members surveyed have created new products and services during this time. About half of those innovations are going to be permanent offerings going forward.

Creating new demand, reengaging with customers, and rebuilding opportunity pipelines are all prerequisites to increasing business volume. Quickly adjusting to changing customer behaviors and shaping messages that connect to their new reality will be essential in accelerating growth.

4. Uncertainty

Undercutting everything is the overwhelming uncertainty about the length of the pandemic, the direction of the economy, and the unknown impact to the markets. Forecasting has become far less predictable as pre-Covid financial models have lost relevance.

To make decisions now, leaders must rely on the information that is available at the time. They are increasingly relying on instinct--how they feel about an issue--and judgment--the combination of experience, knowledge, and what they've learned, seen, and think. Leaders need to also pull in perspectives of people and resources they trust and respect, such as a tax or financial adviser, other CEOs, and research from credible and objective sources.

The key is to seek multiple perspectives, add them to instinct and judgment, and then make the best possible decision. Be prepared, however, to admit you are wrong in a nanosecond and quickly pivot to what the information, the data, and your instincts tell you is a better path. And prepare for that path to change again and again.
Out on the open range, so far north of Flagstaff that the San Francisco Peaks can barely be peeked at in the distance, a newly cut swath of singletrack trail 20 years in the making was unveiled over the weekend.

A 15-mile stretch of the Arizona Trail, the state outdoor recreational jewel, running through Babbitt Ranches property from the Tub Ranch area to the Kaibab National Forest boundary, replaces the dusty, rutting and altogether forgettable existing fire roads that the Babbitt Family gave permission for the AZT to use since the trails initial planning in the 1990s.

Representatives from the central partners in the effort  Coconino County, the AZT, Babbitt Ranches and Flagline Trails  met at high noon on Saturday at the junction where the new Babbitt Ranches singletrack ends and the Kaibab forest land picks up.

The informal ceremony almost had the feel of leaders meeting at a demilitarized zone, only much friendlier  or perhaps a modern-day Golden Spike ceremony. On the eastern side of the singletrack stood a freshly-cut six-foot wooden sign reading, Arizona Trail Babbitt Ranch Passage. Then, over a cattle guard, stood another new sign hailing the Kaibab National Forest boundary.

The principles, however, were partners, not rivals. And it took years of cooperation, fundraising, planning and land purchasing, not to mention sweat equity, to make the day possible. Were there were times when some involved in the lengthy singletrack project through Babbitt Ranches and county-purchased small parcels thought it might not come to pass?

No, I knew the day would eventually come, with perseverance and all the partners keeping it on their radar and acknowledging the value of this trail and the realignment, said Cynthia Nemeth, of the Coconino County Parks and Recreation department. The Arizona Trail is a huge benefit to our state, and this really speaks to partnerships. Were talking a private property owner, the county, nonprofits and federal agencies working together.

Matt Nelson, executive director of the Arizona Trail Association, said improving user experience on the Babbitt Ranches passage was one of his organizations foremost goals. Though ATZ leadership had long praised Babbitt Ranches for allowing access onto its land  its the only private land on the entire 800-mile stretch  it had long wanted a more scenic and aesthetically pleasing route.

And once the Babbitt family gave the nod in 2018, and once all the bureaucratic tangles had been unwound, it took Flagline Trails, the Arizona and American Conservation Corps and scores of volunteers less than a year to build 15 miles of singletrack.

We were committed to get it done because, well, it was 20 years in the making, Nelson said. There was all this pent-up excitement. Wed been looking forward to this for so long. Executive directors long before me had been wanting to see this happen.

For years, thru-hikers and bikers and other frequent users of the trail that runs from the Mexican border to the Utah border have consistently rated Passage 35, through Babbitt Ranch to the Moqui Stage Station, as one their least favorite segments. (The only passage rated lower was a stretch through Temporal Gulch, near the Santa Rita Mountains, that included passing a landfill, an old mine and three miles of asphalt.)

Trail users, Nelson said, will notice a stark difference now.

The difference between singletrack and doubletrack is that nature immersion experience, Nelson said. On a singletrack, youre walking or biking with all your senses, whereas on a road, youre just plodding along. Roads are designed for machines to point A and point B, and trails are more a recreational trail experience.

Billy Cordasco, president of Babbitt Ranches, said the delay in giving approval was a matter of timing. The Babbitt family, he said, was involved in the original plotting of the trail through this section of northern Arizona, so it was committed to eventually signing off on a realignment.

Internally, at Babbitts, weve been off-the-charts supportive, Cordasco said. We now have a recreation program thats being developed, so weve very interested in this. Its been an evolution (of the trail) over time, and right from the start, when Dale Shewalter (AZT founder) came to Jim Babbitt (in the early 90s), its been a no-brainer.

AZTs Nelson said it took little convincing for Cordasco to agree to have part of his land carved into a real trail.

Babbitt is very progressive in wanting to develop recreational resources on ranch properties, Nelson said. I said to Billy, This is the perfect opportunity. Youre interested in recreation and heres this conceptual line that weve been wanting to work on for two decades.' He said yes.

The new route, however, was not as easy as just having the Babbitts sign off. For years, Coconino County has been systematically buying small parcels of land skirting the Babbitt property so that the proposed singletrack could wind along without being interrupted.

When you have checkerboard land, its always a challenge getting across the corners, on forest (land) or, in this case, Babbitt Ranches. The county, back in 2001, started buying 20-by-20-foot parcels, 10 of those, I think. It wasnt super expensive. We spent a lot of time laying out the parcels. But things came up and (the project) dragged on. But those parcels, county-owned, have been sitting there waiting for this.

At last, it has come to pass.

One aspect that hasnt changed about the AZT section officially known as Passage 35 is that its mostly flat and goes through range land. Though it might not be as bucolic as other parts of the AZT, the singletrack figures to be a vast improvement on eroded fire roads.

The whole area is fairly flat, so to make it sustainable, we were looking for side slope, for topography, to put the trail on so we could get good cross-trail drainage, Flagline Trails Matthew Roberts said. Any time we saw topography, we took the trail toward that to wind it around. The two keys to building a good trail: sustainability and (good user) experience. Weve got that

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More than half of low-income rural areas lack ICU beds.

Hospitals in rural areas may face a double hit from bans on elective procedures and a lack of offsetting revenue from COVID-19 cases.

Rural hospitals may need assistance to survive the pandemics financial effects.

Hospitals in the early stages of the coronavirus pandemic relied on payments for the treatment of COVID-19 patients to help bolster their finances. But the recent resurgence in southern and western states is depleting revenue for rural hospitals that lack intensive care beds, advocates and researchers say.

The Federation of American Hospitals (FAH) recently issued a brief, produced in conjunction with FTI Consulting, that outlines the pandemic-related financial challenges for hospitals, especially those in rural communities. The analysis was part of a push to get Congress to provide relief for hospitals that this month must begin repaying Medicare advance-payment loans.

The analysis included a range of findings on the vulnerable position of rural hospitals, including:

Among rural hospitals in 20 states, 66% lack ICU beds.

Median cash on hand at rural hospitals would cover just 33 days of expenses.

Twelve rural hospitals have closed this year.

Hospitals in some areas of the country  including Florida, Alabama, Texas and Arizona  again are being forced to cancel scheduled, nonemergency procedures in response to a surge in COVID-19 cases. Elective surgery shutdowns are eliminating a major revenue source, while the lack of ICUs at rural hospitals in such states means they cannot make up any of that lost revenue.

For hospitals that do not experience an influx of COVID-19 patients, the cost of ongoing preparedness while overall patient volume declines is especially devastating, the analysis states.

Study finds significant access gaps

The FAH analysis echoed new findings in research published Aug. 3 in Health Affairs by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine.

That study found wide disparities in nationwide access to ICUs, with the biggest gaps occurring in rural areas served by facilities without ICUs.

Key findings included:

Of the lowest-income communities, 49% had no ICU beds.

Of the highest-income communities, 3% had no ICU beds.

Of urban low-income areas, 31% had no ICU beds.

Of rural low-income areas, 55% had no ICU beds.

Low-income communities have far fewer ICU beds per capita than wealthier communities, the authors wrote. Because low-income communities are also likely to have higher incidence of COVID-19 and higher prevalence of the chronic medical conditions that increase the probability of life-threatening illness among people with COVID-19, the adverse effects of the low supply of ICU beds in low-income communities may be compounded by disproportionately high demand for ICU care in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Genevieve Kanter, an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine and a study author, noted in an interview that rural areas also have higher shares of older residents, who are more vulnerable to COVID-19.

Changes needed to bolster critical care

The researchers recommended several steps to address the challenges for rural areas, including:

Emergency expansion of ICU capabilities by state and municipal policymakers

Planning for how and when to transport patients to hospitals outside their immediate communities

Provision of emergency funds for hospitals to build ICU services

The researchers noted that rural areas will have a hard time building ICU capacity on their own, since many of their patients lack extensive insurance coverage and the costs of care often exceed payment rates.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services specifically targeted $11 billion to rural providers from among provider emergency funds appropriated by Congress. However, it was not clear whether any rural hospitals used those funds to add temporary ICU capacity, Kanter said.

There have been efforts to coordinate hospital transfers at the state level, including in New York and Michigan, she noted.

New York City has also made important efforts in expanding temporary ICU capacity, Kanter said.
An Australian swimwear designer has hit back at a stranger who said she should 'lose some weight' to assist with healing her skin issues.

Karina Irby, 30, shared a screenshot of the unexpected message to her 1.1 million Instagram followers and said she felt 'ashamed' and 'embarrassed'.

The Gold Coast influencer hit back at the stranger by calling her a 'Karen' and said she has struggled with eczema, folliculitis and staphylococcus since she was born.

Karina regularly posts candid photos in bikinis to promote a healthy body image online to her followers.

Australian swimwear designer Karina Irby (pictured) has responded to a stranger who said she should 'lose some weight' to assist with her skin issues

The Gold Coast influencer hit back at the stranger by calling her a 'Karen' and said she has struggled with eczema, folliculitis and staphylococcus since she was born

Karina responded to the blatant Instagram message (pictured) with 'wow' and posted the screenshot on Monday August 3 with a lengthy caption

In the message, the woman wrote 'I'm not trying to be rude but I feel like all your skin issues may have started when you started putting on weight' and that Karina should 'maybe try and lose some weight'.

Karina responded to the blatant Instagram message with 'wow' and posted the screenshot on Monday August 3 with a lengthy caption.

'FYI Karen. I was born with these skin conditions,' Karina said, adding: 'However it's only over the past few years I've felt comfortable sharing my journey.'

WHAT IS ECZEMA, FOLLICULITIS AND STAPHYLOCOCCUS? Eczema is a common skin condition that affects both children and adults. Those with eczema have skin that doesn't keep the moisture in very well, so it becomes dry, red and easily irritated Folliculitis is a skin infection that can affect one or more hair follicles, which are the small cavities that surround the roots of your hair This condition can occur on your skin wherever hair grows, but often occurs on the thighs, buttocks, neck and armpits Staphylococcus (staph) is an infection caused by bacteria commonly found on the skin or in the nose Common symptoms include boils and oozing blisters. Staph can also cause food poisoning resulting in nausea, vomiting and stomach ache Sources: Mayoclinic, Healthline and Health Direct Advertisement

'Then people like you pop up and remind me why I enjoy exposing myself so comfortably,' Karina said.

'Because it's people like you that make people like us feel like they have to feel ashamed, embarrassed and cover ourselves up.

'I'm proud to say I'm strong enough now to say NO and kindly SHUT UP,' she said.

'FYI Karen. I was born with these skin conditions,' Karina said, adding: 'However it's only over the past few years I've felt comfortable sharing my journey'

'I'm proud to say I'm strong enough now to say NO and kindly SHUT UP,' Karina said

The social media post quickly received attention from others and many were shocked at the blunt message.

'That's the most passive aggressive stupid message I have ever seen,' one person said.

'Her opinion ain't valid and it's very petty of her to all of a sudden think she's a qualified doctor,' another said.

A third added: 'I like how every disrespectful comment always starts with "I don't mean to be rude or disrespectful BUT"'.

The social media post quickly received attention from others and many were shocked at the blunt message

To control the itchiness, she said to stop shaving so often, try a 'unicorn bath', moisturise regularly and try to limit stress

In early July, Karina said she has learned to manage her painful itchy skin conditions by doing four different things.

'I get asked on the daily how I transformed my skin, so stop scratching for a minute because here it is,' she posted on her Instagram page.

While the 30-year-old said you should always 'visit a dermatologist' to get a professional opinion first, she said there are several things you can do yourself at home as a 'recipe for success'.

'To put it simply, due to my conditions I have a lot of staph on my skin,' she said.

'Any irritations to the surface whether that's scratching or shaving can lead to hundreds of infections, so I needed to kill the bad bacteria and stop infection ASAP.'

To control the itchiness, she said to stop shaving so often, try a 'unicorn bath', moisturise regularly and try to limit stress.
Last weekend, days before the cornerstone- laying ceremony for a Ram temple, the administration of Ayodhya fulfilled another aspect of the November 2019 Supreme Court verdict that cleared the way for the shrine to be built.

About 30 kilometres away from what was once a disputed site, five acres of land was handed over to the Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation on Saturday for the construction of a mosque.

Also Read: Ram temple is for everyone: Yogi Adityanath

While the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust is preparing for the formal launch of construction of a grand Ram temple with Wednesdays ceremony, members of the fledgeling foundation are yet to meet , leave alone draw up a plan for the kind of structure they want to build

Please dont compare us to them, said Athar Hussain, a spokesperson for the foundation. They have had decades to plan for the temple and we were only informed that we would have to plan for an alternative site in November last year. By the time they identified the Dhanipur land for us, Covid hit us and so we havent even had a physical meeting just yet. 

The Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation, spearheaded by the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Waqf Board, may not have firmed up a plan for the construction of a mosque in lieu of the of the Babri Masjid that was demolished by Hindu activists in 1992 in an act that the Supreme Court termed as illegal act, but it does have some ideas .

Also Read: At Bhumi Pujan, 150 cops recovered from Covid-19 will be PMs security ring

The new mosque may be around the same size as the Babri masjid, but the land allotment is much larger and so we want to make sure that we play a much larger role in the community, said Hussain. We are planning to have a hospital to take care of the health needs and also, a museum and a research centre in the area.

For the 9,000 odd residents of Rounahi town, the attention it is attracting is all very new. District officials say they were bound by the court order to allot land that would be within the Ayodhya city limits and would sit harmoniously with its surroundings. Rounahi fit the bill because of its predominantly Muslim population and its accessibility, just off the Lucknow-Faizabad highway.

Earlier we were famous for this mazaar which hosts a three-day mela every year in April, said resident Sohrah Khan. 10,000 people would head here for the qawwalis, the horse racing and other festivities.

And now, Khan is hoping, Rounahi gets the same kind attention and development that Ayodhya does.

Thats the best that most of its agrarian residents can hope for. The allotted land is now a lush green area, covered by rice paddy and come Wednesday, many of the farmer residents are hoping that the foundation-stone laying ceremony for the Ram temple means an end to communal bitterness.

Being 30 kilometres away, theres no one who has offered prayers at the original Babri masjid, but there are those who followed the legal dispute and came away disappointed.

I just hope they make a lasting structure now, taki masjid kayam rahe (so that the mosque lasts), said one woman resident, refusing to be identified.

``We all know the reality of why this moque had to come here, said farmer Naim Khan. Now that the court has ordered it, so be it

Thats a sentiment that many others echoed. Like Abdul Khaliq, a resident of Ayodhya who was also involved in the court case. Khaliq, unlike litigant Iqbal Ansari, refuses to accept the land swap for the mosque.

They took advantage of the fact that we in the Muslim side said we would accept whatever the Supreme Court said, he said. Thats fine. But I dont have to accept this five acres. I dont care what happens to that land. Another litigant, Haji Meboob, too said that he wasnt supportive of the decision to accept the land.

These sentiments reflect the deep divide in the community over the resolution of the dispute. `A new mosque was never asked from the Supreme Court, said lawyer MR Shamshad. A constitutional issue was finally decided by granting restitution. This is not justice, and hence the community had taken the stand to distance themselves from the land.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 05:01:53|Editor: huaxia

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SAO PAULO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's three main private banks, including Itau, the largest financial institution in Latin America, announced that their profits dropped significantly in the second quarter, mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on consumption and credit.

"This was one of the worst quarters in the history of Brazil in terms of economic performance," Itau president Candido Bracher said in a statement following the release of the figures.

Itau disclosed that it had registered a profit of 3.4 billion reals (about 643 million U.S. dollars) in the second quarter, a 50 percent decrease compared to the period between April and June 2019.

Bradesco, Brazil's second largest private bank, announced a quarterly profit of 3.5 billion reals (about 658 million U.S. dollars), a 42 percent drop compared to the same period in 2019.

Last week, the Brazilian subsidiary of Spain's Santander Bank, the country's third largest bank, reported a fall of 40.76 percent profit for the quarter. Enditem
The #MeToo campaign against Gerald Darmanin over rape allegations has intensified since he became interior minister this month. The Greens, Jean-Luc Melenchons Unsubmissive France (LFI), the Socialist Party (PS) and the right-wing Republicans (LR) have all called for his resignation.

It should be stated from the outset that there is nothing progressive about this campaign. There is deep anger among workers at European governments homicidal return-to-work policy amid the pandemic, bank bailouts, austerity, mass death and suffering, and police repression of popular protests. Under these conditions, the focus on Darmanins alleged sexual misconduct aims to divert this growing opposition away from a struggle against French and European capitalism, behind a campaign based on gender politics and support for the police state.

The allegations relate to events that occurred in 2009. The accusation was made eight years later, shortly after Darmanin became a minister in the Macron administration. His accuser, Sophie Patterson-Spatz, sent him text messages stating that she had slept with him so that he would use his influence to clear her criminal record. Prosecutors formally dropped the investigation three times in 2017-2018, stating there is no evidence the sexual encounter was not consensual. Darmanin has never been tried, let alone convicted of anything related to the case.

A manifesto for the sexual misconduct campaign appeared in Liberation on July 23, entitled, Gerald Darmanin must quit the ministry of the interior. It was written by Claire Monod and Sophie Taille-Polian of Generation.S, a recent PS split-off, and signed by Manon Aubry and Clementine Aubry of LFI, and female leaders of the Greens, the Stalinist French Communist Party, and the Socialist Party.

Gerald Darmanin is presumed innocent, they write. But how to justify the promotion to the Interior of a minister accused in a preliminary investigation for rape, harassment and abuse of weakness and whose lawyers do not dispute the facts but their legal interpretation? Darmanins elevation had created an indignation that transcends Republican political divisions, they add.

They conclude: The republican police deserve better than this nomination, and women in politics as elsewhere will not be silenced any longer! Gerald Darmanin cannot remain interior minister.

In other words, Darmanins removal is necessary for the moral cleansing of the French state, dripping in blood shed in wars from Afghanistan to Syria and Mali, and his replacement by someone who lives up to the high moral standards of the French police!

It would be difficult to find a clearer self-indictment of the right-wing character of #MeToo opponents of Darmanin, their alignment with imperialism and their hostility to the working class. The police forces they hail have spent the past two years blowing off hands, shooting out eyes, arresting and beating countless yellow vest protesters and striking workers, both men and women, and rounding up immigrants.

What is particularly striking about the #MeToo campaign against Darmanin is that its leaders avoid, and in fact attempt to conceal, the police-state policies Darmanin and the Macron administration are pursuing.

Last Monday, Darmanin announced he would sue the Green mayor of Colombes, Patrick Chaimovitch, for having raised the historical links between the Nazi-collaborationist Vichy regime and the French police of today. The decision, demanded by far-right police unions, effectively criminalizes historically-informed criticism of the police or fascism in France.

On Tuesday, Darmanin declared in a fascistic speech to a commission in the National Assembly that he chokes whenever he hears the words police violence. He stated: I do not think its necessary to compare types of violence. Some are legitimatethis is the exercise of force by the policeand some are illegitimatethat is the exercise of force by people who are not police or gendarmes. In other words, brutal police violence is legitimate, because it is the police who are doing it.

The replacement of Darmanin with a figure supported by the #MeToo campaign against him, whether male or female, would not change these policies one iota. An examination of this tawdry case explodes the claim that #MeToo is defending women against Darmanin.

In May 2009, Darmanin was approached by Sophie Spatz (born Olga Patterson), then 36 years old, at the Paris offices of the ruling, right-wing Union for a Popular Movement (UMP, today LR). Patterson-Spatz was a former prostitute and UMP member. Darmanin was then a 25-year-old UMP municipal councilor in Tourcoing.

Patterson-Spatz requested Darmanins help to clear her criminal record, which included convictions for blackmail and making threatening calls to a former boyfriend. That night, Patterson-Spatz and Darmanin had dinner at a restaurant, went to a swingers club in central Paris, and stayed the night together at a hotel. Six months later, in November 2009, Darmanin asked then-Justice Minister Michele Alliot-Marie to look into Patterson-Spatzs case.

The two continued to exchange text messages until 2012. One of Patterson-Spatzs messages, sent on December 17, 2009, and subsequently leaked to the media, states that she slept with Darmanin so he would assist in her case. She wrote: Abuse ones position !! in my view this is being a jerk!! Above all when one is in pain, politics suits you well! When you know the effort that I had to go through to sleep with you !!!! for you to look into my case.

Darmanin replied: Youre right. I am a jerk. How can I ask you to forgive me?

Darmanin climbed the ranks, becoming a deputy in the National Assembly in 2012. In 2017, after Macron was elected president, Darmanin was named minister of public action and accounts. Within two days of his nomination, Patterson-Spatzs husband, Pierre Spatz, sent a letter to the minister of justice accusing Darmanin of rape, abuse of his powers, and exploiting a person in desperate condition.

A criminal investigation was opened in June 2017, but the case was dropped by prosecutors on July 11, 2017, because Patterson-Spatz refused police requests for an interview. It was reopened in January 2018, when she wrote to prosecutors requesting an interview, but was dropped again the following month.

Prosecutors explained the decision in a brief note published February 16, stating that the investigation did not establish the absence of consent of the plaintiff nor give evidence of any constraint, threat, surprise or violence against her. French law requires violence, constraint, threats or surprise for an act to constitute rape.

Patterson-Spatz has since filed a second accusation, this time in civil rather than criminal court. This second case has been dropped and reopened on appeal.

Given these events, accepted by both parties, the accusation of rape against Darmanin is manifestly baseless. Patterson-Spatzs lawyer has claimed that Darmanins promise to help her was the preparatory element of a rape by surprise, though the two went from dinner to a swingers club to a hotel and Patterson-Spatz subsequently sent him text messages acknowledging her consent.

Those who argue that it is irrelevant if the accusation is true, because Darmanin is a reactionary who should in any case be removed, are either deluding themselves or others. The attack on the presumption of innocence invariably strengthens the state and its repressive powers targeting the working population.

The #MeToo-style campaign against Darmanin is voicing demands of a privileged section of the middle class that is hostile to a struggle against Macron and the capitalist system, but wants a greater distribution of positions in the state and corporations for a narrow layer of affluent women.

The growing opposition in the working class to Macrons policies is along completely different linesfor social equality and democratic rights, and against poverty, austerity, war, and police-state rule. The political establishment, including the #MeToo movement, is hostile to this class opposition to Macron and wants to divide and demoralize it using gender and racial politics. This is the driving force behind the moralizing #MeToo campaign against Darmanin.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 09:21:07|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday called a New York City prosecutor's inquiry into his tax returns an attempt by Democrats to damage him in the election year.

"This is just a continuation of the witch hunt. It's Democrat stuff," Trump told reporters in the White House, adding that he knew nothing about the investigation.

Earlier on Monday, a court filing suggested Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, a Democrat, is pursuing a criminal investigation of the Trump Organization.

In the court filing, lawyers for Vance said the attorney was justified in demanding the president's tax returns because of public reports of "extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization."

At the time when Vance issued a subpoena to Trump's accountants, "there were public allegations of possible criminal activity" at the president's company "dating back over a decade," the lawyers said.

The Supreme Court in July rejected Trump's claim that he was immune from grand jury investigations such as the one led by Vance. Trump's attorneys have filed a new complaint following the 7-2 ruling, arguing that the subpoena is overly broad and amounts to presidential "harassment."

U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero has scheduled arguments to be fully submitted by mid-August, according to local media reports. Enditem
Technavio has been monitoring the cosmetic ingredients market and it is poised to grow by USD 9.16 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 7% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005166/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Cosmetic Ingredients Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

Frequently Asked Questions-

What was the value of the cosmetic ingredients market in 2019?

Technavio says that the value of the market was USD 21.95 billion in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 31.11 billion by 2024.

At what rate is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2020-2024?

Growing at a CAGR of over 7%, the market growth will accelerate in the forecast period.

What is the key factor driving the market?

Growing demand for natural cosmetic ingredients and the growing prominence of clean labeling in cosmetic formulations are the key factors driving the market growth.

Who are the top players in the market?

Ashland Global Holdings Inc., BASF SE, Clariant International Ltd., Croda International Plc, Eastman Chemical Co., Evonik Industries AG, Givaudan SA, Koninklijke DSM NV, Lonza Group Ltd., and Solvay SA are some of the major market participants.

Which region is expected to hold the highest market share?

APAC

What is the year-over-year growth rate of the global market?

The year-over-year growth rate for 2020 is estimated at 6.65%.

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Ashland Global Holdings Inc., BASF SE, Clariant International Ltd., Croda International Plc, Eastman Chemical Co., Evonik Industries AG, Givaudan SA, Koninklijke DSM NV, Lonza Group Ltd., and Solvay SA are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Growing demand for natural cosmetic ingredients has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Cosmetic Ingredients Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Cosmetic Ingredients Market is segmented as below:

Application Perfumes and Fragrances Hair Care and Skin Care Color Cosmetics Others

Geography APAC Europe North America South America MEA

Type Emollients Film-formers Moisturizers Surfactants Single-use Additives Carriers Powders And Colorants Others



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43454

Cosmetic Ingredients Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our cosmetic ingredients market report covers the following areas:

Cosmetic Ingredients Market size

Cosmetic Ingredients Market trends

Cosmetic Ingredients Market analysis

This study identifies the growing prominence of clean labeling in cosmetic formulations as one of the prime reasons driving the cosmetic ingredients market growth during the next few years.

Cosmetic Ingredients Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the cosmetic ingredients market, including some of the vendors such as Ashland Global Holdings Inc., BASF SE, Clariant International Ltd., Croda International Plc, Eastman Chemical Co., Evonik Industries AG, Givaudan SA, Koninklijke DSM NV, Lonza Group Ltd., and Solvay SA. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the cosmetic ingredients market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Cosmetic Ingredients Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist cosmetic ingredients market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the cosmetic ingredients market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the cosmetic ingredients market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of cosmetic ingredients market vendors

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Application

Market segments

Comparison by Application

Perfumes and fragrance Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Hair care and skin care Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Color cosmetics Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Application

Market Segmentation by Type

Market segments

Comparison by Type

Surfactants Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Single-use additives Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Type

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Volume Drivers- Demand led growth

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Ashland Global Holdings Inc.

BASF SE

Clariant International Ltd.

Croda International Plc

Eastman Chemical Co.

Evonik Industries AG

Givaudan SA

Koninklijke DSM NV

Lonza Group Ltd.

Solvay SA

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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/20200804005166/en/

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Website: www.technavio.com/
The American militarys presence in Europe is shifting eastward, the Defense Department has confirmed, as a new agreement with Poland sets up a host of construction projects designed to support more U.S. troops in that country.

In addition to the 4,500 troops that currently rotate from the U.S., Poland has agreed to fund infrastructure and logistical support to U.S. forces, Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Tom Campbell told Military Times. An increase of 1,000 rotational troops is also still on tap.

The plan is part of an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement completed Monday and awaiting signatures.

Alongside the recently announced European strategic force posture changes, the EDCA will enhance deterrence against Russia, strengthen NATO, reassure our Allies, and our forward presence in Poland on NATOs eastern flank will improve our strategic and operational flexibility, Defense Secretary Mark Esper said in a statement.

Infrastructure projects will include

 A V Corps forward command post.

 A forward division headquarters

 Several combat training centers, starting with Drawsko and Pomorskie.

 An Air Force MQ-9 squadron.

 An aerial port of debarkation for loading and unloading troops and equipment.

 An area support group.

 A special operations forces facility to support air, ground and maritime operations.

 Facilities for a armored brigade combat team, a combat aviation brigade and a combat sustainment support battalion.

The Armys V Corps had been deactivated since 2013, but the service announced it would stand the organization back up earlier this year, with its main headquarters at Fort Knox, Kentucky. On Tuesday, that plan fleshed out. About 630 soldiers will be assigned to V Corps, 200 of whom will man the Poland outpost on a rotating basis.

An Army Europe official told Army Times the service is still unaware of the exact location that V Corps will be set up in the country, and could only confirm that it will be in Poland. V Corps had previously been based in Germany.

Story continues

The first command post rotation is expected to start in fiscal year 2021. V Corps primary mission will be operational planning, mission command and oversight of the rotational forces in Europe.

The activation of an additional Corps headquarters provides the needed level of command and control focused on synchronizing U.S. Army, allied, and partner nation tactical formations operating in Europe, Army Chief of Staff Gen. James McConville said in a statement.

Armys resurrected V Corps will go to Poland

The plan builds off of talks a year ago about cost-sharing with Poland to fund a greater U.S. troop presence, as it keeps an eye on deterring Russian incursion.

Last June, President Donald Trump announced a 1,000-troop plus-up, largely from a division headquarters rotation and the addition of the MQ-9 Reaper squadron, but stopped short of unveiling a rumored Fort Trump, or another standalone U.S. base in Poland.

When Esper announced a plan July 29 to withdraw just under 12,000 troops from Germany and partially redistribute them around Europe, he alluded to co-locating some of those troops in existing European countries facilities, including in Belgium and Italy.

That would include these new projects in Poland, which will house U.S. troops on Polish bases.

Esper presented the plan as a re-balancing, as post-Cold War Europe has shifted NATOs border with Russia eastward.

Trump, meanwhile, has characterized withdrawing troops from Germany as a direct rebuke, in response to the country not meeting its goal of contributing 2 percent of its gross domestic product to NATO, a goal the organizations set for itself by 2024.

Germany is not paying their bills, Trump told reporters July 29. Theyre delinquent. Its simple.

Poland is one of the minority of NATO countries who meets that spending benchmark.

While about 5,600 troops will shift from Germany to other parts of Europe, another 5,300 will head back to the U.S., then potentially move into the pipeline for rotational deployments back to Eastern Europe.

Since 2016, the Army has been rotating an armored brigade combat team to Europe. While much of that deployment includes Poland, exercises and engagements with partner forces have seen American troops moving down to Bulgaria and up to Estonia.
Two scientists behind Oxford University's coronavirus vaccine could pocket a hefty sum of money if the jab proves successful, it emerged today.

Several private investors, including the controversial Chinese firm Huawei, are also poised to profit if the vaccine  called AZD1222  goes to market.

Oxford professors Sarah Gilbert and Adrian Hill co-founded Vaccitech in 2016. The start-up created the experimental jab  still in human trials  alongside experts at the university's Jenner Institute.

Company House records show the experts own roughly 10 per cent of the company, which was valued at 65.8million last year before the pandemic hit. It means the pair will be entitled to their share of revenue if the Covid-19 jab makes it to market and is sold for profit.

For comparison, influenza vaccines make around 4billion profit for pharmaceutical companies every year, globally.

Several Chinese investors, including a Dutch arm of Huawei, also own shares in the company listed as Vaccitech's biggest funder.

It means Huawei  which has been blacklisted by the UK and US amid fears it could use its tech to spy on the West  may also gain handsomely if the Covid-19 jab is proven to work and be safe over the next few months.

Oxford professors Sarah Gilbert and Adrian Hill could pocket a hefty sum of money if their Covid-19 jab proves successful, it emerged today

Several private investors, including the controversial Chinese firm Huawei, are also poised to profit if the vaccine - called AZD1222 - goes to market

Professor Gilbert declined to comment yesterday. She told The Times: 'I am concentrating on the vaccine trials.'

AstraZeneca, the makers of the Covid-19 jab, have promised to sell it 'at cost' so long as the world is still in the midst of a pandemic, meaning they won't make profit.

Only when the World Health Organization (WHO) brings the global threat level down from pandemic to 'endemic', similar to seasonal flu, will the Brentford-based firm ramp up the cost of the vaccine.

First trial results of Oxford's Covid-19 jab reveal it is safe and provokes an immune reaction that lasts for two months Oxford University's experimental jab is safe and provokes an immune reaction that lasts for at least two months, research shows. 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. Results from the first phase of clinical trials of Oxford's vaccine were published 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. Advertisement

How much profit the vaccine will make for its investors depends on how many other Covid-19 vaccines it has to compete with.

Dozens of coronavirus jabs are currently underway around the world, with candidates in the US, China and Russia all in the midst of rigorous human trials.

Bill Enright, the chief executive of Vaccitech, told The Times: 'Vaccitech and [Oxford] agreed very early on that neither party would seek to receive any royalty payments... during the pandemic.'

Eyebrows will also be raised about the fact Huawei, which was banned from operating the UK's 5G mobile network last month amid spying fears - is in line to profit from the vaccine if it is proven to be successful.

The telecoms giant is a shareholder in Oxford Sciences Innovation (OSI), a venture capital company that seeks investment to fund new technologies and research projects.

Public records show Huawei Technologies Cooeperatief, a Dutch arm of the maligned firm, bought 4.1million shares in OSI last July, roughly a 0.7 per cent stake, the Financial Times reports.

OSI has raised 600m in four years from 70 shareholders, including Temasek Holdings, which is owned by the Singapore government, GV, an investment firm owned by Google, the Chinese drugmaker Fosun Pharma, and the Wellcome Trust, a research charity based in London.

OSI has a breadth of startup tech companies under its portfolio including Oxford Nanoimaging, a microscope manufacturer, Oxford Flow, which designs pressure control equipment for the oil and gas industry, and vaccine maker Vaccitech.

As Vaccitech's biggest investor, OSI owns a 46 per cent stake in the company. The UK Government has also invested about 5million in the jab maker at the start of the pandemic.

Last month, the Government banned mobile providers from buying new Huawei 5G equipment amid fears the Chinese firm would use its tech to spy on the West.

UK companies using Huawei kit must strip it out of their networks by 2027, in a move that will slowdown the rollout of 5G in the UK by at least a year.

The move brought the UK closer in line with the US, where Huawei has been banished from selling even its smartphones to Americans.

Washington claims the firm poses a national security threat because it takes orders from China's Communist Party.

The Oxford vaccine is one of the frontrunners to become the first jab against Covid-19.

But the researchers behind the trials have had to move their studies abroad to South Africa and Brazil  where Covid-19 is still rife  to speed up the so-called efficacy trials.

There has been growing concern not enough people are catching the virus in the public in the UK anymore, which makes it hard to test whether the jab actually protects people from catching it.

UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock says frontline health and care workers, and those at an increased risk of serious disease, including elderly care homes residents, will be first in line to get access to a vaccine.

These people could get a dose of the jab by the end of the year if trials of the Oxford jab go as planned.

Over-50s and those with heart and kidney disease will be next, according to Mr Hancock, who said health bosses were also considering fast-tracking access for people from BAME backgrounds, who are disproportionately affected by Covid-19.

It's more likely the masses will get their hands on a Covid-19 sometime in early 2021, according to the UK's vaccine tsar, Kate Bingham.

Manufacturing is already under way, however, so that the vaccine can be mas-produced as quickly as possible.

A first batch is due to be delivered this week to a plant in Wrexham, north Wales, where it will be packaged into the glass vials it is stored in.

It comes after the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned there may never be a 'silver bullet' for treating Covid-19.

Countries around the world are locked in a race against time to test and produce a safe and effective vaccine for the coronavirus.

But Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, director general of the UN agency, said on Monday that scientists may never find one that works.

He said for now, stopping outbreaks 'comes down to the basics', urging nations to continue with test, trace and isolate schemes.

In a media briefing, Dr Tedros asked recommended countries participate in relevant clinical trials, and prepare for 'vaccine introduction'.

He said: 'We learn every day about this virus and Im pleased that the world has made progress in identifying treatments that can help people with the most serious forms of Covid-19 recover.

'Over the past week weve seen several countries that appeared as though they were past the worst now contending with fresh spikes in cases.

'However, weve also seen how some countries, regions or localities that had a high number of cases are now bringing the outbreak under control.

'A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection.'

Dr Tedros added: 'However, there is no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be.

'For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control.

'Testing, isolating and treating patients, and tracing and quarantining their contacts. Do it all.

'For individuals, its about keeping physical distance, wearing a mask, cleaning hands regularly and coughing safely away from others. Do it all.'
Noting that lockdown was a temporary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, a senior official of the World Health Organisation on Tuesday said India has a low testing rate when compared to some of the countries that are successfully trying to curb it.

The Chief Scientist of WHO, Soumya Swaminathan, in an interactive session through video conference said,as of now about 28 vaccine candidates for Covid-19 are under clinical trial, of which five are entering Phase-II and over 150 candidates are in pre-clinical trials across the globe.

India as a whole, the testing rates are much lower compared to some of the countries, who have done well like Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan.

Even the United States is testing a huge number of people. So we need to have some benchmark and every public health department needs to have benchmarks on what is the rate of testing per lakh or per million, what is the test positivity rate, she said.

Without adequate number of tests, fighting the virus is like fighting fire blindfolded, she pointed out.

According to Swaminathan, the number of tests being conducted is not adequate if the Covid-19 test positivity rate is above five per cent.

Governments need to constantly monitor the availability of beds, quarantine facilities, ICUs and oxygen supplies in district hospitals.

So there is a set of 8 to 10 indicators that the government needs to keep a close watch on. And you can ramp up or ramp down based on what you are seeing on the ground, she said.

Observing that the scientists community was still studying the bodys immune response to coronavirus and the next 12 months were crucial to put in place the public health and social measures, she said the virus has spread to every country in the world and established community transmission.

We know that lockdowns are temporary measures or a temporary measure which reduces the spread because it prevents people from getting closer together and the idea of the lockdown is to buy time for the government to put in place the system needed to tackle the virus, the WHO official said.

On the ongoing vaccine trials, she said the WHO has issued guidelines on it and if the efficacy rate of the vaccine is 70 percent, then it is considered to be a good one.

On the COVAX facility, a mechanism designed to guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, Swaminathan said by the end of 2021 it is aimed to deliver two billion doses of safe, effective vaccines that have passed regulatory approval and/or WHO prequalification.

All the 194 member countries of the WHO need to come together and take a decision on the way they want to proceed for the equitable and fair distribution of vaccine (once successfully comes out) and other products that are being developed for Covid-19, she opined.

Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, which is into developing Covaxin, a vaccine candidate for Covid-19,said the Centre needs to decetralise some of the regulating authorities such as Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO for faster approvals.

Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao acted as a moderator for the session titled The Vaccine Race- Balancing Science and Urgency.
(ANSA) - ROME, 04 AGO - The interior ministry said Tuesday that the repatriation of Tunisian migrants who land in Italy will resume on August 10.

These repatriations had stopped during the coronavirus lockdown.

The ministry said that, under the terms of an agreement with Tunis, two flights carrying a maximum of 40 returning Tunisians each can run for the repatriations every week.

Italy has seen a big rise in the arrival of migrants from North Africa in recent weeks, putting immense strain on its reception facilities.

Many of the arrivals have come from Tunisia.

Interior Minister Luciana Lamorgese, meanwhile, said that the reinforcement of the military contingent on the border with Slovenia was "imminent".

The minister made the pledge and said the government was devoting "maximum attention to the migratory phenomenon in the north east" during a meeting with Tatjana Rojc and Debora Serracchiani, two lawmakers from the Friuli-Venezia Giulia region. (ANSA).


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SEOUL, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Days of heavy rain caused floods in South Korea that have forced more than 1,000 people from their homes, killing at least 13 with another 13 missing, authorities said on Tuesday.

Deaths were reported from landslides and vehicles swept away by waters that disaster officials said inundated more than 5,751 hectares (14,211 acres) of farmland and flooded parts of key highways and bridges in the capital, Seoul.

President Moon Jae-in was set to hold an emergency meeting on Tuesday, after he had urged national and regional authorities to "make all-out efforts to prevent further loss of life" the previous day.

Work crews also returned to operation by Tuesday most of the flooded roads and bridges along the Han River in central Seoul that had backed up traffic and damaged infrastructure, the Yonhap news agency said.

In neighbouring North Korea, state media warned of possible flooding, saying that some areas were also experiencing heavy rainfall.

Citing unidentified South Korean government sources, Yonhap said North Korea opened the floodgates of a border dam on Monday without advance notice to its neighbour. (Reporting by Hyonhee Shin, Sangmi Cha, and Josh Smith; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
Dr. (Deane) Waldmans opinion piece in the (July 22) Journal accused Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of making New Mexico go COVID-19 insane and destroying our state in the name of bad medicine and non-science.

While criticizing the governors steps to safeguard public health, Waldman admits New Mexico has an exceedingly low rate of illness and death for COVID-19. The strong steps taken by the governor have allowed New Mexico to achieve significantly lower infection and mortality rates than our neighboring states of Arizona and Texas.

The countrys leading infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has stressed the need for facial masks and social distancing. States that ignored his advice and prematurely loosened their restrictions have experienced recent surges, which led many to reinstitute stricter measures. The truth is that we will only be able to successfully bring back and grow our economy back when we control the virus. There is near uniformity among our nations health experts that widespread mask use is necessary to tame the COVID-19 pandemic.

Without widespread testing, it is impossible to project accurate prevalence estimates and precise case mortality rate estimates. Under the governors leadership, New Mexico has achieved the fourth-highest rate of testing per 1,000 population in the country.  Recent data indicate New Mexico has tested 577,810 people, identified 21,130 confirmed and had 655 deaths yielding an estimated case fatality rate of approximately 3.1%.

While contracting COVID-19 may produce some immunity to subsequent infection, we lack accurate data on the duration of this immunity. Dr. Waldman is undoubtedly correct that we likely underestimate the true number of cases. However, this does not automatically translate to a lower case fatality rate since we likely also underestimate the number of COVID-19-related deaths. The appropriate way to compare COVID-19 and influenza deaths is to examine weekly death counts.

New Mexico is fortunate that our governor has the foresight and fortitude to institute statewide precautions that have enabled us to avoid the spike in cases that has afflicted our neighboring states of Arizona and Texas. The experience of our health-care workers clearly demonstrates the seriousness of COVID-19 infection.
Ayodhya, Aug 4 : A day before the Bhumi Pujan by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, firebrand Hindu leader Sadhvi Rithambara expressed happiness over the event. During the Ram temple movement, her riveting speeches had a deep impact on thousands of Ram devotees. They also gave a boost to the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi movement.

In a telephonic interview with IANS Rithambara said that she could not exress her happiness over the once in a lifetime event like the Bhumi Pujan in mere words. Rithambara is elated about the resurgence of self-respect for Indian culture that has come to the fore after nearly 500 years of struggle and shared that she is brimming with pride and boundless joy.

Asked how she got involved with the Ram temple movement, she said, "The attempt by foreign invaders to destroy our culture made me angry and I joined the movement. However, my role in this movement remained small just like a squirrel. Though I was involved in the movement with utmost devotion, Ram Lalla took me towards Ayodhya and I took a resolute stand by the banks of the sacred Saryu river. I spent my youth for Ram Janmabhoomi and the Hindu culture only with the blessings of Lord Ram. I was groomed under the able leadership of Vishwa Hindu Parishad leader the late Ashok Singhal." Responding to a question, the Sadhvi said, "When the Ram temple movement was at its peak, there were various obstacles in the way. I spent most of my time in jungles, caves and among beggars. People were scared of sheltering us in their homes. We suffered a lot when we were struggling underground. But all the pain is forgotten on the achievement of our objective to build the Ram temple." Rithambara said during the Ram temple movement her speeches were recorded secretly. At that time there was such enthusiasm among the people that the Ram Mandir movement became a mass movement, it was not because of any institution or organisation and now the outcome will be witnessed on August 5.

When asked about L K Advani and M M Joshi who have now taken a back seat, Rithambara said, "They lit the spark to carry the movement forward." On the question of women being excluded from the Temple Trust, she said it is immaterial. "The Lord wanted us to get it done. There is no gender distinction here. The temple of God is being built, that's what matters." On the question of the 'mahurat', she said Lord Ram's work is always auspicious. Ramji himself has chosen his 'mahurat'. The whole world is pleased with the construction of Lord Ram's temple. Festivities are taking place in every house.

On the alleged caste discrimination, the Sadhvi dismissed it as a figment of the imagination, saying that a seer has no caste. A limited number of people have been invited for the Bhumi Pujan due to the corona pandemic, so it should not be taken otherwise, she added.

In response to another question, she said she did not know who all were invited. Those who are not able to be at the Bhumi Pujan, can go there any time as per their convenience.

On a Pakistani minister's acerbic reaction to the Bhumi Pujan, she said that Pakistan should respect the sentiments of crores of Indians. This will promote harmony.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan
The University of Arizona will receive an initial, five-year, $26 million grant from the National Science Foundation, with an additional five-year $24.6 million option, to establish and lead a new National Science Foundation Engineering Research Center - called the Center for Quantum Networks - with core partners Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University.

Laying the Foundations of the Future Quantum Internet

CQN aims to lay the foundations of the quantum internet, which will revolutionize how humankind computes, communicates and senses the world, by creating a fabric to connect quantum computers, data centers and gadgets using their native quantum information states of "quantum bits," or qubits. Qubits offer dramatic increases in processing capacity by not just having the 0 or 1 state of the classical bit, but also allowing what is termed a "superposition" of both states at the same time.

"The University of Arizona has been fortunate to attract key talent in quantum optics, materials and information sciences," said University of Arizona President Robert C. Robbins. "It is rewarding to see our deep culture of collaboration across campus naturally position us to lead this extremely ambitious project in partnership with amazing institutions across the nation."

In February, the White House National Quantum Coordination Office underscored the importance of the field by issuing "A Strategic Vision for America's Quantum Networks." The document stated, "By leading the way in quantum networking, America is poised to revolutionize national and financial security, patient privacy, drug discovery, and the design and manufacturing of new materials, while increasing our scientific understanding of the universe."

Transformative Technology

"The transformation of today's internet through quantum technology will spur entirely new tech industries and create an innovation ecosystem of quantum devices and components, service providers and applications. The potential impact of CQN is so immense, it is almost incalculable," notes Saikat Guha, CQN director and principal investigator and associate professor of optical sciences. "What we are proposing to do with CQN is analogous to the critical role played by the ARPANET, the historical precursor to the internet. The pioneering scientists behind the ARPANET could not have possibly imagined the kind of computing, communications and mobile networking capabilities their discoveries would inspire and enable, and CQN aspires to follow in their footsteps to usher the world into the era of quantum networking."

The team at the University of Arizona is led by the James C. Wyant College of Optical Sciences and includes the College of Engineering, the James E. Rogers College of Law and the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences.

"In recent years, the university has focused heavily on quantum engineering, increasing the breadth and depth of our expertise by hiring - across several colleges - six additional faculty members specializing in quantum technologies," said Elizabeth "Betsy" Cantwell, University of Arizona senior vice president for research and innovation. "With the strength and innovative approaches of these researchers and our strong culture of industry partnerships to translate cutting-edge technologies to the market, CQN will make significant strides towards ushering in a new era of quantum networking at market scale."

CQN also includes scientific and educational leaders at core partners Harvard University, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Yale University, in addition to those at Brigham Young University, Howard University, Northern Arizona University, the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the University of Oregon and the University of Chicago.

A major focus of the CQN team will be research to advance quantum materials and devices, quantum and classical processing required at a network node, and quantum network protocols and architectures. CQN also aims to demonstrate the first U.S.-based quantum network that can distribute quantum information at high speeds, over long distances, to multiple user groups.

"As one of the key goals of CQN, we will be creating a versatile Quantum Network Testbed and making it available as a national resource to validate system performance and boost innovation by the scientific and industrial communities alike," said Zheshen Zhang, CQN Testbed co-lead and assistant professor of materials science and engineering.

Societal Impacts, Workforce Education, Community Outreach and Culture of Inclusion

As part of the National Science Foundation's fourth generation of the ERC program, CQN has a mandate to not only develop the technology, but also drive convergent outcomes across science, law, policy and society, within a strong culture of inclusion.

"CQN has been designed to both stimulate and learn from societal impacts research examining the benefits and risks of quantum networking. This research will be informed by our CQN applications road map developed in concert with CQN industry partners, and will provide valuable insights to guide public policy recommendations, enhance our educational programs, and ensure that the economic and social benefits of quantum networking are shared equitably across society," said Jane Bambauer, CQN co-deputy director and professor in the James E. Rogers College of Law.

CQN will be investing strongly in Engineering Workforce Development, led by professor Allison Huff, director of CQN's EWD program and assistant professor in the College of Medicine - Tucson. CQN will define the necessary core competencies of quantum engineers, not only providing them with the necessary technical tools but teaching them to be adaptive, creative innovators in a globally connected world. This will include raising student awareness with curriculum and projects involving policy, law and societal impacts led by Bambauer and Catherine Brooks, director of the School of Information and associate professor in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences. This EWD program will also develop one of the world's first Master of Science programs in quantum information science and engineering, initially offered at the University of Arizona and later expanded to the CQN core partners. In its commitment to inclusion, CQN will also enhance the talent pipeline by offering student opportunities and participation across all CQN university partners, and working to nurture more broadly the particularly strong STEM outreach from CQN partners at Howard University and NAU.

A Public-Private Partnership

CQN will also be charged with providing value creation to America's economy under its Innovation Ecosystem program led by Justin Walker, CQN's innovation director and associate dean for business development and administration at the Wyant College of Optical Sciences. Just as was the case with today's internet, quantum networking technologies show great promise for U.S. economic development. In addition to the nine university research partners, a large innovation ecosystem of over 10 companies and the potential of $2 billion of venture capital has been cultivated during the proposal process. A key component of CQN's Innovation Ecosystem is a partnership with the Quantum Economic Development Consortium, a National Institute of Standards and Technology-led consortium aimed to form a functional bridge between quantum information science and engineering researchers and the industry. CQN's industry partnerships will also play a valuable role in defining application road maps to inform CQN's technical direction and research investments.

"For the last 35 years, engineering research centers have helped shape science and technology in the United States by fostering innovation and collaboration among industry, universities and government agencies," said NSF Director Dr. Sethuraman Panchanathan. "As we kick off a new generation of centers, NSF will continue to work with its partners to ensure the success of these collaborative enterprises and the transformative, convergent research impact they produce."

ERCs at the University of Arizona

This is the third ERC led by the University of Arizona. The other two are the ERC for Environmentally Benign Semiconductor Manufacturing, led by the College of Engineering, and the Center for Integrated Access Networks, led by the Wyant College of Optical Sciences. CQN will be bolstered by the Wyant College's recent endowments - including the largest faculty endowment gift in the history of the University of Arizona - and the planned construction of the new Grand Challenges Research Building, supported by the state of Arizona.

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RIO RANCHO  The services at the UNM Behavioral Health Clinic in Rio Rancho are expanding, even amid the pandemic.

The clinic, at the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center campus in City Center, is serving about 200 patients and has openings for more, said clinical director and psychologist Christopher Morris. The staff is growing as well.

Weve been able to add our prescribing providers, Morris said, explaining that the clinic can now offer psychiatric medication management.

The three providers who can write prescriptions are each available one day a week.

They all have different backgrounds, different specialties, which is good, he said.

Morris plans to recruit more providers, including prescribers, to the clinic, but said its difficult due to the shortage of behavioral health care workers in New Mexico.

Now, the clinic has two psychologists, a full-time therapist, three prescribing providers, two wraparound care specialists and one certified family peer support worker.

The wraparound care specialists and family peer support worker are part of the New Mexico Systems of Care program, a partnership with the state Children, Youth and Families Department. The program supports youth with the most complex behavioral health needs and their families.

Those youth have been involved with multiple systems, such as child protective services, juvenile justice and special education.

It can be challenging when a family has to deal with all those systems, he said.

Morris said the programs goal is to help the youth and their families identify and move toward goals, with support that includes friends and extended family.

Hes looking for a wraparound-care team leader. People with a behavioral-health or social-work background can apply at unmjobs.unm.edu.

The aim of the whole clinic is to grow to meet the needs in Sandoval County, he continued.

We have seen increasing demand in the current pandemic, Morris said.

Mental-health providers commonly see patients fail to keep appointments 20% to 25% of the time, he said.

And that no-show rate has dropped to near zero in COVID-19, which is significant, he continued. People are anxious and stressed.
Questions: How do you evaluate the impacts of COVID-19 epidemic on tourism industry?

Assoc. Prof., Dr. Pham Hong Long: The COVID-19 epidemic has dealt a fatal blow to the tourism industry of Vietnam and the world in general.

The loss in the tourism sector has consequently affected other key sectors as tourism has close relations to aviation, trade, finance and banking, agriculture, fishery, transport, among others.

The adjustment of targeting domestic visitors instead of foreigners as before was first made as a temporary solution to help rejuvenate Vietnams travel industry, but now it has turned into a positive trend which may work in the long term. What do think about this?

Previously, we had attached too much attention to international visitors. It is true to say that they are an important component of Vietnams tourism; however, we seemed to be stuck cashing in on growing foreign tourist numbers rather than increasing their spending in the country, which stood at only US$96 per person a day. The figure is lower than the average rate of US$163 in Thailand or US$325 in Singapore.

Although there is not yet an accurate and comprehensive assessment of average spending of each Vietnamese visitor, revenue from domestic tourists is surely much larger than that from international visitors as the number of domestic travellers is around four times more than foreigners.

It is undeniable that the growing international visitors have shown Vietnams achievements in regional and international integration while contributing to promoting the country's image to the world. However, we have no choice but to promote domestic tourism at the current time with the complicated developments of COVID-19.

COVID-19 has brought many lessons to the tourism industry in Vietnam and countries worldwide in general. These are the lessons of balancing between the domestic and international tourism markets, market diversification, and establishing crisis reserve funds.

We should have an open-minded approach to learn good practices from our neighbouring countries in dealing with COVID-19. For example, a lesson learnt from Thailand, when less tourists visit the country due to fear of the epidemic, they took the occasion to launch a campaign to clean the environment in tourist destinations.

We are talking about sustainable tourism development, and one of negative impacts of tourism on the society is environmental degradation. Therefore, it is time to implement the campaigns on protecting the environment and fostering green tourism.

In addition to stimulating domestic tourism, what are the major tasks for the travel industry in the coming time to recover after COVID-19, in your opinion?

The epidemic has taught us many lessons, including the establishment of crisis prevention funds, which have received much attention from travel businesses. In addition, a fund to assist tourism development found mention in the Law on Tourism, which was approved by the National Assembly in 2017, but it has remained on paper. Therefore, more practical and detailed policies are needed to bring the fund to life.

We are glad to see that many tourism alliances have been set up after COVID-19, both domestically and internationally, including the handshakes between Hanoi and Quang Binh Province, and between localities in the northeast region.

Associations have also promoted their important role in encouraging businesses to develop new products and support each other to recover their operations.

We need to pay more attention to improving tourist products and services. We offer discounts for visitors while ensuring the quality of our services.

Greater care should also be attached to enhancing human resources, fostering promotion campaigns and advertising Vietnam as a safe and friendly destination.

While looking further ahead, we have to focus on diversifying our products in order to provide visitors with more exciting experiences, thus drawing high-spending and long-staying tourists.

Once sustainability and diversification in tourism sector are facilitated, the sector will become well-adaptive and resilient to irregular risks.

Thank you so much for your sharing!
Cambodias eastern border is rich in basaltic red soil that sustains large rubber plantations in Tboung Khmum, Kampong Cham, Kratie, or Ratanakkiri. It is not unusual to have a rubber plantation run along national roads for kilometers, with some of these estates dating back to the French colonial period.



The clay loam also supports the cultivation of bananas. And in Tboung Khmums OReang Euv district there is a small banana plantation surrounded by decades-old rubber trees. Chinese national Chen Zhiqang rides his motorcycle through the seemingly infinite rows of rubber trees to reach the 200-hectare banana plantation.



Chen Zhiqang arrived in Cambodia in 2016 to partner with prominent tycoon An Mady to carve out the banana plantation from the latters 3,600-hectare rubber plantation, which was granted as an economic land concession in 2008, according to government records.



Mature rubber trees were cut down to make way for the banana production facility, said Chen Zhiqang, to feed Chinas high demand for the fruit.

Banana is currently under-supplied in China, said Chen Zhiqang standing in the plantation. Chinese people like consuming bananas [so much] that I had to come to a foreign country like Cambodia to invest in this farm and export it back to China.

The plantation will likely be in line to take advantage of a recent free trade agreement recently penned by Cambodia and China. The agreement will be signed in the next few weeks and will have zero tariffs on 95 percent of 340 approved products, including fruits.

A few other products like rice, rubber, tobacco will continue to have quotas, according to the Cambodian governments announcements on the FTA.



The FTA comes as Cambodia will lose partial tariff-free access to European Union markets. The revocation of the Everything But Arms privileges is on account of the countrys deteriorating human rights record.

Cambodia has looked to pitch the FTA with China as a counterbalance to the EBA loss, but experts have said drops in major Cambodian exports like garments and footwear are unlikely to be absorbed by the Chinese. Whether our great friend of China is signing this agreement to offset our partial loss of EBA is up to your judgment, said Sok Sopheak, a secretary of state at the Commerce Ministry, declining to comment further at a recent press conference.

The two countries reported around $8 billion in trade in 2019, with Cambodia registering a large trade deficit because it exported only a little more than $1 billion to China last year, most of which was rice exports. Cambodia has said the new FTA will help increase its export potential, even though it is unlikely Chinese imports of raw materials for manufacturing and construction will drop.



Prime Minister Hun Sen has placed his bets on agriculture exports, using his last three public appearances to tout the traditional role and importance of Cambodian farmers. This talk about increasing agribusinesses has given investors like Chen Zhiqang the opportunity to build on the 2018 agreement that first formalized banana exports to China.



According to the Agriculture Ministry and Chinese Embassy statistics, there are 21 banana packaging plants in Cambodia, servicing roughly 8,000 hectares of plantations. While the ministry has not provided a country-specific breakup of exports, it said a large portion of the 160,000 tons of bananas exported for the first seven months of 2020 headed to China.



The increase in banana cultivation and exports has also signaled a shift away from the traditional cash crop of rubber, a mainstay of Cambodia and foreign agribusinesses based in the country for decades.

A few hours drive from Tboung Khmum, another tycoon, Heng Long, has similarly repurposed 1,000 hectares of his rubber economic land concession in Kampong Cham province to grow bananas. He was granted a 7,300-hectare land concession by the government for rubber plantations.



The businessman is candid about how expecting profits from rubber exports was futile, adding that it made business sense to divest from the commodity. There is an image of Heng Long standing in a rubber plantation from the early 2000s behind his desk at his companys headquarters in Phnom Penh.



If you keep growing rubbers there can be only two results: loss or you break even, said Heng Long at the Long Sreng International headquarters in Phnom Penh.

He said bananas were a more profitable option, which is why he tied up with a Chinese investor from Guangxi province in 2018 at an initial investment of $20 million. If we kept relying on rubber, we would not even be able to pay the workers wages that our company is envisioning a future in bananas because it has an emerging market demand with a very good price, Heng Long told VOA Khmer.

Agriculture Ministry spokesperson Pol Sopha confirmed that there was a shift away from rubber to other commodities, claiming that rubber production was stable despite the increased cultivation of bananas and other products in rubber-producing areas.



We are not strict on allowing only the rubber plantation, said Pol Sopha, who also heads the ministrys rubber department. We need to catch up accordingly with the latest economic trends and market potentials with other crops. Former Cambodian Foreign Minister Hor Namhong, who co-heads the Cambodian-Chinese Intergovernmental Coordinating Committee with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said at a press event on July 23 that China would back the Cambodian governments hurried shift back to agriculture, given that tourism and garment industries were unlikely to recover soon from the COVID-19 pandemic.

China had previously said they would support Cambodia in accordance with Chinas own [capability], Hor Namhong told reporters at the Office of Council of Ministers on July 23. But China now says it will help Cambodia with what Cambodia needs. This is highly meaningful.

But others are skeptical. Yang Saing Koma, a prominent agriculturist, said the agriculture sector has been lagging for a long time that it was unlikely to bridge the trade deficit.

A free trade agreement is not a magical medicine to answer everything that has gone wrong in Cambodias agriculture sector, he told VOA Khmer.

It can be a medicine or a poison if we do not have complete knowledge of what we can readily export to China.

Back in Tboung Khmum, Chen Zhiqang said he was hoping the increased sales from an FTA would help him scale up to 2,000 hectares and employ at least 4,000 workers.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 12:07:49|Editor: huaxia

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WUHAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A gene transcriptome database, consisting of reference transcripts from over 100,000 rapeseed genes, was released by Chinese researchers, according to the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS).

A research team from the Oil Crops Research Institute under the CAAS has decoded the transcription information of the rapeseed genome and constructed a landscape of the whole transcriptome of rapeseed genes with an advanced sequencing technique and its self-developed bioinformatics tools.

Containing about 1.2 billion bases and over 100,000 genes, the rapeseed genome lacked a reference transcriptome database owing to the technical restrictions previously, which restricted the research on the functional genes of rapeseed, said the team.

The database is expected to strengthen the understanding of the rapeseed transcriptome and be applied for further functional genomic research, according to the study published in The Plant Journal. Enditem
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Delek US Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DK) ("Delek US") today announced financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2020. Delek US reported second quarter 2020 net income of $87.7 million, or $1.18 per diluted share, versus net income of $77.3 million, or $1.00 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2019, which included a $16.8 million income tax benefit relating to incremental loss carrybacks provided by the CARES Act. On an adjusted basis, Delek US reported Adjusted net loss of $110.5 million, or $(1.50) per share for the second quarter 2020. This compares to Adjusted net income of $97.5 million, or $1.27 per share, in the prior-year period. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") was $(85.1) million compared to Adjusted EBITDA of $210.7 million in the prior-year period. Reconciliations of net income reported under U.S. GAAP to Adjusted net income and Adjusted EBITDA are included in the financial tables attached to this release.

Adjusted quarterly results were impacted by net losses totaling approximately $(74.9) million (after-tax) or $(1.02) per share, which is comprised of the following: an inventory headwind (or, an unfavorable "other inventory impact") on margin in the amount of $(91.4) million pre-tax, or $(69.9) million after-tax, related to FIFO accounting as compared to current market prices; and a negative margin impact of $(29.0) million pre-tax, or $(22.2) million after-tax, related to the sale of purchased product; realized hedging losses in the amount of $(134.0) million pre-tax, or $(103.9) million after-tax, the majority of which related to fixed price crude transactions that resulted in margin gains at our Tyler Refinery totaling $111.0 million pre-tax, or $84.9 million after-tax, where the magnitude was driven by the historic volatility in the crude market during the second quarter; and a reversal of the $36.1 million tax headwind disclosed in the first quarter of 2020. Note, the other inventory impact is separate from LCM inventory impacts that are excluded from adjusted results. Additionally, a breakdown of realized and unrealized hedging by segment is provided in the tables on page 10.

Uzi Yemin, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Delek US, stated, "Our diversified portfolio is providing resilience during this period of weak refining margins with the logistics and retail segments generating a contribution margin above $80 million collectively. Our transition to midstream and more stable cash flow is well underway with previous capital investments poised to support ongoing growth from robust second quarter levels."

Mr. Yemin continued, "Our company has a long history of being nimble and we remain agile in terms of flexing our capital spending and cost structure to the prevailing macro environment. We are on-track to exceed guidance of $100 million of cost reductions year over year. Capital spending was reduced dramatically from first quarter levels and we expect to remain disciplined with minimal outlay anticipated for the balance of the year. As of June 30th, the company had a cash balance of $849 million and is well positioned for a turbulent macro environment."

Regular Quarterly Dividend

Delek US announced today its Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.31 per share. Shareholders of record on August 19, 2020 will receive this cash dividend payable on September 3, 2020.

Liquidity

As of June 30, 2020, Delek US had a cash balance of $849.0 million and total consolidated long-term debt of $2,454.9 million, resulting in net debt of $1,605.9 million. As of June 30, 2020, Delek Logistics Partners, LP (NYSE: DKL) ("Delek Logistics") had $995.2 million of total debt and $16.2 million of cash, which is included in the consolidated amounts on Delek US' balance sheet. Excluding Delek Logistics, Delek US had approximately $832.8 million in cash and $1,459.7 million of debt, or a $626.9 million net debt position.

Refining Segment

Refining contribution margin decreased to $59.7 million in the second quarter 2020 from $198.1 million in the second quarter 2019. On an adjusted basis, adjusted refining contribution margin was $(124.1) million in the second quarter 2020 compared to $216.5 million in the second quarter 2019. The current period adjusted refining contribution margin reflects $(90.6) million of other inventory impact, $(29.0) million of losses related to the sale of purchased product, and $(137.0) million of realized hedging losses, partially offset by a $111.0 million benefit from fixed price crude cost transactions.

On a year-over-year basis, results were reduced primarily due to lower crude oil differentials, crack spreads and throughputs as a result of decreased demand due to COVID-19. Further, during the second quarter 2020, the realized Midland-Cushing crude oil discount was $0.48 per barrel compared to a realized discount of $1.77 per barrel in the prior year period. These factors were partially offset by the crude oil futures market that was in contango of $3.06 per barrel in the second quarter 2020 compared to contango of $0.20 per barrel in the second quarter 2019.

Other inventory impact is primarily calculated by multiplying the change of barrels in refined inventory by the difference between current period average NYMEX WTI price and per barrel cost of materials and other for the period recognized on a FIFO basis. The other inventory impact on adjusted refining contribution margin was a charge of $(90.6) million in the second quarter 2020 compared to a charge of $(12.0) million in the second quarter 2019. Other inventory impact included a (charge) benefit to the refineries during the second quarter of 2020 of $(11.8) million for Big Spring, $(59.8) million for El Dorado and $(17.5) million Krotz Springs, as compared to a (charge) benefit of $(11.6) million for Big Spring, $1.1 million for El Dorado and $(1.5) million for Krotz Springs in the second quarter of 2019. Additionally, we buy and sell purchased product to optimize margins and to meet contractual demands, as needed. We recognized losses of $(29.0) million within the refining margins during the second quarter 2020, of which $(30.5) million relates to the Krotz Springs refinery, compared to gains totaling $8.3 million during the second quarter 2019.

Logistics Segment

The logistics segment contribution margin in the second quarter 2020 was $61.4 million compared to $44.2 million in the second quarter 2019. Results improved on a year-over-year basis primarily due to the drop down of the Delek Permian Gathering business and Trucking Assets, increased crude gathering, operating expense reductions and an increase in income from equity method investments. This was partially offset by lower West Texas gross margin on a year-over-year basis.

Logistics segment contribution margin reflected another inventory impact to earnings relating to its West Texas inventory consisting of a charge totaling $(0.5) million during the second quarter of 2020 compared to a charge of $(0.8) million during the second quarter of 2019.

Retail Segment

For the second quarter 2020, contribution margin was $24.3 million compared to $17.6 million in the prior year period for the retail segment. Merchandise sales were approximately $89.4 million with an average retail margin of 30.8% in the second quarter 2020, compared to merchandise sales of approximately $83.3 million with an average retail margin of 31.2% in the prior-year period. Approximately 42.4 million retail fuel gallons were sold at an average margin of $0.45 per gallon in the second quarter 2020 compared to 53.7 million retail fuel gallons sold at an average margin of $0.29 per gallon in the second quarter 2019. In the second quarter 2020, the average merchandise store count was 253 compared to 277 in the prior year period. On a same store sales basis in the second quarter 2020, merchandise sales increased 13.1% and fuel gallons sold decreased 19.7% compared to the prior-year period.

Retail segment contribution margin reflected another inventory impact to earnings relating to its fuel inventory consisting of a charge totaling $(3.2) million during the second quarter of 2020 compared to no charge during the second quarter of 2019.

Corporate/Other

Contribution margin from Corporate/Other was a loss of $15.5 million in the second quarter 2020 compared to a loss of $9.6 million in the prior-year period. Note, hedging gains (losses) related to the refining segment have been reclassified from the corporate and other segment to the refining segment starting in the first quarter of 2020 and have been retrospectively reclassified in 2019 for comparison purposes.

Corporate/Other segment contribution margin reflected another inventory impact to earnings consisting of a benefit totaling $2.9 million during the second quarter of 2020 compared to no benefit during the second quarter of 2019.

Second Quarter 2020 Results | Conference Call Information

Delek US will hold a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2020 results on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. Central Time. Investors will have the opportunity to listen to the conference call live by going to www.DelekUS.com and clicking on the Investor Relations tab. Participants are encouraged to register at least 15 minutes early to download and install any necessary software. Presentation materials accompanying the call will be available on the investor relations tab of the Delek US website approximately five minutes prior to the start of the call. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, the online replay will be available on the website for 90 days.

Investors may also wish to listen to Delek Logistics' (NYSE: DKL) second quarter 2020 earnings conference call that will be held on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. Central Time and review Delek Logistics' earnings press release. Market trends and information disclosed by Delek Logistics may be relevant to the logistics segment reported by Delek US. Both a replay of the conference call and press release for Delek Logistics are available online at www.deleklogistics.com.

About Delek US Holdings, Inc.

Delek US Holdings, Inc. is a diversified downstream energy company with assets in petroleum refining, logistics, renewable fuels and convenience store retailing. The refining assets consist of refineries operated in Tyler and Big Spring, Texas, El Dorado, Arkansas and Krotz Springs, Louisiana with a combined nameplate crude throughput capacity of 302,000 barrels per day.

The logistics operations primarily consist of Delek Logistics Partners, LP (NYSE: DKL). Delek US Holdings, Inc. and its affiliates own approximately 71% (including the 2% general partner interest) of Delek Logistics Partners, LP. Delek Logistics Partners, LP is a growth-oriented master limited partnership focused on owning and operating midstream energy infrastructure assets.

The convenience store retail operates approximately 253 convenience stores in central and West Texas and New Mexico.

Safe Harbor Provisions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements concerning current estimates, expectations and projections about future results, performance, prospects, opportunities, plans, actions and events and other statements, concerns, or matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the federal securities laws. These statements contain words such as "possible," "believe," "should," "could," "would," "predict," "plan," "estimate," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "will," "if", "potential," "expect" or similar expressions, as well as statements in the future tense. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding throughput at the Company's refineries; crude oil prices, discounts and quality and our ability to benefit therefrom; share repurchases; returning cash to shareholders; payments of dividends; growth; investments into our business; the performance and execution of our midstream growth initiatives, including the Big Spring Gathering System, the Red River joint venture and the Wink to Webster long-haul crude oil pipeline, and the flexibility, benefits and the expected returns therefrom; RINs waivers and tax credits and the value and benefit therefrom; cash and liquidity; opportunities and anticipated performance and financial position.

Investors are cautioned that the following important factors, among others, may affect these forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: uncertainty related to timing and amount of future share repurchases and dividend payments; risks and uncertainties with respect to the quantities and costs of crude oil we are able to obtain and the price of the refined petroleum products we ultimately sell; including uncertainties regarding future decisions by OPEC regarding production and pricing disputes between OPEC members and Russia; uncertainty relating to the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the demand for crude oil, refined products and transportation and storage services; risks related to Delek US' exposure to Permian Basin crude oil, such as supply, pricing, gathering, production and transportation capacity; gains and losses from derivative instruments; management's ability to execute its strategy of growth, including risks associated with acquisitions and dispositions; acquired assets may suffer a diminishment in fair value as a result of which we may need to record a write-down or impairment in carrying value of the asset; the possibility of litigation challenging renewable fuel standard waivers;changes in the scope, costs, and/or timing of capital and maintenance projects; the ability to grow the Big Spring Gathering System; the ability of the Red River joint venture to complete the expansion project to increase the Red River pipeline capacity; the ability of the joint venture to construct the Wink to Webster long haul crude oil pipeline; operating hazards inherent in transporting, storing and processing crude oil and intermediate and finished petroleum products; our competitive position and the effects of competition; the projected growth of the industries in which we operate; general economic and business conditions affecting the geographic areas in which we operate; and other risks described in Delek US' filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), including risks disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings and reports with the SEC.

Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good faith belief with respect to future events, and is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Delek US undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which Delek US becomes aware of, after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law or regulation.

Non-GAAP Disclosures:

Our management uses certain "non-GAAP" operational measures to evaluate our operating segment performance and non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate past performance and prospects for the future to supplement our GAAP financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These financial and operational non-GAAP measures are important factors in assessing our operating results and profitability and include:

Adjusted net income (loss) - calculated as net income attributable to Delek US adjusted for certain identified infrequently occurring items, non-cash items and items that are not attributable to our on-going operations (collectively, "Adjusting Items") recorded during the period;

Adjusted net income (loss) per share - calculated as Adjusted net income (loss) divided by weighted average shares outstanding, assuming dilution, as adjusted for any anti-dilutive instruments that may not be permitted for consideration in GAAP earnings per share calculations but that nonetheless favorably impact dilution;

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") - calculated as net income attributable to Delek adjusted to add back interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization;

Adjusted EBITDA - calculated as EBITDA adjusted for the identified Adjusting Items in Adjusted net income (loss) that do not relate to interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation or amortization, and adjusted to include income (loss) attributable to non-controlling interests;

Adjusted Segment Contribution Margin - calculated as Segment Contribution Margin adjusted for the identified Adjusting Items in Adjusted net income (loss) that impact Segment Contribution Margin;

Refining margin - calculated as the difference between total refining revenues and total cost of materials and other;

Adjusted refining margin -- calculated as refining margin adjusted for certain identified infrequently occurring items, non-cash items and items that are not attributable to our on-going refining operations recorded during the period;

Refining margin per sales barrel - calculated as refining margin divided by our average refining sales in barrels per day (excluding purchased barrels) multiplied by 1,000 and multiplied by the number of days in the period; and

Adjusted refining margin per sales barrel - calculated as adjusted refining margin divided by our average refining sales in barrels per day (excluding purchased barrels) multiplied by 1,000 and multiplied by the number of days in the period;

We believe these non-GAAP operational and financial measures are useful to investors, lenders, ratings agencies and analysts to assess our ongoing performance because, when reconciled to their most comparable GAAP financial measure, they provide improved comparability between periods through the exclusion of certain items that we believe are not indicative of our core operating performance and that may obscure our underlying results and trends.

Non-GAAP measures have important limitations as analytical tools, because they exclude some, but not all, items that affect net earnings and operating income. These measures should not be considered substitutes for their most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. Additionally, because Adjusted net income or loss, adjusted net income or loss per share, EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA, and Adjusted Segment Contribution Margin or any of our other identified non-GAAP measures may be defined differently by other companies in its industry, Delek US' definition may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies. See the accompanying tables in this earnings release for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

Delek US Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (In millions, except share and per share data)



June 30,

2020

December 31,

2019 ASSETS







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 849.0



$ 955.3

Accounts receivable, net

480.4



792.6

Inventories, net of inventory valuation reserves

653.5



946.7

Other current assets

390.0



268.7

Total current assets

2,372.9



2,963.3

Property, plant and equipment:







Property, plant and equipment

3,514.9



3,362.8

Less: accumulated depreciation

(1,031.5)



(934.5)

Property, plant and equipment, net

2,483.4



2,428.3

Operating lease right-of-use assets

183.9



183.6

Goodwill

855.7



855.7

Other intangibles, net

110.0



110.3

Equity method investments

367.3



407.3

Other non-current assets

64.4



67.8

Total assets

$ 6,437.6



$ 7,016.3











LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY







Current liabilities:







Accounts payable

$ 1,004.2



$ 1,599.7

Current portion of long-term debt

33.4



36.4

Obligation under Supply and Offtake Agreements

99.0



332.5

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

43.4



40.5

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

409.3



346.8

Total current liabilities

1,589.3



2,355.9

Non-current liabilities:







Long-term debt, net of current portion

2,421.5



2,030.7

Obligation under Supply and Offtake Agreements

215.0



144.8

Environmental liabilities, net of current portion

106.3



137.9

Asset retirement obligations

36.8



68.6

Deferred tax liabilities

335.4



267.9

Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion

140.2



144.3

Other non-current liabilities

33.8



30.9

Total non-current liabilities

3,289.0



2,825.1

Stockholders' equity:







Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, 11,000,000 shares and 10,000,000 shares authorized at June 30,2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively, no shares issued and outstanding







Common stock, $0.01 par value, 110,000,000 shares authorized, 91,232,964 shares and 90,987,025 shares issued at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively

0.9



0.9

Additional paid-in capital

1,160.1



1,151.9

Accumulated other comprehensive income

0.5



0.1

Treasury stock, 17,575,527 shares and 17,516,814 shares, at cost, as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively

(694.1)



(692.2)

Retained earnings

926.4



1,205.6

Non-controlling interests in subsidiaries

165.5



169.0

Total stockholders' equity

1,559.3



1,835.3

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$ 6,437.6



$ 7,016.3



Delek US Holdings, Inc. Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (1) (In millions, except share and per share data)



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019

















Net revenues

$ 1,535.5



$ 2,480.3



$ 3,356.7



$ 4,680.2

Cost of sales:















Cost of materials and other

1,277.8



2,067.7



3,188.4



3,767.1

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below)

103.4



135.8



232.6



276.7

Depreciation and amortization

53.6



42.6



100.6



81.9

Total cost of sales

1,434.8



2,246.1



3,521.6



4,125.7

Operating expenses related to retail and wholesale business (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below)

24.4



26.5



49.7



52.3

General and administrative expenses

61.7



69.5



127.4



131.7

Depreciation and amortization

6.0



7.5



11.6



15.0

Other operating income, net

(14.2)



(3.6)



(14.9)



(1.2)

Total operating costs and expenses

1,512.7



2,346.0



3,695.4



4,323.5

Operating income (loss)

22.8



134.3



(338.7)



356.7

Interest expense

29.8



32.8



66.1



61.5

Interest income

(0.5)



(3.3)



(2.2)



(5.8)

Income from equity method investments

(10.7)



(9.3)



(15.8)



(11.9)

Gain on sale on non-operating refinery

(56.9)







(56.9)





Other (income) expense, net

(1.5)



4.9



(2.4)



3.5

Total non-operating (income) expense, net

(39.8)



25.1



(11.2)



47.3

Income (loss) before income tax (benefit) expense

62.6



109.2



(327.5)



309.4

Income tax (benefit) expense

(35.9)



24.6



(119.0)



70.4

Income (loss) from continuing operations, net of tax

98.5



84.6



(208.5)



239.0

Discontinued operations:















Loss from discontinued operations, including gain (loss) on sale of discontinued operations





(1.0)







(1.0)

Income tax benefit





(0.2)







(0.2)

Loss from discontinued operations, net of tax





(0.8)







(0.8)

Net income (loss)

98.5



83.8



(208.5)



238.2

Net income attributed to non-controlling interests

10.8



6.5



18.2



11.6

Net income (loss) attributable to Delek

$ 87.7



$ 77.3



$ (226.7)



$ 226.6



















Basic income (loss) per share:















Income (loss) from continuing operations

$ 1.19



$ 1.02



$ (3.08)



$ 2.95

Loss from discontinued operations





(0.01)



$ 



$ (0.01)

Basic (loss) income per share

$ 1.19



$ 1.01



$ (3.08)



$ 2.94



















Diluted income (loss) per share:















Income (loss) from continuing operations

$ 1.18



$ 1.01



$ (3.08)



$ 2.92

Loss from discontinued operations





(0.01)



$ 



$ (0.01)

Diluted (loss) income per share

$ 1.18



$ 1.00



$ (3.08)



$ 2.91

Weighted average common shares outstanding:















Basic

73,547,582



76,598,846



73,492,656



77,192,763

Diluted

74,028,043



77,280,692



73,492,656



77,883,285

Dividends declared per common share outstanding

$ 0.31



$ 0.28



$ 0.93



$ 0.55



Delek US Holdings, Inc. Condensed Cash Flow Data (Unaudited) (In millions)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Cash flows from operating activities:













Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities $ (169.0)



$ 102.0



(323.1)



235.4

Cash flows from investing activities:













Net cash used in investing activities (9.3)



(202.4)



(155.9)



(329.4)

Cash flows from financing activities:













Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 242.4



62.1



372.7



(33.9)

Net decrease in cash and cash equivalents 64.1



(38.3)



(106.3)



(127.9)

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 784.9



989.7



955.3



1,079.3

Cash and cash equivalents of continuing operations at the end of the period $ 849.0



$ 951.4



$ 849.0



$ 951.4



































COVID-19 Tax Legislative Changes

On March 27, 2020, the Coronavirus Aid Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES Act") was enacted into law. The Act includes several significant provisions for corporations, including the usage of net operating losses, interest deductions and payroll benefits. Pursuant to the provisions of the CARES Act, we recognized $16.8 million of current federal income tax benefit for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, attributable to anticipated tax refunds from net operating loss carryback to prior 35% tax rate years. Additionally, we recorded an income tax receivable totaling $193 million as of June 30, 2020 related to the net operating loss carryback, which we expect to collect in the first half of 2021. Finally, we deferred $4.4 million of payroll tax payments under the provisions of the CARES Act during the six months ended June 30, 2020, which will be payable in equal installments in December 2021 and December 2022.

Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Segment Data (Unaudited)



















(In millions)























Three Months Ended June 30, 2020



Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations

Consolidated Net revenues (excluding inter-segment fees and revenues)

$ 1,001.9



$ 27.3



$ 165.4



$ 340.9



$ 1,535.5

Inter-segment fees and revenues

75.1



90.4







(165.5)





Operating costs and expenses:



















Cost of materials and other

928.6



43.9



119.6



185.7



1,277.8

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below)

88.7



12.4



21.5



5.2



127.8

Segment contribution margin

$ 59.7



$ 61.4



$ 24.3



$ (15.5)



$ 129.9

Depreciation and amortization

$ 44.8



$ 8.7



$ 3.3



$ 2.8



59.6

General and administrative expenses

















61.7

Other operating income, net

















(14.2)

Operating income

















$ 22.8

Capital spending (excluding business combinations)

$ 12.2



$ 0.7



$ 1.3



$ 0.8



$ 15.0











Three Months Ended June 30, 2019



Refining (1)

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations (1)

Consolidated Net revenues (excluding inter-segment fees and revenues)

$ 2,152.5



$ 93.1



$ 224.5



$ 10.2



$ 2,480.3

Inter-segment fees and revenues

215.3



62.2







(277.5)





Operating costs and expenses:



















Cost of materials and other

2,054.7



93.8



182.1



(262.9)



2,067.7

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below)

115.0



17.3



24.8



5.2



162.3

Segment contribution margin

$ 198.1



$ 44.2



$ 17.6



$ (9.6)



$ 250.3

Depreciation and amortization

$ 33.2



$ 6.7



$ 4.2



$ 6.0



50.1

General and administrative expenses

















69.5

Other operating income, net

















(3.6)

Operating income

















$ 134.3

Capital spending (excluding business combinations)

$ 48.9



$ 1.3



$ 5.4



$ 30.4



$ 86.0























Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Segment Data (Unaudited)



















(In millions)























Six Months Ended June 30, 2020



Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations

Consolidated Net revenues (excluding inter-segment fees and revenues)

$ 2,571.1



$ 84.2



$ 344.0



$ 357.4



$ 3,356.7

Inter-segment fees and revenues

233.8



196.9







(430.7)





Operating costs and expenses:



















Cost of materials and other

2,835.2



145.2



263.7



(55.7)



3,188.4

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below)

200.4



27.2



43.7



11.0



282.3

Segment contribution margin

$ (230.7)



$ 108.7



$ 36.6



$ (28.6)



$ (114.0)

Depreciation and amortization

$ 82.0



$ 15.0



$ 6.2



$ 9.0



112.2

General and administrative expenses

















127.4

Other operating income, net

















(14.9)

Operating loss

















$ (338.7)

Capital spending (excluding business combinations)

$ 180.3



$ 3.7



$ 7.5



$ 11.8



$ 203.3











Six Months Ended June 30, 2019



Refining (1)

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations (1)

Consolidated Net revenues (excluding inter-segment fees and revenues)

$ 4,059.9



$ 182.9



$ 421.7



$ 15.7



$ 4,680.2

Inter-segment fees and revenues

399.9



124.9







(524.8)





Operating costs and expenses:



















Cost of materials and other

3,723.8



190.1



345.5



(492.3)



3,767.1

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below)

236.0



33.4



48.4



11.2



329.0

Segment contribution margin

$ 500.0



$ 84.3



$ 27.8



$ (28.0)



$ 584.1

Depreciation and amortization

$ 64.3



$ 13.2



$ 8.5



10.9



96.9

General and administrative expenses

















131.7

Other operating income, net

















(1.2)

Operating income

















$ 356.7

Capital spending (excluding business combinations)

$ 130.5



$ 2.2



$ 10.5



$ 71.1



$ 214.3







(1) The refining segment results of operations for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, includes hedging gains, a component of cost of materials and other, of $19.8 million and $27.4 million, respectively, which was previously included and reported in corporate, other and eliminations.

Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Schedule of Hedging Gains (Losses)











$ in millions























Three Months Ended June 30, 2020 Hedging Gains (Losses) Included in Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and

Eliminations

Consolidated Unrealized hedging gain (loss)

$ (9.9)



$ (2.3)



$ 



$ (11.2)



$ (23.4)

Realized hedging gain (loss)

(137.0)



1.3







1.7



(134.0)

Total hedging gain (loss)

$ (146.9)



$ (1.0)



$ 



$ (9.5)



$ (157.4)























Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Schedule of Hedging Gains (Losses)











$ in millions























Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 Hedging Gains (Losses) Included in Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and

Eliminations

Consolidated Unrealized hedging gain (loss)

$ (6.8)



$ 0.2



$ 



$ 3.0



$ (3.6)

Realized hedging gain (loss)

32.4



0.2







0.4



33.0

Total hedging gain (loss)

$ 25.6



$ 0.4



$ 



$ 3.4



$ 29.4























Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Schedule of Hedging Gains (Losses)











$ in millions























Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 Hedging Gains (Losses) Included in Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and

Eliminations

Consolidated Unrealized hedging gain (loss)

$ 38.7



$ 



$ 



$ (10.1)



$ 28.6

Realized hedging gain (loss)

(105.2)



2.1







(6.9)



(110.0)

Total hedging gain (loss)

$ (66.5)



$ 2.1



$ 



$ (17.0)



$ (81.4)























Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Schedule of Hedging Gains (Losses)











$ in millions























Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 Hedging Gains (Losses) Included in Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and

Eliminations

Consolidated Unrealized hedging gain (loss)

$ (23.2)



$ 



$ 



$ (7.5)



$ (30.7)

Realized hedging gain (loss)

67.4



(0.6)







8.4



75.2

Total hedging gain (loss)

$ 44.2



$ (0.6)



$ 



$ 0.9



$ 44.5



Refining Segment

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019 Tyler, TX Refinery

(Unaudited)

(Unaudited) Days in period

91



91



182



181

Total sales volume - refined product (average barrels per day)(1)

69,746



77,657



72,364



73,863

Products manufactured (average barrels per day):















Gasoline

37,225



39,997



38,633



39,671

Diesel/Jet

27,897



31,505



27,650



29,455

Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs

3,216



3,318



2,604



2,690

Other

1,319



1,654



1,281



1,411

Total production

69,657



76,474



70,168



73,227

Throughput (average barrels per day):















Crude oil

64,408



71,918



65,187



68,219

Other feedstocks

5,848



5,106



5,648



5,785

Total throughput

70,256



77,024



70,835



74,004

Per barrel of refined product sales:















Tyler refining margin (2)

$ 32.72



$ 12.15



$ 4.62



$ 16.84

Tyler adjusted refining margin (2)

$ 21.24



$ 12.12



$ 10.32



$ 13.98

Operating expenses

$ 3.00



$ 3.65



$ 3.38



$ 4.15

Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period)















WTI crude oil

94.2 %

87.7 %

93.3 %

89.3 % East Texas crude oil

5.8 %

12.3 %

6.7 %

10.7 %

















El Dorado, AR Refinery















Days in period

91



91



182



181

Total sales volume - refined product (average barrels per day)(1)

76,059



51,002



76,805



51,717

Products manufactured (average barrels per day):















Gasoline

34,346



21,821



35,376



21,159

Diesel

30,060



17,802



28,849



16,633

Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs

2,063



551



2,062



678

Asphalt

6,049



6,961



6,345



5,899

Other

605



683



788



661

Total production

73,123



47,818



73,420



45,030

Throughput (average barrels per day):















Crude oil

71,406



47,935



71,514



44,542

Other feedstocks

2,369



359



2,506



1,270

Total throughput

73,775



48,294



74,020



45,812

Per barrel of refined product sales:















El Dorado refining margin

$ 3.08



$ 8.93



$ (2.74)



$ 11.21

El Dorado adjusted refining margin

$ (4.29)



8.98



$ (2.74)



$ 10.84

Operating expenses

$ 3.53



$ 5.93



$ 3.98



$ 6.31

Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period)















WTI crude oil

51.4 %

43.9 %

42.9 %

42.6 % Local Arkansas crude oil

14.7 %

29.0 %

17.0 %

28.3 % Other

33.9 %

27.1 %

40.1 %

29.1 %

Refining Segment

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019 Big Spring, TX Refinery

(Unaudited) (Unaudited) Days in period - based on date acquired

91



91



182



181

Total sales volume - refined product (average barrels per day) (1)

70,679



78,158



54,382



79,993

Products manufactured (average barrels per day):















Gasoline

35,789



36,428



25,198



37,657

Diesel/Jet

27,924



26,638



18,860



27,494

Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs

3,563



3,679



2,472



3,763

Asphalt

2,055



1,900



1,452



1,707

Other

1,208



1,354



844



1,296

Total production

70,539



69,999



48,826



71,917

Throughput (average barrels per day):















Crude oil

70,327



72,965



50,116



72,649

Other feedstocks

1,483



(581)



78



648

Total throughput

71,810



72,384



50,194



73,297

Per barrel of refined product sales:















Big Spring refining margin

$ 7.88



$ 13.77



$ 0.71



$ 16.00

Big Spring adjusted refining margin

$ 3.76



$ 13.82



$ 0.73



$ 15.79

Operating expenses

$ 3.55



$ 3.69



$ 4.89



$ 3.75

Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period)















WTI crude oil

83.9 %

73.3 %

75.1 %

76.3 % WTS crude oil

16.1 %

26.7 %

24.9 %

23.7 %

















Krotz Springs, LA Refinery















Days in period - based on date acquired

91



91



182



181

Total sales volume - refined product (average barrels per day) (1)

61,441



75,283



71,229



76,749

Products manufactured (average barrels per day):















Gasoline

17,461



34,498



24,135



36,270

Diesel/Jet

21,742



29,776



26,337



30,082

Heavy oils

215



1,110



473



1,100

Petrochemicals, LPG, NGLs

840



4,264



1,923



5,758

Other

18,871







14,704



52

Total production

59,129



69,648



67,572



73,262

Throughput (average barrels per day):















Crude oil

59,468



70,162



65,975



71,240

Other feedstocks

1,114



(1,327)



2,104



908

Total throughput

60,582



68,835



68,079



72,148

Per barrel of refined product sales:















Krotz Springs refining margin

$ (0.64)



$ 9.69



$ (1.12)



$ 10.84

Krotz Springs adjusted refining margin

$ (8.12)



$ 9.72



$ (1.12)



$ 10.36

Operating expenses

$ 3.53



$ 4.39



$ 3.47



$ 4.14

Crude Slate: (% based on amount received in period)















WTI Crude

69.7 %

61.0 %

67.7 %

62.0 % Gulf Coast Sweet Crude

30.3 %

39.0 %

32.3 %

38.0 %





(1) Includes inter-refinery sales and sales to other segments which are eliminated in consolidation. See tables below.



(2) Tyler's refining margin per barrel and the adjusted refining margin per barrel for the second quarter 2020 both reflect the $111.0 million margin benefit of favorable fixed price crude cost transactions during the quarter, but exclude the offsetting realized hedging losses of approximately $(111.0) million. Giving effect to the related hedging losses, both the refining margin per barrel and the adjusted refining margin per barrel would have decreased by $(17.49). Such margin impact was unusually large because of the historic volatility in the crude commodities market during the period.

Included in the refinery statistics above are the following inter-refinery and sales to other segments:

Inter-refinery Sales



















Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, (in barrels per day)

2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)



























Tyler refined product sales to other Delek refineries

2,190



914



1,477



557

El Dorado refined product sales to other Delek refineries

1,074



988



446



1,886

Big Spring refined product sales to other Delek refineries

1,269



653



1,147



903

Krotz Springs refined product sales to other Delek refineries

197



10,211



245



5,530



Refinery Sales to Other Segments



















Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, (in barrels per day)

2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

















Tyler refined product sales to other Delek segments

1,592



24



2,400



281

El Dorado refined product sales to other Delek segments

11



58



169



155

Big Spring refined product sales to other Delek segments

20,570



25,215



22,841



26,034



Pricing statistics







(average for the period presented)



















Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

















WTI  Cushing crude oil (per barrel)

$ 29.77



$ 59.80



$ 37.93



$ 57.36

WTI  Midland crude oil (per barrel)

$ 29.77



$ 57.56



$ 37.90



$ 55.65

WTS -- Midland crude oil (per barrel) (1)

$ 29.61



$ 57.93



$ 37.69



$ 55.95

LLS (per barrel) (1)

$ 31.30



$ 67.06



$ 39.73



$ 64.73

Brent crude oil (per barrel)

$ 33.35



$ 68.44



$ 42.16



$ 66.14



















U.S. Gulf Coast 5-3-2 crack spread (per barrel) (1)

$ 6.67



$ 17.74



$ 8.74



$ 15.77

U.S. Gulf Coast 3-2-1 crack spread (per barrel) (1)

$ 7.08



$ 19.24



$ 9.32



$ 17.23

U.S. Gulf Coast 2-1-1 crack spread (per barrel) (1)

$ 2.35



$ 9.75



$ 5.35



$ 8.55



















U.S. Gulf Coast Unleaded Gasoline (per gallon)

$ 0.81



$ 1.79



$ 1.02



$ 1.66

Gulf Coast Ultra low sulfur diesel (per gallon)

$ 0.91



$ 1.94



$ 1.19



$ 1.91

U.S. Gulf Coast high sulfur diesel (per gallon)

$ 0.73



$ 1.80



$ 1.04



$ 1.78

Natural gas (per MMBTU)

$ 1.75



$ 2.51



$ 1.81



$ 2.69







(1) For our Tyler and El Dorado refineries, we compare our per barrel refining product margin to the Gulf Coast 5-3-2 crack spread consisting of WTI Cushing crude, U.S. Gulf Coast CBOB and U.S, Gulf Coast Pipeline No. 2 heating oil (ultra low sulfur diesel). For our Big Spring refinery, we compare our per barrel refined product margin to the Gulf Coast 3-2-1 crack spread consisting of WTI Cushing crude, Gulf Coast 87 Conventional gasoline and Gulf Coast ultra-low sulfur diesel, and for our Krotz Springs refinery, we compare our per barrel refined product margin to the Gulf Coast 2-1-1 crack spread consisting of LLS crude oil, Gulf Coast 87 Conventional gasoline and U.S, Gulf Coast Pipeline No. 2 heating oil (high sulfur diesel). The Tyler refinery's crude oil input is primarily WTI Midland and east Texas, while the El Dorado refinery's crude input is primarily a combination of WTI Midland, local Arkansas and other domestic inland crude oil. The Big Spring refinery's crude oil input is primarily comprised of WTS and WTI Midland. The Krotz Springs refinery's crude oil input is primarily comprised of LLS and WTI Midland.

Delek US Holdings, Inc. Reconciliation of Refining Margin per barrel to Adjusted Refining Margin per barrel (1) $ in millions, except per share data



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited) Tyler (2)















Reported refining margin, $ per barrel

$ 32.72



$ 12.15



$ 4.62



$ 16.84

Adjustments:















LCM net inventory valuation loss (benefit)

(11.48)



(0.03)



5.70



(2.86)



















Adjusted refining margin $/bbl

$ 21.24



$ 12.12



$ 10.32



$ 13.98



















El Dorado (3)















Reported refining margin, $ per barrel

$ 3.08



$ 8.93



$ (2.74)



$ 11.21

Adjustments:















LCM net inventory valuation loss (benefit)

(7.37)



0.05







(0.37)



















Adjusted refining margin $/bbl

$ (4.29)



$ 8.98



$ (2.74)



$ 10.84



















Big Spring (4)















Reported refining margin, $ per barrel

$ 7.88



$ 13.77



$ 0.71



$ 16.00

Adjustments:















LCM net inventory valuation loss (benefit)

(4.12)



0.05



0.02



(0.21)



















Adjusted refining margin $/bbl

$ 3.76



$ 13.82



$ 0.73



$ 15.79



















Krotz Springs (5)















Reported refining margin, $ per barrel

$ (0.64)



$ 9.69



$ (1.12)



$ 10.84

Adjustments:















LCM net inventory valuation loss (benefit)

(7.48)



0.03







(0.48)



















Adjusted refining margin $/bbl

$ (8.12)



$ 9.72



$ (1.12)



$ 10.36



























(1) Adjusted refining margin per barrel is presented to provide a measure to evaluate performance excluding inventory valuation adjustments and other items at the individual refinery level. Delek US believes that the presentation of adjusted measures provides useful information to investors in assessing its results of operations at each refinery. Because adjusted refining margin per barrel may be defined differently by other companies in its industry, Delek US' definition may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies.







(2) Tyler adjusted refining margins exclude the following items.



Net inventory valuation loss/benefit - There was approximately $72.8 million and $0.2 million of valuation benefit in the second quarter 2020 and 2019, respectively. There was approximately $75.1 million of valuation loss and $38.3 million of valuation benefit for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These amounts resulted from lower of cost or market adjustments on LIFO inventory in the respective periods.



Note also that Tyler's refining margin per barrel and the adjusted refining margin per barrel for the second quarter 2020 both reflect the $111.0 million margin benefit of favorable fixed price crude cost transactions during the quarter, but exclude the offsetting realized hedging losses of approximately $(111.0) million. Giving effect to the related hedging losses, both the refining margin per barrel and the adjusted refining margin per barrel would have decreased by $(17.49). Such margin impact was unusually large because of the historic volatility in the crude commodities market during the period.







(3) El Dorado adjusted refining margins exclude the following items.



Net inventory valuation loss/benefit - There was approximately $51.0 million of valuation benefit as compared to a $0.3 million of valuation loss in the second quarter 2020 and 2019, respectively. There was a nominal amount of valuation benefit and $3.4 million of valuation benefit for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These amounts resulted from lower of cost or net realizable value adjustments on FIFO inventory in the respective periods.







(4) Big Spring adjusted refining margins exclude the following items.



Net inventory valuation loss/benefit - There was approximately $26.5 million of valuation benefit and $0.4 million of valuation losses in the second quarter 2020 and 2019, respectively. There was approximately $0.2 million of valuation loss and $3.0 million of valuation benefit for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. These amounts resulted from lower of cost or net realizable value adjustments on FIFO inventory in the respective periods.







(5) Krotz Springs adjusted refining margins exclude the following items.



Net inventory valuation loss/benefit - There was approximately $41.8 million of valuation benefit and $0.2 million of valuation loss in the second quarter 2020 and 2019, respectively. There was nominal amount of valuation benefit and $6.7 million of valuation benefit for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively.These amounts resulted from lower of cost or net realizable value adjustments on FIFO inventory in the respective periods.



Logistics Segment

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited) Pipelines & Transportation: (average bpd)















Lion Pipeline System:















Crude pipelines (non-gathered)

79,066



37,625



75,995



33,179

Refined products pipelines

56,093



29,893



55,110



26,511

SALA Gathering System

9,447



14,315



13,449



14,798

East Texas Crude Logistics System

10,275



19,550



12,224



18,835



















Wholesale Marketing & Terminalling:















East Texas - Tyler Refinery sales volumes (average bpd) (1)

65,028



71,123



68,839



69,857

West Texas wholesale marketing throughputs (average bpd)

9,143



11,404



12,612



12,418

West Texas wholesale marketing margin per barrel

$ 0.64



$ 6.25



$ 1.96



$ 4.84

Big Spring wholesale marketing throughputs (average bpd)

76,004



82,964



71,195



85,339

Terminalling throughputs (average bpd) (2)

138,593



156,922



136,961



154,643









































(1) Excludes jet fuel and petroleum coke.



(2) Consists of terminalling throughputs at our Tyler, Big Spring, Big Sandy and Mount Pleasant, Texas, El Dorado and North Little Rock, Arkansas and Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee terminals.

Retail Segment

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited) Number of stores (end of period)

253



263



253



263

Average number of stores

253



277



253



279

Retail fuel sales (thousands of gallons)

42,436



53,743



90,376



107,633

Average retail gallons sold per average number of fuel stores (in thousands)

171



201



365



399

Retail fuel margin ($ per gallon) (1)

$ 0.45



$ 0.29



$ 0.37



$ 0.25

Merchandise sales (in millions)

$ 89.4



$ 83.3



$ 161.1



$ 158.6

Merchandise sales per average number of stores (in millions)

$ 0.4



$ 0.3



$ 0.6



$ 0.6

Merchandise margin %

30.8 %

31.2 %

31.1 %

31.1 %

Same-Store Comparison (2)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited) Change in same-store fuel gallons sold

(19.7) %

1.7 %

(13.9) %

3.1 % Change in same-store merchandise sales

13.1 %

(2.5) %

7.6 %

(0.5) %





(1) Retail fuel margin represents gross margin on fuel sales in the retail segment, and is calculated as retail fuel sales revenue less retail fuel cost of sales. The retail fuel margin per gallon calculation is derived by dividing retail fuel margin by the total retail fuel gallons sold for the period.



(2) Same-store comparisons include period-over-period increases or decreases in specified metrics for stores that were in service at both the beginning of the earliest period and the end of the most recent period used in the comparison.

Delek US Holdings, Inc.















Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP















$ in millions





























Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) attributable to Delek to Adjusted Net Income (Loss)

2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited) Reported net income (loss) attributable to Delek

$ 87.7



$ 77.3



$ (226.7)



$ 226.6



















Adjustments















Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss

(203.1)



0.6



75.1



(51.5)

Tax effect of inventory valuation

47.7



(0.1)



(17.7)



12.1

Net after tax inventory valuation (benefit) loss

(155.4)



0.5



57.4



(39.4)



















Unrealized hedging (gain) loss

23.4



3.6



(28.6)



30.7

Tax effect of unrealized hedging (gain) loss

(5.3)



(0.8)



6.5



(6.9)

Net after tax unrealized hedging (gain) loss

18.1



2.8



(22.1)



23.8



















Gain from sale of Bakersfield non-operating refinery

(56.9)







(56.9)





Tax effect of gain from sale of Bakersfield non-operating refinery

12.8







12.8





Net after tax effect of gain from sale of Bakersfield non-operating refinery

(44.1)







(44.1)























Non-operating, pre-acquisition litigation contingent losses and related legal expenses





6.7







6.7

Tax effect of non-operating pre-acquisition litigation contingent losses and related legal expenses





(1.5)







(1.5)

Net after tax non-operating pre-acquisition litigation contingent losses and related legal expenses





5.2







5.2



















Retroactive biodiesel tax credit (1)





11.0







20.7

Tax effect of retroactive biodiesel tax credit





(0.1)







(0.2)

Net after tax retroactive biodiesel tax credit





10.9







20.5



















Discontinued operations (income) loss





1.0







1.0

Tax effect of discontinued operations





(0.2)







(0.2)

Net after tax discontinued operations (income) loss





0.8







0.8



















Tax benefit from loss carryback provided by CARES Act (2)

(16.8)







(16.8)





Tax adjustment to reduce deferred tax asset valuation allowance resulting from Big Springs Gathering Assets Acquisition









(22.3)























Total after tax adjustments

(198.2)



20.2



(47.9)



10.9



















Adjusted net income (loss)

$ (110.5)



$ 97.5



$ (274.6)



$ 237.5

























(1) An adjustment for the portion of the retroactive biodiesel tax credit reenacted in December 2019 that was attributable to 2019 has been included in the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 for comparability.



(2) As a result of the reinstatement of the tax-loss carryback provisions under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the "CARES" Act), we recognized an additional tax benefit in the second quarter 2020 from applying the carryback to periods with a 35% tax rate.

Delek US Holdings, Inc.















Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP















per share data



















Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Income (Loss) per share to Adjusted Net Income (Loss) per share

2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited)

















Reported diluted income (loss) per share

$ 1.18



$ 1.00



$ (3.08)



$ 2.91



















Adjustments, after tax (per share) (1) (2)















Adjustment to convert reported diluted income (loss) per share to basic (in periods when adjusted earnings is a loss but we have GAAP net income)

0.01













Net inventory valuation loss (benefit)

(2.11)



0.01



0.78



(0.51)

Unrealized hedging (gain) loss

0.25



0.04



(0.30)



0.30

Gain from sale of Bakersfield non-operating refinery

(0.60)







(0.60)





Non-operating, pre-acquisition litigation contingent losses and related legal expenses





0.07







0.07

Retroactive biodiesel tax credit





0.14







0.26

Discontinued operations (income) loss





0.01







0.01

Tax benefit from loss carryback provided by CARES Act

(0.23)







(0.23)





Tax adjustment to reduce deferred tax asset valuation allowance resulting from Big Springs Gathering Assets Acquisition









(0.30)























Total adjustments

(2.68)



0.27



(0.65)



0.13

Adjusted net income (loss) per share

$ (1.50)



$ 1.27



$ (3.73)



$ 3.04







(1) The tax calculation is based on the appropriate marginal income tax rate related to each adjustment and for each respective time period, which is applied to the adjusted items in the calculation of adjusted net income in all periods.



(2) For periods of Adjusted net loss, Adjustments (Adjusting Items) and Adjusted net loss per share are presented using basic weighted average shares outstanding.

Delek US Holdings, Inc.















Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP















$ in millions





























Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, Reconciliation of Net Income (Loss) attributable to Delek to Adjusted EBITDA

2020

2019

2020

2019



(Unaudited)

(Unaudited) Reported net income (loss) attributable to Delek

$ 87.7



$ 77.3



$ (226.7)



$ 226.6



















Add:















Interest expense, net

29.3



29.5



63.9



55.7

Income tax (benefit) expense - continuing operations

(35.9)



24.6



(119.0)



70.4

Depreciation and amortization

59.6



50.1



112.2



96.9

EBITDA

140.7



181.5



(169.6)



449.6



















Adjustments















Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss

(203.1)



0.6



75.1



(51.5)

Unrealized hedging (gain) loss

23.4



3.6



(28.6)



30.7

Gain from sale of Bakersfield non-operating refinery

(56.9)







(56.9)





Non-operating, pre-acquisition litigation contingent losses and related legal expenses





6.7







6.7

Retroactive biodiesel tax credit (1)





11.0







20.7

Discontinued operations (income) loss, net of tax





0.8







0.8

Net income attributable to non-controlling interest

10.8



6.5



18.2



11.6

Total adjustments

(225.8)



29.2



7.8



19.0



















Adjusted EBITDA

$ (85.1)



$ 210.7



$ (161.8)



$ 468.6

























(1) The portion of the retroactive biodiesel tax credit reenacted in December 2019 that was attributable to 2019 has been added to the three and six months ended June 30, 2019.

Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP











$ in millions













































Three Months Ended June 30, 2020 Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Segment Contribution Margin to Adjusted Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations

Consolidated Reported segment contribution margin

$ 59.7



$ 61.4



$ 24.3



$ (15.5)



$ 129.9























Adjustments



















Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss

(193.7)



(2.9)



(3.2)



(3.3)



(203.1)

Unrealized hedging (gain) loss

9.9



2.3







11.2



23.4

Total adjustments

$ (183.8)



$ (0.6)



$ (3.2)



$ 7.9



$ (179.7)

Adjusted segment contribution margin

$ (124.1)



$ 60.8



$ 21.1



$ (7.6)



$ (49.8)



Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP











$ in millions













































Three Months Ended June 30, 2019 Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Segment Contribution Margin to Adjusted Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations

Consolidated Reported segment contribution margin

$ 198.1



$ 44.2



$ 17.6



$ (9.6)



$ 250.3























Adjustments



















Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss

0.6















0.6

Unrealized hedging (gain) loss

6.8



(0.2)







(3.0)



3.6

Retroactive biodiesel tax credit (1)

11.0















11.0

Total adjustments

$ 18.4



$ (0.2)



$ 



$ (3.0)



$ 15.2

Adjusted segment contribution margin

$ 216.5



$ 44.0



$ 17.6



$ (12.6)



$ 265.5

















































Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP











$ in millions













































Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Segment Contribution Margin to Adjusted Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations

Consolidated Reported segment contribution margin

$ (230.7)



$ 108.7



$ 36.6



$ (28.6)



$ (114.0)























Adjustments



















Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss

75.3



(0.1)







(0.1)



75.1

Unrealized hedging (gain) loss

(38.7)











10.1



(28.6)

Total adjustments

$ 36.6



$ (0.1)



$ 



$ 10.0



$ 46.5

Adjusted segment contribution margin

$ (194.1)



$ 108.6



$ 36.6



$ (18.6)



$ (67.5)



Delek US Holdings, Inc.



















Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP











$ in millions























Six Months Ended June 30, 2019 Reconciliation of U.S. GAAP Segment Contribution Margin to Adjusted Segment Contribution Margin

Refining

Logistics

Retail

Corporate, Other and Eliminations

Consolidated Reported segment contribution margin

$ 500.0



$ 84.3



$ 27.8



$ (28.0)



$ 584.1























Adjustments



















Net inventory valuation (benefit) loss

(51.4)



(0.1)











(51.5)

Unrealized hedging (gain) loss

23.2











7.5



30.7

Retroactive biodiesel tax credit (1)

20.7















20.7

Total adjustments

$ (7.5)



$ (0.1)



$ 



$ 7.5



$ (0.1)

Adjusted segment contribution margin

$ 492.5



$ 84.2



$ 27.8



$ (20.5)



$ 584.0







(1) An adjustment for the portion of the retroactive biodiesel tax credit reenacted in December 2019 that was attributable to 2019 has been included in the three and six months ended June 30, 2019 for comparability.





Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, Reconciliation of Refining Segment Gross Margin to Refining Margin

2020

2019

2020

2019

(Unaudited) (Unaudited) Net revenues

$ 1,077.0



$ 2,367.8



$ 2,804.9



$ 4,459.8

Cost of sales

1,062.1



2,202.9



3,117.6



4,024.1

Gross margin

14.9



164.9



(312.7)



435.7

Add back (items included in cost of sales):















Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization)

88.7



115.0



200.4



236.0

Depreciation and amortization

44.8



33.2



82.0



64.3

Refining margin

$ 148.4



$ 313.1



$ (30.3)



$ 736.0



Information about Delek US Holdings, Inc. can be found on its website (www.delekus.com), investor relations webpage (ir.delekus.com), news webpage (www.delekus.com/news) and its Twitter account (@DelekUSHoldings).

SOURCE Delek US Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.delekus.com/


(August 12, 2019)  Today, Governor Tim Walz appointed Jodi Harpstead, CEO of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, as the new Commissioner for the Minnesota Department of Human Services, effective September 3.

Serving as the CEO for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota has been among the greatest joys of my life, Harpstead said. I can accept this appointment because LSS is strong and healthy. I am so proud of this organization  our employees, volunteers and supporters  who are deeply dedicated to the LSS vision that all people have the opportunity to live and work in community, with full and abundant lives.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota is one of Minnesotas largest human service organizations with 2,300 employees and 8,000 volunteers that serve one in 65 Minnesotans. Harpstead is admired for her work fostering an operational philosophy of breakthrough thinking within the organization to drive innovation in services, helping develop and support strong leadership across and throughout the organization. She has also been instrumental in helping to promote a positive and supportive work culture and the organizations first employee vision statement that underscores meaningful work, opportunities for professional growth and balanced lives for employees.

Key innovations for Harpstead and LSS management team include:

 New service designs for older adults, people with disabilities and children, youth and families across the state of Minnesota.

Older Adults: Recent innovations include contracting with health systems to integrate social determinants with health for seniors, including healthy meals shipped to homes in rural Minnesota and Community Companions that help Minnesotans recover after a hospital stay and avoid re-admittance.

People with Disabilities: LSS was a leader in founding the Altair ACO, a collaboration of service providers now supporting about 18,000 Minnesotans with intellectual and developmental disabilities  about 30% of the people with disability waivers in Minnesota  using a care management approach with the goals of better health, fuller lives, and lower cost. Altair has grown to 14 partners from its original 6 in 2013, and is a national leader bringing forward new, integrated models of health and services targeted at whole-person care.

Youth Homelessness: The Center for Changing Lives for Youth opened in Duluth 2017, followed by an LSS-convened community stakeholder group whose goal is to end homelessness for youth in Duluth.

Adoption Leadership: Assuring that Minnesota remains a leader in International, Domestic and Foster Care Adoptions by bringing together the adoption services of Childrens Home Society and LSS in 2012 under an innovative affiliation between two long standing and respected Minnesota organizations.

 Development of LSS offices in urban neighborhoods which include recent partnerships with Lifetrack in Saint Pauls Promise Neighborhood and Christ the River of Life Lutheran Church and Redeemer Center for Life in North Minneapolis.

 Supporting military families. Through a partnership with the Minnesota Department of Veterans Affairs, Lutheran Social Service offers support to military families statewide including mental health and financial counseling, caregiver support and other supportive resources.

 Taking a stand as an anti-racism organization. Fostering conversations and learning on issues of race among employees is an ongoing endeavor that began in 2008 to promote greater understanding, ensure high quality service and build racial equity.

Were very proud of the work Jodi and LSS leadership team have accomplished to continue cultivating a vibrant, innovative and healthy organization with highly-dedicated employees who are driven by compassion to help others lead full and abundant lives, said Dr. Paul Dovre, Board Chair for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota. We truly wish Jodi well and know that both the Minnesota Department of Human Services and Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota will be in very capable hands.

Patrick Thueson, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer for Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, will become Acting CEO beginning September 3 while the Board of Directors determines their next steps. Thueson has served for 12 years with Harpstead. LSS continuing senior executives have a combined total of 80 years of leadership experience at LSS.

Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota began in 1865 when a Lutheran pastor and his congregation opened an orphanage for children near Red Wing in southeastern Minnesota. Today, with 2,300 employees and 8,000 volunteers, Lutheran Social Service supports one in 65 Minnesotans through services that inspire hope, change lives and build community. Statewide, the organization seeks to foster safe and supportive homes for children, restore health and wellness in families, empower people with disabilities to live the lives they imagine, and promote health, independence and quality of life for older adults. For comprehensive information about the work of Lutheran Social Service of Minnesota, visit www.lssmn.org.
New Delhi:

Lok Sabha Panel probing the Bhagwant Mann Parliament House videography case has found the Aam Admi Party MP guilty. Mann in a video had shown the critical footage of the Parliament House complex on social media, making it a big security breach.

In nearly 12 minute video, Mann is seen giving a running commentary as his vehicle crosses security barricades and enters Parliament. Ill today show you something you would not have seen earlier, he is heard saying.

ALSO READ: (Another extension to Parliament panel probing Bhagwant Mann's photography controversy)

A nine-member committee was set up to probe the incident. In view of the seriousness of matter, the AAP MP was asked by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan not to attend the sittings of the House until a decision was taken. Following which Mann sat on a dharna outside Parliament.

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Gregory Schifrin joins the Company's Board of Directors on the heels of recent acquisition of Clearwater Gold Mining Corporation

WALLACE, ID / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Magellan Gold Corporation (OTCQB:MAGE) ("Magellan" or the "Company"), a precious metals exploration and development company, today announced the appointment of Michael Lavigne as President and Director effective August 1, 2020. In addition to Mr. Lavigne, Gregory Schifrin was also appointed as Director, following the Company's acquisition of Clearwater Gold Mining Corporation announced in July 2020.

Mr. Lavigne has been involved in the mining industry since 1975, when he worked underground for Helca Mining Company. After completing law school, Mr. Lavigne started a registered broker-dealer specializing in mining and resource companies. He was a member and on the board of directors for the Spokane Stock Exchange and was involved in a number of financings for exploration-stage companies. Mr. Lavigne has served in management and board positions for a number of exploration companies with projects in Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Utah, Wyoming and Alaska. Additionally, Mr. Lavigne is owner and Managing Partner of Capital Peak Partners, LLC, which provides consulting services in the area of corporate and business development to a number of mining companies. Mr. Lavigne received his BA in Accounting from the University of Idaho and JD from the Gonzaga University School of Law.

Mr. Schifrin has worked as a geologist and manager for over 36 years in the mining and mineral exploration industry, where he has been involved in precious base metals, rare earth and uranium exploration and project development. He has provided technical and project management services for hundreds of mining projects of major and junior mining companies, from grassroots through the drilling and development phases. Mr. Schifrin has served as an executive or director at various mining companies, including Idaho Champion Gold Mines USA, Inc. (CSE:ITKO), Blackrock Gold Corp. (TSXV:BRC), WestMountain Gold, Inc., Silver Verde May, Cyclone Uranium Corp., U.S. Rare Earth, Inc., and Golden Eagle Mining. During his various tenures, he managed a broad range of functions including geologic evaluation, project development, infrastructure construction, mining, operations, production, project generation, land acquisition, as well as corporate finance, budgets, accounting, legal and regulatory, investors, and personnel. Mr. Schifrin earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from the University of Idaho in 1983. He is a registered professional geologist in Washington State.

"We are extremely pleased with the additions of Mr. Lavigne and Mr. Schifrin, two highly respected mining industry veterans with deep management and operational experience," stated John Power, Interim President of Magellan Gold. "With their extensive background in leading exploration and development companies, I am confident that they can advance our new focus to acquire and develop early-to-mid-stage exploration targets and near-term production plays in the western United States, which began with the acquisition of mining claims in the historic Center Star Gold Mine located in the Elk City mining district of Idaho."

"I look forward to joining the Magellan Gold team and helping to execute its strategy in mining-friendly jurisdictions, especially Idaho and Nevada," said Mr. Lavigne. "In addition to our Center Star Gold Mine, we will identify and pursue smaller-scale high-grade gold occurrences that have largely been ignored by larger companies looking for near-surface bulk tonnage targets. These projects have historically provided very attractive rates of return for shareholders."

"With insight from over three decades of experience in all phases of mining, I strongly believe in the value proposition of smaller operations and gold deposits that larger mining companies often overlook," commented Mr. Schifrin. "I believe my extensive industry experience will be helpful in guiding and taking Magellan Gold to the next level of growth as a gold producer."

About Magellan Gold Corporation

Magellan Gold Corporation (OTCQB:MAGE) is focused on the exploration and development of precious metals in North America. Magellan's flagship project is the Center Star Gold Mine located in the historic Ten Mile Mining District near Elk City, Idaho. We are additionally working to build a collection of operating gold mines in the Western United States. Our goal going forward will be to resume production and expand our resource base to achieve greater market recognition for the benefit of our shareholders.

To learn more about Magellan Gold Corporation, visit www.magellangoldcorp.com.

Cautionary Statement

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission permits mining companies, in their filings with the SEC, to disclose only those mineral deposits that a company can legally extract or produce. Under SEC Industry Guide 7 standards, a "final" or "bankable" feasibility study is required to report reserves. Currently we have not delineated "reserves" on any of our properties. We cannot be certain that any deposits at our properties will ever be confirmed or converted into SEC Industry Guide 7 compliant "reserves." Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of any "resource" estimates will ever be confirmed or converted into reserves or that they can be economically or legally extracted.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking statements." Such statements are based on good-faith assumptions that Magellan Gold Corporation believes are reasonable but which are subject to a wide range of uncertainties and business risks that could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those anticipated are discussed in Magellan Gold Corporation's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investor Contact:

Magellan Gold Corporation

888-237-2881

contact@magellangoldcorp.com

SOURCE: Magellan Gold Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600118/Magellan-Gold-Appoints-Mining-Industry-Veteran-Michael-Lavigne-as-President-and-Director
An artist's impression of the Virgin Galactic plane capable of speeds of Mach 3. (PA)

Virgin Galactic is developing a supersonic jet that will fly passengers from London to New York in 90 minutes.

The aircraft would fly between nine and 19 passengers and crew at three times the speed of sound at an altitude above 60,000ft  twice as high as a commercial plane.

The company has partnered with engine-maker Rolls-Royce to build the business jet, which could travel from London to Sydney in just five hours.

Virgin Galactic has partnered with Rolls-Royce to develop the supersonic aircraft. (PA)

The delta-wing plane, capable of speeds of Mach 3, will take off and land like any other passenger jet at existing airports.

Read more: Schools reopening in autumn 'not up for debate' insists government

Sir Richard Bransons company said it has signed an agreement with Rolls-Royce to collaborate in designing and developing engine propulsion technology for the commercial plane, as it unveiled the first design of the coming aircraft.

The partnership with Rolls-Royce, which built engines for Concorde, the only civil-certified supersonic aircraft, comes after the Virgin Galactic programme cleared a mission concept review that included representatives from Nasa.

Sir Richard Branson, founder of Virgin Galactic, which is developing a supersonic passenger jet. (AP)

The Virgin Galactic aircraft will fly at an altitude of 60,000ft. (PA)

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is also working with Virgin Galactic to outline a certification framework, said George Whitesides, chief space officer at Virgin Galactic.

Read more: Mars was once covered in ice sheets

He said: We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start.

We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high-speed travel.

Separately, Virgin Galactic plans to fly to space early next year.
EL PASO  Twenty-three pillars of light shot into a cloudy El Paso sky to commemorate the lives lost during a shooting that targeted Mexicans at a Walmart one year ago  a memorial visible from both sides of the US-Mexico border.

The white beams stood out against the orange glow of the border lights Sunday night as people lit paper lanterns and played music in a park in a ceremony marking a year since the attack. There was a service for the families of the victims, but the gathering was closed to the public.

Events to commemorate the shooting in El Paso, and another hours later that killed nine people in Dayton, Ohio, have been reshaped by the coronavirus. The pandemic has added peril to the kind of gatherings that would have otherwise marked the grim anniversary, but did not stop the largely Hispanic city of 700,000 from showing unity.

On Monday, the Walmart where the shooting took place delayed opening until noon. Residents and store employees wearing masks laid flowers and lit candles at a monument. Mourners observed a moment of silence at 10:39 a.m.  the same time that the first call came to police about the shooting, according to the El Paso Times.

A group, some dressed as Aztec dancers and others wearing masks, then walked from that memorial to the site of an older one carrying 23 crosses. Fernando Garcia, whose group helped organize the march, told the paper it was a demonstration against racism, xenophobia and white supremacy. After sundown, a star of lights is set to flash once for each of the victims on the mountains that overlook the city.


Duchess Meghan and Prince Harry's pet dog is called Pula.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex welcomed the black Labrador rescue into their home in 2018 - shortly after they got married the same year - but they hadn't revealed the name of their pooch.

As reported by People magazine, the dog's moniker has been revealed in new book 'Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family', which was penned by veteran journalists Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand.

Although the pair had kept this under wraps, Meghan previously dropped a hint back in 2018 when referring to their dog as a "she", saying that people keep "getting her name wrong".

The pooch's moniker comes from a the currency of Botswana, which is the African country where Harry took Meghan when they had first started dating.

Furthermore, Pula means "rain" in Setswana, and with rain being scarce in the country it is considered a blessing and very valuable.

The trip to Botswana was memorable and significant for the couple, and just last year Meghan "re-created" the trip for Harry's 35th birthday.

A source previously said: "Meghan re-created their Botswana camping adventures in their backyard.

"It's a place that means so much to them- and to Harry in particular - so Meghan wanted to bring that happy place to him on his day so she set up a tent, got sleeping bags, cooked dinner and recreated Botswana where they fell in love."

Meanwhile, the book also revealed Meghan gave Duchess Catherine a Smythson notebook the first time they met.

The former actress broke the ice with her future sister-in-law at their first meeting in January 2017, by arriving with a gift for the 38-year-old duchess, and proceeding to fuss over Prince William and Catherine's daughter Princess Charlotte, who was 20 months old at the time.

'Finding Freedom' said: "Meghan bought a present for the duchess, who had celebrated her birthday just a day earlier.

"The soft leather Smythson notebook helped to break the ice, as did Meghan's cooing over then 20-month-old Charlotte."
Nearly two dozen Cambodian youth and activists were prevented on Monday from continuing protests against the Friday night arrest of unionist Rong Chhun for his comments relating to border posts along the Vietnamese border in Tboung Khmum province.



The longtime rights activists and former head of a teachers association was arrested at his home in Phnom Penh late Friday night. He was sent to court and charged with incitement on Saturday, after which he was detained at Phnom Penhs Prey Sar prison.



While officials have not been clear over the evidence used against Rong Chhun, they are likely linked to his recent comments and statements over alleged irregularities in border demarcation along the Cambodian border with Vietnam.



Kuch Kimlong, a spokesperson at the Phnom Penh court, on Monday only confirmed Rong Chhuns arrest and his detention for alleged incitement, based on Article 495 of the Criminal Code.



After questioning in accordance with legal procedures, investigative judge Van Sen Visoth decided to send Rong Chhun to pre-trial detention, he said on Monday.



The arrest spurred protests outside the Phnom Penh Municipal Court on Saturday, which continued on Monday. Local authorities and police prevented a group of around 20 people from protesting outside the court on Monday, after which the group decided to walk to the Justice Ministry, all the while followed and monitored by security personnel.

Rong Vann, Rong Chhun's 22-year-old nephew who was part of the protests, said his uncle had been arrested without a warrant, and questioned the rationale behind a late-night arrest.

Arresting him like this is...against the law, Rong Vann said, as he passed a shopping mall near Olympic Stadium. He was arrested at night when he was about to go to bed, and without a warrant.

Rong Chhun released a statement on July 20 questioning the accuracy of border demarcations 114 to 119 in Tboung Khmums Punhea Krek district. He said he had visited villagers who said around 100 families had lost around 500 meters of land to the Vietnamese side and were prevented from growing crops.



According to the statement, many irregularities has seen them lose hundreds of hectares of land where they grow crops.



He called on the government and a border demarcation committee to investigate the claim made by villagers. The comments have touched on a sensitive subject for the Cambodian government, which has routinely faced criticism, especially from former members of the dissolved Cambodia National Rescue Party, for ceding Cambodian land to Vietnam during border demarcation efforts.



More recently, Rong Chhun has also been part of garment worker protests against factory closures during COVID-19, in his capacity as president of the Cambodian Confederation of Unions.



One hundred and forty-one civil society organizations and grassroots communities released a statement on Monday decrying the arrest and calling for the release of the jailed unionist.



After more than a decade of harassment by authorities, this latest arrest of a respected union leader is a direct threat to every Cambodian who exercises their constitutional right to freely express their beliefs without having to fear a midnight visit by police and years lost in prison, read the statement.



The statement pointed to previous arrests of Rong Chhun, most notably in October 2005 when he was jailed for three months for again making comments on border issues with Vietnam.

Am Sam Ath, the deputy director for monitoring at rights group Licadho, said the arrest would further erode citizens right to free expression, resulting in self-censorship.

We find that some people think that these issues can affect the freedom of expression, he said. Others may restrict their freedom of expression," he added.

Justice Ministry spokesperson Chin Malin defended the arrest and said the sudden arrest of Rong Chhin was warranted because he had been caught in the act of committing the crime, referring to the unionists statements as an obvious crime.

An obvious crime means that the crime continued after his actions began. After he posted on his page continuously [about the border] he also gave an interview till the time of his arrest, Chin Malin said.



Hours prior to the arrest Rong Chhun, the governments Joint Boundary Commission of Cambodia had characterized comments he made earlier on Radio Free Asia as untrue and exaggerated, even threatening legal action.



Phil Robertson, deputy director for Asia at Human Rights Watch said, the villagers who complained about loss of land and Rong Chhun had the right to freely express their grievances and that the government was playing the shoot the messenger game.



Rather than arrest Rong Chhun, the government should be thanking him for raising these concerns and then sending a team to listen to the villagers grievances and try to find solutions for them, he said, in an email.
Local affiliates of Boys & Girls Clubs of America do not uniformly respond to reports of sexual misconduct according to a third-party review of the organizations policies made public Tuesday.

While the organization has enhanced policies to prevent abuse over the years, its programming is not consistently implemented at local clubs, according to a summary of the review, conducted by law firm Alston & Bird and the nonprofit Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

The review, which has been in the works for nearly a year, was prompted by a six-month Hearst Connecticut Media investigation into allegations of child sex abuse connected to Boys & Girls Clubs of America affiliates across the country that found 280 people in 31 states who say they were sexually abused as children by employees, volunteers and other members of the clubs.

RAINN found that Clubs are not fully utilizing the national resources, training programs, or guidance currently offered by BGCA, reads the summary of the report that Boys & Girls Clubs of America provided to the public. Clubs are not fully executing a consistent and methodical response to reported incidents of sexual misconduct.

The recommendations for change in the report include the organization developing a 3- to 5-year strategic plan to make comprehensive, intentional, and measurable changes at all of its clubs.

The Hearst investigation was spurred by three lawsuits against the Greenwich Boys & Girls club alleging ongoing sexual abuse there in the 1970s and 1980s.

Since last year, Hearst has found an additional 61 victims alleging sexual abuse and the investigation now includes clubs in 34 states. One new lawsuit was filed July 2 against the Greenwich club, and several lawsuits were filed against New York clubs under the Child Victims Act there, which extends the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse victims to come forward.

The national organization is currently named as a defendant in 15 pending sexual abuse lawsuits in state and federal courts, nine of which were filed in the past year. Some of the lawsuits claim that club leadership knew of the abuse, did not report it to law enforcement and allowed it to continue; that administrators at some clubs did not adhere to Boys & Girls Clubs of America safety guidelines or failed to conduct sufficient background checks.

There are also 12 pending criminal cases across the country against men who have in some way been affiliated with local clubs and stand accused of sexual misconduct. Several of those cases are set for trial this fall after having their court hearings delayed over the summer due to COVID-19.

An official from the national organization said that it strives to keep kids physically and emotionally safe, which is why it opted to organize the review.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas number one priority is the safety and protection of youth, reads a statement from an official. Enhancing our safety protocols is a continuous process.

Despite the finding that some local clubs lack the support to be able comply with national safety guidelines, the report recognizes Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas ongoing commitment to continuing enhancement of policies and practices in child safety.

BGCA has an extensive organizational network that analyzes, develops, trains and responds to the complex issues that Clubs face, the report reads. BGCA has made significant strides in their sexual misconduct prevention and response programming and it continues to roll out new initiatives to protect their community and keep their members safe.

Recommendations

The issues identified in the report include difficulty for clubs in accessing resources, limits on the ability to execute programs at individual clubs and a lack of understanding of the purpose of those programs on the part of club staff.

The review recommends the organization make existing resources more easily available by updating its website to make documents and links to other materials more accessible.

RAINN advocates in the report that Boys & Girls Clubs of America focus on actively engaging clubs to use the abuse prevention resources already available to them, including policy templates and training videos. By doing this, clubs will be better prepared to respond to abuse and to prevent it, according to the review.

Another challenge identified by RAINN is that the same resources are not always available at each club.

The abuse prevention training program used by club staff also reportedly poses issues. The online learning offered is time intensive and requires a supervisor to help navigate the content, according to the review.

The need for assistance to access these materials diverts the time and attention of staff members and negatively impacts the Clubs ability to meet staff-child ratios, reads the report.

The review suggests creating a more flexible learning process, with a reformatted curriculum that builds a pathway specific to preventing abuse. Evaluating and updating the training material to be trauma-informed and more victim-centered, as well as diversity training that examines vulnerabilities of specific communities, was also recommended by RAINN.

It is important that BGCA consistently communicate the message that they believe survivors and will support them through a fair and equitable response process, the report says.

Recent changes

Last week, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Council made up of local club leaders voted to make some safety measures mandatory for all clubs, which was not previously the case.

The measures include standardizing all local club safety committees to ensure that each and every one is being held accountable to the same metrics and responsibilities, officials said this week.

The board also voted to strengthen the reference check requirement to clarify that all clubs must receive rehire eligibility information for all prospective staff and volunteers who previously worked at other clubs before being allowed to be employed or volunteer at another one.

The RAINN review found that BGCA meets or exceed current background check best practices.

In Sonoma, Calif., a perpetrator was able to move to another club even after the abuse was reported to staff at the original club, according to an ongoing civil lawsuit. He was later convicted of child sexual abuse and is now in prison.

The club denied every allegation made in the complaint in documents filed in the civil case and the national organization has denied wrongdoing on its part. BGCA has said it cant comment on specific cases.

Existing requirements for what kinds of criminal convictions should prohibit someone from being hired are being enhanced, according to the organization. Since 2005, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has required all staff members and volunteers who have contact with children to undergo criminal background checks annually. Violent felonies, convictions of any charges related to harming a child are already disqualifying.

Clubs will now be required to report any licensing inspection failures within 24-hours to the national organization, to display its safety helpline and crisis text line and tell parents about safety policies when their child applies.

Changing policies on paper isnt enough to bring systemic change, said Marci Hamilton, CEO of CHILD USA, a nonprofit child safety advocacy group.

The problem is, every youth-serving organization can adopt procedures, she said. But if not theyre not being carried out on the ground, children simply are not protected.

Rules need to be routinely enforced across the organization, she said.

Viktoria Sundqvist contributed to this report.
Sushant Singh Rajput's Father Requests Bihar CM For A CBI Probe In The Actor's Death
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority, criticizing the federally owned corporation for hiring foreign workers.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labour. Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump.

The TVA was created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Trump also removed board member Richard Howorth, another presidential appointee.

Trump also urged the TVA board to immediately hire a new chief executive officer who puts the interests of Americans first. According to the president, the current CEO, Jeff Lyash, earned $8 million a year.

The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year, said Trump, who lacks the authority to remove the CEO. We want the TVA to take action on this immediately. ... Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: Youre fired.

Trump said the authority was replacing many of its in-house technology workers with contractors who rely heavily on foreign workers under the H1-B visa program for highly skilled workers.

All TVA employees are U.S. based citizens, said authority public information officer Jim Hopson. All jobs related to TVAs Information Technology department must be performed in the U.S. by individuals who may legally work in this country.

As a federal corporation, TVAs Board members serve at the pleasure of the President, Hopson added.

As Trump was meeting with workers who would shortly be laid off by the authority, he was passed a note from chief of staff Mark Meadows that said Lyash had called the White House and was promising to address the labour concerns. Some of the attendees, who are set to see their last paycheque at the end of the month, teared up as Trump read the message.

Trump acknowledged that he was made aware of the issue after seeing a television ad that aired in prime time on Fox News and was produced by U.S. Tech Workers, a non-profit that wants to limit visas given to foreign technology workers.

The group, led by Kevin Lynn, criticized the TVA for furloughing its own workers and replacing them with contractors using foreign workers with H-1B visas. The ad, Lynn said, had an audience of one, aiming to persuade Trump to stop the TVA from outsourcing much of its information technology division.

Trump made the announcement as he signed an executive order to require all federal agencies to complete an internal audit to prove they are not replacing qualified American workers with people from other countries. The White House said the order will help prevent federal agencies from unfairly replacing American workers with lower cost foreign labour.

The order followed the TVAs announcement that it would outsource 20% of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries. TVAs action could cause more than 200 highly skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to foreign workers hired on temporary work visas, according to the White House.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said the TVA doesnt get any taxpayer money and defended the CEOs salary, saying it is in the bottom fourth of what his counterparts earn at other big utilities.

TVA may have shown poor judgment hiring foreign companies during a pandemic, but, on most counts, it does a very good job of producing large amounts of low-cost, reliable electricity. Residential electric rates are among the 25 per cent lowest in the country, and industrial rates are among the lowest 10 per cent, Alexander said in a statement. TVAs debt is the lowest in 30 years, its pension fund is stronger and TVA leads the country in new nuclear power plants.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2020) - Cypherpunk Holdings Inc. (CSE: HODL) ("Cypherpunk" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that Antanas (Tony) Guoga has been appointed as Chief Executive Officer of the Company. In addition, Cypherpunk Holdings announces that it intends to complete a non-brokered private placement offering, pursuant to which the Company plans to issue and sell up to 10,000,000 units ("Units") of the Company at a price of C$0.05 per Unit (the "Offering") for gross proceeds of up to C$500,000. Each Unit consists of one common share (a "Share") of the Company and one half of one common share purchase warrant (a "Warrant"). Each whole Warrant entitles the holder to purchase one additional Share of the Company at an exercise price of C$0.10 for a period of 24 months. Mr. Guoga, already a substantial shareholder of the company, will participate in the offering.

Moe Adham, Director and CIO said: "On behalf of the Company's board of directors, I would like to congratulate Tony Guoga on his appointment as CEO. The Board unanimously concluded that Mr. Guoga's leadership, entrepreneurial drive, and considerable knowledge of the world of blockchain businesses and technologies, including cryptocurrencies, made him the right candidate to assume the role as CEO and to lead the Company in continuing to pursue targeted investments in these areas."

Mr. Guoga is a well-known investor, businessperson, high stakes poker player, and former member of the European Parliament. His diverse accomplishments include being named as one of Politico Magazine's 28 people who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe in 2016. Guoga also founded the Blockchain Centre in Vilnius, Lithuania in 2018. On the other side of the coin, Guoga is a cable tv star in the USA by winning millions of dollars locking horns at poker with the best players in the world. He resides in Vilnius, Lithuania.

Commentating on the appointment, Mr. Guoga said: "I am delighted to have been chosen by my fellow directors to lead Cypherpunk Holdings. I am an avid investor in bitcoin, cryptocurrencies and privacy tech. I am an activist in advocating widespread use of strong cryptography and privacy-enhancing technologies as a route to social and political change."

The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Offering to invest in additional opportunities in the cryptocurrency, blockchain and privacy sector. The additional capital will enable Cypherpunk Holdings to execute on its unique position as a vehicle set-up to invest in companies, technologies and protocols, which enhance or protect privacy. Its strategy is to make targeted investments in businesses and assets with strong privacy, often within the blockchain ecosystem, including select cryptocurrencies. Current equity investments include Samourai Wallet, Wasabi Wallet, Chia, and Hydro 66.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Generally, any statements that are not historical facts may contain forward-looking information, and forward-looking information can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or indicates that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be" taken, "occur" or "be achieved". Forward-looking information includes, but is not limited to the Company's intention to complete the private placement offering and its goal of making investments in the blockchain and other sectors and enhancing value. There is no assurance that the Company's plans or objectives will be implemented as set out herein, or at all. Forward-looking information is based on certain factors and assumptions the Company believes to be reasonable at the time such statements are made and is subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. There can be no assurance that such forward-looking information will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking information. Forward-looking statements are made based on management's beliefs, estimates and opinions on the date that statements are made and the Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if these beliefs, estimates and opinions or other circumstances should change, except as required by law. Investors are cautioned against attributing undue certainty to forward-looking statements.

Investor Relations Contacts:

Lana Thompson

Operations Coordinator, Cypherpunk Holdings Inc.,

info@mail.cypherpunkholdings.com

Office: 416.599.8547

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61029
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has no right to restrict activities and control the media, Hripsime Arakelyan, a member of the Prosperous Armenia Party faction in the Council of Elders of Yerevan, told reporters on Tuesday.

Her remarks came referring to the activities of the Armenian media in the post-revolutionary period.

The current government has no right to tell the media how they should work, she noted.

"Here we are dealing with a violation of human rights, with a violation of the rights of media representatives. I want the US Embassy and the embassies of other countries operating in the territory of the Republic of Armenia to pay attention to this," the member noted.
Blast kills two civilians in Afghanistan's Kunar province

Kabul, Aug 4 (UNI) At least two civilians were killed and three others wounded in a roadside bomb blast in Afghanistan's northeastern Kunar province, the spokesman for the provincial governor, Abdul Ghani Musamim, said on Tuesday.

The explosion took place in the province's district of Shigal earlier in the day, TOLO news reported.

Although the United States and the Taliban struck their long-awaited peace deal in late February, violence in Afghanistan has continued unabated. Direct intra-Afghan talks were initially scheduled to commence in March but have been pushed back due to the continuing disagreements over the mutual release of prisoners.
PINELLAS PARK, FL  Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, the Pinellas Park Angel Fund has provided 53 households with nearly $40,000 in financial assistance to offset the costs of delinquent rent/mortgage and utility payments. Further, children are actively participating in summer camp programs thanks to the Angel Fund.

Lockheed Martin, a global security and aerospace company practicing corporate social responsibility, has donated to the Pinellas Park Angel Fund in an effort to help local families and children in the community during these unprecedented times.

"The Pinellas Park Angel Fund provides vital support to families in our community who are struggling, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic," said Lindsay Muth, general manager of Lockheed Martin's Pinellas operations. "We are committed to strengthening the quality of life in the communities where we live and work through partnerships with local nonprofits and volunteerism."

"The generous amount of $2,500 from Lockheed Martin will allow families relief from bills that continue to stack up," said Tammy Hillier, Pinellas Park's Angel Fund Coordinator. "Partnerships that advocate for the well-being of our citizens will be the cornerstone in overcoming the negative impacts of COVID-19."

"The City of Pinellas Park is extremely grateful that we have been able to help many of those impacted by the Covid- 19 pandemic. This includes local small businesses through our business relief fund and residents through our Angel Fund program. This assistance was made possible not only by grant programs, but by hometown heroes like Lockheed Martin and many others who have

personally donated to help those in this community who are in need. These contributions are truly heartwarming," said Mayor Sandra Bradbury.

The Pinellas Park Angel Fund Incorporated's mission is to provide assistance to Pinellas Park households experiencing financial distress. Assistance categories are 1) Rent/Mortgage; 2) Past due utilities; and 3) Scholarships for spring, summer, and winter school breaks.

This press release was produced by Pinellas Park Angel Fund. The views expressed here are the author's own.

This article originally appeared on the Pinellas Beaches Patch
MBABANE - I was also taken by surprise when police officers started investigating me. This was a statement made by Senate hopeful Jimmy Hlophe who added though that after learning of the whole process, he understood the police conduct.

He mentioned, however, that the police did not seek any information from his family, unlike in Sifiso Mabuzas case, who is another candidate.



He had been asked if he was also visited by the police and if it was in the same manner as fellow senate Mabuza. Hlophe has learnt by surprise that joining a Senate race requires a proper vetting of candidates. In an interview yesterday, Hlophe said he was taken by surprise when police officers investigated him after he was nominated for the Senate seat. According to Hlophe, the officers of the law called bucopho and indvuna yenkhundla of the area and inquired about his lifestyle.



Investigation



Hlophe stated that the police officers further engaged the general public and inquired about his life. He said the investigation surprised him so much, that he called the police officer and asked if he had done anything wrong.

The police officers explained that vetting of candidates was a standard requirement for any person who desired to get into a public office. It was then that I understood the essence of vetting since I had no experience, he said. Hlophe stated that knowing his character and standing in society, he was open to any inquiry. He said he did not have any problem even if the officers of the law were to interview his teacher, pastor and children about his life. Asked if the police officers entered his homestead during the course of their investigation, Hlophe responded to the negative. He stated that the officers of the law only interviewed the general public. Hlophe is competing with businessman Sifiso Mabuza of Hosea, Bongani Matsebula, Mhlume-based businessman after the pulling out of Ngomyayona Gamedze for the filling of a vacant position after the demise of Senator Mike Temple. Gamedze made startling allegations about the demand of cash in exchange for votes. However, the veracity of the allegations have not yet been tested anywhere.



Recently, the Mabuza family was also taken by surprise when police officers visited Sifiso Mabuzas properties at Mvutjini and Ebuka in Ezulwini in what was believed to be the vetting exercise. This came after the postponement of the Senate elections. The postponement came after the Royal Eswatini Police Service informed the presiding officer, Ndvuna Dlamini, that they were not done with their investigations.

However, the matter took another twist when the police, who were reluctant to disclose any information about their investigation, claimed that their visit to Mabuzas properties had nothing to do with the vetting process.



Surprise



The statement took the family by surprise since they were not aware of any case against Sifiso. This, they said, was because Sifiso was cleared by the police and Eswatini Revenue Authority. Matsebula, who is also in the Senate race, was also sought for comment yesterday. He was asked if the officers of the law investigated him in the same manner in which they investigated the other candidates. However, he requested not to comment. Chief Police Information and Communications Officer Superintendent Phindile Vilakati was asked how far the police had gone with their vetting investigations. She was also asked if the police had submitted the report to the presiding officer after requesting for some time to conclude their investigations.



In response, she stated that investigations were ongoing. She said they were optimistic that the report would be submitted on time. Worth noting is that the Senate elections are scheduled for tomorrow.

The presiding officer, Dlamini, did not respond when sought for comment for the better part of yesterday. The last call was made at 7:45pm.
NASA's Aqua satellite took images of the Apple Fire as it continued to spread north across the head of the Mill Creek Canyon, and east into the San Gorgonio Wilderness near San Bernardino, Calif. on Aug. 03, 2020. The fire is now burning into more wilderness (where vegetation is sparse) than wooded area limiting the intensity of the fire due to a lack of fuel. Continued fire activity is due to the record low moisture content of the vegetation fuel, high temperatures and low humidity throughout the area. The fire has grown to 26,850 acres and is 15% contained. The smoke from the fire has traveled almost 400 miles south affecting air quality. The smoke from the Apple fire is also commingling with the smoke from the Cassadore Springs and the Blue River 2 fires in Arizona. The cause of the fire which had been under investigation is now listed as "human caused." Several areas around the fire have been evacuated. Contact local officials for more details or go to the Inciweb page for the fire.

NASA's Aqua satellite was able to provide two images of the fire. On the left side of the slider is the true color image of the Apple fire and the right side of the slider shows the corrected reflectance bands that help distinguish the areas of the ground that have been burned. This combination of bands is most useful for distinguishing burn scars from naturally low vegetation or bare soil and enhancing floods. It can also be used to distinguish snow and ice from clouds.

Weather concerns continue in the area. Warm and dry conditions are ongoing with winds gusting to 20 mph. Mid-week the conditions will persist with slightly cooler temperatures and a slight increase in relative humidity.

###

NASA's satellite instruments are often the first to detect wildfires burning in remote regions, and the locations of new fires are sent directly to land managers worldwide within hours of the satellite overpass. Together, NASA instruments detect actively burning fires, track the transport of smoke from fires, provide information for fire management, and map the extent of changes to ecosystems, based on the extent and severity of burn scars. NASA has a fleet of Earth-observing instruments, many of which contribute to our understanding of fire in the Earth system. Satellites in orbit around the poles provide observations of the entire planet several times per day, whereas satellites in a geostationary orbit provide coarse-resolution imagery of fires, smoke and clouds every five to 15 minutes. For more information visit: https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/fires/main/missions/index.html

NASA's Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS) Worldview application provides the capability to interactively browse over 700 global, full-resolution satellite imagery layers and then download the underlying data. Many of the available imagery layers are updated within three hours of observation, essentially showing the entire Earth as it looks "right now." Actively burning fires, detected by thermal bands, are shown as red points. Image Courtesy: NASA Worldview, Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). Caption: Lynn Jenner with information from Inciweb.
NEW YORK, N.Y. -- The citys Health Commissioner, Dr. Oxiris Barbot, resigned from the agency Tuesday amid ongoing tensions between her and Mayor Bill de Blasio.

De Blasio said he received Barbots resignation earlier on Tuesday as he was already pressing ahead with a public announcement of a new health commissioner, Dr. Dave A. Chokshi, a longtime senior leader at the citys Health + Hospitals system.

Barbot expressed deep disappointment in de Blasios handling of the coronavirus pandemic in New York City, in a resignation email obtained by The New York Times.

I leave my post today with deep disappointment that during the most critical public health crisis in our lifetime, that the Health Departments incomparable disease control expertise was not used to the degree it could have been, she said in her resignation email obtained by The Times to de Blasio.

Our experts are world renowned for their epidemiology, surveillance and response work. The city would be well served by having them at the strategic center of the response not in the background, she said.

De Blasio avoided saying whether he had explicitly told Barbot he had lost confidence in her ability to lead the department.

IT WAS TIME FOR A CHANGE DE BLASIO SAYS

But he said her departure was about moving the department forward and bringing change to the agency, not about one thing in particular.

Sometimes things just happen organically, it was time for a change, it became clear it was time for a change, and it was important to have a strong leader ready to step in who had experience, de Blasio told reporters during a press conference shortly after receiving Barbots resignation letter.

One thing that distinguishes Dave, his experience in the Department of Health, his experience in Health and Hospitals, the ability to think about how to bring all those pieces together, he said.

De Blasio also said the city faced huge challenges ahead and would need to create an atmosphere of unity, common purpose and people really focusing on all the parts of this government working together, in order to move New York City forward.

Prior to her resignation, Barbot and de Blasio had clashed over his handling of the crisis.

As the city embarked on a massive contact tracing program, de Blasio announced he would have the citys public hospital system -- rather than the Department of Health oversee the program.

The DOH historically led contact tracing efforts for Ebola, the measles and other diseases.

Barbot also came under fire earlier this summer when she reportedly said she didnt give two rats asses about your cops, when asked by NYPD Chief of Department Terence Monahan for more protective face masks for cops.

Her remarks caused her and de Blasios relationship to further sour. De Blasio even avoided talking to her for several days in the middle of the pandemic.

De Blasio announced Tuesday that he would appoint Dr. Chokshi as the new head of the Health Department.

Chokshi has held senior leadership roles over the past six years at the citys Health + Hospitals system, where he helped transform healthcare delivery for over one million New Yorkers.

Chokshi previously served at the Louisiana Department of Health before and after Hurricane Katrina and helped reshape the states healthcare system following the catastrophic storm.

In 2016, President former President Barack Obama appointed Chokshi to the Advisory Group on Prevention, Health Promotion, and Integrative and Public Health.

Chokshi plans to continue his clinical practice at Bellevue Hospital, where he worked as a primary care physician since 2014.

FOLLOW SYDNEY KASHIWAGI ON TWITTER.
Michael Bowen (40) was also killed in the Co Cork crash

A teenager just weeks away from celebrating his 20th birthday is among those to have died in a bank holiday horror crash.

Two people died after a car with four occupants veered off a mountain road and crashed into a swollen roadside stream.

The tragedy took place on the Kenmare Road, just outside Glengarriff village in west Cork, shortly after 5am yesterday.

It occurred on a stretch of road where a mountain stream runs behind a stone wall and is directly parallel to the roadway some 2km from the village.

The stream was swollen due to recent heavy rainfall and the accident happened near one of the deepest sections of the waterway.

A horrified passerby spotted the wrecked car and raised the alarm.

Horrific

Gardai, paramedics and Bantry Fire Brigade raced to the crash site. Two occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.

They were named locally as Michael Bowen (40) from Ahakista, Cork, and Tadhg Murphy (19) from Glengarriff, Cork.

Mr Murphy would have celebrated his 20th birthday in just over two weeks.

A third man was airlifted to Cork University Hospital (CUH) with serious but non-life threatening injuries.

He remains in a serious but stable condition in CUH. A fourth male occupant of the vehicle miraculously escaped uninjured from the horrific collision. Both men who survived the collision are in their 20s and from the greater Glengarriff area.

Post-mortem examinations will be conducted on the two deceased at CUH.

Critical

It was a grim weekend on Irish roads as an elderly Polish woman died on Sunday evening from injuries she sustained in a Cork collision on Friday while a motorcyclist died in Wexford on Saturday.

Celina Gosz (94) died at CUH after suffering critical injuries in a three-vehicle collision at Killeagh in east Cork shortly after 5pm on July 31.

She was a back-seat passenger in one of the vehicles involved. The tragedy brings to 87 the number of people to have died on Irish roads this year - nine more than for the same period last year despite the three-month Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.

Gardai closed the Glengarriff road to facilitate the work of accident scene investigators and the emergency services.

The stretch of road lies at the bottom of a relatively steep descent into the west Cork village from Kerry.

The car was later recovered and removed from the scene for a full inspection by Public Service Vehicle (PSV) experts.

Appeal

Bantry gardai appealed for any witnesses to the collision or the movements of the car involved to come forward and assist their inquiry.

"We are appealing for any witnesses that may have seen a black Volkswagen Jetta prior to the accident or in the general vicinity of Glengarriff last night to contact us," Supt Declan O'Sullivan said.

Gardai are also appealing for any road users who may have camera footage (including dash cam) who were travelling in the area at the time.

Anyone with information is asked to contact Bantry Garda Station on (027) 20860 or the Garda Confidential Line on (1800) 666111. Cork South West TD Michael Collins said the entire community was in total shock at the scale of the tragedy.

"A tragedy like this is a cause of great upset to the whole community from Bantry to Kilcrohane and beyond," he said.

"It is hard to comprehend the scale of the tragedy. Your thoughts and prayers go out to the families involved who are heartbroken. This is a very tight-knit community and it is a truly shocking loss of life for them."
Voting at some polling places in Flint and Detroit was delayed Tuesday morning after workers failed to show up and open them at 7 a.m. for primary elections.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said her team prepared for something like that to happen and had election workers on hand to fill gaps.

Wed seen that happen in other states around the country. And so what we did yesterday, and for the last few weeks, is train people to be on hand so they can backfill positions where vacancies occurred, and thats exactly what we were able to do today, Benson said at a Detroit polling station Tuesday morning.

Benson said the situation underscores why planning ahead and knowing all of your other choices for voting this year is more important than ever.

Related: Your guide to local elections in Michigan on Tuesday, Aug. 4

Across the state, polling places were quiet, with few people voting in-person the morning of election day. Grand Rapids City Clerk Joel Hondorp said the city is averaging 5 to 10 people per polling place every hour, and that nothing out of the ordinary had occurred.

County and city clerks across Michigan say in-person turnout is expected to be low because of the record number of people who voted absentee this year.

Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum said more than 64,000 absentee ballots were issued to voters in the county and 46,000 were returned.

Our voter turnout for absentee ballots is looking pretty good, Byrum said. You can compare that to 2016 when only 37,902 ballots were cast.

Related: 7 things to know about voting Tuesday in Michigans primary elections

Lansing City Clerk Chris Swope said Tuesday that he doesnt expect to leave his office before midnight because of how many absentee ballots must be processed. Michigan law prevents clerks from opening absentee ballots until 7 a.m. on election day.

Swopes office mailed out more than 22,000 absentee ballots and received more than 17,000. Michigan voters with absentee ballots that have yet to be submitted should fill out, sign and return their ballots to their clerks office or vote-in person today, Swopes said. Voting ends at 8 p.m.

Its going to take a long time to process and scan in the absentee ballots, Swope said. It wont take a few days but we will be working throughout the night.

Nearly 2 million Michigan voters requested absentee ballots ahead of time, and 900,000 people returned those ballots, according to the Secretary of States office. Only half-a-million people requested absentee ballots in the 2016 primary.

The rise in the number of absentee voters can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic and Proposal 3, passed by voters in 2018, allowing anyone to vote absentee without providing a reason.

People dont want to go out and risk getting sick, said University of Michigan Professor of Political Science Edie Goldenberg.

Goldenberg said the likely delay in results stems from clerks inability to prepare or count absentee ballots ahead of election day.

Many states do allow the beginning of counting ballots ahead of election day so they can manage the work. I dont understand why the legislature would be opposed to doing that in Michigan, Goldenberg said.

Goldenberg said the state legislature doesnt see delaying results as a significant problem.

I think the experience today will show us just how big a problem this can be, Goldenberg said. I hope since I expect the numbers to be even higher in November, that they will see the wisdom of allowing the opening of ballots before election day.

Goldenberg said she expected turnout among young voters to be higher than in previous years.

I think that young voters are more concerned about voting now than they have been in the past. I dont expect the pandemic to hinder their turnout, Goldenberg said.

Expanding voters rights through Proposal 3 has already boosted young voter turnout, Goldenberg said.

There have been many changes in the last couple of years that are going to help young people get passed the barriers they once faced when voting, Goldenberg said.

Results in state House and congressional elections can be viewed here when they become available

Read more on MLive:

Your guide to local elections in Michigan on Tuesday, Aug. 4

7 things to know about voting Tuesday in Michigans primary elections

Absentee ballot lost in the mail? You can still vote in Michigan primary Tuesday
A female police officer could be sacked after being accused of carrying out sex acts on a married sergeant at their workplace during a ten-month fling.

PC Jemma Dicks, 28, allegedly carried out the sex acts at 'various locations and dates' with her sergeant, Adam Reed, at the busy Cardiff Central Police Station in south Wales.

Sergeant Reed is also accused of carrying out sex acts with PC Dicks at the station and - during the middle of their alleged affair in May 2018 - of having sexual intercourse with another unnamed serving PCSO while on duty at Cardiff Central.

The 40-year-old sergeant, who has since left South Wales Police, is also accused of taking covert photographs of another female officer's feet.

Both now face a disciplinary hearing with top brass from the South Wales force for 'discreditable conduct'.

PC Jemma Dicks, 28, allegedly carried out the sex acts at 'various locations and dates' with her sergeant Adam Reed at the busy Cardiff Central Police Station in south Wales

Sergeant Reed (pictured right) is also accused of carrying out sex acts with PC Dicks (pictured left) at the station and - during the middle of their alleged affair in May 2018 - of having sexual intercourse with another unnamed serving PCSO while on duty at Cardiff Central.

The disciplinary charge for PC Dicks reads: 'It is alleged that PC Jemma Dicks has breached the Standards of Professional Behaviour relating to Duties and Responsibilities and Discreditable Conduct and such breaches amount to gross misconduct.

'It is alleged that on various dates between November 2017 and August 2018 PC Dicks performed sex acts on PS Reed in various locations at Cardiff Central Police Station.'

Sgt Reed is accused of three charges discreditable conduct, including when another female officer was due to take a statement from PC Dicks in his office.

The charge states said: 'Whilst this officer was sitting in his office addressing that matter he used his mobile telephone to take a number of photographs of her feet.

'He did so covertly and without her consent. He has since disclosed that he did so because he has a foot fetish.'

PC Dicks, who will go before the disciplinary committee next week, followed in her dad's footsteps to carry out her dream of joining the thin blue line.

Sgt Reed (pictured left), who has since left the force, is accused of three charges discreditable conduct and is due to face a disciplinary hearing. PC Dicks (pictured right), who will go before the disciplinary committee next week, followed in her dad's footsteps to carry out her dream of joining the thin blue line

When her father Mark Dicks, 53, died four years ago she asked if her dad's old collar number - PC 1115 - could be reallocated to her.

Jemma said at the time: 'I am chuffed to bits. It's not something that might mean much to many people but it means so much to me.

'I wear it with pride, knowing how well he did with his job, and hopefully I'll go on to do exactly the same as him.

'I have never thought about doing anything else. Everything has always revolved around the police.'

Jemma joined Gwent Police as a special constable in 2013 at the age of 21 - and was based close to her father who served in the force's roads policing unit and as a force driving instructor.

She moved to South Wales Police and became a full-time officer in May 2016.

At the time Chief Superintendent Belinda Davies said: 'Being a police officer really is a vocation, not just a job. Jemma is a promising young officer who is very worthy of her father's collar number.

'Mark was a popular police officer, a real professional who led by example, so I am encouraged to know that Jemma is following in his footsteps and continuing the proud family tradition.'

The South Wales Police Federation has been approached for a response on behalf of the two officers.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said the Philippine economy can no longer handle an extended lockdown as its biggest economic hubs revert to strict stay-at-home rules for the next two weeks.

"Tatapatin ko po kayo: Hindi na po kaya ng ekonomiya ang mas matagalan pang lockdown. Napakatindi po ng binaba ng ating ekonomiya (for the second quarter)," Roque said in his Tuesday media briefing, but did not give specific figures.

[Translation: I will be honest with you: the economy can no longer handle an even longer lockdown. Our economy suffered a steep decline (for the second quarter).]

The Philippine Statistics Authority will announce official data on Thursday. Marikina Rep. Stella Quimbo, an economist, said the lockdown costs 12 billion in lost opportunities a day.

READ: Gov't vows 'recalibrated' strategy vs COVID-19 as greater Manila area reverts to MECQ

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion said Monday that a possible extension of the modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Rizal, Laguna, and Cavite will pose a "serious" concern, adding that he preferred localized hard lockdowns to curb infections.

Members of the economic team said the economy reached its lowest point during April-May when the entire Luzon and other provinces which enforced their own lockdowns saw businesses paralyzed as the government sought to contain COVID-19 infections.

So far, authorities expect the economy to shrink by as much as 3.4 percent this year due to the ill effects of the pandemic, but that number may change depending on how the second-quarter figures turn out.

International lenders expect a deeper recession, with the Asian Development Bank's worst forecast at 5.3 percent, before rebounding to growth next year.

RELATED: PH economy may not return to 6% growth post-pandemic  analyst

The 2020 contraction would be the first time since 1998. At the time, the country reeled from the Asian Financial Crisis.

In July, Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said he wants Metro Manila and Calabarzon to scale down to the most relaxed set of quarantine rules as soon as possible, given that the two areas account for two-thirds of national output. However, both were included in the reversal to modified enhanced community quarantine until August 18 upon health workers' request for a "timeout."

Roque said that at present, only about 30 percent of establishments are allowed to operate. When these areas were under general community quarantine, about 75 percent of the economy was open, according to Acting Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Karl Kendrick Chua.

RELATED: More COVID-19 tests to prevent return to ECQ  NEDA
magnetic resonance imaging is becoming increasingly popular as a method of diagnosing diseases. Standard scanners are multifunctional, making it possible to cut down on the costs of specialized equipment. On the other hand, this leads to images of lower quality, especially when relatively small areas need to be examined. A group of Russian scientists, including ITMO University researchers, has proposed a system that can be used to update existing MRI scanners. It will allow conducting breast MRI using standard scanners without specialized equipment. A paper presenting the results of the work was published in Nature Communications.

Magnetic resonance imaging (or MRI) is especially useful in diagnostics of breast cancer at its early stages. "Compared to an X-ray or ultrasound examination, an MRI scan allows us to precisely localize the tumor, which affects the accuracy of the diagnosis," explains Alena Shchelokova, first co-author of the paper and research associate at ITMO's Faculty of Physics and Engineering.

However, despite the possibilities opened to medical specialists by MRI, this method is rarely used to produce breast scans because apart from the scanner itself, this procedure requires additional specialized equipment.

At the heart of every standard MRI scanner is a large coil used to excite magnetic resonance in the human body. Its size is comparable to that of the human body, and the coil itself is sometimes referred to as the birdcage. This coil that excites protons in the human body, while the responding magnetic resonance signal is received by another, smaller coil located in the vicinity of the organ that is of particular interest to the clinicians. This second coil allows them to produce a high-quality image of the organ under examination.

"There are two key processes in MRI: excitation and signal reception," says Alena Shchelokova. "The birdcage coil cannot provide an MR image with sufficient contrast and signal-to-noise ratio because it is big and located far from the specific area under examination. That's why small dedicated coils are used as receiving antennas for each organ. Usually, medical centers are only equipped with a limited number of these local coils, and the breast coil is rarely found among them. Thus, we only found this dedicated coil in a single medical center in St. Petersburg."

A group of scientists, including ITMO University researchers, has suggested another approach to the problem. The novel concept of targeted clinical MRI applied to breast imaging is based on a local redistribution and passive focusing of the radiofrequency magnetic field of the large body coil through electromagnetic coupling with an additional dielectric resonator surrounding the target area. The resonator itself is made from a special type of ceramics produced by a company in St. Petersburg. This new ceramic material has high dielectric permittivity and extremely low dielectric losses. If set to work in the frequency of the scanner, it localizes and increases the magnetic field in the breast, while the excitation and reception of the signal are conducted by the body coil. At the same time, the device doesn't generate or receive the signal, but only serves the purpose of focusing the field in a specific place and then transmitting the energy of excited protons pointwise to the large coil.

Thanks to the fact that the electromagnetic field is now concentrated inside the area of interest, the power of the body coil can be sufficiently turned down. Consequently, this MR examination becomes safer for patients than the standard one.

The device itself is also cheaper than the specialized receive coil for the breast provided by manufacturers. Additionally, it doesn't need to be connected to the scanner with a complex system of wires. It is completely wireless and doesn't have so many fragile parts. Moreover, the resonator is compatible with all models of standard clinical scanners, while the standard receive coils need to be purchased from the same manufacturer that produced the scanner.

###
By Peter Nurse

Investing.com - European stock markets are seen opening largely higher Tuesday, helped by signs of progress in Washington over another U.S. stimulus bill as Covid cases rise globally, but with weak results from oil giant BP (NYSE:BP) weighing on the U.K. market.

At 2:20 AM ET (0620 GMT), the DAX futures contract in Germany traded 0.2% higher, the CAC 40 futures in France climbed 0.4%, while the FTSE 100 futures contract in the U.K. fell 0.1%,

The markets are looking to the U.S. Congress for lawmakers to overcome the current stalemate and agree to another round of stimulus to help boost the American economy, the worlds largest.

"We're making some progress on certain issues, moving closer together," Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer told reporters after Monday's talks. "There are a lot of issues that are still outstanding. But I think there is a desire to get something done as soon as we can."

A key sticking point remains what to do about the $600-per-week enhanced unemployment benefit, which expired on Friday.

This comes as the World Health Organization warned on Monday that the road to normality from the Covid-19 virus would be long, and there might never be a "silver bullet in the form of a perfect vaccine.

More than 18.28 million people around the world are reported to have been infected with the disease and over 693,000 have died, according to data from Johns Hopkins University, with some nations that thought they were over the worst experiencing a resurgence.

Turning back to Europe, the economic data slate is largely empty of substance Tuesday but the earnings season continues.

In the spotlight, will be BP (LON:BP), with the oil major cutting its dividend in half after reporting a $16.8 billion loss for the second quarter, after taking a charge of $10.9 billion, mostly for writing down the value of various projects after the steep fall in oil prices.

Elsewhere, German drugs and pesticides group Bayer (DE:BAYGN) reported a 9.5 billion euro ($11.2 billion) net loss for the second quarter, following a $10.9 billion settlement of U.S. lawsuits claiming that its weedkiller Roundup caused cancer.

Story continues

Oil prices weakened Tuesday, with concerns about fuel demand growth as Covid-19 cases increase across the globe as the major crude producers move to increase supply weighing. This has overshadowed Mondays strong manufacturing data from the U.S., the worlds largest consumer.

OPEC+, a grouping of OPEC and allies including Russia, is set to step up output in August, adding about 1.5 million barrels per day to global supply.

Investors are now looking towards the American Petroleum Institute crude oil data to be released later Tuesday for further direction.

U.S. crude futures traded 0.7% lower at $40.73 a barrel, while the international benchmark Brent contract fell 0.7% to $43.83.

Elsewhere, gold futures rose 0.3% to $1,980.10/oz, reaching a record high for a second consecutive day, while EUR/USD traded at 1.1772, up 0.1%.

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- On March 16, 2020, just three days after recording her first case of COVID-19, Kenya received KSh 6.1 billion from World Bank to help combat the viral disease

- On May 21, 2020, World Bank in a statement disclosed it had approved KSh 4.59 billion to support Kenya's fight against desert locust

- A day earlier, the same bank had approved Kenya's loan of KSh 106.8 billion to close the fiscal financing gap generated by the impact of COVID-19 on the country's economy

- Around the same time, Kenya secured KSh 22 billion loan from the Africa Development Bank to boost her preparedness in combating the pandemic

When Kenya confirmed her first case of coronavirus on March 13, 2020, the government instantly embarked on setting up elaborate plans to deal with the global pandemic which had already caused devastating economic impact to many countries.

Other than prescribing stringent measures to curb the spread of the virus, the government started soliciting for loans and grants from international lenders in preparation to deal with the virus.

READ ALSO: William Rutos 2022 doublespeak an insult to intelligence of Kenyans

President Uhuru Kenyatta addressing the press alongside Health CS Mutahi Kagwe (left) and Interior CS Fred Matiang'i (centre).

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Mikel Arteta plot to sell 9 Arsenal stars despite winning 14th FA Cup

On March 16, 2020, just three days after recording her first case of COVID-19, Kenya received KSh 6.1 billion from World Bank to help combat the viral disease.

According to the international bank, the funds received were to be used for mobilising response capacity, strengthening multi-sector platforms and helping in monitoring and evaluation of prevention and preparedness.

READ ALSO: Mkenya miongoni mwa watu 6 waliokamatwa kuhusiana na kifo cha mfungwa Marekani

Out of the kitty issued, KSh 5.1 billion was received from COVID 19 facility while KSh 1.02 billion was sourced from the Contingency Emergency Response component of Transforming Health Systems for Universal Care Project.

On May 21, 2020, World Bank in a statement disclosed it had approved KSh 4.59 billion, through the International Development Assistance credit, to support Kenya's fight against desert locust and to strengthen countrys system for preparedness.

A day earlier, the same bank had approved Kenya's loan of KSh 106.8 billion to close the fiscal financing gap generated by the impact of COVID-19 on the country's economy.

Around the same time, Kenya secured KSh 22 billion loan from the Africa Development Bank to boost her preparedness in combating the pandemic.

The funds were specifically meant for strengthening the national health system to effectively respond to the pandemic, build economic resilience, and ensure a quick recovery of the economy.

On May 7, 2020, Kenya received KSh 78 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) to boost the fight against coronavirus.

The European Union topped this up with an additional KSh 7.5 billion in form of grants.

In just a span of two months, between March and May, Kenya had secured a whooping KSh 223 billion in form of loans and grants to fight coronavirus pandemic and deal with challenges emanating from the disease.

Despite receiving these funds, the government has been reluctant to account for monies that have been spent on fighting the virus so far.

The Ministry of Health has been put on the spot over allegations of corruption and blatant misappropriation of funds.

From being embroiled to an inflated cost of office tea amounting to KSh 4 million to being implicated in a multi-billion COVID-19 tender scandal awarded to friends, families and business associates.

As the controversy surrounding expenditure of the billions continue to rock the ministry and government by extension, cases of coronavirus infections have also been surging.

Kenya has so far recorded 22,597 cases of COVID-19 out of which 382 have succumbed to the disease.

Do you have an inspirational story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690 and Tuko news

Corona has totally ruined our lives - Walter Waweru | Tuko TV

Source: TUKO.co.ke
Industrial zones are places gathering a large number of average- and high-income workers. Urban industrial zone services are essential for the harmonious industrial and urbanisation development, ensuring the sustainable development of industrial zones. Located just 40 minutes from Noi Bai International Airport, Diem Thuy Centre Point of Apec Diem Thuy Industrial Park (Zone B) is known for its diverse and convenient transport connectivity through Hanoi-Thai Nguyen Expressway, Route 3, Da Phu river port on Yen Binh River, or the more traditional Pho Yen railway station. These extensive advantages make this industrial park a compelling industrial land investment destination for both domestic and foreign businesses.

Apec Diem Thuy Centre Point converges a plethora of advantages for investors

Diem Thuy Centre Point is the service area of Apec Diem Thuy Industrial Park (IP), alongside Diem Thuy A IP, Song Cong 1 IP, Song Cong 2, and Samsung factories employing hundreds of thousands of workers. Zone B of Apec Diem Thuy IP alone has an area of 170 hectares, 101.7ha of which is land for factory construction  enough to accommodate 30 enterprises with an estimated number of 12,000 workers each.

Extensive advantages make Apec Diem Thuy a compelling industrial land investment destination for both domestic and foreign businesses.

In particular, Diem Thuy Centre Points modern planning features a comprehensive suite of utilities to meet all needs, from high-quality labour resources such as foreign experts, senior management, technical experts, and workers based in Diem Thuy IP and adjacent residential areas.

Treasure business services

Understanding the shopping and spending habits of workers at industrial parks could prove extremely profitable for investors.

Diem Thuy Centre Point has many high-quality utilities

Particularly, food trading might be a smart idea. As workers in IZ-based factories are subsidised for lunch and dinner, the breakfast business is blooming. Besides, snack business targeting workers break time or night time is another extremely appropriate suggestion in the industrial service area.

Along with food shops, beverage shops are also indispensable. After working long hours, the middle of their shift is a time for workers to relax, chat, and meet friends. There is no business more suitable than beverage shops to target this customer segment. This is an affordable, easy-to-enter business that would yield upbeat profit, not in industrial parks but also in densely populated areas including offices or schools.

Diem Thuy Centre Point is suitable for a variety of businesses

Essential goods are also in high demand at industrial zones. Opening a small grocery store, a mini supermarket, or shops that sell vegetables, fruits, meat, or fish could also turn a pretty penny because workers often do not have much time to go shopping. Thus, a conveniently-located store could draw in brisk business at industrial zones.

Industrial park residents also raise a great number of children. The construction of a private kindergarten near the industrial park would, therefore, also be a great idea.

With 231 kiosks built from the first to third floors suitable for all types of business, Diem Thuy Centre Point  a service area of Apec Diem Thuy Industrial Park, Thai Nguyen  provides an ideal place for investors.
Egypt has criticised an Ethiopian proposal on the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) that it said violates agreements from previous rounds of negotiations, and, alongside Sudan, has asked the AU to suspend the tripartite negotiations on the mega-dam in order for internal consultations on the proposal.

According to the Egyptian irrigation minister statement, the irrigation ministers had agreed on Monday that technical and legal committees should discuss the points of contention between the three countries on Tuesday and Wednesday.

However shortly before the meeting Egypt and Sudan received a letter from the Ethiopian irrigation minister including an attached draft of Guidelines and Rules of the filling of the dam", as it was titled by the Ethiopian irrigation minister.

The draft of the guidelines and rules did not include any rules for the operating and nor any element that reflects the legal binding of the agreement. In addition to the absence of any legal mechanism to settle disputes, The Egyptian ministry of irrigation said.

The statement said that the Ethiopian letter violates what had been approved and agreed upon on Monday during the ministerial meeting which focused on the necessity to solve the points of contentions before submitting them to the ministers on Thursday.

From its side, Sudan slammed the Ethiopian proposal saying that it was violating the Declaration of Principles signed in 2015. It also added that the proposal linked the agreement of the Dams operations policies with reaching an agreement on the Blue Nile watere.

In letter sent to the AU, Khartoum said that it may not continue in the talks if Ethiopia insists on its position.

Earlier on Tuesday Ethiopia's irrigation ministry sent its "Guidelines and rules on the filling of the dam"

According to the statement the meetings shall resume on Monday 10 August after Egypt and Sudan requested to be adjourned for internal consultations.

Talks between the irrigation ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia resumed yesterday via video conference, under the auspices of the African Union and with the attendance of observers and experts from EU Commission, the US and the African Union.

It was announced that the three nations had agreed that the technical and legal committees on the dam were to hold meetings to discuss points of contention on Tuesday and Wednesday, before presenting their conclusion at a ministerial meeting on Thursday.

Last month, Addis Ababa announced that it had completed the first-years filling of the dams reservoir.

The first round of AU-sponsored talks over the project ended two weeks ago  just before the Ethiopian announcement -- without reaching an accord.

At a subsequent mini-summit, the leaders of the three countries agreed on the need for continued discussions over the filling and operation of the mega-dam.

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President Donald Trump described a massive explosion in Beirut as a terrible attack Tuesday, despite no evidence currently suggesting the blasts were intentional.

The blast, which had the force of a small nuke, rocked the Lebanese capital's port area on Tuesday evening local time, killing at least 100 people and injuring more than 4,000 others.

'The United States stands ready to assist Lebanon, Trump said of the devastating scenes during a White House briefing. We will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack.

When quizzed by a reporter if he was certain the explosion was in fact an attack, Trump said he had 'met with some of our great generals and they seem to feel that it was.

'This was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event. They would know better than I would,' the president continued. 'They seem to think ... it was a bomb of some kind, yes.'

President Donald Trump described deadly explosions as a terrible attack during a Tuesday press conference, despite no evidence suggesting the blasts were intentional

Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the port area shortly before an enormous fireball explodes into the sky and blankets the city in a thick mushroom cloud

A series of massive explosions in the Lebanese capital's port area rocked the city on Tuesday evening local time, killing at least 78 people and injuring more than 4,000 others

So far, no evidence has been released to the public to indicate that the explosions were the result of an attack.

The Pentagon has not yet returned a DailyMail.com request for comment on the claims made by Trump.

Robert Baer, a former CIA operative who operated for years in the Middle East, stuck a more nuanced tone -saying the explosion appears to have been an accident, but he is not convinced that ammonium nitrate was the sole cause.

He pointed to videos of what appeared to be fireworks going off amid a pall of white smoke, right before the main blast which sent a column of reddish-brown smoke high into the sky.

Baer told CNN that those 'fireworks' were likely munitions that had been stored as part of a weapons cache that included military-grade propellant.

'It was clearly a military explosive,' he said. 'It was not fertilizer like ammonium nitrate. I'm quite sure of that.'

But he added that it would likely take years to learn the truth of what caused the blast, if it was ever revealed, because 'no one is going to want to admit they kept military explosives at the port'.

Lebanon is effectively run by Hezbollah, an Iranian paramilitary group with a history of secrecy.

Multiple videos of the blast show fires and thick plumes of smoke emanating from a building in Beirut's port area before a mushroom cloud erupts, sending a shockwave ripping through the city.

Hundreds of buildings were leveled in the horrific explosion. The death toll is expected to rise significantly as emergency personnel continue to pull out bodies out from beneath the rubble.

'Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families,' Trump said. 'The United States stands ready to assist Lebanon.'

Contrary to Trump's claims, the Lebanese government says it's still investigating the source of the explosion.

Officials say early indications suggest the blast occurred when a warehouse storing explosive materials caught on fire.

A large stock of ammonium nitrate was being stored in the building where the explosions occurred, Lebanese Interior Minister, Mohammed Fahmi said.

The materials were said to have been confiscated from a ship in 2014. Fahmi has called for an investigation to determine how they ignited.

When quizzed by a reporter if he was certain the explosion was in fact an attack, Trump said he had 'met with some of our great generals and they seem to feel that it was ... a bomb of some kind'

A mobile phone image showing a general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large explosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

It lay waste to the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames this evening, and even wreaked havoc on districts miles away from the blast site

People on the street in Beirue which is strewn with debris from damaged buildings following the explosion

Sombering scenes showed citizens in despair as their homes were damaged, with walls blown through and windows shattered

A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut today. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab called the explosion a 'catastrophe' and vowed that those responsible 'will pay for what happened'.

Diab said an investigation will be launched into the conditions at the 'dangerous warehouse' where the blast occurred.

'I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability,' he added during a televised address.

In a later tweet, Diab said it was 'unacceptable that a shipment of ammonium nitrate estimated at 2,750 tons has been present for six years in a warehouse without taking preventive measures that endanger the safety of citizens.'

The industrial port that provides Lebanon with crucial trade routes was virtually flattened by the blast.

Sobering scenes showed citizens in despair as their homes were damaged, with walls blown through and windows shattered.

Wounded men, women and children were seen navigating the mangled wreckage from buildings and debris which was sprayed all over the streets of the capital last night.

Several of Beirut's hospitals were damaged in the blast, with Roum Hospital putting out a call for people to bring it spare generators to keep its electricity going as it evacuated patients because of heavy damage.

Outside the St George University Hospital in Beirut's Achrafieh neighborhood, people with various injuries arrived in ambulances, in cars and on foot.

The explosion had caused major damage inside the building and knocked out the electricity at the hospital.

Aftermath footage from the offices of Lebanon's Daily Star newspaper showed panels had been ripped out of the ceiling while the room was left in disarray.

Sobering scenes showed citizens in despair as their homes were damaged, with walls blown through and windows shattered

Vital infrastructure such as hospitals sustained damage, as did the city's airport despite its location six miles away from the blast site, laying bare the magnitude of the trauma

Fires burning at the port on Beirut well into the night following an explosion, believed to be from chemicals

Smoke billows at the site of the large explosion and buildings are reduced to twisted wreckages

The full force of the blast, which has been likened to a 'nuclear bomb' detonation, was laid bare by the homes which took damage outside the blast radius.

Miles from the scene of the explosion, balconies were knocked down, ceiling collapsed and windows were shattered.

Residents said glass was broken in houses from Raouche, on the Mediterranean city's western tip, to Rabieh six miles east.

Beirut's main airport, six miles away from the port, was reportedly damaged by the explosion, with pictures showing sections of collapsed ceiling.

And in Cyprus, a Mediterranean island lying 110 miles (180 km) northwest of Beirut, residents reported hearing two large bangs in quick succession. One resident of the capital Nicosia said his house shook, rattling shutters.

Local media are reporting that 2,700 tonnes of the chemical exploded, which scientists making initial calculations said was about three kilotonnes of TNT - roughly a fifth of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in the Second World War.

A 'strange smell' at the port has apparently led officials to instruct civilians to leave for fear of any harmful toxins.
A Victoria Police officer had her head allegedly repeatedly bashed into concrete by a woman who refused to wear a mask in line with coronavirus rules.

The 26-year-old officer and her partner approached a woman about 5pm Monday near the Bayside shopping centre in Frankston who was not wearing a mask and the confrontation turned violent, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said.

'They approached a 38-year-old woman, who wasn't wearing a mask. After a confrontation and being assaulted by that woman, those police officers went to ground and there was a scuffle,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

'This 38-year-old woman smashed the head of the policewoman several times into a concrete area on the ground.

Victoria Police officer (pictured) had her head allegedly repeatedly bashed into concrete by a woman who refused to wear a mask in line with coronavirus rules

Police patrol a street in Melbourne on Monday. A Victoria Police officer had her head allegedly repeatedly bashed into concrete by a woman who refused to wear a mask

'That's someone who thinks they're above the law.

'They're not wearing a mask, they're approached and asked the reason why not and then to react like that is just completely over the top.'

The woman was taken to a police station, charged with assaulting police, recklessly causing injury, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, two counts of resisting an emergency worker on duty and refusing to state her name and address.

She was also fined $200 for not wearing a mask and bailed due to no criminal history.

The police officer's hair was allegedly ripped out and she suffered a concussion, The Age reported.

Premier Daniel Andrews described the attack as 'disgusting'.

The police officer received significant head injuries and was taken to the Frankston Hospital for assessment and medical treatment.

The 38-year-old woman allegedly became violent after being approached near the Bayside shopping centre in Frankston (pictured)

Victoria Police issued 161 fines on Monday to people flouting coronavirus restrictions, including 60 people who were not wearing masks.

Mr Patton said on at least four occasions in the past week, police had to smash car windows and pull people out because they were refusing to provide personal details in line with public health guidelines.

Other people fined on Monday include someone trying to buy a car after the 8pm curfew and another who was bored and wanted to go for a drive.
Leaders across the globe offer support as Lebanese officials warn the number of dead and wounded is expected to rise.

World leaders have offered support to Lebanon following a massive explosion that killed at least 73 people and wounded more than 3,700 in the capital, Beirut.

While the cause of the explosion was not immediately clear, Lebanons internal security chief Abbas Ibrahim said the site of the blast in the port area of the city was housing highly explosive materials.

The explosion released shockwaves through the city, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky.

Hours after the blast, ambulances continued to carry away the wounded as army helicopters helped battle fires raging at the port. Officials expect the death toll to rise.

Heres how the world has reacted:

France

French President Emmanuel Macron expressed solidarity with the Lebanese and said France was sending resources to the site of the blast.

I express my fraternal solidarity with the Lebanese after the explosion which claimed so many victims and damages this evening in Beirut. France stands alongside Lebanon. Always. French aid and resources are being transported on the spot [of the explosion], Macron wrote on Twitter.

Jexprime ma solidarite fraternelle avec les Libanais apres lexplosion qui a fait tant de victimes et de degats ce soir a Beyrouth. La France se tient aux cotes du Liban. Toujours. Des secours et moyens francais sont en cours dacheminement sur place.  Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 4, 2020

Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian also sent a message of support to Lebanon, writing on Twitter that France is ready to assist any need the Lebanese authorities will express.

Germany

The German foreign ministry said staff at the German embassy were wounded in the explosion.

The wounded also include embassy personnel, the ministry said. We cannot for the moment exclude German nationals figuring among the dead and wounded.

The German embassy building, located not far from the port, was damaged but the seriousness of the damage cannot yet be determined for now, the foreign ministry said.

Chancellor Angela Merkel said through her spokeswoman that she was shocked by the event and promised aid for Lebanon.

Iran

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif said Tehran was ready to assist in any way and urged Lebanon to stay strong.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon, Zarif wrote on Twitter.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon. As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary. Stay strong, Lebanon.   Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 4, 2020

As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary. Stay strong, Lebanon.

Israel

Israel said it had offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon via foreign channels, as the neighbours have no diplomatic relations.

Under the direction of Minister of Defence Benny Gantz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel approached Lebanon through international defence and diplomatic channels to offer the Lebanese

government medical humanitarian aid, Gantz wrote on Twitter.

Italy

The Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio took to social media to wish a speedy recovery to those wounded in the blast.

Italy is close to Lebanese friends in this tragic moment. Our thoughts go to the families of the victims, to whom we express our deep condolences, and to the injured people, to whom we wish a speedy recovery, Di Maio said.





Malaysia

Malaysian Foreign Minister Hishammuddin Hussein expressed his countrys grief over the Beirut blast, and offered to help in any way we can.

Malaysia stands together in grief as our thoughts and prayers accompany the strong people of Lebanon, he said in a Twitter post. We stand ready to support any way we can.

Malaysia stands together in grief as our thoughts and prayers accompany the strong people of  Lebanon. We stand ready to support any way we can. Initial reports from our @MYEmbBeirut show that all Malaysians there are safe and have been advised to stay at home #PrayForLebanon pic.twitter.com/tpJJ8HAo5x  Hishammuddin Hussein  (@HishammuddinH2O) August 5, 2020

Qatar

Qatars Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani called President Michel Aoun to offer condolences, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency. The Gulf country said it would send field hospitals to support Lebanons medical response.

HH the Amir held via telephone a conversation with Lebanon's President, during which His Highness expressed his condolences to the President and the brotherly Lebanese people on the victims of the explosion in Beirut port, wishing a speedy recovery for the injured. #QNA pic.twitter.com/5ZcFzarhzp  Qatar News Agency (@QNAEnglish) August 4, 2020

Sheikh Tamim wished a speedy recovery for the injured, QNA reported, adding that he expressed Qatars solidarity with brotherly Lebanon and its willingness to provide all kinds of assistance.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabias foreign ministry said it is following with great concern the consequences of Beiruts port explosion, according to the state news agency.

The statement also affirmed the kingdoms full support and solidarity with the Lebanese people.

#Statement | The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia is watching with grave concern the aftermath of the explosion that occurred in the port of #Beirut today, which resulted in deaths and injuries.  Foreign Ministry  (@KSAmofaEN) August 4, 2020

Turkey

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu offered his condolences to the Lebanese people, adding that Ankara was ready to assist in every way.



Wish Allahs mercy upon those who lost their lives in the explosion occurred in the port of Beirut. Condolences to the brotherly and friendly people of Lebanon. Hoping there wont be any more losses. Ready to assist our Lebanese brothers & sisters in every way, said Cavusoglu.





Turkish President Erdogan also offered humanitarian assistance in a phone conversation with his Lebanese counterpart Michel Aoun.

United Kingdom

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson expressed his readiness to help Lebanon in any possible way.

The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected, Johnson wrote on Twitter.

The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 4, 2020

United States

President Donald Trump said he sent his sympathies to Lebanon for the dozens of people killed and thousands wounded in the blast, which he cast as an attack, and offered US help.

The United States stands ready to assist Lebanon, Trump said at a White House briefing. We will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the blast as a tragedy and offered US assistance to Lebanon.

We are monitoring and stand ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this horrible tragedy, Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

Two huge explosions rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, wounding dozens of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky [AFP]

Pompeo in an accompanying statement said that the US will wait for the findings of Lebanese authorities on the cause of the blast.

Our team in Beirut has reported to me the extensive damage to a city and a people that I hold dear, an additional challenge in a time of already deep crisis, said Pompeo, who has spoken in the past of his personal interest in Lebanon.
Brian Austin Green is sharing new details about his split from Megan Fox, including how he learned about her rebound romance with Machine Gun Kelly. He also talks about his current dating status, clarifying what exactly happened with Courtney Stodden and Tina Louise.

The BH90210 actor told Hollywood Raw podcast the public interest in his personal life sucks amid his May divorce announcement. But he thinks things with Fox are going as well as it can. Theres no rule book to it. Theres no way of doing it right or doing it wrong. Were learning as we go. The important thing for us is just communicating as much as we can  and putting their three sons first.

Asked about Fox dating her Midnight in the Switchgrass co-star and twin flame Kelly (real name: Colson Baker), Green said, I wish Megan the absolute best in everything. I want her to be completely happy for her and for the kids. Thats super important. Nobody wants to be around somebody thats unhappy. Nothing good comes out of that. Thats a terrible situation.

Brian Austin Green gets candid about co-parenting with Megan Fox on the heels of their split and his dating life. (Photo: Paul Archuleta/Getty Images)

He blamed the coronavirus for amplifying their breakup news, saying, it happened at an unfortunate time that nobody could have predicted with quarantine and the virus and all of that. The news cycle is a bit bigger than we were prepared for or are used to, but it is what it is.

Green and Fox, who share three sons, quietly split in November, when she returned home from a movie shoot and told him she was happier being apart from him. She started making Switchgrass with Kelly in March and they had an immediate connection, she said in a recent interview. While the production was halted due to the pandemic, they returned to L.A. together and started dating, only going public in May after her split from Green was made public. The romance has since been high-profile with Fox starring in Kellys Bloody Valentine music video and saying hes her soulmate.

Green defended his wife amid this split, saying on the podcast, Everybody is judgmental right now because she is out of the country working, as Switchgrass production resumed in Puerto Rico and she and Kelly are out and proud about their romance. This is what we do. We travel and we work. Its no different now than its been before except that we are no longer together. This is what weve been doing for 15 years ... when one person is [away], the other one will step in and take care of things at home.

Story continues

Megan Fox and Brian Austin Green (Photo: zz/Galaxy/STAR MAX/IPx)

Green added, Megan loves her kids and would do anything for them  and has and will continue to.

However, the actor hedged a bit when it came to revealing exactly how he learned that Fox and Kelly were dating.

I found out in my own way, he said when asked whether Fox told him herself or if he read it in the press. And thats as much detail as Ill give you on that one. No, I didnt read about it or anything like that.

Green offered that he and Fox have rules about introducing their sons to any new partners, saying, Weve talked about being as responsible as we can with the kids ... We want to make this as positive an experience for them as possible.

As for whether hed ever get married again, he said, Right now? No. After a beat, he added, But never say never.

Thats because in addition to the divorce, his attempts at dating have been rather dramatic. He was briefly linked to Stodden, whos best known for being a teen bride, marrying 50-year-old actor Doug Hutchison when she was 16. Green said he had no idea about her backstory. After their minute-long romance, Stodden, who loves a headline, released an unflattering song inspired by him and then, in another play for revenge, posted a video of them together in a hot tub after he had moved on to internet model Louise.

Green, who says hes been single this whole time, going on just a couple dates with these women.

What people normally do when they get out of [a relationship] is they date. They talk to multiple people at once. Some people use dating apps. ... They spend time with people until they feel a connection with somebody and something builds from there, he said. Whats unfortunate for me and the situation is Ill literally go on one date with somebody  not even a date, just meet somebody, have lunch  and all of a sudden its written as like Oh, his new fling, and Oh, hes playing two women at the same time. And its like: No, I literally spent one time with each of these women. Im not playing anybody. My life is just much more under a microscope than somebody elses.

He said dating around shouldnt mean Im a sh***y person. Thats what youre supposed to do, youre supposed to meet people and experience life. Then when you start finding commonalities with somebody, then it becomes something bigger... But I get judged for it, I think, unfairly.

While Green had nothing but kind things to say about Louise, whom he said encouraged him to take a break from dating all together to heal emotionally from his split from Fox, he tried to be nice about Stodden  but it was harder.

He said Stodden was super polite and super kind when they were briefly linked in early June, but admitted he had no idea of her background and was completely unaware she was famous for being a teen bride and her exploits with ex Hutchison. He said when he realized, he had that moment of, Oh sh**. What have I done?! he laughed, adding, Hindsight, again, 20/20.

Green was asked if he felt betrayed by the hot tub video, which Stodden posted on Instagram the day Green was linked to Louise, and said, Of course and that it was shared out of context to create issues. He said Stodden should have taken the high road, but didnt.

I feel like  if you had some good people around you that would go, Youve dealt with enough crap and youre sort of viewed in a questionable way by a lot of people, take the high road, Green said. [Say publicly that] you met somebody, it didnt work out, but you guys had a fine time. You wish them the best ... Apparently she wasnt given that advice. Instead, its been about, let me drag this out as long as possible. Let me write a song.

Green went on to have a laugh about the song she released, Side Effects, in which Stodden claimed was about their blink-and-you-missed-it dalliance. In an interview announcing the song, she said it was about having a bad dose of a bad actor and just want to be sober again.

Green said Stodden releasing the song was f**king insane. Its insane. Lets call that it like it is. Thats insane.

He continued, Dont you need to have some sort of connection with somebody to write a song? Whats funny too is when you read [her interview saying Green inspired the song, she said the song is really] about love, but it was kind of inspired by [Green]. No, it wasnt. You just want to put my name into the story because then theyll hear your song.

Read more from Yahoo Entertainment:
Michigans number of confirmed coronavirus cases jumped again by more than 600, with Tuesdays increase at 664.

That pushes the total number of confirmed cases past 84,000, standing at 84,050, and with seven new deaths, 6,220 have died with coronavirus confirmed.

Five of those seven new deaths, though, came from a review of vital records.

With probable cases of COVID-19, numbering nearly 9,000, the total number of cases for Michigan was at 92,374 cases mid-afternoon Tuesday with 6,463 deaths.

The U.S. has seen more than 4.7 million cases of COVID-19 so far, with more than 156,000 dying, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Michigan ranked 18th in the U.S. in the number of cases, having dropped as other states have seen larger uncontrolled outbreaks.

Worldwide, nearly 18.4 million cases had been reported by early Tuesday afternoon with just under 696,000 deaths, Johns Hopkins University reported.

The update on Tuesday followed another effort by the Michigan governors office to slow the spread, as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed an executive order requiring department heads to make enforcement of COVID-19 rules  such as restricting capacity or requiring and using face masks  a priority.

On Tuesday, Oakland County health officials identified local outbreaks leading to more than 160 infections of teenagers who attended graduation parties in mid-to-late July in the South Lyon and Fenton areas.

The Associated Press reported that more than 60,000 new cases are being found a day recently, down from more than 70,000 a day in the second half of July. But 26 states are seeing increases in new cases and deaths are up in 35 states.

For Michigan, the start of the month shows 2,429 cases in four days of August, while July started with 1,663 cases in the first four days. The first four days of June saw just 844 cases.

The seven-day average on Tuesday stayed the nearly the same, at 696 daily cases.

Local results

On Monday, Wayne County, without Detroit, passed the city of Detroit, in the number of total cases, probable and confirmed, for the first time. And on Tuesday, they continued that trend of outpacing Detroit in new cases.

Wayne County, excluding Detroit, added 104 cases. The area, which is mostly southwest and west of the city, much of it the Downriver and Dearborn areas, but also includes the eastern communities as well as Hamtramck and Highland Park, now has 13,152 cases, the hardest-hit part of the state. Including probable cases, the area had 13,827, the most in Michigan.

Detroit, however, added just 30 cases on Tuesday to reach 12,818. With probable cases, Detroit has 13,737. With massive daily jumps in cases in March and April, Detroit had been the hardest-hit part of the state in the number of COVID-19 cases until late July.

Wayne County in total, with Detroit, has had 27,564, looking at both zones and both confirmed and probable cases.

To the north, Macomb County added another 91 cases on Tuesday to reach 9,475.

Oakland County added 83 cases and had 11,688 cases.

Also in southeastern Michigan, Genesee County added 28 cases to reach 2,856, while Washtenaw County was up 20 cases to reach 2,129

On a smaller scale, Lapeer and St. Clair counties each added five cases to be at 346 and 662 respectively.

Kent County, in western Michigan and including Grand Rapids, added 46 cases to reach 6,645. Kalamazoo County was up nine cases and at 1,445 in total confirmed cases.

In mid-Michigan, Saginaw jumped up by 23 cases to reach 1,779. In the past eight days, Saginaw has added 111 cases, of nearly 14 per day.

Isabella County added just one case to reach 177, while Gratiot County to the south added two to reach 132. Clare County stayed the same at 58.

After weeks of almost no increases, recent days have shown new infections within the Michigan Department of Corrections. On Tuesday, the Michigan prison system added 88 cases to reach 4,234 in the MDOC. This follows adding 11 cases on Friday and six on Saturday.
Picture a great restaurant, the chef up at dawn, dusting hand-milled flour on a butchers block. The chef under a spotlight, tweezing chive blossoms in the chaos of the pass, or fanning the wood fire under a row of shimmering, trussed birds.

The chef is in sharp focus, but everything else  everyone else  is an inconsequential blur.

I dont need to describe the chef to you. He is a man, probably. A genius, definitely. Lets say this genius is volatile, meticulous, impenetrable, charming, camera-ready. He doesnt just manage the staff behind a great restaurant. He is the great restaurant.

For decades, the chef has been cast as the star at the center of the kitchen. In the same way the auteur theory in film frames the director as the author of a movies creative vision, the chef has been considered entirely responsible for the restaurants success. Everyone else  line cooks, servers, dishwashers, even diners  is background, there to support that vision.

This way of thinking has informed the industrys culture at every level. But the power of the chef-auteur as an idea is fading, and as restaurant workers organize and speak up about abusive workplaces, toxic bosses and inequities in pay and benefits, its clear that the restaurant industry has to change.
They recently reunited after the coronavirus pandemic forced them apart.

And Bella Thorne couldn't resist packing on the PDA with her Italian boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo on Monday.

The actress, 22, took to Instagram to share a collection of loved-up snaps with the pop star, 27.

PDA: Bella Thorne couldn't resist packing on the PDA with her Italian boyfriend Benjamin Mascolo on Monday

Bella went braless as she showcased her slender figure in a beige ribbed Puma midi dress for the pictures.

Adding some glamorous accessories, the former Disney star wore a pearl necklace, oversized sunglasses and a metallic scrunchie.

Bella styled her fiery red locks into a sleek straightened hairdo and added a slick of pretty make-up.

Smitten: The actress, 22, took to Instagram to share a collection of loved-up snaps with the pop star, 27

Loved-up: Bella went braless as she showcased her slender figure in a beige ribbed Puma midi dress for the pictures

Benjamin opted for a more low-key look in a pair of ripped skinny jeans and an oversized black T-shirt.

Bella captioned the photos with: 'Soooo date night?' as the couple posed for a collection of photos.

The beauty and her Italian boyfriend recently reunited after five months following COVID-19 travel restrictions.

Happy lady: The beauty and her Italian boyfriend recently reunited after five months following COVID-19 travel restrictions

In March, the United States imposed a travel ban on European countries as cases spiked in America.

Bella and Benjamin finally met up again on July 7 and she gushed on Instagram: 'After 5 months reunited & it feels so good.'

She then asked her followers: 'where shall we go next ?? since ben isn't allowed in America yet... and I can't go to Italy unless I have a work permit there.'

The couple decided to head to Los Cabos, Mexico, which began reopening in mid-June.

Bella and Benjamin were recently at the centre of a swirl of engagement rumours when she was seen with a ring on her wedding finger.

However her representative told JustJared this Friday: 'Bella and Benjamin are very much in love and very happy, but there are no wedding plans in the near future.'
Ukraines Ukrtelecom is planning deploy ultrafast broadband reaching 2.6 million people living in rural areas.

The broadband provider has offered a 2.5 year timeframe for the plan, which was announced after the Ukrainian Ministry of Digital Transformation called for rural broadband speeds to be improved to 100Mbps across the next four years.

Only 65% of rural Ukraine currently has broadband access, but by working with the telecommunications industry the government plans to increase broadband availability to 95% of Ukraines rural population.

"Through an open public-private partnership, Ukrtelecom stands ready to help the government to roll out fibre internet in rural areas, says Ukrtelecoms CEO, Yuri Kurmaz.

As of today, more than 16,000 educational institutions and over 8,000 medical facilities in Ukraine do not have access to a fibre optic internet connection. The government plans to allocate $197m to the telecoms industry to connect them. In turn, this will help connect the wider nearby communities.

Ukrtelecom estimates that it will cost $110m for it to roll out broadband to 2.6m people in rural areas. It has proposed an allocation of $51 million from the aforementioned government fund, with plans to raise the balance of $59m in cooperation with international vendors and financial partners.

As a result of the first stage of Ukrtelecoms plans, internet coverage for Ukraines rural population will jump from 65% to 85% within the next 2.5 years. It will require building and rolling out a 23,000km fibre backbone and 26,000km of access network across 3,900 villages. These relatively large villages with educational and medical facilities have on average 200 households and a total population 2.6m.

The second stage will bring coverage to the remaining 10% of the population in the governments plan by providing fibre connectivity to another 8,000 smaller villages, taking it to its targeted goal of 95%.

Yuri Kurmaz said: The recent Covid-19 outbreak has shown that its vital for all of Ukraine to be digitally connected. By bringing ultrafast broadband to rural parts of the country we want to support the digital transformation of government services, education and agriculture, as well as the wider economy.

Earlier this year, in March 2020, Ukrtelecom announced it had signed an agreement with leading European ICT provider Iskratel and SID Banka to connect rural areas of Ukraine using GPON fibre-optic networks.

The two-year network construction project with total investment of $6.2m will provide a fibre internet connection to 200 villages in 13 Ukrainian regions. The project is providing coverage to 250,000 people. So far, the new network has already passed 200,000 people in 180 villages.
Yvonne Blake, owner of Hakim's Bookstore & Gift Shop at 210 S 52nd Street, says she has seen more interest in books about Black history and social justice, especially from white customers. Read more

Its been more than two months since Philadelphia saw widespread protests after the killing of George Floyd. Since then, the Black Lives Matter movement has gained more support, and for some Black-owned business owners in the area, the movement has helped their companies, and created new opportunities.

One of those business owners is Mustafa Rashed, the president and CEO of Bellevue Strategies, a government relations, advocacy and strategic communications firm with offices in Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Washington.

The crisis communications practice of our business has exploded (because of the movement), Rashed says. CEOs and senior leadership teams are relying on us heavily to help them navigate messaging around sensitive issues on race and social justice. Rashed believes that there is a long overdue reckoning in this country and that the corporations that truly want to impact social justice and eradicate structural racism have to put meaningful actions beyond their words.

Yvonne Blake, who owns Hakims Bookstore in Philadelphia, has also seen more interest in the products she sells and says that the BLM movement and social justice protests have caused a sudden increase in requests for books on race and inequality as well as books on African American history, especially from white customers.

There are many ways that Black entrepreneurs are using this social justice movement to improve both their lives and their communities.

For example, companies around the country have prioritized diversity not only in their hiring, but also in the companies and people they do business with. One small business that is seeing the benefits of this is Electro Soft Inc., a 34-year-old Montgomeryville-based contract manufacturer of electronics equipment.

The COVID crisis has highlighted the deficiencies in many companies global supply chains and they are realizing that they need stateside manufacturing services, said Karla Trotman, the companys president and CEO. At the same time, these companies are putting out BLM statements without even having a supplier diversity plan.

Trotman says that as companies are extending their stateside search they are also reaching out to minority-owned businesses as a part of a larger strategy that includes identifying and engaging with Black-owned entities. In the past, we would never post the fact that we were a Black-owned business, she says. History has taught us that it can be a liability. But now we are now in a fortunate position.

Other Black-owned businesses are leveraging new sites and services that highlight their offerings. Among these are Five Fifths, which provides news, interviews and lists of Black-owned businesses; WeBuyBlack, which claims to be the largest e-marketplace for Black-owned businesses; and EatOkra, a mobile app that lists more than 2,500 Black-owned restaurants across the country that can be searched by cuisine and location. Locally, both Visit Philly and Afro Philly provide excellent resources for Black-owned small business and prospective customers.

Then, of course theres social media. Melissa Parker, who owns a florist shop in Narberth, says that she has been very vocal online about her support of BLM, with a very positive response. I have gained a lot more customers from my Black social circle, she said. I have tried to market myself as a Black woman-owned small business on social media and I have also tried to collaborate with other Black-owned businesses. If we can support each other we can gain strength in the market.

Becoming certified as a minority-owned business also opens up more doors. The National Minority Supplier Development Council is considered the largest and most prominent certification body for minority-owned businesses. Getting certified with that organization creates more opportunities for federal and state jobs and many larger companies  including IBM, Microsoft and Marriott  rely on the NMSD to connect them to minority owned businesses.

In Philadelphia, minority-owned small businesses can register with the citys Office of Economic Opportunity to gain access to public jobs. Pennsylvania offers certification through its Unified Certification Program, and New Jerseys Division of Minority and Women Business Development offers fast tracking certification for New Jersey-based businesses that are certified with the other national or statewide agencies or programs. Both Electro Soft and Bellevue Strategies are minority certified. Being a certified minority-owned business has given us a competitive advantage, said Bellevues Rashed. I have no reservations at all about emphasizing my race when it comes to marketing my business.

Lots of entrepreneurs share that attitude. In the beginning we didnt hide our race but we didnt actively promote that we were a Black-owned business, said Nicole Williams Black, co-owner of Philadelphia Diamond Co., a custom jewelry manufacturer and seller in Center City. But after a few years, her attitude changed and now she has no hesitation of advertising the fact that her business is Black-owned. The great thing about the BLM movement as it ties to support of Black businesses specifically is that were seeing that it is not just driving interest in African American clients but multicultural clients, as well, she says. That has been really great to see and our business is kind of poised for this kind of environment.
In Dauphin County, the safe treatment of inmates at the prison is overseen by a board of inspectors.

The inspectors are seven elected officials from the county: the sheriff, controller, district attorney, president judge and three county commissioners.

But Rep. Patty Kim, D-Harrisburg, wants to change that to give more direct power to community members in overseeing conditions at the prison.

A series of deaths at the prison and a recent COVID-19 outbreak behind bars have magnified concerns by community members who say they cant get information about their loved ones and prompted weekly protests outside the prison.

Kim held a news conference Monday to announce a proposed bill that would amend the states law to create county prison oversight boards with residents as members for all third-class counties.

Under the current statute, only Allegheny County, a second-class county, has that kind of community oversight. Allegheny County Prison has an oversight board with six county elected officials and three residents.

Kims proposal which would apply to Dauphin County and 11 others including Cumberland, Lancaster and Yorkwould increase community participation in number and weight. She would like to see an equal number of county officials and community residents on oversight boards with four members each.

The eight-member boards would oversee operations and maintenance of each prison, the safe upkeep of inmates and have the power to launch investigations.

The board also would make two unannounced visits each year to the prison to interview inmates outside of the presence of the warden and his agents to determine the conditions in the prison and publish a public report.

As it stands, the oversight board in Allegheny County has investigative power and makes unannounced visits with public reports. But the board of inspectors in third-class counties like Dauphin County do not.

Instead, boards in third-class counties have monthly meetings and are supposed to provide for the safekeeping, discipline and employment of inmates and the government and management of the correctional institution, according to the law.

County jail oversight boards are an important part of ensuring that our prison population is taken care of and moving towards rehabilitation and away from unnecessary punishment, Kim said. Our current laws lack the transparency and accountability needed to have a truly successful oversight board. We need more civil -servant driven, citizen board members to be given a chance rather than county officials, or individuals that hold public office.

Kim said she was still drafting her proposal and would like public input as her office finalizes the details, including how the citizen members would be selected. She said one of the members would be a representative of the Pennsylvania Prison Society, a group that has worked to ensure humane prison and jail conditions since 1787.

Kim said she planned to reach out to representatives from other third-class counties to get their input, and hopefully support for the bill. She would like to introduce the bill by the end of the month.

Dauphin County recently announced a community advisory committee for the prison, and its members include Brandon Flood, the states Board of Pardons secretary who also is president of a non-profit to help ex-offenders. But that committee has no authority, only the ear of county administrators, Kim explained.

Her goal is to combine the two existing boards: the board of inspectors with the advisory committee to create an oversight board.

We need to bring everyone together at the same table, at the same level, she said.

Kim noted the current county prison leadership is extremely cooperative and have launched important reforms, but she said those leaders may not always be in those roles, so an oversight board needs to be codified into law.

Flood said hes heard from residents that they dont have faith in fair and impartial investigations at the prison under the current oversight model.

Whether thats real or not, I cant say, he said. " A lot of time it comes down to perception is reality. If the community perceives that there is no integrity with the process then thats something we need to look at.

As a previous inmate at the Dauphin County prison, Flood said he could speak firsthand about the prior culture of brutality there. The new leadership is changing that, he said.

What were not trying to do is subvert the process, Flood said, But what we are trying to do is ensure that this entire community is represented and the way that the board currently stands, you cant put it any other way, its very county-official heavy. For me, myself I find that to be problematic.

Kevin Maxson, who was one of the first activists to draw attention to problems inside the prison, attended Kims news conference Monday and said he had concerns that Kims proposal wouldnt go far enough to deal with the true issues at the prison.

He said he would like to see even more community members on the proposed oversight board who represent different parts of the county. He also said its important to choose people with experience at the prison who truly know whats going on behind those closed doors.

John Hargreaves, of the Pa. Prison Society, said his organization believes that residents should be involved in prisons.

These are our tax dollars being spent at county prisons, he said. We are paying to confine these people. Upon release, they return to our neighborhoods, community and society.

How they are treated while they are locked up will affect their behavior and their behavior will be reflected in their communities when they return, he said. This review board can ensure they are treated fairly.

READ: No homicide charges will be filed after Harrisburg police took man who swallowed crack to jail, not hospital

READ: 69 Dauphin County jail inmates have COVID-19, and mass testing has just started
The police are conducting an investigation into the dismantling of train car-shacks in the area of the Amulsar gold mine project in Armenia.

The Armenian Environmental Front issued a statement in which it noted that Lydian Armenia companywhich carries out the aforesaid projecthad removed the train car-shacks of the Amulsar defenders and replaced them with its own cabin.

Lydian Armenia, in its turn, announced that it had removed an illegal property from its own territory.

Various environmental organizations and a number of citizens have already started protesting and driving toward the said area.
In an interview with Al-Manar, a political aide has revealed the support Syria provided during the July 2006 war and expressed gratitude to President Assad writes Al-Masdar.

Hezbollahs political aide Hussein Hussein Khalil revealed details regarding the role that Syria played in supporting Hezbollah during the July 2006 war against Israel.

In a television interview on Al-Manar TV, Khalil pointed out that, the Syrian army provided military supplies to the resistance during the July war, stressing that, President Bashar al-Assad is a key partner in the victory over Israel, and his position is absolutely unforgettable.

He pointed out, the Syrian army opened its warehouses and sent all the quality weapons to the resistance. Major General Mohammed Suleiman, who was subsequently assassinated, supervised the transfer of these weapons, in the last days of the war, especially during the Israeli Merkava tank massacre.

Khalil revealed a message sent by President Assad to Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, delivered by Major General Assef Shawkat, who was assassinated at the beginning of the Syrian crisis, and the letter confirmed the Syrian armys readiness to move towards the front if the resistance deems it appropriate, even if it is forced to move towards the western Beqaa.

Khalil added that, the Secretary-General of Hezbollah has not forgotten the role played by President Assad.

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.
LONDON (Reuters) - Tottenham Hotspur have agreed a deal in principle with Southampton to sign Denmark midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg with full back Kyle Walker-Peters going the other way, British media reported on Tuesday.

Hojbjerg is set to move for a fee in the region of 15 million pounds ($19.60 million) while right back Walker-Peters, who joined Southampton on loan in January, will make a permanent switch for 12 million pounds, according to Sky Sports.

Hojbjerg, who moved to the Premier League from Bayern Munich in 2016, was stripped of the Saints captaincy in June when the 23-year-old made his intention to leave the south-coast club clear to manager Ralph Hasenhuettl.

Walker-Peters, who is also 23 and moved to Saints for more first team action, has played 10 times in the Premier League under Hasenhuettl since his loan move earlier this year.

Spurs boss Jose Mourinho had said last month there was a place at the north London club for Walker-Peters to return but would not stand in the defender's way if he wanted to leave in search of more playing time elsewhere.

The new Premier League season begins on Sept. 12.

(Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
The Crime Branch CID police has taken over the probe into the recent mysterious death of a Sri Lankan gangster here and formed seven special teams to look into various aspects, including his 'illegal' stay, a top official said on Tuesday.

Besides probing the cause of the death of Maddumage Lasantha Chandana Perera alias Angoda Lokka, the teams will investigate into his reported illegal stay and fabrication of documents to get Aadhar card for him, CBCID Inspector Generalof Police K Shankar told reporters here.

The CB-CID would seek custody of three people, includinga Sri Lankan woman, arrested for allegedly helping the gangster get the Aadhar card, for further investigation, hesaid adding DSP O H Raju has been appointed the investigation officer. Since the matter involved a foreigner, a detailed investigation was necessary, including to establish theidentity of the person who died, he said.

Lokka, whose name was changed as Pradeep Singh in Aadhar card, allegedly suffered a cardiac arrest on July 3 and declared brought dead at a private hospital here. After post-mortem at a government hospital, the body was taken to Madurai and cremated.

The media in Sri Lanka, where Lokka was wanted in connection with various criminal offences including killing of rival gang members, had reported the gangster was poisoned to death in India, following which the island nation police sought the help of Coimbatore police for detailed information.

City Police have arrested Sivakami Sundari, Dyaneswaranand Amani Thanji, a Sri Lankan woman, on Sunday on charges of forging documents to get an Aadhar card for Lokka. It has also come to light that Amani Thanji's husband was killed by Lokka in Sri Lanka, after that she was staying with him.
Radish is announcing that it has raised $63.2 million in new funding.

Breaking up book-length stories into smaller chapters that are released over days or weeks is an idea that was popularized in the 19th century, and startups have been trying to revive it for at least the past decade. Still, this round represents a major step up in funding, not just for Radish (which only raised around $5 million previously), but also compared to other startups in a relatively nascent market. (Digital fiction startup Wattpad is the notable exception.)

When I first wrote about Radish at the beginning of 2017, the startup was focused on user-generated content. Last year, however, the company launched the Radish Originals program, where Radish is able to produce more content using teams of writers lead by a "showrunner," and where the startup owns the resulting intellectual property.

"Instead of becoming YouTube or Wattpad for serial fiction, we want to be more like Netflix and create our own originals," founder and CEO Seungyoon Lee told me. "I got a lot of inspiration from platforms in Korea, China and Japan, where serial fiction is huge and established on mobile."

One of the ideas Radish took from the Asian markets is rapidly updating its stories. For example, its most popular title, "Torn Between Alphas" (a romance story with werewolves) has released 10 seasons in less than a year, with each season consisting of more than 50 chapters  later seasons have more than 100 chapters  that are released multiple times a day.

"On Netflix, you can binge-watch three seasons of a show at once," Lee said. "On Radish, you can binge-read a thousand episodes."

While Radish borrowed the writing room model from TV  and hired Emmy-winning TV writers, particularly those with a background in soap operas  Lee said it's also taken inspiration from gaming. For one thing, it relies on micro-payments to make money, with users buying coins that allow them to unlock later chapters of a story (chapters usually cost 20 or 30 cents, and more chapters get moved out from behind the paywall over time). In addition, the company can allow reader taste to determine the direction of stories by A/B testing different versions of the same chapter.

Story continues

Lee pointed to the fall of 2019 as Radish's "inflection point," where the model really started to work. Now, the company says its most popular story has made more than $4 million and has received more than 50 million "reads." Radish stories are mostly in the genres of romance, paranormal/sci-fi, LGBTQ, young adult, horror, mystery and thriller, and Lee said the audience is largely female and based in the United States.

By raising a big round led by SoftBank Ventures Asia (the early-stage investment arm of troubled SoftBank Group) and Kakao Pages (which publishes webtoons, web novels and more, and is part of Korean internet giant Kakao), Lee said he can take advantage of their expertise in the Asian market to grow Radish's audience in the U.S. That will mean accelerating content production in the hopes of creating more hit titles, and also spending more on performance marketing.

"With its own fast-paced original content production, Radish is best positioned to become a leading player in the global online fiction market, said SoftBank Ventures Asia CEO JP Lee in a statement. Radish has proven that its serialized novel platform can change the way people consume online content, and we are excited to support the companys continued disruption in the mobile fiction space. Leveraging our global SoftBank ecosystem, we hope to support and accelerate Radish's expansion across different regions worldwide."
Uganda: Pastor, church member beaten and drowned in retaliation for evangelizing Muslims

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Radical Muslims in eastern Uganda beat and drowned a 25-year-old pastor and a 22-year-old church member in retaliation for preaching the Gospel to local Muslims.

Pastor Peter Kyakulaga of Church of Christ and parishioner Tuule Mumbya were murdered in a lake in Lugonyola village in the Gadumire Sub-County of Kaliro District, the U.S.-based Morning Star News reported this week.

The murders occurred on the night of June 22, but reports of the crimes only came out of the East African country this week.

The day before the murders, hardline Muslims warned the pastor and his church members to stop evangelizing in the area.

We have discovered that your mission is not to fish but to hold Christian meetings and then convert Muslims to Christianity, one of the Muslims told the Christian evangelists, according to a relative of the pastor. We are not going to take this mission of yours lightly. This is our last warning to you.

David Nabyoma, the chairperson of the local council from Namuseru village, where the church is located, was informed about the attack.

They were requesting help, saying Muslims from Lugonyola had invaded the area around the lakeside, and several Christians were reported to have been injured, including my son, Nabyoma, a member of the Church of Uganda, was quoted as saying. Immediately we rushed to the scene of the incident with several Christians. We hired four boats and drove to the lake and found out that two of the Christians had been badly beaten and drowned in the lake and died instantly.

The countrys church leaders pleaded with Christians not to retaliate, but pray instead.

While Uganda is a predominantly Christian country, with Muslims making up only 12% of the population, Christians have faced attacks for their faith in Muslim-majority areas.

Recently, Open Doors said in a report that extremists are exploiting the opportunity to blame Christians for causing the (COVID-19) pandemic in Somalia, Uganda and Niger.

In 2018, hundreds of Muslims in eastern Uganda expressed anger after Christians held public debates about Jesus, among other things, leading to the arrest of six pastors.

About 70 pastors and 30 churches held a series of talks in Sironko, defending Christianity. Speeches included the testimony of Pastor Moses Wangaia, a popular Christian apologist, who explained why he converted from Islam to Christianity.

Also in 2018, a Ugandan man who left Islam to accept faith in Christ suffered severe burns on nearly half his body as members of his family took vengeance on him by attacking him with scarring-hot cooking oil.

Morning Star News reported at the time that 27-year-old Gobera Bashir was the victim of an honor attack that occurred in the Budaka District, less than a week after he attended church with a friend and converted to Christianity.
Galloway had been released from jail because Lake County prosecutors missed a statutory deadline to bring him to trial while holding him in custody.

Galloway was charged with felony escape after police investigating the Sept. 18 shooting discovered an ankle bracelet  which he had been required to wear while on bond  had been cut off and discarded near his home, records show.

Galloway remained at large until Nov. 21. Baker was killed Oct. 30, records show.

Since Galloway's arrest, he was charged in April in the double homicide of Zantrell Collins and Koreena Ramos, both 18, on Oct. 13, 2016, as they sat in a silver car outside a convenience store in the 700 block of East 49th Avenue. The charges were based in large part on statements made by Pelissier, who was convicted of murder and attempted murder in 2018 and is serving an 85-year sentence.

Prosecutors elected to go to trial first on Galloway's attempted murder case.

In a pretrial motion, Burke wrote Indiana law permits a judge to declare a deceased witness unavailable and admit otherwise inadmissible statements when they were offered against a party who engaged in or encouraged others to ensure the witness' unavailability.
BAD HOMBURG, Germany, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MYR Pharmaceuticals, a German biotechnology company focused on the development and commercialization of therapeutics for the treatment of chronic hepatitis B and D, is pleased to announce that the European Commission (EC) has granted the Conditional Marketing Authorization (CMA) for their lead compound HEPCLUDEX.

HEPCLUDEX has been approved as the first treatment option for adult patients with chronic hepatitis delta virus infection and compensated liver disease in Europe.

The drug was originally developed by scientists at the University of Heidelberg (Germany) and INSERM (France). Prof. Stephan Urban, co-inventor of Hepcludex, DZIF-Professor for Translational Virology at the University of Heidelberg and lead scientist in the continuing research program between MYR Pharmaceuticals and Heidelberg University expresses his enthusiasm:" Today's approval marks a great achievement for patients suffering from the most severe form of viral hepatitis without any specific treatment option until today. I am excited that after more than 20 years of scientific and clinical research, the entry inhibitor Myrcludex B, now HEPCLUDEX, becomes accessible to patients and will significantly improve their lives."

The CMA is based on the results from two Phase II studies (MYR202 and MYR203), which demonstrated good tolerability and safety as well as significant reduction of viremia and improvement of liver function during treatment with HEPCLUDEX.

Currently, MYR Pharmaceuticals has one Phase III HDV study ongoing evaluating the long-term treatment of HEPCLUDEX and one Phase II HDV study investigating the combination of HEPCLUDEX with pegylated interferon.

About HEPCLUDEX (INN = bulevirtide)

HEPCLUDEX represents the most clinically advanced novel approach for the treatment of hepatitis D, and is currently in a Phase 3 study in the indication of chronic HDV. The drug inhibits the HBV/HDV receptor NTCP on the hepatocyte surface and prevents the infection of regenerating cells and viral spreading within the liver. HEPCLUDEX has received Orphan Drug Designation for treatment of HDV infection from the European Medicines Agency (EMA) and from the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA). In addition, the EMA has granted PRIority MEdicines (PRIME) scheme eligibility. In parallel the FDA has granted Breakthrough Therapy designation - a process designed to expedite the development and review of drugs which may demonstrate substantial improvements on a clinically significant endpoint. The development of HEPCLUDEX has been supported by a grant from the German Center for Infection Research (DZIF; www.dzif.de/en), a foundation which was initiated by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

About MYR Pharmaceuticals

MYR Pharmaceuticals is headquartered in Bad Homburg (Germany). The company started operations in 2011 and is supported by venture capital investors such as the High-Tech-Grunderfonds (www.htgf.de/en/) and Maxwell Biotech Venture Fund. More information is available at:

www.myr-pharma.com/

www.klinikum.uni-heidelberg.de/newsroom/eine-chronische-krankheit-wird-therapierbar/

Contact Details

Thomas Christely, CFO

Phone: +49 (0)6172-4959811

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE MYR Pharmaceuticals

Related Links

http://www.myr-pharma.com


IT stocks were among the top losers today after US President Donald Trump signed an executive order preventing federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers from hiring.

Shares of Tech Mahindra (3.18%) , HCL Tech (2.15%) and Infosys (1.29%) were the top losers on Sensex in afternoon trade. TCS share too fell 1.11% to Rs 2226 intra day against previous close of Rs 2251 on BSE. On an intra day basis, Tech Mahindra share slipped 3.29% to Rs 651.4 against previous of Rs 673.55 on BSE.

Similarly, share price of HCL Technologies has lost 2.69% intra day to Rs 687.05 against previous close of Rs 706.05. Infosys stock plunged 1.70 % to Rs 941.05 against previous close of Rs 957.35 on BSE. Nifty IT index was trading 1.20% or 215 points lower at17,759. Intra day, it fell 1.38% to 17,716. BSE IT index fell 165 points to 17,967 in afternoon trade.

H1-B visa: Trump signs executive order to restrict hiring of foreign workers

The move to sign executive order came a month after the Trump administration on June 23 suspended H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial election year. The new restrictions took effect from June 24.

H1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

Maanwhile, Sensex and Nifty were trading higher in afternoon trade.

While Sensex gained 570 points to 37,509, Nifty rose 156 points to 11,047 powered by rallies in Reliance Industries (5.64%) and HDFC Bank (5.78%) shares.

RIL share price rose on reports that the oil conglomerate would soon acquire Chennai-based Netmeds as part of its broader consolidation in the pharma e-commerce industry. Reliance's entry through this yet-to-be-announced deal with Netmeds is expected to around $120 million.

HDFC Bank share gained in early trade today amid reports that banking regulator RBI had cleared name of Sashidhar Jagdishan as the next CEO of the private lender. Jagdishan will succeed Aditya Puri who will retire from the top post on October 26. Jagdishan will take over from Puri on October 27 for a period of 3 years.

US hikes visa fee, move to hurt Indian IT firms
Late actor Sushant Singh Rajputs familys lawyer claims that actor Rhea Chakraborty has gone into hiding. Sushants father had filed an FIR against Rhea under charges of abetment to suicide.



Speaking to Pinkvilla, lawyer Vikas Singh said he knows where Rhea is. Firstly, Rhea Chakraborty has gone into hiding. Of course, I know where she is hiding but I cant tell you that right now. Patna Police cannot reach there because the senior officer (IPS officer Vinay Tiwari) who came to investigate the case from Patna, has already been quarantined in Mumbai. The earlier team that was already there, they are also trying to quarantine them. They are in fact on the lookout for the other officers from Bihar Police as well. This is why the urgency for getting the matter referred to CBI today itself.

Earlier, a Republic TV report claimed the supervisor of the building where Rhea stayed has said that the actor left three days ago, in the middle of the night, along with her parents and brother. They left together in a blue car and had big suitcases with them, the report quoted the supervisor as saying. Sushant hadnt visited Rheas apartment since some time, he added.

Earlier today, Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar said that the state government is recommending a CBI inquiry in the Sushant death case. Kumar also said that the treatment meted out to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Patna (Central), Vinay Tiwari, in Mumbai, where he was put under home quarantine by BMC personnel, was not right.

In another interview to Pinkvilla, Vikas has made accusations against Rhea that she systematically took over Sushants life. He said first she cut all contact between his father and him, then replaced his house and management staff and took over his bank accounts.

The lawyer said that after all this, Rhea started overseeing his mental health. Fourth step was when for the first time, Sushant Singh Rajput had started taking medicines. The family was completely unaware of this - what medicines he was taking, which doctor she was taking him to. She completely conjured up a situation where she could show theres something wrong with him.

Also read: Happy birthday Vishal Bhardwaj: 10 popular songs he composed for Gulzar

Rhea recently released a video, in which she said that the truth will prevail. I have immense faith in God and the judiciary. I believe that I will get justice. Even though a lot of horrible things are being said about me on the electronic media, I refrain from commenting on the advice of my lawyers as the matter is sub-judice. Satyameva jayate, the truth shall prevail, she said.

Sushant was found dead at his Mumbai residence on June 14. Mumbai Police say he was suffering from depression.

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Tropical weather stirred up the Gulf of Mexico, reducing this year's dead zone off Louisiana's coast to the third-smallest ever measured, the scientist who has measured it since 1985 said Tuesday.

Marine ecologist Nancy Rabalais said the area where there's too little oxygen to support marine life covers about 2,116 square miles (5,480 square kilometers) this yearbut the five-year average remains much larger.

This year's measurement of the largely human-caused phenomenon was slightly less than one-third the size predicted in June, based on the amounts of nitrogen and phosphorus carried down the Mississippi River to the Gulf of Mexico.

Tropical Storm Hanna, which developed into a hurricane before landfall in Texas, brought "really high winds and really high waves," which mixed oxygen into the water off Louisiana down to about 65 feet (20 meters), Rabalais said during a teleconference hosted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which pays for the measurement cruise and other research into low-oxygen areas of water.

Waves also pushed the low-oxygen area deeper than it usually is found, Rabalais said, adding, "The map is very different this year."

And, she noted, "The low-oxygen area will redevelop as long as the winds stay lower and the water's calm."

The dead zone starts at the bottom and grows upward as well as outward every summer off Louisiana, reaching into Texas waters. It's created as calm weather lets fresh river water form a layer above the denser salt water in the Gulf of Mexico. largest on record, in 2017, was followed immediately by one of the smallesta five-year average is used to track the dead zone's size. That figure is about 5,400 square miles (14,000 square kilometers), said David Kidwell, director of the competitive research program at NOAA's National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science.

That's 2.8 times larger than the target set for 2035 by the Hypoxia Task Forcea group created in 1997 to help understand the dead zone's causes and effects and to work together to try to reduce it.

The 12 member states and National Tribal Water Council are working with five federal agencies to improve stormwater and wastewater management, which ultimately will reduce the size of the dead zone, said co-chairman Mike Naig, Iowa's agriculture secretary.

"We're talking about making changes on a subcontinental level. But I'm also confident we're on the right track," he said.

The changes are a blend of regulations, such as standards for water coming out of sewage treatment plants, and voluntary measures, said co-chair David Ross of the Environmental Protection Agency's Office of Water. He said the EPA recently published draft regulations for nutrient levels in lakes and reservoirs. The proposal itself notes that it would not set required standards but that states could use its information to do so.

New farm runoff rules are needed for a sustained reduction in the dead zone's size, Matt Rota, senior policy director for the environmental nonprofit Healthy Gulf, said in an email.

Without enforceable goals and limits, he wrote, "we will continue to see some farmers do good things on the small scale." However, he continued, there won't be any "real incentive for industrial farms ... to take the steps necessary to protect the Gulf and the communities that depend on it."

 2020 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
In the interest of safeguarding employees, clients and the public as directed by the guidelines from the World Health Organisation, the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Zimra is implementing measures to mitigate the likely impact and risks of this viral threat to operations and human life.
New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot speaks during an event on Dec. 2, 2019. (Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Housing Works)

NYC Health Commissioner Resigns Over Mayors Pandemic Response

New York City health commissioner Oxiris Barbot resigned on Tuesday, putting an end to repeated clashes with Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Barbot submitted a resignation letter to de Blasio, a Democrat, according to a memo to colleagues published by NY1.

I leave my post today with deep disappointment that during the most critical public health crisis in our lifetime, that the Health Departments incomparable disease control expertise was not used to the degree it could have been, Barbot wrote.

Our experts are world-renowned for their epidemiology, surveillance, and response work. The city would be well served by having them at the strategic center of the response not in the background.

De Blasio made no mention of the sudden departure during his daily news conference but held a second briefing about an hour later to announce Barbots replacement, Dr. Dave Chokshi, a physician at Bellevue Hospital who also works at the New York University School of Medicine and served as a White House fellow during the Obama administration.

Barbot had been absent from the mayors briefings since apologizing in May over remarks she made over the phone to Police Chief Terrence Monahan.

De Blasio told reporters that youre going to have disagreements along the way.

It had been clear certainly in recent days that it was time for a change, and really about how we move forward, he added.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio at a public appearance in New York, N.Y., on March 31, 2020. (Stefan Jeremiah/Reuters)

In a statement released by the mayors office, Chokshi said he couldnt be prouder of our Citys response in the face of a once-in-a-lifetime public health crisis and called the appointment an honor.

The press release didnt mention Barbot by name.

Mark Levine, chairman of the City Councils Health Committee, said Barbots departure is a grave blow to the fight for public health.

Dr. Barbot has stood up fearlessly and consistently on behalf of science, no matter how strong the opposition, he said in a statement.

New York City was the hardest hit in the nation by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of August 4, the city had 222,840 confirmed cases, 56,383 total hospitalizations, and 18,933 confirmed deaths.

Another 4,623 deaths were labeled probable, or believed to be caused by COVID-19 but with no positive laboratory test.

COVID-19 is a disease caused by the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus. It primarily affects the elderly and those with serious underlying illnesses like obesity and kidney disease.

According to current city data, only 13 New Yorkers age 17 or younger are believed to have been killed by COVID-19. Additionally, only 111 people died with the diseaseincluding all age groupswithout underlying conditions.
WASHINGTON  At a coronavirus briefing on Tuesday evening, President Trump said an explosion that rocked Beirut earlier in the day was caused by a bomb of some kind.

Officials in Lebanon had previously stated the blast came from a large quantity of explosive materials that were being held in a warehouse, but Trump, citing conversations with top U.S. military personnel, characterized the explosion as an attack.

Ive met with some of our great generals and they seem to feel that it was  this was not some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event  this was a  seems to be, according to them they would know better than I would  but they seem to think it was an attack, Trump said. It was a bomb of some kind.

Reached by Yahoo News on Tuesday evening, the Defense Department referred questions about the blast to the White House.

Trumps remarks on the explosion came in response to a question from a reporter, but they echoed the characterization he made at the start of the briefing, when he said the blast in Beirut looks like a terrible attack.

Let me begin by sending Americas deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many many people were killed, hundreds more were very badly wounded in a large explosion in Beirut, Trump said. Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families.

According to the BBC, the explosion left at least 70 people dead and over 2,700 injured. The White House National Security Council and the Pentagon did not respond to request for comments about the U.S. assessment of the blast. According to Reuters, Israeli officials denied responsibility for the explosion and said it was most likely the result of an accidental fire.

Trump offered his condolences to the people of Beirut and said the United States stands ready to assist Lebanon. We have a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack.

Story continues

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Read more from Yahoo News:
New Jerseys coronavirus quarantine travel advisory added a new state once again Tuesday with Rhode Island keeping the total at 34 states considered COVID-19 hotspots, while Delaware was dropped from the list.

People traveling from those states  including New Jersey residents returning home  are being asked to voluntarily self-quarantine for two weeks and to seek a coronavirus test in an effort to prevent a resurgence in New Jersey, which was among the hardest-hit states at the onset of the U.S. outbreak in March and April.

As the number of COVID-19 cases continue to climb around the country, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to slow the spread of transmission, said Governor Murphy.

It was the sixth consecutive week that a state was added to the list, which last week included 34 states along with Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

Washington, D.C. joined Delaware in being removed from the updated list on Tuesday.

While New Jerseys numbers for new cases and hospitalizations have fallen dramatically since the peak of the outbreak, a recent increase in the rate of transmission in the state has raised concerns.

Gov. Phil Murphy reduced indoor gathering limits to 25% of capacity with a maximum of 25 people on Monday. There are exceptions for weddings, funerals, and religious and political events with up to 100 people allowed.

The governor pulled the plug on the reopening of indoor dining July shortly before that was expected to go into effect. But this marks the first time Murphy has reversed course on loosen restrictions since the start of the outbreak.

Murphy has blamed the recent increase in positive test results and the spike in the rate of transmission in New Jersey by being fueled in part by a spike in indoor house parties like the mansion bash that attracted 700 people last weekend.

CORONAVIRUS RESOURCES: Live map tracker | Newsletter | Homepage

New Jersey, Connecticut, and New York jointly announced the quarantine plan in June.

The full list now includes:

Alabama (added 6/24/20)

Alaska ( added 7/21/20 )

Arkansas (added 6/24/20)

Arizona (added 6/24/20)

California (added 6/30/20)

Florida (added 6/24/20)

Georgia (added 6/30/20)

Iowa (added 6/30/20)

Idaho (added 6/30/20)

Illinois (added 7/28/20)

Indiana (added 7/21/20)

Kansas (added 7/7/20)

Kentucky (added 7/28/20)

Louisiana (added 6/30/20)

Maryland (added 7/21/20)

Minnesota (re-added 7/28/20)

Mississippi (added 6/30/20)

Missouri (added 7/21/20)

Montana (added 7/21/20)

Nebraska ( added 7/21/20)

Nevada (added 6/30/20)

New Mexico (added 7/14/20)

North Carolina (added 6/24/20)

North Dakota (added 7/21/20)

Ohio (added 7/14/20)

Oklahoma (added 7/7/20)

Puerto Rico (added 7/28/20)

Rhode Island (added 8/4/20)

South Carolina (added 6/24/20)

Tennessee (added 6/30/20)

Texas (added 6/24/20)

Utah (added 6/24/20)

Virginia (added 7/21/20)

Washington (added 7/21/20)

Wisconsin (added 7/14/20)

New Jersey's coronavirus quarantine travel advisory as of Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020 now includes 34 states and Puerto Rico.

The quarantine applies to any state with a positive test rate higher than 10 per 100,000 residents or a state with a 10% or higher positivity rate over a 7-day rolling average.

Unlike in New York, where Gov. Andrew Cuomo has said first-time offenders face big fines, Gov. Phil Murphy said New Jersey is taking more of a public awareness approach, but the execution is up to us in the state.

People flying into New Jersey are now being asked to fill out an electronic survey that asks travelers for their hometown, where they traveled from and their destination. The information is sent to county health departments, who will then call the traveler to request them to self-quarantine and explain where they can be tested for COVID-19.

Travelers can access the survey by texting NJ Travel to 898211, visiting covid19.nj.gov/njtravel, or scanning a QR code on posters at airports.

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.
New Delhi:

Parliament again failed to transact any business as the opposition parties on Thursday created uproar demanding obituary references to the soldiers killed in terror attack in Nagrota on Wednesday as well as those who died due to harassment after demonetisation.

The entire Winter Session of Parliament has seen little to no work done due to continued demands of Prime Ministers clarification over demonetisation in the House along with his apology for black money remark on opposition parties.

The opposition on Thursday is also likely to cause ruckus over Nagrota attacks on Tuesday.

Also read full coverage of : Day 11 of Winter Session | Nation preapres to bid adieu to Nagrota martyrs | Salary Day cash rush

Here are the live updates:

#Ruckus over demonetisation in Rajya Sabha (2:04pm)

#Rajya Sabha to reconvene at 2pm (12:30pm)

#Lok Sabha adjourned till Dec 2 amid demands of Pm Modi's presence in the House

#LokSabha : Chair Sumrita Mahajan disallows any papers for adjournment motion (12:01pm)

Rajya Sabha on Black money

#Opposition demands PM's presence during demonetisation debate, house adjourned till 12:29pm (12:15pm)

#Gulam Nabi Azad requests PM Modi's presence during debate on demonetisation

Rajya Sabha on Tax bill

#Any tax bill is money bill and can be passed in Lok Sabha, says Law Min (11:55am)

#SP leader Naresh Aggarwal demands discussion on IT law amendment bill (11:35am)

Jayant Sinha, MoS Civil Aviation Minister (11:25am)

#DGCA enquiry has been ordered in the fuel shortage complaints by AI, IndiGo, SpiceJet planes on Wednesday

#All safety and security standards were appropriately mainatianed in the flight

#Govt: Flight hovered for only 13 mins, not 30 mins

#Govt assures all security measures were followed to ensure Mamata Banerjee's security



Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapathi Raj (11:05am)

#Security of Mamata Banerjee and other passengers is of serious concern, we are serious about it: Union Minister Ananth Kumar in Lok Sabha

#When there is no fuel, its the duty of ATC to have allowed landing of Mamata Banerjee's flight, her life is in danger

#DGCA has ordered enquiry to check as to how the three flights reported low fuel

#Wrong to say that the IndiGo flight was made to hover for 30-40 minutes

#IAF chief, Air Marshal Arup Raha arrives in Parliament to meet PM Modi

#IndiGo Flight With WB CM on Board was short on Fuel, Sudip Bandyopadhyay of the TMC raises issue in Lok Sabha; Civil aviation minister replying

#Opposition leaders' meeting in the Parliament ends (10:35pm)

#Opposition to raise the issue of hacking of verified twitter accounts of Rahul Gandhi and Congress, in both the houses. (10:25am) (Read full story here)

#Twitter accounts of Rahul Gandhi and Congress appeared to be hacked again (10:15am)

#Will take this up in the Parliament, investigation needed: Sudip Bandyopadhyay, TMC says IndiGo Flight With WB CM on Board was short on Fuel

#Opposition party leaders' meeting underway in the Parliament (10:00am)

#Congress to hold Lok Sabha strategy meet at 10:30am

#Opposition parties to meet at 9:30 am in Parliament

live-updates-on-parliament-winter-session-day-12-ruckus-in-ls-rs-over-nagrota-attack-demonetisation

Parliament live, Day 12 | Limbo over demonetisation, Nagrota attacks continues in LS, RS

Parliament Live Day 12 updates, Winter Session Day 12 live updates, Live debate on Currency ban in Lok Sabha, Live debate on demonetisation in Rajya Sabha, PM Modi on currency ban, Parliament news, Winter Session debates, India news

Both Houses of Parliament on Thursday are likely to witness ruckus over Oppositions dissent on passage of IT law amendment bill with a voice vote, demonetisation and Nagrota attack.

Opposition parties are scheduled to have a strategy meeting at 9:30am in the Parliament. A meeting with the President is also scheduled for 7:15pm over the passage of IT law amendment bill in Lok Sabha.

The entire Winter Session of Parliament has seen little to no work done due to continued demands of Prime Ministers clarification over demonetisation in the House along with his apology for black money remark on opposition parties.

The opposition on Thursday is also likely to cause ruckus over Nagrota attacks on Tuesday.

Here are the live updates:

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- Voters on Tuesday, Aug. 4, will decide a number of primary contests and tax proposals in Kent County, Ottawa County and across the state of Michigan.

For live-updated unofficial results Tuesday night of local, contested races, look below. Refresh this page for the most recent unofficial results as reported by Kent and Ottawa county election officials for the Grand Rapids area.

When a precinct is indicated as partially reporting, that means either all in-person votes or all absentee ballot votes are represented in the tally but not both.

A precinct is considered fully reporting when all ballots, both in-person and absentee, are accounted for and represented in the tally.

Once all ballots are tallied and the race has been called, the winning position will be shown in bold.

Related: See candidates, proposals on the ballot in Kent Countys Aug. 4 primary election

With increases in absentee voting amid the coronavirus pandemic, election officials across the state are warning that final unofficial results may be delayed on election night.

Polls close Tuesday at 8 p.m. and results will be updated below as they become available:

Kent County Commissioner District 6 -- Republican Primary

Stan Stek (I): 2,695

Timothy Walenga: 1,564

Kent County Commissioner District 8 -- Republican Primary

Dan Burrill: 2,128

Denise Kolesar: 950

Kent County Commissioner District 11 -- Democratic Primary

Justin Sheldon: 2,442

August S. Treu: 1,487

Kent County Commissioner District 14 -- Democratic Primary

Christian Allen: 495

Carol M. Hennessy (I): 2,954

Kent County Commissioner District 15 -- Democratic Primary

Melissa LaGrand: 2,549

Jim Talen (I): 983

Kent County Treasurer -- Democratic Primary

Jose L. Reyna: 29,935

Beth White: 31,206

Ottawa County Commissioner District 5 -- Republican Primary

Randy Meppelink (I): 3,888

Angel Walker: 1,444

Cedar Springs Public Schools Bonding Proposal

Yes: 2,369

No: 2,349

Lowell Area Schools Building and Site Sinking Fund Replacement Millage Proposal

Yes: 3,264

No: 2,065

Jenison Public Schools Bonding Proposal

Yes: 5,470

No: 2,893

More results on Kent County clerks website

More results on Ottawa County clerks website

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 16:55:08|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government threatened to ban Chinese firm ByteDance's TikTok video app on Monday under the pretext of maintaining a free and fair market as well as national security concerns, an excuse widely used to discriminate against Chinese companies and investment.

Speaking to reporters at the White House briefing, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he is open to a deal in which Microsoft Corp. or other U.S. companies buys one of the world's most popular video-sharing apps.

Trump set Sept. 15 as the deadline for TikTok to find a U.S. buyer or face shutdown in the country.

The forced sale reveals Washington's intentions to control the tech economy and runs counter to the principles of a free market. Furthermore, it violates the World Trade Organization's principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination.

FREE MARKET FRAUD

Since 2017, the United States has investigated ByteDance over its acquisition of a social media app Musical.ly, which was fully rebranded as part of TikTok in 2018. Yet the White House has found no evidence indicating violation of any regulations by the Chinese company.

"We have faced all kinds of complex and unimaginable difficulties, including the tense international political environment, collision and conflict of different cultures and plagiarism and smears from competitor Facebook ... We strictly abide by local laws, and will actively use the rights granted by the law to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the company," ByteDance has said in response to Washington's threat.

"Chinese companies have been accused of incredible activities that have nothing to do with their commercial operations ... It appears that Washington is using every opportunity to use non-market and extraterritorial methods and illicit techniques to elbow a strong high-tech rival out of the market," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in the weekly press briefing on July 23.

"The fate of the platform remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Banning it would upturn fundamental principles of democracy," wrote Nicholas Thompson, editor in chief of Wired, in the article The Rank Hypocrisy of a TikTok Ban on Monday.

"It's a rare feat to upturn two such fundamental democratic values -- free speech and free markets -- at the same time," Thompson said.

"And since TikTok is one of the only recent social media startups to compete with tech giants like Facebook, weakening TikTok could further reinforce what many argue is the monopolistic nature of the U.S. tech economy," said Shirin Ghaffary in a story posted by VOX Saturday.

NATIONAL SECURITY LIES

"This is a purchase that wouldn't be necessary but for the Trump administration's hostility to Chinese ownership of any tech companies," said Mark Lemley, director of Stanford University's program in law, science and technology.

There isn't "real evidence" that the app's Chinese ownership presents a security threat, Lemley added.

"If a deal goes through (between Microsoft and TikTok), it would mark a dramatic intervention by the U.S. government in private enterprise and alter the global technology landscape," wrote Shelly Banjo and Dina Bass in a Bloomberg report.

Banning TikTok also "would likely be against the U.S.'s commercial interests," warned Samm Sacks, a senior cybersecurity policy fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center and New America, recently.

"It offers a blueprint for others around the world to think, 'Maybe we don't trust the way that Silicon Valley companies are handling our data, so let's just ban them, too ... If we are increasingly closed out of markets around the world and access to that data because we've helped create a blueprint for how to do it with China, I could see those same tools turned around on us,'" she said.

"There are also reasons to be skeptical of the motives of TikTok's biggest critics," said Kevin Roose, Tech columnist for the New York Times, in a story posted on Monday.

"Many conservative politicians, including Mr. Trump, appear to care more about appearing tough on China than preventing potential harm to TikTok users. And Silicon Valley tech companies like Facebook, whose executives have warned of the dangers of a Chinese tech takeover, would surely like to see regulators kneecap one of their major competitors," he said, stressing that TikTok is not an urgent threat to America's national security.

OUTPOURING OF ANGER

Washington's TikTok ban has provoked outrage with a hashtag #savetiktok2020 created among about 70 million monthly active users of TikTok in the United States. Videos with the hashtag #ban had more than 620 million views by Sunday night on TikTok. Many of the users have grown to depend on TikTok as a way to build a career in social media and earn a living.

Since September 2018, TikTok usage among adults in the United States has increased exponentially, doubling and reaching 14.3 million in just six months, the third highest number of downloads in the world. As of April, the app has been downloaded more than 2 billion times worldwide on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

TikTok's U.S. job growth has already nearly tripled this year, going from almost 500 employees on Jan. 1 to just under 1,400.

"We're not planning on going anywhere," said TikTok's U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas thanking American users for their "outpouring of support" in a video posted on its official TikTok account after the ban.

"When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do ... We're here for the long run. Continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok," said Pappas.

For weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly targeted TikTok citing concerns over the privacy and security of its American users. TikTok has denied the allegations and said it has an American CEO and that its servers reside in the United States.

"TikTok has enabled the kinds of interactions that could never take place on the likes of Facebook and Instagram," a group of nine TikTok creators with a collective 54 million followers wrote in an open letter to Trump on Sunday.

"Our generation has grown up on the internet, but our vision of the internet is going to require more than two gatekeepers. Why not use this as an opportunity to level the playing field?" they said.

A Morning Consult poll released in July showed that 33 percent of U.S. adults opposed the ban, with the strongest opposition coming from adults between 18 and 29 years old.

In a statement published Wednesday, Kevin Mayer, former Disney executive who became the CEO of TikTok in May, said that "we are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda -- our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy."

"Without TikTok, American advertisers would again be left with few choices. Competition would dry up and so too will an outlet for America's creative energy," Mayer said. Enditem
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  PhilHealth may lose its reserve funds due to the COVID-19 pandemic next year, an official of the state firm that is embroiled in corruption allegations said Tuesday.

It will be in 2021 that we will run into deficit. There will be no more reserve fund by 2021, PhilHealth Acting Senior Vice President Nerissa Santiago told the Senate Committee on the Whole during their investigation on the alleged irregularities within the state-run agency.

Santiago explained that this is because they expect decreased collections and increase in payouts amid the crisis.

The official said they expect a net operating loss of P90 billion in 2020, adding they also project to incur P147 billion in losses by next year.

Santiago said the actuarial life of PhilHealth was reduced to one year from 10 years.

Pressed by Drilon to elaborate, Santiago said this means PhilHealth may stop operations by 2022.

She said the only thing that could help the government-owned corporation survive is if it received subsidy.

We can only survive with additional contributions coming from the government, she told Drilon.

PhilHealth Executive Vice President and COO Arnel De Jesus also noted that the agency will only be relying on government subsidy in the coming months as premium contributions are expected to decline due to higher unemployment.

[K]ami ay nakikipaguganayan sa ating economic managers. para ma-consider ang lahat ng ito sa financials dahil hindi po makakapag-survive kung wala pong kaakibat na support from the national government, he said.

[Translation: We already reached out to our economic managers. For them to consider all these in financials because we will not survive without support from the national government.]

PhilHealth sources its income from direct source, or members paying premiums who make up 60 percent, and indirect source, or the subsidy from the government, sin taxes, and other sources that make up 40 percent.

As of April, the Philippine Statistics Authority reported a 17.7 percent unemployment rate, an all-time high, with 7.3 million unemployed adults due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a separate briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said government will infuse additional funds into PhilHealth as needed.

"Alam po naming hindi makakamit ang libreng gamot at libreng pagamot kung premiums lang ang paggagalingan ng gagastusin ng PhilHealth [We know that PhilHealth will not be able to provide free medicines and free medical services by relying on premiums alone]," Roque said, noting he was among the authors of the new Universal Healthcare Act back when he was a lawmaker.

"Talagang kung maubos ang pera ng PhilHealth, gobyerno ang magbibigay ng pondo. Kaya nga ang tawag, 'universal healthcare' at hindi 'medical insurance' [If PhilHealth's fund dwindles, government will provide the money. That's why we call it universal healthcare, not medical insurance]," he added.

Government can provide capital for PhilHealth in the form of subsidies to the state-run corporation, against the model of private insurance firms which collect premiums and invest these to make a profit to sustain operations and cover claims.

Earlier in the hearing, former PhilHealth anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith claimed some officials have stolen around 15 billion from the agency using different fraudulent schemes. Keith resigned from Philhealth last month due to what he said was widespread corruption in the state insurance office.

Keith branded alleged anomalous transactions involving PhilHealth executives as crime of the year."

READ: Whistleblower claims 15 billion stolen by PhilHealth officials in fraud schemes
Thousands of Australians who rely on Centrelink payments after losing their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic have been encouraged to 'go on strike'.

The Australian Unemployed Workers' Union has called on JobSeeker recipients to refuse to attend interviews or appointments with job agencies after the federal government reinstated its mutual obligation rules.

Those looking for work must apply for a minimum of four jobs a month to qualify for JobSeeker after the new rules came into effect on Tuesday.

JobSeekers initially won't be penalised for failing to meet conditions.

JobSeekers recipients will have to start actively start looking for work after the federal government reintroduced its mutual obligation rules, which came into effect on Tuesday. Pictured are Centrelink queues in Melbourne after the pandemic hit earlier this year

'We're calling a strike and directing people on JobSeeker and related payments to firmly refuse to engage with job agencies while no penalties are in place,' an AUWU statement read.

'We will hit lying job agencies hard and do everything in our power to deprive these publicly funded billionaire poverty profiteers of revenue.

'We won't accept (un)employment providers lying to JobSeekers. We won't accept those in power playing with the lives and wellbeing of 1.6 million people  and doing so in the middle of a global pandemic and economic crisis. It's unsafe.'

Employment minister Michaelia Cash described the strike as 'bizarre in both practical and theoretical terms'.

'The AUWU is calling for job seekers who are offered jobs to remain on income support, face financial penalties and deny themselves the opportunity of employment and income,' Senator Cash said, according to news.com.au.

'In a time of recession you would think that AUWU would be helping Australians find work, rather than finding ways to avoid it.'

Employment Minister Michaelia Cash (pictured on July 17) has hit back at the AUWU strike

The 'mutual obligation' rules were suspended in March when the coronavirus lockdowns forced thousands of businesses to close to doors.

The number of Australians on JobSeeker or Youth Allowance payments has doubled in recent months from 800,000 in march to 1.6 million on June 30, according to the AUWU.

The 'mutual obligation' rules have been reinstated in all states and and territories except Victoria, where thousands more will lose their jobs in the coming days due to stage four lockdown restrictions.

The AUWU, which has more than 15,000 members, echoed calls from Greens senator Rachel Siewert for the federal government to press pause on mutual obligations until December 31.

The Australian Unemployed Workers' Union has urged JobSeeker recipents to go on strike

'Unwaged, underemployed and insecure workers must not be forced to engage with job agencies  they fail to find us work at the best of times, let alone when the treasurer is forecasting unemployment rising to 9.25 per cent by Christmas,' the statement added.

Earlier on Tuesday, Senator Cash acknowledged it's still a challenging time for jobseekers during the ongoing pandemic.

But she expects JobSeekers to accept suitable offers of paid work and warned anyone refuses a decent job without a valid excuse will have their payment cancelled and may need to wait four weeks before reapplying for income support.

'Our focus remains on getting people back into jobs and rebuilding our economy as quickly as possible,' Senator Cash said.

Australians looking for work must apply for a minimum four jobs a month to qualify for JobSeeker. Pictured are queues outside a Sydney Centrelink when the pandemic hit in March
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Tue, August 4, 2020 13:30 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b78b87 2 World France,Hong-Kong,ratification,extradition,treaty Free

France on Monday said it was halting ratification of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong after Beijing introduced a controversial new security law in the former British colony.

"In light of the latest developments, France will not proceed as it stands with the ratification of the extradition agreement signed on May 4, 2017 between France and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

The ministry bitterly criticized the new security law, saying it called into question the principle of "'one country, two systems'... and the fundamental freedoms that result from it."

"This law also directly affects our citizens and our businesses," it added.

The introduction of the security law has raised new tensions between China and the West, compounding existing strains over the treatment of the Uighur minority and the behavior of telecoms giant Huawei.

Britain last month suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong "immediately and indefinitely" in response to the new law while Germany suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong over the decision to push back local elections by a year.
This fact reflects the down-ballot realignment that began in 1984, when Republicans went from 11 county commissions to 23, and then continued into the 1990s and 2000s. One factor is that in rural counties where conservative voters once split their tickets, voting Republican for federal offices and Democratic for state and local ones, theyve become more reliably Republican (although Roy Cooper got some crucial split-ticket votes in rural communities to clinch his narrow victory in 2016).

But there are also suburban counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican not just because of changing behavior by natives but also due to an influx of GOP-leaning voters from Northeast and Midwestern states. These places may have robust elections for county commission and other local offices, but the competition is in the spring, during Republican primaries, than during the general election.

The realignment hasnt all been in one direction, however. Some places that now boast heavily Democratic boards of commissioners used to be more politically competitive  including the two most-populous counties, Mecklenburg and Wake.
Even as they are needed to help COVID-19 patients, many respiratory therapists say people dont understand their role. Meanwhile, the workforce is dwindling. According to the National Board for Respiratory Care, more than 125 million patient visits each year are for respiratory-related illnesses, with an aging population increasing the need. Respiratory therapist jobs are projected to grow, but the number of people entering the field is shrinking, said board CEO Lori Tinkler. COVID-19 has even brought people out of retirement, she said.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 21:15:26|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Red Cross Society of China (RCSC) has initiated 36 rounds of emergency responses, and allocated disaster relief materials and funds to help flood-affected regions, the RCSC said Tuesday.

Disaster relief supplies, such as tents and folding beds, as well as emergency relief funds, have been sent to 12 provincial-level regions, including Jiangxi, Anhui, and Hubei, with a total value of 41.22 million yuan (about 5.9 million U.S. dollars), according to the RCSC.

The RCSC will continue to monitor the distribution of materials and funds to make sure people in the flood-stricken areas receive disaster relief resources timely, it said. Enditem
President Donald Trump said the U.S. pullout from Afghanistan will resume soon, with the goal of reducing the current number of about 8,600 U.S. troops in the country to as low as 4,000 before the Nov. 3 elections.

In an interview with Axios political reporter Jonathan Swan that was filmed July 28 and aired Monday on HBO, Trump was asked, "On election day, how many troops will be in Afghanistan?"

Read next: Army IDs Fort Hood Soldier Who Died in Boating Accident

He responded: "Probably anywhere from 4,000 to 5,000."

Trump declined to state when the next round of withdrawals will begin but said it would happen "very soon, very soon," in line with his overall commitment to an eventual end to the U.S. military presence in Afghanistan.

Previous released segments of the interview centered on Trump's denials of being aware of U.S. intelligence suggesting that Russia may have paid the Taliban bounties to kill U.S. troops.

He said the intelligence never reached his desk; Pentagon officials have stated that the intel was not corroborated.

In the Axios interview, Trump pivoted off questions about Russia to state, "By the way, we're largely out of Afghanistan, as you probably know. We'll be down in a very short period of time to 8,000; then we're going to be down to 4,000."

He added, "We're negotiating right now" on the withdrawal schedule and once again expressed his frustration at the duration of the U.S. commitment in Afghanistan.

"We've been there for 19 years --19 years. We'll be getting out," he said.

In the interview, Trump initially appeared to dispute that the number of U.S. troops currently in Afghanistan -- about 8,600, according to the Pentagon -- is "roughly the same" as it was when President Barack Obama left office.

"Well, you're wrong, no," he told Swan.

Swan reposed the question: "When you came in, it was 8,800. You boosted it to 14,000, and now you're back down to 8,500."

He was referring to the troop increase that Trump announced in an address to the nation in August 2017 at the urging of Army Gen. John Nicholson, then-commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, and then-Defense Secretary Jim Mattis.

Trump said at the time that he was approving the troop increase reluctantly. "My original instinct was to pull out, and historically I like to follow my instincts," he said in his address.

The president did not respond directly to the question on troop levels being the same as they were when Obama left office, and instead began talking of his intention to reduce them to as low as 4,000 by Election Day.

Under an agreement with the Taliban, worked out in negotiations in Qatar in February, the U.S. committed to reducing its troop presence in Afghanistan to about 8,600 by July and a full withdrawal by May 2021, depending on a range of conditions.

The Taliban must negotiate peace with the Kabul government, commit to acting against terrorist groups, and work out arrangements on prisoner releases, according to the conditions as stated by U.S. negotiator Zalmay Khalilzad.

In a July 14 meeting with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul, Marine Gen. Kenneth McKenzie, head of U.S. Central Command, said any withdrawal of U.S. troops would be "conditions based" and depend upon the Taliban living up to their promises.

-- Richard Sisk can be reached at Richard.Sisk@Military.com.

Related: US Presses Forward with Afghan Withdrawal Plan Despite Spate of Horrific Attacks
Prime Minister Imran Khan-led administration, on Tuesday, released a new map of Pakistan which included Indian territories. The updated political map of Pakistan released included the Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh and the erstwhile princely state of Junagadh in Gujarat. It has been reported that the new map, which has been approved by the Pakistan cabinet, will be presented at the United Nations as well.

This is the most historic day in Pakistans history, he said while addressing a news conference after chairing the meeting of the federal cabinet.

READ | American Citizen Shot Dead In Peshawar Court; US Slams Pakistan and Orders Imran To Act

READ | Imran Khan Orders '1-min Silence' On August 5 For Kashmir, Netizens Call Out Pak's Terror

The map also shows Siachen as Pakistan's territory. The development comes days after Nepal staked its claim on three Indian territories by releasing a new map of the country.

Pak's Kashmir cry

Since 1947, Pakistan has rejected the accession of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into the Indian union. The neighbouring country has continuously raked up the issue at several international forums rejecting India's sovereignty. Pakistan has also set an 'independent' government in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) which they refer to as 'Azad Kashmir.' The Imran Khan-led government in 2019 had also rejected the revocation of Article 370 & 35(A) and peddled fake news on Kashmir's ground situation. The Pakistan Prime Minister had faced defeat on an international scale after he called for global mediation into the bilateral issue.

Nepal claims Indian territories

Earlier, Nepal claimed three Indian territories including Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, in its new map which has been passed by the Nepalese Parliament. On June 18, Nepal's upper house of Parliament unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to update the country's new political map, with all 57 members of the National Assembly voting in its favour. Previously on June 13, Nepal's lower house passed the bill with all 258 members who were present, voting in its favour. India has termed it Nepal's claims as 'untenable' and 'artificially enlarged'. The PM KP Oli-led administration also plans to send its updated map to India, the United Nations, Google and international communities by mid-August.

READ | Nepal To Send India Its 'updated Map' With Kalapani, Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura

READ | Rafale's Touchdown Gives Pakistan Goosebumps, Cries 'India Amassing Beyond Requirement'
Hurricane Isaias has been downgraded to a tropical storm after making landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, according to an official with the National Hurricane Centre.

The hurricane had touched down just after 11pm local time on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85mph.

The storm now has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour.

Now that the centre has moved further inland into east North Carolina, the winds are now coming back down, so it has been downgraded back to a tropical storm, Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Centre, said.

The weather service also said in its 4am advisory that threats of tornadoes were beginning to spread into southeastern Virginia.

Tropical storm force winds from #Isaias, with gusts to hurricane force, are expected to spread northward along the Mid-Atlantic coast and into New England today and tonight. These winds could cause downed trees and power outages. https://t.co/8sD0LxJH7C pic.twitter.com/vPvz32decl  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 4, 2020

The storm set off flooding and sparked five home fires in Ocean Isle Beach, Debbie Smith, the towns mayor, told WECT-TV. Firefighters from the towns fire department were battling the blaze with assistance from Horry County firefighters in South Carolina, Tony Casey, a spokesperson for Horry County Fire Rescue, said.

About 80 miles north of Ocean Isle Beach, about 30 people were displaced due to a fire at a condominium complex in Surf City, news outlets reported.

It is not clear if the fires were connected to the storm.

No injuries have been reported.

The storm could continue to bring down trees and cause power outages as it moves north along the mid-Atlantic and New England coastline, Mr Berg said.

We dont think there is going to be a whole lot of weakening, we still think theres going to be very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two, Mr Berg said.

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Rainfall will continue to be a big issue, he added.

Duke Energy reported hundreds of thousands of power outages as heavy rains and winds battered areas including Wrightsville, Kure, and Carolina beaches in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Coastal shops and restaurants closed early, power began to flicker at oceanfront hotels and even the most adventurous of beachgoers abandoned the sand as newly restrengthened Hurricane Isaias sped toward the Carolinas.

The US National Hurricane Centre warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to five feet and up to eight inches of rain in spots, as Isaias moved up the coast.

The Carolinas were not the only states at risk.

Storm surge warnings and watches remain in effect for portions of the North Carolina coast, where #Isaias could produce as much as 3-5 ft of flooding above ground level. 1-3 ft is expected farther north from Virginia to southeastern Massachusetts. https://t.co/gjqRQhRrj1 pic.twitter.com/omfpY54Oqk  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 4, 2020

All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast US, said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the US National Hurricane Centre.

A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.

The centre also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina early on Tuesday, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later on Tuesday.

Isaias was upgraded again from a tropical storm to a category one hurricane on Monday evening.

Early Tuesday the storm, downgraded again, was centred about 25 miles northwest of Greenville, North Carolina.

It was moving quickly north northeast over eastern North Carolina at 26mph and this general motion accompanied by an increase in forward speed is expected through until Tuesday.

Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and roughed up the Bahamas but remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend, providing some welcome relief to emergency managers who had to accommodate mask-wearing evacuees in storm shelters.
President Trump told reporters on Monday that he had fired Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) chair Skip Thompson after signing an executive order that targeted the federally owned company for outsourcing jobs to foreign countries.

Why it matters: TVA generates electricity and provides flood control and electricity generation for a region that covers most of Tennessee as well as sections of Mississippi, Kentucky, Alabama, Georgia, Virginia and North Carolina, AP reports.

What they're saying: "All TVA employees are U.S. based citizens. All jobs related to TVAs Information Technology department must be performed by in the U.S. by individuals who may legally work in this country," the company said in response to the president.

"As a federal corporation, TVAs Board members serve at the pleasure of the President. The Boards by-laws allow for the Board to continue its oversight function with the loss of one or more of its members."

"We understand and support today's Executive Order. We want to ensure that U.S. employees have good opportunities through our employment and supply chain practices. We look forward to working with the White House, continuing a dialogue and supporting future policies in this direction."

Between the lines: "Trump acknowledged that he was made aware of the issue after seeing a television ad produced by U.S. Tech Workers, a nonprofit that wants to limit visas given to foreign technology workers, that aired in prime time on Fox News," AP's Zeke Miller reports.
Whether you find him admirable or obnoxious, Elon Musk is having a fantastic year.

SpaceX, the company he founded in 2002, blasted two American astronauts to the International Space Station in late May and brought them safely home in a historic splashdown Sunday, heralding a new age of private-sector space travel. Tesla, his electric carmaker, recently celebrated its fourth straight quarter of profit and may soon join the S&P 500 Index. This year's share rally has made the California company the world's most valuable automaker, with a market value of roughly $US267 billion ($375 billion) as of Friday's close.

Elon Musk is now the 10th richest person in the world. Credit:AP

And then there's Musk himself. The 49-year-old South African immigrant, who is a Los Angeles-based celebrity as much as a Silicon Valley CEO, is now the 10th richest person in the world, according to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

While the chief executive officers of the Big Four tech companies  Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google  were derided as "Cyber Barons" during a grilling by Congress last week on antitrust issues, Musk basked in Style-section treatment in the The New York Times.
Bihar government has recommended a CBI inquiry into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput after the late actor's family lawyer, Vikas Singh, requested CM Nitish Kumar to transfer the case from Mumbai Police to the central probe agency.

Kumar Saturday said that he was open to recommending the CBI probe into Sushant's death if the late actor's father requests the state government for it.

Sushant's family on Tuesday made a formal request to the Bihar government through their lawyer Vikas Singh that a CBI probe should be ordered in the case.

"The DGP spoke to Sushant Singh Rajput's father this morning and he gave consent for CBI inquiry. So now, we are recommending CBI probe in the matter," Bihar CM Nitish Kumar told ANI.

The DGP spoke to #SushantSinghRajput's father this morning and he gave consent for CBI inquiry. So now, we are recommending CBI probe in the matter: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to ANI (file pic) https://t.co/gKpHeYbrk5 pic.twitter.com/jnkNXOzY6h  ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

Sushant's father Krishna Kumar Singh (74), who resides in Patna, had last month lodged a complaint with the Bihar Police against actress Rhea Chakraborty, her family members and six others for abetment to suicide of his son and fraud. Singh has accused Chakraborty, the purported girlfriend of Rajput, of having befriended his son in May 2019 with the intention of furthering her own career.

He also wanted a police investigation to ascertain where the Rs 15 crore deposited in a bank account held by Sushant was transferred. However, the investigation has flared into a tug of war between the Bihar and Mumbai Police. Amid escalating acrimony between Mumbai and Bihar police over jurisdictional issues, an IPS officer who had landed in Mumbai on Sunday for leading the SIT probe in the case, was quarantined under the COVID-19 regulations in force in the city, a development Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar called "inappropriate and forcible".

Bihar police chief Gupteshwar Pandey said in Patna that the state police would lodge a formal protest with the Mumbai municipal authorities over the "forcible quarantine" of Vinay Tiwari who was on official duty.

The issue resonated in the two Houses of Bihar legislature, with lawmakers across the political divide demanding a CBI investigation into the death of the 34-year-old Patna-born actor.

Both Mumbai and Patna police are probing the case parallelly.
Eid season has been commercial film release season almost since the start of the industry in Egypt, but this year the pandemic has made things difficult even after movie theatres reopened to 25 percent capacity a few weeks ago. Saheb Al-Maqam (The Shrine Owner)  the latest production by Ahmed Al-Sobky, directed by Mohamed Gamal Al-Adl and written by Ibrahim Eissa  was therefore released on the Shahid VIP platform online.



The TV celebrity, journalist and novelists second attempt at writing directly for the screen after Al-Deif (The Guest, 2019), directed by Hadi Al-Bagouri, Saheb Al-Maqam follows in the footsteps of Magdi Ahmed Alis Mawlana (2017), written by Ali and Eissa and based on Eissas eponymous 2012 novel. Here as elsewhere, notably as editor of Al-Dustour (first in the mid-1990s and again in 2004-2011), Eissas central theme is extremist religious discourse and its origins in contemporary and Islamic history.



In Mawlana, the protagonist, Hatem (Amr Saad) is a preacher who struggles to defend an enlightened view of religion against the Salafis who attack his friend Mukhtar (Ramzy Al-Adl) for being a Sufi sheikh  an event, as it turns out, orchestrated by the secret police. In Al-Deif, Eissa ups the ante using the Greek unities, with Yahia (Khaled Al-Sawy), a writer and Islamic history scholar, ends up in an ultimately fatal argument with Osama (Ahmed Malek), the Salafi engineering professor who visits him to ask for his daughters hand but has been planning on assassinating him all along.



In the new film the protagonist, Yahia (Asser Yassin) is a greedy businessman who pays no attention to human beings. Bayoumi Fouad plays Yahias two twin partners Halim and Hakim, who come across as an embodiment of good and evil in Yahias life. At the start Halim is telling Yahia about the kidnapping of five company employees by a terrorist group in Iraq, and Yahia refuses to pay a $10 million ransom. He later manages to secure their release for $70 thousand. Regarding a project requiring the demolition of a Sufi shrine, Halim suggests funding the Salafis in the area, encouraging them to stage a protest against the shrine to facilitate removing it.



But this prompts a spate of bad luck with Yahias North Coast villa burning down, his Alamein land lost and his company shares plummeting on the stock market. Finally his wife Randa (Amina Khalil) has a stroke and goes into a coma. Thus Yahia begins to change. It is a variation on a very widespread theme (Charles Dickens Christmas Carol inspired a good few such films in its own right): the dramatic change in a character resulting from a given misfortune.



During Randas coma, Yahia meets Rouh (Yousra), a woman who works in the hospital, though  dressed variously as a doctor, a nurse, a security guard, a cleaning lady  she seems to be otherworldly. And at regular intervals she gives Yahia advice on his road to redemption. Yahia begins to visit the major shrines in Cairo: Al-Sayeda Zeinab, Al-Hussein and Al-Imam Al-Shafie  where supplicants are known to write letters and slip them into the shrine  and he decides to find the writers of these letters and solve their problems. Eissa may have been influenced by the late sociologist Sayed Owaiss analysis of those letters, Letters from the Egyptians to Imam Al-Shafie.



From then on, the script moves onto a series of dramatic episodes recounting the story of each supplicant. Most are tragic and reflect extreme poverty but, in one case  a kind of comic relief episode, although it is black comedy  Yahia realises that one letter senders wish came true when he married his beloved  only to end up miserable. Al-Adl capitalised on the opportunity to feature as many stars as he could, and despite the brevity of the resulting roles many of them give stunning performances: Mahmoud Abel-Moghni, Injy Al-Moqaddem, Reham Abde-Ghafour, Mohamed Lotfi, Salwa Mohamed Ali, Farida Seif Al-Nasr, Mohsen Mohieddin and the late Ibrahim Nasr.



In his previous two films Eissa managed to build tight plotlines that involved arguments between moderate Islam and extremism, which gave the feeling that Eissa was in favour of a rational interpretation of Islam. In this film, though he maintains his stance against extremism, he seems to be turning to superstition and the paranormal.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Linkedin Ardila Syakriah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 15:58 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b80f73 1 National #vaccines,vaccines,COVID-19,#COVID19,COVID-19-in-Indonesia,pandemic,#pandemic,health,#health,#PostScript,PostScript Free

As Indonesia struggles to contain the COVID-19 epidemic, the country, like many others, is pinning its hopes on vaccine development.

Indonesia is looking to secure access to candidate vaccines, with its diplomats and local companies seeking cooperation with producers such as Sinovac Biotech of China and Genexine Inc. of South Korea, as well as the Bill Gates-backed Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI).

Meanwhile, for a longer-term, self-sufficient strategy, a national consortium under the Research and Technology Ministry is working on developing its own vaccine, helmed by the Eijkman Institute for Molecular Biology. The vaccine will be named after Indonesia's flag colors, Merah Putih, or red and white.

All of these attempts are progressing at different paces, while also offering various timelines, production targets and types of vaccines. But they are expected to complement each other, given the broad need to cover Indonesia's large population of some 270 million people.

How is the progress so far?

State-owned pharmaceutical company PT Bio Farma has partnered with Sinovac, with the former soon to be launching phase III clinical trials in humans of a Sinovac vaccine alongside Padjadjaran University (Unpad) in Bandung, West Java.

It is one of 26 candidate vaccines that are in clinical evaluation according to a compilation made by the World Health Organization (WHO) on July 31. There are 139 candidate vaccines in preclinical evaluation.

Indonesia is launching the phase III trials -- the last stage of clinical testing in humans during which the vaccine is given to thousands of people to confirm and expand results on safety and efficacy from phase I and II trials -- along with several countries like Brazil and Bangladesh.



Bio Farma and Unpad are now recruiting 1,620 volunteers -- all of whom must be healthy adults between the age of 18 and 59 years old with no history of having contracted COVID-19 -- to participate in the clinical trials.



The clinical trial research team leader, Unpad professor Kusnandi Rusmil, told The Jakarta Post that about 500 people had applied for the trials, which involve at least 30 doctors and 20 specialist doctors.



Bio Farma is also deliberating a contract with the Bill Gates-backed CEPI, with no decision yet made on the number of vaccines that it would fill and finish during the manufacturing process, Bio Farma's R&D project integration manager Neni Nurainy told the Post.

Read also: Indonesia teams up with global manufacturers in vaccine hunt

Meanwhile, homegrown health giant Kalbe Farma is cooperating with Genexine for the trials of Genexines DNA vaccine GX-19. Indonesia is expected to run phase II clinical trials for the potential vaccine in September or October, continuing from the phase I trials underway in South Korea until August.



As for the Merah Putih vaccine, Eijkman director Amin Soebandrio said his team was now entering the "critical" process that would "determine the success of the vaccine in the future".



He was referring to the process of producing recombinant proteins by isolating genes of the spike protein and nucleocapsid protein and inserting them into mammalian cells.



The team, comprising around 10 young researchers, is now waiting for the cells to reproduce the recombinant proteins, which might take two months, before isolating, purifying and testing the proteins on animals.



The team is making a vaccine specifically for the virus strain spread in Indonesia, which, according to Amin, has similarities to the strain circulating around Asia.



What are the timelines and production targets?



The Sinovac phase III clinical trials in Bandung are to run for six months.



Should the applicants pass the administrative and other preliminary procedures, the team will administer them with the first dose of the experimental vaccine or a placebo, and then a second dose of the vaccine 14 days later.



Kusnandi said the vaccine would be gradually given to all the subjects, estimating 25 subjects per day for five days a week at each of the six trial centers.

Read also: Indonesian COVID-19 vaccines to undergo strict human, animal testing

Bio Farma said it was expecting the preliminary results of the clinical trials to be submitted for emergency use authorization by the Indonesian Food and Drug Monitoring Agency (BPOM) by the first quarter of 2021.



The company said it would produce 40 million doses for the first batch of vaccine, but the number would increase gradually as the company aims to see its production capacity reach 250 million doses per year by the end of this year.



This vaccine must be injected twice to develop immunity.



The government, meanwhile, has given Eijkman 12 months starting from April to develop vaccine prototypes that have been tested on animals, to be given to Bio Farma for clinical trials. Bio Farma aims to mass-produce the vaccine by 2022 after earning approval from the BPOM.



The Merah Putih vaccine, Amin said, was expected to cover at least 50 percent of Indonesia's vaccine needs, given the country's large population.



What vaccine types will be offered?



The vaccines under development mentioned fall into different types.



The Sinovac vaccine is an inactivated virus vaccine, a traditional category of vaccines which consists of entire pathogens that have been killed with chemicals, heat or radiation. Hence, this type cannot cause diseases but still has antigens to elicit an immune response, experts said.



Kusnandi said the previous first two stages of trials showed a few minor side effects, such as swelling and pain in the injection area as well as fever. All volunteers in the phase III trials, therefore, would be insured so that they could receive free treatment if they were to develop complaints, he said.



The Genexine vaccine is a DNA vaccine which will also be administered twice. According to the WHO, this type of vaccine is a rather new invention that offers "potential advantages over traditional approaches", such as improved vaccine stability and the absence of any infectious agents.



The Merah Putih vaccine, meanwhile, is a recombinant vaccine. It is a type that "includes only the components, or antigens, that best stimulate the immune system" that can make vaccines safer and minimize side effects, according to the United States' National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.
04.08.2020 LISTEN

On Monday, August 3, 2020 the Member of Parliament (MP) for Prestea Huni-valley Constituency who also doubles as Minister for Tourism, Culture and Creative Art Hon. Lawyer Barbara Oteng-Gyasi visited voters registration centres within her constituency as part of the commencement of the final phase of the Voters Registration exercise.

Some centres visited are Methodist JHS 1 and 2, Nana Amponsah Social grounds, Anglican Primary, Church of Christ, Presbyterian Church and Pentecost Church all of Huni - Valley electoral Area.

The Legislator took the opportunity to register at *Nana Amponsah social grounds* to obtain her voter's ID card that legitimate her to vote come December 2020 elections.

She observed the level of compliance with Covid-19 safety etiquette and other registration related issues.

As usual of the Legislator advised the registrants to observe the Covid-19 protocols and assured eligible voters the government's efforts to curb the pandemic to ensure public safety and protection of lives.

She was accompanied by constituency chairman for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Abiam Kuntu Danso and constituency Research and elections officer Yaw Owusu.

In a related development, the Member of Parliament also inspected ongoing projects at Aboso. A community Centre at Aboso Gyantekrom and an expansion project at Aboso Health Centre. *Hon. Lawyer Barbara* interacted with the chiefs and people of the area and advice them to cultivate the habit of Culture of maintenance.

The people of the area thanked the MP of such a kind gesture and as usual, asked for more from her.

She finally visited some old men and women in the community who are sick.
BEVERLY HILLS, Calif.Hustler magazine is this month celebrating 46 years in print with the release of its Anniversary Collectors Edition, available on newsstands today. Hustler first appeared in July, 1974 and continues to publish monthly, continuing its "mission" of "showcasing gorgeous women, cutting-edge journalism, outrageous cartoons and political satire." Hustlers aim has always been to bring readers what they couldnt get from traditional magazines. By November, 1974, the magazine was printing its first pink shots, or photos of full female genitalia. More often than nudity, however, it has been Hustlers satires, parodies and cartoons that have proven the most controversial.

Throughout his career, publisher Larry Flynt has been involved in numerous legal battles regarding free speech regulation in the United States. In the most prominent of these, he won the milestone 1988 U.S. Supreme Court case, Hustler Magazine v. Falwell, after being sued by Reverend Jerry Falwell in 1983 for an ad parody that appeared in the publication. In a precedent-setting unanimous ruling, the High Court held that the interest in protecting free speech surpasses the interest in protecting public figures emotions and reputations. This court case is a benchmark in constitutional law and is frequently taught in law schools across America.

The 46th Anniversary Issue features Amy Wilder on the cover and in a 10-page feature spread shot by photographer Ellen Stagg. Editors have also filled this special edition with a selection of classic layouts from yesteryear, including a three-breasted model and a crossdressing pictorial from 1976, as well as some of the hottest stars of today, including Savannah Sixx, Romi Rain and Cherie DeVille.
After years in which NASA seemed like an afterthought in the national consciousness and was at the back of the line when the federal budget was allocated, the space agency appears to be on a roll.

It's basking in the successful completion Sunday of the first crewed space mission launched from U.S. soil in nearly a decade and the launch last week of a new rover to Mars. It's already planning its next astronaut launch, perhaps as soon as next month,

The question now is, can it maintain its mojo?

NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine is hoping to capitalize on the moment, seeking to leverage the recent triumphs and the run of good news they've generated into support for NASA's expansive new budget requests. He made that clear at an event in Houston on Sunday evening, when he welcomed NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley home and said their exploits were proof that NASA does great things. It could do more, if only Congress would agree, he said.

"What I'm asking our members of Congress to do is look at what we've done with what we have," he said. "And if you fund us at our budget request level, we will be on the moon. . . . The next step is we're going to the moon and then on to Mars. This is about momentum. It starts today, and it finishes when we put an American flag on Mars."

In an interview Monday, he said the agency was only getting started, reeling off major missions to come that he hopes will galvanize interest in space and congressional support. Next year, the space agency is planning to fly its Orion spacecraft on a trip around the moon without astronauts, as well as two robotic missions to deliver science experiments to the lunar surface. If all goes well, it would also launch the $9.8 billion James Webb telescope in 2021, and the first mission to Jupiter's Trojan asteroids.

But the coronavirus pandemic could affect all of those schedules. And the funding for NASA's flagship mission, the Artemis program that would return astronauts to the lunar surface by 2024, is mired in a political debate.

The White House has requested $25.2 billion for NASA next year, a significant increase that would help fund Artemis. NASA had originally planned to send astronauts there by 2028, but the White House directed the space agency to accelerate its plans, instead landing by 2024. To meet that ambitious deadline, NASA would need significantly more resources - an estimated $35 billion over the next several years.

"The budget request is big," he said. "But if we're gong to do big things, we need to have a budget that matches." Or, as people in the space industry say, "no bucks, no Buck Rogers."

Congress is skeptical.

The House last week largely rebuffed the White House's spending plan, passing a spending bill with $22.6 billion for NASA, a far cry from the White House request. The Senate has yet to take up the measure.

Some members, particularly Democrats, have voiced skepticism for months.

"Rhetoric about American leadership in space and advancing the role of women in spaceflight is all well and good," Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, D-Texas, the chair of the House Science Committee, said last year. "But it is not a substitute for a well-planned, well-managed, well-funded and well-executed exploration program.

Bridenstine has long said politics have hampered the agency more than technical setbacks. And as a former member of Congress, he has been in campaign mode for months to get the funding from his former colleagues.

"We have proven that if you give us the resources, we can deliver," he said Sunday.

But the hurdles the agency faces are not just budgetary or political. NASA has had problems with some of its major programs that have sowed doubt about its ability to perform. The key is whether the SpaceX success will allow detractors to look past those problems.

For years NASA has struggled with delays and cost overruns on its Space Launch System, a new rocket that Boeing is building as the lead contractor for NASA that would be the most powerful ever constructed. It's the rocket that would eventually fly astronauts to the moon. The James Webb telescope has also been beset by cost overruns and delays.

But the SLS rocket has never flown, and NASA is only now, many years behind schedule, conducting the tests that would culminate later this year with "hot fire," when engineers will ignite the rocket's four RS-25 engines for up to eight minutes and generate 1.6 million pounds of thrust.

It's NASA, however, that will ultimately own and operate the rocket, a vastly different model from the partnership it has with SpaceX to send astronauts to the space station. SpaceX owns and operates the hardware, not NASA, which hires SpaceX for rides to the station.

Boeing, the prime contractor for the SLS, is the other company hired to fly astronauts to the space station, and it has stumbled in that mission, botching a test flight last year. Now it will refly that uncrewed test this year, and is not expected to be approved for a crewed test flight till next year. NASA has conceded that it did a poor job of supervising Boeing's software development, the key reason for Boeing's failed test.

Still, Bridenstine's strategy in part has been to embrace the star power of the emerging commercial space industry, and the billionaires who are fueling the next chapter of space exploration. At Sunday's ceremony, Bridenstine was joined by Elon Musk, the founder of SpaceX.

Last year, as the company's progress was delayed, Bridenstine took a swipe at it, writing on Twitter that "it's time to deliver." But on Sunday he praised Musk, saying, "I want to tell you, Elon, you responded absolutely magnificently and you have, in fact, delivered."

For his part, Musk echoed Bridenstine's goals for space exploration. He called the successful mission to fly Hurley and Behnken to the space station and back "a new era in spaceflight, a new era in space exploration where we're going to go to the moon. We're going to have a base on the moon. We can send people to Mars and make life multi-planetary."

In the meantime, SpaceX is charging ahead with its partnership with NASA. The space agency has already named the crew of SpaceX's next mission, a quartet of astronauts in what would mark the first operational mission of SpaceX's Dragon spacecraft.

The crews have nearly completed their training.

"We're ready," NASA astronaut Victor Glover said Sunday. "We're ready to go to the space station. . . . It's just a great time to be at NASA."
New Delhi, Aug 4 : A day after a supposedly dead woman walked into a Uttar Pradesh police station there has been a major development. The Bulandshahr police is set to file a case against the mother and brother of Warisha, after they identified a body in a suitcase as hers but then she turned up alive. The family also tried to falsely implicate her in-laws in a dowry case.

"We are registering a case against the mother and brother of Warisha for trying to implicate her in-laws in a dowry death case by falsely identifying the body of a woman found in a suitcase in Ghaziabad on July 27.

"We have scrapped the 304 B section of IPC from the FIR after it was found that Warisha was alive, other charges as per the statement would remain intact," said SSP Bulandshahr, Santosh Kumar Singh.

The development comes after police in Uttar Pradesh's Ghaziabad found a woman's body stuffed in a suitcase. They shared photographs on social media as part of an identification drive.

A woman and her son from Aligarh came forward and identified the victim as 24-year-old Warisha.

According to them, Warisha went missing from her in-laws' house in Bulandshahr on July 23. They then took the body to Aligarh, where the burial took place on July 29.

However, the mystery deepened on Monday when Warisha, who was assumed dead, came to the police and narrated her story to a police constable in Aligarh. It was then that the police realised that the woman in the suitcase was someone else who is yet to be identified.

According to the police, Warisha's statement would be recorded in the presence of a magistrate and the reason why she left her in-laws' house and went missing would be investigated.

In Ghaziabad, the identification was done by Warisha's family members, including her brother Ismail and her mother Bundu and the body was handed over to them by medical officials, who conducted the autopsy.

The DNA and viscera of the woman in the suitcase was preserved by Ghaziabad police.

"Our officials got the viscera and the DNA of the deceased preserved...this will help us in tracing the identity of the woman whose body was found in the suitcase, a case of murder and destruction of evidence has been registered in this regard at Sahibabad," a senior police officer said.

The body of the woman was buried and could be exhumed and identified.
MEXICO CITY - Distance learning will begin for more than 30 million Mexican school children Aug. 24, but a return to classrooms will remain an uncertain goal, the countrys education secretary said Monday.

Secretary Esteban Moctezuma Barragan and executives from the countrys largest television networks presented in broad strokes a plan to put educational instruction on television.

Moctezuma said that risks to in-person education continue being too high. Officials fear children could become coronavirus carriers, infecting relatives at home.

We wanted to return to in-person classes, but it is not possible, nor prudent, Moctezuma said.

Students will not return to classrooms until the governments version of a stoplight to evaluate the pandemics risk is safely at green.

Mexico has reported 443,813 coronavirus infections and 48,012 deaths.

Throughout Latin America, nearly all schooling is being carried out online or through television as the pandemic continues to surge here. School districts around the world are struggling with the decision, knowing that for most students there is no substitute for in-person instruction.

Moctezuma cited several countries that had opened schools and then had to close them as infections spread.

Students continue attending schools in Nicaragua and students are scheduled to return to the classroom in Cuba Sept. 1. In Bolivia, the government announced Sunday it was ending the school year because it was impossible to guarantee free and universal education in a country where most rural areas lack access to the internet.

In Mexico, remote indigenous communities will be able to access instruction through government radio stations. Moctezuma said television was a good option because government data shows 94% of homes have one. Some 140 million free textbooks will be distributed, and homes that have no television can listen to radio classes.

In cases of multiple children at different grade levels in a home, Moctezuma said programming would try to take this into account and that classes would be repeated at multiple time slots.

It is returning to classes with all of the formality, said President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador. This is not an emergency or transitory course. It is starting classes in accordance with the education plan.

The president said details about the costs would be shared soon, but that they would be minimal.

__

AP writers Andrea Rodriguez in Havana, Cuba and Carlos Valdez in La Paz, Bolivia contributed to this report.

Read more about:
A Border Security Force (BSF) jawan allegedly shot dead two of his colleagues in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district early on Tuesday morning. BSF Constable Uttam Sutradhar shot dead Battalion Commandant Mahendra Singh Bhatti and Constable Anuj Kumar following a scuffle, the police said.

The incident took place in Bhatun village near the India-Bangladesh border in Raiganj police station area, they said. The two personnel were declared brought dead when taken to a local hospital.

After shooting his colleagues, Sutradhar surrendered before his senior. He is now in police custody. They didnt have any differences and the actual cause of the incident is yet to be ascertained. An enquiry has also been ordered into the incident.

An official statement read, "On the intervening night of 03/04 Aug 2020, Ct Uttam Sutradhar of 146 Bn BSF deployed at BOP Maldakhand was performing ACP first shift duty on Indo-Bangladesh Border. At about 032350 hrs, Ct Uttam Sutradhar fired 02 Rounds in the air from his service rifle. On listening to the sound of firing Inspector Mahendra Singh Bhatti (Coy 2IC) who was patrolling in the nearby area immediately rushed towards the spot along with Ct Anuj Kumar."

It added, "On this, Ct Uttam Sutradhar opened fire upon Inspector Mahendra Singh Bhatti and Ct Anuj Kumar in which both of them died on the spot. Thereafter, Coy Comdr arrived at the spot and continuously tried to persuade him to surrender. At about 0305 hrs, Ct Uttam Sutradhar surrendered himself before the Coy Comdr. Victims neither had any quarrel nor scuffle with the accused. The actual cause of firing will be ascertained after the conduct of the enquiry."
The Israeli military carried out airstrikes against Syrian targets Monday night. The strikes were a response to an attempted terrorist attack that was thwarted along the Syrian border on Sunday night.

The thwarted attack consisted of four terrorists planting explosive devices inside Israel. IDF forces spotted them, opened fire, and thwarted the attack. Reportedly, all four terrorists were killed. Afterwards, the Israelis found weapons and a bag containing explosive devices where the terrorists had been spotted.

In response, IDF planes struck lookout points, intelligence gathering mechanisms, anti-aircraft weapons, and means of control and command at Syrian military bases.

IDF says it doesnt know who sent the four terrorists into Israel. However, IDF sees the Syrian regime as responsible for all operations carried out in its territory.

Theres a good chance that Hezbollah sent the terrorists. Last month, Israeli airstrikes in Syria killed a senior Hezbollah fighter, and Hezbollah vowed to avenge his death. It then attempted, unsuccessfully, to infiltrate Israel via the Lebanese border. Thus, its no reach to suspect that Hezbollah was behind last nights infiltration, that groups denial of responsibility notwithstanding.

Tensions between Hezbollah and Israel have been heating up for some time, with Iran, which itself has a significant presence in Syria, heavily implicated because Hezbollah is its proxy.

I dont know how hard Iran intends to push Israel. Perhaps Hezbollahs denial of involvement and the silence so far of Iranian media about it mean that Iran wants to back off for now. However, the Syrian-Israeli border should be considered a major hot spot, with serious eruptions possible.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. - Alleged spouse killer Michael Cammaratas statements to police both before and after his arrest can be used against him at trial, a justice has ruled.

Cammarata spoke voluntarily to detectives when he said he had hit and injured the victim, Jeanine Cammarata, in her New Brighton home, before she went missing, said state Supreme Court Justice Mario F. Mattei. That conversation occurred before the defendant was arrested.
Sony today launched the WF-1000XM3 truly wireless earbuds with support for active noise cancellation in India after one year it was announced. It features HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e chip and Dual Noise Sensor Technology which promises exceptional Noise Cancelling performance.

It features Quick Attention so that you can instantly chat with someone without taking your headphones off by placing your finger over the earbud to turn the volume right down and let in ambient sound. Adaptive Sound Control automatically detects what youre up to for example, running, walking, waiting or travelling and then adjusts ambient sound settings to suit your environment.

A proximity sensor in each earbud can detect whether youre wearing one or both and adapts playback accordingly and it has autoplay and pause feature. On a full charge, the headphones offer 6 hours of battery life, and the charging case provides a further 3x charges for up to 32 hours of play time without ANC and 24 hours with ANC. It also comes with support for fast charging so that you get 90 minutes of play time with 10-minute quick charge.

Sony WF-1000XM3 specifications

Closed, dynamic type

HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e

6mm, dome type (CCAW Voice coil), SBC, AAC codec

20Hz-20,000Hz Frequency response

Bluetooth 5.0

Electret Condenser Microphone with 50 Hz-8,000 Hz Frequency response

Up to 32-hour playtime, fast charging

Dual noise sensor technology

Weight: 8.5 g  2 buds; Case weight: 77g

Active noise cancellation with dedicated ON/OFF switch

Magnetic charging case with USB Type-C port and fast charging

Support for Google Assistant

The Sony WF-1000XM3 comes in Black and Silver colours in India and is priced at Rs. 19,990, but it will be sold at 17,990 as a part of introductory offer for 10 days starting from August 6th on Amazon.in, Sony retail stores (Sony Center and Sony Exclusive), www.ShopatSC.com portal and major electronic stores.
In the summer of 1962 the Mansfield, Ohio Police Department set up a gay sex sting by filming men having sex in a public restroom under the main square of the city. A cameraman hid in a closet and filmed the clandestine activities through a two-way mirror. The police filmed over a three-week period, and the resulting film footage was used to obtain the convictions of over 78 local men on charges of sodomy. (Several of the accused were committed to an asylum for shock treatment. One of them later committed suicide.)

All of the 38 men were convicted of sodomy. They were publicly humiliated and found themselves ensnared by the states Ascherman Act, which ordered all felons deemed a danger to society to be institutionalized for a potentially indefinite period; all were required to serve the minimum sentence, even those judged by medical professionals to be cured prior to that time. The treatment involved a number of now-discredited methods, including electroshock and various other aversion therapy techniques, and drugs with known severe side effects. After their release few recovered from the trauma and many were ostracized from families and friends. It would not be until 1973 that the American Psychiatric Association struck homosexuality from its list of mental disorders; until that moment, the psychiatric profession had essentially lent its tacit endorsement to these laws and practices.

After the arrests, the restroom below Mansfields Central Park was closed to the public and in a gesture more superstitious than practical, it was filled in with dirt and covered up.

The footage itself is chilling and stark. One must always remember that it was not only the fact that these men were having sex in a public bathroom that got them arrested. It was the fact that they were gay. The sex act on film was only the evidence.

David Herkt sums:.

The video documents a straight-laced America of button-up shirts, horn-rimmed glasses and ubiquitous cigarettes where fleeting moments of sexual expression can be experienced in hidden places but within a context of fear. Even during the sex-acts, the eyes of these men are often focused on the restroom doors and the possibility of an intrusion that could mean arrest and imprisonment. There is an urgency of need for contact that overcomes the weight of law and self but cannot quite overcome the awareness of possible consequences. There is also a poignancy as each of the men is observed  smoking, washing hands, straightening attire in a mirror, involved in brief sexual contact, wiping semen from the floor  because, for them, these moments mark their last instants of freedom from restraint by the state or confinement in a treatment facility.

Even now over 55 years later 18 out of the 50 United States still have sodomy laws on the books and use the same techniques as in Mansfield to persecute and prosecute homosexual men. In fact the Mansfield Police Department published rules and guidelines and provided technical know-how assisting every other city in America to obtain convictions in the same way.

A Mansfield-based film company put out an award-winning documentary for law enforcement agencies detailing how the Mansfield Underground Restroom Scandal could be duplicated in every other precinct in America.

William E. Jones found a degraded version of the police tapes used in the prosecution of these of the men involved that was also sent out to other police departments in the United States.

The film has been restored and serves as a shocking reminder of our past.

WARNING: THIS LINK will take you to video. It is EXTREMELY NSWF and is used here for historical and educational reference only.
A majority of Americans support a mandatory two-week stay-at-home order to slow the spread of coronavirus, according to a new poll.

The NPR/Ipsos poll showed 59% of responders favored a mandatory nationwide two-week shelter-at-home order. Thirty-six percent opposed such a plan. Fifty-nine percent said workers should receive a stipend that would allow them to stay home during the quarantine.

The same poll showed 55% favored a temporary travel ban between all states; 62% said the U.S. should have a single, national strategy for reopening businesses; 60% favored a similar national strategy for reopening schools.

Sixty-five percent of respondents said they believe the U.S. is handling the pandemic at least somewhat worse than other counties. That feeling was shared by 95% of Democrats compared to 44% of Republicans and 66% of independents.

The poll shows 76% of people support state laws requiring people to wear masks in public and 59% said they would support temporarily closing down all restaurants and nonessential businesses in their states to help fight coronavirus.

The poll was conducted July 30-31 among 1,115 U.S. adults.
Gold worth over Rs 80 lakh was seized in separate incidents at the airport here over the past two days and two people who arrived by repatriation flights were arrested in this connection, officials said on Tuesday.

In the first incident, the sleuths, acting on a tip, examined a passenger on his arrival from Dubai today and recovered Rs 15.60 lakh gold concealed in his inner garment.

In another incident on Monday night, gold in paste form weighing 1.2 kg worth Rs 66.73 lakh was seized from two passengers.

During questioning, the duo, hailing from the city, informed the authorities that the gold was given to them by another five passengers who had arrived from Sharjah earlier.

The gold seized in the two incidents weighed 1.48 kg and worth Rs 82.3 lakh, an official release from the Customs department said.

The two passengers who had concealed the precious metal were arrested, the release said.

Officials said the repatriation flights are operated to bring back stranded Indians from various destinations to the State.

Despite travelling in such flights, the passengers indulged in such acts for earning a meagre sum, they said.

Till August 3, as many as 49,336 passengers have arrived from various overseas destinations to Tamil Nadu since May as relief flights are being operated to bring back stranded Indians following the COVID-19 enforced lockdown.

Also Read: Sun Pharma launches Favipiravir for Rs 35 per tablet to treat COVID-19 patients

Also Read: Railways rejects private train bidder's plea to revise net worth criteria
All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast U.S., said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center. A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.
Rappahannock Electric Cooperative has selected Peter Muhoro to fill the newly created position of Vice President of Strategy and Technology. Hed previously been Vice President of Strategic Industry Research and Analysis at National Rural Utilities Finance Corporation.

Muhoro will be responsible for developing and monitoring long-term strategies related to RECs technology systems and new service offerings to the membership.

Having someone on our executive leadership team with a focus on technology is critical, as our membership becomes more highly connected and desires clean, reliable, and affordable generation services, said Kent Farmer, RECs president and CEO, in a news release.

Larry Andrews has been promoted to Rappahannock Electric Cooperatives executive leadership team, where he will oversee several functional areas including finance and accounting, human resources, safety, risk, operational support, facilities and procurement. He has more than 31 years of experience in electric cooperative finance and accounting, as well as the banking industry. He most recently served as RECs manager of administrative services/controller.
The trial in Sri Lanka of three Russian citizens accused of illegally collecting and killing endangered wildlife has been postponed until August 27.

The postponement of proceedings comes after defense attorneys filed a motion for the charges to be dropped due to what they claim were major violations of the Sri Lankan Code of Criminal Procedure during the detention of the accused and during searches by authorities.

Aleksandr Ignatenko, an entomologist from Rostov-on-Don, along with his associates Artyom Ryabov and Nikolai Kilafyan, are accused of illegally collecting 33 species of rare and endangered plants, insects, and small animals in Sri Lanka.

If convicted, they could face sentences of up to 40 years in prison.

The three have pleaded not guilty, insisting they had collected only dead insects from the roadside in order to photograph them. They also say they did not plan to take the samples out of Sri Lanka.

The Zoological Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences said on August 4 that there are discrepancies in the charges filed by Sri Lankan authorities.

In a statement, experts at the Russian Zoological Institute said most of the samples collected by the three men were not endangered species.

Only six species of animals and one plant species out of all 33 listed in the indictment can be classified as rare and endangered species, the statement said.

Based on reporting by Interfax and TASS
Donald Trump has lashed out at Dr Deborah Birx, the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator, for the first time, calling her response to criticism "pathetic" after she admitted that the coronavirus was widespread throughout the US.

The president said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi had criticised Dr Birx because she was "too positive" about the US coronavirus response.

"So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics," Mr Trump tweeted. "In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!"

Deborah Birx speaks as Donald Trump looks on during a meeting with Florida governor Ron DeSantis in the Oval Office: AFP via Getty Images

The "horrible things" Mr Trump is referencing are comments Ms Pelosi allegedly made to White House Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows during a meeting last week.

"Deborah Birx is the worst. Wow, what horrible hands you're in," Ms Pelosi is reported to have said, according to a report from Politico.

She had publicly criticised Dr Birx before, though in more diplomatic terms. She said that because Dr Birx was a Trump appointee, she did not have confidence in the doctor.

"I think the president has been spreading disinformation about the virus and she is his appointee, so I don't have confidence there, no," she said during an interview with ABC News.

Dr Birx first entered White House service when she was nominated by Barack Obama to act as an Ambassador at Large and as a US Global AIDs Coordinator in 2014.

On Sunday, Dr Birx appeared on CNN and was asked for her response to Ms Pelosi's comments.

The doctor said she had "tremendous respect for the Speaker" and that all of the guidance she provides the Trump administration is based on data.

She then went on to say that the US had entered a "new phase" in its battle against the coronavirus, which she said was "extraordinarily widespread".

"What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread ... it's more widespread and it's both rural and urban," Dr Birx said. "To everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus.

Story continues

"And that is why we keep saying, no matter where you live in America, you need to wear a mask and socially distance, do the personal hygiene pieces."

Mr Trump's criticism of Dr Brix marks the first time he's publicly attacked the doctor. The president has made a habit out of undermining and attacking other doctors working for the White House.

Dr Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and one of the White House's top doctors responding to the virus, has frequently been targeted by the president.

Read more

Pelosi blasts Deborah Birx for 'disinformation' about coronavirus
Mark Pettibone, a recent Reed College graduate who said federal officers pushed him into an unmarked van while he was heading home from a downtown protest, urged Congress on Tuesday to investigate the flagrant disregard of civil rights of citizens in Portland.

Pettibone addressed a Democratic roundtable of lawmakers along with Christopher David, a Navy veteran from Portland whose hand was broken by a federal officer when he was struck repeatedly with a baton while standing outside the federal courthouse.

The two men became symbols of outrage at the Trump administrations decision to send more than 100 extra officers from the Border Patrol and other federal agencies to safeguard the courthouse during demonstrations held in Portland to protest police violence and support the Black Lives Matter movement. Gov. Kate Brown and Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler decried their presence and tactics.

David told lawmakers hes spoken with the Inspector Generals Office of the U.S. Department of Justice, which is investigating both his case as well as the July 10 wounding of Donavan La Bella, shot in the head with an impact munition while he was standing with his hands above his head across from the federal courthouse.

Pettibone recounted how he was walking back to a car about 2 a.m. on July 15 when a small group of protesters at Southwest Fifth Avenue and Main Street warned him and others that unmarked vans appeared to be patrolling the perimeter of the area, snatching protesters.

The whole idea seemed incredible to me, Pettibone said.

A short time later, he saw an unmarked, dark-colored minivan approach. Four to five people in military-type fatigues jumped out, he said. He ran west on Main Street, he said, and as he turned onto Broadway, he dropped to his knees, asking, Why?

He said the people in fatigues simply forced me into the back of the van. He said one grabbed his hands and put pressure on the back of his neck to keep his head down and another pulled his beany over his eyes, patted him down and asked if he had any weapons.

He said he was driven to the federal courthouse, where someone took his photo against a wall in the garage using a cellphone. He said he was escorted up an elevator to a floor with cells, where his hands were cuffed and ankles shackled. He was placed in a cell by himself.

Two officers approached, telling him their names but not their agencies, he said. They said they read him his Miranda rights, asked if he wanted to waive them and answer their questions, but he said no and asked for a lawyer. At his request, the officers brought him his inhaler, his glasses and a paper mask.

Pettibone said he was released in the early morning hours from the north side of the courthouse, which he said was the first time he realized where hed been taken. He said he was released with no documentation or record of his arrest.

Pettibone said no one from a federal law enforcement agency has contacted him.

David told the lawmakers that he believes a deputy marshal struck him five times with a baton but that the U.S. Marshals Service hasnt taken responsibility for it. He said he had gone to protest that night to talk to federal officers and wore a Navy sweatshirt and hat, thinking that might help win some respect from them.

He learned the U.S. Naval Academy to defend and support the Constitution of the United States, he said. And that is why Im sitting with you today.

David also took the opportunity to thank the volunteer street medic who helped him that night, July 18.

Its stunning we have to have a civilian volunteer force of medics to take care of protesters harmed by government officers, David said.

He said he started a GoFundMe effort and raised about $30,000 to help support the volunteer medics.

The House Oversight Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties hosted the discussion.

Later Tuesday, in a separate congressional hearing, Ken Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, confirmed it was a U.S. marshal involved in the baton strikes against David, and that its under investigation. The U.S Marshals Service is also conducting an internal inquiry.

The hearings fell almost a week after the governor reached an agreement with the acting Homeland Security secretary to allow state police to begin safeguarding the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse and have federal officers stand down in a phased pullout from Portland.

Police have remained scarce at the courthouse since and the protests there have remained mostly peacefula marked contrast to several weeks of late night showdowns at the courthouse. A group of protesters typically targeted the building with fire, fireworks and projectiles and the officers would fire tear gas, pepper spray and riot-control munitions including rubber bullets.

Kelly Simon, the interim legal director for the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon, urged lawmakers to appoint a special counsel to investigate federal officers actions and rein in the tools and tactics used. She also said officers should be required to clearly identify themselves and their agencies.

A federal judge rejected a request by Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum to bar federal officers from engaging in unconstitutional police state-type tactics, finding Rosenblum presented scant evidence and lacked standing.

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer of Portland called the enhanced use of officers a manufactured crisis from the federal government' that deliberately made encounters worse. Blumenauer apologized to Pettibone for what he experienced.

U.S. Rep. Suzanne Bonamici of Washington County said the federal actions in Portland set a terrifying precedent' for what could happen nationwide. She said lawmakers are working to use the appropriations process to prohibit what we saw in Portland.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian

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Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
A growing response to todays chaotic information landscape sounds inviting and elegantly simple: appoint experts to fact-check news stories, blogs, speeches, studies, opinions, and political ads. Information they deem to be false is corrected or even removed from public view, in the name of the public good.

George Soros: His progressive Open Society Foundations supports media fact-checking efforts, notably Facebook's

Since Donald Trumps election these fact-checkers have gained increased prominence. Pressure has mounted for news outfits and big tech companies  including Google, Facebook, and Twitter  to police political discourse. At the same time, many people, notably conservatives, are demanding that the tech giants back off such perceived censorship. Tensions on both sides were on display last week as a House Judiciary subcommittee grilled top Silicon Valley executives.

That discord is likely to persist because in large part the fact-checking solution is illusory. Many such efforts fail because they amount to a circular feedback loop of verification. The fact-checkers are like-minded journalists or often liberal Silicon Valley gatekeepers, who frequently rely on partisan news sources and political activists to control narratives on a wide variety of issues and controversies. This small group of players exerts an oversized influence, using fact checks to shape and censor information.

Twitter recently sparked controversy by taking the unprecedented step of adding a disapproving fact-checking label to some of President Trumps tweets. The social media site publicly explained that Trumps May 26 posts contained what its fact-checkers deemed to be potentially misleading information about voting processes.

Trump had said widespread mail-in ballots in the 2020 election would be substantially fraudulent. While the definition of substantially is in the eye of the beholder, the United States, in fact, has a long and ongoing history of ballot fraud.

Nevertheless, Twitters label warned that Trumps claims were unsubstantiated according to CNN, Washington Post, and others  Experts say mail-in ballots are very rarely linked to voter fraud.

Like many questionable fact checks at issue, Twitters critique wasnt really a fact check at all. It used past reporting from selected partisan news sources to claim that a prediction about what could happen in the future is untrue -- before it even happens or doesnt happen. It was, in short, a Democratic Party talking point.

Google has stoked criticism for inserting its judgment and opinions between internet users and their search results. In February, the search engine announced it was fighting disinformation about coronavirus by partnering with the World Health Organization (WHO). Google explained that user searches about COVID-19 would be directed to WHOs online information. One big problem: WHO itself was guilty of factual misinformation in multiple instances. For example, the agency admitted it had wrongly called the global risk of the virus emanating from China virus moderate at a time when it had actually been very high.

Critics say the partnership with WHO reflects a trend by Big Tech fact-checkers to present often controversial global organizations as nonpartisan purveyors of objective fact.

Over at Facebook, censorship of accounts and ideas has included a fact check of a documentary about the lab in Wuhan, China, that was under investigation as a possible source of the COVID-19 outbreak. Facebook claimed the documentary was false. But an investigation by this reporter revealed that one of the authorities Facebook referenced in discrediting the documentary was a scientist who worked at the Wuhan lab.

Facebook did not respond to an emailed request for an interview with CEO Mark Zuckerberg or a representative.

Whos Pulling Strings and Calling Shots?

Fact-checking organizations have grappled internally with the obvious but usually unspoken challenge in all such efforts: It is unrealistic to expect that any appointed group of fact-checkers has true expertise on all of the topics they litigate. Yet they do so every day.

As the labels applied to the Trump tweets illustrate, todays brand of fact-checking is rarely cut and dry, such as verifying the date an event occurred. Now, fact checks are frequently used to litigate matters of opinion or debate, and to proclaim the truth about facts that are unknown, or cannot possibly be known, at the time. They commonly provide what they call the context they claim is necessary to assess a factual claim, rather than a simple assessment of whether a statement is correct or incorrect. As a result, many factually correct statements are deemed to be half true or mostly false.

Eric Schmidt: Hillary Clinton supporter and campaign volunteer -- and former head of Alphabet, whose Google subsidiary ran a fact-checking nonprofit during the 2016 campaign.

Keeping this in mind, the biggest inherent flaw with efforts to fact-check information may lie in the qualifications, bias, and conflicts of interest among the ranks of the fact-checkers themselves. One example is the fact-checking nonprofit First Draft, started by Google at the beginning of the 2016 election cycle. Google is owned by Alphabet, Inc. Alphabet executives and employees comprise a politically active group that ranks among the largest political donors to Democrats in the country. During the 2016 campaign, Alphabet was led by an ardent Hillary Clinton supporter and campaign volunteer, executive chairman Eric Schmidt.

First Draft is also supported by an array of liberal companies and nonprofits, including the Ford Foundation and George Soros Open Society Foundations. First Draft tends to fact-check topics in a vein thats consistent with its major donors opinions and interests. This is particularly true when it comes to controversies about vaccine safety and climate change, where First Draft appears to give little consideration to opposing scientific views and information. In April, First Draft uncritically referred readers to an article perpetuating the false story that President Trump had literally encouraged people to drink bleach. Among the groups original organizers is its digital director, Alastair Reid, who has frequently tweeted and retweeted anti-American rhetoric and progressive positions.

For its part, First Draft says certain projects and initiatives may be guided in part by the specific requirements of our funding partnerships but our donors understand that First Draft retains operational and editorial independence. Our decisions are driven by the organizations mission and values.

Similar issues surround NewsGuard, an Internet browser tool that rates the trustworthiness of news sources on search engines and social media sites. Created in 2018, it is funded in part by one of the largest PR, advertising, and data collection firms in the world: Publicis Groupe. Publicis is active on the progressive side of major issues and controversies from gender to race and climate.

Steven Brill: His NewsGuard is funded by Publicis Groupe, which is active on the progressive side of major issues.

NewsGuard states that besides its founders Steven Brill and Gordon Crovitz, other investors play no role in the determination of ratings. Its analysts have given a green light of trust to openly partisan sources such as Media Matters for America.

Last November, NewsGuard reached out to RealClearInvestigations, questioning its use of anonymous sources to reveal the identity of an intelligence community whistleblower whose allegations helped lead to Trumps impeachment. But when RealClearInvestigations asked NewsGuard if it was posing similar queries about use of anonymous leaks by other news organizations, such as the New York Times, Washington Post, CNN, NBC, and BuzzFeed, NewsGuard did not reply.

The clearest example of conflicts in play regarding fact checks may be found by examining Facebooks new oversight board, which was recently created to temper criticism over its decisions to flag certain content and accounts. According to Facebook, members of the oversight board were chosen for their expertise and diversity and must not have actual or perceived conflicts of interest that could compromise their independent judgment and decision-making. They all have expertise in, or experience in advocating for, human rights.

But 18 of the 20 members of Facebooks oversight board members have ties to Soros Open Society Foundations, which have spent billions of dollars on global initiatives aggressively advocating for the progressive side on topics ranging from immigration policy and climate to abortion, gender, and racial policies.

The pervasive Soros connections on Facebooks oversight board may be no more than a matter of odds. Soros is such a prolific financier among global groups that advocate for positions he supports, that his name is bound to turn up when the chosen fact checkers are primarily activists and advocates for progressive positions. The result is a group whose expressed viewpoints and causes are far from neutral. By contrast, however, no members of the Facebook board have known public positions on the conservative side of hot-button controversies.

Genesis

One measure of the problems in objective fact-checking is the vastly disparate treatment accorded two of the most established partisan outfits  the conservative Media Research Center and the liberal Media Matters.

Brent Bozell: Started the conservative Media Research Center in 1987. The liberal Media Matters, run by David Brock, followed in 2004. They are not treated the same by the so-called objective press.

Founded in 1987 by Brent Bozell, the Media Research Center, characterizes itself as a media watchdog, and uses a blog called Newsbusters to call out what it views as liberal bias in the mainstream media.



Media Matters is a nonprofit founded in 2004 by right-wing operative-turned-left-wing operative David Brock as a counterpoint to Media Research Center. Today, its linked to a web of political action committees, nonprofits, LLCs and other groups that partner to advance their agendas in the news.

So the two groups are bookends in the increasingly partisan media landscape. But they are not treated the same by the so-called objective press. The liberal Media Matters is is frequently relied upon by journalism organizations and the mainstream media as if it were an accurate, nonpartisan source of news and information. An extensive search found no such treatment accorded to the Media Research Center. The credibility afforded to Media Matters by some appears to have evolved over time. Back in 2009, the Columbia Journalism Review called out Media Matters for a falsehood, citing a deceptive claim and press release. But fast forward to June 4, 2020 and an article in the same publication places Media Matters editor-at-large Parker Molloy among a group of journalists, legal analysts and other experts -- without disclosing the controversial groups partisan affiliation. The article goes on to quote Molloy as claiming there is honestly no reason to believe theres some sort of liberal/progressive bias at social-media companies. She adds, Conservatives are really just trying to work the refs as a way to push these companies into adopting a pro-conservative bias.

What to Do?

Democrats and Republicans alike have stepped forward to say they have issues with some of todays fact-checking and censorship efforts ahead of the 2020 election. But they differ on which political side they think has the edge, or what should be done about it.

Democrats tend to press for more censorship. Republicans are pushing to lift liability protections for social media platforms that engage in heavy-handed tactics to limit or shape content. The Department of Justice recently issued recommendations to reform the law. It includes ideas to strengthen censorship of content deemed harmful, providing transparency regarding the decisions, and addressing the concentration of information in the hands of just a few.

Sens. John Thune, a South Dakota Republican, and Brian Schatz, a Democrat from Hawaii, recently introduced the bipartisan Platform Accountability and Consumer Transparency Act, or the PACT Act. It would require Google, Facebook, Twitter and other online platforms to disclose their practices when it comes to how they shape and moderate content. It would also subject them to certain civil lawsuits they are currently exempted from.

On the other hand, eliminating liability protections could result in furthering the public perception that Big Tech is controlling what they are allowed to see and read, as companies could reasonably argue that they would have a heightened obligation to censor even more information due to the risk of being sued.

For now, the trend to fact-checking information the public accesses online and on the news is gaining momentum approaching the 2020 election. The evidence indicates the backgrounds and interests of those involved in the effort are serving to complicate rather than purify an increasingly fact-challenged information landscape.

Correction: Aug. 5, 2020; 2:45 PM Eastern

Because of an editing error, an earlier version of this article misidentified Parker Molloy, a woman, using the pronoun "he" on a subsequent reference.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

Trend:

A group of MPs of Azerbaijans Parliament will visit Belarus Minsk city on August 7 to observe the presidential elections, press office of Azerbaijani Parliament told Trend.

MPs Azer Badamov and Nagif Hamzayev will act as observers at the CIS Interparliamentary Assembly, and MPs Arzu Naghiyev and Kamran Bayramov will act as observers of the CIS Executive Committee.

The MPs will get acquainted with the pre-election situation and will observe the voting process. Based on the voting observation results, a conclusion will be given on the presidential elections.

The visit will be concluded on August 11.




Haiti - FLASH : Confrontation between Haitians and CESFRONT soldiers at the border





On Monday a strong tension reigned at the border of Malpasse. At the origin of this situation, the initiative of several Haitians who decided to remove a Dominican flag hoisted on a pole located in the zone which separates Haiti from the Dominican Republic.



Dominican soldiers from the Specialized Land Border Security Corps (CESFRONT) intervened and were greeted by throwing stones and bottles thrown by highly motivated Haitians, who claimed that Haiti had ownership of land up to the Province of Azua.



In order to put an end to these clashes, CESFRONT agents opened fire causing panic and the flight of Haitians.



Assessment of this regrettable incident, at least 2 gunshot wounds among our compatriots according to reported testimonies, unconfirmed assessment from an official source.



TB/ HaitiLibre


















Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 03:07:55|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Shipping company Tallink Silja announced on Monday that it is going to suspend one-way trips from Stockholm, Swedish capital, to Turku, a city on the southwest coast of Finland, due to the anti-COVID-19 considerations.

Tallink Silja will sell its Baltic Princess cruise tickets only in the Finnish side from Aug. 7, said the cruise line in a press release published on Monday. This means that passengers will not be able to depart on one-way cruises from Stockholm to Turku.

The company noted that the decision is based on the ongoing travel restrictions between Finland and Sweden due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

According to the instructions of the Finnish authorities, single tickets from Sweden to Finland may currently only be sold to Finnish passengers returning to Finland.

Furthermore, the shipping company has made the decision to continue selling tickets for only up to 75 percent of the vessels' total capacity to ensure plenty space on board for social distancing.

All vessels of Tallink Silja follow strict cleaning and disinfecting protocols and all passengers are required to sign a health declaration prior to travelling, proving they have no illness symptoms before travelling.

"At Tallink Silja we continue to cooperate closely with our national authorities and to follow their guidance for guaranteeing the safety of our passengers," said Marco Palmu, commercial director of Tallink Silja, in the press release.

According to the World Health Organization, Sweden has confirmed 80,422 COVID-19 infections, with 5,743 deaths.

The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare reported that as of Monday afternoon, Finland had confirmed 7,466 infections with COVID-19, of which 34 were new confirmed cases within the past 24 hours. The death toll was 329, with no death reported in the past 24 hours. Enditem
72 migrant youths staying in tents in Paris removed Associations call for specific measures for the young

(ANSAmed) - PARIS, AUGUST 4 - Over 70 young migrants, who several associations have said are under age 18, were evacuated on Tuesday morning from a small tent agglomeration that had been set up in central Paris for the past month. The clearing operation was conducted in a calm, orderly manner and ended around 8:30 AM. Wearing face masks, the 72 youths who had been sleeping in several different tents set up in a park near the central Place de la Republique were taken by a bus made available by the French authorities to a city gym, escorted by the police. The youths were considered adults by several departments of Ile-de-France and were thus denied aid from social assistance programs for children but they have said that they are instead under age 18. Aid associations helping migrants such as Utopia 56, Comede and Medecins sans Frontieres (MSF) say this has led to their living in a state of uncertainty and have asked that they be considered minors and vulnerable individuals, at least for the judicial proceedings that last between 6 and 18 months. They have also asked the City of Paris to ''set an example'' by creating specific measures for youths. (ANSAmed). (ANSA).




MEMORANDUM FOR: Speaker Nancy Pelosi

FROM: Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity

SUBJECT: Did Russia Hack the DNC Emails?

Dear Madam Speaker:

After your intelligence briefing Friday, Politico reported that you were sharply frustrated by the lack of detail presented on Russias continued interference in the 2020 election campaign. You were quoted as saying you thought the administration was withholding evidence of foreign election meddling and added, What I am concerned about is that the American people should be better informed. We share your concern and, having followed this issue closely from the perspective of non-partisan, veteran intelligence officials, we are able to throw considerable light on it.

The narrative that Russia hacked Democratic National Committee emails in 2016 and gave them to WikiLeaks to hurt Hillary Clintons candidacy has become an article of faith for about half of Americans  somewhat fewer than the number misled into believing 18 years ago that there were weapons of mass destruction in Iraq  but it is still considerable.

Because of a bizarre, but highly instructive media lapse these past three months, most Americans remain unaware that the accusation that Russia hacked the DNC has evaporated.It turns out the accusation was fabricated  just like the presence of weapons of mass destruction in Iraq. In fact, some of the same U.S. officials were involved in both deceptions. For example, James Clapper, Obamas director of national intelligence, played a key role 18 years ago in covering up the fact that no WMD had been identified in satellite imagery of Iraq; more recently he helped conjure up evidence of Russian hacking.

We quote below the horses-mouth testimony of Shawn Henry, head of CrowdStrike, the cyber security outfit paid by the DNC, and certified as a high-class entity by FBI Director James Comey, to look into the hacking of the DNC. Mr. Henry admitted in sworn testimony on December 5, 2017 that his firm has no concrete evidence that the DNC emails were hacked  by Russia or anyone else. This testimony was finally declassified and released on May 7, 2020, but you will not find a word about it in The New York Times, Washington Post or other mainstream outlets. (We wonder if you yourself were made aware of Henrys testimony.)

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The original accusation achieved its purpose in fostering the belief that President Trump owed his election to President Putin, and thus is beholden to him. It also provided a degree of verisimilitude  as well as faux-righteous indignation  to support a host of punitive measures. Russian hacking was immediately used to justify President Obamas expulsion of 35 Russian diplomats/intelligence officers at the end of 2016. Those with a sharp anti-Russia axe to grind no doubt deemed this unnecessary diplomatic step felicitous, welcome collateral damage to ties between Washington and Moscow.

Parallels Today

Now to the present  and specifically your suspicion that the administration is withholding evidence of foreign election meddling.

Full Disclosure: We veteran national security and intelligence professionals are nonpartisan and have a tendency to be blunt. We have been closely watching the play-by-play over the past four years and strongly doubt that our former intelligence colleagues are withholding evidence of Russian interference. We see a simpler explanation. The intelligence officials who trotted out copious evidence of Russian interference four years ago may still be writing op-eds and even books, but they are also under investigation. So a once-burned-twice-shy attitude is probably one factor in play.

More important, for obvious reasons the intelligence chiefs appointed by President Trump lack the incentive shared by their predecessors to hyperbolize and even manufacture evidence of Russian meddling in favor of Trump. In our view, this factor accounts largely for what you see as the lack of detail. In contrast, the legacy media, with a transparently shoddy record to defend on their Russiagate coverage, is still both hyperbolizing and manufacturing. Easy to do when you have a corner on the media market, as we indicate below.

In sum, this time around, senior intelligence and law enforcement officials have little incentive to manufacture/embellish evidence of Russian meddling, as was done four years ago by the former crew. And, again, to remind: the same thing happened in 2002/03 regarding the WMD alleged to be in Iraq, with some of the same dramatis personae responsible  but not held accountable.

It is sad to have to remind folks 18 years after the fact that the intelligence on WMD in Iraq was not mistaken; it was fraudulent from the get-go. The culprits were finally exposed but never held to account. Announcing on June 5, 2008, the bipartisan conclusions from a five-year study by the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-WV) asserted that the attack on Iraq was launched under false pretenses. He described the intelligence conjured up to justify war on Iraq as uncorroborated, contradicted, or even non-existent.

Non-existent?

No Consequences for Finding What Wasnt There

There were no consequences for those officials who lied about WMD in Iraq. Donald Rumsfeld had put one of them, James Clapper, in charge of imagery analysis which, as you know, was the key to finding WMD. Clapper made a stunning admission in his memoir, Facts and Fears: Hard Truths From a Life in Intelligence. He wrote that intelligence officers, including me, were so eager to help [Bush/Cheney/Rumsfeld] that we found what wasnt really there.

Nevertheless, with a glowing recommendation from Obama confidant John Brennan, President Obama appointed Clapper director of national intelligence in 2010. He remained in that post for the remainder of Obamas term despite having misled the Senate in March 2013 about what he later admitted was a clearly erroneous testimony, under oath, regarding NSA surveillance of Americans.

Heres the rub: Clapper and those he conspired with have gone from blissful sans souci to apprehension, acutely aware that they may not have a stay-out-of-jail card this time around. With bloodhounds like U.S. Attorney John Durham sniffing around there is now the possibility of consequences for intelligence leaders who make stuff up  as they did during Russiagate v.1. Perhaps also consequences for former CIA Director Brennan who, together with Clapper orchestrated a rump Memo by handpicked analysts and called it an Intelligence Community Assessment. The ICA cannot bear close scrutiny.

Election meddling and interference are stretchy elastic terms. Your Democratic colleagues are correct in pointing out that recent intelligence warnings of election interference by China, Russia and Iran are so vague as to be almost meaningless. Given the reluctance of todays intelligence leaders to create non-existent intelligence (as on Iraq and more recently on Russia), those members of Congress who insist that they be more specific on Russian interference are bound to become increasingly frustrated.

What we suggest is the obvious: namely, that the lack of desired detail may simply betoken the absence of credible specifics on significant Russian interference, and the absence of Clapperesque officials to conjure it up. In a word, todays intelligence managers  unlike their predecessors  are not likely to find Russia-indicting evidence that wasnt really there.

Specifics in 2016: Russian Hacking

Four years ago, we had specifics. Yes, they were specifically wrong, but at least they were specifics. Those whose reading on these issues is limited to The New York Times and other Establishment media perforce lack adequate understanding about the shenanigans of 2016. If we want the American people to be better informed, this is a big problem  the more so, since many of the main culprits in corporate media are still at it. In an interesting coincidence on Friday, when you had your intelligence briefing, NY Timess chief Washington correspondent David Sanger threw a long kitchen-sink smear at President Trump in a piece titled Trump Still Defers to Putin, Even as He Dismisses U.S. Intelligence 

You may recall that it was Sanger, together with NY Times colleague Judith Miller, who blew the loudest bugles to charge into Iraq to destroy the (non-existent) WMD there. Sanger is still taking dictation from his anonymous current and former officials. In Fridays article, he noted that four years ago this week, the CIA was coming to the conclusion that Russia was responsible for the hacking of the DNCs servers, and linked to an article he co-authored at the time titled Spy Agency Consensus Grows That Russia Hacked D.N.C.

The Times highlighted Sangers article on Friday with a small front-page squib: On Russia, Hes Consistent; President Trump Brushes Off U.S. Intelligence, and resurrects same mantras from the 2016 campaign. Page A11. On that inside page Sanger repeats his own consistent mantra about Trumps consistency: Say this about Mr. Trumps approach to Moscow. It has been consistent.

Sangers observation amounts to a poignant, if unintended, irony. His mantra regarding Russian hacking has been nothing if not consistent. We are reminded of Emersons observation: A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds, adored by little statesmen and philosophers and divines  and, one might add, adored also by journalists with an important line to defend  in the face of growing evidence to the contrary of its speciousness.

Sanger and other media sophists that have insisted that the Russians hacked the DNC are unlikely to relent any time soon  truth be damned. The Russian hack of the DNC, after all, was the cornerstone of the Russia-gate story; it is simply too big to fail.

Verifying the absence of WMD in Iraq, it turns out, was a relatively discrete issue that had to be acknowledged  however grudgingly  because, in Clappers own words, he had found what wasnt really there. So even Rumsfelds nostrum that the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence had to be discarded. There were no WMD in Iraq. Period.

Not As Easily Grasped As No WMD

The issue is not so clear-cut regarding the unrelenting Sangeresque claims that Russia hacked the DNC. We continue to encounter questions like, Are you saying the Russians dont hack, and that they did not try to hack the DNC!? No, the Russians hack all the time, as do other major powers, including the United States, and the DNC presumably was one important target.

What we in VIPS have been asserting since late 2016, though, is that there was/is no evidence that the Russians hacked those DNC emails, which were so prejudicial to Mrs. Clinton, and gave them to WikiLeaks. Sorry, we are aware that James Clapper handpicked (his word) some analysts from CIA, FBI, and NSA, who in turn assessed  sans evidence  that Russia did it. That does not do it for us.

The bombshell admission by CrowdStrikes Shawn Henry on December 5, 2017  not made public until May 7, 2020  that CrowdStrike has no concrete evidence that the DNC emails were hacked is definitive. That this revelation has been suppressed by The New York Times and other mainstream media for three months now speaks volumes.

VIPS Record

Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity cut its teeth on February 5, 2003 with an afternoon Memorandum for President Bush critiquing Colin Powells UN speech earlier that day. We explained to President Bush the inadequacies of Powells remarks, and pointedly warned that, were the U.S. to attack Iraq, the unintended consequences are likely to be catastrophic. (We know that in October 2002 you had voted against authorizing Bush to make war, but also that 81 of your Democratic colleagues voted for it.)

Skipping ahead to 2016, when we saw allegations, without convincing evidence, that the Russians were responsible for hacking the DNC emails to influence the election, we immediately smelled a rat. We issued our first related VIPS Memo expressing our misgivings on December 12, 2016.

Embedded in that memo is a short tutorial on the difference between a hack and a leak. Included also were eight charts, most of them disclosed by Edward Snowden, depicting the relevant NSA collection programs and how emails are traced over the Internet. What we already knew of the technology (two former NSA technical directors are VIPS members and were heavily involved in our analysis) presaged what we learned on May 7 from CrowdStrikes boss Shawn Henry. Here is the introductory sentence for our Memo of December 12, 2016:

As the hysteria about Russias alleged interference in the U.S. election grows, a key mystery is why U.S. intelligence would rely on circumstantial evidence when it has the capability for hard evidence, say U.S. intelligence veterans.

Our most recent VIPS Memo was addressed to Attorney General Barr on June 5, 2020. See this excerpt:

Not until May 7, 2020, when secret testimony to the House Intelligence Committee from late 2017 was made public, did it become completely clear that CrowdStrike has no concrete evidence that the DNC emails published by WikiLeaks on July 22, 2016 were hacked  by Russia or by anyone else. Seventeen months earlier, on Dec. 5, 2017, the president of CrowdStrike, former FBI cyber-crimes unit director Shawn Henry, admitted this in sworn testimony to the House Intelligence Committee. This is how he answered a leading question from ranking member Adam Schiff: Mr. Schiff: Do you know the date on which the Russians exfiltrated the data from the DNC?  when would that have been? Mr. Henry: Counsel just reminded me that, as it relates to the DNC, we have indicators that data was exfiltrated from the DNC, but we have no indicators that it was exfiltrated (sic).  There are times when we can see data exfiltrated, and we can say conclusively. But in this case, it appears it was set up to be exfiltrated, but we just dont have the evidence that says it actually left.

Technology Phobia: Not an Excuse

In both of those memos, and in several others between 2016 and 2020, we made a concerted effort to explain the technical details in terms most non-technical people can easily grasp. We had become painfully aware of the widespread tendency to avoid reading our analyses on the assumption (pretense?) that the technical detail was too complicated. It isnt.

Again, full disclosure: we are, of course, aware that the Russia-hacked-the-DNC-emails-and-gave-them-to-WikiLeaks mantra has acquired the status of near-papal infallibility. And we know that our forensic analyses, even though unrefuted and based on the principles of science, will continue to strike a discordant note  not only with the Clappers of this world but also with many among many otherwise well informed members of Congress. (We have just about given up on the corporate media.)

We also foresee that our findings will probably not be welcome. As hardened veterans analyzing these kinds of sensitive issues over decades, we are accustomed to being forced into the role of the proverbial skunk at a picnic. We are not deterred. We still adhere to the old ethos for intelligence analysis (in contrast to intelligence operations) of telling it like it is, without fear or favor. The truth is what matters; and, again, we share your desire that the American people become better informed.

Should you have any follow-up questions, we are at your disposal.

With respect,

Steering Group, Veteran Intelligence Professionals for Sanity (VIPS)

William Binney, former Technical Director, World Geopolitical & Military Analysis, NSA; co-founder, SIGINT Automation Research Center (ret.)

Richard H. Black, Senator of Virginia, 13th District (2012-2020); Colonel US Army (ret.); Former Chief, Criminal Law Division, Office of the Judge Advocate General, the Pentagon (associate VIPS)

Bogdan Dzakovic, Former Team Leader of Federal Air Marshals and Red Team, FAA Security, (ret.) (associate VIPS)

Philip Giraldi, CIA, Operations Officer (ret.)

Mike Gravel, former Adjutant, top secret control officer, Communications Intelligence Service; special agent of the Counter Intelligence Corps and former United States Senator.

Karen Kwiatkowski, Lt. Col., US Air Force (ret.), at Office of Secretary of Defense watching the manufacture of lies on Iraq, 2001-2003

Edward Loomis, NSA Cryptologic Computer Scientist and Technical Director (ret.)

Ray McGovern, former US Army infantry/intelligence officer & CIA presidential briefer (ret.)

Elizabeth Murray, former Deputy National Intelligence Officer for the Near East & CIA political analyst (ret.)

Scott Ritter, former MAJ., USMC, former UN Weapon Inspector, Iraq

Sarah Wilton, Commander, U.S. Naval Reserve (retired) and Defense Intelligence Agency (retired)

Ann Wright, U.S. Army Reserve Colonel (ret) and former U.S. Diplomat who resigned in 2003 in opposition to the Iraq War

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The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

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Iowa Republican Party Chairman Jeff Kaufmann defended and expressed sympathy for his counterparts on the other side. As much as they fight over issues and candidates, Kaufmann said, the two parties work together to protect the states first-in-the-nation status.

And Iowa Republicans had their own challenges in 2012, when they initially said Mitt Romney had won a squeaker. Only later did they say it was Rick Santorum who actually come out ahead.

Kaufmann said there are fewer rumblings on the Republican side these days about coming for Iowas spot, which he credited in part to President Donald Trumps support for keeping Iowa first.

He also objected to suggestions that Iowa isnt diverse enough for its prominent role. Iowa brings the benefits of a smaller state in which candidates can cover a lot of territory and access a cheaper media. That bolsters the concept that anyone can be president, he said.

You cannot start in California or New York or Texas, Kaufmann said. You cant do that because it costs too much money.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 01:36:19|Editor: huaxia

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Smoke rises from the explosion site at Port of Beirut, Lebanon on Aug. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Two huge explosions hit the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut, leaving dozens to hundreds dead and injured, while many more are believed to be still under the rubble.

BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The two huge explosions that rocked Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday left dozens dead and injured, al-Jadeed TV channel reported.

A local hospital, however, said at least 500 were injured in the explosions.

A man holds a girl at the explosion site at Port of Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

The explosions shook buildings all over Beirut and left shattered glass in most areas, according to the local TV channel.

A businessman named Merhi Abou Merhi has called on the authorities to send teams and save people in his boat that was damaged in the explosions.

A man carries an injured old man at the explosion site at Port of Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

It is still not clear whether it was an attack or a regular explosion caused by the chemicals stored at the Port of Beirut.

The Lebanese Red Cross and Civil Defense teams rushed to the area to transfer the injured to hospitals while dozens are believed to be still under the rubble.

An injured woman seen at the explosion site at Port of Beirut, Lebanon, on Aug. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

Hospitals urged people to donate blood in an attempt to save the injured in explosions. 
Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.
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Linkedin Roland Lloyd Parry (Agence France-Presse) Madrid, Spain  Tue, August 4, 2020 09:52 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b66d11 2 World Spain,Juan-Carlos,corruption,exile,scandal Free

Juan Carlos I led Spain to democracy and foiled a military coup, but he heads into exile under a cloud of royal corruption that has ruined his legacy.

He abdicated in 2014 after playing a determining role in Spain's modern history, stepping up as the first crowned head of state in 44 years after the death of General Francisco Franco.

He took the throne within days of Franco's death in November 1975, having been named successor by the dictator himself, who passed over Juan Carlos's father, Juan de Borbon.

"Faithful to the political desire of my father... I wanted to be king for all Spaniards," Juan Carlos said in his abdication address, recalling the day of his proclamation.

He was popular for decades, however, on Monday the former head state admitted to his son King Felipe VI it was better he left the country.

"Guided by the conviction to best serve the people of Spain, its institutions, and you as king, I inform you of my decision at this time to go into exile outside Spain," Juan Carlos wrote.

Facing investigation at home and abroad for corruption, he had become an embarrassment to the throne and the government.

Felipe had accepted the decision, the royal palace said, following a Supreme Court decision in June to open an investigation.

Suspicion focuses on $100 million (85 million euros) alleged to have been paid secretly into a Swiss bank account in 2008 by Saudi Arabia.

Felipe has tried to distance himself from the allegations of a huge hidden fortune, withdrawing his father's annual royal allowance and renouncing his inheritance.

Coup-stopper

Yet it was Juan Carlos who had defied the Francoists by ushering in a new system of parliamentary monarchy. A new constitution was passed by referendum in 1978.

He was credited with helping to defuse an attempted coup in February 1981 by soldiers who stormed into parliament shooting and who held lawmakers hostage for several hours.

The king's appearance on television urging support for the democratic government was instrumental in blocking the attempt.

"I knew the soldiers were going to agree because I had been named by Franco" and was their commander-in-chief, he said later. He knew most of the officers from his military training.

Although his blocking of the coup helped endear him to the nation, the king's image suffered in later years.

Elephant-hunter

The country had long closed its eyes to the numerous affairs the action-man king could boast.

But his decline began in 2012, when as a keen sportsman and hunter, he accepted a luxury elephant-hunting trip to Botswana, paid for by a Saudi entrepreneur, during a tough recession at home.

The trip, accompanied by his German mistress, came to light only because he broke his right hip and was flown home for surgery. The king made a public apology as he emerged from hospital on crutches.

His medical problems raised further questions over his reign.

Between May 2010 and November 2013, he had surgery nine times, including two operations on his right hip and three on his left.

Born in Rome on January 5, 1938, grandson of exiled king Alfonso XIII, Juan Carlos was just 10 years old when he was put on a train to Spain.

His father had agreed to have him educated under Franco in the hope of one day seeing himself sit on the throne.

Juan Carlos spent 27 years under the shadow of Franco, growing up in a series of military academies.

In May 1962 Juan Carlos married Sofia, a Greek princess. They were both keen sailors and had met on a cruise.

With Franco's blessing, the couple settled at the Zarzuela palace near Madrid and had three children: Elena, Cristina and Felipe, who as male heir bypassed his elder sisters to the throne.
Donald Trump is pressuring Chinese company ByteDance, which owns TikTok, to sell the application to an American company. If a deal is not reached, the U.S. president has threatened to ban the short video app in the United States as of 15 September. Trumps administration has previously accused TikTok of providing data on its users to the Chinese government.

Microsoft is currently in talks with ByteDance to buy 30 percent of the company, which would only include its U.S. operations, but Trump is pushing for a complete purchase that would see Microsoft buy up 100 percent of TikTok with negotiations ongoing.

Trump wants Microsoft to own all operations



We had a great conversation with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. He called me to see how I felt about it. I told him look, it cant be controlled for security reasons by China. Its too big, too invasive. It cant be. I dont mind whether its Microsoft or somebody else, a big company... an American company buys it. It is probably easier to buy the whole thing rather than buying 30 percent, Trump told reporters.

I said how do you buy only 30 percent? Who is going to get the name, the name is hot. The brand is hot. Whos going to get the name and who is going to get that when its owned by two different companies. So, my personal opinion was, you probably better off buying the whole thing rather than buying 30 percent. I think buying 30 percent is complicated and I suggested that he can go ahead. He can try, added Trump.

Microsoft and ByteDance have confirmed that they are in talks and the U.S. company is now interested in purchasing TikTok services in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, which would leave Microsoft as the sole owner and operator of TikTok in those markets.
Coronavirus survivors shouldn't have to self-isolate if they develop more symptoms of the disease, according to the government's scientific advisers.

Number 10's SAGE panel pointed to evidence from top virologists that shows Covid-19 patients can't be re-infected within a few months.

And they said survivors aren't likely to be that infectious if they do still have traces of the virus in their body weeks after their battle with the disease.

But experts dismissed the idea of 'immunity passports', an idea once considered by ministers to get Britain back to work after the lockdown was eased.

The passports  which Matt Hancock admitted may come in the form of wristbands  would reveal someone has already had disease.

Minutes from a SAGE meeting last month warned it would be 'premature' to roll-out the certificates because the truth on immunity is still a mystery.

Scientists still do not know for sure whether people can catch Covid-19 more than once, or if they become immune after their first infection.

Because the virus was only first discovered in December, infectious disease experts have not had the opportunity to work out how it affects people in the long-term.

Coronavirus survivors shouldn't have to self-isolate even if they develop more symptoms of Covid-19, according to the Government's scientific advisors

SAFE advisers revealed patients are 'much less likely to be infectious' if they have antibodies and test positive for the virus itself.

Antibodies are substances produced by the immune system which store memories of how to fight off a specific virus.

It can take patients several weeks to develop enough antibodies to be detected in a test.

Scientists say this suggests patients have already faced the worst part of the disease  when they are thought to be most contagious  by the time they get antibodies.

And SAGE said: 'PCR testing is highly sensitive and can identify presence of the virus long after an individual has ceased to be infectious.'

So far, there have been no scientifically proven cases of someone catching it twice, with experts tending to blame inaccurate test results or lengthy illness.

Some researchers claim it is not uncommon for parts of viruses to keep circulating even after recovery.

According to minutes of the meeting last month, SAGE claimed the evidence 'offers a way forward for releasing individuals from self-isolation or quarantine'.

But they added: 'It is possible, based on animal studies, an individual with antibodies could still shed the virus and be infectious.'

Minutes also revealed: 'Sage advised, based on current understanding, it would be premature to introduce immunity passports.'

And they cautioned that the use of antibody positive tests for short-term decisions 'may be possible'  but did not specify what they would be.

Currently everyone in Britain is told to self-isolate for 10 days if they test positive for coronavirus or develop tell-tale symptoms.

The meeting was chaired by No10's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and England's chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty also attended.

Sage's findings  based on a paper from Imperial College London  are currently being studied by the Department for Health, according to the I.

A Whitehall source told the newspaper that applying different rules for people who have tested positive in the antibodies test is risky.

Commercially-available antibody tests aren't currently reliable enough and may not work if they are used at the wrong time, experts fear.

The Department for Health said: 'We are always looking at and guided by the latest scientific advice.

'This is a new disease and how the immune system responds following infection with the virus remains uncertain.

'We are undertaking some of the largest studies in the world to assess the strength and duration of immunity.'
Victoria's Health Minister has repeatedly refused to answer questions about her handling of the COVID-19 crisis during a brief sitting of parliament, which she attended against medical advice.

Jenny Mikakos wore a face mask as she walked into the Legislative Council in Melbourne for the first sitting of Victoria's upper house since June 18.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton had recommended parliament not sit in line with the stage four coronavirus restrictions in place across metropolitan Melbourne, and the lower house complied.

The MP endured jeers from the opposition who called her a 'disgrace' when she failed to respond to a series of questions about the bungled hotel quarantine program.

Jenny Mikakos wore a face mask as she walked into the Legislative Council in Melbourne for the first sitting of parliament since June 18

The onslaught began after a question from Opposition Health spokeswoman Georgie Crozier.

'On what date in March or April were you advised that there were serious issues with the hotel security program?' Ms Crozier asked.

Ms Mikakos launched into a speech about her concerns over parliament's decision to sit against the advice of the Chief Health Officer.

She told parliament she wanted it on the record her presence 'should not be interpreted' as 'ignoring' his advice before suggesting proceeds move 'as fast as possible'.

'I will take the member's question on notice. I will provide her with a written answer in accordance with the standing orders, and I give a commitment to do so in the usual time frame, which will be by tomorrow, even though the house will not be sitting tomorrow,' Ms Mikakos said.

She was among 10 MPs who ignored advice from the state's chief Health Officer Brett Sutton to delay the sitting due to the COVID-19 risk

The answer was met with shouts from the room, including one MP urging her to resign.

As questions about the state's handling of the crisis continued, she reiterated she would only provide written answers the following day.

Ms Mikakos was criticised by the Opposition House leader David Davis.

'It was just extraordinary and it looked smug and arrogant,' he told the Herald Sun.

'People are entitled to answers and all she had to do was stand there and answer truthfully.'

Reason Party Leader Fiona Patten said Ms Mikakos had showed 'complete disdain for the Victorian public'.

The health minister endured jeers from the opposition who called her a 'disgrace' for failing to respond to a series of questions about the bungled hotel quarantine scandal

The Health Minister later shared the Chief Health Officer's advice urging the delay to Parliament due to health concerns.

'We shouldn't be at parliament today. We should all be staying safe,' she wrote.

'The advice was to delay this sitting. It's a dangerous trend for leaders to ignore medical advice. We should set the example. The longer we're here, the greater the risk to all who work at.'

Following Question time the Health Minister shared the Chief Health Officer's advice urging the delay to Parliament due to health concerns

Opposition Leader Michael O'Brien condemned the health minister and said parliament was an essential service.

'If Dan Murphy's is an essential service I think democracy is pretty central as well,' he told reporters.

'When you've got Victorians in stage four lockdown, our rights restricted like never before, I think it's okay for the government to answer questions.'
Unlike other treatments, Xeglyze, a topical lotion, only requires one use to be effective. Credit: Wikipedia

A new prescription head lice treatment, developed by University of Melbourne Associate Professor Vern Bowles, has been given Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval, allowing it to be sold in the U.S..

The treatment, Xeglyze, was developed by Hatchtech, an Australian pharmaceutical company and will be commercialised by Dr. Reddy's Laboratories.

Hatchtech CEO Hugh Alsop estimates that it is only the 13th drug developed primarily by an Australian company to be given FDA approval. Over the last decade the FDA has only approved, on average, 37 new drugs each year.

Unlike other treatments, Xeglyze, a topical lotion, only requires one use to be effective.

Currently many over the counter treatments require multiple usages and timing the application of these can be difficult. This is because most treatments do not kill eggs. While the first treatment is directed at lice in the crawling stage, a second treatment is required to kill off any newly hatched lice or nymphs.

Researchers say timing these separate treatments can be difficult and burdensome. Failure to comply can result in lice remaining present as eggs continue to hatch.

The treatment offered by Xeglyze only requires one 10-minute topical application, making it far more convenient than alternatives.

Associate Professor Bowles, who is an expert in animal health and management at the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, said that the key to developing a treatment that killed eggs as well as lice involved investigating the enzymes that contribute to egg hatching and lice survival. He found that metalloproteaseswhich perform a number of important roles within the developing egg and the crawling stagescan be inhibited using the organic molecule, abametapir.

Over several years, Associate Professor Bowles tested the efficacy of different concentrations of abametapir and its ability to kill eggs at all stages in development.

"We know that some head lice treatments are becoming less effective as lice develop resistance to certain chemicals," Associate Professor Bowles said.

"Creating an easier way to delouse helps prevent people from experiencing the irritation and embarrassment of head lice. Treatment with Xeglyze requires far less of the time-consuming work of combing out lice and eggs that is normally required of other treatments."

University-backed venture capital firm Uniseed provided initial seed funding for Hatchtech, which was founded in 2001 by Associate Professor Bowles (then Deputy Director of the Centre for Animal Biotechnology at the University of Melbourne). The University also subsequently invested in the company using its long-term investment funds through life sciences venture capital firm GBS Venture Partners.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) Professor Jim McCluskey said that the approval of an Australian-developed drug in a US market was a huge achievement.

"This is a terrific example of how University researchers can partner with industry to produce new treatments and find solutions to problems," Professor McCluskey said.

"This long-term collaboration between the University of Melbourne and Hatchtech also shows how global opportunities can be successfully created in critical areas of research.''

Hatchtech CEO and University of Melbourne alumnus, Mr Alsop said that he was excited to see the FDA approval of Xeglyze.

"The FDA's approval of Xeglyze is the culmination of the journey to gain approval of the product originally developed by Hatchtech. We look forward to product launch in the United States, enabling availability of this novel product for the treatment of head lice infestation," Mr Alsop said.

In Australia approximately 17 percent of children experience head lice each year. While in the U.S there are an estimated 612 million cases annually, resulting in children missing school and parents missing work. The total sales of head lice treatments in the U.S. are approximately $U350 million.
The Central American nation of Honduras reported its first COVID-19 case in early March this year. Since then, it has imposed emergency measures that include closure of businesses and mandatory physical distancing and home lockdown.

As of July 30 there have been 40,460 reported cases of COVID-19 resulting in 1,214 deaths, denoting an upward trend in cases and deaths since the first case was reported in 12 March.

Kely Brunner is a human rights officer who mainly works with human rights defenders, journalists and issues surrounding public participation. She says the virus has made the plight defending human rights of those communities more of a challenge.

How has COVID-19 affected your how you do your work?

Our work with these communities and with human rights defenders is now totally remote. We are definitely more in virtual contact and we depend much more on them, since information is on the ground is first-hand information. We have been closer, too in some ways not just to civil society but with the authorities and national human rights institutions. We are in permanent contact with them and are offering other ways to provide technical assistance.

What are some of the big challenges you are facing in Honduras?

There are many, many challenges for Honduras. There are economic, social and cultural rights challenges, such as access to health, adequate housing, and even housing conditions. There are challenges in terms of discrimination and stigmatization, due to a lack of knowledge on the part of the population. And above all, there are many populations in situations of vulnerability that were already in this state and this crisis has only worsened it. For example, the LGBTI community is highly affected by discrimination. Migrants are greatly affected by discrimination, stigmatization and many other populations.

What is your office doing to protect and support human rights during the pandemic?

We have, above all, a great capacity for advocacy, especially at the national level and with authorities at higher levels. So in a sense, we have been advocates and provided technical assistance to authorities so we can attack all of these challenges structurally and more closely.

Why is it important to stand together, stand up for human rights during this pandemic?

This is a global crisis. We need global actors to also face it internationally. Therefore, we depend on international solidarity and we must strengthen it a lot, it is a joint work of all actors worldwide.

4 August 2020
Dan Orbih, chairman of the campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, says everything Adams Oshiomhole, former...

Dan Orbih, chairman of the campaign council of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Edo state, says everything Adams Oshiomhole, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), said about Osagie Ize-Iyamu in 2016 is correct.





Godwin Obaseki, governor of the state, had defeated Ize-Iyamu in the 2016 election.





The governor had contested under the APC while Ize-Iyamu was of the PDP. Oshiomhole, who was governor at the time, had de-marketed Ize-Iyamu whom he said could not be trusted.





Speaking at Igarra, headquarters of Akoko Edo local government area of the state on Monday, Orbih, who is a former chairman of the PDP in Edo, asked the people to judge Ize-Iyamu by what Oshiomhole told them in 2016.

We thank God for giving us Obaseki as our governor, he has shown good character and courage and deserves to be reelected, he said.





He believes that the people must be taken seriously, which is why he has put them before anyones selfish interest. You can see that the man Oshiomhole condemned four years ago is the same man he is parading everywhere and kneeling to beg for. No man is God. With all of you present, we say enough is enough to godfatherism in our state.





All the things Oshiomhole said about Ize-Iyamu in the last four years are correct and all the things Oshiomhole also said about Obaseki in the same year are also correct.





This is the first time we are having a governor that doesnt believe in sharing public funds. He was not elected to share the money meant for development of our state. I urge you to go on with Obaseki. There is no doubt in our minds that he is the best man for the job.




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
The guided-missile frigate Hengyang (Hull 568) and the guided-missile destroyer Wuhan (Hull 169) attached to a destroyer flotilla with the navy under the PLA Southern Theater Command steam alongside with each other during a maritime maneuver operation in waters of the South China Sea on June 18, 2020. (eng.chinnmil.com.cn/ Photo by Li Wei)

By Zhu Feng

The rapid deterioration of the China-US relations since the COVID-19 outbreak has put the Chinese and American people as well as the international community on pins and needles. The US side has stirred up a confrontation on multiple fronts and its right-wing anti-China forces are poised to launch a new Cold War. Under such circumstances, the two countries have to quickly actuate the last safety valve in their relation - to prevent any armed clashes amid the US' various military operations around China aimed at antagonism and intimidation, and to prevent military conflicts of various forms as the bilateral relationship is going through a period of profound challenges and uncertainties.

To actuate the last safety valve in China-US relations

After the COVID-19 pandemic broke out, Americas outrageous suppression of China has not only seriously disrupted the global anti-epidemic cooperation but also exposed the worlds aspiration and pursuit for peace, stability, and prosperity to a gloomy prospect never seen before in the past nearly 30 years after the end of the Cold War. The last ray of hope for preventing a final, complete China-US falling-out largely depends on the possibility of restarting dialogues between Chinese and American militaries as soon as possible.

The grim situation of the world-ravaging COVID-19 pandemic should have been a catalyst for closer China-US cooperation. Unfortunately, the political and policy elites in the US have taken the pandemic as a geo-strategic game that may tilt the China-US power structure in Chinas favor.

There are three reasons why the Trump administration has been going all out to suppress China during the pandemic.

First, Trump himself and the right-wing anti-China forces have cracked their brains to scapegoat Beijing out of political and election considerations at home. They have spared no effort in concocting the China threat theory to create an external crisis that can help bridge their domestic political divide and divert the public attention from Trumps anti-epidemic fiasco.

Second, policy elites at the White House and US Congress and strategic circle all want to leverage on the pressure stemming from the pandemic to push forward all sorts of anti-China measures, in the attempt to impose the new Cold War upon Beijing.

Third, in view of the upcoming election on November 3, the Trump administration plans to make its hardline stance and suppression against China a highlight in its diplomatic policies and make suppressing China the catchphrase to stoke public opinions, thus increasing Trumps chances of winning by taking advantage of the rising anti-China sentiments across the American society after the pandemic. As the election date is drawing near, we need to stay on high alert and take preventive steps in preparations for whatever new moves Washington may make to escalate the China-US confrontation.

Keeping China-US conflicts from going out of control on the military front

The situation in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait is in great tension at present, as the US has sent its military vessels and aircraft to waters around China for more than 2,000 times this year. Avoiding armed conflict caused by accidental vessel or aircraft collision between the two countries should now be the line of reasoning of the US. It is also a responsibility the two powers must take for the aspiration of their peoples and the international community for peace and development.

The root cause of the tension in the South China Sea and the Taiwan Strait is the current US administrations peremptory all-round suppression of China. While recognizing Trump administrations motive for its pandemic-related retaliation against China - the huge domestic political interests - and its attempt of anti-China new Cold War, we should take actions to firmly safeguard our national interests and dignity instead of dancing to the American sides tune of an eager attempt at confrontation.

Judging by experience from the Cold War rivalry between the United States and the Soviet Union, the more intense the major-country competition and confrontation, the more cautious the relevant powers should be in their military actions. The last safety valve to keep a major-country confrontation from getting out of control is that relevant parties should exercise necessary restraint and caution when their military forces are in maritime and air encounters or standoff. Fatal misjudgment of each others military and strategic intentions and radical operations should be avoided as much as possible.

As the Trump administration is desperate to pin the blame on China for its disastrous COVID-19 response and to gain more cards for the upcoming election, it is high time that the safety valve be re-actuated to manage and control the crisis in bilateral relation. Senior officers of the two militaries should restart contact and dialogue as soon as possible to reduce misjudgment between the two countries and militaries and avoid accidental friction and collision that may cause armed conflicts.

Americas top defense officials have also realized the immense potential risks behind the strategic game between Beijing and Washington. In an open speech on July 21, the US Defense Secretary Mark Esper continued to label China as a threat to the US and the free world and said in a provocation that the US military will continue to deter against Chinas coercive behavior in the South China Sea. However, he also admitted that he didnt want to see military conflicts between the two sides, instead, he hoped to visit China within the year to recover contact and dialogue between the two defense authorities. His remarks revealed some kind of reason and calm amidst the Trump administrations hardball approach toward China.

Pushing China-US mil-to-mil relations forward at the moment of crisis

As China-US relations have come to the current state, top priority has to be given to adopt timely and effective crisis-control measures on the most pressing conflicting topics, prevent the collapse of the hard-won, mutually beneficial co-existence between the two countries that has lasted half a century, and avoid armed conflicts arising from the excessive hype of confrontational subjects. Americas unjustified suppression of China will only make the Chinese nation more united in firmly safeguarding our sovereignty, security, and development interests. In the meantime, the restart of contact, dialogue, and consultation between relevant departments to substantially carry out crisis control is also where our national interests lie at such a critical juncture.

The author is the executive director of the Collaborative Innovation Center of South China Sea Studies and dean of the School of International Relations, Nanjing University. This article is originally published on huanqiu.com and translated from Chinese into English and edited by the China Military Online. The information, ideas or opinions appearing in this article do not necessarily reflect the views of eng.chinamil.com.cn.
drnadig/iStockBy ARIELLE MITROPOULOS AND BENJAMIN SIEGEL, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- Since arriving on Capitol Hill two years ago, Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., have emerged as progressive leaders in Congress, taking on President Donald Trump and working to push Democrats to the left on policy.



But this month, the founding members of the "Squad" and the first two Muslim women elected to Congress will be in an unfamiliar position: on the ballots as incumbents, looking to defend their seats from aggressive challengers claiming they have sought the national spotlight at the expense of their districts.



Tlaib's primary is taking place Tuesday, Aug. 4, while Omar's primary is taking place one week later, on Aug. 11.



In Minneapolis, Omar is facing off against Antone Melton-Meaux, a lawyer and mediator who has tried casting the Minnesota congresswoman as a "divider."



"We don't need someone going their own way, someone who's interested in Twitter fights with the president or launching her memoir. We don't need dividers or celebrities in D.C.," Melton-Meaux, who is Black, said in an interview with ABC News.



A first-time candidate, he's raised more than $3 million from around the country, including from Democrats critical of Omar -- such as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Omar's support of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement against Israel, and the comments she made last year that were criticized for allegedly being anti-Semitic and prompted a vote from the House, have translated into additional financial support for her challenger.



Much of it is coming from large donors, and from pro-Israel political action committees, including $382,000 in donations bundled by the Pro-Israel America PAC. Another group, NORPAC, has raised over $105,000 for Omar's challenger.



When asked specifically by ABC News about the support he has received from the PACs, Melton-Meaux said that the PACs are "nonpartisan organizations that have given to both Democrats and Republicans," asserting that his campaign has "strong funding because people believe in what we're doing," and that he does not feel the donations will sway any policy decisions.



However, Omar said in a statement to ABC News that she is "most concerned that the man trying to unseat me is raising money from donors to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell and the Republican-backed SuperPACs supporting him. That has no place in the 5th District."



As of June 30, Omar's campaign had raised more than $3.8 million, with approximately $1.1 million cash on hand. Omar's campaign told ABC News her donations came from grassroots movements, with her average contribution coming in at $18.



Melton-Meaux has capitalized on the controversies surrounding Omar, saying that although he voted for her in 2018 and was "hopeful that she would use her platform to do good work for the district," he has been "disappointed and dismayed and time and time again," by the Congresswoman's work.



Omar asserted that she has made it her top "priority to be in the community with Minnesotans and listen to them," holding 32 public town halls and roundtables last year, as well as "working around the clock [during the pandemic] to make sure we are getting resources directly into the hands of Minnesotans as well as our state and local government. We have brought home over $450,000 to our constituents in the form of casework and securing critical funding during the coronavirus pandemic."



Tlaib, who first made waves in Washington for vowing to "impeach the motherf-----" at a celebration hours after her swearing in, is facing Brenda Jones, the Detroit City Council president, two years after defeating her in a six-way primary by 900 votes.



"I am not interested in being a national rock star, I am interested in representing the people of the 13th Congressional District," Jones told ABC News about representing the majority Black district.



Jones had defeated Tlaib in a special election to fill the seat after Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and the dean of the House -- the longest-serving member at the time -- resigned amid sexual harassment allegations in 2017.



Jones has been endorsed by her other four 2018 primary opponents, including former state Sens. Ian Conyers and Coleman Young II, as well as other influential figures, like Rev. Wendell Anthony, the president of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP.



Tlaib has raised more than $3 million for her reelection bid -- millions more than Jones -- and said her constituents have "embraced" her style of legislating in Washington.



"My receipts don't match up with these myths that are out there," she told ABC News, pointing to her work securing funding to replace lead water pipes, and getting a bill to protect seniors from fraud signed into law by Trump. "My residents overwhelmingly have felt seen and heard."



Both congresswomen have been targeted by the president, who told Tlaib and the other members of the "Squad" -- all women of color -- to "go back" to "help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came."



Trump has particularly singled Omar during campaign rallies and events, calling her an "America-hating socialist" and a "disgrace," as well as telling his supporters in Tulsa, Oklahoma that Omar wanted to turn "our country" into her native Somalia.

"No government, no safety, no police, no nothing, just anarchy," he said. "And now, she's telling us how to run our country. No, thank you."



The racist comments were later condemned by the full House along party lines.



Despite criticism from their opponents, Omar and Tlaib have both received support from prominent Capitol Hill allies, and are backed by the other members of the "Squad": Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. All four congresswomen formed a joint fundraising committee with them earlier this summer to pool their campaign resources.



House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., have also both endorsed Omar and Tlaib.



"Ilhan is a valued and important Member of our Caucus," Pelosi said in a statement. "In her first term, Ilhan has already established herself as a leader on a host of issues -- from child nutrition to housing to U.S.-Africa relations."



Similarly, she called Tlaib a "tireless advocate" for her district, noting her efforts to secure funding to replace lead water pipes, and her legislation signed into law by Trump to protect seniors and retirees from fraud.



Tlaib, one of the House's most progressive members, who endorsed Sanders for president in the Democratic primary, said last week that she wouldn't endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for president.

"I am focused on my election," she told Newsweek.



"If the ultimate goal is to get rid of Donald Trump, that doesn't have to involve me actually endorsing Biden," she said. "My constituents don't need to be bogged down in, 'Is he the best candidate?' That's not what you have to convince my residents. They need to come out in droves and be inspired by something. And that is going to be a vote against Donald Trump."



In July, Omar announced her endorsement of Biden, alongside a cohort of prominent Muslim Americans.



In addition to Melton-Meaux, three other Democratic candidates are challenging Omar: Les Lester, John Mason and Daniel McCarthy.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
PULLMAN, Wash. - With social media use being as prevalent as ever, a new study from Washington State University's Edward R. Murrow College of Communication shows that adolescents may share marijuana-related content on social media in an effort to fit in with their peers.

Led by Murrow College Associate Professor Jessica Willoughby, this recently published study, "An Exploratory Study of Adolescents' Social Media Sharing of Marijuana-Related Content", examined the types of marijuana-related content that adolescents are posting on social media and what factors may influence adolescents' decisions to share marijuana-related content on social media.

The team of researchers surveyed 350 participants between the ages of 13-17 living in Washington state, where recreational marijuana use is legal for people 21 and older. The participants answered various questions related to their social media habits and whether they posted content relating to marijuana.

Previous research shows that young people may be exposed to a variety of marijuana-related content on social media, and this exposure may impact marijuana use. Other studies demonstrated youth and young adults' active engagement in displaying risky behaviors on social media, including marijuana use, which highlights a shared concern with the normalization of risky behaviors among young people.

"Nearly one-third of Washington adolescents we surveyed indicated that they shared marijuana-related content - primarily memes, pictures, and videos - on social media platforms such as Facebook, Snapchat, and Instagram," Willoughby said. "Even though many marijuana-related web sites require viewers to verify they are old enough to legally use the product, such verification processes are absent from social media."

"The adolescents we surveyed were also more likely to share marijuana-related social media content if they perceived their peers use marijuana and if they believed their parents would approve of them sharing such content," said Murrow College Associate Dean Stacey J.T. Hust, who is second author of the study. "In contrast, if they perceived that their parents were monitoring their behavior, in general, they were less likely to share marijuana-related content on social media.

"Essentially, adolescents who reported their parents were aware of where they were going and who they were spending time with, were less likely to share marijuana-related content," Willoughby said. "But, we didn't find an association between parents checking their adolescents' social media and the sharing of marijuana-related content."

The motives behind sharing marijuana-related content are still unclear, according to this study. As young people use social media for a variety of reasons, including to present themselves to others, it is important to gauge the risk-related messages youth display on social media and what may be associated with this sharing on social platforms.

"Overall, our findings suggest adolescents may post content that is inconsistent with their personal beliefs in a desire to conform to their peers," Hust said. This is of potential concern because young people tend to overestimate peer use and acceptance of substance use, and social media posting related to substance use may imply an intention to use substances or increase perceptions of their use.

###
PHILIPSBURG:--- The Detectives of Sint Maarten Police Force arrested a man with the initials N.J.T, on July 31st for his alleged involvement in a spree of armed robberies that have been happening in the Cole Bay and surrounding areas.

The suspect who lives in the district was arrested in the early morning hours by the detectives without incident. After the arrest, a search was conducted in the home of the suspected robber, during which several items were confiscated.

The suspect is being remanded pending further investigations.

We would like to also remind the community that the more we come together to assist the police in the combat against these crimes the faster the robber(s) can be apprehended.

KPSM Press Release.
EXCLUSIVE: Netflix is launching a virtual Emmy FYC experience  less than a week after scoring 160 nominations.

Its been a strange year for Emmy campaigning as a result of COVID-19 and as such the streamer is launching its first virtual experience to replace the physical space that it has put together for the last few years.

More from Deadline

FYSEE-360 is an immersive experience that lets Emmy voters deeper into the world of shows including The Crown, Ozark and Stranger Things. It launches later today, Monday August 3, during phase two of Emmy voting.

As voters enter the experience, available to watch on phones and computers, they will see the digital platforms 2020 nomination sizzle before they enter the AR experience, which includes Easter eggs from shows such as Ozark, via the shows Missouri Belle slot machines, and Bojack Horseman.

Nick Kroll, who voices Big Mouths Maury the Hormone Monster, guides viewers through the start of the experience.

In addition to its best drama nominees, shows present in the experience include Dead To Me, which was nominated in best comedy, as well as Hollywood, Space Force, Tiger King, Big Mouth, BoJack Horseman, Queer Eye and Jim Hensons The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance.

For The Crown, which scored 13 nominations, voters will get a tour of Buckingham Palace and walk in the footsteps Queen Elizabeth II took during for her Silver Jubilee. In Stranger Things, which secured eight nominations, voters can hang out in with the Scoops Troop at the Starcourt Mall, in Ozark, which got 18 nods, voters can enter the Missouri Belle casino, in Hollywood, theyll get a tour of Ace Studios and go on set during The Meg, in Dead To Me, theyll see the crime scene where season two begins,

Story continues

The AR move comes as all of the Hollywood studios and networks pivot to a less in-person form of campaigning.

In recent years, Netflix has held a showcase across the soundstages at Raleigh Studios, hosting industry and guild members alongside cast and creators along with a series of A-list panel sessions.

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Sign up for Deadline's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
20:07

Actor Kangana Ranaut, on the occasion of Ram Mandir bhoomi pujan , detailed about her plans to capture the entire six-century old journey of the Ram Mandir in her next directorial venture Aparajita Ayodhya.





The Queen actor, who is all set to make a film on the temple's 600-year-old journey in a recent interview noted that today's iconic moment will also be a huge episode in her directorial project.





Calling the movie as a story of 'devotion, faith and unity', the 33-year-old actor said: "In my film, there are several real Muslim characters who have fought in favour of the Ram temple. Ram Rajya is beyond religion and that's what Aparajita Ayodhya will be about."





"It's a very tough screenplay as it travels across 600 years and the Ram Mandir bhoomi pujan will very much be a part of my film. Vijayendra Sir (KV Vijayendra Prasad ) has put it together in a beautiful way. It could have been a logo launch for us today because it was a perfect day. Nevertheless, we have high hopes that we will be able to go on floors very soon. I can't wait to narrate the film to my actors," the actor added.





The upcoming movie is written by the Baahubali scriptwriter K V Vijayendra Prasad and bankrolled by her production house.





As the country witnessed Prime Minister Narendra Modi laying the foundation stone for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya today, the actor also opened up about the historic moment and expressed her pride.





"The Ram Mandir isn't just a temple, but an emotion. For me, Ayodhya is very symbolic and this journey of the last 500-600 years that we have had as a civilisation is very exciting for me.





"I want to not waste the limited time we all have and I'd rather do things that cause a shift in the way we live, we think," she said.





Ranaut further explained that now is the correct moment to introspect and act upon things that need to change within the society.





"I personally feel that this is the time for us to delve and go beyond our 'roti, kapda, makaan' needs, and see what we lack as a society and how we can revive that. For me, a temple isn't about pillars, bricks or just a structure. It's a symbol of something that our civilisation considered the highest," the Gangster actor said.





She noted, "Ram is not a God, he's Purushottam - an elevated man. He's no more but his qualities continue to live. The temple is a symbol of those qualities.





"He established Ram Rajya, which to a great extent was followed by Mahatma Gandhi and that's how he got us freedom, so his consciousness prevailed through so many great beings and continued to save us and affect our lives."





In 2019, Kangana Ranaut, for the first time, co-directed the film Manikarnika-The Queen of Jhansi in which she also played the lead. -- ANI
Tomocube has taken steps to enhance the global support available to users of its holotomography microscopes during the continuing COVID-19 pandemic with the appointment of additional distributors.

European support in the Czech Republic and Slovakia will now be offered by SVEN BioLabs s.r.o. while a new primary distributor in Japan, Shinkou Seiki Co. Ltd., will manage and expand the existing dealer network.

According to Aubrey Lambert, Tomocubes Chief Marketing Officer, I am delighted to welcome Shinkou Seiki and SVEN BioLabs to our comprehensive global network of specialist imaging companies.

Representing some of the worlds finest microscopy and imaging companies, this 26-strong group supports the sales and maintenance of Tomocubes unique holotomography microscopes in North America, Europe, and Australasia. Each has invested significantly in demonstration facilities that are at the disposal of researchers and scientists whenever the specific Covid-related guidance of individual countries allows.
Last week, the UK government announced that Shafik, the director of the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE), was made a Life Peer in the House of Lords

Egypt hailed on Tuesday the appointment of leading Egyptian-born figure Minouche Shafik to Britains upper house of parliament as a new accomplishment for Egyptian women abroad.

Last week, the UK government announced that Shafik, the director of the prestigious London School of Economics (LSE), was made a Life Peer in the House of Lords.

Egypts Emigration Minister Nabila Makram congratulated Shafik, whose first name is Neamat and is known in the UK as Minouche, on her appointment during a phone call on Tuesday, the ministry said in a statement.

The minister hailed Shafiks efforts over the past years, which have led her to this respected appointment.

The statement added that Shafik will become a baron in the House of Lords and her sons will be granted honorary titles.

During the call, Shafik expressed her pride in her Egyptian nationality, attributing her successes to her home country, whose culture and civilisation has influenced her, the ministry quoted her as saying.

Shafik has been nominated to sit in the House of Lords as a Crossbench Peer, without political party affiliation, granting her the right to directly and independently scrutinise and vote on legislation and question government policy, according to LSE.

I especially look forward to highlighting how social science and humanities have a vital role in tackling enormous challenges facing the UK and the wider world  from managing the impact of pandemics and combating climate change, to supporting economic recovery and wellbeing, Shafik said last week.

Shafiks successful portfolio includes leading roles such as Vice President of the World Bank, where she became the youngest VP in the history of the bank, and Permanent Secretary of the UK Department for International Development and Deputy Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

She also served as the Deputy Governor of the Bank of England prior to her appointment as LSE Director in 2017.

Shafik, 57, was born in Alexandria. Her childhood in Egypt was brief, as she left the country for the US when she was four. She later returned to the country briefly as a teenager, according to interviews.

She holds a BSc in economics and politics from the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and an MSc in economics at LSE before completing a PHD in economics at St Antonys College at the University of Oxford. Her doctorate thesis was on the role of the private sector and the public sector in Egypt.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:29:27|Editor: huaxia

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HARARE, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday appointed Vice President (VP) Constantino Chiwenga as new Minister of Health and Child Care.

Chiwenga takes over former minister Obadiah Moyo whom was fired by Mnangagwa last month over corruption allegations.

This means Chiwenga will double as VP and health minister.

Misheck Sibanda, the chief secretary to the president and cabinet, confirmed the appointment of Chiwenga in a statement.

Sibanda said Chiwenga's appointment was with immediate effect.

"In making this decision, His Excellency the President has noted the urgent need to stabilize, restructure and reform the national health delivery system to better cope with challenges of the global COVID-19 pandemic, and in the process, ensuring a quick turn around in national health care," Sibanda said.

Chiwenga takes charge of a ministry currently bedevilled by challenges including the ongoing strike by doctors and nurses demanding better pay, as well as shortage of equipment and drugs amid a spike in COVID-19 infections in the country.

The number of COVID-19 deaths in Zimbabwe has risen to 80 as of Tuesday. Meanwhile, the number of confirmed cases also surged to 4,075 after 154 cases, all local infections, were reported. Enditem
(Repeats to embed graphic in text)

By Tom Sims and Norma Galeana

FRANKFURT/LOS ANGELES, Aug 3 (Reuters) - - While millions of U.S. workers thrown into unemployment by the coronavirus pandemic fret about feeding their families, idled German airline purser Marco Todte is mainly concerned about his next vacation.

Todte, 41, hasn't flown for work since April. But Germany's state-subsidized "Kurzarbeit" furlough scheme and a top-up from employer Lufthansa means he is getting 90% of his regular income and has the cash to explore what few leisure options there are in an economy still emerging from lockdown.

"It is hard to go to the cinema or to go out in the evenings. I had planned on a cruise but that was cancelled," Todte complained. "Its not a question of money - more a question of what there is to do with it."

That's a problem that Juan Ruiz, a 56-year-old billing agent who lost his job at a Los Angeles forklift company in March when he contracted COVID-19, would love to have.

The failure of Congress to agree on replacing the $600-a-week extra unemployment benefit before its expiry on Friday means his family's finances are now in jeopardy.

Ruiz used his first benefit cheques to pay down his debts but still has a mortgage to cover and says the new proposal of just $200-a-week on the table when talks resume on Monday is nowhere near enough.

"We have a lot of bills, we need to pay the house, taxes, everything," Ruiz, still struggling with his breathing as a result of the disease, told Reuters at his home.

"We desperately need that help."

Nothing illustrates the contrasting economic responses of the United States and Europe to the pandemic more clearly than how they are dealing with the devastation it has brought to their jobs markets.

The extra U.S. weekly benefit was an attempt to cushion the short-term blow to households as over 30 million people became jobless. It is based on the assumption that they will be able to return to the workforce as soon as the economy recovers.

Story continues

The European approach, building on schemes like "Kurzarbeit" already in existence, has been to use costly state subsidies to keep workers on company payrolls with wages near regular levels even when they work part-time or not at all.

At the most generous end of the spectrum, the Dutch "NOW" programme retains workers on 100% of their income even when they work zero hours. For those laid off, the baseline Dutch dole programme is worth around $1,000 a month.

WHEN TO WIND DOWN?

Advocates of furloughs argue that, by maintaining the link between worker and employer, they make it easier for a company to ramp up activity quickly when demand returns.

Critics say they keep many non-viable jobs alive when it would be better for them to be replaced by new positions in healthier sectors.

The recent resurgence of new coronavirus cases in the United States and Europe has raised fresh questions about the timing of any recovery and how long either approach can be maintained.

But for now, it is clear the European way is alleviating more pain.

By the end of May, an estimated 45 million workers in Britain and the four largest euro zone economies - Germany, France, Italy and Spain - were registered in furlough schemes. For the euro zone, that has kept the jobless rate at just under 8%, barely a point higher than its pre-lockdown level.

That approach has been lauded by the European Central Bank (ECB) for supporting consumer morale and buffering household income, seen by many economists as key to the recovery.

Data on Friday showed French consumer spending for example shot back to its pre-pandemic level in June even as the overall economy shrank by 13.8% in the second quarter. Consumer morale in Germany is also strong.

"(The system) stabilizes the income of households so that they still consume," said Sebastian Link, labour expert at the Ifo economic institute, which estimates some 42% of German firms still had workers on Kurzarbeit in July.

June data show consumer spending in the United States has held up but households have had to bite into savings as income levels have fallen. The wealth squeeze will only get worse if the expiring jobless benefit is not replaced.

While the immediate challenge for U.S. policymakers is to come up with new support to ensure millions are not thrown into poverty, European governments face hard questions about how long they can sustain their furloughs.

Britain is planning from October to wind down its scheme, which has supported 9.5 million jobs at a cost of $41 billion so far, despite predictions that would cause unemployment to more than double to 10% by year-end.

Brian Coulton, chief economist at Fitch Ratings, said he expected other job subsidy schemes across Europe to be removed gradually, with the timing dependent on a recovery which in turn could be threatened by future spikes in infections.

"A lot of it was predicated on this being short-term. If the recovery process is slower then it becomes tricky," he said.

(Reporting by Tom Sims and Norma Galeana; Additional reporting by Toby Sterling in Amsterdam; Writing and additional reporting by Mark John in London; Editing by Hugh Lawson)
Moms United for Black Lives Matter march up Salmon Street in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland on July 31, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Portland Rioters Using Coordinated Tactics to Launch Laser Attacks on Federal Officers

Powerful commercial-grade lasers have been used by rioters to hurt more than 100 law enforcement officers protecting the federal courthouse in Portland in recent days, according to Department of Homeland Security (DHS) senior official Ken Cuccinelli.

Weve had more eye injuries from lasers  these are commercially available that you are seeing used now in Portland to a degree that we have never seen before, Cuccinelli told the Senate Judiciary Committees subcommittee on the Constitution Tuesday during a hearing on Antifa violence in recent months.

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) is chairman of the panel, while Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) is the ranking minority member. The hearing was entitled The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble: Protecting Speech by Stopping Anarchist Violence.

Weve had more eye injuries than I can ever remember among our officers in another incident, Cuccinelli continued. Of all our injuries, eyes are number one, 113 out of 277 injuries to DHS officers in Portland.

Cuccinelli is performing the duties of the Deputy Secretary of DHS in an acting capacity.

The DHS official testified that the commercial grade lasers are able to inflict serious eye injuries within seconds, due in part to the human eye seeing green much more intensely than other parts of the color spectrum.

Your eye, the human eye, sees the green part of the spectrum more brightly than, say, red, something like 10 times brighter, Cuccinelli explained.

The body has about a .02 second look-away reaction and one of the challenges is, if you are not looking at the person who is assaulting you with the laser, you cant figure out who is performing the assault, he said.

Officers are often assaulted simultaneously by multiple rioters using the lasers in a clearly coordinated manner, he said. Such assaults are much more difficult for officers to defend themselves against.

This is sort of the Portland formula. There is peaceful protesting until 10 or 11 pm, and then they go away and maybe some of them come back, but the group that comes back is, A, much bigger, but also, they come back for violence, Cuccinelli told the panel.

Also testifying before the panel was Erin Neeley Cox, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas and co-head of the Department of Justice (DOJ) Task Force on Violent Anti-Government Extremists.

In response to a question from Cruz, Cox said the FBI has launched since May 28, over 300 domestic terrorist investigations. That does not include any potential civil rights violations investigations, or violent crime associated with the riots.

Also scheduled to testify during the hearing was journalist Any Ngo, who has covered Antifas growth and activities since 2016. He came to national attention last year when he was physically assaulted by multiple Antifa members while covering demonstrations in Portland. Ngo told the subcommittee during his opening remarks that his family has received multiple threats of violence from members of Antifa.

During his opening statement, Cruz showed a brief video that contrasted peaceful demonstrations led by the Rev. Martin Luther King during the civil rights movement with a succession of violent scenes from the Portland riots that have been nightly occurrences for more than two months, as well as somewhat less regularly for more than a year before the present destruction.

Democrats on the panel offered few specific condemnations of the Portland rioters.

Nobody is condoning violence by any one against any one, Hirono said in her opening statement, but she devoted the majority of her comments to her contention that white supremacists were mainly responsible for the violence in Minneapolis following the May 25 killing of George Floyd by a local police officer, while accusing federal agents of using violence and excessive force to break up these protests.

Hirono accused Attorney General William Barr of directing federal law enforcement to use violent tactics in June to clear Lafayette Square  so President Trump could get a photo opp in front of St. Johns Church.

Protestors had set fire to the historic church near the White House, which has been visited by nearly every president following his inauguration.

President Trump has ignored factual evidence showing that white supremacists have hijacked peaceful protests to incite violence and to stoke racial conflict such as in Minneapolis, Hirono said.

A spokesman for Hirono did not respond to an emailed request from the Epoch Times for clarification on whether the Hawaii Democrat was suggesting that white supremacists were behind the nightly violence in Portland, or the illegal takeover of the Capitol Hill area of downtown Seattle, or of violence in other cities like St. Louis.
Elderly Australians are more concerned about the impact of a recession than their health during the pandemic, an industry expert has revealed.

Younger Australians are comparatively more worried about their personal well-being than those aged over 75, despite being most at risk of serious illness from COVID-19.

Analysis by consulting firm McKinsey showed 59 per cent of those aged over 75 were 'very or extremely' concerned about the economy during the coronavirus pandemic.

The periodic survey of about 800 people since April also revealed only 18 per cent of the age group had a similar level of concern for their health, and eight per cent had been 'emotionally affected'.

An analysis by consulting firm McKinsey showed 59 per cent of those aged over 75 were 'very or extremely' concerned about the economy during the coronavirus pandemic. Pictured: An elderly man walking while being socially distanced in Melbourne

About 40 per cent of Australians from 25 to 44 years were on the other hand 'very or extremely' concerned about their health during the pandemic, with about half saying they had been 'emotionally affected'. Pictured: A young woman running in Melbourne

The results are a reflection of the Australian economy heading into its first recession in 29 years as coronavirus shutdowns spark the largest downturn since the 1930s Great Depression.

McKinsey's findings come as Victoria enters a six-week Stage 4 lockdown as it battles the spread of COVID-19.

Residents have to abide by an 8pm curfew and only leave the house for four reasons, to shop for essential goods, provide care, exercise and study or work.

'Since the start of COVID-19, concern over the economy has been higher than worry over health - especially over personal health,' McKinsey said of its survey, The Australian reported.

About 40 per cent of Australians from aged between 25 and 44 were on the other hand 'very or extremely' concerned about their health during the pandemic, the analysis stated, with about half saying they had been 'emotionally affected'.

Younger Australians are comparatively more worried about their personal well-being than those aged over 75 - despite being most at risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Pictured: An elderly woman with COVID-19 being transported from an aged care facility to hospital

McKinsey's findings come as Victoria enters a six-week by Stage 4 lockdown as it battles the spread of COVID-19

The streets of Melbourne (pictured) have turned into a ghost town, with no signs of people or movement as the city enters its Stage 4 lockdown

This is despite the fact younger Australians, who do not have any underlying issues or have been in close contact with a COVID-19 positive case, are considered low risk for contracting the coronavirus.

About 85 per cent of Australians expect the economy to stagnate or fall into a recession, it also showed, compared to 65 per cent of those surveyed in the United States and 70 per cent in New Zealand.

'Australians have expressed more concern over the economy than citizens in NZ, the US and China from the start of the crisis,' McKinsey said in its survey, The Australian reported.

The number of respondents concerned about 'public health' fell from 60 to 36 per cent from early April to late June as well.

Those worried about the Australian economy sat about 60 per cent.

About 85 per cent of Australians expect the economy to stagnate or fall into a recession, it also showed, compared to 65 per cent of those surveyed in the United States and 70 per cent in New Zealand. Pictured: A Melbourne shop shut as the city enters a six week lockdown

About 85 per cent of Australians expect the economy to stagnate or fall into a recession, it also showed, compared to 65 per cent of those surveyed in the United States and 70 per cent in New Zealand. Pictured: A woman abiding by the rules in Melbourne, where every resident must wear a mask while out for the next six weeks

The analysis also follows a growing concern for Australians returning to work despite being eligible for the Federal Government's new pandemic leave and needing to get tested or isolate.

Australian Council of Trade Unions (ACTU) president Michele O'Neil told Sunrise on Tuesday the $1,500 fortnightly payment was a 'good start' but not a strong enough incentive for those needing to stay home but earn more.

This could see cash-strapped Australians return to work before the recommended 14-day isolation period after getting tested is up.

'We want it to work like sick leave so there's no disincentive,' she told Sunrise.

'If you need to stop work, get tested and isolate, you should get your normal pay and the government should reimburse the business.

'Because we have one in three workers in Australia that don't have access to paid leave including sick leave and others who have used up all of their leave, it' a huge risk.'
By PTI

COLOMBO: Sri Lanka's ruling party led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa is assured of a sweeping victory in the twice-postponed general election on Wednesday as the main Opposition is 'badly divided,' according to Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) senior leader Basil Rajapaksa.

'The oldest party, (United National Party), is badly divided and they would be soundly defeated, Basil, the main organiser of the party led by his eldest brother Mahinda, told reporters on Sunday as the public campaign ended.

'The UNP would only finish fourth in certain areas, they can't even be the second in other areas, he said.

He said that the entire Opposition would poll less than half of the SLPPs total votes.

However, he said that the ruling party is expected to finish short of its target of 150 seats in the 225-member Parliament.

"We will get about 130 seats and we have other allies who would also win seats, Basil said, exuding confidence on the outcome of the election outcome.

"We will record a sweeping victory at the election and our opponent will not be able to muster even half our votes, Basil said.

He said the Tamil National Alliance will win three districts and the SLPP will win the rest of the districts at the election. He said all action will be taken to realise peoples aspirations.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa accepted a country with negative economic growth. The president requires a strong Parliament to steer the country on a right track, he said.

He said the people have already endorsed the government policy framework Vision for Prosperity and all other election manifestos have been rejected.

The SLPP is against racism and extremism and it will never work against a race or religion. We are ready to work with all parties, he said.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksas goal was securing 150 seats when he called elections six months ahead of schedule.

Gotabaya on March 2 dissolved Parliament and called for snap polls on April 25. However, the election was postponed twice due to the coronavirus pandemic in the island nation.

The SLPP is targeting 150 seats to repeal the 19th Amendment to the Constitution which has curbed the presidential powers while strengthening Parliament.

While analysts point to the 19A as a positive development as it had brought in checks and balances to the presidential system, the Rajapaksas see it as an impediment to exercising power.

The main Opposition UNP has suffered a debilitating setback with its former presidential candidate and deputy leader Sajith Premadasa forming his own party Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB).

The SJB is expected to win more seats as they are being boosted by the UNPs traditional minority Muslim and Tamil allies.

The beleaguered UNP leader and former prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe is battling to save his party from a disastrous outcome.

He has been making emotional appeals to the traditional UNP voters not to switch sides.

Wickremesinghe has urged the public to vote wisely as economic woes could worsen if the wrong government is elected at the poll.

The vote that you cast within the next few days will determine to which extent you would be able to save your money, Wickremesinghe said on Saturday.

He said that at least a million people are likely to lose their jobs due to this economic impact.

He pointed out that it is against such a backdrop that the government is seeking a mandate to amend the 19th Amendment to change the system of independent commissions.

The campaign deadline ended on Sunday with the polls due to open on Wednesday at 7 AM local time.

Over 16 million people are eligible to exercise their franchise in the general election that will elect 225 lawmakers for the next five years.

The polls would be held under strict COVID-19 health guidelines.

Mahinda Deshapriya, the Chair of the Elections Commission, has said that there is no threat of the coronavirus at polling centres.

'Voters can cast their vote without any fear during the poll,' he said.

'Bring your own pen if you can, dont be afraid to come out and vote. We will guarantee that you would not go back infected with coronavirus after voting, he said.

The COVID-19 pandemic which forced the postponement of the polls date twice has also resulted in a change to the votes counting.

The counting would take place only on the following morning - a departure from the practice of counting them from 8 pm on the election night.

The decision was taken to comply with the health guidelines to maintain social distancing and employ other COVID-19 preventive measures.

Sri Lankas coronavirus tally currently stands at 2,816 with 11 deaths.
A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.

(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

A devastating explosion rocked Beirut, the capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday.

The cause of the blast is being investigated, but a senior Lebanese intelligence official said that he suspects that confiscated high-explosive materials stored at the port where the explosion occurred are to blame.

The country's health ministry says that at least 78 people are dead and more than 4,000 people are injured.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A huge explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut Tuesday caused widespread devastation. The number of casualties and the full extent of the damage are still emerging.

Early state media reporting said the blast followed the outbreak of a fire at a fireworks storage facility at the local port, but the director of Lebanese intelligence pointed to highly-explosive materials that had been confiscated and stored in the area.

The exact cause of the terrible blast, which was captured on video, is under investigation.

The following photos, some of which are GRAPHIC, show the situation on the ground in Beirut.

An orange-red cloud lingered over the blast site shortly after the explosion.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion in Beirut on August 4, 2020.

Photo by ANWAR AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

The blast caused widespread destruction well beyond the port where the explosion occurred.

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut.

Photo by IBRAHIM AMRO/AFP via Getty Images

The blast, which was felt miles away, severely damaged buildings, blowing out windows and doors and collapsing ceilings.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020

Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

A reporter for The Independent who was in the area said the shock wave from the blast "literally pushed us [to] fall to our knees."

Emergency workers rushed onto the scene to attend to the wounded, as well as to battle fires in the wake of the explosion.

Story continues

Firefighter douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.

Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

Fires could be seen burning at the port into the evening.

A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.

(Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

A New York Times reporter shared what she described as "terrifying" footage of the streets of Beirut on social media.

Lebanon's health minister said that at least 78 people were killed in the explosion.

People carry a wounded man after an explosion at the Port of Beirut.

Photo by Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

He added that more than 4,000 people have been injured.

An injured man is treated after a large explosion on August 4, 2020 in Beirut, Lebanon

(Photo by Daniel Carde/Getty Images

Source: The New York Times

Local media reports have said that hospitals have been overwhelmed by the high number of casualties.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut on August 4, 2020.

Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

The country's prime minister has declared Wednesday a national day of mourning in response to Tuesday's tragedy.

A helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4, 2020..

Photo by STR / AFP) (Photo by STR/AFP via Getty Images

US President Donald Trump suggested the explosion may have been an "attack," angering Lebanese officials who say there is no evidence to support the claim.

This picture taken on August 4, 2020 shows a general view of destruction in the Gemmayzeh area in the centre of Lebanon's capital Beirut.

AFP via Getty Images

Read the original article on Business Insider
A BSF jawan allegedly shot dead two of his colleagues in West Bengal's North Dinajpur district on Tuesday morning, officials said.

BSF Constable Uttam Sutradhar shot dead Battalion Commandant Mahendra Singh Bhatti and Constable Anuj Kumar following a scuffle, police said.

The incident took place in Bhatun village near the India-Bangladesh border in Raiganj police station area, they said.

The two personnel were declared brought dead when taken to a local hospital "After shooting his colleagues, Sutradhar surrendered before his senior. He is now in police custody. He had a quarrel with the duo over some issue. We have started an investigation into it," a senior district police officer said.

According to sources in the Border Security Force (BSF), an internal probe has also been ordered into the incident.

READ | COVID-19: 13 BSF Personnel, 21 Jail Inmates In 245 New Cases In Chhattisgarh

READ | BSF Constable, Two Others Held By Pb Police In Cross-border Drugs, Arms Smuggling Racket
A BJP sarpanch was critically injured in an attack by militants Tuesday night in South Kashmirs Kulgam district, police said.

Police said militants attacked sarpanch Arif Ahmad at Akhran .

Inspector General of Police Kashmir, Vijay Kumar said that terrorists fired up on Ahmad.

He was shifted to a hospital in Qazigund. He had a firearm injury in his neck and his condition is critical.

BJP spokesman Altaf Thakur also confirmed the attack. He (Arif) was targeted by the militants inside his house and has been shifted to hospital for treatment.

This is the second targeted attack on BJP leaders in Kashmir in the last one month. Last month, former BJP district president Waseem Bari, his father and brother were killed inside their shop after militants fired on them from close range. Bari had a 10-member police security and all of them were suspended and arrested because they were not with him when he was attacked.

In June, Congress sarpanch Ajay Kumar Pandita was killed outside his house at Lokbhawan in Anantnag district.

On Tuesday, militants also attacked a police party at Wanpora area which falls on the border of Pulwama and Budgam districts. Two policemen were injured in the attack.

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"I know that North Carolinians have had to dig deep in recent months to tap into our strength and resilience during the pandemic, and that hasn't been easy," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) said at a Monday afternoon news conference. "But with this storm on the way, we have to dig a little deeper. Let's keep each other safe from the wind and the water, as well as from the virus."
By Express News Service

RAIPUR: A 24-year-old Maoist, who carried a reward of Rs one lakh on his head, surrendered before the police and a few hours later assisted the forces to uncover two improvised explosive devices (IED) in the strife-torn Dantewada district, the police said on Tuesday.

The IEDs were planted to target the forces out on the operations, Guddi Karma, the surrendered Maoist, revealed.

As many as 10 cases on various Naxal-related incidents were registered against Karma, who surrendered during the Lon Varatu campaign at the behest of the tribal villagers. Hours later he took the police to the spots where the Maoists had planted two IEDs of 10 kg and 3 kg. Later, the bombs were diffused, said Abhishek Pallava, Dantewada SP.

To add impetus to the ongoing anti-Naxal campaign Lon Varatu (return to your home/village) has been launched by the Chhattisgarh Police in an edgy district of Dantewada in June this year.
Jammu:

Police is probing if Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) was responsible for Tuesdays terror attack on an army camp in Nagrota, that left 7 officers and jawans dead, after a note written in Urdu bearing the name of JeMs Afzal Guru Squad (AGS) recovered from three slain terrorists, a senior official said on Wednesday.

We are working on these links. We are going into all details, and investigation has started (into the links of JeM with Nagrota terror attack after recovery of notes in Urdu), Director General Of Police (DGP) K Rajendra Kumar told PTI on Wednesdays night.

Let us first complete the probe then we will able to say anything on it, he added.

According to reports, a note, along with three AK-47 rifles, magazines and UBGL grenades, was recovered from the site of attack, points to the involvement of JeMs Afzal Guru Squad.

The note, written in Urdu with name bearing at the end of AGS of JeM, says that they have avenged the death of Guru.

The recovered explosives were being disposed off by controlled explosions.

JeM have named a squad after Afzal Guru to target security forces in India last year.

It was first exposed in November last year, when Indian Army repulsed a major fidayeen (suicidal) attack on its Gorkha Rifles (GR) camp near the Line of Control (LoC) in Tangdhar and recovered bags with Afzal Guru Squad markings.

Gurus name also cropped up in Pathankot when Rajesh Verma, who was abducted along with Gurdaspur Superintendent of Police told reporters that the militants had told him that they wanted to avenge the death of 2001 Parliament attack convict.

The DGP further said that security agencies were probing if the group came from International Border (IB) and was part of a group of three militants killed at the border in Ramgarh sector in Samba on Tuesday.

We have visited Ramgarh in this direction, Kumar said.

Jammu was rocked by two terror attacks on Tuesday in which seven army personnel, including two Major-rank officers, were killed and eight other security-men, including a BSF DIG, were injured before six heavily-armed terrorists were killed in separate encounters.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Princess Diana's niece Lady Amelia Spencer has gushed over her engagement to long-term boyfriend Greg Mallett when sharing a romantic picture on Instagram.

The society beauty, 28, who is the daughter of Earl Spencer and first cousin of Princes William and Harry, shared a sweet sunlit photo of herself and her real estate beau sharing a kiss on her private social media account, according to Hello!.

'I can't wait to marry you,' she captioned the affectionate snap.

It comes after Amelia's father Charles Spencer, the younger brother of the late Princess of Wales, revealed that Greg had asked for his blessing before proposing in South Africa.

Princess Diana's niece Lady Amelia Spencer has gushed over her engagement to long-term boyfriend Greg Mallett (pictured together) when sharing a romantic picture on Instagram

The society beauty (pictured with Greg), 28, who is the daughter of Earl Spencer and first cousin of Princes William and Harry, shared a sweet sunlit photo of herself and her real estate beau sharing a kiss on her private social media account, according to Hello!

It comes after Amelia's father Charles Spencer, the younger brother of the late Princess of Wales, revealed on Twitter (above) that Greg had asked for his blessing before proposing in South Africa

Taking to Twitter last week, he said: 'So happy for my daughter, Amelia, engaged to her boyfriend of 11 years, Greg - its wonderful to hear them both so excited about their future.

'Sending them both love, and every good wish for their life together. I love that Greg asked my blessing before proposing. Very sweet.'

Amelia met her real estate beau of 11 years while they were both studying at the University of Cape Town.

The society beauty met her real estate beau while they were both studying at the University of Cape Town. Pictured after getting engaged

Announcing their engagement, Greg (pictured with Amelia), 30, posted on Instagram last week that he'd popped the question to his girlfriend on the previous Wednesday, sharing sweet photos of them both from Clouds Wine & Guest Estate in Stellenbosch

Announcing their engagement, Greg, 30, posted on Instagram last week that he'd popped the question to Amelia on the previous Wednesday, sharing sweet photos of them both from Clouds Wine & Guest Estate in Stellenbosch.

He captioned the images: 'So this was the best day of my life. 22nd of July 2020, I asked the love of my life to spend the rest of her life with me and she said YES. Couldn't be happier and I love you with all my heart @ameliaspencer15.'

Dozens of people shared their good wishes on the post, including Amelia's sister Lady Kitty Spencer who wrote: 'BROTHER-TO-BE!!!! Happiest times ahead!'

Days earlier Greg celebrated his 30th birthday with a group of friends in Stanford in the Western Cape of South Africa.

In his post, pictured, Greg admitted that he 'couldn't be happier' and loves his fiancee Amelia 'with all my heart'

Dozens of people shared their good wishes on the post, including Amelia's sister Lady Kitty Spencer who wrote: 'BROTHER-TO-BE!!!! Happiest times ahead!'

Sisters (lef to right) Lady Amelia, Lady Eliza and Lady Kitty Spencer attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011

In the series of photos he shared to reveal his engagement, Amelia is seen showing off her dazzling oval diamond ring while the couple kiss and embrace.

Lady Amelia, whose first name is actually Katya, and her twin sister Eliza grew up in the Constantia area of Cape Town with siblings Kitty and Louis.

The three sisters attended the wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton at Westminster Abbey in 2011.

While Lady Kitty, Louis and Lady Eliza were present at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's nuptials in May 2018, Amelia was missing.

Amelia is the latest Spencer sister to get engaged, after it was reported earlier this year that Lady Kitty is engaged to her 60-year-old beau, multi-millionaire Michael Lewis.

Greg is well-known by the Spencer clan and is already considered to be part of the family.
Tech Coast Angels (TCA) today announced that it invested $9.7 million into 21 new companies and 10 existing companies from the period of January to June 2020. Despite the global pandemic and economic crisis, TCA members continue to invest at a near-record pace30% short of 2019s record, yet still 33% higher than 1H 2018 and greater than every other year since TCAs inception in 1997. This pace is higher than during previous economic cycles, which normally elicit a steeper decline at this point.

Life sciences represented nearly half (48%) of TCA investments for the first half of 2020, with hardware, software, cleantech/industrials, consumer internet, and consumer products making up the remainder. The average investment per company was $312,000. This compares to $360,000 in all of 2019 and $203,000 in all of 2018.

Valuations have started to decline, and are expected to be lower going forward, according to a survey of TCA members: 2020 median valuation has dropped 6% from 2019, and 78% of TCA members expect valuations to diminish in the near future. Only 4% expect valuations to rise, and 17% stay the same; 39% expect 10-20% drop, 29% expect 20-30% drop and 11% expect more than a 30% drop. Entrepreneurs should be realistic about valuation in order to secure adequate funding to get through this economic crisis.

The current economic climate has caused some reluctance from nearly a quarter of TCA members who invested in 2019. So far in 2020, only 76% of TCA members who invested in 2019 have invested in the first half of 2020, and these 24% of members on the sidelines is contributing to lower direct member investment in 2020. However, individual chapter funds had a positive impact to 1H 2020s investment amount: San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles networks annual funds, and TCAs ACE Fund, totaled $3.5 million, representing 36% of the 1H amountup from 15% in 2019. The growing role of these funds demonstrates the importance of bringing capital to bear quickly to shorten the funding cycle. Twenty-two (22) of the 31 companies received fund investment in addition to direct member investment.

While our members are still seeking new and follow-on investments, a survey we just completed says that interest is trending slightly towards new investments, said Sergio Gurrieri, chairman of TCA. Early-stage companies applying for funding must be realistic about valuation going forward, in order to secure funding and survive these economic and health concerns.

New companies added to TCAs Portfolio in 1H 2020:



Abintus Bio: in vivo CART products that directly reprogram immune cells

AgTools Inc: food supply SaaS platform offering real-time intelligence

Aligned Carbon: Manufacturable carbon nanotubes for integrated circuit foundries

Blackdot: world's first automatic tattoo machine

Blue Social: first Bluetooth Market Network

BlueNalu: pioneering the category of sustainable cell-based seafood

Eyedaptic: development of visually assistive Augmented Reality solutions

Fitplan: interactive fitness training app with workouts of top fitness influencers and athletes

Gali Health: breakthrough approach to treat severe inflammatory and autoimmune conditions

Hawthorne Effect: makes follow-up visits more accessible for patients

iDentical: leveraging 3D technology for drill-free dental implant

Insight Medical: computer assisted surgery in orthopedic procedures

Labviva: AI driven purchasing platform for scientific products in life science market

Maxwell Biomedical: Defibrillation for restoration of sinus rhythm in patients with arrhythmia

Noria Water Technologies: membrane monitor for operational efficiency of water treatment plants

PetDx: non-invasive liquid biopsy tests for cancer in pets

Razberi Technologies: cybersecure video surveillance and IoT systems on the "edge'

Recess: live events online marketplace

Strategikon Pharma: SAAS for end- to- end management of clinical business operations

Terecircuits: novel circuit fabrication and assembly technique

Upcycle and Company: Fertilizer engineered with upcycled waste materials

Existing TCA Portfolio companies receiving follow-on funds in 1H 2020:

Advekit: marketplace that matches patients with mental health professionals

GroupSolver: intelligent survey software combines machine learning & crowd intelligence

Habitu8: understand, benchmark, and shape risky employee behaviors

Neural Analytics: non-invasively measure intracranial pressure

Nevados: solar ground installations that are faster to install and less expensive

Ready, Set, Food!: protect babies from developing peanut, egg and milk allergies

Somabar: hands-free bartending appliance for the home kitchen

Turn Technologies: solutions for the 1099 labor supply side of the gig economy

Whistle: allows hotels to communicate with guests through Mobile Messaging and SMS

YouMail: voice messaging for cell phones

TCA continues to be a vital source of capital for the entrepreneurial ecosystem, even in this time of uncertainty, concluded Mr. Gurrieri. In fact, most of the Fund investment was committed within 30 days of screening, helping solidify TCA as the best place for the best companies to raise their seed capital. Our members are honored to continue sharing their experience and capital to support, mentor, and invest in excellent early-stage companies that will provide a strong foundation for a strong future economy.

About Tech Coast Angels:

Tech Coast Angels (TCA) is one of the largest and most active angel investor networks in the nation, and a leading source of funding for seed-stage and early-stage companies. The angel network is comprised of five chapters, consisting of over 450 members in Southern California. Every TCA member is an accredited investor, and companies in which TCA invest go through well-structured, transparent, time-efficient screening and due diligence. TCA members are founders and business leaders who have extensive knowledge in the investment process and world-class business practices, and thus are able to provide companies with more than just capital: they also contribute counsel, mentoring and access to an extensive network of investors, customers, strategic partners and management.

Since its founding in 1997, TCA has invested over $240 million in more than 435 companies and has helped attract more than $1.6 billion in additional capital/follow-on rounds. http://www.techcoastangels.com.

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Pune Collector Naval Kishore Ram has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on Tuesday.

Ram is a 2008 batch IAS officer of Maharashtra cadre.

He has been appointed as Deputy Secretary, for a period of four years, it said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The government has insisted Sadiq Khan should have known about its plans for a potential London lockdown two weeks ago. (AP, Pool/PA)

Sadiq Khan should have known the government wanted to use the M25 as a quarantine barrier for London weeks ago, a senior government source has said.

The Times reported that Boris Johnson has war-gamed scenarios to keep the coronavirus spread under control if a second wave were to hit.

Among the concepts run through last week was the idea of implementing some form of lockdown for London, with the M25 used as the boundary, according to the report.

It could leave people inside the motorway under restrictions with the rest of England beyond it potentially under different rules.

Mayor of London Khan has said he was surprised at the news and warned the government about riding roughshod over democratically-elected representatives.

Sky News reported that a senior government source hit back at the mayor, saying: We published details of new local lockdown powers two weeks ago with those details in.

They were widely reported at the time and if the mayor of London had been paying attention he would have noticed.

Boris Johnson did announce in mid-July that the government will be able to use localised stay at home orders.

The government reportedly considered using the M25 as a local lockdown boundary for London. (PA Images)

He said ministers would also be able to stop people entering or leaving a defined area, reduce the maximum size of gatherings and implement restrictions on transport systems.

However, Khan said the first he heard of the M25 being used to seal off London was in the media.

A letter sent to Johnson from Khan and chair of London Councils, Peter John, said: It is with great surprise that we read in the Sunday papers that government held a critical exercise last week in which a major resurgence in COVID-19 infections in London was a central scenario.

According to media reports, the plans included using the M25 as a quarantine ring  effectively sealing off the city.

Our surprise is that such far-reaching contingency plans have been discussed and tested without the involvement or awareness of Londons government.

This is clearly totally unacceptable and an affront to London and Londoners.

Story continues

Its clearly totally unacceptable to London and Londoners that such far-reaching contingency plans have been discussed and tested without the involvement or awareness of Londons government.



Excluding local leaders in this way wont help us control the virus and must stop now. https://t.co/CXmPwU8PMM  Sadiq Khan (@SadiqKhan) August 3, 2020

The prime ministers official spokesman said the steps, set out as part of its contain strategy, were not a new thing.

But, to be clear, its not something that is specific to London or anywhere else, he added.
T hree men stranded on a tiny Pacific island have been saved after rescuers spotted their SOS message in the sand.

The men had been missing in the Micronesia archipelago for nearly three days after they strayed off course and their boat ran out of fuel.

They were found on the uninhabited island of Pikelot on Sunday by Australian and US aircraft who saw their makeshift distress call.

All were in a "good condition" with no major injuries, the Australian Defence Force (ADF) said.

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The trio had set out from Pulawat atoll on July 30 and had intended to travel about 25 miles to Pulap atoll when they veered off course.

A helicopter was sent to the remote island after the mens SOS was spotted from the air / Australian Defence Force/AFP via

The men were found about 120 miles from where they had set off.

Authorities in the nearby US territory of Guam initiated the search after the men failed to complete their intended trip.

They were then joined by members of the Australian military who diverted their trip home from naval exercises in Hawaii to help out with the efforts.

A helicopter from HMAS Canberra was sent to the remote island after the mens SOS was spotted from the air.

The crew gave the men food and water before a Micronesian patrol boat carried them back to safety.

Micronesia consists of some 600 tiny islands scattered over the vast expanse of the western Pacific ocean.
Amazon Studios has ordered a second season of conspiracy thriller Hunters.

Created by David Weil and executive produced by Jordan Peele, the series stars Al Pacino, Logan Lerman, and Jerrika Hinton.

I am beyond grateful to Jen and the Amazon family for their continued extraordinary support of Hunters, said Weil. Alongside our magnificent cast, incredible crew, and brilliant writers and producers, I am more eager than ever to share the next chapter of the Hunters saga with the world.

With Hunters, David Weils bold vision and fearless imagination powered a thrilling, twisty, action-packed first season that engaged Prime Video customers around the world, said Jennifer Salke, Head of Amazon Studios, We are thrilled that David, Jordan and the Hunters will be back with us for more.

The debut season of Hunters followed a diverse band of Nazi hunters living in 1977 New York City. The Hunters, as theyre known, have discovered that hundreds of high-ranking Nazi officials are living among us and conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in the United States. The series also stars Josh Radnor, Kate Mulvany, Tiffany Boone, Greg Austin, Louis Ozawa, Carol Kane, Saul Rubinek, Dylan Baker and Lena Olin. Season one of Hunters, produced by Amazon Studios, Peeles Monkeypaw Productions and Sonar Entertainment, was executive produced by David Weil who served as co-showrunner alongside executive producer Nikki Toscano. Alfonso Gomez-Rejon directed the pilot and was an executive producer alongside Win Rosenfeld from Monkeypaw Productions; Nelson McCormick; and David Ellender from Sonar Entertainment.
Chicago Public Schools is expected to announce as soon as Wednesday an all-remote learning plan to start the school year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a move that could avert a potential Chicago Teachers Union strike, sources said.

The switch to an all-remote learning plan could come as CTU leaders are planning to convene the organizations House of Delegates next week and consider a process that eventually could lead to a strike if CPS doesnt agree to start the school year with full remote learning, sources said Tuesday.

Earlier in the day, Chicago officials added Puerto Rico to the citys stay-at-home list for travelers, meaning people coming into the city from there should remain quarantined indoors for two weeks when they arrive. Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady also announced that households and social gatherings are overtaking congregate settings such as nursing homes and the Cook County Jail as the most dangerous situations.

Meanwhile, Illinois health officials on Tuesday reported 1,471 new known cases and 19 additional fatalities, including a teenager in Cook County. The total number of known infections in Illinois now stands at 184,712 and the statewide death toll is 7,545.

Heres whats happening Tuesday with COVID-19 in the Chicago area and Illinois:

8:09 p.m. (update): Puerto Rico added to Chicagos travel list as city health commissioner warns of coronavirus spread at households, social gatherings

Chicago officials added Puerto Rico to its stay-at-home list for travelers Tuesday, meaning people coming into the city from there should remain quarantined indoors for two weeks when they arrive.

Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady announced Puerto Rico will join 22 states on the travel list this Friday as she also warned of a shift in the way COVID-19 is being transmitted in Chicago.

Households and social gatherings are overtaking congregate settings such as nursing homes and the Cook County Jail as the most dangerous situations, Arwady said.

To underscore the danger of contracting the disease at a party, Arwady recounted a story she said a contract tracer heard about a woman attending her mothers birthday party, along with her son, daughter, sister and niece.

Everyone tested positive after getting together at the event, Arwady said.

Arwady said households are now 10 times the risk of any other exposures, and recounted a series of anecdotes about Chicagoans attending social gatherings where they and others were lax about wearing masks and social distancing, then came down with the virus.

Read more here. John Byrne

6:58 p.m.: Wisconsin-based Epic Systems ordering its 9,000-plus workers back to the office, though some workers fear untold deaths

Epic Systems is requiring its 9,000-plus employees to return to work in person at its sprawling campus outside of Madison by Sept. 21.

The health software company is one of the first large employers in the state to no longer give employees the choice of working from home.

We do our best work when together, Ashley Gibson, a company spokeswoman, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. And we are working to bring everyone back safely so we can do that.

Epic workers decried the order, saying company CEO Judy Faulkner was ignoring public health advice, according to a statement made in conjunction with the Industrial Workers of the World labor union.

Read more here. The Associated Press

6:24 p.m.: Napervilles two superintendents explain why remote learning was their only option for the fall

Administrators from both Naperville-area school districts Monday defended their decisions to start the school year in September and to have all students do remote learning through at least October.

The changes were made weeks after Naperville District 203 Superintendent Dan Bridges and Indian Prairie District 204 Superintendent Adrian Talley presented a different approach to the return to class: a choice between learning online on a full-time basis or going to school on some days and learning from home on others.

Bridges and Talley, speaking to their respective school boards at separate meetings, said information theyve received in the past few weeks caused them to switch the plans.

Among the factors raising alarms was the growing number of confirmed COVID-19 cases.

District 204 said state figures show that from July 15 to July 28, the positivity rate for the region that includes DuPage County rose from 3.8% to 4.7%. In the region to the south that includes Will County, the rate rose from 4.6% to 6.3%. Both districts have schools in DuPage and Will.

These numbers and this trend in a short amount of time gave us cause to rethink our plan, Talley said.

Read more here. Suzanne Baker

5:55 p.m.: CPS expected to announce all-remote learning plan, sources say

Chicago Public Schools is expected to announce as soon as Wednesday an all-remote learning plan to start the school year amid the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, a move that could avert a potential Chicago Teachers Union strike, sources said.

The switch to an all-remote learning plan could come as CTU leaders are planning to convene the organizations House of Delegates next week and consider a process that eventually could lead to a strike if CPS doesnt agree to start the school year with full remote learning, sources said Tuesday. The unions governing body includes members representing schools from across the city.

A city source emphasized the decision had nothing to do with a potential teachers strike.

Read more here. Hannah Leone, John Byrne and Gregory Pratt

5:42 p.m.: Public housing residents celebrate students heading off to college despite COVID-19

College freshmen are facing unprecedented adjustments this year due to COVID-19. But for 18-year-old Anicia Miller, whos lived in public housing all her life, the overjoyed feeling she gets thinking about school still hasnt subsided, despite plans to stay remote for the upcoming semester.

I still cant believe it sometimes, said Miller, a St. Ignatius College Prep School graduate who plans to enroll at Harvard this fall. To be able to say that I was able to just go throughout schooling and be involved in so many extracurriculars and, really, just be able to be accepted into Harvard is just amazing because of the prestige and all of the opportunities Ill have as a student.

Miller was one of 150 soon-to-be college students celebrated Tuesday morning in a send-off for Chicago public housing residents. The event marked the 10th rendition of the Chicago Housing Authority and its nonprofit Springboard to Success annual celebration, which underwent major adjustments this year because of COVID-19.

Students were given dorm room supplies meant to assist them in school, such as Chromebook laptops, and laundry and toiletry supplies. Families picked up their packages from a distance in a drive-thru celebration.

The event means a lot to me, said Miller, who plans to major in biomedical engineering in hopes of creating prosthetic devices for children one day. That still is great that this organization was able to adapt and ... congratulate the students and give them all the necessary things they need in college despite the circumstances.

5:13 p.m.: Setting up possible teachers strike, CTU plans to convene House of Delegates next week, sources say

The Chicago Teachers Union is planning to convene its House of Delegates early next week to consider a process that could lead to a strike if Chicago Public Schools doesnt agree to start the school year with full remote learning, sources said Tuesday.

Its not clear if the process would differ from the steps taken before the 11-day teachers strike last fall, but the unions bylaws require a full membership vote to authorize a strike after the matter comes before the House of Delegates.

Educator unions nationwide, including the Illinois Federation of Teachers and American Federation of Teachers, have said theyd support local unions if insufficient COVID-19 precautions on the part of school districts lead to health and safety strikes.

With CPS final fall instruction plan due this week, it remains to be seen if the threat of a strike will affect the outcome.

Read more here. Hannah Leone and John Byrne

4:30 p.m.: State House GOP leader says Pritzker overextending his executive authority in dealing with pandemic

Illinois House Republican leader Jim Durkin said Tuesday that Democratic Gov. J.B. Pritzker has dealt with the pandemic as well as anybody but has overextended himself as he continues to use emergency powers without review or action by the General Assembly.

Durkin, speaking at a virtual event for the Paul Simon Public Policy Institute at Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, also said GOP legislative candidates this fall will need to acknowledge President Donald Trumps varying degrees of support in the state and focus on the ongoing federal corruption scandal and its ties to House Speaker Michael Madigan.

Durkin, a 22-year House veteran from Western Springs, said he backed Pritzkers early emergency orders, including the March stay-at-home order for workers deemed nonessential.

I agreed with him on it because I knew that the virus is for real and we had to see if we could stop the spread of it quickly, he said.

But, he said, as restrictions began to be lessened in subsequent executive orders, there were things he disagreed with.

I just had a very difficult time understanding the logic of keeping a Target or Walmart open while small mom-and-pops couldnt open their stores. They were determined to be nonessential, Durkin said.

To me, thats where the governor made a mistake, that we allowed these big-boxes to never stop operations at all, he said. He could have found a common ground with the hospitality industry. Thats where most of our jobs have been lost, in the restaurants, where people live ... week by week.

Read more here. Rick Pearson

3:37 p.m.: Big Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren  as he ponders canceling the 2020 football season  is getting input from conference athletes via video calls

Pac-12 football players penned an essay in The Players Tribune under the headline #WeAreUnited to get the attention of Commissioner Larry Scott. They are threatening a boycott if their demands  including revenue sharing  are not met.

Big Ten athletes, meanwhile, recently have been getting a more direct line to the top of the conference.

Sources say Commissioner Kevin Warren has attempted to meet with two student-athletes from each Big Ten school by video conference  one football player, one from a different sport. He completed some calls Monday and others Tuesday.

Warren clearly wants to get the pulse of players before deciding whether to move forward or pull the plug on the 2020 season.

That also explains why the Big Ten, which initially planned to release its football schedule Tuesday, will wait at least another day before making an announcement.

And thats not all.

Sources say that after Warren learned Monday of the COVID-19 outbreak at Rutgers  NJ.com reported that 28 football players plus multiple team staffers have been infected, forcing the team into isolation until Saturday  he reconsidered the conferences next step.

Read more here. Teddy Greenstein

2:40 p.m.: Is the coronavirus issuing last call for Chicagos old school neighborhood bars?

The closing two weeks ago of 34-year-old Guthries Tavern, announced hours after the city said it would roll back bars abilities to operate, may have just been the first sign that the simple business model of offering a pint, a pool table and late night camaraderie has become particularly tenuous in the era of coronavirus.

Before restaurant groups, before cell phones and before Chicago transitioned from blue collar to white, neighborhood bars were core pieces of Chicagos fabric, and they remain key to understanding the city. Theyre often far older than a neighborhoods current character. They are vehicles to the past.

But the COVID-19 pandemic  and the citys response to it, whether flawed, justified or somewhere in between  threatens their futures.

Before the pandemic not having a food license and not having to deal with a patio was a blessing, said Gman Tavern manager Tom Cathcart said. Now its a curse.

Read more here. Josh Noel

2:32 p.m.: Private schools in Naperville being deluged by parents wanting in-person classes for their children

Parochial schools in Naperville are being inundated by parents searching for alternatives to public schools for the upcoming school year.

Since Naperville District 203 and Indian Prairie District 204 announced back-to-school plans that included remote learning, theres been a significant spike in emails and calls from parents wanting what private schools can provide this fall: daily in-person instruction in a classroom, officials said.

Patricia Bajek, director of student services for All Saints Catholic Academy, said admission inquiries at the K-8 school on Aurora Avenue were quiet from the middle of March to the end of May.

In June, when All Saints began resuming in-person tours, 17 new students enrolled, Bajek said.

By July, when public school districts announced they would be offering a mix of in-person and remote learning, requests for information took off like lightning, she said. The two districts have since decided all classes will be done remotely through October.

Read more here. Suzanne Baker

2:30 p.m.: District 230 teachers demonstrate in favor of online learning when school year begins

Michelle Etchason is starting her 29th year as a teacher in High School District 230, and said shes never been fearful about returning to the classroom, until now.

The president of the union that represents more than 540 teachers in the district, which operates high schools in Orland Park, Palos Hills and Tinley Park, said that for the safety of teachers and students the district should drop plans for a reopening that has students alternating between classroom and online learning.

Right now, a lot of us fear coming back to school, Etchason said.

She and about 50 other teachers took part in a car caravan Tuesday, starting at the districts administration center then passing by the high schools with signs reading stay online until cases decline and go virtual no viral.

Read more here. Mike Nolan

2:24 p.m.: Coalition works to expand payments for Illinois residents with disabilities, who have been hit hard by COVID-19

Monia Taylor, 64, must decide whether her monthly Supplemental Security Income will pay for food or rent, but not both. COVID-19 worsened the problem.

The poverty Black people and disabled people face on a daily basis didnt start with COVID, Taylor said during an online news conference Tuesday. The virus just exacerbated the problem.

Taylor, a member of the Chicago Disability Activism Collective, works with the organization to expand rights for people in the disability community. She has lupus, an autoimmune disease.

The group on Tuesday kicked off a campaign to push for an increase in Supplemental Security Income for Cook County residents with disabilities that group members hope will eventually be extended to all Illinois residents with disabilities. There are more than 150,000 Cook County residents who receive SSI, according to the proposal.

2:10 p.m.: Pritzker says U. of I.s COVID-19 saliva test could be made more widely available

Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Tuesday his administration is in talks with University of Illinois officials about making a saliva test researchers there have developed for use on campus more widely available in Illinois.

The saliva test developed at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be used for faculty and students before in- person classes on campus this fall, and differs from the invasive nasal swab thats been much more widely used as the method for testing for COVID-19.

Were going to continue to ramp up testing across the state, make sure that thats available. You may have heard that the University of Illinois now has a saliva test, Pritzker said Tuesday at a news conference at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. Were talking to the University of Illinois about how we might provide that across the state to other locations.

The University of Illinois announced Monday that students and faculty participating in in-person classes this fall are required to undergo the saliva-based testing twice weekly, beginning later this month.

A day after announcing the launch of a mask awareness campaign that seeks to target areas of the state with rising coronavirus metrics that indicate a resurgence there, Pritzker aimed his message in Carbondale directly at universities and colleges.

Theres not a single one of these institutions that should be opening without making sure that youre enforcing a mask mandate, Pritzker said. We have a statewide mask mandate, weve had one since May 1. Theres some people who dont follow it, but on university campuses, its vitally important that everybody follow it, keep their social distance and then we make sure we dont have overcapacity in this environment so that theres a viral load that builds up in any given space.

Read more here. Jamie Munks

1:41 p.m.: Pandemic forces Open House Chicago to shift to exterior and online tours

For years, the Open House Chicago architecture festival has lured thousands of visitors with the promise of peeking behind facades and getting a look at splendid interiors, like the soaring Art Deco lobby of the Chicago Board of Trade Building.

This year will be different, a concession to the public health risks posed by COVID-19.

The Chicago Architecture Center, which runs the festival, announced Tuesday that this years event will offer exterior and online tours due to the unpredictable nature of the COVID-19 pandemic. Unless plans change, there will be no interior tours.

We are not planing to coordinate or offer entry to any building, Lynn Osmond, the centers CEO, confirmed in an email.

As if to compensate for the loss of the events signature feature, the center will expand Open House Chicago to 10 days, Oct. 16-25, marking the events 10th anniversary. In the past, the festival was on a single weekend.

With access to interiors restricted, the event also will emphasize entire neighborhoods rather than individual buildings.

Read more here. Blair Kamin

12:58 p.m.: Reputed mob boss Michael the Large Guy Sarno wants out of prison 12 years early because of the pandemic

Reputed mob boss Michael the Large Guy Sarno says 10 years behind bars has reduced him to a senior citizen with severe medical issues, and he wants out of federal prison early because of the deadly risk of the pandemic.

A petition filed Monday seeks compassionate release for the 62-year-old Sarno, who was sentenced to 25 years in 2012 for ordering the bombing of a rival business in Berwyn to protect his illegal and lucrative video poker operation.

Read more here. Sophie Sherry

12:32 p.m.: As Americans resist COVID-19 restrictions, US nears 5 million infections

Big house parties and weddings, summer camps, concerts, crowded bars and restaurants, shopping trips without masks  Americans' resistance to curbs on everyday life is seen as a key reason the U.S. has racked up more confirmed coronavirus deaths and infections by far than any other country.

The nation has recorded more than 155,000 dead in a little more than six months and is fast approaching an almost off-the-charts 5 million COVID-19 infections.

Some Americans have resisted wearing masks and social distancing, calling such precautions an over-the-top response or an infringement on their liberty. Public health experts say such behavior has been compounded by confusing and inconsistent guidance from politicians and a patchwork quilt of approaches to containing the scourge by county, state and federal governments.

The thing thats maddening is country after country and state after state have shown us how we can contain the virus, said Dr. Jonathan Quick, who is leading a pandemic initiative for the Rockefeller Foundation. Its not like we dont know what works. We do.

The number of confirmed infections in the U.S. has topped 4.7 million, with new cases running at over 60,000 a day. While that's down from a peak of well over 70,000 in the second half of July, cases are on the rise in 26 states, many of them in the South and West, and deaths are climbing in 35 states.

On average, the number of COVID-19 deaths per day in the U.S. over the past two weeks has gone from about 780 to 1,056, according to an Associated Press analysis.

Read more here. The Associated Press

12:20 p.m. (updated): 1,471 new known COVID-19 cases and 19 more deaths reported

Illinois health officials on Tuesday announced 1,471 new known cases of COVID-19 and 19 additional fatalities, including a teenager in Cook County. The total number of known infections in Illinois now stands at 184,712 and the statewide death toll is 7,545. Officials also reported 42,598 new tests in the last 24 hours. The seven-day statewide positivity rate is 3.9%.

12:09 p.m.: NBC Sports Chicago scales back programming amid staff layoffs due to pandemic

NBC Sports Chicago is scaling back its programming and laying off employees as part of cuts across parent company NBCUniversal, encompassing all of NBC Sports Groups regional sports networks.

Among those let go by the channel, sources said, are host Leila Rahimi and TV part-timer Laurence Holmes as NBCSCH is reducing its original programming, focusing on White Sox, Blackhawks and Bulls games and the studio shows that complement them.

Dropped programming includes Sports Talk Live, the channels roundtable show, which remained in production through the COVID-19 pandemic with panelists appearing from their respective homes.

Due to the ongoing economic challenges caused by the pandemic and with the need to better position NBCUniversal for the future, we have made a number of difficult decisions to achieve cost savings, including eliminating some roles across the portfolio, NBCUniversal said in a statement.

Read more here. Phil Rosenthal

10:55 a.m.: Allstate, Geico, Progressive among auto insurers hit with lawsuits over coronavirus relief

Allstate and other large auto insurers are facing lawsuits alleging they failed to sufficiently reduce premiums to Illinois policyholders as more drivers stay off the road during the coronavirus pandemic.

In six separate lawsuits filed in Cook County Circuit Court last week, Illinois policyholders allege insurers failed to provide fair and appropriate rebates and unfairly profited from high rates.

After Gov. J.B. Pritzker issued a stay-at-home order, many drivers stayed inside, and the rush hour traffic on highways diminished.

In Illinois, miles driven by motorists dropped by nearly two-thirds in the spring, according to the suits.

Each insurer offered some form of premium relief, but the suits allege it wasnt enough to account for the drop in claims.

Read more here. Abdel Jimenez

10:30 a.m.: One of the biggest hurdles for COVID-19 patients is breathing. Respiratory therapists help make it happen, but the field is dwindling.

They are the people who help patients awaken from sedation and take their first breath.

Often unsung in the COVID-19 crisis, respiratory therapists focus on helping people breathe  job duties include managing ventilation and artificial airways and assessing breathing challenges  and that means they play a large role in the treatment of coronavirus patients.

During normal times, their work ranges from setting up ventilators in a neonatal intensive care unit to helping someone who recently had lung surgery. These days, many are paged to help patients struggling with COVID-19, which impacts the lungs and causes issues ranging from shortness of breath to a need for a ventilator.

This is a very respiratory virus, and causing the (respiratory therapists) right now to be the tip of the spear here, said Rush University Medical Center respiratory therapist and associate professor Brady Scott. We are constantly in these patients rooms.

Even as they are needed to help COVID-19 patients, many respiratory therapists say people dont understand their role. Meanwhile, the workforce is dwindling. According to the National Board for Respiratory Care, more than 125 million patient visits each year are for respiratory-related illnesses, with an aging population increasing the need. Respiratory therapist jobs are projected to grow, but the number of people entering the field is shrinking, said board CEO Lori Tinkler. COVID-19 has even brought people out of retirement, she said.

Read more here. Alison Bowen

10:15 a.m.: Chicago health commissioner supports students attending class in schools if virus under control

Chicagos health commissioner on Tuesday said she wants children learning in schools this fall if the outbreak is broadly in control.

Dr. Allison Arwady warned that lots of COVID-19 spread in Chicago is taking place right now within households, but said if the citys pandemic numbers look good, she feels Chicago Public Schools can handle in-person learning safely.

Where the child is at school wearing a mask with the social distancing, with the appropriate procedures in place, I honestly do not think the risk of spread is significant, Arwady said at her weekly news conference about the citys travel list. I wouldnt be promoting this if I thought it was.

The advantages to children who are around each other in school are significant, Arwady said.

Im a pediatrician, and I feel pretty strongly that there are benefits for in-person education, especially for younger children who dont learn well from screens, and all of the social and emotional benefits, and all of the other things weve talked about, Arwady said. But it all comes back to what that local data looks like.

Chicago Public Schools has told parents to choose by this Friday whether they want their children to learn in school as part of a hybrid model this fall, or stay at home.

As Chicagos positivity rate for coronavirus cases continues to rise, Arwady said I cant say the risk is zero, of course.

And again, the more our numbers are going up in Chicago, the more concern I have about this. Because as our cases increase, the risk of people having COVID, especially asymptomatic COVID, does go up, she said.

John Byrne

9:30 a.m.: Puerto Rico added to citys emergency travel order

Chicago officials added Puerto Rico to its stay-at-home list for travelers Tuesday, meaning people coming into the city from there should remain quarantined indoors for two weeks when they arrive.

Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady announced Puerto Rico will join 22 states on the travel list this Friday as she also warned of a shift in the way COVID-19 is being transmitted in Chicago, with households and social gatherings overtaking congregate settings like nursing homes and the Cook County Jail as the most dangerous situations.

Arwady said households are now 10 times the risk of any other exposures, and recounted a series of anecdotes about Chicagoans attending social gatherings where they and others were lax about wearing masks and social distancing, then came down with the virus.

People who live with high-risk relatives should consider social distancing and wearing masks within their homes after they have potentially high-risk exposures outside the home, Arwady said.

While adding Puerto Rico to the stay-at-home list because the island now has more than 15 cases per 100,000 residents, Arwady said Iowa, Kansas and Utah are now below that threshold. If they stay under 15-per-100,00 for another week, they would get removed from the list, she said.

John Byrne

6 a.m.: Parents who want schools to reopen this fall say its a matter of choice, not politics. Students mental health ... has got to be weighed.'

When Mairin Gradeks local schools superintendent posted a cheerful YouTube video in early July describing tentative plans to welcome students back into the classroom, the Arlington Heights mother of three was excited that more remote learning was merely an option for parents, not the whole plan.

Gradeks optimism that her neighborhood schools would reopen this fall was also buoyed by the results of a recent School District 25 survey, which found that around 75% of parents supported either an in-person or hybrid plan, with remote learning trailing as the least popular option in third place.

But in recent days, District 25 joined a rapidly growing list of suburban school systems that have abandoned hopes of bringing kids back into the classroom at the start of the new school year.

In my naivete, I had assumed that I didnt have to provide public comment on this issue, because it looked like my wishes for schools to reopen were being served, and that e-learning would only be one of the options, Gradek said. Parents like me are seeking at least some bit of in-person learning for our kids, so Im still praying that the districts decision will change.

Now, with the start of school just weeks away, many parents say they feel like theyre part of a silent majority, whose desire to have their children back in school has been pushed aside by school officials who are buckling to pressure from teachers unions.

Read more here. Karen Ann Cullotta

6 a.m.: In search for COVID-19 treatments, consumer group pushes drugmaker Gilead to test alternative to remdesivir

The pharmaceutical company that makes remdesivir  the only medication that has emergency authorization to fight COVID-19  should also be conducting human trials on a related drug with strong potential, according to a citizen advocacy group that believes the alternative could be more effective, less expensive and easier to produce.

Washington, D.C.-based Public Citizen sent a letter dated Tuesday to the CEO of Gilead Sciences and top federal regulators, urging the company and the government to work together to move forward with clinical trials of the drug or publicly provide evidence why it is not scientifically or medically feasible to develop this drug in parallel with its close analogue, remdesivir.

Failing either of those options, the company should release permission so other researchers can pursue it, said Public Citizen health researcher Michael Abrams, who crafted the letter. The nonprofit group, founded by Ralph Nader, has long advocated for greater corporate responsibility.

Officials from Public Citizen, joined by two drug researchers from Texas, suggested in the letter there are significant financial incentives for Gilead to stick with remdesivir over the lesser-known drug, known only as GS-441524.

Specifically, the patent on GS-441524 dates to around 2009, compared with remdesivir about five years later, meaning that Gilead has exclusive rights to produce remdesivir further into the future. Remdesivir is an expensive drug, priced at $390 per dose, which comes to $2,340 for each patient treated over the course of five days.

Gilead spokesman Chris Ridley said the decision to move forward with remdesivir was based on available evidence indicating that remdesivir generated more of a key virus-fighting molecule and was more effective against the new coronavirus than the other drug.

Read more here. Hal Dardick
Mrs Jean Mensa, the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission, on Monday said eligible voters must be Ghanaians and not foreigners.



She said the onus was on Ghanaians to draw the attention of security agencies and the registration officials for the necessary action to be taken to protect the integrity of the voters register.



Mrs Mensa, speaking at the Seventh Edition of Let the Citizen Know series in Accra, appealed to the security agencies to be vigilant.



You cannot go to Togo, Benin, Ivory Coast, and Burkina Faso to register and vote, she said.



She said Ghanaians had the responsibility to ensure that eligible voters who had the privilege to vote were citizens of Ghana who qualified to vote and not citizens from neighbouring countries.



Mrs Mensa gave the assurance that the EC would take the necessary steps to expunge the names of foreigners from the register to ensure that only Ghanaians had their names on the electoral roll.



She reiterated the Commission's resolve to compile a clean and credible register for which it would explore all means to do so.



She thanked the media for their interest and support for the successful conduct of the exercise.



Dr Bossman Eric Asare, EC Deputy Chairman in charge of Corporate Services, said: We have noticed disturbing reports since last week where Ghanaians who have registered will front for people of other nationalities to register. These are largely concentrated in border towns but there are some in other places too.



It is a crime to guarantee for foreigners to register and vote.

Source: GNA









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Kathmandu, August 4

Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli has consulted leaders of the opposition parties and experts about the governments Covid-19 response.

The main opposition leader, Nepali Congress President Sher Bahadur Deuba, and Peoples Socialist Party Nepal Chairman Mahantha Thakur were present in the meeting.

Sources say another chairman of the ruling Nepal Communist Party, Pushpa Kamal Dahal, was also invited, but he could not make it. It has been learned that Dahal was busy meeting the partys vice-chairman Bamdev Gautam this morning.

Speaking in the meeting, Oli urged all not to consider the crisis as an opportunity to protest the government. Sometimes, you protest saying why there was lockdown, sometimes you protest saying why there was not, Olis communications expert, Ram Sharan Bajgain, quotes the prime minister as saying, The pandemic is a challenge for everyone. You should not consider it an opportunity.

Deuba said the government should make it mandatory for the public to wear masks and maintain distance at public places, adding whether to impose a lockdown again could be decided after considering the ratio of community transmission of the disease.

Before this, Mahendra Guragain, a secretary of the Office of the Prime Minister, gave a presentation about the government response to the crisis.
The most cynical interpretation  which isnt to say that its wrong  is that Republicans expect to lose power in November. During the early years of the Obama administration, Republicans sabotaged economic stimulus efforts because they thought it would help them return to power. And it worked  although only at the expense of millions of Americans.

Opinion Debate Will the Democrats face a midterm wipeout? Mark Penn and Andrew Stein write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond.

write that "only a broader course correction to the center will give Democrats a fighting chance in 2022" and beyond. Matthew Continetti writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party.

writes that time and again, the biggest obstacle to a red wave hasnt been the Democratic Party. Its been the Republican Party. Ezra Klein speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging.

speaks to David Shor, who discusses his fear that Democrats face electoral catastrophe unless they shift their messaging. Michelle Cottle examines two primary contests that will shake the parties well beyond the states in play.

T.J.S.: Of course, there is a certain someone  President Trump  who has every reason, if he wants to do all he can to get re-elected, to push Mr. McConnell and other Senate Republicans into passing a package of moderately generous emergency aid extensions through November. But by Trumpian standards, he seems to have barely made a peep.

B.A.: Trump does seem to be sabotaging his own re-election prospects. Im not going to try to climb inside the presidents head, but I would note that it can be misleading to think of the presidency as a single person sitting there making autonomous decisions. A president is encrusted in advisers who filter what he hears and who inform what he decides. So the reasons for the Senates inaction may well apply to the White House too.

T.J.S.: If only we could climb inside the presidents head.

Moving on from the palace intrigue, I recently read a fascinating essay in Barrons by Matthew Zeitlin. He observes how the $600 weekly payment that Congress approved for the unemployed  many of whom are now bringing in more than they did from their previous jobs  has provided an informal case study of government aid. As he puts it, even with a limited run, the benefit has provided a wealth of data, insight, and experience that should reshape how we think about unemployment benefits and social policy.

Because of the benefits these payments have provided to the economy, he says, they  or something like them  could be a permanent feature of U.S. economic policy.

Its definitely bold, and only something elected Democrats, and those to their left, would even consider. But vote-counting aside, what do you make of the ideas he covers in the piece, like wage subsidies or a mini universal basic income on the merits?

B.A.: Its one of the few things that has gone right since the crisis started. For me, the $600 payments really underscore that we need two different kinds of unemployment benefits, one for normal times and one for bad times. In normal times, the state only replaces a portion of lost wages because we want to encourage people to go back to work. In bad times, when work is hard to find, it makes sense to give people more money. And we could switch automatically between those two kinds of programs based on the level of unemployment.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Jodhpur, India  Tue, August 4, 2020 19:01 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b8b288 2 Food India,restaurant,coronavirus,COVID-19,food,curry Free

An Indian restaurant is hoping to win back customers afraid of eating out during the pandemic with a special "COVID Curry" and "Mask Naans".

"This has been a really tough time for us and for our entire sector," Yash Solanki, owner of the vegetarian Vedic eatery in the western city of Jodphur, told AFP.

The fried vegetable balls have been shaped to look like the "crowned" coronavirus, while the accompanying breads look like surgical masks.

Solanki said that they had also added, and advertised, that their COVID curry had extra Indian herbs and spices that are good for people's health.

Read also: Virus cake anyone? Italians fight fear with sillyness

"Even with recently relaxed curbs, the fear still dominates. People are still very reluctant to eat out," Solanki said.

Almost 800 people are dying daily from coronavirus in the world's second-most populous nation, with around 50,000 new infections reported every 24 hours.

The country has had 1.8 million cases, the third-highest in the world behind the United States and Brazil, and more than 38,000 deaths.
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) announced Monday evening that he's signed a bill enabling all registered voters in the state to vote by mail in November's elections.

Why it matters: President Trump told reporters Monday he'd sue Nevada in a bid to stop the mail-in measure. After Sisolak's announcement, Trump retweeted his earlier tweet stating: "In an illegal late night coup, Nevada's clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!"

A tweet previously embedded here has been deleted or was tweeted from an account that has been suspended or deleted.

Go deeper: Trump stokes fears of election-night mail voting fraud
Patna, Aug 4 : The Bihar government on Tuesday recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the alleged suicide of actor Sushant Singh Rajput.

According to official sources, the government has recommended for the CBI inquiry after Sushant Singh's father K.K. Singh demanded for it.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, while talking to a private news channel on Tuesday said, "As soon as Sushant's father K.K. Singh gave consent, I directed the DGP to do the paperwork for the recommendation of the CBI probe." Kumar said that this demand was made by all and that the police were investigating the case registered in Patna. But the Bihar police team in Mumbai was not getting cooperation from Maharashtra Police. In such a situation, CBI investigation was necessary.

He said: "Hopefully, CBI will take up the matter soon and investigate. The scope of the CBI is large." Sushant Singh's brother and BJP MLA Neeraj Kumar Bablu thanked Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for recommending the CBI inquiry and said that now the truth will come out.

On Monday, the Sushant Singh suicide case was raised in the Bihar assembly and almost all lawmakers demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai apartment on June 14.

The Mumbai police had claimed that Sushant Singh died by suicide.

However, on July 25, Sushant's father lodged a case against Rhea Chakraborty in Patna and now Bihar Police is also investigating the case.

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials are questioning Chakraborty's Chartered Accountant Ritesh Shah here in connection with a money laundering probe related to the late actor Sushant, officials said on Tuesday.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery

-- Except for the title, this story has not been edited by Prokerala team and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed
Lone Workers Are More Vulnerable Than Ever

A Q&A with worker safety professional, Tom Lotz, on how the pandemic has changed lone worker safety.

I dont think anybody in the world has ever seen anything like this, says Tom Lotz, a Senior Loss Control Consultant for Tokio Marine America, who has more than 30 years experience in the worker-safety field. Ive worked for insurance companies, Ive worked for private industry, Ive worked in the public sector and Ive worked for insurance brokers, and Ive never seen anything that has impacted the lone worker as much as the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since March 11, 2020, when the World Health Organization declared the COVID-19 outbreak as a pandemic, there has been an unprecedented number of changes to worker safety, particularly for those working alone and remotely. In a recent PwC survey, one-third of executives said they will need less office space in the near future because of the significant increase in remote work.

Last June, we attended ASSPs virtual Safety 2020 Professional Development Conference & Exposition where we met a number of professionals from a number of industries who had significant insight into the new direction and future of lone worker safety. One of those people was Tom, whose passion for the worker safety field was infectious and memorable.

From his Nashville, Tennessee home, we spoke to Tom about how lone worker safety has been impacted over the past few months, what employers need to do to ensure lone worker safety, as well as what he sees in the future for the protection of these vulnerable workers.

How has worker safety evolved over the years?

In the early 80s when I started, worker safety still was a pretty new concept and wasnt a main corporate priority. Now, safety is getting to the point where its finally getting accepted from the top level down. But recently, Im also seeing that safety is viewed as an overhead expense and with all of the issues with COVID, youre seeing, unfortunately, safety being relegated to the sidelines and the safety supervisors being let go because of cutbacks as a result of shutdown, and loss of productions and monies.
JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images

Donald Trumps decision to largely cancel the original RNC convention in Charlotte keeps disappointing Larry Farber.

Before the president torpedoed the long-planned event, Farber, the owner of Middle C Jazz, envisioned a much-needed economic stimulus for the areas businesses, including his own, which was slated to be an official convention venue location. Any chance of that happening fell apart when Trump vengefully moved the festivities and quickly settled on Jacksonville after feuding with North Carolinas Democratic governor because he refused to guarantee a full convention.

But instead of finding a better fate in Florida, Trump caved to the reality of the pandemic and canceled his Jacksonville plans, leaving two different cities to face the fallout. For Farber, it was a painful reminder of the opportunity missed.

It was a gut punch to all of us that it left, just from an economic standpoint, said Farber, who grew anxious when Trump first threatened to move the convention back in May. And now when you see that it was moved to Florida and its not going to happen there, as a business owner you of course look back in hindsight and go its a shame it didnt work out for Charlotte, its a shame that the RNC couldnt have come to an agreement with our state and our governor to make it work.

No Show! Trump Cancels Jacksonville GOP Convention

Trumps now abandoned push to hold a major RNC convention during the coronavirus pandemic has turned what is normally a historic commemoration of political triumph into one that has become mired in backlash and criticism in two key swing states. Small businesses that had been selected as vendors for either citys convention had found themselves in the tense position of having to decide between financial gains and health concerns. Now they find themselves gaining nothing at all for their troubles.

Andy Thompson, the president of Charlottes Rose Chauffeured Transportation, called Trumps original move to threaten and flee his state a short-sighted, short notice, bully tacticnoting that the convention would have been a boost for small businesses from the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Story continues

Hes not thinking about us, said Thompson, who is still hoping the remnants of the convention next month will bring his company some business. Hes just thinking about himself.

And in Florida, Bonnie Arnold, the owner of Bonnies Floral Designs, said she felt Trump would face backlash for how hed managed the festivities. Her business had been selected as a local vendor, but Arnold said she wasnt surprised the convention didnt come to pass.

I think it will hurt him politically, Arnold said of Trump. (He) did that decision in Charlotte rather quickly and then to turn around and even in a shorter period of time repeat that, I dont think builds confidence in his re-election.

Officials Terrified That Trumps Jacksonville Convention Will Be Another Tulsa

By canceling the RNCs convention plans in Jacksonville, the president further illustrated the sharp tension that now exists between public health and politicsa tension that came into sharp focus in May, when Trump first challenged North Carolinas Democratic governor to allow him a full-scale convention.

When that governor, Roy Cooper, declined to do so, the RNC and Trump pulled the plug on those plans. Republicans in other states readily embraced the decision and lawmakers lobbied for their states to become the next host. Trump settled on Jacksonville, where both the mayors seat and the governors office were held by Republicans unlikely to publicly oppose his desire for packed halls..

But Florida quickly became a coronavirus hotspot, forcing Trump to make the kind of major concession he refused to do to keep the Charlotte plans intact. The late cancelation came roughly a week after the RNC posted names of registered vendors online that could be used when the convention was held.

It hurt, but it didnt hurt, to see the convention get canceled, said Annie Banks, the vice-president of Ms. Annies Catering. The extra cash would have been nice for her business struggling during the pandemic. But Banks said it was still good to see the convention plans abandoned, adding that while her business had been listed as a vendor they did not know exactly what parties they would have been providing services for when it came to the convention.

I think we would have been way worse if it had come in the sense that it would have brought an even higher rise in the coronavirus here in Jacksonville, she said.

The Trump campaign referred a request for comment on the vendors to the RNC, who emphasized that small business support continues to be a top priority of the president.

The RNC worked through every possible avenue to continue to hold a more traditional convention and showcase the great businesses, venues and people of Charlotte and Jacksonville, but ultimately, the safety and well-being of the American people has to come first, RNC National Press Secretary Mandi Merritt said in an email to The Daily Beast.

The decision by Trump to cancel the Jacksonville convention may have been doneas Merritt saidout of caution. But it also came after a June comeback rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, that became both a PR and public health nightmare for the Trump campaign. That rally featured thousands of empty seats as potential attendees stayed home amid rampant COVID-19 fears. Trump had pledged to keep campaigning. But his team subsequently canceled a New Hampshire event, citing inclement weather. And then it pulled out of Jacksonville after the areas sheriff said in a statement: We are simply past the point of no return to execute the event with safety and security that is our obligation. Charlotte is expected to at least see a portion of activity later this month with 336 delegates appearing in person to officially nominate Trump, according to an RNC official.

For at least one Florida vendor, the cancellation was merely symbolic. At Beachers Lodge Oceanfront Suites in St. Augustine, Florida, there had been slim to none bookings made specifically for the convention, office manager Jill Ursini told The Daily Beast.

While the oceanfront condo hotel is roughly 50 miles from the once planned convention location, the spot was still just one of only roughly 20 vendors appearing on an accommodations list posted online by the host committee.

I just dont think that it really was the right time to even be planning something like that especially in the state of Florida, Ursini said, pointing to frightening upticks in coronavirus cases. Maybe go to Montana in the middle of nowheresville or something like that.

Read more at The Daily Beast.

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Aug 4 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

UK government confirms 900 mln stg for 'shovel-ready' projects https://on.ft.com/2Xr3ZtU

Downing Street confirms lockdowns possible for England's cities https://on.ft.com/33oXnjO

Hurtigruten suspends all expedition cruises after Arctic Covid-19 outbreak https://on.ft.com/3i3injZ

Hays Travel to cut jobs as Spain rules hit https://on.ft.com/3fxcLwY

Overview

The British government has confirmed a 900-million-pound ($1.18 billion) stimulus package for more than 300 projects in England in order to expedite construction of homes and infrastructure.

Downing Street said on Monday that London and other important cities across England could be put under tough travel restrictions amid concerns of a COVID-19 resurgence in winter.

Norwegian shipping company Hurtigruten has stopped all expedition cruises and accepted its failure in following its own guidelines after at least 41 staff and passengers were infected with coronavirus at the end of July.

United Kingdom's largest independent travel agent Hays Travel is to cut up to 878 jobs in the wake of the government's move to quarantine travellers, which derailed the company's recovery plans.

($1 = 0.7649 pounds) (Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom)
Madhya Pradesh (MP) has reported 588 police personnel, including officials, who tested coronavirus disease (Covid-19) positive, and around 2,000 have been quarantined so far, state home minister Narottam Mishra said on Monday.

Mishra was replying to media persons questions on Congress Rajya Sabha member Vivek Tankhas demand to cancel the director-general of police (DGP) Vivek Johris order dated August 1.

The order suspended leaves of police personnel except for the emergency situation regarding their health and family members.

In MP, 588 police personnel, including officials, have tested Covid-19-positive. Around 2,000 have been quarantined to date. If they take leave and visit their families, then there is an apprehension of a spread in the contagion. We cannot put the lives of police personnel and their families at risk, Mishra said.

Our first priority is to protect their health. There is no permanent ban on taking leave. It is only applicable until the viral outbreak doesnt subside. They can avail of leave in case there is an emergency. The DGP will grant them leave. I can also sanction their leaves, he added.

The DGPs order had stated that despite standard operating procedure (SOP) regarding Covid-19 conveyed to all the police units, they have been careless leading to a spike in the viral outbreak cases.

Tankha termed the order as irrational and demanded Mishra to withdraw it at the earliest, citing his letter to him on August 2.

Mishra told media persons that no decision has been taken to extend the 10-day lockdown restrictions, which were enforced in the state capital Bhopal at night on July 24 and ended on Monday (August 3).

MP chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan ordered that there would be no lockdown in the state except for Sundays and a district magistrate (DM) is allowed to enforce it on the basis of prior permission from the state government.

MP has reported 34,285 Covid-19 cases, including 750 new infections, until Monday night. So far, the state has recorded 900 Covid-19-related deaths, including 14 in the past 24 hours, the MP health department data showed.

The state has discharged 24,099 Covid-19 patients, who have recovered from their viral infection.

At present, MP has 9,286 Covid-19 active cases. The state has conducted 8,12,362 Covid-19 tests, including 12,862 in the past 24 hours.

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Assam: Job cards, the sole hope for Assams flood-hit

by Rahul Karmakar

August 04,2020 | Source: The Hindu

Goalpara, one of seven aspirational districts in the state, is seeking turnaround from COVID-19 and flood. Dharmeswar Banai of Pub Zira village was one of some 10,000 migrant labourers who returned home in eastern Assams Goalpara district, mostly from southern and western India after the nationwide lockdown was clamped on March 25. Not keen on migrating again for work, he applied for a job card at the central screening centre before the combination of flash flood from the adjoining hills of Meghalaya and a major breach in an embankment on the Brahmaputra devastated the district.



Brittle embankments add to flood woes in Assam



He is among 1,041 such applicants given job cards with a skill test over the past couple of months. Mr Banais village was spared the kind of damage that Sujit Hajongs village Dhamor Reserve, about 60 km west, suffered. The latter lost his entire paddy crop on about 5 bighas of land, as did most of some 800 families in his village. Assam has since May 22 lost 109 people to several waves of floods affecting 56.72 lakh people across 5,309 villages and damaging crops on 2.58 lakh hectares. Twelve of the dead were from Goalpara district where 4.70 lakh people  almost 46% of the total population. I have lost the entire investment of toil and money for the year. There are hardly any jobs because of this corona and lockdown. The government has promised Gandhi (Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme) work, and the job card I have is the only hope now, said Mr. Hajong. Goalpara has a total of 142,803 job card holders.



Assam floods affect around 15 lakh people in 23 districts



Most of Goalparas job card holders are not sure when they would be engaged in Rural Development (RD) projects. Such work will have to wait till the flood season is over, it seems, said Aftabul Ambia, member of districts Takimari Zilla Parishad. But RD works such Prime Ministers housing scheme and MGNREGS have begun in dryer areas, district authorities said. We made job card application form available for the returnees upon arrival at the central screening centre. Many of them already had job cards, and 1,041 of the 3,500 non-card holders who applied were issued fresh ones with 287 already being engaged, Goalparas Deputy Commissioner Varnali Deka told The Hindu.



Community projects



We formed a committee that created a database of skills of the returnees so that RD jobs provided can match their skill sets, she said. The standard operating procedure issued by the Panchayat and Rural Development Ministry lists a slew of jobs. But an assessment of the ground situation has made the district authorities focus on a few community projects such fish farming ponds, plantations, peripheral farm bunds and Prime Ministers rural housing scheme.



Used PPEs wash up in Assam floods, raise concern over COVID-19 spread



The double blow of COVID-19 and floods impacted several innovative employment generation and educational projects. Still, as an aspirational district, we did better during the lockdown in health and nutrition and other sectors than in February this year, Ms. Deka said. Goalpara, one of seven aspirational districts in Assam, has been among the worst flood-hit districts.
Speculation that Democrats and Republicans are getting closer to a new US stimulus deal adds more heat to golds rally.

Gold rose to a record $2,000 an ounce as speculation increased that U.S. lawmakers would move forward on a stimulus bill, which could push more liquidity into markets and suppress rates.

Spot gold rose as much as 1.2% to $2,000.58 an ounce as of 12:20 p.m. in New York. Bullion for immediate delivery surged 11% in July, the biggest monthly gain since 2012.

Investors are closely monitoring efforts in Washington to negotiate a new coronavirus relief package that many see as key to keeping the economy afloat as the pandemic curbs activity. The pressure is building, with the Senate set to leave on a break Friday, when crucial jobs data is due. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Tuesday stimulus talks with the White House are finally moving in the right direction but they remain far apart on some issues.

What Schumer was saying suggests we will get a package and reverse the sudden stoppage of benefits. This helps stocks and gold, said Tai Wong, head of metals derivatives trading at BMO Capital Markets. It means the Treasury will borrow trillions more which someday we will have to repay.

Gold has been rallying as investors weigh a weaker dollar and record low U.S. real yields. The coronavirus pandemic prompted unprecedented amounts of stimulus to shore up economies, including lower rates, which are a boon for non-interest-yielding gold. Simmering geopolitical tensions are also boosting demand.

Holdings in both gold and silver exchange-traded funds have risen to records in the past week as concern about the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic fuels demand for havens.

Even as gold hits new highs, there are plenty of forecasts for further, substantial gains. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. says gold may climb to $2,300 as investors are in search of a new reserve currency, while RBC Capital Markets puts the odds of a rally to $3,000 at 40%.
Bottles hang from a rotating mechanism over the bar at Sassafras Saloon, a Southern-based bar built from a former townhouse imported from Savannah, Ga. (Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)

Los Angeles County's top public health official announced an investigation into a party thrown for "first responders" at a Hollywood bar over the weekend that seemed to fly in the face of social distancing requirements as coronavirus cases continue to rise in Southern California.

Barbara Ferrer, director of the county's public health department, said both her office and the state Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control would be investigating the July 31 event at Sassafras Saloon on Vine Street.

"We had inspectors out there the very next day. As many of you know, that place is shuttered and closed for business. The owners have said they only opened for that private party," Ferrer said. "There is really zero tolerance for having indoor parties at your business places."

News of the party drew outrage after a video obtained by the website Knock L.A., which is affiliated with progressive activist group Ground Game L.A., showed several men saying "yeah" outside the bar after they were asked if they were there for the "LASD party," referring the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department. A second video appeared to show people inside dancing to loud music.

"Whether it is a private or public party, youve potentially created a lot of exposures, and the possibility that that moves into the community would be a very unfortunate place for us to be right now as everyone else is working so hard to reduce the rate of transmission," Ferrer said.

A person with knowledge of the event, who spoke to The Times on the condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals, said staff members at the bar had been told that a party involving the L.A. County Sheriffs Department had been booked for Friday night. The Sheriff's Department has denied it had anything to do with arranging the party and said Saturday that none of the men who identified themselves in the video were employed by the agency.

Story continues

A review of county payroll records by The Times did not turn up the names of any of the three men who identify themselves in the video as Sheriffs Department employees, though one man's name is similar to that of a Los Angeles Police Department employee.

The LAPD said Monday it was reviewing whether any department employees were at the gathering. A spokesman for the city attorney's office said Monday that complaints about the event had been referred to the health department.

The Sheriff's Department, however, published a tweet Monday referring to reports connecting the incident to the agency as a "hoax perpetrated by social activists."

Sassafras is operated by the 1933 Group, which owns a number of popular Los Angeles cocktail bars, including Idle Hour in North Hollywood, the Bigfoot Lodge in Atwater Village and the Highland Park Bowl. In a statement issued Saturday, the group said the gathering was booked by an individual who wanted to honor a group of first responders."

The restaurant group denied the event was organized by the Sheriff's Department and said it could not confirm if personnel from that agency or the LAPD were in attendance. A spokeswoman for the group declined to say how many people attended or what Sassafras was paid to host the event.

We did everything possible to provide our staff and guests with ample outdoor spaces that completely adhered to current safety precautions and social distancing expectations," the restaurant group said in response to videos that showed people partying inside the venue.

Unfortunately, there were a number of guests that did not comply. We unequivocally do not condone this behavior and have no intention of agreeing to additional private events, charitable or otherwise, until the state allows.
Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl addresses new prosecutors during a welcoming ceremony at the Supreme Prosecutors' Office in Seoul, Monday./ Yonhap





By Kim Se-jeong







Prosecutor General Yoon Seok-youl broke a long silence Monday, with a message that many viewed as an expression of his intention to tighten his grip on the nearly 2,300 prosecutors who have seen their standing increasingly falter amid the ongoing prosecutorial reform drive backed by the Moon Jae-in administration.







"The core value of liberal democracy is to shun dictatorships and totalitarianism in the appearance of democracy Liberal democracy can be realized only through the rule of law," Yoon said at an event to welcome new prosecutors, Monday.







"Prosecutors should not turn away from corruption cases and graft involving people with power. Instead, you have to face them."







Earlier that day, Choo addressed to the same crowd insisting prosecutors should stop abusing their powers.







"The prosecution office was born with the purpose to defend the rights of citizens and the prosecutors are the last defense to do so. To restore its lost trust from the public, prosecutors should exert limited power."







The message came one month after Yoon "gave in" to Justice Minister Choo Mi-ae in a conflict by granting a fellow prosecutor the authority to investigate a case involving his close aide.







Jin Joong-kwon, a professor at Dongyang University, called the prosecutor general's message a strong pushback against Choo and the incumbent Moon administration's reform drive that "is attempting to keep the prosecution under its democratic control instead of guaranteeing independence and autonomy."







Korea has seen prosecutors linked to many high-profile corruption cases. Prosecutorial reform is allegedly an attempt to fix this but prosecutors, including Yoon, do not fully see eye to eye on it.







Yoon was appointed last year amid this drive but he quickly became a headache for Moon as he ordered investigations into high-profile officials around the President.







One example was former Justice Minister Cho Kuk who was under investigation over corruption allegations involving his family members. Another was Ulsan Mayor Song Cheol-ho who allegedly won the 2018 election with illegal help from Cheong Wa Dae. Both Cho and Song are close aides to Moon.







The clash between Yoon and Choo started in January as she took office as justice minister.







In addition to moving prosecutors around against Yoon's wishes, Choo has pushed to reduce his power in the prosecutors' office. Against this backdrop came the case involving Han Dong-hoon, who is Yoon's close aide, in which he allegedly conspired with a cable news channel journalist to blackmail a businessman to get information about one of President Moon's close allies.







While Yoon wanted the case to be closed quickly without any indictments, Choo considered Yoon to be interfering in the case and ordered the prosecutor responsible for the investigation to carry on. The rift between Yoon and Choo was made public until Yoon eventually said he would do as he was told.







In late July, the justice minister also made recommendations that would further reduce the power of the chief prosecutor in handling individual cases.










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Linkedin Ghina Ghaliya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 17:36 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b86caa 1 World UNSC,sustainable-peace,indonesia-presidency,PBB Free

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has agreed on the use of Advancing Sustainable Peace as a theme during Indonesias second UNSC presidency this year.

The theme is in line with the previous years theme Investing in Peace", in which the government specifically raised the issue of the safety and security of peacekeepers through training and capacity building.

Indonesian Ambassador to the UN Dian Triansyah Djani said in a statement obtained by The Jakarta Post on Tuesday that one of the priorities of Indonesias second presidency was to push the UNSC's role in global efforts to eradicate COVID-19 by initiating meetings on peace-building during the pandemic.

"This is important considering that COVID-19 could cause instability in countries that have just healed from conflicts, and complicates the peacemaking process in countries that are still in conflicts, Dian said.

Dian added the UNSC would hold more than 15 official meetings, including those concerning Palestine, Syria, Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq, Guinea Bissau, Somalia, North Korea and some concerning Indonesias priority themes. The organization has also scheduled at least 13 meetings of the council's subsidiary bodies and other informal meetings.

Indonesia itself will also hold two meetings on combating terrorism, namely the discussion of the UN secretary-general's report on the threat of the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) or Daesh, as well as on the issues of cross-border crime and terrorism.

During this term of Indonesias presidency of the organization, it has also scheduled to ratify at least three resolutions, namely the extensions of the mandate of the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), the UNSC sanctions against Mali and the UN Assistance Mission in Somalia (UNSOM).

"The extension of UNIFIL's mandate is very important, especially that Indonesia is a country that sends the most troops to UNIFIL," he said.

Indonesia, Dian added, would also promote tenun (traditional handwoven fabric) during its second presidency, as it had previously introduced batik to the members of the council.
Chennai, Aug 4 : The Indian general insurance industry received around 80,900 Covid-19 claims involving Rs 1,290 crore as on July 31, said an industry official.

"Around 80,900 Covid-19 claims have been registered by the general insurers with an estimated claim of Rs 1,290 crore. The average claim amount works out to be Rs 159,456," an industry official told IANS.

The number of Covid-19 cases in the country by the same date was around 16.38 lakh.

The number of claims settled by insurers as on July 31 is 52,880 and the claim amount paid, around Rs 490 crore. Thus, the average is Rs 92,660 per claim.

According to the industry official, the initial claim estimate is always different from the final settlement. "The initial estimates and the actual claims settled always vary," said the official.

At 35,200, Maharashtra accounts for the largest number of claims with an estimated claim amount of Rs 442 crore. The number of claims settled was 23,285 and the average claims paid, Rs 69,500.

In Delhi, the average claims paid was around Rs 126,900 and for Tamil Nadu, Rs 100,400.

Nevertheless, the average Covid-19 claims paid is below Rs 150,000, whereas there have been complaints of hospitals charging exorbitant rates.

Recently, the Tamil Nadu government temporarily barred a city-based hospital from admitting Covid-19 patients following complaints of over-charging. The hospital had charged a patient around Rs 12 lakh on the grounds that he was in the intensive care unit for 19 days and also had other complications.
04.08.2020 LISTEN

Since Independence, there have been several attempts by successive governments to direct the course of education in this country.

The Education of the Ghanaian child as envisaged in the Constitution of the Republic of Ghana has been the centre stage of various engagements of governments.

Regime upon regime, have tried to politically dictate the course of education in this country. The Ghanaian child and the Ghanaian teacher have been the victims of several bombardments of ad hoc Educational policies. Mostly teachers are the hardly hit when these Educational policies are not yielding the desired results.

Ghanaians have been made to believe that the final grade is the correct reflection of the impact of a particular educational policy. This has made the craving for the final grade, a hunter's target. It is pathetic to see how various ways are employed just to make ones school praise worthy and a target for proper education of one's child. The craving to have the so-called better education for one's child has given parents sleepless nights to get the so-called better schools for their wards.

If actually everything is all right thus our Educational policies are good, then what causes the influx of the so many unemployed graduates in the system?

If our Educational policies were right and our national goal of education, well-rehearsed and targeted, the end product would be very useful.

It is clear that our Educational policies are not tilted towards making the Ghanaian child self-directed, self-reliant and problem solvers but rather making them dependent on others. After school graduation, the happy Ghanaian students begin to have high hopes of being employed.

However, they are quickly disappointed upon realizing that they had towed a fruitless course. It is common knowledge to find very vibrant youth seeking employment in all sectors of the economy and have to even take the risk of picketing at the Jubilee House to no avail.

There have been several government attempts to find a remedy to the situation of youth unemployment through temporary measures but still, that too is not working.

As I penned down my little thoughts, several questions came into my mind which I will like us to share. Thus;

Where have we gotten it wrong? Are our Educational Policies detailed enough to get us to our national goal? What do we want our final products to be like? What do we need to do and do it better? What is the cost involved?

The Educational Policy guidelines are not clear and should be looked at again. If this is not done, we will continue to build the school structures, change the contents of the textbooks, change the pedagogy, force teachers to teach the way that suits us and put billions into education but the story will remain the same and the same blame game will continue.

Countries such as Japan, China, USA, Russia, Germany and many more have gotten it right through the establishment of Policy Communities through stakeholder engagements which every government in power cannot change but rather make it better for the country. Ghana can learn from them.

It is a very clear and undisputed fact that the COVID-19 Corona virus is disrupting the academic life of this country and will continue to stay with us for a very long time.

We need a clear cut Policy on how to run our Educational system under COVID-19. Should we continue to place emphasis on our Exam Based Educational system?

Isn't the world tilting towards technology? Do we have to run our traditional system of education again? What is our Policy on Sciences and Technology Education?

The externalities of education are numerous under Science and Technology. Just recently, we have technically minded Ghanaian students coming out with technological items to meet the challenge COVID-19 has imposed on us. When there is a clear cut policy regarding Education in this country, various sectors of the economy such as the Agricultural sector, Service and Industry will be greatly functional and contribute immensely to the growth of the economy. The private sector will be fully functional.

The Educational Policy discourse needs the engagements of all and sundry.

To be able to guide our discussion on the subject, we need to remind ourselves of the discussions on the subject of Policy.

According to Bittel (1985), Policy is a course of action or inaction intended to accomplish some ends rather than specific decisions or actions.

Bullock, Anderson and Brady (1983) state inter alia:

1. Policy is goal oriented behaviour

2. Policy consists of a course of action and not independent decisions made by government officials

3. Policy is directional

File and Proudfoot (1994) are of the view that Policy is an authoritative determination by a government authority. It is a society's intents and priorities and allocation of resources to those intents and priorities.

The Ministry of Education (2000), states that

1. Policy is a Social discussion

2. We have Operational Policy also known as Policy Objectives that define the strategic plans of an organization. Example, the way our tertiary institutions should be operating.

Mankoe (2006) summarizes a Policy as a plan, course or principle of action adopted or proposed by a government, organization, business, party or individuals; an administrative action.

From the opinions of the experts being summarized here, it can be seen that there is the urgent need to revisit and redirect the Educational Policy discourse of Ghana to benefit the Ghanaian child to be fully functional and prepared for the future.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact businesses and daily life, a new COVID-19 Business Response Awards categories group will honor the contributions of individuals, teams & groups, and organizations from all over the world.

The Globee International Awards are worlds premier business awards program honoring achievements in every industry around the world. This international program celebrates the achievements of individuals and teams who set industry benchmarks for excellence. Organizations that have either a single office location or multiple office locations can now nominate local and/or regional achievements.

Recognitions are especially meaningful during the current business environment and times. The Globee Awards has issued the final call for 2020 entries in all the categories for this year which include:



Company | Growth and Outstanding Achievements of the Year Awards Categories Group

Company | Best Company Awards Categories Group

Company | Startup Awards Categories Group

Corporate Communications and PR | People Awards Categories Group

Corporate Communications and PR | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Creative | App & Mobile Website Awards Categories Group

Creative | Live Events Awards Categories Group

Creative | Publications and Print Awards Categories Group

Creative | Video, Commercial, Advertising, and Film Awards Categories Group

Creative | Web, Social Media, and Online Presence Awards Categories Group

Creative | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Customer Service & Support | People Awards Categories Group

Customer Service & Support | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Customer Success of the Year Awards Categories Group

Human Resources | People Awards Categories Group

Human Resources | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

Information Technology Users | People Awards Categories Group

Information Technology Users | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

International Business | People Awards Categories Group

International Business | Campaign, Outstanding Performance, Projects or Initiative, & Teams-Departments Awards Categories Group

Marketing | People Awards Categories Group

Marketing | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Categories | AI, Technology and CyberSecurity Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Categories | Content Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Categories | Education Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Categories | Healthcare Awards Categories Group

New Product & Service Categories | Industry and Vertical Markets Awards Categories Group

People | Entrepreneur Awards Categories Group

People | Executive, Management, and Professionals Awards Categories Group

People | Professional and Staffer (non-executive) of the Year Awards Categories Group

Product Development | People Awards Categories Group

Product Development | Campaign, Outstanding Achievement, Project or Initiative, and Team-Department Awards Categories Group

COVID-19 Business Response Awards Categories Group

Its time to recognize and honor the worlds best in organizational performance, products and services, innovations, individual executives, professionals, and management teams, women in business and the professions, case studies and successful deployments, public relations, communications, and marketing initiatives and campaigns, product management, websites, blogs, white-papers, videos, advertisements, creativity, partner programs, and customer satisfaction programs in every industry all over the world.

All individuals and organizations private or public, corporations, for-profit, and nonprofits, large, medium, and small or startup, associations, vendors and government organizations worldwide are eligible to enter. Entry details are available at https://globeeawards.com/about/

A worldwide judging panel of executives and professionals representing a wide-spectrum of industries will determine the winners. Winners will be presented and honored in a virtual ceremony attended by the finalists, winners, judges and industry peers from all over the world. Industry experts and end-users or consumers of product and services can participate in the judging process. More details to register as an industry expert and help as a judge are available at https://globeeawards.com/judges/

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact businesses and daily life, a new COVID-19 Business Response Awards categories group will honor the contributions of individuals, teams & groups, and organizations that have worked hard and continue to show their resilience and creativity to weather the economic impact over the past few months and keeping everyone safe, healthy, and informed at all times. Read more at https://globeeawards.com/about/#M1.-COVID-19-Business-Response-Awards

A Startups of the Year category group will include the achievements of new startups formed since 2016 in the areas of Artificial Intelligence, Business Products, Business Services, Consumer Products, Consumer Services, IT Cloud/SaaS, IT Hardware, IT Hybrid, IT Services, IT Software, Security Cloud/SaaS, Security Hardware, Security Hybrid, Security Services, Security Software, Telecommunications, and others. Read more at https://globeeawards.com/about/#A3-Company-Startup-Awards

About the Globee Awards

The coveted annual Globee Awards program is an international awards program for businesses. This international program recognizes and honors the worlds best in organizational performance, products and services, innovations, executives and management teams, women in business and the professions, case studies and successful deployments, public relations and marketing campaigns, product management, websites, blogs, white-papers, videos, advertisements, creativity, partner programs, and customer satisfaction programs from every major industry in the world. Learn more about the Globee Awards at https://globeeawards.com

About the SVUS Awards

SVUS Awards are conferred in eleven programs: the CEO World Awards, the Consumer World Awards, The Customer Sales & Service World Awards, The Globee Awards, the Golden Bridge Awards, the Info Security Products Guides Global Excellence Awards and Security World Awards, the Network Products Guides IT World Awards, One Planet American + World Business Awards, the Pillar World Awards, the PR World Awards for Public Relations and Communications, and the Women World Awards. Honoring organizations of all types and sizes and the people behind them, the SVUS Awards recognize outstanding achievements and performances in businesses worldwide. Learn more about the SVUS Awards at https://svusawards.com
IOWA CITY -- The vast majority of recently surveyed University of Iowa students say they're likely to wear masks in public when they return to campus this fall.

But most are less optimistic about their peers.

In hopes of gauging student willingness to cover their faces just weeks before tens of thousands flood the Iowa City campus in the midst of a pandemic, the university on July 27 distributed a survey to 2,000 students. About 21 percent, or 427, completed it.

Respondents indicted they're taking the virus seriously, are concerned about becoming infected on campus and are likely to wear a mask in public when they return -- something all three of Iowa's public universities are mandating, although enforcement tactics vary across the institutions.

About 77 percent of the UI survey respondents said they're "very likely" to wear a mask on campus and 15 percent said they're "somewhat likely." About 7 percent say they're either "not too likely" or "not at all likely" to wear a mask.

And more female respondents -- 84 percent -- said they're very likely to wear a mask than male respondents -- 69 percent, according to the survey results made public Friday.

Three-quarters said they're either somewhat or very concerned about becoming infected with COVID-19 if they return to campus this fall. And, when asked about their COVID-19-related behavior to date, nearly all said they've worn a mask in public, about three-quarters said they've opted against attending parties or large gatherings and more than half said they've avoided restaurants and bars.

But when asked how likely they think other students are to comply with potential bans on parties and large social gatherings on campus, 87 percent said they believe their peers are either "not too likely" or "not at all likely" to observe the restrictions.

"This reflects similar responses in National College Health Assessment (NCHA) survey, in which students assume riskier behavior by their peers than is reflected in the data," according to a UI communication on the findings.

A majority of students who completed the survey, though, said they would obey social and party bans. And just under half said they'd be "not at all comfortable" attending a party where most students were mask-less. About a quarter said they'd feel "not too comfortable."

The UI survey included a series of statements it asked respondents to affirm or reject as "very believable." Three-quarters agreed that "masks protect those made vulnerable through their work on campus;" 71 percent agreed that "wearing a mask is part of being a good Hawkeye;" and 62 percent agreed that students who don't wear masks in public are "hurting others."

Just over half agreed that face coverings are the "most effective way to prevent the spread," and about a quarter believed that "if students don't wear masks, campus will be closed in the fall."

Only 8 percent found believable a statement that "four of five students wear masks when they leave home."

Mask enforcement

In addition to distributing free face coverings to students who return to campus this fall, the university is mandating COVID-19 training that will cover responsibilities and precautions, including that students keep faces covered in public.

UI students will be asked to sign an acknowledgment. "We ask that you read the statement carefully and acknowledge your commitment to follow all of the outlined expectations," according to a recent UI communication. "All students are expected to review and sign the acknowledgment before returning to campus."

When asked about enforcement of its mask mandate, UI spokeswoman Hayley Bruce said, "The university will do all it can to ensure our campus community understands and follows the university's health and safety guidelines.

"Our primary goal is to have voluntary compliance with this effort," Bruce said. "However, if absolutely necessary, repeated failure to meet these procedures may be addressed through Human Resources and the Office of Student Accountability."

Iowa State University, too, has said its Dean of Students Office has developed a "set of community expectations, which provides guidance for handling issues of non-compliance."

"Faculty and staff should contact their own supervisor when the situation involves another staff or faculty member," according to a recent letter from ISU President Wendy Wintersteen. "Modeling appropriate behavior and creating positive reinforcement are the best methods to encourage compliance."

The University of Northern Iowa has been more direct about its mask enforcement and the steps it will take ensure face coverings are universally used.

"While we anticipate the majority of our students will support these efforts, faculty can and should insist on compliance in any rare instances when a student does not have appropriate face covering," according to a recent UNI campus communication.

Students with uncovered faces first should be asked to put one on.

"If they wish to comply but don't have a mask, retail outlets around campus will have them for sale," according to UNI. "Departments will be provided a small supply of disposable masks that they can give out at their discretion early in the semester."

Should a student intentionally rebuff the mandate, "They should be asked to leave class" and referred to the Dean of Students.

"If a student refuses to leave or becomes argumentative in any way, the faculty member should feel comfortable ending class and then referring the student to the student conduct process," according to UNI. "In these instances, interim actions may be utilized by the Dean of Students staff through the student conduct process to deny further access to class until the matter is resolved."

Despite the strict policy and expectation, UNI officials note, "Wearing a mask is not required by law and the UNI Police will not respond to calls about mask compliance."
Explosive ammonium nitrate exploded in the port of Beirut, Al Hadath TV reported referring to the head of the Lebanese Interior Ministry, Mohammed Fahmi.

However, as the law enforcement agencies told Al Mayadeen TV, the smuggled cargo of explosive substances, confiscated from one of the ships nine years ago, was detonated, which had been stored in a warehouse in the port for further processing or destruction.

Four months ago a report was prepared on the great threat of storing such a cargo of explosive substances in the sea harbor, he said. According to some reports, a short circuit happened in the warehouse, which caused a fire, as a result of which the saltpeter exploded. Meanwhile, hospitals in the Lebanese capital are overcrowded.

Only one of the hospitals received over 300 wounded in less than an hour. People are urged to urgently donate blood. All medical personnel has been called to work. According to the first data, the death toll reached 30 people, according to unofficial information, there are many more victims - people are under the buildings destroyed by the blast wave in the port area, TASS reported. PM Hassan Diab said that the explosion in the port of Beirut was a disaster for Lebanon.
(Natural News) Current studies on brain science affirm that light can stimulate brain cells (neurons). This general field and technique is called optogenetics and scientists use it to better understand the neural connections, electrical impulses and chemical signals that occur in the brain.

In 2019, Shuo Chen, a postdoctoral scholar at the University of California in Berkeley received the Science & PINS Prize for Neuromodulation for developing an innovative and minimally invasive approach to optogenetics that has implications for mental health.

Karl Deisseroth, a professor of bioengineering at Stanford University, noted that Chen and his colleagues had been the first to demonstrate that the combination of near-infrared (NIR) light and certain nanoparticles can stimulate neurons deep inside the brain.

Optogenetics: shedding light on the brain

Before scientists began using light to look into the brain, risky and invasive procedures like surgeries made up the short list of mainstream scientific techniques for examining the brain and understanding the pathogenesis of neurological disorders in the hopes of treating them.

Brain pacemakers are a quintessential example of this. Invented in 1987, this medical device had been designed to send electrical impulses into the brain of dementia patients in the hopes of stalling the noticeable and measurable decline in their cognitive abilities.

The device itself is implanted into the brain through a surgical procedure. It remains one of the most common methods of deep brain stimulation.

In 2005, a groundbreaking technique called optogenetics came into light. It combined principles from both genetics and optics in order to better control events and observe reactions inside cells of living tissue. Deisseroth himself had been one of the earliest researchers of optogenetics.

In creating this technique, scientists modified brain cells to respond to certain kinds of light and then transferred genetic codes from microbes into the neurons of mice. In effect, this modification causes neurons to create opsin, a protein that turns on and off, so to speak, in response to light.

Scientists then expose the opsin-producing neurons to different kinds of light in order to analyze the reaction of the neurons and determine possible patterns that might be useful in creating treatments for neurological disorders.

Using this safer and more efficient technique, scientists are able to study the brain more closely in order to understand its extremely intricate system comprised of billions of interconnected neurons, biochemical messengers and electrical signals.

A groundbreaking approach to optogenetics

Based on Chens article published in the journal Science, Chen and his team adopted an earlier, patented method from Deisseroth and Polina Anikeeva, an associate professor in materials science and engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Their method involved using NIR light, a kind of light that can penetrate deep into brain tissue. But unlike visible-spectrum light, opsin-producing neurons fail to detect NIR light and therefore do not respond to it.

Deisseroth and Anikeevas solution to this dilemma had been to coat the opsin-producing neurons in nanoparticles that transform the NIR light into the recognizable visible-spectrum light.

For their experiment, Chen and his team injected the combination of NIR light and nanoparticles into an area of the mouse brain thought to be responsible for depression in order to stimulate the production of dopamine, a neurotransmitter involved in pleasure. (Related: Neuroscientists look at brain stimulation as an alternative treatment for depression.)

All in all, their research demonstrates and puts forth a minimally invasive method of modulating deep brain activities in the hopes of treating psychiatric disorders like depression and, possibly, neurological disorders, too.

According to Chen, this technique can also be utilized and further explored in future studies and experiments to create better noninvasive brain stimulation technologies.

Deisseroth notes that Chens research still requires further improvements. That being said, Chens research is a step in the right direction for the field of neuroscience, he added.

Read the latest articles on optogenetics and neuroscience research at Brain.news.

Sources include:

Healthline.com

NCBI.NLM.NIH.gov

ScientificAmerican.com

Science.ScienceMag.org
With facial treatments postponed until at least August 15 2020, at-home beauty devices will probably be the most reliable solution for your pampering needs.

If you're looking for a facial device that delivers spa-like results at home, you might want to check out FOREO. The incredibly popular Swedish beauty brand is commended by beauty fans for its LUNA exfoliation brush and UFO face mask tool, as well as their mini pop-in-your-bag versions.

And the brand's latest addition to their line of cult beauty gadgets, the FOREO BEAR microcurrent device, could be one of their most exciting at-home spa treatments yet. I have been testing out the device to share how the product works, and the results it can achieve.

With facial beauty treatments no longer allowed, the FOREO BEAR might be the best solution for an at-home, spa-like treatment

For 279, the FOREO BEAR does cost a pretty penny. However the device is designed to last up to ten years, so if you add up the number of spa facials you might have over that time (on average around 50 per microcurrent session), you'll actually be saving a lot of money with this investment. Even better, you don't have to leave the comfort of your home.

What is a microcurrent facial?

Microcurrent facials are increasingly popular among celebrities, including Kim Kardashian, Jennifer Anniston and Jennifer Lopez to name just a few.

Using a low-grade electrical current to strengthen your facial muscles, a microcurrent facial helps skin appear brighter, more lifted, fitter, and firmer, without the need for botox or going under the knife.

From eye bags to nasal line folds, the non-surgical face-lift targets deep into two dermis layers to build collagen, repair elastin and tighten your face.

What does the FOREO BEAR do?

The FOREO BEAR is a microcurrent device designed to feel like a facial and tone like a workout. It uses advanced microcurrent via its unique metallic spheres and T-sonic pulsations to exercise the 65 plus muscles in your face and neck.

What's unique about the FOREO Bear compared to other microcurrent devices, is the use of T-sonic pulsations, which aid massage and extra gentle exfoliation. They also help absorption, boost circulation and alleviate tension.

FOREO skincare educationalist Chris Luckham told MailOnline that the FOREO BEAR is great for top-ups in between spa facial treatments.

Chris also notes that the treatment can be used by anyone over the age of 18, so whether you want a clearer complexion, to reduce fine lines and wrinkles, or to slow the signs of ageing, this versatile device is a great investment.

According to Chris, you can expect to feel immediate results after first use, but overall you'll start to have personal, incremental changes over a period of two months, so long as you use it every day.

The FOREO BEAR is a microcurrent device designed to feel like a facial and tone like a workout

Is the FOREO BEAR safe to use?

According to FOREO, the brand's patented Anti-Shock System makes the BEAR the most effective and safest microcurrent device in the world.

With a variety of customisable microcurrent facial workouts via the FOREO app, and five different intensities, the BEAR's advanced sensors measure your skins resistance to electricity and automatically adjust the intensity to eliminate any chance of shocking your skin.

However, it not recommended to use if you have a pacemaker,.

Made of silicone, it is easy to clean, hygienic and 100 per cent waterproof so you needn't be worried about any unexpected shocks. The ergonomic design is also comfortable, lightweight and easy to hold.

Simply connect your FOREO BEAR to the FOREO app via Bluetooh and select your treatment, including the microcurrent intensity

Gently glide the FOREO BEAR across your face and neck. After the treatment is complete, simply pat dry any excess serum or allow it to absorb into your skin

How to use the FOREO Bear

Connect your FOREO BEAR to the FOREO app via Bluetooth and select your treatment, including your desired microcurrent intensity.

Apply a water-based serum, such as FOREO's cruelty free Serum Serum Serum (49), onto your clean dry face before starting the treatment. Any oil on your face will deflect the microcurrent, so make sure there is no excess left behind.

Lightly press the metallic spheres to your face and gently glide the FOREO BEAR across your face and neck in an upwards motion for the set time. Target key areas such as eye folds, nose folds, neck, chin and forehead. FOREO advise that the metallic spheres should both be touching your skin at all times during the treatment.

After the treatment is complete, press and hold the button for three seconds to turn off the device. Pat dry any excess serum from your face or let it absorb into your skin and apply your usual skincare products.

Results

I have been using the FOREO BEAR each day for about a week now and I love using it in the morning for an added glow. It also helps me feel more energised throughout the day.

The beauty device glided easily on my face and I only felt a few light zaps, but none were strong enough to feel any pain or discomfort during or after the treatments.

My complexion does look somewhat brighter and feels smoother, so I will definitely be using it each day for the next few months to see if my skin continues to tighten and firm.

MailOnline may earn commission on sales from the links on this page.
Tributes poured in Monday from across the political spectrum following the death of John Hume, who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending decades of deadly sectarian violence in Northern Ireland. The former leader of the mainly Catholic Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) helped forge the 1998 Good Friday peace agreement in the British province after a conflict that left 3,500 people dead. The 83-year-old Hume, who had suffered with dementia in his later years, died on Monday after a short illness, his family said. A consistently moderate voice during the so-called Troubles, he shared the Nobel in 1998 with David Trimble of the Ulster Unionist Party for their cross-community efforts that culminated in the landmark peace deal between Belfast, Dublin and London. The agreement shepherded in a new era for Northern Ireland after three decades of bloody strife between the largely Catholic nationalist community, who want to reunify with Ireland, and Protestant unionists who want to remain part of the United Kingdom. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed a "political giant", while Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said: "He was one of the towering figures of Irish public life of the last century. "His vision and tenacity saved this country." - 'Political titan' - Hume had been largely out of the public spotlight since resigning as leader of the SDLP in 2001, citing ill health. He had been in a nursing home in the Northern Irish city of Londonderry, where he was born. "John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather and a brother. He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family," a family statement said. The SDLP, which he helped to found in 1970, said: "We all live in the Ireland he imagined -- at peace and free to decide our own destiny." Northern Ireland's First Minister Arlene Foster, leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, called Hume "a giant in Irish nationalism". "In our darkest days he recognised that violence was the wrong path (and) worked steadfastly to promote democratic politics," she added. Former US President Bill Clinton, one of the architects of the 1998 accord, said he and wife Hillary were "deeply saddened by the passing of our friend John Hume". "With his enduring sense of honour, he kept marching on against all odds towards a brighter future for all the children of Northern Ireland," he said in a statement. Ex-British prime minister Tony Blair, another to help craft the deal, praised Hume as "a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past". "His contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic and he will rightly be remembered for it," he added. - 'Grasped the challenge' - Born in the republican stronghold of Londonderry in 1937, Hume joined the province's civil rights movement in the late 1960s as Catholics demanded equality in housing, voting and other issues. He was elected to Northern Ireland's parliament as an independent lawmaker, becoming a founding member of the SDLP in 1970, before later serving as a member of the European Parliament and then Britain's House of Commons. European Union chief Ursula von der Leyen said with Hume's death Europe had "lost a great champion of peace". With several ceasefires by the Irish Republic Army (IRA) paramilitary group in the 1990s, he had worked to engage US politicians, notably Clinton, in the peace process. Gerry Adams, the leader of the republican Sinn Fein party -- the political wing of the IRA -- called Hume's willingness to meet with him in 1986 the "breakthrough moment in Irish politics". "When others talked endlessly about peace John grasped the challenge and helped make peace happen," he said. In his 1998 Nobel acceptance speech Hume said understanding differences -- whether racial, religious or national -- was key to conflict resolution. "The answer to difference is to respect it," he added. Hume's family said his funeral would be arranged in accordance with current government regulations severely limiting the number of attendees due to the risk of coronavirus. John Hume, a former Northern Ireland politician, won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998 British Prime Minister Tony Blair (C) talks to the press after a meeting with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble (L) and SDLP leader John Hume (R) John Hume helped lead the cross-community peace process that culminated in the landmark Good Friday agreement
Widow of killed rapper detained in St. Petersburg on murder charges

 TASS, Maxim Shemetov

15:00 04/08/2020

ST. PETERSBURG, August 4 (RAPSI, Mikhail Telekhov)  The widow of rapper Alexander Yushko known as Andy Cartwright has been placed in detention on charges of killing the musician until September 30, according to the United press service of St. Petersburg courts.

Marina Kokhal pleads not guilty.

According to the investigation, on July 29, the woman had a conflict with Yushko and then killed him and dismembered his body in order to further wean it off. During the questioning, she said that her husband died from drug overdose.

Yushko known as Andy Cartwright took part in rap battles and released his sole tracks on the Internet.




(Natural News) American companies should stop supplying technology to Beijing, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) said, noting the Chinese governments hardline stance on religious and cultural expression.

Tech companies need to remember that they are American tech companies. And they should be sensitive to the values that we stand for, USCIRF Commissioner Gary Bauer said in an interview with The Epoch Times, adding that cooperation between these companies and communist authorities is unacceptable.

According to experts, this is because China  which is home to 18 of the worlds 20 most monitored cities, according to a study by British technology website Comparitech  is currently using an armada of advanced American surveillance technology to spy on and suppress religious communities. This includes high-tech cameras, facial recognition software, smartphone applications, advanced GPS location tracking and even DNA and biometrics data collection.

No authoritarian state has leveraged digital technologies more successfully than modern China, Chris Meserole of Washington-based think tank Brookings Institution, said during the hearing.

U.S. companies, complicit in Beijings religious crackdown

According to Messerole, the results of such punitive measures from the Chinese Communist Partys (CCP) crackdown on religion, culture and free speech, have always been devastating and tragic  and several US companies are complicit.

Tech giant Apple, for instance, kowtowed to pressure from the Chinese government and removed or rejected thousands of apps from the Chinese version of its App Store.

According to Lobsang Sither, a Tibetan-in-exile who heads the digital security program at a human rights advocacy group called the Tibet Action Institute, Apples decision to censor its own digital marketplace betrayed its recent call for a more just world for everyone.

Aside from Apple, other tech giants such as Intel and Nvidia have sold technologies such as artificial-intelligence chips to Chinese manufacturers, including surveillance equipment maker Hikvision, which is one of nearly 50 Chinese companies on a U.S. sanctions list for their involvement in human rights violations. (Related: Popular woke and socially conscious brands benefiting from Uyghur slave labor  report.)

Hikvision, according to a November 2019 report by the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, is involved in the mass detention and trafficking of ethnic Uyghur Muslims from Chinas northwestern region of Xinjiang.

The report detailed that an estimated 1 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities currently reside in concentration camps built by the CCP purportedly to weed out dissidents and prevent the spread of religious extremism. The Uyghurs, according to the Commission, are then shipped off to work in several factories  some of which have been tapped by several global brands.

This was corroborated by a study released by the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, which noted that massive global companies and brands such as Amazon, GAP, H&M, Nike, Apple, Samsung, Sony and Victorias Secret and others, are actually part of an extensive supply chain that uses Uyghur Muslims as forced labor.

American pension funds are also complicit

Aside from tech firms, two major American pension funds  the New York State Teachers Retirement System and the California State Teachers Retirement System  have been revealed to have had personal financial stakes in Hikvision.

As a response to these findings, the U.S. administration has since blocked further investment by U.S. federal retirement funds into Chinese firms, citing present significant national security and humanitarian concerns.

In a speech earlier this month, Attorney General William Barr called out corporate America for allegedly becoming too subservient to Beijing. He noted that because Hollywood and U.S. tech firms have been too eager to access the Chinese market, they essentially allowed themselves to become pawns of Chinese influence.

For the sake of short-term profits, American companies have succumbed to [Chinese] influence, even at the expense of freedom and openness in the United States, Barr said.

Bauer noted that corporations  especially the multinational ones  may need to step back and reassess their stakes in China.

If theyre concerned about their brand, they need to understand that if it becomes obvious that theyre cooperating with the Chinese communists to oppress, discriminate against people, that that is going to hurt their brand and their profits a lot more than if they irritate the Chinese Communist government, Bauer stated.

China intensifying surveillance on religious communities

Much of the suppression levied on religious minorities in China, according to Washington-based ecumenical organization International Christian Concern, stems from the CCPs systematic campaign of Sinicization  a term first coined by the Party in 2015  which aims to make religious groups submit to socialism and assimilate them into a unified identity with Chinese characteristics. This campaign has since led to the creation of several government-approved churches and religious groups.

Churches that are not in any way affiliated with the government are branded heterodox organizations, which are then subjected to intensified surveillance  both offline and online  with authorities often cracking down on them for practices that are deemed to be not aligned with normal religious activities.

Gina Goh, ICCs regional manager for Southeast Asia and the author of the report, noted that such crackdowns often happen mainly because Chinas vaguely worded constitution allows authorities to arbitrarily define what falls within the realm of normal religious activities.

According to Goh, this gives the government the power to disband churches and other religious organizations.

Sources include:

TheEpochTimes.com

SCMP.com

Reuters.com

Apple.com

Asia.Nikkei.com

TheGuardian.com

ASPI.org.au

BBC.com

CNBC.com

BaptistStandard.com

Persecution.org
CORVALLIS, Ore. - As a first-year graduate student studying truffle ecology at Oregon State University, Dan Luoma attended a scientific meeting in 1981 on Orcas Island in Washington. Having recently learned how to search for truffles, he went out one day of the meeting looking for the prized fungi and found a collection.

He brought them back to Oregon State and showed them to his mentor James Trappe, who confirmed the collection was of an undescribed species. Trappe added it to the university's collection. Then it sat there.

Almost four decades later, with the help of new scientific technologies, Trappe and several other scientists confirmed that the truffle is unique. They recently published their findings in the journal Fungal Systematics and Evolution recognizing it as a new species. Fittingly, it's named Tuber luomae after Luoma, who retired this year after 40 years at Oregon State.

"This truffle in 1981 was among the first truffles I ever found," Luoma said. "To have it named in my honor the year I retired completes the circle for me. It's a wonderful way to celebrate retirement."

Some truffle species are highly prized for culinary purposes because of their distinct flavor. These species, which are black, white or brown, are hard to find and exist in limited geographic areas, meaning they command high prices.

Oregon and the Pacific Northwest are home to several of those prized species, making the region one of the world's hot spots for truffle hunting. The species discovered by Luoma, though, is a red truffle, which doesn't have the distinct flavor sought by chefs and cooks.

While the culinary use of truffles and the thrill of searching for them gets a lot of attention, they and other fungi are important for the health of forests. They provide nutrients to plants and can also help plants withstand drought.

Luoma studied the ecology of truffles and fungi while earning his doctorate from Oregon State in 1988 and until earlier this year worked as a researcher at the university.

Several graduate students who worked with him during his early years planned to name the truffle species he found on Orcas Island in honor of Luoma, but they graduated before doing so.

Then about 10 years ago Trappe, now Luoma's colleague, searched the Oregon State truffle collections, the largest in the world with about 50,000 collections, looking for truffles similar to the one Luoma found on Orcas Island. Trappe found three.

Joyce Eberhart, a truffle researcher at Oregon State and Luoma's wife, and Greg Bonito, an assistant professor at Michigan State University, studied the DNA of those three and determined they were the same species as the Orcas Island truffle.

Those three were all found in Oregon - one each in Benton (found in 1962), Clackamas (1995) and Jackson (2012) counties. While the Benton County specimen was found before Luoma dug up the Orcas Island one, it was never fully described until Trappe noticed the similarities between the two. Now the known distribution of the new species extends from southwestern Oregon to northwestern Washington.

Carolina Pina Paez, a doctoral student at Oregon State who also does truffle research, provided the final piece by documenting the microscopic structures inside the truffle with photos, confirming that the spores and outer layers were that of a unique species.

Trappe, who has studied truffles for more than 60 years and has discovered 230 new truffle species, still gets excited about a new species, such as this one named after Luoma.

"Many dozens of professional and amateur mycologists have sought truffles in western Oregon for over 100 years, but only these four collections of Luoma's truffle have been found. Each of those seems to be quite local in distribution, indicating that it's a very rare fungus," Trappe said.

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Home Ministry states that Valley's top politicians were released within seven months of scrapping of Article 370, but many leaders like Soz claim they were kept under illegal detention

A spate of arrests and detentions followed the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status on 5 August last year with three former chief ministers coming under radar. Even as the Centre readies to observe the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370, life in the region is far from what defines normalcy in rest of the country.

The erstwhile state -- which was granted the status of a Union Territory a year ago following the abrogation -- is yet to elect a government over two years after a split in the PDP-BJP combine led to President's rule. High speed internet is still a distant dream for residents of the Valley, while mobile connectivity too can be disrupted by the authorities on need basis.

The last serving chief minister of the semi-autonomous state, Mehbooba Mufti is still under house arrest even though the the government has seen fit to release several key opposition leaders and former chief ministers.

Muftis detention was extended by three months under the Public Safety Act (PSA), ahead of the expiry of her current detention order on 5 August this year. Her residence, where she was shifted in April after spending over eight months at two government facilities, has been declared a subsidiary jail.

Her former aide and ex-MLA Sajad Lone, who founded the Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference, was released from detention this week. After being taken into custody on 5 August, he was kept at makeshift jail at Srinagar's Centaur hotel, along with other leaders from mainstream parties before they all were moved to an MLA hostel. In February, he was shifted to his residence and kept under house arrest.

Finally 5 days short of a year I have been officially informed that I am a free man. So much has changed. So have I. Jail was not a new experience. Earlier ones were harsh with usual doses of physical torture. But this was psychologically draining. Much to share hopefully soon.  Sajad Lone (@sajadlone) July 31, 2020

Controversy over claims of detentions

The curious case of Congress leader Saifuddin Soz has been making headlines recently. While the former Union minister claims he is still under detention, the Jammu and Kashmir administration vehemently claims that he is a free man.

"I continue to be under house arrest. The only thing that has changed is; a lock has been put on my gate from inside also," Soz has claimed in a statement.

However, the Supreme Court closed a habeas corpus petition by his wife after being told by the administration that he was never detained nor under house arrest.

The order came even as videos went viral of policemen stationed at Sozs residence pulling him away from the boundary wall of his home as he talked to media persons. Another video showed cops stopping him from leaving his residence.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah says that Soz's story is neither unique nor unusual. He claims that 15 leaders of his party were also illegally detained like Soz.

"Soz Sahibs plight is not unique. JKNC has gone to court because more than 15 of our colleagues are similarly illegally detained and I have no doubt the administration will claim they arent detained."

The party had filed a petition on 13 July in the Jammu and Kashmir High Court, seeking the release of 16 party leaders still under house arrest. A letter to Principal Secretary, Home, Jammu and Kashmir noted that no order (preventive or otherwise) justifying such confinement has till date been served upon the detained leaders.

Soz Sahibs plight is not unique. @JKNC_ has gone to court because more than 15 of our colleagues are similarly illegally detained & I have no doubt the administration will claim they arent detained. As if any of these people would sit at home for a year of their own free will. https://t.co/pBuMsoQOCa  Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) July 30, 2020

The leaders names are: Ali Mohammad Sagar, Abdul Rahim Rather, Nasir Aslam Wani, Aga Syed Mehmood, Mohammad Khalil Bandh, Irfan Shah, Sahmeema Firdous, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzaan, Mubarak Gul, Dr Bashir Veeri, Abdul Majeed Larmi, Basharat Bukhari, Saifudin Bhat Shutru and Mohammad Shafi.

From among the gamut of leaders who have been arrested since the abrogation of Article 370 last year, Peoples Democratic Partys Waheed Parra, arrested on 5 August and later booked under a preventive detention law, said "disgrace and defeat have been both personal and political. My work became a reason for my arrest. My dossier said I was motivating people to be part of democratisation and elections, he told Outlook.

Even though PDP leader Nizamuddin Bhat was released from detention at the MLA hostel in Srinagar in January, party spokesman Suhail Bukhari said this week that top PDP leaders are still not allowed to move out of their houses.

"Naeem Akhtar, GN Hanjura, Sartaj Madani, Peer Mansoor, AR Veeri, all former legislators and ministers, remain under house arrest since their release from sub-jails," he said.

Peoples Conference leader Abdul Ghani Vakil and Peoples Movement chief Shah Faesal and leader Javaid Mustafa Mir are also placed under house arrest, according to party spokesmen.

Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umer Farooq has also been under house arrest since 5 August, while Yasin Malik has been in Tihar jail for 18 months. Tehreek-e-Hurriyat chairman Mohammad Ashraf Sehrai, who was among those placed under house arrest in August 2019, was arrested by police in Srinagar on Sunday, with sources telling New Indian Express that he was booked under PSA.

Home ministry data stated that top political leadership from NC and PDP were released in multiple batches within seven months after the scrapping of Article 370. As many as 6,605 persons including political heads, overground workers, stone-pelters and separatists were taken into preventive custody. But, 90 percent of them were released in the first three months, central government officials told The Economic Times.

A leadership vacuum created by the long absence of major leaders from parties with strong regional presence saw the emergence of newer faces. While Mufti's daughter Iltija took control of her mother's Twitter account in her absence and spoke on "issues of the common people", former PDP leader Altaf Bukhari launched a new outfit Apni Party in March. The BJP too started grooming entrants like Aijaz Hussain and Sheikh Khalid Jehangir.

The Block Development Council elections were held from 8 to 16 October last year, recording a voter turnout of 98 percent. While the PDP and JKNC boycotted the first elections to be held after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, 109 of the 128 winning candidates turned out to be Independents. The erstwhile state, however, has not had a stable government since June 2018, when Mufti stepped down from the chief ministerial post.

Petitions say courts overlooked grounds of detention

Soz had left his residence twice in September and December 2019 after seeking permission from authorities and said that he would sue the government for his unlawful arrest, blaming the UT administration for lying to the apex court. The court stressed heavily on the omission of Sozs travels in the petition, even as the question of the grounds of detention did not arise.

A petition challenging Muftis detention remains pending before the Supreme Court. Meanwhile, Sitaram Yechurys habeas corpus petition challenging the detention of Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Mohammed Yousuf Tarigami was met with conditions by the court allowing a meeting between the two leaders. The petition remains pending and was last listed on 28 January.

The case against the detention of Kashmir Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom lasted almost as long as his detention period, with the court suggesting his early release and the government accepting the suggestion, while not giving any answers on the legality of the detention.

Awami National Conference (ANC) leader Muzaffar Ahmad Shah had approached the High Court on 11 September last year along with his family, alleging that they had been detained. Srinagar authorities told the court that they had not been put under house arrest. While the court did not look into the allegations of illegal detention, it passed directions to withdraw the security personnel deputed at their residence in March.

4G internet remains suspended in UT

Meanwhile, Jammu and Kashmirs Lieutenant Governor GK Murmu said that high-speed internet should not be an issue days after the home ministry said no to the restoration of 4G internet in the Union Territory. The Jammu and Kashmir administration, however, ordered to continue the curb on internet speed across the Union Territory in an order released on Wednesday that says that internet speed shall be restricted to 2G only and available on post-paid sim cards. Orders were passed by authorities on 4, 17 and 26 March restricting internet speed for mobile data services to 2G. The order has brought concerns about not being able to access telemedicine and information from the government on the coronavirus pandemic.

Slamming the Centres attempt to hide what is happening in the Valley by shutting down 4G services, Farooq Abdullah said, "Every country in the world knows what is happening here. Packing up media, shutting telephones down, and using your media to put false stories -- one day this will rebound on you. When you will be sitting in the opposition and you have to answer for your misdeeds," he said.

Officials, on the other hand, cited relaxations in curbs within two weeks of abrogation of Article 370 when seventeen landlines exchanges out of 96 were restored. Postpaid mobile services were re-activated on 14 October last year, however, 4G internet services still continue to remain suspended, an official said.

With inputs from agencies
Indias three Covid-19 vaccine candidates are progressing well, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) director-general Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday. He added phase II/III clinical trials for the recombinant Oxford University vaccine candidate will begin within a week at 17 sites across India. Serum Institute of India, which is the local manufacturer of the vaccine, will conduct the trials.

Inactivated virus vaccine candidate by Bharat Biotech and the DNA vaccine by Zydus Cadila have completed phase I studies in 11 sites and started phase II trials. Phase I and II trials are for safety studies and very early efficacy studies, said Bhargava.

At least 141 vaccine candidates are being studied globally, of which 26 are in different phases of clinical trials.

Bhargava said India is making all efforts to ensure a vaccine is available whenever it is ready. He added it includes prioritising and fair distribution, maintaining the cold chain, stockpiling and training of people to administer vaccines. Availability of the vaccine is the key but what is more important in managing the disease is sustained behavioural change that includes wearing of masks, maintaining hand hygiene, and observing social distancing.

Dr GC Khilnani, a former pulmonology department head at New Delhis All India Institute of Medical Sciences, said the vaccine will be the ultimate solution for curbing the outbreak. Many vaccine candidates are showing promise in initial trials, but whichever makes it finally should reach masses in time.

Union health secretary Rajesh Bhushan separately said Indias current case fatality rate (CFR) of 2.10% has been the lowest since the first phase of the lockdown (around 3.3%) that was imposed to check the Covid-19 spread from March 25.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

There has been a progressive decline in countrys CFR and it is now the lowest since lockdown began and also one of the lowest globally. The mortality analysis that we have done is broadly in line with the global scenario, although percentages may differ, said Bhushan.

The latest mortality analysis shows 68% of the Covid-19 deaths in the country are among men and 32% among women. Most deaths--50%- -are in the age group of 60 and above, followed by 37% among people between 45 and 60. About 11% of people, who succumbed to the disease, were between 26 and 44.

The death data tells us that not just the senior citizens, but also our population between 45-60 years is vulnerable and needs to take extra care, said Bhushan.

Jugal Kishore, who heads the community medicine department at Safdarjung Hospital, said elderly and those with co-morbidities are vulnerable and need special focus. All our data points to that, and it is important for the country to achieve the target of CFR below 1%.

Increased testing

Bhargava said they have been doing intelligent and calibrated testing. He added remote areas with the inadequate testing facilities, or those districts with the high caseload, are being given priority. We set up labs in areas where there were no labs or very few labs and deployed high throughput testing machines in special economic zones, where the public movement was higher and larger international airports. Our target is to go up to one million tests a day. He added it is important for states to analyse the data well to deploy resources accordingly.

Homegrown ventilator industry

Even though less than 1% of the countrys Covid-19 patients are on ventilator support at any given time, India has managed to establish full self-reliant ventilator manufacturing facilities and is even ready to export the machines. On Tuesday, the Directorate General of Foreign Trade issued a directive permitting the export of indigenously manufactured ventilators from the country.

India has commissioned about 60,000 ventilators to some 20 odd domestic manufacturers.

There were just a few manufacturers of ventilators in India some four months ago and even those making them in India relied heavily on imported parts. When the outbreak started, many of those countries imposed restrictions for the export of ventilators and there was a surge in global demand. There was no option but to encourage domestic manufacturers to get into the fray, and we have managed it with great success, said Bhushan.

Public sector undertakings Bharat Electronics Limited and Andhra Med-Tech Zone are providing 43,500 ventilators. Maruti Suzuki opened its manufacturing lines and supported the production of about 10,000 ventilators.

From a price range of about 10-20 lakh, the domestic manufacturers are selling a ventilator within 1.5 and 4 lakh price range. Even the spare parts are being manufactured locally and it is a great achievement in four months, said Bhushan.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rhythma Kaul Rhythma Kaul works as an assistant editor at Hindustan Times. She covers health and related topics, including ministry of health and family welfare, government of India. ...view detail
You came out with Project: No More Foreigners, kindly asking (unemployed) immigrants to leave the island. You had the heart to say you spoke to some people and you heard their cries but now you are kindly asking them to leave. In other words, you heard them but they are not your concern and if things are that bad, they should probably go back to whence they came. As far as saying, it does not matter whether they have permanent residency or not, it can be revoked. Their application will not be approved nor will their residence permit be renewed.

You listed them as the cause for a potential rise in crime due to being unemployed. You are also finding ways to send the already incarcerated back to their homeland to serve the remainder of their sentence. Some of which, have lived on St. Maarten most of, if not their entire lives. Possibly, having no family in their country. But okay, we get it you dont care, not your problem.

If you take a look at the precious tourism industry, consisting of hotels, bars, restaurants, nightclubs, etc. How many locals are employed at these establishments? IMMIGRANTS and FOREIGNERS make up the majority of the tourism industry that this very country needs to survive because the Government does not even have a grain of salt to fall back on. Many people lost these jobs due to COVID-19. Is that their fault? Many locals are unemployed. If they commit crimes, where will you send them? Back to their mothers womb or their fathers sack?

SPIT IN THE FACE OF YOUR PEOPLE

We will NEVER forget you for letting us, the people of St. Maarten know that you, so-called Honorable Minister do not need that job to eat. That you were doing just fine before this job and anyone that knows you know that. You do not need to brag about being in that position. Yet... you hold your head so high with an invisible nose bleed making sure that invisible crown doesnt take a tumble. You act as you care. But those that you have stepped on know better.

If you can wrong your own flesh and blood, who is anyone else? St. Maarten is small and that skeleton closet is smaller. Be careful.

You are so quick to fuel the plane, boats, surfboards, you name it, transporting immigrants out of this country while harboring one right in your ministry! Trying so desperately to find a place for this person. They have contracts and scandals attached to them but you turn a blind justice eye. You allow this person to overstep, bypass, disrespect, and influence all with your blessing. Why? Because you can. You know we are not blind but again, you do not care. You are willing to take food out of your locals mouth to feed someone not of this soil. The irony.

Everyone can see you operate from a place of power and it makes you tingle. You make decisions that cause us to constantly wonder WHO IS ADVISING YOU? Wow the instability, the insanity! We know, we know, we know you do not care about us but you could at least pretend. You make decisions thinking no one can check you for it because you are the almighty minister and there is no one above you. However, lest ye forget how you ended up in that position because you did not earn it outright.

It is not a secret that for years the Police Force has been at the top of the food chain (a standard you have publicly maintained) while the other divisions within the ministry (Immigration, Coast Guard, Prison, etc) have been bottom feeders begging for scraps. But lo and behold, you have somehow managed to upset the officers as well. Tsk, tsk, tsk.

Word of advice: Seeds sown with ill intent will never bear good fruit. Enjoy your 15 minutes of fame. Your time is almost up and you will never again see the light of day in politics. Then again, ha you dont need that job. Lucky you!

P.S. The one good thing you did was the construction of a new prison in early 2021. Oops, sorry, Holland already took that away from you. How does it feel to have food taken from your mouth, Lady Justice?

Sincerely yours,

Injustice Vigilante
British people, Americans, and other English speakers were measurably less likely to comply with coronavirus lockdown regulations than people in other European countries, a new study has claimed.

Academics at Durham University found that 71 per cent of English speakers around the globe followed guidelines.

But 89 per cent of French and Italian speakers are said to have complied, according the academics' analysis, based on a survey of over 8,300 respondents from 70 countries.

The findings should be interpreted with caution as they related to language groups rather than nationalities or residence  with lockdown regulations and compliance differing significantly across the anglosphere.

Many US states imposed much looser lockdowns or none at all, while France and Italy had stricter conditions and enforcement than the UK  such as requiring documentation to leave the house at the peak of the pandemic.

The same study, which surveyed people across 70 countries, found Spanish speakers were the least compliant with lockdown guidelines, with 67 per cent compliant.

Data for the study was conducted using a mobile application Praditus across 8,300 respondents and 70 countries, and also asked about attitudes to steps like wearing masks, social distancing and washing hands.

Participants were also surveyed on other general political statements, like whether government officials should be listened to.

They found that beliefs that taking health precautions like masks and hadwashing are effective for avoiding Covid-19, as well as concern for ones own, were important predictors in compliance.

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Professor Sascha Kraus said: Countries around the world have been facing extraordinary challenges in implementing various measures to slow down the spread of COVID- 19.

"In order for these measures to be effective, the public must comply. Many governments are lifting official restrictions, thus elevating the importance of voluntary compliance, therefore its important that individuals are informed about the effectiveness of wearing masks, handwashing, social distancing, and staying at home, to increase voluntary compliance with government rules and recommendations.
Restaurants saw their business plummet when COVID-19 hit.

Dining rooms shuttered and shifted to takeout-only models in March. Since then theyve been inching toward reopening fully. Now, restaurants can serve customers inside, but social distancing is still required between parties, reducing the number of customers that can be served at any given time.

A number of restaurateurs in the Roanoke Valley say the Paycheck Protection Program has been essential to keeping their businesses afloat and employees working.

I doubt we could have survived this long without them, said Butch Craft, owner of The Roanoker Restaurant, which has been in business for nearly 80 years.

The Small Business Administration released in July information about recipients of loans greater than $150,000. The actual loan amounts do not appear; instead recipients were lumped into ranges. The restaurateurs interviewed for this story declined to provide the exact amount of funding they had received.

The SBA data indicates The Roanoker received between $150,000 and $350,000, which Craft confirmed. She said the money has been used entirely on payroll.

When the restaurant was doing takeout only, Craft said she retained just 21 of her more than 60 employees. She started bringing employees back when The Roanoker was able to open its dining room at 50% capacity. As of late July, 52 employees were working.

She said bringing back those employees would have been impossible without the PPP funds.

People think, Well thats a big restaurant, its been in business all these years,  Craft said. But when you drop your incoming sales to about a quarter of what they were, [and] youre still getting the bills in for electricity and rent and all of that, it would have been impossible to last this long if we hadnt had the PPP.

Things are improving, Craft said, but takeout is still about 50% of the business, given that people are being cautious about venturing out.

Numerous restaurant owners said it was difficult to keep up with the changing guidelines around loan forgiveness. Both the length of time in which the funds had to be used and the amount required to go toward payroll, rather than other expenses like rent and utilities, were changed.

For a loan to be forgiven, at least 60% must be spent on payroll. Since all of The Roanokers loan was put toward payroll, Craft said shes now confident it will be forgiven.

That was the one thing that scared me, is every day new information came out, she said. Im thinking if I get this loan and its not forgiven, it could set us back. Thankfully it will be forgiven because we used it for the right purpose.

Gary Walker, owner of Cabo Fish Taco, obtained loans in April for his restaurants in Blacksburg and Roanoke, which allowed him to offer a job back to everyone whod been laid off.

He confirmed that the Blacksburg location, which had 44 employees prior to the pandemic, received between $150,000 and $350,000, per SBA data. Walker said the Roanoke location, which had a much smaller staff at 19 employees, received less than $150,000.

The funds helped him to get through the second quarter, but now that money is running out and business is far from returning to normal, Walker said hes worried maintaining his recently expanded staff wont be sustainable.

A lot of our local customers have been ordering takeout and delivery so thats given us some revenue, but we are still operating at a pretty big loss, he said, even with dining rooms now open.

Yet the cost of doing business is higher in some ways. Servers arent making as many tips, Walker said, so their wages have been adjusted to make up for that. Each to-go container costs the restaurant 42 cents.

When employees first returned, Walker said the dining rooms had yet to reopen and there was only so much work to go around. But the PPP loan allowed him to pay them anyway. And, importantly, when he was able to reopen the dining rooms, both locations already had the staff necessary to do so. Walker said he knows of several restaurants that werent able to immediately offer dine-in services because they still needed to call back staff.

When Walker first accepted the loans, he took on a risk; guidelines around forgiveness were unclear at that time. Both Cabo Fish Taco locations used the funds solely on payroll, he said.

At first, Walker said, accepting the help made him feel a little weird. But he chose to look at the loans as an opportunity to support his employees, ensuring they could earn money during the pandemic.

Eric Terry, president of the Virginia Restaurant, Lodging and Travel Association, said across the state restaurants have largely reported positive experiences with the Paycheck Protection Program, despite some hiccups along the way.

However, Terry said hes hearing that many restaurants are running out of the funds. He said another round of PPP loans is important for restaurants, given that they have been operating at a reduced capacity for much longer than initially anticipated.

Terry said he believes restaurants owners have real concerns about whether they can maintain staffing levels once the funds have been expended.

People have been pretty slow to come back into restaurants, Terry said. So I think the timing of kind of running out of PPP funds and when the business levels are going to return are a little bit difficult right now.

The National Restaurant Association this month unveiled a Blueprint for Restaurant Revival, which advocates for various forms of assistance including a second installment of the Paycheck Protection Program.

I do think you have folks who really do need an additional round of PPP funding to sort of get them over the next few months, Terry said. I think its probably the most important piece of whats being asked for.

Marty Montano, owner of Montanos International Restaurant on Franklin Road in Roanoke, also had a positive experience with the program.

Theyve helped small businesses survive all across the country, he said of the loans.

Montano said the funds helped restaurants bring back employees, supplementing their income to ensure they earn their usual wages even though business was slow. He offered all employees their jobs back, and with the help of the program returned around 25 to work.

While small businesses probably need another shot in the arm, Montano said, the PPP loans have been incredibly helpful.

The loan to Montanos International Gourmet was also listed at between $150,000 and $350,000 in the SBA data, though Montano declined to confirm the accuracy of that information.

Local Roots in Grandin Village pared its staff of about 30 down to single digits when the pandemic first began affecting restaurants. But a PPP loan allowed the restaurant to offer everyone their position back, though not all returned, said Brian Sallade, general manager.

As I believe they were set out to do, they really helped us pay and take care of our staff when we didnt have the typical income that we had been used to, he said.

The most challenging part of using the funds was the changing guidance, Sallade said, such as the timeframe in which the money had to be spent for the loan to be forgiven, or the amount required to be spent on payroll. But in other ways, the process was very simple. When the bank called to say Local Roots application was successful, he said, the funds were quickly deposited.

I feel like every decision they made the intent was to be helpful to the businesses and the employees, Sallade said. Where it got messy is were all trying to figure out this pandemic together.

Local Roots put the majority of its PPP money toward payroll, Sallade said, but also used some on rent and utilities. He expects the loan will be forgiven.

The SBA identified Local Roots as receiving between $150,000 and $350,000, which Sallade confirmed.
Sri Lankans are set to vote in a parliamentary election in which President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, facing a fractured opposition, is widely expected to consolidate his power, a result rights groups warn could lead to deepening authoritarianism in the island nation.

More than 16 million voters are eligible to go to the polls when they open at 7am local time (01:30 GMT) on Wednesday, with Parliaments 196 directly elected seats in 22 multi-member districts up for grabs.

Parliaments remaining 29 seats will be filled by proportional representation based on the results of Wednesdays poll.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksas brother, former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, leads the brothers Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) party and his youngest brother, Basil, leads the Sri Lanka Peoples Freedom Alliance (SLPFA) coalition under which the SLPP and its allies are contesting this poll.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the eldest brother, is the SLPPs prime ministerial candidate. He took over as caretaker prime minister in November, after Ranil Wickremesinghe of the opposition United National Party (UNP) resigned from the post following his partys humiliating defeat in the presidential election.

Mahinda Rajapaksa, the elder of the brothers, is the SLPPs prime ministerial candidate [File: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters]

The UNP has seen deepening divisions since that presidential poll, with party leader Wickremesinghe refusing to hand the reins to the partys 2019 presidential candidate, Sajith Premadasa.

Premadasa, leader of the opposition in the outgoing parliament, broke away from the UNP, forming the Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) in February, taking most UNP members of parliament with him.

Other major parties expected to win seats in the election include the left-wing Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, led by Anura Kumara Dissanayake, and the Tamil National Alliance, led by Rajavarothiam Sampanthan.

In total, more than 7,452 candidates are running, representing 70 officially recognised political parties, according to the countrys Election Commission.

SLPP is in pole position

Rajapaksas SLPP is in pole position going into the election, analysts say, as the party is carrying momentum from a landslide win in last Novembers presidential, which saw Gotabaya Rajapaksa elected.

Sri Lankas main opposition party leader Sajith Premadasa, centre, waves to supporters during the last day of campaigning in Colombo [Chamila Karunarathne/EPA]

Facing a fractured opposition, and boosted by widespread public support for Sri Lankas robust response to the COVID-19 crisis, the Rajapaksas have consolidated their hold on power in the last nine months and have campaigned on a platform asking voters to give them a two-thirds majority that would allow them to amend the constitution.

The projection of the governments campaign is about strong and decisive leadership, they are contrasting themselves with the [previous] government, says Paikiasothy Saravanamuttu, executive director of the Colombo-based Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) think-tank.

They are saying that they will act decisively in any crisis and can be trusted, and they have looked to the COVID19 crisis as an example of their ability to be able to manage [things].

Sri Lanka, a country of 22 million people, has had just 2,823 cases of the coronavirus since the outbreak began, with 11 deaths, according to official data. The data has, however, been disputed by critics of the government.

Ahilan Kadirgamar, a political economist at Jaffna University, says that the crisis has given the government another advantage, as the intermittent curfews and control over police and military enforcement may have given the SLPP an advantage during campaigning.

Given the COVID-19 crisis, the lockdown, the social distancing, the government has an advantage because they are in control of state power, he says.

Alan Keenan, senior consultant on Sri Lanka for the International Crisis Group (ICG), says there are widespread expectations that the SLPP will be able to gain the two-thirds majority required to amend the constitution  a long-standing Rajapaksa campaign promise.

They almost certainly wont get it on the single vote, but if they get close enough, they [may] be able to buy over other candidates with ministerial positions or other perks, or monetary inducements, he told Al Jazeera.

The odds are that they will get the two-thirds majority in the next month or two.

Since the presidential election last year, the Rajapaksas have vowed to repeal parts of the countrys 19th amendment, a wide-ranging constitutional amendment that reduced the powers of the directly elected president and distributed them more evenly to the countrys prime minister, who is a member of parliament, and to other democratic institutions.

Since coming to power, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the countrys former defence minister credited with ending the three-decade civil war against Tamil separatists, has centralised power and appointed a number of serving and former military officers to key bureaucratic positions. He has been accused of committing war crimes during the brutal military campaign against the Tamil rebels.

There is a kind of parallel government going on, says Saravanamuttu. There is a relative disregard for the laws and conventions of parliamentary practice.

In March, Rajapaksa dissolved Parliament ahead of planned elections in April, which were later postponed due to public health concerns about holding a general election during the COVID19 pandemic.

Two months later, the countrys Supreme Court ruled in a key challenge to Rajapaksas power, declaring that the parliament could remain dissolved until the election could be held. The president has been ruling since March without parliamentary oversight.

Sri Lankan polling officers dispatch election material to polling centres ahead of parliamentary elections in Colombo [Eranga Jayawardena/AP Photo]

That shifts the balance of power to Gotabaya because he is able to act by decree, using his presidential task forces [] and various other mechanisms to effectively run things directly from the presidents office, says Keenan from the ICG.

Those developments have left Mahinda Rajapaksa, a former two-term president, relatively powerless in the interim, analysts say, and there has been talk of tension between the brothers over just how deep any constitutional changes that would take prime ministerial powers away would go.

There is certainly some degree of tension between the interests of the PM Mahinda and his brother, President Gotabaya, says Keenan.

If you have a system that is currently roughly balanced in terms of powers, will Mahinda really put his weight behind a change that would limit his power?

End targeted arrests, intimidation

Ahead of Wednesdays poll, 10 international rights groups  including Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and Reporters Without Borders  called on Sri Lankas government to end the targeted arrests, intimidation and threats against the lives and physical security of lawyers, activists, human rights defenders and journalists.

A campaign of fear has intensified since the 2019 presidential election, and has cast a shadow over the 2020 parliamentary election campaign, read the joint statement.

The Rajapaksa family  a powerful political dynasty  has made majority Sinhala Buddhists their political base [File: Ishara S Kodikara/AFP]

Amnesty International says President Gotabaya Rajapaksas government has, in addition to centralising power, also subjected those who express dissent to a campaign of harassment and arrests.

Amnesty started recording such incidents and started sounding off alarm bells as early as two months into the new administrations tenure, Thyagi Ruwanpathirana, South Asia Researcher at Amnesty, told Al Jazeera.

Journalists were being threatened and attacked, while human rights organisations started getting unscheduled visits from law enforcement authorities. Sometimes threats and intimidation came from civilian quarters, but there was no action taken, which guaranteed impunity for those who were doing the governments bidding.

The joint statement from rights groups detailed several examples of the crackdown, including the dismissal of academics critical of the government, harassment and arrests of lawyers working on enforced disappearance cases and the arrests, surveillance and interrogation of journalists.

One of the most notable cases has been that of Hejaz Hizbullah, a lawyer who has represented victims of rights abuses, who was arrested in April under the Prevention of Terrorism Act in connection with the 2019 Easter Sunday bombings.

Hizbullah, a prominent rights lawyer, had joined others a day earlier in submitting a letter protesting against a government order that mandated the cremation of all patients who die from COVID-19, a move seen by the Muslim community as a denial of its burial rights and in contravention of World Health Organization guidelines.

During the election campaign, SLPP supporters and allied parties have often used divisive ethnic language, observers say, when calling for votes, running on a platform that appeals to Sinhala Buddhist nationalism.

The use of hate speech in election campaigning has been lower in the run-up to this poll than the 2019 presidential election, Sri Lankas Centre for Monitoring Election Violence (CMEV) says, but there have still been significant exceptions.

The CMEV documented 11 notable incidents of hate speech, most of which were stoking fears of, or calling for violence against, Muslim and Tamil minorities among Sinhala Buddhist voters, who form more than 70 percent of the population.

Choppy economic waters

Whichever way the politics go, there are choppy economic waters ahead for Sri Lanka.

According to the World Bank, the island nations GDP is expected to contract by as much as 3 percent in 2020, mainly due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Heavily dependent on tourism, the Sri Lankan economy has seen the number of visitors plummet this year, after a similarly weak year in 2019 following the Easter Sunday bombings last April that left 260 people dead.

Slowing global economic growth has also seen a fall in expatriate Sri Lankans remittances, putting further strain on both the economy as a whole and the countrys balance of payments in particular.

Remittances in the first five months of 2020 dropped by 11.9 percent compared with the year before, according to Sri Lankan central bank data.

Alongside the dropping remittances and a slowing economy, a balance-of-payments crisis is looming in a country where imports are high and major foreign debt repayments will be due in the coming months.

COVID19 has pushed us over the cliff, but the crisis has been in the making for some time, says Kadirgamar from Jaffna University. We are in trouble in terms of our balance of payments, with our imports almost double our exports, and we have [normally] bridged that through tourism and foreign remittances, and also through mounting external debt.

Kadirgamar said the government does not have a plan to deal with the crisis, and that opposition parties, too, have not offered a coherent strategy to deal with the situation.

The key issue is going to be how the government is going to react to its own constituency when things get a lot worse, says Saravanamuttu, of the CPA. Will it be ham-fisted and send in law enforcement and security forces to control dissident elements, or do they really have a policy with regard to the economy?

Kadirgamar, too, fears possible fallout from the economic crisis in the months ahead, given the ethnically divisive rhetoric of the Rajapaksas SLPP and its allies.

They are continuing to fan those flames, and thats worrying because, given the kind of very serious economic crisis that we are facing, that will deepen and lead to more dispossession and economic suffering, he says.

Given the government doesnt have an approach and, to be fair, there are very few possibilities of addressing it  there are dangers that the minorities, the Muslims, become the scapegoat for even those kinds of problems.

Either way, analysts agree that the current poll does put Sri Lanka at a political crossroads.

I really do think that Sri Lanka is on the verge  we have already seen the emergence of a very different style of governance, a very explicitly authoritarian, highly militarised, explicitly Sinhala Buddhist government that repeatedly ignores its own rules, regulations and procedures to assert itself, and has made clear it will truck no dissent from the media or opposition or civil society, says Keenan.

If that gets consolidated in lasting ways, then we are potentially entering a distinctive political formation in Sri Lanka.

Asad Hashim is Al Jazeeras digital correspondent in South Asia. He tweets @AsadHashim
DETROIT  When Lisa Zervos heard 13 religious sisters living together in a Livonia, Michigan, convent died of coronavirus, she felt heartbroken.

She sent the Catholic order a donation, brought flowers to the sisters' graves and kneeled down to pray for the repose of their souls.

"I was so sorry they suffered," Zervos, 52, of Northville, said. "Their whole lives were devoted not to themselves but others. It helps  when you think about what they did with their lives  to be a better person yourself."

Religious sisters who dedicated their lives to the care of others are now in need of support, and Michiganders like Zervos, and many from as far away as Norway, are offering sympathy notes and donations.

The deaths, which have garnered national attention, are a reminder of how vulnerable the elderly are to the virus and the challenges of living close together in independent living facilities and nursing homes.

To help, the Catholic Foundation set up a fund, hoping to raise a $100,000, which, the creators said, could go a long way to help care for the sisters and, if invested, generate $5,000 to $10,000 a year for them.

In New Jersey: 17 nuns from Sisters of Charity in Convent Station have died during coronavirus outbreak

Beginning in the 1930s, the sisters founded schools and hospitals in Livonia, when the Detroit suburb was just a small town and farms. For generations, they taught toddlers their colors and held the hands of the terminally ill as they took their last breaths.

The nuns took vows of chastity, obedience, and poverty  and, some say, an unofficial vow of humility.

But since the coronavirus pandemic began, 30 nuns  more than half of the nuns living together in their Livonia convent  have come down with COVID-19. Of those, 13 died, including one who recovered, but then relapsed.

"They are reluctant to say they need anything," said Angela Moloney, president and CEO of the Catholic Foundation, who was moved to tears as she talked about the sisters. "They are so self-sacrificing, they never think of themselves first. They're always saying, 'What can we provide the community?' "

Story continues

Chapel of the Felician Sisters in Livonia on August 1, 2020.

On top of the challenges of raising money for the charitable work they do for others, the aging sisters also face the costs of funerals, extra face masks, and gloves to keep them safe, and hot meals, medicine, and caregivers as they recover from the virus.

So far, Moloney said, people have given about $9,000 to the fund, and many donations have been $10 and $20 from strangers.

'They have such strong faith'

Officially, the nuns' order is the Congregation of Sisters of St. Felix of Cantalice Third Order Regular of St. Francis of Assisi.

But that is commonly shortened to just Felician sisters.

Initially, the sisters immigrated to North American in the late 1800s, mostly from Poland, said Marcia Wallander, the order's director of development for North America. They came at the request of a priest who was concerned children needed more educational opportunities.

In Livonia, they founded Madonna University, a Montessori school, St. Mary Child Care Center, Angela Hospice, and Marywood Nursing Care Center, as well as the all-female Ladywood High School, which closed as a result of declining enrollment in 2018.

The sisters also sponsor the Senior Clergy Village, the Felician Childrens Center in Jackson, Deo Gratias Ministries in Detroit, and the Maryville Retreat Center in Holly.

Supporters nationwide  from Arizona, California, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas  and Washington D.C.  have sent emails of support for the Felician Sisters in Livonia, Mich.

By the order's count, there are now only 469 sisters living in 60 convents in North America.

Before April, there were 57 sisters living in the Blessed Virgin Mary Convent in Livonia. That's down to 44, with five international students from other congregations staying with them to study at Madonna University, one of the nation's largest Franciscan colleges.

"You have this group of women who are called by God to serve," Wallander said, adding that they believe God will provide what they need. "They have such strong faith that they're joyous in their sisters passing on into eternal life."

To limit any further spread of the deadly virus, Wallander said, the sisters are mostly isolated and quarantined in the convent and allowed few visitors, not even family have been permitted to go inside. She added they are grateful for whatever anyone has sent.

Wallander said she recently had permission to deliver a box of potato chips packages that a donor had given them, and the sisters were so excited to receive the treats, "you would have thought I brought them bags of gold."

'Could have been any of us'

In addition to Michigan, contributions have come from people living in Arizona, California, Maine, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Texas  and Washington, D.C. Two donations came from Norway.

One donor  who gave $25 and identified himself in the note as a "gay, Jewish man living in L.A." and "probably not your typical supporter"  said he wanted to help because his heart hurt for the pain the sisters have endured.

St. Joseph Care Center of the Felician Sisters campus in Livonia on August 1, 2020.

The sisters certainly are not alone in their suffering.

There have been more than 80,000 coronavirus cases in Michigan and nearly 6,200 deaths. Moreover, about a third of these deaths have been linked to the state's nursing homes.

And, like many organizations, the sisters have had to take pandemic precautions, such as wearing protective equipment and learning to use more digital communication to maintain their social distance.

Chapel of the Felician Sisters in Livonia on August 1, 2020.

"The Felician sisters have labored to bring the love and message of Jesus to innumerable souls in the Archdiocese of Detroit," Archbishop Allen Vigneron told the Catholic Foundation. "Jesus assures us, 'Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.' "

Moloney, who started to cry as she remembered the sisters who died, said that to her, their story is not just a Catholic story, but a personal one because "it could have been any of us: Our sister, our mom, our aunt, ourselves. That's what hits home."

"These women have sacrificed their wants and needs for the greater community," Moloney said. "They've given up the material stuff that the rest of us take for granted. They've given up relationships."

And in the end, she added, they sacrificed their lives for others.

Since the coronavirus pandemic began, 30 nuns  more than half of the 57 living together in their Livonia, Mich., convent  have come down with COVID-19. Of those, 13 died of the disease, including one who recovered, but then relapsed.

Zervos  who attended Madonna University and has a teenage daughter who she hopes to enroll there next year  said that something sweet happened at the cemetery while she was praying.

She said it was likely more coincidental, than miraculous.

But a beautiful, little butterfly began flitting in the sunlight among the headstones. As Zervos watched the butterfly open and close its wings, she realized they were blue and gold, Madonna University's school colors.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

To donate

The Catholic Foundation of Michigan has set up a fund to support of the sisters, including burial expenses, the costs of care, sanitizing, and protective equipment. Contributions can be made online or by calling 248-204-0332.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Nuns dead from COVID: Livonia Michigan sisters show elderly vulnerable
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 05:44:08|Editor: huaxia

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STOCKHOLM, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Researchers from Karolinska Institutet (KI) in Sweden on Monday recommended the use of face masks to contain the COVID-19 pandemic, as their latest findings showed that cloth face masks can reduce the spread of the coronavirus that causes COVID-19.

Sweden has so far counted 5,744 deaths and 81,012 infections in a population of over 10 million. Despite that, Sweden has neither imposed a lockdown -- even during the peak of the pandemic -- nor asked people to wear masks in public, quoting a lack of support in research.

Literature review coordinated by KI and McMaster University in Canada demonstrated that cloth face masks provide clinically useful levels of filtration, which has the potential to reduce the spread of viruses such as SARS-CoV-2, a press release from KI said.

"This evidence should be more than sufficient to recommend their use, particularly given the difficulty in controlling the ongoing pandemic," Juan-Jesus Carrero, professor of epidemiology at the Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, KI, was quoted as saying.

The research group identified 25 published articles that studied the filtration properties of cloth or cloth face masks of various designs and materials, and the results "convincingly demonstrate that certain cloth face masks reduce the spread of particles to the wearer's surroundings and reduce the particles inhaled."

"Even single layers block some particles and multiple layers perform better," said Carrero. "In our judgment, the use of face masks should be a key component of reducing the spread of COVID-19, which is in line with current recommendations from the WHO and the CDC in the United States."

Moreover, the materials demonstrated to offer the best protection were muslin, cotton and flannel, preferably in three to four layers and with a thread count of at least 100 threads per inch (TPI), the researchers said.

The findings have been published in the journal Mayo Clinic Proceedings. Enditem
Sony's incredible line up of audio equipment includes our favourite pair of noise-cancelling headphones, the WH-1000XM3. Later on, Sony decided to bring its best-in-class noise-cancelling tech to truly wireless earbuds and we got the WF-1000XM3.

The WF-1000XM3 is a super popular pair of wireless earbuds that we've been wanting to recommend to people here in India. And that's possible now because Sony has finally decided to bring them to India.

Features

 YouTube/TeQreation

The highlight of these earbuds is that they pack Sony's industry-leading noise cancellation tech, thanks to new HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1e. It's also said to be super comfortable compared to other earbuds on the market, which is great.



It comes with a new Bluetooth chip and optimized antenna design for a reliable connection. Sony is also promising battery life up to 32 hours without NC and 24 hours with NC. It also supports quick charge function with which you can get 90 minutes worth of playtime with just 10 minutes of charge.

The earbuds also offer a ton of other really cool features which you can learn about by heading over to Sony's website here.

 YouTube/TeQreation

Pricing & Availability

Sony WF-1000XM3 will be available across Sony retails stores and Amazon, starting August 6. Sony has launched the earbuds for Rs 19,990 in India, but you can get them for an introductory price of Rs 17,990.

We think it's a good price and it goes head-to-head with Apple's AirPods that is probably one of the best high-end truly wireless earbuds with features like noise cancellation. Stay tuned for a detailed comparison between the two very soon.
Manitoba pork producers want the federal Liberals to pressure the European Union to buy more Canadian meat, with internal records suggesting a 2017 trade deal has been bogged down in regulatory barriers.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba pork producers want the federal Liberals to pressure the European Union to buy more Canadian meat, with internal records suggesting a 2017 trade deal has been bogged down in regulatory barriers.

The European market is more of a back-up for Canadian hog farms, which primarily export to Asia, though a global swine disease could drive up demand for pork.

"Canada has raised this issue with the EU a number of times including at the ministerial and senior-officials levels," reads an August 2019 briefing note for MP Jim Carr, who was minister for international trade diversification at the time.

The EU-Canada trade deal, known as CETA, took effect in 2017.

Canadas pork exports to Europe rose by nine per cent in the first year of the trade deal, but the industry "has expressed unhappiness with CETA implementation, often linked to EU non-tariff barriers," reads the internal document.

The document noted that industry groups in Manitoba, which make up a quarter of Canadas pork exports, had lobbied Carr about issues in selling pork to various countries.

"Canada is of the view that the EUs regulation and import-licensing system are inconsistent with the negotiated (trade-deal) text, as they do not allow importers to obtain permits automatically on demand," reads the briefing, obtained through a freedom-of-information request.

It noted that Canada isnt filling its tariff-rate quota, a measure of how much pork Canada exports before the EU applies a tariff.

Little has changed in the intervening years, analysts say.

The six classes of pork listed in the Canadian International Merchandise Trade Database show only slight changes in exports to Europe.

In fact, Canada sends more fresh pork to Saint Pierre and Miquelon  a French territory off the coast of Newfoundland that has fewer than 6,000 people  than to mainland France.

The issue involves how Canadian farms wash hog carcasses and, to a lesser extent, the sustainability of wooden crates used to ship pork meat.

"Thats not to say ours is bad or theirs is bad; its just that we have different approaches," said Andrew Dickson, head of the Manitoba Pork Council.

He said Europeans can sell pork into Canada with very few barriers, making EU rules unfair. But he added that Canadians pay a low cost for meat, and thus he doesnt expect European meat to eat into domestic market share.

For decades, Manitoba has exported its pork to the United States and especially Japan, with whom its had decades of experience.

Entire supply chains are crafted around cutting and packaging cuts of meat to fit the expectations of Japanese restaurants and supermarkets.

"Until this gets resolved, its difficult for the processing industry in Canada to get terribly excited on selling a lot of stuff to the European market, because its an investment," Dickson said.

"The Canadian approach has always been to keep talking, and keep representing our case and keep doors open, so at some point well come to an agreement," said Dickson, who supported the Liberals approach so far.

Agriculture Minister Marie-Claude Bibeaus office said she raised the pork issue in a June 23 call with her EU counterpart, "to ensure that our farmers and processors benefit from the trade agreement, underscoring the importance of improving EU market access for Canadian agricultural products through the removal of technical barriers to trade," wrote spokesman Cameron Newbigging.

He said companies exporting pork to Europe are likely making Canadian specialties that would be harder to produce aborad, like maple-flavored bacon.

Market analyst Al Mussell said pivoting to the European market involves seeing different cuts.

Europeans tend to consume sausages and ground meat more than barbecued meat, meaning their market would seek parts like shoulders and hams instead of ribs.

"You can get bogged down in technical details pretty quickly," said Mussell, the research lead at Agri-Food Economic Systems, an independent research group in Guelph, Ont.

Optimally, there would be cross-Atlantic swapping of pork parts that local consumers want, but he said disagreements around what type of disinfectants are used to clean pigs make it hard to imagine such s system.

"This has been a source of friction," he said.

He said Canada strengthened its pork exports to Japan after both countries signed a free-trade deal, and Canada also managed to sell hogs to Mexico when that country taxed American pork in retaliation for U.S. metal tariffs.

Similarly, China temporarily blocked Canadian pork imports last summer, but removed that restriction around the time that the countrys trade feud with the U.S. escalated.

"Theres so many moving parts; bizarre things come up," he said.

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Another wildcard is the African swine fever. The virus has killed pigs in Eastern Europe and disrupted Chinas domestic pork supply.

Mussell noted that the EUs own documents suggest countries normally exported within the continent, and recently started selling to China, meaning the virus could leave a gap in either region for Canadian farmers to fill.

"They probably oversold to China, so they may need our product," he said. "But what incentive do Canadian producers have to start selling to Europe, when theyre so much business going on in Asia."

That doesnt even factor in supply-chain disruptions and changes in demand caused by COVID-19, which both Dickson and Mussel say are still being understood.

"We should be cautious jumping in with both feet here," Mussell said.

dylan.robertson@freepress.mb.ca
TICKERS:

Source: Dr. KSS, MD, PhD, for Streetwise Reports (8/3/20)

Dr. KSS, the founder and editor-in-chief of BioPub.co, provides his investment thesis for a company that is promulgating the first new class of antibiotics in 30 years.



(1) Acurx Pharmaceuticals LLC is promulgating the first new class of antibiotics in 30 years: DNA polymerase IIIc inhibitors. Long a target of the pharma industry, prior inhibitors of this key Gram-positive replication enzyme were beset with host toxicity issues. Acurx's lead agent ibezapolstat has cleared phase 1 and is well into phase 2a without such safety issues. The company outright owns the intellectual property on which its agents are based and is not merely a licensee. Acurx purchased the technology from GLSynthesis, Inc., in February 2008. At that time, that firm was owned and controlled by two retired professors from University of Massachusetts.

(2) Lead agent ibezapolstat has QIDP (qualified infectious disease product) designation and FDA Fast-Track Designation and is eligible for coverage under the DISARM act. As a new chemical entity, ibezapolstat, also having fetched QIDP status, will have 10 years of commercial exclusivity upon winning FDA marketing approval. Second agent ACX-375C, still preclinical, will have similar designations sought. Ibezapolstat has patent protection through 2039. ACX-375C, chemically related to ibezapolstat, is nearing IND (investigational new drug).

(3) Ibezapolstat has rapidly cured the first 6 of 6 enrolled patients in a phase 2a study of Clostridoides difficile enterocolitis. Taken orally, intraluminal levels of antibiotic are high because the agent is not absorbed. With metronidazole no longer recommended to treat C. diff., problems with dysbiosis and excessive normal flora elimination by oral vancomycin, and prohibitive costs associated with fidaxomicin, ibezapolstat is poised to become first-line treatment for C. diff. Fidaxomicin is not covered by the DISARM act, but ibezapolstat will be.

Although the phase 2a trial is single-arm, time to symptom abatement appears to be MORE rapid than with oral vancomycin therapy. Indeed, at this writing Acurx plans to pursue a label indication of merely 5-7 days of therapy if ongoing data continues supporting this dosing regimen. Phase 2b will compare ibezapolstat to vancomycin, and NDA (new drug application) will be based on non-inferiority to vancomycin.

(4) ACX-375C will compete with daptomycin and linezolid for coverage of resistant Staph. aureus, against which ample activity is evident. It has highly potent in vitro against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus (VRE). At present, linezolid is the sole drug FDA approved for VRE. Like ACX-375C it is available in IV and oral forms, but loses market exclusivity in 2021. Daptomycin, available only in IV form, is now off patent. ACX-375C's patent duration is anticipated to be similar to that of ibezapolstat.

(5) Fact: if you're an adult in North America, your likeliest reason for hospitalization is because of the unchecked menace of antimicrobial resistance. In the Covid-19 era with its heavy customary use of antibiotics, the once levelled-off profusion in C. diff. prevalence may resume its rise. The CDC continue to deem C. diff. as an urgent threat incurring an urgent need for new antibiotics to treat it.

(6) In addition to aggressively invoking all new incentives and inducements for antibiotics developers, Acurx is in a highly competitive position as regards procurement of non-dilutive grant funding and private sector funding for its objectives and actively seeks such funding.

(7) Case study: In December 2014, Merck ($MRK) paid US$9.5 billion for Cubist ($CBST) largely to obtain marketing access to agents daptomycin and fidaxomicin. Acurx finds itself in an eerily analogous situation, with an agent for MRSA and VRE, as well as another for C. diff. With its lead agent about to advance to phase 2b, perhaps US$100 million is a fair pre-market valuation for Acurx, which tentatively plans IPO in mid-2021. Success with both agents could thus poise pre-market Acurx investors for plausible gains of perhaps 250-500 percent; Acurx shares will see some dilution as the company continues to raise capital, but value creation for now is grossly outstripping potential dilutive losses.

(8) Acurx was founded and is helmed by industry veterans Bob DeLuccia, MBA, who led U.S. Sanofi operations for decades, and David Luci, CPA, JD. Both have impressive high-profile leadership resumes with multiple biotech firms of consequence (https://www.acurxpharma.com/about/management-team).

(9) The company is directly selling shares to investors through 30 September 2020 at $3.25, with $10,000 minimum investment. Non-accredited investors are welcome to participate in the funding round. Investor eligibility is independent of citizenship and domicile.

Institutional interest and interest from industry insiders in the firm's fundraising has been considerable, but we aren't naming names.

(10) Acurx was first identified by and has received highly favorable coverage from biotech small-cap and special situations analysis website BioPub.co, which has designated Acurx one of its top 12 most appealing investment opportunities.Acurx investor relations are provided by San Diego Torrey Hills Capital, known for selectivity and curation in backing early stage biotech firms. Further information about Acurx and the capital raise is available from BioPub.co (write to [email protected]), Torrey Hills Capital or the company directly.

Dr. KSS is the founder and editor-in-chief of BioPub.co. He is an MD with an additional PhD in biochemistry, and for the past 20 years, in addition to practicing, being a researcher, and conducting clinical trials, he has been investing in biotech companies with great success. Dr. KSS earned his degrees at a top 10 U.S. institution, where he was an NIH scholar and graduated with top honors. He has extensive post-doctoral research experience and am board certified in internal medicine and also gastroenterology. His goal is to discuss companies and use discussions of their technology, their drugs or planned drugs, as ways of teaching about physiology and disease states, along with their issues and opportunities.

Disclosure: The author has a long position in Acurx from participation in series A, series B and crossover funding rounds. The above is neither a recommendation nor a solicitation to purchase shares. BioPub has never been compensated by a company for covering it and declines such compensation. Because of illiquidity and potential for loss of all invested capital, pre-market investing entails exceptional risk. Prospective investors are encouraged to discuss investing here with a personal financial advisor prior to acting.

[NLINSERT]

Disclosure:

1) Dr. KSS: disclosures are listed above. I determined which companies would be included in this article based on my research and understanding of the sector.

2) The following companies mentioned in this article are billboard sponsors of Streetwise Reports: None. Click here for important disclosures about sponsor fees.

3) Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports or its officers. The author is wholly responsible for the validity of the statements. The author was not paid by Streetwise Reports for this article. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.

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5) From time to time, Streetwise Reports LLC and its directors, officers, employees or members of their families, as well as persons interviewed for articles and interviews on the site, may have a long or short position in securities mentioned. Directors, officers, employees or members of their immediate families are prohibited from making purchases and/or sales of those securities in the open market or otherwise from the time of the interview or the decision to write an article until three business days after the publication of the interview or article. The foregoing prohibition does not apply to articles that in substance only restate previously published company releases.

6) This article does not constitute medical advice. Officers, employees and contributors to Streetwise Reports are not licensed medical professionals. Readers should always contact their healthcare professionals for medical advice.
W eekly coronavirus deaths have fallen by more than quarter within seven days, official statistics show.

According to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics, Covid-19 deaths in the UK remain at the lowest level since before the lockdown.

England and Wales are experiencing fewer deaths than would normally be expected for the sixth week in a row, said ONS.

There were 217 deaths registered in the week ending July 24 involving Covid-19  accounting for 2.4 per cent of all deaths.

This is a 26.4 per cent fall from the previous week, when there were 295 deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.

The last time deaths involving coronavirus were so low was in the week ending March 20, before nationwide lockdown measures were introduced, when there were 103 deaths.

Overall deaths continue to stay below the number usually expected at this time of year, based on an average from the previous five years.

Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures 1 /81 Coronavirus hits the UK - In pictures A deserted Westminster Bridge PA A man wearing a face mask or covering due to the COVID-19 pandemic, walks past customers sat outside a restaurant AFP via Getty Images Boris Johnson addresses the nation on the Coronavirus lockdown Andrew Parsons Runners pass cardboard cutouts of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II and Prince William during the London Marathon in London AP An empty escalator at Charing Coss London Underground tube station Jeremy Selwyn Electronic bilboards displays a message warning people to stay home in Sheffield PA A sign is displayed in the window of a student accommodation building following the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Mancheste Reuters People take part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions, in Londo AP People sing and dance in Leicester Square on the eve on the 10PM curfew Reuters Hearts painted by a team of artists from Upfest are seen in the grass at Queen Square, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in Bristol Reuters Graffiti reads 'good luck and stay safe', as the number of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases grow around the world, under a bridge in London Reuters A sign is pictured in Soho, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London Reuters Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures, during a coronavirus briefing in Downing Street, London AP A person runs past posters with a message of hope, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues in Manchester REUTERS Riot police face protesters who took part in a 'We Do Not Consent' rally at Trafalgar Square, organised by Stop New Normal, to protest against coronavirus restrictions in London AP An image of The Queen eith quotes from her broadcast to the UK and the Commonwealth in relation to the Coronavirus epidemic are displayed on lights in London's Piccadilly Circus PA Military vehicles cross Westminster Bridge after members of the 101 Logistic Brigade delivered a consignment of medical masks to St Thomas' hospital Getty Images Durdle Door in Dorset Reuters Captain Tom Moore via Reuters Mia, aged 8, and Jack, aged 5, take part in "PE with Joe" a daily live workout with Joe Wicks on Youtube to help kids stay fit who have to stay indoors due to the Coronavirus outbreak PA An NHS worker reacts at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital during the Clap for our Carers campaign in support of the NHS Reuters Goats which have taken over the deserted streets of Llandudno @AndrewStuart via PA Tobias Weller PA Novikov restaurant in London with its shutters pulled down while the restaurant is closed London Landscapes: Hyde Park and the Serpentine, central London. Matt Writtle A newspaper vendor in Manchester city centre giving away free toilet rolls with every paper bought as shops run low on supplies due to fears over the spread of the coronavirus PA Theo Clay looks out of his window next to his hand-drawn picture of a rainbow in Liverpool, as the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continue Reuters A young man cuts another man's hair on top of a closed hairdresser in Oxford Reuters General view of the new NHS Nightingale Hospital, built to fight against the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in London via Reuters Jason Baird is seen dressed as Spiderman during his daily exercise to cheer up local children in Stockport, as the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) continues Reuters A woman wearing a face mask walks past Buckingham Palace Getty Images A man holds mobile phone displaying a text message alert sent by the government warning that new rules are in force across the UK and people must stay at home PA Medical staff on the Covid-19 ward at the Neath Port Talbot Hospital, in Wales, as the health services continue their response to the coronavirus outbreak. PA Prime Minister Boris Johnson taking part in a virtual Cabinet meeting with his top team of ministers PA A shopper walks past empty shelves in a Lidl store on in Wallington. After spates of "panic buying" cleared supermarket shelves of items like toilet paper and cleaning products, stores across the UK have introduced limits on purchases during the COVID-19 pandemic. Some have also created special time slots for the elderly and other shoppers vulnerable to the new coronavirus. Getty Images People on a busy tube train in London at rush hour PA Mia, aged 8 and her brother Jack, aged 5 from Essex, continue their school work at home, after being sent home due to the coronavirus PA Children are painting 'Chase the rainbows' artwork and springing up in windows across the country Reuters Social distancing in Primrose Hill Jeremy Selwyn A general view of a locked gate at Anfield, Liverpool as The Premier League has been suspended PA Homeless people in London AFP via Getty Images A piece of art by the artist, known as the Rebel Bear has appeared on a wall on Bank Street in Glasgow. The new addition to Glasgow's street art is capturing the global Coronavirus crisis. The piece features a woman and a man pulling back to give each other a kiss PA The Queen leaves Buckingham Palace, London, for Windsor Castle to socially distance herself amid the coronavirus pandemic PA A general view on Grey street, Newcastle as coronavirus cases grow around the world Reuters Matt Raw, a British national who returned from the coronavirus-hit city of Wuhan in China, leaves quaratine at Arrowe Park Hospital on Merseyside PA Britain's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty (L) and Chief Scientific Adviser Patrick Vallance look on as British Prime Minister Boris Johnson gestures as he speaks during a coronavirus disease (COVID-19) news conference inside 10 Downing Street Reuters The ticket-validation terminals at the tram stop on Edinburgh's Princes Street are cleaned following the coronavirus outbreak. PA Locked school gates at Rockcliffe First School in Whitley Bay, Tyne and Wear PA A sign at a Sainsbury's supermarket informs customers that limits have been set on a small number of products as the number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases grow around the world Reuters Jawad Javed delivers coronavirus protection kits that he and his wife have put together to the vulnerable people of their community of Stenhousemuir, between Glasgow and Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images A sign advertising a book titled "How Will We Survive On Earth?" Getty Images A man who appears to be homeless sleeping wearing a mask today in Victoria Jeremy Selwyn A pedestrian walks past graffiti that reads "Diseases are in the City" in Edinburgh AFP via Getty Images Staff from The Lyric Theatre, London inform patrons, as it shuts its doors PA A quiet looking George IV Bridge in Edinburgh PA A quieter than usual British Museum Getty Images A racegoer attends Cheltenham in a fashionable face mask SplashNews.com A commuter wears a face mask at London Bridge Station Jeremy Selwyn A empty restaurant in the Bull Ring Shopping Centre Getty Images A deserted Trafalgar Square in London PA Passengers determined to avoid the coronavirus before leaving the UK arrive at Gatwick Airport Getty Images

There were 8,891 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending July 24  161 deaths fewer than the five-year average.

While deaths remain below the average, there were 68 more deaths registered compared with the previous week.

The number of deaths in care homes and hospitals was also below the five-year average, but the number of deaths in private homes remains above it, with 727 more deaths during the week.

According to the ONS, all but three regions of England had deaths below the five-year average in the week ending July 24.

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The exceptions were the East Midlands, where the number of registered deaths was 5.8 per cent above the five-year average, the West Midlands (5.2 per cent above average) and north-east England (2.7 per cent above average).

The other regions were north-west England (1.1 per cent below), south-west England (2.4 per cent below), south-east England (3.2 per cent below), eastern England (3.5 per cent below), London (6.1 per cent below) and Yorkshire & the Humber (8.0% per cent below).

In Wales, the number of deaths registered in the week to July 24 was 0.2 per cent below the five-year average.

In total more than 56,600 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.

Figures published on Tuesday by the ONS show that 51,596 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to July 24, and had been registered by August 1.

Meanwhile figures published last week by the National Records for Scotland showed that 4,201 deaths involving Covid-19 had been registered in Scotland up to July 26, while 854 deaths had occurred in Northern Ireland up to July 24 (and had been registered up to July 29) according to the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency.

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Together, these figures mean that so far 56,651 deaths have been registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.

Additional reporting by PA Media.
One will start off, by saying that one freely admits to being an old fool, who is also a semi-literate and an insufferable-ignoramus. Having done so (to disarm the forever-partisan-crowds, who are wont to descend on critics of those in power, as governments-of-the-day, at any given point in time, in our history), one will now share one's view on how to stop flooding in Nima- Maamobi. Permanently.

That task, ought to be kickstarted, by valuing all their their properties, large and small, permanent or temporary, and go on to design and construct a spanking new green city, which is well-designed, well-built, and built to be climate-change-resilient - before relocating them there, for their present inner-city slum to be redeveloped. Simple.

It ought to be noted that the land they currently occupy, is one of the most valuable parcels, of urban land, in the entire continent of Africa today.

That is why every permanent property, and temporary structure, on it, ought to be valued properly and fairly, before those twinned inner-city slums, are finally razed to the ground, but, repeat, not before the residents there are all relocated to the new green city, New Nima-Maamobi. which should be located in the Akwapim Hills.

Using the model used by the former Lenanese premiere, Rafic Hariri (who rebuilt war-ravaged inner Beirut, as Lebanon''s wealthiest individual), a consortium, made up of local banks, pension funds and entities in Ghana's insurance industry (and in which all the relocated residents, who once owned properties there, should also be given a joint-stake in, too - as compensation for their sacrifices), should be formed, and tasked with designing a brand new climate-change-proofed green city, comparable to the world's leading cities (in all seven continents in our biosphere).

That really is the most equitable way to proceed, in the humble opinion of this self-admitted old fool. It is just my two pesewas, and one's humble opinion. It answers the question as to how we can stop flooding in present-day Nina-Maamobi, creatively. Permanently. Move the residents elsewhere, in other words. Simple.
Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty ImagesBy CONOR FINNEGAN, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- A senior official at the U.S. government's top foreign aid agency, known for her strident views on liberal democracy, women's role in politics and LGBT rights has departed after a brief, but controversial time there, accusing the agency of "rampant anti-Christian sentiment."



Merritt Corrigan served as the deputy White House liaison at the U.S. Agency for International Development, or USAID, until Monday when she began firing off tweets about being "attacked" by the media "for my Christian beliefs."



Since joining USAID in June, Corrigan's tweets and opinion pieces have been highlighted in media reports, particularly those where she's said women shouldn't be in elected office, called homosexuality an "appalling sexual perversion" loyal to Satan and denounced refugees and immigrants.



Acting USAID administrator John Barsa had defended Corrigan and other controversial Trump appointees at the agency in a statement in June.



It's unclear whether he fired Corrigan or she quit her role. Acting USAID spokesperson Pooja Jhunjhunwala told ABC News in a statement Monday, "Effective 3:00 P.M., on August 3, 2020, Ms. Merritt Corrigan is no longer an employee at the agency."



"USAID does not comment on the specific basis on which employees leave the Agency. All political appointees serve at the pleasure of the Administrator," Jhunjhunwala added.



Earlier in the day, Corrigan started tweeting that she wouldn't remain "silent as the media has attacked me for my Christian beliefs, which are shared by the majority of Americans." In particular, she denounced same-sex marriage and declared, "Men aren't women" -- seemingly a reference to transgender people.



Since 2011, a majority of Americans have supported same-sex marriage, and the latest public opinion polls show majorities support transgender rights and protections for transgender people against discrimination.



"The United States is losing ground in the battle to garner influence through humanitarian aid because we now refuse to help countries who don't celebrate sexual deviancy," Corrigan added Monday, another apparent reference to LGBT rights.



Corrigan accused USAID of "rampant anti-Christian sentiment" -- a charge that Jhunjhunwala said the agency takes seriously.



"We will investigate any complaints of anti-Christian bias Ms. Corrigan has raised during her tenure at the Agency," she said.



Corrigan previously worked at the Hungarian embassy in Washington and at the Republican National Convention, according to ProPublica, which first broke the news of her appointment.



In addition to her controversial tweets on Monday, Corrigan had caught lawmakers' attention for her previous writing.



"Liberal democracy is little more than a front for the war being waged against us by those who fundamentally despise not only our way of life, but life itself," she wrote in one post, per ProPublica.



In a tweet from October that's since been deleted, she condemned a right-wing talk radio host posing with a drag queen: "Right wing gatekeepers have made it abundantly clear that their allegiance is to Satan and those who carry out his agenda of appalling sexual perversion over those who question the liberal status quo."



In another now-deleted tweet that month, she attacked Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., for supporting same-sex marriage: "This sick statement by Warren, which glibly mocks a real crisis happening in our society, is exactly why women shouldn't be in office. They will always advocate for themselves at the expense of men, and revel in it."



She's also proposed sending refugees back to Somalia, blamed immigration for violent crime in the United Kingdom and championed Germany's far-right political party AfD and Hungary's increasingly authoritarian prime minister, Viktor Orban, according to CNN, which detailed many more of her deleted tweets.



Amid that scrutiny, Barsa -- who was tapped by the White House to take over as acting USAID chief after Mark Green left in April -- defended Corrigan.



"I want to specifically condemn the unwarranted and malicious attacks on Deputy Chief of Staff Bethany Kozma, Deputy White House Liaison Merritt Corrigan, and Religious Freedom Advisor Mark Lloyd," he said in the June statement. "USAID is honored to have Bethany Kozma, Merritt Corrigan, and Mark Lloyd serve at the agency. They are committed to enacting the policies of President Donald J. Trump."



Kozma is an anti-transgender activist who's also come under fire, and Lloyd is a tea party activist who frequently attacked Islam, once calling it "a barbaric cult."



All Democrats on the House Foreign Affairs Committee called for Corrigan to be fired last month, as well as the top Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Sen. Bob Menendez of New Jersey.



Corrigan blasted that as "a corrupt campaign to remove me from USAID," vowing to "expose" it during a press conference later this week with far-right conspiracy theorist and fraudster Jacob Wohl.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
Police authorities in Katsina State have arrested two nurses for allegedly trafficking a newly born baby girl.

Speaking during a press conference on Monday, the spokesman of the State Police Command, Gambo Isah, said the nurses  Misira Tijjani, and Grace Ejigu  were arrested on July 28 after a tip-off.

On July 25th 2020 at about 10:00hrs, one Shamsiyya Sani, aged 25 years of Dandagoro quarters, Katsina was delivered of a baby girl at Okomos Clinic, Kofar Kaura, Katsina.

According to Isah, they conspired and sold the child to one Eucharia Onyema, aged 45 years of Sabuwar Kasuwa quarters in the state.

She later abandoned the child at the hospital with a handwritten note stating that she was born out of wedlock hence the abandonment.

Nemesis caught up with them when they were arrested on their way from the hospital to their houses with the child through the help of a Keke Napep rider who suspected them of stealing of the child. An investigation is ongoing, he said.
Unkept promises to Blacks

Regarding the recent story, 60 years ago, these South Jersey Black leaders fought for change. They see the same fight taking place now:

Juanita High talks about efforts 60 years ago. President Lyndon Johnsaon and the Democrats promised a better society for Blacks. The cities run by Democrats are still in ruin. I was 14 years old when those promises were made. The Black community should be outraged at the education, blight and crime. Yes, their lives matter.

Albert Rinaldi

Linwood

Have firms pay for climate

I think the storms recently have been wild and aggressive. Communities so close to the shore are left so vulnerable to the ravages of climate change and intensifying storms. For decades, people have known the risks of doing nothing, and things are not getting better when we do nothing. The 2012 derecho, Hurricane Sandy, vicious storms and erratic weather patterns  I think this is not normal, and doing nothing will continue to cost us in repairs, both personally and in our taxes.
Infertility is a worldwide clinical problem for human health that affects 8 to 12 percent of couples. A new study from Washington University in St. Louis has implications for understanding some age-related aspects of male reproductive health in primates, including humans.

Older male rhesus monkeys sire fewer offspring, even though they appear to be mating as much as younger monkeys with similarly high social status. Sperm quality or quantity, or the survival of infants, may decline with the age of the would-be father, the new study suggests.

Researchers tracking a colony of free-ranging rhesus macaques in Puerto Rico reported their findings Aug. 3 in the journal Scientific Reports.

"There have been a number of studies that explore female reproductive senescence in humans and other primates, but comparatively little work on male reproductive senescence," said Krista Milich, assistant professor of biological anthropology in Arts & Sciences.

"In fact, male reproductive success is thought to be primarily impacted by access to fertile females, but in this paper, we challenge that assumption."

About the study

Cayo Santiago is a small primate research island in Puerto Rico. It is home to a colony of rhesus macaques that was established in 1938 with approximately 400 wild-caught animals from India. At the time of this study, more than 1,200 monkeys lived on the island.

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Researchers followed 21 adult males -- the highest ranking individuals in their social groups -- through breeding and birth seasons in a single year. All babies born that year were genotyped to determine both maternal and paternal lineage.

"We found that older, high-ranking males who were mating with females and who we would normally expect to produce a lot of offspring in a given mating season were actually producing very few or no offspring," Milich said.

"These are males that we know sired many offspring in their younger years, based on genetic records," she said. "We know from our behavioral data that they had access to mating partners at rates that were similar to or even higher than other males of similar social status.

"Yet, they were producing far fewer offspring than would be expected given their mating effort -- and fewer offspring than similarly ranked males that were younger."

Their conclusion: Age brings fertility or mortality issues.

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"These findings provide evidence of post-copulatory reproductive senescence -- in other words, the sperm quality or quantity or infant survival may decline with age [of the male]," Milich said.

Who's your daddy?

At Washington University, Milich leads the Reproductive Ecology and Behavioral Endocrinology Laboratory (REBEL). She and her research team members use ecological, behavioral, hormonal and genetic data to investigate certain long-held beliefs within the areas of sexual selection and sexual strategies.

This new research can help fill a number of important gaps in understanding reproductive success in primates, Milich said.

First, most research on aging and infertility in humans has focused on women.

In addition, while some studies on age-related changes to men's sperm have been conducted, they provide contradictory evidence. And cross-cultural variations make the issues of aging and reproductive success difficult to understand through human studies.

In other studies with different monkey species, declines in reproductive output for older males have been associated with a loss of dominance status, loss in attractiveness, and/or loss in body condition leading to a decline in mating activity.

But the older rhesus monkeys in this study maintained high rates of mating behaviors while still experiencing the same decline in reproductive output.

"In populations where individuals are successfully mating and producing offspring, researchers should not use behavioral observations of mating patterns to determine paternity," Milich said. "As we saw in this study, those data do not necessarily match with the genetic paternity data."

Conservation implications

Future studies should continue to gather long-term data on variation in male reproductive health, and how social and physiological factors can impact a male's ability to sire offspring, said the study authors. Milich was joined by Angelina Ruiz-Lambides and Elizabeth Maldonado of the University of Puerto Rico plus Dario Maestripieri of the University of Chicago.

"Unfortunately, we have reached a level of deforestation and habitat destruction that impairs successful reproduction within some populations of wild animals," Milich said.

"In efforts to try to understand why certain populations have not been successful at producing any infants for years, sometimes even over a decade, researchers should take into consideration not only the age and stressors to females, but also the age of males," she said.
Lily Cole has said she nearly did not publish her new book as she feared it would attract personal attacks and scrutiny.

The model and activist, pictured, wrote Who Cares Wins: Reasons For Optimism In Our Changing World in an attempt to tackle issues around sustainability and global inequality.

However, the 32-year-old said the book, featuring interviewees such as David Attenborough, nearly didn't make it to print.

Cole said: "There was a time when I was considering not publishing this because I could see I was bringing into my life the possibility of personal attack or scrutiny.

"Right at the end, after all the work, I emailed my agent and publisher, trying to get out of it.

She added: "My lovely agent, who's very wise, said: 'Take a few extra months, think about it and come back to it.'

"I eventually decided that what was stopping me was my own selfish fear about how it could personally impact me."

Diverse

Devon-born Cole, who was raised in west London and went to Cambridge University, said she comes from a less wealthy background than is assumed.

She said: "The media often think that I come from a different social class to the one I actually come from.

"I come from a very poor background and I feel I have had very diverse experiences."
Now Open

4 August 2020

Best Western Hotels & Resorts today announced the expansion of its energetic and exciting brand, GLo, with the opening of GLo Tulsa East Route 66. A new-construction boutique hotel brand, GLo provides a dynamic experience featuring modern amenities, revolutionary architecture, stylish design and strategic use of LED lighting.

Designed with the connected traveler in mind, the addition of digital keys, a digital concierge, and communal workspaces position GLo as a powerful innovator in the growing upper midscale market, and the ideal accommodation for today's mobile workforce. GLo hotels are already welcoming guests in key cities throughout North America including Brooklyn, New York; Asheville, North Carolina; Ottawa, Ontario; DeSoto, Texas; Lexington, Kentucky; and Nashville, Tennessee.

Guests at GLo Tulsa East Route 66 are treated to an iconic experience, with state-of-the-art technology and design. With a bright and bold facade, the 70-room hotel is designed to connect today's savvy travelers together with spacious common areas to unwind, a large meeting area to gather or network, contemporary workspaces and fitness center. The hotel has unique and modern guestrooms with in-room workstations, gel-topped signature mattresses and space-saving bathrooms featuring stylish amenities.

GLo Tulsa East Route 66 is conveniently located minutes from the Tulsa Port of Catoosa and the Tulsa International Airport. The boutique hotel is close to main attractions like the Tulsa Zoo, Oklahoma Aquarium, ONEOK Field, BOK Center, The Gathering Place, LaFortune Park, Rogers Point park and the Catoosa Activity Center. Guests will find a multitude of restaurants, shopping and activities nearby, as well, for their enjoyment.

For more information on GLo from Best Western Hotels & Resorts, please visit Glo.BestWestern.com.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  The head of a security task force in Quezon City was reprimanded for threatening to down quarantine violators, but a lawmaker said she will make sure he will be held accountable.

Quezon City's Task Force Disiplina Head Rannie Ludovica on Monday threatened to "shoot-to-kill" those who will violate modified enhanced community quarantine restrictions as the region reverts to a stricter two-week lockdown the next day.

"Mula bukas shoot to kill na ang lalabag sa MECQ," the public official wrote in a Facebook post.

Ludovica deleted the post hours later after receiving backlash. Without an apology, he issued a clarification that it was a personal opinion due to his frustration that Metro Manila is reverting from general community quarantine to modified enhanced community quarantine.

He emphasized that there is no city-wide policy to kill MECQ violators.

The Department of Interior and Local Government described Ludovica's threat as "improper and illegal." It advised him against issuing similar statements that may be mistaken as official policy as he is a public offical.

Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte, meanwhile, condemned the actions of her appointed security officer.

"Ito po ay mali (This is wrong). It is inappropriate, it is irresponsible," she said in a media briefing.

For Senator Risa Hontiveros, a scolding is not enough. She said she will work to make sure Ludovica is held responsible for his actions.

"As a QC resident for the last 35 years, I will personally work to hold this public official accountable for inciting violence vs civilians. Sino ngayon ang terorista?" she said.

Meanwhile, PNP Chief Archie Gamboa dismissed Ludovica's violent remark, saying that policy does not exist.

"Wala naman, baka lang to emphasize things," he said.

One of Ludovica's personnel was suspended in April after using excessive force on an alleged quarantine violator.

RELATED: QC enforcer suspended amid probe after hitting quarantine violator
New bodycam footage shows the moments leading up to George Floyd's death in May.

DailyMail.com

Bodycam footage shows George Floyd pleading with officers during his fatal May 25 arrest.

The video  obtained by DailyMail.com  offers a new perspective into Floyd's death.

It includes footage from the bodycam of officer Thomas Lane, who at one point aims a gun at Floyd's face. Floyd begs him not to shoot.

Officer Derek Chauvin, who knelt on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes, appears late in the video.

Chauvin has been charged with Floyd's murder. The three other offices involved have been charged with aiding and abetting murder.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

Newly-published bodycam footage shows George Floyd crying and pleading with officers in the minutes before his May 25 killing.

The video, obtained by DailyMail.com and posted on Monday, offers new insight on Floyd's fatal arrest.

At one point early in the encounter, officer Thomas Lane points a gun at Floyd's head while he is still inside his car.

According to DailyMail.com, the footage was taken from the lapel videos of both Lane and and Officer Alex Kueng, who were called to investigate Floyd for allegedly trying to pass a counterfeit $20 bill.

The outlet said the footage was filed with the Hennepin County District Court by Lane's defense attorney. The DailyMail.com footage is a recording of a monitor on a table playing the bodycam video.

The eight-minute video starts with the officers approaching Floyd as he sat in his car, and ordering him to put up his hands.

Floyd appears nervous and is immediately apologetic, but doesn't initially follow their instructions to show his hands. In response, Lane pulls out his handgun and aims it at Floyd.

Floyd complies, putting his hands on the wheel and tells the officer he's sorry and asks what he's done wrong.

He starts to cry and says that he had been shot before and begs Lane not to shoot him.

"Please don't shoot me Mr. Officer," Floyd says.

Story continues

Lane then gets Floyd to come out of the car and puts him in handcuffs.

Kueng can be heard telling Floyd "stop resisting."

Lane then begins interviewing a man and woman who were with Floyd in the car.

Thousands gather for a Memorial Service in Cadman Plaza for a Minneapolis man, George Floyd killed by a policeman, in Brooklyn Borough of New York City on June 4,2020.

Getty

"Why is he getting all squirrely and not showing us his hands?" Lane asks the two.

"Because he's been shot before," a woman, who identifies herself as Floyd's ex, tells the officer.

"He's a good guy," the male passenger adds.

The video then cuts to the two officers leading Floyd to their SUV.

As they try to get him to sit in the back of the car, Floyd appears to grow desperate.

"Please, I'm claustrophobic," he says.

"Please, stay with me man," he tells Lane.

"Imma die here. Imma a die man. And I just had COVID, I don't want to go back to that," Floyd continues.

An autopsy in June confirmed that Floyd had tested positive for COVID-19, but did not cite the disease as a factor in his death.

Eventually Officers Derek Chauvin and Tou Thao show up and help get Floyd into the car, but he ends up coming out on the other side of the vehicle.

Officers then bring Floyd to the ground, and he can be heard repeatedly saying he can't breathe.

"I just had COVID man, I can't breathe," Floyd says as the video cuts out.

Chauvin would go on to kneel on Floyd's neck for more than eight minutes, before he died in custody.

Ben Crump, an attorney for the Floyd family, issued a statement to CNN in response to the video's release:

"The police officers approached him with guns drawn, simply because he was a Black man. As this video shows, he never posed any threat. The officers' contradictions continue to build. If not for the videos, the world might never have known about the wrongs committed against George Floyd."

All four officers involved in Floyd's arrest were fired from the department the following day, and have all been charged in connection to his death.

Chauvin faces charges of second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and second-degree manslaughter, while the three other officers were charged with aiding and abetting second-degree murder.

A tentative trial date has been set for March 8, 2021.

Insider reached out to both the Minneapolis Police Department and the Hennepin County District Court for comment on how the footage got out, but have not heard back from either as of Tuesday morning.

Expanded Coverage Module: black-lives-matter-module

Read the original article on Insider
Nature & Weather

By Ls Cohen Published: August 03 2020

Brunt of the storm is expected to hit Tuesday afternoon.

In seperate press conferences Nassau County Executive Laura Curran and Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone updated residents on Tropical Storm Isaias.

The storm will descend on Long Island by Tuesday afternoon bringing with it 40-50 mph winds with gusts up to 70 mph.

We are now under a tropical storm warning," said Curran who warned of flooding and dangerous rip currents.

A full moon will coincide with the storm causing the tides to be more dramatic. Flooding is expected on the South Shore.

Bellone spoke from a podium on a beautiful sunny day that was deceptive considering the track of the storm. He stressed that residents should begin taking action now.

As with every storm now is not the time to wait for the actual emergence, said Bellone. This is the moment we urge residents to take the time to prepare.

Both officials said that residents should secure backyard items like chairs, potted plants, umbrellas, and awnings.

Bellone warned of 10-15 feet breaking surf Tuesday afternoon into Tuesday evening. He called it a significant storm threat.

There is no storm that is the same, he said. The situation that is different. In the middle of still fighting a public health crisis.

With the wind, PSE&G is preparing for outages.

We want to ensure that we have additional line and tree crews at the ready should the service territory get hit with the strong wind gusts and heavy rain currently in the forecast, said John OConnell, vice president of Transmission and Distribution, PSEG Long Island in a statement. Receiving support from off-island utilities and contractors who will work alongside our own highly trained line personnel will allow us to quickly and safely restore power to our customers. Utility crews will work 16-hour shifts once restoration efforts begin.

Total rainfall is estimated to be between 2 and 4 inches, with at least one hour during the storm where rain will fall at a rate of one inch per hour.

Nassau County is inspecting recharge basins and stormwater outflow for clogs to help prevent any further flooding. The county has shelters available with PPE and social distancing if evacuation is needed.

This year has thrown some very unique challenges at us, mentioned Curran.
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2020) -BB1 Acquisition Corp. (TSXV: BBA.P) ("BB1" or the "Company"), a capital pool company, and Cerrado Gold Inc. ("Cerrado") are pleased to announce that they have entered into a binding Letter of Intent, dated August 4, 2020 (the "LOI"), which sets forth the general terms and conditions of a proposed transaction (the "Transaction") pursuant to which BB1 will acquire all of the issued and outstanding shares of Cerrado. The Transaction will constitute a "Qualifying Transaction" of BB1, as such term is defined in Policy 2.4 of the Corporate Finance Manual (the "Policy") of the TSX Venture Exchange (the "TSXV").

The LOI is to be superseded by a definitive agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") between BB1 and Cerrado with such agreement to include representations, warranties, conditions and covenants typical for a transaction of this nature. The Transaction is subject to, among other details, final approval of the TSXV and standard closing conditions, including the conditions described below.

Cerrado Gold Inc.

Cerrado is a gold mining and exploration company with assets in Argentina and Brazil. Cerrado was continued under the laws of the Province of Ontario on October 3, 2017. In Argentina, the Company owns Minera Don Nicolas, a well-established in-production gold mine. The mine commenced operations in 2017 and is targeting to produce in excess of 50,000 oz per year via a 1,000 tpd CIL plant and related facilities. In Brazil the company is exploring at its Monte do Carmo gold project in Tocantins state. The project currently has a mineral resource prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 containing 813,000 oz with significant upside expected via further exploration. The Board and management of Cerrado have a long history of success having developed numerous projects from early stage exploration through development and production.

Cerrado acquired Minera Don Nicolas ("MDN") in March of 2020 for a purchase price of US$45MM, payable in staged payments. Cerrado paid an upfront payment of US$15MM on closing (March 16, 2020) with the remaining US$30MM payable over a 5-year period as follows: US$10 million payable 24 months following closing (March 16, 2022); US$10 million payable 48 months following closing (March 16, 2024); and US$10 million payable 60 months following closing (March 16, 2025). The operation is located in the mineral rich and prolific Deseado Massif in the province of Santa Cruz, Argentina. MDN consists of an open pit gold mine with an associated 1,000 tpd carbon in leach (CIL) gold recovery plant, targeting to produce 50-60koz/yr gold dore per annum. Current operations are focused on two mining areas, La Paloma and Martinetas, with material processed at a central plant facility. The project has significant exploration potential with a land package in excess of 273,000 ha's.

Construction of mine and related facilities was completed in 2017 and the operations have been ramping up to full capacity during 2018 and 2019. The project currently supports 325 employees and contractors on a fly-in fly-out basis. Don Nicolas has strong local and regional backing having signed agreements with the two neighboring communities and has received strong support from the government of Santa Cruz.

The gold deposits at MDN are classified as an epithermal gold vein style of deposit typical of the region which is host to numerous large-scale gold operations. Cerrado has commenced a new exploration program to confirm the current resource base and to focus on expanding the mine life through further exploration on surface and at depth.

The Monte do Carmo ("MDC") Gold Project is located in the state if Tocantins, Brazil, immediately east of the town of Monte do Carmo. Currently work has focused on the Serra Alta deposit, however, numerous analogs remain to be fully defined. The Monte do Carmo property consists of 11 exploration permits totaling 52,213 ha's. The property has access to excellent local infrastructural with limited garimpeiro activity on site and strong local support from the community.

Regional investment in mineral exploration in the area, by others, is reported to have amounted to US$4.7 million from 1985 through 1995, and over US$20.0 million from 1996 to 2018 by various operators.

Cerrado acquired the MDC project from Monte Sinai Mineracao Ltda ("Monte Sinai') in 2017 and since then has undertaken various drilling and other exploration activities on site over the past couple of years. To date a mineral resource report prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 dated December 5, 2018 has outlined an initial mineral resource of 13.7 million tonnes grading 1.85 g/t, for contained gold of 813,000 oz. Continued exploration is planned at Serra Alta and the surrounding area with the objective to rapidly expand this mineral resource base to support a significant open pit mining operation.

The technical information contained in this news release was reviewed and approved by Robert Campbell (M.Sc., P.Geo) who is a Qualified Person ("QP") under National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101").

BB1 Capital Corp.

BB1 is a capital pool company within the meanings of the policies of the TSXV and does not have any operations and has no assets other than cash. BB1's business is to identify and evaluate businesses and assets with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction under the policies of the TSXV.

The Proposed Transaction

Pre-Closing Capitalization of Cerrado

As of the date hereof, Cerrado has (a) 46,608,030 common shares issued and outstanding (the "Cerrado Shares"), (b) 4,000,000 stock options exercisable to acquire 4,000,000 Cerrado Shares the "Cerrado Options"), (c) 6,820,003 restricted stock units ("RSUs") exercisable to acquire 6,820,003 Cerrado Shares the "Cerrado RSUs") and (d) 2,000,000 warrants to acquire 2,000,000 Cerrado Shares (the "Cerrado Warrants") that total 59,428,033 fully diluted shares (the Cerrado Shares, Cerrado Options and Cerrado Warrants are collectively referred to herein as the "Cerrado Securities").

Pre-Closing Capitalization of BB1

As of the date hereof, BB1 has 15,000,000 issued and outstanding common shares (each a "BB1 Share") and securities exercisable or exchangeable for, or convertible into, or other rights to acquire, an aggregate of 1,100,000 BB1 Shares at an exercise price of $0.10 per BB1 Share (collectively with the BB1 Shares, the "BB1 Securities").

The BB1 Shares are currently listed on the TSXV under the symbol "BBA.P". The BB1 Shares are currently halted from trading and are expected to remain halted pending the completion of the Transaction.

BB1 is expected to have a minimum cash balance of $800,000 upon closing of the transaction.

Terms of the Transaction

Under the terms of the LOI, it is anticipated that Cerrado and BB1 will enter into a business combination agreement (the "Definitive Agreement") pursuant to which the Transaction will be completed by way of a merger, amalgamation, or other similar form of transaction, the final structure of which will be subject to receipt by the parties of relevant tax, corporate and securities law advice. The corporation resulting from the Transaction (the "Resulting Issuer") will continue under the name 'Cerrado Gold Inc.', or such other name as Cerrado and BB1 may determine.

The LOI serves as an agreement in principle concerning a "Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction" between BB1 and Cerrado that will result in a reverse takeover of BB1 by the shareholders of Cerrado. Prior to the completion of the Transaction, the BB1 Shares shall be consolidated at a ratio (the "Consolidation Ratio') of 8.31 pre-consolidation BB1 Shares for every 1 post-consolidation BB1 Share (each a "Post-Consolidation BB1 Share"), or such other consolidation ratio as to account for a basic market capitalization of an aggregate of $1,920,652 for the 1,805,054 post-consolidation BB1 Shares.

The Transaction will take the form of a three-cornered amalgamation whereby BB1 will acquire all of the issued and outstanding securities of Cerrado (other than Cerrado Shares held by Cerrado Shareholders who exercise their dissent rights, if applicable) in consideration for the issuance of 46,608,030 Post-Consolidation BB1 Shares, the issuance by BB1 of common share purchase warrants exercisable for up to 2,000,000 Post-Consolidation BB1 Shares, the issuance of options to acquire up to 4,000,000 Post-Consolidation BB1 Shares and the issuance of 6,820,003 RSUs on a post-consolidation basis. Post-Consolidation BB1 Shares, following completion of the Transaction, shall also be hereinafter referred to as "Resulting Issuer Shares".

The Company will hold a special meeting (timing to be announced at a later date) of its shareholders (the "Meeting") to approve, among other things: (i) the board of directors of the Resulting Issuer following the completion of the Transaction, (ii) the appointment of auditors of the Resulting Issuer, and (iii) the change of its name to 'Cerrado Gold Inc.' Further details regarding the Meeting will be contained in a management information circular which will be sent to shareholders of BB1.

Closing of the Transaction is expected to occur on or before November 30, 2020. The LOI may be terminated by either party if a definitive agreement is not entered into by October 15, 2020.

The Transaction is not a "Non-Arm's Length Qualifying Transaction" within the meaning of Policy 2.4 of the TSXV.

Conditions of the Transaction

Completion of the proposed transaction is subject to a number of conditions including, but not limited to: (i) completion of mutually satisfactory due diligence reviews; (ii) execution of the Definitive Agreement; (iii) requisite shareholder approvals; and (iv) receipt of all requisite regulatory approvals relating to the Transaction, including, without limitation, the TSXV.

Financing

In connection with the Transaction, Cerrado will complete a "best efforts" private placement of up to 6,250,000 special warrants (the "Special Warrants") at a price of US$0.80 per Special Warrant, for aggregate gross proceeds of up to US$5,000,000 (the "Concurrent Financing"). Haywood Securities Inc. (the "Agent") has been engaged to act as lead agent in connection with the Concurrent Financing. Cerrado has granted the Agent an option, exercisable in whole or in part by the Agent, to sell up to an additional US$2,000,000 of Special Warrants at US$0.80 per Special Warrant.

Each Special Warrant will be exercisable by the holder thereof at any time after the date of closing of the Concurrent Financing, without payment of any additional consideration therefor, for one Cerrado Share, subject to customary adjustments. Each unexercised Special Warrant shall be deemed to be exercised for one Cerrado Share in connection with the completion of the Transaction.

In the event that the Transaction has not occurred prior to 4:00 p.m. (Toronto time on the date which is 180 days following the date of closing of the Concurrent Financing (the "Qualification Deadline"), each unexercised Special Warrant will be deemed exercised and will automatically be exchanged for 1.1 Cerrado Shares without further payment or action by the holder thereof.

Cerrado will pay the Agent a cash commission (the "Agent's Commission") equal to 7% of the aggregate gross proceeds of the Concurrent Financing. Cerrado will also issue compensation special warrants to the Agent (the "Compensation Warrants") equal to 7% of the aggregate number of Special Warrants issued by the Company under the Concurrent Financing. Each Compensation Warrant may be exercised by the Agent, without payment of any additional consideration therefor and subject to adjustment, at any time after the closing of the Concurrent Financing and the earlier of (i) the completion of the Transaction; and (ii) the Qualification Deadline for one compensation option (a "Compensation Option") entitling the Agent to purchase one Cerrado Share or Resulting Issuer Share, as the case may be, with an exercise price of $0.80 per share. The Compensation Options shall have a term of 24 months from the date of the closing of the Concurrent Financing. Each unexercised Compensation Warrant shall be automatically exchanged for one Compensation Option upon the occurrence of the Transaction, entitling the Agent to purchase that number of Resulting Issuer Shares equal to 7.0% of the aggregate number of Special Warrants issued by Cerrado. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event that the Transaction has not occurred prior to the Qualification Deadline, each Compensation Option will be deemed exercised, without payment of any additional consideration therefor and subject to adjustment, and will automatically be exchanged for 1.1 Compensation Options on the date which is three business days following the Qualification Deadline.

The net proceeds from the Concurrent Financing will be used to complete an Initial Preliminary Economic Assessment prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 based upon the current defined resources at MDC, complete an updated NI 43-101 mineral resource report for MDN, to undertake a new exploration drill program and associated metallurgical test work aimed at expanding the current resource and for general working capital purposes.

Sponsorship

The Transaction is subject to the sponsorship requirements of the TSXV, unless an exemption from the sponsorship requirement is available or a waiver is granted. The Company intends to apply for an exemption to the sponsorship requirement. There is no assurance that an exemption from this requirement will be obtained.

Management and Insiders of the Resulting Issuer

Upon completion of the Transaction, the current directors and officers of the Company will resign (other than Mark Brennan and Stephen Shefsky) and the proposed board of directors of the Resulting Issuer will include Mark Brennan, Stephen Shefsky, Cliff Hale-Sanders, Kurt Menchen, Robert Campbell, Jad Salomao, Oscar Neto de Gouveia and Elmer Prata Salomao. It is proposed to appoint Mark Brennan as Chief Executive Officer and Co-Chairman, Cliff Hale-Sanders as President, Rohan Hazelton as Chief Financial Officer, Maria Virginia Anzola as General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, Kurt Menchen as Chief Operating Officer and Robert Campbell as Vice-President of Exploration of the Resulting Issuer. Additional details with respect to the directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer, if any, will be announced once available.

As of the date hereof, no shareholders hold a controlling interest in Cerrado other than Monte Sinai which owns 13,500,000 Cerrado Shares representing approximately 29% of the issued and outstanding Cerrado Shares, and which were issued as consideration for the acquisition by Cerrado of the MDC project. Other than Monte Sinai, the parties do not expect any persons will hold more than 10% or more of the issued and outstanding Resulting Issuer Shares upon completion of the Transaction. Jad Salomao, Oscar Neto de Gouveia and Elmer Prata Salomao are directors of both Cerrado and Monte Sinai. The officers and directors of Cerrado are Mark Brennan, Stephen Shefsky, Kurt Menchen, Robert Campbell, Jad Salomao, Oscar Neto de Gouveia, Elmer Prata Salomao, Cliff Hale-Sanders, Rohan Hazelton and Maria Virginia Anzola who together directly or indirectly own or control an aggregate of 23,018,887 Cerrado Shares, representing approximately 49% of the issued and outstanding Cerrado Shares as at the date hereof. The current ownership of the remaining interest in Cerrado consists of approximately 60 shareholders holding 23,589,143 Cerrado Shares, representing approximately 51% of the total issued and outstanding Cerrado Shares as of the date hereof. Messrs. Brennan, Shefsky, Campbell, Hale-Sanders, Hazelton and Anzola are each Canadian residents. Messrs. Menchen, Salomao, Neto de Gouveia and Salomao are each Brazilian residents. Monte Sinai is a limited liability company existing under the laws of Brazil and the shareholders of Monte Sinai are Jad Salomao, Oscar Neto de Gouveia and Oseias de Gouveia Carvalho, who is also a Brazilian resident.

Mark Brennan, a director of BB1, is also Co-Chairman and a director of Cerrado and currently owns an aggregate of 3,372,222 Cerrado Shares representing 7.24% of the issued and outstanding Cerrado Shares. Stephen Shefsky, a director of BB1, is Co-Chairman and a director of Cerrado and owns 2,708,333 Cerrado Shares representing 5.81% of the outstanding Cerrado Shares. Each of Messrs. Brennan and Shefsky is a "Non-Arm's Length Party to the CPC" (as defined in Policy 2.4).

There are no finder's fees payable in connection with the Transaction. All the above is as of the date hereof.

The relevant professional experience of the proposed directors and officers of the Resulting Issuer is set out below:

Management

Mark Brennan

Chief Executive Officer & Co Chairman

Mr. Brennan is currently Executive Chairman of Ascendant Resources Inc. Prior to co-founding Ascendant, he was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Sierra Metals Inc., a multi-mine polymetallic producer, from April 2015 to March 2017. He was the President and Chief Executive Officer of Largo Resources Ltd., a greenfield to production mining company, from March 2005 to March 2015. He was the co-founder of Brasoil do Brasil Exploracao Petrolifera S.A., a private oil and gas producing exploration Corporation in Brazil. In addition, he has been President of Linear Capital Corporation, a private merchant bank, since February 1998. He is a Founder and a director of James Bay Resources Limited since November 2007.

Cliff Hale-Sanders, MBA, CFA

President

Mr. Hale-Sanders is one of the founding partners in the formation of Ascendant Resources Inc. Prior to this Mr. Hale-Sanders had a career that spanned over 20 years in the capital markets industry working as a leading base metals and bulk commodities research analyst in Canada working at RBC Capital Markets, TD Securities, CIBC World Markets and Cormark Securities. During this period, Mr. Hale-Sanders visited and reviewed numerous mining operations and corporate entities around the world. Mr. Hale-Sanders holds a B.Sc. in Geology and Chemistry, an MBA from McMaster University and is a CFA Charterholder.

Rohan Hazelton, CPA, CA

Chief Financial Officer

Mr. Hazelton is a Chartered Professional Accountant with 25 years of international finance experience including 20 years in the mining sector. He was formerly Vice President, Strategy at Goldcorp Inc. where he held a variety of roles including Vice President Finance, Chief Financial Officer of Mexican Operations and Corporate Controller. He holds a B.A. in Applied Mathematics and Economics from Harvard University.

Kurt Menchen

Chief Operating Officer & Director

Mr. Menchen was formerly the President of Operations, Brazil, of Largo Resources Ltd, and has over 42 years of experience operating and managing mining projects, including over 20 years as General Manager at the Jacobina Gold project in Bahia State, Brazil. His prior experience also includes Anglo American's Vaal Reefs underground gold mine in South Africa and De Beers Diamonds in Angola. Mr. Menchen holds a degree in mining engineering from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Robert Campbell

Vice President of Exploration & Director

Mr. Campbell is an exploration geologist with over 42 years experience in the mining and exploration industry through Canada, United States and Latin America. He has worked for a number of major mining companies, most notably Noranda and Lac Minerals and is currently the Vice President of Exploration for Ascendant Resources. Mr. Campbell most recently worked with Largo Resources from its inception in November 2003 to November 2018 as Vice President of Exploration. He has also held other senior management positions such as Vice President of Exploration for Apogee Minerals Ltd.

Maria Virginia Anzola

General Counsel & Corporate Secretary

Ms. Anzola has over 20 years of experience advising companies in the extraction industry. In her role as General Counsel, Ms. Anzola provides leadership and direction on all legal matters involving Cerrado and its operations. As Corporate Secretary, she is responsible for all matters relating to the Board of Directors, its committees, and the overall implementation of corporate governance best practices. Prior to joining Ascendant in 2017, Ms. Anzola served as Assistant General Counsel for Primero Mining Corp, and prior to that she served as Senior Counsel for Hudbay Minerals Inc. In addition, Ms. Anzola served as Consultant to the Tax Group of Borden Ladner Gervais LLP for over two years. Prior to moving to Canada, Ms. Anzola spent 11 years in private practice in her home country of Venezuela, mostly advising international companies engaged in the oil and gas business. Ms. Anzola has been called to the BAR in Ontario and Venezuela and has an LL.M from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and from Osgoode Hall Law School.

Board of Directors

Mark Brennan

Chief Executive Officer & Co-Chairman

See above under the heading, "Management".

Stephen Shefsky

Co-Chairman

Mr. Shefsky is the Chief Executive Officer, President and a Director of James Bay Resources Limited (CSE:JBR) and Crestar Integrated Natural Resources Limited (CINL) since incorporation. Mr. Shefsky is currently Co-Chairman and Founder of Cerrado Gold, a precious metals exploration and production company in Brazil and Argentina. Mr. Shefsky is a founder and executive chairman of tilr Corporation, a leading patent pending on demand recruitment technology platform that connects companies with immediately qualified employees. Mr. Shefsky was the co-founder of Brasoil do Brasil Exploracao Petrolifera S.A., a private oil and gas producing and exploration company operating in Brazil from 2006-2017. From 1996 to August 2007, Mr. Shefsky held the positions of the President and Chief Executive Officer of Verena Minerals Corporation (TSXV:VML), a minerals exploration company with a focus on precious metal properties in Brazil (currently Belo Sun Mining Corp., (TSXV:BSX)). Mr. became the Chairman and Director of Ascendant Resources Inc. in December 2009, and is currently a Director. Mr. Shefsky has been a Director and Officer of BB1 Acquisition Corp. (TSXV:BB1.P), a capital pool company, since March, 2018. Mr. Shefsky holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Toronto, a Master of Science Degree in Urban Planning from Columbia University, and a Juris Doctor Degree from Pepperdine University School of law.

Cliff Hale-Sanders, MBA, CFA

President

See above under the heading, "Management".

Elmer Prata Salomao

Director

From 1990-1995, Mr. Salomao served as General Director of Brazil's National Department of Mineral Production, DNPM, the federal agency in charge of administration of mineral concessions and the implementation of Brazilian mining policy. Mr. Salomao is founder and now managing director of well recognized GEOS-Mining Services Ltda., originally incorporated in 1974, and is now managing director of EPS Consulting Ltda., a solely owned mining consulting company.

Kurt Menchen

Chief Operating Officer & Director

See above under the heading, "Management".

Robert Campbell

Vice President of Exploration & Director

See above under the heading, "Management".

Jad Salomao

Director

Mr. Salomao has 42 years of experience in mineral exploration & mining and project evaluation with both major and Junior company in Brazil and Canada. He has managed several base metals projects (in special massive sulphides and sedimentary copper), precious metals (gold, PGM), diamonds, Industrial minerals (Ilmenite) and gem (Emerald, Alexandrite) projects. He is presently a major shareholder of the company Monte Sinai Mineracao Ltda., which holds the Serra Alta project. Together with his partner, Oscar Neto, Mr. Salomao founded Verena Mineracao Ltda - which became a junior mining company listed in the Toronto Stock Market in Canada from 1996 through 2010 - Verena Minerals Corporation (VMC) - which is now known as Belo Sun Mining Corp. Mr. Salomao and Mr. Oscar Neto are credited with the discovery and definition of the Belo Sun Volta Grande deposit; a deposit with over 7 million ounces of gold.

Oscar Neto de Gouveia

Director

Mr. Neto worked as a field and project geologist for Billiton between 1980 to 1985 exploring for base metals in volcano-sedimentary environments in the states of Goias and Para. He also worked for BP Minerals in the state of Rondonia as a mine geologist at the Potosi Mine, 14 de Abril and Serra da Onca Mines, directly in charge of the mining operations. He also worked as Chief Project geologist for Master Incosa Engenharia S/A in gold exploration in the state of Para. In late 1985, working with Brazilian geologist, Jad Salomao, Neto started exploration for gold in the state of Tocantins, Brazil. In mid-1986, founded the company Verena Mineracao Ltda. and started accumulating an extensive portfolio of gold in the municipalities of Porto Nacional, Natividade and Conceicao, state of Tocantins, Brazil. Between 1988 and 1994, participated of several negotiations with major companies - RTZ (1989), Paranapanema (1991), Bank of Bahia (1993) and TVX (1994) - which spent close to US$5 million on these properties. In 1996, together with his partner, Jad Salomao, Mr. Neto founded Verena Mineracao Ltda - which became a junior mining company listed in the Toronto Stock Market in Canada from 1996 through 2010 - Verena Minerals Corporation (VMC) - which is now known as Belo Sun Mining Corp. Mr. Neto and Mr. Salomao are credited with the discovery and definition of the Belo Sun Volta Grande deposit; a deposit with over 7 million ounces of gold.

Selected Financial Information of Cerrado

Relevant unaudited financial information for Cerrado is summarized below:

As at fiscal year-end December 31, 2019 and 2018

(Expressed in thousands of US dollars)

March 31, 2020 December 31, 2019 December 31, 2018 Cash $7,404 $38 $81 Total Assets $83,783 $17,180 $16,000 Total Liabilities $64,903 $4,976 $3,670 Shareholders' Equity $18,880 $12,204 $12,330

The unaudited interim financial information as at March 31, 2020 includes the consolidation of the MDN project.

Trading of the Resulting Issuer Shares

Trading in the BB1 Shares has been halted as a result of the announcement of the Transaction. The Company expects that trading will remain halted pending closing of the Transaction, subject to the earlier resumption upon TSXV acceptance of the Transaction and the filing of required materials in accordance with TSXV policies.

Upon successful completion of the Transaction, it is anticipated that the Resulting Issuer will be listed as a Tier 1 Mining issuer.

Filing Statement

In connection with the Transaction and pursuant to TSXV requirements, BB1 will file a filing statement on SEDAR, which will contain details regarding the Transaction, the Concurrent Financing, the Definitive Agreement, BB1, Cerrado and the Resulting Issuer.

Forward Looking Information, Disclaimer and Reader Advisory

Not for distribution to United States newswire services or for dissemination in the United States. This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

All information provided in this press release relating to Cerrado has been provided by management of Cerrado and has not been independently verified by management of the Company. As the date of this press release, the Company has not entered into a Definitive Agreement with Cerrado, and readers are cautioned that there can be no assurances that a Definitive Agreement will be executed.

Completion of the Transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including but not limited to, TSXV acceptance and if applicable pursuant to TSXV requirements, majority of the minority shareholder approval. Where applicable, the transaction cannot close until the required shareholder approval is obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.

Investors are cautioned that, except as disclosed in the management information circular or filing statement to be prepared in connection with the transaction, any information released or received with respect to the transaction may not be accurate or complete and should not be relied upon. Trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed Transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. 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.

This press release contains statements that constitute "forward-looking information" (collectively, "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of the applicable Canadian securities legislation, All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements and are based on expectations, estimates and projections as at the date of this news release. Any statement that discusses predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions, future events or performance (often but not always using phrases such as "expects", or "does not expect", "is expected", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", "plans", "budget", "scheduled", "forecasts", "estimates", "believes" or "intends" or variations of such words and phrases or stating that certain actions, events or results "may" or "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken to occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include, without limitation, statements regarding: the terms, conditions, and completion of the Transaction; use of funds; and the business and operations of the Resulting Issuer. In making the forward- looking statements contained in this press release, the Company has made certain assumptions, including that: due diligence will be satisfactory; all applicable shareholder, and regulatory approvals for the Transaction will be received. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can give no assurance that the expectations of any forward-looking statements will prove to be correct. Known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results and future events to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, but are not limited to: results of due diligence; availability of financing; delay or failure to receive board, shareholder or regulatory approvals; and general business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements and information contained in this press release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, whether as a result of new information, future events, changes in assumptions, changes in factors affecting such forward-looking statements or otherwise.

For more information please contact BB1's Chief Executive Officer, Stephen Shefsky at +1-416-366-4200 or Cerrado's Co-Chairman and CEO, Mark Brennan at +1-647-796-0023.

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61069
The White House has made Chinese social media company Bytedance an offer it cant refuse. Either it sells its popular TikTok app to a US company or it will be banned from operating in the US.

Donald Trump, who initially wanted to simply shut TikTok down in the US, is now open to its sale, with Microsoft working furiously to try to negotiate a deal by Trumps deadline of September 15.

TikTok has become a flashpoint amid rising US-China tensions in recent months. Credit:Bloomberg

Trumps support for a deal, which came after Microsoft pleaded its case to the White House at the weekend, is conditional. He wants his "vig." In gambling parlance, the "vig" (short for vigorish) is a fee charged by a bookmaker for services provided. In short, Trump wants the US to get a cut of the deal.

"I did say that, if you buy it, a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States, because were making it possible for this deal to happen," he said.
Southwest Iowa has seen an increase in COVID-19 hospitalizations in recent weeks as a pair of long-term care facilities battle outbreaks.

The Iowa Department of Public Health Regional Medical Coordination Center region four  which includes Pottawattamie, Mills, Harrison, Cass, Crawford, Shelby, Fremont, Montgomery, Page, Adams, Audubon and Taylor Counties  listed 14 hospitalized patients on Tuesday afternoon, with seven in intensive care. None of the patients were on ventilators, according to the state COVID-19 website.

Fourteen is the highest daily total since 17 were hospitalized on May 30.

The majority of those hospitalizations came from outbreaks at Risen Son Christian Village in Council Bluffs and Oakland Manor in Oakland. On Tuesday there were 11 hospitalizations in Council Bluffs, according to Matt Wyant with Pottawattamie County Public Health.

Wyant said the highest recent number in the county was 13 on July 31.

The hospitals numbers did creep up on us. That is predominantly related to our long-term care numbers, Wyant said, noting it has crept back down somewhat in the county.

Wyant said there have been 29 cases among patients at Oakland Manor, with nine recoveries. Four residents have died after contracting the disease.

Risen Son 12 current cases and had 31 total, Wyant said. There have been six deaths among residents at the facility.

There were 1,221 positive cases of COVID-19 in Pottawattamie County as of Tuesday afternoon, according to coronavirus.iowa.gov, an increase of eight from roughly 24 hours earlier. With 14,573 tests, the countys positive rate remained at 8.4%.

The county listed 835 recoveries and deaths remained at 23.

Information about COVID-19

Symptoms in people who have been exposed to coronavirus can include fever, cough and shortness of breath, according to the Iowa Department of Public Health.

The symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as long as 14 days after exposure. Most people experience mild or moderate symptoms that clear up in two to three weeks.

Older adults and people with existing health problems are among those particularly susceptible to more severe illness, including pneumonia.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommend the use of masks when out in public. Make sure it covers the mouth and nose. Face shields are an option as well, as they cover the eyes.

Public health officials recommend:

Stay home as much as possible.

Self-monitor for symptoms.

Call your physician if symptoms appear.

Cover coughs and sneezes with a tissue or your upper arm/elbow.

Wash hands frequently with soap and water.

Clean and disinfect frequently-touched objects and surfaces.

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Afghan authorities were searching Tuesday for about 270 inmates -- most of them Islamic State fighters -- who remained on the loose after escaping during a deadly prison raid.

At least 29 people were killed when Islamic State (IS) gunmen attacked the facility in Jalalabad on Sunday, with fierce fighting lasting until Monday afternoon.

More than 1,300 inmates tried to escape, a senior Afghan security official told AFP on condition of anonymity, but most were either swiftly re-arrested or surrendered when surrounded by security forces.

But some 270 prisoners are "still on the loose", the official said.

"Most of those who escaped are from ISKP," he said, referring to IS's Afghan branch, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province.

They included militants responsible for several bloody attacks, a second security official told AFP.

Nangarhar provincial governor's spokesman Attaullah Khogyani confirmed many prisoners were still missing, but couldn't say how many were IS members.

The brazen prison raid came a day after Afghanistan's intelligence agency announced the killing of a top IS commander near Jalalabad.

Nangarhar province, where IS got its first foothold in Afghanistan, has seen repeated attacks by the group, including a suicide bomb that killed 32 mourners at a funeral in May.

- Calm shattered -

The attacks have continued even though officials last year claimed IS had been defeated in Nangarhar.

"A large number of their leadership was arrested or killed ... so it (the prison raid) was some sort of revenge to free some of their comrades," a senior Afghan security official said.

The prison raid shattered the relative calm of the final day of a three-day ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan forces.

IS was not part of the truce.

The Afghan government still attempted to link the raid to the Taliban, which it said had violated the ceasefire 38 times.

Acting Interior Minister Massoud Andrabi said on Twitter that IS's new head in Afghanistan, Shahab Al-Mahajir, was a member of the Haqqani network, considered a Taliban offshoot.

Washington has branded the Haqqani network, accused of carrying out numerous deadly attacks in Afghanistan, a terrorist organisation.

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Judge Esther Salas' son was killed on July 19 by a man who was posing as a FedEx delivery driver.

Screenshot/YouTube

Esther Salas, a US federal judge, released a video on Monday concerning the July 19 killing of her son.

"Two weeks ago, my life as I knew it changed in an instant, and my family will never be the same," Salas said.

Salas called for federal judges to enjoy greater privacy protections, noting that her son's killer had found her home address online.

"We may not be abler to stop something like this again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down," she said.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A federal judge who authorities say her family was targeted by an "anti-feminist" killer, leaving her son dead and husband gravely wounded, released a video on Monday pleading for action to prevent such future tragedies.

"Two weeks ago, my life as I knew it changed in an instant, and my family will never be the same," US Judge Esther Salas said in the video. "A madman, who I believe was targeting me because of my position as a federal judge, came to my house."

Posing as a delivery driver, that suspect, Roy Den Hollander, opened fire on Judge Salas' son, Daniel, who was at the New Jersey home celebrating his 20th birthday. Mother and son had been talking after a "glorious" weekend when the doorbell rang. Daniel rushed to see who it was.

"This monster, who had a FedEx package in his hand, opened fire," Salas noted. "He took the shooter's first bullet directly to the chest. The monster then turned his attention to his husband... one shot after another."

Salas' husband remains hospitalized.

Hollander was later found in his car, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot.

Authorities believe the judge's family was targeted because she was overseeing a lawsuit filed by the alleged killer alleging that the military draft is unconstitutional because it only pertains to men.

In her video, Salas called for action to protect the privacy of federal judges, noting that her address and other private information are available for sale on the internet.

Story continues

"We may not be abler to stop something like this again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down," she said.

According to The New York Times, the two US Senators from New Jersey, Robert Menendez and Cory Booker, are working on legislation to do just that, aiming to "keep personal information about federal judges outside of the public domain."

Have a news tip? Email this reporter: cdavis@insider.com

Read the original article on Business Insider
Rating Action: Moody's downgrades Denbury Resources' PDR to D-PD on bankruptcy filing

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

New York, August 03, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service, ("Moody's") downgraded Denbury Resources Inc.'s (Denbury) Probability of Default Rating (PDR) to D-PD from Ca-PD. Denbury's other ratings were affirmed, including its Ca Corporate Family Rating (CFR), Ca rating on its senior secured second lien debt, and C rating on its senior subordinated debt. The SGL-4 Speculative Grade Liquidity (SGL) Rating is unchanged. The rating outlook is negative.

These actions follow the company's bankruptcy filing on July 30, 2020.

Downgrades:

..Issuer: Denbury Resources Inc.

.... Probability of Default Rating, Downgraded to D-PD from Ca-PD

Affirmations:

..Issuer: Denbury Resources Inc.

.... Corporate Family Rating, Affirmed Ca

....Senior Subordinated Notes, Affirmed C (LGD6)

....Senior Secured 2nd Lien Notes, Affirmed Ca (LGD3)

Outlook Actions:

..Issuer: Denbury Resources Inc.

....Outlook, Remains Negative

RATINGS RATIONALE

The Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing [1] has resulted in a downgrade of Denbury's PDR to D-PD, reflecting the company's default on its debt agreements. The affirmation of the Ca CFR and other debt instruments' ratings reflects Moody's view on expected recoveries. Shortly following this rating action, Moody's will withdraw all of Denbury's ratings. Please refer to the Moody's Investors Service Policy for Withdrawal of Credit Ratings, available on its website, www.moodys.com.

Denbury Resources Inc., headquartered in Plano, Texas, is an independent oil and gas company with operations in the Gulf Coast and Rocky Mountain regions. The company has a significant emphasis on carbon dioxide enhanced oil recovery (CO2 EOR) operations used to recover oil from mature fields.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Independent Exploration and Production Industry published in May 2017 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1056808. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

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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.

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.

REFERENCES/CITATIONS

[1] Form 8-K (SEC) 31-Jul-2020

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.

James Wilkins Vice President - Senior Analyst Corporate Finance Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Steven Wood MD - Corporate Finance Corporate Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653

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A nurse who believes in a bizarre conspiracy theory that 5G mobile phone technology is spreading coronavirus leads a dangerous movement that has seen its numbers multiply within weeks.

Naomi Cook, a leader of Australians for Safe Technology, claims she became an 'unintentional, accidental 5G activist' after her daughter developed a brain tumour.

Her conspiracy theory group went from having 8,000 Facebook members in late March, during the start of COVID-19 lockdowns, to 40,000 by mid-April.

The group's social media page now has more than 48,000 followers, with many of them convinced electromagnetic radiation has caused coronavirus - a theory which the Australian government has completely debunked.

Naomi Cook, a leader of Australians for Safe Technology, became an 'unintentional, accidental 5G activist' after her daughter developed a brain tumour. She is addressing a rally at Sydney's Hyde Park in May

In May, Ms Cook led a protest at Hyde Park in Sydney, with support from controversial TV chef Pete Evans.

Australian debunks 5G-COVID-19 link Former chief medical officer Professor Brendan Murphy has said there is 'absolutely no evidence' linking 5G with coronavirus In January, he released a statement highlighting how the Australian Radiation Protection and Nuclear Safety Agency and the World Health Organisation believed 5G was safe 'There is no evidence telecommunication technologies, such as 5G, cause adverse health impacts,' he said Source: Department of Health Advertisement

'COVID-19 has caused an explosion in public awareness. Rather than meekly hunkering down, under house arrest, men and women have taken to their computers and begun to ask questions, many of them for the first time,' she told the crowd.

'If you are not currently working to stop 5G, this means you don't understand it.

'Nothing else matters anymore.'

Three weeks before that protest Australia's then chief medical officer Professor Brendan Murphy, who is now secretary of the federal Department of Health, said there was 'absolutely no evidence' to link 5G wireless mobile technology with COVID-19.

In video uploaded to Facebook on Tuesday morning, Ms Cook said she become an activist after her eldest daughter Hana, who is now 12, developed a giant brain tumour when she was five.

'This led to catastrophic health fallout and put me on a journey as a registered nurse,' she said.

'When her brain tumour grew back, I needed to rethink our living situation.

'We were living in a high-rise apartment in Bondi Junction surrounded by hundreds of WiFi devices and I hadn't gone down the road of looking at the science behind the biological interaction that we have with electro-magnetic radiation but intuitively to me it felt, perhaps this isn't a good idea.'

In video uploaded to Facebook on Tuesday morning, Ms Cook said she become an activist after her eldest daughter Hana, who is now 12, developed a giant brain tumour when she was five

In her Facebook video, she denied being crazy.

Controversial TV chef Pete Evans has supported the anti-5G rallies

'We're not crazy nutters, tin foil hatters, sitting behind our computers doing this for fun,' she said.

Ms Cook said creating a political party would be the next step for her anti-5G movement, which is also associated with anti-vaccination groups.

'Our movement is growing all the time,' she told the ABC's Four Corners program.

'So as our movement grows, having a political party almost creates a platform that may be conducive to bringing about change.

'So from that perspective, I think it's a very valid way to tackle the 5G problem.'

She denied inflating crowd numbers at the Sydney rally with anti-vaccination campaigners.

'No, that's so sad. These were separate groups each with very important issues that they were passionate about.'
Two toddlers who almost drowned in a backyard pool after mysteriously getting past a locked fence have miraculously recovered.

Osman, 2, and Destiny Achrafe, 23 months, were found unconscious in the pool at a home in Casula, southwest Sydney, on July 18.

Paramedics desperately performed CPR on the little boy and girl who were then rushed to hospital in critical conditions and put in induced comas.

Osman's mother Xena Al-Achrafe said the hospital described the pair's recovery as a miracle as they suffered no lasting brain damage.

Osman, 2, and Destiny Achrafe, 23 months, (pictured together) were found unconscious in the pool at a home in Casula, southwest Sydney

MRI scans of their brains came back 'perfect' and the only injuries they suffered were sprained necks from the CPR

She said the children came home on Friday, just in time to surprise their grandmother at the family's weekend Eid celebrations.

'We are overjoyed they are back and better than ever. The hospital called it a unique story with miracle children,' she told Daily Mail Australia.

Ms Achrafe said Osman and Destiny spent more than a week fighting for life and doctors didn't know if they would live or be disabled.

'My son's heart had stopped and no oxygen to his brain for a very long time. Liverpool Hospital resuscitated him but nothing was certain,' she said.

'We didn't know if they were going to wake up from induced coma or the extent of damage to their brain.

'But they are fighters and didn't want to leave us too soon.'

Osman's mother Xena Al-Achrafe (pictured together) said the hospital described the pair's recovery as a miracle as they suffered no lasting brain damage

Osman and Destiny spent more than a week fighting for life and doctors didn't know if they would live or be disabled

Paramedics desperately performed CPR on the little boy and girl who were then rushed to hospital in critical conditions and put in induced comas - but they survived

Ms Achrafe said MRI scans of their brains came back 'perfect' and the only injuries they suffered were sprained necks from the CPR.

'We are forever grateful for the support and help from the police and paramedics that attended the scene and the doctors and nurses that dedicated their time for our children,' she said.

How the small children managed to get past a high fence with a locked gate and wander into the pool is still a mystery.

'We can't figure it out as the gate was locked and there's only one access gate into the pool area,' Ms Achrafe said.

'There's no way they could reach the latch or climb over, it's too high. Even my eight-year-old can't reach it.'

The children came home on Friday, just in time for the family's weekend Eid celebrations

The moment the children surprised their grandmother at the celebration, as she didn't know they had been released from medical care

The whole family celebrating Eid on the weekend, with Osman the child on the top left and Destiny top right

The family had the fence replaced for their peace of mind days after the near-drowning, even though there appeared to be nothing wrong with it.

The two families are very close and celebrated Muslim holiday Eid al-Fitr in May, and Osman's older sister's fifth birthday last month.

Family photos show them celebrating the holiday with extended family and being doted on by parents and aunts and uncles.

Destiny was given a blanket with her name on it when she was born in August 2018 and Osman wore a hat with his name as a newborn.

They were found floating on the surface of the pool (pictured) at a home in Casula

Osman with his father Ahmad. The close family has Lebanese heritage and Osman's grandfather emigrated from there to Australia

'On this very day god blessed me with a prince,' Ms Achrafe wrote last year to celebrate Osman's first birthday.

NSW Ambulance Inspector Gavin Wood stressed how important the CPR that police performed was.

'The (children) were both in cardiac arrest and unresponsive. It was an incredibly traumatic and chaotic scene,' Inspector Wood said.

'The response time of police was eight minutes after the initial call and they managed to perform effective CPR  without that we may have had a very different outcome.'

Osman wore a hat with his name as a newborn. 'On this very day god blessed me with a prince,' Ms Achrafe wrote last year to celebrate his first birthday
Judge Esther Salas calls for increased privacy for federal judges in an emotional video statement released on Monday.

A United States federal judge whose son was killed and husband wounded in a shooting by a disgruntled lawyer at her New Jersey home two weeks ago broke her silence on Monday, calling for measures to keep the personal information of jurists private.

This is a matter of life and death. We cannot just sit back and wait for another tragedy to strike, US District Court Judge Esther Salas, the first Latina to serve on the District Court of New Jersey, said in a nine-minute video statement.

She noted that her familys attacker easily found her personal information on the internet. Roy Den Hollander, a lawyer and self-described anti-feminist, went to the judges North Brunswick home on July 19, and shot her son Daniel Anderl, 20, and husband Mark Anderl, 63, when they opened the door.

Video statement from U.S. District Judge Esther Salas on the misogynistic madman who killed her son and shot her husbandhttps://t.co/hBkBX07Qy5  Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) August 3, 2020

My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain, Salas said.

Salas went on to say the attacker had her familys personal information, including her home address, and used it to target them. Such easy access to information about judges on the internet must end, she said.

The monster knew where I lived and what church we attended, she said. My sons death cannot be in vain, which is why I am begging those empowered to do something to help my brothers and sisters on the bench.

We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down.

While the motive for the shooting remained unclear, Hollander once had a case before the judge and had published an online screed filled with misogynistic and racist remarks deriding her ethnicity and career. Hollander was found a day after the shooting in an apparent suicide about 145km (90 miles) north of New York City.

Salas, 51, was nominated to her position by President Barack Obama in 2010 and in the following year began serving. She has presided over a number of high-profile cases.

Salas has recently presided over a lawsuit brought by Deutsche Bank investors that accuses the massive bank of making false and misleading statements about anti-money laundering policies.

The lawsuit also alleges Deutsche Bank failed to monitor high-risk customers, including convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, whose associate Ghislaine Maxwell is currently in the middle of court proceedings.





Salas said that while federal judges understand their rulings may leave people upset, a national dialogue on the issue must commence.

The shooting took place after a weekend in which the family celebrated Salass sons 20th birthday with some of his close friends from Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.

Salas, who was in the basement when the shooting occurred, was not hurt.
By Ahmed Eljechtimi

RABAT (Reuters) - In a rap scene dominated my men, women's voices are starting to make waves in Morocco.

Houda Abouz, a 24-year-old who majors in film studies at a university in the northern city of Tetouan, has long been fascinated by hip-hop, and, encouraged by friends, she picked up a mic and began to perform.

In January she appeared in "Hors Serie", a song in which she performed alongside three big male rap stars in Morocco, Elgrande Toto, Don Bigg and Draganov.

The video has been viewed around 16 million times on YouTube - a reflection of the popularity the genre enjoys across the north African kingdom - and its success encouraged Abouz to go it alone.

She followed up in February with her debut single "KickOff", in which she rails against a society she says does not offer women equal opportunities.

"I am a self-made artist and I write my own lyrics, speaking my mind," she told Reuters in an interview in the capital Rabat.

"Rap is my passion and my defence mechanism in a patriarchal society," added Abouz, who goes by the name "Khtek", meaning "your sister".

Her lyrics, delivered in Moroccan Arabic dialect with phrases of French or English thrown in, are sometimes explicit.

"Bad ass, I survived war, drugs, craziness and love," she sings in KickOff. "Many things did not work out because we are ladies in the country of the dick."

In recent months, the country's rap scene has became embroiled in politics after a rapper, Gnawi, was sentenced to a year in prison for insulting the police in a video.

Abouz is not alone. another Moroccan female hip-hop star, like Manal, had a hit song "Slay" that was viewed 44 million times on YouTube.

Abouz, who describes herself as a feminist and supporter of LGBT rights, said she was influenced by the pro-democracy protests that shook Morocco in 2011 during the "Arab spring".

However, she said her music did not serve a political agenda but gave "a taste of the street and of the deep Morocco".

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Men's prevalence in the world of rap reflected Morocco's conservative society, she said, but her work tries to seize back the narrative for women.

"I write better than you, though you think I'm just a girl," she sings in KickOff.

(Reporting by Ahmed Eljechtimi; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
NORTH CAROLINA  Hurricane Isaias was not the only threat facing North Carolina residents on Monday. In addition to monitoring the storm's progress and preparing for dangerous hurricane conditions, North Carolina officials were also monitoring the impact of the new coronavirus.

On Monday, the department announced an additional 1,313 people had tested positive for the new coronavirus, keeping up a gradual downtrend in the state's seven-day average. Monday's total also continues a trend of slight day-over-day decreases that began on Thursday with the state's third-highest number of new cases reported in one day, 2,344.

The decrease began in earnest on Friday with 1,954 new cases reported. The number of new cases had fallen to 1,730 on Saturday, and it decreased further to 1,341 on Sunday.

The DHHS also reported eight new deaths on Saturday and two on Sunday. On Monday, 13 more were reported, bringing the state's death toll to 1,982.

The health department has also reported a slight decrease in the percentage of people who have received a positive test result. With a total of 1,837,410 people tested across the Tar Heel State, only 7 percent have tested positive, down from 8 percent last week.

Hospitals

With 79 percent of the state's hospitals reporting, health department data shows 1,057 people are hospitalized because of COVID-19, the illness caused by the new coronavirus.

According to state data, the number of people hospitalized is also slowly beginning to trend downward. Over 1,200 people were recovering from the virus in hospital beds on Tuesday. Since then, that number has decreased day-over-day.

On Monday, 344 people more people were admitted to state hospitals with suspected cases of the coronavirus, and 86 people were admitted with lab confirmation that they did, in fact, have the virus.

Across the state, only 318 adults in North Carolina are in hospital ICUs because of COVID-19 on Monday. Further, the number of people using ventilators has also decreased from 910 on Friday to 804 on Monday. The state reports 2,364 ventilators remain available, should they be necessary.

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Testing

A number of testing locations and events are scheduled to provide coronavirus testing to North Carolina residents in the coming days. A list of sites and events can be found on the state's Community Testing Event website.

The website states some events will be canceled or rescheduled as Hurricane Isaias makes its way across North Carolina, bringing with it the risk of major flooding and life-threatening wind damage.

A NCDHHS spokesperson told Patch via email that residents hoping to get tested in the coming days should contact local officials or organizers to confirm testing hours and availability.

"During a hurricane or tropical storm, the safety of staff and of people getting tested is prioritized," the spokesperson said. "In response to [Hurricane] Isaias, individual testing events will determine whether they will cancel, reschedule or change logistics for their community testing event."

Sheltering

Gov. Roy Cooper on Monday explained the pandemic has added additional difficulties to emergency preparations as category one Hurricane Isaias approaches North Carolina.

"Listen to local officials and follow evacuation orders when they're issued," Cooper said in a news conference. "If you are told to evacuate, the most important thing is to get out of the danger zone. First, plan to stay with friends or family. If that doesnt work, a hotel is the next option if you can afford it."

Officials asked that, should evacuation orders be issued, residents try to stay with friends and family members or in hotels rather than going to shelters.

Cooper said shelters will be available if needed, but shelter workers will screen people for symptoms of the new coronavirus before they are permitted to enter.

"If someone has COVID-19 or shows symptoms, they will be directed to a sheltering option for isolation or medical attention," the governor said. "Shelters will have PPE and will honor social distancing"

North Carolina's Department of Public Safety reminds anyone who goes to a shelter to practice social distancing and good hygiene to help prevent the spread of the new coronavirus.

Anyone staying in a shelter is urged to alert shelter staff immediately if he or she begins to feel sick, or if he or she feels sick when arriving at a shelter.

A list of available hurricane shelters can be found on the state's ReadyNC website.

This article originally appeared on the Charlotte Patch
Since arriving on Capitol Hill two years ago, Reps. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., have emerged as progressive leaders in Congress, taking on President Donald Trump and working to push Democrats to the left on policy.

But this month, the founding members of the "Squad" and the first two Muslim women elected to Congress will be in an unfamiliar position: on the ballots as incumbents, looking to defend their seats from aggressive challengers claiming they have sought the national spotlight at the expense of their districts.

Tlaib's primary is taking place Tuesday, Aug. 4, while Omar's primary is taking place one week later, on Aug. 11.

In Minneapolis, Omar is facing off against Antone Melton-Meaux, a lawyer and mediator who has tried casting the Minnesota congresswoman as a "divider."

(MORE: 'It's traumatic' : Rep. Rashida Tlaib on conditions at the border)

"We don't need someone going their own way, someone who's interested in Twitter fights with the president or launching her memoir. We don't need dividers or celebrities in D.C.," Melton-Meaux, who is Black, said in an interview with ABC News.

A first-time candidate, he's raised more than $3 million from around the country, including from Democrats critical of Omar -- such as Colorado Gov. Jared Polis. Omar's support of the Boycott, Divest and Sanction movement against Israel, and the comments she made last year that were criticized for allegedly being anti-Semitic and prompted a vote from the House, have translated into additional financial support for her challenger.

Much of it is coming from large donors, and from pro-Israel political action committees, including $382,000 in donations bundled by the Pro-Israel America PAC. Another group, NORPAC, has raised over $105,000 for Omar's challenger.

(MORE: House to vote to condemn anti-Semitism in indirect rebuke of Rep. Ilhan Omar)

When asked specifically by ABC News about the support he has received from the PACs, Melton-Meaux said that the PACs are "nonpartisan organizations that have given to both Democrats and Republicans," asserting that his campaign has "strong funding because people believe in what we're doing," and that he does not feel the donations will sway any policy decisions.

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However, Omar said in a statement to ABC News that she is "most concerned that the man trying to unseat me is raising money from donors to Donald Trump and Mitch McConnell and the Republican-backed SuperPACs supporting him. That has no place in the 5th District."

As of June 30, Omar's campaign had raised more than $3.8 million, with approximately $1.1 million cash on hand. Omar's campaign told ABC News her donations came from grassroots movements, with her average contribution coming in at $18.

Melton-Meaux has capitalized on the controversies surrounding Omar, saying that although he voted for her in 2018 and was "hopeful that she would use her platform to do good work for the district," he has been "disappointed and dismayed and time and time again," by the Congresswoman's work.

PHOTO: U.S. Rep. Ihan Omar (D-MN) speaks with a reporter after a press conference on July 7, 2020 in St. Paul, Minnesota. (Brandon Bell/Getty Images)

Omar asserted that she has made it her top "priority to be in the community with Minnesotans and listen to them," holding 32 public town halls and roundtables last year, as well as "working around the clock [during the pandemic] to make sure we are getting resources directly into the hands of Minnesotans as well as our state and local government. We have brought home over $450,000 to our constituents in the form of casework and securing critical funding during the coronavirus pandemic."

Tlaib, who first made waves in Washington for vowing to "impeach the motherf-----" at a celebration hours after her swearing in, is facing Brenda Jones, the Detroit City Council president, two years after defeating her in a six-way primary by 900 votes.

"I am not interested in being a national rock star, I am interested in representing the people of the 13th Congressional District," Jones told ABC News about representing the majority Black district.

MORE: Rep. Ilhan Omar will support Biden, but said it's important to 'believe survivors'

Jones had defeated Tlaib in a special election to fill the seat after Rep. John Conyers, D-Mich., a founder of the Congressional Black Caucus and the dean of the House -- the longest-serving member at the time -- resigned amid sexual harassment allegations in 2017.

Jones has been endorsed by her other four 2018 primary opponents, including former state Sens. Ian Conyers and Coleman Young II, as well as other influential figures, like Rev. Wendell Anthony, the president of the Detroit chapter of the NAACP.

Tlaib has raised more than $3 million for her reelection bid -- millions more than Jones -- and said her constituents have "embraced" her style of legislating in Washington.

PHOTO: Michigan Democratic U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib addresses a rally protesting against racial inequality in the aftermath of the death in Minneapolis police custody of George Floyd, in Detroit, Michigan, U.S. June 6, 2020. (Rebecca Cook/Reuters)

"My receipts don't match up with these myths that are out there," she told ABC News, pointing to her work securing funding to replace lead water pipes, and getting a bill to protect seniors from fraud signed into law by President Trump. "My residents overwhelmingly have felt seen and heard."

Both congresswomen have been targeted by the president, who told Tlaib and the other members of the "Squad" -- all women of color -- to "go back" to "help fix the totally broken and crime-infested places from which they came."

Trump has particularly singled Omar during campaign rallies and events, calling her an "America-hating socialist" and a "disgrace," as well as telling his supporters in Tulsa that Omar wanted to turn "our country" into her native Somalia. "No government, no safety, no police, no nothing, just anarchy," he said. "And now, she's telling us how to run our country. No, thank you."

The racist comments were later condemned by the full House along party lines.

Despite criticism from their opponents, Omar and Tlaib have both received support from prominent Capitol Hill allies, and are backed by the other members of the "Squad": Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. All four congresswomen formed a joint fundraising committee with them earlier this summer to pool their campaign resources.

MORE: Trump calls AOC and 'The Squad' a 'very racist group of troublemakers'

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, D-Vt., have also both endorsed Omar and Tlaib.

"Ilhan is a valued and important Member of our Caucus," Pelosi said in a statement. "In her first term, Ilhan has already established herself as a leader on a host of issues -- from child nutrition to housing to U.S.-Africa relations."

Similarly, she called Tlaib a "tireless advocate" for her district, noting her efforts to secure funding to replace lead water pipes, and her legislation signed into law by President Trump to protect seniors and retirees from fraud.

Tlaib, one of the House's most progressive members, who endorsed Sanders for president in the Democratic primary, said last week that she wouldn't endorse former Vice President Joe Biden for president. "I am focused on my election," she told Newsweek.

"If the ultimate goal is to get rid of Donald Trump, that doesn't have to involve me actually endorsing Biden," she said. "My constituents don't need to be bogged down in, 'Is he the best candidate?' That's not what you have to convince my residents. They need to come out in droves and be inspired by something. And that is going to be a vote against Donald Trump."

In July, Omar announced her endorsement of Biden, alongside a cohort of prominent Muslim Americans.

In addition to Melton-Meaux, three other Democratic candidates are challenging Omar: Les Lester, John Mason and Daniel McCarthy.

Reps. Tlaib and Omar are latest 'Squad' members facing primary challenges originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
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Linkedin Saurabh Sharma and Nigamananda Prusty (Reuters) Lucknow/New Delhi, India  Tue, August 4, 2020 07:26 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b557b9 2 World India,Narendra-Modi,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-in-India,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend a foundation-laying ceremony for a Hindu temple on Wednesday, organizers said, even though his interior minister has contracted COVID-19.

Amit Shah, who is Modi's top lieutenant as well as India's interior minister, was admitted to a private hospital near Delhi on Sunday, four days after attending a cabinet meeting at which the prime minister was present.

But preparations are continuing for Modi to visit a temple that is being built in honor of Hindu god-king Ram in the northern town of Ayodhya, said the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, which is building at the site of a mosque that was razed nearly three decades ago.

Modi's office did not respond to an email seeking comment, but the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, another group involved in the temple's construction at a site long disputed with Muslims, said Modi would make the visit.

Sources familiar with the situation said an official announcement on the visit was expected on Tuesday.

The sources dismissed undue concern about others falling ill after Shah, saying social distancing rules had been followed at last week's cabinet meeting at Modi's residence.

It was not immediately clear whether Modi and others who attended had subsequently been tested for COVID-19.

Indian government data on Monday showed 52,972 new coronavirus patients had been registered in the previous 24 hours, taking India's total to 1.8 million - the third highest in the world after the United States and Brazil.

With 771 new deaths, COVID-19 has now killed 38,135 people in India, including a minister on Sunday in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The World Health Organization's emergencies chief, Mike Ryan, praised India's efforts to beef up testing but expressed concern about a high positive rate, estimated at 12.5 percent.

"It does demonstrate that the disease is still circulating intensely," he told a Geneva briefing.

Shah's admission to a private hospital drew criticism on social media in a country where public health infrastructure is creaking after years of under-investment. An aide said Shah was paying for his treatment and wanted to reduce pressure on government hospitals.
There is a list of skills that we are required to know, said Margaret Dongas, 34, of Joliet. Its vitals, changing beds, giving showers, the basics of taking care of people. But there are technical aspects to it and youve got to get it right because if you dont then people could get hurt.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Los Angeles school authorities and teachers union have reached a tentative agreement to set a new standard for distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Los Angeles Unified School District and the United Teachers Los Angeles reached the agreement late Sunday night after weeks of negotiations, both the parties said in separate statements. Under the deal, the official schedule will be shorter than a normal on-campus school day, beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 2:15 p.m. key highlights of the deal include daily live interaction, targeted small group instruction, as well as time to focus on social emotional needs of the students, opportunities for ongoing projects, small group work and independent work, and office hours where students and families can connect with teachers. Mondays are instructional support days; student instructional days are from Tuesday to Friday. During August 20-28, a 'Smart Start' to the school year will set the stage for teaching and learning. UTLA Bargaining Co-Chair Arlene Inouye said information from a parent and member survey and feedback from members are reflected in this final agreement. 'This agreement will be brought to life by educators, students and parents. This MOU is not an end point - it's a beginning,' said UTLA President Cecily Myart-Cruz. The agreement is subject to ratification by UTLA members and the Los Angeles Unified Board of Education. Both votes are scheduled for this week. It will remain in force until December 31 or until students return to LAUSD schools for regular instruction. 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.
California Gov. Newsom addressed the death of a teenager due to complications with the coronavirus Monday. Deaths in children infected with COVID-19 are extremely rare, and the teen was the first child to die from the virus in the state.

"This is a sober reminder of how deadly this disease is and how it can impact anybody," Newsom said at the press briefing.

Newsom added the teen's death is also a reminder of "how important it is to do the kind of work we all must do as a society, as a community and as individuals to do what we can to mitigate that spread, to wear those masks, to physically distance, to avoid the kind of mixing large crowds and outside your immediate household as much as you possibly can."

The death was first reported Friday and Fresno County public health officials said the victim was a teenager with underlying health conditions and was treated at Valley Children's Hospital.

"I'm speechless when it comes to anything that I could say to the family. It's a heartbreaking case," county health officer Dr. Rais Vohra told KFSN. "It just brings home the reality that this is not sparing even the youngest member of our community."

The California Department of Public Health released no other details, citing privacy rules.

Its extremely rare for children to die of the coronavirus, and less than 1% of deaths are children under age 18, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Newsom made this point on Monday when referencing the teen's death, saying, "... its absolutely true that number of people that contact this disease that are in their late teens, even early teens, the likelihood of deaths is very, very low."

In California, 9,388 people have now died from the virus, and roughly three-quarters were 65 and older. Only about 9% of Californias nearly half-million confirmed virus cases are children, and very few have suffered conditions serious enough for hospitalization, according to state data.

Scientists still arent certain why children dont seem to be as seriously affected by the virus as adults.

In March, Los Angeles County officials said a 17-year-old boy died of the virus. At the time it was believed to be the first death of a child, but days later local health officials walked back the initial finding, saying it was possible he died from something else. County health officials said the case would need to be evaluated by the Centers for Disease Control.

Rex Parris, the mayor of Lancaster, said the boy from his city died from septic shock after being admitted to the hospital with respiratory issues.

How likely children are to contract and spread the virus is a key question as leaders in California and elsewhere try to determine if and how to safely reopen schools this fall. More than half the counties in the state (38 out of 58 counties) are now on a state monitoring list because of rising virus cases and and may not reopen schools for in-person instruction until they are off the list for 14 days.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.

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Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.
Two dead, coastal communities damaged as tropical storm Isaias roars through North Carolina, US

by ASSOCIATED PRESS AND SPECTRUM NEWS STAFF

August 04,2020 | Source: Spectrum News

Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain during an inland march up the U.S. East Coast on Tuesday after making landfall as a hurricane along the North Carolina coast, where it piled boats against the docks and caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people.



At least two people were killed when one of its twisters hit a mobile home park.



Royce Potter, a fifth-generation seafood purveyor and owner of Potters Seafood in Southport, said he rode out the storm on a boat docked near his business after he got the impression from forecasters that his area would be spared.



They got this wrong, he said, visibly shaken. Ive ridden storms out here for years.



Instead, the storm surge and wind gusts left dozens of boats piled up against the docks, and many decks facing out on the water were smashed. People were out Tuesday morning raking debris or picking it up with their hands and dropping it in trash cans.



North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper told ABCs "Good Morning America" that one person was killed and others injured when a tornado hit a mobile home park in Bertie County, about 200 miles northeast of where Isaias made landfall. Bertie County officials said on Facebook that the tornado touched down in Windsor. State and local officials didnt immediately respond to requests for details. Bertie County Commissioner Ronald Wesson confirmed that a second victim was found in the damage.



The hurricane's eye moved over land near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, just after 11 p.m. on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (136 km/h), and its top winds dropped to 70 miles per hour (117 km/h) by early Tuesday. But forecasters said hurricane-force gusts were likely in the Chesapeake Bay region, and tropical storm conditions were expected across New England Tuesday night.



Potentially life-threatening urban flooding is possible in D.C., Baltimore and elsewhere along and just west of the I-95 corridor today, the National Hurricane Center also warned.



We dont think there is going to be a whole lot of weakening, we still think theres going to be very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two, hurricane specialist Robbie Berg told The Associated Press.



At least two other tornadoes were confirmed by the national weather service, near Kilmarnock, Virginia, and Vienna, Maryland. As the heavy rains and wind felled trees, power outages spread Tuesday. More than 650,000 customers lost electricity, most of them in North Carolina and Virginia, according to PowerOutage.US, which tracks utility reports.

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Theme(s): Communities and Organisations.
Taiwan's manufacturing activity shifted from contraction to expansion in July, according to the latest purchasing managers index (PMI) reading by the Chung-Hua Institution for Economic Research (CIER) on Monday.

The PMI for July increased by 6.9 percentage points month on month to 51.4 percent after staying in the contraction range for three months, the CIER press release said.

A PMI above 50 suggests expansion, while below 50 means contraction.

Among the five sub-indexes, new orders, production, and employment transformed from contraction to expansion in July, while supplier deliveries continued to expand and inventory levels remained in the contraction range, according to the CIER.

The business outlook index for the next six months climbed by 5.2 percentage points to 49.3 percent, indicating an improving sentiment among manufacturers.

However, CIER President Chang Chuang-chang said that it is too early to say that the Taiwan economy has returned to its normal track since the global economy remained gloomy.

Local manufacturers have been cautious about the future development of the economy with fears of a second wave of COVID-19 outbreaks, Chang said.

For the services sector, the non-manufacturing index (NMI) rose by 3.3 percentage points from the previous month to 57.3 percent in July, according to the CIER.
The informal economy is the lifeblood of Latin America. Now it's under threat by the coronavirus.



Economic growth across Latin America and the Caribbean is predicted to drop by more than 9 per cent and 231 million people are expected to find themselves slip into poverty as unemployment spikes and companies go out of business because of the spreading coronavirus pandemic.



"We're in the worse crisis in a century," Alicia Barcena, executive secretary of the United Nation's Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, said Thursday.



The Gross Domestic Product "will drop by over 9 per cent, poverty will reach 231 million people out of which 98 million will be in extreme poverty ... unemployment will increase to 13.5 per cent, which means that there will be 44 million people who will be unemployed in the region," she added.



As countries across Latin America and the Caribbean end emergency orders and reopen their economies, regional economists and public health experts say the region risks slipping deeper into crisis and seeing its already troubling inequality widen.



In a new report from the economic commission and the World Health Organization's Americas office, the Pan American Health Organization, governments are being warned that their economies will only be reactivated if they control the pandemic.



Opening too fast while failing to flatten the epidemiological curve of the novel coronavirus, experts say, risks losing many of the hard-won gains as the pandemic disrupts essential health services, and infections and fatalities continue to surge in parts of the United States, Mexico and South America.



The report proposes a three-phase approach that includes increasing spending on health systems and stepping up social protections to help those living on the margin, and new protocols to protect health gains.



The regional groups and other economists also reiterate calls for development banks and financial institutions like the International Monetary Fund and World Bank to do more to help countries, including middle-income nations in the Caribbean. With many not qualifying for low-interest loans, Caribbean nations are struggling to regain their economic footing after seeing their tourism-dependent economies decimated after closing their borders in March to try to stem the virus.



"We will not be able to do it alone. We do not have the fiscal space to do it and we are spending one-third compared to the developed world to be able to combat poverty and the inequality consequences of the health crisis," Rebeca Grynspan, an economist and former vice president of Costa Rica, said during a virtual conference Thursday by Florida International University's Kimberly Green Latin American and Caribbean Center.



"We need the international organizations, the financing world to come to our rescue. We need flexibility. We need long-term financing and we need it to be urgent and quick and enough," Grynspan said.



According to PAHO, the Americas, which includes 52 countries and territories, has been seeing an average of 140,000 new infections daily in the last week.



As of this week, there have been more than 4.5 million cases of Covid-19 and almost 190,000 deaths in Latin America and the Caribbean.



While countries in the region reacted quickly with lockdowns and closed their borders, transmissions continue to accelerate. Several Latin America countries are at the epicenter of the pandemic, which has ushered in social, health and economic crisis across the region as it ravages health systems, fractures social protections and destabilizes economies.



"Despite vigorous and early action from many countries in the region, Covid-19 has cut thousands of lives short and it has disproportionately affected the poor, those with underlining health conditions and those for whom health care is out of reach," said Dr. Carissa Etienne, the director of PAHO. "This pandemic has been fueled by inequality and laid bare how people across our diverse regions are being left behind."



It has showed, she said, the inter-dependency between health, social protection and the economy.



"A stable and produce economy depends on a population that is healthy and well, and a strong economy in turn supports the health and well-being of the population," Etienne said.



Barcena, the ECLAC executive secretary, said that with Covid-19 exposing a lot of issues in countries in the region, starting with the weakness of health systems, its impact shows the need to coordinate health policies with economic, social and productive policies.



These include testing, contact tracing and public health measures such as quarantine and social distancing, as well as the strengthening of health systems with a focus on primary health care and ensuring compliance with essential public health functions.



"We already had inequality, which became deeper and there is more poverty and social and economic vulnerability," she said. "And the gap between men and women and ethnic groups has become even greater because of the pandemic."



Adding one more bleak reality of Covid-19, she noted that as a result of the economic blows, people will also see their purchasing power reduced.



"Companies will be impacted as well and about 2.7 million formal companies will have to go out of business and our exports will drop by 27 per cent," she said.

Source: GNA









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CARROLLTON TWP, MI  The Saginaw County mother of a toddler beaten and burned to death by her boyfriend has pleaded guilty to a related felony.

Megan N. Schweinsberg, 29, in July appeared before Saginaw County Circuit Judge Janet M. Boes and pleaded guilty to one count of second-degree child abuse in the presence of another child. In exchange for her plea, the prosecution agreed to dismiss charges of felony murder and first-degree child abuse.

Court records indicate Schweinsbergs advisory sentencing guidelines have been calculated at 10 to 23 months of incarceration. In a Cobbs hearing, Boes indicated she would cap Schweinsbergs sentence at one year in the county jail.

A Cobbs hearing sees a judge outline the likely penalty a defendant will face if convicted.

The charges stem from the death of Schweinsbergs 22-month-old son, Darryn J. Mann. Schweinsbergs codefendant, 26-year-old Brandon A. Mannie, in late June pleaded no contest to one count of second-degree murder. Mannie also pleaded as a habitual offender with a third-offense notice.

Investigative reports indicate that on July 10, 2019, police responded to 2851 N. Michigan Ave. in Carrollton Township, where Mannie and Schweinsberg lived together. Police went there on a report of a baby not breathing.

When officers arrived, the toddler was unresponsive and appeared to have obvious burns, Circuit Judge Manvel Trice III said in accepting Mannies plea. Officers performed chest compressions on the boy, who nevertheless died.

Schweinsberg was present and identified Mannie as the culprit. She later told police Mannie had been holding onto Darryn and began hitting him. She took her son away from Mannie and noticed he was not acting normal and that his lips were turning blue. He also had burns on his body.

She said Mannie had told her hed put the child in hot water, not thinking it was too hot.

The scalding burns were the main cause of death, said Dr. Kanu Virani, who performed the autopsy. Asphyxia and blunt force head trauma contributed.

Judge Trice is to sentence Mannie on Aug. 6, while Judge Boes is to sentence Schweinsberg on Aug.18.

Schweinsberg is free on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond with a GPS tether.

Related:

Saginaw County man pleads no contest in death of toddler, mother still facing charges

Doctor testifies in Saginaw County murder case about how toddler died

Man accused of killing toddler bound over for trial on murder charge

Mother of slain Saginaw County infant arrested on child abuse charge
Afghan security forces keep watch near the site of an attack on a jail compound in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, August 3, 2020. /Reuters

By Hamzah Rifaat Hussain

Editor's note: Hamzah Rifaat Hussain is a former visiting fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington, and currently serves as assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute (IPRI) in Pakistan. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

Afghanistan continues to descend into chaos, with the most recent jailbreak resulting in 24 security forces dying at the hands of ISIL militants on Monday. This event took place amid a fiery gun battle between ISIL forces and Afghan security forces at a prison which houses close to 2,000 inmates. This recent spike in violence bodes ill for the Afghan peace process, after the Taliban announced a ceasefire in Eid while also hinting at how the Intra-Afghan dialogue initially sanctioned under the Trump-Afghan peace deal of 2020 is clouded by violence and continues to be a mile away.

The central equation of the Trump formula in the February 2020 peace deal on Afghanistan was the early commencement of peace talks, which have so far not materialized as several issues centering on prisoner swaps, the constitutionality of the Taliban's demands, their role in any future electoral process and security arrangements have not been addressed.

The more worrying issue, however, is the fact the peace deal made a case for U.S. disengagement from internal Afghan politics by the Trump administration, which has resulted in the inability to address palpable security threats from groups such as ISIL. ISIL's growing potency has meant that a swift response in the form of the earliest commencement of peace talks needs to materialize, which has not been the case, resulting in Afghan security personnel, government institutions and civilians having to bear the brunt of violence in the absence of a tenable solution.

While Trump's policy toward Afghanistan is based on detachment from Afghan internal affairs, that fact that the U.S. had adopted an interventionist approach in the country since 2001, gives it a moral compulsion to protect ordinary Afghans.

Clause one of the peace deal mentions how guarantees would be provided by the Taliban that Afghan soil will not be used against the United States or its allies. These guarantees are overshadowed by how a non-NATO U.S. ally such as Pakistan, which continues to be impacted by cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, now confronts ISIL on its Western border. There are no guarantees that ISIL will refrain from attacking localities within Pakistan, which is a country that has rendered numerous sacrifices in the war on terror.

Similarly, part three of the peace deal focuses on the United States seeking economic cooperation for the reconstruction of the Afghan state, which is subject to the success of the intra-Afghan dialogue process and negotiations. The latter has not materialized and the former is being stymied by persistent insurgent attacks from the Taliban and ISIL, which has damaged critical infrastructure and wreaked havoc on internal stability. Pressure to have all Afghan stakeholders implement the letter and spirit of the Doha Peace Deal of 2020 has also been absent from the Trump administration, hinting at a lack of commitment toward ensuring that the follow-up clauses that were agreed upon are implemented.

Afghan security forces transport detained prisoners who escaped from a jail after insurgents attacked a jail compound in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, August 3, 2020. /Reuters

The Trump formula has been questioned domestically in the United States as well. The Council on Foreign Relations has termed the Trump-initiated peace deal with the Taliban to be a "failure" with significant challenges centering on political power sharing, the role of Islam and the status of women's rights as lingering issues. Eight days after the analysis was published on the Center for Preventive Action, a guest blogger for "Strength Through Peace," termed the status quo in Afghanistan as equivalent to a "false promise."

However, there is reason for cautious optimism given the recent decision of the Taliban to announce a three-day ceasefire over Eid in late July, possibly resuscitating the stalled negotiations. In addition, the Afghan government had pledged to complete the release of 5,000 Taliban prisoners as a precondition for the talks to commence. However, the threat of ISIL and a spike in casualties has meant that observers need to tread with caution as the internal dialogue process is still subject to delays, which is largely attributed to the Trump administration's myopic vision on curbing violence in the country.

Afghanistan's quagmire also demonstrates that Washington D.C. is detached from regional security implications given that the decision to withdraw U.S. troops amid a surge in ISIL attacks will have an impact on neighboring states such as China and Russia in the region. ISIL is a pan-Islamic, transnational organization with the objective of establishing a global caliphate that is not limited to any geographical location.

The group has sought greater legitimacy following a blow to its rank and file after the death of its commander, Abu Bakar Al Baghdadi, in 2019. Hence, it is pursuing a policy of killing Afghan security forces and civilians while challenging the writ of the Afghan government at the same time. The Trump strategy of withdrawing troops fails to take such variables into account, with the focus solely on fulfilling electoral promises of protecting American soldiers with an eye on the November 2020 elections amid heated domestic criticism. The regional implications of ISIL's rise in Afghanistan are both far reaching and have been largely ignored.

The UN Assistant Mission in Afghanistan has already called for the de-escalation of the conflict in the war-torn country to save lives and facilitate discussions in Qatar. More than 800 civilians were killed or injured in the first six months of 2020, with half of them being attributed to the Taliban by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA). It is becoming increasingly evident that the Afghan formula of the Donald Trump administration, which disregards the ISIL threat, is failing both the Afghan people and the region.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Dimension Five Technologies Inc. (CSE:DFT) (the "Company") announces that, that, effective July 31, 2020, Sheng-Chieh Huang has resigned as a director of the Company. The Company thanks Mr. Huang for his service and wishes him all the best in his future endeavors.

ABOUT Dimension Five Technologies Inc.

Dimension Five Technologies Inc., based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, had been developing a new investing platform that helps connect early stage companies with investors. The Company is seeking to change its main business activities as set out in a press release dated July 14, 2020. Additional information on Dimension Five is available on the company's website at http://www.dimensionfive.ca.

For further information, please contact :

Chris Parr, CEO

Chris@dimensionfive.ca

Neither the Canadian Securities Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Dimension Five Technologies Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600318/Dimension-Five-Announces-Resignation-of-Director
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Delhi has become the first in India to ban the use of hookahs, with or without tobacco, at all public places, including hotels, restaurants and bars.

The Delhi Government order banned the use of hookahs, with immediate effect to control the spread of COVID-19.

bccl/file

Smokers are likely to be more vulnerable as smoking means the fingers are in contact with the lips, which increases the possibility of transmission of the virus, the health department said in an order.

Smokers might also have lung diseases or reduced lung capacity, which could increase the risk of serious illness, it added. Smoking products, such as water pipes, often involve sharing of mouthpieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID in communal and social settings, the health department said.

BCCL/FILE

Therefore, the use and sharing of hookah, with or without tobacco (herbal hookah) is strictly prohibited at all public places with immediate effect, it added.

Recently there was an incident in Jind, Haryana where a man who had returned from Gurugram after attending a wedding smoked hookah with his friends in the village.

Now 24 of them including the youth have tested positive for COVID-19 prompting authorities to seal the village of Shadipur in Julana.

bccl

When the COVID-19 cases suddenly increased in the village, we found hookah to be a major source of transmission of the virus. Hookah smoking is a common practice in villages and has to be avoided to check the COVID-19 outbreak, Jind civil hospital senior medical officer Gopal Goyal told The Times of India.

The NGT had in NGT in 2017 asked the Delhi Government to crack down on hookah bars.

However, Delhi High Court had in December 2019 stayed police's move to ban all types of hookahs and clarified that those without tobacco or nicotine (herbal) were not completely prohibited.
Chinas state-run media has struck back in the war over TikTok, branding U.S. demands for the sale of the social media apps American operations to Microsoft Corp. as theft and suggesting Beijing may block the transaction.

The editorial, published late Monday by the China Daily newspaper, represented Beijings strongest defence yet of ByteDance Ltd. and its viral video app. China will by no means accept the theft of a Chinese technology company, and it has plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab, it said.

President Donald Trump insisted several times on Monday that any sale of TikTok assets would include some form of payment to the U.S., and demanded that TikTok be sold to an American company by Sept. 15 or be shut down.

The war of words between Washington and Beijing has also spread into the boardroom. At the same time as his advisers are racing against the clock to strike a deal for its U.S. assets, ByteDances billionaire founder Zhang Yiming has penned his second letter to his employees in as many days, declaring Trumps real goal is not to save but to kill off TikTok.

Mortal combat

ByteDance became the worlds largest startup thanks to the success abroad of TikTok, which American lawmakers accuse of posing a threat to national security because of its ability to vacuum up data. Trump has the power to cripple ByteDances prized asset by adding TikTok to the U.S. entity list, which would compel American companies such as Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google to drop the service from their app stores.

While the China Daily acknowledged that selling the U.S. business might be preferable to ByteDance, the newspaper compared the process to officially sanctioned theft, a sentiment echoed in other prominent state media including the Communist Partys Global Times newspaper.

With competitiveness now dependent on the ability to collect and use data, it offers an either-or choice of submission or mortal combat in the tech realm, the China Daily said.

Beijing often uses the editorial page of the English-language China Daily to deliver messages to a Western audience.

The U.S. crackdown has split many in the industry: Some decry the betrayal of values like free speech and capitalism, while others advocate doing whatever it takes to subdue a geopolitical rival and its pivotal tech industry.

TikTok is already being used in a major disagreement between India and China. Apps from ByteDance and Tencent Holdings Ltd., are to be blacklisted by India in retaliation over a major military clash between the two countries. Tencents QQ  Chinas second-largest social media platform  and ByteDances Vigo Video will join TikTok and WeChat on a blacklist announced in June, according to a government document obtained by Bloomberg.

While the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined to comment on Microsofts TikTok talks, spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated criticism Tuesday of what he said were Washingtons double standards and overreach.

If following the wrong example set by U.S., every country could use national security as an excuse to target American companies, Wang told a regular news briefing in Beijing. The U.S. should not to open a Pandoras box, otherwise it will swallow the bitter fruit itself.

Trump repeatedly insisted on Monday that any sale of TikToks U.S. operations would have to include a substantial payment to the U.S. That was open robbery, tweeted Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, a tabloid run by the partys Peoples Daily newspaper.

Its unclear what regulatory measures China could take. The Global Times wrote China has a limited ability to protect its companies since the U.S. still enjoys technological superiority.

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Hong Kong Lawyers Warn of 'Grave Concern' Over Postponement of Election

2020-08-03 -- Lawyers in Hong Kong have hit out at the decision by the city's leaders to postpone Legislative Council (LegCo) elections for one year, saying they have "grave concern" that the move wasn't even legal.

The Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) said in an Aug. 2 statement that the right to vote should be guaranteed by the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law.

"The HKBA considers that there are serious doubts about the legal and evidential basis of the government's decision," the association said in a statement on its website.

While chief executive Carrie Lam has justified the move by pointing to a resurgence of coronavirus cases in Hong Kong in recent weeks, the HKBA said the United Nations has warned that governments should not do this.

"States should provide transparency as to their decision-making processes in the context of elections ... and should consult with civil society in determining appropriate approaches," the statement cited the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association as saying.

"States should take all measures possible to ensure the timely carrying out of elections, including through the utilization of alternative voting procedures such as mail-in ballots," it quoted them as saying.

By contrast, Lam's decision had been taken with no consultation of civil society, nor with the advice of public health experts.

"There is also little evidence that the [government] has considered alternative measures to alleviate the possible health risks," the HKBA said.

It said Lam's administration had failed to explain in any satisfactory manner why the election had been postponed for a year, instead for a shorter time period.

It warned that the decision, made by invoking emergency regulations, could turn out to be unlawful, as the regulations are currently the subject of a legal challenge before the Court of Final Appeal.

It said there are already specific legal provisions for postponing elections by up to two weeks in times of danger, but that these aren't being used.

"Alarmingly, the government has decided to seek a decision of the standing committee of the National People's Congress to resolve the question arising from the decision to postpone the election relating to the term of office of LegCo as stipulated by the Basic Law," the HKBA said.

It said Lam is effectively inviting the ruling Chinese Communist Party in Beijing to override the Basic Law to preempt legal challenges to her decision.

"This is contrary to the principles of legality and legal certainty and degrades the rule of law in Hong Kong," the HKBA said.

US condemns decision

In Washington, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo condemned the decision to postpone the elections.

"[China] has shown time and time again that it has no intention of fulfilling its promises to its own people," Pompeo tweeted.

"The United States condemns its one year postponement of Hong Kong's Legislative Council elections."

He said in a separate statement dated Aug. 2: "There is no valid reason for such a lengthy delay. It is likely, therefore, that Hong Kong will never again be able to vote  for anything or anyone."

Pompeo said Beijing has no intention of upholding the commitments it made to the Hong Kong people and the United Kingdom under the Sino-British Joint Declaration, a UN-registered treaty, and the Basic Law.

Some may lose their seats

Meanwhile, concerns are growing that four pro-democracy politicians whose nomination for the now-postponed election had been rejected by election officials, known as returning officers, will now be stripped of their current seats entirely.

Tam Yiu-chung, who represents Hong Kong on the NPC standing committee told local media that allowing Alvin Yeung, Derek Kwok, and Kwok Ka-ki to continue to serve in LegCo and Fergus Leung to continue in the District Council would "create a conflict."

"The returning officer has already decided that these Legislative Council members aren't eligible to run in the election," Tam said. "I think it would be a contradiction of that if they were allowed to return to LegCo for another year."

Tam said it was up to the NPC standing committee, which will meet in Beijing on Aug. 8, to decide how to proceed.

Yeung said he had been disqualified on shaky grounds in the first place.

"I have only been disqualified by a returning officer, not by the people of Hong Kong," he said. "I do not agree that I do not uphold the Basic Law, and the returning officer's decision was based on a one-sided view."

Zhang Xiaoming, deputy director of the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office of China's cabinet, the State Council, arrived in Hong Kong on Monday for meetings with officials and pro-China politicians.

But Hong Kong current affairs commentator Liu Ruishao said Beijing has likely already decided what is going to happen next.

"It is likely the NPC will decide that the disqualified members can't form part of the [interim] LegCo," Liu said. "The effect will be that the pro-democracy camp will then have less than half the one-third of seats needed to veto proposals."

"Then, the government will be able to pass any number of laws that suit it or the pro-China camp without delay," he said.

Reported by Lau Siu-fung for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.

Copyright  1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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The ex-wife of Prince Louis of Luxembourg has paid tribute to the royal on his 34th birthday, admitting that their romance has been a rollercoaster.

Former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, 34, wed Louis in 2006, and has two children Prince Gabriel of Nassau, 14, and Prince Noah of Nassau, 12, with the Prince, who is the third son of the country's reigning monarch Grand Duke Henri.

Tessy, who lost her title after divorcing Louis last April, took to Instagram this week to share a family throwback of Louis, and admitted that the couple have 'had their differences but have managed'.

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The ex-wife of Prince Louis of Luxembourg has paid tribute to the royal on his 34th birthday, admitting that their romance has been a rollercoaster - sharing a throwback of them on one

Posting a picture of the family on a rollercoaster when their sons were young, she wrote: 'Happy B day Lou. Life is a continues roller coaster and we both have gotten our fair share of that.

'Despite differences we have managed and are continuing to manage beautifully to raise our two joyful, smart and handsome two sons.

'I wish you especially today with your family, GF, friends and others the most amazing celebration and will raise my glass to many more years for you to come.'

Expressing her gratitude at having him in her life, she continued: 'There is a saying which goes like this: 'Even if we can't be together in the end, I'm still glad you're part of my life'. Thank you for our two boys. Both mean the world to me!'.

Sharing her advice with her followers, she continued: 'To you all reading this, The rollercoaster is for each and everyone of us different. Do not compare your ride with someone else's ride.

'You need the ups to understand and appreciate the downs for what they are- lessons. To everyone born in August, Happy B day to you too!!!! stay blessed, healthy and happy in these turbulent times. You do not need to ride your rollercoasters alone. Reach out to people in these turbulent times during covid if needed.'

Tessy, who lost her title after divorcing Louis last April, took to Instagram this week to share a family throwback of Louis, and admitted that the couple have 'had their differences but have managed'

Posting a picture of the family on a rollercoaster when their sons were young, she wrote: 'Happy B day Lou. Life is a continues roller coaster and we both have gotten our fair share of that.'

The couple's fairytale marriage broke down in 2016, and they were granted a decree nisi in February last year, after a 12 years together.

They were only 20 when they wed, getting married six months after the birth of their eldest son Prince Gabriel of Nassau, now 13.

Tessy, who in 2017 was named Woman of the Decade by the Women Economic Forum for her work in women's empowerment, now lives in London with Gabriel and her youngest son Prince Noah of Nassau, 11.

Prince Louis, who will now pay 8,000 a year child support, renounced his succession rights to the throne in 2006, a month after marrying Tessy - who was not born of royal blood - but to a modest family in the small town of Niederkorn.

Former Princess Tessy of Luxembourg, 34, wed Louis in 2006, and has two children Prince Gabriel of Nassau, 13, and Prince Noah of Nassau, 11, with the Prince, who is the third son of the country's reigning monarch Grand Duke Henri (seen in 2014)

At a hearing in December, Louis was ordered to pay just 75-a-week to each of his two sons after a judge found his family's vast wealth could not be factored into a bitter divorce battle with his ex-wife.

Louis now lives in Paris, while Tessy juggles a busy work life with raising the couple's two children across the Channel.

The philanthropist is the co-founder of social enterprise Professors Without Borders which aims to improve access to higher education across the globe.

She also works as a consultant, public speaker and is a UN Association patron.
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Xantrion Inc. has been named as one of the world's premier managed service providers on the prestigious 13th-annual Channel Futures MSP 501 rankings.

For the 13th year running, MSPs from around the globe completed an exhaustive survey and application this spring to self-report product offerings, annual total and recurring revenues, profits, revenue mix, growth opportunities and company and customer demographic information. Applicants are ranked on a unique methodology that weights revenue figures according to long-term health and viability; commitment to recurring revenue; and operational efficiency.

"We're thrilled to be on the MSPmentor 501 list for the ninth time," said Anne Bisagno, President, Xantrion, Inc. "I attribute our staying power to world class support and the ability to deliver cutting edge solutions like our Xantrion Managed Security service."

In the 13 years since its inception, the MSP 501 has evolved from a competitive ranking list into a vibrant group of service providers, vendors, distributors, consultants and industry analysts working together to define the growing managed service opportunity.

"For the third year running, the applicant pool for the annual MSP 501 has grown year-over-year, making this year's list the most competitive in the survey's history," says Kris Blackmon, Senior Content Director at Channel Partners and Channel Futures. "The MSP 501 leveraged judgement methodology brand-new in 2020 to drill down into not just what makes a big managed service provider, but what makes a great managed service provider. The 2020 winners are truly the best examples of innovation, business acumen and strategic savvy on the planet. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to the 2020 winners and gratitude to the thousands of MSPs that have contributed to the continuing growth and success of both the 501 and the thriving managed services sector."

Ten MSP 501 special award winners will be recognized at the MSP 501 Awards Gala at Channel Partners Virtual: Digital Events for the Modern Channel on September 8  10. Nominations for these special awards, including Digital Innovator of the Year, Executive of the Year and the Newcomer Award, were included in the MSP 501 application, and all candidates were encouraged to submit for them.

The data collected by the annual MSP 501 program drives Channel Partners' and Channel Futures' market intelligence insights, creating robust data sets and data-based trend reports that support our editorial coverage, event programming, community and networking strategies and educational offerings. It serves as a lynchpin to dozens of programs and initiatives.

The complete 2020 MSP 501 list is available at Channel Futures.

Background

The 2020 MSP 501 list is based on data collected by Channel Futures and its sister site, Channel Partners. Data was collected online from Mar. 1 through June 30, 2020. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, profit margin and other factors.

About Xantrion

Experts in cybersecurity and technical support, Xantrion provides outsourced IT services for midsized companies in the San Francisco Bay Area. Its team of IT experts brings impeccable technical and business skills to every assignment. Featuring an award-winning strategic approach, SOC2 Type II certified security practices, 24/7 help desk, fixed fees, and a 99.9% uptime record, Xantrion is a proven partner for managed IT and security services.

About Informa Tech

Channel Futures, Channel Partners Online, Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Channel Partners Evolution are part of Informa Tech, a market-leading B2B information provider with depth and specialization in the Information and Communications (ICT) Technology sector. We help drive the future by inspiring the Technology community to design, build and run a better digital world through our market-leading research, media, training and event brands. Every year, we welcome 7,400+ subscribers to our research, more than 3.8 million unique visitors a month to our digital communities, 18,200+ students to our training programs and 225,000 delegates to our events.

Media Contact

Anne Bisagno

Xantrion

(510) 588-8201

[email protected]

SOURCE Xantrion Inc.

Related Links

http://www.xantrion.com


Tuesday, August 4th, 2020 (11:42 am) - Score 2,374

UK ISP Giganet (M12 Solutions) has today launched a new residential division  Giganet Home. At the same time theyve also expanded the availability of their Openreach based and 1Gbps capable Fibre-to-the-Premises (FTTP) broadband services to homes across the UK (initially it was only available to properties in Salisbury).

At this point it should go without saying that Giganets new Ultrafast Full Fibre Home Broadband packages are only available in locations where Openreachs FTTP network has deployed, which currently covers over 3 million UK premises and rising to 4.5 million by the end of March 2021. Following that the operator expects to reach 20 million by around the mid to late 2020s (2025  2030).

Giganet also appears to have taken a leaf out of Zen Internets playbook and are offering new customers a no price rises, for life on your chosen package. The catch is that youll only get the cheapest prices in locations where the ISP has been able to install their kit inside a local BT exchange (currently Basingstoke, Winchester and Salisbury etc.).

For example, in the aforementioned areas a 200Mbps package will set you back 35 per month and 1Gbps is just 55 per month via a 12 month contract term (on top of that theres a 4.99 one-off activation fee). However, if you live outside of those areas then the following much more expensive pricing will apply and the activation fee jumps to 45 (plus theres no 1Gbps option shown).

Giganet Home Full Fibre Packages Full Fibre 80Mbps

PRICE: 45 per month Full Fibre 200Mbps

PRICE: 59 per month Full Fibre 500Mbps

PRICE: 64 per month Full Fibre 1000Mbps

PRICE: 79 per month

Customers can also expected to receive unlimited usage, UK support and an UltraHUB 2 Wi-Fi router, which looks to be based off the reasonably capable Technicolor DGA4231 model.

Matthew Skipsey, Head of Giganet, said: This is an incredible milestone for us. Our strategic partnership with the main UK national carriers and our in-house engineering and support team put us head and shoulders above many resellers in offering reliable, ultrafast business Internet. With Giganets national presence, we saw a real opportunity to emulate what we have achieved in the business world for residential and home customers across the country. With people registering their interest pre-launch and orders in the system ramping up post-launch, were seeing a huge appetite for faster and better Internet, and peoples trust in Giganet to deliver. Home broadband was always the goal when we launched Giganet just over 2 years ago. We saw massive potential with Giganet for a brand that can be a real UK household name. Im proud to say were unlike many other providers in the market today. We are small enough to provide a personal approach to each of our customers and experienced and trusted to deliver what we promise

We did however notice that there was some incorrect pricing on Giganet Homes new website. For example, a lot of the pages for their lower cost areas (Liverpool etc.) mention a 500Mbps tier costing 49 per month, although upon doing a check the price was actually listed as 45 per month. We also noted that the 4.99 activation fee looks to be a discount, which will be available until 30th September.

UPDATE 5th August 2020

Giganet have now finished revising their prices for National fibre areas, outside of their low cost zone. As a result weve updated the price list above to include a few reductions.
Task force US Marines land in Honduras

US Marine Corps News

3 Aug 2020 | 1st Lt. Heather Chairez Marine Corps Forces South

SOTO CANO AIR BASE, Honduras -- Approximately 20 U.S. Marines with Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force  Southern Command arrived to Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras, July 31, 2020.

The COVID-19 pandemic has delayed the deployment to the region until now, allowing for a forward deployed team to integrate with Joint Task Force  Bravo of U.S. Southern Command, or JTF-Bravo.

"Marines are deploying to meet specific U.S. SOUTHCOM's tasks outlined in the campaign plan order in the area of responsibility," said Col. Vincent Dawson, the commanding officer of SPMAGTF-SC. "The SPMAGTF-SC is prepared for the unpredictability of COVID-19, new health policies and the restrictions during the deployment. We are honored to assist."

Even with the challenges of the pandemic, the elements of the task force continued their training schedule and ensured that the lives and safety of the service members remained a priority.

"We have an enduring promise and are committed to support the efforts of partner nations in Central America, South America, and the Caribbean," said Maj. Don Newberry, the executive officer of SPMAGTF-SC. "Despite the challenges associated with the pandemic, we continue to uphold our shared values and responsibility to increase partner nation's institutional capacity in the region."

The SPMAGTF-SC sent a forward liaison team of U.S. Marines to ensure there is a smooth transition onto Soto Cano Air Base, said Maj. Blake Hudgins, operations officer of SPMAGTF-SC.

The forward deployed team conducted various tasks, but the most important was establishing a continued partnership with JTF-Bravo.

"The Marines will be integrating with JTF-Bravo in order to augment the efforts in providing humanitarian assistance to partner nations as requested," said Hudgins.

The pandemic has taken away many humanitarian support capabilities in the area of responsibility due to the ongoing travel restrictions. The SPMAGTF-SC civil affairs team will assist in filling the gap and ensure they provide the support with our partner nation's COVID-19 response, said Newberry.

The task force's main priorities will be to integrate with U.S. SOUTHCOM components, continue to strengthen relationships, and to provide logistics and communication support for the necessary follow-on missions, said Hudgins.

"The SPMAGTF-SC will be preparing to execute training exercises, if and when the countries begin to ease restrictions," said Dawson. "We want to be prepared to get to work in our lines of effort."

The SPMAGTF-SC Marines completed a 14-day restriction of movement, isolating themselves to ensure they do not contract the virus, as well as conducting another 14 days upon arrival in country. This is to ensure the task force is taking the appropriate mitigation measures to deploy a COVID-19-clean team into the area of responsibility. The safety of our service members and partners will remain a priority.

The remaining service members of the SPMAGTF-SC will continue to train and prepare for the unexpected on Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina. The task force is on standby to rapidly respond and assist partner nations with a crisis response deployment throughout the Latin American and Caribbean region.

"We are always ready and prepared to respond to a crisis in the area of responsibility when called forward," said Dawson.

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By Alan Charlish and Marcin Goclowski

WARSAW (Reuters) - Poland may have to reimpose quarantine for travellers from countries such as Spain to contain the coronavirus, its prime minister said on Thursday after the country reported its highest daily number of infections so far.

Poland has reported fewer cases of COVID-19 than some other European countries, but in recent days the number of new infections has climbed, with the health ministry blaming outbreaks in coal mines and social gatherings.

Poland reported 615 new cases on Thursday, bringing the total to 45,031 since the start of the outbreak. There have been 1,709 documented deaths from COVID-19.

"It cannot be ruled out that if the situation gets worse, we will need to limit the spread of the coronavirus... We are trying to work out solutions that will not restrict business activities as before," Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki told a news conference.

He said Poland may have to reimpose quarantine for people returning from countries such as Spain, but would analyse the situation and then decide on any action.

Poland started lifting a lockdown in May and eased quarantine restrictions last month.

New infections were detected mainly in two regions, including the coal mining region of Silesia, health ministry spokesman Wojciech Andrusiewicz said.

Andrusiewicz also told private broadcaster TVN24 that there may be a "high number of new infections" in coming days. The ministry expects 150-200 new cases a day in the coming days in Silesia, as tests continue in three coal mines.

Local sanitary services in the Silesia region said that causes of the growing number of infections among miners included the difficulty in keeping a distance between workers.

(Reporting by Alan Charlish, Marcin Goclowski, Joanna Plucinska and Pawel Florkiewicz; editing by Larry King, Susan Fenton and Nick Macfie)
This is clearly a time saver. In one hour, you can accomplish what may take hours congratulations, you really have streamlined an intimidating and terrible process.

Phrase Health, Inc, a Philadelphia-based healthcare technology company, was awarded a $224,995 Phase 1 Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) grant from the National Library of Medicine (NLM), an institute within the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The funded proposal aims to facilitate care improvement and safety initiatives within the healthcare setting through the aggregation of quality measures and electronic health record (EHR) system data. As part of the research exploration, the Phrase Health team of clinicians, designers, and engineers are working closely with clinical informaticists and human factors experts at multiple academic health systems.

Health system quality improvement (QI) teams are often siloed from the informatics and information technology groups. Informatics and quality leaders around the country frequently tell us that the EHR is integral to clinical workflows. However, aligning the EHR with important quality improvement initiatives remains extraordinarily difficult, says Dr. Marc Tobias, Phrase Healths CEO and a physician board certified in Clinical Informatics and Emergency Medicine.

The proposed research entails an iterative design process with user testing and evaluation. Early user research has yielded promising results. Participants unfamiliar with QI felt this product could empower them to quickly drive practice improvement. When walking through an onboarding prototype, one physician user remarked, This is clearly a time saver. In one hour, you can accomplish what may take hours congratulations, you really have streamlined an intimidating and terrible process. Another physician trainee valued the reassuring guidance as she set up an initiative, saying It feels more approachable  I might be able to identify a problem but I wouldnt know the next steps. It makes it easier to start.

In addition to development of the product, researchers at the participating institutions have sought to publicly disseminate their findings. Preliminary results, entitled User and Task Analysis for Evaluation of Clinical Decision Support for Quality Improvement were accepted in the peer-reviewed Proceedings of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) Annual Meeting. Furthermore, the project leads will present their work later this Fall at the HFES Annual Meeting and will participate in clinical decision support (CDS) focused presentations at the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) Annual Symposium.

In the meantime, the Phrase Health team plans on continued iteration of their product over the next year. Dr. Tobias states, We are thrilled to have this grant support from the NIH and NLM. Their support through this grant represents the recognition of a significant problem that has stymied quality improvement. Im excited to see the progress were making every day.

About Phrase Health

Phrase Health is a healthcare technology company focused on improving the quality of clinical care delivery through the optimization and management of electronic health record data. The award-winning company, founded in 2018 within the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia by several board certified clinical informatics physicians, provides web-based analytics dashboards to better understand clinical processes and electronic interventions like alerts and order sets. The company has customers that span academic health systems, community health networks, and stand-alone pediatric hospitals. Learn more at https://www.phrasehealth.com

Early findings reported in this press release were supported by the National Library of Medicine of the National Institutes of Health under award number R41LM013317. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday (August 4) congratulated successful candidates of Union Public Service Commission civil services examinations and conveyed good wishes for their new and exciting phase of lives.

"Congratulations to all the bright youngsters who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2019! An exciting and satisfying career of public service awaits you. My best wishes!" PM Modi tweeted.

"For those youngsters who did not get the desired result in the Civil Services Examination, 2019, I would like to tell them- life is full of several opportunities. Each and every one of you is hardworking and diligent. Best wishes for all your future endeavours," he said in another tweet.

The result of 2019 Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services examination were announced by the commission on its official website  upsc.gov.in. Candidates can download the UPSC provisional appointment list of candidates who have qualified the civil services 2019 exam by visiting the official website of the commission.

The list was released on the basis of a written examination and personality test, held by the Union Public Service Commission in September 2019. The interviews for Personality Test were held in February-August 2020.

The UPSC has released the list, in order of merit, of candidates who have been recommended for appointment to:

(i) Indian Administrative Service;

(ii) Indian Foreign Service;

(iii) Indian Police Service; and

(iv) Central Services, Group A and Group B

A total of 829 candidates have been recommended for appointment. The break-up of category of recommended candiates is given below:

GENERAL: 304

EWS: 78

OBC: 251

SC: 129

ST: 67

IRS officer Pradeep Singh tops the list of 829 candidates who have qualified for the prestigious civil services, including the IAS, the IPS and the IFS. The top three rank holders  Pradeep Singh, Jatin Kishore and Pratibha Verma -- are serving officers. Pradeep Singh is a resident of Haryana, while Jatin Kishore hails from Delhi and Pratibha Verma from Uttar Pradesh.

The selection has been made against 927 vacancies reported by the government. The result of 11 candidates has been kept withheld.
By PTI

NAGPUR: The Nagpur Central Prison authorities on Tuesday rejected former Delhi University professor G N Saibaba's application seeking parole for attending the last rites of his mother.

Saibaba is serving life sentence at the Nagpur jail after he was convicted for having naxal links.

His ailing mother died on August 1 even as his lawyers were seeking to arrange a video conference between the two.

Last Tuesday, the Nagpur bench of the Bombay High Court rejected Saibaba's bail application.

He had sought bail on the ground of his own health as well for meeting his mother who was suffering from cancer.

After her death, Saibaba applied for `death parole', saying he wanted to attend the post-funeral rites.

A jail official said that as per the procedure, a report was sought from the local police station in Hyderabad.

As the report was not favourable, his application was rejected, the official said.

Saibaba's lawyer Aakash Sarode told PTI that they will take further steps after receiving a copy of the order of the jail authorities.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 04:06:30|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Finland-based tyre manufacturer Nokian Tyres made a 22.8-million-euro (26.9-million-U.S. dollar) loss in the second quarter (Q2) of 2020, compared to the operating profit of 98.8 million euros in Q2 of 2019, said the company in its financial report on Tuesday.

Net sales of Nokian Tyres were 270.7 million euros in Q2, down from 415.7 million euros year-on-year in 2019, amounting to a 31.9-percent drop with comparable currencies, according to the report.

Its net sales of the first half (H1) were 550.5 million euros, down 25.0 percent from 756.1 million euros a year before. The loss in the H1 was 13.7 million euros, compared to the 148.0-million-euro operating profit in the same period of last year.

Jukka Moisio, President and CEO of the company, said in a press release that Nokian Tyres' Q2 results were strongly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. "While the wide-ranging restrictions have been necessary for health and safety reasons, lockdowns have led to a sharp drop in the global car and tire demand," he explained.

However, he said cash flow of Nokian Tyres from operations turned positive in Q2 as production was cut to reduce inventory levels. But "given the continuous uncertainties," the company refrained from giving a guidance for 2020.

Finnish business daily Kauppalehti noted the loss in Q2 was a third smaller than analyst consensus had predicted.

Headquartered in the town of Nokia, southwest Finland, Nokian Tyres is a famous manufacturer of tyres for cars, trucks, buses, and heavy-duty equipment. Known for its winter tyres, Nokian Tyres has production in Finland, Russia and the U.S. The turnover of Nokian Tyres in 2019 was 1.6 billion euros. (1 euro = 1.18 U.S. dollars) Enditem
BEIRUT (Reuters) - Four suspects belonging to Lebanon's armed Shi'ite Hezbollah group have been tried in absentia by the U.N.-backed Special Tribunal for Lebanon for the 2005 murder of former Sunni Muslim prime minister Rafik al Hariri. The verdict is due on Friday.

Hezbollah, which is backed by Iran and is a close ally of Syria, has denied any role in the 2005 bombing. Here is some background on the group:

TRIBUNAL:

* Hezbollah's leader, Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, has accused the tribunal of serving a political agenda -- to undermine Hezbollah -- and has said it is a tool of its enemies in the United States and Israel.

* None of the four suspects named have been detained by Lebanese authorities. Hezbollah has said they will not be. The indictment said the suspects were linked to the attack largely by circumstantial evidence gleaned from phone records. Hezbollah said the accusations are fabricated.

HISTORY:

* Founded in 1982 by Iran's Revolutionary Guards and classified by the United States and other Western countries as a terrorist organisation, Hezbollah (Party of God) is the most powerful group in Lebanon due to a heavily armed militia that fought several wars with Israel. It grew stronger after joining the war in Syria in 2012 in support of President Bashar al-Assad.

* It is both a political movement and guerrilla army, drawing its support from among Lebanon's Shi'ite population. The group and its allies helped form Lebanon's current government.

* Hezbollah's arsenal has been a major point of contention. The group says its arms are needed to deter Israel and, more recently, to guard against Islamist insurgents in Syria.

* Hezbollah has been designated a terrorist organisation by the U.S., Canada, Germany, Britain, Argentina and Honduras as well as the U.S.-allied, mainly Sunni Muslim Gulf Cooperation Council, which includes Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Kuwait. The EU classifies Hezbollahs military wing as a terrorist group, but not its political wing.

Story continues

* Shadowy groups, which Lebanese security officials and Western intelligence say are linked to Hezbollah, launched suicide attacks on Western embassies and targets and kidnapped Westerners in the 1980s. A suicide bombing destroyed the U.S. Marine headquarters and French military barracks in Beirut in 1983, killing 241 US servicemen and 58 French paratroopers. One group, Islamic Jihad, was thought to be led by Imad Moughniyah, a senior Hezbollah military commander killed -- possibly by Israel -- in 2008 in Syria.

* Argentina blames Hezbollah and Iran for the deadly bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires in which 85 people died in 1994 and for an attack on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in 1992 that killed 29 people. Both deny any responsibility.

* Bulgaria accuses Hezbollah of carrying out a bomb attack that killed five Israeli tourists in the Black Sea city of Burgas in 2012.

GOVERNMENT:

* 2005: Hezbollah entered Lebanese politics more visibly after Hariri's killing and Syrian troops left Lebanon. A coalition of anti-Syrian factions took power following an election which gave Hezbollah 14 seats in the 128-seat parliament.

* 2006: Hezbollah and its allies quit a government led by Western-backed prime minister Fouad Siniora over the governing coalition's refusal to give the opposition effective veto power.

* 2008: Hezbollah clashed with domestic foes and briefly seized west Beirut in the worst civil strife since the 1975-1990 civil war, after the government vowed to take action against the group's military communications network. After mediation, rival leaders signed a deal to end 18 months of political conflict.

* 2011: Syria's civil war lead to years of political paralysis in Lebanon. In January, the first government of Saad al-Hariri, Rafik al-Hariri's son, was toppled when Hezbollah and its allies quit over the U.N.-backed tribunal. Six months later, Prime Minister Najib Mikati announced a government dominated by Hezbollah and its allies.

* 2016: Saad al-Hariri, who spent years abroad due to security fears, struck a deal making Hezbollah ally Michel Aoun president, and him premier. Saad al-Hariri's ties with backer Saudi Arabia, furious at Hezbollah's expanding role, hit a nadir in 2017.

* 2018: Hezbollah and its allies won parliamentary majority.

* 2019: Protests broke out against a deep economic crisis. Hariri quit in October. Hezbollah and its allies backed Hassan Diab as premier. He formed a new government in January 2020.

CONFLICTS

* U.N. Security Council Resolution 1559, sponsored by the United States and France and adopted in 2004, called for all Lebanese militias to be disbanded and disarmed. Hezbollah is the only militia to keep its arms since the civil war.

* 2012: Hezbollah fighters deployed in Syria to aid Syrian government forces facing a mostly Sunni rebellion against Assad. The group played a major role in beating back the rebellion.

* 2006: Hezbollah crossed the border into Israel, kidnapped two Israeli soldiers and killed others, sparking a five-week war that killed 1,200 people in Lebanon, mostly civilians, and 158 Israelis, mostly soldiers.

* Hezbollah waged a prolonged military campaign against Israeli forces which occupied south Lebanon until their withdrawal in 2000.

(Compiled by Beirut bureau)
Two-day curfew imposed across Kashmir before the first anniversary of Indias abolition of the regions special status.

Authorities have imposed a curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir, a day ahead of the first anniversary of Indias controversial decision to revoke the disputed regions semi-autonomy.

Officials announced a two-day full curfew on Monday citing intelligence reports of looming protests in the Muslim-majority region of seven million people, where locals have called for the anniversary to be marked as a black day.

Police vehicles patrolled the main city of Srinagar after dark on Monday and again on Tuesday morning, with officers using megaphones to order residents to remain indoors.

New razor-wire and steel barricades were placed on main roads on Srinagar, and on Tuesday thousands of government troops fanned across the city and surrounding villages.

Police in vehicles moved through our locality and from loudspeakers ordered us to stay indoors for two days  as if we were not already caged, Imriyaz Ali, who lives in the Srinagar old town, told AFP news agency.

I saw mobile phones of two of my neighbours taken away by soldiers when they got out to buy bread from a local baker early in the morning, said one villager by phone from Nazneenpora village.

Siege day

Shabir Ahmad Dar, 40, who works in a juice factory, told Reuters he was stopped at one of Srinagars several checkpoints on Tuesday morning and was told by soldiers to return home.

But the Kashmir authorities defended the new security measures.

A series of inputs have been received suggesting that separatist and Pakistan-sponsored groups are planning to observe August 5 as Black Day and violent action or protests are not ruled out, Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, a civil administrator, said.

Pakistan has said it will observe the anniversary of Kashmirs loss of autonomy as a siege day in solidarity with Kashmiris.

Paramilitary soldiers guard at a checkpoint during a curfew in Srinagar on August 4 [Tauseef Mustafa/AFP]

The curfew is similar to the one introduced just before Kashmirs semi-autonomy was stripped on August 5 last year.

A total communications blackout was imposed, with phone and internet lines cut and tens of thousands of fresh troops moved into the valley in one of the worlds most militarised regions.

About 7,000 people were taken into custody  including three former chief ministers. Hundreds remain under house arrest or behind bars to this day, mostly without charge.

Change in demographics

Indias government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi also downgraded Jammu and Kashmir state and divided it into two federally governed territories following the revocation of Article 370 which granted special status to the Himalayan region, which is ruled in parts by India and Pakistan. The two countries, which have fought two of their three wars over Kashmir, claim Kashmir in its entirety.

Since then, New Delhi has brought in a slew of new laws which locals say are aimed at shifting the demographics in the Muslim-majority region, many of whom want independence from India or unification with Pakistan.

Many locals are also angry because for the first time, people from across Indian states are being granted rights to buy land and are eligible to compete for local jobs.

After the August 5 decision, Indian authorities enforced an information blackout and a harsh security clampdown in Kashmir for months.

As some of the restrictions were eased, India enforced another harsh lockdown in March to combat the spread of coronavirus epidemic, deepening the social and economic crisis in the restive region.

Indian government claims that it was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmirs constitutional status, Meenakshi Ganguly from Human Rights Watch said in a statement.

The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights.

The status of Kashmir has been a key dispute between Pakistan and India since the two split after the end of British colonial rule. They each control part of Kashmir and have fought two wars over their rival claims.

Initially, the anti-India movement in the Indian-administered portion of Kashmir was largely peaceful, but after a series of political manipulations, broken promises and a crackdown on dissent, Kashmiris launched a full-blown armed revolt in 1989.
Prayut tries to quell grave public concern over Boss case

THAILAND: Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has instructed the independent panel examining the 2012 hit-and-run case against Red Bull scion Vorayuth Boss Yoovidhya to see whether it can be revived, despite it being officially closed after the prosecutors decided not to arraign him on a charge of reckless driving causing death.

accidentsdeath

By Bangkok Post

Tuesday 4 August 2020, 09:12AM

Ex-graftbuster Vicha Mahakhun, second left, chairs a panel meeting to look into the Red Bull scion case at Government House yesterday (Aug 3). Photo: Chanat Katanyu.

Ive asked them to study if I can order a re-investigation into the case, he said when asked about a suggestion that he should invoke his power to revive the case. Were in the stage of establishing facts about the justice process and determining who will take charge.

Prompted by public doubts over the handling of the case by police and prosecutors, Gen Prayut last week set up a nine-member panel headed by former graftbuster Vicha Mahakhun to look into the facts and legal aspects of the case.

The premier also clarified yesterday (Aug 3) that he had ordered the body of new witness Jaruchart Maadthong to be seized for a new autopsy in order to end suspicions about the timing of his death, not because there were suspected irregularities.

Jaruchart was killed in a two-motorcycle crash on Huay Kaew Road in Chiang Mai municipality last Thursday, shortly after his name emerged as one of two new witnesses in the hit-and-run case.

Jaruchart and Air Marshal Jakkrit Thanomkulabutr had told investigators that Mr Vorayuth was not driving at high speed and they had seen the motorcycle of Pol Snr Sgt Maj Wichian Klanprasert cut in front of his Ferrari on Sept 3, 2012. Their statements convinced the prosecutors to drop the final and most serious charge.

I need to ensure transparency. Thats all. As a supervisor of the police, Ive asked them if they can [seize the body for a new autopsy]. Theyll have to talk to his family. We have to lessen the doubts with facts, said Gen Prayut.

A team of doctors at Chiang Mai Universitys faculty of medicine yesterday concluded that Jaruchart died of massive bleeding in his brain and in his stomach and there were no injuries to suggest that he had been shot.

Assoc Prof Kanda Mekjaidee, chief of forensic medicine, said the result of the second autopsy was consistent with the first and that the doctors were waiting for the result of a blood test to see if there were any illegal substances in his system.

Mr Vicha emerged from a three-hour meeting yesterday and said that four panels had been set up to review various aspects of the hit-and-run case, including how it was handled by police and prosecutors.

The panel studying the prosecutors performance is being headed by Borwornsak Uwanno, chairman of the law reform committee, and the one examining the police investigation is led by Khemchai Chutiwong, chair of the police reform committee.

Justice permanent secretary Wisit Wisitsora has been appointed to head another panel tasked with examining witnesses and individuals in the case who are not police and prosecutors.

It will also address reports from the now-dissolved National Legislative Assemblys panel on police and justice administration, which worked on the case and would also include representatives from the Anti Money-Laundering Office.

The other committee is in charge of legal aspects and headed by Pakorn Nilprapun, secretary-general of the Council of State.

Well ask the prosecutors to submit their reports, said Mr Vicha, referring to the findings of the seven-member panel of prosecutors set up to investigate the dismissal of the reckless driving charge against Mr Vorayuth. Every document will be sent to us.

According to Office of the Attorney General deputy spokesman Prayuth Phetkhun, the panel will hold a press conference at 10am today at the government office complex on Chaeng Watthana Road, to reveal the results of the investigation so far.

Mr Vicha, however, added that it was too soon to say if the committee would recommend that police challenge the prosecutors decision to drop the reckless driving charge and reopen the investigation. Well recommend action only if it can be taken, he said.

He said it also depended on whether the Wisit panel recommended that Mr Vorayuth be summonsed for questioning.

Meanwhile, the police inquiry committee will invite assistant police chief, Pol Lt Gen Permpoon Chidchob, who did not oppose the prosecutors decision, for questioning, said Pol Lt Gen Charuwat Waisaya, vice chairman of the polices 10-member panel reviewing its own decision.

He insisted the committee was not a paper tiger and would take action if any officers were found to be in the wrong.

Social activist Srisuwan Janya yesterday filed a petition with the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) accusing the police and the prosecutors of negligence over their handling of the case.
All Newark public school teachers and other school employees will need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before they return for the new school year for the safety of our school community, according to the districts reopening plan.

Thousands of teachers and district employees at more than 60 Newark schools will need to be tested no earlier than 14 days before they return to work in early September to prepare for the start of classes on Sept. 8., the preliminary plan says.

The 40,000-student public school district is also considering asking students to get tested.

Additional re-testing is under consideration and staff will be notified. Student testing is under consideration, the plan says.

Newark, the largest school district in New Jersey, is one of the few in the state requiring testing for teachers as schools prepare to reopen for the 2020-2021 school year with social distancing, masks and other precautions to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The state guidelines issued by the Department of Education in June did not say districts should require COVID-19 testing for teachers or students. Those decisions are being left up to the states nearly 600 local districts, which are required to submit their plans to the state in early August.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidelines for reopening schools say the agency does not recommend universal testing of all students and staff.

School-wide testing has not been systematically studied and it is unclear if it would do anything more to prevent transmission beyond social distancing, masks and other measures already in place, CDC experts say. Because the tests only measure if a person has COVID-19 at that moment, the results become meaningless as days pass and the tested person comes in contact with others who may have the virus.

But Newarks teachers union president said the mandatory COVID-19 tests for employees add an extra level of protection for students and teachers because the results may flag some who have the virus before they return to the classroom.

We are going to be strongly urging the testing be done, said John Abeigon, president of the 4,000-member Newark Teachers Union. Were firm believers in science.

It should not be a problem convincing thousands of teachers to get the tests before the start of school, the union president said.

We dont mind being compliant. Were teachers. We teach being compliant, Abeigon said.

The teachers union is also calling on the district to expand the plan to also test students before they return to the classroom. Young children rarely show symptoms of COVID-19, but reports that elementary, middle and high school students could be asymptomatic carriers of the disease have some educators worried.

With more than a month left until the start of school, there is still time to get all Newark students tested, Abeigon said. The city is already offering free COVID-19 tests for all Newark residents with no proof of insurance required.

The Newark school district has also partnered with the Jewish Renaissance Medical Center to offer testing to all school district employees and their families every Friday at Malcolm X. Shabazz High School in Newark. Employees call also visit their own doctors or an urgent care center to get a test, district officials said.

The Lakewood school district, in Ocean County, has also begun testing students and teachers as part of its summer school program. A medical truck stationed outside a school building has already given hundreds of nasal swab tests, district officials said.

The plan is to expand the free testing when Lakewood students return to class for a planned 5-day-a-week schedule in September, though the testing will remain optional in the 6,400-student district.

The money for the tests is being provided by the CARES Act, the federal economic stimulus grants designed to help lessen the financial impact of the pandemic, Lakewood officials said.

It is unclear if other New Jersey school districts might follow Newark in requiring testing of teachers and employees.

Universal testing of all schoolchildren and teachers would likely be impossible in New Jersey, even as the state expands its testing capacity. So far, New Jersey has had more than 1 million COVID-19 tests performed since the start of the pandemic last winter. But there are more than 1.4 million public school students in New Jersey and an additional 116,000 full-time classroom teachers, making it unlikely all could be tested before the start of school.

Newark has already been testing its social distancing plan for its schools at two summer school programs at the First Avenue and Thirteenth Avenue schools. Students and teachers have been wearing masks and sitting in chairs spaced six feet apart with clear barriers on their desks.

The First Avenue School was temporarily shut down in July after an employee tested positive for COVID-19, district officials said. The employee had been tested, but started working at the school before receiving the results, which were delayed, exposing a flaw in the system, union officials said.

The building was cleaned, disinfected and reopened. Summer school employees would no longer be able to work inside until they get their test results, district officials said at the time.

For the upcoming school year, Newarks preliminary reopening plan calls for parents to have a choice between enrolling their kids in all-remote learning at home, in-person classes five days a week or a hybrid plan that blends remote learning with going to school a few days a week. Families will be getting more information about their individual school reopening plans in letters from their principals scheduled to be sent Friday, district officials said.

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Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.

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All learning is relationship-based, all development is relationship-based, said Ellen Galinsky, the chief science officer at the Bezos Family Foundation, which has seeded several initiatives to communicate the science of learning.

Galinsky continued, Its a fallacy that we can separate out our need to belong, to be respected, to be supported, to be challenged  all of those things that happen in an educational setting are relationship-based and come from care.

Galinsky added that the brain architecture for learning is built from birth and is inseparable from care. A growing understanding of inseparability has brought child care programs and public schools into a closer orbit. For example, as of 2019, 44 states had a public pre-K program for 4-year-olds, according to the National Institute for Early Education Research. But the pressures of Covid-19 may have forced them apart again, much to the frustration of early childhood leaders and educators.

Robert C. Pianta, Ph.D., the dean of the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia, said the pandemic pushes on a lot of the tectonics that are between those two systems. Dr. Pianta added that there has been a reversion to the erroneous assumption that, What child care does is warehouse kids, keeps them out of parents hair.

Racial and gender threads also pull child care and education apart. Today, the child care profession is disproportionately made up of women of color. Nearly 40 percent of child care staff are people of color, according to a 2018 report from the Center for the Study of Child Care Employment at the University of California, Berkeley. In comparison, 20 percent of K-12 teachers were nonwhite in the 2015-16 school year, according to the most recent data by the National Center for Education Statistics.

The fact that a low-wage sector so heavily made up of women of color is being asked by society to assume more risk by remaining open speaks to the disposable nature of this work  the less-than approach to and appreciation of this work, said Myra Jones-Taylor, Ph.D., the chief policy officer at Zero to Three, a group that advocates for issues about babies and toddlers.

The United States investment in early childhood care and education, compared with other countries, also indirectly contributes to the divide between public schools and child care programs. Among 37 developed nations, the United States ranks the third lowest in spending on the early years of care and education, according to 2015 data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development. As a result, the fragile child care system, still seen largely as a personalized service instead of a public good, is heavily reliant on parental fees, and it has begun to shatter amid the Covid-19 pandemic.
Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the US on Tuesday (US time) after telling a London court it was set to run out of cash next month without getting approval for a rescue financing.

The airline filed its petition in the Southern District of New York. Chapter 15 bankruptcy allows foreign companies with US assets to protect themselves against claims while they work on a turnaround plan.

Richard Branson's airline would be forced to fold next month unless the deal was approved, a London court has heard. Credit:Bloomberg

Since January 1, Virgin's reservations are down 89 per cent year-over-year and current demand for the second half of 2020 is at approximately 25 per cent of 2019 levels, according to court papers.

"The group and its business have been adversely affected by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, which has caused an unprecedented near-shutdown of the global passenger aviation industry," according to the court papers. "Global aviation was one of the first industries to be impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and is likely to be one of the last to fully recover."
America can be proud of many things: our innovation, generosity and entrepreneurial spirit are unsurpassed. Yet when it comes to our nation understanding one of the greatest gifts ever given to humanitythe Biblewe're moving from dumb to dumber, and it's no laughing matter.
San Francisco is reporting about 90 new coronavirus cases per day, still in the "red zone," the city's public health director said Tuesday. (David Paul Morris / Bloomberg)

The public health director of San Francisco on Tuesday urged residents to remain vigilant about face coverings and physical distancing, even as the number of COVID-19 hospitalizations and daily count of new cases have dropped.

Dr. Grant Colfax, speaking at a virtual news conference, said about 90 new cases are found among residents every day, a number that has dropped a bit from a high point two weeks ago. But it is still very concerning, the director said. Anything above 50 cases a day continues to put us in the red zone, on high alert, and we have been there for about the last six weeks.

He praised residents who are covering their faces properly and practicing social distancing, but he added that some are not. If 80% of residents wore masks and socially distanced, outbreaks of COVID-19 could be prevented, he said.

San Francisco requires face coverings for those ages 10 and older inside stores and other businesses and outside when individuals are unable to maintain six feet of distance from others. Colfax reminded residents that masks must cover both the nose and mouth.

For some people, it is just not a habit yet, he said.

He noted that he remembers to grab his mask along with his wallet and keys every time he leaves his home. It is a habit we will need to have with us for a long time, he said.

He said 6,989 residents had been diagnosed with COVID-19 as of Tuesday morning, and 61 had died. There were 92 residents in San Francisco hospitals Tuesday, a slight drop from last week but 75% more than in June, he said.

San Francisco continues to lead the state and nation in the rate of coronavirus testing, he said, and is working to target tests to those who are particularly vulnerable because of their age or underlying conditions and to workers who face the greatest risk of exposure.

The city will continue to pause reopening despite the slight slowdown in new cases, he added.

Demand for food has risen in San Francisco over the course of the pandemic, and city officials on Tuesday urged anyone in need to call 311. Lines to pick up groceries from city and community providers sometimes stretch several blocks in the city.

Ensuring people have access to nutritious food during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is one of our top priorities, Mayor London Breed said in a news release. The city has really stepped up to the challenge with our meal and grocery delivery programs.

On Tuesday, Breed extended until September a program that delivers three meals a day to seniors who are unable to buy or prepare food. The Great Plates Delivered SF program has delivered 350,000 meals to elderly residents since May 18. The city has also delivered nearly 45,000 meals to residents forced to isolate because they tested positive for the virus or were living with someone who was infected. Nearly 115,000 meals have been delivered to homeless individuals since April, the city said.
Kirsten Hocking, 28, was jailed for six months. (SWNS)

A shoplifter has been jailed and banned from all Waitrose and Marks & Spencer stores in England and Wales after stealing from the stores for five years.

Kirsten Hocking, 28, was given a six-month prison sentence in April for the thefts after being charged over 10 shoplifting incidents in Worthing, West Sussex.

She pleaded guilty to eight of the charges and admitted stealing almost 1,000 worth of beauty products from several shops.

Hocking also received a criminal behaviour order (CBO) banning her from cafes, restaurants, bars and shops in Worthing for five years.

Hocking stole from several stores in the seaside town of Worthing. (Getty)

The CBO means she wont be able to visit the seaside towns main shopping streets and also specific Tesco, Lidl and Boots stores.

Hocking has also been banned from M&S, Poundland, Wilkinson and Waitrose stores across England and Wales.

If she breaches any of the bans she could be sent back to prison under the terms of her CBO.

Sussex Polices Sergeant Jason Stanley said: "After months of hard work from the local prevention team to try and tackle Hockings persistent shoplifting and anti-social behaviour, she was given a custodial sentence.

We recognise the impact anti-social behaviour can have on the community and local businesses and this is completely unacceptable.

He added: We have secured a CBO against Hocking which bans her from entering large areas of Worthing and from the many shops and businesses for five years.

"If she breaches the order then she is liable to be sent back to prison."

Hocking appeared at Brighton Magistrates Court charged with 10 counts of shoplifting and breaching a community protection notice.

A community protection notice was issued to Hocking by police in December with a number of restrictions included, in particular banning her from certain geographical areas in Worthing.
Copado, a leading native DevOps platform for Salesforce

Copado, a leading native DevOps platform for Salesforce, today announced Copado Government Cloud to help government agencies accelerate the time-to-value of Salesforce digital transformation projects. With Copado DevOps, federal, state and local governments can optimize and measure innovation delivery on the Salesforce platform with full visibility and accountability to ever-changing regulatory and security environments. Copado will enable agencies to respond faster, deliver more digital services, scale to unprecedented demands and connect to its citizens.

Due to COVID-19, government agencies are working to address the exponential demand for digital solutions to meet the needs of the public. This demand is overwhelming delivery capacity. Additionally, government projects require a high level of quality, compliance and governance to reduce risk and protect against increased digital threats.

Copado delivers the quality, speed and scale required by federal, state and local governments to address these needs. It offers the only Salesforce DevOps platform that scales to the needs of large government projects with the visibility, governance and analytics required to manage multi-million dollar budgets. The company continues to offer its platform free to COVID-19 specific projects to help the fight against the global pandemic.

Since March, Copado has signed contracts with seven new government agencies. The company is helping five agencies rapidly build and deliver high-quality COVID-19 communication, reporting and tracking apps to its citizens. These include scaling and optimizing call, web, chat and text response systems. Copado has deep experience working with government customers including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the states of California, Kansas, Massachusetts, Missouri and Vermont, the Louisiana Department of Health, the District of Columbia, and international government agencies including the Province of Ontario, Canada.

Governments are scrambling to address the demands from constituents on many fronts since COVID-19 disrupted daily life. They are creating contact tracing apps, digitally delivering needed services and scaling existing services to handle exponentially higher demand -- all with a remote workforce, said Ted Elliott, Chief Executive Officer of Copado. Copado can offer the scale, security and experience in optimizing Salesforce deployments to even the most sophisticated government projects. Beyond our own industry-leading DevOps technology, we are partnering with the leaders in government technology and services to ensure the highest levels of success in these projects. Copado DevOps gives government agencies the confidence to move at the pace of todays uncertain world.

Copado is also partnering with Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, to streamline the procurement process. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will serve as Copados public sector distributor and make Copado DevOps available to government agencies as an AppExchange vendor for Salesforce's Government Cloud through Carahsofts NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V contracts and National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint cooperative purchasing contract. The partnership is designed to help federal agencies modernize their Salesforce development cycles with a best-in-class DevOps solution.

Copado has experience working with large-scale government initiatives and can help any agency using Salesforce deliver their digital transformation project, said Bethany Blackwell, Director of the Salesforce Team at Carahsoft. With Copado, government development teams can align and collaborate around value delivery, gain visibility into the development lifecycle, identify and remove bottlenecks, and deliver more predictable, higher quality releases. We look forward to working with Copado and our reseller partners to optimize Salesforce deployments in government agencies.

As government agencies implement large-scale digital initiatives, Carahsofts technology and reseller partners offer a range of solutions that enable telework, support collaboration, ensure business continuity, and scale communications channels and security. Copado is the only solution for Salesforce delivery performance and management, all built natively on the Salesforce platform. Organizations rely on Copado to align people, processes and goals in order to quickly and confidently deliver digital customer experiences on the Salesforce platform.

Copado is available through Carahsofts SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B and NASPO ValuePoint cooperative purchasing contract. For more information, contact the Copado team at Carahsoft at (877) 733-2007 or SalesforceISV@carahsoft.com.

Additional Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copado-solutions-s.l/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CopadoSolutions

Copado blog: https://www.copado.com/learning/blog/

About Carahsoft

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider. As a top-performing GSA Schedule and SEWP contract holder, Carahsoft serves as the Master Government Aggregator for many of its best-of-breed technology vendors, supporting an extensive ecosystem of manufacturers, value-added resellers, system integrators and consulting partners committed to helping government agencies select and implement the best solution at the best possible value.

The company's dedicated Solutions Divisions proactively market, sell and deliver Copado, Salesforce, VMware, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, Veritas, McAfee, Dell, Adobe, F5 Networks, Google Cloud, ServiceNow, Open Source, Micro Focus Government Solutions, SAP, and Innovative and Intelligence products and services, among others. Carahsoft is consistently recognized by its partners as a top revenue producer and is listed annually among the industry's fastest growing and largest firms by CRN, Inc., Forbes, Washington Technology, The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, and Bloomberg Government. Visit us at http://www.carahsoft.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook.

About Copado

Founded in 2013, Copado is a leading DevOps platform for Salesforce. For enterprises wanting to accelerate their Salesforce deployments, Copado simplifies the release process, increases developer productivity and maximizes return on investment. The platform is comprised of Agile Planning, Release Management and Compliance & Testing. Backed by Insight Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures, Copado counts more than 500 enterprises as customers, including Fair Trade, MassMutual, Shell and Vlocity. With more than 50 million transactions per month, Copado has received the top rating of 100 percent positive feedback on Salesforce AppExchange. More information can be found at: https://www.copado.com/

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Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning

Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning Netflix

Midway through her first Netflix standup special, comedian Sam Jay describes how her approach to travel has changed as she's aged. She used to arrive at her destination and sleep all day so she could party all night, but her priorities have now shifted since entering her 30s. "I'm an old bitch, I want to see the architecture and the museums," she deadpans, waiting a beat before wryly adding that she still took mushrooms before she left the hotel.

It would have been easy at that point for Jay's set to go down the road of stoner humor  perhaps a few lackadaisical jokes about how weird the London streets look when you're very, very high  but instead, it takes a sharp turn towards discussing the "audacity of white people."

She describes walking into The British Museum and seeing room after room of artifacts obviously stolen by white colonists. When Black folks steal stuff, Jay says, they have the inclination to spread it out. But when white people steal from other cultures, they literally build a fortress for their stolen goods, charging $20 for entry. Jay assumes the voice of a posh British man addressing the plebeian masses, "Shoot them if they touch it."

Jay's debut special,"Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning," which was filmed at The Masquerade in Atlanta, is full of these snappy transitions from observational humor to more complex interrogations of sociopolitical issues, but she possesses a certain rawness in her presentation that simultaneously elevates jokes that fall onto well-trodden ground and imbues even most contentious political content with the familiarity of a discussion with a friend at a bar, both of you slightly tipsy.

Take her bit about air travel, for example, a topic mined by many a stand-up. It starts with a description of her girlfriend packing three (THREE!) bags for their trip to London, which leads to the infinitely quotable line, "Why are you packing bags you don't have arms for?" Then suddenly, Jay does another quick pivot and we're suddenly talking about her fear of death  and how maybe it's not death itself she fears, but rather survival?

Story continues

And while in the hands of another comic these stream-of-consciousness meditations could easily sprawl into exasperating tangents (like in Pete Davidson's recent underwhelming special, "Alive in New York"), Jay attacks her set with a precision that shows that at her core she is both a writer and  perhaps more importantly  an editor who is comfortable leaving content on the cutting room floor.

Jay was a relative late-comer to the comedy scene. She didn't begin stand-up until she was 29, but since 2017, she has been a staff writer at "Saturday Night Live," where she's written standout sketches like "Black Jeopardy."

As Salon's Melanie McFarland wrote, that 2019 sketch is built on some of the same unexpected twists found in Jay's current special. "'Black Jeopardy'...lands its jokes by fooling the audience into thinking it knows how the contestant Kenan Thompson's Darnell sets up as the stooge will perform, then quickly turns that assumption on its ear," she wrote. "Chadwick Boseman's T'Challa from 'Black Panther,' for example, was entirely out of his depth when called upon to answer questions about American black culture."

So was Elizabeth Banks' character, Allison, who plays a white woman who doesn't see color ("So it's just 'Jeopardy' to me," she chirps) and Tom Hanks' Doug, who shows up to "Black Jeopardy" wearing a MAGA hat.

"Only after Allison realizes that she can't win regardless of what she does can she get points on the board  'That is the blackest thing you said all day, Allison!' Darnell tells her," McFarland writes.

Jay's political analysis in "3 in the Morning" is equally attuned to the current climate and puts into words the frustrations many of us are probably experiencing  especially considering that this special was released in the middle of a pandemic to which the government response has been absolutely abysmal. Liberals like to defend the country, Jay points out. They like to say that the country is better than the president.

"No the f**k we're not," Jay says. "If we were, he wouldn't be the f**king president. We're better than Trump? We're a country of Golden Corral buffets. Who the f**k do we think we are? Trash. We're trash."

Troughs of macaroni, $9.99 prime rib, 99 cent hamburgers. That's who we are, Jay asserts with deep conviction, a tone that she carries into segments about her disdain for trans-exclusionary women, Greta Thurnberg, and the exclusivity of white feminists. These observations are built upon self-aware humor about the most marginalized aspects of her identity. Jay is the only Black openly lesbian writer in the "SNL" writers' room.

This isn't to say that the entire special is trapped in a stratosphere of $5 political terms.

Jay's standup is laced with profanity and a lot (I mean, a lot) of dick jokes, but she manages to make the transition between high- and low-brow seamless.

Inherent to most good standup is the ability to find and express the universal truisms in personal experiences, and Jay has this ability. Towards the end of her special, when she talks about how one of the things holding her back from parenthood is the idea that someone would be wholly dependent on her, I found myself nodding at the screen. It's such a tender observation. "That's so me," I thought. But then she makes another quick pivot, this time to how she wants to stunt on other moms when it comes to how much she spends on adopting a child. It's a take that is so uniquely Sam Jay  and it only left me wanting to hear what other turns she was going to take.

"Sam Jay: 3 in the Morning" is currently streaming on Netflix.

https://youtu.be/D2EcvFfzu-o

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Jen Hatmaker asks for prayers as family navigates 'unexpected crisis': We are deeply hurting

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High-profile Christian author Jen Hatmaker posted a cryptic message on Facebook Friday where she revealed that her family is working through an unexpected crisis and asked for prayers.

The writer, who made headlines in 2016 for affirming same-sex marriage, revealed that something happened, but she wouldn't provide any details except to say that she and her family are going to be OK.

Ive been quiet, Hatmaker wrote after nearly three weeks of social media silence.

In short, we are deeply hurting in our little life, Hatmaker revealed. As Ive written, there is a difference between secrecy marked by shame, and privacy marked by discretion, and we are in the second category.

The Kansas native said her family is navigating an unexpected crisis and its the reason for her absence on social media. Hatmaker maintained that her break was to help steer toward healing and wholeness.

Please know that everyone is safe, and all our kids are okay, she continued. Also know that our community and family has radically cared for us, and we are surrounded by love and support. Jesus loves us. We are not alone.

The popular speaker asked her supporters not to worry for her, but instead to pray for us if you pray.

A request: dont pry or ask or push, even out of sincere concern. Please dont blow up our phones and inboxes and DMs (or our friends). Just hold us close to your heart in great love, Hatmaker added.

The author concluded her post by saying: As I reengage our online community here, Ill be whatever I am that day, so thanks for the space to be a human person. Ive always known you were a soft place to land. Thank you for loving us in all things, at all times, through all moments.

Hi. Its been quiet here. Ive been quiet. In short, we are deeply hurting in our little life. As Ive written, there is... Posted by Jen Hatmaker on Friday, July 31, 2020



Last month, Hatmaker released a podcast titled A Moment of Pride, where she publicly said she's "glad" her daughter is lesbian.

Hatmaker introduced the podcast by saying it wasn't a coming out announcement for her daughter, Sydney, because their family has known about her sexuality for quite some time.

In the discussion, Hatmakers daughter disclosed that she had grappled with reconciling her sexuality and her spirituality for many years. She said the nail in the coffin happened after she googled various theological perspectives on homosexuality and saw an article that referenced her mothers comments about loving the LGBT community, but not affirming the lifestyle.

In the interview, Hatmaker said her greatest regret was speaking against homosexuality.

I wouldnt change one ounce of who she is. Not a molecule. Not a moment. The only thing I would change in our story, is I wish I could go back and shake myself to life sooner  well, well, well, before, Hatmaker said.

The truth is, every single church is just filled with gay kids and gay moms and dads and you know, it's just so irresponsible to break their hearts, Hatmaker said, asserting that pastors should be preaching to people of all sexual orientations.

The majority of Christian denominations worldwide adhere to the Bible's stance on homosexuality and teach that while it's a sin, believers are commanded to love the sinner. Hatmaker and Sydney argue that love without affirmation is not enough.

Hatmaker also recently released a new book, Fierce, Free, and Full of Fire: The Guide to Being Glorious You. In the book, she writes that she traded evangelical theology for the wild terrain of the wilderness.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 07:00:03|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Across Central America and the Caribbean, the more than 70 million children impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic could soon face another threat - catastrophic hurricane storms, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) warned on Monday.

"In the coming days and weeks, children and families will be at risk of being hit simultaneously by two disasters, COVID-19 and hurricanes," said Bernt Aasen, UNICEF regional director for Latin America and the Caribbean.

While acknowledging that displacement, infrastructure damage and service interruptions caused by storms - particularly in coastal areas - could render individuals more vulnerable to the disease and its impacts, the UN children's agency expressed special concern that a powerful storm could severely undermine ongoing efforts to stem COVID-19.

The coronavirus could spread easily in crowded emergency shelters or displacement sites where physical distancing would be difficult to ensure, according to the UNICEF.

At the same time, existing control measures like handwashing could falter if water, sanitation and health infrastructure were to be damaged or destroyed.

"This is the perfect storm we fear for the Caribbean and Central America," said the UNICEF official.

In addition to straining national and local health systems in the region, the pandemic is also raising serious questions about the aftermath of a catastrophic hurricane, including movement restrictions and budget shortfalls, which may hinder national hurricane preparedness efforts.

"As we continue to take precautions to keep families safe from COVID-19, efforts to prepare for hurricane now are vital to mitigate the spread of virus among the most vulnerable communities," Aasen said.

As UNICEF reported in a recent Child Alert, over the coming years the Caribbean region is expected to experience intensified storms and subsequent population displacements.

In late May, tropical storm Amanda caused flooding and landslides in parts of El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. At least 33 people were killed in the region and thousands were displaced. All three countries have confirmed cases of COVID-19.

And in the 10-year period from 2010 to 2019, storms caused 895,000 new displacements of children in the Caribbean and 297,000 in Central America, according to the UN children's agency.

Across the region, UNICEF is working to support hurricane preparedness efforts and public health responses to COVID-19 through education, community outreach and technical support.

In collaboration with governments and other partners, the agency is working to build disaster resilience among communities in the region, including by adjusting hurricane preparedness and response plans to reflect COVID-19 risks with a focus on vulnerable groups, like children, pregnant women and single-headed female families.

Moreover, UNICEF is also working to improve coordination mechanisms and tools for timely needs assessments and response based on evidence and with governments on climate change adaptation policies to ensure that they are child sensitive and informed by the long-term perspectives of youth and adolescents. Enditem
Police have arrested a 38-year-old woman from Boston in connection with a fatal stabbing that occurred early Tuesday morning in Roxbury, authorities said.

Mary Fox was arrested and charged with murder on Tuesday, police said, in connection with an early-morning stabbing that occurred in the area of 1024 Massachusetts Ave. in Roxbury.

Just after midnight on Tuesday, officers responded to a report of a person being stabbed in the area near Clifford Playground in Roxbury.

Upon arrival officers found a man suffering from stab wounds, police said. He was taken to local hospital where he was pronounced dead. Police didnt provide any information on the identity of the victim.

The Boston Police Department is still investigating the incident and is asking anyone with pertinent information to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470.

Tips can be provided anonymously by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463).

To those who need of emotional support or simply need to talk to someone about distressing events, the Boston Neighborhood Trauma Team (NTT) provides free, private support 24/7 at (617) 431-0125 or by visiting BPHC.org/trauma.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Beijing, China  Tue, August 4, 2020 08:10 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b58ee0 2 Food beer,China,face-mask,culture,tourism,Qingdao Free

Thousands of Chinese beer lovers left their facemasks and virus worries behind to gather in large crowds and raise a much-needed glass as the annual Qingdao beer festival opened over the weekend.

China has largely brought the coronavirus outbreak under control through a series of lockdowns and restrictions, and the small number of cases reassured beer-lovers to turn out despite the global pandemic.

And at the festival, which opened Friday and runs until late August, drinkers were eating and drinking together, watching shows and fireworks and sampling the more than 1,500 types of beer available.

Many revelers were walking around the enormous venue in Shandong province mask-free, with long tables packed with merry drinkers in scenes reminiscent of pre-COVID-19 days.

State broadcaster CCTV said the festival was a chance for people to go back to "normal life and clink glasses".

"It's been half a year since I last traveled around... I feel so happy and relaxed right now," Wang Hua, a tourist from northern Shanxi Province, told CCTV.

Read also: Yearning for a pint? Brussels brewers deliver to homes during coronavirus lockdown

But all was not entirely as normal.

The central "Beer City" is limited to 30 percent visitor capacity, while staff must wear masks and visitor temperatures and health codes are checked.

Imported beer containers are also being tested for the virus and disinfected before entering the venue, officials said, after several local clusters in China were linked to imported food.

The seaside resort is the home of Tsingtao, one of the most popular beers in China and the most exported around the world.

The brewery was set up while Qingdao was under German colonial rule between 1898 and 1914.

China reported 43 new coronavirus infections on Monday.
Dr Alex George has paid tribute to his younger brother Llyr on the day of his funeral.

The Love Island star, 27, told his followers on Instagram late last month that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health' in an emotional post.

On Monday, Dr Alex appeared to confirm that his family had laid Llyr to rest that day as he took to the social media platform to share an update.

Support: Dr Alex George has paid tribute to his younger brother Llyr on the day of his funeral

The A&E doctor wrote: 'Life throws us in at the deep end sometimes, however, with family and friends we overcome the most seemingly insurmountable challenges. Today is for you Llyr.

The previous evening, Dr Alex shared a post which read: 'Tomorrow will be the hardest day of my life. We will get through for Llyr and the rest of the family.

Llyr died just weeks before he was due to follow in his older brother's footsteps and start medical school.

Dr Alex recently said he is 'still going' and 'will be OK' in time in an Instagram story shared on Thursday.

The A&E doctor wrote: 'Life throws us in at the deep end sometimes, however, with family and friends we overcome the most seemingly insurmountable challenges. Today is for you Llyr'

Sad: On Monday, Dr Alex appeared to confirm that his family had laid Llyr to rest that day as he took to the social media platform to share an update

He said: 'So many of you are checking in on me so I want to say thank you and let you know I am still going.'

'In time I will be ok.'

Taking to his Stories on Monday, the Love Island star thanked his followers for their support as he candidly discussed his grief.

Trying to cope: The Love Islander recently thanked fans for their well wishes and concerns as he grieves with his family

Tragic: Dr Alex announced to Instagram last week that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health'

He wrote: 'These are the hardest times I could ever have imagined.

'The kindness and love our family has received has been incredible and I am so grateful.

'In the darkest times we must pick ourselves up, find strength and be there for our family and friends. That is exactly what I will do.'

Emotional: The grieving star also emotionally revealed that he and his family are going through the 'hardest' and 'darkest' times

Distraught: Dr Alex announced to Instagram that he had lost his 'beautiful little brother to mental health' (posted on Instagram in 2018)

Dr Alex also took to his stories on Saturday morning, thanking his followers for their support and said that he needs to time to take in the tragic news.

He wrote: 'Thank you for all the messages of kindness here and to my phone. I am incredibly grateful of the support and it means so much.

'I am sorry that I can't reply yet. I need to try and process what has happened somehow.'

In the emotional tribute announcing Llyr's death, the A&E doctor wrote: 'I can't believe I am actually writing this post.

'I have lost my beautiful little brother to mental health. I love you so much Llyr. The kindest and most caring soul.

'I was so proud of you starting medical school next month, you would have been the most incredible doctor. We are hurting so bad. No words can explain.

'As a family we are devastated. We love you and miss you so much. Please rest in peace x Our boy.'

Moving: In his emotional post on Friday, he said 'I was so proud of you starting medical school next month, you would have been the most incredible doctor'

It is believed Dr Alex's brother would have been 19 at the time of his death. MailOnline has contacted his representatives for comment.

In 2018, Dr Alex competed on ITV's Love Island, the popular reality dating series which has seen former contestants Sophie Gradon, 32, and Mike Thalassitis, 26, as well as 40-year-old host Caroline Flack kill themselves.

Many of Alex's Love Island co-stars rushed to pay tribute to his late brother in the comments of his post, with Rosie Williams writing: 'Oh no Alex! This is so awful.

'I'm so so sorry from the bottom of my heart. Sending you all the love in the world. Thinking of you and your family through this terrible time.'

Charlie Brake penned: 'So, so sorry mate. Here if you need anything. Devastating,' Frankie Foster wrote: 'Sending my love to you and family mate.'

Samira Mighty wrote: 'Stay strong,' and Wes Nelson added: 'So sorry to hear this Alex! Stay strong I love you mate!'

Josh Denzel also commented: 'Brooo here if you need me.'

Sympathies: Many of Alex's Love Island co-stars rushed to pay tribute to his late brother in the comments of his post

Dr Alex is currently working on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic at the University Hospital Lewisham in south-east London.

Originally from Carmarthen, Wales, he studied medicine at the University of Exeter before he set his heart on finding romance on Love Island.

He struggled to find his dream girl in the villa, though he did enjoy a brief fling with Alexandra Cane and started dating Amelia Bath in December 2018.

The couple recently split after struggling to see each other during lockdown.

If you have been affected by this story, you can call the Samaritans on 116 123 or visit www.samaritans.org.
Specifically, the patent on GS-441524 dates to around 2009, compared with remdesivir about five years later, meaning that Gilead has exclusive rights to produce remdesivir further into the future. Remdesivir is an expensive drug, priced at $390 per dose, which comes to $2,340 for each patient treated over the course of five days.
Ayodhya, India  For the past week, Indian authorities have been vigorously engaged in giving Ayodhya, a small temple town in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, a quick makeover in advance of Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit to lay the foundation stone for a temple to Hindu deity Ram.

The temple is being built in place of a Mughal-era mosque, which was demolished by a right-wing Hindu mob in 1992, triggering nationwide religious riots in which more than 2,000 people, most of them Muslims, were killed.

Indias governing Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) rose to national prominence on the back of the temple movement launched in the 1980s.

Many Hindus believe the 16th-century Babri Masjid, named after Mughal emperor Babur (1483-1530), was built at the place where Ram was born in Ayodhya, located about 135km (84 miles) east of the state capital, Lucknow.

Last November, a decades-old protracted legal battle between the Hindu and Muslim parties ended with the Supreme Court awarding the contested site to Hindu petitioners, handing the BJP a victory to drive home its Hindu nationalist agenda.

The court asked the government to provide Muslims land at a prominent site within Ayodhya city limits to build a mosque.

Indias secular ethos c ompromised

With the inauguration of the temple scheduled for August 5 despite concerns due to the coronavirus, Modis BJP appears to have fulfilled a long-term promise to its core electorate.

The judgement was widely criticised for lacking a sound legal basis as well as signalling a majoritarian push that compromised on Indias secular and democratic constitutional ethics.

In Ayodhya, a town with a rich and diverse history, the majority Hindu population is happy the Ram temple is being constructed [Valay Singh/Al Jazeera]

Ironically, the legal trial in the Babri demolition case is yet to be completed, and justice has eluded those who suffered the loss of life and properties in the nationwide violence that ensued in the wake of the destruction of the mosque  often dubbed the darkest chapter of modern India.

Modis government has faced both domestic and global criticism for deliberately neglecting its vast Muslim minority, numbering nearly 200 million. The Ayodhya verdict has only cemented this opinion among its opponents and critics.

The date chosen for the ceremony also coincides with the first anniversary of the abrogation of the special status of Indian-administered Kashmir, Indias only Muslim majority region that has been the theatre of a bloody armed rebellion for more than 30 years.

This aggressive posturing over issues that have dominated the BJPs politics has raised concerns of Ayodhya-like campaigns in other places with shared Hindu-Muslim heritage and history as well.

Shravan Das said millions of Hindus will come to worship in Ayodhya which will be good for everyone in the town [Valay Singh/Al Jazeera]

MR Shamshad, a lawyer who represented Muslim parties in the temple-mosque legal dispute, says already there are efforts by Hindu groups to reclaim other temples that they believe were converted into mosques.

Supremacy of Hindus

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), the parent body of the BJP, has led the movement for the Ram temple since 1984.

The trust formed to oversee the construction of the temple is composed mainly of functionaries from the VHP and the RSS, which has propounded supremacy of Hindus in India.

At the moment though, the VHP has refrained from taking a clear stand on whether similar campaigns will be launched in the future.

Right now, we are focussed on building a grand Ram temple after 500 years of struggle. Once that is over, our religious leaders and seers will decide what to do about other such places, VHPs regional spokesman Sharad Sharma told Al Jazeera.

Thousands of Hindu fanatics razed the 430-year-old Babri mosque to the ground in 1992 [File: Udo Weitz/AP Photo]

Hindu population is happy

In Ayodhya, a town with a rich and diverse history, the majority Hindu population is happy the Ram temple is being constructed.

Shravan Das, a 76-year-old ascetic, says, Now there would be a flood of development and prosperity. Millions of Hindus will come to worship here and that will be good for everyone here.

Sitting across him, KK Nigam, who owns a shoe shop along the main road of the town, is not so certain about his future because as part of the massive infrastructure development plans, both his house and shop are at the risk of demolition for a four-lane expressway.

I welcome the temple but the government should not destroy our lives for the sake of development. At least 2,000 people will be displaced and their livelihoods ruined if the government goes ahead with its plans, he says, tearing up.

At Makhapur, one of the many villages that surround Ayodhya, there is an air of indifference to the hectic preparations going on in the main town.

Bhagelu Maurya, a vegetable vendor, says, Even if the temple is built I dont think it will affect my life. Let it get built first, we have seen promises earlier also about development but nothing happened.

Since the 1990s, there has been a migration of Muslim families owing to the threat of violence [Valay Singh/Al Jazeera]

Exodus of Muslim families

A small but significant part of the towns businesses relies on Muslim craftsmen, milk vendors and flower sellers among others.

But since the 1990s, there has been an exodus of Muslim families owing to a threat of violence in the sleepy but sensitive town by the Sarayu River.

On the day the Babri mosque was demolished, at least 24 Muslims were killed and scores of houses belonging to the community were torched, triggering the exodus that further reduced their population in Ayodhya.

Today, those who survive here are like Abid Khan who makes wooden sandals, mostly for the large number of Hindu ascetics and monks who live here.

I have a Hindu worker who helps me, things in the town are still peaceful. But the fact is we dont know whom to trust because we have been betrayed earlier in 1992, says Khan.

KK Nigam, who owns a shoe shop along the main road of Ayodhya is not so certain about his own future [Valay Singh/Al Jazeera]

More than five generations of my family have lived here but with the cries for creating a Hindu India growing louder, I dont know how long we can last here.

His business is also going to be disrupted by the development plans but as Muslims elsewhere in India today, Khans concerns are more fundamental.

At a popular bangle store, the father-son duo of Haji Salim and Abdul Kalim are more circumspect but voice similar concerns. It would have been much better if the courts judgement was even-handed, Kalim told Al Jazeera.

For years now, Muslims have not bought any land in this town. In fact, they have only been selling it and leaving. If things dont change, we too would have to decide about our future.

It would have been much better if the courts judgement was even-handed, said Haji Salim [Valay Singh/Al Jazeera]

Harmonious co-existence

Ironically, a fact that is not talked about enough under the BJP rule is that most of Ayodhyas temples are built on lands donated by Muslim rulers in the 18th and 19th centuries.

The towns scores of mosques, tombs, mausoleums and graveyards are mute testaments to its rich Islamic history and is a symbol of harmonious co-existence between Hindus and Muslims.

There has been a marked absence of Islamic places of worship in the nearly $300m development plan for the town.

Anil Singh, an Ayodhya-based writer, sees this as part of the Hindu right wings scheme to obliterate the towns syncretic past. Go a little deeper into Ayodhya and you see so much of Hindu-Muslim heritage, he says.

Hindus here worship at Sufi shrines like that of Badi Bua who is considered to be the towns patron saint. But, you wont hear about her tomb in the governments plans.

The neglect of Muslims is palpable in the village where the provincial BJP government has allotted land for the mosque under the Supreme Courts verdict.

While the local administration has left no stone unturned to ensure the foundation stone of Ram temple is laid even during a pandemic, it has not shown the same vigour to kick-start the construction of the new mosque. A veritable gloom pervades Dhannipur village.

A few residents who spoke to Al Jazeera expressed displeasure that the government had not consulted them before deciding to allocate land for the mosque in their village.

We dont want any trouble here and the Supreme Court asked the mosque to be built on land inside Ayodhya, not here which is about 20km from there, Mohammad Zubair told Al Jazeera.

Over the last few years, an unprecedented sense of alienation and fear has gripped Indias minorities, particularly the Muslims.

The BJP has been reorganising the Indian polity as an authoritarian Hindu nationalist state. Politically, three events  the Ayodhya verdict, revocation of Kashmirs special status and statehood, and the Citizenship Amendment Act  challenged the core foundations of the Indian republic, political scientist Zoya Hasan told Al Jazeera.

The ceremony in Ayodhya openly involving state machinery is a sobering moment, marking the dismantling of the original republic and a signpost of the commencement of a new republic.
Lebanese Foreign Minister Resigns

By VOA News August 03, 2020

Lebanon's foreign minister has resigned.

Nassif Hitti handed in his resignation Monday, warning that the country's financial crisis and its lack of political will to change could pose the biggest threat to the nation since its civil war.

"I took part in this government to work for one boss called Lebanon," Hitti said in a statement, "then I found in my country multiple bosses and contradicting interests. If they do not come together in the interest of rescuing the Lebanese people, God forbid, the ship will sink with everyone on it."

Hitti said Lebanon runs the risk of becoming a "failed state."

The career diplomat became foreign minister in January as part of Prime Minister Hassan Diab's government.

Hitti was reported to be frustrated with Diab's criticism of French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, following the French diplomat's recent visit to Beirut.

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Tropical Storm Isaias is busy letting loose hours away from here, but that doesnt mean central Pennsylvanians wont be getting a taste of what it must feel like to be at the Jersey Shore on Tuesday.

Multiple central Pennsylvania counties are at risk of flash flooding in low-lying and urban areas up until 11 p.m. Anywhere from two to four inches of rain could lash the area, or even up to six closer to the New Jersey border.

Creeks in Dauphin and Lancaster County will be overflowing by the end of Tuesday, according to projections from the National Weather Service. Conestoga Creek in particular could be 13 feet high.

The midstates showers are expected to taper off by 4 p.m., forecasts show. Rain is still a possibility in the evening, but the odds dramatically drop from a 100 to 30 percent chance.

Its safe to say central Pennsylvania will miss most of what Tropical Storm Isaias is capable of.

Forecasters have said Isaias should move out of the Pennsylvania and New Jersey areas by the end of Tuesday. But it is already leaving a lasting effect on numerous counties between central Pennsylvania and southern New Jersey.

The Philadelphia Inquirer said areas outside of the city already flooded as of 9:30 a.m. Chester Creek in Delaware County is at nine-and-a-half feet high at that time, and only needs to reach eight to be at its flood stage, the Inquirer said.

Homes and businesses along a Conshohocken street in Montgomery County were told to evacuate an hour later out of fear of flash flooding, according to the Inquirer. Flash flood warnings are in place for most of the eastern half of the state.

#Isaias poses a significant risk of life-threatening flash and urban flooding from heavy rainfall for areas along and just west of the I-95 corridor through tonight, from northern Virginia into upstate New York. @NWSWPC has the latest forecast at https://t.co/krDhlpZ8LX pic.twitter.com/wNDZ3yecnx  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) August 4, 2020

A tornado was spotted touching down around 9:50 a.m. in Strathmere, New Jersey, according to NJ.com. Storm-related damage was reported in the area and a large tree fell on a house, possible from the twister. A tornado watch is in effect for most of the state until 4 p.m.

PS&G, the states largest utility company, is sending 1,300 crews from 13 states and Canada to New Jersey in preparation for widespread power outages, NJ.com reported.

Tornado damage was also reported late morning in the Doylestown area.

Possible #tornado in Doylestown. This is the parking lot of Doylestown Hospital. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/hUeFwD4LuS  Paul Kurtz (@kurtzpaul) August 4, 2020

That isnt the worst of Isaias, however. At least one person was killed Tuesday when a tornado struck a North Carolina mobile home park, according to The Associated Press. Two others died in the Caribbean.

Tornadoes have been reported in the other parts of the North Carolina, Virginia and Maryland. The Associated Press reported flooding and fires at five Ocean Isle Beach homes.

Tornado watches are in effect until noon Tuesday in Delaware, eastern Maryland and coastal Virginia.

Isaias is barreling up the coast at least 33 mph, according to CNNs meteorologist. They project Boston will get hit between 8 and 11. p.m. with rain and up to 50-mph wind gusts.

READ MORE:

Third time not the charm: Man once bitten by alligator and spider, now attacked by 8-foot shark in Florida Keys

Camp Hill school superintendent announces retirement as district settles on reopening plan

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LONDON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- In the 2020-2021 budget address presented on July 28, the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Dominica, Roosevelt Skerrit, revealed the latest updates on a new health facility that will open on the island. The construction of Dominica's Marigot Hospital will be completed in April, 2021, occupying 55,800 square feet. With a 75-bed capacity, the state-of-the-art hospital will feature an operation theatre, in-patient wards, X-ray services, A&E facilities, ICU, lab services, a dialysis unit, and staff quarters, among other services.

The Citizenship by Investment (CBI) Programme fully funds the construction of the Marigot Hospital. It is part of the Prime Minister's vision to position Dominica as a frontrunner in healthcare services and delivery in the Caribbean. PM Skerrit also said that the government has developed four contemporary and resilient health centres in the past year. Work on eight others has progressed, commenced, or is soon to begin.

The Prime Minister says that the construction of the Marigot Hospital "is progressing at a quick pace", having begun in January 2020. "Another significant feature of the expansion of our health care facilities, system and services, beyond ensuring a more healthy and productive population capable of fully enjoying life, [] is the number of [well] paying jobs that will be created," PM Skerrit said. "It is in this context of new opportunities in the health sector, that the importance of training and upskilling young Dominicans become more apparent, both for their upward social mobility and as a national development strategy."

According to a 2019 report curated by the conglomerate firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Dominica's CBI Programme has helped develop several projects in the country's healthcare sector. PwC highlights the major repairs of three healthcare centres and six hospitals following a hurricane in 2017 were highlighted. The Programme also sponsored 16 children to get critical medical treatment abroad between 2017 and 2018.

The CBI Index  a report published by the Financial Times' Professional Wealth Management magazine  noted Dominica as the best country for citizenship by investment for the past three years. Individuals applying to Dominica's CBI Programme can make a US$100,000 starting contribution through the Economic Diversification Fund (EDF) which supports public and private projects such as healthcare. Alternatively, they can make a minimum US$200,000 investment in a government-approved real estate project.

Contact:

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Bhadohi, Aug 4 : Two brothers were electrocuted in Uttar Pradesh's Bhadohi district after they came in contact with a livewire connected to a water pump at their home.

The incident took place on Monday in Raraspur village in the Dhaurahara area and the victims have been identified as Nitish, 21, and Ritik, 19.

Their younger brother Roshan, 12, also sustained injuries.

According to reports, the three were getting ready to celebrate Raksha Bandhan.

The police said that they received an electric shock as the wire came in contact with water spread on the floor in an under-construction portion of their house.

They were taken to a hospital where they were declared brought dead.

The third brother is now out of danger.
All In Credit Union recently demonstrated its thanks for essential workers by participating in the Credit Unions Care Challenge. Following donations to local organizations by All In Credit Union employees, All In received donations from the Southeastern Credit Union Foundation to continue its support of local businesses.

Senior Vice President of Member Experience for All In Credit Union Lisa Hales said, Giving back to the community is a core value of our organization, which is why the Credit Unions Care Challenge was a cause we wanted to support. In doing so, our employees had the opportunity to effectively help us distribute funds in meaningful ways to those on the front lines."

Employees chose to use the money to purchase food, merchandise or other items from their favorite local businesses. Some branch locations decided as a whole to donate the funds to local organizations or by buying lunch for their staff. All In donated $8,750. Local organizations that received donations are listed as follows:
(Newser)  The Swedish government vowed Tuesday to find the perpetrators of a drive-by shooting that killed a 12-year-old girl in what authorities said appears to be the latest violence from suburban feuds between criminal gangs fighting over territory. "If we don't stop the new recruitment of young people into the criminal circles, harsh measures will not mean anything," Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg told Swedish broadcaster SVT, per the AP. He called the girl's death in southern Stockholm County "terribly tragic." No arrests have been made. "You feel a great anger toward the criminal gangs who show no empathy because their shootings affect others," Damberg said. "The police are now making great efforts in the murder hunt."

story continues below

Sweden has seen a rise in organized-crime activity in recent years. Several gang-related shootings have taken place in the country's three major cities: Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmo. Justice Minister Morgan Johansson promised "more police and harsher sentences," and he told Swedish news agency TT on Monday that he felt "disgust" over the shooting. The girl was shot late Sunday at a parking lot in the municipality of Botkyrka, which is a popular hangout for teenagers. Swedish media say investigators think the gunfire that killed her was intended for two men with ties to a criminal gang.

(Read more Sweden stories.)
The Myelodysplastic Syndromes Group of Josep Carreras Leukaemia Research Institute, led by Dr. Francesc Sole, has participated in the first international study that confirms that having two mutated copies of the TP53 gene, as opposed to a single mutated copy, is associated with a worse prognosis in patients diagnosed with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS).

This study, published in the prestigious scientific journal Nature Medicine, has been conducted by researchers from the Memorial Sloan Kettering in the USA, involving 25 research centers in 12 countries and has been supervised by the international working group for the prognosis of MDS, whose aim is to develop new international guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. This is a preliminary result in order to define a prognostic score based on molecular changes.

Considered the "guardian of the genome," TP53 is the most commonly mutated gene in cancer. The normal function of TP53 is to detect DNA damages and prevent cells from passing this damage to daughter cells. When TP53 is mutated, the protein resulting from this gene (called p53) can no longer perform this protective function and a cancer may be the result. In most cancers, TP53 mutations are associated with a worse prognosis, such as disease relapse, poor response to treatments and shorter survival.

TP53 exists in duplicate in each of our cells, just like all other genes: one copy from our mother and one copy from our father. Until now, it was not clear whether a mutation of a single copy of TP53 was enough to cause a worse prognosis of the disease, or whether mutations in both copies were necessary.

This study has confirmed for the first time that having the two mutated copies of the TP53 gene is associated with worse results for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), a group of blood cancers whose common characteristic is that the stem cells in the bone marrow, in charge of manufacturing all the blood cells, have a defect that makes them produce abnormal cells, unable to perform their usual functions, and in a lower quantity.

Dr. Sole, leader of the Josep Carreras Institute's Myelodysplastic Syndromes group, member of the Spanish Myelodysplastic Syndromes Group (GESMD) and member of the international working group for the prognosis of MDS, explains: "From the Josep Carreras Institute we have actively participated by providing more than a hundred samples from patients with the diagnosis of MDS, in the comparative analysis of cytogenetic (karyotype) results versus those obtained by mass sequencing, and in the final discussion of the findings obtained. The results of this study will allow a great advance in the diagnosis and treatment of myelodysplastic syndromes. Current guidelines do not consider genomic data, such as the mutational status of TP53 and other genes to assess prognosis in patients with MDS or to determine appropriate treatment for this disease. However, studies like this show that we should include this information to improve the diagnosis and treatment of patients".

By using new computational methods in a serie of 4,444 patients with MDS, the researchers found that a third of the patients with TP53 mutations had only a mutated copy of this gene. These patients had similar results to patients who did not have a TP53 mutation, that is to say good response to treatment, low rates of disease progression and long-term survival. However, two-thirds of patients had both mutated copies of TP53 and these patients had worse results, including resistance to treatment, rapid disease progression, and short-term survival.

In fact, the researchers found that the TP53 mutation status (0, 1, or 2 mutated copies of the gene), was the most important variable in predicting the clinical course of the disease.

Given the frequency of TP53 mutations in cancer, these results also advocate to examine the impact of one or two mutations on other types of cancer, both hematologic and solid tumors, and reveal the need of clinical trials specifically designed with these molecular differences.

###
The Jalandhar divisional commissioner will visit Amritsar on Thursday to start the magisterial probe into Punjabs worst-ever hooch tragedy that has claimed 111 lives so far.

Chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh on July 31 had ordered the probe by divisional commissioner Raj Kamal Chaudhary into the deaths due to consumption of spurious liquor in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur districts.

Chaudhary will first hold meetings with the inquiry committee in Amritsar to carry forward the probe.

He said the probe would be to look into all aspects of the tragedy, including the source of the spurious liquor, ingredients used in its preparation and how it was distributed and the role of people or agencies involved.

He also appealed to the general public to share information related to the tragic episode on e-mail div.com.jal@punjab.gov.in.
Doctors warn that a surge in new cases could push the healthcare system to collapse. Stay-at-home orders are now in place for two weeks in Manila and four surrounding provinces in Luzon. Duterte accuses doctors and health care workers of trying to foment revolution. Many people have found themselves stranded in the capital without transport to travel to their hometowns.

Manila (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Tens of millions of people in the Philippines are back under lockdown, after doctors warned that a surge in new coronavirus cases could push the healthcare system to collapse.

Stay-at-home orders are now in place in Manila and four surrounding provinces on the island of Luzon for two weeks. The country only just emerged from one of the strictest lockdowns in June.

Recently, hospitals have been struggling to cope with a five-fold rise in confirmed infections, now surging past 100,000.

The lockdown means a return to stay-at-home orders except for going out to buy essential goods or exercising outdoors. Public transport has also been suspended and domestic flights are grounded, while restaurants are restricted to takeaways.

The new lockdown came after 80 medical associations on Saturday called on President Rodrigo Duterte to toughen restrictions in a bid to slow the spread of the virus.

On Sunday, the Philippines announced a record 5,032 new infections. In some areas hospitals are reported to have been forced to turn away patients.

Doctors hope the reinstated restrictions will now give medical workers more time to deal with the spike in cases.

During Sundays cabinet meeting, President Rodrigo Duterte accused doctors and health care workers of trying to foment revolution, apparently reacting to a protest song from the musical Les Miserables which was recorded and shared online by Dutertes detractors.

While announcing Metro Manilas lockdown, Duterte addressed doctors, saying next time, you can just ask for an audience, he said. Now, if you think that this can be solved by revolution, then by all means, we start it.

One group of doctors wrote an open letter criticising the governments performance and calling for the resignation of Health Secretary Francisco Duque and the former generals who are leading the countrys coronavirus task force.

With only 24 hours of the shutdown, which took effect on Tuesday, many people found themselves stranded in the capital without transport to travel to their hometowns.

"We've run out of money. We can't leave the airport because we don't have any relatives here," Ruel Damaso, a 36-year-old construction worker, told AFP. He was trying to return to the southern city of Zamboanga.

In other parts of Manila people were seen stockpiling food the day before restrictions began as they prepared to stay indoors for a second time.

The earlier shutdown from mid-March to May was one of the world's longest stay-at-home orders.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health reported 854 new coronavirus cases Tuesday, raising the statewide total to 115,009.

Across Pennsylvania, 7,232 deaths have been tied to COVID-19, including 23 new fatalities reported Tuesday. On Monday, the state reported no new fatalities for the first time since March. More than two-thirds of the states coronavirus 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 rising number of cases over the summer. The health department has also focused on the growing number of cases among younger adults, including those 19 to 24 years old.

To be sure, the uptick in cases hasnt approached the high marks in the spring, when the state regularly reported well over 1,000 new infections on a daily basis. But since mid-June, the number of new infections has risen.

On an encouraging note, the number of new cases over the past week has dipped a bit. And its been a week since the state has topped 1,000 new infections in a single day.

The data from the health department shows the number of new cases over the past five weeks.

July 1-7: 4,693 new cases, an average of 670 per day

July 8-14: 5,372 new cases, an average of 767 per day

July 15-21: 6,094 new cases, an average of 870 per day

July 22-28: 6,619 new cases, an average of 945 per day

July 29-Aug. 4: 5,625 new cases, an average of 803 per day

The state has administered 150,145 COVID 19 tests between July 28 and August 3. The health department said 22,579 test results were reported Monday as of 10 p.m. There are 1,156,520 people who have tested negative, according to the health department.

Statewide, 4,922 deaths have occurred in long-term care facilities, including nursing homes and personal care homes, the health department said.

There are 19,694 residents of long-term care facilities who have contracted COVID-19, along with 4,024 employees. A total of 23,718 people in those facilities have been infected, according to state figures.

Cases have been found at 860 facilities in 61 counties.

Across Pennsylvania, 8,403 health care workers have contracted the coronavirus.

About 75 percent of those who have been infected have recovered, according to the health department. The state considers individuals to have recovered when they are 30 days past the point of infection or the onset of symptoms.

The governor continues to stress that its critical to keep the coronavirus under control so schools can open their doors later this month.

School districts across the state are still figuring out their plans for the school year. Some schools are planning to offer in-person classes, while others are choosing hybrid plans where children will go to school on certain days and learn remotely on others.

Some districts, including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Allentown, plan to begin the school year with online education.

Colleges are also preparing for students on campus later this month. Penn State and other universities plan a mix of face-to-face courses and online instruction. Some institutions, such as Dickinson College and West Chester University, are sticking with online courses for the fall.

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UK drug firms are being told to stockpile. Photo: Kirsty O'Connor/PA Images via Getty Images

The UK government is urging drugmakers to stockpile six weeks of medical supplies in the run-up to the end of the Brexit transition period later this year.

The department of health has written to medicine suppliers about mitigating any potential disruption to supply into the UK, including medicines, vaccines, clinical trial supplies and blood and transplant items.

The plea is a stark sign of the scale of the challenges facing the UK as decades of trade ties start to unwind when it leaves the EUs single market, customs union and other smooth trading arrangements from 31 December.

Prime minister Boris Johnson has ruled out extending the transition period, despite negotiations over a new trade deal to replace it making limited progress with time running out. Failure to strike an agreement could result in enormous upheaval, and another round of costly stockpiling by UK organisations is likely in the coming months.

The letter acknowledges a large percentage of medical supplies in Britain come from the EU. It said securing capacity to reroute freight away from potential disruption points at the narrowest part of the English Channel should be the first priority.

READ MORE: UK government warns firms of Brexit crunch

The government is also seeking to secure capacity itself to support the health and social care sector, and already has capacity for urgent movement of medicines and medical products.

The letter, published alongside updated guidance, says holding additional stock in the UK provides a further buffer against some disruption, and is a valuable part of contingency plans.

We recognise that global supply chains are under significant pressure, exacerbated by recent events with COVID-19, it said.

However, we encourage companies to make stockpiling a key part of contingency plans, and ask industry, where possible, to stockpile to a target level of 6 weeks total stock on UK soil.

A survey by the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) last week found three-quarters of firms were concerned about a further economic shock if no trade agreement is struck with the EU. Preparations at many firms have stalled or even gone into reverse as they struggle to cope with the pandemic.

Story continues

READ MORE: UK launches adverts to alert holidaymakers of post-Brexit changes

CBI director-general Carolyn Fairbairn said at the time most firms had neither the time nor the resources to plan properly for yet more disruption.

While many larger firms have long had plans in place for a no-deal outcome, smaller firms will struggle to cope with a double dose of disruption.

Businesses on both sides are desperate for a deal that protects their economies at this most precarious of times, she said.
DENVER, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EmergeCounsel Founder, Steve Weigler, an attorney focused on protection of brands and other intellectual property and business interests, will make a guest appearance on the popular beauty podcast, Where Brains Meet Beauty. The podcast is set to go live, on Wednesday, August 5th, and can be accessed for free on most podcast platforms.

EmergeCounsel Founder, Steve Weigler. Steve Weigler (left) and Jodi Katz (right) discuss brand protection.

The podcast is hosted by Jodi Katz, a beauty marketing expert, and the Founder and Creative Director of BASE Beauty Creative Agency located in New York City. Weigler explains, "Although we have entirely separate professions, Jodi and I both help entrepreneurial beauty businesses build and protect their brand assets. We also have a lot of experience in both enterprise and growth stage business environments, and now we both essentially consult with entrepreneurs on building business assets. So, it was a really natural and organic conversation in part because our professional synergies are so obvious."

"While our podcast is rooted in the beauty and wellness industries, it dives deep into the career journey of our guests," adds Katz. "Our listeners value this content because it gives them an intimate look behind-the-scenes in building brands. I love our alignment with EmergeCounsel because all brands in any stage of growth need trustworthy intellectual property expertise. Every one of our listeners can benefit from Steve's advice."

Listeners can anticipate an authentic interview, focusing on highlights from Weigler's career journey and how those reflections might apply to any entrepreneur's own lives and businesses.

To access the podcast at no charge, visit: wherebrainsmeetbeauty.com, or search for it on iTunes, Google Play and TuneIn Radio. For more information on guests and updates on the podcast series, follow @wherebrainsmeetbeautypodcast.

About EmergeCounsel: EmergeCounsel is a worldwide law firm, focusing in the area of protection of intellectual property and business assets. For more information, visit www.emergecounsel.com

About Where Brains Meet Beauty Podcast: Where Brains Meet Beauty Podcast is a top-rated career journey podcast featuring the influential people who make the beauty and wellness industries dynamic and exciting.

Note to editors: Interviews and photo opportunities are available. Steve Weigler, Founder of EmergeCounsel is available for guest appearances on law related segments, or other relevant media opportunities.

Contact: Amber VandenHout

Phone: 888-Emerge0

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.emergecounsel.com

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The Tomball City Council unanimously approved terminating the lease of land where the Texas Railroading Heritage Museum was planned to be at the request of the museum board.

City Manager Rob Hauck said he had talked to Bill Capdevielle, THRM President, who made the request, as they no longer consider the project viable.

Company picks Tomball for new headquarters: JDR Cable Systems begins building facility

Theyre incredibly appreciative of the city of Tomball and the work we have done to try to make this a reality, from purchasing property and planning to assisting with the county and so on, but theyve come to the determination that it is just simply not a viable project, Hauck said.

Council Member Lori Klein Quinn said she was disappointed that the museum couldnt happen, and said it was a loss for the city.

Capdevielle called the lease termination a difficult decision but said the museum board was rapidly running out of the funds required to store the rail cars where they are now and said BNSF, who owns the railroad, could not be convinced to move the trains to a storage place north of Tomball without a building.

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We had three to four months to come up with $3.5 million and we couldnt do it, Capdevielle said. The railcars are gonna go to other museums or the scrapyard if we dont find a place real soon to store them.

The nonprofit was established in 2011 by the Gulf Coast Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society to create the museum, the museum website states, featuring items from the regions railroading history, including the vintage railcars currently being stored.

The City of Tomball made an agreement with the chapter in 2015 for the museum to be built next to the Tomball Depot Museum, including a 14,000-square-foot museum and education building, a shed structure to cover the railcar area and more than 3,200 square feet of track for the vintage railcars.

THRMs agreement with the city stipulated an annual $1 lease for the land where the museum would be, with Harris County funding the design of the sites drainage plan up to $65,000.

Capdevielle said there would be a board meeting Thursday night with the Gulf Coast Chapter to determine the fate of the rail cars and the museum.

In the meantime, Capdevielle said TRHM is still looking for a new location for the museum in the city of Houston, and donations to help start over.

We do want people to know that we are looking for a place to land on our feet and hit the deck running, he said. I think the efforts in Tomball were a bit parochial and didnt involve Houston enough, and I think its desirable to start letting Houston know whats going on.

Its a very unfortunate circumstance, he said. We were all very excited about the museum, the Tomball location, the work the design team and the architect did. We spent a lot of money getting to this point and we sort of felt like we got the rug pulled out from under us.

The land where the museum was to be built is owned by the city by the railroad depot in Old Town. Hauck said one possible use for the land now could be additional parking or usable space for the depot itself, but not a lot of discussion has gone into it yet.

paul.wedding@hcnonline.com
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:

Central banks of Uzbekistan and Russia will cooperate on countering computer attacks, Trend reports with reference to Central Bank of Uzbekistan.

A corresponding memorandum of understanding was signed between the Central Bank of Uzbekistan and the Central Bank of Russia.

The document envisages organizing interaction between the central banks of the two countries aimed at preventing and detecting computer attacks in banking telecommunication systems, creating conditions for their suppression and improving information security of the parties.

Cooperation in the field of counteracting computer attacks will contribute to the development of forecasts of information security threats in the banking system and increase the effectiveness of preventive strategies, identification of the causes of computer attacks, response to them and fulfilling other tasks related to elimination of their consequences, the message said.

---

Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini
MEXICO CITY, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Mexican cement producer Cemex SAB de CV said on Monday that it closed the sale of assets in the United Kingdom to Breedon Group for $230 million, including some $30 million of debt.

Proceeds from the divestment will be used for debt reduction and general corporate purposes, Cemex said in a statement, without providing details on what assets were divested.

"With the closing of this transaction, CEMEX has met its stated asset sales target of between $1.5 billion and $2.0 billion," under a plan that runs from June 2018 until the end of 2020, it said.

CEMEX said it remains committed to the United Kingdom and maintains a significant footprint in "key geographies".

Monterrey-based Cemex, which operates in more than 50 countries, said this year it was delaying capital expenditure and cutting a percentage of employees' salaries or allowances for a period of three months to cut costs amid the coronavirus crisis. (Reporting by Anthony Esposito; editing by Jason Neely)
You are here: China

Beijing has seen good results since garbage sorting began to be implemented three months ago, with more waste classified as kitchen trash, authorities said Monday.

The daily amount of household kitchen garbage in July stood at 1,764 tonnes, 470 percent higher than the daily average in late April in the city, said Zhang Yan, deputy director of the city's commission of urban management.

Meanwhile, the daily amount of other waste -- the trash besides the categories of kitchen, recyclable and hazardous -- dropped 26 percent year on year to 19,960 tonnes in July, Zhang said at a press conference.

According to Zhang, Beijing has 44 household waste treatment facilities, with a total designed treatment capacity of 32,711 tonnes per day.

Starting May 1, Beijing joined a club of Chinese cities to carry out mandatory garbage sorting in fresh efforts to protect the environment.

With the city's newly-revised household waste regulation taking effect, Beijing requires people to classify household waste into four categories: kitchen, recyclable, hazardous and other waste.

Wen Tianwu, deputy chief of the municipal comprehensive law-enforcing bureau of city administration, said by the end of July, nearly 7,000 violations related to household garbage classification had been investigated and penalized.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday used Indias statistics on testing coronavirus disease to defend his handling of the Covid-19 epidemic in the United States and said that the former country is having a tremendous problem battling the disease.

The US president brought up Indias Covid-19 tests, as he has many times before, his administrations better testing record as he battles widespread criticism of his handling of the epidemic, marked by abject denial of the threat, underplaying the magnitude of the crisis and being dismissive of social distancing norms advocated his own public health officials and member his of task force.

India has 1.4 billion people, they have 11 million tests, he said, to contrast the 60 million tests in the United States with a population of 330 million.

I think were doing very well. I think that we have done as well as any nation. If you really look, if you take a look at whats going on, especially now with all these flare ups and nations that they were talking about, Trump said.

Statistically, the United States has conducted most Covid-19 tests but experts suggest that it should carry out more tests as the country has already clocked 4.7 million infections and 155,000 fatalities, a quarter of the global count.

The president has used either outdated numbers of Indian testing. India had conducted nearly 18 million tests by July 28, when the Axios interview was recorded, according to the Indian Council of Medical Research, the official tracker. The 20 million mark was crossed on Sunday.

Trump had used the same figures  of 60 million for the US and 11 million for India  at a news briefing last Friday, which did not tally what the White House said later. In a statement issued in support of Trumps claims of better testing, the White House had said, India has a population more than four times as large as the United States, but has only conducted around one-third of the number of tests.

In a periodic attack, the president also attacked China for the epidemic. This was sent to us by China, one way or the other, he said of the virus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China last December. And we are never going to forget it. believe me, we are never going to forget it.

Trump brought up India-China clashes to show he takes his intelligence briefings  called the Presidents Daily Brief (PBD)  seriously, and that he reads them and, he insisted, comprehends them better than a lot of people.

The interviewer had asked about it in the context of information that was reported to have been cited in a February PBD that Russians were offering bounty to Taliban fighters for killing American forces in Afghanistan. Trump has insisted that information never reached him, and also that it was based on dubious intelligence.
President Trump has had a close alliance with Kris Kobach, pictured here in 2016 when he was Kansas secretary of state, but the conservative firebrand has been opposed by the GOP establishment in his 2020 bid for the Senate. (Carolyn Kaster / Associated Press)

President Trump has transformed the Republican Party over the last four years, but now, with his reelection in doubt, Republicans have begun to sharply divide on whether those changes will  or should  outlast his presidency.

Old Guard Republicans acknowledge that there is no going back to the pre-Trump status quo, but see a political opening to steer the party away from Trumpism. At the same time, Trumps allies have started to jockey for primacy in a potential post-Trump party.

Those tensions have already begun to have an impact on legislation, leadership power struggles and campaign strategy in Congress and across the country.

In two Senate GOP primaries this week, Trump allies have been facing stiff challenges  from the right in Tennessee and the center in Kansas.

Divisions have surfaced among congressional Republicans over how to handle the next installment of COVID-19 relief funding, with many of the splits directly related to jockeying over the party's future.

And after years of nearly unbroken fealty to the president, Republicans have increasingly defied Trumps wishes on issues, including his proposal for a payroll tax cut, funding for a new FBI building  and most resoundingly, his suggestion of a possible delay of election day, which Republican leaders in the House and Senate rebuffed.

This is a party that knows its going to get beaten and get beaten badly, said Peter Wehner, a Trump critic and former White House advisor to President George W. Bush. Intra-party turmoil, attacks on each other, the language gets super-heated.

Still, Trump loyalists remain on guard against apostasy. Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, a rising GOP star critical of the president on some issues, recently came under fire from a back-bencher who called for her to be booted from the House leadership.

Anti-Trump Republicans are fighting back in the 2020 campaign by forming political groups dedicated to keeping Trump from being reelected.

But they face formidable hurdles in rolling back the broader changes Trump has wrought because the voting base of the GOP has been transformed. Country-club Republicanism has been routed, eclipsed by an influx of blue-collar populists who care more about cutting immigration than traditional GOP issues such as deregulation or free trade. At the same time, Trump has alienated many suburban voters who once were mainstays of the party.

Story continues

Thats why many Republicans  both Trump supporters and his opponents  believe his influence will persist even if his presidency does not.

Donald Trump will have as big an impact on the profile of the Republican Party as Ronald Reagan did, said Kevin Madden, a veteran of several GOP presidential campaigns including Mitt Romneys in 2012, who has since left the party.

This party and how it wages battles on issues, with the media and with Democrats will be led by him for the foreseeable future.

The biggest fight within the party may be over who can claim to be Trumps heir.

Whether he wins or loses in 2020, youre going to see a contest between people trying to carry the mantle of Trumpism, said Andy Surabian, a former Trump aide who now advises the presidents son Donald Trump Jr.

He is going to be the most influential Republican figure, whether he wins or loses," said Surabian. Youre not going to see a pro-amnesty, pro-foreign-intervention, pro-unrestricted trade Republican get the nomination for president in 2024.

The battle over the post-Trump shape of the party will be waged in part on Capitol Hill, where Trump has remade the GOP by sweeping in a new generation of more populist, nationalist Republican legislators, while driving out more traditional Republicans and those who crossed him. One-third of the Houses 198 Republican members were elected since 2016, most on Trumps agenda and coattails, and many will stay in Washington long after Trump leaves.

Senate primaries continue to be feuds over which Republican will be the presidents most loyal ally, and Trump has often bragged about his ability to carry GOP candidates to primary victories. But the campaigns for this weeks primaries in Tennessee and Kansas showed signs of Trumps weakening grip.

In Tennessee, where Republicans on Thursday are choosing a nominee to succeed GOP Sen. Lamar Alexander, who is retiring, the candidate endorsed by Trump is not a shoo-in. Trumps former ambassador to Japan, Bill Hagerty, is meeting a spirited challenge from the right from Manny Sethi, a surgeon who has been endorsed by conservative stalwarts like Sens. Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky and Jim DeMint, a former senator and head of the conservative Heritage Foundation.

In Kansas, longtime Trump ally Kris Kobach  a polarizing conservative who lost his 2018 gubernatorial bid  lost again in Tuesdays GOP primary for the seat now held by retiring GOP Sen. Pat Roberts.

The GOP establishment  including the U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Senate Leadership Fund, which is allied with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky  backed a rival they believe is less divisive, Rep. Roger Marshall, because they feared Kobach would lose the Senate general election.

Trump did not endorse either, despite pressure from GOP leaders for him to back Marshall.

The partys split from its Old Guard past is illustrated in both primaries, as Republicans seized a new weapon for demonizing their rivals: Linking them to Romney, the only Republican senator to vote against Trump in his impeachment trial.

In Kansas, the Club for Growth, a conservative political group, has aired ads calling Marshall a friend of never-Trump politicians like Mitt Romney. In Tennessee, Hagerty has had to defend his service as Romneys finance chair in the 2012 campaign.

On Capitol Hill, intraparty warfare broke out recently when Cheney, No. 3 leader of the House GOP, came under attack from members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus for, among other things, her criticism of Trumps foreign policy and his handling of the coronavirus crisis.

Cheney, daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, poked Trump for his refusal to wear a mask to prevent the diseases spread by tweeting a photo of her father wearing one, with the hashtag #realmenwearmasks.

Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, a Trump ally, tweeted after a closed-door confrontation, Liz Cheney has worked behind the scenes (and now in public) against @realDonaldTrump and his agenda. House Republicans deserve better as our Conference Chair. Liz Cheney should step down or be removed #MAGA."

Cheney has supported Trump on most issues, and the call to oust her fizzled.

Michael Steel, a former aide to House Speaker John Boehner, said Cheneys attackers kicked off a new front in the fight to define the future of the Republican Party in the post-Trump era, an era they clearly worry will begin quite soon. 

Writing for the Dispatch, a conservative website, Steel called Cheney a back to the future option for the future of the party  advocating a return to fiscal responsibility, an assertive foreign policy, and competence. And there are many who agree with her.

In the Senate, the divisions among Republicans have worsened the stalemate over the next package of economic relief for the damage caused by COVID-19.

One hallmark of Trumpism is the president's lack of concern about the ballooning federal budget deficit. Republicans have mostly gone along, abandoning their past embrace  at least rhetorically  of fiscal conservatism.

Now, in a sign of Trumps weakened position on the Hill, some Republicans with presidential ambitions like Sens. Josh Hawley of Missouri and Cruz have begun complaining about growing costs  despite the risk that a delayed or smaller relief package might pose to Republicans in tough reelection fights this year.

Trump has had little hand in shaping the package so far, leaving negotiations to his top aides. When he has weighed in, he has been slapped down by fellow Republicans, such as when he proposed a payroll tax cut and when his administration pushed unrelated funding for construction of an FBI headquarters in downtown Washington, D.C., across the street from the hotel Trump owns.

If Trump wins in 2020, he will have another four years to cement the changes he has wrought in the GOP. If he loses, Republicans reaction will hinge largely on how big and decisive his defeat is. Short of a landslide, however, it is unlikely that Trumps influence on the party will vanish, Republicans on both sides say.

Tim Miller, an anti-Trump Republican who worked for Jeb Bush in the 2016 presidential election, said Trump is not likely to follow the lead of President George W. Bush, who retreated to private life and hobbies on his Texas ranch after leaving the White House.

Hes going to be tweeting. Hell have his own network, Miller said. He is not the type to go to Midland and paint.
When University of Alberta sociologist Michelle Maroto came across a Toronto Star article about an Ontario woman struggling to make ends meet while battling Type 1 diabetes, she knew the story was just the tip of the iceberg.

Anna Costa was juggling four low-paying jobs without benefits, and after paying more than $300 per month for insulin and blood tests in addition to rent and groceries, she had little left for savings.

Costa was grateful for the Ontario Works benefits she received from the provincial government. But as with so many living with disabilities across Canada, argues Maroto, provincial and federal assistance programs fall short of compensating them for their financial disadvantage.

"You don't necessarily have a lot of employment income, and what you get from the government isn't that much, so just getting by is really hard, and you probably don't have much to put aside for savings, which really affects economic security," said Maroto.

In a recent study published in the Canadian Review of Sociology, Maroto and University of Toronto sociologist David Pettinicchio examined data from the Canadian Survey of Financial Security between 1999 and 2012. They found that people with disabilities, or who have spouses with disabilities, held 25 percent less in assets on average, not including housing assets.

That means they are less able to save for hard times or retirement. And according to Statistics Canada, 22 percent of Canadians, or 6.2 million people, have at least one disability. At least 1.6 million are "unable to afford required aids, devices or prescription medications due to cost."

"Even in a place that has universal health care, disability can be expensive," said Maroto. "There are extra costsprescriptions, types of accommodationsthat can affect people's ability to accumulate wealth."

Housing assets weren't included in her assessment because it's a different type of wealth that doesn't help those living from paycheck to paycheck, she explained.

"Generally, if you're in a tough situationif you lose your job or your incomeit's harder to access that wealth."

Lower employment rates

In a second analysis, Maroto and Pettinicchio examined the influence of employment and education on wealth.

"We know that people with disabilities have limited employment opportunities. So we looked to see whether or not the fact that disability is related to employment also affects wealth, and we found that it definitely does."

Canadians with disabilities have employment rates almost 40 percent lower than the general population and "are much more likely to experience poverty," said Maroto.

"When they do work, they are more likely to be segregated into lowpaying jobs."

She said there are government programs designed to help cover the gap, such as the Registered Disability Savings Plan, whereby the federal government provides matching savings contributions for individuals who qualify for the Disability Tax Credit (DTC).

But this plan doesn't account for those who "don't have money to put aside to begin with," she said, adding that "savings cannot be accessed for a period of 10 years, and individuals who lose their DTC qualification also stand to lose any prior matching contributions."

Access to credit is often another crucial factor in getting ahead financially, she said, one not always available to those with disabilities.

"Generally, you need to borrow to build wealth, and it appears there are some barriers for people with disabilities to access the credit market. These disparities may be the result of attitudinal barriers that people with disabilities face, including biases and discrimination."

What the study highlights, said Maroto, is the importance of savings or other assets beyond income to one's financial security, especially for those who are one paycheck away from real financial hardship.

"Having a bank account, owning our home or having those extra assets gives us that extra stability, especially when the economy is not doing so well," she said.

COVID-19 cutting into savings, adding to debt

Sociologists Michelle Maroto and David Pettinicchio expanded their research to study how COVID-19 has affected people with disabilities and chronic health conditions in Canada.

Initial results from an online survey of 1,027 respondents show the pandemic has limited respondents' abilities to prepare for future financial emergencies. Almost two-thirds of respondents reported struggling to save money during the pandemic, 36 percent have had to dip into their savings to make ends meet and 39 percent have added to their credit card debt since the pandemic began.

The findings indicate experiences of economic insecurity are likely growing among vulnerable groups, say the researchers.
The Black Lives Matter movement has had significant wins in recent months. Municipalities have removed statues of racists, corporations have changed branding that reinforced racial stereotypes, schools have cut ties with police forces and cities have reduced police funding.

But too often, politicians, celebrities and community leaders who applaud the protesters for these victories are quick to follow up by asserting, like Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms of Atlanta, that voting would be the most effective response, the deepest payback for George Floyds death  or that there is no greater form of protest than voting, as Lisa Deeley, chair of the Philadelphia City Commissioners, put it.

Ive led movements for most of my adult life and have heard similar misguided refrains far too many times. The truth is voting is an honorable act that many movements use as a tactic. But the popular message that its the only real source of power misleads the public about how social change happens and stifles the energy required to bring about the change we need.

Instead of suggesting that participation in movements is inferior to voting, people with influence should educate themselves and the public about the often hidden role of social movements in achieving change in this country.
President Trump on Monday claimed he has the authority to issue an executive order addressing the widespread use of mail-in ballots, which he has argued serves as a breeding ground for voter fraud and puts the integrity of the presidential election at risk.

I have the right to do it, Trump said during a news briefing on the coronavirus pandemic at the White House. We havent got there yet, but well see what happens.

Trump did not expand on what an executive order addressing voting by mail would involve. A presidential order attempting to curb voting by mail would likely face legal challenges from voting rights groups.

Democrats have pushed for voting by mail to protect voters from having to leave their homes to vote, possibly exposing themselves to the coronavirus. More than a dozen states either delayed their primary elections or expanded voting by mail as the pandemic continued.

In June, California Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill requiring that a mail-in ballot be sent to every registered voter in the state for the presidential election in November. State law requires that in-person voting remain available.

Mail ballots have resulted in several recent instances of fraud, including the coercion of elderly voters in Texas and a ballot-harvesting scheme in North Carolina during the 2018 midterms that caused GOP congressional candidate Mark Harriss victory to be voided. In California, cases have cropped up in which dozens of ballots were sent to the same person, or a ballot was sent to an undocumented immigrant who had never registered to vote.

Trump also pledged Monday to sue over Nevadas attempt to send mail-in ballots to all active voters.

Spurred by coronavirus concerns, at least 42 states as well as the District of Columbia will allow voters to vote using absentee ballots without an excuse.

More from National Review
ALBANY  The end of a statewide moratorium on evictions will move thousands of local renters closer to homelessness, housing and legal advocates say.

The Tenant Safe Harbor Act, signed into law by Gov. Andrew Cuomo on June 30, prohibits courts from evicting residential tenants who experience financial hardship due to COVID-19. The courts may still award the landlord a judgment for the back rent, but the landlord can't evict the tenant. An eviction moratorium put in place by the state to protect tenants during COVID-19 expires Wednesday. That, on top of the recent expiration of a federal supplemental unemployment payment, could create an even more dire situation for many who are behind in rent.

Robert R. Romaker, a managing attorney at the Legal Aid Society of Northeastern NY, said calls from tenants for help fighting an eviction are ticking up, although the housing specialists at the nonprofit have yet to appear at many court hearings, he said. Expanded tenant-protection laws crafted in 2019 require a 14-day notice before a landlord can start a court case for non-payment, and tenants who notify the court they will fight the case have a right to a 14-day adjournment before trial.

But Romaker warned of a perfect storm: Many businesses are still closed or operating at a lower capacity than before the pandemic hit, which means unemployment is still high, and the supplemental unemployment payments of $600 per week ended on July 31.

The moratorium stranded landlords, who couldn't move forward with evictions that started before the pandemic. Deborah Pusatere, president of the New York Capital Region Apartment Association, said she has been in court to evict a tenant who did not keep court-mandated payment arrangements made in January; next week, Pusatere will return to court with tenants who haven't paid rent since before the pandemic. Overall, local tenants have seen as many as 40 percent of their tenants fail to pay rent this year.

Laura Felts, executive director of United Tenants of Albany, is trying to figure out how her staff will help at-risk tenants when some are not yet open and others limit the number of people who can be in the courtroom. Felts said she made sure UTA staff can participate in proceedings conducted via video conference, but she's worried.

"If it's not safe to be in a courtroom, why is it safe to make people homeless?" Felts said Tuesday.

Both Legal Aid and the UTA have been using the past four months to apply for new grants to help those in need. Felts now has $450,000 ready to go for emergency rental assistance  up from $66,000 last year  and expects the UTA budget to triple in 2021 due to additional grant funding.

She worries the money will go quickly. "Thousands of people couldn't make rent before (the pandemic)  5,000 households per year were petitioned by the court for eviction when things were normal," Felts said.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Romaker said the lawyers he supervises have been hearing from people whose landlords are trying other ways to force their tenants out, even though the practice, called "self-help" evictions, is illegal. Strategies include changing the locks, terminating utilities to the apartment, sending harassing texts, calls and emails, and calling code enforcement to inspect the apartment in hopes it will be found unfit for habitation and the tenants will have to leave.

Legal Aid has between six and seven lawyers dedicated to housing cases, and draws in private attorneys to take on others.

Still, Felts said, the tenant has to know these defenses are available to them  and only 5 percent of tenants who need legal help in civil cases get it, Romaker said.

"We realize that most likely our staff is not going to be able to beat back even the majority of the evictions," Romaker said.

Correction: An earlier version of this story stated the Tenant Safe Harbor Act, not the eviction moratorium, was going to end Wednesday, Aug. 5.
The National Communications Officer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Sammy Gyamfi says there is copious evidence which suggests President Akufo-Addo is using the Military to harass, intimidate and denying the people of Banda in the Bono Region from registering for the voter ID.

This is a well-calculated scheme by President Akufo-Addo, the NPP in collaboration with some men in uniform to terrorize innocent persons and prevent them from registering and there is ample evidence to that effect, said Sammy Gyamfi on Eyewitness News.

Videos circulating on social media had shown a number of military personnel questioning registrants at a particular registration centre, while preventing others from registering for their voters' ID card in Banda.

Describing the move as unlawful, Mr. Gyamfi posited that there is no law empowering either the NDC or New Patriotic Party (NPP) to deploy military officers to registration centres.

We are saying that it is not lawful and proper. Under our electoral laws, where a person decides to register is determined by where he is ordinarily resident and not his tribe and also under our laws, the military does not have any right or authority to prevent anyone from registering.

No peace accord has conferred on them that non-existent right and they cannot hide behind the so-called peace accord or REGSEC to prevent eligible voters from registering. There is no such agreement between the NPP and the NDC that military men can form or invade voter registration centres and check the citizenship of persons in a queue waiting to register, Mr. Gyamfi argued.

Mr. Gyamfis comment follows the General Secretary of NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketiahs call on the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to immediately withdraw armed officers from registration centres at Banda.

Asiedu Nketia said the presence of armed personnel had prevented some Ghanaians from registering for their voters ID card, a development he believes will disenfranchise some Ghanaians in Banda.

The National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama and the Adontenhene of Bongase Community in the Banda District of the Bono Region, Nana Yakubu have also condemned the deployment of military into the community.

While Mr Mahama described the actions of the government as dangerous in a statement, Nana Yakubu said these happenings are preventing some fisherfolk from participating in the registration exercise in the community and leading to tension in the town.

---citinewsroom
He has jetted to Marbella for a change of scene after his break-up with Gemma Collins.

And James Argent put on an animated display during an evening out with his ex Lydia Bright's younger sister Romana, 17, and a pal.

The former TOWIE star, 32, looked in the party spirit as he threw his hands in the air while the trio walked through a car park.

Having fun: James Argent put on an animated display during an evening out with his ex Lydia Bright's younger sister Romana, 17, and a pal in Marbella

Arg, who has lost five stone since giving up drink and drugs in January, cut a casual figure in black shorts and a polo shirt.

He teamed the look with red loafers. Romana, meanwhile, looked stylish in a white blazer, a white lace crop top and a grey miniskirt.

The pair have been good friends ever since Arg dated Lydia on-and-off for seven years before eventually ending their relationship in 2016.

Casually-clad: Arg, who has lost five stone since giving up drink and drugs in January, cut a casual figure in black shorts and a polo shirt

Best of friends: The pair have been good friends ever since Arg dated Lydia on-and-off for seven years before eventually ending their relationship in 2016

The night out comes after James and his recent ex Gemma ended their relationship in July after she revealed a string of abusive messages, purportedly sent to her by the TV personality prior to their split.

It's understood James had made derogatory remarks abut her weight after she suggested that he had bought another woman dinner.

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

Clearly riled, the blonde said: 'And the woman that saved your life has to pay for herself!!!' Her next message was masked, but her now-ex responded: 'You are supposed to be treating me you hippo.'

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

It's all over: Arg has jetted to Marbella for a change of scene after his break-up with Gemma Collins, who has flown to Mykonos

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

The self-proclaimed diva has decided to take some time off social media, citing she was 'devastated' and 'heartbroken' by the exchange.

However after returning to the UK from her own Tenerife getaway, Gemma apologised to her former beau for releasing the messages.

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

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

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

It's been a tough year for Argent, with him recently admitting that he is a cocaine addict and that he had overdosed twice last year before hitting rock bottom over Christmas and calling his friend and former co-star Mark Wright for help.

He checked himself into a 10-week bootcamp at The River rehab facility in Thailand earlier this year where he kicked his habit and lost five stone in the process.
Chinese vessels swarming, Ecuador rushes to protect the Galapagos

by Christian Molinari

August 04,2020 | Source: SeafoodSource

Ecuador is trying to protect parts of the Galpagos Marine Reserve in the wake of the arrival of hundreds of mainly Chinese fishing ships that are set up in international waters near the countrys exclusive economic zone.



We will work in a regional position to defend and protect the exclusive economic zone around the Galapagos Marine Reserve, one of the richest fishing areas and a hotbed of life for the entire planet, Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno posted on his Twitter account, followed with the hashtag #SOSGalapagos.



Moreno followed that tweet with news that he had created a public-private team  comprised of the recently appointed Foreign Affairs Minister Luis Gallegos, past WWF President and former Environment Minister Yolanda Kakabadse, and ecologist and former Quito mayor Roque Sevilla, among other specialists  charged with designing a protection strategy for the Galapagos Islands and respect for its maritime resources. The archipelago, bursting with marine life and unique flora and fauna, inspired Charles Darwins theory of evolution and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1978.



A fleet of some 260 fishing ships, most Chinese-flagged, has been set up for about the last three weeks in international waters just outside a 188-mile wide exclusive economic zone around the Galapagos.



This fleets size and aggressiveness against marine species is a big threat to the balance of species in the Galapagos, Kakabadse told the Guardian.



Tensions that were already high climbed a few notches after an adult whale shark, which is part of a satellite tracking program, stopped transmitting its location in the Galapagos area. Although there is no evidence that the animal was caught by the Chinese fleet, national authorities have said that it is too coincidental that the signal was lost at the same time the ships arrived at the site of its disappearance.



Ecuador Foreign Minister Luis Gallegos said in a statement the ministry had already contacted Beijing to advise Chinese authorities that Ecuador will defend its maritime rights. The ministry has undertaken consultations with other Latin American countries that border the Pacific Ocean, namely Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Peru, to advance joint solutions and intensify diplomatic actions aimed at combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the region.



Nevertheless, Inty Grnneberg  ambassador for the environment and bio-economy at Ecuadors Ministry of Environment and winner of the MIT Technological Reviews Inventor of the Year Lat-Am award in 2018 for having created turbines capable of removing and storing up to 80 tons per day of plastic waste found in rivers and seas  says that meeting with other countries is simply not enough.



A firmer stance from the government is needed. It is not the first time that fishing vessels arrive in the Galapagos, and if they continue, they will seriously affect the ecosystem," he said on Twitter.



Having depleted schools in domestic waters, fleets from industrialized countries travel to developing countries to meet demand. Their processes are NOT SUSTAINABLE and generate economic and ecological damage  The extraction fishing fleets capacity gives no room for recovery. [The] Galapagos ecosystem can be seriously affected, he added in different posts. The Chinese fleets not only affect the marine ecosystem; they are dumping garbage and waste with Asian labels is found in the Galapagos every day.



Grnneberg and other environmental activists have called on the government to declare sovereignty over the Carnegie Submarine Range, which connects the 200 miles between mainland Ecuador and the Galapagos, in order to prevent the passage of foreign fishing fleets and guarantee the migration of a series of species between the mainland and the archipelago. For this to happen, scientific studies begun years ago by the Ecuadorian Armys Oceanographic and Antarctic Institute need to conclude a geological connection exists between the continent and the islands. The institutes time is running out, as the deadline for Ecuador to present the finalized study is September 2022.



The Ecuadorian branch of the WWF concurs; it is the first of eight recommendations the non-profit organization has proposed for the government to adopt. Other proposals include expanding reach of the exclusive economic zone, strengthening biodiversity and marine resource management, and employing more technology to identify and apprehend IUU ships.



The current incident is not the first instance of Chinese fishing fleets employing predatory practices in the country. In 2017, the Ecuadorean navy captured a Chinese vessel fishing within the Galapagos marine reserve. The Fu Yuan Yu Leng 999 formed part of a fleet even larger than the current one and was found holding 300 tons of marine wildlife, mostly sharks, including hammerhead and silky sharks, which are in danger of extinction. After a long legal process, Ecuadors navy assumed ownership of the ship. Ironically, in the coming days, the former Chinese-flagged ship will be one of the freighters used to transport cargo from Guayaquil to the Galapagos Islands, local daily Expreso reported.



According to the independent global think tank Overseas Development Institute, much of the distant-water fishing effort from China  ripe with unsustainable extraction and IUU fishing  takes place in the territorial waters of low-income nations after having depleted fish stocks in domestic waters.



Chinas [distant-water] fleet is the largest in the world, but little information is available about its actual size and the scale of its operations. It is also unclear whether the government of China has a comprehensive overview of Chinas DWF fleet; vessel ownership is highly fragmented among many small companies and the fleet includes vessels registered in other jurisdictions, ODI said in a report.



Other key findings of the report include:



-- With 16,966 vessels, Chinas distant-water fleet is five to eight times larger than previous estimates.



-- Almost 1,000 Chinese distant-water vessels are registered in other countries.



-- The ownership and operational control of Chinas distant-water fleet is both complex and opaque.



-- At least 183 vessels in Chinas distant-water fleet are suspected of involvement in IUU fishing.



The NGO called on Chinas government to take a leadership role in distant-water fleet governance, fishery sustainability and combating IUU. Steps in this direction may include improving vessel registration and transparency; stricter regulation and enforcement of distant-water fleet operations; and strengthening bilateral cooperation with states where Chinese vessels fish.



Ecuador is the first country to recognize the rights of nature at a constitutional level; it is a signatory to several international agreements, UNCLOS [United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea] among them; and it is an active member of two [regional fisheries management organizations] in the region, WWF said. In view of the foregoing, today the country has the opportunity to assume a regional leading role in the face of this complex problem, taking concrete actions at the national level and promoting actions at the regional and global level that help curb this constant threat.



Ecuador is not the only country grappling with the arrival of Chinese vessels. Most recently, three industrial vessels linked to China  Jian Mei 1, Jian Mei 4, and Hong Chang 1  fled Sierra Leonne instead of paying fines associated with violating national laws and regulations.



Sierra Leone isnt the only West African country facing an influx of foreign vessels. Recently, Senegalese fishermen decried the potential licensing of 53 trawlers  most of which with Chinese ownership. The Ghana National Canoe Fishermen Council, as well, called out the potential licensing of three vessels  the Yu Feng 1,3, and 4.



Liberia also recently faced an influx of Chinese-based vessels. Fishing organizations there recently decried the arrival of six Chinese trawlers that would be capable of catching the entire sustainable catch of species target by the nations small-scale artisanal canoe fishers.

 2020 Diversified Communications. All rights reserved.

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
Sacking comes as tens of millions of Americans are out of work and Trump is trailing Biden in polls.

United States President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) saying the executive was getting paid too much and was hiring foreign workers.

Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday that he is formally removing the TVAs chair of the board and another member of the board. He also threatened to remove other board members if they keep hiring foreign labour.

The sacking comes as the fragile US labour market recovery shows signs of stalling, with the number of Americans filing for state jobless benefits trending higher for two weeks straight.

With less than 100 days until US voters cast their ballots, Trump is trailing presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the polls and Republicans and Democrats in Congress are still haggling over how generous a lifeline to throw to the tens of millions of Americans who are collecting unemployment benefits.

The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertiliser manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

Trump said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who puts the interests of Americans first. According to Trump, the CEO earns $8m a year.

The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year, Trump said. We want the TVA to take action on this immediately  Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: Youre fired.

US Tech Workers, a nonprofit that wants to limit visas given to foreign technology workers, took out an advertisement to persuade Trump to stop the TVA from outsourcing much of its information technology division.

The group, led by Kevin Lynn, criticised the TVA for furloughing its own workers and replacing them with contractors using foreign workers with H-1B visas.

Trump made the announcement as he signed an executive order requiring all federal agencies to complete an internal audit to prove they are not replacing qualified US workers with people from other countries. The White House said the order will help prevent federal agencies from unfairly replacing American workers with lower-cost foreign labour.

The order followed the TVAs announcement that it would outsource 20 percent of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries. TVAs action could cause more than 200 highly skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to foreign workers hired on temporary work visas, according to the White House.

But Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the TVA does not get any taxpayer money. Commenting on the issue in April, Alexander said the White House was spreading misinformation. He said that TVA chief executive officers pay is lower than other large utilities and that TVA energy rates are among the lowest in the nation.
They had just had a weekend celebration in honor of their sons 20th birthday.

And in just moments, they faced every parents worst nightmare.

In her first public statement since the tragic shooting by a deranged gunman who killed her son and left her husband in critical condition, U.S. District Judge Esther Salas in an emotional and often tearful address, spoke about the events that night at her home and urged that action be taken to protect the lives of federal judges and their families.

Two weeks ago, my life as I knew it changed in an instant, and my family will never be the same. A madman, who I believe was targeting me because of my position as a federal judge, came to my house, she said. My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain. We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down.

Authorities have identified the assailant as Roy Den Hollander, a self-described anti-feminist lawyer who had a case before Salas and railed against her in a racist and sexist post on his website. He was found a day after the attack from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in the New York town of Rockland, according to officials, who have not commented on a motive.

In a video she released Monday morning, Salas spoke of the day of horror she and her husband, criminal defense attorney Mark Anderl, went through after a family weekend spent celebrating the 20th birthday of their son, Daniel.

Here was her full statement:

Daniel always wanted to spend his birthdays with his dad and me, so he asked we host a party for a few of his Catholic University of America friends. Because of the pandemic, his father, Mark, and I had some concerns; however, we thought we could adhere to safety guidelines and we agreed to allow his friends to come spend the weekend.

The weekend was a glorious one. It was filled with love, laughter, and smiles. As Daniels last friend departed on Sunday, we decided to give Daniel a pass on his usher duties. When Mark and I returned from church, Daniel was upstairs sleeping, and we decided to give him a little rest.

As the afternoon progressed, it was time to clean up from the weekend festivities; Daniel and I went downstairs to the basement and we were chatting, as we always do. And Daniel said Mom, lets keep talking, I love talking to you, Mom.

It was at that exact moment, she said, that the doorbell rang, and her son looked at her and said, Who is that?

Before I could say a word, he sprinted upstairs. Within seconds, I heard the sound of bullets and someone screaming, No!

I later learned that this monster, who had a FedEx package in his hand, opened fire, but Daniel being Daniel, protected his father and he took the shooters first bullet directly to the chest. The monster then turned his attention to my husband and began to shoot at my husband, one shot after another. Mark was shot three times: one bullet entered his right chest, the other his left abdomen, and the last one in the right forearm.

While my husband is still in the hospital recovering from multiple surgeries, we are living every parents worst nightmare  making preparations to bury our only child, Daniel.

My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain. We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down.

As a federal judge, I took an oath to administer justice without respect to a persons race, gender, or economic status. As I speak to you today, I can honestly say that I have worked tirelessly to uphold that pledge. As federal judges, we understand that our decisions will be scrutinized, and some may disagree strongly with our rulings. We know that our job requires us to make tough calls, and sometimes those calls can leave people angry and upset.

That comes with the territory and we accept that.

But what we cannot accept is when we are forced to live in fear for our lives because personal information, like our home addresses, can be easily obtained by anyone seeking to do us or our families harm.

Unfortunately, for my family, the threat was real and the free flow of information from the Internet allowed this sick and depraved human being to find all our personal information and target us.

Currently, federal judges addresses and other information is readily available on the Internet. In addition, there are companies that will sell your personal details that can be leveraged for nefarious purposes.

In my case, this monster knew where I lived and what church we attended and had a complete dossier on me and my family. At the moment there is nothing we can do to stop it, and that is unacceptable.

My sons death cannot be in vain, which is why I am begging those in power to do something to help my brothers and sisters on the bench.

Now, more than ever, we need to identify a solution that keeps the lives of federal judges private. I know this is a complicated issue, and I dont pretend to know or have all answers, but together we can find a way. Lets commence a national dialogue, lets work collaboratively to find a solution that will safeguard the privacy of federal judges.

Let me be clear and tell you firsthandthis is a matter of life and death. And we cant just sit back and wait for another tragedy to strike.

Finally, I would be remiss if I failed to thank the people who have done their part to try and relieve a little bit of this unfathomable pain that we are experiencing. Mark and I want to express our heartfelt appreciation to all the first responders, to the doctors, including, but not limited to Drs. Choron, Flippin, Gupta, and Littlejohn, the countless nurses, too many to name but you know we love you, staff and leadership at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital who have helped to treat Mark and me over the last two weeks. Thank you to all law enforcement agencies - federal, local, and state. I know I spoke with many of you last week and you prefer to remain nameless, but I need you to know that youre in our hearts and we cant thank you enough for all that you do.

And to everyone who reached out, and to everyone who said a prayer, and to everyone who is keeping my family in your thoughts - thank you. The outpouring of love has been overwhelming and I can tell you it has lifted us during our darkest hours.

I just want to say thank you to you all and I love you.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Ted Sherman may be reached at tsherman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @TedShermanSL.
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ultra Macho, a Spanish-language HD channel featuring the best in travel, extreme sports, Mexican wrestling, cars, late-night adult shows, reality series, documentaries and other programming, premieres two European crime-solving drama TV series from Austria and Ukraine to keep viewers hooked this august: Intuicion Criminal (Fast Forward) and Justicia y Magia (Major and Magic).

Intuicion Criminal (Fast Forward) chronicles the storylines of a woman in her mid-thirties, a divorced single mother - and a successful investigator at Vienna's criminal investigation department. The good-looking young detective handles the balancing act between her job and parental duties with amusement and pleasure. Even if her teenage twins keep her on her toes, she goes all out for the pursuit of criminals. Sentimentality has no room in all this.



Justicia y Magia (Major and Magic) tells about how a major is forced to come back to the provincial town he was born. No calm life awaits him: his new boss presents him with unsolved cases one after another. By pure accident and somewhere, on the outskirts of the city, in the private sector major meets a young well-known seer. Though he has never believed in magic, her powers do impress him and help they can solve lots of hung-up cases together.

Ultra Macho is currently available on Hotwire Communications and FiOS by Verizon.

For more information on Ultra Macho's programming, including tune-in dates and times, please visit Ultra Macho at olympusat.com/networks

Media Contact:

Jesus Pinango

Senior Director of News

[email protected]

SOURCE Ultra Macho
Ivanka Trump spoke out against human trafficking on Tuesday, calling it the 'gravest of human rights violations,' while celebrating the Trump administration's pledge to issue more than $35 million in grants to survivors.

The 38-year-old White House senior adviser joined Attorney General William Barr in hosting a roundtable discussion about the Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Ivanka looked elegant in a floral number by Andrew Gn that features billowing sleeves and a matching belt with an intricate buckle. She wore the frock a number of times last year, including her speech at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in the Netherlands.

Event: Ivanka Trump co-hosted a roundtable discussion about the Department of Justice's Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking on Tuesday

Go-to look: The 38-year-old donned floral number by Andrew Gn that features billowing sleeves and a matching belt with an intricate buckle

The pre-fall 2018 look sold out shortly after it debuted, but a similar dress by the designer is currently retailing for $2,512.

For her day of appearances, Ivanka wore her blonde hair center-parted and flat ironed poker-straight, one of her signature looks.

The human trafficking event was attended by other administration officials, survivors of human trafficking, and organizations that serve them.

'In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, combating human trafficking in the U.S. and abroad is critical work,' Ivanka said in a statement. 'DOJs grant recipients are on the frontlines of this fight, ensuring that survivors across our country are afforded safe and stable housing and empowered with the support and resources they need to rebuild their lives.

'I am incredibly honored to join Attorney General Barr to highlight these organizations and their tireless and vital work.'

Love it: Ivanka wore the frock a number of times last year, including her speech at the Global Entrepreneurship Summit in the Netherlands (right)

Team: Ivanka joined Attorney General William Barr to host a roundtable discussion

All together: The event took place in the Indian Treaty Room of the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Participants began filing into the Indian Treaty Room wearing masks around 1:45 p.m. Ivanka and Barr arrived 15 minutes later.

The group sat at a horseshoe-shaped table, a little less than six feet apart, with Ivanka, Barr, Jordan Community Resource Center founder and President Tenisha Gant-Watson, and U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking member Tanya Gould in the middle.

In his opening remarks, Barr called human trafficking an 'evil scourge' and thanked Ivanka, the president, and all of the participants for their work to end human trafficking and help survivors.

He went on to announce the Department of Justice's Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking.

The $35 million in grants will be issued to 73 organizations across 33 states to house victims of human trafficking. The program is the 'largest federal investment of its kind.'

Surprise: It was announced at the event that the Trump administration will issue $35 million in grants to 73 organizations across 33 states to house victims of human trafficking

Speech: Ivanka said the event is a 'celebration' of the work the administration and participants have done to take on trafficking and an opportunity to hear personal stories from victims

Final words: At the end of the discussion, Ivanka told participants that they represent a 'beacon of hope for so many'

Coronavirus precautions: The group sat at a horseshoe-shaped table, a little less than six feet apart, with Ivanka and Barr in the center

Barr added that the 'trauma' of trafficking can lead to homelessness and victims unfortunately falling prey to traffickers again.

He stated that in addition to financial support, the Justine Department will do everything in its power to 'investigate, prosecute, and punish' traffickers.

Camillus House Inc. in Miami, Alternatives for Girls in Detroit, and the Jordan Community Resource Center in Shaker Heights, Ohio, are among the organizations sharing the grants.

When it was Ivanka's turn to speak, she thanked the attorney general for his work on the issue. She called human trafficking the 'gravest of human rights violations' and said 'this government is prioritizing and putting funds' where it matters, noting several actions her father has taken to combat trafficking.

She said the event is a 'celebration' of the work the administration and participants have done to take on trafficking and an opportunity to hear personal stories from victims present at the event.

Busy: Earlier in the day, Ivanka joined her father in the East Room of the White House for a signing ceremony for 'The Great American Outdoors Act

Safety first: Ivanka wore a mask while talking to the other attendees ahead of her father's arrival

Fashion focused: Ivanka's light blue mask matched the shade of blue on her dress

Barr was visibly emotional with a hand partially covering his face while listening to testimonials from representatives, including one victim who is affiliated with the Jordan Center.

The survivor said she was trafficked as a young adult and was repeatedly raped, but she has since earned an associate's degree and serves as a peer advisor to younger victims of trafficking. She said she was incredibly thankful for her second chance.

At the end of the discussion, Ivanka told participants that they represent a 'beacon of hope for so many,' while reiterating that the Trump administration is 'fully committed' to ending human trafficking.

The event comes just a few weeks after President Trump faced backlash for wishing accused child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell 'well.'

In an interview with Axios on HBO that aired on Monday evening, Trump said he doesn't want her to die in jail like her former boyfriend Jeffrey Epstein.

When Trump was asked why he wished her well after she was arrested on allegations of child sex trafficking, he said, 'Well, first of all, you don't know that.' He then doubled-down on his comment.

Getting ready: Ivanka removed her mask when it was time to take the stage

Happy to be there: Ivanka smiled as her father introduced her to the audience

Footwear: Ivanka's rose gold stiletto sandals could be seen as she stood at the podium

Proud: The White House has heralded the act as the single largest conservation legislation since the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt

'Her friend or boyfriend [Epstein] was either killed or committed suicide. She's now in jail. Yeah, I wish her well,' he said. 'I'd wish you well. I'd wish a lot of people well. Good luck. Let them prove somebody was guilty.'

Trump's eldest daughter has made human trafficking one of her issue areas and compared it to 'modern-day slavery' during a trip to Atlanta in January to visit nonprofit groups that help victims.

Earlier on Tuesday, Ivanka joined her father in the East Room of the White House for a signing ceremony for 'The Great American Outdoors Act,' which has been heralded the single largest conservation legislation since the presidency of Theodore Roosevelt.

'The legislation will provide $900 million a year in permanent funding to the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF), and will allocate $9.5 billion over five years to restore facilities and infrastructure in our national parks and public lands,' according to the White House.

Ivanka was seen wearing a protective face mask while talking to other attendees ahead of her father's arrival. She later removed the mask to take the stage and address the audience at the event.
TikTok may not have a lot of intelligence value but its owner Bytedance "lives in Beijing" and its connection to the government is what worries the United States, said James Lewis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies. There's a deep mistrust of China on in the U.S., said said Lewis, senior vice president and director of the technology policy program at the bipartisan think tank. "The Trump administration is deeply suspicious of China. Frankly, that's a bipartisan reaction in Washington; nobody trusts China here," he told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday. "In this case, what they'll settle for is TikTok being spun off  at least its American parts  from ByteDance, from Chinese control." ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, is headquartered in Beijing. The company is considering selling off a stake of the hugely popular video app. It comes after President Donald Trump threatened to ban the short-form video-sharing app in the U.S. due to fears the company is sharing data with the Chinese government. TikTok has repeatedly denied the allegations.

Nobody trusts China and ByteDance lives in Beijing. It's the connection to the Chinese government, its the connection to Chinese intelligence services. James Lewis Center for Strategic and International Studies

Microsoft said in a statement Sunday it will keep working with the U.S. government on a deal to acquire certain markets of TikTok  namely, the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Talks could conclude as soon as Sept. 15, it said. TikTok has been "caught in the middle," said Lewis. "It's a relatively harmless service that has an owner that raises suspicions." "TikTok is a largely a place where teenagers go and dance and lip sync, not a lot of intelligence value," he said, adding that he had watched four hours of TikTok videos. "But nobody trusts China and ByteDance lives in Beijing," added Lewis. "That's the risk. It's the connection to the Chinese government, it's the connection to Chinese intelligence services. There's immense amounts of information." Other Chinese apps could also be targeted. On Sunday, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Trump will announce new action "in the coming days" related to Chinese software companies that his administration views as a threat to U.S. national security.

China's foreign ministry said it "firmly opposes" the threat. During a scheduled press conference on Monday, foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said: "The U.S. side made this threat against relevant companies with presumption of guilt while presenting no evidence." "This violation of market economy rules is no 'fairness' and 'freedom' as the U.S. chants and only serves to reveal its hypocrisy and double standards," said Wang, according to an official translation of his comments. "It also runs counter to the WTO (World Trade Organization) principles of openness, fairness, transparency and non-discrimination." Lewis predicted that WeChat  the messaging app of Chinese technology giant, Tencent  could be the next targeted by the Trump administration. "The level of risk is probably higher with WeChat because there is sensitive communications than it is with TikTok," said Lewis. "WeChat's a great app, but where they live, who they report to creates very real risk."

TikTok case highlights US-China tensions

The developments surrounding TikTok demonstrates some of the risks that come from U.S.-China tensions that are an "underlooked risk" for the global economy, said Simon Baptist, global chief economist at the Economist Intelligence Unit. "The technological bifurcation is not really about hardware or software. Technology itself will find a way to work across both domains, but the big barrier is going to be regulatory, it's regulations that is going to drive this wedge between the U.S. and China," Baptist told CNBC's "Squawk Box" on Tuesday.

If you're not able to combine the world's two biggest economies in a single business model, that is going to increase business costs, it's going to take away those economies of scale. Simon Baptist global chief economist, Economist Intelligence Unit
As coronavirus cases continue to rise across much of the US, top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci warned that states need to heed the warning signs when the percentage of people testing positive each day starts to tick upward.

And when it does, they may need to reconsider their reopening schedules, warned Dr Fauci in an interview with JAMA editor-in-chief Dr Howard Bauchner.

'There's a real potential pattern,' Dr Fauci said.

'It's become clear now that...if you look back at the states that in the Southern region have surged up and accounted for the 60,000-70,000 cases a day [we've been seeing]...prior to the surging, you could detect an early increase for any given state.'

He noted that those increases might be as slight as one to one-and-a-half percentage points.

'It doesn't tend to spontaneously come own, it just continues going up...it's a good predictor of that surge,' said Dr Fauci.

'When what we're seeing is that same insidious increase in percent positive that we've seen and pointed out...the critical issue is when you see that, you've got to take a look at where you are in the process of reopening.

'You may need to pause or drop back a little.'

His words of caution come as the US nears 4.7 million cases of coronavirus and surpasses 155,000 deaths - but shows no sign of stopping schools from opening for the fall semester.

Dr Anthony Fauci (right) warned that even a small increase in the rate of people testing positive for coronavirus should tell states to reconsider their reopening timelines in a Monday interview with JAMA editor-in-chief Dr Howard Bauchner (left)

'You've got to take a look at where you are in the process of trying to reopen and take a good serious look at what you need to do,' said Dr Fauci.

'I don't think you necessarily have to revert, to go back all the way to closing, but you've got to intensify what I consider five or six fundamental things that we know from experience help to blunt resurgences and prevent resurgences.'

These of course are the familiar commandments of the coronavirus pandemic: 'consistent' proper mask-wearing, avoiding crowds, social distancing, avoiding places where people congregate (namely, bars) and hand-washing.

'It sounds really simple, but it can be really effective,' said Dr Fauci.

'It's in our hands...it's not inevitable that we're going to see surges if you handle it properly.'

But of course, not everyone has handled it 'properly' by the measures Dr Fauci articulated.

In total, nearly half (44 percent) of Americans report 'always' wearing a mask outside their homes, according to a recent Gallup poll. Another 28 percent 'very often' wear masks.

But those rates vary dramatically from region to region and demographic group to demographic group.

More than half of Northeasterners report always wearing masks, but in the Midwest, only a third of people said they do the same. Nearly a quarter of Midwestern respondents said they never wear a mask in public.

The rates of mask-wearing were about the same among Republicans: 24 percent said they always wear masks in public, and 27 percent said they never do.

Combined, evidence that masks work to slow the spread of coronavirus and evidence that many Americans don't comply have led high-profile experts like Dr Fauci and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention director Dr Robert Redfield to call for universal masking. Other politicians and public health experts have gone a step further and said the US should go a step further and mandate masks.

'The trouble with mandating is that you can have a counter-reaction against it,' said Dr Fauci.

'In other words, people who push back on authority are going to push back more.'

When Dr Bauchner questioned him on the possibility of aerosol transmission of coronavirus - meaning the possibility that one could catch coronavirus not from a nearby coughing person, but simply by inhaling viral particles hanging in the air - Dr Fauci admitted he simply isn't sure.

Recent evidence has suggested that infectious particles of the virus can linger in the air even longer and travel even further than previously thought.

And Dr Fauci said physicists who study the way things travel through the air had even reached out to him and said larger particles may be able to stick around longer than most public health advice has suggested.

'So maybe size is something we need to be examining,' Dr Fauci said.

'One thing it tells you,' Dr Fauci said of the uncertainty surrounding what size particles can transmit the virus,' is you'd really better wear a mask.'

The distance coronavirus can travel is one of myriad things about the still-new pathogen scientists thought they had largely figured out, but has only grown more complicated over time.

When asked about what he felt the US has done wrong and right throughout the pandemic, Dr Fauci praised the decisions to shut down travel from China and then Europe (the latter of which, CDC director Dr Redfield recently admitted came too late) and President Trump's '15 days to slow the spread' and its extension to 30 days.

It was a markedly different tone from the one Trump has recently taken when speaking about Dr Fauci.

When asked about the mistakes the US had made, Dr Fauci refused to take the bait.

He didn't deny that mistakes had been made, but emphasized looking forward optimistically, rather than back, critically.

'Let's be humble enough to say we all could have done better,' Dr Fauci said.
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Textile and electronics have been the two export-oriented sectors mostly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, an official has said.

Workers of the Sai Dong Garment Company produce shirts for export to the US, the EU and Japan

Nguyen Thi Xuan Thuy, deputy director of the industrial development centre under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, made the statement during the webinar themed 'Global Value Chains in the Time of COVID-19: The Experience of Ethiopia and Vietnam, hosted last week by the World Bank Chief Economist Offices of the Africa and East Asia & Pacific Regions and the Finance, Competitiveness and Innovation Global Practice.

Most Vietnamese textile and apparel companies are currently involved in the outsourcing practice, closely linked to consumer markets, Thuy said.

However, the sector is facing major difficulties and challenges related to branding. Textile businesses depend heavily on global value chains.

Amid the COVID-19 crisis, most companies have had to lay off a large number of employees to cope with the pandemic. Only some large-scale companies can maintain their workforce, she said.

Meanwhile, most businesses in the electronics industry are multinational enterprises (MNEs) and are more resilient to the effects of COVID-19, Thuy said.

Electronics is a very important industry in Vietnam. MNEs are seeking global suppliers to join the global value chain, she said.

For the textile sector, the value of apparel exports decreased by 2.3 billion USD in the first half of 2020. Meanwhile, the electronics sector achieved higher export value. In the global industrial manufacturing market, the growth of the textile industry decreased by 7 percent compared to the same period last year, while the electronics sector increased by nearly 3 percent.

Vietnams Government was supporting the two sectors with trade facilitation measures as both are export-oriented sectors. It had allowed the opening of the border for goods trading and was willing to issue electronic certificates of origin for goods to make it easier for companies to export and import, she said.

Workers and businesses have also been supported by financial assistance packages.

For electronics, the Government has taken measures to promote linkages between MNEs and local suppliers.

These enterprises also focus more on capacity development, participating in the Government's programmes. From there, local businesses can improve their capacity to become global electronics suppliers, Thuy said.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed unprecedented challenges to global value chains, hampering the supply of raw materials and intermediate inputs and the sale of final goods, said Victoria Kwakwa, WB East Asia and Pacific Regional Vice President.

Containment measures resulted in shutting down production. Transport problems and customs delays have all interrupted value chains, she said.

This was affecting firms and employment in East Asia. Without interventions, these could lead to the permanent losses of important supply chain relationships that are difficult to rebuild, she said./. VNA

VN textile and garment industry warned of big difficulties The Covid-19 epidemic which broke out six months ago has seriously affected textile and garment companies.
Senate Majority Leader Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks to members of the press after a weekly Senate Republican Policy Luncheon at Hart Senate Office Building August 4, 2020 on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.

Democratic leaders left a meeting with Trump administration officials Tuesday saying they are plodding toward a coronavirus relief deal.

As the sides grind through a bevy of differences to try to strike to a relief agreement, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell  another major voice in the process  said he expects to back whatever aid agreement they reach.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., met with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House chief of staff Mark Meadows for about 90 minutes on Tuesday. Speaking to reporters after the huddle, Schumer said, "We're making progress."

"We really went down issue by issue by issue, slogging through them," he said. "They made some concessions, which we appreciated. We made some concessions, which they appreciated. We're still far away on a lot of the important issues, but we're continuing to go at it."

Entering the meeting, the sides appeared to have resolved few of the thorny issues at stake in the talks. More than a week has passed since Republicans unveiled a counteroffer to the legislation Democrats passed in May.

McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, said Tuesday that opposition to pieces of a deal Democrats and the Trump administration craft may not stop him from trying to pass it in the Senate.

"Wherever this thing settles between the president of the United States and his team, that have to sign it into law, and the Democrat not insignificant minority in the Senate and majority in the House, is something I'm prepared to support even if I have some problems with certain parts of it," he told reporters after the weekly Senate Republican policy lunch. Mnuchin and Meadows attended the meeting with the GOP caucus.

By Tuesday morning, the parties had come close to a consensus in only a few areas, such as extending funding for Paycheck Protection Program loans for small business, an administration official told CNBC on Monday night. Mnuchin has said Democrats and the GOP agreed on the need to send another direct payment of up to $1,200 to Americans.

But neither side had budged on plans for extending extra federal unemployment insurance or offering relief to budget-crunched state and local governments, among other topics. Negotiators have failed to crack the impasse even after the $600-per-week jobless benefit and a moratorium on evictions from federally backed housing expired. The end of both policies puts millions of Americans at risk of poverty or homelessness during an economic collapse.

As the stalemate drags on, it appears unlikely Congress can pass a rescue package before the end of next week. Pelosi has told House Democrats she does not expect an agreement until next week, according to Politico.

"In some cases we're inching along and in others we're making more progress," she told reporters after the meeting with Mnuchin and Meadows on Tuesday.
NEW YORK, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pomerantz LLP is investigating claims on behalf of investors of Oceaneering International, Inc. ("Oceaneering" or the "Company") (NYSE: OII). Such investors are advised to contact Robert S. Willoughby at [email protected] or 888-476-6529, ext. 7980.

The investigation concerns whether Oceaneering and certain of its officers and/or directors have engaged in securities fraud or other unlawful business practices.

[Click here for information about joining the class action]

On July 29, 2020, Oceaneering issued a press release announcing the Company's financial results for the second quarter of 2020. Among other results, Oceaneering reported revenue of $427.22 million, missing consensus estimates by roughly $31 million.

On this news, Oceaneering's stock price fell $0.54 per share, or 8.71%, to close at $5.66 per share on July 30, 2020.

The Pomerantz Firm, with offices in New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, and Paris is acknowledged as one of the premier firms in the areas of corporate, securities, and antitrust class litigation. Founded by the late Abraham L. Pomerantz, known as the dean of the class action bar, the Pomerantz Firm pioneered the field of securities class actions. Today, more than 80 years later, the Pomerantz Firm continues in the tradition he established, fighting for the rights of the victims of securities fraud, breaches of fiduciary duty, and corporate misconduct. The Firm has recovered numerous multimillion-dollar damages awards on behalf of class members. See www.pomerantzlaw.com.

CONTACT:

Robert S. Willoughby

Pomerantz LLP

[email protected]

888-476-6529 ext. 7980

SOURCE Pomerantz LLP

Related Links

www.pomerantzlaw.com


SBI Cards & Payment Services (SBI Card) on Tuesday said that Ashwini Kumar Tewari has taken charge as the company's new Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) from August 1. Former Managing Director and CEO Hardayal Prasad had opted for voluntary retirement from the company and retired on July 31, 2020.

Tewari, 53, has a BE degree in electrical and electronics. He joined the State Bank of India in 1991 as probationary officer.

Tewari is a career banker with over 29 years' experience with State Bank of India (SBI), including domestic and foreign postings. Prior to taking charge at SBI Card, Tewari has held the position of Country Head of US Operations at SBI, based in New York, since April 2017. He also served as Vice Chairman of the State Bank of India (California) Board of Directors.

Commenting on the development, Dinesh Khara, Managing Director, GB&S, SBI said, "We are pleased to welcome Mr. Ashwini Kumar Tewari as the MD & CEO of SBI Card. He has demonstrated authentic, adept leadership in diverse positions both in India and abroad, during a successful career. We believe that he has the strategic vision and skill sets to lead the rapidly growing credit card business. We are confident that he will be able to further strengthen SBI Card's market share and propel the business to new milestones."

Meanwhile, SBI Card's shares closed at Rs 760, up 3.99 per cent or 29.15 points from the previous day's close on NSE.Also read: H1-B visa: Trump signs executive order to restrict hiring of foreign workers

Also read: Mumbai rains updates: Trains stopped, offices shut; red alert issued for next 48 hrs
New Delhi: The Bihar government, headed by Nitish Kumar, on Tuesday recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. There was growing pressure on the Bihar government to recommend a CBI probe into the actor's death case from all his fans and other political parties. Earlier, Sushant's father KK Singh also requested the state government to submit a request for the CBI inquiry while his MLA cousin Neeraj Bablu spoke to Nitish Kumar for the same.

"The DGP spoke to Sushant Singh Rajput's father this morning and he gave consent for CBI inquiry. So now, we are recommending CBI probe in the matter," CM Nitish Kumar told news agency ANI.

The DGP spoke to #SushantSinghRajput's father this morning and he gave consent for CBI inquiry. So now, we are recommending CBI probe in the matter: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to ANI

(file pic) https://t.co/gKpHeYbrk5 pic.twitter.com/jnkNXOzY6h  ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

Fans of Sushant have been demanding a CBI probe since his death by suicide on June 14. However, the Maharashtra government maintained that the case won't be transferred to the CBI as the Mumbai Police is carrying out the investigation well.

Last week, Sushant's father KK Singh filed an FIR in Patna against the actor's girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, accusing her of cheating and harassment, after which the Bihar Police launched a parallel investigation in the case in Mumbai. However, the probe by Bihar Police didn't go down well with Maharashtra and turf intensified on Monday after IPS officer Vinay Tiwari was quarantined by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) as he landed in Mumbai.

Sushant was found dead in his apartment. He was said to be under stress and depression. There has been a huge outpour of anger by his fans on social media, alleging that the case needs to be investigated by the CBI for a fair probe.
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FMCG major Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL) on Tuesday reported a 3.12 per cent decline in consolidated net profit at Rs 394.88 crore in the first quarter ended June 2020 due to pandemic related disruptions in the market.

The company had posted a net profit of Rs 407.60 crore in April-June quarter a year ago, said in a BSE filing.

Net sales were marginally lower at Rs 2,311.17 crore as against Rs 2,330.59 crore in the corresponding quarter a year ago.

GCPL's total expenses declined 2.16 per cent to Rs 1,952.31 crore as against Rs 1,995.56 crore in the year-ago quarter.

Commenting on the results, Chairperson and Managing Director Nisaba Godrej said, "This quarter was tough due to the challenges we faced with lockdowns across geographies and the ensuing supply-side issues."



However, the company was agile in resolving supply chain challenges, she said.

"We also scaled up alternate channels, reduced our new product development cycle time from months to weeks. We launched 45 products this quarter, our most ever, and learnt how to do things better and faster because of the constraints placed on us," she added.

GCPL's India revenue rose 4.96 per cent to Rs 1,380.65 crore in April-June period as against Rs 1,315.36 crore in the corresponding quarter last year.

Revenue from Indonesian market rose 9.02 per cent to Rs 405.64crore as compared with Rs 372.07 crore in the year-ago period.

"From a country perspective, both India and Indonesia (which contributed to over 76 per cent of overall sales) showed resilient growth at 5 per cent each. Our Africa, USA and Middle East business had a degrowth of 23 per cent in constant currency terms," Godrej said.

GCPL's revenue from Africa (including Strength of Nature) market fell 22.22 per cent to Rs 437.33 crore as against Rs 562.30 crore a year ago.

"Our Africa, USA and Middle East cluster delivered a weak performance due to disruptions across countries, following the outbreak. Constant currency sales declined by 23 per cent. South Africa recorded positive sales growth, while performance in Kenya and USA was weak," it said.

Revenue from other regions was down 2.71 per cent to Rs 127.29 crore in April-June as against Rs 130.84 crore a year ago.

On the outlook, Godrej said, "Going forward, we are focusing our efforts on where the demand is in household insecticides, hygiene, and Value For Money. We have several new launches, strongly price enabled, across geographies.

"It is not just our categories; our channels too are seeing a shift, and we will be doubling down on digitisation and platforms like e-commerce and chemists."



is also ramping up supply chain operations and distribution, in line with prescribed safety measures and easing of lockdowns in various countries.

Shares of Godrej Consumer Products Ltd on Tuesday closed 2.12 per cent lower at Rs 683.50on the BSE.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
By Samia Nakhoul and Ellen Francis

BEIRUT (Reuters) - A powerful blast in port warehouses near central Beirut storing highly explosive material killed 78 people, injured nearly 4,000 and sent seismic shockwaves that shattered windows, smashed masonry and shook the ground across the Lebanese capital.

Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further after Tuesday's blast as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead. It was the most powerful explosion in years in Beirut, which is already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.

President Michel Aoun said that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate, used in fertilisers and bombs, had been stored for six years at the port without safety measures, and said it was "unacceptable".

He called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared.

"What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe," the head of Lebanon's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. "There are victims and casualties everywhere."

Hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

A security source said victims were taken for treatment outside the city because Beirut hospitals were overwhelmed with wounded. Ambulances from the north and south of the country and the Bekaa valley to the east were called in to help.

The huge blast revived memories of the 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath, when Lebanese endured heavy shelling, car bombings and Israeli air raids. Some residents thought an earthquake had struck. Dazed, weeping and injured people walked through streets searching for relatives.

Others sought their missing loved ones in the overflowing hospitals. One medic said 200 to 300 people had been admitted to a single emergency department. "I've never seen this. It was horrible," the medic, who gave her name as Rouba, told Reuters.

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The blast blew me off metres away. I was in a daze and was all covered in blood. It brought back the vision of another explosion I witnessed against the U.S. embassy in 1983," said Huda Baroudi, a Beirut designer.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab told the nation there would be accountability for the deadly blast at the "dangerous warehouse", adding "those responsible will pay the price."

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents in the city about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.

Graphic: Blast rocks Lebanese port area https://graphics.reuters.com/LEBANON-SECURITY/BLAST/xklvydjjqpg/chart.png

SMOKE AND FIREBALL

Footage of the explosion shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port, followed by an enormous blast, sending up a white cloud and a fireball into the sky. Those filming the incident from high buildings 2 km (one mile) from the port were thrown backwards by the shock.

Bleeding people were seen running and shouting for help in clouds of smoke and dust. Streets looked as if they had been hit by an earthquake, with damaged buildings, flying debris, and wrecked cars and furniture.

Officials did not say what caused the blaze that set off the blast. A security source and local media said it was started by welding work being carried out on a hole in the warehouse.

The government said it was still struggling to establish the magnitude of the disaster. "There are many people missing. People are asking the emergency department about their loved ones and it is difficult to search at night because there is no electricity," Health Minister Hamad Hasan told Reuters.

Hasan said 78 people were killed and nearly 4,000 injured.

Lebanese broadcaster al-Jadeed read out appeals for information about the missing into the early hours of the morning. Some people posted photos of missing relatives on social media.

The prime minister called for a day of mourning on Wednesday.

TANGLED WRECKAGE

The explosion occurred three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.

Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the same waterfront, about 2 km (about one mile) from the port.

Israeli officials said Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, had nothing to do with Tuesday's blast and said their country was ready to give humanitarian and medical assistance. Shi'ite Iran, the main backer of Hezbollah, also offered support, as did Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni power.

Qatar and Iraq said they were sending makeshift hospitals to assist the high numbers of casualties.

The United States, Britain, France and Germany expressed shock and sympathy and said they were read to help.

U.S. President Donald Trump indicated at a White House briefing that the explosion was a possible attack. Asked later to elaborate, Trump said that he had met with some U.S. generals who felt it was not "some kind of a manufacturing explosion type of event."[L1N2F62KI]

Two U.S. officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said initial information contradicted Trump's view, however.

The blast threatens a new humanitarian crisis in a nation that hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and which is already grappling with economic meltdown under one of the world's biggest debt burdens.

Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than 6 million.

Residents said glass was broken in neighbourhoods on Beirut's Mediterranean coast and inland suburbs several km (miles) away. In Cyprus, a Mediterranean island 110 miles (180 km) across the sea from Beirut, residents heard the blast. One resident in Nicosia said his house and window shutters shook.

(Additional reporting by Yara Abi Nader in Beirut, and by Dubai and Cairo bureaus; Writing by Dominic Evans and Ghaida Ghantous; Editing by Edmund Blair and Sonya Hepinstall)
Iranian conservatives have been justifying the Chinese government's suppression of Uyghur Muslims in China and keeping silent in the face of systematic violence against Chines Muslims in Xinjiang Province.

During the past days two tweets by Ali Motahari, a former member of the Iranian Parliament, about the situation of Uyghur Muslims in China has stirred a lot of controversy among conservative political figures close to Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

Motahari tweeted that the Iranian government has kept silent about the situation of Muslims in China because it needs China's economic support. He said that this silence has been humiliating for the Islamic Republic.

Meanwhile, Motahari accused the Chinese government of attempting to uproot in the Xinjiang Province of China.

Motahari's comment led to many reactions among the hardliners. Conservative lawmaker Mahmoud Ahmadi Bighash described Motahari as "mentally impaired" and said that he has always been "useless and still nagging."

Bighash further claimed that the Chinese government has no problem with Chinese Muslims.

Meanwhile, Mehdi Hassanzadeh, the economic editor of hardliner daily newspaper Khorassan also addressed Motahari in a tweet and said that "The Chinese government has a problem with Wahabi Takfiri Muslims which is a hardline brand of Saudi-backed Islam, otherwise, China has no problem with Islam.

In another reaction, Taqi Dezhakam, a former columnist at the hardliner daily newspaper Kayhan said ironically that the ISIS is also full of Iraqi and Syrian Muslims.

Many other Twitter users who opposed Motahari used the same argument in their attacks against the former MP.

Motahari's critics claim that governments such as Saudi Arabia have made investments in Xinjiang and are planning to promote Wahabism. They claimed that if the Chinese government does not confront these groups, ISIS is going to spread in the region. They further believe that "China is serving Islam."

Such reactions are not limited to Twitter and have their precedence in the official rhetoric of the Islamic Republic officials.

As an example, the research unit of the Iranian state-owned television's external services said in a December 2016 report about the Chinese government's attitude toward Muslims in that country: "There are good Muslims and bad Muslims in China. The problems about Muslims in China have their roots in the pro-Saudi radical policies that follow radical Wahabi and Takfiri ideology."

The situation of Chines Muslims and the way the government violates their rights has been actively criticized by the U.S. and European governments particularly during the past six years. However, pro-Chines elements on Twitter argue that China is not against Muslims. It is against radicalism and ISIS.

IRGC-linked Tasnim news agency in July rejected talks about violation of Muslims' rights in China as "disparaging propaganda, lies and accusations." The agency defended "Beijing's struggle against terrorism and radicalism" and said that "China followed the best policy to defend human rights."

A recent report by a German researcher pointed out that the Chinese government has been sterilizing Uyghur women living in the Western part of Xinjiang Province to control their population.

Meanwhile, China has been keeping mainly Muslim ethnic groups in concentration camps. International human rights watchdogs characterized the practice as "genocide and crime against humanity."

Tehran's double standard is not without precendent. The Islamic Republic has been previously criticized for turning a blind eye to the violation of Muslims' human rights by China. However, the fact that these media outlets suggest that Iran should follow China's policy in this regard is quite new.

The reason for Iranian officials' silence in the face of what China has been doing cannot be just Tehran's economic expectations from China or the suggestion that China is confronting Saudi-style extremism.

The behavior of Iranian hardliners is so odd that it is not unlikely they would at one point portray China as part of the "resistance axis." This looks strange but it is not totally unprecedented. Last year, many reports in Iranian media including Mashregh news which is maintained by hardliners close to Supreme Leader Khamenei and the IRGC, asked China to carry out a joint military exercise with Iran and Russia in the Persian Gulf. Apparently, China was not interested.
CARACAS, Venezuela - The challenge in ousting President Nicolas Maduro has only increased, Juan Guaido said Tuesday as the Trump administration vowed its continued recognition of the opposition leader as the nations interim president, even if his coalition loses control of congress  its last major stronghold.

Major parties in the opposition led by Guaido have announced plans to boycott upcoming congressional elections, accusing Maduros government of hijacking the process. Their decision not to participate throws into question their legitimacy after their terms end in early January.

However, the State Departments top official on Venezuela testifying in Washington said nothing Maduro does will alter the position held by the U.S. and dozens of other nations about Venezuelas legitimate leadership.

In our view the constitutional president of Venezuela today and after Jan. 5, 2021, is Juan Guaido, Trumps special representative to Venezuela, Elliott Abrams, told the U.S. Senates Committee on Foreign Relations in a hearing. (Maduro) will not change the legal status for many countries around the world  and especially for us.

Maduros government has scheduled a Dec. 6 election for a new National Assembly, which is now controlled by the opposition. As the bodys leader, Guaido last year claimed the nations presidency, arguing that Maduros reelection had been fraudulent, in part because top opposition figures were banned from running.

Speaking with The Associated Press in Caracas in a virtual interview, Guaido said boycotting the congressional elections is justified because the conditions set by Maduros government eroded the electoral process beyond the 2018 presidential election  which the opposition also rejected

Look, were fighting here for democracy, Guaido said, calling Maduro an authoritarian dictator responsible for genocide and trafficking in gold and drugs at Venezuelas expense. The fight were waging in Venezuela rises from the legitimacy of our constitution.

The opposition leader said he hasnt talked to the campaign of Trumps rival, Joe Biden, and the Venezuelan opposition leader offered no new strategy for toppling Maduro beyond relying on international pressure and sanctions to further isolate Maduro.

The U.S. is among more than 50 nations that have recognized Guaido as interim leader, saying Venezuelas presidency is vacant because Maduros rule is illegitimate.

However, 18 months since Guaido took the leadership in the campaign to force the president out, Maduro remains in control with backing from key international allies like Russia, China, Cuba and Iran. He also is supported by Venezuelas military.

U.S. lawmakers questioning Abrams gave scathing criticism of how the U.S. handled efforts to help Venezuela cast off Maduros authoritative government and return the once-wealthy oil nation to democratic rule.

Our Venezuela policy over the last year and a half has been an unmitigated disaster, said Sen. Chris Murphy, a Democrat from Connecticut. If we arent honest about that, then we cant self-correct.

Murphy said the rushed U.S. policy has allowed Maduro to label Guaido an American patsy while hardening Russian and Cuban backing of Maduro.

Guaido said he is confident that Venezuelas opposition has bipartisan support in the United States and the international community to overthrow Maduro.

An estimated 5 million Venezuelans have fled shortages of gasoline, food and a broken healthcare system that is showing signs of buckling as the new coronavirus surges.

Despite the critics on the Trump administrations handling of Venezuela, Abrams said it is possible to create change in the crisis-stricken South American nation.

The best thing to do would be a bipartisan expression that this policy is not going to change, Abrams said, noting the need for sanctions and criminal prosecutions. Were going to stay with it, so this is going to keep on going year after year until this regime is replaced.

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One week after making their debut in the Ontario Sires Stakes winners circle, two-year-old trotting colts Stonebridge Armour, Tymal Chrome and Arch Hall collected their second provincial victories on Monday as Dresden Raceway hosted a trio of $22,000 Grassroots divisions.

Fan favourite Stonebridge Armour opened the Grassroots action with a gate-to-wire effort from Post 5, cruising home a three and one-half length winner in 2:04.1. Lovin Life Hanover finished second and Showme Some Muscle was third in the $22,800 test.

The gate was a little bit tricky with him in Sarnia, but I kind of knew him a little more today and he seemed to be a little more mature about it today too. He handled the gate really well and after that it was pretty much just a cake walk from there. I never pulled the plugs or nothing, I just sat on him the whole way, said driver Tyler Moore, who piloted the colt to his first Grassroots victory at Hiawatha Horse Park on July 25. It was my 500th win too, so that was nice.

Campbellville, ON resident Moore drives the Muscle Mass colt for trainer Jacques Duponts Les Ecuries DOrleans Inc. of Repentigny, Gestion C. Levesque 2005 Inc. of St-Hyacinthe, Mario Bourgea of Stanbridge East and Marc Camirand of Montreal, QC. A half-brother to $1.2 million winner Manofmanymissions, Stonebridge Armour was a $45,000 acquisition from last falls Lexington Selected Yearling Sale.

With wins in both of his Grassroots starts Stonebridge Armour currently sits third in the freshman trotting colt standings with 100 points.

Tymal Chrome earned his second Grassroots win with a gritty first-over trip, reeling in pacesetter Daylon Midnight and advancing down the stretch to a one length victory in 2:04.4. Doro Sogno tracked fan favourite Tymal Chrome from start to finish to secure the runner-ups share of the $22,450 purse and Diehard Seelster rounded out the top three.

Hes been a nice horse all along. He just goes out, he just trots, its like he refuses to make a mistake. He just wants to be a nice horse, said trainer Anthony Beaton. He did the same thing in Sarnia, he went a big mile there first-up. He just seems like he wants to make you happy and not make mistakes, and thats great.

Waterdown resident Beaton trains Tymal Chrome for Larry Menary of Branchton, Michael Guerriero of Brampton, ON and George Harrison of Wanes Walton, England. The partners purchased the Muscle Mass son for $22,000 from last falls Harrisburg Yearling Sale. With two wins and one third in Grassroots action, Tymal Chrome currently sits second in the division standings with 112 points.

Division leader Arch Hall delivered his second Grassroots win off a pocket trip behind early pacesetter Insanity, who rang up fractions of :30 and 1:01.2 before being collared by Arch Hall heading by the 1:33 three-quarters. Once he was in command, fan favourite Arch Hall sailed home to a two and three-quarter length win in 2:03.1. Insanity settled for second with Willywin well back in third.

He just left out and that horse (Insanity) wanted to be on front so he just sat there. Down the backstretch he pulled him and just made sure he got through the turn fine, and then he asked him the top of the lane and he just took off again, said trainer Blake MacIntosh. Hes a nice colt and anybody can drive him, hes pretty childproof right now. For a two-year-old trotting colt hes really smart.

St. George, ON resident MacIntosh shares ownership of Arch Hall with Hutt Racing Stable of Malvern, PA. The Archangel colt has been no worse than fourth in four lifetime starts, with his two wins and one second putting him at the top of the Grassroots standings with 125 points.

All three of Mondays winners are eligible to the Aug. 15 Balanced Image Eliminations at Hanover Raceway. The colts that make the Balanced Image Final on Aug. 22 will miss the fourth Grassroots event, which is slated for Aug. 25 at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Dresden Raceway also hosted a pair of $7,000 Prospect Series divisions for the three-year-old trotting colts on Monday.

Los Ballykeelamigo scored his second Prospect Series win with a gate-to-wire effort from Post 5 in the first division. The Amigo Hall son and driver Tyler Borth bested fan favourites The Reins Of Titan and driver Brett MacDonald and local colt Magnitude Ten and driver John Sullivan with the 2:02.4 effort. Cam McKnight trains Los Ballykeelamigo for his Ballykeel Racing Inc. of Tillsonburg, ON.

The second Prospect Series division saw pacesetting Northern Flame hang on for a neck victory over fan favourite Royal Jewels in 2:05.3. Goaltender rounded out the top three. Phil Hudon piloted the Muscle Mass colt to his first Prospect Series win for trainer Jodie Cullen and owner Gestion J Y Blais of Montreal, QC.

The three-year-old trotting colts will make their fourth Prospect Series start at Flamboro Downs on Sept. 6.

(OSS)

To view results for Monday's card of harness racing, click the following link: Monday Results  Dresden Raceway.
master1305 | Getty Images

Growing up, I had witnessed my father, Dr. Franco Lenna, MD, attend to patients in his clinic. However, the past several months have changed the way healthcare works and proven that telemedicine holds a lot of promise. It has, in fact, become a necessity, since it reduces vulnerability while allowing doctors and nurses to handle more patients. At the same time, it provides increased efficiency and accessibility to those in need. It not only eliminates travel, but also provides clinical support seamlessly, improves patient outcomes and overcomes geographic hurdles.

So, whether we are prepared or not, telemedicine is on its journey into the fold, slowly increasing in acceptance and set to transform the future of healthcare as we know it. Per McKinsey & Company, providers across the U.S. "are seeing 50 to 175 times the number of patients via telehealth than they did before."
The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) confirmed 46 new cases of coronavirus today in Ireland bringing the total number of cases since the outbreak began to 26,208.

No new deaths were recorded from Covid-19 meaning the death total remains at 1,763.

The latest case numbers follow confirmation yesterday of 53 new cases of Covid-19.

Speaking about the number of new cases of Covid-19, Acting Chief Medical Officer from the Department of Health, Dr Ronan Glynn said young people should not be blamed but instead encouraged to observe the public health guidelines.

Dr Glynn said: "The vast majority of young people in Ireland have followed public health advice and have made very significant sacrifices to protect themselves and others.

People of all ages will occasionally slip up as they learn to live safely with this virus. We should not seek to attribute blame, but rather continue to encourage one another to build on and sustain the great efforts that we have all made to date.

We continue to urge everyone to observe the safe behaviours that we recommend such as physical distancing, washing hands regularly, wearing a face covering where appropriate, avoiding crowds and doing all we can to protect each other."

Dr Glynn's comments come as reports of young people congregating in Kilkee Co Clare over the weekend drew widespread criticism.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has reported more than 200 cases in the past four days - which has seen the five-day average rise to 47.

Speaking earlier today about the increase in cases reported in Ireland, Professor Anthony Staines, an expert in public health systems from Dublin City University (DCU) said community transmission should be prioritised.

Professor Staines said: "The vast majority of cases in Ireland are nothing to do with foreign tourists. NPHET reported the last time I saw it that there were a total of 8 or 10 cases over the last two weeks associated with foreign travel.

"The majority of these cases are [...] or local spread. So bringing that under control has to be our absolute priority.

A further breakdown of the new cases in Ireland shows:

27 are men / 19 are women

85% are under 45 years of age

32 are associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case

5 cases have been identified as community transmission

15 cases are located in Kildare, 8 in Laois, 7 in Clare, 5 in Offaly and the remaining 11 are spread across nine other counties.

The latest figures for the coronavirus pandemic in Ireland come as NPHET submits its advice today to the Government on the reopening of pubs next week.

A Cabinet meeting tomorrow will then discuss the proposals.

The forthcoming decision comes in the wake of warnings from the Vintners Federation of Ireland that a decision not to reopen pubs next week may result in some pubs never returning to business.

The Vintners Federation of Ireland said pubs have been closed for 140 days and that pubs are being blamed for the mistakes of the general public.

Padraig Cribben, CEO of the Vintners Federation of Ireland said: "Our members feel the Government is using the trade as a convenient messaging tool to capture public attention.

"As the Taoiseach has stated on several occasions, keeping pubs shut is designed to send a strong message to the public about avoiding complacency.

"This approach is highly disrespectful to publicans, their families and the 25,000 staff anxiously waiting to find out if they have a job to go back to next Monday.

"Our message to the Taoiseach is simple: open the pubs and allow our members prove they can implement the reopening guidelines."
(Newser)  President Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority, criticizing the federal-owned corporation for hiring foreign workers. Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor, the AP reports. Thompson was appointed to the post by Trump. He also said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who "puts the interests of Americans first." According to Trump, the CEO, Jeff Lyash, earns $8 million a year. "The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year, Trump said. "We want the TVA to take action on this immediately."

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Trump added: "Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: 'You're fired.'" The TVA was created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing, and economic development to the Tennessee Valley. Trump said the authority was replacing many of its in-house technology workers with contractors who rely heavily on foreign workers under the H1-B visa program for highly skilled workers. Trump said he was made aware of the issue after seeing a television ad produced by US Tech Workers, a nonprofit that wants to limit visas given to foreign technology workers, that aired in prime time on Fox News.

(Read more Tennessee Valley Authority stories.)
But telecoms officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the restrictions had been triggered by a video showing a Chadian military officer in a dispute with two young mechanics

Chad says it has cut back the speed of the internet to crimp the spread of messages "inciting hate" on social media.

Government spokesman Mahamat Zene Cherif said late Monday that a "temporary measure" to slow the internet was introduced on July 22 because of "the dissemination of messages inciting hate and division."

The measure will be lifted soon, said Cherif, who is also communications minister.

But telecoms officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the restrictions had been triggered by a video showing a Chadian military officer in a dispute with two young mechanics.

The images, which are dated July 14, show him opening fire on one of them at point-blank range, before being attacked with a knife.

A statement by the public prosecutor said one of the mechanics "died of his wounds" while the officer was hospitalised and "will be prosecuted after he has recovered."

The video is still circulating on Facebook and WhatsApp, and some users have touched on the ethnic background of the soldier, pointing out that he is from the same community as President Idriss Deby Itno, who seized power in 1990.

"Chadians are suffering from the law of a minority," said one commentator on a Facebook page devoted to Chadian news. "There hasn't been any justice in Chad for the last 30 years," said another.

On Friday, Deby used the festival of Eid al-Adha to attack what he called divisive use of WhatsApp and virtual private networks (VPN), both of which bypass public networks.

"WhatsApp and VPN were not created to insult one another, sow national division or criticise ethnic groups," he said.

A consumers' association on Monday called on telecoms operators to restore access to social networks, saying the restriction was a violation of freedom of expression.

A telecoms official told AFP that the sector was hoping that restrictions would soon be lifted, given their impact on revenue.

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The emergency is here, in the Sahel, where people are suffering, are being killed, women are being raped, children cannot go to school. Sahel is the place where we must intervene before this crisis becomes unmanageable. Filippo Grandi, UN High Commissioner for Refugees

The conflict continues to escalate, uninterrupted by the pandemic, especially in the Liptako-Gourma region, which borders Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. In Burkina Faso, more than 1,000,000 people have been internally displaced, a four-fold increase in one year. The emergency is already affecting Mauritania and Chad and risks spilling over into the coastal countries of Benin, Cote dIvoire, Ghana and Togo.

Women and children are bearing the brunt of this crisis. Local communities have demonstrated remarkable generosity but are at a breaking point. National capacities are overwhelmed, and international support has been disproportionately dedicated to security assistance, with limited resources for urgently needed humanitarian and development activities.

Number of refugees and other people of concern to UNHCR in the Sahel region

Mouse-over blue circles for information.

The COVID-19 pandemic is exacerbating the situation and is now affecting areas hosting refugees and IDPs. The steady increase of infection rates indicates a looming emergency in a region where health structures have been targeted by insecurity. The immediate socio-economic impact will have longer-term consequences for food security, access to services and livelihoods throughout the region, disproportionately impacting displaced populations and the communities hosting them.

What is UNHCR doing to help?

UNHCR is scaling up its response to this crisis by: providing shelter and core relief items; supporting victims of rampant sexual and gender-based violence; helping people to access education; and working to mitigate the devastating impact of climate change. But we cannot do it alone. UNHCR urgently requires some US$186 million to provide lifesaving protection and assistance to refugees, IDPs, returnees and host communities the Sahel region, including for the COVID-19 prevention and response.

More information:
President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addos claim of not being aware of any form intimidation by any group of people in any of the Electoral Commissions voters registration exercise centres across the country has been described by the General Secretary of the opposition NDC as a sign of mental exhaustion syndrome.



To him, the president's recent assertion validates his (Asideu Nketia's) call on the President to join the Auditor-General Mr. Daniel Yaw Domelevo in proceeding on his accumulated leave.



Nana Akufo-Addo, while addressing Islamic worshipers in Kumasi Central Mosque on Friday, 31st July 2020, after afternoon Juma Muslim prayers during the Eid-ul-Adha festivities said; one thing that excites me most is that the registration exercise in Ashanti region and other areas has been very peaceful, I havent heard of any person being denied the opportunity to register on grounds that you are not this or what so go we cant register you, every person has the right to go and register.



What I have heard is that the exercise is going on smoothly in Asawase and Asokore-Mampong, we thank God for that. That is the most important thing to us all to live in unity and peace.



But Asiedu Nketia, speaking on Okay FMs Ade Akye Abia Morning Show, posited that President Akufo-Addo's remark is a direct indication of mental fatigue.



The President is a public servant and the law on leave covers every public servant and so if he looks into the law and says that he cannot go on accumulated leave then he cannot ask someone to go on three years accumulated leave.he must also go on his accumulated leave just as he has instructed Daniel Yaw Domelevo. He is a leader and leadership is by example, he should also go on his accumulated leave because he is tired...



To say that he is unaware of any intimidation at registration centres, it means that he is playing the ostrich; this is a clear sign of someone who is mentally fatigued. We once sacked our DCE sometime ago for suffering from mental exhaustion and if the President does not go on his accumulated leave, he will suffer the same sickness, he jabbed.



He further stated that when we talking of someone being mentally exhausted, we are not saying that he is going to crack stones but rather the mind to think of about the welfare of Ghanaians is tired.



If he is deliberately blocking his eardrums, someone draw his attention to what is happening in Banda. What he is said clearly shows that he does not respect the people of Banda or Banda is not part of Ghana because he said he has not heard anywhere in Ghana that people are being stopped from registering. Or maybe, he has deliberately blocked his ears to not listen to what is going on in Banda. Perhaps, his advisors are giving him wrong information or lying to him, he indicated.

Source: Daniel Adu Darko/Peacefmonline.com/[email protected]









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Businesses with strong neighbourhood connections have been better able to weather COVID-19, a countrywide study looking at the impact of the pandemic has found.

The study published by Vancity, Vancity Community Investment Bank (VCIB), and the Canadian Urban Institute examined seven Canadian main streets in Ontario and British Columbia to uncover the impact of COVID-19 on small businesses.

The research, based on conversations with business improvement associations and business owners as well as data, looked into business closures, foot traffic, the proportion of independently owned businesses, and the nearby residential population, to determine what factors led to the pandemics effects on specific communities.

In Ontario, The Beaches (Queen Street East from Woodbine Avenue to Lee Avenue), Wexford Heights in Toronto (along Lawrence Avenue East between Tower Drive and Ellington Drive), and King and Catharine Streets in downtown Hamilton were studied. In B.C. main streets in Surrey-Newton, Downtown Victoria, Strathcona and Kamloops North Shore were put under the microscope.

Main streets are crucial to the development of cities, said Mary Rowe, president and CEO of the Canadian Urban Institute. But many were already struggling before COVID-19 due to rising commercial rents and an increase in online shopping.

COVID-19 exposed the harsh reality  businesses would either become more important to local residents, or would close altogether, Rowe said.

The study found that main streets with a strong local culture or a particular cultural market with loyal customers did better throughout the pandemic than areas that relied more heavily on tourists or commuters.

In Wexford, a neighbourhood in Torontos northeast, where 82 per cent of the businesses are independently owned, only two of 87 businesses have closed since the pandemic began, despite a 56 per cent decline in visitor traffic to the area.

The study notes that the Wexford block along Lawrence Avenue East has a diverse set of businesses catering to Middle Eastern, Asian and African clientele.

Nonetheless, Wexford Restaurant, a local staple founded in 1958 is one of the two businesses that closed forever.

Meanwhile, areas like Queen Street East in The Beaches struggled more than other areas, such as Wexford, because of pre-existing problems including higher commercial rents. The Beaches Queen Street East strip has seen nine permanent business closures so far out of 104 during the pandemic, more than the other main streets studied.

Overall, businesses with the ability to pivot  restaurants to takeout, in-store sales to online  fared better, Rowe said.

For example, the study notes that Buds Coffee Bar in The Beaches was able to expand onto the sidewalk, and the Fox Theatre has been selling naming rights to seats and concessions to bring in revenue while it couldnt show movies.

Rowe said its important to protect these main streets throughout the pandemic.

Theyre like community hearts, she said. And they also drive larger economies.

Rowe believes businesses will continue to need support going forward including protection from rent increases and high property taxes.

Christine Bergeron, Vancitys interim CEO and president, said one finding of interest was that the areas with strong local connections, fared better than more affluent areas.

If you can get what you need close by, youre more likely to purchase locally than to go to a different neighbourhood, she said.

Bergeron said more research is needed to help communities figure out what they need to do to grow and survive.

Correction  Aug. 5, 2020: This story was edited to correct the name of Ellington Dr. in the Wexford Heights neighbourhood.
A lawyer for trafficking victims of Jeffrey Epstein has given the FBI information from a woman claiming she saw the Duke of York with alleged victim Virginia Giuffre at a London nightclub.

Prince Andrew previously denied Ms Giuffre's claim he was at the Mayfair establishment with her on the night in question in 2001, saying he was at home after visiting a Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter Beatrice.

However, US lawyer Lisa Bloom said another woman has come forward to support Ms Giuffre's version of events.

Ms Bloom said Shukri Walker recalls seeing Andrew at the club with Ms Giuffre - then known as Virginia Roberts - and disgraced American financier Epstein's girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell.

Maxwell is now in jail in the US on charges of trafficking minors for her former partner and the British socialite, who has pleaded not guilty, will go on trial in July 2021.

Andrew during his BBC Newsnight interview with Emily Maitlis / PA

Ms Bloom said she has forwarded Ms Walker's information to the FBI.

Prosecutors working on the Epstein trafficking case have accused Andrew of refusing to cooperate with requests to interview him about his contacts with Epstein, who killed himself in a New York prison last year while awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges.

Andrew has said in recent weeks that he is cooperating with the FBI investigation into Epstein.

Ms Bloom said in an email: "I can confirm that I spoke to the FBI and gave them all of the information Shukri provided to me.

"She credibly alleges that she was there at the Tramp nightclub in 2001 and specifically recalls Prince Andrew being there with Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell.

"She had never been in the presence of a royal before or since and so it was very memorable to her.

"She was disappointed when she saw Prince Andrew's now infamous interview where he denied being there."

Ms Bloom added: "I represent six victims of Jeffrey Epstein. We demand that everyone who helped him abuse girls be brought to justice.

Virginia Roberts Giuffre speaks during a press conference outside a Manhattan court in New York last year / AP

"And we demand that everyone with information about Epstein or Maxwell, including Prince Andrew, assist authorities by providing full information and documentation."

Ms Giuffre claimed she had sex with Andrew on three separate occasions, and was aged 17 on the first occasion.

She has claimed in a now-settled US defamation lawsuit - documents from which were released last week - and in other litigation, that Maxwell recruited her in 2000 to be a sexual servant for Epstein.

The duke categorically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre.

Jeffrey Epstein / Getty

Ms Walker told The Sun newspaper she recalls Andrew having been at Tramp because she accidentally stepped on his foot while dancing.

She told the paper she had decided to speak out after watching Andrew's denials in his now infamous BBC Newsnight interview about his friendship with Epstein and Ms Giuffre's allegations.

"When I watched the BBC interview and saw Prince Andrew deny knowing Virginia, saying he has no recollection of that night I had to come forward," Ms Walker was quoted as saying.

"Because I was there and I do have a recollection of it."

The Sun reported the FBI had decided it did not need Ms Walker's testimony despite being given her evidence by Ms Bloom. An FBI spokeswoman said it would not comment on the developments surrounding Ms Walker.

The Standard has contacted Prince Andrew's representatives for comment.
(Alliance News) - Gulf Marine Services PLC, a United Arab Emirates-based support vessels provider, said resolutions to appoint Hassan Heikal and Hesham Halbouny as directors were narrowly approved at a general meeting.

A total of 58% of votes favoured the director appointments at the meeting, requisitioned by Seafox International Ltd, with 43% against.

Gulf Marine said: "The board will publish an update on views received from shareholders, and actions taken, within six months of the requisitioned GM, and a final summary together with any further steps in the next annual report."

Seafox, a global offshore jack-up company, was "pleased to note the support" for its resolutions. It said the vote endorsed the validity of its views on Gulf Maine and reflected its position as a 30% shareholder.

Shares in Gulf Maine ended down 2.1% at 0.53 pence on Tuesday.

By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
She's been soaking up the sunshine during a sunny break with pals in Ibiza.

And Caprice was proudly flaunting her figure once again in a colourful cut-out swimsuit as she enjoyed a game of volleyball with her pals in the sunshine on Monday.

The Dancing On Ice star, 48, looked incredible in the form-fitting piece as she larked about on the beach with her female pals.

Sensational: Caprice, 48, was flaunted her figure once again in a colourful cut-out swimsuit as she enjoyed a game of volleyball with her pals in the sunshine on Monday

Caprice was perfectly dressed for a day of fun in the sun as she sprinted along the beach in her colourful one-piece.

The swimsuit sported contrasting red and blue panels, along with revealing cutouts to highlight her incredible physique.

Finishing her look with an oversized Gucci headband, Caprice was seen dashing around the beach to try and prevent the ball from hitting the ground.

Fun in the sun: The Dancing On Ice star looked incredible in the form-fitting piece as she larked about on the beach with her female pals

Caprice is currently caught up in the coronavirus chaos from last weekend as the government pulled its air bridge with the Spain following a spike in COVID-19 cases.

The government introduced a mandatory 14-day quarantine on anyone returning to Britain from Spain in a hastily announced change in the rules.

The rules apply to all regions of Spain, including the Canary and Balearic islands - though politicians in the latter say they are trying to thrash out a regional air bridge.

Spain was one of the worst hit countries in Europe by the COVID-19 pandemic, with more than 290,000 cases and over 28,000 deaths, however it imposed very strict lockdown measures to contain the spread, gradually easing them earlier in the summer.

Revealing: The swimsuit sported contrasting red and blue panels, along with revealing cutouts to highlight her incredible physique

The trip comes after Caprice shared details of her home-life during the pandemic - including the fact that the entire household contracted COVID-19 except for her.

'We've just had the antibodies test, so I now know everyone had it but m,' Caprice revealed to New! Magazine. 'The signs were there but you couldn't say definitively.

Caprice lives with her husband Ty Comfort and their six-year-old sons Jett and Jax.

'Ty couldn't smell or taste. Jett had a temperature of 41 and a dry cough. Jax's eyes were burning,' she explained. 'Everyone's now totally fine and fully recovered.'

She also shared her thoughts on her husband's fatherhood techniques.

When asked if he's a hands-on dad, she said: 'No. Ty will step in when they're older and teach them about business.'
Following the latest workplace design trend, which focuses on a "de-densifying" the office workplace to facilitate social distancing in the postCOVID environment, Mohr Partners has made the bold decision to continue to allow a high percentage of our workforce to work from private offices. Robert Shibuya, Mohr Partners Chairman & CEO commented, "With the majority of our peer group companies moving to a highly dense open-plan environment to drive cost savings, we have decided to take a contrarian workplace strategy and add more private offices to allow for social distancing and greater privacy for our team members."
But every individual that Ive gone to and Ive talked to have said not only do they not want it removed, but they believe in the message it represents.

Neal said he doesnt want to see the city use Greenwood as a political pawn, referring to the street as holy ground.

Come with facts, Mr. Mayor, Neal said. Come with facts, those that say they represent this area but just want to use it when its of political convenience to them. You come here and you say what is actually true. The people in this area want it; our organization wants it; and were going to continue to stand and make sure it stays here.

Bynum did not take long to respond to the Greenwood leaders comments, taking time out of his noon COVID-19 news conference to address the matter.

He said that after the City Council indicated last week that it would not permit the Black Lives Matter sign, he learned that the Greenwood Chamber of Commerce had not been consulted about the signs future.
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Nigerias security chiefs as the security situation worsens across the country.

Apart from Mr Buhari, others at the meeting include Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff to the President Ibrahim Gambari, National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno and some ministers.

The heads of the army, navy, air force, police, State Security Service, and Directorate of Military Intelligence are also attending the meeting.

The meeting is holding about a week after armed persons attacked the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, in Baga, a community with a history of Boko Haram attacks.

Mr Zulum has, however, said he believes the attack was carried out by soldiers.

The attack on the governor occurred about a day after at least one person was killed in Boko Haram attacks on Maiduguri.

READ ALSO:

Apart from the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno and neighbouring states, armed bandits are also attacking northwestern states randomly, killing and kidnapping dozens of people every month.

Many people have also been killed in renewed violence in Southern Kaduna.

Tuesdays security meeting is expected to deliberate on some of these key security situations.
The State of Israel has announced that new international students would be permitted to enter the country to commence their academic studies during the 2020-2021 academic year. The announcement follows a government enacted restriction in mid-March that prevented non-Israeli visitors from entering the country. Since then, the Council for Higher Education of Israel has been working closely with senior officials in the Ministry of Health, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Population and Immigration Authority on the issue.

Throughout the pandemic, Israeli universities and colleges have made significant efforts to provide the necessary support for international students and ensure their health, safety, and academic success. They are now focused on guaranteeing their studentsarrival in Israel: A flight from Mumbai to Tel Aviv was recently organized by Bar Ilan University which brought 100 returning and new PhD and post-doctoral researchers at all 8 research universities in Israel who were unable to travel to Israel due to the grounding of flights between the two countries during the pandemic.

Universities in India are important partners in Israeli research, said Bar-Ilan University President Prof. Arie Zaban. Research universities yearn for these students because of their specialization in disciplines that contribute to the advancement of Israeli research. This is of crucial importance, particularly nowadays when knowledge sharing takes place mainly through Zoom. Doctoral students from India are talented and hardworking, and I am proud that we were able to bring them here during these very challenging times for higher education and the State of Israel.

Speaking on the announcement, Prof Yaffa Zilbershats, Chair, Planning & Budgeting Committee, Council for Higher Education, said, Internationalization is one of the main strategic priorities for the higher education system in Israel and we are committed to integrating top international students in our universities and colleges. she further added, Although the coronavirus pandemic has hindered international mobility, we are glad that international students will still be able to come to Israel and we welcome them to engage in our world-class academics and research.

International students will be required to complete a 14-day self-isolation period upon arrival to Israel under the supervision of their academic institution, in accordance with the Ministry of Health guidelines.

The new approval to open the border brings relief to many Indian students who were planning to study in Israel in the upcoming academic year. Israeli universities and colleges are still accepting applications for this upcoming year and the fall semester in Israel begins in mid-October. Further information can be found at the study in Israel website.


Israeli warplanes launch fresh air raids in Gaza Strip

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 1:14 AM

Israel warplanes have launched new airstrikes against the positions of the Palestinian resistance movement of Hamas in the central parts of the besieged Gaza strip.

The attacks have targeted west of Deir al-Balah city, a report by RT Arabic said.

A military base belonging to Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, has also been hit by three rockets fired from the Israeli warplanes, Israeli media claim.

The sound of several explosions has also been heard from east of Khan Yunis in the south of Gaza Strip, RT reported.

The attacks came shortly after the Israeli military claimed its iron dome air defense system has intercepted a rocket fired from the besieged enclave towards the occupied territories.

The Tel Aviv regime also claimed its forces have clashed with a four-member "terrorist group" laying mines in the occupied territories' borders with Syria in early hours of Monday.

During the clashes, it said, the Israeli military's combat helicopter has opened fire and injured several members of the group.

The Israeli military's northern command center is on standby to counter any scenario, Al Jazeera TV quoted sources in the regime as saying.

Gaza has been under Israeli siege since June 2007, which has caused a decline in living standards.

Israel has also launched three major wars against the enclave since 2008, killing thousands of Gazans each time and shattering the impoverished territory's already poor infrastructure.

The crippling blockade has caused a decline in the standard of living as well as unprecedented levels of unemployment and unrelenting poverty in the Gaza Strip.

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(Newser)  The week didn't get off to the best start for Liberty University thanks to this Slate article about Black athletes leaving the school. But now these headlines: Ones about the university's president, Jerry Falwell Jr., who allegedly posted a photo of himself on a yacht with his pants unzipped and his arm around a woman; both are bearing their midriffs. The caption of the Instagram photo, which appeared a series: "More vacation shots. Lots of good friends visited us on the yacht. I promise that's just black water in my glass. It was a prop only. The image was flagged on Twitter by Houston Chronicle religion reporter Rob Downen late Sunday night with a three-word caption: "wut is happening."

story continues below

The image no longer appears on Falwell's Instagram account, though other images that appear to be from the same yacht holiday are still live. Politico reports the photo is seemingly "a parody of or reference to" the TV comedy Trailer Park Boys and suggests those aboard the yacht were in costume. Politico reports Liberty University had no comment but points out the school's own code of conduct prohibits students from partaking in media containing sexual content. The Hill flags a tweet in response from Meghan McCain: "How is this Jerry Falwell Jr. photo even real? Also if you're running the largest Christian university in America maybe don't put photos of yourself on social media with your pants undone on a yachtwith random women in bad wigs. So gross, so hypocritical. (Read more Jerry Falwell Jr. stories.)
Kate Mara was seen taking care of some beautification on Monday, as she left a waxing appointment in Beverly Hills, California.

The Fantastic Four star, 37, was wearing a pretty floral-themed summer dress that showed off her slender legs.

Kate's dress featured small rose-inspired pattern, and slightly frilled sleeves that ended at her elbows.

Summer fresh: Kate Mara was seen taking care of some beautification on Monday, as she left a waxing appointment in Beverly Hills

The dress ended at Mara's mid-thighs, and also featured a plunging V-neck that led to clasp buttons lending a peekaboo effect to the garment.

Her auburn hair was down and long against her shoulders.

She accessorized with simple jewelry, and classic dark shades.

The Emmy nominee (for her role of Zoe Barnes on House Of Cards) also carried an oversized straw bag.

On her way: The Fantastic Four star was wearing a pretty floral-themed summer dress that showed off her slender legs

She wore cream lo-top Converse sneakers.

Finally, Kate completed her look with a standard hospital-grade blue face mask, as a measure of protection against the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Despite business closures and recommendations to limit contact with others, celebrities like Mara, Alessandra Ambrosio and others have nonetheless sought out businesses that are taking private appointments for things such as waxing, manicures and gym workouts during this unsure time.

Decorated actress: Mara is an Emmy nominee for her role of Zoe Barnes on House Of Cards; seen here in October 2019 in Hollywood

Kate, the older sister of Rooney Mara, is married to Billy Elliott star Jamie Bell, with whom she shares a 14-month-old daughter.

The pair met on the set of their 2015 superhero misfire Fantastic Four.

Recently, Josh Trank, the director of that film, stated his initial desires to cast a black actress in Mara's role of Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman.

Visible woman: Kate, the older sister of Rooney Mara, is married to Billy Elliott star Jamie Bell, who she met on the set of their 2015 superhero misfire Fantastic Four

While video chatting with the folks of Geeks of Color/First Cut in June, Trank, 36, described how his casting hopes were met with 'pushback' on the part of the studio.

'When it came to it, I found a lot of pretty heavy pushback on casting a black woman in that role,' Josh shared.

'When I look back on that, I should have just walked when that realization sort of hit me, and I feel embarrassed about that, that I didnt just out of principle,' he continued.

And while the film scored an abysmal nine percent on Rotten Tomatoes and only made $56 million countrywide despite a $120 million budget, Fantastic Four did succeed in pairing up Kate with her future husband.

20/20 hindsight: Recently, Josh Trank, the director of that film, stated his initial desires to cast a black actress in Mara's role of Sue Storm, a.k.a. the Invisible Woman
A Victorian fly-in, fly-out worker who flouted quarantine rules to fly to a Pilbara mine site hours after landing in Western Australia has been fined $5000 in court.

Fabian Michael D'Costa, a 49-year-old contractor for iron ore miner BHP, landed at Perth Airport from Victoria on July 3.

The man failed to self-isolate after landing in WA from Victoria in early July. Credit:Jacky Ghossein

Police said D'Costa was issued with a self-quarantine direction upon arrival as per border rules, which required him to isolate in suitable accommodation for 14 days.

But instead, the Geelong resident flew directly to a BHP mine site in the Pilbara where he started work without self-isolating.
A Pennsylvania Superior Court decision clears the way for prosecutors in an assault case stemming from an Indiana University of Pennsylvania students 2017 death to use a Windber area pathologists testimony in court.

And in a follow-up order, Indiana County President Judge William Martin has scheduled a Westmont mans trial over the matter to begin Nov. 16.

Brady DiStefano, 23, a former IUP student, is facing assault charges in Caleb Zweigs death.

Zweig, a Maryland native, was a fellow fraternity brother who died following an incident on Wayne Avenue in Indiana Borough on Feb 3, 2017.

Borough police initially charged DiStefano with killing the man, but the charge was later dismissed.

Prosecutors say DiStefano was spotted choking the man during an altercation  while Blair County defense attorney Thomas Dickey has maintained no fight occurred between the pair.

Dickey has maintained Zweig suddenly collapsed and died at DiStefanos side that day.

In late 2017, Forensic DX pathologist Ashley Zezulak testified Zweig was in perfect health and that she relied on police evidence to arrive at her asphyxiation death ruling because her autopsy didnt uncover any other explanation for his passing.

Martin ruled that testimony as inadmissible in court, saying it would unfairly prejudice the defense case. But in the Superior Courts ruling last week, Judges Mary P. Murray and Maria McLaughlin and President Judge Emeritus Correale F. Stevens disagreed.

In the case of expert testimony ... evidence need not be conclusive, they wrote.

Martin has given attorneys in the case until Oct. 30 to submit their final witness lists and questions for potential jurors.

By David Hurst, The Tribune-Democrat, Johnstown, Pa. (TNS)

More:

Driver arrested, charged in fatal hit-and-run of I-81 construction worker

TSA catches woman with loaded handgun at HIA

Death of 34-year-old man found unresponsive in Lancaster County parking lot under investigation
BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE American: LEU) today reported net income of $33.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, compared to a net loss of $15.6 million for the second quarter of 2020. The net income allocable to common stockholders was $31.7 million, or $3.28 (basic) and $3.19 (diluted) per common share, compared to a net loss allocable to common stockholders of $17.6 million or $1.84 per common share (basic and diluted), for the second quarter of 2019.

"Despite the unprecedented health crisis posed by COVID-19, with a large portion of our staff shifting to telework, our dedicated employees have rallied to produce outstanding results," said Dan Poneman, Centrus president and chief executive officer. "We are continuing to make progress on the High-Assay, Low-Enriched Uranium (HALEU) program, including the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's acceptance of our application to amend our license at Piketon to permit the production of HALEU for review. We will continue our efforts to protect the health and safety of our employees and their families as our highest priority."

Financial Results

Centrus generated total revenue of $75.7 million for the second quarter of 2020, an increase of $65.1 million from the prior year period.

Revenue from the LEU segment increased $60.8 million in the three months and $56.4 million in the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the corresponding periods in 2019. SWU revenue in the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, includes $32.4 million collected from a customer in settlement of a supply contract rejected in bankruptcy court. Excluding these proceeds, revenue from the sales of SWU increased $26.2 million in the three months and $44.5 million in the six months ended June 30, 2020. The volume of SWU sold increased 97% for the six-month period and the average SWU price increased 134%, reflecting the variability in timing of utility customer orders and the particular contracts under which SWU were sold during the periods. Revenue from uranium sales increased $2.2 million in the three months and declined $20.5 million in six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the corresponding periods in 2019. For the six-month period, the volume of uranium sold declined 79%.

Cost of sales for the LEU segment increased $11.2 million in the three months and declined $13.8 million in the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the corresponding periods in 2019. There were no sales of SWU in the corresponding three-month period in 2019. For the six-month period, the decline in cost of sales reflects the decline in uranium sales volume, partially offset by the increase SWU sales volume and a decline in the average cost of sales per SWU. The average cost of sales per SWU declined approximately 39% in the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the corresponding period in 2019, primarily due to lower pricing in supply contracts.

Revenue from the technical solutions segment increased $4.3 million in the three months and $15.0 million in the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the corresponding periods in 2019. The increases were primarily the result of work performed under the HALEU Contract. Revenue in the current periods included work performed under the UT-Battelle contract and revenue in the prior periods included work performed under an agreement with DOE to decontaminate and decommission its K-1600 facility in Tennessee. The K-1600 contract was completed in October 2019.

Cost of sales for the technical solutions segment increased $5.8 million in the three months and $12.0 million in the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the corresponding periods in 2019, reflecting in part the mix of technical solutions work performed in each of the periods including work performed under the HALEU Contract in the current period. Cost of sales benefited by $3.0 million in the three months and $5.3 million in the six months ended June 30, 2020, for previously accrued contract losses attributable to work performed under the HALEU Contract in 2020.

Centrus realized a gross profit of $43.8 million in the three months ended June 30, 2020, an improvement of $48.1 million compared to the gross loss of $4.3 million in the corresponding period in 2019. In the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company realized a gross profit of $63.4 million, an increase of $73.2 million compared to the gross loss of $9.8 million in the corresponding period in 2019. Gross profit in the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, included the $32.4 million collected from a customer in settlement of a supply contract rejected in bankruptcy court. We ended the second quarter of 2020 with a consolidated cash balance of $119.3 million.

Selling, general and administrative expenses increased $2.7 million (or 35%) in the three months ended June 30, 2020, and increased $3.1 million (or 20%) in the six months ended June 30, 2020, compared to the corresponding periods in 2019. Consulting costs increased $2.1 million for the quarter and $2.9 million for the six months, related to initiatives including capital financing evaluation costs, claim recoveries, and international trade and included $2.0 million of previously deferred costs related to capital financing evaluation work. Compensation expense increased $0.8 million for the quarter, primarily due to an increase in the share price of the Company's common stock and the remeasurement of obligations under long-term incentive plans, and other SG&A expenses declined by a net $0.2 million.

As we have noted in recent years our revenues can vary significantly from quarter to quarter depending upon the timing of when customers elect to take their annual deliveries and other factors. Therefore, our operating results and cash flows can fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and year to year. Operating results for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2020.

About Centrus Energy Corp.

Centrus is a trusted supplier of nuclear fuel and services for the nuclear power industry. Centrus provides value to its utility customers through the reliability and diversity of its supply sources  helping them meet the growing need for clean, affordable, carbon-free electricity. Since 1998, the Company has provided its utility customers with more than 1,750 reactor years of fuel, which is equivalent to 7 billion tons of coal.

With world-class technical capabilities, Centrus offers turnkey engineering and advanced manufacturing solutions to its customers. The Company is also advancing the next generation of centrifuge technologies so that America can restore its domestic uranium enrichment capability in the future. Find out more at www.centrusenergy.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In this context, forward-looking statements mean statements related to future events, may address our expected future business and financial performance, and often contain words such as "expects", "anticipates", "intends", "plans", "believes", "will", "should", "could", "would" or "may" and other words of similar meaning. Forward-looking statements by their nature address matters that are, to different degrees, uncertain. For Centrus Energy Corp., particular risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual future results to differ materially from those expressed in our forward-looking statements include but are not limited to the following, which may be amplified by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic: risks related to our significant long-term liabilities, including material unfunded defined benefit pension plan obligations and postretirement health and life benefit obligations; risks relating to our 8.25% notes (the "8.25% Notes") maturing in February 2027 and our Series B Senior Preferred Stock; risks related to the use of our net operating loss ("NOLs") carryforwards and net unrealized built-in losses ("NUBILs") to offset future taxable income and the use of the Rights Agreement (as defined herein) to prevent an "ownership change" as defined in Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the "Code") and our ability to generate taxable income to utilize all or a portion of the NOLs and NUBILs prior to the expiration thereof; risks related to the limited trading markets in our securities; risks related to our ability to maintain the listing of our Class A Common Stock on the NYSE American LLC (the "NYSE American"); risks related to decisions made by our Class B stockholders and our Series B Senior Preferred stockholders regarding their investment in the Company based upon factors that are unrelated to the Company's performance; risks related to the Company's capital concentration; risks related to natural and other disasters, including the continued impact of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami in Japan on the nuclear industry and on our business, results of operations and prospects; the impact and potential extended duration of the current supply/demand imbalance in the market for low-enriched uranium ("LEU"); our dependence on others for deliveries of LEU including deliveries from the Russian government-owned entity TENEX, Joint-Stock Company ("TENEX"), under a commercial supply agreement with TENEX and deliveries under a long-term supply agreement with Orano Cycle ("Orano"); risks related to existing or new trade barriers and contract terms that limit our ability to deliver LEU to customers; risks related to actions, including government reviews, that may be taken by the United States government, the Russian government or other governments that could affect our ability to perform under our contract obligations or the ability of our sources of supply to perform under their contract obligations to us, including the imposition of sanctions, restrictions or other requirements, and risks relating to the potential expiration of the 1992 Russian Suspension Agreement ("RSA") and/or a renewal of the RSA on terms not favorable to us or legislation imposing new or increased limits on imports of Russian LEU; risks related to our ability to sell the LEU we procure pursuant to our purchase obligations under our supply agreements; risks relating to our sales order book, including uncertainty concerning customer actions under current contracts and in future contracting due to market conditions and lack of current production capability; risks related to financial difficulties experienced by customers, including possible bankruptcies, insolvencies or any other inability to pay for our products or services or delays in making timely payment; pricing trends and demand in the uranium and enrichment markets and their impact on our profitability; movement and timing of customer orders; risks related to the value of our intangible assets related to the sales order book and customer relationships; risks associated with our reliance on third-party suppliers to provide essential products and services to us; the impact of government regulation including by the U.S. Department of Energy ("DOE") and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission; uncertainty regarding our ability to commercially deploy competitive enrichment technology; risks and uncertainties regarding funding for deployment of the American Centrifuge technology and our ability to perform and absorb costs under our agreement with DOE to demonstrate the capability to produce high assay low enriched uranium ("HALEU") and our ability to obtain and/or perform under other agreements; risks relating to whether or when government or commercial demand for HALEU will materialize; the potential for further demobilization or termination of our American Centrifuge work; risks related to our ability to perform and receive timely payment under agreements with DOE or other government agencies, including risk and uncertainties related to the ongoing funding of the government and potential audits; the competitive bidding process associated with obtaining a federal contract; risks related to our ability to perform fixed-price and cost-share contracts, including the risk that costs could be higher than expected; risks that we will be unable to obtain new business opportunities or achieve market acceptance of our products and services or that products or services provided by others will render our products or services obsolete or noncompetitive; risks that we will not be able to timely complete the work that we are obligated to perform; failures or security breaches of our information technology systems; risks related to pandemics and other health crises, such as the global COVID-19 pandemic; potential strategic transactions, which could be difficult to implement, disrupt our business or change our business profile significantly; the outcome of legal proceedings and other contingencies (including lawsuits and government investigations or audits); the competitive environment for our products and services; changes in the nuclear energy industry; the impact of financial market conditions on our business, liquidity, prospects, pension assets and insurance facilities; the risks of revenue and operating results fluctuating significantly from quarter to quarter, and in some cases, year to year; and other risks and uncertainties discussed in this and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including under Part 1. Item1A - "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019.

These factors may not constitute all factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in any forward-looking statement. Accordingly, forward-looking statements should be not be relied upon as a predictor of actual results. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in this report and in our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission that attempt to advise interested parties of the risks and factors that may affect our business. We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Investors: Dan Leistikow (301) 564-3399 or [email protected]

Media: Lindsey Geisler (301) 564-3392 or [email protected]

CENTRUS ENERGY CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS AND COMPREHENSIVE INCOME (LOSS) (Unaudited; in millions, except share and per share data)



Three Months Ended

June 30,

Six Months Ended

June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Revenue:













Separative work units $ 58.6



$ 



$ 89.3



$ 12.4

Uranium 4.8



2.6



4.8



25.3

Technical solutions 12.3



8.0



26.6



11.6

Total revenue 75.7



10.6



120.7



49.3

Cost of Sales:













Separative work units and uranium 18.9



7.7



32.2



46.0

Technical solutions 13.0



7.2



25.1



13.1

Total cost of sales 31.9



14.9



57.3



59.1

Gross profit (loss) 43.8



(4.3)



63.4



(9.8)

Advanced technology costs 0.7



5.1



1.6



11.7

Selling, general and administrative 10.4



7.7



18.9



15.8

Amortization of intangible assets 1.7



1.2



3.1



2.3

Special charges (credits) for workforce reductions 



(2.9)



(0.1)



(3.0)

Gain on sales of assets 



(0.1)







(0.5)

Operating income (loss) 31.0



(15.3)



39.9



(36.1)

Nonoperating components of net periodic benefit expense (income) (2.2)







(4.4)



(0.1)

Interest expense 



1.0



0.1



2.0

Investment income 



(0.7)



(0.4)



(1.4)

Income (loss) before income taxes 33.2



(15.6)



44.6



(36.6)

Income tax expense (benefit) (0.5)







(0.4)



(0.1)

Net income (loss) and comprehensive income (loss) 33.7



(15.6)



45.0



(36.5)

Preferred stock dividends - undeclared and cumulative 2.0



2.0



4.0



4.0

Net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders $ 31.7



$ (17.6)



$ 41.0



$ (40.5)

















Net income (loss) per common share:













Basic $ 3.28



$ (1.84)



$ 4.25



$ (4.24)

Diluted $ 3.19



$ (1.84)



$ 4.15



$ (4.24)

Average number of common shares outstanding (in thousands):













Basic 9,675



9,565



9,647



9,549

Diluted 9,927



9,565



9,882



9,549



CENTRUS ENERGY CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (Unaudited; in millions, except share and per share data)



June 30,

2020

December 31,

2019 ASSETS





Current assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 119.3



$ 130.7

Accounts receivable 31.2



21.1

Inventories 83.0



64.5

Deferred costs associated with deferred revenue 145.4



144.1

Other current assets 7.2



9.2

Total current assets 386.1



369.6

Property, plant and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $2.4 as of June 30, 2020 and $2.2 as of December 31, 2019 3.6



3.7

Deposits for financial assurance 5.7



5.7

Intangible assets, net 66.4



69.5

Other long-term assets 7.1



7.4

Total assets $ 468.9



$ 455.9









LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' DEFICIT





Current liabilities:





Accounts payable and accrued liabilities $ 49.7



$ 50.7

Payables under SWU purchase agreements 3.0



8.1

Inventories owed to customers and suppliers 7.6



5.6

Deferred revenue and advances from customers 248.2



266.3

Current debt 6.1



6.1

Total current liabilities 314.6



336.8

Long-term debt 111.0



114.1

Postretirement health and life benefit obligations 132.4



138.6

Pension benefit liabilities 131.6



141.8

Advances from customers 44.4



29.4

Other long-term liabilities 26.6



32.1

Total liabilities 760.6



792.8

Commitments and contingencies (Note 12)





Stockholders' deficit:





Preferred stock, par value $1.00 per share, 20,000,000 shares authorized





Series A Participating Cumulative Preferred Stock, none issued 





Series B Senior Preferred Stock, 7.5% cumulative, 104,574 shares issued and outstanding and an aggregate liquidation preference of $131.2 as of June 30, 2020 and $127.2 as of December 31, 2019 4.6



4.6

Class A Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, 70,000,000 shares authorized, 8,783,189 and 8,347,427 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively 0.8



0.8

Class B Common Stock, par value $0.10 per share, 30,000,000 shares authorized, 719,200 and 1,117,462 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively 0.1



0.1

Excess of capital over par value 61.9



61.5

Accumulated deficit (360.0)



(405.0)

Accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax 0.9



1.1

Total stockholders' deficit (291.7)



(336.9)

Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit $ 468.9



$ 455.9



CENTRUS ENERGY CORP. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (Unaudited; in millions)



Six Months Ended

June 30,

2020

2019 OPERATING





Net income (loss) $ 45.0



$ (36.5)

Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities:





Depreciation and amortization 3.4



2.6

PIK interest on paid-in-kind toggle notes 



0.7

Gain on sales of assets 



(0.5)

Inventory valuation adjustments 



2.3

Changes in operating assets and liabilities:





Accounts receivable (10.1)



24.6

Inventories, net 0.2



(6.6)

Accounts payable and other liabilities (1.8)



(15.8)

Payables under SWU purchase agreements (5.1)



(31.1)

Deferred revenue and advances from customers, net of deferred costs (19.3)



27.0

Accrued loss on long-term contract (5.3)





Pension and postretirement benefit liabilities (16.6)



(11.1)

Other, net 1.2



(0.7)

Cash used in operating activities (8.4)



(45.1)









INVESTING





Capital expenditures (0.1)





Proceeds from sales of assets 



0.5

Cash (used in) provided by investing activities (0.1)



0.5









FINANCING





Exercise of stock options 0.2





Payment of interest classified as debt (3.1)



(3.1)

Cash used in financing activities (2.9)



(3.1)









Decrease in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash (11.4)



(48.2)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period (Note 4) 136.6



159.7

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period (Note 4) $ 125.2



$ 111.5









Supplemental cash flow information:





Interest paid in cash $ 



$ 0.4

Non-cash activities:





Conversion of interest payable-in-kind to debt $ 



$ 0.7



SOURCE Centrus Energy Corp.

Related Links

www.centrusenergy.com


The statement by senior leaders in the Pilot camp came hours after Randeep Surjewala said the dissident MLAs should give up the hospitality of the BJP if they want to hold a dialogue

Jaipur: Asserting that neither former Rajasthan deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot nor the MLAs supporting him have spoken against the top Congress leadership or the party, three legislators backing Pilot on Tuesday said their fight is about "self-respect", and against the "dictatorial" working style of Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot.

Hemaram Chaudhary, a six-time MLA and a former Congress legislative party leader, said,"We are true soldiers of the Congress and our fight is not against the party, but we cannot work under Gehlot's leadership".

The chief minister himself has stated that he was not on talking terms with the deputy chief minister, so it is for all to see that what kind of a government he was running, the senior Rajasthan Congress leader told PTI.

The assertion by senior leaders in the Pilot camp came hours after Congress' chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said that dissident MLAs should give up the hospitality of the BJP and the security of Haryana police if they want to hold a dialogue with the party.

On Saturday, Gehlot in Jaisalmer said that he has no issues with any of the rebels if they apologise to the party high command. The Rajasthan chief minister also said that he would abide by whatever the leadership decided about them.

Gehlot has accused Pilot and those supporting him of colluding with the BJP to topple his government by allegedly engaging in horse-trading.

Chaudhary said the current standoff within the party in Rajasthan was not the outcome of a single event, but the result of one and a half years of "humiliation and systematic marginalisation" of Pilot within the Gehlot government.

"The continuous public humiliation of our leader (Pilot), sidelining of those close to him, constantly hampering work of the deputy chief minister and depriving him of authority has led to this situation," the MLA from the Gudamalani constituency in Barmer said.

"We could not bear it after a point and the last straw was the serving of a notice by the state police, that too on 'sedition charges' to the sitting deputy chief minister," Chaudhary said.

The MLA hit out at the AICC office bearers dealing with Rajasthan, particularly state in-charge Avinash Pande, alleging that they were completely biased against Pilot and his supporters, and not willing to address their grievances even after repeated attempts over the last 18 months.

He said it was never about opposing the party or its national leadership, but those MLAs supporting Pilot were against the "dictatorial leadership style" of the individual heading the government.

"Surely criticising leadership style of Gehlot can't be a good enough reason for the party to unceremoniously sack Mr Pilot as Deputy CM and PCC president," the MLA said.

Hitting out at Gehlot, Chaudhary cited an RTI inquiry to allege that in the first year of office, zero amount of money was spent on TV/Newspaper advertisements on Pilot, whereas the state government spent more than 25 crore on the publicity of Gehlot.

"Another RTI showed that the CM in the first year of office had used the state aircraft as many as 85 times, while the number of such trips for Mr. Pilot was zero. In fact the details show that Mr. Pilot had not travelled by air on official expense, even once," he claimed.

While making political appointments, official programmes of the state government, transfers and postings of bureaucrats, allocation of funds, the bias against Pilot was there for all to see. The CM chose to target those close to Pilot and the vindictive manner in which CM opposed anyone not paying obeisance to him, was suffocating," Chaudhary said.

Another MLA from the Pilot camp, Ved Prakash Solanki, also echoed Chaudhary's views.

He said watching Pilot, who worked from panchayats to block and district levels to revive the party's fortunes, being sidelined in the government was "heart wrenching" for many party workers.

"Ashok Gehlot tried to portray our grievances as anti-party act or a betrayal of sorts, but the fact is that it is a fight for self respect, honour and our own space in the party and the government which we toiled for five long years to creat," the MLA from Chaksu told PTI.

Indraj Singh, an MLA from Viratnagar, alleged that Gehlot did not allow them to raise issues of farm loan waiver or employment of youth.

"Our fight is about hurt and anger over being sidelined by one person. It is a fight for our self respect and we will not compromise on that," he said.

He said people raising their voice with Pilot were cabinet ministers, a former speaker, and senior Congressmen belonging to various parts of Rajasthan representing a cross section of society and caste combination.

"These people don't deserve to be elbowed out of the party on the whims of one person," the MLA said, in an obvious reference to Gehlot.

The three MLAs also demanded that that party should remove Gehlot and make Pilot the chief minister to "save the party" in the state.

Nineteen Congress rebels, including Pilot, revolted against Gehlot, posing a threat to the Congress government in Rajasthan. However, Gehlot has asserted that he has the support of majority MLAs.

After days of political stalemate, Rajasthan Governor Kalraj Mishra last week finally agreed to call the Assembly session from 14 August.

Pilot and the MLAs supporting him have stated earlier that they are not joining the BJP and want a leadership change in the government.
YEREVAN.  Azerbaijan must pay compensation to both Armenian refugees and their descendants who have been forced to flee their homes in Azerbaijan, leaving their property behind. Artur Ghazaryan, coordinator of the initiative group of the recently established Armenian Refugee Platform, stated about this in a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am, referring to the legal solution of the problems of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan.

According to him, the Armenian refugees from Baku, Kirovabadtodays Ganja, Sumgait, Shahumyan, and Getashen do not even dream of returning to their homes, but today's Azerbaijan cannot guarantee their rights. "Armenians are the state-building people of Soviet Azerbaijan, and we have lived in all the above-mentioned cities and regions," Ghazaryan reminded.

In response to the question why during all these years the Armenian authorities did not seriously raise the issue of the rights of Armenian refugees from Azerbaijan, Ghazaryan noted that Armenia, which suffered from the devastating earthquake of 1988, when hundreds of thousands of people were left homeless, was able to shelter them. "Refugee issues cannot be resolved in a few years. Apart from property issues, integration and culture issues are also important," added the coordinator of the initiative group of the Armenian Refugee Platform.

And when asked how he describes and evaluates the policy of the Armenian authorities regarding Armenian refugees, Artur Ghazaryan assured that the Armenian authorities are ready to listen to the problems of refugees and internally displaced persons. "The Armenian Refugee Platform initiated by us has planned meetings with various authorities of our country. Then we will have meetings with the foreign countries diplomatic missions in Armenia. We will hold meetings with the persons in charge in the Nagorno-Karabakh [(Artsakh)] Republic, the coordinator of the aforesaid platform's initiative group concluded.
DALLAS, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Smoothie King  the leading health and fitness-focused U.S. smoothie franchise with 1,195 global locations  announced it has maintained a steady development pace since the start of the year, opening 31 new domestic locations and 119 international locations while also signing 38 U.S. franchise agreements. The brand expects to open a total of 80 new U.S. locations by the end of 2020.

"Our franchise system continues to grow because of our brand's mission and vision and how we help our franchisees fulfill those promises," said Smoothie King CEO Wan Kim. "As a result, we're seeing more like-minded owners invest in our purpose-driven brand. Guests are going to be prioritizing their health and wellness even more going forward, and we fulfill those needs unlike any other concept."

Following the throes of the pandemic, Smoothie King is rebounding at an impressive rate, experiencing a 14-percent system-wide sales jump year-over-year for July. This includes the brand's 400-plus drive-thru locations, which are averaging a 26-percent increase for the month versus 2019 sales data.

Similarly, in June, Smoothie King's franchisee in Greenwood, Ind., set an opening-week sales record at their new location  recording $45,759 in total sales.

"The momentum we gained during the pandemic by focusing on our guests' needs has set us up for an exciting and dynamic year in terms of both sales and store growth," said Kim. "I can't wait to see what our franchise owners accomplish in the second half of 2020."

GUEST-FOCUSED INITIATIVES

As Kim alluded to, Smoothie King has introduced several guest-focused initiatives since the beginning of the pandemic to meet the convenience and safety needs of guests.

In February 2020, Smoothie King began rolling out its digital initiatives. The first step was launching online ordering for in-store pickup on its Healthy Rewards loyalty app and webpage. The brand then launched curbside pickup in early April and announced an exclusive delivery partnership with DoorDash in early May to make living a healthy and active lifestyle more convenient while expanding the brand's reach.

"We were pleased that our digital rollout happened as quickly as it did," said Kim. "After we introduced online ordering, curbside pickup and delivery, digital sales surged well past our expectations. Moving forward, these initiatives will only continue to help both our company and our franchisees capitalize on shifting guest trends."

Smoothie King also: introduced a new Immune Builder smoothie flavor; allowed Healthy Rewards members to add a complimentary immune support enhancer to any order; successfully donated $1,000,000 in smoothies to essential workers and workplaces nationwide; and is working with Under Armour to provide premium fitness content to loyalty guests.

To continue prioritizing the safety of its guests and team members, Smoothie King has announced beginning August 5 facial coverings will be encouraged when visiting all U.S. locations. They will not be required when ordering at the drive-thru, when using curbside pick-up or placing an order for delivery.

FRANCHISEE SUPPORT

The attraction to Smoothie King's franchise opportunity is also due to the comprehensive support franchisees receive  which has been on full display since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.

To support its franchise owners during the pandemic, Smoothie King deferred all royalty payments and completely waived both national advertising and technology fees for March and April. Consequently, Smoothie King franchisees were able to retain 100% of their cashflow to operate their businesses during the hardest months of the pandemic so far.

"Our franchisees are family, and we understand how hard this time has been for them and their families," Kim said. "We wanted to show them how much we appreciate their efforts over the last couple months as they continued to help inspire guests to live healthy and active lifestyles. Without our dedicated franchisees, we cannot live out our mission and vision."

The Smoothie King development team has also worked diligently to support franchisees as they negotiated with their landlords to alleviate their monthly rent obligations by either deferring payments or forgiving them altogether.

Other franchisee-support tactics Smoothie King has implemented during the current pandemic include holding weekly franchisee webinars covering topics like applying for PPP loans, developing a COVID response plan and marketing promotions to encourage online ordering and drive sales.

DEVELOPMENT SUCCESS IN 2020

These purpose-driven efforts, from both a guest and franchisee perspective, have and continue to translate into growth for the brand.

This year, Smoothie King has added new locations in markets like New Orleans, Washington D.C., San Antonio, Tucson, Baton Rouge and Louisville. A total of 15 stores began blending in Q1, another 11 opened in Q2 and five opened in July.

Additionally, the 38 signed-and-accepted franchise agreements are projected to produce 41 future locations. This is the result of 26 existing owners reinvesting in the brand and 12 new franchisees joining the system in 2020.

"Joining Smoothie King is as much a commitment to our brand as it is to our business, and we believe our actions over the last couple months will only continue to attract the kind of owners we're looking for," said Kim.

Smoothie King Korea also opened 119 new stores during the first seven months of 2020. These were predominantly a new-store format opened in EMart24 convenience stores.

"We are excited for this new store format in Korea and look forward to getting Smoothie King to more convenient locations throughout Korea," said Kim. "We expect to see additional store growth in Korea through the balance of the year."

Currently, Smoothie King has 1,195 units open-and-operating across the world, with 973 domestic locations and 222 international stores. Over the next five months, the company is aiming for continued development in the following markets: Baltimore, Birmingham, Cleveland, Jacksonville, Las Vegas, Oklahoma City and Phoenix.

ABOUT SMOOTHIE KING FRANCHISES, INC.

Smoothie King Franchises, Inc., the original U.S. smoothie franchise, is a privately-held, Dallas-based franchise company. Founded in 1973, Smoothie King has evolved into a lifestyle brand inspiring people to live healthy and active lifestyles via nutritious, great-tasting smoothies. The franchise earned the No. 1 ranking in the smoothie/juice bar category, and No. 14 overall, on Entrepreneur's prestigious Franchise 500 list in 2020. The company also debuted on the "Inc. 5000" list in 2018.

For more information on how to become a Smoothie King franchisee, please visit www.smoothiekingfranchise.com.

Media Contact: Brian Campbell Jr., Fishman PR, 847-945-1300 ext. 226 or [email protected]

SOURCE Smoothie King

Related Links

www.smoothiekingfranchise.com


While the US Centers for Disease Control and Preventions (CDC) ban on cruise ship sailings, combined with the Cruise Line Industry Associations (CLIA) voluntary industry suspension will remain in effect until the end of September, several European cruise and ferry enterprises have recently begun to resume scaled-down operations. These initiatives mark the beginning of a wave of attempts at a phased reopening since its shutdown in March due to the coronavirus.

MSC Grandiosa (Credit: Tom Rees, WikiMedia Commons)

The new sailing efforts come within the context of the ongoing failure of cruise companies and governments to repatriate thousands of ship workers since spring. As the WSWS has documented, thousands of stranded employees have remained stuck at sea for months, pushed off of company payroll, unable to meet their expenses at home, and having little information about when they will be reunited with their families. Since May, there have been nearly a dozen non-COVID-19-related deaths which are widely suspected to have been suicides.

A press release by the CDC calculates that as of July 10 there were 14,702 crew remaining on board 67 ships in US waters. The report also declares that there have been 99 disease outbreaks on 123 different cruise ships, with a total of 2,973 COVID-19 or COVID-like illness cases and 34 deaths. While the CDC release only refers to vessels under the US Coast Guards tally, there are likely thousands more stranded crew members on dozens of ships worldwide.

Among the first ship operators to resume sailings was Hurtigruten, a Norwegian-owned cruise and ferry company specializing in scenic cruising, or voyages which dock at fewer ports of call in favor of itineraries that do not require passengers to leave the ship. This weekend, Hurtigruten announced that it would suspend its recently resumed operation of the MS Fridtjof Nansen and the MS Roald Amundsen, after 36 passengers and five crew on board the latter tested positive for COVID-19.

AIDA cruises, a German brand operated by Costa Cruise Lines (Italy), a subsidiary of the Carnival Corporation/Carnival UK group (US/UK), also announced this weekend that it would be unable to continue its plans to restart passenger operations out of German ports for the first week of August.

On Wednesday, July 22, 750 Filipino and Indonesian crew members arrived in the port of Rostock, Mecklenberg-Western Pomerania in order to join the AIDAmar and AIDAblu ships for planned employee-only voyages. These sailings were scheduled in order for the company to implement its newly updated onboard health and safety procedures. Prior to boarding, however, 10 crew members tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Following the isolation of the infected workers, the company issued the following statement: None [of the confirmed cases] are related to the regular on-board operations.  The entire arriving crew was tested in their home countries before their departure to Germany. Another PCR test was carried out directly prior to the boarding. [This] shows that the strict hygiene protocols AIDA Cruises has developed with the authorities are effective and that the company has taken the right preventive measures.

The company blamed the government of Italy, the flag state for all ships in its fleet, for its inability to carry out planned cruises. The Italian government neglected to give its final approval to the companys voyages out of Rostock and Hamburg.

Last week, the Miami Herald reported on a memo leaked in social media groups by employees of MSC Cruises. The document presented updated protocol for all shipboard workers upon the resumption of the companys sailings. A bullet point which banned all non-emergency shore leave for crew sparked widespread opposition, as the ability for employees to leave the ship during normal operation is a necessary component of a job in which long work hours and no days off are a prominent feature.

While MSC Cruises is the worlds fourth largest cruise company, it is the worlds largest cruise operator that is a privately-held company. While the Switzerland-registered enterprise has officially stated that it awaits the approval of local health agencies before it resumes its sailing, it has acknowledged that it has begun the process of bringing employees to locations where the ships are docked in preparation for reopening.

While the company recklessly moves ahead with its plans, dozens of its crew still remain imprisoned on its vessels around the world. A Mauritian worker on a stranded MSC ship who wished to remain anonymous confirmed with the WSWS that the company has been chartering flights to send Mauritian crew to Genoa, Italy, in preparation of its resumed sailings.

This is outrageous. Ive been waiting to go home since the end of March. Its really hard to survive like this, the crew member said, concluding, it should be a fundamental right for any citizen to return home.

The response to the coronavirus pandemic by the Mauritian government, under the leadership of Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth, has been a particularly naked expression of the self-serving calculations of the countrys national business elite, as the WSWS has reported. Weeks after it implemented a shakedown policy in the form of expensive travel restrictions on its citizens returning from abroad, the Mauritian ruling class has demonstrated that it will spare no account in meeting the needs of the tourism industryit merely seeks to reap a better price for doing so.

On July 25, TUI cruises, owned by Royal Caribbean, Ltd., (US) through TUI AG, a German tourism company, became the first European ship operator to sail a large cruise vessel since the industry shutdown. Mein Schiff 2, a 2,900-passenger ship filled with only 60 percent of its operating capacity sailed on a scenic, three-day voyage to Norwegian waters with no ports of call.

A telling report from New York Daily News last week painted a chilling picture of the cold calculations involved the resumption of the cruising industry. The reopening will inevitably be built on the prolonged misery of employees who are financially desperate from a prolonged period without work. The report states, after months of shutdowns, the German cruise ship industry is betting on shorter trips to help reignite the business, which was badly affected by the ongoing coronavirus crisis.  The Western European nation of 83 million has been widely seen as a success in the fight against COVID-19, with just over 206,000 cases and 9,201 fatalities, about one-fifth of the death toll in the U.K.

Put in plain language, cruise corporations around the world see potential outbreaks of illness onboard, and whatever personal damages or deaths that may result, as a secondary factor to the resumption of business operations and the accumulation of their profits.

Cruise crew should categorically reject any return to work under the deadly conditions which are being pushed by the international cruise and ferry corporations. The right to safe repatriation must be demanded by ship workers as a basic prerequisite for any and all resumption of cruising operations.

Seafarers who are stranded on ships, those who are on active duty, and those who are at home with or without future assignments must form rank and file organizations to ensure that no restart of the industry is possible under the current conditions. These committees must be connected with similar organs of struggle in factories, schools, neighborhoods and workplaces around the world as part of the broader struggle by the working class to transform society on the basis of its own class intereststhat is, of international socialism.
The victim Sumesh, who hailed from Kerala, resided in the building in Al Dhaid, from where he fell to his death on July 31, the Khaleej Times report said.

Sharjah, Aug 3 (IANS) A 24-year-old Indian engineer fell to his death from the sixth floor of a building in Sharjah, a media report said on Monday.

Sumesh, who came to the United Arab Emirates a year ago, was an electrical engineer working as a designer in Sharjah's Muwaileh area.

His roommates said that he had some "personal issues" that had been "bothering him for some time".

Dileep Kumar, a roommate, said: "It was Eid-Al-Adha and our cook had made biryani for us. We were all cracking jokes and having a good time. In fact, even Cuckoo (Sumesh) was also laughing with us. He seemed happy. Nobody had anticipated this.

"I did sense a few times that something was troubling him and I even asked him about it, but he brushed it off."

Another roommate, said Sumesh was to travel to India for his annual leave but couldn't because of the COVID-19 situation.

The police has launched an investigation into the incident.

--IANS

ksk/
30 March 2020, Berlin: View of the logo of the chemical company Bayer AG on Mullerstrae. Photo: Jorg Carstensen/picture alliance via Getty Images

German pharmaceutical and chemicals giant Bayer (BAYN.DE) said on Tuesday that its performance in the second quarter had been solid despite the impact of COVID-19. However, the Leverkusen-based company had to allocate billions of dollars to cover the huge litigation against its subsidiary Monsanto in the US.

Bayer booked a net loss of just over 9.5bn ($11.17bn, 8.5bn) compared to a profit of 404m in the same period of the previous year. Group sales were down by 2.5% in the second quarter to just over 10bn after currency adjustments.

Bayer today announced a 5.6% rise in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) to 2.8 billion thanks to growth in its agricultural business. Core earnings per share rose 5.3% from the same period last year to 1.59.

Bayer took over Monsanto for 58.5bn in 2018  the largest-ever foreign takeover by a Germany company  but has since been mired in lawsuits in the US over its Roundup weedkiller, which many claim causes cancer.

On 24 June this year, Bayer agreed to pay over $10bn to settle around 125,000 lawsuits in the US linked to Roundup and its other glyphosate-containing products.

In terms of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on its business in the second quarter, Bayer said its pharmaceuticals division was impacted by the cancellation or postponement of visits to the doctor due to lockdown restrictions and as a result of which non-urgent treatments, in particular, were not carried out.

In the consumer health division, retailers high inventory levels and consumer stockpiling led to a slight decline in business, while in its crop science division, uncertainties led to shifts in demand in some regions and product groups, with negative effects likely to be increasingly reflected in the second half of the year.
Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's dog's name has finally been revealed along with its sweet meaning - after two long years of guessing the wrong names.

Meghan famously had to leave behind her beloved dog Bogart when she left Canada for England.

She told the BBC's Mishal Husain at the time: "I have two dogs that I've had for quite a long time, both my rescue pups. And one is now staying with very close friends and my other little guy is, yes he's in the UK, he's been here for a while," but added, "I think he's doing just fine."

Meghan Markle's dogs Bogart and Guy / Meghan Markle / Instagram

She and Harry then ended up adopting a new dog together.

They adopted a black Labrador retriever in August of 2018 and now, two years later, the lab's name has been revealed.

REUTERS

The dog is named Pula. Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, the authors of the tell-all book Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan and the Making of a Modern Royal Family, revealed to People that Pula is named after Botswana's currency and means "rain." Harry and Meghan famously took a trip to Botswana when they first started dating to celebrate her 36th birthday.

They visited Botswana again in 2017 to volunteer with Elephants Without Borders. Meghan is such a supporter of the cause that she was a voice actor for the Disney+ Elephant documentary that premiered in April. She declined a fee for her voiceover services and instead donated the money to Elephants Without Borders

While people frequently guessed the dog's name they weren't accurate. At one point, Prince Harry even joked that people keep getting her name wrong.

The couple also has a beagle named Guy, who Queen Elizabeth was spotted with before Harry and Meghan's wedding.
Plans for a dam across the Nile triggered a war in 1956: will it happen again?

Egypt has long defended its right, under colonial era agreements, to stop nine of the upstream countries from using Nile water.

Over the past decade, observers have watched with trepidation as tensions increased between Egypt and Ethiopia over the construction of the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam on the Blue Nile River.

Egyptian politicians have publicly threatened war to defend what they see as their existential interest  Egypts right to use most of the Niles water. Over 80% of the water that reaches Egypt comes from Ethiopia.

It has been suggested that Egypt has been encouraging separatist movements in Ethiopia to weaken Ethiopias government and discourage the project.

Egypt has long defended its right, under colonial era agreements, to stop nine of the upstream countries (including Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia) from using Nile water. It has a separate agreement with Sudan.

So the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam is important because it could set a precedent for other countries to ignore Egypts claims and start using Nile water for their own development.

In June, the Ethiopians announced that, after heavy rains, the dam had started to fill the reservoir.

There has never been a war over water, though plans for a massive dam on the Nile were at the centre of one of the most dramatic incidents in the Cold War. The 1956 Suez Crisis was triggered by Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser nationalising the canal. One of the reasons he cited was that Egypt needed to raise funds to build the Aswan Dam. Israel, joined by French and British forces, attempted a military intervention, but were forced to withdraw in late 1956 and early 1957.

Its useful to look back at this history for some context to the current tensions.

The Aswan High Dam

For many decades, Egyptians had sought ways to reduce their dependence on a river whose flow was dangerously erratic. There were years of destructive floods and years too dry to sustain the millions of rural Egyptians livelihoods.

The Aswan High Dam provided a way out of this cycle of disaster. The vision was of a dam that would store enough water to see Egypt through the worst drought in a century, and smooth the rivers flow.

The challenge was to turn that vision into reality.

Nasser negotiated with the US and European countries to finance the dam, but the project became embroiled in global politics. When the time came to put the money on the table, the US withdrew its support. It also ensured that the World Bank did the same. Britain was focusing on other colonial ambitions.

So Egypt turned instead to the Soviet Union for support and by doing so was seen to have joined the socialist camp in the Cold War.

In 1956 Nasser nationalised the Suez Canal, saying it was necessary to pay for the Aswan Dam.

British and French troops invaded the canal area in an attempt to reassert control over this vital link between Britain and many of its colonies. But when the US refused to support them, they were obliged to hand over control to the first ever United Nations peacekeeping force. The canal was left in Egypts hands, albeit under United Nations supervision.

With the monies from the canal now flowing to Egypt instead of to its original European owners, the Soviets felt able to give Egypt the loans it sought. They provided much of the funding for the Aswan Dam, although a great deal of the design and construction work was done by Egyptians themselves.

While some Western commentators described the project as a disaster, the results were impressive. The dam allowed Egypt to expand the area under irrigation by a third. Egyptian farmers could plant two crops a year. By 1970 when the dam was completed, the 2,100MW of power it generated supplied more than half of Egypts electricity needs.

Aside from the substantial economic benefits, the dams success established leadership roles in the Middle East for both Nasser and Egypt during a tumultuous period in the regions history.

This history makes Egypts complaints about the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam look a little hypocritical. Ethiopia is emulating what Egypt did 60 years ago to boost its national development.

The current crisis

Egypts most recent complaint is that, by filling the Great Ethiopian Renaissance Dam too fast, Ethiopia will deprive Egypt of essential water. Currently, Ethiopia proposes to fill the dam in four to seven years. But Egypt filled the Aswan High Dam, which stores three times as much water as the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, in just 12 years.

And Ethiopias dam could actually help Egypt save water. The guaranteed flow will allow Egypt to keep the Aswan Dams levels lower. This will reduce evaporation, through which the dam loses around 10% of the rivers water.

Now that the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam has begun, Egypt will have to recognise the right of the upstream countries to use some of the water that flows from their lands.

But unfortunately, Egypts official position has encouraged a bellicose populist nationalism that will be hard to calm. And the military rulers will have to explain why they failed to stop what they had said was a threat to the nations very survival.

When Nasser took control of the Suez Canal he blocked Israeli ships from using it. That action, rather than the construction of the High Dam, is what led to the 1967 and 1973 wars with Israel and to continued regional conflicts.

If history repeats itself, it is likely that attention will shift from the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam to other political problems that Egypt faces.

Meanwhile Sudan, placed between the new Ethiopian dam and Egypt, will benefit from expanded irrigation and some of the dams cheap electricity. Ethiopia will develop more of its water resources for agriculture. The dams electricity will power the Addis Ababa metro and the industry it hopes to attract.

So water and the Renaissance Dam, rather than becoming a cause for war, may yet be a source of peace and progress, as the Aswan High Dam has proved to be.

Mike Muller, Visiting Adjunct Professor, University of the Witwatersrand

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Senator Ted Cruz has called riots 'organized terror attacks' and slammed Black Lives Matter protesters as 'avowed Marxists' looking to disrupt the 'Western-prescribed nuclear family structure' ahead of a hearing on Antifa and political violence later today.

'These violent riots are not spontaneous, nor are they mere coincidences. Instead, the evidence suggests they are organized terror attacks designed to instill fear and tear down the fundamental institutions of government,' Cruz told Fox News.

The Texas Republican also blasted Democrat officials for 'letting their cities burn' and reinforced his plan for citizens to be able to sue cities if their property is damaged during riots.

His comments come ahead of a Senate hearing Tuesday to investigate the 'political violence' he said is being carried out by the extreme left group Antifa.

Senator Ted Cruz has called riots 'organized terror attacks' and slammed Black Lives Matter protesters as 'avowed Marxists' looking to disrupt the 'Western-prescribed nuclear family structure' ahead of a hearing on Antifa and political violence later today

Cruz slammed what he called 'violent anarchists and Marxists' for 'trying to tear down our society' as violence in the streets of America has entered another month.

'Across the country, we're seeing horrific violence, we're seeing our country torn apart. Violent anarchists and Marxists are exploiting protests to transform them into riots and direct assaults on the lives and safety of their fellow Americans,' he told Fox News.

'We're seeing growing violence, physical assaults... we're seeing radicals trying to tear down our society.'

Cruz said Americans have the right to peacefully protest but do not have the right to destroy cities.

'You have a right to protest, I have a right to protest peacefully. We have a right to speak our minds - the First Amendment protects that,' he said.

The Texas Republican blasted Democrat officials for 'letting their cities burn' in an interview with Fox News (above) and reinforced his plan for citizens to be able to sue cities if their property is damaged during riots

'What you and I don't have the right to do is to hurt somebody else, to physically assault someone else, to firebomb police cars, to loot and destroy a small business, to murder a police officer and sadly we've seen all of that in riots across our country.'

As well as blaming the violence on Antifa, Cruz also laid into Black Lives Matter organizers who he said are 'pursuing a radical agenda'.

'These are violent leftists, many of them are anarchists, some of them are affiliated with Antifa the national terrorist organization, some are affiliated with the group called Black Lives Matter which is founded by and is run by open Marxists - people who are calling for a Marxist government in the United States,' he said.

'We're seeing radicals whose objective is what's going on in Portland every night - they're assaulting the federal courthouse and trying to burn it down.'

Cruz added: 'The actual organization denominated Black Lives Matter was created by avowed Marxists pursuing a radical agenda including defunding police departments across the country and that agenda, if implemented, would have the consequence of a great many more Black lives being lost.'

He said he believes the statement 'black lives matter' is 'unquestionably true' but the organization Black Lives Matter has called for people to 'disrupt' the 'Western-prescribed nuclear family structure'.

His comments come ahead of Tuesday's 'The Right of the People Peaceably to Assemble: Protecting Speech by Stopping Anarchist Violence' Senate hearing.

Cruz, who chairs the Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on the Constitution, called the hearing last week to investigate groups such as Antifa and their role in the violence taking place in US cities.

'The hearing will assess who is driving the violence, who is driving the assaults, who is driving the fires, who is driving the explosions, who is driving the murders, why are they doing so, how are they doing so and what do they hope to achieve through violent acts of terror?' Cruz told Fox News.

Federal agents outside the Mark O. Hatfield US Courthouse in Portland on August 2 after demonstrators lit a fire outside the building

Federal agents sent in by Donald Trump have violently clashed with protesters in recent weeks

Protesters sit on the barricades outside the federal courthouse. Cruz branded BLM organizers 'avowed Marxists pursuing a radical agenda' and planning to 'disrupt' the 'Western-prescribed nuclear family structure'

In his opening statement, Cruz will compare footage of peaceful protests such as those led by Martin Luther King Jr. and the recent events in Portland and other US cities.

Also speaking at the hearing will be Acting Deputy Homeland Security Secretary Ken Cuccinelli, journalist Andy Ngo and law professor Jonathan Turley.

The Republican Senator has come out in staunch support of Donald Trump and his controversial tactics of sending in federal troops to US cities in recent weeks.

The president has been accused of stoking further unrest in Portland, Oregon, by deploying federal agents, who have violently clashed with protesters.

'The federal police officers are doing their job of stopping terrorists burning the courthouse to the ground,' Cruz insisted.

Last month, Cruz introduced the RECLAIM Act allowing Americans to sue state and local officials if they withhold law enforcement in the city and private property is damaged as a result.

'If you're injured or if your property is damaged in riots and local officials have made the deliberate decision to withhold police protection then you can sue that city and sue that municipality,' he told Fox News.

'In addition any city that refuses to provide police protection during a riot is denied eligibility for federal funds because what these Democrat mayors and governors are doing is wrong and is endangering lives and it's denying the basic civil rights that every American is entitled to.'

Cruz went as far as to say Democrat leaders are encouraging the chaos by 'mak[ing] the cynical decision not to allow the police officers to actually do their jobs and to protect the physical safety and property and they've ordered pole officers to pull back and they're letting their cities burn.'

He singled out House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for calling the federal agents 'stormtroopers' in a recent social media post.

'When Nancy Pelosi calls federal law enforcement officers stormtroopers and that is a term that hearkens back to Nazi Germany, when she wrongfully alleges that they are kidnapping Americans, that is a grotesque lie, and a slander and it endangers the lives of law enforcement,' he said.

'It reflects the very unfortunate political determination that a lot of Democrats have made - that given the choice between standing with innocent Americans or violent terrorists seeking to hurt their fellow citizens, to date too many of them have stood with terrorists.'
'The frightening prospect is just one area in which scientists and police believe AI could be used by criminals to exploit people in the future.' Stock photo

For many homeowners, the traditional way to protect against burglars has been to ensure doors and windows are locked and perhaps leave a light on.

But such gestures might prove futile in years to come after scientists warned that the next generation of home invaders could be robots that are programmed to gain entry through cat flaps or letter boxes.

Using Artificial Intelligence (AI), small robots are being developed that could breach traditional security safeguards. Delivered through small openings such as cat flaps, they could scan a person's home in order to retrieve keys that could then allow a human burglar to enter.

Alternatively, scientists believe more advanced devices could use AI to search a property themselves for valuables, or cash, using cameras to scan and access different rooms.

The robots could also be used to determine whether anybody is at home, relaying the information to a human operator who could then break in if the coast is clear.

The frightening prospect is just one area in which scientists and police believe AI could be used by criminals to exploit people in the future.

A study, published in 'Crime Science' by researchers at London's UCL, identified a range of criminal opportunities that technological advances could create. While the use of so-called "burglar bots" is regarded as a low-reward crime, scientists and police are concerned about "deepfake" videos and images that could exploit unsuspecting victims.

Using sophisticated software, criminals are able to generate impersonations of people, which could be used to persuade people to part with money or secure passwords.

Police fear unscrupulous criminal gangs could generate a video of someone from material freely available online and use it to persuade their elderly parents to send them money.

The researchers also highlighted the potential risks posed by the roll-out of driverless cars, which they warned could be used by extremists to carry out terror attacks.

Professor Lewis Griffin, from UCL's computer science department, the senior author of the report, said: "As the capabilities of AI-based technologies expand, so too has their potential for criminal exploitation. To adequately prepare for possible AI threats, we need to identify what these threats might be, and how they may impact our lives."
Ryanair has initiated legal proceedings against Ireland, questioning the legality of travel restrictions that have kept a quarantine policy in place for all but 15 countries, the airline said on Friday.

The Irish carrier, Europe's largest budget airline, said it had begun the action to challenge what it described as the Irish government's "ineffective" green list of countries, for which a 14-day quarantine requirement does not apply.

Ireland has taken a more cautious approach to reopening its economy and skies than many European countries. The green list, announced on July 22, contained some popular destinations Ryanair flies to, such as Italy and Greece, but not others including Britain, France and Spain.

This list is due to be reviewed next week and is unlikely to be enlarged.

Asked about reports of a potential challenge by Ryanair on Sunday, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the government would wait to see what case the airline made but that the advice from the authorities on travel was clear.

The Irish Independent newspaper reported that Ryanair would seek a judicial review and argue the list was not provided for in legislation and parliament was denied the opportunity to scrutinise it when it was put in place by way of public announcement.

IAG, which owns Irish airline Aer Lingus, has joined as a notice party to the proceedings, meaning it could be heard in court argument, chief executive Willie Walsh told Irish national broadcaster RTE.

Irishman Walsh said he understand the need for the measures, but was challenging its blanket application.

Ryanair, IAG and easyJet launched a similar challenge against the British government last month, but said they would end the action after London scrapped its 14-day quarantine rule for travellers coming from some of the most popular tourist destinations.

Ryanair flew 4.4 million passengers in July, a broadly expected 70% year-on-year fall after it operated around 40% of its normal July schedule with a 72% load factor, a measure of how well an airline fills its available seats.

Europe's biggest budget airline returned to a more regular schedule following the COVID-19 lockdown on July 1 when it said it expected to fly more than 4.5 million passengers during the first month back in the sky.

The Irish airline cut its annual passenger target by a quarter last week and warned a second wave of COVID-19 infections could lower that further. (Reuters)

Source: www.businessworld.ie
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaks at a press conference in New York City on July 6, 2020. Cuomo defended the state's policy that mandated nursing homes accept residents who tested positive for COVID-19. (David Dee Delgado/Getty Images)

New York Must Count Previously Invalidated Mail-In Ballots: Judge

New York election officials must count thousands of mail-in ballots that were previously deemed invalid, a federal judge ruled late Monday.

U.S. District Judge Analisa Nadine Torres, an Obama-nominee, granted the motion by plaintiffs for a preliminary injunction.

Torres ordered the commissioners of the New York State Board of Elections to direct all local boards of elections to count all otherwise valid absentee ballots cast in the June 23 Primary.

The two stipulations are: the mail-in ballots must have been received by June 24, with no regard to the postmark, or received by June 25, as long as the ballots are not postmarked later than June 23.

When voters have been provided with absentee ballots and assured that their votes on those ballots will be counted, the state cannot ignore a later discovered, systemic problem that arbitrarily renders those ballots invalid, Torres wrote in her ruling.

For voters who voted by absentee ballot, accepting the states offer to vote by absentee ballot and following the states instructions to vote timely, nonetheless resulted in their ballots not being postmarked, and, consequently, invalidated, she added.

Under these circumstances, the policy embodied by the postmark rule, deliberately adopted and intentionally applied to those ballots, is sufficient to establish a violation of the Due Process Clause and the First Amendment.

A voter stands on a Vote NYC sticker to encourage social distancing during the New York Democratic presidential primary elections in New York City on June 23, 2020. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

Absentee ballots are traditionally only available to voters who expect to be unable to vote in person because of a narrow set of criteria. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, on April 9 said any voter who is concerned about contracting COVID-19 could vote by mail. Later that month, he ordered the sending of absentee ballot applications to all eligible voters. New York state lawmakers also amended election law, allowing voters to request absentee ballots over the Internet.

Despite occurring on June 23, final results for the primary have yet to be broadcast, a failure pinned on the major increase in mail-in ballots election officials and the U.S. Postal Service saw.

On the day before the election, for example, the service received over 30,000 absentee ballots, Allen Tanko, USPS Marketing Manager for the New York District, told the court last month. Ultimately, some 1.2 million New York voters used absentee ballots in the primarymore than 10 times the number of such ballots cast in 2016.

Postal service employees are responsible for postmarking, or stamping, ballots. Despite the services efforts, thousands of mail-in ballots were not postmarked.

This could be due to a number of human or mechanical errors, Torres wrote.

A New York absentee ballot application in a file photograph. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)

Confusion stemmed in part from conflicting messages the New York City Board of Elections gave. The board told voters that ballots could be postmarked by June 23 to be valid but told the court that absentee ballots placed in a mailbox on Election Day after the last pick-up time would not be postmarked.

The bungled process has attracted harsh criticism. Republican President Donald Trump called it a total disaster.

Theyre six weeks into it now. They have no clue whats going on. And I mean, I think I can say right here and now, I think you have to rerun that race. Because its a mess. Nobody knows whats happening with the ballots and the lost ballots and the fraudulent ballots, he told reporters at the White House on Monday.

Experts have told The Epoch Times that voting-by-mail is fraught with problems.

During hearings last month, plaintiffs provided evidence that many more ballots were invalidated in the Brooklyn borough of New York City than in other boroughs, Torres said.

Dawn Sandow, the city Board of Elections deputy executive director, told the court during a virtual hearing last month that possibly 2,000 ballots were invalidated in Brooklyn, compared to between 20 and 60 absentee ballots invalidated in the other boroughs.

Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) speaks to reporters in Washington on June 25, 2020. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Emily Gallagher, a candidate for state Assembly, Suraj Patel, who is challenging Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-N.Y.) for the congressional seat representing New Yorks 12th District, and voters who felt disenfranchised.

In a statement, Patel said every one of us should be concerned about a process that invalidated over 1 in 5 mail-in ballots in the 12th District.

This is a jarring statistic for any developed Democracy and a rate 50-100x higher than that of Wisconsin, Georgia, Mississippi, and dozens of other states, he said.

Voting by mail works, he argued, but the problems must be fixed.

Remy Green, one of the lawyers who filed the suit, said the ruling confirms that amid a pandemic, the Boards of Elections failed spectacularly to meet their commitments.

The citys board didnt respond to a request for comment.

The state Board of Elections decided to appeal the new decision, commissioner and co-chair Douglas Kellner said in an emailed statement.

Given the totality of the circumstances here, we understand the desire to protect the rights of voters, Kellner said. However, this will place a tremendous burden on the local boards of elections as they are preparing for the November general election and is highly unlikely to change the results in any contest.
Thirty Nigerians, who were trafficked and left stranded in Lebanon have been rescued, and are among a total of 150 victims awaiting evacuation to Nigeria.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) made this known in a statement by Gabriel Odu of its Media, Public Relations and Protocol Unit on Tuesday.

The commission said the rescue came after a video footage of the stranded Nigerians making an appeal to the federal government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their aid went viral on the Internet.

It said the appeal for help by the stranded Nigerians led to their rescue by officials of the countrys mission in Lebanon.

The stranded Nigerians have already been relocated to a more conducive apartment.

They will be part of 150 others to be evacuated to Nigeria after they were trafficked and left stranded in Lebanon.

The Lebanese Ambassador to Nigeria, Mr Houssam Diab disclosed the evacuation plans when the Management of NIDCOM, led by the Secretary, Dr Sule Bassi, visited that countrys mission in Abuja, Mr Odu said in the statement.

He quoted Mr Diab as saying that the 150 girls would be returned home in batches with the first group of 110 people leaving Beirut for Lagos on August 12.

The second batch is expected to arrive in Abuja on August 16.

The diplomat commended efforts of the Lebanese Community and the Oyo State Government who is sponsoring the return of 55 of the girls, he said.

Responding on behalf of the NIDCOM Chairman/CEO, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, Secretary of the commission, who acknowledged the excellent ties between Nigeria and Lebanon, urged both countries to sustain the cordial relationship.

Mr Bassi also lauded the Nigerian Ambassador to Lebanon, Goni Madu Zanna Bura for his dedication and commitment.

He also commended the staff of the Nigerian mission, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Oyo and Ogun state governments and other strategic partners for their efforts.

As part of the Nigerian Embassys Consular responsibility, the ladies in the said video that went viral and many other distressed Nigerian domestic workers were located and relocated to a safer place.

Suffice it to say that 150 of these stranded victims are expected to be evacuated next week and handed over to NAPTIP, the agency responsible for (dealing with human) trafficking.

A breakdown of the evacuees shows that Oyo State had 41, Ogun 21, Lagos 12, Ondo 18, Osun 26, and Imo 3.

Others are Kwara 9, Enugu  1, Ekiti  6, Kogi  1, Edo  1, Delta  3, Ebonyi  1, Benue  1, Abia  1, Akwa Ibom  1, and Anambra  1, he said.

(NAN)
Manu Feildel has spoken candidly about his mother Evelyne's ongoing breast cancer diagnosis.

In an interview with Woman's Day on Monday, the chef said it's been difficult not being able to hug or support his mum during her treatment as she lives in France and he's in Australia.

'We are in different countries and of course I just want to give her a hug and be there to help her with appointments,' the 46-year-old said.

'I just want to give her a hug': Manu Feildel (pictured) spoke candidly about his mum Evelyne's ongoing breast cancer diagnosis on Monday

He added: 'I was relieved though to know that she had been for the check and it had been found early enough to get the best treatment.'

Evelyne had decided to go to breast cancer screening late last year, after receiving a letter in the mail because she was over the age of 50.

Manu said his mum has been on treatment with chemo and she's also been through radiotherapy.

'She has a few more sessions to go... She's lucky, they got it really early,' he added.

Diagnosis: Evelyne (pictured) had decided to go to breast cancer screening, after receiving a letter in the mail because she was over the age of 50

Manu has teamed up with Breast Cancer Trials, and is offering a virtual cooking class via the research group's website.

The celebrity chef will share his top tips to creating a delicious three-course French meal.

All the money raised from the cooking class will go towards research for prevention and treatments for Breast Cancer Trials.

Raising funds: Manu has teamed up with Breast Cancer Trials, and is offering a virtual cooking class. The money raised is going put towards research for prevention and treatments

In May, Manu told The Daily Telegraph that it was his mother who first sparked his love for cooking and was an inspiration to him over the years.

'My mother really gave me the love of cooking. She taught my sister and me how to create so many dishes in our kitchen,' he said.

He added: 'Much of the inspiration for my first cookbook, Manu's French Kitchen, was from recipes Mum cooked or taught me to cook over the years.'
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of AgroBank

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

London, 03 August 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of AgroBank and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

Agrobank's B1 long-term local currency deposit rating incorporates its b2 Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) and Moody's assessment of a very high probability of support from the Government of Uzbekistan (B1), which results in a one-notch rating uplift of the B1 local currency deposit rating from the BCA. Agrobank's long-term foreign currency deposit rating of B2 is capped by Uzbekistan's foreign currency deposit ceiling, also B2.

Agrobank's b2 BCA reflects the bank's strong capital buffer and stable funding profile. These strengths are moderated by the slow economic growth in Uzbekistan this year worsened by the global spread of the coronavirus which will continue to exert pressure on the bank's profitability and asset quality of all Uzbek banks. In addition, Agrobank's BCA is constrained by the bank's relatively low liquidity cushion.

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This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodology used for this review was Banks Methodology published in November 2019. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Lev Dorf Asst Vice President - Analyst Financial Institutions 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 Yaroslav Sovgyra, CFA Associate Managing Director Financial Institutions Group JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service Ltd. One Canada Square Canary Wharf London E14 5FA United Kingdom JOURNALISTS: 44 20 7772 5456 Client Service: 44 20 7772 5454

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BEIRUT - At least two massive explosions shook Beirut on Tuesday, injuring and killing hundreds of people, strewing devastation across multiple neighborhoods and shattering windows for miles around.

The cause of the early-evening blasts was not immediately clear, but senior officials said it appeared that flammable materials stored in a warehouse in the port area had caught fire. An initial, smaller explosion had apparently ignited a fire. Then came two secondary blasts, propelling a vast mushroom cloud of pink and yellow smoke over the city.

The casualty numbers rose through the evening, with more than 70 dead, the Associated Press reported, and more than 3,000 injured, according to the Health Ministry

Hospitals were overwhelmed by the number of injuries. One, the Hotel-Dieu, said it had received more than 500 injured people in the first hours after the blasts. For more than an hour after the explosions, people with blood streaming down their faces or limbs wandered the streets, trying to find a way of reaching hospitals on roads too clogged with traffic and debris for ambulances and taxis to move.

In the early hours of Wednesday, Red Cross workers were still scouring the wrecked and deserted streets in neighborhoods adjoining the port, calling out to residents who might be trapped and injured to identify themselves.

The explosions coincide with mounting tensions between Israel and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah, which maintains a facility at the port and has long been accused by U.S. officials of using it to smuggle weapons into the country. The explosion follows a spate of mysterious blasts at Shiite militia weapons storage sites in Iraq last year, which Iraqi and Israeli officials have said Israel was responsible for, and more recently a string of explosions at military sites and sensitive locations in Iran, which regional intelligence officials have said Israel, at least in part, was behind.

An Israeli official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to brief reporters, said that Israel had no role in the Beirut explosions. Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi offered the Lebanese government medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance, via international intermediaries because Israel and Lebanon are in a state of war and have no official contact.

In a statement offering condolences to families of the dead and injured, Hezbollah did not apportion blame. It called the incident a "huge national tragedy" and urged Lebanese to unite to overcome the ordeal.

At a news conference, President Donald Trump called the explosion a "terrible attack" and said that U.S. generals seemed to feel that it was the result of a "bomb of some kind." But military officials said they had yet to make a solid assessment of the explosion.

There were many indications that the blast may have been a tragic accident. Lebanese Interior Minister Mohammed Fahmi said it appeared that stocks of ammonium nitrate, a fertilizer that can be used in bombmaking, had ignited.

Lebanon's Prime Minister Hassan Diab linked the explosions to 2,700 tons of the dangerous chemical that had been stored at the port since 2014, despite warnings from port officials that the material was not safe.

"I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability. . . . Those responsible will pay the price," he said in a televised speech. "Facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014 will be announced and I will not preempt the investigations."

But suspicions lingered that Israel may have been involved, said a senior Lebanese army officer who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the issue is sensitive. Numerous witnesses reported hearing warplanes overhead at the time, he noted.

"There are suspicions," the official said. "There will be no conclusion until there has been a full investigation.

Israeli planes and drones have been flying with increasing regularity over the city in recent weeks as the tensions have risen.

One thing that was clear is that crisis-stricken Lebanon, in the throes of a major financial and economic collapse and battling rising numbers of coronavirus infections, is in little position to cope with another disaster, especially on this scale. At least two hospitals were badly damaged in the explosions, and TV footage showed staff members evacuating patients to alternative hospitals that were themselves swamped - in the dark, because the city had no electricity.

The Red Cross told all ambulances across the country to head to Beirut to report for duty.

Many residents lost their homes, especially in the majority-Christian eastern part of the city closest to the blast. In the neighborhood of Gemmayze, once a vibrant nightlife district, buildings collapsed, cars were overturned and streets were blocked by piles of masonry and twisted metal.

The damage was spread across a wide arc. Windows were blown out, and check-in counters were damaged at Beirut's airport several miles from the explosion. Doors were blown open and windows rattled at the U.S. Embassy, more than six miles away.

Health officials warned that the explosion had left a toxic cloud of nitrous oxide hanging over the city, and told residents to wear masks and stay indoors. The U.S. Embassy issued a similar warning in a message to U.S. citizens. "There are reports of toxic gases released in the explosion so all in the area should stay indoors and wear masks if available," the message said.

Among the dead was Nizar Najarian, a senior official with the Kataeb political party. The injured included Kamal Hayek, the chairman of the state-owned electricity company, according to the state-run National News Agency.

Germany's foreign ministry tweeted that German Embassy employees were among those injured. Phone lines went down, and the Internet faltered as friends and relatives took to the telephone to check on loved ones.

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Loveluck reported from Baghdad. The Washington Post's Suzan Haidamous, Siobhan O'Grady and Miriam Berger in Washington and Ruth Eglash in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
Eight more people have tested positive for Covid-19 in Northern Ireland (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Eight new cases of Covid-19 have been diagnosed in Northern Ireland, the Department of Health has confirmed.

There have been no further deaths in the region, with the death toll remaining at 556.

The new cases were confirmed after 2,021 tests were carried out on 1,477 people, bringing the total number of positive tests since the pandemic began to 5,996.

Read More

There have been 90 new positive cases of Covid-19 in the past week, with 27 in the Newry, Mourne and Down council area and 20 in Mid and East Antrim.

In Northern Ireland's hospitals there is currently one inpatient with Covid-19 and two patients in intensive care units.

There are currently five active outbreaks of the virus in Northern Ireland's care homes.

It comes as the Northern Ireland Executive looks poised to implement mandatory face masks.

Over the weekend Health Minister Robin Swann called for "mixed messaging" from the Executive to end on the matter and for the public to be warned if its advice to wear face masks was not followed, it would be enforced and sooner rather than later.

The Executive was to review its position later in August, however, Mr Swann said that should be brought forward.

Michelle O'Neill gave the health minister her backing.

"The executive has taken the power to make this mandatory and I support us bringing that forward. Urging everyone to wear them in shops to protect themselves and others," she said.

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DUP MP Sammy Wilson, however, argued there is not significant proof that face masks protect people from Covid-19.

The East Antrim MP said that conflicting information had been put out around the wearing of masks.

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He said that experts couldn't make up their minds whether masks were effective or not.

Mr Wilson expressed concern that masks could cause people to abandon their local shops and start shopping online.

First Minister Arlene Foster has said she has worn face masks in shops when social distancing is not possible.

Retail representatives have voiced fears believing enforcement may fall to their workers.

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Check out our blog below to see how Tuesday's developments unfolded:
Mexicos president, Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, has hailed the capture of one of the countrys most notorious gangsters as an important victory in his so far fruitless struggle to slash murder rates.

In a Sunday night video message to the nation, Lopez Obrador said security forces had seized El Marro or the Sledgehammer  the head of the Santa Rosa de Lima cartel  at about 6am that morning in the violence-stricken state of Guanajuato.

How is it that this cartel was able to grow so much  to the extent that Guanajuato became our countrys most violent state? asked Mexicos populist leader, who took power in late 2018 vowing to slow the killing with a policy of hugs, not bullets.

If there were 100 murders each day, 15 were being committed in Guanajuato  and some days there were 20 or 25 murders. How could this happen? added Lopez Obrador, who is best known as Amlo.

Sledgehammer  whose real name is Jose Antonio Yepez Ortiz - was the widely feared head of a gang of fuel thieves that controlled large swaths of the central Mexican state and was also involved in drug trafficking, cargo theft and extortion.

When the Guardian visited one of the villages at the heart of El Marros empire in 2018, the driver refused to enter, warning: We wouldnt make it out again.

The Guanajuato-based group grew rich siphoning off billions of dollars worth of petrol from pipelines that crisscross the state, which is located to the north-west of Mexicos capital and is home to one of its most important refineries.

El Marro, who had run the group since 2017, was reportedly apprehended on a rural ranch where he had been hiding following a brief gunfight with his security chief.

The newspaper El Universal claimed he had unsuccessfully tried to flee on a quad bike as a spy drone hovered overhead and troops closed in.

Who betrayed me? the wild-eyed kingpin reportedly asked his captors before conceding: Everything has a beginning and an end  and my end has come.

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Related: Mexico's president under pressure over 'hugs not bullets' cartel policy

Experts called El Marros capture a triumph for Lopez Obrador, whose security policy has come under growing scrutiny following a series of humiliating challenges from Mexicos cartels, although few believe it will fundamentally solve the crisis facing his country.

Last year, as Latin Americas No 2 economy suffered a record 34,582 murders, gunmen working for the Sinaloa cartel seized control of the northern city of Culiacan and forced the release of one of the groups key leaders, the son of the jailed capo Joaquin El Chapo Guzman.

In June assassins, reputedly deployed by the ascendant Jalisco New Generation cartel, launched a brazen attempt to murder Mexico Citys police chief in one of the capitals wealthiest neighbourhoods.

Jalisco cartel infantrymen subsequently appeared in a viral video, toting automatic rifles and swearing allegiance to their leader, El Mencho.

Its undoubtedly an important victory [for Amlo]  and he will no doubt use this in next years midterm elections to show hes effective when it comes to security, said Eduardo Guerrero, a Mexico City-based security specialist.

Members of the national guard are seen at a checkpoint after the capture of Jose Antonio El Marro Yepez. Photograph: Sergio Maldonado/Reuters

In fact, Guerrero said he believed El Marros arrest was part of a shrewd political gamble on the part of the federal government to force down the countrys sky-high murder rate.

Guanajuato is responsible for about 15% or 16% of the total number of murders in the country. So if you can reduce violence in this state you can have a considerable impact on the national statistics, said Guerrero who runs the group Lantia Consultores.

If you can cut Guanajuatos murders in half you can bring down the nationwide levels of violence by 7% or 8%. This would be a major PR coup for this administration, added Guerrero, predicting that the city of Tijuana, where murder rates are also soaring, might also be targeted for the same reason.

Guerrero said security chiefs appeared to be wagering that dealing a body blow to El Marros faction would allow the more powerful Jalisco cartel to seize monopoly-like control over Guanajuato, thus reducing violence.

Related: Bloody Tijuana: a week in the life of Mexico's murderous border city

El Marro was a very skilful, elusive and strategic leader and it seems to me that his replacements  who will certainly be relatives  dont have the skills he had to keep this organization afloat, said Guerrero, who expected the Santa Rosa cartel to splinter into dozens of smaller groups.

Its possible that by the end of the year there has been a significant drop in violence in Guanajuato and this would give the federal government something to show off ahead of next Julys elections.

Other observers are less sure the arrest will do anything to end Mexicos seemingly interminable conflict, which saw more than 2,800 peopled murdered in Guanajuato last year  73 of them law enforcement officers.

Its a temporary victory, said Chris Dalby, the managing editor of InSight Crime, which tracks Latin American organized crime.

The violence in Guanajuato was the most important criminal threat to surge during Lopez Obradors presidency and this allows him to show that he has done something about it  but its a very narrow victory.

Yes, El Marro was a major, savage factor in the violence in Guanajuato. But removing him probably doesnt change much, Dalby added, noting that before taking power Amlo had explicitly vowed not to pursue the so-called kingpin strategy of targeting cartel leaders which critics say does little to reduce violence or stop drugs flowing north into the US.

On Monday, Mexican newspapers stamped photographs of the fallen capo across their front pages.

El Universal called El Marros arrest the end of a dark chapter for Guanajuato, which is home to several of Mexicos best-known tourist destinations, including the picturesque colonial town of San Miguel de Allende.

But in his video message Mexicos president, who is facing growing criticism over his handling of the coronavirus epidemic, admitted there was more work to do.

We must continue tackling the root causes of violence  first of all poverty, and secondly, making sure there is no corruption and no impunity, Lopez Obrador said. Our authorities must not protect these criminals.
The flights of the Turkish and Azerbaijani air forces are within the scope of monitoring of the respective systems of Armenia and Artsakh (Nagorno-Karabakh). Tigran Abrahamyan, head of the Henaket Analytical Center and former adviser to the Artsakh President, noted about this on Facebook.

"The takeoff of any plane, helicopter, moving in different directions is fixed.

"In case the adversarys air force is at a risky distance from the border, creating a threat, the air defense systems take operative steps according to the previously approved procedures," Abrahamyan added.
In 1958, a federal court ruled the segregation policies of Oak Park Recreation Park in Montgomery, Alabama, were unconstitutional and demanded that the managers allow Black families to swim, picnic, and visit the landmark.

Instead of complying, city officials drained the state-of-the-art pool, sold the zoo animals and shuttered the doors to the 60-year-old public space. Instead of sharing with their Black neighbors, the whites in charge decided no one would enjoy the beloved park.

When I first heard this story, my reaction was one expected of a modern Yankee  a mix of judgment (for these backwoods Southerners) and relief that we were past such nonsense. How ridiculous, I thought, that some folks were so racist they chose to destroy something so great rather than share it with those who looked different. A modern community would never cut off its nose to spite its face.

But then I remember a letter a group of runners and I signed four years ago. We heard that our community was going to vote on whether to continue allowing our high school cross country team access to the course for the next season. We pleaded with the residents, explaining the impacts that course had on us  the lessons learned and connections forged on those hills. Ultimately our request was denied. The team was no longer allowed to host races at our beloved course. I didnt really understand why the homeowners association had decided this. Maybe I assumed there was some issue I wasnt aware of, maybe an issue with some of the runners?

Turns out I was right, according to multiple credible sources there was an issue with some of the runners  specifically the Black kids.

Here we were, a solidly middle-class community with folks who struggle to make ends meet, adopting the white snobbery of a 1950s country club, no longer allowed to explicitly deny entry to non-whites, so creative in how we keep them out, and in the process hurting our own community. The few folks who confided this knowledge in me, assured me it was a small minority and that wed simply have to wait until those folks die out and let progress evolve naturally, which honestly is incredibly appealing approach. It requires no risk, no spotlighting, no tough conversations with people you love. It is an approach I know well, looking back I know I took that same path so many times before  nervously laughing at a racist joke or biting my tongue when someone uttered a racial slur, or even parroting those same racist statements myself, choosing to maintain an unjust peace over causing a stir, careful to avoid being labelled one of those libtards or worse, an elitist.

But that approach doesnt result in racism dying out, it just supports its transformation  from explicit racism into more covert, but just as persistent, forms. It morphs into battles over whether to sell the local gas station to foreigners, or whether or George Floyd deserved to be killed because he was a criminal. It changes folks who railed against police overreach their entire lives to Blue Lives Matter folks when those same police become a legitimate or illegitimate symbol of white authority.

My beloved hometown has always been tribal. It was almost endearing how as teenagers we stood together against outsiders from neighboring high schoolers  but over the years, Ive the effects of such tribalism, not only in the politically divisive world we find ourselves in now, but in the villages of Afghanistan and Iraq. I saw firsthand the end of the path where we close ranks and look past real problems. Where we chose the perceived safety of our own biases over the growth and progress of diversity and challenge.

Every community is at a pivot point in the long movement for racial justice in this country. We all have an opportunity, right now, to choose our future. Our small size and rural location does not inoculate us from the very real fissures of our society  it certainly hasnt inoculated our Black residents. We now have an opportunity to show the best of our Midwestern toughness, directness and community spirit by coming together and having the hard conversations with respect and compassion. If we ever stand a chance to do that, we have to first acknowledge the real pervasiveness of our racism. Its not as blatant as it used to be, but it is just as dangerous  and it affects us all.

We have to acknowledge that racism doesnt only come in the form of burned crosses and white hoods. It seeps into our dinner conversations, our bawdy jokes and our Facebook memes.

Its not just a Southern problem and its not enough to call out our neighbors, we have to start with the racist biases in ourselves.

Maggie Seymour is an Alexander native and Franklin High School graduate who lives in Beaufort, South Carolina, and is a major in the Marine Corps Reserve and a public diplomacy officer for the U.S. Department of State.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  The Philippines will not participate in any joint military exercises with other countries in the South China Sea "except [in] our national waters," Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana said, citing President Rodrigo Dutertes order.

How are we going to work with the United States or other countries as they go about conducting naval exercises in the South China Sea? Lorenzana said in a media briefing on Monday.

President Duterte has a standing order to us, to me, that we should not involve ourselves in naval exercises in the South China Sea, except our national waters, the 12 mile distance from our shores, Lorenzana revealed. So, we cannot do that, we cannot exercise with them in the South China Sea."

Lorenzana told CNN Philippines in a text message on Tuesday that this has been Duterte's order since 2016, when he assumed the presidency and pursued an independent foreign policy that was widely seen as a pivot to China.

The US Navy conducted two massive drills in the South China Sea in July, sending two aircraft carriers in a move condemned by China, which claims almost the entire global waterway. While the US does not claim any part of the South China Sea, it conducts freedom of navigation operations and calls most of Beijings claims as unlawful.

Lorenzana explained, If one countrys action is considered as belligerent by another, tension will normally rise.

So I hope that all the parties in this exercise will work on their actions there or exercise prudence and carefulness so that there will be no miscalculations that could further increase the tension, he added.

The Duterte administration has been criticized for nurturing friendship with China despite the East Asian giants continued rejection of the Philippines arbitration win in 2016. An international tribunal in The Hague invalidated Beiings sweeping territorial stakes in the South China Sea and recognized Manilas sovereign rights in areas within its exclusive economic zone which China claims.

In his fifth State of the Nation Address, Duterte maintained that he could not go to war with China over the dispute, even calling himself inutile in that aspect, and pushed for diplomatic endeavors instead. He did not elaborate.

Retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, a vocal critic of the administrations soft stance on the maritime dispute, again reminded the President that he does not need to resort to arms to assert the Philippines sovereign rights, citing the examples set by Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, which also have conflicting claims with China.
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA), a coalition of Sri Lankan Tamil bourgeois parties, issued a manifesto for the August 5 elections indicating its readiness to support President Gotabhaya Rajapakse in the guise of negotiating with him for a political solution. At the same time, TNA is cynically promoting Tamil nationalism to divide Tamil, Muslim and Sinhala workers who have come together in recent class struggles.

The TNA is insisting to voters that it needs at least 20 seats in the next Parliament to represent the Tamil community in a meaningful way. In other words, the TNA is reacting to a surge in mass opposition by desperately trying to strengthen its position in talks with Colombo.

The TNA is comprised of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK, Federal Party), Tamil Eelam Liberation Organisation (TELO) and Peoples Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE). This alliance is utterly discredited among Tamil workers and poor because of its pro-imperialist and anti-working-class role.

It has been wracked by splits because of this crisis. The Eelam Peoples Liberation Front (EPRLF) withdrew from the alliance in 2017. In 2018, Northern Province Chief Minister V. Wigneswaran left the alliance and formed a separate party, the Tamil Peoples Alliance (TPA), as another political trap for Tamil working people. A faction of TELO broke away from the party to support Wigneswaran. There are however no fundamental political differences between these parties.

The TNAs pro-US, anti-working-class nature has been starkly demonstrated since 2015. In that year, the party directly supported the US-engineered regime change operation in Colombo to oust President Mahinda Rajapakse, replacing him with Maithripala Sirisena. M. A. Sumanthiran, a leading TNA member, has openly boasted that they supported selecting Sirisena.

The Obama administration supported the Rajapakses ruthless communal war against the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) but opposed his close relations with Beijing. The regime change operation was orchestrated to integrate Sri Lanka, a strategically-located island, into US military preparations against China.

After the regime change, the TNA acted as a de facto partner of the Colombo regime until President Rajapakse won the November 2019 presidential election. It followed advice from the United States and India to keep the Colombo governments stability intact. The TNA backed the governments ruthless IMF austerity program, as well as every anti-democratic action including the military occupation in the north and east of Sri Lanka.

After mentioning various past attempts by TNA to achieve a political solution for Tamil elite with the successive governments in Colombo, the manifesto says: It is through a constitutional arrangement on the model of federalism within a united Sri Lanka that the legitimate aspirations of the Sri Lankan Tamils and other Tamil-speaking inhabitants of the northern and eastern parts of the island could be met.

The manifesto also claims that successive governments during the last thirty years have moved towards such a political solution. As in the past, the TNA will continue negotiations in the future too, undeterred by any challenges on the way.

The formula of a political solution is used by Tamil parties to mean a power-sharing arrangement for Tamil bourgeoisie for the north and east with the Colombo. They aim to advance their privileges by jointly exploiting the working class with the Sinhala elite. Such power sharing has nothing to do with establishing the democratic rights of Tamil people or addressing their social problems.

Such negotiations and deals since 1956 by the ITAK and other parties paved way for one disaster after another. This record was concisely summarized in the WSWS article Tamil National Alliance offers to support Sri Lankan presidents autocratic rule.

It is now offering talks with Rajapakse, well aware he is rapidly moving towards a presidential dictatorship based on the military. Sections of big business backed Rajapakses bid for power because he promised a strong and stable rulethat is, a dictatorial regime to take on working-class opposition to attacks on living and social conditions dictated by IMF austerity measures. United protests and strikes of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim workers erupted since 2018 as part of an international upsurge of class struggle.

As in every country, the global pandemic has intensified the economic, political and social crisis facing the Sri Lankan capitalist class, including the Tamil ruling elite. Anger is seething among workers and the poor against cuts to jobs, wages, and working and living conditions. Ten thousand Colombo port workers went on strike last week for three days, in one indication of this rising working-class opposition.

The Tamil capitalist elite, like its counterpart in Colombo, fears workers militancy. As COVID-19 spread throughout the world, including in Sri Lanka, the TNA together with other established parties in the south participated in two all-party meetings called by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse and supported the presidents supposed efforts to fight the pandemic.

On April 27, the TNA and other opposition parties sent an appeal to the president, offering support without stirrings and asking him to reconvene the dissolved parliament. On May 4, TNA leaders secretly met the prime minister and promised the partys support to the government. They thus showed their willingness to back a presidential dictatorship to crush the working class.

The TNAs rhetoric about fulfilling the aspiration of Tamil People to self-determination in the north and east serves to hoodwink Tamil-speaking workers and poor with nationalism. Such rhetoric is calculated to divide Tamil workers from their class brothers and sisters in the south. It coincides with the anti-Tamil and anti-Muslim chauvinist campaign of the ruling party and its chauvinist allies and bourgeois opposition parties.

The TNA claim that the successive governments during the last thirty years have moved towards a political solution is false to the core. The history of the class struggle in Sri Lanka fully bears out Leon Trotskys Theory of Permanent Revolution. In countries of belated capitalist development, the bourgeoisie and its parties cannot resolve democratic questions and establish fundamental democratic rights, or overcome ethnic and sectarian divisions exploited by imperialism. These tasks fall to the working class, fighting to establish democratic rights in a struggle that goes over into a socialist revolution that is international in scope.

During the 1983-2009 anti-Tamil civil war in Sri Lanka, talks with the Tamil nationalist tendencies were nothing but Colombos attempts to buy time for the next assault. In 1994, after Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratungas election as president, negotiations with the LTTE were ended and a fresh offensive started in 1995. In 2002, peace talks backed by Washington and other imperialist powers using the threat of the war against terror collapsed due to opposition from Kumaratunga and the Sri Lankan military.

After this brief period, in 2009, the Mahinda Rajapakse government brought the war to a bloody end with a massacre of tens of thousands of Tamil civilians and disarmed LTTE fighters.

The TNA manifesto has a section on the militarisation of north and east. It complains that it has had a severe impact on all aspects of the lives of the Tamil speaking people as it placed informal, extra-legal and arbitrary curbs on the freedoms and rights of the people It calls for de-militarisation.

This is a bogus call, however. The TNA has supported military occupation of the north and east and does not call for withdrawal of military from these two provinces.

The Manifesto declares: On 19th May 2009 when the thirty-year-old war ended, it left behind a ravaged North-East and a people who suffered immeasurable loss and trauma. Then it gives an account of the ruthless assault that killed civilians and displaced hundreds of thousands.

The TNA has called for justice and accountability, truth, reparations, memorialisation (commemorating the dead), freedom of expression, repeal of the prevention of terrorism act, defense of the rights of the displaced and war widows etc. These are ritualistic demands whose emptiness was made clear by the TNAs support for the authoritarian policies of the Sirisena government. The TNA is hypocritically posing as a defender of the rights of Tamil workers and poor.

The Tamil masses will see these demands with deserved contempt. After the bloody end of the war in May 2009, the TNA worked to suppress reporting of the war crimes. Its leader R. Sambandan has boasted having 18 rounds of talks with then-President Mahinda Rajapakses government. These bogus talks aimed to suppress the legitimate demands of war victims.

At the same time, the TNA lined up with the hypocritical US campaign on Sri Lanka, sponsoring resolutions calling for war crimes investigations in UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC). These resolutions were intended only to pressure Mahinda Rajapakse to move away from Beijing.

TNA leaders collaborated with the government of Sirisena and Wickremesinghe to produce a US draft resolution on Sri Lanka presented to the UNHRC in September 2015. It was a cynical exercise in covering up the war crimes and atrocities carried out by the military and successive Sri Lankan governments in the civil war, including leading figures of the Sirisena-Wickremesinghe government.

At the same time, however, the TNA ignored the ongoing campaign of Tamil mothers and supporters demanding information about tens of thousands of missing persons during the war.

The TNA manifesto concludes with a section of Role of the International Community. It pledges that the TNA will continue to advocate for an independent international mechanism and for the involvement of international community.

This reference to an international mechanism to discuss with the international community is the TNAs euphemism for its back-door dealings with Washington.

The Tamil bourgeoisie as a whole, like its counterpart in Colombo, have shifted far to the right in the period since the globalisation of production and the Stalinist regimes dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. They have lined up behind the imperialist powersabove all, with Washington.

With its false nationalist perspective for a separate state, the LTTE called for Washingtons support to carve out a Tamil statelet for north and east of the Island. Like every faction of the Tamil bourgeoisie, the LTTE was ferociously hostile to an international appeal to the working class in Sri Lanka, South Asia and internationally against the racist policies by Sri Lankan elite since independence in 1948. This racism was the vicious weapon used to divide and strangle the working class.

The LTTEs defeat was not just a military question, but illustrates the bankruptcy of its separatist perspective, which was based on lining up with imperialism.

Now, the venal Tamil bourgeoisie has lined up with US geopolitical interests as Washington prepares war against China. The TNAs readiness to back President Rajapakse is integral part of this reactionary politics.

The Socialist Equality Party (SEP) has an unbroken, decades-long record of fighting these Tamil bourgeois parties twists and turns, as part of its central struggle to unify the working class in a socialist struggle against capitalism. It has opposed every forms of discrimination against Tamils and Muslims, and communal war, and demanded the military withdrawal from the north and east. The Tamil bourgeoisie has shown however that it serves as agents of imperialism, like the reactionary Sinhala bourgeoisie, oppressing the workers and toiling masses.

Democratic rights and social questions can be addressed only by overthrowing pro-imperialist capitalist rule in Colombo by a joint struggle of Sinhala, Tamil and Muslim workers uniting with the international working class. This is the struggle to establish the Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and Eelam as part of the Union of Socialist States of South Asia and internationally. The SEP is the only party fighting for this revolutionary socialist perspective.
The coming election will be a key test for the Southeast Asian country, under military rule for decades. The economy and peace talks with armed groups dominate the campaign. International charges against Myanmar over the Rohingya tragedy weight heavily as well.

Yangon (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi has formally announced this morning that she will seek a second term of office in the upcoming November elections.

Experts note that the vote represents a key test for the Southeast Asian country, which was ruled for decades by a repressive military dictatorship, and has only in the past few years undertaken the difficult path of democratic development.

This process has come with major difficulties, controversies and violence, including the persecution of minority Rohingya Muslims, in the western state of Rakhine, a charge rejected by Myanmar authorities.

The former secretary, now president of the National League for Democracy (NLD), Nobel Peace Prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, spent years under house arrest before her release. In 2015, she led her party to a landslide victory. However, under the constitution, she has to share power with the generals, who control a quarter of all seats in both houses of parliament.

Once an icon of the pro-democracy struggle, Suu Kyi has been State Counsellor (de facto of Prime Minister) since she is barred from the Presidency, the Foreign Ministry and the Presidents Office because.

Despite such constraints, she runs the Myanmar government and has been harshly criticised in recent years for the violence (genocide according to some) against Rohingya Muslims.

As a result, her international image has suffered. Countries like Canada and cities like Oxford, where she graduated, have withdrawn honours conferred upon her in the past; however, at home she remains very popular, so much so that her re-election is almost taken for granted.

Today the 75-year-old leader met about fifty supporters outside her home in Yangon, the country's economic and commercial capital, making her candidacy in November official.

Some loyalists wore red coloured masks, with the NDLs symbol, and chanted slogans and songs including "Mother Suu, stay healthy".

The Rohingya question remains the hot topic at the international level. This stems from the flight of more than 730,000 people in the wake of a military crackdown. According to foreign observers and some UN agencies, the action was tantamount to genocide.

Suu Kyi has always rejected the charge. Responding to Gambia's complaint before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the Myanmar leader called the accusation "incomplete and incorrect".

At home, public attention is centred on the difficult peace process with armed groups in various regions of the country, as well as the economic crisis, exacerbated by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP), which is linked to the military and made up of several former senior army officers, is the NDLs main rival.
The fierce storms have added to the woes of the war-torn country, which the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis

Seventeen people, including eight children, have been killed in flash floods and by lightning in Yemen's northern Marib region, health authorities said Tuesday.

The fierce storms have added to the woes of the war-torn country, which the UN has described as the world's worst humanitarian crisis.

Five years of conflict has left swathes of the country in ruins.

"Sixteen people drowned and another person was killed after being struck by lightning," local health authorities said in a statement.

Recent storms have hit other provinces, including the capital Sanaa, Amran, Hodeida, Taez, Saada and Hadramaut.

Dozens of homes and hundreds of tents for the displaced have been destroyed, according to authorities.

Meanwhile, the official Saba news agency reported that floodwaters swelling the reservoir of the Marib dam, built in 1986, raised concerns it might collapse.

It said the government had called for "quick solutions to face potential dangers over the continuous flooding of the Marib dam".

The Arab world's poorest country also faces the coronavirus pandemic, which its decrepit health system is ill-equipped to handle.

Yemen has officially recorded more than 1,700 cases of the virus, including 499 deaths. However, many fear the real toll is far higher.

An estimated 24 million Yemenis -- more than 80 percent of the population -- are dependent on aid for survival, according to the UN.

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A huge wildfire in mountains east of Los Angeles that is Southern California's biggest blaze so far this year was still raging yesterday, with thousands of people forced to evacuate their homes.

The blaze in Riverside County, among several wildfires across California, had consumed more than 106kmsq of dry brush and timber since it broke out on Friday evening, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection. As of yesterday morning, it was just 5pc contained and the fire along with coronavirus precautions made for added stress at an evacuation centre, said John Medina, an American Red Cross spokesman.

Volunteers used to "close contact" with evacuees have had to adjust their approach during a time of social distancing, Mr Medina said.

"I mean, that's part of the recovery of a disaster, is that you have to show warmth and love and caring. And that's hard when you're standing six feet away. So that's the biggest challenge," Mr Medina told KESQ-TV.

Bill Boehm helped his mother evacuate her home with her three horses and said the pandemic hasn't stopped people from coming together to assist each other.

"Everyone seemed to be wearing masks and such, so that type of precaution was still going on," Mr Boehm told the news station.

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of the blaze that began as two adjacent fires in Cherry Valley, a rural area near the city of Beaumont, about 137km east of downtown Los Angeles.

Flames raced along brushy ridge tops and came close to houses. One home and two outbuildings were destroyed, California fire officials said.

In Northern California, evacuations were ordered after a wildfire that sparked Sunday afternoon spread quickly and burned near homes near the East Park Reservoir in Colusa County.
In some ways, that makes sense because while lots of people lost their jobs, (people with less education) are less likely to have savings that they can dip into, Andersen said. Thats a significant contributor to some of the differences were seeing in the data of who is and isnt ... spending the money versus saving the money.

Andersen said he wished the data drilled down far enough to see whats going on at the regional level.

Its not telling us whats going on in eastern North Carolina, western North Carolina or the center of the state, he said.

There are different rates of COVID-19 going around in those different areas and we dont see any of that information here, Andersen said. That would be very interesting to know and how that is affecting this behavior.

Areas of the state with less COVID-19 circulating may need the stimulus payments less because more people may be working and more businesses may be open, he said.

In an area where its still pretty rough, wheres theres lots of disease transmission, lots of reasons to worry and many fewer businesses open  in that situation, this stimulus payment is super important, Anderson said.
New Delhi: The Jammu and Kashmir administration on Tuesday (August 4) decided to open all religious places from August 16, but religious processions and large religious gatherings would remain strictly prohibited amid COVID-19 pandemic situation.

Ahead of the first anniversary of the scrapping of Article 370, which granted special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, a two-day curfew was imposed in the Kashmir Valley on Tuesday.

The decision to this effect was reportedly taken at the security core group meeting, chaired by Lt general BS Raju, GOC of army`s Srinagar headquartered 15 corps, held in Srinagar on Monday.

The decision was taken following specific inputs that separatists and Pakistan sponsored groups were planning to hold violent protests which could endanger public order, according to sources.

The Srinagar administration, however, today announced the lifting of curfew as the situation here remained incident-free but strict restrictions would continue in areas that have seen a spike in COVID-19 cases.

An order was issued by Deputy Commissioner Shahid Choudhury saying that after assessing the situation in the area, it has been decided to prematurely end the curfew which was slated to continue till Wednesday night.

The restrictions ordered earlier under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code and the Disaster Management Act, in view of the prevailing situation due to the COVID-19 disease, will remain enforced across the district as directed through an order issued on July 31.

Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government has classified the districts into red, orange, and green zones depending on the severity of COVID-19 spread in the areas and declared the entire Kashmir region, except Bandipora, as a "red zone".

The categorisation has been done to implement restrictions after August 5, when the current phase of lockdown in the union territory ends, according to an order issued by the chairperson of the State Executive Committee.

The order declared all districts of Kashmir, except Bandipora, and Ramban district of Jammu as red zones. Kathua, Samba, Bandipora, Reasi, Udhampur, Poonch, Rajouri, and Jammu districts are in the orange zone and Doda and Kishtwar are in the green zone.

The Lakhanpur containment zone on the national highway will be a red/containment zone with a 500-metre buffer, the order stated.

It said the classification of districts has been done after a detailed review of the COVID situation with top officials, and it will be reviewed periodically.

The review included the recent spike in new cases in view of the movement of people to J&K and between districts.

Notably, Jammu and Kashmir today recorded 390 COVID-19 cases, taking the total number of infections to 22,396. Ten fatalities in the last 24 hours pushed the death toll from the disease to 417, according to the official statement.

(With Agency Inputs)
In Asheville, North Carolina, a leftist woman saw a bear on her front porch that had been tagged with a data-collecting collar. An unknown someone had then put a Trump sticker on the collar. Normal people would find that amusing, especially because it can be spun either as a pro-Trump gag (even bears love Trump) or an anti-Trump gag (only animals would vote for Trump).

The woman, however, was distraught. It was bad enough that someone put the bear to sleep long enough to tag it and collar it, but to put a Trump sticker on the bear! That was evil:

These bears are already suffering enough with the heavy collars and metal ear mutilations. But to put a political sticker on the collar? No words can describe my anger and sadness.

The Help Asheville Bears-HAB organization took up the baton. It is now offering a $5,000 reward to identify that sticker miscreant. According to the people at HAB, "Whoever put these political stickers on these bears is cruel and heartless."

This bear story is fundamentally stupid. It's worth paying attention to it, though, because it reminds us why conservatives have ceded so much ground to the left over the past several decades. Leftists get upset about everything. Nothing slides. Nothing is too little for a big fuss. There is an animal kingdom analogy for this behavior.

Almost thirty years ago, I read Pierre Berton's delightful Klondike: The Last Great Gold Rush, 18961899. What I remember most vividly is the way he described the mosquitoes the prospectors found in the Yukon. They were so aggressive, he wrote, that they could kill a horse. The mosquitoes either swarmed up its nostrils, suffocating it, or (allegedly) attacked the horses in such numbers that they literally drained all their blood.

Without in any way calling leftists insects, because I would never dehumanize anybody in that way, it did occur to me that mosquitoes and leftists have similar tactics: in small numbers, they're irritating, and in large numbers, they can overwhelm whatever it is that they're attacking. If you don't brush them off constantly, you're a goner.

For years now, every single day, we read stories about leftist outrage. Using the wrong words, wearing the wrong clothes, buying the wrong product, having the wrong product logo, wearing the wrong earrings, making the wrong stupid joke, putting a sticker on a bear that probably can't read the sticker and definitely isn't registered to vote  it's all a ten on the leftist outrage meter. (Speaking of bears, now even jokes about the humble roundworm are racist, sexist, and generally oppressive.)

Every microaggression is treated like a macroaggression. To the leftists, there is no difference between a teenager in a beautiful Chinese-style dress (as happened in 2018) and a KKK Kleagle (or is it beagle?) lynching a teenage boy.

Normal people, being, well, normal, try to ignore this red-hot background noise. They assume that those people angrily buzzing about will wear themselves out and go away. But they don't. Every time we ignore them, we hand them a victory.

That's how they go in four years from attacking an innocuous white kid for wearing dreadlocks (as happened in 2016) to tearing down America's history and assaulting America's infrastructure. The fact is that, for years, we let the leftists get away with their buzzing and biting, and it emboldened them.

We can't keep letting these perpetually outraged people drain the lifeblood from America. This has to stop. People need to speak up. No more apologizing when the cancel culture mob comes. No more conceding to any of their demands. After all, no matter how foolish or banal those demands seem, they're still another little bite, another little bit of blood sucked from American society.

We all know that leftists are not bugs; they are humans, and it's important to remember that. But to the extent they've adopted tactics reminiscent of mosquito tactics, we need to fight back the same way we would mosquitoes that land on us intending to bite: stop them every single time, lest they drain us dry.

Image: Wikipedia, modified.
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton (L) is applauded by Brookings Institution President Strobe Talbott before she delivers remarks about the Obama administration's national security strategy at the Brookings Institution May 27, 2010, in Washington. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Brookings Institution Under Scrutiny as More Links Emerge to Author of Infamous Steele Dossier

Republicans in the House and Senate are raising new questions about the involvement of current and former Brookings Institution associates with Christopher Steele, the author of the infamous discredited dossier that alleged collusion between then-candidate-Donald Trump and Russia.

Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) last week demanded all records regarding the communications between the State Department and Brookings Institution employees in 2016 and 2017 about Steele and the Trump campaign. House Intelligence Committee ranking member Devin Nunes (R-Calif.) said last week that he wants to know why Strobe Talbott, the president of the think tank in 2016, was in touch with Steele and received the spys dossier.

The Clinton campaign ultimately funded the dossier, a fact the FBI failed to mention despite using the Steele dossiers claims to back up an already error-ridden warrant application to spy on a Trump campaign associate. The dossier ended up at the epicenter of the now-debunked narrative of collusion between the Trump campaign and Russia. The U.S. intelligence community included a summary of the dossier in an annex to the consequential January 2017 assessment on Russias interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

The focus on the Brookings Institution was prompted by the emergence in the United States and the UK of new evidence on links between the think tank and Steele.

Proceedings in two lawsuits in the UK revealed that Talbott, then president of the Brookings Institution, engaged with Steele in 2016 about his Trump research and received a copy of the dossier. Talbott had also disseminated the dossier to at least one Brookings colleague.

The U.S. government in July declassified the FBIs interview with Steeles main source, Igor Danchenko, who worked under Talbott at Brookings from 2005 to 2010. Talbott said he learned about Steeles election work from a colleague, according to Steeles testimony.

While there is no direct evidence of a coordinated effort, a number of other current and former Brookings associates were involved with Steele and the dossier. The Brookings colleague to whom Talbott gave a copy of the Steele dossier before it was made public was Fiona Hill. Danchenko and Hill co-authored a paper during Danchenkos last year at the think tank.

House Intelligence Committee Republicans are taking a deep look at Brookings role in the development and dissemination of the Steele dossier and why they were involved in those activities. Every new revelation shows a deeper involvement than previously known, and we aim to get a full accounting, Jack Langer, communications director for Nunes, wrote in an email to The Epoch Times.

Talbott led Brookings, one of the top think tanks in the United States, from 2002 to 2017. Its employees donate overwhelmingly to Democrats. The institutions elite profile and revolving door with the federal bureaucracy in Washington affords it significant influence over policymaking.

Strobe Talbott

In August 2016, Talbott called Steele and told him that he had learned from a colleague about Steeles work on Trump, according to a transcript obtained by The Epoch Times of proceedings in a UK court. Steele speculated that Talbott learned about his work from either United Nations Ambassador Susan Rice or Assistant Secretary of State Victoria Nuland. Both Rice and Nuland had worked for Brookings before they entered the Obama administration, according to Steele. Nuland returned to the think tank after she left government service in 2017.

He spoke in fairly cryptic terms, but he was aware that we had material of relevance to the U.S. election, Steele said of Talbott.

Erin Pelton, the spokesperson for Rice, denied Steeles allegation.

Susan Rice has never had any communication with Christopher Steele in any form, direct or indirect. Moreover, she has never communicated with Strobe Talbott on Christopher Steele or any aspect of Russian interference in the 2016 election, Pelton said.

Months later and days before the 2016 election, Steele shared a copy of the dossier with Talbott. After the election, Steele wrote to Talbott asking to discuss what Talbott did with the dossier and how the two should handle the allegations within the document, according to the transcript of remarks in another UK trial obtained by The Epoch Times.

I know this is not straight forward but we need to discuss the package we delivered to you the other week, and sooner the better. What you thought of it, what you did with it, how we (both) should handle it and the issue it highlights going forward etc., Steele wrote, according to Andrew Caldecott, the attorney representing claimants suing Steele.

Talbott is a long-time Clinton associate. He served as the deputy secretary of state in the Clinton administration. Talbotts wife, Brooke Shearer, is the sister of Cody Shearer, a Clinton operative who compiled an anti-Trump dossier of his own before the 2016 election. Talbott didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

In addition to disseminating the dossier to well-connected people such as Talbott in the private sector, Steele gave installments of the dossier to the FBI and to late Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) through an associate, David Kramer. McCain spoke at six Brookings events. Kramer co-authored two articles published on the Brookings website.

Steele shrouded the dossier and its sources in mystery. Part of the enduring interest in the document has been the assumption that its sources had deep ties to Kremlin insiders, a facade that has been recently shattered by the identification of Igor Danchenko as the primary sub-source of the dossier.

Igor Danchenko

Despite painstaking steps by the FBI to redact details about Danchenko based on his background and travels revealed from the partly declassified interview released last month, internet researchers triangulated his identity within days of the release of the document. The revelation of the identity struck a body blow to the already-shattered credibility of the dossier because Danchenko wasnt based in Russia as the dossier implied and as the DOJ inspector general reported in 2019. Instead, Danchenko has spent nearly two decades in the United States. For five of those years, he worked at the Brookings Institution.

Danchenko told the FBI that he sourced his information from childhood friends and acquaintances. He told the bureau he had no idea where some of the claims Steele attributed to him came from. Steele had also presented some of the rumors Danchenko passed on as more substantiated than they really were.

The fact that Danchenko and Hill authored a paper together in 2010 allows for the possibility that the two were in still touch in 2016. Hill was a senior fellow at Brookings as early as May 6, 2016. As one of the witnesses in the impeachment trial against Trump, she told lawmakers that she met Steele in person in 2016 and received a copy of Steeles dossier from Talbott. Hill said she was shocked to learn that Steele was the author of the dossier and suspected that the document was tainted with Russian disinformation.

Danchenkos attorney didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

Grassley and Johnson specifically named Danchenko in a records request sent to the Department of Justice. The senators also named Nuland and Rice in a separate request to the State Department.

Nuland and Rice

Nuland and Rice, the Obama administration officials who Steele thought had informed Talbott, have their own ties to the Brookings Institution.

Rice was a senior fellow in foreign policy at Brookings from 2002 to 2009, during the tenure of Talbott. The declassification of Rices email to herself on the last day of the Obama administration revealed that President Barack Obama himself was involved in the investigation of Trumps incoming national security adviser Michael Flynn.

According to Steele, Nuland also worked at Brookings prior to entering the Obama administration. She was listed as a nonresident fellow at the institution since at least September 2017.

Nulands husband, Robert Kagan, is a foreign policy commentator at Brookings. He authored a number of columns for The Washington Post criticizing Trump and propping up the Russia collusion narrative, including in a column titled The United States and Russia arent allies. But Trump and Putin are.

Nuland didnt respond to a request for comment.
Uyghur Women, Rarely Informed About Forced Birth Control Procedures, Suffer Lifelong Complications

2020-08-03 -- Uyghur women who are forced to undergo birth control procedures in northwest China's Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) are rarely informed about their side effects, and regularly experience lifelong health complications they believe are related to the surgeries, according to sources in exile.

Several Uyghur women who were required by authorities in the XUAR to have intrauterine devices (IUDs) implanted or undergo tubal ligation surgeries as part of family planning policies detailed their experiences to RFA's Uyghur Service.

They described in recent interviews painful procedures that left them both physically and emotionally scarred, and suggested such measures are part of a bid by the government to eradicate their ethnic group.

Their stories follow a June 29 report about a dramatic increase in recent years in the number of forced sterilizations and abortions targeting Uyghurs in the region, which the author, German researcher Adrian Zenz, said may amount to a government-led campaign of genocide under United Nations definitions.

The population control measures include fines on Uyghur women with three or more children, mandatory pregnancy tests and examinations, and the forced implantation of IUDs or sterilization surgery, according to Zenz, a senior fellow in China Studies at the Washington-based Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation.

China did not make a spokesperson available for comment on this report, but when Zenz's study on forced birth control came out in June, official media vilified him and said Beijing is 'considering suing' him for libel, while the foreign ministry denounced him.

"The so-called allegation that 'millions of Uyghurs were detained' was trumped up by an anti-China organization which receives significant financial support from the National Endowment for Democracy, and Adrian Zenz, a senior fellow in a research group on Xinjiang education and training centers set up by the US intelligence community," foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said on July 15.

The uptick in forced population control policies, which the report said had led to an 84 percent birthrate reduction in two majority Uyghur prefectures between 2015 and 2018, occurred in tandem with China's campaign of mass incarceration of Uyghurs launched in the region in April 2017.

Women who refuse to undergo the procedures are detained in a network of internment camps, believed to have held up to 1.8 million Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities.

Recently, a source who asked not to be named out of fear of reprisal sent RFA photos of an IUD that had been surgically removed from her uterus 10 years after it was implanted because she experienced severe vaginal bleeding. The woman said she had been detained at a camp but was released after the bleeding became very serious.

According to the source, doctors performed a four-and-a-half-hour surgery to remove the device and discovered that it had punctured her uterus, causing an injury they said would likely leave her sterile.

A similar story was related by camp survivor Zumret Dawut, who last year testified about having undergone a permanent sterilization surgery at a United Nations event titled "The Human Rights Crisis in Xinjiang," which was organized by the U.S. Department of State.

Dawut, mother of three, told RFA that she was fitted several times with an IUD, which she described as T-shaped and wrapped with a wire.

"If the government does the insertion, it's that kind of IUD," she said.

"You used to be able to get them removed if you could get a doctor's permission for it. But then, starting in 2016, [the government] notified all the hospitals that they could not remove IUDs."

Dawut said at that point, women seeking to have an IUD removed would need to obtain permission from five different government offices, including the Women's Association, the Office of Women's Affairs, and the Office of Family Planning, "otherwise [doctors] wouldn't do it."

"I've had several IUDs, but the experiences weren't good," she said.

"They caused a lot of problems for me. I passed out, lost consciousness, several times after the insertions."

'Achieving their goal'

Gulgine, a Uyghur doctor and women's health specialist based in Istanbul, Turkey with more than 25 years of experience, told RFA that since she began running her health center in 2013, she had seen "at least 200" Uyghur women fitted with IUDs, as well as some 80 Uyghur women who had been forcibly sterilized.

"There have been some cases in which women with IUDs have ended up with the IUD stuck in their uterine walls," she said.

"I've also seen cases in which the women had no clue they'd been sterilized. Eighty percent of the [Uyghur] women I've seen have had IUDs. Sixty percent have been sterilized  For these reasons, I've seen women who not only have physical injuries but who also have psychological problems."

Gulgine said that IUDs are especially prevalent amongst women from the southern part of the XUAR, where Uyghurs live in greater numbers.

"The Chinese government widely forces these IUDs on Uyghur women in places in the south like the cities, towns, and villages of Kashgar (in Chinese, Kashi) [prefecture]," she said.

"The longer the devices remain inserted, the greater the possibility of injury to the cervix, which can result in inflammation, swelling, discharge, or infection  These kinds of IUDs are very low-quality, and after they are inserted there is a possibility that they will get stuck in a woman's fallopian tube, making them even more difficult to remove down the line."

Gulgine suggested that the Chinese government is unconcerned whether such devices inflict permanent damage on the women who are made to wear them.

"By causing injury to their reproductive systems, [the authorities] are achieving their goal of exterminating them," she said.

Tubal ligation

While IUDs are the most common form of birth control used by authorities to implement family planning policies, tubal ligationin which the fallopian tubes are tied and sometimes cutis another favored method.

In April 2018, Dawut was detained at an internment camp, where she was forced to recite Chinese propaganda, beaten for providing food to an ailing fellow prisoner, and injected with unknown drugs, according to her account at the U.N. event.

While Dawut was released two months later after her Pakistani husband advocated on her behalf, she was forced to undergo a tubal ligation in exchange for the right to leave China for Pakistan, which she said was performed in a "crude facility" by doctors who did not provide her with information about how it would proceed, or what the risks and potential side effects were.

"In October [of 2018], it turned out my name was on some list that had come from higher upthere were around 200 names on the list, and they scheduled five of us to take for sterilization surgeries on a Monday," she said.

"There were women from other places there too. We waited in line for a long time. There weren't people from any other ethnic group; all of us were Uyghur women ... [After the surgery], they had a car ready for me. They put me in the car and took me home."

Dawut, who relocated to the U.S. from Pakistan in April last year, said that since the procedure, she has experienced negative side effects including a hormone imbalance, a total cessation in menstruation, and psychological trauma.

She said she asked a Uyghur gynecologist whether it was possible to reverse the procedure, but was informed that while surgeons can "untie" fallopian tubes that have been blocked in most tubal ligations, Chinese government-ordered surgeries generally involve the cutting of the tubes, making it much more difficult to undo.

"So, given this, [it appears] they made it completely, irreversibly impossible [for those of us who underwent the surgery] to have more children," Dawut said.

"They want to get rid of us and take over our land. They want to eliminate us from this world."

Long-standing methods

While China's methods of birth control in the XUAR have received increased attention following the release of Zenz's report, they are by no means recent developments.

In 2007, for example, family-planning offices in Xinjiang held a propaganda "competition" by the name of "Birth less, get richer faster," in which they rewarded women who had fewer than three children or who elected to have tubal ligation surgeries performed.

Peride Tursun, who fled the XUAR capital Urumqi for Turkey in 2016, told RFA she ran afoul of family-planning authorities in 1996, when she was pregnant with her third child, a son. Tursun, who was herself a former family planning official, said that she gave birth in secret but was fined and forced to have an IUD implanted by doctors who provided her little information about the procedure.

"They simply told me they were going to make it so I couldn't have another baby," said Tursun, now 55 years old.

After she experienced heavy bleeding, she had the IUD removed by doctors at the XUAR Hospital of Traditional Medicine, who performed a sterilization surgery on her without her permission.

"I kept asking myself, 'Can we not just be responsible for ourselves?'... I felt feelings of tragedy, like a kind of massacre was taking place," she said.

Tursun said she has since had a major bladder surgery, which she suspects is related to the complications she experienced from her IUD and later sterilization.

Meanwhile, Tursun's two older daughters remain in the XUAR and have been sent to internment camps, she said.

"The Chinese authorities used these horrible means to destroy my life, but I have my daughters and my grandchildren [to think about]," she said.

"I might not have been able to protect myself, but it is my responsibility as a mother to do everything I can to protect them," Tursun added, calling on the international community to investigate and "put an end to these policies."

'No choice'

RFA also spoke with Helchem Muhammad, 55, who has lived in Kayseri, Turkey, since 2014.

Muhammad, who is originally from Aqsu (Akesu) city, said she first became a victim of China's birth-control policies in 1992, after giving birth to her fourth child.

"The family-planning authorities came to my house every day and were putting a lot of pressure on me, so finally I was forced to get [an IUD]," she said.

"They said they'd fine me [otherwise] or that we [who didn't comply] would go to jail, and they scared us into getting them."

Muhammad said she experienced severe bleeding for two months, after which the IUD fell out. A second IUD also caused bleeding and made her "very sick."

"Even so, I had no choice but to get the IUD," she said, adding that treatment at hospitals and traditional medicine practices had done little to improve her health.

Muhammad said that while the international media has been focusing on China's enforcement of birth control policies in the XUAR since 2015, "the situation was already serious in the 1990s."

"You know, there were cases where doctors used injections to abort babies in the mothers' eighth and ninth months of pregnancy and later, when they began inserting [IUDs], they all used this [T-shaped] type because it's tough to get out," she said.

"They won't remove them just because we ask. They won't even remove them if we die. They want to kill us."

Reported by Gulchehre Hoja and Shohret Hoshur for RFA's Uyghur Service. Translated by Elise Anderson. Written in English by Joshua Lipes.

Copyright  1998-2020, RFA. Used with the permission of Radio Free Asia, 2025 M St. NW, Suite 300, Washington DC 20036. For any commercial use of RFA content please send an email to: mahajanr@rfa.org. RFA content August not be used in a manner which would give the appearance of any endorsement of any product or support of any issue or political position. Please read the full text of our Terms of Use.

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Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has announced his intentions to light up earthen lamps at the Bhopal hospital, where he is undergoing treatment for coronavirus disease, to celebrate the August 5 ground-breaking ceremony for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Chouhan has also requested his ministers to celebrate the occasion by lighting earthen lamps on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Its due to the struggle and sacrifice of the devotees of Lord Ram that Ram Mandir is being constructed. Today and tomorrow I will light earthen lamps at the hospital. You also light earthen lamps and decorate your houses, Chouhan told his cabinet from his hospital bed during a virtual meet on Tuesday.

Later, in a series of tweets, Chouhan recalled the days of the Ram Janmabhoomi movement and credited PM Narendra Modi for the realization of this moment.

We are blessed to see the beginning of the construction of the Ram temple tomorrow. The devotees of Lord Ram struggled for 500 years for this pleasurable moment. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modis iron resolve and sacrifices of lakhs of Ram devotees has made this pious moment possible, he said.

Also Read: Lord Ram belongs to everyone, says Priyanka Gandhi ahead of bhoomi pujan

Chouhans announcement follows an appeal by the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust asking people to decorate houses, chant hymns and light earthen lamps to celebrate the stone laying foundation of the Ayodhya Ram temple.

Only 175 invitees will attend the ceremony live in Ayodhya, while everyone else has been requested to celebrate the event at their homes.

CM said that were fortunate to witness this. Today from 6-7 pm, everyone will light earthen lamps at their homes. Tomorrow is a historic day. Earthen lamps will be lit today & tomorrow. Houses of ministers, MPs, MLAs will be illuminated, said Narottam Mishra, a minister in Chouhan government.

Its not just the ruling BJP which is buoyant about the event, former chief minister of Madhya Pradesh and current chief of Congress state unit, Kamal Nath has been leading the celebrations with religious ceremonies in the state.

On Tuesday, Nath hosted a Hanuman Chalisa recital at his residence and announced that 11 silver bricks will be sent for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. The bricks, Nath said, were bought from contributions made by members of the Congress.

Also Read: MP Congress to send silver bricks to be used in construction of Ram temple

We will send 11 silver bricks for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya on the behalf of citizens of Madhya Pradesh, the former chief minister said.

He also credited late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi for ordering the unlocking of the Ram Janmabhoomi temple site in 1985.

These are our sentiments... Rajivji had said in 1989 that Ram Rajya should come to the country. Its due to Rajiv Gandhi that the dream of Ram temple is coming true. Had he been alive, he would have been very happy, Nath said.

Meanwhile, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat has arrived in Ayodhya for the event along with several other prominent invitees like yoga guru Baba Ramdev, Swami Avdeshanand have arrived in Ayodhya to attend the foundation laying ceremony.

Bhagwat, along with PM Modi, UP CM Yogi Adityanath, UP governor Anandiben Patel and the president of Ram Mandir Trust, Nitya Gopal Das will be present on stage for the event.
Google has announced the Pixel 4a, which is the successor to the highly popular Pixel 3a that was released last year. Interestingly, just as we are greeted by the Pixel 4a announcement, Google is supposedly already working on the Pixel 5a as the phone was spotted in a newly released AOSP code change.

In the AOSP (Android Open Source Project) code change, the developer mentions a list of devices that Google is currently working. Along with the Pixel 4a, Pixel 4a (5G), Pixel 5 and finally, a Pixel 5a. The code appears to be referencing version of Android that will ship with each Pixel device and specifically for the Pixel 5a, it will ship with Android 11 (R). This points to an early release for the Pixel 5a, before Android 12 gets released.

Now, all of this is very early information and it will likely be a few more months till more information is released, as we just said, the Pixel 4a just got launched. However, it is great to confirm that Google is still interested to release phones that redefine photography in the budget category.

Source | Via
DALLAS, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TeamSupport, a multiple award-winning B2B (business-to-business) customer support software solution, announces a new integration with Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is a popular workplace communication tool, and now users have the ability to post messages on Teams channels with TeamSupport's powerful Ticket Automation feature.

"TeamSupport allows B2B support teams to take a holistic approach to building strong customer relationships, really understand their needs, and reduce the time it takes to resolve their issues," said Robert C. Johnson, CEO, TeamSupport. "This new integration with Microsoft Teams will improve communications between support, sales, and product development teams and streamline workflows."

Ticket Automation is a powerful feature within TeamSupport that allows users to create rules for handling tickets. Johnson goes on, "In addition to posting messages to Teams Channels, the potential uses of Ticket Automation are almost limitless." A few examples include automatic reminders, managing escalations, automatic responses, putting tickets in a queue, and making changes to type and group of ticket.

Microsoft Teams is the latest in an impressive list of critical business systems with which TeamSupport seamlessly integrates. Others include Microsoft Dynamics, Salesforce, Jira, Microsoft TFS, Slack, and Hubspot, to name a few.

Learn more about how TeamSupport integrates with your existing solutions and request a demo.

About TeamSupport

TeamSupport is an award-winning customer support software company built specifically for the unique needs of B2B (business-to-business) companies. Created by industry experts who lived through the struggles of being a B2B company in a B2C (business-to-consumer) support world, TeamSupport has spent the past decade creating a product to help companies build stronger customer relationships. With an emphasis on streamlined collaboration among teams and built around the entire B2B customerrather than focused on each individual contact or ticketTeamSupport stands alone as the leading support software solution created for businesses who need to help other businesses solve problems.

Find out more at TeamSupport.com.

SOURCE TeamSupport, LLC.

Related Links

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The Kaduna State Government has announced August 10 for the reopening of schools for Senior Secondary School 3 students.

According to a statement released by the Commissioner for Education, Shehu Mohammed, the state governor, Nasir El-Rufai, gave the approval to enable the students to write their West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) slated for August 17, 2020. Mohammed directed all secondary school principals to make arrangements to receive SS3 boarding students on August 9 and day students on August 10 respectively.

The guidelines include reduced hours of work/revision to 4 hours per shift, strict social distancing both in the classes, laboratories, libraries and hostels, consistency of temperature monitoring and handling any suspected case of COVID 19 case to the health authorities, he said.

The Commissioner also advised all administrators of public and private schools in the state to use the one week period to make adequate preparation and put all COVID-19 guidelines in place.

Shehu warned schools against resuming before August 10.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  Backriding or passengers riding pillion on motorcycles will only be allowed in modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) areas if the passenger is a frontliner or considered an essential worker, the police said on Tuesday.

Gen. Emmanuel Luis Licup, director for operations of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said motorcycle barriers or shields are still required. He added that both the motorcycle driver and passenger should be Authorized Persons Outside Residence (APOR).

"We allow it even if you are not couples... Basta one condition is dapat hindi nagpapabayad. Siguro naman magkakilala sila. Dapat may prescribed barrier," he said in a media briefing.

[Translation: Non-couples are allowed to back-ride, but the condition is to have a motorcycle barrier and they should not pay.]

Licup said the National Task Force on COVID-19 and Metro Manila mayors held a meeting on Monday, a day before the National Capital Region, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan were placed under stricter 14-day lockdown. He said they came to this agreement to help essential workers travel to their workplaces despite the suspension of all public transportation, including pillion riding on motorcycles.

Joint Task Force COVID Shield Commander Guillermo Eleazar said the driver and passenger should present an ID and/or documents to prove they are essential workers or APOR. They should also show to the police manning the checkpoints that their travel is related to work.

Under general community quarantine, the government only allowed back riding for spouses and cohabitating couples. They needed to put up an acrylic barrier held by a steel frame attached to the passenger foot pegs or the driver can wear the backpack-like design or face fines of up to 10,000.

However, PNP Chief Archie Gamboa said the police will only give stern warnings for violators in the initial days of MECQ.

"Reminder sa kapulisan to exercise maximum tolerance," he said. "To the public, please cooperate so we can meet halfway."

RELATED: Police won't arrest MECQ violators for now
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Linkedin Fitriani and Maria M. Widhia Putri (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 09:36 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b652bc 3 Opinion United-Nations,UNSC,UNSC-non-permanent-seat,Indonesia,diplomacy,CSIS Free

This is Indonesias second year sitting as an elected member of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), raising the question as to whether Indonesia has made a difference on the council. If Indonesia has yet to make its mark, perhaps this August, during its UNSC presidency, the country can leave a lasting legacy.

It is a difficult period for members of the UNSC, as rivalries between great powers straddle its ability to issue substantial resolutions that can bring about global peace and order. We witness violence committed by armed groups, pandemic, territorial disputes intensification, as well as regional and domestic political posturing that the council chooses to sit on the fence and watch.

Of course, it would be a tremendous burden, if not entirely unfair, to expect Indonesia to save the world alone while the great powers choose to stall or fight among themselves.

Nevertheless, except for COVID-19, Indonesia has been aware of the arduous task of working toward global peace when it campaigned to win the UNSC seat in 2018. Then the United States began to threaten China with increased tariffs and Russian diplomats were expelled from several European countries after a spy poisoning case.

When Indonesia began its membership, the UNSC was experiencing a decline in the number of resolutions issued. In 2016, it issued 77 resolutions, including those substantive issues on fighting violent extremism in Syria. But in 2019, there were only 51 resolutions, 37 of which were extensions of previous mandates. As of last month, the council has issued 32 resolutions with more than half being extensions.

For the optimist among us, they may argue that there is persistence on the UNSC, but for some others yearning for a breakthrough, they may see the council as hedging sustainable peace by not taking drastic measures.

In the preparatory period, Indonesia, with other elected members, sent a letter to highlight the need for fair burden-sharing and equal distribution of work among all members of the security council. The letter urges UNSC reform from the dominance of the P5 (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom, and the US) toward more meaningful participation from elected members by accepting them as penholder in drafting the councils resolutions.

Together with Germany, Indonesia is co-penholder for the situation on Afghanistan and has successfully negotiated for two mandate extensions of UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in March and September 2019. This is a particularly challenging diplomatic case as mandate extensions usually last one year, not six months.

Still, the negotiations were highly politicized by great powers rivalries, especially with the Western groups concern about Chinas Belt and Road Initiative complicating the discussion as Afghanistans national election was due to take place. In the deadlock, Indonesia took the role of bridge-builder, pushing for a peaceful resolution by supporting resolutions that reflected the Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

Indonesia also displayed its commitment to Afghans peace process by being a member of the International Contact Group (ICG) on Afghanistan and having Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi as one of the honorary members of the Group of Friends of Women of Afghanistan.

Indonesia endeavored to provide empowerment for Afghan women by holding dialogue on the role of women in building and sustaining peace last November. Furthermore, as 2020 marks the two decades implementation of UNSC Resolution 1325 on women, peace and security, earlier this year Indonesia also conducted online training for women diplomats, negotiators and mediators from Afghanistan and beyond, reaching those of ASEAN member states, Timor Leste and Papua New Guinea.

The free-and-active foreign policy principle provides Indonesia with a constructive foundation for its adept participation on the council. Such a principle has enabled the country to navigate and mediate the differing positions of the councils members through partnership and regionalism.

Admittedly, not all issues yield progress. One rocky topic for Indonesian diplomacy is Palestine. Indonesia has been consistent in supporting a two-state solution that would bring about an independent and sovereign Palestinian state alongside Israel. The challenge is not all the councils members agree with the idea, including Indonesia co-penholders on the issue of Palestine the US and Kuwait.

Nevertheless, Indonesia unwaveringly promotes Palestines peace process, including by drafting UNSC press statements on the demolition of residential buildings in the Sur Bahir/Wadi al-Hummus, East Jerusalem; the closing of Temporary International Presence in Hebron by Israel, and organizing an informal discussion on illegal settlements at the time of Indonesias presidency at the council in May 2019.

Presidency at the council was significant because Indonesia demonstrated its ability to lead by means of agenda-setting and discussed issues of great importance for the country. In its last presidency, Indonesia held two open debates with the topic of Training and Capacity Building in Peacekeeping and Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, highlighting the importance of the involvement of women in peace and security issues.

This August, not only Indonesia will celebrate its 75 years of independence but it will also hold the UNSC presidency. Indonesia will carry the theme Advancing Sustainable Peace to emphasize the councils effort in handling the COVID-19 pandemic, which poses challenges to global peace and stability.

In the presidency, aside from chairing at least 14 meetings on global conflict situations, Indonesia also proposed three signature events, namely a discussion on the linkage of counterterrorism and organized crime, pandemics and the challenges of sustaining peace, as well as an informal discussion on cyber and protection of civilians.

From the UNSC presidency, Indonesia aspires to issue two outcome documents. First, the outcome document on countering terrorism that will focus on the prosecution, rehabilitation and reintegration of terrorists. Second, the outcome document on women peacekeepers, aiming for greater inclusion of the women and gender perspective in the UN peace mission. A great task lies ahead for Indonesia in uniting UNSC members, particularly in bridging the interests of major powers and fostering dialogue.

In its presidency, Indonesia needs to lead collective action in responding to COVID-19, ensuring the nexus between peace and sustainable development, as well as keep the council relevant in addressing emerging security challenges, including cyber, terrorism, or yet another pandemic. However, Indonesia may put the UNSC on a pedestal to wish that it will be able to readily agree to speak with one voice, as great powers within may not be willing to cede their dominance. Nevertheless, keep marching onward, Indonesia has nothing to lose and everything to gain.

***

Fitriani and Maria M. Widhia Putri are respectively researcher and research intern at the department of international relations, Centre for Strategic and International Studies Indonesia (CSIS). The original article was published in CSIS Commentaries.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official stance of The Jakarta Post.
President Trump says he will ban Chinese video app by September 15 if Microsoft or other US company does not acquire it.

The United States government should get a substantial portion of the sale price of the US operations of popular short-video app TikTok, US President Donald Trump said, and warned he will ban the service in the country on September 15 without a sale.

The turnaround came after Trump said last week he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video apps US operations as soon as Saturday after initially dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.

Reuters news agency reported last week that some investors are valuing TikTok at about $50bn, citing people familiar with the matter.

I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it, because I guess its China essentially  I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because were making it possible for this deal to happen, Trump said on Monday.

Trump later defended his push for a cut, adding: Nobody else would be thinking about but me, but thats the way I think.

Nicholas Klein, a lawyer at DLA Piper, said that generally the [US] government doesnt have the authority to take a cut of a private deal through the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS), the interagency committee that reviews some foreign investments in the US.

It was not clear how the US government would receive part of the purchase price.

Klein added it will close down on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal, so the Treasury  of the United States gets a lot of money.

China reacted angrily to Trumps attempt to get a US company to acquire the TikTok. The state-run China Daily newspaper said on Tuesday that China would not accept the theft of a technology company and is able to respond.

The USs bullying of Chinese tech companies was a consequence of Washingtons zero-sum vision of American first and left China no choice but submission or mortal combat in the tech realm, the paper said in an editorial.

China had plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab, it added.

TikTok said Monday it was committed to continuing to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform as we build TikTok for the long term. TikTok will be here for many years to come.

Daniel Elman, analyst at Nucleus Research, said a sale could foreshadow a growing wave of US company acquisition of Chinese internet properties, particularly if the geopolitical tensions continue to mount.

Elman said that could impact Tencents WeChat.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referenced WeChat on Sunday and said Trump will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party.

US officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following US laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.

Trumps comments confirmed a Reuters report on Sunday that he had agreed to give Chinas ByteDance, the company behind TikTok, 45 days to negotiate a sale of the short video platform to Microsoft.

Landlord-tenant relationship

Trump, a former New York real estate developer, compared TikTok to the landlord-tenant relationship, suggesting TikTok is like a tenant. Without a lease, the tenant has nothing  so they pay whats called key money, or they pay something.

He said he did not mind whether its Microsoft or somebody else  a big company, a secure company, very, very American company buy it.

Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.

Microsoft said Sunday it is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.

Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikToks US operations. Some congressional aides are worried about a backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump bans TikTok, which has 100 million American users.

Microsoft and ByteDance gave the US government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.

A US company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe, Schumer said on Twitter, adding: This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, its subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.

So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised? Navarro said in an interview with the CNN broadcast network. Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?

Navarro said the Chinese government and military use Microsoft software to do all the things they do.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 07:24:09|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump's National Security Adviser Robert O'Brien Tuesday said that the United States was "deeply troubled" by the conflict in Libya, urging against foreign military interventions.

"We strongly oppose foreign military involvement, including the use of mercenaries and private military contractors, by all sides," O'Brien said in a White House statement.

He also noted that foreign powers that establish an enduring military presence or control Libyan resources posed grave threats to regional stability and global commerce while undermining the security interests of the United States and its allies.

O'Brien urged all relevant parties to "enable the National Oil Corporation to resume its vital work, with full transparency, and to implement a demilitarized solution for Sirte and al-Jufra, respect the UN arms embargo, and finalize a ceasefire under the UN-led 5+5 military talk."

Libya has been engaged in a civil war since the ouster and killing of former leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011.

The situation escalated in 2014, splitting power between two rivals with warring forces -- the UN-backed Government of National Accord (GNA) based in the capital Tripoli and the eastern-based Libyan National Army (LNA) led by Khalifa Haftar.

Egypt, Russia and the United Arab Emirates support Haftar's LNA, while the GNA is mainly backed by Turkey and Qatar. Enditem
Veteran markets watchers say Australian shares could be in for a rough ride as initial hopes of a V-shaped economic recovery fade from view.

With a second wave of the COVID-19 raging in Victoria and small outbreaks in NSW  the driving forces of the Australian economy  the prospects for a drawn-out, U-shaped or even a W-shaped recovery is more likely, they say.

Peter Warnes of Morningstar: "There is no V [recovery] out there and that is what the financial markets have been running on. Credit: Supplied

After retracing about half of its initial drop following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the benchmark S&P/ASX 200 index has traded sideways for the past two months at about 6000 points  despite a deteriorating economy.

The federal government's economic and fiscal report, released last month, forecasts the jobless rate will hit 8.75 per cent this financial year.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Gov. Mike DeWine opened Tuesdays statehouse news briefing discussing gun violence, one year after the Dayton mass shooting.

He called for legislation.

We must not let the deaths of these nine people be forgotten, DeWine said

DeWine has also said he will talk about contact tracing, to discover how the coronavirus is spreading in Ohio.

Ohio reported 1,143 new coronavirus cases today.

Watch the 2 p.m. broadcast by The Ohio Channel below.
In an order issued on Tuesday, Pune district collector Naval Kishore Ram has been transferred to the Prime Ministers Office (PMO) as deputy secretary. Ram, a 2008-batch IAS officer, has been at the helm of handling the Covid-19 situation in Pune district, which has seen over 92,000 cases till Monday.

This is a challenging opportunity for me and I am looking forward to it. I will follow further instructions from the government when taking charge of my new assignment, said Ram after receiving the order. Ram will be deputy secretary for a period of four years from the date of taking charge under the central staffing scheme, a note issued by department of personnel and training written to Maharashtra chief secretary, stated.

In Pune, Ram was leading the team formed to tackle the Covid-19 pandemic, particularly in rural and semi-rural parts of the district, along with the smooth migration of workers back home during the lockdown.

Ram is the third key officer in Pune district to have been transferred within a month amid the Covid-19 crisis and the administration busy in increasing the bed capacity by setting up three jumbo facilities. Earlier in July, the state government had transferred the then civic chief Shekhar Gaikwad and replaced him with Vikram Rao. On August 1, the government appointed Saurabh Rao, a 2003-IAS officer, as the Pune divisional commissioner after incumbent Deepak Mhaisekar retired on July 31.

While Rao has been given time of three weeks to join the new position, the government is yet to announce a new collector for the district. The government is likely to issue an order in a day or two, said officials at the collectorate.

In Pune, Ram had been tasked to ensure a peaceful gathering at Bhima Koregaon in 2019, a year after the village near Pune witnessed caste clashes during the anniversary of the war fought between British rulers and Peshwas. At least 10 lakh people had gathered at the obelisk to commemorate the Bhima Koregaon battle. Ram has also been credited with successfully handling the aftermath of the flash floods in Pune during September 2019.

Before taking charge in April 2018, Ram had been posted as the Aurangabad district collector and also Beed collector.

Before Ram, the then Pune Mahanagar Parivahan Mahamandal Limited managing director Shrikar Pardeshi and former PMC commissioner Kunal Kumar were transferred to the PMO from Pune.

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Famed Spanish stiletto-maker Manolo Blahnik is seeking to bring counterfeit shoe sellers to heel in a Federal Court case aimed at a Sydney retailer.

The London-based Manolo Blahnik Worldwide launched preliminary proceedings on May 29 against Estro Concept Pty Limited, which operates designer fashion outlets online and in Sydney, including the CBD and Drummoyne.

Manolo Blahnik poses with his trademark stilettos.

The shoemaker, whose high-end heels shot to mainstream prominence in the HBO series Sex And The City, sought a court order to force Estro to hand over company records to shed light on whether it had engaged in trademark infringement, misleading or deceptive conduct and passing off.

Manolo Blahnik said the records would help it decide whether to file proceedings against Estro.
One Houston doctor didn't hold back when expressing his frustration and annoyance toward the spike in Texas.

Chief Medical Officer Dr. Joseph Varon, who works at the United Memorial Medical Center in Houston, told KTRK-TV he's fighting two COVID-19 wars, and one is especially hard to treat.

"My motto has been, you know, at the present time, I'm pretty much fighting two wars: a war against COVID and a war against stupidity. And the problem is that the first one I have some hope about winning. But the second one is becoming more and more difficult to treat. Why do I say that? Because people are not listening. Whether it's backed up by science or just plain old common sense, people are not listening throughout the country," Varon told the TV station.

Varon oversees UMMC's COVID-19 unit, and said people choosing to completely disobey the guidance put forth by health officials  you know, like wearing a mask and social distancing  makes the fight that much harder.

COVID KILLER: UH researchers create filter to 'catch and kill' virus instantly

Chron.com reported Friday that the Houston region is at 100,786 confirmed positive cases of COVID-19, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data. The death count is at 1,597.

The entire state of Texas currently sits at 425,119 cases and 6,465 deaths. The Department of State Health Services recently began reporting deaths based on death certificates instead of reports from individual counties, which further confirmed that the virus is deadlier for people of color.
By Express News Service

SRIKAKULAM: Help is pouring in for the two girls, whose parents died of ill-health. With the incident being shared widely on social media, people from all sections of the society have come forward to make donations. Over 500 people donated in just six days.

The flow of donations by various sections of people has been continuing. Students, teachers, farmhands, auto drivers, construction workers, teachers and officials of various departments contributed their mite. A total of Rs 5 lakh was received from donors from across the State till now, said former sarpanch of Naupada Pilaka Ravi Kumar Reddy.

Two high school students lost their parents at Naupada in Santabommali mandal. Konchada Yugandar died of ill-health on July 26 after his wife Urvasi passed away due to cardiac arrest on April 26. Even the maternal and paternal grandparents of the girls also passed away.

Yugandar used to run a small tea stall to support his family. After his death, the two girls started running the tea stall.

The former sarpanch also thanked the TNIE for giving wide coverage which helped them receive contributions from Rajamahendravaram, Hyderabad, Kakinada, Ravulapalem and many other areas. P Ranji and friends from Telangana donated Rs 75,000 on Monday.

Speaking to TNIE, Konchada Swathi, the elder sister, thanked the villagers for their love and affection. I want to study well and get a good job. The villagers are guiding us in all aspects.

"And we will follow their suggestions for our better future. Though our parents are no more, we are staying in the same house with the support of people, Swathi said.
CARACAS Venezuela capital Caracas largest produce market is at the center of a worsening COVID-19 outbreak, but cash-strapped merchants refuse to stop hawking food there for the citys 5 million residents, many of whom are starving.

Three days a week - down from six before the pandemic - some 10,000 people, including retailers and consumers, pack into the state-run Coche Wholesale Market. The produce is trucked out to the citys supermarkets, providing a lifeline amid Venezuelas six-year economic crisis.

Caracas depends on this market," its administrator Walter Rivera said in an interview, adding that about 17,000 tonnes of goods are sold there each month.

But the open-air bazaar, where people pay little heed to social distancing though most wear masks, upsets President Nicolas Maduros governments efforts to stop an accelerating number of coronavirus cases from overloading Venezuelas dilapidated health system. So far authorities have confirmed 20,206 cases and 174 deaths, though the opposition and medical NGOs warn that testing is insufficient.

On July 29, authorities limited the opening hours of wholesale markets across the capital to between dawn and 2 p.m.

Coche is a potential site of high contagion" due to its lack of social distancing, Jose Manuel Olivares, a health advisor to opposition leader Juan Guaido, said in an interview.

Maduro ordered harsh lockdown measures in March which slowed the virus spread, but basic goods shortages forced many merchants to return to wholesale markets to make a living.

If you dont go out every day you dont eat," said Moises Rojas, 23, who sells carrots, potatoes and onions in Coche.

Rojas, one of the markets 3,500 workers, said on pre-pandemic days he could sell three 45-kilogram sacks of carrots. Now, he may sell only 5 kilos.

Some traders lugging sacks and pushing carts around the market said they feared getting infected, but they were more afraid the government would stop them working.

It would get ugly for us," said Angel Serrano, who has spent 32 of his 44 years selling there. This supports all of us here."

Coche administrator Rivera said in the last few weeks they carried out 4,500 rapid antibody tests there, with only one positive result. Were working so that they dont shut the market," he said.

(Writing by Angus Berwick; Editing by Brian Ellsworth and Richard Chang)

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
Dear Editor:

Re More gunfire in Kingston on heels on numerous incidents last month (Aug. 3, 2020): What a shame.

In 2018, I wrote to you to predict these incidents would occur. I warned that because of the weak leadership coming from City Hall, and the disrespect for the police by Mayor Steve Noble, Kingston could become Newburgh or Poughkeepsie. Unfortunately, the city is on the way.

The mayor needs to change the way he deals with the police and remove the limitations placed on them. Let them do their job.

Bring Kingston back to the beautiful city it was. Stop listening to outside special-interest groups that hate the police. Let the decent people who live in the city feel safe and secure.

Kingston has a great and well-trained police force. None of these things should be happening.

Patrick Oliveri

Fort Lauderdale, Fla.

The writer is a former Kingston resident.
STAMFORD  City police are helping Nassau detectives with a case involving a woman who died while swimming off a boat just off Centre Island, Long Island, directly across Long Island Sound from Stamford last Saturday morning.

According to a Nassau County Police Department public information officer, the woman was swimming off a boat at Plum Point, right next to the Seawanhacka Yacht Club, when she experienced some kind of episode at 9 a.m. Aug. 1. Nassau County Police received a report of a man and woman on a boat needing assistance.
A photo taken approximately 3 hours after a large explosive eruption commenced at Grimsvotn in May 2011. The plume is approximately 20km high. Credit: Olafur Sigurjonsson

Glacial volcanoes sound like an oxymoron. But Iceland's Vatnajokull ice cap, Europe's largest by volume, covers many active volcanoes, including the country's most frequently erupting one, Grimsvotn. Nine years after its last eruption in 2011, which closed Icelandic airspace, Grimsvotn appears poised for yet another, according to the Icelandic Meteorological Office's (IMO).

A Grimsvotn eruptionoccurring roughly every 5-10 yearsblasts through the glacial ice enclosing the volcano and the magma-ice interactions create a stunning explosion. "The lava melts the ice, it flashes into steam. There is a tremendous amount of energy being released in split seconds," Ronni Grapenthin, a geophysicist at the University of Alaska, described to GlacierHub. Grimsvotn is also infamous as the source of the seven-month long Laki fissure eruption in 1783, which caused a famine that claimed 20 percent of Iceland's population and lowered Northern Hemisphere temperatures by an estimated 1C.

While scientists are fairly certain another eruption is coming, forecasting the timing, magnitude and nature of eruptions is challenging because "each volcano is different and they behave differently, and you can have different behavior from one eruption to the other," said Sigrun Hreinsdottir, a geodetic scientist at GNS Science in New Zealand. However, because Grimsvotn erupts so frequently, scientists see patterns that suggest another eruption is imminent. "Currently we have a state of the volcano which is very similar to the pre-eruptive conditions before 2011 and 2004 [eruptions]," Benedikt Ofeigsson, a geoscientist at the IMO, told GlacierHub.

Close-up view of the eruptive crater in the 1998 eruption of Grimsvotn. Credit: Oddur Sigursson

A team of scientists spanning Alaska to Iceland to New Zealand is carefully monitoring Grimsvotn. A high-precision GPS on the ground measures volcanic deformationthe movement of the groundin real time. As magma flows into the volcano from below, the ground expands outwards from the magma chamber, like a balloon. According to Ofeigsson, Grimsvotn is "pretty much inflated to the same point as prior to 2011 [eruption] so it's showing all the signs of an eruption well within the next month or year."

An additional piece of information suggests an impending Grimsvotn eruption: gas measurements. When magma nears the surface, the gases originally dissolved in the magma escape. "It's a lot like opening a soda bottle. When you release the pressure, the gases come out," said Terry Plank, a volcanologist at Columbia University's Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory. Since 2012, the IMO has periodically made gas measurements at Grimsvotn, but in early June, they "measured very high concentrations of SO2, CO 2 and H2," which Ofeiggson noted are unusual for Iceland. These measurements indicate that an eruption is near because the magma is just below the surface.

Because Grimsvotn is completely covered by a glacier, it also has a subglacial lakea lake that lies entirely below the ice. The heat from the volcano melts the ice immediately above it, and, as a result, a lake forms underneath in the caldera or crater. Periodically, the volume of water exceeds the capacity of the caldera, so a glacial outburst flood or jokulhlaup occurs, in which hundreds of square kilometers can flood. According to Ofeigsson "the lake [is] pretty full, so we also expect a jokulhlaup from Grimsvotn this summer."

Grimsvotn caldera wall (Mt Grimsfjall) in June 2011. Credit: Anna Lindal

"When the volcano is ready to erupt, the eruption can be triggered by the flood," Ofeigsson added. Grimsvotn has "a hair-trigger sensitivity to pressure," so the pressure release from the removal of the lake water can start the eruption, explained Dave McGarvie, a volcanologist at Lancaster University. Therefore, for the first time, scientists are monitoring Grimsvotn's subglacial lake level in real time. Because jokulhlaups triggered many past Grimsvotn eruptions, including in 2004, scientists expect the next eruption will also follow the flood.

Despite the short window of warningand Grimsvotn's history of devastating eruptionsthe next eruption is not expected to be bad. Every 150-200 years, Grimsvotn has a large eruption. Since the last big one was in 2011, scientists expect the upcoming eruption to be fairly small. McGarvie added that "most of [the eruption] in fact is contained within the glacier." Because of the "magma-water interactions," the ash is "pretty sticky;" it mostly falls within 40 km of the vent, hardly reaching inhabited areas. A jokulhlaup could be more damaging, but because they occur every 3 to 4 years, Iceland is well prepared for them. Bridges swept away by the 1996 Grimsvotn jokulhlaup were rebuilt to withstand flood waters, and roads in the south will close during the flood. Iceland will also have time to prepare, as the flood water must travel over 40 km under Vatnajokull first, McGarvie explained.

In spite of scientists' confidence that Grimsvotn will erupt soon, monitoring data is limited because the volcano is covered in ice. "As opposed to other volcanoes, we can't really see as much as we would like to," Grapenthin said. GPS instruments must be placed on bedrock because ice "flows much faster than the volcano deforms," and there is only one site at Grimsvotn with solid bedrock.

The flow channel of a subglacial outburst flood, triggered by the Gjalp eruption in 1996, draining the lake. Credit: Oddur Sigursson

However, the addition of gas measurements and real time monitoring of Grimsvotn's lake and deformation could pave the way for scientists to precisely forecast future volcanic eruptions. "If you could get more types of instruments prior to an eruption, you will understand maybe what the pre-eruptive signals are," Hreinsdottir said. With multiple Grimsvotn eruptions during one scientist's lifespan, knowledge from one eruption can be applied to the next one.

Regardless of how tame Grimsvotn's next eruption may be, it will surely be a dramatic sight. McGarvie told GlacierHub: "I went up to the eruption site in 2011, a couple months after the eruption ended, and you could see these spectacular circular crevasses, fractures in the upper surface of the ice, as the ice gently, but persistently moves back into the eruption site to fill this hole basically caused by the eruption."

Explore further New signs of eruption at Iceland volcano

This story is republished courtesy of Earth Institute, Columbia University http://blogs.ei.columbia.edu.
The Massachusetts Appeals Court has jettisoned the term 'grandfathering' from its lexicon, explaining in a recent case that is being phased out because 'it has racist origins.'

Judge James R. Milkey wrote about the decision on Monday in a footnote from a dispute between two neighbors about zoning laws in Gloucester.

In this case, the term has been used to explain why new laws don't apply to older structures or buildings that are protected due to their history.

'Providing such protection commonly is known - in the case law and otherwise - as "grandfathering." We decline to use that term, however, because we acknowledge that it has racist origins,' Milkey wrote on Monday.

The Massachusetts Appeals Court has jettisoned the term 'grandfathering' from its lexicon because 'it has racist origins'

'Specifically, the phrase "grandfather clause" originally referred to provisions adopted by some States after the Civil War in an effort to disenfranchise African-American voters by requiring voters to pass literacy tests or meet other significant qualifications, while exempting from such requirements those who were descendants of men who were eligible to vote prior to 1867.'

Judge James R. Milkey wrote about the decision on Monday in a footnote from a dispute between two neighbors about zoning laws at a property in Gloucester

The term was created as a euphemism for what was a means to further suppress African Americans in the South during the brief Reconstruction era when the right to vote was only given to the literate or people whose descendants had the right to vote before 1867.

As Black people were prohibited from reading and writing during slavery and punished if they did so anyway, 'grandfathering' allowed white people to circumvent literacy tests and poll taxes.

The judge from the state's second highest court cited Webster's Third New International Dictionary 987 (2002).

Webster calls it 'a clause creating an exemption based on circumstances previously existing. Especially: a provision in several southern state constitutions designed to enfranchise poor whites and disenfranchise blacks by waiving high voting requirements for descendants of men voting before 1867.'

The judge also cited a 1982 Columbia Law School Review study by former president of Yale, Benno C. Schmidt Jr., titled Principle and Prejudice: The Supreme Court and Race in the Progressive Era when explaining how the term helped white people maintain superiority.

He wrote the phrase was used 'in an effort to disenfranchise African-American voters by requiring voters to pass literacy tests or meet other significant qualifications, while exempting from such requirements those who were descendants of men who were eligible to vote prior to 1867'

In lieu of the euphemism, the judge explained that the owners of a waterfront property could replace their dilapidated garage with a fresh structure that is three feet taller than the original as long as it doesn't further encroach on the new zoning rules.

'Generally speaking, preexisting nonconforming structures lose the protection provided by the statute when the structures are extended or structural changes are made to them,' the judge explained.

'However, if the structure in question is a single or two-family residence, the statute provides an additional layer of protection.

'Such structures can be modified, extended, or reconstructed as of right 'so long as the 'extended or altered' structure 'does not increase' its "nonconforming nature."'
With the Ca Na project, Hoa Sen originally planned to overtake its competitors and become the largest steel producer, Photo Le Toan

The group wants to sell two of the six companies involved with the steel complex venture, citing a now-incompatible plan and new wishes to focus on other fields such as plastic and corrugated iron. The remaining businesses would be dissolved.

In 2016, the group established the subsidiaries with the total investment capital of VND250 billion ($11.23 million) to support implementation of the Ca Na project. At that time, thanks to a favourable steel sheet market and production capacity, Hoa Sen recorded revenues of VND18 trillion ($782.6 million), while profits eventually tripled to reach VND1.5 trillion ($65.2 million), making it the number one group in galvanised steel market share.

The companys shares also doubled, leading to chairman Le Phuoc Vu entering the list of top 15 richest people in Vietnam. With great successes, Hoa Sen considered expanding production to continue its ambition to dominate the Vietnamese steel sheet market and compete with rival Hoa Phat Group.

The complex was planned to help Hoa Sen overtake Hoa Phat as the largest Vietnamese steel producer, following only Taiwanese Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh Steel Co., Ltd., which has an annual capacity of 7.5 million of tonnes in its first phase.

The Ca Na complex is set to be carried out towards 2031 in multiple stages and will have final capacity of 16 million tonnes a year, including long steel and flat steel.

The project was initially licensed in 2008 with investment of Malaysias Lion Group and Vietnams notorious Vinashin which is now Shipbuilding Industry Corporation, with the scheme becoming the biggest foreign-invested project ever licensed in the country at the time. The project started construction that year  however, due to financial difficulties the progress was slow and Lion Group withdrew, leading to long delays.

Consequently, in 2011 Ninh Thuan authorities revoked the projects investment certificate before Hoa Sen took over.

According to mergers and acquisitions analysts, even before the current pandemic situation, along with the long and complicated trade war between major economies, Vietnams steel market was becoming heavily affected, causing damage to export and import activities. The domestic demand decreased in the context of real estate projects having difficulty.

In the context of the real estate segment gradually peaking due to oversupply, along with credit tightening policies and the continuing pandemic, investing in a steel project will not be feasible, one industry insider remarked, adding that it was also not easy to find international investors to acquire projects in the first place.

Meanwhile, the Ca Na initiative itself has previously faced mixed opinions concerning environmental issues due to heightened possibility of a disaster similar to the one caused by Hung Nghiep Formosa Ha Tinh some years ago. Thus there have been calls for clarification on planning issues, environmental plans, monitoring responsibilities, and other areas of transparency.

In 2017, the prime minister requested the suspension of the Ca Na project in order to clarify some issues related to the environment and technology. He said that there would not be a trade-off between the project and the environment.

Shareholders are expecting that the upcoming extraordinary general meeting this month will answer questions on who could take over the project and the additional plans for Hoa Sen in the coming time.
The virus causing the COVID-19 pandemic, SARS-CoV-2, presents at least six strains. Despite its mutations, the virus shows little variability, and this is good news for the researchers working on a viable vaccine.

These are the results of the most extensive study ever carried out on SARS-CoV-2 sequencing. Researchers at the University of Bologna drew from the analysis of 48,635 coronavirus genomes, which were isolated by researchers in labs all over the world. This study was published in the journal Frontiers in Microbiology. It was then possible for researchers to map the spread and the mutations of the virus during its journey to all continents.

The first results are encouraging. The coronavirus presents little variability, approximately seven mutations per sample. Common influenza has a variability rate that is more than double.

The SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus is presumably already optimized to affect human beings, and this explains its low evolutionary change. This means that the treatments we are developing, including a vaccine, might be effective against all the virus strains". Federico Giorgi, researcher at Unibo and coordinator of the study

Currently, there are six strains of coronavirus. The original one is the L strain, that appeared in Wuhan in December 2019. Its first mutation - the S strain - appeared at the beginning of 2020, while, since mid-January 2020, we have had strains V and G. To date strain G is the most widespread: it mutated into strains GR and GH at the end of February 2020.

"Strain G and its related strains GR and GH are by far the most widespread, representing 74% of all gene sequences we analysed", says Giorgi. "They present four mutations, two of which are able to change the sequence of the RNA polymerase and Spike proteins of the virus. This characteristic probably facilitates the spread of the virus".

If we look at the coronavirus map, we can see that strains G and GR are the most frequent across Europe and Italy. According to the available data, GH strain seems close to non-existence in Italy, while it occurs more frequently in France and Germany. This seems to confirm the effectiveness of last months' containment methods.

In North America, the most widespread strain is GH, while in South America we find the GR strain more frequently. In Asia, where the Wuhan L strain initially appeared, the spread of strains G, GH and GR is increasing. These strains landed in Asia only at the beginning of March, more than a month after their spread in Europe.

Globally, strains G, GH and GR are constantly increasing. Strain S can be found in some restricted areas in the US and Spain. The L and V strains are gradually disappearing.

Besides these six main coronavirus strains, researchers identified some infrequent mutations, that, at the moment, are not worrying but should nevertheless be monitored.

"Rare genomic mutations are less than 1% of all sequenced genomes", confirms Giorgi. "However, it is fundamental that we study and analyse them so that we can identify their function and monitor their spread. All countries should contribute to the cause by giving access to data about the virus genome sequences".
2020 Lexus LS 500 AWD Review by John Heilig

THE AUTO PAGE

By John Heilig

Senior Editor and Bureau Chief

Mid-Atlantic Bureau

The Auto Channel

REVIEWED MODEL: 2020 Lexus LS 500 AWD

ENGINE: 3.5-liter twin turbo V6

TRANSMISSION: 10-speed automatic with paddle shifters

HORSEPOWER/TORQUE: 416 hp @ 6,000 rpm/442 lb.-ft. @ 1,600-4,800 rpm

WHEELBASE: 123.0 in.

LENGTH X WIDTH X HEIGHT: 206.1 x 74.8 x 57.1 in.

TIRES: P248/45 R20

CARGO CAPACITY: 17.0 cu. ft.

ECONOMY: 18 mpg city/27 mpg highway/23.2 mpg test

FUEL TANK CAPACITY: 21.7 gal.

CURB WEIGHT: 4,751 lbs.

TOWING CAPACITY: Not recommended

COMPETITIVE CLASS: Mercedes-Benz S Class, Lincoln Continental, Jaguar XJ

STICKER: $115,375 (includes $1,025 delivery, $35,880 options)

BOTTOM LINE: As it has been since its inception, the Lexus LS 500 is an outstanding luxury sedan with all the options.

Lexus Review: When Lexus first came on the scene as Toyotas luxury brand, there were only two models, ES (for economy sedan?) and LS (for luxury sedan?). From the start, the LS 400 built a reputation for nearly silent operation. It was almost eerie.

The 2020 LS 500 fifth generation continues that tradition and adds to it with a $23,080 Executive Package option that kicks it up a notch by putting the LS into limousine status. It requires no stretch of the imagination to see an executive riding comfortably in the back doing deals.

Many years ago, when The Auto Page first hit newspapers, I had a yearly Christmas fantasy car column. The first entry was a Rolls-Royce Silver Dawn for the (then) enormous sticker of $137,000. This LS 500 is in the same class.

Under the hood of the LS 500 is a twin turbo 3.5-liter V6 that pumps out an impressive 416 horsepower and 442 lb.-ft. of torque. Combined with a 10-speed direct shift automatic transmission, performance is smooth. Lexus claims a 0-60 time in the 4.5 seconds range. Okay, when youre shooting for that time there is a slight exhaust roar, but thats it.

Front seat comfort is exquisite. Both front seats are powered - 28 ways for the driver, only 18 for the passenger - and heated and ventilated. You can also get a massage, which is convenient for older drivers who have backache issues. My only issue is that all settings except heater temperature are controlled through the 12.3-inch infotainment screen and remote touch interface thats like an Apple laptop touch pad. Im certain that with practice you can get the remote touch interface to do almost anything, but novices have difficulty aiming the pointer.

With the Executive Package you get Kiriko glass ornamentation that is created using a technique that involves hand-cutting clear colors and delicate lines in glass. The door upholstery is also on a different level with deep pleating, while the dash decorations mimic the Lexus grille. When my granddaughters first got in the back seats their exclamations of wonder at the door decorations (like the front doors) and the fold-down armrest with its own infotainment screen. Then they discovered that the rear seats also recline (up to 48 degrees), are heated and ventilated, and also offer a massage option. Rear seat side support is very good.

Additionally, the rear seats have fold-out ottomans and privacy screens on all windows. Rear and front doors appear to have floating door pulls. And yes, there are cupholders in the back as well as the front. You can raise or lower the window shades using the controller, and the driver also has the ability to raise or lower them.

For those who may be interested, there are dual sun roofs for front and rear passengers. Since the fifth generation LS is also 0.6 inches lower than previous models, there is an available air suspension with an access function. By unlocking the car with the smart key, access mode automatically raises the vehicle to make it easier to get in or out of it.

I admit I had difficulty navigating the infotainment screen with the mouse controller, but I loved just about every other feature of the LS 500. I recommend taking one for a test ride at the very least.

(c) 2020 The Auto Page Syndicate
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Linkedin Editorial Board (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 08:19 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b59bc2 1 Editorial sexual-abuse-Catholic-church-Indonesia,sexual-abuse,Catholic-church,nama-baik-gereja Free

Religious institutions, including the Catholic Church, are not immune from sexual abuse cases involving leaders or those at the top of the hierarchy. When these happen, a settlement is difficult to reach as it may undermine not only their personal credibility but also that of the institution.

Even if there is a will to solve a case, there is rarely a way, or at least it is a long and winding road to find a fair and just solution. In most cases, victims choose to remain silent as they are too afraid to speak about the unthinkable. In a religious society like Indonesia, clerics, clergymen and other faith leaders gain respect and protection from their congregations as a result of their roles as moral guides who lead their people to God.

Read also: Justice delayed, denied for victims of sexual abuse in Catholic Church

Last week The Jakarta Post published a series of articles addressing the issue of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, which many may perceive as a taboo as it could undermine the Churchs authority. It was the second time that the Post collaborated with Tirto.id after our joint investigative report on sexual abuse on campuses last year. Our recent tandem effort followed a report published by a West Jakarta parish magazine last December about 56 cases of alleged sexual abuse within the Church community.

Nothing is new about sexual abuse cases involving clergymen. The Vatican under Pope Francis, for example, has repeatedly asserted zero tolerance of the crime and ordered in May 2019 all church officials to establish protocols to protect minors and vulnerable adults. Most recently the Vatican released a manual for bishops and other senior officials to tackle clerical child sex abuse claims, including a form they should fill out detailing the alleged crimes.

As our reports show, however, the hope of justice being delivered to victims of sexual abuse and harassment cases involving clergymen looks remote. One and perhaps the biggest barrier is the apparent denial of the cases, which will only generate suspicion about cover-up attempts by the Church.

Actually, there is no doubt about the Churchs commitment to transparency as evident when Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) seminary commission secretary Father Joseph Kristanto spoke in a public forum about 56 alleged sexual abuse cases within the Indonesian Catholic Church. But the fact that he was found guilty of a code of ethics violation and has apologized for the disclosure, as stated by KWI chairman Ignatius Cardinal Suharyo, reveals that the Church is not ready yet to break the long-held taboo.

Read also: Catholic Church excludes adult women in talks about protecting sexual abuse victims

The KWI has in fact taken measures to protect minors and vulnerable people, work that priests like Father Kristanto are involved in, and this must continue. The Church now has to find a mechanism for victims to report without any fear.

On top of that, action against sex crime perpetrators is needed as a deterrence. The ongoing police investigation into sexual abuse cases in the Church in Depok, West Java, although not involving a clergyman, should set the precedent for a fair and just settlement of a decades-old scandal that continues to plague the Church.
Ellen DeGeneres will come back to host her show's 18th season as investigations into allegations of a toxic workplace continue, reports suggest.

The daytime talk show has been hit with multiple claims from past and current staffers that producers perpetuated a toxic work environment that included bullying and racism.

Ellen is set to host the show - which has built a brand around the compassionate slogan 'Be Kind' - for its 18th season, despite widespread claims celebrities such as Sean Hayes, Kristen Bell, Melissa McCarthy and 'the ultimate A-lister' Jennifer Aniston were being considered to replace her.

Ellen DeGeneres (pictured) will come back to host her show's 18th season as investigations into allegations of a toxic workplace continue

A source close to The Ellen DeGeneres Show said 'no one is stepping in or taking over' as the investigation into the claims continue, NBC News reports.

It comes shortly after reports that the show held a call with staffers on Monday to discuss how it will move forward amid the accusations.

Ellen was joined by executive producers Andy Lassner, Mary Connelly and Derek Westervelt and senior staff members and they are said to have 'addressed' the issues.

The daytime talk show has been hit with multiple claims from past and current staffers that producers perpetuated a toxic work environment that included bullying and racism

A team returned to work on the show Monday after a summer break and are all working from home amid the Covid-19 pandemic, the show's spokesperson revealed.

Crewmembers have not started working yet. All work for upcoming seasons is being planned with coronavirus safety guidelines in place.

Early last week it was revealed that executives Telepictures and distributor Warner Bros. Television had sent a memo to staffers the previous week stating that they had asked WBTV-owner WarnerMedias employee relations group and a third party firm to interview current and former staffers about their experiences on set, Variety reported.

It comes shortly after reports that the show held a call with staffers on Monday to discuss how it will move forward amid the accusations

DeGeneres (on June 25) and the producers were said to have addressed claims made about a toxic workplace environment that included alleged bullying, racism and intimidation

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE ALLEGATIONS PUT FORWARD BY FORMER ELLEN DEGENERES SHOW STAFFERS? The Ellen DeGeneres Show, which has been airing since 2003, has built a brand around the compassionate slogan 'Be Kind', which ranges from dishing out cash to people who appear on the show and instituting wider charity initiatives. However, many of the former staffers claim it's 'all for show'. 'That "be kind" bulls**t only happens when the cameras are on. It's all for show,' one ex-staffer told BuzzFeed. 'I know they give money to people and help them out, but it's for show.' One black woman claimed she was the subject of racist micro-aggressions and abuse over an 18-month period. Soon after she was hired she recalled being told by senior producer that 'I hope we don't get confused', by the fact two black employees have box braids. She was also allegedly told by one of the show's writers: 'I'm sorry, I only know the names of the white people who work here.' The employees pinned the blame on executive producers rather than Ellen herself but accused Degeneres of not being involved enough to see what was happening on her show. 'If she wants to have her own show and have her name on the show title, she needs to be more involved to see what's going on,' one ex-employee said. They added that it seemed like the executive producers told the host 'things are going great, everybody's happy', and that she 'just believes that'. They say Ellen should be checking the wellbeing of her staff herself. The same African-American employee said she asked producers not to use terms like 'spirit animal' and was referred to as the 'PC police' by colleagues. She brought up the issue to her white boss, who would use the fact he had a black friend to say, 'I understand your struggle', she said. 'But it was all performative bulls**t', she added. She said that she asked for a raise owing to a new hire being paid more, and that she asked senior producers to roll out diversity training. Eventually she walked out of the show one day and never returned. 'I feel angry about the way I was treated, and I am always going to stand up for Black, Indigenous, Latino, and Asian people, regardless if they're around,' she told BuzzFeed. 'I can't not say anything. I'm not going to stop talking.' One former employee added to the allegations, saying: 'I think it is a lot of smoke and mirrors when it comes to the show's brand. 'They pull on people's heartstrings; they do know that's going to get likes and what people are going to go for, which is a positive message. But that's not always reality.' Another, who had been working on the show for a year, returned after being checked into a mental health facility following a suicide attempt to find that her position was terminated. 'You'd think that if someone just tried to kill themselves, you don't want to add any more stress to their lives,' the employee said. They said that the producers talk 'openly' about mental health but that 'they're the reason there is a stigma'. Advertisement

The initial findings 'indicated some deficiencies', a WarnerMedia spokesperson told the news outlet.

On July 31, a Warner Bros. spokesperson told Variety in a statement that: 'We have identified several staffing changes, along with appropriate measures to address the issues that have been raised, and are taking the first steps to implement them.'

The statement went to note that 'Warner Bros. and Ellen DeGeneres are all committed to ensuring a workplace based on respect and inclusion. We are confident this course of action will lead us to the right way forward for the show.'

During the meeting, the producers told staffers that they wanted the talk show staff to 'have fun at work,' sources told Us Weekly.

Ellen is both host and an executive producer on the show but is not understood to be the investigators' main focus, reports suggest.

The source also said that 'they said a lot of [the claims are] true and a lot of it is not true' during the discussion.

The producers allegedly told those on the call that they 'are handling everything [and] things will be very different now.'

It's unclear if any specifics about what is being changed were discussed during the meeting.

The source told the magazine that during the meeting some of the show staffers 'voiced some concerns.' Some of the producers were also 'called out' about past incidents.

Producers told the staff that 'the show will go on' and that they would continue to be employed and paid, noting that Ellen 'is not giving up and the show will go on,' according to the source.

The source categorized the call as being 'a pep talk' that left some staffers feeling better about the situation.

The call between producers and staffers comes after BuzzFeed News' July 16 expose revealing claims made by one current and 10 former employees of Ellen's talk show accusing Lassner, Connelly and executive producer Ed Glavin of bullying.

The current and former staffers said that they experienced racism, fear and intimidation while working on the long-running series and said that Ellen should have stepped in on their behalf.

The show then faced additional accusations about sexual misconduct, lobbed on July 30 in another BuzzFeed News article, in which dozens of men and women named show producers Kevin Leman, Glavin and Jonathan Norman with alleged incidents of sexual harassment, misconduct or assault.

Leman and Norman have denied the claims, while Glavin has not made a statement about them.

He is reported to be expected to step down from his executive producer role, however.

Last week, Ellen sent a memo to staff apologizing to them and acknowledging that the workplace culture didn't reflect the values that she set out to display when she started the talk show 17 years ago.

'On day one of our show, I told everyone in our first meeting that "The Ellen DeGeneres Show" would be a place of happiness  no one would ever raise their voice, and everyone would be treated with respect. Obviously, something changed, and I am disappointed to learn that this has not been the case,' DeGeneres wrote in the memo obtained by Variety.

She went on to say that following the initial accusations made in the first BuzzFeed article, Warner Bros. and the producers 'immediately began an internal investigation and we are taking steps, together, to correct the issues.

'As weve grown exponentially, Ive not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew Id want them done. Clearly some didnt. That will now change and Im committed to ensuring this does not happen again,' Ellen wrote.

An Us Weekly source told the magazine that Ellen 'has never been afraid to fire anyone who is bad' and that if she chose to leave the talk show, she 'has enough money to never work again.'

The show's executive producers issued a joint statement to BuzzFeed when the allegations were first put forward.

Executive Producers of the Ellen DeGeneres Show Ed Glavin (left), Mary Connelly (center) and Andy Lassner (right) have been accused of fostering a hostile work environment

On the call, Ellen, Lassner, Connelly and executive producer Derek Westervelt supposedly said they wanted the talk show staff to 'have fun at work.' A scene from an old Ellen episode

'Over the course of nearly two decades, 3,000 episodes, and employing over 1,000 staff members, we have strived to create an open, safe and inclusive work environment,' read the announcement written by Glavin, Connelly and Lassner.

'We are truly heartbroken and sorry to learn that even one person in our production family has had a negative experience, it's not who we are and not who we strive to be, and not the mission Ellen has set for us.'

'For the record, the day to day responsibility of the Ellen show is completely on us. We take all of this very seriously and we realize, as many in the world are learning, that we need to do better, are committed to do better, and we will do better,' the statement added.
R apper Tinie Tempah and actor Lennie James are among the celebrities who have spoken out about their experiences of racism for a new documentary.

Channel 4 programme The Talk features the stars discussing what advice they received about racism when they were younger and what they would tell those in the next generation.

Tempah said that as a young black boy whos grown up in an inner city London, Manchester, Birmingham, you are constantly targeted by the police.

He added that he was once stopped by officers while he was driving through south London, listening to rap music.

They were treating me like I was some mad criminal and then I forget why but they ended up taking the car, he said.

The rapper recalled being stopped by officers while driving in South London / Dave Benett

I really just think that theres a kind of tactic thats really just used to kind of slowly break you down mentally or intimidate you or make you think (or) feel scared of white authority.

He said that, as a parent, its very easy to project your insecurities and your fears on to your child, but said that his parents did not often do that and instead have been able to produce just confident kids, kids who believe they have just as much of a chance as anyone else, kids who can dream  and thats what I want to do for my kids.

Line of Duty and The Walking Dead star James recalled how a police officer used racist language towards him after he was seen riding his bike on the pavement as a child.

I mean, I dont even know if Id ever heard that word before at that point and Id certainly not heard it in my direction, and it was a police officer saying it to an 11-year-old kid for riding his bike on the pavement, he said.

Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AMC

James described how a police officer used racist language to him as a child (Jesse Grant/Getty Images for AMC)

There is a notion, that has some validity, that things are better now and that theyre better now for the generations behind us than they were for us, and whatever part of that might be true it isnt better, in the sense of it being good enough, he added.

James said that the talk is necessary because we need to arm our kids with what they need in order to get past it and beyond it and survive it.

Rugby star Maro Itoje also took part in the programme, explaining how teachers would sometimes under-estimate him as he was growing up.

Itoje said he was underestimated by teachers at school / Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images

When a teacher was trying to talk him out of leaving school to study at a different sixth form, he said he was told he would not be able to cope academically.

The England player said he has become more and more emboldened to call out racism as he has got older.

Journalists Gillian Joseph and Gary Younge and broadcaster and Paralympian Ade Adepitan have also contributed to the programme.

The documentary comes after the death of George Floyd in the US sparked Black Lives Matter protests around the world.

Channel 4 is set to air a series of programmes exploring different aspects of the black experience in modern Britain.

The Talk will air on Channel 4 on Tuesday at 10pm.

With reporting by Press Association
Syrian Air Defenses Intercept 'Hostile' Targets Over Damascus, IDF Confirms Multiple Strikes

Sputnik News

20:13 GMT 03.08.2020(updated 21:00 GMT 03.08.2020)

Syrian air defenses intercepted "hostile" targets late Monday over the capital city of Damascus following airstrikes by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), according to state media reports from the Syrian Arab News Agency.

According to the IDF, the strikes were in response to an attempted attack along Israel's border with Syria. The IDF targeted Syrian army observation posts, intelligence-gathering equipment, anti-aircraft cannons and command-and-control infrastructure.

The targets appear to have been headed to the Al-Kiswah region located in the Rif Dimashq Governorate in Syria. Israeli helicopters also attacked the Qahtaniyah district in northeastern Syria.

According to a statement issued by the Syrian Armed Forces, Israeli strikes caused a variety of "material damage" to targeted Syrian positions.

The Israeli government on Monday said that it thwarted an attempt by Syria to plant explosive devices in the Golan Heights along the border with Syria.

"The [IDF] holds the Syrian regime responsible for all events on Syrian soil and will not tolerate any violation of Israeli sovereignty," reads an Israeli military statement obtained by the Washington Post. Overnight on Sunday, Israel also said that it struck targets in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip after the Israeli town of Sderot was targeted by rockets. However, no injuries were reported.

Tensions along the Israel-Syria border have been high in recent weeks after an Israeli airstrike in Syria killed a senior fighter from Hezbollah, a militant group based in Lebanon.

A Sputnik

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Member of Parliament (MP) for Ablekuma West Constituency Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekuful and Municipal Chief Executive (MCE) of Ablekuma West Municipal Assembly Hon George Cyril Bray joined the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Coastal Development Authority (CODA), Lawyer Jerry Ahmed Shaib on Saturday 1st August, 2020 to carry out public education on COVID-19.

They also distributed facemasks and hand sanitisers to registrants and electoral officials at some registration centres as well as residents in some communities within the constituency.

The exercise was part of intensive public education being embarked on by the Authority to ensure that Ghanaians living within the Coastal Development Zone understand issues related to the pandemic. CODAs efforts are also aimed at distributing facemasks and hand sanitisers to the most vulnerable groups including frontliners, petty traders, fishers, farmers, commercial drivers, and the media as a gesture to demonstrate what is expected of all Ghanaians.

Enhanced hygiene etiquette

Hon. Ursula Owusu Ekuful, while she distributed the personal protective equipment (PPEs), educated residents on the need for them to comply with the safety protocols. Most residents, who were excited to see and hear from their MP, enthusiastically received and wore their facemasks.

Officials at registration centres visited were happy to receive the group. They assured the leaders of their commitment to enforcing the protocols to ensure that stakeholders in the registration remained safe while they underwent the process. Among places visited were Last Stop, Chemunaa, Glefe, Shiabu and Mamponse. At the Dansoman Market, traders were educated on the need to observe the safety measures in order to protect themselves as well as their customers.

Wear Your Mask campaign

CODA, an implementing agency of the Ministry of Special Development Initiatives (MSDI) is leading the implementation of the Infrastructure for Poverty Eradication Programme (IPEP) in the 109 constituencies of the six (6) regions that make up the Coastal Development Zone.

Following the lifting of a partial lockdown of Greater Accra and Greater Kumasi in April, 2020 due to the outbreak of the new coronavirus pandemic, CODA launched the Wear Your Mask campaign to reach out to people at the greatest risk of infection. The Authoritys efforts have been geared towards educating the public on preventive measures to end the spread of the virus.
Islamabad, Aug 4 : On the eve of the first anniversary of the revocation of the contentious Article 370 and Article 35A, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan unveiled a new political map which includes the UT of J&K as part of Pakistan on Tuesday. Khan has decided to present the new political map at the United Nations as well.

The Imran Khan cabinet approved the new map in which the complete Jammu and Kashmir, is shown integrated with Pakistan. The illegal map shows J&K as "Indian illegally occupied J&K -- disputed territory -- final status to be decided in line with relevant UNSC resolutions." Thereby cocking a snook at the Govt of India.

"This is the most historic day in Pakistan's history," he said while addressing a news conference after chairing the meeting of federal cabinet, which approved the new map on Tuesday.

Khan said that Pakistan has launched a political map which shows the whole Kashmir region, including "Indian Illegally Occupied Jammu and Kashmir" as part of his country's territory.

In the press conference, Khan said: "Today is a historic day we have launched a new political map of Pakistan which is as per the aspirations of the entire nation as well as the people of Kashmir." He also said the new map is backed by all political parties of the country. "This map also opposes the Indian government's illegal act of August 5 last year," the prime minister said.

"The settlement of Kashmir dispute only lies in the UN Security Council resolutions.

"Pakistan will continue to make efforts for the people of Kashmir," said Khan adding that the dispute can only be resolved through political means not military.
Portland police officers pursue a crowd of about 200 after forcing the group to disperse from a law enforcement precinct in Portland, Ore., late Aug. 1, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Rioters Assault Officers in Portland During Another Night of Unrest

After a night of peace, a riot broke out in Portland overnight, extending the chain of nearly unabated unrest since late May.

A march that started at Laurelhurst Park ended up at the Penumbra Kelly building, which houses a Multonomah County Sheriffs Office and a Portland Police office. The group blocked traffic, forcing firefighters responding to a nearby house fire to reroute.

Some rioters began late Monday to throw objects at officers and flash strobe lights, bright flashlights, and laser pointers in their eyes. When members of the crowd entered Kelly building property, officers made one arrest. The man was later identified as Zachary Perry, 23, of Portland. While they were making the arrest, police had numerous items thrown at them, according to the Portland Police Bureaus incident summary.

Because of criminal activity, officers declared the gathering an unlawful assembly.

Officers moved the crowd to the east but faced violence. One officer was punched while another was injured when a rioter swung a baton at them. One more arrest was made during the mayhem. Travis Hessel, 27, was charged with assaulting an officer.

An Oregon State Police officer, right, stands watch as officers extinguish a fire lit by protesters behind the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 2, 2020. (Noah Berger/AP Photo)

After moving the crowd several blocks away, officers disengaged following the deployment of inert smoke.

Some of the rioters returned to the Kelly building and continued shouting at officers and flashing lights at them until about 1:30 a.m. when they left the area.

During the nights events, the crowd shouted, Every city, every town, burn the precinct to the ground.

The scene contrasted with the previous night, which Portland police described as peaceful. The night before that, rioters gathered outside the Kelly building and hurled projectiles, including glass bottles, at officers.

Several miles west of the Kelly building, on Monday a woman was stabbed after getting in an argument with people in Lownsdale Square park. The victim was rushed to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

People have been gathering at the park on a nightly basis. It sits across the street from the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse, a federal building rioters assaulted nightly before beginning to leave it alone over the weekend.

Black Lives Matter protesters march through Portland, Ore., after rallying outside the Mark O. Hatfield United States Courthouse in Portland, Ore., on Aug. 2, 2020. (Noah Berger/AP Photo)

During the initial response, officers encountered a hostile crowd and additional police resources were summoned to try to conduct an investigation. Officers initially located the knife used in the stabbing, however as the officers were trying to secure a crime scene someone picked it up and ran off with it. Officers were unable to safely conduct an investigation due to the hostile crowd, and supervisors made the decision to disengage, police said in an incident summary.

Whoever has the knife should turn it over to the police, the bureau said.

No arrest has yet been made. The woman who was stabbed said on social media that she declined to press charges. The self-described member of Antifa, a far-left, anarcho-communist network, wrote, I did not request, nor utilize their services,' adding later, [Expletive] the police.

Another incident unfolded about a block away. Police officers responded to a tip about a suspect pointing a gun at people. When they arrived, a hostile crowd surrounded them. Police requested help from Oregon state police, who are in the city to help quell violence. State police helped secure the area and Portland Police arrested a juvenile.

While state police disengaged following the arrest, the unruly crowd hurled projectiles at them. A glass object struck a trooper in the head and shattered. State police deployed munitions to defend themselves as they retreated.

The juvenile was released to a parents custody after investigators determined the gun, though it looked real, was a pellet gun. The case was referred to a prosecutor.
Microsoft has emerged as a savior to young users of TikTok, who praised the tech industry giant for trying to buy parts of the social media companys operations, in hopes of avoiding a U.S. shutdown.

Bearing hashtags like #SaveTikTok and #Microsoft, which have attracted nearly 1 billion views combined, TikTokers - an overwhelmingly young group that uses the app to create short dance, lip-sync, comedy and talent videos - embraced a company founded by people their grandparents age and whose former chief executives pre-internet-era onstage outbursts and profuse sweating are now a YouTube meme.

A look at Microsofts track record on recent acquisitions, including building game Minecraft in 2014 and business networking site LinkedIn in 2016, could validate TikTok users optimism, analysts said.

In recent years, Microsoft has taken a hands-off approach to integrating new acquisitions, said Mike Vorhaus, chief executive of Vorhaus Advisors, a digital media consulting firm. For example, Microsoft left Minecrafts team operating in Europe, he said.

You dont want to lose (TikToks) secret sauce, but you want them to gain from Microsoft, he said.

Microsoft has largely abandoned its historic practice of tying all of its products back to its Windows operating system or other properties. Minecraft apps have no obvious connection to Microsoft. Its sales have quadrupled over the six years since it was acquired and it now reaches 126 million monthly users.

Under Satya Nadella, who took over as Microsoft CEO in 2014, the company purchased two large online communities that it has allowed to operate essentially autonomously. After acquiring business-oriented network LinkedIn for $26.2 billion, LinkedIn kept its brand identity, CEO and its own offices, while GitHub, the code-repository service acquired in 2018, has continued to build tools that help developers use Microsofts rivals.

JT Casey, a TikTok user with 2.8 million followers, said he was initially worried about the idea of Microsofts ownership, but concluded there is a potential change that could benefit video creators.

I realized Microsoft will figure out a way to monetize better, which will lead to creators making more money, as well as Microsoft," he said.

TIME RUNNING OUT

While TikToks fans are lauding Microsoft for coming to the rescue after President Donald Trump threatened a ban over concerns with how the Chinese-owned company handled user data, they are considering other options.

Dmitri Robinson, a 20-year-old TikTok user with more than 270,000 followers, said short-form video apps Triller and Byte are seen as the top two contenders for the next hottest app among conversations with friends and videos he has seen on TikTok.

On Friday, when Trump told reporters he planned to ban TikTok as soon as that weekend, downloads for four TikTok rivals - Triller, Byte, Dubsmash and Likee - all spiked on Sunday, according to data from Apptopia. Daily downloads in the United States for Triller on Sunday almost doubled to nearly 62,000.

Facebook Incs Instagram is also readying the global launch of its TikTok rival, called Reels, which first debuted in Brazil 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
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. Governor of California Gavin Newsom has condemned the vandalism against the Armenian school in San Francisco.

This is sickening. These acts of hatred have no place in California, he tweeted, sharing an article about the attack.

The profane and racist graffiti attack on San Franciscos KZV Armenian School was discovered Friday morning.

The school is not in session because of summer break and the coronavirus pandemic.

The San Francisco Police Department is investigating the tagging as vandalism.

The walls of the building were sprayed with profanities and racist curse words against Armenians, and one wall was sprayed in the colors of the Azerbaijani flag.

Editing by Stepan Kocharyan
Washington, Aug 4 : The Pentagon said that the United States and Poland had completed negotiations on the Enhanced Defence Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), which would enable increased US military presence in the central European country.

"The EDCA will enable an increased enduring US rotational presence of about 1,000 personnel, to include the forward elements of the US Army's V Corps headquarters and a Division headquarters, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, and the infrastructure to support an armoured brigade combat team and combat aviation brigade," US Secretary of Defence Mark Esper said in a statement on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

"This is in addition to the 4,500 US personnel already on rotation in Poland," he added.

Notably, the EDCA negotiations were completed days after the Trump administration announced the repositioning plan for nearly 12,000 US troops stationed in Germany.

Among the US troops that would be withdrawn from Germany, about 5,600 will be repositioned to other NATO countries, while the rest will be returned to the United States with some beginning rotational deployment back to Europe.

The Pentagon reasoned that the objective of the redeployment plan was to strengthen NATO and enhance deterrence against Russia, however, President Donald Trump made it clear that the move was to punish Germany for its "delinquency" on military spending.

Washington and Warsaw have been strengthening their security and diplomatic ties. The two countries are on the same page on multiple regional issues such as Iran nuclear issue, alleged Russia's threat as well as the Nord Stream 2 pipeline project.

Poland, which joined NATO in 1999, has long sought the deployment of a permanent US military force on its territory.
Philippine Navy personnel watch as the USS WASP cruises past off the coast of Zambales province during the joint training exercise Balikatan 2019, April 11, 2019.

President Rodrigo Duterte has barred the Philippine military from joining naval exercises in international waters of the South China Sea, officials said Tuesday, indicating the Philippines wanted to avoid taking sides between China and the United States amid rising tensions in the region.

Presidential spokesman Harry Roque discussed Dutertes stance on Tuesday, a day after Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced the order.

The president has long had an independent foreign policy, Roque told reporters. We are friends to everyone and an enemy to none.

If what the superpowers are doing would result in increased tension, we will avoid joining them, he said.

In recent weeks, China and the United States have conducted naval maneuvers and exercises in the South China Sea, while being embroiled in a war of words over the contested waterway after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in mid-July declared Beijings sweeping claims there illegal.

Last month, the U.S. deployed two aircraft carriers, the USS Nimitz and the USS Ronald Reagan along with their strike groups to the South China Sea. The deployment, the first in several years, followed a Chinese military exercise around the disputed Paracel islands.

On Monday, Lorenzana revealed that Duterte had told the military to refrain from joining other countries, including the United States and Australia, in maritime drills in the seas international waters.

President Rodrigo Duterte has a standing order to us, to me, that we should not involve ourselves in naval exercises in the South China Sea except our national waters, the 12-mile distance from our shores, Lorenzana told reporters, according to Philippine media.

The defense secretary did not immediately respond to several requests for comment from BenarNews on Tuesday.

National address

During his annual State of the Nation Address last week, Duterte said he was powerless to enforce Manilas sovereignty over disputed islands in the South China Sea. He added that China already occupied the islands and the Philippines could not counter Chinese aggression.

China occupies and has fortified islands in the South China Sea. China, Brunei, the Philippines, Malaysia, Vietnam and Beijings rival, Taiwan, have overlapping claims to maritime region.

Dutertes speech came four years after the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration ruled for Manila and against Beijing in dismissing Chinas extensive claims to the sea region. Instead of enforcing the 2016 ruling, which was handed down a few weeks before he took office, Duterte set it aside in favor of closer ties with Beijing while distancing Manila from Washington, its traditional ally.

Over the past two weeks, Duterte said he had spoken recently with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, whom he said had promised that the Philippines would be among the first countries on the list to receive a COVID-19 vaccine, should one be developed.

Last week, Chinas ambassador to Manila, Huang Xilian, said the two nations should not allow others to affect their relationship.

China and the Philippines should not allow external powers to roil the waters in the South China Sea, nor waver [in] our commitment [in] pursuance of an independent foreign policy and China-Philippine friendly relations, Huang told an online forum.

The Philippines future will not float anywhere, but will be deeply rooted in its own national development, in a stable and amicable neighborhood, and in a peaceful and prosperous Asian region, the envoy said in a statement posted on the embassys Facebook page on July 29.

Without naming another country, the ambassador said that a superpower was locked in a cold-war mentality and trying to suppress China in every possible way, as well as to sow discord among countries in the region.

Exercises with other nations

Later this month, the U.S. will be hosting a multi-nation exercise, Rim of the Pacific, near Hawaii, far from the South China Sea. A Philippine Navy ship has set sail to join the exercises.

In January, coast guard ships from the Philippines and China staged their first drill  an exercise involving rescuing victims after a ship caught fire in its cargo hold  in waters off Manila.

The next month, Duterte announced that the Philippines would terminate its 1999 Visiting Forces Agreement with the U.S. The bilateral pact has allowed large-scale joint military drills with U.S. forces, which defense analysts said were vital to the Philippines as it faces a challenge from China over claims in the South China Sea.

A month later, the U.S. said the COVID-19 pandemic had forced it to cancel the Balikatan exercise scheduled for May. The annual shoulder-to-shoulder military exercises normally draw thousands of troops from both nations along with Australian forces who have been invited to participate.

In June, Philippine Foreign Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. announced that his nation, in an effort to reinvigorate ties with the U.S. in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, was holding off on withdrawing from the VFA for at least six months.

The U.S. Embassy in Manila welcomed Locsins diplomatic note about the change.

Our longstanding alliance has benefited both countries, and we look forward to continued close security and defense cooperation with the Philippines, it said in a statement at the time.
With Tropical Storm Isaias predicted to bring drenching rain and powerful winds to the state, transit agencies are telling their customers to check official websites before traveling and to be careful.

State Motor Vehicle Commission agencies plan to be open, but officials warned drivers not to camp out overnight or line up before 7 a.m. and urged them to check weather conditions first.

Customers should not come out to the agencies if they believe the weather poses a threat, said William Connolly, an MVC spokesman. If events necessitate a change, or if individual agencies are affected, we will make an announcement at NJMVC.gov.

Drivers have been waiting overnight and lining up at agencies around the state since they reopened on July 7 after being closed for three months due to coronavirus precautions.

Gov. Phil Murphy said he had no discussions with the MVC about closing agencies, but advised people to stay inside and stay safe, during his Monday press briefing.

The forecast alone would be a deterrent, said Col. Pat Callahan, State Police superintendent.

NJ Transit officials said the agency plans to operate regular service on its rail, bus, light rail and Access Link system through Wednesday, as long as weather conditions allow safe operation.

Forecasters called for downpours of rain and sustained winds of 40-plus mph along the coast Tuesday and gusts could reach more than 60 mph. Forecasts said the likelihood of 45-55 mph winds gusts inland is increasing and that widespread power outages are possible across the state.

Those winds could affect the overhead electric wires that power rail and light rail trains and also result in detours for bus and Access Link service, if trees or wires come down on roads, officials said.

NJ Transit will have personnel and equipment in position to address issues that may arise during or after the storm, which could include downed wires or trees, officials said in a statement.

Forecasters said Isaias will be at its worst during the heart of the day, with conditions worsening in the southern part of the state first around 9 a.m. The peak of the storm is predicted to hit North Jersey between 1 or 2 p.m. and last until about 7 or 8 p.m.

Port Authority officials did not issue any service advisories, except for riders to know their alternate travel modes and routes in case PATH trains, the two bus terminals or airports are affected by the storm.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
The Union Health Ministry on Tuesday said about 96 per cent of the 60,000 ventilators being procured by the government are indigenous and most of them have been sponsored by the PMCARES fund.

Health Ministry Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 60,000 ventilators are being procured and 18,000 have already been supplied to the states and union territories.

"Of the 60,000 ventilators, 50,000 are being funded by PMCARES fund which comes to about Rs 2,000 crore in monetary terms," Bhushan said during a press briefing. He further said all the ventilators that are being procured under PMCARES and those by the budgetary allocation of the Health Ministry have GPS chips embedded that can be tracked.

"The 'Make in India' (indigenous) ventilators have a share of more than 96 per cent by volume and more than 90 per cent by value," he said.

Responding to a question on whether some ventilators of AgVa brand were rejected, Bhushan said those ventilators are of a different make than the ones the government is procuring.

"The news that we have seen in the media about AgVA ventilators being rejected is in relation to two specific hospitals in the Bombay Municipal area. Those ventilators are of a different make than the one that we are procuring and another fact is that those ventilators were donated to those specific hospitals in Mumbai by an NGO and these ventilators are being used by Maharashtra and they have not complained about it," he said.

Bhushan said as of Monday only 0.27 per cent of the total active cases of coronavirus were on ventilators across the country.

"Yesterday, only 0.27 per cent of the total active cases were on ventilators across the country. I am not saying the situation will remain the same but in the last six months ventilator need percentage has not reached at 1 per cent in case of patients using ventilatory support," he said.

Noting that initially the domestic capacity of making ventilators was insignificant, the official said domestic manufacturers were dependent upon imported components like sensors (oxygen, airflow and pressure sensors), stepper motor drive, pressure transducer, control valves, turbines etc.

The Indian ventilator market in 2019 was 8,510 units valued at Rs 444.74 crore annually in terms of volume and value and 75 per cent of market share was with the imported equipment. In March, 2020 because of COVID-19 the demand for ventilators spiked and export restrictions were imposed in many ventilator-producing countries like Argentina, Germany, USA, Switzerland.

He said to meet the demand of ventilators in view of the coronavirus outbreak, the Committee of Technical Experts under DGHS met multiple times to deliberate with subject experts and then prescribed minimum essential specifications for the basic ventilators to be procured for COVID-19 purposes.

"Orders were placed based on the recommendations of the Technical Committee of domain experts under DGHS (Directorate General of Health Services) and ventilators were physically demonstrated before the same committee," he told reporters.

After the ventilator model qualified the demonstration, it was validated clinically on patients in a hospital as decided by the DGHS, he said, adding, after successful clinical validation and based on the specific recommendation of DGHS, the ventilator was approved for supply.

"This is the story of 'Make in India' ventilators and its price ranges between Rs. 1.5 lakh to Rs. 4 lakh per unit while the price of foreign ventilators range from Rs 10 lakhs to 20 lakhs," he noted.

He further said two public sector units played a crucial role in the ventilators being manufactured indigenously -- Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) which is a PSE of Ministry of Defence (30,000 ventilators) and Andhra Med-Tech Zone (AMTZ) which is a PSE of AP government (13,500 Ventilators).

He said in less than two months more than 18,000 ventilators were supplied to states, UT's, central government hospitals and DRDO facilities and ventilators were installed at more than 700 hospitals.

The monitoring of these ventilators is being done through a dashboard that can track real time status of ventilators dispatched, delivered and installed, he added.

"Institution wise tracking has also been enabled and each ventilator is Geo tagged to track their location. We have also created 36 whatsapp groups and every state has a whatsapp group to give feedback in real time basis to suppliers," he said.
SHELTON, Conn., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Edgewell Personal Care Company (NYSE: EPC) today announced that it has entered into a definitive purchase agreement to acquire CREMO, a premier men's grooming company in the U.S., in an all-cash transaction at a purchase price of $235 million.

CREMO is one of the strongest and fastest growing masstige brands in men's grooming, offering a complete line of beard, hair, shave prep and skin care products. The Company will complement Edgewell's portfolio of insurgent brands such as Jack Black and Bulldog, by uniquely serving specific consumer profiles, and therefore increasing Edgewell's penetration in the most attractive growth categories within men's grooming. The transaction is aligned with Edgewell's core growth strategy of acquiring selective, fast-growing and profitable brands that increase its presence in attractive segments.

Rod Little, Edgewell's President and Chief Executive Officer stated, "We are excited to announce this agreement to acquire CREMO. The men's grooming category remains a strategic focus for Edgewell and this acquisition will help us accelerate growth and strengthen our position in the fastest growing categories in men's grooming. We are acquiring a profitable, growing business with an established presence that is well diversified across grooming categories, yet has significant opportunities for expansion. We are extremely impressed with the CREMO brand and its positioning and expect it to continue to resonate over the long term with consumers. The organization's consumer-centric brand building capabilities will also be an important addition for Edgewell as we leverage the expertise of the CREMO team."

Matthew Biggins, CREMO's President and Chief Executive Officer, added, "This is a significant milestone for CREMO, a brand that we built to embody quality with professional grade characteristics. Combining with Edgewell provides us the ability to bolster our strong store channel presence in the U.S. while positioning us to capitalize on attractive channel and geographic expansion opportunities. We are excited to join the Edgewell global brand portfolio and look forward to leveraging our compelling brand and social media presence with the benefit of Edgewell's platform and demonstrated capabilities in the grooming category."

The transaction, which is expected to close by the end of the fiscal 2021 first quarter, is subject to customary closing conditions. Perella Weinberg Partners LP acted as financial advisor and Wachtell Lipton Rosen & Katz acted as legal counsel to Edgewell on the transaction. Goldman Sachs & Co. LLC acted as financial advisor and Latham & Watkins acted as legal counsel to CREMO.

About Edgewell

Edgewell is a leading pure-play consumer products company with an attractive, diversified portfolio of established brand names such as Schick and Wilkinson Sword men's and women's shaving systems and disposable razors; Edge and Skintimate shave preparations; Playtex, Stayfree, Carefree and o.b. feminine care products; Banana Boat, Hawaiian Tropic, Bulldog and Jack Black sun and skin care products; and Wet Ones moist wipes. The Company has a broad global footprint and operates in more than 50 markets, including the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Germany, Japan, the U.K. and Australia, with approximately 6,000 employees worldwide.

About CREMO Company

As one of the fastest growing men's grooming brands in the U.S., CREMO offers a full line of BARBER GRADE shave preps, beard, hair, body and skin care products that deliver astonishingly superior results. Since the beginning, our goal has been to deliver an extraordinary grooming experience and make it something that men can actually look forward to. Every product we make bears our Crown  the symbol of quality, precision and performance. More information about CREMO products may be found online at cremocompany.com. CREMO is also on Instagram @cremocompany and Twitter at https://twitter.com/cremocompany and can be found through the social media hashtags #cremo and #cremocompany.

Forward Looking Statement

This press release and some of our comments contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor for forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Edgewell Personal Care Company ("Edgewell", "we" or "our Company") or any of our businesses. These statements are not based on historical facts, but instead reflect our expectations, estimates, or projections concerning future results or events, including, without limitation, the future earnings and performance of the Company, the anticipated benefits of the proposed acquisition of Cremo, and the timing of consummation of such acquisition. These statements are not guarantees of performance and are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and assumptions that are difficult to predict and could cause our actual results to differ materially from those indicated by those statements. We cannot assure you that any of our expectations, estimates or projections will be achieved. You should not place undue reliance on these statements. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of words or phrases such as "believe," "expect," "expectation," "anticipate," "may," "could," "intend," "belief," "estimate," "plan," "target," "predict," "likely," "will," "should," "forecast," "outlook," or other similar words or phrases and relate, in this press release, without limitation.

SOURCE Edgewell Personal Care Company

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Police block a march route for Black Lives Matter Protesters on Michigan Ave in Chicago, United States, on July 25, 2020.

Jim Vondruska/NurPhoto via Getty Images

On July 30, the city's final Columbus statue in Chicago, located on the South Side, was removed.

"This step is about an effort to protect public safety and to preserve a safe space for an inclusive and democratic public dialogue about our city's symbols," Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot said.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

In the early hours of July 24, downtown Chicago was a lively scene of police officers, residents, photographers, and a line of anxious media, all present to witness the 87-year-old Christopher Columbus statue be removed at 3 a.m. local time.

The decision came from Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who issued the order for the statue to be removed after tense clashes with police and protesters in previous weeks that turned violent after protesters attempted to take down the statue themselves.

The mayor also ordered the removal of the Columbus statue in the city's Little Italy neighborhood, which came down around 5 a.m, the same day, however with much less of a crowd. And on July 30, the city's final Columbus statue on the South Side was removed.

Columbus Statue in Chicago.

Ariel Parrella-Aureli

While Lightfoot has called the removals only "temporary," Chicago protesters and activists who have been on the front-lines of the Black Lives Matter movement since the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis see the removals as a small victory.

One woman who has been active in Chicago protests since early June and witnessed the 3 a.m. downtown statue removal, said the moment was an exciting one to experience, although it should have happened sooner.

"It was awesome to see it come down but I was disappointed that it took so long," the woman, who requested to remain anonymous, said. "I felt like it only came down from the pressure of protesters and activists, not because the city or Lightfoot actually felt like it needed to. A mayor who listens to the people would have taken it down months ago."

Story continues

In a statement, Lightfoot said the decision was in response to demonstrations that became "unsafe for both protesters and police, as well as efforts by individuals to independently pull the Grant Park statue down in an extremely dangerous manner."

"This step is about an effort to protect public safety and to preserve a safe space for an inclusive and democratic public dialogue about our city's symbols," Lightfoot said.

But critics, including politicians and police supporters who are against the statue removals, say taking them down, especially in the middle of the night, was a cowardly move.

John Catanzara, president of the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 7, who is of Italian descent and has been an outspoken critic of the mayor, arrived at Grant Park wearing an "Italia" jacket along with his family to watch the statue removal.

"Fifty-two police officers got hurt defending that statue and now the mayor wants to spit in their face and take the statue down," Catanzara said to reporters in front of the Columbus statue. "It's Columbus today, it'll be something next month and something else the month after that. The mob cannot rule the city. The politicians are supposed to rule this city, and they are cowards."

Steven Morgan, a nonbinary Black independent Chicago journalist known as the "Vagina Man" at recent protests because they wear a vagina costume to stand out, was also at the state removal and got into a heated discussion with Catanzara and others about why the statue should be taken down and what Columbus represents.

While they said the removal is necessary, what's really needed is opening up a dialogue about America's history with torture, racism, and the complexity of how our culture views influential controversial figures.

"Columbus, of course, was a terrible human being in terms of his actions, but I can't speak on absolutes on human beings," Morgan said.

Morgan, who often engages with police officers and pro-Trump supporters at protests and is known as an advocate for the homeless, wants the statue's removal to signal needed conversation about what we deem good and evil and how we can learn from one another in a communal way.

Columbus Statue in Chicago.

Ariel Parrella-Aureli

Members of the Chi-Nations Youth Council, an inter-tribal Native youth council in Chicago, also witnessed the historical event. The council said it is proud to see the removal of a statue that represents white supremacy, seeing it as a win toward the goal of decolonization.

"The people got this statue removed, the solidarity between Black and Indigenous peoples got this statue removed," the council said in a statement. "Yet we don't want this to become a virtual signal. We want meaningful ways to address the harm caused by this structure that does not value the lives of Black, Brown, and Indigenous peoples."

Chicago is the latest city to take down the statues of Columbus, who has long been seen as the man who discovered the Americas even though it was already populated with Native Americans. Columbus statues have come under increased scrutiny amid the nationwide reckoning over racial injustice.

While Chicago's mayor has been slow to act on the demands of protesters like getting police out of schools, defunding the police and taking down racist statues of historical figures, other cities have made changes: In Columbia, South Carolina  the first US city named after Columbus  the Columbus statue was removed in June. Similarly in Columbus, Ohio, the statue was removed at the beginning of the month. Other cities in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Arkansas, North Carolina, South Carolina, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Texas, and Kentucky have followed suit in officially removing their Columbus statues and others of controversial statues of historical leaders.

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An Asphodel-Norwood Township resident was swindled out of $28,000 after falling for a phone scam.

Peterborough County OPP began investigating Friday morning after a person at an Asphodel-Norwood Township home reported being contacted by someone posing as a Service Canada employee.

The person was told that a warrant has been issued for their arrest due to fraud and money laundering complaints, police said, and was told by the caller that there would be a phone call from a local law enforcement officer.

The person was later contacted by someone posing as a police officer with the Campbellford detachment of the Northumberland OPP, police said.

The caller told the person that they would be arrested if $28,000 wasnt sent immediately.

The person proceeded to deposit the money in a bitcoin account as requested by the caller.

Peterborough County OPP are continuing to investigate.

Police advise that people can take some basic steps to better protect themselves from becoming victims of fraud:

 Never provide personal information or banking details over the telephone unless you initiated the call;

 Hang up immediately if theres anything suspicious or unprofessional about the call  Service Canada and the Canada Revenue Agency will never threaten you with immediate arrest, use abusive language or send police.

 Service Canada and the CRA will never request payment by Interac e-transfer, online currency such as bitcoin, prepaid credit cards or prepaid gift cards such as Google Play, iTunes and Home Depot.

The Canadian Anti-Fraud Centre estimates only five per cent of victims report the crime to police. If you think you have been a victim of fraud, contact the Canadian AntiFraud Centre at 18884958501 or report online at antifraudcentre.ca. You can also contact your local police service or Crime Stoppers anonymously at 1-800-222-8477.
GREENWICH, Connecticut, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Gramercy Funds Management issued the following statement after the Argentine Government announced an agreement was reached today between Argentina and an important subset of its creditors.

"We believe that this consensual breakthrough is yet another important building block in the collaborative approach needed to help address Argentina's debt challenges," said Robert Koenigsberger, founder and CIO of Gramercy. "This agreement will allow the country to sustain high growth, reduce poverty, and enable more Argentines to meet their legitimate aspirations for a better standard of living for their families  all of which are also essential for improving creditworthiness and breaking the cycle of boom-bust external financing."

"Gramercy will continue to work closely with the Argentine authorities and other stakeholders with a view not only to finalize this important debt agreement but also to open the way for more pro-growth and financially-sustainable investments in Argentina," Koenigsberger concluded.

About Gramercy Funds Management

Gramercy is a dedicated emerging markets investment manager based in Greenwich, CT with offices in London and Buenos Aires. The $4.75 billion firm, founded in 1998, seeks to provide investors with superior risk-adjusted returns through a comprehensive approach to emerging markets supported by a transparent and robust institutional platform. Gramercy offers both alternative and long-only strategies across emerging markets asset classes including capital solutions, private credit, distressed debt, USD and local currency debt, high yield/corporate debt, and special situations. Gramercy is a Registered Investment Adviser with the SEC and a Signatory of the Principles for Responsible Investment (UNPRI). Gramercy Ltd, an affiliate, is registered with the FCA. For more information, please visit www.gramercy.com

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SOURCE Gramercy Funds Management LLC
Britain faces a second wave of COVID-19 this winter twice as widespread as the initial outbreak if it reopens schools without a more effective test-and-trace system in place, according to a study published on Tuesday.

Researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine modelled the impact of reopening schools either on a full- or part-time basis, thus allowing parents to return to work, on the potential spread of the virus.

They concluded a second wave could be prevented if 75% of those with symptoms were found and tested and 68% of their contacts were traced, or if 87% of people with symptoms were found and 40% of their contacts tested.

"However, we also predict that in the absence of sufficiently broad testtraceisolate coverage, reopening of schools combined with accompanied reopening of society across all scenarios might induce a second COVID-19 wave," said the study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.

"Our modelling results suggest that full school reopening in September 2020 without an effective test-trace-isolate strategy would result in R rising above 1 and a resulting second wave of infections that would peak in December 2020 and be 2.0-23 times the size of the original COVID-19 wave."

The lead author of the study, Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, said the test-and-trace system in England was currently reaching only about 50% of contacts of all those testing positive for COVID-19.

Panovska-Griffiths, lecturer in mathematical modelling at University College London, told BBC radio that the worst scenarios could still be avoided.

"Importantly, what we find is that it is possible to avoid a second epidemic wave if enough people with symptomatic infections can be diagnosed. Their contacts can then be traced and effectively isolated," she said.

"We are the first study that has quantified this, how much this needs to be for the UK."

Schools in Britain closed in March during the national lockdown, except for the children of key workers, and reopened for a small number of pupils in June.

However, the government says all pupils will return to school across the United Kingdom by early September with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying it is a national priority.

"I think we all accept that test-and-trace is a programme which needs to continue to improve. There is total humility in government about that," junior local government minister Simon Clarke told BBC radio.

"We fully accept that we need to keep driving those numbers up," he said.
The Bombay high court (HC) on Monday held that railway bodies which want to acquire land, cannot insist that landowners shall remove encroachments and hand them over vacant possession, before compensation is paid for the land acquired under the Railways Act, 1989.

From a minute and careful examination of the two provisions [sections 20-H and 20-I of the Railways Act], what is discernible is that payment of compensation to the person(s) entitled, is not dependent upon handing over of possession of the land, said the bench of justice Ujjal Bhuyan and justice NR Borkar.

The bench said there was no negative covenant in the law that empowered the acquiring bodies to insist on encroachment-free possession of the land and withhold compensation on those grounds.

HC said the legal provisions made it clear that before taking over possession of the land, the Central government has to deposit compensation with the competent authority, and as soon as the deposit is made, the competent authority shall make the payment to the person(s) entitled. However, a period of sixty days is prescribed for surrendering or delivering possession of the land.

This is clearly indicative of the fact that payment of compensation is not contingent upon handing over possession, the bench said.

The court was hearing a petition filed by Premier Limited, seeking a direction to Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL), a subsidiary of Indian Railways, to release the compensation amount of 21.71 crore for 28,672sqm of the petitioner companys land at Bhopar in Thane district. The piece of land has been acquired by DFCCIL for the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor, a special railway project with a route length of 1483km, from Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust (JNPT) to Dadri in Haryana.

Premier Ltd complained that though the final award was passed as regards the piece of land on May 6, 2017, and the land was transferred in revenue records to DFCCIL, compensation was not paid to it on the grounds that it failed to clear encroachments on the land. The company contended that nowhere in the law was such a condition stipulated, and it was legally unsustainable.

DFCCIL, on the other hand, maintained that the land was well-protected until the publication of the first notification for its acquisition, but thereafter, the petitioner company permitted encroachments. This is out of mala fide desire of the petitioner to extract more money as compensation from the second respondent, being hand in glove with the encroachers, said the lawyer for the railway subsidiary. Since the land has been acquired for a public purpose, the petitioner ought to clear the encroachments first, and handover possession of the vacant land, free from all encumbrances, the lawyer added.

HC, however, refused to accept the argument. The bench said in the backdrop of the legal position, the stand taken by DFCCIL was not justified. Calling upon the petitioner to evict encroachers and to hand over vacant possession of the land, as a condition precedent to payment of compensation, is legally unsustainable, said the bench.

The court has now directed the sub-divisional officer at Kalyan, through whom the land was acquired, to pay the compensation amount to Premier Limited in six weeks, along with interest at the rate of 6 per annum.
The Queens visit to Balmoral Castle this summer is likely to be different from normal due to the coronavirus restrictions in place.

A Buckingham Palace spokesman previously said arrangements for the visit in early August will be in line with the relevant guidelines and advice.

Visitors from two other households will be able to meet her at a time at Balmoral, under current Scottish Government rules, with a recommendation for a maximum of eight people at a time when inside. This is only possible with social distancing and strict hygiene measures.

Guidance indicates four other households will be able to meet the Queen at a time when outside  but with no more than 15 people in total in the group. For both indoors and outdoors, a cap of four households a day has been put in place.

Expand Close The Royal Regiment of Scotland form a guard of honour as the Queen arrives at Crathie Kirk last year (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA / Facebook

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Whatsapp The Royal Regiment of Scotland form a guard of honour as the Queen arrives at Crathie Kirk last year (Andrew Milligan/PA)

Crathie Kirk  a regular place of worship for the royal family when they are in residence at the estate  is among the places subject to rules allowing communal prayer for a maximum of 50 people, with two-metre distancing in place.

The Queen will not be able to enjoy the Braemar Gathering as she traditionally does, as coronavirus forced the Highland games to be called off for the first time since 1945.

Expand Close The Queen will make the visit to Balmoral in early August (Andrew Milligan/PA) PA / Facebook

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It is also unlikely the monarch will be able to host her annual Ghillies Ball, which takes place in the estates grand ballroom.

The event is a dance for her neighbours, estate and castle staff during her summer stay at Balmoral, but would contravene the current rules on gatherings.

A review of lockdown measures is to be announced by the Scottish Government on September 10, which could see live indoor events take place with physical distancing and restricted numbers as of September 14.

Currently, face coverings are mandatory across Scotland in circumstances where physical distancing is not easy to maintain.
Chief Justice John Roberts: Protecting the Institution or His Own Legacy?

News Analysis

Although portrayed as a conservative jurist for years, Chief Justice John Roberts has not behaved on the Supreme Court bench as his early supporters expected.

Roberts was appointed by President George W. Bush, but distrust of him by conservatives and constitutionalists goes back at least to his vote in NFIB v. Sebelius (2012), to save the Affordable Care Act, also known as the Obamacare law.

He wrote a much-criticized 54 opinion in which he upheld the individual mandate to purchase health insurance as a constitutional exercise of the congressional taxing power. At the time, the ruling prompted conservative political commentator Marc Thiessen to ask: Why are Republicans so awful at picking Supreme Court justices?

But Robertss jurisprudence seems to have taken a particularly hard turn to the left this past term, which ended last month, as he seems to be positioning himself as the new swing vote on the court after the famously unpredictable Justice Anthony Kennedy left it in 2018, according to experts consulted by The Epoch Times.

I continue to believe that the Chief Justice is animated by a desire to avoid a public perception that the court is split along ideological lines, producing in the public mind predictable outcomes along rigid 54 majorities in politically controversial cases, said Dan Stein, president of Federation for American Immigration Reform.

He is doing this, in his mind, to protect the integrity of the court as an impartial and unpredictable interpreter of the law, especially if he believes that a rigid polarization will eventually produce an effort by Democrats to expand the size of the court.

The result is that, ever since President Obama decided to lecture the justices on the Citizens United decision during a State of the Union address [in 2010], Roberts has been regularly willing to compromise principle and bend over backwards to find a way to join the liberal wing on certain types of cases.

The brutal Senate battle over the confirmation of Justice Brett Kavanaugh in 2018 could not have given Roberts any additional reassurance about the future, Stein said.

He essentially fears the political consequences on the perception and structure of the court itself if he allows the conservative majority to predictably dominate these cases.

Glenn Reynolds, Beauchamp Brogan distinguished professor of law at the University of Tennessee College of Law, said Roberts seems to believe his waffling reinforces the courts legitimacy by keeping it from going too far from elite opinion.

The approach may be backfiring, Reynolds said.

The popularity of internet rumors that hes being blackmailed, however, suggests that its not working as well as he thinks.

Moin A. Yahya, a professor of law at the University of Alberta who studied law at Antonin Scalia Law School in Arlington, Virginia, shared his thoughts.

The Chief Justices recent jurisprudence continues his trend towards a deference to the administrative state, exhibited in his vote for the Affordable Care Act. However, this deference isnt consistently applied across the cases. One explanation may simply be a gauging of what is politically popular inside the beltway, which may explain some of his recent left-leaning votes.

Curt Levey, a constitutional lawyer who is president of the Committee for Justice, told The Epoch Times, Ever since the Obamacare decision in 2012, many of us have had our doubts about Roberts.

This [past term] was probably his worst term in terms of disappointing conservatives.

Cases

Lets look at some of the important Supreme Court decisions over the past year in which Roberts failed to do what conservative court-watchers hoped and expected him to do.

In recent months, Roberts has come under attack by conservatives for holding in effect that there is a pandemic exception to the Constitutions First Amendment religious protections.

In May, in South Bay United Pentecostal Church v. Newsom, Roberts sided with the four liberals on the court in denying a request from a California church that it be permitted to function under the same conditions as secular businesses. The vote was 54.

In July, Roberts again sided with the four liberals to refuse a request from a Nevada church that it be allowed to carry on under the same conditions as secular businesses. This prompted a particularly sharp dissent from Justice Neil Gorsuch in which he concluded that: The world we inhabit today, with a pandemic upon us, poses unusual challenges. But there is no world in which the Constitution permits Nevada to favor Caesars Palace over Calvary Chapel. The vote in Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley v. Sisolak was 54.

On June 18, the court ruled 54 in Department of Homeland Security (DHS) v. Regents of the University of California, that the Trump administration failed to adhere to the Administrative Procedure Act (APA) in rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) that temporarily shielded hundreds of thousands of young people who came to the United States illegally from being deported.

Roberts wrote the decision after siding with the courts four liberal justices.

The dispute before the Court is not whether DHS may rescind DACA. All parties agree that it may. The dispute is instead primarily about the procedure the agency followed in doing so, the chief justice wrote.

What angered constitutionalist and conservative court watchers was that President Barack Obama created DACA in 2012 by executive action after saying repeatedly that such a policy change was beyond his powers as president. If Obama could create DACA with the stroke of a pen and without the consent of Congress, why couldnt Trump rescind it the same way?

Roberts also wrote the courts 54 opinion in Department of Commerce v. New York, issued June 27, 2019, in which the court rejected the administrations rationale for asking individuals responding to the 2020 Census whether they are U.S. citizens, a question asked many times before in the decennial headcount. The chief justice sided with the four liberal justices, again citing the APA.

Justice Clarence Thomas objected. The Courts holding reflects an unprecedented departure from our deferential review of discretionary agency decisions, he wrote in dissent. And, if taken seriously as a rule of decision, this holding would transform administrative law.

Under Robertss leadership, the court short-circuited a much-anticipated gun-control challenge known as New York State Rifle & Pistol Association Inc. v. City of New York, New York, finding April 27 that the issue was moot because the city changed the offending law. Justices Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Clarence Thomas dissented, arguing that the law had violated the petitioners Second Amendment rights and that the case needed to be heard.

Then in June, the court unexpectedly took a pass on hearing a group of 10 cases, allowing controversial gun-control laws to remain in place. A ban on sporting rifles in Massachusetts and a ban on certain popular handguns in California were allowed to remain on the books.

Observers found these denials of certiorari difficult to accept given the courts pro-gun-rights rulings in recent years. Under the courts rules, four of the nine justices must vote to accept a case.

At The Federalist, Lawrence Keane wrote June 17 that the denials were a seeming admission that the conservative associate justices think Chief Justice John Roberts cant be trusted to protect the Bill of Rights.

CNN reported July 27 that sources told the media outlet that the justices on the right did not believe they could depend on a fifth vote from Roberts, who had in 2008 and 2010 voted for milestone gun-rights rulings but more recently seemed to balk at the fractious issue.

Roberts sided with the four liberal justices when he voted to strike down as unconstitutional a Louisiana requirement that abortionists have hospital admitting privileges close to where the procedure takes place. The plurality opinion in June Medical Services LLC v. Russo, issued June 29, was written by Justice Stephen Breyer. Roberts wrote his own separate concurring opinion agreeing with the result. Four conservative justices dissented.

The idea that Roberts is a conservative is just silly, said Levey of the Committee for Justice.

Look, the left is much better at making your life miserable when you anger them, he said.

He knows that. Some of the justices thankfully are willing to weather the attacks, but hes not.

Levey challenged the notion that Roberts is some kind of institutionalist trying to protect the court from accusations of partisanship. This raises the question, Why is the courts legacy better protected by liberal rulings rather than by conservative rulings?

Roberts is worrying about his legacy, what the elite think of him.

Even if we give him the benefit of the doubt that its the legacy of the court hes protecting, its not his job as a Supreme Court justice to balance the law against political and historical considerations, and I think thats what makes Roberts even more disappointing [than Kennedy].
Representative image

A day ahead of the bhoomi poojan for Ram Temple in Ayodhya, the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) said that the Babri Masjid was "and shall always remain a mosque".

"Illegal expropriation does not change the reality. Supreme Court has given its verdict but has embarrassed justice," the board said in a statement.

In a statement, AIMPLB general secretary Maulana Mohammad Wali Rahmani said, "It has always been our position that the Babri Masjid was never built by demolishing any mandir or any Hindu place of worship. Supreme Court of India has also affirmed our position in its judgement (of November 9, 2019)".

Follow our LIVE blog for latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan here

"... The supreme court also accepts in its judgement that the demolition of Babri masjid on 6th December, 1992 was an illegal, unconstitutional and criminal act. It is indeed regrettable that after accepting all these facts, the apex court in an extremely unjust verdict handed over the land of the masjid to the people who had placed idols in the mosque in a criminal manner and were party to its criminal demolition," the statement said.
With thousands of front-line COVID-19 workers still waiting for $4 hourly pandemic pay first promised in late April, Premier Doug Ford urged hospitals and other employers to start dishing it out now that the province has transferred the funding to them.

Hospitals, get your act together, Ford said Tuesday, acknowledging the process has been a little complicated since he announced that heroes such as nurses and personal support workers dealing with the risk of the highly contagious virus every day should get a premium for 16 weeks until mid-August.

But the goodwill gesture backfired somewhat as the province had to figure out ways to get the money to some many of the 2,000 employers with staff eligible for pandemic pay and with which it did not previously have direct funding relationships, delaying payouts.

And there were tensions and morale problems on the job as some hospital workers were included on the pay list while others such as medical radiation technologists were not  even though they did X-rays and scans of COVID-19 patients  but were excluded from the bonuses being paid to about 375,000 workers.

The Ontario Hospital Association went to bat for excluded workers, asking the government to expand the list, and about 25,000 were added including respiratory therapists and paramedics, with Fords office explaining it could not include more because funds are limited.

Ford reassured workers on the pandemic pay list that the money is coming, likely in one big chunk.

No ones going to lose any pay, its going to be retroactive right from day one. Itll be nice to get a nice cheque, the premier said during a stop in Beamsville. Theres no reason this has taken way, way too long. Lets get the money into the peoples pockets.

Some nurses and other workers have complained about the delayed payments saying they incurred extra expenses by staying away from family members at the peak of the pandemic to avoid the risk of infecting spouses and children. loved ones. More than 6,000 health-care workers caught COVID-19, almost half of them employed in nursing homes.

The Ontario Nurses Association said it has members at 37 hospitals and other workplaces that have still not issued the payouts, but most have told staff the money is coming this month or in September as their payroll departments comb through employee lists to determine which occupations are eligible and how much employees are due.

One hospital nurse who contacted the Star said the delay is just BS because she has heard of paramedics and nursing-home workers already getting cheques.

In most cases the money has flowed, said a hospital industry source. However, due to the extreme delay in both deciding who will receive pandemic pay and then getting the money to employers, hospitals are now working as fast as they can do get the money through the process.

The pay delay comes as unions representing health-care workers sound off about the Ford governments recently passed Bill 195, which they say unfairly takes away rights bargained in their collective agreements.

This bill enables their employers to deny or cancel vacation time, redeploy them to another unit, said Ontario Nurses Association president Vicki McKenna, who described the power as far too much authority that is unchecked by the collective agreement.

The Ontario Council of Hospital Unions is planning protest rallies in 22 Ontario cities on Aug. 17.

The government is using the pandemic to gut the basic rights of this predominantly female workforce, said union spokesman Michael Hurley.

The legislation has been called necessary to make sure tools are in place to deal with flare-ups of COVID-19.

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President Moon Jae-in has canceled his summer vacation this week as the country has been pounded by torrential rains and many regions have been inundated, Cheong Wa Dae said Monday.

Moon came back to Cheong Wa Dae three days after he went to his private home in Yangsan, South Gyeongsang Province. Cheong Wa Dae said he made the decision as flood damage devastated particularly central parts of the country under the influence of typhoon Hagupit.

Cheong Wa Dae's spokesman Yoon Jae-kwan said, "No decision has been made yet when he'll leave on vacation again."

After receiving briefings on flood damage, Moon told officials to "give top priority to minimizing casualties and implementing safety controls."

"People's safety must come before anything else," he said. "The central and local governments should do their best to prevent further casualties."

He also urged people to be cautious and check disaster updates regularly.
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a media conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Australia, on July 9, 2020. (David Gray/Getty Images)

Calls to Extend Pandemic Leave Payments in Australia

The Morrison government is facing pressure to extend its pandemic leave payments for Victorians to those struggling in other states.

Victorian workers without sick leave will be able to access the $1500 fortnightly federal government payments while they self-isolate.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison says its a disaster payment and could apply to other jurisdictions if theyre in a formally declared condition like Victoria.

Social Services Minister Anne Ruston says in order to be eligible for the payment people must be over the age of 17 and live and work in Victoria.

During the quarantine period it must have been likely they had to work, and they must have exhausted all their sick leave and other entitlements.

They must not be on JobKeeper or any other payment from the Australian government, she told reporters in Brisbane on Tuesday.

However people do need to be eligible for Australian government payments to be able to get access to this particular leave payment.

Labors industrial relations spokesman Tony Burke is arguing for a national scheme to guard against outbreaks in other states.

Unless we get a universal scheme we will have more community transmission, leading to more outbreaks and economy-smashing lockdowns, he said.

Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese would not explicitly say whether paid pandemic leave should match a persons salary but warned of the consequences if it did not.

I think we should err on the side of generosity because we do not want there to be any incentive for people to go to work (if they are sick), Albanese told reporters in Canberra.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions wants workers to be compensated at normal rates of pay and the scheme administered through payroll systems.

Its actually set at the rate of pretty close to the minimum wage, which is less than half the average wage, ACTU president Michele ONeil told the Seven Network.

We want to make sure it works like sick leave. If you need to stop work and isolate you should get your normal pay and the government should reimburse businesses that cant afford to pay that.

ONeil is concerned workers having to call 1800 numbers to access the cash will be a barrier.

The disaster leave payments will be available from Wednesday, with workers allowed to receive it multiple times if coronavirus testing or isolation is needed.

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the grants must be easy to access and in line with health advice.

Unions are also calling for childcare workers to be reinstated into the federal governments JobKeeper wage scheme subsidy.

Victorias strict six-week lockdown has triggered confusion about the future for childcare staff.

Education Minister Dan Tehan has flagged an announcement for Wednesday for support to the sector, pending further consultations.

By Matt Coughlan and Rebecca Gredley in Canberra
TORONTO, ONTARIO / ACCESSWIRE / August 4 2020 / GlobeX Data Ltd. (OTCQB:SWISF) (CSE:SWIS) ("GlobeX" or the "Company"), the leader in Swiss hosted cyber security and Internet privacy solutions for secure data management and secure communications, is pleased to announce that it has been selected and nominated by The Silicon Review in their 50 Best Companies To Watch in 2020. The article can be read by clicking on this link Silicon Review Article on GlobeX Data.

As described on their site https://thesiliconreview.com, The Silicon Review is the world's most trusted online and print community for business & technology professionals. Its community members include thought-provoking CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, IT VPs and managers, along with a large number of diverse IT professionals.

It is the pre-eminent platform that shares innovative enterprise solutions developed by established solution providers and upcoming hot enterprises emphasizing as a neutral source for technology decision makers. This is the place where senior level IT buyers and decision-makers come to learn and also share their experiences in regards to products, technologies and technology trends. They get an expert advice to manage their people and advance their careers. The Silicon Review acts as an excellent medium, allowing top level executives to share their contemporary thoughts and ideas. The Silicon Review encompasses nine technology and vertical communities: Software, IT Services, Cloud, Mobile, Big Data, Security, Telecommunications, Hot Start-ups and The Best Companies to work for. Each community leader is a proven subject matter expert who collaborates with industry gurus, technology managers, researchers, top technology journalists, consultants and industry analysts.

Alain Ghiai, CEO of GlobeX Data said: "We have been honored with the prestigious distinction of 50 Best Companies To Watch 2020 by The Silicon Review, and this is a testament to our relentless efforts to achieve technological excellence and our dedication to provide the best solutions for security and privacy of data and communications, both for consumers and enterprises worldwide. We will continue to work hard in order to implement our prime directive, which is to protect the data and communications of all our subscribers without prejudice to size of account or geographic region. We are excited to have been given this distinction right before our major launch of Sekur later this month https://sekur.com, our encrypted communications solution covering secure email, secure messaging and secure file share/ We thank the editorial staff of The Silicon Review for their selection and for their appreciation for our global contribution to data security and privacy. Cybersecurity is a global phenomenon and we plan to be present globally in order to help consumers and businesses worldwide fight cyber-crime and protect their data."

GlobeX's Data privacy solutions are all hosted in Switzerland, protecting users' data from any outside data intrusion requests. In Switzerland, the right to privacy is guaranteed in article 13 of the Swiss Federal Constitution. The Federal Act on Data Protection ("FADP") of 19 June 1992 (in force since 1993) has set up a strict protection of privacy by prohibiting virtually any processing of personal data which is not expressly authorized by the data subjects. The protection is subject to the authority of the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner.

Under Swiss federal law, it is a crime to publish information based on leaked "secret official discussions." In 2010 the Federal Supreme Court of Switzerland found that IP addresses are personal information and that under Swiss privacy laws they may not be used to track Internet usage without the knowledge of the individuals involved.

About GlobeX Data Ltd.

GlobeX Data Ltd. is a Cybersecurity and Internet privacy provider of Swiss hosted solutions for secure data management and secure communications. The Company distributes a suite of secure cloud-based storage, disaster recovery, document management, encrypted e-mails, and secure communication tools. GlobeX Data Ltd. sells its products through its approved wholesalers and distributors, and telecommunications companies worldwide. GlobeX Data Ltd. serves consumers, businesses and governments worldwide.

On behalf of Management

GLOBEX DATA LTD.

Alain Ghiai

President and Chief Executive Officer

+1.416.644.8690

corporate@globexdatagroup.com

For more information please contact GlobeX Data at corporate@globexdatagroup.com or visit us at https://globexdatagroup.com.

For more information on Sekur visit us at: https://www.sekur.com .

Forward Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws ("forward-looking statements"). All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as "anticipate", "achieve", "could", "believe", "plan", "intend", "objective", "continuous", "ongoing", "estimate", "outlook", "expect", "project" and similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes or that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. These statements are only predictions. These statements reflect management's current estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations; they are not guaranteeing future performance. GlobeX cautions that all forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain and that actual performance may be affected by a number of material factors, many of which are beyond GlobeX's control. Such factors include, among other things: risks and uncertainties relating to the future of the Company's business; the success of marketing and sales efforts of the Company; the projections prepared in house and projections delivered by channel partners; the Company's ability to complete the necessary software updates; increases in sales as a result of investments software development technology; consumer interest in the Products; future sales plans and strategies; reliance on large channel partners and expectations of renewals to ongoing agreements with these partners; anticipated events and trends; the economy and other future conditions; and other risks and uncertainties, including those described in GlobeX's prospectus dated May 8, 2019 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available on www.sedar.com. Accordingly, actual and future events, conditions and results may differ materially from the estimates, beliefs, intentions and expectations expressed or implied in the forward-looking information. Except as required under applicable securities legislation, GlobeX undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise forward-looking information.

SOURCE: GlobeX Data Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600181/GlobeX-Data-Named-as-50-Best-Companies-to-Watch-in-2020
Three sisters who ran an all-female fraud gang have been jailed after using stolen receipts and credit card numbers to scam almost 80,000 in designer clothes, beauty treatments and cash.

Lynsey Burdon, 36, and her sisters Emmiline, 29, and Sarah, 40, from Manchester, were sentenced at Chester Crown Court today after admitting conspiracy to commit fraud by false representation.

The girl gang were arrested in May after a team of 50 police officers raided their homes in North Manchester and seized an Audi car, motorcycle clothing, two electric scooters, designer watches and clothing, furniture and a quantity of cash.

Undated CCTV grabs issued by Cheshire Police showing Emmiline Burdon at Toni and Guy, Liverpool (left) and Lynsey at Beauty Unlimited, Lymm (right)

Sion ap Mihangel, prosecuting, said: 'The three defendants were all part of an organised group, to varying degrees, which operated in Cheshire, Merseyside and Greater Manchester, defrauding retail shops, restaurants, hotels and spas.

'The fraud occurred on a regular basis and continued despite the lockdown restrictions which came into effect in the UK in late March.'

The court heard the women stole till receipts and used the card details on them to make purchases, claiming their cards were damaged.

After payments were made the women would return purchased items or cancel hotel stays and ask for refunds to their own accounts, Mr ap Mihangel said.

On other occasions, the court heard, one would distract a sales assistant while another put through a refund to their own account on the card machine of a store.

Police identified more than 150 fraudulent transactions at various locations across the North West, Yorkshire and Leicestershire between October 2019 and May this year, with losses totalling more than 62,000.

Lynsey, pictured, was sentenced at Chester Crown Court for two years and two months for playing a 'leading role' in the conspiracy

While the women kept some of the items they bought fraudulently, on other occasions they would return to the stores and request a refund.

They would then put their own payment card into the machine so that the money would go into their own personal bank accounts netting them more than 16,000 worth of fraudulent refunds.

The prosecutor said: 'Occasionally they would book hotel rooms and then go to reception saying a family emergency had forced them to cancel. They would then present a different card and enter the amount into their own accounts.

'At the end of the day audit their victims would discover the frauds. 'On other occasions the defendants would not even use credit cards. Occasionally they would pick up a card device knowing how it operated and enter a default PIN and be able to refund themselves for whatever they wanted. This would be discovered at the end of the day when machines were checked.

'They took 400 from Build a Bear using this method, 500 from a florist the same way and also 600 from a tyre fitter store.'

He added: 'CCTV from a Toni and Guy shows Emiline Burdon distracting a worker at Toni and Guy. Lynsey Burdon leans over the counter trying to steal a till receipt. She was unsuccessful on this occasion.

'They obtained 1,000 of gift vouchers when Lynsey Burdon enters a digit into the card machine and the shop worker realises there is a limit to the amount she could get. The shop worker offers her a refund and they can only get 1,000 into the card machine.

Handout photo issued by Cheshire Police of Emmiline, left and Lynsey, right. The court heard the women stole till receipts and used the card details on them to make purchases

'The defendants were involved in a large number of transactions between October 2019 and May 2020. The total value was in excess of 50,000 from 135 transactions overall. Many of the affected businesses were small.'

In a statement Phill Sergeant of Millennium Motorcycles in St Helen's said: 'Some time after this occurred we were made aware of the scam and I was suspended for a week by my manager. My mental health dropped and I became depressed.

'At a disciplinary hearing I was told I could keep my job but was placed on warning and given a probation period. This was because the fraudsters did not care about the consequences of their actions. I nearly lost my job.'

In mitigation Lynsey Burdon's lawyer, Christopher Hunt, said: 'There have been a number of issues in her life which seem to stem from her low self-worth and more personal reasons.

'This has led her into relationships where she has been on the receiving end of abuse from numerous partners. She has also abused cocaine and desperation was involved in her offending and it was inevitable she would be caught.'

For mother-of-one Emmiline, defence lawyer Lloyd Morgan said: 'She was not living a lavish lifestyle and it appears some of the money was being transferred to other people.'

Emmiline using stolen credit card details at the Westside Convenience store in Crewe, Cheshire. Members of a girl crime gang nicknamed the 'Pussycat Molls' were jailed today

Lynsey using stolen credit card details in Arthur Lee antiques in Knutsford, Cheshire. After payments were made the women would return purchased items or cancel hotel stays

Lynsey, right, and sister Emmiline using stolen credit card details at the London Road restaurant in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The sisters were arrested in May this year

Lynsey using stolen credit card details at the Alderley Edge hotel in Alderley Edge, Cheshire. The court heard the women stole till receipts and used the card details on them

For mother-of-two carer Leanne, Rachel Faux said: 'Her financial gain was limited and she did not benefit directly from all the money that cane into her account. Her offending was a result of the personal anguish she was going through.'

Honorary Recorder of Chester Judge Steven Everett said: 'It all required a lot of front. You had to be pretty brazen about what you did.'

He added: 'It is important the public understands if you commit sophisticated offences of this type and you do dupe small shopkeepers you will go to prison.'

Lynsey Burdon was jailed for two years and two months for playing a 'leading role' in the conspiracy.

Christopher Hunt, defending, said she had turned to drugs after being abused by partners and spent 140 every two days on cocaine.

Lynsey and Emmiline, left, using stolen credit card details at a shop in Horns Bridge, Chesterfield and Lynsey, right, using stolen details at a TUI holiday shop in Liverpool

Lynsey using stolen credit card details in the Hinton Guest House in Mobberley, Cheshire. On other occasions, the court heard, one would distract a sales assistant while another put through a refund to their own account

Lynsey an sister Emmiline using stolen credit card details in the Courthouse restaurant in Knutsford. Police identified more than 150 fraudulent transactions at various locations

The court heard the defendant, who wore an off the shoulder black top and was in tears as she was jailed, had 26 previous convictions for 114 offences.

Emmiline Burdon, who appeared via video-link from HMP Styal, was jailed for a total of two years and four months for the conspiracy and for three offences of driving while disqualified.

Sentencing the eldest sister, Sarah Burdon, Judge Everett said: 'If I had my way, I'd say don't ever see your sisters again. They have been a bad influence on you.'

He jailed the mother-of-two for 18 weeks for her lesser role in the scam.

The court heard she had already served 12 weeks on remand so would be released on licence.

The judge said: 'As sisters you all come from the same background and it is quite obvious you had disadvantaged childhoods.

'You can't live off that for the rest of your lives.'

The women will face a Proceeds of Crime hearing later.
New detailed observations with NSFs NOIRLab facilities reveal a young exoplanet, orbiting a young star in the Hyades cluster, that is unusually dense for its size and age. Weighing in at 25 Earth-masses, and slightly smaller than Neptune, this exoplanets existence is at odds with the predictions of leading planet formation theories.

New observations of the exoplanet, known as K2-25b, made with the WIYN 0.9-meter Telescope at Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), a Program of NSFs NOIRLab, the Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory and other facilities, raise new questions about current theories of planet formation [1]. The exoplanet has been found to be unusually dense for its size and age  raising the question of how it came to exist. Details of the findings appear in The Astronomical Journal.

Slightly smaller than Neptune, K2-25b orbits an M-dwarf star  the most common type of star in the galaxy  in 3.5 days. The planetary system is a member of the Hyades star cluster, a nearby cluster of young stars in the direction of the constellation Taurus. The system is approximately 600 million years old, and is located about 150 light-years from Earth.

Planets with sizes between those of Earth and Neptune are common companions to stars in the Milky Way, despite the fact that no such planets are found in our Solar System. Understanding how these sub-Neptune planets form and evolve is a frontier question in studies of exoplanets.

Astronomers predict that giant planets form by first assembling a modest rock-ice core of 510 times the mass of Earth and then enrobing themselves in a massive gaseous envelope hundreds of times the mass of Earth. The result is a gas giant like Jupiter. K2-25b breaks all the rules of this conventional picture: with a mass 25 times that of Earth and modest in size, K2-25b is nearly all core and very little gaseous envelope. These strange properties pose two puzzles for astronomers. First, how did K2-25b assemble such a large core, many times the 510 Earth-mass limit predicted by theory? [2] And second, with its high core mass  and consequent strong gravitational pull  how did it avoid accumulating a significant gaseous envelope?

The team studying K2-25b found the result surprising. K2-25b is unusual, said Gudmundur Stefansson, a postdoctoral fellow at Princeton University, who led the research team. According to Stefansson, the exoplanet is smaller in size than Neptune but about 1.5 times more massive. The planet is dense for its size and age, in contrast to other young, sub-Neptune-sized planets that orbit close to their host star, said Stefansson. Usually these worlds are observed to have low densities  and some even have extended evaporating atmospheres. K2-25b, with the measurements in hand, seems to have a dense core, either rocky or water-rich, with a thin envelope.

To explore the nature and origin of K2-25b, astronomers determined its mass and density. Although the exoplanets size was initially measured with NASAs Kepler satellite, the size measurement was refined using high-precision measurements from the WIYN 0.9-meter Telescope at KPNO and the 3.5-meter telescope at Apache Point Observatory (APO) in New Mexico. The observations made with these two telescopes took advantage of a simple but effective technique that was developed as part of Stefanssons doctoral thesis. The technique uses a clever optical component called an Engineered Diffuser, which can be obtained off the shelf for around $500. It spreads out the light from the star to cover more pixels on the camera, allowing the brightness of the star during the planets transit to be more accurately measured, and resulting in a higher-precision measurement of the size of the orbiting planet, among other parameters [3].

The innovative diffuser allowed us to better define the shape of the transit and thereby further constrain the size, density and composition of the planet, said Jayadev Rajagopal, an astronomer at NOIRLab who was also involved in the study.

For its low cost, the diffuser delivers an outsized scientific return. Smaller aperture telescopes, when equipped with state-of-the-art, but inexpensive, equipment can be platforms for high impact science programs, explains Rajagopal. Very accurate photometry will be in demand for exploring host stars and planets in tandem with space missions and larger apertures from the ground, and this is an illustration of the role that a modest-sized 0.9-meter telescope can play in that effort.

Thanks to the observations with the diffusers available on the WIYN 0.9-meter and APO 3.5-meter telescopes, astronomers are now able to predict with greater precision when K2-25b will transit its host star. Whereas before transits could only be predicted with a timing precision of 3040 minutes, they are now known with a precision of 20 seconds. The improvement is critical to planning follow-up observations with facilities such as the international Gemini Observatory and the James Webb Space Telescope[4].

Many of the authors of this study are also involved in another exoplanet-hunting project at KPNO: the NEID spectrometer on the WIYN 3.5-meter Telescope. NEID enables astronomers to measure the motion of nearby stars with extreme precision  roughly three times better than the previous generation of state-of-the-art instruments  allowing them to detect, determine the mass of, and characterize exoplanets as small as Earth.

Notes

[1] The planet was originally detected by Kepler in 2016. Detailed observations for this study were made using the Habitable-zone Planet Finder on the 11-meter Hobby-Eberly Telescope at McDonald Observatory.

[2] The prediction from theory is that once planets have formed a core of 510 Earth-masses they begin to accrete gas instead: very little rocky material is added after that.

[3] Diffusers were first used for exoplanet observations in 2017.

[4] GHOST, on Gemini South, will be used to carry out transit spectroscopy of exoplanets found by Kepler and TESS. Their target list includes the star K2-25.

More information

This research was presented in a paper to appear in The Astronomical Journal.

The team is composed of Gudmundur Stefansson (The Pennsylvania State University and Princeton University), Suvrath Mahadevan (The Pennsylvania State University), Marissa Maney (The Pennsylvania State University), Joe P. Ninan (The Pennsylvania State University), Paul Robertson (University of California, Irvine), Jayadev Rajagopal (NSFs NOIRLab), Flynn Haase (NSFs NOIRLab), Lori Allen (NSFs NOIRLab), Eric B. Ford (The Pennsylvania State University), Joshua Winn (Princeton), Angie Wolfgang (The Pennsylvania State University), Rebekah I. Dawson (The Pennsylvania State University), John Wisniewski (University of Oklahoma), Chad F. Bender (University of Arizona), Caleb Canas (The Pennsylvania State University), William Cochran (The University of Texas at Austin), Scott A. Diddams (National Institute of Standards and Technology, and University of Colorado), Connor Fredrick (National Institute of Standards and Technology, and University of Colorado), Samuel Halverson (Jet Propulsion Laboratory), Fred Hearty (The Pennsylvania State University), Leslie Hebb (Hobart and William Smith Colleges), Shubham Kanodia (The Pennsylvania State University), Eric Levi (The Pennsylvania State University), Andrew J. Metcalf (Air Force Research Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, and University of Colorado), Andrew Monson (The Pennsylvania State University), Lawrence Ramsey (The Pennsylvania State University), Arpita Roy (California Institute of Technology), Christian Schwab (Macquarie University), Ryan Terrien (Carleton College), and Jason T. Wright (The Pennsylvania State University).

NSFs National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab), the US center for ground-based optical-infrared astronomy, operates the international Gemini Observatory (a facility of NSF, NRCCanada, ANIDChile, MCTICBrazil, MINCyTArgentina, and KASIRepublic of Korea), Kitt Peak National Observatory (KPNO), Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), the Community Science and Data Center (CSDC), and the Vera C. Rubin Observatory. It is managed by the Association of Universities for Research in Astronomy (AURA) under a cooperative agreement with NSF and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona. The astronomical community is honored to have the opportunity to conduct astronomical research on Iolkam Duag (Kitt Peak) in Arizona, on Maunakea in Hawaii, and on Cerro Tololo and Cerro Pachon in Chile. We recognize and acknowledge the very significant cultural role and reverence that these sites have to the Tohono Oodham Nation, to the Native Hawaiian community, and to the local communities in Chile, respectively.

The WIYN 0.9-meter Telescope is founded on a partnership between the WIYN Consortium, led by the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Indiana University, and the NSFs NOIRLab. Its operations include an international group of universities.

Links

Contacts:

Gudmundur Stefansson

Princeton University

Tel: +1 814-777-8712

Email: gstefansson@astro.princeton.edu

Jayadev Rajagopal

Astronomer at NOIRLab

Tel: 520 318 8292

Cell: +1 520 528 3881

Email: jrajagopal@noao.edu

Amanda Kocz

Press and Internal Communications Officer

NSFs NOIRLab

Cell: +1 626 524 5884

Email: akocz@aura-astronomy.org
Commentary: The best thing you can do to save South Carolina's economy
In April, barely a month into lockdown, the Central Bank reported that ATM withdrawals were down by 40pc; it's safe to assume that the trend will have continued. And while experts agree that the risk of contracting Covid-19 from handling money is low, many prefer not to take it.

Those of us working from home, getting our groceries delivered, going to the shops only when absolutely necessary and using contactless payment wherever possible may find that the notes in our wallets are the same ones that we took out of the wall back at the beginning of March, before the sky fell in.

So, as well as the other seismic changes that the pandemic has and continues to wreak upon us, it has fast-forwarded us into being a largely cashless society.

We pay for parking and taxis via an app, and tolls via a tag. Some retailers, coffee shops and cafes now require all transactions to be contactless and have no facility to take cash, while many others express a preference for payment by card. For most of us, paying by card is convenient; we consider it old-fashioned to deal in cash and write cheques.

But where does that leave the practice of tipping? Until there is a cultural shift towards incorporating a service charge into restaurant and salon prices (which means that those prices will have to go up), and paying the people who work in those places a higher wage - something that exists in other countries but is not necessarily something that employees here want - tipping is going nowhere. (In New York, restaurateur Danny Meyer, once at the forefront of the anti-tipping movement, has recently reintroduced tipping in his restaurants.)

During lockdown, we did not find ourselves in many tipping situations, other than for meal delivery. We weren't eating in restaurants or going to the hairdresser, so we weren't tipping. But now that we are venturing out again, we need to think about how we handle tipping during a pandemic.

Most restaurants offer customers the opportunity to add a tip to their bill at the end of a meal, and hairdressers do the same. It seems simple and straightforward, a way of getting the 10 or 15pc to the person who looked after you as an acknowledgement of good service.

But there are a number of issues involved that make a tip given in this way anything other than straightforward.

For one thing, there's the question of whether the establishment actually hands the tips over to the staff for whom they were intended. We have all heard stories about well-known restaurants in Ireland where the integrity of the system of distribution of tips leaves much to be desired, but unfortunately, it's very difficult for a customer to make a judgement on whether any particular establishment has a fair and transparent system to distribute card tips fairly.

The other issue with card tips is the tax implications for both the employer and employee. Some restaurateurs who paid out card tips to staff as if they were cash in the past were hit with tax and PRSI bills because those tips are supposed to be treated as wages.

If you - like me - have ever worked in hospitality, you are probably a good tipper and carry cash for that purpose. But the first time I went to a restaurant post-lockdown I was so over-excited and out of practice that I broke my own rule by forgetting to carry cash and having to add the tip on the card, as there was no cash machine nearby.

After this incident I tweeted to ask what those in the industry thought about tipping in the time of Covid and the resounding response was that cash (though still susceptible to inequitable distribution by unethical business owners and managers) was the - by far - preferred method. And if you don't have cash on you, you can ask for cash back at the time that you pay the bill, which you can then leave as a tip.

So inasmuch as everything has changed, everything remains the same. Cash is still king.
Wearing a mask in public is only half the battle, youve also got to keep it clean. (Getty Images)

Face mask rules are changing again. The UK government has now decided that face coverings will also be required when visiting cinemas, museums, galleries, places of worship and anywhere else you might be near people you dont normally socialise with.

The new rules come in from Saturday 8 August and theyll be enforceable by law.

While we already have to wear a mask to use public transport and to go to the supermarket, shops and takeaways, the new measures mean well be donning our masks even more regularly.

Therefore it is vital for us to know the best practice in how to look after our masks, which means learning how to wash them and how often we should be doing so.

Read more: What to do if a loved one refuses to wear a face mask

Why is it so important to wash your reusable face masks?

Research indicates that fabric, when not properly disinfected, is a carrier for viruses, like norovirus and coronavirus, and bacteria, including E. coli, says Ryan Sinclair, associate professor of environmental microbiology at Loma Linda University School of Public Health, in a press release .

Professor Sinclair goes on to explain that pathogens like bacteria and viruses can live on cloth fabric for up to 8-12 hours.

Because we dont know what germs weve been in contact with or how low long the germs have been active on the cloth fibres, it is crucial to regularly wash, sanitise and dry reusable face masks, he says.

As well as helping to keep coronavirus at bay, washing your mask can also help prevent you developing maskne (spots caused by wearing a grubby mask).

How often do you need to wash reusable face masks?

Advice differs on this point. While the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states your mask needs to be washed after every use, the UK government advice simply states you should wash it regularly.

Kate Grusich, a spokesperson for the CDC told GQ. that how often you need to wash a face covering is dependent on how frequently you wear it.

Story continues

If youre just taking the occasional trip to the pharmacy and supermarket, a weekly wash should be appropriate, as long as the mask isnt visibly soiled, she said.

If it is soiled, or if youve been around someone with confirmed or suspected COVID-19, the face covering should be washed immediately after use.

So, if youre trying to decide whether your mask needs a wash, then you should probably just go ahead and wash it to be on the safe side.

Read more: How to safely dispose of a face mask

You don't need to wash your face mask separately from other washing. (Getty Images)

What should you do with your face mask if you take it off before you get home?

The government recommends storing reusable face coverings in a plastic bag until you have an opportunity to wash them.

How to properly wash your face mask

The simplest way to clean your face mask, according to the government, is to toss it in the washing machine.

Theres no need to wash your face masks separately, as the government says you can wash and dry them with your other laundry. Just use your normal detergent, follow the instructions for the fabric and wash it on the highest temperature recommended for the fabric.

Allowing your mask to dry is also an important part of the washing process. If youre using a tumble dryer the CDC advises using the highest heat setting and leaving in the dryer until completely dry.

If you dont have access to a dryer dont worry, it is just as effective to leave your mask to air dry, with the CDC advising laying the mask flat until it is completely dry and, if possible, placing the mask in direct sunlight.

Read more: The face mask hacks you need to know: From the best materials to how to make them fit

Face mask hygiene etiquette

To further reduce risk of infection, the government has some other hygiene etiquette tips:

When wearing a face covering you should:

wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before putting a face covering on

avoid wearing your mask on your neck or forehead

avoid touching the part of the face covering in contact with your mouth and nose, as it could be contaminated with the virus

change the face covering if it becomes damp or if youve touched it

avoid taking it off and putting it back on a lot in quick succession (for example, when leaving and entering shops on a high street).

When removing a face covering:

wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser before removing

only handle the straps, ties or clips

do not give it to someone else to use

if single-use, dispose of it carefully in a residual waste bin and do not recycle

if reusable, wash it in line with manufacturers instructions at the highest temperature appropriate for the fabric

wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water for 20 seconds or use hand sanitiser once removed.

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The other female police officer was pushed and also allegedly assaulted. The maskless woman, who has no criminal history, was restrained and taken to the police station where she was charged with nine offences, including two counts of assaulting an emergency worker and recklessly causing injury. She was also fined $200 for breaching coronavirus restrictions by not wearing a face mask or covering. She was released on bail and will face court in March next year. Police union secretary Wayne Gatt said the incident was "absolutely reprehensible". "That officer is missing a clump of her hair just because she asked somebody for their name at the front line of our fight against this horrible pandemic," he said.

Loading "[The alleged offender] said to our member, 'What's it like to have your hair in my hands?' or words to that effect. That's horrible conduct, it's not human-like, to be quite honest." Mr Gatt said police were being tested by "smartarses" who were trying to flout restrictions but urged the community to support frontline police. "Our members are being tested, at roadblocks, at sites, but they are holding the line and helping the community and they won't be pushed and shoved by people like this ... they have a job to do and we should be proud of them for doing it." Victoria on Tuesday recorded 439 new cases of coronavirus and 11 more deaths, all of them linked to aged care.

On Tuesday Mr Andrews announced new, tougher penalties for people flouting lockdown quarantine rules. A fine of $4957 will now be issued to people found to have breached a requirement to be self-isolating for a "second or subsequent time". More than 3000 doorknocks have now been completed, and on more than 800 occasions people were not home as required. Mr Andrews said if there were repeat breaches, such as a person going to work when they had the virus, they could be taken to the Magistrates Court, where the maximum penalty would be $20,000.

Mr Andrews said the alleged attack on the officer was "appalling ... and simply intolerable", as he thanked police for doing their jobs in trying circumstances. "These matters will be before the courts and I don't want to cut across that but that behaviour is nothing short of fundamentally disgusting and police are out there putting themselves in harm's way," he said. "Wear a mask for heaven's sake," he said. Police issued 161 fines on Monday, of which 60 were to people not wearing masks. Mr Patton said in the past week, police have seen the emergence of small groups of people calling themselves "sovereign citizens" who don't believe the law applies to them.

"We've seen them at checkpoints baiting police, not providing a name and address," he said. "On at least three or four occasions in the last week, we've had to smash the windows of cars and pull people out to provide details because they weren't telling us where they were going, they weren't adhering to the Chief Health Officer's guidelines, they weren't providing their name and address." Police Minister Lisa Neville said a small number of people were knowingly doing the wrong thing. "It's ridiculous. It's unacceptable. And it is dangerous. That's why we've put in place extraordinary powers," she said.

She said in the 48 hours since the curfew started, there had been dozens of people who had decided they didn't need to abide by it. "Somebody who decided they were bored and they were going to go out for a drive, somebody who decided that they needed to buy a car after 8pm last night and drive across the city of Melbourne," she said. "We've also seen people who have picked up people from other households, again breaching the direction and then also breaching the curfew. All of those people were infringed last night." Other people fined on Monday for breaching restrictions included:
MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab on Tuesday (August 4) said former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis' wife Amruta Fadnavis should leave the state if she feels unsafe and has no trust left in Mumbai Police.

Speaking to reporters here, the Transport Minister said Devendra Fadnavis had held the home portfolio when he was chief minister of the state for the last five years.

"The government changed (last year), but the police force remains the same. I think she (Amruta) should leave this state if she has no trust in police personnel who protected her in the last five years and who continue to protect her even now," he said. Parab said the BJP used to praise policemen in the last five years, but has changed the tune after losing power.

Parab's comments came a day after Amruta Fadnavis tweeted that Mumbai had lost its 'humanity' and was 'no more safe to live' looking at the way the metropolis' police was handling the Sushant Singh Rajput case.

The minister said Amruta Fadnavis' statement underscores frustration of the BJP over losing power and there was 100 per cent politics behind it.

Speaking on Bihar government recommending a CBI probe in Sushant Singh death case, the minister said the move was politically motivated.

"Nitish Kumar is the head of the Bihar administration. He should speak about what is happening in Bihar. This case has acquired political colour and everyone is trying to derive a mileage out of it," Parab told reporters when asked about the Bihar government recommending a CBI investigation.

He alleged the opposition BJP was questioning the ability of the Mumbai Police by pushing for a probe by the Central agency.

"How many suicide cases you handed over to the CBI in the last five years? Why is the CBI probe being demanded only in this case? There is politics involved. The state government stands with the Mumbai Police," he said.

Responding to a query, Parab said CM Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray is nowhere linked to the case. "Allegations are being made in this connection to malign the image of the chief minister," he said.

Parab alleged that political opponents of the Sena have engaged into this conspiracy (against the Thackerays). "If anybody has any evidence that Aaditya Thackeray is related to this case, they can present the same and then we will speak," he added.
Workers demolish a COVID-19 hospital in Wuhan, the city believed to be at the centre of the coronavirus outbreak. (Top Photo/Sipa USA)

The coronavirus outbreak came from bats and was probably passed to humans through another intermediary animal "host", World Health Organization (WHO) scientists have concluded.

The team of WHO experts visited the city of Wuhan, understood to be the epicentre of the COVID-19 pandemic, to probe the origins of the virus and how it spread across the world.

Scientists believe the virus jumped from animals to humans at a wet market in Wuhan.

However, WHO emergencies chief Mike Ryan said on Monday that this was not necessarily the case, and that surprises were possible.

"The fact that that fire alarm was triggered (in Wuhan) doesn't necessarily mean that that is where the disease crossed from animals to human," he said.

Speaking about the fact-finding mission, A spokesperson for the health agency said: "The team had extensive discussions with Chinese counterparts and received updates on epidemiological studies, biologic and genetic analysis and animal health research.

Two specialists in animal health and epidemiology took part in the three-week advance mission, which was tasked with laying the groundwork for a broader team investigation into the origins of coronavirus and how it jumped the species barrier.

The findings would appear to further disprove a theory put forward by Donald Trump, who has said the pathogen may have originated in a laboratory in Wuhan.

However, the president has presented no evidence for this and China has denied it.

Scientists and US intelligence agencies have said coronavirus emerged in nature.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo claimed in May he had enormous evidence to back up the theory that the virus came from a laboratory.

But the WHOs emergencies chief said no evidence had been provided.

Dr Mike Ryan said: So from our perspective, this remains speculative.

Like any evidence-based organisation, we would be very willing to receive any information that purports to the origin of the virus.

He added: If that data and evidence is available, then it will be for the United States government to decide whether and when it can be shared, but it is difficult for the WHO to operate in an information vacuum in that regard.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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Jagdishan, a chartered accountant by profession, is a science graduate and has a Master's degree in Economics of Money, Banking and Finance. He has over 29 years of experience in the banking industry

The Reserve Bank of India on Tuesday approved the name of Sashishar Jagdishan as the next Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the HDFC Bank for three years. Jagdishan will succeed Aditya Puri, who will step down as the banks longest serving CEO after 26 years.

Puri had hinted at Jagdishan's appointment last month at the bank's annual general meeting.

"There has been a lot of talk about the successor not being with us for a long time. Our potential successor has been with us for 25 years. My successor was always in place, at least in my mind. It is now for RBI to decide," Puri said at the banks recent AGM.

After the announcement, Puri told CNBC TV18, "Sashidhar is humane; he is motivational; he is a very thorough executor. He has the necessary skills. The best is yet to come for HDFC Bank." Jagdishan will assume charge when Puri steps down on 26 October.

Jagdishan, a chartered accountant by profession, is a science graduate and has a Master's degree in Economics of Money, Banking and Finance, according to the HDFC Bank website. He has over 29 years of experience in the banking industry.

He had joined the HDFC Bank in 1996 as a manager in the finance division. Rising through the ranks quickly, he went on to become the Business Head of the Finance division by 1999. He has since gone on to hold several key positions at the private sector bank.

Before his promotion as the next CEO of the private sector bank, Jagdishan held the position of Additional Director and Head of Finance and Human Resources. He was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in 2008, a post that he retained until August 2019.

After this, he was appointed as the 'change agent', apart from holding the finance function. He led the private banks response during the technological problems it faced in December last year, when HDFCs net banking and mobile banking services went down for three consecutive days.

With over 29 years of experience, Jagdishan currently serves as the Group Head of Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Secretarial, Administration, Infrastructure, Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility.

"He has played a critical role in supporting the growth trajectory of the bank. He has led the finance function and played a pivotal role in aligning the organisation in achieving the strategic objectives over the years," the bank's website said.

Prior to joining the HDFC Bank, he was a Senior Officer in the Country Financial Control Division of Deutsche Bank, AG, Mumbai.

Till around August 2018, it was believed that Paresh Sukthankar, then deputy managing director of the bank, would succeed Puri. However, Sukthankars sudden exit from the bank left the succession question open-ended, a report said. Kaizad Bharucha, head of HDFC's wholesale banking division, and Sunil Garg, of Citibank, were among the other candidates in race for the post, according to LiveMint.

Jagdishan will be taking over at a time when the banking industry is in the middle of a crisis following the coronavirus pandemic. About 9 percent of the HDFC Banks loan book is under moratorium as on 30 June.

In the retail loan portfolio, the auto loan portfolio has shrunk to Rs 81,082 crore from Rs 83,935 crore while the home loan portfolio declined to Rs 62,652 crore from Rs 63,445 crore. Two-wheeler loans shrank to Rs 9,568 crore from Rs 9,855 crore.

The bank has also recently seen three senior level exits - Abhay Aima (group head of private banking); Ashok Khanna (group head of secured vehicle loans); Munish Mittal (chief information officer).
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One of the world's biggest-ever peacetime explosions tore through the port in Beirut last night, killing at least 100 people, injuring thousands more and laying waste to a large part of the Lebanese capital.

More than 2,750 tons of highly explosive ammonium nitrate, the main ingredient in fertilizer bombs, detonated when a fire apparently sparked by a welder spread to the warehouse where it had been stored for six years.

Apocalyptic scenes saw a thick red-orange mushroom cloud envelop streets surrounding the port, where buildings burned and emergency crews frantically searched the rubble for survivors.

Damaged hospitals were last night creaking under the strain of more than 4,000 casualties wounded by the blast, which was even heard 125 miles away in Cyprus.

Rescuers worked through the night into Wednesday morning in a country already reeling from its worst economic crisis in decades.

Residents of Beirut awoke to a scene of devastation this morning with smoke still rising from the port, where a towering grain silo was shattered. Major downtown streets were littered with debris and damaged vehicles, and building facades were blown out.

The head of Lebanon's Red Cross said: 'What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe. There are victims and casualties everywhere.'

In a statement released this morning the humanitarian agency said that more than 100 people had lost their lives.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab has vowed those responsible will 'pay the price' and plunged the country into a two-week state of emergency.

The United States, the UK, France, the Gulf states and even bitter rivals Israel have offered aid to the country, which is already grappling with twin economic and coronavirus crises.

Witnesses likened the explosion to a nuclear detonation, and scientists making initial calculations said the 2,750 tonnes of hazardous chemicals produced a blast equivalent to about three kilotons of TNT - roughly a fifth the force of the Little Boy atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in the Second World War.

President Michel Aoun declared three days of mourning, and announced he would release 100 billion lira ($66 million) of emergency funds.

General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim earlier said the 'highly explosive material' had been confiscated years earlier, reportedly from a ship.

President Donald Trump last night called the explosion a 'terrible attack' and said US generals had told him it appeared to have been caused by a 'bomb of some kind', without offering evidence.

A massive explosion has rocked Beirut this afternoon destroying buildings and sending a huge fireball into the sky

Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the port area shortly before an enormous fireball explodes into the sky and blankets the city in a thick mushroom cloud

Wounded people are treated at a hospital following the explosion, which has left hundreds of casualties in Beirut last night

It lay waste to the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames this evening, and even wreaked havoc on districts miles away from the blast site

A Lebanese army helicopter flies over the site of the blast in Beirut's port area on Wednesday morning as smoke still rises from the rubble

A view of the damages after an explosion at the Beirut Port yesterday evening. Witnesses have stressed the sheer enormity of the blast, which was heard 125 miles away in Cyprus, and likened it to a 'nuclear bomb'

A destroyed facade of a building is seen following the blast on Tuesday. Rescuers worked throughout the night to find people amid the devastation

Police and forensic officers work at the scene of an explosion on Wednesday morning and rescuers continue to look for survivors

The aftermath this morning of the destroyed port. Prime Minister Hassan Diab has vowed those responsible will 'pay the price' and plunged the country into a two-week state of emergency

Fires continue to burn at the industrial port late into the night in Beirut following the deadly blasts

Medics shift an injured person from Najjar Hospital to another hospital in Al-Hamra area in Beirut after several hospitals were damaged in the blast

Lebanese army soldier runs at the scene of an explosion at Beirut's port

Trump calls deadly Beirut explosions a 'terrible attack' President Trump President Donald Trump described deadly explosions as a 'terrible attack' during a Tuesday press conference, despite no evidence suggesting the blasts were intentional. A series of massive explosions in the Lebanese capital's port area rocked the city earlier today, killing at least 70 people and injuring more than 3,000 others. 'The United States stands ready to assist Lebanon,' Trump said at a White House briefing. 'We will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack.' When quizzed by a reporter if he was certain the explosion was in fact an attack, Trump confirmed that he was, insisting he had 'met with some of our great generals and they seem to feel that it was. 'They would know better than I would,' the president continued. 'They seem to think ... it was a bomb of some kind, yes.' Advertisement

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents in the city about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.

Critical infrastructure was affected by the blast, including the port, the airport and hospitals.

Firefighters had already been on the scene dealing with an initial blaze when the explosion took place. One security source told Reuters today that the initial fire was caused during welding work on a hole in a warehouse wall.

That fire spread, and before firefighters could control it, apparently detonated the ammonium nitrate.

One Israeli bomb expert suggested fireworks could have been involved in the initial blaze.

Explosives certification expert Boaz Hayoun said: 'Before the big explosion ... in the center of the fire, you can see sparks, you can hear sounds like popcorn and you can hear whistles. This is very specific behavior of fireworks.'

After the second, more devastating explosion, images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than six million.

Charbel Haj, who works at the harbour, said the explosion started as small explosions like firecrackers before he was suddenly thrown off his feet by the huge blast.

The explosion damaged the Roum Hospital, which put out a call for people to bring it spare generators to keep its electricity going as it evacuated patients because of heavy damage.

Outside the St George University Hospital in Beirut's Achrafieh neighbuorhood, people with various injuries arrived in ambulances, in cars and on foot.

The explosion had caused major damage inside the building and knocked out the electricity at the hospital. Dozens of injured were being treated on the spot on the street outside, on stretchers and wheelchairs.

Lebanon's Red Cross said it had been drowning in calls from injured people, many who are still trapped in their homes.

Miles from the scene of the blast, balconies were knocked down, ceiling collapsed and windows were shattered.

Beirut's main airport, six miles away from the port, was reportedly damaged by the explosion, with pictures showing sections of collapsed ceiling.

Beirut's governor told journalists he does not know the cause of the explosion and said he had never seen such destruction, comparing the sobering scenes to Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

Local Fady Roumieh was stood in the car park to shopping centre ABC Mall Achrafieh, around 2km east of the blast, when the explosion occurred.

Ammonium nitrate: the fertilizer behind many industrial accidents Ammonium nitrate, which Lebanese authorities have said was the cause of the Beirut blast, is an odorless crystalline substance commonly used as a fertilizer that has been the cause of numerous industrial explosions over the decades. These include notably at a Texas fertilizer plant in 2013 that killed 15 and was ruled deliberate, and another at a chemical plant in Toulouse, France in 2001 that killed 31 people but was accidental. When combined with fuel oils, ammonium nitrate creates a potent explosive widely used by the construction industry, but also by insurgent groups like the Taliban for improvised explosives. It was also a component in the bomb behind the 1995 Oklahoma City attack. In agriculture, ammonium nitrate fertilizer is applied in granule form and quickly dissolves under moisture, allowing nitrogen -- which is key to plant growth -- to be released into the soil. Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said 2,750 metric tons of ammonium nitrate that had been stored for years in a Beirut portside warehouse had blown up, killing dozens of people and causing unprecedented damage to the Lebanese capital. However, under normal storage conditions and without very high heat, it is difficult to ignite ammonium nitrate, Jimmie Oxley, a chemistry professor at the University of Rhode Island, told AFP. 'If you look at the video (of the Beirut explosion), you saw the black smoke, you saw the red smoke, that was an incomplete reaction,' she said. 'I am assuming that there was a small explosion that instigated the reaction of the ammonium nitrate -- whether that small explosion was an accident or something on purpose I haven't heard yet.' That's because ammonium nitrate is an oxidizer -- it intensifies combustion and allows other substances to ignite more readily, but is not itself very combustible. For these reasons, there are generally very strict rules about where it can be stored: for example, it must be kept away from fuels and sources of heat. In fact, many countries in the European Union require that calcium carbonate to be added to ammonium nitrate to create calcium ammonium nitrate, which is safer. In the United States, regulations were tightened significantly after the Oklahoma City attack. Advertisement

He said: 'It was like a nuclear bomb. The damage is so widespread and severe all over the city.

'Some buildings as far as 2km are partially collapsed. It's like a war zone. The damage is extreme. Not one glass window intact.'

A soldier at the port, where relatives of the missing scrambled for news of their loved ones, said: 'It's a catastrophe inside. There are corpses on the ground. Ambulances are still lifting the dead.'

A woman in her twenties stood screaming at security forces, asking about the fate of her brother, a port employee.

'His name is Jad, his eyes are green,' she pleaded, to no avail as officers refused her entry.

'It was like an atomic bomb,' said Makrouhie Yerganian, a retired schoolteacher in her mid-70s who has lived near the port for decades.

'I've experienced everything, but nothing like this before,' even during the country's 1975-1990 civil war, she said.

'All the buildings around here have collapsed.'

One witness said: 'I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding.

'Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street.'

Rami Rifai, a 38-year-old engineer,from a hospital where his two daughters were receiving treatment after sustaining cuts despite being half a kilometre from the seat of the blast said: 'We've had some dark days in Lebanon over the years but this is something else.

'We already had the economic crisis, a government of thieves and coronavirus. I didn't think it could get worse but now I don't know if this country can get up again. Everyone is going to try to leave. I will try to leave,' he said, his voice choked by tears.

One resident of Mar Mikhail, one of the most affected neighbourhoods, said she saw bodies strewn in the middle of the street, apparently thrown off balconies and rooftops by the blast.

For a long time after the blast, ambulance sirens sounded across the city and helicopters hovered above.

Residents said glass was broken in houses from Raouche, on the Mediterranean city's western tip, to Rabieh 10 km (6 miles) east).

And in Cyprus, a Mediterranean island lying 110 miles (180 km) northwest of Beirut, residents reported hearing two large bangs in quick succession.

One resident of the capital Nicosia said his house shook, rattling shutters.

'We do not have information about what has happened precisely, what has caused this, whether its accidental or manmade act,' he said.

Condolences poured in from across the world with Gulf nations, the United States and even Lebanon's arch foe Israel offering to send aid. France also promised to send assistance.

The blast revived memories of a 1975-90 civil war and its aftermath, when Lebanese endured heavy shelling, car bombings and Israeli air raids. Some residents thought an earthquake had struck.

'The blast blew me off metres away. I was in a daze and was all covered in blood. It brought back the vision of another explosion I witnessed against the U.S. embassy in 1983,' said Huda Baroudi, a Beirut designer.

Footage shows a thick column of smoke rising from the port before an explosion sends a fireball into the sky

A general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large explosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

Lebanese firefighters work at the scene of explosion at the Beirut Port, Beirut following the huge explosion yesterday evening

An injured man covered in blood is seen in Beirut following the explosion in Beirut on Tuesday

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4

Glass is shattered by the explosion at the Cavalier Hotel in Beirut following the explosion

Pictures shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which lay waste to surrounding buildings

Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut

Explosion rocks Lebanon during time of deep economic turmoil The explosion comes amid political tension in Lebanon, with street demonstrations against the government's handling the worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. Late last year investigators revealed what was effectively a state-sponsored pyramid scheme being run by the central bank, which was borrowing from commercial banks at above-market interest rates to pay back its debts and maintain the Lebanese pound's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. In January mass protests against the corruption allegations and a faltering economy led to the fall of Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government. His predecessor , Independent Hassan Diab, cut the country's budget by $700million and put in place a financial rescue plan a month later. But Lebanon's problems have persisted after the Covid-19 pandemic forced global border closures, and protests have returned after the Lebanese pound fell in value, despite a lockdown being imposed in March. Many businesses have been forced to close, but as prices continue to rise with a devalued currency some are struggling to buy basic necessities, and the prime minister warned that Lebanon was at risk of a 'major food crisis'. Analysts suggest the crisis has been prolonged because of political sectarianism, with the president, prime minister and speaker split between the three largest cultural groups; Christians; Shia Muslim; and Sunni Muslims. Parliament is also drawn down the middle between Christian and Muslim members. With the country's governance in need of unity between the competing groups, external powers have been able to interfere in the country. Iran, for instance, backs the militant Hezbollah Shia movement Advertisement

UN chief Antonio Guterres expressed his 'deepest condolences ... following the horrific explosions in Beirut' which he said had also injured some United Nations personnel.

Boris Johnson offered to help the crisis-hit country, tweeting: 'The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking.

'All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.'

The UK Foreign Office has said a few of its embassy staff sustained non-life threatening injuries in the blast.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said in a tweet: 'The images of explosions in Beirut are deeply worrying. Our thoughts are with those affected, the emergency services and the people of Lebanon.'

Offers of aid also came from bitter rivals Israel, with which it is still technically at war.

Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government - via international intermediaries - medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance,' said a joint statement from the two ministries.

Last week, Israel accused the Lebanese group Hezbollah of trying to send gunmen across the UN-demarcated Blue Line and said it held the Lebanese government responsible for what it termed an attempted 'terrorist' attack.

Hezbollah said all of the country's political powers must unite to overcome the 'painful catastrophe'.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France stood 'alongside Lebanon' and was ready to help, tweeting: 'France stands and will always stand by the side of Lebanon and the Lebanese. It is ready to provide assistance according to the needs expressed by the Lebanese authorities.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted: 'We are monitoring and stand ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this horrible tragedy.'

Iran's foreign minister has said it is standing by to help Lebanon recover from the fallout of the explosion.

Countries in the Gulf paid tribute to victims of the explosion as Qatar said it would send field hospitals to support Lebanon's medical response.

Qatar's ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani called President Michel Aoun to offer condolences, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency.

Sheikh Tamim wished 'a speedy recovery for the injured,' adding that he 'expressed Qatar's solidarity with brotherly Lebanon and its willingness to provide all kinds of assistance'.

Buildings and cars are partially destroyed in the neighbourhood of Mar Mikhael following an explosion at the port of Beirut last night

Firefighters douse a blaze at the city's port tonight following the deadly explosion which has wreaked devestation on Beirut

Smoke billows from harbor area with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor of Beirut

The thick plume of smoke looms over the city of Beirut on Tuesday evening after the explosion at the port

A view shows the damages entrance of a store in Burj Abu Haidar area in Beirut

Israel among the countries to offer bomb-struck Beirut humanitarian aid In a televised message this evening, Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab called on all 'friendly and brotherly countries to stand by Lebanon', hours after the bomb blast which tore through downtown Beirut, killing dozens, wounding thousands, and destroying countless buildings in the city centre. Among those to answer the call were Iran, Britain and France. Israel, whom Lebanon is still technically at war with, also offered their support. 'Following the explosion in Beirut, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government - via international intermediaries - medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance,' said a joint statement from the two ministries. The offer comes after two weeks of heightened tensions between the rival neighbours, with a series of border clashes between the Israeli Defence Forces and Hezbollah on Israel's northern frontier. Israel accused the Lebanese group Hezbollah of trying to send gunmen across the UN-demarcated Blue Line and said it held the Lebanese government responsible for what it termed an attempted 'terrorist' attack. Hezbollah and Israel last fought a 33-day war in the summer of 2006. Advertisement

Elsewhere in the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted that 'our hearts are with Beirut and its people'.

He posted the tribute alongside an image of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, illuminated in the colours of the Lebanese flag.

'Our prayers during these difficult hours are that God... protects brotherly Lebanon and the Lebanese to reduce their affliction and heal their wounds,' he wrote.

Gulf countries including Qatar and the UAE maintain close ties with Beirut and have long provided financial aid and diplomatic assistance to mediate Lebanon's political and sectarian divisions.

Bahrain's foreign ministry urged its nationals in Lebanon to contact the ministry's operations centre or Manama's representative in Beirut, while Kuwait ordered its citizens to take extreme caution and stay indoors.

It comes just days before a United Nations tribunal is set to rule on the assassination of the country's former PM Rafik Hariri.

The house of his son, Saad Hariri, who also led the country, was damaged by the blast but he was confirmed safe.

Save the Children said in a statement that members of their team on the ground in the city have reported entire streets destroyed and children unaccounted for.

Despite the charity's offices in the city being badly damaged, they have pledged that a rapid response team is ready to offer support.

Jad Sakr, Save the Children's country director in Lebanon, said: 'We are shocked and devastated by the explosion today.

'The death toll may not be known for several days but we do know is that in a disaster like this, children may be hurt, shocked and separated from their parents.

'Our child protection teams are ready to support the government's efforts, which will almost certainly go on for several days to come.

'It is vital that children and their families get access to the services they urgently need, including medical care and physical and emotional protection.'

He added: 'The incident could not have occurred at a worst time and has hit communities who were already suffering from the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the economic deterioration.

'Beirut's main port, now completely damaged, is vital for much of the food, grains and fuel that Lebanon imports, and families will immediately feel the shortage in basic needs as a result of this tragedy.'

Lebanese President Michel Aoun holds a High Defence Council meeting at the Baabda Palace following the blast

A car if left flipped on its roof on a motorway as a result of the devastating impact of the explosion yesterday

A mobile phone image showing a general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large exoplosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

People on the street in Beirue which is strewn with debris from damaged buildings following the explosion

The loud blast in Beirut's port area was felt across large parts of the city and some districts lost electricity

The health minister told Reuters there was a 'very high number' of injured. Al Mayadeen TV said hundreds were wounded

Witnesses have reported bystanders injured by falling debris from buildings and shards of glass flying towards people after the shockwave smashed out windows

A wounded man walks near the scene of an explosion in Beirut

A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut last night. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city

Israel denies any involvement in Beirut port blast that comes amid rising tensions in between Lebanon and its neighbour

by WILL COLE for MailOnline

Israel has denied having anything to do with the huge explosion in Beirut, adding that the country was ready to give humanitarian and medical assistance to Lebanon.

The huge explosion in port warehouses near the city centre as killed more than 70 people, injured at least 4,000 and sent shockwaves that shattered windows, smashed masonry and shook the ground.

Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further after Tuesday's blast as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead. It was the most powerful explosion in years to hit Beirut, which is already reeling from an economic crisis and a surge in coronavirus infections.

Lebanon's interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up. Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, denied any role.

'Israel has approached Lebanon through international security and diplomatic channels and has offered the Lebanese government medical and humanitarian assistance,' a written statement from Israeli Defence Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi said.

Shi'ite Iran, the main backer of militant political party Hezbollah, also offered support, as did Tehran's regional rival Saudi Arabia, a leading Sunni power.

Lebanon's interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up

'What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe,' the head of Lebanon's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. 'There are victims and casualties everywhere.'

Hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 6 p.m. (1500 GMT), a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

A security source said victims were taken for treatment outside the city because Beirut hospitals were packed with wounded. Ambulances from the north and south of the country and the Bekaa valley to the east were called in to help.

The blast was so big that some residents in the city, where memories of heavy shelling during the 1975 to 1990 civil war live on, thought an earthquake had struck. Dazed, weeping and wounded people walked through streets searching for relatives.

'I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability,' Prime Minister Hassan Diab told the nation.

'Those responsible will pay the price,' he said in his televised address, adding that details about the 'dangerous warehouse' would be made public.

The interior minister told Al Jadeed TV that ammonium nitrate had been stored at the port since 2014.

The U.S. embassy in Beirut warned residents in the city about reports of toxic gases released by the blast, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.

Footage of the explosion shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port followed by an enormous blast, sending up a white cloud and a fireball into the sky. Those filming the incident from high buildings 2 km (one mile) from the port were thrown backwards by the shock.

It was not immediately clear what caused the initial blaze on Tuesday that set off the blast.

Lebanon's health minister said more than 50 people had been killed and more than 2,750 injured. Lebanon's Red Cross said hundreds of people had been taken to hospitals.

The governor of Beirut port told Sky News a team of firefighters, who were battling the initial blaze, had 'disappeared' after the explosion.

President Michel Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared. He said it was 'unacceptable' that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored for six years without safety measures.

The prime minister called for a day of mourning.

The explosion occurred three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite Muslim group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 others.

Hariri was killed by a huge truck bomb on the same waterfront, about 2 km (about one mile) from the port.

Western countries including the United States, Britain and France also said they were ready to assist.

Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than 6 million.

It threatens a new humanitarian crisis in a nation that hosts hundreds of thousands of Syrian refugees and which is already grappling with economic meltdown under one of the world's biggest debt burdens.

Residents said glass was broken in neighbourhoods on Beirut's Mediterranean coast and inland suburbs several kms (miles) away. In Cyprus, a Mediterranean island 110 miles (180 km) across the sea from Beirut, residents heard the blast. One resident in Nicosia said his house and window shutters shook.
2020 isn't 'just another year' for those of us who are still alive and living in times of a global pandemic.

Coronavirus, social-distancing, sanitation, quarantine, masks six-feet apart, have all become common words in our vocabulary now, as has, 'When will the vaccine arrive?'

But even thousands of years ago, pandemics still existed, even though they weren't classified as such till much later, and while vaccines didn't exist back then, scientists have found how people travelling from place to place led to the spread of the world's deadliest virus - smallpox.

Smallpox, which spread from person to person via infectious droplets, killed around a third of the infected, and left another third permanently scarred or blind. Around 300 million people died from it in the 20th century alone before it was officially eradicated in 1980 through a global vaccination effort, making it the first human disease to be wiped out.

Now, an international team of scientists from St John's College, University of Cambridge, and The Lundbeck Foundation GeoGenetics Centre, University of Copenhagen, found that Vikings, travelling from place to place may have led to the spread of the disease.

This discovery was recently made when scientists sequenced the genomes of newly discovered strains of the virus after it was extracted from the teeth of Viking skeletons from sites across northern Europe. The findings have been published in journal Science.

"Vikings were moving around Europe and beyond, and we now know they had smallpox. People travelling around the world quickly spread Covid-19 and it is likely Vikings spread smallpox. Just back then, they travelled by ship rather than by plane," said Professor Eske Willerslev, who led the study, reports Science Daily.

Historians believe smallpox may have existed since 10,000 BC but until now there was no scientific proof that the virus was present before the 17th century. It is not known how it first infected humans but, just like Covid-19, it was believed to have jumped from animals to humans.
For almost a year of operation, the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine has delivered 13 guilty verdicts, and now 172 criminal proceedings are under advisement, Head of the High Anti-Corruption Court of Ukraine Olena Tanasevych said.

"Currently, some 172 criminal proceedings are under advisement on the merits of the charges brought against the High Anti-Corruption Court. For the vast majority of these proceedings, the court is at the stage of examining the evidence. From September 5, 2019 to the present, the court delivered 14 verdicts, namely, 13 guilty ones (seven of them on the basis of agreements on admission of guilt) and one non-guilty verdict," Tanasevych said in an exclusive interview with Interfax-Ukraine.

Speaking about the level of public confidence in the court, Tanasevych said that it "directly depends on the level of professionalism of judges, on the fairness and soundness of their decisions, on the modesty and restraint of judges in everyday life, on the culture of communication not only in the courtroom, but also in everyday life."

"To be a judge is a high honor, it is a lifestyle and a way of thinking," the court's head said.

She also said: "Unfortunately, in Ukrainian realities one can observe actions of purposeful discrediting of specific judges and the judiciary in general, or hear public criticism and sometimes outright lies and even swear words in the media or social networks."

According to Tanasevych, in order to create confidence in the activities of the High Anti-Corruption Court, a communications department was created, judges-speakers were elected, information on the consideration of cases is promptly submitted and online broadcasts of meetings are held.

"This large system of measures, in fact, is a forced step. However, it allows the court to cover its activities independently and resist distortion of information. I hope that this will allow moderate citizens to form an objective opinion about the activities of the court and will help maintain public confidence," she said.
Former Maharashtra chief minister and leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party Narayan Rane gave his two bits in the controversial Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Speaking to the media on Tuesday, August 4, Rane said that Sushant Singh Rajput's death was not a suicide but a murder and that it needs to be investigated thoroughly.

The statement by Rane has come right after Bihar Chief Minister Nitin Kumar recommended a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the case.

Rane has taken the names of two Bollywood actors, Sooraj Pancholi and Dino Morea, in the Sushant case and wants them to be questioned by the police. Rane claimed that there was a party at Sooraj Pancholi's place on June 13, 2020, the night before Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his apartment. The politician claimed that the Bollywood bigwigs who attended Pancholi's party need to be questioned.

Rane further said that a lot of ministers visit Dino Morea's house, which is close to where Sushant Singh Rajput lives and claimed that they were headed to Sushant's place after they left Dino's house.

"Why were people present at Sooraj Pancholi's house party not questioned? On June 13 there was a party," he said, adding, "Who is Dino Morea? His house is some distance away from Sushant Singh Rajput's house. Many ministers visit Dino's house. That day, after the party, everyone left Dino's place and headed to Sushant's house."

Rane tried to point out that Mumbai Police are trying to hide and protect some people in the case. He questioned why the police haven't been able to find the location of accused Rhea Chakraborty, who has been charged with abetment to suicide and has kept her phone off.

Rane also alleged that there is a definite link between the alleged suicide cases of Sushant Singh Rajput and his ex-manager Disha Salian, which happened in quick succession.

Rane reportedly said in his press conference that Disha Salian was raped and murdered. The politician's son Nitesh Rane stands by his father's statement, saying that he being an ex-CM will say things responsibly.

ALSO READ: Disha Salian's Mother Doesn't Believe Her Death Has Any Connection With Sushant Singh Rajput's Death

ALSO READ: Sushant's Friend Says Actor Cried & Fainted When He Saw His Name Being Associated With Disha's Death



Worried about your mental well-being or of someone you know? Help is just a call away. Reach out to the nearest mental health specialist at COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ)- 0832-2252525, Parivarthan- +91 7676 602 602, Connecting Trust- +91 992 200 1122/+91-992 200 4305 or Sahai- 080-25497777/ SAHAIHELPLINE@GMAIL.COM
Great things happen when we come together. The onset of August brings with it celebration of camaraderie. This Friendship Day, Indias largest social singing app, Smule and Radio Mirchi come together to create a magical bond between music and friendship with a brand-new anthem, India Jam Karega.

What started out as an ad jingle took an interesting turn of events. They say three times a charm. Well, the charm worked right its way up when real-life musical buddies, Benny Dayal, Shalmali and Sneha Khanwalkar, jammed with each other to create a foot-thumping music track dedicated to their spirit of friendship.

At first, this trio was set out to create a just a jingle for Smule. But seeing potential in their own creation, the buddy musicians wanted to take their shared passion for music to the next level. Days of jamming together, changing notes here, adding beats there, and lots of fun is what gave way to this amazing friendship anthem - India Jam Karega. It truly is the product of a jam session of three great friends.

So, what better way to ring in the Friendship Day festivities than with a super cool jam of dosti created by three millennial friends? India Jam Karega, brought to us by Smule and Radio Mirchi, is filled with the emotion of togetherness and captures cherished moments where friends unite in song and in spirit. Replete with fun and energy, this track cherishes the bonds we share with the ones closest to us. The unique song dedicated to friendship joins the Smule Friendship Jam Playlist that features other evergreen hits of dosti like Tere Jaisa Yaar Kahan, Aaya Mausam Dosti Ka, Salamat Rahe Dostana Humara and more.

While celebrating this day of dosti the conventional way seems less likely, Smule and Radio Mirchi have an exciting way to kick in the Friendship Day festivities virtually on the Smule App. The campaign, Smule Friendship Jam with Radio Mirchi, will be a two-week long celebration of companionship with exciting digital fun in store for Indias music-loving community.

Candid jam sessions with renowned music celebrities, live online events with Radio Mirchis top RJs and special Smule Friendship Jam playlist are some things Indian music lovers can look forward to. The campaign not only brings friends together, it has also brought the music industry together with Bollywood personalities like Papon, Salim  Sulaiman, Nirmika Singh, Lisa Mishra, Harshdeep Kaur, Karan Wahi, Rithvik Dhanjani joining the jam.

Excited about the Smule Friendship Jam, Viral Jani, Sr. VP Investments Operations, Times Bridge, said, As the custodian of the Smule brand in the Indian market, we at Times Bridge value the love Smule gets from the growing community of millions of music lovers who bond on the Smule platform over music and have formed lasting friendships. We are delighted to co-create the Smule Friendship Jam with Mirchi, a unique celebration of friendship and music which is true to the brand essence of Smule - Making friends with Music and Music with friends.

Yatish Merhrishi, COO, Radio Mirchi said, Radio Mirchi is delighted to partner with Smule yet again to create the Friendship Jam Anthem. Radio Mirchi and Smule both being synonymous to music, this partnership bodes well to the Friendship anthem being launched on Friendship day. Along with various renowned artists and a robust digital media plan, we look forward to our anthem successfully reaching out to all parts of the country.

Staying true to the spirit of jamming together, singing enthusiasts can jam with the celebrities on a song of their choice from the Smule Friendship Playlist. Thats not all, there are even special virtual gifts they can give each other on their smashing performances.

Radio Mirchi and Smule are excited to take the core ethos of friendships through music, a notch higher this Friendship Day. Through this anthem, Smule & Mirchi invite all of India to come on the platform and jam along to the tunes of timeless friendship.
Wellington: Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS sign in the sand that was spotted from above.

The men had been missing in the Micronesia archipelago for nearly three days when their distress signal was spotted on Sunday on uninhabited Pikelot Island by searchers on Australian and US aircraft, the Australian Defence Department said.

An Australian Army helicopter lands on Pikelot Island in the Federated States of Micronesia, where three men were found on Sunday after missing for three days. Credit:ADF

The men had apparently set out from Pulawat atoll in a 7-metre boat on July 30 and had intended to travel about 43 kilometres to Pulap atoll when they sailed off course and ran out of fuel.

Searchers in Guam asked for Australian help. The HMAS Canberra, which was returning to Australia from exercises in Hawaii, diverted to the area and joined forces with US searchers from Guam.
By PTI

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Tuesday hosted a 'Hanuman Chalisa' recital at his residence here and announced sending 11 silver bricks for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, on the eve of the "bhoomi pujan" ceremony.

Nath said the silver bricks were bought from contributions made by members of the Congress.

"We will send 11 silver bricks for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya on the behalf of citizens of Madhya Pradesh," the former chief minister told reporters.

READ|Ayodhya wakes up to Treta Yug as three-day rituals begin with 'Gauri Ganesh Pujan'

He said 'Hanuman Chalisa' was recited for happiness, progress and prosperity of Madhya Pradesh.

Welcoming the upcoming construction of a Ram temple, Nath said its foundation had been led by prime minister (late) Rajiv Gandhi "who had opened the Ram Janmabhoomi temple site in 1985".

"These are our sentiments. Rajivji had said in 1989 that 'Ram Rajya' should come in the country. It's due to Rajiv Gandhi that the dream of Ram temple is coming true. Had he been alive, he would have been very happy," Nath said.

The former CM also listed various works done by his government, which collapsed in March this year, for the protection of cows and development of temples.

"I had installed a huge idol of Lord Hanuman in Chhindwara. We built 'gaushalas' or cow shelters when in power. We also removed obstacles that came in the way of construction of 'Ram Van Gaman Path' (a mythological route taken by Lord Ram on his way to the 14-year exile). We had also planned the development of Mahakal and Omkareshwar temples," he said.

When asked about the BJP's allegations that the Congress lacked a firm stand on the issue of Ram temple, Nath said, "We do think about the party line. They (BJP) think about the party line. These are our sentiments".

Earlier in the day, Nath posted his picture clad in saffron on his Twitter profile.

Several leaders of the Congress, including former Union minister Arun Yadav and his MLA brother Sachin Yadav, have posted videos reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' on social media.

However, the ruling BJP took a swipe at the Congress, saying it was trying to take undue credit for the Ram temple.

"How can the party whose president Sonia Gandhi has not spoken a word about Ram temple is trying to take credit? Devotees of Lord Ram understand this politics of the Congress," said state Home Minister and senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra.

He also referred to Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh's demand to postpone the Wednesday's foundation laying ceremony in Ayodhya in view of "inauspicious muhurat".

"Construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya is part of the BJP's agenda," said Mishra.
The United States House Intelligence Committee has launched an investigation into the Department of Homeland Securitys intelligence office, including its actions during protests in Portland, Oregon and its involvement in other anti-racism demonstrations across the country.

In a letter to DHS officials on Monday, Committee Chairman Adam Schiff wrote that the reporting regarding the monitoring of peaceful protesters, creating and disseminating intelligence reports about journalists and protesters, and potential exploitation of electronic devices is deeply troubling.

The letter referred to a series of reports in US media last week that said DHS Intelligence and Analysis Office (I&A) had compiled intelligence reports on journalists covering the nightly protests in Portland using a government system meant to share information about suspected terrorists and violent actors.





News reports also detailed that the office monitored messages sent between non-violent protesters on encrypted apps.

The US has seen largely peaceful protests nationwide since the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes in Minneapolis in May.

Protests in cities have at times erupted into arson and violence, and federal officers sent into the Portland in June have repeatedly clashed with crowds targeting the federal court there.

The Trump administration had said the federal agents were deployed to the city to protect federal property and monuments.

Schiff wrote that I&A appeared to be using an aggressive and novel legal interpretation to justify collecting and disseminating intelligence regarding a wide range of threats to damage or destroy public monuments, memorials and statues  no matter how minor.

He added the offices reinterpretation of its authority was chilling and inconsistent with constitutional and other legal protections Americans deserve and expect.

Violent Antifa Anarchist Inspired

The House investigation indicates that Democrats will use congressional authority to investigate alleged efforts by the Trump administration to demonise protesters and deploy federal personnel in law enforcement operations despite opposition from local mayors and governors.

In his letter, Schiff also noted that Brian Murphy, the head of I&A who had been reportedly reassigned on Saturday, had appeared to provide incomplete and potentially misleading information to committee staff during a previous briefing.





In a previous letter sent to Murphy by Senate Intelligence Committee Democrats on Friday, they wrote that he had stated on July 23 that his office had neither collected nor exploited or analyzed information obtained from the devices or accounts of protesters or detainees.

The Intelligence Committee on Monday, as part of its investigation, also requested detailed intelligence reporting documents that informed a July 25 recommendation by Murphy for DHS reports to refer to anarchist-related Portland protester as Violent Antifa Anarchists Inspired, instead of Violent Opportunists.

In his letter to DHS, Schiff also requested that acting department intelligence chief Horace Jen, Murphy and several other DHS officials, including intelligence officials, give interviews to the committee this month.

Schiff added that if the department did not produce the witnesses and documents he requested, he would consider issuing subpoenas.
Shenandoah, IA (51601)

Today

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 13F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Partly cloudy this evening, then becoming cloudy after midnight. Low 13F. Winds NNW at 15 to 25 mph. Higher wind gusts possible.
Further Results from First Mining's 2019 - 2020 Drill Program at the Main Zone

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / First Mining Gold Corp. ("First Mining" or the "Company") (TSX:FF)(OTCQX:FFMGF)(FRANKFURT:FMG) is pleased to announce the latest results from the 2019 - 2020 drill program completed by First Mining at the Goldlund Gold Project ("Goldlund" or the "Project") in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Drilling focused on delineating mineralization in the eastern portion of the defined resource area at Goldlund (the "Main Zone"), with these results including the highest-grade interval encountered to date in the 2019 - 2020 program, Hole GL-20-033, which intersected 173.8 grams per tonne gold ("g/t Au") over 1.0 metre ("m").

Latest highlights from holes drilled at the Main Zone include:

Hole GL-20-033 intersected 173.80 g/t Au over 1.0 m

Hole GL-20-034 intersected 5.10 g/t Au over 1.0 m

"These five holes represent the completion of our 2019 - 2020 drill program, which consisted of a total of 48 holes" stated Dan Wilton, CEO of First Mining. "The program was successful in further delineating the Main Zone and followed on from the Company's successful drill program at its Miller Prospect in 2018 and 2019. Both of these campaigns have demonstrated the exceptional exploration potential at Goldlund. We look forward to seeing continued exploration successes under new management at Treasury Metals once the sale of the Project is completed in mid-August. We are confident that the district-scale Goldlund-Goliath gold project, in which First Mining will continue to be a significant shareholder through our holdings in Treasury Metals, will develop into one of the most important gold projects in Ontario."

The five holes highlighted in this news release are all located in the northeast portion of the Goldlund deposit, with drilling in this area targeting definition of the northeast extension of Zone 2 and Zone 3. Gold mineralization was encountered in all five holes and included the highest-grade intercept of the program (173.8 g/t gold over 1 metre in hole GL-20-033). As seen throughout this latest drill program, the mineralization encountered in the last five holes occurs within locally silicified, sheared and variolitic andesites, as well as gabbros and altered porphyries. This counters the conventional theory, from previous exploration work, that the mineralization at Goldlund is primarily associated with granodiorite (tonalite) which is the main host for the Zones 1 and 7 gold mineralization.

As part of the 2019 - 2020 drill program at the Main Zone, First Mining completed a total of 48 holes (8,958 metres). This news release incorporates results from the final five holes completed, following on from the Company's March 2, 2020, May 6, 2020 and July 7, 2020 news releases which announced the results of prior holes. Drilling has been completed on approximate 50 metre spacing, with the overall goal of the drill program to define and extend mineralization in the eastern and western portions of the Main Zone area. The 2019 - 2020 drill program at the Main Zone has been successful both in identifying other host lithologies for gold mineralization, and in demonstrating that additional mineralization also occurs between the currently defined mineralized zones. Drill results from the northeast area have confirmed the continuity of higher-grade mineralization over approximately 600 metres of strike length, with mineralization remaining open in both directions along strike. Mineralization also remains open to the southwest of the current resource area.

Select assay results from these five holes from the Main Zone drill program are reported below:

Hole ID From (m) To (m) Length (m) Au g/t Target GL-20-030 169.00 180.00 11.00 0.42 Main Zone (Zone 2) GL-20-031 30.00 38.00 8.00 0.49 Main Zone (Zone 2) including 37.00 38.00 1.00 1.73 and 73.00 89.00 16.00 0.36 GL-20-032 172.00 173.00 1.00 1.89 Main Zone (Zone 2) GL-20-033 61.00 66.00 5.00 0.63 Main Zone (Zone 2) and 73.00 74.00 1.00 173.80 GL-20-034 101.00 136.00 35.00 0.32 Main Zone (Zone 2) including 104.00 111.00 7.00 1.14 and including 104.00 105.00 1.00 5.10 and including 110.00 111.00 1.00 1.65 Notes: Assaying for the Goldlund 2019-2020 drill program was completed by SGS Canada Inc. ("SGS") at their laboratories in Red Lake, Ontario and Vancouver, BC. Prepared 50 g samples were analyzed for gold by lead fusion fire assay with an atomic absorption spectrometry finish. Multi-element analysis was also completed on selected holes by two-acid aqua regia digestion with ICP-MS and AES finish

Reported widths are drilled core lengths; true widths are unknown at this time. Assay values are uncut

Drill Result Details

A plan map showing the drill hole locations and assay status at the Main Zone can be viewed at: http://www.firstmininggold.com/_resources/maps/2020-08-04-Goldlund-NR-Plan-Map.pdf.

A complete list of the 2019 and 2020 drill results to date, including hole details, can be viewed at: http://www.firstmininggold.com/_resources/news/2020-08-FF-NR-Goldlund-2019and2020-Drill-Results.pdf.

Drill Hole Locations

Hole ID Azimuth  Dip  Final Depth (m) UTM East UTM North GL-20-030 155 -57 218 547992 5528465 GL-20-031 155 -50 218 548072 5528499 GL-20-032 155 -45 230 548138 5528554 GL-20-033 155 -45 200 548028 5528491 GL-20-034 155 -59 170 548028 5528491

QA/QC Procedures

The QA/QC program for the 2019 - 2020 drilling program at Goldlund consisted of the submission of duplicate samples and the insertion of Certified Reference Materials and blanks at regular intervals. These were inserted at a rate of one standard for every 20 samples (5% of total) and one blank for every 30 samples (3% of total). The standards used in the 2019-2020 Goldlund drilling program range in grade from 0.5 g/t Au to 9.0 g/t Au, and were sourced from CDN Resource Laboratories in Langley, BC. Blanks have been sourced locally from barren granitic material.

Field duplicates from quartered core, as well as 'coarse' or 'pulp' duplicates taken from coarse reject material or pulverized splits, were also submitted at regular intervals with an insertion rate of 4% for field duplicates and 4% for coarse or pulp duplicates. Additional selected duplicates are being submitted to an umpire lab for check assaying. SGS also undertakes its own internal coarse and pulp duplicate analysis to ensure proper sample preparation and equipment calibration.

Director Resignation

First Mining also announces that, effective July 31, 2020, Ms. Aoife McGrath has resigned from her position as a director of First Mining as a result of accepting a new role as Vice President, Exploration for Africa and the Middle East at Barrick Gold Corporation.

"I have sincerely enjoyed serving on the Board of First Mining and was looking forward to contributing further. However, my recent appointment with Barrick Gold precludes me from holding other Board directorships in the gold mining sector. I wish First Mining, its directors and employees all the best going forward," stated Ms. McGrath.

Mr. Keith Neumeyer, Chairman of First Mining, stated, "It has been a pleasure to work with Aoife. We appreciated her diligence, insight, and enthusiasm as First Mining undertook some significant transformational transactions over the past few months. I wish to thank her for her contributions to First Mining and congratulate her on her new role."

The directors thank Ms. McGrath for her contribution to First Mining and wish her the best in her new role. The Company has commenced a search for a new director to replace Ms. McGrath.

Qualified Person

Hazel Mullin, P.Geo., Director, Data Management and Technical Services of First Mining, is a "Qualified Person" for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"), and she has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical disclosure contained in this news release.

About First Mining Gold Corp.

First Mining is a Canadian gold developer focused on the development and permitting of the Springpole Gold Project in northwestern Ontario. Springpole is one of the largest undeveloped gold projects in Canada, currently hosting a mineral resource base of 4.67 million ounces of gold in the Indicated category and 0.23 million ounces of gold in the Inferred category1. A Pre-Feasibility Study is underway, with completion targeted in early 2021, and permitting is on-going with submission of the Environmental Impact Statement targeted for 2021. The Company is also in the process of closing its announced transaction with Treasury Metals Inc., after which it will hold a large equity position in Treasury that is advancing the Goliath-Goldlund gold project towards construction. First Mining's eastern Canadian property portfolio also includes the Pickle Crow (being advanced in partnership with Auteco Minerals Ltd.), Cameron, Hope Brook, Duparquet, Duquesne, and Pitt gold projects.

First Mining was created in 2015 by Mr. Keith Neumeyer, founding President and CEO of First Majestic Silver Corp.

ON BEHALF OF FIRST MINING GOLD CORP.

Daniel W. Wilton

Chief Executive Officer and Director

For further information, please contact:

Spiros Cacos | Vice President, Investor Relations

Direct: +1 604 639 8825 | Toll Free: 1 844 306 8827 | Email: info@firstmininggold.com

www.firstmininggold.com

Note:

1. These numbers are from the independent technical report titled "Preliminary Economic Assessment Update for the Springpole Gold Project, Ontario, Canada", dated November 5, 2019, which was prepared by SRK Consulting (Canada) Inc. in accordance with National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101") and is available at www.sedar.com under First Mining's SEDAR profile. Readers are cautioned that the PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain "forward-looking information" and "forward-looking statements" (collectively "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation including the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release. Forward-looking statements are frequently, but not always, identified by words such as "expects", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "intends", "estimates", "envisages", "potential", "possible", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions.

Forward-looking statements in this news release relate to future events or future performance and reflect current estimates, predictions, expectations or beliefs regarding future events and include, but are not limited to, statements with respect to: (i) the potential for resource growth and future exploration success at; (ii) the growth potential from the regional consolidation of Goldlund under the transaction with Treasury Metals Inc.; (iii) timing for the completion of a Pre-Feasibility Study for Springpole; (iv) timing for the submission of an Environmental Impact Statement for Springpole; (v) closing of the transaction with Treasury Metals Inc. and the Company holding a large equity position in Treasury Metals Inc. after closing; and (vi) realizing the value of the Company's gold projects for the Company's shareholders. All forward-looking statements are based on First Mining's or its consultants' current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Forward-looking statements reflect the beliefs, opinions and projections on the date the statements are made and are based upon a number of assumptions and estimates that, while considered reasonable by the respective parties, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors, both known and unknown, could cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the results, performance or achievements that are or may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and the parties have made assumptions and estimates based on or related to many of these factors. Such factors include, without limitation: the presence of and continuity of metals at Goldlund at estimated grades; success in realizing drilling programs; fluctuations in the spot and forward price of gold, silver, base metals or certain other commodities; fluctuations in the currency markets (such as the Canadian dollar versus the U.S. dollar); changes in national and local government, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments; risks and hazards associated with the business of mineral exploration and exploration drilling programs, development and mining (including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding); the presence of laws and regulations that may impose restrictions on mining; employee relations; relationships with and claims by local communities, indigenous populations and other stakeholders; availability and increasing costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development; title to properties.; and the additional risks described in the Company's Annual Information Form for the year ended December 31, 2019 filed with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities under the Company's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com, and in the Company's Annual Report on Form 40-F filed with the SEC on EDGAR.

First Mining cautions that the foregoing list of factors that may affect future results is not exhaustive. When relying on our forward-looking statements to make decisions with respect to First Mining, investors and others should carefully consider the foregoing factors and other uncertainties and potential events. First Mining does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by the Company or on our behalf, except as required by law.

Cautionary Note to United States Investors

This news release has been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the securities laws in effect in Canada, which differ from the requirements of U.S. securities laws. Unless otherwise indicated, all resource and reserve estimates included in this news release have been prepared in accordance with NI 43-101 and the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy, and Petroleum 2014 Definition Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. NI 43-101 is a rule developed by the Canadian Securities Administrators which establishes standards for all public disclosure an issuer makes of scientific and technical information concerning mineral projects. Canadian standards, including NI 43-101, differ significantly from the requirements of the SEC, and mineral resource and reserve information contained herein may not be comparable to similar information disclosed by U.S. companies. In particular, and without limiting the generality of the foregoing, the term "resource" does not equate to the term "reserves". Under U.S. standards, mineralization may not be classified as a "reserve" unless the determination has been made that the mineralization could be economically and legally produced or extracted at the time the reserve determination is made. The SEC's disclosure standards normally do not permit the inclusion of information concerning "measured mineral resources", "indicated mineral resources" or "inferred mineral resources" or other descriptions of the amount of mineralization in mineral deposits that do not constitute "reserves" by U.S. standards in documents filed with the SEC. Investors are cautioned not to assume that any part or all of mineral deposits in these categories will ever be converted into reserves. U.S. investors should also understand that "inferred mineral resources" have a great amount of uncertainty as to their existence and great uncertainty as to their economic and legal feasibility. It cannot be assumed that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" will ever be upgraded to a higher category. Under Canadian rules, estimated "inferred mineral resources" may not form the basis of feasibility or pre-feasibility studies except in rare cases. Investors are cautioned not to assume that all or any part of an "inferred mineral resource" exists or is economically or legally mineable. Disclosure of "contained ounces" in a resource is permitted disclosure under Canadian regulations; however, the SEC normally only permits issuers to report mineralization that does not constitute "reserves" by SEC standards as in-place tonnage and grade without reference to unit measures. The requirements of NI 43-101 for identification of "reserves" are also not the same as those of the SEC, and reserves reported by the Company in compliance with NI 43-101 may not qualify as "reserves" under SEC standards. Accordingly, information concerning mineral deposits set forth herein may not be comparable with information made public by companies that report in accordance with U.S. standards.

SOURCE: First Mining Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600199/First-Mining-Intersects-1738-gt-Gold-over-10-Metre-at-the-Goldlund-Gold-Project-Ontario-Canada
According to him, all 219 Vietnamese workers who returned to Vietnam from Equatorial Guinea on July 29 have been tested and only 20 of them positive for the novel coronavirus SARS-CoV-2, he said.

The Vietnamese workers had been stranded in the African country, with initial information asserting that nearly half of them already confirmed positive for SARS-CoV-2.

Cap explained that many of the workers were confirmed to be suffering from COVID-19 in Equatorial Guinea but had tested negative now possibly because they had recovered from the disease.

However, health care workers are still cautious and strictly deploying disease preventive measures to avoid risks of cross-infection, he said.

He added that all nine critical patients in the group, including six patients with lung damage and three with malaria, had seen their conditions improve.

We have been closely monitoring such complicated cases as we foresee risks if we ignore other diseases that the COVID-19 patients also have, Cap said, adding that so far, there were no serious complications.

The 219 workers, the flight crew of eight and four health care workers who escorted the repatriation flight were taken into quarantine at the Kim Chung branch of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases right after their arrival in Hanois Noi Bai International Airport.

Earlier, all patients at the hospital were moved to the hospital's campus in downtown Hanoi to make room for, and to be safe from a large number of coronavirus carrying returnees.

Vietnamplus
Congress backed the measure; critics say it falls far short of what is needed to maintain national parks and forests.

United States President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law legislation that will devote nearly $3bn annually to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands. The measure was overwhelmingly approved by Congress.

There hasnt been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect, Trump said of the 26th US president, who created many national parks, forests and monuments to preserve the nations natural resources.

Supporters say the Great American Outdoors Act is the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century. Opponents counter that the money is not enough to cover the estimated $20bn maintenance backlog on federally owned lands.

The law requires full, mandatory funding of the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund and addresses the maintenance backlog facing national parks and public lands. The law would devote about $900m a year  double current spending  to the conservation fund and another $1.9bn per year on improvements to national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and rangelands.

Supporters say the legislation will create at least 100,000 jobs, while restoring national parks and repairing trails and forest systems.

The park maintenance backlog has been a problem for decades, through both Republican and Democratic administrations.

The House and the Senate cleared the legislation by overwhelming bipartisan margins this summer.

Among the bills congressional champions are Republican Senators Cory Gardner of Colorado and Steve Daines of Montana. Both are among the Senates most vulnerable incumbents, and each represents a state where the outdoor economy and tourism at sites such as Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone National Parks play an outsized role.

Daines and Gardner persuaded Trump to support the legislation at a White House meeting this year, even though Trump has repeatedly tried to slash spending for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in his budget proposals.

Ivanka Trump, the Republican presidents daughter and adviser, also supported the legislation.

The legislations opponents, mostly Republicans, complain it would not eliminate an estimated $20bn maintenance backlog on 259 hectares (640 acres) of federally owned lands. The legislation authorises $9.5bn for maintenance over five years.

Lawmakers from Gulf Coast states also complained that their states receive too small a share of the revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling that is used to pay for the conservation fund.
Election 2020 Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Run for Seat in General Election, Myanmars Ruling Party Says

NLD lawmakers and members welcome Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to a celebration of her 74th birthday in Naypyitaw in 2019. / Myanmar State Counselors Office / Facebook
HAMPTON, N.H., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Planet Fitness, Inc. (NYSE: PLNT) reported financial results for its second quarter ended June 30, 2020.

"I am proud of how the entire Planet Fitness system is managing through this challenging time, especially the passion and commitment to take care of our members demonstrated by our store team members, headquarters employees and franchisees," said Chris Rondeau, Chief Executive Officer. "Following the temporary closure of all Planet Fitness stores in mid-March in response to the pandemic, 1,477 of our stores are reopened and operating to-date. This has been achieved through the execution of our expansive COVID-19 re-opening playbook designed to provide a safe and healthy in-store environment and strictly adhering to the guidelines laid out by state and local governments and health authorities. It continues to be a very fluid situation, with a number of states experiencing a spike in new cases as the third quarter got underway, which has resulted in certain stores re-closing pursuant to local mandates. We recently took additional steps to protect our members and staff by requiring everyone to wear a mask inside our stores except while actively working out, and we'll continue to proceed cautiously until there is greater certainty on when conditions will return to normal. While the near-term operating environment is likely to remain volatile and negatively affect our near-term revenue and profitability, I am confident that Planet Fitness is well positioned to capitalize on the industry consolidation that we believe will emerge over the next several years and increased focus on health & wellness."

Second Quarter Fiscal 2020 results

Total revenue decreased from the prior year period by 77.9% to $40.2 million .

. Net (loss) income attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc. was a loss of $29.2 million , or $0.36 per diluted share, compared to income of $34.8 million , or $0.41 per diluted share in the prior year period.

, or per diluted share, compared to income of , or per diluted share in the prior year period. Net (loss) income decreased 180.3% to a net loss of $32.0 million , compared to net income of $39.8 million in the prior year period.

, compared to net income of in the prior year period. Adjusted net (loss) income (1) decreased 166.5% to an adjusted net loss of $27.9 million , or $0.32 per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of $42.0 million , or $0.45 per diluted share in the prior year period.

decreased 166.5% to an adjusted net loss of , or per diluted share, compared to adjusted net income of , or per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted EBITDA (1) decreased 112.1% to a loss of $9.3 million from earnings of $76.5 million in the prior year period.

decreased 112.1% to a loss of from earnings of in the prior year period. 21 new Planet Fitness stores were opened during the period, bringing system-wide total stores to 2,059 as of June 30, 2020 .

. Cash and cash equivalents as of June 30, 2020 was $423.6 million .

(1) Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted EBITDA are non-GAAP measures. For reconciliations of Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted net (loss) income to U.S. GAAP ("GAAP") net (loss) income see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" accompanying this press release.

Operating Results for the Second Quarter Ended June 30, 2020

For the second quarter 2020, total revenue decreased $141.4 million or 77.9% to $40.2 million from $181.7 million in the prior year period. By segment:

Franchise segment revenue decreased $50.8 million or 70.8% to $21.0 million from $71.8 million in the prior year period. The decrease in franchise segment revenue for the second quarter 2020 is a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19;

or 70.8% to from in the prior year period. The decrease in franchise segment revenue for the second quarter 2020 is a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19; Corporate-owned stores segment revenue decreased $30.3 million or 76.3% to $9.4 million from $39.7 million in the prior year period. The $30.3 million decrease was a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19; and

or 76.3% to from in the prior year period. The decrease was a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19; and Equipment segment revenue decreased $60.3 million or 86.0% to $9.8 million from $70.2 million in the prior year period, due to lower equipment sales to new and existing franchisee-owned stores in the three months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2019 as a result of temporary store closures due to COVID-19.

For the second quarter of 2020, net loss attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc. was $29.2 million, or $0.36 per diluted share, compared to net income attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc. of $34.8 million, or $0.41 per diluted share in the prior year period. Net loss was $32.0 million in the second quarter of 2020 compared to net income of $39.8 million in the prior year period. Adjusted net income decreased 166.5% to a loss of $27.9 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, from income of $42.0 million, or $0.45 per diluted share in the prior year period. Adjusted net (loss) income has been adjusted to reflect a normalized federal income tax rate of 26.8% for the current year period and 26.6% for the comparable prior year period and excludes certain non-cash and other items that we do not consider in the evaluation of ongoing operational performance (see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures").

Adjusted EBITDA, which is defined as net (loss) income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for the impact of certain non-cash and other items that we do not consider in the evaluation of ongoing operational performance (see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures"), decreased 112.1% to a loss of $9.3 million from earnings of $76.5 million in the prior year period.

Segment EBITDA represents our Total Segment EBITDA broken down by the Company's reportable segments. Total Segment EBITDA is equal to EBITDA, which is defined as net (loss) income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (see "Non-GAAP Financial Measures").

Franchise segment EBITDA decreased $46.3 million or 92.9% to $3.5 million . The decrease in franchise segment EBITDA for the second quarter 2020 is as a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19.

or 92.9% to . The decrease in franchise segment EBITDA for the second quarter 2020 is as a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19. Corporate-owned stores segment EBITDA decreased $24.5 million or 135.0% to a loss of $6.3 million . The decrease in corporate-owned stores segment EBITDA for the second quarter 2020 is as a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19; and

or 135.0% to a loss of . The decrease in corporate-owned stores segment EBITDA for the second quarter 2020 is as a result of temporary store closures related to COVID-19; and Equipment segment EBITDA decreased by $15.5 million or 92.2% to $1.3 million driven by lower equipment sales to new and existing franchisee-owned stores in the three months ended June 30, 2020 compared to the three months ended June 30, 2019 as a result of temporary store closures due to COVID-19.

2020 Outlook

For the year ending December 31, 2020, the Company previously withdrew guidance as a result of uncertainty due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company is not providing an update at this time.

Presentation of Financial Measures

Planet Fitness, Inc. (the "Company") was formed in March 2015 for the purpose of facilitating the initial public offering (the "IPO") and related recapitalization transactions that occurred in August 2015, and in order to carry on the business of Pla-Fit Holdings, LLC ("Pla-Fit Holdings") and its subsidiaries. As the sole managing member of Pla-Fit Holdings, the Company operates and controls all of the business and affairs of Pla-Fit Holdings, and through Pla-Fit Holdings, conducts its business. As a result, the Company consolidates Pla-Fit Holdings' financial results and reports a non-controlling interest related to the portion of Pla-Fit Holdings not owned by the Company.

The financial information presented in this press release includes non-GAAP financial measures such as EBITDA, Segment EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, to provide measures that we believe are useful to investors in evaluating the Company's performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental measures of the Company's performance that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with GAAP. These financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for GAAP financial measures such as net (loss) income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. In addition, in the future, the Company may incur expenses or charges such as those added back to calculate Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted. The Company's presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, should not be construed as an inference that the Company's future results will be unaffected by similar amounts or other unusual or nonrecurring items. See the tables at the end of this press release for a reconciliation of EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Total Segment EBITDA, Adjusted net (loss) income, and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

Same store sales refers to year-over-year sales comparisons for the same store sales base of both corporate-owned and franchisee-owned stores, which is calculated for a given period by including only sales from stores that had sales in the comparable months of both years. We define the same store sales base to include those stores that have been open and for which monthly membership dues have been billed for longer than 12 months. We measure same store sales based solely upon monthly dues billed to members of our corporate-owned and franchisee-owned stores. As a result of the closure of all of our stores due to COVID-19 in March 2020, a majority of stores remained closed for a portion of the three and six months ended June 30, 2020. Because less than 50% of our stores in the same store sales base had membership billings in all of the months included in the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, we are not providing same store sales comparisons for these periods.

The non-GAAP financial measures used in our full-year outlook will differ from net (loss) income and net (loss) income per share, diluted, determined in accordance with GAAP in ways similar to those described in the reconciliations at the end of this press release. We do not provide guidance for net (loss) income or net (loss) income per share, diluted, determined in accordance with GAAP or a reconciliation of guidance for Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, to the most directly comparable GAAP measure because we are not able to predict with reasonable certainty the amount or nature of all items that will be included in our net (loss) income and net (loss) income per share, diluted, for the year ending December 31, 2020. These items are uncertain, depend on many factors and could have a material impact on our net (loss) income and net (loss) income per share, diluted, for the year ending December 31, 2020.

Investor Conference Call

The Company will hold a conference call at 4:30 pm (ET) on August 4, 2020 to discuss the news announced in this press release. A live webcast of the conference call will be accessible at www.planetfitness.com via the "Investor Relations" link. The webcast will be archived on the website for one year.

About Planet Fitness

Founded in 1992 in Dover, NH, Planet Fitness is one of the largest and fastest-growing franchisors and operators of fitness centers in the United States by number of members and locations. As of June 30, 2020, Planet Fitness had more than 15.2 million members and 2,059 stores in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Panama, Mexico and Australia. The Company's mission is to enhance people's lives by providing a high-quality fitness experience in a welcoming, non-intimidating environment, which we call the Judgement Free Zone. More than 95% of Planet Fitness stores are owned and operated by independent business men and women.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the federal securities laws, which involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include the Company's statements with respect to expected future performance presented under the heading "2020 Outlook," those attributed to the Company's Chief Executive Officer in this press release, and other statements, estimates and projections that do not relate solely to historical facts. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "goal," plan," "will," "prospects," "future," "strategy" and similar references to future periods, although not all forward-looking statements include these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are not assurances of future performance. Instead, they are based only on the Company's current beliefs, expectations and assumptions regarding the future of the business, future plans and strategies, projections, anticipated events and trends, the economy and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside of the Company's control. Actual results and financial condition may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially include risks and uncertainties associated with the duration and impact of COVID-19, which has resulted in store closures and a decrease in our net membership base and may give rise to or heighten one or more of the other risks and uncertainties described herein, competition in the fitness industry, the Company's and franchisees' ability to attract and retain members, the Company's and franchisees' ability to identify and secure suitable sites for new franchise stores, changes in consumer demand, changes in equipment costs, the Company's ability to expand into new markets domestically and internationally, operating costs for the Company and franchisees generally, availability and cost of capital for franchisees, acquisition activity, developments and changes in laws and regulations, our substantial increased indebtedness as a result of our refinancing and securitization transactions and our ability to incur additional indebtedness or refinance that indebtedness in the future, our future financial performance and our ability to pay principal and interest on our indebtedness, our corporate structure and tax receivable agreements, failures, interruptions or security breaches of the Company's information systems or technology, general economic conditions and the other factors described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company's quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, and the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In light of the significant risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's views only as of the date of this press release. Except as required by law, neither the Company nor any of its affiliates or representatives undertake any obligation to provide additional information or to correct or update any information set forth in this release, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise.

Planet Fitness, Inc. and subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)













For the three months ended

June 30,

For the six months ended

June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019 Revenue:















Franchise

$ 16,214



$ 58,225



$ 65,125



$ 111,181

Commission income

45



1,065



435



2,059

National advertising fund revenue

4,743



12,522



13,971



24,334

Corporate-owned stores

9,419



39,695



49,935



77,739

Equipment

9,813



70,154



37,998



115,165

Total revenue

40,234



181,661



167,464



330,478

Operating costs and expenses:















Cost of revenue

8,478



54,391



30,323



88,877

Store operations

14,681



20,163



40,838



41,068

Selling, general and administrative

15,896



18,864



32,848



37,018

National advertising fund expense

10,878



12,522



26,083



24,334

Depreciation and amortization

13,008



10,577



25,800



20,484

Other loss (gain)

15



(122)



26



246

Total operating costs and expenses

62,956



116,395



155,918



212,027

(Loss) income from operations

(22,722)



65,266



11,546



118,451

Other expense, net:















Interest income

359



1,979



2,286



3,777

Interest expense

(20,467)



(14,636)



(40,708)



(29,385)

Other expense

(73)



(1,444)



(760)



(4,762)

Total other expense, net

(20,181)



(14,101)



(39,182)



(30,370)

(Loss) income before income taxes

(42,903)



51,165



(27,636)



88,081

(Benefit) provision for income taxes

(10,918)



11,338



(6,034)



16,615

Net (loss) income

(31,985)



39,827



(21,602)



71,466

Less net (loss) income attributable to non-controlling interests

(2,808)



4,983



(1,032)



9,213

Net (loss) income attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc.

$ (29,177)



$ 34,844



$ (20,570)



$ 62,253

Net (loss) income per share of Class A common stock:















Basic

$ (0.36)



$ 0.41



$ (0.26)



$ 0.74

Diluted

$ (0.36)



$ 0.41



$ (0.26)



$ 0.74

Weighted-average shares of Class A common stock outstanding:















Basic

79,966



84,143



79,532



83,975

Diluted

79,966



84,835



79,532



84,639



Planet Fitness, Inc. and subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)













June 30, 2020

December 31, 2019 Assets







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 423,553



$ 436,256

Restricted cash

86,407



42,539

Accounts receivable, net of allowance for bad debts of $84 and $111 at June 30, 2020 and

December 31, 2019, respectively

15,251



42,268

Inventory

2,778



877

Deferred expenses  national advertising fund

7,942





Prepaid expenses

12,160



8,025

Other receivables

21,301



9,226

Other current assets

12,089



947

Total current assets

581,481



540,138

Property and equipment, net of accumulated depreciation of $89,417 and $73,621 at June 30, 2020

and December 31, 2019, respectively

149,624



145,481

Right of use assets, net

155,523



155,633

Intangible assets, net

225,498



233,921

Goodwill

227,821



227,821

Deferred income taxes

458,196



412,293

Other assets, net

1,894



1,903

Total assets

$ 1,800,037



$ 1,717,190

Liabilities and stockholders' deficit







Current liabilities:







Current maturities of long-term debt

$ 17,500



$ 17,500

Accounts payable

11,461



21,267

Accrued expenses

19,767



31,623

Equipment deposits

3,832



3,008

Deferred revenue, current

32,147



27,596

Payable pursuant to tax benefit arrangements, current

30,912



26,468

Other current liabilities

18,959



18,016

Total current liabilities

134,578



145,478

Long-term debt, net of current maturities

1,681,953



1,687,505

Borrowings under Variable Funding Notes

75,000





Lease liabilities, net of current portion

154,501



152,920

Deferred revenue, net of current portion

33,585



34,458

Deferred tax liabilities

1,562



1,116

Payable pursuant to tax benefit arrangements, net of current portion

438,105



400,748

Other liabilities

2,453



2,719

Total noncurrent liabilities

2,387,159



2,279,466

Stockholders' equity (deficit):







Class A common stock, $.0001 par value - 300,000 authorized, 79,994 and 78,525 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively

8



8

Class B common stock, $.0001 par value - 100,000 authorized, 6,500 and 8,562 shares issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively

1



1

Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income

(57)



303

Additional paid in capital

38,900



29,820

Accumulated deficit

(757,139)



(736,587)

Total stockholders' deficit attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc.

(718,287)



(706,455)

Non-controlling interests

(3,413)



(1,299)

Total stockholders' deficit

(721,700)



(707,754)

Total liabilities and stockholders' deficit

$ 1,800,037



$ 1,717,190



Planet Fitness, Inc. and subsidiaries

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)









For the six months ended June 30,



2020

2019 Cash flows from operating activities:







Net (loss) income

$ (21,602)



$ 71,466

Adjustments to reconcile net (loss) income to net cash provided by operating activities:







Depreciation and amortization

25,800



20,484

Amortization of deferred financing costs

3,187



2,664

Amortization of asset retirement obligations

33



168

Deferred tax (benefit) expense

(3,713)



8,854

(Gain) loss on re-measurement of tax benefit arrangement

(502)



4,852

Provision for bad debts

(28)



(10)

Equity-based compensation

2,493



2,279

Other

434



(515)

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, excluding effects of acquisitions:







Accounts receivable

26,917



12,465

Inventory

(1,900)



2,608

Other assets and other current assets

(16,323)



(9,288)

National advertising fund

(7,941)



(5,096)

Accounts payable and accrued expenses

(22,354)



(20,831)

Other liabilities and other current liabilities

1,472



1,777

Income taxes

(4,485)



1,987

Payable pursuant to tax benefit arrangements





(17,476)

Equipment deposits

824



(532)

Deferred revenue

3,820



6,631

Leases and deferred rent

884



17

Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities

(12,984)



82,504

Cash flows from investing activities:







Additions to property and equipment

(21,161)



(18,925)

Acquisition of franchises





(14,801)

Proceeds from sale of property and equipment

169



54

Net cash used in investing activities

(20,992)



(33,672)

Cash flows from financing activities:







Principal payments on capital lease obligations

(84)



(27)

Proceeds from borrowings under Variable Funding Notes

75,000





Repayment of long-term debt

(8,750)



(6,000)

Proceeds from issuance of Class A common stock

1,583



1,520

Dividend equivalent payments

(174)



(138)

Distributions to Continuing LLC Members

(1,600)



(3,742)

Net cash (used in) provided by financing activities

65,975



(8,387)

Effects of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents

(834)



542

Net increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash

31,165



40,987

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period

478,795



320,139

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period

$ 509,960



$ 361,126

Supplemental cash flow information:







Net cash paid for income taxes

$ 2,155



$ 6,530

Cash paid for interest

$ 37,724



$ 26,923

Non-cash investing activities:







Non-cash additions to property and equipment

$ 2,099



$ 1,896



Planet Fitness, Inc. and subsidiaries

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

(Unaudited)

(Amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

To supplement its consolidated financial statements, which are prepared and presented in accordance with GAAP, the Company uses the following non-GAAP financial measures: EBITDA, Total Segment EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted (collectively, the "non-GAAP financial measures"). The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures, when used in conjunction with GAAP financial measures, are useful to investors in evaluating our operating performance. These non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release are supplemental measures of the Company's performance that are neither required by, nor presented in accordance with GAAP. These financial measures should not be considered in isolation or as substitutes for GAAP financial measures such as net (loss) income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP. In addition, in the future, the Company may incur expenses or charges such as those added back to calculate Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted. The Company's presentation of Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted net (loss) income, and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, should not be construed as an inference that the Company's future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items.

EBITDA, Segment EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA

We refer to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA as we use these measures to evaluate our operating performance and we believe these measures provide useful information to investors in evaluating our performance. We have also disclosed Segment EBITDA as an important financial metric utilized by the Company to evaluate performance and allocate resources to segments in accordance with ASC 280, Segment Reporting. We define EBITDA as net (loss) income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization. Segment EBITDA sums to Total Segment EBITDA which is equal to the Non-GAAP financial metric EBITDA. We believe that EBITDA, which eliminates the impact of certain expenses that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance, provides useful information to investors to assess the performance of our segments as well as the business as a whole. Our board of directors also uses EBITDA as a key metric to assess the performance of management. We define Adjusted EBITDA as net (loss) income before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, adjusted for the impact of certain additional non-cash and other items that we do not consider in our evaluation of ongoing performance of the Company's core operations. These items include certain purchase accounting adjustments, stock offering-related costs, and certain other charges and gains. We believe that Adjusted EBITDA is an appropriate measure of operating performance in addition to EBITDA because it eliminates the impact of other items that we believe reduce the comparability of our underlying core business performance from period to period and is therefore useful to our investors in comparing the core performance of our business from period to period.

A reconciliation of Adjusted EBITDA to net (loss) income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, is set forth below.













Three months ended June 30,

Six months ended June 30,



2020

2019

2020

2019 (in thousands)















Net (loss) income

$ (31,985)



$ 39,827



$ (21,602)



$ 71,466

Interest income

(359)



(1,979)



(2,286)



(3,777)

Interest expense

20,467



14,636



40,708



29,385

(Benefit) provision for income taxes

(10,918)



11,338



(6,034)



16,615

Depreciation and amortization

13,008



10,577



25,800



20,484

EBITDA

$ (9,787)



$ 74,399



$ 36,586



$ 134,173

Purchase accounting adjustments-revenue(1)

79



176



146



249

Purchase accounting adjustments-rent(2)

129



117



271



240

Severance costs(3)

159







159





Pre-opening costs(4)

154



194



515



195

Tax benefit arrangement remeasurement(5)





1,479



(502)



4,852

Other(6)





145



93



159

Adjusted EBITDA

$ (9,266)



$ 76,510



$ 37,268



$ 139,868





(1) Represents the impact of revenue-related purchase accounting adjustments associated with the acquisition of Pla-Fit Holdings on November 8, 2012 by TSG (the "2012 Acquisition"). At the time of the 2012 Acquisition, the Company maintained a deferred revenue account, which consisted of deferred ADA fees, deferred franchise fees, and deferred enrollment fees that the Company billed and collected upfront but recognizes for U.S. GAAP purposes at a later date. In connection with the 2012 Acquisition, it was determined that the carrying amount of deferred revenue was greater than the fair value assessed in accordance with ASC 805Business Combinations, which resulted in a write-down of the carrying value of the deferred revenue balance upon application of acquisition push-down accounting under ASC 805. These amounts represent the additional revenue that would have been recognized in these periods if the write-down to deferred revenue had not occurred in connection with the application of acquisition pushdown accounting. (2) Represents the impact of rent-related purchase accounting adjustments. In accordance with guidance in ASC 805  Business Combinations, in connection with the 2012 Acquisition, the Company's deferred rent liability was required to be written off as of the acquisition date and rent was recorded on a straight-line basis from the acquisition date through the end of the lease term. This resulted in higher overall recorded rent expense each period than would have otherwise been recorded had the deferred rent liability not been written off as a result of the acquisition push down accounting applied in accordance with ASC 805. Adjustments of $41, $44, $82, and $88 in the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, reflect the difference between the higher rent expense recorded in accordance with U.S. GAAP since the acquisition and the rent expense that would have been recorded had the 2012 Acquisition not occurred. Adjustments of $88, $73, $189, and $152 in the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are due to the amortization of favorable and unfavorable leases. All of the rent related purchase accounting adjustments are adjustments to rent expense which is included in store operations on our consolidated statements of operations. (3) Represents severance expense recorded in connection with an equity award modification. (4) Represents costs associated with new corporate-owned stores incurred prior to the store opening, including payroll-related costs, rent and occupancy expenses, marketing and other store operating supply expenses. (5) Represents gains and losses related to the adjustment of our tax benefit arrangements primarily due to changes in our effective tax rate. (6) Represents certain other charges and gains that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance.

A reconciliation of Segment EBITDA to Total Segment EBITDA is set forth below.













Three months ended June 30,

Six months ended June 30, (in thousands)

2020

2019

2020

2019 Segment EBITDA















Franchise

$ 3,529



$ 49,860



$ 40,275



$ 97,220

Corporate-owned stores

(6,342)



18,137



5,665



33,706

Equipment

1,311



16,772



7,677



27,179

Corporate and other

(8,285)



(10,370)



(17,031)



(23,932)

Total Segment EBITDA(1)

$ (9,787)



$ 74,399



$ 36,586



$ 134,173



































(1) Total Segment EBITDA is equal to EBITDA.

Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Net Income per Diluted Share

Our presentation of Adjusted net (loss) income assumes that all net (loss) income is attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc., which assumes the full exchange of all outstanding Holdings Units for shares of Class A common stock of Planet Fitness, Inc., adjusted for certain non-recurring items that we do not believe directly reflect our core operations. Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, is calculated by dividing Adjusted net (loss) income by the total shares of Class A common stock outstanding plus any dilutive options and restricted stock units as calculated in accordance with GAAP and assuming the full exchange of all outstanding Holdings Units and corresponding Class B common stock as of the beginning of each period presented. Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, are supplemental measures of operating performance that do not represent, and should not be considered, alternatives to net (loss) income and earnings per share, as calculated in accordance with GAAP. We believe Adjusted net (loss) income and Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, supplement GAAP measures and enable us to more effectively evaluate our performance period-over-period. A reconciliation of Adjusted net (loss) income to net (loss) income, the most directly comparable GAAP measure, and the computation of Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted, are set forth below.





Three months ended June 30,

Six months ended June 30, (in thousands, except per share amounts)

2020

2019

2020

2019 Net (loss) income

$ (31,985)



$ 39,827



$ (21,602)



$ 71,466

(Benefit) provision for income taxes, as reported

(10,918)



11,338



(6,034)



16,615

Purchase accounting adjustments-revenue(1)

79



176



146



249

Purchase accounting adjustments-rent(2)

129



117



271



240

Severance costs(3)

159







159





Pre-opening costs(4)

154



194



515



195

Tax benefit arrangement remeasurement(5)





1,479



(502)



4,852

Other(6)





145



93



159

Purchase accounting amortization(7)

4,211



4,009



8,424



8,008

Adjusted (loss) income before income taxes

$ (38,171)



$ 57,285



$ (18,530)



$ 101,784

Adjusted income taxes(8)

(10,230)



15,238



(4,966)



27,075

Adjusted net (loss) income

$ (27,941)



$ 42,047



$ (13,564)



$ 74,709



















Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted

$ (0.32)



$ 0.45



$ (0.16)



$ 0.80



















Adjusted weighted-average shares outstanding(9)

86,467



93,420



86,671



93,549





(1) Represents the impact of revenue-related purchase accounting adjustments associated with the 2012 Acquisition. At the time of the 2012 Acquisition, the Company maintained a deferred revenue account, which consisted of deferred ADA fees, deferred franchise fees, and deferred enrollment fees that the Company billed and collected upfront but recognizes for U.S. GAAP purposes at a later date. In connection with the 2012 Acquisition, it was determined that the carrying amount of deferred revenue was greater than the fair value assessed in accordance with ASC 805Business Combinations, which resulted in a write-down of the carrying value of the deferred revenue balance upon application of acquisition push-down accounting under ASC 805. These amounts represent the additional revenue that would have been recognized in these periods if the write-down to deferred revenue had not occurred in connection with the application of acquisition pushdown accounting. (2) Represents the impact of rent-related purchase accounting adjustments. In accordance with guidance in ASC 805  Business Combinations, in connection with the 2012 Acquisition, the Company's deferred rent liability was required to be written off as of the acquisition date and rent was recorded on a straight-line basis from the acquisition date through the end of the lease term. This resulted in higher overall recorded rent expense each period than would have otherwise been recorded had the deferred rent liability not been written off as a result of the acquisition push down accounting applied in accordance with ASC 805. Adjustments of $41, $44, $82, and $88 in the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, reflect the difference between the higher rent expense recorded in accordance with U.S. GAAP since the acquisition and the rent expense that would have been recorded had the 2012 Acquisition not occurred. Adjustments of $88, $73, $189, and $152 in the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, are due to the amortization of favorable and unfavorable leases. All of the rent related purchase accounting adjustments are adjustments to rent expense which is included in store operations on our consolidated statements of operations. (3) Represents severance expense recorded in connection with an equity award modification. (4) Represents costs associated with new corporate-owned stores incurred prior to the store opening, including payroll-related costs, rent and occupancy expenses, marketing and other store operating supply expenses. (5) Represents gains and losses related to the adjustment of our tax benefit arrangements primarily due to changes in our effective tax rate. (6) Represents certain other charges and gains that we do not believe reflect our underlying business performance. (7) Includes $3,096, $3,096, $6,192, and $6,192 of amortization of intangible assets, other than favorable leases, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, recorded in connection with the 2012 Acquisition, and $1,116, $913, $2,231 and $1,816 of amortization of intangible assets for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, recorded in connection with historical acquisitions of franchisee-owned stores. The adjustment represents the amount of actual non-cash amortization expense recorded, in accordance with U.S. GAAP, in each period. (8) Represents corporate income taxes at an assumed effective tax rate of 26.8% three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 26.6% for the three and six months ended June 30, 2019, applied to adjusted income before income taxes. (9) Assumes the full exchange of all outstanding Holdings Units and corresponding shares of Class B common stock for shares of Class A common stock of Planet Fitness, Inc.

A reconciliation of net (loss) income per share, diluted, to Adjusted net (loss) income per share, diluted is set forth below for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019:













For the three months ended

June 30, 2020

For the three months ended

June 30, 2019 (in thousands, except per share amounts)

Net loss

Weighted Average Shares

Net loss per share, diluted

Net income

Weighted Average Shares

Net income per share, diluted Net (loss) income attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc.(1)

$ (29,177)



79,966



$ (0.36)



$ 34,844



84,835



$ 0.41

Assumed exchange of shares(2)

(2,808)



6,501







4,983



8,585





Net (loss) income

(31,985)











39,827









Adjustments to arrive at adjusted income before income taxes(3)

(6,186)











17,458









Adjusted (loss) income before income taxes

(38,171)











57,285









Adjusted income tax (benefit) expense(4)

(10,230)











15,238









Adjusted net (loss) income

$ (27,941)



86,467



$ (0.32)



$ 42,047



93,420



$ 0.45





(1) Represents net (loss) income attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc. and the associated weighted average shares, diluted of Class A common stock outstanding. (2) Assumes the full exchange of all outstanding Holdings Units and corresponding shares of Class B common stock for shares of Class A common stock of Planet Fitness, Inc. Also assumes the addition of net (loss) income attributable to non-controlling interests corresponding with the assumed exchange of Holdings Units and Class B common shares for shares of Class A common stock. (3) Represents the total impact of all adjustments identified in the adjusted net (loss) income table above to arrive at adjusted (loss) income before income taxes. (4) Represents corporate income taxes at an assumed effective tax rate of 26.8% and 26.6% for the three months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, applied to adjusted (loss) income before income taxes.





For the six months ended

June 30, 2020

For the six months ended

June 30, 2019 (in thousands, except per share amounts)

Net loss

Weighted Average Shares

Net loss per share, diluted

Net income

Weighted Average Shares

Net income per share, diluted Net (loss) income attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc.(1)

$ (20,570)



79,532



$ (0.26)



$ 62,253



84,639



$ 0.74

Assumed exchange of shares(2)

(1,032)



7,139







9,213



8,910





Net (loss) income

(21,602)











71,466









Adjustments to arrive at adjusted income before income taxes(3)

3,072











30,318









Adjusted income before income taxes

(18,530)











101,784









Adjusted income tax (benefit) expense(4)

(4,966)











27,075









Adjusted net (loss) income

$ (13,564)



86,671



$ (0.16)



$ 74,709



93,549



$ 0.80





(1) Represents net (loss) income attributable to Planet Fitness, Inc. and the associated weighted average shares, diluted of Class A common stock outstanding. (2) Assumes the full exchange of all outstanding Holdings Units and corresponding shares of Class B common stock for shares of Class A common stock of Planet Fitness, Inc. Also assumes the addition of net (loss) income attributable to non-controlling interests corresponding with the assumed exchange of Holdings Units and Class B common shares for shares of Class A common stock. (3) Represents the total impact of all adjustments identified in the adjusted net (loss) income table above to arrive at adjusted (loss) income before income taxes. (4) Represents corporate income taxes at an assumed effective tax rate of 26.8% and 26.6% for the six months ended June 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively, applied to adjusted (loss) income before income taxes.

SOURCE Planet Fitness, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.planetfitness.com


Gibraltar National Museum Scientists Collaborate with Iberian Scientists in Major Palaeontological Discovery

Scientists from the Gibraltar National Museum have collaborated with Iberian colleagues from the universities of Lisbon, Sevilla, Huelva, Coimbra and Barcelona in research which has just been published online in the international journal Quaternary Science Reviews.

A Late Pleistocene surface dating to approximately 106,000 years ago at the base of the El Asperillo cliff in the Donana National Park, south-west Spain, was recently exposed by storms. The trampled surface was full of exceptional tracks and trackways of different terrestrial vertebrates. These have been ascribed to the ancestral wild cattle, known as aurochs (Bos primigenius), red deer (Cervus elaphus), wild boar (Sus scrofa), straight-tusked elephant (Palaeoloxodon antiquus), wolf (Canis lupus), and also to geese and wading birds. The scientists have interpreted the trampled surface to have been related to puddled areas of shallow waters in an inter-dune position, similar to present day examples in the Donana National Park.

This important discovery strengthens the connection between Gibraltars Pleistocene ecosystems and those of Donana, which scientists have been using as a proxy model for Gibraltars ancient landscapes and habitats. The species identified in this research are all represented in the Gibraltar Pleistocene record from its caves and points to a rich coastal shelf landscape which once stretched from the coast of Gibraltar to the Atlantic coast of south-western Iberia all the way to Portugal. The research continues in Donana and in Gibraltar and further discoveries are not ruled out.

Commenting on the research, minister with responsibility for heritage and the environment, Professor John Cortes, expressed excitement at the reported finds: Donana is a place close to my heart and one which I have spent many hours observing its rich wildlife in habitats which were once on our own coastal shelf. I would never have dreamt that beautiful tracks of ancient animals lay hidden under the sands of Donana, waiting for winter storms to expose them one day. Its almost something out of science fiction. I am also proud that this work has involved Gibraltarian scientists. It is a reflection of the high regard that they are held in that they have been invited to participate in this work and it is also pleasing to see collaboration between Portuguese, Spanish and Gibraltarian scientists in a truly Iberian project.

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277379120304704?dgcid=author
The co-founder of the company described as the jewel in the crown of British tech has said it would be disastrous for it to be sold to a US computing firm that is reportedly negotiating a takeover.It's the second time in four years that the future of Cambridge-based chip-designer ARM Holdings has been uncertain.In 2016, Softbank ended up buying it. But the Japanese firm is now reportedly in advanced talks to sell it to Nvidia.Hermann Hauser told the BBC he thought the UK government should intervene.The tech entrepreneur - who spun off ARM from Acorn Computers in 1990 - says ministers should help make it an independent UK business again.'Unsuitable owner'ARM creates computer chip designs that others then customise to their own ends. It also develops instruction sets, which define how software controls processors.Just about every modern mobile phone and smart home gadget is powered by a chip that relies on one or both of these innovations.When Softbank bought the firm for 24bn soon after the referendum to leave the EU in 2016, it was hailed by the government as a vote of confidence in a post-Brexit Britain.But Dr Hauser said at the time it was a sad day for him and for UK technology.
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...
Former Tory leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith said the deal means we are hooked into the EUs loan book.

But the EU said the commitments made in the Withdrawal Agreement  the divorce deal signed by Boris Johnson and the 27 EU members  are reasonable and will stand.

To avoid their own budget black hole, the EU gets 39billion as a divorce payment from us, reflecting our share of the current EU budget. But it gets worse. Buried in the fine print, unnoticed by many, is the fact we remain hooked into the EUs loan book. (2/3)  Iain Duncan Smith MP (@MPIainDS) August 3, 2020

The full scale of the financial implications will depend on defaults on loans made available through the European Investment Bank (EIB) and European Financial Stability Mechanism.

Commission spokesman Eric Mamer insisted that the Withdrawal Agreement is a firm document which is not going to be rewritten.

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He said: I think its very clear that we are not going to get into a debate with British politicians on liabilities or any other of the provisions of the Withdrawal Agreement.

The Withdrawal Agreement is there, it is now a firm document that has been accepted by both parties and it is the basis on which both sides are acting.

In this document it is clear that that the United Kingdom has taken a certain number of completely normal legal commitments when it comes to its share of liabilities related to loans that would have been given by the EIB whilst the UK was still a member of the European Union.

The #Brexit transition ends 31.12.2020. In 5 months,  leaves  Single Market and Customs Union.



Changes are inevitable, with or without agreement on the new partnership. Companies and citizens must get ready.



Find guidance from @EU_Commission herehttps://t.co/7NzAw22C1o pic.twitter.com/kf5QlynDKG  Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) August 4, 2020

He added: What we can say is that the Withdrawal Agreement stands, that in it the United Kingdom has taken a certain number of perfectly reasonable commitments related to the time when it was still a member of the European Union relating to its share of liabilities on loans given out by the EIB, and we have nothing further to comment on this.

Meanwhile, Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator with the UK, stepped up his calls for Europeans to prepare for the end of the transition period at the end of the year.

Changes are inevitable, with or without agreement on the new partnership, he said.

Companies and citizens must get ready.
Federal officers stand guard as a protester is arrested in a cloud of tear gas during a protest against racial injustice and police brutality in front of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse in Portland, Oregon, in the early hours of July 30, 2020. (Nathan Howard/Getty Images)

Feds Charge Portland Man Who Wounded Marshall With Bomb During Riot

Federal authorities on Aug. 3 arrested a Portland man who allegedly threw a bomb inside a federal courthouse, injuring a U.S. marshal.

Isaiah Maza, 18, faces up to 30 years in prison on charges of assaulting a federal officer with a dangerous weapon and damaging federal property.

According to the Department of Justice, Maza was among a group of men on July 22 who removed the plywood protecting the damaged facade of the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse.

After several people tore off the entire plywood structure and someone broke through a window into the courthouse, Maza was seen lighting a fuse on a cylindrical object and throwing it inside the courthouse through the broken window, authorities say. The object exploded near federal agents exiting the building and injured both legs of a deputy U.S. marshal.

More than a week later, on July 31, U.S. Marshals spotted Maza one block from the courthouse and pursued him on foot. He was arrested after the marshals caught up with him several blocks away.

U.S. Magistrate Judge Youlee Yim You on July 3 ordered Maza detained pending a trial. The judge explained the detention by citing Mazas prior criminal history, violent behavior, substance use, and mental health issues.

Since the beginning of nearly nightly violence in Portland more than two months ago, federal authorities have made 97 arrests and charged 80 people, according to DOJ spokeswoman Kerri Kupec. Authorities have arrested more than 250 people nationwide in connection to the violence at protests and riots that have swept across the nation in the wake of the police-custody death of George Floyd.

On July 31, the Justice Department announced the arrest of another man who had thrown a bomb at the courthouse. The explosive device ignited the plywood protecting the courthouse but did not cause any injuries. The suspect was identified through an online review his grandmother left on a vest the suspect wore to the protest.

After more than 60 days of nightly violence, the scene in Portland has grown more peaceful after local police agreed to cooperate with federal authorities. The protest on the night of Aug. 2-3 was peaceful, according to police officials. The level of violence has also been decreasing in recent days, federal and city officials said, although some rioters on Saturday night had attacked police officers.

While noting that Portland Police had declared the Saturday night gathering an unlawful assembly, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said that activity around the Mark O. Hatfield Courthouse continued in an overall trend of diminishing violence as a result of the increased cooperation between state and federal law enforcement.

In stark contrast to the intense weekend violence in Portland over the past two months, protests around federal property remained generally peaceful, with minor incidents of malicious activity and vandalism, the agency said in a summary of the nightly activity.

Zachary Stieber contributed to this report.
A museum in Lithuania dedicated to a Japanese diplomat who saved thousands of Jews during World War II has been saved from closure, thanks to a public campaign in Japan.

The museum, in Kaunas, the then-capital of Lithuania, told the story of Chiune Sugihara, a diplomat at the Japanese consulate in Lithuania in 1939-40.

To save Jewish refugees fleeing Nazi persecution, Sugihara issued transit visas to Japan to nearly 6,000 Jewish refugees.

On returning to Japan, he was fired for issuing the visas against orders. He died in 1986.

The museum was facing closure because of the coronavirus outbreak.

"Now the visitors from Japan are gone, so is our income," museum director Ramunas Janulaitis said.

However, people from Japan's Gifu Prefecture, where the diplomat was born, raised some 30,000 euros allowing the museum in the villa that once was the Japanese consulate to survive.

"We expect to raise another 40,000 (euros) in the autumn," Japanese ambassador Shiro Yamasaki added.
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Privatbank

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

London, 03 August 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Privatbank and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

Privatbank's B3 long-term local currency deposit rating incorporates its b3 BCA and Moody's assessment of a very high probability of support from the government of Ukraine (B3). This support assumption does not result in any rating uplift because the government rating is at the same level as the bank's BCA. Privatbank's long-term foreign currency deposit rating of Caa1 is capped by Ukraine's foreign currency deposit ceiling, also Caa1.

Privatbank's BCA is constrained by the sovereign rating and reflects (1) the high interlinks between the bank's standalone credit fundamentals and the sovereign's creditworthiness, given Privatbank's high direct exposure to sovereign debt, (2) its strong profitability metrics, and (3) the bank's low reliance on market funding and high level of liquid assets. At the same time, these strengths are moderated by deteriorating economic conditions in the country which weigh down on the bank's asset quality and profitability.

Story continues

This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodology used for this review was Banks Methodology published in November 2019. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

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The Sea Hawks were playing their first game in three weeks, but were able to hold off the Panthers for the win.
A 26-year-old is accused of cutting a man with a machete and then running him over with an SUV, according to an arrest affidavit.

Richard Daniel Villanueva was charged in connection with the death of 27-year-old Dylan Jacob Deleon, who was found dead by police on Oct. 9 2019 on the shoulder of the road near the area of Weidner and Leonhardt roads on the Northeast side.

Police said they noticed "chopping" injuries on his shoulder and side of his head, consistent with an edged weapon, the affidavit said. It also appeared Deleon had been hit by a vehicle multiple times.

FIND OUT FIRST: Get San Antonio breaking news directly to your inbox

Less than a mile away, officers found a black Chevrolet Tahoe abandoned in the back of an apartment complex near the 5300 block of Encanta. The vehicle had blood on the front bumper and fender and looked as if someone had attempted to clean it.

A witness later contacted police saying Villanueva had asked his friend to use the Tahoe earlier that day and had been with Deleon when he borrowed it, the affidavit said.

It wasn't until June 2020 that investigators were able to confirm that Villanueva's DNA was found on one of the truck's door handles, according to the affidavit.

He was arrested on July 31 and is being held on a $500,000 bond.

Taylor Pettaway is a breaking news and general assignment reporter for MySA.com | taylor.pettaway@express-news.net | @TaylorPettaway
The Chairman of the Volta Regional Council of Elders of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Dan Abodakpi, has described the recently launched book Working with Rawlings by Professor Kwamena Ahwoi as wholly inaccurate or patently false.



According to him, having read some excerpts of the book, he came to the conclusion that this is a perilous, ill-timed submission at this point in our Partys history, adding It is in-fact, in several instances, a factually wrong and dangerous aberration likely to create tensions in and out.



He said if it was the objective of Prof. Ahwoi, who served as Minister for Local Government and Rural Development from 1990 to 2001 during the reign of Jerry Rawlings, to destroy Mr Rawlings reputation, then he is simply wasting his time.



Mr Abodakpi in a statement said parts of the book which were attributed to him were utterly false.



Below is a copy of the statement Mr Abodakpi issued



PERSONAL STATEMENT - OFFICE OF HON. DAN ABODAKPI - CHAIRMAN OF VOLTA REGIONAL COUNCIL OF ELDERS - NATIONAL DEMOCRATIC CONGRESS (NDC) - Launch of Prof. Kwamena Ahwois Book - Working with Rawlings



For those who know me in my political career, I have always believed in the right of all persons to express their views in a firm but respectful manner. However, when information is presented that is wholly inaccurate or patently false, it should be called out.



I have the unfortunate task of placing on record a personal statement following the launch my good friend Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi of his book entitled - "Working with Rawlings".



Prof. Ahwoi extended an invitation to me for the book launch. Unfortunately I was unable to attend as a matter of principle. I have read some excerpts of the book and I am convinced that this is a perilous, ill-timed submission at this point in our Partys history. It is in-fact, in several instances, a factually wrong and dangerous aberration likely to create tensions in and out. Is the objective of this enterprise to destroy President Rawlings political legacy? If so, then I can tell my brother and my friend that he is simply wasting his time.



I present my personal statement as I have become aware of some sections of the book attributed to me which are utterly false. One such example of inaccuracy, was incorrectly referencing my designation as High Commissioner to Malaysia under President Mahama. Please be informed that I was High Commissioner under our late President Prof. Mills and not President Mahama. Another utterly false representation is with regards to my views on the former First Lady - Mrs. Rawlings and her decision to contest President Mills. I have always maintained that the decision of the former First Lady to contest Prof Mills was not well thought through at the time and therefore not prudent. However, I would never describe her in so derogatory a manner as has been done in the book.



I wish to state unequivocally that I will never be an accessory to any grand agenda to delink President Rawlings from the National Democratic Congress as the Party that he Founded. It is my considered opinion that many parts of the book,l that I have sighted, are not really factual. My very intimate historical knowledge of some of the key actions that shaped our Revolutionary/Democratic evolution and our current political status are not in question given my experience as a Member of the Political Committee and the Campaign Steering Committee. Again, I question the motive of the author in twisting the facts to denigrate the person of the Founder of a Party he claims to love.



President Jerry John Rawlings may not be a 'plaster Saint but he certainly he does not deserve this from people like Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi who quite frankly were gifted the privilege to participate in building on the foundations of sacrifice established by the Founder. I state for the record that I distance myself from any and all references made to me in this book.



Prof. Awhoi and those supporting this slanderous and treacherous book are served notice that any attempt to misrepresent the facts behind the true story of the Revolution and the NDC Party to our people will be fiercely resisted.



Signed

Hon Dan Abodakpi











Source: Graphiconline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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ANN ARBOR, MI  While the COVID-19 outbreak continues with hundreds more cases locally in recent weeks, Washtenaw County voters are headed to the polls to vote in the Tuesday, Aug. 4 primary election.

Though tens of thousands already have cast absentee ballots, many via mail, due to the pandemic, polling places are still open 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. for socially distant, in-person voting with some coronavirus precautions in place.

In Ann Arbor, voters will decide City Council primary races in all five wards, as well as a county transportation tax renewal and races for county prosecutor, county sheriff, county clerk, state House seats, judge seats and the 12th Congressional District seat now held by U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell.

There are contested races and tax proposals to consider throughout the county.

Residents can check their voter registration status, find out where to vote and view sample ballots on the Michigan Voter Information Center website.

Ann Arbor voters also can use the citys Election Day line tracker to check the number of people waiting in line at city polling places and view estimated wait times.

Absentee voters must return their ballots to city and township clerks offices by 8 p.m. Election Night to be counted. Clerks throughout the county have set up ballot drop boxes outside their offices that absentee voters can use.

Check here tonight for live election results.

MORE FROM THE ANN ARBOR NEWS:

39,000 absentee ballots in Washtenaw County still unreturned one day before primary

Campaign finance reports show alliances in Ann Arbor council races

5 Ann Arbor council races, 13 candidates: Heres what they have to say

Over $400K in donations fuel hotly contested Washtenaw County prosecutors race

Young people account for 45% of new coronavirus cases in Washtenaw County
After nearly four hours of discussions between school board members, teachers and parents, Humble ISDs public stakeholders made it clear that they wanted to do what was best for the students.

However, it was also clear during the special school board meeting on Aug. 3, that opinions on the best way to give students a great education looked different for each person.

CORONAVIRUS: Over 6,600 COVID-19 cases already linked to college campuses

The Humble ISD school board voted 6 to 1 to begin school online-only on Aug. 11 and begin a shift to in-person instruction on Aug. 17, beginning with special needs students. The plan includes middle and high schools returning to class two or three times per week with an A/B schedule while elementary schools return with normal weekly schedules.

Self-contained special education students will begin in-person learning on Aug. 17 if their family chose in-person learning. On Oct. 12, middle schools will return to a regular weekly schedule and high schools will remain on the A/B schedule.

Students whose families opted out of on-campus instruction, which is currently at about 35 percent, are allowed to do so for the rest of the year.

We, the board and (Superintendent Elizabeth) Fagen have received hundreds of emails, phone calls over the past few weeks, Board president Robert Sitton said. Some have been very cordial, some not so much. Some want all kids in school on day one, some dont feel we should continue in-person instruction until much later. Any decision that is made tonight will not be met with unanimous consent within the community. We understand that.

The special board meeting was held following conflicting advice from local and state officials on reopening schools.

Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo along with local health authorities ordered public and non-religious schools to forgo in-person education until Sept. 8 due to a concern over the spread of the coronavirus in the community in an announcement on July 24.

A few days later Attorney General Ken Paxton said local health authorities could not close schools unilaterally on a preventative basis. The Texas Education Agency announced on July 29 followed Paxtons statement with an announcement that public schools would lose funding if they closed in-person education based on local health officials, reversing course from their previous statements.

By reopening on Oct. 12, Humble ISD is expected to continue to receive funding based on these guidelines as discussed, board members said.

Fagen has not changed her plans much in the two weeks since her announcement for the upcoming school year after juggling the changes between local and state authorities requirements. In her most recent letter to parents and guardians, Fagen urged parents to seek advice from their own trusted medical professionals to find what option is best for their individual needs, which she repeated in the meeting.

Were concerned about those primary aged children and we know they need to be back which is why weve really worked hard to try to encourage the elementary to all be in person, Fagen said.

EDUCATION: Some Humble ISD students will return to campuses this month

This was the first in-person board meeting since February due to the coronavirus pandemic. It was live-streamed through TexanLive.com. Board member Nancy Morrison participated through a streamed video call from home while the remainder of the board attended in person.

Most board members said they supported the slow movement for reopening, gradually allowing students who wish to return to on-campus learning to come back. Teachers returned to their campuses today to prepare for the upcoming school year. Some educators even posted pictures on campuses in masks while preparing for students to return.

The board meeting included around an hour of public comments. Some parents were in support of giving the families the option to choose what is best for their students while others urged the board to consider the statistics, science and health experts in dealing with the spread of the coronavirus.

Sitton as well as other board members called for a clearer understanding of plans for what will happen when students re-enter campuses, including what plans are in place for a positive case on campus. It was not made clear in this board meeting what Fagens plans are in the case of an outbreak, or where the threshold is for taking cautionary measures.

Now is not the time for divisiveness, Sitton said. This is not the way our community handles itself. We are a strong community with strong feelings. We are resilient. We persevere through adversity.

savannah.mehrtens@chron.com
The key hires credentials include time spent underwriting cyber risks at Tokio Marine HCC and CFC Underwriting. Most recently Arkell focused on the Australian market, in her capacity as international cyber underwriter.

Jenny will bring a great depth of knowledge and experience to the Australian cyber marketplace, said ATC Insurance Solutions in a release.

One of the largest Lloyds underwriting agencies in Australia, ATC offers an extensive range of insurance products, as well as an in house-claims service.
360 ENERGY SOLUTIONS - Get a Quote Today! 360 Energy Solutions is a full service Generator shop Providing Commercial & Industrial Generator Services in Miami, Broward & Palm Beach County.

360 Energy Solutions, announced today that in preparation for the hurricane season this year they have expanded their team. The team at 360 Energy Solutions is ready to assist clients in Miami, Broward and Palm Beach Counties.

The following services are offered by 360 Energy Solutions:



According to NOAAs Climate Prediction Center, there are 13 to 19 named storms, and 6 to 10 could become hurricanes.

Be fully prepared for the 2020 hurricane season by reserving your stand-by generator today. Do not hesitate to contact 360 Energy Solutions anytime you require assistance.

With more than 65 years of experience in the generator service industry, 360 Energy Solutions is ready to assist clients with all their generator needs. Providing excellent customer service and uninterrupted backup generator power is a top priority at 360 Energy Solutions. 360 Energy Solutions has a wide range of reliable generators for rent from 20KW to 2000KW.

It is important to be fully prepared for power outage. 360 Energy Solutions are well aware of the importance of continuous power, which is exactly what they provide for their customers. Their team at 360 Energy Solutions has a stellar reputation and is an authorized Isuzu Genuine Parts Dealer.

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(Natural News) In response to the now-banned Americas Frontline Doctors White Coat Summit event, the state of Ohio tried to ban the use of hydroxychloroquine (HCQ), the generic anti-malaria drug that is helping to cure patients from the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). But this ban has since been reversed, allowing sanity to be restored.

In the initial ban, the Ohio Board of Pharmacy (OBP) had actually tried to make it illegal for doctors to prescribe either chloroquine (CQ) or HCQ except for animals. No humans were to be allowed to take it, under the fascist directive, which has since been revoked at the order of Governor Mike DeWine.

Except as provided in paragraph (C) of this rule, prescriptions issued for chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine for prophylactic use related to COVID-19 or for the treatment of COVID19 are strictly prohibited unless otherwise approved by the boards executive director in consultation with the board president, at which time a resolution shall issue, the ban stated.

Upon the effective date of this rule, all previous approvals for the use of chloroquine or hydroxychloroquine shall be deemed void and must be approved using the process outlined in this paragraph.

The only exception to this failed ban would have been prescriptions issued as part of a documented institutional review board-approved clinical trial to evaluate its safety and efficacy with regard to the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19). Allowing actual patients to use it in order to avoid death, however, would have been prohibited.

Leftists screech that coronavirus patients in Ohio now have the freedom to live

Thankfully, Gov. DeWine intervened to stop this madness by ordering the OBP to rescind its ban and allow patients to make care decisions on their own with the guidance of their doctors. This means that sick and dying patients in Ohio will now have the freedom to live, infuriating the left which only believes in masks and vaccines.

I agree with the statement from Dr. Steven Hahn, Commissioner of @US_FDA, that the decision about prescribing hydroxychloroquine to treat #COVID19 should be between a doctor and a patient, Gov. DeWine tweeted as part of his announcement.

Coronavirus cases plummeting in Ohio

This good news was met by even more good news just days later when new data showing sharp declines in the number of new Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) cases was released.

Fewer Ohioans are testing positive for the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), officials say, and fewer people are having to be hospitalized. Perhaps this is because Ohioans still have access to HCQ, which is becoming increasingly more popular with each passing day as a solidly effective remedy.

Try as they might to keep a lid on it, liberals will ultimately fail to control the narrative surrounding HCQ. They will also fail at keeping it from We the People, which do not want to be told which drugs, herbs, or other remedies we are allowed to use for our own health, no matter what science says.

All I know is that it worked for my brother, wrote one Christian Post commenter.

He was out of the hospital in 2 days, symptom free in 6 days. He survived even having other risk factors. You can bet that the people who say this drug doesnt work will be the first to ask for it if they contract Covid-19. They know the truth.

More related news about the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) and the leftist attempt to keep everyone sick and dying for as long as possible is available at Pandemic.news.

Sources for this article include:

BigLeaguePolitics.com

NaturalNews.com

Dispatch.com

ChristianPost.com
Israeli military describes attacks as retaliation for an attempted bombing of the border fence by an enemy squad.

Israeli aircraft have attacked targets in Syria, the Israeli military said, describing the raids as retaliation for an attempted bombing of the border fence by a group of four people, an incident for which Israel held the Syrian regime accountable.

Mondays attacks hit Syrian observation posts, intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft batteries and command-and-control bases, an Israeli military statement said.

[Israeli army] fighter jets, attack helicopters and aircraft struck military targets in southern Syria, belonging to the Syrian Armed Forces, the Israeli military said late on Monday.

Syrian state media reported local sources saying Israeli forces had targeted the Tal al-Ahmar area in the southwestern countryside of Quneitra with four shells. The attack, the sources added, was launched from the Tel al-Faras area in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

A Syrian military source told the dpa news agency that two Syrian army tanks had been damaged in the Israeli shelling. There was no immediate word of any casualties.

Quneitra is under Syrian control within the United Nations-patrolled demilitarised zone between Syria and the Golan Heights, which was occupied and annexed by Israel in 1967  a move that has not been recognised internationally.

The Israeli raid came hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that his government would attack anyone trying to harm it. We will hurt anyone who tries to hurt us. This principle is valid, Netanyahu said.

Israeli soldiers rest near a gate in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights near the Israel-Syria frontier [Ronen Zvulun/Reuters]

Israel hits group placing explosives

The Israeli military said it was responding to an alleged attempt by a group of four people to plant explosives along the so-called alpha line that separates the occupied Golan Heights and Syria.

However, they had not crossed the security fence built by Israel several metres inwards from the alpha line.

The Israeli military said on Monday that it had fired on the squad, with surveillance video showing the group engulfed in an explosion.

An Israeli military spokesman referred to them as former terrorists, suggesting they had been killed.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which has been documenting violence in Syria since 2011, said the Israeli fire killed and wounded four people, whose identities remain unknown.

Activists in the area, however, said they heard at least one of the four was killed, according to local media reports.

The Israeli military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Jonathan Conricus said it was too soon to say if the group belonged to any organisation.

There was no comment from Syria on the fence incident.

Israel for the past weeks has been on heightened alert along the borders with Lebanon and Syria after it reportedly unwittingly killed a member of the Lebanese Shia Hezbollah movement in an air raid outside the Syrian capital of Damascus that destroyed an arms depot.

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah vowed revenge, although Israeli commentators have said he seems eager to avoid a major escalation as Lebanon faces an unprecedented economic and political crisis worsened by the coronavirus pandemic.
EDMONTON, AB, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Oaklu President Morgan Reynolds reported the company was asked for proposals to build its Turnkey Hospital facilities, affordable housing projects ranging from 50,000-500,000 units, and energy projects with contracts totaling USD $100 billion.

Mr. Reynolds said his goal was to build better communities, not to get into the Guinness Book of Records, but he could appear in their pages, nevertheless.

Oaklu

Oaklu is the creator of Turnkey Hospital  fully equipped, ready-to-use state-of-the-art healthcare facilities that can be up and running in under 90 days.

Oaklu's large-scale projects are designed, developed, and implemented by members of the Oaklu Alliance  a group of established like-minded construction companies that have combined their specialties, ensuring that high-quality Oaklu Turnkey Hospital units are constructed in all parts of the world, faster and more economically feasible.

Along with its Alliance members, Oaklu is backed by one of the world's largest infrastructure development funds with $300 billion in revenue with assets of $2.5 trillion.

About Oaklu

With offices in Toronto, San Francisco, Vancouver and Edmonton, Oaklu is a fast-growing, global, large-scale developer. The firm is known for its well-designed, high-quality residential, commercial and public structures. It is currently steeped in two major projects: "Ember Gold," a unique collection of architectural icons, and accepting contracts to build self-contained, ready-to-move-in Turnkey Hospital installations  a new category originated by the company. Oaklu is finalizing plans to build hundreds of Turnkey Hospital units in the U.S. and underserved countries around the world.

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COLUMBUS, Ohio  Ohios top elections official is joining a bipartisan call to crack down on anonymous political spending in the state, in the aftermath of the recent arrest of former Ohio House Speaker Larry Householder.

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose, a Republican, on Monday joined state Reps. Gayle Manning, a Republican, and Jessica Miranda, a Democrat, in backing a campaign-finance reform bill that would aim to bring transparency to dark money, which prosecutors said played a key role in the allegations that led to Householders arrest.

LaRose, Manning and Miranda are backing requiring mandatory donor disclosures for all political spending in Ohio, even if a group is organized as a non-profit, which under federal law do not have to disclose their donors. They also want to require more frequent disclosures  once every other month, instead of the common practice of quarterly reports  and to give the Secretary of States Office subpoena power to force organizations to share records if they dont file them willingly.

Its something that should have happened a long time ago in my opinion. Its time to shine a light on dark money in Ohio, LaRose said.

LaRose joined Manning and Miranda in Columbus Monday to brainstorm ideas for a campaign-finance reform bill the two state lawmakers introduced shortly after Householders arrest. The placeholder bill is modeled after a previous reform bill Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted sponsored in 2010, back when he was still in the state legislature.

That bill didnt go anywhere, and legislators have shown little appetite for reforming campaign-finance laws in recent years. But there could be renewed interest since Householder, a top political aide and three lobbyists were arrested two weeks ago in what prosecutors have described as a massive pay-to-play scheme fueled by secretive political spending.

Prosecutors say FirstEnergy entities spent $60 million in bribes, funneled through a network of political organizations that Householder secretly controlled, in exchange for a $1 billion nuclear bailout bill Householder helped push through the state legislature and defend against a repeal effort. According to the charges, FirstEnergys funding  which was spent on buying political ads and hiring consultants and campaign staff  was obscured by routing it through various political organizations and business entities with vague names and lax disclosure rules, a political technique thats generally referred to as dark money.

Unfortunately, that was very clearly demonstrated to us a few weeks ago that there is a public interest in creating this kind of disclosure and transparency, LaRose said.

Asked why politicians would be willing to reform a campaign-finance system that may have benefitted them, Manning said politicians have been just as likely to be on the receiving end of anonymously funded attacks.

The silver lining of whats going on is a bill like this can pass because of whats happened, Manning said. The public will be calling and emailing their legislators, and that will put pressure on them to make sure Rep. Miranda and I can get this accomplished.

The bill remains a work in progress. The House is not currently in session, and may not meet again until after the November election. But Manning said she spoke Monday with newly elected House Speaker Bob Cupp about the bill, and he showed interest.

I dont want to speak for him, but he made it clear that hes happy to move any legislation that the legislators want to move, she said.
All India Congress Committee spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday said that dissident MLAs should give up the hospitality of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the security of Haryana police if they want to hold a dialogue with the party.

IMAGE: Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Ajay Maken and Avinash Pandey address the media. Photograph: PTI Photo

Asked whether the doors for dissidents are open, Surjewala said that the legislators should first hold a dialogue with the party on the condition that they give up the security of Haryana police in Manesar, and the hospitality and friendship of the BJP.

"Gangrapes are happening, people are being beaten up in Gurgaon. There is no police available for them, but 1,000 policemen are deployed for the security of 19 MLAs. The legislators should first give up the Haryana police's security, and friendship and hospitality of the BJP, return home and only then will the dialogue take place," he said.

Surjewala also read out a statement released by party leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on the foundation laying of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

In reply to a question, Surjewala said that politics should have 'dharma' instead of having a politics of 'dharma'.

He also said that Bihar police's interference in connection with a probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death was unfair because it was the jurisdiction of Maharashtra Police.

"Bihar police cannot interfere in the jurisdiction of Maharashtra police. Such a situation may lead to anarchy, because enforcing law in a state is the responsibility of the state government," he told reporters outside Hotel Suryagarh where the party MLAs are staying.
An organized and boisterous stream of people repeatedly called on the Lincoln City Council on Monday to halt Mayor Leirion Gaylor Bairds budget and defund the police.

Dozens of young, mostly white people, who chanted Black Lives Matter while concluding their remarks, said the proposed budget flies in the face of repeated calls this summer to divert city dollars from the Lincoln Police Department to social services.

If the budget passes as is, that will show you arent listening, a man who identified himself only as Harrison said.

At a hearing that stretched late into Monday night, several people who addressed the council described the budget as grotesque and horrible and the council and the mayor as oppressors and cowards. And most took issue with the mayors plan to hire five new officers with a federal grant and accelerate the purchase of body cameras for officers.

Some applauded a move by the mayor, with council members joining her, to restore proposed cuts to library hours, park improvements and sidewalk repair while still closing a $12 million budget shortfall.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:21:18|Editor: huaxia

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BRUSSELS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The European Commission said on Tuesday that it has opened an in-depth investigation to assess the proposed acquisition of Fitbit by Google, under the European Union (EU) Merger Regulation.

The move was prompted by concerns that the proposed transaction would entrench Google's already strong market position in online advertising by increasing the amount of data that Google could use for personalization of the adverts, the commission said in a statement.

By acquiring Fitbit, Google would acquire the database maintained by Fitbit about its users' health and fitness, as well as the technology to develop a database similar to Fitbit's, said the Commission.

The data collected via wrist-worn wearable devices appears, at this stage of the Commission's review of the transaction, to be an important advantage in the online advertising markets, said the statement.

By increasing the data advantage of Google in the personalization of the ads it serves via its search engine and displays on other internet pages, it would be more difficult for rivals to match Google's online advertising services, the statement noted.

Last week, CNBC reported that the bid for Fitbit, announced last November, would see Google compete with market leader Apple and Samsung in the fitness-tracking and smart-watch market, alongside others including Huawei and Xiaomi from China.

The report said the European Commission, following the end of its preliminary review on Aug. 4, would launch the probe to explore in depth the use of data in healthcare.

In the statement released on Tuesday, the Commission said it has to take a decision no later than Dec. 9, 2020, nearly six months after the Commission was notified of the transaction.

Addressing the Commission's concerns, Google offered to creat a silo to separately store the data collected through wearable devices and promised not to use them for advertising purposes. But the Commission considered the data silo commitment is insufficient to clearly dismiss the serious doubts identified at this stage.

In the next four months, the Commission said it will carry out an in-depth investigation to determine whether its initial competition concerns are confirmed. The effects of the combination of Fitbit's and Google's databases will also be examined, among others.

"Our investigation aims to ensure that control by Google over data collected through wearable devices as a result of the transaction does not distort competition," said Margrethe Vestager, the Commission's Executive Vice-President responsible for competition policy, in the statement.

Google and Fitbit are both American companies. Enditem
Here are todays leading news stories:

Politics

-- Vietnams National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, head of the National Election Council, chaired the first meeting of the council in Hanoi on Monday in the run-up to the elections of 15th-tenure legislature and all-level Peoples Councils for 2021-26.

Society

-- Vietnam documented 10 new cases of novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on Tuesday morning, including seven cases in Da Nang City and three in Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam, all of which can be traced to the Da Nang Hospital outbreak. The countrys tally sits at 652, with 374 having recovered and six deaths.

-- Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City will start fining people who fail to wear face masks in public from Wednesday, August 5 in an effort to curb the COVID-19 epidemic, the citys chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong announced on Monday.

-- Ho Chi Minh City authorities have tracked 28 citizens who had contact with a Japanese man who is the director of a company based in the Central Highlands province of Lam Dong. The patient had been to multiple places in Ho Chi Minh City and Lam Dong before heading back to Tokyo, where he tested positive for the coronavirus.

-- Approximately 300 Vietnamese citizens stranded in Canada and South Korea due to COVID-19 were repatriated on Monday evening and have been brought to quarantined centers in the Mekong Delta provinces of Vinh Long and Soc Trang.

-- Over 400 visitors stranded in the central city of Da Nang are expected to be flown to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on two flights with registration open until 5:30 pm Wednesday, the municipal Department of Tourism said on Monday.

-- The Hanoi Peoples Court on Monday sentenced a 26-year-old Scotsman to two years in prison for the illegal sale of narcotics. He will be deported after finishing his jail term.

-- A Hanoi man lost his memories after a wheelbarrow fell from the fifth floor of a building and hit his head on Monday afternoon.

Business

-- Vietnam Airlines reported VND6 trillion (US$257.1 million) in second-quarter revenue, down by nearly 70 percent from the previous quarter, as a result of a month-long social distancing order in April and the ongoing suspension of international flights. Vietjet Air also reported a loss of over VND2.11 trillion ($90.5 million) in the first half of this year.

World news

-- More than 18.4 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus around the world while more than 696,800 have lost their lives, according to the Vietnamese Ministry of Health's statistics. Above 11.6 million patients have recovered.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: With preparations all done and stage all set in Ayodhya to host the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony to be performed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday for temple construction. The PM will arrive in the temple town at 11:30 am while the Bhoomi Pujan rituals will commence as early as 8 am. The PM, who will lay five small silver bricks along with the one weighing 40 kg in the foundation, has a packed schedule of three hours in Ayodhya.

On Wednesday, the PM will arrive in state capital Lucknow on Wednesday at 10:35 am and will fly to Ayodhya on a helicopter. He will land at the helipad at Ayodhyas Saket Degree College premises at around 11:30 am.

At around 11:40 am, the PM will reach Hanumangarhi, where he will have 'Darshan' of Lord Ram and will be engaged in rituals for 10 minutes. By around 12 pm, he will reach the Ram Janambhoomi premises, which will be followed by 'Darshan' and puja of 'Ram Lalla'. At around 12:15 pm, the Prime Minister will plant a 'Parijat' sapling at the site of 'Ram Janambhoomi'.

The main rituals of 'Hawan' and 'Puja' are expected to start in the presence of PM Modi at around 12:30 pm and after a gap of 10 minutes at around 12:40 pm, he is expected to finally lay the foundation stone for the construction of Ram Temple.

At around 01:10 pm the Prime Minister may meet the trust members. He will leave Ayodhya at 2:04 pm.

ALSO READ | Groundbreaking ceremony for Ram temple may lead to re-orientation of political discourse

The Ayodhya District Administration is on alert regarding PM Modi's visit on August 5 and a digital security plan has also been prepared for the purpose. In coordination with security agencies and the SPG, the district administration has prepared a blueprint for Modi's security, with seven zones created

including Hanumangarhi and banks of the Saryu.

Meanwhile, rituals continued on day 2 with six-hour-long Ramarcha (special puja) on Tuesday. The puja was led by a team of nine priests from Kashi and Ayodhya. The main worshipper in the puja was BJP Ayodhya city chief Mahesh Balchandani and his wife Sunita.

On the other, the SPG which has laid a thick security blanket across the temple town conducted mock drills on the streets and road of Ayodhya on Tuesday. The boundaries of the temple town have been sealed and entry of outsiders into the town has been restricted till August 5. The local residents have been asked to step out with identity cards for movement.

The route from Jalpa Mandir to Naya Ghat will be a super safety zone. However, Modi will only cover the 1-km stretch from Saket College to the venue on this route. Around 75 barriers have already been activated across the town with the majority on this route.

Meanwhile, UP police has also deployed 3500 cops across Ayodhya. According to ADG SN Sabat, 40 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 10 units of central forces have been deployed in the town. Over 100 commandos will be deputed on rooftops in the temple town during PMs stay.

At the same time, all the temples and significant spots in Ayodhya were sanitized by special santization teams from Lucknow to keep the deadly coronavirus at bay.

In all 175 guests have been invited for Ram temple Bhoomi Pujan of which 135 are saints from 36 spiritual traditions of India and Nepal.

In a tweet, the temple trust said: Shri Mahesh Bhagchandka and Shri Pawan Singhal from family of Shri Ashok ji Singhal will be Mukhya Yajman (main worshippers) in Bhumi Pujan. PM Shri @narendramodi, Shri Mohanji Bhagwat, Pujya Nritya Gopaldasji Maharaj, Governor Smt Anandiben Patel and CM Shri @myogiadityanath will be present on stage," the trust said in a tweet.

"Some eminent citizens of Ayodhya have also been invited," it said.

"There are certain practical difficulties in the arrival of some guests due to the Corona pandemic. Arrival of people who are aged above 90 years is not appropriate under present circumstances. Pujya Shankaracharya ji and many Pujya Sant have expressed inability to attend due to Chaturmas," said a trust statement.

"Sacred soil from more than 2,000 teerth sthan and water from more than 100 rivers has been brought to Ayodhya for Bhoomi Pujan. Pujya Shankaracharya and Sants have sent many auspicious materials for Bhoomi Pujan," it added.

ALSO READ | Ram Mandir will represent India as strong, prosperous, harmonious nation: Advani

All invitees including the dignitaries like RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat and Suresh Bhaiyyaji Joshi had reached the temple town by Tuesday evening. Moreover, yoga guru Baba Ramdev had reached the temple town by his own chopper in the afternoon.

The trust will distribute silver coins embossed with Ram Darbar among all the invitees. Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kamikochi in Tamil Nadu, has sent silver coins to Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust. The seer has sent these coins on behalf of the Ashok Singhal Foundation, an organisation named after Ashok Singhal, late president of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP).

PM Modis itinerary
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Steel Strips Wheels share price jumped 3.5 percent intraday on August 4 after the company bagged an export order from the US.

The company has bagged firm export orders for over 116,00 wheels for US Caravan Trailer Market to be executed in the month of October from its Chennai plant, as per company release.

The inflow of more orders is expected to come from various other customers as the market gains stability. Production at the Chennai steel wheel plant will further ramp up with such developments, it added.

The company achieved July 2020 total wheel rim sales of 9.25 lakh versus 12.59 lakh in July 2019 representing a de-growth of 27 percent YoY.

Company expects to maintain good month-on-month uptrend to come to pre-COVID levels by September 2020.

It has achieved a gross turnover of Rs 132.75 crore in July 2020 versus Rs 182.52 crore in July 2019, thereby recording a de-growth of 27 percent and achieved a net turnover of Rs 110.35 crore in July 2020 versus Rs 154.50 crore in July 2019, recording a de-growth of 29 percent.

The share price declined 45 percent in the last six months.

At 11:14 hrs, Steel Strips Wheels was quoting at Rs 410.30, up Rs 11.50, or 2.88 percent on the BSE.
There is no greater tyranny than that which is perpetrated under the shield of the law and in the name of justice, wrote the great French political philosopher Montesquieu. There is no better way to describe the repressive regime of Ramzan Kadyrov, the authoritarian leader of Russias Chechen Republic.

For this reason, the United States has imposed new visa restrictions on Kadyrov and his family, for gross violations of the human rights of the people of Chechnya. The consequence is that Kadyrov, his wife, and two adult daughters are now barred from entering the United States.

In his designation announcement, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the U.S. 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. These include credible reports of the mass detention and torture of LGBTI persons.

In 2018, an Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe investigation into Chechen human rights abuses revealed that harassment and persecution, arbitrary or unlawful arrests or detentions, torture, enforced disappearance, and extrajudicial executions had taken place in a climate of impunity.

Critics of Kadyrov have paid a high price over the years for reporting on abuses in Chechnya. In 2017, several Chechens with ties to Kadyrovs security services were found guilty of killing Russian opposition leader Boris Nemtsov. In 2009 Natalya Estemirova, who worked for the human rights group Memorial, was abducted from her home in Chechnya and murdered. In recent years, numerous critics of Kadyrov living in exile in Europe have also been killed.

More recently, Mr. Kadyrov, like many other authoritarian leaders, is using the excuse of the coronavirus pandemic to inflict further abuses on the Chechen people. Indeed, according to press reports, Kadyrov has threatened journalists who have reported on his governments efforts to scare people away from getting tested for COVID-19, calling those reporters enemies of the state.

These additional measures by the U.S. government send a message to Mr. Kadyrov that his gross violations of human rights have consequences for him and his family. The United States will use all means at its disposal to promote accountability for all those who engage in such abhorrent behavior.

The United States calls on the Russian government to end impunity for human rights violations in Chechnya and ensure that everyone in Russia, including in Chechnya, is able to exercise their fundamental freedoms without fear of retribution.
Former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Viral Acharya has advocated a credible sunset clause for the debt moratorium announced in the wake of COVID-19 pandemic. He also recommends adequate capital infusion in public sector banks to boost fresh lending to healthy borrowers.

In an interaction with BusinessToday.In, Acharya said extension of debt moratorium will spoil borrower discipline and impact the health of Indian financial sector. "Unfortunately, what happens in India is that we do not put debt moratorium with a credible sunset clause. We also perpetuate the lack of recognition of debts which are not being defaulted. It allows the borrowers to get away with standard status for long stretches of time, even after they don't make payments. Given the unexpected nature of COVID-19 shock, I would be in support of three to six month lack-of-asset-quality recognition, but that can't go on forever, because you do need borrower disciple to come back," says Acharya.

He says delay in recognition of asset quality norms will impact banks' ability to attract fresh capital. "Those who don't pay have to be marked down - that's the discipline. Then those who have the cashflow will make payments as not doing so will impact their reputation. So, only those who really can't pay will avail the moratorium," he adds.

As private banks continue to raise money amid COVID-19 they don't have a problem of capital. It's a problem more specific to public sector banks, explains Acharya.

"Even if RBI goes to write down the capital of these PSU banks, according to prudential norms, the government is never setting aside adequate funds. It keeps dilly dallying. As an analogy - they give it as an IV drip rather than a blood transfusion, which sort of revives the health of a patient and gets him up, instead of sort of perpetually being in the ICU state," Acharya says.

Acharya, who has recently released his new book on fiscal stability, points out how RBI gets forced to resort to 'accounting tricks', which damages its regulatory prowess. "Why is the exchequer not willing to put up funds for bank recapitalisation? Because they want to keep that money for some other expenditure. Therefore other than creating the space from elsewhere in the fiscal math to actually find the resources to run the banks in a healthy manner, they start leaning on the central bank to play all this accounting tricks. And that compromises the bank regulation. And worse than that, if banks are perpetually low on capital, they act in an extremely risk averse manner to fresh loans," he explains.

According to Acharya, when banks are always focused on rolling over legacy debts, the result is new restructuring packages to keep losses low on paper. "As a result we never pay attention to the needs of the healthy borrowers of the economy. There is no risk capital, there is no growth capital that is actually being set aside. What is needed is a sunset clause on debt moratorium to impose debt discipline along with proper recognition of asset quality in the balance sheet of banks. All of this is possible only if banks are well capitalised," he says.

Also read: Coronavirus has exposed weaknesses of global financial systems: Nobel Laureate Muhammad Yunus
Credit: Gunnar Mallon, Pixabay

Food prices could increase while farmers are paid less for their produce as climate shocks deepen problems in Sub-Saharan Africa's struggling food systems, an agricultural researcher says.

Reacting to a recent report on resetting broken food systems being hit hard by climate change, Timothy Njagi, a research fellow at Kenya-based Tegemeo Institute of Agricultural Policy and Development, says that this will worsen food and nutrition security, particularly for fresh foods which are easily perishable.

"For consumers, this has a big effect on nutrition due to the nutritional value of fresh foods such as fruits and vegetables," he tells SciDev.Net.

The report, developed under the coordination of the CGIAR Research Program on Climate Change, Agriculture and Food Security (CCAFS), is calling for improving farming and rural livelihoods in Sub-Saharan Africa to tackle issues such as poverty, nutrition and resilience.

The report provides a roadmap for fixing food systems that have already been hit hard by climate change, from smallholder farming to large-scale production.

The report recommends the need to reduce "the impact of variable weather and extreme events through attention to inclusive early warning systems, adaptive safety nets, and climate-informed advisories and other services". It also recommends realigning policies, finance, support for social movements and innovation.

"We will need coalitions of government, private sector [and others] to solve these problems and capture the new opportunities," says Bruce Campbell, director of CCAFS. "Perhaps, most important for Sub-Saharan Africa is getting the enabling policy environment right so we incentivise change."

Campbell explains that Sub-Saharan Africa's more than 60 million farming households should be linked to new opportunities, such as digital platforms, so that they can exchange and receive knowledge and get weather forecasts to help with their farming activities.

According to Campbell, "[a] big impact could be on food imports and exports and on farming inputs," he says, explaining that already international trade has been impacted, with farmers "throwing away of cut flowers in Kenya because of failing markets".

The report says that poverty, food insecurity and vulnerability to climate change are most pronounced in Sub-Saharan Africa and a quick strategy is needed to rebuild fractured food systems, especially with climate change poised to cause more pain in the coming years.

Njagi tells SciDev.Net that there is a high likelihood of prices of staple commodities rising due to recent shocks, such as flooding in East Africa and the desert locust invasion in the Horn of Africa and South Asia.

In May, a UN report warned of a "global food emergency" and that smallholders in Sub-Saharan Africa are facing increased climate change-linked droughts, floods and desert locust invasion.

The report took two years to complete and included comments and opinions from more than 100 experts.

"We engaged farmers, youth, scientists, development practitioners, policy makers and the private sector," Campbell says.

Extreme climate events and strange weather patterns, Campbell explains, will increase in frequency and severity, thus driving outbreaks of new pests and diseases.

Njagi says that the region needs to invest more in research and development, especially those that will develop local solutions.

"Innovations include labour saving technologies such as mechanisationextension systems, especially those that leverage on technology requiring less person-to-person interaction [and] market innovations linking producers and consumers directly," Njagi tells SciDev.Net.

Explore further Farmers unaware their activities trigger climate jolts

Provided by SciDev.Net
The next decade will be a golden age for Chinas instant delivery sector, whose market size is expected to hit about 250 billion yuan in 2020, according to Wan Ying, secretary-general of the E-commerce Logistics and Express Branch of the China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing.

(Photo/Xinhua)

Unlike the traditional express delivery mode, most instant delivery orders are made up of intra-city delivery services, with delivery time calculated by the minute.

In addition to bellwethers including Meitian and Dada Express, more Chinese behemoths such as Chinas leading ride-hailing giant Didi, home appliance giant Gome and courier giant ZTO Express have also been exploring similar services. The sector is expected to grow by 20 and 30 percent this year, according to experts.

The number of instant delivery users in the country has exceeded 400 million, with orders expanding from food to more products. According to statistics, orders of fresh food soared 104.8 percent year on year in the first quarter, and orders for cakes, fresh flowers and medicines also grew significantly.

Alibabas offline fresh food supermarket chain Hema saw its online orders surge by about 300 percent year on year, said Zhang Xinyu, the companys director of public relations.

Du Shangbiao, vice president of Chinas local courier service platform iShansong, said that the companys orders rocketed 300 percent in the past three years, with an average of 600,000 orders every day.

However, the sector also faces challenges, such as imbalance between supply and demand during peak hours and time pressure for couriers. As couriers need to complete tasks within a limited time, they sometimes run red lights or drive against the flow of traffic, which can easily lead to traffic accidents.

Experts suggested that delivery companies arrange a reasonable delivery time for couriers, while government departments should make greater efforts to bring more order into the sector.
In at least three dozen cities across the country on Mondayfrom Los Angeles to Baton Rouge, La.teachers took part in car caravans and socially distanced rallies to protest against reopening school buildings and police officers in schools.

The actions were part of a National Day of Resistance , organized by a coalition of local teachers unions, the Democratic Socialists of America, and left-leaning national groups. The coalition is demanding districts not reopen school buildings until the scientific data supports it, ensure equitable access to online learning, and maintain safe conditions when schools do reopen, including small class sizes, personal protective equipment, adequate cleaning, and COVID-19 testing.

Other demands include police-free schools, rent and mortgage cancelations, direct cash assistance to those unable to work or who are unemployed, a moratorium on new charter schools or voucher programs, and a pause on standardized testing.

None of the plans for reopening schools across the country are adequate, said Cecily Myers Cruz, the president of the United Teachers Los Angeles, which is part of the coalition, in a statement. Most do not adhere to the latest science, nor sufficiently close racial disparities or provide enough funding to open schools safely and equitably. ... Educators, parents, and students refuse to be guinea pigs or denied basic human rights of housing, education, medical care, child care, and sustenance during a global pandemic.

As the start of the school year approaches, school districts are still finalizing their reopening plans, deciding between fully remote, fully in-person, or a combination of the two. According to Education Weeks database , 11 of the 15 largest districtsincluding Los Angeleshave decided to start the semester completely virtually. But for those districts that are planning a return to in-person instruction, there are many unanswered questions, leaving teachers feeling scared for their health and safety .

Mondays protests are the latest in a series of actions by teachers across the country. Last week, American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said safety strikes are not off the table if schools reopen without what the teachers union considers to be appropriate safeguards.

See also: Teachers Are Scared to Go Back to School. Will They Strike?

The AFT has said school buildings should only open in places where the average daily community infection rate among those tested for COVID-19 is below 5 percent and the transmission rate is below 1 percent, and where there is effective contact tracing.

A Range of Demands

The protests that took place on Monday were all centered on the common set of demands, although each locality had their own agendas.

In Milwaukee, where the district has a phased plan to reopen school buildings, art teachers made fake gravestones with phrases like, Here lies a third grade student from Green Bay who caught COVID at school, and RIP Grandma caught COVID helping grandkids with homework.

Teachers unions in Baltimore and Montgomery County, Md., are demanding that Comcast provide internet access for all students, free of charge. Schools there are starting the school year remotely.

In many cities, protesters called for the removal of school police officers over concerns of the school-to-prison pipeline.

Several school boards across the country have voted to suspend or dismantle school policing programs in the wake of the high-profile police killings of unarmed Black people, such as Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Others, like Chicago, have voted to keep school police programs in tact despite student activism.

Black youth, along with other young people of color, have suffered under the pandemic of police violence and COVID, said Jonathan Stith, the director of the Alliance for Educational Justice, a national collective of youth organizing groups, in a statement. They are fighting back, and their demand is clear: They wont go back to school buildings with cops or COVID-19 in them.

Still, some teachers and onlookers have expressed concern about teachers unions tying issues like school police and charter schools to the debate on reopening schools. Hailly Korman, a senior associate partner at Bellwether Education, told Education Week last month that it could feel opportunistic for folks. It undermines your credibility.

For instance, Bob Sikes, a high school science teacher in Fort Walton Beach, Fla., said he would prefer teachers unions focus on ensuring safe conditions for teachers and students when school buildings reopen.

Theyve used [reopening] as a wedge political issue for agendas that just should not be part of negotiating, he said. "[Thats] stuff that doesnt have anything to do with good practices for the classroom. ... We gotta make it about the schools and the kids.

Photo: A demonstrator holds a sign during a protest Aug. 3 in Los Angeles. Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP
WATERLOO  At least five of the citys six council members present at a work session Monday indicated they would likely support a citywide mask mandate if it comes before the council.

Waterloo Ward 2 council member Jonathan Grieder introduced a resolution Monday that would require everyone within city limits to wear a cloth face covering in all indoor public places as well as outdoors if maintaining a six-foot distance was not possible.

Grieder said the mask mandate was necessary to significantly reduce the spread of coronavirus, saying he had consulted 15 scientific studies that are all in agreement cloth masks help aid in that goal.

We are in the middle of a pandemic, Grieder said. Iowa is one of the states in the union that has neither a state mandate nor a local mandate. All the while, we are seeing the numbers of COVID cases increase.

Though the council does not vote at work sessions, council members Sharon Juon, Jerome Amos, Pat Morrissey and Dave Boesen indicated preliminary support for Grieders resolution. Ward 5 council member Ray Feuss was absent.

Whether (people) think it is against their right or not, what about the right of individuals that dont want to be infected by this disease? Amos said.

Saying she was 150% in favor of this, Juon wanted to know if legal action had been taken against Iowa City, which has also mandated masks.

Grieder said he had contacted officials there, as well as in Muscatine and Johnson County where mask mandates are also in effect, and said none had been threatened with any legal action.

In a normal time, Im a pretty live-and-let-live type of guy, Grieder said. The issue is here, what we know from COVID is its spread by asymptomatic or pre-symptomatic people. Its spread by people who dont really know that theyre sick.

Morrissey asked if Grieder had planned on adding a six-week sunset clause. Grieder said he was in favor of doing that, similar to what Iowa City has done.

I am in no way suggesting that I want us to wear masks forever; I want us to wear masks when theres a pandemic going on, Grieder said. Hopefully, this will not last forever.

Morrissey then asked several questions about Mayor Quentin Harts existing mask mandate at Waterloo City Hall, including whether City Council members sitting in council chambers are expected to wear masks while in meetings.

That irked Ward 1 council member Margaret Klein, who accused Morrissey of targeting her. Klein was the only council member seated in the chambers, while the rest attended on Zoom.

This is exactly why I cant support this sort of thing, because this is what it causes  people turning in their neighbors, children turning in their parents, Klein said. I have bumped into people that are absolutely dedicated to living in a safe manner, but what they dont like is a heavy-handed, youre gonna do it or Im gonna turn you in.

But Boesen, though he supported the resolution, argued enforcement might be impossible.

Anti-maskers are as adamant about this as anti-vaxxers are, Boesen said, referring to people who refuse to get their children medically recommended vaccinations. Youve got people out there (saying), Youre never gonna force us to wear masks. So I hope we can work those issues out and be on a more encouraging recommendation.

Hart asked Grieder to run the resolution by the city attorney before bringing it to a regular council meeting. No date was set.

The enemy is the virus, Hart said. The more we can move away from the politics and more towards the protection around those that we live with and we work with, the more that we can do to protect our community, the better off we will be.

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.
LAS VEGAS  A sustained shutdown of MGM Resorts properties in the wake of COVID-19 contributed to a second-quarter operating loss of $1 billion, reports the Reno Gazette Journal, which is part of the USA TODAY Network.

That's a steep drop from the $371 million in operating income recorded in the second quarter of 2019. Those figures refer to income or losses calculated after operating expenses such as payroll and equipment are subtracted.

As we look ahead, we believe the long term fundamentals of our business and the broader industry remain intact, said Bill Hornbuckle, who was named MGM Resorts CEO this week. However, the near term operating environment will remain challenging and unpredictable as COVID-19 case trends, health and safety protocols, and travel restrictions continue to heavily impact our business."

In this Aug. 3, 2015, file photo, a man rides his bike past the MGM Grand hotel and casino in Las Vegas.

The owner of 10 resorts on The Strip reported net second-quarter revenues of $290 million  a 91% decrease. MGM reported a net loss of $857 million compared to last year's $43 million in net income.

Nevada's casinos reopened June 4 under new restrictions, including reduced occupancy, more space between gamblers and severely curtailed limits for meeting and convention spaces  factors that contributed to devastating second-quarter earnings, the company said.

On The Strip, MGM has opened Bellagio, MGM Grand, New York-New York, Excalibur, Luxor, Mandalay Bay, ARIA and Vdara. But Mirage and Park MGM remain closed.

Yikes: Nevada casino winnings down 45.5% in June

The open properties reported $151 million in net revenue  down 90% compared to last year.

MGM's earnings report revealed table games kept $142 million in revenue  a drop of 90% year over year. But the company highlighted several other factors that contributed to the companys second-quarter dive:

Continued travel restrictions in Macau

Restrictions on the number of table games allowed to operate in Macau

Restrictions on the number of seats available at each table at both the companys domestic and Macau properties

Social distancing restrictions at all open properties in the U.S. and Macau

Reduced number of slot machines available

Property capacity restrictions

Limitations at venues and amenities

Story continues

COVID-19 coverage in the media contributed to travel fallout that plummeted visitation numbers in Las Vegas, Hornbuckle said in a Thursday earnings call.

"COVID-related headlines continue to have a meaningful impact on booking trends and cancellations," Hornbuckle said.

The second-quarter occupancy rate was 43%. Over the same time in 2019, it was 95%.

Las Vegas 'in a world of hurt'

The disappearance of conventions in the wake of COVID-19 contributed to a second-quarter loss of almost $1 billion for Las Vegas Sands. The company lost $985 million  down 97.1% from last year.

The company recorded a net income of $1.11 billion in the second quarter of 2019.

The pandemic has transformed Las Vegas from a global destination to a regional gambling hub dependent on "drive-in" business, said Las Vegas Sands President and COO Rob Goldstein in an earnings call last week.

"We're in a world of hurt here in terms of Las Vegas," Goldstein said. "I've never felt more gloomy than I do today about what's happening in Las Vegas."

The company is optimistic about operations rebounding faster in Macau, China, but Goldstein said he is "pessimistic" that the convention and large group business will return to Southern Nevada before 2021. Today's conventiongoers are younger and reluctant to travel during a pandemic, he said.

Vegas passenger count 77% below last June

Following the reopening of Nevada casinos on June 4, Las Vegas' McCarran International Airport's passenger count was back over 1 million travelers in June.

McCarran's passenger count in June was 1,041,823. It's a significant improvement from May's numbers when just 391,712 passed through the airport during the coronavirus-prompted shutdown of gambling at the state's casinos.

But it's a 76.6% drop from June 2019, when the airport served more than 4.4 million travelers.

Casino winnings down 45.5% in June

Nevada Gaming Control Board data released Wednesday revealed June casino winnings were down 45.5% compared to last year.

The Silver States statewide total win of almost $567 million in June represents an improvement of the $5.8 million collected in May and the $3.6 million in April. But thats a far cry from last June when casinos took in $1,040,978,076.

For the entire year, Nevadas gambling revenue is down 21.7% statewide and 23.4% on the Las Vegas Strip.

In June, Las Vegas Strip casinos pulled in $238,252,405  a 61% dive from last years $616,592,146.

Layoffs, furloughs strike industry

Devastating business closures along the Las Vegas Strip corridor and travel fallout has led to layoffs for thousands of workers.

After paying employees through the COVID-19 shutdown, Wynn Resorts is now furloughing an undisclosed number of the company's 30,200 employees.

U.S. casino company Boyd Gaming last week announced the termination of thousands of workers in 10 states as visitation levels remain far below pre-pandemic levels. The layoffs will impact at least 25% of Boyd's 24,300 employees  a total of 6,075 cuts.

Did you see? Eldorado completes $17.3B merger with Caesars, creates largest casino company in U.S.

The Silver States jobless rate was 15% last month, according to the latest data from the Nevada Department of Employment, Training and Rehabilitation.

The number represents an improvement from the 25.3% reported in May and 30.1% reported in April  double the rate recorded during the Great Recession a decade ago.

Contributing: Jason Hidalgo, Reno Gazette Journal.

Ed Komenda writes about Las Vegas for the Reno Gazette Journal and USA Today Network.

Viva Las remote office? Allegiant Air to pitch 'work from Vegas' travel packages to boost bookings

In case you didn't catch: Las Vegas loyalists aren't letting COVID-19 ruin their vacations, even if 'it's not as much fun'

This article originally appeared on Reno Gazette Journal: MGM Resorts: COVID-19 restrictions part of steep financial troubles
Hundreds of drinkers rushed to bottle shops around Melbourne fearing they would be closed under new lockdown restrictions before Premier Daniel Andrews made the decision to keep them open.

Pictures showed masked-wearing panic buyers packing a Dan Murphy's car park in Brighton, south east of Melbourne, at 9am on Monday as they waited for the store to open.

A health worker wearing full PPE gear was one of the shoppers lining up with an empty trolley.

Pictures showed masked-wearing panic-buyers packing a Dan Murphy's car park in Brighton, south east of Melbourne, on at 9am on Monday, as they waited for the store to open

The images were taken just hours before the Premier announced thousands of businesses would have to shut from Thursday as 439 coronavirus cases were diagnosed.

Businesses have been divided up into three categories - essential ones that operate as normal, ones that must slash shifts and output, and those that must close.

But bottle shops, along with pharmacies, post offices, banks, petrol stations and a small list of other businesses were spared the closure.

AFL player Brad Green posted the image with the caption: 'Priorities people, Dan Murphy's at 9am. Don't worry about food and toilet paper, get to Dans.'

Locals were quick to comment on the picture, with many claiming their bottle shops were also packed.

'No wonder we getting lockdown bloody idiots, there's a delivery service, stay indoors', one said.

Val Athanassiou took a photo at his local Dan Murphy's in Rowville on Sunday afternoon, an hour after the Premier's announcement of stage 4 restrictions.

I counted 45 vehicles, which is near capacity, with a steady stream of vehicles coming in. I high tailed it to my local supermarket, and sure enough, the shelves were being stripped bare, he said.

In another video, posted to Reddit, shoppers were seen rushing to another store on Sunday morning.

Responses to Brad Green's tweet (above) called people 'bloody idiots' with a reminder the popular bottle shop offers an online delivery service

Other Melburnians said their local stores were full of people stocking up on alcohol as well

A reddit user showed people rushing to Dan Murphy's before the Premier announced bottle shops will remain open during the stage 4 lockdown

This photo of another store in Melbourne shows a packed car park despite the Premier's pleas for people to stay at home during stage 4 restrictions

Some twitter users responded to Brad Green's tweet with a more supportive tone, and said they could be doing the right thing and stocking up for 2 to 3 weeks and 'never leave the house'

Others were surprised at the lines but applauded people for practicing social distancing while lining up for supplies

It's not the first time bottle shops have experienced panic buyers, back in March when the first lockdown was announced, some shelves were left bare.

The Victorian Premier has warned the state that if people don't follow the restrictions, limit their shopping and practice social distancing at all times, stricter measures could follow.

'I'm making it clear to people. We all have to follow these rules. We all have to accept that this is the reality we're now confronted by. We have to make this work,' warned Mr Andrews.

Tuesday marked the 30th consecutive day of triple-digit increases and 11 new deaths, bringing the state's toll to 147.
By Kang Seung-woo



The appointment of a new U.S. envoy for defense cost-sharing negotiations with Korea is seen as Washington's attempt to add more pressure on Seoul to pay more for the cost of maintaining American troops here, according to government officials and diplomatic pundits, Tuesday.





Donna Welton / Courtesy of U.S. State Department
LONDON, UK / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Gabriel Resources Ltd. (TSXV:GBU) ("Gabriel" or the "Company") announces the publication of its Second Quarter Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis Report for the period ended June 30, 2020.

Summary

Gabriel remains focused on the progression of its arbitration case brought by the Company and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Gabriel Resources (Jersey) Ltd. (together "Claimants") against the Romanian State ("Respondent") under the rules of the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes ("ICSID"), part of the World Bank ("ICSID Arbitration"): On May 11, 2020 and July 13, 2020 respectively, the Claimants and Respondent filed their responses to a list of questions issued by the tribunal constituted to adjudicate the ICSID Arbitration ("Tribunal") arising from the evidence presented during the oral hearing held in December 2019. A second one week oral hearing is scheduled to be held in September 2020 ("Second Hearing"). Given the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and the ability to form large gatherings, the parties have agreed that the Second Hearing will be held virtually from Monday, September 28 to Sunday, October 4, 2020. The Second Hearing will focus on the technical and feasibility-related aspects of the Project and the quantum of the damages claimed.

In June 2020, a total of $4,763,000 principal of the convertible subordinated unsecured notes of the Company ("Convertible Notes") were converted into 15,339,773 common shares of the Company ("Common Shares") and 7,663,430 Common Share purchase warrants ("Warrants") were exercised with the Company receiving proceeds of $3.5 million.

The net loss for the second quarter of 2020 was $8.8 million (Q1 2020 $6.8 million).

As at June 30, 2020, the Company held $14.0 million of cash and cash equivalents.

The Company believes that it has sufficient sources of funding to cover its planned activities through to the end of January 2021 and is currently planning to raise additional financing in the short-term to maintain its primary assets while it awaits a decision from the Tribunal.

Dragos Tanase, Gabriel's President and Chief Executive Officer, stated:

"Our priority and focus remains steadfastly on the preparation for the ICSID Arbitration hearing scheduled to be held in September 2020, and on ensuring that beyond the hearing the Company is able to demonstrate a strong funding position through to a final award."

Further information and commentary on the results in the second quarter of 2020 is given below. The Company has filed its Unaudited Condensed Interim Consolidated Financial Statements for Q2 2020 and related Management's Discussion & Analysis on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and each is available for review on the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com.

For information on this press release, please contact:

Dragos Tanase President & CEO Phone: +40 730 399 019 dt@gabrielresources.com Richard Brown Chief Financial Officer Mobile: +44 7748 760276 richard.brown@gabrielresources.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Further Information

Impact of Coronavirus

With respect to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Gabriel has carefully considered the impact, noting the widespread disruption to normal activities and the uncertainty over the duration of this disruption. The highest priority of the Board of Directors is the health, safety and welfare of the Group's employees, contractors and community members. Gabriel recognizes that the situation is extremely fluid and is monitoring the relevant recommendations and restrictions on travel. At this time, these recommendations and restrictions do not significantly impact Gabriel's ability to continue the ICSID Arbitration process (other than a change to a virtual format for the Second Hearing) or conduct the limited operations in Romania. As previously announced, the Group is currently seeking new investment and the Group is also looking to sell its long lead-time equipment. The market and timing for each initiative may be adversely affected by the effects of COVID-19. As appropriate, Gabriel will make the necessary adjustments to the work processes required to maintain the ICSID Arbitration calendar and, should the disruption last for an extended duration, review certain planned activities in Romania and take remedial actions, if it is determined to be necessary or prudent to do so.

Status of the ICSID Arbitration

The ICSID Arbitration seeks compensation for all of the loss and damage suffered by the Claimants, resulting from the Respondent's wrongful conduct and its breaches of the protections afforded by certain treaties for the promotion and protection of foreign investment to which Romania is a party, including against expropriation, unfair and inequitable treatment and discrimination in respect of the Ro?ia Montana gold and silver project and the valuable gold, silver and porphyry copper deposits defined in the neighboring Bucium concession area ("Projects") and related licenses.

The Company is well advanced in the ICSID Arbitration process. To date, and in accordance with the procedural timelines established by the Tribunal, the parties have exchanged a number of substantial written submissions and participated in the first hearing on the merits of the claim, which was held in Washington D.C. between December 2 and December 13, 2019 ("Hearing").

On March 10, 2020, the Tribunal issued Procedural Order No. 27 whereby it set out a list of further questions arising from the evidence presented during the Hearing ("Tribunal's Questions"). The Tribunal subsequently issued Procedural Orders No. 28 and No. 31 whereby the parties were instructed to respond to the Tribunal's Questions in a sequential manner. The Claimants and the Respondent filed their responses to the Tribunal's Questions on May 11, 2020 and July 13, respectively.

On April 10, 2020, the Claimants and the Respondent filed their comments on a written submission to the Tribunal by the European Commission as a "non-disputing party" in the ICSID Arbitration.

An additional one week oral hearing has been scheduled for the week commencing September 28, 2020. Given the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on travel and the ability to form large gatherings, the parties have agreed that the Second Hearing will be held virtually. The parties have reached agreement on a joint proposed protocol for the conduct of the Second Hearing to be held from Monday, September 28 to Sunday, October 4, 2020. The Second Hearing will focus on the technical and feasibility-related aspects of the Project and the quantum of the damages claimed, with further related testimony from certain of the parties' fact and expert witnesses.

UNESCO World Heritage

As previously disclosed, Gabriel has provided notice to Romania of a dispute under the Treaties with regard to Romania's application to UNESCO in relation to Rosia Montana and has reserved its right to commence a further arbitration if warranted accordingly (the "Notice").

In the Notice, Gabriel confirmed that it is prepared to cooperate in good faith at a senior level with the Romanian Government and other authorities in a process of consultation with regard to the UNESCO application. Gabriel is hopeful that Romania will engage constructively, however, Romania has yet to respond to the Notice.

The issuance of the Notice does not in any way interfere with Gabriel's pursuit of the ICSID Arbitration. The Company remains focused on the progression and conclusion of the ICSID Arbitration.

VAT Assessment

As previously reported, an assessment of a liability for value added tax in the amount of RON 27m (approximately $8.6 million) ("VAT Assessment") was levied against Ro?ia Montana Gold Corporation S.A. ("RMGC"), together with a further demand in respect of RON 18.6 million (approximately $6.0 million) of related interest and penalties, by the Romanian National Agency for Fiscal Administration ("ANAF"). The VAT Assessment relates to VAT refunds previously claimed and received by RMGC from the Romanian tax authorities in respect of RMGC's purchase of goods and services from July 2011 to December 2015.

On February 6, 2019, the Alba Court of Appeal (Division for Administrative and Tax Claims) ruled in favour of RMGC's annulment challenge of the VAT Assessment. ANAF subsequently filed an appeal against this decision with the High Court of Cassation and Justice, and the first hearing date has been set as December 2, 2020. RMGC is contesting this appeal and a stay of enforcement granted by the Alba Iulia Court of Appeal remains in effect for the VAT Assessment and for the interest and penalties demand.

RMGC intends to pursue all available legal avenues to challenge the VAT Assessment along with the interest and penalties and to fully protect its rights and assets.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Cash and cash equivalents at June 30, 2020 were $14.0 million.

The Company's average monthly cash usage during Q2 2020 was $1.7 million (Q1 2020: $3.3 million), a reduced run-rate primarily reflecting (i) the settlement in Q1 2020 of $5.7 million of accruals for 2019 costs relating to the ICSID Arbitration following the intense activity preparing for and attending the Hearing in December 2019 that was not repeated in the second quarter of the year; (ii) costs associated with ICSID Arbitration related activities in the first and second quarters of 2020, including preparing responses to the Tribunal's Questions, an additional rebuttal submission and a response to a written submission to the Tribunal by the European Commission as a "non-disputing party"; and consistent cost overheads required to maintain the Romanian assets in good standing and compliance with operational and regulatory obligations in the quarter.

In June 2020, $4,763,000 principal of the Convertible Notes were converted by a holder into Common Shares (at a conversion price of $0.3105 per Common Share) and the holder exercised 7,663,430 Warrants, at an exercise price of $0.46. The conversion of the Convertible Notes and exercise of the Warrants resulted in the issuance of an aggregate of 23,008,203 Common Shares with the Company receiving proceeds of $3,527,478 from the Warrant exercise.

The Company believes that it has sufficient sources of funding to enable the Group to maintain its primary assets, including its License and associated rights and permits, and to fund general working capital requirements together with the material estimated costs associated with the Company advancing the ICSID Arbitration through the Second Hearing to the end of January 2021. Notwithstanding, there can be no assurances that the ICSID Arbitration will advance in a customary or predictable manner or within any specific or reasonable period of time.

However, the Company does not have sufficient cash to fund either the development of the Project or all the long-term activities required to see the ICSID Arbitration through to its conclusion, including any potential annulment proceeding and/or litigation to enforce any award. Accordingly, Gabriel is currently planning to raise additional financing in the short-term to maintain its primary assets while it awaits a decision from the Tribunal and thereafter further funds to pursue the ICSID Arbitration to its conclusion.

Financial Performance

The net loss for the second quarter of 2020 was $8.8 million, an increase of $1.4m from a loss of $7.4 million in the corresponding period in 2019, primarily due to ICSID Arbitration related costs for the quarter being $1.2m higher than in the 2019 period due to increased activities in Q2 2020, including preparing responses to the Tribunal's Questions and a response to a written submission to the Tribunal by the European Commission as a "non-disputing party", and $0.3 million higher finance costs in Q2 2020 when compared to the same period in 2019 due to the interest component of the Convertible Notes increasing as the liability to repay those Convertible Notes increases over the period to maturity.

Annual General Meeting

The Company intends to hold its annual general meeting of shareholders on Thursday, September 17, 2020 in Vancouver ("AGM"). The items of business to be considered at the AGM will be described in the notice of the AGM, and the accompanying Management Information Circular, which the Company will file under its profile on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

About Gabriel

Gabriel is a Canadian resource company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. The Company's principal focus has been the exploration and development of the Ro?ia Montana gold and silver project in Romania. The Rosia Montana Project, one of the largest undeveloped gold deposits in Europe, is situated in the South Apuseni Mountains of Transylvania, Romania, an historic and prolific mining district that since pre-Roman times has been mined intermittently for over 2,000 years. The exploitation license for the Rosia Montana Project is held by Ro?ia Montana Gold Corporation S.A., a Romanian company in which Gabriel owns an 80.69% equity interest, with the 19.31% balance held by Minvest Ro?ia Montana S.A., a Romanian state-owned mining company.

Upon obtaining the License in June 1999, the Group focused substantially all of their management and financial resources on the exploration, feasibility and subsequent development of the Rosia Montana Project. Despite the Company's fulfilment of its legal obligations and its development of the Rosia Montana Project as a high-quality, sustainable and environmentally-responsible mining project, using best available techniques, Romania has blocked and prevented implementation of the Rosia Montana Project without due process and without compensation. Accordingly, the Company's current core focus is the ICSID Arbitration. For more information please visit the Company's website at www.gabrielresources.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking information" (also referred to as "forward-looking statements") within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Forward-looking statements are provided for the purpose of providing information about management's current expectations and plans and allowing investors and others to get a better understanding of the Company's operating environment. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements.

In this press release, forward-looking statements are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Company at this time, are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies that may cause the Company's actual financial results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied herein. Some of the material factors or assumptions used to develop forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the uncertainties associated with: the ICSID Arbitration, actions by the Romanian Government, conditions or events impacting the Company's ability to fund its operations (including but not limited to the completion of further funding noted above) or service its debt, exploration, development and operation of mining properties and the overall impact of misjudgments made in good faith in the course of preparing forward-looking information.

Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties, assumptions, and other factors including those set out below, that may never materialize, prove incorrect or materialize other than as currently contemplated which could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, identified by words or phrases such as "expects", "is expected", "is of the view", "anticipates", "believes", "plans", "projects", "estimates", "assumes", "intends", "strategy", "goals", "objectives", "potential", "possible" or variations thereof or stating that certain actions, events, conditions or results "may", "could", "would", "should", "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative of any of these terms and similar expressions) are not statements of fact and may be forward-looking statements.

Numerous factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, including without limitation:

the outbreak of the coronavirus (COVID-19) may affect the Company's operations and/or the anticipated timeline for the ICSID Arbitration;

the duration, required disclosure, costs, process and outcome of the ICSID Arbitration;

the advancement of Romania's nomination of the "Rosia Montana Mining Landscape" as a UNESCO World Heritage site;

changes in the liquidity and capital resources of Gabriel, and/or the group of companies of which it is directly or indirectly parent;

access to funding to support the Group's continued ICSID Arbitration and/or operating activities in the future;

equity dilution resulting from the conversion or exercise of new or existing securities in part or in whole to Common Shares;

the ability of the Company to maintain a continued listing on the TSX Venture Exchange or any regulated public market for trading securities;

the impact on business strategy and its implementation in Romania of: any allegations of historic acts of corruption, uncertain fiscal investigations; uncertain legal enforcement both for and against the Group and political and social instability;

regulatory, political and economic risks associated with operating in a foreign jurisdiction including changes in laws, governments and legal regimes and interpretation of existing and future fiscal and other legislation;

volatility of currency exchange rates; and

the availability and continued participation in operational or other matters pertaining to the Group of certain key employees and consultants.

This list is not exhaustive of the factors that may affect any of the Company's forward-looking statements.

Investors are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and investors should not infer that there has been no change in the Company's affairs since the date of this press release that would warrant any modification of any forward-looking statement made in this document, other documents periodically filed with or furnished to the relevant securities regulators or documents presented on the Company's website. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements or the foregoing list of assumptions or factors, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, subject to the Company's disclosure obligations under applicable Canadian securities regulations. Investors are urged to read the Company's filings with Canadian securities regulatory agencies which can be viewed online at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: Gabriel Resources Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600309/2020-Second-Quarter-Report
Jacinda Ardern isn't ruling out the possibility the convicted Christchurch mosques terrorist may serve his time in Australia, but says New Zealand must make sure 'justice is done here first'.

Freshly released Cabinet papers have revealed the high cost of housing the Australian man who shot and killed 51 New Zealanders in the country's worst mass shooting on March 15 last year.

A total of $NZ3.59 million ($A3.33 million) has been approved for the first two years of Brenton Tarrant's stay at Auckland's Paremoremo Prison.

Brenton Tarrant shot and killed 51 New Zealanders in the country's worst mass shooting on March 15 last year

Additionally, $NZ790,000 ($A733,000) has been set aside this year for screening incoming and outgoing mail for high-risk inmates.

That measure has been directly attributed to an unfortunate incident last year when one of Tarrant's letters - reportedly sent to a contact in Russia - was posted on a notorious forum online.

Ms Ardern said the bill to house the Grafton-raised terrorist was unfortunately necessary.

'It is a high cost case,' she said.

'Obviously we've already seen what happens if we don't monitor closely, for instance, the correspondence that that individual is is engaging in, and of course some of the other precautions we need to put around the terrorist.'

Tarrant, who reversed his plea of not guilty earlier this year, is expected to be receive life imprisonment when the High Court meets in Christchurch to consider his sentencing next month.

Jacinda Ardern isn't ruling out the possibility the convicted Christchurch mosques terrorist may serve his time in Australia

Australia and New Zealand are close allies but are bitterly split on the issue of deportations across the Tasman.

The Australian government has deported thousands of people with Kiwi passports to New Zealand since 2014, including many people who have little connection to Aotearoa.

Ms Ardern has ruled out a tit-for-tat deportation of Tarrant but of a possible negotiated move to Australia, she said she'd 'never taken that off the table'.

'We do need to make sure that justice is done here first,' she said.

'(Australia) tends to (deport Kiwis) at the end of their sentence as opposed to at the beginning.

'Usually it's the case that someone will see the sentence in the country in which they are sentenced.'

While the sentencing comes right in the middle of a national election, New Zealand's biggest political parties have maintained a stately pact on the matter.

Opposition leader Judith Collins, who was Corrections Minister under ex-PM John Key, defended the multi-million dollar price tag to house Tarrant.

'It's a real temptation for people to say 'Send him back to Australia before he's served a sentence',' she said.

'I'd say to (those people) 'there are around about ... 900 New Zealanders in Australian jails. Would you like us to have all those back?

'He committed his evil crime here. I think he needs to have his sentence here, even though it costs us a lot of money. It's the rule of law.'
Mr. Gross has been instrumental in USCCGs growth and overall performance.

A succession plan for leadership at global operations management firm, USC Consulting Group (USCCG), moves forward as the company announced the shift of its top executives in their Senior Leadership Team. Richard W. Gross has been promoted to President and CEO and George W. Coffey, who has been President and CEO since 2006, moves to Executive Chairman.

The succession plan is designed to continue USCs accelerating growth and development as well as continuing to overcome the ongoing challenges associated with COVID-19, Mr. Coffey said of the reorganization.

Going forward Mr. Coffey will move into an advisory and support role for the company and leadership team.

I am excited for the opportunity and associated challenges that come with leading the company," states Mr. Gross. "We have a strong, highly qualified, seasoned team, equipped with multiple improvement tools to aid and support our clients achieve their best performance outcome. Our continued growth is within our control.

Mr. Gross has been instrumental in USCCGs growth and overall performance. His leadership and mentorship has been in support of this succession plan for many years. Even in todays unique and challenging world economy, the horizon for USCCGs continued success is bright. Rick will continue to focus on client acquisition while managing the firms overall business and financial operations and expanding the scope and quality of services the firm provides.

Richard Gross  Mr. Gross joined USC Consulting Group in 1981. Before assuming his present duties of overseeing all business operations, Rick served USCCG in the highest level of management in the areas of operations, analysis, and sales/business acquisition. He graduated from California University with a BA in Administration/Management and a minor in Economics.

George Coffey  Mr. Coffey began his career with USC Consulting Group in 1978 as a project consultant in operations. Over time, his responsibilities grew, with appointments to project manager, operations manager, business development executive, and regional manager/analyst. George became a partner in 1989, an executive partner in 1995, a senior partner in 1999, president in 2006, and CEO in 2010. George transitioned to Chairman and CEO in 2020. He graduated from The Ohio State University with a BA in Business Administration.

About USC Consulting Group, LLC

USC Consulting Group (USCCG) is an operations management consulting firm helping clients improve performance relative to earnings with a focus on operational excellence. Founded in 1968, the firm brings experience, enabling technology, and subject matter expertise to implement solutions, not just recommend them. With offices in the United States and Canada, and projects spread across the globe, USCCG has worked with thousands of Fortune 1000 companies in nearly every industry. For more information please follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter or visit http://www.usccg.com.
A New York prosecutor on Monday suggested he was investigating President Donald Trump and his company for possible insurance and bank fraud  a much broader probe than previously known in an attempt to obtain Mr Trumps financial records.

District attorney Cyrus Vance made the disclosure in a court filing, arguing that Mr Trumps accounting firm should be forced to comply with a subpoena for his tax returns.

The subpoena is part of a grand jury investigation which until now was believed to focus on possible hush-money payments to two women who say they had affairs with the former real estate mogul.

The filing was in response to a bid by Mr Trumps lawyers last week to block the subpoena, calling it wildly overbroad and issued in bad faith.

Mr Vance said Mr Trumps attorneys were relying on a false assumption that the investigation was limited to hush-money payments, without specifying the focus of the probe.

The district attorney said in the filing that undisputed news reports about possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organisation made it clear there was a legal basis for the subpoena.

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In early July, the U.S. Supreme Court rejected Mr Trumps claims of presidential immunity in criminal investigations, potentially paving the way for Vance to obtain the records.

The Supreme Court did not order the tax documents to be handed over, and the ruling indicated the president could try to fight the subpoenas in lower courts.

Mr Trump has fought the subpoena for nearly a year and his lawyers have vowed to continue the battle in lower courts.

(dpa/NAN)
The Census Bureau announced Monday it will cut short its nationwide count by a full month, raising concerns that the 2020 tally will be a rushed, incomplete picture of the American population. The worry among Democrats is that thats exactly the point and it will be historically underrepresented groups that will fall through the cracks, skewing Americas picture of itself, as well as a decade of political representation and federal funding that is derived from the constitutionally mandated count. The original July deadline had been extended earlier this year to the end of October due to the coronavirus. Senior census officials had already warned completing the count even in that time frame was no longer possible. Now, the time horizon will get even shorter.

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Nearly 40 percent of American households still have not self-responded to the census, meaning a huge swath of the population remains uncounted and the bureau now has less than two months left to try to reach people of color, immigrants, renters, rural residents and other members of historically undercounted groups who are not likely to fill out a census form on their own, NPR reports. The bureaus announcement comes after [] the agency had decided to cut short door-knocking efforts for the 2020 census. Those in-person interviews with unresponsive households started last month in some parts of the country and are set to expand nationwide on Aug. 11. Those efforts will now need to be wrapped up a full month earlier than anticipated. But why?

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The bureau, in April, had asked Congress to delay the Dec. 31 reporting requirement, requesting a four-month extension in submitting the numbers to the president. These are extraordinary times of course and the rationale behind the request was to ensure the completeness and accuracy of the 2020 Census, Census Bureau Director Steven Dillingham and Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross said then. The bureau now says it has a plan to accelerate the completion of data collection and apportionment counts by the end of the year. The Census Bureau and others really want us to proceed as rapidly as possible, Dillingham testified before Congress last week.

For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 13:15:48|Editor: huaxia

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Medical workers prepare for a COVID-19 patient's discharge at the Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, July 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Min)

- Wuhan not necessarily where coronavirus crossed from animals into humans: WHO expert

- Prisons infected by COVID-19 threaten nearby communities: research

- Infection rate in Italy has gradually climbed over past month



BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The following are the updates on the global fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

File photo shows Dr. Michael Ryan(L), executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, addressing a press conference in Geneva, Switzerland, Feb. 18, 2020. (Photo by Chen Junxia/Xinhua)

Although the first clusters of atypical pneumonia were reported in Wuhan, China, it doesn't necessarily mean that is where the COVID-19 disease crossed from animals into humans, a senior World Health Organization expert said on Monday.

Dr. Michael Ryan, executive director of the WHO Health Emergencies Program, said at a routine COVID-19 briefing on Monday that a much more "extensive retrospective epidemiological study" should be taken to fully understand the links between the cases.

- - - -

BEIJING -- Chinese health authority said Tuesday that it received reports of 36 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on the Chinese mainland Monday, including 30 locally-transmitted ones.

Of the locally-transmitted cases, 28 were reported in Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, and two in Liaoning Province, the National Health Commission said in its daily report.

Photo taken on July 23, 2020 shows a health worker holding a bag of plasma at the facilities of the District Institute of Science and Biotechnology and Innovation in Health in the city of Bogota, Colombia. (Xinhua/Jhon Paz)

BOGOTA -- The Colombian Ministry of Health on Monday raised the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases to 327,850, with 11,017 deaths.

According to the authorities, tests detected 10,199 new infections and 367 more patients died in the past 24 hours.

- - - -

WASHINGTON -- Jails infected by COVID-19 pose a threat not only to prisoners inside but also to people in nearby communities, researchers reported in the journal Health Affairs Monday.

Data suggests more than 4,700 cases of COVID-19 in Illinois up through April 19 were associated with 2,129 individuals going through the Cook County Jail in March, researchers from Harvard University said.

- - - -

TRIPOLI -- The National Center for Disease Control of Libya on Tuesday reported 226 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the national count to 4,063.

In a statement earlier Tuesday, the center said it had received a total of 1,157 suspected samples, 226 of which tested positive.

A member of staff waits for customers at SoHo in New York, the United States, on July 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Wang Ying)

WASHINGTON -- Economic activity in the U.S. manufacturing sector expanded in July amid a resurgence in new COVID-19 infections, the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) reported Monday.

The Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) stood at 54.2 percent in July, up 1.6 percentage points from the June reading. Any reading above 50 percent indicates the manufacturing sector is generally expanding.

- - - -

ROME -- Italy's coronavirus infection rate has gradually climbed over the last four weeks with the national reproduction rate climbing near an important threshold, government figures have shown.

Government and health officials urged caution but said the situation remains under control.

People wearing masks walk in the street in Ankara, Turkey on July 30, 2020. (Photo by Shi Yang/Xinhua)

ANKARA -- Turkey reported 995 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, raising the total diagnosed cases to 233,851, Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca said.

Meanwhile, 19 people died in the past 24 hours, taking the death toll to 5,747, Koca tweeted.

- - - -

DOHA -- The Qatari health ministry on Monday announced 215 new COVID-19 infections, raising the total number of confirmed cases in the Gulf state to 111,322, official Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported.

Meanwhile, 223 more recovered from the virus, bringing the total recoveries to 108,002, while the death toll remained 177, according to a ministry statement quoted by QNA.

People buy dessert ahead of the Eid al-Adha festival in Beirut, Lebanon, July 30, 2020. (Xinhua/Bilal Jawich)

BEIRUT -- Lebanon's number of COVID-19 infections increased on Monday by 177 cases to 5,062 while death toll went up by three to 65, the Health Ministry reported.

The country lost on Monday 47-year-old Zaynab Haidar, the first nurse who died from COVID-19 in Lebanon.

The ministry said COVID-19 is spreading quickly in Lebanon as citizens did not take serious measures over the past days with many of them attending public events like weddings and parties. 
It's always family first for Nicole Kidman as she reunites with her mom after months of being apart.

The two-time Emmy Award winner is back in Australia to be with her mother, Janelle Kidman, after eight months of separation due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In her recent Instagram post, the Hollywood A-Lister shared a series of photos with her mom, who just celebrated her 80th birthday. In her post, Nicole expressed her happiness of seeing her again.

"Feels so good to be able to hug my mum! It's been 8 months. I missed her 80th birthday but I'm here now. Love you Mumma," Nicole wrote alongside a heart emoji and the Australian flag icon.

Back in 2016, the "Big Little Lies" star dropped everything and took a break from her acting career to focus on her mom, who was diagnosed with breast cancer.

Nicole Kidman and Family Faced Backlash for Skipping 14-Day Quarantine

The 53-year-old Aussie-born actress, alongside her husband Keith Urban and their daughters Sunday and Faith, flew on a private jet from Tennessee to Australia to visit her mom. She is also in the land down under to work on her new series based on Liane Moriarty's physiological thriller book "Nine Perfect Strangers."

Unfortunately, the family of four received a wave of backlash from fans and public after failing to comply with the 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine upon arriving in Sydney, Australia.

According to the Daily Mail, the power couple and their kids quarantined in their $6.5million Southern Highlands estate instead of a government-approved hotel.

Based on the New South Wales Government website, residents or tourists entering must adhere to a two-week mandatory quarantine policy, which includes saying in a "designated quarantine facility, such as a hotel."

"Under the Public Health Order by the Minister for Health and Medical Research, all people returning from overseas must quarantine in a designated quarantine facility, such as a hotel," the official website read. "Exemptions are rare due to the high risk of not quarantining. They are only considered where there are strong medical, health, or compassionate grounds."

Power Couple Using Their Celebrity Privilege

Fans took to Twitter to express their anger as they accused the couple of using their celebrity privilege to avoid the government-mandated quarantine.

"Very disappointed in @NicoleKidman and @KeithUrban not going into quarantine like the rest of the people coming from overseas. The rich and privileged getting away with it again," one user wrote.

Another concerned fan pointed out the "unfair" treatment toward the rich and famous while the ordinary travelers have to deal with the strict policy.

"This is just bulls--t. Unfair & unAustralian. Seems we really are a country where the rich & famous are exempt from everything, incl. #COVID19au."

On the other hand, Daily Mail also cited that the couple was granted special permission to quarantine in their estate after her production has managed to establish an "isolation hub under full police-supervised quarantine."

READ MORE: Zac Efron 2020: 3 Reasons Why the 'Baywatch' Star Is Moving Out of Los Angeles
Turkey has expressed disappointment following a deal between a US oil firm and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces writes Anadolu Agency.

Turkey Monday denounced a US firms signing a deal with YPG/PKK-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) to extract, process and produce oil in northeastern Syria.

We deeply regret the US support to this step, disregarding international law, violating territorial integrity, unity and sovereignty of Syria, as well as being considered within the scope of financing terrorism. This act, which cannot be justified by any legitimate motive, is utterly unacceptable the Foreign Ministry said in a written statement.

Turkeys remarks came after media reports that the US-based company Delta Crescent Energy LLC signed a contract with the SDF for oil extraction, processing, and trade in the northeastern parts of Syria.

By this step, the PKK/YPG terrorist organization has clearly demonstrated its ambition to advance its separatist agenda by seizing the natural resources of the Syrian people. The natural resources of Syria belong to the Syrian people, the ministry said.

The PKK is a designated terrorist organization in Turkey and US, but Washington has refrained from similarly labeling its Syrian cousin as it continues to rely heavily on the YPG as its primary partner in northeastern Syria despite Ankaras objections.

The US support for the YPG has been a major strain on US-Turkish relations.

In its more than 30-year terror campaign against Turkey, the PKK  listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, US and EU  has been responsible for the deaths of 40,000 people, including women, children and infants. The YPG is the Syrian offshoot of the PKK.

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 little kitten named Charlie has been found with horror burns after she was dumped in a bin with fire crackers taped to her fur.

RSPCA Queensland received a call about a kitten found in a wheelie bin in Park Ridge in Logan, south of Brisbane, at 9.30pm on July 27.

They found Charlie with tape around her neck, legs and stomach and the fire crackers were believed to have been stuffed inside of the bindings.

A little kitten named Charlie has been found with horror burns after she was dumped in a bin with fire crackers taped to her fur

RSPCA QLD received a call about a kitten found in a wheelie bin in Park Ridge in Logan, south of Brisbane, at 9.30pm on July 27

Vets removed the bindings and found burn marks on Charlie's neck and mouth.

Firecracker remnants were also discovered when the tape was removed.

Two days later, RSPCA inspectors and Queensland Police searched a home in Crestmead, where a man in his 20s lives.

RSPCA QLD said in a statement that fireworks and firecrackers were allegedly found inside of the home, as well as drugs and an antique firearm.

Tape with cat fur and a mobile phone with a video of a person lighting firecrackers which were taped to the kitten were also allegedly found.

No animals were found on the property.

Vets at the RSPCA Wacol removed the bindings when caring for the kitten and found burn marks on its neck and mouth.

Fire cracker remnants were also discovered when the tape was removed

Daniel Young, RSPCA QLD Chief Inspector, said the investigation is ongoing.

'Quite frankly I'm at a loss for words,' he said.

'How anyone could treat an animal like this and then discard it like rubbish is appalling.

Daniel Young, RSPCA Qld Chief Inspector, said the investigation into what happened to the kitten is ongoing

'This level of offending shows a complete lack of empathy and a very disturbing level of cruelty.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Queensland Police for comment.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the RSPCA on 1300 ANIMAL
HOUSTON  A construction company whose CEO has made direct appeals on Fox News to build President Donald Trumps border wall won another major contract Monday, this time for nearly $300 million of new barriers in South Texas.

Fisher Industries was awarded a $289 million contract for 17 miles (27 kilometres) in Laredo, Texas, a border city of 250,000 people next to the Rio Grande, the river separating Texas and Mexico.

The North Dakota-based company had already received $1.7 billion in two contracts elsewhere on the border. U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer, a North Dakota Republican who received donations in the 2018 election cycle from company CEO Tommy Fisher and his wife, has said he championed Fisher Industries to Trump.

The announcement by U.S. Customs and Border Protection came the same day as a court-ordered inspection of a 3-mile (4.83-kilometre) section of private border wall further down the Rio Grande. Fisher Industries installed fencing just 35 feet (10 meters) from the river, much closer than the government normally builds walls near the Rio Grande due to concerns about erosion and re-routing water in potential violation of treaties with Mexico.

Fisher built the fence  originally promoted by a fundraiser created by Trump supporters  as a showcase of his companys wall technology for roughly $40 million.

After initial reports of erosion this summer, Trump disavowed the project in a tweet and claimed it was done to make me look bad.

A tropical storm in July tore open new gashes in the land in front of the fence. Opponents of the project, including the nonprofit National Butterfly Center adjacent to the land, say the erosion shows the fence shouldnt have been built.

Javier Pena, a lawyer for the butterfly center, said one of the holes was measured to be 8 feet (2.44 meters) long.

From what we saw today, Im not sure taking the fence down will solve all the problems, he said.

Tommy Fisher said his crews were patching any holes and his company was working to show a bi-national commission that their project would not violate treaty obligations.

We want to make sure its right by everyone, he said.
The US president has set a deadline of September 15 for TikTok to sell its US business or stop operations in the country.

Some Republican leaders, including House Minority Whip, have written to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo saying they suspect that Microsoft, which is in talks to buy the US operations of TikTok, despite being a US company, may be compromised. (Photo | AFP)

Washington: President Donald Trump has demanded that the US treasury get a substantial chunk of the TikTok sale proceeds, as he set a September 15 as the deadline for the popular Chinese short video app to be out of business in the country unless it is bought by an American company.

Trump was speaking to reporters at a White House news conference on Monday, hours after he announced the deadline for TikTok to stop operations in the US.

Technology giant Microsoft is in talks with TikToks parent company ByteDance to buy its US operation. However, the president is in favour of a complete 100 per cent purchase and not the 30 per cent as reportedly being negotiated now.

The United States should get a very large percentage of that price because were making it possible. Without us, you know, I use the expression, its like the landlord and the tenant. And without the lease, the tenant doesnt have the value, Trump said.

Well, were sort of in a certain way, the lease. We make it possible to have this great success. TikTok is a tremendous success. But a big portion of it in this country. It would come from the sale, yeah. Whatever the number is, it would come from the sale, he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump said that TikTok will close down on September 15, unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out an appropriate deal.

He also spoke to Microsofts Indian-American CEO Satya Nadella on the matter.

Redmond-headquartered Microsoft, in a statement on Sunday, said that following a conversation between Nadella and Trump, it is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the US.

Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikToks parent company ByteDance in a matter of weeks and will complete these discussions in any event by September 15, it said.

Indias recent decision to ban TikTok and other Chinese apps have stirred a national debate in the US and there has been increasing demand in America to follow suit.

India in June banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

TikTok, Trump asserted, has to be an American company.

We want no security problems with China. Its got to be an American company. Its got to be American security. Its got to be owned here. We dont want to have any problems with security, et cetera. And something could come out, he said.

I will tell you, theres a lot of excitement, not only by Microsoft, but by other companies in terms of buying it. So, well see what happens. But we want and we think we deserve to have a big percentage of that price coming to America, coming to the treasury, Trump said in response to a question.

Earlier in the day, White House trade adviser and assistant to the president, Peter Navarro, said that TikTok poses a security threat to the country.

The Chinese Communist Party may know where your children are. Thats essentially the problem. You sign up for a Chinese app like TikTok, they get your user name and password, maybe if you use that across other applications, theyve got that, he told CNN in an interview.

Microsoft, he said, is one of four or five American technology companies, Yahoo, Google, Sysco and others, who helped China originally build their great firewall, which is used to surveil, track, monitor, sensor and imprison the Chinese people.

But, more importantly, one of the few surviving search engines from America in China is Bing, and Microsoft owns that. So you know that theres some fishy stuff going on there, he said.

If youre in China and doing a Skype call, which is another Microsoft product, the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) is listening in. So the question is: Is Microsoft going to be compromised? Would it be useful to have a rule if you sell it that maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings, and then we (would be) more comfortable, he said.

Meanwhile, Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting a classified briefing on TikTok and other technology companies with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

While we remain deeply concerned with TikTok, such concerns extend beyond the popular short-form video app. For example, we recently learned a retail store partnered with DeepCam LLC, a company with links to China and its authoritarian government, secretly to deploy facial recognition technology at hundreds of locations, collecting information on countless Americans, they wrote.

Additionally, we know companies like Shenzhen Hawk, a subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate TCL, develop and offer apps with spyware and malware designed to harvest user data and send it back to China, the leaders wrote. PTI LKJ AKJ

Earlier Monday, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming acknowledged the hefty pressure and said in a letter to staff, reported by Chinese media, that they were working around-the-clock for the best outcome.

However, he said, the company faces mounting complexities across the geopolitical landscape and significant external pressure.

He said the company must confront the challenge from the United States, though without giving up exploring any possibilities.

According to Britains The Sun newspaper Monday, as a possible consequence of the pressure, ByteDance is planning to relocate TikToks global operations to Britain.

Chinas foreign ministry pushed back Monday, calling Washington hypocritical for demanding TikTok be sold.

This goes against the principle of market economy and exposes the hypocrisy and typical double standards of the US in upholding so-called fairness and freedom, he added.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Skeena Resources Limited (TSXV:SKE)(OTCQX:SKREF) ("Skeena" or the "Company") has signed the Definitive Agreement with Barrick Gold Corporation's wholly-owned subsidiary, Barrick Gold Inc. ("Barrick"), pursuant to which Skeena will acquire 100% of the Eskay Creek gold-silver project ("Eskay Creek" or the "Project") located in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. As a result of this transaction, Barrick will become a significant shareholder in Skeena.

Skeena's CEO, Walter Coles Jr. commented, "We were encouraged by the positive market reaction to the announcement of the binding term sheet in respect to the Eskay Creek transaction with Barrick and are delighted to now announce the signing of the Definitive Agreement. On closing, Skeena will gain 100% ownership and operatorship of Eskay Creek, which we hope to revitalize as an open-pit gold-silver mine. Skeena is honoured to have Barrick as an important shareholder in the Company going forward."

The Definitive Agreement formalizes the terms agreed to in the binding term sheet dated July 5, 2020 in which Skeena and Barrick agreed to amend the terms of the original option agreement. For further details on the transaction, please refer to the Company's press release dated July 6, 2020.

Closing of the transaction is expected to follow within the fourth quarter of 2020, subject to customary conditions, including certain government approvals and the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange.

About Skeena

Skeena Resources Limited is a junior Canadian mining exploration company focused on developing prospective precious metal properties in the Golden Triangle of northwest British Columbia, Canada. The Company's primary activities are the exploration and development of the past-producing Eskay Creek gold-silver mine. The Company released a robust Preliminary Economic Assessment in late 2019 and is currently focused on infill and exploration drilling at Eskay Creek to advance the project to Pre-feasibility. Skeena is also exploring the past-producing Snip gold mine.

Story continues

On behalf of the Board of Directors of Skeena Resources Limited,

Walter Coles Jr.

President & CEO

Cautionary note regarding forward-looking statements

Certain statements made and information contained herein may constitute "forward-looking information" and "forward looking statements" within the meaning of applicable Canadian and United States securities legislation. These statements and information are based on facts currently available to the Company and there is no assurance that actual results will meet management's expectations. Forward-looking statements and information may be identified by such terms as "anticipates", "believes", "targets", "estimates", "plans", "expects", "may", "will", "could" or "would". Forward-looking statements and information contained herein are based on certain factors and assumptions regarding, among other things, the estimation of mineral resources and reserves, the realization of resource and reserve estimates, metal prices, taxation, the estimation, timing and amount of future exploration and development, capital and operating costs, the availability of financing, the receipt of regulatory approvals, environmental risks, title disputes and other matters. While the Company considers its assumptions to be reasonable as of the date hereof, forward-looking statements and information are not guarantees of future performance and readers should not place undue importance on such statements as actual events and results may differ materially from those described herein. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements or information except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor the Investment Industry Regulatory Organization of Canada accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

CONTACT:

Walt Coles Jr.,

President & CEO

Kelly Earle, Vice President Communications

Email: kearle@skeenaresources.com

Tel: (604) 684-8725

SOURCE: Skeena Resources Limited





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/600124/Skeena-Signs-Definitive-Agreement-on-Eskay-Creek




Auckland Council last week adopted its Emergency Budget for 2020/21  named emergency in response to the estimated loss of revenue of $475 million this financial year due to the Covid-19 response.

The budget also allowed for more water infrastructure to the tune of $239 million to mitigate any future severe water restrictions.

Cr John Watson voted against the budget, and Cr Wayne Walker in favour.

The majority of Coast residents were clearly in favour of a smaller rate increase, or even no increase at all, with hard times ahead. Consultation showed that 70 percent of local ratepayers (Albany Ward) supported a 2.5 percent rise or less. Council also paid $100,000 for a Colmar Brunton poll, in which 53 percent opted for 2.5 percent.

However, Mayor Phil Goff says keeping the increase to 3.5 percent required hard decisions.

To meet the full cost of the loss of $475 million would have required a 28 percent rate increase but given the impact of Covid-19 on incomes across the community, an increase beyond 3.5 percent was never contemplated, Mayor Goff says. We examined whether a lower increase was viable, but it would have involved more savage cuts to services and investment in infrastructure badly needed by the city. Instead, we looked at other ways to balance our budget. Hard decisions had to be made, cutting over $200 million from expenditure. Staff losses will total over 1000, elected representatives and senior staff took pay cuts of up to 20 percent, and nearly 60 percent of other staff agreed to voluntary pay reductions. Non-essential spending has been slashed and surplus properties up to the value of $224 million will be sold. Council must become a leaner and more adaptable organisation, able to do more with less.

Suggested impacts on local services, before the budget was signed off, were a concern but many of those cuts never eventuated. There will be no charges at Silverdale or Albany park and rides, Silverdale dog pound remains open (for now) and the road safety programme for local roads was not cut. Funding for HBC Youth Centre is in the budget but yet to be signed off by Council and proposed cuts to library and leisure centre hours did not eventuate.

The local boards Discretionary Funding, which could have been reduced by 10 percent, was left intact  this is used for things such as park maintenance and community grants.

The biggest roading projects locally  Penlink and Northern motorway improvements are with Waka Kotahi/NZ Transport Agency (Government), so they are unaffected by Councils budget cuts.

Things to watch

Council now begins preparing its 10-year budget. This may be even more constrained with effects in many areas, Cr John Watson warns.

 Asset sales: The asset sales target escalated from $24 million in the pre-Covid budget to $224 million for 2020/21 across Auckland. Among the first properties on the block are two small sites in Albatross Rd, Red Beach, followed by 21 properties on Whangaparaoa Rd and two on Brightside Rd, which form a critical part of the road network and have been the subject of several stories in this paper.

 There is also a proposal in the budget for Council to exit ownership of gyms and holiday parks and this is expected to be considered in the future.

Local budget impacts

Transport projects and services

Many local transport projects are funded at the request of the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board, which receives an annual allocation from the transport capital fund. Auckland Transport (AT) advises that this fund has been cut to $5 million for 2020/21, which must be divided among 21 local boards. Any projects where contracts have not been signed will not go ahead this year. The big one locally to be put on hold is the extension of Orewa Boulevard from Riverside Road to Empire Road, costed at $1.4 million. Other projects that AT recently costed for the local board that are now on the back burner are changes to the McDonalds drive through and parking in Hillary Square ($60,000), footpaths on Laurie Southwick Parade in Gulf Harbour ($462,000) and the footpath from Hatfields Beach to Orewa ($1.5 million).

Big infrastructure projects

Orewa Seawall: This is the local boards single biggest project. The Environment Court released an interim decision granting resource consent for the seawall, with final conditions still being worked out. To move the project forward, Council funding is needed for the next stage  detailed design and building consent. This has been requested by the local board for 2020/21 but is not guaranteed.

Local services

Cutting grass, cleaning toilets and emptying bins. No change is anticipated to service levels like these, although the local board is considering reducing the number of rubbish bins and increasing the size of those that remain, where appropriate.

 Stanmore Bay Pool & Leisure Centre: Auckland Council head of active recreation Dave Stewart says under the Emergency Budget, savings targets have been identified which may result in operational and service changes in the next 12 months. The number of group fitness classes provided at the local leisure centre are now at 75 percent of pre-Covid levels and this is likely to be ongoing, he says.

Environmental projects

Several environmental groups receive local board support in undertaking voluntary work such as trapping, planting and cleanups. There were fears that funding could be cut, but it remains in place.

 The next stage of kauri dieback protection in Eaves Bush in Orewa has been delayed by a year, due to the need to defer capital expenditure.
Andersen Global enters the Chilean market through Collaboration Agreements with two Santiago-based firms: law firm Chirgwin Penafiel and tax firm SPASA Consulting. The firms are in close partnership with each other and add depth and breadth to the organization's Latin American platform as it continues its steady expansion.

Founded in 2009, Chirgwin Penafiel, led by Office Managing Partner Andres Chirgwin, is a full-service law firm specializing in commercial and corporate law, M&A, energy, labor law and banking finance. The firm works with a variety of corporate clients, being strongly focused on providing legal support to multinational companies with operations in Chile, while also assisting Chilean-based companies with local and international legal needs. Chirgwin Penafiel has been recognized by IFLR1000, Leaders League and Best Lawyers.

"Our firm is committed to delivering quality, comprehensive solutions to our local and international clients," Andres said. "Andersen Global's capabilities will equip us to provide seamless, best-in-class solutions globally. We look forward to collaborating with like-minded individuals that value independence and transparency when handling client matters."

For more than 20 years, SPASA Consulting has provided a full range of consulting services with a focus on tax consultancy, accounting services and payroll compliance. The firm's expertise also includes in-depth knowledge and understanding of IFRS and taxable rules, as well as a strong focus on Australian companies working in Chile.

"We believe that quality work requires stewardship and a trusted relationship with the client as well as specific knowledge of their business and industry," SPASA Office Managing Partner Rodrigo Guerrero said. "Andersen Global's integrated approach of providing both tax and legal services, is extraordinarily complementary to our existing client base and the strong working relationship that already exists between Chirgwin Penafiel and SPASA Consulting, giving us the competitive edge in our market as we continue to work with both local and international clients."

Andersen Global Chairman and Andersen CEO Mark Vorsatz added, "Chirgwin Penafiel and SPASA Consulting have developed a close working relationship. These dynamic and innovative firms bring a level of enthusiasm and dedication that made them an excellent fit for our organization. Chile is a significant region to our expansion plans in South America, and the firms' synergistic strategy, along with their subject matter expertise and knowledge of the market, will strengthen our organization's global platform."

Andersen Global is an international association of legally separate, independent member firms comprised of tax and legal professionals around the world. Established in 2013 by U.S. member firm Andersen Tax LLC, Andersen Global now has more than 6,000 professionals worldwide and a presence in over 186 locations through its member firms and collaborating firms.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005373/en/

Contacts:

Megan Tsuei

Andersen Global

415-764-2700
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BrainPOP , the online educational solution that makes rigorous learning experiences accessible and engaging for all students, has earned the Research-Based Design product certification from Digital Promise . The new product certification is a rigorous, reliable signal for school administrators, educators, and families looking for evidence of research-based educational technology (edtech) products.

"Designed by true pioneers in learning technologies, BrainPOP stands out as one of the most accessible and impactful learning solutions for all students. Earning the Research-Based Design product certification from Digital Promise is an important milestone for an exceptional product design based on state-of-the-art learning sciences and rigorous efficacy evidence from multiple research studies," said Yigal Rosen, Ph.D., a co-author of Equity in Learning with BrainPOP: Fostering Access and Impact for All , who serves on the research faculty of Harvard's Graduate School of Education. Dr. Rosen collaborated on the paper, which was submitted as part of the product certification process, with Barbara Hubert, Ph.D., Director of Professional Learning at BrainPOP.

The Research-Based Design product certification is awarded to products that submit artifacts demonstrating: "They consulted research about learning to inform product design decisions; They developed a theoretical framework, such as a logic model or theory of change, grounded in research about how people learn to drive product planning and decision making; They publicly communicate the product's research basis."

"Everything we do at BrainPOP is designed to help students build the essential skills they need to succeed and thrive in the classroom and beyond. Supporting equitable, differentiated instruction for all students is central to the products we build and the services we offer to educators and parents," said Scott Kirkpatrick, CEO of BrainPOP. "We are very proud to be recognized by Digital Promise for our work in this space."

Ensuring all learners have equitable access to rigorous learning opportunities is a challenging task. Online educational platforms driven by learning science research have rich potential to support creating instructional access to high-quality learning experiences. BrainPOP is deeply committed to integrating research on learning into the design of its content and tools. This commitment anchored the design of the original BrainPOP platform and will continue to guide its development in the future.

Since its founding in 1999 by Avraham Kadar, M.D., BrainPOP has been continuously innovating to prepare students to become the leaders of tomorrow. Over the last 20 years, BrainPOP has reached more than 300 million learners worldwide. From the beginning, the BrainPOP approach engaged kids' curiosity through short animated movies that make complicated ideas simple and clear, helping them experience the sudden burst of understanding that Dr. Kadar called a "brain pop." Today, schools and districts nationwide utilize BrainPOP to raise academic achievement and strengthen students' critical, computational, and creative thinking skills.

"Schools and families want to know which edtech products can actually help students learn," said Karen Cator, president and CEO of Digital Promise. "Digital Promise's Product Certifications are designed to help strengthen consumers' confidence in choosing research-based products, while recognizing product developers doing the important work of incorporating valid research into their designs."

The Research-Based Design product certification uses a competency-based learning framework, developed in consultation with Digital Promise's Learner Variability Project advisory board, expert researchers in the learning sciences field, and dozens of educators across the United States. Further detail about its development can be found in Digital Promise's new report, " Designing Edtech that Matters for Learning: Research-Based Design Product Certifications ."

About BrainPOP

BrainPOP is an online educational solution that makes rigorous learning experiences accessible and engaging for all. Proven to raise academic achievement, it has been a trusted resource to more than six million educators and has engaged the hearts and challenged the minds of over 300 million learners worldwide. 70% of K-8 U.S. schools have turned to BrainPOP as a go-to resource for remote learning, and nine out of 10 educators would recommend it to a friend or colleague. BrainPOP provides endless opportunities for kids to take agency over their learning through playful, knowledge-building content and learner-driven projects that strengthen critical, computational, and creative thinking across the entire curriculum. The company is committed to empowering kids to succeed and thrive in the classroom and beyond.

About Digital Promise

Digital Promise is a nonprofit organization that builds powerful networks and takes on grand challenges by working at the intersection of researchers, entrepreneurs, and educators. Our vision is that all people, at every stage of their lives, have access to learning experiences that help them acquire the knowledge and skills they need to thrive and continuously learn in an ever-changing world.

SOURCE BrainPOP

Related Links

https://www.brainpop.com


Performances at local retirement villages last month by Hibiscus Coast 18-year-old Sam Wilcox-Brown followed his win of a scholarship designed to promote music in the community.

The Daphne Stevens Community Music Scholarship provides $3000 to support and encourage local musicians.

Before moving into the Maygrove Village hospital, Daphne lived in Waitoki where she was well known for teaching piano in local schools and later in a studio in Orewa. She also performed on the piano for more than 70 years.

Previous recipients of her scholarship include alternative folk trio Tweed and Orewa College student Billie Hart.

Winners of Daphnes scholarship are required to share their music, via performances or workshops for example, in the community. Since the end of last year, Sam has been fulfilling his obligations as a recipient, playing at the Age Concern Christmas concert, as well as more recently at two local retirement villages. He also performed for a Waitoki coffee group at Waitoki Memorial Church.

Sam, who is currently studying music at university, says playing for the older folk was a really good experience, and he enjoyed pushing forward the concept of the scholarship.

I also promoted it to my younger musician friends, he says.

He spent the money on a new keyboard.

While playing at Maygrove Village hospital, he spent time with Daphne. He says although she has lost a lot of her ability to communicate through illness, she can still hear and appeared to be listening to the music he played.

Both the retirement villages booked Sam for Christmas concerts.

This years round of the annual Daphne Stevens Community Music Scholarship opened for applications on August 3.

Info and applications: visit aucklandfoundation.org.nz and search under Apply for Grants.
TR-1: Standard form for notification of major holdings

NOTIFICATION OF MAJOR HOLDINGS (to be sent to the relevant issuer and to the FCA in Microsoft Word format if possible)i 1a. Identity of the issuer or the underlying issuer of existing shares to which voting rights are attachedii: THIRD POINT OFFSHORE INVESTORS LIMITED 1b. Please indicate if the issuer is a non-UK issuer (please mark with an "X" if appropriate) Non-UK issuer 2. Reason for the notification (please mark the appropriate box or boxes with an "X") An acquisition or disposal of voting rights An acquisition or disposal of financial instruments An event changing the breakdown of voting rights X Other (please specify)iii: 3. Details of person subject to the notification obligationiv Name ASSET VALUE INVESTORS LTD City and country of registered office (if applicable) London, England 4. Full name of shareholder(s) (if different from 3.)v Name JP Morgan - Chase Nominees Limited

CREST: BO01 - Account 11429 City and country of registered office (if applicable) London, England 5. Date on which the threshold was crossed or reachedvi: 31/07/2020 6. Date on which issuer notified (DD/MM/YYYY): 03/08/2020 7. Total positions of person(s) subject to the notification obligation % of voting rights attached to shares (total of 8. A) % of voting rights through financial instruments

(total of 8.B 1 + 8.B 2) Total of both in % (8.A + 8.B) Total number of voting rights of issuervii Resulting situation on the date on which threshold was crossed or reached 5.00% - 5.00% 62,265,613 Position of previous notification (if

applicable) 4.97% - 4.97%

8. Notified details of the resulting situation on the date on which the threshold was crossed or reachedviii A: Voting rights attached to shares Class/type of

shares

ISIN code (if possible) Number of voting rightsix % of voting rights Direct

(Art 9 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.1) Indirect

(Art 10 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.2.1) Direct

(Art 9 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.1) Indirect

(Art 10 of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR5.2.1) GG00B1YQ7219 - 3,114,656 - 5.00% SUBTOTAL 8. A 3,114,656 5.00% B 1: Financial Instruments according to Art. 13(1)(a) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.3.1.1 (a)) Type of financial instrument Expiration

datex Exercise/

Conversion Periodxi Number of voting rights that may be acquired if the instrument is

exercised/converted. % of voting rights SUBTOTAL 8. B 1 B 2: Financial Instruments with similar economic effect according to Art. 13(1)(b) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.3.1.1 (b)) Type of financial instrument Expiration

datex Exercise/

Conversion Periodxi Physical or cash

settlementxii Number of voting rights % of voting rights SUBTOTAL 8.B.2



9. Information in relation to the person subject to the notification obligation (please mark the

applicable box with an "X") Person subject to the notification obligation is not controlled by any natural person or legal entity and does not control any other undertaking(s) holding directly or indirectly an interest in the (underlying) issuerxiii X Full chain of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or the

financial instruments are effectively held starting with the ultimate controlling natural person or legal entityxiv (please add additional rows as necessary) Namexv % of voting rights if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold % of voting rights through financial instruments if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold Total of both if it equals or is higher than the notifiable threshold Asset Value Investors Ltd 5.00% 5.00% 10.In case of proxy voting, please identify: Name of the proxy holder The number and % of voting rights held The date until which the voting rights will be held 11. Additional informationxvi

Place of completion London, England Date of completion 03/08/2020

Annex: Notification of major holdings (to be filed with the FCA only ) A: Identity of the person subject to the notification obligation Full name (including legal form for legal entities) Asset Value Investors Ltd Contact address (registered office for legal entities) 25 Bury Street

London

SW1Y 6AL E-Mail Jake.crowhurst@assetvalueinvestors.com Phone number / Fax number 0207 659 4800 Other useful information

(at least legal representative for legal persons) B: Identity of the notifier, if applicable Full name Contact address E-Mail Phone number / Fax number Other useful information (e.g. functional relationship with the person or legal entity subject to the notification obligation) C: Additional information

Please send the completed form together with this annex to the FCA at the following email

address: Majorshareholdings@fca.org.uk. Please send in Microsoft Word format if possible.

Notes

iPlease note that national forms may vary due to specific national legislation (Article 3(1a) of Directive 2004/109/EC) as for instance the applicable thresholds or information regarding capital holdings.

iiFull name of the legal entity and further specification of the issuer or underlying issuer, provided it is reliable and accurate (e.g. address, LEI, domestic number identity). Indicate in the relevant section whether the issuer is a non UK issuer.

iiiOther reason for the notification could be voluntary notifications, changes of attribution of the nature of the holding (e.g. expiring of financial instruments) or acting in concert.

ivThis should be the full name of (a) the shareholder; (b) the natural person or legal entity acquiring, disposing of or exercising voting rights in the cases provided for in DTR5.2.1 (b) to (h)/ Article 10 (b) to (h) of Directive 2004/109/EC; (c) all parties to the agreement referred to in Article 10 (a) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.2.1 (a)) or (d) the holder of financial instruments referred to in Article 13(1) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.3.1).

As the disclosure of cases of acting in concert may vary due to the specific circumstances (e.g. same or different total positions of the parties, entering or exiting of acting in concert by a single party) the standard form does not provide for a specific method how to notify cases of acting in concert.

In relation to the transactions referred to in points (b) to (h) of Article 10 of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.2.1 (b) to (h)), the following list is provided as indication of the persons who should be mentioned:

- in the circumstances foreseen in letter (b) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (b)), the natural person or legal entity that acquires the voting rights and is entitled to exercise them under the agreement and the natural person or legal entity who is transferring temporarily for consideration the voting rights;

- in the circumstances foreseen in letter (c) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (c)), the natural person or legal entity holding the collateral, provided the person or entity controls the voting rights and declares its intention of exercising them, and natural person or legal entity lodging the collateral under these conditions;

- in the circumstances foreseen in letter (d) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (d)), the natural person or legal entity who has a life interest in shares if that person or entity is entitled to exercise the voting rights attached to the shares and the natural person or legal entity who is disposing of the voting rights when the life interest is created;

- in the circumstances foreseen in letter (e) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (e)), the controlling natural person or legal entity and, provided it has a notification duty at an individual level under Article 9 (DTR 5.1), under letters (a) to (d) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (a) to (d)) or under a combination of any of those situations, the controlled undertaking;

- in the circumstances foreseen in letter (f) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (f)), the deposit taker of the shares, if he can exercise the voting rights attached to the shares deposited with him at his discretion, and the depositor of the shares allowing the deposit taker to exercise the voting rights at his discretion;

- in the circumstances foreseen in letter (g) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (g)), the natural person or legal entity that controls the voting rights;

- in the circumstances foreseen in letter (h) of Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2.1 (h)), the proxy holder, if he can exercise the voting rights at his discretion, and the shareholder who has given his proxy to the proxy holder allowing the latter to exercise the voting rights at his discretion (e.g. management companies).

vApplicable in the cases provided for in Article 10 (b) to (h) of Directive 2004/109/EC (DTR5.2.1 (b) to (h). This should be the full name of the shareholder who is the counterparty to the natural person or legal entity referred to in Article 10 of that Directive (DTR5.2) unless the percentage of voting rights held by the shareholder is lower than the lowest notifiable threshold for the disclosure of voting rights holdings in accordance with national practices (e.g. identification of funds managed by management companies).

viThe date on which threshold is crossed or reached should be the date on which the acquisition or disposal took place or the other reason triggered the notification obligation. For passive crossings, the date when the corporate event took effect.

viiThe total number of voting rights shall be composed of all the shares, including depository receipts representing shares, to which voting rights are attached even if the exercise thereof is suspended.

viiiIf the holding has fallen below the lowest applicable threshold in accordance with national law, please note that it might not be necessary in accordance with national law to disclose the extent of the holding, only that the new holding is below that threshold.

ixIn case of combined holdings of shares with voting rights attached "direct holding" and voting rights "indirect holding", please split the voting rights number and percentage into the direct and indirect columns - if there is no combined holdings, please leave the relevant box blank.

xDate of maturity/expiration of the financial instrument i.e. the date when right to acquire shares ends.

xiIf the financial instrument has such a period - please specify this period - for example once every 3 months starting from [date].

xiiIn case of cash settled instruments the number and percentages of voting rights is to be presented on a delta-adjusted basis (Article 13(1a) of Directive 2004/109/EC) (DTR 5.3.3.A).

xiiiIf the person subject to the notification obligation is either controlled and/or does control another undertaking then the second option applies.

xivThe full chain of controlled undertakings starting with the ultimate controlling natural person or legal entity has to be presented also in the cases, in which only on subsidiary level a threshold is crossed or reached and the subsidiary undertaking discloses the notification as only thus the markets get always the full picture of the group holdings. In case of multiple chains through which the voting rights and/or financial instruments are effectively held the chains have to be presented chain by chain leaving a row free between different chains (e.g.: A, B, C, free row, A, B, D, free row, A, E, F etc.).

xvThe names of controlled undertakings through which the voting rights and/or financial instruments are effectively held have to be presented irrespectively whether the controlled undertakings cross or reach the lowest applicable threshold themselves.

xviExample: Correction of a previous notification.
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Dolly Varden Silver Corporation ("Dolly Varden" or the "Company") (TSXV: DV) (OTC:DOLLF), is pleased to announce that its 10,000 meter discovery-focused and resource expansion drilling program is underway at its flagship Dolly Varden Property, located in northwestern, BC.

As the Company's new technical team finalizes regional exploration targets on the Property, initial drilling is focused on step-out drilling from current resources at the past-producing Torbrit Mine. Company Records of historic mining operations at the Torbrit and Dolly Varden Mines produced average grades of 500 at Torbrit and 1,100 g/t silver at Dolly Varden. Silver mineralization came from Native Silver, Argentiferous Galena and Ruby Silver (pyrargyrite).

"Multiple silver-rich mineralizing systems, deposits and past-producing mines present many target options for exploration at Dolly Varden," said Shawn Khunkhun, President and CEO of Dolly Varden Silver. "We are ramping-up our exploration for the 2020 field season and will keep our shareholders updated regularly on results. Our priority is the discovery of more high-grade silver mineralization, which we expect to accomplish with 80% of drilling at new targets and 20% in high-priority resource expansion areas. It is exciting to have a geological team with so much experience and historic success in this region, added Shawn."

Torbrit Deposit

The main Torbrit deposit hosts strataform exhalative-style silver mineralization and overprinted by epithermal vein mineralization, with associated lead and zinc. The Company's geological team has been on site for several weeks now working on detailed structural mapping and re-interpretations to guide the drill targeting within the +4,500 meters long silver-bearing alteration belt, extending north from the Current Mineral Resource Estimate area. Additional soil sampling on the western portion of the property is ongoing to help define new gold targets for late summer drill testing. Additional technical information on Torbrit can be found at https://www.dollyvardensilver.com/

"Exploration work is progressing as planned while keeping workers safe and healthy as our top priority. We are currently testing for extensions to the mineral resource which has been untouched by historic mining and then will be concentrating on further defining higher grade pockets of silver mineralization," explains Rob van Egmond, Chief Geologist currently on site.

About Dolly Varden Silver Corporation

Dolly Varden Silver Corporation is a mineral exploration company focused on exploration in northwestern British Columbia. Dolly Varden has two projects, the namesake Dolly Varden silver property and the nearby Big Bulk copper-gold property. The Dolly Varden property is considered to be highly prospective for hosting high-grade precious metal deposits, since it comprises the same structural and stratigraphic setting that host numerous other high-grade deposits (Eskay Creek, Brucejack). The Big Bulk property is prospective for porphyry and skarn style copper and gold mineralization similar to other such deposits in the region (Red Mountain, KSM, Red Chris).

Technical Information and Qualified Person

Robert van Egmond, PGeo, Chief Geologist for Dolly Varden Silver Corp., serves as 'Qualified Person' as defined in NI 43-101, and have approved the scientific and technical information contained in this news release.



Forward Looking Statements

This release may contain forward-looking statements or forward-looking information under applicable Canadian securities legislation that may not be based on historical fact, including, without limitation, statements containing the words "believe", "may", "plan", "will", "estimate", "continue", "anticipate", "intend", "expect", "potential" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance, or achievements of Dolly Varden to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Forward looking statements or information relates to, among other things, completion of the Offering, Exchange approval of the Offering, the use of proceeds with respect to the Offerings, the results of previous field work and programs and the continued operations of the current exploration program, interpretation of the nature of the mineralization at the project and that that the mineralization on the project is similar to Eskay and Brucejack, results of the mineral resource estimate on the project, the potential to grow the project, the potential to expand the mineralization, the planning for further exploration work, the ability to de-risk the potential exploration targets, and our beliefs about the unexplored portion of the property. These forward-looking statements are based on management's current expectations and beliefs but given the uncertainties, assumptions and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements or information. The Company disclaims any obligation to update, or to publicly announce, any such statements, events or developments except as required by law.

For additional information on risks and uncertainties, see the Company's most recently filed annual management discussion & analysis ("MD&A"), which is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The risk factors identified in the MD&A are not intended to represent a complete list of factors that could affect the Company.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX-V) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

SOURCE Dolly Varden Silver Corp.
A Hopewell teenager found dead after he exchanged gunfire with Colonial Heights police in April died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, the state medical examiner has ruled.

State authorities said Zyon Romeir Wyche, 19, killed himself after an April 9 encounter with police in which he fired multiple rounds at officers following a traffic stop. Police said Wyche fled after a Colonial Heights officer returned fire, and his body was found a short time later with the help of a police K-9 unit. A firearm was found near his body.

Although the state medical examiner has ruled on the cause and manner of Wyches death, the shooting remains under investigation by Virginia State Police, spokeswoman Corinne Geller said. State police initiated an investigation the day of the shooting at the request of Colonial Heights police.

In April, Colonial Heights police said officers responded about 2:30 a.m. to the 100 block of Clearfield Circle for a report of a person entering vehicles.

Responding officers located an unoccupied vehicle. As officers canvassed the area, a person was spotted getting into a vehicle and attempting to leave the area, police said.
Massachusetts health officials announced another 10 coronavirus deaths on Monday, bringing the statewide death toll to 8,427.

Officials also confirmed another 165 cases of the virus, for a total of at least 110,595 statewide. Thats based on 12,278 new molecular tests reported on Monday, according to the Department of Public Health.

There are currently 375 people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Massachusetts, according to DPH. Thats down from 406 yesterday and following two days of rising numbers of hospitalizations.

Officials also reported 34 probable cases of the virus on Monday, for a total now of at least 8,062 probable cases.

As of Monday, there are roughly 4,649,102 cases of COVID-19 in the U.S. and 154,471 documented deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The latest numbers come as Massachusetts is seeing a slight increase in infections, which state officials believe to be tied to small clusters caused by parties and instances of people ignoring the mask mandate, or not properly social distancing.

The data also comes two days after Gov. Charlie Bakers travel order took effect, requiring that visitors from states designated as COVID-19 hotspots must quarantine for 14 days before entering Massachusetts if they cannot produce a negative coronavirus test, or face a $500 fine each day.

The number of COVID-19 cases at Baystate Medical Center tied to last weeks outbreak has increased to more at least 55, hospital officials said Monday. Baystate Health has since strengthened its rules for mask-wearing and distancing and reconfigured some indoor spaces after hospital officials traced a cluster of new cases there to a single employee who had been to a COVID-19 hotspot state.

Ten Falmouth lifeguards have also tested positive for the coronavirus after several of them had attended a recent party, Town Manager Julian Suso said on Monday.

Coronavirus in Mass.: See cases, maps, charts and resources

Here are the cases listed by county:

Barnstable County: 1,764

Berkshire County: 657

Bristol County: 9,153

Dukes County: 65

Essex County: 17,422

Franklin County: 405

Hampden County: 7,477

Hampshire County: 1,139

Middlesex County: 25,932

Nantucket County: 33

Norfolk County: 10,361

Plymouth County: 9,126

Suffolk County: 21,378

Worcester County: 13,442

Unknown location: 303

Related Content:
A Sacramento fisherman was working on his boat at around 9:30 p.m. last week when the taillights of a motor vehicle caught his attention.

Upon investigation, he and a fellow fisherman discovered that a car had veered off the road and into the Sacramento River near the marina south of Freeport and was half submerged with a family still inside.

But there was something more nefarious than just a simple accident, they soon realized.

We hopped in his boat, and we went over and I started hearing screaming, the fishermanaptly named Harrell Fischertold NBC. We went right up to the door, and we opened up the passenger door, and I saw a little face looking up at me, and I about just melted.

The car veered into the water at River Road, Sacramento, Calif. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

8700 block of River Road (Screenshot/Google Maps)

It was intense, he added. And then I saw two little hands poke out too, you know, like help me.

The two men pulled four young children out of the vehicle and into their boat. They also discovered a man who had already climbed out but refused to assist during the rescue, Fischer told The Epoch Times.

When they went to help a woman, who was still in the drivers seat of the car, they soon realized that she was beyond help.

We couldnt find a pulse and when we tried to lift her up, she was just covered in blood, Fischer said. I dont want anyone to ever see that or have to go through that.

The oldest of the four kids told Fischer that their mother had been shot and killed while behind the wheel, he later told the news outlet.

He said, He shot my mom, Fischer recalled. I said, What? What did you say? And he said, He shot my mom. And this little 6-year-old kid says to me, And you dont come back from a shot like that.

When fire personnel and Highway Patrol arrived, the mom was pronounced dead at the scene, a press release stated. She had suffered from a gunshot wound to the upper body. Nobody else was injured.

The woman, whose name was being withheld until next-of-kin were notified, was in a relationship with the man in the car, 27-year-old Mandiko Kwadzo, from West Sacramento, detectives determined. They had three of the four children in common, and police believe it was Kwadzo who shot the mother while they were driving, resulting in the car veering off the road and into the river, although a motive has not yet been determined.

Kwadzo was arrested by homicide detectives and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail.

The suspect, identified as 27-year-old Mandiko Kwadzo, of West Sacramento, was arrested by homicide detectives and booked into the Sacramento County Main Jail. (Sacramento County Sheriffs Office)

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc
Chetana Belagere By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Even as Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar has been tweeting about the substantial upswing in Karnatakas Covid-19 recovery rate, at 42.81%, public health experts and epidemiologists have raised questions on the entire process of calculating the recovery rate, and said that focussing on this is not right during a pandemic. Instead, they say the focus should be on the level at which recoveries happen  serious, medium, mild or with co-morbidities.

According to experts, currently, recovery rate is calculated comparing the total number of discharged patients with the total number of Covid-positive patients as denominator. This is converted into percentage and shown as recovery rate of a certain state or region, and is done even in central data. However, it is not right, explains a senior virologist, on condition of anonymity. He says, Recovery rate plus mortality rate should add up to 100. But if you take the case of Karnataka or any state, this doesnt come across when we analyse data, he explained.

He says the number of active patients should not be considered as recovered, as their outcome is not known yet. Meanwhile, health experts claim that recovery rate is improving because of the governments revised discharge policy. According to this, there is no need to test mild and moderate cases before discharge, so if a set of patients is admitted with mild symptoms, or is asymptomatic, then on the 10th day, the discharge numbers would be high.

Also, those in home quarantine are to remain isolated for 17 days, after which they are considered recovered, but now they are considered recovered if they show no symptoms in 10-14 days. Confirming this, a senior public health expert says, Recovery rate is misleading information. He explains that more than 90% of people are asymptotic or mild. So when they are said to have recovered, it just means its been 10 days since diagnosis and they have shown no clinical symptoms for three days. Nearly 90% infected patients recover.

Whats more important is the percentage of clinically symptomatic (requiring hospital admission) patients recovering or dying. How many days it takes them to recover etc needs to be calculated, he explained. Data compilation, according to senior epidemiologists, is not uniform in any part of the country. However, Dr Giridhara Babu R, a senior epidemiologist on the technical advisory committee to the government, says the focus should not be on recovery rate but on mortalities.

Ultimately, 80% of them will recover. We should look at deaths per million, as it shows the burden of infection on society. Very few countries actually look at recovery rate, the focus should be on how to ensure that our mortality rate, which is low compared to others, remains so and how many lives we save, Dr Giridhara Babu said. However, Dr M Madan Gopal, former principal secretary, health department, said, It is a good sign to focus on recovery rate as this will instil confidence in the public, and there is a lot of panic. We are doing more testing and also checking viral load, which gives us accurate results.
A massive explosion, Tuesday evening, hit central Beirut, Lebanon, shattering windows, knocking down doors and shaking buildings several hundred feet away.

The blast also injured dozens of people and damaged buildings in the nations capital Beirut and its suburbs, officials said.

Footage seen on social media showed a huge mushroom-like plume of smoke billowing into the sky, before a large orange blast shot into the air, forming a massive dome-shaped blast wave.

Further footages also showed how cars were left strewn across the highway adjoining the Beirut port.

Like its cause, the causality from the blast is still unclear, but many people are feared to be trapped in rubble in the surroundings of the blast.

A video on Twitter showed a dad cuddling his son docking under a cabinet when the blast shook their home, the dad mouthing some words of prayer.

tw // explosions he broke my heart Praying to everyone in Lebanon  #Beirut pic.twitter.com/3Sg0pkWMWg  . (@ghosthyu) August 4, 2020

https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

There were also severe damages to buildings and shops in the area, including the home of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri, Bloomberg reported.

Likewise, Bel Trew, a Middle East correspondent for The Independent, shared a footage of the devastating effects the explosion had on her home: shattered windows and screens, rippled doors, and messy rooms.

The cats are safe, a terrified voice said from one of the rooms.

Massive massive explosion just rocked #Lebanon. We are in the mountains and heard first explosion then the blast wave which literally pushed us fall to our knees. No idea. But there is massive mushroom cloud.  Bel Trew (@Beltrew) August 4, 2020

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At first, local media said the blast was due to fireworks, but Lebanese security chief, Abbas Ibrahim, said it was not. Bloomberg reported him saying the blast was due to highly explosive materials at the port depot.

The countrys health minister also told journalists at least dozens were wounded but did not give further details of casualties, according to TheGuardian UK.

Lebanon, a mountain range country in the Middle East, is undergoing one of its worst political and financial crisis in decades.

On Monday, Bloomberg said, the countrys foreign minister resigned, saying the country risks becoming a failed state for the turmoil it faces.

The government, backed by militant group Hezbollah and its allies, has struggled to carry out reforms demanded by the international community as a condition for a bailout.

A recent $10 billion loan request from the International Monetary Fund has stalled. This has left the government with no option but to shift its quest to Gulf countries, primarily Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar.

Yet, many Gulf states and the U.S. classify Hezbollah as a terrorist group.
GlobeIn opens up an entirely new world of artisan craft, global flavors and new experiences to consumers who want to support the highest caliber ethically sourced goods

GlobeIn, an online subscription service for ethically sourced artisan goods from around the world, has accepted a multi-million-dollar investment from Decathlon Capital Partners, a leading revenue-based financing firm.

The funding deal was struck to support the rapidly expanding subscription services growth initiatives, customer service efforts and new market development push. GlobeIn was launched in 2013 and sources products from over 10,000 artisans in more than 50 countries. The services monthly, customizable subscription box is an increasingly popular way for consumers to experience Fair Trade, artisan goods from around the world.

GlobeIn opens up an entirely new world of artisan craft, global flavors and new experiences to consumers who want to support the highest caliber ethically sourced goods, said Vladimir Ermakov, CEO and co-founder of GlobeIn. Our mission to grow the company into a worldwide leader that supports artisan communities around the globe is taking another step forward with Decathlon Capitals investment.

GlobeIns rapid and consistent growth is a testament to the quality of the artisan crafts the company sources, and the care it puts into the customization of each subscription box.

GlobeIns dedication to quality, customer service and customization has fueled the companys growth, said David Gorodyansky, GlobeIns co-founder and chairman. Decathlon Capitals support allows us to bring the GlobeIn experience to more customers at a time when in-person shopping is more constrained than ever, and unique subscription services like GlobeIn fill a growing need in the marketplace.

GlobeIns success has been shared by the communities around the world where it sources its products. The company has invested more than $10 million in artisan communities in the last three years through partnerships and fundraising initiatives.

Decathlon Capital is constantly searching for growth companies with unique business models that position them for long-term expansion, said John Borchers, managing director of Decathlon Capital Partners. GlobeIn delivers that, along with a commitment to ethical business practices that align directly with todays consumer in new and compelling ways.

About GlobeIn

GlobeIn discovers extraordinary, useful finds from all over the globe and shares them with subscribers through unique, customizable boxes. The GlobeIn shop features products sourced from direct relationships with artisans as well as vetted partner organizations. From Mexican woven baskets to Ghanaian coasters, each handcrafted good is remarkably distinct. GlobeIn is dedicated to supporting artisans from around the world, reducing poverty by giving these artisans and their communities a global audience. Learn more at http://www.globein.com

About Decathlon Capital Partners

Decathlon Capital Partners provides growth capital for companies seeking alternatives to traditional equity investment. Through the use of highly customized revenue-based financing solutions, Decathlon provides long-term growth capital without the dilution, loss of control and operational overhead that often comes with equity-based funding. With offices in Palo Alto and Park City, Decathlon is the largest revenue-based funding investor in the U.S. and is active across a wide range of sectors. Learn more at http://www.decathloncapital.com.
Two more Uttar Pradesh police personnel deployed in Gautam Buddh Nagar tested positive for COVID-19 on Tuesday, with officials saying that so far 76 policemen in the district have got infected by the disease.

Sixty-five of the infected policemen have recovered, a senior official said, adding that 10 are undergoing treatment and one policeman has died.

Two policemen are among the 36 people who were found positive for COVID-19 in the district on Tuesday, according to officials.

"Total number of COVID-19 positive police personnel till date in Gautam Buddh Nagar is 76 and 65 of them have recovered, while there are 10 active cases. One policeman has died due to the infection so far," Ankur Aggarwal, the district police's Nodal officer for COVID-19, said.

Gautam Buddh Nagar, adjoining Delhi in western UP, has so far recorded 5,544 positive cases of COVID-19, of which 902 are active. The infection has claimed 43 lives so far, according to official figures.

Amid growing threat of the pandemic, the police personnel in Gautam Buddh Nagar who have recovered from COVID-19 had last month stepped out to donate their blood plasma for treatment of other patients.

On July 22, a 27-year-old police constable donated his blood plasma for the treatment of a 70-year-old woman, leading to her quick recovery from COVID-19, officials had said.
India: Enrica Lexie Shooting: India, Italy failed us on basic rights, fishermen allege

by Mahir Haneef

August 04,2020 | Source: The Times Of India

Dependents of a fisherman shot dead by two Italian marines onboard Enrica Lexie and the fishermen who were on the boat have alleged before the Supreme Court that Indian government and Republic of Italy failed to protect their basic human rights. Criminal liability of the captain and the ship owner has also not been considered, their plea said. The plea was filed by relatives of deceased Ajeesh Pink and by the other fishermen through advocate Yash Thomas Mannully online in view of Covid-19.



In the plea, the dependents and the fishermen said, It is submitted that the Government of India and the Italian Republic has not consulted or heard the above named victims while denying their basic human rights under Universal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948 & International Convention on Civil and Political Rights, 1966 and the fundamental rights under the Indian Constitution & European Convention on Human Rights due to the shooting from MT Enrica Lexie by Italian marines on 15-02-2012 while within Indian coastal waters. Further, without any procedure established by law as envisaged under the Indian Constitution, the criminal trial in Crime No. 2 of 2012 of Neendakara Coastal Police Station, Kerala State is being closed without any fair and effective investigation and prosecution.



A case regarding the criminal liability of the captain and the ship owner was pending before the chief judicial magistrate court at Kollam. It was transferred out of Kerala without hearing the complainant or the survivors, the petitioners have alleged. Fundamental rights and human rights of the dependents and survivors was never brought up by the central government or Republic of Italy before the supreme court, the petitioners have contended while seeking urgent measures by the apex court.

 2020 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd
Every Veterans' Day, politicians and V.A. elites lament veteran suicides "due to mental health problems" as if unaware that the V.A.'s bureaucratic elves had already wrapped perpetually devastating "Christmas gifts" for veterans. Some of these "gifts" are wrapped in protective coloring for homelessness, others are in plain brown wrappers for Agent Orange claims, and still others are in camouflage for opioid prescriptions  you name it. By the end of the fete, there are just friends' wishes of "Happier Veterans Day" and, as a bonus, an evening of collective swearing, because as Mark Twain correctly put it: "under certain circumstances, profanity provides a relief denied even to prayer."

Let's get down to V.A.'s brass tacks: the department has been serving the PTSD red herring for too many years, subsequently leading the already clueless mainstream media deeper into the forest on a wild veteran chase. The true reasons for the veteran suicide "epidemic" have never been officially named and are either shrouded in PTSD Lysenko-ism or obscured by a "mental health problems" cloud of smoke. An official affirmation that an entire professional group  e.g., nurses or firemen  are intellectually disabled due to challenges at work would certainly lead to a defamation lawsuit, but ad nauseam public "hinting" that veterans are somehow mentally impaired by the nature of their jobs gets "socially normalized."

On a need-to-know basis, PTSD is neither an "automatic" consequence of combat nor limited to the "security" sector; however, trauma experienced due to the "lie, delay, and deny until they die" strategy happens to be reserved for veterans. If your hands were tied while your mum's hands trembled in Parkinson's tremors, if you helplessly watched your dad fading away after multiple cancers and several Agent Orange claims denials, you know that Post-V.A. Stress Disorder can be more destructive than PTSD. Do you know how it feels to fight for your right to stay alive? Would you react if a yawning bureaucrat told you to wait 'til you die? Well, if you are a veteran responding by email to these frustrations, you could be labeled "a hostile sender." If it's a verbal protest, your file may be embellished by the PTSD label.

No matter if critically ill or homeless and exhausted  the less time you have, the slower the V.A.'s procedures become. Many veterans consider that Forgotten and Ignored Vietnam War Veterans: Thailand-Based Veterans Were Also Contaminated with Agent Orange, a one-of-a-kind book by our heroic veteran, tireless Robert L. McHenry, Ph.D., offered an inestimable help in writing their claims. As for the V.A.  "veterans, hurry up and wait." As if it were not enough that the V.A. notoriously cherry-picked disability benefits claims based on exposure to herbicides on Thailand military bases, the department's "new list "omits more than 40 previously identified locations, simply 'deleting' pending claims[.]"

V.A. VIPs do not seem to understand that honor matters and, even if it is textually "gravely wrong," refuse to admit it. In May, the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, and veterans from Texas and Utah, demanded that the V.A. remove Nazi grave markers from gravesites where enemy troops were buried alongside American veterans, but V.A. secretary Robert Wilkie thought it would be better to "find a way to put this in historical context." Maybe the V.A. also considers that lost time and lost hope, and therefore lost lives, of American veterans should be put in "PTSD context. " How many veterans from the "suicide epidemic" list died not because of combat "rabies," but due to a "Post-V.A. Stress Disorder"? It would be time for V.A. to clean its own backyard.

In 2019, a veteran struggling with opioid withdrawal symptoms feared suicidal thoughts and responsibly hoped to stay in Washington's V.A. hospital for one night. What he got was a doctor's advice: "Go shoot [yourself]. I don't care," and police escorted him out. Six days later, the veteran shot himself. In what "context" should we put it, V.A.?

Image credit: U.S. government via Wikimedia Commons, public domain.
For the most part, Im not as concerned about my individual health as I am about the transmission, Mark Durante said. My mother is elderly. Her parents are elderly. Our neighbors who we are in direct contact with every day are elderly.

Mark Durante said he doesnt want to be the reason other people get sick.

Teacher Jared Ganley said every educator at Mondays demonstration wants to be part of a safe reopening.

We want to do it right, he said. We want to protect the people we love and the people that are around us.

Ganley said going months without seeing his students this spring was one of the hardest things hes ever done. He missed the aha moments and the joy he gets from being around them.

Emphatically we want to be back, he said. We want to be back safely.

Omaha educators protest for a mask mandate

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A convicted drug dealer has been busted for cooking meth in Breaking Bad-style lab at an Airbnb unit he rented from the owners who lived downstairs.

Jay Stephen Vella booked the self-contained unit in Capalaba, south-east Brisbane, in August 2019.

The 28-year-old came to the unit prepared, bringing items from his car to construct the makeshift lab including pyrex dishes, caustic acid and acetone.

The Brisbane Supreme Court heard on Monday that Vella had cooked 79g of methamphetamine before the owners noticed water leaking from the apartment, The Courier-Mail reported.

Jay Stephen Vella booked the self-contained unit in Capalaba, south-east Brisbane, in August 2019

The couple investigated and found the clandestine set up while Vella was out buying a new water pump to stop the leakage.

Crown prosecutor Mitch Whelan said police deemed the lab a 'category A' - an active laboratory with 'chemical reactions underway'.

When Vella returned to the property with a new water pump, police swooped and found 191g of methamphetamine on the dealer and in the apartment.

The court heard that Vella had twice before been subject to police raids which indicated involvement in the drug trade, and that they had performed while he was out on bail or serving suspended sentences.

Vella pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years' jail. He will be able to apply for parole in January 2021, which includes the time already served

In November 2018, officers found him with methamphetamine, cocaine, cannabis, steroids, cutting agent, a number of mobile phones and more than $12,500 in cash.

Another raid in April last year saw Vella caught with nine grams of pure methamphetamine and 23 grams of cannabis.

His barrister argued his client committed offences while in the 'grip of an addiction' to ice and had undergone help programs while in custody.

Justice Peter Flanagan said: 'There is no escaping this is serious criminal conduct.'

Vella pleaded guilty and was sentenced to seven years' jail. He will be able to apply for parole in just five months, taking into account time already served.


Pablo Escobar's first born son has described being rescued from a shootout that left his mother dead by an MI6 agent who adopted him.

Roberto Sendoya Escobar, who now lives in Mallorca under his adopted name of Phillip Witcomb, described finding out about his birth father in 1989 as 'an extraordinary moment'.

The 54-year-old, who was speaking ahead of the release of his book Son of Escobar: First Born, also revealed how he was gifted ciphers that hold the locations of his father's missing millions.

Mr Witcomb said he had been haunted with flashbacks about the shootout which killed his mother for years, before his adoptive father, whom he calls 'dad', explained the meaning behind them.

He told BBC Newsnight: 'I had said to dad quite a few times "what were the images I had in my head about a woman in a red dress and all these noises?"

'They were just flash images I had from early childhood. I didn't really know what they were, they were nightmares, and he filled in the gaps reluctantly, of course, and it took a long time.

'It wasn't a moment. It was over the course of about two or three years I got the information out of him because he was obviously total gutted about what happened.'

Roberto Sendoya Escobar (left), who now lives in Mallorca under his adopted name of Phillip Witcomb, described finding out that his father was drug lord Pablo Escobar (right) as 'an extraordinary moment'

Mr Witcomb's adoptive father regularly took him, as a young boy, to visit Pablo Escobar in Medellin in order to keep the drug lord on board and to track his movements for MI6.

He said he was recently given a series of codes, which he is yet to decipher, which lead to his birth father's missing millions.

Mr Witcomb said: 'There is money out there. It's not in cash, it will be in other ways.'

He added that if found 'most of the money, if not all of it, should go straight o charitable causes that can directly counteract what Don Pablo Escobar did to the world's population.'

The 54-year-old, who has now found fame as an artist in his own right, also spoke about how he was gifted ciphers that hold the locations of his father's missing millions

Mr Witcomb, who has now found fame as an artist in his own right, said: 'One of my most prominent memories was when he put a hand on my shoulder and reminded me I should always remember to be an Escobar. That was a memory that stuck in my head all my life.'

But, speaking about his lineage, he added: 'It is not a good thing. I'm not trying to glorify the fan in any way... it is just something that is as it is and you have to cope with it...

'This kind of beginning to your life causes terrible mental health issues - depression and all sorts of issues there - which I have managed to get through and past and come out the other side, thank goodness, with the help of a lot of good people.'



In 1993 Escobar was gunned down by police in Medellin and the fallout from this led to other big players in the cartel being jailed

The public school-educated artist had previously said that he was born after, in his own words, a 'non-consensual' encounter between his father, then aged 16, and Maria Luisa Sendoya, who was just 14.

The birth was kept quiet and, although he does not have a birth certificate naming Escobar as his father, a baptism document says Mr Witcomb was born to the drug lord.

The Colombian narcoterrorist built a multi-billion dollar empire controlling 80 per cent of world cocaine trade by slaughtering thousands of innocent people, including politicians, judges, journalists and rival traffickers, while waging war on Colombia's government.

In 1993 Escobar was gunned down by police in Medellin and the fallout from this led to other big players in the cartel being jailed.

Following his death, Mr Witcomb, who was the supposed heir to his wealth, hired a security team and personal bodyguard in the months that followed.

He previously told the Mail On Sunday: 'On the one hand those from the old days don't have any real power any more.

'But on the other, I am the first born son of Pablo Escobar. It's blood, it's family, that's the way it works down there.'

Sadly, Mr Witcomb was never reunited his mother and was told she died which he says still affects him today.

He believes due to her age that the encounter between her and his father couldn't have been consensual and says that is 'difficult to deal with'.
A special court on Tuesday extended the National Investigating Agencys (NIA) custody of Hany Babu MT, 54, an associate professor in the department of English at Delhi University, till August 7. The NIA claimed Babu, arrested by the agency on July 28 in connection with the Elgar Parishad case, was in touch with people connected to Manipur-based insurgent group Kangleipak Communist Party  Military Council (KCP-MC).

Special public prosecutor Prakash Shetty made several statements, claiming Babus links with the outlawed Communist Party of India (CPI)-Maoist). On Tuesday, as Babus custody ended, the agency produced him before the court and sought his further custody.

The agency said, During investigation, it is revealed that the accused was in contact with one Paikhomba Meitei, secretary information and publicity, military affairs, KCP-MC, an organisation banned under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The agency told the court that the data recovered from Babu showed that Meithei had shared an interview of former general secretary of CPI (Maoist), Muppala Lakshman Rao, alias Ganapathi. The agency also claimed that Babu was actively involved in raising funds to help Maoists, for their release from prison. Accused, along with arrested accused, were involved in highlighting the issue of arrest and subsequent conviction of GN Saibaba, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his links with CPI (Maoist), the agency told the court.

The agency claimed that the accused was using various social media accounts for communication with other co-accused, suspects as well as other members and sympathisers of CPI (Maoist). During the investigation of the present case, near about 1.26 lakh emails were recovered from the accuseds email, which is under process of scrutiny, the agency claimed.

The plea was opposed by Babus lawyer Susan Abraham, along with advocate Nilesh Ukey, on the grounds that the accused has cooperated with the investigating agency. The court did not accept the objection and extended Babus custody with NIA.

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Florida teenager Graham Ivan Clark, 17, has pleaded not guilty to 'masterminding' the huge Twitter hack that hijacked the accounts of 45 stars including those of Barack Obama, Elon Musk and Bill Gates

A Florida teenager, 17, has pleaded not guilty to 'masterminding' the huge Twitter hack that hijacked the accounts of 45 stars including Barack Obama, Elon Musk and Bill Gates.

Alleged ringleader Graham Ivan Clark was arrested Friday in Tampa over the scheme that gained control of the accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls back on July 15.

Messages were posted from the famous accounts telling followers to send Bitcoin payments to email addresses, swindling more than $180,000 out of unsuspecting victims in the process as well as downloading the details of eight unverified accounts.

The scheme also saw the hackers allegedly make thousands by selling stolen usernames.

Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando, Florida, and Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, UK, were also charged for their alleged roles in the hack in California federal court last week.

Clark pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to multiple counts of fraud in a court hearing in Tampa that took place via Zoom.

He faces 30 felony charges including 17 counts of communications fraud, 11 counts of fraudulent use of personal information, and one count each of organized fraud of more than $5,000 and accessing computers or electronic devices without authority.

Clark will next appear in court for a bond hearing Wednesday.

He remains behind bars in Hillsborough County Jail where his bail has been set at $725,000, according to court records.

Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren branded Clark the leader of the hacking scam Friday and said the teen will be prosecuted as an adult, as Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in financial fraud cases when appropriate.

Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, UK, (pictured) and Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando, Florida, were also charged in relation to the hack in California federal court last week

The scheme commandeered Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls and scammed people around the globe out of more than $180,000 in Bitcoin

'This defendant lives here in Tampa, he committed the crime here, and he'll be prosecuted here,' Warren said Friday of the decision for the state to prosecute him despite the case being investigated by the FBI and the US Department of Justice.

'He gained access to Twitter accounts and to the internal controls of Twitter through compromising a Twitter employee. He sold access to those accounts,' said Warren.

'He then used the identities of prominent people to solicit money in the form of bitcoin, promising in return that he would send back twice as much bitcoin.'

Court papers in the California cases say the two other suspects Fazeli and Sheppard brokered the sale of the Twitter accounts stolen by a hacker who identified himself online as 'Kirk.'

'Kirk' claimed to be a Twitter employee and said he could 'reset, swap and control any Twitter account at will' in exchange for cybercurrency payments, according to the papers.

The documents do not specify Kirk's real identity but say he is a teen being prosecuted in the Tampa area.

Chat logs obtained by investigators show 'Kirk' and 'Rolex' discussing the plan

How the hacker's 'sloppy' work covering their tracks made them easy to track The FBI were able to track down three hackers who pulled off the largest Twitter breach in history because they were 'extremely sloppy' with how they moved their Bitcoin transactions around. Authorities were able to obtain data about the Bitcoin addresses involved in the hack by analyzing blockchain - a ledger that records cryptocurrency transactions. They then traced the addresses to Coinbase - a digital currency exchange that stores Bitcoin. Both Fazeli and Sheppard had registered and verified their Coinbase accounts with their real driver's licences, according to ZNET. Fazeli also used his home IP address, meaning investigators were able to easily trace his location. Furthermore, the alleged hackers did not move around the Bitcoin funds they received in a bid to throw detectives off the trail. Such an act is known as 'tumbling', and is the digital equivalent of money laundering. Cybersecurity expert Jake Williams told The Associated Press that their efforts were 'sloppy'. Twitter has officially stated that the hacker - purported to be Clark- gained access to a company dashboard that manages accounts on July 15. He did this by using social engineering and spear-phishing smartphones to obtain credentials from 'a small number' of Twitter employees to break in to the internal systems. From there, the hackers targeted 130 accounts. They managed to tweet their bogus tweet from 45 prolific accounts. They also accessed the direct message inboxes of 36 others, and download the Twitter data from seven separate accounts. Advertisement

Twitter has said the hacker gained access to a company dashboard that manages user accounts by using social engineering and spear-phishing smartphones to obtain credentials from 'a small number' of Twitter employees 'to gain access to our internal systems.'

Spear-phishing uses email or other messaging to deceive people into sharing access credentials.

The hack is said to have begun with a message on Discord, a chat platform used by gamers, from user Kirk#5270, who wrote: 'I work for Twitter. I can claim any name, let me know if youre trying to work.'

Another user, who went by the names of Ever so anxious#0001 and Chaewon, then lined up buyers for Twitter handles including an offer of $5,000 for the handle @xx.

A third, Rolex#0373, then joined in, offering sought-after account names for $2,500 upwards.

Fazeli is thought to be Rolex, Sheppard is Chaewon.

A total of 130 accounts were targeted in what marked one of the most high-profile security breaches in recent years.

Bogus tweets were sent from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk.

Celebrities Kanye West and his wife, Kim Kardashian West, were also hacked.

The tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address.

The fraudulent posts managed to draw in more than $180,000 worth of Bitcoin before Twitter shut it down by deleting the posts and shutting off access for broad swaths of users.

Twitter confirmed that 130 accounts were breached, including 45 where passwords and logins were reset and tweets sent.

Personal data was also downloaded from eight unverified accounts.

The net closed in on the alleged culprits when a rival group of hackers shared a database full of their usernames and private messages, leading the FBI to the three men, according to Wired.

Clark's attorney David Weisbrod has not yet responded to requests for comment.

Fazeli's father told The AP on Friday that he's 100 percent sure his son is innocent of the hack.

'He's a very good person, very honest, very smart and loyal,' Mohamad Fazeli said.

'We are as shocked as everybody else. 'I'm sure this is a mix up.'
Members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) form a guard of honour as the coffin of John Hume is taken into St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry ahead of his funeral on Wednesday. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

THE remains of John Hume were received at the great door of St Eugenes Cathedral in Derry as darkness fell on the town he loved so well.

His grieving family accompanied the casket, all but his son Aidan, who has to watch his fathers funeral online today from Boston.

Bishop Donal McKeown blessed the simple coffin of Irelands greatest peacemaker before it was brought down the nave for the saying of the ordinary prayers for all Catholics on the eve of their Requiem Mass.

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The bishop earlier said that he had last seen John 18 months ago at the cathedral for the kissing of the cross, an Easter ceremony.

John shuffled up with Pat and kissed the cross like anyone else. He was a frail old man at that stage, but he was there with his fellow Derry people. I was holding the cross at the time, and its the kind of thing that sticks in your mind.

John Hume died almost four years to the day after the passing of Bishop Edward Daly of Derry, with both men in attendance at the civil rights march in January 1972 that turned into the infamous murder spree of the Parachute Regiment known to history as Bloody Sunday.

And Johns last appearance as a public figure was at the erection of a stone honouring Bishop Daly, organised by the SDLP, the party Hume helped to found. They gave him St Pauls letter to the Corinthians to read aloud, Bishop McKeown said. Love is patient, love is kind - do you know, he read it like Micheal MacLiammoir.

He was not able to frame his own words or thoughts at that stage, but he could read from a text, and he did so beautifully.

The family asked for people to stay away from the church in this time of Covid, but to recite Pope Francis Prayer for Peace in their own homes, and perhaps to light a candle.

Expand Close Party leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party Colum Eastwood outside St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry ahead of John Hume's funeral on Wednesday. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp Party leader of the Social Democratic and Labour Party Colum Eastwood outside St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry ahead of John Hume's funeral on Wednesday. Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire

Last night in Derry, after a day of incessant rain, the little nightlights, candles and tea lights began winking in windows across the city, even beyond the Peace Bridge, glistening too in many homes along the Waterside, fragile flickerings of a newfound solidarity.

The people respected the family request for a small attendance and for social distancing, as if to create distancing from the Belfast funeral of republican activist Bobby Storey last month. Even the holy water fonts were empty in St Eugenes, a laminated notice asking the faithful to bless themselves without.

The vacuum cleaner had been droning in the cathedral from late afternoon, Olive Quigley, a voluntary church worker, doing her best for this son of Derry.

Oh he was a lovely man, bless him. I met him plenty of times, she said, nodding firmly, satisfied with her own contribution.

Expand Close Peace maker: John Hume leads a large civil rights protest in Derry in 1968 as he diverts it away from confrontation with police. Photo: Trevor McBride / Facebook

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Whatsapp Peace maker: John Hume leads a large civil rights protest in Derry in 1968 as he diverts it away from confrontation with police. Photo: Trevor McBride

Her friend, Mary Molloy, who had been in John Humes family home in Glenview in the past, was helping out with dustpan and brush. He was a lovely man, she chimed. His mother Annie also a saint. He would be missed, no doubt about it.

There will be a message from Pope Francis at tomorrow's funeral Mass, understood to be conveyed by the Vatican Secretary of State, along with commendations from Bill Clinton, George Mitchell and others.

But the emphasis will be on keeping it a low-key and prayerful affair in keeping with the wishes of his widow Pat and the wider family.

Stewards are to be drawn from the ranks of Derry City FC, the club of which he was chairman and patron, and Brandywell personnel will also provide a guard of honour.

President Michael D Higgins, Taoiseach Micheal Martin, and a range of politicians and from the Republic are expected to attend, along with Arlene Foster and Michelle ONeill, the First and Deputy First Ministers, and representatives of all the Norths main parties, including his own SDLP. Phil Coulter, a boyhood friend, now aged 78, will also attend.

But the family have asked people outside Ireland not to fly in to attend, hoping for it to be primarily a family and city affair.

Earlier tonight, there was dismay and disappointment among members of the congregation at the hijacking and burning out of two vans by dissident Republicans in the Creggan area of Derry.

Well have to pray for them. Its all we can do, said one man entering the cathedral, on being asked about the violence. Theyre taking advantage of people being focused on this city, arent they? But its a low thing to do.

The Hume family, by contrast, made a late decision to change the time of the removal when they learned it could cause the cancellation of scheduled prayer events. Instead a Mass and Rosary, normal for a Tuesday night, went ahead before the reception of the remains.

Once more the Hume name stood not for them and us, but only for an us, the cathedral staying open to honour him at the end of a routine day.

By contrast, St Columbs cathedral on the height of the city - built in 1633 to St Eugenes 1936 consecration - was closed yesterday, yet people in its vicinity were open-hearted towards Hume. A peacemaker, aye. A good man, said a woman from the other community, who still thought better of giving her name to a newspaper.

Youths sheltering from the rain beneath a bridge - within 50 yards of a gable announcing Londonderry West Bank Loyalists, Still under siege, No Surrender, were also generous. A good fella, right enough. Did a lot, said one, without embarrassment. His smoking mates cocked their heads in assent.
John Oliver spends much of his time on the Last Week Tonight discussing the inequalities currently present in American systems. But on Sunday night  with the country still reeling from the killing of George Floyd  he devoted an entire segment to U.S. history and how whitewashed the teaching of it has remained in most American schools.

Kicking off with a discussion of Juneteenth and the Tulsa, Oklahoma, race riots  both of which received renewed attention from white Americans after they were featured in an episode of Watchmen  Oliver highlighted how many non-black Americans still have trouble reckoning with the full scope of the countrys history of slavery and subsequent discrimination of black people. The idea that George Washington freed his slaves, for example, is exaggerated; the founding father specified in his will that his slaves could only be freed after his wifes death, meaning that, in the end, only one enslaved person was freed from his ownership.

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Oliver emphasized that there are no national social studies standards in the U.S. to determine which historical figures or topics are discussed in the classroom, resulting in wildly varying state requirements. According to a CBS report, seven states do not directly mention slavery in their state education standards, while 16 mention states rights as a cause for the Civil War. Much of that is thanks to organizations like the Daughters of the Confederacy, who advocated for states in the South to present the Confederacy as made up of just rebels, rather than slave owners. As a result, the inaccuracies presented in those mid-century textbooks have reverberated for generations of American education.

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Some slaves were good workers and very obedient, one Alabama textbook reads. Many took pride in what they did and loved their captains and the plantationOthers were lazy, disobedient and vicious.

White supremacy has not been fully reckoned with in American history lessons, Oliver said, and that reckoning process will be an uphill battle as long as Fox News anchors and other right-wing pundits spin any discussion of anti-racism into cannon fodder. But slavery is embedded within the foundation of America, right down to the Constitution, with the Three-Fifths Clause and the Fugitive Slave Clause.

The fact that the Constitution is infused with racism does not mean its canceled, Oliver said. Its not a YouTuber which was just now realizing it was wrong to do blackface for 14 years, and it definitely doesnt mean that kids shouldnt learn about it. But they should be taught to see it as an imperfect document with imperfect authors who both extolled the ideals of freedom for all while at the same time codifying slavery.

Moreover, Americans cannot keep viewing their historys progress as constant and inevitable. The century between the end of the Civil War and the start of the Civil Rights movement  often glossed over in U.S. history classes  was marked by a backlash from white Southerners toward successful black progress during Reconstruction. The Ku Klux Klan was founded during this era, at least 2,000 black people were lynched, and by 1877, Reconstruction was deemed a failure as Southern states took local control of racial divides.

In 1898, the only coup detat to ever take place on American soil occurred in Wilmington, North Carolina, where a mob of 2,000 armed white men killed over 60 black residents and replaced the citys multiracial government with white supremacists. And if this is the first time youre hearing about the only coup on American soil, youre not alone, Oliver said.

The March on Washington, as it is often taught in school, was known fully as the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, and its economic aims were front and center; it was a fight that Martin Luther King Jr. would become passionate about in the final years of his life. It didnt cost the nation one penny to integrate lunch counters, he would say in a speech from 1968. It didnt cost the nation one penny to guarantee the right to vote. But now, we are dealing with issues that cannot be solved without the nation spending billions of dollars and undergoing a radical distribution of economic power.

The truth is, Oliver noted, the Civil Rights Movement was longer, messier, and more complicated than Kings I Have a Dream speech, and was thwarted in more of its aims than many of us were taught in school.

Most egregiously, U.S. history lessons often dont connect the historical dots to the present day, such as the wage and wealth gaps between white and black Americans, which are larger now than when King advocated for wealth distribution. If you dont teach history properly, all you see are those effects, and not the causes, Oliver said.

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An exiled challenger to Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka says the strongman will not use force if large crowds take to the streets to challenge the results of the upcoming election.

Lukashenkas 26 years of authoritarian rule look increasingly vulnerable ahead of the August 9 presidential election, although most analysts say he will likely win through a combination of fraud and repression against an energized opposition.

But Valer Tsapkala, a prominent businessman and former ambassador who was seen as a serious challenger to Lukashenka, says he believes the president will flee the country if faced with hundreds of thousands of protesters during and after the election.

WATCH: Tsapkala speaks to Current Time

In an interview with Current Time, Tsapkala said he believes Lukashenka will simply board a plane and will fly away somewhere if faced with mass street mobilization.

Current Time is a Russian-language network led by RFE/RL in cooperation with VOA.

While the president may be able to use the police and security services to suppress several thousand protesters, if 100,000 people were mobilized he will not issue an order for the army to intervene, Tsapkala said.

I don't believe that the Belarusian Army will be capable of using arms against its own people, Tsapkala said from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv.

Tens of thousands of opposition supporters have attended daily rallies in recent weeks in support of presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old political novice backed by disqualified presidential candidates.

In recent weeks, Lukashenka has been meeting with Interior Ministry officials and inspecting the military, sending an intimidating signal that he may order a bloody crackdown to quell any unrest against his increasingly unpopular rule.

Add to that a fresh allegation by Lukashenka that a group of purported Russian mercenaries who were detained last month in Belarus were trying to destabilize Belarus ahead of the election, and it shapes up as one of the most volatile elections of Lukashenka's authoritarian tenure.

The lead-up to the vote has been marred by dubious disqualifications and an unprecedented scale of detentions and other persecution against a backdrop of a pandemic and pro-democracy protests.

More than 1,100 people have been arrested since campaigning began, including politicians, organizers, and journalists.

Authorities have barred aspiring candidates like Tsapkala and popular vlogger Syarhey Tsikhanouski, the husband of Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya.

Tsapkala's wife, Veranika, along with Maryya Kalesnikava, a coordinator of the campaign of another excluded presidential aspirant, former Belgazprombank head Viktar Babaryka, have joined forces to support Tsikhanouskaya, who unlike Tsapkala and Babaryka was registered as a presidential candidate.

Tsapkala fled Belarus out of concern that he would be arrested like Babaryka and Tsikhanouski.
Garmin has paid the $10 million ransom fee to decrypt their files as reported by Sky News. Hackers demanded the fee at the end of July after they breached Garmins computer systems.

At the start of August, reportedly the company had obtained the encryption key to recover its files. However, it has transpired that Garmin paid the $10 million ransom fee for this recovery.

Garmin has recently expanded its solar technology smartwatch range. This brought in more adventure and military-grade smartwatches so such an attack could not have come at a worse time.

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Garmin pay ransom fee after attack

Security sources believe the ransomware attack originated from individuals linked to Evil Corp. This is a cybercrime group based in Russia and has previously been sanctioned by the U.S. treasury.

Garmin paid the ransom fee through a negotiation business called Arete IR. Reportedly, the company planned to pay the fee through a different negotiation company but that company refused to negotiate in these incidents. This is in order to not fall foul of sanctions when paying these ransom fees.

If security services proved that the breach was linked to Evil Corp then negotiating and paying the fee would be classed as breaking sanctions. Thus far there is still much debate as to where the hack originated from and whether the individuals are linked to any sanctioned organization.

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Ransomware attacked attributed to WastedLocker virus

Reports suggest that this ransomware attack originated from the WastedLocker virus. However, Arete IR still disputes some of the evidence. Criminals developed the virus after the U.S. Treasurys sanctions and as a result they not specifically mention them.

Garmin did not directly make the payment to the hackers and did so through a Arete IR. The negotiation company made a comment on the situation. It said, Arete has contractual confidentiality obligations to all clients and therefore cannot discuss any client identity or interactions.

Hardly a surprising position given the situation. However, the company was quick to remove doubt that the virus originated from sanctioned groups. The statement read Arete follows all recommended and required screenings to insure compliance with US trade sanctions laws.

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Garmin itself made no additional comment. Clearly the company is keen to move on from this situation and put it behind them.

Ransomware attacks are becoming more and more prevalent in the technology industry. This is probably a warning shot for many companies. Hacking is likely to become an more important part of our society so how companies combat it will be key.
The family of John Hume have urged people in his home city to light a candle to pay tribute to his peacemaking legacy.

The former SDLP leaders body will be taken from Moville in Co Donegal to St Eugenes Cathedral in Londonderry on Tuesday evening ahead of his funeral on Wednesday.

Mr Hume was a key architect of Northern Irelands Good Friday Agreement and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for the pivotal role he played in ending the regions sectarian conflict.

He died on Monday aged 83, having endured a long battle with dementia.

John Humes funeral will take place on Wednesday morning in Derry (Niall Carson/PA)

In ordinary circumstances, Mr Humes removal service and subsequent funeral would have been expected to draw huge crowds, but numbers will now be limited due to coronavirus restrictions.

Mr Humes widow, Pat, and other family members have urged people to stay at home and instead light a candle for peace.

John loved the people of Derry and Donegal, the family said.

The heartfelt and sincere condolences that we have received from people across the island, but particularly from the communities John loved being a part of, have been immensely comforting to us.

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood signs a book of condolence at Guildhall in Derry City (Liam McBurney/PA)

Mr Humes coffin will leave Moville across the Irish border at 7.30pm on Tuesday and is expected to arrive at the cathedral at around 8.30pm.

His family added: We know that he would have prioritised public health and the safety and health of our communities. Were asking people to follow that guidance  please do not put yourself or others at risk. Instead, we would ask that people light a candle for peace at 9pm in their homes or at their door.

Father Paul Farren, from St Eugenes Cathedral, said: Pat and her family are very grateful for the outpouring of love and support following the death of their beloved John.

The family are anxious that a public gathering for Johns funeral might inadvertently put someones health at risk in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic, and are asking that people express their grief by staying at home and joining with the Hume family in a Celebration of Light for Peace.

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Instead of lining roads and streets to show respect to John, it is the wish of the Hume family that we remain at home and, at 9.00pm, light a candle and join with the family to pray the prayer for peace of Saint Francis of Assisi in the presence of Johns body in the cathedral.

This Celebration of Light for Peace is a fitting tribute to a much loved and distinguished Irishman.

Former US President Bill Clinton with former SDLP leader John Hume on a visit to Derry (Paul Faith/PA)

Mr Hume, a former MP, Stormont Assembly member and MEP, was a founding member of the party he went on to lead for 22 years.

He was a key figure in the civil rights campaigns of the late 1960s and also played a leading role in the formation of the credit union movement.

Throughout his political career he remained steadfast in his commitment to non-violence.

His participation in secret talks with then Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in the late 1980s and early 1990s was a key catalyst for the nascent peace process.

The SDLP leader faced intense criticism, including some from within his own party, when his dialogue with Mr Adams became public in 1993.

Despite threats to his life, he persisted with his efforts to engage with the republican movement and to convince the IRA to end its campaign of violence.

The highlight of Mr Humes career came in 1998 with the signing of the historic Good Friday accord which largely ended Northern Irelands 30-year sectarian conflict.

Along with Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, now Lord Trimble, Mr Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to stopping the bloodshed.

In 2010, Mr Hume was named Irelands Greatest in a poll by Irelands national broadcaster RTE.

His death came just six months after that of fellow Good Friday architect and long-time SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon.
Protesters clad in Harry Potter outfits have taken to the streets of Bangkok demanding political change and reforms to the monarchy led by King Maha Vajiralongkorn, in a rare act of defiance in a country where defaming royalty attracts a 15-year jail sentence.

Several demonstrations have taken place in the last two weeks and while the Harry Potter-themed garb of the young protesters grabbed attention - some in the crowd vowed to "cast a spell to protect democracy" - there was a serious purpose to the rally.

Anti-government protesters wave chopsticks as makeshift wands while they take part in a Harry Potter themed rally in Bangkok on Monday. Credit:Getty Images

The protesters have three key demands: that Parliament be dissolved, the constitution be re-written and the harassment of government critics ends.

The government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, a former general and junta leader who claimed victory in a March 2019 election that marked a questionable transition back to civilian rule, is in their sights.
Every investor in Altria Group, Inc. (NYSE:MO) should be aware of the most powerful shareholder groups. Insiders often own a large chunk of younger, smaller, companies while huge companies tend to have institutions as shareholders. We also tend to see lower insider ownership in companies that were previously publicly owned.

With a market capitalization of US$76b, Altria Group is rather large. We'd expect to see institutional investors on the register. Companies of this size are usually well known to retail investors, too. Taking a look at our data on the ownership groups (below), it's seems that institutions own shares in the company. We can zoom in on the different ownership groups, to learn more about Altria Group.

Check out our latest analysis for Altria Group

What Does The Institutional Ownership Tell Us About Altria Group?

Institutional investors commonly compare their own returns to the returns of a commonly followed index. So they generally do consider buying larger companies that are included in the relevant benchmark index.

As you can see, institutional investors have a fair amount of stake in Altria Group. 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. If multiple institutions change their view on a stock at the same time, you could see the share price drop fast. It's therefore worth looking at Altria Group's earnings history, below. Of course, the future is what really matters.

Institutional investors own over 50% of the company, so together than can probably strongly influence board decisions. Hedge funds don't have many shares in Altria Group. Our data shows that The Vanguard Group, Inc. is the largest shareholder with 8.3% of shares outstanding. For context, the second largest shareholder holds about 7.9% of the shares outstanding, followed by an ownership of 7.3% by the third-largest shareholder.

Story continues

On studying our ownership data, we found that 25 of the top shareholders collectively own less than 50% of the share register, implying that no single individual has a majority interest.

While studying institutional ownership for a company can add value to your research, it is also a good practice to research analyst recommendations to get a deeper understand of a stock's expected performance. There are plenty of analysts covering the stock, so it might be worth seeing what they are forecasting, too.

Insider Ownership Of Altria Group

The definition of company insiders can be subjective, and does vary between jurisdictions. Our data reflects individual insiders, capturing board members at the very least. 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.

I generally consider insider ownership to be a good thing. However, on some occasions it makes it more difficult for other shareholders to hold the board accountable for decisions.

Our data suggests that insiders own under 1% of Altria Group, Inc. in their own names. Being so large, we would not expect insiders to own a large proportion of the stock. Collectively, they own US$86m 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, with a 35% stake in the company, will not easily be ignored. While this size of ownership may not be enough to sway a policy decision in their favour, they can still make a collective impact on company policies.

Next Steps:

It's always worth thinking about the different groups who own shares in a company. But to understand Altria Group better, we need to consider many other factors. Consider for instance, the ever-present spectre of investment risk. We've identified 2 warning signs with Altria Group (at least 1 which is potentially serious) , and understanding them should be part of your investment process.

Ultimately the future is most important. You can access this free report on analyst forecasts for the company.

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.
PHILIPSBURG:--- In connection with the passing of our former colleague and friend, Inspector Rudolfus Alexander Martin SORTON, who died on July 30th, 2020, the management of the Police Force (KPSM) would like to extend our heartfelt condolences to the family and friends of the deceased.

Inspector R.A.M SORTON joined the police force in 1969 and worked the islands of Curacao and Saba. Mr. R.A.M Sorton ended his police career on Sint Maarten where he worked at the Immigration Department.

After working for more than 40 years Inspector R.A.M Sorton went on a well-deserved pension in March 2009.

We have always known him as a strong and courageous police officer who has always motivated others during his tenure as an officer. He is certainly a big loss to his friends and family on Sint Maarten, Curacao, and Saba. May his soul rest in eternal peace.

KPSM Press Release.
FLINT, MI -- Crime Stoppers of Flint & Genesee County is joining an effort to stop illegal dumping in the city of Flint by offering rewards of up to $1,000 for information that helps lead to the arrest of those responsible.

Mayor Sheldon Neeley announced his support for the initiative in a news conference Monday, Aug. 3, saying the city will support the effort with funding from a larger grant it received from the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation.

Its not window dressing, Neeley said during the live-streamed conference. We are serious about it in the city of Flint, and we will no longer tolerate individuals dumping in our community as if it is a garbage can. Residents deserve better.

In January, Neeley put a spotlight on efforts to clean up Flint, and he said Monday that the focus has paid dividends with more than 130 cleanup events and more than 1 million pounds of trash and debris collected.

But the mayor said those who dump in the city havent stopped.

The partnership with Crime Stoppers comes after the organization agreed to pay rewards for reporting something other than a felony, according to Julie Lopez, director of the program.

Illegal dumping is a misdemeanor, punishable by 90 days in jail, a fine of $250 to $500, and impounding of the dumpers vehicle. Violators also pay the cost of cleaning property and risk impoundment of their vehicle.

Crime Stoppers has always been committed to getting criminals off our streets. Now we are helping to literally clean up Flint streets, Lopez said in a statement issued by the city. We are very aware that blight can lead to many other types of crimes. This project is an excellent opportunity for all of us to work together for a better, cleaner, and safer Flint.

Lopez said the Crime Stoppers offer is effective immediately but both she and Neeley said the $1,000 is a maximum amount available and would be granted only in cases involving large-scale dumping.

Smaller rewards are also available, they said, in cases involving smaller dumpers.

Tips can be given anonymously by submitting videos or photos to CrimeStoppersofFlint.com or on the free P3 mobile app or you can call 1-800-422-JAIL (5245).

The mayor and Police Chief Phil Hart said officers will be available to investigate reports of dumping despite the department having 14 vacancies on the force.

My police officers are ready, willing and able . Were not going to stand for this, Hart said Monday.

Mary Joyce Campbell, president of the Ballenger Square Community Association, said she hopes the availability of a cash reward will help keep dumping from happening in the first place so neighbors arent left with the fallout -- tires, roofing and tree branches.

People like money, Campbell said. They will tell if they know they are going to get rewarded for it.

Illegal dumping will no longer be tolerated in Flint, officials say

Vacant land leads to rampant illegal dumping in Flint

Its a never-ending race against blight in Flint, officials say
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  The head of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. had a hand in the approval of a "bloated" budget for the agency's IT equipment and software, a board member of the state firm alleged Tuesday.

PhilHealth board member Alejandro Cabading, in a testimony at the hearing of the Senate Committee of the Whole, said the agency's President and CEO Ricardo Morales approved hefty allocations for IT expenses even if some items in the budget were not approved by the Department of Information and Communications Technology.

Cabading, a certified public accountant, brought up the inclusion of identical IT purchases from 2018 and 2019 which were also listed in the 2020 proposed budget.

He noted that the Commission on Audit had earlier questioned similar irregularities under the IT projects.

He bared in his presentation that some of the overpriced software and equipment include 21 million for Adobe Master Collection software, 42 million for identity management software, 21 million for office productivity software, and 25 million for application server, virtualization licenses and support maintenance.

Cabading said he tried to bring such budget irregularities to the board, but noted: "The most frustrating part is the management seems to be tolerating such fraudulent acts."

Former anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith, who resigned last month due to what he said was "widespread corruption" at PhilHealth, claimed some of the corporation's executives stole 15 billion from the agency using different fraudulent schemes.

He said all members of the executive committee were involved in a "mafia" syndicate which has prolonged the culture of corruption in the embattled agency.

He also accused Morales of using him to negotiate with the Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission to "rub down" the issue on overpriced COVID-19 test kits.

Morales denies allegations

Meanwhile, Morales denied that there were any irregularities in the IT budget proposal which amounts to 2.1 billion in total.

"Information technology is a very complicated system," Morales reasoned.

Morales had also denied numerous accusations from Keith, claiming that the latter was only making up issues due to his rejected application for promotion.

The PhilHealth chief also insisted that he was not a "coddler" or protector of smugglers in the agency.

However, he did admit that there is fraud in the agency, and called for support and guidance, instead of criticisms.

"PhilHealth needs help, it has taken too many body blows. Tulungan ho natin ang PhilHealth. Kung maaari, 'wag nating pagtulungan (Let us help PhilHealth, and if possible, do not gang up on us.)"
Police on Monday recovered the body of a 21-year-old man along the shore in Cape May and warned beachgoers of rough surf after a series of ocean rescues.

There were no signs of foul play in the death of Kevin L. Lare, of Erma, Lower Township, according to the Cape May County Prosecutors Office, which did not disclose a cause of death as the investigation continued.

Police found Lares body around 1:30 a.m. at the waters edge between Madison and Philadelphia avenues, county Prosecutor Jeffrey Sutherland and Cape May police Chief Anthony Marino said in a joint statement.

The discovery came after emergency services first received a call around 8:45 p.m. Sunday of a man who was unresponsive in the ocean near Jefferson Street at the beach, authorities said. Rescuers were searching for the man and called in prosecutors office detectives when they found Lare.

The Cape May Beach Patrol conducted 48 rescues of swimmers in the ocean during the first two days of August, Saturday and Sunday, according to Marino.

The public is reminded not to swim during dangerous conditions, at night, or when lifeguards are not present, officials said in a statement.

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
Prison Break star Dominic Purcell has hit out at Americans for not abiding by COVID-19 regulations and restrictions.

Posting to Instagram on Tuesday, the actor shared a black and white photograph of himself on the beach.

In the caption, the 50-year-old told Americans to 'grow up' and 'realise the consequences' of not wearing a mask during the pandemic.

Hitting out: Prison Break star Dominic Purcell has hit out at Americans for not abiding by COVID-19 regulations and restrictions

'#covid19 #america ...... we have to realise its real. We must grow up. Lose the ignorance, the entitlement before we can move forward to begin the fight,' he captioned the photo.

'#americans (half) havent started. By all means object to it, do ya rights, dont wear masks but realise the consequences. Your [sic] wrong.'

Many followers agreed with his sentiments calling his words 'true' and telling him to 'stay safe.'

Show of support: Many followers agreed with his sentiment, calling his words 'true' and telling him to 'stay safe'

It is now mandatory in several states in the US to wear face masks when in public, however it has been reported that a sizeable number of the population are still refusing to do so.

This isn't the first time that Dominic has touched on political issues on his social media.

Last month, Dominic revealed that he was putting his weight behind the George Floyd protests in the USA.

Standing up for a cause: Last month, Dominic revealed that he was putting his weight behind the George Floyd protests in the USA

He shared a shirtless photograph of himself at the beach holding a surfboard and revealed that while he would love to return to Australia, he had a responsibility to show support for the protests.

'I wanna come home to #Australia. Surf with the boys. Hit the pub with the lads,' he wrote.

'But I can't. That would be running from my responsibilities here in #la. Putting my head in the sand. Is part of the problem.'
Juan Carlos of Spain and his wife Queen Sofia of Spain salute the crowd from the balcony of the Oriental Palace in Madrid, in this 2004 file photo. AFP



Spain's former king Juan Carlos, at the center of an alleged $100-million corruption scandal, has reportedly fled to the Dominican Republic after his shock announcement he was going into exile.



The 82-year-old revealed on Monday that he had taken the decision to leave Spain to help his son, the current King Felipe VI, "exercise his responsibilities."



The letter, published on the royal palace's website, did not mention where the former king would go, nor when exactly he would leave the country.



But on Tuesday, daily newspaper ABC reported that he left Spain on Sunday and flew to the Dominican Republic via Portugal.



The La Vanguardia and El Mundo dailies similiarly said he planned to stay with friends in the Caribbean country, but online newspaper El Confidencial said he could be in Portugal, where he spent part of his youth, or in France or Italy.



Asked by AFP about the reports, a royal palace spokesman refused to give any information about Juan Carlos's whereabouts.



"The only information we have is the information which was published on the website of the royal palace yesterday. It is the only information which we have," he said.



The ex-king's lawyer, Javier Sanchez-Junco, issued a statement Monday saying his client was not trying to escape justice by going into exile and would remain available to prosecutors.



The former head of state has been under a cloud since various media reported that he allegedly received funds from Saudi Arabia and probes are now under way in both Switzerland and Spain.



Spain's Supreme Court announced in June an investigation to determine the legal responsibility of the ex-monarch  but only for acts committed after his abdication in 2014, because of the immunity he holds.



The suspicions center on $100 million (85 million euros) allegedly paid secretly into a Swiss bank account in 2008.



After a series of media revelations, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez spoke out in July saying "the entire Spanish population are receiving disturbing information which is troubling for us all, including me."



Juan Carlos ascended the throne in 1975 on the death of the fascist dictator Francisco Franco and ruled for 38 years before abdicating in favor of his son Felipe VI in June 2014.



He was a popular figure for decades, playing a key role in the democratic transition from the Franco dictatorship which ruled Spain from 1939-1975.



An inquiry opened in Spain in September 2018 following the publication of records attributed to German businesswoman Corinna Larsen, a former mistress of Juan Carlos.



She claimed he had received a commission when a consortium of Spanish companies were awarded a high-speed railway contract to link the Muslim holy cities of Mecca and Medina in Saudi Arabia.



Larsen told Swiss investigators he had transferred to her nearly 65 million euros in the Bahamas, "not to get rid of the money," but "out of gratitude and out of love," according to El Pais daily.



Swiss media reported last March that Juan Carlos was paid $100 million into a Panamanian foundation's Swiss bank account by late Saudi king Abdullah in 2008.



The same month, The Daily Telegraph in Britain reported that Felipe VI was also a beneficiary of the foundation.



The king withdrew from his father an annual royal allowance of nearly 200,000 euros and renounced his inheritance "to preserve the exemplariness of the crown."



Juan Carlos's shock announcement took most Spaniards by surprise and it dominated headlines and radio and television talk shows on Tuesday.



El Mundo called it a "painful gesture in defense of the Crown" in an editorial published on its front page while ABC headlined that Juan Carlos had "left Spain to not damage his son's reign." (AFP)




A teenager who died in a horrific car crash on a Queensland highway has been identified.

Paige Gallon died after the car she was travelling in with three others rolled on the Flinders Highway near Charters Towers, south west of Townsville, on Monday night.

The 17-year-old was discovered in a critical condition and despite the best efforts of paramedics she died at the scene.

The other three passengers in the car were hospitalised, with the 21-year-old male driver of the vehicle airlifted to Townsville Hospital in a serious condition.

Paige Gallon (pictured) died after a car rolled over on the Flinders Highway in Queensland

A 21-year-old woman and 29-year-old man were also taken in for treatment.

Ms Gallon has been remembered by family and friends online as 'beautiful' and supportive friend.

'God claimed a beautiful souls last night, but to say goodbye kills me,' one tribute reads.

'The most hardest thing Ive done so far. Beautiful I love you so much.'

'Grateful to have known you and grateful for the support you always offered to me,' another post reads.

'May you rest well darling.'

The horror rollover forced the closure of the Flinders Highway in both directions until 4.30am on Tuesday morning.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating the incident.
Transaction Network Services (TNS) has appointed payments industry veteran John Tait to the newly created position of Global Managing Director for its FinTech Payments business.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005663/en/

John Tait of TNS (Photo: Business Wire)

Based in Australia, Tait takes responsibility for TNS' payments teams across the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific regions, which now serve customers in over 60 countries. Tait has a strong understanding of TNS' business having originally joined the company in 2016 as Managing Director for Asia Pacific and taking on a position on the TNS Asia Pacific Advisory Board in 2018. In 2019, Tait's role was expanded to include management of the newly acquired ADVAM business.

"I am delighted to be taking on this new role at TNS which will unite our regional businesses under a single global strategic approach," said Tait. "We pride ourselves in providing market leading solutions that help our clients simplify the complicated payments ecosystem and assist them in improving customer satisfaction, while recognizing and innovatively responding to the evolving demands of the consumer.

"The TNS team is made up of dedicated professionals that have been working tirelessly during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure that our customers can continue to trade under a complicated mix of differing local conditions. Among other things, our robust infrastructure has seamlessly responded to the significant rise in the number of contactless transactions which has resulted in many countries."

During his tenure at TNS, Tait has helped the company expand into new markets and, more recently, has been pivotal to the successful integration of ADVAM. At ADVAM, he devised a customer led strategy and go to market plan that enabled the business to solidify its market leading solution set for its diverse client base.

Tait has more than 25 years of payments experience, holding senior roles at Indue, First Data and National Australia Bank prior to joining TNS.

"John's appointment to this new global role is a significant development for TNS as we continually refine both our short and long term growth plans," said Mike Keegan, TNS' Chief Executive Officer. "His ability to understand the unique and complicated perspectives of our customers will be critical to delivering solutions that address these in a model that is committed to mutual success."

Looking to TNS' future growth plans, Tait said: "Our strategic approach has its foundations in our unique infrastructure solution capabilities. As technology and consumer behavior evolves, we're in a strong position to help customers capture payments from an increasing range of online, offline and digital access points. Combine this with our managed connectivity and transaction processing capabilities, as well as our status as a PCI DSS Level 1 certified provider, and it's not surprising to see that TNS is a significant global player."

As a trusted partner to the payments industry, TNS offers a broad portfolio of secure commerce solutions that include parking reservations, unattended payments, point-of-sale services, ATM connectivity and managed processing. In 2020, TNS celebrates 30 years of being a worldwide provider to global companies in the most mission critical industries. Many of the most prestigious financial institutions, POS ISOs, ATM deployers and transaction processors rely on TNS for secure and resilient connectivity. TNS' secure network is supported 24x7x365 from Network Operating Centers in the US, UK and Australia.

ENDS

About Transaction Network Services:

Transaction Network Services (TNS) is a leading global provider of data communications and interoperability solutions. TNS offers a broad range of networks and innovative value-added services and is committed to delivering superior service and world-leading payments, financial services and telecommunications solutions to the world's most prestigious companies.

Founded in 1990 in the US and headquartered in Reston, Virginia, TNS has secured a strong payments heritage and provides managed services in more than 60 countries spanning the Americas, Europe and Asia Pacific region with its reach extending to many more. TNS is a Level 1 PCI DSS certified service provider and a global board member of the ATM Industry Association (ATMIA). For more information about TNS and its Payments solutions visit www.tnsi.com or go to our media center for our latest news www.tnsi.com/media-center/

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005663/en/

Contacts:

Clare Cockroft/ Rachel Watson

TNS

T: +44 (0)114 292 0163 +1 703 814 8065

E: pr@tnsi.com
iStock/MotortionBy: MEREDITH DELISO and LISA SIVERTSEN, ABC News

(NEW YORK) -- As many as 20 people were injured when three hot air balloons crashed in Wyoming Monday morning.



According to a Federal Aviation Administration spokesperson, each balloon "landed hard under unknown circumstances" shortly after 8 a.m. local time in Teton Village, near Jackson in western Wyoming.



Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr told ABC affiliate KIFI-TV that emergency responders were treating between 16 and 20 people for a wide range of injuries. No deaths have been reported.



A local hospital confirmed to ABC News that as of mid-afternoon Monday it had received 10 people involved in the crashes. Two were admitted, three were still being evaluated and five were treated and released, the hospital said.



Passenger Clinton Phillips was visiting Wyoming from Austin, Texas, with his wife and three children, and said a hot air balloon ride was on their "bucket list." The family was in the largest balloon that crashed and saw the other two balloons hit the ground first, Phillips told ABC News.



The winds were "pushing up hard sideways," he said, and the second balloon was "getting tossed around" before it crashed and tipped over.



"While we were so busy looking at that, we didn't realize that we were coming down," Phillips said. "Our pilot hadn't said anything, and I turned around and looked and I shouted, 'Brace for impact!'"



"People were screaming for their lives and sobbing," he said. "It was horrific."



Phillips said that one of his daughters fainted in the ordeal, he believes his son has a concussion, and that his wife's ribs are "very likely" broken. She was one of over 20 people, he estimated, who went to a hospital. One person was airlifted, he said.



"I was in tears, just so relieved that everybody was OK and not dead," he said.



The FAA and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the crashes. They may have been weather-related, Carr told KIFI-TV.



ABC News' Amanda Maile contributed to this report.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
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At least two central Pennsylvania creeks could experience minor or moderate flooding as a result of the downpours expected Tuesday afternoon as Tropical Storm Isaias makes its presence felt along the East Coast.

The section of Swatara Creek that runs through Harper Tavern is expected to rise to 11 feet by the end of the night, teetering near the 12-foot benchmark that would move it into the moderate flood zone, according to the National Weather Service.

But that isnt the only part of the creek that is expected to spill over Tuesday as steady, heavy rain hovers over the midstate. The creek near Middletown area could reach 12.2 feet, and 8.1-feet -- a foot above flood stage  is projected near Hershey.

Conestoga Creek at Lancaster could flood with nearly 13 feet of water, according to the NWS.

Different areas have their own benchmarks for what is considered minor, moderate and severe flooding.

Isaias made landfall as a hurricane Monday in North Carolina, but weakened enough to again be considered a tropical storm.

Widespread power outages and flooding are a possibility in parts of New Jersey as some areas are expected to experience 75-mph winds and up to six inches of rain. A tornado watch is in effect for most of the state until 4 p.m.

Forecasters in central Pennsylvania warned of flash flooding Tuesday in low-lying and urban areas. Showers, thunderstorms and more than 20-mph wind gusts are possible before 4 p.m. Rain is likely to continue into the evening but wrap up before 8 p.m.

Chances of precipitation drop dramatically from 100 percent during the day to only 30 percent in the evening, forecasts show.

READ MORE:

Tropical Storm Isaias spawns tornadoes in Virginia, Maryland after killing at least 1 in N.C.

Flash flooding possible in central Pa. as Tropical Storm Isaias moves up East Coast

Stonewall Bridge in Cumberland County will close for two days next week
DALLAS, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OutMatch , a leading SaaS-based talent intelligence platform, today announced the opening of two new global data centers in Europe and the Asia Pacific region. The two new centers mark OutMatch's continued global expansion, and with OutMatch's existing data centers in the U.S., enable the company to reach a larger audience looking to employ digital hiring solutions in a simple, safe, and seamless manner.

"The continuing global emphasis on privacy and data security has clients more focused than ever on vendors with localized operations," says Chris Gardner, Chief Technology Officer at OutMatch. "OutMatch's new data centers further demonstrate our dedication to bringing data closer to our clients and providing the peace of mind needed during this critical inflection point."

OutMatch's global data centers simplify and streamline privacy processes, as well as enable companies to further comply with local data security regulations. Access to multiple data centers also enables companies to ensure that data security is part of their crisis planning and disaster recovery strategies.

"We're excited about OutMatch's investment in these data centers," says Frank Scheelen, chairman of Scheelen AG, an HR talent and development consultancy with over 30 years of experience and 1,200 partners across the European Union. "The OutMatch investment illustrates their commitment to our partnership, but more importantly their commitment to the data security of our clients, prospects, and candidates."

OutMatch's Talent Intelligence Platform enables businesses to optimize both candidate selection and post-hire development by providing an end-to-end solution that integrates the entire talent analytics workflow, including assessments, video interviewing, and culture analytics. With over 100 million assessments completed, OutMatch generates unparalleled data-driven insights, enabling many of the world's largest companies, including major hospitality brands, airlines, banking institutions and professional services firms, to maximize the lifetime value of their employee-base.

Learn more about OutMatch's capabilities and free trials at OutMatch.com.

About OutMatch

The OutMatch Talent Intelligence Platform brings clarity to talent decisions by gathering the right data and putting the insights companies need at their fingertips. We help the world's biggest brands to select and develop great people, maximizing the employee life cycle. Nearly 100 million candidates and employees have used OutMatch technology, with over 10 million flowing through per year. This volume of data gives OutMatch unique insight into the workforce and prepares OutMatch clients for the future of work. OutMatch was recently named to Inc. magazine's annual list of the Best Workplaces for 2020.

SOURCE OutMatch
On August 6 & 9, join four of the worlds leading interfaith/intercultural organizations in the call to abolish nuclear weapons.

Credit: gettyimages.com / RonaldReaganLibrary / Stringer This photo shows the 1986 Summit in Reykjavik where Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze, US President Ronald Reagan, and Secretary of State George Shultz discussed possible nuclear disarmament. For their efforts in this meeting, which brought the world tantalizingly close to the total elimination of nuclear weapons, both former President Gorbachev and Secretary Shultz will be honored at the August 6 and 9 online event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An award to young people pursuing nuclear disarmament will be established in perpetuity in their names.

Credit: gettyimages.com / RonaldReaganLibrary / Stringer This photo shows the 1986 Summit in Reykjavik where Soviet Premier Mikhail Gorbachev, Soviet Foreign Minister Eduard Shevardnadze, US President Ronald Reagan, and Secretary of State George Shultz discussed possible nuclear disarmament. For their efforts in this meeting, which brought the world tantalizingly close to the total elimination of nuclear weapons, both former President Gorbachev and Secretary Shultz will be honored at the August 6 and 9 online event commemorating the 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. An award to young people pursuing nuclear disarmament will be established in perpetuity in their names.

Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons is composed of dynamic voices from across the political, professional, spiritual, and geographical spectrums who have united in a single purpose to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all. Learn more at https://www.voices-uri.org

Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons is composed of dynamic voices from across the political, professional, spiritual, and geographical spectrums who have united in a single purpose to eliminate nuclear weapons once and for all. Learn more at https://www.voices-uri.org

San Francisco, CA, USA, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The 75th anniversary of the atomic bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki will be commemorated on August 6, and 9, 2020 by four of the worlds leading interfaith/intercultural organizations with a call for the abolition of all nuclear weapons.

The appeal will be part of an hour-long online video presentation with supporting statements from former Soviet Union President Mikhail Gorbachev, former US Secretary of State George Shultz, and other prominent voices. It will be held on August 6 and 9.

On August 5, 1945  the day before the atomic bombing  the people of Hiroshima had no idea of the cataclysmic disaster that awaited them. On August 6, 2020, the people of the world have little idea of the thermonuclear disaster that is aimed at them, said Bishop William Swing, retired bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of California.

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Swing, founder of United Religions Initiative (URI), (with The Rev. Victor H. Kazanjian, Jr., Executive Director), has joined the leaders of the Charter of Compassion, (Marilyn Turkovich, Executive Director); the Parliament of the Worlds Religions (Audrey Kitagawa, Chair); and Religions for Peace, (Azza Karam, Executive Director) in jointly issuing the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Accord statement.

It is a measure of the urgency we all feel that this is the first time the organizations have joined together to make a common statement, Swing said. Our hope is that this statement will help to awaken the world to the trigger-ready threats posed by these weapons and to spur a global movement for a nuclear-free world.

At a time when peoples health should be first and foremost, billions of dollars are being invested in modernizing nuclear weapons and digitalizing the battlefield with unknown consequences, while agreements that stabilized nuclear dangers are being torn up, Swing said. The world is at a quiet, ultimately consequential, crossroads concerning nuclear weapons. More hands are poised over nuclear buttons, and the nuclear armed counties have decided to move rapidly in the direction of raising, rather than lowering, the nuclear threat to the world."

Not one nuclear weapons country has leadership calling for a change in direction. Therefore, for the sake of security of the world community, citizens have to stand up. That is why we have organized this initiative, said Swing.

Other speakers commemorating the August 6 and August 9 atomic bombings of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki include:

Kazumi Matsui, Mayor of Hiroshima; Tomihisa Taue, Mayor of Nagasaki; former US Senator Sam Nunn; Mohamed ElBaradei, former head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and Nobel Laureate; Lassina Zerbo, head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO); Beatrice Fihn, Executive Director International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN); Leona Morgan, Coordinator with the Eastern Navajo Dine Against Uranium mining; and Kehkashan Basu, founder and president of Green Hope Foundation.

Both former President Gorbachev and Secretary Shultz will be honored for their efforts that brought the world tantalizingly close to the total elimination of nuclear weapons at the 1986 Summit in Reykjavik, Iceland. An award to young people pursuing nuclear disarmament is being established in perpetuity in their names.

The Hiroshima/Nagasaki commemoration will be streamed online globally, across various time zones on Facebook, YouTube and other platforms. Visit www.voices-uri.org.

After you register, you will receive links to all the platforms where it will be streaming.

Broadcast Times:

Thursday, August 6, 2020

5AM PDT San Francisco | 8AM EDT New York | 2PM UK | 5:30PM Delhi | 9PM Japan

12PM PDT San Francisco | 3PM EDT New York | 6PM UK | 9:30PM Delhi | 4AM Japan

5PM PDT San Francisco | 8PM EDT New York | 2AM UK | 5:30AM Delhi | 9AM Japan

Saturday, August 8, 2020

5PM PDT San Francisco | 8PM EDT New York | 2AM UK | 5:30AM Delhi | 9AM Japan

Sunday, August 9, 2020

12PM PDT San Francisco | 3PM EDT New York | 6PM UK | 9:30PM Delhi | 4AM Japan

Register for this free event here: https://www.voices-uri.org/registration

Endorsers of the Hiroshima/Nagasaki Accord include:

Council for a Livable World; Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation  John Tierney, Executive Director

Global Security Institute  Jonathan Granoff, President

Lightbridge Corporation  Ambassador Thomas Graham Jr., Chairman Mayors for Peace

Disarmament and Security Centre  New Zealand  Dr. Kate Dewes ONZM

International Peace Bureau  Lisa Clark, Co-President

Ploughshares Fund - Joe Cirincione, President

Nuclear Watch New Mexico  Jay Coghlan, Executive Director

Peace Action  Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director, Policy and Political Affairs

Center for Earth Ethics at Union Theological Seminary  Karenna Gore Founder and Director American Renewable Energy Institute  Chip Comins Chairman and CEO

Atomic Reporters  Peter Rickwood, Founder

Earth Day Network: Mexico  Tiahoga Ruge, Regional Director

World Beyond War  David Swanson Journalist, and Antiwar Activist

NSquare  Erika Gregory, Managing Director

Interfaith Power and Light  Rev. Susan Hendershot, President Union for Reform Judaism

Chishty Foundation  Haji Syed Salman Chishty, Chairman

Sufi Ruhaniat International  Pir Shabda Kahn

Tri-Faith Initiative  Wendy Goldberg, Executive Director

International Youth Alliance for Peace  Thirukumar Premakumar, Founder and President, Sri Lanka

Veterans for Peace Golden Rule Project  Helen Jaccard, Executive Director

May Peace Prevail on Earth International  Fumi Johns Stewart, Executive Director

The Shift Network  Philip M. Hellmich, Global Peace Ambassador

Goi Peace Foundation  Hiroo Saionji, President, Masami Miyazaki, Executive Director

Project Ploughshares  Cesar Jaramillo, Executive Director

Heiwa Peace and Reconciliation Foundation of New York  Rev. Dr. TK Nakagaki, President and Founder, Hiroshima Peace Ambassador, Nagasaki Peace Correspondent

Church Council of Greater Seattle  John Ramos, Executive Director

Global Consciousness Project  Dr. Roger Nelson, Director

Tanenbaum  Rev. Mark E. Fowler, CEO

Middle Powers Initiative  Tarja Cronberg, Chair

Friends Committee on National Legislation  Diane Randall, General Secretary

One Billion Youth for Peace  Abraham Karickam, Founder

Green Hope Foundation  Kehkashan Basu Founder, and President

Unity Earth  Ben Bowler, Executive Director

Living Peace Projects  Brigitte van Baren Chair, Co-Founder

The Global Sunrise Project  Kasha and Marla Slavner

One Life Alliance  Kia Scherr, President

MasterPeace  Aart Bos, CEO

A Common Word Among the Youth (ACWAY)  Rawaad Mahyub, Executive Director

Pathways to Peace (PTP)  Tezikiah Gabriel, Executive Director

Soka Gakkai International

Committee of Religious NGOs at the UN  Hiro Sakurai, President

Sergio Duarte  Ambassador, President of Pugwash

Bruce Knotts  President and CEO: NGO Committee on Disarmament, Peace and Security; and Director of the Unitarian Universalist Office at the United Nations

Daryl G. Kimball  Executive Director, Arms Control Association

Bruce Blair  Co- founder, Global Zero

Ken Kimmell  President, Union of Concerned Scientists

Lieutenant-General (ret) the Honourable Romeo Dallaire

Dr. Mary-Wynne Ashford  International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, Winner 1985 Noble Peace Prize

Dr. Hans Blix  former Director General, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)

Michael Krepon  Co-Founder and Distinguished Fellow The Stimson Center

Richard Rhodes  Pulitzer Prize-winning historian

Kathleen Kennedy Townsend  former Lieutenant Governor of the State of Maryland

Pierce Corden  Expert Advisor, Holy See Mission to the United Nations in New York, and former US arms control official

David T. Ives  Executive Director Emeritus, The Albert Schweitzer Institute, and Senior Advisor for the Summits of Nobel Peace Laureates

Alyn Ware  Director, World Future Council, Peace & Disarmament Program

Dr. Kim Phuc PHAN THI  UNESCO Goodwill Ambassador, Founder Kim Foundation International

Joan Brown Campbell, Rev. Dr.  General Secretary, National Council of Churches of Christ (ret.) and Former Director, Department of Religion, Chautauqua Institution

His Holiness Tep Vong, The Great Supreme Patriarch of the Kingdom of Cambodia

His Holiness Chamgon Kenting Tai Situpa

Bhai Sahib, Bhai Mohinder Singh Ahluwalia OBE KSG  Chairman of Guru Nanak Nishkam Sewak Jatha and the Nishkam Group of Charitable Organizations

The Rev. Canon Sally G. Bingham  President Emerita, The Regeneration Project, Interfaith Power and Light

Hereditary Chief Phil Lane Jr.  Four Worlds International Institute

Angaangaq Angakkorsuaq  Shaman and Healer, Greenland

Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji  Spiritual Leader, and President of Parmarth Niketan Ashram, Rishikesh, India

Rev. Drew Christiansen, S. J.  Distinguished Professor of Ethics and Global Human Development

Senior Research Fellow, Berkley Center for Religion, Peace and World Affairs Georgetown University

Swamini Adityananda Saraswati  Spiritual Leader, and Co-Founder of Pan African Association Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswatiji  Spiritual Leader and Secretary General of The Global Interfaith WASH Alliance

Mohanji  Humanitarian and Philanthropist, Founder of the Mohanji Foundation

Dharma master Hsin Tao  Founder Museum of World Religions

Rabbi David Rosen KSG, CBE  International Co-President of Religions for Peace

Rev. Kosho Niwano  President-Designate, Rissho Kosei Kai, Co-Moderator Religions for Peace Bishop Ruben Tierrablanca Gonzalez  ofm Apostolic Vicar of Instanbul  Latin Catholic Church James Carroll  Author, Historian, Journalist

Cynthia Lazaroff  Founder, NuclearWakeUpCall.Earth

Dr. Karen Hallberg  Professor of Physics at Balseiro Institute, and Research Director Centro Atomico Bariloche

Attachments

CONTACT: Julie Schelling Voices for a World Free of Nuclear Weapons 1 347 719 1518 contact@voices-uri.org




SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Matrix Medical Network has partnered with Berkeley Data Ventures to improve the availability and ease of COVID-19 testing by combining the power of machine learning and pooled testing. The new solution, driven by machine learning algorithms, will enable more individuals to be tested, more often, through strategic pooled testing.



Frequent testing, for example at a school or workplace, is both costly and a real challenge given limited testing capacity, said Dr. Daniel Castillo, Chief Medical Officer, Matrix Medical Network. Our partnership with Berkeley Data Ventures combines our clinical knowledge and their machine learning expertise to tackle this problem by establishing new and smarter protocols that allow more frequent testing.

Matrix has administered more than 30,000 coronavirus tests since the onset of the pandemic. Of those who tested positive, many were asymptomatic. These asymptomatic, and pre-symptomatic, carriers add an additional layer to the challenge of detecting infected individuals. The algorithms devised by Berkeley Data Ventures leverage key data to identify the optimal testing strategy by assessing individual prevalence and correlation risk to show who would, and who would not, benefit from pooled testing.

Pooled testing using machine learning allows us to get on the offensive of COVID-19 testing by allowing for efficient testing at high frequency, said Ned Augenblick, Associate Professor Haas School of Business, University of California, Berkeley. One of the keys to the pooled testing algorithm is understanding who is more likely to be positive and separating them from those that are likely to be negative.

Pooled testing can drastically help businesses boost testing capabilities. For example, if 20 individuals with a high likelihood of being negative were all pooled together for testing and no infection is detected, all of them are cleared using one test versus 20 individual tests. The strategy is to put people who are unlikely to be infected into a larger pool, and those that are likely to be infected into a much smaller pool, or even an individual test.

As businesses, universities and other organizations look to operate safely within the environment of COVID-19, frequent testing, along with the use of PPE and social distancing, is one of the most crucial strategies to have in place.

About Matrix Medical Network

Matrix Medical Network is a leader in supporting the needs of at-risk populations. Matrix has worked with millions of individuals across the country to assess and help them manage their health risks through a network of more than 3,000 clinicians and fleet of mobile health clinics. The clinical services organization's unmatched network of healthcare professionals meets individuals where they live and work to assess health and safety, identify and close care gaps and offer life-changing services that activate them to manage their own health.

Matrix has deep roots in clinical assessment and care management services that improve health outcomes, while helping clients manage risks and connect individuals to more options for the care and support they need. Matrix combines leading-edge technologies and proprietary platforms to harness the massive amounts of data captured to drive better clinical decision-making, improving outcomes and satisfaction while reducing the cost of care. For more information, visit www.matrixmedicalnetwork.com .

About Berkeley Data Ventures

Berkeley Data Ventures was founded to help solve some of the biggest challenges in health care. The team brings years of academic experience studying behavioral economics, machine learning, causal inference and how these tools apply to health and health care as well as deep industry and government experience. Berkeley Data Ventures partners with companies trying to create truly unique solutions that generate massive value and change the health care system by bridging the gap between data analytics and strategy to build technology solutions and deploy them with measurable impact.

Media Contact

David Goodspeed

Director, Marketing & Communications, Matrix Medical Network

david.goodspeed@matrixmedicalnetwork.com

480.286.1311
China and the World Health Organization are discussing plans to trace the origin of the coronavirus outbreak following a visit to the country by two experts from the UN agency, the foreign ministry said Tuesday.

Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin told reporters the experts conducted preparatory consultations on scientific research cooperation on virus tracing during their two-week stay, which ended Sunday.

Their talks touched on research in the areas of population, environment, molecules, animal traceability and transmission routes of the coronavirus, as well as plans for further scientific research, Wang said.

The two sides also further investigated the possible animal source, intermediate host and transmission route of the coronavirus to more effectively prevent and control the epidemic, Wang said.

Wang said the two sides worked on formulating a plan for Chinas contribution to the global tracing effort under a resolution passed by the World Health Assembly under WHO. No word was given on when that effort will begin in earnest.

The virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year and has been linked to a wholesale food market where wild animals were sold. Scientists think it likely jumped from a wild animal such as a bat to humans via an intermediary species, possibly the anteater-like pangolin.

However, China says a full investigation may have to wait until the pandemic is under control and has rejected accusations that it delayed releasing information to WHO at the start of the outbreak.
This article is part of the Free Speech Project , a collaboration between Future Tense and the Tech, Law, & Security Program at American University Washington College of Law that examines the ways technology is influencing how we think about speech.

TikTok, the latest social media giant serving up distraction for the masses, has lately become a political tool for mass distraction. The White House has threatened to ban the Chinese-owned app in the United States or at least broker a possible acquisition by Microsoft (perhaps with a finders fee of sorts going to the U.S. Treasury, as President Trump proposed for some reason). Behind that drama, however, lie a series of crucial technology policy challenges the political class is largely ignoring.

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U.S. government scrutiny of TikTok is based in the assumption that being owned by the Beijing-based social media company ByteDance makes it a likely avenue for Chinese government malfeasance targeting the United States. From this point of view, the fact that the app reportedly has 100 million U.S. users leads to three main kinds of risks: user data falling into Chinese government or other hostile hands, Chinese propaganda and censorship efforts penetrating U.S. society, and threats to national security as U.S.China grow ever more fraught.

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Each of these risks is real, but each is in fact larger than anything specific to TikTok. A focus on TikTok alone will do little to solve the broader problems of which these risks are only the most prominent example, and no one should feel their tech security work is done if a single Chinese-owned app is all that gets addressed.

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Take the risk of the Chinese government or other bad actors gaining access to user data. The possibility captures the imagination, because mobile apps like TikTok collect so much data about their users. Not only do they record a persons posts, but they track what posts a user looks at and for how long. They track location data, system configuration information, and other details that can make users identifiable across different services. Though TikTok says it stores all U.S. user data outside China, its privacy policy states that data may be shared with its parent company in Beijing. And even though the company says it is taking measures to limit data access, it is possible the Chinese government could lean on executives or engineers in China to gain access. And they could do so through legal requirements to help the government with national security matters, through extralegal pressure, or even through infiltration.

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Honest people can differ over how likely it is that huge volumes of TikTok data would end up in Chinese government hands, but the risk of some amount of data transmission cannot be completely dismissed. The question becomes what kind of risk this poses. If youre a Chinese dissident using TikTok to circulate content critical of Chinese leader Xi Jinping, there might be more risk; if your cats, dogs, or playground antics are contributing light to the world, its not entirely clear why Chinas government would want your data or what they would do with it. In either case, however, a determined Chinese intelligence agency would likely have other ways to snoop, not least through trackers and data brokers that have long operated across a wide variety of apps and websites. At root, the problem is data collection and a lack of any real accountability as to how its handled. What if, then, as a condition of doing business in the United States, all social media companies were required to cut down on unnecessary data collection and held to account for how it is stored and used?

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Next, consider the risk that Chinas government could pressure TikTok to censor ideas critical of the Communist Party, or even try to affect how people vote. Most social media platforms deliver content to users based on notoriously opaque algorithms, and despite serious scholarly and corporate efforts, accountability is hard to find for what kinds of content get delivered to whom. Russias government, of course, has a history of manipulating platforms through coordinated posting by inauthentic accounts, or simply by placing ads, to try to affect election outcomes. It is possible Chinas government could try something similar in the United States, or even more likely in a place like Taiwan. But as demonstrated by Russian actions in the 2016 U.S. election and elsewhere, politically-driven platform manipulation is hard to assess in terms of effect. It also does not require behind-the-scenes control of a platform. What if, as a condition of doing business in the United States, social media companies were required to meet stringent standards of transparency and accountability when it comes to activity affecting the sanctity of the democratic process or censoring political content?

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Finally, consider the risk that TikTok might pose to national security. While privacy and political content risks are relatively concrete, the idea that widespread use of TikTok could threaten U.S. national security requires some imagination. Thinking creatively, it might be possible to leverage an app update or some other feature to gain unauthorized access to a users device.

TikTok and many other apps were recently shown to be accessing information stored in iOS users clipboardsa practice the company said was designed to detect spam and that it has since corrected. If you happen to be a top U.S. national security official, accidental or intentional leaks of information like this could yield important intelligence. The U.S. military addressed this category of risks, including both the everyday collection of data about service members and the risk of specific leaks, by instructing staff to remove the app from government and personal devices. TikTok data could theoretically be used in conjunction with troves like the Office of Personnel Management database, thought to have been stolen by Chinese government hackers, to build profiles of national security officials for blackmail or recruitment.

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Yet this kind of hypothetical intelligence collection would be even more effective and much less likely to become an international headline if it were pursued through trackers working across many apps in advertising networks, or through hacking into phones or other systems with the kind of bespoke malware top intelligence agencies spend so much time developing and obtaining. To address national security risks from widespread data collection and cybersecurity vulnerabilities, what if, as a condition of doing business in the United States, apps and app stores were required to meet universal security standards to protect user data whether or not you handle state secrets?

The security and trust challenges receiving so much attention when it comes to TikTok are real, and having deep connections to China intensifies them in certain ways. But banning TikTok or coercing its sale would only address a tiny portion of the problem, not to mention the questionable legality of various potential moves and the chilling implications of a U.S. president unilaterally forbidding a venue where people gather online, access information, and exercise freedom of speech. It wouldnt even address a major portion of the very China-specific threats getting so much attention today, since there are other avenues in all cases. Only a universal set of enforced rules for platformsand the companies behind them that trade in data and interpolated insights about their userscan address legitimate government security concerns and give users confidence that their online lives are free from harmful snooping or manipulation through opaque algorithms. Todays focus on TikTok is an opportunity for U.S. activists and policymakers to begin taking on the broader challenges that have been ignored for too long.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
ILLINOIS  State health officials on Tuesday announced 1,471 new cases of the coronavirus and 19 additional deaths from COVID-19, the respiratory illness caused by the virus, bringing the statewide total to 183,712 confirmed infections and 7,545 known deaths. Another 1,281 probable cases and 197 probable deaths are not included in the official totals.



The latest deaths include:

Adams County: 1 male 70s

Cook County: 1 teen, 1 female 50s, 1 unknown 60s, 1 male 70s, 1 female 80s

DuPage County: 2 males 80s, 1 male 90s

Iroquois County: 1 male 60s, 1 female 80s

Mercer County: 1 female 80s, 1 female 90s, 1 male 90s

Morgan County: 1 male 90s

Rock Island County: 1 female 70s

Will County: 1 male 80s

Winnebago County: 2 female 90s

As of Monday night, 1,496 people were hospitalized with COVID-19 across the state. Of those, 365 were in intensive care and 125 were on ventilators, according to the Illinois Department of Public Health.

The statewide positive-test rate fell by a tenth of a percentage point from Monday. It now stands at 3.9 percent, up from a low of 2.4 percent last month. In the past 24 hours, labs in Illinois have processed 45,598 coronavirus tests, for a total of more than 2.8 million since the pandemic began. According to Johns Hopkins University, a positivity rate of less than 5 percent is a good measure of whether enough tests are being conducted.

Last week, Illinois public health director Ngozi Ezike made clear that the state is headed in the wrong direction.



"We are still having to make sacrifices, because this pandemic is not over. And each of us is called to make that personal sacrifice now to avoid making a much larger one down the road," Ezike said at a news conference with the governor. "The virus is not done with us, no matter how much we want to be done with it."

Ezike and Gov. J.B. Pritzker unveiled Monday a new $5 million media campaign to raise awareness and encourage the public to wear masks in public. The governor also raised the posibility of fines for anyone who refuses to wear a mask.

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"People who refuse to wear a mask, people who are entering public premises  if they're absolutely refusing in public, they're putting other people at risk, so it's worthy of considering a fine at a local level," Pritzker said, noting that in countries with a high rate of mask compliance, coronavirus cases have dropped to "near zero."



The United States now has more than 4.7 million confirmed coronavirus infections, and at least 156,133 Americans have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University.

Based on the latest predictions by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 168,000 to 182,000 Americans could be dead from the disease by Aug. 22.

Globally, more than 18.3 million people have been infected and 695,848 are known to have died.

Illinois Coronavirus Helpline:

Illinois officials say a state helpline has been set up to provide emotional support and quick answers to questions about the coronavirus pandemic. Illinoisans can test "TALK" to 55-2020 (or "HABLAR" for Spanish), and within 24 hours they will receive a call from a counselor. Residents can also text keywords such aS "UNEMPLOYMENT," "FOOD" or "SHELTER," to the same number to receive additional information about those topics.

Here's what's happening with the coronavirus in Illinois:

On Thursday, Gov. Pritzker said one Illinois county is going in the "wrong direction" and could soon have restrictions put back in place.

Starting Friday, visitors from the U.S. territory will join those from Missouri, Wisconsin and 20 other states under travel restrictions.

Around 200 boats filled with even more maskless people showed up for the party along the Illinois River.

The guidance is in response to a new surge of coronavirus cases in suburban Cook County, particularly among young adults.

Teachers push fully remote learning, saying they have no faith in administrators' plan.

National Night Out encourages police departments to postpone public safety events typically held the first Tuesday in August to October.

Without help from Kane County, more than 100 people could be forced to live on the streets during the pandemic and upcoming winter.

Among the counties in the former Northeast Region as per the governor's plan, Kendall County has the highest positivity rate of 6.8 percent.

Since March 24, 446 patients have recovered from coronavirus and been discharged from Edward Hospital.

Kane County Health officials are calling on anyone who tested positive to donate their plasma to help those still fighting COVID-19.

The Symphony at the Tillers of Oswego has reported only nine deaths due to its "robust testing regimen" and "infection control protocol."

East Aurora students won't return to classroom until Nov. 4 at the earliest, according to officials.

District 303 schools are set to operate on shortened schedules for the first three days of the new school year, which now starts Aug. 19.

District 129 would need to spend about $3.3 million to hire 55 new teachers if it used a hybrid learning model, its superintendent said.

Public health officials warn positivity rates are rising in each of the state's COVID-19 emergency management regions.

Organizer Torben Sondergaard took to social media to request assistance from President Trump as religious event continues through Sunday.

Coronavirus by the numbers:

Illinois:

Total number of coronavirus cases: 184,712

Deaths: 7,545

People tested: 2,849,395

Recovered: Illinois does not provide exact numbers of recovered cases, but says the recovery rate is 95 percent.

Nationwide:

Total number of coronavirus cases: 4,742,277

Deaths: 156,133

People tested: 57,543,852

Recovered: 1,513,446

Global:

Total number of coronavirus cases: 18,364,694

Deaths: 695,848

People tested: No data available

Recovered: 10,965,634

Sources: Johns Hopkins University and IDPH

While the best way to prevent illness is to avoid virus exposure, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention generally recommends taking these actions to prevent the spread of viruses:

Avoid close contact with people who are sick.

Avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth.

Stay home when you are sick.

Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipes.

Wash your 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.

What to do if you're sick:

Call head if you're planning to visit your doctor:

If you have a medical appointment, call the health care provider and tell them that you have or may have COVID-19. This will help the health care provider's office take steps to keep other people from getting infected or exposed.

Stay home unless you must see a doctor:

Stay home: People who are mildly ill with COVID-19 are able to isolate at home during their illness. You should restrict activities outside your home, except for getting medical care.

Avoid public areas: Do not go to work, school, or public areas.

Avoid public transportation: Avoid using public transportation, ride-sharing or taxis.

Separate yourself from other people and animals in your home:

Stay away from others: As much as possible, you should stay in a specific room and away from other people in your home. Also, you should use a separate bathroom, if available.

Limit contact with pets and animals: You should restrict contact with pets and other animals while you are sick with COVID-19, just as you would around other people. Although there have not been reports of pets or other animals becoming sick with COVID-19, it is still recommended that people sick with COVID-19 limit contact with animals until more information is known about the virus.

When possible, have another member of your household care for your animals while you are sick. If you are sick with COVID-19, avoid contact with your pet, including petting, snuggling, being kissed or licked and sharing food. If you must care for your pet or be around animals while you are sick, wash your hands before and after you interact with pets and wear a face mask. See COVID-19 and Animals for more information.

Avoid sharing personal household items:

Do not share: You should not share dishes, drinking glasses, cups, eating utensils, towels, or bedding with other people or pets in your home.

Wash thoroughly after use: After using these items, they should be washed thoroughly with soap and water.

Masks:

CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies), especially in areas of significant community-based transmission. CDC also advises the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others. Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.

Cloth face coverings should not be placed on young children under age 2, anyone who has trouble breathing, or is unconscious, incapacitated or otherwise unable to remove the mask without assistance.

The cloth face coverings recommended are not surgical masks or N-95 respirators. Those are critical supplies that must continue to be reserved for healthcare workers and other medical first responders, as recommended by current CDC guidance.

Face mask instructions  sew- and no-sew masks

To donate personal protective equipment (PPE), email PPE.donations@illinois.gov. For health questions about COVID-19, call the state coronavirus hotline at 800-889-3931 or email dph.sick@illinois.gov.



This article originally appeared on the Across Illinois Patch
Israeli Prime Minister said that his plan to annex portions of the Israeli-occupied "isn't off the table" yet.

"The issue of annexation resides with Washington," he told a meeting of his right-wing Likud faction. "It is not yet off the table. The option still remains," he said on Monday, Xinhua news agency reported.

Netanyahu set July 1 as the starting date for his controversial plan to annex the Jordan Valley, an area in the occupied As the deadline slipped after the White House did not give a green light, Netanyahu said discussions with US teams will continue.

The Palestinians and most of the community have condemned the plan and consider it a violation of law.

--IANS

rt/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The NYPD is seeking the publics assistance in locating a missing 19-year-old girl.

Barbara Anthony, a resident of Avenue B in Port Richmond, was last seen at her home on Sunday, Aug. 2 at approximately 1:30 p.m., according to a written statement from the NYPDs Deputy Commissioner of Public Information.

Anthony, described by police as a white female, 5 feet 6 inches tall and approximately 185 pounds, was last seen wearing all blue clothing.

The NYPD provided a photo of Anthony.

Anyone with information in regard to this missing person is asked to call the NYPDs Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782). The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the CrimeStoppers website at WWW.NYPDCRIMESTOPPERS.COM or on Twitter @NYPDTips.

All calls are strictly confidential.
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Linkedin Marchio Irfan Gorbiano (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 19:56 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b8cdad 1 National #migrant-workers,migrant-workers,TKI,COVID-19,#COVID19,employment,#employment Free

Critics have decried the governments recent decision to lift a ban on the recruitment and placement of Indonesian migrant workers, which was suspended in March when the country was dealing with the early emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Wahyu Susilo from labor rights group Migrant Care said the decision could lead to haphazard recruitment and placement processes and encourage illicit activities by illegal migrant worker placement companies (P3MIs).

This could lead to a haphazard recruitment process in Indonesia's migrant-sending regions," he said.

He said that sending migrant workers abroad was a risky move at a time when COVID-19 in Indonesia showed no signs of abating and while other countries were confronting a second wave of outbreaks.

Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah signed on July 29 a ministerial decree that essentially revoked an earlier decree that had put restrictions in place on March 18.

The new decree stipulates that the government gradually allows worker placement to selected countries that have declared that they are open for migrant workers. The recruitment and placement processes are subject to health protocols, the cost of which may not be passed on from the P3MIs to applicants.

Prospective migrant workers who already have visas in hand, are already registered with the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI) protection system and whose application processes are handled by registered P3MIs will get priority in being sent abroad, the decree states.

Ida said in a press conference on July 30 that the new decree aimed at supporting the recovery of the domestic economy during the transition to the so-called COVID-19 new normal.

We see it as necessary for Indonesian migrant worker candidates to return to work in their destination countries while we are maintaining the principles of protection of workers' rights and health protocols, said Ida.

When asked about the controversial timing of the decision, the Manpower Ministrys acting director general for training and placement Aris Wahyudi said the government was trying to carefully balance the economic concerns of workers who sought employment abroad and public health.

If we revoke [the ban] too soon, it will be perceived as if we are abandoning health [aspects], Aris told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday. On the other hand, we dont want to see a steep decline [in the economy]. With the WHO [World Health Organization] saying this pandemic will continue for a long time, should we refrain from engaging in economic activities [for a lengthy period]?

Aris said his office took into account the demands to lift the ban from both prospective migrant workers and the P3MIs, while acknowledging that there was also demand for Indonesian migrant workers from foreign countries.

Aris maintained that health protocols would be strictly enforced during the recruitment and placement processes, partly to avoid Indonesia being perceived by other countries as a virus exporter.

The ministry initially said that it would allow Indonesian migrant workers to be sent to 14 territories, namely Kuwait, Algeria, Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Maldives, Nigeria, the United Arab Emirates, Poland, Qatar, Taiwan, Turkey, Zambia and Zimbabwe. This was based on consultations with Indonesian diplomats abroad, according to Ida.

However, it has now removed Kuwait from the preliminary list after Kuwait issued on Aug. 1 an entry ban for 31 countries, including Indonesia.

Ida said that the number of countries listed as placement destinations could change at a moments notice.

The list can either be expanded or reduced depending on conditions at home and abroad. The government has to make sure that the placement process is safe and guarantees the protection of our migrant workers, Ida told the Post on Tuesday.

She went on to say that the placement process would officially start after her office finalized the list of the first batch of destination countries or territories.

The ministry is now working together with the BP2MI to establish a joint team to monitor daily developments relating to the pandemic and migrant labor, given the dynamics of the health crisis.

According to BP2MI data, 88,973 worker candidates applications were suspended when the government imposed the restriction in March.

Aris said the government would first select the migrant workers from this pool of candidates, prioritizing applicants who met the requirements in the new decree before moving to other prospective workers.

Not all those whose [application processes] were halted can immediately go abroad. There will be reselection, said Aris. If the conditions do not allow them to go, then they will not go.

BP2MI head Benny Rhamdani earlier said that his agency was ready to join hands with the ministry in ensuring that the resumption of recruitment and placement was accompanied by strict health protocols. He said the move was made to ensure access to employment.

According to BP2MI data, 3.74 million Indonesian migrant workers abroad sent home a total of Rp 160 trillion (US$10.9 billion) in remittances in 2019.
UK scientists have warned that a second wave of coronavirus could be more than twice the size of the first if no effective testing and contact-tracing system is in place before schools reopen in September.

This is contained in a new modeling study, published in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health.

To prevent a second COVID-19 wave, relaxation of physical distancing, including reopening of schools, in the UK must be accompanied by large-scale, population-wide testing of symptomatic individuals and effective tracing of their contacts, followed by isolation of diagnosed individuals, the study said.

The research conducted by scientists from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and the University College London stated that to keep the virus under control, at least 75 per cent of people with symptoms must be found and 68 per cent of their contacts traced.

Another effective way of preventing a second wave would be if both 87 per cent of people with symptoms were found and 40 per cent of their contacts traced, assuming that around 70 per cent of people will return to workplaces once schools are fully reopened in September.

Without these levels of testing and contact tracing, reopening of schools together with gradual relaxing of the lockdown measures are likely to induce a second wave that would peak in December, 2020, if schools open full-time in September, and in February, 2021, if a part-time rota system were adopted, the paper added.

According to the experts, in either case, the reproduction number, which refers to the average number of secondary infections produced by a single infected person, will rise above one, resulting in a second peak of infections 2.0  2.3 times the size of the original COVID-19 wave.

Although the study says it is currently unclear when the UK testtraceisolate strategy will achieve sufficient coverage, local government minister Simon Clarke told Sky News that the reopening of schools in September is not debatable.

One thing is clear, schools are going to reopen in full in the autumn. That is not up for debate, Mr Clarke said.

The government official admitted that there is always more to do to improve the NHS test and trace system, but noted that 184,000 people had so far been contacted, with more than 80 per cent of those testing positive for coronavirus reached by the programme, as well as 75 per cent of their close contacts.

UK Public Health authorities on Monday announced that new 90-minute tests that can detect coronavirus and flu will be rolled out in hospitals and care homes beginning next week, with officials saying the programme could be extended to schools in September.

(Sputnik/NAN)
Her rally a few days ago in Brest on the border with Poland drew over 20,000 people, a massive showing for a city that has never seen big political protests. A few days before that, Tsikhanouskaya's rally in the capital, Minsk, attracted more than 60,000. It was the largest opposition gathering in Belarus since the rallies in the months before the 1991 Soviet collapse.
By Trend

International organizations have provided a humanitarian aid in the form of personal protective equipment and materials for disinfection works for a total amount of KGS 9 million (117,121 US dollar), Trend reports citing Kabar.

Also, he added Uzbekistan provided humanitarian assistance for $560,000, including 2,000 tons of wheat flour, 9,500 overalls, 12,000 masks, 25,000 gloves, 500 glasses, 200 pyrometer and 45 tones of chlorine.

"This assistance was distributed by regions and health care organizations, Ministry of Emergency Situations Zamirbek Askarov concluded.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
04.08.2020 LISTEN

A former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kwamena Ahwoi has revealed how it took him and some other prominent members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) about four hours to convince the late President, John Evans Atta Mills from resigning from office.

According to him, Mills decision to leave office was based on what he felt were the continuous verbal attacks on him by the founder of the party and former President, Jerry John Rawlings.

Speaking on Footprints on Citi TV, Prof. Ahwoi said the late president called him while he was at an IEA workshop at Aburi to inform him of the decision to leave office.

There was one particular incident which caused President Mills nearly to resign. In fact, he resigned, the only thing that saved this country was that he called to tell me that he was resigning. I was at. [an] IEA workshop at Aburi. He said have you heard what Jerry [Rawlings] has said about me in Tamale? he said, get the tape and listen to it because I have resigned and I dont want anybody to try and stop me.

Prof. Ahwoi said he asked President Mils to give him time to consult a few people and get back to him.

I said to him, Mr. President, I believed that you have decided to resign, but I also believe that you are not sure whether you have taken the right decision. You want a second opinion otherwise you would not have called to tell me. I would have heard about it in the media.

Kwamena Ahwoi indicated that the following day [a Sunday] he, Captain Kojo Tsikata and Totobi Quakyi visited President Mills on Sunday evening at his residence and at the time, he [President Mills] had actually packed his things in suitcases, ready to leave.

So we talked about four hours which ran into 12 midnight and we managed to convince him to stay because we were taking certain corrective measures, he revealed.

We were successful in those measures and as a result, he stayed. Otherwise, he was going to resign on an account of the way Jerry Rawlings was treating him, he added. Konongokaya story

According to Prof. Ahwoi, some of the remarks of President Rawlings that caused Mills to consider resignation was comments such as references to Atta Mortuaryman and a Konongo kaya story.

On Konongo kaya, he said Rawlings references were to suggest that The man [Mills] is not well and so he cannot govern and he wont leave it for somebody else to come and do it. And all kinds of innuendos.

Jerry Rawlings had been an ardent critic of President Mills who who took over the administration of Ghana on January 7, 2009.

Atta Mills however died in 2012 few months to the 2012 general elections.

---citinewsroom
Syrian Air Force jets destroy major militant weapons cache in northern Idlib

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 5:43 PM

Syrian Air Force fighter jets have reportedly targeted and completely destroyed a major cache containing various types of munitions belonging to foreign-sponsored Takfiri terrorists during an operation in the country's northwestern province of Idlib.

The Arabic service of Russia's Sputnik news agency, citing local sources, reported that the military aircraft struck the arms depot of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) terrorist group on the outskirts of Binnish city, located just north of Idlib city, on Monday.

The report added that the airstrikes resulted in successive explosions, and totally ruined the weapons warehouse.

A local source said the air raids were carried out after Syrian Air Force reconnaissance drones detected the site, where militant groups stockpiled ammunition.

The source pointed out that more than 20 people were killed or injured in the airstrikes and ensuing explosions.

Syrian soldiers uncover Daesh weapons cache in Dayr al-Zawr

Elsewhere in the northeastern province of Dayr al-Zawr, Syrian army forces found a large cache of weapons belonging to Daesh terrorists, who had left the southern parts of the province following government's military progress in the region.

Syria's official news agency (SANA) reported that the army made the discovery during mop-up operations in the town of Mayadin, located about 44 kilometers southeast of the provincial capital city of Dayr al-Zawr.

The ammunition included anti-tank guided missiles (ATGMs), rocket launchers, artillery rounds, shoulder-launched missiles, hand grenades, machine guns of various calibers, mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs). Telecommunication devices and terminal equipment were recovered as well.

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Temasek Life Sciences Accelerator-backed PATHNOVA to Offer COVID-19 Testing Kits Supplied by Todos in Singapore and Southeast Asia

REHOVOT, Israel, SINGAPORE and NEW YORK, NY, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE  Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF), an in vitro diagnostics company focused on distributing comprehensive solutions for COVID-19 screening and diagnosis, and developing blood tests for the early detection of cancer and Alzheimers disease, today announced a partnership with PATHNOVA, a Singapore-based clinical laboratory, for the Companys breast cancer and SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic kits (the Todos Tests). PATHNOVA is a spin-off company of Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory (TLL), a not-for-profit research institute with a mission to harness the power of the life sciences to improve lives.

We are very pleased to work with Todos and its advanced AI-driven TM-B1 and TM-B2 blood tests for breast cancer, said Professor Chan Soh Ha, CEO of PATHNOVA and previous Executive Director of TLL. We see immediate potential to offer COVID-19 testing services and to distribute Todos COVID-19 tests in Southeast Asia. We believe the Todos portfolio has tremendous potential and we are excited to help bring it forward in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

Under the terms of the agreements, PATHNOVA will be responsible for the further development and commercialization of the Todos Tests in Singapore, and Todos will assist PATHNOVA in commercializing its nasopharyngeal cancer tests through its affiliates in the United States and Singapore. Todos will provide PATHNOVA with access to existing clinical datasets for its breast cancer diagnostics TM-B1 and TM-B2, and PATHNOVA will work closely with Todos to optimize its AI-driven algorithm to support regulatory approval in the United States and Singapore. Reciprocally, Todos will distribute PATHNOVAs nasopharyngeal cancer clinical test services through its affiliates in Israel and the United States. PATHNOVA will provide support as a commercial distributor of clinical test services for Todos COVID-19 test offerings in Singapore and in Southeast Asia, in collaboration with Todos wholly-owned subsidiary Todos Medical Singapore PTE Ltd.

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Commenting on the agreement, Gerald Commissiong, Todos Medicals President & CEO, said, We have been systematically building a world-class diagnostics company, and this agreement with PATHNOVA supports our goals and extends our geographic reach. By serving as our laboratory in Southeast Asia, along with its ability to shepherd regulatory clearances, PATHNOVA will play an important role in Todos Medicals growth, while together we provide potentially life-saving diagnostic tests.

For information related to Todos Medicals COVID-19 testing capabilities, please visit www.todoscovid19.com

For testing and PPE inquiries, please email sales@todosmedical.com.

About Pathnova Laboratories Pte Ltd.

PATHNOVA is a Singapore start-up spun out of Temasek Life Sciences Laboratory in 2017. PATHNOVA is focused on enabling the scalable detection of nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) and autoimmune disease by developing an AI framework trained by Emeritus Professor Chan Soh Ha, who pioneered the use of the Immunofluorescence Assay (IFA) in the 1970s as the gold standard test for detecting NPC.

NPC is a scourge which affects South China and Southeast Asia. Driven by the Epstein-Barr virus, this cancer progresses more quickly than most other cancers. Delaying detection by months can be the difference between a highly treatable and a lethal tumor. Unlike most cancers that tend to present at older ages (~65 years), the population most at risk for NPC are men aged 45 to 50, a period when their contributions to family and society are particularly important. Although this disease can be detected with high accuracy using the IFA test, most patients are still detected in the late stages (3 & 4), when survival is relatively worse. One major reason is that the IFA is not scalable and requires time-consuming evaluation by highly-trained pathology staff. PATHNOVA aims to solve this problem by automating the IFA using pattern recognition to simultaneously detect and quantitate NPC disease load for clear cut cases. Borderline cases will still be evaluated by a human pathology expert.

About Todos Medical Ltd.

Headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF) engineers life-saving diagnostic solutions for the early detection of a variety of cancers. The Company's state-of-the-art and patented Todos Biochemical Infrared Analyses (TBIA) is a proprietary cancer-screening technology using peripheral blood analysis that deploys deep examination into cancer's influence on the immune system, looking for biochemical changes in blood mononuclear cells and plasma. Todos' two internally-developed cancer-screening tests, TMB-1 and TMB-2, have received a CE mark in Europe. Todos recently entered into an exclusive option agreement to acquire U.S.-based medical diagnostics company Provista Diagnostics, Inc. to gain rights to its Alpharetta, Georgia-based CLIA/CAP certified lab and Provista's proprietary commercial-stage Videssa breast cancer blood test. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2020.

Through Breakthrough Diagnostics, Inc., its joint venture with Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AMBS), Todos is also actively involved with the development of blood tests for the early detection of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Todos expected to complete the remaining unowned interest in Breakthrough in the third quarter of 2020.

Todos has entered into distribution agreements with companies to distribute certain novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits. The agreements cover multiple international suppliers of PCR testing kits and related materials and supplies, as well as antibody testing kits from multiple manufacturers after completing validation of said testing kits and supplies in its partner CLIA/CAP certified laboratory in the United States. Todos, via its wholly-owned subsidiary Corona Diagnostics LLC, has formed strategic partnerships with Meridian Health, Moto-Para Foundation, Emerald Organic Products, Inc.s subsidiaries Carie.com and Bonsa Health to help deploy COVID-19 testing in the United States.

For more information, please visit https://www.todosmedical.com/.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. For example, forward-looking statements are used when discussing our expected clinical development programs and clinical trials. These forward-looking statements are based only on current expectations of management, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the risks and uncertainties related to the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approval or patent protection for product candidates; competition from other biotechnology companies; and our ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct our research, development and commercialization activities. In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; delays or obstacles in launching our clinical trials; changes in legislation; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; lack of validation of our technology as we progress further and lack of acceptance of our methods by the scientific community; inability to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; unforeseen scientific difficulties that may develop with our process; greater cost of final product than anticipated; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition; and laboratory results that do not translate to equally good results in real settings, all of which could cause the actual results or performance to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Todos Medical does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Todos Medical, please refer to its reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Investor and Corporate Contact:

Kim Sutton Golodetz

LHA Investor Relations

Senior Vice President

(212) 838-3777

kgolodetz@lhai.com

Corporate Contact:

Daniel Hirsch

Todos Medical

(347) 699-0029

Dan.h@todosmedical.com




The deputy governor of Kwara State, Kayode Alabi and his wife, Abieyuwa, have contracted coronavirus.

Mr Alabi is also the Chairman of the Kwara State Technical Committee on Coronavirus.

According to the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Rafiu Ajakaye, the couple underwent COVID-19 test after they showed slight symptoms of the virus.

The results of their test are positive. The second couple are very stable and in high spirit, and are now undergoing standard management protocols supervised by the governments medical team.

Immediate contact tracing and tests, among other safety protocols, are being done for persons who have met with the couple in the past few days.

The couple joins the long list of government officials who have contracted the disease in Nigeria.

Recall that the Chief of Staff to the Kwara State governor, Aminu Adisa, died of COVID-19 last month.

Over 40,000 infections have been reported in the country so far.
We are pleased to recognize Dr. Daniel Arrison as a UroLift Center of Excellence for his commitment to providing consistent care to BPH patients using the UroLift System treatment, said Dave Amerson

NeoTract, a wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated (NYSE:TFX) focused on addressing unmet needs in the field of urology, today announced that Daniel Arrison, M.D., Chesapeake Urology Associates in Bel Air, MD, has been designated as a UroLift Center of Excellence. The designation recognizes that Dr. Arrison has achieved a high level of training and experience with the UroLift System and demonstrated a commitment to exemplary care for men suffering from symptoms associated with Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH), also known as enlarged prostate.

Recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines, the FDA-cleared Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to BPH. The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue.

The UroLift Center of Excellence program is designed to highlight urologists who are committed to educating their patients on BPH and the UroLift System as a treatment option and consistently seek to deliver excellent patient outcomes and experiences.

We are pleased to recognize Dr. Daniel Arrison as a UroLift Center of Excellence for his commitment to providing consistent care to BPH patients using the UroLift System treatment, said Dave Amerson, president of the Teleflex Interventional Urology business unit. This achievement has helped many patients experience durable, long- term relief from the burdensome symptoms of BPH while preserving sexual function*1,2.

Over 40 million men in the United States are affected by BPH, a condition that occurs when the prostate gland that surrounds the male urethra becomes enlarged with advancing age and begins to obstruct the urinary system. Symptoms of BPH often include interrupted sleep and urinary problems and can cause loss of productivity, depression and decreased quality of life.

Medication is often the first-line therapy for enlarged prostate, but relief can be inadequate and temporary. Side effects of medication treatment can include sexual dysfunction, dizziness and headaches, prompting many patients to quit using the drugs. For these patients, the classic alternative is surgery that cuts, heats or removes prostate tissue to open the blocked urethra. While current surgical options can be very effective in relieving symptoms, they can also leave patients with permanent side effects such as urinary incontinence, erectile dysfunction, and retrograde ejaculation.

About the UroLift System

The FDA-cleared UroLift System is a proven, minimally invasive technology for treating lower urinary tract symptoms due to benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The UroLift permanent implants, delivered during a minimally invasive transurethral outpatient procedure, relieve prostate obstruction and open the urethra directly without cutting, heating, or removing prostate tissue. Clinical data from a pivotal 206-patient randomized controlled study showed that patients with enlarged prostate receiving UroLift implants reported rapid and durable symptomatic and urinary flow rate improvement without compromising sexual function*1,2. Patients also experienced a significant improvement in quality of life. Over 100,000 men have been treated with the UroLift System in the U.S. Most common adverse events reported include hematuria, dysuria, micturition urgency, pelvic pain, and urge incontinence. Most symptoms were mild to moderate in severity and resolved within two to four weeks after the procedure. The Prostatic Urethral Lift procedure using the UroLift System is recommended for the treatment of BPH in both the American Urological Association and European Association of Urology clinical guidelines. The UroLift System is available in the U.S., Europe, Australia, Canada, Mexico and South Korea. Learn more at http://www.UroLift.com.

About NeoTract | Teleflex Interventional Urology

A wholly owned subsidiary of Teleflex Incorporated, the Interventional Urology Business Unit is dedicated to developing innovative, minimally invasive and clinically effective devices that address unmet needs in the field of urology. Our initial focus is on improving the standard of care for patients with BPH using the UroLift System, a minimally invasive permanent implant system that treats symptoms while preserving normal sexual function*1,2. Learn more at http://www.NeoTract.com.

About Teleflex Incorporated

Teleflex is a global provider of medical technologies designed to improve the health and quality of peoples lives. We apply purpose driven innovation  a relentless pursuit of identifying unmet clinical needs  to benefit patients and healthcare providers. Our portfolio is diverse, with solutions in the fields of vascular and interventional access, surgical, anesthesia, cardiac care, urology, emergency medicine and respiratory care. Teleflex employees worldwide are united in the understanding that what we do every day makes a difference. For more information, please visit http://www.teleflex.com.

Teleflex is the home of Arrow, Deknatel, Hudson RCI, LMA, Pilling, Rusch, UroLift and Weck  trusted brands united by a common sense of purpose

For Teleflex Incorporated: Jake Elguicze, 610.948.2836

Treasurer and Vice President, Investor Relations

Media:

Nicole Osmer, 650.454.0504

nicole@healthandcommerce.com

*No instances of new, sustained erectile or ejaculatory dysfunction

1. Roehrborn, J Urology 2013 LIFT Study

2. McVary, J Sex Med 2016

MAC00968-01 Rev A
"My children will have the ability to know where their food comes from, and how it was raised," Chief Business Development officer at HerdX, Lauren Jones, said. "Their everyday life will consist of making buying choices based off of the knowledge given to them by actual verified data, not just shiny marketing claims and polished sales pitches. My children will know blockchain tracking as a norm in the food industry."

Blockchain tracking is proving to be the future of the food industry. The FDA recently released a statement that they will be looking "into new technologies that include, but are not limited to, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things, sensor technologies, and blockchain."

The points below are what the FDA says will be the core elements in the "New Era of Smarter Food Safety:"

Tech-enabled Traceability

Smarter Tools and Approaches for Prevention and Outbreak Response

New Business Models and Retail Modernization

Food Safety Culture

The pandemic has brought new pressures and restrictions forcing the restaurant and food supply chains to evolve. New technologies that fit the New Era guidelines are making their appearance.

On Wednesday, July 29, HerdX partnered with Fogo de Chao and UPS to showcase how blockchain technology can be utilized in a "to go" setting. During a one night only event, Washington DC locals along with food industry stakeholders, legislators and Embassy officials were able to order curbside pick-up meals that were traced by the HerdX blockchain system. They were able to see verified data of where their Picanha cuts originated, which was from Dean and Peeler Meatworks in South Texas. Representative Henry Cuellar was among those to participate in the showcase in support of cattle ranchers in his South Texas district.

HerdX, an agri-tech and data company, created the first end-to-end solution from farm to table for beef and lamb products. Starting at the farm, the HerdView system tracks animal movement providing insights and herd management tools for farmers. A select piece of that data is uploaded to the blockchain and travels through the entire supply chain where then the meat is presented to the customer at a restaurant or grocery store. The customer is able to scan a QR code on the menu to view verified health and provenance data of the meat they are eating.

If you would like more information visit www.herdx.com

SOURCE HerdX Inc.

Related Links

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After celebrating Archie Mountbatten-Windsor's birthday in lockdown last May, the Sussexes is now observing another celebration as Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, turns 39.

Prince Harry's wife is celebrating her 39th birthday today, and just like everybody else who turned a year older during the coronavirus global pandemic, the Sussexes are expected to have a low-key celebration at the comforts of their home.

But while the former "Suits" actress faced massive controversies since stepping down as senior royal, the birthday girl just received a surprise of her life on her special day.

Surprise Birthday Greetings

Many things have been said against Meghan Markle and their decision to step down as senior members of the Royal Family. But the family she once treated like her own did not forget to send her heartwarming greetings during this special occasion.

On Tuesday, the rest of the senior royals, namely Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Charles, Camilla, the Duchess of Cornwall, Prince William, and Kate Middleton, all took time to greet Meghan a happy birthday.

"Wishing The Duchess of Sussex a very happy birthday," the Royal Family's official Instagram account posted alongside a photo of Meghan and Her Majesty during a visit to Chester in 2018.

Prince William and Kate Middleton also posted their well-wishes through Kensington Royal's Instagram page.

"Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex today!" the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge wrote alongside a smiling photo of Meghan with a child.

Meanwhile, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall joined the social media birthday greeting by posting a solo portrait of Meghan and writing: "Happy Birthday to The Duchess of Sussex!"

Birthday Plans

Meghan Markle is expected to have a low-key and private celebration at their temporary $19 million rented mansions owned by Tyler Perry. She will be kissing the age of 38 goodbye together with her real-life Prince, 1-year-old son Archie, and mom, Doria Raglan.

As a renowned foodie, Meghan is expected to treat herself with delicious food on her special day. During her second wedding anniversary with the Duke of Sussex in May, she reportedly marked the occasion with Mexican dishes and margaritas.

Birthday Wish

According to reports, Meghan Markle would often wish the same thing for her birthday each year.

Based on the bombshell biography "Finding Freedom," the Duchess was inspired by her mother to reflect on her life every year and say a few wishes concerning her future.

"My mom has always said that birthdays are your own personal New Year," Meghan wrote on her former lifestyle blog called "The Tig," which she shut down in 2016 after getting engaged to Prince Harry.

"Your own chance to make resolutions just for yourself and what you prognosticate for your year ahead," she added.

Meghan revealed that she would often wish for more surprises, adventures, opportunities, and growth. Every year she also looks forward to "days filled with giggles, cheeky jokes, more delicious meals, and more inspiration."

But in 2014, her wishes change as she turns 33-year-old.

"I want you to be kind to yourself. I want you to challenge yourself. I want you to stop gossiping, to try a food that scares you, to buy a coffee for someone just because, to tell someone you love them, and then to tell yourself right back. I want you to find your happiness," Meghan wrote.

READ MORE: Royal Fetish: Prince Andrew's Darkest Secret Exposed by Jeffrey Epstein Victim
The Volta Regional Secretariat of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) on Monday called on Ghanaians, to disregard claims of insecurity, intimidation and harassment of citizens in the ongoing mass registration exercise.

The party said the registration exercise had so far been peaceful, orderly and without ugly incidents except for insignificant and isolated cases.

Mr Makafui Kofi Woanyah, the Regional Chairman of the NPP addressing the media on behalf of the party in the Ketu South Municipality, said such claims were nothing but an all-time trick to get the people of the region to side with the NDC.

It's their strategy for soliciting funds and undeserved sympathy. Whipping up tribal sentiments and emotions of Voltarians during registration periods and voting was an old trick and stock in trade of the NDC."

He described the claims as ugly noises, tribal tirades and dirty propaganda launched against the government by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Mr Woanyah advised the NDC that instead of engaging in propaganda, it was time for them to account to the people regarding development projects they brought to the region during the eight years under former President John Mahama as reasons why the people should vote him back to power.

He said the deployment of security services in border regions across the country, including Volta Region and particularly Ketu South, was meant to enforce the border closure directive to help the COVID-19 fight and that such claims were negatively impacting the performance of the officers.

We regret the security services yielded to the noise and dirty propaganda of the NDC and relaxed their legitimate duties and left the borders almost open to illegal immigrants and registration contractors some of whom are currently in police custody.

The Regional NPP Chairman questioned what he termed NDC's determination to sacrifice the country's security and patriotism to mobilise non-nationals to participate in our internal politics and warned, the use of tribal and ethnic politics by the NDC to achieve its purpose was a very dangerous trend that must be addressed before it blows in our face.

GNA
Respected RV Industry Leader Gigi Stetler is calling for all victims of Marcus Lemonis, the Star of CNBCs The Profit and CEO of Camping World, to come forward following new lawsuits against the controversial businessman. Dozens of businesses have already spoken to the press about malicious, unethical treatment by Lemonis and new lawsuits accuse the TV star of fraud, misconduct and misuse of power through deceptive business practices.

Dover, Delaware, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Dover, Delaware -- Respected RV industry leader and President of the RV Advisor Consumer Association (RVACA) Gigi Stetler is issuing a nationwide alert to all businesses and individuals who are approached by Marcus Lemonis  the star of CNBCs The Profit and the CEO of Camping World .



Unfortunately, Lemonis is the false profit. Every week I get contacted by individuals who have fallen victim to Lemonis predatorial and unscrupulous business tactics. Some have been outlined in an incredible Inc. expose by Will Yakowicz, but since CNBC has yet to remove him from The Profit, its time to protect other businesses and individuals before they are preyed upon by Lemonis and also destroyed, said Stetler.

Stetler is calling on all victims of Lemonis, CEO of Camping World, to come forward in efforts to attain justice.

Two new lawsuits have recently been filed against Lemonis by his former business partners, Nicolas Goureau and Stephanie Menkin, who were introduced to Lemonis when they appeared on The Profit.

Goureau and Menkin (who are siblings) allege that Lemonis fraudulently induced them to invest in their retail business, Courage B, in exchange for a capital investment and his expertise in growing their company. However, instead of trying to help, Lemonis allegedly focused on making the company indebted to him (in upwards of hundreds of thousands of dollars) so that he could control the company and its assets with the purpose of financially ruining it.

Story continues

The complaints seek millions of dollars in damages from Lemonis and his entities. A copy of the complaints can be found here: Complaint 1 ; Complaint 2 .

Over the years, Stetler has also witnessed the unscrupulous and deceptive business practices of Camping World, the RV powerhouse owned by Marcus Lemonis. Stetler says, former Camping World customers continually contact her after buying defective, lemon RVs from the industry giant. She says, these Camping World customers often spend months trying to get these defective RVs serviced, often with no success. Stetler says, she even has proof that some RVs are sold as new at Camping World but are actually pre-owned with multiple problems.

Its the same pattern over and over again. I even know somone who has contemplated suicide because of the financial damage Lemonis and Camping World has done to their life. Lemonis needs to be stopped and held accountable for his egregious actions, said Stetler.

Anyone who has been victimized by Marcus Lemonis is encouraged to immediately contact Stetlers legal team at lockelaw@thervadvisor.com . In addition, any whistleblowers, other potential victims or anyone able to offer information about Lemonis are encouraged to come forward.

RVACA President Gigi Stetler is available for media interviews. To coordinate, contact Kelcey Kintner at 646-391-8001 or kelcey@redbanyan.com





About Gigi Stetler

A fearless entrepreneur, Gigi Stetler created and leads the first female-owned RV company in the United States, RV Sales of Broward . With more than 30 years of experience in the industry, she is one of a handful of top RV experts in the country. Stetler also launched and runs The RV Advisor - an online platform to effectively connect millions of RV owners, dealers, and service centers that is considered the Angies List of the RV industry. Stetler is also the founder of the non-profit RV Advisor Consumer Association (RVACA) , which provides RVs to healthcare workers who need a safe space to quarantine and isolate during the COVID-19 pandemic.





CONTACT: Contact Information: Kelcey Kintner Email: Kelcey@Redbanyan.com Phone: 646-391-8001




CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the new market research report "Document Camera Market with COVID-19 Impact Analysis By Product Type (Portable and Non-portable), Connection Type (Wired and Wireless), End User (Education, Corporate, and Others), and Geography- Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, the Document Camera Market is expected to grow from USD 370 million in 2020 to USD 545 million by 2025 it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 8.1% from 2020 to 2025. The document camera market had been witnessing growth in the past years, mainly owing to the high adoption of document cameras from the education sector. However, COVID-19 has led to a decline in the growth rate of the document camera market. This is because the educational institutions and corporate offices, which are the major demand generators of document cameras, are currently non-operational in various countries, thereby negatively impacting the demand for document cameras. Additionally, COVID-19 has also disrupted the supply chain of document cameras, which is hindering the manufacturing and distribution of document cameras.

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Portable segment to hold the largest share of the document camera market, by type, in 2020

Portable segment will lead the document camera market, by product type, in terms of size, in 2020. Portable document cameras have attractive features such as easy storage, convenient placement on a table or other areas, and easier management of the equipment, which has led to its high popularity in the document camera market.

The market for wireless document cameras to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period

The document camera market, based on connection type, has been segmented into wired and wireless. Among these types, the market for wireless connection type document camera is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. Wireless connectivity document cameras give the user flexibility to place and point the camera anywhere in the room as well as move freely in the room. This is one of the key factors leading to the upsurge in the demand for wireless connectivity document cameras.

Browse in-depth TOC on "Document Camera Market"

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North America to hold the largest share of document camera market by 2020

North America is expected to hold the largest share of the document camera market by 2020. The US leads the market in North America owing to its well-established economy that encourages government and private investments in new technologies. Europe is expected to account for the second-largest share of the document camera market during the forecast period. The UK and Grmany are significant demand-generating countries for document camera in this region.

A few key players operating in the document camera market are AVer Information (Taiwan), WolfVision (Austria), ELMO Company (Japan), Seiko Epson (Japan), Lumens Digital Optics (Taiwan), IPEVO (US), and HUE (UK).

Related Reports:

Interactive Whiteboard Market by Screen Size (Up to 69", 70"-90", Above 90"), Technology (Infrared, Resistive, Capacitive, Electromagnetic), End User (Education, Corporate, and Government), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2023

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President Donald J. Trump announced on Monday that the U.S. government should be paid or given a percentage in buying the Chinese streaming app, TikTok, as it is allowed back in the country under the agreement that an American company would purchase it.

According to CNN, the U.S. President demands either the American Company, Microsoft, or a Chinese company to give a "substantial amount of money" to the U.S. Treasury in the TikTok deal. Trump said this a few days after allowing ByteDance's TikTok app to remain operational in U.S. territory from its supposed ban last August 1.

Chinese app, TikTok, is given an extension until September 15, less than 45 days from now, to secure a deal with any American company to have the 'right' to operate on American soil. Trump added that for the have to have rights, "it has to come into this country.

Allowing the use of the short-video streaming app, TikTok, would be permitted by the government, as long as it is paid the right amount for making it possible. President Trump will allow the deal once the company is owned by an American company or utterly independent from Beijing.

TikTok's Chinese mother company, ByteDance, previously pleaded to the United States government in reaching a deal, providing it a small minority stake in the application's business in the country. The government rejected this deal.

ALSO READ: Trump 'May Allow' Microsoft to Buy TikTok on the Following Conditions

Microsoft blogs TikTok deal.

Bloomberg reported that Microsoft is updating their blog posts, and there, the American Tech giant expresses its intent to buy the Chinese application and provides updates to the on-going deal.

Microsoft expresses their intent through their blogposts in buying the short-video streaming app and sealing the deal. Their purchase of one of the most popular streaming apps will take control of TikTok's operation in the United States and its activity in the northern region of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

Presently both Microsoft and the Chinese company, ByteDance, are in talks about the pricing and deal of the app sell-out.

It is also worth noting that Microsoft clarified that the fee going to the United States Department of Treasury would be for the country's economic benefits.

Future of TikTok

TikTok is a streaming app that dominates the market today. It comes as a short-video streaming app that doubles as a social media application where users get to interact, comment and repost videos.

In its recent controversies, it is alleged by many hackers to be a 'malware' that spies on users and collect private and sensitive data. This is another reason why the U.S. is very cautious about the application. Trump strongly advocates for U.S. data to remain in the country.

ALSO READ: Anonymous Hackers Call TikTok App as 'Chinese Malware' So You Better Delete it Now

Daily Mail said that in a video by Vanessa Pappas, United States' General Manager, she gave importance to how TikTok employs 15,000 Americans and plans to add 10,000 more.

This article is owned by Tech Times

Written by Isaiah Alonzo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A celebrity-beloved moisturising cream, a 'space age' facial gadget and an eye-popping red lip palette have all been deemed worthy of their hefty price tags.

Shortlisted by the cosmetic experts at Mecca Australia ahead of the 2020 Beauty Election, five 'game-changing' beauty products have been recommended to even the savviest of shoppers thanks to their glowing reviews and cult followings.

They include the NuFACE Trinity Device ($507), the La Mer Creme de la Mer ($470), Westman Atelier's Lip Suede ($136), the Amorepacific Vintage Single Extract Essence ($280) and Maison Francis Kurkdjian's Baccarat Rouge fragrance ($524).

The unusual non-invasive NuFACE device uses gentle microcurrents that stimulate deep skin tissue to 'define facial contours, reduce wrinkles and tighten sagging skin'

This $507 'space age' gadget has hundreds of five-star reviews from customers

NUFACE TRINITY DEVICE

While it may seem like a gimmick, this $507 'space age' facial contouring and anti-ageing gadget has hundreds of five-star reviews from customers raving about their incredible results.

The unusual non-invasive device uses gentle microcurrents that stimulate deep skin tissue to 'define facial contours, reduce wrinkles and tighten sagging skin'.

The brand claims that gliding the NuFace in upward strokes over areas of concern for five minutes per day is enough to leave the skin 'more youthful and radiant'.

Wellness and beauty blogger Viviana Volpicelli (pictured) uses her NuFACE device consistently and has been loving the results

'This device uses microcurrent technology to sculpt and lift the face before your eyes. Not only does this device provide an instant face lift, but it's the perfect long term investment into your skincare regime,' Mecca skincare specialist Madeleine said.

'I bought this two week ago with skepticism I must say I'm astounded at the results. I was so amazed I went and bought the light attachment,' a customer added.

Another thrilled customer wrote: 'After just six treatments I have shaved about five years off of my face. Good grief. I've had Ultherapy, Thermage, tried fillers once but hated them, micro-needling... you name it, I've tried everything short of threading and a surgical facelift. This little gadget is AMAZING.'

A favourite of A-listers including Beyonce and Blake Lively, this cream's eyewatering $470 price tag has been deemed worth it by thousands since its launch

LA MER CREME DE LA MER MOISTURIZING CREAM

A favourite of A-listers including Beyonce and Blake Lively, this cream's eyewatering $470 price tag has been deemed worth it by thousands since its launch.

The cream is made with fermentation process that transforms sea kelp and other pure ingredients into a 'Miracle Broth' - the 'cell-renewing elixir at the heart of Creme de la Mer'.

The ultra-rich formula promises 'all day' hydration whilst 'repairing signs of ageing' by firming the skin and tightening pores.

Beauty and fragrance blogger Tiff Benson (pictured) is a huge fan of the La Mer cream, saying she 'cannot live without' the brand

'The first time I tried this product I instantly fell in love. I love the smell, and I also love how moisturising this product really is. It leaves my skin with a dewy finish, and for days where I don't wear makeup, I only apply this on my skin,' Tiff (pictured) said of the cream

One reviewer described the cream as having 'healing powers'.

'My skin is sensitive and tends to react quite easily when exfoliating or using Vitamin C serums. This cream settles my skin almost immediately and is super hydrating,' she wrote.

Another added: 'This is magic in a jar. I've been using this for nearly two years and it's changed my skin! When I first started using Creme I had incredibly dry skin, a little bit of eczema, and some small bumps on my jowls. This has all changed, my skin is consistent and stays hydrated all day.'

WESTMAN ATELIER LIP SUEDE

At $136 this vegan lip palette is more expensive than your typical shades but is favoured by fans for its long-lasting pigments and botanical ingredients that 'nourish, plump and boost collagen production'.

Each shade of the luxurious palette - fuschia, brick, tomato red and warm dusty rose - has been designed to be customised and is made from cold-pressed cherry oil and marula oil which protect and nourish the lips.

'Apply the bright tomato and fuchsia shades with a brush for more shape and definition. You can also press the color on with your fingers - I love a deep brick or tawny red stain with soft edges,' a Westman Atelier beauty expert advises.

Beauty blogger Rachel Anise (right) wears the Lip Suede in red and fuchsia shades mixed while makeup artist Lauren Dell'Arciprete (left) has opted for a different blend

Reviews of the lip palette have been flooding in since the launch, with many praising the eye-popping pigment and lasting formula.

'I apply a lip balm first, then either individual colour or mix of the colours - so beautiful on my lips - can be bright or subtle,' one woman wrote.

'I treated myself to this after eyeing it since it came out and holy wow! I'm in love. The colours, the textures, the blendability, it's all perfection. The formula is so luxurious and almost goes on like a balm,' another added.

The $280 price tag of this cult Korean Beauty buy has done little to sway the thousands of fans who swear by this 'powerhouse' serum for a radiant complexion

AMOREPACIFIC VINTAGE SINGLE EXTRACT ESSENCE

The $280 price tag of this cult Korean Beauty buy has done little to sway the thousands of fans who swear by this 'powerhouse' serum for a radiant complexion.

Made with fermented green tea hand picked from the brand's own plantation on Jeju Island, the formula contains 'strong antioxidants and prebiotics to encourage good skin bacteria'.

It promises to 'rejuvenate the skin's clarity, texture and tone' and is described as a 'silent improver' by the brand.

Made with fermented green tea hand picked from the brand's own plantation on Jeju Island, the formula contains 'strong antioxidants and prebiotics to encourage good skin bacteria'

'I received this item as a sample. I indulged the use of it without realising the price - however, my skin was left soft, hydrated &, in a word, beautiful,' one woman wrote after using the serum.

Another described it as a 'magic treatment'.

'Within a few hours, my skin was plumped, hydrated and even looked younger- and I didn't even put any other moisturiser or serum after it. The good thing is this product does not smell and my skin accepted it completely... normally my skin is quite picky.'

MAISON FRANCIS KURKDJIAN BACCARAT ROUGE 540 EDP

At $524, this fragrance is not designed for those looking for a budget-friendly daily spritz.

Instead, it's an 'opulent' perfume formulated to 'ooze power and radiance' and assist the wearer in boosting their 'newfound strength.

This 'Extrait de parfum' dons a dazzling red garment echoing the iconic Baccarat red and has lovely subtle notes of grandiflorum jasmine, saffron, bitter almond and cedar wood.

At $524, this fragrance is not designed for those looking for a budget-friendly daily spritz

Despite the price, the reviews of the luxurious scent speak for themselves.

'I feel like a million dollars when I'm wearing it,' one woman wrote.

'I started collecting perfumes when I was 14 years old, this scent is definitely one of the best I've owned. There's something really special about this one - it has a tender sweetness for the front notes, and it melts into a warm woody scents after a whole day wear. Very rich and sophisticated.

Another added: 'This is without doubt one of the most beautiful fragrances ever created! I am so in love with this perfume to the point of obsession. Love love love.'
Gardasil vaccine and box. Image: Wikipedia

For the first time, an expert medical group has recommended delaying, decreasing and simplifying cervical cancer screening, largely because the HPV vaccine, introduced 14 years ago, is protecting young women from the disease.

Most Americans still don't know that the human papillomavirus, or HPV, causes oral and genital cancers, and too many parents are not getting their preteens vaccinated, studies show. But studies also show that even without optimal vaccination rates, Merck's Gardasil shots have been a public health victory, dramatically reducing the precancerous cervical lesions that can progress to cancer, as well as the oral infections that have fueled an explosion in head and neck cancers in recent decades, particularly in men.

That's why the American Cancer Society last month updated its cervical cancer guidelines: Women should start screening at age 25, not 21 as previously recommended. And they don't need the hit-or-miss Pap smear, which checks a scraping of cervical cells under a microscope. Instead, cervical cells should be collected just once every five years and analyzed to see if they harbor HPV genetic material (DNA).

If the DNA test is positive, the patient may need more frequent follow-up visits, or a procedure to examine the cervix for signs of disease.

"These streamlined recommendations can improve compliance and reduce potential harms" of screening, said Debbie Saslow, an American Cancer Society expert on HPV and gynecological cancers. "They are made possible by some important developments that have allowed us to transform our approach to cervical cancer screening, primarily a deeper understanding of the role of HPV and the development of tools to address it."

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists said it will review the cancer society's new advice "to determine whether a similar update to our guidance is needed."

The goal of screening is to find ominous changes in cervical cells so they can be removed or destroyed before they become malignant. Over the last half-century, this strategy has crushed what was once the leading cancer killer of U.S. women. In 2020, about 13,800 women will be diagnosed with cervical cancer and 4,000 will die of it, the cancer society estimates.

Then again, treatment must be used judiciously because it can damage the cervix and complicate a later pregnancy.

Because of the evolving science and technology, cervical cancer screening guidelines have become more and more complicated over the past few decades. The 60-year-old Pap test remains important, and some doctors still default to annual screening with it. But the discovery in the 1980s that certain strains of HPV cause cancer led to the development of Gardasil, introduced in 2006, and the HPV DNA test.

Using DNA tests for screening has been controversial. While several brands have been approved for use as a "co-test" with the Pap smear, only two DNA tests have been deemed good enough to be used as a stand-alone, or "primary," screening methodand not all labs offer them.

By 2018, expert groups, including an influential government advisory panel, recommended the same thing: a confusing menu of options for screening every three or five years, depending on the woman's age and the choice of tests. Women in their 20s were advised to get a Pap smear every three yearseven if they had been vaccinated. But they were not supposed to get DNA tests for fear that detecting the transient HPV infections that are common in this age group might lead to unnecessary monitoring and treatment.

The cancer society's new guidelines say Pap smears or co-testing are still "acceptable options," but primary HPV DNA testing is "preferred" because "data suggest vaccination has led to a drop in rates of precancerous cervical changes."

Indeed, an international review published in 2016 found that in developed countries, the HPV vaccine had reduced cervical precancers by as much as 85%, and less severe cervical abnormalities by as much as 45%.

The cancer society estimated that less frequent screening using HPV DNA tests alone, starting at age 25, would prevent 13% more cervical cancers and 7% more deathswith 45% fewer tests overall.

Of course, even simpler won't be easy.

"Ensuring that individuals adhere to a five-year screening interval poses challenges for patients, clinicians, and payers," the guideline committee wrote in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. "For patients, keeping track of when they are due for screening may be, and likely will be, more difficult than keeping track of short-interval testing. For clinicians, harnessing registries to monitor the screening status of all women is crucial but may be more difficult for longer interval testing."

Explore further American Cancer Society updates guideline for cervical cancer screening

2020 The Philadelphia Inquirer

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
She hasn't let the coronavirus pandemic stop her from keeping up a regularly workout schedule with friends.

And Vanessa Hudgens showed off the fruits of her labors on Monday when she revealed her washboard abs in a stunning Instagram photo taken at the beach.

The 31-year-old Spring Breakers star put on a busty display in a pale pink ruched halter top bikini.

'Time for some sun': Vanessa Hudgens, 31, showcased her washboard abs in a pink halter bikini and a lavender sarong while enjoying herself at the beach in an Instagram snap posted Monday

Vanessa covered up the bottoms with an opulent peach and lavender sarong that was covered in delicate floral designs and featured golden fringe.

She spiced up the look with multiple gold chains framing her torso and an anklet.

The 5ft1in beauty completed her beach ensemble by covering her raven tresses with a large straw-brimmed visor, and she playfully stuck out her tongue and beamed at the camera.

'Time for some sun,' she captioned the snap while adding a sun emoji.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, Vanessa didn't wear a mask in her photo, though she was still in compliance with California Governor Gavin Newsom's mask order as she was able to safely social distance from others on the beach.

Model behavior: The Spring Breakers star wore a black mask to her workout and urged her fans to '#wearadamnmask' in selfie from July 8

Change in tune: Back in March, she was lambasted by fans and social media users after she called efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus 'bull****'

Vanessa has advocated for people to wear masks in public and to take the pandemic seriously as it surges across the US, but she wasn't always as concerned about it.

Back in March, she was lambasted by fans and social media users after she called efforts to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus 'bull****' and opined that people would be infected no matter what and that some deaths were simply 'inevitable.'

The chastened actress later claimed her comments were taken out of context and apologized, saying the response was a 'huge wake up call.'

'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,' she tweeted.

'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,' she concluded.

Whoops: After saying that deaths were 'inevitable,' she later claimed the comments were taken out of context and apologized, calling the experience a 'huge wake up call'

Having a laugh: Last month, Vanessa was feeling in a playful mood in a lip sync video posted to Instagram. She mouthed along with a child from a popular TikTok video in which he called himself a potato, despite using a tomato face filter

In recent days, Vanessa has been relatively quiet on social media, though she shared multiple socially conscious posts, including one from a week earlier that capitalized on the black and white women's Instagram challenge to raise awareness about murdered Turkish women.

Last month, she was feeling in a playful mood in a lip sync video posted to Instagram.

The Bad Boys For Life actress mouthed along with a child from a popular TikTok video in which he called himself a potato, despite using a tomato face filter.

She also shared a sweet selfie with a wink and puckered lips in a white floral print blouse while 'Sending good vibesss.'
BEAVERTON, Ore., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Tektronix, Inc. today announced the availability of the new TBS1000C Digital Storage Oscilloscope , a cost-sensitive addition to the test and measurement company's entry portfolio and an expansion of the TBS1000 series. The TBS1000C series boasts a 7-inch WVGA color display with up to 1 GS/s sample rate and bandwidths from 50 MHz to 200 MHz. This series also includes Tektronix's HelpEverywhere system, which provides useful tips and hints throughout the user interface, increasing approachability for new users. In addition to the TBS1000C series, Tektronix released the 3 Series Mixed Domain Oscilloscope in 2019 and the TBS2000B Digital Storage Oscilloscope series earlier in 2020, broadening its portfolio of benchtop solutions.

The new TBS1000C series is designed to meet the needs of todays educational institutions, embedded design engineers and maker community. This series includes Tektronixs HelpEverywhere system, which provides useful tips and hints throughout the user interface, increasing approachability for new users. The TBS1000C Digital Storage Oscilloscope is designed for quick hands-on learning and easy operation.

"It's important that Tektronix is continually providing new and enhanced solutions that help grow and develop the next generation of engineers," says Chris Witt, vice president and general manager at Tektronix. "We are excited to show our commitment to reimagining our entry solutions offerings through these new and enhanced instruments."

Continued Dedication to Entry Level

Tektronix's entry portfolio of oscilloscopes offer tiered functionality and cost. The TBS1000C Digital Storage Oscilloscope is the most introductory series, designed for quick hands-on learning and easy operation. In addition to a 7-inch WVGA color display, the graticule with 10 vertical divisions and 15 horizontal divisions enables users to see more signals per screen. This series has dedicated front panel controls to provide easy access to important settings and new large menus with clearly labeled on-screen information allowing users to easily find data of interest. The TBS1000C Oscilloscope also provides an innovative courseware system that integrates lab exercises with step-by-step instructions for student use.

Next, the TBS2000B Digital Storage Oscilloscope, launched earlier this year, adds a layer of sophistication with a range of expanded key features. This instrument has a large 9-inch WVGA display,15 horizontal divisions, 5M point record length, 200 MHz bandwidth and 2GS/s sample rate to capture and display significantly more signal to debug and validate designs faster. New on-waveform cursor readouts with search and mark features enable easy identification of events that occur in the acquired waveform. Plus, the TBS2000B's new lower-noise front end design offers better signal integrity and more accurate measurements.

Rounding out the portfolio, the 3 Series Mixed Domain Oscilloscope bridges entry-level with higher performance oscilloscopes, offering the most advanced technology of its entry portfolio. The 3 Series MDO is intended to be a versatile test instrument, covering a wide range of debugging and validation tasks. Boasting an 11.6-in HD capacitive touchscreen display, the largest in its class, this new series features up to 16 digital channels and the industry's only built-in spectrum analyzer option, which offers hands-on experience with RF measurements and the opportunity to learn about mixed signal design. It's available in bandwidths starting at 100 MHz and extending to 1 GHz with 2.5 GS/s or 5 GS/s sample rates on all analog channels and up to 8.25 GS/s on digital channels with 121.2 ps timing resolution.

Ease and Affordability With Education In Mind

The TBS1000C Digital Storage Oscilloscope offers several features that enable the educator to devote more time to teach fundamental concepts, with the Scope Intro handbook embedded directly into the TBS1000C help system. Features such as Autoset, Cursors and automated measurements can be disabled on the instruments. This better allows students to learn basic concepts and understand how to use the horizontal and vertical controls to get the waveform, and how to use the graticule to measure time, voltage and manually plot/calculate the signal characteristics.

The integrated Courseware function allows professors to load lab exercises on the instrument to give guidance and provides a structured framework into which students can capture data to incorporate into their reports. Educators can find sample lab exercises available for download from the Tektronix Courseware Resource Center.

Availability

The new TBS1000C Digital Storage Oscilloscope is now available worldwide, priced from $510.00 US MSRP. Each unit receives Tektronix's five-year warranty. For more information, visit https://www.tek.com/oscilloscope/tbs1000-digital-storage-oscilloscope .

About Tektronix

Tektronix, Inc., headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon, delivers innovative, precise and easy-to-operate test, measurement and monitoring solutions that solve problems, unlock insights and drive discovery globally. Tektronix has been at the forefront of the digital age for over 70 years. More information on our products and solutions is available at Tek.com .

Follow us on Twitter , Facebook , Instagram , and LinkedIn to stay connected. Learn more from our engineers on the Tektronix blog and read our latest announcements in our Newsroom .

Tektronix is a registered trademark of Tektronix, Inc. All other trade names referenced are the service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

SOURCE Tektronix, Inc.

Related Links

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 23:50:28|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China's Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security has called for tailored vocational training for those fishermen affected by a 10-year fishing ban in the Yangtze River basin that came into force this year.

At least one vocational training course will be offered, free of charge, to fishermen who request it, along with training subsidies for the duration of the course, according to a circular issued by the ministry.

For senior fishermen whose skill-set is limited, training on aquaculture and aquatic products processing will be given. They may also obtain training in areas such as household management, elderly care, and security-guard work. Middle-aged and young fishermen, meanwhile, will receive training in online retailing, auto repairs and electrical work.

The ministry also advised giving full play to new occupations, such as live-streaming salesperson, delivery personnel for online orders and express-delivery person.

In January, China began a 10-year fishing moratorium in 332 conservation areas in the Yangtze River basin, which will be expanded to all the natural waterways of the country's longest river, and its major tributaries from no later than January 1, 2021.

The full-scale ban is likely to affect more than 113,000 fishing boats and nearly 280,000 fishermen in 10 provincial-level regions along the river, according to earlier estimates. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:15:46|Editor: huaxia

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NEW DELHI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- With seven more fatalities, the death toll in an alleged spurious liquor consumption in the northern Indian state of Punjab has risen to 111, officials said Tuesday.

Of the 111 recorded deaths, 83 are from Tarn Taran, 15 from Amritsar and 13 from Batala in Gurdaspur district, a senior local government official said.

Chief Minister of Punjab Amarinder Singh Tuesday said nobody involved in the spurious liquor trade will be spared.

"No one, whether a politician or a public servant, will be spared if found complicit in the hooch deaths," Singh said in a video address.

Singh said he had put entire police force on the duty to crack down on the people involved in the spurious liquor trade.

"Some unscrupulous elements took advantage of the police focus on battling the COVID-19 pandemic to satiate their greed at the cost of the lives of Punjabis (residents of Punjab)," Singh said. "While the state government was busy battling COVID-19, which has claimed 449 lives in the state so far, the liquor mafia seized the opportunity to play with the lives of our people."

The local government has ordered a probe into the incident. On Monday 12 more arrests were made, bringing the number of people arrested in the case to 37.

The deaths have triggered a political row in the state with opposition parties attacking the local government over the tragedy and demanding the resignation of the chief minister. Enditem
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), the global leader in CRM, today announced that its second quarter fiscal year 2021 results will be released on Tuesday, August 25, 2020, after the close of the market. The company will host a conference call at 2:00 p.m. (PT) / 5:00 p.m. (ET) to discuss its financial results with the investment community. A live webcast of the event will be available on the Salesforce Investor Relations website at www.salesforce.com/investor or you may pre-register directly at http://www.directeventreg.com/registration/event/5599055. A replay will be available at (800) 585-8367 or (416) 621-4642 until midnight (ET) Sept. 8, 2020.

About Salesforce

Salesforce is the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age. Founded in 1999, Salesforce enables companies of every size and industry to take advantage of powerful technologiescloud, mobile, social, internet of things, artificial intelligence, voice and blockchainto create a 360-degree view of their customers. For more information about Salesforce (NYSE: CRM), visit: www.salesforce.com.

Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." For more information please visit https://www.salesforce.com, or call 1-800-NO-SOFTWARE.

SOURCE Salesforce

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What just happened? With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is the most popular messaging application in the world. But, like owner Facebook, its a platform where misinformation spreads quickly. To try and combat this problem, the company has rolled out a new feature that should make fact-checking these claims quicker and easier.

WhatsApp users will see a magnifying glass icon next to messages that have been forwarded more than five times. Tapping on it searches for the messages contents online, which should help people discover whether its real or misinformation/conspiracy theories.

The example WhatsApp uses is of a message that claims drinking fresh boiled garlic water will cure COVID-19. Hitting the icon requests permission to search for this on the web, which brings up several fact-checking websites that show the claim to be false.

Anyone can perform a quick web search themselves to check the validity of messages, of course, but the feature makes the process quicker and easier, and could encourage more people to confirm the facts instead of assuming what they read is true.

WhatsApp emphasizes that it never reads the contents of a message; the feature works by allowing users to upload the message via their browsers. Called search the web, aptly, it started rolling out yesterday in the US, Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, and the UK for those on the latest versions of WhatsApp for Android, iOS, and WhatsApp Web.

Back in April, WhatsApp introduced a new policy in which users who received a message that had been forwarded more than five times would only be able to forward it to one chat (contact) at a time. The effort obviously worked: viral messages dropped by 70 percent in only three weeks.
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IDEA Public Schools said Monday that it will open IDEA Travis Academy on Aug. 11 with students on campus and online.

IDEA Travis Academy is an in-district partnership between the charter and Midland ISD. And while the students are still MISD students, the in-district charter campus has certain autonomy that doesnt exist with other campuses inside the district. That autonomy allows a different start date and how IDEA is dealing with the coronavirus pandemic.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 18:26:04|Editor: huaxia

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WASHINGTON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Despite its efforts to develop a vaccine against the COVID-19 pandemic, the United States lacks a plan to get shots to communities of color affected by the coronavirus, according to a piece published in U.S. magazine Politico on Monday.

"For decades, communities of color have been underrepresented in clinical trials, faced greater barriers to getting vaccinated and harbored deeper distrust of a health care system," the Politico piece said.

The magazine quoted Julie Gerberding, an executive of American multinational pharmaceutical firm Merck, as saying, "we have a number of hurdles in terms of broad vaccine coverage but also specially the people we most want to vaccinate in the African American and Latinx communities that are hardest hit with the disease."

According to a study by the Pew Research Center in June, although the tally of African Americans who have been hospitalized for COVID-19 are nearly five times higher than that of white people, just over half of African American adults said they would definitely or probably get a coronavirus vaccine.

Currently, "the large-scale effort to defeat the virus depends not just on developing a safe and effective vaccine, but ensuring it reaches all corners of America," Politico said, calling for a sustained national effort that brings together federal agencies, local officials and communities on the issue.

Additionally, dual challenges of surging unemployment and racism have also placed communities of color at disadvantage amid the pandemic.

According to a recent study by the University of California, Los Angeles, 83 percent of the Asian American labor force with high school degrees or lower has filed unemployment insurance claims in California -- the U.S. state with the highest population of Asian Americans -- since the onset of the coronavirus's spread.

Simultaneously, new research shows that discrimination against Asian Americans is rising, with over 2,300 Asian Americans reporting incidents of bias as of July 15, the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Council said in late July.

As of Tuesday morning, the United States has reported more than 4.71 million COVID-19 cases, according to Johns Hopkins University. Enditem
The combination of declining enrollment and dwindling money in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis means five more New Jersey Catholic elementary schools will not reopen this fall while another three will be merged into other schools, the Archdiocese of Newark announced Tuesday.

The number of families signing up for the 2020-2021 school year dropped dramatically as funding to local parishes declined, making it unrealistic to reopen the schools, church officials said.

The schools that are closing are:

 Transfiguration Academy, in Bergenfield

 St. Joseph Academy, in Bogota

 The Academy of St. Mary, in Rutherford

 St. Francis Xavier, in Newark

 Ironbound Catholic Academy, in Newark

The schools that are merging are:

 St. Augustine School and Mother Seton, both in Union City, will merge into the campus of St. Joseph of the Palisades, in West New York.

 Our Lady of Guadalupe, in Elizabeth, will merge into the campus of St. Joseph the Carpenter, in Roselle.

I recognize that this news is profoundly painful for our students and their families, teachers and principals, school communities, and those who support Catholic education, as well as for our archdiocesan community. I extend my prayers and support to all those affected, said Cardinal Joseph Tobin, head of the Archdiocese of Newark.

Catholic schools nationwide have been struggling since the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Tuesdays announcement means at least 19 New Jersey Catholic schools will not open this fall statewide and at least another five are being folded into nearby schools. The dioceses of Camden and Trenton previously announced closures and mergers.

The temporary suspension of church services in New Jersey dramatically reduced weekly collection plate donations at Catholic churches, but it is difficult to gauge how severe the financial blow has been for schools.

Most local Catholic schools are supported by a mix of tuition money and subsidies from their parishes and the diocese. Maintaining enrollment remains the key to schools remaining in the black.

In New Jersey, all five of the Catholic dioceses received federal taxpayer-funded loans to help pay their employees through a federal program designed to help keep small businesses afloat during the coronavirus pandemic.

In the Archdiocese of Newark, those affected by the most recent closure announcements were informed via online meetings and email. Families were encouraged to enroll at Catholic schools in neighboring communities and some were offered help paying tuition for the new school year, church officials said.

Teachers and school staff losing their jobs were also offered help in finding new positions, including possible jobs within the archdiocese.

We pray for all those impacted by these trying circumstances and pledge ongoing support for those who need it, Tobin said. Together, we will find a sustainable model for Catholic education in the Archdiocese of Newark.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Kelly Heyboer may be reached at kheyboer@njadvancemedia.com.

Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
Poorly secured home networks. Highly accessible workstations. Use of personal laptops that dont adhere to security standards. Each of these (and more) is a vulnerability for revenue cycle staff working at home during COVID-19. Unfortunately, with vulnerability comes opportunity for hackers to target this newly remote workforce and access protected health information (PHI). Consider the following strategies to mitigate risk:

1. Require a signed telecommuting agreement. Chris Apgar, CISSP, CCISO, president of Apgar & Associates, LLC, a privacy and security consulting company based in Tigard, Oregon, said remote revenue cycle staff must attest to the following:

Anti-malware and firewalls updated at least weekly with continuous scans enabled

Operating system patches applied within one week of release

Secure cabled router or wireless router secured with WPA2

Secure connection to the corporate network (e.g., through a Virtual Private Network [VPN])

Strong device password

Strong home router password

Security patching, in particular, tends to go under the radar, says Ken Townsend, CISSP, vice president and chief information security officer at R1 RCM, an outsource revenue cycle management vendor headquartered in Chicago, Illinois. Patching is likely an afterthought for remote staff using their home computer because most users are focused on providing customer service  not keeping up with the latest vulnerabilities, he said. For health systems, its also difficult to routinely identify software bugs and vulnerabilities, and its challenging to take critical systems offline for routine maintenance, he adds.

In terms of physical security, Apgar said to consider the following:

Auto logout password screen protectors that require users to re-enter their password after five minutes

Secure and secluded workspace

Secure perimeter (e.g., locked doors, blinds on ground floor windows for rooms where computers are present or stored, and ground floor window security)

Secure storage of portable media

Use of a crosscut shredder, when necessary

It doesnt hurt to video chat with staff to visually inspect their workspace and ensure it adheres to the agreement, Apgar said.

2. Use multi-factor authentication (MFA). Consider a three-step process, says Zubair Ansari, executive director of physician reimbursement at Luminis Health, headquartered in Annapolis, Maryland. For example, Ansaris staff log into their work account. Then they wait for passcode via text on their cell phone. Finally, they type that code into their computer to open their work desktop via a secure VPN.

MFA is critical because it addresses an ongoing challenge: People use the same password for all devices and accounts, Townsend said. For example, its not unreasonable to think that a hacker could harvest credentials from a personal device or email account on an unencrypted or poorly encrypted home network and use those same credentials to access a corporate device on a secure VPN. MFA reduces the likelihood that unauthorized users can access the VPN or any cloud-based applications that store sensitive data, he said.

3. Mask payment data. Organizations have far less control over physical security now that revenue cycle staff are working from home, and its not hard to imagine why using credit card machines at home is less than ideal.

Organizations should try and remove as much sensitive data out of the home environment as possible, Townsend said.

Fortunately, technology exists that can mask payment information for call center associates, said Townsend. Heres how it works: A patient calls to make a payment over the phone, and then staff member hits a button that turns the call over to an automated system. The patient states their credit card information or types it into the keypad. Then the patient hits a button to return back to the staff member. The staff member never sees or hears the payment card number.

Ansaris staff  which includes coders, patient account representatives, auditors and revenue integrity specialists  arent permitted to take any payment information over the phone. Instead, they route all payment-related calls to an onsite customer service center, Ansari said.

4. Consider using a virtual desktop interface (VDI). With VDI, the operating system, all applications and data are kept on a central server instead of a local desktop, Townsend said. Users can only view data  not download it. If there are remote users using personal devices to access corporate applications, organizations should strongly consider VDI, he added.

5. Use cell phones with caution. Cell phones store all kinds of data, and many organizations dont want to run the risk of someone viewing sensitive patient data on a staff members personal phone, Townsend said.

That said, there may be workarounds. For example, organizations may be able to use mobile device management (MDM) solutions that enable managers to audit regularly, identify non-compliant devices and set appropriate restrictions, he adds.

However, even with MDM, policies are critical. Organizations must take the time to define specific use cases for personal cell phone use, Townsend said. For example, smaller medical facilities may allow personal phones while larger health systems may not because they can afford more mature voice technology.

Most importantly, organizations must perform a risk-benefit analysis to determine whether the risk is justified. For R1, a company that employs many offshore staff, its not, he added.

Decision-makers should consider the risk of fraud and inadvertent and-or intentional data loss, he said. Organizations may not be capable of implementing the required safeguards on personal devices to minimize the risk.

6. Focus on encryption. This includes encrypted responses to external requests (e.g., from outside agencies or the attorney general), encrypted text messages and encrypted electronic faxes, Ansari said.

7. Provide ongoing privacy, security education. This goes without saying, but its something that can be easily overlooked. Telling staff they need to ensure privacy and security is important, but they also need to know how to do it  for example, how to secure their home Wi-Fi router, how to patch their system and what constitute a strong password, Townsend said.

Ansaris staff are required to take annual privacy and security courses regardless of whether they work remotely. In addition, he also sends periodic emails that provide HIPAA compliance tips. One big one? Try not to print PHI or write it down on a piece of paper.

Communicate best practices, Apgar said. For example, log off your computer when youre taking a break and at the end of the day, and dont change the security settings.

In addition, continue testing staff through phishing and simulation exercises that are tailored to revenue cycle staff, he added. For example, test staffs ability to resist clicking on nefarious links embedded within emails about patient accounts or payments.

8. Talk to staff. Ongoing education is paramount. However, mangers still need to be in touch with their staff to identify any unique privacy and security challenges. For example, is it impossible to work in a secluded area? If so, can the organization provide a privacy screen? Do multiple family members use the same computer? Do employees have enough bandwidth on their personal laptops to view all of the information they need (and to avoid having to print information onsite and bring it home with them?)? When necessary, can the organization supply a laptop?
India takes pride in having largest vaccination programme in the world: PM Modi

From 2014 to 2021: A look at Narendra Modi's Independence Day Turban tradition

74th Independence Day: A tribute to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, Aug 04: Subhash Chandra Bose is called the father of India's freedom fight.

He revived the Indian National Army, popularly known as 'Azad Hind Fauj' in 1943.

Mostly popular by the name of, Netaji's, sudden disappearance from Taiwan led to surfacing of number of theories which were never investigated thoroughly that left people of all generation in the dark about one of the most beloved leaders of India.

Early life and stepping in the revolutionary

Bose was born on 23 January, 1897 in Cuttack, Orissa to Janakinath Bose and Prabhavati Devi.

Bose was a very intelligent and sincere student. He was strongly influenced by Swami Vivekananda's teachings.

The son of a wealthy and prominent Bengali lawyer, Bose studied at Presidency College, Calcutta (Kolkata).

PMs speech, unfurling Tricolour part of mellowed down Independence Day celebrations

Subhash reportedly beat and thrashed one of his British teachers E F Otten in college. The professor made a racist remark against the Indian students. As a result, Subhash Chandra Bose was expelled from the college and banished from Calcutta University.

He then was sent by his parents to the University of Cambridge in England to prepare for the Indian Civil Service.

In 1920, he passed the civil service examination. But after hearing of the nationalist turmoils in India, he resigned his candidacy and hurried back to India in April 1921.

In December of the same year, Bose was arrested and imprisoned for organizing a boycott of the celebrations to mark the Prince of Wales's visit to India.

With and Vs Congress

Subhash Chandra Bose worked under the leadership of Chittaranjan Das, an active member of Congress in Calcutta. Bose would regard Das as his political guru.

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

Congress party was always lenient and never in a position to oppose. Bose became a strong leader in Congress and made brave attempt to mould the entire party differently.

His opposed against Gandhi's philosophy. This led Gandhi and other leaders hurt and they opposed him.

Eventually this led to 'Subhash Chandra Bose against entire congress party'. During election, Bose got elected with higher votes but the closer aide of Gandhi got elected.

In order to acknowledge outside support on getting freedom he journeyed to Germany, Japan during the world war II.

Nehru at that time said "If Subhash would bring soldiers from outside and enter India, then I would be the first person to wield a sword and oppose him."

Formation of Azad Hind Fauj

The role of Indian National Army or the Azad Hind Fauj is said to be buried in the pages of the revolutionary struggle.

Azad Hind Fauj was another name of Bose' Indian National Army which was inspired by the concepts of Netaji who planned to take foreign help to get rid of the country of British reign.

Azad Hind Fauj, the army organisation was founded by Rash Behari Bose and comprised Indian prisoners of war in Singapore with about 45,000 Indian soldiers in 1942.

A year after Netaji escaped house arrest in Culcutta and reached Singapore, and took leadership of the Azad Hind Fauj. Rash Behari handed over them to Netaji.

The Fauj was revived with the determination and leadership of Netaji and entered in the freedom fight portray in 1943.

Fauj of youth

By the time the Azad Hind Fauj was formally established, it had a strong strength of 85,000 troops. Bose believed in the power of the youth. He inspired the soldiers to give up on everything and be part of the fight of the nation. By the time the Azad Hind Fauj or Indian National Army was formally established, it was strong with 85,000 troops.

The exceptional courage, determination and sacrifice the Azad Hind Fauj showed, reached the people of India and the nation witnessed a surging wave of revolution.

Disappearance of Bose

It was said that Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose died in a plane crash but his body was never recovered. There are different theories on his disappearance. The government of India till now set up a number of committees to investigate the case.

The reports of Justice Mukherjee Commission, tabled in Parliament on 17 May, 2006 stated, "Bose did not die in the plane crash and the ashes at Renkoji temple are not his".

Though the findings were rejected by the government of India.

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Story first published: Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 13:13 [IST]
Mumbai, Aug 4 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials are questioning Bollywood actor Rhea Chakraborty's Chartered Accountant Ritesh Shah here in connection with a money laundering probe related to late actor Sushant Singh Rajput, officials said on Tuesday.

He is being questioned about the finances of the companies owned by Rhea and her brother, the officials said.

The officials said Shah presented himself before ED officials at the agency's office here around 11.30 am on Tuesday for questioning.

On Monday, the ED had questioned Sushant's Chartered Accountant Sandeep Sridhar in Mumbai about the financial transactions.

The action comes in the wake of a case registered by the ED on Friday against Rhea and her family members.

The ED's money laundering case pertained to transactions totalling Rs 15 crore and were allegedly related to the 'suicide' of Sushant Singh.

The development comes amid complaint by Sushant's father KK Singh to the Bihar Police against Rhea.

The ED named Rhea and her family members in the case on the basis of an FIR filed by the Bihar Police.

The official said that the agency will summon a number of people for questioning in the case in the coming days.

On Thursday, the ED had sought details of the police FIR against Rhea and details of two companies owned by Sushant and Rhea's family from the banks.

The ED had also sought details of financial transactions of Vividrage Rhealityx, in which Rhea is a director, and Front India For World, in which her brother Showik is a director.

Earlier in the day, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that his government had recommended a CBI probe into the death of Sushant.

Sushant's father had lodged the FIR against Rhea in Patna, accusing her of cheating and threatening his son. Sushant's family has also accused her of keeping him away from his family.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
Researchers in the U.S. have shown both preventive and treatment effects of an antibody cocktail in animal models of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) - the agent that causes coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

A combination of two monoclonal antibodies significantly reduced airway viral load and virus-induced pathology in models of both mild and severe disease.

Christos Kyratsous and colleagues from Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, New York, had previously identified that a combination of the antibodies REGN10933 and REGN10987, which targets the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, potently neutralizes the virus in vitro. The spike protein is the main surface structure the virus uses to bind to human host cell membranes and gain viral entry. The research is published on the preprint server bioRxiv* in August 2020.

Now, teaming up with collaborators at Texas Biomedical Research Institute in San Antonio and BIOQUAL in Rockville, Maryland, the researchers have demonstrated the efficacy of the antibody cocktail in two animal models: the rhesus macaque and the golden hamster.

The authors say their findings provide evidence that this REGN-CoV-2 therapy, which is currently being tested in clinical trials of COVID-19, may provide significant clinical benefit in both the prevention and treatment setting.

Prophylactic and therapeutic efficacy of REGN-COV2 in the rhesus macaque model of SARSCoV-2 infection (NHP Study #2). Representative images of histopathology in lungs of treated and placebo animals.

No relevant animal model has yet been established

Since the COVID-19 outbreak began in Wuhan, China, late last year, researchers worldwide have been urgently seeking effective strategies to prevent and treat the disease.

Various studies have reported on monoclonal antibodies that potently neutralize the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein, but in vivo evaluation is only in the early stages and has mainly been focused on prevention.

Furthermore, since animal models of SARS-CoV-2 infection are still in development, no one model has yet been established as more relevant to disease in humans.

The rhesus macaque, which is widely used in preclinical efficacy studies, only exhibits a mild form of disease following SARS-CoV-2 infection. In contrast, the golden hamster exhibits a much more severe form, characterized by significant weight loss and severe lung pathology.

Indeed, based on the extremely diverse manifestations of COVID-19 in humans, multiple animal models may be needed to mimic various settings of human infection, write Kyratsous and colleagues.

Combining the models to capture diverse pathology of SARS-CoV-2 infection

Now, Baum and the team have used these two animal models to compare the efficacy of the REGN-CoV-2 cocktail in diverse disease settings for a more detailed understanding of how monoclonal antibodies might reduce viral load and pathology in humans.

To assess the prophylactic effect of the antibody combination in the context of mild disease, rhesus macaques received 50 mg/kg of REGN-CoV-2 prior to challenge with 1x10^5 PFU (plaque-forming unit) of SARS-CoV-2 three days later. Nasopharyngeal (NP) swabs and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid were collected on days 1, 3, and 5 post-challenge.

Viral RNA was almost wholly ablated in the mild disease model

Compared with placebo-treated animals, viral RNA was almost wholly ablated in most animals, indicating that the therapy can almost completely stop infection becoming established. This effect was seen across all NP and BAL measurements, indicating that viral loads were significantly reduced in both the upper and lower airways.

To assess the treatment effect of REGN-CoV-2, the macaques were given 25mg/kg or 150mg/kg doses one day following challenge with 1x10^6 PFU of the virus.

Compared with placebo treated-animals, those treated with either dose of REGN-CoV-2 showed accelerated clearance of viral RNA in all measurements of both NP and BAL samples.

The antibody cocktail was therefore effective at reducing viral load, even when administered once the infection has already occurred, says the team.

On assessing the lungs of the macaques, the researchers found that the incidence of interstitial pneumonia (including both the number of animals affected and the number of lung lobes involved) and the severity were significantly reduced in both the prophylactic and treatment setting, compared to the placebo setting.

What were the effects on more severe disease?

To assess the prophylactic effect of REGN-CoV-2 in the context of more severe disease, the golden hamster was given 50, 5, or 0.5mg/kg of the drug two days prior to challenge with 2.3x10^4 PFU of virus.

At all of the doses given, the animals were protected from weight loss, and viral loads in the lungs were significantly reduced seven days following viral challenge.

The team also observed a significant therapeutic benefit among the hamsters, with viral replication and lung pathology reduced by treatment with 50mg/kg and 5mg/kg doses just one day following viral challenge.

The researchers say that to their knowledge, this is the first study to show the ability of any treatment to minimize weight loss in the hamster model of SARS-CoV-2 infection, thereby suggesting the potential benefit of antibody treatment for severe infection.

Potential for both protecting against and treating disease

The authors say the findings point to the therapeutic potential of REGN-COV2 in both protecting against SARS-COV-2 infection and treating COVID-19.

They also say the effect the antibody cocktail had on viral RNA levels in NP and BAL swabs suggests not only the potential to prevent disease following exposure but also to limit further transmission.

Our data provide evidence that REGN-COV2 based therapy may offer clinical benefit in both prevention and treatment settings of COVID-19 disease, where it is currently being evaluated (clinicaltrials.gov NCT04426695, NCT04425629 and NCT 04452318), concludes the team.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Resistance to artemisinin, the main component of the current antimalarial treatments recommended by WHO, is already widespread in South-East Asia, but it had not previously been described in Africa. Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, in collaboration with the National Malaria Control Program in Rwanda (Rwanda Biomedical Center), the World Health Organization (WHO), Cochin Hospital and Columbia University (New York, USA), recently detected the emergence and spread of malaria parasites capable of resisting artemisinin derivatives for the first time in Rwanda. The results of the research were published on August 3, 2020 in Nature Medicine.

Malaria, caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, represents a major public health problem. Almost 3.2 billion people (virtually half the world's population) in 89 countries are at risk of contracting the disease, for which there is currently no vaccine. Every year, over 200 million cases and over 400,000 deaths are recorded.

For more than 15 years, treatment of malaria episodes (typical cycles of the disease alternating between fever, shivering and chills, and severe sweating) caused by Plasmodium falciparum has depended on artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs), which combine a fast-acting artemisinin derivative and a partner drug with a long half-life. Since 2008, parasites capable of resisting artemisinin derivatives in South-East Asia (Cambodia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and Laos) have become increasingly prevalent. This resistance, which leads to a delay in the clearance of parasites from the bloodstream of individuals treated with an ACT, is currently a serious threat that may hinder efforts to tackle the disease. A major concern is that these resistant parasites will spread through Sub-Saharan Africa, the continent most affected by malaria (>90% of cases), as was the case with previous generations of antimalarial treatments (chloroquine and folic acid antagonists). In the 1980s, the reduced efficacy of chloroquine is thought to have contributed to several million additional deaths from malaria in young African children.

Since 2014, the geographical distribution of artemisinin resistance has been monitored based on the detection of mutations in the Kelch13 gene in parasites. These mutations are believed to reduce the function of the Kelch13 protein, thought to be involved in hemoglobin degradation in infected red blood cells. Currently, the most widespread resistant parasites in South-East Asia have the C580Y mutation. Recently, C580Y mutant parasites have also been detected in Guyana and Papua New Guinea. In Africa, where ACTs remain very effective, Kelch13 mutant parasites have remained rare. For instance, the KARMA study, the first global map of artemisinin resistance, showed that less than 5% of African samples had mutations and that more than 50% of the mutants detected had only been observed once. Scientists also demonstrated that the most frequently observed mutation in Africa (A578S) did not confer artemisinin resistance to gene-edited Asian parasites.

Scientists from the Institut Pasteur, involved in a WHO-supported project on molecular monitoring of resistance in Africa, recently identified the first signs of emergence of artemisinin-resistant Kelch13 mutant parasites in Africa. The results describe significant proportions of parasites carrying the R561H mutation in two locations 100km apart (prevalences of 7.4% in Masaka and 0.7% in Rukara, respectively). Whole-genome sequencing of these parasites indicates that the R561H mutants were selected from Rwandan parasite populations and that they had not spread from Asian parasites (from Thailand or Myanmar, where the R561H mutation has previously been observed). "These unexpected results contrast with previous scenarios in which the emergence of chloroquine- or pyrimethamine-resistant parasites in Africa was caused by the spread of resistant parasites from South-East Asia. It was thought that a similar scenario would apply for the emergence of artemisinin-resistant parasites in Africa," explains Didier Menard, Head of the Malaria Genetics and Resistance Unit at the Institut Pasteur. The fact that this resistant strain has spread between several places in Rwanda and its ability to resist artemisinin in vitro have major public health implications. In the absence of effective measures to contain the spread of resistant parasites in Rwanda and neighboring countries, there is a risk that over time they will acquire the ability to resist the partner drugs used in ACTs. This would mean that the only available treatments would become ineffective, as has occurred in South-East Asia. A model of this scenario, in which no measures are taken, recently predicted that the inefficacy of ACTs in Africa could be responsible for 78 million additional cases and 116,000 additional deaths over a five-year period.

###

This research was supported by the Institut Pasteur, the World Health Organization, the World Bank (via the East African Public Health Laboratory Networking Project), the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation (Grant OPP1140599), the United States Department of Defense (W81XWH-19-1-0086) and the National Institutes of Health (R01 AI109023).
CHICO, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / AmeraMex International, Inc. (OTCQB:AMMX), a provider of heavy equipment for logistics companies, infrastructure construction and forestry conservation, announced that it has received an order totaling $199,500

A Taylor Forklift, model X360 with a 36,000-pound capacity, will be shipped to an electrical construction company in California in August 2020. According to AmeraMex CEO Lee Hamre, this order brings the total sales from July 1 through August 4 up to $2.2 million.

The Company will be presenting in the OTCQB's Venture Virtual Investor Conference, the leading proprietary investor conference series. Individual investors, institutional investors, advisors, and analysts are invited to attend. The program opens at 9:15 AM ET on Thursday, August 6th with the first live webcast at 9:30 AM ET. AmeraMex International will present at 2:00 p.m. ET.

It is recommended that investors pre-register (https://bit.ly/2EEs4HR) and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates. There is no cost to log-in, attend the live presentations or ask questions.

AmeraMex CEO Lee Hamre will be hosting the Company's second quarter conference call scheduled on Monday, August 10 at 11:00 a.m.PT, 2:00 p.m. ET. The conference call dial-in number for both U.S. and international callers is 1.201.689.8560. Please dial in to the conference center five minutes before the call begins and ask the operator for the AmeraMex conference call. An audio replay of the call will be available from August 10, 2020 at 5:00 p.m. ET until August 24, 2020 at 11:59 p.m.ET. The replay is accessible by dialing 1.412.317.6671 and entering pin number 13707920.

About AmeraMex International

AmeraMex International sells, leases and rents heavy equipment to companies within multiple industries including construction, logistics, mining, and lumber. AmeraMex, with a US and international customer base, has over 30 years of experience in heavy equipment sales and service. Follow AmeraMex on Twitter @ammx_intl and visit the AmeraMex website, www.AMMX.net or www.hamreequipment.com for additional corporate information, online heavy equipment inventory/ pricing and videos.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this press release are forward-looking statements. In some cases, forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "plan," "potential," "continue" or similar expressions. Such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, and there are important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Investors are encouraged to review the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Investors should not place any undue reliance on forward-looking statements since they involve known and unknown, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Company's control which could, and likely will, materially affect actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. Any forward-looking statement reflects the Company's current views with respect to future events and is subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and assumptions relating to operations, results of operations, growth strategy and liquidity. The Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise these forward-looking statements for any reason, or to update the reasons actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements, even if new information becomes available in the future.

Investor and Media Relations

McCloud Communications, LLC

Marty Tullio, Managing Member

Office: 949.632.1900 or Marty@McCloudCommunications.com

SOURCE: AmeraMex International, Inc.





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During a UISD Special Call meeting on Tuesday, the districts board of trustees voted to extend past the first four weeks of online instruction and add an additional four to the start of the school year. The start of the optional on-campus transition will now be set to Oct. 19.

According to Gloria Rendon, UISDs Deputy Superintendent of Administration and Operations, the school year will start with on-campus instruction for students unable to connect to the internet or who will not have a device at the start.

To try to accommodate as many students as possible, the district has rolled out a plan to try and provide devices and connectivity to different areas of their population. A total of 36 campuses have been wired to provide internet connectivity to the surrounding areas, allowing students and parents to park and receive a wifi connection.

Additionally, UISD has advanced on its Chromebook distribution to provide the necessary devices to students in need and will have over 40 buses that are scheduled to stop at different areas of the city to provide wifi access.

The overarching concern of educators and board members has been the necessity of bringing in clusters of students who may not have the ability to partake in online instruction. As the Texas Education Agency mandated that all districts allow students without the ability to go remote, districts are working to accommodate those students as safely as possible, for their sake and that of the staff.

Reports from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that children under 18 account for under 7% of COVID-19 cases and less than 0.1% in COVID-19 deaths, and it continues to say that children are at lower risk for contracting the virus compared to adults. However, many including UISD trustee Javier Montemayor still believe there is not sufficient data that addresses a childs ability to potentially spread the virus to staff members or their family.

Even the threat of just a small amount of children being hospitalized could severely affect local facilities. On June 28, Laredo Health Authority Victor Trevino warned that even 0.5% of the children and staff getting sick from reporting to schools could overwhelm local hospitals. On Monday, Trevino said that hospital ICUs, COVID and non-COVID, were completely full and that even non-ICU beds were nearing their limit.

Superintendent Roberto Santos said that the district takes the matters seriously as many Laredo households are home to multi-generational families that may include grandparents. But if the district did choose to defy the TEAs guidelines, high schools may lose accreditation and graduating seniors may face a more difficult time without a diploma from an accredited high school.

When asked if UISD had a Plan B, Rendon said that there contingency plans in place that will address positive cases, exposure, isolation rooms and symptom checks.

In the case of a one or two positive cases, Santos said that the Laredo Health Department can issue an order of closure to the campus. That is why the district opted to vote for an extension, to plan out how the district will operate once the eight weeks are over.

Approximately 32,000 parents, or over 87%, have currently responded to the back-to-school survey and have chosen a preference for online instruction for their children. However, UISD wants to assure parents who have chosen to go remote that once Oct. 19 passes, their student does not have to return to on-campus instruction if they are still feeling unsafe. The transition will be for families who wish to go to on-campus learning, and they will be able to change their minds afterwards if necessary either way.

cocampo@lmtonline.com
How Books and Buckets program in Long Beach aims to keep kids away from gang violence
As the nation's lawmakers debate the contents of the next pandemic stimulus bill, a group of high powered business leaders at some of the most successful companies in the country are calling on Congress to support America's small businesses.

"This is not a call for bottomless handouts," the letter, released Monday, says. "It's a defining moment to show how capitalism can benefit all Americans, particularly entrepreneurs who have been forced to shutter or reduce the capacity of their businesses, through no fault of their own."

The more than 100 of signatories includes Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff, Mastercard CEO Ajay Banga, Dunkin' Brands CEO David Holdaway, Alphabet (Google's parent company) CEO Sundar Pichai and Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg. The letter was sent to Congressional leaders, including Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell by Starbucks chairman emeritus Howard Schultz.

Critically, the help needs to land quickly to avoid a wave of permanent business closures.

"We cannot stress enough the urgent need to act. Every day that passes without a comprehensive recovery program makes recovery more difficult," the letter says. "By Labor Day, we foresee a wave of permanent closures if the right steps are not taken soon."

Because small businesses employ almost half of private sector workers and provide 44% of the country's GDP, a hit to them would also wreck the U.S. labor market.

"By year end, the domino effect of lost jobs  as well as the lost services and lost products that small businesses provide  could be catastrophic," the letter says.

Specifically, the business leaders call for federally guaranteed loans to last "well into 2021" that give businesses "flexibility" in how the money is used. They also call for "at least partial loan forgiveness" for the hardest hit small to mid-sized businesses that are not publicly traded.

Expanding and extending the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is one way to get help to small businesses quickly. PPP was a lifeline to many small business owners, but it also was difficult to utilize for some, and the program faced criticism for delivering funds to businesses that weren't sufficiently small, ostensibly didn't need the money or had ties to President Donald Trump or others with political power.

Also, the funds to support small businesses need to go "particularly to those run by people of color, who have traditionally had less access to capital," the letter says. And funds should go to "strengthening community development financial institutions (CFDIs) and minority depository institutions (MDIs)."

Small businesses need a bridge until a Covid-19 vaccine fully returns the country to operation, the letter says.

"Although our country is in the process of reopening, it is hardly a return to normal, and many businesses may be required to close again. Most small businesses don't have enough cash in the bank to weather more months of reduced revenue and customer traffic," the letter says. "To survive until a vaccine is widely available, millions of small businesses will require longer-term support from the federal government."

See also:

$600 unemployment booster isn't primary reason people do or do not work: Yale economists

Why Elon Musk says a stimulus package 'is not in the best interests of the people'

Cash payments to 2.7 billion people living in poverty would slow Covid-19 spread: report
I would say right now the amount of trauma that Chicago police officers see, compared to any other state or city right now, is so much higher that we need to do more comparatively than anybody else, Dr. Carrie Steiner, a former Chicago police officer who became a licensed clinical psychologist, said in a telephone interview. Steiner opened the First Responders Wellness Center in Lombard, which she says is a first-of-its-kind practice in the country to offer mental health services exclusively to first responders. Former or current first responders provide the help.
Maldives: Fish exports drop by 12 percent

August 04,2020 | Source: The Edition

Maldives Monetary Authority (MMA) revealed that fish exports had decreased by 12 percent in the first five months of 2020 compared to the same period last year. As per MMA statistics, 27,000 metric tonnes were exported between January and May 2020 compared to the 31,000 metric tonnes recorded in the first five months of 2019. As per official figures, Maldives generated USD 61 million (MVR 940 million) from fish exports during the first five months of 2020.



The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly affected the fisheries industry, with several major exporters reporting lower sales. Maldives' fish exports totalled at 52,000 metric tonnes in the previous year. Over the past five years, fish exports peaked in 2017 with over 72,000 metric tonnes exported from the country. The majority of Maldives' export revenue is sourced from exports of fish, with raw fish shipments accounting for as much as 70 percent of fish exports.
The federal government says it spent about N523.3 million on school feeding programme during the coronavirus induced lockdown.

The Minister of Humanitarian Affairs, Sadiya Farouq, said this on Monday during the Presidential Taskforce briefing on COVID-19 in Abuja.

Ms Farouk said about 124,589 households benefited across the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states.

The minister spoke against the backdrop of allegations of corruption in the social intervention programmes. Many Nigerian on social media have been calling on the federal government to identify the vulnerable members of the population benefiting from the palliatives and the process used for the selection and distribution.

The National Assembly had also called for a total review of the process while state governors also urged President Muhammdu Buhari to reform the process of the distribution of the palliatives.

In her remarks on Monday, the minister said the Home Grown School Feeding Programme was modified and implemented in three states following the presidential directive on March 29.

Ms Farouq had announced that children in primary 1 to 3 in public schools participating in the feeding programme across 3.1 million households are targeted to benefit from the Covid-19 palliatives in the country.

She also said the federal government would only provide vouchers to the beneficiaries who would be given only uncooked food items.

It is critical at this juncture to provide details that will help puncture the tissue of lies being peddled in the public space.

The provision of Take Home Rations, under the modified Home Grown School Feeding Programme, was not a sole initiative of the MHADMSD.

The ministry, in obeying the presidential directive, went into consultations with state governments through the state Governors Forum, following which it was resolved that take-home rations, remained the most viable option for feeding children during the lockdown.

READ ALSO:

So, it was a joint resolution of the ministry and the state governments to give out take-home rations.

The stakeholders also resolved that we would start with the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states, as pilot cases, the minister said.

According to her, each take-home ration was valued at N4,200. She said the figure was arrived at with proper consultation  totalling the initial cost to feed a child in schools before the lockdown and after.

The minister said that the figure was garnered from statistics provided by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) and the Central bank of Nigeria (CBN)

According to statistics from the NBS and CBN, a typical household in Nigeria has 5.6 to six members in its household, with three to four dependents.

So, each household is assumed to have three children.

Based on the original design of the Home Grown School Feeding programme, long before it was domiciled in the ministry, every child on the programme receives a meal a day.

The meal costs N70 per child.

When you take 20 school days per month, it means a child eats food worth N1,400 per month.

Three children would then eat food worth N4,200 per month and that was how we arrived at the cost of the take-home ration.

The agreement was that the federal government will provide the funding while the states will implement.

To ensure transparency in the process, we partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) as technical partners, tracking, monitoring and giving daily updates validating the programme.

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In the FCT, 29,609 households were impacted, 37,589 households in Lagos and 60,391 in Ogun, making a total of 124,589 households impacted between May 14, and July 6.

If 124,589 households received take-home rations valued at N4,200, the amount will be N523,273,800.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4) Heads up!

Some cities in Metro Manila and nearby provinces have adjusted curfew hours and reimposed liquor ban as the modified enhanced community quarantine formally took effect in their areas on Tuesday.

President Rodrigo Duterte earlier ordered a return to stricter lockdown status in the capital region, as well as in the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal until August 18.

Here are the local governments which have announced new restrictions amid the MECQ:

Curfew hours

Metro Manila

Mandaluyong City (8PM-5AM)

San Juan City (8PM-5AM)

Manila City (8PM-5AM)

Navotas City (8PM-5AM for adults, except those working/with businesses; 24-hour curfew for minors)

Paranaque City (8PM-5AM)

Pasay City (8PM-5AM)

Quezon City (public safety hours: 10PM-5AM)

Taguig City (Dispensable travels, mobility for non-workers restricted from 8PM-5AM)

Valenzuela City (8PM-5AM)

Cavite province (8PM-4AM)

Rizal province (24-hour curfew for 20 and below, 60 and above, pregnant women, those with illnesses, except for essential travels; 8PM-5AM for authorized persons)

Liquor ban

Metro Manila

Quezon City

San Juan City (effective until MECQ is lifted)

Navotas City

Paranaque City

City of Manila

Mandaluyong City

Muntinlupa City

Pasay City, on the other hand, has set window hours for the purchase and sale of alcoholic beverage from 8 am to 6 pm.

Malabon City has yet to impose a liquor ban in the area, but residents are permitted to drink only inside their homes, according to the local government.

Cavite Governor Jonvic Remulla meanwhile said the decision to enforce a ban in the province will be up to the mayors of the respective cities and municipalities.

This is a developing story. Please refresh page for updates.
Despite a slowdown in venture capital during the pandemic, Houston startups increased their funding by 7 percent in the first seven months of 2020, according to Houston Exponential, the nonprofit charged with coordinating the local tech sectors startup development organizations.

Overall, Houston startups have raised more than $466 million, with health care as the top category.

We did not have an organized health care ecosystem in the Medical Center until six years ago, said Harvin Moore, president at Houston Exponential. Those companies are still around, and they are giving us a lot to look forward to.

HOUSTON STARTUPS: Always a challenge, fundraising gets tougher in the pandemic

Much of the local funding increase comes from young companies in the later stages of financing, when investment flows at higher rates. Eighteen late-stage deals have drawn more than $352 million since January, including the crowning of Houstons first unicorn, a company valued at $1 billion or more.

That was HighRadius, a financial tech firm that raised $125 million in the first quarter.

Perhaps indicative of the collapse of the energy industry, only two of the 46 funding deals in the report are from energy-related startups. Two companies classified as information technology startups, however, have developed software targeting oil-and-gas efficiency, said Serafina Lalany, Houston Exponentials chief of staff

The report breaks funding down into six categories:

 Health care, the top category, made up 41 percent of all Houston startup funding in the period, with 19 companies raising $206.4 million.

 Information tech accounted for 22 percent, with $182.05 million in 10 deals.

 Consumer products and services was 17 percent of the total, with $31.6 million in eight deals.

 Business products and services made up 11 percent with $5.01 million in five deals.

 Materials and resources came in at 4 percent with almost $30.65 million in deals.

 Energy also was 4 percent with $10.6 million in two deals.

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The biggest funding deal in Houston was a $137 million Series B round in July for Preventice Solutions, which provides remote cardiac monitoring services that uses artificial intelligence.

Nationally, startup funding rose just 2.5 percent, about a third of the increase in the Houston area.

Moore said much of the national increase likely came from companies seeking additional funding for older startups needing more cash to survive during the pandemic lockdown. Because Houstons startup companies are younger, he added, they dont burn as much cash as bigger startups in expansion mode in traditional tech hotspots such as Silicon Valley.

As a younger ecosystem, we have a larger percentage of startups that are at earlier stages, they dont have as much of a burn rate, he said. Founders still have their day jobs.

Fundraising in the first seven months of 2020 has surpassed the full-year numbers for 2016 through 2018, Moore said. Several big funding deals in the pipeline means 2020 will likely pass last years $599 million mark, he said.

Moore said the data for the report was derived from Pitchbook, which tracks startup funding nationally, and from local news reports and company press releases. Houston Exponential expects to release a new report on tech startup funding every six months.

dwight.silverman@

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In a rare humanitarian gesture toward Lebanon, Israel has offered medical aid after a massive explosion tore through the capital of Beirut on Tuesday, causing widespread damage and killing scores of people.

Israel approached Lebanon through international defense and diplomatic channels to offer the Lebanese government medical humanitarian aid, read a statement from Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi.

According to Israeli newspaper Haaretz, the mediators who reached out to Lebanon on behalf of Israel were France and the United Nations' peacekeeping force in Lebanon, UNIFIL.

We share the pain of the Lebanese people and sincerely reach out to offer our aid at this difficult time, Israeli President Reuven Rivlin tweeted.

Israel has long fought with Hezbollah, the powerful Iran-backed political movement and militant group in Lebanon. A 34-day war between the bitter rivals in 2006 killed over 1,400 people, mostly Lebanese civilians.

An unnamed Israeli intelligence official told The New York Times that Israel was not involved in Tuesdays explosion in Beirut.

Tensions remain high between Israel and Hezbollah. The militant group has vowed retaliation for a June 20 Israeli strike outside the Syrian capital of Damascus that killed one of its senior fighters. Israel has since deployed additional forces in the Galilee and last week announced the military foiled a Hezbollah raid along its northern border.

The Israeli militarys Arabic spokesperson tweeted in the wake of the blast Tuesday that "this is the time to transcend conflict" and focus on providing humanitarian support.

In addition to Israel, a number of countries pledged to come to Lebanons aid. Irans foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, said Iran is prepared to help in any way necessary, and US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said the United States stands ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this horrible tragedy.

The explosion came ahead of a verdict due on Friday in the United Nations-backed trial in absentia of four Hezbollah members suspected in the 2005 car bombing that killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri.
Poway, California--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2020) - Solar Integrated Roofing Corporation (OTC PINK: SIRC) ("SIRC") ("The Company"), a leading integrated solar and roofing installation company based in Southern California is pleased to announce today that revenue projections are on pace for $20 Million for the fiscal year-end 2020. The Company reported at $3 Million in the first-quarter (Q1) of 2020, which is traditionally the slowest season for the Solar Energy sector. SIRC is projecting the second-quarter (Q2) revenue at an estimated $5 Million with $5 Million in sales that are backlogged and projected to be fulfilled by the Company in Q3 of 2020.

Dave Massey, CEO of SIRC, commented, "The company has experienced strong growth during the past 6 months and we expect this trend to continue as we cross-market to sell our Solar/Roofing solutions and generate new business, while also continuing to seek out new acquisition targets that we feel would mesh well with our business model. We have achieved several important milestones since the beginning of the year. These include:

Bringing all filings up to date and having the Caveat Emptor designation removed.

Closing the Acquisition of Milholland Electric and appointing Brian Milholland as our President.

The appointment of Angela Smoley as Chief Financial Officer of SIRC.

Dave Massey continued "We are extremely optimistic about executing our growth strategy. Overall, the sector is strong and the demand for solar is growing exponentially. Recent developments at the legislative level continue to be a positive influence for the Solar Energy sector. A catalyst driving the industry is the recent mandate issued by the State of California that all new home construction be equipped with solar energy capabilities. We expect that this State mandate will be a positive impact to our business in 2020 and beyond."

About Solar Integrated Roofing Corporation:

Solar Integrated Roofing Corporation is an integrated solar and roofing installation company specializing in commercial and residential properties. For more information, please visit: www.solarintegratedroofingcorp.com.

Story continues

Forward-Looking Statements:

Any statements made in this press release which are not historical facts contain certain forward-looking statements; as such term is defined in the Private Security Litigation Reform Act of 1995, concerning potential developments affecting the business, prospects, financial condition and other aspects of the company to which this release pertains. The actual results of the specific items described in this release, and the company's operations generally, may differ materially from what is projected in such forward-looking statements. Although such statements are based upon the best judgments of management of the company as of the date of this release, significant deviations in magnitude, timing, and other factors may result from business risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, the company's dependence on third parties, general market, and economic conditions, technical factors, the availability of outside capital, receipt of revenues and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the company. The company disclaims any obligation to update the information contained in any forward-looking statement. This press release shall not be deemed a general solicitation.

Contact info:

SOLAR INTEGRATED ROOFING CORPORATION

1475 N. Cuyamaca St.

El Cajon, CA 92020

www.solarintegratedroofingcorp.com

Phone: (858) 437 5330

dmassey@sircfamily.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/61007
Richard Branson's Virgin Atlantic Airways filed for Chapter 15 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. on Tuesday after telling a London court it was set to run out of cash next month without getting approval for a rescue financing. The airline will continue to operate while it restructures.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Virgin Atlantic offered two nonstop flights per day between SFO and London Heathrow. It had also recently completed extensive renovations to its SFO lounge. Currently, Virgin is not among the international carriers that have recently resumed operations at SFO.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - FTC has accused Yellowstone Capital LLC, a leading provider of merchant cash advances, of deceiving small business customers. According to the lawsuit, Yellowstone Capital used deception to lure small business customers, then regularly withdrew money from their accounts without consent even after the customers had repaid the money they owed. The FTC's complaint against Yellowstone Capital, Fundry, founder and CEO Yitzhak Stern, and president Jeffrey Reece, alleges that they unlawfully withdrew millions of dollars in excess payments from their customers' accounts, and to the extent they provided refunds, sometimes took weeks or even months to provide them. 'Small businesses are struggling right now and need responsible sources of financing,' said Andrew Smith, Director of the FTC's Bureau of Consumer Protection. 'Making sure that lenders and funders don't deceive business borrowers or engage in servicing abuses is a big priority for the FTC.' Merchant cash advances are a form of financing in which the defendants provide money to a small business up front in exchange for a larger amount repaid through daily automatic payments. According to the FTC's complaint, Yellowstone has regularly withdrawn hundreds or thousands of dollars from businesses' accounts for days after customers had repaid the full amounts owed in their contracts. In some cases, Yellowstone would only refund this money when businesses complained, and even then the refunds could take weeks or months, leaving small businesses without needed cash on hand. 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 India Meteorology Department has issued a red alert for extremely heavy rainfall in Mumbai and its suburbs for Tuesday and advised fishermen to not sail deep into sea on the east coast as a low-pressure area was developing over the the Bay of Bengal.

Rainfall resumed in Mumbai and its suburbs Monday morning as the monsoon strengthened over the Arabian Sea. The intensity will increase in the metropolis and other areas of Maharashtra during the next two days, weather forecasting agencies said.

Mumbaikars are advised to avoid going out on August 4 and 5, said Skymet Weather, adding the intensity will start decreasing from August 6. The private forecaster said this would be the second spell of heavy rainfall in Mumbai, after mid-July.

Click here to follow Mumbai rains live updates

The IMDs Odisha centre said a low-pressure area is likely to develop over north Bay of Bengal on Tuesday under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over Gangetic West Bengal and another one over northeast Bay of Bengal. It will bring heavy rainfall to the coastal state, including Balasore, Bhadrak and Dhenkanal districts, until Thursday.

The meteorology centre advised fishermen to not venture into deep sea till August 6 as surface winds with speeds up to 50 kmph will make the condition very rough.

Heavy-to-very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are likely to lash many parts of Madhya Pradesh, too, where the monsoon activity has remained subdued so far. In north India, a sultry weather prevailed in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana as the monsoon trough, which was active over the region last week, shifted southwards.

The trough is now passing from Ganganagar and Pilani in Rajasthan, through Gwalior in Madhya Pradesh and Banda in Uttar Pradesh, towards Beharampur in West Bengal and Mizoram and Meghalaya.

Under its influence, several areas in Rajasthan were lashed by monsoon rains since Sunday. Jaipur, Tonk, Bhilwara and Pilani recorded 34.8, 7, 2 and 3.1 mm rainfall in the past 24 hours till Monday evening, according to the local meteorology centre.

Several areas in the state reported waterlogging. In Jaipur, a car got stuck on a flooded road over a nullah. Locals rescued him and the other occupants of the car.

More than 800 villages in 15 districts of Uttar Pradesh have been inundated in Uttar Pradesh due to swelling of Sarayu and Rapti rivers, state minister Anil Rajbhar said.

Rajbhar said embankments had been breached in Gonda, Azamgarh and efforts were on to seal them. As many as 188 medical teams and 16 disaster response and provincial constabulary teams have been deployed for rescue operations.

The flood situation in Assam improved considerably on Monday as the water receded from many areas, though one more person lost his life in the deluge.

The number of flood-hit people decreased by 4.65 lakh since Sunday but around 3.89 lakh people in 17 districts are still affected, the Assam government said in a bulletin.

The Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark at Dhubri town, Nimatighat in Jorhat and Tezpur in Sonitpur districts. Its tributaries Dhansiri, Jia Bharali and Kopili are also flowing above the danger level.

This years flood and landslides have damaged roads and other infrastructure at several places and claimed 136 lives in Assam, according to official estimates.
If there is one overarching factor that has caused America's utter failure to slow the spread of COVID-19, it is complacency and overconfidence. The government and some U.S. media outlets never took the virus seriously, and they are paying for it in dollars and lives lost.



From the start, President Donald Trump has said, "We have it under control," and that the concern about COVID-19 was a "hoax." The right-wing media accused anyone who stressed the importance of preparation of trying to bring down Trump. They constantly attacked scientific facts and medical experts.

To show one example, in April, Fox News published an op-ed by a radiologist who said that CDC models predicting 200,000 or more Americans dying from COVID-19 were "wrong." On July 27, over 1,100 Americans died, bringing the total death toll over 150,000. Multiple models, including the U.S. Army's own model, now predict close to 200,000 or more Americans will have died by September.

If the United States did not take COVID-19 seriously in March, when their Surgeon General told Americans not to wear masks, or May, when the local governments ended social distancing rules because they had seen a small decrease in cases, they should take it seriously now. There is more than enough  far too much  evidence of the severity of the outbreak, and of the measures needed to control it, to make the need for aggressive action evident to anyone paying attention.

Unfortunately, too few are paying attention. Even this week, when the Trump campaign's own head of black voter outreach, Herman Cain, passed away from a bad case of COVID-19 that he may have contracted at Trump's Tulsa rally, which he attended without a mask, Trump and Vice President Mike Pence are still hosting mass campaign events that shamelessly violate local health orders. A video of the Pence rally showed a long line of people standing close together not wearing masks.



Why aren't Americans taking coronavirus seriously? America has not faced a real threat on the scale of coronavirus in a long time. Few Americans have experience making sacrifices for the national good and instead demand personal "rights" that harm the public good.

A destructive strain of "American exceptionalism" holds that America is unassailable. We don't think there is anything to be learned from the rest of the world because "America is different."

When COVID-19 first began spreading across China, a lot of countries were similarly complacent. Thinking in terms of the framework of the 2003 SARS outbreak, SARS did not have a big impact in Europe or the United States. So it was understandable that other countries felt this time would be the same. After coronavirus turned Italy into a hotspot and decimated the rest of Europe, that stance could not be maintained.

When a coronavirus cluster was discovered in Seattle, Americans thought it was just one city. In fact, it had already begun spreading across the whole country, but there just wasn't testing to pick it up.

In May, when the number of new cases had decreased from 30,000 a day to 20,000 a day, American states began relaxing stay-at-home orders, even though the experience of other countries showed that we should aim for closer to zero new cases a day. But Americans wanted to jump the gun and get out into the summer sun.

When the number of new cases began rising to 40,000, 50,000, and now, over 60,000 a day, many Americans said, "Well, at least the number of deaths hasn't been increasing." Of course, it was inevitable that the rise in new daily deaths would follow after the increase in cases, and now it has.

At every step along the way, American politicians and much of the public have looked for excuses to avoid taking action. They have hoped and prayed that COVID-19 would just "go away" or ignored it completely. At every step, it has gotten worse. A reversal should begin with America's leadership apologizing to the country and admitting the extent of the problem.

Mitchell Blatt is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/MitchellBlatt.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.

If you would like to contribute, please contact us at opinion@china.org.cn.
I was recently made aware I had paid 35 to online fashion store JustFab after receiving emails from the company saying I had credit to spend.

I called to cancel this, but was told I had to spend 35 on something in its catalogue.

I checked my PayPal account and saw I had been paying this amount every month for three years, totalling 1,260. I did not realise I had signed up to a subscription service.

Just grab: Fashion website JustFab took 35 a month from a readers account after she unwittingly signed up to a subscription service

I have been told I can only get 350 back. The remaining 910 has to be spent, but I do not need 910 worth of shoes or clothes.

I should have noticed these payments sooner, but I wonder how many other people fall for this.

J. S., Wirral, Merseyside.

JustFab is refusing to cooperate. Four emails from me were returned with four different responses.

The first was unable to grasp the idea that Money Mail was contacting the firm on your behalf.

The second and third said it could not discuss the matter with anyone but yourself due to data protection, despite the waiver provided by your correspondence.

The final email said refunds could not be issued via email and suggested I phoned the firm, but my call was met with another obstinate response.

Two JustFab ads were banned by the Advertising Standards Authority in 2017, after it said it was not 'sufficiently clear' that VIP members would be enrolling into a subscription contract.

It is disappointing the firm has not returned all your payments. It should perhaps take note of Amazon, who often refunds those who unwittingly subscribe to Prime.

Your letter is a reminder of how vital it is to keep an eye on your accounts.

Straight to the point I switched from Shell Energy to Bulb in May 2019 and had heard nothing until I received an email demanding 634 in March. P. M., Horbury, W. Yorks. Shell Energy says you did not supply it with accurate meter readings and this resulted in the surprising final bill. You also needed a new meter and this led to a delay in the bill being sent. Shell has reduced the debt to 550 as a goodwill gesture. *** My holiday to Barbados was cancelled on March 19 due to the pandemic. Virgin Atlantic told me to claim on my travel insurance, then offered me a voucher and, finally, a refund. But Im still waiting to get my money. T. S., Colchester, Essex. Airlines are currently working through a backlog of refunds. Virgin Atlantic say the money has now been paid back into your account. *** For more than two years, Amazon has been charging me 9.99 a month for an Observer subscription, which I did not sign up for. My bank cannot cancel it and Ive been unable to resolve the matter with Amazon. M. F., Fort Augustus. Amazon could not explain how this happened, but it has now cancelled the subscription and refunded you the full amount. *** What is the difference between a Lasting Power of Attorney (LPA) and Enduring Power of Attorney (EPA)? A. S., West Sussex. An LPA is set up to make sure a trusted individual can make financial or health decisions (or both) on your behalf if you lose mental capacity. This replaced EPAs in October 2007. Unlike an EPA, the LPA must include a certificate of capacity, which states that the person making the LPA knows what they are doing, and that no fraud or undue pressure has been used. Only EPAs made and signed before October 1, 2007 can still be used.

Before Christmas, I received a text from Barclays about a suspicious transaction. I rang the bank after Googling the number the text came from.

I was told someone had spent 40 on Deliveroo and my card would be cancelled.

Later, I received a call from the bank regarding other payments I didn't recognise  1,000 on Airbnb and 1,200 on Booking.com  and a 1,600 loan.

I was suspicious, as I had just spoken to Barclays. I asked the man to prove he was from the bank and he reeled off some genuine recent payments.

He told me that as my account had been compromised I'd need to move my money to a 'safe account' he would set up in my name.

I'd already moved 730 to my secondary Monzo account, which held 13, after the first call, as well as the 1,600 loan money that had appeared in my account.

So I moved the money again to the account he told me of. When he hung up I felt uneasy and knew I had been scammed. Monzo has refused to refund the cash I lost.

A. B., London.

Monzo said you did not take enough steps to check who you were paying, and therefore it would not refund you.

Under a code of conduct launched in May 2019, banks must refund victims of bank transfer fraud if they have taken the required levels of care.

I argued the conman was not only convincing, he also knew specific details of your account. Shortly after, Monzo refunded the 2,363 stolen, which you moved to your Barclays account.

But Barclays has also refunded your 730 savings and wrote off the loan, so you are now in profit. I advised you to move the extra money to your Monzo account, so it can recover the funds.

***

An engineer visited my home in April to switch my landline to TalkTalk. He told me there was a problem and he would tell the firm to fix it, but my line was left dead.

I am 90 and have no computer, so my friend contacted TalkTalk online. But this got us nowhere.

Two months later, I wrote to cancel my contract and stopped my direct debit. TalkTalk sent a 66.40 bill.

R. G., St Albans, Herts.

When your friend contacted TalkTalk it did tests but needed to speak to you. It usually texts but, as you had no mobile, it waited for you to call and closed the case when you didn't.

Openreach sent an engineer to the area, who fixed a local cable issue, and TalkTalk assumed the problem had been solved.

After I passed on your new mobile number, TalkTalk rang you and an engineer was sent to your home. There was a problem with your wiring.

The supplier covered the 65 repair cost, waived the 66.40 bill and gave you 25 as a goodwill gesture.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  The Department of Science and Technology says a vaccine for COVID-19 may not be available until the middle of 2021.

Speaking at a televised briefing on Tuesday, DOST Secretary Fortunato de la Pena said it could take that long based on the World Health Organization's solidarity trials and agreements with other countries.

"Kung yung pag-uusapan ay yung aming WHO solidarity trials at saka yung bilateral agreements natin...dito po siguro ay kung i-estimate-in natin yung pagdadaanan proseso, ay baka abutin pa tayo ng middle of 2021," he said.

[Translation: If we are talking about the WHO solidarity trials and our bilateral agreements...if well estimate the process that it would go through, it could take up to the middle of 2021.]

De la Pena also revealed there were ongoing negotiations with five institutions regarding COVID-19 vaccines.

He said, "Tatlo sa China, dalawa sa Taiwan. At very ahead po sila in terms of clinical trials."

[Translation: Three with China, two with Taiwan. And they are very ahead in terms of clinical trials.]

De la Pena said should these institutions make strides in development, they could make vaccines available in the country much sooner.

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte expressed confidence that a vaccine will be developed by December, saying it was possible that China would be one of the first countries to complete its research.

Duterte also said the country would get priority access to the vaccines because it is "friendly" to the East Asian giant.

Finance Secretary Carlos Dominguez III said the country was ready to spend P20 billion to distribute free COVID-19 vaccines to 20 million people.

"We have a plan. We can execute it as soon as the Department of Health (DOH) chooses which vaccine or vaccines they want. Certainly, by late this year, if it's available, we can already buy it," he said.

He said the vaccine chosen by the DOH will be bought through the Philippine International Trading Corporation (PITC), which is under the Department of Trade. It will be initially financed by the Land Bank of the Philippines and the Development Bank of the Philippines, then paid off by the DOH.

In his State of the Nation Address, Duterte said he asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to let the Philippines be among the first countries to have access to a COVID-19 vaccine once it is developed.

Xi, in a previous conversation with Duterte, already assured that the Philippines will be prioritized once the East Asian giant develops a vaccine for the infectious disease.
Womens charities and unions representing parliamentary staff have called on parliament to bypass the Conservatives disciplinary procedures and suspend the Tory MP arrested on suspicion of rape.

Boris Johnson caused outrage over the weekend after the party refuse to suspend the MP, who has not yet been named but is reported to be a former minister.

A joint statement by the TUC, Centenary Action Group, The Fawcett Society, Womens Aid and unions representing parliamentary staff (Unite, Prospect, PCS and FDA) said sexual assault and harassment was endemic in parliament, as in other workplaces.

Given the seriousness of the allegations were calling on parliament to suspend the MP arrested on suspicion of rape, pending a full investigation. The House of Commons should be no different from any other workplace, the statement says.

Safety and the safeguarding of staff must be paramount. Failure to suspend is yet another example of minimising violence against women and girls and failure to believe victims and survivors when they bravely speak out.

The groups warned that the case clearly shows that party politics is still interfering in justice and fairness.

A suspension of the Tory whip would remove the MP from the Conservative parliamentary caucus, but parliament could use its own powers to simply suspend the MP from the chamber altogether. Parliament is currently in its summer recess and not meeting until September.

In a statement, the Conservative Party had said it takes all allegations of this nature extremely seriously but refused to comment further on the matter.

A spokesperson for the Conservative whips office added: These are serious allegations and it is right that they are investigated fully. The whip has not been suspended.

This decision will be reviewed once the police investigation has been concluded.

The Metropolitan Police has confirmed that an investigation has been launched into four alleged incidents between July 2019 and January 2020, said to have taken place at different locations in London.

A spokesperson for the police said a man in his fifties had been taken into custody early on Saturday and was detained at a police station.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 14 January 2022 Ecologist Emma Smart (left) and retired GP Dr Diana Warner outside HMP Bronzefield, in Surrey, following their release from the prison where Emma undertook a 26-day hunger strike during her incarceration. Ms Smart was sentenced in November, along with other members of Insulate Britain, to serve four months for breaking a High Court injunction by taking part in a blockade at junction 25 of the M25 motorway during the morning rush hour on 8 October last year PA UK news in pictures 13 January 2022 A TV presenter holds a copy of a newspaper outside 10 Downing Streetafter the Prime Minister apologised for attending a gathering of colleagues in the Number Ten garden in May 2020, while the UK was in strict lockdown due to the Coronavirus pandemic Getty UK news in pictures 12 January 2022 Fitness guru Derrick Evans after receiving an MBE during an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 11 January 2022 A couple walk underneath an umbrella during wet weather on Westminster Bridge in central London PA UK news in pictures 10 January 2022 A jogger passes the Covid Memorial Wall in London AP UK news in pictures 9 January 2021 The sun rises over horses at Seaton Sluice in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 8 January 2022 Riders compete during the Veterans Men's race at the UK Cyclo-Cross National Championships 2022 in Ardingly, south of London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 7 January 2022 A dog looks out of a car window at the wintry conditions in Killeshin, Co. Laois PA UK news in pictures 6 January 2022 People walk through frost and mist alongside a frozen lake during sunrise in Bushy Park, London REUTERS UK news in pictures 5 January 2022 A skier jumps on the slopes at Allenheads in the Pennines to the north of Weardale in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 4 January 2022 Freshly-fallen snow covers houses in Corbridge, near Hexham in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 3 January 2022 Dean Morrison, 13, receives his Covid-19 vaccine from student nurse Anthony McLaughlin during a vaccination clinic at the Glasgow Central Mosque PA UK news in pictures 2 January 2022 Konastantinos Tsimikas of Liverpool with Chelseas Mason Mount during the Premier League match at Stamfrod Bridge Liverpool FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 January 2022 New Years Eve Lasers, drones and fireworks illuminate the sky in front of the Royal Naval College in Greenwich shortly after midnight in London EPA UK news in pictures 31 December 2021 Competitors in fancy dress run across the Pennine tops near Haworth, West Yorkshire, in the annual Auld Lang Syne Fell race which attracts hundreds of runners every year PA UK news in pictures 30 December 2021 Sunrise at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland PA UK news in pictures 29 December 2021 The Very Revd Dr Robert Willis, Dean of Canterbury Cathedral, looks at Becket, a six month old red-billed chough as he visits Wildwood Wildlife Park in Kent on the anniversary of the murder of Thomas Becket PA UK news in pictures 28 December 2021 Troops of the Household Cavalry are seen reflected in a puddle during the changing of the Queens Life Guard, on Horse Guards Parade, in central London PA UK news in pictures 27 December 2021 A pedestrian walks past a winter sale sign outside a John Lewis store on Oxford street in London Getty UK news in pictures 26 December 2021 Riders take their bikes through the snow near Castleside, County Durham PA UK news in pictures 25 December 2021 Patrick Corkery wears a santa hat and beard as waves crash over him at Forty Foot near Dublin during a Christmas Day dip PA UK news in pictures 24 December 2021 People stand inside Kings Cross Station on Christmas Eve in London Reuters UK news in pictures 23 December 2021 Christmas shoppers fill the car park at Fosse Shopping Park in Leicester PA UK news in pictures 22 December 2021 The sun rises behind the stones as people gather for the winter solstice at Stonehenge. Getty UK news in pictures 21 December 2021 People take part in a winter solstice swim at Portobello Beach in Edinburgh to mark the solstice and to witness the dawn after the longest night of the year PA UK news in pictures 20 December 2021 An auction employee displays poultry to buyers and sellers attending the Christmas Poultry Sale at York Auction Centre in Murton PA UK news in pictures 19 December 2021 Joao Moutinho of Wolverhampton Wanderers looks on during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chelsea at Molineux Getty Images UK news in pictures 18 December 2021 Freight lorries queuing at the port of Dover in Kent PA UK news in pictures 17 December 2021 Newly elected Liberal Democrat MP Helen Morgan, bursts 'Boris' bubble' held by colleague Tim Farron, as she celebrates following her victory in the North Shropshire by-election PA UK news in pictures 16 December 2021 Brussels sprouts are harvested by workers as they prepare for the busy Christmas period near Boston in Lincolnshire PA UK news in pictures 15 December 2021 Lewis Hamilton is made a Knight Bachelor by the Prince of Wales at Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 14 December 2021 The Royal Liver Buildings surrounded by early morning fog in Liverpool PA UK news in pictures 13 December 2021 People queue outside a walk-in Covid-19 vaccination centre at St Thomas's Hospital in Westminster Getty Images UK news in pictures 12 December 2021 People take part in the Big Leeds Santa Dash in Roundhay Park, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 11 December 2021 People arrive at a Covid-19 vaccination centre at Elland Road in Leeds, PA UK news in pictures 10 December 2021 Stella Moris speaks to the media after the US Government won its High Court bid to overturn a judges decision not to extradite WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange PA UK news in pictures 9 December 2021 Camels are lead around Salisbury Cathedral during a rehearsal for the Christmas Eve Service PA UK news in pictures 8 December 2021 Margaret Keenan and Nurse May Parsons, a year after Margaret was the first person in the UK to receive the Pfizer vaccine PA UK news in pictures 7 December 2021 Snowfall in Leadhills, South Lanarkshire as Storm Barra hits the UK with disruptive winds, heavy rain and snow PA UK news in pictures 6 December 2021 A person tries to avoid sea spray on New Brighton promenade in Wallasey as the UK readies for the arrival of Storm Barra Getty UK news in pictures 5 December 2021 People release balloons during a tribute to six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes outside Emma Tustin's former address in Solihull, West Midlands, where he was murdered by his stepmother PA UK news in pictures 4 December 2021 People walk through a Christmas market in Trafalgar Square Reuters UK news in pictures 3 December 2021 A pedestrian carries a dog as they dodge shoppers on Oxford Street in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 2 December 2021 Duchess of Cambridge inspects a Faberge egg at the Victoria and Albert Museum Getty UK news in pictures 1 December 2021 Meerkats at London Zoo with an advent calendar PA UK news in pictures 30 November 2021 Workers put the finishing touches to the Trafalgar Square Christmas Tree ahead of the lighting ceremony later in the week PA UK news in pictures 29 November 2021 Home Secretary Priti Patel is greeted by a police dog at a special memorial service for Met Police Sergeant Matiu Ratana Getty UK news in pictures 28 November 2021 Riyad Mahrez of Manchester City battles for possession with Aaron Cresswell of West Ham United during a match at the Etihad during snow Manchester City/Getty UK news in pictures 27 November 2021 Residents clear branches from a fallen tree in Birkenhead, north west England as Storm Arwen triggered a rare red weather warning AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 26 November 2021 A killer whale (orca in the fjord of Skjervoy, northern Norway AFP/Getty

The spokesperson said: On Friday 31 July, the Metropolitan Police Service received allegations relating to four separate incidents involving allegations of sexual offences and assault.

These offences are alleged to have occurred at addresses in Westminster, Lambeth and Hackney between July 2019 and January 2020. A man was arrested on 1 August on suspicion of rape.
"To John Payne on throwing onions (C8), I would say: 'Don't feed the hand that bites you'," advises

Richard Statham of Kiama. Fellow Kiamamite, Mickey Pragnell thinks: "Throwing coal or onions at particular individuals surely has a major flaw (apart from the potentially fatal one). Aren't you supposed to pelt stockees with things they DON'T like?"

Robert Christie of Cleveland (Qld) says: "Pete Axelrod's dissertation on pilot position (C8) contained the following warning: 'helicopters are unstable'. Damn right. Comparing fatalities against trips undertaken over similar time periods, the humble family car is safer by a couple of orders of magnitude. Whenever I see a despotic, maniacal world leader get into a helicopter, I think to myself 'maybe today is the day'." Angus McLeod of Cremorne adds: "I thank Pete Axelrod for clearing up the helicopter seat question. Prior to my next trip on an eggbeater, I will ask the pilot if they are left or right-handed."

"If you're like me and want a quick, simple COVID-19 test, head south," suggests Susan O'Neill of Cranebrook. "At Nowra, you are only swabbed in one nostril. That beats the test I had in Penrith where it was both nostrils and the throat. Why the difference? No one can tell me. Are we city folk really that much different to the country folk?"

Alex Hamill of Sydney "read where the residents of Pyrmont Village are upset about the Star development. Could someone explain to me when a suburb becomes qualified to be a village?"

"Isnt Dr Karl (C8) taking things to extreme swimming in a mask?" asks Brian Harris of Tamworth. Additionally, George Manojlovic of Mangerton reckons, "If your glasses keep fogging up on the job, you may be eligible for workers' condensation."
Chief Minister B S



Yediyurappa on Tuesday held a review meeting with officials from a hospital where he has been admitted for COVID-19, on increasing ventilator beds in the state.

"Chief Minister held a review meeting over phone with officials regarding increase of ventilator beds in the state today," his office said in a statement.

Yediyurappa is undergoing treatment for at Manipal Hospital.

He was admitted on Sunday night after he tested positive for and doctors have said he is "doing well" and is "clinically stable".

According to the release, 681 ventilators have been received by from the Centre under PM-CARES.

Another 1,279 ventilators allotted to the state by the union Government of India, will be received this month.

Of the 681 ventilators, 166 were installed in Bengaluru city and 169 in other parts of the state, it said, adding that the remaining 346 would be installed by the end of this week.

The Chief Minister also asked officials to appoint necessary staff like anaesthetics, paramedics and nurses who are required to utilise these ventilators immediately, the CMO statement said.

He also directed considering the requests of private hospitals in Bengaluru for ventilators temporarily for COVID purposes and decide the terms and conditions, it added.

Meanwhile, Manipal Hospital said in a release that the Chief Minister continues to remain stable since his admission and has been responding to treatment.

"He is cheerful and attending to his activities.

He is closely being monitored by an expert panel of doctors," it said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Reopening schools should be the 'top priority' as coronavirus lockdowns ease with a billion children left facing a 'generational catastrophe' after classrooms closed, the head of the UN has warned.

Antonio Guterres urged world leaders to reopen schools as soon as coronavirus transmission is under control, or risk permanently hampering the prospects of a generation of young people.

He revealed that schools in 160 countries around the globe are currently closed, while 100 of those have not yet announced a firm date for the reopening.

Antionio Guterres, head of the UN, has urged world leaders to make reopening schools their top priority as he warned 1billion children are facing a 'generational catastrophe'

As a result, 40million children have missed out on education 'in their critical preschool year', he said, while 24million are at risk of dropping out or having no access to education next year as a result of the pandemic.

That is on top of the more than 250 million children who were out of school before the pandemic began, he added.

'We are at a defining moment for the world's children and young people,' Guterres said in a video message and a 26-page policy briefing.

'The decisions that governments and partners take now will have lasting impact on hundreds of millions of young people, and on the development prospects of countries for decades to come.'

According to the policy briefing, 'the unparalleled education disruption' from the pandemic is far from over, with action needed in four key areas.

The first, Guterres stressed, must be reopening schools as soon as possible.

'Once local transmission of COVID-19 is under control,' he said, 'getting students back into schools... as safely as possible must be a top priority.'

UNESCO's education chief Stefania Giannini announced a high-level virtual meeting in October to secure commitments from world leaders on education.

She insisted that the international community must place education at the forefront of recovery agendas from the pandemic.

'There may be economic trade-offs, but the longer schools remain closed the more devastating the impact, especially on the poorest and most vulnerable children,' Giannini warned.

Guterres said schools in 160 countrirs are currently closed, with 100 of those having no firm date for reopening them (pictured, a schoolboy in Germany, where classes have resumed)

She stressed that schools are not only for learning but provide social protection and nutrition, especially for vulnerable youngsters.

The coronavirus crisis has amplified digital, social and gender inequalities, Giannini said, with girls, refugees, the disabled, displaced and youngsters in rural areas the most vulnerable and facing limited opportunities to continue their learning.

Guterres said increasing financing for education must be given priority.

Before the pandemic, low- and middle-income countries faced an education funding gap of $1.5 trillion annually, he said, and the gap in education financing globally could increase by 30% because of the pandemic.

The secretary-general said education initiatives must target 'those at greatest risk of being left behind,' including youngsters in crises, minorities, and the displaced and disabled.

And these initiatives should urgently seek to bridge the digital divide that has become even more evident during the COVID-19 crisis, he said.

On a positive note, Guterres said the pandemic is providing 'a generational opportunity to reimagine education' and leap forward to systems that deliver quality education.

To achieve this, he called for investments in 'digital literacy and infrastructure' and education systems that are more flexible, equitable and inclusive.

UNESCOs Giannini said innovations made so far during the pandemic, including online learning and education on radio and television, 'proves change can happen quickly.'

She said a coalition of global organizations launched a campaign Tuesday called 'Save Our Future' to amplify the voices of children and young people and urge governments worldwide to recognize that investing in education is critical to COVID-19 recovery and to the future of the world.
Washington (AFP) - US presidential candidate Joe Biden will not reveal his long-awaited choice of running mate this week despite previous expectations he would, his campaign told AFP on Tuesday.

"I'm going to have a choice in the first week in August," Biden told reporters on July 28. "And I promise, I'll let you know when I do."

His selection will "not be made during this current week," a member of his campaign team said, though it must be done before the Democratic party convention opens on August 17.

The former vice president to Barack Obama has promised that he would choose a woman to join his ticket challenging Republican President Donald Trump in the November 3 election.

About a dozen names have been raised, with one favorite appearing to be US Senator Kamala Harris of California.

The choice of a running mate has added significance this year because of Biden's age.

He turns 78 on November 20 and would be the oldest man ever to assume the office if he defeats Trump, as polls predict.

Besides Harris, three other senators are believed to be under consideration -- Tammy Duckworth of Illinois, Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Tammy Baldwin of Wisconsin.

Two other lawmakers appear to be in the running -- Florida congresswoman Val Demings and California representative Karen Bass -- and two governors: Michigan's Gretchen Whitmer and New Mexico's Michelle Lujan Grisham.

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has also been mentioned along with Susan Rice, who served as national security advisor under Obama.

Harris, the daughter of a Jamaican-born father and Indian-born mother, served as a district attorney in San Francisco before becoming attorney general of California, the first woman to hold the post in the most populous US state.

She was elected to the Senate in 2016, just the second black woman elected to the body and the first woman of South Asian heritage.

While Harris would be the first black woman on the ticket of a major party, she failed to excite black voters during the primaries, reportedly due to her reputation for being a tough prosecutor.
The incident was reported on August 4.

Ukraine's Ministry of Foreign Affairs says there is no information yet whether there are Ukrainian citizens among victims of a recent explosion in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

"As for the explosion in Beirut, information available from our diplomatic mission is that there are no casualties among the embassy employees, their family members. One of the diplomats had windows [in his home] shattered [by the explosion]," head of the Crisis Management Division of the Foreign Ministry's Consular Support Department Maksym Kovalenko told UNIAN in a comment.

Read alsoReuters: Massive blast in Beirut kills at least 10, sending shockwaves across city (Photos, video)

The embassy's hotline is working as usual, he said, and the Consular Support Department of the Foreign Ministry is also working.

"But no one has contacted them as of now. And there is no information about possible dead or injured citizens of Ukraine," the diplomat said. Yet, the information is preliminary, he added.

According to him, local services are working in Beirut and are trying to establish all the details of the emergency. The search and rescue operation is under way in the city.

As was reported earlier, a huge explosion near the center of Beirut killed at least 10 people and sending shockwaves across the Lebanese capital, shattering glass in people's homes and causing apartment balconies to collapse, witnesses and security sources said.

Later reports said that the number of casualties grew to at least 30 dead and 3,000 injured people.
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She spent lockdown in her Cotswolds home with daughter Lila-Grace and longtime boyfriend Nikolai von Bismarck.

But Kate Moss has moved the family fun to Ibiza, with the trio seen enjoying a day on a luxury yacht on Monday, soaking up the sunshine in the sizzling temperatures.

Kate, 46, stripped down to a skimpy black bikini for her day on board, showing off the results of her clean-living rituals after ditching her party-going lifestyle two years ago.

Model behaviour: Kate Moss, 46, looked sensational in a skimpy black bikini as she enjoyed a day on a yacht in Ibiza with her friends and family on Monday

Kate was full of confidence as she strolled around deck in her chic choice of swimwear, which flaunted her tanned figure.

The top model ditched makeup for her day at sea, showing off her natural beauty, while her long locks were left in natural waves.

Kate's daughter Lila-Grace, 17, chose a rainbow colour tie-dye bikini, with the lookalike mother and daughter seen happily chatting while sunbathing.

Later Kate changed into a plunging black swimsuit as she took a dive from the boat into the cool water, with her handsome boyfriend by her side.

Family fun: Kate was joined on board by her daughter Lila-Grace , 17, and longtime boyfriend Nikolai von Bismarck, 33,as well as a group of friends

Model looks: Kate was full of confidence as she strolled around deck in her chic choice of swimwear, which flaunted her tanned figure

The proud mum also spent her day snapping photos of her pretty daughter as she posed up a storm on board a speed boat and following in her model mum's footsteps.

The mother and daughter had arrived for their boat day looking equally chic with Kate wowing in a loose strappy red sun dress, while Lila Graceteamed denim shorts with a boho top.

After putting her boozy benders behind her years ago, Kate recently said she now prefers to balance her life with yoga and enjoys watching Netflix before bed.

Clean living: The top model showed off the results of her health overhaul, but still indulged in a cigarette during the day at sea

Smitten: Kate was in great spirits as she chatted with her beau and shared snaps she had taken of the fun day

This is the life: The British beauty made the most of the sizzling temperatures as she stripped down to her bikini

Long term love: Kate and photographer Nikolai have been dating for over three years now

Two years ago, she told NBC's Megyn Kelly: 'I take care of myself now, I'm a good girl. I go to bed, I drink lots of water, not too much coffee, and I'm trying to cut down on cigarettes.'

In the mid-90s, the mother-of-one spent her days moving from the catwalk to the bar, with The Groucho Club, The Ivy and her friends' luxurious pads in NW1 all second homes.

After attending a week-long detox in Turkey back in June 2015, the runway sensation wound up being escorted off an easyJet flight home after her airport drinking session took a heavy turn.

Daredevil: Later the star changed into a plunging black swimsuit as she prepared to dive into the ocean

Ready, steady, jump! Kate looked a little reluctant to take the plunge as she chatted with her pals on a speed boat

Posing up a storm: Kate looked stunning as she got ready to leap into the cool water in her chic swimsuit

Cooling off: The model emerged dripping wet and climbed back on board after her brief dip

Still going strong: She stopped to chat to her friend as he showered off while Lila-Grace caught up on some reading

Last month she told Elle: 'I hit the sack at 11pm-ish and watch Netflix before I go to sleep.

'I deal with stress by doing yoga. It helps me concentrate on the here and now.'

Kate's close friend, DJ producer Fat Tony, 54 - who has been sober for 14 years - recently revealed the model has been clean for two years.

Proud mum: Kate also spent her day capturing photos of her stunning daughter as she had an impromptu photoshoot at sea

Lookalike: Lila looked the spitting image of her gorgeous mum as they sat side by side on the boat

Following in her footsteps: Kate couldn't resist taking plenty of photos of her daughter as the yacht crew looked on

Chilled lifetsyle: Kate has cut back on drinking and partying in recent years, boasting about her new low-key life recently

Natural: The top model ditched makeup for her day at sea, showing off her natural beauty, while her long locks were left in natural waves

All about family: The star looked happier than ever as she larked around with her daughters and their friends on holiday

Soaking up the rays: Kate kicked back in the sizzling heat to work on her tan at one point

Me and my girl: Kate picked a prime sunbathing spot next to her daughter after her swim

Family summer: Kate kept close to Lila and her boyfriend during the day at sea

Close relationship; Kate and Lila were deep in conversation as they topped up their tans on the sun deck

Family day: The trio has spent lockdown at Kate's Cotswolds home but have decamped to Ibiza for some sun this week

All at sea: The group were also seen riding the waves in a speed boat and checking out the stunning scenery

He said: 'Kate's been clean for over two years. Me and my sober mates now have a better time than we ever did when we used to drink and take drugs.'

Kate was a member of The Primrose Hill Set - a name given to the all-star group of residents of the leafy London neighbourhood, who were known in their heyday for their raucous behaviour with stories of their antics becoming the stuff of legend.

After attending a week-long detox in Turkey back in June 2015, the runway sensation wound up being escorted off an easyJet flight home after her airport drinking session took a heavy turn.

The supermodel cut down on booze and caffeine in the wake of the incident, before giving up her former vices for good two years ago.

All aboard! The mother and daughter had arrived for their boat day looking equally chic with Kate wowing in a loose strappy red sun dress, while Lila Graceteamed denim shorts with a boho top

Simply stunning: Kate looked gorgeous in her simple but chic choice of sundress and sandals

Ready for some fun: She was already rocking a glowing tan after enjoying a few days on shore

Sweet: The close mother and daughter held hands as they strolled to their waiting yacht

Safety first: The group all wore masks when they first boarded the yacht amid the recent rise in COVID-19 cases in Spain

Kicking back: Kate was the picture of relaxation once on board the stunning yacht which boasted plenty of space for her freidns and family

Health overhaul: Two years ago, Kate told NBC's Megyn Kelly about her health kick revealing: 'I take care of myself now, I'm a good girl. I go to bed, I drink lots of water, not too much coffee, and I'm trying to cut down on cigarettes'
CHESTER  The window remains open for city businesses with five employees or fewer to take advantage of federal pandemic relief funding through the Chester Economic Development Authority. CEDA is administering loans of up to $5,000 through its Microenterprise Grant Program to qualifying businesses affected by the current economic downturn.

The deadline for applications has been extended to Aug. 14 to provide time for further applicants and ensure those applying meet the program criteria, according to city Councilman William Morgan, director for finance. We dont want to reallocate the money anywhere else. We want to make sure the money is given to those people in need, Morgan said. Eight businesses applied as of Thursday for the $50,000 worth of funding, he said.

The program is open to businesses which qualify as a commercial enterprise that has five or fewer employees, one or more of whom own the enterprise and in operation as of March 1, 2020, according to the grant application. Applicants must be in good standing with all city taxes, licenses and related ordinances. The form states that if the business is owned by an individual, that person must have low to moderate income. For a business of more than one individual, 51 percent of the employees must have low to moderate income.

The funding is part of the roughly $725,000 federal Community Development Block Grant supplied through the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development. The annual grant was boosted for 2020 to further pandemic relief efforts. The CDBG has thus far supported the city police and fire departments, with further relief programs for residents currently in the pipeline, Morgan said. In line with CARES Act stipulations, the program is not to cover loss of revenue but more so to keep up with daily operations; to keep payroll going, the electricity on, and purchase supplies to keep things going, Morgan said. Applicants will need to submit invoices or receipts, so we know how much we need to allocate, he said.

After the Aug. 14, the applications will be reviewed by Morgan, CEDA officials and program partner Entrepreneur Works. Officials have not specified a funding disbursement date after the extended deadline.

Forms and full requirements are available at www.chestercity.com and www.ceda.cc. For information, contact CEDA Director of Community Development Jo Ann Ruark at 610-447-7854 or jar@ceda.cc.
She is one of the most celebrated models in the UK.

And Jourdan Dunn served up a model look on Monday evening as she celebrated her 30th birthday with friends and family in London.

The British catwalk star cut a demure fit in a figure-hugging black dress and floor length leather coat for a night out in the city centre.

Serving looks: Jourdan Dunn showcased her sensational model looks and slender physique as she celebrated her 30th birthday with family and friends on Monday

She oozed glamour and sophistication in the all-black ensemble.

Jourdan opted her a black dress that hugged her slender physique and featured a cut-out section that exposed her pert cleavage.

The British beauty went for a foxy cat-eye look that accentuated her chocolate eye-colour and flawless complexion.

Strut your stuff: The model, 30, strutted her stuff down the streets of London wearing a black figure-hugging outfit with a thigh high split and cut-out section on her chest

Matrix chic: Jourdan looked edgy and stylish as she donned a black leather trench coat which she rested on her shoulders

She sported her hair in long ombre braids that flowed neatly down her back and rested on a luxurious leather trench coat.

The stylish lady accessorised the final look with a Gothic cross necklace, embellished satin black heels and a black face mask.

The model perfected Matrix chic vibes as she elegantly made her way inside the restaurant.

All black: The British beauty opted for a smokey cat eye makeup look that highlighted her incredible complexion and she kept her hair in neat and flowing braids

Over the shoulder: Jourdan gave a smouldering look as she entered the restaurant for an evening of celebrations

Jourdan celebrated turning 30 on Monday 3 August and was brought out a personalised cake with pictures of her fondest memories.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, the British beauty has had a year of celebrations following her engagement announcement to her partner Dion Hamilton in February.

Jourdan has kept information about her other half secret, but hinted last month that they started dating in 2019 when she shared a picture of him during their holiday in Jamaica.

Birthday celebrations: The fashion icon has had a year of celebrations after announcing her engagement to her 'life partner' Dion Hamilton earlier this year

The model's post in January sparked speculation that she had already married Dion, as she shared the holiday post of themselves alongside her beloved son Riley, nine.

The accompanying caption was rather telling. She wrote: '2009 my son entered my life, 2019 my life partner entered my life. Stepping into 2020 with both by my side is priceless.'

While she pixelated her man's face, the trio had all co-ordinated their outfits for the occasion.
Downed power lines has closed an intersection in Easthampton and has left more than 1,200 homes and businesses without power as Tropical Storm Isaias moves into Western Massachusetts.

Several communities including Agawam, Wilbraham and Springfield are also reporting trees and limbs have fallen partially blocking roadways.

The intersection of Loudville and Torrey streets in Easthampton was closed at about 3:30 p.m. after power lines came down making it impassable, Easthampton Police said.

Eversource is reporting 518 homes and businesses are without power.

There is also an outage in Agawam that has left 386 customers without electricity. Other outages are in Becket where 110 customers are without power, Otis where 72 homes and businesses are affected, Dalton where 97 customers are without power and Southampton where 102 people have no electricity. Crews are heading to all locations, Eversource and police said.

Storm Isaias is expected to bring high winds and heavy rains as it moves north through the region. It is expected to dump between 1 and 3 inches of rain on the region and some areas of the Berkshires could see as much as 4 inches of rain. Winds of 25 to 30 mph are expected and gusts could reach 50 mph, according to Christopher Besse, spokesman for the Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency.

There is also potential for tornados in Western Massachusetts, especially along the Connecticut River Valley, he said.

The Chicopee City Council has also canceled its regularly scheduled meeting for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday because of the story. City Hall also closed at 3:30 p.m. to allow employees to get home safely, Mayor John L. Vieau said.
Michigan's National Weather Service is warning that Lake Michigan's beach water temperatures are 'dangerously cold' despite the summer weather.

On Monday afternoon, NWS Grand Rapids tweeted an alert that 'Cold water temps at Lake Michigan are expected over the next few days.'

The tweet noted that water temperatures along the shore would be between the 40s and low 50s degrees Fahrenheit.

The National Weather Service Grand Rapids tweeted out the cold water warning for Lake Michigan Monday afternoon, stating shore water will be 'dangerously cold'

Submersion in water at those temperatures can be lethal, the weather service noted, stating that one minute of exposure could lead to cold shock, while 10 minutes could result in incapacitation and an hour could bring about hypothermia.

'The northerly flow will actually pull water away from the shore which causes upwelling along the coast. That will drop beach water temperatures dangerously cold,' the NWS explained about the north to northeast wind currently being experienced in the area.

Upwelling replaces the usually warmer surface water with colder, deeper lake water.

On Monday evening, the NWS posted a second warning about the cold water temperatures, tacking on additional information about dangerous waves and currents.

Water temperatures along Lake Michigan's shore (pictured) are expected to plummet to the 40s and low 50s over the next few days

The NWS also warned of dangerous currents and waves between three to six feet

A surfer is seen braving the waves along Lake Michigan's Silver Beach in St. Joseph on Monday

'Beware on Lake Michigan: water is much colder than last week, and waves and currents will be dangerous for swimmers, especially near the piers!,' according to the tweet.

Waves were between three to six feet high, prompting the NWS to remind swimmers to 'Stay dry when waves are high.'

Lake Michigan shoreline water temperatures were in the 70s last Monday and are currently in the lower to mid-60s, Fox 17 reported.

The news station reported that Lake Michigan shoreline water temperatures are expected to increase by the weekend.
COLUMBUS, Ohio -- Having already left her previous job running the Ohio Department of Health, Dr. Amy Acton is now leaving state government altogether, Gov. Mike DeWine announced Tuesday.

Minutes after DeWine announced the news during his twice-weekly coronavirus briefing, the Columbus Foundation announced it has hired Acton to run Kind Columbus, which the nonprofit describes as being dedicated to spreading the words and actions of kindness as a defining value for our region.

The program, through community partners, helps fund programs for people in need, according to Columbus Foundation spokeswoman Natalie Parscher. This could involve providing direct support to someone dealing with a one-time financial hardship, or in the case of a program developed with Ohio State University, helping provide meals to people struggling with food insecurity, Parscher said.

Acton previously worked for the Columbus Foundation before DeWine hired her to run the Ohio Department of Health in April 2019, a few months after he was elected Ohio governor. Acton ran the department until June, when she resigned amid intensifying public pressure. She has remained since then in an advisory role, continuing to collect her state salary.

Amy is one of the most empathetic, caring people you could ever meet, and that became clear to people throughout Ohio during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Douglas Kridler, president and CEO of the Columbus Foundation, said in a statement. She is ideally suited for this work, and for our aspirations for it.

I am so fortunate to have been given the opportunity to serve the Governor and the people of Ohio, Acton said in a written statement released by the Columbus Foundation. For me, it was a privilege to try to be of help to the awesome team in the Department of Public Health and our extraordinary Governor and Lt. Governor, and to help give people a connection to each other, as we did all we could muster to save their lives and the lives of others. I am pleased to be returning to The Columbus Foundation to lead this investment in kindness as a valuable tool for community healing and progress.

DeWine said Tuesday hes remained in regular contact with Acton, including talking about her preparations for court testimony over the weekend. The DeWine administration and the state health department have been the target of numerous lawsuits over abortion and coronavirus-related restrictions, among other subjects.

Her knowledge of and her passion for public health helped position us as well as we could be as we faced the early stages of COVID-19, DeWine said Tuesday. Her wealth of knowledge as well as her calming bedside manner helped many Ohioans.

During the coronavirus pandemic, Acton rose from obscure government bureaucrat to one of the best-known people in Ohio, thanks to her role in DeWines coronavirus briefings, which in the early days of the pandemic took place seven days a week.

Acton initially received widespread admiration for providing easy-to-understand analysis and information about the virus in a calm, soothing voice, and passionately pleading with Ohioans to stay at home and take other precautions. Bobbleheads and cartoons have been made featuring her.

But she also gradually drew increasingly intense criticism as backlash grew over DeWines coronavirus restrictions and the issue of containing the virus became politicized. Republican lawmakers tried to strip her of her power, and protesters, one of whom was carrying an anti-Semitic sign, demonstrated outside her home in suburban Columbus.

A Youngstown native, Acton has described how she grew up abused, neglected, and occasionally homeless. She attended Youngstown State University, and she paid her own way to earn a medical degree from what is now Northeast Ohio Medical University, followed by a masters degree in public health from Ohio State University.

Cleveland.com / Plain Dealer reporter Laura Hancock contributed to this story.
With the 2020-21 school year fast approaching, parents across the country are debating on whether to send their children back to school despite troubling COVID-19 trends.

A new study from researchers at the University of Texas at Austin weighs the risk that students with COVID-19 could arrive at schools and bring the virus on campus. The study uses the prevalence of COVID-19 in a community to determine the risk the virus may be introduced to a school there. The New York Times published the study in an interactive guide that shows the risk the virus poses to schools in counties across the U.S.

BACKTRACKING: CDC updates school safety guidelines, strongly advocates for reopening campuses in the fall

"Based on current infection rates, more than 80 percent of Americans live in a county where at least one infected person would be expected to show up to a school of 500 students and staff in the first week, if school started today," the NYT reported.

UT researcher and study team member Lauren Ancel Meyers told the NYT the study is meant to help inform schools on when it is safe to bring students back onto campuses. Researchers said the study is "a rough guide, a first step, considering the projections are based on COVID-19 prevalence that is likely to change over time and estimates that five people may be infected for each known case.

The number of COVID-19 cases in Texas increased to 456,237 and deaths increased to 7,544 as of Monday evening, according to a Houston Chronicle analysis of state data. The Houston region is now at 109,585 cases total and Harris County is at 78,105 cases total.

The estimates also assume that children are just as likely to transmit the virus as adults, although much of this is still largely unknown. COVID-19 poses "relatively low risks" to school-aged children compared to adults, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: With schools starting online only, Houston districts work to convince skeptical families to log on

Another important factor to consider is that schools within the same county may have varying levels of risk due to hot spots and socioeconomic and racial disparities. Schools located in COVID-19 hot spots or in vulnerable communities are at higher risk for having an outbreak, per the study.

The NYT's interactive guide shows that out of eight Houston-area counties, schools in Brazoria County are most at risk in terms of the number of people that could bring the virus onto campuses there.

Per the NYT guide, the number of COVID-19 positive people that could arrive at a school of 500 students during the first week of instruction includes:

Brazoria County: 7

Chambers County: 5

Fort Bend County: 2

Galveston County: 6

Harris County: 5

Liberty County: 4

Montgomery County: 3

Waller County: 3

Per the NYT guide, the number of COVID-19 positive people that could arrive at a school of 1,000 students during the first week of instruction includes:

Brazoria County: 13

Chambers County: 11

Fort Bend County: 4

Galveston County: 13

Harris County: 10

Liberty County: 8

Montgomery County: 6

Waller County: 7

In the Houston region, local leaders have strongly advocated that schools remain closed until case counts and deaths decrease, leading health authorities to order all Harris County schools to delay in-person classes until at least Sept. 8. Last week Gov. Greg Abbott said health officials do not hold this power and clarified that only school boards and state education officials can decide when campuses may start in-person instruction.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Turner tells Houston police to start enforcing mask order with citations, $250 fines

Most Houston-area school districts are opting to start the year virtually under the Texas Education Agency's recently-extended eight-week grace period. After that eight weeks, schools may ask for an extension to keep campuses closed that the TEA will consider on a case-by-case basis.

The Houston Chronicle's Shelby Webb reports that following a Monday school board meeting, Humble ISD will be the only district in the Houston area to reopen campuses and offer in-person instruction this August.

For parents that chose to have their students stay at home, the district will still offer virtual instruction for the remainder of the year. About 35 percent of families opted out of on-campus instruction, the Houston Chronicle's Savannah Mehrtens reports.

Find more on the UT study here. To explore the interactive guide, click here.

rebecca.hennes@chron.com
On the morning of July 30, Donald Trump took to Twitter, his preferred medium of broad public address, to muse openly about the challenges of holding the upcoming federal election during the COVID-19 pandemic. As is common with his tweets, the idea kicked off a flurry of outrage from opponents, blunt rebuke from officials and damage control by Republican politicians.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Editorial

On the morning of July 30, Donald Trump took to Twitter, his preferred medium of broad public address, to muse openly about the challenges of holding the upcoming federal election during the COVID-19 pandemic. As is common with his tweets, the idea kicked off a flurry of outrage from opponents, blunt rebuke from officials and damage control by Republican politicians.

"With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history," he wrote. "It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???"

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First things first: the challenges of voting during this election will be steep. At the best of times, voting in the U.S. involves a messy patchwork of systems, administered at the state level and with wide disparities in access. Many states are now looking at expanding mail-in voting to ease the process during the pandemic. Despite Mr. Trumps assertion, theres little evidence that mail-in voting is insecure: in American states which utilize it widely, it has been generally successful.

Moreover, Mr. Trump cannot move the election. At least, he cant do it legally. In the United States, the election date is set by federal law, and the Jan. 20 conclusion of a presidential term is guaranteed by the Constitution. If Congress  including the Democrat-controlled House  wanted to delay the election, it would have to pass legislation, signed by Mr. Trump and, as the New York Times pointed out, open to court challenges, which would certainly come fast and furiously.

With this in mind, a number of Republican politicians  who have largely fallen into lockstep behind Mr. Trump, even as they lament him in anonymous interviews with journalists  were quick to shoot down the suggestion that the election be moved. But the real concern here isnt that Trump might find a way to move the election  its what he is communicating to his supporters when he voices the idea, and what he is setting the groundwork to do.

From the moment he decided to run for the presidency, Mr. Trump has kicked at the pillars of American democracy, flouting its norms with an attitude ranging from blundering disinterest to outright hostility. This behaviour was always brokered in part by his refusal to admit either fault or failure: when it appeared he was highly unlikely to win in 2016, he began to preemptively accuse the Democrats of "rigging" the election. Now, trailing Joe Biden in the polls as a pandemic crisis sweeps the United States, he is musing about fraud and moving the entire election.

The risk here isnt that the election will be moved. It wont; while the Trump presidency has shown that a lot of what we considered key checks and balances on power are, in fact, only as strong as the willingness to abide by them, this particular pillar would encounter far more resistance than makes it plausible. But once again, Mr. Trump is giving his supporters a ready-made excuse to object to the result, should he fail to win a second term. Mr. Trump will, almost certainly, blame such a failure at least in part on the challenges of voting during the pandemic; his self-anointed status as a perpetually aggrieved victim will continue intact.

Whether Mr. Trump wins or loses, the biggest concern now is whether American democracy will be able to withstand the fallout. He is historically unpopular, but backed by a furiously loyal base that aggressively defends his every act. No matter which way the presidential election results fall, the reaction will be explosive. Already, Mr. Trump is piling the tinder, ready to drop the match.
The government on Tuesday lifted the export ban on all ventilators to push the outbound shipments of the product.

All ventilators including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing appliance/device are made free for export, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said in a notification.

The ban was imposed on March 24 to ensure domestic availability to fight Covid-19 pandemic.

On August 1, the group of ministers on Covid-19 has considered and agreed to the proposal of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to allow the export of made-in-India ventilators.

An official statement, issued on August 1, has said that this decision came on the heels of India continuing to maintain a progressively declining low rate of case fatality of Covid-19 patients, which means that fewer numbers of active cases are on ventilators.

Additionally, there has been substantial growth in the domestic manufacturing capacity of ventilators.

Presently, there are more than 20 domestic manufacturers for ventilators.

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The bone and bone marrow are exposed to metals from implants, scientists led by the Charite Medical University in Berlin (Germany) have found. Their results could ultimately lead to safer prosthesis. They are published today in Advanced Science.

Metallic implants are frequently used in medicine to support and replace degenerated tissues. When an artificial joint is implanted in a patient, a foreign body reaction occurs, resulting in the formation of fibrous tissue around the implant. Until now, it was assumed that this fibrotic membrane is prone to chemically isolate the implant from the surrounding tissue. This is one of the reasons why the scientific community has not yet examined whether the release of metallic implant material affects the surrounding bone marrow and bone tissue in humans.

Now researchers from the Charite Hospital in Berlin have assessed the exposure of metals released from artificial joints , like cobalt, titanium and chromium, in the adjacent bone and in the bone marrow. In our previous study we found that cells from the bone where the implant was placed had lost capacity to form bone, and we were intrigued to find out why, explains Janosch Schoon, first author of the paper and scientist at the Charite Medical University and now at the Medical University of Greifswald.

The comprehensive exploration of the topic required the combined expertise of different fields. The study is the result of a close collaboration between physicists, biologists, physicians, chemists and toxicologists. The team hypothesized that metals like chromium and cobalt could accumulate in the body, and since it is well known that they can become toxic at certain levels, this could trigger bone loss. So they came to beamlines ID21 and ID16B at the ESRF to carry out X-ray fluorescence (XRF) with the aim to qualitatively and quantitatively analyse the metals and to identify their specific spatial distribution in bone and bone marrow on a micron- and nanoscale.

"The technical challenges for such experiments are many due to the complexity of the samples. Synchrotron techniques allow us to image at the bone scale (millimeter) but also to locate nanometric metal particles, to detect the concentration of different metals and identify them, as well as their chemical state, which dictates their toxicity", explains Marine Cotte, scientist in charge of beamline ID21 and co-author of the study. She adds: "EBS and new instruments will allow us to be even more efficient in terms of speed, resolution and sensitivity". Schoon complements: We were very lucky to be able to study the location, size and shape of these metals with the unique resolution that we get at the ESRF. It provided us with a broad picture of metal distribution in the bone and the bone marrow.

Results were unexpected: We were extremely surprised when we saw the extent of the metal exposure, especially titanium, says Schoon.

The implications of these results are even more relevant given the organs studied: It is important to note that the bone marrow is essential for hematopoiesis and the origin of all immune cells. The release of metallic implant materials can not only lead to the premature failure of the artificial joint, but also possibly have systemic consequences. Our results provide new insights into the toxicokinetics of metallic implant materials and help to better understand the development of implant-related pathologies., explains Sven Geissler, researcher at the Charite Medical University and senior author of the article.

This study impressively proves the impact and importance of large scale research infrastructures such as the ESRF on society and on individual patients health. Now, there is not only translation from bench to bedside but also from beamline to bedside", explains Bernhard Hesse, CEO of Exployration and visiting scientist at the ESRF, and also co-author of the paper.

Paradigm shift

The study opens doors to new pre-clinical tests for endoprosthesis: Our findings request a paradigm shift, and bone and bone marrow should be considered as relevant organs for pre-clinical testing and post-clinical risk-benefit evaluation of orthopedic biomaterials. Advanced models that mimic the organ function of human bone and bone marrow are needed for extending pre-clinical assessments. Ultimately, we hope to keep implant safety at the highest possible level, concludes Schoon.

The scientists will now continue their research in implants that have been placed for different lengths of time in different patients. We know that in some patients the implants fail very early, while in others problems occur much later and yet others never have an issue. We would like to be able to predict which implant material is the most reasonable choice for which patient, concludes Geissler.

REFERENCE:

Schoon, J., et al, Advanced Science, 3 August 2020. DOI: 10.1002/advs.202000412.

Text by Montserrat Capellas Espuny
Mindfulness could help trainee general practitioners (GPs) to build their resilience and reduce burnout, helping to reduce the number of newly qualified GPs leaving the profession, according to University of Warwick researchers.

A new study of GP trainees in Coventry and Warwickshire shows that they are experiencing similar levels of burnout to experienced GPs, but that the majority were willing to use mindfulness as a method to reduce its impact.

The study is published in the journal BJGP Open and surveyed 47 GP trainees working in Coventry and Warwickshire on their experiences of stress and burnout. The results informed a new Mindful Practice Curriculum that the researchers are currently piloting as a method of helping doctors to manage stress and burnout issues in themselves.

Recent evidence has shown that doctors who fully qualify as a GP have a very high rate of leaving the profession within the first five years.

Lead author Dr Petra Hanson of Warwick Medical School, and a Clinical Research Fellow at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust, said: That is quite worrying because it will mean that there is a crisis in the workforce, especially amongst GPs.

We know that, in general, doctors suffer from relatively high levels of burnout and for patients that could result in poorer care. But its also bad for individual doctors because it could result in those doctors leaving the profession.

The researchers recruited 47 GP trainees in their second or third year of training to take part in a survey assessing their wellbeing, resilience and burnout, using well-established measures. They found that 64% of the trainees were experiencing burnout, defined as issues relating to excessive stress at work. This was broken down into those experiencing emotional exhaustion and disengagement, with 77% of trainees experiencing exhaustion and 80% experiencing disengagement. This is not dissimilar to the rates seen in fully qualified GPs from previous research, which is 94% and 85% respectively.

ALSO READ: Guided Meditation: Relieve stress and improve sleep patterns with this holistic practice

The researchers were also surprised to find lower resilience among GPs in training, having assumed that doctors were more likely to have greater resilience, with an average value 3.02 where the normal range would be 3 - 4.3.

The survey showed that a third of the GP trainees were already practicing some sort of mindfulness technique, often in the form of an app. Over 80% wanted to try mindfulness, but wanted to see more evidence for its effectiveness and were concerned about the demands on their time.

Mindfulness is defined as a capacity for enhanced and sustained moment-to-moment awareness of ones own mental and emotional state and being, in the context of ones own immediate environment.

The Mindful Practice Curriculum is an intervention designed for doctors. It has been widely tested in the United States but the researchers are currently evaluating its effectiveness in the UK for the first time. The key differences with this type of mindfulness course are that it is very structured and addresses issues that are specific to doctors.

Dr Hanson adds: In general, the GP trainees were very open to it, and they knew that it was not only going to be benefitting patients but also themselves.

We found evidence showing that mindfulness was used among doctors to improve resilience and wellbeing, but we wanted to use something that was structured and specifically designed for doctors. Mindfulness doesnt have a well-standardised definition of how it can be used as an intervention amongst different groups of people or professionals.

ALSO READ: Improving balance and reducing risk of chronic illness: Learn walking meditation and its health benefits

This course covers areas such as making mistakes in clinical practice, compassion fatigue, mindful listening, things that every doctor, regardless of their expertise, will at some point in their career have issues with. Id like to see this programme incorporated into the training of doctors, regardless of speciality. I dont think theres any difference between doctors in training.

After graduating from medical school, doctors undergo two years of foundation training at the end of which they can choose which speciality they want to go. If they choose to become a GP they have a three-year-long training programme, whereby their final year they are working at a similar level to a fully-qualified GP. Although by their third year they are working with patients in a similar manner to a fully-qualified GP, they have additional stresses such as exams and maintaining a portfolio.

Professor Jeremy Dale, GP in Coventry and Head of the Unit of Academic Primary Care at Warwick Medical School, said: This study casts light on the importance of addressing the wellbeing of doctors as part of their GP training. With such high levels of emotional exhaustion and disengagement being experienced by trainees, this is likely to be adversely affecting their wellbeing, their career plans and of course the care of their patients. The interest shown in incorporating mindfulness training as part of GP training suggests that this could be an important life skill that GP trainees are keen to develop to help them cope with the pressures of working in general practice.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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Nobody can shoot a pistol bullet through a banana in such a way that the skin is perforated but the banana remains intact. However, on the level of individual atomic layers, such a feat has now been achieved - a nano-structuring method has been developed at TU Wien (Vienna), with which certain layers of material can be perforated extremely precisely and others left completely untouched, even though the projectile penetrates all layers.

This is made possible with the help of highly charged ions. They can be used to selectively process the surfaces of novel 2D material systems, for example to anchor certain metals on them, which can then serve as catalysts.

New materials from ultra-thin layers

Materials that are composed of several ultra-thin layers are regarded as an exciting new field of materials research. Ever since the high-performance material graphene was first produced, which consists of only a single layer of carbon atoms, many new thin-film materials have been developed, often with promising new properties.

"We investigated a combination of graphene and molybdenum disulfide. The two layers of material are brought into contact and then adhere to each other by weak van der Waals forces," says Dr. Janine Schwestka from the Institute of Applied Physics at TU WIen and first author of the current publication. "Graphene is a very good conductor, molybdenum disulphide is a semiconductor, and the combination could be interesting for the production of new types of data storage devices.

For certain applications, however, the geometry of the material needs to be specifically processed on a scale of nanometres - for example, in order to change the chemical properties by adding additional types of atoms or to control the optical properties of the surface. "There are different methods for this," explains Janine Schwestka. "You may modify the surfaces with an electron beam or with a conventional ion beam. With a two-layer system, however, there is always the problem that the beam affects both layers at the same time, even if only one of them is supposed to be modified.

Two kinds of energy

When an ion beam is used to treat a surface, it is usually the force of the impact of the ions that affects the material. At TU Wien, however, relatively slow ions are used, which are multiply charged. "Two different forms of energy must be distinguished here," explains Prof. Richard Wilhelm. "On the one hand, there is the kinetic energy, which depends on the speed at which the ions impact on the surface. On the other hand, there is the potential energy, which is determined by the electric charge of the ions. With conventional ion beams, the kinetic energy plays the decisive role, but for us the potential energy is particularly important."

There is an important difference between these two forms of energy: While the kinetic energy is released in both material layers when penetrating the layer system, the potential energy can be distributed very unevenly among the layers: "The molybdenum disulfide reacts very strongly to the highly charged ions," says Richard Wilhelm. "A single ion arriving at this layer can remove dozens or hundreds of atoms from the layer. What remains is a hole, which can be seen very clearly under an electron microscope." The graphene layer, on the other hand, which the projectile hits immediately afterwards, remains intact: most of the potential energy has already been released.

The same experiment can also be reversed, so that the highly charged ion first hits the graphene and only then the molybdenum disulphide layer. In this case, both layers remain intact: the graphene provides the ion with the electrons necessary to neutralize it electrically in a tiny fraction of a second. The mobility of the electrons in the graphene is so high that the point of impact also "cools down" immediately. The ion crosses the graphene layer without leaving a permanent trace. Afterwards, it can no longer cause much damage in the molybdenum disulphide layer.

"This provides us now with a wonderful new method for manipulating surfaces in a targeted manner," says Richard Wilhelm. "We can add nano-pores to surfaces without damaging the substrate material underneath. This allows us to create geometric structures that were previously impossible." In this way, one could create "masks" from molybdenum disulfide perforated exactly as desired, on which certain metal atoms are then deposited. This opens up completely new possibilities for controlling the chemical, electronic and optical properties of the surface.

"We are very pleased that our excellent collaborations via the TU Doctoral College TU-D were able to contribute significantly to these results," says Janine Schwestka, who was a member of the TU-D for more than three years. "In addition, it distinguishes Vienna as a location for science and research that we were able to establish contacts with the University of Vienna through short distances in order to deepen our joint expertise and complement each other methodically".
Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam announces the postponement of the citys legislative council election in a press conference on July 31, 2020. (Yu Gang/The Epoch Times)

EU Expresses Concern Over Hong Kongs Election Delay, Candidate Disqualifications

The European Union (EU) has called on the Hong Kong government to reconsider its decision to postpone the citys election for its Legislative Council (LegCo).

It is essential that the Legislative Council elections take place in an environment which is conducive to the exercise of democratic rights and freedoms as enshrined in the Hong Kongs Basic Law, stated Josep Borrell, High Representative of the EU for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, in a statement on behalf of the EU.

On July 31, Hong Kongs pro-Beijing leader Carrie Lam invoked emergency powers granted under the colonial-era Emergency Regulations Ordinance to delay the LegCo election previously scheduled for Sept. 6 by a year.

Lam claimed that the gatherings of voters on election day would harm public health amid a new wave of coronavirus infections caused by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) virus in the city.

According to the Hong Kong governments statistics, the city saw on average about 116 new infections daily from July 21 to Aug. 3. For the seven days ending Aug. 3, there were a total of 811 new cases recorded.

As of Aug. 3, Hong Kong has a total of 3,590 known cases and 37 deaths due to the virus in a city of about 7.5 million.

Borrell added: The proposed postponement by one year of the elections to the Legislative Council through recourse to emergency powers, would delay the renewal of its democratic mandate and call into question the exercise of the democratic rights and freedoms guaranteed under Hong Kongs Basic Law.

The Basic Law, Hong Kongs mini-constitution, is meant to guarantee the city a high degree of autonomy under a model known as one country, two systems for at least 50 years after the citys sovereignty was handed over from Britain to China in 1997.

Lams decision to postpone the election has drawn sharp criticism inside and outside of Hong Kong.

On Aug. 2, the Hong Kong Bar Association (HKBA) issued a statement expressing its grave concern about the delay.

The HKBA considers that there are serious doubts about the legal and evidential basis of the Governments decision, according to the statement.

The HKBA added that the city government did not consult with relevant experts on the appropriate balance to be struck between protecting public health and protecting the constitutional right of Hong Kong residents to participate in elections.

The association has also questioned why the election was postponed for a year, instead of weeks or months.

London-based NGO Hong Kong Watch said that the election delay was totally unnecessary and an assault on fundamental freedom, in an analysis report published on July 31.

The report pointed to several countries, including South Korea, Poland, and Singapore, all of which recently held elections despite their number of their total COVID-19 infection cases being higher than that of Hong Kong.

Borrell also raised concerns about the recent mass disqualification of pro-democracy candidates, including incumbent lawmakers previously democratically elected by the people of Hong Kong.

The disqualification weakens Hong Kongs international reputation as a free and open society since the protection of civil and political rights is a fundamental part of the one country, two systems model, the press release read.

The EU calls on the Hong Kong authorities to reconsider these decisions, it added.

The Foreign Office responds to the postponement of Hong Kongs LegCo elections. Read the full statement https://t.co/DoCm25le7R  Foreign Office  (@foreignoffice) July 31, 2020

The UK Foreign Office also expressed concerns, calling on Beijing to reassure the people of Hong Kong and the world that elections will be held as soon as possible.

On July 30, just one day before the announcement of the election delay, the Hong Kong government disqualified 12 candidatesamong them four incumbent lawmakers Alvin Yeung, Dennis Kwok, and Kwok Ka-ki, who are members of the pro-democracy Civic Party, and Kenneth Leung. Lams government also disqualified Joshua Wong, iconic figure from the 2014 Umbrella Movement.

Freedom House condemns the ongoing suppression of rights in Hong Kong, including the arrest of student activists, disqualification of candidates, and one-year postponement of elections. https://t.co/6x5dWWtzVJ  Freedom House (@freedomhouse) July 31, 2020

Washington-based nonprofit Freedom House condemned the mass disqualification and election delay in a statement on July 31.

Given the ongoing crackdown on pro-democracy voices and the fact that COVID-19related deaths in Hong Kong remain comparatively low, the international community is rightly concerned that this postponement is in fact a political maneuver designed to dampen voter enthusiasm, provide additional time to disqualify or prosecute pro-democracy candidates, and quash dissent, Freedom House wrote.
By Melanie Burton

MELBOURNE (Reuters) - Australia's second-biggest city, Melbourne, already under night curfew, announced fresh restrictions on industries including retail and construction on Monday in a bid to contain a resurgence of the coronavirus.

From Wednesday night, Melbourne, the capital of Victoria state, will close retail, some manufacturing and administrative businesses as part of a six-week lockdown.

The new measures are expected to double the number of jobs affected by coronavirus restrictions to around 500,000 and along with those working from home will keep 1 million people from moving around for work, Victoria state premier Daniel Andrews said.

Having already imposed the strictest restrictions on movement, Victoria declared a "state of disaster" on Sunday.

Australia has fared better than many countries, with 18,361 coronavirus cases and 221 deaths from a population of 25 million, but the surge in community transmissions in Victoria raised fears that the infection rate could blow out of control.

"As heartbreaking as it is to close down places of employment ... that is what we have to do in order to stop the spread of this wildly infectious virus," Andrews told a news conference.

"Otherwise, we are not in for six weeks of restrictions - we'll be in for a six-month stint."

The latest moves in Victoria meant production at meatworks would be cut by one-third, construction activities and staffing at distribution centres would also be scaled back and all schools would return to remote learning.

Supermarkets will remain open along with restaurant takeaway and delivery, but many other retail outlets will shut.

The outbreak in Victoria, which makes up a quarter of the national economy, has scuppered hopes for a quick rebound from Australia's first recession in nearly three decades.

Andrews announced A$5,000 ($3,570) payments for affected businesses and flagged more announcements about penalties, enforcement and education on Tuesday.

Story continues

The national government also announced pandemic leave disaster payments for people who have run out of sick leave and have to self-isolate for 14 days, paying A$1,500 to ensure those with COVID-19 symptoms stop going to work.

"What we're dealing with here is a disaster," Prime Minister Scott Morrison said at a media conference.

Restrictions announced on Sunday included a curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. for six weeks, barring the city's nearly five million people from leaving their homes except for work or to receive or give care.

"The idea that, in this country, we'd be living at a time where there would be a night curfew on an entire city of the size of Melbourne was unthinkable," Morrison said.

Victoria reported 429 new cases on Monday, down from 671 new infections on Sunday, but 13 more deaths was the second highest daily death toll.

FEARS OF SPREAD

States bordering Victoria also took precautionary steps.

New South Wales, which had 13 new infections, strongly recommended the use of masks in all indoor venues, while South Australia, with two fresh cases, reduced home gatherings to a maximum of 10 people from 50 previously, and said only those seated at venues can be served alcohol.

The surge in new cases means an Australia-New Zealand travel bubble will be indefinitely delayed, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Arden said, as the criteria for places with quarantine-free travel was no community transmission for 28 days.

"That is going to take a long time for Australia ... so that will be on the backburner for some time," she told New Zealand's network Three.

Both countries had hoped travel between the two could restart as soon as September.

(Reporting by Melanie Burton; Additional reporting by Praveen Menon in Wellington and Sonali Paul; Editing by Richard Pullin, Michael Perry & Simon Cameron-Moore)
HOOFDDORP, Netherlands, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Seafox International is pleased to note the support from the majority of GMS' shareholders for its proposal to appoint two nominee directors to the Board of GMS, who have been duly appointed to the Board. We are grateful for the support of these shareholders.

This vote endorses the validity of Seafox's views with regard to GMS, and reflects Seafox's position as GMS' substantially largest shareholder, owning 29.99% of the Company.

About Seafox

Seafox is a leading global offshore jack-up company, providing services to support the oil & gas and renewable industry. Seafox owns and exclusively manages eleven self-elevating jack-up units. Seafox's customers benefit from its wealth of experience in accommodation & crane support, well testing & workover, transport & installation and decommissioning. Furthermore, Seafox offers temporary accommodation units for offshore locations and on board vessels.
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Hundreds of dolled-up revellers have let loose in Darwin as they enjoyed a day at the races while the rest of the country endures further COVID-19 restrictions.

Punters flooded Turf Club's new $12million grandstand on Monday for a day of fun-filled debauchery.

Life in the Northern Territory has almost returned to normal since restrictions eased on June 5, and just three active coronavirus cases remain.

The state has recorded just 34 cases in total, all related to international or interstate travel. No community transmission has yet been recorded.

Travellers who fly to the state from hotspots Victoria or Greater Sydney must spend 14 days of government-managed quarantine and pay the $2,500 fee themselves.

SUN'S OUT: Two young women dance on the grass with a bottle in hand during the Darwin Cup on Monday as the Northern Territory enjoys a life without coronavirus restrictions

BALANCE IS KEY: A reveller is seen skillfully balancing on an upside down road cone as he waited for his mates at the races

CARE FREE: A pair of young women chose to ditch their shoes as they chatted surrounded by empty beer bottles

THIRSTY: A women in a floral dress smiles as she delivers drinks to her friends at the event on Monday in the Northern Territory

PRETTY IN PINK: A couple were snapped during a deep discussion during the event on Monday as revellers enjoyed the 30C heat

Having spent months locked off from the rest of the country, revellers were able to enjoy a sun-soaked day and despite the mercury soaring to 30C, many partygoers still managed to keep cool in brightly coloured dresses and strappy heels.

As the day went on revellers were in high spirits as they danced near the track, with two young women choosing to ditch their shoes as they chatted surrounded by empty beer bottles.

One glamorous racegoer in a bright dress covered in fruit was seen showing off her broken sunglasses, while women in fascinators were seen lounging on the grass as they sipped on champagne.

One bloke was even seen skillfully balancing on an upside down road cone as he waited for his mates.

The event was a reminder of what life was once life before the coronavirus pandemic.

Residents in NSW and Victoria can all but dream of similar events happening this year as both states continue to battle the virus.

NSW reported 12 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, with just one linked to hotel quarantine and others linked to clusters, or Victorian travellers.

PEACE: Punters in pretty dresses are seen laughing as they pose for a photo after the event in Darwin on Monday afternoon

FUN IN THE SUN: A woman in a bright yellow dress, matching head piece laughs and gold sandals with her friends at the event

FASHION DISASTER: A woman in a fruit dress shows her friend her broken sunglasses and she holds a drink and fan in her other hand

STYLE: A couple with stunning head wear enjoy a beverage at the event in Darwin on Monday, temperatures soared to a scorching 30C

CHEERS LADS: A group of blokes in sunglasses sit closely together cheering as they enjoy the races on Monday in Darwin

EARLY NIGHT: A man with a Mohawk is escorted away by police as a woman in a tight blue dress joins them

The state has been recording steady daily increases in virus cases in the low double digits.

It was a Victorian who brought the sickness over the border sparking the current New South Wales outbreak, and the border has now been firmly sealed.

As Victoria recorded 439 new cases and 11 deaths on Tuesday, stage four lockdown measures were underway, with 250,000 people out of work for at least the next six weeks.

The Victorian government hopes the drastic lockdowns, which include an 8pm to 5am curfew, will crush the infection spike derailing Australia's recovery, which was once the envy of the world.

Premier Andrews has outlined a three-tiered system for workplaces, effective from Thursday, to complement the state's six-week stage four lockdown.

'There will be very significant pain,' he said on Monday.

CHEESE: A woman attempts to drink from a bottle as her friends pose for a picture with her at the event

CORONA WHO? Revellers sit in groups at the event and enjoy drinks while the rest of the country continues to battle COVID-19

WILD TIMES: Partygoers pose for a picture as they leave the event in Darwin on Monday evening

FASHION QUEENS: A group of women in bright head wear lounge on the grass as they sip on champagne

He estimated roughly 250,000 workers would be stood down under the latest changes.

They'll join a further 250,000 people who are already out of work under stage three restrictions, with another 500,000 people working from home.

Supermarkets, grocery stores, bottle shops, pharmacies, petrol stations, post offices and banks will remain open as part of the first group.

Hardware stores such as Bunnings will be accessible to tradespeople, but move to 'click and collect' for members of the public.

With the spike in cases, the Northern Territory has closed its borders once again to those in the Greater Brisbane area, Ipswich and Logan, the areas - joining other declared coronavirus hotspots of Victoria, Greater Sydney, Port Stephens, and Eurobodalla Shire.

Anyone travelling to the NT from these areas must undergo mandatory quarantine.

The state first closed its borders to all travellers in March but reopened them for for most travellers on July 17.

CHEERS: A woman in a white dress and red lip stick poses for a photo after the races in Darwin on Monday

THIRSTY GROUP? A group sit at a table filled with bottles during the event at Darwin Turf Club's new grandstand

NO SOCIAL DISTANCING HERE: Two blokes embrace after the event at Darwin's Turf Club on Monday

SPRING IS ON THE WAY: A woman in yellow enjoys a beverage as she chats to her friend

FESTIVE SEASON: A man dressed as Santa was seen relaxing in a chair, drinking a beer as he watched the races
Maryland Is Open So many of the local Maryland Businesses we work with have been affected by having to close or limit their offerings."

Maryland Is Open provides updates on safety precautions, operating hours, venue adjustments, and more. The site features an interactive map of local business locations and all related information with a quick click.

The pandemic hit local businesses the hardest and Maryland Is Open is dedicated to assisting them get the attention they need at no cost. Some benefits for businesses listed on MarylandisOpen.com include:

Increased visibility and consumer awareness

Maryland-only listings

Monetary investments in site and marketing Maryland Businesses

Partnerships with local counties and corporations

Exposure to new audiences

Podcast featuring local businesses

As the state remains in Stage Two of Governor Hogans Maryland Strong: Roadmap to Recovery plan, business owners are urged to adhere to best practices that ensure the safety of workers and customers alike. Getting listed on Maryland Is Open can help showcase businesses to customers across the state and spread the word about safe services during the stages of reopening.

Baltimore based companies Enradius and The Canton Group collaborated to create Maryland Is Open. The two companies paired their services of digital marketing and geo-targeted advertising with web and software development to create this easy-to-use website that is built for Maryland Businesses and Consumers alike.

We were excited to partner with The Canton Group in this endeavor, largely due to their Maryland knowledge and IT development work in the government space, said David Carberry, CEO at Enradius. So many of the local Maryland Businesses we work with have been affected by having to close or limit their offerings. We wanted to provide a place that they could describe their Covid-19 protocol and safety strategies, as well as their hours of operation.

The Canton Group was equally excited to work with Enradius on Maryland Is Open and serve communities throughout Maryland.

As a business whose home is in the heart of Baltimores Canton neighborhood, it feels especially important to to be a part of supporting the local Maryland business economy as they reopen and recover. We are all one community together, said Ethan Kazi, CEO of The Canton Group.

Maryland Is Open can also be found on social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Maryland News Network will also be coordinating a regional podcast featuring interviews of business owners and how they are adapting with the changing times.

ABOUT ENRADIUS

Enradius captures the power of the merging of traditional and digital marketing and advertising by providing tailored, customized marketing and ad services targeted to a distinct geographical region or online community. By providing geo-targeted digital advertising, media and marketing solutions, Enradius engages existing customers more often and captures new customers when they are within range of a business and ready to buy, delivering increased sales and profit margins at a lower cost and a better ROI.

ABOUT THE CANTON GROUP

Consistently recognized as the leading web and software development firm in Baltimore, The Canton Group is dedicated to engineering innovative web solutions that help organizations achieve critical business and organizational objectives. The Canton Group has an award-winning team of cross-platform web architects and developers that help organizations use technology to innovate and successfully adapt to rapid changes in the modern digital landscape.

For more information about Enradius visit http://www.enradius.com.

For more information about The Canton Group visit https://www.cantongroup.com.

Media Contact:

Caitlin Collamore

Marketing & Public Relations Intern, Enradius

caitlin@enradius.com

845-825-7119
The enactment of the Public Holiday (Amendment) Act 2019, (Act 968) by Parliament in March 2019 gave legal backing to the celebration of the Founders' Day on August 4, replacing Founder's Day, which was formerly celebrated on September 21, as Osagyefo Kwame Nkrumah's birthday.



The September 21 was designated as the Memorial Day for Ghana's first President, Dr Kwame Nkrumah for the instrumental role he played in the Country's independence on March 6, 1957.



The Founders' Day was designated to acknowledge the roles of the "Big Six" who led the nation to independence- J.B. Danquah, Emmanuel Obstsebi-Lamptey, William Ofori-Atta, Edward Akufo-Addo, Ako Adjei and Dr Kwame Nkrumah.



The day affords Ghanaians an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of the forebearers in the fight for independence.

Activities for the day are also expected to encourage others to commit their lives to sacrifice for the nation.



The proponents of the Founders' Day believe that August 4 is the most appropriate because it marks two important events in Ghanas history- the formation of the Aborigines Rights Protection Society by John Mensah in 1897 and the formation of the United Gold Coast Convention (UGCC) in 1947 by J. B. Danquah and George Alfred, also known as Paa Grant.



Jacob Sey was the founding President of the ARPS, and joined by other crusaders including; Casely Hayford,John Mensah Sabah, Kobina Sekyi, J.W. de-Graft Johnson and J.B. Prah.



The Founders' Day was first celebrated in 2019 with a public lecturer at the Academy of Arts and Sciences, which Professor Bondzie Sampson, the Rector of the Ghana Institute of Management and Public Administration (GIMPA) delivered the first lecture.



This year's Founders' Day public Lecturer is being organised by the Ministry of information, with Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye expected to deliver the keynote address at the Ministry's Press Centre at 1600 hours today.



The day affords Ghanaians an opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices of the forbearers in the fight for independence.

Source: GNA









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By Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Stressing on the need for more COVID-19 tests, Soumya Swaminathan, Chief Scientist, World Health Organization (WHO), said on Tuesday that India, on the whole, was testing much less than other countries. She was in conversation with Telangana IT and MAUD Minister KT Rama Rao in a webinar on The Vaccine Race.

Speaking at the event, Dr Soumya pointed out that an ideal Test Positivity Rate (the percentage of people who test positive for Covid-19 out of the total tests conducted) must be below 5 per cent. If this figure increases, it means that testing is not being done adequately.

India, on the whole, is testing much less than some countries that have done well like Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and USA. Every public health department must set some benchmarks on how many tests need to be conducted per lakh or per million, said Dr Soumya.

READ| Sun Pharma launches Favipiravir in India at Rs 35 per tablet

She further noted that testing has to be extensive especially in cities with a dense population where transmission is higher, while for rural areas an ILI-SARI surveillance method could be done. In rural areas, constant surveillance can be done for anyone with ILI and SARI symptoms. But for cities, the way ahead is to test, she said.

While Minister KTR raised the most pertinent question in the minds of the public on how long we may have to live with the virus, as some recent comments from the WHO noted that a vaccine may never come, Dr Soumya noted that going forward, irrespective of the vaccine race, governments will have to keep monitoring 8-10 indicators of sound public health.

The virus can be controlled with efforts at the government, community and individual level. After testing, it has to be followed by isolation, contact tracking, taking care of those found to be positive by checking for their oxygen levels etc, she added.
Hagerty and Collectors Car Garage Join Forces, Create National Network Of Car Club Plus Facilities

Hagerty Garage + Social will provide premium storage, gathering places, events and experiences

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., (August 4, 2020)  Hagerty has joined forces with Collectors Car Garage (CCG) to create Hagerty Garage + Social, a planned national network of home bases for local car enthusiasts, offering premier storage, concierge services and specialized events and experiences.

Currently, there are Hagerty Garage + Social locations in Chicago and Bedford Hills, New York. A third facility is set to open in Miami in early 2021, with additional locations across the country to follow.

This is another big step forward in our mission to expand and preserve car culture for future generations, said McKeel Hagerty, CEO of Hagerty. We want each Hagerty Garage + Social location to become the center of the local car community, along with offering outstanding services for clients.

Founded 15 years ago by Bob Machinist and operated today by his son, James Machinist, John Belniak and a team of car experience specialists, CCG built its reputation on climate-controlled storage, detailing and concierge services for collector car owners. To this mix, Hagerty will add its unique brand of social and experiential events, including bigger and better driving tours, track days, lectures, seminars and more.

As with CCG, Hagerty Garage + Social locations will be open seven days a week, including 24/7 access for members by appointment, and will assist members with concierge services.

Hagerty Garage + Social will do what weve always done - make sure our members have the very best collector car experience, said James Machinist, who is now vice president of Hagerty Garage + Social. For instance, in each of our locations we establish working relationships with select restoration shops where we can facilitate any needs our members vehicles need. Our goal is to make the ownership experience easy so our members can get the most enjoyment out of their cars and take advantage of events with other members.

For more information, visit the Hagerty Garage + Social website at garageandsocial.com.

About Hagerty

Hagerty is an automotive lifestyle company with a mission to keep driving alive for car lovers. Hagerty is home to Hagerty Drivers Club, DriveShare, Hagerty Valuation Tools, Hagerty Garage + Social, Hagerty Drivers Club magazine, Hagerty Media and MotorSportReg. Hagerty is the world's largest provider of specialty insurance for enthusiast vehicles and supports keeping car culture alive through youth programs, the Historic Vehicle Association (HVA) and the RPM Foundation. For more information, call (800) 922-4050 or visit www.hagerty.com.
Actor Rana Daggubati is all set to get married to his fiancee Miheeka Bajaj on August 8, 2020, amid COVID-19 crisis. The duo had a roka ceremony in May 2020 and was waiting for the right time to tie the knot. However, the situations are not getting better in Hyderabad. Hence, the families of Rana and Miheeka have decided to keep the wedding ceremony an intimate affair. Recently, Rana Daggubati's father Suresh Daggubati revealed some details about his son's wedding.

According to Times of India report, the wedding will take place at Ramanaidu Studios in Hyderabad in the presence of not more than 30 people. While speaking to the portal, Suresh Daggubati said, "There will not be more than 30 people present at the wedding. We want to limit the guest list to just family and we haven't invited even some of our closest friends, within and outside the film industry. The reality is that Covid-19 cases continue to rise and we don't want our celebrations to risk anybody's health, so I want to set the right example."

Suresh Daggubati also revealed that they will take all the safety measures and test all the attendees. Elaborating about the same, Rana Daggubati's father said, "The ceremony will be small but beautiful. Everybody who will attend the wedding will get tested for Covid-19. We will also keep sanitisers across the venue and maintain social distance. It's a happy occasion and we want to make it a safe one too."

Moreover, Bio-secure bubble is going to be created to keep COVID-19 away from the guests. The hosts are taking all safety precautions for the guests. Talking about the pre-wedding functions, Pellikoduku ceremony will take place at Daggubati's house while Mata Ki Chowki will be hosted by the Bajaj family. Haldi and Mehendi ceremonies will also take place in bride and groom's respective residences. Bunty Bajaj, mother of Miheeka revealed that the functions will take place as per Telugu and Marwari customs. They have called a team from Delhi to execute the entire theme for the wedding, which she says will be kept as a surprise and will not be revealed now.

Also Read : Rana Daggubati: I Am Getting Married To Miheeka Bajaj On August 8

Rana Daggubati shares a good rapport with many celebs in Telugu as well as Hindi film industry. Hence, it's being heard that Rana and Miheeka will host a grand reception bash after the pandemic. Talking about Miheeka Bajaj, the soon-to-be-wife of Rana Daggubati is an entrepreneur. She is the founder of Drop Design Studio. She has studied Interior Designing from Chelsea University of London.

Also Read : Miheeka Bajaj's Lehenga With Matching Mask From The Pre-Wedding Event Kicks It Up A Notch

On a professional note, Rana Daggubati will next be seen in the trilingual film which is titled as Kaadan in Tamil, Aranya in Telugu and Haathi Mere Saathi in Hindi. Rana is also a part of Virata Parvam which stars Sai Pallavi, Priyamani and Nandita Das.
For God's sake, lads, give me a break. This was John Hume saying something he never said during an interview. It was during the party conference one year at the Killyhevlin and Hume had been standing with a group of party colleagues during an interval. The cameras had gathered round to capture the image of the party leader relaxing. But Hume was having a fag and he didn't want to be seen on television smoking.

There was something in the manner in which he said it, chasing the cameramen and photographers not in the high-handed tone that some of his contemporaries would have adopted when their privacy was invaded. It was more, "wise up", or "lay off". It was saying, "You know yourselves".

And everyone understood. They could have got the telling pic that said the grumpy man of Northern Irish politics had an easy, affable side to him, but they had a more human obligation to another hard worker who was entitled to have a fag without having to sneak out into the rain for it. That's what Hume had appealed to. And with an astute media sense that smoking was a bad look.

Hume was liked and he was given that latitude. Many of the journalists around him would have had a drink with him in the bar at some time and understood that he needed downtime.

That same side of him later worked its influence on Bill Clinton and Irish America, when, after the laborious political discussions, he is said to have shown them the easy Irish charm and sung for them, The Town I Loved So Well.

The trouble with him was that you could never get him onto the ground when you wanted to. He was the most tedious political interviewee and insisted on repeating the same lines over and over again; about how the division was one of people rather than territory.

What does that mean? Does it mean, I said, that if people are reconciled the border disappears? And he snapped at me, because, of course, that was one entirely plausible meaning. That is what unionists thought he meant; that ultimately his strategy was for a united Ireland.

They accused him of Humespeak and, in doing so, did him the credit of recognising that he was smarter than they. He might, indeed, outflank, or wrong-foot, them into something they had not foreseen.

Hume took the leadership of the SDLP in 1979, but really he had it from the formation of the party. The first leader, Gerry Fitt, was all affability and grand oratory. Working the moves was John's job.

When British soldiers killed two young men in Derry, Hume pulled the SDLP out of Stormont. When they killed many more in Belfast, on Fitt's territory, there was negligible political impact.

After internment, the SDLP refused to go back into Stormont despite enormous pressure to try to make politics work in order to sideline the IRA.

Hume was determined that there would have to be major constitutional change and he deadlocked every alternative until Stormont fell and the Irish government was in direct negotiations with the British.

A question over his thinking at that time is how much he believed that a united Ireland was attainable.

Two former British prime ministers wanted a united Ireland. One of them was the foreign and commonwealth secretary at the time, Alec Douglas Home (pronounced Hume). The other was a future prime minister, Harold Wilson.

In September 1971, there were talks at Chequers between the Taoiseach, Jack Lynch, Edward Heath, the prime minister, and Brian Faulkner, the prime minister of Northern Ireland.

Heath was working on Lynch to get him to persuade the SDLP to come into talks and he was working on Faulkner to open opportunities for "the minority". Nobody was using terms like "the nationalists" at that time and Faulkner thought he could get away with appeasing "the minority" by giving jobs to Catholic unionists.

Late on the night the talks ended, Hume phoned George Colley, a Fianna Fail minister, with an idea, though it was now too late to put it into effect.

The idea was that Lynch should draw Faulkner into a discussion on the nature of unionist objections to a united Ireland. The effect of that would have been to create huge embarrassment for Faulkner, for the first question Faulkner was going to be asked when he got back to Belfast would be, "Did you discuss a united Ireland?"

These were early days and Hume had other bright ideas, too. Faulkner was, at this stage, voicing severe criticism of the Irish government. He had persuaded Heath to crater border roads, which led to a rift in relations with Lynch.

Hume's suggestion to the Irish was that they should complain that Faulkner's criticism of them was illegal. Foreign relations were not devolved.

Faulkner had no right to say anything about the Irish Republic. Whether Health rapped his knuckles or not, I don't know, but the tenacity of the SDLP strategy invalidated Faulkner's strategy. Hume knew there would be no progress until the SDLP was ready to talk.

In the meantime, the IRA campaign would continue. This was a huge burden on the Catholic community, with stories every month of groups of kids blowing themselves up making bombs, and on everyone, with people being killed by the bombs that got through and the British Army shooting civilians and claiming them as hits against the IRA. Those were awful times. And the Protestant backlash was building.

The moral pressure on Hume was to get back into Stormont, make things work and let the state crush the IRA. After Bloody Sunday, even the British saw that that was impossible.

They made lots of high-sounding defences of the Parachute Regiment, but they assured the Irish government that the Paras would not be deployed the following week at a Newry protest.

Direct rule, introduced in March 1972, was the logical response to Hume's strategy. Immediately, the Irish moved to urge Britain to make a united Ireland the declared goal of their policy and Britain refused.

At that point, Hume could have held out in support of that demand. It might not have seemed too ambitious, knowing that it was also then what Wilson wanted. But Hume didn't. He pitched for the possible: power-sharing.

Maybe not a great idea after all, but it was an alternative to majority rule by unionists and the united Ireland they feared. What he perhaps didn't expect in 1972 was that this same argument would play out for another 30 years.
Helen, the Anna Ben starring survival drama is one of the most-loved Malayalam films of recent times. The movie, which was released in 2019, is directed by newcomer Mathukutty Xavier and produced by the multi-faceted talent, Vineeth Sreenivasan. Recently, the makers have officially confirmed that Helen is getting remade into four Indian languages.

The acclaimed movie is now all set to get remade into Hindi, Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada languages very soon. The sources suggest that the remake rights of Helen are bagged by the top production banners of the respective industries. The titular character Helen, which was brilliantly portrayed by Anna Ben in the original, is being reprised by some of the finest acting talents.

When it comes to the Hindi remake, Gunjan Saxena: The Kargil Girl actress Janhvi Kapoor has been roped in, to play the central character. The Hindi version is being produced by Janhvi's father, the senior producer Boney Kapoor, in association with Zee Studios. The highly anticipated project is expected to have an official launch very soon.

Keerthi Pandian, the young actress who rose to fame with the acclaimed movie Thumbaa, has been roped in to play the titular role in the Tamil remake. Keerthi's father, the renowned actor Arun Pandian will reprise the character played by actor-director Lal in the original. The Tamil remake of Helen will be directed by the popular filmmaker Gokul.

Even though the star cast of the Telugu version is yet to be finalised, the rumour mills suggest that Malayali actress Anupama Parameshwaran is likely to play the titular role. When it comes to the Kannada remake, the makers have not finalised the leading lady and the rest of the star cast. The official announcements on all the remakes are expected to be made soon.

Also Read:

Mamangam Actress Prachi Tehlan To Tie The Knot Soon!

DID YOU KNOW? This Mohanlal Starrer Got A Story Change At The Last Minute!


If you believe that sales fix everything, it follows that most startups fail because they dont ship a great product in a growing market before they run out of money. Assuming youve picked an explosive market, how do you go about building a great product?1

Building great products is hard, but the difficulty is greatly exacerbated if you have no good model for analyzing products and features. Without a model youre left with a never-ending stream of feature ideas and half-informed shots in the dark. Some people can pull this off because they start out with a phenomenal product intuition. But most people arent blessed with this superpower on day one.

I started out with terrible intuition (and didnt even know it). Over the past three years I looked at our user metrics every day, creating a feedback loop to train my brain on what makes a good product. Eventually I got quite good at predicting the impact of any given feature, so I started thinking of a model that captures the essence of what Ive learned.

The three bucket model

The most important aspect of product management is categorizing features into three buckets: gamechangers, showstoppers, and distractions. When I first started building products, all features looked roughly the same. Over time, I formed the three bucket model and now my mind automatically slots every feature into one of these buckets.

Here is an example. Suppose you are building a new mobile phone. It has to be able to call people, or no one will buy it since it wouldnt be much of a phone. But the reverse isnt true  having voice calls wont make anybody buy your phone because every other phone already does that. So for your mobile phone product, voice calls are a showstopper.

On the other hand, suppose your phone could project videos onto a surface. No other phone does that, so this feature could be a gamechanger that excites a lot of consumers. Alternatively, its possible that most people wont care about it at all, in which case its just a distraction.

This example gives you three buckets to categorize any given feature:

A gamechanger. People will want to buy your product because of this feature.

People will want to buy your product because of this feature. A showstopper. People wont buy your product if youre missing this feature, but adding it wont generate demand.

People wont buy your product if youre missing this feature, but adding it wont generate demand. A distraction. This feature will make no measurable impact on adoption.

Empirically, successful products have one to three gamechanging features, dozens of features that neutralize showstoppers, and very few features that are distractions. Your job is to build an intuition about your space to be able to tell these categories apart. Thats still pretty subtle (is a built-in phone projector a gamechanger or a distraction?), but at least this model gives you a plan of attack.

Resource allocation

If you had infinite time, you could ignore these categories and blindly iterate on the product until it resonates with the market. But your time is finite. The longer you take to find a great product, the more likely you are to run out of cash, squander morale, or miss the market moving under your feet. Modeling product management in terms of the three categories is extremely valuable because it allows you to treat product management as a resource allocation problem.

If you put any effort into distractions, youre wasting resources. That much is obvious.

If youre doing more showstopper features than you absolutely need to, youre wasting resources. Lack of copy-pasting on the first iPhone might have been a showstopper for some people, but Apple correctly determined that enough consumers would still buy the phone. There was no need to delay.

If you put more effort into any given showstopper than the absolute minimum you can get away with, youre wasting resources. The first iPhone had pretty bad voice quality, but it was good enough. Most people were willing to live with it. It made calls, and it wasnt terrible. Improving the voice quality by another 10% would have made little measurable impact on adoption.

If youre doing more than three gamechanging features, youre wasting resources. Empirically, few disruptive products are good at a dozen things. Shipping gamechanging features is hard. Three is probably the most you can get away with, and even that is a stretch.

Finally, if you dont pour enough creative energy into any given gamechanging feature, youre wasting resources. If a gamechanging feature doesnt absolutely blow people away, its not much of a gamechanger  its just a distraction. In this category you cant go half way.

You can get away with making some mistakes. Very few products absolutely nail this on launch. But most first time product managers break all of these rules all the time, probably because theyre not aware of them. Break these rules at your own peril. The fewer mistakes you make relative to your competition, the better. Every mistake can be incredibly costly. Make too many and someone else will run circles around you.

Craftsmanship

The trickiest part of building products is learning how to tell the difference between the categories and knowing when a given category is full. Is a built-in phone projector a gamechanger or a distraction? If its a gamechanger, is it big enough to attract sufficient demand, or do you need another gamechanger? If you invented the technology to increase voice quality by 50%, does that become a gamechanger or is it still just a showstopping feature? How about 200%? How many showstoppers do you have to neutralize to build a compelling phone?

I have no idea what the answers are for the mobile phone market, but in my area, unstructured data, I can look at any given feature and tell which category it falls into quite easily. Sometimes Im wrong, but thats ok. I just have to be wrong less often than my competitors.

The best way to build this intuition is to talk to a lot of people. Talk to potential users. What do they think? Talk to people who tried to build a product in your space and failed. What can you learn from their failure? Talk to competitors. How do they approach the problem? Talk to engineers in big companies. What can they tell you about the state of technology? Talk to other entrepreneurs in adjacent spaces, investors, journalists, grad students, professors, even the naysayers. The best way to get a sense of taste in a given space is to inject yourself into the industry and talk to as many people as you can.

Buyers, stakeholders, and pundits

The sooner you can learn about the history of the space, the state of the technology, the opinions of potential users, and the direction of your competition, the sooner you can form a coherent view of the space and develop a unique vision for your product. But be careful. Its easy to start taking advice from the wrong people.

Suppose youve decided to design your mobile phone in a form factor of a walkie talkie for construction workers, and youve determined that the best way to sell it is to construction managers top-down. If you talk to construction workers, they might be enamored by beautiful icons and an unusual color scheme. You might determine that the unique design of your phone is a gamechanger. But ultimately, its the construction manager whos writing the check. For the construction manager, a beautiful design is nice, but it isnt a gamechanger. It doesnt help him run the business any better than he did before.

For complex business sales, you have to pay attention to all the parties and make sure all the stakeholders are satisfied. Are the construction workers strong influencers on the managers decision? If so, spending time on a unique design might not be a bad idea. If not, you might be wasting your time.

Its true even for consumer products. If youre designing a luxury phone and pricing it above every other phone on the market, do your customers have to convince their spouse? Do most families make shared decisions about buying luxury items, or do people splurge on luxury items independently? If they have to convince their spouse, can you add a feature to make it easier? Find out!

Beware of noise. Learn the difference between your users and people who are just commenting. Everyone you talk to will have an opinion. Early on it can be tempting to design a product based on feedback from industry pundits. But a feature is only a gamechanger if the person signing the proverbial check recognizes it as one. Otherwise, its a distraction. Industry pundits can be extremely useful for understanding the state of your field, but theyre rarely the ones to buy your product. If you design your product around their feedback, youll find that there is nobody to buy it in the end.

A corollary of this is that you cant design a great product unless you live, eat, and breathe like your users do. You need to know exactly who your user is, what their problems are, how they perceive your product, and who helps them make buying decisions. Your intuition has to mirror how the customers will perceive your product. Categorizing features is only useful if its a good predictor of your actual userss response. Otherwise, youre just wasting time.

Aggregate gamechangers

There is a subtlety to the model we havent discussed so far. Some features arent sufficiently impressive on their own, but become gamechangers in aggregate. For example, suppose you design a unique set of icons for your phone. Is that a gamechanger? Probably not. What about a unique color scheme? It doesnt seem like a gamechanger either. How about a unique family of phone cases? Its hard to imagine people buying a phone because of a pretty case.2 But what if you put these features together? A unique design direction that combines a novel icon set, color scheme, and family of phone cases sounds like it might be a sufficient gamechanger to attract consumers.

Features that become gamechangers in aggregate are dangerous for three reasons. Firstly, it becomes harder to tell what combination of individual features is and isnt a gamechanger. Secondly, aggregate gamechangers are expensive  instead of making a couple of good decisions on a feature, you have to make dozens or hundreds of good decisions for a whole family of features. Thirdly, it makes it easier to convince yourself that if you add just one more feature, youll strike a gamechanger. Building great products is already difficult. Introducing a subtlety like this makes it even harder.

Many products do succeed in exactly this way, but if possible, try to avoid it. If you have no choice but to resort to aggregate gamechangers, it probably means youre working in a relatively mature market. Often, thats ok, but it should prompt you to do some soul searching. Is it really worth being in this market, or does it make sense to find another one where you can innovate more easily?

Product mission

Suppose youve developed product intuition to apply the three bucket model to your field. You can easily (and correctly) categorize features. Youre now ahead of most product managers. But youre still not quite done. There are a few problems with this approach:

If youre categorizing features ad-hoc, its easy to make mistakes and then construct a rhetoric in your mind to convince yourself that youve done the right thing.

While youre building the product, youll have to be a part of every single decision because other people have no guidance.

Your engineers will get frustrated, because theyll think youre pulling decisions out of thin air.

Before the product is done youll have to convince many other people to help you  journalists, investors, potential hires, and customers. Convincing people is hard if youre making decisions ad-hoc.

A great way to get around these problems is to write down a product mission. Think of it as a function that accepts a given feature as an argument, and returns one of the three categories above. A good function definition is concise, understandable, and repeatable. Ideally after reading it, most people on your team will be able to categorize features themselves in the same way you would.

Here is a humorous product mission we came up with for RethinkDB that worked surprisingly well:

Database tools should be indistinguishable from magic

Surprise and amaze people with developer tools for building real-time, data-driven web applications they could only dream of building, and bring sheer joy and simplicity to the process of building great software.

On the surface these two sentences dont say very much, but if you dig in a little, this product mission has surprisingly high information density. It tells people were building a database. It tells people we treat the product as a developer tool first. This resolves the tension between developer features (like the query language) and operations features (like monitoring). All of our gamechanging features revolve around developers. We treat operations as a showstopper. It explains what we expect our users to do with RethinkDB (build real-time, data-driven web applications). It gives people a sense of how far well go on certain features (surprise and amaze). Being good enough for developers isnt enough. These people spend many hours a day using our software  we want to make the experience pleasant. It suggests that we are willing to accept more complex implementations to make our userss lives easier. It guides us to build features that let developers build new types of applications, not just the ones that already exist. Its self-aware and leaks a healthy sense of humor we have as a team. This gives people a sense of who we are. We can test feature proposals against this product mission, and with a bit of additional shared knowledge it lets our team members independently categorize features in roughly the same way.

It took us three years to understand what were doing well enough to come up with this product mission. If wed had it on day one, it would probably have cut development time in half  maybe more. When youre building a product, the mission should be the first thing you work on. If your mental model is good enough to write a product mission that inspires everyone in your company, everything else will fall into place.

1 I dont mean to imply that picking a good market is easier than building a great product. In fact, the opposite is true. Its far easier to get a handle on product management, so I decided to tackle this subject first. Aside from great products and market growth, there are also questions of distribution, economics, regulated markets, and other subtleties. But the number of early stage software startups that fail for these reasons pales in comparison to the number of startups that pick small markets or dont manage to deliver great products on time.

2 In practice it often turns out that people do buy phones because of unique colors or cases. But Im ignoring this subtlety to focus on a larger point.

Thanks to Michael Glukhovsky and Michael Lucy for reviewing this post.
Spain's former king Juan Carlos has reportedly left the country and gone to the Dominican Republic under a cloud of scandal.

Pressure had been building on the once-popular, now divisive, former king as Spanish and Swiss prosecutors investigated allegations about his financial arrangements and ties with Saudi Arabia.

Spain's former king Juan Carlos has left his home country amid a cloud of scandal. Photo: Getty Images

The palace released a letter from Juan Carlos to his son, King Felipe, saying he would move away from Spain in the wake of the public repercussions that certain past events in my private life are causing.

He decided to leave the country to allow his son Felipe to rule untroubled, a palace statement said on Monday, without saying where he had gone.

This is a very emotional decision, but one I take with great serenity. I have been king of Spain for almost 40 years and throughout them all I have always wanted what is best for Spain and the crown, the letter said.

His lawyer said on Monday Juan Carlos would "remain at the disposal of the prosecutors' office".

He decided to leave the country to allow his son Felipe to rule untroubled, a palace statement said on Monday. Photo: Getty Images

A Spanish government source told The Guardian that they respected the former kings move, saying it speaks to the transparency that has always guided King Felipe since he became head of state.

It comes after King Felipe decided to renounce his inheritance from his father and strip him of his palace allowance back in March. the ex-monarch of his palace allowance after reports surfaced that Juan Carlos has reportedly received $100 million from Saudi Arabias late king.

H.M. King Don Juan Carlos ceases to receive the allocation set for him in the budget of the House of H.M. the King, a statement read at the time.

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La Vanguardia said the 82 year-old went to Portugal by car on Monday morning and flew from there to the Dominican Republic, where he plans to stay for a few weeks with a family who made their wealth in sugar plantations, before looking for a new destination.

Story continues

In June, the Spanish Supreme Court opened an investigation into Juan Carlos' involvement in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia after Switzerland's La Tribune de Geneve newspaper reported he had received $US100 million ($A141 million) from the late Saudi King.

There is widespread speculation about where he could have gone. Photo: Getty Images

Early reactions to Juan Carlos' departure have shown Spain to be divided over whether the 82-year-old, who was a prominent figure in the transition to democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco, should have stayed to face justice.

Amid wide speculations over where he could have gone, Portuguese TV channel TVI24 and the Correio da Manha tabloid had said on Monday Juan Carlos was in Cascais, a resort area near Lisbon, where he spent part of his childhood. They did not cite any sources.

With extra reporting by AAP

Click here to sign up to our daily newsletter to get all the latest news and hacks. Or if you have a story tip, email us at lifestyle.tips@verizonmedia.com.
People walk in Stockholm during the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic on July 27, 2020. (Jonathan Nackstrand/AFP via Getty Images)

Spains Former King to Leave Country Amid Financial Scandal

MADRIDSpains former monarch, Juan Carlos I, says hes leaving Spain to live in another, unspecified, country amid a financial scandal, according to a letter published on the royal familys website on Aug. 3.

The letter from Juan Carlos to his son, King Felipe VI, said: I am informing you of my considered decision to move, during this period, out of Spain.

Juan Carlos, in the letter, said he made the decision against the backdrop of public repercussions of certain episodes of my past private life. He said he wanted to ensure he doesnt make his sons role difficult, adding that my legacy, and my own dignity, demand that it should be so. Juan Carlos current whereabouts arent known.

Spains prime minister recently said he found the developments about Juan Carlosincluding investigations in Spain and Switzerlanddisturbing.

Since Spains Supreme Court opened its probe earlier this year, Spanish media outlets have published damaging testimony from a separate Swiss investigation into millions of euros that were allegedly given to Juan Carlos by Saudi Arabias late King Abdullah.

Juan Carlos allegedly then transferred a large amount to a former companion in what investigators are considering as a possible attempt to hide the money from authorities.

The 82-year-old former king is credited with helping Spain peacefully restore democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

But marred by scandals in the later years of his reign, Juan Carlos in 2014 abdicated in favor of his son Felipe VI, losing the immunity from prosecution that Spains Constitution grants to the head of state.

After media reports claimed Felipe was a beneficiary of an offshore account holding an alleged 65 million-euro gift ($76 million) from Saudi Arabia to Juan Carlos, Felipe renounced any future personal inheritance he might receive from the former king. Felipe also stripped his father of his annual stipend of 194,232 euros ($228,000).

The royal house has denied that Felipe had any knowledge of his fathers alleged financial irregularities.

The royal website said in a statement that Felipe respects his fathers decision.

Felipe acknowledged the historic importance of his fathers reign, the statement said, but also reaffirmed the principles and values on which it stood, in the framework of our Constitution and the rest of our legal system.

A statement from Spains general prosecutors office in June said it was investigating whether Juan Carlos received millions of dollars in kickbacks from Saudi Arabia during the construction of a high-speed railway there by a Spanish consortium.

It called the probe one of undeniable technical complexity.

The Supreme Court investigation centers on developments after mid-2014. That covers the second phase of the 2011 contract for the bullet train between the Saudi cities of Medina and Meccathe so-called AVE of the desert in reference to the acronym for high-speed trains in Spain.

The date marks the moment when Juan Carlos, struggling amid several scandals, passed on the throne to his son after holding it for nearly four decades.

Though Juan Carloss finances have been questioned in Spanish media for years, there have so far been no legal implications for him. Spanish lawmakers have rejected at least two proposals since the first allegations emerged to open parliamentary investigations.
Birmingham native Louise Fletcher made an indelible impression -- and won an Academy Award -- for her chilling portrayal of Mildred Ratched, the tyrannical nurse in 1975s One Flew Over the Cuckoos Nest.

But its time to take another look at this twisted angel of mercy, no matter how large Fletchers shadow looms over the classic role.

Ryan Murphy -- a producer, director and writer with an affinity for evil grande dames -- places Nurse Ratched squarely in the center of his new Netflix series. Its called Ratched, and one of Murphys muses, actress Sarah Paulson, has the title role.

Ratched makes its debut on Sept. 18, and Netflix today released a trailer for the series. Fans of Murphys American Horror Story franchise will find many familiar elements in the video, including an emphasis on vintage detail and a creepy/campy tone.

The first season of the Netflix series is set in 1947, nearly 20 years before Nurse Ratched encounters a rebellious Randle Patrick McMurphy at a mental institution in 1960s Oregon.

Heres a synopsis of Ratched provided by Netflix:

Ratched is a suspenseful drama series that tells the origin story of asylum nurse Mildred Ratched. In 1947, Mildred arrives in Northern California to seek employment at a leading psychiatric hospital where new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind. On a clandestine mission, Mildred presents herself as the perfect image of what a dedicated nurse should be, but the wheels are always turning and as she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system and those within it, Mildreds stylish exterior belies a growing darkness that has long been smoldering within, revealing that true monsters are made, not born.

The cast includes Cynthia Nixon, Judy Davis, Sharon Stone, Finn Wittrock, Amanda Plummer, Vincent DOnofrio, Corey Stoll, Sophie Okonedo, Jon Jon Briones, Alice Englert and Charlie Carver.

Evan Romansky created the series, which spans eight episodes during its first season, according to IMDB. Murphy, Ian Brennan, Paulson and Michael Douglas (who produced the Oscar-winning 1975 film) are among the executive producers.

In 2018, when Netflix won a bidding war for Ratched, Fletcher, 86, told Vanity Fair she hadnt talked to Murphy about the character or the series. But the actress did reveal some of the backstory she dreamed up for Nurse Ratched for the filming of Cuckoos Nest.

She had sacrificed her life for other people, Fletcher said. She hasnt married, hadnt done this, hadnt done that, and was self-sufficient on her own leading this life, because she dedicated her life, her earlier life, to other people who needed her. Also, Fletcher said Nurse Ratched was a 40-year-old virgin, and was very turned on by this McMurphy guy (played by Jack Nicholson).

One key to Nurse Ratched is her need for absolute control, Fletcher said. Another is her conviction that shes always right. In Cuckoos Nest, the character kept an iron grip on her charges in a soft-spoken way, which made the menace behind her words even more frightening.

Based on the trailer for the Ratched series, Paulson has adopted Fletchers less-is-more approach, relying on a whispery tone, a steely stare and highly dangerous intent.

In a 2018 panel discussion for the Television Critics Association, Murphy revealed that Ratched is intended to last four seasons, and the McMurphy character will make an appearance eventually.

The great thing about that show is the first four seasons follow Sarahs origin story, Murphy said, according to Slashfilm.com. How did she become a Hannibal Lecter figure? What happened to her to make her do that? Its also a feminist tale because it starts in 1947. It really looks at the birth of a lot of things that were happening in our health care system. The last season of that show will be Sarah facing off against the Jack Nicholson character from the movie. Itll let you understand how she became that person. We havent started casting the Nicholson part. ...

Itll sort of be Sarah Paulson versus the male villain every year until you get to a worthy adversary, Murphy said. Thats the structure of that show but it has leaps of time forward because Im interested in looking at health care in the 40s, 50s, 60s and ultimately where it ends up in that last season.
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SOURCE Onlive Server

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BOLOGNA, Italy and HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Menarini Silicon Biosystems, the pioneer of liquid biopsy technology, today announced two new studies describing genetic changes in circulating cancer cells that may improve cancer prognosis and help guide treatment. These studies were presented as posters at the June 22-24 virtual annual meeting II of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). Menarini's CELLSEARCH and DEPArrayTM NxT technologies were used to capture and isolate the circulating tumor cells for analysis. In one study, Massimo Cristofanilli, M.D., F.A.C.P., Associate Director of Translational Research at the Robert H. Lurie Cancer Center of Northwestern University, and colleagues collected blood samples from 239 patients with stage III/IV breast cancer, then isolated and selected more than 200 individual tumor cells from patients with HER2+ cells*. The scientists then sequenced the genetic codes of each of those cells.

Previously, Dr. Cristofanilli had shown that one specific genetic change in circulating tumor cells, the overexpression of a gene called HER2, was associated with more aggressive metastatic cancer and a worse prognosis. The new study revealed additional genetic alterations that occur more frequently in metastatic breast cancer cells, the most important being a genetic variant called the PTPN1 mutation.

"The new findings are exciting because they deepen our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the critical process of cancer metastasis," said Dr. Cristofanilli. "The genetic alterations we found also could lead to the development of drugs that specifically target the mutations to improve the treatment of this deadly disease."

In the second study, scientists led by Claudio Forcato, PhD, head of the Bioinformatics Unit at Menarini Silicon Biosystems, captured, isolated, and sequenced circulating cancer cells from three patients with multiple myeloma*. They then looked for a genetic phenomenon called "loss-of-heterozygosity" (LoH), in which one of the two alleles that are normally found at a specific spot in the genetic code is lost. They found such LoH events in the cancer cells from all of the multiple myeloma patients. "Our results suggest that loss-of-heterozygosity may be pervasive in multiple myeloma, and may offer a prognostic and predictive biomarker for the disease," explained Dr. Forcato.

"These two new studies show how our technologies are advancing the understanding of cancers like metastatic breast cancer and multiple myeloma, and may lead to improved, more personalized treatment options for patients with these diseases," said Fabio Piazzalunga, President and CEO of Menarini Silicon Biosystems, Inc.

CELLSEARCH** is the first and only clinically validated blood test cleared by the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) for detecting and counting CTCs to aid physicians in managing patients with metastatic breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers when used in conjunction with other clinical methods of monitoring. The test is also approved by the China Food & Drug Administration for use in monitoring patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). The CELLSEARCH System is the most extensively studied CTC technology, with research published in more than 650 peer-reviewed publications.

DEPArray NxT is an image-based digital cell-sorting and isolation platform that enables clinical researchers to conduct molecular analyses on live or fixed cells with single-cell precision.

About Menarini Silicon Biosystems

Menarini Silicon Biosystems offers unique rare cell technologies and solutions that provide clinical researchers with access to unparalleled resolution in the study of cells and their molecular characterization. The company's CELLSEARCH and DEPArray NxT technologies together provide an end-to-end solution* for enumeration and sorting of rare cells with single-cell precision.

Menarini Silicon Biosystems, based in Bologna, Italy, and Huntingdon Valley, Pa., U.S., is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Menarini Group, a multinational pharmaceutical, biotechnology and diagnostics company headquartered in Florence, Italy, with a turnover of 3.793 billion and over 17,000 employees in 140 countries.

*The CellSearch HER2 marker used in Study 1, the Circulating Multiple Myeloma Cell Kit used in Study 2, and the workflow described, are for research use only. Not for use in diagnostic procedures. The performance characteristics, safety, and effectiveness have not been established and are not cleared or approved by the FDA.

**For more information on the full intended use and limitations of CELLSEARCH system, please refer to the Instructions for Use on http://documents.cellsearchctc.com/.

Contact: Liz Dowling, (415) 388-2794

Dowling & Dennis PR

[email protected]

SOURCE Menarini Silicon Biosystems
Emirates has announced it will resume passenger services to Kuwait City (5 August) and Lisbon (16 August), taking the airline's passenger network to 70 destinations in August.

With this Emirates network will reach over 50% of its pre-pandemic destinations, as the airline gradually resumes operations with the safety of its customers, crew and communities as its top priority.

Flights from Dubai to Kuwait City will operate as a daily service and flights from Dubai to Lisbon will operate three times a week. The flights will be operated with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER.

Passengers travelling between the Americas, Europe, Africa, Middle East, and Asia Pacific can enjoy safe and convenient connections via Dubai. Customers from Emirates' network can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors, the airline said.

Covid-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.

Free, global cover for Covid-19 related costs: Customers can now travel with confidence as Emirates has committed to cover Covid-19 related medical expenses, free of cost, should they be diagnosed with Covid-19 during their travel while they are away from home. - TradeArabia News Service
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:30:13|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A total of 30 Turkish military vehicles entered northern Syria on Tuesday, the latest batch of such military backup since March, a war monitor reported.

The vehicles reached Turkish military points in the northern countryside of Idlib province in northwestern Syria, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based watchdog group said 5,135 Turkish military vehicles had entered areas in northern Syria since March.

The Turkish military reinforcement has been sent to Turkish observation points in Idlib that were setup as part of an agreement with the Russian side to monitor a de-escalation zone deal between the Syrian forces and the rebels in Idlib, which is the last major rebel stronghold in Syria. Enditem
The teaser image shows the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 standing side to side. From the looks of its, the Pixel 5 is sized smaller than the 4a 5G.

Google not just launched its Pixel 4a mid-range smartphone but also unveiled its 5G variant along with the upcoming flagship, Pixel 5. The two smartphones will be launching this fall at a starting price of $499.

This fall, well have two more devices to talk about: the Pixel 4a (5G), starting at $499, and Pixel 5, both with 5G to make streaming videos, downloading content and playing games on Stadia or other platforms faster and smoother than ever, said the firm.

The teaser image shows the Pixel 4a 5G and the Pixel 5 standing side to side. From the looks of its, the Pixel 5 is sized smaller than the 4a 5G. The thickness will, however, stay the same. Even the rear camera bump seems to be of the same size. However, the one on the Pixel 5 may have two rear cameras instead of one, which is said to be in Pixel 4a 5G. For those unaware, the non-5G Pixel 4a has a single rear camera.

Also read: Pixel 4a smartphone will launch in October in India, Google explains why

And it is also safe to assume that since both will have 5G, they will be having different processors. At least Pixel 4a 5G wont come with Snapdragon 730 thats there in Pixel 4a since the processor doesnt support 5G.

But while Indian fans and loyalists were getting disappointed for Pixel 4as October launch, theres another piece of news that could add to the disappointment  both Pixel 4a 5G and Pixel 5 are not coming to India at all.

This will be happening for the second time as the search giant skipped Pixel 4 launch from the Indian market last year. This happened due to the Soli radar chip in the phone that used 60GHz mmWave frequency to operate. The reports at that time claimed that Google failed to secure the license for the frequency in India. This might be very well the case this time too if only Pixel 5 has a Soli radar chip. But its way too early to guess right now.
Europe isnt letting up on antitrust scrutiny of tech behemoths like Google.

The European Commission said Tuesday it has opened an in-depth investigation into Googles acquisition of Fitbit, which makes and sells smartwatches focused on activity tracking. Google said in November that it was paying $2.1 billion for the company, giving Google an immediate foothold in the wearables market, which is dominated by rival Apple with its popular Apple Watch.

More from WWD

The data collected via wrist-worn wearable devices appears, at this stage of the commissions review of the transaction, to be an important advantage in the online advertising markets, the regulators wrote in a statement. By increasing the data advantage of Google in the personalization of the ads it serves via its search engine and displays on other Internet pages, it would be more difficult for rivals to match Googles online advertising services. Thus, the transaction would raise barriers to entry and expansion for Googles competitors for these services, to the ultimate detriment of advertisers and publishers that would face higher prices and have less choice.

Rick Osterloh, Googles senor vice president of devices and services, wrote in a blog post that there is vibrant competition when it comes to smartwatches and fitness trackers, naming Apple, along with Samsung and Fossil as examples.

He added that Googles acquisition of Fitbit is about devices, not data, but alluded to working with the commission to address consumer expectations on wearable devices.

Weve been clear from the beginning that we will not use Fitbit health and wellness data for Google ads, Osterloh wrote. As we do with all of our products, we will give Fitbit users the choice to review, move or delete their data.

The commission, with antitrust investigations led by Margrethe Vestager, has launched nine investigations into Google in the last decade. Three have resulted in fines, with a record fine coming in 2017 of 2.4 billion euros. Most investigations have centered around Googles dominance as an Internet search platform and, within that, its large influence over online advertising. And its advertising again at the center of the new investigation into the Fitbit acquisition.

Story continues

In a statement, Vestager said the adoption of tech wearables by people in Europe is expected to grow significantly in coming years, leaving Google with another way to target and serve up ads to the public. Europe has some of the strictest laws and regulations on consumer data, how it can be collected, used and stored by companies, and has taken an aggressive stance in regulating the biggest and most popular tech operators, including Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Twitter.

Vestager said the rise of wearable tech will go hand in hand with an exponential growth of data generated through these devices.

This data provides key insights about the life and the health situation of the users of these devices, she added. Our investigation aims to ensure that control by Google over data collected through wearable devices as a result of the transaction does not distort competition.

Although Google is said by regulators to have already agreed to put Fitbit data in a silo where it would not be allowed to be used for advertising purposes, the commission found that move not enough, mainly because the data in the silo would be limited. The commission now has three months to reach a decision on whether to approve the Fitbit acquisition.

The European investigation comes as tech operators Google, Amazon, Apple and Facebook are facing a growing level of antitrust scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers. Chief executive officers of those four companies appeared last week before members of Congress in what was billed as a hearing on their potentially anti-competitive practices and acquisitions. While some of the five hours was spent asking the executives about their business practices, the hearing frequently devolved into accusations from Republicans that conservative opinions were being undermined by Google and Facebook. A full report on the hearing is expected sometime later this year.

But regulators in the EU have been pressuring, investigating and often fining these dominant tech companies for years. One current investigation is into Facebook and its advertising practices, as well as its handling of user data. Facebook decided to push back on that investigation last month by filing a legal challenge to the commission, arguing that its requests of data are too broad. Ireland also has a number of separate open investigations into Facebook and its data practices.

The commission in June launched an antitrust probe into Amazon and its treatment of third-party sellers, which make up the vast majority of the available product on its core marketplace platform. The same month the commission started two investigations into Apple, one focused on its App Store practices, including the 30 percent cut its said to take from many sellers that use the platform, and the other on Apple Pay, which may cross EU banking rules. But Apple last month won a major victory when the EUs second-highest court overturned the unions 13 billion euro tax bill that its antitrust officials said the American company owed to Ireland.


Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  The state Supreme Court ruled unanimously Tuesday that Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration is empowered to impose hefty fines when businesses violate New Mexicos public health orders.

But the court left undecided whether companies are entitled to compensation from the state if they are forced to close or operate at limited capacity  an issue that can be pursued in separate litigation.

The decision, nonetheless, upholds a key enforcement power that state health officials say is critical to limiting the transmission of COVID-19: the ability to impose civil penalties of up to $5,000 a day for violating health orders.

The state shouldnt have to fine anybody, Lujan Grisham said on Twitter after the court decision. Doing the right thing in a crisis shouldnt be something we have to argue about. But anyone endangering the lives of New Mexicans will face the consequences.

The lawsuit  filed in May and backed by the state Republican Party  comes as New Mexico health officials prohibit indoor dining at restaurants and impose other business restrictions intended to slow the spread of COVID-19. The disease has killed 658 state residents since March.

Republican leaders have lashed out at Lujan Grisham, a Democrat, describing her orders as heavy-handed regulations that stifle business activity.

New Mexicos five Supreme Court justices heard oral arguments and announced their decision from the bench Tuesday after deliberating behind closed doors for about 90 minutes. Each justice concurred with the ruling.

Chief Justice Michael Vigil said its clear the state may issue civil administrative penalties  such as the proposed fines  for violations of the emergency orders.

The Legislature has clearly given the governor that authority, Vigil said.

But the justices, he added, declined to rule on a separate question  whether businesses are entitled to compensation for being forced to close or operate at limited capacity.

Other lawsuits are pending on that issue, and the justices questioned whether Tuesdays case was the appropriate time to take up the matter.

The case began May 20 with a lawsuit filed by K-Bobs Steakhouse in Clovis, Frontier Auto Inc., Body & Sol Fitness LLC, the Colfax Tavern & Diner, J. Jones Massage and others.

They said the states health orders dramatically reduced their revenue and made it difficult to survive  all while they faced potentially ruinous financial penalties if they violated the rules.

In Tuesdays hearing, Carter Harrison IV, who represented the businesses, urged the court to find that Lujan Grishams administration had overstepped its authority by threatening massive fines. Instead, he said, the administration is limited by law to $100 citations, not the larger $5,000 penalty.

More broadly, Harrison said, the executive branch had gone too far in determining how businesses may operate without offering procedural protections to safeguard peoples rights.

Fundamentally, he said, its the Legislatures role to do this. Its the Legislature that makes policy.

House Minority Leader James Townsend, R-Artesia, said after the hearing that the court had undermined the authority of the legislative branch.

The court has just given the Governor unfettered power to create law during a health crisis, he said in a written statement.

During Tuesdays hearing, Lujan Grisham attorney Matthew Garcia said the larger fines were critical to enforcing the public health orders and ensuring immediate compliance. Only 16 businesses, he said, had faced the $5,000 penalty.

Its really only for the most egregious offenders, Garcia said.

The state Department of Health has issued a host of orders since March, including a ban on mass gatherings and a mask mandate.

Most businesses are permitted to operate at partial capacity, though bars remain closed entirely and restaurants are limited to takeout, delivery and limited outdoor seating.

Tuesdays court hearing was held through a videoconferencing program. Four justices  all wearing masks  were present in the courtroom.

The fifth justice and both attorneys participated through a video link.

Courts have generally upheld the states authority to impose restrictions during the public health emergency. In July, for example, U.S. District Judge James O. Browning ruled in favor of the states right to limit the operating capacity of churches and other houses of worship, finding that it didnt violate religious freedoms.

But other legal challenges are still pending, including a lawsuit filed by the New Mexico Restaurant Association, which is seeking to block the states ban on indoor dining at restaurants and breweries.
Abu Muhammad al-Jolani is continuing his tour of Idleb, visiting residents and listening to their issues, although some believe there is an ulterior motive behind the trips writes Alsouria Net.

The leader of the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, Abu Muhammad al-Jolani, made an appearance on Sunday in a restaurant in Idleb, similar to the appearances he has been making in recent weeks.

People close to Tahrir al-Sham published documentation and pictures of Jolani during his visit to a popular restaurant specialized in beans and chickpeas in Idleb, as he listened to the concerns of civilians and helped to prepare food.

On Saturday, Jolani appeared in a camp in northern Syria with a number of companions. He was seen holding a pen and a notebook and writing down the requests of the people.

The appearance of Jolani in the restaurant engendered mixed responses in the Syrian north. Tahrir al-Sham figure, Mathhar al-Ways, considered the step Jolani took as positive and said that Tahrir al-Shams leaders should interact with the people and listen to their concerns, and that this should become the norm.

Other people made fun of the pictures. Researcher Ahmed Abazid published an image of Jolani selling beans along with the comment: The right man in the right place.

The leader of the al-Mutasim division of the Syrian National Army, al-Faruq Abu Bakr considered that Jolani is the enemy of the revolution as he made his soldiers and supporters believe that he is combatting anti-Islam countries and that he was in hiding for fear of being targeted by the enemies of jihad and Sharia.

Abu Bakr asked, What has changed; is it because [Jolani] is no longer considered a threat to those countries, or are the masks off and all that is left is the very last scene?

In recent years, during his transition from the leadership of the al-Nusra Front that was affiliated with al-Qaeda to the Fatah al-Sham Front, up to his current leadership of Tahrir al-Sham, the appearances of Jolani had been limited to a few media interviews to talk about the latest field and military developments.

However, over the past two months, Jolani has become much more active  not only seen during military affairs, but also when it comes to his meetings with civil and medical figures in northern Syrian.

Analysts believe that Jolanis recent moves and increased activity come in light of the Tahrir al-Sham realizing that its popularity has taken a dive, especially after the recent battles in Idleb, in which the Front appeared weak and did not effectively defend the areas it controlled, according to Islamic groups researcher, Abbas Sharifa.

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.
DENVER, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Second-Quarter 2020 Highlights

Net sales of $576.5 million compared to prior-year period of $809.9 million .

compared to prior-year period of . Net loss attributable to shareholders of $22.4 million , or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to prior-year period net income attributable to shareholders of $21.5 million , or $0.07 per diluted share.

, or per diluted share, compared to prior-year period net income attributable to shareholders of , or per diluted share. Adjusted Net Income of $9.4 million , or $0.03 per diluted share.

, or per diluted share. Adjusted EBITDA of $83.2 million and Adjusted EBITDA margin of 14.4%.

Gates Industrial Corporation plc (NYSE: GTES), a leading global provider of application-specific fluid power and power transmission solutions, today reported results for the second quarter ended June 27, 2020.

Ivo Jurek, Gates Industrial's Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The sharp impact of COVID-19 in the second quarter presented a significant challenge for Gates, our employees and our customers; however, it also likely marked a turning point, as we believe the worst of the pandemic's effect on our end markets is now behind us. While challenges and market uncertainty still remain, we continue to focus on the items we can control, including safety initiatives to protect our employees, preserving operational continuity to supply our mission-critical components globally and taking appropriate cost actions to mitigate the impact on margins from the volume decline. I am very proud of the Gates teams around the world and the resolve they have shown in this challenging environment."

Jurek continued, "Throughout the second quarter we observed sequential monthly improvement in our business, as customers brought production back online and most movement restrictions were lifted. Our replacement channels, in particular, demonstrated resilience with their rate of improvement during the quarter, which we believe speaks to the critical nature of our products. Based on the trends we see today, we expect demand to continue to recover in the second half of the year. Although COVID-19 is not yet fully under control, I am pleased with the trajectory of the business and confident the cost actions we've taken while continuing to fund key initiatives position us well to capitalize on the recovery."

Second-Quarter Financial Results

Second-quarter net sales of $576.5 million decreased 28.8% over the prior-year quarter net sales of $809.9 million, including a 26.4% core revenue decline and an unfavorable foreign currency impact of 2.4%. The significant overall revenue decline notwithstanding, trends improved throughout the quarter across the business. China returned to growth on a strong performance in industrial end markets, while all other regions saw notable sequential improvement during the quarter as end markets began to recover from the broad-based weakness caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Net loss attributable to shareholders in the second quarter was $22.4 million, or $0.08 per diluted share, compared to net income attributable to shareholders of $21.5 million, or $0.07 per diluted share, in the prior-year period. Adjusted Net Income was $9.4 million, or $0.03 per diluted share, compared to $75.2 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, in the prior-year period. The diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding in the second quarter of 2020 was 290,732,375 compared to 291,802,754 in the second quarter of 2019.

Second-quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $83.2 million, or 14.4% of net sales, compared to $165.4 million, or 20.4% of net sales in the prior-year quarter, representing Adjusted EBITDA margin contraction of 600 basis points. The decline was driven by significantly lower production volumes and related manufacturing inefficiencies.

Power Transmission Segment Results



For the three months ended







(USD in millions) June 27, 2020

June 29, 2019

% Change

% Core Change Net sales $370.0

$501.5

(26.2%)

(23.7%) Adjusted EBITDA $57.7

$105.6

(45.4%)



Adjusted EBITDA margin 15.6%

21.1%

(550 bps)



Depreciation & amortization (1) $16.6

$16.5

+0.6%



Amort. of intangibles from acq. of Gates $18.5

$18.3

+1.1%









For the six months ended







(USD in millions) June 27, 2020

June 29, 2019

% Change

% Core Change Net sales $811.2

$1,001.0

(19.0%)

(16.8%) Adjusted EBITDA $137.2

$215.5

(36.3%)



Adjusted EBITDA margin 16.9%

21.5%

(460 bps)



Depreciation & amortization (1) $32.5

$32.9

(1.2%)



Amort. of intangibles from acq. of Gates $36.7

$36.7

%







(1) Excludes the amortization of intangible assets arising from the 2014 acquisition of Gates.

Power Transmission net sales decreased 26.2% to $370.0 million in the second quarter, reflecting a core revenue decline of 23.7% and an additional 2.5% of unfavorable foreign currency effects. The segment saw notable improvement throughout the quarter, particularly in the automotive replacement and industrial first-fit channels. Power Transmission revenue in China grew modestly year-over-year on a core basis, led by a strong performance in the heavy-duty truck and general industrial end markets.

Adjusted EBITDA decreased 45.4% over the prior-year quarter, while Adjusted EBITDA margin contracted by 550 basis points, attributable to the significant decline in volumes and related manufacturing inefficiencies.

Fluid Power Segment Results



For the three months ended







(USD in millions) June 27, 2020

June 29, 2019

% Change

% Core Change Net sales $206.5

$308.4

(33.0%)

(30.6%) Adjusted EBITDA $25.5

$59.8

(57.4%)



Adjusted EBITDA margin 12.3%

19.4%

(710 bps)



Depreciation & amortization (1) $9.3

$10.1

(7.9%)



Amort. of intangibles from acq. of Gates $10.3

$11.3

(8.8%)









For the six months ended







(USD in millions) June 27, 2020

June 29, 2019

% Change

% Core Change Net sales $475.4

$613.8

(22.5%)

(20.7%) Adjusted EBITDA $66.8

$115.4

(42.1%)



Adjusted EBITDA margin 14.1%

18.8%

(470 bps)



Depreciation & amortization (1) $19.0

$20.1

(5.5%)



Amort. of intangibles from acq. of Gates $21.4

$22.6

(5.3%)







(1) Excludes the amortization of intangible assets arising from the 2014 acquisition of Gates.

Fluid Power net sales decreased 33.0% to $206.5 million in the second quarter, reflecting a core revenue decline of 30.6% and unfavorable foreign currency effects of 2.4%. Similar to our Power Transmission segment, Fluid Power revenue improved throughout the quarter, most significantly in the replacement channels. Revenue in China returned to growth on a core basis, due in part to strong performance in the construction end market.

Adjusted EBITDA margin declined 710 basis points over the prior-year quarter. Adjusted EBITDA was primarily impacted by significantly lower production volumes and the associated manufacturing inefficiencies.

Liquidity and Capital Resources

During the second quarter of 2020, the Company generated $40.5 million of cash from operations. Second-quarter capital expenditures declined slightly to $12.7 million from $19.2 million in the prior-year period, the largest portion of which represented maintenance expenditures.

As of June 27, 2020, the Company had total cash of $639.7 million, committed borrowing headroom of $415.3 million, and total outstanding debt of $3.0 billion. The Company does not have any meaningful debt maturities until 2024 and does not expect to draw down any committed lines of credit in the foreseeable future.

2020 Outlook

Due to the continuing level of uncertainty related to the COVID-19 pandemic and the inability to predict the trajectory and sustainability of the demand recovery, the Company is not reinstating full-year 2020 core revenue or Adjusted EBITDA guidance at this time. The Company continues to expect total capital expenditures of approximately $70 million and Free Cash Flow Conversion to be greater than 100% of Adjusted Net Income.

Conference Call and Webcast

Gates Industrial Corporation plc will host a conference call today at 5:00 pm ET to discuss the Company's financial results. The live webcast of the conference call and accompanying presentation materials can be accessed through Gates Industrial's website at investors.gates.com. For those unable to access the webcast, the conference call can be accessed by registering at this link: http://www.directeventreg.com/registration/event/9968568. An audio replay of the conference call can be accessed by dialing (800) 585-8367 (domestic) or +1 (416) 621-4642 (international), and providing the passcode 9968568, or by accessing Gates Industrial's website at investors.gates.com.

About Gates Industrial Corporation plc

Gates is a global manufacturer of innovative, highly engineered power transmission and fluid power solutions. Gates offers a broad portfolio of products to diverse replacement channel customers, and to original equipment ("first-fit") manufacturers as specified components. Gates participates in many sectors of the industrial and consumer markets. Our products play essential roles in a diverse range of applications across a wide variety of end markets ranging from harsh and hazardous industries such as agriculture, construction, manufacturing and energy, to everyday consumer applications such as printers, power washers, automatic doors and vacuum cleaners and virtually every form of transportation. Our products are sold in more than 120 countries across our four commercial regions: the Americas; Europe, Middle East & Africa; Greater China; and East Asia & India.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. In some cases, you can identify these forward-looking statements by the use of words such as "outlook," "believes," "expects," "potential," "continues," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seeks," "predicts," "intends," "trends," "plans," "estimates," "anticipates" or the negative version of these words or other comparable words. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements related to expectations regarding the performance of the Company's business, financial results, liquidity and capital resources, statements regarding the impact of and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, and the statements in the "2020 Outlook" section of this press release. Such forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including, among others, the uncertainties relating to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and associated governmental measures on the company's business, operations, employees, financial condition and results of operations, risks inherent to the manufacturing industry, macroeconomic factors beyond the Company's control, continued operation of our manufacturing facilities, our ability to forecast and meet demand, market acceptance of new products, and the significant influence of the Company's majority shareholders, investment funds affiliated with The Blackstone Group Inc. Additional factors that could cause the Company's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found under the section entitled "Risk Factors" of the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 28, 2019, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), as supplemented by the risks and uncertainties set forth in the Company's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 28, 2020, as such factors may be further updated from time to time in the Company's periodic filings with the SEC, which are accessible on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, there are or will be important factors that could cause actual outcomes or results to differ materially from those indicated in these statements. These factors should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read in conjunction with the other cautionary statements that are included in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

Gates Industrial Corporation plc Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)



Three months ended

Six months ended (USD in millions, except per share amounts) June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019

June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019 Net sales $ 576.5



$ 809.9



$ 1,286.6



$ 1,614.8

Cost of sales 373.0



508.5



827.3



1,006.1

Gross profit 203.5



301.4



459.3



608.7

Selling, general and administrative expenses 182.9



198.0



376.3



398.5

Transaction-related income 



(0.7)



(0.2)



(0.3)

Asset impairments 3.7







3.7





Restructuring expenses 17.2



0.3



19.1



3.6

Other operating (income) expenses (3.7)



1.9



(1.4)



4.8

Operating income from continuing operations 3.4



101.9



61.8



202.1

Interest expense 34.3



39.2



71.0



77.3

Other income (3.7)



(1.5)



(5.8)



(4.8)

(Loss) income from continuing operations before taxes (27.2)



64.2



(3.4)



129.6

Income tax expense (benefit) 0.6



37.5



(15.5)



(502.2)

Net (loss) income from continuing operations (27.8)



26.7



12.1



631.8

Loss on disposal of discontinued operations, net of tax,

respectively, of $0, $0, $0 and $0 0.2



0.2



0.2



0.5

Net (loss) income (28.0)



26.5



11.9



631.3

Less: non-controlling interests (5.6)



5.0



(1.3)



(3.9)

Net (loss) income attributable to shareholders $ (22.4)



$ 21.5



$ 13.2



$ 635.2

















(Loss) earnings per share













Basic













(Loss) earnings per share from continuing operations $ (0.08)



$ 0.07



$ 0.05



$ 2.19

Earnings per share from discontinued operations 













(Loss) earnings per share $ (0.08)



$ 0.07



$ 0.05



$ 2.19

















Diluted













(Loss) earnings per share from continuing operations $ (0.08)



$ 0.07



$ 0.05



$ 2.18

Earnings per share from discontinued operations 













(Loss) earnings per share $ (0.08)



$ 0.07



$ 0.05



$ 2.18



Gates Industrial Corporation plc Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

(USD in millions, except share numbers and per share amounts) As of

June 27,

2020

As of

December 28,

2019 Assets





Current assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 639.7



$ 635.3

Trade accounts receivable 655.3



694.7

Inventories 498.8



475.1

Taxes receivable 30.3



22.1

Prepaid expenses and other assets 135.3



131.4

Total current assets 1,959.4



1,958.6

Non-current assets





Property, plant and equipment, net 671.2



727.9

Goodwill 1,982.6



2,060.5

Pension surplus 36.3



38.1

Intangible assets, net 1,791.2



1,876.0

Operating lease right-of-use assets 118.2



123.0

Taxes receivable 24.1



23.0

Deferred income taxes 575.7



587.1

Other non-current assets 17.6



17.1

Total assets $ 7,176.3



$ 7,411.3

Liabilities and equity





Current liabilities





Debt, current portion $ 63.5



$ 46.1

Trade accounts payable 317.8



374.7

Taxes payable 25.5



48.5

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities 222.5



188.8

Total current liabilities 629.3



658.1

Non-current liabilities





Debt, less current portion 2,906.9



2,912.3

Post-retirement benefit obligations 146.4



151.2

Lease liabilities 111.2



116.2

Taxes payable 106.2



108.8

Deferred income taxes 333.9



369.3

Other non-current liabilities 100.7



84.7

Total liabilities 4,334.6



4,400.6

Shareholders' equity





Shares, par value of $0.01 each - authorized shares: 3,000,000,000 ; outstanding shares:

290,754,856 (December 28, 2019: authorized shares: 3,000,000,000; outstanding shares:

290,157,299) 2.9



2.9

Additional paid-in capital 2,445.4



2,434.5

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (1,036.2)



(858.4)

Retained earnings 1,085.2



1,072.0

Total shareholders' equity 2,497.3



2,651.0

Non-controlling interests 344.4



359.7

Total equity 2,841.7



3,010.7

Total liabilities and equity $ 7,176.3



$ 7,411.3



Gates Industrial Corporation plc Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited)



Six months ended (USD in millions) June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019 Cash flows from operating activities





Net income $ 11.9



$ 631.3

Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operations:





Depreciation and amortization 109.6



112.3

Non-cash currency transaction loss (gain) on debt and hedging instruments 0.6



(4.7)

Other net non-cash financing costs 3.1



6.2

Share-based compensation expense 8.6



6.4

Decrease in post-employment benefit obligations, net (3.4)



(4.5)

Deferred income taxes (11.6)



(618.2)

Asset impairments 5.1



0.3

Other operating activities 4.1



3.4

Changes in operating assets and liabilities, net of effects of acquisitions:





Decrease (increase) in accounts receivable 25.0



(37.0)

(Increase) decrease in inventories (39.3)



0.1

Decrease in accounts payable (49.1)



(47.4)

Increase in prepaid expenses and other assets (0.4)



(13.3)

(Decrease) increase in taxes payable (35.7)



53.8

Increase (decrease) in other liabilities 43.1



(24.9)

Net cash provided by operations 71.6



63.8

Cash flows from investing activities





Purchases of property, plant and equipment (23.1)



(36.9)

Purchases of intangible assets (4.5)



(5.2)

Cash paid under corporate-owned life insurance policies (9.8)



(9.5)

Cash received under corporate-owned life insurance policies 



3.9

Other investing activities 0.3



0.2

Net cash used in investing activities (37.1)



(47.5)

Cash flows from financing activities





Issuance of shares 2.7



1.6

Payments of long-term debt (12.4)



(18.9)

Debt issuance costs paid (0.3)





Dividends paid to non-controlling interests (9.9)



(15.0)

Other financing activities 1.0



1.0

Net cash used in financing activities (18.9)



(31.3)

Effect of exchange rate changes on cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash (11.5)



2.6

Net increase (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash 4.1



(12.4)

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at the beginning of the period 636.6



424.6

Cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash at the end of the period $ 640.7



$ 412.2

Supplemental schedule of cash flow information





Interest paid $ 48.5



$ 80.0

Income taxes paid, net $ 16.6



$ 61.9

Accrued capital expenditures $ 0.9



$ 1.1



Non-GAAP Financial Statements

This press release includes certain non-GAAP financial measures, which management believes are useful to investors, securities analysts and other interested parties. Management uses Adjusted EBITDA as its key profitability measure. This is a non-GAAP measure that represents EBITDA before certain items that impact comparison of the performance of our business either period-over-period or with other businesses. We use Adjusted EBITDA as our measure of segment profitability to assess the performance of our businesses, and it is used for total Gates as well because we believe it is important to consider our total profitability on a basis that is consistent with that of our operating segments. Adjusted EBITDA Margin is Adjusted EBITDA for a particular period expressed as a percentage of revenues for that period.

Management uses Adjusted Net Income as an additional measure of profitability. Adjusted Net Income is a non-GAAP measure that represents net income attributable to shareholders before certain items that impact comparison of the performance of our business, either period-over-period or with other businesses.

Core revenue growth is a non-GAAP measure that represents net sales for the period excluding the impacts of movements in foreign currency rates and the first-year impacts of acquisitions and disposals, where applicable. We present core revenue growth because it allows for a meaningful comparison of year-over-year performance without the volatility caused by foreign currency gains or losses, or the incomparability that would be caused by the impact of an acquisition or disposal.

Management uses Free Cash Flow to measure cash generation and liquidity. Free Cash Flow is a non-GAAP measure that represents net cash provided by operations less capital expenditures. Free Cash Flow Conversion is a measure of Free Cash Flow expressed as a percentage of Adjusted Net Income. We use this metric as a measure of the success of our business in converting Adjusted Net Income into cash.

These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered only as supplemental to, and not as superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Please see below for a reconciliation of historical non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP. Because GAAP financial measures on a forward-looking basis are not accessible, and reconciling information is not available without unreasonable effort, we have not provided reconciliations for forward-looking non-GAAP measures. For the same reasons, we are unable to address the probable significance of the unavailable information, which could be material to future results.

Gates Industrial Corporation plc Reconciliation of Net (Loss) Income from Continuing Operations to Adjusted EBITDA (Unaudited)



Three months ended

Six months ended (USD in millions) June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019

June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019 Net (loss) income from continuing operations $ (27.8)



$ 26.7



$ 12.1



$ 631.8

Adjusted for:













Income tax expense (benefit) 0.6



37.5



(15.5)



(502.2)

Net interest and other expenses 30.6



37.7



65.2



72.5

Depreciation and amortization 54.7



56.2



109.6



112.3

Transaction-related income (1) 



(0.7)



(0.2)



(0.3)

Asset impairments 3.7







3.7





Restructuring expenses (2) 17.2



0.3



19.1



3.6

Share-based compensation expense 5.7



3.8



8.6



6.4

Sponsor fees (included in other operating expenses) (3) 



2.0



1.7



3.8

Inventory impairments (included in cost of sales) 1.4



0.3



1.4



0.3

Severance expenses (included in cost of sales) 0.5



0.5



0.6



0.5

Severance expenses (included in SG&A) 0.3



1.4



0.8



1.2

Other items not directly related to current operations (3.7)



(0.3)



(3.1)



1.0

Adjusted EBITDA $ 83.2



$ 165.4



$ 204.0



$ 330.9



(1) Transaction-related income relates primarily to advisory fees and other costs recognized in respect of major corporate transactions,

including the acquisition of businesses and debt refinancings. (2) Restructuring expenses represent costs qualifying for recognition as such under U.S. GAAP and include costs related to the closure of

lines of business, facility closures and consolidations, fundamental organizational rationalizations and non-recurring employee

severance related to such actions. (3) Sponsor fees relate to fees paid to our private equity sponsor for monitoring, advisory and consulting services.

Gates Industrial Corporation plc Reconciliation of Net (Loss) Income Attributable to Shareholders to Adjusted Net Income (Unaudited)



Three months ended

Six months ended (USD in millions, except share numbers and per share

amounts) June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019

June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019 Net (loss) income attributable to shareholders $ (22.4)



$ 21.5



$ 13.2



$ 635.2

Adjusted for:













Loss on disposal of discontinued operations 0.2



0.2



0.2



0.5

Amortization of intangible assets arising from the

2014 acquisition of Gates 28.8



29.6



58.1



59.3

Transaction-related income (1) 



(0.7)



(0.2)



(0.3)

Asset impairments 3.7







3.7





Restructuring expenses (2) 17.2



0.3



19.1



3.6

Share-based compensation expense 5.7



3.8



8.6



6.4

Sponsor fees (included in other operating expenses) (3) 



2.0



1.7



3.8

Inventory impairments (included in cost of sales) 1.4



0.3



1.4



0.3

Adjustments relating to post-retirement benefits (0.7)



(0.6)



(1.2)



(1.9)

Financing-related FX (gains) losses (2.2)



0.3



(1.9)



(0.6)

One-time net tax expense (benefit) (4) 



28.3







(513.0)

One-time non-controlling interest adjustment 











(15.0)

Other adjustments (5) (14.2)



(0.2)



(15.0)



(1.1)

Estimated tax effect of the above adjustments (8.1)



(9.6)



(16.7)



(19.6)

Adjusted Net Income $ 9.4



$ 75.2



$ 71.0



$ 157.6

















Diluted weighted-average number of shares outstanding 290,732,375

291,802,754

291,716,507

291,863,973 Adjusted Net Income per diluted share $ 0.03



$ 0.26



$ 0.24



$ 0.54



(1) Transaction-related income relates primarily to advisory fees and other costs recognized in respect of major corporate transactions,

including the acquisition of businesses and debt refinancings. (2) Restructuring expenses represent costs qualifying for recognition as such under U.S. GAAP and include costs related to the closure of

lines of business, facility closures and consolidations, fundamental organizational rationalizations and non-recurring employee

severance related to such actions. (3) Sponsor fees relate to fees paid to our private equity sponsor for monitoring, advisory and consulting services. (4) During the first quarter of 2019, we recognized a one-time, non-cash tax benefit related to the release of valuation allowances on

net operating loss carryforwards in Europe. This benefit was offset partially by certain indirectly related unrecognized tax benefits. (5) During the three and six months ended June 27, 2020, other adjustments included $11.3 million and $13.3 million, respectively, in

relation to the non-controlling interest share of the adjustments above, primarily restructuring expenses incurred in relation to the

closure of our manufacturing facility in Korea.

Gates Industrial Corporation plc Reconciliation of Net Sales to Core Revenue Growth (Unaudited)



Three months ended June 27, 2020 (USD in millions) Power

Transmission

Fluid Power

Total Net sales for the three months ended June 27, 2020 (1) $ 370.0



$ 206.5



$ 576.5

Impact on net sales of movements in currency rates 12.4



7.4



19.8

Core revenue for the three months ended June 27, 2020 $ 382.4



$ 213.9



$ 596.3













Net sales for the three months ended June 29, 2019 501.5



308.4



809.9

Decrease in net sales on a core basis (core revenue) $ (119.1)



$ (94.5)



$ (213.6)













Core revenue growth (23.7) %

(30.6) %

(26.4) %



Six months ended June 27, 2020 (USD in millions) Power

Transmission

Fluid Power

Total Net sales for the six months ended June 27, 2020 (1) $ 811.2



$ 475.4



$ 1,286.6

Impact on net sales of movements in currency rates 21.9



11.6



33.5

Core revenue for the six months ended June 27, 2020 $ 833.1



$ 487.0



$ 1,320.1













Net sales for the six months ended June 29, 2019 1,001.0



613.8



1,614.8

Decrease in net sales on a core basis (core revenue) $ (167.9)



$ (126.8)



$ (294.7)













Core revenue growth (16.8) %

(20.7) %

(18.2) %

(1) Throughout this document the terms "net sales" and "revenue" are used interchangeably in reference to the GAAP measure "net

sales."

Gates Industrial Corporation plc Reconciliation of Free Cash Flow and Free Cash Flow Conversion (Unaudited)



Six months ended

Twelve months ended (USD in millions) June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019

June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019 Net cash provided by operations $ 71.6



$ 63.8



$ 356.7



$ 283.4

Capital expenditures (1) (27.6)



(42.1)



(68.6)



(110.6)

Free Cash Flow $ 44.0



$ 21.7



$ 288.1



$ 172.8



(1) Capital expenditures represent purchases of property, plant and equipment and purchases of intangible assets.



Twelve months ended (USD in millions) June 27,

2020

June 29,

2019 Free Cash Flow $ 288.1



$ 172.8

Adjusted Net Income $ 192.7



$ 353.1

Free Cash Flow Conversion 149.5 %

48.9 %

Contact

Bill Waelke

(303) 744-4887

[email protected]

SOURCE Gates Industrial Corporation plc

Related Links

https://www.gates.com


Scientists have developed a blood test that can identify if a baby has suffered a lack of oxygen to the brain during birth.

The prototype test is based on a study of the blood samples of 45 babies that experienced oxygen deprivation at birth, known as birth asphyxia, which increases the risk of risk of disabilities such as cerebral palsy and epilepsy.

Researchers identified 855 genes in babies that undergo changes and result in impaired neurological function.

These genes, including two in particular that showed 'significant' differences, could identify oxygen-deprived newborns most at risk of developing neurodisabilities.

Researchers say a blood test to identify these cases would allow clinicians to rapidly treat the baby.

One treatment for babies showing signs of asphyxia is known as extreme cooling and sees their body temperature lowered to 33.5C for three days.

Previous research has found this procedure to be effective at preventing long-term brain damage caused by a lack of oxygen.

Oxygen deprivation is the most common cause of death and neurodisability in term babies, affecting two to three per 1,000 live births in high-income countries and 10 to 20 per 1,000 live births in low and middle-income countries.

An early blood test could detect which babies deprived of oxygen at birth are at risk of serious neurodisabilities like cerebral palsy and epilepsy

'The results from these blood tests will allow us to gain more insight into disease mechanisms that are responsible for brain injury and allow us to develop new therapeutic interventions or improve those which are already available,' said study author Professor Sudhin Thayyil at Imperial College London.

The research was conducted in Indian hospitals, where there are up to one million cases of birth asphyxia per year.

Birth asphyxia can be caused by a number of factors, including inadequate oxygen levels in the mother's blood due to heart or respiratory problems and inadequate relaxation of the uterus during labour.

This prevents oxygen circulation to the placenta, the temporary organ that supplies oxygen and nutrients to a fetus.

Following oxygen deprivation at birth, brain injury can develop over hours to months and affect different regions of the brain.

This results in a variety of potential neurodisabilities such as cerebral palsy, epilepsy, deafness or blindness.

As the underlying brain injury evolves, early identification of at-risk infants is challenging and often inaccurate, the researchers say.

They therefore examined babies who developed adverse neuro-developmental issues had a unique host blood gene expression profile at birth.

The research was conducted in Indian hospitals, where there are around 0.5-1.0 million cases of birth asphyxia (oxygen deprivation) per year

The 45 babies had their blood taken within six hours after birth and were followed up after 18 months old to see which had developed neurodisabilities.

Blood samples were examined to find any difference in gene expression  the switching on or off of genes  between babies that developed neurodisabilities and those that didnt.

The team found 855 genes were expressed differently between the two groups, two of which in particular  protein coding genes RGS1 and SMC4  showed the most significant difference.

Examining these two genes and what processes their expression causes within cells could help understand causes of neurodisabilities caused by birth asphyxia.

'The blood samples were collected soon after birth and the changes in genes are detectable from birth, but the physical manifestations  e.g. epilepsy, cerebral palsy  arent detectable until 18 months,' study author Paolo Montaldo at Imperial College London told MailOnline.

The 45 babies had their blood taken within six hours after birth and were followed up after 18 months old to see which had developed neurodisabilities

'If these findings can be replicated in larger cohort of babies, it may open new therapeutic avenues and to develop new neuro-protection therapies in the future,' the researchers say in their paper, published in the journal Scientific Reports.

The team examined gene expression at only one time window, within six hours after birth, despite the fact gene expression profiles are likely to change over time in the post-natal period.

'Our findings may differ if gene expression profiles are examined beyond this time window,' the authors say.

The study was also conducted in low-middle income countries and therefore, caution is needed before translating these findings to different settings.

The babies were part of a trial called Hypothermia for Encephalopathy in Low and middle-income countries (HELIX).

The trial also examines the use of hypothermia  extreme cooling  on babies to prevent brain injuries developing following oxygen deprivation.

Cooling the baby's body and brain temperature in a controlled environment alters chemical processes in the brain and can reduce the risk of permanent brain damage.

In higher-income countries this is known to reduce the chances of babies developing neurodisabilities, but in lower income settings cooling may not be feasible.

Generally, despite extreme cooling, 30 per cent of babies still have adverse neurological outcomes, so new therapies are still needed.

The Imperial team, which worked with groups in India, Italy and the US for the study, will next expand their blood testing study to a larger number of babies.
(Alliance News) - BP PLC on Tuesday followed in the footsteps of rival Royal Dutch Shell PLC in cutting shareholder payout, after the UK oil major swung to an interim loss amid the challenging trading conditions created by the coronavirus pandemic.

It was the first time BP cut its dividend since the Deepwater Horizon disaster in 2010.

In April, Anglo-Dutch oil major Shell cut its dividend for the first time since the Second World War as the sector grapples with lower oil prices due to Covid-19.

Brent oil was quoted at USD43.83 a barrel on Tuesday morning, lower from USD44.11 late Monday. The North Sea benchmark was trading at around USD66 a barrel at the start of 2020.

BP also separately set out its strategy for the next decade of delivery towards net-zero ambitions.

Within 10 years, London-based BP plans to increase its annual low carbon investment 10-fold to around USD5 billion a year, building out an integrated portfolio of low-carbon technologies, including renewables and bioenergy. Over the same period, the company's oil and gas production is expected to reduce by at least one million barrels of oil equivalent a day, or 40%, from 2019 levels. Its remaining hydrocarbon portfolio is expected to be "more cost and carbon resilient".

Shares in BP were up 6.2% at 298.33 pence each in London on Tuesday morning, the best performer in the FTSE 100 index. Year-to-date the stock has shed 37% in value.

For the half-year ended June 30, BP swung to a replacement cost loss of USD18.29 billion from a profit of USD3.78 billion a year before. Adjusted replacement cost loss for the interim period totalled USD5.89 billion versus a profit of USD5.17 billion.

First-half pretax loss amounted to USD26.13 billion versus USD7.93 billion profit. Revenue declined 36% to USD90.73 billion from USD141.15 billion.

For the second-quarter to June-end, BP recorded a pretax loss of USD21.60 billion versus USD3.15 billion profit a year ago. Revenue fell 58% to USD31.19 billion.

"The result was driven primarily by non-cash Upstream exploration write-offs - USD6.5 billion after tax - principally resulting from a review of BP's long-term strategic plans and revisions to long-term price assumptions, combined with the impact of lower oil and gas prices and very weak refining margins, reduced oil and gas production and much lower demand for fuels and lubricants," BP explained.

BP declared a quarterly dividend of 5.25 US cents per share, down 50% from 10.50 cents per share for the previous quarter.

The company said the payout is aligned with its new distribution policy, which comprises of a fixed quarterly payout of 5.25 cents and a commitment to return at least 60% of surplus cash flow to shareholders via share buybacks once net debt is reduced to USD35 billion.

Net debt at June 30 was USD40.9 billion, USD10.5 billion lower than in the first-quarter.

"These headline results have been driven by another very challenging quarter, but also by the deliberate steps we have taken as we continue to reimagine energy and reinvent BP. In particular, our reset of long-term price assumptions and the related impairment and exploration write-off charges had a major impact. Beneath these, however, our performance remained resilient, with good cash flow and - most importantly - safe and reliable operations," said Chief Executive Bernard Looney.

Looking to the third quarter of 2020, BP expects higher product demand, but still significantly below last year's levels. The company also expects significant continued pressure on industry refining margins into the third quarter.

The oil producer said the Covid-19 pandemic continues to create a volatile and challenging trading environment.

By Tapan Panchal; tapanpanchal@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Jamshid Sharmahd's first confession after his arrest

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Aug 3, IRNA -- Jamshid Sharmahd's first confession following his arrest was released.

The following is the full text of the confession, as well as the narration of the program, done by the IRIB.

On August 2, 2020, Iran's Intelligence Ministry arrested the ringleader of the terrorist group of Tondar, Jamshid Sharmahd, who was conducting armed and sabotage operations in Iran.

My name is Jamshid Sharmahd born in 1955.

Ringleader of Tondar (Thunder) group, spokesman for Kingdom Assembly of Iran... These are the names used for calling this person.

"Kingdom Assembly of Iran's publicity and educational programs. that I am in charge of part of it."

He also launched a radio channel named Tondar in Los Angeles, the United States.

"Pilot part [program] of Tondar Radio"

And from there, he was organizing and cooperating terrorist operations inside Iran.

Jamshid Sharmahd masterminded and conducted bombing in Shiraz Seyyed-ol-Shohada Hosseiniyeh (Mosque) in 2008 which killed 14 Iranians and wounded 215 others who were participating in a mourning ceremony for Imam Hussein.

"Did we ever reject blast in Shiraz?"

Carrying out the explosion in Sivand Dam in Shiraz (southern Iran), exploding cyanide bombs at Tehran Book Fair and blowing up bombs at Imam Khomeini shrine during a public ceremony are among terrorist operations performed by this group which was; of course, laid dormant thanks to timely action taken by [Iranian] security forces.

He, also, like other anti-Revolution terrorists were present in US-funded satellite channels with mostly monarchist affiliations, and from there, he planned to carry out sabotage and fanning the flames of unrest in Iran.

"You know where the FBI's office is? This very federal building where we're presently in."

"Before exploding the bomb, he called me, they were in a good situation and needed explosives. I gave the explosives to them."

Jamshid Sharmahd, in these channels, in very vivid terms talks about his bombing plans in Iran and armed combat war with the Islamic Republic.

"War with this Islamic Republic cannot only be a war of rhetoric, we're preparing these grounds for uprooting this regime, it's no kidding...this means it includes killing, beating..."

This person, in fact, was fighting with Islam.

"It is clear that we're anti-Islam, we've come to annihilate Islam, we want to annihilate this Islamic authority."

Now, he was arrested by [Iranian] security forces in an operation.

Compiled by: Ameneh Sadat Zabihpour

Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) News Agency

Translated by: Marjan Heydari Rad

Edited by: Hamid Shamlou

1483**2050

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With the arrival of the summer tourism season, local governments on Tokyo's remote island municipalities, where new coronavirus infections have been rare among residents, are worried by news of the virus spreading fast in the capital.

Visitors to the islands south of Tokyo Bay are a big source of income there, but medical services and resources on the islands are lacking.

The municipalities are therefore calling on visitors to take thorough preventive measures against the virus, while also expediting the improvement and expansion of tests and other systems on their islands.

On the evening of July 22, just before the four-day holiday period from July 23 to 26, Mayor Hiroshi Maeda of Kozushima village on Kozushima island was at the Takeshiba Passenger Ship Terminal in Minato Ward, Tokyo. He brought with him signboards with messages such as, "There are no camping grounds" and "Sleeping outdoors is prohibited," urging tourists coming to the island to take heed.

To avoid people coming into close contact with one another, the village has suspended the operation of its camp ground, which can accommodate about 300 people, so that visitors can only stay in hotels or minshuku home-style accommodations. Each accommodation facility is limiting the number of guests. There are guest rooms for about 900 people on the whole island, yet currently rooms are available for only about 250 people.

Kozushima is becoming popular among anime fans because an animated film released last summer is set on the island. The number of visitors to the island during the four-day holiday period in July was lower than expected, even though about 440 people still came.

"To maintain the lives of people working in the tourist business, I want many people to come," Maeda said, "but it will be difficult for us to handle someone becoming infected. The only thing I can do is ask visitors to secure accommodations and be thorough with preventive measures against the virus."

Infection crisis

In April, around the time the central government declared a state of emergency, the municipalities of the islands began calling on tourists to avoid coming to the islands, each in its own style. The requests by the islands were removed or eased after the state of emergency was completely lifted on May 25, and the ban on traveling across prefectural borders was lifted on June 19. As of July 31, the islands have seen only one case of infection, which was on Mikura island. However, If tourists flock to the islands, there will be a higher risk of infections.

The islands have only one medical institution designated for specified infectious diseases, which is located in the town of Hachijo on Hachijo island. Even that hospital has only two negative pressure rooms that prevent air from leaking outside. Therefore, if someone is found to be infected with the virus, the patient will be, in principle, flown by helicopter to a hospital on the Honshu mainland, the largest of the nation's four main islands.

To conduct polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing, the town used to send specimens to the mainland, but they have introduced antigen tests since June, which take only about 30 minutes to obtain results.

"It's become easier to respond because we can get the results faster with antigen tests," said a town official in charge of the tests.

Many other islands have poor systems for testing and handling patients. Therefore, the Tokyo metropolitan government is planning to send antigen test kits to the islands and transport those who have tested positive to Honshu. Under the plan, high-risk contacts will also have a sample collected and sent to Honshu, which will then be used for PCR testing to decide whether they are infected.

The ferryboat to the village of Ogasawara, which is about 1,000 kilometers south of Honshu, has halved its capacity for passengers, to about 400. The ferryboat is the only means of transportation for visitors coming to the village, which covers the Ogasawara islands. The village has rented three minshuku rooms for visitors who have shown symptoms that indicate infection.

The town of Oshima on Oshima island will install mobile X-ray equipment outdoors sometime in August. The town is also planning to start antigen testing.

In May, a resident who had returned from the mainland tested positive for the virus in the village of Mikura. The village is considering renting minshuku rooms for those showing coronavirus symptoms and is already distributing face masks to residents for free.

"Many tourists were walking around without masks during the July holidays" a village official said. "There is an awareness gap between the islanders and tourists regarding the infection crisis."

Ferry and flight companies are collaborating with the villages as well. Tokai Kisen Co., which operates ferries from the Takeshiba pier in Tokyo and other wharfs, has reduced the maximum number of passengers on board to about 70% to avoid crowding. The company also checks passengers' temperature before they board. Shinshinkisen Co., which runs ferry services from Shimoda Port in Shizuoka Prefecture, has halved its number of passengers.

New Central Airservice Co., which operates flights from Chofu Airport in Tokyo, put up English-language notifications about the temporary closure of camp grounds on the islands.

"Tourists going to the islands include many foreigners, so it is absolutely essential we meticulously provide information," said a company official in charge. "We'd like to stay in close cooperation with the island municipalities and ensure the safety of the islands."
All amounts in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated

TORONTO, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Onex Corporation (Onex) (TSX: ONEX) and its affiliated funds (the Onex Group) today announced they sold approximately 32.0 million shares of SIG Combibloc Group (SIG) (SIX: SIGN), a leading systems and solutions provider for aseptic carton packaging.

At the placement price of CHF 15.50 per share, gross proceeds to the Onex Group will be approximately $540 million, of which Onex share will be approximately $190 million as a Limited Partner in Onex Partners IV and as a co-investor. The Onex Group will continue to hold approximately 32.3 million shares of SIG for an interest of 10%, of which Onex share will be approximately 11.4 million shares for a 4% interest.

The placement, which was made through an accelerated bookbuilding process to institutional investors, is expected to close on August 6, 2020, subject to customary closing conditions.

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan or any other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification or the publication of a prospectus under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. The securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from United States registration requirements. No public offer of securities is to be made in the United States, Australia, Canada or Japan. Copies of this document may not be sent to jurisdictions, or distributed in or sent from jurisdictions, in which this is barred or prohibited by law.

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale in or into the United States. The shares of SIG have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or under the laws of any State of the United States and may not be offered or sold in or into the United States except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act. No public offering of securities will be made in the United States.

Story continues

This announcement and any offer of securities to which it relates are only addressed to and directed at persons who are (1) qualified investors as defined under Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (the Prospectus Regulation) and (2) who have professional experience in matters relating to investments who fall within article 19(1) of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005 (the Order) or are persons falling within article 49(2)(A) to (D) (High net worth companies, unincorporated associations, etc.) of the Order or are persons to whom an offer of the placement shares may otherwise lawfully be made.

With respect to each member state of the European Economic Area and the United Kingdom (each a Relevant State), no offer of the shares has been made and will not be made to the public in that Relevant State in accordance with the Prospectus Regulation, no action has been undertaken or will be undertaken to make an offer to the public of the shares sold by the investors requiring a publication of a prospectus in any Relevant State. As a consequence, the shares may only be offered or sold in any Relevant State pursuant to an exemption under the Prospectus Regulation.

No action has been taken by Onex or any of its affiliates that would permit an offering of such shares or possession or distribution of this announcement or any other offering or publicity material relating to such shares in any jurisdiction where action for that purpose is required. Persons into whose possession this announcement comes are required by Onex to inform themselves about, and to observe, any such restrictions. Persons (including, without limitation, nominees and trustees) who have a contractual or other legal obligation to forward a copy of this announcement should seek appropriate advice before taking any action.

About Onex

Founded in 1984, Onex invests and manages capital on behalf of its shareholders, institutional investors and high net worth clients from around the world. Onex platforms include: Onex Partners, private equity funds focused on larger opportunities in North America and Europe; ONCAP, private equity funds focused on middle market and smaller opportunities in North America; Onex Credit, which manages primarily non-investment grade debt through collateralized loan obligations, private debt and other credit strategies; and Gluskin Sheffs actively managed public equity and public credit funds. In total, Onex has approximately $32.9 billion of assets under management, of which approximately $6.0 billion is its own shareholder capital. With offices in Toronto, New York, New Jersey and London, Onex and its experienced management teams are collectively the largest investors across Onex platforms.

The Onex Partners and ONCAP businesses have assets of $45 billion, generate annual revenues of $27 billion and employ approximately 170,000 people worldwide. Onex shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the stock symbol ONEX. For more information on Onex, visit its website at www.onex.com. Onex security filings can also be accessed at www.sedar.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain, without limitation, statements concerning possible or assumed future operations, performance or results preceded by, followed by or that include words such as believes, expects, potential, anticipates, estimates, intends, plans and words of similar connotation, which would constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and information because they involve significant and diverse risks and uncertainties that may cause actual operations, performance or results to be materially different from those indicated in these forward-looking statements. Except as may be required by Canadian securities law, Onex is under no obligation to update any forward-looking statements contained herein should material facts change due to new information, future events or other factors. These cautionary statements expressly qualify all forward-looking statements in this press release.

For further information:

Claire Glossop Irani

Director, Client & Product Solutions

Tel: +1 416.362.7711




When confronted with the 1,000 deaths a day, Trump admits theyre dying, thats true, and it is what it is, but that doesnt mean we arent doing everything we can. Its under control as much as you can control Trump then offered charts that show that dozens of countries have handled the pandemic better than the United States while claiming the charts say the opposite.

The latest interview between HBO Axios National Political Correspondent, Jonathan Swan, and Donald Trump was a disaster for the President almost from the moment it began. The interview covered multiple topics, including the coronavirus crisis, the Black Lives Matter movement, the November election, U.S. Foreign Policy in Afghanistan, China, and Russia; the consensus showed it was a train wreck even by the standards of many of Trumps staff members.

Trump immediately set the tone of the interview by telling an array of lies about his coronavirus response and the state of the pandemic in the country. Trump blames the bad governors while referring to the good governors, then he shifts to blaming China, which has less than 84,464 infections and 4,634 deaths compared to the 4.8 million infections of the coronavirus and 158,000 deaths here in the United States. Trump accepts absolutely no responsibility for his and his Administrations impotent response to the health crisis.

Trump continued

We want a 5-minute test and are making tens of thousands of tests, without recognizing that millions of test are required if the United States wants to have an effective weapon to fight the coronavirus. Trump went on to claim that the testing is causing more positive results than if we didnt test. By some skewed form of rationalization, the President is correct. Another words, what we dont know cant hurt us or be used against him. Stop the testing and the numbers will look far more favorable.



Then the President started denying the numbers reported by South Korea and other countries.

One of the most frightening segments of the interview came when Swan asked Trump questions about why he isnt doing more to fight the coronavirus and why the virus has hit the United States so much harder than other large countries. No matter how Trump tried to lie his way out of the facts, he couldnt escape the 1,000 deaths a day reality. Trump could only muster, They are dying. Thats true. It is what it is. ... Its under control as much as you can control it.

On the topic of Americas struggles with coronavirus testing, including long wait times for test results that render testing almost worthless, Trump resorted to making up an answer he could not validate. Again when all else fails, lie. Trumps master playbook worked for him for 73 years why change now during a world-wide pandemic.

Trump claimed that some books and manuals say that there can be such a thing as too much testing but cant name a single book or manual that says such a thing because it was an outright lie. Health experts universally insist theres no such thing as too much testing.

The interview then turned to the Russian murder for hire operation in Afghanistan by the Russians. Trump insisted people have called that fake news but couldnt cite a single source making that claim. Further, Trump denied that the plot was disclosed in his intelligence morning brief(s), which has been confirmed. Trumps justification for current Russian bounties and arming the Taliban based on the 1978-1981 arming of the Taliban by the United States.

Trump revealed total confusion about the difference between absentee and mail-in voting. He insists that some states have sent millions of mail-in bailouts, but then says absentee ballots are okay because you have to request those ballots ignoring Jonathan Swans stating that no universal ballots have been sent.

It should be noted this interview took place before the news became public that President Trump and his some of this businesses are under criminal investigation for tax fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and wire fraud by the Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr. A grand jury he has convened in New York City.

The President with that disclosure could be indicted by the Manhattan District Attorney even if the President is re-elected since these are state charged. There is only a Justice Department memo saying you cant indict a sitting President. That opinion, if upheld by the Supreme Court, may not be upheld in the contest of a President being charged criminally by a state court.

The Axios full interview can be found below





AXIOS on HBO: President Trump Exclusive Interview








Three from the state police force died of Covid-19 on Tuesday, taking the death toll to 107, while 231 new cases of Covid-19 were reported in the same period from Maharashtra Police.

The three deceased police personnel were from Marol Police Training School (PTS), Thane city police and Ahmednagar police.

Rangnath Achyut Manerkar, 51, had been a reserve police sub-inspector in Marol PTS. He had been admitted to the isolation ward at Hinduhridaysamrat Balasaheb Thackeray (HBT) Trauma Care Hospital in Jogeshwari on July 25. He is survived by his wife and daughter.

Constable Deepak Kishan More, 46, from Thane city police had been admitted to Vedant Hospital on July 28. He is survived by his wife and two children, a son and a daughter.

Constable Sanjay Laxman Pote, 32, had been attached to Sonai police station in Ahmednagar and had been admitted to Saideep Hospital in Ahmednagar on July 29. He is survived by his mother, wife and son.

All the three police personnel were undergoing treatment and succumbed to the infection on Tuesday.

Across Maharashtra, 231 new cases of Covid-19 were reported among police personnel on Tuesday. So far, 9,934 from the state police have contracted the infection and 107 have died, including 10 officers. Of the current coronavirus cases among the Maharashtra Police, 1,877 are active and receiving treatment at various hospitals and Covid care facilities. Vinayak Deshmukh, assistant inspector general of police (law and order), said altogether, 7,950 police personnel in Maharashtra have recovered from Covid-19 and most have resumed duty.

In Mumbai, around 4,082 police personnel have contracted Covid-19 and 55 have succumbed to the infection so far. The death rate in the city police is 1.34% as compared to the citys 5.83%. Introducing a system to ensure quicker response to infected personnel in terms of getting information on availability of beds and ambulance, setting up four dedicated Covid care centres, creating awareness about sanitisation, providing immunity and strength booster medicines, setting up a central monitoring system of critically ill patients by a team of experts, making important drugs available and providing financial and emotional support to the personnel are some of the key measures that helped in preventing the spread of coronavirus in the police force and achieving an impressive recovery rate, Naval Bajaj, joint commissioner of police (administration), Mumbai Police, said.
NETANYA, Israel, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cellcom Israel Ltd. (NYSE: CEL) (TASE: CEL) (hereinafter: the "Company") announced today that a purported class action was filed against the Company, alleging that the Company unlawfully raised tariffs and therefore charged its customers for its services, in violation of its license, applicable law and the agreement with its customers. The amount claimed from the Company, if the lawsuit is certified as a class action, was estimated by the plaintiff to be approximately NIS 100 million. At this preliminary stage, the Company is unable to assess the lawsuit's chances of success.

About Cellcom Israel

Cellcom Israel Ltd., established in 1994, is a leading Israeli communications group, providing a wide range of communications services. Cellcom Israel is the largest Israeli cellular provider, providing its approximately 2.747 million cellular subscribers (as at March 31, 2020) with a broad range of services including cellular telephony, roaming services for tourists in Israel and for its subscribers abroad, text and multimedia messaging, advanced cellular content and data services and other value-added services in the areas of music, video, mobile office etc., based on Cellcom Israel's technologically advanced infrastructure. The Company operates an LTE 4 generation network and an HSPA 3.5 Generation network enabling advanced high speed broadband multimedia services, in addition to GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks. Cellcom Israel offers Israel's broadest and largest customer service infrastructure including telephone customer service centers, retail stores, and service and sale centers, distributed nationwide. Cellcom Israel further provides OTT TV services, internet infrastructure and connectivity services and international calling services, as well as landline telephone services in Israel. Cellcom Israel's shares are traded both on the New York Stock Exchange (CEL) and the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange (CEL).

For additional information please visit the Company's website http://investors.cellcom.co.il.

Company Contact Elad Levy

Investor Relations Manager

[email protected]

Tel: +972-52-998-4774 Investor Relations Contact Ehud Helft GK Investor & Public Relations [email protected] Tel: +1 617 418 3096

SOURCE Cellcom Israel Ltd.
A new bioRxiv* study by a research group from the University of California Irvine shows in vitro activity and non-toxicity of the first-in-class cyclic peptide that inhibits the main protease of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)  laying the groundwork for its use in the treatment of coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

As the COVID-19 pandemic is still rampant, effective antiviral drugs are urgently needed to aid in tackling this disease caused by SARS-CoV-2, but also possibly emerging outbreaks caused by other coronaviruses in the future.

One of the best-characterized, but possibly underutilized drug targets for coronaviruses is the main protease (Mpro or 3CL protease). More specifically, it belongs in a class of homologous cysteine proteases required for viral replication in diseases such as the original SARS, MERS, and now also COVID-19.

The advantage is that the amino acid sequence of SARS-CoV-2 Mpro is 96% identical to the SARS-CoV Mpro amino acid sequence, while their three-dimensional structures also show striking similarities. This means that we can readily exploit our knowledge from the SARS outbreak in 2002 and 2003 for the current pandemic.

Moreover, there are no known human proteases that exhibit similar cleavage specificity as Mpro, suggesting that the development of inhibitors that specifically target this protease and are not coupled with off-target toxicity is a viable option.

And while repurposing SARS-CoV Mpro inhibitors to target the SARS-CoV-2 has already been tried, additional Mpro inhibitors will be needed  either to improve their properties or to use them in combination treatments.

In this seminal paper, the researchers from the Department of Chemistry and Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences at the University of California in Irvine, US, describe the design and preliminary evaluation of UCI-1 (University of California, Irvine Coronavirus Inhibitor-1) with rather promising results.

Crystal structure of Mpro 316 showing two Mpro 316 dimers in two adjacent asymmetric units (PDB 5B6O). One dimer is shown in grey surface view; the other dimer is shown in green cartoons. The inset shows a detailed view of C-terminal residues 301310 of the C-terminal autolytic cleavage site of one Mpro 316 molecule in the active site of another Mpro 316 molecule.

The design and appraisal of the cyclic peptide inhibitor

In a nutshell, UCI-1 was designed to mimic the conformation of a C-terminal autolytic cleavage site of the SARS-CoV Mpro, which represents a naturally occurring Mpro substrate.

To achieve the aforementioned design, the researchers have utilized the molecular visualization software PyMOL (i.e., an open-source molecular visualization system) to construct an authentic model of the envisioned cyclic peptide.

Furthermore, to evaluate the inhibitory properties of UCI-1 against Mpro, this research group used an already established fluorescence-based Mpro inhibition assay kit. Enzyme inhibition assay was additionally analyzed with liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LCMS).

Finally, to appraise whether UCI-1 is cytotoxic, they have exposed human embryonic kidney cells to varying concentrations of UCI-1 for 72 hours and then evaluated cell death with the use of a lactase dehydrogenase assay.

Non-toxic and active at mid-micromolar concentrations

"The design and preliminary evaluation of UCI-1 demonstrate that cyclic peptides that mimic the conformation of linear peptide substrates of Mpro can be developed as inhibitors against Mpro", claim study authors in their bioRxiv paper.

More specifically, the use of in vitro Mpro inhibition assay revealed that UCI-1 is active against SARS-CoV-2 Mpro at mid-micromolar concentrations. Additional liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) analysis has shown that UCI-1 resists cleavage by Mpro, despite containing a scissile amide bond (i.e., a covalent bond amenable to enzyme breakage).

But even more importantly, UCI-1 is found to be non-toxic toward human embryonic kidney cells at concentrations that inhibit Mpro, which gives hope that the compound could be optimized for human use.

Promising drug candidates against COVID-19

While the activity of UCI-1 is somewhat modest when compared to other known Mpro inhibitors, its preliminary evaluation lays the foundation for the development of additional cyclic peptide inhibitor analogs of UCI-1 with enhanced activity against Mpro.

"Design and development of next-generation UCI-1 analogs will likely produce better inhibitors", emphasize study authors. "Due to the urgency of COVID-19, we elected to share our initial hit, UCI-1, in this preprint", they add.

The authors hope that this will encourage other researchers to begin thinking about cyclic peptide inhibitors as promising drug candidates in our fight against COVID-19. And indeed, next-generation analogs of UCI-1 with enhanced activity against Mpro may be a magic bullet that we desperately need.

*Important Notice

bioRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Al Jazeera staffers leave police headquarters in Kuala Lumpur after being questioned over a news documentary aired by the Qatar-based network about Malaysias detentions of undocumented migrants during the COVID-19 pandemic, July 10, 2020.

Malaysian police on Tuesday seized computers and other equipment from Al Jazeeras Kuala Lumpur office as part of an investigation into a documentary by the Qatar-based network about the plight of migrant workers during coronavirus lockdowns, authorities said.

The raids on Al Jazeera and two local broadcasting stations, Astro and Unifi TV, were tied to a probe into a potential sedition and defamation case against Al Jazeera over the documentary that angered the government after the network aired it in early July, according to officials.

During Tuesdays raids, equipment was removed from the local stations for analysis by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), officials said.

[T]he Royal Malaysia Police carried out raids on three different locations involving Al Jazeera, Astro and Unifi TV broadcasting stations, based on search warrants issued by the Kuala Lumpur and Sepang Magistrate Courts, said Huzir Mohamed, director of the federal polices Criminal Investigation Department.

[T]he actions taken were based on the law, and no individual nor entities would be spared from action if they clearly have violated the laws in force in Malaysia, he said.

Early last month, police visited Al Jazeeras local bureau in connection with the case before Abdul Hamid Bador, the nations police chief, announced that his department was summoning employees of the network, including members of the team that produced the documentary, for questioning over it.

On July 7, when he made the announcement, he said it was his agencys responsibility to find out whether there are any elements of sedition or wrongdoing in the eyes of the law.

The 25-minute documentary, titled Locked up in Malaysias Lockdown, depicted military-style round-ups of undocumented foreign workers to test them for the coronavirus. The program alleged that foreigners without proper papers were picked up and packed into detention centers that became hotspots for COVID-19 infections.

Malaysian authorities have called the report baseless, saying it would likely tarnish Malaysias image.

A troubling escalation

On Tuesday, Al Jazeera again said that it stood by its report as it issued a statement describing the raid on its Kuala Lumpur office as an attack on press freedom.

Al Jazeera calls upon the Malaysian authorities to cease this criminal investigation into our journalists. Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities crackdown on media freedom and shows the lengths they are prepared to take to try to intimidate journalists, said Giles Trendle, managing director of Al Jazeera English.

He refuted allegations from Malaysian authorities that the documentary was inaccurate, misleading and unfair, as he called for journalists to be allowed to report freely without intimidation.

Meanwhile, the local chapter of global rights watchdog Amnesty International condemned the raids on the media stations.

The governments crackdown on migrants and refugees, as well those who speak up in their defense, are clearly meant to silence and intimidate and should be condemned, the group said in a statement.

Bangladeshi faces possible deportation

Two weeks after authorities questioned Al Jazeera journalists at police headquarters, Malaysian immigration officials on July 24 took into custody a Bangladeshi national, Md Rayhan Kabir, who was featured in the documentary speaking about the authorities alleged actions during the roundup of migrants.

He has since been placed under a 14-day police remand, after he was picked up following a manhunt for him.

On July 25, the Associated Press quoted the countrys immigration chief as saying this Bangladeshi national will be deported and blacklisted from entering Malaysia forever.

As of Tuesday, it remained unclear under what law Kabir was being held or what criminal offense he had committed. Police and immigration officials have not responded since July 28 to attempts by BenarNews for information about Kabirs case.

During a parliamentary session on Tuesday, the countrys home minister shed some light on the reason for Kabirs arrest and detention.

Under the Immigration Act 1959/63, the Immigration director-general  can take action on any foreigner whom they feel is unwanted in our country. That is my explanation, Minister Hamzah Zainuddin said as he responded to a question from another lawmaker about Kabirs case.

We can send back anyone who is unwanted. He is unwanted, the minister said.
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Aditynath's official residence at 5 Kalidas Marg here was fully illuminated on Tuesday, on the eve of the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya to be held on Wednesday.

Apart from scores of diyas, Rangoli made with flowers added colour to the Chief Minister's residence.

It may be recalled that the Chief Minister had asked all Ram devotees to light diyas and illuminate their homes from August 3 to 5 in celebration of the 'bhumi pujan'.

Ayodhya has already been illuminated in varied colours since Monday.

Besides the Chief Minister, several ministers, legislators and common people also lit diyas on Tuesday to mark the occasion.

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Michigans primary elections will be a bit different with pandemic precautions in place Tuesday.

Every local clerks office has been stockpiling sanitary supplies and preparing for new protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 at polling locations, state elections officials say.

The polls open at 7 a.m. and close at 8 p.m.

State officials strongly encourage in-person voters to wear masks and observe social distancing standards, such as staying six-feet apart in line.

You can find out where to vote here. Find out whats on the ballot here.

Absentee ballots that have yet to be mailed can still be dropped off at city or township clerks office by 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Here are a few more things to expect this Election Day:

Possible delays in results gathering

Nearly 2 million people requested absentee ballots ahead of time, and 900,000 people returned those ballots, according to the Secretary of States office.

Only half-a-million people requested absentee ballots in the 2016 primary.

Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson said the rise in Michigan voters choosing to cast ballots from home can be attributed to the passage of Proposal 3 in 2018, which allows any voter to cast an absentee ballot without providing a reason, and the added motivation of avoiding coronavirus exposure.

Bensons office expects delays in results processing because Michigan law prevents clerks offices from counting absentee ballots until 7 a.m. on Election Day.

We are alongside other states preparing people not to get results upon the closing of election night, Benson said.

Shes pushed for legislation to allow election workers to begin counting absentee ballots earlier.

Florida allows clerks to count absentee ballots 22 days before Election Day, Benson said.

Safe and secure voting

Benson said the Bureau of Elections has provided gloves, disposable masks, spray disinfectants, disinfecting wipes, hand sanitizer and face shields to clerks offices, as well as protocols for hygiene and social distancing.

Voters are not required to wear masks under any state order, but are strongly encouraged to do so by public health officials. All election workers are expected to wear masks and voting booths are distanced six feet apart.

Polling places will provide voters with pens, but its safest to bring their own, the Secretary of States office said. A state ID, drivers license, federally issued photo ID, U.S. passport, military photo ID, student photo ID or tribal photo ID is required. Those who dont have ID will be asked to sign an affidavit before voting.

The Centers for Disease Control and Preventions guidance for polling locations, election workers and voters can be found here.

Drop absentee ballots off at local ballot boxes

Clerks across the state are urging Michigan voters who havent returned their absentee ballots to do so immediately.

Voters can drop their ballots off at their local ballot boxes or city and township clerks offices. Ballot box locations can be found here.

Voters who have received their absentee ballots are encouraged to fill them out as soon as possible, sign the back of the envelope and drop them off at their local clerks office. Local clerk information can be found here.

All absentee ballots must be returned to the clerks office by 8 p.m. on Election Day to be counted.

No split votes

Michigan voters have to pick one political party in the primary election. If politicians from different parties are picked, the voters ballot will be rejected.

Sample ballots and voting instructions can be found here.

Its imperative that voters check both sides of their ballots for any local proposals or nonpartisan judicial races.

Same-day registration

Its too late to register to vote by mail or online. To register now, go to your local clerks office, get registered and vote in-person there.

Some form of ID or physical document proving residency must be provided to the clerks office in order to register to vote.

You can find out whether youre registered to vote here.

Spoiling a ballot

Voters who havent mailed in their absentee ballot or never received a requested ballot can still cast a vote in-person Tuesday.

Michigan voters can spoil their ballots by completing an Affidavit of Lost or Destroyed Absent Voter Ballot or by surrendering the original ballot at their local polling station.

Election workers needed across Michigan

Heading into the November general election, more election workers are needed to process the increase in absent-voter ballots, staff polling places and to serve in place of older or immunocompromised election workers.

Benson said people who are registered to vote or are 16 or 17 years old can apply to be paid election workers through the Department of States Democracy MVP initiative. More than 5,000 people have been recruited to work upcoming elections.

Registered voters can inquire about how to become a member of their local absentee ballot counting board by calling their city or township clerk.

Read more on MLive:

Dont expect complete results on election night, state says after nearly 1M absentee ballots cast

Turn in your primary absentee ballots by hand if you havent mailed them yet, clerks advise

Your guide to local elections in Michigan on Tuesday, Aug. 4
BANGALORE, India, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Light Detection and Ranging( LiDAR) is a remote sensing system used to monitor an area using light. Automotive LiDAR devices use pulsed laser light to measure the distance between two vehicles using a sensor to illuminate the desired target and to measure the reflected pulses. This system is used to enhance the navigational capability by identifying and avoiding obstacles in the route. LiDAR does so by offering simple, 3D snapshots of each object in the vicinity of the vehicle.

The global Automotive LiDAR market size is projected to reach USD 772 Million by 2026, from USD 184 Million in 2019, at a CAGR of 22.7% during 2020-2026.

The study provides a detailed overview of current & emerging industry patterns and dynamics in the global automotive LiDAR market. The Automotive LiDAR Market report provides the industry's quantitative analysis, along with current trends and future estimates to identify the market opportunities.

Get Free Sample: https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Othe-2Y319/Automotive_LiDAR

TRENDS INFLUENCING THE AUTOMOTIVE LiDAR MARKET SIZE

Increasing demand for self-driven cars has increased the demand for LiDAR sensors in autonomous vehicles. Increasing research and development activities and government funding for the advancement of automated driving systems is expected to boost the LiDAR automotive market in the forecast period.

LiDAR technology has been widely used in many other end-user industries such as the aerospace, agricultural, and civil engineering industries, resulting in mass production of LiDAR devices leading to declining LiDAR sensor market costs. The declining manufacturing cost is further expected to propel the growth of Automotive LiDAR Market size.

Increasing adoption of safety systems in autonomous and semi-autonomous cars at different levels of automation is expected to attract massive investment from key players, thereby driving the growth of Automotive LiDAR Market size.

Furthermore, due to stringent regulatory scenarios in many countries have forced manufacturers to include safety sensors in vehicles. This is further expected to increase the LiDAR market size during the forecast period.

Over the years, the trend in the procurement of passenger cars is rising at a substantial pace. The more passenger cars are procured, the greater is the demand for the LiDAR system to have trouble-free driving experience.

The lack of understanding of LiDAR systems' advantages and the high cost of using costly components in these systems, such as laser scanners, navigation systems, and high-resolution 3D cameras, might hinder market development.

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AUTOMOTIVE LiDAR MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

Based on Region, North America is expected to hold the largest Automotive LiDAR market share during the forecast period. This dominance of North America is due to the high penetration of vehicles equipped with LiDAR for adaptive cruise control and automatic emergency braking.

In Europe, the automotive industry is a strategic and robust industry that drives the region's economic growth. Europe is working on developing the region's linked and automated driving network by incorporating autonomous LiDAR-based self-driven vehicles. France and Germany are the leading countries in the region that are contributing to the growth of Automotive LiDAR Market size.

The Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period. This accelerated growth can be attributed to the region's increasing demand for robust technology and autonomous automobiles. China is a major contributor to the growth of LiDAR automotive market size in the Asia Pacific region. Furthermore, the increasing need for infrastructure growth and increased R & D activities for autonomous vehicles is driving the APAC region's Automotive LiDAR market size.

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AUTOMOTIVE LiDAR MARKET SEGMENTATION

Breakdown Data by Type

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems(ADAS)

Automatic Emergency Braking (AEB)

Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC)

Autonomous Cars.

Breakdown Data by Application

Passenger Cars

Commercial Vehicles.

The following companies are covered in this report:

Continental AG

Garmin Ltd

Infineon Technologies

Innoviz Technologies

LeddarTech

Osram Licht AG

Phantom Intelligence

Princeton Lightwave Inc.

Velodyne Lidar

Quanergy

Others.

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SIMILAR REPORTS

Automotive Lidar Sensor Market Report

In 2019, the global Automotive Lidar Sensor market size was USD 63 Million and it is expected to reach USD 348.4 Million by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 27.5% during 2021-2026.

North America is the largest supplier of Automotive Lidar Sensor, with a production market share nearly 84% in 2016. Europe is the second-largest supplier of Automotive Lidar Sensor, enjoying the production market share by nearly 11% in 2016.

North America is the largest consumption place, with a consumption market share nearly 28% in 2016. Following China, Europe is the second-largest consumption place with the consumption market share of 22%.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-12G310/global-automotive-lidar-sensor

Covid-19 Impact on the LiDAR Market Report

The global LiDAR market size was valued at USD 700.2 Million in 2019 and is projected to reach USD 2.90 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 20.1% from 2020 to 2027.

The global impacts of the 2019 coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are already starting to be felt, and will affect the LIDAR market significantly in 2020

The improvement of LiDAR systems' automated processing capability in terms of image resolution and data processing capabilities over other technologies is the major factor driving the growth of LiDAR market size. Furthermore, the rise in demand for 3D imaging technology across various application areas and an increase in the adoption of aerial LiDAR systems to explore and detect places and historical details are expected to fuel the LiDAR market growth.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Manu-4A11/lidar

Asia-Pacific Automotive Lidar Sensor Market Report

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1P326/asia-pacific-automotive-lidar-sensor

EMEA ( Europe , Middle East , and Africa ) Automotive Lidar Sensor Market Report

Geographically, this report split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, With sales (Units), Revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Automotive Lidar Sensor for these regions, from 2013 to 2025 (forecast)

Europe : Germany , France , UK, Russia , Italy , and Benelux;

: , , UK, , , and Benelux; Middle East : Saudi Arabia , Israel , UAE, and Iran ;

: , , UAE, and ; Africa : South Africa , Nigeria , Egypt , and Algeria .

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United States Automotive Lidar Sensor Market Report

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2K321/united-states-automotive-lidar-sensor

Korea Automotive Lidar Sensor Market Report

This report provides the Korea Automotive Lidar Sensor Market size and future trend. The Korea Automotive Lidar Sensor Market report focuses on top players in Korea and provides an in-depth analysis of various segments in the market along with their forecast.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3T282/korea-automotive-lidar-sensor

China Automotive Lidar Sensor Market Report

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3U283/china-automotive-lidar-sensor

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market Report

In 2018, the global Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market size was USD 11000 Million, and it is expected to reach USD 58600 Million by the end of 2025, with a CAGR of 27.0% during 2019-2025.

Automotive ADAS are electronic components installed in vehicles that provide the driver with smart driving experience. These systems are composed of specific sensors such as ultrasonic, image, RADAR, LiDAR, LASER, and infrared. The growing trend in the automotive sector is to deploy ADAS to increase comfort levels and ensure road safety is expected to drive the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market size.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-621/global-advanced-driver-assistance-systems-adas

Automotive Adaptive Cruise Control System Market Report

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-31S1172/global-automotive-adaptive-cruise

Asia-Pacific LiDAR Market Report:

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Auto-3Q79/asia-pacific-lidar

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 detail research methodology employed to generate the report, Please also reach to our sales team to get the complete list of our data sources

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If [the state government] did that, it could for example use the Northern Territory and Queensland approach of only excluding people within the last 14 days if theyve been in a COVID hotspot, she said. Or it could say if youve been in a COVID hotspot then you must quarantine for 14 days but well let you in. Below is a look at how Melbournes second wave has infiltrated states that were considered COVID-19 free during the Clive Palmer High Court challenge: South Australia South Australia hasn't had a case of unknown community transmission since April 16 and was in similar standing with Western Australia.

A positive case on Tuesday initially was feared to be the first case of community transmission in four months, however the woman was later found to have given a false positive. Through the strengthening of its border closures on July 9, Victorians were banned from entering the state unless they were a returning resident. The border then closed to residents on July 28 meaning only essential workers could enter. The announcement of the border clampdown led to an influx of people trying to cross the Victorian-South Australian border to escape an imminent Melbourne lockdown. In the past two weeks, 10 positive cases have been detected in the community that are linked to Victoria. Most were self-isolating at home for 14 days when the virus was detected, however at least one case has leaked into the community through close contacts and created a cluster.

The state has moved to cap home gatherings to 50 people and weddings to 100 people, in light of the recent spike in cases. SA Chief Health Officer Nicola Spurrier described the surge as very concerning. The thing is with this disease you only get one chance and we need to do everything possible to reduce that community transmission before it gets away from us, and before we can contain it, she said. Were starting to see the cases mount up now in South Australia. Its not surprising because we are adjacent to Victoria." Queensland

Queensland has not recorded a case of unknown community transmission since May 2, however in late July, two young women allegedly breached quarantine rules by re-entering the state from Melbourne without completing 14 days hotel quarantine. The women were active in the community for eight days before their infections were detected and have so far passed the virus onto three other people. No cases of unknown community transmission have been detected, and testing numbers at COVID clinics have surged in recent days in response to attempts to contain the spread. The breach revealed weaknesses in the Queenslands border controls with New South Wales, which largely rely on returned residents filling out their border declaration passes honestly.

Queenslands border has been closed for much of the pandemic. It reopened on July 10 to all except those in COVID-19 hotspots. Residents wanting to return home from high-risk areas must hotel quarantine for 14 days at their own expense on arrival. As of Tuesday, it had maintained its elimination status, which by definition means 28 days without a case of unknown community spread. Tasmania Tasmania has had its border closed for much of the pandemic. It is allowing residents to return home, however they must complete 14 days hotel quarantine upon arrival at their own expense. Through this process, two cases have been detected in women returning from Victoria since the states second wave struck.

To Tuesday, it had maintained its elimination status. Northern Territory The Northern Territory has never recorded a case of unknown community transmission. Its borders were shut for much of the pandemic, but were lifted on July 17. Those entering from COVID-19 hotspots must complete 14 days hotel quarantine upon arrival at their own expense. Through this process, three cases have been detected since Victorias second wave.

To Tuesday, it had maintained its elimination status. The ACT Prior to a recent cluster of cases, the ACT had not had a community case of coronavirus since

May. It closed its border to Victoria on July 3. As of Tuesday, it had retained its elimination status.

Western Australia Western Australia has had its border closed since April 5, however, through exemptions, it was allowing on average nearly 3300 interstate travellers into the state each week. On July 9, the border with Victoria was tightened to only allow essential workers. Tighter restrictions for New South Wales followed shortly after. To Tuesday, it had maintained its elimination status.
Bermuda, 4 August 2020 - Avance Gas Holding Ltd (OSE: AVANCE) announces that agreement has been reached for the sale of the 2003-built VLGC Avance, to an unrelated third party for a price of $35 million.

A 10% deposit payment has been received, while delivery and balance payment is expected in primo September 2020.

After debt repayment, the sale will generate approx. $17 million in net cash proceeds, with an expected book profit of approx. $6 million to be recorded in the third quarter.

The sale follows the companys fleet renewal strategy, reducing average age and fuel efficiency of the fleet, initiated with the contracting of two 91,000 cbm LPG dual fuel newbuildings to be delivered in 2021/2022.

For further queries, please contact:

Peder C. G. Simonsen, Interim CEO and CFO

Tel: +47 22 00 48 15 / Email: p.simonsen@avancegas.com

ABOUT AVANCE GAS

Avance Gas operates in the global market for transportation of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). The Company is one of the world's leading owners and operators of very large gas carrier (VLGC), and operates a fleet of fourteen modern ships and two Dual Fuel LPG newbuildings due for delivery in 2021 and 2022. For more information about Avance Gas, please visit: www.avancegas.com .

This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act
If not for the novel Corona Virus Disease (COVID-19), 17-year-old Nishant Shah would have been preparing to fly to the US by now to pursue his undergraduate course at a prestigious university. The pandemic, however, threw a spanner in the works. With his university having decided to conduct the first semester classes online, he had to reconsider this decision. My parents and I were not in favour of online classes, as the huge outgo of Rs 35-40 lakh for tuition fee would not be justified, explains Shah. Now, he has decided to defer his admission by a year, choosing to pursue an online entrepreneurship course, besides taking up other activities.

Nishant Shah

COVID-19 takes a toll on higher education plans

Shah is among the many students who have had to rejig their overseas education plans due to the COVID-19 fallout  universities moving courses online, consulates being closed and visa issuances stalled. Take the case of Archana Kumar, for instance. The 24-year-old was to fly out to Finland in the last week of August, but her visa processing is not yet complete. Now, the first semester will start online as per schedule. We are hoping that visa processing will resume in September and I can get there as soon as possible, she explains.

Archana Kumar

Procedural hassles apart, health concerns and uncertainty over resumption of flights have cast a shadow even on future plans. Gurugram-based Diya Roongta, 17, too, is closely watching the COVID-19 situation. She plans to start applying to universities in the US this year, so that she can start her course next fall. If the situation does not get better over the next six months, my plans of studying abroad would definitely need to be reconsidered, she says. Not surprising, given that the courses she intends to pursue come with a price tag of close to $75,000 per annum. A lot of students question the efficacy of spending a large amount of money without getting the campus experience. The pandemic has affected the plans of more than 62 per cent of the over 1,000 respondents to our recent survey. Another huge factor has been the safety and uncertainty around the pandemic, adds Roongta, who runs Finsnap.

Diya Roongta

To go ahead or defer is the question

US and UK-bound students typically start their first semesters in September, with the second term commencing in January. Those headed to Australia can fly out in December, as some universities admit students during that time too. For US-bound students, in particular, its a challenging period due to the unsettled visa rules, non-availability of appointments at the consulates and so on. Some have to pay their course fees soon, so that they secure their admissions, which means they have to take the call quickly. Many are choosing to postpone their plans.

We have seen close to half the parents, whose kids we have counselled, choosing to defer the study plans by a year. This is particularly true for those enrolled for one-year Masters courses. Most feel that the entire experience should be on the campus, says Dhaval Mehta, Founder, TNI Career Counselling. In the last few days, though, some parents have warmed up to the idea of completing one semester online before moving to the campus.

Bucking the trend: Not all gloom and doom for online classes

For undergraduate students, the scenario is slightly more favourable as these are three-year programs. They can afford to complete their first semester classes online and fly out in December or January.

And, this is exactly what 18-year-old Vyomesh Daga, who enrolled for an undergraduate degree in economics at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada, is proposing to do. His plan of flying out in September is now deferred; he hopes to be on the campus by Mid-December or January.

Vyomesh Daga

He, in fact, is not disheartened that his original plan has come a cropper. The tuition fee remains the same  between $28,000-44,000, but I will be saving on accommodation and living expenses. By the time I reach Vancouver, I would have got a hang of the course structure and built some rapport with my teachers and fellow students, he notes.

The non-campus experience can be a dampener, but savings on living expenses can actually work in your favour, as Saima Sikka, a third-year undergraduate student of the New York University realised. When she returned from New York in March, she was certain that she would get back her college in August. However, she has now decided to pursue the fall semester  which will start in September  online.

Saima Sikka

I would be able to better utilise my time by taking classes online from Mumbai. With classes taking place at night (Indian Standard Time), I would get the chance to pursue other projects or internships during the day, she says.

Considering that living expenses can amount to around $500 a month, besides another $1500-2000 for accommodation, it seems like a wise decision.

A lockdown for your education corpus

The situation remains hazy, but do not lose sight of your immediate priorities. That is, preserving your funds earmarked for education till the requirement arises, whether you are flying out in three months or after a year. Stick to secure, liquid instruments. Since your time horizon is shorter, you do not have much of a choice. Choose a fixed deposit, a liquid or low-duration mutual fund. Do not invest in company deposits to get that 8.5-9 per cent interest, warns Rohit Shah, Founder, Getting You Rich.

This is not the time to be adventurous with a lifetimes savings. The families of Sikka, Kumar, Shah and Daga have taken the conservative route, choosing savings and fixed deposits or short-term fixed income funds to park their savings. Avoid equities, especially small and mid-caps, in the hope of a post-COVID economic recovery in the next 6-9 months.

Also, do your homework around your destination countrys procedures. Between liquid funds and fixed deposits, the latter might be more bankable in some cases. In the UK, you will be asked to furnish proof of maintaining fixed deposits adequate to cover at least 27 days expenses, including course fee and living expenses. The fixed deposit can be opened in the childs name. It is easier to convince the authorities and obtain a visa, suggests Mehta.

If your goal is over a year away and your parents have, like Roongtas, been investing in equities through systematic investment plans (SIP) over the long-term, it might be time for rebalancing.

In such cases, you can switch to liquid fund SIPs. You need not redeem the existing equity corpus, but fresh SIP inflows can go towards liquid funds, augmenting your liquidity, adds Rohit Shah.

Follow the strategy of moving towards relatively low-risk instruments even if you plan to go abroad after two or three years. Start moving out of equities gradually and shift to debt instruments. It is not the best situation to be in equities as stock prices have moved far ahead of companies' earnings, says Harshvardhan Roongta, Principal Financial Planner, Roongta Securities. A market crash could severely dent your education corpus, rendering years of planning futile. Consider equity or hybrid funds only if you have the risk appetite and longer investment horizon of over five years.
Platoon leader recalls the time PLA rescued his family from their rooftop during deluge of 1998 As Jiang Ping jumped into the floodwaters to repair a broken dike last week, other soldiers from the People's Liberation Army followed his example. A platoon leader, Jiang had been fighting the floods with his unit in Anhui province, which had been hit with severe flooding since early July. From neighboring Jiangsu province, more than 1,000 troops had rushed to Tongling, a city situated along the Yangzte River, on July 11 in response to an urgent call for help. After 12 days, the floodwaters there had been brought under control, but the work of the troops was not done. They were ordered to Hefei, the provincial capital, as Chaohu Lake was at risk of overflowing. "Many houses and fields were submerged in both Tongling and Hefei," Jiang said. "The desperate situation is carved into my mind." Born in 1992, Jiang experienced a wild moment in 1998, when a flood hit his hometown in rural Zongyang county, Anhui. The violent floods were among the worst on record in southern China. One summer day, floodwaters suddenly rose in Jiang's village, which lay beside Pogang Lake, not far from the main channel of the Yangzte River. "Most of my house, which was made of brick and tile, was on a single floor. It was quickly submerged but the water kept rising. My father lifted me and my elder brother to the roof," Jiang recalled. "We were on the roof for nearly three hours and desperate, in fear of our lives," he said during a break from flood relief work on Thursday on the broken dike at the junction of the Baishitian River and Chaohu Lake, the country's fifth-largest freshwater lake. He remembered his fear as he huddled with his family on the roof. And he remembered the surge of hope as a team of soldiers frantically rowed a rubber boat to the family carrying ropes and steel cables to rescue them. "An officer took me into his arms and tried to ease my panic. He said, 'Don't be afraid. We are here with you.'" Jiang never forgot those words. As the boat was nearly full, the young brothers were taken first. Their parents waited on the roof. He saw them in the distance as the soldiers rowed the boat away, wondering what would become of them in the storm. Jiang said the rescue was the first time he had met a real soldier. "Since then, I always think of soldiers as tall and big," he said. Jiang's family members were all safe, but when the floodwaters receded their house collapsed. It was another calamity for a family that had had more than its share. When a previous flood struck the area in 1954, some of the local villagers, including Jiang's maternal grandparents, fled to other areas and never returned. But Jiang was inspired by the bravery of the soldiers he had witnessed in action. Inspired to join In his village, a student who could pass the national college entrance examination was a rarity. Most of the young men sought jobs in cities, but Jiang joined the PLA after his graduation from high school in 2010. "As a new recruit, I found the training very tiring. But every time I wanted to quit, I found strength in my childhood memory of the soldiers," he said. After finishing his compulsory term of service in 2012, Jiang stayed in the army. His commanders recognized his good performance. As an adult, he had wanted to find his savior from those many years ago, though that seemed impossible. "At an exhibition of my unit's history, I found it was this very unit that had rescued my family in 1998," he said as he described how the tears had come. Despite the sentimental connection, Jiang is aware that the same unit must answer the call again 22 years later. Now, working on the dike in Hefei, he wears a red armband, showing he is part of a commando team of members of the Communist Party of China. "The 20-member team was organized during the flood relief work, and its members are expected to take the lead on the most difficult and dangerous tasks," he said. Talking with a reporter on Thursday atop the dike, Jiang seemed shy. He struggled for words. When a tractor with bags of earth arrived on a muddy road below the dike, Jiang rose briskly and walked down to meet it. His platoon stood in a line to relay the bags by hand to an area of the river that had been reinforced by timbers. Water had been found leaking from the dike and they had to stop it urgently. The water by the timbers was still deep. Once the bottom was filled, making the water waist-deep, a group of soldiers jumped in to consolidate the bags. Jiang led the way. His association with floods and the consequences seems inevitable. As he rushed to Tongling on July 11, he wept when he saw the flooded houses. He knew all too well the fear and hardship that accompanied the water's wrath. Those memories have been an inspiration. After the flood of 1998, Jiang's family moved to Chizhou, another city on the Yangzte. There they joined his grandparents. Floodwaters seem to have a cruel memory. In a repeat of history, the recent storms have flooded their current home.


TOKYO and BOSTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- hey, a leading payments and e-commerce platform in Japan that helps businesses easily create bespoke online stores and process in-store cashless payments, today announced it secured a Series E investment led by Bain Capital Tech Opportunities with participation from PayPal Ventures, Goldman Sachs, YJ Capital, Anatole, and existing investor World Innovation Lab. The funding, along with Bain Capital's global expertise with integrated software and payments, will enable hey to accelerate growth and serve the large and growing number of businesses in Japan who are looking to establish an online retail presence and accept cashless payments in stores.

(PRNewsfoto/Bain Capital Tech Opportunities)

In conjunction with the new investment round, hey also announced that it has acquired Coubic, an emerging consumer-facing reservations platform that will help hey further scale and diversify into adjacent categories. Financial terms of both private investments were not disclosed.

Formed in 2018 by the merger of mobile point of sale (mPOS) terminal business Coiney and e-commerce platform Stores.jp, hey provides end-to-end support for businesses as they create and maintain personalized virtual storefronts and accept in-person payments. The platform plays an important role allowing merchants in Japan to engage and transact with current and prospective consumers at a fraction of the cost of other alternatives in the market.

Japan is the third largest economy in the world with $2.7 trillion in consumer spending, but cashless payments and e-commerce have historically been underpenetrated compared to other developed markets. However, interest in both categories is at an inflection point today as Japan is in the midst of a generational transition to a more modern, digital consumer economy. Concurrently, COVID-19 has driven an acceleration in consumer and merchant demand for mobile payment options as a frictionless alternative to cash. Together, these tailwinds have positioned hey to capture market share through smart investments in product development and customer service as well as enhancements to its go-to-market, cross-selling, and acquisition strategies.

"Yusuke and his talented team are at the forefront of developing integrated mPOS and e-commerce solutions that enable Japanese merchants to engage with and sell to consumers across the country, even those using legacy payment methods. Their innovative technology creates a 'one stop shop' that drives a more efficient, friendly and cost-effective shopping experience," said Darren Abrahamson, Managing Director at Bain Capital Tech Opportunities. "We are excited to partner with hey to help drive the next phase of growth in existing and complementary markets, which kicks off with the exciting acquisition of Coubic."

"hey was formed with a vision to employ our innovative technology platform to foster connections between Japanese consumers and merchants who have been under-served by e-commerce solutions in the marketplace. Our 100% growth in gross merchandise value over the past year and this new partnership with a world class group of investors are key milestones in realizing that vision," said Yusuke Sato, President of hey. "Partnering with Bain Capital as well as PayPal Ventures and leveraging their global platform and deep payments and e-commerce experience will enable us to meet the growing demand for dynamic, remote shopping experiences for Japanese consumers."

Bain Capital has deep global investment experience across the payments and e-commerce sectors, having invested in and added value to a wide-range of companies at all stages of their growth cycle including Concardis, Finix, Mirakl, Nets, Nexi and Worldpay (acquired by FIS). The firm has also become a leading investor in Japan since establishing its Tokyo office in 2006, with a portfolio of preeminent technology companies including EmberPoint, Kioxia, Macromill and Works Human Intelligence. Concurrent with the new investment, Naofumi Nishi, a Principal at Bain Capital Private Equity in Japan will join hey's board of directors.

About hey

Through the development of the online store establishment service STORES, cashless payment STORES Terminal, and the development of STORES Digital Store Platform, hey supports the digitization of business. Founded in 2018 by leaders in Japan's emerging payments and ecommerce industries, hey's easily deployed tools create a frictionless shopping, service and transacting experience regardless of seller size or industry.

About Bain Capital Tech Opportunities

Bain Capital Tech Opportunities (https://www.baincapitaltechopportunities.com/) aims to help growing technology companies reach their full potential. We focus on companies in large, growing end markets with innovative or disruptive technology where we believe we can support transformational growth. Our dedicated, tenured team has deep experience supporting growing technology businessesbringing together differentiated backgrounds in private and public equity investing as well as technology operating roles. We invest behind fundamental long-term tailwinds as technology penetrates across industries, creating a large and growing number of investment opportunities. Bain Capital Tech Opportunities focuses on five priority sub-verticals: Application Software, Infrastructure & Security, Fintech & Payments, Healthcare IT and Internet & Digital Media.

SOURCE Bain Capital Tech Opportunities
SAGINAW TWP, MI  A Texas man who was formerly a police officer has been arraigned on five criminal charges after allegedly pulling a gun on protesters at a Black Lives Matter rally in Saginaw Township.

Terry L. Lange, 71, on July 22 appeared in Saginaw County District Court for arraignment on two counts each of felonious assault and felony firearm and one count of brandishing a firearm in public. Felonious assault is a four-year felony, while a felony firearm conviction comes with a mandatory minimum sentence of two years in prison to be served consecutively with any related stint. Brandishing a firearm in public is a 90-day misdemeanor.
WINDSOR, N.C. - At least six people were killed as Tropical Storm Isaias spawned tornadoes and dumped rain Tuesday along the U.S. East Coast after making landfall as a hurricane in North Carolina, where it caused floods and fires that displaced dozens of people.

Two people died when Isaias spun off a tornado that struck a North Carolina mobile home park. Another person died in Pennsylvania when their vehicle was overtaken by water and swept downstream. Two others were killed by falling trees toppled by the storm in Maryland and New York City, and a sixth person died in Delaware when a tree branch fell on them, authorities said.

Isaias sustained top winds of up to 65 mph (105 kph) more than 18 hours after coming ashore, but it was down to 45 mph max winds as of 10:50 p.m. EDT Tuesday, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storms centre was about 45 miles southeast of Montreal, moving northeast into Canada at about 38 mph (61 kph).

As Isaias sped northward, flooding threats followed. The Schuylkill River in Philadelphia was projected to crest early Wednesday at 15.4 feet (4.7 metres), its highest level in more than 150 years. By Tuesday night, the river had already topped its banks in low-lying Manayunk, turning bar-lined Main Street into a coffee-colored canal.

Aerial video by WRAL-TV showed fields of debris where rescue workers in brightly colored shirts picked through splintered boards and other wreckage of the Windsor, North Carolina, mobile home park where two people were killed. Emergency responders searching the area Tuesday afternoon found no other casualties, and several people initially feared missing had all been accounted for, said Ron Wesson, chairman of the Bertie County Board of Commissioners. He said about 12 people were hospitalized.

It doesnt look real; it looks like something on TV. Nothing is there, Bertie County Sheriff John Holley told reporters, saying 10 mobile homes had been destroyed. All my officers are down there at this time. Pretty much the entire trailer park is gone.

In eastern Pennsylvania, a 44-year-old Allentown woman was killed after encountering high waters on a street in Upper Saucon Township that swept her vehicle downstream Tuesday afternoon, the Lehigh County coroners office said.

While in New York City, a massive tree fell and crushed a van in the Briarwood section of Queens, killing Mario Siles, a 60-year-old construction contractor who was inside the vehicle, police said. A woman in Mechanicsville, Maryland, died when a tree crashed onto her car during stormy conditions, said Cpl. Julie Yingling of the St. Marys County sheriffs office.

In Delaware, authorities said a woman was outside assessing storm damage when she was hit and killed by a falling tree branch.

Isaias toggled between hurricane and tropical storm strength as it churned toward the East Coast. Fueled by warm ocean waters, the storm got a late burst of strength as a rejuvenated hurricane with top sustained winds of 85 mph (136 km/h) before coming ashore late Monday near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina. Its tropical storm status was sustained, but weakened, as it headed north into Canada on Tuesday night.

Before making landfall late Monday, Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and battered the Bahamas before brushing past Florida.

Tornadoes were confirmed by the National Weather Service in Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Power outages also spread as trees fell, with more than 3.7 million customers losing electricity across multiple states as of 10:15 p.m. EDT Tuesday, according to PowerOutage.US, which tracks utility reports. New York Citys power utility said it saw more outages from Isaias than from any storm except Superstorm Sandy in 2012.

In Doylestown, Pennsylvania, officials said four children were treated for minor injuries after high winds partially tore the roof off a day care centre. Also in the Philadelphia suburbs, rescue workers in Delaware County were searching for a young person who fell or jumped into the fast-moving water of a swollen creek, said Timothy Boyce, the county emergency services director.

In New York City, fierce wind and rain forced the Staten Island ferry and outdoor subway lines to shut down. The New Jersey Turnpike banned car-pulled trailers and motorcycles.

Some of the worst damage Tuesday seemed to be east and north of where the hurricanes eye struck land in North Carolina.

Fortunately, this storm was fast-moving and has already left our state, Gov. Roy Cooper said Tuesday afternoon.

In North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, the storm sent waves crashing over the Sea Cabin Pier late Monday, causing a big section to collapse into the water as startled bystanders taking photos from the pier scrambled back to land.

Im shocked its still standing, said Dean Burris, who watched from the balcony of a vacation rental.

The Hurricane Center had warned oceanside dwellers near the North Carolina-South Carolina state line to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet (1.5 metres) and up to 8 inches (20 centimetres) of rain.

Eileen and David Hubler were out early Tuesday cleaning up in North Myrtle Beach, where 4 feet (1.2 metres) of storm surge flooded cars, unhinged docks and etched a water line into the side of their home.

When the water started coming, it did not stop, Eileen Hubler said. They had moved most items of value to their second floor, but a mattress and washing machine were unexpected storm casualties.

We keep thinking weve learned our lesson, she said. And each time theres a hurricane, we learn a new lesson.

___

Morgan reported from North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Associated Press contributors include science writer Seth Borenstein in Kensington, Maryland; Gerry Broome in Southport, North Carolina; Jonathan Drew in Durham, North Carolina; Michelle Liu in Columbia, South Carolina; Michael Kunzelman in College Park, Maryland; Bruce Shipkowski in Toms River, New Jersey; Shawn Marsh in Trenton, New Jersey; and Michael Sisak in New York.

___

Bryan Anderson 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.
Advertisement

Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas are still very much in the honeymoon period of their new relationship.

On Monday, the loved-up pair where pictured on a double date at the beach in Malibu with Ben's BFF and Good Will Hunting co-star Matt Damon, and his wife Luciana Barroso.

However, despite it being a friendly group outing, Ben, 47, struggled to keep his hands off his 32-year-old Cuban-Spanish girlfriend, as they passionately kissed in the sand in full view of their friends.

Don't mind us! Ben Affleck and Ana de Armas smooch in full view of their pals - including Ben's BFF Matt Damon - as they enjoy a beach stroll in Malibu on Monday

Meet the friends: Ben Affleck and girlfriend Ana de Armas hang out with his BFF Matt Damon on a beach stroll in Malibu on Monday

Meanwhile, Matt, 49, and Luciana, 44, - who have been married since 2005 and share three children together - were able to keep their composure as they stood beside each other.

The group were joined by other friends for the outing, however, Ben and Ana still found time for a heavy petting session together as they began kissing on the beach which engaged in a deep embrace.

Ben and the Knives Out actress have been inseparable since they were first linked in early May.

PDA overload: The pair struggled to keep their hands off one another despite it being a friendly outing with pals

Passionate: Ben and Ana laid down in the sand as they passionately kissed one another

Old pals: The Good Will Hunting duo appeared to be enjoying a catch up at the beach

Beach day: The loved-up pair put on a public display of affection for the outing

The pair are said to have first met on the Deep River film set in late 2019, but didn't get spotted together until they were seen enjoying a vacation in Cuba.

Since then, the pair have been regularly spotted out near his Brentwood home, and has even become friendly with his children that he shares with ex wife Jennifer Garner.

In June, Ana was seen hanging out with his kids Samuel, eight, and daughter Seraphina, 11, and later was also pictured with his 14-year-old daughter Violet.

Romantic: The Knives Out star went barefoot as she strolled alongside Ben in a flowing summer dress

Shazam! Ben appeared to be animated as he told his group a story on the beach

Close-knit: Ben and Ana appeared to be posing for a photo as Matt and his wife Luciana stood by

Can't keep their hands to themselves: Ben and Ana put on a passionate display

Group chat: Ana, Matt, Luciana and Ben appeared to be having a lively discussion with pals

Meanwhile, ex-wife Jennifer, 48, who he split with after 10 years in June 2015, is said to be 'happy' he is dating again, according to a report last month in UsWeekly.

An insider told the publication: 'Although it's sad in a way to see him move on and be so happy, she is ultimately happy that he is happy and in a good and healthy place with his life.

That's what she ultimately wants for the father of her kids,' they added.

Finding their spot: The pair looked around for a place to lie down together

Affectionate: Ana playfully held Ben from behind as they got up to move

Ben's main man: Matt first met Ben when they were kids in Massachusetts and their decades-long relationship has become one of Hollywood's most famous friendships

The Hollywood stars have subsequently worked hard to maintain a good relationship with each other for the sake of their children.

The source added that Jennifer is 'always polite and trusts Ben and lets him do what he wants when he's with the kids'.

Ana and Ben first connected on the set of the thriller film Deep Water in 2019 where they star as a married couple who have fallen out of love.

They took their relationship public in March when they were seen enjoying a vacation in Costa Rica and Ana's native Cuba.

Fitting: The couple have become known for their PDA-filled outings together

Summer loving: Ben and Ana still appear to be very much in the honeymoon phase of their relationship

A walk to remember: The pair went off for some alone time as they strolled together arm in arm

Family affair: Ben and Matt relaxed together as they caught up with their respective families

Camping out: The group set up on the beach and appeared to be enjoying one another's company

Good boy: Ana appeared to be indulging in some puppy training while out on the beach
The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, has mocked the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki for adopting President Donald Trumps ca...

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Edo State, has mocked the State Governor, Godwin Obaseki for adopting President Donald Trumps campaign mantra.





Recall that Obaseki had last week Saturday, barely 50 days to the governorship election declared he would make Edo State great again, choosing the same mantra used by Trump in 2016.





APC described Obasekis action as the most brazen daylight plagiarism.





Prince John Mayaki, Chairman, Edo State APC Media Campaign Council, in a statement, said, Devoid of thought, originality, and foresight, Obasekis campaign mantra hit the stands and screens, blaring itself in poorly colored letters: Make Edo Great Again.





As it appeared and formed in the eyes and minds of the readers and viewers, only one thing came to mind: Donald Trumps Make America Great Again. But in Obasekis copying of this idea, we find a man who is ignorant and dumb to the bones and marrows.





For Donald Trump, the antecedents and preceding narratives warrants and justifies such mantra. For Obaseki, it doesnt.





Donald Trump was a conservative republican coming against a liberal democratic who, in Trumps view, was complicit in the failure, incompetence, inefficiency, and corruption that afflicts America at the time of the campaign. Trump intended to come and change the existing norm and order, to drain the swamp.





But here is Obaseki, the incumbent governor seeking to make Edo State, a constituency under his care and leadership for four years, great again.





Two implications follow: first, it is a clear concession of failure, an admittance that his first term was nothing but an abominable misadventure; secondly, the adoption reveals the depth of Obasekis ignorance, dullness, and intellectual blindness. How, exactly, can a man make such a mistake? What swamp is he going to drainthe pool of his own mess?





The fact remains that the PDP, right from their shameful acceptance and automatic adoption of Obaseki and his band of failures as gubernatorial candidates, went into the campaign without strategy and initiative.





The latest plagiarist mantra was produced in a hurry and under the influence of mounting pressures coming from the popular criticisms that while Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu is leading an issue-based campaign with the SIMPLE AGENDA, Obaseki goes about seeking whom to devour with childish propagandas characterized by glaring falsehood.





Perhaps it becomes imperative at this juncture, to ask an already biting and relevant question: If Obaseki is just setting to make Edo great, what has he been doing in the past four years?





Sleeping and dozing through governance while supervising a looting spree? Enabling violence and honoring thuggery?





Closing down tertiary institutions and diverting state funds to his private company, AfrInvest? Going on an all-out war of opposition and dissenters?which is the true legacy of Obasekis tenure.





Obaseki, judging from the ongoings, is simply a rudderless child on a declining slope. Every attempt he makes reveals just what he wishes to conceal: that he is not deserving to lead, that he is thoughtless, and that he is insufficient.




CenterPoint Energy, the Houston-based power transmission utility, named former Anadarko Petroleum CEO Al Walker and former Anadarko president Robert G. Gwin to the board of Enable Midstream Partners, an Oklahoma-based oil and gas pipeline and storage company.

CenterPoint owns 53.7 percent of Enable.

Walker and Gwin will support the continued focus of driving value from CenterPoint's investment in Enable, CenterPoint President and CEO Dave Lesar said.

Gwin was president of Anadarko until August 2019 when the company was purchased by Occidental Petroleum. He will serve as chairman of Enable.

RELATED: CenterPoint is cutting dividend, spending

Walker, who was Anadarkos CEO until last year, will serve on Enables compensation committee.
against Rhea Chakraborty, has requested the Bihar government to transfer the case to the CBI. Sushant's cousin and BLP MLA Neeraj Bablu too is said to have requested the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar for the same.

Now, Sushant Singh Rajput's father KK Singh, who filed an FIR in Patna last week, has requested the Bihar government to transfer the case to the CBI. Sushant's cousin and BLP MLA Neeraj Bablu too is said to have requested the Chief Minister of Bihar, Nitish Kumar for the same.

Bihar DGP is making claims about the investigation, he cant see any results. Neeraj also is of the opinion that the Mumbai Police are obstructing the investigation by forcing Bihar Police officials into quarantine. However, when Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was asked to comment, he said, Anybody who travels by air excluding those who will return in a fixed time period, have to undergo home-quarantine necessarily. Neeraj feels that while theis making claims about the investigation, he cant see any results. Neeraj also is of the opinion that the Mumbai Police are obstructing the investigation by forcing Bihar Police officials into quarantine. However, when Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh was asked to comment, he said, Anybody who travels by air excluding those who will return in a fixed time period, have to undergo home-quarantine necessarily.

Do you think that the case should be transferred to the CBI? Share your thoughts in the comment section.

Sushant Singh Rajputs death has been embroiled in controversies from the very beginning. The Mumbai Police declared it as a case of suicide. But many conspiracy theories ahave been floating around regarding the incident.
Cairo, Aug 4 : One of Egypt's top government officials has invited multi-billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk to visit the country and see for himself that the great pyramids were not built by aliens.

Tesla and SpaceX CEO Musk earlier tweeted: "Aliens built the pyramids obv (obviously" which was retweeted more than 88,000 times.

Musk also tweeted follow-up messages after his initial post.

"The Great Pyramid was the tallest structure made by humans for 3,800 years. Three thousand, eight hundred years," he posted, sharing a Wikipedia link about the Great Pyramid of Giza.

This prompted Egypt's Minister of International Co-operation, Rania al-Mashat, to reply to Musk: "I follow your work with a lot of admiration. I invite you & SpaceX to explore the writings about how the pyramids were built and also to check out the tombs of the pyramid builders. Mr. Musk, we are waiting for you".

Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass also responded in a short video in Arabic posted on social media over the weekend, claiming that Musk's argument was a "complete hallucination".

"I found the tombs of the pyramids builders that tell everyone that the builders of the pyramids are Egyptians and they were not slaves," he was quoted as saying by Egypt Today.

It is estimated that this pyramid was made from 2.3 million blocks of rock, weighs 5.9 million tonnes and it is one of the Seven Wonders of the World.
The San Francisco Unified School District has received a $10 million donation from a local tech entrepreneur just two weeks before the new school year begins.

This is the second gift from Twitter co-founder Evan Williams and his wife Sara since the pandemic. The couple gave $1.1 million in March to support the districts efforts to alleviate food insecurity for students and families most severely impacted by the economic fallout.

Weve been supporting SFUSD for years because public education is fundamental and SFUSD shares our commitment to equity and innovation, said Sara Williams. This moment calls for all of us to support our community even more to ensure that all kids have the access that they need to be prepared for the future.

The donation will go toward an initial distribution of 15,000 digital devices and hotspots, which includes touch screen Chromebooks, for students in pre-kindergarten to second grade. When schools shut down in March, the district distributed 13,000 laptops and nearly 4,000 WiFi hotspots to students in grades 3-12 by utilizing donations and public relief aid.

Of the SFUSD student population, 55% lives at or below the poverty line.

SF Unified Access seeks to raise $25 million to continue its efforts toward tech equity in San Franciscos public schools, which includes prioritizing English Language Learners, students with disabilities, foster and homeless children, as well as African American and Asian and Pacific Islander students in all grades; an estimated 60% of whom do not have access to a dedicated device, and 68% of whom are in need of WiFi.

SFUSD also reports that it is working with teachers and principals to enhance training on how best to use technology to support their lessons.

More for you The rise in 'learning pods' could leave some students behind

Technology access is as much a necessity for distance learning this fall as it is in the long term. It is critical to preparing students for full participation in the 21st century, said San Francisco Unified School District spokeswoman Gentle Blythe. Without access to a device and wifi at home and at school, inequity only grows.

Due to persistent structural underfunding from public resources, the district often relies on private support to achieve its goals and tech entrepreneurs have often picked up the slack. Through their charitable organization the Someland Foundation, the Williams have been SFUSD supporters and donors since 2015.

Tessa McLean is a digital editor with SFGATE. Email her at tessa.mclean@sfgate.com or follow her on Twitter @mcleantessa.
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Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 08:52 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b5e504 1 National UII-Yogyakarta,University-of-Melbourne,Ibrahim-Malik-UII,Sexual-assault,sexual-abuse,Sexualviolence,sexual-abuse-on-campus Free

Several students of the Indonesian Islamic University (UII) in Yogyakarta have expressed disappointment over the news that former student Ibrahim Malik, who had been accused of sexual assault at home and abroad, has been found to have not breached any policies of the University of Melbourne in Australia where he is currently pursuing his masters degree under a prestigious scholarship.

Rizaldi Ageng Wicaksono, a member of the UII Bergerak student movement, said the University of Melbournes response added to the pain experienced by the women who claim to have been sexually harassed by Ibrahim, both in Melbourne and Yogyakarta.

He said the Melbourne finding would lead to a lack of legal impetus to further investigate the alleged crimes in Indonesia.

This is partly because we lack a specific legal umbrella under which we otherwise might be able to resolve the case, Rizaldi told The Jakarta Post during a phone interview on Sunday.

He went on to say that the case served to demonstrate the urgency for the sexual violence eradication bill, which has been excluded from this years National Legislation Program (Prolegnas) priority list.

Its all about bureaucracy, Rizaldi added.

Fellow UII Bergerak member Sabiq Muhammad said the women who had come forward with allegations of sexual harassment against Ibrahim were shocked to hear that Ibrahim had been cleared.

Both the UII and the University of Melbourne have shown little to no transparency in their handling of the case, Sabiq told the Post.

As students, we will keep campaigning for a legal umbrella for sexual violence in the country.

Read also: Childhood victims struggle to report sexual abuse in Catholic Church

The University of Melbourne previously appointed an external investigator to examine the allegations against Ibrahim after a woman submitted a formal complaint under the Universitys Student Conduct Policy process and a second woman made similar accusations against him but did not make a formal report.

However, a representative of the university said on Friday that the investigator found that Ibrahim "did not breach any university policies or code of conduct and there was insufficient evidence that he acted unlawfully, following harassment allegations being made against the student that date back to 2018 and 2019."

The allegations did not involve any physical contact.

The two women had accused Ibrahim of sexually harassing them in Melbourne, and dozens more in Indonesia have made similar allegations.

Fasya Addina Teixeira  a former UII student who has kept in touch with the alleged victims in Yogyakarta  similarly expressed her disappointment regarding the University of Melbournes response, saying that sexual harassment that did not take physical form was nevertheless a form of abuse.

The University of Melbourne apparently only counts something as sexual harassment when its [physically perpetrated], she said.

It clearly strays from the definition of sexual harassment as stipulated by UN Women [the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women].

Ibrahim, who graduated from the UII school of architecture, is currently studying for a masters degree at the University of Melbourne under a prestigious scholarship. He was at the center of sexual abuse allegations raised by at least 30 female UII students who reported him to the Yogyakarta Legal Aid Institute.
The two explosions that ripped through Beirut, Lebanons capital, on Tuesday evening killed at least 154 people and wounded thousands of others. The second, much larger blast devastated a wide area, knocking people down, overturning cars and enveloping much of the central city in dust and smoke. Windows miles away were blown out, leaving streets looking as if they had been cobbled in glass, according to a resident.

The injured, who numbered more than 5,000, were soon streaming into local hospitals. Many arrived on foot or carried by others, with the streets impassable to cars and ambulance services overwhelmed. The damage to St. George Hospital, one of the citys biggest, was so severe that it had to shut down and send patients elsewhere. Every floor of the hospital is damaged, said Dr. Peter Noun, its chief of pediatric hematology and oncology. I didnt see this even during the war. Its a catastrophe.

The cause appeared to be the detonation of more than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate, a chemical used in fertilizer and bombs. Officials said it had been stored in a port warehouse since 2014, when it was confiscated from a cargo ship. As of Friday, the possibility of a deliberate attack had not been ruled out, but Prime Minister Hassan Diab hinted that neglect had led to the blast.
By John Pilger

July 04, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - When I first went to Hiroshima in 1967, the shadow on the steps was still there. It was an almost perfect impression of a human being at ease: legs splayed, back bent, one hand by her side as she sat waiting for a bank to open.

At a quarter past eight on the morning of August 6, 1945, she and her silhouette were burned into the granite.

I stared at the shadow for an hour or more, then I walked down to the river where the survivors still lived in shanties.

I met a man called Yukio, whose chest was etched with the pattern of the shirt he was wearing when the atomic bomb was dropped.

He described a huge flash over the city, a bluish light, something like an electrical short, after which wind blew like a tornado and black rain fell. I was thrown on the ground and noticed only the stalks of my flowers were left. Everything was still and quiet, and when I got up, there were people naked, not saying anything. Some of them had no skin or hair. I was certain I was dead.

Nine years later, I returned to look for him and he was dead from leukaemia.

No radioactivity in Hiroshima ruin said The New York Times front page on 13 September, 1945, a classic of planted disinformation. General Farrell, reported William H. Lawrence, denied categorically that [the atomic bomb] produced a dangerous, lingering radioactivity.

Only one reporter, Wilfred Burchett, an Australian, had braved the perilous journey to Hiroshima in the immediate aftermath of the atomic bombing, in defiance of the Allied occupation authorities, which controlled the press pack.

I write this as a warning to the world, reported Burchett in the London Daily Express of September 5,1945. Sitting in the rubble with his Baby Hermes typewriter, he described hospital wards filled with people with no visible injuries who were dying from what he called an atomic plague.

For this, his press accreditation was withdrawn, he was pilloried and smeared. His witness to the truth was never forgiven.

The atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki was an act of premeditated mass murder that unleashed a weapon of intrinsic criminality. It was justified by lies that form the bedrock of Americas war propaganda in the 21st century, casting a new enemy, and target  China.

During the 75 years since Hiroshima, the most enduring lie is that the atomic bomb was dropped to end the war in the Pacific and to save lives.

Even without the atomic bombing attacks, concluded the United States Strategic Bombing Survey of 1946, air supremacy over Japan could have exerted sufficient pressure to bring about unconditional surrender and obviate the need for invasion. Based on a detailed investigation of all the facts, and supported by the testimony of the surviving Japanese leaders involved, it is the Surveys opinion that  Japan would have surrendered even if the atomic bombs had not been dropped, even if Russia had not entered the war [against Japan] and even if no invasion had been planned or contemplated.

The National Archives in Washington contains documented Japanese peace overtures as early as 1943. None was pursued. A cable sent on May 5, 1945 by the German ambassador in Tokyo and intercepted by the US made clear the Japanese were desperate to sue for peace, including capitulation even if the terms were hard. Nothing was done.

The US Secretary of War, Henry Stimson, told President Truman he was fearful that the US Air Force would have Japan so bombed out that the new weapon would not be able to show its strength. Stimson later admitted that no effort was made, and none was seriously considered, to achieve surrender merely in order not to have to use the [atomic] bomb.

Stimsons foreign policy colleagues  looking ahead to the post-war era they were then shaping in our image, as Cold War planner George Kennan famously put it  made clear they were eager to browbeat the Russians with the [atomic] bomb held rather ostentatiously on our hip. General Leslie Groves, director of the Manhattan Project that made the atomic bomb, testified: There was never any illusion on my part that Russia was our enemy, and that the project was conducted on that basis.

The day after Hiroshima was obliterated, President Harry Truman voiced his satisfaction with the overwhelming success of the experiment.

The experiment continued long after the war was over. Between 1946 and 1958, the United States exploded 67 nuclear bombs in the Marshall Islands in the Pacific: the equivalent of more than one Hiroshima every day for 12 years.

The human and environmental consequences were catastrophic. During the filming of my documentary, The Coming War on China, I chartered a small aircraft and flew to Bikini Atoll in the Marshalls. It was here that the United States exploded the worlds first Hydrogen Bomb. It remains poisoned earth. My shoes registered unsafe on my Geiger counter. Palm trees stood in unworldly formations. There were no birds.

I trekked through the jungle to the concrete bunker where, at 6.45 on the morning of March 1, 1954, the button was pushed. The sun, which had risen, rose again and vaporised an entire island in the lagoon, leaving a vast black hole, which from the air is a menacing spectacle: a deathly void in a place of beauty.

The radioactive fall-out spread quickly and unexpectedly. The official history claims the wind changed suddenly. It was the first of many lies, as declassified documents and the victims testimony reveal.

Gene Curbow, a meteorologist assigned to monitor the test site, said, They knew where the radioactive fall-out was going to go. Even on the day of the shot, they still had an opportunity to evacuate people, but [people] were not evacuated; I was not evacuated The United States needed some guinea pigs to study what the effects of radiation would do.

Like Hiroshima, the secret of the Marshall Islands was a calculated experiment on the lives of large numbers of people. This was Project 4.1, which began as a scientific study of mice and became an experiment on human beings exposed to the radiation of a nuclear weapon.

The Marshall Islanders I met in 2015  like the survivors of Hiroshima I interviewed in the 1960s and 70s  suffered from a range of cancers, commonly thyroid cancer; thousands had already died. Miscarriages and stillbirths were common; those babies who lived were often deformed horribly.

Unlike Bikini, nearby Rongelap atoll had not been evacuated during the H-Bomb test. Directly downwind of Bikini, Rongelaps skies darkened and it rained what first appeared to be snowflakes. Food and water were contaminated; and the population fell victim to cancers. That is still true today.

I met Nerje Joseph, who showed me a photograph of herself as a child on Rongelap. She had terrible facial burns and much of her was hair missing. We were bathing at the well on the day the bomb exploded, she said. White dust started falling from the sky. I reached to catch the powder. We used it as soap to wash our hair. A few days later, my hair started falling out.

Lemoyo Abon said, Some of us were in agony. Others had diarrhoea. We were terrified. We thought it must be the end of the world.

US official archive film I included in my film refers to the islanders as amenable savages. In the wake of the explosion, a US Atomic Energy Agency official is seen boasting that Rongelap is by far the most contaminated place on earth, adding, it will be interesting to get a measure of human uptake when people live in a contaminated environment.

American scientists, including medical doctors, built distinguished careers studying the human uptake. There they are in flickering film, in their white coats, attentive with their clipboards. When an islander died in his teens, his family received a sympathy card from the scientist who studied him.

I have reported from five nuclear ground zeros throughout the world  in Japan, the Marshall Islands, Nevada, Polynesia and Maralinga in Australia. Even more than my experience as a war correspondent, this has taught me about the ruthlessness and immorality of great power: that is, imperial power, whose cynicism is the true enemy of humanity.

This struck me forcibly when I filmed at Taranaki Ground Zero at Maralinga in the Australian desert. In a dish-like crater was an obelisk on which was inscribed: A British atomic weapon was test exploded here on 9 October 1957. On the rim of the crater was this sign:

WARNING: RADIATION HAZARD

Radiation levels for a few hundred metres

around this point may be above those considered

safe for permanent occupation.

For as far as the eye could see, and beyond, the ground was irradiated. Raw plutonium lay about, scattered like talcum powder: plutonium is so dangerous to humans that a third of a milligram gives a 50 per cent chance of cancer.

The only people who might have seen the sign were Indigenous Australians, for whom there was no warning. According to an official account, if they were lucky they were shooed off like rabbits.

Today, an unprecedented campaign of propaganda is shooing us all off like rabbits. We are not meant to question the daily torrent of anti-Chinese rhetoric, which is rapidly overtaking the torrent of anti-Russia rhetoric. Anything Chinese is bad, anathema, a threat: Wuhan . Huawei. How confusing it is when our most reviled leader says so.

The current phase of this campaign began not with Trump but with Barack Obama, who in 2011 flew to Australia to declare the greatest build-up of US naval forces in the Asia-Pacific region since World War Two. Suddenly, China was a threat. This was nonsense, of course. What was threatened was Americas unchallenged psychopathic view of itself as the richest, the most successful, the most indispensable nation.

What was never in dispute was its prowess as a bully  with more than 30 members of the United Nations suffering American sanctions of some kind and a trail of the blood running through defenceless countries bombed, their governments overthrown, their elections interfered with, their resources plundered.

Obamas declaration became known as the pivot to Asia. One of its principal advocates was his Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, who, as WikiLeaks revealed, wanted to rename the Pacific Ocean the American Sea.

Whereas Clinton never concealed her warmongering, Obama was a maestro of marketing.I state clearly and with conviction, said the new president in 2009, that Americas commitment is to seek the peace and security of a world without nuclear weapons.

Obama increased spending on nuclear warheads faster than any president since the end of the Cold War. A usable nuclear weapon was developed. Known as the B61 Model 12, it means, according to General James Cartwright, former vice-chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, that going smaller [makes its use] more thinkable.

The target is China. Today, more than 400 American military bases almost encircle China with missiles, bombers, warships and nuclear weapons. From Australia north through the Pacific to South-East Asia, Japan and Korea and across Eurasia to Afghanistan and India, the bases form, as one US strategist told me, the perfect noose.

A study by the RAND Corporation  which, since Vietnam, has planned Americas wars  is entitled War with China: Thinking Through the Unthinkable. Commissioned by the US Army, the authors evoke the infamous catch cry of its chief Cold War strategist, Herman Kahn  thinking the unthinkable. Kahns book, On Thermonuclear War, elaborated a plan for a winnable nuclear war.

Kahns apocalyptic view is shared by Trumps Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, an evangelical fanatic who believes in the rapture of the End. He is perhaps the most dangerous man alive. I was CIA director, he boasted, We lied, we cheated, we stole. It was like we had entire training courses. Pompeos obsession is China.

The endgame of Pompeos extremism is rarely if ever discussed in the Anglo-American media, where the myths and fabrications about China are standard fare, as were the lies about Iraq. A virulent racism is the sub-text of this propaganda. Classified yellow even though they were white, the Chinese are the only ethnic group to have been banned by an exclusion act from entering the United States, because they were Chinese. Popular culture declared them sinister, untrustworthy, sneaky, depraved, diseased, immoral.

An Australian magazine, The Bulletin, was devoted to promoting fear of the yellow peril as if all of Asia was about to fall down on the whites-only colony by the force of gravity.

As the historian Martin Powers writes, acknowledging Chinas modernism, its secular morality and contributions to liberal thought threatened European face, so it became necessary to suppress Chinas role in the Enlightenment debate . For centuries, Chinas threat to the myth of Western superiority has made it an easy target for race-baiting.

In the Sydney Morning Herald, tireless China-basher Peter Hartcher described those who spread Chinese influence in Australia as rats, flies, mosquitoes and sparrows. Hartcher, who favourably quotes the American demagogue Steve Bannon, likes to interpret the dreams of the current Chinese elite, to which he is apparently privy. These are inspired by yearnings for the Mandate of Heaven of 2,000 years ago. Ad nausea.

To combat this mandate, the Australian government of Scott Morrison has committed one of the most secure countries on earth, whose major trading partner is China, to hundreds of billions of dollars worth of American missiles that can be fired at China.

The trickledown is already evident. In a country historically scarred by violent racism towards Asians, Australians of Chinese descent have formed a vigilante group to protect delivery riders. Phone videos show a delivery rider punched in the face and a Chinese couple racially abused in a supermarket. Between April and June, there were almost 400 racist attacks on Asian-Australians.

We are not your enemy, a high-ranking strategist in China told me, but if you [in the West] decide we are, we must prepare without delay. Chinas arsenal is small compared with Americas, but it is growing fast, especially the development of maritime missiles designed to destroy fleets of ships.

For the first time, wrote Gregory Kulacki of the Union of Concerned Scientists, China is discussing putting its nuclear missiles on high alert so that they can be launched quickly on warning of an attack This would be a significant and dangerous change in Chinese policy

In Washington, I met Amitai Etzioni, distinguished professor of international affairs at George Washington University, who wrote that a blinding attack on China was planned, with strikes that could be mistakenly perceived [by the Chinese] as pre-emptive attempts to take out its nuclear weapons, thus cornering them into a terrible use-it-or-lose-it dilemma [that would] lead to nuclear war.

In 2019, the US staged its biggest single military exercise since the Cold War, much of it in high secrecy. An armada of ships and long-range bombers rehearsed an Air-Sea Battle Concept for China  ASB  blocking sea lanes in the Straits of Malacca and cutting off Chinas access to oil, gas and other raw materials from the Middle East and Africa.

It is fear of such a blockade that has seen China develop its Belt and Road Initiative along the old Silk Road to Europe and urgently build strategic airstrips on disputed reefs and islets in the Spratly Islands.

In Shanghai, I met Lijia Zhang, a Beijing journalist and novelist, typical of a new class of outspoken mavericks. Her best-selling book has the ironic title Socialism Is Great! Having grown up in the chaotic, brutal Cultural Revolution, she has travelled and lived in the US and Europe. Many Americans imagine, she said, that Chinese people live a miserable, repressed life with no freedom whatsoever. The [idea of] the yellow peril has never left them They have no idea there are some 500 million people being lifted out of poverty, and some would say its 600 million.

Modern Chinas epic achievements, its defeat of mass poverty, and the pride and contentment of its people (measured forensically by American pollsters such as Pew) are wilfully unknown or misunderstood in the West. This alone is a commentary on the lamentable state of Western journalism and the abandonment of honest reporting.

Chinas repressive dark side and what we like to call its authoritarianism are the facade we are allowed to see almost exclusively. It is as if we are fed unending tales of the evil super-villain Dr. Fu Manchu. And it is time we asked why: before it is too late to stop the next Hiroshima.

Follow John Pilger on twitter @johnpilger - http://johnpilger.com/

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

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The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.
Old boundary stones

When Governor Bourke marked the boundaries of Sydney in August, 1833, eight stones and one post were erected to fix the limits of the town. The one which flourishes where it was first "planted" is at the corner of Cleveland Street and Darlington Road. The other stones were at Blackwattle Creek, Cleveland Street, the corner of Oxford and Dowling Streets, the corner of Bay and George Streets, Rushcutters Bay, and the corner of Dowling and Cleveland Streets.

Catch me if you can"

At Newtown Police Court, Detective Lamont said he had found a printed note in a stolen car, and that Alfred Henry Singleton, 21, had admitted that he had printed the note, which read, "More hot cars to come. Catch me if you can." Lamont said that when Singleton, at his request, reprinted the words, he was satisfied that it was his handwriting. Singleton replied, "I'll be the mug. I was in it. My printing gave me away." He was sentenced to six months' hard labour.

Women rowers ban: Melbourne
Stationery giant kikki.K has been saved after it was put into voluntary administration amid the coronavirus pandemic and in the wake of the bushfire crisis.

The global Swedish design and stationery brand announced on Tuesday it has partnered with US-based EC Design to continue trading and grow its eCommerce business.

The announcement, which will see kikki.K effectively remain an independently-run business, will preserve almost 250 retail jobs at 30 stores.

Kikki.K was placed into voluntary administration in March following a 'perfect storm' of events, including: Brexit, social unrest in Hong Kong, the Australian bushfires, rising rent and payroll costs, consumers moving to shop more online and COVID-19.

Stationery giant kikki.K has been saved after it was put into voluntary administration. Pictured: A kikki.K store is seen in Westfield Knox in Victoria

Despite the factors, kikki.K founders Kristina Karlsson and Paul Lacy remained positive about the future of the business.

'It's been such a challenging time these last few months for so many people, and all of us at kikki.K were no exception,' Ms Karlsson said.

'We really got caught in a perfect storm leading to voluntary administration, but our dream to do something meaningful in the world via kikki.K has been so strong we've done everything we can on behalf of all stakeholders.

'We're so happy that we've preserved hundreds of jobs and we're well set up to thrive again and make positive impact in the world in small and big ways with our products and services.'

Mr Lacy said he was 'thrilled' to secure kikki.K's future.

'While it's such an exciting time, and will set the beautiful brand we've created up to thrive, Kristina and I remain very conscious that a lot of stakeholders who have been strong supporters have been impacted, so it's very much a bitter-sweet moment for us,' he said.

Kikki.K was placed into voluntary administration in March following a 'perfect storm' of events

Kikki.K shut their bricks and mortar stores amid the coronavirus pandemic but have since reopened select stores outside of Victoria.

At least 25 stores will continue to trade across NSW, VIC, ACT, QLD, WA and SA, and two stores will operate in New Zealand.

There is one store in Singapore and two in Hong Kong.

Kikki.K said the partnership has allowed the business to re-employ and re-deploy almost 250 team members.

The stationery giant will operate as a 'sister company' to EC Design, under the leadership of its original co-founders, Ms Karlsson as Creative Director and Mr Lacy as CEO.

Tonia Misvaer, CEO of EC Design, said: 'We have long admired kikki.K for its unique design and functional products, and we are thrilled to welcome this incredible team into the EC Design family.

'We look forward to working with everyone at kikki.K through this restructuring process and returning the brand to profitability.

'We invite all longtime kikki.K fans and EC Design loyalists to keep their eyes open for new designs, product offerings and creative endeavors as we bring even more beautiful, purposeful products to life.'
In recent weeks Daiane Pelegrinis former lover had allegedly been trying to get in touch with the 33-year-old Sydney mother, texting her and visiting her western Sydney home unannounced.

On Monday night, it is alleged that he climbed up the balcony of her Oatlands home and broke in, waited for her and then stabbed her in the chest when she walked in.

Daiane Pelegrini was stabbed multiple times at her Oatlands home before being taken to Westmead Hospital where she later died. Credit:Facebook

David Tran, 25, was at Granville Police Station on Tuesday night where he was expected to be charged with murdering Ms Pelegrini.

The 33-year-old mother-of-one was found with multiple stab wounds inside her Ingleby Street apartment at 4:50pm on Monday before being taken to Westmead Hospital where she died.
The number of residents whove recovered from the coronavirus in and around Beaumont has exceeded the number of people still infected for the first time since health authorities began reporting that statistic.

The news follows a recent change in guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on how public health officials can determine whether an individual has recovered. Beaumont Public Health Director Sherry Ulmer said the sharp increase also was the result of a renewed focus to report those numbers.

On Monday, 1,647 northern Jefferson County residents were listed as recovered on the daily report from the Health Department, compared with 1,079 still isolated.

However, a full picture of whether that new guidance is doing more harm than good, and potentially allowing still-contagious individuals to interact with others, likely wont come for two more weeks.

In part because of the increased potential for another shortage of coronavirus tests as well as additional study, the CDC now recommends most coronavirus-positive individuals be allowed to leave quarantine 10 days after they first experience symptoms.

Related: ICU doc describes caregiver exhaustion

According to the national public health agency, a growing body of research is showing that individuals with mild to moderate COVID-19 are unlikely to be communicable 10 days after the first onset of symptoms. Those with more severe or critical symptoms likely cannot infect others more than 20 days after they first experience symptoms.

These findings strengthen the justification for relying on a symptom-based, rather than a test-based strategy for ending isolation of these patients, so that persons who are by current evidence no longer infectious are not kept unnecessarily isolated and excluded from work or other responsibilities, the agency says.

More Information Coronavirus testing sites When: Noon to 4 p.m. Tuesday; 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday Where: Carl A. Parker Multipurpose Center, 1800 Lakeshore Drive, Port Arthur When: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday Where: Orange County Convention and Expo center, 11475 Farm Road 1442, Orange See More Collapse

Previously, the CDC had recommended an individual not be considered recovered until theyve had two negative coronavirus tests.

CDC guidance also has changed from an individual needing to be fever-free for 72 hours to just 24 hours without a fever or using fever-reducing medication.

Ulmer said the new approach ultimately will be easier from an operational standpoint.

Related: Oil giants lost billions as pandemic crushed demand for fuel

But, she added, she said her office has some concerns about relying on the symptom-based strategy alone.

Ulmer said many individuals have been seen to show symptoms more more than 14 days. Additionally, shes concerned that people will prematurely return to work or their regular routine after 10 days, regardless of whether they have a fever or other symptoms.

We dont want people to think they can just go back to their normal activities at 10 days, she said. They have to be fever-free for at least 24 hours. And if they had symptoms, whatever they may have had needs to be improved.

Individuals who never experienced symptoms have to wait only 10 days after they were tested for the virus under the new guidance.

Port Arthur Public Health Director Judith Smith isnt concerned about most of the CDC changes, although shes not yet sure about lowering the time frame for being free of fever.

Specifically, she said children often dont consistently run a fever. So, its possible they could be fever-free for 24 hours but again develop a fever on the 25th. She also added that some employers still are requiring at least one negative test before an individual can return to work.

Top hits: Get Beaumont Enterprise stories sent directly to your inbox

Referencing her experience as a nurse caring for tuberculosis patients, Smith noted that science isnt yet sure that a positive test several days after an individual is first symptomatic actually means they can still transmit the disease.

With TB, when an individual still had a positive test months later but their (smear tests) were negative, it was just thought that they were still shedding some of that bacteria, but they werent contagious, she said. This is not cut and dried, you just dont know. But the research is showing that after the 10-day time period, they arent contagious anymore.

So, its possible that relying on testing alone could keep individuals who are no longer contagious home, instead of allowing them to return to work.

This guideline change is just one of the most recent in a long list that public health officials have had to keep track of while fighting the pandemic.

Despite Ulmers concerns, she said she hopes this change works out like masks seem to be - keeping the number of cases being confirmed each day down while also allowing people to go back to work.

Related: When will my next stimulus check arrive?

Confirmed cases over the weekend and on Monday seemed to continue to show the efficacy of wearing masks with northern Jefferson County reporting just 24 cases over the weekend and 42 on Monday. The combined 66 cases over the three-day time period is the lowest since July 11-13.

The city of Beaumont on Monday also recorded its 50th coronavirus-related death. A 67-year-old man was reported dead as a result of the virus.

That brings Jefferson County to 4,108 cases and 70 deaths, not including Monday cases for Mid- and South-County. The Port Arthur Public Health Department did not release updated case numbers before print deadline.

This testing data will help give public health officials and elected leaders a better idea of whether the region has truly gotten a handle on the virus or if the current this is a lull before another surge.

Kaitlin Bain is the Government Reporter for the Beaumont Enterprise. Contact her at Kaitlin.Bain@BeaumontEnterprise.com or on Twitter by clicking here.

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Just one more day. Thats what Justin Pacheco wishes he could have with his father, the Houston Fire Department firefighter Jerry Pacheco who died Monday while battling the novel coronavirus.

The 25-year-old son said his father went into cardiac arrest unexpectedly Monday as nurses at a hospital in The Woodlands tried desperately to revive him. Pachecos heart was giving out. His son, also a Houston firefighter, received the call around 6 a.m. as he was walking into a side EMS job that morning. His colleagues rushed to comfort him.

I just dropped to the ground in tears, he said.

Pacheco, 50, who was posted to Kingwoods Station 101, is the second HFD firefighter to die after contracting the virus, which has infected more than 215 firefighters like him. Last month, Captain Leroy Lucio died at a San Antonio hospital after he and two of his Station 103 colleagues, also in Kingwood, tested positive. Both recovered.

Funeral services for Pacheco, a 17-year veteran of the department, are scheduled for Saturday at the First Baptist Church on the Katy Freeway.

The two deaths  both being treated as line-of-duty deaths  come as Texas grapples with more than 466,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, nearly 80,000 of which are in Harris County. Instructions to Houston firefighters to treat calls as if each prospective patient is positive for the contagion have recently been issued.

Houston Fire Chief Sam Pena on Monday said the virus was hitting their department hard but that no other firefighters were in the hospital. About 130 were then quarantined, he continued.

Pachecos lifelong pal and fellow firefighter, Eddie Cruz, said he knows too many of the firefighters who have fallen ill.

I dont think any of us had expected us to experience life the way were living it now, Cruz said.

He said Pacheco grew up in north Houston, while he hailed from south. The two met as kids through church and went to school together. Their friendship prevailed for decades, even when the duo vied for the same womans affection or when the U.S. Navy dispatched Pacheco to far-off ports. Even then, Pacheco peppered Cruz with postcards and letters.

Pacheco was bigger than life, he said, and most of all, Cruz said, they were best friends.

We were supposed to make it through our careers, retire together, said Cruz, who works at Station 59.

Accounts from Cruz and Pachecos son show how quickly his condition declined. Pacheco was hit with COVID-19 symptoms around July 25, his son said.

Pacheco assured his friend, Cruz, that he was on the mend and would soon be discharged.

I had asked him, What are the doctors saying? This was his answer: Theyre saying the famous Jerry needs to be out in the world so theyre going to let me out soon, Cruz said, citing a July 26 text message. He had that kind of character.

One of Pachecos last Facebook posts warned his friends to wash their hands, mask up and social distance.

You may still get it, he warned. But do your part to slow the spread.

Soon the calls to friends and family stopped.

Forty-eight hours before his death, a nurse helped Pacheco videochat with his two sons, Justin and Jesse. Neither of the brothers realized it would be the last time. Pacheco listened but could not speak as medical equipment helped pump oxygen into his lungs. The brothers did all the talking.

We told him that we love him, that were supporting him, that his Facebook was a bunch of prayers, Pachecos son said.

And now he wishes he could have more time to spend with him. Even if it was to share one more meal together or shoot some hoops.

Im only 25, he said. I thought I was going to have at least 20 more years with him. Any question I had in life, I would call him first.

Because of his father and his life-saving work, the younger Pacheco decided at age 12 that he would become a firefighter. In 2018, he did. He now works at Station 41 as an EMT.

Thats what I wanted to do. Follow in his footsteps and try to be as good as him, he said.

A celebratory photo shows the elder Pacheco proudly pinning a HFD badge onto his sons uniform.

Pacheco lived for his sons, Cruz said. And how to raise their respective children was often what they would talk about at the start and end of their shifts.

He was the best dad in the world, his son said.

nicole.hensley@chron.com
Sponsored by: Noble Capital Markets

Featured Keynote Speakers:

Rick Rule, President & CEO, Sprott Holdings USA

Frank Holmes, CEO & CIO, U.S. Global Investors

Nico Pronk, President & CEO, Noble Capital Markets

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2020) - IR.INC Capital Markets & Advisory ("IR.INC") and Follow the Money Investor Group ("FTMIG") are pleased to announce that they have partnered to host the inaugural Virtual Investor Day ("VID") to be held on August 11-12, 2020. Please register your interest for the conference at this link:

https://www.bigmarker.com/series/virtual-investor-day-confere/series_summit?utm_bmcr_source=irincpr

Please join us for this special 2-day event on August 11 & 12 to engage with leading mining, development and exploration companies.

VID is proud to introduce the following Feature Companies and Keynote speakers:

Andrew Pollard, CEO - Blackrock Gold Corp.

David Kelly, CEO - Chakana Copper Corp.

Corrado DeGasperis, CEO - Comstock Mining Inc.

Trey Wasser, CEO - Ely Gold Royalties Inc.

Janet Lee Sherriff, CEO - Golden Predator Mining Corp.

Hashim Ahmed CFO & Jon Hill, VP Exploration - Jaguar Mining Inc.

Derrick Weyrauch, CEO - Palladium One Mining Inc.

John Black, CEO - Regulus Resources Inc.

Daniele Spethmann, CEO - Warrior Gold Inc.

Rick Rule, President & CEO, Sprott Holdings USA

Frank Holmes, CEO & CIO, U.S. Global Investors

Nico Pronk, President & CEO, Noble Capital Markets

About VID:

VID, hosted by FTMIG and IR.INC and sponsored by Noble Capital Markets, is a two-day, invitation only event which features nine different resource-focused public companies. VID is a completely interactive experience for feature companies and stakeholders. Feature companies will have 30 minutes to outline their investment opportunity, while stakeholders and the audience will be invited to engage via direct Q&A, polls and other interactive tools after and during each presentation. To find out more about VID, please click the link:

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About IR.INC

IR.INC Capital Markets Advisory & Services works with its clients to develop and deploy strategic plans and build industry alliances while providing shareholder introductions and solutions. The Company also provides a number of traditional Investor Relations Services. You can find out more about IR.INC here www.irinc.ca

About FTMIG

Follow the Money Investor Group is a financial portal that provides content and information needed to navigate the ever-changing capital markets. Our global community of visitors and investors are able to use our platform to discuss and collaborate daily on all facets of their current and potential investments. Our goal is to help retail investors make the right financial decisions that fit their individual needs. You can find out more about FTMIG here www.ftmig.com

Disclaimer

Follow the Money Investor ("FTMIG") is an online investor community that connects investors and public companies. Both FTMIG and IR.INC are not registered as a broker, dealer, exempt market dealer, or any other registrant in any securities regulatory jurisdiction and will not be performing any registerable activity as defined by the applicable regulatory bodies.

Both FTMIG and IR.INC and their affiliates do not endorse or recommend any securities issued by any companies identified on, or linked through, this conference. Please seek professional advice to evaluate specific securities or other content discussed during this event. Links, if any, to third party sites are for informational purposes only, and not for trading purposes. FTMIG and IR.INC. and their affiliates have not prepared, reviewed or updated any content on third party sites and assume no responsibility for the information posted on them.

For further information on VID, please contact:

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Millennium Group would splash out a whopping $15 billion on an LNG project in Khanh Hoa

Millennium Group from the United States plans to develop a liquefied natural gas (LNG) project in the South Van Phong area in Ninh Hoa town of Khanh Hoa province.

According to Nguyen Tan Tuan, Chairman of Khanh Hoa Peoples Committee, the investor's ambition includes a 600-hectare project with the capacity of 9,600MW.

In addition, it will invest in a dock warehouse system to provide gas to the power plant as well as to distribute LNG in Southeast Asia. This system may be located in either Ninh Phuoc or Ninh Hoa commune.

Once Khanh Hoa provinces leaders approve, the project will be guaranteed by the US government and we will work with the Vietnamese government to discuss implementation plans. Millenium expects to make the LNG dock warehouse in South Van Phong the energy centre of Southeast Asia, said Sam Chan, chairman of Millennium Vietnam Group, a member of Millennium Group.

Khanh Hoas leaders assigned Van Phong Economic Zones Management Authority to prepare an agreement with the investor, allowing it to arrive to the Nam Van Phong area to study the project.

Regarding Nguyen Khac Dinh, Secretary of Khanh Hoa Party Committee, he said that the provinces grid is overloaded, thus, if the investor would participate in developing transmission lines, the province would be willing to allow the investor to start fieldwork.

"Numerous investors are eyeing the South Van Phong area and we will select the best enterprise", he said.

Along with Millenium Group, a number of investors are planning to develop LNG projects in the province.

Notably, in July 2019, chairman of the Vietnam National Petroleum Group (Petrolimex) Pham Van Thanh and representative director, president of JXTG Holdings Tsutomu Sugimori signed an MoU on jointly developing an LNG project in Khanh Hoa.

Accordingly, in Phase 1, the two parties will construct two gas turbine combined cycle power plants with the total capacity of 3,000MW and Van Phong LNG Terminal with a capacity of 180,000 cubic metres. Phase 2 will build two more power plants with a capacity equivalent to Phase 1.
President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority, criticizing the federal-owned corporation for hiring foreign workers.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor.

The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

He also said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who puts the interests of Americans first." According to Trump, the CEO, Jeff Lyash, earns $8 million a year.

Trump said the authority was replacing many of its in-house technology workers with contractors who rely heavily on foreign workers under the H1-B visa program for highly skilled workers.

As Trump was meeting with workers who would shortly be laid off by the authority, Trump was passed a note from chief of staff Mark Meadows that said Lyash had called the White House and was promising to address the labor concerns. Some of the attendees, who are set to see their last paycheck at the end of the month, teared up as Trump read the message.

Trump made the announcement as he signed an executive order to require all federal agencies to complete an internal audit to prove they are not replacing qualified American workers with people from other countries. The White House said the order will help prevent federal agencies from unfairly replacing American workers with lower cost foreign labor.

The order followed the TVAs announcement that it would outsource 20% of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries. TVAs action could cause more than 200 highly skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to foreign workers hired on temporary work visas, according to the White House.

But Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the TVA doesn't get any taxpayer money. Commenting on the issue in April, Alexander said the White House was spreading misinformation. He said that TVA chief executive officers' pay is lower than other large utilities and that TVA energy rates are among the lowest in the nation.
HAMDEN  The Albert Schweitzer Institute at Quinnipiac University has named its faculty fellows for 2020: Rahul Anand, associate professor of medical sciences at the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine; Xi Chen, associate professor of sociology; Angela Mattie, professor of management and professor of medical sciences; Thomas Pruzinsky, professor of psychology; and Marcos Scauso, assistant professor of political science, according to a statement.

Anand will develop on a curricular model for developing future physicians visionary leadership.

Chen received the fellowship for her project, Reverence for Life and Leaving No One Invisible  Mapping Economic Inequality in Developing Regions with VIIRs Nighttime Lights.

Mattie earned the fellowship for her project, Reverence for Life: Educating Quinnipiacs Students on How Policy Impacts Care for Older Americans.

Pruzinsky received the fellowship for his project, Inspiring Moral Elevation and Catalyzing Moral Action: Albert Schweitzer, MD and the Dalai Lama as Moral Exemplars. Pruzinsky retired in July but will continue his project.

Scauso was granted the fellowship for his project analyzing the epistemic assumptions underlying U.S. Foreign Policy and its actions in the world historically.

The Schweitzer fellowship provides up to $5,000 to support the work of each proposed project. The five new fellows join the nearly 20 who have received funding since 2017.

For more information, visit qu.edu. Connect with Quinnipiac on Facebook and follow Quinnipiac on Twitter @QuinnipiacU.

FEMA awards grants to fire departments

BOSTON  The Federal Emergency Management Agency recently announced $59 million in direct assistance grants to 392 fire departments nationwide through the agencys Fiscal Year (FY) 2019 Assistance to Firefighters Grant (AFG) program. Additional phases will soon be announced, according to a statement.

Local recipients of the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program includes grants to East Haven, $59,092 for cardiac monitors; Guilford, $445,454 for 70 firefighter breathing apparatuses; and West Haven, $86,000 for an air compressor and for diesel exhaust systems for two stations, according to the statement. Additional information may be found at www.fema.gov/firegrants.

Scholarship fund announced

NEW HAVEN  The Connecticut Architecture Foundation recently announced new scholarship fund in honor of Allan J. Dehar, FAIA, a prominent Connecticut architect with a practice in New Haven, according to a statement. For many years, Dehar served as the chairman of the Connecticut Architectural Licensing Board. In addition, he was a regional director for the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB). For service to the profession, he was elevated to the AIA College of Fellows. Dehar was a generous supporter of the architectural profession and, more specifically, the Connecticut Architecture Foundation, according to the statement. The Dehar Scholarship Fund will focus on students from the Connecticut Vocational/Technical School system and accredited architectural programs at Connecticut Community Colleges. The fund recognizes the need to encourage and support architectural students from all walks of life.

Contributions to the Dehar Scholarship Fund can be sent to Allan Dehar Memorial Scholarship Fund, car of AIA Connecticut, 370 James Street, Suite 402, New Haven, CT 06513; or visit www.cafct.org

Valley United Way partner agencies receive funding

SHELTON  Valley United Way Board of Directors recently awarded more than $258,000 to its network of agencies for FY 2020-21, according to a statement. Valley United Ways awards are especially needed this year as many non-profits are expecting additional financial challenges as the Coronavirus pandemic continues to have a ripple effect on the local economy. Despite its own financial challenges from coronavirus, Valley United Ways Board of Directors made a courageous decision to keep the FY 20-21 funding total level with FY 19-20s, given the pressing needs of partner agencies and those they serve, according to the statement.

All funds that support these agencies are taken from fundraising efforts Valley United Way implements through its workplace campaigns and community fundraising efforts. Interim President David Kennedy noted, Valley United Way is proud to continue supporting a superb network of 17 Valley non-profits with expertise in providing health, social service, and youth services to families throughout our five-town area. Of course, that network would not be possible without the exceptional financial support that United Way receives annually from corporations and businesses, their employees, and hundreds of individual donors. In partnership, we Live United in the Valley every day - and residents lives are better because of it.

To see the agencies that are being supported for the 2020-2021 fiscal year visit www.valleyunitedway.org/our-impact/funded-agencies/

Milford Arts Council offers membership perk

MILFORD  Milford Arts Council is now offering a new membership perk to all MAC member artists and soon-to-be artists, according to a statement. An artist membership of $35 and up now includes an opportunity to be added to the new Artist Bank on the MAC website.

The MAC is now taking submissions for the Artist Bank, asking for a high resolution, horizontal image of artwork, and a link to a preferred personal showcase site. The link can be a website, Facebook page, Instagram account, ETSY site, or email, according to the statement. More artist opportunities such as an outdoor pop up exhibit Aug. 8, a Story of Women exhibit in October, and an Artist to Artist support group can all be found at milfordarts.org. Artists must be sure that they are up to date with membership dues or join now at https://milfordarts.org/join-us-2. Once a member, artists may submit a high resolution horizontal image and a short bio to info@milfordarts.org. Questions go to visualarts@milfordarts.org
In the US, the countdown has begun to election day; less than one hundred days are left for President Donald Trump to make a mark and convince voters to elect him once again on 3 November.

The odds, however, are against him. Various pollsters have Trump trailing the Democrats Joe Biden in recent national and swing state polls, as COVID-19 has claimed the lives of almost 150,000 Americans.

What is also worrying for Trump is that there has been a surge in the number of coronavirus cases over the last couple of weeks. If that stays the case through November, Trumps chances of winning will be limited. So, can he still make it?

Trump is aware of the implications of COVID-19 on his chances of being re-elected. A couple of days ago, he replaced his campaign manager, as polls indicate that he is falling behind in key battlegrounds that originally won him the 2016 election.

These battlegrounds include Michigan, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina. Biden is leading Trump by 9 points, 6 points, 7 points, 7 points, 5 points, and 1 point in these states respectively. These results are the average of multiple polls conducted by separate outlets in each state.

Nevertheless, Trumps new campaign manager, Bill Stepien, does not believe that these polls reflect the true state of the presidential race. He thinks that the polls understate Trumps support. Just a couple of days after Stepiens appointment, Trump resumed his daily press briefings on the coronavirus for the first time since April, a move believed to be a result of the advice of the new campaign manager.

It is not yet over for Trump; a couple of factors could play into his hand. These factors are the economys performance over the next couple of months, and how well both candidates perform in the coming presidential debates.

One possibility for Trump is just to outshine Biden in the debates. If Biden has a foot-in-his-mouth moment, I believe that will ensure reelection for Trump, Tim Groseclose, professor of political science and economics at George Mason University and the author of Left Turn: How Liberal Media Bias Distorts the American Mind, told Ahram Online.

Biden has openly talked about his stuttering, stating that he has had a lifelong problem with it. "It has nothing to do with your intelligence quotient. It has nothing to do with your intellectual makeup," Biden said at a CNN townhall.

The first debate between the candidates will take place on 29 September at Case Western Reserve University of Cleveland. Originally that debate would have taken place at Notre Dame University in Indiana, but the university withdrew from hosting the debate due to coronavirus fears.

Biden must appear competent. Little else, Robert Erikson, professor of political science at Columbia University, told Ahram Online.

The economy could be the saviour for Trump. The unemployment rate declined by 2.2 percentage points to 11.1 percent in June, and the number of unemployed individuals fell by 3.2 million to 17.8 million, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics. That statistic comes as 4.8 million employees were added to the workforce last month.

However, that 11.1 unemployment rate is the highest since World War II, meaning that the economy must recover at a higher rate for Trump to have a better chance at being reelected.

Another spike in coronavirus cases is the last thing Trump needs right now. In the last couple of weeks, a surge in COVID-19 cases began in Arizona, Florida, California, and Texas. Over the last ten days, new daily cases range nationally from 54,448 to 84,818. It can be observed there has been an obvious spike in cases since the start of July.

The White Houses health advisor and director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Dr. Anthony Fauci, has pointed out that the US has failed in reducing new cases to a feasible level in comparison to many European countries. Fauci fears the worst. The US could reach 100,000 new coronavirus cases each day and is not in total control of the pandemic, he told senators in a hearing held by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee.

When I asked Professor Erikson of Colombia University about the strategy that Trump could follow to change the course of the polls; he told me: By acting presidential, guiding the nation to fight the virus instead of short-term thinking. Or alternatively by creating so much chaos that somehow the nation turns to him.

Trump has been criticised by health experts over the last couple of weeks for reopening the economy too soon after he pressured governors to reopen their states. Fauci has said that many states such as Florida reopened too soon, without following certain guidelines and checkpoints.

Apart from this, the Trump administration is pushing to find a vaccine for the deadly virus. Earlier this week it was reported that the US government had reached an agreement to purchase a vaccine that is currently under testing. The vaccine is being developed by Pfizer and BioNTech.

The government signed a deal worth $1.95 billion to purchase 100 million doses. However, it is still too early to determine whether the vaccine will work, as it has to pass certain FDA guidelines and it is unlikely that the vaccine will be available until 2021.

The countdown for the presidential election has begun, with less than a hundred days left.

Yes, Bidens ahead. But I think the election is still essentially a tossup, Professor Groseclose told Ahram Online.

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After the arrest of British socialite Ghislaine Maxwell, more court documents and transcripts were unsealed revealing detailed information about what really happened on the private island of billionaire pedophile, Jeffrey Epstein. Prince Andrew was also dragged in the controversy after Virginia Giuffre, an alleged victim, finally spoke up.

Prince Andrew's fetish

The private island, which is located in the US Virgin Islands, is said to be where powerful and rich men gather to have illegal sexual intercourse with underage girls as young as 14 years old.

The New York Post was able to secure some of the said documents, and in one document it was alleged that United Kingdom's Prince Andrew liked to lick in between the toes of his victims, including Virginia Roberts Giuffre's toes.

Virginia Giuffre, one of the many sex slaves of Epstein, was sent to the island when she was only 15 years old. Giuffre was forced by Epstein and Maxwell to spend two days with the Prince at Epstein's ranch. In her book proposal, Giuffre revealed some of the fetishes that the rich and powerful men had.

Also Read: Ghislaine Maxwell Took Pictures of Nude Underage Girls and Owned Extreme Sex Toys

As reported by the The Daily Mail, Giuffre said that it was difficult for her to meet some of the demands of the "clients" because some of them were outright questionable, including the fetish of the Prince.

Giuffre claimed that Epstein and Maxwell pimped her out, and she had to have sex with Prince Andrew three times. Meanwhile, Prince Andrew denied all of her claims.

According to Giuffre, Prince Andrew loved her feet and he loved to lick between her toes. But she said that there was not much passion between them because having sex with him was just a "job" to her and she was just one of his girls.

In 2001, Giuffre had to spend some time alone with Prince Andrew, and at that time she was 17 years old. She had to meet with the Prince after already having sex with him once when they were in London.

Prince Andrew was 41 years old at the time. Giuffre is now 36 years old and is a mother of three. She explained to her lawyers how she met up with Prince Andrew and that he had the same old "cheesy grin" which she described as quite a "sight." She said the Prince loves to receive massages or to take him "horseback riding."

Epstein and Maxwell would often ask her about her time with Prince Andrew, and Giuffre said they would look like "proud parents" after she had sex with the Prince. She was paid $1000 by Epstein for her time with Prince Andrew.

Epstein's clients

Aside from Giuffre's testimony, the authorities were also able to retrieve Epstein's infamous log book. The book contains all of the names of the people who boarded his private plane to go to his private island, as reported by Refinery 29.

Some of the famous names in the book are Alan Dershowitz, a Harvard law professor, President Donald Trump, former President Bill Clinton, Leslie Wexner of Victoria's Secret, U.S. Attorney General William Barr, filmmaker Woody Allen, hotelier Thomas Pritzker of the Hyatt hotels and former Maine Senator George Mitchell.

Related Article: Jeffrey Epstein, Ghislaine Maxwell Allegedly Instructed Victim Not to Recruit Black Girls

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Natalia was shot in the forehead and taken to Stroger Hospital, where she died. She was going to start second grade at Crown Community Academy of Fine Arts in the fall. A 32-year-old man was also shot in the attack but survived, and identified all three shooters for police, prosecutors said.
The Afghan government will convene a grand assembly of elders, known as the Loya Jirga, in Kabul on August 7 to decide the fate of hundreds of Taliban prisoners that Taliban leaders insist should be released before they join peace talks with the government.

Last week, President Ashraf Ghani ordered the release of 500 Taliban prisoners as a goodwill gesture amid a three-day cease-fire proposed by the Taliban and agreed to by the government. That cease-fire took effect on July 31.

During a televised speech on July 31, Ghani said the government had released 4,600 Taliban prisoners out of the 5,000 pledged in a landmark agreement signed in February by the United States and Afghanistan's Taliban.

But Ghani said he had "no authority" under the country's constitution to release the remaining 400 inmates on the Taliban's list because of their involvement in serious crimes.

Ghani then announced he would summon a consultative Loya Jirga to decide the fate of the remaining 400 prisoners on the Taliban's list.

"These 400 are those who have been convicted in killings from two to 40 people, drug trafficking, those sentenced to death and involved in major crimes, including kidnapping," Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for Ghani, said as he announced the date of the Loya Jirga.

The Taliban says it has freed all 1,000 prisoners it had pledged in the agreement with U.S. negotiators. The Taliban insists on its demand for the release of the remaining 400 prisoners on its list.

Ghani has called on the Taliban to enter into peace talks as soon as possible.

The United States has reportedly proposed the Taliban prisoners be transferred from Afghan jails to a location where they would be under both Taliban and Afghan government surveillance.

Of the 400 Taliban prisoners left, around 200 are accused by the Afghan government of masterminding attacks on embassies, public squares, and government offices, killing thousands of civilians in recent years.

Held under a giant tent, the Loya Jirga is a centuries-old institution used to build consensus among Afghanistan's rival tribes, factions, and ethnic groups.

They are traditionally convened under extraordinary circumstances to discuss matters of national importance.

Since the U.S.-Taliban agreement in February, 3,560 Afghan security personnel have been killed in attacks by militants, Ghani said last week.

He said thousands more were wounded.

The same week, the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said in a report that more than 1,280 Afghan civilians had been killed during the first half of 2020 -- mainly as a result of fighting between government forces and Taliban militants.

With reporting by Reuters
04.08.2020 LISTEN

The Member of Parliament for Asokwa, Madam Patricia Appiagyei has advised former President John Mahama to stop the propaganda and treat Ghanaians with some seriousness.

She says it as too simplistic for a former President of the country to seek power with propagandist promises.

Speaking to ModernGhana News, the Asokwa MP wondered the kind of advice the former President was receiving to assume that Ghanaians would be swayed by those promises.

She further wondered why the former President is finding it difficult to realize that the Ghana he deceived years ago, is not the same Ghana he is seeking to rule again.

President Nana Akufo Addo has shown Ghanaians that we can have a president who can be truthful, reliable and compassionate to our needs and not the dead goat administration they showed Ghanaians sometime ago, she stated.

Mama Pat said, unlike the NDC Flagbearer, President Akufo-Addo had a plan set out since 2008 and was determined to follow same.

According to the Asokwa legislator, the vision of making secondary school education free of charge was something the President had in a blueprint form.

"Real leaders like Nana Addo always have a plan in mind and they dont just open their mouths to say something they have not thought deeply and soberly about, the Asokwa MP stressed.

With the massive economic and infrastructural work in addition to social intervention projects the NPP had done in a little over 3 years, the Asokwa legislator expresses confidence of their party retaining power.

The Asokwa constituency, she noted, has also seen better development than what the NDC subjected it to when they had power in 8years from 2009 to 2016.

With several road constructions ongoing in communities like Nahiniso, Bokro, Rabbi, Afanko, Fabi, Dompoase, Atonsu, Ahensan and Ako junction with asphalt overlay at Asokwa extension and other parts of Asokwa, she noted that Asokwa will show gratitude to President Akufo-Addo and vote massively for him and her to return to Parliament and lobby for more projects.

Madam Appiagyei commended the Asokwa Municipal Chief Executive, Chief Akwannuasah Gyimah as well as the staff at the Assembly for displaying excellence in their output.

She was happy that the Assembly scored a 98% rating in the social accountability module for MMDDAs, adding that monetary rewards from that area as well as from the secondary city projects would enable the municipality to achieve rapid development.

The legislator expresses happiness the Assembly has been able to elect a Presiding Member (PM) after several failed attempts and commended the chiefs, elected and appointed members for such a feat.
Opposition leaders in Parliament demanded testing for all lawmakers after three died within days of each other in April. The demand went unheeded, and Parliament is now suspended ahead of the October election.

In neighboring Kenya, lawmakers have expressed concern about Tanzanias handling of the pandemic. The Kenyan authorities denied entry to dozens of Tanzanian truck drivers who had tested positive at border points.

In May, the United States Embassy also warned of an exponential growth of infection in Tanzania, saying the risk of contracting the virus in the commercial port city of Dar es Salaam was extremely high.

Mr. Magufulis handling of the coronavirus pandemic has been nothing short of an irresponsible disaster, said Tundu Lissu, an opposition leader who fled the country in 2017 but recently returned to run for president. His attitude has been Covid-19 will somehow go away if we all stop talking about it.

Officials in Tanzania say they have enforced internationally recommended measures, whether dealing with public gatherings or arriving tourists, and that they continue to work with the W.H.O. and other countries to curb the spread of the virus.

At the same time, said Hassan Abbas, a government spokesman, the world should not shy away from emulating what he called the countrys best practices.

We have something to teach the rest, he said.

The W.H.O. has said it continues to engage Tanzania through its membership in various technical committees and has advised the country to scale up surveillance. Negotiations were also underway between the Ministry of Health and the W.H.O. regarding sharing information, Zabulon Yoti, the W.H.O. acting Africa director for emergency preparedness and response, said in a statement.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF), in collaboration with longtime partner the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, is building a global base of movement disorder specialists to care for people with Parkinson's today and for generations to come, while leading research into patients' most urgent unmet needs. Launched in 2014, The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders annually awards funding to top-tier medical centers around the world to train physicians to become movement disorder specialists  experts in treating people with Parkinson's disease (PD) and other movement disorders. Through funding from the Edmond J. Safra Foundation, the Fellowship now will graduate three additional fellows each year, for a total of eight in each class, beginning with the graduating Class of 2024. With this expansion, the program is on track to graduate 48 new specialists by the year 2025.

"The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders is ushering in a new generation of urgently needed, remarkably talented Parkinson's care and research specialists," says Todd Sherer, PhD, MJFF CEO. "The commitment and passion of the graduates and their mentors is serving the growing Parkinson's patient population and the pursuit for cures and better treatments. We are honored that our partner the Edmond J. Safra Foundation continues to support this impactful program."

Class of 2020 Adapts Care and Research during Unprecedented Time

While the COVID-19 pandemic impacted care, research and many other health-related activities, the Edmond J. Safra fellows and mentors evolved to continue learning, caring for people with Parkinson's and other movement disorders, and moving research forward. Fellows connected with colleagues virtually, provided care through telemedicine, and conducted or expanded online studies. Looking for the benefits of this moment, Erik Jackowiak, MD, Class of 2020 fellow at the University of Michigan says, "Overall, there has been a shiftbut it's been a good experience to engage in telemedicine, as this will likely become more common in health care in the future."

The Class of 2020 becomes the third Edmond J. Safra Fellowship class to complete training and begin prestigious careers around the world, where each physician now continues patient care and research. The graduating Class of 2020 includes:

Juliana Coleman , MD

Fellowship Site: University of Alabama at Birmingham; Birmingham, Alabama

Juliana will remain at the University of Alabama at Birmingham as an instructor at the department of neurology.

Grace Crotty, MB BCh BAO MRCPI

Fellowship Site: Massachusetts General Hospital; Boston, Massachusetts

Grace will join Harvard Medical School as an instructor of neurology.

Eric Jackowiak , MD

Fellowship Site: University of Michigan; Ann Arbor, Michigan

Eric has taken a position as clinical assistant professor in neurology at the Medical College of Wisconsin and Milwaukee VA Medical Center.

Greg Kuhlman , MD, MBA

Fellowship Site: Toronto Western Hospital; Ontario, Canada

Greg will become an assistant professor in the Department of Neurology and Rehabilitation Medicine at the University of Cincinnati.

Kimberly Kwei , MD, PhD

Fellowship Site: Columbia University Medical Center; New York, New York

Kimberly will stay at Columbia University as an assistant professor in the movement disorders division.

Anne Weissbach , MD

Fellowship Site: University of Lubeck; Lubeck, Germany

Anne will join the Movement Disorders Unit at the Institute of Neurogenetics in Lubeck as a Junior Group Leader.

Building a Distinguished Global Network of Parkinson's Clinician-Researchers

Movement disorder specialists  expertly trained neurologists with additional training in PD and other movement disorders  can balance complicated medication regimens, integrate the latest therapies, and round out a person's care team with other experts to provide holistic care. When also skilled as researchers, movement disorder specialists can use insights from the clinic to inform studies on what causes PD, why and how it progresses, and how to best treat symptoms and slow disease. People with Parkinson's who see specialists typically report feeling more informed and better equipped to manage their disease. But there is a growing gap between the number of movement disorder specialists and people with Parkinson's who benefit from their expert care  an estimated 6 million people around the world, a number that is expected to double by the year 2040.

"Increasing the number of movement disorder specialists who can care for patients and lead research studies benefits not only individual patients and families, but also the entire Parkinson's community," said Lily Safra, chairwoman of the Edmond J. Safra Foundation and MJFF Board member 2001. "The growth and success of The Edmond J. Safra Fellowship in Movement Disorders is a testament to the ongoing and rising need for Parkinson's specialists around the world."

The Fellowship extends across 21 world-renowned training institutions in seven countries. In the most recent round of funding, a review committee comprised of MJFF staff, external reviewers and Edmond J. Safra Fellowship alumni selected five centers from a competitive pool of applicants to train the Class of 2023: Fleni Hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina; McGill University/Montreal Neurological Institute in Montreal, Canada; Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, New York; the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at University of Florida Health in Gainesville, Florida; and Pitie-Salpetriere Hospital in Paris, France. Each awardee now will match a qualified candidate to begin training in summer 2021.

The Michael J. Fox Foundation is accepting applications from academic centers worldwide to train the Class of 2024 Edmond J. Safra Fellows. A review committee will evaluate applicants on their history training successful movement disorder clinician-researchers; the breadth and depth of clinical care and research education and opportunities; departmental support for the fellow; and  new this year  training programs and opportunities that equip fellows with the skills and knowledge to advance equitable access and diversity across clinical care services, research, education and community outreach. The deadline to apply is December 10, 2020. Learn more and apply.

About The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

As the world's largest nonprofit funder of Parkinson's research, The Michael J. Fox Foundation is dedicated to accelerating a cure for Parkinson's disease and improved therapies for those living with the condition today. The Foundation pursues its goals through an aggressively funded, highly targeted research program coupled with active global engagement of scientists, Parkinson's patients, business leaders, clinical trial participants, donors and volunteers. In addition to funding more than $900 million in research to date, the Foundation has fundamentally altered the trajectory of progress toward a cure. Operating at the hub of worldwide Parkinson's research, the Foundation forges groundbreaking collaborations with industry leaders, academic scientists and government research funders; increases the flow of participants into Parkinson's disease clinical trials with its online tool, Fox Trial Finder; promotes Parkinson's awareness through high-profile advocacy, events and outreach; and coordinates the grassroots involvement of thousands of Team Fox members around the world. For more information, visit us on the Web , Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Pinterest.

About the Edmond J. Safra Foundation

Edmond J. Safra, one of the 20th century's most accomplished bankers and a devoted philanthropist, established a major philanthropic foundation to ensure that individuals and organizations would continue to receive his assistance and encouragement for many years to come. Under the chairmanship of his beloved wife Lily, the Edmond J. Safra Philanthropic Foundation draws continuing inspiration from its founder's life and values, and supports hundreds of organizations in more than 40 countries around the world. Its work encompasses four areas: Education; Science and Medicine; Religion; and Humanitarian Assistance, Culture and Social Welfare. The Foundation has provided significant funding for Parkinson's disease research and patient care at dozens of hospitals and institutes in places as varied as Natal (Brazil), Toronto, New York, Grenoble, Paris, London and Jerusalem.

For more information, visit www.edmondjsafra.org.

SOURCE The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

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The men were reported missing about 5:40 p.m. near Joint Base Anacostia-Bolling, a military installation that extends along the Potomac River near the Districts southern tip. Police said they were interviewing other people who were on the boat. Police identified the missing men as Mustafa Haidar, 26; Ahmad Johnny Noory, 28; and Omid Rabani, 23. Police did not provide places of residence.
Ahead of the bhoomi poojan for the Ram temple on Wednesday, Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Tuesday expressed the hope the groundbreaking ceremony in Ayodhya will be a celebration of national unity, brotherhood and cultural harmony.

Lord Ram belongs to everybody. Lord Ram wants everybodys welfare. That is why he is called Maryada Purshottam, the Congress general secretary said in a statement.

The groundbreaking ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has been scheduled for August 5. Hope this event becomes an occasion of national unity, brotherhood and cultural harmony in accordance with the message of Lord Ram and with his blessings and that of Mother Sita, she said.

Gandhis remarks are in line with the partys renewed stand on the issue after the Supreme Court gave its verdict on the Ram temple last November.

At its meeting on November 9 last year, the Congress Working Committee (CWC), the partys highest decision-making body, unanimously passed a resolution on the issue, saying it respects the verdict. It had also appealed to everyone to maintain peace and harmony in the country.

That day, the Congress favoured the construction of the Ram temple and sought to take credit for the development, insisting it was the party-led central government that acquired 67 acres outside the disputed 2.77 acres in 1993 to maintain law and order.

The Congress also recalled it was the Rajiv Gandhi government that allowed shilanyas or a groundbreaking ceremony at an undisputed site close to the structure and opened the doors of the Ram temple in 1986.

After the demolition of the disputed structure on December 6, 1992, the Centre acquired the disputed site and 67 acres surrounding it through a law passed in 1993. The land included pockets of government land, a disputed shrine and land belonging to Ram Janmabhoomi Nyas. But the Nyas opposed the take-over and said the land should be handed over to its rightful owner.

Quoting poets such as Maithilisharan Gupt and Nirala, Priyanka Gandhi said that for ages, Lord Rams character had served as a source of unity for the Indian subcontinent.

Ramayana has left an indelible mark on the civilisation of the world and the Indian subcontinent. For ages, Lord Rams character has helped the Indian subcontinent, she added.

In a tweet, she said, Simplicity, courage, restraint, sacrifice, commitment, are the essence of the name Deenbandhu Rama. Ram is with everyone, Ram is with everyone.

Addressing a news conference at Jaisalmer in Rajasthan, Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said politics should have dharma, instead of having politics of dharma.

It is the responsibility of each one of us to reaffirm our tradition of mutual respect and unity among all that has defined our society through the ages, he said.

Last week, former Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath too welcomed the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, saying it is being built with the consent of every Indian.

I welcome the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. People of the country have been expecting and waiting for this for a long time now, the senior Congress leader said in a video.

Such thing is possible only in India, he added.

The issue also resonated at a meeting between Congress president Sonia Gandhi and the partys Rajya Sabha members on July 30. Deepender Singh Hooda said Congress leaders should speak in one voice and stick to the CWC resolution on the issue as it is attached to the sentiments of millions of Indians.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend the bhoomi pujan ceremony at Ayodhya.
The joint entrance examination is held every year for admission to B.Ed. courses offered by 16 universities in Uttar Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh Joint Entrance Examination of Bachelor in Education 2020 will be conducted on 9 August. UP B.Ed. JEE was earlier scheduled to be held on 8 April but was postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to a report by NDTV, a total of 4,31,904 candidates will be taking the examination this year. Speaking about the preparation for the smooth conduct of the entrance examination, State Exam Coordinator Professor Amita Bajpai said that 19 nodal centres have been made in 73 districts of Uttar Pradesh.

No private college or school has been made an exam centre this year, the report quoted Bajpai as saying.

A report by Jagran said that the candidates who qualify the entrance examination will have to attend online counselling process for the seat allotment.

The entrance examination is conducted by Lucknow University. The varsity has said that the guidelines by the Central government for conducting examinations will be adhered to in order to ensure the safety of candidates.

The joint entrance examination is held every year for admission to B.Ed. courses offered by 16 universities in Uttar Pradesh.

The exam will be objective in nature and will have two papers. Paper one will have two sections -- General Knowledge and Hindi language. Both sections will have 50 questions each.

The second paper will also have two sections -- General Aptitude Test, and Subject Aptitude (Arts/ Science/ Commerce/ Agriculture). Each section will have 50 questions.

The admit card of the UP B.Ed JEE 2020 is available on the website. Candidates can download their admit cards/hall tickets by entering their user id and password from https://cdn3.digialm.com/EForms/configuredHtml/1936/64585/login.html
Cities and provinces that have recorded cases of Covid-19 caused by community transmission have to "consider the scale of social distancing and make it reasonable," Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc said at a government meeting Monday.

Da Nang, now Vietnams Covid-19 epicenter, and other cities and provinces where locally transmitted cases have been detected, like Hanoi and HCMC, must "speed up processes, impose aggressive and drastic methods to detect infections, track down suspect cases and locate stricken areas to put down the outbreaks," he said.

The PM also emphasized that local authorities have to decide on measures that ensure in tandem the effectiveness of preventing infections from spreading and minimizing the impacts on people's lives and socio-economic activities.

Prior to the governments meeting Monday night, Mai Tien Dung, chairman of the governments office, told the press that the governments guideline is to circle the areas where cases have been detected to focus outbreak containment measures.

"Such circles should be of sufficient scale that it can end the outbreak and stop it from spreading further, but at the same time, they should guarantee that businesses carry out their production and trade. The experience of many countries in the world is to apply the strategy of dual goals, combating the pandemic while ensuring economic development," Dung said.

He was responding to a question regarding the suggestion made by HCMC Party chief Nguyen Thien Nhan that a Wuhan-style lockdown be imposed on Da Nang.

Nhan said at a government meeting with local authorities on Sunday that "it is necessary to identify Da Nang as an especially dangerous epicenter and apply the strictest measures to control the outbreak."

He argued that a complete lockdown is necessary as the Health Ministry had said the outbreak in Da Nang has been going on "quietly" for more than one month now, and it is possible that many infected people have yet to show symptoms or be diagnosed.

He also raised concerns over Da Nang's ability to isolate people having or suspected to have the disease, saying quarantining everyone at home should be taken into serious consideration now, implying a complete lockdown of the central coastal city.

Dung, the government office chairman, said that as soon as community transmission of Covid-19 emerged in Da Nang on July 25, authorities had identified all the hotspots  the three hospitals: the Da Nang Hospital; Da Nang Hospital C; and the Orthopedic and Physical Rehabilitation Hospital of Da Nang. They had imposed a lockdown on all three establishments and isolated the neighborhoods around them.

Dung also cited the example of Singapore, which suffered a new wave of infection in April, with the vast majority of new cases detected in the overcrowded dormitories that housed more than 300,000 of Singapore's roughly one million immigrant workers.

To cope with that wave, the government had shut down the entire nation instead of imposing a lockdown on that particular area. Since then, Singapore has had to expend a lot of time, effort and resources to help its businesses recover. From that experience, many experts have said that Singapore should have applied a lockdown on just one stricken area, because 99 percent of cases had been transmitted inside that community of immigrant workers.

Deputy Health Minister Truong Quoc Cuong said the ministry will study the suggestion of quarantining at home made by the HCMC Party secretary.

In case centralized facilities are overloaded, the city should switch to quarantining at home, he said.

Da Nang is still in a 15-day social distancing campaign that started July 28, requiring people to stay at home and maintain a distance of at least two meters from each other in public. Public gatherings of more than two people are prohibited, except at offices, schools and hospitals.

Vietnam imposed such measures nationwide for two weeks in April, after dozens of cases were reported from several outbreaks in Hanoi and HCMC.

As of Tuesday night, the country has recorded 670 Covid-19 cases, 288 of which are active.

Eight people have died since Friday, including two on Tuesday morning, after contracting the virus at hospitals in Da Nang. They were all over 50 and had suffered chronic diseases for years.
Thousands of miles from their Taiwan Strait flash point, Beijing and Taipei are squaring off in another cross-strait dispute where old animosities collide with local grievances and coronavirus realpolitik.

Days before Solomon Islands switched diplomatic allegiance from Taiwan to China last year, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare declared his erstwhile partner "completely useless to us" as he went on to embrace Beijing in a process marred by corruption allegations. Taiwan responded by severing ties with the government of the South Pacific archipelago.

Now, fallout from the spat is inflaming tensions in the Solomons, which lie in a politically unstable region where China is expanding its sway. It's also revealing how, facing a dwindling list of diplomatic partners, Taiwan is seeking new avenues of influence by engaging with subnational governments - but in doing so, is injecting one of the world's thorniest geopolitical tussles into far-flung and often volatile local affairs.

While their trade with China far outstripped that with Taiwan, many in the Solomons were not happy about abandoning 36 years of friendship. The decision especially chafed with inhabitants of Malaita, the Solomons' most populous region, which sits 60 miles across the Indispensable Strait from the next-most-populous island of Guadalcanal, scene of an epic World War II battle and home to the capital, Honiara. The islands share a long-running acrimony that spilled over into civil unrest that left 200 dead between 1998 and 2003.

"The peace in Solomon Islands is still very fragile," said Clive Moore, a historian of the Solomons and emeritus professor at the University of Queensland. "You only need a couple of rogue leaders and something could happen."

Anger on the streets swelled after the Solomons government announced the China switch in September. Protesters chanting "No need China" descended on Malaita's provincial capital, Auki. Politicians aligned with Sogavare, 65, were berated in public forums, and lawmakers said they were offered bribes by Taiwan and China in exchange for their support. Both governments denied any impropriety.

Much of the dissent was organized by Richard Olita, a 35-year-old former secretary of Malaita for Democracy, a pro-independence organization. In January, Olita was hired as an adviser to Daniel Suidani, the premier of Malaita. Olita says his former organization plans to hold a pro-independence rally in Auki this month.

The protests led Suidani to sign a pledge that Malaita would never engage with Beijing. He terminated licenses of businesses owned by ethnic Chinese, a key demand of Olita's former group. The Solomon Islands government has said Suidani's administration "faces suspension" for breaching the law.

Malaita's anti-Beijing stance is fueled by loyalty to Taiwan, suspicions of communism, concern over Chinese debt traps and a fear of China's animus toward Christians. Suidani, who echoes President Donald Trump in calling the coronavirus the "Wuhan virus," has said China has "a global ambition to dominate the world."

Taiwan is a self-ruled democracy, but China considers the island part of its territory and has threatened to take it by force. To isolate Taiwan, Beijing has used enticements to steadily pick off its diplomatic partners, which now number 15. A week after the Solomons switched sides, another Pacific nation, Kiribati, followed suit.

- - -

As the coronavirus began tearing across the globe this year, Malaita's officials saw a chance to strike back at both Beijing and the national government in Honiara. Staffed by individuals harboring improbable independence aspirations, the provincial government set about reanimating its relationship with Taipei, thumbing its nose at the national policy.

In March, officials from Malaita and Taiwan convened in Brisbane, Australia, for secret talks on coronavirus aid, according to Malaita's government. The meeting was convened at the request of Malaita, which sought to leverage its genuine need for health assistance to reopen ties with Taiwan.

The meeting was not approved by Sogavare, who declined to be interviewed for this report, citing a police investigation. Three Taiwanese officials familiar with Taipei's Solomon Islands policy did not dispute the Malaitan account. "We never confirm meetings between officials, nor comment on the content of the meetings," said Joanne Ou, a Taiwanese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman.

Asked whether they knew about the discussions, Australian officials responded with a general statement reiterating their "warm" relationship with the Solomons.

Soon, coronavirus aid began flowing from Taiwan to Malaita - but not to other parts of the Solomons - as the provincial administration leveraged anti-Chinese sentiment to its advantage.

The first aid consignment organized at the Brisbane meeting arrived in Auki on June 8. Suidani held a public ceremony, standing with supporters waving Taiwanese flags alongside piles of rice draped with banners that said, "Taiwan is Helping."

The aid "rekindles the long-standing friendship between the people of Malaita province and the people of Taiwan," Suidani told the crowd.

One day later, a second Taiwanese consignment was intercepted and seized by Solomon Islands' federal police at Honiara's Henderson Airport. Sourced from Shuang Ho Hospital in Taipei, it consisted of 10,000 surgical masks, 2,600 bags of rice, thermal imaging equipment and 20,000 bars of soap, according to a Taiwanese diplomat who facilitated the delivery. The consignment, posted via DHL, had been addressed to Olita.

In a letter leaked to local media, Solomon Islands' attorney general said Malaita's solicitation of Taiwan constituted an "act of defiance" of the central government that violated sedition laws. The attorney general, John Muria, is considering charges against Olita, and Malaita is preparing to countersue the national government to release the aid. Olita declined to comment, citing his potential involvement in the proceedings.

Beijing took issue with the displays of Taiwanese flags, accusing Malaita's leaders of "illegitimate, inappropriate and entirely wrong" actions that it said "hurts the national feelings of the Chinese people." Suidani said in an interview that Sogavare's government should tell China's representative "not to meddle in the domestic politics of Solomon Islands."

Malaita was not backing down. Supported by Taiwan, its officials initiated a Malaitan Lives Matter campaign, arguing that confiscating Taiwan's coronavirus aid threatened lives.

"The seizure was unjustified and without legal basis," said a Taiwanese diplomat, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss a sensitive matter. "By politicizing anti-pandemic humanitarian assistance, [Beijing] is purposely delaying the delivery of crucial supplies that would help Solomon Islands combat covid-19," the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.

- - -

Medical relief during the coronavirus pandemic has been a field of soft-power competition between China and Taiwan, whose exclusion from the World Health Organization despite its success in containing the outbreak remains a sore point in Taipei and some Western capitals.

Taiwan's efforts in Malaita also coincided with its establishment of diplomatic relations with Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia. That move earned Taipei a second African ally, after Swaziland, and demonstrated its willingness to court recognition by non-nation states with independence aspirations, in the face of China's pressure campaign.

Malaita's success in persuading Taiwan to deliver aid illustrates the capacity of Pacific actors to cultivate - even manipulate - foreign interests to their internal advantage.

While an independent Malaita remains unlikely, disputes in the area present potential openings for Beijing and Taipei, especially if they result in new nations; each small Pacific state ultimately means one vote in international arenas such as United Nations bodies, where China and the United States vie for influence.

Bougainville, a nearby province of Papua New Guinea, voted for independence in 2019. West Papua, a region spanning two Indonesian provinces, continues its push for sovereignty, almost 60 years since its annexation.

In the Solomons, the government's China policy has exposed Sogavare to problematic, and domestically unpopular, pressure from Beijing, said Tess Newton Cain, a Pacific analyst at Griffith University in Brisbane.

"The Chinese officials appear to be doing their best to get their wording into [Solomons] government press releases," she said. "Sogavare has gone all in with China."

But for now, Taiwanese aid continues to be unveiled by the Malaitan premier, who says there is "no doubt" he will maintain his relationship with Taipei despite mounting pressure.

At a public ceremony on July 8, Suidani handed 5,000 masks to his senior health official, Taiwanese flags again on display.
By Ras Baraka

Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, located in New Brunswick, and the Rutgers New Jersey Medical School (NJMS), located in Newark, plan to become a single medical school. It is insultingly and dishonestly being referred to as a merger by the few that support it.

I strongly and wholeheartedly oppose what is only an unregulated and premeditated takeover that will leave Newark residents without critical resources. In a time where data clearly points to greater health disparities of people of color and those who live in urban areas, this proposed takeover is one of the ways that systemic racism rears its ugly head.

This proposed takeover would not only have significant and detrimental impacts on University Hospital, which would most definitely distress Newark residents but specifically our most vulnerable populations. It violates the Newark Agreements of 1968 and places the needs of the community of Newark and the greater Essex County region at risk of losing resources and services that can only lead to greater healthcare disparities.

In addition, the lack of transparency of this process is not only troubling but also downright offensive, given that we are currently in the midst of a global pandemic, where attention and resources should be on saving lives rather than making swift, baseless decisions that undoubtedly will impact the health and lives of residents of our greater Newark region.

I find it extremely troubling that an arrangement of this magnitude that will have an impact over taxpayer dollars for many years to come will not be governed by any state laws and regulations nor is there any impact analysis or assessment that shows how the deal will impact education, tuition, training, essential services and the workforce. Traditionally, any changes to a medical school in scope, composition, role, and/or location was only achieved through governmental review and regulatory authorization. Somehow, when it affects those that are disadvantaged, there can be found a way to bypass process and procedure altogether. This merger is being proposed without any public input: where are the public hearings?

During this critical time, NJMS must continue its strategic partnership with University Hospital, as there is too much at stake. Any alteration in the medical and economic obligations agreed upon could threaten University Hospitals capability to continue the revitalization plan to expand and develop healthcare services.

NJMSs significance to the city of Newark and surrounding communities, as well as to the State of New Jersey, should not be understated and cannot be disregarded. Its historical significance as the oldest school of medicine in New Jersey with a longstanding history must be taken into account.

I must also highlight the unique characteristics that provide an educational experience designed to transform its students into the medical leaders of the future, including it ranking as the No. 1 National Institutes of Health-funded institution in the state for basic science and clinical work and its ranking as the most diverse student bodies in the U.S. It is also one of only a few schools with an endowed Center for Humanism and Medicine, which embodies dignity and respect for all. And finally, through superior medical instruction, NJMS match rate (98%) exceeds the national average, placing our students in prestigious and highly competitive specialties nearly every year.

Given what is at stake, I request the following:

Any plans or discussions to takeover or merge NJMS be immediately stopped;

Universal Hospital remains the principal academic medical institution for Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

Rutgers honors its commitment to the City of Newark and the greater Newark area.

Include the residents of Newark in any discussion to dismantle the relationship between NJMS and University Hospital

Transparency and accountability is embedded in every part of this process.

Ensuring the public health of New Jerseys residents during a global pandemic must be the top priority for us during this time.

Ras Baraka is the mayor of the City of Newark.

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A recent Pew Research poll found that religious faith had deepened for a quarter of Americans because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Some might indeed take solace in religion at a time of uncertainty, such as a pandemic, but the literary texts that I teach in my university course, Pandemics in Literature, suggest that this is not always the case: Faith may deepen for some, while others may reject or abandon it altogether. Christianity and the Black Death In one of the most well known works of pandemic literature, Giovanni Boccaccios The Decameron ...
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 17:00 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b8402b 1 National prakiraan-cuaca,BMKG,extreme-weather,heavy-rains,strong-wind,lightning,jakarta-weather Free

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), through its official website, bmkg.go.id, has issued extreme weather warnings for 17 provinces.

According to the agency, some areas in Aceh, Gorontalo, South Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan and North Sulawesi will likely experience heavy rains coupled with strong winds and lightning on Wednesday. Thunderstorms are forecast to hit parts of Jakarta, North Kalimantan and South Sumatra on the same day.

Heavy rainfall is expected to reach parts of Papua and West Papua, while strong winds are predicted to occur in Bali, Banten, Maluku, West Nusa Tenggara and East Nusa Tenggara.

Read also: Four regions at high risk of drought as BMKG predicts prolonged dry season

The BMKG warned people living in coastal areas that high tides could reach up to 4 meters high.

Waves in the Bali Sea, the Bali Strait and the Lombok Strait are expected to reach a height of 2 m while the northern parts of the Malacca Strait and its surrounding areas could see high waves up to 3 m in height.

In some areas, such as the waters of Enggano and the western part of the Indian Ocean in Bengkulu, waves may reach a height of 4 m.

Besides bracing for heavy rainfall, people living in East Nusa Tenggara should be on alert for strong winds and land fires, the agency warned. (nal)
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Lawmakers in Albany sternly questioned Gov. Andrew Cuomos top health official Monday regarding the administrations controversial decisions surrounding nursing homes amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak.

At a joint hearing held over Zoom with Senate and Assembly committees, State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker faced a stern line of questioning from members of both parties who probed  among other topics  the Health Departments March 25 directive which ordered nursing homes to accept medically stable coronavirus patients.

A state Health Department report issued in early July said the agencys statewide analysis of the timing of admissions versus COVID-19 fatalities shows that Cuomos March 25 directive could not be the driving force of nursing home infections or deaths.

The March 25 directive is no longer viewable on the state DOH website, and Cuomo effectively reversed the order on May 10, forcing individuals to test negative before being admitted to a nursing home facility; however, he has dismissed the political heat he has received for the decision.

While Cuomo, a Democrat, has said the pushback he has received for the decision is political, his Democratic counterparts were also critical of the state DOH report as confirmed and presumed nursing home deaths have crept to over 6,000 in the state.

We know that is an undercount, said Senate Investigations Committee Chairman James Skoufis (D-Queens) during the hearing, quoting Cuomos assertion that the virus could spread like fire in dry grass among older populations.

Its now up to the Legislature to determine who lit the match and how and why the fire fanned out, Skoufis said.

The false narrative is that COVID-positive residents brought into the nursing homes were from the hospitals, Zucker said. The facts show that 310 nursing homes admitted COVID-positive patients from hospitals, and of those 310, 304 already had COVID in their facility.

The DOH report claimed It is likely that thousands of employees who were infected in mid-March transmitted the virus unknowingly -- through no fault of their own -- while working, which then led to resident infection.

The March 25 directive resulted in 6,326 COVID-positive patients being accepted into nursing homes by May 8, and by late April, the Advance/SILive.com reported more than 100 patients were discharged from hospitals back into borough nursing home facilities.

The timing of deaths in the borough continues to raise questions about the danger the March 25 order posed to Staten Island nursing homes, since the Islands death total continued to climb over a month after Cuomos directive was put into effect.

Lawmakers also said the administrations data was misleading because it did not list the death of nursing home residents who died at a hospital as nursing home deaths.

It seems that what you are doing is just trying to minimize (nursing home deaths)  to make you look better than you actually did, said Senate Health Committee Chairman Gustavo Rivera. Thats a problem, bro.

While saying the administration has been incredibly transparent on such data, Zucker did not provide an answer to a question directly asking to how many nursing home patients died in hospitals  citing a need to be absolutely accurate.

When pressed again, Zucker did not provide an answer.

Im not prepared to give you a specific number. We are in the middle of a pandemic obviously, we always forget about that sometimes, Zucker said. We are looking at all the numbers, we are looking at the data, when the data comes in and I have an opportunity to piece through that, then I will be happy to provide that data to you and to the other members of the committee.

The hearing, which lasted approximately two hours, also drew the ire of lawmakers who werent able to ask a question to Zucker.

NY Health Commissioner Zucker refuses to stay at our Senate-Assembly joint hearing on @HealthNYGov handling of nursing homes. Why are committee chairs accepting this? Lots of legislators and those we represent have questions they want answered under oath.  Nicole Malliotakis (@NMalliotakis) August 3, 2020

NY Health Commissioner Zucker refuses to stay at our Senate-Assembly joint hearing on @HealthNYGov handling of nursing homes, Assemblywoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-East Shore) wrote on Twitter. Why are committee chairs accepting this? Lots of legislators and those we represent have questions they want answered under oath.

Malliotakis has fervently called for a federal investigation into Cuomos decision making during the coronavirus outbreak in New York, saying his March 25 directive effectively unleashed a wolf into a hen house, and said Cuomo is wrong to pin the virus spread on nursing home staff after all the pain and selflessness theyve exhibited during the pandemic.

Assemblyman Kevin Byrne was similarly frustrated at the close of the meeting on Monday, saying: Weve been working for months to get a hearing. A hearing that does not let all committee members ask at least one question is no hearing.

New Yorkers deserve better. Im more convinced now than ever that we need a truly independent investigation, Byrne said.

Unfortunately, the state health commissioner was ill-prepared, intentionally evasive and left the room before lawmakers finished their questions, Assemblyman Will Barclay said in a statement Monday afternoon. This was little more than a regurgitation of power point slides weve seen before, and a Department of Health report developed to defend its own actions. Approximately 6,300 lives were lost in these facilities, and families deserved more than rushed testimony from the state officials responsible for the COVID response.

Mondays legislative hearing will be followed by a second joint hearing Aug. 10.

I strongly urge Dr. Zucker to clear his calendar for Monday, Aug. 10, and finish the job he barely started today, Barclay said.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Tropical Storm Isaias is now expected to pass through the New York City area from noon to about 5 p.m., according to an updated AccuWeather forecast Tuesday morning.

The heaviest rainfall produced by the storm -- between two and four inches -- likely will fall in northwest New Jersey, while the New York City metro area remains at risk for strong wind gusts and even possible tornadoes.

The New York City area will probably get an inch to an inch and a half of rain, said AccuWeather meteorologist Mike Doll. I wouldnt expect any serious flooding problems.

That being said, coastal areas -- especially on parts of Staten Island -- remain at risk of flooding due to a combination of rainfall and high tides, experts say.

Additionally, said Doll, Its not a good idea to be out on the water at all.

STRONG WINDS, TORNADO WATCH

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for Staten Island and much of the tri-state area.

The watch, issued at 7:20 a.m., is in effect until 4 p.m.

Damage could include roofs peeled from buildings, chimneys toppled, fallen trees and branches, vehicles blown off roads and small boats pulled from moorings, the NWS warned.

Regardless of whether the borough sees any tornadoes, wind gusts of between 40 and 60 mph on Staten Island will be strong enough to bring down power lines and trees, which could lead to power outages.

CITY ON ALERT

Isaias made landfall late Monday night as a hurricane, but weakened in classification back to a tropical storm over eastern North Carolina, according to National Hurricane Center.

In preparation of dangerous conditions, all city-run beaches on the borough, in addition to beaches a Great Kills Park, are closed for swimming Tuesday.

The Metropolitan Transportation Authority announced Tuesday morning that empty tractor-trailers and tandems will be prohibited from noon to 8 p.m. on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. Additionally, drivers are instructed to drive at reduced speeds during that time period, due to wet roadways.

There is a HIGH risk of flash flooding for parts of the Mid-Atlantic/Northeast this today from heavy rains in #Isaias.



Never EVER attempt to drive through floodwaters. You never know what condition the road is in below murky floodwaters.



For the latest: https://t.co/ktMvuxrvv1 pic.twitter.com/RYlyETtpF5  National Weather Service (@NWS) August 4, 2020

At the Goethals Bridge, the pedestrian walkway will be closed to the public Tuesday morning, according to a notification by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

City officials issued a press release Sunday informing residents a flash flood emergency plan had been activated to help mitigate possible damage.

Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Transportation and Department of Sanitation teams were clearing catch basins over the weekend in preparation for the storm, officials said.

Additionally, a multi-agency task force responsible for coordinating the response to large downed trees has been placed on alert.

STAYING SAFE

The citys Department of Emergency Management has designated areas of New York City subject to storm surge flooding and divided them into six evacuation zones, based on risk of storm surge flooding.

Some localized coastal storm preparedness materials for the 2020 hurricane/tropical storm season are available to residents online, including the location of hurricane evacuation zones and evacuation centers.

In the event of tornadoes and dangerous winds, residents are cautioned to avoid trees, keep vehicles off the roadways when possible, and stay away from windows and high rise apartments when indoors.

Department of Environmental Protection, Department of Transportation and Department of Sanitation teams were clearing catch basins over the weekend in preparation for the storm, officials said.

Additionally, a multi-agency task force responsible for coordinating the response to large downed trees has been placed on alert.
The Bihar Police DGP expressed his displeasure on twitter over the move and criticised the Mumbai Police force for forcibly quarantining a police officer against his will. Now, Patna's IG Sanjay Kumar has revealed that he has written to Mumbai's BMC commissioner Iqbal Chahal regarding the release of Vinay Kumar from quarantine. As per norms, Vinay Tiwari was expected to quarantine himself till 15 August. The video of Vinay Tiwari being quarantined went viral on social media with people claiming that the investigation was being obstructed because of this.



against Rhea Chakraborty The Bihar Police got involved in the investigation after a FIR was filed by Sushants father KK Singh in Patna

Sushant Singh Rajputs investigation has been taking a new turn with every passing day. Now, it seems to have gotten political. It all began when, who arrived in Mumbai to lead Bihar Polices team for the investigation, was quarantined by the BMC.
A teen in the US state of Florida  identified as the mastermind of a scheme that gained control of Twitter accounts of prominent politicians, celebrities and technology moguls  has pleaded not guilty to multiple counts of fraud.

Graham Ivan Clark, 17, is accused of using the hijacked Twitter accounts to scam people around the world out of more than $100,000 in Bitcoin.

He is charged with 17 counts of communications fraud, 11 counts of fraudulent use of personal information, and one count each of organised fraud of more than $5,000 and accessing computers or electronic devices without authority. The brief hearing in Tampa took place on Tuesday via the video conferencing service Zoom.

Clark is scheduled for a bond hearing on Wednesday. He remains in the Hillsborough County Jail with bail set at $725,000, according to court records.

Clark was arrested on Friday in Tampa, and the Hillsborough State Attorneys Office is prosecuting him as an adult, a news release said.





Two other men were also charged in the case. Mason Sheppard, 19, of Bognor Regis, UK, and Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando were charged separately last week in California federal court.

As part of the high-profile security breach, bogus tweets were sent out on July 15 from the accounts of Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Mike Bloomberg and a number of tech billionaires including Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Accounts of celebrity couple Kanye West and Kim Kardashian West were also hacked.

The tweets offered to send $2,000 for every $1,000 sent to an anonymous Bitcoin address.

Court papers in the California cases say Fazeli and Sheppard brokered the sale of Twitter accounts stolen by a hacker who identified himself as Kirk and said he could reset, swap and control any Twitter account at will in exchange for cyber-currency payments, claiming to be a Twitter employee.

The documents do not specify Kirks real identity but say he is a teen being prosecuted in the Tampa area.

Twitter has said the hacker gained access to a company dashboard that manages accounts by using social engineering and spear-phishing smartphones to obtain credentials from a small number of Twitter employees to gain access to our internal systems. Spear-phishing uses email or other messaging to deceive people into sharing access credentials.

Although the case was investigated by the FBI and the US Department of Justice, Hillsborough State Attorney Andrew Warren said his office is prosecuting Clark in state court because Florida law allows minors to be charged as adults in financial fraud cases when appropriate. He called Clark the leader of the hacking scam.

Three Individuals Charged For Alleged Roles In Twitter Hack. A 19 year old from the UK, another 22 year old from Florida, and a juvenile (guess that's the 17 year old from the previous tweet) https://t.co/e3IjO5h7Yy  Michal Spacek (@spazef0rze) July 31, 2020

This defendant lives here in Tampa, he committed the crime here, and hell be prosecuted here, Warren said on Friday.

Clark is represented by Tampa lawyer David Weisbrod. He has not yet responded to a phone call seeking comment about his clients case.

Fazelis father told The AP on Friday that he is 100 percent sure his son is innocent.

Hes a very good person, very honest, very smart and loyal, Mohamad Fazeli said. We are as shocked as everybody else. Im sure this is a mix-up.

Federal court records did not list lawyers for Sheppard or Fazeli.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

By Fidan Babayeva  Trend:

The State Border Service of Azerbaijan has announced a tender to purchase spare parts for border guardships.

The tender will be held on one lot.

The tender participation fee is 2,000 manat ($1,176).

All those wishing to take part in the tender must send the necessary documents till 15:00 (GMT+4) August 26, 2020, while proposals - till 14:00 (GMT+4) September 3, 2020.

The tender packages will be opened at 15:00 (GMT+4) September 4, 2020.

Phone: (+994 12) 498 01 36

Contact: Tural Abbasov

Address: 30 Zarifa Aliyeva Street, Baku, Azerbaijan.

(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on Aug. 4)
Three sailors have been rescued from a tiny, uninhabited Pacific island after writing SOS in the sand on a beach.

The men had been stranded for three days on the remote island of Pikelot in western Micronesia after their 7-metre (23ft) skiff ran out of fuel and drifted off course.

They had set off from Pulawat atoll on 30 July but were reported missing after failing to arrive at their intended destination Pulap, 21 nautical miles away.

The Australian and US military joined a search, and American crews spotted the Micronesian mariners distress signal 415 miles southwest of Guam.

We were toward the end of our search pattern, said US air force lieutenant colonel Jason Palmeira-Yen, who was piloting one of the American planes.

We turned to avoid some rain showers and thats when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and thats when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach.

From there we called in the Australian navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island.

The Australian navy diverted its military ship Canberra and dispatched a helicopter to the island. The men were found to be in good health and were given food and water before they were picked up and taken home by a Micronesian patrol.

Australian army soldiers deliver food and supplies to the three stranded mariners (via REUTERS)

The ships commanding officer, Captain Terry Morrisonthe , said: "I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world."

Micronesia, in the western Pacific, is a sprawling archipelago of more than 600 small islands scattered across a vast expanse of ocean.

Pikelot, one of the outer islands of the Micronesian state of Yap, is a low coral islet home to a seabird rookery, turtle nesting sites, and mangroves.
Aerial view of the coast and Pacific Ocean taken flying in to San Clemente Island, in San Diego, California. (File/Mindy Schauer/The Orange County Register via AP)

Esper Sends Condolences to 9 Service Members Killed in Accident Off California Coast

Secretary of Defense Mark Esper issued a statement dedicated to the families and friends of nine service members who died in an accident off the coast of San Clemente Island in Southern California.

The U.S. Marine Corps identified all nine victims from the accident involving the sinking of an amphibious assault vehicle (AAV) in hundreds of feet of water in the area on July 30.

The body of Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, was found following days of search, with the others presumed dead, the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit announced on Sunday. Search efforts ended on Aug. 2.

A grateful nation and the Department of Defense grieves the tragic loss of the Marines and Sailor lost in the amphibious assault vehicle accident  Our prayers and condolences are with the family and friends of these brave young men, Esper said in a statement.

Their service, commitment, and courage will always be remembered by the nation they served.

While the incident remains under investigation, I want to assure our service members and their families that we are committed to gathering all the facts, understanding exactly how this incident occurred, and preventing similar tragedies in the future.

U.S. Defense Secretary Mark Esper in Washington, on July 9, 2020. (Greg Nash-Pool/Getty Images)

The nine service members, who were all part of Bravo Company, are:

Lance Cpl. Guillermo S. Perez, 20, of New Braunfels, Texas

Pfc. Bryan J. Baltierra, 19, of Corona, California

Lance Cpl. Marco A. Barranco, 21, of Montebello, California

Pfc. Evan A. Bath, 19, of Oak Creek, Wisconsin

U.S. Navy Hospitalman Christopher Gnem, 22, of Stockton, California

Pfc. Jack Ryan Ostrovsky, 21, of Bend, Oregon

Cpl. Wesley A. Rodd, 23, of Harris, Texas

Lance Cpl. Chase D. Sweetwood, 19, of Portland, Oregon

Cpl. Cesar A. Villanueva, 21, of Riverside, California

The nine were part of a crew of 16 aboard the Marine AAV that was heading back to a Navy ship late on July 30 after a routine training exercise when it began taking on water about a half-mile from Navy-owned San Clemente Island off San Diego.

The U.S. flag was lowered to half-staff at Park Semper Fi in San Clemente, Calif., on July 31, 2020. (Paul Bersebach/The Orange County Register via AP)

Lt. Gen. Joseph Osterman, commander of the 1st Marine Expeditionary Force, said that other assault vehicles quickly responded but couldnt stop the vehicle from quickly sinking.

The assumption is that it went completely to the bottom several hundred feet below, Osterman said. He said it was too deep for divers, and that the Navy and Coast Guard were discussing how to reach the sunken vehicle.

Seven others were rescued from the water, with two in stable condition at a hospital, according to authorities.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
PepsiCo Inc. and Microsoft Corp. just announced a five-year partnership that establishes Microsoft as a preferred cloud provider to accelerate PepsiCos infrastructure, ERP, and data estate consolidation and modernization.

As part of the agreement, PepsiCo will roll out Microsoft 365 and Microsoft Teams to all of its 270,000 employees worldwide. In addition, Microsoft Azure will provide PepsiCo with greater agility and the ability to derive new insights from its data estate to fuel product innovations, customer intimacy and sustainability goals.

It is difficult to compete with Microsoft in Cloud when they can bundle essential business applications like Office 365 and teams. Especially during the pandemic. Huge deals like this are a challenge for competitors Google and Amazon  although Google does produce the capable G Suite enterprise software and Amazon Chime handles video meetings.

Still, Microsoft puts it all together better than the competition and this deal shows that cloud alone is great but bundling is the future.

What Microsoft hasnt done yet is integrate LinkedIn effectively. Certainly, there is an opportunity to do so  perhaps recruitment tools to start and potentially analytics down the road.

Then there is TikTok  the latest addition to Redmonds arsenal (soon anyway) based on recent news reports. One wonders how Microsoft will be able to package all these services together over time.

Until then, the company is upgrading Teams at a rapid pace. Check out the latest innovations:

Scale your Teams meeting up to 20,000 participants. Reach larger audiences to stay connected with your employees, customers, and partners. When building this capability, we were focused on your meeting experience, making sure that even as the meeting scales it is still easy to manage and listen to the speakers. Therefore, we limited the size of interactive meetings to 1,000 participants, with a seamless shift to a view only mode after the limit is met.

Reach larger audiences to stay connected with your employees, customers, and partners. When building this capability, we were focused on your meeting experience, making sure that even as the meeting scales it is still easy to manage and listen to the speakers. Therefore, we limited the size of interactive meetings to 1,000 participants, with a seamless shift to a view only mode after the limit is met. Enhanced admin control. Use new capabilities and insert more structure to meetings, by adding your companys branding to meetings for a professional look and feel. Start out with branded meeting lobby, launching in the coming months, and extend your branding to the core meeting experience coming later. Connect with business applications to manage at scale and automate workflows. Work with Teams certified solution partners and help your organization address business needs by setting up compliance recording policy or bringing in collaboration to your customer engagement workflows.

In addition, employees in your organization can easily call each other from Teams without a phone number. For your employees who use phone numbers to make and receive calls with customers, partners, and vendors, those numbers need to be with them, wherever they are. With Teams Calling, a cloud-based phone system, employees can continue to do this whether they are in the office, working from home, or some combination of the two.

See the ONLY 5G, SD-WAN, Contact Center, Tech and Communications companies that matter at the ITEXPO #TECHSUPERSHOW.

This Event has been called the BEST SHOW in 5 YEARS and the Best TECHNOLOGY EVENT of 2020.

2020 participants included: Amazon, Cisco, Google, IBM, ClearlyIP, Avaya, Vonage, 88, Comcast Business, BlueJeans, CoreDial, Dell, Edify, Epygi, FreeSWITCH, Fuze, Grandstream, Granite, Intrado, Frontier Business, Fujitsu, Jenne, West, Konftel, Intelisys, Martello, NetSapiens, OOMA, Oracle, OpenVox, Peerless Network, Phone Sentry, Phone.com, Poly, QuestBlue, RingByName, Sangoma, SingTel, SkySwitch, Spracht, Spectrum, Sprint, Tallac, Tech Data, Telarus, TCG, Teledynamics, Teli, Telinta, Telispire, Telstra, TransNexus, Unified Office, Vital PBX, VoIP Supply, Voxbone, VoIP.MS, Windstream, XCALY, XORCOM, Yealink, Yubox, and ZYCOO. Full List.

Join 8K others with $25B+ in IT buying power who plan 2021 budgets! Including 3,500+ resellers!

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Parents are buying less dressy clothes and more basics for their kids, while stepping up purchases of masks and other protective equipment as well as electronics. They're also holding back on spending amid uncertainty over what the school year will look like. The back-to-school season typically kicks off in mid-July and peaks in mid-August; this year, the peak should hit in late August and spill into most of September, experts say.
The Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy said it had developed a draft policy document on virtual meetings and engagements in the Federal Civil Service of the country.

The Minister, Isa Pantami, announced this while delivering an address as the guest lecturer at the Course 82 graduation ceremony of National Defence College, on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the document was developed by the ministry in collaboration with the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation.

The Minister informed the guests that the draft document, in line with the ministrys mandate to promote a Digital Economy, was ready to be presented at the Federal Executive Council (FEC), meeting in the coming weeks.

He explained that the COVID-19 Pandemic had forced the nation to adopt the use of technology in governance and this had necessitated the urgency to promote e-governance in an orderly manner.

As enshrined in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy Document the new policy will promote the pillars of service infrastructure as well as digital services development and promotion represented as pillars four and five.

Pillar four says service infrastructure, while pillar five says digital services development and promotion, he said.

READ MORE:

On the issue of security, Mr Pantami said real warfare was fought in cyberspace as cyber criminals operate at a speed far ahead of the speed of law and called for measures to ensure the space was secured.

We must take very deliberate steps to ensure that our cyberspace is significantly secured, he said.

Mr Pantami advocated the preference of skills over qualifications adding that global business and tech giants had since adopted the strategy as individuals with proven skills remained more valuable than those with mere qualifications.

(NAN)
The Enforcement Directorate on Monday questioned the chartered accountant (CA) of actor Sushant Singh Rajput in connection with a money laundering probe that stemmed from a complaint lodged by Rajput's father with the Bihar police, officials said. They said Sandeep Shridhar has been questioned in Mumbai by the central probe agency and his statement recorded under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The CA is understood to be handling the actor's finances for about a year and the ED wants to understand his financial dealings in order to take the probe forward. Rajput, 34, was found dead inside his apartment in Mumbai's Bandra area on June 14.

The questioning is linked to the money laundering case that was registered by the ED last week on the basis of a Bihar Police FIR in which Sushant Singh Rajput's father has accused actress Rhea Chakraborty and her family of abetting the Bollywood actor's suicide. At least two companies linked to Rajput and some financial deals involving Chakraborty and her brother Showik are under the ED scanner.

Chakraborty, her bother and others are expected to be summoned by the agency for questioning soon. The ED case has been filed against the accused named in the Bihar Police FIR that includes Chakraborty, her family and six others.

Rajput's father Krishna Kumar Singh (74), who resides in Patna, had last month lodged a complaint with the Bihar Police against Chakraborty, her family members and six others for abetment to suicide of his son and fraud. Singh has accused Chakraborty, the purported girlfriend of Rajput, of having befriended his son in May 2019 with the intention of furthering her own career.

He also wanted a police investigation to ascertain where the Rs 15 crore deposited in a bank account held by Rajput was transferred. The Mumbai police is also probing the alleged suicide case, and has questioned several top Bollywood producers and directors in this case.
(Natural News) It doesnt matter where you live or how you go about your daily life, the Second American Civil War can no longer be denied. Left-wing militants and domestic terrorists continue to destroy the rule of law and collapse American democracy, using political violence to assume power. These Antifa and black lives matter riots are showing no sign of stopping.

Like waking up from a hangover, Americans are slowly coming to terms with the fact that these groups do not reason; they do not understand or wish to be understood. As they mercilessly burn the flag, topple statues, and burn businesses week after week, they have a list of demands. If you do not agree, you are the enemy, expendable.

As law enforcement is overrun by crime and mob violence, Americans must adapt and take the most logical next step to preserve their life and liberty. Soon many Americans will find out they have no choice but to defend their lives, their property, their family and their freedom with kinetic action, a counter force of resolve.

Minneapolis residents ban together, forming militias to protect their neighborhoods

Minneapolis residents are now forming militias to deal with the explosion of left-wing political violence. The untouched clause of the second amendment of the US Constitution is now invoked. A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Residents in Minneapolis were just overrun by riots and are constantly in a state of recovery, not knowing when or where the mob is going to strike next. This has unleashed a tidal wave of crime, that now exists out in the open. As police precincts are shuttered and law enforcement denigrated, residents have no choice but to create security watch groups and militias to police their neighborhoods.

These newly forming militias are the next logical best step to counter the surge in crime. These Minneapolis residents are doing the right thing, keeping the mob from running roughshod over their lives.

In Minneapoliss 3rd Precinct, the police station was abandoned and burned in June, the commercial businesses looted. Since then, residents have suffered through a surge of shootings and drug related crime in the precinct, with no one to come help.

It got to the point where crime had no consequences, said Tania Rivera, a 30-year-old child care worker who lives among the hell. It was being done deliberately out in the open. Drive-through drug dealing, drive-through prostitution, everything from gunshots to assaults to sex out in the public. Everything you didnt want your neighborhood to look like.

In order to increase their safety, residents held community meetings and chose to block off two street sections using whatever they had available. Good men began to patrol the neighborhood at night, kicking out anyone who didnt belong. The Democrat-run city of Minneapolis is failing to protect its residents and now they must stay awake at night, patrolling their own neighborhoods.

No one wants to live in a country where there are patrols on every street, where you can be kicked out by the neighborhood militia, but as democrat run cities do away with law enforcement and allow thugs to take over the justice system, this is what America will get: dilapidated neighborhoods, fearful inner cities fraught with civil war.

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

SecondAmendment.News

MarketScreener.com
An Aldi worker has penned an open letter to customers who have been flouting social distancing rules hours after Victoria went into stage four lockdown.

Olivia Crockford made the desperate plea on Monday after finding people were not adhering to the new COVID-19 restrictions.

The 32-year-old, who works for Aldi at Patterson Lakes in Melbourne's south-east, started her shift at 6am on Monday - just hours after Premier Daniel Andrews announced the city would enter the strict lockdown.

In her letter she asks people to stop panic buying 'unless it's toilet paper' because there is plenty in the back rooms and they would rather get rid of it to free space.

Olivia Crockford (pictured) made the desperate plea on Monday after finding people were not adhering to the new COVID-19 restrictions

'This is a letter to the people of Melbourne. I am a supermarket worker and today was hard,' Ms Crockford wrote on the Mamamia Outlouders Facebook late on Monday.

Ms Crockford thanked some kind customers who had been 'quick, polite and respectful' but condemned selfish shoppers.

'To people panic buying, please just stop unless it's toilet paper,' Ms Crockford wrote. 'We have loads out the back and could use the space.

'To the people complaining about the panic buyers, but also having a trolley full to the brim of items, you don't fool us.'

The supermarket employee told customers who continuously asked in a panic when the store will have more meat to 'buy responsibly'.

'To the old lady who stuck her hand under her mask to lick her finger so she could separate her notes, I hope my delivery was kind yet stern enough that you now know that that practice is unacceptable in the current climate. (Well, really at any time. It's super gross.),' she wrote.

Melbourne's restrictions came into place from 6pm Sunday and will run for six weeks before being reevaluated on September 13.

'To people panic buying, please just stop unless it's toilet paper. We have loads out the back and could use the space,' Ms Crockford wrote (empty shelves at a Woolworths store on Sunday)

Ms Crockford thanked kind customers who had been 'quick, polite and respectful'

Under the 'stage four' restrictions, Melbourne residents will only be allowed to exercise for an hour a day and can't travel more than 5km from home for the purpose of shopping.

Only one person from each household will be able to go to the shops each day.

Metropolitan Melbourne will be under a nightly curfew, between the hours of 8pm to 5am, from Sunday night with some exemptions for those providing care and travelling to and from work.

Regional Victoria is moving to stage three restrictions, with restaurants, cafes, bars and gyms to shut from midnight on Wednesday.

But despite the strict rules, Ms Crockford said she noticed several people flouting social distancing measures.

In her open letter Ms Crockford questioned why customers were shopping more than once a day.

'Did you really need to come back again?' she wrote.

'To the regulars I serve every day sometimes twice a day same question.'

But despite the strict rules, Ms Crockford said she noticed several people flouting social distancing measures

However the Aldi worker said the media coverage of 'Karens' who had harangued service staff had led many shoppers to be more considerate of workers.

'To the "Karens" (I know you find that term problematic, sorry) in the media last week, thank you for reminding everyone else to be kind to the retail staff,' she wrote.

Ms Crockford chose to write the letter after working a 'long shift' and feeling emotional about the stage four restrictions.

While she was hopeful the tougher measures would stop the spread of coronavirus, part of her also wishes the lockdown happened weeks ago.

'It's disheartening,' she said.

Victoria recorded 439 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday and a further 11 people in aged care facilities died overnight.

Mr Andrews confirmed the deaths on Tuesday, bringing the state's toll from COVID-19 to 147 and the national toll to 232.
NASHVILLE, Tenn.  Monday was back to school for students in Sumner County, Tennessee.

But unlike in past years, parents are grappling with difficult decisions as to how to send their children back safely as the novel coronavirus pandemic continues, and what those decisions will mean for their families.

Even as the vast majority of school districts around the country prepare to reopen in some form over the next month, new cases of COVID-19 were reported at schools that resumed in-person instruction last week in Indiana, Kentucky, Mississippi and elsewhere in Tennessee.

Sumner has remained among the counties reporting the highest case counts in Tennessee during the pandemic. There were 3,178 confirmed or probable COVID-19 cases in the county as of Monday, the latest data available from the Tennessee Department of Health. Of those, 1,348 cases are active. There have been 1,760 recoveries and 70 deaths.

Levels of comfort range among parents of students of varying ages and abilities.

Sumner County is one of the first districts in Middle Tennessee to return to classrooms  for some students  as part of its hybrid model.

Schools in more than two dozen school districts in Tennessee have already reopened as of Monday, the majority of them in person. Many of these districts are smaller, rural districts. At least nine confirmed coronavirus cases connected to reopening schools have already been reported in Tennessee.

A hybrid model

Sumner County's school year will begin with a phase-in hybrid plan from Aug. 3 through Aug. 14, with students whose last names begin with A through K attending traditional, in-person classes on Monday and Thursday with online learning through Sumner Connect and Google Classroom on the remaining days. Students whose last names begin with L through Z will attend traditional classes Tuesday and Friday.

Beginning Aug. 17, elementary students in kindergarten through fifth grade and all Comprehensive Development Class students will attend in-person classes five days per week. Pre-K programs will return to regular schedules, according to the districts plans.

Story continues

COVID-19 and schools: 260 employees in Georgia's largest school district test positive for or are exposed

In 10-day increments, officials will reevaluate and determine whether to keep the hybrid plan or whether to make changes.

Sumner County Mayor Anthony Holt extended the county's mask requirement through Aug. 29. Middle and high school students and all staff members are required to wear masks, per the order, and elementary students are "strongly encouraged," according to Sumner County Schools.

A Merrol Hyde Magnet School student adjusts his mask as he arrives for the first day of school on Aug. 3, 2020, in Hendersonville, Tenn. Sumner was the first school district in Middle Tennessee to go back to in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Director of Schools Del Phillips reviewed survey results in a Sumner County School Board meeting last month, less than two weeks before the first day of school.

Out of 7,284 responses, 29% of parents said the plans meet their families' needs, 38% said the plans "mostly" meet their families' needs, and 34% said the plans don't meet their families' needs.

How parents are preparing

Lorraine Looney doesnt have anything against the hybrid plan. Her outlook is pretty positive, in general, and the two-week intervals make sense to her, given the ongoing pandemic.

A social worker and mother of three  in kindergarten and first and fifth grades  Looney is the founder of the Sumner County Special Needs Collaborative, a group that launched in June to advocate for people in Sumner County who have special needs. The collaborative bands people with special needs, families, caretakers and others together to help educate others.

Coronavirus and schools: Some parents want to hire tutors, start mini-schools this year. Most can't afford to.

Looney said the plans the school district has distributed seem thorough for many students, but not as much for those who have special needs. Days ahead of the start of the year, there were still many unanswered questions, so planning has been frustrating.

Its really been kind of a wild goose chase, Looney said. Later, she added, (Its) important for parents to be informed and to know how to be their childs best advocate.

Although some parents opted for virtual learning and other options, others felt forced to send their kids to school in person using the hybrid model.

Merrol Hyde Magnet School students arrive for the first day of school on Aug. 3, 2020, in Hendersonville, Tenn. Sumner County was the first school district in Middle Tennessee district to go back to in-person classes during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vickie Rogan said she begged over the phone for more time to enroll in virtual learning after the July 26 deadline passed, a deadline she said she didnt know about until after it had come and gone.

Rogan cares for two of her grandchildren, ages 9 and 10, and worries that at a higher risk, shes going to get sick if they bring home germs.

She would rather home-school them. But days before the first day of school, she didnt know what to do.

They cannot make you send your child to school during a pandemic, Rogan said, adding later, I dont know what to do. ... Ive been planning all summer long for them to do virtual (learning)."

More back to school coverage: Kids' mental health can struggle during online school. Here's how teachers are planning.

Christy Lockwoods daughter is a rising junior at Merrol Hyde Magnet School in Hendersonville.

Lockwood said she had no choice" but to send her to school in person, even though she would have been more comfortable continuing virtual learning at home, as the district transitioned to last spring, which for her it worked out actually very well.

One of the classes that she needs is not available for the virtual-only option.

Her daughter  equipped with a mask and hand sanitizer at all times  is looking forward to seeing her friends again but is old enough to understand the severity of the virus thats still spreading statewide. Lockwood said she has diabetes and knows that the impact to her could be severe if she is exposed to COVID-19.

Exposure was also a concern for Jessica Jones, who initially enrolled her son in kindergarten but ended up keeping him home.

But that decision "wasn't made lightly."

COVID-19 and schools: An Indiana school reopened for students. There was a positive COVID-19 test on day one.

Its a hard choice, but Im thankful that we have the option, Jones said. Her biggest concern now is that he wont have the speech teacher he saw weekly, but the family is looking into other resources.

I dont think theres a wrong choice, though, said Jones, who is confident in the school system.

She emphasized the importance of parents making decisions for their children that theyre comfortable with, knowing that some have to send their kids to school for one reason or another.

I dont think theres a wrong choice in how to school your child ... whatever you have to do, Jones said. Everything has been thought out and planned for these kids.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: COVID-19: Tennessee parents send kids back to school amid new cases
Early voting has begun in Belarus before a presidential election in which longtime leader Alexander Lukashenko will seek a sixth term after barring his main rivals from running.

The 65-year-old has ruled over the country wedged between Russia and Europe with an authoritarian grip for 26 years and has cracked down on the countrys emboldened opposition in the lead-up to Sundays election.

His leading rival, 37-year-old Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, is running in place of her jailed husband and has drawn enormous crowds at rallies across the country in an unprecedented display of frustration with Lukashenkos rule.

The central elections commission on Tuesday said the countrys nearly seven million eligible voters could cast ballots at 5,767 polling stations set up in public spaces, including medical facilities and army barracks, and at 44 polling stations abroad.

Independent observers claim the authorities put pressure on public-sector employees to vote for Lukashenko-friendly candidates during the early voting period and carry out widespread falsifications before the main election day.

Tikhanovskaya has called on her supporters to vote on Sunday, the last day of polling, to avoid manipulation before the count, and to wear a white bracelet so independent monitors can easily identify them.

Intimidation and arrests

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which carries out international election and war monitoring, has not recognised any elections in Belarus as free and fair since 1995.

This year, the OSCE said it would not send observers to the vote after Belarus failed to issue an invitation in time. The organisation also raised concerns over intimidation and arrests of the opposition.

The elections commission has said no more than three observers can be present at each polling station during early voting due to the epidemic situation and only five will be permitted to oversee ballot boxes on Sunday.

In a recently published election manifesto, Lukashenko promised to bolster Belaruss ties with other countries.

Since he took power, we have been building Belarus, our common home with windows facing both the East and the West, he said.

The former collective farm director has accused European countries and Russia of meddling in the upcoming elections and last week arrested 33 Russian militants that the security services said were plotting mass riots with the opposition.
Inspection reveals fuel theft from pipe leading to Boryspil Airport

09:50, 04.08.20 250

Perpetrators have damaged the fuel line outside the airport perimeter, in the rural area, to get unauthorized access.
(Natural News) The College Board, a U.S. non-profit organization that develops SAT and ACT test material administered to millions of students each year, has ties to the Chinese Communist Party-funded Confucius Institutes.

(Article by Jessica Custodio republished from CampusReform.com)

Confucius Institutes have come under scrutiny by U.S. intelligence agencies and federal lawmakers alike for their role in spreading Chinese propaganda on American college campuses. More than 70 Confucius Institutes currently operate in the U.S., as Campus Reform has documented. Taxpayer-funded American college campuses have faced increased pressure in recent months to close their Confucius Institutes amid mounting evidence that China withheld critical information from the world as the coronavirus took root and spread like wildfire throughout the world, eventually reaching Americas shores and killing tens of thousands of Americans since.

Now, as the National Pulse pointed out, the College Board openly touts on its websites its own ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

The College Board promotes the Chinese Language and Culture Initiatives. Among them are the Chinese Guest Teacher Program, which is described as a way to help U.S. schools develop Chinese language and culture study programs and to promote international exchange between the United States and China.

The College Board goes on to explain that Hanban, the Confucius Institute Headquarters, makes this program possible.

Made possible through a collaboration between College Board and Hanban, the program has grown to be the largest Chinese visiting teacher program in the U.S. Each year, the program serves hundreds of K12 schools and districts nationwide and reaches tens of thousands of U.S. students, the College Board explains.

Teachers who participate in the program, the College Board says, are from China and go through a rigorous selection and training process before arriving at the host schools. U.S. schools that participate in the program are responsible for providing a partial salary to the guest teacher. The rest, it says, is subsidized by a stipend from Hanban.

Another initiative promoted by the College Board is the Chinese Bridge Delegation to China, which is described as a weeklong program in China to help educators start or strengthen their institutions Chinese programs and partnerships.

Activities for the K-12 teacher program include establish[ing] meaningful partnerships with Chinese local schools and networks with U.S. colleagues, attend[ing] presentations on best practices and gather resources to build and support Chinese language and culture programs, and experienc[ing] the rich traditional culture set against stunning modern development. Like the Chinese Guest Teacher Program, the China Bridge Delegation to China is made possible by Hanban, the Confucius Institute headquarters.

Read more at: CampusReform.com
New Delhi, Aug 5 : After a juvenile was apprehended by the Delhi Police for stealing valuables from parked cars in south Delhi, he accused his mother and grandmother for forcing him to steal for them.

The police have arrested Maari, the grandmother of the juvenile in connection with the case, while search is on to nab his mother who is absconding.

The matter came to light on July 27 when the handbag of the complainant containing Rs 1,20,000 was stolen from his car from Madangiri in south Delhi.

After the registration of a case, the police collected CCTV footages from various places in the area, which led to the arrest of a 12-year-old boy. The police said that Rs 5,000 was recovered from the boy's possession at the time of his arrest.

"The boy disclosed that he stole the bag containing money from the car on the direction of his mother Geeta and grandmother Maari, who used him to commit thefts," said DCP South Atul Thakur.

His grandmother Maari has been arrested in the bag containing Rs 1,05,000 has been recovered from her possession. She said her daughter-in-law Geeta used her son for theft while she kept the stolen goods given to her by her Geeta.
TORONTO (Reuters) - Canadian manufacturing activity expanded in July for the first time in five months as reopening of more parts of the domestic economy boosted output and new orders, data showed on Tuesday.

The IHS Markit Canada Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' index (PMI) rose to a seasonally adjusted 52.9 in July from 47.8 in June, extending its recovery from 33.0 in April when businesses were closed to help contain the coronavirus pandemic.

It was the first time since February that the index was above the 50 threshold, indicating expansion in the sector, and the highest reading since January 2019.

"July data highlights a partial rebound in the Canadian manufacturing sector after the steep downturn seen during the second quarter of 2020," said Tim Moore, economics director at IHS Markit, in a statement.

The output index climbed to its highest level since September 2018 at 53.8 from 45.5 in June and the new orders index was up at 51.7 from 45.5, but the measure of export sales remained in contraction, rising to 47.8 from 43.6.

Canada sends about 75% of its exports to the United States, where coronavirus infections have been rising in recent weeks.

"Reports from survey respondents suggested that concerns about the global economic outlook and a second wave of the pandemic had curtailed growth projections for some manufacturers in the latest survey period," Moore said.

The employment index rose to 50.9 from 44.8 in June. Canada's jobs report for July is due on Friday.

(Reporting by Fergal Smith)
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"The establishment of the memorial is extremely important for our country. Its history contains a lot of tragic pages. But we must bear them in mind and tell the coming generations about them. Such moments should stay in the history of Ukraine. They are in our talks, in our memory, in books. It would be very good if this project were brought into life and we built history together with you."

President Zelensky also emphasized the importance of remembering the Ukrainian "Righteous Among the Nations," who saved Jews in the Holocaust.

In a significant development, the meeting participants agreed to form a working committee, headed by Andrii Yermak, Head of the Presidential Administration. The committee will coordinate regarding the framework of the Memorial's establishment as well as to prepare for the 80th anniversary of the Babyn Yar tragedy.

Supervisory Board member, President of the World Jewish Congress, Ronald Lauder, stressed that the future memorial must give visitors a clear answer to the question of what is anti-Semitism and draw the world's attention to Babyn Yar.

Ronald Lauder said, "This is the third generation that knows about the Holocaust. But while almost everybody knows about Auschwitz, the history of Babyn Yar is almost unknown to young people. I want people to visit Kyiv in order to see the Babyn Yar Memorial, to understand what happened here. We have a chance now to do something fantastic. The more people that know what happened at Babyn Yar, the better off the world will be."

The Head of the Supervisory Board, Natan Sharansky pointed out that the history of Babyn Yar is not only of importance for Jewish people, as it is also the site where other nationalities perished, in particular, Ukrainian, Belarus, and Polish people.

Natan Sharansky said, "This initiative is not just a monument, but a critical memorial, with a museum, a research center, contributing to raising the degree of tolerance in society, playing a global role in Ukraine's positioning in the world. Such institutions throughout the world are established in partnership with the state and supported by its key officials."

The first President of Ukraine (1991-1994) Leonid Kravchuk, who has also joined the Supervisory Board, emphasized that the future Memorial will make an indisputable historical statement. "This Project is interesting, important, and highly comprehensive. It is part of history. Babyn Yar is a terrible tragedy and that's why we have to create an unrivalled memory of it, to make the best project possible."

Another Supervisory Board member, former-Minister of Foreign Affairs and Vice-Chancellor of Germany (1998-2005) Joschka Fischer, said "For my country, it's very important not to forget and to contribute everything that we can towards memory of the Holocaust and this terrible crime."

In September 1941, just days after the Nazis occupied Kyiv, around 34,000 of the city's Jews were marched to the Babyn Yar ravine and shot dead over a two-day period. Later massacres were also carried out at the same site, killing victims of other minorities and nationalities.

The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center will respectfully commemorate the victims of the tragedy and promote the humanization of mankind through preserving memory and study of the history of the Holocaust.

About the Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center

The Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Centre is a non-governmental charity whose purpose is to preserve and cultivate the memory of the Holocaust and the Babyn Yar tragedy in Ukraine by turning the Babyn Yar area into a place of remembrance. The Foundation's mission is to worthily honour the memory of the victims of the tragedy and to contribute to the humanization of society through preserving and studying the history of the Holocaust.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1222366/President_Ukraine_Volodymyr_Zelensky.jpg

SOURCE Babyn Yar Holocaust Memorial Center
An East Bay family's belongings were ransacked over the weekend after someone stole a U-Haul van they had packed and were ready to drive to Utah, Alameda County sheriff's officials said Monday.

The van was found Monday around 5:30 p.m. in Oakland and the family was going through their things. Some family heirlooms were still in the truck, according to the sheriff's office.
The Apple fire in Riverside County, California, which has burned more than 26,400 acres and is only 5 percent contained, was ignited by a malfunctioning diesel vehicle, fire officials announced on Monday.

The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said in a statement that on Friday evening, the vehicle released burning carbon from its exhaust system, which sparked the fire in Cherry Valley, an unincorporated town about 75 miles east of Los Angeles. Anyone with any information on the vehicle is asked to contact authorities.

The blaze has spread across hillsides and up the side of Mount San Gorgonio, destroying one home and two outbuildings. Nearly 8,000 people have been evacuated, and so far, no injuries have been reported. There are more than 2,300 firefighters on the scene.

"Much of the fire activity is being driven by the record-low moisture content of the vegetation in the area combined with high temperatures and low relative humidity," fire officials said on Monday afternoon. "These conditions are contributing to active fire behavior both day and night."

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The Pennsylvania Department of State on Saturday released a report on the June 2 presidential primary that includes recommendations for revamping the states election code ahead of the November general election.

It also notes the legislature needs to act soon enough to allow any changes to state law to be effective by early September so that counties have time to implement them.

Heres a breakdown of the highlights, with some context:

DoS recommends requiring counties to accept mailed ballots postmarked by Election Day and received through the Friday after the election.

State Rep. Garth Everett (R-Lycoming), who chairs the House State Government Committee where election reform legislation is already in play, says he doesnt anticipate resistance from lawmakers to moving deadlines slightly, given the documented delays in postal service delivery and the challenge county elections officials will have in processing the large number of mail-in ballots.

With that in mind, DoS also recommended moving the deadline for counties to start sending out ballots to 28 days before the election, and require counties that outsource mail services to send vendors an initial list of voters approved for a mailed ballot 35 days before Election Day.

About 61,000 ballots came into county elections offices during the three days following the June 2 primary, with another 35,000 or so arriving between June 6 and June 23, according to PA Posts analysis of DoS data.

A few lawsuits pending in state and federal court seek a one-week extension, meaning counties would count any mail-in ballots to arrive up until the Tuesday after Election Day, as long as the ballots were postmarked by 8 p.m. on Election Night.

Pre-pandemic, 16 states counted mail-in ballots that arrive after polls close. Of those, four (Kansas, Virginia, California and North Carolina) follow rules similar to what DoS proposed: accept ballots with an Election Day postmark for three days afterward, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Many states, like Pennsylvania, have changed voting procedures and/or are considering doing so in response to coronavirus (NCSL is keeping track).

Begin pre-canvassing three weeks before Election Day.

Under the Pa. election code, pre-canvassing technically encompasses ballot scanning and tabulation. In the report, DoS notes penalties under state law for leaking vote counts early are fines up to $2,500 and/or two years in jail.

But Everett says the GOP wont go for preliminary scanning and tabulation.

Im going to have a hard enough time convincing them we should be allowed to open [ballots] and pre-process,  let alone run them through the scanner, he said Sunday.

Everett says any new rules would have to clearly define the steps counties can take before Election Day, which likely would be limited to removing ballots from their envelopes and flattening them so they are ready for scanning.

Most states already allowed some degree of mailed ballot processing before Election Day  but fewer than a dozen permitted election officials to start scanning and/or tabulating ahead of time, according to NCSL.

Allow counties to appoint poll workers to fill vacancies at least 60 days before election day, versus the five-day window currently allotted, and serve in any district within their county of residence.

Counties had more leeway to staff and consolidate polling places under Act 12, the law enacted last spring to make elections easier to run during the pandemic. Its provisions were temporary, though, and expired July 3.

Chris Deluzio, policy director of the University of Pittsburgh Institute for Cyber Law, Policy, and Security (Pitt Cyber), says if lawmakers are going to revive parts of Act 12, they should reconsider the rules for polling place consolidation.

The disparities in polling place consolidation figures were stark, Deluzio said of the June 2 primary, pointing to data in the report:

Polling place consolidations left 619 fewer voting locations for Allegheny Countys nearly 900,000 voters and 660 fewer for more than a million Philadelphia voters, versus 738 locations lost throughout the states other 65 counties, home to 6.6 million voters.

Consolidating polling places without direct notification to voters can disenfranchise those voters, and we know from the June primary that some consolidated polling places had heavy traffic, limited parking, and long lines, Deluzio said.

Suzanne Almeida, redistricting and representation counsel for Common Cause, also says officials need to give more attention to in-person voting before November.

We know that the consolidation process in June was (necessarily) rushed, Almeida said. We have time now to prepare in case that is necessary and Im concerned that it isnt part of the conversation.

Everett says he expects to address questions related to in-person voting, such as direct voter notification and/or limits on the number of voters per single polling place, when lawmakers resume election reform discussions within the next couple weeks.

The House and Senate need to schedule a vote ASAP, said Ray Murphy, deputy director of Keystone Votes. What can not happen again, which caused real problems in the primary, is to allow more than 5,000 voters to be assigned to one polling location. There must be a limit on the number of voters consolidated polling locations serve to ensure social distancing and protect public health and safety.

Everett also says hell push to allow voters to drop off mailed ballots at their polling place on Election Day, but wants to get rid of drop boxes  an issue that figures prominently in the federal lawsuit filed by President Donald Trumps re-election campaign.

The full DoS report is here.

It also contains 31 data points, most of which were included at the legislatures direction.

At first blush, notable numbers include:

3,282 ballots were sent to the wrong voter, the vast majority in Allegheny (3,000) and York counties (235).

No one challenged a single absentee or mail-in ballot.

Nearly 140,000 applications for mailed ballots were rejected.

More than half of votes were cast by mail in Pennsylvanias primary.

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In a major development in actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, his father KK Singh has now requested the Bihar government to transfer the investigation to the CBI. The move comes just a week after KK Singh filed an FIR in Patna against Sushant's actress girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty, accusing her of abetment to suicide and other offences.

Sushant's cousin Neeraj Bablu, a BJP MLA from Bihar, has also spoken to Chief Minister Nitish Kumar over the phone and appealed to transfer the case to CBI. Neeraj said that he also raised his voice in the state assembly and received support from all the other parties.

The BJP MLA said that contrary to the Bihar DGP's claim, nothing concrete has yet been found in the investigation.

The demand for a CBI probe into Sushant's case was already raised by his fans and a few people in the Bollywood. However, the Maharashtra government has rejected all the requests saying that the Mumbai Police is capable of carrying out the investigation and there is no need for a CBI inquiry.

After Sushant's father's FIR, the Bihar Police launched a parallel investigation in Mumbai, which, however, didn't go down well with the Maharashtra government and the Mumbai Police.

Meanwhile, Bihar IPS officer Vinay Tiwari, who landed in Mumbai on Monday to head the investigation, was quarantined by the BMC as soon as he reached the capital city.

Later, CM Nitish Kumar expressed his displeasure over the treatment meted out to the top cop and said that whatever has happened in Mumbai is not right.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead at his Bandra residence on June 14.
TEHRAN, Iran, Aug. 4

Trend:

A spokesman for Iran's customs administration said that the reason for the heavy traffic of Iranian trucks at the Bazargan border is that Turkey accepts only about 150 trucks a day from the Bazargan border and other borders between Iran and Turkey are not allowed for trucks.

"Yesterday, 96 export trucks and 59 transit trucks entered Turkey from the Bazargan border, Rouhollah Latifi said, Trend reports citing ILNA.



In turn, 190 trucks imported goods from Turkey in addition to 82 transit trucks which entered into our country from Turkey through the Bazargan border, Latifi added.



He said that 350 trucks have also got permission to leave the country, but have not yet left the Bazargan border for Turkey.

"Previously, trucks were also accepted from the Sarv border, but now this border is only for passengers," he added.



According to the latest foreign trade report, Iran's exports to Turkey in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started on March 20) decreased by about 90 percent, while the decline in imports from Turkey is below one percent.



During the first four months of the current Iranian year (started on March 20, 2020), Iran imported 1.870 million tons of goods worth $1.178 billion from Turkey, which accounted for 11 percent of the total country's imports, while the exports to Turkey amounted to 842,000 tons worth $450 million, Iranian media reported.

According to the statistics, Iran sees a 90-percent decrease in exports to Turkey in terms of weight and 82 percent in terms of value.
The NHAI has cleared a Rs 4,000 crore project that includes faster connectivity to Chandigarh from Ludhiana, a spokesperson of the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways said on Friday. This will be part of the upcoming Delhi-Amritsar-Katra Expressway.

The project, on completion, will reduce travel time between Ludhiana and Chandigarh to less than one hour from the present 1.5 hours while also reducing travel time from Delhi Airport to Chandigarh Airport to two hours via Urban Extension Road-II (UER-II), Delhi-Katra Expressway. The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is developing the 670 km Delhi-Amritsar-Katra greenfield expressway, which would provide connectivity to Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Gurdaspur and Jammu, under the ambitious Bharatmala Pariyojana.

"To provide express connectivity to Chandigarh from Ludhiana, Jalandhar and Amritsar, a greenfield spur from Ludhiana-Ropar road to Kharar (Chandigarh) has been approved. "With the proposed connectivity, the travel time between Chandigarh-Amritsar would reduce to two hours in comparison to the present travel time of four hours," the spokesperson said.

The proposed road is being developed under the flagship Bharatmala Pariyojana and would involve an investment of around Rs 4,000 crore. The detailed project report for the proposed road is in progress, the spokesperson added. The proposed expressway/greenfield highway and other related developments would have a major impact in reducing travel to tourist/ religious/industrial centres of northern India and would reduce the travel time from Delhi to Chandigarh to two hours from about five hours, Delhi to Manali to eight hours from about 14 hours and Delhi to Amritsar to four hours from about eight hours, the spokesperson added.

NHAI is already constructing the access-controlled Ismailabad-Jind-Narnaul National Highway (NH-152D). A detailed project report has also been initiated for making the existing Ismailabad-Ambala section access controlled and developing greenfield Ambala-Chandigarh access-controlled highway. With this, the travel time from Delhi Airport to Chandigarh Airport (via UER-II, Delhi-Katra Expressway), will reduce to two hours.

Also Watch:

Further, in order to improve the connectivity to major economic and tourist centres in Punjab and Himachal Pradesh, a greenfield alignment has now been proposed to connect the expressway from Ludhiana with Ropar (85 kms). The stretch from Ropar to Manali is already being four-laned, the spokesperson said and added that with the proposed greenfield alignment, Delhi-Amritsar Expressway would now also provide alternative connectivity to Manali and Leh.
This year, there may be no projected winner on election night, or even days after, because late-arriving mail-in ballots might swing the outcome in tight races. Preliminary election night results, without late-arriving absentee ballots, may seem favorable to Mr. Trump, as fewer Republicans than Democrats appear interested in absentee voting (in large part thanks to his dishonest trash-talking). Its all too predictable that he will then allege fraud if the lead shifts away from him in the days following the vote.
Academic Freedom Advocate Goes to Bat for BC Professor Suspended Over Facebook Post

An organization that defends academic freedom in Canada is raising the alarm over the second suspension of a B.C. university professor who says his academic freedom is being stifled.

Mark Mercer, president of the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship, wrote to Thompson Rivers University (TRU) in Kamloops on July 27 calling on the administration to explain why professor Derek Pyne was suspended.

Dr. Pynes suspension is a serious violation of his academic freedom, Mercer said in his letter.

In addition, that Dr. Pyne may not use his office, his university email address, and other university resources will severely impede his work as a scholar. Thompson Rivers owes it to the academic community to explain why it has taken action against Dr. Pyne and why this action is not an attack on academic standards and values.

Pyne was first suspended in July 2018 after publishing research showing several TRU faculty had their work published in predatory journalsjournals that claim to be peer reviewed but in reality publish articles in exchange for payment by their authors. His research found that authors could use their inflated publication records in these illegitimate journals to advance their careers through promotions, financial remuneration, and research awards.

At the time, TRU said Pyne was not suspended due to his research but could not comment further due to privacy issues. In November, the Canadian Association of University Teachers investigated and determined the university administrations suspension of Pyne had violated his academic freedom.

Pyne was reinstated in January 2019, but was again suspended on July 16 with no pay and no benefits.

Pyne has told media his latest suspension is related to a Facebook post he made on his personal page that referenced his ongoing battle with the university over academic freedom.

In a June 10 post he suggested that his union, the Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association (TRUFA), doesnt respect academic freedoms in the same way other university unions do. He also tagged the Federation of Post-Secondary Educators and several members of TRUFA in a comment on the post.

Some good news for a change, Pyne wrote. Unlike Thompson Rivers University Faculty Association, it seems that some university unions are not opposed to academic freedom. One can debate some of the details of the following statement but the bottom line is that it comes out in support of academic freedom, even when it goes against the university, and the unions, positions.

The post was a reference to the controversy surrounding Brock University professor Tomas Hudlicky, who was condemned by Brock after a paper he wrote questioning the impact of diversity hiring on the quality of scientific research received backlash.

About a month later, Pyne learned from TRUs director of human resources Larry Phillips that he was being suspended due to a harassment complaint filed against him that said being tagged in the post caused one individual to lose sleep. Another person tagged in the post claimed she needed time off work to recover, the National Post reported.

Mercer noted in his letter, however, that providing people an opportunity to know what one is thinking cannot be a case of harassment, especially when the people Dr. Pyne tagged on Facebook were union officials.

TRU president Brett Fairbairn responded to the Society for Academic Freedom and Scholarship in a letter on July 28, saying that in situations where faculty members have faced discipline, it is not about their academic freedom but rather other issues that have arisen in the workplace.

Privacy laws prevent organizations from releasing information about a specific individual, Fairbairn wrote. As a result, we will not be releasing information specifically related to Dr. Pyne. Matters involving Dr. Pyne do not pertain to exercise of academic freedom. Any and all suspensions at TRU follow thorough, careful, and due processes.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Unable to communicate in English, a Brazilian was facing difficulties in his trial, under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, in a Chennai court due to the language barrier.

For four years, Jailson Manoel Da Silva was unable to communicate with his counsel to defend himself. Finally, the Supreme Court transferred the case from Chennai to Delhi, after the Brazilian Embassy expressed willingness to provide assistance to him in the national capital.

Justice Hrishikesh Roy said: I have considered the circumstances of the case and also the fact that the trial has not made much progress in the Chennai court since the last four years, primarily because of the communication problem.

If the case is transferred to Delhi court, Narcotics Control Bureau, who is the prosecutor in this case, will have no difficulty, as their officers and lawyers are available in Delhi. Silva was caught in Chennai for allegedly possessing heroin in 2016, and since has been struggling to communicate his case as he could only speak Portuguese. As the authorities concerned could not sort out this issue, Silva moved the apex court seeking to move out his case from Chennai.

Four years & no progress

Silva was caught in Chennai for allegedly possessing heroin in 2016, and since has been struggling to communicate his case as he could only speak Portuguese.As the authorities concerned could not sort out this issue, Silva moved the apex court seeking to move out his case from Chennai.


London, Aug 4 : Fake audio or video content, also known as 'Deepfakes', has been ranked as the most worrying use of artificial intelligence (AI) for crime or terrorism.

According to a study, published in the journal Crime Science, AI could be misused in 20 ways to facilitate crime over the next 15 years.

These ways have been ranked in the order of concern, based on the harm they could cause, the potential for criminal profit or gain and how difficult they would be to stop.

The study authors from the University College London said fake content would be difficult to detect and stop, and it could have a variety of aims. It could lead to widespread distrust in audio and visual evidence, causing societal harm.

Five other AI-enabled crimes have also been judged as the matter of high concern. These are using driverless vehicles as weapons, crafting more tailored phishing messages (spear phishing), disrupting AI-controlled systems, harvesting online information for large-scale blackmails and AI-authored fake news.

"As the capabilities of AI-based technologies expand, so too has their potential for criminal exploitation. To adequately prepare for possible AI threats, we need to identify what these threats might be, and how they may impact our lives," said study senior author Professor Lewis Griffin.

For the study, the research team compiled 20 AI-enabled crimes from academic papers, news and current affairs reports, fiction and popular culture. They then gathered 31 people with expertise in AI for two days of discussions to rank the severity of the potential crimes.

Crimes of medium concern included the sale of items and services fraudulently labelled as AI, such as security screening and targeted advertising. According to the researchers, these would be easy to achieve, with potentially large profits.

Crimes of low concern included burglar bots (small robots) that were judged to be easy to defeat, for instance through letterbox cages, and AI-assisted stalking, which, although extremely damaging to individuals, could not operate at scale.

"Unlike many traditional crimes, crimes in the digital realm can be easily shared, repeated and even sold, allowing criminal techniques to be marketed and for crime to be provided as a service," said study's first author Matthew Caldwell.

"This means criminals may be able to outsource the more challenging aspects of their AI-based crimes," Caldwell said.
Amid the raging controversy over Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation's (BMC) decision to 'forcibly quarantine' IPS officer Binay Tiwari, who reached Mumbai from Patna on Sunday (August 2) to probe a case related to the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, BJP MP Nishikant Dubey on Tuesday (August 4) said that the BMC's decision is wrong.

Dubey added that BMC's move to place Patna City SP Tiwari in quarantine shows that there is something suspicious in Sushant's case. The BJP MP demanded that NIA and Enforcement Directorate must probe the matter. He also urged the Centre to intervene in this case.

"The move to quarantine Bihar officials probing Sushant Singh Rajput death case is wrong. This shows that there is something suspicious. NIA, Enforcement Directorate must probe the matter. It's high time now, Centre should intervene," Dubey told ANI.

In a related development, Lok Janshakti Party chief Chirag Paswan on Monday wrote a letter to Bihar CM Nitish Kumar requesting him to order CBI inquiry in Sushant's death case. Paswan also said that CM Kumar should Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Maharashtra CM Uddhav Thackeray on "misconduct" with Bihar Police officer in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, Mumbai High Court will on Tuesday (August 4) hear a PIL seeking transfer of Sushant's death case from Mumbai Police to CBI. The PIL will be heard in the presence of a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta.

It may be recalled that on July 30 the Supreme Court had rejected a PIL seeking transfer of the probe from Mumbai Police to the CBI. The apex court had directed the lawyers to file the PIL at the Bombay High Court if they had something concrete to show in the case. The order was passed by a bench of Chief Justice of India S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

Sushant, a resident of Patna, reportedly died by suicide at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on June 14.
A young female officer returned to her police station in Melbourne with a concussion and a clump of hair missing after she was allegedly bashed by an anti-masker.

The 26-year-old Constable and her partner approached a woman about 5pm Monday near the Bayside shopping centre in Frankston who was not wearing a mask.

But the confrontation allegedly turned violent and ended with the female officer's head being smashed into the ground, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said.

'They approached a 38-year-old woman, who wasn't wearing a mask. After a confrontation and being assaulted by that woman, those police officers went to ground and there was a scuffle,' he told reporters on Tuesday.

A 26-year-old police officer (pictured) allegedly had a clump of her hair pulled out after confronting a woman who wasn't wearing a mask in Melbourne

'This 38-year-old woman smashed the head of the policewoman several times into a concrete area on the ground.

'That's someone who thinks they're above the law.

'They're not wearing a mask, they're approached and asked the reason why not and then to react like that is just completely over the top.'

The woman was taken to a police station, charged with assaulting police, recklessly causing injury, two counts of assaulting an emergency worker, two counts of resisting an emergency worker on duty and refusing to state her name and address.

The woman was fined $200 for not wearing a mask following the alleged attack on Monday (pictured police patrol street in Melbourne on Monday)

She was also fined $200 for not wearing a mask and bailed due to no criminal history.

A photo of the young constable was shared by the Police Association of Victoria following the alleged attack.

Her hair was seen pulled out of her bun as she clutched onto a water bottle.

'This 26-year-old Constable returned to the station concussed and missing a clump of hair. Because she asked someone to wear a mask. She and many others are sacrificing their safety for our safety,' the post read.

The photo was swarmed with responses thanking police officers for their work during the pandemic.

'Please make sure she knows she has the love and support of the good people of Melbourne. We thank her for the job she does and we hope she recovers quickly,' one tweeted.

Premier Daniel Andrews described the attack on the female officer as 'disgusting' (pictured police patrol popular running track in Melbourne on Sunday)

'Whatever the punishment, it won't be enough. Thanks for what you do, we appreciate you,' wrote another.

Premier Daniel Andrews described the attack as 'disgusting'.

The police officer received significant head injuries and was taken to the Frankston Hospital for assessment and medical treatment.

Victoria Police issued 161 fines on Monday to people flouting coronavirus restrictions, including 60 people who were not wearing masks.

Mr Patton said on at least four occasions in the past week, police had to smash car windows and pull people out because they were refusing to provide personal details in line with public health guidelines.

Other people fined on Monday include someone trying to buy a car after the 8pm curfew and another who was bored and wanted to go for a drive.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4

By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend:

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) sent a humanitarian cargo to Turkmenistan, Trend reports with reference to Voice of the CIS online radio.

In particular, the humanitarian cargo includes medicines, which have been sent to Turkmenistan in order to prevent the penetration of the coronavirus in Turkmenistan.

In addition, the UAE will soon deliver another 30 tons of special cargo to Turkmenistan, the report said.

Meanwhile, the UAE has already helped 92 countries, sending 1,248 tons of humanitarian cargo abroad.

Earlier, Turkmenistan received a shipment of medicines from the Regional Office for Europe of the World Health Organization (WHO/Europe).

Last month, WHO/Europe experts worked in Turkmenistan at the request of the government, to support Turkmenistan in the aspects of preparedness and response to COVID-19.

Turkmenistan presented its program to fight infectious diseases to experts of the World Health Organization Regional Office for Europe (WHO/Europe).

The Turkmen side noted that the country follows the WHO recommendations and is currently implementing a program to ensure preparedness for countering and responding to infectious diseases, said the report.

In addition, Turkmenistan is currently working with UN agencies to develop a third national plan that covers the humanitarian component of the country's measures to combat COVID-19.

To the date, Turkmenistan has reported no coronavirus cases.

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.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva
By PTI

MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday said he and his family are being targeted for no reason in actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case and stressed he is nowhere related to the matter.

The Shiv Sena leader said dirty politics is being played following the death of the Bollywood actor and without naming anyone, added that the allegation being levelled is political stomach-ache stemming from frustration.

The tourism minister said he is a grandson of Shiv Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray and will not commit any act that will hurt the image of Maharashtra and his family.

In a statement he shared on Twitter, Aaditya Thackeray said the Maharashtra government is making all the efforts to combat COVID-19 and perhaps those who are sulking due to the MVAs popularity have started playing the dirty politics in connection with the death case.

ALSO READ | SC to hear Rhea Chakraborty's plea for transfer of Sushant Singh Rajput's death probe from Patna to Mumbai

"Mud-slinging is being indulged in against me and the Thackeray family for no reason in connection with Sushant's suicide. This is a kind of political stomach-ache stemming from frustration. It is blot on humanity to seek mileage out of someones death. In fact, I am nowhere related to this episode," Aaditya Thackeray asserted.

He said Bollywood is an important part of Mumbai and thousands of people are dependent on the film industry for employment.

The 30-year-old son of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said he shares cordial rapport with many people from Bollywood and added it is no crime.

ALSO READ | Sushant death row: Bihar's CBI probe move politically motivated, says Maharashtra Minister

He claimed efforts are being made to divert the probe into Rajput's death, an episode being investigated separately by the Mumbai police and their Patna counterparts.

Aaditya Thackeray further said Rajputs death is unfortunate and equally shocking and added the Mumbai Police are probing the matter in detail.

"The Maharashtra Police are reputed in the world. But those who do not believe in law are stoking dust of baseless allegations to divert the probe. As a grandson of Hinduhridaysamrat (King of Hindus' heart) Balasaheb Thackeray, I want to tell, that I will not commit any act that will harm the reputation of Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the Thackeray family. Those who are making baseless allegations should understand this," he said.

"The minister further said anyone who has special information regarding the case should submit it to the police who will definitely probe in that direction. I am exercising restraint in this case even today. None should remain under the illusion that the government and Thackeray family can be defamed by engaging in mud-slinging thus.This much for now," he added.

Earlier in the day, BJP leader Narayan Rane had said Rajput's death should be probed as "murder".

Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14.

The Mumbai Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and an investigation is underway.
BEIJING, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cheetah Mobile Inc. (NYSE: CMCM) ("Cheetah Mobile" or the "Company"), a leading mobile internet company with global market coverage, today announced that it plans to release its second quarter 2020 financial results before the market opens on Tuesday, August 18, 2020. The earnings release will be available on the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.cmcm.com.

Cheetah Mobile's management will hold a conference call on Tuesday, August 18, 2020 at 8:00 A.M. Eastern Time or 8:00 P.M. Beijing Time to discuss the financial results. Listeners may access the call by dialing the following numbers:

International: +1-412-902-4272 United States Toll Free: +1-888-346-8982 Mainland China Toll Free: 4001-201-203 Hong Kong Toll Free: 800-905-945 Conference ID: Cheetah Mobile

The replay will be accessible through August 25, 2020 by dialing the following numbers:

International: +1-412-317-0088 United States Toll Free: +1-877-344-7529 Access Code: 10147113

A live and archived webcast of the conference call will also be available at the Company's investor relations website at http://ir.cmcm.com.

About Cheetah Mobile Inc.

Cheetah Mobile is a leading mobile Internet company with global market coverage. It has attracted hundreds of millions of monthly active users through its mobile utility products such as Clean Master and Cheetah Keyboard, casual games such as Piano Tiles 2 and Bricks n Balls. The Company's advertising customers include direct advertisers and mobile advertising networks. Through the Company's advertising products, advertisers can promote their products and services to a wide range of mobile users. The Company also provides value-added services to its mobile application users through the sale of in-app virtual items on selected mobile products and games. Cheetah Mobile is committed to leveraging its cutting-edge artificial intelligence technologies to power its products and make the world smarter. It has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange since May 2014.

Investor Relations Contact

Cheetah Mobile Inc.

Helen Jing Zhu

Tel: +86 10 6292 7779 ext. 1600

Email: [email protected]

ICR, Inc.

Xinran Rao

Tel: +1 (646) 417-5395

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Cheetah Mobile Inc

Related Links

https://www.cmcm.com/


Washington: There might never be a "silver bullet" treatment for coronavirus, the director-general of the World Health Organisation said.

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said on Monday: "A number of vaccines are now in phase three clinical trials and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection.

No 'silver bullet': Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organisation. Credit:AP

"However, there's no silver bullet at the moment and there might never be."

His remarks came following a meeting of the WHO-convened emergency committee of international experts on Friday. He also said that wearing a face mask sent a message of solidarity as he urged countries to continue with the "basics" of public health to bring the pandemic to an end.
As the December 31 deadline of the UKs exit from the European Union nears, a new study released on Tuesday suggests that the country is facing a brain drain, noting major changes in migration decisions that it says are equivalent to the impact of a serious economic or political crisis.

The study by the Oxford-in-Berlin research partnership and the WZB Social Sciences Center Berlin reveals that many highly-educated British citizens keen on a future in continental Europe are likely to migrate, based on OECD and Eurostat data.

The data shows that migration from the UK to EU countries increased by nearly 30%, compared to pre-Brexit numbers and the number of British citizens obtaining an EU member-state passport increased by more than 500% across the continent, and by more than 2000% in Germany.

The study, authored by Daniel Tetlow of Oxford-in-Berlin and Daniel Auer of WZB, reveals that Brexit has been the dominant driver of migration decisions since 2016, by comparison with stable migration flows of other EU nationals over the same period.

According to the study, the numbers of UK citizens obtaining EU member state passports provides evidence that an increasing number of UK immigrants are making long-term migration decisions to protect themselves from some of the negative effects of Brexit.

Auer said: These increases in numbers are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis.

Since the 2016 referendum, the German government has granted 31,600 British citizens German citizenship while allowing them to maintain their UK identity indefinitely.

Were observing a new social migration phenomena and a redefining of what it means to be British-European, said Tetlow.

The study concludes that in the last four years, collective uncertainty triggered by Brexit was and still remains powerful enough to alter migratory behaviour at scales comparable to the impact of a large-scale economic shock.

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VANDENBERG AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. - An unarmed Minuteman 3 intercontinental ballistic missile was launched from California early Tuesday on a test flight to a target in the Pacific Ocean, the Air Force Global Strike Command said.

The missile blasted off at 12:21 a.m. from Vandenberg Air Force Base and its three reentry vehicles travelled 4,200 miles (6,759 kilometres) to the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands as part of a developmental test, the command said from Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.

Test launches are essential to sustaining the aging Minuteman 3 nuclear weapon system, Col. Omar Colbert, the 576th Flight Test Squadron commander, said in a statement.

The Air Force said test launches are not a reaction to world events.

The launch calendars are developed three to five years in advance, and planning for individual launches takes six months to a year.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 23:13:39|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iran's Foreign Ministry on Tuesday condemned a recent oil deal between an American company and Syria's Kurds as "illegal."

"The signing of an oil deal between the United States and a group of Syrian Kurds runs counter to international regulations and violates Syria's sovereignty and integrity," the Foreign Ministry spokesman Abbas Mousavi was quoted as saying by official IRNA news agency.

"The deal by the United States, as the occupying force, lacks any legal status," Mousavi noted.

The Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and a U.S. oil company recently signed a deal to modernize the oil industry in areas controlled by the U.S.-backed SDF in northeastern Syria. Enditem
President Muhammadu Buhari is planning a complete re-engineering of the nations security apparatus, according to Babagana Monguno, national security adviser.





Monguno broke the news to state house correspondents after a security briefing on Tuesday.





The president, according to Monguno, told service chiefs at the briefing that their effort is not good enough.





Monguno said since the issues are operational, Bashir Magashi, minister of defence, is working on something and will likely give a new direction to the security agencies in the days to come.





He said Buhari told the service chiefs that Nigerians have lost confidence in the security sector but he is determined to restore that confidence.





The president is angry over the declining security situation. At the last meeting, he mentioned it, Monguno said.





What he said today is virtually a reaffirmation of what he said the first time. Yes Mr President said you are doing your best, as far as Im concerned, but theres still a lot more to be done. Im more concerned about the promise we made to the larger Nigerian society and I am ordering an immediate re-engineering of the entire security apparatus.





This is something that I believe will be done in a very short time, but I just want us to keep hope alive.I know how everybody feels, I know how Nigerians feel, definitely the president is not oblivious of the fact that securing the nation is a primary responsibility of government and I believe in his sincerity, but again, since hes not an octopus, since hes not a spirit, if he delegates to people, then the onus is on them to actually fulfil the legitimate expectations of the larger Nigerian society.





There have been complaints over the widespread insecurity in the country, with many asking the president to fire the service chiefs.





On Monday, governors said they were planning to meet with the president over the rising insecurity in the country.





They also said the attack on the convoy of Babagana Zulum, their Borno counterpart, is an indication that the country is not safe.





Boko Haram insurgents had opened fire on the convoy of the Borno governor in Kukawa local government area last week.




BERLIN (Reuters) - Germany lifted a warning against travelling to four Turkish seaside provinces with low coronavirus infection rates as part of a deal to help revive tourism between the two countries, the foreign ministry in Berlin said on Tuesday.

It said it was dropping warnings against travel to Antalya, Izmir, Aydin and Mugla on the Mediterranean, where prevalence stood at only five new cases per 100,000 inhabitants per week.

Turkey would also require all travellers leaving for Germany to show a negative coronavirus test result obtained within the previous 48 hours, the ministry added.

"If the pandemic gets worse, travel warnings for the four provinces can be reintroduced," it said.

Around 3 million of Germany's 80 million inhabitants have a Turkish ethnic background, and last year Turkey was the second most popular tourist destination for Germans after Spain, according to German Travel Association DRV.

"One of Germans' favourite tourist destinations is partially open again," said DRV president Norbert Fiebig. "Good news not just for holidaymakers but also for the travel business.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt; Editing by Tom Sims and John Stonestreet)
by Silvina Premat

Chinese boats are fishing between the protected islands and the Ecuadorian coast, endangering the local marine life. The Chinese Embassy has expressed respect for the environment, but one expert slams China for repeatedly violating the sovereignty of coastal nations. Argentina stopped the same fleet in the South Atlantic. One problem is China fishing subsidies. One scholar calls for join efforts to save the oceans.

Buenos Aires (AsiaNews)  A large fleet of Chinese fishing boats is threatening one of the most delicate natural ecosystems in the Pacific Ocean in the pursuit of giant squids, sharks and other species, with tonnes of waste left behind.

All this is taking place in a legal vacuum that makes an international agreement to regulate maritime fishing increasingly urgent.

For Ecuadorian President Lenin Moreno, the presence of about 260 Chinese ships between the Galapagos Islands and coastal Ecuador is a "danger".

As a consequence, the authorities of the South American country have deployed the coastguard and other naval units over the past week to check that none of the Chinese boats enters Ecuadors Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), which stretches 360 km from the coast.

Following the government's decision in Quito, the Chinese embassy issued a statement expressing respect and support for the measures taken by Ecuador to protect the environment and marine life.

All Chinese fishing vessels operate legally in the high seas beyond the Galapagos EEZ, and they pose no threat to anyone, read the communique, which goes on to stress that the legal rights of Chinese fishing vessels must also be guaranteed.

To this end, "China always requires its companies to fish in the open sea in accordance with national and international law, and pursues a 'zero tolerance' policy towards fishing vessels that fish illegally."

However, many in Latin America do not believe Chinese claims. Chinese ships constantly violate [coastal] states sovereignty. They only give up when they come across Navy patrols. But as soon as controls slacken, they enter illegally, said Milko Schvarzman, an Argentine specialist in marine conservation who works with the Argentine-based Circulo de politicas ambientales (Circle of environmental policies).

"The latest evidence for this dates back to this April, he explained, when the Argentine Naval Prefecture and the Argentinian Navy caught two Chinese and one Portuguese vessels fishing illegally in Argentinas EEZ.

From his research, Schvarzman is certain that the Chinese fishing fleet that is now south of the Galapagos is the same that was fishing in the southern Atlantic, near the waters under Argentine control, between December and May, the best time for fishing the famous Argentine shortfin squid.

"From June to November, it [the Chinese fishing fleet] is to the Pacific to catch giant squid and other species.

For environmentalists, squids are the heart of the marine ecosystem; they are the main food for other species like hakes, dolphins, sperm whales, sea lions, penguins and others that cannot exist without this food.

"We are on high alert, patrolling [the waters] to avoid accidents like the one that happened in 2017," said Ecuadorian Defence Minister Oswaldo Jarrin speaking to the press.

Three years ago, a Chinese ship was caught inside the Galapagos Marine Reserve, a United Nations World Heritage Site. About 300 tonnes of fish were found in the ships cargo holds.

Maximiliano Bello, adviser to Mission Blue, an organization dedicated to the protection of the seas, stresses that Chinese ships receive state subsidies, an issue that is currently under review at the World Trade Organisation.

We are analysing how to end fishing subsidies that damage the oceans. China should join this effort because; after all, the ocean is a source of life for the whole planet and for millions of people.

It is also important for states to finalise an agreement, within a UN framework, on biodiversity outside national borders. "If we do not do something together, we will not be able to solve this problem," Bello explained.

Using a metaphor, Prof Marco Salinas, who teaches at Ecuadors Institute of National Higher Studies in Quito and the Ecuadorian Naval War Academy, points to the same goal: "All [countries] are on the same boat and we share the same risks.

What better than join efforts through international law and regional organisations to avoid these problems? said Salinas speaking about the problems due to the lack of fishing control mechanisms.

"We cannot wipe out a resource as rich as 'sea proteins', he noted. We need to fish, but it must be sustainable fishing that respects regulations and no fishing periods. This is about the future of our children and our childrens children.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- QEBR (OTC:QEBR) today announced that several global crypto-trading platforms have announced their respective abilities to trade and store Filecoin. This gives strong third-party validation of Filecoin (FIL) as the cryptocurrency moves toward mainnet launch in the second half of 2020. QEBR previously announced that its internal software engineering team has made strong strides in developing a crypto environment that is highly efficient in mining FIL, with plans for multiple data centers around the world. These major blockchain trading exchanges include:

Coinlist:

Coinlist conducted the $204 million Filecoin SAFT (Simple Agreement for Future Tokens) sale in 2017, which allowed 2,100 accredited investors from over fifty countries to invest in Filecoin. After the Filecoin mainnet launch, Coinlist is expected to support Filecoin's trading as the primary distribution channel for the tokens.

GeminiTrust:

Gemini is a digital currency exchange and asset insurance platform that allows customers to buy, sell, and store digital assets. Gemini was created by the Winklevoss twins, who own more than $1 Billion in cryptocurrency assets and have invested in many leading technology companies.

Coinbase:

Coinbase Custody offers secure, institutional-grade offline custody storage solutions, insurance coverage, and stores over $8 Billion in crypto assets.

Anchorage:

Anchorage announced that it will support Filecoin custody and unlocking contracts at mainnet launch. The company serves as a blockchain security and trading platform and has backing from companies such as Visa, Andreesen Horowitz, and Blockchain Capital.

Jun Liang, Chief Technology Officer of QEBR, stated, "The market validation of these highly-credible trading platforms gives QEBR even stronger faith in our Filecoin mining developments. For example, Gemini has a conservative approach to its platform, listing only five other assets: bitcoin, bitcoin cash, ether, Litecoin, and Zcash. Having Gemini and the Winklevoss twins also list Filecoin to their portfolio adds tremendous credibility to FIL's future.

Liang continued, "QEBR deeply believes in the future of Filecoin and is making every effort to become a strong player in FIL mining. We expect to have mining operations around the world, with our first FIL mining operation in Thailand. This installation will be a gateway to projected strong demand in Malaysia, South Korea, the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan."

About Filecoin:

The Filecoin project is a decentralized storage system based in the cloud. Its InterPlanetary File System, or IPFS, requires FIL coins as payment to miners in exchange for storage space.

Filecoin, developed by Protocol Labs, is a decentralized storage network. The network is expected to give owners of unused storage a means to monetize their storage capacity. It is also expected to bring down the costs of storing data reliably. Given the large amounts of unused storage in data centers and hard drives around the world, a natural market exists for this service.

About QEBR:

QEBR is the trading symbol for Virtual Medical International, Inc., a Nevada corporation. QEBR develops or acquires promising technology companies from around the world that specialize in data processing, warehousing, encryption, and analysis.

Forward-Looking Statements

Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements in this news release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are based on current facts and analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determined, and assumptions of management. Forward looking statements are generally, but not always, identified by the words "expects", "plans", "anticipates", "believes", "intends", "estimates", "projects", "aims", "potential", "goal", "objective", "prospective", and similar expressions or that events or conditions "will", "would", "may", "can", "could" or "should" occur.

Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated due to a number of factors beyond the reasonable control of the Company. It is important to note that actual outcomes and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include misinterpretation of data, the Company's ability to raise financing for operations, breach by parties with whom we have contracted, and the possible inability to maintain qualified employees or consultant

For more information please see our website: http://www.qebr.net

Contact: [email protected]

Source: Jun Liang, QEBR Chief Technology Officer

SOURCE QEBR

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http://qebr.net


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MONTREAL, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Xebec Adsorption Inc. (TSXV: XBC) (Xebec), a global provider of clean energy solutions is pleased to announce that Xebec Holding USA Inc, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Xebec Adsorption Inc., has entered into an agreement effective July 31st, 2020, to acquire all of the outstanding securities of Enerphase Industrial Solutions, Inc. (doing business as Air Flow). Air Flows principals will remain with Air Flow after the acquisition to optimize their integration into Xebecs industrial service and support business and to grow the operation over the coming years.



Total consideration payable by Xebec is approximately $6.0M, subject to certain holdbacks, adjustments and time-based payments. Air Flow had revenues of approximately $10.1M for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 and revenues are estimated to grow organically to $11.5M in 2020 with an EBITDA margin of approximately 10%. Xebec expects that Air Flows growth and profitability could be improved with additional supply chain and cost optimizations, product synergies and the back-office expertise Xebec has built from prior acquisitions.

When Xebec approached us, we saw a unique opportunity to be part of a mission that was larger than us. Climate change is a growing concern and I saw how our team and experience in compressed air service could translate into being a strong value add to help service and support Xebecs upcoming renewable natural gas and hydrogen systems. North Carolina is one of the top 10 agriculture producing states which represents significant potential for RNG projects. Air Flow is well positioned with three points of presence to offer truly local support to future dairy and hog farmers, municipalities, and industry, states B. Stanton Shelton, III, President and CEO, Air Flow.

Air Flow is a leading distributor and service provider of compressed air equipment in North Carolina. Incorporated in 1981, the company brings decades of industry experience and has built long standing relationships with major manufacturers and has developed a significant service footprint through numerous equipment installations. Air Flows focus is on preventative maintenance solutions, air energy system audits and analysis, and timely machine rentals, and parts and service.

As renewable natural gas and hydrogen adoption continues, the need to support customers over the lifetime of their installations grows. Air Flow is yet another example of an acquisition that is immediately accretive to Xebecs earnings and the service team at Air Flow can be trained to also work with renewable gases. Growing our service footprint is key to the Xebecs strategy to sell more Cleantech systems, better support our customers and capture more aftermarket business. Im happy to see the continued execution by our team and we expect several more acquisitions throughout the rest of the year, says Dr. Prabhu Rao, Chief Operating Officer, Xebec Adsorption Inc.

Related links:

https://www.xebecinc.com

https://airflowinc.com/

For more information:

Xebec Adsorption Inc.

Brandon Chow, Investor Relations Manager

bchow@xebecinc.com

+1 450.979.8700 ext 5762

About Xebec Adsorption Inc.

Xebec is a global provider of gas generation, purification and filtration solutions for the industrial, energy and renewables marketplace. Well-positioned in the energy transition space with proprietary technologies that transform raw gases into clean sources of renewable energy, Xebecs 1500+ customers range from small to multi-national corporations, governments and municipalities looking to reduce their carbon footprints. Headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, Xebec has several Sales and Support offices in North America and Europe, as well as two manufacturing facilities in Montreal and Shanghai. Xebec trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol XBC. For more information, www.xebecinc.com .

Cautionary Statement

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. This news release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (together, forward-looking statements) within the meaning of applicable securities laws. All statements, other than statements of historical facts, are forward-looking statements, and subject to risks and uncertainties. Generally, forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of terminology such as plans, seeks, expects, estimates, intends, anticipates, believes, could, might, likely or variations of such words, or statements that certain actions, events or results may, will, could, would, might, will be taken, occur, be achieved or other similar expressions. Forward-looking statements, including statements concerning future capital expenditures, revenues, expenses, earnings, economic performance, indebtedness, financial condition, losses and future prospects as well as the expectations of management of Xebec with respect to information regarding the business and the expansion and growth of Xebec operations, involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to business and economic factors and uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements, including the relevant assumptions and risks factors set out in Xebec's public documents, including in the most recent annual management discussion and analysis and annual information form, filed on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. Furthermore, should one or more of the risks, uncertainties or other factors materialize, or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, actual results may vary materially from those described in forward-looking statements or information. These risks, uncertainties and other factors include, among others, the uncertain and unpredictable condition of global economy, notably as a consequence of the Covid-19 pandemic, Xebecs capacity to generate revenue growth, the availability to Xebec of financing and credit alternatives and access to capital, Xebecs capacity to meet all its other commitments and business plans, Xebecs limited number of customers, the potential loss of key employees, changes in the use of proceeds relating to the loan, share price volatility, and other factors. Although Xebec believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed times frames or at all. Except where required by applicable law, Xebec disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
A proposed 40m beef plant expansion in Offaly is now in doubt, leading to claims that the Government is facilitating a "golden circle" of meat processors.

The expansion of a small abattoir near Banagher received planning approval last week from Offaly County Council. The plant would have the capacity to slaughter up to 140 under-30-month cattle per day exclusively for Asian markets.

However, one of the key backers of the project, former Minister for Agriculture Barry Cowen, said it is now under threat because of the Government's decision not to give the Chinese investor behind the project access to the State's immigrant investor programme.

Successful applicants are granted permission to reside in Ireland for a fixed period; the residency rights also apply to their families.

Mr Cowen also claimed that the Government's rationale for rejecting the investor's application was that it's not Government policy to pursue the development of additional plants.

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IFA president Tim Cullinan called on the Government to clarify its position.

"The golden circle that the sector had become has to be challenged," he said. "We badly need new entrants in the sector to shake things up. We see cattle being processed in Northern Ireland at far higher prices than here, and higher prices being paid for finished stock in marts. It is clear that we need more competition."

ICSA beef chairman Edmund Graham called on Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to urgently review the "baffling decision" to refuse an application from investors under the Immigrant Investor Programme".

The dominance of the three main meat processors ABP, Kepak and Dawn Meats over UK and Irish beef processing was further extended last week with Dawn taking full control of Dunbia.
Eight men from Bachelorette Angie Kent's season are getting a second chance at finding 'the one' on Bachelor In Paradise.

But Angie's ex-boyfriend Carlin Sterritt says he is utterly disappointed at his former co-stars' nasty behaviour on the spin-off.

While watching Monday's episode of the reality program, the 30-year-old had plenty to say about certain scenes he disagreed with.

'This is stressing me out': Bachelorette star Carlin Sterritt (pictured) has thrown some shade at his former co-stars for getting physical on Bachelor in Paradise

Carlin was the 'winner' of Angie Kent's season in 2019, but the couple announced their breakup in July after weeks of split speculation.

'Okay, here we go, let's have a nice episode. We're going on dates, falling in love, let's see that, yeah?' Carlin said, as he settled in to watch the latest BIP drama unfold.

He then flipped his screen to show the explosive fight between Timm Hanly and Matt Whyatt being replayed, which caused him to become quite distressed.

'Recaps are stressing me out,' he said.

'Recaps are stressing me out': Carlin didn't appear impressed by the fight between Timm Hanly (right) and Matt Whyatt (left), as he hoped for 'a nice episode' with stars 'falling in love'

'Bruh... we need to chat': Carlin then said he 'needed to chat' to Alex McKay after he didn't make the 'right decision' by choosing Keira Maguire at the rose ceremony

Carlin then said he 'needed to chat' to Alex McKay after he didn't make the 'right decision' by choosing Keira Maguire at the rose ceremony.

'What! Oh my god. Sorry Keely [Spedding], you seem really genuine,' he exclaimed.

Last month, Carlin's ex Angie also threw shade at her former suitors.

Over: Angie Kent (right) revealed in July that she and Carlin (left), who met on last year's season on The Bachelorette, called it quits because their 'values didn't align'

'Me sitting here knowing that 98% of the fellas from my season were cast and only there to get on Bachelor In Paradise': Last month, Angie also threw shade at her former suitors

The 30-year-old savaged the dating program, accusing the stars of using her to get their ticket to the Paradise spin-off in Fiji.

The blonde stunner shared a video of herself sitting alone watching the Channel 10 program, while sipping on a glass of wine.

'Me sitting here knowing that 98% of the fellas from my season were cast and only there to get on Bachelor In Paradise,' she captioned the post.

Bachelor In Paradise continues on Tuesday from 7:30pm on Channel 10
SPRINGFIELD  Out-of-state utility crews working for National Grid staged their bucket trucks Tuesday on the riverfront near the citys downtown, a visible sign of the prep work going on at utility maintenance yards across the region as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches.

The storm was moving north up the Atlantic Seaboard after making landfall as a hurricane Monday, the first big tropical storm of 2020 to hit New England.

Trees for us are the biggest concern, said James Lisowski, assistant general manager of Chicopee Electric light. The lines, the poles themselves are fully capable of handling 40- to 50-mile-an-hour guests.

Chicopee and other municipal power utilities joined their regional utility counterparts in preparing Monday.

For Chicopee, that means checking trucks and other equipment and preparing to hold employees  line workers, engineers, substation maintenance and repair people  into the evening in case they are needed.

Lisa Stowe, spokeswoman for Westfield Gas & Electric, said the utility also brings in contractor tree crews, an extra dispatcher and sandwiches.

We have to keep these guys fed, she said.

Like the investor-owned utilities, the municipal utilities sometimes rely on crews from outside the area. Lisowski said there are more than 50 utilities in New England and New York in a mutual aid association.

Mutual aid for Central and Western Massachusetts is coordinated through Chicopee.

In a statement, Eversource described the difficulty of doing a storm response under restrictions meant to stop the spread of the coronavirus.

With many customers still working remotely during this challenging time, we recognize how important it is to have reliable power, said Eversource Vice President of Electric Operations Doug Foley. Working under the challenging conditions related to the pandemic, our crews are positioned around the state and ready to respond to any damage or outages caused by Tropical Storm Isaias. Our team will work around-the-clock to restore power as quickly and safely as possible  yet some restorations may take longer as we work to ensure the safety of our employees and customers.

Eversource reminds customers to always stay clear of downed wires and to report them immediately to 9-1-1. Be sure to report any outage online at eversource.com, or by calling 877-659-6326.

National Grid spokeswoman Christine Milligan said the utility has 2,476 people in New England who have been activated as part of our emergency response operations. This includes: 1,834 in Massachusetts and 642 in Rhode Island inclusive of overhead line crews, forestry, contractors, underground, wires down, and substation workers.

National Grid even sends crews to Nantucket so they are ready to make repairs there.

National Grid says to report power outages at www.nationalgridus.com or call 1-800-465-1212 and to use a mobile device to track outage information and storm-related safety tips through National Grids mobile site accessible at www.ngrid.com/mobile.

A tropical storm warning is in effect for the region, and the storm is expected to hit New England Tuesday afternoon or evening.

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The role of a Congress leader as well as a Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) activist from Pandoori Gola village in the Khadoor Sahib constituency has come under scanner in death of 111 persons due to consumption of illicit liquor in Tarn Taran and adjoining districts of Amritsar and Gurdaspur.

Located just 4 kilometres from the district headquarters, Pandoori Gola, the police believe, was the hub from where the killer spirit was distributed to various villages and towns of the three Majha districts.

Kashmir Singh, a village resident who fought the zila parishad elections in 2018 on the Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) ticket, has been named as an accused while the role of sitting sarpanch Kulwinder Singh Babbu, who owes allegiance to the ruling Congress, is also under scanner.

Kashmir along with six others was arrested on Saturday by the Tarn Taran police after the initial reports of deaths emerged. He was booked under Sections 304 (culpable homicide), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 61-1-14 of the Excise Act.

Kashmirs brother Harjit Singh and the latters sons Satnam and Shamsher are seen as some of the key players in the case.

Police say Harjit Singh and his two sons were in contact with Mogas Avtar Singh, who allegedly sold three drums of the spirit which is believed to be the cause of the deaths, to them for Rs 84,000. The drums were found hidden in the bushes near the village.

Harjit and his sons sold part of the spirit to Gobinder Singh of Jandiala, who further supplied it to Muchhal village in Amritsar and Gurdaspurs Batala town, say the police. The residents of the village said Kashmir and Harjit are into the illicit liquor trade for the last two decades despite the police being aware about it.

Kashmir lost the election as a member of zila parishad against Congress Jaswant Singh.

SSP: NO TECHNICAL EVIDENCE AGAINST VILLAGE HEAD SO FAR

Village sarpanch Kulwinder Singh has also been booked in the case. Kulwinders wife said, My husband has been booked by the police under political pressure. He is innocent. Some residents of the village said he had been sheltering those into selling illicit liquor in the village.

Senior superintendent of police (SSP) Dhruman H Nimbale said, Kulwinders role is being probed. Till now, no technical evidence has been found against him.

Tarn Taran zila parishad former chairman and SAD leader Baldev Singh, who is a resident of the same village, said, Kashmir Singh was fielded as a party candidate when Ravinder Singh Brahmpura was the in-charge of the constituency. When Ravinder Singhs father and former MP Ranjit Singh Brahmpra parted his way with the party, Kashmir also joined the rebels.

Ravinder Brahmpura, said, Kashmir joined our group in 2019, but he went back to the Akali Dal after my fathers tenure as MP came to an end.

SAD district president Virsa Singh Valtoha said, All accused should be punished strictly no matter which political party they belong to. People are also accusing Congress Khadoor Sahib MLA Ramanjit Singh Sikkis personal assistant (PA) Jarmanjit Singh of being involved. Action should be taken against him too.

Sikki said attempts were being made o defame him by dragging his PAs name in the case.
All government hospitals must make provisions for conducting an expensive test to check the IL-6 levels of patients with coronavirus disease (Covid-19), suggested four panels set up by the Delhi government to review the clinical management of patients and deaths due to the disease at 11 hospitals.

IL-6, or interleukin-6, is a pro-inflammatory immune cell called cytokine. The doctors monitor the IL-6 level to predict a cytokine storm  a hyperactive response of the immune system that ends up damaging the patients organs and tissues.

Also read: Why is Delhi govt resisting court monitoring of testing in city, asks HC

Doctors across the city have been prescribing medicines such as tocilizumab to prevent a cytokine storm in Covid-19 patients. The test to measure IL-6 level is an expensive one and government hospitals did not have the provision to conduct it. We have recommended that it must be done to ensure timely administration of IL-6 inhibitors. Apart from that, we have also suggested that the D-dimer levels be monitored regularly to detect formation of clots and administer anti-coagulation medicines to patients, if needed, said a member of the panel, on condition of anonymity.

Private hospitals are doing a good job and are following the treatment protocols that have been developed over the past one month. Earlier, in April and May, there were a lot of very sick people reaching hospitals and there were few treatments available, the member said.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

The four panels have submitted four reports to the principal health secretary Vikram Dev Dutt over the past two days. All teams were allocated different hospitals and have filed separate reports. Our team submitted the report on Monday, said another member of the committee, also on condition of anonymity.

Meanwhile, deaths due to Covid-19 have dropped drastically  only 12 deaths were recorded in the daily health bulletin released by the Delhi government on Tuesday, as compared to the highest single day fatality count of 101 in June.

The hospitals to be inspected by the panels include private ones such as Fortis Escorts Heart Institute, Max Hospital (Saket), St Stephens hospital, Sir Ganga Ram Hospital, Jaipur Golden hospital and Sri Balaji Action Medical Institute, and government facilities such as Ram Manohar Lohia, Safdarjung, Lok Nayak, and GTB hospitals.

These hospitals had recorded a high percentage of deaths with respect to the percentage of admissions and the percentage of deaths in wards between July 1 and July 23.

The panel was tasked with inspecting whether the established treatment protocols for Covid-19 were being followed and the reasons for higher percentage of deaths.

The medical superintendent of RML hospital, one of the 11 hospitals, said, One of the confounding factors about the high mortality rate in comparison to the number of admissions is that deaths of people who had been admitted to the hospital prior to the selected period but died during the period were included. The number of admissions went down since then and that is why the number of deaths appear to be higher.

The Delhi government did not offer any comment on the submissions made by the four panels.

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Security forces finally captured crime boss Jose Antonio Yepez, better known as El Marro, one of the most wanted men in Mexico on Sunday.

El Marro was a well-known drug gang leader and crime boss for fuel theft in Mexico. He was blamed for fanning a sharp surge in drug violence that tested the Mexican government.

Crime boss El Marro was arrested early on Sunday by soldiers and state officials in Mexico during a raid on a house in Guanajuato, reported Reuters. The state has seen record highs of gang violence, said authorities.

In the raid, the authorities also freed a kidnapped businesswoman and seized weapons across two houses. Eight other people, mostly believed gang members, were also at the two sites.

In recent months, police have come close to seizing the crime boss and had taken his mother and sister into custody, said a BBC report. Their arrests made him release a tearful video last month, where he said he was declaring war on the security forces. The women have been released since then.

According to the New York Times, his arrest landed a significant blow against a cartel that helped spur record violence as they struggle for control.

Following his arrest, law enforcement released low-resolution photos of his capture. They were eager to highlight the success in their campaign to fight organized crime.

Raul Benitez, a security expert at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) called the arrest a "tremendously successful blow for the government."

But it is not yet clear if the arrest of El Marro will make any changes in the violence that had been taking place in Mexico. There are also no clear signs of how it will affect organized crime on a broader scale.

Mexico analyst for the International Crisis Group, Falko Ernst, said this is a "short-lived P.R. victory" that does not give solutions. Ernst expressed worry that there will be no backing for a "more cohesive security strategy."

Stopping Violence in Mexico

When Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador, or AMLO, took office in 2018, he vowed to bring down record levels of violence. Yepez, 40, was the highest-profile narco arrested so far.

But the vow was not fulfilled as killings have only further increased and, last October, AMLO suffered serious shame when it failed in the detention of Ovidio Guzman, a son of kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman.

More than 31,000 people were murdered in 2019 alone, and thousands went missing. Few also signed up in the new national guard that AMLO vowed to create in their fight against violence.

AMLO vowed not to make arrests look like public spectacles, or he will tread the same path as Mexico's previous leaders. But Yepez's arrest seems to run the other way.

David Shirk, a University of San Diego political science professor, said this is AMLO's "desperate" need to show that he is doing something to keep his promise. "The fact is he just did something that he said he would never do. It's the same old playbook as before," Shirk said.

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A man was injured after jumping off a waterfall at Silver Falls State Park Monday afternoon, police say.

Oregon State Police spokesman Tim Fox said around 12:15 p.m. Monday, emergency responders arrived at the park after reports that one person, a teenage male, had jumped off the South Falls and was unresponsive.

Witnesses and family members say they believe the man jumped for recreation.

According to a police report, the man was alert and conscious when law enforcement arrived but was not able to answer questions.

The mans father arrived at the scene and told police that his son had been a cliff jumper in Hawaii and that he had no reason to believe his son jumped in an effort to harm himself.

The man was pulled from the pool at the bottom of the falls and treated, then transported out of the canyon and taken by air ambulance to Salem Hospital, where he is being treated for injuries. Police did not disclose the extent of the mans injuries.

According to the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, one parking area and the trail loop around the falls area were closed during the rescue to allow medics to rescue the man.

Jayati Ramakrishnan; 503-221-4320; jramakrishnan@oregonian.com; @JRamakrishnanOR

Subscribe to Oregonian/OregonLive newsletters and podcasts for the latest news and top stories.
Pablo Neruda (12 July 1904-23 September 1973) was a Chilean poet-diplomat who was awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1972. His legacy was tarnished by his admittance of raping a Tamil cleaning woman who worked for him during his posting as Chilean consul to present-day Sri Lanka (then Ceylon). This letter was written to him in response to the sexual assault that continues to complicate his history today.





by Robina P Marks





Dear Pablo,





I write this letter to you from Colombo, Sri Lanka, a few days after 12 July and on what would have been your 116th birthday.





I have held a deep love for your passionate poetry for many, many years. Its a letter that I have struggled to write as I delved deeper into your work, your history, and your beliefs. But now I feel a fresh sense of urgency, because I will be leaving Sri Lanka soon, and you are part of the goodbye that I must make as I end my diplomatic posting here.





Neruda ( File Photo)





And you, a poet-diplomat, know what it feels like to live the peculiar sense of loneliness, dislocation, self-discovery, people, culture and longing for your motherland that is such a necessary part of serving your country as a diplomat in a faraway country.





You too, served your country Chile from 1927-1932 as a diplomat in what was then called Burma (Myanmar), Ceylon (Sri Lanka) and Java (Indonesia). And like me, you too found moments of transcendent joy and inspiration for writing here in Sri Lanka.





Much later in 1972, when you were ambassador to France, you were awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature in recognition of your undeniable genius at spinning words into poetry that could excite, incite and inspire. As an activist, I have loved your righteous rage exploding into poetry against the exploitation of indigenous Indians in Chile, and others across the developing South, and for which you have been justly described as the conscience of a continent.





I admired your sense of justice and solidarity, even while I cannot come to terms with the role you played in the failed assassination attempt in Mexico on the life of one of the leaders of the 1917 October revolution, Leon Trotsky, and of which you explained later that you were merely following orders.





Was that the second betrayal?





The first one came early on during your diplomatic posting to Sri Lanka (then Ceylon).





The similarity of our chosen careers as diplomats, a peculiar form of patriotic self-banishment, drew me to you even further after I started my own career in diplomatic service to my country. I liked your respectful descriptions of Sri Lankan life you wrote about hearing the mesmerising heartbeat of local music one night on your way to another dreary reception with people whose colonial mindset you abhorred. The music was vibrating and sobbing, soaring to unspeakable heights, suddenly ceasing altogether, dwindling into the shadows, clinging to the odour of frangipani, braiding itself into arabesques. I, too, felt that sense of enchantment and joy when I heard here the hypnotic drumming and watched dancers dip and sway and jump to its beat and I felt my heart leaping lightly, joyfully as I listened to the hypnotic rhythmic sounds of Baila music, brought to these shores by the Portuguese colonisers and their bounty of African slaves, and surely played by those enslaved in snatched moments of time away from forced labour.





The anger that I feel as a South African that it is still described as kaffir music by many has become something of a crusade for me as I try to ensure that everyone understands how abhorrent this term is for us, and should be for the rest of the world. Baila music reminds me so much of my own ancestral slave roots, and the Sunday-at-rest gatherings for those enslaved as they came together to play sometimes plaintive, sometimes joyful music in the Slave Quarters in Cape Town, South Africa.





You recall that when you finally arrived at your party, and explained why you were late, your hosts exclaimed, What music? You mean the natives are musicians? Our ghoema music, too, has been denigrated and dismissed by some as carnivalesque ditties, with no cultural value or significance.





Pablo, I love that your constant companions to stave off your loneliness here were a local dog you adopted, and a pet mongoose called Kira, who brought you solace during those many moments of seeking living connection. And like you, I have found comfort in the company of my Thailand pavement special called Ching-chi, who was a wretched, emaciated little dog when I adopted him, and newly rescued from a truck loaded with terrified dogs headed for the meat trade. He too, has provided comfort and solace here in Sri Lanka. And like you, I delighted in the astonishing greenery of this beautiful heartache of an island, with its painful history of repeated colonisation, civil war, a devastating tsunami, political turmoil and learned to rejoice in the pride, resilience and tenacity of its people.





In some aspects we differed: you eventually formed fleeting liaisons with a succession of local beauties dusky and golden, girls of Boer, English, Dravidian blood. They went to bed with me sportingly, asking for nothing in turn. You see, the unwritten rules of sexual norms are very different for male and female diplomats. And while male diplomats may bed sportingly with local dusky or golden girls, and would be slyly admired for it, such latitude does not exist for female diplomats.





My love for your poetry is complicated further, because the memory of a Tamil woman called Thangamma keeps casting a dark shadow of fear and menace over your work. She darts and dives between the lines of your poems with an angry, restless spirit that will not cease.





And although you admit to at least one relationship with a woman in Burma (Myanmar), a country that, like you, I also served as a diplomat, and where you shared your bed with a local woman called Josie, later you fled from her in the dead of night, scared of her love and passion, because you perhaps realised the limitations of your own. And she followed you to Ceylon, and camped outside your bungalow in coastal Wellawatta, just about 20 minutes drive from my house. And again you spirited her away back to Burma, amidst her tears and protestations. Such were her lamentations that you described her as the torrential Josie Bliss, and a love terrorist. And you use words to paint a picture of a woman that would lead many to think that she was crazy and deranged. After all, what woman in her right mind would cradle a knife in her hand while looking at her lover lying next to her whilst she contemplated him leaving her to be on her own? Who may have been told, during passionate embrace, that you couldnt live without her? And yet, now, alive, wanted to leave her? She must have known that you had no intention of staying.





And so when you use the power of your pen to depict her as mad, it dismisses your own culpability as a man who engages in a relationship with someone that he has no intention of staying with. Pablo, do you know how often women who dare to love men, who do not deserve their love, are called crazy? Can it be that what you thought of as Josies crazy behaviour that made you flee your home in the dead of night to escape her wrath might be what Shakespeare describes as I have heard my grandsire say full oft, / Extremity of griefs would make (wo)men mad?





Pablo, you wrote about her as if your relationship was an empathetic revolutionary act to show just how much you immersed yourself as a foreigner to these shores: I went so deep into the soul and life of the people that I lost my heart to a native girl.





But of course, a woman is not a country, and physical intercourse is not a loving form of colonialism that allows you to inhabit another human being. I am left unsure whether you ever really understood this, Pablo. Because my love for your poetry has always taken my breath away with its ability to weave and spin with delicate thread emotion in a way that I, as a shy and fledgling writer, can only dream about.





My love for your poetry is complicated further, because the memory of a Tamil woman called Thangamma keeps casting a dark shadow of fear and menace over your work. She darts and dives between the lines of your poems with an angry, restless spirit that will not cease.





Thangamma, the woman who would come every morning to your house next to the sea to collect buckets of your human waste, and those of others in your street. Thangamma, that you dreamt of possessing, and to whom you offered endless gifts of fruit and silk that she ignored. Until one day, as you recall in your writing, when you gripped her hard by her wrists. You described this vividly:





Unsmiling, she let herself be led away and soon was naked in my bed. Her waist, so very slim, her full hips, the brimming cups of her breasts made her like one of the thousand-year-old sculptures from the south of India She kept her eyes wide open all the while, completely unresponsive. She was right to despise me. The experience was never repeated.





So heres what I did today, Pablo. I collected little stones from the beach across from the house where you lived. The same beach where you used to walk and watch the sea at play, and of which you wrote, Each morning I was overpowered by the miracle of newly cleansed nature.





And then you continued with an account of the rest of your life, in your memoir, as if this was of no consequence, and just a momentarily regrettable incident. Did you think that saying she was right to despise me somehow absolved you from this act of rape? Because that is what it was. Not a consensual act of shared love and desire between two people. No. It was rape. It was the rape of a poor woman from what was seen as an inferior caste and gender, whose only means of supporting herself and her family was to collect buckets of human waste from homes such as yours. A woman with no power.





For her, you wouldve represented white, male power, even though you proudly self-identified with the oppressed. An illiterate woman, she understood that she had no power, no agency, no voice. To survive, she lay there silently and endured this assault. Like so many women have before her and long after her. And you, who wrote about how repelled you were by the patronising and superior attitude of those from Europe who you had to consort with in the course of your diplomatic duties, must have been aware of this power imbalance.





It is unclear, when you write, the experience was never repeated again, whether she continued with her duties to collect your bucket after this experience, or whether this means that this experience was never repeated in your life again with other women who refused your advances.

And history has erased Thangamma. We do not know how she dealt with what you describe as an experience. How did that rape affect her, and the rest of her life? Might she have told others about it? Or remained quiet because she was scared that they would say, she asked for it?





That silence must have felt lodged like a stone in her throat. How did that shape her relationship with herself? With men? We know that you left Ceylon soon thereafter, and that your fame as a poet grew worldwide, and that you were honoured with many awards and prizes, and later of course the coveted Nobel Prize for Literature. What was Thangammas life and spirit like after the rape? And even now, largely erased from history, and reduced to an experience you had one sunny morning in Ceylon?





Pablo, my hope was that my small act of remembrance will comfort Thangammas restless spirit that still plays hide and seek with me between the lines of your poetry. I want her spirit to know that someone said her name, and to remain there in the rhymes and rhythms of your poetry and roam freely, easily, knowing that what happened to her matters to all of us.





So heres what I did today, Pablo. I collected little stones from the beach across from the house where you lived. The same beach where you used to walk and watch the sea at play, and of which you wrote, Each morning I was overpowered by the miracle of newly cleansed nature.

I, too, feel that way when I stand on the edge of the shore and watch the waves as they ebb and flow onto the shore. Pablo, watching the waves may have made you feel cleansed, but the stain you left on the body and spirit of Thangamma remained. There was no cleansing for her, just the daily collection of your plastic bucket of waste that she placed on her head and carried away carefully.





So I picked up those stones, and wrote her name in large black letters. Took them to the home where you used to live after being invited in by the kind Muslim family who have lived there for all these years since you left. Kept up a conversation with them, the shy matriarch and her two sons, while dropping the stones bearing her name surreptitiously on the ground where she used to walk. Said my goodbye to the family after refusing the kind offer of strong black local tea because I knew that the stone lodged in my throat would make it difficult for me to swallow. And I walked down the road and on to the beach where I dropped more stones bearing her name on the beach. And said her name that history erased.





Thangamma. Thangamma. Thangamma.





Pablo, my hope was that a curious child discovers that stone engraved with her name next to your house, or others would walk along that long stretch of beach that you used to frequent, and they might pick it up, cradle it in the palm of their hand, and wonder at the story behind this stone tossed on the sandy beach. If you had come across a similar stone that was so named, might it have moved you to write a poem about it, and wonder at the tale that it inspired? I think of you holding such a stone, moved by fancies of thought and words as you said her name for the first time, the name that you didnt say when you took what didnt belong to you on that fateful morning.





Pablo, my hope was that my small act of remembrance will comfort Thangammas restless spirit that still plays hide and seek with me between the lines of your poetry. I want her spirit to know that someone said her name, and to remain there in the rhymes and rhythms of your poetry and roam freely, easily, knowing that what happened to her matters to all of us.





And as for the two of us I will continue to love your poetry, but with my heart and my intelligence. Because a woman is not a country, and a mans penis should never be used as a weapon of war, in the bedroom or on the battlefield.





I leave you with this offering from your own poem called Goodbyes in the hope that you might come to consider in the afterlife where you dwell that you never left Ceylon:





Goodbyes





And, newly arrived, promptly said goodbye

Left everywhere for somewhere else

Its well known that he who returns never left.

growing used

to the great whirl of exile,

to the great solitude of bells tolling.

With honest and loving regard,





Robina P Marks, South African High Commissioner to Sri Lanka and The Maldives.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Ohio State University students will be able to attend an online course at another Big Ten university this fall for no additional cost.

The Big Ten Academic Alliance announced its first year of online course sharing on Monday, where students at participating universities can choose from a list of classes at other schools within the conference with tuition and fees waived. The first group of schools that are part of the program are:

-- Indiana University

-- University of Maryland

-- Michigan State University

-- University of Nebraska-Lincoln

-- Ohio State University

-- Pennsylvania State University

-- Rutgers University-New Brunswick

Only certain courses at each college are available through the program, including offerings like Supply Chain Security & Risk Management and Inequality: Determinants and Policy Remedies.

Students can only take one course per semester without tuition or fees. The program is only for undergraduate students. Those interested would need to check how the class counts at their school for credits toward graduation.

Ohio State Universitys first day of classes is Aug. 23. Students are returning to campus for in-person learning as part of a phased return plan. The university is using blended, online and fully in-person classes.
Riled up Pompeo slams Iran-China deal, threatens with sanctions

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 6:25 PM

The US administration, riled up by a potential long-term strategic partnership between Iran and China, has threatened to slap the same unilateral sanctions already imposed on Tehran against Beijing in case the deal was finalized.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo censured in an interview with Fox News on Sunday the potential Tehran-Beijing cooperation pact and said Washington would apply all Iran's sanctions also to the "Chinese Communist Party and their businesses and state-owned enterprises" if the deal was signed.

Pompeo also claimed that the 25-year trade deal between Iran and China would foment instability in the Middle East region, once again leveling false accusations that Tehran is a "state sponsor of terror," among other protestations.

"China's entry into Iran will destabilize the Middle East. It will put Israel at risk. It will put the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Emirates at risk as well," he said, also claiming that Iran's "access to weapons systems and commerce and money flowing from the Chinese Communist Party only compounds that risk for that region."

Iran and China are hammering out a long-term strategic partnership that paves the way for cooperation in a variety of areas, amid deteriorating relations between Beijing and Washington over a host of issues.

The potential deal will see China invest around $400 billion in Iran's energy and infrastructure sectors over a period of 25 years. In return, Iran would guarantee a stable supply of key energy products to the Chinese side. The agreement also entails some specific terms on expansion of security and military cooperation between the two countries.

China, a top oil consumer, has been a top buyer of Iran's crude and even after US-driven international sanctions targeted Tehran's energy sector, China continued its cooperation with Iran by purchasing oil and developing energy projects.

Tension between Washington and Tehran entered a new phase when in May 2018, US President Donald Trump unilaterally withdrew his country from a landmark 2015 nuclear deal clinched by the Islamic Republic and six world powers, officially known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA).

Following its withdrawal, Washington targeted the Iranian nation with the "toughest ever" economic sanctions.

The US administration is currently ramping up efforts to kill the JCPOA completely through pushing the remaining parties to the multilateral agreement to extend a UN arms embargo on Tehran.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 18:02:41|Editor: huaxia

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Election officials get ready to transport ballot boxes from a school in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Aug. 4, 2020. Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in a special gazette notice issued early Tuesday, declared that the new Parliament will convene on Aug. 20 following the parliamentary elections to be held Wednesday. (Photo by A.Hapuarachchi/Xinhua)

COLOMBO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lankan President Gotabaya Rajapaksa, in a special gazette notice issued early Tuesday, declared that the new Parliament will convene on Aug. 20 following the parliamentary elections to be held Wednesday.

In a special gazette notice, Rajapaksa said "Under the powers vested in me by the Constitution of Sri Lanka and the Parliamentary Election Act, I have summoned the new Parliament to meet on August 20, 2020 following the Parliamentary elections tomorrow."

The Elections Commission on Monday said that an estimated 16.2 million voters will be able to vote in Wednesday's election which will elect a new 225-member Parliament.

Voting will begin at 7 a.m. in the morning and end at 5 p.m. local time after it is extended by a further hour due to strict health guidelines which will be in place due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

The main political parties contesting the parliamentary election will be the ruling Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna led by Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapaksa, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya led by former presidential candidate Sajith Premadasa and the United National Party led by former Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe.

An estimated 12,000 polling booths have been set up across the country for people to cast their votes.
With a price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 9.1x Tandem Group plc (LON:TND) may be sending bullish signals at the moment, given that almost half of all companies in the United Kingdom have P/E ratios greater than 16x and even P/E's higher than 32x are not unusual. However, the P/E might be low for a reason and it requires further investigation to determine if it's justified.

Tandem Group has been doing a good job lately as it's been growing earnings at a solid pace. It might be that many expect the respectable earnings performance to degrade substantially, which has repressed the P/E. If you like the company, you'd be hoping this isn't the case so that you could potentially pick up some stock while it's out of favour.

See our latest analysis for Tandem Group

pe

Although there are no analyst estimates available for Tandem Group, take a look at this free data-rich visualisation to see how the company stacks up on earnings, revenue and cash flow.

Does Growth Match The Low P/E?

In order to justify its P/E ratio, Tandem Group would need to produce sluggish growth that's trailing the market.

Taking a look back first, we see that the company grew earnings per share by an impressive 25% last year. The strong recent performance means it was also able to grow EPS by 153% in total over the last three years. Therefore, it's fair to say the earnings growth recently has been superb for the company.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to shrink 8.4% in the next 12 months, the company's positive momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a bright spot for the moment.

In light of this, it's quite peculiar that Tandem Group's P/E sits below the majority of other companies. It looks like most investors are not convinced at all that the company can maintain its recent positive growth rate in the face of a shrinking broader market.

The Final Word

Generally, our preference is to limit the use of the price-to-earnings ratio to establishing what the market thinks about the overall health of a company.

Story continues

Our examination of Tandem Group revealed its growing earnings over the medium-term aren't contributing to its P/E anywhere near as much as we would have predicted, given the market is set to shrink. There could be some major unobserved threats to earnings preventing the P/E ratio from matching this positive performance. Perhaps there is some hesitation about the company's ability to stay its recent course and swim against the current of the broader market turmoil. It appears many are indeed anticipating earnings instability, because this relative performance should normally provide a boost to the share price.

Plus, you should also learn about these 2 warning signs we've spotted with Tandem Group.

It's important to make sure you look for a great company, not just the first idea you come across. So take a peek at this free list of interesting companies with strong recent earnings growth (and a P/E ratio below 20x).

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.
WALNUT CREEK, CA  If the Walnut Creek or Mount Diablo unified school districts want to hold classes in schools instead of online this fall, State epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan on Tuesday outlined the state's waiver process for K-6 schools.

Contra Costa County is currently on California's COVID-19 coronavirus "Watch List."

Pan, the former health officer for Alameda County, said K-6 schools can apply for a waiver to begin in-person instruction if they are located in a county that meets several criteria in spite of being on the state's Watch List.

Individual schools must submit a site-specific plan to keep students and staff safe, taking into account input from interest groups like labor unions and parent organizations. Those schools must then publicly post their plan and submit it to their local health officer to apply for a waiver.

California Department of Public Health officials will then review each application on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as which direction indicators like coronavirus positivity rates are trending in a given county.

All 11 counties in the greater Bay Area, from Monterey to Sonoma, are on the state's monitoring list as of Tuesday.

State public health officials issued details about the waiver process "based on evidence that is evolving about how we know this virus is behaving in children and the importance of in-person instruction for our youngest," Pan said.

Students will be required to work in small groups to allow them the chance for social interaction while diminishing the chance they spread the virus to another student or a teacher.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state public health officials have reiterated that schools in counties on the state's Watch List must begin the fall semester without in-person classes unless they have a waiver.

State Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said parents who want their kids to attend classes in person during the fall semester should take heed of public health guidelines by wearing a mask, washing their hands and keeping their distance from others.

Story continues

"We continue to learn from the science, we continue to learn from our own data how to stop the spread," Ghaly said. "It really does come down to a few simple acts that can make a big difference."

 Patch editor Bea Karnes and Bay City News contributed to this story



Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know

Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.

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This article originally appeared on the Walnut Creek Patch
Law Offices of Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP If you would like to know more about the ABM Electrical & Lighting Solutions, Inc. lawsuit, please contact Attorney Nicholas J. De Blouw today by calling (800) 568-8020.

The San Diego employment law attorneys, at Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP, filed a class action complaint alleging that ABM Electrical & Lighting Solutions, Inc. failed to provide their California employees with meal and rest periods as required by California law. The ABM Electrical & Lighting Solutions, Inc., class action lawsuit, Case No. 37-2020-00024997-CU-OE-CTL, is currently pending in the San Diego Superior Court of the State of California. A copy of the Complaint can be read here.

The complaint alleges ABM Electrical & Lighting Solutions, Inc. committed acts of unfair competition in violation of the California Unfair Competition Law, Cal. Bus. & Prof. Code  17200, et seq. (the UCL), by engaging in a company-wide policy and procedure which failed to accurately calculate and record all missed meal and rest periods by PLAINTIFFS and other CALIFORNIA CLASS Members. As a result of DEFENDANTs intentional disregard of the obligation to meet this burden, DEFENDANT allegedly failed to properly calculate and/or pay all required compensation for work performed by the members of the CALIFORNIA CLASS and violated the California Labor Code.

Additionally, DEFENDANT allegedly "failed to maintain adequate staffing levels while increasing the production levels for each employee." This resulted in employees forfeiting meal breaks without additional compensation. The lawsuit also alleges these employees were required to work off the clock without being payed for all the time they were under DEFENDANT's control.

If you would like to know more about the ABM Electrical & Lighting Solutions, Inc. lawsuit, please contact Attorney Nicholas J. De Blouw today by calling (800) 568-8020.

Blumenthal Nordrehaug Bhowmik De Blouw LLP is an employment law firm with offices located in San Diego, San Francisco, Sacramento, Los Angeles, Riverside and Chicago that dedicates its practice to helping employees, investors and consumers fight back against unfair business practices, including violations of the California Labor Code and Fair Labor Standards Act. If you need help in collecting unpaid overtime wages, unpaid commissions, being wrongfully terminated from work, and other employment law claims, contact one of their attorneys today.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 02:03:29|Editor: huaxia

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A restaurant staff member waits for customers in Rome, Italy, Aug. 4, 2020. (Xinhua/Cheng Tingting)

ROME, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Italian healthcare officials said Tuesday they are concerned by the results of a national serological testing initiative, which showed that just 2.5 percent of the people in Italy had been exposed to the coronavirus, meaning it could be easy for a second wave of the virus to gain footing in the country.

The national testing scheme carried out by the Italian Red Cross, Italy's National Statistics Institute, and regional health officials examined the blood of nearly 65,000 people in more than 2,000 cities and towns across Italy.

The total number of people tested fell well short of the goal of 150,000 the Red Cross said was needed to provide a definitive result. But in a statement, the Red Cross said that the partial results were enough to extrapolate national estimates.

Based on the results, the Ministry of Health estimated late Monday that 1.48 million Italians had been exposed to the coronavirus, around six times more than the official figures of nearly 250,000 infections. The number is the equivalent to nearly 2.5 percent of the country's population of around 60 million.

The tests were carried out between May 15 and July 15, using test kits donated by Abbott Laboratories.

According to Italian media reports, expectations at the start were that the antibody could be found in as many as one in five Italians, which would imply they had some immunity to the virus.

According to Pierluigi Lopalco, an epidemiologist with the University of Pisa and the head of the regional anti-coronavirus task force in the southern region of Apulia, the results are worrying.

"What concerns us the most is the low total figure," Lopalco said Tuesday. "In the southern parts of the country, less than 1 percent of the citizens have the antibody. In the north, where we thought the virus had circulated more, only Lombardy has a high level of antibodies."

Lombardy, which includes Italy's financial capital of Milan, is the Italian region hardest hit by the coronavirus, accounting for nearly half of the country's more than 35,000 deaths. In Bergamo, the region's fourth-largest city and the Italian city with the highest per-capita infection rate, around half of the population is found to have the antibody for the coronavirus. But in the region as a whole, the rate is 7.5 percent, around three times the national average.

"The low rate means that the vast majority of Italians have not yet encountered the virus," Lopalco said. "If the virus were to move freely around Italy it would find a large prairie on which to graze."

Also on Tuesday, Andrea Mandelli, president of the Federation of Italian Pharmacists, said test results show Italy's success in containing the spread of the coronavirus was "primarily (due) to the effectiveness of the measures taken to prevent the virus' spread" but not to high immunity levels.

According to epidemiological data gathered alongside the serological tests, 27.3 percent of those who had been infected with the virus never showed symptoms, a fact that the Ministry of Health said illustrated the importance of social distancing, mask-wearing, and other hygiene rules to help avoid cases where the virus is spreading unwittingly.
A pedestrian walks by a sign in front of the Uber headquarters on May 18, 2020 in San Francisco, California.

Uber will allow employees to work from home through June 2021, CEO Dara Khosrowshahi told employees at a meeting on Tuesday. The move is not a mandate, meaning workers will be allowed to return to offices if they open before then.

The ride-sharing company now joins Google in extending its remote-work timeline through next June.

Most tech companies have announced that the bulk of employees can work from home until the end of 2020, or haven't finalized a date. Amazon and Apple have asked that workers return in January, while Twitter has allowed employees to work from home "forever" if they wish. But Uber's delay could be the start of more companies shifting their return date even later.

As of Tuesday, the U.S. reported 4.71 million coronavirus cases, with at least 155,478 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.

CNBC's Deirdre Bosa contributed to this report.

Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.
Rajesh Kumar Thakur By

Express News Service

PATNA: Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday demanded a CBI probe into the death of bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput after the late actor's father made an appeal to him.

KK Singh, father of actor Sushant Singh Rajput, on Tuesday requested the Bihar DGP Gupteshwar Pandey for recommendation of CBI probe into his son's unnatural death.

The DGP immediately conveyed the request to the Bihar government, which then complied with it.

Speaking to a news channel, Kumar said that the recommendation will reach the central government today.

He also expressed anguish over the unfair treatment meted out to the IPS officer who was forcibly quarantined upon reaching Mumbai to investigate Rajput's death.

"I also think that CBI would be able to investigate this case better. It is surprising to me that no one picked up the phone in Mumbai when Bihar DGP called them," Kumar said.

He said that lawyer engaged by the Bihar government would represent the state in the Supreme Court and the matter is to be heard on Wednesday.

Alongside KK Singh, the late actor's sister Priyanka Singh also made the demand through her Twitter account and tagged Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah and Nitish Kumar in her post.

ALSO READ | Sushant Singh Rajput death: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to act if actor's family demands CBI probe

"In the light of obstructions caused to #BiharPolice in the case of @itsSSR ,we humbly demand #CBIforShushant . My brother deserves justice. @PMOIndia, @AmitShah, @NitishKumar, help us in the fair probe in the interest of justice #CBIForSSRHomicideCase" she tweeted.

In the light of obstructions caused to #BiharPolice in the case of @itsSSR ,we humbly demand #CBIforShushant . My brother deserves justice. @PMOIndia @AmitShah, @NitishKumar, help us in the fair probe in the interest of justice #CBIForSSRHomicideCase  Priyanka Singh (@withoutthemind) August 1, 2020

The decision has been welcomed by politicians across the state.

BJP state chief Dr Sanjay Jaiswal expressed hope that 'truth will now prevail' in the case.

Neeraj Singh Bablu, BJP MLA and cousin of Sushant Singh Rajput also thanked the state government for recommending CBI probe.

RJD spokesperson Mritunjay Tewari also welcomed the decision of Nitish Kumar and called it a "belated but much needed move".

ALSO READ | Sushant Singh Rajput death: War of words between Mumbai Police, actor's father over ongoing probe

Earlier, KK Singh had revealed that he had filed a complaint with Mumbai police in February claiming his son's life was in danger. The revelation came as he filed an FIR with Patna police, alleging Mumbai police of inaction even after 40 days of the actor's sudden death.

In a self-made video, Singh alleged that the accused in the actor's death case is on the loose and Patna Police should be provided with help.

"On February 25, I informed Bandra Police that the life of my son Sushant is in danger. He died on June 14 and I asked them to act against people named in my Feb 25 complaint. No action has been taken even 40 days after his death. So, I filed FIR in Patna. Patna Police swung into action. But the accused is running away(on the loose). Patna Police should be given help. I thank Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his colleague Sanjay Jha who gave support to the truth in this hour of grief," he said.

After the actor's demise on June 14, he asked the police to take action against the people named in the complaint given by him on February 25, said Singh, adding that no action has been taken.

(With agency inputs)
President Donald Trump has fired the chairman of the largest federal planning agency in the U.S.the Tennessee Valley Authoritysaying the federal-owned utility hired foreign workers instead of U.S. citizens, the AP reported.

The President also threatened to oust members of the TVA's board if they continued to hire workers from abroad.

Besides the firing, Trump revisited an older problem he has with the corporation, which was formed after the Great Depression to boost the economy of the Tennessee Valley, which spans seven states. The region was one of the hardest hit by the Depression. The TVA is one of the largest electricity providers in the United States, providing a total of 35,000 megawatts of electricity to approximately ten million people.

President Trump has called on the TVA's board to replace its well-compensated chief executive and hire one who "puts the interests of Americans first."

In April this year, Trump threatened to cut the salary of TVA's current chief executive, Jeff Lyash, who according to Trump was making more money than appropriate.

The base salary of Jeff Lyash was last year $920,000, which compares with $400,000 for Trump himself. But that's not all. Lyash received a total of $8.16 million, most of it coming from performance-based bonuses and a $1.8-million one-time payment for Lyash's agreement to relocate from Canada to the United States.

"I don't know the gentleman, but he's got a heck of a job," Trump said, as quoted by the Chattanooga Times Free Press in April. "He gets paid a lot of money, which is an amazing thing."

A spokesman for Tennessee Valley Authority countered with the argument that unlike other federal companies, TVA does not receive taxpayer funds.

In 2017, two economic experts suggested that Trump might try to privatize the TVA, which "has been a thorn in the side of American conservatives since its inception." The thorn is clearly bothering the President four years on.

"The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year," Trump told media this week. "We want the TVA to take action on this immediately. ... Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: 'You're fired.'

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Representative image

Ahead of the ground-breaking ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on August 5, the Uttar Pradeshs town has been kept under tight security with multiple agencies taking over the security net.

Besides local police force, about 3,500 policemen, 40 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 10 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been requisitioned from other districts for deployment in Ayodhya for the event, reported Business Standard.

In view of the high threat perception and the presence of VVIPs at the ceremony, the district borders of the temple town will be completely sealed on the evening of August 4, said the report.

The state additional director general of police (ADG), law and order, has been asked to directly handle the security arrangements for Ayodhya. The ADG will be assisted by two director general of police (DIG) and eight superintendent of police (SP) level cops, the report stated.

The state traffic department has already prepared an elaborate route diversion chart, which will be effective for Ayodhya for the next 2-3 days, it said.

Also, a green corridor has been laid down to allow movements of ambulances in case of any medical emergency, as per the report.

The security arrangements of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi complex, where the temple will be constructed following the go-ahead last year by the Supreme Court, has been already taken over the special protection group (SPG), said the report. It has also inspected the entire route proposed to be taken by the prime minister during his visit.

Barricades are already in place in Ayodhya and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued an appeal, asking only those invited for August 5 bhoomi pujan ceremony to come to the temple town.

The CM, who visited Ayodhya on August 3 to oversee preparations for the event, said that the COVID-19 protocol will be strictly followed during the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony for Ram temple.

(With inputs from PTI)
Election 2020 Ex-Aide to Daw Aung San Suu Kyi to Contest Election, but Not Under NLD

Dr. Tin Mar Aung (left of center, wearing glasses) accompanies Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in 2013. / The Irrawaddy

SITTWE, Rakhine StateDr. Tin Mar Aung, a former personal secretary of National League for Democracy (NLD) chairwoman Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, will run for a seat in the Rakhine State parliament in this years general election on the ticket of the Arakan League for Democracy (ALD).

The news has attracted widespread attention, as Dr. Tin Mar Aung will contest a seat representing Taungup Township, where the NLD enjoys popular support.

I am ethnically Rakhine, and the ALD was founded by my father. So, I will contest [a seat] for this party, she told The Irrawaddy.

The ALD was founded by Dr. Tin Mar Aungs father, Dr. Saw Mra Aung, ahead of the 1990 general election, and allied with the NLD after that vote.

After her father died in 2009, to fulfill his dying wish, Dr. Tin Mar Aung closely supported Daw Aung San Suu Kyi in her struggle for democracy.

I supported Daw Aung San Suu Kyi because my father said she would be able to bring about change, Dr. Tin Mar Aung said.

She was a regular sight beside Daw Aung San Suu Kyi during her local and foreign trips before the NLD came to power. After the 2015 general election, however, she largely disappeared from view.

Dr. Tin Mar Aung said she helped the NLD out of her desire to see the country move from military dictatorship to democracy. When the NLD won the 2015 general election, she felt her duty to help Daw Aung San Suu Kyi was done, and since 2016 she has dedicated herself to working for the Rakhine people.

As our country moved on from military dictatorship, my duty was done. I said in 2016 that I would dedicate myself to the Rakhine people. The ALD was founded by my father. As I am thinking of doing the things that my father could not finish, it would be best to contest under the banner of my own party, she told The Irrawaddy.

After the NLD government took office in 2016, Dr. Tin Mar Aung returned to Rakhine State and participated in the governments push to nominate Mrauk-U, the seat of Arakanese kings from the 15th century to the late 1800s, for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. She also works at the Dr. Saw Mra Aung Foundation, a not-for-profit association that supports the social welfare and all-round development of Myanmar.

In 2017, the ALD split from the Arakan National Party and registered again as a separate party under the same name. Dr. Tin Mar Aung then rejoined the ALD.

Im ethnically Rakhine and am working at my fathers foundation. I am also engaged in surveys in Mrauk-U, and serve in the Rakhine Welfare Association. I know what is happening in Rakhine. But I have not been able to take an active part in [Rakhine political affairs]. So, I decided to contest in Rakhine State so that I can take an active part, she said.

Dr. Tin Mar Aung said her political objective is to speak up in the parliament for the rights of Rakhine people in order to raise their education, health and living standards.

She said she would strive to implement her partys policy platform, which is to ensure federal democracy, equality and self-determination.

The most important thing is that we have federal democracy, equal rights, autonomy and our own charter in the Union. There are many stages in this process. This is my objective. My party takes this path, and I myself believe in it, she told The Irrawaddy.

Her main rivals in Taungup Constituency 2 are Rakhine State NLD Central Executive Committee member U Min Aung, a former state municipal affairs minister who is currently a lawmaker in the Rakhine State parliament, and Daw Khin Myo Yin from the ANP.

Public interest in the election was previously low, but rebounded after local parties fielded new candidates from those who ran in the 2015 general elections, said local resident Daw Theingi Maung.

At first, as there were frequent arrests in the area, people focused more on how to make a livelihood than politics. But as the parties have switched candidates, many are taking an interest again, she said.

Most Rakhine people still show little interest in the coming election, however. Despite this, the confrontation between the two major Rakhine parties has intensified as the election draws near.

The ALD and the Rakhine Nationalities Development Party (RNDP), which was established ahead of the 2010 election, merged into a single party under the name ANP in 2013, at the urging of local Rakhine people.

The party held a conference to choose its leadership the following year, and cracks started to appear when the RNDP took a dominant role in the party leadership. Political analysts viewed the merger as mostly for show between the top leaders of the two parties.

In the 2015 general election, the ANP contested 63 seats in Rakhine and Chin states and Ayeyarwady and Yangon regions. It won 10 seats in the Upper House of the Union Parliament, 12 in the Lower House and 22 in the Rakhine State parliament, along with one ethnic affairs ministers post.

However, disagreements grew within the party and former leaders of the ALD announced in January 2017 that they were splitting from the ANP and re-registering with the UEC for the 2020 elections, citing internal issues and the RNDPs dominance in the ANP as the reasons for the split. The ALD fielded a candidate in the 2018 by-election in Rathedaung Township.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko

You may also like these stories:

Myanmar Military Arrests Three Rakhine Women for Alleged Ties to Arakan Army

Fighting in Western Myanmar Disrupts Voter List Posting Ahead of Election
After two weeks battling COVID-19, State Rep. Randy Fine (R-Palm Bay) posted on Facebook that he needed his lungs X-rayed as his symptoms now included a recurring fever and a hacking chest cough. He remarked that the hydroxychloroquine therapy he had been on proved ineffective.

Ive had a cold who knows how many times. I have never had to deal with anything like this. And for those who want to believe that (hydroxychloroquine) is some kind of magic solution, Ive been taking that too (I dont oppose it, but I am tired of people pretending it is magic), he wrote in the post.

By the time the X-ray images came back showing lung damage serious enough that doctors ordered Fine to stay for observation, a debate over hydroxychloroquine raged on Fine's Facebook page.

Hydroxychloroquine as stated by many Doctors here and abroad is very effective. Had you been given that at the outset you might think it was magic indeed... wrote one user.

Was given it the day my test came back, Fine replied. Sorry to burst the magic bubble.

A selfie by Republican State Rep. Randy Fine from his hospital bed at Holmes Regional Medical Center on Aug 4., 2020 where he was admitted for observation for COVDI-19.

Further on, netizens commented that surely Fine must have not been taking the drug as prescribed or following protocol (there is none established by any medical authority).

"I'm over it," Fine texted FLORIDA TODAY from his Holmes Regional Medical Center hospital bed on Monday. "People should be able to use it if they want. But people should stop pretending it is some kind of magic potion as well. If they need proof, look at me."

Since the early days of the pandemic, excitement over the possibility that cheap, widely available drugs might be repurposed to combat the novel coronavirus has spurred a flurry of research and clinical trials. But one non-peer reviewed, clinical study from France, which has been widely derided for its shoddy methodology, including randomly eliminating test subjects without explanation, and small sample size, touted the effectiveness of the decades old anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine when used alongside azithromycin the antibiotic commonly sold as Z-Pak.

Story continues

Fervor around a possible miracle cure exploded, fueled by anecdotal reports that patients recovered suddenly after taking the drug. Before science could validate the results of the study, the drug was seized on by President Donald Trump who along with allies such as Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis secured vast quantities of the untested cure at taxpayers expense.

More: The coronavirus therapy President Trump is gambling on is backed by weak scientific data

A pharmacist shows a bottle of the drug hydroxychloroquine on April 6, 2020, in Oakland, California. The malaria drug is not yet officially approved for fighting the new coronavirus, and scientists say more testing is needed before it's proven safe and effective against COVID-19.

But successive clinical trials following standard scientific methods failed to replicate the results touted by the flawed studies that championed the therapy. The scientific consensus is that there is no measurable impact from taking the drug, alone, or alongside other medications.

U.S. health authorities began recommending against the use of the therapy outside of the controlled setting of a clinical trial because of the risk of adverse side-effects.

More: New guidelines 'recommend against' use of much-touted COVID-19 therapy outside of clinical trials

On Jul. 22 the highly-respected journal Nature published a first of it's kind study that looked at live human lung cells and found definitively that chloroquine had no anti-viral properties when it came to the virus that causes COVID-19.

The argument appeared to be settled.

Then, last week, President Trump again touted hydroxychloroquine after a group of physicians calling themselves Americas Frontline Doctors staged a press conference in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C.

A video of one of the doctors, Stella Immanuel, claiming that a combination of hydroxychloroquine, azithromycin and the nutritional supplement zinc were a cure quickly went viral. Even as social media platforms feverishly tried to take down the video for containing false and misleading claims it was re-posted by President Trump, major right-wing personalities and Donald Trump Jr.

A screenshot from the Tea Party Patriots website shows video of the group that calls itself America's Frontline Doctors speaking earlier this week in Washington.

Dr. Immanuels credentials have since come under scrutiny, along with her prior claims that certain real-life ailments are caused by sexual intercourse with demons.

This prompted assistant secretary for Health and Human Services, Adm. Brett Giroir, who was appointed to the White House's coronavirus task force to coordinate testing efforts, to say on 'Meet the Press' Sunday that it was time to "move on" and that the government does not recommend the therapy.

More: Hydroxychloroquine not effective; time to 'move on:' White House coronavirus testing chief Giroir

"The most well-designed studies so far, that are not anecdotal, but are actual studies, have indicated that there does not appear to be any beneficial effect on the use of hydroxychloroquine," said Jay Wolfson a public health policy expert and senior associate dean at the University of South Florida's medical school.

Despite this, believers in the treatment have persisted.

He didnt use the HCQ correctly, a comment said on Randy Fines page. You must take zinc with the hydroxychloraquine. (sic) The zinc is the magic bullet and the hydroxychloraquine (sic) carries it so it can prevent viral replication. Just curious, did you take the zinc too?

Yup. Sorry to burst the magic bubble, Fine shot back.

A selfie by Republican State Rep. Randy Fine from his hospital bed at Holmes Regional Medical Center on Aug 4., 2020 where he was admitted for observation for COVDI-19.

In fact Fine said he took the drugs on the recommendation and prescription of his doctor, and contrary to assertions that the public is being denied access to the drug, Fine said he had no problem filling his prescription at CVS.

Certain states have curtailed easy access to hydroxychloroquine to prevent hoarding that was endangering access for patients with Lupus who also need the drug. But anybody with a prescription from a doctor willing to prescribe it for COVID-19, in theory, has access.

Fine has now stopped responding to commenters asking about whether he was taking the therapy.

"I just got tired of every time I made an update people stating that if I just took (hydroxychloroquine) I'd be magically healed which was particularly frustrating because I was taking it," he told FLORIDA TODAY in a text.

"Much of COVID has become politics as opposed to science," said USF's Wolfson. "And it's an old issue of science being viewed in some social circles as being antithetical to belief systems."

Whether it was polio or smallpox, Wolfson said resistance to science and public health expertise, despite concerted public information campaigns, has always been an issue.

"It took a long enough time where enough people died or were affected by it, that both individuals and communities and political systems and communities, took action. We've only been at this for seven months in this country."

Only then, Wolfson said, will the walls individual's belief systems have erected come down.

For Fine the situation is reminiscent of the polarization over masks. "It's like people can no longer accept disagreement with their view."

It should be noted that Wolfson has been retained as an expert witness for Hillsborough County, which is fighting against a lawsuit to repeal their mask mandate brought by Republican State Rep. Anthony Sabatini (RHowey in the Hills).

Fine, for his part, thinks it's a matter of people needing to feel comforted during a difficult time.

"I think perhaps some people are clinging to this to psychologically manage their anxiety over the disease." he continued, adding "because if some pill can magically make it go away who has to worry?"

Alessandro Marazzi Sassoon is a watchdog reporter at FLORIDA TODAY.

Contact him at 321-355-8144, or asassoon@floridatoday.com. Twitter: @alemzs

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Hydroxychloroquine: Florida lawmaker with COVID says drug is not magic
Description

GIS  04 August 2020: In view of the prevailing situation concerning the Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) system at the Eastern High Security Prison, in Melrose, actions have been initiated to look into legal avenues so as to deal with the contractor and find a workable alternative in order to ensure that the CCTV system works effectively.

This information was communicated by the Prime Minister, Mr Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, today, in the National Assembly, in reply to a Parliamentary Question pertaining to the condition of the CCTV system at the Eastern High Security Prison in Melrose.

At the very outset, Prime Minister Jugnauth highlighted that he was informed by the Commissioner of Prisons that out of the 544 cameras installed at the Eastern High Security Prison, 339 are not operational as at date. He pointed out that the Mauritius Prison Service signed a five-year maintenance contract on 10 February 2016 with Beijing Zhuzong-Hyvec Partners Joint Venture, the Contracting firm, to the tune of Rs 19 million plus vat, as from January 2016 to 31 December 2020.

Moreover, he pointed out that, as at June 2016, 73 cameras were not operational. The contractor, who was apprised of the situation, carried out an overall inspection of the CCTV system and reported that the cause of the non-operational cameras was damage to fibre optic cables by rodents and frequent power loss due to some faulty Uninterruptible Power Supplies (UPS), he added.

Prime Minister Jugnauth further informed the house that the Prisons Department already allocated a contract to Alpha Pest Management to address the issue of rodents, and following a procurement exercise, on 10 January 2018, Powersure Ltd was awarded a contract for the replacement of faulty UPS batteries to be completed by 14 February 2018. However, it was also noted that 16 UPS were still not working and the resulting situation had an incidence on the functioning of the camera system, he stated.

He also recalled that the original contract value for the CCTV system stood at Rs 29 million while the final cost reached Rs 63.1 million.
Terming the act as 'preposterous and obnoxious', Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani condemned Pakistan's new map released by PM Imran Khan which included Indian territories. Taking to Twitter, Rupani remarked that the so-called political map released by the Pakistani PM is an example of how 'disconnected' Imran Khan is with ground realities.

The new map of Pakistan released on Tuesday included Gujarat's Junagadh, Siachen, Sir Creek, Jammu-Kashmir, and Ladakh. "Pakistan will never succeed in its wicket design of undermining the unity and integrity of India," Gujarat CM tweeted.

READ | Pakistan Approves Sham New Political Map With Parts Of India's J&K, Ladakh & Gujarat

Gujarat CM slams Pakistan

This so called political map of Pakistan released by Prime Minister Imran Khan today is a glaring example of how disconnected Pakistan PM is with ground realities. Pakistan will never succeed in its wicked design of undermining the unity and integrity of India.  Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) August 4, 2020

This action of Pakistan is both preposterous and obnoxious. Gujarat condemns this absurd act of Pakistan unequivocally.#condemnpakistan  Vijay Rupani (@vijayrupanibjp) August 4, 2020

Terming it as a 'historic' day in Pakistan's history, PM Imran Khan released the updated political map of Pakistan, approved by its cabinet. Reportedly, the map will be presented at the United Nations as well. The development comes days after Nepal staked its claim on three Indian territories by releasing a new map of the country.

READ | 'Political Absurdity': India Lambasts Pakistan Over New Map Claiming J&K, Junagadh

Responding to Pakistan's new political sham, the Government of India termed the act as an 'exercise in political absurdity'. Calling Pakistan's claims to India's Union Territories of Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh and Junagarh untenable, the government said that these had neither legal validity nor international credibility.

"We've seen a so-called 'political map' of Pakistan that has been released by PM Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our union territories of Jammu Kashmir and of Ladakh. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism," the GoI statement read.

READ | PDP To Stage 'Black Day' Protest On August 5 Over 'Kashmir Losing Its Special Status'

Pak's Kashmir cry

Since 1947, Pakistan has rejected the accession of the erstwhile state of Jammu & Kashmir into the Indian union. The neighbouring country has continuously raked up the issue at several international forums rejecting India's sovereignty. Pakistan has also set an 'independent' government in Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) which they refer to as 'Azad Kashmir.'

The Imran Khan-led government in 2019 had also rejected the revocation of Article 370 & 35(A) and peddled fake news on Kashmir's ground situation. The Pakistan Prime Minister had faced defeat on an international scale after he called for global mediation into the bilateral issue.

READ | Jammu-Kashmir Admin Allows Reopening Of All Religious Places In Valley From August 16
One of the seven appeared to be in serious condition. He was unconscious and not breathing after being shot in the 1600 block of Maryland Avenue NE, according to Officer Hugh Carew, a D.C. police spokesman.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 05:05:06|Editor: huaxia

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JERUSALEM/DAMASCUS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israeli helicopters fired missiles on Syrian military positions in the southern province of Quneitra on Monday, according to Israel's military and Syrian state news agency SANA.

Israel's military said on Monday night it had carried out airstrikes against targets belonging to the Syrian army, saying the attack was a response to "attempted attack" a day earlier.

The attack in southern Syria was carried out by Israeli fighter jets, attack helicopters and aircraft, according to a separate statement issued by the Israeli military.

"The targets struck include observation posts and intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft artillery facilities and command and control systems in Syrian Armed Forces bases," the statement read.

According to the report by SANA, the Israeli choppers attacked some posts of the Syrian army on the frontier between Quneitra and the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights, causing damage only.

Tensions have been on the rise along Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria after a fighter with Hezbollah, a Lebanese Iran-backed armed group, was killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria in July. Enditem
Katie Price has showed off her real teeth after getting her veneers removed.

The television personality, 42, looked dramatically different as she talked to the camera after having her pearly whites taken off in Turkey.

In a teaser clip for her upcoming YouTube video, Katie documented the process of getting her new veneers put in.

Different look: Katie Price has showed off her real teeth after getting her veneers removed

Joking about the condition of her teeth, Katie said to the camera: 'I love it when you talk dirty to me' as she sat in the dentist chair.

The former glamour model jetted to Turkey with her new boyfriend Carl Woods and her children Junior, 15, and Princess, 13, earlier this month to undergo the procedure.

The couple were spotted leaving a dental surgery in Turkey on Tuesday after getting 'his and her' teeth.

Pearly whites: Katie flew to Turkey to have matching his and hers veneers with her boyfriend Carl Woods (pictured just before her holiday)

Unrecognisable: The television personality, 42, looked dramatically different as she talked to the camera after having her pearly whites taken off in Turkey

Smile: In a teaser clip for her upcoming YouTube video, Katie documented the process of getting her new veneers put in

A source told The Sun: 'Katie has had problems with her veneers for years, so she's getting them done again soon - and Carl is coming too.

'He's paying for his own, though - Carl's got his own money.'

Katie shared a picture of herself wearing a tooth mould in a dental chair to her Instagram on Tuesday.

Crude: Joking about the condition of her teeth, Katie said to the camera: 'I love it when you talk dirty to me' as she sat in the dentist chair

She wrote: 'Here it goes @dental_centre_turkey a brand new colour and new teeth' followed by a tooth emoji.

The reality star has been on a quest for a perfect smile for years, and in 2017, her first set of teeth left her with a mouth full of ulcers and unable to speak.

In 2019, Katie jetted off to Turkey once again with ex Kris Boyson where they both received matching 7,000 veneers.

New look: The couple were spotted leaving a dental surgery in Turkey on Tuesday after getting 'his and her' teeth

Dental work: A source said: 'Katie has had problems with her veneers for years, so she's getting them done again soon - and Carl is coming too'

The holiday hasn't been plain sailing after the mother-of-five suffered a nasty fall and broke her feet and ankles.

She is expected to fly home early to undergo operations.

Katie was rushed to hospital in Turkey on Wednesday, and took to Instagram Stories on Friday morning where she shared a video of herself in a wheelchair and confirmed that doctors have told her it will take 'three to six months, or even longer' until she is able to walk again.

Oh dear: The holiday hasn't been plain sailing after the mother-of-five suffered a nasty fall and broke her feet and ankles

Shock injury: Katie shared a picture of her bandaged feet to Instagram on Thursday evening, and revealed she has to have an operation and pins placed in her feet

Getaway: Katie posed in a family snap with beau Carl, and kids Junior and Princess on Wednesday, before they ventured to the theme park where she fractured both ankles and feet

With her lower legs in casts, Katie begged her followers for help as she began the search for a mobility scooter and wheelchair ahead of her arrival back in England, before resigning herself to rest on a sun lounger and top up her tan.

According to The Sun, Katie, who is in 'excruciating pain', spent the night in hospital on Wednesday after jumping off a wall at theme park Land of Legends in Belek, Turkey, and fracturing both heels in the process.

The star shared a photo of her bandaged feet to Instagram and revealed she will have to undergo an operation and have pins placed in her feet.

She wrote: 'Yes it's true I have broken my ankles and my feet, I have to have both feet operated on and pins put in been told I won't be able to walk for 3 to 6 months

'@carljwoods is being amazing looking after me  #reallove #bestgentleman #wordscantdecribemyloveforhim #hismyworld.'

Cute! On Tuesday Katie shared a series of snaps to celebrate daughter Bunny's sixth birthday

Katie wrote: 'Happy birthday to my beautiful daughter Bunny whos 6 today and after a traumatic pregnancy and with her being very premature, she had grown into a beautiful confident little girl with a massive personality.'

Family affair: Katie shared a series of snaps including this picture of four of her children Junior, Jet, Bunny and Princess
People shop at Leicester Market during the city's local lockdown. (Getty)

Coronavirus deaths are increasing in two regions across England, according to the latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

The number of deaths involving COVID-19 decreased up to 24 July across all English regions, except for Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands  the newly-released ONS data shows.

Yorkshire and the Humber recorded 32 deaths in the week ending 24 July, compared with just 30 the week before.

While data from the East Midlands showed that 35 people had died from coronavirus in the same period, where just 31 had died from the virus the week before.

Only two English regions reported a rise in coronavirus deaths. (ONS)

The East Midlands is one of two regions where coronavirus deaths are on the rise. (Getty)

The South East had the largest number of weekly deaths involving coronavirus, 40, while the East Midlands had the highest proportion of deaths involving coronavirus, with 4.4% of the national toll.

However, all regions, except for the North East, East Midlands and West Midlands, had fewer overall deaths than the five-year average.

The figures come shortly after prime minister Boris Johnson was said to be "extremely concerned" that a second wave of coronavirus could hit the UK within two weeks.

On Monday, the Department of Health recorded 938 new cases in a 24-hour period.

That number represents the highest amount of new cases to be confirmed in 24 hours since June 26  38 days ago.

And the UK's seven-day average rate now stands at around 700, 28% higher than three weeks ago.

The regional R-rate, which measures how the virus is spreading among populations, is said to be almost hitting 1 in every region of England.

Across the UK, the coronavirus reproduction number has remained at 0.7 to 0.9, according to the latest figures published by Sage on Friday.

In Yorkshire and the North East, the R value has gone up from 0.7-0.9 earlier this month to 0.8-1.0 on Friday.

At a Downing Street press conference on Friday last week, Boris Johnson said: Around one in 1,500 now have the virus compared to one in 1,800 on the 15th of July and one in 2,000 on the 2nd of July.

Story continues

The ONS also estimates that there are now 4,900 new infections every day, up from around 3,000 per day on the 14th of July and 2,000 per day at the end of June.

We just cant afford to ignore this evidence, he added, saying it was vital to stress, of course, that we are in a far better position to keep the virus under control now than we were at the start of the pandemic.

The PM last week scrapped nationwide lockdown changes due to take effect the next day with hours to spare before the announcement.

Plans to allow wedding receptions of up to 30 people were postponed, as were plans to reopen remaining beauty services.

More than 56,600 deaths involving COVID-19 have now been registered in the UK.

Tuesdays ONS figures show that 51,596 deaths involving COVID-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to 24 July, and had been registered by 1 August.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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(TNS)  That old iPhone 4 still has some life left in it.Telehealth has become increasingly common as a way for doctors and other health care workers to see patients without risking exposure to the coronavirus. But there are still many people, especially among low-income and older populations, who dont have a smartphone or tablet that enables them to connect virtually with their doctor, counselor or other caregiver. Telehealth Access for Seniors , a nonprofit organization founded by Yale University students, has stepped in to close the digital divide when it comes to telehealth, collecting used devices and buying new ones to give to those patients who are most in need of regular medical check-ins.Connecting with grandchildren is a nice benefit, too.The organization now has 300 volunteers across the country, including students from Cornell University and some high schools, and has collected more than 1,200 devices and raised $50,000 so far.We started it because we realized there were a lot of seniors who didnt have access to technology, said Aakshi Agarwal of Hamden, a rising senior and co-founder, along with Hanna Verma, a rising Yale senior from Orlando, Fla., and her brother, Arjun Verma, who will be a junior in high school. This was a really growing problem across the nation  especially for low-income patients.She added, We all want to do something to help during the pandemic but theres limited options because of social distancing.The volunteers reach out through Facebook, Patch, NextDoor, newspapers, radio, any other way that they can get the word out in the community about their cause, said Siddharth Jain of Shelton, who will be a first-year Yale student this year and is the organizations treasurer.Once they get these devices, they sanitize them, reset them and they find a clinic in their community thats in need of these devices for telehealth appointments, he said. A lot of the clinics that we partner with are vet centers, VAs, because we found that a lot of veterans are low-income and need devices for telehealth appointments.That includes the Veterans Affairs medical center in West Haven, among at least six clinics in Connecticut and more than 75 clinics across the country.Not only do they receive a device, but the seniors and others also are given resource guides and free tech support. Then theyre assisted all the way through to setting up their MyChart, their FaceTime, whatever telemedicine app that they use, Jain said.Most clinics will accept any device with a front-facing camera, Agarwal said. But now, for example, were working with the Fair Haven community clinic and they have a little bit of a higher requirement because of the different types of telehealth softwares they use.  They use the MyChart software and the MyChart software only works on advanced IOSs where the VAs that weve worked with are typically able to adapt to whatever really the veteran is able to work with.People are happy to donate old phones, tablets and laptops, she said. A lot of people want to get rid of that old iPhone 4 thats worth about $10 now, but we definitely do accept Android tablets, she said. Theyve bought mostly Android tablets with donations theyve received because of their lower cost.As long as they turn on, were fine with a lot of them, Jain said. Weve collected a lot of [iPhone] 4s, 4Ss, 5s. They usually buy new devices with $50,000 theyve raised because the price difference between a refurbished used device and a new one is pretty marginal, Agarwal said. Also, its a long-term investment, I think. The seniors get to keep these devices, so we hope that theyll be able to use them in five years.Its not terribly taxing, said Alexandra McCraven of Cheshire, a rising Yale senior. I know that for people that Ive collected from, they really want to get rid of the 4s and the 4Ss and the older devices that dont really upgrade anymore, so its a situation where theyre happy to help the cause but also were almost doing them a favor because theyre really not worth that much anymore.McCraven recently volunteered with the organization. Im from Cheshire so a lot of my work is posting on local community forums, posting on Facebook to friends of my parents and also just going through my community, knocking on doors, leaving fliers and such, and then people can choose whether they want to ship the device to my home or I can actually drive there, she said.The devices are given to clinics, whose staff determines which patients to give them to. Because of privacy laws, the students dont know who receives them, unless the patient calls for tech support.Students from Telehealth Access for Seniors, a nonprofit started by Yale University students, bring smartphones and tablets to the Hartford Vet Center.Weve found really positive feedback from them that theyre able to use the devices and connect with their providers, and that the guides are really helping them set up the device, Jain said. We have had a few seniors call in to our tech-support number as well  and theyve been able to successfully connect with their provider.Telehealth Access has resource guides in Spanish, Korean, Chinese and Arabic. They have also produced a wellness guide, along with Sovalis and EndingCOVID, two other nonprofits, with information about COVID-19, income tax filing, avoiding scams and more.Part of our mission is that we believe that digital connectivity is really important just for general wellness, especially during a pandemic when you cant go outside, so the tablets help keep seniors connected to family and friends, Agarwal said.We have an entire digital calling guide that says how to use Zoom, how to use Skype, FaceTime, Facebook, all these different things that you can use to connect with your friends and family, because the rate of social isolation among seniors is honestly really, really jarring for me to think about. I cant imagine living entirely alone and not having a device to call my grandkids or my children, she said.Dr. Madhuri Sharma, who joined Fair Haven Community Health Care in May as director of telemedicine and physician, said the nonprofit is helping keep the clinics patients connected who would not want to come to the clinic in person because of COVID-19.In my experience, they will just wait to seek care  and it usually ends up in emergency care, she said.The Fair Haven clinic has received 15 or so devices from the group and will be receiving another 40 this month.Weve actually started a remote patient-monitoring program, which will send patients blood pressure, blood sugar and temperature readings to the clinic via a hub with Bluetooth and 4G or 5G connectivity.The smartphones theyre giving us will allow us to do telemedicine visits, rather than rely on a phone call to check on the patient, said Sharma.
BREST, Belarus  A 37-year-old former English teacher without political experience seems an unlikely challenger to the authoritarian president of Belarus who has been the ex-Soviet nations only leader for more than a quarter-century.

And yet, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya has united various opposition factions behind her candidacy and drawn tens of thousands of supporters to her campaign rallies ahead of the presidential election on Sunday.

Tsikhanouskaya says the crowds  the biggest demonstrations Belarus has seen since becoming independent in 1991  reflect a desperate longing for transformation after President Alexander Lukashenkos 26-year rule.

In an interview with The Associated Press, she described herself as a symbol of change.

People see me not as a consummate politician striving for power, but just an average person like themselves  and they like it, Tsikhanouskaya said. They understand that I dont want anything for myself.

Her rally a few days ago in Brest on the border with Poland drew over 20,000 people, a massive showing for a city that has never seen big political protests. A few days before that, Tsikhanouskayas rally in the capital, Minsk, attracted more than 60,000. It was the largest opposition gathering in Belarus since the rallies in the months before the 1991 Soviet collapse.

Im tired of being patient and silent, Im tired of being afraid, Tsikhanouskaya told the enthusiastic crowd in Brest.

On Tuesday, police dispersed two of Tsikhanouskayas rallies, where hundreds of people had gathered to await the candidate. The Belarusian human rights group Viasna said about 30 people were detained at the planned rallies in Slutsk and Soligorsk.

Lukashenko, 65, was a Soviet state farm director before he became the first Belarusian president in 1994. Since then he has cracked down on dissent and independent media in the nation of 9.5 million, earning the nickname of Europes last dictator.

But this time, Lukashenko appears to have lost his bravado and looks increasingly nervous in the face of the opposition rallies. More than 1,000 people have been detained for taking part in the protests since the campaign began.

Painful economic fallout from the coronavirus pandemic and the governments botched response to the outbreak has eroded Lukashenkos standing.

He had refused to introduce lockdown measures and dismissed the coronavirus as psychosis until he acknowledged last month that he had been infected but recovered quickly.

Tsikhanouskaya said Lukashenkos advice that Belarusians protect themselves against the virus with a daily shot of vodka was like a spit in the face.

She told the AP that the arrest this year of her husband, a popular opposition blogger who aspired to run for president himself, left her no choice but to enter politics.

It was brewing inside for more than 20 years. We were afraid all that time and no one dared to say a word, she said. But if I could overcome my fear, everyone can.

Her husband, Syarhei Tsikhanousky, has remained in jail since his arrest in May on charges of assailing a police officer. He has dismissed the charges as a provocation.

Last week, Belarusian authorities opened a new probe against Tsikhanouskayas husband on charges of planning to stage mass riots with 33 Russian private security contractors arrested on Wednesday. Russia has rejected the charges, saying the men were en route to another country.

Tsikhanouskaya dismissed the accusations against her husband as a sham. He has no relation to that, and people realize it, she said.

If she wins, Tsikhanouskaya said, she will free all political prisoners, order a constitutional referendum that would limit the number of presidential terms and introduce other democratic changes. She vowed to step down after six months to hold a new, free presidential vote.

She also said she will move to do away with a union treaty envisaging close economic, political and military ties with Russia. Many in the Belarusian opposition see the union as a threat to the countrys independence.

Lukashenko has relied on Russian subsidies and loans to keep Belarus Soviet-era economy afloat. He denounced a hike in Russian energy prices this year as part of the Kremlins pressure on Belarus to abandon its independence and pointed at the arrest of the 33 Russian security contractors as a sign of Moscows subversive plans.

Western observers have described previous presidential elections in Belarus as rigged to keep Lukashenko in office.

Tsikhanouskaya has emerged as the rallying figure for the opposition after election officials refused to register for the ballot two other potential candidates who were seen as Lukashenkos strongest potential challengers.

One, Viktor Babariko, the head of a major Russia-controlled bank, was jailed in May on money-laundering and tax-evasion charges that he rejected as politically driven. Another, Valery Tsepkalo, fled to Russia with his children last month after receiving a tip that his arrest was imminent and the authorities were prepared to strip him of parental rights.

Tsikhanouskaya has teamed up with Tsepkalos wife, who stayed in Belarus, and Babarikos campaign manager to run an energetic campaign. Three other contenders on the ballot are widely seen as token candidates.

Tsikhanouskaya said she had to send her 10-year-old son and 5-year-old daughter to a European country she wouldnt name after receiving threats.

I got a phone call: We will put you behind bars and place your children in an orphanage, she said. I was hesitating and on the verge of stepping down.

She said it was a tormenting decision. But I made that choice to keep running, she said. There must be a symbol of freedom.
KYODO NEWS - Aug 4, 2020 - 14:36 | All, Coronavirus, Japan

The government said Tuesday it will, for the first time, livestream Japan's annual memorial service that remembers the victims of World War II, on Aug. 15, as the coronavirus pandemic has forced it to hold the event on a smaller scale.

On the 75th anniversary of the country's surrender, the health ministry will show the ceremony on its official YouTube account after deciding to reduce the number of attendees to a maximum of 1,400 from about 6,200 the previous year, as part of the efforts to contain the spread of the virus.

"We made special considerations so that people who, unfortunately, will not be coming can attend the event in this manner," Health, Labor and Welfare Minister Katsunobu Kato told a press conference.

Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga announced Prime Minister Shinzo Abe will attend ceremonies marking the 1945 U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, to be held on Thursday and Sunday, respectively.

Both ceremonies, which normally draw many elderly survivors and relatives of the victims, will also be held with fewer attendees this year to prevent the spread of the virus.
Scientists at Australia's national science agency, CSIRO have made headway in sustainable fashion--colored cotton. With their new discovery, it has the potential to transform the global textile industry, as reported by ABC Landline.

The article goes on to say, that while cotton is renewable, recyclable and biodegradable, it still needs to be dyed, and the use of sometimes harmful chemical dyes is considered a blot on the industry's environmental copybook.

The fashion industry plays a large role in the environment, and does more harm than good for the Earth. According to the UN Environment Program, the fashion industry produces 20% of global wastewater and 10 percent of global carbon emissions. Textile dyeing is the second largest polluter of water globally and it take around 2,000 gallons of water to make a typical pair of jeans.

The scientists at CSIRO have been able to genetically modify cotton to make it naturally colored. Perhaps the most fascinating achievement in their research has been the team's work to breed naturally black cotton, which would replace black dyes. Black dyes are the most polluting of textile colors, according to ABC Landline.

Colleen MacMillan leads the team of scientists in this discovery.

"When we saw the results, it brought a tear to my eye because it was a very special moment," Dr MacMillan said in an interview with ABC.

The scientists must now wait several months to see if the colorful plant tissue they have grows into colorful cotton, according to ABC.

If everything goes as planned, it would significantly decrease the need for chemical dyes. This new development is a victory for sustainability in the fashion industry.

America won't reap the benefits of this new discovery just yet, as Australia's cotton industry will be the major beneficiary. CSIRO stated that Australia has the highest cotton yields in the world, exporting $2.5 billion of cotton each year.

But here in Houston, there are some designers who've already caught on to the sustainability wave. Nanci Olebe of Temporary creates and sells upcycled high-fashion streetwear.
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION (NYSE: RRC) today announced its second quarter 2020 financial results.



Second Quarter Highlights 

Well costs averaged less than $600 per lateral foot, including facility costs, the lowest in Appalachia

Transportation, gathering, processing and compression expense improved $0.15 per mcfe, or 10% versus prior year

Direct operating expense improved $0.05 per mcfe, or 31% versus prior year

G&A expense (before certain items) improved $0.05 per mcfe, or 28% versus prior year

Production taxes improved $0.02 per mcfe, or 40% versus prior year

Interest expense improved $0.02 per mcfe, or 8% versus prior year

DD&A expense improved $0.19 per mcfe, or 28% versus prior year

Total cash unit costs improved $0.29 per mcfe, or 14% versus prior year

Production averaged 2,349 Mmcfe per day, approximately 71% natural gas

Repurchased approximately $47 million of outstanding notes principal at an average 20% discount to par

In July, signed purchase and sale agreement to divest North Louisiana assets for gross proceeds of $245 million, plus an additional $90 million contingent on future commodity prices

Commenting on the quarter, Jeff Ventura, the Companys CEO said, Range continued to make steady progress in the second quarter - significantly improving our cost structure, operating safely, and methodically developing our core asset with peer-leading well costs and capital efficiency. After the sale of our North Louisiana assets, Ranges cost structure and capital productivity will take another meaningful step forward, driven by material improvements in our cash unit costs and a base decline solidly under 20%. Our shallow base decline and peer leading well costs provide Range a sustaining capital requirement per mcfe that we believe is the lowest amongst peers, providing us a solid foundation for generating corporate returns. In 2020, we expect Range to reduce total debt outstanding for the third consecutive year in a row, reflecting our commitment to disciplined capital allocation and a strong balance sheet. Range remains well-positioned to successfully navigate the current commodity environment and benefit from an improved outlook for natural gas and natural gas liquids, particularly given Ranges industry-leading inventory of core natural gas and liquids wells.

Financial Discussion

Except for generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) reported amounts, specific expense categories exclude non-cash impairments, unrealized mark-to-market adjustment on derivatives, non-cash stock compensation and other items shown separately on the attached tables. Unit costs as used in this release are composed of direct operating, transportation, gathering, processing and compression, production and ad valorem taxes, general and administrative, interest and depletion, depreciation and amortization costs divided by production. See Non-GAAP Financial Measures for a definition of each of the non-GAAP financial measures and the tables that reconcile each of the non-GAAP measures to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

GAAP revenues for second quarter 2020 totaled $377 million, GAAP net cash provided from operating activities (including changes in working capital) was $79 million, and GAAP earnings was a loss of $147 million ($0.61 per diluted share).

Non-GAAP revenues for second quarter 2020 totaled $502 million, and cash flow from operations before changes in working capital, a non-GAAP measure, was $81 million. Adjusted earnings comparable to analysts estimates, a non-GAAP measure, was a loss of $25 million ($0.10 per diluted share) in second quarter 2020.

North Louisiana Asset Sale

Subsequent to June 30, Range signed a purchase and sale agreement to divest the Companys North Louisiana assets for gross proceeds of $245 million, with the potential for $90 million in additional proceeds contingent on future commodity prices. At the time of the sale, the assets were producing approximately 160 Mmcfe per day, and Range did not have any drilling and completion activity planned for the assets this year. Per the agreement, Range will retain certain commitments through their remaining term. Range intends to use $28.5 million of the sale proceeds to reduce a portion of the retained commitments. The transaction is expected to close in August with an effective date of February 1, 2020.

Capital Expenditures

Second quarter 2020 drilling and completion expenditures were $99 million. In addition, during the quarter, a combined $5 million was spent on acreage and gathering systems. Total year-to-date expenditures were $235 million at the end of the second quarter. Well costs, including all facilities, averaged less than $600 per foot in the second quarter, the lowest normalized well costs in Appalachia. Range remains on track to spend at or below its total capital budget of $430 million for 2020.

Financial Position and Buyback Activity



At the end of the second quarter, Range had $639 million drawn on its revolver and over $1.4 billion of additional borrowing capacity under the commitment amount. Range expects its $3.0 billion borrowing base to be unchanged following the sale of its North Louisiana assets. Following the planned closing on the Companys North Louisiana asset sale in August, Ranges liquidity is expected to exceed $1.6 billion.

Range repurchased and retired approximately $47 million in principal amount of its senior and subordinated notes during the second quarter at a weighted average discount to par of 20%. Range also repurchased 200,000 shares of the Companys common stock during the second quarter at an average price of $2.22 per share. In total, Range has repurchased $360 million in debt principal at a discount and ten million shares since second half 2019.

Unit Costs and Pricing

The following table details Ranges unit costs per mcfe(a):

Expenses 2Q 2020

($/Mcfe) 2Q 2019

($/Mcfe) Increase

(Decrease) Direct operating(a) $ 0.11 $ 0.16 (31%) Transportation, gathering, processing and compression 1.30 1.45 (10%) Production and ad valorem taxes 0.03 0.05 (40%) General and administrative (G&A)(a) 0.13 0.18 (28%) Interest expense(a) 0.22 0.24 (8%) Total cash unit costs(b) 1.79 2.08 (14%) Depletion, depreciation and amortization (DD&A) 0.49 0.68 (28%) Total unit costs plus DD&A(b) $ 2.28 $ 2.76 (17%)

(a) Excludes stock-based compensation, legal settlements and amortization of deferred financing costs.

(b) May not add due to rounding.

The following table details Ranges average production and realized pricing for second quarter 2020:

2Q20 Production & Realized Pricing

Natural Gas

(Mcf) NGLs

(Bbl) Oil

(Bbl) Natural Gas

Equivalent

(Mcfe) Net Production per day 1,660,743 106,772 7,913 2,348,856 Average NYMEX price $1.72 $27.09 Differential, including basis hedging (0.31) (12.28) Realized prices before NYMEX hedges 1.41 $12.80 14.81 Settled NYMEX hedges 0.61 0.71 30.21 Average realized prices after hedges (a) $ 2.02 $ 13.51 $ 45.03 $ 2.19

(a) May not add due to rounding.

Second quarter 2020 natural gas, NGLs and oil price realizations (including the impact of derivative settlements which correspond to analysts estimates) averaged $2.19 per mcfe. Additional detail on commodity price realizations can be found in the Supplemental Tables provided on the Companys website.

The average natural gas price, including the impact of basis hedging, was $1.41 per mcf, or a ($0.31) differential to NYMEX. In the second quarter, Range sold additional natural gas volume in Appalachia following a pipeline outage in May that affected a portion of Ranges transportation to the Gulf Coast. This minor impact to differentials was offset by lower gas transportation expense in the quarter.



Pre-hedge NGL realizations were $12.80 per barrel, or a $0.37 per barrel premium to the Mont Belvieu weighted barrel and approximately 47% of WTI (West Texas Intermediate). Lower NGL prices in the second quarter were partially offset by lower processing costs.



Crude oil and condensate price realizations, before realized hedges, averaged $14.81 per barrel, or $12.28 below WTI. Condensate pricing in the second quarter was impacted by weakness in regional demand. However, regional condensate demand has increased following the second quarter, and Range expects differentials and fundamentals to improve in second half 2020. As a result, Range deferred some liquids-rich activity into second half 2020 and its Appalachia condensate production is expected to increase versus the second quarter.

Operational Discussion

The table below summarizes estimated activity for 2020 regarding the number of wells to sales for each area.

Wells TIL

2Q 2020 Calendar 2020

Planned TIL Remaining

2020 SW PA Super-Rich 0 3 3 SW PA Wet 6 31 13 SW PA Dry 15 33 10 Total Wells 21 67 26

Production by Area

Total production for second quarter 2020 averaged approximately 2,349 net Mmcfe per day. The southwest Appalachia area averaged 2,083 net Mmcfe per day during the quarter, a 6% increase over second quarter 2019. The northeast Marcellus properties averaged 86 net Mmcf per day and North Louisiana production during second quarter 2020 averaged approximately 179 net Mmcfe per day. Second quarter 2020 North Louisiana production includes the benefit of one-time land and legal adjustments as part of the divestiture process.

Marketing and Transportation

During the quarter, Range sold additional natural gas volume in Appalachia following a third-party pipeline outage in early May affecting a portion of Ranges transportation that takes natural gas to the Gulf Coast. This had a minor impact to natural gas differentials during the quarter and was mostly offset by lower gas transportation expense. Range continues to benefit from its diverse set of natural gas transportation outlets as unexpected events in any one market do not materially impact the overall portfolio.

Domestic U.S. natural gas production declined significantly during the quarter, led by associated gas shut-ins and legacy basin declines in response to the price of both oil and natural gas. Range expects recently announced activity reductions for the industry to weigh on second half 2020 production levels, more than offsetting the return of shut-in production, while LNG export demand recovers from current levels. Evidenced by one of the lightest 2021 hedge positions among natural gas producers, Range anticipates that a sustained move higher in the forward curve for natural gas is needed to incentivize activity from dry gas producing basins to avoid extremely low storage levels next year.

As previously disclosed, entering second quarter, demand for gasoline and jet fuel were directly impacted by COVID-19 related reductions in vehicle and air travel. The abrupt change in demand put temporary pressure on condensate pricing during the quarter. Production and sales were unaffected as Ranges marketing team found domestic or international outlets for all products. The Northeast condensate market began to rebound in the months of June and July, with substantial improvements in pricing, pointing to a better second half of the year.

Range experienced healthy NGL demand during the second quarter as a result of its strong and diverse customer base as well as a flexible transportation portfolio that allows access to multiple domestic and international markets. The Company increased its access to waterborne exports via Mariner East and Marcus Hook during the second quarter, where LPG export premiums at Marcus Hook have remained stable at a few cents per gallon above Mont Belvieu index. Range expects NGL and condensate fundamentals to continue strengthening during the second half of 2020, as a lack of U.S. drilling and completions activity is expected to result in declining supply while demand continues to recover. Ranges liquids-weighted activity during the balance of 2020 is set to take advantage of this improving macro environment for both condensate and NGL pricing.

Guidance  2020

Production per day Guidance

Production for full-year 2020 is expected to average approximately 2.25 Bcfe per day, reflecting adjustments associated with the sale of North Louisiana assets. Full-year 2020 Appalachia production is expected to average approximately 2.15 Bcfe per day.

Full Year 2020 Expense Guidance

Prior Guidance Updated Guidance Direct operating expense: $0.14 - $0.16 per mcfe $0.11 - $0.13 per mcfe Transportation, gathering, processing and compression expense: $1.37 - $1.40 per mcfe $1.32 - $1.36 per mcfe Production tax expense: $0.04 - $0.05 per mcfe $0.03 - $0.04 per mcfe Exploration expense: $30 - $38 million $28 - $34 million G&A expense: $0.14 - $0.16 per mcfe $0.14 - $0.15 per mcfe Interest expense: $0.22 - $0.24 per mcfe $0.22 - $0.24 per mcfe DD&A expense: $0.48 - $0.52 per mcfe $0.48 - $0.52 per mcfe Net brokered gas marketing expense: $10 - $16 million $10 - $16 million

Full Year 2020 Price Guidance

Based on current market indications and the anticipated sale of Ranges North Louisiana assets in August, Range expects to average the following price differentials for its production in 2020.

Prior Guidance Updated Guidance Natural Gas:(1) NYMEX minus $0.20 to $0.26 NYMEX minus $0.22 to $0.28 Natural Gas Liquids:(2) Mont Belvieu plus $0.50 to $1.50 per bbl Mont Belvieu plus $0.50 to $1.50 per bbl Oil/Condensate: WTI minus $8.00 to $9.00 per bbl WTI minus $8.00 to $10.00 per bbl

(1) Including basis hedging.

(2) Weighting based on 53% ethane, 27% propane, 7% normal butane, 4% iso-butane and 9% natural gasoline.

Hedging Status

Range hedges portions of its expected future production to increase the predictability of cash flow and to help maintain a more flexible financial position. Range has over 70% of its remaining 2020 natural gas production hedged at a weighted average floor price of $2.57 per Mmbtu. Similarly, Range has hedged over 80% of its remaining 2020 projected crude oil production at an average floor price of $58.12. Please see Ranges detailed hedging schedule posted at the end of the financial tables below and on its website at www.rangeresources.com .

Range has also hedged Marcellus and other natural gas basis to limit volatility between NYMEX and regional prices. The fair value of basis hedges was a loss of $4.5 million as of June 30, 2020. The Company also has propane basis swap contracts and freight swaps which lock in the differential between Mont Belvieu and international propane indices. The combined fair value of these contracts was a loss of $4.0 million at June 30, 2020.

Conference Call Information

A conference call to review the financial results is scheduled on Tuesday, August 4 at 9:00 a.m. ET. A webcast of the call may be accessed at www.rangeresources.com . The webcast will be archived for replay on the Company's website until September 4, 2020.

To participate in the call, dial 877-928-8777 and provide conference code 1543996 about 15 minutes prior to the scheduled start time.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Adjusted net income comparable to analysts estimates as set forth in this release represents income or loss from operations before income taxes adjusted for certain non-cash items (detailed in the accompanying table) less income taxes. We believe adjusted net income comparable to analysts estimates is calculated on the same basis as analysts estimates and that many investors use this published research in making investment decisions and evaluating operational trends of the Company and its performance relative to other oil and gas producing companies. Diluted earnings per share (adjusted) as set forth in this release represents adjusted net income comparable to analysts estimates on a diluted per share basis. A table is included which reconciles income or loss from operations to adjusted net income comparable to analysts estimates and diluted earnings per share (adjusted). The Company provides additional comparative information on prior periods along with non-GAAP revenue disclosures on its website.

Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital (sometimes referred to as adjusted cash flow) as defined in this release represents net cash provided by operations before changes in working capital and exploration expense adjusted for certain non-cash compensation items. Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital is widely accepted by the investment community as a financial indicator of an oil and gas companys ability to generate cash to internally fund exploration and development activities and to service debt. Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital is also useful because it is widely used by professional research analysts in valuing, comparing, rating and providing investment recommendations of companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. In turn, many investors use this published research in making investment decisions. Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital is not a measure of financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered as an alternative to cash flows from operations, investing, or financing activities as an indicator of cash flows, or as a measure of liquidity. A table is included which reconciles net cash provided by operations to cash flow from operations before changes in working capital as used in this release. On its website, the Company provides additional comparative information on prior periods for cash flow, cash margins and non-GAAP earnings as used in this release.

The cash prices realized for oil and natural gas production, including the amounts realized on cash-settled derivatives and net of transportation, gathering, processing and compression expense, is a critical component in the Companys performance tracked by investors and professional research analysts in valuing, comparing, rating and providing investment recommendations and forecasts of companies in the oil and gas exploration and production industry. In turn, many investors use this published research in making investment decisions. Due to the GAAP disclosures of various derivative transactions and third-party transportation, gathering, processing and compression expense, such information is now reported in various lines of the income statement. The Company believes that it is important to furnish a table reflecting the details of the various components of each line in the statement of operations to better inform the reader of the details of each amount and provide a summary of the realized cash-settled amounts and third-party transportation, gathering, processing and compression expense which were historically reported as natural gas, NGLs and oil sales. This information is intended to bridge the gap between various readers understanding and fully disclose the information needed.

The Company discloses in this release the detailed components of many of the single line items shown in the GAAP financial statements included in the Companys quarterly report on Form 10-Q. The Company believes that it is important to furnish this detail of the various components comprising each line of the Statements of Operations to better inform the reader of the details of each amount, the changes between periods and the effect on its financial results.

RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION (NYSE: RRC) is a leading U.S. independent natural gas and NGL producer with operations focused in stacked-pay projects in the Appalachian Basin. The Company pursues an organic development strategy targeting high return, low-cost projects within its large inventory of low risk development drilling opportunities. The Company is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. More information about Range can be found at www.rangeresources.com.

Included within this release are certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are not limited to historical facts, but reflect Ranges current beliefs, expectations or intentions regarding future events. Words such as may, will, could, should, expect, plan, project, intend, anticipate, believe, outlook, estimate, predict, potential, pursue, target, continue, and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

All statements, except for statements of historical fact, made within regarding activities, events or developments the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, such as those regarding future well costs, expected asset sales, well productivity, future liquidity and financial resilience, anticipated exports and related financial impact, NGL market supply and demand, improving commodity fundamentals and pricing, future capital efficiencies, future shareholder value, emerging plays, capital spending, anticipated drilling and completion activity, acreage prospectivity, expected pipeline utilization and future guidance information, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These statements are based on assumptions and estimates that management believes are reasonable based on currently available information; however, management's assumptions and Range's future performance are subject to a wide range of business risks and uncertainties and there is no assurance that these goals and projections can or will be met. Any number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Further information on risks and uncertainties is available in Range's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Unless required by law, Range undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events after the date they are made.

The SEC permits oil and gas companies, in filings made with the SEC, to disclose proved reserves, which are estimates that geological and engineering data demonstrate with reasonable certainty to be recoverable in future years from known reservoirs under existing economic and operating conditions as well as the option to disclose probable and possible reserves. Range has elected not to disclose its probable and possible reserves in its filings with the SEC. Range uses certain broader terms such as "resource potential, unrisked resource potential, "unproved resource potential" or "upside" or other descriptions of volumes of resources potentially recoverable through additional drilling or recovery techniques that may include probable and possible reserves as defined by the SEC's guidelines. Range has not attempted to distinguish probable and possible reserves from these broader classifications. The SECs rules prohibit us from including in filings with the SEC these broader classifications of reserves. These estimates are by their nature more speculative than estimates of proved, probable and possible reserves and accordingly are subject to substantially greater risk of actually being realized. Unproved resource potential refers to Range's internal estimates of hydrocarbon quantities that may be potentially discovered through exploratory drilling or recovered with additional drilling or recovery techniques and have not been reviewed by independent engineers. Unproved resource potential does not constitute reserves within the meaning of the Society of Petroleum Engineer's Petroleum Resource Management System and does not include proved reserves. Area wide unproven resource potential has not been fully risked by Range's management. EUR, or estimated ultimate recovery, refers to our managements estimates of hydrocarbon quantities that may be recovered from a well completed as a producer in the area. These quantities may not necessarily constitute or represent reserves within the meaning of the Society of Petroleum Engineers Petroleum Resource Management System or the SECs oil and natural gas disclosure rules. Actual quantities that may be recovered from Range's interests could differ substantially. Factors affecting ultimate recovery include the scope of Range's drilling program, which will be directly affected by the availability of capital, drilling and production costs, commodity prices, availability of drilling services and equipment, drilling results, lease expirations, transportation constraints, regulatory approvals, field spacing rules, recoveries of gas in place, length of horizontal laterals, actual drilling results, including geological and mechanical factors affecting recovery rates and other factors. Estimates of resource potential may change significantly as development of our resource plays provides additional data.

In addition, our production forecasts and expectations for future periods are dependent upon many assumptions, including estimates of production decline rates from existing wells and the undertaking and outcome of future drilling activity, which may be affected by significant commodity price declines or drilling cost increases. Investors are urged to consider closely the disclosure in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, available from our website at www.rangeresources.com or by written request to 100 Throckmorton Street, Suite 1200, Fort Worth, Texas 76102. You can also obtain this Form 10-K on the SECs website at www.sec.gov or by calling the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330.

2020-13



SOURCE: Range Resources Corporation

Investor Contacts: Laith Sando, Vice President  Investor Relations 817-869-4267 lsando@rangeresources.com John Durham, Senior Financial Analyst 817-869-1538 jdurham@rangeresources.com Range Media Contacts: Mark Windle, Manager of Corporate Communications 724-873-3223 mwindle@rangeresources.com







RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS Based on GAAP reported earnings with additional details of items included in each line in Form 10-Q (Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 2019 % 2020 2019 % Revenues and other income: Natural gas, NGLs and oil sales (a) $ 349,258 $ 563,579 $ 781,354 $ 1,235,233 Derivative fair value (loss)/income (6,303 ) 195,245 226,872 133,514 Brokered natural gas, marketing and other (b) 33,309 91,940 61,698 230,083 ARO settlement loss (b) (12 )  (12 )  Other (b) 294 665 554 736 Total revenues and other income 376,546 851,429 -56% 1,070,466 1,599,566 -33% Costs and expenses: Direct operating 23,960 33,432 55,545 66,068 Direct operating  non-cash stock-based compensation (c) 434 549 884 1,140 Transportation, gathering, processing and compression 278,875 301,219 563,640 603,874 Production and ad valorem taxes 5,557 9,889 14,576 21,199 Brokered natural gas and marketing 37,993 100,564 70,204 232,421 Brokered natural gas and marketing  non-cash stock-based compensation (c) 168 553 581 1,001 Exploration 7,655 7,721 14,402 15,444 Exploration  non-cash stock-based compensation (c) 372 388 702 876 Abandonment and impairment of unproved properties 5,524 12,770 10,937 25,429 General and administrative 28,333 38,505 61,343 74,799 General and administrative  non-cash stock-based compensation (c) 9,179 9,500 17,208 19,138 General and administrative  lawsuit settlements 776 1,190 1,591 1,896 General and administrative  rig release penalty  1,436  1,436 General and administrative  bad debt expense   400  Exit and termination costs 10,297 2,180 11,892 2,180 Exit and termination costs  non-cash stock-based compensation (c)  26  26 Deferred compensation plan (d) 12,587 (11,142 ) 4,050 (7,561 ) Interest expense 46,489 49,922 91,946 99,671 Interest expense  amortization of deferred financing costs (e) 2,135 1,805 4,196 3,593 Gain on early extinguishment of debt (8,991 )  (21,914 )  Depletion, depreciation and amortization 104,626 141,505 207,612 280,223 Impairment of proved properties   77,000  Loss (gain) on sale of assets 426 (5,867 ) (121,673 ) (5,678 ) Total costs and expenses 566,395 696,145 -19% 1,065,122 1,437,175 -26% (Loss) income before income taxes (189,849 ) 155,284 -222% 5,344 162,391 -97% Income tax (benefit) expense: Current (3  (366 )  Deferred (43,277 ) 40,099 7,304 45,787 (43,280 ) 40,099 6,938 45,787 Net (loss) income $ (146,569 ) $ 115,185 -227% $ (1,594 ) $ 116,604 -101% Net (Loss) Income Per Common Share: Basic $ (0.61 ) $ 0.46 $ (0.01 ) $ 0.46 Diluted $ (0.61 ) $ 0.46 $ (0.01 ) $ 0.46 Weighted average common shares outstanding, as reported: Basic 239,472 247,770 -3% 242,717 247,773 -2% Diluted 239,472 248,436 -4% 242,717 249,042 -3%

(a) See separate natural gas, NGLs and oil sales information table.

(b) Included in Brokered natural gas, marketing and other revenues in the 10-Q.

(c) Costs associated with stock compensation and restricted stock amortization, which have been reflected in the categories associated with the direct personnel costs, which are combined with the cash costs in the 10-Q.

(d) Reflects the change in market value of the vested Company stock held in the deferred compensation plan.

(e) Included in interest expense in the 10-Q.





RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands) June 30,



December 31,

2020

2019

(Unaudited) (Audited) Assets Current assets $ 188,587 $ 290,954 Derivative assets 146,236 137,554 Natural gas and oil properties, successful efforts method 5,993,626 6,041,035 Transportation and field assets 3,723 5,375 Operating lease right-of-use assets 52,367 62,053 Other 67,672 75,432 $ 6,452,211 $ 6,612,403 Liabilities and Stockholders Equity Current liabilities $ 522,554 $ 551,032 Asset retirement obligations 2,393 2,393 Derivative liabilities 5,306 13,119 Bank debt 628,221 464,319 Senior notes 2,510,256 2,659,844 Senior subordinated notes 26,656 48,774 Total debt 3,165,133 3,172,937 Deferred tax liability 167,548 160,196 Derivative liabilities 10,001 949 Deferred compensation liability 58,676 64,070 Operating lease liabilities 35,104 41,068 Asset retirement obligations and other liabilities 149,680 259,151 Common stock and retained earnings 2,366,654 2,355,512 Other comprehensive loss (644 ) (788 ) Common stock held in treasury stock (30,194 ) (7,236 ) Total stockholders equity 2,335,816 2,347,488 $ 6,452,211 $ 6,612,403





RECONCILIATION OF TOTAL REVENUES AND OTHER INCOME TO TOTAL REVENUE EXCLUDING CERTAIN ITEMS, a non-GAAP measure (Unaudited, in thousands) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 2019 % 2020 2019 % Total revenues and other income, as reported $ 376,546 $ 851,429 -56 % $ 1,070,466 $ 1,599,566 -33 % Adjustment for certain special items: Total change in fair value related to derivatives prior to settlement (gain) loss 125,803 (161,738 ) (7,443 ) (75,173 ) ARO settlement loss 12  12  Total revenues, as adjusted, non-GAAP $ 502,361 $ 689,691 -27 % $ 1,063,035 $ 1,524,393 -30 %





RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES (Unaudited in thousands) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Net (loss) income $ (146,569 ) $ 115,185 $ (1,594 ) $ 116,604 Adjustments to reconcile net cash provided from continuing operations: Deferred income tax (benefit) expense (43,277 ) 40,099 7,304 45,787 Depletion, depreciation, amortization and impairment 104,626 141,505 284,612 280,223 Abandonment and impairment of unproved properties 5,524 12,770 10,937 25,429 Derivative fair value loss (income) 6,303 (195,245 ) (226,872 ) (133,514 ) Cash settlements on derivative financial instruments 119,500 33,507 219,429 58,341 Allowance for bad debts   400  Amortization of deferred issuance costs and other 1,741 1,436 3,398 3,243 Deferred and stock-based compensation 22,637 (385 ) 23,113 13,727 Loss (gain) on sale of assets and other 426 (5,867 ) (121,673 ) (5,678 ) Gain on early extinguishment of debt (8,991 )  (21,914 )  Changes in working capital: Accounts receivable 19,045 67,422 103,390 201,428 Inventory and other 376 (272 ) (4,056 ) (5,035 ) Accounts payable (46,013 ) 1,299 (27,353 ) (29,132 ) Accrued liabilities and other 43,434 (26,632 ) (45,853 ) (125,907 ) Net changes in working capital 16,842 41,817 26,128 41,354 Net cash provided from operating activities $ 78,762 $ 184,822 $ 203,268 $ 445,516 RECONCILIATION OF NET CASH PROVIDED FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES, AS REPORTED, TO CASH FLOW FROM OPERATIONS BEFORE CHANGES IN WORKING CAPITAL, a non-GAAP measure (Unaudited, in thousands) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Net cash provided from operating activities, as reported $ 78,762 $ 184,822 $ 203,268 $ 445,516 Net changes in working capital (16,842 ) (41,817 ) (26,128 ) (41,354 ) Exploration expense 7,655 7,721 14,402 15,444 Lawsuit settlements 776 1,190 1,591 1,896 Exit and termination costs 10,297 2,180 11,892 2,180 Rig release penalty  1,436  1,436 Non-cash compensation adjustment 509 628 1,122 1,243 Cash flow from operations before changes in working capital  non-GAAP measure $ 81,157 $ 156,160 $ 206,147 $ 426,361 ADJUSTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE SHARES OUTSTANDING (Unaudited, in thousands) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Basic: Weighted average shares outstanding 245,879 251,242 247,516 250,784 Stock held by deferred compensation plan (6,407 ) (3,472 ) (4,799 ) (3,011 ) Adjusted basic 239,472 247,770 242,717 247,773 Dilutive: Weighted average shares outstanding 245,879 251,242 247,516 250,784 Dilutive stock options under treasury method (6,407 ) (2,806 ) (4,799 ) (1,742 ) Adjusted dilutive 239,472 248,436 242,717 249,042





RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF NATURAL GAS, NGLs AND OIL SALES AND DERIVATIVE FAIR VALUE INCOME (LOSS) TO CALCULATED CASH REALIZED NATURAL GAS, NGLs AND OIL PRICES WITH AND WITHOUT THIRD PARTY TRANSPORTATION, GATHERING AND COMPRESSION FEES, a non-GAAP measure (Unaudited, in thousands, except per unit data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 2019 % 2020 2019 % Natural gas, NGL and oil sales components: Natural gas sales $ 214,207 $ 343,623 $ 467,456 $ 778,343 NGL sales 124,383 167,027 267,622 364,840 Oil sales 10,668 52,929 46,276 92,050 Total oil and gas sales, as reported $ 349,258 $ 563,579 -38 % $ 781,354 $ 1,235,233 -37 % Derivative fair value (loss) income, as reported: $ (6,303 ) $ 195,245 $ 226,872 $ 133,514 Cash settlements on derivative financial instruments  (gain) loss: Natural gas (90,837 ) (20,396 ) (171,009 ) (19,524 ) NGLs (6,905 ) (15,918 ) (16,948 ) (40,782 ) Crude Oil (21,758 ) 2,807 (31,472 ) 1,965 Total change in fair value related to derivatives prior to settlement, a non-GAAP measure $ (125,803 ) $ 161,738 $ 7,443 $ 75,173 Transportation, gathering, processing and compression components: Natural gas $ 167,367 $ 185,353 $ 337,208 $ 374,435 NGLs 110,718 115,866 225,642 229,439 Oil 790  790  Total transportation, gathering, processing and compression, as reported $ 278,875 $ 301,219 $ 563,640 $ 603,874 Natural gas, NGL and oil sales, including cash-settled derivatives: (c) Natural gas sales $ 305,044 $ 364,019 $ 638,465 $ 797,867 NGL sales 131,288 182,945 284,570 405,622 Oil sales 32,426 50,122 77,748 90,085 Total $ 468,758 $ 597,086 -21 % 1,000,783 1,293,574 -23 % Production of oil and gas during the periods (a): Natural gas (mcf) 151,127,582 143,163,003 6 % 296,888,174 283,684,666 5 % NGL (bbl) 9,716,261 9,847,268 -1 % 19,349,296 19,459,815 -1 % Oil (bbl) 720,125 982,324 -27 % 1,588,422 1,787,874 -11 % Gas equivalent (mcfe) (b) 213,745,898 208,140,555 3 % 422,514,482 411,170,800 3 % Production of oil and gas  average per day (a): Natural gas (mcf) 1,660,743 1,573,220 6 % 1,631,254 1,567,319 4 % NGL (bbl) 106,772 108,212 -1 % 106,315 107,513 -1 % Oil (bbl) 7,913 10,795 -27 % 8,728 9,878 -12 % Gas equivalent (mcfe) (b) 2,348,856 2,287,259 3 % 2,321,508 2,271,662 2 % Average prices, excluding derivative settlements and before third party transportation costs: Natural gas (mcf) $ 1.42 $ 2.40 -41 % $ 1.57 $ 2.74 -43 % NGL (bbl) $ 12.80 $ 16.96 -25 % $ 13.83 $ 18.75 -26 % Oil (bbl) $ 14.81 $ 53.88 -73 % $ 29.13 $ 51.49 -43 % Gas equivalent (mcfe) (b) $ 1.63 $ 2.71 -40 % $ 1.85 $ 3.00 -38 % Average prices, including derivative settlements before third party transportation costs: (c) Natural gas (mcf) $ 2.02 $ 2.54 -21 % $ 2.15 $ 2.81 -24 % NGL (bbl) $ 13.51 $ 18.58 -27 % $ 14.71 $ 20.84 -29 % Oil (bbl) $ 45.03 $ 51.02 -12 % $ 48.95 $ 50.39 -3 % Gas equivalent (mcfe) (b) $ 2.19 $ 2.87 -24 % $ 2.37 $ 3.15 -25 % Average prices, including derivative settlements and after third party

transportation costs: (d) Natural gas (mcf) $ 0.91 $ 1.25 -27 % $ 1.01 $ 1.49 -32 % NGL (bbl) $ 2.12 $ 6.81 -69 % $ 3.05 $ 9.05 -66 % Oil (bbl) $ 43.93 $ 51.02 -14 % $ 48.45 $ 50.39 -4 % Gas equivalent (mcfe) (b) $ 0.89 $ 1.42 -38 % $ 1.03 $ 1.68 -38 % Transportation, gathering and compression expense per mcfe $ 1.30 $ 1.45 -10 % $ 1.33 $ 1.47 -9 %

(a) Represents volumes sold regardless of when produced.

(b) Oil and NGLs are converted at the rate of one barrel equals six mcfe based upon the approximate relative energy content of oil to natural gas, which is not necessarily indicative of the relationship of oil and natural gas prices.

(c) Excluding third party transportation, gathering and compression costs.

(d) Net of transportation, gathering and compression costs.



RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES AS REPORTED TO INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES EXCLUDING CERTAIN ITEMS, a non-GAAP measure (Unaudited, in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended June 30, Six Months Ended June 30, 2020 2019 % 2020 2019 % (Loss) income from operations before income taxes, as reported $ (189,849 ) $ 155,284 (222 ) % $ 5,344 $ 162,391 (97 ) % Adjustment for certain special items: Loss (gain) on sale of assets 426 (5,867 ) (121,673 ) (5,678 ) (Gain) loss on ARO settlements 12  12  Change in fair value related to derivatives prior to settlement 125,803 (161,738 ) (7,443 ) (75,173 ) Abandonment and impairment of unproved properties 5,524 12,770 10,937 25,429 Rig release penalty  1,436  1,436 Gain on early extinguishment of debt (8,991 )  (21,914 )  Impairment of proved property   77,000  Lawsuit settlements 776 1,190 1,591 1,896 Exit and termination costs 10,297 2,180 11,892 2,180 Exit and termination costs  non-cash stock-based compensation  26  26 Brokered natural gas and marketing  non-cash stock-based compensation 168 553 581 1,001 Direct operating  non-cash stock-based compensation 434 549 884 1,140 Exploration expenses  non-cash stock-based compensation 372 388 702 876 General & administrative  non-cash stock-based compensation 9,179 9,500 17,208 19,138 Deferred compensation plan  non-cash adjustment 12,587 (11,142 ) 4,050 (7,561 ) (Loss) income before income taxes, as adjusted (33,262 ) 5,129 -749 % (20,829 ) 127,101 -116 % Income tax expense (benefit), as adjusted Current (3 )  (366 )  Deferred (a) (8,315 ) 1,282 (5,207 ) 31,792 Net (loss) income excluding certain items, a non-GAAP measure $ (24,944 ) $ 3,847 -748 % $ (15,256 ) $ 95,309 -116 % Non-GAAP (loss) income per common share Basic $ (0.10 ) $ 0.02 -600 % $ (0.06 ) $ 0.38 -116 % Diluted $ (0.10 ) $ 0.02 -600 % $ (0.06 ) $ 0.38 -116 % Non-GAAP diluted shares outstanding, if dilutive 239,472 248,436 242,717 249,042

(a) Deferred taxes are estimated to be approximately 25% for 2020 and 2019.





RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF NET INCOME (LOSS), EXCLUDING

CERTAIN ITEMS AND ADJUSTMENT EARNINGS PER SHARE, non-GAAP measures (In thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended

June 30, Six Months Ended

June 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Net (loss) income, as reported $ (146,569 ) $ 115,185 $ (1,594 ) $ 116,604 Adjustment for certain special items: Loss (gain) on sale of assets 426 (5,867 ) (121,673 ) (5,678 ) Loss (gain) on ARO settlements 12  12  Gain on early extinguishment of debt (8,991 )  (21,914 )  Change in fair value related to derivatives prior to settlement 125,803 (161,738 ) (7,443 ) (75,173 ) Impairment of proved property   77,000  Abandonment and impairment of unproved properties 5,524 12,770 10,937 25.429 Lawsuit settlements 776 1,190 1,591 1,896 Rig release penalty  1,436  1,436 Exit and termination costs 10,297 2,180 11,892 2,180 Non-cash stock-based compensation 10,153 11,016 19,375 22,181 Deferred compensation plan 12,587 (11,142 ) 4,050 (7,561 ) Tax impact (34,962 ) 38,817 12,511 13,995 Net (loss) income excluding certain items, a non-GAAP measure $ (24,944 ) $ 3,847 $ (15,256 ) $ 95,309 Net (loss) income per diluted share, as reported $ (0.61 ) $ 0.46 $ (0.01 ) $ 0.46 Adjustment for certain special items per diluted share: (Gain) loss on sale of assets 0.00 (0.02 ) (0.50 ) (0.02 ) Loss (gain) on ARO settlements 0.00  0.00  Gain on early extinguishment of debt (0.04 )  (0.09 )  Change in fair value related to derivatives prior to settlement 0.53 (0.65 ) (0.03 ) (0.30 ) Impairment of proved property   0.32  Abandonment and impairment of unproved properties 0.02 0.05 0.05 0.10 Lawsuit settlements 0.00 0.00 0.01 0.01 Rig release penalty  0.01  0.01 Exit and termination costs 0.04 0.01 0.05 0.01 Non-cash stock-based compensation 0.04 0.04 0.08 0.09 Deferred compensation plan 0.05 (0.04 ) 0.02 (0.03 ) Adjustment for rounding differences 0.02  (0.01 ) (0.01 ) Tax impact (0.15 ) 0.16 0.05 0.06 Net (loss) income per diluted share, excluding certain items, a

non-GAAP measure $ (0.10 ) $ 0.02 $ (0.06 ) $ 0.38 Adjusted (loss) earnings per share, a non-GAAP measure: Basic $ (0.10 ) $ 0.02 $ (0.06 ) $ 0.38 Diluted $ (0.10 ) $ 0.02 $ (0.06 ) $ 0.38





RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

RECONCILIATION OF CASH MARGIN PER MCFE, a non-GAAP measure (Unaudited, in thousands, except per unit data) Three Months Ended

June 30, Six Months Ended

June 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Revenues Natural gas, NGL and oil sales, as reported $ 349,258 $ 563,579 $ 781,354 $ 1,235,233 Derivative fair value income (loss), as reported (6,303 ) 195,245 226,872 133,514 Less non-cash fair value (gain) loss 125,803 (161,738 ) (7,443 ) (75,173 ) Brokered natural gas and marketing and other, as reported 33,591 92,605 62,240 230,819 Less ARO settlement and other (gains) losses (282 ) (665 ) (542 ) (736 ) Cash revenue applicable to production 502,067 689,026 1,062,481 1,523,657 Expenses Direct operating, as reported 24,394 33,981 56,429 67,208 Less direct operating stock-based compensation (434 ) (549 ) (884 ) (1,140 ) Transportation, gathering and compression, as reported 278,875 301,219 563,640 603,874 Production and ad valorem taxes, as reported 5,557 9,889 14,576 21,199 Brokered natural gas and marketing, as reported 38,161 101,117 70,785 233,422 Less brokered natural gas and marketing stock-based compensation (168 ) (553 ) (581 ) (1,001 ) General and administrative, as reported 38,288 49,195 80,542 95,833 Less G&A stock-based compensation (9,179 ) (9,500 ) (17,208 ) (19,138 ) Less lawsuit settlements (776 ) (1,190 ) (1,591 ) (1,896 ) Interest expense, as reported 48,624 51,727 96,142 103,264 Less amortization of deferred financing costs (2,135 ) (1,805 ) (4,196 ) (3,593 ) Cash expenses 421,207 533,531 857,654 1,098,032 Cash margin, a non-GAAP measure $ 80,860 $ 155,495 $ 204,827 $ 425,625 Mmcfe produced during period 213,746 208,141 422,514 411,171 Cash margin per mcfe $ 0.38 $ 0.75 $ 0.48 $ 1.04 RECONCILIATION OF (LOSS) INCOME BEFORE INCOME TAXES TO CASH MARGIN (Unaudited, in thousands, except per unit data) Three Months Ended

June 30, Six Months Ended

June 30, 2020 2019 2020 2019 (Loss) income before income taxes, as reported $ (189,849 ) $ 155,284 $ 5,344 $ 162,391 Adjustments to reconcile (loss) income before income taxes to cash

margin: ARO settlements and other gains (282 ) (665 ) (542 ) (736 ) Derivative fair value loss (income) 6,303 (195,245 ) (226,872 ) (133,514 ) Net cash receipts on derivative settlements 119,500 33,507 219,429 58,341 Exploration expense 7,655 7,721 14,402 15,444 Lawsuit settlements 776 1,190 1,591 1,896 Rig release penalty  1,436  1,436 Exit and termination costs 10,297 2,180 11,892 2,180 Deferred compensation plan 12,587 (11,142 ) 4,050 (7,561 ) Stock-based compensation (direct operating, brokered natural gas and marketing, general and administrative and termination costs) 10,153 11,016 19,375 22,181 Interest  amortization of deferred financing costs 2,135 1,805 4,196 3,593 Depletion, depreciation and amortization 104,626 141,505 207,612 280,223 Loss (gain) on sale of assets 426 (5,867 ) (121,673 ) (5,678 ) Gain on early extinguishment of debt (8,991 )  (21,914 )  Impairment of proved property and other assets   77,000  Abandonment and impairment of unproved properties 5,524 12,770 10,937 25,429 Cash margin, a non-GAAP measure $ 80,860 $ 155,495 $ 204,827 $ 425,625

RANGE RESOURCES CORPORATION

HEDGING POSITION AS OF June 30, 2020  (Unaudited)

Daily Volume Hedge Price Gas 1 Jul-Oct 2020 3-way Collar 60,000 Mmbtu $1.75 / $2.00 x $2.53 3Q 2020 Swaps 1,206,522 Mmbtu $2.58 4Q 2020 Swaps 1,087,147 Mmbtu $2.60 Apr-Oct 2021 Collars 60,000 Mmbtu $2.60 x $3.00 2021 3-way Collars 240,000 Mmbtu $1.99 / $2.33 x $2.60 2021 Swaps 70,000 Mmbtu $2.61 Oil 2 3Q 2020 Swaps 8,000 bbls $58.19 4Q 2020 Swaps 6,000 bbls $58.02 2021 Swaps 1,000 bbls $55.00 C3 Propane 3Q 2020 Swaps 3,022 bbls $0.470/gallon nC4 Butane 3 3Q 2020 Swaps 2,500 bbls $0.570/gallon C5 Natural Gasoline 3Q 2020 Swaps 1,674 bbls $0.732/gallon

(1) Range sold natural gas call swaptions of 180,000 Mmbtu/d for calendar 2021 at an average strike price of $2.825 per Mmbtu. Range also sold 60,000 Mmbtu/d of 3Q20 $2.50 strike calls.

(2) Range sold 500 bbls/d of 3Q20 $59.00 strike WTI calls, and call swaption of 1,000 bbls/d for calendar 2021 at an average strike price of $55.00.

(3) Range sold nC4 butane calls of 2,500 bbls/d for 3Q20 at an average strike price of $0.57 per gallon.

SEE WEBSITE FOR OTHER SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FOR THE PERIODS

AND ADDITIONAL HEDGING DETAILS
All but one of 18 new Covid-19 cases linked to Da Nang

Medics disinfect one another before conducting mass testing for locals in Da Nang City, August 3, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong.

Vietnam confirmed another 18 Covid-19 cases Tuesday evening - 17 linked to Da Nang and one repatriated from Equatorial Guinea, raising the countrys active case count to 284.

Sixteen of the new patients, numbered 653 to 668, are Da Nang residents between 8 to 93 years of age.

Eight were diagnosed with Covid-19 when staying in quarantine in Da Nang after having contact with infected people. Five are family members who had taken care of patients at the Da Nang Hospital, one a patient at the Da Nang hospital, another a medical worker at the Da Nang Hospital for Women and Children and yet another a guard at the Da Nang Central Bus Station in Lien Chieu District who had a health check at the Family Hospital in Hai Chau District.

"Patient 669," a 50-year-old man, lives in Quang Vinh Ward of Bien Hoa Town in the southern province of Dong Nai. He is a doctor at the Dong Nai General Hospital who, while visiting a family member at the Da Nang Hospital recently, came into contact with a person who was later diagnosed with Covid-19

"Patient 670," also 50, was among 219 Vietnamese workers brought home on a repatriation flight from Equatorial Guinea on July 29. All passengers on this flight were quarantined on arrival in Hanoi. 20 other passengers had been confirmed infected earlier.

Vietnam has recorded a total of 670 Covid-19 cases, 284 of them active. Of the 378 recoveries to date, four were confirmed Covid-19 free Tuesday afternoon.

Since last Friday, eight Covid-19 patients have died, including two Tuesday morning, after contracting the novel coronavirus at hospitals in Da Nang. They were all over 50 and had been suffering from other serious chronic ailments for years.

In the past 10 days since the novel coronavirus community transmissions resurfaced in Vietnam, Da Nang alone has recorded 158 cases, its neighbor Quang Nam Province 44, HCMC eight, Dak Lak and Quang Ngai three each, Hanoi and Dong Nai two each, and Thai Binh and Ha Nam one each.

Globally, more than 698,200 Covid-19 deaths have been reported.
The UKs plans to block further spikes in coronavirus allow for ministers to lock down London, Boris Johnsons spokesman said, as officials prepare for a resurgence of Covid-19 in the months ahead.

The so-called Contain Strategy, unveiled last month, does set out the possibility of a power to restrict peoples movement and potentially close down local transport networks, Prime Ministers Spokesman James Slack told reporters on Monday when asked whether the government had war-gamed sealing off the capital.

His remarks followed a report in the Sunday Times newspaper that ministers could curb travel in and out of the M25 highway encircling London and ban overnight stays in the city if theres a surge in cases.

With cases of coronavirus ticking upwards again, Johnson is caught between the competing goals of suppressing the spread of the disease and re-opening the economy by getting people back to work. Last week ministers told more than 4 million people in Northern England they should no longer socialize in each others homes and postponed the reopening of leisure businesses including casinos, bowling alleys and ice rinks.

The strategy says ministers can use public health laws passed in 1984 to close businesses and venues, impose restrictions on the movement of people, prevent overnight stays away from home, limit the size of gatherings, and shut down local and national transport systems.

Back to Work?

At the same time, Johnson is pushing ahead with efforts to revive the stalled U.K. economy, which is facing a potentially devastating recession. He has revised guidance that people should work from home where possible, giving employers more discretion to recall their workers.

A British Chambers of Commerce survey conducted last month, just before the prime minister urged workers to return to their offices, showed 62% of businesses expect all or some of their employees to be working remotely for the next year. BCC Director General Adam Marshall said public confidence may be a more important factor than government guidance in the return of workers to their offices.

A wholesale return to offices in some of the U.K.s biggest cities is unlikely over the coming months, Marshall said on Monday. Businesses and their employees, not the government, will decide the pace of return to the workplace. Many firms will choose to move when public confidence rises, not when official guidance changes.

Marshall said remote and flexible working are likely to become permanent features of business life and concerns about the safety of public transport risk creating a two-speed recovery with towns and suburbs returning to normal activity and footfall before city centers.

Eating Out

The governments push to get people back into workplaces follows concerns that city-center businesses such as sandwich shops and other retailers will struggle to survive without the officer workers who use them.

On Monday, a month-long government program to encourage people to return to restaurants began. The so-called Eat Out to Help Out program gives diners a 50% discount, worth as much as 10 pounds ($13) per person, on meals they eat in restaurants from Monday to Wednesday throughout August.

More than 72,000 eating establishments, including branches of Pizza Express, Costa Coffee and Nandos, have signed up to the program, the Treasury said on Monday. It estimates the plan will cost the government 500 million pounds.

The UK Hospitality trade body, which represents restaurants, said 84% of businesses in the sector intended to take part in the Eat Out to Help Out initiative.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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Spain's former king, Juan Carlos, made the tough decision to leave the country amid a series of damaging allegations about his alleged corruption.

The Zarzuela palace revealed that the ex-monarch penned a letter to his son, King Felipe, in which he expressed his desire to depart due to the issues surrounding his name.

The monarchy's spokesperson did not disclose when the former monarch would leave Spain and where he would be staying. However, Juan Carlos made it clear that he is willing to cooperate with the prosecutors, especially when interviews are necessary.

"[I am making the decision] in the face of the public repercussions that certain past events in my private life are generating," the former King said, per BBC. "Guided by the conviction to best serve the people of Spain, its institutions, and you as king, I inform you of my decision at this time to leave Spain."

Meanwhile, King Felipe reportedly conveyed "his heartfelt respect and gratitude" to his father following the sudden and heartbreaking decision.

In June 2020, Spain's Supreme Court began an investigation to look into the alleged participation of Juan Carlos in a high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia.

Such an issue truly damaged the monarchy and brought humiliation to King Felipe, who has been ruling the country for six years now.

Furthermore, it is almost impossible to think that Juan Carlos of Spain would do something like that, given that he remarkably transformed Spain from a dictatorship to democracy after General Franco's death in 1975.

After 40 years, Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014 following an initial corruption investigation involving his daughter's husband. The controversial elephant hunting trip that he took when Spain was facing the financial crisis also almost pushed him to quit as the reigning monarch.

Coverage of Juan Carlos' Corruption Scandal Revealed

Soon after the former King's abdication in June 2014, Spain's Supreme Court announced that it would track down Juan Carlos' connection with the Saudi project.

From that point, he lost his immunity from prosecution.

Prior to the June 2020 investigation, King Felipe renounced his father's inheritance in March. In addition, the royal palace divulged that Juan Carlos would not be receiving an annual grant of $228,000 anymore.

King Felipe's decision to cancel his father's stipend and renounce his inheritance was proof of his desire to take firm action as the current King. This also allowed him to distance himself from his father's scandals and stop the issues from damaging the monarchy even further.

Meanwhile, Spain's socialist-led coalition government previously rejected calls for a parliamentary inquiry concerning the king's finances. However, it has also signaled its distance from Juan Carlos.

"It's obvious that collectively Spaniards are hearing some unsettling reports that disturb all of us, and which disturb me too," the prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said in July 2020.

Sanchez also mentioned the 1978 constitution -- under which "the person of the king is inviolable and shall not be held accountable" -- needed to undergo some changes per the society's demands.

One can only hope that King Juan Carlos' corruption scandal will serve as an eye-opener to all leaders -- not only to monarchies.

READ MORE: Dwayne Johnson Buys XFL -- Success NOT Guaranteed
New Delhi: US President Donald Trump has set September 15 as the deadline for buying the operations of video-sharing platform TikTok in the US, after which the app will be banned in the country.

Trumps remarks came during a meeting with US tech workers and signing of an executive order on hiring American.

I dont mind if  whether its Microsoft or somebody else  a big company, a secure company, very  a very American company buy it. Its probably easier to buy the whole thing than to buy 30 percent of it, Trump said.

I think were going to have  maybe a deal is going to be made. Its a great asset. Its a great asset. But its not a great asset in the United States unless they have the approval of the United States. So itll close down on September 15th, unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal  an appropriate deal. So the Treasury of the  really, the Treasury, I guess you would say, of the United States gets a lot of money. A lot of money. Okay?, Trump added.

Trump also said very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the US Treasury out of a TikTok deal.

"I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is, that goes to whoever owns it. Because I guess its China, essentially, but more than anything else. I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because were making it possible for this deal to happen. Right now, they dont have any rights, unless we give it to them. So if were going to give them the rights, then it has to come into  it has to come into this country," Trump said.

Meanwhile, Microsoft on August 2 officially confirmed that it is in talks to acquire the operations of video-sharing platform TikTok in the US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand markets following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald Trump.

The official confirmation came after reports surfaced that Microsoft has halted its bid to buy the US operations of China-based TikTok after President Donald Trump vowed to ban the short-video making app that has over 80 million monthly users in the country.

US President Donald Trump had in the end of July said that he would ban the popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok from operating in the country through an executive order.

TikTok had by July end unveiled a plan to offer creators $2 billion globally in the next three years. TikTok has denied any Chinese control over its operations.

The move to ban TikTok comes at a time of heightened tensions between the Trump administration and the Chinese government over a number of issues, including trade disputes and Beijing's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Philippines recorded a record 5,000 new COVID-19 cases over the weekend bringing the countrys tally to more 100,000 cases according to the Department of Health. The Philippines now has the second highest number of cases in Southeast Asia, behind Indonesia. The Duterte administration responded on Sunday night by announcing a return to the strict lockdown conditions of modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ).

Two of Manilas largest government hospitals were forced to close last week because of the number of infected healthcare workers. Most hospitals report that they are beyond capacity and can no longer take any new patients, as they lack adequate facilities and beds. The Philippine Medical Association warned, in a letter issued over the weekend, that if urgent measures were not taken to curb the spread of the virus the entire medical system was on the verge of collapse.

The Duterte administration has responded to the pandemic with authoritarianism and anti-scientific nonsense, attempting to maintain control of the population and to resume the profit-making operations of banks and major businesses.

The Philippine government imposed one of the longest and harshest lockdowns in the world, which it enforced through draconian police measures. Over 76,000 people were arrested between March 17 and July 25 for violating curfew or lockdown. More than 900 complaints of torture and inhumane treatment have been filed with the Philippines Commission on Human Rights.

The police converted Operation Tokhang, the warrantless door-to-door searches conducted as part of the war on drugs, into an alleged hunt for people with symptoms. The government called on the population to report their neighbors if they suspect they might have symptoms. According to the Washington Post, the police have killed a number of suspects in their homes as a result of these warrantless searches.

While conducting door-to-door searches, imposing curfews, and carrying out mass arrests, the Duterte government has done next to nothing to detect, trace or isolate the disease. Confronted with a shortage of masks and hygiene supplies, Duterte told the public last week that they should clean their masks with gasoline. Medical professionals responded that if the public followed Dutertes instructions they would likely contract a respiratory disease.

The Philippine economy confronts its worst contraction in over three decades. Unemployment has reached record levels. The most recently available government data is for April and it reveals that 7.3 million adults were unemployed, a 17.7 percent unemployment rate, which is an all-time high.

An additional 13 million reported that they had jobs but were unable to report to work. The figures have only worsened since April. Extrapolating from the available data, it seems that over half the population has no immediate source of income.

Remittances from migrant workers are a mainstay of the Philippine economy and they have declined substantially as a result of the global crisis.

Confronting an immense loss of profits, banks and major corporations have clamored for workers to be sent back to their workplaces. On June 1, the government responded by placing the capital region under less stringent general community quarantine (GCQ) measures. The police repression continued and young people faced arrest for violating curfew, but the working population was expected to return to work. COVID-19 cases soared.

Of the new cases reported this weekend, 2,737 were in Manila. More than half of all recorded cases, over 55,000, have been in the intensely crowded Metro Manila area. Thus far, the government has officially reported over 2,000 fatalities, but these numbers doubtless grossly underrepresent the actual figures.

The catastrophic figures are a result of the governments refusal to carry out mass testing combined with its back-to-work campaign of the past two months.

Confronting a soaring infection rate and the imminent collapse of the medical system, Duterte on Sunday night announced that he was reimposing the strict conditions of modified enhanced quarantine (MECQ) on the capital region of Metro Manila and its surrounding areas, scheduled to last from August 4 to 18. The general population will be confined to their homes and public transportation will again be shut down.

A majority of the population is struggling to secure their basic necessities. Mass outrage is mounting.

At midnight on Sunday night in a nationwide televised address, Duterte launched a tirade against health care workers who have publicly criticized the government response to the global pandemic. Do not try to demean the government, he said.

The president repeatedly returned in his speech to the idea that workers were threatening revolution. He responded with veiled threats of dictatorship, declaring, I will implement order, changing this government, without informing you. Would you be happy with that? So if you are really on a rampage, you want revolution, fine, lets start it, go ahead.
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - A California-based member of an Iranian militant opposition group in exile was abducted by Iran while staying in Dubai, his family said Tuesday.

The suspected cross-border abduction of Jamshid Sharmahd appears corroborated by mobile phone location data, shared by his family with The Associated Press, that suggests he was taken to neighbouring Oman before heading to Iran.

Iran hasnt said how it detained Sharmahd, though the announcement came against the backdrop of covert actions conducted by Iran amid heightened tensions with the U.S. over Tehrans collapsing nuclear deal with world powers.

Iran accuses Sharmahd, 65, of Glendora, California of planning a 2008 attack on a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded over 200 others, as well as plotting other assaults through the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran and its Tondar militant wing. It aired an interview of him on state television  footage that resembled many other suspected coerced confessions broadcast by the Iranian government in the last decade.

His family, however, insists Sharmahd only served as a spokesman for the group and had nothing to do with any attacks in Iran. Sharmahd, an Iranian-German national who supports restoring Irans monarchy that was overthrown in the 1979 Islamic Revolution, already had been targeted in an apparent Iranian assassination plot on U.S. soil in 2009.

Were seeking support from any democratic country, any free country, his son Shayan Sharmahd told the AP. It is a violation of human rights. You cant just pick someone up in a third country and drag them into your country.

Irans Intelligence Ministry has not elaborated on how it detained the elder Sharmahd, other than to deny he was arrested in Tajikistan. The ministry and Irans mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Sharmahd had been in Dubai, trying to travel to India for a business deal involving his software company, his son said. He was hoping to get a connecting flight despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic disrupting global travel.

Sharmahds family received the last message from him on July 28. After that, he no longer responded to their calls and messages, his son said. Telephone location data showed his mobile phone that day at the Premier Inn Dubai International Airport Hotel, where he had been staying.

Its unclear how the abduction happened. A hotel operator said Sharmahd had checked out July 29.

Tracking data showed Sharmahds mobile phone travelled south from Dubai to the city of Al Ain on July 29, crossing the border into Oman and staying overnight near an Islamic school in the border city of al-Buraimi. Oman is now closed to tourists due to the pandemic, raising the question of how Sharmahd could enter the country voluntarily through a border crossing.

On July 30, tracking data showed the mobile phone travelled to the Omani port city of Sohar, where the signal stopped.

Two days later, on Saturday, Iran announced it had captured Sharmahd in a complex operation. The Intelligence Ministry published a photograph of him blindfolded.

His son said he believed that in the state TV footage, Sharmahd hurriedly read whatever Iran wanted him to say.

Imagine your own father being tied up one day on television and you see that, Shayan Sharmahd said.

Western officials believe Iran runs intelligence operations in Dubai and keeps tabs on the hundreds of thousands of Iranians living in the city-state. Iran is suspected of kidnapping and later killing British-Iranian national Abbas Yazdi in Dubai in 2013, though Tehran has denied involvement.

It isnt just Iran that maintains a presence in Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, home to some 5,000 U.S. troops and the U.S. Navys busiest port of call outside of America. The U.S. State Department runs its Iran Regional Presence Office in Dubai, where diplomats monitor Iranian media reports and talk to Iranians.

Dubais hotels long have been targeted by intelligence operatives, such as in the suspected 2010 assassination by the Israeli Mossad of Hamas operative Mahmoud al-Mabhouh. Dubai and the rest of the UAE have since invested even more in an elaborate surveillance network.

Dubai police and officials, as well as federal officials in Abu Dhabi and the Omani Embassy in Washington, did not respond to requests for comment.

The UAE has long been trying to de-escalate tensions with Iran after President Donald Trumps maximum pressure campaign saw him pull out of the nuclear deal. On Sunday, Emirati Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan held a videoconference with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif.

However, over the last year, a series of escalating incidents have shaken the wider Mideast, leading to a U.S. drone strike in January that killed a top Iranian general in Baghdad and an Iranian ballistic missile attack that injured dozens of American soldiers in Iraq. Also, there have been explosions on oil tankers off the Emirati coast that the U.S. Navy has blamed on Iranian limpet mines.

Last month, an oil tanker seized by the UAE after being suspected of smuggling Iranian crude oil was hijacked, likely by Iran. In June, Iran sentenced to death another opposition journalist living in Paris it detained under unclear circumstances.

For now, Sharmahds family said they contacted the government in Germany, where he holds citizenship, and the U.S. government as hes lived for years in America and was on track for citizenship after the 2009 assassination plot.

The German Embassy in Tehran has asked Iranian authorities for consular access, according to the Foreign Ministry in Berlin, hoping to understand how Sharmahd was arrested. However, Iran doesnt allow consular access for its dual nationals, considering them exclusively Iranian citizens.

The State Department, which mistakenly referred to Sharmahd in an earlier report as an American citizen, acknowledged his arrest and said Iran has a long history of detaining Iranians and foreign nationals on spurious charges.

While Iran has yet to say what charges Sharmahd faces, others detained over the 2008 bombing have been convicted and executed. Sharmahds son said his father suffers from Parkinsons disease, as well as diabetes and heart trouble that require medication and careful monitoring.

Hes very much at risk, his son said. All of us are extremely concerned. ___

Associated Press writer Geir Moulson in Berlin contributed to this report.

___

Follow Jon Gambrell on Twitter at www.twitter.com/jongambrellAP.
Catawba County reported its ninth and 10th outbreaks in living facilities  one at Trinity Village senior living and the other at the Catawba County Detention Facility.

The outbreak at the jail was found when several inmates transferred to a state-run prison, according to a press release Monday from the Catawba County Sheriffs Office. There, they were tested for COVID-19 and four were found positive for the virus.

A total of six inmates, including those who transferred, and nine staff members at the jail tested positive, according to the press release.

The outbreak was reported to Catawba County Public Health last week, the release said.

Two coronavirus-positive inmates remain at the jail and are quarantined, along with others who had contact with them. The staff members who were positive or exposed to the outbreak are being quarantined and tested as needed, the release said.

The jail has been working to minimize exposure in the facility since March, the release said. Staffers wear masks and masks were issued to inmates, as well. Incoming inmates are quarantined and monitored for COVID-19 symptoms.
Press Release

August 4, 2020 Dispatch from Crame No. 868:

Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Reaction to Duterte's Address on 3 August 2020 8/4/20 Mr. Duterte says "COVID is the enemy, not the government." The Filipino people say, "COVID is the enemy, not the Filipino people." Why, the Duterte Davao government asks, are the people not taking the COVID-19 pandemic seriously? The answer is, the Filipinos are taking this seriously but you don't. We, the Filipinos, are desperate for any semblance of normalcy. We want to know that we can go to work and go home to our family without fear of giving them the virus. We want to be able to put food on our table. We want our children to be able to go to school and learn so that they can grow to be better citizens of the world than we ever were. We want to go to hospitals and converse with our physicians on how we can live healthier lives. We want to be able to travel to different parts of our country to visit friends and relatives or just go to the beach and lay on the sand and appreciate the God-given beauty of our country. We want to go to church and just be in the presence of our Creator. The Filipinos want all that and more. Our people are doing all we can towards that goal. We are consumed by it. We deserve a government who will stop at nothing to lead us towards that goal; one who will not be sidetracked by issues that do not matter for now. We need a government of people who are willing to fight this war with us. Not those who are merely content on bowing to China and waiting on their scraps of vaccine. We deserve nothing less. The call of our medical professionals for 'timeout' was not merely a call to tighten the quarantine measures. It is a call for government to get its act together because WHATEVER THE DUTERTE GOVERNMENT IS DOING NOW, IT IS NOT WORKING. Hindi pa ba obvious yan?! In no uncertain terms, THE GOVERNMENT OF MR. DUTERTE HAS FAILED. From the very start, the Filipino people asked Mr. Duterte for decisive action. His government was given the blank check to spend however much we need to contain the pandemic. All we got in return are midnight ramblings and counterproductive politicking. Hindi na nga natutugunan ang pandemya, pagsira pa sa bansa ang syang ginagawa. Mr. Duterte and his government were more concerned with suppressing dissent than fighting COVID-19: arresting protesters, confiscating placards, filing cyberlibel cases against disgruntled citizens, closing down a major media institution for imaginary and manufactured reasons, and pushing for draconian laws. Mr. Duterte spends more time blabbering about his perceived enemies than he does thinking about how to address the COVID-19 pandemic. Four thousand new COVID-19 cases per day and all Mr. Duterte can think of are the alleged rumblings of revolution against him. He even dared dissenters to launch a revolution to give him an excuse to resort to extreme measures, and ominously, a "counter-revolution," whatever that means in his distorted mind. Our hospitals are practically beaten to submission and Mr. Duterte still finds time to threaten the Filipino people with more violence. Now that mass testing is finally on its way, maybe it is time for Mr. Duterte's government to do mass resignation. Si Mayor muna mauna. ### (Access the handwritten copy of Dispatch from Crame No. 868, here: https://issuu.com/senatorleilam.delima/docs/dispatch_no._868)
The decision to oppose the development of a multi-million meat-processing plant in my constituency makes me fear there is not a cross agency focus on confronting an impending recession.

The United States and a swathe of European countries have revealed cataclysmic economic figures not seen since the Great Depression. Covid-19 is the cause.

Yet nationally our beef industry, with falling prices, was already facing a crisis. My constituency of Laois-Offaly is facing unprecedented economic challenges due to the de-carbonisation strategy which has seen devastating closures of Bord na Mona and ESB plants.

Here was an opportunity to help a stricken region but also to help address our failure to capitalize on the reopened beef export market to China. Only last year Bord Bia and Department of Agriculture predictions suggested that beef exports to China of 9 million last year would grow to 120m by the end of 2020.

So it was with relief and hope that we welcomed the decision by Offaly County Council to grant planning permission for a meat processing plant at Banagher, County Offaly.

Then came shock and mystification that the Immigrant Investor Programme rejected applications from investors involved in the project at Banagher. This put it in grave jeopardy.

This is a 40m project which will provide 250 construction jobs and a further 150 jobs in the operation of the plant.

Besides the local employment, the meat processing plant will be part of what should be a cross-agency, national effort to open up opportunities to the Asian market for Irish beef farmers and help save the incomes of farm families.

Some of the backers of this project made applications under the Immigrant Investor Programmes (IIP) which is open to applicants that invest over 1m.

To my utter dismay and disbelief an evaluation committee which assesses these applications, made up of senior officials from government Departments and State Agencies has rejected the applications. They conclude the project would appear not appropriate for project approval.

Now, these are officials of a Government that is telling us that we can expand our exports to China to a 120m bonanza. Yet they are complicit in rejecting investment from a company with a proven track record of exporting beef to Hong Kong and Vietnam.

The majority shareholder in the lead company, Banagher Chilling, has been living in Ireland since 1999. He completed his 3rd Level education and here and operated in the retail and restaurant sector, until in recent years when he became involved in the export business to China and the broader Asian region.

Beef and suckler farmers crave new markets. The government policy for the past ten years has sought to open Asian markets which this project will exclusively supply.

The Local Authority and the community support this project. There has been assistance from the Department of Agriculture and Bord Bia. Yet, a nameless committee, made up of other State officials, deciding on an IIP application has brought the entire project into doubt. This decision needs to be reconsidered and their decision process outlined in full.
Amnesty International on Tuesday accused the U.S. police of violating the human rights of protesters during the anti-racism demonstrations in the U.S.

In a report published on Tuesday, Amnesty said police repeatedly used physical violence, chemical irritants like tear gas or pepper spray, as well as less lethal projectiles like rubber bullets to disperse peaceful protests.

According to the report, recent events had raised concerns regarding the rights to life, to security of the person, to equal protection of the law, to freedom from discrimination and to freedom of expression and peaceful assembly.

The human rights organisation lists 125 independent incidents of unnecessary and excessive use of force by law enforcement agencies in 40 states and the capital.

The report added that law enforcement agents reportedly targeted not only peaceful protesters but also media representatives and street medics with physical force, chemical irritants, kinetic impact projectiles, and arbitrary arrest and detention.

It, however, called for tougher measures against, and prosecution of police violence.

The U.S. had been swept by a wave of protests following the death of George Floyd, a black man, after being arrested by police in Minnesota.

READ MORE:

Although the protests have been largely peaceful, U.S. President Donald Trump deployed federal agents to major cities such as Portland, Oregon, which have been criticized for disproportionate use of force.

According to Amnesty, over 1,000 people have been killed by police violence in the U.S. each year, though there are no official numbers. Statistics indicate that a disproportionate number of victims are black people.

(dpa/NAN)
Economic Resilience Fund provides crucial support to Wrexham-based manufacturer

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Aug 4th, 2020

The Welsh Governments bespoke Economic Resilience Fund (ERF) is providing crucial support to protect jobs at an important employer in Wrexham, Economy and North Wales Minister Ken Skates has announced.

Gresford-based F Bender Limited has received 149,000 from the fund to help it safeguard its 150-strong workforce from the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.

The ERF, which is part of the Welsh Governments 1.7bn support package for businesses, is providing thousands of companies across Wales with significant financial support and complements the help provided by the UK Government.

To date, more than 12,500 businesses have received financial support worth more than 280m.

F Bender Limited, which manufactures paper cups for the hospitality industry and other items, has used the funding to provide a vital cash-flow injection.

The business, which works with well-known high street and coffee brands, estimates it invests around 3m each year in the local supply chain.

The company is involved in a number of initiatives to improve the environmental impact of products, including the commercial development of compostable and recyclable paper cups. It is also working with and supporting Keep Wales Tidy.

F Bender Limited managing director Andy Cunliffe said: The support from the Welsh Government and the Economic Resilience Fund has been crucial to our efforts to survive the impact of Covid-19.

With much of our business on the high street, our sales collapsed in the early months of the pandemic. The grant aid provided much needed cash which has been used to support supplier payments and wages.

With our markets returning we firmly believe the Welsh Government funding has played a significant role in protecting our Wrexham workforce.

Minister for Economy, Transport and North Wales, Ken Skates, said: We have worked hard in Wales to repurpose funding wherever possible since the coronavirus pandemic hit, so financial support is available quickly to firms who need it most.

Our package of support goes above and beyond what is available elsewhere in the UK, and I am proud the Economic Resilience Fund is helping thousands of businesses deal with immediate issues critical to their survival and to protect jobs.

F Bender Limited in Wrexham is proof our efforts to help support a wide range of businesses is working, and I am delighted we were able to provide the company with this crucial funding.

It is an important employer in the area and our support will be crucial in ensuring it continues to be exactly that post-pandemic.
MODESTO, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Save Mart Companies proudly announced that it has been named by Forbes as one of America's Best Employers for Women for 2020. This prestigious annual award is presented by Forbes and Statista Inc., the world-leading statistics portal and industry ranking provider. The awards list was announced today and can currently be viewed on the Forbes website.

"The Save Mart Companies has long been committed to inclusivity and cultivating a culture that supports women," said Nicole Pesco, chief executive officer of The Save Mart Companies. "It's a privilege to be included among the companies on this list and to be recognized by Forbes as a top employer for women. We are so very appreciative of our many team members who participated in this survey and who make us proud every day with their dedication to our customers."

Ranked No. 35 overall nationwide, The Save Mart Companies was ranked as the No. 1 grocer nationally, No. 4 among retailers nationally, and No. 4 among all California companies.

The independent survey canvassed more than 75,000 U.S. employees  including 45,000 women -- on issues relevant to women in the workplace with the goal of shedding light on their experiences. The participants, all of whom are guaranteed anonymity, assessed their employers in a wide range of categories, including working conditions, diversity, discrimination, family support, flexibility, parental leave, pay equity, representation and career. Additionally, women participating in the survey were asked to evaluate other employers in their industries that stand out either positively or negatively with regard to gender issues.

"We are dedicated to creating an environment where women not only feel comfortable, but a workplace that fosters professional development and enables employees to succeed, both at home and in the workplace," said Lee Debra Gelb, vice president, Human Resources at The Save Mart Companies. Gelb added that her ongoing goal at The Save Mart Companies is to develop career pathing for women seeking leadership positions at the company.

About The Save Mart Companies

The Save Mart Companies operate 206 stores throughout California and Northern Nevada under the banners of FoodMaxx, Lucky, Lucky California and Save Mart. Based in the Central Valley, TSMC is committed to sourcing a wide variety of local products to communities throughout California and Northern Nevada. In addition to its retail operation, the company also operates Smart Refrigerated Transport and is a partner in Super Store Industries (SSI), which owns and operates a distribution center in Lathrop and the Sunnyside Farms dairy processing plant in Turlock. For more information on the company, please visit: www.TheSaveMartCompanies.com.

Media Contacts: Jeff Nead, Rosemary O'Brien, Don Williams at Glodow Nead Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE The Save Mart Companies

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WASHINGTON  Tens of thousands of Texas immigrants will have to pay hundreds of dollars more, if not thousands, to live or work in the U.S. as the Trump administration enacts a fee hike that immigration attorneys say is the biggest theyve seen.

Fees for some applications  including for citizenship  are set to nearly double, while some seeking permanent residence may have to pay thousands more because of new fees in the application process. And for the first time, the U.S. will charge asylum seekers a $50 fee, making America one of four nations in the world that charge for that service.

At the same time, the Trump administration is scrapping fee waivers and reductions that half of the more than 1 million immigrants in Texas who are eligible for naturalization would qualify to receive.

Advocates say its the equivalent of creating a wealth test for citizenship.

What its doing is changing for the long term the composition of whos able to become a citizen in this country and therefore who from immigrant communities is going to be a voter, said Melissa Rodgers, director of programs at the Immigrant Legal Resource Center, a nonprofit group focused on expanding immigrants rights.

NO MORE DREAMERS: Trump administration rejects all new DACA applications

The higher fees come as the Trump administration is taking nearly twice as long as past administrations to process citizenship naturalization applications, leaving tens of thousands of would-be citizens in limbo in Texas, many of whom had hoped to vote for the first time in the November elections.

The fee increases are not an attack on immigrants, but an attack on fraud, Jessica Vaughan, a director at the Center for Immigration Studies, testified during a House Judiciary subcommittee last week. The think tank based in Washington, D.C., advocates for tighter immigration restrictions.

Claims that these changes are meant to block or delay legal immigration are baseless, said Vaughan. Immigration adjudications cannot be done on the cheap. The new set of fees will help.

Overdue adjustments

The new fees are set to take effect in October.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services officials say the increases are necessary to help staff more efficiently work through a surge of applications in recent years, especially for naturalization. The U.S. government naturalized 833,000 new citizens in fiscal year 2019, an 11-year high.

Current fee levels will leave the agency with a shortfall of over $1 billion, officials have said.

The adjustment in fees would ensure more applicants cover the true cost of their applications and minimizes subsidies from an already over-extended system, said Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of USCIS, in a statement when the fees were proposed.

The administration has said that the fee increases would also help cover a $208 million transfer of funding from USCIS to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

The federal government hasnt raised fees in four years, USCIS officials say, when they raised fees an average of 21 percent. This time, they say fees are increasing an average of 20 percent  though the increases are much higher for some services than others.

TEXAS TAKE: Get political headlines from across the state sent directly to your inbox

USCIS Deputy Director for Policy Joseph Edlow said in a statement that the overdue adjustments in fees are necessary to efficiently and fairly administer our nations lawful immigration system, secure the homeland and protect Americans.

The increases come as USCIS faces a budget crisis stemming from the coronavirus outbreak, with the agency seeing a 50-percent drop in incoming fees as the agency shut down for months starting in March. The agency estimates revenue will stay low through the end of the fiscal year and has threatened to furlough the majority of its staff. The furloughs were initially scheduled to start this month, but USCIS has pushed them back to at least the end of August.

Houston immigration attorney Beto Cardenas said the fees should not be punitive. Workers seeking visas understand that theyre expected to be self-sufficient and contribute to the economy, he said.

Most individuals I speak with will tell me that they will work as hard as is possible to bring forward payment for visa fees because the cost while high, will be worth the investment, he said. One pro bono client commented to me that he will put visas fees ahead of other expenses (including food) because he knows that visa is critical to maintaining all else given that it provides legal status to be in the country and work.

A chilling effect

The existing fees were already a significant hurdle for many, attorneys say.

Its an unprecedented fee increase, said Ana Maria Schwartz, a Houston immigration attorney.

Gordon Quan, a Houston immigration attorney, said many of his clients ask if they can set up a payment plan to cover the fees as they stand now. The answer is no, the agency does not allow that.

I think its going to have somewhat of a chilling effect, Quan said.

Among the most significant rate hikes are those on applications for citizenship, jumping from $640 to $1,170. More than 24,000 people in Texas applied for citizenship from January through the end of March, according to the latest USCIS data. That included more than 8,600 in Houston and more than 4,400 in San Antonio.

According to data from the Equity Research Institute at the University of Southern California, there are more than 1 million immigrants in Texas who are eligible for naturalization, more than 128,000 of whom are considered highly likely to apply.

Brett Coomer, Houston Chronicle / Staff photographer

But its not just those seeking citizenship who will have to pay more.

Fee hikes for immigration services Trump administration-enacted fee increases for certain immigration services are scheduled to go into effect in October. They include: Cost of naturalization application raises from $640 to $1,160 Cost of employment authorization raises from $410 to $550 Cost of travel authorization raises from $575 to $595 Cost of foreign worker visas from $460 to $555 Cost of asylum application is set at $50 See More Collapse

Those seeking permanent residence in the U.S. could also face much higher fees. Under the new structure, applicants will have to pay work and travel authorization fees  $550 and $590 a piece  every year while they are waiting for permanent resident approval, a process that USCIS estimates can take up to three years in Texas.

These could easily be $4,000 in government fees, Schwartz said. Thats just to maintain a job and to travel and see family members in the case of an emergency.

There were nearly 48,000 applications for permanent resident status pending in Texas at the end of March, the latest data available.

The fee hikes are almost certain to draw legal challenges from groups hoping to stop them from taking effect. Rodgers said the Immigrant Legal Resource Center is exploring that avenue, arguing the the reasoning is not sound, the factual basis hasnt been established, and it really comes across as an attempt to implement and anti-immigrant agenda.

Its really a wholesale, really systematic attack on the national immigration system, she said. It is going to hit the most vulnerable communities the hardest.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Twitter expects to pay a $250 million fine of its violation of data use policies as reported by FT. The company is currently under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission. This if for improperly using users data to improve ad targeting.

It has not been a good couple of months for Twitter from a privacy perspective. Originally, back in July, the company had to apologize to business users for exposing their private information.

Then the company was the subject of a bitcoin hacking scandal and another that included at least one elected official. The former breach has now resulted in three individuals arrest. However, Twitter does not need more privacy scandals.

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Twitter preparing for a large fine

In a regulatory filing, the company said it had received a draft complaint. This complaint alleged it violated a promise not to mislead consumers about the security of their data.

The filling said the cost of resolving the issue would be between $150m and $250m. Engadget reports that fine pertains to the data use by Twitter from 2013 to 2019.

Last October, Twitter admitted to inadvertently using personal information. This was for what they believed to be safety and security practices in order to better target advertising.

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The company admitted its practices were an error. Reportedly, the San Francisco company used personal information to match users to advertisers marketing lists.

FTC files draft complaint

The FTC has also filed a draft complaint fmislead consumers about the extent to which it protects the security, privacy, and confidentiality for breaching a consent order the company signed back in 2011. This was originally to resolve previous charges that the company had put users privacy at risk.

The consent order forced the company to promise not to mislead consumers about the extent to which it protects the security, privacy, and confidentiality. It also stated that Twitter must establish and maintain a comprehensive information security program.

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Given all the issues that Twitter has faced in the last few months, this is a worrying situation. The companys revenues dropped 19 per cent year on year to $683m in the second quarter of 2020. This led the company to post an adjusted net loss of $127m.

With more and more focus on data privacy, big social media companies are increasingly under scrutiny. Twitter, Facebook and the like are going to have to change the behavior and also repair their reputations if they are to turn the tide. However, as things stand, there is a lot of pressure on them from all sides.
Every name on the BrandBucket marketplace is exclusively listed with BrandBucket. That means that all of our sellers are very responsive, making for quick domain transfers.

A dedicated BrandBucket agent will manage your domain transfer from beginning to end, ensuring a secure and easy transaction. They will manage the receipt of the domain into one of BrandBuckets secure registrar accounts and then complete the transfer to you.

1. Verification and registrar choice

After we receive the payment and verify it, we will reach out via email to confirm which registrar you want the domain transferred to. We also provide a link to our tracking system, where you can communicate with us, check on the status of your transfer, view your invoice, and download your logo files.

In most cases, if a domain is moved between accounts at a single registrar, the transfer is quick and usually completes within 48 hours. If a domain changes registrars (in other words, you would like to move it away from where it is currently registered), the transfer is slower. The total transfer time can then be anywhere from 48 hours to 7 days.

BrandBucket has vetted and supports the following registrars:



GoDaddy

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Google Domains

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2. We request the name from the seller.

Once we know where you would like the domain transferred, BrandBucket will request the domain from the seller. All of our sellers are very responsive, making for a quick process.

3. Transfer the name into your account

As soon as we receive the name from the seller, we start the transfer into your account and guide you through the whole process.

4. Verify with the buyer that the transfer is complete

Once we confirm that you have received the name, we consider the escrow process to be complete. Only then do we release payment to the domain seller.
Amid allegations on PM Modi, BJP for tampering India's secular fabric, especially from Asaduddin Owaisi in the opposition, Mughal descendent in Hyderabad comes in support of a Ram Temple, says grandfather Babar was a secular ruler, unnecessarily defamed for destroying temple to build Babri mosque.

Prince Tucy who always wears Maharaja clothes is the Moghul descendant who has been living on the outskirts of Hyderabad in palatial building. He donates a gold brick which costs 1.8 crores of rupees for the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and says his great Grand Father did not destroy the temple there to build a mosque but his commander did it without the Knowledge of Babar. He is grateful about the restoration of Ram temple at Ayodhya. He claims that Babar was a secular , The Daily Guardian met him in his farm house at Shamsabad area and had chit chat.

Q1) After years of legal battle  the ground breaking ceremony for the temple is finally going to happen. Your thoughts on Ram Temple ?

Price Tucy : We are very happy. telling you as heir of great Moghuls , its my familys wish to build a Ram Mandhir at Ayodhya. Ram Mandhir was there , Mir Baqui demolished it and constructed Babri masid. Moghul Family has been very happy about reconstructing Ram Temple at Ayodhya. Babar was secular, He did not know about it. there should not be any name like Babri masid in Ayodhya. Babars name should not be misused. Even in the 5 acres of land alloted to muslims, A masque should not be build in the name of Babar.

Q2) You say youre donating a gold brick for the temple- Whats the symbolism around it? Whats your logic behind it?

Prince Tucy : There is no logic in it. Islam teaches us to respect other religion. total game was played on Babar , his image was damaged badly. He had not demolished, all Moghuls are secular including myself. I am also sending a secular message , i am offering the gold brick.

Also read: Details of Ram Temple ceremony revealed: PM Modi and 4 others on stage, 175 invites sent

Also read: Only invitees should come, says Yogi Adityanath as Covid threat looms Ayodhya

Q3) Considering that the mandir is getting constructed unopposed  would you say that its a symbol of Indias unity?

Prince Tucy : the temple sends a good message to all. its a symbol of religious harmony. India is a land of religious harmony.

Q4) Many in the opposition say that you shouldve held a virtual ceremony, considering the current pandemic  do you see a genuine concern or is the opposition trying to score brownie points ?

Price Tucy : some road side and Gully leaders are playing these cheap tricks. they have been playing politics for long time for vote banks. PM and others observe all Covid 19 rules. Just for publicity , some leaders do that. No need to care for them.

Q5) Owaisi has slammed the PM for sending the event  what do you think of the PM attending the event?

Prince Tucy : the PM is not only for the hindu Community. He is for all . Owaisi is a good for nothing fellow and he is actually a joker. He is a converted muslim. he does all for Cheap politics and provokes sentiments for Votes.

Q6) Have you been invited for the ceremony? If yes will you attend? Or do you have any plans to visit the janmbhoomi?

Prince Tucy : the PMs schedule is very busy. and the persons to Ayodhya is limited. I went two and three times to Ayodhya. the Mandir construction will be finished two or three years. I will visit Ram Mandhir there.

Q7) Do you think itll be over before the 24 polls? and do you think once its made do you think it would still be an electoral issue ?

Prince Tucy : there are no politics in Ram Mandhir now. its going to be build as per the wish of the people. Its going to be a big construction , Its upto the government of Uttar Pradesh to complete it in two years or three years.

Also read: Ayodhya decked up for mega event: Holy city immersed in festivities ahead of bhoomi-pujan ceremony
A number of high-profile reports last week cited data released on 26 July by Chinas General Administration of Customs (GAC) as clear evidence that China did not import any crude oil from Iran in June for the first time since January 2007. This is absolute nonsense. Not only is China continuing to import many millions of barrels of crude oil from Iran every single month but also it will continue to do so in line with the now firmly in-play 25-year deal between the two countries. Specifically, from 1 June to 21 July (51 days), China imported at least 8.1 million barrels of crude oil  158,823 barrels per day (bpd) - from Iran in a number of relatively direct ways, a senior oil and gas industry source who works closely with Irans Petroleum Ministry exclusively told OilPrice.com. The vast majority of these 8.1 million barrels were delivered by crude oil container ship, beginning with the cargo of the Giessel.

The Giessel likely loaded Iranian crude oil via ship-to-ship transfer just off the Strait of Hormuz at the Gulf of Oman and this likely occurred between the 26 April and 5 May, sources at global energy markets intelligence company, Kpler, told OilPrice.com last week. The Giessel then discharged about 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil to [Chinas state-owned] Sinopec at the Qingdao Huangdao port on 13 June, added the Kpler sources.

Shortly thereafter, according to the Iran source, the crude oil tankers Stream and Snow left Iranian ports for China and later offloaded their respective 1.6 million barrels and 2.1 million barrels of Iranian crude oil at Chinese ports.

In addition to the near-159,000 bpd being exported directly, another 6.8 million barrels or so was exported over the same 51 day period (another 133,333 bpd) from Iran to China indirectly via Malaysia (and to a much lesser extent, Indonesia), according to highly-placed sources in Iran. This process involves shipping Iranian oil to somewhere within Malaysian (or Indonesian) maritime boundaries, changing the vessel registration documents relating to its origin and ownership, and to the provenance of the crude oil cargo, and then continuing the voyage on to China.

Related: Vitol Employees And Execs See Massive $2.2 Billion Payday



A sign that this has been going on for many months, at least, appears in the official Chinese GAC crude oil import figures that show that for the January-June period of this year there was an 81.2 percent increase in Chinas imports of crude oil from Malaysia, compared to the same period last year. Apparently attempting to obfuscate matters further, for the 13 June Giessel cargo to the Qingdao Huangdao port, internal Chinese Customs documents only refer to a crude oil blend coming from Indonesia (not Malaysia). The near-15 million barrels of crude oil exports from Iran to China over the 1 June to 21 July period (292,157 bpd) accounts for just over 58 per cent of all of Irans 500,000 bpd or so total current crude oil exports, out of a total current production of 2.2 million bpd, according to the Iran source.

The fact that none of these have shown up in official GAC figures is entirely unsurprising, given the basic technical factor that any and all crude oil imports to China from Iran can be held in bonded storage. Put simply: crude oil that goes into bonded storage is not put through Chinese Customs at all  and is not even recorded as having been paid for - and consequently does not appear on any GAC documentation. This means that China can import as much Iranian oil as it wants without the oil appearing in any import figures and without, as far as the letter of the law is concerned, China breaking any U.S. sanctions. Even if that wasnt the standard procedure there, why would China record these deliveries anyway? said the Iran source.

Another method of Iran delivering its oil to China is now being worked on by Tehran, together with Russia and China itself. This is to build-out the oil collection, storage, and delivery elements from Irans Caspian Sea allocation into the Russian feed-in structures used in the ESPO [Eastern SiberiaPacific Ocean] pipeline, and then to move the Iranian crude through Kazakhstan and then into China, the Iran source said. Iran now has an 11.875 per cent in the Caspian resource, with the onshore and offshore Caspian fields conservatively estimated to have around 48 billion barrels of oil in proved and probable reserves.

Russia already has experience of using Iranian oil in the ESPO crude oil blend. In 2018 it was facing numerous complaints from European buyers of its oil when its efforts to meet increased oil demand from China simply by boosting crude oil output in East Siberia failed. In order to redress the quality issue for Europe, Russia utilised the relevant light, sweet, Iran crude grade into its own ESPO deliveries, juggling it between Europe and China. Related: Oil Prices Rise Despite An Influx Of OPEC+ Crude

For China there are distinct advantages to holding millions of Iranian crude in storage, aside from the sanctions-busting element. To start with, it means that it can secure the oil at extremely discounted prices, in keeping with the secret element of the 25-year deal agreed between the two countries. In the case of the crude oil delivered by the Giessel, Stream, and Snow tankers  5.8 million barrels in total  each barrel was discounted by US$10.95 to the headline Iranian grade price, according to the Iran source. In addition to this discount, Iran offered China CIF [cost, insurance, and freight] cargoes at FOB [free-on-board] pricing, and Iran continues to offer Chinese buyers protection and indemnity [P&I] insurance, through the Kish P&I Club, among other such entities, he added.

Additionally positive for China is that this stored oil can be sold at any time should the need arise or at a time when oil prices rise significantly (effectively also functioning as a hedge). It can also be used for geopolitical advantage, as it allows China to trade the oil in deals with energy-poor countries that nonetheless have things (port facilities, for example) that China wants, especially in pursuit of its One Belt, One Road programme. Finally, stored Iranian crude oil gives China a wider energy security safety net in the event that the U.S. imposes further sanctions against more of Chinas traditional oil suppliers.

On the other side of the equation, Iran benefits in part from the fact that it does not have to halt production at its core fields because it is running out of storage space, which could damage the wells. Nor does it have to commit all of its tanker fleet to storage, which is costly and would prohibit revenue-raising crude oil exports to other countries. The major benefit for Iran, though, is funding. Before Iran signed the secret part of the 25-year deal with China it was short of the approximately US$150 billion that it needed to complete all of its major oil and gas developments, plus another US$250 billion that it needed to build out the rest of its key business sectors to internationally functioning levels.

Whilst China has vouched for this US$400 billion, Iran is still relatively cash poor, so the discounted oil exports are a means of allowing it to pay China for its part of the infrastructure development costs. According to various sources, the discounted price of oil on the Giessel, Stream, and Snow oil tankers, was part of the payment for Sinopecs ongoing work on Phase 2 of Irans supergiant Yadavaran oil field. Sinopec is apparently working on this field on multiple contract-only operations through seven front companies that have been registered variously in Myanmar, Malaysia, Singapore, and Pakistan, OilPrice.com understands from the Iran source.

In addition to the direct Iran to China tank crude oil shipments identified and the indirect Iran-Malaysia (occasional Indonesia)-China crude oil shipments from 1 June to 21 July, according to the Iran source: Chinese shell companies took delivery of another 1.2 million barrels [23,529 bpd] of Iranian oil  re-labelled Iraqi crude - in June destined for China, and sold at a US$12 per barrel discount to the Basra blend price, and Pakistan commercial agents took an additional 1.1 million barrels [21,568 bpd] of crude oil purchased on behalf of China.

This re-labelling of Iranian oil to Iraqi oil is as simple as it is undetectable by the U.S. Not only does Iraq share an extremely long and extremely porous border with Iran but the two countries share many oilfields, with the oil on the Iraqi side of the border being drilled from exactly the same reservoirs as the oil being drilled on the Iranian side. Even if the Americans actually stationed people at every single rig in every single shared field in Iraq they wouldnt be able to tell if the oil coming out it was from the Iraq side or the Iranian side, said the Iran source.

In sum, these methods  direct shipping from Iran to China (around 159,000 bpd), indirect shipping from Iran to China via Malaysia or other countries waters (another 133,000 bpd), re-labelling for China export (24,000 bpd), and Pakistan commercial agents (22,000 bpd)  mean that over the 1 June to 21 July period alone, China imported at least 338,000 bpd of Iranian crude oil. This equates to just over 67 per cent of Irans total 500,000 bpd of exports at the moment. This leaves around 162,000 bpd being exported to Irans other major traditional buyers right now, including Syria and various former Eastern Bloc states, among others.

By Simon Watkins for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has congratulated all those who successfully cleared the prestigious civil services examination, results for which were declared on Tuesday. The Prime Minister said that an exciting and satisfying career of public service awaited the successful candidates.

Congratulations to all the bright youngsters who have successfully cleared the Civil Services Examination, 2019! An exciting and satisfying career of public service awaits you. My best wishes!, PM Modi tweeted.

Prime Minister also offered encouragement to those who couldnt clear the examination and said life was full of opportunities while wishing them well for their future endeavours.

For those youngsters who did not get the desired result in the Civil Services Examination, 2019, I would like to tell them- life is full of several opportunities. Each and every one of you is hardworking and diligent. Best wishes for all your future endeavours, his second tweet said.

A total of 829 candidates have qualified in the civil services, including the IAS, the IPS and the IFS.

Also Read: UPSC Civil Services Final Result 2019 Live Updates: AIR- 1 holder Pradeep Singh is from Sonepat, Haryana

The results, declared by the Union Public Service Commission on Tuesday, saw three serving civil servants top the examinations. The topper Pradeep Singh is from the Indian Revenue Service (IRS), while Jatin Kishore is a 2018 batch officer of the Indian Economic Service (IES) and Pratibha Verma is an Indian Revenue Service (Income Tax) officer like Singh.

Pradeep Singh is a resident of Haryana, while Kishore hails from Delhi and Verma from Uttar Pradesh.

A total of 829 candidates have been recommended for Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS) and Indian Police Service (IPS), among other civil services, the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) said in a statement, announcing the results of the civil services examination 2019.

Of the total qualified candidates, 304 are from General category, 78 from Economically Weaker Section (EWS), 251 from Other Backward Classes (OBC), 129 from Scheduled Castes (SC) and 67 from Scheduled Tribes (ST) category, according to the UPSC.

Also Read: UPSC Civil Services Exam 2019 Result: Pradeep Singh tops exam, check toppers list

A total of 182 other candidates have been put in the reserve list, it said.

The civil services examination is conducted annually in three phases -- preliminary, main and interview -- to select candidates for the countrys premier civil services. Lakhs of people appear for the prestigious examination.

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Amazon UK has removed a pair of shoes that were advertised using the N-word.

The listing was posted by Florence Shakespeare, a company thought to be based in China, and included the description 'colour: N-word brown'.

The post was slammed by Labour MP David Lammy, of London, who came across the offensive term while browsing for shoes to buy last night.

He tweeted: ' Just buying brown brogues tonight leads to this racist micro aggression. Is it 2020 or 1720? Please Amazon take it down.'

The listing was posted by Florence Shakespeare, a company thought to be based in China, and included the N-word in the colour description, pictured

The post was slammed by Labour MP David Lammy, of London, who came across the offensive term while browsing for shoes to buy last night

The tweet has since been retweeted more than 4,000 times and liked 14,700 times - as supporters raged at the 'unforgivable' advert.

Lawyer and activist Dr Shola Mos-Shogbamimu, wrote: 'Are you INSANE @amazonuk? Just weeks ago we complained about racist book titles earphones etc now this? @JeffBezos if you want Black people to boycott @amazon keep this up. Maybe when you're hit with profit loss you'll take #BlackLivesMatter seriously!'

After being made aware of the product, Amazon immediately removed it from sale.

Twitter user Aboud Dandachi added to the criticism, saying: 'Absolutely appalling. Amazon knows exactly every trick in the book to get us to buy things, but they cant spot words like this? Unbelievable.'

Sarah Fearon said: 'It's awful that words like that still appear in 2020. 'I'm sorry you had to be confronted by that and also by the horrible racists on this platform. There is still a long way to go sadly before equality becomes a reality and not a buzzword.'

Ian Austin said: 'Absolutely shocking. Disgusting.' Sam Roberts said: 'So, so sorry. And I think you're generous to consider this a 'micro-aggression'. It's disgusting.'

Afroink said: 'Absolutely unforgivable @amazon, should never ever happen, thanks @DavidLammy for calling them out. 'This is beyond ridiculous. Why should we have to deal with crap like this everywhere we turn?!'

The tweet has since been retweeted more than 4,000 times and liked 14,700 times - as supporters raged at the 'unforgivable' advert

In response to complaints, Amazon confirmed the product was 'no longer available'.

This is not the first time Amazon UK has been accused of allowing racist products to be listed on its website.

In May, Amazon was forced to remove an offensive Agatha Christie book called 'Ten Little N-word Boys' from sale for the second time - four years after they had initially been made aware of the issue.

An Amazon spokesperson said: 'All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action, including the potential removal of their account. The product in question is no longer available.

Mr Lammy's post came in the midst of the Tottenham MP's criticism of the social platform, which he accused of failing to tackle racist abuse.

Mr Lammy later revealed Amazon had removed the listing but called out the website for previous errors allowing offensive terms to be included in listings

Mr Lammy had tweeted only an hour earlier to call on Twitter to be 'faster at stamping out racist threats' after receiving abuse online.

He had earlier posted a screenshot of an account named 'Mikolaos Nichaloliakas' calling him a 'monkey boy'. The user also said the MP would 'swing from a lamppost if you are not careful'.

Mr Lammy responded by saying 'vile racists like you will not silence me,' before calling on the Metropolitan Police to look into it and adding that 'social media must not be a platform for threats and abuse'.

The MP retweeted the abusive message again 13 hours later, saying it had not been deleted and called on Twitter and its CEO Jack Dorsey to be 'much faster' at removing hate.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it had received 'an allegation of malicious communication' adding: "The contents are being assessed."

Home Secretary Priti Patel responded to Mr Lammy to say she had asked Metropolitan Police to keep her informed about the abuse he had received.

The Conservative MP also backed Mr Lammy's calls for Twitter to act faster over racism.

She wrote: 'I am sorry you have faced this awful racist abuse @DavidLammy.

'I have asked the @metpoliceuk to keep me updated on their investigation.

'As I have said before, @Twitter must take decisive action against this sort of vile content much faster.'

Shadow home secretary Nick-Thomas Symonds also described the abuse as 'absolutely unacceptable' and called on social media companies to do more.

A Twitter spokesman said: 'We have policies in place that address abuse and harassment, violent threats, and hateful conduct.

'If we identify accounts that violate any of these rules, we'll take enforcement action.'
Military honing its capability to triumph in battle

PLA Daily

Source: China Daily

Editor: Li Jiayao

2020-08-03 11:31:32

By ZHANG YANGFEI

During a joint battle drill taking place during summer in a coastal area of Guangdong province, soldiers from the sixth company of the 74th Army Group of the People's Liberation Army faced a strong opposing force made up of a joint amphibious brigade.

They were far outnumbered, with a ratio about 2 to 15, and their weapons were also outmatched, but they firmly defended the line to stop the opponents from making a landing. Repelled, the amphibious brigade called for air support. Two fighter jets were sent, attacking and causing huge losses to the Sixth Company.

Just as the line was about to be breached, a small shock team of the Sixth Company launched a sudden attack on the opposition force's command vehicle, "killing" all commanders and successfully completing their defense mission.

The company is known as the "Hard-boned Sixth Company", an honorary title bestowed by the Ministry of National Defense in the 1960s for the number of war heroes it produced in its 80-plus-year history who fought bravely and made the ultimate sacrifice.

Today in a time of peace, the company still lives by a tough combat spirit and trains in harsh conditions to win battles. "Our goal is to always aim at actual combat and advance to a higher level," said the company's commander, Captain Zhao Song.

In January, the company wrote a letter to President Xi Jinping, reporting on their work and expressing their firm determination to win. Xi later wrote in reply, encouraging all officers and soldiers to keep in mind the goal of strengthening the army, carrying forward the "hard-boned spirit" and building a stronger company.

Reinforcing combat readiness has always been a priority continuously stressed by Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission. Over the past few years, he has urged the military many times to keep honing combat capabilities and fostering a war-winning mentality.

In October 2017 during the 19th CPC National Congress, he set a goal that the Chinese military will become a modernized power by 2035 and a world-class force by 2050. Under his leadership, the military has beefed up efforts to achieve the goals by increasing its training intensity, pushing forward reforms and speeding up the development of modernized equipment and weapons to be more prepared for today's informatized warfare.

On July 23, in the run-up to China's Army Day on Saturday, Xi visited the Aviation University of the Air Force in Jilin province to inspect pilots' training courses, teaching facilities and the training of unmanned aerial vehicle operators.

Xi said that with the emergence of a large number of various types of drones, unmanned operations are bringing profound changes to warfare. He stressed the university should strengthen research into unmanned combat, step up training in real combat conditions and aim to foster drone professionals who can take command in such warfare.

He also highlighted the close connection between military education and actual battlefields, urging the university to promote studies on modern air warfare and focus on teaching for actual combat and winning wars.

Such remarks were also echoed at a plenary meeting in May, when Xi met with the military delegation during the annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature. Xi asked the military to scale up combat training, respond promptly and effectively to all sorts of complex situations and firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests.

During inspections of local military units in previous years, Xi has reiterated the necessity to optimize troop structure, coordinate various units to forge strong systematic joint-operation prowess and promote advancement of scientific and technological innovation that helps accelerate modernization work.

To put Xi's words into practice, military units nationwide have explored new tactics and established higher standards in training. The sixth company, for example, required all soldiers to master not only their own area of expertise but also multiple specializations in field operations. Now at least 85 percent of all company officers and soldiers are proficient in more than two major areas.

Current exercises and drills closely simulate actual combat, requiring troops to strike random targets with no rehearsal in unfamiliar areas and unexpected situations. After every drill, the Sixth Company assesses their performance and researches new tactics to fix the problems they encountered during practice.

The Sixth Company's increasing effort to refine operational performance is typical of the Chinese military's ongoing reforms in recent years that aim to boost actual combat capabilities and joint operational capacity, officials said.

Starting in late 2015, China's armed forces have undergone massive reforms in a bid to make the military leaner but stronger and more efficient. The white paper "China's National Defense in the New Era", published in July 2019, said China had mended its military policy system, adjusted the structure of combat troops and reduced troop numbers by 300,000.

Command stressed

In recent years, the military has established the Strategic Support Force and Joint Logistic Support Force and placed the Armed Police Force and the PLA reserve forces under the unified control of the CPC Central Committee and Central Military Commission to promote a more integrated military and centralized command.

The military also released its first regulation, which came into effect in March 2019, governing military training with unified inspection standards so that various military units would be better coordinated and supervised.

To target military talent, the PLA Ground Force organized its first large-scale test of its high-ranking commanders last year, emphasizing the idea that commanding officers also must take the lead in combat readiness training. In the meantime, China's education and defense authorities have also revised a set of guidelines on military courses for university students that added military knowledge as well as practical new skills more tailored to today's international strategic situation.

On Oct 1 of last year, a grand military parade was held in Beijing on National Day to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. The parade showcased the armed forces' upgraded joint combat capabilities and noticeable advances in the PLA's modernization in recent years.

The parade unveiled for the first time many world-class weapons developed and built in China. The most notable weapons included the DF-41 intercontinental ballistic missile. Its estimated operational range of 12,000 to 15,000 kilometers makes it the longest-range missile in operation. It is also widely regarded as one of the most advanced and lethal strategic deterrents on the planet and possessed by only three countriesthe United States, Russia and China.

Other weapons that made their public debut were DF-17 hypersonic ballistic missile, characterized by ultrafast speed and a sophisticated trajectory that make penetrating enemy defense networks an easy job, as well as the ZTQ-15 light tank, which is highly mobile, strong and capable of moving through many kinds of tough terrain.

The hardware displayed was also only part of the evidence that China's armed forces have accelerated the development of advanced high-tech equipment to meet information-based combat requirements.

Last year, the country's first domestically designed aircraft carrier, CNS Shandong, entered service in the Navy. In January, China's first Type 055 guided-missile destroyer, the CNS Nanchang, was commissioned. The Type 055 destroyer is widely considered Asia's biggest and mightiest such combat ship.

Following the launch in September of the first Type 075 amphibious assault ship, also known as a landing dock for helicopters, China's second Type 075 vessel was launched in April. The ship is believed to extensively boost the Navy's amphibious operational capability.

Despite increasing efforts to raise joint combat capacity and technological progress, the military has also emphasized many times that its development is based on peaceful intentions and is for self-defense.

China will never seek hegemony or expansion. As a major power, the Chinese military has actively fulfilled its international responsibilities and is willing to promote international military cooperation in the new era and strive to contribute to building a world of lasting peace and security, according to the defense white paper.

Zhao Lei contributed to this story.

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The Supreme Court rejected the motion of the defender of the chairman of Kherson Regional Council, Vladyslav Manher, to transfer criminal proceedings on charges of his client in ordering the murder of the adviser to the mayor of Kherson, activist Kateryna Handziuk from Kyiv to Kherson.

"On August 4, 2020, the panel of judges of the Third Judicial Chamber of the Cassation Criminal Court as part of the Supreme Court dismissed the motion of the defender of the head of Kherson Regional Council to transfer criminal proceedings on charges of this official and another person in ordering and organizing an attack on the adviser of the mayor of Kherson from Pechersk District Court of Kyiv to Kherson City Court of Kherson region," says the Supreme Court website.

The report does not indicate the names of the suspect and the victim, but it follows from the case circumstances that the matter concerns Manher and Handziuk, respectively.

In addition, the panel of judges of the Cassation Court did not satisfy the submission of the chairman of Kyiv Court of Appeal to send the materials of this criminal proceeding from one court to another within the jurisdiction of different courts of appeal.

As reported, on July 31, 2018 in Kherson, an unknown person poured concentrated sulfuric acid on activist Handziuk near her house. The victim with burns was taken to a local hospital, but was soon transferred to a medical facility in Kyiv. Handziuk passed away on November 4.

The defendants in the case - the chairman of Kherson regional council Manher, MP's assistant Ihor Pavlovsky, ATO ex-soldier Serhiy Torbin and Oleksiy Levin (Moskalenko) are accused of committing a criminal offense under Part 3 of Article 27 (types of complicity), paragraph 4, 6, 11, 12, part 2 of Article 115 (premeditated murder) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine.

On June 15, the court allowed to detain Manher for a coerced appearance for a trial. On June 19, the court placed Manher in custody until July 28 without the right to post a bail.

The court found guilty five direct perpetrators of the attack on Handziuk and sentenced them to imprisonment.
Endeavour Silver Reports Financial Results for the Second Quarter 2020; Conference Call at 10am PDT (1pm EDT) Today

Posted by Publisher Internet

Endeavour Silver Corp. (NYSE: EXK; TSX: EDR) -? https://www.commodity-tv.com/ondemand/companies/profil/endeavour-silver-corp/

released its financial results today for the three month and six month periods ended June 30, 2020. The Company operates three silver-gold mines in Mexico: the Guanacevi mine in Durango state, the Bolanitos mine in Guanajuato state and the El Compas mine in Zacatecas state.

Bradford Cooke, Endeavour CEO, commented, ?I am pleased to report that notwithstanding the suspension of mining operations during the 2nd quarter due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Endeavour was able to reduce its net loss quarter-on-quarter, as each mine generated positive Mine Free Cash Flow thanks to improved operating performance and higher precious metal prices.? After the mines restarted, we were able to outperform our adjusted mine plans in June. We are now looking for opportunities to enhance safe production in H2, 2020.?

?We were pro-active in implementing our coronavirus prevention and response plan in mid-March to minimize its impact on our mining operations in Mexico.? As a result, we have been able to stop the contagion at the mine gates, although our work force has been reduced due to higher risk employees staying home during this time.? I commend our Mexico management and employees for responding positively when called upon by these extraordinary circumstances.?

2020 Second Quarter Highlights (all dollar amounts in US$)

Net Revenue: $20.2 million revenue from the sale of 634,839 oz of silver and 5,218 oz gold at average realized prices of $17.04 per oz silver and $1,862 per oz gold.

Cash Flow: $1.9 million cash flow from operations before working capital changes, and EBITDA(1) of $1.2 million, notwithstanding the suspension of mining for all of April and part of May.

Net Income: Loss of $3.3 million ($0.02 per share) which included $2.2 million in care and maintenance costs during the mine suspension period and $1.1 million in general and administrative expenses related to the mark to market of deferred share units due to the higher share price. Improved operating performance and higher precious metal prices significantly reduced losses both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year.?

Balance Sheet: Cash position of $30.5 million and working capital of $44.6 million. Term liabilities consist solely of equipment loans of $11.0 million to upgrade the mobile mining equipment.? Raised $21.7 million in equity financing using the ATM facility, net of issuance costs.

Metal Production: Produced 596,545 oz silver and 5,817 oz gold, despite the government mandated suspension of mining operations, for a total of 1.1 million oz silver equivalent (AgEq) at an 80:1 silver:gold ratio.

Operating Costs: Cash cost(1) was $2.78 per oz payable silver and all-in sustaining cost (AISC)(1) was $14.91 per oz payable silver, both net of gold credits. Cash cost and AISC were substantially lower both quarter-on-quarter and year-on-year due to the improved operating performance at Guanacevi, and the higher realized gold price that increased the by-product credit. The lower AISC was partly offset by increased capital expenditures at Bolanitos to effect the operating turnaround.

Guanacevi Continued to Out Perform: Nothwithstanding the mine suspension period, Mine Free Cash Flow (Cash from operating activities less capital expenditures) was $2.7 million as processed tonnes, silver and gold grades and recoveries continued well above plan. The operational turn-around and transition to mining the new, higher grade El Curso, Milache and SCS orebodies had a significant positive impact on the operating performance. Ore stockpiles and prepared long hole stopes allowed for an expedited mining restart, while the testing of the newly installed cone crushers in April allowed for significant plant throughput in May.

Bolanitos Turning a Corner: Nothwithstanding the mine suspension period, Mine Free Cash Flow was $0.1 million as the re-start was slower than Guanacevi due to a smaller stockpile and greater focus on mine development and grade control during the ramp-up period. Gold grades rose during the quarter while silver grades remained low due to variations in the ore bodies.

El Compas Generated Free Cash Flow: Nothwithstanding the mine suspension period, Mine Free Cash Flow was $1.1 million as the re-start was slower than Guanacevi due to a smaller stockpile and greater focus on mine development and grade control during the ramp-up period. Gold grades trended higher during the quarter while silver grades remained low due to variations in the ore bodies.

Continued Exploration Success: Positive exploration drill results from the El Curso area at Guanacevi and the Melladito area at Bolanitos.

(1) Mine operating cash flow, cash costs and all-in sustaining costs are non-IFRS measures. Please refer to the definitions in the Company?s Management Discussion & Analysis.

Financial Results (Consolidated Statement of Operations Appended Below)

For the three-month period ended June 30, 2020, the Company generated net revenue totaling $20.2 million (Q2, 2019  $28.3 million). During the period, the Company sold 634,839 silver oz sold and 5,218 oz gold at realized prices of $17.04 and $1,862 per oz respectively, compared to sales of 1,100,065 oz silver and 9,416 oz gold at realized prices of $15.02 and $1,366 per oz respectively in the same period of 2019. The Company decreased its finished goods silver and increased its gold inventory to 235,100 silver oz and 1,953 gold oz, respectively at June 30, 2020 compared to 279,320 oz silver and 1,452 oz gold held at March 31, 2020.

Cost of sales for Q2, 2020 was $17.1 million, a decrease of 50% over the cost of sales of $34.4 million for the same period of 2019.? The 50% decrease in cost of sales was primarily related to the suspension of the El Cubo operation in Q4, 2019 and the temporary suspension of the Guanacevi, Bolanitos and El Compas operations due to COVID-19 as consolidated throughput fell 52%.

After cost of sales of $17.1 million (Q2, 2019  $34.4 million), mine operating earnings was $3.1 million (Q2, 2019 ? loss of $6.1 million) from mining and milling operations in Mexico.

Exploration expenses decreased in Q2, 2020 to $1.7 million from $3.2 million for the same period of 2019 as the Mexico health decree resulted in a month and half of suspension of all activities. General and administrative expenses increased to $3.1 million in Q2, 2020 compared to $2.0 million for the same period of 2019, primarily due to mark-to-market fluctuations for director?s deferred share units. The quarter included $2.9 million of care and maintenance expense of which $0.7 million related to the shutdown El Cubo operation and $2.2 million related to the temporary suspension of the Guanacevi, Bolanitos and El Compas operations due to COVID-19.

Excluding depreciation and depletion of $4.0 million (Q2, 2019  $7.1 million), stock-based compensation of $0.1 million (Q2, 2019- $0.1 million) and the inventory write off of $0.5 million (Q2, 2019- $1.5 million) mine operating cash flow before taxes was $7.6 million in Q2, 2020 (Q2, 2019 ? $2.6 million). Operating loss was $4.6 million (Q2, 2019 ? loss of $11.3 million) after exploration expenditures of general and administrative expense and care and maintenance costs.

Net loss amounted to $3.3 million (loss of $0.02 per share) compared to a net loss of $10.1 million (loss of $0.08 per share) in Q2, 2019.

Direct production costs per tonne in Q2, 2020 decreased 4%, to $109.74 compared with Q2, 2019 due to lower operating costs at the Guanacevi operation, offset by the slightly higher costs at the Bolanitos and El Compas operations and the exclusion the El Cubo operation which suspended activities in Q4, 2019.

Consolidated cash costs per oz, net of by-product credits (a non-IFRS measure and a standard of the Silver Institute) decreased 80% to $2.78 primarily due to lower operating costs per tonne, higher gold grades and higher realized gold price that increased the by-product credit compared to the same period in 2019. The higher proportional gold production, and rising gold price, which increased 36% compared to the same period ended in 2019, were significant drivers in the lower cash cost net of by-product credits.

On a co-product cash costs basis, both silver and gold cost per ounce improved compared to the Q2, 2019. Silver co-product cash costs fell 28%, while gold co-product costs fell 13% to $10.16 per ounce and $1,111 per ounce respectively. The improvement was primarily driven by improved cost per tonne, the higher grade ore and improved gold recoveries.

All-in sustaining costs (also a non-IFRS measure) decreased 29% to $14.91 per oz in Q2, 2020 as a result of lower operating costs offset by higher corporate general and administrative costs and increased capital expenditures at Bolanitos to accelerated mine development. General and administrative costs increased due to mark to market deferred share units and were allocated for the entire operating period despite suspension activities during April and May.

The Company retained essential personnel at operations during the suspension period to maintain safety protocols, environmental monitoring, security measures and day-to-day maintenance. $2.1 million of costs were incurred from April 1st until the May re-starts and were allocated to care and maintenance expenses and excluded from mine operating costs or the corresponding metrics.

The Mexican government declared mining as an essential business, however in Mexico positive COVID-19 cases continue to rise at a significant rate to date.? A local outbreak, an impediment to the supply chain or market logistics, or a change in government health orders remains a significant risk. The mines are operating under strict safety protocols with the expectations of operating near throughput capacity. Due to the continued uncertainty, management will not provide second half guidance at this time.

The Condensed Consolidated Interim Financial Statements and Management?s Discussion & Analysis can be viewed on the Company?s website at www.edrsilver.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and EDGAR at www.sec.gov. All amounts are reported in US$.

Conference Call

A conference call to discuss these results will be held today, Tuesday, August 4 at 10am PDT (1pm EDT). To participate in the conference call, please dial the numbers below. No pass-code is necessary.

Toll-free in Canada and the US: 1-800-319-4610

Local Vancouver: 604-638-5340

Outside of Canada and the US: +-604-638-5340

A replay of the conference call will be available by dialing 1-800-319-6413 in Canada and the US (toll-free) or +604-638-9010 outside of Canada and the US. The required pass-code is 4879#. The replay will also be available on the Company?s website at www.edrsilver.com.

About Endeavour Silver ? Endeavour Silver Corp. is a mid-tier precious metals mining company that owns and operates three high-grade, underground, silver-gold mines in Mexico. Endeavour is currently advancing the Terronera mine project towards a development decision and exploring its portfolio of exploration and development projects in Mexico and Chile to facilitate its goal to become a premier senior silver producer.? Our philosophy of corporate social integrity creates value for all stakeholders.

SOURCE Endeavour Silver Corp.

Contact Information:

Galina Meleger, Director Investor Relations

Toll free: (877) 685-9775

Tel: (604) 640-4804

Email:? gmeleger@edrsilver.com

Website: www.edrsilver.com

Follow Endeavour Silver on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and LinkedIn

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains ?forward-looking statements? within the meaning of the United States private securities litigation reform act of 1995 and ?forward-looking information? within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward?looking statements and information herein include but are not limited to statements regarding Endeavour?s anticipated performance in 2020 including changes in mining operations and production levels, the timing and results of various activities and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations. The Company does not intend to and does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law.

Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, production levels, performance or achievements of Endeavour and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include but are not limited to the ultimate impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on operations and results, changes in production and costs guidance, national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and Mexico; financial risks due to precious metals prices, operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, development and mining activities; risks and hazards of mineral exploration, development and mining; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Company?s title to properties; as well as those factors described in the section ?risk factors? contained in the Company?s most recent form 40F/Annual Information Form filed with the S.E.C. and Canadian securities regulatory authorities.

Forward-looking statements are based on assumptions management believes to be reasonable, including but not limited to: the continued operation of the Company?s mining operations, no material adverse change in the market price of commodities, mining operations will operate and the mining products will be completed in accordance with management?s expectations and achieve their stated production outcomes, and such other assumptions and factors as set out herein. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward-looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.

This statement should be read in conjunction with the condensed consolidated interim financial statements for the period ended June 30, 2020 and the related notes contained therein.
Bringing together BigQuery with ClearBlades software platform lets enterprises get IoT solutions scaled to hundreds of thousands devices without complexity or risk.

ClearBlade, an industry-leading Industrial IoT Platform and Edge Computing software company, announced a technology partnership with Google Cloud for edge data migration into the Google Cloud BigQuery service. The ClearBlade Edge Data BigQuery Pump feature allows for critical information to rapidly be migrated, processed, stored, analyzed and trained on for enhancing business processes. The feature is available out of the box for users of ClearBlade and Google Cloud to move edge data into their enterprise data lake inside of BigQuery.

BigQuery is the global cloud database warehouse for business agility. With BigQuery, customers gain an industry leading total cost of ownership while also getting access to premier Business Intelligence (BI) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) tooling. Based on its serverless architecture, developers using BigQuery can rapidly implement Machine Learning algorithms that optimize their business processes. With a service level agreement (SLA) of 99.99% customers can rely on Google Cloud to provide them insights when and where their customers and users need them.

With the ClearBlade Edge Data BigQuery Pump feature customers now have the ability to take all types of data and store them directly into their data lake, said Aaron Allsbrook, co-founder and CTO, ClearBlade. The serverless design makes management simple along with integrated AI, BI, Geospatial capabilities available for enterprises to understand what is happening in their business in simple to read reports. The offering is a major value to companies that struggle to process data from their field sensors and machines.

This partnership brings the industry leading cloud data warehouse of BigQuery together with ClearBlades Edge Data platform to enable rapid deployment of highly configurable, enterprise grade IoT solutions that create many Terabytes of data. The result is a rapidly scaled IIoT solution, with all the tools necessary to manage an unbounded and growing dataset. Bringing together BigQuery with ClearBlades software platform lets enterprises get IoT solutions scaled to hundreds of thousands devices without complexity or risk.

About ClearBlade

ClearBlade is the industry-leading Edge Computing software company that enables enterprises to rapidly engineer and run secure, real-time, scalable IoT applications. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, ClearBlade is an award-winning, fully scalable, secure, flexible and autonomous IoT edge platform that enables companies to ingest, analyze, adapt and act on any data in real-time and at extreme scale. ClearBlade provides a consistent platform across edge, cloud and on-premise environments. For more information, please visit https://www.clearblade.com.

Media Contacts:

ClearBlade

Michelle Davis

marketing@clearblade.com

+1(866)999-3343
YPSILANTI, MI  A suspect arrested in January for attacking and critically injuring her partner with a samurai sword has been sentenced to probation and anger management.

Neil Patrick Wasinski was sentenced to three years probation on March 24, after pleading no contest to assault with a deadly weapon and resisting arrest, court records show.

Wasinski, 28, was charged on Jan. 18 with assault with intent to murder, assault with a dangerous weapon and assaulting or resisting police after being arrested for attacking her boyfriend Jan. 16 with a 21-inch samurai sword at the Arbor One Apartments in Ypsilanti, records show.

Wasinski, or Nalla as she is known, is listed as a male in court documents but referred to as she in police records.

The intent to murder charge was dismissed at district court after Wasinski pleaded no contest to the remaining two charges during her preliminary examination, Feb. 13, records show.

Wasinski was originally scheduled to be sentenced March 17 before Washtenaw County Trial Judge Carol Kuhnke as COVID-19 pandemic was first beginning in Michigan.

The hearing was rescheduled to March 24 as Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order for all non-essential workers to stay at home, which later led to many public offices being temporarily shut down.

Included in Wasinskis sentence she must participate in an anger management program, seek mental health treatment and a substance abuse assessment.

Police found the victim in this case, a 23-year-old man, smoking a cigarette and pressing a bloody towel to his side, according to an Ypsilanti Police Department report obtained by MLive/The Ann Arbor News through a Freedom of Information Act request.

One arrested in stabbing reported at Ypsilanti apartment complex

The man, who identified himself as Wasinskis boyfriend of one and a half years, told police he was attacked after he failed to buy marijuana for Wasinski, the report states.

The victim suffered multiple stab wounds to his arm and torso near the armpit. He was taken to St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in critical condition where doctors discovered one of his lungs had collapsed in the attack, records show.

The boyfriend has since recovered.

Police arrested Wasinki in the pairs apartment where they found an unsheathed, blood-stained 21-inch katana on Wasinskis bedroom floor, which was collected as evidence, the report states.

Wasinski would later tell officers she didnt remember much about the incident, as she was intoxicated, but said the victim threw her on the ground and then she blacked out, the report states.

For more Ypsilanti-area news, click here.

More from The Ann Arbor News:

Ann Arbor bus system temporarily changing its service; plan coming in town hall meeting

Felony sexual misconduct charge issued for Ann Arbor man accused of molesting child in his care

Local Eats: Ypsilantis Bird Dog Baking opened at the start of Michigans coronavirus lockdown
Edinburgh Fringe company Underbelly has today launched a campaign to help support artists who were expected to appear at the festival this month.

Earlier this year the Fringe was cancelled due to the ongoing pandemic, though a variety of online initiatives do still exist to help provide creative outlets and opportunities for companies.

The new fund encourages Fringe supporters to donate the cost of a ticket (around 12) to help out, with a variety of special rewards and prizes available for those who donate more  for more than 70 you can win ten tickets to ten shows in next year's programme, while for 400 you could win a signed Fleabag poster, courtesy of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, from the show's original Edinburgh run. For 1000, you can win free tickets to any Underbelly shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe for the next two years.

One hundred per cent of all proceeds will go directly to artists.

Ed Bartlam and Charlie Wood, directors of Underbelly said: "Edinburgh is where it all started, in a dingy cave, twenty years ago. It's our life blood, our home, a place where genuinely anything can happen and incredible memories have been made. To not be there this year is heart-breakingly devastating but it is also a time for reflection and understanding that for this year, we must step back and put the safety of others first.

"We would love to support and help everyone but what we feel we should do at this time is to support those artists that were due to perform at the Underbelly this year. We are asking you to help us support these artists to get through this most difficult of all times and more importantly keep them working in an industry that needs and values them. Without them there is no Underbelly, there is no Edinburgh Festival Fringe."

You can donate here.
Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 4 : Three days after the BJP launched protests across Kerala to demand the ouster of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, the Congress state unit too came up with its plan on Tuesday to use the social media to demand his resignation.

Party leaders launched an online initiative they termed a "trailer to expose Pinarayi A2Z', using the hashtag 'Quit Kerala' to demand Vijayan's resignation.

The initiative developed by the party's 'Research and Development Department' headed by party leader Mathew Kuzhalnaden will list all alleged corruption indulged in by the Vijayan government starting with 'A' and ending with 'Z' alphabets.

"Every day, one episode will be launched. There will be 26 such episodes to trace each and every corrupt deal of the government led by Vijayan. A new website is also being launched. All people can take part in it and bring to our attention any corrupt deal. We decided to start this initiative as public memory is short and with elections round the corner, we want to expose Vijayan," said Kuzhalnaden.

State Congress President Mullapally Ramachandran said that while the Communist Party of India-Marxist and the Bharatiya Janata Party has made inroads into the social media, the Congress state unit has now decided to utilise the online platforms.

"Just like the 'Quit India' movement, we have come up with 'Quit Kerala' to demand Vijayan's resignation. Not a single day passes when a new corrupt deal does not come out in Kerala. Every corrupt deal has its epicentre in his office," Ramachandran alleged.

Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said there was free-for-all situation in Kerala.

"Another fraud has now rocked Kerala, wherein an alleged CPI-M official working in the Treasury Department has siphoned off Rs two crore from the treasury. Finance Minister Thomas Issac cannot wash his hands off this scam. A thorough probe has to take place... there is a need for a vigilance probe that should include inquiry into the role of Issac," said Chennithala.

Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said that Kerala's name has been shamed by this government through its various actions.

"The youths are reeling under numerous scams related to backdoor appointments. We all saw the PSC scam wherein a few people manipulated exams held to recruit constables... backdoor appointments start with daily wage jobs, then on contract, and finally backdoor entries. All these incidents will be included in our social media campaign," said Chandy.

The Congress leaders asserted there will not be any smear campaign but as per cyber discipline protocol.

Both the Congress and the BJP in Kerala have been demanding Vijayan's resignation after the racket in gold smuggling through diplomatic baggage was unearthed on July 5.

On August 1, the BJP's Kerala unit had launched series of protest demonstrations across the state to demand Vijayan government's resignation.

BJP protests will continue till August 18, with all top state party leaders observing one-day fasts at various place during this period.
A young man who grew up in Chestertown is now rowing through the Pacific Ocean alone to raise money for charity.

Tez Steinberg is one month into a three-month solo row to Hawaii from San Francisco.

Only seven people have reached Hawaii on a solo row across the Pacific. None of them succeeded on their first try. Hes hoping to be the first.

The row is called the United World Challenge. Its a project by United World Colleges alumni to inspire a more courageous world and raise scholarships for students to attend United World Colleges. (Steinberg graduated from UWC of the Adriatic in Italy.) To donate, go to https://unitedworldchallenge.org/.

Hes less than 800 miles into the 2,500 mile journey, but its getting easier now that he has crossed the Cali Current. To get across it he took only a couple hours off at a time, rowing day and night, so he didnt get pushed too far backward while sleeping.

I have never guessed in my life that I would spend a month trying to make a single right turn, but here we are. The good news is, the further west I get, the easier the turn becomes, he wrote in his blog on July 27. Ive recently started getting little waves that dont come at me direct from the side like most others, but come from a NW or N angle, hitting the back corner of my boat, and give me a nudge forward. I cant express how exciting it is each time I meet such a wave. After muscling my way slowly west the past 3 1/2 weeks, I cant wait to have following seas helping me along.

Hes also teaching science lessons on board and gathering samples for lab tests later on the plastic in the ocean and air.

To better understand how plastic breaks down and travels, Im gathering data for a study with researcher Dimitri Deheyn, PhD, at Scripps Institute of Oceanography. Each day I place double/sticky tape on my instrument arch to capture microfiber samples from the air. Dimitris lab will analyze the samples after the row. We are both curious: Do plastics in the ocean become airborne through sea spray and wave action? I am nowhere near the center of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch  thats west of me  but Ive noticed a startling increase in trash already, he wrote.

So far, his trip has raised $13,180.55. His goal by the end is $75,000.

While the money is important, he said inspiring courageous actions is just as important.

The greatest danger we face is not climate change, pollution, or any external threat  its the perception that our challenges are too daunting to solve. The world needs inspiration, a reason to believe more in ourselves and the opportunity for a better tomorrow. Thats why I launched the United World Challenge, he said.

He has certainly found daunting problems. In less than three weeks, his rowing seat broke  he took it apart and spent a day rebuilding it, and then hours the next day to improve upon that repair.

More recently, he had 11 minutes to avoid a collision with a fuel tanker ship.

My AIS alarm sounded, and I saw the ship on the horizon. My Garmin warned me that the ship and I would collide in just 11 minutes. So I got on my VHF radio, contacted the bridge of this vessel, and explained the situation: I am in a rowboat under human power alone. Im unable to maneuver out of your way. Please alter your course to provide sufficient berth, he wrote in his blog.

And then I heard it: A human voice! A strangers voice! He assured me he was turning starboard and would pass with plenty of room. Neither of us said anything more, and I watched with amazement as this huge ship turned on a dime in the distance. And then just moments later charged safely by me, a half mile away. It was comforting to speak with someone, someone Ive never met, who agreed to do something upon my request, for the good of us both. And this brief interaction made me think back on all the ways we rely on each other all the time.

He spent the rest of that days row thinking about the nature of truth.

Whats more, as the ship passed, I couldnt help but admire its strength and engineering and see beauty in this steel behemoth. A tanker carrying fossil fuels. Is this a thing of beauty? Well, from the perspective of living aboard a cramped 23-foot rowboat with a broken rowing seat, the idea of a floating kitchen, proper bunks, real bathroom, all the amenities of modern life  yes, thats a thing of beauty, he wrote. And seeing beauty in a fuel tanker, well, that gets me back to the truth, and asking myself which truths are fixed, and which ones change based on your perspective.

You can reach Kathleen Moore at 742-3247 or kmoore@poststar.com. Follow her on Twitter @ByKathleenMoore or at her blog on www.poststar.com.

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Iran sanctions former aide to John Bolton

ISNA - Iranian Students' News Agency

Mon / 3 August 2020 / 11:54

Tehran (ISNA)  Iran's Foreign Ministry imposed sanctions on Richard Goldberg, a member of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a former aide to former US National Security Adviser John Bolton.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran would impose sanctions on Richard Goldberg, a member of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) and a former aide to former US National Security Adviser John Bolton in compliance with the Law on Combating Human Rights Violations and US Adventurous and Terrorist Actions in the Region, passed by the Iranian Parliament in 2017," Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry emphasized that the sanctions are in accordance with articles 4 and 5 of the Law on Combating Human Rights Violations and US Adventurous and Terrorist Actions in the Region, passed by the Iranian Parliament in 2017.

"In order to achieve the goals of the aforementioned law in imposing sanctions on American individuals who are actively involved in economic terrorism against the interests of the government and citizens of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Richard Goldberg, an affiliate to the FDD and former aide to the former US national security advisor, John Bolton, will be placed under sanctions set forth in articles 6 to 8 of the said law," the statement said.

End Item

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Bharatiya Janata Party vice president Uma Bharti on Monday said that Lord Ram was nobody's "property" and added that the deity belonged to everybody. Bharti made this statement during a visit to Lord Mahakal temple in Ujjain on Monday, where she was asked to respond to Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister and state Congress chief Kamal Nath's stance welcoming the decision of constructing Ram temple at Ayodhya.

Ram ka naam aur Ayodhya BJP ki bapauti nahin hai, ye sabki ke hain, chahe vo BJP me hon ya kisi aur party me. Kishi bhi dharm ke hon ya kisi samuday ke, bharat me hon ya dusre desh me. Jinki aastha Ram me hain vo apni raay rakh sakte hain (Rams name and Ayodhya arent BJPs property. Its for everyone, including those in BJP and those in other parties. From people from other religions and community to those residing elsewhere in the globe, if they have faith in Ram, they can voice their opinions on the issue," Bharti said.

Bharti added that one cannot adopt the attitude that they have a patent over this issue as there is need to remember that we are mortals but Rams name is eternal.

Senior Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, reacting to Bharti's statement, thanked her in a tweet. Tagging a video of her making these comments, he wrote: "Thank you Uma".

On being asked whether PCC chief Kamal Nath is taking a stand that's different from his party because of the approaching by-polls, Bharti rejected the insinuation, saying it was a matter of faith.

However, she strongly criticised Rahul Gandhis reservations on the issue and said that the former Congress president always spoke keeping in mind a special "vote bank." She went on to say that Gandhi needs to remember that there is unanimity on the issue following the verdict of the Supreme Court.

Bharti further accused Gandhi of seeking advice from the communist, who according to her, loathe Hindustan and Hindutva. If Rahul ji needs advice, let him take it from Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath ji.

Commenting on Digvijaya Singhs questions on Ram temple ceremony's 'muhurt', Bharti termed it a fundamental right of democracy but added that there is a wave of joy because of the construction of the temple.

On being asked about the invites to BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, Bharti said: They (LK Advani and Murali Manohar Joshi) are big personalities who are now immersed in self-pride on this feat (construction of Ram temple) and thinking that their stature will grow after being invited as chief guests during the bhumi pujan is a sub-standard thought.

She clarified that she has distanced herself from the ceremony owing to the threat posed by Covid-19. Organisers, too, were trying to curtail the list of personalities to be seated at the stage to minimise the threat of the spread of the coronavirus

Personally I was of the view that the ceremony should have included five or six persons including the PM, UP Governor, RSS chief, RSS functionary Champat Ray, UP chief minister and a priest and rest could have sought blessings later," she said.

Covid-19 is at its peak and we have to be cautious as you dont know how and when the infection could reach you, added Bharti.

Asked to recount her best memory of Ram Janmbhumi Andolan, Bharti declined to single-out any particular event and added that according to her, August 5, when the Prime Minister Modi would lay the foundation of the temple, would be the most important occasion.

(With inputs from Anand Nigam, Ujjain)
- Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif of Alouite dynasty ruled for many years with an enviable military success in Morroco

- Father of 888 children, he had to deal with strong oppositions to his rule within his family

- The sultan believed so much in the fact that his authority was God-given and could not be taken

Sultan Ismail Ibn Sharif is one of the religious monarchs in the world who fathered many children. He was most known for having 888 kids.

Born around 1645 in Sijiimassa, the Moroccan sultan was the second ruler of the Alaouite dynasty, a position he held until 1727, and the seventh son of Moulay Sharif.

READ ALSO: Babu Owino: Kenyans shower MP with rare praise for excellent delivery of online classes

A collage of the sultan. Photos sources: Morrocanews/Wikipedia

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: COVID-19 effects among causes of people collapsing, suddenly dying

His reign was marked by a high show of military success which was a result of the strong army he created.

It should, however, be noted that after the sultan seized power, he had difficulties quelling rebellions, one of which was his nephew, Moulay Ahmed ben Mehrez.

Ismail was also known as a man with strong iron-will who gave so much to law and order and believed so much in the fact that God gave him power and as such, no man could take it from him.

READ ALSO: Kenyan doctor who tested positive for COVID-19 thanks househelp for nursing her

In another report, that a king in north-west Cameroon, Abumbi II, is said to have 100 wives and 500 children.

The 11th king of the Bafut ascended the throne when his father, King Achirimbi, died in 1968.

After becoming the tribes traditional ruler, he also inherited his fathers 72 wives.

READ ALSO: Rwandese woman seeks justice after Kenyan husband eloped with househelp, 2 children

The inherited harem of women added to the 28 he already married to swell the count to 100.

Our tradition has it that when you are king, the elderly wives remain to hand down the tradition to the younger wives," said the queen.

"And also to teach the king the tradition because the king had been a prince, not a king," added the queen.

READ ALSO: Auctioneer to dispose of Tuskys property seized at Nakuru Branch

It was gathered that the queens appear to be educated and even command great significance in the community.

In other news, the Sultan of Brunei, Hassanal Bolkiah, is one of the richest religious monarchs in the world.

He was once worth $40 billion.

READ ALSO: Viral photos of ginormous wedding cake leave internet users in awe

Some of his lavish lifestyles are reported to include racing Ferraris at midnight through Bruneis capital, building a 1,788 room palace, and spending as much as $20,000 to get a haircut.

It should be noted that he succeeded his father, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien, who had 10 children from several wives.

Do you have a groundbreaking story you would like us to publish? Please reach us through news@tuko.co.ke or WhatsApp: 0732482690. Contact Tuko.co.ke instantly

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A convicted sex offender resided with the mother of two young children, without notifying the relevant authorities, it has been claimed

A convicted sex offender resided with the mother of two young children, without notifying the relevant authorities, it has been claimed.

When the alarm was raised, the woman insisted Steven Michael McCarthy was not there, until he emerged after police pointed out his car was parked at the property.

McCarthy (36), from Norglen Parade, Belfast, allegedly breached a Sexual Offences Prevention Order (SOPO) on July 27 and failed to comply with notification requirements in alerting police to a new address.

He appeared before Dungannon Magistrates Court where a police officer said the charges could be connected.

The officer explained a report was received of McCarthy residing in the Donaghmore area for approximately two months.

On arrival his car was observed outside, which was found to be insured to the address.

The female occupant insisted McCarthy did not reside there, but when police pointed to the car, he eventually appeared.

Following arrest, McCarthy confirmed being aware of the SOPO but insisted he had not changed his address.

While knowing the woman resided at the property with her children, he maintained there was no contact with them until the day prior to his arrest.

McCarthy accepted changing the address for cheaper car insurance, not because he resided there. Police felt this did not make sense as the insurance was changed on July 18, 2020, but brought potential fraud offences if - as McCarthy claims - has no links to that address.

Opposing bail, the officer said, "There is a relevant offending history with a total of 15 convictions, three of which are for sexual activity with a child. If released, police believe he will continue to breach the SOPO, possibly constituting further offences. He may not adhere to orders and there was a previous breach in 2017."

A defence solicitor conceded McCarthy is subject to the SOPO for a significant period of time and there is a previous breach on record, "of a wholly different nature", for which he received community service.

In the present matters, he repeated McCarthy accepts being to the Donaghmore address but does not reside there, and instead use it for cheaper insurance than that available to his west Belfast residence.

"It's not an implausible explanation," said the defence.

"My client instructs having not changed address there was no requirement to notify police nor was he residing in a house where children were present."

District Judge John Meehan agreed to bail but with specific terms including electronic tagging. "So his whereabouts can be more assuredly verified, as there is suspicion he has taken up residence at another address entirely," the judge said.
McCann Names Valedictorian, Salutatorian for Class of 2020

NORTH ADAMS, Mass.  Vanessa Harrington and Emma Carpenter have been named valedictorian and salutatorian, respectively, of the McCann Technical School graduating class of 2020, announced Principal Justin Kratz.

Harrington, daughter of Tara Harrington, was a student in the Information Technology Program. She is the recipient of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendent's Award for Academic Excellence and the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship and ranks first in her class with a 4.26 grade-point average.

Her many extracurricular activities include National Honor Society, Yearbook and Prom committees, Dancecapade School of Dance, Lenox Sportsmans Club Archery, and volunteering at the Christian Center.

Harrington will be attending Monmouth University in West Long Branch, N.J., to study biology with the goal of working as a neonatologist.

Carpenter, daughter of Heather Carpenter and Chad Carpenter, was a student in the Computer Assisted Drafting Program. She is a recipient

of the John and Abigail Adams Scholarship and ranks second in her class with a 4.22 GPA.

She will be attending Westfield State, majoring in psychology with the future goal of working in forensic psychology.

Both students will graduate with their classmates from McCann Technical School with high honors on Aug. 6, 2020.
The World Health Organisation said on Monday that an advance team looking into the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak has concluded its mission in China, and the UN health agency is preparing the deployment of a larger group of experts to the suspected outbreak zone.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the international team will deploy to Wuhan, the city where the pandemic is believed to have erupted late last year. Tedros said terms of reference have been drawn up by the WHO and China, but he did not specify.

The WHO advance team that traveled to China has now concluded their mission to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts to identify the virus' origins, he told a news conference.

Epidemiological studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of infection of the early cases.

He said evidence and hypothesis generated from the work would lay the ground for further, longer-term studies.

The comments came amid an increasingly heavy toll from the pandemic in the United States, Brazil and India, as investigators seek to clarify the origins of the virus and how it may have jumped from animals to humans late last year.

Dr Michael Ryan, the WHO's emergencies chief, noted gaps in the epidemiological landscape and said it would be assessed what studies to conduct and what data to collect. He said the two-person advance team had not returned from China, and had not been debriefed yet.

The real trick is to go to the human clusters that occurred first and then to work your way back systematically looking for that first signal at which the animal human species barrier was crossed, Ryan said.

Once you understand where that the barrier was breached, then you move into the studies in a more systematic way on the animal side, The WHO press office, contacted by The Associated Press after the news conference, did not provide details of the terms of reference, say whether they would be made public, or indicate how big the international team would be or when it could be sent to China.

It said team members had extensive discussions with their Chinese counterparts during the three-week visit, and had discussions by video with virologists and other scientists in Wuhan including the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

US President Donald Trump in April claimed to have seen evidence to support the theory that the lab was the origin of the virus.

On Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House top coronavirus adviser, said the virus was extraordinarily widespread in the US and infections in urban and rural America marked a new phase for the pandemic in the country.

Ryan, asked to comment about such remarks, said he didn't believe the intention was to create a sense of a new phase...but to really remind all states that the disease never went away.

It's not our job to tell the US what it should be doing at sub-national level: The state-based planning and implementation guided by the national scientists seems to be (on) the right path, Ryan added. The difficulty for us all is: sometimes we know the right path. The difficulty is choosing to walk it.
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Linkedin (Reuters) Lisbon, Portugal  Tue, August 4, 2020 16:01 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b81754 2 News travel,Britain,France,Germany,Holiday,coronavirus,COVID-19,face-mask Free

As new coronavirus travel restrictions kick in across Europe, a survey showed at least half of German, British and French travelers would rather cancel a holiday than quarantine afterwards, take a test upon arrival, or wear a mask outdoors.

The survey, carried out on July 13-23 and whose results were shared exclusively with Reuters by market research firm YouGov, showed two-thirds of Germans who normally travel abroad would cancel a holiday if they needed a test upon arrival.

Germany this week imposed mandatory coronavirus testing for travelers from 130 countries.

In France, which implemented testing upon arrival last Saturday for travelers from 12 countries, half of those who normally holiday abroad said they would cancel rather than take a test. The same proportion would call off a holiday if they had to wear a mask outdoors.

In other countries surveyed - Denmark, Sweden, Germany, and Britain - over two thirds would not tolerate mask-wearing outdoors.

Read also: Back on track: Europe's fading night trains win reprieve

Mask-wearing in public spaces was made mandatory in most places across Europe's tourism hotspot Spain over the course of July. The Portuguese island of Madeira implemented the policy over the weekend.

Even needing a mask indoors would put off two-thirds of Danes and Swedes, the survey showed, compared to just over 40 percent of British travelers and half from Germany. Sweden has no rules on mask use.

Needing to quarantine upon return was even more unpopular, with over 80 percent of Danes, Swedes and Germans saying the trip would be off if they had to stay at home for two weeks afterwards.

Among Britons, who now face two weeks of quarantine if they travel to a number of countries including Spain and Portugal, 70 percent would cancel their trip, while 65 percent of French respondents said they would do the same.
A culture of fear is undermining ordinary peoples freedom of expression, as a new report into self-censorship in the US attests.

The headline statistic of the report, produced by the Cato Institute, is that 62 per cent of Americans agree with the statement, The political climate these days prevents me from saying things I believe because others might find them offensive. This figure has risen from 58 per cent in 2017. The report demonstrates a number of key points. One is that concern for the health of free speech is not the preserve of the right. Though conservatives are more likely to say they self-censor (77 per cent), just over half of liberals (52 per cent) and nearly two thirds of moderates (64 per cent) say they do, too. Indeed, strong liberals are the only group who disagree with the above statement by a majority  and even among them, there has been a 12 percentage-point increase since 2017 in those who feel they have to self-censor. This is a greater increase than that among moderates and conservatives.

As for the percentage of those who fear for their job prospects due to their views, this is very similar across political lines: 34 per cent of conservatives, 31 per cent of liberals and 30 per cent of moderates worry they could miss out on job opportunities or get fired if their political views became known. Free-speech worries cross ethnic divides, too. Sixty-five per cent of Latino Americans  one percentage point more than white Americans  have political views they are afraid to share. Meanwhile, 49 per cent of African Americans are in the same position.

Likewise, income is not a major factor. Sixty per cent of those with incomes in excess of $100,000 hold opinions they fear sharing, while 58 per cent of those with incomes under $20,000 have the same anxieties. Obviously, caveats need to be added here. Any such investigation runs into some methodological problems. For example, how are we to define the various political groupings used? And what exactly does self-censorship mean to different people?

Still, the situation the report reveals is impossible to ignore. While those who deny the existence of cancel culture present free-speech concerns as the preserve of the rich and powerful, huge numbers of ordinary people feel the need to conceal their opinions out of fear of a potential backlash. This political landscape is far from healthy, and the statistics suggest things are getting worse. One thing that may have made matters worse, as Tom Slater has noted recently on spiked, is that even supposed leftists now defend the right of employers to sack people for their views. How these people can reconcile their support for workers rights with their rejection of a workers right to hold certain opinions, even privately, is anyones guess.

But it is not just leftists who are undermining free speech. Many on the right indulge in cancel culture, too. In the UK recently, Tory MPs have joined pile-ons against BBC journalists for views they expressed years ago. A few years back, a woman was hounded out of her job by a right-wing outrage mob for shouting Nazi at a Trump supporter . The Cato report reveals that 31 per cent of Americans say they would back the sacking of a business executive if they donated to Donald Trumps campaign. Meanwhile, 22 per cent said they would support the sacking of someone for donating to Joe Bidens campaign.
DALLAS  A predominantly Black Dallas church active in the Black Lives Matter movement alleges a pro-police rally tried to intimidate its members by roaring into its parking lot Sunday afternoon.

Organizers of the Back the Blue Cruise sponsored by clubs of pickup truck and motorcycle owners said about 1,000 vehicles participated in the 100-mile parade through the Dallas-Fort Worth area Sunday afternoon. Organizers said a Friendship-West Baptist Church pastor gave them permission to use its parking lot to rest.

Leaders of the church, which displays a huge Black Lives Matter banner on its exterior wall, said in a statement, however, that it was asked to use the parking lot for a Black Lives Matter rally, not a Back the Blue event.

The meet up where individuals flew Trump 2020 flags and a Confederate Flag on our parking lot was quickly asked to shut it down and leave, the statement on the churchs website said.

There are seven or maybe eight mega-churches with big parking lots right in our area. They chose ours, thats all Ill say, senior pastor Frederick Haynes told television station KXAS. Were the only one out of those seven or eight that has a Black Lives Matter sign up. Were the only one whose pastor is always out when it comes to these kinds of rallies and takes a stand against injustice. So I think the answer is real clear.

Some of the rally participants displayed Confederate battle flags and banners supporting President Donald Trump for re-election.

Rally co-organizer Henri Broady, who is Black, said there was no intent to antagonize the church or appear as a political or white supremacy rally and he believed there was a miscommunication. Fellow organizer Nathan Adams also blamed a communication breakdown and apologized for any kind of misconceptions or misunderstandings or anything.

Nevertheless, some church members responded Sunday evening with a Black Lives Matter rally and march at Dallas police headquarters Sunday night.
To the Editor:

Re Trump Family Legacy: Empathy Is for the Weak (front page, July 29):

This is the main reason that Joe Biden will decisively defeat Donald Trump in November. I am reading Mary Trumps daring expose of her uncle and now fully understand the complete lack of compassion or empathy displayed by this faux president. The patriarch, Fred Trump, ruled his family with an iron hand and abhorred any sign of weakness in his brood.

We can no longer abide a president who doesnt show any remorse for the more than 150,000 people in the United States who lost their lives because of his idiotic handling of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mr. Trump has had opportunity after opportunity to show remorse and empathy over the death of George Floyd, and express empathy to the families of all the coronavirus victims, but has failed miserably to do so. Even after the death of the civil rights icon John Lewis, Mr. Trump passed on the opportunity to express his regrets by visiting the Capitol Rotunda where the representative was lying in state.

We the people have had enough of Mr. Trumps coldhearted and compassionless presidency, and we will do away with it on Nov. 3.
The Shanghai-made Model 3 was ranked the top quality car in China, with the fewest reported customer complaints of 38 locally produced or foreign-made sedans in the worlds biggest auto market.

According to data from CheZhiWang, a Chinese website collecting complaint data about the quality of automobiles, Teslas Model 3 has received the fewest complaints0.7 complaints per every 10,000 vehicles. This also was the first time that Teslas Model 3 has ranked the highest in this data collection.

The only other battery EV on the list of 38 sedans is Chinese brand Aion S, which ranks 8th out of 38 cars analyzed with 8.1 complaints per every 10,000 vehicles.

Tesla has been rolling out Model 3 in China for seven months.

In early January this year, Tesla delivered its first cars to customers from its newly built Gigafactory in Shanghai, just a year after it broke ground on the site for the construction.

Sales in China of Teslas electric vehicles made in China rebounded to hit a record in May, five months after the first cars from the Shanghai Gigafactory were delivered to customers.

Model 3 has received a strong reception in China, not only becoming the bestselling EV, but also competing with mid-sized premium sedans, such as BMW 3- series and Mercedes C- (even before subsidies and vehicle tax), reduced operating costs and industry-leading standard equipment, Tesla said about its Shanghai operations in the Q2 2020 update last month.

Teslas revenues in China doubled to US$1.4 billion for the second quarter of 2020, from US$690 million for Q2 2019, the company said in an SEC filing last week.

Globally, Tesla Model 3 was the best-selling EV in June, with more than 35,800 Model 3s sold in June and over 142,340 Model 3 sales year to date, with a market share of 15 percent, according to EV Sales.

By Charles Kennedy for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Hryvnia weakens to UAH 27.74 to U.S. dollar on August 4

11:55, 04.08.20 3494

The official forex rate against the euro for Tuesday is fixed at UAH 32.52 per euro.
by Melani Manel Perera

Fr Reid Shelton Fernando released a statement and an election prayer to underscore the great responsibility Christians have, as voters, to pick people who possess the qualities that will keep the people united and the country free.

Colombo (Asia News) - Father Reid Shelton Fernando (picture 2), a a human rights activist, a former university lecture and the former chaplain of the Young Christian Workers Movement (YCWM), released a statement and an election prayer" to underscore the great responsibility Christians have, as voters, to pick the people who possess the necessary qualities to keep people united and the country free.

Please, he said, put aside this prayer in the introduction. What we need is to pray in faith as found in Ex 3:7. God listens to the cry of the poor desperate people and the unexpected thing may happen. God can change the minds of people. Let us hope ' [. . .] that the best outcome will be shared by many Christians, including priests and nuns.

Let us pray, said Fr Fernando, for God's guidance for ourselves and for our fellow citizens in electing representatives to contribute to the realisation of a future that is peaceful and prosperous, in which freedom, human and democratic rights and human dignity of all the communities are respected.

Grant us the discernment to correctly assess their views, plans, experience, character and proposed programs, and guide us to cast our vote for the candidate who will best represent your Divine Will on Earth."

The prayer reads: Heavenly Father, you are the Creator of Heaven and Earth, you have created us according to your image and likeness (Gen 1 &2). In the work of looking after Your creation, You have bestowed upon us freedom and the power to use this freedom for the good of all humans as well as all of creation.

We have failed in many aspects. Forgive us for our failure. As we are to give our rulers the task of governing, grant all the citizens of this country, the guidance of Your Holy Spirit, no matter whether they are Christians or not; grant all of them the wisdom to choose the best candidate from their respective parties who will not follow the path of selfishness and of corruption.

We pray that the election process will be fair, honest and free from fraud and technical difficulties and lead to the formation of a government that will govern our country with righteousness. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit will be at work in all of us at this time to enable us to make serious and informed choices for the country's future welfare. Amen.

Sri Lankas parliamentary election was initially scheduled for 25 April, but was postponed because of COVID 19 after a nation-wide lockdown was imposed in March. It was reset for 20 June, then on 5 August.

About 16 million voters are eligible to choose 225 lawmakers among 7,400 candidates running for 20 political parties and 34 independent groups.
Chinese state media labeled the U.S. a "rogue country" and dubbed the potential sale of social media firm TikTok to Microsoft as "theft," adding that Beijing could retaliate if a deal is sealed.

Microsoft announced plans on Sunday to acquire TikTok's business in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Commenting on the matter, President Donald Trump said that buying only part of the app will be "complicated" but he still gave Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella the go-ahead. Trump added that some "key money" would have to be paid to the U.S. Treasury for making the deal possible.

Hu Xijin, the outspoken editor-in-chief of the state-backed Global Times, called the move an "open robbery" and said "President Trump is turning the once great America into a rogue country."

TikTok has been under fire from Washington, which has accused the Chinese-owned app of collecting data on Americans and sending it to the Chinese government. The popular video-sharing app has repeatedly denied this.

The Trump administration first threatened to ban TikTok. On Sunday before Microsoft announced its intention to acquire TikTok, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said in a Fox News interview that Trump will take action "in the coming days" on the app.
In this photo provided by the Australian Defence Force, an Australian Army helicopter lands on Pikelot Island in the Federated States of Micronesia, where three men were found on Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. The men were missing in the Micronesia archipelago, east of the Philippines, for three days when their "SOS" sign was spotted by searchers. (HOGP/AP)
New Delhi, Aug 4 : With Sonia Gandhi slated to complete one year as Congress interim President soon amid an ongoing battle for one-upmanship between leaders close to Rahul Gandhi and the Congress veterans, she is likely to continue in the top post in the foreseeable future, party sources said on Tuesday.

The sources maintained that "no discussion is going on" at present within the Congress on the President's post, neither initiated by the party nor any individual.

"There is no discussion; and there is no rule that we have to appoint a new President," the sources remarked.

Sonia Gandhi assumed charge of the topmost post again on August 10 last year in the wake of the resignation by her son Rahul Gandhi as Congress President after the 2019 Lok Sabha debacle. Though the party tried to persuade Rahul not to resign, but he did not budge, after which the Congress Working Committee appointed her as the interim chief.

Sonia Gandhi has become the longest serving Congress President and has been credited with the party's victories in two successive general elections in 2009 and 2004.

A party leader, who is privy to all developments in the Congress, pointed out that Sonia Gandhi had just returned from hospital and the party was rallying behind her to fight the BJP onslaught. "She is the rallying point for all sections of the party," the leader remarked.

Sonia Gandhi was admitted to the Sir Ganga Ram Hospital last week for routine tests and investigations and was discharged on Sunday afternoon.

Notwithstanding the Congress position about status quo on the party chief's post, there have been demands within the party to appoint a new party President. Leaders close to Rahul Gandhi have on at least three occasions demanded that he should be brought back as Congress President.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot had demanded it during a CWC meeting. The demand was echoed during the meetings of Congress' Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha MPs in July as well.

A lot of hectic activity is on within the party to this end. Many leaders have met to discuss the proposal to write a letter to the CWC to appoint a full-time President as the opposition party is facing a crisis after rebellions by Congress leaders and MLAs in Rajasthan and earlier in Madhya Pradesh in the last six months.

The Congress leadership seems to be "unhappy" over the recent events.

The source said that when they should be taking on the BJP, party leaders are busy attacking each other on the social media even after a warning from the party.

Chief Congress spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala had said the party needed to take on the Bharatiya Janata Party collectively and the leaders should refrain from airing their views on the social media.

"It's useless to talk of the past. Two elections have taken place. There is no need for a post-mortem," said a Congress leader who wanted that the party leaders should sit together and decide their next course of action.
Nulab Pass will strengthen the level of security, reducing the risk of lost or weak passwords and phishing attempts. With Nulab Pass, our customers can easily and securely switch from one app to another with just one single set of credentials. It's safer, faster, and it enables an improved user workflow.

After enabling support for WebAuthn, Nulab launches Nulab Pass. The new security service will allow the use of single sign-on (SSO) via SAML Authentication on all Nulab's software: project management software Backlog, cloud-based diagramming software Cacoo, and chat app Typetalk. Any customer using a subscription to one of these apps can now subscribe to the new service too.

Designed to make the use of Nulab's software a safer and faster experience, Nulab Pass will strengthen the level of security, reducing the risk of lost or weak passwords and phishing attempts.

Thanks to SAML, users will authenticate through their company's identity provider, leveraging Public Key Infrastructure. This procedure will actively protect them against hackers attacks and data breaches while facilitating the sharing of sensitive information.

With SSO, users will be able to quickly and safely sign in to Nulab's software with just one ID and password. They won't have to remember application-specific passwords anymore or spend time to go through identity verification each time for each app.

"For security reasons, companies always require their employees to use strong passwords for their applications. But secure passwords usually aren't that easy to remember" comments Nulab's CMO Shinsuke Tabata. "With Nulab Pass, our customers can easily and securely switch from one app to another with just one single set of credentials. It's safer, faster, and it enables an improved user workflow."

"We are investing several resources on enhancing our users' security," adds Mr Tabata. "After WebAuthn, SSO, and SAML, we are planning to introduce more features, including user provisioning and an organization audit log."

Nulab Pass is the latest of several releases and milestones achieved by the company in the past months:



About Nulab

Founded in 2004 in Japan, Nulab creates productivity software used by over 4 million people in over 190 countries. The company has offices in New York, Amsterdam, Singapore, Tokyo, Kyoto, and its headquarter in Fukuoka.

Nulab's products include the online project management and bug tracking software Backlog, the cloud-based diagramming software Cacoo, and the chat app Typetalk.

For more information, visit https://nulab.com/.
The Tangipahoa Federation of Teachers is pushing to keep students away from campuses amid the coronavirus pandemic, with the group saying Tuesday it doesn't believe the local school districts measures are sufficient to stop the spread of the disease.

In a news release, the federation released results of a survey of more than 900 members in which 46% identified themselves as high-risk for contracting the coronavirus and 59% said people in their home were high-risk.

The district's 20,000 students are set to return to school for the 2020-2021 school year Aug. 12 with a soft start, meaning a limited number of students would return in-person to become acclimated to new school routines.

Elementary and junior high students will have four consecutive in-person days with teachers before classes gear up Aug. 24, according to the districts reopening plan, and high school students will attend a day or two depending on grade level.

After that date, grades 7-12 will be full virtual and kindergarten through sixth grade students will be in class full time.

+2 Tangipahoa Parish re-opening plan: grades K-6 in schools, 7-12 online to limit coronavirus spread The Tangipahoa Parish school district is planning to reopen next month with kindergarten through sixth graders physically in classrooms and th

Class size and the number of students in buildings is a major concern for teachers, according to the Tangipahoa Federation of Teachers, and 59% of those surveyed said they didn't think schools should open, with another 27% unsure about the decision.

"Our main concern is the community spread in Tangipahoa Parish, we shouldn't be going back to school right now," Tangipahoa Federation of Teachers President Dina Esquinance said Tuesday.

Louisiana Department of Health data shows Tangipahoa Parish has 63 reported deaths and 3,223 reported cases from 36,450 reported tests.

Tangipahoa Parish Schools Superintendent Melissa Stilley said Tuesday that the federations stance is disappointing because school officials have followed state guidelines and implemented as many procedures as possible to keep children and staff safe.

In-person class possible in the fall? These Baton Rouge-area school districts share their plans Though the future of traditional classrooms remains uncertain in the era of coronavirus, many Baton Rouge-area schools are planning to reopen 

Top stories in Baton Rouge in your inbox Twice daily we'll send you the day's biggest headlines. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

We dont know whats going to happen in one, two, three weeks, Stilley said. There could be decisions made at a state level that impact our decisions locally, but we know for our little ones we really need to get them back into our buildings and provide some real-time instruction for them.

The district this year also launched a full virtual option, meaning if any families dont want their K-6 student in school buildings they can learn entirely online. As of Tuesday, roughly 1,400 families  or about 15% of the K-6 population  had opted for that platform.

Tangipahoa Parishs approach differs from many other surrounding districts that are doing a blended in-person and virtual model for all grades and staggering schedules day-to-day. While during the soft start student attendance will be staggered based on alphabetical order, once that period is over, itll be younger students at school full-time and older students at home full-time.

School bus capacity has dictated many of the choices because under Phase 2 restrictions school buses can be filled to only 50%, and the majority of Tangipahoa Parish students ride the bus to school.

Stilley said the majority of teachers in the age-related high-risk category being over 65 are in the secondary school setting meaning they will automatically be teaching virtually and away from students. She said teachers who are in the elementary setting and may be concerned about health issues could apply for the federal coronavirus-related leave or work with their principal on a solution, but she said to her knowledge none had done so as of this week.

However, Esquinance said many of the calls she's received are from employees who are pregnant or have autoimmune diseases, for example, so wouldn't likely qualify for the federal leave options.

"The district should contact their people and work with the ones that have issues to see if there's other jobs rather than face-to-face contact and they haven't done that," she said. "The only option they'd have is if their doctor would fill out papers for them to take extended medical leave for their conditions which gives two-thirds of their salary."

Other issues cited in the survey include being inadequately prepared to teach virtually, being uncomfortable sending their own children to school, and wanting clear outlines of protocols.

The district has roughly 1,400 teachers and 2,800 total staff members, Stilley said.

Its very unfortunate, its very disappointing to me and what my response to them was is we have followed and are following all of the reopening guidelines from BESE, the Department of Education and the Department of Health, Stilley said, referring to the survey.

Read the districts full reopening plan here.
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  A top economics professor at New Mexico State University urged legislators Monday to reduce the regulatory burden on restaurants and other hard-hit businesses as the state and nation navigate an economic crisis like no other.

A restaurant and nightclub owner echoed that suggestion, arguing New Mexico should loosen restrictions that limit take-out and delivery options for beer and wine, among other steps to help an industry that runs on tight financial margins.

If the Legislature doesnt act quickly to save our industry from drowning, the rest of the state is going to sink with us, Carri Phillis, owner of The Salt Yard in Albuquerque, told lawmakers.

The recommendations came in a meeting of the legislative Economic and Rural Development Committee. Lawmakers didnt formally take up any particular proposal or act on the policy ideas.

Christopher Erickson  interim head of the Economics, Applied Statistics and International Business Department at NMSU  encouraged state and local officials to provide as much flexibility as they can to restaurants and similar businesses struggling to survive the coronavirus pandemic and public health restrictions.

The possibilities include making it easier for restaurants to offer outdoor seating, changing liquor license laws and granting the governor broader authority to lift some regulations in a health emergency.

Erickson also urged lawmakers to prioritize aid to local government to help them avoid layoffs that would worsen the economic damage in New Mexico. And dont be afraid, he said, to spend down New Mexicos financial reserves to just above zero.

Under a revised budget package approved in June, state reserves are expected to fall from about 21% this summer to about 12% in about a year, taking reserves from $1.5 billion to $850 million.

We keep these for a rainy day, Erickson said of reserves. Well, its raining now.

But he added that controlling the spread of COVID-19 is the first step to pulling out of the deepest and sharpest recession in our lifetime.

Until the pandemic is brought to heel one way or another, Erickson said, there will be no recovery.

Phillis offered first-handed testimony about the challenges facing restaurants and bars in New Mexico, where indoor dining is prohibited to limit the transmission of COVID-19.

Allowing to go sales of alcohol or delivery of drinks could be a lifeline for restaurants, Phillis said.

The state, she said, should also consider direct financial assistance to restaurants and bars while social distancing regulations are in effect.

A proposal to grant Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham expanded emergency powers  including allowing the delivery of alcoholic drinks with food  failed to win approval in a special legislative session in June.

The next session is scheduled for January.
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I have just finished reading a very brilliant and lucid intervention via the WhatsApp social media platform, titled: Godwin Obaseki and Hosa Okunbo as brothers and friends. The premise of the argument and the logic that ran through the entire gamut of the write-up could not be faulted, but the conclusion, even though, would appear to flow, as it were, from the premise, suffered from a material deficit: the mischief of context and time. I proceed to explicate.

Whereas, the logic of argument was difficult to fault, the writer engaged himself in a futile enterprise of seeking to call on all men of goodwill to prevail on the duo of Governor Obaseki and Benin-born billionaire businessman, Capt. Hosa to consider and embrace the path of reconciliation. While that would ordinarily appear to be a very good proposal, it is, in the circumstance of the lingering spat between them, tantamount to trying to lock the stable door after the horse had bolted.

While I concur that both Benin sons were friends and brothers before things fell apart, thus making it impossible for the centre to hold, I sincerely do not think, as things are now, that the proposal of reconciliation is feasible. The context in which the writer and others who share his position are advancing the argument for reconciliation is in itself vitiated by the serial acts of bellicosity and belligerence exhibited in the last two years by Governor Obaseki against everyone he considered as his enemy, whether real or imagined.

Those who are now making a strong case for reconciliation, with some of them going as far as posting in the social media platforms pictures of Obaseki and Hosa holding each other in the spirit of camaraderie when the going was good, should have put themselves in the position of Capt. Hosa and others who had been at the receiving ends of Governor Obasekis orchestrated attacks on businesses and reputations that took decades to build.

It is axiomatic that power is a crazy aphrodisiac. It intoxicates and makes the wielder of it mad. The otherwise unassuming Obaseki, who appeared not to know his right from his left politically as Chairman of the State Economy and Strategy Team under the administration of Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, lost his sense of equanimity and restraint. He became as intolerant as he was impulsive in his disposition and attitude. All of a sudden, Obaseki was too eager to take on perceived enemies.

All gloves off, he had taken on Comrade Oshiomhole. One after the other, he took on the political gladiators that rallied behind him in 2016 to produce him as governor. The first thing he did was a class attack: he demonized them as thieves who wanted him to share the state funds to them, even though he could not as yet pinpoint a single politician who had pressurized him to part with the state fund. Not even now that he and his new party, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) have committed themselves to a mudslinging, dirty and debasing campaign.

It was in the context of the cloak-and-dagger political interactions in the All Progressives Congress (APC) that he ventured outside circumscription and limits of the political arena to ruffle the feathers of Capt. Hosa who was navigating his usual busines terrain. A rumour doing the round that the businessman was being pressurized to throw his hat in the ring for the governorship position was all that made the governor to throw tact, discretion and decorum to the wind. He began his clandestine and behind-the-scene maneuvers to destroy the character and businesses of Capt. Hosa. Ordinarily, Capt. Hosa is a taciturn person who hardly talks until he is pushed to the wall. That he decided to publish a three-page open letter to President Muhammadu Buhari and the good people of Edo State to tell Governor Obaseki to leave him alone was the clearest indication that the Obaseki machinations and orchestrations against his person and businesses were more real than imagined.

Capt. Hosa has had to resort to media advertorials to debunk a series of salacious allegations, unsubstantiated claims and outright defamatory vituperations against him. While Governor Obaseki and his sponsored agents relished in denigrating and demonizing Capt. Hosa, causing him psychological trauma, where were those who are now preaching reconciliation. Assuming without conceding that reconciliation is in apple pie order, I pray, on what terms should it be consummated?

Pushing for reconciliation after the gloves were off in bare-knuckled fight to know who owns the land and cares for the people more than the other is a flawed enterprise which timing is ostensibly not fair to Capt. Hosa who is now in the fray with Governor Obaseki to defend his name, integrity, appeal and validation with the Edo people, especially in the Benin Kingdom where both of them come from.

Therefore, as much as I would have loved the duo to reconcile, that would have made more sense from the outset before the issues degenerated. I do not think Capt. Hosa, having been taken through the orchestrated embarrassment and humiliation, would be disposed to embrace reconciliation at this time. The timing of the reconciliation being broached is wrong. Perhaps, the best time reconciliation can work will be post-Edo governorship election after the election must have been won and lost.

From my reading, the issues in Edo State presently have gone beyond brother and friend which Governor Obaseki deployed in the salutation of his reply to Capt. Hosas open letter, published in six national newspapers on Monday, June 20, 2020. But it was clear that the governor was just being mischievous and clever by half. In the context and content of the same missive, he approbated and reprobated. How could he have threatened a brother and friend in the same letter that Capt. Hosa should be ready for the consequences of his choice (in apparent reference to Capt. Hosas perceived support for Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu), which to me is the whole essence of Capt. Hosas fundamental human right of choice and association?

Indeed, the governor had before now already begun to attack Capt Hosas business interests in a vicious plot to cut off the supply of earnings which he deploys in ministering to the economic needs of his kinsmen and women as well as the vast majority of Benin people both at home and in the Diaspora. Can such a person be considered to be a friend and a brother? Certainly not! What motivated Governor Obaseki to instruct his aide to issue a statement defaming Capt. Hosa on the same day that he published his three-page open letter, urging President Buhari and Edo people to tell Obaseki to leave him alone? Certainly not friendship and brotherhood.

Significantly, Capt. Hosa has proceeded against the State Government in court for the libelous publication. Did those broaching the idea of reconciliation not see that act of provocation as something that matters to Capt. Hosa? From the outset of his overt and covert onslaughts against Capt. Hosa, the governor and agents were enjoying their acts. Whereas, it would have counted for something had the governor issued a statement to dissociate himself from the attacks. He cared less.

Perhaps he was working on the assumption that as someone who easily forgives, Capt. Hosa could be ambushed and railroaded into a reconciliation arrangement prelude to the election, but that will not work going by the extent to which the grudge fight has degenerated. My take, really is that any reconciliation should be deferred to after the election otherwise, Capt. Hosa would be accused of betraying the good people of Edo State who have put their lives on the line without any solicitation to defend the integrity of this great Edo son. This is the only Godly thing to do in this circumstance.

Ehigiator contributed this piece from Benin City.
DUBLIN, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Social Credit Market by Physical and Cyber Infrastructure (Sensors, Cameras, Biometrics, Computer Vision), Software (Machine Learning, Data Analytics, APIs), Use Cases, Applications, Industry Verticals, and Regions 2020-2025" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

This is the only report of its type to assess market opportunities for infrastructure support of the social credit market. The report evaluates market drivers, use cases, and consequential impacts/implications (anticipated and likely unanticipated) for social credit market implementation and operation. The report also evaluates some of the leading companies that are anticipated to drive social credit market evolution. The study includes detailed quantitative analysis driven by market needs with forecasting for all major infrastructure elements from 2020 to 2025.

Select Report Findings

The COVID-19 pandemic has facilitated substantial interest in citizen monitoring solutions

Infrastructure to support social credit systems represents a nearly $14.7B global opportunity by 2025

global opportunity by 2025 Cameras and other optical equipment for social credit systems will reach $505M globally by 2024

globally by 2024 Advanced computing will be used in conjunction with AI to provide nearly flawless identification and tracking

Various forms of biometrics will be used for identity verification as well as verifying presence/location of people

Starting as tangential to public safety and homeland security, the social credit market becomes mainstream by 2026

Summary, Trends and Insights



Social credit systems represent the ability to identify (mostly people but also some things) and track activities for purposes of grading behaviors and applying social credit scoring. A given grading/scoring methodology depends largely on social credit system objectives and metrics. However, most systems will have socially acceptable behavior at their core. This presents both a challenge and an opportunity as a combination of government, companies, and society as a whole must determine good, bad, and marginal behavior within the social credit market.



Beginning as a trend largely orthogonal to public safety and homeland security concerns, the market for social credit system infrastructure will ultimately become a mainstream component of both business and public policy. This means that systems will ultimately be used for a variety of commerce and lifestyle-related issues ranging from risk assessment (access to credit, financing fees, insurance, etc.) to accessibility within public places such as concerts, sporting events, and other assemblies. High social scoring individuals within the social credit market will be granted preferred access to both real and digital assets.



Social credit system infrastructure includes analog and digital surveillance, Internet-enabled devices like smartphones, wearable devices, security systems sensor-enabled physical objects, and surveillance devices that use biometrics and computer vision. Technologies include broadband wireless (WiFi, LTE, and 5G), IoT, AI algorithms, and big data analytics platforms, processes, and procedures. While each of these systems has market value individually, and are deployed separately for various purposes, it is the convergence of these otherwise disparate technologies that will facilitate value within the social credit market. For example, combined AI and IoT systems will be leveraged to identify important events that require immediate action versus those that are merely archived.



It is important to note that there is great overlap between the technologies used for social credit systems and other solutions such as public safety, homeland security, and smart cities applications of many types including smart transportation (highways and surface streets, parking, autonomous vehicles, etc.), intelligent buildings, environmental monitoring (light, temperature, pressure, etc.). Many of these infrastructure elements are already planned for smart cities implementations and will, therefore, be multi-purposed including support of the social credit market.



In terms of physical infrastructure, social credit systems will rely upon various forms of equipment and platforms including sensors, biometrics, cameras, and other optical devices, computer vision systems, and other advanced computing platforms. Cyberinfrastructure includes platforms, devices, and software to support data processing and correlation with identity information, which shall leverage AI, IoT, and advanced data analytics. The main purpose for all the aforementioned infrastructure elements is to capture data, which must be stored and acted upon as appropriate.



At the heart of social credit systems are large-scale data repositories that may store virtually any type of data that may be correlated to or associate with citizens and businesses in terms of both identity and behaviors. This includes raw observational data as well as listings (white, gray, red, and black) and meta-data to tie together data elements and allow for ease of information queries. Without the use of AI and big data technology, it would be problematic to implement social credit market systems in a meaningful way as massive amounts of disparate data must be correlated.



Key Topics Covered



1. Executive Summary

1.1 Research Objectives

1.2 Select Findings



2. Introduction

2.1 Social Credit Market Drivers

2.2 Social Credit Systems

2.2.1 Business Frameworks: FICO Scores vs. Social Credit Scoring

2.2.2 Social Frameworks supporting Commercial Rating Systems

2.3 Social Credit System Structure

2.3.1 Social Credit System Infrastructure

2.3.2 Reputation Databases

2.3.2.1 Whitelists

2.3.2.2 Gray Listing

2.3.2.3 Blacklists and Red Lists

2.4 Ethical and Social Implications of Social Credit Systems

2.4.1 Implications for Citizens

2.4.2 Implications for Business

2.4.3 Implications for National Economies and Economic Systems

2.4.4 Concerns about Autocracy and Government Overreach

2.4.5 The Impact of Rewards and Penalties

2.4.6 The Need for Transparency

2.5 Social Credit Market SWOT Analysis

2.5.1 Strengths

2.5.2 Weaknesses

2.5.3 Opportunities

2.5.4 Threats



3. Social Credit System Technologies and Applications

3.1 Infrastructure Technologies

3.2 Data Collection, Structuring and Analytics

3.3 Machine Learning and AI APIs

3.4 Gamification in Social Credit Systems

3.5 Social Credit Market Use Cases/Drivers

3.5.1 Surveillance and Monitoring for Security and Public Safety

3.5.2 Reducing the Crime and Punishment Cycle

3.5.3 Overall Social Governance and Public Policy Planning

3.5.4 Improving Overall Societal Trust, Security, and Public Safety

3.5.5 With Social Benefits come Associated Restrictions

3.5.6 Enterprise Planning and Customer Relationship Management

3.6 Social Credit Market Deployment Assessment

3.6.1 Comparing China to the United States

3.6.2 Other Countries

3.7 Blockchain and Social Credit Systems

3.8 IoT, Smart Cities, and Cloud-based Deployment



4. Company Analysis

4.1 Alibaba

4.2 Tencent

4.3 Baidu

4.4 Amazon

4.5 Facebook

4.6 Google

4.7 China Rapid Finance

4.8 Points

4.9 Apple

4.10 IBM

4.11 NEC

4.12 NEXT Biometrics

4.13 Aratek

4.14 Neurotechnology

4.15 Deep Vision AI

4.16 Netradyne

4.17 Texas Instruments

4.18 STMicroelectronics

4.19 NXM Semiconductors

4.20 Broadcom Limited (Avago)

4.21 Robert Bosch GmbH

4.22 Infineon Technologies

4.23 Analog Devices

4.24 Omron corporation

4.25 ACTi

4.26 Axis

4.27 Bosch Security Systems

4.28 Canon

4.29 Cisco

4.30 Honeywell

4.31 Logitech

4.32 Panasonic

4.33 Samsung

4.34 Sony

4.35 Toshiba

4.36 Knightscope

4.37 NVidia



5. Social Credit Systems Market Analysis and Forecasts

5.1 Global Social Credit System Market 2020-2025

5.1.1 Total Social Credit System Market Value Globally 2020-2025

5.1.2 Social Credit System Market by Technology 2020-2025

5.1.2.1 Social Credit System Market by Infrastructure Type 2020-2025

5.1.2.2 Social Credit System Market by Software Type 2020-2025

5.1.2.3 Social Credit System Market by Service Type 2020-2025

5.1.2.3.1 Social Credit System Market by Managed Services 2020-2025

5.1.2.3.2 Social Credit System Market by Professional Services Type 2020-2025

5.1.3 Social Credit System Market by Application 2020-2025

5.1.4 Social Credit System Market by Industry Vertical 2020-2025

5.2 Regional Outlook for Social Credit Systems 2020-2025

5.2.1 Social Credit System Market by Region 2020-2025

5.2.2 Social Credit System in Asia Pacific Market 2020-2025

5.2.3 Social Credit System in North America Market 2020-2025

5.2.4 Social Credit System in Europe Market 2020-2025

5.2.5 Social Credit System in Latin America Market 2020-2025

5.2.6 Social Credit System in the Middle East and Africa Market 2020-2025



6. Conclusions and Recommendations

6.1 Advertisers and Media Companies

6.2 Artificial Intelligence Providers

6.3 Automotive Companies

6.4 Broadband Infrastructure Providers

6.5 Communication Service Providers

6.6 Computing Companies

6.7 Data Analytics Providers

6.8 Immersive Technology (AR, VR, and MR) Providers

6.9 Networking Equipment Providers

6.10 Networking Security Providers

6.11 Semiconductor Companies

6.12 IoT Suppliers and Service Providers

6.13 Software Providers

6.14 Smart City System Integrators

6.15 Social Media Companies

6.16 Enterprises and Governments

6.17 Citizenry



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/mvoyc5

Research and Markets also offers Custom Research services providing focused, comprehensive and tailored research.



Media Contact:

Research and Markets

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



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By Akbar Mammadov

The Azerbaijani Armed Forces Relief Fund has collected $66,604 million as of 1 August, the Defense Ministry reported on August 4.

The donations in the national currency amount to 112,759 million AZN ($66,369 million).

The Armed Forces Relief Funds dollar account has amounted to $213.577 thousand, whereas its euro and Russian ruble accounts have reached 18,341 ($21.562) and 5,000 ($67.76) respectively.

Thus, the total amount of the funds donated to the Armed Forces Relief Fund is about $66,604 million.

Azerbaijans Armed Forces Relief Fund was approved by the Presidential decree on 17 August 2002.

---

Akbar Mammadov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @AkbarMammadov97

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Gyms and yoga centres in Delhi will stay shut which have been otherwise allowed to operate under the central governments Unlock 3.0 guidelines  to be applicable from August 5  the third phase of the gradual lifting of curbs announced to stop the spread of the coronavirus disease (Covid-19).

Currently in Delhi, the government has done away with the curfew hours (10 pm  5 am) under the Centres Unlock 3.0 guidelines. This was notified through an order issued on July 31. The same order also mentioned that other than the relaxation on curfew provisions, the status quo would remain in Delhi until further orders. Which means, as of now, yoga centres and gyms cannot operate in the city, nor can hotels and weekly markets, said a senior official of the Delhi disaster management authority (DDMA).

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

The DDMA is chaired by the L-G. Kejriwal is its vice-chairperson.

Last week, the Delhi government had decided to allow hotels and weekly markets to operate. But the Lieutenant Governor reversed the decision, saying the Covid situation in Delhi is still fragile. A senior government official said, the Delhi government is in the process of redrafting the proposal to be sent to the L-G office.

A senior Delhi government official said, In the proposal that is being redrafted, the Delhi government shall include yoga centres and gyms along with hotels and weekly markets. The final call on this will be the L-Gs. As far as the Delhi governments opinion is concerned, they are in favour of re-opening of these activities

The central governments un-lockdown guidelines allowed hotels and hospitality services to be operational from June 8 (under Unlock 1.0 plan). However, yoga centres and gyms were allowed to operate from August 5 (under Unlock 3.0).

The Union home ministry issued the plan, Unlock 3, on Wednesday prepared after receiving feedback from states and in consultation held with central ministries and departments, to open up more activities outside containment zones. States have to take the final call on lockdown and relaxation norms.

Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia on August 1 wrote to Union home minister Amit Shah, urging him to intervene and allow economic activities in Delhi. Sisodias letter has so far yielded no response, said another Delhi government official.

Chirag Sethi, vice-president Delhi Gym Association, said: This is a very tough situation for us and we are very anxious. We expect the government to allow gyms to open as soon as possible because the livelihood of over a lakh people depends on the fitness industry. More wait will cause more revenue loss for the industry which had been completely shut for around four months now.

Sandeep Khandelwal, president of Delhi Hotel and Restaurant Owners Association, said: Hotels in Delhi employ around 400,000 people. Hotels have been shut since March 25. The hospitality industry is under a lot of stress and the government must be considerate towards us. We have written to both the Delhi government and central government.
NEW BERN, N.C. - Hurricane Isaias sped toward landfall in the Carolinas on Monday night, threatening to bring storm surge and inland flooding, and testing emergency hurricane plans made in the shadow of a pandemic.

Weather warnings issued to residents along the southeastern coast included cautions about power outages and floodwaters, and also about avoiding exposure to the novel coronavirus.

Some residents said fear of the virus would keep them from going to emergency shelters even if a mandatory evacuation order was given, illustrating the challenge of planning how to keep safe.

"I know that North Carolinians have had to dig deep in recent months to tap into our strength and resilience during the pandemic, and that hasn't been easy," North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a Democrat, said at a Monday afternoon news conference. "But with this storm on the way, we have to dig a little deeper. Let's keep each other safe from the wind and the water, as well as from the virus."

In North Carolina, parts of the Outer Banks were under a mandatory evacuation order Monday, as was Ocracoke Island. The hurricane is expected to land between Charleston, S.C., and Wilmington, N.C.

Isaias skirted along Florida's coastline for much of the weekend, but never made landfall. It was downgraded from a Category 1 hurricane to a tropical storm as it moved north. Officials in the state assessed lessons learned from their brush with a hurricane as Florida struggles to beat down a surge in coronavirus cases and deaths that spiked to record numbers in July. More than 491,000 Floridians have tested positive for the coronavirus and more than 7,200 have died.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, a Republican, gave the state high marks for its response to hurricane plans that "had to evolve in the light of the coronavirus."

"It was a good trial run for what will likely be a busy hurricane season," DeSantis said at a news conference. "In particular, we had the opportunity to beta-test the new sheltering strategy."

That strategy includes supplying personal protective equipment such as masks and thermometers to evacuation shelters and arranging housing for people who have or are suspected of having covid-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

DeSantis said people who recently tested positive for the virus or did not pass a temperature check came to shelters in Palm Beach. They were "directed to a nearby hotel and had a safe place to stay," DeSantis said.

But that strategy may not work in all counties. The impacts at schools that are typically used for shelters have not been tested, because schools in the state are not yet open. DeSantis has been pushing public schools in the state to fully open this month.

"Our shelters are all at schools," said Martha Ann Kneiss, communications and outreach coordinator for Martin County on Florida's Atlantic Coast. "We don't have any motels in Martin County that are doing covid-positive sheltering, so our option is to delegate space within the shelter for covid."

Kneiss said that teachers are returning to the county's classrooms this week, and that students are expected next week.

"It will have to be a super quick turnaround" to get schools ready after they've been used as shelters, Kneiss said. "The schools will have to be completely sanitized."

The prospect of housing coronavirus-positive evacuees in schools that are about to open played into the county's strategizing over whether to open shelters as Isaias was closing in on the coast.

"We talked about shelters, and with covid, it presents an entirely other layer to our planning," Kneiss said. "We were prepared to shelter, but there was a low risk from the storm, and bringing in a vulnerable population to the shelters could pose a potential risk."

The county decided not to order evacuations for Isaias.

"Chances are we will be faced with that," Kneiss said. "We're not even at the height of the hurricane season yet."

September is the peak of the six-month hurricane season, which ends Nov. 30.

North Carolina was struggling with similar concerns, and the state discouraged residents from going to shelters if they could help it. Cooper said evacuees in shelters will be given 115 square feet of space to adhere to social distancing recommendations. Masks will be required.

"We want to encourage people to find places to stay with friends and family," Cooper said. "If they can't do that, stay in a hotel if they can afford it."

In New Bern, a city of 30,000 people in eastern North Carolina that was hammered by Hurricane Florence in 2018 and again last year by Hurricane Dorian, emergency preparation is markedly different as residents face their first major storm since the pandemic. The coronavirus has infected 125,000 North Carolinans and killed nearly 2,000 people statewide.

"The epidemic is completely different," said Thomas Mark, chairman of the Craven County Board of Commissioners. "You have some control in a storm. You have no control over this virus."

City and county officials were scattered in different buildings instead of a single control hub, discussing plans by telephone or video.

Mark said they are not expecting a severe storm - probably with high-speed winds and rains, possibly tornadoes, that would strike hardest before dawn Tuesday. But eventually hurricanes will arrive, probably before there is a vaccine for the coronavirus.

In the past, the county could cram 1,000 people into shelters, mostly in public schools. But with the six-foot distancing requirements, he said, capacity is down to 500.

In South Carolina, Gov. Henry McMaster, a Republican, did not declare a state of emergency, but officials in Horry County opened an emergency operations center Monday. Residents in the county, which includes Myrtle Beach, were told to stay indoors until the storm passes.

Isaias comes amid the Myrtle Beach area's struggle with corralling the coronavirus as deaths statewide have increased.

"The covid-positive population is a challenge," said Gayle Resetar, chief operating officer of Tidelands Health, which operates two hospitals in the area. "The likelihood of a full-scale evacuation of those patients is going to be virtually impossible. We have a very solid shelter-in-place plan. The good news is that [Isaias] lets us go through our normal drill procedures. It just allows us to reinforce with our staff their need for a plan."

As a light rain started to fall Monday afternoon in New Bern, 60-year-old Debbie Jones sat on a patio with a distant view of the Trent River. During Hurricane Florence, that river flooded the first floor of her former apartment nearby, destroying family photos and the washing machine that she had just paid off. She moved to a similar building a short walk away. But her old damaged building, and several others, are still vacant.

During Florence, Jones said, she fled to a daughter's house. But other neighbors went to shelters. She said that she would not go to a shelter, and that her neighbors told her they would not either - because of fear of the coronavirus.

"I don't want to catch it," she said. "You don't know who's got it."

- - -

Rozsa reported from West Palm Beach, Fla. The Washington Post's Issac J. Bailey in Myrtle Beach, S.C., contributed to this report.
Angel Nalubega holds her sign before protesting at the Comcast Center in Center City on Monday. Advocates, parents, teachers, community members, and students attempted to deliver letters to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts, demanding he open up residential hot spots for students to get online and improve speeds of the Internet Essentials program. Read more

When schools went remote this spring, Katherine Riley heard from her students  not about their coursework, but their fears that their internet service was too slow to support video, or that they were using too much data on their phone plans.

Internet is now among the basic necessities, said Riley, a history teacher at Mariana Bracetti Academy Charter School. She said the pandemic had made inequities around online access more apparent than ever.

She was among the teachers, parents, and advocates on Monday who faulted Comcast Corp. for problems city students have faced participating in virtual learning during the coronavirus outbreak  and protested outside the internet and cable giants Center City headquarters, demanding it do more to ensure that all children can get online when school resumes.

Holding signs reading Internet is essential and chanting, Comcast has a tower but the people have the power, about 200 people attended the rally, organized by groups including the Movement Alliance Project, the Party for Socialism and Liberation, and the Caucus of Working Educators. Organizers attempted to deliver letters to Comcast CEO Brian Roberts but were blocked by police from entering the building.

The union representing Philadelphia school principals is planning to rally for free internet for all city students Wednesday.

Protesters demands come as the Philadelphia School District plans to begin the school year virtually, after a spring in which thousands of city students struggled to participate in remote learning, in part due to lack of internet access.

More than 21,500 Philadelphia children do not have an internet subscription, according to census estimates. Survey data from the School District  which enrolls about 125,000 students  point to a potentially wider gap: In 2019, only 45% of students in grades three through five accessed the internet from a computer at home, compared with 56% in grades six through eight, and 58% for high school students.

Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. pledged last week that every student who needs it will have internet access this fall. He said city and district officials were working with internet service providers but did not give details.

Comcast spokespeople declined to comment on the record Monday. The company this spring offered 60 days of free internet service to new low-income customers through its Internet Essentials program  an offer it has extended through the end of the year  and also made network Xfinity WiFi hot spots at public places and small businesses free for everyone. Comcast charges $9.95 a month for the Internet Essentials program after the free period ends; other monthly internet packages run from $65 to $98.

The company told investors last week it has 600,000 customers nationwide who are either getting free internet service or are high risk  meaning theyre behind on their bills, but Comcast isnt cutting off their service because of the pandemic.

In March, Roberts and his family donated $5 million for Chromebooks for district students.

But advocates argue Comcast needs to do more  and can afford to do so. Brian Roberts has a $14.3 million condominium at the top of this tower, said City Councilmember Helen Gym at Mondays rally, before leading protesters in a chant calling Comcast trash.

Protesters  who called on Comcast to fund Black futures  demanded the company open residential WiFi hot spots for free access. They also want the company to increase speeds on its Internet Essentials program for low-income families, saying students cant use online learning platforms with the levels currently provided.

Comcast has said the residential hot spots  generated by modems in peoples homes  are not intended for broad, public use and are not engineered to support the high volume of users that our business and outdoor hot spots can handle.

Makeba Walls-Robinson, a paraprofessional at West Philadelphia High School, said some families she works with dont have any internet access, while a lot of parents are struggling with slow internet speeds.

A lot of times, theyre being kicked off of Google Classroom, she said.

While her daughters teachers at McCall Elementary in Society Hill, taught online classes after schools closed in the spring, students would often get disconnected and struggle to rejoin, said Kimberly Callahan, who pays for Comcast internet access but said her family was also challenged by slow speeds.

You would see their square freeze  I would hear my kids saying, Jonathans trying to get back into class, said Callahan, who called the disruptions an everyday occurrence. After about two weeks, some students stopped trying to participate, she said.

Though teachers can plan engaging lessons, theres nothing that messes up the flow more than kids dropping out and dropping back in, said Jessica Way, a teacher at Franklin Learning Center. Theyre messaging you  Im so sorry, the internets going back in and out.

Staff writer Christian Hetrick contributed to this article.
Researchers from University of Hong Kong, Yonsei University, and Chinese University of Hong Kong published a new paper in the Journal of Marketing that examines the relationship between animated movement speed in video ads and consumers' assessment of the product size.

The study forthcoming in the Journal of Marketing is titled "Speed Up, Size Down: How Animated Movement Speed in Product Videos Influences Size Assessment and Product Evaluation" and is authored by Michael Jia, B. Kyu Kim, and Lin Ge.

In video ads, products cannot be shown at their actual physical sizes. When no explicit size information or point of reference is provided, product size may be unclear to consumers. Given the potential ambiguity and the importance of size assessment in consumer preference formation, it is highly beneficial for marketers to know what visual cues consumers might use to infer the physical size of a product shown in video ads.

Video advertising often involves dynamic presentations of products that are displayed to move in a lively fashion, similar to how animals move. For instance, an audio speaker can be animated to flash in, bounce, turn around, or spin actively in video ads although it cannot move spontaneously in reality. In this case, the overall animated movement pattern may look similar to various movements insects or birds perform in the air, fishes perform in the water, dancers perform on the stage, or superheroes perform in movies. As another example, when a Swiss Army knife is animated to unfold its moveable parts (e.g., blade and corkscrew) or transform its shape, these movements may also to some extent resemble the way animals move their body parts. When creating video ads, graphic designers can animate products to move either faster or slower.

Jia explains that, "We conducted a series of experiments to examine whether and how the animated movement speed of a product displayed in video ads can influence consumers' size assessment of the product. We found a speed-based scaling effect, meaning that consumers estimate the size of a product to be smaller when the product is animated to move faster in video ads." Moreover, a product's animated movement speed is more likely to color product size assessment for consumers who perceive the product's animated movement pattern as more similar to animals' movement patterns.

The findings offer important implications for marketers, graphic designers, and online advertisers. For products for which a small size is preferred by consumers due to considerations of portability or storage constraint (e.g., mobile devices), practitioners can animate products' movements to be fast in video ads to communicate a small product size. In contrast, for edible products (e.g., food and drinks) and household products (e.g., detergents), consumers generally consider large product size desirable. To summarize the practical value of the research, Kim says, "Practitioners should avoid fast animated movements for these products in video ads if they adopt a value-based positioning such as a larger quantity for the same price. To leverage the speed-based scaling effect, practitioners can animate a product to move like animals' movement patterns."

In the contemporary digital era, consumers are constantly exposed to product videos. When creating video ads, practitioners should be aware of the general negative relationship between animated movement speed and size assessment. Guided by this principle, they can determine the ideal animated movement speeds for their products through speed calibration tests tailored to their products' natures and marketing communication objectives.

###

Full article and author contact information available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/0022242920925054

About the Journal of Marketing

The Journal of Marketing develops and disseminates knowledge about real-world marketing questions useful to scholars, educators, managers, policy makers, consumers, and other societal stakeholders around the world. Published by the American Marketing Association since its founding in 1936, JM has played a significant role in shaping the content and boundaries of the marketing discipline. Christine Moorman (T. Austin Finch, Sr. Professor of Business Administration at the Fuqua School of Business, Duke University) serves as the current Editor in Chief.

https://www.ama.org/jm

About the American Marketing Association (AMA)

As the largest chapter-based marketing association in the world, the AMA is trusted by marketing and sales professionals to help them discover what's coming next in the industry. The AMA has a community of local chapters in more than 70 cities and 350 college campuses throughout North America. The AMA is home to award-winning content, PCM professional certification, premiere academic journals, and industry-leading training events and conferences.

https://www.ama.org/
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug.4

Trend:

Mexico's most influential newspaper, El Universal, published an article under the title Energy and territorial disputes threaten to reignite war in the Caucasus in English and Spanish, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico told Trend.

Recent military clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan have alarmed the international community over the risk of yet another war in the Caucasus, this time involving key energy and trade routes, said the article.

The armed incident occurred on the border of the two states, and this time the conflict is characterized by a new factor - the clashes occurred near strategic and transport projects connecting the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe, the article reads.

This created a threat to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway as well as to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which passes through the territory of Azerbaijani Tovuz district and represents an exceptional significance in the context of ensuring the energy security of Europe, said the publication.

The article emphasized the fact that Nagorno Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan is recognized by the entire international community, including Mexico.

Referring to the statements of the Turkish side regarding the armed clashes on the state border, the article stressed that official Ankara sharply condemned the military provocation of Armenia against Azerbaijan and supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The article also contains photographs of a residential building on the territory of the Tovuz district, which was damaged as a result of shelling from the Armenian side.

The publication in English can be found by following the link:

https://www.eluniversal.com.mx/english/energy-and-territorial-disputes-threaten-reignite-war-caucasus
SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global frozen pizza market size is expected to reach USD 25.2 billion by 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 3.2%, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Rising demand for the ready-to-eat food coupled with the immense popularity of pizzas among millennials, the young generation, and the working-class population across the globe is the key factor for market growth. Moreover, changing lifestyles and food preferences owing to a busy work schedules are also offering new scope for the market.

Over the past few years, pizza has achieved massive popularity as an iconic dish among the young generation and working-class population across the world. Moreover, rising house party culture is offering new market opportunities across the globe. Frozen pizzas have evolved as a ready to prepare food item for small get together. It takes less than 20 minutes to be prepared and contains a healthy dose of veggies, carbohydrates, protein, calcium, fats, and vitamins. It is often enjoyed with salads and fizz drinks, which makes it perfect for small gatherings. These consumer trends are anticipated to drive the market over the forecast period.

Key suggestions from the report:

Regular was the largest product segment with a market share of more than 40.0% in 2019 and expected to maintain dominance over the forecast

The medium product segment is expected to witness a CAGR of 3.5% from 2020 to 2027. Rising trend of house parties among college grads, the young generation, and the working-class population is opening new scope for the product in the global market

HoReCa (Hotel/Restaurant/Cafe) was the largest distribution channel segment with a market share of more than 59.1% in 2019 and anticipated to maintain the dominance over the forecast period owing to the increasing occurrence of QSR (Quick Restaurant Services) chains

In Asia Pacific , the market is anticipated to witness a CAGR of 4.0% from 2020 to 2027. With the increasing popularity of pizzas in developing countries like China , India , Bangladesh , and the Philippines , the region is expected to remain one of the key potential regions.

Read 80 page research report with ToC on "Frozen Pizza Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Product (Regular, Medium, Large), By Distribution Channel (HoReCa, Offline Sales, Online Sales), By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/frozen-pizza-market

North America dominated the market and accounted for a revenue share of more than 35.0% in 2019. The U.S. and Canada are the largest consumers of frozen food owing to their higher shelf life and popularity. The popularity of such products is so high in the U.S that the 'National Pizza Day' is celebrated every year on the 9th of February. Moreover, according to Alto-Hartley, Inc., a kitchen equipment and installation company in the U.S., more than 40.0% of the U.S. population eats pizza every week. These consumer trends are propelling the demand for the product in the regional market.

Grand View Research has segmented the global frozen pizza market on the basis of product, distribution channel, and region:

Frozen Pizza Product Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Regular



Medium



Large

Frozen Pizza Distribution Channel Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

HoReCa



Offline sales



Online sales

Frozen Pizza Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

North America



The U.S.



Europe



The U.K.





Germany





France



Asia Pacific



China





Australia



Central & South America



Brazil



Middle East & Africa

& List of Key Players of Frozen Pizza Markt

Bellisio Foods Inc.



Hansen Foods, Inc.



Nestle SA



One Planet Pizza



Daiya Foods Inc.



McCain Foods Ltd.



Oetker GmbH



California Pizza Kitchen, Inc.



Atkins Nutritionals, Inc.



FreibergerLebensmittelGmbh Co

Find more research reports on Consumer F&B Industry, by Grand View Research:

Enhanced Water Market - The rising importance of hydration drinks among consumers on a global level is expected to have a positive impact on the industry. Enhanced water contains various minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that help in maintaining the ionic balance of the body.

The rising importance of hydration drinks among consumers on a global level is expected to have a positive impact on the industry. Enhanced water contains various minerals like potassium, sodium, and magnesium that help in maintaining the ionic balance of the body. Superfood Powders Market - Rising awareness regarding healthy lifestyle among the consumers has been driving the demand for the superfood powder over the world.

Rising awareness regarding healthy lifestyle among the consumers has been driving the demand for the superfood powder over the world. Tonic Water Market- Increasing consumption of alcoholic beverages such as gin, vodka, and other various types of cocktails is the key driving factor for the market.

Gain access toGrand 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:

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RE: editorial: As NM masks up, the state needs to speed up contact tracing, July 29.

Michael M. Kiley is a retired manager at the National Jewish Health Minimally Invasive Diagnostic Center, Denver.

As someone educated in public health and public administration, and who served as a department manager at three of the largest Denver hospitals  for two years, while retired I have driven 500 miles a day and picked up lab tests including COVID-19 from hospitals in the distant corners of the state, in what is basically a volunteer role.

 I have been troubled for months about one aspect of the governors otherwise stellar COVID-19 performance: Public silence concerning contact tracing performance. Gov. (Michelle) Lujan Grisham has been solid and targeted and has made New Mexico among the safest of U.S. states.

The single exception highlighted in the ABQ Journal editorial is contact tracing. As the editorial well shows, by the metric of days from test to contacts traced, tracing days have steeply increased.

What is going wrong? The objective of tracing is to eliminate or reduce additional exposures to the person who is positive from social contact, so as to deflate the geometric expansion of communicable disease spread. Hence, (it is) absolutely essential to break the pandemic. But tracing is way, way behind testing and new positives.

First  part of what is going wrong is the departure of key state health officials including the heads of the Health Department and the Epidemiology Division. This alone is a critical problem. But it is a compound problem: Why are key people leaving at a critical time?

What is going on at the senior department levels? It should not be fear of getting sick, (as) those of us making paltry wages to handle the actual COVID-19 (testing) tubes have continued our work undaunted and with strict protective measures. The top dogs should certainly not have run away just to avoid exposure and sickness. What is it? Who is thwarting these professionals badly enough for them to quit at the peak of the battle?

Second, what is going on with the contractor, working for a mere $12.5 million? What has kept it from effective recruitment along the predictable positive test curve so as to keep performance at an acceptable number of days out? Should we keep them? Can we not change horses in mid-stream or can they? We better investigate and decide fast. 

And third, action. It is past time to act decisively. We need a proven manager to fix this. We need to ramp up steeply recruitment and training of tracers, both phone and field. I strongly appeal to New Mexico physicians and public health professors and practitioners to step up, even if temporarily, to offer their knowledge, experience and vision.

And I recommend hiring a police detective to focus the field tracers, as someone used to focusing on and finding people, and laying down the law for quarantine. This is a make-or-break challenge to all residents of New Mexico. Either the virus wins or we do.

I work daily in the process of test submission to TriCore, the central lab, and I do not see test processing as a cause of delay. There will always be outlier exceptions such as the 13-day turnaround cited in the editorial. Our central lab state system has been credited with speeding the testing process. As I see the flow, COVID-10 tests get to the lab the same day the patient is tested, and automated test analysis is multiple thousands per day. However, my scope is not panoramic.
Ex-minister: Govt could have got more from Goldman Sachs if it wasn't hasty

The Perikatan Nasional government could have extracted more compensation from Goldman Sachs for its role in the alleged theft of 1MDB funds had it not been hasty, said former finance minister Lim Guan Eng.

Lim concurred with former attorney-general Tommy Thomas who yesterday said Goldman Sachs would have been under more pressure if the criminal cases against its bankers went to court, giving Malaysia a stronger bargaining power in the negotiations.

"Contrary to the finance minister's claim, it is the PN government which had taken a populist and unpragmatic move when the government hastily demanded payment early but at a far lower sum.

"The pragmatic move was as stated by Thomas, which was to wait for the criminal trial against Goldman Sachs to commence so that we could get a larger and more appropriate payment from Goldman Sachs," he said in a statement.

Finance Minister Tengku Zafrul Aziz yesterday defended Putrajaya's settlement with Goldman Sach which will see the bank forking out USD2.5 billion in cash and another USD1.4 billion guarantee for the recovery of assets allegedly acquired using stolen 1MDB funds.

Asked why the PN government did not pursue for USD7.5 billion as demanded by the previous Pakatan Harapan government, he said while the "illusion of fighting for billions" seemed more attractive, he opted for a pragmatic solution.

He had also criticised the criminal action brought by the previous government against Goldman Sachs, stating that the PN government's civil action was better and had resulted in the settlement.

Thomas had disputed this, stating that allowing criminal action to proceed would have put more pressure on Goldman Sachs. He also criticised the guarantee provided by the bank, pointing out that the recovery of those assets was already underway by the US Department of Justice.

Zafrul had also defended the guarantee, stating that Malaysia was exposed to valuation risks of the recovered assets while Goldman Sachs' guarantee would ensure a minimum sum for those recovered assets.

Story continues

Lim, in his statement today, said he did not want to elaborate further on the matter as he wanted to see how the government responded to Thomas' criticism.

Goldman Sachs was responsible for arranging three bonds for 1MDB amounting to US$6.5 billion, a substantial sum of which was subsequently misappropriated.

The bank had said it did not know that the proceeds it arranged would be misappropriated and had apologised to Malaysians for the scandal.

Its very clear that the people of Malaysia were defrauded by many individuals, including the highest members of the prior government, Goldman Sachs Group Inc chief executive officer David Solomon had said.
<! Nengi >

By Jennifer Okundia

Fans took to social media to call out 2020 Big Brother Naija housemate Nengi for being in the bathroom with this weeks head of house Ozo.

This comes after Ozo emerged head of house last night and picked his best friend Dorathy as deputy, but later went to his crush Nengi to explain his actions.

They ended up in the bathroom having a conversation, which caused an uproar on social media concerning their favorite housemate.

Prince queried Nengi about her discussion with Ozo in the shower. She said she went to have a convo wit him and dat is the same thing Neo said, but you rugrats changed it to dy showered naked together. Go and vote ur fav so u can have more late night kiddrica moments ?#BBNaija pic.twitter.com/hlYkVJCc4p  STUNNER?? (@stunner_xoxo) August 3, 2020

Nengi: I wanted to talk to him, he wasnt nak*d tho, it was outside the bathroom and I just wanted to talk to him. Prince :.. This was their conversation on Sunday but we know that doesnt suit your narratives. Still stands, she is NOT loose.#BBNaija pic.twitter.com/9I40LEhghV  Terrestrial Forces ? (@Terrestrialforc) August 3, 2020

NEO: NENGI dey feel OZO. He hold her, enter shower with am. This guy (PRINCE) is just someone shes using to flaunt to pain OZO right from time. PRINCE na underground battle oThis whole head of house just put am one kind. #BBNaija pic.twitter.com/2WBBfRmUiY  DRACONIS (@la_ghivver) August 3, 2020

So nengi goes behind camera (They know where camera is and isnt) to show ozo that she really likes him. Ozo will now be looking like hes the one chasing her on camera. Jesu. We the viewers only see 10 percent of whats going on. Lets judge less #BBNaija  Ijeoma I ???? (@Ijeomskitchen) August 3, 2020

Ozo has consistency issues in regards to emotions . He wants Nengi but at the same time wants Dora for keeps . Dora understands her worth & doesnt want to settle for such emotional quagmire so she suggests to be a good friend while Nengi keeps making Ozo look small . #bbnaija  Volqx (@volqx) August 3, 2020

22 year old Rebecca Nengi Hampson is an entrepreneur from Bayelsa State, Nigeria. She is a former model and MBGN Top 5 contestant.

Related
TROY  City detectives have started an investigation into the July 30 fatal shooting by an off-duty police officer of a man who was repeatedly stabbing his estranged wife during a domestic violence incident, which includes listening to 911 calls and interviewing eyewitnesses.

The investigation of the citys third fatal police shooting in five years, however, is expected to move slowly and be in-depth, according to those familiar with the case.

Officer Adam Harbour shot Colin E. Davis, 25, when he refused to obey the officers orders to stop attacking the woman in an assault with a knife that began in her second-floor apartment in a 17th Street two-family residence, according to authorities. Harbour, who joined the department in January 2017, fired a shotgun at Davis on the front porch of the building, according to police radio calls and witnesses in the Beman Park neighborhood. Harbour lives in the first-floor apartment.

The investigation is moving ahead methodically. We are working with our partners in the DAs office and the AGs office, Chief Brian Owens said Tuesday. Owens declined to comment further on the case citing the ongoing investigation.

Mayor Patrick Madden has said he is awaiting the outcome of the investigation. Harbour was assigned to desk duty.

Rensselaer County District Attorney Mary Pat Donnelly called the state Attorney Generals Office into the investigation under Gov. Andrew Cuomo's executive order to determine if it would take over the case as special prosecutor. The order calls for such a review in a situation where a police officer causes the death of a civilian.

Earlier this year, Cuomo signed legislation that empowers the state attorney general's office to investigate police misconduct and probe police-involved deaths. The legislation expands on the previous executive order that allowed the attorney general to investigate fatal encounters between unarmed civilians and New York police agencies.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The departments investigation is expected to move slowly similar to the Aug. 2015 case in which Officer Joshua Comitale was severely wounded in the legs during a shootout with Thaddeus Faison, who died after being shot four to six times in the torso. That investigation took nearly three months before it went to a county grand jury that declined to file charges against Comitale. Faison had also shot and wounded Officer Chad Klein before facing off with Comitale.

The third fatal shooting occurred in April 2016 involving Sgt. Randall French and Edson Thevenin. In that case, then-District Attorney Joel Abelove presented the case to a grand jury within five days of the shooting. Abelove faces trial on his handling of the case and for allegedly lying to a grand jury. A trial date has not yet been set. The Thevenin family has a civil rights lawsuit against the city pending in U.S. District Court. Sgt. French died this year from COVID-19.
The Bharatiya Janata Party-led government at the Centre is pushing for a new set of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) norms for development projects amid the nationwide lockdown triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic. The draft EIA Notification 2020 has been widely criticised by independent experts and activists terming it 'pro-industry' and 'anti-people'.

In Assam, activists, civil society organisations and the Opposition are up in arms against the move, fearing its adverse impact on the states ecology and environment. Assam is part of the eastern Himalayan region, one of the two biodiversity hotspots in the country -- the other being the Western Ghats.

The draft EIA Notification comes amid widespread outrage over the ecological damage caused by a gas well blowout incident near the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park in eastern Assam, and alleged illegal mining in the states Dehing-Patkai elephant reserve.

These incidents lend credence to the view that the Centre has allowed, what could be seen as, corporate plunder of natural resources in Assam in the name of 'sustainable development'.

Interestingly, both the cases cited above involve state-owned companies  the Oil India (OIL) and North Eastern Coalfield (NEC), a subsidiary of Coal India (CIL)  which are now under the scanner for their alleged lapses and violation of environmental norms.

A panel constituted by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has blamed OIL for the mismatch between planning and execution, leading to Baghjan gas well blowout and the subsequent fire that caused 'extensive damage' to Maguri-Motapung wetland and Dibru-Saikhowa National Park.

Additionally, it has caused irreparable physical harm and damage to privately-owned property of survivors in the affected villages, the panel headed by retired Gauhati High Court judge Brojendra Prasad Katakey said in its preliminary report submitted to the NGT.

In the case involving CIL, the environmental court has ordered the constitution of a five-member committee to probe allegations of large-scale illegal coal mining in the Dehing-Patkai rainforest, also known as the 'Amazon of the East'. The panel will submit its report before September 10.

Exemption from public hearings

The Baghjan case would help understand a key concern raised by the critics of the draft EIA Notification 2020, which they call a regressive departure from EIA 2006. EIA is a process that every development project has to go through for obtaining prior environmental clearances.

Among the most controversial changes the Narendra Modi government has introduced in the 2020 draft is that a wide variety of projects, including roads and pipelines in border areas, will now be exempt from public hearings.

A border area has been defined as the one falling within 100 km aerial distance from the Line of Actual Control with countries bordering India. This norm would severely impact Indias northeast, a biodiversity hotspot.

The influential All Assam Students Union has red-flagged this by saying, it will also allowthe setting up of industries within 100 km of international borders. It will lead to destruction of the environment. This notification is against the interests of Assam. It has to be cancelled.

Much before the draft EIA Notification 2020 was put out, OIL had skipped public hearings required for its drilling expansion in the eco-sensitive Baghjan area. In fact, the PSU did not face public hearings since 2011, according to documents submitted to the Union environment ministry.

According to the EIA Notification 2006, public hearings and a detailed EIA plan were mandatory for getting approval for oil and gas exploration activity near eco-sensitive zones. However, the environment ministry tweaked this norm in January this year, exempting oil and gas firms, looking to conduct exploratory drilling, from seeking an environmental clearance. Needless to say, OIL had benefitted from this change in rules.

Activists had slammed the governments January move. It exposes how the (environment) ministry views its own processes of environmental due diligence as a nuisance, and prioritises corporate interest over the health of communities and the environment, Nityanand Jayaraman, a Chennai-based green activist, wrote in an article.

Destroying a rainforest

The rampant mining  both legal and illegal  has caused irreparable damage to Assams Dehing-Patkai wildlife sanctuary, the largest lowland rainforest in India. The EIA 2020 norms, once implemented, could allow such wanton destruction of forests in others parts of the country as well.

Sample this: the draft EIA Notification provides for post-fact clearances for projects in eco-sensitive zones, which means those operating in violation of the Environment Act will be allowed to apply for approvals.

In the case of Dehing-Patkai, North Eastern Coalfields had admitted in May that mining was being carried out in violation of norms (after its lease with the Assam government expired) since 2003.

A month prior to that, the National Board for Wildlife allowed CIL to carry out mining in Dehing-Patkai. Its another matter that the Assam forest department imposed a fine of Rs 43.25 crore on CIL for illegal mining in Dehing-Patkai, home to a wide variety of animal species including elephants, tigers, leopards, Asiatic Black Bear, Hoolock Gibbon and Slow Loris.

Now, the draft EIA notification has only added to the public outrage over the Baghjan fire and the rampant mining in the ecologically fragile Dehing-Patkai rainforest.

This is extremely dangerous for Assam and the northeast in general in view of the damage which has been already caused by mining/drilling operations in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park/Biosphere Reserve and Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary areas, Debabrata Saikia, Leader of Opposition in the Assam assembly, said in a letter to the Union environment ministry.

The latter has sought suggestions and objections to the draft by August 10, following which it will be notified.

Jayanta Kalita is a senior journalist and author based in Delhi. He writes on issues related to Indias northeast. The views are personal.
The Reserve Bank of Australia and the International Monetary Fund are urging governments to spend more money in the event of a second COVID-19 wave as economists warn the unemployment rate will hit at least 10 per cent.

Businesses are demanding the federal and state governments give thousands of dollars in "survival payments" to companies and sole traders in metropolitan Melbourne hamstrung by the tougher limits which will effectively close down the city from midnight Wednesday.

The deserted construction site of the Melbourne Quarter project on Collins Street. The city's stage four restrictions are expected to push the national jobless rate to at least 10 per cent by year's end. Credit:Simon Schluter

The restrictions are tipped to push the national jobless rate to its worst level in more than 25 years as employers warn plans to get coronavirus cases to zero will force more businesses to shut permanently.

The RBA board on Tuesday held official interest rates at 0.25 per cent with governor Philip Lowe revealing the stage four restrictions in Victoria had forced it to reconsider is baseline forecasts for the national economy.
(Reuters) - President Donald Trump threatened to sue Nevada after Democratic lawmakers passed a bill on Sunday that would send mail-in ballots to every voter ahead of Novembers presidential election in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump, who has claimed without evidence that voting by mail will lead to rampant fraud, wrote on Twitter on Monday that the legislation approved on Sunday was a illegal late night coup.

Using Covid to steal the state, he added. See you in Court!

If the states Democratic governor, Steve Sisolak, signs the bill as expected, Nevada would become the seventh state to send ballots to all registered voter for the Nov. 3 election. Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington already conduct their elections entirely by mail, while California and Vermont have decided to do so this year due to the pandemic.

A Trump campaign spokeswoman did not immediately comment on Trumps threat. But the ongoing public health crisis has prompted litigation in dozens of states between Democrats and Republicans over issues like absentee ballots, postmark deadlines and signature requirements.

Most states have sought to expand mail-in voting to avoid spreading the coronavirus at polling places on Election Day.

Nevada mailed ballots to voters ahead of its primary election in June and encouraged residents not to risk in-person voting. Most of the states polling places were closed, leading to waits of as much as seven hours in Las Vegas.

Sisolaks office did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Trumps tweet.

Election experts say voter fraud of any kind, including incidents related to mail-in ballots, is vanishingly rare.

Last week, Trump suggested delaying the election due to the likelihood of fraud, though he does not have the authority to do so.
With complete disregard for the sentiments of the Hindu community, one Communist politician named Dr Manisha Chakraborty and her fellow comrades have reportedly distributed beef during the occasion of Bakr Eid on Saturday in Barisal, Bangladesh. The 30-year-old is the member secretary of the district committee of Bangladesh Samajtantrik Dal (Bangladesh Socialist party).

Manisha went live on Facebook to describe her motives behind the noble gesture. At the very onset, she said that the outbreak of Coronavirus had forced the poor people to cancel their celebration for Eid and how that she and her team were ensuring that the downtrodden were not left behind.

We have sacrificed 5 cows here, reveals Manisha

Aikhana panchti goru kurbani daowa hoyecha o seta ke process kora hoyeche (We have sacrificed 5 cows and processed the meat), Dr. Manisha was heard as saying. She said that slaughtering 5 cows within such a short time was difficult but her comrades and the group of volunteers were able to pull off the uphill task. Manisha said that she had prepared a list of 50 such poor families in each of the 30 wards in the Barisal district who would be given 1kg of beef and 1 kg of rice for making pulao.

Informs that they fed 5000 people last year

Taking credit for the task, Manisha then pointed the camera towards the packets filled with cow meat to emphasise the hard work put by her team. She said that her team had been working tirelessly since 7 am in the morning, on the day of Eid. A man representing the party at the district level said, Last year, we had fed around 5000 families We have raised funds to purchase 5 cows and sacrifice it ourselvesWe thank everyone who helped us in doing this.

Plans to sacrifice 30 cows next year

Agami kurbani te 30 ta ward e minimum 30 ta goru kurbani dibo (Next year, on Eid, we will sacrifice of minimum of 30 cows to feed the people in 30 wards of the district), the politician shared her future plans. Invoking the example of Mir Jafar who was a traitor and betrayed Bengals king Sirajuddulah in the Battle of Plassey, he said Conspirators have failed. History is a testimony to the fact that those who work for the people can only succeed.

Manisha then took the centre stage and claimed, We are one family. We share grief and happiness together We mourn and celebrate together Since everyone here devoted their time to make this possible, it truly exemplifies the meaning of sacrifice.
Suffice it to say, Meghan Markle's 39th birthday is looking very different from her 38th.

And not just because of the pandemic that's put a fork in most well-laid plans for celebrations this year.

In 2019, the word was that the Duchess of Sussex, marking her first birthday as a mom, and husband Prince Harry would be taking tea with the queen at Balmoral. She was on maternity leave from royal duties but keeping busy, collaborating on a capsule collection for charity and guest-editing the September issue of British Vogue.

In 2020, Meghan can't even go around calling herself the Duchess of Sussex. There are some reports circulating that she wanted to have a small getaway in Montecito, about an hour's drive from Los Angeles, but the couple's rep certainly isn't sharing any details on what would be a super-private party.

But what a difference 12 months makes.

All of Meghan Markle's Final Royal Outfits

Excerpts are pouring forth from a tell-all book about Meghan and Harry that's coming out on Aug. 11, each revelation juicier than the last. The couple are in the middle of a lawsuit that's playing out in London, battling for not just their own right to privacy but that of their friends and loved ones. And, in case it didn't register already, they're in California, where they now live.

Technically they still live in Britain, too, at Frogmore Cottage, in the realm of Windsor Castle. But they haven't stepped foot in England since their farewell whirl as senior royals in the beginning of March, and their now nearly 15-month-old son, Archie, hasn't been in the country of his birth at all this year.

On March 31, they officially stepped down, the terms of the agreed-upon, months-in-negotiating split including that they not trade in any way, for business or for charity, on their HRH titles or status as the Duke and Duchess of Sussex.

Which doesn't change the fact that everyone still wants a piece of them because of the titles they've agreed not to use. But it's a whole new, albeit recognizably comfortable, world for these two.

Story continues

Meghan Markle

Harry and Meghan's decision to socially distance themselves from the royal family for reasons that had nothing to do with preventing a virus from spreading is not the most world-rattling scandal to plague the House of Windsor either this century or last. No lines of succession have been altered, no bonds forever broken (though Harry and Prince William should really sit down over a few pints as soon as possible lest their fraternal connection fray any more).

But there's no question that the family isn't the same as it was in 2018, when Meghan married into itlet alone 2016, when Harry first fell in love with her, months before anyone even knew he had a girlfriend.

There are at least two sides to every story (and far more than that to this one), whether you believe the least flattering dispatches or the more glowing takes on how Meghan came, saw, didn't like what she saw and skedaddled. More likely you sense, correctly, that the truth is a complicated melding of all the sides.

But there are no two ways about the fact that the course of the royal family has been forever altered by the addition of Meghan to its ranks:

The Firm may not have ever thought of opening a satellite office in Los Angeles, but it's open, it's running, and it's already the headquarters for a whole new way of doing business.
WASHINGTON  Senate Democrats say they're planning to spend at least seven figures to boost MJ Hegar's bid against incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn after a series of recent polls show the former Air Force pilot within single digits of the three-term Republican.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee announced on Tuesday it would pay for TV advertising, polling, field organizing, data support and more for Hegar, who the group endorsed early in the primary.

INCUMBENT VS IRREVERENT: Cornyn-Hegar Senate race pits three-term senator against 'badass' challenger

Its the latest sign that an influx of national cash will keep flowing to Texas Democrats as the party heads into fall elections optimistic it can win a statewide race for the first time in a generation. The DSCC, which spent hundreds of thousands to help Hegar in the primary runoff, didnt make any such investment in Texas when Beto ORourke came within three percentage points of U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz in 2018.

The DSCC announced its plan after a survey it commissioned late last month found a tightening competitive senate race in Texas, with Cornyn up only one point, 43 to 42, with 15 percent of voters still undecided. The poll of 700 likely voters was conducted by Global Strategy Group and Latino Decisions and has a margin of error of 3.7 percentage points. The DSCC spending was first reported by POLITICO.

A Morning Consult poll released on Tuesday, meanwhile, showed Cornyn up 44 to 38 over Hegar with 14 percent undecided. A Quinnipiac University poll released last month showed Cornyn leading Hegar 47 to 38.

Real Clear Politics shows Cornyn up an average of 10 percentage points in public polling. Cruz led ORourke by an average of 6.5 points in early August 2018.

MONEY IS COMING IN: National dollars flow into Texas for 2020 Democrats

Democrats are hopeful Hegar, a decorated war veteran, will have crossover appeal, especially in the suburbs, where voters began to move away from Trump in 2018 and where the party hopes to gain more ground in November.

But Hegar will need the financial help as Cornyn has more than $14 million on hand to fend off the challenge. Hegar reported just over $900,000 on hand at the end of June, though her campaign said it raised more than $1 million in one week after she nabbed the partys nomination last month.

ben.wermund@chron.com
Heidi Klum has denied ever having any connections to the late Jeffrey Epstein.

On Thursday, July 30, court documents related to the ongoing criminal case against Ghislaine Maxwell were made available to the public. Included in the numerous documents was a transcript of a 2011 telephone interview between Virginia Roberts Giuffre and her attorneys, in which she claimed she had seen model Heidi Klum, among other celebrity figures, traveling on Epstein's private jet.

However, Daniel S. Passman, the lawyer for Klum, told E! News, "Any reference to Heidi Klum in connection with Jeffrey Epstein is totally false. Heidi Klum's name and initials were absent from all the flight logs which were released. Many high profile people are listed, but Ms. Klum is not one of them... The explanation is simple. She has never been on any of Mr. Epstein's planes. And that is because she did not know Mr. Epstein and was never on his island."

Untangling the Aftermath of Ghislaine Maxwell's Arrest

Additionally, Klum expressed sympathy for Epstein's victims in a statement to People magazine. "I have been watching the news and see that I have been mistakenly named as a passenger on one of Mr. Epstein's flights. I did not know Mr. Epstein and therefore have never been on his planes, at his homes or his island. I am speaking up as I do not want to be falsely associated with Mr. Epstein and the horrific story surrounding him," Klum claimed. "I stand with the victims who have so bravely come forward and I too want the truth to come out and for justice to prevail."

Heidi Klum

The former Victoria's Secret model was not the only celebrity figure to be named as an alleged acquaintance of the convicted sex offender. For many years, former President Bill Clinton has been accused of associating with the criminal in public forums and on Epstein's private island, where women were allegedly trafficked and abused.

Story continues

But as the former politician's spokesperson told NBC News, "The story keeps changing, the facts don't. President Clinton has never been to the island."

Jeffrey Epstein died of suicide in a New York City jail cell in August 2019, according to a medical examiner. The disgraced financier was awaiting trial on federal sex trafficking charges, which he plead not guilty to.

Likewise, his alleged co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell denies any wrongdoing. She was arrested and charged on six counts for her alleged involvement in the Epstein abuse case on July 2.
"For Sale By Owner" and "Closed Due to Virus" signs are displayed in the window of Images On Mack in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., Thursday, April 2, 2020. The coronavirus outbreak has triggered a stunning collapse in the U.S. workforce with 10 million people losing their jobs in the past two weeks and economists warn unemployment could reach levels not seen since the Depression, as the economic damage from the crisis piles up around the world. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)AP
Im almost certain Trump has no idea what TikTok is. Im betting TikTok was one of the answers he wrote on his cognitive test.  SETH MEYERS

Apparently this is a real national security threat, the Chinese government knowing which Americans can and cant dance.  JIMMY FALLON

I am sure it has everything to do with national security and nothing to do with the TikTok teens who sabotaged his Tulsa rally.  JIMMY FALLON

Trump gave Microsoft 45 days to make a deal, although theyll spend the first 44 days clicking remind me tomorrow.  JIMMY FALLON

Its a big day for the three TikTok fans that also love Excel spreadsheets.  JIMMY FALLON

Trump doesnt know anything about TikTok, and he doesnt actually care  he just says stuff like this because its his favorite thing to do. He loves to stand on the White House lawn next to a giant whirring helicopter and shout empty pronouncements at reporters because it makes him feel like hes actually the president and not just some soulless husk who fell ass-backward into a job he wasnt qualified for because some dummy made fun of him at a dinner once.  SETH MEYERS, referring to his jabs at Mr. Trump while hosting the White House Correspondents Association dinner in 2011.
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The mayor of an upmarket coastal town dubbed 'Chelsea-on-Sea' has urged visitors to 'show a bit of respect' and follow social distancing rules after the normal population surged by 1,000 per cent amid a staycation boom.

Thousands of tourists and second home owners flocked back to Salcombe in Devon from the moment the green light was given by the Government for people to go on holidays at the start of last month.

But town mayor Nikki Turton said tourists seem to 'think they are in a bubble' and do not have to maintain social distancing with signs being ignored by a 'minority who don't think it counts because they are on holiday'.

She told the BBC: 'It's like August bank holiday weekend every day, everybody is exhausted and overwhelmed. The businesses need the customers but we would just like a bit of respect back for the town that they claim to love.'

Salcombe has a population of about 2,000 in the winter but this risen to about 25,000 after the lockdown ended on July 4, according to the council, which is causing issues for people trying to socially distance in the town.

Ms Turton spoke out ten days ago, but the scale of the problems facing the resort became clear yesterday when a series of striking photographs were taken which show how many people are pouring into the bustling town.

Local residents have complained on social media this week that the town has become a 'war zone' with 'hoards of teenagers and others roaming around, drinking, smashing bottles, swearing and shouting at people'.

It comes amid fears a fresh stampede of revellers to beauty spots as the country is set to be roasted by a ten-day heatwave, with nearly 20million Britons planning to go on a staycation holiday in the UK this year.

Tourists are expected to flock back to beaches across the country over the coming days as temperatures up to 99F (37C) sweep in from central Europe by the end of the week amid a level two heat warning.

A YouGov poll found 28 per cent of Britons plan to take a holiday in the UK this year - the equivalent of about 19million people - while only 9 per cent will go abroad and a further 49 per cent do not intend on holidaying.

Cornwall Council has slammed 'ignorant' tourists who descended on beauty spots without their face masks, with fears building in the county over a rise in coronavirus cases as people travel there for their holidays.

Tourists flock to the seaside town of Salcombe in Devon today, despite the fury of locals, with the mayor of the town hitting out at 'disrespectful tourists'

Thousands of tourists and second home owners flocked back to Salcombe in Devon from the moment the green light was given by the Government for people to go on holidays

However, locals have hit out at the tourists, accusing some of flouting coronavirus restrictions as they enjoy the sunshine

Local residents have complained on social media this week that the town has become a 'war zone' with 'hoards of teenagers and others roaming around'

Richard Powell and Claire Hodgkins in Salcombe. Richard said: 'It is busy but does not seem unbearable. It is so nice to get away after lockdown. We have just arrived so it is too early to say too much about what it is like. But we are delighted to be here and everyone seems to be behaving'

Cornwall Council has slammed 'ignorant' tourists who descended on beauty spots without their face masks over the past few days

With less foreign holidays taking place amid concern over Covid-19 restrictions, locals and business owners

Tourists flock to the seaside town of Salcombe in Devon yesterday which has previously been dubbed 'Chelsea-on-Sea'

Tourists walk through the narrow streets of the Devon seaside town of Salcombe yesterday which has become very busy

Tourists walk through Salcombe in Devon yesterday, where the town mayor has urged tourists to show 'a bit of respect'

Salcombe, pictured yesterday, has become overrun with tourists as fears rise of local lockdowns in staycation hotspots

A full car park at Salcombe is pictured yesterday as people continue to descend on the Devon town for a staycation

Tourists enjoy a trip out on a boat while visiting the seaside town of Salcombe yesterday which has been busy with tourists

Tourists in Salcombe today have spoken about their experience.

Alison Moore, 61, of Oxford, said: 'We have been coming to Salcombe for more than 30 years and the kids have grown up coming here every summer.

'It is busy and is certainly different this year.

'It has been quite difficult social distancing but it has not affected our week. We have still thoroughly enjoyed it

'But we have seen a slightly different crowd though and a lot more younger people.

'We have heard some stories about things happening that are not normally associated with Salcombe.

'There have been fights that we have not witnessed but friends have told us they have.

'A friend has a private slipway that their family have owned for years. They went there this morning and it was full of broken glasses and bottles.

'There is a small minority ruining the atmosphere and it does taint it. But it doesn't affect us and we still love the place. But it is probably the last year we will come in August for that type of reason.'

Alex Moore, 26, of Oxford, added: ' It does seem to have attracted a younger crowd this year. It is being sold as a destination for that so you can see why. It is maybe to do with people not being able to go to Spain.'

'There was a bit of trouble with younger people in the bar. One guy was causing all kinds of problems as they weren't allowed in due to social distancing and being too crowded. He wouldn't leave and was kicking off.'

David Reeves, 60, of Knutsford, is on holiday in Dartmouth but came to Salcombe for the day.

He said: 'We are down in Devon for the week and it is lovely to get away. Everyone has been reasonable and it is busy but it has been fine for us.'

A second home owner, known only as Liz, of Richmond-upon-Thames, said: 'I was not down here when we were not allowed. It doesn't feel as busy to me as me as normal summer.

'It is fantastic to be back for two weeks. A small minority have not been behaving very sensibly but the vast majority are observing social distancing and enjoying themselves. I don't really go out in the evening so don't see much trouble.

'I am disappointed that the press are being down on people coming away. Enjoying being by the sea is surely a healthy activity. It is great to see so many people down here again taking wonderful walks and enjoying the fresh air.'

Richard Powell, 40, was with partner Claire Hodgkins, 32, of Worcester, said: 'We are here for two nights and then moving on to St Ives.

'It is busy but does not seem unbearable. It is so nice to get away after lockdown. We have just arrived so it is too early to say too much about what it is like. But we are delighted to be here and everyone seems to be behaving.'

A Salcombe local tweeted yesterday: 'We need police presence in Salcombe before someone gets really hurt. The town has turned into a free for all for teens in Salcombe town centre, with no one to stop them, and it's getting dangerous.'

Staycation car hire meltdown: Holidaying Britons in frantic scramble to secure a vehicle as two-hour long queues form at offices Holidaying Britons are in a frantic scramble to secure a hire car as more than 20million people head to beauty spots this year. Britons are scrambling for staycation spots with campsites, B&Bs and holiday cottages booking up fast as tens of thousands of foreign stays were put on hold amid fears over a second wave of coronavirus. Tourists need hire cars to get to idyllic locations such as Cornwall or Kent, but have encountered frustrating two hours queues at offices and significant delays on customer service helplines leading to a deluge of complaints. Europcar, a French firm that operates in 140 countries worldwide , has been swamped with angry customers on social media. Andrea Tolley on Twitter said: 'Appalling service, two hour wait at Kennington office on Friday - car we booked not available, I got a refund today for the upgrade diff, no communication and not a refund, your charged me for the privilege. Cust service sounded offended I questioned this. NEVER AGAIN.' And Marcus Chaloner said: 'At your branch in Kennington after being told yesterday at 4pm that I couldn't pick up my car at Lewisham - after having to travel an hour to get here, it's absolute chaos here - your own employees don't know what's going on. People have places to be, flights to catch.' Advertisement

Another said: 'Salcombe has become a war zone. Our beautiful town has hoards of teenagers and others roaming around, drinking, smashing bottles, swearing and shouting at people. We are scared to walk through our own town. Desperately need police support and street marshals.'

A third tweeted local MP Anthony Mangnal and Devon and Cornwall Police, saying: 'Do you have any idea what hell Salcombe is this year with packs of roaming drunken yobs causing mayhem and violence in our town?? Why oh why are there no police patrols here and why so long to respond to calls?'

With less foreign holidays taking place amid concern over Covid-19 restrictions, locals and business owners say the town, which is often known as a playground for rich Londoners, is heaving and busier than ever before.

And a series of striking photographs show how the social distancing has become difficult in the bustling town.

They include scenes on the narrow shopping streets and the picturesque harbour which are now packed with sun-seekers. The town council say the huge influx has also led to an increase in anti-social behaviour.

The spike in numbers has now raised fears of a 'local lockdown' similar to the one experienced in Leicester.

Roger Lidstone, of Bowers Wines and Spirits in Salcombe, said: 'Things have picked up a lot since the beginning of July. It has been busier than usual in July, which is not surprising as it is the first month since lockdown.

'People want to get away. It is a difficult balancing act as Salcombe as a town needs the tourists, but it has caused problems, especially in the evenings with people drinking too much.

'Social distancing in the streets is tricky and I don't think it has been observed thoroughly. Without the tourists we wouldn't survive though. It was extremely quiet but now it has gone totally the other way.

'They came back as soon as the lockdown was relaxed. We have a lot of second home owners who hadn't been able to get to them, so they all came down. You cannot blame them, but who knows if it will lead to a local lockdown?

'We have had very few cases in Devon compared to the rest of the UK, but with so many people around now, it could happen. Whatever happens, we will act accordingly.'

Anita Tildesley, who works for Salcombe Trading Company, said: 'It's much busier now and with a lot less people going abroad it seems a lot more people are visiting Devon.

'I am happy to have some normality and be back open for business. I think if there has to be a local lockdown there will be. Time will tell. It is a legitimate concern that some have.

'But it is a difficult balancing act, about welcoming tourists back but ensuring things don't get any worse for those who live here.'

Salcombe town councillors say the influx in visitors has caused some issues, especially with people drinking. One, Caroline Bricknell, said: 'It's extremely busy, unfortunately some people are ruining it for everyone else.

'All holiday makers get tarred with the same brush which isn't fair, some of the people who come here are great but what the others are doing is causing bad feelings in the town with local people.

Thousands of tourists and second home owners have flocked back to Salcombe, pictured yesterday, since July 4

The town in Devon, pictured yesterday, has been overrun with tourists since lodkwon restrictions were eased

Tourists enjoy the sunshine in the town of Salcombe yesterday which has became a staycation hotspot in recent weeks

People sit outside in Salcombe yesterday as daytrippers and tourists enjoy the sunshine in the Devon town

The local mayor said the town of Salcombe, pictured yesterday, is like 'August bank holiday weekend every day'

Salcombe has a population of about 2,000 in the winter but this risen to about 25,000 after the lockdown ended

A signs calls for social distancing at the seaside town of Salcombe yesterday which has been overrun with tourists

People look at at the water in the seaside town of Salcombe yesterday where huge numbers of tourists are visiting

People sit outside in the sunshine to enjoy a drink as tourists flock to the seaside town of Salcombe yesterday

'There have been problems, we were in our boat the other day and there were about 15 people in another boat and they were throwing bottles in the water and playing loud music.

Pizza Express to close SIXTY-SEVEN restaurants across Britain with up to 1,100 jobs at risk - hours after launch of Rishi's Eat Out to Help Out scheme - as Dixons announces 800 redundancies Pizza Express today revealed it could shut 67 of its UK restaurants with up to 1,100 jobs at risk as it becomes the latest business devastated by coronavirus. The 55-year-old company, owned by Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital, has debts of 735million and has put itself up for sale after bringing in experts. Bosses at the chain said they wanted to push down rents by closing about 15 per cent of its 449 restaurants in the UK, which would help protect 9,000 jobs. It means at least 75,000 jobs are now at risk across the UK amid the ongoing crisis which has devastated a swathe of industry sectors including hospitality. The company closed all of its UK restaurants in March 20 after the Government-mandated lockdown, and has been gradually reopening them since July 9. The news came as Currys PC World owner Dixons Carphone also announced that it is to cut 800 jobs as part of an overhaul of its store management structure. And it emerged on the second day of the Government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which Pizza Express signed up to, giving diners 50 per cent off meals out on Mondays to Wednesdays throughout August to help beleaguered restaurants. Advertisement

'It's those that are running it unfortunately for our lovely holiday makers. It seems to be more problematic this year, I think because they can't go to Spain or Ibiza or anything else.

'This week would have been regatta week and that's a huge event in Salcombe, that would have made us up to about 25k people but it's cancelled, and will be even busier in town because people book from year to year.

'It's hard to get a booking for regatta week, people will come down to stay in the places they booked - they've been coming for years, it's a big thing in Salcombe.

'We'll have them and everyone else unfortunately. It's just something we have to sort out.'

Beleaguered Cornish residents reported over the weekend how the popular county had turned into 'Benidorm on steroids' as floods of visitors left them too scared to leave their homes.

Meanwhile Thanet District Council in Kent begged people to avoid four of the area's beaches - including the popular Margate's Main Sands - due to the number of visitors.

And a drunken fight broke out on the seafront in Brighton on Saturday night as two women went toe-to-toe and others cheered and ignored social distancing.

Met Office forecaster Bonnie Diamond said: 'There will be a warm spell across the UK but at the moment this hot weather will be focused in the south-east of England.

'At the minute and with high confidence, we are expecting 34C (93F) to 36C (97F) by Friday and Saturday.'

These high temperatures are the result of southerly winds moving from Europe and high pressure patterns that are set to kick in from around Thursday.

Ms Diamond said: 'The pressure pattern is generally high, so in combination with the southerly winds and high pressure we get settled, sunny and hot weather.'

The high temperatures could trigger some thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday.

It comes after temperatures reached 100F (37.8C) in London at 2.41pm on Friday, making it the third hottest day ever recorded in the UK.

The highest ever UK temperature, 101.7F (38.7C), was recorded in Cambridge University Botanic Garden on July 25, 2019.

The second hottest day ever was a recorded at 101.3F (38.5C) in Faversham, Kent, on August 10, 2003.
The Green List of countries deemed safe for non-essential travel may be reduced due to a spike in coronavirus cases across Europe.

The Cabinet will today review the list of 15 countries where people can travel without being asked to undergo two weeks of quarantine upon their return.

It is expected a number of countries will be removed from the list due to an increase in the number of new Covid-19 cases. Senior Government figures confirmed the Cabinet is considering reducing the list to take into account the rise in new cases in certain countries.

The move could mean people who planned to fly to countries deemed safe for travel two weeks ago will now have to self-isolate when they return.

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"I don't think it's a case of anything being added to the list and some of the locations could be removed from it," a senior Government source said.

Another Cabinet source warned that people were taking risks by booking holidays in countries on the Green List as they could be removed.

There is concern in Government over a significant increase in new cases in Malta and Cyprus.

Yesterday, European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) figures showed Malta recorded 24.1 new cases per 100,000 people over the past 14 days. This does not include 65 migrants who tested positive after they were rescued from the Mediterranean by the Armed Forces of Malta.

Meanwhile, in Cyprus, figures show there are 12.8 cases per 100,000 people. In Ireland, there are 8.2 cases per 100,000 people.

The Green List was drafted on the basis of the ECDC's 14-day average of new cases but also takes in other criteria such as epidemiology reports, the capacity of local health services and the rate of the virus being spread among those who have it.

The current list, which was published on July 22, includes Malta, Finland, Norway, Italy, Hungary, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Cyprus, Slovakia, Greece, Greenland, Gibraltar, Monaco and San Marino.

At the time, these countries had similar or lower rates of Covid-19 to Ireland and passengers arriving here from these countries were exempt from rules requiring them to quarantine.

There was some confusion when the list was published as people were still being told it was safer to book holidays in Ireland than travel abroad.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar issued a statement criticising the mixed messages before the Green List was published and insisted travel advice should be changed for these countries.

The Department of Foreign Affairs' travel advice now tells people to take "normal precautions" when travelling to the countries on the list. Previously it said to avoid any unnecessary travel.

At the time the list was published, the Government flagged that it would be reviewed every two weeks.

Anyone arriving from countries not on the list must quarantine for two weeks.

The Government is considering increasing checks at the airports. Ministers have also suggested people arriving from countries with high levels of Covid-19 will have to get a negative test 48 hours before travelling to Ireland.
The coronavirus pandemics disruption to our lives and schools brings endless waves of risk and unpredictability. Best laid plans can be upended by a single positive case.

As the nations K-12 educators, you are making high-stakes decisions and choices that impact the health, safety, and well-being of students, families, and yourselves.

Youve got many questions. EdWeek wants to help you find the answers.

Below are questions that you have posed to us, organized into topical themes. Our newsroom responds to those questions with links to reporting that provides fuller answers.

You can send us more questions at community@educationweek.org .

Jump to a section:



Health and safety inside schools

Q: How can we trust others to do their part and honestly isolate if and when they have symptoms that are not severe and/or that they attribute to a normal cold, allergies, etc.?

Many districts return-to-school plans depend on people following these guidelines, but we know people attend work/send their kids to school when symptomatic of other illnesses. How can we be sure this will be different?

A: Symptoms of COVID-19 like fever can occur anytime from two to 14 days after exposure to the coronavirus, but studies to date suggest up to 90 percent of children under age 18 who get the disease have mild or no symptoms , meaning it is extremely likely that temperature checks will not catch many students who have the illness. This does not mean temperature checks are useless, as studies have so far found school-age children less likely to transmit the disease than adults, but the American Academy of Pediatrics recommended schools balance the frequency of temperature testing against the likely time it will take away from instruction, in large part because of this high likelihood of false negatives. AAP suggested schools ask parents to fill out home temperature reports and symptom screenings to save time, particularly because children with COVID-19 seem to be more likely to have gastrointestinal symptoms than adults do. Also, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is not recommending universal screenings for students and staff. Read more here .

Q: How often do we all need to be tested? Every week? Every two weeks? People liegive fever-reducing medswe all get exposed, then what?

A: Experts generally do not think schools should or will have the capacity to use universal COVID-19 tests on students, which, again, would have to be done every few days. Symptom tracking and isolation and contact tracing of students and staff with positive COVID-19 test results seem to be the most common recommendation for schools. The CDC does not recommend that schools conduct COVID-19 tests. Unlike the flu and other contagious illnesses, theres currently a strong social stigma about having COVID-19 and potentially exposing and transmitting it to others. To help address concerns that parents might risk sending a sick child to school, K-12 leaders should find ways to help them err on the side of caution, such as providing an easy way to receive remote instruction for a day or a few days and referrals for free COVID-19 testing. Also, theres a strong messaging role for principals to play in communicating constantly about the need for parents not to send a child with fever or other symptoms to school. Read more here .

Q: Will the pressure from our community override the science when it comes to making decisions? Do parents understand what a socially distanced classroom and curriculum will actually look like? Will I overlook something that in some ways risks the health of my students, their families, or my own because I have never been trained in how to keep a classroom sterile? What if we get this wrong? How do I go to work if I cant send my kids to school?

A: Some states have set suggested or mandated thresholds of what the transmission rate of the coronavirus in the area should be before schools reopen their buildings. See states reopening guidance to districts here .

A socially distanced school day will be much different than what parents, students, and teachers are used to. Teachers will have to forego hands-on instruction and close collaboration among students. Districts are planning how best to maintain social distance in schools, including through different scheduling models and changes to daily routines . Districts will also have to take extra safety precautions, including increased cleaning and access to face coverings, hand sanitizer, and handwashing opportunities.

With school schedules disrupted, teachers will have to balance teaching and caring for their own children. The Denver school district, which is starting the school year remotely, is offering low-cost child care for its teachers. Some districts that are having most students only go to in-person classes a couple days a week are offering full-time child care for kids who need it, including teachers children.

Q: What will be done about the classrooms that have no windows? The floor I teach on has 20 classrooms and not a single window. There are 4 emergency exists, that is it.

A: Studies so far suggest that fresh, outside air is important to limiting the spread of coronavirus; in fact, there is some evidence that air conditioning systems can actually move the virus around farther than it could get on its own from simple talking. School buildings have such a wide array of different HVAC systems that it is difficult to make any one suggestion, but the American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers does have guidance for different types of school buildings. In general, for rooms that cannot increase their ventilation using outside air, keeping doors open and reducing the number of people in the room also increases the effective ventilation in the room (another good reason for social distancing). It is also important for districts to consider ventilation when cleaning and sanitizing rooms to reduce coronavirus spread, to avoid aggravating respiratory problems such as asthma. The Environmental Protection Agency has more information on how to approach ventilation in response to COVID-19. Read more about school building air quality and more on classroom crowding and the virus .

Illness and death

Q: What will the governors and superintendents who are so hot to open schools right away do when kids and teachers start dying? The districts near me HAVE NO PLAN.

A: Teachers across the country are frustrated with the many unanswered questions surrounding school building reopenings, including how districts will ensure the safety of students and staff. Many states have given districts leeway to move to a more restrictive learning model during the semester if coronavirus cases increase in their area and conditions become more dangerous. Read more about teachers concerns here , and see states reopening guidance to districts here .

Q: Im terrified that Im going to get COVID-19. Im 61: cant afford to retire, and Ill have 15-19 high school students in my small room where they cant socially distance.

A: Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, has recommended that teachers wear masks and eye protectiongoggles or a face shieldwhile teaching to protect themselves. He also said teachers should wash their hands frequently or use hand sanitizer if they dont have easy access to a sink and consider wearing clothes they can dispose of or wash immediately after work before going home. If a teacher has an underlying health issue that puts them at high-risk for serious illness due to COVID-19, she might be entitled to a reasonable accommodation from her school district under the Americans with Disabilities Act. Some districts are letting high-risk teachers work remotely to teach the students who choose not to return to school. Read more here .

Q: I have so many questions and concerns but mainly whats going to happen if a teacher gets sick?

A: This has been a big question weighing on the minds of teachers as the start of the school year approaches. The Families First Coronavirus Response Act guarantees up to 80 hours of paid sick leave through Dec. 31 if an employee is unable to work because they are quarantining or experiencing COVID-19 symptoms. If a teacher needs more sick leave after exhausting that benefit, it will be up to the district whether teachers will need to use their own sick days. District officials will also have to decide if they will temporarily shut down the entire school or just send home the students in the affected class if a teacher tests positive for COVID-19. Read more about teachers unanswered questions here .

Costs of operating during a pandemic

Q: How are we ensuring that districts are funding the costs of protecting students and that individual teachers are not? They already buy too many supplies.

A: In many states, there is no assurance that districts will cover all costs associated with protecting students and staff from a coronavirus outbreak. States crafted very specific guidance that details all the items districts should purchase to keep student crowding low and school buildings sanitized. But many states did not take the extra step to mandate those requirements. Administrators that run districts that were already fiscally strapped say it will be difficult to purchase all the PPE that health departments say is necessary . Many states in recent weeks have said they will purchase face masks for districts.

Q: Where will funding come from for the extra supplies necessary to ensure student and staff safety? Schools need to reopen, but are states ready to help fund what will be needed as we move forward with the necessary precautions?

A: Many districts will have to pull money from their savings accounts in order to pay for the extraordinary costs associated with the coronavirus pandemic. In some states, including Alaska, Illinois, and Texas, states emergency management departments have promised districts to supply schools with face masks. Congress is also debating a bill that would, at least in part, assist schools with reopening costs. The federal government, under the CARES Act, provided districts that serve low-income students with more money to deal with extraordinary costs associated with the pandemic, but much of that money was used to fill states budget deficits. Read more here on how much districts may be spending on virus-related equipment and safety measures.

Q: Why are schools not providing hazard pay? I understand my profession is requiring me to take a risk. However, I dont understand why my 10 days of sick pay is all I get even with COVID-19.

A: Pay scales during the pandemic have been renegotiated in several districts since working conditions have changed so drastically. Because districts are bracing for severe budget cuts next year, they might be spending more conservatively this year than they were in years past, especially to avoid layoffs of teachers.

The changing roles of teachers, administrators, and staff

Q: Not to sound selfish, but how does my role as principal change in regards to cohorts and being with the kiddos? I can keep my kids as safe as possible, but it changes the educational dynamic of my school.

A: Recommendations, including from the CDC, on how to operate a socially distanced school day make clear that, as much as possible, movement and intermixing of different groups of students and staff should be restricted. That means, for the sake of health and safety, principals should probably avoid moving as freely among classrooms as they do during a typical school year. If they do enter classrooms to observe instruction, they should be fully masked and remain at a physical distance from the teacher and students. Principals who like to greet students upon arrival should be fully masked and physically distanced. As for professional development sessions, principals should take extra caution about scheduling in-person trainings for the adults in the buildings. Two cases in point: A group of California principals who met in person over the summer for fall planning were exposed to COVID-19 and in Georgias largest school district, where in-person planning had begun, more than 250 employees were excluded from work due to a positive case or contact with a case. Virtual PD sessions remain the safest option.

Schools readiness for shifting plans

Q: Are districts planning to do a hybrid model going to phase it in over time, based on monitoring COVID-19 stats, necessary technology implementation, and teachers being ready to support new health protocols and new instructional pedagogy? Or will districts just go for it?

A: Theres no uniform approach that districts are taking to reopening, even if they are following a hybrid model. Some are starting in remote mode, with plans to begin partial in-person instruction later if COVID-19 infection rates are deemed low enough to be safe for some live attendance. Others are starting in-person instruction on Day One for a priority group of students, such as kindergarten through 5th grades. Education Week is compiling a working list of hundreds of school districts reopening plans.

Q: Here in NYC, Im concerned that schools will plan for one thing ...then someone will get sick in a school, and parents and/or teachers will insist on moving to remote, and the system is not prepared for Plan B. and dont have a Plan C. Teachers, parents, and kids need consistency.

A: Educators learned many lessons from abruptly pivoting to remote learning this spring, and are already preparing to avoid some of those pitfalls by improving students at-home connectivity and training teachers for online instruction . Teachers should prioritize using the early weeks of in-person instructional time this school year to get students comfortable using online platforms theyll need if they go back to learning remotely. Principals and technology leaders can do their part by troubleshooting device issues and creating detailed plans for remote learning so disruption to students is minimal if buildings must close.
"It is our hope that some of the typical back-to-school expenses will be offset through this giveaway, as well as giving students the needed tools to help them succeed in the 2020-2021 school year." Kevin Rowe, Esq.

Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is pleased to announce that their law firm is partnering with United Food Bank to host a FREE backpack giveaway on Friday, August 7, 2020 at Mesa Convention Center (263 N. Center Street, Mesa, AZ 85201) from 7:00 a.m. through 12:00 p.m. Lerner and Rowe is donating 750 backpacks stuffed with school supplies to be handed out by United Food Bank while supplies last. Limitations do apply. Only one (1) backpack per student who is 18 years old or younger. Students must also be present. The Phoenix law firm decided to host the backpack giveaway to help students prepare for the 2020-2021 school year.

The drive-thru will be clearly marked with United Food Bank staff providing further direction to assist with the flow of traffic. Families are asked not to exit their vehicle when it comes time to accept a backpack. Staff will place backpacks in vehicle trunks, truck beds, or side van doors.

For 2020, our team continues to actively reinvent the ways we give back and support local communities. We know how much the COVID-19 pandemic has financially affected the lives of many families. As such, we are not cancelling our annual Phoenix backpack giveaway, but instead are excited to partner with United Food Bank to host a drive-thru event. It is our hope that some of the typical back-to-school expenses will be offset through this giveaway, as well as giving students the needed tools to help them succeed in the 2020-2021 school year, said attorney Kevin Rowe.

For more information about the Phoenix Backpack Giveaway, please contact Cindy Ernst or Christa Luirette with Lerner and Rowe at (602) 977-1900.

More About United Food Bank

United Food Bank is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that has been providing hunger relief to people in need in the East Valley and eastern Arizona for more than 35 years. We collect, acquire, store, and distribute food and related commodities to more than 220 partner agencies that serve more than 228,000 people in need across more than 19,500 square miles. In 2019, United Food Bank distributed almost 24 million pounds of food providing nearly 19.5 million meals to our neighbors in need. In response to the economic impact of COVID 19, the food bank projects it will distribute nearly 25 million pounds of food (30 million meals) this year. Visit them at UnitedFoodBank.org and connect on Twitter @unitedfoodbank.

More About Lerner and Rowe

Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys is a powerhouse law firm in representing personal injury clients. Attorneys Glen Lerner and Kevin Rowe have grown their law firm into one of the largest personal injury firms in the country, with over 50 attorneys and nearly 400 support employees located in Arizona, Indiana, Illinois, Nevada, California, Washington, Oregon, New Mexico, and Tennessee. The law firms continuous exalted levels of success can be attributed to the high levels of respect and dignity shown to victims and family members hurt in an accident.

For those injured outside one of the previously listed states, Lerner and Rowe has an established network of attorneys across the country, ready to help. The firm takes pride in nourishing these relationships as they know a personal injury attorney can make all the difference in obtaining fair compensation for the pain and suffering inflicted upon the victims of tortious conduct.

For more information about Lerner and Rowe Injury Attorneys in Phoenix, please call 602-977-1900. To connect with the law firm socially, follow Lerner and Rowe on Twitter and Instagram, or become a fan of its Facebook page. Also, be sure to visit lernerandrowegivesback.com to learn more about the many other community services that the lawyers and legal support team of Lerner and Rowe actively support.

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Actress Sara Ali Khan often creates buzz with her gorgeous pictures and videos on social media. Recently, Sara caught her followers attention after sharing photos of herself enjoying rain in a pool on her unicorn float.

Clad in a neon bikini, the actress in one of the photos is seen hugging the unicorn float. Sharing the images on Instagram, she wrote, The calm before the storm. Nothing will ruin Sara or Unis form. Weather will change, rain will transform. We will embrace it, be ourselves and not conform.

On the occasion of Rakhi on Monday, Sara shared a video showing the actress and her brother Ibrahim Ali Khan having fun in a pool. In the clip, Ibrahim can be seen upturning the unicorn float on which Saras sitting. The caption of the video reads, When he says hes always got my back...he doesnt mean it. Happy Rakhi to all #brothersandsisters.

A few days back, the actress set the internet ablaze with her pictures wherein she can be seen performing yoga in a red track suit.

Posting the picture, she wrote, "Happy Sunday. #sundayfunday #sunnyday #sunnysunday. If only peace, serenity and green truly made you wiser... but at least I got the day right this time..."

Sara will be next seen in David Dhawans Coolie No. 1 in which she shares screen space with Varun Dhawan. The movie was scheduled to release on May 1, but got deferred in light of the COVID-19 situation.

She has also signed Aanand L Rais Atrangi Re wherein she will be seen alongside Akshay Kumar and Dhanush.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will reach Ayodhya on Wednesday for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple. He will spend three hours in the city during which he will also visit the Hanuman Garhi temple or Lord Hanuman.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra has invited 175 guests for the foundation stone-laying ceremony. These include 135 seers belonging to as many spiritual traditions.

Here is the full schedule of PM Modi in Ayodhya:

Departure from New Delhi at 9:35 am

Landing at Lucknow airport at 10:35 am

Leaving the airport for Ayodhya in helicopter at 10:40 am

Landing at helipad in Saket Colony in Ayodhya at 11:30 am

Darshan at Hanuman Garhi at 11:40 am

Reaching Ramjanmabhoomi at 12 noon

10 minutes for darsha of Ram Lalla (infant Lord Ram)

Tree plantation programme in the premises of the promised temple at 12:15 pm

Bhoomi Poojan begins at 12:30 pm

Foundation stone laying ceremony at 12:40 pm

Meeting Swami Nrityagopal Das and other members of the Ram Janmabhoomi trust at 1:10 pm

PM Modi will leave for Saket helipad at 2:05 pm

Departure for Lucknow at 2:20 pm

The invitation list for the ceremony has been prepared only after discussions with BJP veterans L K Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, lawyer K Parasaran and other dignitaries, the trusts general secretary, Champat Rai, said on Monday.

Sadhus from Tamil Nadu have brought two bricks made of gold and silver, with Shri Ram in Tamil etched on them, which will be donated to Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.

The gold brick weighs 5 kg and the silver one weighs 20 kg.
A notable characteristic of several neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, is the formation of harmful plaques that contain aggregates--also known as fibrils--of amyloid proteins. Unfortunately, even after decades of research, getting rid of these plaques has remained a herculean challenge. Thus, the treatment options available to patients with these disorders are limited and not very effective.

In recent years, instead of going down the chemical route using drugs, some scientists have turned to alternative approaches, such as ultrasound, to destroy amyloid fibrils and halt the progression of Alzheimer's disease. Now, a research team led by Dr Takayasu Kawasaki (IR-FEL Research Center, Tokyo University of Science, Japan) and Dr Phuong H. Nguyen (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, France), including other researchers from the Aichi Synchrotron Radiation Center and the Synchrotron Radiation Research Center, Nagoya University, Japan, has used novel methods to show how infrared-laser irradiation can destroy amyloid fibrils.

In their study, published in Journal of Physical Chemistry B, the scientists present the results of laser experiments and molecular dynamics simulations. This two-pronged attack on the problem was necessary because of the inherent limitations of each approach, as Dr Kawasaki explains, "While laser experiments coupled with various microscopy methods can provide information about the morphology and structural evolution of amyloid fibrils after laser irradiation, these experiments have limited spatial and temporal resolutions, thus preventing a full understanding of the underlying molecular mechanisms. On the other hand, though this information can be obtained from molecular simulations, the laser intensity and irradiation time used in simulations are very different from those used in actual experiments. It is therefore important to determine whether the process of laser-induced fibril dissociation obtained through experiments and simulations is similar."

The scientists used a portion of a yeast protein that is known to form amyloid fibrils on its own. In their laser experiments, they tuned the frequency of an infrared laser beam to that of the "amide I band" of the fibril, creating resonance. Scanning electron microscopy images confirmed that the amyloid fibrils disassembled upon laser irradiation at the resonance frequency, and a combination of spectroscopy techniques revealed details about the final structure after fibril dissociation.

For the simulations, the researchers employed a technique that a few members of the current team had previously developed, called "nonequilibrium molecular dynamics (NEMD) simulations." Its results corroborated those of the experiment and additionally clarified the entire amyloid dissociation process down to very specific details. Through the simulations, the scientists observed that the process begins at the core of the fibril where the resonance breaks intermolecular hydrogen bonds and thus separates the proteins in the aggregate. The disruption to this structure then spreads outward to the extremities of the fibril.

Together, the experiment and simulation make a good case for a novel treatment possibility for neurodegenerative disorders. Dr Kawasaki remarks, "In view of the inability of existing drugs to slow or reverse the cognitive impairment in Alzheimer's disease, developing non-pharmaceutical approaches is very desirable. The ability to use infrared lasers to dissociate amyloid fibrils opens up a promising approach."

The team's long-term goal is to establish a framework combining laser experiments with NEMD simulations to study the process of fibril dissociation in even more detail, and new works are already underway. All these efforts will hopefully light a beacon of hope for those dealing with Alzheimer's or other neurodegenerative diseases.

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About the Tokyo University of Science

Tokyo University of Science (TUS) is a well-known and respected university, and the largest science-specialized private research university in Japan, with four campuses in central Tokyo and its suburbs and in Hokkaido. Established in 1881, the university has continually contributed to Japan's development in science through inculcating the love for science in researchers, technicians, and educators. With a mission of "Creating science and technology for the harmonious development of nature, human beings, and society", TUS has undertaken a wide range of research from basic to applied science. TUS has embraced a multidisciplinary approach to research and undertaken intensive study in some of today's most vital fields. TUS is a meritocracy where the best in science is recognized and nurtured. It is the only private university in Japan that has produced a Nobel Prize winner and the only private university in Asia to produce Nobel Prize winners within the natural sciences field.

Website: https://www.tus.ac.jp/en/mediarelations/

About Dr Takayasu Kawasaki from Tokyo University of Science

Takayasu Kawasaki graduated from the Department of Chemistry of the Faculty of Science and Technology at Keio University, Japan in 1992 and obtained a PhD degree from the Graduate School of Science and Engineering at Keio University in 1997. He joined the Tokyo University of Science in 2011 and now works at the Infrared Free-Electron Laser Research Center. He has published over 25 papers while at TUS. His research interests revolve around the use of free-electron lasers and infrared radiation in novel chemistry, biochemistry, and medical applications, ranging from eco-friendly biofuels to the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases.

Funding Information

This research was supported by the Department of Science and Technology at Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam (Grant 13/2020/H-QPTKHCN), the Initiative d'Excellence program from the French State (Grant DYNAMO, ANR-11-LABX-0011-01, and CACSICE, ANR-11-EQPX-0008), and the National Institutes of Health (R01-GM079383, R21-GM097617, and P30-DA035778). The authors are grateful to the Photon Beam Platform Project of the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan. This research was also partly supported by the Private University Research Branding Project organized by MEXT for the Water Frontier Science & Technology Research Center of Tokyo University of Science.
Federal authorities have scheduled an execution date for a former Killeen gang member who was sentenced to death 20 years ago in the carjacking, abduction and murder of two church youth ministers from Iowa.

Christopher Andre Vialva, now 40, was sentenced to death after his 2000 trial in Wacos U.S. District Court. His execution is set for Sept. 24 in the murders of Todd and Stacie Bagley in 1999.

Trial testimony showed the Bagleys, visiting the Killeen area from Ottumwa, Iowa, were using a pay phone at a store when Vialva and several accomplices approached them and ask for a ride. Vialva pulled a gun and forced the Bagleys into the trunk of their car, then drove around for hours while trying to use their ATM cards and attempting to pawn Stacie Bagleys wedding ring.

Brandon Bernard, 39, one of Vialvas five co-defendants, also was sentenced to death in the double murders. His execution date has not been set.
Facebook has branded a legal order to globally block a number of Brazilian accounts linked to the spread of political disinformation targeting the country's 2018 election as "extreme," claiming it poses a threat to freedom of expression outside the country.

The tech giant is simultaneously complying with the block order -- beginning Saturday after it was fined by a Supreme Court judge for non-compliance -- citing the risk of criminal liability for a local employee were it not to do so.

However it is appealing to the Supreme Court to try to overturn the order.

A spokesperson for the tech giant sent us this statement on the matter:

Facebook complied with the order of blocking these accounts in Brazil by restricting the ability for the target Pages and Profiles to be seen from IP locations in Brazil. People from IP locations in Brazil were not capable of seeing these Pages and Profiles even if the targets had changed their IP location. This new legal order is extreme, posing a threat to freedom of expression outside of Brazils jurisdiction and conflicting with laws and jurisdictions worldwide. Given the threat of criminal liability to a local employee, at this point we see no other alternative than complying with the decision by blocking the accounts globally, while we appeal to the Supreme Court.

On Friday a judge ordered Facebook to pay a 1.92 million reais (~$367,000) fine for non compliance, per Reuters, which says the company had been facing further daily fines of 100,000 reais (~$19,000) had it not applied a global block.

Before the fine was announced Facebook had said it would appeal the global block order, adding that while it respects the laws of countries where it operates "Brazilian law recognizes the limits of its jurisdiction."

Reuters reports that the accounts in question were controlled by supporters of the Brazilian president, Jair Bolsonaro, and had been implicated in the spread of political disinformation during the country's 2018 election with the aim of boosting support for the right wing populist.

Story continues

Last month the news agency reported Facebook had suspended a network of social media accounts used to spread divisive political messages online, which the company had linked to employees of Bolsonaro and two of his sons.

In a blog post at the time, Facebook's head of security policy, Nathaniel Gleicher, wrote: "Although the people behind this activity attempted to conceal their identities and coordination, our investigation found links to individuals associated with the Social Liberal Party and some of the employees of the offices of Anderson Moraes, Alana Passos, Eduardo Bolsonaro, Flavio Bolsonaro and Jair Bolsonaro."

In all, Facebook said it removed 33 Facebook accounts, 14 Pages, 1 Group and 37 Instagram accounts that it identified as involved in the "coordinated inauthentic behavior."

It also disclosed that around 883,000 accounts followed one or more of the offending Pages, the Group had around 350 accounts signed up, and 918,000 people followed one or more of the Instagram accounts.

The political disops effort had spent around $1,500 on Facebook ads, paid for in Brazilian reais, per its account of the investigation.

Facebook said it had identified a network of "clusters" of "connected activity," with those involved using duplicate and fake accounts to "evade enforcement, create fictitious personas posing as reporters, post content and manage Pages masquerading as news outlets."

An example of removed content that was being spread by the disops network identified by Facebook (Image credit: Facebook)

The network posted about "local news and events, including domestic politics and elections, political memes, criticism of the political opposition, media organizations and journalists," and, more recently, about the coronavirus pandemic, it added.

In May a judge in Brazil had ordered Facebook to a block a number of accounts belonging to Bolsonaro supporters who had been implicated in the election meddling. But Facebook only applied the block in Brazil -- hence the court order for a global block.

While the tech giant was willing to remove access to the inauthentic content locally, after it had identified a laundry list of policy contraventions, it's taking a "speech" stance over purging the fake content and associated accounts internationally -- arguing such an order risks overreach that could damage freedom of expression online.

The unstated implication is authoritarian states or less progressive regimes could seek to use similar orders to force platforms to apply national laws which prohibit content that's legal and freely available elsewhere to force it to be taken down in another jurisdiction.

That said, it's not entirely clear in this specific case why Facebook would not simply bring down its own banhammer on accounts that it has found to have so flagrantly violated its own policies on coordinated authentic behavior. But the company has at times treated political "speech" as somehow exempt from its usual content standards -- leading to operating policies that tie themselves in contradictory knots.

Its blog post further notes that some of the content posted by the Brazilian election interference operation had previously been taken down for violating its Community Standards, including hate speech.

Update: In follow-up comments after we queried the decision not to remove the content, Facebook told us that the particular accounts subject to the judicial order did not post content that it deemed had violated its community standards -- but had rather posted content deemed to be defamatory in Brazil.

In such cases it says it applies local geoblocking as policy, subject to human rights due diligence and legal review.

The company also said that the decision by Brazil's Supreme Court is unlike any other it's had applied to its business elsewhere, adding that it does not believe it's reasonable a court order in Brazil apply elsewhere or vice versa.

The case doesn't just affect Facebook. In May, Twitter was also ordered to block a number of accounts linked to the probe into political disops. It's not clear what action Twitter is taking.

We've reached out to the company for comment.

Update II: Discussing the case with TechCrunch, Mireille Hildebrandt, a professor at the research group for Law, Science, Technology and Society at Vrije Universiteit Brussels in Belgium, told us: "The judgement is hugely important because Facebook is required to block accounts globally, based on their violating Brazilian laws against hate speech. Usually courts will shrink back from ordering global blocking as this may infringe upon the sovereignty of other states that may have other laws that should not be overruled by enforcement of Brazilian law.

"The point here was that it would be too easy for the perpetrators to bypass the order by means of accounts outside of Brazil. The Court of Justice of the EU recently decided that the right to be forgotten (GDPR) does not necessarily require delisting of relevant content at the global level, precisely because this would imply extraterritorial jurisdiction."

Hildebrandt went on to emphasize the importance of such rulings being "situated in their context".

"Hate speech in a political context is often automated by way of bots and may have major impact on public interests such as democratic debate, reliability of information in the public sphere etc., whereas delisting of information about an individual person has entirely different consequences," she added.

She also noted that the judge who issued the order, Alexandre de Moraes -- who has been investigating whether Bolsonaro's allies have been running a social network aimed at spreading threats and fake content targeted at Supreme Court justices -- has taken some controversial decisions before.

As Time reported earlier this month, Moraes' probe is also "one of the main points of confrontation between Bolsonaro and the Supreme Court", with the president filed a lawsuit last month demanding that the Facebook accounts be unblocked.
FORT WORTH, TEXAS - People looking for online legal advice now have a better and quicker way of getting their questions answered. LiveLawyers.org is a new website that connects people with a local lawyer for a free 15-minute phone consultation. LiveLawyers combines old and new technology to offer a solution to a common problem: getting good legal advice without leaving your home or office. Upon visiting LiveLawyers.org, users enter their information 
Not so long ago the energy transition was primarily an idealistic concept driven by environmentalists and researchers. The most important impediment was the high costs of clean technologies. The drastically reduced price of PVs, for example, has ensured global attention for the solar industry. A similar situation could enfold concerning emissions-free hydrogen production as China and the EU are getting ready to dominate the market.

Germanys trauma The solar industry in Europes biggest economy, Germany, experienced a spectacular boom in the mid-2000s. Renewables were high on Berlins agenda who supported businesses with generous subsidies. The success of these policies resulted in the strong presence of German companies on the global stage when a fifth of all photovoltaic cells was produced in the European country.

The situation changed, however, when China's formidable industrial complex adopted Beijing's strategy concerning the establishment of a domestic PV-sector. Since the mid-2000s, the Asian country has seen a remarkable rise. Several factors underpinned Beijing's success: public support, a large domestic market, and a major industrial complex. The EU and Germany have learned from their mistakes and from Chinas success, which is being emulated towards the hydrogen economy.

The EUs strategy

Despite the Covid-19 crisis, Europe has seen a flurry of public sector announcements concerning the kick-starting of a hydrogen-based economy both from national and supranational institutions. The guiding principle is Europe's current technological prowess and the realization that their dominant position could easily be hijacked again if the necessary policies are not enacted on time.

Germany's government has ensured a prominent spot for its future hydrogen economy in the economic stimulus packages intended to mitigate the financial fallout of the current health crisis. At least 9 billion will go towards stimulating the development of hydrogen-related technologies. Also, as Germany took over the six-month EU Council Presidency on July 1, Economy Minister Peter Altmaier devoted a significant portion of his speech to green hydrogen.

Related: The Sky Is The Limit For Clean Energy Subsidies In Europe



Furthermore, the EUs Green Deal is partly dedicated to kickstarting a continental zero-emissions economy. The strategy contains a three-step plan that starts with the implementation of green hydrogen production and consumption in industries such as steel, chemicals, and refineries by 2024. In the second phase, facilities will be connected to create 'hydrogen valleys' by 2030. In the last phase, the hotspot will be joined and a large European hydrogen infrastructure created.

The EU hopes to produce 1 million tonnes from 6 GW of electrolysis capacity by 2024. By 2030, this should have grown towards 10 million tonnes from 40 GW capacity. Germany alone would contribute 5 GW by 2030. Other countries, such as the Netherlands, also intend to contribute and profit from the new hydrogen economy. The Dutch are uniquely positioned with access to the North Sea for the installment of wind turbines and an existing gas network that could be reused for export purposes.

China in the rearview mirror

The EUs strong support for the hydrogen industry is a welcome change from the past. Currently, European companies such as Siemens and Thyssenkrupp deliver a considerable number of electrolysers. Chinese companies, however, are not far behind.

Although the EU is still leading the industry in terms of knowledge and production capacity, it cannot afford to let up. For starters, the Chinese have proven that they can implement industrial policies with ruthless efficiency and dominate the market. A clear disadvantage is that Beijing has not yet set a clear goal for an emissions-free society by 2050 as the EU has.

According to a report by Cleantech Group, Chinas electric vehicle strategy could be used as a warning sign to competitors. Two decades ago vehicle electrification became an industrial goal and national priority. Currently, Chinese companies lead in sales and production capacity.

While the EU is warned to implement the right policies this time, the increasing competition is good news for consumers and the environment in general. The current attention for hydrogen remains a hype that needs to be translated into actual results. The situation is highly promising as public support remains strong and the installment of wind and solar power is gathering pace, which is a precondition for green hydrogen production.

By Vanand Meliksetian for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
NEW YORK  At least one hotly contested New York primary election is still up in the air thanks to a federal court ruling this week that readmitted thousands of mail-in ballots thrown out because of missing postmarks.

The Monday night ruling from Manhattan Federal Court Judge Analisa Torres mandated that any ballots cast in the June 23 primaries that were invalidated because of missing postmarks must be counted as long as they were received by June 25. Torres also ruled she will consider requests for the readmission of mail-in ballots without postmarks received between June 26 and June 30 if candidates can show that they could have an impact on the outcome of any given race.

That gives an electoral shot in the arm for Suraj Patel, a progressive insurgent who has refused to concede his primary battle against 14-term Rep. Carolyn Maloney, D-N.Y., whose 14th Congressional District spans parts of Manhattan, Brooklyn and Queens.

But, late Tuesday, the State Board of Elections commissioners announced theyre appealing the Torres decision.

Given the totality of the circumstances here, we understand the desire to protect the rights of voters, said commissioner and co-chair Douglas Kellner. However, this will place a tremendous burden on the local boards of elections as they are preparing for the November general election and is highly unlikely to change the results in any contest.

Patel, a plaintiff in the lawsuit that produced Torres ruling, is trailing Maloney by about 3,700 votes in an unofficial count.

If the Torres ruling stands, upward of 1,200 mail-in ballots that were tossed in Patels race will be readmitted since they were received by June 25 and only lacked postmarks.

Speaking to the Daily News on Tuesday, Patel said he first wants those freshly readmitted votes counted before he considers asking the judge to review even more invalidated ballots. In total, some 12,500 ballots were thrown out in the race.

Were going to stay in the fight, he said. First, lets count these ballots, and then we have to still explore why thousands of other ballots are not being counted.

Story continues

Maloney, who has declared victory despite the outstanding ballots, accused Patel of giving President Trump ammunition for his unfounded allegations about Democratic voter fraud in Novembers election.

It is regrettable that my former opponent has become President Trumps mouthpiece in disparaging mail voting by making unsupported claims of many thousands of ballots being invalidated when the true facts show a smaller number that had no effect on the results, Maloney said in a statement.

In a Zoom call earlier in the day, Remy Green, a civil rights attorney who represented Patel and other plaintiffs on the lawsuit, suggested there may be other primary races in New York that could be flipped because of the Torres ruling.

Were aware of a couple of cases where there is a chance, Green said.

Green didnt want to name any particular races that could still be in play besides the Maloney-Patel contest. Instead, Green put out a plea on Twitter for concerned candidates to GET IN TOUCH ASAP.

Another election that could be up for grabs as a result of the Torres ruling is the race for State Assemblyman Steve Otis Westchester County seat. Otis won by less than 100 votes against challenger Meg Cameron in an election where more than 10,000 ballots were cast.

Cameron did not immediately return a request for comment.

According to Torres order, nearly one-in-10 mail-in ballots in New Yorks problem-plagued June 23 primaries were thrown out.

The judge blamed systemic failures at the state Board of Elections and the U.S. Postal Service for the unusually high invalidation rate. USPS, in particular, was called out by Torres for failing to postmark ballots despite a state requirement that it do so.

In an afternoon meeting, the city Board of Elections moved to certify all the results from the June primary, but also instructed staff in each borough to prepare to count any ballots that qualify under the ruling.

Respectful of the courts decision, issued last night, our borough staff will proceed to prepare our operations to canvass any additional ballots while we await the state Board of Elections guidance as directed in the court order, commissioner Patricia Anne Taylor said.

With the coronavirus pandemic still raging, millions of voters across the country are expected to vote by mail in Novembers presidential election.

Without evidence, Trump has suggested such widespread access to mail-in voting will result in the election being rigged for Joe Biden. On Monday, he pointed at the Patel-Maloney debacle as evidence for his uncorroborated fears, calling the New York primary a mess.

In a Tuesday briefing from City Hall, Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested its crucial that New York election officials get their act together ahead of November so that Trump cant use logistical hiccups as fodder for his misinformation.

The BOE can do better and must do better, the mayor said.



(The New York Daily News Stephen Rex Brown contributed.)



2020 New York Daily News

Visit New York Daily News at www.nydailynews.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Ongoing negotiations between Microsoft and Beijing-based software company ByteDance over the possible acquisition of the Chinese-owned video platform TikTok have highlighted security and privacy concerns among Chinese internet users, while sparking a rare public call to open up the Great Firewall.



TikTok could become totally independent from ByteDance, leaving it free to continue operating overseas amid growing security concerns, especially in the U.S., Hong Kong's English-language South China Morning Post cited sources close to the negotiations as saying.



But ByteDance is reportedly reluctant to go along, the paper said.



U.S. President Donald Trump will take action "in the coming days" against TikTok, as it poses a national security risk, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Aug. 3, accusing the platform of "feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party."



Meanwhile, the Global Times, which has close ties to the official paper of the ruling Chinese Communist Party, the People's Daily, hit out at the threat, saying it had turned the negotiation into a "fire sale."



Some in China's growing high-tech sector have called for TikTok to bring the case to the New York-based United States Court of International Trade on intellectual property grounds, it said.



TikTok, which is widely known in China as the international arm of video platform Douyin, would keep its name and branding under the spinoff plan, the South China Morning Post reported.



Regular users of Douyin and Alibaba's online selling platform Taobao told RFA that those platforms are already a privacy and security risk for their users.



One user, who gave only her surname Yang, said she had recently received a number of notifications of products after she mentioned them in face-to-face conversations with friends, suggesting that the Taobao app was listening to her through her phone's microphone.



"It's Douyin and also Taobao," Yang said. "If I talk about something with my colleagues, it will really push related things at me.I think it may be an eavesdropping function."



Jin Chun, a former big data engineer at Huawei's Southern Research Institute, believes that Taobao and other apps are quite likely to be monitoring users' data in such ways.



"Big data will usually monitor your clipboard, or some of the more important calls," Jin said. "Taobao will have all of her private information. This definitely happens, on WeChat, too."



"Any app approved by the Chinese Communist Party can be instructed by it to engage in surveillance and spying activities to collect information of all kinds," he said. "I have no doubt about that."



Requests to ByteDance for comment were received but not responded to by the time of writing. Taobao didn't respond to requests for comment.



The dispute briefly sparked calls for China to respond by loosening its complex system of blocks, filters and human censorship that make up its Great Firewall, and effectively seal off Chinese internet users in a bubble of content approved by their government.



'Diplomatic warfare'



James Liang, founder of the online travel agency Ctrip, said in an article on Sina.com that the U.S. is using "diplomatic warfare" to persuade its allies to block Chinese technology companies, citing the barring of Huawei from 5G bidding processes in several countries.



"If we simply adopt a tit-for-tat strategy and implement the same xenophobic barriers, we will leave matters in the hands of the U.S.," Liang wrote, in an article that was later deleted from the Chinese internet.



"Our countermeasures should be to open up further," Liang wrote, according to a cached copy of the deleted article available on Tuesday. "The United States wants to block WeChat and TikTok, so we can do the opposite."



Liang proposed opening up China's internet to overseas players like Google, which left China amid a censorship row in 2020.



"Suppose we open up to Google and other international mainstream internet companies, and the United States blocks WeChat and Tiktok," he wrote, adding that such a move would make life easier for Chinese researchers and innovators to communicate with their overseas counterparts.



"Our cultural and creative workers need to keep up with trends and fashions in global culture in order to create cultural products that global consumers like," he wrote, flying in the face of general secretary Xi Jinping's insistence that China block foreign cultural products and produce more content approved by the Communist Party.



Liang said opening up China's internet would also attract more overseas talent to live and work in China, citing the inconvenience of censorship to expats and their families, while enabling overseas Chinese to promote Chinese products and companies on overseas platforms.



He said such a move would quickly undermine U.S. criticisms of China's protectionism and lack of freedom and human rights protection, and strike a huge blow to the U.S.' image internationally and win Beijing more allies.



Reported by Han Jie for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Wong Siu-san and Sing Man for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

By Ilkin Seyfaddini - Trend:

Over 20,000 tons of red beans were exported from Surkhandarya region of Uzbekistan in the first half of 2020, Trend reported citing UzDaily News Agency.

In total, Uzbekistan exported red beans in the amount of $29.4 million. The main buyers are Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Out of this volume, since the beginning of the pandemic, that is, from March 2020 to date, 14,100 tons of red beans have been exported to Afghanistan and Pakistan for a total of $24.2 million.

In addition, $9.4 million worth of machines and $2.2 million worth of peas were exported from Surkhandarya region to Afghanistan and Pakistan in the first half of 2020.

At present, the customs posts of the region also carry out uninterrupted export of legumes.

In 1H2020, Uzbekistan exported $427.2 million worth of fruits and vegetables. Compared to the same period of 2019, the Uzbekistans export of vegetables decreased by 34 percent.

During mentioned period, Uzbekistan shipped 39,800 tons of vegetables worth $24.2 million to Afghanistan.

---

Follow author on Twitter: @seyfaddini
Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Tuesday made a case for immediate review of the India-ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement and said it would help realise the true bilateral trade potential between India and the 10-member nation bloc of Southeast Asian countries. "The review of the India-ASEAN Trade in Goods Agreement is pending. "An immediate review of the agreement and the effective utilisation of the ASEAN-India Free Trade Agreement will contribute to the realisation of our 2020 trade target of $200 billion set by both parties," the Minister of State for Commerce ...

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NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bureau Veritas, announced today a collaboration with the City of Plano, Texas to deploy the SafeGuard Hygiene Excellence and Safety Label, designed to support the operational restart activities of government facilities and services, educational institutions, recreation centers, office buildings and more. The SafeGuard Hygiene Excellence Program ensures businesses comply with safety and hygiene best practices, and the implementation of protocols are audited by a trusted third party, Bureau Veritas.

Bureau Veritas will inspect, audit and certify ten of the City of Plano's facilities including, Jack Carter Pool, the Police Department Headquarters, the Municipal Center, and Haggard Library. Plano, Texas is the first municipality in the United States to deploy the Hygiene Excellence and Safety Program by Bureau Veritas and the first city to earn the prestigious SafeGuard Label at three of the ten locations, with additional locations pending audits and certification.

Natalia Shuman, Executive Vice President and CEO Bureau Veritas North America, commented:

"We would like to congratulate the City of Plano, Texas for leading the way as the first municipality to earn Bureau Veritas' SafeGuard Label in the United States. We are proud that they entrust us with the well-being of their employees, citizens and community. The City of Plano is truly a City of Excellencesetting the benchmark for safety and hygiene excellence for all government functions across the United States. For almost 200 years, our mission has been to make the world a safer place through science-based testing and inspection, and we're bringing all of our expertise to The City of Plano during these historic times."

As an independent third-party partner to the City of Plano, Bureau Veritas will:

Work closely with the City's management team to prepare a detailed safety guidebook of best safety and hygiene practices to mitigate risk and prevent virus spread

Audit facilities to ensure hygiene protocols and operational requirements are implemented

Support the City of Plano with the voluntary application to earn Bureau Veritas' SafeGuard Hygiene Excellence Label across ten of its government and community facilities, which demonstrates that they are in compliance with the recommended guidelines and protocols

"Restart your Business with BV"

The SafeGuard Hygiene Excellence and Safety Label is a suite of services offered through Bureau Veritas' "Restart Your Business with BV" program. As an independent third-party partner, Bureau Veritas provides laboratory hygiene testing, hygiene and safety protocol audits, e-training programs, and continued monitoring of safety protocols to ensure businesses restart operations safely.

Cleveland Clinic serves as the Medical Advisor for Bureau Veritas' health, safety and sustainability programs including "Restart your Business with BV." Bringing the best of Cleveland Clinic, Bureau Veritas is able to leverage the strategic insight, advice and recommendations of the world's leading medical community to develop protocols, guidelines and standards that help businesses restart their operations safely and meet appropriate health, safety and hygiene requirements.

For more information on "Restart Your Business with BV", please contact

[email protected] and visit: https://www.bvna.com/magazine/restart-resource-center.

About Bureau Veritas

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Petrochemical major Henglis 5th PTA (purified terephthalic acid) line with 2.5 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) capacity, utilising Invistas industry leading P8 PTA technology, has successfully started up.

This was announced by Invistas technology and licensing group, Invista Performance Technologies (IPT), and Hengli Petrochemical (Dalian) Co, Ltd (Hengli).

Hengli also operates another 4 PTA lines on the same site on Changxing Island (Dalian), all of which utilise advantaged PTA technology licensed from Invista, with a total capacity of 11.6 mtpa. This makes Hengli the largest PTA producing site in the world.

With integrated facilities and advantaged variable cost performance, Henglis PTA product is very competitive in the marketplace. Adam Sackett, IPT vice president PTA, commented: I congratulate Hengli on achieving another important milestone this year. The successful start-up of Henglis 5th PTA line yet again highlights the quick ramp-up capability of PTA plants utilising our technology.

Fast project execution, trouble-free and stable operation at low variable cost, enables our licensees to achieve a good return on their PTA investment.

Invistas industry-leading PTA technology, including its latest version of P8 technology, is available as a licence package from IPT. -- Tradearabia News Service
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Fortunately for Mr. Glimcher, collectors are still buying paintings  or they were until the coronavirus struck. (Like other galleries, Pace has laid off a substantial contingent of workers, and the immense new headquarters it opened in Chelsea last September was closed for months and has only recently reopened by appointment only.)

But for broader audiences, and younger people in particular, art objects are no longer the draw they once were. This is part of a much bigger shift in favor of immersive experiences and against consumerism in general. For well over a decade, trend-watchers have noted a growing preference for experiences over things. And this is doubly true with the coronavirus, said B. Joseph Pine II, co-author with James H. Gilmore of The Experience Economy, a book that declared the crux of business today to no longer be goods or services but experiences. The pandemic, he added, makes us sit back and think, what makes us happy? What does life mean? Weve got enough stuff.

For Pace, the road to experiences ran through Silicon Valley, where Mr. Glimcher  whose father, Arne Glimcher, now 82, founded Pace 60 years ago and built it into a powerhouse  forged a dense web of connections. The most critical of these was the billionaire activist Laurene Powell Jobs, the widow and heir of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs, who joined Mr. Glimcher in funding the new venture through the Emerson Collective, her investment vehicle for social change. Another key figure was Mollie Dent-Brocklehurst, now a co-founder of Superblue, who set up Paces London outpost in 2010 and later headed Future/Pace, the gallerys first attempt to break into experiential art. This eventually led to an initiative called PaceX that was the immediate forerunner of Superblue.

Laurene told me, It isnt going to be called PaceX  sorry, Mr. Glimcher said. Were breaking all the rules, and weve got to come up with something new. All this rule-breaking put him in mind of the Blue Rider, the radical art movement that sprang up in Germany before World War I. One of his younger employees heard that and came back with Superblue.

I said, Thats the worst thing I ever heard, Mr. Glimcher recalled, but I couldnt get it out of my head. He mentioned it to his meditation teacher, Thom Knoles, a one-time protege of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, who introduced Transcendental Meditation to the Beatles in the 60s. According to Mr. Glimcher, Mr. Knoles told him that the word Krishna is Sanskrit for superblue  a liberal translation, apparently, but no matter. Superblue it would be.

And the artists? I loved, loved, loved the idea, said JR, reached by phone as he was returning from a shoot in the low-income suburbs of Paris. I started right away working and brainstorming. Ralph Nauta and Lonneke Gordijn of Studio Drift feel much the same. Luckily now theres this energy and movement going on where our work fits in, said Mr. Nauta, adding that there is no market for the kind of art they make  like the 300 light-bearing drones they sent swooping out across central Rotterdam in May in celebration of health and freedom.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to spend nearly three hours in Ayodhya on Wednesday as he is scheduled to inaugurate and lay the foundation for the proposed Ram Temple. According to various reports, PM Modi will first visit the Hanumangarhi Temple situated on the banks of the river Saryu. Before going on to the stage, Modi is also expected to offer prayers to "Ram Lalla" or the idol of infant Ram. He may conduct 'bhoomi pujan' between 12:30 pm and 12:40 pm. Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat is expected to be a special guest at the event.

Following this, Modi, Bhagwat and Uttar Pradesh (UP) chief minister Yogi Adityanath are likely to address the attendees from a stage next to the site. Ram Temple Trust chairman Mahant Nritya Gopal Das and UP governor Anandiben Patel will also be present on the stage. Of 175 invitees to the function, 135 are priests and spiritual leaders, according to the reports.

Meanwhile, the preparation of 1,11,000 laddoos is underway at Maniram Das Chhawni in Ayodhya ahead of the foundation stone laying ceremony in the city. Priests have dispatched the soil of the Yamunotri Dham, the water of the Yamuna river and the Brahma Kamal flower that grows in the Himalayan region for the ceremony.

Last year on November 9, the Supreme Court had directed the Centre to hand over the site at Ayodhya for the construction of the Ram temple. The Supreme Court had awarded land to Muslim groups to build a mosque at a different place in Ayodhya.Also read: H1-B visa: Trump signs executive order to restrict hiring of foreign workers

Also read: Mumbai rains updates: Trains stopped, offices shut; red alert issued for next 48 hrs
Certain politicians in the U.S. have fully unmasked their Cold War mentality and attempt to maintain hegemony with a series of crazy talks in the recent days.

Clearly, its the U.S. who has been wielding the big stick against China, trying to obstruct the latters development in all respects for no reason whatsoever. Shockingly, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo shamelessly accused the Communist Party of China (CPC) of pursuing hegemony.

What those U.S. politicians like Pompeo have done represents their bald-faced and authentic intentions to pursue hegemony and power politics, and has grossly trampled on the bottom line of the basic norms governing international relations, and posed serious threats to world peace and development. The international community should be on high alert for them.

Setting up traps is a frequent trick used by hegemonists.

Trying every means to relate China to a hegemonic power, certain politicians in the U.S. have attempted to drag the whole world into their well-designed narrative trap. However, these politicians have obviously overestimated their ability to lie and deceive.

His credibility is so diminished, any statements he makes are met with skepticism, pointed out an article published on U.S. magazine Vanity Fair, noting that Pompeos unrelenting fixation with punishing China is leaving the U.S. exposed and isolated.

Pompeos China-bashing speech was an angry lament and extended ideological rant, said Daniel Russel, former U.S. assistant secretary for East Asian and Pacific Affairs.

The reason why the CPC is far more powerful than the U.S. imagines is exactly that it doesnt want to dominate the world, said Kishore Mahbubani, a Singaporean scholar.

The Chinese nation is a peace-loving nation, and the Chinese dream is a dream about peace. China has explicitly stated its commitment to adhering to the path of peaceful development and resolve to oppose hegemonism in both the Constitution of the CPC and the Constitution of the Peoples Republic of China.

Chinas development creates opportunities for the world, while the Chinese dream is closely connected with the beautiful dreams of peoples in various countries around the world.

No matter how much progress China has made in development, China will not threaten anyone else, attempt to overturn the existing international system, or seek spheres of influence, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the world in his speech at the opening ceremony of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2018 two years ago.

Misrepresenting Chinas normal development as a threat to interests of the U.S. and playing up Chinas active participation in global governance as competing with the U.S. for hegemony, these U.S. politicians are just suffering persecution mania.

Hegemonists never conceal their ambition to seek hegemony.

Shouting America First all over the world, the U.S. has long been criticized by the international community for its terribly self-conceited mindset and hegemonic acts.

In order to tout for the so-called anti-China alliance, certain politicians in the U.S. have openly forced other countries into choosing a side at the expense of their interests.

The U.S. has publicly boasted that British officials attitude towards Huawei was the result of lobbying from the U.S. side, feeling proud of its despicable acts of suppressing the Chinese sci-tech enterprise through political tricks.

The U.S. has become an extreme example of hegemonic panic, criticized British scholar Martin Jacques.

The international community is increasingly aware of the fact that the ever-growing hegemonic ambitions and arbitrary misdeeds of Pompeo and the likes of him have become a destructive force that cant be ignored.

As COVID-19 is still raging across the globe, the U.S. are making groundless accusations against the efforts of the World Health Organization (WHO) to promote global solidarity and cooperation for fighting the pandemic.

After making indiscreet remarks about the work of the WHO in protecting the world from the catastrophe and halting its funding to the organization, the U.S. even announced its decision to withdraw from the UN health body.

It must be seen that any countrys arbitrarily cutting off funding, reducing financial support, and exiting from an international organization is regarded as shirking from its international responsibilities and obligations. Such misdeeds are unilateral acts that will never be tolerated by the international community.

These moves of the U.S. destroyed the global efforts to combat the virus and caused severe negative influence on developing countries that have been in urgent need of international support.

The insightful in more and more countries have realized that indulging the typical hegemonic acts of the U.S. not only cannot guarantee the security of their countries, but will only lead to provocation and sabotage against the common interests of the international community.

In the increasingly multi-polar world, sticking to democracy in international relations and safeguarding international fairness and justice conforms to the interests of the people around the world.

Upholding the vision of building a community with a shared future for mankind, China has carried out international cooperation with countries around the world to cope with common threats and challenges the pandemic has posed to humanity and actively contributed to the building of a global community of health for all.

Chinas unswerving efforts to always adhere to morality and justice have won high praise from the international community.

Whats is true is that just like justice will never be defeated by evil, multilateral cooperation will never yield to unilateral bullying.

Hegemony is just a spent round when it has to be maintained through bullying practices.

China has always been a constructor of world peace, a contributor to global development, and a defender of international order.

People around the world can see through the tricks of the U.S., and the country will ultimately lose support for its attempts to pursue hegemonism and power politics.

Chinas firm and rational response to the misdeeds of those rude and unreasonable American politicians is totally legitimate, and represents the will of the people.

The farce staged by the U.S. politicians who think their own interests are more important than the common interests of the international community will finally make themselves fools and are doomed to fail.

(Zhong Sheng is a pen name often used by Peoples Daily to express its views on foreign policy.)
NORTH BAY, CA  Missed today's headlines? Here are the Patch stories from Marin, Napa, Solano and Sonoma counties that people are talking about today:

San Quentin Death Row Inmate Dies, Coronavirus Suspected

Condemned killer Orlando G. Romero was sentenced to death along with his brother Christopher Self in 1996.

Woman Pleads Guilty In Marin County To ID Theft, Insurance Fraud

Marlene Cavalcanti pleaded guilty to two felony counts of insurance fraud and identity theft for falsifying documents, officials said.

High School Responds To 'Public Controversy' Over Black Layoffs

Saint Vincent de Paul High School in Petaluma responds to outcry over the layoffs and school leadership's recent visit to The White House.

Police Investigate Report Of Assault At Petaluma Protest

Petaluma police are looking into a report that someone was physically assaulted at a protest outside St. Vincent de Paul Church.

Crash Backs Up Traffic On RichmondSan Rafael Bridge

The crash delayed Golden Gate Transit's Bus Route 40 in both directions, according to the agency.

Fissure Shuts Down Road In Point Reyes National Seashore

A contractor doing excavation discovered a fissure in the roadbed that could fail and cause a landslide, officials said.

Cliffs Above Rodeo Beach: Marin County Photo Of The Day

Patch loves photos! Share your photos with Patch and your work could be featured.

Released Inmates Describe Ordeal Inside San Quentin During Coronavirus Outbreak

"It was people in the middle of the night passing out or calling 'man down' when there is a medical emergency due to COVID-19."

Coronavirus In California: What To Know Monday, August 3

Here's a roundup of all the coronavirus developments in California as of August 3.

From the weekend:



Motorcyclist Killed In Highway 101 Crash In Cloverdale

A motorcyclist was killed Saturday afternoon after colliding with a car on U.S. Highway 101 in Cloverdale, according to the CHP.

Salmonella Outbreak Linked To California Onion Producer

The CDC is warning Californians not to eat any onions that came from a Central Valley grower linked to a nationwide Salmonella outbreak.

This article originally appeared on the Mill Valley Patch
Two brothers aged 32 and 28 died after stabbing each other in a brawl in Ghaziabads Sahibabad area late Monday night, the Ghaziabad police said Tuesday.

Both were rushed to a hospital where they succumbed soon after, police said.

Mohan Lal (28) and his brother Sagar Kumar (32) alias Mota got into a brawl outside their uncles house near their own house in Rajiv Colony. Police said both were drunk and inflicted multiple injuries on each other.

There was some household dispute between the two and soon there was heated exchange of words which resulted in the bloody fight. As both were allegedly inebriated, they picked up knives from the house and inflicted multiple injuries to each other. This resulted in critical injuries and blood loss. After the police were informed they were rushed to the hospital but both succumbed, said Manish Mishra, superintendent of police (city).

There was no motive behind the fight but small domestic disputes between the two brothers which finally ended in two murders. There is no issue about the property as their house is small, about 50 square yards, he added.

The police said that Sagar was married and had a two-year-old son and a daughter born 10 days ago. His younger brother Mohan Lal was unmarried but used to stay in the same house with Sagar.

Soon after the incident, their cousin lodged a complaint and we registered a case of attempt to murder. But later the men died so the case will have no suspect or victim now, said an officer from the Sahibabad police station.

The two men were the second and third among four siblings in the family and worked as daily wage earners. Their elder brother, Ujagar Lal, stays in Nandgram while the youngest brother stays in the same house with the two victims besides their father.

Family members refused to speak to reporters.

There had been altercations between the two brothers in the past but the one which ensued on Monday night turned fateful for the family. They were drinking together but ended up in a fight after which they picked up knives and stabbed each other. The family is poor and we neighbours are trying to help them out in performing the cremation and also helped them complete the post mortem formalities, said Sujit Giri, a neighbour and husband of the local councillor.
Three months from Tuesday, Virginians face a choice: Do they want to end the states broken redistricting system, or do they want to keep the status quo that puts the interests of politicians ahead of voters?

On Nov. 3, voters will be asked whether they support a constitutional amendment that would reform the states divisive process of drawing legislative and congressional districts. We urge Virginians to vote yes and end partisan gerrymandering.

This is a matter of good government, and doing what is best for Virginias citizens.

Lets be clear: This amendment is the only chance Virginia voters have to take control of the map-drawing process from the partisan-controlled legislature for at least the next decade, Democrat Bobby Vassar and Republican Wyatt Durrette, co-chairs of the Fair Maps Virginia ballot campaign, wrote in a July 21 op-ed in the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

Anything other than the amendment keeps the control completely in the hands of politicians, and history has shown what this has wrought. Theres a better way to move forward for fairer maps now. Lets not let this opportunity pass us by.

Every 10 years, following the U.S. Census, the General Assembly redraws the boundaries of legislative and congressional districts to reflect changes in population. The next round of redistricting should take place in 2021.

But heres the caveat: The political party in charge controls the process and draws districts that best serve its interests, protecting incumbents and building power. Redistricting has been treated as an electoral spoil, regardless of party.

It shouldnt be, and its time to bring a system that has been cloaked in darkness into the public spotlight.

This decennial political cartography largely has been done behind closed doors. There has been no transparency, no real citizen input. In past years  under both Republicans and Democrats  new maps would be publicly presented as essentially a done deal. Its a process that lets politicians pick voters by creating spindly districts drawn to benefit the ruling party  not whats best for the community.

Not surprisingly, lengthy court fights have followed, incurring millions of dollars in legal fees to taxpayers.

The constitutional amendment would shift control of the redistricting process from the General Assembly to a 16-member bipartisan commission consisting of legislators and citizens. Eight members would come from the House of Delegates and state Senate (four from each party and each chamber); eight would be citizens, with a citizen chair.

All commission meetings would be open to the public, and it would hold at least three public hearings in different parts of the state for citizen input. Final approval would rest with the assembly, but lawmakers couldnt make changes. If theres an impasse, the Supreme Court of Virginia would have the final say.

The amendment is the result of a yearslong endeavor to reform the states murky approach to redistricting. The amendment, which had to clear two consecutive sessions of the General Assembly with an election in between, passed this winter with support from members of both parties, but not without challenges.

During that time, control of the General Assembly moved from Republicans to Democrats.

This winter, some assembly Democrats, mainly in the House, unsuccessfully tried to scuttle the redistricting amendment in a last-ditch effort. Fortunately good government prevailed. Now some insiders in the state Democratic party are trying to derail the referendum, as evidenced by inclusion in the state party platform adopted during their June virtual convention urging defeat.

Voters should reject that position. Recent polls by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research Inc. and Virginia Commonwealth Universitys Center for Public Policy show strong public support for the redistricting amendment.

More than a dozen states across the country have embraced reform.

For nearly 40 years, Iowa has followed a nationally acclaimed model of nonpartisan redistricting. A state demographer draws the map for legislative action. According to The Des Moines Register, the law directs the agency to draw maps with equal population being the primary consideration.  Districts cannot be drawn to favor any political party or an incumbent.

In California, voters approved a pair of ballot measures in 2008 and 2010 that created an independent, bipartisan commission of 14 members to draw legislative and congressional districts.

The solution is clear to the problem of broken redistricting in Virginia: Support the constitutional amendment on Nov. 3. Partisan gerrymandering is politics at its worst. Its time to end the deliberate manipulation of legislative lines that benefits politicians over people. Virginians deserve better.

RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH
By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 04, 2020 | 05:07 PM | FRANKFORT





"With us being in a time where we have had more cases than really ever before, though we certainly hope they are leveling out, we want to make sure that everyone out there can get a test," Beshear said.





Beshear said there are many private testing sites across the commonwealth, including 34 in Western Kentucky. He also highlighted new free COVID-19 testing that is being provided by the University of Louisville Health and a new-drive through option in Northern Kentucky.





For more information about COVID-19 testing locations, visit kycovid19.ky.gov or follow the link below.





As of 4 pm on Tuesday, Beshear said there were at least 32,197 coronavirus cases in Kentucky, 700 of which were newly reported. Eighteen of the cases were children ages five and younger. Beshear reported seven new deaths, raising the total to 751 Kentuckians lost to the virus. One of the deaths was a 53-year-old man from Calloway County.





"That is seven more than we ever want to lose," Beshear said. "Let me warn you that this is probably going to be a really tough month as far as our losses in Kentucky."





At least 8,406 Kentuckians have recovered from the virus.



You can see Beshear's full update below:





Governor Beshear on Tuesday encouraged Kentuckians to take advantage of coronavirus testing being offered at more than 200 locations across the commonwealth.

On the Net:
A man holding an umbrella passes the UN Headquarters in New York, on March 24, 2008. (Mike Segar/Reuters)

UN Chief Says Pandemic Causing Generational Catastrophe in Education

The head of the United Nations said Tuesday that COVID-19 has turned an existing global learning crisis into a generational catastrophe in education and called for bold steps to remedy the situation.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a recorded statement that the outbreak has led to a situation in which, in mid-July, schools were shuttered in more than 160 countries, directly impacting over 1 billion students.

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education ever, Guterres said, noting that at least 40 million children worldwide have missed out on education in what he said was their critical pre-school year.

Children with disabilities and learners in disadvantaged communities were among those at the greatest risk of falling behind with their education, he said. Parents staying home to look after out-of-school children have also been impacted by having to take on heavy care burdens.

A learning crisis existed even before the pandemic, according to a United Nations policy brief released Tuesday (pdf), which said that 258 million children were out of school in 2018 and 773 million adults were illiterate.

The COVID-19 crisis has made an already troubling situation in education even worse, Guterres said.

Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, Guterres said, warning of knock-on impacts on things like child nutrition and child marriage, a situation that he called deeply concerning.

According to the United Nations, by mid-April, 94 percent of learners were impacted by the pandemic, representing 1.58 billion children and youth, in 200 countries.

We must take bold steps now, Guterres said and outlined a four-stage action plan.

The first action item is to re-open schools once the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus is contained.

Once local transmission of COVID-19 is under control, he said, getting students back into schools and learning institutions as safely as possible must be a top priority.

Recently published guidance on reopening schools (pdf), jointly developed by UNESCO, UNICEF, the World Bank, the World Food Programme, and UNHCR, provides a framework to help governments manage resumption of classroom-based learning.

Unless we prioritize the reopening of schoolswhen it is safe to do sowe will likely see a devastating reversal in education gains, said UNICEF Executive Director Henrietta Fore, in a statement.

In the United States, the administration has sought to resume in-person learning in classrooms as soon as is feasible, with President Donald Trump recently saying that keeping children out of schools is likely causing more death and economic harm while urging Democrats to work with Republicans to include $105 billion in the next relief bill to help school safely reopen.

The UN chief said the second action point is more investment in education, with Guterres pointing out that before the crisis hit, low and middle-income countries already faced an education funding gap of $1.5 trillion per year.

That gap has now grown, he said, adding, education budgets need to be protected and increased.

The third action item is to target those who are at greatest risk of being left behind.

The UN chiefs fourth recommendation is part of a broader thrust to reimagine education, which includes investment in digital literacy and infrastructure and drawing on flexible delivery methods, digital technologies, and modernized curricula.

The four-stage plan is part of a new campaign called Save Our Future, which sees greater investment in education as a key feature of post-pandemic recovery.
Chief Minister Pinarayi VIjayan has urged citizens to remain vigilant after the IMD issued orange alerts for Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Idukki districts from 4 to 8 August

Kochi: Heavy rains lashed the high range Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad districts in Kerala on Tuesday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged people to be vigilant. Meanwhile, weathermen predicted widespread showers in the state's central and northernparts this week.

Idukki's Peermade received 14 centimetres, the tourist town of Munnar received 12 centimetres in the last 24 hours, while Vythiri and

Mananthavady in Wayanad recorded 13 and 12 centimetres respectively.

In Palakkad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, eight and seven centimetres rain was recorded.

The Bhavani river is overflowing and at least 51 people in low-lying areas were shifted to safer places. No camps have been opened so far, government sources said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued orange alerts for the five northern districts and Idukki for this week. Other districts have been issued the Yellow alert for the same time period.

Orange alerts have been issued in the five northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod from 4 to 8 August.

Orange alert indicates heavy rainfall to very heavy rainfall ranging from 6 cm to 20 cm while yellow alert is heavy rainfall ranging from 6 cm to 11 centimetres.

"Stay Weather Aware. Forecasters predict heavy rains in most parts of the State this week. Districts in the central & northern parts of the State are likely to see heavy rains. Orange alerts have been issued. We urge the people in these districts to be vigilant," Vijayan said in a tweet.

The IMD on Tuesday updated its special weather bulletin on the formation of low pressure areas over North Bay of Bengal and said heavy rainfall is expected in Kerala from 4 to 8 August.

"Under the influence of yesterdays cyclonic circulation over northeast Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood a low pressure area had formed over North Bay of Bengal and neighborhood on today morning and now lies over North Bay of Bengal off West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts. It is likely to become more marked during the next 24 hours.

"Associated with the above system heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected from 4th to 7th August and extremely heavy rainfall on 8th August over Kerala," IMD said in its special weather bulletin.

Vijayan had on Monday said the state government has set up a 24-hour functioning control room and said caution will be exercised in the districts of Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad which are prone to landslides.

Kerala had been devastated by the worst floods in the last 100 years during August 2018 that claimed over 400 lives and razed several houses, while last year the state's northern parts were flooded again in August as heavy rains and widespread landslides wreaked havoc, claiming over 120 lives.

Many had had lost their lives at Kavalapara in Malappuram and Puthumala in Wayanad alone due to massive landslides.

.
A confidential UN report submitted Monday says North Korea is pressing on with its nuclear weapons program, ignoring sanctions.

And -- it says several unidentified countries believe Pyongyang has likely developed nuclear devices to fit ballistic missiles.

The interim report, which was viewed by Reuters believes North Korea's past six nuclear tests gave it a leg up on making smaller nuclear devices.

Those are believed to fit into its ballistic missile warheads.

North Korea's mission to the United Nations did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

Leader Kim Jong Un said last week there would be no more war as the country's nuclear weapons guarantee its safety and future -- despite what he called ongoing outside pressure and military threats.

North Korea has been under U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs.

The UN has steadily ratcheted up sanctions in a bid to cut off funding for those programs.

Pyongyang has not conducted a nuclear test since September 2017, before Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump sat for talks in Singapore the following year.

Also in 2018, North Korea blew up the tunnels at its main nuclear test site, Punggye-ri.

Pyongyang said this was proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing.

But they did not allow experts to witness the site being dismantled.

The U.N. report said that since there is no indication of a comprehensive demolition, one unnamed country had assessed that North Korea could rebuild and reinstall the infrastructure needed to support a nuclear test -- within three months.

The U.N. experts also say North Korea is violating sanctions through quote "illicit maritime exports of coal," though this was temporarily suspended due to the global health crisis.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and U.S. President Donald Trump have met three times since 2018.

But they have failed to make progress on U.S. calls for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons -- and North Korea's demands for an end to sanctions.
The campaign for Australians to take local holidays while overseas getaways are off-limits is struggling to catch on, if a local tourism survey is indicative.

Business in Western Australian tourist hotspots nosedived by three quarters during the July school holidays compared with the same period last year, according to figures released by the WA Tourism Council on Monday.

WA closed its borders to the rest of the nation and subdivided the state into a series of regions with checkpoints when the coronavirus pandemic first struck in March.

While it remains closed to the rest of Australia as the eastern states battle a second wave of COVID-19, WA residents are free but apparently reluctant to travel around their home state.

Business in Western Australian tourist hotspots nosedived by three quarters during the July school holidays. Pictured: A quokka on Rottnest Island in Perth

The north west received a tourism drop of 73 per cent. The region includes attractions such as Cable Beach in Broome, where visitors can take camel rides (pictured)

The north west, focused on Broome, includes attractions like national parks, pristine beaches and sunset camel rides, was the hardest hit area with a drop of 73 per cent.

Perth received 62 per cent less visitors, and tourism to outback areas fell by 48 per cent.

However the south west of the state - with attractions such as the famous Ningaloo Reef, the bubblegum coloured water at Hutt lagoon - saw a six per cent increase.

The survey also showed the demand for tour and transport operators declined by 61 per cent, and attractions, visitor centres and specialty retail fell by 30 per cent.

Pictured: Hamersley Gorge in Karijini National Park. The park, in the stat's north-west, was negatively affected by declining tourism

The shoreline at Ningaloo Reef in Exmouth received a six per cent increase in tourism in July

On the other hand, self-catered accommodation profits increased by 18 per cent and hosted accommodation businesses, such as Airbnb, increased by 32 per cent.

Tourism Council WA chief executive Evan Hall said the results showed local holidaymakers were opting for cheaper getaways easily accessed by car.

'While there has clearly been some pent-up demand for intrastate travel, those visitors are not travelling and spending in the same way as out-of-state visitors,' he said.

'We encourage Western Australians to consider travelling to parts of WA they've never visited before and to book local tours and experiences, as well as accommodation.'

Western Australia famously closed its borders to the rest of the nation at the beginning of the pandemic. Pictured: an empty Perth airport during the pandemic

But state Premier Mark McGowan was disappointed with the Tourist Council's comments, urging the body to be 'a bit more positive'.

'We're going through a pandemic,' he said on Monday.

'We can't have people from the east come in, we can't have international tourists come in.

'We're advertising massively in intrastate advertising campaigns and all the feedback we're getting is there's been huge take up around Western Australia.'

He also said the state was working on creating more regional flight deals to places like Exmouth and Esperance for locals.
President Michael D Higgins led the tributes to John Hume saying we should all be "deeply grateful" for the "personal bravery and leadership" the former SDLP leader showed to bring about peace in Northern Ireland.

Hume, who spent more than 40 years campaigning for peace and a lasting solution to the Northern Ireland conflict, died in his native Derry aged 83.

Mr Hume's family announced his death yesterday morning.

"We are deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness," the family said in a statement.

"We would like to extend our deepest and heartfelt thanks to the care and nursing staff of Owen Mor nursing home in Derry."

Greatness

"The care they have shown John in the last months of his life has been exceptional," the statement read.

"John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather and a brother. He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family.

"It seems particularly apt for these strange and fearful days to remember the phrase that gave hope to John and so many of us through dark times: we shall overcome."

President Higgins said Mr Hume "transformed and remodelled" politics in Ireland and was informed by his "belief in the principles and values of genuine democracy".

"There is a greatness about his political life in what he did and what he helped to do. I would put him in the same breath as Parnell and Daniel O'Connell," the President said.

Mr Higgins was among a number of significant Irish and international political figures to pay their respects to the giant of Irish politics.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said Mr Hume as a "great hero and a true peacemaker".

"Throughout his long life he exhibited not just courage, but also fortitude, creativity and an utter conviction that democracy and human rights must define any modern society," the Taoiseach said.

"For over four decades, he was a passionate advocate for a generous, outward-looking and all-encompassing concept of nationalism and republicanism.

"For him the purpose of politics was to bring people together, not split them apart."

Mr Martin said Mr Hume "kept hope alive" during paramilitary terrorism and sectarian strife.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said Mr Hume has left a "legacy of peace, progress and stability."

"His unique ability to bring people together, to embrace and respect each other's differences without being consumed by them, made him one of the most transformational figures to ever live north or south of the Border," Mr Varadkar said.

Former Taoiseach John Bruton described Mr Hume as "the pivotal figure of the 20th century in the development of thinking about Ireland's future".

"He re-framed the problem from being one about who held sovereignty over land, to being one about people, and how they related to one another," he said.

Former UK prime minister Tony Blair, in office when the Good Friday Agreement was signed, said Mr Hume was a "political titan".

"John Hume was a political titan; a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past," he said.

"His contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic and he will rightly be remembered for it.

"He was insistent it was possible, tireless in pursuit of it and endlessly creative in seeking ways of making it happen," he added.

Mr Blair continued: "Beyond that, he was a remarkable combination of an open mind to the world and practical politics.

"In any place, in any party, anywhere, he would have stood tall. It was good fortune that he was born on the island of Ireland," he added.

Courage

SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Mr Hume was the "20th century Ireland's most significant and consequential political figure".

"It is no exaggeration to say that each and every one of us now lives in the Ireland Hume imagined - an island at peace and free to decide its own destiny," Mr Eastwood said.

A close friend of Mr Hume and one of the founders of the SDLP, Austin Currie described Mr Hume as the "greatest Irishman since Parnell".

"His place in Irish history is richly deserved. Despite the pressures on him, his family and his beloved Derry, he displayed great moral, physical and political courage.

"He never - not for one moment - departed from a complete insistence on the non-violent approach to our problems in Northern Ireland," Mr Currie said.

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald also expressed her condolences to Mr Hume's family on behalf of her party.

"It is with great sadness that I have learned this morning of the passing of John Hume," she said.

Mr Hume, a teacher turned politician, has been widely acknowledged as the key person in ending 30 years of violence in the North which cost more than 3,600 human lives.

He built up huge influence in the USA and Europe, as well as London and Dublin, and finally even convinced the IRA of the value of his ideals, much of which were enshrined in the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over a meeting of the security council. The meeting, which also has Vice-President...

President Muhammadu Buhari is currently presiding over a meeting of the security council.





The meeting, which also has Vice-President, Yemi Osibanjo in attendance, is holding inside the Presidential Villa, Abuja.





All service chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police, Mohammed Adamu, are present.





Others are the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno; heads of the Department of State Services and National Intelligence Agency; Ministers of Justice, Police Affairs, Defence and Interior among others.





The meeting comes hours after the Nigeria Governors Forum (NGF) bemoaned worsening security situation in Nigeria.




The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has changed people's way of life immensely. Your usual routine will be different, and you may be facing a different working setup now.

With this, many adjustments have been made. The November presidential election will not be exempted from this.

Many states have opted to vote by mail due to the current health crisis. Although mail voting can present itself as a proper alternative to cast your vote while doing safety precautions, this can also be an unfamiliar method to many voters. Also, ballots cast by mail are more likely to be rejected than those cast in person, according to a Business Insider report.

Experts suggest that you request your mail ballot as soon as possible to cast your vote successfully. They also said voters should carefully follow the instructions to make sure the vote is counted.

Residents who live in California, Colorado, Hawaii, Utah, Oregon, Vermont, Washington, or Columbia district will most likely have a mail-in ballot automatically sent to you even without a request.

Oppose to what President Donald Trump's claims, mail voting is not necessarily fraudulent or corrupt. Through a tweet, Trump even suggested delaying the election until people can safely and securely vote. However, a mail-in vote can pose more complications compared to voting in person.

The Vulnerability of Mail-in Voting

Mail-in ballots are most vulnerable to being altered, stolen, or forged, according to a Heritage report.

In Paterson, New Jersey, four men are being charged with voting fraud. It includes the vice president of the City Council and a candidate for that body.

Experts acknowledged that mail-in ballots are more susceptible to fraud and irregularities. More than 800 ballots in Paterson have been invalidated for appearing in mailboxes improperly bundled together.

The Daily Signal report said there were citizens of Paterson, who were listed to have voted, but told NBC that they never received a ballot and did not vote. Aside from being more prone to fraud, mail-in ballots also have a higher rejection rate.

The state of New York also experienced the same with their mail-in votes. In a New York Post's report, a federal judge ordered election authorities to recount mail-in ballots across New York state that were declared invalid for not having a post-mark.

"When voters have been provided with absentee ballots and assured that their votes on those ballots will be counted, the state cannot ignore a later discovered, systemic problem that arbitrarily renders those ballots invalid," Manhattan Judge Analisa Torres said in a report.

Reports noted that these technical problems occur as there are no elected officials in people's home to answer their questions. With these technicalities, should the election officials reconsider a face-to-face election?

In-Person Elections

New research suggests that elections can be safe if steps to lower COVID-19 infection risk would be strictly followed.

The study was followed by a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) investigation that looked at what happened in Milwaukee City after Wisconsin became the first state to conduct an in-person election during the pandemic.

The observation showed that the election did not aggravate cases, hospitalizations, and deaths due to the COVID-19. However, Mark Jones, a fellow at the Baker Institute for Public Policy at Rice University in Houston, said people voting in-person would be put at risk.

"Especially for people who have really been isolating themselves: the elderly, the vulnerable, or people caring for them. They are really going to be put in a dilemma. But if you're already going to the grocery store, going out to the pharmacy or going out to eat, then voting won't be any more dangerous," Jones said in a US News report.

Check these out:

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Are Biden's Allegations About Trump Postponing the 2020 Elections "Made-Up Propaganda"?

The Power of Hispanic Voters in 2020 Elections
Former President Barack Obama released a list of endorsements for the 2020 elections on Monday that included Democratic Senate candidate Sara Gideon, who is trying to unseat Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine. The race could help decide which party controls the Senate for at least the next two years.

Our countrys future hangs on this election, and it wont be easy. But pandemics have a way of cutting through a lot of noise and spin to remind us of what is real, and what is important, Obama said in a statement that accompanied his endorsement of 51 candidates for the House and five for the Senate. Elections matter. And we need Americans of all political stripes to get involved in our politics and our public life like never before.

Gideon is the speaker of the Maine House of Representatives, and the two most recent polls (by Colby College and Public Policy Polling) of her race against Collins show her with a 5-point lead.

Collins, a moderate, pro-choice Republican who was elected to the Senate in 1996, has drawn the ire of Democrats for her votes in favor of President Trumps tax cuts as well as her vote to confirm Brett Kavanaugh as a Supreme Court justice, based on her understanding that he would abide by precedent in cases involving the right to abortion.

Although the foundational ruling on abortion, Roe v. Wade, has not come up directly before the Supreme Court since Kavanaugh joined, in June he sided with the minority of conservative justices who voted to uphold a Louisiana law that would have made abortions virtually impossible to perform in that state. The court overturned the law in a 5-4 decision.

Collins said she agreed with the majority but has not repudiated Kavanaugh, insisting that he gave no indication in his dissenting opinion that he supports overturning Roe.

Since winning one of Maines four electoral votes in the 2016 election  the state is one of two that provide for split electoral slates  Trumps approval rating in the state has fallen to just 36 percent, according to polling by Civiqs. Collins has been all but silent on Trumps reelection. Gideon, meanwhile, has been doing her best to link the two politicians.

Story continues

The President cannot move an election.



Voting by mail is safe and secure  we've been doing it here in Maine for years.



Its clear Donald Trump has not learned his lesson. Mainers deserve to know: @SenSusanCollins, will you be voting for him? #mepolitics pic.twitter.com/7jVO208gy9  Sara Gideon (@SaraGideon) July 30, 2020

While the race has been relatively mild-mannered given the hyperpartisan environment seen across the country, Collins has also attacked her opponent for accepting donations from liberals and independents energized to support Gideon.

The Cook Political Report rates the race between Collins and Gideon as a toss-up.

In order to retake control of the Senate, Democrats will need to flip three seats in November and win the White House (or four seats if Trump is reelected).

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
President Donald Trump said Monday that he had fired the chair of the Tennessee Valley Authority, criticizing the federally owned corporation for hiring foreign workers.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he was formally removing chair Skip Thompson and another member of the board, and he threatened to remove other board members if they continued to hire foreign labor.

He also said the TVA board must immediately hire a new chief executive officer who "puts the interests of Americans first." According to Trump, the CEO, Jeff Lyash, earns $8 million a year.

"The new CEO must be paid no more than $500,000 a year," Trump said. "We want the TVA to take action on this immediately. ... Let this serve as a warning to any federally appointed board: If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: 'You're fired.'"

The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation, fertilizer manufacturing and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression. The region covers most of Tennessee and parts of Alabama, Mississippi and Kentucky, as well as small sections of Georgia, North Carolina and Virginia.

FILE - Senator Lamar Alexander speaks to reporters before a luncheon on Capitol Hill in Washington, July 23, 2020.

Republican Senator Lamar Alexander of Tennessee said the TVA doesn't get any taxpayer money. Commenting on the issue in April, Alexander said the White House was spreading misinformation. He said that TVA chief executive officers' pay is lower than other large utilities and that TVA energy rates are among the lowest in the nation.

Trump said the authority was replacing many of its in-house technology workers with contractors who rely heavily on foreign workers under the H1-B visa program for highly skilled workers.

As Trump was meeting with workers who would shortly be laid off by the authority, Trump was passed a note from chief of staff Mark Meadows that said Lyash had called the White House and was promising to address the labor concerns. Some of the attendees, who are set to see their last paycheck at the end of the month, teared up as Trump read the message.

Trump acknowledged that he was made aware of the issue after seeing a television ad produced by U.S. Tech Workers, a nonprofit that wants to limit visas given to foreign technology workers, that aired in prime time on Fox News.

The group, led by Kevin Lynn, criticized the TVA for furloughing its own workers and replacing them with contractors using foreign workers with H-1B visas. The ad, Lynn said, had an "audience of one," aiming to persuade Trump to stop the TVA from outsourcing much of its information technology division.

Trump made the announcement as he signed an executive order to require all federal agencies to complete an internal audit to prove they are not replacing qualified American workers with people from other countries. The White House said the order will help prevent federal agencies from unfairly replacing American workers with lower-cost foreign labor.

The order followed the TVA's announcement that it would outsource 20% of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries. TVA's action could cause more than 200 highly skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to foreign workers hired on temporary work visas, according to the White House.
SPRINGFIELD  In my years covering Illinois politics, Ive known two men called Public Official A.

One is Rod Blagojevich and the other is Mike Madigan.

In 2005, years before he was impeached or convicted of corruption charges, court documents ominously referred to someone as Public Official A. It was the first noticeable stray thread that would eventually lead to the political unravelling of Blagojevich.

Last month, federal prosecutors tagged Illinois House Speaker Mike Madigan with that moniker in a plea deal with Commonwealth Edison. The giant utility serving Chicago and much of northern Illinois essentially admitted to giving bribes to Madigan.

The bribes would be in the form of contracts and jobs at the giant utility that Madigan could dole out to his supporters. In the court documents, Public Official A was identified as the Illinois Speaker of the House, a post held by Madigan.

Last month, through a spokesperson, Madigan said he is innocent of wrongdoing. And he has not been charged with a crime.

Madigan and Blagojevich have a long and contentious relationship. For nearly eight years, both men faced off over the state budget and legislation. Although Madigan co-chaired the former governors re-election campaign, he later spearheaded the drive to impeach him. Blagojevich is the only Illinois governor to have been removed from office.

Because of this, Blagojevich brings a unique perspective to Madigans political machinations  and what it is like to be the target of a federal probe.

First, what does it mean to be Public Official A?

It means they have a target on your back, the former governor told me Monday during a nearly hour-long telephone interview.

After serving nearly eight years in prison on corruption charges, Blagojevich was released earlier this year when President Donald Trump commuted his term.

The gap between being Public Official A and an inmate is not very long, he said.

It may take years; but in the course of a lifetime, its not very long at all. Once they have painted a bullseye on your back, they are out to get you, Blagojevich said.

Already, several members of Madigans caucus have called for him to resign.

But in a statement issued last week, the House Speaker said, I understand that the last couple of weeks have been difficult for our caucus and party, and I have had many candid conversations with members of the Democratic caucus on this matter. The feedback is positive and demonstrates continued support for me and my leadership roles. I have no plans to resign.

Blagojevich said Madigan may be hanging on to the speakership and his position as chairman of the Illinois Democratic Party to be in a better bargaining position.

Federal prosecutors pursuing cases against other elected officials have entered into plea agreements where the politician agrees to leave office in exchange for a reduced sentence.

He has to hold onto the speakership and the chairmanship of the Democratic Party, Blagojevich said. Its so he can have bargaining chips with the federal prosecutors, so that in the event that he gets indicted, which could very well happen based upon whats happened so far, he has more bargaining chips to deal with when it comes to making a deal. Madigan is the ultimate deal maker here.

Madigan spokeswoman Maura Possley declined Tuesday to respond to Blagojevichs statements.

Although Blagojevich is a Democrat, since the president commuted his sentence, he has become an enthusiastic Trump supporter, even going so far as to call himself a Trumpocrat.

Blagojevich contends Madigan hopes to see presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden defeat Trump so a different federal prosecutor will be appointed for Northern Illinois.

If Biden gets elected theyre going to put a Democrat U.S. Attorney in. Madigan would pull strings.  And therell be all kinds of back room discussions to try to get a U.S. Attorney who will agree to throw the case out against Madigan. Thats his own path to avoid sinking with the Titanic. Otherwise I think hes really facing a lot of cold dark nights in that North Atlantic.

Blagojevich said if the current U.S. Attorney is serious about eventually charging Madigan with crime, he may seek to act sooner rather than later because of the possibility of an administration change.

But when pressed, Blagojevich concedes he doesnt know for sure if there is sufficient evidence to charge the House Speaker.

Blagojevich added federal prosecutors very well may now be putting pressure on those around Madigan.

Its been my unhappy experience of being a Public Official A. It is not a good place to be. You learn very early on  and very quickly who your friends are. They get squeezed so hard and treated so mercilessly, just to get them to bend and break against you. My own experience tells me that no one withstands that pressure.  Sooner or later, theyre going to abandon ship. And the captain is going to be left with the Titanic to sink all by himself.

Scott Reeder is a veteran statehouse journalist and a freelance reporter; his email is scottreeder1965@gmail.com.
ON THE occasion of Victory Day, Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Croatian Veterans' Day and the 25th anniversary of the military-police operation Storm, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Veterans' Affairs, Tomo Medved, issued a message on Tuesday calling for a dignified celebration of the "crown of our victory."

"Dear Croatian veterans and members of Croatian veteran families, honourable members of the families of Croatian defenders who were killed or went missing or who have passed away, dear citizens of Croatia, I congratulate you on Victory Day, Homeland Thanksgiving Day and Croatian Veterans' Day and the 25th anniversary of the military-police operation Storm," Minister Medved said in his message.

He said that 25 years ago "the Croatian people showed the entire world their courage, unity, resoluteness and strength." He recalled that under the leadership of the first Croatian president Franjo Tudjman one-fifth of occupied Croatian territory was liberated and the Croatian people clearly showed that they themselves decided on their own future.

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He underlined that the Croatian flag on top of the Knin Fortress signified the realisation of a historical dream - a free Croatia.

"We pray for the 241 defenders killed or missing in Operation Storm and remember all those who were killed or went missing on that long path to final peace. We pay our respects and express our gratitude to all Croatian defenders, the founders of Croatian statehood, who invested themselves for the sake of the Croatian people and their homeland," Medved said.

"Let us be proud and dignified in celebrating the crown of our victory. The unity that we built then is our strength. Let us nurture it for the generations to whom we leave our legacy of a free homeland," he said.
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At Reliance Industries 43rd annual general meeting, chairman-managing director Mukesh Ambani made a milestone announcement  Reliance Jio, Indias largest mobile telecom operator, would bring commercial 5G services to all of India as soon as 5G trials and spectrum auctions are held. The announcement finally offered something definite to Indias quest for upgrading its networks to 5G. Alongside, it also set into motion an opportunity for Indian vendors to get more visibility in the global telecom space, in line with the nations vocal for local narrative. Compounding this are rising anti-China sentiments, concerns regarding Chinese data espionage, and the role that major China-based telecom infrastructure providers play in the scheme of things.

Chinese vendors on the line

Recently, the department of telecommunications (DoT) appointed a special panel to look into the possible participation of Chinese companies in Indias 5G trials. According to sources from earlier this week, Huawei and ZTE, two of the key Chinese companies that offer network infrastructure, had both applied for participating in Indias 5G trials. However, the panel has reportedly suggested against the participation of Chinese vendors in Indias 5G infrastructure.

While officials with telecom operators stated that a formal communication is yet to be put forth by the DoT, the suggestion is to keep Huawei and ZTE out of Indias telecom industry  hence dealing a potentially heavy blow to both our operators and the Chinese electronics providers, in terms of finances.

Expense and time

Speaking to News18, Nikhil Batra, associate research director, telecommunications at IDC Asia-Pacific, says that both Bharti Airtel and Vodafone-Idea use Huawei equipment in certain network circles in India. Even if they are to be done away with, Batra believes that the process of simply switching to all Indian providers in both hardware and software is a difficult task.

Getting 5G up and running (in India) will require an ecosystem of network equipment providers, as well as tech vendors providing the complete telecom software stack. Chinese manufacturers or not, given that we dont have any major India-based network equipment providers, there will be others who India will need to rely on, Batra says.

Jaideep Ghosh, chief operating officer at Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co, says that there are two ways to define the problems. The first, he says, is time. Replacing mainstream telecom network equipment, and that too in a large scale, is an extensive, phase-wise effort and may take up to a few years. For example, recently the UK government has asked all telecom operators to remove existing Huawei equipment by 2027. Beyond equipment, many network OEMs have long-term services contracts built in, which also then needs to be reconsidered.

The second factor, Ghosh affirms, is cost. So far, Ghosh says that Chinese players in the telecom infrastructure space have been the most cost effective among other Asian and European vendors that also provide equipment to Indian operators. IDCs Batra, meanwhile, says that equipment made by Indian companies may be even more cost efficient. However, the key will be to see whether Indian operators manage to provide the full stack of hardware and software offerings to telcos necessary for enabling 5G services in India, which may be difficult since it takes years to build efficient network technologies.

Goldilocks moment for Indian companies?

The key, then, will be for Indian telecom operators to strike the right balance between available equipment, cost of network deployment and the longevity of Indian providers. While Reliance Jio has stated that it has successfully developed a full-stack 5G offering built from scratch in India, it is the only operator to have done so as of now. The other two operators, it is important to note, will also be required to keep pace, for the sake of a healthy, competitive industry. As Batra says, Excluding a major provider like Huawei would reduce the options for Indian telcos. Going from three major providers to two, or from four to three, results in reduced competition and might lead to lower levels of innovation and higher cost to Indian telcos.

The opportunity for Indian companies to seize this chance is the bright note in the early saga of Indias 5G narrative. The moment can create its own, robust telecom hardware industry, which in the long run may help develop export-worthy products in the near future.

Disclaimer: News18.com is part of Network18 Media & Investment Limited which is owned by Reliance Industries Limited that also owns Reliance Jio.

Editors' Note: This article is part of the 25 Years of Internet In India series, where try to capture how the state of mobile services, home broadband, services and content have evolved, particularly in the past few years. We try to understand what the internet means for us, be it for the new reality of work from home, for entertainment including all the Netflix binge watching, music streaming, online gaming and more.
Researchers in China identified four key population categories useful in guiding COVID-19 public health policies aimed at minimizing the spread of the disease and reducing fatalities. The team, led by Dr. Baoguo Jiang of the Department of Orthopedics & Traumatology at Peking University People's Hospital, published their findings in the journal Precision Clinical Medicine on May 28.

"Our research develops a decision-making support model to describe SARS-COV-2 infection, and can be adjusted to reflect local transmission characteristics and public health capabilities," Dr. Jiang said. "This model will be instrumental for local authorities to determine the optimal disease suppression strategy in a data-driven and science-driven manner.

The study divided subjects into four main categories: "Isolated" (via quarantine or hospitalization), "not infected," "infected and not isolated," and "removed" (recovered or deceased). Within those broad categories, they analyzed the effectiveness of the three main things public health policy can control - whether face masks and other heightened hygiene measures are required in public, mandatory lockdowns, and mandatory social distancing.

Data collected were from Wuhan, China, where the COVID-19 outbreak began last year. In designing the study, the researchers calibrated the model based on 32,583 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Wuhan between December 2019 and March 2020. The "infected and not isolated" category presented an extra challenge, because not all infected persons displayed symptoms, yet had the potential to infect many others. To control for this, their model allows for a predetermined number of subjects presumed infected but not showing symptoms to progress to the "removed" (and recovered) category.

Public health officials in Wuhan estimated the probability of having close contact with someone infected with COVID-19 was reduced by about 75 percent amid stringent quarantine conditions. Implementing mandatory face masks and hygiene practices in public was estimated to reduce the likelihood of transmitting the infection by 50 percent.

"Our research demonstrates that implementation of case isolation and mass quarantine is the most effective measure to the complete suppression of COVID-19 outbreak," Dr. Jiang said.

The research team found that their study model could be applied in the U.S., U.K., and Italy, with only minor adjustments in likelihood of person-to-person transmission within each of the four main population categories. Population density accounted for most of those differences, explaining why cities like Wuhan and New York saw the disease spread more rapidly.

One of the study's key findings was that face masks and social distancing were not enough to reverse upward trend of the disease. Wuhan only saw reversal in COVID-19 infection rates after adding contact tracing and strict quarantines to their containment policy. Further, they found that if no quarantine was implemented and the disease was allowed to spread unchecked, over 10 million people in Wuhan alone - or about 91 percent of the population - would become infected before the population would achieve herd immunity. "Starting mass quarantine and case isolation earlier greatly improves the effectiveness of disease suppression and also demands fewer health care resources," Dr. Baoguo said.

Another important finding was that quarantine must be implemented at a rate of at least 50 percent, and a maximum of 10 weeks after the start of a COVID-19 outbreak to have a chance at reversing the infection rate. If less that 40 percent of the population remains quarantined or the quarantine begins more than 11 weeks after onset of the outbreak, it is too late, the study says.

Dr. Jiang said his team plans to further investigate how to optimally allocate prevention and control measures.

"On the one hand, through arduous efforts, our fight against COVID-19 has achieved major results with strategic significance," Dr. Jiang said. "The prevention and control measures have been normalized. On the other hand, an increasing number of asymptomatic COVID-19 carriers have been reported recently. More study on transmission characteristics of the disease among asymptomatic persons is necessary to better control the epidemic."

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To the Editor:

BlackRock Faces Test of Principles (Business, Aug. 1) questioned whether our firms role in Argentinas debt restructuring was consistent with our commitment to stakeholder capitalism. The answer is a resounding yes.

Argentina announced early Tuesday that it had reached agreement with its major creditors. The breakthrough in negotiations, led by BlackRock, will provide Argentina with $23 billion in upfront cash relief, virtually eliminating contractual payments during the next four years. This will give Argentina significant space to develop a credible plan to stabilize its economy and create an environment where investment and employment can thrive.

BlackRock, like other asset managers in our bondholder group, invested in Argentina on behalf of millions of people around the world saving for retirement. We are fiduciaries to our clients and seek outcomes that benefit all stakeholders, including the countries in which we invest. With this new agreement in place, we have successfully navigated that outcome.

Using media and other third parties as a mechanism in negotiations is a bad formula for a successful outcome. We are pleased that, in the end, all parties engaged directly and constructively to achieve a consensual outcome. Most important, with fair restructurings now in place, Argentina (and Ecuador) can better address vital social needs posed by Covid-19.
OAKLAND, Calif.  Twitter said on Monday that it was under investigation by the Federal Trade Commission for potentially misusing peoples personal information to serve ads, adding that it faced fines of $150 million to $250 million.

In a corporate filing, Twitter disclosed that the F.T.C. began the investigation last October after it had linked a database of its users personal information, which it had for security purposes, with a system used by advertising partners.

The action, which Twitter said was inadvertent, may have violated a 2011 agreement that the company signed with the F.T.C. over consumer privacy. At the time, Twitter had agreed to a settlement with the agency after hackers had gained administrative control of the social media service on multiple occasions. Under the agreement, Twitter was restricted from misleading people about the measures it took to protect their security and privacy.

An F.T.C. spokeswoman declined to comment on the investigation.

Brandon Borrman, a Twitter spokesman, said the company was contacted by the F.T.C. after it reported quarterly financial results on July 23. The investigation was disclosed in accordance with standard accounting rules and was included in a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, he added.
For example, when BBB investigators looked into Global Movers, they discovered it was connected to other moving firms in California, Colorado, Kansas, Tennessee, Texas and Washington. Later, during a separate investigation into complaints about Delta Movers, the BBB discovered that it had the same owners as Global Movers. In its advertising, Delta Movers claimed to have been in business for 20 years, though it had only been incorporated a month earlier, and its website claimed an A+ BBB rating, when it actually had an F rating.
Ayodhya, Aug 4 : Priest Vijayendra, 75, who calculated and fixed the auspicious time to conduct 'bhumi pujan' for the new Ram temple in Ayodhya has been provided security at his residence in Belagavi in Karnataka after threatening phone calls.

Sources here said that a police case was registered following threats and police deployed at the residence of the priest who lives in Shastri Nagar area in Belagavi.

A member of the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust said: "It is a matter of grave concern that even the priest who fixed the 'mahurat' is not being spared by those who do not want the temple to be constructed." Vijayendra told reporters that one caller asked him why he had set the date for the 'bhumi pujan'. "He said 'Why are you joining it?' I said that the organisers had requested me to give a date for 'bhumi pujan' and I did as asked. The caller did not reveal his name. The calls are coming from different numbers." Vijayendra has been associated with the Ram temple movement for the last many years. In February this year, he was asked by the Trust to calculate and convey the time suitable for the launch of the temple construction work.

However, he will not be able to attend the 'bhumi pujan' ceremony due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The 'bhumi pujan' ceremony will take place at noon on Wednesday, to be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
A more effective test and trace system is needed to make schools and parents feel more confident as students return in September, headteachers have told The Independent following a recent study into the programme.

Simon Smith, who leads a primary school in Yorkshire, said test and trace was a key element in keeping schools safe.

Parents need to feel all the systems are there, he told The Independent, and that if something does happen, things will happen very, very quickly in terms of the actions that schools will take.

Track and trace is a key part of that, the headteacher at East Whitby Primary Academy said.

His comments come after a study has suggested the government must scale-up its test and trace system - which tells people if they have been contact with someone who has tested positive for coronavirus and to isolate for two weeks  to avoid a second wave of coronavirus infections as schools fully reopen.

One of the authors, Chris Bonell, professor of public health sociology at London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM), said the current testing system has about 50 per cent coverage.

A government minister said the plan for English schools to welcome all students back next month is not up for debate on Tuesday following the studys publication.

Speaking about test and trace, Mr Smith from East Whitby Primary Academy said: As a headteacher, I feel very little confidence at the moment around the fact we would be informed, or everybody is being informed that should be informed.

It may be people are wandering around with the virus without knowing.

Pepe DiIasio, a headteacher near Rotherham, said a scaled-up test and trace system would help his school feel better prepared for the September return.

I think we would all feel better if we had confidence in the system and obviously with four weeks to go, Mr DiIasio, who is also vice president elect of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), told The Independent.

We would rather have that confidence as quickly as possible.

If there was a potential surge in autumn, the Wales High School headteacher said, it would help staff to feel more confident if they knew the school was able to track it, trace it and lock it down as soon as possible.

Researchers from University College London and LSHTM simulated various scenarios to examine the possible implications of schools reopening in the UK coupled with broader reopening of society, such as more parents returning to the workplace and increased socialising within the community.

The authors of the modelling study  published in The Lancet Child And Adolescent Health - found that with increased levels of testing... and effective contact tracing and isolation, an epidemic rebound might be prevented.

Reopening schools fully in September, alongside reopening workplaces in society, without an effective test, trace, isolating (TTI) strategy could result in a second wave of infections between two and 2.3 times the size of the original wave, Mr Bonell from LSHTM said.

Currently, TTI is not achieving the levels that we modelled. Looking at the NHS reports from the TTI system, it looks like its about 50 per cent coverage, he added.

The NAHT, a school leaders union, said the new research showed just how many factors there are to preventing a worsening Covid-19 outbreak, most of which are entirely outside a schools control.

Paul Whiteman, the general secretary, said: The success of Septembers return to school rests as much on what happens outside the school gates as within.

He added: The government needs to ensure that everyone knows what actions they should be taking to keep everyone safe  were all going to need to work together to be successful.

Meanwhile, Richard Bettsworth from ASCL said: It is very clear that an effective test, trace, and isolate strategy is vital in suppressing the rate of infection, and keeping schools open.

The director of public affairs added: The government has to make sure that this works at the scale that is necessary.

Schools are expected to fully reopen to all students in September.

A government spokesperson said: We have rapidly built, from scratch, the largest diagnostic testing industry in British history. Over 16 million tests have been delivered so far and we have the capacity to carry out more than 330,000 tests per day, growing to 500,000 per day by the end of October.

Plans have been put in place to ensure schools can re-open safely. Local health officials, using the latest data, will able to determine the best action to take to help curb the spread of the virus should there be a rise in cases.

They added: The NHS Test and Trace service has now and contacted more than 218,000 people who have tested positive for the virus, or recently been in contact with someone who has tested positive  in order to break the chain of transmission.

Additional reporting by Press Association
MOTORISTS were warned to expect major traffic delays after an oil tanker caught fire on the N25 Cork-Waterford road.

The blaze was detected in the diesel tanker at 5.30am outside Cobh Cross and emergency services including Cork Fire Brigade and Gardai raced to deal with it.

Part of the N25 road was closed as a safety measure - resulting in major rush hour traffic congestion.

The fire was successfully brought under control and no one was injured.

However, such was the scale of the incident and required road closures that traffic delays are still being experienced eight hours later with motorists warned to expect major traffic delays along the route.

Drivers were urged to avoid the area if possible.

At the peak of the congestion, motorists were faced with 6km queues into Cork city.

Motorists were warned that the worst delays are being experienced into Cork city with the westbound lane closed for several hours longer than the eastbound lane towards Waterford.

Traffic was further worsened because of a collision at the Dunkettle Interchange near the entrance to the Jack Lynch tunnel.

No serious injuries were involved.
This is an exercise in political absurdity: India on Pakistan's new political map

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Aug 04: India on Tuesday strongly protested Pakistan's new 'political map' that counts Jammu and Kashmir and Junagadh in Gujarat as its territories. "This is the most historic day in Pakistan's history," Khan said at a news conference after getting cabinet approval for the map.

''We've seen a so-called "political map" of Pakistan that has been released by PM Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our union territories of Jammu Kashmir and of Ladakh,'' external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a brief statement.

Pakistan releases new political map including J&K as its own

''These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism,'' external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said in a brief statement.

Vivo pulls out of IPL, Chinese-owned Vivo pulls out amid row | Oneindia News

Earlier in the day, Pakistan government had approved a new political map showing the union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh as Pakistani territories. The controversial map also shows the erstwhile state of Junagadh in Gujarat and Sir Creek within Pakistan's borders.

After unveiling the new map, Imran Khan said it is backed by "all political parties and people of Pakistan". He also said that this map is against the Indian government's August 5 decision in Jammu and Kashmir last year.

Imran Khan's move comes a day ahead of the first anniversary of the Indian government tabling in parliament the legislation to scrap Jammu and Kashmir's special status and splitting the erstwhile state into two centrally-administered territories, Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Two candidates from Odisha have figured in the top 10 list of Civil Services Examination 2019, results of which were declared on Tuesday.

Abhishek Saraf from the State has secured 8th position while Sanjita Mohapatra has been ranked 10th in the Civil Services (Main) Examination 2019 conducted by Union Public Service Commission (UPSC).

Sanjita, who had secured the second position in Odisha Civil Services Examination earlier, said her school education and the support she received from her family members, husband, in-laws, friends, and mentors were crucial.

On her preparations, Sanjita said, "What you study is more important than how much time you study in a day."

"I used to prepare my schedule for every week and study accordingly," she said and added that instead of focusing on the number of hours, she ensured all the subjects are covered as per the schedule by the end of the day.

"How dedicatedly you study is also an important factor," Sanjita said.

The UPSC has shortlisted a total of 829 candidates to various Civil Services in the country. Pradeep Singh has topped the examination.

The Civil Services Exam is conducted every year for the selection of candidates to Indian Administrative Service (IAS), Indian Foreign Service (IFS), Indian Police Service (IPS)and other Central Services.
Hurricane Isaias has made landfall in North Carolina, tearing across the coast with sustained winds of 85mph.

The storm, which has killed two people in the Caribbean and led to extreme weather warnings all the way up the eastern seaboard of the US, crossed onto land at 23.10pm EDT (4.10am BST) about 40 miles south of Wilmington.

Isaias had previously been downgraded to a tropical storm, but sped up just before hitting the coast and was reclassified a hurricane late on Monday.

The National Hurricane Centre warned people living on the coast to brace for a storm surge up to 1.5 metres and up to 20cm of rain as the newly strengthened Isaias moved up the coast.

There had been fears Florida would be badly affected after Isaias killed two in the Dominican Republican and Puerto Rico, but the storm remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend, providing some welcome relief to emergency managers who had to accommodate mask-wearing evacuees in storm shelters.

But the Hurricane Centre has warned the danger has not passed.

Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist, said: All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast US.

A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.

The centre also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina on Monday night and early Tuesday, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later on Tuesday.

President Donald Trump described Isaias as very serious on Monday.

Storm surge and inland flooding are possible and everyone needs to remain vigilant until it passes, Mr Trump said.

Authorities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ordered swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents.

By nightfall, power began to flicker at beachfront hotels as Isaias crossed the last bit of warm water on its path towards the US mainland.

Isaias is the ninth named storm of the year so far in the US, and North Carolina declared a state of emergency on Friday ahead of its arrival.

North Carolinians have had to dig deep in recent months to tap into our strength and resilience during the pandemic, Governor Roy Cooper told a news conference on Monday. That hasnt been easy.

But with this storm on the way, we have to dig a little deeper. Lets keep each other safe from the wind and water as well as from the virus.
Man in Australia Faked Diplomat Status to Evade Hotel Quarantine Upon Return From Afghanistan

The Queensland government is calling for a review of Australias travel exemptions after a man faked diplomat status to avoid hotel quarantine after his flight from Afghanistan on Aug. 2. It was later revealed he was diagnosed with COVID-19 while on the connecting flight from New South Wales to Queensland.

The security contractor from the Sunshine Coast town of Maroochydore used a set of documents from the Afghanistan embassy, and the Australian governments Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, as well as a letter from the New South Wales state government to warrant a diplomat exemption to fly from Sydney to Queensland and avoid the hotel quarantine system upon departure.

Under the Vienna Convention, Australia is legally obliged to allow freedom of movement to visiting diplomats, however, they must follow health guidelines and self-isolate at home.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young explained that because of his consular status her state could not break national protocol and she gave him permission to self-isolate at home with his wife.

New South Wales gave an exemption, they had to because the nationally agreed protocols that everyone will quarantine for 14 days at the port of arrival, Young said at a press conference with Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk on Aug. 4.

So he then flew into Queensland, and I gave him an exemption to quarantine at home because of that national agreement. So all this was done before he left Kabul (Afghanistan), Young said.

Related Coverage QLD Man Boarded Domestic Flight While Infected With COVID-19

It is rumoured that the aforementioned documents he used to be granted the exemption were faked. Palaszczuk told reports at the outdoor press conference that the documents have been given to the state police for investigation.

The young man is only one of 14 confirmed cases of COVID-19, the disease caused by the CCP virus, in the last month in Queensland. However, there are concerns that outbreaks in locked-down Victoria and pockets in New South Wales may spread into Queensland.

Were on our guard and were going to do everything we can to stop that happening here, Palaszczuk said.

There is a gap in Australias travel exemptions system and she wants the 14-day hotel quarantine order to be mandatory across all states.

There is a loophole here, and it needs to be close.  and I will absolutely raise this at national cabinet on Friday, said the Queensland premier.

Its not too much to be asking people who are returning from overseas to do the mandatory quarantine, said Palaszczuk.

Young explained that mandatory quarantine would mean that situations like this where a man dodged quarantine would not happen as there would be no exemptions.

The very very few exceptions would be people with severe injuries or disabilities, Young clarified. Larger rooms can be provided for them, where the carer possibly stays with them in quarantine.

As a consequence of the situation, health authorities are trying to find all 14 other people that were on the flight. But they are struggling to find two passengers because of Commonwealth law that doesnt require domestic flight operators to keep passenger contact details.

Queensland opposition leader Deb Frecklington believes there should be mandatory testing before people leave quarantine and no exemptions from hotel quarantine requirements, including celebrities.

Other Queenslanders have attempted to dodge hotel quarantine. Three people failed to declare they had been to Victorias virus hotspots over the weekend upon travelling through the New South Wales border. One of the men tested positive for COVID-19, and all three have been given court notices and their cases are being investigated by state police.
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Theres not a single one of these institutions that should be opening without making sure that youre enforcing a mask mandate, Pritzker said. We have a statewide mask mandate, weve had one since May 1. Theres some people who dont follow it, but on university campuses, its vitally important that everybody follow it, keep their social distance and then we make sure we dont have overcapacity in this environment so that theres a viral load that builds up in any given space.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI/KOLKATA: It and Telecom Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and five other BJP MPs from West Bengal have gone into self-isolation as they had met Home Minister Amit Shah, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday, last week.

Prasad does not have any symptoms and the self-isolation is purely based on an existing protocol, sources said. The two ministers from Bengal, Babul Supriyo and Debasree Chowdhury, and three MPs Nisith Pramanik, Saumitra Khan and Swapan Dasgupta, decided to self-quarantine at home as they are asymptomatic and they are yet to conduct Covid-19 tests.

Senior BJP leader Mukul Roy, who was scheduled to fly to Delhi on Monday to meet Shah, cancelled his trip. Roy triggered an intra-party feud after skipping recent meetings with the high-command following his discontent over the issue of a section of state BJP functionaries projections claiming the party would bag as many as 190 out of 294 Assembly seats in the 2021 elections.

Roy, however, said he cancelled his Delhi trip because the flight ticket of his choice was not available.

I dont have any symptom. Doctors advised me to isolate self and observe whether I develop any symptom. I live with my parents, wife and child. I have confined myself in a room. I will go through a test after Tuesday, said Supriyo.
As Bay Area schools prepare to kick off the year with distance learning, tens of thousands of families have scrambled to connect online and form pandemic pods: small groups that facilitate learning and relieve some of the burden of child care.

Because such learning pods often require extra resources, including a paid teacher or tutor, the movement has already raised concerns around inequity and privilege. But because most involve small in-person gatherings, parents and educators also face the challenge of devising coronavirus safety precautions and practices.

Here is a look at several models of pandemic pods and advice from experts on how to minimize their health risks.

TYPES OF LEARNING PODS

Family pods to support learning and child care

In a family pod structure, two to five children meet regularly, with a parent at the helm to facilitate either their schools distance learning or a stable playgroup. Many families are having parents, not teachers, facilitate these groups to reduce pod sizes and cut costs. But some parents are still being compensated for their time.

The Mohan family in San Franciscos Inner Sunset is looking at this model.

Santiago Mejia / The Chronicle

Over the summer, Mohita Mohan and her husband recognized that their 5-year-old daughter was struggling with not being able to see her friends. She was very lonely, she wouldnt do her work, said Mohan.

Mohan and her husband work full time and also have a 15-month-old, and are looking for help with child care and support for their daughters needs. She is entering kindergarten in the fall, and the pod would help her with the public school curriculum and provide a structured social environment.

Theyre in talks to join a pod with one to three other children in which a parent with a teaching credential could help supervise and facilitate their distance learning curriculum. Though theyd want to compensate the parent, Mohan said shes seen some rates go for about $30-$80 an hour per child, for 5-6 hours a day. I would probably rather just stop working at that point, she said.

Parent co-ops

Some pandemic pods are adopting a co-op style approach, where different parents take turns providing child care and hosting a small group of children, usually for free.

That would be the ideal setup for Vicky Keston, the single mother of an 8-year-old and an 11-year-old who live in San Francisco. Keston said her daughter struggled immensely with loneliness over the last few months.

Because Kestons job is flexible, she is considering linking up with the family of her daughters best friend to share child care and facilitate their private schools online curriculum. Theres a chance another family could join.

Keston says shed like all the girls to wear masks and if they have a snack, to stay outside and 6 feet apart. Shed also want to avoid all parent-to-parent contact by having the girls dropped off at the door.

DIY microschools

In microschool pods, parents take their children out of school and, in some cases, hire credentialed teachers for up to $100 an hour to create a brand-new curriculum. This model has emerged as the most controversial because of concerns about inequity.

In some cases, these pods meet in a familys home. In others, families rent spaces for small groups of children to meet.

WHAT ARE THE RISKS?

Each learning-pod model carries health risks associated with the coronavirus pandemic. There are multiple layers of risk  child-to-child transmission, child-to-adult transmission (and vice versa), as well as the larger risk of extending ones network, which brings more adults into contact with one another.

Preliminary data out of Denmark, Israel, South Korea and France have shown that the child-to-child transmission risk is much lower than adult-to-adult transmission risk  but any scenario involving groups of people involves some risk, UCSF neonatologist Elizabeth Rogers said.

Complicating things further, more data are emerging that show children who contract the coronavirus are more likely to be asymptomatic. Data also indicate that some child-to-adult transmission cases tend to be in homes where people are in close quarters. But the majority of children under 10 transmit the virus at low rates, Rogers said.

The risk of outdoor transmission is lower than for indoor transmission, but it is still not zero, Rogers added. Even for pods that meet primarily outdoors, she advised vigilance about masks and social distancing.

Dmitry Naumov / Dmitry Naumov - Fotolia

WHAT SAFETY PRECAUTIONS DO EXPERTS RECOMMEND?

Safety precautions should factor into every stage of a pandemic pod, experts say  even in the research stage, when families determine the best setting for them.

Minimizing risk before setting up the pod:

One method for determining pod compatibility is Oregon physician Evelin Dackers COVID CARE model. It spells out four elements necessary to consider opening a pod: container, agreements, risk tolerance and etiquette.

 A container is each persons social circle, which each member should diagram clearly for everyone in the group.

 The agreements are the standards of acceptable risk behavior.

 Risk tolerance is broken up into six rankings, from very strict to very open. Families should honestly assess their ranking, Dacker says, to determine whether it will align with the prospective pod.

 Etiquette consists of the protocols everyone will agree to.

Minimizing risk during pod setup

When a group is ready to move forward, members should first look carefully at their pod network, according to Meghan Morris, an assistant professor of epidemiology and biostatistics at UCSFs School of Medicine. With whom do families actually make in-person contact, in addition to pod members? How often are they going to the grocery store? What do they do for work? Do they have any pre-existing conditions? Is anyone getting tested regularly?

Communication on all of these fronts needs to be consistent, honest and rigorous in its detail, she said.

Morris recommends each pod draft a contract that outlines who each person sees and a list of acceptable and unacceptable activities. One example could be that only one parent does drop-off, and its always outside.

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.

Other things to consider for a contract, according to Morris and UC Berkeleys Greater Good Magazine:

 Preventive guidelines for out-of-pod behavior. These should include mask wearing, social distancing, staying home if sick, checking temperatures regularly, minimizing activities out of the house and frequent hand-washing.

 Travel guidelines. Can members of the pod travel? In what ways could that be done safest?

 A commitment to honesty about each members virus exposure. Youll want to choose a pod where everyone agrees to be 100% honest.

 Emergency plan. Members of the pod should come up with a plan for the protocol if someone is feeling sick that includes details around testing and a 14-day quarantine.

Ideally, Morris said, one parent should be tasked with organizing the pod. Tasks include compiling a log of everyones activities, checking in, and monitoring media and public health guidelines.

Other recommendations from Morris for setting up the pod:

 Keep the number of people (adults and children) in each pod small.

 Ideally, one adult and a small group of children is better than more from either end.

 One location is better than multiple meeting places.

 The space should be large enough for social distancing.

General safety rules when the pod is up and running

Morris recommends common precautions for reducing coronavirus transmission risk within the learning pod:

 Wear masks.

 Wash hands frequently.

 Avoid sharing food, and eat outside.

 Take outdoor breaks as often as possible.

 Leave windows open to recirculate the air.

 Disinfect the space daily.

Annie Vainshtein is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @annievain
LJA Engineering Listed as Nationally Ranked Hot Firm in 2020 by Zweig Group Especially now, it is important to connect employees together through recognition of their efforts to create growth and success. The Hot Firm List recognizes LJA's growing revenues and creating jobs at a time when this is critical for local economies.

LJA Engineering has once again been recognized as a Hot Firm in 2020 by the Zweig Group.

The Hot Firm List, which honors the fastest growing firms in the AEC industry, ranks based on three-year growth in revenue by both percentage and dollar growth.

Especially now, it is important to connect employees together through recognition of their efforts to create growth and success, said Zweig Group CEO Chad Clinehens. The Hot Firm List recognizes LJA's growing revenues and creating jobs at a time when this is critical for local economies.

LJA Engineering, the fifth listed Hot Firm this year, has ranked for several years with each year higher than the last.

LJA is an employee-owned, full-service, comprehensive multi-disciplinary consulting firm. With 36 offices across Texas, Florida, and Oklahoma, LJA offers one-source, one-stop reliability for all of our clients, when and where they need us. Our 1,200 employee-owners stand at the ready with experienced civil, transportation, midstream, rail, flood and drainage, and coastal engineers, plus hydrologists, environmental specialists, planners, landscape architects, construction managers, GIS designers, and surveyors. We can best leverage our resources across our company, deliver expertise-driven teams, increase responsiveness to your specific needs, and individualize project solutions. LJA was recently named #65 by ENR National as a Top Design Firm and as the 2019 Design Firm of the Year by ENR Texas & Louisiana.


A former Managing Director of United Bank for Africa (UBA), Tony Elumelu, has denied allegations of his involvement in a N41 billion fraud committed against the defunct telecommunication company and national carrier, NITEL.

He has given the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public petition, Ayo Akinyelure, seven days to retract his comments linking him (Mr Elumelu) to the fraud.

Lawyers to the banker, in a letter, threatened to sue the lawmaker should he fail to retract the statement and publicly apologise to Mr Elumelu over the fraud allegation.

The allegation

The committee last Tuesday alleged that UBA defrauded NITEL of about N41 billion from N42 billion that liquidators of the telecommunications company deposited there after being sold to MTEL. The allegation was made on the grounds of petitions forwarded to it to that effect by J .U Ayogu and Co, on behalf of NITEL/MTEL .

Mr Akinyelure told journalists that UBA made unauthorised withdrawals from the accounts of the liquidated telecommunications companies four times and technically stole N41 billion out of the N42 billion that liquidators of the firm deposited there .

As stated in the petition, he said, UBA withdrew N29 billion , N11 billion, N6.8 million and N22 million at different times between 2006 and 2015 from the accounts without relevant tickets or authorisations for that purpose. And liquidators of the firm explained further in the petition that officials of UBA have been hiding under a litigated N685 million it withdrew from the accounts.

A human rights lawyer had sent a petition on behalf of the liquidators and creditors of NITEL and MTEL, that if the N685million is a subject of litigation, there is a third account meant for taxation and disasters which has N169million. It was also unilaterally withdrawn by the UBA. Seven years after the withdrawal, theyve not provided the tickets, instead, they were asking the liquidators to get the tickets from the dead liquidators, which is wrong. They had yet to provide the tickets.

In another account which had N29 billion, UBA also unilaterally withdrew the money from NITEL accounts without authorisation tickets. Most of the creditors of NITEL have sued the liquidators that theyve collected money from the UBA without paying them. There is another MTEL account N11 billion withdrawn by the UBA and it has not been accounted for till today.

READ ALSO:

The creditors dont have money to go to court because they are already bankrupt. They sued UBA over the N685million and they won at the Federal High Court, Appeal Court and the Supreme Court. Up till today, they didnt respect the court judgement by not paying the liquidators.

The lawmaker added that when the Senate wrote the UBA management, they responded that the matter was in court. This is even as he insisted the matter is not subjudice.

The UBA Group Managing Director, Kennedy Uzoka , was thereafter invited to appear before the committee on Wednesday, August 5.

The response

Mr Elumelus lawyers, Lawal Rabana and Oluwakemi Balogun, described the allegation as false, baseless, and mischievous as neither him nor any of the organisations associated with him has ever been involved in or indicted for any fraud as was falsely alleged by Mr Akinyelure.

They maintained that the case is subjudice and rejected Mr Akinyelures attempt to use the platform of the respected institution of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to accomplish whatever ulterior motives he may have.

It is important to emphasise that when UBA appeared before the Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions, attention was drawn to the fact that the facts and circumstances leading to the disputes on the alleged financial indebtedness was pending before the Supreme Court in SC/CV/112/2020. It was resolved that given the pendency of the matter at the Supreme Court, it was subjudice and all actions on the matter be suspended.

It is shocking and sacrilegious that a matter pending at the Apex Court could be subjected to debate contrary to the Rules of the Senate and by extension, the principle of law that when a matter is subjudice, it should not be subjected to debate before a decision is reached by the Court. Therefore, the publications ascribed to Senator Ayo Akinyelure is in total disregard of the Rules of Senate and the Rule of Law, part of the letter read.

The lawyers demanded an immediate open, public and unreserved retraction of the statements by Mr Akinyelure and an apology.

Our Client has instructed us to and we have demanded an immediate open, public and unreserved retraction of the said statements credited to Senator Akinyelure and an apology from Senator Akinyelure for this false allegation and defamation of our Client.

We have our Clients further instructions to take all appropriate legal actions against Senator Akinyelure and his media agents if our above stated demand is not met within Seven (7) days of their receipt of our demand letter.
3 1 of 3 San Antonio Pets Alive! Show More Show Less 2 of 3 San Antonio Pets Alive! Show More Show Less 3 of 3





San Antonio Pets Alive! recently saved two dogs who lost their owner to complications of the novel coronavirus, the local shelter said in a news release Monday.

Bentley, a senior purebred boxer, and Jase, a terrier mix, are both about 7-years-old and were picked up over the weekend after their owner's neighbor reached out to SAPA! for help. According to the non-profit organization, the owner, whose name was not released, suffered from a critical long-term illness when they contracted COVID-19.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OUTFRONT Media Inc. (NYSE: OUT) announced today that Matthew Siegel, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, is scheduled to present at the Oppenheimer 23rd Annual Technology, Internet & Communications Conference on Tuesday, August 11, 2020 at 8:50 a.m. Eastern Time. A live and replay audio webcast will be available on the investor relations section of the Company's website at www.OUTFRONTmedia.com.

About OUTFRONT Media Inc.

OUTFRONT leverages the power of technology, location and creativity to connect brands with consumers outside of their homes through one of the largest and most diverse sets of billboard, transit, and mobile assets in North America. Through its technology platform, OUTFRONT will fundamentally change the ways advertisers engage audiences on-the-go.

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SOURCE OUTFRONT Media Inc.

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Ewan McGregor and Charley Boorman have reunited for a new motorcycle series, Long Way Up, for Apple TV+.

Their last motorbike adventure around was Long Way Down in 2007.

Covering 13,000 miles over 100 days through 16 border crossings and 13 countries, starting from the city of Ushuaia at the tip of South America, they journey through the landscapes of South and Central America in their most challenging expedition to date, using cutting edge technology on the backs of their electric Harley-Davidson LiveWire motorcycles in order to contribute to the sustainability of the planet.

They trek through Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador and up through Colombia, Central America and Mexico. Also joining them are their longtime collaborators, directors David Alexanian and Russ Malkin following them in their electric Rivians.

The first three episodes will premiere globally on Apple TV+ on Friday 18 September, and new episodes will roll out weekly.
A key issue in flashy San Antonio personal-injury lawyer Thomas J. Henrys split with longtime partner Azteca Henry wouldnt be up for debate in a typical divorce case.

That is, are they even married?

Thomas, 58, argues theyre not husband and wife. Azteca, 42, says they are.

Records show they wed in 1999 but divorced 15 years ago.

However, according to a July 27 court filing by Azteca, the pair lived together at the time of their 2005 divorce and continued to live together until he moved out last summer.

She filed the latest divorce petition in November in San Antonio, using the couples initials  backward  rather than their names to hide the case from prying eyes.

The case surfaced last month when Thomas J. Henrys role in a court battle involving his new flame, Evelin Crossland, landed him in the spotlight.

Crossland has taken her estranged husband to court over their oil field services company, a legal dispute the husband claims Henry has bankrolled.

On ExpressNews.com: How Thomas J. Henry became mixed up in fight over San Antonio oil field services company

Drew Crossland submitted a court exhibit containing photos that Henry and Evelin, 30, posted to their Instagram accounts. The pictures include amorous poses with captions such as My Valentine with a heart emoji. Crossland contends the photos are proof of an extramarital and adulterous relationship.

Before it can be decided whether Azteca can get a divorce, shell first have to prove theyre married.

At a July 27 court hearing, Jeffrey Anderson, Thomas J. Henrys divorce lawyer, said the parties agreed to have a separate trial to determine whether the Henrys have a common law marriage.

In Texas, a common law marriage is considered a union when two adults consent to being married without the formality of obtaining a marriage license. Its also known as an informal marriage. Only seven other states allow common law marriages.

Whether the Henrys are married is a critical question in the eyes of the law. If theyre deemed to be husband and wife and a judge later issues a divorce decree, Azteca could receive a portion of the assets accumulated during the marriage.

The law says that community property and debt should be divided when you get divorced in a way that is just and right, said Susan Myres, a Houston family lawyer who has practiced for about 35 years and is president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. That doesnt necessarily mean the assets will be split 50/50, she added. Shes not involved in the Henrys divorce.

A bit too hard to get

Thomas and Azteca met at a gym in the early 1990s. Getting Azteca, who holds an accounting degree from Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, took some convincing, Thomas said in a 2014 San Antonio Express-News profile. The article identified Azteca as his wife.

She was playing a little bit too hard to get, made me have to try that much harder, he recalled of their early encounters. But I persevered. Its been the best thing in my life, meeting her.

They married June 3, 1999, Nueces County records show. It was Thomas third marriage.

The Henrys have two children, Maya and Thomas Jr., now adults. Thomas J. Henrys two previous marriages produced five children.

On ExpressNews.com: Corpus lawyer ratchets up profile with foray into S.A. politics

Court records show Azteca filed for divorce in April 2005 just as she did in November, using the couples reversed initials rather than their names on the petition. A judge signed a final divorce decree July 28, 2005.

Anderson, Thomas lawyer, said in an email that the couple had the divorce sealed for the protection of their children.

Since then and even now, he has supported her and their children in what has been a positive co-parenting relationship, Anderson said. Mr. Henry looks forward to resolving his differences with Azteca and again asks for privacy during this time relating to this matter.

In a July 27 court filing, however, Azteca alleged Thomas represented to her that the divorce would insulate and protect her and the marital estate from probable and potential liabilities resulting from his law practice.

Azteca didnt elaborate on why Thomas pushed for a divorce. A lawyer for Azteca didnt respond to a request for comment.

Azteca said they continued to live together as if there was no divorce.

They agreed to be married, and, in accordance with their agreement held themselves out as husband and wife and raised their children as a married couple, Azteca said in the court filing.

Common law marriage

The assertion touches on the three elements that determine whether a common law marriage exists, according to Texas law.

The first element centers on whether the couple agreed to be married. On this, the Henrys obviously disagree.

Theres no marriage, Anderson, Thomas lawyer, told a judge July 27.

Myres said: The element of whether they have an agreement to be married, theyre going to have to look at more than just the he-said, she-said.

Tax returns, health insurance records and bank accounts, along with social, school and government registries, may be offered as evidence by either side to show whether they agreed to be married, Myres said. What the Henrys children have to say also could come into play.

There is no limit to the areas that one could investigate to find evidence that they agreed to be married and held each other out as married, she added. The burden of proof is the preponderance of evidence.

The second element relates to whether the couple agreed to live together as husband and wife.

On this point, Azteca said they shared a Boerne mansion that was purchased under the name of a limited partnership in 2014. Thomas is the general partner.

Thomas made the move to Boerne with his wife and two teen children after more after more than 25 years in Corpus Christi, the Express-News reported in the 2014 profile.

It wouldnt be the last time Thomas represented Azteca as his wife. Whether a couple have represented themselves to others as a married couple is the third element in determining whether a common law marriage exists.

The Henrys lived together until about July of last year, Azteca said in her court filing.

Thomas moved out of the marital residence he shared with Azteca because he was involved in a public extramarital relationship which he continues to this day, she said in the document. Thomas now lives in the Dominion.

Hangin with Los Henrys

Thomas J. Henry is known for his ubiquitous ads on television and billboards heralding the huge personal injury awards won on behalf of his law firms clients.

His over-the-top self-promotion extends to social media and has included self-funding a YouTube series called Hangin with Los Henrys in late 2017.

A news release touted the show as a Reality Mini-Series Chronicling the Lives of Blended Mexican-American Millionaire Family. Thomas, Azteca, their two kids and Aztecas mother, Teresa Crawford, appeared in the episodes.

Thomas even hit the talk-show circuit to promote the show. On the nationally syndicated American Latino TV, Thomas introduced Azteca as my wife.

When somebody asked me, you know, youre not Mexican-American, my life and the people I love are Mexican-American, Thomas said on the program. I feel like Im part of their family. I know Im part of their family. And I think that their culture, their heritage and everything thats beautiful about their background is part of me now.

Myres, the Houston lawyer, described the American Latino TV interview as very persuasive evidence in Aztecas favor.

If somebody is out there on the airwaves saying, This is my wife, that seems to be an indication of what your state of mind is at that time, Myres said.

Hangin with Los Henrys may have been a byproduct of the wide notoriety Thomas achieved for throwing extravagant parties.

He dropped $6 million on daughter Mayas quinceanera in 2016. He followed that up in 2017 by throwing his son Thomas Jr. a $4 million 18th birthday bash attended by a number of celebrities.

Thereve been others. He presented the 2017 Maxim Super Bowl party in the Houston area and threw a $4.5 million 56th birthday celebration for himself in 2018 at a Miami Beach mansion.

Afterward, a publicist issued a news release sharing details of Thomas birthday blowout that was attended by 75 of his close friends and family, and featured such artists Cardi B and DJ Khaled. The release identified Henry family members, including his wife Azteca.

Azteca was photographed numerous times on Thomas arm at the various shindigs. One captured them smooching on stage while attendees held up cellphones to snap pictures.

A law firm employee

Its still early in the litigation, so its unclear what Thomas may offer up to show that hes not married. He vehemently denies the existence of an informal marriage and calls the claim dubious, according to a July 22 court filing.

In court papers filed July 27, Thomas accused Azteca of making material misrepresentations in the divorce petition, though he didnt elaborate.

In denying a marriage exists, Anderson referred to Azteca as an employee of Thomas law firm.

The firm hired Azteca at a $70,000 annual salary in 2011, a court document shows.

Azteca violated the employment contract and a confidentiality agreement by taking documents belonging to the law firm, Thomas has alleged.

What she took are client files, Mr. Henrys personal tax returns and some of her personal items, Anderson said.

Azteca also holds law firm financial records, he said, adding: A law firm that is his separate property awarded to him in their divorce in 2005. The firm employs 487 people, data from the U.S. Small Business Administration show.

In a July 2 email submitted as a court exhibit, Brad Coldwell, one of Aztecas lawyers, said Azteca removed boxes from the firms Corpus Christi office. Most of the contents relate to her fathers criminal case and the rest belong to her, Coldwell wrote.

Thomas cited the misappropriation of proprietary information as a reason for not answering questions that are part of Aztecas discovery in the divorce.

A separate arbitration proceeding over whether Azteca violated the employment agreement is pending.

Meanwhile, Anderson accused Azteca of changing evidence by amending her tax returns to show her status as married filing separately rather than as a single filer  the implication being its an attempt to bolster her claim that theyre married.

If shes willing to change evidence, then what is to stop her from changing the evidence that shes taken (from the firm) and given to her attorneys? Anderson said.

Henrys finances

The issue of whether the Henrys have a common law marriage seems to touch on all aspects of the divorce case.

For example, Aztecas lawyers indicated they wish to dig into Thomas finances because they want him to pay her monthly support, attorneys fees and other expenses, as well as ensure she has continued access to the Boerne home and vehicles.

Ms. Henry is not getting any support, Coldwell said at the July 27 hearing. Hes made some payments on some assets, (which Thomas J. Henrys) going to say she has no right or interest.

Without any financial information, shes hamstrung, he added. Azteca wants to see Thomas assets, liabilities, financial statements, monthly income and cash on hand.

Anderson objected to turning over many of the intimate details.

Theyre not entitled to his financial information until somebody decides theres a marriage, and I dont think anybodys going to decide that theres a marriage ever, he said. Azteca continues to draw a paycheck from the Henry law firm, even though shes not working, Anderson added.

State District Judge Cynthia Marie Chapa, who presided over the hearing, ordered Thomas J. Henry to turn over only information relating to his cash on hand and the bills hes paying.

On Friday, the two sides were trying to hammer out a confidentiality order or agreement to ensure tax returns, financial information and medical records dont become public. Later this week, the parties are slated to exchange information addressing whether theres a marriage.

Thomas has moved to seal court records and close all court proceedings. Closing the proceedings is necessary to protect him and his business interests, he maintains.

Anderson is scheduled to take Aztecas deposition Aug. 26. The next day, Coldwell is slated to depose Thomas.

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
Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, on Monday, constituted an 8-man probe panel to investigate the Federal government alloca...

Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq of Kwara State, on Monday, constituted an 8-man probe panel to investigate the Federal government allocations accruing to the 16 local government councils in the State.





The panel will also probe the councils share of the internally generated revenue from May 29, 2019 to date.





A statement by his spokesman, Rafiu Ajakaye, on Monday night in Ilorin, announced the constitution of the panel.





In pursuance of the powers conferred on the governor of Kwara state, under the Commission of Inquiry Law CAP C17 Laws of Kwara state, 2006 and other enabling law in that regard, l Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, the Governor of Kwara state, hereby constitutes a panel of inquiry into local government federal allocations and IGR accruing to local government councils from May 29,2019, to date, the statement noted.





The terms of reference of the panel include among others, to ascertain the amounts received by local government councils as statutory allocation from the Federal government from May 29, 2019 to date.





It will also determine and ascertain the amounts received by the local governments as IGR from the Kwara State Internal Revenue Service, KWIRS, from May 29, 2019 to date.





The panel will determine and ascertain the amounts received by the local governments from other sources into the Joint Allocation Account Committee, JAAC, from May 29, 2019 to date.





It is further mandated to investigate the veracity of the claim of N300m monthly deductions by the Kwara state government from the local government funds from May 29, 2019 to date.





The probe panel, which has two weeks to submit its report, will also determine whether the state government borrowed money from banks or financial institutions to pay salaries at any point in time from May 29, 2019 to date.





It will further determine the duplicity or otherwise by any Kwara state public official on the matter of local government funds and how the funds mentioned above were spent monthly by the JAAC.





Former Governor and ex-Senate President, Bukola Saraki was one of the governors within the period under review.





The constitution of the probe panel is coming after the governors official request to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, and the state legislature to probe the matter.




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Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 07:45 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b5655a 1 Business Garuda-Indonesia,aviation-industry,loss,financial-report,COVID-19 Free

National flag carrier Garuda Indonesia turned in a loss of US$712.73 million in the first half of this year after booking a net profit of $24.11 million in the same period last year as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to batter the airline industry.

Garuda president director Irfan Setiaputra said the COVID-19 pandemic forced the company to cut its flight frequency and such a measure had severely affected the companys revenues and profits.

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a severe impact on the companys performance as our daily flight frequency has been reduced from around 400 to 100 flights. In addition, the number of passengers has also plummeted by around 90 percent, he said in a statement on Saturday.

Garudas total revenue in this years first six months nosedived by 58.2 percent year on year (yoy) to $917.28 million, according to the companys financial report submitted with the Indonesian Stock Exchange (IDX).

Scheduled flights remain the airlines largest revenue source despite plunging by almost 60 percent annually to $750.26 million. Meanwhile, revenue from unscheduled or chartered flights soared by almost 400 percent yoy to $21.55 million in the first half.

Its operating expenses, at the same time, were down by 22 percent yoy to $1.6 billion in the same period.

The company has taken strategic financial steps by renegotiating airplane leasing costs, loan restructuring and increasing cost efficiency to align between the supply and demand trends during the pandemic, Irfan said.

The aviation industry is among the sectors hit the hardest during the pandemic as people are required to stay at home to help limit the coronavirus spread.

The Indonesian tourist sector has lost Rp 85 trillion (US$5.87 billion) in revenue so far this year as the pandemic unfolds. The hotel and restaurant industry has lost nearly Rp 70 trillion in revenue while aviation and tour operators have lost Rp 15 trillion in revenue as leisure travel has come to a virtual halt.

The government opened resort island Bali over the weekend as part of its efforts to prevent the economy and tourism from completely paralyzing. An estimated 4,000 passengers reportedly arrived at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport on the first day of Bali's reopening to domestic tourists on Friday.

Jasa Utama Capital analyst Chris Apriliony projected on Monday that Garuda would post a better result in the third quarter compared with the second quarter as the number of flights would slightly increase despite remaining lower than normal.

As the COVID-19 vaccine is still under clinical trials, the public remains reluctant to take unnecessary trips using airplanes, he said.

To keep the carrier afloat, the House of Representatives in mid-July gave the green light for the government to provide Garuda with Rp 8.5 trillion through a mandatory convertible bond (MCB) scheme.

The MCB will require conversion of the said bonds into stock in the company in accordance with the contractual conversion date.

The MCB for the airline is expected to have a tenure of three years, with state-owned infrastructure financing company PT Sarana Multi Infrastruktur (SMI) acting as the bond buyer and eventually becoming a shareholder in the company.

The MCB scheme is part of the governments national economic recovery (PEN) program to support the recovery of the virus-wracked economy. Under Government Regulation No. 23/3030 on the program, the government has allocated more than Rp 152 trillion to bail out state-owned enterprises (SOEs), including Garuda, through capital injections, among other mechanisms.

However, seeing the massive amount of losses booked during the first half, Chris expected that the MCB would not have a significant impact on the carrier.

The governments injection will not provide a significant impact if the companys revenue continues decreasing in the future, he said.

Garuda also recorded a significant amount of provision for bad debt expenses amounting to $63.96 million during the first half, which affected the companys overall performance, Chris said.

While the provision for bad debt expense isnt really large compared with the overall costs, it has become an additional burden for the company, he added.

Shares in Garuda, traded on the IDX with the code GIAA, plunged 4.92 percent on Monday as the main gauge, the Jakarta Composite Index (JCI), fell 2.78 percent. The stock has lost 53.41 percent of its value so far this year.

Read also: House approves Rp 8.5t in convertible bond for ailing Garuda
In-depth Analysis and Data-driven Insights on the Impact of COVID-19 Included in this Africa Data Center Market Report. The Africa data center market by revenue is expected to grow at a CAGR of over 12% during the period 20192025.

New York, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Reportlinker.com announces the release of the report "Data Center Market in Africa - Industry Outlook and Forecast 2020-2025" - https://www.reportlinker.com/p05822887/?utm_source=GNW





Africa data center market size is expected to cross $3 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of over 12% during the forecast period. The Africa data center industry has witnessed a steady interest from major global cloud service providers such as AWS and Microsoft, along with Huawei over the last five years. The increasing demand for cloud-based services and modular data center solutions among enterprises, especially in SMEs and government agencies, are expected to drive the market in Africa. It is expected that over 70% of organizations operating in the region will shift to the cloud region by 2025. South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, and Nigeria are at the forefront of improving the digital economy. These countries, along with cloud-based service adoption, have also witnessed high usage of big data analytics.



Several African countries are yet to be cloud-ready, and the improvement in inland and submarine connectivity will see multiple enterprises migrating their workloads to the cloud during the forecast period. A majority of the investment in Africa is led by colocation and telecommunication service providers, followed by enterprises and government agencies due to the installation of modular data centers.



The rapid spread of COVID-19 has significantly increased data traffic since March 2020. To provide high availability services to end-users, operators are taking precautionary measures for their on-site employees. Colocation data center operators have taken steps to manage the available workforce to monitor their existing faculties without any service disruption. Construction projects in African countries have not been completed halted after the outbreak of the COVID-19. A reduced workforce followed restrictions imposed by the government on site. The impact of the pandemic in African countries is low-to-moderate.



The following factors are likely to contribute to the growth of the Africa data center market during the forecast period:

 Availability of Renewable Energy fuels Procurement Growth

 Smart City Initiatives Fuel Data Center/Edge Deployments

 Government Support to Boost Digital Economy

 Increase in Adoption of All-flash Storage Solutions



The study considers the present scenario of the Africa data center market and its market dynamics for the period 2019?2025. It covers a detailed overview of several market growth enablers, restraints, and trends. The report offers both the demand and supply aspects of the market. It profiles and examines leading companies and other prominent ones operating in the market.



Africa data center market size is expected to cross $3 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of over 12% during the forecast period. The Africa data center industry has witnessed a steady interest from major global cloud service providers such as AWS and Microsoft, along with Huawei over the last five years. The increasing demand for cloud-based services and modular data center solutions among enterprises, especially in SMEs and government agencies, are expected to drive the market in Africa. It is expected that over 70% of organizations operating in the region will shift to the cloud region by 2025. South Africa, Kenya, Morocco, Egypt, and Nigeria are at the forefront of improving the digital economy. These countries, along with cloud-based service adoption, have also witnessed high usage of big data analytics.



Several African countries are yet to be cloud-ready, and the improvement in inland and submarine connectivity will see multiple enterprises migrating their workloads to the cloud during the forecast period. A majority of the investment in Africa is led by colocation and telecommunication service providers, followed by enterprises and government agencies due to the installation of modular data centers.



The rapid spread of COVID-19 has significantly increased data traffic since March 2020. To provide high availability services to end-users, operators are taking precautionary measures for their on-site employees. Colocation data center operators have taken steps to manage the available workforce to monitor their existing faculties without any service disruption. Construction projects in African countries have not been completed halted after the outbreak of the COVID-19. A reduced workforce followed restrictions imposed by the government on site. The impact of the pandemic in African countries is low-to-moderate.



Africa Data Center Market Segmentation

The Africa data center market research report includes a detailed segmentation by IT infrastructure, electrical infrastructure, mechanical infrastructure, general construction, tier standards, and geography. The server market in Africa is expected to witness significant growth in the next few years due to investments from major cloud service providers in the region. It is likely to grow with the increase in the physical presence of SaaS providers. These expansions will increase the demand for servers and promote the procurement of high-performance infrastructure solutions. The trend of adopting organization-specific software over the cloud platform will also increase the demand for high computing servers.



UPS systems are widely adopted to provide backup power for cooling systems installed in the region. Over the last five years, the operators have been laying higher emphasis on the monitoring of batteries in the UPS system. The adoption of lithium-ion batteries is expected to grow during the forecast period as their price will continue to decline. However, the use of lithium-ion batteries will be witnessed only after 3 to 4 years in Africa, as many operators start to build large and hyper-scale facilities in the continent.



Data centers in Africa support the use of free cooling systems as they take advantage of cold nights and winter seasons in the region. This will lead to the adoption of free cooling chillers. Operators in the African region are still dependent on air-based cooling techniques. Dedicated data center buildings, especially those operating at higher rack densities, are witnessing the use of chilled water systems. The operators are looking for efficient solutions to reduce their CAPEX and OPEX, maintain data center space, and reduce the power consumption of cooling units.



The greenfield development of data centers in South Africa, Morocco, Kenya, Nigeria, and Egypt will continue to grow along with the installation of on-site renewable power sources such as solar energy to partially or entirely power the operations. Global construction contractors dominate the Africa data center construction market as principal contractors and local construction companies as sub-contractors. However, the increasing demand is prompting contractors to consider data centers as continuous revenue generators with a skilled workforce trained in building the facilities. Labor costs are low in the country. However, the demand for a skilled workforce will increase labor costs in the region. The growth in greenfield facilities will generate more revenue for installation and commission service providers.



The number of Tier I and Tier II data centers in Africa has reduced significantly over the last five years because of high awareness about the use of redundant infrastructure. UPS and PDU systems of Tier II facilities are equipped with a minimum of N+N redundancy. Most under-developed projects across the region fall under the Tier III category. This trend is likely to continue throughout the forecast period, with many operators expected to move to the Tier IV category based on the growth in rack power density and critical applications. Tier IV facilities are equipped with at least 2N+1 redundancy in infrastructure that makes the facility fault-tolerant, with UPS systems and PDUs having 2N+2 redundancy. In Africa, mostly enterprises offering cloud services are likely to develop Tier IV facilities during the forecast period.



Segmentation by IT Infrastructure

 Server Infrastructure

 Storage Infrastructure

 Network Infrastructure

Segmentation by Electrical Infrastructure

 UPS Systems

 Generators

 Transfer Switches & Switchgears

 PDUs

 Other Electrical Infrastructure

Segmentation by Mechanical Infrastructure

 Cooling Systems

o CRAC & CRAH Units

o Chiller Units

o Cooling Towers & Dry Coolers

o Other Units

 Racks

 Other Mechanical Infrastructure

Segmentation by General Construction

 Building Development

 Installation & Commissioning Services

 Building Designs

 Physical Security

 DCIM

Tier Standard

 Tier I & Tier II

 Tier III

 Tier IV



INSIGHTS BY GEOGRAPHY

Data center facilities in South Africa are equipped with reliable power backup sources. The country suffers from non-reliability in the power supply. UPSs and generators will continue to grow due to the increasing construction of large and mega facilities and the inaccurate power grid connectivity. The increased need for data center solutions in the country is expected to fuel the demand for transfer switches and switchgear during the forecast period.



South Africa is likely to move to the adoption of free-cooling chillers or evaporative coolers. The market for cooling systems is likely to depend on the construction of mega and hyperscale data center, especially of 10 MW capacity. While several smaller facilities in Africa use DX-based CRAC units, medium and extensive facilities are installing CRAH units. The implementation of air-cooled CRAC systems with cooling units that use refrigerants or glycol-based cooling is expected to grow during the forecast period. In terms of general construction, most colocation facilities in the country have installed physical security solutions, ranging from perimeters to rack-guarded through CCTV cameras and biometric systems. Companies have also adopted DCIM/BMS solutions that enable remote monitoring of entire operations.



Segmentation by Africa

 South Africa

 Morocco

 Kenya

 Nigeria

 Other Countries



INSIGHTS BY VENDORS

The Africa market has a strong presence of leading IT infrastructure vendors - HPE, Dell Technologies, Cisco, Huawei, IBM, and Lenovo. The Africa data center market share is growing YOY due to the increase in digitalization initiatives. Schneider Electric, Vertiv, and Huawei are the major vendors in electrical infrastructure and have a strong presence in the market. In terms of generators, Cummins and Caterpillar have a strong market presence. Multiple colocation providers are operating in this market with strong partnerships with facility operators. The market for mechanical infrastructure comprises multiple systems that provide sufficient cooling solutions for the growing rack power density. The market will witness intense competition owing to the growing construction of data centers over the next few years. The Africa data center market comprises several construction contractors, architectural and engineering firms, physical security vendors, and DCIM solutions providers.



Prominent IT Infrastructure Vendors

 Arista

 Broadcom

 Cisco

 Dell Technologies

 Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE)

 Huawei

 IBM

 Juniper

 Lenovo

 NetApp



Prominent Data Center Support Infrastructure Vendors

 ABB

 Caterpillar

 Cummins

 Eaton

 Shenzhen Envicool Technology

 Legrand

 MTU On Site Energy

 Schneider Electric

 STULZ

 Rittal

 Vertiv



Prominent Construction Contractors

 Atkins

 Aveng Grinaker

 Concor

 Edarat Group

 Etix Everywhere

 Future-tech

 Huawei

 ISG



Prominent Data Center Investors

 Africa Data Centres (Liquid Telecom)

 Amazon Web Services (AWS)

 Icolo.io

 Internet Technologies Angola (ITA)

 Inwi

 MDXi (MainOne)

 N+ONE

 Orange

 Raxio Data Center

 Rayan Data Center

 Teraco Data Environments



Key Questions Answered

1. What is the Africa data center market size and growth rate during the forecast period?

2. What are the factors impacting the growth of the Africa data center market share?

3. How is the growth of electrical and mechanical infrastructure affecting the growth of the Africa data center market?

4. Who are the leading vendors in the Africa data center market, and what are their market shares?

5. What is the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the South Africa data center market?

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05822887/?utm_source=GNW



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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CONTACT: Clare: clare@reportlinker.com US: (339)-368-6001 Intl: +1 339-368-6001




SecDef visits B-21 facilities in Florida

Secretary of the Air Force Public Affairs / Published August 03, 2020

MELBOURNE, Fla (AFNS) -- Secretary of Defense Dr. Mark Esper, visited the B-21 Raider design and development headquarters at Northrop Grumman, to witness the progress being made on the nation's most cutting edge dual-capable stealth bomber.

"Nuclear modernization is a department priority  especially in our efforts to implement the National Defense Strategy. We have made great strides in ensuring the strength and reliability of our nation's nuclear deterrent. The ability to strike any target, anywhere is the ultimate strategic deterrent and the B-21 Raider will bring that capability," Esper said.

"I am thoroughly impressed by the dedication and progress across the B-21 Raider team."

During the visit, engineers explained how the B-21 Raider uses digital engineering, prototyping and modern software development. The team also described to Esper how the B-21 Raider incorporates lessons from past programs to improve producibility and maintainability, which will enable more efficient production and sustainment. Furthermore, the use of open systems architectures preserves the ability to effectively adapt to future threats.

Gen. Timothy Ray, commander of Air Force Global Strike Command and Air Forces Strategic-Air, U.S. Strategic Command, joined Esper on the facility tour.

"We're excited to get the B-21 Raider to bases in the mid-2020s. The progress I saw today further adds to my confidence that the B-21 Raider will preserve our long range strike and penetrating bomber capability," Ray said.

Randy Walden, director of the Department of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office and program executive officer for the B-21 Raider program, described the parallel efforts ongoing in Palmdale, California, and throughout the country to expand the production capacity across the supply base: "The first test aircraft is being built, and it's starting to look like an airplane. Suppliers from across the country are delivering parts that are coming together now. Aircraft programs will always have a few surprises early on, and we won't be any different, but overall the B-21 Raider is coming along nicely," Walden said.

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For nearly a decade, Raytheon Technologies (NYSE:RTX) has been assisting Israeli defense company Rafael with development and marketing of the latter's Iron Dome missile defense system, used to intercept and destroy incoming drones, cruise missiles, rockets, and mortar and artillery shells. Now, Raytheon will get a chance to help build Iron Dome missiles as well.

On Monday, Raytheon and Rafael announced they're taking their collaboration on Iron Dome to a new level. Forming a new joint venture in the U.S., the two defense companies will jointly produce Iron Dome missiles in the U.S., for sale to the U.S. military and potential foreign allies.

Iron Dome is famed as the missile defense system that Israel used during Hamas attacks against it in conflicts in last 2012, and subsequently. Out of 500-plus hostile missiles launched at Israel from Gaza between Nov. 14 and Nov. 21, 2012, that posed a threat to Israeli population centers, Iron Dome missiles reportedly destroyed 85% of their assigned targets -- meaning the missile defense system could be as much as twice as effective as Raytheon's own Patriot missile system, built in cooperation with Lockheed Martin.

A devised by Rafael, Iron Dome comprises two main parts: a Tamir interceptor missile and a Tamir launcher. The new joint venture will modify this slightly, pairing the Tamir launcher with a SkyHunter interceptor missile instead, described as a "derivative of Tamir."

The U.S. Army is currently reviewing multiple such missile defense systems, with a view to acquiring a new one to supplement its existing Patriots. Today's announcement would appear to suggest Raytheon and Rafael believe they're not just in the running -- but ready to ramp up production when they win.
La Poste is a state-owned public limited company, subsidiary of the Caisse des Depots and the State. Le Groupe La Poste is structured around five core business units: Services-Mail-Parcels, La Banque Postale, Network La Poste, GeoPost and Digital Services. The Group operates out of 47 countries on four continents. La Poste's 17,000 postal retail outlets make it France's leading local business network, serving 1.3 million customers every day. La Poste has been carbon neutral since 2012 and delivers 21.6 billion items worldwide (letters, printed advertising media and parcels), 6 days a week. In 2019, the Group generated 26 billion in revenues (30% from outside France) with a headcount of more than 249,000. La Poste aims to further develop its transformation through on-going diversification. With its goal of becoming the leading company in local personal services, for everyone, everywhere, every day, La Poste is committed to making life simpler for all.

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.
Melbournes COVID-19 second wave has led to a brutal disruption to the citys retail sector that industry experts believe will mean some businesses die, others thrive and there are permanent changes to how we shop.

The state governments decision to close all non-essential stores for six weeks is expected to force already struggling businesses to the wall, but Australian Retailers Association chief Paul Zahra welcomed "significant concessions'' designed to preserve online trading.

Australian Retailers Association chief executive Paul Zahra says the pandemic has brought forward years' worth of disruption. Credit:Eamon Gallagher

There is no doubt COVID-19 has accelerated trends that were already occurring in the retail industry,'' the former David Jones boss said. "It has brought forward about a decades worth of change.

Consumer behaviour, once it changes, is embedded. What we will see is this move to contactless shopping and shopping online. Those retailers that are doing that are going to survive this pandemic. Those that arent able to pivot will be left behind."
To the editor,

We are pleased at Metro-North Railroad that weve been able to retrofit existing vending machines at New York stations to sell personal protective equipment that will help protect our customers from the spread of the coronavirus.

But your criticism over lack of machines in Connecticut (thumbs down, July 28) is misdirected. Train stations in Connecticut and what goes in them are solely and wholly the responsibility of Connecticuts Department of Transportation. Our colleagues at Connecticut DOT are as committed to the safety of our customers as we are, and we have provided information about the vending machine program to them for potential expansion of the program to their stations.

Catherine Rinaldi is president of MTA Metro-North Railroad.
A team led by Massimo Squatrito, Head of the Seve Ballesteros Foundation Brain Tumour Group at the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre (CNIO), have made important findings of how some gliomas can acquire chemoresistance. Carried out together with the laboratory of Jiguang Wang from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) and a clinical team led by Tao Jiang from Beijing Neurological Institute, and published in Nature Communications, the study provides also new clues on how to monitor the efficacy of therapy.

At present, the main, and virtually only, treatment for glioma - a very common type of tumour originating in the brain - is a combination of radiotherapy and the chemotherapy agent temozolomide. This type of treatment can improve patients' survival rates by up to 30%. Similar to most of the chemotherapy drugs, temozolomide induces DNA damage in cancer cells. Gliomas can progress by repairing this damage through an enzyme encoded by the MGMT gene. In patients whose MGMT activity is blocked because of a modification of its promoter called 'hypermethylation', cancer cells cannot repair the temozolomide-induced damage and collapse.

Unfortunately, up to 40-50% of patients are intrinsically resistant to temozolomide. These patients express high levels of MGMT and the tumour continue growing under treatment. Now, the recent study carried out by the CNIO and the HKUST team shows that a subset of patients acquires a specific genetic alteration that can evade the combined therapy.

Control changes hands

"Translocation of the MGMT gene was observed in a group of patients," says Massimo Squatrito. "These genomic rearrangements involve the fusion of MGMT with other genes, which means that MGMT is now regulated by the promoters it is fused with, that contributes to its overexpression. When this type of rearrangements take place, the temozolomide-induced DNA damage is very efficiently repaired and the glioma continues growing even under treatment."

The team at the HKUST validated the presence of the genetic rearrangement in a subset of a large cohort of recurrent tumours, coming from different hospitals, mainly from Beijing Tiantan Hospital. Using the CRISPR-Cas9 genomic editing tool, the team at CNIO replicated some of these translocations in different cell and animal models and confirmed that they can confer resistance to temozolomide. "It appears that the translocations are not present in the original tumour, only in recurrent ones, that are, tumours that emerge after the original cancer is treated," Squatrito says. "This indicates that the resistance may occur as a consequence to the treatment itself."

The findings may lead to changes in the methods to monitor therapy efficacy: "Currently, the only known therapeutic biomarker in gliomas is the analysis of MGMT promoter status. When methylated, the MGMT gene is silenced and the patient is predicted to respond to temozolomide. The study shows this method is no longer valid when there has been a genetic translocation. The promoter might still be blocked, but the gene is being overactivated by other promoters and hence could contribute to tumour recurrence."

Another relevant finding from animal models is that the MGMT translocations are present in exosomes -extracellular vesicles released by glioma cells into the bloodstream. "If this finding is validated in patients, it could become a useful tool for early resistance detection. A liquid biopsy, that is, a simple test using blood samples, could tell us when patients are developing resistance to temozolomide, and they could be advised to switch to other therapeutic options when they will become available."

The next step will be identifying novel treatment intervention for the temozolomide resistant patients.

###

The study was funded by the National Institute of Health Carlos III of Spain, the Seve Ballesteros Foundation, the Spanish Association Against Cancer (AECC), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), the Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, the Beijing Municipal Administration of Hospitals, the Beijing Nova Program and the Beijing Talents Foundation.

About The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is a world-class research intensive university that focuses on science, technology and business as well as humanities and social science. HKUST offers an international campus, and a holistic and interdisciplinary pedagogy to nurture well-rounded graduates with global vision, a strong entrepreneurial spirit and innovative thinking. HKUST attained the highest proportion of internationally excellent research work in the Research Assessment Exercise 2014 of Hong Kong's University Grants Committee, and is ranked as the world's best young university in Times Higher Education's Young University Rankings 2020. Its graduates were ranked 10th worldwide and top in Greater China in Global University Employability Survey 2019.

About the CNIO

The CNIO is a Spanish public institution dedicated to the research, diagnosis and treatment of cancer, and affiliated to the Carlos III Institute of Health (Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities). It is one of the 10 leading cancer research centres in the world (Scimago Institutions Rankings World Report; Nature Index) and covers the entire R&D and Innovation spectrum, from basic research to the clinic, with a view to transferring the results quickly and efficiently to the National Health System and to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology market.

The CNIO has an Experimental Therapeutics Program that covers the initial stages of the development of drugs directed against the therapeutic targets its scientists are working on. Some of the CNIO's compounds have been licensed to international pharmaceutical companies. In addition, the CNIO is actively involved in 'open innovation' programs of international pharmaceutical companies, which has resulted in an influx of more than 25 million euros into the CNIO in the past 6 years. Finally, three spin-off companies have emerged from the CNIO, which have also allowed patients to benefit from the centre's developments. These data reflect the Institution's commitment to innovation and technology transfer and illustrate the importance of public-private collaboration for the advancement in the diagnosis and treatment of disease.

Reference article: MGMT genomic rearrangements contribute to chemotherapy resistance in gliomas. Barbara Oldrini et al. (Nature Communications, 2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-17717-0
While many of the world's nations have been around for centuries, some have formed in just the past two decades, as country states declared independence and developed their own national borders. These are five of the world's most recently born countries, founded since 2000.

South Sudan

Northeast Africa's South Sudan, also referred to as Southern Sudan, is the newest country on the list, formed just eight years ago after separating from Sudan, to the north, on July 9, 2011. It was made up of Sudan's ten most southern states and has become known as one of the most diverse countries in Africa with more than 60 ethnic groups.

The fight to become an independent nation lasted for decades, rooted largely in cultural and religious discrepancies. South Sudan's population is made up of African cultures adhering to Christian or animist beliefs, whereas Sudan's government is chiefly Muslim and Arab. Once independence was established, tensions continued to rise between South Sudan and neighboring Sudan over currency, trade, and oil revenue-sharing. The issue of border demarcation nearly brought the two countries to war on more than one occasion.

Juba, the capital of South Sudan. Image credit: Frontpage/Shutterstock

Though South Sudan won its emancipation from Sudan, it has been enwrapped in civil war since shortly after its second birthday, when the president and vice-president had a falling out. Escalating ethnic violence and rebel activity have plagued the country and stirred tensions among its citizens.

Kosovo

Once part of the former Yugoslavia, Kosova took its independence from Serbia on February 17, 2008. Its fight for sovereignty began more than a century ago, when Serbia separated from the Ottoman Empire, regaining control of Kosovo in 1912 after the First Balkan War. That control was lost during the First World War, in 1915, then later regained. After World War II, Yugoslavia gave Kosovo status as an autonomous region, and in 1974 it was granted status as a socialist autonomous province within Serbia.

By 1981, riots had broken out with Kosovo Albanians fighting for the province to be given full republic status. In 1989, Slobodan Milosevic, who had won power in Belgrade and became leader of the Serbian Republic, eliminated Kosovo's autonomy and imposed direct rule. Kosovo Albanians began peaceful resistance efforts in the early 1990s and when it failed to effect change the Kosovo Liberation Army (KLA), n ethnic Albanian guerilla organization, was formed in 1996. Milosevic reacted in 1998 with brutal police and military action against the KLA and civilians, and his refusal to halt the campaign resulted in a NATO military response to end the violence, including 78 days of bombing in 1999 that ended with Kosovo being placed under the administration of the United Nations.

The National Library of Kosovo, Pristina, Kosovo. Image credit: Martyn Jandula/Shutterstock

The first direct talks of sovereignty since 1999 began between ethnic Serbian and Kosovo leaders in 2006. When it declared independence from Serbia in 2008, Kosovo agreed to embrace multi-ethnicity and to welcome a period of international supervision. Serbia claimed the declaration of independence was illegal, but European powers and the United States, among with several other global powers like Canada and Japan, recognized the independent state of Kosovo. Currently, Serbia does not recognize Kosovo's independence, but relations between the two states are improving.

Serbia

Also one of the seven countries that arose from the division of the former Yugoslavia, Serbia became its own nation in 2006 when it split from Montenegro after years of struggling under a repressive Yugoslav government and undergoing its own economic reformation.

Belgrade's historic city center, Serbia. Image credit: MarinaDa/Shutterstock

In the late 1990s, tensions flared in Kosovo and threatened the stability of Serbia's rehabilitation. The KLA began making sporadic attacks on Serbian police and other officials when it formed in 1996 and in 1998 this resulted in an armed uprising in Drenica. The Serbian military attempted to regain control over Kosovo and caused mass destruction of more than 500 villages, the deaths of more than 10,000 ethnic Albanian citizens of Kosovo, and the exodus of upwards of 200,000 refugees.

It was around this time Serbia's sister region, Montenegro, called for the independence of the two from Yugoslavia. By 2003, Serbia, Montenegro, and Yugoslavia had ratified a pact that would separate the three entities, and in 2006 Montenegro and Serbia ended their federation, splitting into two independent nations.

Montenegro

Montenegro shares much the same history as its former partner in the fight for independence, Serbia. Though much smaller, Montenegro led the charge to separate from Yugoslavia, forming a pro-independence governing coalition in 2001. After ratifying the pact for independence in 2006, Montenegro held a historical referendum and declared itself separated from Serbia on June 3 the same year.

Montenegro had initially joined forces with Serbia after the 1989 break-up of Yugoslavia to fight the secession of Slovenia and Croatia. In 1992, Montenegro and Serbia became a federal republic unto themselves, but their relations began to deteriorate when Montenegrins became frustrated with Serbia's greater access to power and its inability to achieve necessary economic reform. The two halves of the federation also disagreed over conduct in the Bosnian and Croatian wars, and political tempers flared through the late 1990s.

Kotor, Montenegro. Image credit: S-F/Shutterstock

By 2002, Montenegro announced plans to hold a referendum on secession from the federation with Serbia, which resulted in Yugoslavia and Serbia negotiating an agreement that forced Montenegro's continued bind with Serbia, going so far as to rename the union Serbia and Montenegro in 2003, and allowed each republic the ability to hold a referendum on independence after three years.

In 2006 Montenegrins held its referendum on separation with 55.5% voting in favor, just hovering over the threshold of 55% necessary to call the vote.

Timor-Leste

Also known as East Timor, the southeast Asian country in the Lesser Sunda Islands is comprised of the eastern half the island of Timor, nearby islands Atauro (Kambing) and Jaco, and well as the enclave of Ambeno, after declaring its independence from Indonesia on May 20, 2002. It was the first new sovereign state to be created this century.

Once occupied by the Japanese in the Second World War, the East Timor province and Ambeno enclave remained in Portuguese possession afterwards until 1975 when a new political party, the Revolutionary Front for an Independent East Timor, took over and subsequently declared the region independent as the Democratic Republic of East Timor. Consequently, Indonesian forces invaded and occupied the region, claiming East Timor to be integral to the nation.

A busy market in Dili, Timor-Leste. Image credit: amnat30/Shutterstock

Over 20 years more than 150,000 people of East Timor perished, either from resistance against the Indonesian occupation or from famine and disease in a war-torn republic. Feeling international pressure, the Indonesian government granted East Timor a referendum in 1999 and almost four-fifths of voters supported separation. East Timor was granted its independence, with a caveat that it was non-self-governing under United Nations supervision.

In April 2002, East Timor achieved its full status as a sovereign state.
Andhra Pradesh: Procure shrimp through MPEDA in Andhra Pradesh, says NaCSA member

August 04,2020 | Source: The Hindu

National Centre for Sustainable Aquaculture (NaCSA-Kakinada) General Council Member Sykam Bhaskara Rao on Sunday appealed the State government to ensure procurement of shrimp by the Marine Products Exports Development Authority (MPEDA). It is learnt that the shrimp farmer had been badly hit due to the spread of COVID-19, which impacted on the availability of workers in the processing units, disturbing the export operations.



In an official release, Mr. Bhasakara Rao has said; The monopoly in the shrimp trade could only be tackled only when the MPEDA begins the procurement of the shrimp, which prices are normally dictated by the individual exporters. Despite Andhra Pradesh being the leading shrimp exporting State, there is no regulated marketing system in place to guarantee the remunerative price for the shrimp. A majority of the farmers engaged in the shrimp cultivation is small or middle scale farmers. The financial assistance from the Centre must be spent on creating shrimp purchasing centres, where the fair trade will ensure remunerative price for the farmer, said Machilipatnam-based Mr. Bhaskara Rao.
Port Colborne will continue to be a destination for out-of-towners all summer.

The municipally-operated Nickel Beach, which is not turning away guests who dont have a Port Colborne address, is always a draw when the warm weather arrives, said fire Chief Tom Cartwright.

It has reached capacity several times this summer, as it did Saturday.

Rainy weather kept crowds away Sunday, and a modest crowd on Monday enjoyed the final third of the long weekend at the public beach.

In his nearly 20 years as the head of Port Colborne Fire and Emergency Services, Cartwright said this is one of the busiest summers he has seen in the city in a long time.

He attributes this to warm weather, people coming out of lockdown and Nickel Beach being an already popular destination that isnt turning away people who dont reside in Niagara, as Fort Erie and St. Catharines public beaches are.

The city is a focal point for surrounding regions.

Everybody wants to go to the beach, and theyre headed to Port Colborne, Cartwright said.

At certain times, its overwhelming.

On July 22, two days before Toronto would be heading into Stage 3 of reopening, Wainfleet Mayor Kevin Gibson said he expected beach crowds in Niagara would shrink as more amenities opened up in the big city.

Cartwright isnt sure if this is the case.

Youd like to think it would, but Saturday it was pretty chaotic down there, he said about Nickel Beach.

On Saturday, Niagara Regional Police posted on Twitter that beaches in Port Colborne and Wainfleet had reached capacity and that additional officers had been deployed to assist bylaw staff.

Social media posts, roadside signage on highways 3 and 140, as well as near the Welland Canals Bridge 21, have been informing travellers when Nickel Beach is full.

On Saturday, bylaw staff issued 20 tickets for illegal parking in the area, said the citys corporate communications officer, Michelle Idzenga.

Police and the fire department were patrolling to monitor physical distancing and traffic flow, she said. Sunday and Monday were both not very busy.

Nickel Beach hit its limit at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday.

NRP Staff Sgt.Aaron Gross said there were minor issues in his jurisdiction on the weekend.

The majority of them are parking-related. The weather played a factor and limited the crowds on the beach, he said Tuesday.

On Saturday, crowds appeared as large as ever in Port Colborne and Wainfleet.

A RIDE program was set up in the area of Sherkston Shores and Pleasant Beach on Saturday.

We will be continuing enhanced beach patrols for the rest of the summer, said Gross, adding police will dedicate enhanced staffing on the days we anticipate the most people.
Washington:

Pakistan's missions in Washington and New York were targeted by fake twitter accounts which alleged that the two consulates were raided by US law enforcement agencies in connection with the Ohio terror attack by a Somalian refugee who had reportedly lived in Pakistan.

The two twitter accounts, in particularly Pakistan Embassy UN (@PakEmbassyUN) appeared that it was being handled personally by Maleeha Lodhi, the Pakistani Ambassador to the UN.

In the fake tweet, Lodhi alleged that the Ohio Police, a day earlier raided the Pakistani Embassy in Washington in connection with the terrorist attack carried by Abdul Razak Ali Artan.

Artan, a Somalian refugee who reportedly lived in Pakistan for a few years before coming to the US, injured as many as 11 people early this week before he was shot and killed by the Ohio Police.

In this fake account Lodhi alleged that the federal police is now raiding the Permanent Mission of Pakistan to the UN in New York. "Shame that after Ohio Police raid on Thursday on Pakistan Embassy, Washington DC their Twitter account is also suspended by FBI.

#OhioStateAttack," the fake twitter account said. "Federal police have confiscated some documents of our Embassy in New York regarding #OhioStateAttack," said the second tweet from the same account.

"We have bent our flag at Embassy as a protest to the raid regarding #OhioStateAttack. Embassy in New York will remain closed on Thursday," said another tweet, which had a picture of Lodhi. Later in the day, both the Pak Embassy in Washington and its Permanent Mission to the UN in New York issued statements, saying that these are fake accounts and have taken up the matter with Twitter.

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If Amazon packages filled with items you didn't order have been appearing on your doorstep lately, you're not alone.

"Brushing" is a deceitful technique sometimes used in e-commerce to boost a seller's ratings by creating fake orders, and according to KPRC2, it's happening to families right here in the Bayou City.

I go into my order history and theres an order for 22 items that I would never order, ever. And theyre all under 11 cents each, Kathy Mars told KPRC2. Numerous things, electronics, cables, baby items, books. It variedjust none of it made sense."

PAUSE ON PARTIES: Turner asks Houston to stop partying as COVID-19 cases climb

The items only added up to be $2.40 altogether, and Leah Napoliello with the Better Business Bureau of Houston told the news org that's because the sellers are looking for another form of repayment: a positive review for their product.

And sure enough, Mars, who said she has only left about 10 reviews personally, had over a thousand reviews left on Amazon under her name. "I dont know how that happened, she told KPRC2.

If you fall victim to this scam, you should first check your bank account to see whether or not you were charged. If so, contact Amazon then change your password.

As far as the items go, Amazon and the Federal Trade Commission says you are free to keep them.
Harare (AFP) - Zimbabwean President Emmerson Mnangagwa on Tuesday warned he would "flush out" what he called "bad apples" as rights groups reported dozens of activists had been arrested in a broad crackdown on dissent.

Mnangagwa, who took over from longtime ruler Robert Mugabe after a coup in November 2017, said his administration was facing "many hurdles and attacks" including "divisive politics of some opposition elements".

"The bad apples who have attempted to divide our people and to weaken our systems will be flushed out," he warned in an impromptu nationwide address from the State House in the capital Harare.

"We will overcome attempts at destabilisation of our society by a few rogue Zimbabweans acting in league with foreign detractors."

His speech came days after the authorities thwarted protests called by Jacob Ngarivhume, the leader of a small opposition party, against alleged state corruption and the country's slumping economy.

The government described the protests as an "insurrection", and the police banned them citing coronavirus regulations.

"The protection of the right to life is paramount, especially in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and machinations by destructive terrorist opposition groupings," the president said.

"We make no apologies for fixing our systems across the socio-economic and political spectrum."

- 'Tipping point' -

The Zimbabwe Lawyers for Human Rights said Tuesday it had represented more than 20 people arrested since last week, when authorities thwarted anti-government protests that had been scheduled for last Friday.

Among those arrested were top Zimbabwean writer Tsitsi Dangarembga and Fadzayi Mahere, a lawyer and spokeswoman for the main opposition party Movement for Democratic Change Alliance (MDC-Alliance).

Both were charged with inciting public violence and released on bail.

MDC-Alliance vice-president Tendai Biti said the situation had become "untenable".

Story continues

He condemned the regime for "closing political space", engaging "massively in corruption" and "abusing the constitution".

"We are at a tipping point, something is going to give," Biti told AFP, warning that another military coup could be "around the corner".

The latest government clampdown sparked outrage on social media with the hashtag #ZimbabweanLivesMatter trending worldwide on Twitter on Monday.

Celebrities and politicians across the globe have posted outrage over the arrests and condemned the long-standing repression of protest movements in Zimbabwe.

Soldiers opened fire on demonstrations over delayed election results shortly before Mnangagwa officially took office in 2018, killing at least six and injuring dozens.

Another 17 protesters were shot dead in January last year during a march against rising fuel prices that was dispersed by the army.

Activists and opposition figures are regularly kidnapped by suspected government agents and some are physically abused, rights groups say.

- 'It really is scary' -

"This pattern is becoming established," said Dewa Mavhinga, Human Rights Watch director for Southern Africa.

"Security forces (are) being complicit in abductions, in torture, in harassment and in silencing government critics."

Mavhinga was worried Mnangagwa's harsh rhetoric could be the sign of an even greater crackdown.

"It really is scary," he told AFP. "We are likely to see an escalation in attacks in government critics because this is what has happened in the past."

Zimbabwean human rights activist Jestina Mukoko deplored the lack of accountability in both government and police forces.

"We are suffering repression and criminalisation of our rights work," she said, adding that democracy had been "compromised".

South African radical opposition leader Julius Malema on Tuesday demanded the immediate closure of the Zimbabwean Embassy "until they restore the human rights in that country".

Zimbabwean political scientist Richard Mahomva suggested Mnangagwa was acting to defend himself from a "regime-change project".

"There are indications of a huge role of state intelligence (against) anti-establishment elements," Mahomva acknowledged.

"This could be emanating from the traditional, but now upscaled existential threat posed to the ruling (party)."

Also on Tuesday, the country's vice president and ex-military commander Constantino Chiwenga was appointed health minister, one month after his predecessor was sacked over corruption allegations related to coronavirus testing kits.
MILAN Italy opened a new motorway bridge in the northern city of Genoa on Monday, hailing a new beginning two years after the previous structure collapsed, killing 43 people, in one of the countrys worst civil disasters in decades.

The new Genova-San Giorgio bridge, designed by star architect Renzo Piano, replaces the old span that broke apart on Aug. 14, 2018, laying bare the derelict state of large parts of Italys road infrastructure.

Genoa is the sign that Italy is able to rise again and can restart to run," Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said at a ceremony attended by President Sergio Mattarella but boycotted by many of the victims families, who feared the inauguration would turn into a celebration.

In a speech at the event, Piano said he had conceived the bridge and its elliptical 40-metre high pillars as a ship to catch the Mediterranean light.

This bridge is simple and strong as this city and plays with the light and the wind," he said.

The opening coincides with a still-unfinished battle over the accident itself, which came after years of mismanagement and poor maintenance under Autostrade per lItalia, the private concession holder controlled by the powerful Benetton family that ran the bridge.

Several officials from Autostrade, a unit of infrastructure group Atlantia, and the transport ministry have been placed under investigation by prosecutors.

Theres a feeling of both regret for what happened and pride in the work thats been done," said Marco Bucci, the mayor of Genoa who was appointed as special commissioner to oversee the project. Weve worked and shown Italian excellence."

For years, Italys economy has suffocated under a mix of poor governance, corruption, vested interests and bureaucracy that have stifled innovation and fostered the kind of neglect that led to the bridge disaster.

With the coronavirus crisis still unfolding and billions of euros set to come to Italy from Europes newly agreed recovery fund, addressing such failures has gained a new urgency.

In stark contrast to the neglect that led to the disaster, the new bridge was completed at breakneck speed, with work continuing uninterrupted despite the COVID epidemic and the opening taking place less than 18 months after the remainder of the old structure was demolished in February 2019.

With billions of euros set to come to Italy from EU recovery funds, a lot rides on repeating that momentum elsewhere.

We need to export this immediately because Italy needs infrastructure, we need to do it," said Pietro Salini, chief executive of Webuild, formerly Salini Impregilo, one of the main partners along with infrastructure group Fincantieri, of the Pergenova consortium which built the bridge.

As well as the human toll, the collapse of the Morandi bridge dealt a severe economic blow to Genoa, costing the city about 6 million euros ($7 million) a day in lost revenues and additional costs, with freight traffic interrupted for months.

(Editing by Alexandra Hudson, John Stonestreet, Giles Elgood and Nick Macfie)

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
Foreign investors are making new investments moves into Vietnam on the back of supporting policies and new rules. However, as some legal concerns remain, the development of the next steps still requires some preparation.





The European Chamber of Commerce in Vietnam (EuroCham) has just announced the Business Climate Index (BCI) for the second quarter, showing confidence after COVID-19 among European business leaders in Vietnam.

Specifically, the positive sentiment of European business leaders began to bounce back, recording a 7 per cent jump between February and April to reach 34 per cent. Meanwhile, more than half of executives predicted that Vietnams macroeconomic climate would stabilise and improve in the next quarter  a significant rise compared to the first quarter, when just 10 per cent anticipated an improvement.

The BCI found that more than a quarter of European enterprises had benefitted from the governments postponement of tax, while around one fifth had benefitted from a reduction in rent and a suspension of social insurance contributions.

EuroCham chairman Nicolas Audier told VIR, European enterprises have been growing their investment in Vietnam for some time. The countrys strong economic growth, large consumer market, and positive legal reforms have made Vietnam an attractive destination for European investment. Continued legislative modernisation will help to attract greater EU investment in the future.

This trend is set to accelerate with the imminent implementation of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) on August 1. The EVFTA will offer new opportunities to European investors in sectors ranging from higher education to environmental services and from telecommunications to maritime transport. So, we anticipate that European investment will continue to rise over the course of the agreements decade-long implementation period, he noted.

In a similar trend, some Singaporean investors have moved into Vietnam in recent years, including the Blue Circle SHS Holdings, Sinergy Holdings, Koda Ltd., and Kwan Brothers Pte., among many others.

Jeffrey Wandly, vice president of the Singaporean Business Association Vietnam (SBAV) told VIR that, Investment trends are increasingly visible in innovation and technology-based businesses, start-ups, and small and medium-size enterprises (SMEs), taking advantage of investment incentives and focusing on the consumer market, manufacturing, infrastructure, and urban solutions.

Meanwhile, 15 Japanese firms have registered to move to Vietnam as part of efforts to diversify their supply chains.

There is no doubt that recent legal reforms have spurred the trend, and new efforts in rationalising the public-private partnership (PPP) framework, the new laws on investment and enterprises will facilitate further business and investment activities from international financiers.

The new Law on Investment is expected to set out regulations to facilitate investors in carrying out administrative procedures, investment, land and construction, thereby attracting foreign investment in Vietnam, Wandly noted.

Despite the positive signs, some concerns remain among the international business community. Audier elaborated that some aspects of the new Law on Investment, such as the increased amount of discretionary scrutiny from the administration, in particular on the approval of foreign investment and mergers and acquisitions  even in sectors which Vietnam has committed to liberalise  and the suspension or termination of foreign investors projects, have the potential to make the business environment less predictable.

Meanwhile, SBAV vice president Wandly is worried about the fact that the new Law on Investment for foreign investment focuses on technology, innovation, and research and development. However, the addition of national security as a criterion for investment review creates some uncertainty as to how far this reason could cover and deter foreign investments in sensitive and protected sectors.

Regarding the law on PPP investment, he added that the minimum investment capital requirement for PPP projects is very high and only very large-scale foreign direct investments (FDI) can participate in these, excluding those with limited financial capacity.

Vietnams new laws are expected to take effect on January 1, 2021. Till then there are several months for the Ministry of Planning and Investment (MPI) to complete draft decrees guiding them.

According to statistics from the MPI, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and the EU remained the countrys biggest foreign investors in the first half of 2020, contributing to the countrys $15.67 billion worth of newly-registered FDI and stake acquisitions, equal to 84.9 per cent of the same period last year. Experts projected a new wave of foreign investment inflows into the country in the months to come, with the above-mentioned foreign investors to lead the tide. VIR

Bich Thuy

More foreign investment inflows into Vietnam The Sino-American trade war together with supply chain disruptions due to the novel coronavirus pandemic has prompted many an investor to plan to relocate their production facilities in order to reduce their reliance on China.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: In a huge blow to Indian IT professionals eyeing the US job market, President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order preventing federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers -- mainly those on H-1B visa -- from hiring.

The move came over a month after the Trump administration in June 23 suspended the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial election year.

The new restrictions took effect from June 24.

The H1B visa, most sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise.

ALSO READ | US trade bodies file lawsuit against proclamation suspending H1B, other non-immigrant visas

The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

"Today I am signing an executive order to ensure that the federal government lives by a very simple rule, higher American," Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House before signing the order against hiring H1B visa holders for federal contracts.

Trump told reporters that his administration will not tolerate firing of hardworking Americans in the pursuit of cheap foreign labour.

"As we speak, we're finalising the H-1B regulation so that no American workers be replaced ever again. H-1B should be used for top highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour programmes and destroy American job," said the president who was surrounded across the Cabinet Room table with individuals campaigning against job outsourcing.

Prominent among them were Sara Blackwell, founder and president of Florida-based Protect US Workers organisation; Jonathan Hicks, a software engineer in the Tennessee Valley Authority; and Kevin Lynn, founder of Pennsylvania-based US Tech Workers.

The executive order requires all federal agencies to complete an internal audit and assess whether they are in compliance with the requirement that only US citizens and nationals are appointed to the competitive service.

As a result, the Department of Labour will also finalise guidlines to prevent H-1B employers from moving H-1B workers to other employers' job sites to displace Americans workers.

Trump's order follows the federally-owned Tennessee Valley Authority's (TVA) announcement that it will outsource 20 per cent of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries.

TVA's action could cause more than 200 highly-skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to low-wage, foreign workers hired on temporary work visas, the president said.

Outsourcing hundreds of workers is especially detrimental in the middle of a pandemic, which has already cost millions of Americans their jobs, the White House said in a statement.

Given the current climate of rampant intellectual property theft, outsourcing IT jobs that involve sensitive information could pose a national security risk, it said.

According to the White House, Trump's actions will help combat employers' misuse of H-1B visas, which were never intended to replace qualified American workers with low-cost foreign labour.

One of the participants present during the signing of the order told the president that as many as 70 per cent of the H-1B visa goes to people from India.

Trump said he favours a merit-based immigration system that brings in high-skilled people that creates jobs inside the US and not take jobs of Americans.

"We are going to be discussing very shortly an immigration bill, which covers this and many other things. It will be a very, very comprehensive bill. It's a word that some people love, and some people hate. But it'd be very comprehensive only in the sense that it covered just about everything. It will be based on merit. It will cover territory that nobody would have thought could have ever been agreed to," Trump said. The bill, he said, will be signed after the convention.

"Immigration will be very merit based, but it'll be, it'll be great for the worker. And it'll be great for people coming into our country, but coming into our country legally and loving the country and wanting to help our country as opposed to people coming in. And they don't like our country," Trump said.
Detention of lawyers involved in Aeroflot embezzlement case extended till autumn

 RAPSI, Vladimir Burnov

12:37 04/08/2020

MOSCOW, August 4 (RAPSI)  Moscows Basmanny District Court on Tuesday extended detention of lawyers Alexander Slivko and Dina Kibets accused of large-scale embezzlement in the Aeroflot company until August 30, the courts press service told RAPSI.

Other defendants in the case are ex-deputy CEO of Aeroflot air carrier Vladimir Aleksandrov and ex-employee of Aeroflots legal department Tatiana Davydova.

They are charged with rendering legal services to the company in the amount at least 250 million rubles (about $3.5million at the current exchange rate).

Aleksandrov worked in the airlines legal department and was engaged in external legal services provided for the company at the rate of 350 euros per hour from 2016 to 2017, the case papers read.




New Delhi: Hours after Pakistan unveiled a new political map that laid claim to Indian territory in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) and Ladakh union territories as well as parts of the Indian state of Gujarat, India rejected it and termed it an exercise in political absurdity, adding that these ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. India said Islamabads move confirms the reality of Pakistans obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism.

The move announced by Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Tuesday comes on the eve of the first anniversary on August 5 of India revoking Article 370 that had granted special status to the erstwhile State of Jammu and Kashmir. So far Pakistan had stopped short of calling Kashmir as part of its territory officially and had always pushed for a UN-mandated plebiscite. But strangely, while the demand for a plebiscite will continue on the part of Islamabad, Pakistan has gone ahead and declared that J&K is part of Pakistan along with some portions of Ladakh to the North and Gujarat to the West. The move is being seen as an attempt to provoke India.

Recently, Indias Himalayan neighbour Nepal had also gone ahead and unveiled a new map that showed that showed portions of territory in Indias Uttarakhand State---Limpiyadhura, Kalapani and Lipu Lekh--as part of Nepal. New Delhi had objected to that move as well. Pakistans move also comes amid ongoing talks between India and China for military de-escalation in the Ladakh sector, with Beijing laying claim to portions of land there and backing it up with attempts at military coercion.

In a statement, the MEA said, We have seen a so-called political map of Pakistan that has been released by Prime Minister Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian State of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and of Ladakh. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms reality of Pakistans obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism.

According to Pakistani media reports, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khanwhile addressing the country along with his Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshisaid that the new map would now be the official map of Pakistan after being approved by the Pakistani federal cabinet and would be the one used in schools and colleges. It reportedly stakes claim to Siachen to the North and Sir Creek to the West as well.
The death toll in the explosion in the port of Beirut has risen to 50, Health Minister Hamad Hassan told reporters, expressing concern that the death toll could rise, CNN reports.

Hassan said at least 2,750 people were injured in a huge blast that rocks the capital.

The Lebanese Interior Ministry note that explosive ammonium nitrate had exploded in the port of Beirut. According to some reports, a short circuit happened in the warehouse, which caused a fire, as a result of which the saltpeter exploded.
BROOKFIELD  Teachers will be addressing their students both in the physical classroom and the virtual one when school reopens next month.

The district announced it will reopen with a hybrid model on Sept. 8. This means half of the students will attend in person on Mondays and Tuesdays, everyone will do remote learning on Wednesdays to thoroughly clean the buildings, and then the other half of the students will attend in person on Thursdays and Fridays.

Students who arent in the school will participate online, most likely with a livestream using private Zoom links and Google classrooms. This gives students the ability to do small group work together, whether they are home or in the physical classroom. Parents can still choose to keep their children home and do remote learning full time.

I know there are a lot of Brookfield families who will be negatively impacted, but the most vocal groups of parents and staff are very relieved to have some in-person connection with their schools but with manageable safety, said Rosa Fernandes, the school board chairwoman.

The cohorts will be sent out soon and will keep families together, officials said.

Technology is a key piece of the reopening plans, especially the hybrid and remote learning models because students will need to rely on it more to stay connected to their teachers and classmates. School and town officials are already preparing for that. The town approved purchasing $264,000 worth of laptops and Chromebooks last month to get ready for the reopening plans.

The state had previously required the districts create reopening plans that included a 100 percent in-person model, a hybrid model and a fully remote model, with the expectation districts would fully reopen in person. Last week, the state said districts would now be able to choose which model they wanted to use.

Having spent a massive amount of the summer on a full reopening plan, it was important the district acted swiftly when the state granted more flexibility, but also didnt rush into a hybrid plan without being able to answer the new questions families and staff would have about how it would work. So I think weve struck the right balance, Fernandes said.

Administrators had said the hybrid model would be their preferred reopening method back when the state was still requiring districts to reopen fully in person, especially since the state was still easing into its economic reopening plan.

Several other area districts are also opting for the hybrid model.

These are the edicts coming from the state, Superintendent John Barile said last month during a meeting discussing the reopening plan. You must have a 100 percent model even though restaurants are easing in at 50 percent, even though the governor has said were not moving to phase three right now, were going to stay at phase two. The schools have been mandated to ramp up and be ready to go full capacity.

The full reopen model raised concerns about students and staff being able to keep the appropriate distance between each other at school and on the bus.

Both of these issues are addressed with the hybrid model, Barile and Assistant Superintendent Maureen Ruby said in a letter sent to parents this week.

Operating in a hybrid model is in the best interest of the health and safety of students, staff and families, they wrote. In this model we will strive to be more in alignment with CDC Guidelines for physical distancing. The hybrid model provides the opportunity for less population density on the school buses, in the parking lots and in the schools.

The cohorting effort is designed to restrict the number of people interacting with each other, to both prevent the spread of the coronavirus and better contact trace if someone tests positive, they said.

Fewer students in the building also means students can better access bathrooms, classroom sinks and sanitizing stations.

Less wait time will positively impact not only hygiene  another crucial mitigation strategy  but there will also be an increase in time dedicated to learning, they wrote.

Families are expected to receive an updated survey asking if they plan to send their children back under the hybrid model or have them do the remote learning model.

The original survey showed 81 percent of families would send their student in person, while the remaining 19 percent could keep them home. This was sent out before the plans were announced.

kkoerting@newstimes.com
CHARLOTTE, North Carolina, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BNI (Business Network International) and JCI (Junior Chamber International) announced today a formalized partnership working together to support global business leaders in boosting local and global economies worldwide.

For decades, both BNI and JCI have been committed to supporting local and global businesses, connecting community leaders and professionals, boosting economies, and providing premiere training and networking opportunities to their members and visitors. The synergies between these two organizations is striking, and both are looking forward to what they can accomplish together.

With this partnership, BNI and JCI will immediately introduce extra horsepower into their events, creating powerful opportunities for qualified professionals to connect and do business. Additionally, they will offer enhanced benefits to Members, increase visibility of these opportunities across organizations, and brainstorm further innovation & collaboration potential.

BNI's Chairman & CEO Graham Weihmiller remarks, "I've admired the work JCI has done for years and I'm thrilled to have the opportunity to take it a step further with support from BNI. Our goals at BNI  to help professionals around the world achieve their dreams, support their families, and grow their businesses  strongly aligns with JCI's holistic focus on individual development, business and entrepreneurship, community action and international cooperation. JCI is a leader in the world of networking and professional development, and I can't wait to see what we can accomplish together."

"JCI has always focused on developing leaders for a changing world, and I know that BNI can help us take that mission to the next level," shares JCI's Secretary General, Kevin Hin. "Our combined efforts will not only enhance what's possible for our current members today, but also open the door to new opportunities for the broader business community globally. I look forward to completing our first phase of work together and then venturing a path forward beyond that work."

About BNI:

BNI is the world's largest and most successful business networking organization. BNI has nearly 270,000 Members who attend one of 9,700 weekly chapters meetings in 70 countries around the globe. BNI's proven business networking platform provides its Members the ideal environment, technology, training, and support to help them build strong businesses. BNI Online is its newest product, an advanced online platform that helps Members connect in structured virtual environment. Since the beginning 2020, BNI Members have generated $7.4 billion in business through their referrals to one another.

To see the new look and learn more about BNI, go to www.bni.com .

About JCI:

JCI, a global leadership organization, provides personal and professional development opportunities to enterprising young leaders ages 18 to 40. Through its international network of around 110 countries, JCI unites all sectors of society and empowers the leaders of tomorrow to create positive and lasting change today. For more information, visit www.juniorchamber.international .

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1177046/BNI_Logo.jpg

Related Links

https://www.bni.com



SOURCE BNI
Vodafone Idea has let go off around 1,200 - 1,500 permanent employees since May 2020 in a bid to cut its operational costs.

Vodafone Idea Limited (VIL) has laid off nearly 1,500 employees from across the country in a bid to cut its costs. The move follows an earlier decision by the company wherein it consolidated its circles from 22 to 10.

According to a report by The Economic Times, Vodafone Idea has let go off around 1,200 - 1,500 permanent employees since May 2020 in a bid to cut its operational costs. The company, however, has paid severance package to all the employees who have been asked to leave. VIL has paid up to seven months of salary to some senior executives based on the exit clause in their contracts.

To others, which mostly includes mid-level and junior employees, the company has given severance packages based on their years of service in the company.

Vodafone Idea has told the Supreme Court that its total debt stands at 112,520 crore. This debt has prompted the company to opt for extreme cost-cutting measures. It has also stalled the companys expansion plans.

The report says that the telecom gear vendors including Nokia, Ericsson, ZTE and Huawei are delaying taking order for 4G equipment from the cash-strapped telecom company fearing that they may not be able to recover their dues from the company. While Nokia and Ericsson have asked the company to provide some guarantee in the form of letters of credit from the banks, Chinese vendors, which primarily include Huawei and ZTE, despite having more flexible payment terms, have stopped taking new orders from the company. They have also delayed the delivery of new equipment.

In addition to this, the company is looking into the vendors that offer OpenRAN technology, which would not only allow smaller vendors to introduce their service but also the telecom operator to customise its service. This move will further help the company to cut its costs that telecos in India gear to introduce 5G services in the country.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to spread, scientists and health care providers are seeking ways to keep the coronavirus from infecting tissues once they're exposed. A new study suggests luring the virus with a decoy - an engineered, free-floating receptor protein - binds the virus and blocks infection.

Erik Procko, a professor of biochemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, led the study, published in the journal Science.

To infect a human cell, a virus must first bind to a receptor protein on the surface of the cell. SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, binds to a receptor called ACE2, which plays a number of roles in regulating blood pressure, blood volume, and inflammation. It is found in tissues throughout the body, but especially in the lungs, heart, arteries, kidneys and intestines. Many researchers hypothesize that the host of symptoms associated with COVID-19 may stem from the coronavirus binding to ACE2 and keeping it from doing its job.

"Administering a decoy based on ACE2 might not only neutralize infection, but may have the additional benefit of rescuing lost ACE2 activity and directly treating aspects of COVID-19," Procko said.

As a potential therapeutic agent, a decoy receptor has one advantage over other drugs: To evade it, the virus would have to mutate in a way that would make it less infectious.

"A benefit of a decoy receptor is that it closely resembles the natural receptor. Therefore, the virus cannot easily adapt to escape neutralization without simultaneously losing its ability to bind to its natural receptor. This means the virus has limited ability to acquire resistance," Procko said.

Although ACE2 binds to SARS-CoV-2, it is not optimized for that purpose, which means that subtle mutations to the receptor could make it bind more strongly. This makes it an ideal candidate for a decoy receptor, Procko said.

Procko examined more than 2,000 ACE2 mutations and created cells with the mutant receptors on their surfaces. By analyzing how these interacted with the coronavirus, he found a combination of three mutations that made a receptor that bound to the virus 50 times more strongly, making it a much more attractive target for the virus.

Procko then made a soluble version of the engineered receptor. Detached from cells, the soluble receptor is suspended in solution and free to interact with the virus as a decoy receptor.

After Procko posted his findings to a preprint server, a colleague connected him with the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases. Researchers there, along with the lab of Illinois biochemistry professor David Kranz, verified the strong affinity between the virus and the decoy receptor, rivaling the best antibodies identified to date, Procko said. Furthermore, they found that the decoy receptor not only binds to the virus in live tissue cultures, it effectively neutralizes it, preventing cells from becoming infected.

Further work is required to determine whether the decoy receptors could be an effective treatment of or preventive agent against COVID-19.

"We are testing whether the decoy receptor is safe and stable in mice, and if successful, we then hope to show treatment of disease in animals. Hopefully that data can facilitate a clinical trial," Procko said. He also is exploring how the decoy receptor bonds to other coronaviruses with potential to become future pandemics if they cross from bats to humans.

###

The National Institutes of Health supported this work.

Editor's notes: To reach Erik Procko, email procko@illinois.edu.

The paper "Engineering human ACE2 to optimize binding to the spike protein of SARS coronavirus 2" is available online. DOI: 10.1126/science.abc0870


Investor Presentation

Perth, Aug 4, 2020 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Hastings Technology Metals Ltd ( ASX:HAS ) ( FRA:5AM ) provide the latest Investor Presentation.- Hastings remains on track to achieve key milestones for the Yangibana Project- Construction targeted to commence immediately post debt finance conclusion- Hastings' Yangibana Project is well positioned to be the next ASX listed Rare Earths producerTo view the presentation, please visit:About Hastings Technology Metals Ltd

Hastings Technology Metals Ltd (ASX:HAS) (FRA:5AM) is advancing its Yangibana Rare Earths Project in the Upper Gascoyne Region of Western Australia towards production. The proposed beneficiation and hydro metallurgy processing plant will treat rare earths deposits, predominantly monazite, hosting high neodymium and praseodymium contents to produce a mixed rare earths carbonate that will be further refined into individual rare earth oxides at processing plants overseas.

Neodymium and praseodymium are vital components in the manufacture of permanent magnets which is used in a wide and expanding range of advanced and high-tech products including electric vehicles, wind turbines, robotics, medical applications and others. Hastings aims to become the next significant producer of neodymium and praseodymium outside of China.

Hastings holds 100% interest in the most significant deposits within the overall project, and 70% interest in additional deposits that will be developed at a later date, all held under Mining Leases. Numerous prospects have been identified warranting detailed exploration to further extend the life of the project.

Brockman Project

The Brockman deposit, near Halls Creek in Western Australia, contains JORC Indicated and Inferred Mineral Resources, estimated using the guidelines of JORC Code (2012 Edition).

The Company is also progressing a Mining Lease application over the Brockman Rare Earths and Rare Metals Project.

Hastings aims to capitalise on the strong demand for critical rare earths created by the expanding demand for new technology products.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will meet again with Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows on Tuesday, she said after talks on Monday for another round of coronavirus economic aid concluded. Mnuchin met with Democratic lawmakers, who hold the keys to passing any economic stimulus in the House of Representatives, for most of Monday. Pelosi and her fellow Democrat in the Senate, Chuck Schumer, said the talks had been productive, and Schumer said he believes there is a desire to quickly complete legislation meant to blunt the economic pain from the global pandemic. Reporting by David Lawder; Writing by Lisa Lambert; Editing by Leslie Adler

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market Research Report by Detector (Flat-panel Image Detector and Image Intensifier Detector), by Field of Overview (Large FOV System and Small FOV System), by Application, by End User - Global Forecast to 2025 - Cumulative Impact of COVID-19

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913934/?utm_source=PRN







The Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market is expected to grow from USD 934.61 Million in 2019 to USD 2,366.89 Million by the end of 2025 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.75%.



Market Segmentation & Coverage:

This research report categorizes the Cone Beam Computed Tomography to forecast the revenues and analyze the trends in each of the following sub-markets:



Based on Detector, the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market studied across Flat-panel Image Detector and Image Intensifier Detector.



Based on Field of Overview, the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market studied across Large FOV System and Small FOV System.



Based on Application, the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market studied across Breast Imaging, Dentistry, ENT Applications, and Orthopedic Conditions.



Based on End User, the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market studied across Academic and Research Institutes, Hospital and Clinics, and Imaging Centers.



Based on Geography, the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market studied across Americas, Asia-Pacific, and Europe, Middle East & Africa. The Americas region surveyed across Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and United States. The Asia-Pacific region surveyed across Australia, China, India, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Philippines, South Korea, and Thailand. The Europe, Middle East & Africa region surveyed across France, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Spain, United Arab Emirates, and United Kingdom.



Company Usability Profiles:

The report deeply explores the recent significant developments by the leading vendors and innovation profiles in the Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market including ASAHIROENTGEN IND.CO., LTD., Carestream Health India Pvt. Ltd, Cefla S.C, CurveBeam, Danaher Corporation, Dentsply Sirona, Inc, J.Morita Mfg Corp, Planmeca Oy, PreXion Corporation, and VATECH CO., LTD..



FPNV Positioning Matrix:

The FPNV Positioning Matrix evaluates and categorizes the vendors in the Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market on the basis of Business Strategy (Business Growth, Industry Coverage, Financial Viability, and Channel Support) and Product Satisfaction (Value for Money, Ease of Use, Product Features, and Customer Support) that aids businesses in better decision making and understanding the competitive landscape.



Competitive Strategic Window:

The Competitive Strategic Window analyses the competitive landscape in terms of markets, applications, and geographies. The Competitive Strategic Window helps the vendor define an alignment or fit between their capabilities and opportunities for future growth prospects. During a forecast period, it defines the optimal or favorable fit for the vendors to adopt successive merger and acquisition strategies, geography expansion, research & development, and new product introduction strategies to execute further business expansion and growth.



Cumulative Impact of COVID-19:

COVID-19 is an incomparable global public health emergency that has affected almost every industry, so for and, the long-term effects projected to impact the industry growth during the forecast period. Our ongoing research amplifies our research framework to ensure the inclusion of underlaying COVID-19 issues and potential paths forward. The report is delivering insights on COVID-19 considering the changes in consumer behavior and demand, purchasing patterns, re-routing of the supply chain, dynamics of current market forces, and the significant interventions of governments. The updated study provides insights, analysis, estimations, and forecast, considering the COVID-19 impact on the market.



The report provides insights on the following pointers:

1. Market Penetration: Provides comprehensive information on the market offered by the key players

2. Market Development: Provides in-depth information about lucrative emerging markets and analyzes the markets

3. Market Diversification: Provides detailed information about new product launches, untapped geographies, recent developments, and investments

4. Competitive Assessment & Intelligence: Provides an exhaustive assessment of market shares, strategies, products, and manufacturing capabilities of the leading players

5. Product Development & Innovation: Provides intelligent insights on future technologies, R&D activities, and new product developments



The report answers questions such as:

1. What is the market size and forecast of the Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market?

2. What are the inhibiting factors and impact of COVID-19 shaping the Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market during the forecast period?

3. Which are the products/segments/applications/areas to invest in over the forecast period in the Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market?

4. What is the competitive strategic window for opportunities in the Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market?

5. What are the technology trends and regulatory frameworks in the Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market?

6. What are the modes and strategic moves considered suitable for entering the Global Cone Beam Computed Tomography Market?



Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05913934/?utm_source=PRN



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



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The diverse situations experienced by health-care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic often present serious ethical challenges.

From the allocation of resources and triage protocols to health-care worker and patient rights and the management of clinical trials, new ethical questions have come to the forefront of today's global public health emergency.

In an editorial in the journal AJOB Empirical Bioethics, three nurse researchers provide ideas for meaningful empirical bioethics research related to the COVID-19 pandemic to aid clinicians in ethical decision-making approaches.

Empirical bioethics research on decision-making during this pandemic can contribute to a body of evidence describing these unique ethical challenges, as well as the failures and successes of the decisions made to address and resolve them." Connie Ulrich, PhD, Study Co-Author and Professor of Nursing, School of Nursing, University of Pennsylvania

Ulrich is also a Lillian S. Brunner Chair of Medical and Surgical Nursing.

The researchers outline a number of areas of opportunity in COVID-19-related bioethics studies, including:

Descriptive studies defining current practices, opinions, and policies to inform research and interventions.

Insight into sources and different constraints that lead to moral distress of health-care workers on the front lines of the pandemic.

Assessment of the extent of which clinical practice reflects purported ethical norms.

Development and testing of interventions aimed at closing the gap between reality and ethical ideals.

"Better understanding the experiences, views, values, and expectations of stakeholders across diverse communities can ensure that the bioethics community--along with policymakers, public health and health care systems, and research institutions--is better prepared during the months and years that lie ahead as we tackle the problems raised by COVID-19 and for future pandemics," the authors conclude.

The editorial, "COVID-19: Advancing Empirical Bioethics Research," is available online. Co-authors include Emily E. Anderson, PhD, MPH of the Neiswanger Institute for Bioethics, and Jennifer K. Walter, PhD, MD, MS, of Children's Hospital of Pennsylvania.
New Delhi: Megastar Amitabh Bachchan, who is back home after his coronavirus treatment, faced criticism for "advertising for the hospital" where he was admitted for three weeks. A woman commented on Big B's homecoming Facebook post in which expressed gratitude towards the medical professionals at Nanavati Hospital. The woman, however, said that her father was allegedly wrongly tested for coronavirus at Nanavati Hospital and, "it is sad that he is advertising for a hospital which doesn't care about human life."

She added, "Sorry, but totally lost respect for you."

Amitabh Bachchan shared a screenshot of the woman's comment on his post on his official blog and also revealed how he replied to her.

"No... I do not advertise for the hospital, I want to thank them for the care and treatment that I got from Nanavati. I shall and have done it for every hospital that I have been admitted to and shall continue to do so with great respect! You may have lost respect for me but let me tell you, I shall never lose respect for the medical profession and the doctors of my country. And one last thing... my respect and respectability is not going to be judged by you," read an excerpt from his reply.

FB 2813 - This morning I have tested CoVid negative and have been discharged fom Hospital. I am back home. I will have... Posted by Amitabh Bachchan on Sunday, August 2, 2020

Later, a tribute by Amul to Big B also didn't go down well with a troll, who also accused the megastar for promoting the brand.

"... and the 'graciousness' of the comment went as follows," he said while sharing a screenshot of their exchange.

FB 2814 - - Thank you AMUL for continuously thinking of me in your unique poster campaigns ..   ''      ,     ''    ! Posted by Amitabh Bachchan on Monday, August 3, 2020

Amitabh Bachchan had a rare outburst on social media last week while in hospital after an anonymous troll wished death upon him from coronavirus. Addressing the 'Mr Anonymous', Big B wrote on his blog that the troll was trying to gain a sense of self-importance by verbally attacking a star like him.

"May you burn in your own stew!" Big B wrote at the end of the blog.

Amitabh Bachchan got treated for coronavirus at Nanavati Hospital for three weeks. He was admitted along with son Abhishek Bachchan, who is also COVID-19 positive. While Big B was discharged over the weekend, Abhishek continues to be in hospital.
BUCHAREST (dpa-AFX) - Romania's producer prices declined at a softer pace in June, data from the National Institute of Statistics showed on Tuesday. The producer price index declined 0.46 percent year-on-year in June, following a 2.01 percent decrease in May. Prices in the domestic market and non-domestic market decreased 0.38 percent and 0.60 percent, respectively in June. Among the main industrial groups, prices for energy declined by 9.81 percent annually in June. Prices for intermediate goods and capital goods fell by 0.43 percent, each. Meanwhile, prices for energy grew 4.73 percent. Prices for durable goods and non-durable consumer goods rose by 0.34 percent and 0.16 percent, respectively. On a month-on-month basis, producer prices rose 0.79 percent in June. 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.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cyware, the leading provider of cyber fusion solutions, today announced a new partnership with Recorded Future , the largest global security intelligence provider, to empower security teams with advanced threat intelligence automation and analysis.

This integration will bring Recorded Future's industry leading aggregation of data across the broadest set of sources into the Cyware Threat Intelligence eXchange (CTIX) platform to enhance its automation, analysis, and actioning capabilities. CTIX, an advanced threat intelligence platform (TIP), will now be improved with indicators of compromise (IOCs) context from Recorded Future to map tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). Security analysts will now be enabled to more quickly draw correlations and be more efficient and accurate when making decisions and taking appropriate response action.

"Recorded Future will enable CTIX clients to quickly prioritize and identify the threats that are the most relevant to their organization," said Stuart Solomon, Chief Operating Officer, Recorded Future. "This helps to reduce uncertainty and speed up decision making, and thereby reduce overall operational risk."

The Recorded Future Connect partner program is laser focused on providing intelligence that helps teams make faster, more confident decisions by integrating rich security intelligence into all security processes. Today, partners represent leading SIEM, incident response, ticketing, link analysis, security infrastructure, security orchestration and automation, vulnerability management, and threat intelligence platform solutions.

Cyware's CTIX Platform provides the ability to aggregate, analyze, and correlate threat data from any source and in any format and make it operational and actionable for security teams. Users can take advantage of automation throughout the threat intelligence lifecycle using Cyware's advanced security orchestration, rule engine, and REST API capabilities to move faster and take decisive action against threats.

"At Cyware, we are committed to helping security teams better defend against advanced threats with actionable threat intelligence and security automation," Amit Patel, VP of Sales - Americas, at Cyware. "Our partnership with Recorded Future allows security teams to take full advantage of the CTIX platform by operationalizing relevant threat intelligence that leads to faster actioning within their environment."

Visit Recorded Future's or Cyware's websites for more information on each organization or to request a demo of the joint offering.

About Cyware

Cyware offers the technology organizations need to build a virtual cyber fusion center. With separate but integrated solutions including an advanced threat intel platform (TIP), vendor-agnostic security automation (SOAR), and security case management, organizations are able to increase speed and accuracy while reducing costs and analyst burn out. Cyware's virtual cyber fusion solutions make secure collaboration, information sharing, and enhanced threat visibility a reality for enterprises, sharing communities (ISAC/ISAO), MSSPs, and government agencies of all sizes and needs. To learn more about Cyware, visit cyware.com .

About Recorded Future

Recorded Future delivers security intelligence to amplify the effectiveness of security and IT teams in reducing exposure by uncovering unknown threats and informing better, faster decisions. Working to provide a singular view of digital, brand, and third-party risk, the Recorded Future platform provides proactive and predictive intelligence, analyzing data from open, proprietary, and aggregated customer-provided sources. Recorded Future arms threat analysts, vulnerability management teams, security operations centers, and incident responders with context-rich, actionable intelligence in real time that's ready for integration across the security ecosystem. Learn more at www.recordedfuture.com and follow us on Twitter at @RecordedFuture.

SOURCE Cyware Labs

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The index also dropped 3.65% from March to April and has fallen 0.04% through the past quarter. States in the South and the West saw the biggest drop as the virus surged in those areas through July.

The Paychex-IHS report for July showed a month-over-month drop of 0.24% and a decline of -3.65% from a year earlier.

Paychex, a payroll processing and HR solutions company, released its monthly Small Business Employment Watch with IHS Markit on Tuesday. It offers insight ahead of the government's closely watched monthly jobs report on Friday.

"We saw the July jobs index drop," Mucci said on "Squawk Box." "That puts us back to about April, so we're flat over the last three months."

Paychex CEO Martin Mucci told CNBC on Tuesday that small business employment is falling again and is becoming as precarious as during the beginning of the U.S. coronavirus crisis.

Positives for the month included the rebound in the financial activities sector and in construction, as new home sales gained, and an increase in consumer demand, as evidenced by the number of hours worked.

"Hours worked were up about 9% on an annualized basis," Mucci said, "so the employees that are there are working more hours. That shows the demand."

Paychex sources the Employment Watch from the payroll data of 350,000 of its small business clients and compiles national employment and wage trends to get a fuller picture of regional changes, as well as impacts by sector.

As employment growth stagnates across the country for small businesses, Mucci said, the report showed the continued need for an extension to the Paycheck Protection Program to be included in the next stimulus plan.

"The stimulus certainly helped in June and July," Mucci said. "Right now, the biggest issue for small businesses is uncertainty. There's a lot of uncertainty about PPP loans, the flexibility of how they use those loans funds, when they pay it back."

With no agreement in Washington on a new relief package, some senators are pushing to make sure small business solutions are included in the next bill. The first round of PPP loans faced a complicated rollout, and the stipulation that the loan be used for payroll added to uncertainty for many businesses. In a recent letter, more than 100 current and former business executives urged Congress to support small business, saying that a lack of relief could have "catastrophic" consequences.

Mucci said it's clear what small businesses need from the stimulus plan right now. "They're really looking for more loans," he said. "They're not at a point where they can survive without the loans."

In addition to the difficulties that would be alleviated by a new package, Mucci said small businesses are still facing deeper issues that stimulus can't easily help.

"We're hearing from clients that there are shortages in the supply chain," said Mucci. "You can't get a lot of material because supply chains had closed in March and April, and they're backed up. So even when they have demand, they can't get the supplies to fuel their business."

Despite all the uncertainty, Mucci said he is confident a solution for small business will be reached.

"I think the government will get together to figure out how to get more stimulus out there, for individuals and small businesses," Mucci said.

And the Paychex data supports his optimism.

"New business start-ups are up almost 10%, over the same time last year," Mucci said. "That's a sign that entrepreneurs are finding opportunities."

"I think things will get going again," he added. "It will just be a bit slower than we'd hoped."
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday accused the opposition and Russia of planning violent unrest and vowed to defend his regime as early voting began in presidential elections. The 65-year-old has ruled over the ex-Soviet country wedged between Russia and Europe with an authoritarian grip for 26 years and has cracked down on the country's emboldened opposition in the lead-up to Sunday's election. During a televised address to the nation, Lukashenko slammed what he said were attempts by his opponents to organise "a massacre" in the capital Minsk, claiming his critics were being backed by "billion-dollar resources" to incite unrest. "Will Belarus survive? Will it survive this hybrid war?" he asked, sweating profusely and repeatedly mopping his brow. "We will not give the country to you. Independence is expensive, but it is worth it," he said, flanked by large Belarusian flags in an auditorium packed with government officials, church leaders and uniformed military personnel. The former collective farm director, who is Europe's longest-serving non-royal national leader, is seeking a sixth term in the upcoming ballot after barring his main rivals from contesting the vote and jailing some of them. Last week the Belarusian security service, the KGB, arrested 33 Russian "militants" that the authorities said were plotting mass riots with the opposition. Lukashenko said that on Tuesday he had received information about "another unit sent to the south" and added that Moscow should stop "lying" and interfering in his country's affairs. "Do not blow up the situation or things will go up in flames and will be felt even in Vladivostok," he said, referring to Russia's Pacific port. Minsk says the men detained last week are members of the Wagner private military company that promotes Moscow's interests in Syria, Libya and Ukraine and is reportedly controlled by a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin. After Lukashenko's address the defence ministry issued a statement stressing its officers' "full support" for the president amid "attempts to interfere in internal affairs." The defence ministry also said it was beginning drills involving fighter jets and air-defence forces and was also calling up military reservists for exercises next week. Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova dismissed Minsk's actions as putting on a "show." - 'Poor girls' - The leading opposition candidate in the tense polls, 37-year-old Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, is running in place of her jailed husband and has drawn massive crowds at rallies across Belarus in an unprecedented display of frustration with Lukashenko's rule. Tikhanovskaya, a stay-at-home-mother, has teamed up with the wife and campaign chief of two other opposition activists who have been barred from running. In his address, Lukashenko denigrated the women as "these three poor girls". "They don't understand what they are saying or what they are doing," Lukashenko said. Critics slammed the strongman leader's scare tactics, saying he could not offer the country a new path. "Under Lukashenko, Belarus is not developing, and there is no chance that anything will change," said opposition politician Nikolai Kozlov. Early voting began on Tuesday and the election commission said that almost seven million eligible voters could cast ballots at more than 5,700 polling stations. - Tired of 'stagnation' - Independent observers claimed the authorities would pressure public-sector employees to vote for Lukashenko during the early voting period and carry out widespread falsifications before the main election day. Dmitry, a 33-year-old builder who declined to give his last name, said that Belarusians want "to move forward, develop". "People are tired of living in this time of stagnation," he told AFP in Minsk. Tikhanovskaya has called on her supporters to vote on Sunday to avoid manipulation before the count and to wear a white bracelet so independent monitors can easily identify them. The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has not recognised any elections in Belarus as free and fair since 1995. The OSCE said it will not send observers to the vote after Belarus failed to issue an invitation in time. The organisation also raised concerns over intimidation and arrests of the opposition. Lukashenko has accused European countries and Russia of meddling in the elections During a televised address to the nation, Lukashenko slammed what he said were attempts by his opponents to organise 'a massacre' on the streets of the capital Minsk
Bullet Train, starring Brad Pitt, Joey King, is based on Isaka Kotars Japanese novel Maria Beetle

Kissing Booth actor Joey King has joined the cast of Brad Pitts upcoming movie Bullet Train. Based on Isaka Kotars Japanese novel 'Maria Beetle', the film will be directed by David Leitch.

Sharing her excitement about being a part of the project, she wrote on Instagram, Im so excited its kind of unbelievable!"

Check out the official announcement here

Zak Olkewicz has penned the script, reported Variety.

Leitch and Kelly McCormick are attached to produce the project through 87North, along with Antoine Fuqua.

Sony Pictures has been keeping plot details and character descriptions under wraps and no date has been set yet for the production start.

King is fresh out of the success of the second film in her teen romance franchise The Kissing Booth. The film released on Netflix on 24 July and the streaming platform recently announced a third instalment that will come out in 2021.

Pitt was last seen in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, directed by Quentin Tarantino, for which he won his career-first acting Oscar.
An Instagram model who was breaking the law requiring Tube passengers to wear a mask is under fire for complaining about the 'mask police' while filming a man who accosted her for going without a face covering.

The 22-year-old, who goes by Duana W and boasts 11,000 followers, filmed an overweight bald man confronting her in a foul -mouthed tirade on the platform at Tottenham Court Road station on the London Underground on Sunday.

Despite her complaints about the man's aggressive conduct, she has been inundated with criticism from observers who have pointed out that she is breaking laws designed to slow the spread of coronavirus through the capital.

The 22-year-old model goes by the name of Duana W and boasts 11,000 Instagram followers

Instagram model Duana W was approached by the blue-bearded man while she waited for a train at Tottenham Court Road station in London just before midnight on Sunday

The video starts with the man walking down the platform, shouting: 'There might be other people who are scared to confront you.

'But I'm not. F****** sort your s*** out, yes film me because you're a d******* without a mask. You're a c*** putting people's lives at risk.'

England's rules on face masks: How flouting lockdown rules could cost you 100 Face masks became compulsory on public transport from June 15. Anyone caught flouting the rules can be fined up to 100 - so far 285 notices have been handed out. On July 24 the rules were expanded to shops, supermarkets and inside other public buildings such as banks and post offices. The rules are being widened on August 8 to prevent a second spike, with cinemas, places of worship and funeral directors all set to be covered by new legislation. Advertisement

It has been compulsory to wear face coverings while travelling on public transport since June 15.

When another passenger intervenes and asks the man to leave her alone, he refuses to back away, before shouting: 'Put a f****** mask on.'

After the footage went viral, the 22-year-old model wrote: 'I actually do wear a mask when its needed however it wasn't needed on a virtually empty, socially distanced, hot Central line platform at 11pm on a Sunday night.

'I can assure you no one was put at risk by me not wearing it apart from the blue bearded Peter Griffin looking a** who came into my personal space harassing me.

'He was clearly looking for a fight which is why I didn't provoke him further by answering him and I doubt he cared for anyone's health as he claims when clearly doesn't care for his own.'

She later claimed to be 'medically exempt' from wearing a mask.

As of yesterday, British Transport Police and Transport for London workers have had to remind more than 80,000 passengers to wear face coverings on buses, trains and trams.

Around 6,200 have been asked to leave the network, and 285 people have been fined for not following the rules.

Other Twitter users had replied to point out rules on face coverings, which came into effect nearly two months ago.

Duana W has since suffered backlash for sharing the footage, as some Twitter users point out face coverings have been compulsory on public transport since the middle of June

Duana said the barrage of abuse was 'completely unprovoked,' as she tried to travel on the Central Line without a mask on Sunday night

One wrote: 'He is moving a bit excessive but the rules do say you have to wear a mask when using public transport. Think about others who are more vulnerable.'

Responding to criticism, the model wrote: 'My mentions are full of uneducated hypocrties pretending to be health experts but I guess that's Twitter for ya(sic).

'Everyone's entitled to their own opinions but no amount of online bullying can ever guilt trip me into believing that I'm killing people by not wearing my mask when I am practicing pretty much all safety measures to protect me from getting the virus.'

Face coverings are now mandatory in shops and supermarkets across England, there are exemptions for people with disabilities

She then asks critics to 'find out why we can catch Covid-19 on a train platform but not in a restaurant, pub or gym.'

A British Transport Police spokeswoman said: 'We are aware of this video that is being circulated on social media and our officers are looking in to it further.

'We're asking anyone with further details to text us on 61016 with the reference 399 of 3 August.'

Do you know the model or masked man? Email Emer.scully@mailonline.co.uk
LONDON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Last held in London (Feb 2020), the 6th CoinGeek Conference debuts in New York after visits to Hong Kong, Seoul and Toronto. Business and technology leaders from around the world will take the stage to discuss the future of blockchain technology. The conference will highlight the stunning growth of the Bitcoin SV (BSV) ecosystem, The Bitcoin SV ecosystem has rapidly grown to over 428 known Bitcoin SV projects and ventures worldwide.

BSV's is already enabling enterprise applications for banking, gaming, social media, supply chain, healthcare, artificial intelligence and more industry sectors. CG: Live will highlight how BSV is the one blockchain that can do it all: One World, One Chain.

Already booked are two renowned keynote speakers:

Thomas Lee is a Managing Partner and the Head of Research at Fundstrat Global Advisors. He is an accomplished Wall Street strategist with over 25 years of experience in equity research, and has been top ranked by Institutional Investor every year since 1998. Prior to co-founding Fundstrat, he served most recently as J.P. Morgan's Chief Equity Strategist from 2007 to 2014. He is a frequent speaker on CNBC, Bloomberg News and Fox Business News.

is a Managing Partner and the Head of Research at Fundstrat Global Advisors. He is an accomplished Wall Street strategist with over 25 years of experience in equity research, and has been top ranked by Institutional Investor every year since 1998. Prior to co-founding Fundstrat, he served most recently as J.P. Morgan's Chief Equity Strategist from 2007 to 2014. He is a frequent speaker on CNBC, Bloomberg News and Fox Business News. George Gilder is a famed economist, writer, investor and technology visionary. Gilder is the best-selling author of Wealth & Poverty, Knowledge & Power, The Israel Test, The Scandal of Money, and Life After Google. He will speak about "Fixing Ponzi Money and Porous Internet with Satoshi's Blockchain."

Along with Gilder, other speakers at CoinGeek Live will discuss how Bitcoin technology can actually improve the Internet:

Bitcoin creator and nChain Chief Scientist Dr. Craig S. Wright will talk about his true vision for Bitcoin, and how its technology can power the "Metanet" to give more value to users, their data and online activity

will talk about his true vision for Bitcoin, and how its technology can power the "Metanet" to give more value to users, their data and online activity Recently Jeff Chen , Founder & CEO of Maxthon LTD (one of the world's top browsers), launched the latest version of the Maxthon browser on the BSV blockchain

Given the on-going virus situation CoinGeek are aware many may not be able to come to New York for the conference but you can sign up for the live streaming now.

As everJimmy Nguyen, Founding President of Bitcoin Association, the global industry organization which backs Bitcoin SV, will host the conference.

This conference comes just as BSV is capturing significant attention, with its application development exploding globally. BSV's network transactions and average block size block counts now consistently surpass BTC.

For tickets and for event information, please visit www.coingeekconference.com.

To learn more about BSV, visit BitcoinSV.com.
According to a confidential report, the past six nuclear tests have improved North Koreas technical capabilities. Kim Jong-un wants multiple warhead systems. Sanctions have not stopped Pyongyang.

Seoul (AsiaNews/Agencies)  North Korea is likely capable of developing a nuclear device small enough to fit on one of its ballistic missiles, this according to a confidential United Nations report, based on information provided by a number of member states, which Reuters has seen.

The report, which the UN sent yesterday to the 15-member UN Security Council North Korea sanctions committee, notes that the past six nuclear tests have improved Pyongyangs ability to miniaturize nuclear devices.

In addition to continuing the production of highly enriched uranium, which is needed for nuclear weapons, Kim Jong-uns regime wants to build multiple warhead systems with strong penetration capacity.

This would give North Korea the capability of targeting the United States and much of Europe with its own ballistic missiles.

Economic and financial sanctions, which the UN imposed in 2006, have not stopped Pyongyangs nuclear programme.

In 2018 and 2019, US President Donald Trump met Kim three times in an attempt to resolve the dispute, but the two sides failed to reach an agreement.

North Koreans do not intend to give up their nuclear arsenal before sanctions are lifted.
Chennai, Aug 5 : Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Tuesday greeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who will be laying the foundation stone for the Ram temple in Ayodhya during the grand 'bhumi pujan on Wednesday.

In a statement issued here, Palaniswami said the temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya is the dream of Hindus which is turning into a reality, as he extended his greetings to Modi who will be participating in the 'bhumi pujan' on Wednesday.

As per the historical judgement of the Supreme Court, a conducive atmosphere exists for building the Ram temple and he extends his heartfelt appreciation for the central government on that count, Palaniswami said.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan
The furnished model home has a den off the entrance foyer. On one side of the foyer is the bedroom wing, which has two bedrooms, a hallway bathroom, and a laundry room with side-by-side appliances and cabinets. Both bedrooms come with en suite bathrooms. The owners bedroom suite also has two walk-in closets and a dressing area. The second bedroom has a walk-in closet.
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More than 150 Vietnamese gamblers were arrested in a police raid on a large-scale, illegal gambling ring in An Giang, a Mekong Delta province bordering Cambodia, over the weekend.

The raid was a joint operation between the provinces police officers and their peers from the Vietnamese Ministry of Public Security.

Senior Colonel Dinh Van Noi, director of the provincial Police Department, said law enforcement officers had conducted the raid at around 11:00 am on Sunday in an empty piece of land in Da Phuoc Commune, An Phu District, An Giang.

At that time, more than a hundred gamblers were present. They tried to flee arrest but were eventually captured by authorities.

As a result, more than 150 gamblers, including many young people, were taken into custody.

Officers seized over VND500 million (US$18,200), which included cash confiscated from the scene of the crime, the gamblers, and the house of the alleged mastermind, as well as 15 roosters used in cockfights, six dice, a 52-card deck, five cars, and 71 scooters, among other items.

Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, 51, the alleged mastermind behind the illegal, large-scale gambling ring busted in An Giang Province on August 2, 2020, is seen in a photo supplied by police officers.

Authorities said the large-scale gambling ring was led by a local man, identified as Nguyen Ngoc Thuan, 51, in Da Phuoc Commune.

He ordered people to keep a lookout for local police to protect his racket.

A further investigation is underway into the operation.

Any individual who organizes gambling faces a fine between VND50 million ($1,800) and VND300 million ($11,000) and one to five years behind bars, according to Vietnams 2015 Penal Code.

A convict will be given a prison sentence of five to ten years if the offense is committed in a professional manner, and the illegal profit is over VND50 million ($1,800).

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
The crew of the UN aircraft that made a hard landing in Mali will be evacuated to the countrys capital of Bamako later on Tuesday, the Russian Embassy in Mali told Sputnik.

The plane, en route from Bamako to the Malian city of Gao, made a hard landing on Monday, resulting in injuries for all the people on board  four UN staffers and seven crew members.

Those injured have received medical assistance in the airport.

The crew will be taken to Bamako today, the embassy said.

It explained that the Russian citizen, who had his leg broken due to the hard landing is currently in hospital.

READ ALSO:

We have not discussed the reasons (of the incident) with Utair, as we are mainly interested in the health condition of the Russian citizens.

We have not asked them about the reasons, as we assume it is their business and the business of their clients, the embassy said.

(Sputnik/NAN)
New research into people's coping strategies faced with COVID-19 highlights the mental health toll for those shielding

Coronavirus and the imposition of lockdown this year 'significantly raised' mental health challenges, particularly so for the most vulnerable groups, including those shielding, according to the first study to look at people's coping styles in face of the pandemic.

The new research, published today [Tuesday 4 August 2020] in the journal American Psychologist, draws on survey responses from over 800 people recruited online and via social media who answered questions over a ten-day period when the UK was in full lockdown (from 17 - 26 April 2020).

The study from psychologists at the University of Bath is the first study to substantiate extensive media debate that health anxieties were heightened as a result of the pandemic, and it is also the first study to indicate that those in vulnerable groups are clinically more distressed as a result.

Results suggest that a quarter of all participants revealed significantly elevated anxiety and depression, exacerbated by lockdown and isolation. Nearly 15% reached clinical levels of health anxiety, which reflects that health-related anxiety has become distressing and is likely to be causing preoccupation and disruption to normal activities. Health anxiety focusses on the fear of having or contracting a serious illness despite medical reassurance.

Lead author, Dr Hannah Rettie from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology explains: "The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global uncertainty which has had a direct, detrimental effect on so many people across the UK and around the world. People have been unsure when they would see relatives again, job security has been rocked, there is an increased threat to many people's health and government guidance is continuously changing, leading to much uncertainty and anxiety.

"What our research focused in on is how some individuals have struggled to tolerate and adapt to these uncertainties - much more so than in normal times. These results have important implications as we move to help people psychologically distressed by these challenging times in the weeks, months and years ahead."

Deeper analysis reveals that those in vulnerable groups - classified according to the UK government 'vulnerable' categories - report twice the rates of health-related anxiety than the general population. Those who identified themselves in these categories were on average more anxious and depressed, with anxiety and health anxiety specifically significantly higher than in non-vulnerable groups. Those who are in the vulnerable group are at risk both physically and psychologically.

Average age of participants in the study was 38 years old, 22% of whom had a pre-existing medical condition. The majority of respondents were female (80% female: 20% male).

The team who led the work hope their findings can help inform clinical practice in dealing with the mental health aftermath caused by these tumultuous past six months. They suggest one of the most important findings concerns those in vulnerable groups who demonstrate significantly higher levels of distress yet are also those most likely to have shielded for longest. This needs to be addressed by policymakers to ensure adequate and appropriately tailored provision of mental health services moving forwards, they say.

The researchers suggest that clinicians could use their findings to target intolerance of uncertainty as part of standard psychological therapies, focussing on developing coping skills to reduce distress. This could also be extended to public resources, drawing out individuals' abilities to manage uncertainty and reduce reliance on less effective coping strategies, for example denial or self-blame.

Research lead Dr Jo Daniels also of the Department of Psychology at Bath, who has written and spoken extensively about health anxiety and how this relates to coronavirus, added: "This is important research which looks at the potential mechanisms in COVID-19 related distress, a recently prioritised area of research. These findings can help us to tailor our existing psychological treatments to help those most in need but may also be useful in considering what coping strategies might be particularly helpful at a new time of uncertainty.

"We are also now better informed as to the likely number of the population that are experiencing clinical levels of health-related anxiety. This may serve to normalise distress at this difficult time and promote the uptake of emerging models of COVID-19 related distress for those who may need support at this time of uncertainty."

"While this research offers important insights into how common distress was during 'lockdown', it is important to stress that anxiety is a normal response to an abnormal situation such as a pandemic. It can be helpful to mobilise precautionary behaviours such as hand-washing and social distancing. Yet for many, as reflected in our findings, anxiety is reaching distressing levels and may continue despite easing of restrictions - it is essential we create service provision to meet this need, which is likely to be ongoing, particularly with current expectations of a second wave. Further longitudinal research is needed to establish how this may change over time."

###

To arrange interviews with Dr Jo Daniels or Hannah Rettie please contact the University of Bath press office via press@bath.ac.uk or call 01225 386319.

The full paper 'Coping and Tolerance of Uncertainty: Predictors and Mediators of Mental Health During the COVID-19 Pandemic' is published in American Psychologist.

UNIVERSITY OF BATH

The University of Bath is one of the UK's leading universities both in terms of research and our reputation for excellence in teaching, learning and graduate prospects. The University is rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF), the Government's assessment of teaching quality in universities, meaning its teaching is of the highest quality in the UK.

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014 research assessment 87 per cent of our research was defined as 'world-leading' or 'internationally excellent'. From developing fuel efficient cars of the future, to identifying infectious diseases more quickly, or working to improve the lives of female farmers in West Africa, research from Bath is making a difference around the world. Find out more: http://www.bath.ac.uk/research/.

Well established as a nurturing environment for enterprising minds, Bath is ranked highly in all national league tables. We are ranked 6th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide 2020, 5th for graduate prospects in The Times & Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020, and 9th out of 131 UK universities in the Complete University Guide 2021.
ANSONIA  The group of people folks who worked tirelessly to get a bust of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. erected in front of City Hall is inviting the public  especially young people  to a community conversation about equity, justice and compassion.

The Valley MLK Committee will hold an online CommUnity dialogue titled Listening to our Youth from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday on the Zoom platform. The Web ID to join is 864 3616 9847 and the password is 6TiJP5.

Pastor Ulysses Youngblood, a committee member and chairman of the virtual event, encouraged folks to join in.

This forum presents a platform for youth and others to express their concerns, feelings and fears in an effort to help in the healing process, while in the midst of turmoil, Youngblood said. We can only move forward when we face the plagues of our city and citizens. In order to do that, we must understand from meaningful dialogue what that looks like in our community.

The committee dedicated itself to raising money and awareness in order to get the bronze bust of MLK created and placed outside City Hall, where it was dedicated last year. The nearly three-foot-high bust, which sits atop a six-foot, black granite base, was created by Vasil Rakaj, a sculptor with the Valley Arts Council, whose works have been displayed in the White House, Buckingham Palace and the Vatican. Ansonia is one of only two cities in Connecticut (the other being New Britain) with busts paying homage to the legendary Civil Rights leader and visionary.

David Gatison, chairman of the Deacons Ministry at Macedonia Baptist Church and a committee member, had said the community came together in the spirit of cooperation to make the bust a reality, putting differences aside and working together with respect.

The committee again hopes to achieve something good with the virtual conversation.

Dr. King stood for peace, justice, equality and equity for all people, Youngblood said. This committee is a facet of this idea especially in the awakening of current events  thereby presenting an opportunity to expand our commitment to the cause. The conversation surrounding the current events of the last few months has given this committee another opportunity to expand our commitment to equity, justice and love and compassion for our community.

Several community leaders will join the conversation, including Police Chief Andrew Cota, Superintendent of Schools Joseph DiBacco, local pastor Niki Harvel, Breon Sanders and Maliqa Mosley-Williams, a 2020 graduate of Ansonia High School who recently penned an opinion piece about how growing up in a predominately white town was different for a Black girl, simply because of the color of my skin.

With everything currently going on in our country regarding racism and police brutality, it is important that we remain educated on the issue and continue to stay informed, she wrote. We all have a platform, whether big or small. The absolute worst thing we can do right now is stay quiet about the issues occurring in this world. To be silent is to be complicit.

DiBacco said he was honored to be involved in the conversation.

It is important to talk about how we can take bigger steps toward attracting teachers and other staff of color, who can serve as role models for our students, he said. I am also open to reviewing our curriculum so that it is more culturally sensitive and allows our students to hold open discussions about race and culture.

jean.sos@snet.net
By Trend

Albanian President Ilir Meta on Monday approved an implementation protocol for a military cooperation agreement with Turkey, Trend reports citing Daily Sabah.

"With this agreement, financial contributions are made for the purchase of services and goods for military purposes. Thus, the increase in the interoperability of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Albania is affected," said a statement by the presidency.

The agreement is being carried out within the framework of existing cooperation with Turkey as well as to create stable relations to further strengthen military cooperation, the statement added.

The cooperation agreement aims to determine the principles of financial assistance for Albania to buy products that are 100% domestically made in Turkey and services for military purposes.

The agreement in question was signed by the two countries on Jan. 24 and Feb. 24 this year and passed in the Albanian parliament on July 23.

Following the president's approval, the agreement is set to enter into force 15 days after its publication on the Official Gazette.

The two NATO allies also signed a Defense Cooperation Plan in February.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Two protest movements are 9,000 kilometers apart: one in Russia and one in Belarus -- but they're united by their desire for basic democratic norms. Current Time reporters tracked down the protesters in Khabarovsk, in Russia's Far East, who reached out to their counterparts in Belarus, and the demonstrators in Minsk who responded.
A third 20-person wildfire crew from the Bureau of Forestry in the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources has gone west to help fight wildfires.

The crew left August 2 from Moshannon State Forest headquarters in Clearfield to pre-position in the Rocky Mountain Wildfire Coordination Area in the Colorado.

Pre-positioning means the crew could be used for initial attack of new wildfires in the area or could be reassigned to a larger fire.

The first 20-person crew from Pennsylvania was called to fight wildfires in Colorado and Wyoming on July 16. The crew also left from Moshannon, in the first call-up from Pennsylvania this year.

The second crew was called up July 25 to fight wildfires in northern California.

DCNR sent two 20-person crews, two wildfire fighting vehicles and 20 individuals as single resources, for a total of 74 personnel, last year.

When states and agencies need assistance, Pennsylvania wildland firefighters may be called upon through mutual assistance agreements.

They are trained and qualified under national wildland standards to function as members of an organized incident management team or as members of a wildland crew.

They must carry their own tents and sleeping bags to fire camp, and to be assigned to the fire they must be equipped with flame resistant clothing, leather lug-soled boots, hardhat, leather gloves, eye protection and a fire shelter.

Since 1973, more than 150 crews from the Bureau of Forestry, of 20 individuals each, have been mobilized to aid with wildfire suppression and hurricane emergency aid throughout the lower 48 states and Alaska.

Pennsylvania fire crews are formed from a mix of trained state and local volunteer wildland firefighters. Each crew is composed of 20 firefighters under the leadership of a crew boss and three squad bosses.

The crew remains intact as a working unit throughout each call-up. Members live and work together for the duration of their assignment, which typically lasts 14-16 days.

If quality outdoor journalism like this is important to you, please consider supporting our work.

Contact Marcus Schneck at mschneck@pennlive.com.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Covid-19 pandemic has dealt a severe blow to India's solar equipment imports from China, even before various government initiatives to check imports and boost domestic manufacturing set in.

As per Commerce Ministry data, Indian imports declined by 83 per cent in the April-June quarter of current fiscal, totalling $69 million (Rs 515 crore) as compared to $399 million (Rs 2,970 crore) during the same period last year.

These months saw the maximum impact of Covid-19 with lockdowns in several parts of the country and economic activity coming to a grinding halt.

On a quarter-on-quarter (QoQ) basis, Indian solar imports fell by 54 per cent in April-June quarter, from $150.5 million (Rs 1,120 crore) in the January-March period.

According to renewable energy consultancy and communication firm Mercom, the slowdown in the imports is primarily due to the lockdown that has stalled project development activity in many parts of the country as the labour shortage continues.

According to the government data, a significant portion of Q1 imports in the solar sector continued from China as it still accounted for 77 per cent of the total imports in the April-June period. China is followed by Thailand at 7 per cent, Vietnam at 5 per cent, Singapore at 3.5 per cent and Cambodia at 3 per cent.

China's presence in Indian solar projects has remained strong despite actual imports falling on account of Covid-19. During the January-March period as well, China accounted for 79 per cent of the total imports to India.

The government is looking at various initiatives to reduce import content in solar projects, primarily to check imports from China with which its relations have nose-dived recently following the violent border clashes in Ladakh.

The Finance Ministry has already notified extension of safeguard duty on import of solar cells and module by another year that will impact countries such as China, Thailand and Vietnam. The duty will be levied at 14.9 per cent from July 30 to January 29, 2021, and 14.5 per cent from January 30, 2021, to July 29, 2021.

There is also a plan to levy a basic customs duty (BCD) on solar cells and modules. The Power Ministry has proposed a BCD of 20-25 per cent on solar modules that rises to 40 per cent in the second year and 15-20 per cent duty on solar cells, with this also increasing to 35-40 per cent in the second year.
China will not accept the theft of a Chinese technology company and is able to respond to Washingtons move to push ByteDance to sell short-video app TikToks US operations to Microsoft, the China Daily newspaper said on Tuesday.

The United States bullying of Chinese tech companies was a consequence of Washingtons zero-sum vision of American first and left China no choice but submission or mortal combat in the tech realm, the state-backed paper said in an editorial.

China had plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab, it added.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday it was in talks with ByteDance to buy parts of TikTok after US President Donald Trump reversed course on a plan to ban the app on national security grounds and gave the firms 45 days to strike a deal.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said over the weekend that Trump would take action shortly against Chinese software companies that shared user data with the Chinese government.

The Global Times newspaper, which is also government-backed, said US treatment of ByteDance and Huawei Technologies , now on a US trade blacklist, was indicative of US efforts to separate its economy from Chinas.

China had limited ability to provide protection to these Chinese companies by retaliating against US companies because the United States had technological superiority and influence with its allies, it added.

Chinas opening-up to the outside world and disintegrating the US decoupling strategy should be priorities, it said in an editorial.

The Global Times is published by the Peoples Daily, the official newspaper of Chinas ruling Communist Party.
World's largest business education alliance seeks to highlight impactful change

TAMPA, Florida, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- AACSB International (AACSB) announces business education's renewed commitment and focus on creating positive societal change, demonstrating that business schools are connected for better. AACSB is leading conversations about the role of business schools as a force for good in society, a core component of its recently announced 2020 business accreditation standards, starting with a briefing paper, Connected for Better: Exploring the Positive Societal Impact of Business Schools.

"Demonstrating positive societal impact is a defining characteristic of a quality business school, with AACSB-accredited schools leading the way," said Caryn L. Beck-Dudley, AACSB president and CEO. "As a connector and convener within the business education industry, AACSB is excited to amplify the outstanding efforts of our members in the communities they serve, locally and globally. Together, our relationships will create agile and innovative partnerships among learners, within universities, and across business and government for society's greater benefit."

Grounded in the themes of the organization's Collective Vision for Business Education, AACSB identifies five areas where business schools can create positive societal impact:

Connect business, community, and government to deliver results

business, community, and government to deliver results Solve problems based on knowledge-sharing and research

problems based on knowledge-sharing and research Develop purpose-driven leaders with the vision to tackle the toughest challenges

purpose-driven leaders with the vision to tackle the toughest challenges Create hubs for lifelong learning to promote prosperity and elevate economies

hubs for lifelong learning to promote prosperity and elevate economies Inspire innovations with the power to change the world

To encourage collaborations among business schools, their partners, and their stakeholders, AACSB's briefing paper provides a framework for business schools to define, understand, and realize the impact they seek to achieve through strategic management, learning experiences, thought leadership and research, and outreach efforts and priorities. It further identifies common challenges business schools face in defining and measuring societal impact and offers exercises to serve as conversation starters on the issue.

Over the next 12 months and beyond, AACSB will continue to engage stakeholder groups globally by sharing insights and initiatives-including those that feature influential alumni and inspiring innovations-to highlight business education's efforts to be connected for better. To view the briefing paper and learn more, visit aacsb.edu/societal-impact.

About AACSB International

Established in 1916, AACSB is the world's largest business education alliance, connecting educators, learners, and business to create the next generation of great leaders. With a presence in more than 100 countries and territories, AACSB fosters engagement, accelerates innovation, and amplifies impact in business education. Learn how AACSB is transforming business education for a better society at aacsb.edu.

Logo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/492010/AACSB_International_Logo.jpg
Last week on the D.C. side of the circle, the Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission voted 5 to 0 to ask the National Park Service, which manages the fountain, to remove a plaque bearing Newlandss name. The Park Service said it must first determine what authority it has because Congress voted the 87-year-old memorial into existence.
Zug, Switzerland, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- DIA, (Decentralised Information Asset) the open-source data and oracle platform for the DeFi (Decentralised Finance) ecosystem, announces the first step to decentralise its governance by public distribution of its governance token on Monday, August 3, 2020. The highly anticipated event will give participants the opportunity to acquire DIAs Governance Token (DIA).



DIA sets out to become the platform for open-source financial data

DIA aims to fully distribute governance to become a full DAO by 2025

DIAs first public governance token distribution will take place Monday, Aug 3 at 3 pm

Founded in 2018 as a Swiss Association, DIAs vision is to make validated and auditable financial market data accessible and open-source to both traditional and decentralised financial markets. Rather than sourcing and providing data itself, the DIA platform sets crypto-economic incentives that drive the sourcing and validation of data by the community.



The exponential growth of DeFi calls for more resilient data solutions

Financial data is the critical foundation of any financial market. Both in traditional and digital asset markets the cost of bad data has become tragically apparent in the wake of scandals surrounding manipulation and a lack of transparency, causing severe loss of funds and calling for more trustworthy and transparent solutions.



In particular, the recent exponential growth of DeFi applications have sparked a new interest in the data architecture that supports this ecosystem. While a range of providers are already catering to the increasing demand for data, DIAs approach fuels the hope that the ecosystems data providers will leverage the benefits of decentralised governance to provide the highest quality data and make it accessible to all market actors.



DIAs co-founder and Association President Michael Weber explains, With a DeFi industry already worth $5 billion and growing at a rapid pace, trusted data will become the most crucial building block for the DeFi economy. We believe that data needs to be community-driven, decentralised, and transparent. The DIA Association will be positioned to provide the best possible oracles by leveraging the decentralisation of DIA as an organisation and a community that is incentivised at each step the process.



Story continues

DIAs Governance Token Distribution



Following its private sale which sold out in just 3 days, DIA will make its governance token accessible in a novel allocation mechanism dubbed bonding curve distribution. This will be the first public distribution of DIAs governance token and aims to decentralise governance to the broader DeFi and blockchain ecosystem and raise funds for the continued development of the platform. The distribution will be publicly accessible via DIAs website starting today, Monday, August 03, 2020 at 3 pm CET. The full process is explained in greater detail on DIAs official Medium blog.



DIAs team brings extensive experience in blockchain and finance



DIA is run by a team of experienced web3 founders and financial market experts and is backed by notable venture capital funds, including Outlier Ventures (OV), Continue Capital,

and TRG Capital as well as angel investors from the traditional financial space. As one of the star performers to emerge from OVs Base Camp Accelerator, DIA has received praise as one of the most promising upcoming DeFi projects, dedicated to the democratisation of data and company transparency.



Following the upcoming distribution, DIA is planning several other mechanisms to allocate its governance tokens to key DeFi market actors and innovators as part of the DIA Ecosystem Token Pool and DIA Labs. DIAs goal is to reach a full DAO implementation by 2025. More details will be announced soon.



Jamie Burke, Founder of Outlier Ventures, explains, DIAs unique proposition is to democratise the provision, access, and usage of financial information by leveraging the wisdom and power of the crowd. Their mission is to make financial data standardised, open-source and accessible to everyone and under the same terms. We believe that decentralised finance will be a multi-billion dollar industry and that DIA are leading the innovation that will secure a solid and fair foundation for this industry.



About DIA: DIA (Decentralised Information Asset) is an open-source, financial information platform that utilises crypto-economic incentives to source and validate data. Market actors can supply, share and use financial and digital asset data. Based in Switzerland, DIA operates as a non-profit association.



Press contact: Carl Bruns (carl.bruns@diadata.org)



Website: https://diadata.org/

Token Website: https://token.diadata.org/

Medium: https://medium.com/dia-insights

Telegram: https://t.me/DIAdata_org






How can we pass somebody thats hungry?

For Adrian Rose of Scarborough, giving with a kind heart, without reservations, is the only fitting response to seeing fellow Torontonians suffer.

His fledgling grassroots group, Given Values Toronto, seeks out the inside scoop on the streets to find pockets of the city where people in need are congregating, often in encampments or whatever shelter they can make themselves.

They need the basics. Eggs, dried food, some rice, sometimes corn on the cob, Rose said recently.

We go to their homes. We see how theyre living. Given Values Toronto is not a registered charity but that is one of its goals, said Rose.

Before the pandemic arrived, Rose and girlfriend Kimberly Elliot started hearing from single mothers and other people in need.

They ended up seeking out homeless people downtown. Often, the couple would be at an encampment off Richmond Street near the Don Valley Parkway with chips, tuna sandwiches and other supplies.

Many people they met were young kids  19, 20 or 21.

Given Values started visiting areas around Driftwood in North York and Jamestown in Etobicoke, building an emotional thing in Roses words, a connection young people on the street could use to improve their situation.

They need shelter, food, a bath. They need to be told somebody loves them, said Rose, adding hes met people of many different cultures and languages, all in the same boat.

The pandemic is one reason why homeless people avoid crowded shelters. The Ontario Coalition Against Poverty says municipal measures to create emergency housing arent enough, and encourages dropping off supplies to people in encampments

Elliot grew up in Barrie and said moving to Scarborough opened her eyes to needs others overlook.

A lot of people have motivation to help but they dont know where to start, she said, adding Given Values is her chance to inspire others.

Rose said the values reflect those of his grandparents and great-grandparents, who supported people in a community in Jamaica, giving out pounds of flour or half-chickens to the needy, or sending barrels of food from overseas.

Several months ago, when the stars, or angels, were aligned Rose met the founders of the Basket Project on the street.

They were giving out food; Rose was doing the same thing, and Given Values became a project partner.

Five first-year university friends  Jack Tome, Alex Mastromarini, Nathan Lee, Gabriel Mancuso and James Neale  founded the project as a non-profit aimed at protecting homeless people during the pandemic.

A lot of times, homeless people fall between the cracks  yet theyre the most vulnerable people in Toronto to be exposed to the virus, Mastromarini said.

Since late April, the teens have delivered hundreds of baskets containing fabric masks, gloves, sanitary wipes, soap, deodorant, toothbrush and toothpaste to Toronto agencies serving homeless people, including Covenant House Toronto and Street Health.

Their Homeless Protection Baskets (COVID-19) GoFundMe page has raised more than $8,000 of its $10,000 goal.

Tracie LeBlanc, associate director of communications with Covenant House Toronto, said the baskets are greatly needed among their approximately 100 drop-in clients a day, who are vulnerable to contracting COVID-19.

We rely very heavily on these hygiene kits for our young people; it plays an important role (in keeping them safe), LeBlanc said. It has been such a hard time during COVID knowing how much our young people need us. There is no staying home and staying safe for them.
Motorola is bringing its One Fusion+ to North America tomorrow. The $399 phone was previously only available in India and Latin America, and the company hadnt announced plans to introduce it elsewhere.

A few things make the One Fusion+ standout. Not only does it have a quad-camera set up  with a 64 megapixel high-resolution sensor, an eight megapixel ultra-wide angle lens, five megapixel Macro Vision camera and two megapixel depth sensor  it also has a 16 megapixel pop-up selfie camera.

It has a 5,000 mAh battery that will supposedly last over two days on a single charge. It runs on Android 10, and it has Qualcomms Snapdragon 730 processor.

The One Fusion+ is landing less than a week after Motorola launched its 5G-capable Motorola Edge. That device costs $500 for a limited time, after which it will be priced at $700. The One Fusion+ could be Motorolas defense against Googles just-announced Pixel 4a, which costs just $349 (and has a very similar processor to One Fusion+). Of course, the One Fusion+ will have other mid-range phones to contend with, too.
(Sharecast News) - EasyJet said on Tuesday that it expects to report a smaller loss for the fourth quarter of the year, as it expands its flight schedule amid stronger-than-expected summer bookings, after taking a hit from the Covid-19 pandemic.

The budget airline said it now expects to fly around 40% of planned capacity in the fourth quarter, up from the 30% previously anticipated, and that it will record a smaller loss than in Q3.



However, financial guidance for the rest of 2020 remained withdrawn "given the continued level of short-term uncertainty".



EasyJet said total group revenue for the quarter ending 30 June slid to 7m from 1.8bn in the same period a year ago, after its fleet was fully grounded at the end of March due to the pandemic. The company made a headline loss before tax of 324.5m versus a profit of 174.2m a year ago and passenger numbers slumped 99.6%.



Total headline costs fell 79% from the third quarter of last year to 332.1m, while cash burn for Q3 came in at 774m, which was below the previously-guided 1bn.



Chief executive officer Johan Lundgren said: "I am really encouraged that we have seen higher than expected levels of demand with load factor of 84% in July with destinations like Faro and Nice remaining popular with customers.



"Our bookings for the remainder of the summer are performing better than expected and as a result we have decided to expand our schedule over the fourth quarter to fly circa 40% of capacity. This increased flying will allow us to connect even more customers to family or friends and to take the breaks they have worked hard for."



At 0920 BST, the shares were up 9.% at 557.40p.



Sophie Lund-Yates, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown, said: "Sun-seekers have provided an unexpected boost to easyJet's performance in the last few weeks. Destinations like Nice have proved popular as Brits sought a getaway after so many months of travel bans. The net effect of this trend is that capacity guidance for the fourth quarter has been upgraded to around 40%, up from 30%.



"While this is better than hoped for, and the progress shouldn't be knocked, traveller numbers are still markedly below normal levels. Demand isn't expected to return to pre-pandemic trends for quite some time, and easyJet's calling on the government to do more to help the aviation industry. The difficulties mean easyJet is doing all it can to keep cash in the business, and that means a significant reduction in staff numbers is expected. With its end-market having shrunk so much, the size of the workforce must fall in line.



"Overall there are some signs of positivity at easyJet, but it would be a mistake to assume the challenges are over. The group's doing a lot of the right things to protect the long-term interests of the business, but the easyJet we'll be looking at once its self-help measures are complete is going to be a very different beast."
DALLAS, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Family-owned Dallas based metal fabrication shop, the NoContactKey has risen in popularity since the introduction of their one of a kind clean touch key. The NoContactKey is a no contact door opener, tool and stylus made of metal antimicrobial brass. To help parents and students heading back to school in-person feel more comfortable as they navigate a challenging learning environment during this pandemic, NoContactKey has expanded their product selection to include a child size version of their clean touch germ key, perfectly suited for children's fingers.

NO TOUCH HAND TOOL - Made from a solid piece of brass, the NoContactKey is made to help you "open doors & use on shared surfaces". By using the NoContactKey you avoid touching and contaminating yourself. You also lower the risk of spreading germs. This is a touchless keychain door opener to keep your hands a safe touch. The No Contact Key is a antimicrobial brass hand tool and hygiene hook door opener. It makes a perfect gift for a germaphobe to touch buttons and open doors. DOOR OPENER TOOL - This no touch germ utility tool is made of solid brass, the NoContactKey will work as a hygiene hand and cleankey. Open doors and a button pusher for protection so you don't get a cootie on your hand. This is your edc ( every day carry ) keychain hook. This button pusher tool is a clean key made to prevent the spreading of germs and for use in public spaces, on elevators buttons, atm pads, doorbells, gas pumps and checkout lines. Provides a safe touch to be hands free.

Currently, the NoContactKey is the number one hygiene tool supplying clients throughout the country with their no touch hand tools. The demand from consumers for additional PPE so that they may feel safe handling daily tasks has resulted in NoContactKey's shop processing thousands of orders a day and becoming a large-scale production allowing them to pivot quickly to better serve teachers, students and schools.

"Every parent wants to be assured that the school their children will attend this fall is taking serious precautions against the spread of COVID-19," said Don Douglas, founder of NoContactKey. "Despite schools' major efforts towards cleanliness and social distancing, community spread of the virus is still a prevalent reality. That is why we feel every child and teacher should have their own NoContact Key as an extra precaution to reduce the number of germy shared surfaces they are exposed to throughout the day."

https://www.nocontactkey.com/product/nocontactkey-for-kids/

Parents, teachers and students can feel safer and stay healthier by explaining to the kids how to use the NoContactKey and reinforcing the importance of trying to avoid directly touching shared surfaces.

With the help of a no contact germ tool like the NoContactKey, your children can enter a school without worrying about touching door knobs or pressing buttons.

A child can use the brass door opener keychain hook and the weight of a door is not a factor but rather the amount of resistance the door closer provides. The door closer is the device mounted at the top of the door and is responsible for controlling how much effort is required to open the door. If a door closer resistance is adjusted to the ADA standard of 5 pounds or less, then the user will be able to easily open the door using the NoContactKey.

Keeping a NoContactKey easily accessible allows your children to avoid using their hands to press water fountain buttons, touch school locker handles, push elevator buttons, lower toilet handles, etc.

The NoContactKey also serves as a high-quality stylus which can be used on many touch screen learning devices including iPad tablets.

The NoContactKey germ utility tool can be the added assurance parents need for their children to head back to school safely. When it comes to procuring PPE for the coming year, Parent Teacher Associations and school administrators can provide additional peace of mind to families and staff by providing the best no touch tool made from antimicrobial brass. by not touching shared surfaces. Made from antimicrobial brass, it is the best no touch tool available!

For more information about the NoContactKey and its functions, visit www.nocontactkey.com

Contact:

Don Douglas

2012202066

[email protected]

SOURCE NoContactKey.com

Related Links

http://www.nocontactkey.com


MUNICH (dpa-AFX) - Shares of Wacker Chemie AG (WKCMY.PK, WKCMF.PK) were losing around 2 percent in German trading after the company said Tuesday that it currently expects its sales, EBITDA and EBITDA margin for fiscal 2020 to be below last year's level, hurt by coronavirus pandemic. The Munich-based chemical group said its incoming orders and sales are down, and that it cannot reliably estimate now how long the pandemic's effects will last. During the virtual Annual Shareholders' Meeting, Rudolf Staudigl, President and CEO, discussed the pandemic's economic effects. He said, 'The coronavirus struck the economy without warning, and with full impact. The costs are expected to surpass anything ever before seen in the economic and financial crises of recent decades.' WACKER expects its chemical business would stabilize during the second half of the year, so long as a second wave of infection does not once more shut down public life. The company further said it is distributing a total of 24.8 million euros in dividends to its shareholders for 2019. The dividend per dividend-bearing share is 0.50 euro. In Germany, Wacker Chemie shares were trading at 77.86 euros, down 1.62 percent. 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.
PITTSBURGH, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The United Steelworkers (USW) today urged Congress and the Trump administration to act immediately in the interest of saving TIMET's titanium sponge plant in Henderson, Nev., from permanent closure.

Last year, in a Section 232 investigation, the U.S. Department of Commerce concluded that without the Henderson facility, the country would be completely dependent on imports for titanium sponge and scrap and lack the surge capacity required to support defense and critical infrastructure needs in an extended national emergency.

TIMET announced on July 13 that it intended to idle the facility. The company has already begun ratcheting down operations and laying off workers. Another wave of 17 were laid off today.

"Americans already rely on foreign imports for too many necessities, such as surgical masks and other personal protective equipment," said USW District 12 Director Gaylan Prescott, "and we cannot risk our national security by depending on other countries to supply titanium for our military airplanes, helicopters and aerospace equipment."

Prescott said that if TIMET follows through on its plan to close Henderson, the U.S. would be forced to import sponge from the only six other countries with production capacity: China, Japan, Russia, Ukraine, Kazakhstan or India.

"With so much more than jobs at stake, the USW will not allow TIMET to deprive our nation of this critical resource without a fight," Prescott said. "Before it's too late, President Trump and congressional leaders from both parties must take action to prevent compromising our national defense."

The USW represents 850,000 men and women employed in manufacturing, metals, mining, pulp and paper, rubber, chemicals, glass, auto supply and the energy-producing industries, along with a growing number of workers in public sector and service occupations.

More information, contact: Bill Locke, 702-271-0029

SOURCE United Steelworkers (USW)

Related Links

http://www.usw.org


CHANGSHA, China - The overwhelming humidity of the Chinese summer was not enough to stifle the ardor of the crowds of 20-somethings honoring Mao Zedong, the founding father of Communist China.

Some took fairground-style miniature trains while others ran three miles through the heat to reach the giant statue of a young Mao - China's equivalent of Mount Rushmore - staring out over the Xiangjiang River.

"My grandmother was so happy when she knew that I was coming to Changsha," said Xia Yuxin, a 22-year-old university student in Beijing, as she jostled on a recent day for the perfect selfie with the Great Helmsman. "She told me: 'You must go visit Chairman Mao.' "

Nearby, sweaty recruits from the 23rd Metallurgical Construction Group, part of a state-owned construction and mining firm, gathered to recite one of Mao's poems, "Changsha." "I ask, on this boundless land / Who rules over man's destiny?" they shouted in unison.

The answer, in this instance, is the Chinese Communist Party.

After seven decades in power, the ruling party has faced potentially existential challenges over the past year, from pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong and an economic slowdown to a devastating coronavirus and, most recently, once-in-a-generation floods that have wreaked destruction across central China.

But far from diminishing its stature at home, as some in the Trump administration appear to believe, the party's response to some of these crises has helped solidify the support of existing and aspiring members - or at least neutralized grumbling.

Chinese who were complaining in February about the party's coronavirus coverup reflect more positively on their experience now that they can see, through the American example, how much worse it could have been.

3 1 of 3 Washington Post photo by Anna Fifield. Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Washington Post photo by Anna Fifield. Show More Show Less 3 of 3





"It's strange to think of the Communist Party as weaker, because all of us feel that our country and our party have grown stronger in the face of this epidemic," said Xia, who was dressed more like a pop star than a propaganda star. Like her father, she joined the party at age 20.

In a confrontation that is no longer just economic but ideological, the Trump administration is taking aim at the Communist Party. Leading the charge is Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who used a speech at the Nixon presidential library last month to blast the "Chinese Communist Party's designs for hegemony" and to lay out a strategy "to truly change Communist China."

Wang Wei, a professor at the Hunan provincial branch of the Communist Party School, said Pompeo's comments revealed the Trump administration's worry about China eclipsing the United States.

"This just shows that they fear a stronger Communist Party and a stronger China after we showed our might in the battle against the coronavirus epidemic," she said.

- - -

It's easy for people outside China to view the Communist Party as a throwback to Soviet times, which, in many ways, it is.

It runs China as a one-party state with no opposition allowed, and heavily censors the Internet, making it difficult to access information that doesn't fit the official narrative. It holds dreary meetings where men sit on stages surrounded by red flags, droning on in Communist argot about central economic plans and staying true to the mission.

But in China, the reality is more complicated. The party may remain bound by many of the strictures first envisaged by Mao and his comrades in the 1920s, and these pronouncements may hint at underlying alarm about the challenges China faces, but the organization is relevant to many people's lives.

Party membership means better education prospects and better jobs, more politically advantageous marriages and nicer apartments. For many, it is a ticket to a brighter future.

"If you want an important job, or even to work in a university or a social organization, if you're not a party member, you won't be promoted," said Zheng Yongnian, a Chinese political scientist who teaches at the National University of Singapore. "Plus, young people these days are quite nationalistic, so they are choosing to join the party."

Some 80% of recruits last year were younger than 35, according to official party statistics.

Becoming a member is an arduous process that people can begin only when they turn 18.

After submitting a letter outlining why she or he believes in the party - and also acknowledging personal shortcomings - an applicant must go through courses and pass tests, then submit recommendations from two party members.

Those who make it through enter a probationary period that lasts at least a year but can often take much longer, and membership is not guaranteed. But those who make the cut must take an oath, swearing to "be ready at all times to sacrifice my all for the party and the people, and never betray the party."

Xi Jinping, the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao, has ramped up ideological education since he took control of the party in 2012 and has sought to make its institutions even more formidable. One of his innovations was to insist that members study Xi Jinping Thought, his personal ideology, each day using a smartphone app.

"It must be clearly understood that the greatest national feature of China is the leadership of the Communist Party," Xi said in an article published in a party journal last month.

As part of its efforts to confront China and Xi's leadership of it, the Trump administration is reportedly considering banning members of the Communist Party and their families from traveling to the United States.

The party's membership stood at almost 92 million at the end of last year, according to the Central Committee's Organization Department. That could mean some 270 million people - one-fifth of China's population - would face a U.S. entry ban.

While the total number of party members has continued to grow, the rate of increase has slowed under Xi, from about 3.2 million in 2012 to only 1.3 million last year.

"The party has always been a mass organization masquerading as an elite," said Richard McGregor, author of "The Party: The Secret World of China's Communist Rulers." "But one of the most striking things about the CCP under Xi is that it is, in fact, becoming more of an elite. In other words, it is getting harder to be admitted as a member."

Indeed, Xi is trying to ensure that the membership is more ideologically pure.

"They are weeding out those simply interested in using membership to advance their careers or business but not actually believing in the party's guiding ideology or participating meaningfully in party bodies," said David Gitter, president of the Center for Advanced China Research, a Washington-based think tank.

- - -

Some aspiring party members - whether they be police officers or nurses or students - are using this year's catastrophes to demonstrate commitment to the cause and expedite their applications. In February, Xi said that applicants who showed outstanding performance "at the front line of the battle" could join the club.

Here in Hunan province, which borders the coronavirus epicenter of Hubei and where rivers burst their banks during extreme flooding last month, would-be members have found opportunities to prove their worth. State media has been full of stories of people who volunteered to go to Wuhan during the coronavirus outbreak or, more recently, worked on flood control.

"As an active applicant, I want to bear my responsibility to serve society and to learn from those model party members at the front line of flood prevention work," Zhou Ziyi, an 18-year-old studying at Hunan Industry Polytechnic who has volunteered to patrol the embankments, told local media.

One of those hoping to be admitted is Lu, a materials science student in Changsha who applied for membership two years ago and is on probation.

"I have no idea when I'll become a full member, there are too many people waiting in the line," said Lu, whose father is a party member and who asked to use only his surname while discussing sensitive political issues.

He wants to join partly because he agrees with the party ideology, but mainly because he wants a future in academia - and membership will help with that. This is even with the knowledge that party membership would make it more difficult to study in the United States, where Chinese scientists are increasingly viewed as spies.

"I think most university students are willing to join the party," he said, taking a break from his laptop in a cafe here. "There's good and bad with it, but generally speaking, the good triumphs. I think many students also believe that by joining, they could help lead the party towards a better future."

- - -

The Washington Post's Wang Yuan contributed to this report.
Their actions are a testament to who these individuals are and to the training they receive as ComEd employees.

MEA Energy Association (MEA) is honored to bestow Life Sustaining and Meritorious Service Awards to 9 employees of ComEd, the largest electric utility in Illinois and longtime member of MEA.

MEA presented the 2020 Life Sustaining Awards to:



William Jones, overhead electric specialist, for halting a violent attack and assisting the wounded victim.

Timothy Walsh, engineering design tech, for rescuing a child from a partially submerged vehicle.

Gus Skaliotis, material handler; Les Cednick, manager material & logistics; and Victor Pope, senior material handler, for distracting and assisting with the prevention of a young womans suicide.

Five other ComEd employees were recognized with Meritorious Service Awards for actions ranging from assisting at roadside accidents and rescuing people from fires. They are:



Steven Doen, senior engineering tech specialist

Kevin Lonkar, electric mechanic

Gregory Mars, maintenance inspector

Richard Martucci, senior commercial compliance investigator

MEA is honored to present the Life Sustaining and Meritorious Service Awards, said John Gann, MEA Vice President. In these uncertain times, we are especially grateful to these outstanding individuals who rise up and make a positive contribution to society. Their actions are a testament to who these individuals are and to the training they receive as ComEd employees.

MEA Life Sustaining Awards are presented to individuals from member companies who have saved the life of another. The Meritorious Service Award is granted to recognize those who have performed actions in the service of another that are considered above and beyond. Applications for the MEA Life Sustaining and Meritorious Service Award are reviewed and approved by the Executive Committee of MEAs Board of Directors. Read about all MEA awards at https://www.meaenergy.org/outreach/awards/.

For questions contact John Gann, johng (at) MEAenergy (dot) org, or (651) 289-9600 x105.

About MEA:

MEA serves the people that deliver electricity and natural gas to homes and businesses. We were founded as a trade association over 110 years ago by distribution utilities whose vision was to improve safety and efficiency. Today, we fulfill the same purpose through education, leadership development, and industry connections. Energy delivery companies, contractors, and suppliers around the country benefit from our 55 summits, roundtables, and webinars, 400+ online technical courses, safety assessments, evaluator training, operator qualification compliance tools, and leadership courses for field personnel.
A Portarlington teenager has fulfilled his ambition to do a skydive as soon as he was old enough to qualify.

Thomas Weight who plays rugby with the local club and is also a keen amateur photographer, had planned to do the skydive in nearby Clonbullogue Airfield for his 16th birthday last April.

He chose Youth Suicide Prevention Ireland because he believes that there is not enough support for young people with mental illness in his own community. Thomas also did the jump in memory of his uncle Karl.

As with most events, it was delayed for three months to Covid-19 but finally his moment came on Sunday, July 19.

The dive involved climbing to 13,000 feet, and doing a tandem parachute jump. The first three minutes were a freefall dive over the countryside.

There was no fear at all from an excited Thomas beforehand, and he says he had a super dive.

The skydive was excellent, it went very well, an easy process, said Thomas who is a twin to sister Sophie and is going into Leaving Cert year in Colaiste Iosagain.

He thanks everyone for their support.

I want to thank everyone who donated to this important cause Youth Suicide prevention Ireland, including Leinster rugby and Irish sevens players and to Mikhail Baskov who really supported my campaign, he said.

The condition for the jump was that Thomas had to raise at least 500 for the charity, which visits schools to give free workshops on mental health. Great support came through and he well exceeded the target, raising 1710 so far for Youth Suicide prevention Ireland.

His fundraiser remains open to sponsorship until February 2021. See https://skydive.yspi.ie/thomas or text YSPI SFL5480 to 50300 to make a 4 donation.

All donations will be greatly appreciated, said Thomas.
A further 45 new cases have been reported to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre today.

But 33 of these cases are located in Co Kildare.

There has been a significant outbreak among employees of the Kildare Chilling Company in Kildare town.

The company has not confirmed the number of cases but said it is working closely with the HSE.

Last week, the Irish Dog Foods factory in Naas was closed for a deep clean after a Covid-19 cluster was confirmed there.

Meanwhile there have been no new deaths reported today. The total death toll remains at 1,763 in Ireland from the virus.

There is now a total of 26,253 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ireland.

Of the cases notified today,

27 are men and 19 are women.

35 are men / 10 are women

77% are under 45 years of age

31 are associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case

4 cases have been identified as community transmission

33 cases are located in Kildare, 7 are in Dublin, and 5 are spread across four other counties.

The HSE advice remains as follows:

Everyone should be aware of the risk factors for getting COVID-19:

 Distance  the risk of getting COVID-19 increases as the distance between you and others gets smaller. Keep 2 metres apart where possible;

 Activity  How you spend time with people and what you do with them can increase your risk. Follow the governments Stay Safe Guidelines when spending time with others;

 Time  The more time you spend in close contact with other people can increase your risk of getting COVID-19. Keep track of who you spend time with and how;

 Environment  Being outdoors is safer than being indoors. Where possible, meet with others outdoors. If this is not possible, keep windows and doors open when meeting others inside;

 Symptoms  Know the symptoms. If you have them self-isolate and contact your GP immediately.
The Bono Regional Chairman of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwame Baffoe, popularly known as Abronye DC has vowed to physically prevent foreigners from partaking in the voter registration exercise, especially in the Banda constituency of the Bono Region.



According to him, though both the National Democratic Congress and the ruling party have signed a gentleman's agreement, the NPP does not trust the security agencies yo enforce the accord and ensure a free and fair exercise



The Banda Constituency recently witnessed some violent acts in the ongoing voter registration exercise which has led to the death of a trainee teacher.



It is in this regard that heavy security detail has been deployed to the area to ensure that the region does not record any further violence and also ensure a smooth process of the registration exercise.



Earlier this week, General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, accusedNthe ruling party and the military of mounting roadblocks in Banda Constituency to prevent some Ghanaians from partaking in the voters registration exercise.



He further claimed ordinary citizens are being stopped from participating in the exercise because they happen to be in the villages and along the banks of the lake.



NPP with support from the military has been mounting roadblocks to prevent people from the banks of the lake to register because they are seen to be foreigners and supporters of the NDC, he alleged.



But speaking on Okay Fm's Ade Akye Abia programme, the NPP Bono Regional Chairman stated that despite efforts to have a clean register, and the signing of a peace agreement, it appears some unscrupulous people are bent on doing the exact opposite with the aid of some security personnel.



"....as the regional chairman, I will not entertain such acts to be carried out. Though we are ensuring a peaceful registration exercise and all eligible Ghanaians are partaking in the exercise, we will not also allow some self-seeking individuals to flood the voters register with aliens.



"We will strongly resist and prevent all those foreigners who have been brought in to have their names captured," he vowed.





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.

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Technavio has been monitoring the global cable conduit systems market size and it is poised to grow by USD 1.62 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of about 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005644/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Cable Conduit Systems Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. ABB Ltd., Aliaxis Group SA, Atkore International Group Inc., Delphi Technologies Plc, Dura-Line, Eaton Corporation Plc, Hubbell Inc., igus GmbH, Legrand SA, and Schneider Electric SE are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

The expansion of the construction industry has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, high installation costs might hamper market growth.

Cable Conduit Systems Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Cable Conduit Systems Market is segmented as below:

Product Rigid Non-metallic Rigid Metallic Flexible Non-metallic Flexible Metallic

Geography North America APAC Europe MEA South America



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR44474

Cable Conduit Systems Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our cable conduit systems market report covers the following areas:

Cable Conduit Systems Market size

Cable Conduit Systems Market trends

Cable Conduit Systems Market industry analysis

This study identifies product innovations as one of the prime reasons driving the cable conduit systems market growth during the next few years.

Cable Conduit Systems Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the cable conduit systems market, including some of the vendors such as ABB Ltd., Aliaxis Group SA, Atkore International Group Inc., Delphi Technologies Plc, Dura-Line, Eaton Corporation Plc, Hubbell Inc., igus GmbH, Legrand SA, and Schneider Electric SE. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the cable conduit systems market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Cable Conduit Systems Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist cable conduit systems market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the cable conduit systems market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the cable conduit systems market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of cable conduit systems market vendors

Table Of Contents :

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Market characteristics

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Product

Market segments

Comparison by Product

Rigid non-metallic Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Rigid metallic Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Flexible non-metallic Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Flexible metallic Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Product

Market Segmentation by End-user

Market segments

Comparison by End-user

Commercial Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Manufacturing Market size and forecast 2019-2024

IT and telecommunication Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Healthcare Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by End-user

Customer Landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

ABB Ltd.

Aliaxis Group SA

Atkore International Group Inc.

Delphi Technologies Plc

Dura-Line

Eaton Corporation Plc

Hubbell Inc.

igus GmbH

Legrand SA

Schneider Electric SE

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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.

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Religious rituals got under way in Ayodhya on Monday, two days ahead of the groundbreaking ceremony for a Ram temple. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone for the temple in the August 5 ceremony.

Twenty one priests on Monday conducted prayers dedicated to Lord Ganesh. This was to be followed by prayers to the deities of the dynasties of Lord Ram and goddess Sita. On Tuesday, prayers will be offered at Ayodhyas Hanumangarhi temple.

The priests and religious leaders supervising the entire event said that the muhurat (auspicious moment) will last only for 32 seconds on Wednesday - from 12:44:08 on to 12:44:40 pm - reported Hindustan Times sister publication Hindustan.

One hundred seventy five people have been invited for the event, out of which 135 are saints of that many traditions.

On the dais, there will be just five people - Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, trust chief Nritya Gopaldas Maharaj, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and chief minister Yogi Adityanath.

Adityanath called the event historic. He spent hours reviewing the arrangements for the ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi (birthplace), where the temple will be constructed following the go-ahead last year by the Supreme Court.

It is not only a historic but also an emotional moment as after 500 years the Ram temple work will start. It will be the foundation of a new India, he said.

The chief minister also urged people to light earthen lamps, decorate temples and recite the Ramayana in memory of those who laid down their lives in the temple struggle.

Festivities have started in Ayodhya ahead of the event. A bridge over Saryu river has been illuminated and priests performed aarti at the ghat of Saryu river.

Temples across the city have been decorated with lights and diyas ahead of the grand event.

Last November, the apex court paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple at the site and directed the Centre to allot an alternative five-acre plot for building a new mosque in Ayodhya.
The United Nations had given a warning about possible nuclear devices developed by North Korea.

In the latest report, North Korea is currently accused of developing nuclear devices that can fit in ballistic missiles. In a confidential UN report, some countries claimed that North Korea has possibly created miniaturized nuclear devices since it is working on its nuclear weapons program.

North Korea likely has miniature nuclear warheads, UN report finds  Cycomx (@cycomx) August 4, 2020 Reports finds it is probable Pyongyang has developed miniaturised nuclear devices to fit into the warheads of ballistic missiles pic.twitter.com/OKmv6LUyqv

The mini nuclear devices might be used in warheads of the country's ballistic missiles. An independent panel of experts, which monitors U.N. sanctions, provided a report saying that several countries, which the identities were not disclosed, believe that North Korean developed the miniaturized nuclear devices with the help of its past six nuclear tests.

However, the report confirmed that there was no nuclear test conducted by Pyongyang since September 2017.

Also Read: [BEWARE] Chinese Government Uses Malware? U.S. Government Warns Public to be More Alert

The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that the 15-member U.N. security council North Korea sanctions committee received the interim report on Monday, Aug. 3.

Also Read: Chinese Intelligence Hacks Resumes of U.S. Military Men to Spy, Admits Singaporean Suspect

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is continuing its nuclear program, including the production of highly enriched uranium and construction of an experimental light water reactor," wrote the confidential U.N. report.

"A member state assessed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is continuing production of nuclear weapons," added the report.

This is not the first time North Korea was accused of nuclear weapons

The report explained that it is not the first time that experts warned about North Korea's mission in miniaturizing nuclear warheads. In 2017, the regime was also accused of developing a technology that could produce the atomic warheads, by a leaked United States intelligence assessment.

pic.twitter.com/ydC7SGv0Fh North Korea has 'probably' developed nuclear devices for its missiles - The Australian Financial Review https://t.co/PTWjjmNj4d  Felix Abt (@BooksByFelixAbt) August 3, 2020

It was claimed that the warheads are small enough to fit inside missiles, which could give North Korea the ability to target distant countries, including the U.S., by sending nuclear-armed intercontinental ballistic missiles. Japan's 2019 defense white paper also believed that North Korea's military build-up might pose a real and imminent threat.



One of the anonymous country in the UN report said that the regime might continue to develop the miniaturization process. This would allow North Korea to incorporate technology improvements such as penetration aid packages or, possibly, to create multiple warhead systems.

Also Read: China's Navigation Satellite Network is Complete: Its High Degree Accuracy Can Rival U.S. GPS

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Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SAO PAULO, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Brazilian airline Azul said it had 2.3 billion reais ($433 million) in liquidity at the end of the second quarter, enough to keep it going until 2021 without having to raise capital.

Nonetheless, the company said in a late-Sunday filing that "it intends to raise funds at an opportune time to increase its liquidity cushion," due to a lack of visibility on future demand. It did not specify when.

Latin American airlines have been ravaged by the pandemic, which has brought travel on many routes to a near standstill. Some nations, such as Argentina, have banned most commercial air travel.

Azul said expects an average cash burn of approximately 3 million reais per day for the rest of the year, not including debt amortization payments resulting from ongoing negotiations with its financial partners.

The company had estimated a daily cash burn of between 3 million and 4 million reais in May and June, but ended up increasing its cash position in the same period, the airline said. ($1 = 5.2500 reais) (Reporting by Paula Arend Laier; Editing by Steve Orlofsky)
After scores of media reports across languages and court petitions pointing out the high prices of COVID-19 treatment in India, at least 10 state governments have stepped in to cap these rates. Maharashtra was one of the first states to do this in May 2020.

The process is still under way as other states are exploring ways to cap the prices of healthcare during the pandemic. Various aspects of the pandemics impact on healthcare have been explored in IndiaSpends The Price of COVID series. Several issues highlighted in the series have now been somewhat ...
A bottle and pills of hydroxychloroquine sit on a counter at Rock Canyon Pharmacy in Provo, Utah, on May 20, 2020. (George Frey/AFP via Getty Images)

HydroxychloroquineThe Political Drug

Commentary

Theres a long-standing convention that applies to the use of all medical drugs: A person considering the use of a drug for medical or prophylactic purposes is advised to consult with his or her physician about its possible use.

Its assumed that the physician is up to date on current treatments and effective medicinal drugs. The physician also is familiar with the physical condition of his or her client. All drug advertisements end with the advice that a person considering the use of the drug advertised should consult with his or her physician about its possible use.

There has never been a time when either politicians, the mainstream media, or social media vehicles attempted to interfere in that vitally important relationship between physician and client and the use of prescription drugs.

Until now, that is. And that drug is hydroxychloroquine.

Recently, a group of physicians put out a video of a press conference that preceded their summit discussing the possible use of hydroxychloroquine, both as a prophylactic and treatment (in combination with zinc) for COVID-19.

Some of the doctors spoke. It was their belief that hydroxychloroquine was effective both as a prophylactic to prevent infection, and as a treatment for people who had become infected. The lead doctor, Simone Gold, explained that this group of doctors had come together solely for the purpose of better informing Americans who were caught up in what she called a spider web of fear.

The video emphasized the fact that many doctors have been silenced for advocating the use of hydroxychloroquine.

Some of the doctors in the video are well known in the medical community. Dr. Dan Erickson is famous for advocating against lockdowns. He has long promoted the Swedish Modelthat is, allowing people to make their own social distancing decisions instead of mandating them by government decree, and allowing business owners and workers to make individual decisions, instead of the draconian big-government, total-shutdown model.

Dr. Jeffrey Barke, who spoke at the summit but not the press conference, is also well known. Hes one of the practicing physicians who has talked about all of the deaths, and other harmful effects of lockdowns, as well as his longstanding belief that hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for COVID-19.

The doctors also discussed the use of hydroxychloroquine in other countries. In some countries, such as Indonesia and Iran, and in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America, the drug can be purchased over the counter. Its unknown how many people have taken the drug worldwide, but the number is large.

The doctors explained dosages and that hydroxychloroquine (and its almost identical predecessor, chloroquine) has been around for 65 years and is available in most countries as a safe, over-the-counter drug.

According to the doctors, all of the countries that have used hydroxychloroquine, both as a prophylactic and as a treatment for COVID-19 in its early stages, have lower death rates than Europe and the United States, where the drugs use is discouraged for mainly political reasons.

The most outspoken of the doctors, a female doctor who trained in Nigeria, used the word cure when describing the drug. None of the other doctors who spoke at the press conference used that word, but it was quite clear from listening to all of the doctors that they were describing the drug as a treatment that would improve outcome, and not something that would provide an instant cure.

They explained that hydroxychloroquine, in combination with zinc and sometimes other drugs, would interrupt the progression of the illness and prevent it from fatally damaging the lungs. And yet, Facebook used the use of the word cure as an excuse for taking down a video made by this group of doctors, some of whom are quite prominent in their fields.

And the mainstream media went on full attack. That same female doctor who used the word cure apparently has some odd religious, or semi-religious views, completely unrelated to COVID-19. CNN, in particular, seized on those beliefs to discredit all of the distinguished doctors, and portray the consideration of hydroxychloroquine as something that is completely reckless, unscientific, and dangerous, despite the fact that the doctors pointed to studies and anecdotal accounts that it was an effective treatment.

Whats going on here? What did this group of distinguished and well-intentioned doctors do to deserve this kind of disrespectful treatment from journalists and high-tech billionaires? Why would political pundits and Facebook want to interfere in what should be a decision made by a person in consultation with his or her doctor? Why would they want to stop qualified doctors from giving opinions directly within their areas of expertise?

The answer is absolutely clear: President Donald Trump.

Since Trump first gave his personal opinion that hydroxychloroquine looked to be promising as a prophylactic and treatment for COVID-19, the media has been unrelenting in its campaign to discredit any hint that it might be useful.

Trump said the drug was cheap, safe, and might work, and asked, What have you got to lose? He later revealed that he had taken it himself with no side effects.

And thats probably the same basic analysis that doctors who prescribe the drug use. It might workit might not. If it doesnt, the person is no worse off, except for the few dollars it costs. If it does work, it might save his or her life.

But after Trump spoke about the possible benefits of hydroxychloroquine, the media reaction and political fallout was almost unhinged. It became clear that this drug was to receive media treatment like no other drug in history. CNN, in particular, went on what can only be described as an all-out campaign to discredit any possible use of the drug.

Some states prohibited pharmacists from honoring doctors prescriptions for the drug. This was unprecedented interference in the vital doctorpatient relationship. Effectively, it turned the pharmacist into the doctors superior.

I wont attempt to review the studies that have been done to date on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine. Suffice it to say that some indicate that the drug has a positive effect on the disease, while others say it has no effect. Obviously, long-term, double-blind, peer-reviewed studies will be required to provide the final word on the question. At this point, it simply isnt definitively known if the drug works, or not.

The point is that some doctors believe that lives can be saved by using the drug now. Those long-term gold-standard studies critics insist on are just thatlong term. They will take years. In the meantime, enormous numbers of lives could possibly be saved by using the drug. The doctors should have the unhindered right to prescribe hydroxychloroquine in cases in which they think it might save lives.

Insisting on gold-standard tests for hydroxychloroquine tests that will take years makes no sense when the need is urgent. The question must be asked why other promising drugs, such as dexamethasone, that havent been subject to those gold-standard tests for COVID-19 treatment, are being regularly used, while the much safer and cheaper hydroxychloroquine is arbitrarily kept from the public.

When vaccines become available, would any public health official suggest that experimental vaccines must be kept from the public until year-long studies are conducted? The answer is clearly no. Its already been announced that vaccines will be made widely available as soon as they can be produced in quantity. The fact is that hydroxychloroquine is considered to be the Trump drug. As a result, an entirely different and unreasonable standard has been applied to it.

Hydroxychloroquine has become the worlds first political drug. Trump-haters hate the drug, and dont want to see it work. Its as simple as that. The fact that this is madnessthat lives will be saved if it does workseems to make no difference to these zealots.

But regardless of ones political opinions, its only responsible that all promising treatments must be fully explored. And it should be unacceptable that the opinions of qualified frontline physicians should be censored for political purposes. The doctors should be free to express their opinions about hydroxychloroquine openly, just as colleagues who disagree with them now have the right to do. Their viewpoints shouldnt be stifled by politicians, a biased media, or Facebook or Google executives. Citizens can then make up their own minds, in consultation with their doctors, after considering all the information.

The hydroxychloroquine issue will be definitively answered sometime down the road. If it transpires that the drug doesnt work, some people who advocated for its use will be embarrassed, and the people who used it will have wasted the few dollars that it cost.

On the other hand, if it turns out that it does work, and that tens of thousands of lives were lost simply because self-serving politicians and a biased media didnt want Trump to have the satisfaction of saying I told you so, an injustice of epic proportions will have been committed. Thousands of people will have died for reasons of petty politics.

While the threat of COVID-19 lasts, Im personally making sure that Im taking the recommended doses of zinc and vitamin D, because theres some evidence that both might have some protective properties to prevent CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus infection.

Im also questioning my physician on the possible use of hydroxychloroquine as a prophylactic. I will satisfy myself that my physician is up to date on the latest hydroxychloroquine studies, and then make a decision about using it. If I become infected with the CCP virus, I plan to question my physician about the use of hydroxychloroquine in combination with zinc, azithromycin, and possibly other drugs.

In the meantime, I want to have access to the best medical and scientific evidence available. That includes all of the information presented by any qualified doctors I care to listen towithout censorship from Google or Facebook, biased politicians, or CNN pundits.

Everyone should demand that right.

Brian Giesbrecht is a retired judge and a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Sushant Singh Rajput's death probe wrestles a legal and political battle, now with strong demands for CBI inquiry and a tussle between police teams from Mumbai and Bihar. Bombay High Court, which was to hear another petition on CBI intervention in the case, deferred hearing due to heavy rains.

The Bombay High Court on Tuesday postponed the hearing on the Public Interest Litigation (PIL), seeking transfer of Sushant Singh Rajputs death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) due to heavy rains in Mumbai.

The matter was scheduled to be heard by the bench headed by Bombay High Court Chief Justice Dipankar Datta.

The PIL for transferring the case related to the actors death to the CBI has been filed by one Sameet Thakkar, through his lawyer Raspal Singh Renu.

Earlier, actor Rhea Chakraborty had approached the Supreme Court and filed a transfer petition stating that Bihar Police has no jurisdiction to investigate in Sushant Singh Rajputs death case legally and otherwise, her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said.

Also read: SSR Probe: Bihar Government recommends CBI Investigation

Also read: SSR death probe: IGP Patna writes to BMC, seeks release of SP Vinay Tiwari from home quarantine

Rhea was summoned by Mumbai Police on June 18 at Bandra Police Station, he said adding that Her statement was recorded there. Subsequently, she was summoned to appear on July 17 at Santacruz Police Station. She appeared and recorded her supplementary statement.

Later, when the Bihar Police came to Mumbai to investigate the case on the basis of an FIR registered in Patna, Rhea approached the Supreme Court and filed a Transfer Petition on July 30 for transfer of the case to Mumbai in view of the legal position that a case registered beyond the jurisdiction of the local police station where the alleged incident has taken place can only record a Zero FIR and transfer it for the investigation to Mumbai where the criminal law has already been set in motion. The Bihar Police has no jurisdiction to investigate the case legally and otherwise, he added.

An FIR has been registered in Patna, based on a complaint filed by Rajputs father KK Singh, against actor Rhea under several sections including abetment to suicide. A team of Bihar Police is in Mumbai to probe the matter.

Also read: SSR death probe: Sushants father ends silence, exposes Bandra polices laxity
Why US Lawmakers Introduce Bill After Bill to Help Taiwan

By Ralph Jennings August 03, 2020

American lawmakers have introduced a flurry of bills in the past two years to improve Taiwan's defenses and raise its international exposure as legislators backed by President Donald Trump step up resistance against China, an old rival of Taipei, analysts say.

At least five pro-Taiwan bills have appeared in the U.S. Congress since February 2018, an unusually fast pace. It's largely because President Trump has championed Taiwan's cause for self-rule since his inauguration in 2017 amid spats with China over trade and geopolitics. China sees Taiwan as part of its territory, not as an independent state.

Legislators, influenced by a Taiwan lobby in Washington as well as anti-China sentiments among American voters, have made the most of Trump's policy to get their bills signed into law, political observers believe. Trump's predecessors focused more on maintaining ties with Beijing.

"As President Trump is so far the most pro-Taiwan U.S. president since de-recognition in 1979, Congress may want to send him as many Taiwan bills as possible, knowing that he'll actually sign them into law," said Sean King, vice president of the Park Strategies political consultancy in New York.

In 1979, the U.S. government severed diplomatic recognition of Taiwan in favor of China, a fast-growing power at the time. Washington still recognizes Beijing but sustains strong informal relations with Taiwan. U.S. officials see the democratic island as one in a chain of democratic allies in East Asia.

"U.S.-Taiwan relations are right now in a mini-golden age, and the island's many supporters presumably want to make the most of it," King said.

In February 2018, Congress approved the Taiwan Travel Act, which encourages high-level government exchanges between Taipei and Washington. The same year it passed the Taiwan International Participation Act. The participation bill advocates that international organizations include Taiwan  despite China's customary opposition.

Last year saw Congress approve the Taiwan Allies International Protection and Enhancement Initiative Act, which directs the State Department to tell Congress about government moves aimed at strengthening Taiwan's diplomatic relations "partners" in the Indo-Pacific.

In February this year, U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz proposed a bill to undo a ban on Taiwanese diplomats and military personnel displaying Taiwan's official flag on U.S. government property. In May, Rep. Mike Gallagher introduced the Taiwan Defense Act to ensure the United States can help Taiwan resist China's "aggressive military build-up" by maintaining the ability to fend off a Chinese invasion.

Legislators are making up for lost time, some scholars say.

They felt that "for many years [the United States] was doing too much to limit itself in its relations with Taiwan," said Denny Roy, senior fellow at the East-West Center research institution in Honolulu.

Congress members feel too that "since China has generally acted in bad faith, Washington is no longer as concerned as before about avoiding actions that will antagonize China," Roy said.

Lawmakers are sighting Taiwan because China cannot strike it without risking military conflict  fallout that analysts believe officials in Beijing are unready to absorb.

"I think there is a tendency to focus legislations on Taiwan, because Taiwan is the one issue that China cannot really fight back," said Yun Sun, East Asia Program senior associate at the Stimson Center research organization in Washington.

Chinese officials oppose pro-Taiwan legislation in Washington and urge the United States to stick to its "One-China principle" that forbids formal diplomatic recognition of the island.

China has seen Taiwan as its own since the Chinese civil war of the 1940s, when Chiang Kai-shek's Nationalists lost and fled to the island. China resents other countries for aiding Taiwan's military or elevating diplomatic ties.

Taiwan's Foreign Ministry declined to comment Monday on the U.S. legislation.

Taiwan-U.S. relations have been guided since 1979 mainly by a single law, the Taiwan Relations Act. The act lets Washington provide Taiwan arms and "maintain the capacity" to resist force or "coercion" that threaten Taiwan. The defense act introduced in May would "restore the original intent" of the 1979 law, Roy said.

Trump and American lawmakers hope the recent bills as a whole will press China for "concessions", said Alex Chiang, associate professor of international politics at National Chengchi University in Taipei. "China has to take notice and China may need to do some action in order for the United States to stop this kind of activity," Chiang said.

Although language in the newer bills commits Washington to little specific action, the laws are written in a way to reflect changes in Taiwanese people's "identity" and "aspirations" since the 1979 law took effect, Sun said. Taiwanese citizens told government polls last year they want their island to remain self-ruled  after Chinese President Xi Jinping advocated unification.

"All these more recent reactions are really to protect Taiwan against the PRC aggression," Sun said.

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PROVIDENCE, R.I., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- International animal rescue organization Dharamsala Animal Rescue has hired Ohio based public relations and marketing firm The Eisen Agency to lead their national public relations campaign. The animal rescue organization was launched in 2009 by founder Deb Jarrett, and recently launched a line of products featuring their popular 'Dharma Dog' theme. The product line offers tees, tanks, totes and mugs featuring the Dharma Dog.

Jarrett explained that the organization needed a national PR firm that could help shape and share their message to increase awareness of the group, and perhaps most importantly, donors and supporters. DAR focuses on four core areas of humanely improving the lives of the thousands of suffering street dogs in Dharamsala, India  spay/neuter/vaccination, rescue, adoption and education, as well by working to eradicate rabies and alleviating human/street dog conflict.

"I knew I needed to do everything in my power to improve the lives of the street animals. I created Dharamsala Animal Rescue to raise awareness about the animals of Dharamsala and fund local projects," Jarrett said. "And, to that end, we needed help creating a larger national presence and footprint. When we met with the folks at The Eisen Agency, it was clear we had a shared passion of caring for and loving animals. Sure, they had all the PR savvy and tools, but it really was their compassion and shared vision that led us to them."

The Eisen Agency president Rodger Roeser explains that his firm will work with DAR to assist in national publicity coordination, media relations and earned media efforts. "The goal is that with enough awareness, like minded folks across our generous country will also help in spreading the word and giving of their talent and treasure. It is a genuine privilege and labor of love to be working with these folks and our firm is honored to represent them."

About Dharamsala Animal Rescue

Founded in 2009 by executive director Deb Jarrett, Dharamsala Animal Rescue aims to seek a humane and sustainable environment for animals with direct benefits to the people of Dharamsala, India. Since 2009, DAR has cared for more than 16,000 animals and have had hundreds adopted to loving homes. Always seeking volunteers, donors and adopters, more information can be accessed at www.DharamsalaAnimalRescue.org.

Contact: Rodger Roeser, [email protected]

SOURCE The Eisen Agency
Additional teachers are being recruited to help schools reopen safely, with an extra 1,080 second level teachers sought for September.

The Association of Secondary Teachers (ASTI) says there has been a shortage of new second level teachers in recent years, since a new lower pay scale was introduced in 2010 for younger teachers after the recession.

I think everybody is aware that 1,080 jobs must be filled in the schools. There will be an effort to try and find those teachers and if pay was restored, it would certainly make it easier to fill those positions.

ASTI vice president Ann Piggot says the Government will have difficulty filling the new jobs if pay parity isn't implemented: We would hope that equal pay could be achieved now.

I think everybody is aware that 1,080 jobs must be filled in the schools. There will be an effort to try and find those teachers and if pay was restored, it would certainly make it easier to fill those positions.

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Ms Piggot says that teachers need more job security: Teachers need guarantees that the jobs would probably last. Theyre not going to return from abroad and other countries if the job only exists for a few months.

"I also think it would be safer as well if teachers werent moving from school to school. So sometimes when theyre employed, theyre employed in precious positions where they mightnt have full hours, they might have seven or eight hours work a week, so teachers need to know that they might have better pay and full hours.

The teachers union says that a commitment to equal pay would indicate the Government is serious about hiring and keeping extra teachers in September.
A Birmingham man is accused of stealing money from a fund created to help the family of slain Huntsville policeman Billy Fred Clardy III, federal authorities announced today.

Devonte Lemond Hammonds, 27, is indicted on three federal charges of wire fraud and one count of access device fraud, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Northern District of Alabama.

After Clardy was killed in the line of duty in December of 2019, a memorial fund was created for his family. Hammonds is accused of falsely using someone elses identity to open a bank account and transfer funds from the Clardy Memorial Fund, according to an indictment. He faces one charge of wire fraud for each of three different transfers totaling about $1,355, court records state.

Additionally, Hammonds is accused of using the U.S. Postal Service website to reroute mail from multiple Birmingham residents to a local address he could access. Hammonds obtained the residents personal information and used it to pay bills, make purchases and open new accounts, according to the U.S. Attorneys Office.

If convicted of the access device fraud charge, Hammonds could face up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

The charges related to the fraud of the Clardy Memorial Fund are punishable by up to 30 years in prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Read more: We need more Billy Clardys: Huntsville says goodbye to slain policeman

Clardy was shot to death in the line of duty on Dec. 6, 2019. He was killed during a drug task force investigation on Levert Street Northeast that Friday afternoon.

The 48-year-old father, grandfather, son, brother, husband and decorated Army veteran was a Huntsville police officer for 14 years. At the time of this death, Clardy was an agent with the local drug task force, known as the STAC team.

Clardy became the sixth Alabama law enforcement officer shot and killed in the line of duty last year. His own father, Huntsville police officer Billy Clardy Jr., was killed in an on-duty crash 41 years earlier.
WASHINGTON and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Michael McCabe and Emil Ali today announced the launch of McCabe & Ali LLP, a law firm that merges the practices of the country's two most experienced and respected Intellectual Property (IP) ethics lawyers. With two patent attorneys at the helm, McCabe// Ali will handle USPTO Office of Enrollment and Discipline (OED) ethics investigations, disciplinary trials and federal court appeals. The firm will also consult with patent and trademark practitioners, law firms, and in-house legal departments to ensure compliance with professional conduct rules.

Having individually handled hundreds of highly sensitive ethics investigations, together McCabe//Ali will bring decades of substantive technical, legal, and ethics experience to their global clients. "Combining the expertise and experience that Emil and Mike bring to the law  the two attorneys who understand the world of IP ethics like no other lawyers out there  is extraordinary," says Terry Rea, Partner and Vice-Chair of the Intellectual Property Group at Crowell & Moring. "McCabe//Ali will be the go-to for lawyers and law firms in the intellectual property field," adds Rea, former Acting and Deputy Director of the USPTO.



After twenty years as a practicing IP litigator, since 2011, McCabe has represented more than 200 patent and trademark practitioners in professional discipline investigations and proceedings before the USPTO. Ali spent years on the regulatory side, working within OED as an attorney. In addition to working on scores of disciplinary investigations, Ali assisted in the 2013 re-drafting of the agency's ethics rules.



OED investigations defense

A high stakes law firm, McCabe//Ali will represent patent attorneys and agents, trademark attorneys, law firms and in-house IP departments accused of malpractice or violating the USPTO Rules of Professional Conduct. Lawyers found guilty of violating the USPTO's ethics rules can be suspended or disbarred. In addition, McCabe//Ali will assist lawyers and students who are denied entry into the Patent Bar through the USPTO patent practitioner admission and appeal process.



"A client won't find their expertise anywhere else  they bring an underlying knowledge of patent and trademark subject-matter combined with the unique understanding of legal ethics," says Kevin E. Noonan, Ph.D., Partner and Chair of McDonnel Boehnen Hulbright & Berghoff, Biotechnology & Pharmaceuticals Practice Group.



Law firm compliance and risk management consulting and CLEs

McCabe//Ali will consult directly with law firms and in-house counsel on compliance with the Rules of Professional Conduct, including auditing IP practices for ethics compliance and providing in-house seminars on ethics and risk management. As part of their launch, McCabe//Ali will provide an invitation-only complimentary ethics Continuing Legal Education (CLE) seminar.



"Five steps for IP attorneys to avoid malpractice and ethics risks in a post-COVID-19 world," will be held on September 7, 2020. McCabe//Ali also runs IPethics & INsights, an award-winning blog, at www.ipethicslaw.com.



Contact:

Michael E. McCabe, Jr.

Managing Partner

301-798-1110



Photos:

https://www.prlog.org/12822991



Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE McCabe & Ali LLP

Related Links

https://mccabeali.com


ALPHARETTA, Ga., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Avanos Medical, Inc. (NYSE: AVNS) today reported second quarter 2020 financial results.

"We're pleased we continue to meet the needs of patients during the pandemic, as we quickly acted to increase production capacity for our clinically-proven Respiratory Health products, while ensuring our employees' health and safety," stated Joe Woody, Avanos' chief executive officer.

"During the quarter we were excited to see elective procedure volume return above expectations, which bolstered our Pain Management franchises sales ahead of our forecast. While we are encouraged elective procedures resumed, we are cautious about the increasing number of COVID-19 cases and its potential impact to slow the recovery of elective procedures. Though we now anticipate the disruption will continue into 2021, the strategic steps taken to reduce costs and deliver improved cash flow position us for growth in a post COVID-19 environment."

Second Quarter 2020 Financial Highlights

Net sales totaled $164 million , a 5 percent decrease from the prior year.

, a 5 percent decrease from the prior year. Net loss for the quarter was $3 million , compared to net loss of $8 million in the prior year.

, compared to net loss of in the prior year. Adjusted net income totaled $6 million , compared to $14 million a year ago.

, compared to a year ago. Diluted earnings per share were $(0.06) , compared to $(0.17) a year ago.

, compared to a year ago. Adjusted diluted earnings per share were $0.13 , compared to $0.28 in the prior year.

Operational and Business Highlights

A recently published article in the Journal of Orthopedic Experience and Innovation highlights the efficacy of the company's non-narcotic ON-Q pain management therapy in treating total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Drs. Wickline and Stevenson's research found that TKA patients who used ON-Q needed fewer opioids  and in some instances no opioids - to effectively manage their post-operative pain.

highlights the efficacy of the company's non-narcotic ON-Q pain management therapy in treating total knee arthroplasty (TKA) patients. Drs. Wickline and Stevenson's research found that TKA patients who used ON-Q needed fewer opioids  and in some instances no opioids - to effectively manage their post-operative pain. The company launched a Digestive Health campaign  Enteral Feeding is a Vital Lifeline  that brings its three market-leading businesses  MIC-KEY, CORPAK, and NeoMed  under one family of brands. The Avanos family brand has one of the broadest portfolios in the enteral feeding industry with solutions for every stage and age of feeding.

In regards to the 2014 Bahamas Surgery Center class action lawsuit brought against Avanos related to MICROCOOL surgical gowns, the company was notified July 23, 2020 that the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit reversed the judgment against the company and instructed the trial court to dismiss Avanos from the case altogether for lack of jurisdiction.

Second Quarter 2020 Operating Results

Net sales totaled $164 million, a 5 percent decrease compared to the prior year. The acquisitions of NeoMed and Summit contributed 6 percent of growth and organic volume was 11 percent lower compared to the prior year. Continued growth in Chronic Care was driven by an elevated global demand in Respiratory Health from Closed Suction Systems and Oral Care products due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This growth was offset by the expected lower volume in both Acute Pain and Interventional Pain, related to fewer elective procedures.

Gross margin was 53 percent, compared to 57 percent a year ago. Adjusted gross margin decreased to 56 percent, due to product mix and the elevated costs associated with the company's COVID-19 efforts, compared to 60 percent last year.

Operating loss was $2 million compared to a loss of $10 million a year ago. Lower post divestiture transition costs and litigation expenses drove the improvement, which was partially offset by lower sales. On an adjusted basis, operating profit totaled $13 million, compared to $20 million a year ago. The decline was due to lower sales and gross margin, partially offset by cost savings.

Adjusted EBITDA for the quarter was $19 million, compared to $23 million in the prior year.

First Six Months 2020 Operating Results

Net sales totaled $344 million, a 2 percent increase compared to a year ago. The acquisitions of NeoMed and Summit contributed 7 percent of growth. Continued demand in Respiratory Health was partially offset by lower volume in both Acute Pain and Interventional Pain, resulting in 4 percent lower organic volume. Performance was also impacted by 1 percent unfavorable product mix and price.

Gross margin was 55 percent, compared to 59 percent a year ago. Adjusted gross margin was 57 percent, due to product mix, compared to 61 percent last year.

Operating loss was $1 million compared to a loss of $34 million in the first half of 2019. Lower post divestiture transition and litigation expenses drove the improvement. On an adjusted basis, operating profit totaled $27 million, compared to $30 million in 2019. Performance was impacted by lower gross margin, which was partially offset by higher sales and cost savings.

In the first six months, adjusted EBITDA was $39 million compared to $37 million in 2019.

Cash Flow and Balance Sheet

Cash from operations less capital expenditures, or free cash flow, for the quarter was an outflow of $6 million compared to an outflow of $55 million a year ago. The company's cash balance was $185 million at the end of the quarter, compared to $205 million at year-end 2019.

Total debt at the end of the second quarter was $248 million, consisting of unsecured notes, unchanged compared to year-end 2019.

The company anticipates that its current cash position will provide sufficient liquidity to manage the business during this period of uncertainty. Also, it does not foresee drawing on its $250 million revolving credit facility to fund operating activities and expects to remain in compliance with its debt covenants.

Update on Response to COVID-19

At this juncture, the pandemic's curve in the U.S. has continued to accelerate and the company has partnered with market experts, hospitals and consultants, to gain a more holistic view of the pandemic's impact on the industry, as it modeled scenarios for its latest forecast. Given the resurgence in the number of COVID-19 cases and its potential impact on the recovery of elective procedures, the company now anticipates this headwind will continue into 2021. Despite these near-term challenges, the company continued to take strategic steps to maximize production of its Respiratory Health products to meet customers' needs, reduce operating expenses and minimize cash outflow to ensure it remains in a strong financial position in a post COVID-19 environment.

Full Year 2020 Outlook

On May 4, 2020, the company withdrew its previously announced full-year 2020 financial guidance, which was issued on February 25, 2020, due to the uncertainties associated with the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. At this time, the company cannot fully quantify the extent or duration of the impact of the pandemic on its financial results. However, it will continue to monitor the situation and anticipates providing further updates later in the year.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release and the accompanying tables include the following financial measures that have not been calculated in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S., or GAAP, and are therefore referred to as non-GAAP financial measures:

Adjusted net income

Adjusted diluted earnings per share

Adjusted gross margin

Adjusted operating profit

Adjusted effective tax rate

Adjusted EBITDA

Free cash flow

These non-GAAP financial measures exclude the following items, as applicable, for the relevant time periods as indicated in the accompanying non-GAAP reconciliations to the comparable GAAP financial measures:

Expenses associated with restructuring activities, including IT-related charges.

Expenses associated with the divestiture of the S&IP business.

Expenses associated with the amortization of intangible assets associated with prior business acquisitions.

The positive or negative effect of changes in currency exchange rates during the year.

Expenses associated with certain litigation matters.

Expenses associated with altering operations in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Certain acquisition and integration charges related to the acquisition of Game Ready, NeoMed, Summit Medical, and Endoclear LLC.

Benefit associated with regulatory tax reform and tax effects of the CARES Act.

The company provides these non-GAAP financial measures as supplemental information to its GAAP financial measures. Management and the company's Board of Directors use net sales on a constant currency basis, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted operating profit, adjusted EBITDA, and free cash flow to (a) evaluate the company's historical and prospective financial performance and its performance relative to its competitors, (b) allocate resources and (c) measure the operational performance of the company's business units and their managers. Management also believes that the use of an adjusted effective tax rate provides improved insight into the tax effects of our ongoing business operations.

Additionally, the Compensation Committee of the company's Board of Directors will use certain of the non-GAAP financial measures when setting and assessing achievement of incentive compensation goals. These goals are based, in part, on the company's net sales on a constant currency basis and adjusted EBITDA, which will be determined by excluding certain items that are used in calculating these non-GAAP financial measures.

Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the attached financial tables.

Conference Call Webcast

Avanos Medical, Inc. will host a conference call today at 9 a.m. ET. The conference call can be accessed live over the Internet at https://avanos.investorroom.com or via telephone by dialing 877-240-5772 in the United States. A replay of the call will be available at noon ET today by calling 877-344-7529 in the United States and entering passcode10146222. A webcast of the call will also be archived in the Investors section on the Avanos website.

About Avanos Medical, Inc.

Avanos Medical (NYSE: AVNS) is a medical device company focused on delivering clinically superior breakthrough solutions that will help patients get back to the things that matter. Headquartered in Alpharetta, Georgia, Avanos is committed to creating the next generation of innovative healthcare solutions which will address our most important healthcare needs, such as reducing the use of opioids while helping patients move from surgery to recovery. Avanos develops, manufactures and markets its recognized brands in more than 90 countries. For more information, visit www.avanos.com and follow Avanos Medical on Twitter (@AvanosMedical), LinkedIn and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains information that includes or is based on "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on the current plans and expectations of management and are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Forward-looking statements include all statements that do not relate solely to historical or current facts, and can generally be identified by the use of words such as "may", "believe", "will", "expect", "project", "estimate", "anticipate", "plan", or "continue" and similar expressions, among others. Such factors include, but are not limited to: weakening of economic conditions that could adversely affect the level of demand for our products; pricing pressures generally, including cost-containment measures that could adversely affect the price of or demand for our products; risks related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic; shortage in drugs used in our Acute Pain products or other disruptions in our supply chain; S&IP separation execution and IT implementation; changes in foreign exchange markets; legislative and regulatory actions; unanticipated issues arising in connection with clinical studies and otherwise that affect U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval of new products; changes in reimbursement levels from third-party payors; a significant increase in product liability claims; the impact of investigative and legal proceedings and compliance risks; the impact of the federal legislation to reform the United States healthcare system; changes in financial markets; and changes in the competitive environment. Additional information concerning these and other factors that may impact future results is contained in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q.

AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED INCOME STATEMENTS (unaudited) (in millions, except per share amounts)



Three Months Ended

June 30,





Six Months Ended

June 30,





2020

2019

Change

2020

2019

Change Net Sales $ 163.7



$ 172.2



(4.9) %

$ 344.1



$ 336.4



2.3 % Cost of products sold 77.2



73.5



5.0



155.5



138.9



12.0

Gross Profit 86.5



98.7



(12.4)



188.6



197.5



(4.5)

Research and development expenses 7.7



9.5



(18.9)



17.1



19.7



(13.2)

Selling and general expenses 76.9



94.7



(18.8)



168.0



201.1



(16.5)

Other expense, net 3.7



4.3



(14.0)



4.7



11.1



N.M. Operating Loss (1.8)



(9.8)



N.M.

(1.2)



(34.4)



N.M. Interest income 0.2



2.0



N.M.

0.9



4.4



N.M. Interest expense (4.3)



(3.5)



22.9



(8.6)



(7.2)



19.4

Loss Before Income Taxes (5.9)



(11.3)



N.M.

(8.9)



(37.2)



N.M. Income tax benefit 2.9



3.3



N.M.

9.6



8.9



N.M. Net (Loss) Income $ (3.0)



$ (8.0)



N.M.

$ 0.7



$ (28.3)



N.M.























Interest expense, net $ 4.1



$ 1.5



173.3



$ 7.7



$ 2.8



175.0

Income tax benefit (2.9)



(3.3)



N.M.

(9.6)



(8.9)



N.M. Depreciation and amortization 10.8



8.5



27.1



21.4



16.9



26.6

EBITDA $ 9.0



$ (1.3)



N.M.

$ 20.2



$ (17.5)



N.M.























(Loss) Earnings Per Share





















Basic $ (0.06)



$ (0.17)



N.M.

$ 0.02



$ (0.60)



N.M. Diluted (0.06)



(0.17)



N.M.

0.02



(0.60)



N.M.























Common Shares Outstanding





















Basic 47.8



47.6







47.8



47.5





Diluted 47.8



47.6







48.0



47.5







AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited) (in millions)



Gross Profit

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 As reported $ 86.5



$ 98.7



$ 188.6



$ 197.5

Gross profit margin, as reported 52.8 %

57.3 %

54.8 %

58.7 %















COVID-19 related expenses 2.1







2.5





Post divestiture restructuring and IT charges 0.6



1.2



1.1



1.8

Post divestiture transition charges 0.3



2.4



1.1



2.8

Acquisition and integration-related charges 0.1







0.2





Intangibles amortization 1.6



1.1



3.3



2.4

















As adjusted non-GAAP $ 91.2



$ 103.4



$ 196.8



$ 204.5

Gross profit margin, as adjusted 55.7 %

60.0 %

57.2 %

60.8 %



Operating (Loss) Profit

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 As reported $ (1.8)



$ (9.8)



$ (1.2)



$ (34.4)

















COVID-19 related expenses 3.2







3.7





Post divestiture restructuring and IT charges(a) 



5.8



0.5



7.8

Post divestiture transition charges(b) 3.1



13.5



7.1



32.2

Acquisition and integration-related charges(c) 2.1



0.7



3.9



1.4

Litigation and legal(d) 1.2



4.7



3.4



13.4

Intangibles amortization 4.9



4.6



9.7



9.5

















As adjusted non-GAAP $ 12.7



$ 19.5



$ 27.1



$ 29.9















(a) Except for amounts impacting gross profit (see "Gross Profit" table), restructuring and IT charges are included in "Selling and general expenses." (b) In the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, post divestiture transition charges include $0.3 million and $1.1 million , respectively, in "Cost of products sold" (see "Gross Profit" table), $2.4 million and $6.3 million in "Selling and general expenses", respectively, and $0.4 million of expense and $0.3 million of income, respectively, in "Other expense (income), net." (c) In the three and six months ended June 30, 2020, acquisition related charges includes $0.1 million and $0.2 million, respectively, in "Cost of products sold" (see "Gross Profit" table) and $0.2 million and $1.9 million, respectively, in "Selling and general expenses." (d) Litigation and legal expenses are included in "Other expense, net."

AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited) (in millions)



(Loss) Income Before Taxes

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 As reported $ (5.9)



$ (11.3)



$ (8.9)



$ (37.2)

















COVID-19 related expenses 3.2







3.7





Post divestiture restructuring and IT charges 



5.8



0.5



7.8

Post divestiture transition charges 3.1



13.5



7.1



32.2

Acquisition and integration-related charges 2.1



0.7



3.9



1.4

Litigation and legal 1.2



4.7



3.4



13.4

Intangibles amortization 4.9



4.6



9.7



9.5

















As adjusted non-GAAP $ 8.6



$ 18.0



$ 19.4



$ 27.1













Tax Benefit (Provision)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 As reported $ 2.9



$ 3.3



$ 9.6



$ 8.9

Effective tax rate, as reported 49.2 %

29.2 %

107.9 %

23.9 %















Tax effects of adjusting items (3.8)



(7.8)



(7.4)



(15.6)

Effects of the CARES Act and other(a) (1.5)







(7.5)





















As adjusted non-GAAP $ (2.4)



$ (4.5)



$ (5.3)



$ (6.7)

Effective tax rate, as adjusted 27.9 %

25.0 %

27.3 %

24.7 %

__________________________________________________ (a) The CARES Act allows for the carryback of U.S. net operating losses to prior years resulting in a benefit of $2.3 million and $9.7 million for three and six

months ended June 30, 2020, respectively.

AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited) (in millions, except per share amounts)



Net (Loss) Income

Three Months Ended June 30, Three

Months

Ended Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 As reported $ (3.0)



$ (8.0)



$ 0.7



$ (28.3)

Diluted EPS, as reported $ (0.06)



$ (0.17)



$ 0.02



$ (0.60)

















COVID-19 related expenses 3.2







3.7





Post divestiture restructuring and IT charges 



5.8



0.5



7.8

Post divestiture transition charges 3.1



13.5



7.1



32.2

Acquisition and integration-related charges 2.1



0.7



3.9



1.4

Litigation and legal 1.2



4.7



3.4



13.4

Intangibles amortization 4.9



4.6



9.7



9.5

Tax effects of adjusting items (3.8)



(7.8)



(7.4)



(15.6)

Tax effects of the CARES Act and other (1.5)







(7.5)





















As adjusted non-GAAP $ 6.2



$ 13.5



$ 14.1



$ 20.4

Diluted EPS, as adjusted $ 0.13



$ 0.28



$ 0.29



$ 0.43













EBITDA

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 EBITDA, as reported $ 9.0



$ (1.3)



$ 20.2



$ (17.5)

















COVID-19 related expenses 3.2







3.7





Post divestiture restructuring and IT charges 



5.8



0.5



7.8

Post divestiture transition charges 3.1



13.5



7.1



32.2

Acquisition and integration-related charges 2.1



0.7



3.9



1.4

Litigation and legal 1.2



4.7



3.4



13.4

















Adjusted EBITDA $ 18.6



$ 23.4



$ 38.8



$ 37.3



AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. NON-GAAP RECONCILIATIONS (unaudited) (in millions)



Free Cash Flow

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Cash used in operating activities $ 1.1



$ (31.9)



$ (4.7)



$ (55.0)

Capital expenditures (6.9)



(22.9)



(12.1)



(35.4)

Free Cash Flow $ (5.8)



$ (54.8)



$ (16.8)



$ (90.4)



AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited) (in millions)



June 30, 2020

December 31, 2019 ASSETS





Current Assets





Cash and cash equivalents $ 185.0



$ 205.3

Accounts receivable, net of allowances 137.8



163.8

Inventories 174.1



145.9

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 20.2



23.5

Total Current Assets 517.1



538.5

Property, Plant and Equipment, net 179.3



184.5

Operating lease right of use assets 60.0



64.0

Goodwill 800.2



800.9

Other Intangible Assets, net 174.6



184.3

Deferred Tax Assets 14.0



16.1

Other Assets 10.7



11.3

TOTAL ASSETS $ 1,755.9



$ 1,799.6









LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY





Current Liabilities





Current portion of operating lease obligations $ 15.4



$ 14.7

Trade accounts payable 75.8



83.0

Accrued expenses 84.8



114.8

Total Current Liabilities 176.0



212.5

Long-Term Debt 248.4



248.1

Operating lease obligations 58.9



62.6

Other Long-Term Liabilities 11.0



11.2

TOTAL LIABILITIES 494.3



534.4

Stockholders' Equity 1,261.6



1,265.2

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY $ 1,755.9



$ 1,799.6



AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED CASH FLOW STATEMENTS (unaudited) (in millions)



Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Operating Activities













Net (loss) income $ (3.0)



$ (8.0)



$ 0.7



$ (28.3)

Depreciation and amortization 10.8



8.5



21.4



16.9

Net loss on asset dispositions 0.2



0.3



0.2



0.5

Changes in operating assets and liabilities (8.8)



(32.3)



(25.0)



(48.2)

Deferred income taxes and other 1.9



(0.4)



(2.0)



4.1

Cash Provided by (Used in) Operating Activities 1.1



(31.9)



(4.7)



(55.0)

Investing Activities













Capital expenditures (6.9)



(22.9)



(12.1)



(35.4)

Acquisition of business, net of cash acquired 



(7.0)







(7.0)

Cash Used in Investing Activities (6.9)



(29.9)



(12.1)



(42.4)

Financing Activities













Debt Repayment 



(0.2)







(0.2)

Purchase of treasury stock (0.3)



(1.4)



(0.3)



(3.3)

Proceeds from the exercise of stock options 0.6



2.4



0.6



2.6

Cash Provided by (Used in) Financing Activities 0.3



0.8



0.3



(0.9)

Effect of Exchange Rate Changes on Cash and Cash

Equivalents 2.8



0.8



(3.8)



1.9

Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents (2.7)



(60.2)



(20.3)



(96.4)

Cash and Cash Equivalents - Beginning of Period 187.7



348.3



205.3



384.5

Cash and Cash Equivalents - End of Period $ 185.0



$ 288.1



$ 185.0



$ 288.1



















AVANOS MEDICAL, INC. SELECTED BUSINESS AND PRODUCTS DATA (unaudited) (in millions)



Three Months Ended June 30,





Six Months Ended June 30,





2020

2019

Change

2020

2019

Change Chronic care $ 120.2



$ 102.3



17.5 %

$ 235.9



$ 202.3



16.6 % Pain management 43.5



69.9



(37.8)



108.2



134.1



(19.3)

Total Net sales $ 163.7



$ 172.2



(4.9) %

$ 344.1



$ 336.4



2.3 %





























Total

Volume(a)

Pricing/Mix

Currency

Other(b) Net Sales - percentage change QTD

(5) %

(5) %

 %

 %

 %

YTD

2 %

3 %

(1) %

 %

 %

_______________________________________________ (a) Volume includes incremental sales of NeoMed and Summit products. (b) Other includes rounding.

SOURCE Avanos Medical

Related Links

http://www.avanos.com


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Linkedin Rizki Fachriansyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 5 2020

Several students of Indonesian Islamic University (UII) in Yogyakarta have expressed disappointment over the news that former student Ibrahim Malik, who had been accused of sexual assault at home and abroad, has been found to have not breached any policies of the University of Melbourne in Australia where he is currently pursuing his masters degree under a prestigious scholarship.

Rizaldi Ageng Wicaksono, a member of the UII Bergerak student movement, said the University of Melbournes response added to the pain experienced by the women who claim to have been sexually harassed by Ibrahim, both in Melbourne and Yogyakarta.

He said the Melbourne finding would lead to a lack of legal impetus to further investigate the alleged crimes in Indonesia.

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Microsoft Reveals Plans To Buy TikTok After Trump Announced Hell Ban The Company From Operating In US

Tech giants, Microsoft have announced that theyll be buying social media app, TikTok after US President Donald Trump announced that hell be banning the app from the United States over fears that the Chinese government uses it to spy on Americans.

In a blog post, Microsoft (MSFT) said its CEO Satya Nadella has talked with Trump about buying the app, which is owned by Chinese company ByteDance after US policymakers have expressed concerns about the apps ability to invade users privacy.

[Microsoft] is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury, the company said, adding that it will move quickly to talk with ByteDance in a matter of weeks.



During this process, Microsoft looks forward to continuing dialogue with the United States Government, including with the President, the company added.

This new structure would build on the experience TikTok users currently love, while adding world-class security, privacy, and digital safety protections, Microsoft said. The operating model for the service would be built to ensure transparency to users as well as appropriate security oversight by governments in these countries.

If Microsoft does buy TikTok it could avert the ban that Trump threatened on Friday July 31. In Trumps threat, he said that he could use emergency economic powers or an executive order to block the app from operating in the United States.

If the deal goes through, and Microsoft buys majority shares of the Tiktoks parent company ByteDance, Microsoft would own and operate TikTok services in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand and also ensure that all private data of TikToks American users would be transferred to and remain in the United States.
WATKINSVILLE, Ga., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Oconee Financial Corporation ("Oconee") (OTCQX: OSBK) is pleased to report results for the second quarter of 2020. Unaudited net income for the three months ending June 30, 2020, was $889,370 or $0.99 per common share. This compares to $669,248 or $0.75 per common share for the second quarter of the prior year. This represents a 32.9% increase in net earnings in the second quarter of 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.

Unaudited net income YTD as of June 30, 2020 was $1,038,711 or $1.15 per common share. This compares to $1,193,124 or $1.33 per common share for YTD as of June 30 of the prior year. This represents a decrease of 12.9% in net earnings YTD June 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.

Total assets as of June 30, 2020, were $469.1 million, compared to total assets of $399.5 million as of December 31, 2019. Total loans were $319.2 million and deposits were $400.2 million as of June 30, 2020. This compared to total loans of $248.8 million and deposits of $361.5 million at December 31, 2019. As of June 30, 2020, total loans have increased 28.3% and total deposits have increased 10.7% versus December 31, 2019.

Neil Stevens, President and Chief Executive Officer of Oconee stated "We're pleased with second quarter earnings and the improvement over the prior year second quarter and the first quarter of 2020. During the quarter we provided over $55 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans, marking the lives of many people in our communities."

Oconee Financial Corporation is headquartered in Watkinsville, Georgia and operates four full-service branches and one limited-service loan production office. In February 2020, Oconee State bank celebrated 60 years of service and continues to be the only locally owned and operated community bank headquartered in Oconee County. Oconee State Bank has proudly served the local community, providing an unparalleled commitment to personalized service, innovative products and solutions, and strives to bring exceptional value to our customers through local ownership, involvement and decision-making. We continuously strive to create remarkable experiences that significantly mark the lives of others.

OCONEE FINANCIAL CORPORATION BALANCE SHEET





















6/30/2020

12/31/2019







(Unaudited)



ASSETS









Cash and due from banks $ 69,628,726

$ 38,099,324



Securities available for sale (at fair value) 56,575,424

99,228,506



Other investment 359,600

314,900



Mortgage loans held for sale 6,271,606

1,572,800



Loans, less allowance for loan











losses 319,225,237

248,771,230



Premises and equipment 4,178,827

4,294,867



Other real estate owned --

--



Other assets 12,888,452

7,239,812





Total Assets $ 469,127,872

$ 399,521,439













LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY







Liabilities:









Deposits $ 400,184,890

$ 361,522,574



Repurchase agreements --

--



Dividends payble --

--



Other borrowings 29,396,699

0



Accrued expenses and other liabilities 2,679,856

2,331,769





Total Liabilities 432,261,445

363,854,343















Stockholder's Equity:









Common Stock 1,792,750

1,793,760



Restricted Stock (36,745)

(36,745)



Additional Paid in Capital 4,122,790

4,139,146



Retained earnings 30,000,898

29,501,154



Unrealized gain/loss on securities 986,735

269,781





Total Stockholder's Equity 36,866,427

35,667,096



















Total Liabilities and Stockholder's Equity $ 469,127,872

$ 399,521,439

OCONEE FINANCIAL CORPORATION STATEMENT OF INCOME-QTD





















6/30/2020

6/30/2019







(Unaudited)





Interest Income:









Loans $ 3,794,685

$ 3,117,939



Securities available for sale











State, County & Municipal 85,972

117,974





Treasuries & Agencies 205,124

332,448





Corporate 875







Federal funds sold & other 19,445

30,750







4,106,100

3,599,112















Interest Expense:









Deposits 375,380

343,085



Other 18,196

9,541



Total Interest Expense 393,576

352,626



















Net interest income 3,712,524

3,246,486















Provision for loan losses 187,500

142,500

















Net income after provision for loan losses 3,525,024

3,103,986















Noninterest income









Service charges on deposit accounts 99,217

142,790



Gain on Sale of Assets (13,291)

--



Securities gains (losses), net 163,994

9,626



Mortgage banking income 461,907

104,101



SBA loan related income 179,570

394,976



Commissions on investment sales 137,669

169,827



Other 287,875

289,478



Total noninterest income 1,316,941

1,110,798















Noninterest expense









Salaries and employee benefits 2,466,504

2,139,609



Occupancy 308,330

325,290



Other operating 939,104

913,472



Total noninterest expense 3,713,937

3,378,371



















Income before provision for income taxes 1,128,028

836,414















Provision for income taxes 238,658

167,166



















Net Income $ 889,370

$ 669,248



















Weighted Shares Outstanding 895,401

900,401





QTD Earnings Per Common Share $ 0.99

$ 0.75

OCONEE FINANCIAL CORPORATION STATEMENT OF INCOME-YTD





















6/30/2020

6/30/2019







(Unaudited)





Interest Income:









Loans $ 7,065,011

$ 5,928,892



Securities available for sale











State, County & Municipal 174,792

264,536





Treasuries & Agencies 496,949

678,092





Corporate 875







Federal funds sold & other 160,255

148,241







7,897,881

7,019,762















Interest Expense:









Deposits 972,292

643,841



Other 18,196

9,541



Total Interest Expense 990,488

653,382



















Net interest income 6,907,393

6,366,380















Provision for loan losses 375,000

285,000

















Net income after provision for loan losses 6,532,393

6,081,380















Noninterest income









Service charges on deposit accounts 230,047

288,435



Gain on Sale of Assets (13,291)

--



Securities gains (losses), net 163,994

9,626



Mortgage banking income 623,399

171,232



SBA loan related income 309,548

589,700



Commissions on investment sales 283,289

287,248



Other 609,281

644,044



Total noninterest income 2,206,267

1,990,285















Noninterest expense









Salaries and employee benefits 4,897,962

4,201,990



Occupancy 593,458

646,320



Other operating 1,957,722

1,755,262



Total noninterest expense 7,449,141

6,603,572



















Income before provision for income taxes 1,289,518

1,468,093















Provision for income taxes 250,807

274,969



















Net Income $ 1,038,711

$ 1,193,124



















Weighted Shares Outstanding 895,401

900,401





YTD Earnings Per Common Share $ 1.15

$ 1.33

SOURCE Oconee Financial Corporation
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:01:02|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Foreign enterprises in Beijing are regaining confidence as the city's work and production resumption continue to accelerate amid further containment of COVID-19, while its economy has rebounded with strong resilience and vitality.

"We highly appreciate the guidance and support we got from the Beijing government and municipal authorities ... Thanks to the effective measures taken by China in fighting COVID-19, we are witnessing a strong recovery of its auto market," said Hubertus Troska with Daimler AG.

"We are also fortunate to see a positive sales momentum for our Mercedes-Benz brand in China with a year-on-year growth of 21.6 percent in the second quarter," he said.

In the first six months of the year, Mercedes-Benz delivered more than 346,000 new cars to its customers in China, basically returning to the level of the same period last year, data from the German automaker showed.

According to the Ministry of Commerce, foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Chinese mainland, in actual use, grew by 8.4 percent year on year in the second quarter of this year, a significant rebound from the first quarter (down 10.8 percent), indicating foreign investors' stabilizing expectations and confidence in China's economy. Besides, international enterprises, including Daimler, are seeking a stronger presence in China.

"I'm very confident in the long-term development of the Chinese auto industry and believe that the best times are yet to come," Troska said, adding that Beijing is still a highly attractive business location for international companies. Daimler is committed to further invest and strengthen its local footprint in research and development, and production and purchase, Troska added.

From January to May, a total of 495 new foreign-funded enterprises were set up in the service sector in Beijing, actually using 5.12 billion U.S. dollars in direct overseas capital, according to the municipal commerce bureau.

Universal Beijing Resort, a key project in Beijing's Tongzhou District, has seen its construction progressing smoothly, and the main structure has been completed. The theme park is expected to open in the first half of next year.

"We quickly resumed construction in the ever-changing epidemic circumstances under the ongoing guidance and support from related government authorities," said Tom Mehrmann, president of the resort.

Mehrmann said he has full confidence in the Chinese economy and the tourism industry, and the total demand for Chinese tourists is significant. Although the short-term impact seems inevitable, it will eventually lead to a dramatic rebound and growth, Mehrmann added.

Data from the Beijing municipal bureau of statistics showed that the city's regional gross domestic product (GDP) edged down 3.2 percent year on year to 1.62 trillion yuan (about 232 billion U.S. dollars) in the first half of this year. The decline narrowed by 3.4 percentage points compared with that of the first quarter, indicating steady economic recovery of the city.

Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the enterprises of Swiss tech giant ABB in Beijing have overcome multiple challenges with the help of the municipal government, which sent anti-epidemic materials to the local firms of ABB and helped their supporting enterprises resume production as soon as possible.

"We have been committed to the long-term development in China," said Peter Voser, chairman of the board of directors at ABB Ltd. " ABB will work together with our Chinese customers and partners to further develop the industrial and supply chains."

In order to promote the resumption of work and production of major foreign firms in Beijing and minimize the impact of the epidemic, the city has launched several commercial activities through the internet since May. The activities provided an online platform for local officials to met leaders of multinational companies. Besides, the overseas side could see real-time videos of production lines of foreign firms in Beijing, thus injecting confidence into their investment plans in China.

The municipal government not only solved the problems of foreign companies in the supply of spare parts and international logistics and transportation but also facilitated executives and their families to return to Beijing.

Last month, Beijing issued an action plan to implement new opening-up measures as part of efforts to open up at a higher level and optimize its business environment. Enditem
04.08.2020 LISTEN

I read with great interest an article on IOL highlighting the submissions made at the sanctions symposium hosted by Naledi Pandor the Minister of International Relations at UNISA in November 2019.

The article outlined that at the event, Naledi Pandor, the Zimbabwean Ambassador to South Africa David Hamadziripi and Zimbabwes former Deputy Prime Minister Author Mutambara, made contributions on the issue of sanctions in Zimbabwe and how they need to be tackled.

In his comments the Zimbabwean Ambassador is said to have raised the fact that the Zimbabwean embassy is struggling to engage its citizens living in South Africa because of the lack of unity and polarization among Zimbabweans, in the neighboring country.

He went on to say that Zimbabwe needs South Africas assistance in reengaging with the international community, to enable the nation to access funds and markets for Zimbabwean products.

Professor Mutambara, one of the people who called for these sanctions upon the Zimbabwean people, believes that sanctions in Zimbabwe are just symptoms of a greater political problem, although he concedes that they must go because they have outstayed their usefulness.

He also advanced the argument that corruption and misgovernance in Zimbabwe, which he erroneously termed internal sanctions, must be removed first and electoral reforms effected as the region works to remove the illegal sanctions.

We then had the opportunity of watching Naledi Pandors opening speech, in which she identifies Zimbabwes problem as a governance issue linked to the political polarization that is plaguing the economy.

According to her, South Africa is willing to assist Zimbabwe, in dealing with its governance and political problems, as it also looks for ways to assist Zimbabwe to remove the sanctions. We found this position rather confusing because then why would DIRCO hold a symposium on sanctions in Zimbabwe if it feels that Zimbabwes problem is a governance and political one.

As the African Renaissance Project, we thought it fitting that we weigh in on these issues that have been ventilated in public media, because we are a civilian movement that is dedicated to fighting against these sanctions and imperialism in Zimbabwe and continent.

Let us start off by saying, we are grateful to SADC and in particular the South African government for the tremendous effort they have began to put into supporting Zimbabwe in fighting these illegal sanctions.

However, it must be said upfront, that this assistance in fighting against this illegal western siege (economic sanctions) upon a strategic member of SADC, comes hundreds of thousands of lives, +4mil refugees, over $50bil and 18yrs too late. So belated that now the United States has began to leverage these sanctions into destabilization, to effect their regime change agenda, as the ZDERA and Executive Order sanctions EO13469 were designed to achieve.

By the symposium failing to identify the military nature of these sanctions to spell out the military risks and threat they pose to Zimbabwe and the region as a whole, we feel that the meeting was less than satisfactory.

It is out of this lack of understanding of the threat SADC is facing, why both Naledi Pandor and Author Mutambara spoke about this economic warfare on a strategic partner in the region, as a secondary problem instead of the fulcrum of THE challenges Zimbabwe and the region are facing.

We are not going to knitpick through every point made at this meeting, but we will attend to the main areas of concern that we as a region need to focus on, to come up with a real strategy to fight this invasion upon the region.

SADC is At War

It is critical that our situational analysis starts with all stakeholders in the region recognizing that the sanctions imposed upon Zimbabwe, are a foreign attack and siege upon the nation. Therefore, in line with mutual defense protocols of the SADC ORGAN, as an attack on a regional member, regional powers should have come to Zimbabwes rescue.

Its unequivocal that the sanctions on Zimbabwe imposed by a US national emergency that deployed war and defense measures of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, are warfare by economic means on Zimbabwe, and those economic weapons can be escalated to military means when the US President feels the need to. So, in simple terms, Zimbabwe is at war and so is SADC.

Sadly, these are facts that escaped SADC leaders and their ORGAN military generals, hence, since this attack was initiated on Zimbabwe by united western powers as punishment for the decolonization project initiated by President R.G Mugabe. Regional partners isolated Zimbabwe and left her to face the west and white capital in the region alone, in contrast to the frontline mutual defense principles of the SADC ORGAN.

Throughout this period, regional partners benefited immensely from this attack upon a neighbor, taking in illicit capital flows built by white investors off the exploitation of the Zimbabwean people, offering the most financially endowed Zimbabweans citizenships, leaving the country drained of capital until even poor Zimbabweans followed the capital as refugees in the region.

As Zimbabwe was being diminished, some governments in the region propagated the white media narrative that Zimbabwes economic hardships were caused by the incompetent and corrupt leadership of Harare. By so doing they became the better blacks and stamped the notion that by taking back resources from white settlers, the Africans up north were corrupt and incapable of governing.

At no point did any of these partners acknowledge that Zimbabwe had simply brought the liberation struggle to its logical conclusion by giving back resources to their rightful owners. Neither did they denounce the breaking of international law or human rights by western powers in an attempt to stop Zimbabwe from self-determining.

Soft Sanctions On The ANC

Now we have reached a point where, Namibia and South Africa are considering taking back land without compensation and radically transforming their economies. And as soon as the ANC articulated this position, it came under fire from western capital, which over the past few years imposed soft sanctions by denying SOEs in the country loans, weakening them and hampering

service delivery to the people.

It was a salvo fired to warn that government and others in the region against following Zimbabwes example. For good measure, ratings agencies and western lenders read the ANC government the riot act and gave it reforms like privatizing key SOEs, placing white appointees into key sectors of the public sector and purging its ranks of proponents of RET, if they are to continue lending South Africa capital.

In the process, as was done to Zimbabwe, the South African media and at times western embassies, have manufactured the narrative that the ANC government is incompetent and corrupt, hence its failing to manage SOEs and deliver services.

The effect of these soft sanctions and manufactured negative sentiment has seen the ANC losing a significant number of votes at the poles held earlier this year. Along with that we have seen white rightwing movements become more militant, calling for western nations to save them from a genocide as they amass weapons and prepare for a military confrontation.

This is despite the amazing work the ANC government has put into not only improving the lives of millions of previously disadvantaged South Africans and Africans, from the ravages of apartheid and neo-colonialism, but they have lifted white South Africans even more.

The Persian Gulf Of Strategic Minerals

What is critical to note here is these soft sanctions woke ANC up to the reality that they are not better blacks. Hence, now that they are trying to self-determine by controlling their nations resources in the Persian Gulf Of Strategic Mineral Resources. The western world has sent a clear signal that they will not hesitate to attack the ANC government in the same way they did Zimbabwe or worse.

This is why now SADC is uniting against Zimbabwean sanctions because slowly the governments in the region are realizing the need to start controlling rapidly diminishing resources, instead of mortgaging them for debt. Because debt keeps African countries insolvent, under the governance of foreign ratings agencies, financial institutions and investors who are now trying to wrestle key SOEs to make governments dependent on western capital to provide for their citizens basic services.

In spite of the time lapse, its still commendable that our leaders have matured to understand that, we need to unite to fight the evil of imperialism that has plagued Africa, from US bases, France Afrique, wars for resources and sanctions as the western world works to recolonize Africa.

4. Nonetheless, as we unite and begin the fight against this neo-colonial menace. Its important that our leaders dont give lip service to unity or use these as a means for SADC politicians to create a cozy ivory tower for themselves, while the region is faced by a formidable threat posed by a disciplined and united adversary committed to destroying African emancipation to sustain western supremacy.

Its a fight SADC will not win, if its led by insincere and aloof politicians like Author Mutambara, who seems to suggest that these economic measures that violate human rights, were at some point justified. Secondly, he incorrectly identifies the problem in Zimbabwe as a political and electoral reform issue, that is exacerbated by the symptoms of economic warfare (sanctions).

A clear misdiagnosis of the problem, which leaves any solutions coming from an ivory tower of such academics, useless and ineffective.

This is why we want to appeal to SADC, that before the body attempts to address Zimbabwes sanctions, the leaders of the organization and its ORGAN have to be clear about the following facts:

The region is at war.

It has been for 18yrs because the EO13469 sanctions upon Zimbabwe are a foreign siege and invasion on a regional power, through the use of defense and war economic weapons of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act that can be escalated into military invasion by the US President if he feels the economic weapons have not neutralized Zimbabwe as a threat to US and western interests in the region.

Its a war no different to the incursions by the apartheid South African government in the region, in the 1980s that cost the region in access of $50bil in the western sponsored destabilization of the SADC.

This economic invasion which came after Zimbabwe was still recovering from the $2.8bil [4.6bil today] lost during the apartheid government destabilization of SADC, has destroyed the military capacity of Zimbabwe, law enforcement, infrastructure, institutions, social services and killed hundreds of thousands of innocent people. They have divided the nation, pit countryman against countryman, threatening to cause civil unrest to make way for western intervention, unless they are curbed by a concomitant regional strategy.

The UN Human Rights Council, in its report on coercive economic measures, categorizes the same economic attacks as illegal unilateral coercive measures and illegal forms of aggression.

 In the same document, sanctions are defined as interference in the internal affairs of a sovereign nation by another. A contravention of the equality of member states laid out in point 1 and 2 of the UN Charter.

 They are also said to be the use of aggression, outside UN dispute resolution processes. An infraction of the UN Charter and Vienna Convention, which every western power that is sanctioning Zimbabwe signed and ratified.

More critically, the sanctions are the collective punishment of innocent civilians for political aims. This puts them in opposition to the Geneva Convention and human rights law, potentially making them crimes against humanity that have been perpetrated upon the Zimbabwean people, when considering the hundreds of thousands of lives that have been lost due to engineered deprivation of medicine, food, sanitation, social services and the displacement of millions of vulnerable citizens as refugees, into neighboring countries.

Compounding this, such unilateral sanctions are not new in geopolitics, as previous EU, US congressional and executive order sanctions have been used on the continent to weaken and eventually invade nations like Libya to effect regime change and commit war crimes. It is noteworthy that DIRCO was the lead department in the South African government signing UN resolution 1973, empowering NATO to facilitate the gruesome murder of a key member of the African Union.

5. These are the key ideological positions that SADC should grapple with before they attempt to deal with these sanctions. Otherwise there is no way that SADC can effectively fight these sanctions while wearing the sanctions senders lenses, without seeing them for the human rights violations and terrorism they are upon the SADC community.

6. Furthermore, from what has been happening in South Africa, its clear that SADC leaders will come under increasing attacks from the west for standing up with Zimbabwe because the west can clearly see, unity in SADC building a bulwark around the regions resources.

This is why; this fight cannot be undertaken only by politicians and western titled academics in ivory towers, at the exclusion of the civilians who are suffering under the weight of these sanctions.

The reason being, the sentiment war that the west is deploying against SADC liberation governments, is going to be used to paint this fight against their illegal sanctions, as an attempt by corrupt liberation movements in the region to stay in power. In the process these governments will be pitted against western sponsored activists and power hungry opposition parties, to separate these governments from their people and bring regime change, as they are attempting in Zimbabwe.

The only way to mitigate this is by politicians holding hands with civilian groups, to educate our people who are suffering under these sanctions about the devices of imperialism. That way the masses can understand the threat they face and importance of unity in fighting against these forces that are trying to destroy their legacy.

Its a movement that requires the leadership of the people who are dying in ill-equipped hospitals, those lacking water, displaced to become refugees and straining the neighboring countries public services to spark xenophobia because of this economic warfare.

Moreover, it is us the civilians who have over the years been creating awareness about this warfare to the point where our businesses and persons have been blacklisted by white corporates and western embassies, while the ORGAN ignored an attack on a member state.

Its civilians of the region who are best suited to carry the fight against this siege and invasion. Not politicians like Author Mutambara who called for the sanctions or governments who signed the resolution that killed Gaddafi after he had been subjected to the same sanctions. What the people need is support from SADC governments to educate our people about this economic warfare and how its affecting them.

African leaders have to start understanding that the innocent masses of the nation are the first line of defense in a nation, hence every time the Americans have planned to force regime change in any country in the last 70yrs, they first focus on turning and weaponizing the civilians of those countries while the leaders of those countries ignore their citizens.

In the SADC region we have more reason to be cautious because activist groups and political parties on the payroll of the US government, Soros Open Change foundation and others such as Vanguard, surround our governments. Therefore, its critical for our leaders to embrace the few civil society organizations in the region that care enough about the region not to sellout to the west.

Together we can chart a strategy to educate and awaken our citizens in the region about the imperialism that manifests in the form of US bases, destabilization for our strategic minerals, wars and sanctions.

That way we will unite the citizens and activate them to stand up and fight for our inheritance from the same western nations that have killed more than 3.1mil people in Afghanistan, Libya, Iraq, Syria and Yemen in wars for oil since 9/11, according to a Brown University Cost Of War Project study.

7. Polarization Among Zimbabweans

The next issue is the the Zimbabwean Ambassador lamenting the fact that Zimbabwean citizens in South Africa are so polarized and fragmented that its difficult for the embassy to connect with them.

Its important that the Ambassador realizes that, the purpose of sanctions was to handicap the economic engine of Zimbabwe, destroy standards of living, divide the people and weaponize them to turn against the government and bring regime change by violent protest or insurgency.

In light of that, the Zimbabwean government has to realize that winning the minds and hearts of the Zimbabwean people, to unite the nation and stop citizens from being weaponized against the nation, is the war we have to fight as a nation if we are going to survive.

The more our people are divided, the more the west has a weapon to leverage and destabilize the country from inside. Creating conditions for western intervention or destabilization as they have done all across South America and Middle East.

This is why Harare, with the support of SADC and civil society groups, should focus on being intimate with its people who are already its biggest investors and only source of future development for our resource rich nation. This is who the government needs to focus on before trying to reengage hostile western nations that want nothing but to enslave our people and control the resources of the region.

To achieve this, the government must communicate with the people through modern techniques to show them the enemy causing their pain so that our people can heal and stand up to defend the nation.

8. Reforms

On the issue of reforms, as we pointed out above, SADC leaders, opinion makers and commentators need to be clear that the sanctions on Zimbabwe are illegal and a violation of 16mil Zimbabwean and 300mil regional human rights. SADC must therefore drive an unequivocal core message denouncing these sanctions as illegal, crimes against humanity, designed to usurp African social, economic and cultural rights.

By so doing SADC reasserts Zimbabwes sovereign rights, nullifying any neo-colonial demands for foreign imposed reforms and conditions attached to ending these illegal measures upon a regional partner.

Zimbabwe is not a colony of the west, so in the same way we dont advise our daughters to reform to the demands of a rapist by opening up to rape, no self respecting leader in the region or Zimbabwe must suggest that Zimbabwe reforms to the demands of the same criminals who colonized our continent and still have not reformed to pay reparations or end racism.

9. Establishing SADC Autarky

Going forward, SADC must enforce its SADCC predecessors objectives of breaking dependency on white South African capital, to build black productive capacity, competencies, industry, and trade institutions that give the region autonomy from parasitic white capital.

This also means jointly launching legal challenges with GATT, international courts, tribunals and other international bodies for infringements on free trade and Millennium Development Goals by western illegal sanctions on a regional partner.

Meanwhile, serious consideration must be given to creating regional institutions to market and sell SADC products collectively in mitigation of the isolation and targeting of individual nations by western sanctions.

This is something that was done by Rhodesia, apartheid South Africa and Portuguese Mozambique bundling products together to mitigate legal UN sanctions with the support of western governments.

10. A critical question is who should be involved in the fight against sanctions? We believe SADC should rope in patriotic, Pan-Africanists who are knowledgeable about geopolitics, neo-colonialism, history and sanctions, to devise counter-hegemonic solutions to recolonization, in place of titled colonial administrators, who seek to maintain the status quo.

Arthur Mutambara

Arthur Mutambara is not fit to discuss solutions on ending sanctions in Zimbabwe because the man committed treason upon his own nation, when he called for western countries to impose sanctions upon his people, for his own selfish political ambitions and not the welfare of Zimbabwe.

By calling for foreign nations to impose economic warfare upon the people of Zimbabwe, he basically asked for innocent, vulnerable, women, children and citizens to be terrorized to force them to vote for his political party. A clear act of terrorism upon the same state and people he sought to govern.

A further illustration of his lack of empathy with those suffering under sanctions he called for, is how he trivializes this crime against humanity being perpetuated upon innocent civilians by the entire western world, as a symptom of a political problem.

How does a leader who wants to lead a people, categorize the deaths of hundreds of thousands of those innocent people and the displacement of millions of them into neighboring countries by economic war, as being similar to allegations of corruption or stereotypes of misgovernance?

Additionally, the obsession he and his MDC colleagues have with electoral reforms in a country where the economic war they called for, incapacitate the ruling party so that it cant deliver services to the people. While its collective punishment of 16mil people, advantages MDC by forcing those who are suffering to vote for them, overthrow the government by Arab Spring type demonstrations or continue suffering. That is the definition of terrorism.

11. Zimbabwe is a nation at war, and terrorism is being exerted upon its people by sanctions, to force their choice of government. Conditions not suitable for free and fair elections, but relevant for a state of emergency, until we deal with the foreign invasion and interference that is depriving our citizens of their democratic right to freedom of choice.

The fact that Mutambara does not address the illegality of these sanctions or their violation of human rights, which is designed to force people to vote for any party other than the ruling party. Is an illustration that he lacks the moral fortitude to determine solutions for a better Zimbabwe, as all that matters to him is power and not the wellbeing of Zimbabwe or SADC.

Thats why we dont understand why South Africas DIRCO or SADC would engage men who called for these sanctions upon innocent people, while excluding passionate civil activists and the civilians who are suffering under the sanctions.

12. In conclusion of this commentary, we find it unacceptable that now that the Zimbabwean government has been weakened by these sanctions, we have the same nations that abdicated the responsibility of supporting a member of the ORGAN, saying they want to assist Zimbabwe with governance to build a better country.

Zimbabwe is a partner in SADC; its not a province of other SADC partners. More importantly the country doesnt need lessons in governance from any nation because governance is not the cause of Zimbabwes demise. In the same way, service delivery, the failure of SOEs, high crime and rape in South Africa is not because of ANCs incompetence, as the western world would have us believe.

What Zimbabwe needs is assistance in fighting against the siege (sanctions) that the country has been under for 18yrs. This requires SADC governments to stop scoring cheap political points against their own struggle, by acknowledging that the Zimbabwean government has been handicapped by this illegal economic attack, in the same way the ANC has been struggling under the mild economic restrictions imposed by funders over the last few years.

All things being equal, the Zimbabwean government is a very capable and competent government, hence it created one of the best education, healthcare, military and law enforcement systems in Africa on a very low budget.

A result due to strategic planning and implementation that capacitated the nation by building 13 teacher training colleges that are now assisting with maths and science in South Africa, as Naledi Pandor pointed out. This was accompanied by the building of 5709 schools up from the 1879 that were built during 90yrs of colonialism, 13 research centers, 43 vocational training centers and 13 universities, from the 1 university left by Smith.

It built 13 nursing colleges, 1217 hospitals, clinics and health centers to reduce infant mortality for black children from 200/1000 to below 40/1000. For social development, it built over 1mil houses, the Hwange Power Plant, Kariba Hydro Power Plant upgrades, paid debts for the dams construction and paved 7000km of roads.

All this was done while paying off Rhodesian debts, buying back land from white farmers and fighting the destabilization of SADC by a nuclear powered apartheid South African government, in an effort to end apartheid by allowing MK and ANC to continue to have bases in Zimbabwe.

It is these competences of this same government, which catapulted people like Author Mutambara into robotics professors at Harvard. The same, which attracted neighbors from Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Zambia, Angola and Mozambique to come into Zimbabwe for that education, healthcare, economy and safety, until sanctions were imposed and the same countries isolated Zimbabwe.

That same government was competent enough to support MK, continue leading pressure by SADC on the apartheid government to end apartheid, sending its soldiers into Mozambique to fight imperial destabilization by the apartheid government to end that war.

From a Harare meeting in 1998 where Kabila asked for support against western funded, Ugandan and Rwandan backed rebels, it galvanized Namibia, Angola, Libya, Chad and Sudan to join it in sending troops into Congo to save Congolese lives and give rise to the Sun City Accord. For these sacrifices to defend the region from imperialism, that competent government was placed under sanctions by the entire western world for threatening western interests.

So Zimbabwe, doesnt need lessons in governance but unconditional partnership from neighbors (as it gave to SADC: MK, Congo and Mozambique) who understand that as nations in the Persian Gulf Of Mineral Resources, we are all at risk from imperialism unless we stand together.

Standing together means doing away with the we are better blacks syndrome and the petty politicking that says that Zimbabwe is not well governed because that is not true. No country in this region has achieved what Zimbabwe has achieved, hence Zimbabwe is the only one in the region seen as a threat to US and western economic, security and foreign policy interests to the extent of the entire western world imposing sanctions.

It is these sanctions imposed in 2001 and 2003 that saw Zimbabwe lose its currency, unemployment rocketing from 38% to over 80%, Zimbabweans being displaced into being refugees, the government failing to respond to droughts and the economy going into a tailspin.

And even under those insurmountable odds, the country is still standing where nations like Rhodesia and apartheid South Africa fell, to less aggressive sanctions for which they received support from the west.

We need our SADC partners to understand these realities and to stop reinforcing European stereotypes that blacks are incapable of governing; yet Zimbabwean skills that are being produced today, are still playing a vital role in advancing SADC.

Today, leading technology companies in the region like Botswanas Mascom and Liquid Telecom, which is now laying fiber throughout the continent, came out of a black owned Zimbabwean company called Econet.

The cause and effect of sanctions and the challenges that Zimbabwe has is clear. Its also clear that those sanctions are linked to the formation of MDC, its agenda to serve white commercial farmer interests and the treason it committed upon the nation.

This is why South Africa and SADC should not put a bandage on a cancerous wound by trying to force unity between politicians or push for electoral reforms on Zimbabwe, without addressing the treason being committed by parties like MDC. As an organization we are lobbying our legislators to create laws to punish treason and collusion with the enemy, as capital offenses.

And unless SADC looks at the cancer of treason and collusion with the enemy by Zimbabwean nationals, as unacceptable as it is in any other country. It will soon look like MDC members are being persecuted when we as a country begin to punish such capital offenses.

SADC must deal with root causes of Zimbabweans colluding with a foreign invasion that is being supported by defectors in the republic. We need to address this as the threat on the region, to fix the other symptoms outlined by the honorable minister.

Thank You.

Regards,

Edward Mitole

Founder

The African Renaissance Project
TFP works with world class fertility clinics, providing access to shared medical, strategic and operational best practices, promoting research and development activities and offering extensive back-office support. Its goal is to foster global best clinical outcomes, an international reputation for excellence, and exceptional patient and employee experiences.

Private equity firms, individual investors, TFP senior management and the Bank of Montreal have committed equity financing. The largest investors are Peloton Capital Management, based in Toronto, Canada and Heal Partners Trust, based in Sydney, Australia. Morrison Park Advisors and Asia Principal Capital ("APC") acted as agents to the Company in securing the equity funding in addition to Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP and Deloitte who acted as advisors to TFP. Bank of Montreal has also extended debt financing to support the establishment of the TFP platform.

Mike Murray, Managing Partner at Peloton Capital Management, stated "The Fertility Partners is the third investment in PCM's inaugural fund and we are very excited to partner with an exceptional leadership team and founder. This is a very dynamic and rapidly growing healthcare sector and we look forward to supporting TFP's growth plans with our expertise in operations and with additional capital to support expansion."

Says Peter Chapman, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Asia Principal Capital, "having previously backed Andrew's achievement at dentalcorp, we were delighted to support him again as he successfully applies the partner model to yet another significant healthcare platform."

Dr. Andrew Meikle TFP Founder, CEO & Executive Chairman states, "these investments signify the confidence in our partner model, value proposition and overall thesis. We are grateful for the generous support from our investment partners and value their shared commitment to creating an exceptional network of respected clinics and clinicians to provide world class fertility care to Canadians." TFP President & CFO Steve Yuzpe says, "we are in detailed discussions with several leading fertility centres, and this funding will allow us to move quickly and build a strong platform for collaboration and growth."

About The Fertility Partners: The Fertility Partners ("TFP") is a new venture creating a network of respected fertility clinics across North America. The company aims to be a world class business partner of choice for leading IVF and prenatal practitioners with the goal of achieving global best clinical outcomes, operational excellence and exceptional patient experiences. TFP provides partner clinics with back office support and a collaborative, synergistic medical-scientific, professional and business environment. For more information, please visit www.thefertilitypartners.com.

About Peloton Capital Management: Peloton Capital Management is a private equity firm that utilizes a long-term investment philosophy and sector-focused strategy to partner with founders and management teams to help build exceptional businesses and create attractive returns for its investors. PCM focuses on North American businesses in the Healthcare Services, Financial Services and Consumer Products & Services sectors. Headquartered in Toronto, Canada, PCM was founded and is led by a team with extensive private equity experience. For more information, please visit www.pelotoncapitalmanagement.com.

About Morrison Park Advisors: MPA Morrison Park Advisors Inc. (MPA) is Canada's premier independent investment bank, and is focused solely on its client interests, which includes using MPA's capital as a problem-solving tool. MPA specializes in the Canadian mid-market and in difficult situations. During its 15-year history, MPA has advised on a wide range of corporate transactions and strategic mandates. MPA provides clients with both national and international scope through its strategic alliances with DNA Capital in Montreal and IMAP (International M&A Partnership). For more information, please visit www.morrisonpark.com.

About Asia Principal Capital: APC provides financial and intellectual capital, deep operational experience, and strategic counsel for growth-stage businesses. For more information, please visit www.apcl.com.

About Blakes: At Blake, Cassels & Graydon LLP (Blakes), we serve a diverse national and international client base. Our integrated network of offices provides clients with access to the Firm's full spectrum of capabilities in virtually every area of business law. Thanks to our clients, Blakes continues to receive awards and top rankings. In 2020, Blakes was named the leading law firm brand in the Acritas Canadian Law Firm Index for the sixth time and fifth consecutive year. We also received the most top-tier rankings by practice area of any Canadian law firm in Chambers Global: The World's Leading Lawyers for Business. In 2019, we were named Canada Law Firm of the Year in the Who's Who Legal Awards for the 11th consecutive year. In addition, our lawyers continue to be recognized as leaders in their fields in The Canadian Legal Lexpert Directory, Canada's leading guide to lawyers. For more information, please visit www.blakes.com.

SOURCE The Fertility Partners

Related Links

https://www.thefertilitypartners.com/


Two people working on Kanye West's presidential campaign are Republican party men, reports New York Magazine.

One of West's electors in the state of Vermont will also be a delegate to the Republican National Convention in Charlotte. Chuck Wilton, one of the three electors West's presidential campaign named in a filing submitted with the Vermont secretary of State on Monday, was also elected by the Vermont Republican Party in May to serve as a delegate for President Trump at this year's RNC.  A prominent Republican operative, Gregg Keller, was listed as the campaign's point of contact in a filing with the Arkansas secretary of State

The whole point is to get him on swing state ballots to peel off votes from Biden. It's not a likely strategyWest was a Trump supporter before he announced his run and a national poll including him suggested he will only hurt Trump's chancesbut nothing in politics is rational. Kanye West is suffering from bipolar disorder, according to wife Kim Kardashian, who called for compassion in how his statements and his campaign are covered.
For the New World Order, a world government is just the beginning. Once in place they can engage their plan to exterminate 80% of the world's population, while enabling the "elites" to live forever with the aid of advanced technology. For the first time, crusading filmmaker ALEX JONES reveals their secret plan for humanity's extermination: Operation ENDGAME.

Jones chronicles the history of the global elite's bloody rise to power and reveals how they have funded dictators and financed the bloodiest warscreating order out of chaos to pave the way for the first true world empire.

Watch as Jones and his team track the elusive Bilderberg Group to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III.





to Ottawa and Istanbul to document their secret summits, allowing you to witness global kingpins setting the world's agenda and instigating World War III. Learn about the formation of the North America transportation control grid, which will end U.S. sovereignty forever.





Discover how the practitioners of the pseudo-science eugenics have taken control of governments worldwide as a means to carry out depopulation.





View the progress of the coming collapse of the United States and the formation of the North American Union.

Never before has a documentary assembled all the pieces of the globalists' dark agenda. Endgame's compelling look at past atrocities committed by those attempting to steer the future delivers information that the controlling media has meticulously censored for over 60 years. It fully reveals the elite's program to dominate the earth and carry out the wicked plan in all of human history.

Endgame is not conspiracy theory, it is documented fact in the elite's own words.




SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The global vehicle tracking systems market size is expected to reach USD 52.8 billion by 2027 registering a CAGR of 14.0% from 2020 to 2027, according to a study conducted by Grand View Research, Inc. The vehicle tracking system is a technology, which combines the tracking location of a vehicle with a software interface that further displays the vehicle data. Such a system is a subset of the overall fleet management industry. Several factors, such as growing traffic congestion, concerns regarding vehicle safety & security, and the need for higher operational efficiency, are anticipated to drive the market growth.

The introduction of disruptive technologies, such as Internet-of-Things (IoT), automation, robotics, and mobility solutions, in the vehicle tracking industry, has not only enabled fleet operators to gain better control over their costs but has also ensured real-time vehicular data collection. Mobile-connected services and the availability of real-time information owing to the implementation of smart technologies has improved the quality of decision-making and productivity for numerous fleet owners. Thus, it has now become easy for fleet operators to achieve higher profitability.

Key suggestions from the report:

The government & defense segment is projected to register a CAGR of over 9% during the forecast period due to rising demand for vehicle tracking systems as they ensure reduced fuel and administrative costs

The Global Positioning System (GPS) technology segment is anticipated to expand at the highest CAGR from 2020 to 2027

The systems are suitable for several applications in the GPS segment, such as tracking & mapping devices, industrial machinery, sea vessels, air navigation, and automobiles

Furthermore, the increasing awareness and knowledge about telematics services in the developing countries, such as India , Mexico , and Brazil , are predicted to drive the demand for smart fleet solutions

The European Commission announced the mandatory implementation of e-call technology for all new cars that would be sold from April 2018

It also introduced new data protection rules to safeguard the confidential information of drivers, owing to increased connectivity of commercial vehicles

Moreover, the European Maritime Safety Agency laid down several safety standards and rules for commercial/passenger ships. Thus, government regulations are expected to have a positive impact on market growth

Read 120 page research report with ToC on "Vehicle Tracking Systems Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Vehicle Type, By End-use, By Technology, By Type, By Component, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2020 - 2027" at: https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/vehicle-tracking-systems-market

These systems offer vehicle tracking in case of theft, navigation, real-time diagnostics, and predictive maintenance, which is also anticipated to drive the market growth. Furthermore, the implementation of these systems contributes to a reduction in traffic congestions owing to optimized route planning. Such factors are expected to boost product demand. Moreover, technological advancements and increased digitalization resulted in easy tracking of vehicle performance. Furthermore, the deployment of a vehicle tracking system has helped several end-use industries to monitor vehicle usage trends and ensure vehicle and driver safety & security.

In addition, cost benefits, owing to improved vehicle performance, and innovative features, such as driver monitoring, fuel management, and fleet analytics, are estimated to drive the market over the forecast period. The advancement of networking infrastructure and the adoption of mobility services owing to the increasing regulatory and compliance mandates in developing countries, such as China, Japan, India, and Brazil, are expected to support the market growth. Moreover, the strong presence of key industry players and various regulatory and compliance mandates for vehicular safety have encouraged the use of such systems in these regions.

These countries are also expected to adopt new technologies, such as cloud and IoT, to achieve higher productivity and operational efficiency, which would further bolster the market growth. However, factors, such as the lack of GPS accuracy owing to the changing weather conditions, dependency on cellular advanced networks, and privacy concerns, among others are expected to hinder the overall market growth.

Grand View Research has segmented the global vehicle tracking systems market on the basis of vehicle type, end-use, technology, type, component, and region:

Vehicle Tracking Systems Vehicle Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Passenger Vehicles



Light Commercial Vehicles (LCVs)



Heavy Commercial Vehicles (HCVs)

Vehicle Tracking Systems End-use Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Transportation & Logistics



Construction & Manufacturing



Aviation



Retail



Government & Defense

Others

Others Vehicle Tracking Systems Technology Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

GPS/Satellite



GPRS/Cellular Networks



Dual Mode

Vehicle Tracking Systems Type Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Active



Passive

Vehicle Tracking Systems Component Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

Hardware



OBD Device/Tracker & Advance Tracker



Standalone Tracker



Software



Performance Measurement



Vehicle Diagnostics



Fleet Analytics & Reporting



Driver Behavior Monitoring



Others

Vehicle Tracking Systems Software Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2016 - 2027)

North America



U.S.





Canada



Europe



U.K.





Germany





France



Asia Pacific



China





India





Japan



Latin America



Brazil





Mexico



Middle East & Africa

& List of Key Players of Vehicle Tracking Systems Market

Verizon Communications, Inc.



Sierra Wireless, Inc.



TomTom International B.V.



Geotab Inc.



Cartrack (Pty) Ltd.



Calamp Corp.



ORBCOMM INC.

Find more research reports on Next Generation Technologies Industry, by Grand View Research:

Automated Optical Inspection Systems Market  Automated optical inspection is a technique that uses optics to capture high-quality images of the printed circuit board to identify any defects and discrepancies in the component assembly of the PCB.

Automated optical inspection is a technique that uses optics to capture high-quality images of the printed circuit board to identify any defects and discrepancies in the component assembly of the PCB. Sales Force Automation Software Market  The growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of cloud sales force automation (SFA) software. Increasing demand for sales forecasting applications in the banking, retail, and IT and telecom sectors is anticipated to foster growth.

The growth can be attributed to the increasing adoption of cloud sales force automation (SFA) software. Increasing demand for sales forecasting applications in the banking, retail, and IT and telecom sectors is anticipated to foster growth. Web Hosting Services Market  Web hosting services can be categorized into various types such as shared, colocation, dedicated, and Virtual Private Server (VPS). The service allows enterprises and individuals to leverage a website over the internet to publish their business-related as well as personalized content.

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:

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SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
Pablo Morrugares is the fifth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year.

Press groups called for justice Monday after unidentified gunmen killed a journalist in southern Mexico along with a police officer assigned to protect him after a 2016 attack.

Pablo Morrugares was the fifth journalist to be killed in Mexico this year, in attacks which are increasingly killing police guards assigned to the victims. More than 140 journalists have been killed across the past 20 years.

The prosecutors office in Guerrero state said Morrugares and a state police officer were at a restaurant when they were killed in a hail of bullets Sunday. Authorities found 55 shell casings from assault rifles at the scene in the city of Iguala. The killers apparently opened fire from a passing vehicle.

Morrugares was director of the PM Noticias Guerrero website, which frequently reports on the gang violence that plagues the region. Local media reported that threats against Morrugares had been displayed in the past on banners hung by roadsides, a tactic frequently used by drug gangs in Mexico.

A coffin with the remains of one of three children shot dead in a video-game arcade, in Uruapan, Mexico [File: AP Photo/Marco Ugarte]

On Monday, the Inter American Press Association called on authorities to investigate the crime. It said Morrugares and his wife had survived a previous attack in 2016, when attackers opened fire on their car. The group called on Mexican authorities to provide better funding and protection for journalists registered in a government protection programme.

While the Mexican government has sometimes assigned police bodyguards for threatened journalists, killers have increasingly been murdering both the journalists and their guards.

In May, gunmen killed the owner of a newspaper and one of the policemen who had been assigned to protect him in northern Sonora state, following earlier threats.
Nitish Kumar and Sushant Singh Rajput

Patna: The Bihar government has decided to recommend a CBI inquiry in the actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case after Sushants father made a request for it, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday.

"Bihar DGP (Gupteshwar Pandey) had a talk with the late actors father K K Singh today. DGP has informed me that the father has asked for a CBI probe into the case, Kumar said.

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Nitish Kumar The chief minister said that he told the DGP to initiate necessary steps to immediately send a proposal to the state government in this regard.

"The state government would formally recommend the case to be handed over to the CBI today itself after completing all the procedures and formalities", the CM said.
China issues arrest warrants for 6 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, including US citizen

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Police in Hong Kong issued arrest warrants for six pro-democracy activists living in exile, including in the United States, for violating a controversial China-imposed national security law in the semi-autonomous city.

The six named include U.S. citizen Samuel Chu, former U.K. consulate worker Simon Cheng and activists Nathan Law and Ray Wong Toi-yeung, and the charges include taking part in secession efforts and colluding with foreign powers, according to the U.S.-based group China Aid.

I think they want to cut off our connection with people in Hong Kong ... it will make people fear that they may violate the national security law by contacting us, Wong, who is currently in the United Kingdom, told Reuters.

That Hong Kong has no place for even such moderate views like ours underscores the absurdity of Chinese Communist rule, Law, who is also in the U.K., was quoted as saying.

Hong Kong government recently delayed legislative elections, which were supposed to be held in September, for a year as pro-democracy candidates could have won due to anger among the citys people against the new national security law.

The law, which went into effect without a review by Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam, has four categories of crimes: succession, subversion of state power, local terrorist activities and collaborating with foreign or external foreign forces to endanger national security.

The law also positions Beijing as over the Hong Kong judicial system in cases deemed related to national security, China Aid said. This means that the judges in these cases must be Beijing-approved. Hong Kong residents can now also be taken to China, where they will face a courtroom with allegiance to the government.

In 1997, China had agreed for a one country, two systems arrangement to allow certain freedoms for Hong Kong when it received the city back from British control. The security law undercuts the promised autonomy.

This law fundamentally compromises one-country, two-systems, and breach of the handover agreement. The details emerging put human rights in jeopardy, the U.K.-based group Hong Kong Watch wrote on Twitter after a draft of the law was revealed in June.

After the passage of the new security law, President Donald Trump approved sanctions on Chinese officials and banks and also ended Hong Kong's preferential treatment, saying it will now be "treated the same as mainland China."

Sen. Rick Scott from Florida had commented earlier, Communist China continues their mission to destroy human rights and autonomy in #HongKong. Its plans to suffocate and intimidate those fighting for their basic rights is clear. The US continues to stand with the people of HK.
We often see insiders buying up shares in companies that perform well over the long term. The flip side of that is that there are more than a few examples of insiders dumping stock prior to a period of weak performance. So shareholders might well want to know whether insiders have been buying or selling shares in Canadian Pacific Railway Limited (TSE:CP).

Do Insider Transactions Matter?

It's quite normal to see company insiders, such as board members, trading in company stock, from time to time. However, rules govern insider transactions, and certain disclosures are required.

We would never suggest that investors should base their decisions solely on what the directors of a company have been doing. But it is perfectly logical to keep tabs on what insiders are doing. For example, a Harvard University study found that 'insider purchases earn abnormal returns of more than 6% per year'.

See our latest analysis for Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway Insider Transactions Over The Last Year

The CEO, President & Director Keith Creel made the biggest insider purchase in the last 12 months. That single transaction was for CA$2.8m worth of shares at a price of CA$297 each. So it's clear an insider wanted to buy, at around the current price, which is CA$368. That means they have been optimistic about the company in the past, though they may have changed their mind. We do always like to see insider buying, but it is worth noting if those purchases were made at well below today's share price, as the discount to value may have narrowed with the rising price. The good news for Canadian Pacific Railway share holders is that insiders were buying at near the current price.

In the last twelve months insiders purchased 15.79k shares for CA$4.5m. But they sold 1.73k shares for CA$577k. Overall, Canadian Pacific Railway insiders were net buyers during the last year. You can see the insider transactions (by companies and individuals) over the last year depicted in the chart below. If you click on the chart, you can see all the individual transactions, including the share price, individual, and the date!

Story continues

Canadian Pacific Railway is not the only stock insiders are buying. So take a peek at this free list of growing companies with insider buying.

Insider Ownership of Canadian Pacific Railway

Many investors like to check how much of a company is owned by insiders. We usually like to see fairly high levels of insider ownership. Our data indicates that Canadian Pacific Railway insiders own about CA$12m worth of shares (which is 0.02% of the company). We do generally prefer see higher levels of insider ownership.

What Might The Insider Transactions At Canadian Pacific Railway Tell Us?

It doesn't really mean much that no insider has traded Canadian Pacific Railway shares in the last quarter. On a brighter note, the transactions over the last year are encouraging. Insiders own shares in Canadian Pacific Railway and we see no evidence to suggest they are worried about the future. So while it's helpful to know what insiders are doing in terms of buying or selling, it's also helpful to know the risks that a particular company is facing. At Simply Wall St, we found 1 warning sign for Canadian Pacific Railway that deserve your attention before buying any shares.

Of course Canadian Pacific Railway may not be the best stock to buy. So you may wish to see this free collection of high quality companies.

For the purposes of this article, insiders are those individuals who report their transactions to the relevant regulatory body. We currently account for open market transactions and private dispositions, but not derivative transactions.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.



Have feedback on this article? Concerned about the content? Get in touch with us directly. Alternatively, email editorial-team@simplywallst.com.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison will warn the pace of militarisation in the Indo-Pacific region is unprecedented, likening today's challenges to the task faced by the world at the end of the Second World War.

Mr Morrison will also use a major national security speech on Wednesday morning to revive his criticism of "negative globalism", whereby global bodies become "unaccountable", "vulnerable to manipulation" and "lose the confidence of their membership".

Prime Minister Scott Morrison. Credit:Peter Braig

Amid growing tensions between the United States and China, Mr Morrison will say Australia welcomes Beijing's rise as a major economic partner but "with economic rise comes responsibility".

China has faced criticism from a number of countries during the coronavirus crisis for increasing its militarisation of the South China Sea, escalating cyber attacks and launching wide-scale disinformation campaigns.
Appeal against surrogacy center CEOs detention in kids trade case set for August 12

 RAPSI, Eugeny Varlamov

17:51 04/08/2020

MOSCOW, August 4 (RAPSI)  The Moscow City Court will consider an appeal against detention of CEO of the European Surrogacy Center Vladislav Melnikov in a case over trafficking of surrogate mothers children on August 12, attorney Igor Trunov has told RAPSI.

Earlier, the court upheld detention of three other defendants Roman Yamashev, Kirill Anisimov and Taras Ashitkov.

In total, seven people involved in the case are in detention. One more accused woman is under house arrest.

In January, law enforcement found a body of a dead newborn boy in a flat in the Moscow Regions town of Odintsovo. There were also three other kids there along with a nurse. Investigators believe surrogate mothers gave birth to the children to transfer them later to foreign parents.

However, defense lawyers believe that investigators failed to discover cause-effect links between actions of the doctors and the babys death. Moreover, they state that current legislation does not prohibit citizens to become parents using vitro fertilization and surrogate services.
Ed has named Assad Ulhaq (pictured) as senior broker and producer, focusing on international property facultative reinsurance, primarily in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The appointment is effective immediately.

According to a statement from the global reinsurance, wholesale and specialty brokerage, Ulhaq brings 10 years of industry experience, having most recently worked at RFIB where he was responsible for the placement of heavy industrial risks in the Middle East. He began his insurance career at Aon, following a decade working in the airline industry, where he went on to specialise in property and special industrial risks in Australia, New Zealand, the Nordics, Benelux and South Africa. During his time in Aons Dubai office, Assad worked on regional property business.
Over 48 hours ago NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico inside SpaceX Dragon capsule and today the pair conducted a live Q&A.

The duo took a number questions about the splashdown experience, their first meal and revealed if their long-standing friendship lasted while on the International Space Station.

Once deorbit began, Behnken described seeing white clouds rushing by the window and heard the capsule pushing through the atmosphere, which he likened to that of an animal noise.

The pair dined on pizza when they were whisked away to NASA headquarters in Houston and Hurley happily shared that he and Behken are still close friends.

Scroll down for videos

Over 48 hours ago NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken were bobbing in the Gulf of Mexico inside SpaceX Dragon capsule and today the pair conducted a live Q&A

'Flying Crew Dragon we didn't have to say anything at time. It was telepathy between us,' Hurley said.

'I know that doesn't always go into the selection process, but when we were selected to fly it gave us a distinct advantage over other crews.'

The astronauts took off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 and embarked on a two-month stay on the International Space Station.

The mission came to a close when the two splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, officially marking the return of spaceflight to American soil.

The pair dined on pizza when they were whisked away to NASA headquarters in Houston and Hurley happily shared that he and Behken are still close friends

Once deorbit began, Behnken described seeing white clouds rushing by the window and heard the capsule pushing through the atmosphere, which he likened to that of an animal noise

The press conference, held Tuesday, gave the spacefairing heroes an opportunity to share their once in a lifetime experience with the world.

Most importantly, they shared in detail the exciting return home.

Behnken described the deorbit as going smoothly, saying it was everything he and HUrley had expected.

'As we descended through the atmosphere, I was surprised at how quickly all the events transpired,' he said.

'We didn't have time to focus on the Earth for a long period of time, but we had a good feeling about how quickly it was moving.'

He continued to explain that his and Hurley's bodies became attuned with the environment.

'I recorded audio while we moved through the atmosphere and it doesn't sound like a machine,' Behnken said.

'It sounds like an animal coming through the atmosphere, with all the puffs that are happening from the thrusters and the atmospheric noise.'

The sequenced toy, named Tremor, was first spotted in the capsule when the pair took off in May and quickly became a star. Both Hurley and Behnken have boys who are interested in dinosaurs, so both families collected all the dinosaurs in their homes and the children decided which one could make the trip to the ISS

The astronauts took off from Cape Canaveral on May 30 and embarked on a two-month stay on the International Space Station. The mission came to a close when the two splashed down in the Gulf of Mexico Sunday, officially marking the return of spaceflight to American soil

One popular character from the mission was also discussed  a plush dinosaur.

The sequenced toy, named Tremor, was first spotted in the capsule when the pair took off in May and quickly became a star.

Both Hurley and Behnken have boys who are interested in dinosaurs, so both families collected all the dinosaurs in their homes and the children decided which one could make the trip to the ISS.

'It is a unique way for Bob and I to share this with our sons,' said Hurley.

'I am glad we could take Tremor with us and we are happy to see the response to Tremor.'

The pair dined on pizza that was waiting for them in the helicopter after they were retrieved from the capsule. Hurley again touched on the prank calls the two made while waiting in the capsule

One question many viewers may have had as they watched the capsule fall into the Gulf of Mexico is, what their first meal on Earth will be.

The pair dined on pizza that was waiting for them in the helicopter after they were retrieved from the capsule.

Hurley again touched on the prank calls the two made while waiting in the capsule.

They phoned their wives, who they said were thrilled to hear from them along with NASA flight director Anthony Vareha who shared the news on Twitter Sunday.

'I received one of these calls at the flight director console. It started with an opening line like 'Hi, it's Doug and Bob, and we're in the ocean.' I think my response was, 'Yeah, I can see that,' he wrote in a tweet.
The Chinese Regime Is Collapsing and Ought to Be Abandoned: Law Professor

A Chinese law professor at Tsinghua University, known for being an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), was arrested and detained for six days in July on allegations of soliciting prostitutes.

After he was released, he issued an open letter, declaring, Totalitarianism will lose, freedom will come to my country! He called on people to abandon the regime and have hope for the future.

But the university soon fired him.

Police arrested 57-year-old Xu Zhangrun at his home in Beijing on July 6. Police later said he was detained on suspicion of soliciting prostitution.

Xu was released on July 12. Three days later, Tsinghua University dismissed Xu for having committed a serious violation of the 10 Standards of Professional Conduct for Teachers in Tertiary Institutes in the New Era. The guidelines, issued by Chinas Ministry of Education in 2018, stipulate that teachers are to be fired or punished if they say or do anything that undermines the authority of the CCP or violates the directions and policies of the Party. According to the guidelines, teachers should adhere to the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a new era and support the leadership of the CCP, referring to Chinese leader Xis political ideology.

After his firing, over 500 Tsinghua University alumni initiated a donation drive for Xu that brought in more than 100,000 yuan ($14,308). In his July 19 open letter, Xu thanked them but said he would not accept the money. He said he was still able to make a living by writing, and that the money should go to people who experience great hardships.

The charge of soliciting prostitutes has often been used by authorities to crack down on dissidents. Xus friends said it was likely his open criticism of the Chinese regime that led to his arrest.

In February, Xu called out the CCP for causing the global pandemic, in an article titled, The Angry People Fear No More. In the article, he criticized the Chinese regime for having wrought disasters due to its incompetence, moral corruption, and institutional failures. He called on the 1.4 billion Chinese people to get ready to embrace with your strength, your heart, and your lifethe spirit of freedom that shall shine upon the land.

In May, Xu published another article titled, China, the Lone Boat in the Ocean of World Civilization, providing a laundry list of the Chinese regimes deceptive tactics. He concluded by saying, Enough with the mountain of corpses and the seas of blood from 70 years of red dictatorship!

Li Hengqing, also a Tsinghua University alumni and former student dissident during the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests, told The Epoch Times that the communist regime uses the prostitution allegation to criminalize anyone it pleases. The regime shows no bottom line when it comes to [making up] excuses. I have no doubt thats what they would do, Li said.
Italian specialists have arrived in Azerbaijan as part of the countrys ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, said Hikmat Hajiyev, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration, News.az reports.

He made the remarks Monday during a briefing of the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers.

The official said the Italian specialists will share their experience in combating the pandemic with their Azerbaijani counterparts.

Hajiyev added that an expert group, which had worked in the Chinese city of Wuhan, is expected to visit Azerbaijan in the coming days.

The Italian Civil Protection Department said its is sending a 11-member medical mission to Azerbaijan to help the country in its ongoing fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Italy continues to provide assistance to countries facing the most sensitive stages of the fight against the pandemic. We expressed gratitude to our health workers who are always at the forefront of this fight, the Italian Civil Protection Department wrote on Twitter.
Former EastEnders actress Katie Jarvis was allegedly arrested on a seafront in Essex on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence following a pub brawl.

The mother-of-two, 29, was claimed by The Sun to have been involved in the fight on Friday evening in Southend-on-Sea after the hottest day of the year so far.

One video showed five black women scuffling with a white woman, after she allegedly called one of them a 'f***ing black c***,' and yelled 'f*** Black Lives Matter.'

The clip filmed by a bystander saw the group of women brawling in the drinking area outside the Papillon pub on the seafront, before it spilled out onto the street.

A second video appeared to show the white woman, said to be Jarvis, shouting 'you dirty black c***s - end of' and swearing at the group as she was escorted away.

Southend was one of many seafronts across southern England packed with revellers last Friday as temperatures hit 100F (37.8C) on the third hottest day in UK history.

Former EastEnders actress Katie Jarvis is said to have been arrested following a pub brawl on Southend seafront in Essex on Friday night

The video was shot by a bystander on their phone and sees five black women scuffling with a white woman, after she reportedly called one of them a 'f***ing black c***'

The clip sees the group of women brawling outside the Papillon pub in Southend on Friday

The video, which was reported on by local newspaper The Chelmsford & Mid-Essex Times, was posted to Facebook and has been viewed more than 20,000 times,

An Essex Police spokesman said: 'A 29-year old woman was arrested on Friday, July 31 just after 10.05pm following reports of a disturbance in Marine Parade, Southend.

Actress Katie Jarvis appaers at the British Independent Film Awards in London in 2009

'She has been arrested on suspicion of assault and racially aggravated public order. She has been released on bail until Friday, August 21.'

MailOnline has contacted Jarvis's representative for comment.

The clip sees the women screaming at one another as they stumble into the street towards the road.

The pub's sign is pushed over and punters are seen dodging out the way as the group of women repeatedly strike the woman, believed to be Jarvis.

The sounds of glasses smashing can be heard as another woman attempts to break the fight up, with a man then getting involved. At this point, the police pull up in a van to intervene.

Jarvis was said to have been identified by a witness who said they heard the woman yell 'I'm a famous actress!' as her friends chimed in with: 'She's Hayley Slater from EastEnders!'

It's understood that the row began when Jarvis took a chair from the table the group of women were sitting at.

A witness claimed: 'I couldn't believe it. Police arrested her and Katie was saying 'I haven't done anything wrong!''

Dagenham-born Jarvis has two children - Lillie Mae, 11, and Alfie, eight.

She was involved in a bar brawl in March 2019, when she was 'glassed by a drunken Irish man' on a night out in London.

Video footage purportedly shows EastEnders actress Katie Jarvis (left and right) allegedly being arrested on suspicion of a racially aggravated public order offence following a pub brawl

Jarvis played Hayley Slater in the BBC's EastEnders, pictured in an episode in October 2018

She was treated by medical staff after the attack, said to have been out in Romford when she was attacked.

At the time, Jarvis tweeted her thanks to the Metropolitan Police for 'looking after' her.

She said: 'Big thank you to the Met Police tonight and ambulance service for looking after me after I was glassed by a drunken Irish man for f*** all.'

However, she later deleted the tweet after fans spotted it and asked after her well-being. She later posted: 'Thanks lovely lot I'm good as gold.'

She then thanked fans and sent out a tweet to 'put minds at rest', posting: 'OK to put people's minds, and questions to rest.

Jarvis (pictured in EastEnders) was involved in a bar brawl in March 2019 in London

After this, she sent a message to fans to reassure them that she was OK after the incident

'I am absolutely fine thank you so much for all your concern and checking in on me but i'm a soldier and been through a hell of a lot worse.

'Now you can start focusing your concerns on some real news. Love you all xx'

According to The Mirror her agent refused to discuss that incident.

She said: 'I have no comment to make to any newspaper on any subject to do with anything. Whatever it is I don't want to hear.'

She made headlines last year when it was revealed she had become a security guard at bargain store B&M in Romford, East London, after her departure from EastEnders.

Jarvis joined Eastenders in 2018 as the cousin of Kat Slater [Jessie Wallace]. One of her storylines saw her have an affair with Kat's husband Alfie Moon [Shane Richie] while they lived in Spain with Kat and their children

Jarvis is pictured in EastEnders with Shane Richie (playing Alfie Moon) in November 2018

She was pictured outside the store on a break last October, having a coffee and a cigarette, leading to much attention from soap fans.

She then appeared on Victoria Derbyshire's BBC show, followed by an interview with Grazia magazine, to admit she had felt 'hurt and embarrassed' for being 'made to feel ashamed for having a normal job'.

She added that she was proud to speak out on behalf of hard-working single mums because providing for her family is paramount to her.

Jarvis said: 'It's the nature of being an actor; gigs come and go, and after my contract with EastEnders ended in February, I found a new job as soon as I could. Doing work like this is also what keeps me grounded.'

Jarvis is pictured in bed with Danny Dyer (playing Mick Carter) in EastEnders in May 2018

Dagenham-born Jarvis revealed she 'crumbled' and was left in tears after a friend alerted her to the front page news.

But upon reflection and thanks to the support of fellow thespians from Tamzin Outwaite to Nathalie Emmanuel, she is 'proud' to have changed the conversation.

'Their support gave me the strength to speak out and stand up for hard-working people - especially single mums', she said, and insisted her priority in life is caring for her two children, saying: 'As long as I'm providing for them, nothing else matters. Everything I do is for them.'

She said she is proud to take on any work she can to 'keep busy and learn new things'.

Speaking out: She appeared on Victoria Derbyshire last year to admit she had felt 'hurt and embarrassed' for being 'made to feel ashamed for having a normal job'

Jarvis told the programme last year that she was proud to speak out on behalf of hard-working single mothers because providing for her family is paramount to her

Jarvis pointed that 'all actors go through it over the years, I've had so many jobs in between and not just being a security guard.'

'At 17 when I got [first movie role] Fish Tank I was doing doughnuts with my uncle at the time at festivals and things like that so I'd go on there and do the food carts,' she said. 'I've been a waitress, I've worked at a credit card company, I've done admin, I've done all types of things.'

Jarvis added that when she first saw the photos of herself she felt ashamed but is now proud that she's doing all she can to provide for her family.

'One of my sisters she calls me a dabbler because I seem to do a bit of everything and I like to be busy and I like to learn new things, it doesn't matter what it is,' she told Derbyshire.

Jarvis's character was last on screen in February 2019 [pictured with co-star Gillian Wright]

Jarvis, from Dagenham, found fame in Hollywood before winning a part in the BBC soap

She added: 'The people I work with there are amazing, they get up every single day, they work hard for their money and it doesn't matter what job you're doing, I don't feel like anyone should be made to feel like how I felt when I woke up do you know what I mean, because I think as long as you're working that's all that matters.'

Jarvis said being a security guard isn't easy and that she actually works alongside her sister at the bargain store, explaining: 'A lot goes into being a security guard, they put themselves at risk. I took that job on and joined my sister because she's a security guard there.'

Jarvis joined the Eastenders cast in 2018 as the cousin of Kat Slater [Jessie Wallace].

One of her storylines saw her have an affair with Kat's husband Alfie Moon [Shane Richie] while they lived in Spain with Kat and their children.

Hayley then fell pregnant, giving birth to daughter Cherry.

Stars: Jarvis starred opposite Michael Fassbender in the cult hit Fish Tank

BBC bosses were said to be keeping the door open for Jarvis's character to return

Dramatic scenes aired over the subsequent Christmas season, leading to a shocking showdown between Hayley, Alfie and Kat. In one scene, Hayley pushed Alfie down a flight of stairs.

Jarvis's character was last seen on screen in February 2019 when Stacey Fowler, played by Lacey Turner, went to hospital to collect her after treatment for her mental health.

The troubled young mother had discharged herself and taken off. But BBC bosses were said to be keeping the door open for her return.

Jarvis found fame in Hollywood before winning a part in the BBC soap, starring in 2009 movie Fish Tank alongside Michael Fassbender
Iran bans trawling in Persian Gulf

August 04,2020 | Source: Tehran Times

Iran's Department of Environment (DOE) has banned any trawling in the Persian Gulf, ISNA quoted Ahmad Reza Lahijanzadeh, deputy chief of the DOE for the marine environment, as saying on Monday.



Trawling is a method of fishing that involves pulling a fishing net through the water behind one or more boats. Trawling can be divided into bottom trawling and midwater trawling, depending on how high the trawl (net) is in the water column.



Although trawling today is heavily regulated in some nations, it raises environmental concerns because of the lack of selectivity and the physical damage which the trawl does to the seabed.



Noting that the trawl fishing method was first carried out in the Persian Gulf about 10 years ago, Lahijanzadeh said that although this fishing method imposes a serious threat to the environment, nevertheless, illegal fishermen and sometimes even legal ones try to carry out the method.



In trawling, the fishing nets have very small holes, which does not allow the small fish to escape, and therefore catches any living creatures in the sea, he lamented.



Referring to the serious threat to marine biodiversity, he said that trawling may generate high income in the short term, but in the long term it will cause irreparable damage to the sea and many fishermen will lose their source of income or face job loss.

Theme(s): Fishing Craft, Gear and Fishing Methods.
WASHINGTON  Lockheed Martin said it will compete to build the Missile Defense Agencys Next-Generation Interceptor designed to protect the homeland against intercontinental ballistic missile threats from North Korea and Iran.

The company is excited to confirm that we are putting in a bid for the Next-Generation Interceptor, Sarah Reeves, Lockheeds vice president of missile defense programs, told reporters Aug. 3.

Bids were due July 31.

Boeing and a Raytheon-Northrop Grumman team have already announced their intentions to compete to develop and field the agencys new interceptor following the cancellation of the Redesigned Kill Vehicle meant to replace the warhead on the current Ground-Based Interceptors. Those missiles are part of the Ground-based Midcourse Defense System, which is operational at Fort Greely, Alaska, and Vandenberg Air Force Base, California.

The RKV program was paused in May 2019 and then abruptly terminated in August 2019 due to insurmountable technical issues resulting in delayed schedules and cost increases. The Defense Department announced at the time that it would embark on an entirely new program to field a future interceptor.

MDA now plans to downselect to two companies, which will then compete for the right to build the interceptor.

MDAs FY21 budget paves way for new homeland missile defense plans

While MDA struggled with RKV, Lockheed invested the last two decades on multi-kill vehicle technology, Reeves said.

Lockheed had one of three small contracts to design a kill vehicle that could take out multiple warheads several years ago that would lead to a program that would replace the RKV called the Multi-Object Kill Vehicle (MOKV) program. Raytheon and Boeing had won the remaining two contracts.

Reeves stressed the need for the new interceptor to be able to go after threats that disperse multiple objects including decoys.

We are looking carefully at the lessons learned from RKV including parts survivability testing which, in that program, was done too late and caused a major system redesign, as well as ensuring early-and-often testing and fly-before-you-buy mentality, Reeves said.

Story continues

Lockheed plans to conduct two successful flight tests before going into production, Reeves said, which as an MDA program requirement.

The time is right now, Reeves said. We have significant investments and the technology a couple of decades ago, when this was initially a vision of MDA, wasnt quite there, but now it is ready to go.

The company plans to take elements from its existing capabilities such as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which Reeves said has had a 100 percent mission success rate, and the Aegis missile defense system. Lockheed also will garner experience from its partnership with the U.S. Navy on its Trident II submarine-launched ballistic missile system, which has to survive these more hostile environments, she said.

And Lockheeds experience with space is another asset that will contribute to understanding technology needed for an NGI, which will need to travel through space, according to Reeves.

Lockheed is also optimistic, Reeves said, that it can meet a faster schedule for NGI than currently planned.

Some Defense Department officials said NGI could not be fielded until the 2030s but the MDA director and U.S. Northern Commands commander believe it is possible to move that timeline to at least 2028 or earlier.

The company plans to use tools such as artificial intelligence, machine-to-machine learning, big data analytics and 3-D printing to accelerate the schedule and to deliver products faster than we have had in the past, Reeves said.
For 46 days, Paul Dumolo has searched for his daughter, who has been missing since June. He told Dateline that at this point, he fears the worst, but refuses to give up hope.

I will never give up on my daughter, Paul told Dateline. Im not giving up and Im not leaving until we find her and answers about what happened.

Lauren Dumolo, who was 29 years old at the time, was last seen by her boyfriend on June 19, 2020, at the apartment they share on Coronado Parkway in Cape Coral, Florida.

It was that evening when Laurens father Paul told Dateline he received a disturbing call from Laurens boyfriend. Paul said Laurens boyfriend told him he went to work that day and when he returned to the apartment, Lauren was gone.

Laurens cell phone was discovered inside the apartment, but her purse was found that same day at nearby Four Freedoms Park, where she is known to visit with her mother who lives nearby, according to Detective Nick Jones with the Cape Coral Police Department.

Lauren was reported missing to Cape Coral Police and Paul, who lives in California, traveled to Florida a few days later to search for his daughter.

For weeks, Laurens family and search teams in the community have gone door-to-door, handing out fliers, scouring Four Freedoms Park, hanging on to hope for any information that would lead them to Lauren.

Its exhausting and overwhelming, Paul told Dateline. I came out here from California in June and not a day has gone by that I havent searched for my daughter or talked to people trying to figure out where she could be.

On June 24, police deemed Laurens disappearance suspicious and the status was changed to missing person endangered, based on their investigation, according to Det. Jones, who has been working to find Lauren.

Police are looking at all leads in the case and Det. Jones confirmed several people have been interviewed, including Laurens boyfriend. He would not comment on whether anyone theyve interviewed is being considered a person of interest in the case.

Story continues

We havent given up and were dedicated to do whatever we can to find Lauren, Det. Jones said. We encourage anyone who might know something to call the police department or Crime Stoppers.

Southwest Florida Crime Stoppers is offering an $8,000 reward for information that leads to Laurens whereabouts.

On July 2, a shirt was found by the waterline at Four Freedoms Park. Laurens father told Dateline their family is convinced the shirt belongs to Lauren. Detective Jones said authorities also believe the shirt found is Laurens.

Its odd because weve been searching that park two to three times a week, Paul said. We would have noticed that shirt before, I think. I feel like it was planted there.

Laurens 30th birthday was on July 14. Her family and friends celebrated her with heartfelt messages on social media followed by the hashtag #BringLaurenHome.

Shes so loved and would do anything for anyone, Paul said. I dont want to believe anyone hurt her, and dont see how they could, but as time goes on, Im worried. Its been 46 days and... nothing.

Paul said Lauren is also a loving mother to a 5-year-old girl who is now staying with family members.

All I ask is for anyone who might know something-- anyone with information -- just come forward, Paul said. Anything that could lead us to Lauren would be appreciated. We just need to find her.

Lauren is described as being 5 feet tall and weighing about 110 pounds. She has brown eyes and light brown hair that, at the time, had been dyed blonde. She has tattoos, including Namaste on her right side, a symbol on her wrist, an NY symbol on her pelvis, and rosary beads on her ankle.

Anyone with any information on Laurens whereabouts is asked to contact Cape CoralPolice at (239) 574-3223.

You can also submit an anonymous tip at www.capecops.com/tips or https://new.tipsubmit.com/en/create-report/anonymous, or call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-780-TIPS. Please reference case number 20-011323.
Two CSV MPs, Viviane Reding and Laurent Mosar, posed the parliamentary question on 5G and its potential risks.

While the government has recently allocated frequencies for the commercial use of 5G, some members of the CSV party have raised concerns over the potential for risks to the Grand Duchy's national security.

As some of the necessary components are produced by non-European third countries, MPs have asked whether this new and complex technology could pose a risk to national security, allowing a foreign country to interfere in Luxembourg's communication networks.

Huawei, one of the main producers of components for networks, was accused of espionage on behalf of the Chinese government in 2019.

 AFP

Prime Minister Xavier Bettel, also Minister of Communications, stated in his response that the relevant ministries and authorities in Luxembourg have been closely following developments in this area.

While France has legislated to control the equipment installed on its territory, Bettel explained that according to Luxembourg law, operators in the Grand Duchy are obliged to ensure the security of their networks.

Although the Prime Minister did not single out any companies by name, he said the national market was open to all equipment suppliers - meaning Luxembourg operators are permitted to obtain supplies from their chosen company in order to develop their 5G network. The market is not limited to European suppliers.

Bettel went on to state the operators' criteria covered both financial and technological aspects, adding that a "geostrategic sensitivity" should be taken into account when seeking suppliers. Up until 31 July only Post Luxembourg had confirmed their supplier for equipment, which will be Swedish-based Ericsson.
KAMPALA  Remnants in Angola have asked their counterparts in Uganda to give up Prophet Mbonye to them since they seem to value him more than Ugandans do.

This came after one of Mbonyes followers in Angola posted a video on his social media page that has since gone viral and asking Ugandans to give Prophet Mbonye to Angola if they dont want him.

In the video, a one Bother Helder who is a remnant and also refers to himself as Elvis Mbonye on his Facebook page requests Ugandans who think that prophet Elvis Mbonye is fake to give him up to the people of Angola because he is heavily anointed.

According to Brother Helder, the flamboyant pastor once prophesied for Angola saying that the president that was going to come on would do things differently and something he says is happening now.

He added that all the prophecies that Mbonye made when he first went to Angola in 2017 where he was welcomed like a king are coming to pass.

We ask you to give him to us and we shall take good care of him because the anointing he has will change Angola and its economy, Helder emphasized.

While the prophet was in Angola, I shared my documents with him and the prophet anointed them. He said I would prosper and from that day till to date, my life changed a lot and for the better, Helder shared his testimony.

Related
Several teachers and education officials asked for stronger state guidance for the reopening of Pennsylvania schools during a Monday policy hearing held by state Senate Democrats.

Attendees asked lawmakers to make reopening procedures more standard across the state and to support school districts financially so schools can afford the resources necessary to provide both online and in-person education safe and effectively.

Parents, teachers and students want to be back in the classroom, said Arthur Steinberg, president of the American Federation of Teachers in Pennsylvania. But reopening must be done safely, with regard to the danger of COVID-19, he said.

We only have one chance to get school reopening right. There is no margin for error. And make no mistake about it, this virus is deadly. It kills people, Steinberg said. However, before we can even consider reopening schools, there are dangers to mitigate and public health benchmarks to hit in order to protect the educators and workers who occupy these buildings every single day.

One cause for concern for educators who are supposed to be returning to schools is the district-by-district differences in COVID-19 preparation plans.

Leanna Goodrich, a German teacher at Pennridge High School, just outside of Allentown, said she is concerned that the language used by health officials has caused some school districts to take the virus more seriously than others within their reopening plans.

Goodrich said some terms used by health officials, such as social distancing where feasible and where possible, allows districts to set procedures that dont differ much from the status quo, such as distancing only three feet or eating lunch in the cafeteria.

Its a faux-normalcy, she said.

She praised several districts that are beginning the school year online, saying they are among the few school districts that have looked at the data, looked at the science, and determined that returning to school in-person is not worth even one student or faculty member death because of COVID-19, let alone the chaos that will erupt with inevitable exposure inside our schools.

As both a parent and a teacher I want decisions to be made based on science, facts and what is safe. If this is not being done in all parts of Pennsylvania, then perhaps the decision-making should be made by a higher authority, who will consider the safety of our community paramount, she said. Not the decision being made by someone who is making decisions based on either convenience or making parents or children temporarily happy.

Many educators are also concerned about students being able to participate in online education due to the inequality of internet access across the state.

Many rural areas of Pennsylvania do not have the broadband internet access necessary to live-stream class, and though urban areas like Philadelphia have broadband access, the cost of access is too high for some families, Steinberg said.

More than 800,000 Pennsylvanians do not have access to broadband connectivity, according to the Federal Communications Commission. A 2018 report by the Center for Rural Pennsylvania found that there are zero counties in the state where at least half of the populace has broadband connectivity, as defined by the FCC.

A 2019 survey by the School District of Philadelphia found that only 45% of students in grades three through five accessed the Internet from a computer at home, compared with 56% in grades six through eight, and 58% for high school students.

This inequality of Internet connection is especially bad for school districts that do not have the money to purchase the necessary resources for online instruction for student who dont have Internet access.

The William Penn School District in Philadelphia was able to purchase Chromebooks, improve Internet infrastructure and bolster its online academy for students using money partially provided by the federal CARES Act, but William Penn officials are not sure how the district will maintain these improvements going forward, William Penn School Board President Jennifer Hoff said.

Fortunately, the CARES ... funding was enough to help us for the time being, and we are grateful for that funding. But what happens in January next year? We all expect our property tax revenue to plummet, and an expected and estimated three to $3 million to $5 million revenue loss next year, Hoff said. Were it not for the CARES money, our district would be almost fully decimated.

Hoff also asked the Democratic lawmakers to push for stronger state guidelines for reopening schools.

With so much uncertainty over each and every decision, I struggle over whether I have the right to ask teachers to come into a school with students five days a week. In all my years of service, Ive surely made some decisions that in hindsight, were not the best option. But Im pretty sure none of them led to someone dying, she said. As much as I want to be a responsible leader, I fear that we, as decision-makers in our district, are being set up to fail.

State Senator Lisa Boscola, who hosted the policy hearing, said that the testimonies given during the hearing will help guide lawmakers to support schools across the state. She also said shed like to hold another hearing on reopening schools sooner, rather than later.

READ MORE:

Heres a look at back-to-schools plans unveiled by central Pa. school districts

Pa. Gov. Wolf says hard to justify contact sports if schools go virtual

Pa. GOP lawmakers urge Gov. Wolf, PIAA to allow parents to attend high school sports events
Panda is one of the most recognized symbols of conservation as these endearing animals have been pulled out from the brink of extinction. But conservation efforts for Panda also left other predator in the habitat: leopards, snow leopards, wolves and Asian wild dog population in dramatic decline over the years. (Photo : Pixabay)

Panda is one of the most recognized symbols of conservation, as these endearing animals have been pulled out from the brink of extinction. However, studies reveal that protecting the giant panda left other predators in the habitat: leopards, snow leopards, wolves, and Asian wild dog populations showed a dramatic decline over the years.





The Giant Panda

The Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) captured the hearts of many for its images of gentle bamboo-loving creatures with its ink-blot eye patches. The well-loved animal has become an icon for global effort to protect biodiversity.

The conservation strategy is among the most ambitious and high-profile programs to save the animal from the brink of extinction, and it worked.

The conservation effort required cracking down poachers outlawing panda hides' trade and mapping out of several protected areas.

Individual panda reserves of around 300 - 400 square kilometers were established.

In 2016, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) removed the panda from the endangered species list, although it remains vulnerable.

IUCN estimates that there are between 500 and 1000 pandas in Sichuan, Shaanxi, and Gansu regions of China.

Conservation efforts to protect the Giant Panda also helped protect other species, such as small carnivores, pheasants, and songbirds.





READ: China Removes Pangolin Scales from Traditional Medicine List





The Decline of Larger Predators: Leopards, Snow Leopards, Wolves, and Asian Wild Dog

However, a recent study revealed that populations of larger carnivores such as the leopard, snow leopard, wolf, and dhole, also known as the Asian wild dog dramatically reduced from the majority of giant panda protected habitats since the 1960s.

The study put the idea that saving the panda will also save all other animals in the territory in question. It was published in Nature Ecology and Evolution Monday.

The study team used survey data from 1950 to 1970s, and data from camera traps taken from 2008 and 2018.

The study "indicate the insufficiency of giant panda conservation for protecting these large carnivore species," Sheng Li, of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University, and the lead researcher said.

The study further revealed that leopards disappeared from 81 percent of giant panda reserves. Snow leopards vanished from 38 percent of the panda reserve, wolves went from 77 percent, while dholes vanished from 95 percent.

Poachers, logging, and disease caused the decrease of the predator's population.

The only panda reserves, which ranged from 300-400 square kilometers, are not enough to hold a viable large carnivores population. Leopards, snow leopards, wolves, and Asian wild dogs need more than 100 square kilometers to thrive.

READ NEXT: Thailand Marine Turtles Records the Highest Nesting in 20 Years





Ways to Move Forward





Losing these big predators may cause "major shifts, even collapse, in ecosystems," the researchers said.

Losing leopards, wolves, deer, and the dhole can keep deer and livestock roam unchecked, causing much damage to natural habitats such as vegetation, causing a ripple effect the pandas themselves.

Shengli however, emphasized that while panda conservation effort failed to safeguard large carnivore species, it was a useful umbrella that sheltered many other species.

But while that worked for pheasants, songbirds, and small carnivores, it did not work for the four large carnivores.

The research team suggests that a broader, holistic approach is necessary to manage the ecosystem where the panda thrives: ensuring that other vital species are not overlooked.

The researchers also provided recommendations such as strict enforcement of laws against poaching and restoring habitats for the animals that the large carnivores feed.

READ NEXT: Wolf Cubs Born in Captivity Successfully Integrated Into Wild Packs
Havertown rower Leo Frederick Burt was indicted in connection with the bombing of Sterling Hall at the University of WisconsinMadison campus on August 24, 1970, which killed physics researcher Robert Fassnacht and injured several others. Burt was never captured, and remains at large. Read more

Summertime, and the living is  definitely not easy. Well, maybe for me, since Im finally taking a couple of vacation days. Thats why Im sharing this golden oldie piece from a few years back, super-relevant again in 2020. Did someone forward you this email? Sign up to receive this newsletter weekly, at inquirer.com/bunch.

History special: Leo Burt, the last 60s fugitive, is still on the run  if hes still alive

This month marks the 50th anniversary of an event that was in many ways the last eruption of 1960s-style radicalism  the August 24, 1970 bombing of an Army math research center at the University of Wisconsin that, unintentionally, killed a young researcher named Robert Fassnacht.

It also marked the last day in public for a Havertown rower and Monsignor Bonner grad turned campus journalist named Leo Burt, who disappeared shortly before he was indicted for the bombing along with three others. Reported sightings of Burt largely ended in the 1970s, and no one  including the FBI  seems to know if Burt is dead or alive  or where he is. I wrote an in-depth story about Burt on the 40th anniversary in 2010, and little has changed. Heres an excerpt, with updated time references in brackets:

[In the late 2000s], Donald X. Burt was at home in an exurban community west of Philadelphia, when the phone rang. The FBI was calling again, as they had done so many times over the last 40 years.

This time, Burt says, they wanted something new: a sample of his DNA. Burt, a native of Havertown, and now a truck driver, refused. But hes convinced that the feds were hoping to gather evidence to prove that his notorious brother  Leo Frederick Burt, the last remaining anti-war radical from the 1960s and early 1970s on the FBIs fugitive list  is now dead.

That tip must not have panned out  just like hundreds of other tips that have fizzled over the last four decades. The feds are still seeking the former altar boy from St. Denis in Havertown, Schuylkill rowing jock and 1966 graduate of Monsignor Bonner High School, in Drexel Hill.

[This] month, it will be [50] years since Leo Burt dropped out of sight, in his rearview mirror the image of a massive mushroom cloud, the result of a car bomb that tore into a University of Wisconsin campus building. The bomb was aimed at an Army mathematics center  but, instead, it killed a physics researcher pulling an all-nighter.

That was Aug. 24, 1970. In those first frantic days on the lam, Burt and one of the other bombers narrowly missed being captured a couple of times, but he has not been heard from since a written manifesto attributed to him was published in 1972.

The FBI is still offering a $150,000 reward for information leading to his arrest.

If Burt is still alive, he is [72] years old. The Vietnam War  which played the central role in converting the Wisconsin student from mild-mannered rower into a radical journalist and then a revolutionary  ended in 1975. The three others who bombed UWs Sterling Hall were arrested, served short jail terms and started new lives. Eventually, every notorious left-wing radical who went underground after the tumultuous end of the 1960s was caught or surrendered.

Except for Leo Frederick Burt.

The news [in 2010] that one of Burts three 1970 coconspirators, Dwight Armstrong, had died from lung cancer only increased the sense among the handful of people still following the case that the mystery of what happened to Burt may never be solved. That would leave so many other questions unanswered.

How does a studious, bespectacled athlete from Philadelphias middle-class suburbs, who took part in Marine ROTC training, end up behind Americas worst car bombing until the World Trade Center attack in 1993? All these years later, Burts family and friends still grapple to explain it.

Was the Bonner grad really a campus radical? Or was he something completely different  a counter-revolutionary or even an agent provocateur working undercover for the government?

Want to read the rest of the story? You can find it here.

Yo, do this

Heres a confession: I havent been indulging in pop culture very much the last couple of weeks, and you can blame the return of sports  especially soccer. Englands Premier League has come and gone, but the MLS Is Back Cup summer tournament is kind of like an American World Cup. Except unlike the last World Cup in 2018, my team  the Philadelphia Union  is in it, and doing well. They play Wednesday night in the semifinals, hopefully en route to their first trophy in their decade-long existence. Breakout star Brenden Aaronson , just 19 and hailing from Medford in South Jersey, has been called the Ben Simmons of soccer, a great playmaker still working on his shot. If the Union keep winning, maybe theyll even get a mention on WIP sports radio. (But probably not.)

No group in modern American music has had a stranger career path than The Chicks, the three-woman outfit from Texas (who dropped Dixie from their name in this year of Black Lives Matter). They make Grammy-worthy country music yet have been all but rejected by most of the country community for their liberal political statements  while embraced by newer fans who couldnt Nashville on a map or their radio dial. Their first new album in 14 years  Gaslighter, a word people werent using in 2006  couldnt be more timely, with the call to arms March March, and lead singer Natalie Maines bringing her power-pop blowtorch to her divorce in songs like the title track.
Two men have been arrested after two separate robberies in Cork yesterday evening.

Around 9pm last night, gardai received a report that a man was seen climbing up scaffolding on the South Mall.

Gardai attended the scene and found a man, "covered in blue paint", according to a spokesperson, in the reception area.

On a subsequent search of the rest of the building, it was discovered that blue paint had been put on the walls in several rooms.

The man, aged in his 20s, was arrested and is due to appear before Mallow District Court this morning.

Meanwhile earlier yesterday evening, a man entered a petrol station on Victoria Road and made threats to a staff member.

He demanded they hand over cash and stated he had a knife, a garda spokesperson said.

"After taking a sum of cash the man left the scene on foot," they said.

A man in his 30s matching the description, who had money believed to be stolen from the petrol station, was later arrested and is currently detained at Bridewell Garda Station.
At least two people were killed by a tornado in North Carolina.

The authorities in Bertie County, N.C., were assessing the devastation caused by a tornado that ripped through a neighborhood overnight, killing at least two people.

Television footage showed a rural patch of mobile homes that had been eviscerated, leaving streaks of debris. One home had been reduced to splintered wood and metal, piled with kitchen appliances, furniture and laundry.

The Bertie County sheriff, John Holley, told reporters on Tuesday that the tornado touched down in the early morning hours on Tuesday, shredding the cluster of homes so intensely that only two still stood.

The rest of them is pretty much gone, he said in an interview with WVEC-TV, a television station based in Hampton, Va., adding that the community he regularly passed during 38 years with the Sheriffs Department was now unrecognizable. It dont look real, he said. Its sad and its hard.

The authorities said at least 12 people had been hospitalized, and Mr. Holley said his deputies were looking for at least three people who were unaccounted for.

Our hearts are heavy as we continue to survey damage and get the big picture about what transpired and just how many were impacted, said Ron Wesson, the chairman of the Bertie County Board of Commissioners.

The authorities made it to the community in the northeast corner of the state before the storm had even passed, county officials said, with emergency workers contending with the wind and rain in the dark of night as they pulled people from their homes.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Worldwide Facilities, LLC, a national wholesale insurance broker, managing general agent and program underwriter, is pleased to announce the acquisition of Clearwater Underwriters, Inc., a surplus lines MGA based in Clearwater, FL.

Clearwater Underwriters was established in 1991 to provide a market for retail agents in the placement of excess flood coverage in the state of Florida. Since that time, the company has emerged as a competitive, trustworthy corporation with a diverse product line including flood, professional liability, personal and commercial lines.

Commenting on the transaction, Davis Moore, CEO of Worldwide Facilities, said, "We are delighted to have the Clearwater team join Worldwide Facilities. They have been building a successful underwriting business for nearly 30 years and we are excited to continue this growth while increasing Worldwide Facilities' broad offering of specialty programs."

Guy Waters, Senior Vice President of Clearwater Underwriters, commented, "This procurement is a natural next step for Clearwater and will be advantageous to our customer base, markets and employees. We look ahead to this great opportunity to join the Worldwide Facilities family and add to their already robust and successful business model."

Don Waters Jr., President of Clearwater Underwriters, added, "We are extremely pleased to be joining the Worldwide Facilities team, and look forward to expanding our capabilities while continuing to provide a broad range of services and benefits to our affiliates."

Marsh, Berry & Company, Inc. served as a financial advisor to Worldwide Facilities in this transaction.

PhiloSmith & Company served as an advisor to Clearwater Underwriters, Inc.

Clearwater Underwriters, Inc .

Clearwater Underwriters, Inc. was established in Clearwater, FL in 1991 and offers a diverse product line including flood, professional liability, personal and commercial lines.

About Worldwide Facilities

Worldwide Facilities is a national wholesale insurance broker, managing general agent and program underwriter that has been in business since 1970. Its brokers and underwriters are industry leaders providing expertise in a wide range of specialty lines, as well as extensive contacts with carriers domestically and overseas. For more information, please visit wwfi.com.

Media Contact: Erika Guerra, [email protected], Direct: 213-236-4509

CA Lic # 0414108

SOURCE Worldwide Facilities, LLC

Related Links

https://www.wwfi.com


Representative image

Even as Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi released a statement on August 4 saying that the bhoomi pujan ceremony for Ram Temple on August 5 will become an occasion for "national unity", the Congress party, in general, is facing a dilemma over its stance.

According to a report by The Indian Express, the Congress leadership understands that any "false step" in terms of its stance on the issue might hurt its prospects further in the Hindi heartland, where the party has been affected the most by the Ayodhya movement and the demolition of the Babri Masjid.

"The BJP and RSS have encashed it multiple times. They always benefit politically. There is a nationalism fervour (over China) polarisation all these consolidate the move towards a majoritarian state. But we unfortunately cannot be seen on the other side. It will cost us politically," a senior Congress leader told the newspaper.

The Congress had welcomed the Supreme Court (SC) judgement on the Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit case and had said that it was in favor of building a Ram temple. However, according to the report, it has been silent over the bhoomi poojan event. Although senior leaders like Kamal Nath have welcomed the construction, yet Digvijaya Singh has said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should defer the event citing "inauspicious" timing.

"If they are making it a political event we should ensure that our position is that if you accept Lord Ram as not of just some people but of all people, excluding some people from paying obeisance to him is a disservice to Lord Ram. This is a counter narrative that has to be told. We have to tell the counter narrative," former union minister Salman Khurshid said.

However, one party leader told the newspaper that the BJP and the RSS have "earned the right to celebrate" while another said that it won't make any difference to "talk about the 1980s".

"It is better to welcome construction of the Mandir you have no space on that platform," a leader said.

"Questioning the PMs presence etc is futile. Has the country stopped functioning during corona? Why should we say that for the sake of criticism? It will be interpreted as if we are opposing the Ram Mandir," another leader told the newspaper.
Sydney's coronavirus clusters are continuing to grow, with just one of the state's new 12 cases coming from a returned traveller in hotel quarantine.

Of the new cases announced on Tuesday, three came from Victoria and another three were linked to the Sydney restaurant clusters.

One case has been linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park and two cases are people who ate at the Apollo restaurant in Potts Point.

Two cases attended Mounties, Mount Pritchard, and three are linked to people who visited the RSL. Just one is a traveller in hotel quarantine.

The rise in cases comes as thousands of staff and students in Sydney were forced into isolation after three students also tested positive for COVID-19.

Outside Town Hall station some Sydneysiders are seen wearing masks on August 3

One case has been linked to the Thai Rock restaurant in Wetherill Park and two cases are people who ate at the Apollo restaurant in Potts Point (pictured)

People are seen talking as they line up at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Rushcutters Bay in Sydney

Greenway Park Public School in Carnes Hill, west of Casula, was closed for deep cleaning on Tuesday after two students tested positive for the illness.

Bonnyrigg High School, in Sydney's west, has also closed after a student returned a positive test.

NSW Education said the contact tracing process is underway for both schools, with before and after school care programs been cancelled.

Two of these cases were notified after the reporting period, and will be included in tomorrows numbers. All three are linked to cases who attended Mounties, Mount Pritchard.

The state has been recording steady daily increases in virus cases in the low double digits to reach a total of 3,809 cases on Tuesday.

The concerning new trend prompted Premier Gladys Berejiklian to backtrack on previous advice that masks were not necessary.

People are seen lining up at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Rushcutters Bay, in Sydney's east

A woman covers her face with her jumper as she waits at a pop-up COVID-19 testing clinic in Rushcutters Bay

NSW residents are being recommended to wear face masks in public as coronavirus case numbers continue to rise. Pictured: a shopper wears a face mask in Woolworths in Sydney on Friday

A nurse conducts a COVID-19 swab test as large crowds queue at a Bondi Beach drive-through testing clinic

On Sunday, Ms Berejiklian said authorities would not make mask usage mandatory in NSW, but revised current recommendations to address four specific circumstances.

Masks should be worn by public-facing employees such as hospitality or grocery workers, worshippers and residents of suburbs near COVID-19 clusters, as well as in situations where social distancing is impossible.

NSW CLUSTERS:  103 cases associated with Thai Rock Wetherill Park cluster  58 cases associated with the Crossroads Hotel cluster  40 cases associated with the funeral events in Bankstown and surrounding suburbs, including 16 associated with Mounties in Mount Pritchard.  28 cases associated with the Potts Point cluster, including 22 cases linked to the Apollo Restaurant cluster and 6 cases linked with the Thai Rock Restaurant Potts Point cluster (two cases attended both and are counted at Thai Rock cases). Advertisement

'We have been talking about masks for several weeks but obviously the persistent situation in Victoria gives us cause for alarm in terms of the potential for further seeding in NSW, and it is about risk mitigation strategy,' Ms Berejiklian said.

'We're going to the next stage of assessing what else and how else we can decrease the risk and break the current chain coming through NSW.'

Ms Berejiklian said she will be heeding the advice of health authorities in her daily life, calling wearing a mask 'the fourth line of defence'.

'I want to stress it is not compulsory, but it is a strong recommendation from NSW Health, given where we are in the pandemic, given the risk posed from Victoria and given the rate of community transmission in New South Wales,' she said.

'I myself, when I next go grocery shopping, will be wearing a mask.'

In Victoria there have been 439 new cases recorded and a further 11 people in aged care facilities have died from COVID-19.

There are still 1,186 active cases of COVID-19 in aged care facilities across the state.

During the announcement on Tuesday, Premier Daniel Andrews discussed harsher penalties for people who break lockdown orders and health directives.

Authorities announced a Stage 4 lockdown on Sunday and a strict 8pm curfew was introduced in Melbourne to stem the spread of the deadly respiratory infection.

Testing has been ramped up in Sydney (pictured, in Rushcutters Bay on Sunday) after a series of clusters formed across the city

Cleaning crews are seen entering Keilor Views Primary School in Melbourne in June before the city was forced into lockdown (pictured)

Wearing a face mask was also made mandatory in Victoria, and failure to comply is punishable with a $200 on-the-spot fine.

The Department of Health and Human Services conducted more than 3,000 door knocks of people who had been instructed to isolate at home, and in 800 of those cases, the person was not at home.

In response, Mr Andrews announced changes to the policy which means people instructed to stay at home are no longer permitted to leave for any reason - even for their daily exercise.

'There will be no exercise if you are supposed to be isolating at home, fresh air at the front door or backyard, opening the window, that is what you're going to have to do,' he said.

Fines of up to $5,000 will be issued for anybody caught breaking those orders.


Roxy Jacenko has launched a new business with her long-time friend, Inghams Chicken heiress Jessica Ingham.

The entrepreneurial pair have created an event brand called XRJ Celebrations, which will create fun and unique table settings and centrepieces for parties.

On Tuesday, the friends launched their first product, the Celebration Candle.

New business: Roxy Jacenko has launched a new business with her long-time friend, Inghams Chicken heiress Jessica Ingham

The product features a large wooden base that can hold a number of candles in an array of colours.

A small base with candles retails at $167, while the larger size retails at $287.

Candle refills will set you back $100 for the small set and $197 for the large and a candle trimmer retails for $15.

Eye-catching: The product features a large wooden base that can hold a number of candles in an array of colours. A small base with candles retails at $167, while the larger size retails at $287

According to the Daily Telegraph the centrepieces are made in Australia and the timber is sourced from a Marrickville supplier while the candles come from Melbourne.

'Jess and I love doing centrepieces and table setting for family and friends so we thought, lets do something different,' Jacenko told the publication.

'This is the first of lots of different things we have in the works.'

Locally made: The centrepieces are made in Australia and the timber is sourced from a Marrickville supplier while the candles come from Melbourne

Over the past few weeks, Roxy has been teasing the new business venture with Jess, on her social media platforms.

Last month, the Sydney-based entrepreneur shared the logo for her new brand, XRJ Celebrations, to Instagram and linked to the company's business handle.

She had previously alluded to the new venture as far back as June.

Teaser: Over the past few weeks, Roxy has been teasing the new business venture with Jess on her social media platforms

Her new direction isn't a surprise as Roxy recently revealed that isolation made her realise she 'hated' her high-stress job in public relations.

'It's been a realisation for me. I hated my job. I didn't like what I was doing,' she said on KIIS FM's The Kyle and Jackie O Show.

'I'm now semi-retired,' she joked, explaining how the hectic nature of her job made it impossible for her to enjoy life.

New direction: Roxy's (left) new business venture with Jessica (right) isn't a surprise as Roxy recently revealed that isolation made her realise she 'hated' her high stress job in public relations

'You don't stop. You're like a mouse on a spinning wheel and it wasn't until we were in forced isolation...[I realised],' she added.

While Roxy may be 'semi-retired', her flagship business Sweaty Betty PR will continue to be managed by her employees.

Roxy founded the company in 2004 when she was just 24 years old. Sweaty Betty's former clients include Coles, Big W, Peugeot and Puma.
The Australian Reptile Park has welcomed the birth of nine adorable koala joeys after tens of thousands were wiped out by bushfires.

The animal conservation park on NSW's Central Coast announced the birth of the koalas on Monday.

Among the new arrivals are Ember and Ash, named in honour of the estimated 30,000 koalas killed in the fires during the summer of 2019 and 2020.

The addition of koalas to the wildlife sanctuary has brought confidence for the survival of the vulnerable species.

The Australian Reptile Park has welcome the birth of nine adorable koala joeys for the first time since the species was devastated by bushfires

'In a time where every koala joey born is a new hope for the species, it's safe to say we are all on cloud nine,' the park said.

The joeys were born as part of the park's conservation breeding program which saw the birth of seven baby koalas last year.

Ash - who was born in January - was the first joey born this year since the fires ripped through Australia's east coast.

Koalas usually only have one joey at a time and the babies stay in their mother's pouch for up to six months.

Australian Reptile Park Director, Tim Faulkner, said it was 'becoming clear all over the world that koalas in Australia are under serious threat'.

'A year-long New South Wales parliamentary inquiry has found koalas are on track to become extinct in the wild in NSW well before 2050 without urgent intervention to stop the destruction of their habitat.

'The inquiry found previous estimates of 36,000 remaining marsupials in the state were most likely outdated, because they did not account for the effects of the 2019-20 bushfires.'

When Ash's birth was announced in May, zookeeper Dan Rumsey said she was a sign of hope for the future of Australia's native wildlife.

'They're ambassadors for koalas in the wild: the ones who truly suffered in the bushfires,' he earlier told News Corp.

The new arrivals are a boost in confidence for zookeepers working to ensure the survival of the vulnerable species

A koala joey named Ash (pictured) is the first to be born at Australian Reptile Park this year

'Koalas are iconic and even though ours are bred in captivity, we like to think we're helping the fairly decimated population.'

Koala joeys have been born in 2020 at Taronga Zoo, Wildlife Sydney and Melbourne Zoo.

The Australian Reptile Park recently reopened on June 1 after it was locked down due to COVID-19.

The wildlife sanctuary has more than 40 koalas and aims to have this number grow every year.

In the wake of the monstrous bushfires, ecology experts have predicted koalas will be extinct by 2050.

There is estimated to be just 43,000 left in the wild.

Joeys can stay in their mother's pouches for up to six months
President Donald Trump's demand for a payout to the US government for a deal on the Chinese-controlled social media app TikTok drew fire Tuesday as critics said it appears unconstitutional and akin to extortion.

Trump on Monday said he was prepared to approve a deal selling TikTok assets to Microsoft or another US company after warning of a national security ban, but maintained that he would ask for "a substantial portion" of any transaction to come into the Treasury.

Trump lacks authority for this demand, critics said, adding that if carried out it would be bad for business and international relations.

"Those are the sort of mafia tactics you might see in Russia," said James Lewis, director of technology policy at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

"It's not a good policy practice. I don't think it's constitutional."

Bobby Chesney, a University of Texas law professor specializing in national security and constitutional issues, said Trump's suggestion "is grossly inappropriate and unbecoming, not to mention having no basis in law."

Former federal prosecutor Michael Bromwich said on Twitter that Trump's demands sounded like racketeering, referring to the law known as the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations act (RICO).

"This is becoming a more overt RICO enterprise with each passing day," he wrote in response to Trump's comments.

The Wall Street Journal journalists Spencer Jakab and Dan Gallagher wrote in an opinion piece that Microsoft should reject any such overture.

"If the proposal is serious, and deemed legal, it would set a dangerous precedent for the seizure of foreign businesses through regulatory fiat, and open the door for US firms to suffer the same treatment," they wrote.

"If the price includes an unseemly payout to the US Treasury, corporate America has far more to lose than to gain by participating."

Used by as many as a billion people worldwide to make quirky short-form videos on their cellphones, TikTok is the latest front in the ongoing political and trade battles between Washington and Beijing.

The United States maintains that TikTok collects users' personal data that the Chinese government can access and make use of for intelligence and other purposes. TikTok denies its user data goes to the Chinese government.

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The Nicaraguan government is using the pandemic as a weapon against dissidents.

When university student and activist John Cerna Zuniga was arrested on February 28 and later sentenced to 12 years in jail on drug trafficking charges, the coronavirus outbreak was only just beginning to make global headlines.

Fast forward five months, and the 24-year-old engineering student is languishing in an overcrowded cell in La Modelo, one of Nicaraguas toughest prisons, terrified of the virus that has killed more than 200,000 people in Latin America alone and 690,000 across the world.

His story is illustrative of a tragic pattern of incarceration of opposition-minded people in Nicaragua that human rights organisations have been documenting since the mass protests of 2018. There are more than 90 activists imprisoned on trumped-up charges.

Daniel Ortegas administration has been accused of using the judiciary to punish those who have dared criticise its policies and practices.

Back in 2018, when thousands across the country took to the streets to demand freedom and respect for their human rights, more than 300 people were killed, most at the hands of the security forces and pro-government armed groups. Thousands were injured, scores arbitrarily arrested and tens of thousands forced into exile, where many remain. It was the beginning of a wave of protests that has continued until this day.

Since then, Nicaraguan authorities have relentlessly targeted anybody who dares to participate in any form of protest or criticism of the government. Activists, and even doctors trying to fight a pandemic that the Ortega administration continues to play down, have been punished with harassment and even dismissals.

Student leaders like Cerna are among the victims of the open season against those who do refuse to fall into line.

Elton Ortega Zuniga, a lawyer representing some of the students and activists, told us the government used to charge activists with complex offences, including terrorism and organised crime, but now they focus on common crimes, such as supposed drug possession, as part of a strategy to discredit activists.

Nicaraguas crumbling prison system, which is overcrowded and lacks drinkable water, food and proper medical care, seems to be seen as a fitting punishment for defending human rights.

Cerna recently told his partner, one of the two people who manage to visit him and bring him food and cleaning products every other week, that he is sharing a five-by-five-metre cell with another 22 people. He often sleeps in an improvised hammock made of bedsheets. Prisoners sleep, cook, eat in their cells and spend just one hour outside.

Since the end of March, the pandemic has turned a desperate situation into a potentially catastrophic one. Basic safety guidelines and physical distancing are impossible to follow in the crowded cells, where the water is hardly sufficient to drink, let alone clean with.

In an apparent bid to show they are taking action, the Nicaraguan authorities released 4,515 people between April and May and another 1,605 in July. Cerna, who, according to his family, suffers from a pulmonary disease, epilepsy and has a broken rib, was not one of the lucky ones. Nor were most of the other activists held on trumped-up charges.

In mid-July, authorities released four activists  a welcome move, but one that does not go nearly far enough to protect the lives of people who should never have been imprisoned in the first place.

Back in April, Rupert Colville, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, urged states to release every person detained without sufficient legal basis, including political prisoners, and those detained for critical, dissenting views. But the Nicaraguan authorities actions show there are two types of prisoners in the Central American country: those whose detentions are politically motivated, and the rest.

In recent weeks, relatives of prisoners who remain incarcerated have told us horror stories about the sound of coughs, the fevers and the body pains spreading within the prison walls.

Cerna told his lawyer about an old man from the cell next to his who showed all the symptoms of COVID-19 and had been removed from the prison a month ago, never to be seen again.

Doctors warn that the consequences of not treating the disease caused by the virus can lead to severe long-term health impacts. Yet, according to lawyers we have spoken to, instead of being tested, prisoners in Nicaragua are often told that they have just a cold and are accused of lying. They are told the symptoms are psychological, one prisoners lawyers told us.

The COVID-19 outbreak has made the human rights crisis in Nicaragua that much worse and now threatens the lives of dozens of activists.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Exam results have been published in Scotland, showing an increase in pass rates.

About 138,000 Scottish pupils have been finding out the results of their Nationals, Highers and Advanced Higher courses today after an exam-free year.

This year's results are based on estimates from their teachers after exams across the UK were cancelled, as schools closed when the country went into lockdown in March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Results showed the National 5 pass rate was 81.1%, the Higher pass rate was 78.9% and the Advanced Higher pass rate was 84.9%.

In 2019, the National 5 pass rate was 78.2%, the Higher pass rate was 74.8% and the Advanced Higher pass rate was 79.4%.

Three out of every four grade estimates were not adjusted by the Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA).

Around 133,000 entries were adjusted from the initial estimate, around a quarter of all entries, and 6.9% of these were adjusted up and 93.1% were adjusted down, with 96% of all adjusted grades changed by one grade.

Scottish Highers are equivalent to A-Levels. Pupils should also have been sitting exams in National 5 (N5) subjects this year, the Scottish equivalent of the GCSE.

Students in England, Wales and Northern Ireland will receive their grades for A-levels on 13 August and GCSEs on 20 August.

Youngsters across Scotland started to find out how well they have done from around 8am.

It comes after several months of homeschooling through lockdown.

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon sent out a message of support to those anxiously waiting for their results.

She tweeted on Monday night: "Thinking of all the young people across Scotland waiting for results tomorrow.

"The last few months have been so tough for you, so whatever tomorrow brings, well done! And remember, there are always options open to you. Good luck to you all."

Speaking after the results were published, deputy first minister John Swinney paid tribute to students, teachers and the SQA, who he said worked hard "in the face of an incredibly tough few months".

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"We can today celebrate the achievements of all learners," he said. "Young people have received awards that recognise their hard work and allow them to move onto the next stage in their lives."

A total of 28,970 students from Scotland have been accepted into university or college through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS), up 220 on exam results day last year.

UCAS said that of those accepted, 28,240 will be studying in Scotland - an increase from 27,880 in 2019.

Students who do not get the grades they want have a number of options including appealing the decisions and clearing, which is how universities and colleges fill places they still have.

Skills Development Scotland is running a free results helpline offering careers advice, information and guidance on 0808 100 8000 from 8am to 8pm on Tuesday and Wednesday, and between 9am and 5pm on Thursday and Friday.

More information can also be found at the website myworldofwork.co.uk.

Last week Mrs Sturgeon confirmed schools in Scotland will reopen from 11 August.

She said some schools may opt for a phased return, but all pupils are expected to return to the classroom full-time by 18 August.
The search continues for one of two Alabama jail inmates who escaped from lockup four days ago.

Early Friday morning, Larry Dewayne Gaither, 43, and Bryant Deandre Johnson, 31, escaped from the Calhoun County Jail through a failed door lock, said Sheriff Matthew Wade.

On Monday, the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Johnson in the Atlanta metro area. Deputies and the task force have been working leads around the clock to recapture Gaither, the sheriff said. Johnson was being held prior to his escape on failure to appear on a robbery charge, promoting prison contraband and sodomy of a 33-year-old male victim.

Gaither was jailed on parole violation for convictions on first-degree robbery, two counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of disseminating child pornography.

Gaithers mother, 64-year-old Shirley Gaither Bowman, and two others, including his brother, have been arrested and charged with first-degree hindering prosecution for helping Gaither following his escape.

Bowman was a corrections officer at a different law enforcement agency, Wade said. Charging documents against Bowman said she lied to investigators during the fugitive investigation.

Were doing everything we know to do to catch him,' Wade said. Anyone with information on Gaithers whereabouts should call 911 immediately.
Tenma Vietnam, located in Bac Ninh province, is a subsidiary of Japans plastic product maker Tenma Corporation (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

Hanoi  The investigation into the Japanese-invested Tenma Vietnam companys allegation of bribing civil servants and tax and customs officers of northern Bac Ninh province is still ongoing, according to a police official.

At the Governments press conference on August 3, Maj. Gen. To An Xo, Chief of the Office of the(MPS), said following the Prime Ministers order for the Ministry of Finance and the MPS to probe into this case, the MPS directed its relevant agencies and the Bac Ninh Department of Public Security to conduct investigation and asked the Finance Ministrys Inspectorate to inspect this companys tax payment.However, he noted, the general director and production director of Tenma Vietnam already returned to Japan due to the COVID-19 outbreak and have yet to come back to Vietnam, so police havent been able to investigate these two persons.The MPS has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Japans representative agency in Vietnam to collect information, and they will continue clarifying the case in line with regulations, Xo added.According to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, some Japanese media outlets like the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Kyodo news agency and Nikkei reported that the Tenma Vietnam Co. Ltd, whose parent company is based in Tokyo, had given two bribes worth 25 million JPY (over 235,000 USD) in total to several Vietnamese civil servants to persuade them to reduce the tax arrears the firm had to pay.Responding to the report, on May 25, the Finance Ministry assigned its inspectorate to set up a team to inspect the taxation and customs departments of Bac Ninh, along with collectives and inpiduals concerned.The Vietnamese general departments of taxation and customs suspended 11 officials from work to serve the investigation.
One of the videos, which reportedly came from the body camera of Minneapolis officer Thomas Lane, starts with the cops pulling Floyd over and ends with their efforts to push the increasingly panicked 46-year-old security guard into a squad car. The other  much longer, extending over 18 minutes and allegedly taken from the body camera of Officer Alexander Kueng  starts inside the store where Floyd allegedly tried to pass a counterfeit bill and ends with police discussing the arrival of the ambulance as they restrain Floyd on the ground.

While neither clip, originally obtained by the Daily Mail, includes scenes of graphic violence, they are nevertheless difficult to watch. Floyd repeatedly pleads for his life and begs for his mother, asking the cops if they plan to shoot him and insisting hes claustrophobic and cant sit in the police car. The officers attempt to mollify him, promising to roll down the windows, in between asking him if hes taken any drugs and accusing him of behaving erratically. The clip from Kuengs bodycam provides an alternate camera angle on police restraining Floyd on the ground  the infamous I cant breathe sequence that shocked the world when it initially surfaced on social media over two months ago.

Its clear from both clips, however, that Floyd was in distress long before he ended up face-down on the asphalt. Repeatedly insisting hes not that kind of guy, the stricken security guard protests I cant breathe and I dont wanna die weird as the officers attempt to stuff his handcuffed body into the squad car. Floyd even volunteers to lie on the ground instead, though at this point in the arrest the cops struggle to push, pull, and otherwise wrestle him into the vehicle.

According to that transcript, Floyd subsequently began beating his face against the squad car window, causing blood and foam to come from his mouth and renewing officers suspicions he was on drugs. Neither video shows this moment. An autopsy indicated Floyd died of cardiac arrest, adding heart disease, fentanyl intoxication and recent methamphetamine use may have contributed to his untimely death. One of the cops on Kuengs bodycam footage says he believes Floyd was high, noting they found a weed pipe and there might be something elsePCP or something.rdquo;Lawyers for the four officers charged with Floyds murder have for weeks argued the bodycam footage should be made public, insisting it provides necessary context for the decision to restrain Floyd on the ground using the controversial knee hold. While transcripts of the Memorial Day arrest made public last month already revealed Floyd had asked to lay on the ground, hearing the words in his own voice in between sobs coming from a grown man is viscerally unsettling.

While parts of the video seem to vindicate at least some of the polices behavior, other parts provide ammunition for police abolition advocates. Floyds ex-girlfriend, a passenger in the car, tells the police he is mentally unstable (hes got a thing going on) regarding police and has been shot before, suggesting his erratic behavior could be a panic attack triggered by cops sticking a gun in his face. Police abolitionists often argue cops are responsible for responding to mental health incidents they lack the training to handle and frequently do more harm than good.

The original video of Floyds arrest, filmed by one of the horrified bystanders who witnessed Chauvin kneel on the security guards neck for eight minutes, inspired months of protests against police brutality and racism across the US and in dozens of other countries. The demonstrations have occasionally turned violent at the hands of police or protesters, even spiraling into looting and arson, though the majority have remained peaceful. Floyds death also catapulted the little-known police abolition movement to national prominence, with initiatives underway from New York to Minneapolis to defund or even disband police forces. Such initiatives have met with intense pushback from the Trump administration, which has vowed never to defund the police.Officer Lane, whose attorney has attempted to have the case against his client for aiding and abetting second degree murder and manslaughter dismissed, can be heard asking if the cops should roll Floyd on his side, stating he is worried about the excited delirium or whatever. Chauvin can be heard reassuring his colleague that the ambulance is on its way and Floyd is staying where weve got him.
SRINAGAR: For the first time, the Indian Army has deployed 'rifle women' along the Line of Control (LoC) between India and Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir on national security duty. This is probably for the first time in the history of the Indian Army that women have been deployed on regular security duty along with their male counterparts in the areas adjacent to the LoC.

Deployed at an altitude of ten thousand feet, at the top of the Sadhana Top of the LoC, nearly half a dozen rifle women, led by a woman officer of the Indian Army, have been have been tasked to guard the road going towards the LoC.

According to reports, these women soldiers are from the Assam Rifles and have entered the Indian Army on deputation.

The newly deployed Rifle Women, which is part of Assam Rifles - the oldest paramilitary force of the country -, had been entrusted with the task of guarding the national border close to the LoC.

They have also been asked to check smuggling of narcotics, fake currency and weapons through the Sadhana Pass, which is more than 10,000 feet high from the sea level. Importantly, this area is very close to the Pakistan-Occupied- Kashmir from where Pakistan-backed terrorists make attempts to infiltrate into the Indian side.

The deployment of rifle women is important since there are nearly 40 villages between the Tangdhar and Tithwal areas near the Line of Control. All vehicles coming from these villages cross the Sadhana Pass to enter other parts of Kashmir.

The responsibility to search these vehicles as they enter the Sadhana Pass lies with the Indian Army. However, often due to the presence of women passengers in civilian vehicles, it is very difficult for the Armed personnel to carry out a thorough search.

To assist the Indian Army, a platoon of Rifle Women had now been deployed there. The nine 'rifle women' of this platoon, under the leadership of a female captain of the Indian Army, will search each and every vehicle carrying woman passengers which pass through the area.

The weather here keeps constantly changing and along with the strong winds, rain-snowfall makes the task difficult, but these rifle women from the North-East continue to work with full vigour and enthusiasm.

Interestingly, several videos showing three women soldiers in combat uniform and guarding the Indian borders have come to fore on the social media platforms.

Though women are not yet allowed in combat roles in India, the Centre women recently allowed the grant of permanent commission to women officers in the Indian Army.

The move paves the way for "empowering women officers to shoulder larger roles" in the Army, the statement said.

The order specified Permanent Commission to Short Service Commissioned (SSC) women officers in all the 10 streams of the Indian Army - Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, and Intelligence Corps, in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate General, and Army Educational Corps.




President Muhammadu Buhari in a meeting with Osinbajo and service chiefs

Nigerias President Muhammadu Buhari is currently meeting with Nigerias security chiefs to discuss the worsening security situation in the country, according to Premium Times.

In attendance is the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff to the President Ibrahim Gambari, National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno and some ministers.

The heads of the army, navy, air force, police, State Security Service, and Directorate of Military Intelligence are also attending the meeting.

The meeting is holding about a week after armed persons attacked the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, in Baga, a community with a history of Boko Haram attacks.

Mr Zulum has, however, said he believes the attack was carried out by soldiers.

The attack on the governor occurred about a day after at least one person was killed in Boko Haram attacks on Maiduguri.

Apart from the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno and neighbouring states, armed bandits are also attacking northwestern states randomly, killing and kidnapping dozens of people every month.

Many people have also been killed in renewed violence in Southern Kaduna.

Tuesdays security meeting is expected to deliberate on some of these key security situations.
In the Delhi HC hearing of a batch of pleas in the Jamia Millia Islamia violence case, petitioners demanded an independent investigation into the Delhi Police's conduct against students

The Delhi High Court on Tuesday began hearing a batch of petitions in the case of the violence that broke out at the Jamia Millia Islamia university in December last year.

The petitioners, who are seeking action against the alleged excessive use of force by the Delhi Police on students of the university, told the court that an investigation "independent of the police and the CBI" should be conducted into the incident.

Maintaining that dissent is integral to democracy, petitioners also demanded that the Delhi Police should be ready to face trial for their conduct. They also said that protocols should be framed for police personnel seeking entry into universities.

On 15 December 2019, police had used batons and teargas shells to disperse a violent mob during a protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA). Police personnel had entered the university campus, saying that rioters had taken shelter inside. However, Jamia students had denied that they were involved in the violence and had alleged police brutality.

A division bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan presided over the hearing on Tuesday.

Petitioners can't trust Delhi Police to conduct fair probe, court told

Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves began arguments by demanding an independent inquiry into the Jamia violence. He added that petitioners cannot trust the Delhi Police to conduct a fair probe because the "chargesheet states that not a single police officer carried out any illegal activity during the violence".

He said, "Police should be the last to conduct this inquiry. Even CBI should not conduct it as it is governed by the Centre, and the protest was against Centre's CAA. The person at the top of the investigation has to be completely independent."

Gonsalves added that an independent Special Investigation Team (SIT) should be given the charge of investigating the case. "It should be independent of the Delhi Police and Centre. Criminality on their part is writ large."

Presenting various testimonies from students about the incident, Gonsalves said, "They (the police) were using abusive language."

While hearing the matter, the court asked Gonsalves who had recorded the testimonies.

"Activists approached the students and asked them to write their statements in their own handwriting. They were taken one day after the violence. These testimonies were then given to the NHRC," Gonsalves responded.

The purpose of police violence in Jamia was to deter students from participating in anti-CAA protests, Gonsalves submitted, and challenged the claim of the police that not a single student was ever detained.

"This was done to send a message to students to not to embarrass the government by marching to the Parliament. Students were equally adamant to march, but it was their fundamental right to do so. Students are definitely not the enemy of the state," he added.

Gonsalves accused the police of destroying the public property themselves. "It's only in our country that police can be seen pelting stones and destroying public property", he said.

Alleging that the investigation into the violence "is completely one-sided", Gonsalves also sought the production of all videos gathered by the police.

Gonsalves also criticised the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report on the Jamia violence and said, "It is such a diluted report, no wonder the Supreme Court called it toothless tiger."

Gonsalves also presented video clips of police personnel entering the library, beating the students, and breaking CCTV cameras.

Concluding his arguments, Gonsalves submitted that no FIR had been filed against the police for the alleged brutality.

"These videos will prove the criminality of the police", he argued, questioning how the police can be trusted when their affidavit states that there was no evidence against any police official.

"How can we expect the police to conduct fair inquiry when their chargesheet states that not a single police officer carried out any illegal activity during the violence?" he questioned.

Petitioner says Jamia needs to formulate protocol for peaceful protests

Meanwhile, advocate Salman Khurshid, who submitted arguments next, said that "dissent is part of the ethos of democracy". He also urged for the formulation of a protocol for when police personnel are seeking entry into a university.

"Students were intending to conduct a peaceful gathering, they were only hoping to march towards the Parliament. Police can regulate such a march but here they decided to not to allow that march take place at all," he said.

Accusing the police of entering Jamia without prior permission, Khurshid asserted that a fact-finding committee would be able to "bring facts to public notice". "Alleged acts of vandalism in areas in vicinity of the campus can't be a justification for entering the university without permission," he submitted.

"It would bring faith to the young students who have suffered. It would be a balm," he said.

He said that the Jamia campus has a "special feature" which is a public road dividing the campus into two halves. "Students have no option but to gather on this road where they are also joined by others also."

He added that the university needs to formulate of protocol for peaceful protests. "As per these guidelines, police can only enter campus to stop peaceful protests only with the prior permission of the Chancellor."

Delhi Police should be ready to face trial, submits petitioner

Appearing third, Advocate Indira Jaising reiterated the demand for an independent inquiry into the police's "misconduct" and accused the police of doing a 'cut and paste' in the FIRs against Jamia students.

"It appears that police has done 'cut and paste' and filed the same counter in all the petitions. Similar paras can also be seen in reply filed in Delhi riots cases', she argued.

She also demanded an independent commission of inquiry headed by a retired judge of either the Supreme Court or the Delhi High Court, Live Law reported.

She added that the Delhi Police violated the principle of using minimal force "when they barged into the campus" and submitted that police was justified in carrying the riot control equipment were not justified in using them.

Jaising further argued that there has been use of excessive force by the police which has "resulted in acts of unconscionable conduct".

She added that the issue as to whether proportional force is used is a matter of inquiry which is of public importance. "Nobody is above the law."

"The law has to take its own course against the police as well. Just because you wear an uniform, it doesn't give you a right to blind a student. Police must be ready to face the trial", Jaising said.

Jaising, among other lawyers, referred to the case of a 26-year-old student who had "alleged he lost sight in one eye after being injured during the police action on campus", The Indian Express reported.

Additionally, Jaising said that it's the principle of law that institutional autonomy should be respected. "This principle shall apply to all autonomous institutions, including the universities."

Citing Section 124 of the Delhi Police Act, which clarifies that there's no impunity provided to the police for using disproportionate force or causing unreasonable violence, she said, "Police enjoys no impunity or immunity from acts of misconduct".

"Here there was no question of 'dispersing' the crowd. The students here hiding in toilets to seek refuge and protection. Stones and bottles are not firearms."

Jaising also cited the Supreme Court's orders in Vikas Dubey case and Hyderabad Encounter case to argue that an independent commission can be endowed with powers to investigate the matter.

Advocates Mehmood Pracha and Umar Khan also made submissions on Tuesday.

Pracha, appearing for one of the petitioners, submitted that the Delhi Police has "committed illegal acts by acting beyond the protocol".

"If police neutrality is compromised, they're worse then criminals," he said.
ISTANBUL  The United States formally recognized the rebel leadership in Libya as the countrys legitimate government on Friday, allowing the rebel government access to $30 billion in Libyan assets held in the United States. It is not yet clear how and when the money would be released.

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said at an international gathering held to discuss the Libyan conflict that Col. Muammar el-Qaddafis government no longer had any legitimacy, and that the United States would join more than 30 countries in extending diplomatic recognition to the main opposition group, known as the Transitional National Council.

We will help the T.N.C. sustain its commitment to the sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and national unity of Libya, Mrs. Clinton said, and we will look to it to remain steadfast in its commitment to human rights and fundamental freedoms. The decision by Washington not only increased diplomatic pressure on Colonel Qaddafi to step down, but also held the prospect of funneling money to rebels to propel an offensive that has proceeded in fits and starts.

American officials explained Saturday that the vast bulk of the roughly $30 billion of Libyan assets frozen by the United States was not liquid, since much of it consists of property. About $3.5 billion of the sum is liquid, the officials said, and could be provided to the Transitional National Council over time.
SCHENECTADY  Two people were injured in a shooting Monday evening in the Mont Pleasant neighborhood.

Police said around 6 p.m. they received multiple calls for a shooting on Orchard Street. When they arrived, officers found two victims, a man and a woman. Police did not immediately provide additional details on the shooting, other than both victims injuries are not considered life-threatening.

Both victims were taken to Albany Medical Center Hospital.

The shooting happened about a half mile from where a woman was shot and killed on Sunday on Sixth Avenue.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The incident is currently under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Schenectady Police Department at 518-382-5245.
Police have few leads after a man was found dead in the streets on the city's Northeast Side Monday night.

Just before midnight, a passerby found the man in 30s was dead in the road near Nacogdoches and Salado Cliffs Drive. The man had suffered from severe head trauma.
Michigan is requiring employers of migrant or agricultural workers to be tested for COVID-19 in a move the state hopes will help lower the pandemics impact on Latinos.

Migrant housing camp operators must test all residents 18 and older, test all new residents upon arrival and test them again after a two-week period of isolation under an emergency order issued Monday, Aug. 3 by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. Anyone with symptoms or who has been exposed to someone with the virus must also be tested, per the new order.

The same rules apply  aside from the isolation period  for employers of migrant or seasonal workers, meat, poultry and egg processing facilities and greenhouses with more than 20 employees on-site at a time.

The men and women who work in our fields and food processing plants are at particular risk for COVID-19, and they need and deserve protection, said Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Director Robert Gordon. Todays order will help to reduce the spread of COVID in communities across Michigan and reduce the pandemics disparate impact on Latinos.

Latinos account for 8% of all Michigan COVID-19 cases and 2% of the states deaths. About 5.3% of Michigan residents are Latino, per U.S. Census data.

There have been 11 identified outbreaks in Michigan farm and food processing plants in recent weeks, according to the MDHHS.

The new testing systems must be in place by Aug. 24, per the emergency order. Tests can either be done through a contract with a health provider, through state assistance or through testing programs already set up in communities.

Businesses that don't comply can face a civil penalty of up to $1,000 per violation.

The order requires any workers who test positive or is exposed to a person with the virus is required to isolate. The state is working with Community Action Agencies to help workers financially if they lose income due to testing.

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 executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here .

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus .

For more data on COVID-19 in Michigan, visit https://www.mlive.com/coronavirus/data/ .

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The beat of a drum resounded through Lower Fort Garry on Monday as people from different nations and backgrounds came together to mark the 149th anniversary of Treaty 1, remembering the past, preparing for the future and dealing with the present and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The beat of a drum resounded through Lower Fort Garry on Monday as people from different nations and backgrounds came together to mark the 149th anniversary of Treaty 1, remembering the past, preparing for the future and dealing with the present and the COVID-19 pandemic.

About 40 people attended the annual ceremony. This year was invitation-only to accommodate physical distancing measures and safety precautions. Representatives from the seven Treaty 1 First Nation bands attended  chiefs or their representatives from Brokenhead Ojibway Nation, Long Plain First Nation, Peguis First Nation, Roseau River Anishinaabe First Nation, Sagkeeng First Nation, Sandy Bay Ojibway First Nation and Swan Lake First Nation.

Chiefs reminded attendees that its been 149 years since Treaty 1 was signed at Lower Fort Garry, but theres still work to do on the relationships between Indigenous groups and Canadian governments.

"The majority of Canadians... Will come to realize and understand what it means to have a real treaty relationship and partnership with Indigenous people," said Chief Dennis Meeches of Long Plain First Nation. "We see evidence of that in the changing times  there is a lot of people out there who support Black Lives Matter (and) that support our Indigenous way of life."

In an interview before the ceremony, Meeches said theres still a need to strengthen the Treaty 1 partnership with Canada.

JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS AMC Grande Chief Arlen Dumas speaks at the 149 years commemoration of Treaty No. 1 at Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site on Monday. Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. Reporter: Piche

"Theres a lot of work to do, just working towards strengthening, for example, our Indigenous economy," he said, adding that the recent acquisition of the Kapyong Barracks will help with Indigenous education, training and health, and the economy.

Organizers were unsure if theyd be able to host a 149th anniversary celebration due to the pandemic; they knew it would need to be really scaled back, according to David Elias, the acting superintendent of the Manitoba field unit for Parks Canada.

"There was a strong sentiment on the part of our First Nations partners to make something happen," Elias said.

JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Treaty No. 1 flag flies at the 149 years commemoration of Treaty No. 1 at Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site on Monday. Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. Reporter: Piche

Normally, a visit to the site is free on the anniversary of Treaty 1. Events, like dancing, happen from morning through evening, and the site is bustling  over 1,000 people might show up in a day if its a Treaty 1 anniversary, Elias said.

"The treaty is such a huge part of our lives," he said. "Its a treaty that really helps govern the nation-to-nation relationship... You cant just let that anniversary pass by without really taking a moment to pause and reflect on how important that relationship is."

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The plaque in front of Lower Fort Garry is in the midst of being changed to recognize the First Nations groups, Elias said. The seven Treaty 1 nations are providing input on what the new plaque should say.

photos by JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS A drum circle started and ended the ceremony during 149th anniversary celebrations of Treaty 1 at Lower Fort Garry Monday. About 40 people attended this years event, which was invitation-only to accommodate physical distancing.

The Treaty 1 flag flew beside the Canadian flag during the ceremony, and a teepee stood in front of the sites visitor centre. But, Indigenous people have had to fight for recognition and acceptance, and they continue to do so, ceremony attendees said. Margaret Swan, a political advisor for Southern Chiefs Organization, was one to voice that message.

"I look around and think  were still here," Swan said. "Wow, in spite of everything, we are still here. We are getting better. Our leadership is getting stronger and educated in systems that were foreign to our people, and because of that, they are making a difference."

Treaty 1 encompasses the communities of Winnipeg, Portage la Prairie, Selkirk, Steinbach, Emerson and Winkler, among others.

gabrielle.piche@freepress.mb.ca

JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS The current plaques Lower Fort Garry, which will change soon, at the 149 years commemoration of Treaty No. 1 at Lower Fort Garry National Historic Site on Monday. Monday, Aug. 3, 2020. Reporter: Piche
Like having a waiter uncork and pour the bottle of wine you brought to a BYOB restaurant, you can bring your own liquor aboard  provided you have a flight attendant serve it to you.

Colorblind Images LLC/Getty Images

Airlines are cutting in-flight alcohol service as a way to reduce contact between passengers and flight attendants during the COVID-19 pandemic.

That's led to an uptick in passengers bringing their own booze and drinking it on board, in violation of FAA regulations.

There's a loophole that allows you to legally BYOB on your next flight, but you'll need a flight attendant to help you out  and not all airlines allow it.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Count the in-flight cocktail, a tradition dating to the beginning of modern air travel, among the ways of life disrupted by COVID-19: Many airlines have cut back on in-flight alcohol service as part of a larger effort to reduce contact between flight attendants and passengers.

That has pushed some thirsty passengers to take another route, bringing miniature bottles of booze on board in their carry-on, and drinking those  no contact needed. But airlines aren't too happy about it, and not just because they can't overcharge you for a tiny bottle of Jameson.

Carriers like Southwest and American have seen an uptick in reports of passengers drinking their own alcoholic beverages during flights, according to USA Today. It's enough of an increase that Southwest is adding a line saying you can't drink your own booze to its pre-flight safety announcements, the paper reported.

In theory, bringing your own bottles on board is a sound idea. TSA regulations allow liquids in carry-on luggage as long as they're 3.4 ounces or smaller. The typical nip, or miniature liquor bottle, is half that.

However, FAA regulations forbid passengers from consuming any alcohol onboard an aircraft that was not served by the airline. This is partly to ensure that passengers can't get too drunk during a flight  airlines are prohibited from serving more booze to passengers who "appears to be intoxicated."

Story continues

That doesn't mean that passengers have to pay, however.

The rules stipulate that an airline must serve the alcohol. Like having a waiter uncork and pour the bottle of wine you brought to a BYOB restaurant, you can bring your own liquor aboard  provided you have a flight attendant serve it to you. This allows flight attendants to keep an eye on consumption and avoid any messy, potentially dangerous problems.

The catch is that airlines are under no obligation to serve a passenger their own alcohol, even if they won't sell you a drink, either.

"Airlines are not obligated to allow passengers to consume their own alcohol, and may enact policies that prohibits this activity," an FAA spokesperson said.

Most airlines do not have a clear policy, leaving it to the flight attendant's discretion. (JetBlue said in 2017 that it would allow BYOB; American Airlines doesn't.)

Your best bet if you want to bring your own drinks on board (without skirting the rules) is to ask the airline in advance whether that's allowed. Just don't be surprised if a flight attendant won't serve you in the middle of a pandemic  and be prepared to wait for that drink until you're back on the ground.

Read the original article on Business Insider
MT. PLEASANT, Texas, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Diamond C Trailers , a major manufacturer of light and heavy duty trailers, today announced they are endorsing and partnering with Trader Interactive's Equipment Trader and Commercial Truck Trader , leading online marketplaces for buying and selling commercial inventory, including trailers. The new partnership provides Diamond C dealers with access to the Equipment Trader and Commercial Truck Trader suite of digital marketing offerings at special rates, empowering Diamond C dealers to optimize inventory exposure and market penetration for their for-sale trailers.

Collectively, Equipment Trader and Commercial Truck Trader have the largest trailer audience in the nation, with an average of 354,000 unique visitors conducting 790,000 trailer searches every single month. With access to their proprietary inventory and lead management platform, TraderTraxx, dealers with a Trader subscription can manage their inventory, track leads, and access exclusive consumer and market insights. Equipment Trader and Commercial Truck Trader also provide website creation and maintenance services for dealers who want a dedicated dealership website.

"We are committed to bringing buyers and sellers together on our marketplaces," said John Ryneska, Business Development Manager at Trader Interactive. "Partnering Equipment Trader and Commercial Truck Trader with Diamond C dealers allows us to provide them access to our unparalleled trailer audience, while also ensuring that we are consistently showcasing relevant, in-demand trailer inventory for visitors to our sites."

With this partnership, Diamond C dealers will be able to take advantage of dramatic savings on Equipment Trader and Commercial Truck Trader listing packages, as well as a notable incentive for Trader's dealership website package. A pilot study on the marketplaces recently generated a 335% return-on-investment for participating Diamond C dealers.

"We've seen proven, impressive results from Equipment Trader and Commercial Truck Trader, which has led to our endorsement of their listing and website packages for selling our trailers," said Jacob Crabb, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Diamond C Trailers. "Through this new partnership, our dealers can access remarkable savings that allow them to access Trader Interactive's motivated buyer audience and ultimately generate more leads and close more sales."

For more information about this new partnership, email [email protected].

About Diamond C Trailers

Diamond C Trailers is a family owned and operated company that operates based on traditional family morals, including honesty, respect, humbleness, and pure integrity. Diamond C offers a robust lineup of trailers, ranging from utility and car hauler models, all the way to heavier duty equipment, gooseneck, and dump trailers. Trailers are distributed through a vast network of almost 200 Diamond C dealer partners strategically placed throughout North America. For more information, visit www.DiamondC.com.

About Trader Interactive

Trader Interactive connects buyers and sellers in the powersports, recreational vehicle, commercial vehicle, and heavy equipment industries through a broad portfolio of marketplaces that reach 9 million unique monthly visitors. Linked by a widely recognized family of "Trader" trademarks dating back several decades, the company's brands include lifestyle vehicle marketplaces Cycle Trader, RV Trader, ATV Trader, PWC Trader, Snowmobile Trader, Aero Trader, and Trade-A-Plane, as well as commercial vehicle marketplaces Commercial Truck Trader, Equipment Trader, NextTruck, Rock & Dirt, and Tradequip. For more information, visit www.TraderInteractive.com.

SOURCE Trader Interactive, LLC

Related Links

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Haiti - Justice : Land conflicts in Carries, the PM announces concrete measures





On Friday, Prime Minister Joseph Jouthe met with residents of Carries (commune of Arcahaie, Cote des Arcadins) where bandits, to appropriate land in the area, have been sowing panic, mourning and desolation for about four years.



Jouthe told residents that he had already issued instructions to Minister of Justice Rockfeller Vincent and Director General a.i. of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) Rameau Normil so that they act quickly to ensure the safety of the villagers. He assured that from Saturday the police station of the region will receive the necessary equipment including a car to pursue the bandits who after their crimes take refuge in the mountains.



In addition, he added that in the next few days, another checkpoint will be erected in order to strengthen police surveillance throughout the sector.



In addition, to put an end once and for all with the land conflict which caused for the majority of the inhabitants the loss of their houses, their small businesses and even school institutions which went up in smoke on June 17th https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30830-haiti-insecurity-land-conflicts-in-arcahaie-1-dead-and-many-damages.html he underlined that the General Directorate of Taxes (DGI) has already proceeded to the land survey in the village and that by next week a second survey will be done so that each inhabitant can have a piece of land. "From now on these inhabitants will become farmers of the State, with papers in order for the use of the land" insisting "it is necessary that these inhabitants who are the main labor force in the hotels, return to their neighborhood."



Prime Minister Jouthe also indicated that on instructions from President Jovenel Moise, he had already contacted Yvon Buissereth, the Director General of the Public Enterprise for the Promotion of Social Housing (EPPLS) for an evaluation of the homes of victims in the region set on fire or ransacked by outlaws ensuring that an EPPLS team will take care of the necessary follow-ups.



See also :

https://www.icihaiti.com/en/news-31345-icihaiti-pnh-promise-of-the-new-minister-of-justice.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31342-haiti-cap-haitien-first-meeting-on-land-tenure-insecurity.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31433-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31298-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31214-haiti-news-zapping.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-30830-haiti-insecurity-land-conflicts-in-arcahaie-1-dead-and-many-damages.html

https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-10742-haiti-notice-mpce-denies-rumors-about-the-privatization-of-public-beach-of-carries.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















(Natural News) According to Sonia Saraiya, a writer for Vanity Fair, conservative women are not being punished enough by Hollywood for their political viewpoints. If it were up to her, conservative women would always be portrayed in the media as white nationalist racist gender traitor[s].

In Saraiyas view, Hollywood is somehow too nice to conservative women, even though it never, ever portrays them in a positive light. Pretty much every chance it gets, Hollywood caricatures conservative women as ignorant fools, ironically doing so using misogynistic stereotypes. Hollywood also routinely takes pot shots at Jesus himself  but this is still not enough for Saraiya.

For all that Hollywood and the mainstream media are supposed to be a hotbed of liberal propaganda, we pull our punches when it comes to the tales of handmaidens in conservative politics, Saraiya contends, adding that [c]haracterization is an attempt to evoke empathy.

When Hollywood takes on conservative women, the empathy often feels grafted on, sometimes shamelessly, she further claims.

In the fantasy world of her own demented brain, Saraiya has convinced herself that conservative women are routinely mischaracterized by the mainstream media as being decent, honorable human beings, to which we can only respond: On what planet does Saraiya live where this is the case?

Last we checked, Hollywood and the media systematically go out of their way to mischaracterize any woman who is not a raging, baby-aborting leftist as being dumber than a box of rocks  or worse, as evil, hate-filled fascists and Ku Klux Klan members.

Saraiya: Conservative women think theyre better than everyone else  can you say projection?

Perhaps the most insane claim by Saraiya is her contention that conservative women, and those with white skin in particular, believe that theyre superior to the rest of their gender. This alleged superiority complex actually typifies white liberal women like Saraiya, of course, but the irony of this apparently went right over her head.

To Saraiya, the word conservative is interchangeable with KKK, and only liberal women who are woke recognize this  there is that superiority complex again. Saraiya also claims that white women who identify as conservatives have long been essential helpmeets [sic] to white nationalism, which the alt-right has adopted nearly wholesale.

The reason why Saraiya went on this tirade in her article, which appeared in the July/August issue of Vanity Fair, of course has to do with the upcoming presidential election. Saraiya is concerned about all the white women out there who will pull the lever for President Donald Trump, which underpins her angst and hatred for them.

As we hurtle toward the 2020 election, our blindness to what creates and motivates these women feels like a ticking bomb, she writes. The less we understand their motivations, the better it is for them: They remain shielded by our tied tongues and politesse.

That Saraiya thinks leftists like herself have tied tongues and politesse when it comes to how they engage with conservatives, and specifically conservative women, demonstrates the utter lack of self-awareness that typifies liberals, and especially liberal women.

Everything that Saraiya says is true about conservative women is actually true about herself, projection apparently being one of her fortes in life  and a miserable life, at that.

If you are a conservative woman reading this, do not let Saraiyas projectile word-weapons phase you. Stay the course and know that you are infinitely more awake, aware, and awe-inspiring than miserable leftist women like Saraiya who are apparently so unhappy with their lives that they have to vilify other women who think differently than they do.

For more related news about the lefts hatred for conservative women, be sure to check out Evil.news.

Sources for this article include:

Newsbusters.org

NaturalNews.com
Ukraine has received confirmation from the COVAX (COVID-19 Vaccines Global Access) Facility and will surely get coronavirus vaccine for 20 percent of the population in the future.

"Yesterday, we received confirmation from the COVAX Facility that the Government of Ukraine has the right to apply for vaccine (if it is registered) for further prevention of coronavirus by vaccinating people at risk or of certain age categories," Deputy Minister of Health - Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine Viktor Liashko said at a briefing on August 4, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Each COVAX Facility participating country will receive vaccines for 20 percent of its population, Liashko noted.

According to him, Ukraine will get about 8 million vaccine doses that will be supplied in different volumes. The vaccine can be provided free of charge or at a special price.

Chief State Sanitary Doctor of Ukraine added that the Government of Ukraine and the Ministry of Health also held a series of talks with manufacturers and governments of other countries to purchase additional vaccine to cover all risk groups with coronavirus vaccinations.

As of August 4, Ukraine reports 74,219 laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 16:15:51|Editor: huaxia

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by Xinhua writer He Fei

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- As the top diplomat of the world's sole superpower, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ought to promote global peace and stability. Instead, he has spent much of his tenure in the past two years on bashing China and stoking division and chaos in the international community.

Pompeo is no fool. He finished top in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was a rather successful businessman and lawyer before entering politics. He must have anticipated enormous benefits by launching a boisterous anti-China campaign, even if it meant sacrificing the interests of the American people.

Boosting the incumbent U.S. administration's re-election odds in November has become an urgent task. Under the watch of the current White House, about 5 million have been infected in the pandemic and over 150,000 lost their lives in the country so far. In the meantime, the knock-on effects of the outbreak have led to unprecedented job losses and a sharp economic downturn. The result: the administration's disapproval ratings have risen sharply.

Finding a scapegoat is the most handy option for an anxious Pompeo, as well as other like-minded China hawks in the administration with elections only 90 days away. China is the target. No surprise there.

Pompeo also sees an opportunity to promote his own political ambitions by attacking China with outright lies. That's because acting tough on China can help promote his popularity among America's conservative voting base.

Being an ambitious career politician, he has quite a history of staging melodramatic political showmanship for personal political gain. His rise to prominence as a new political star in Washington from a freshmen congressman by sharply lambasting then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the Benghazi affair is a classic example.

Pompeo's scandalous Madison Diners in 2018 and off-public-schedule meetings with conservative influentials during work trips have drawn widespread criticism in the United States that the secretary of state has been using public resources to cultivate a supporter base for his own political ambitions. He has in fact turned his office into a launchpad for just that.

Underneath these political calculations lie a hegemonic thinking and Cold-War mentality ingrained in Pompeo that propel him to view China's development in a you-win-I-lose manner.

In his Nixon library speech late last month, Pompeo sought to frame China as an ideological threat, and coax U.S. allies to form an anti-China alliance, demonstrating that some U.S. politicians are still trying to use the obsolete zero-sum logic to define America's role in the 21st century world and its relationship with the rest of the international community in an age of globalization.

Pompeo and other China hardliners should bear in mind that engagement, not decoupling, is the right way to manage the most important bilateral relationship in the world. And cooperation, not confrontation, is the only wise choice for both countries - and the world - to better prosper. Enditem
Technavio has been monitoring the antiviral drugs market and it is poised to grow by USD 43.37 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of over 9% 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/20200804005069/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Antiviral Drugs Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

Frequently Asked Questions-

What was the value of the antiviral drugs market in 2019?

Technavio says that the value of the market was at USD 76.00 billion in 2019 and it is projected to reach USD 128.09 billion by 2024.

At what rate is the market projected to grow during the forecast period 2020-2024?

Growing at a CAGR of over 9%, the market growth will accelerate in the forecast period of 2020-2024.

What is the key factor driving the market?

Growing cases of viral infections and the technological advancements are the key factors driving the market growth.

Who are the top players in the market?

AbbVie Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson Johnson, Merck Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi are some of the major market participants.

Which region is expected to hold the highest market share?

North America

What is the year-over-year growth rate of the global market?

The year-over-year growth rate for 2020 is estimated at 9.36%.

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. AbbVie Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson Johnson, Merck Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Growing cases of viral infections have been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Antiviral Drugs Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Antiviral Drugs Market is segmented as below:

Application Hepatitis HIV Herpes Influenza Others

Geographic Landscape Asia Europe North America ROW

MOA Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors Protease Inhibitors Entry/fusion Inhibitors Immune System Modulators Others



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43207

Antiviral Drugs Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our antiviral drugs market report covers the following areas:

Antiviral Drugs Market size

Antiviral Drugs Market trends

Antiviral Drugs Market analysis

This study identifies technological advancements as one of the prime reasons driving the antiviral drugs market growth during the next few years.

Antiviral Drugs Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of vendors operating in the antiviral drugs market, including some of the vendors such as AbbVie Inc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Gilead Sciences Inc., GlaxoSmithKline Plc, Johnson Johnson, Merck Co. Inc., Novartis AG, Pfizer Inc., and Sanofi. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the antiviral drugs 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

Antiviral Drugs Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist antiviral drugs market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the antiviral drugs market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the antiviral drugs market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of antiviral drugs market vendors

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Overview

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Application

Market segments

Comparison by Application

Hepatitis Market size and forecast 2019-2024

HIV Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Herpes Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Influenza Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Others Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Application

Customer landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Asia Market size and forecast 2019-2024

ROW Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

AbbVie Inc.

Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.

F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Gilead Sciences Inc.

GlaxoSmithKline Plc

Johnson Johnson

Merck Co. Inc.

Novartis AG

Pfizer Inc.

Sanofi

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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/20200804005069/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/
2021 fifth warmest year in India since 1901: India Meteorological Department

India completes one year of Covid-19 vaccination drive; over 156 cr jab administered

India reports 2,58,089 COVID cases in last 24 hours; Omicron tally at 8,209

Crime syndicate behind 1993 Mumbai serial blasts given state protection: India at UN

Hope India treats Confucius Institutes and higher education cooperation in fair manner: China

India

oi-Deepika S

Beijing, Aug 04: China on Tuesday said it hopes India maintains healthy and stable development of people-to-people contact and cultural exchanges between two countries.

The Embassy of China in a statement said Beijing hopes New Delhi will treat "Confucius Institutes and higher education cooperation in a fair and objective manner".

The statement comes as the government of India is reported to review Chinese language programmes across universities.

Hard talk on the hotline: India snubs China on step back suggestion

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

"Indian relevant parties can treat Confucius Institutes and China-India higher education cooperation in an objective and fair manner, avoid politicising normal cooperation and maintain healthy and stable development of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges," it said.

It said that the Confucius Institutes have played an important role in promoting Chinese language teaching in India and China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

Confucius Institutes are public educational partnerships between colleges and universities in China with those in other countries and deals in Chinese language teaching.

The Embassy statement further added that the demand for Chinese language teaching is expanding in India.

"China-India cooperation on Confucius Institute Project has been carried out for more than 10 years," it stated.

The National Education Policy (NEP) has not mentioned Mandarin - group of Sinitic Chinese languages from the list of the examples of foreign languages.
Scott Morrison has showed off his impressive culinary skills by whipping up a home-cooked Indian curry for his family.

The prime minister has grown a legion of fans by sharing his love for Indian cuisine, including vegetarian samosas he 'made from scratch' and Lamb Rhapsody, known as Laal Maans.

Mr Morrison told his Facebook followers he liked to cook meals for his wife Jenny and daughters Abbey and Lily when he is home on Saturday night.

'Tonight is Lamb Rhapsody from Rajasthan. Our girls and Jen loved it, and so did my mum who is with us,' he wrote on Saturday night.

Mr Morrison said he had a busy day due to complications brought on by the coronavirus pandemic but 'family gets us through most things'.

'It's been another very busy day as we work to help Victoria get on top of the outbreak as well as working through some issues in WA,' he wrote.

Scott Morrison shared a selfie of him cooking a curry to his Facebook page on Saturday night

Mr Morrison told his Facebook followers he likes to whip up curries for his wife Jenny and daughters when he is home on Saturday nights

Mr Morrison shared pictures of a recipe book and ingredients for the dish, as well as a selfie in an apron while cooking the lamb.

The prime minister was commended for his efforts in the kitchen and his response to the coronavirus pandemic.

'Looks yummy Scomo hope you and family enjoy you deserve this family time,' one person wrote.

'Well done! You really deserve family time and your family deserve time with you. Keep up the good work,' said another.

A third wrote: 'Great to see our PM having family time during the pandemic. Hope this won't be a only Saturday night for you in future.'

This is not the first time the prime minister has shared his culinary skills on Facebook.

A picture of the finished Lamb Rhapsody from Rajasthan that Mr Morrison said was a hit with his daughters, wife and mother

'And here's the finished product,' Mr Morrison wrote alongside this picture in April

In May, Mr Morrison boasted about his 'Sunday ScoMosas' which were made from scratch.

'A pity my meeting with [Indian Prime Minister] Narendra Modi this week is by videolink,' he wrote.

'They're vegetarian, I would have liked to share them with him.'

Mr Morrison grinned as he proudly held out a tray of the finished product.

'Love seeing this, promoting doing something you love and spending time with those important to you,' one supporter wrote.

'Looks awesome, nice to see you looking relaxed. Enjoy,' another commented.

'Looks great! Such talent, not only a great PM but a chef as well!' said a third.

In May, Mr Morrison boasted about his 'Sunday ScoMosas' which were made from scratch

Mr Morrison shared pictures to Facebook of the samosas he made from scratch in May

While numerous followers supported Mr Morrison's family time in his latest cooking post, some Western Australian appeared to take offence to the suggestion there were 'issues' with their state.

The state's hard border closures have been a contentious topic, with Queensland billionaire Clive Palmer launching a challenge in the High Court, claiming the move is unconstitutional.

Premier Mark McGowan says it is necessary to protect citizens, with his stance garnering overwhelming support from residents.

The hashtag '#istandwithmarkmcgowan' has begun trending across posts by Western Australians online.

Mr Morrison poses for the camera as he builds his samosas in May

Many were seen in the comment's section box of the prime minister's post, as they demanded Mr Morrison 'leave the state alone'.

'It is great you can spend time with your family. Thanks for keeping Australia safe. Please leave WA alone. I think we are moving forward the right way,' one person wrote.

'We don't have any issues. I certainly miss my family and friends over east, but please prioritise how far we have come because of our earlier lockdown sacrifices and also our unique isolation, which until COVID, has always hurt us,' another added.

'Leave WA alone! We are doing just fine exactly as we are,' a third comment read.

Someone else said they thought it was 'sad' Mr Morrison perceived WA's desire to 'be safe' as an issue.

'What issues in WA? We're fine thanks. Don't create issues where there are none,' they wrote.

'You're part of our issue in WA. There is nothing for us to work through here,' a woman added.

Mr Morrison addressed the flood of comments from Western Australians the next day.

'Last night I said I had been working on some WA issues,' he wrote in the comments.

'For those who commented, you can see from my attached letter to the WA Premier what we were working on.

'We will not be continuing our participation in the High Court case. A lot has changed and we have found a better way to deal with this.'
Five people who attended the same meeting as some of Florida's top officials, including governor Ron DeSantis, have tested positive for coronavirus, reports have said.

The Florida Sheriffs Association (FSA) saw 60 attendees gather for a meeting at Bonita Springs hotel last Monday, The News Service of Florida reported.

Gov DeSantis, Attorney General Ashley Moody, incoming House Speaker Chris Sprowls and sheriffs from various parts of Florida were among those who attended the event, according to the report.

Two days after the meeting, an unidentified attendee notified the FSA that they had tested positive Covid-19, a spokesperson for the association told The News Service.

Gov DeSantis and his staff were among the people who were notified about their potential exposure to the virus, Nanette Schimpf, the spokesperson, said.

The FSA also confirmed to The Hill that the association had warned top state elected officials, including Gov DeSantis, and all attendees that they may have been exposed.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, the governor said he was tested for Covid-19 two days ago and suggested his test result had been negative.

Im tested regularly, and I dont have or have not had any symptoms, Gov DeSantis said.

The number of times Ive been tested has been pretty significant, and Ive had my temperature checked probably 100 times in the last few months.

Corrections Secretary Mark Inch, Department of Corrections Deputy Secretary Ricky Dixon, Volusia County Sheriff Mike Chitwood, and Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz are among those who have tested positive since the meeting, The News Service reported.

Cody McCloud, a spokesperson for Mr DeSantis, told The Hill that there is "no indication" that the governor was in "close contact with the individuals who have since tested positive for Covid-19".

Ms Schimpf told The News Service that she only knew of five attendees who had tested positive for the virus as of Monday.

It is still not known exactly where or when each of the five people became infected with the disease.

The FSA told the outlet that it was necessary to hold the meeting in person, partly because confidential information was discussed.

We cant accomplish everything that needs to be done via a Zoom call, Ms Schimpf said. Sheriffs only get together once or twice a year to receive valuable training, discuss confidential topics, current public safety trends, and best practices, as well as legislative priorities.

The association told The News Service that it exceeded social distancing guidelines at the event and implemented stringent hygiene measures such as face masks and cleaning at hourly intervals.

FSA provided notice to all participants the same day, and that attendee also personally called anyone they interacted with at the meeting as an additional notification measure, Ms Schimpf said.
MBRSC releases satellite image Mosaic. Image: MBRSC

The system captures a matrix of individual digital images to create a single high-resolution picture of the UAEs terrain. This imaging system by MBRSC will provide a comprehensive view of the UAEs topography, using remote sensing systems, image processing, geographic information systems and artificial intelligence. While the service currently provides detailed high-resolution satellite image mosaic of Abu Dhabi and Dubai, mosaic of all Emirates will be released soon.

The system is part of the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centres efforts to support federal and local government entities, research and academic institutions as well as the private sector to take advantage of this type of technology that plays an important role in understanding the geography, topography and environmental impacts of large areas in the UAE more accurately.

In view of the MBRSCs efforts to spread knowledge, expand the use of space technologies owned by them and extend cooperation frameworks to all entities, Mosaic will be provided to all government and non-governmental entities free of charge for the purpose of benefiting the agencies and enhancing their role in the UAE society. This type of satellite imagery is relevant to stakeholders in infrastructure, urban planning, environment and climate change sectors, energy, education, technology, roads and transportation, among others in the UAE. Accordingly, MBRSC will provide high-resolution images from the Mosaic system, after conducting a comprehensive survey of the area requested by the entity, according to the nature of their activity.

Yousuf Hamad AlShaibani, director general, MBRSC, said: The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre seeks to contribute effectively to the community through projects that support the development sectors in the UAE. Over the past few years, MBRSC has established itself as an efficient and leading space centre for the Middle East region, weighed in by the impact of its projects and technologies in non-space sectors as well. The launch of KhalifaSats first satellite image Mosaic is of strategic importance to support the infrastructure of all vital sectors in the UAE and promote strategic decisions by key stakeholders operating in the country.

Technical specifications

The Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre collects images of a specific geographic area through the KhalifaSat at specific intervals ranging from days or months. These images are then combined to form one single comprehensive image with a high visual resolution of up to 0.7 meters, in TIFF format, well-known for storing raster graphics images. This is in addition to the satellites 90 km land coverage. Mosaic differs from other satellite images as it has higher image resolution and clarity due to the use of Geo-referencing system and other modern technologies.

Scientific methodology

Explaining the methodology of the new imaging system, Ammar Saif AlMuhairi, Head of Image Processing Section, MBRSC, explained: The Mosaic imaging system at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre goes through systematic stages of image extraction. Firstly, individual images scattered over an area are taken by the satellite during a given period. The system then geo-assigns these images using a coordinate reference system to ensure the highest possible resolution. The image correction phase is followed by enhancing contrast and various corrections to make sure that all images are free of distortions. Finally, the colours of the satellite images are matched and blended, followed by the testing of the outcome by the relevant team, and ensuring its correctness before finally releasing it.
By Laman Ismayilova

Azerbaijan Cultural Ministry and Azerbaijanfilm studio have presented a series of virtual projects timed to the 122nd anniversary of Azerbaijani cinema.

The video about the history of national cinema were presented on social networks.

People's Artists film director and screenwriter Ramiz Fataliev, actor Fakhraddin Manafov, composer Faig Sujaddinov, People's Writer Chingiz Abdullaev, Honored Art Worker, film director Ayaz Salayev, Honored Artist Tair Imanov and others took part in the shootings.

In addition, the Cultural Ministry launched a virtual exhibition dedicated to prominent cinema workers.

August 2 marks National Cinema Day to honor talented directors, actors, cameramen, scriptwriters and everyone who are working in this industry.

Shortly after the Lumiere brothers from France invented cinematograph, an apparatus for making motion pictures, in 1895, Russian photographer and cameraman Alexandre Michon began shooting motion pictures that depicted everyday life in Baku.

The first short, silent film of Azerbaijani cinematography "You are caught" was shown in Baku on August 2, 1898. The audience witnessed a historical event - the birth of Azerbaijani cinematography.

To honor this historical day, the national leader Heydar Aliyev signed an order on December 18, 2000, to declare August 2 as professional holiday of cinema workers  Day of Azerbaijani Cinema.

Azerbaijani cinema has come to be an internationally recognized modern art enjoying a huge popularity and recognition at international film festivals, which frequently award the national films.

Over the past years, more than 300 films and 1,200 documentaries, as well as hundreds of cartoons were filmed.

At present, it is planned to carry out systemic reforms to develop and modernize cinema art in Azerbaijan.

The draft "Concept for the Development of Azerbaijani Cinematography" was prepared in accordance with the Order of the President Ilham Aliyev "On Some Measures for the Development of Azerbaijani Cinematography" dated March 1, 2019, which envisages reforms in all areas of cinema.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Turkey stepped up its aggressive rhetoric against the UAE this week in a campaign that is also aimed at Egypt

A media spat between Turkey and the UAE this week revealed the tense situation that now prevails between the NATO member and most of the Arab Gulf countries.

Since the UAE and Saudi Arabia stepped up their support for ally Egypt in its stand against Turkish military involvement in Libya, Ankara has stepped up its aggressive rhetoric against both countries.

Speaking on a Qatari satellite channel earlier this week, Turkish Defence Minister Hulusi Akar criticised the UAE for committing malicious acts in Libya and Syria and adding that Turkey will bring Abu Dhabi to account.

Qatari, Turkish and Muslim Brotherhood media outlets financed by Doha have been active in heated campaigns against Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the UAE since the government of Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sent troops and terrorist mercenaries into Libya to fight against the Libyan National Army (LNA).

Egypt has warned Turkish-backed militia in Libya against advancing to the Sirte-Jufra line that Cairo has branded a red line for its national security. Except for Qatar, the Gulf states have supported Egypt in its position, backing its efforts to face up to the threat of terrorism in Libya.

Last week, Saudi Arabian Minister of Foreign Affairs Prince Faisal Bin Farhan visited Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco and France, relaying a Saudi message to the North African countries that Saudi Arabia was backing Egypts stand against the Turkish intervention.

The Saudi diplomatic effort irritated Ankara and its ally Qatar and the militant groups supported by the Brotherhood in the region and beyond.

But as Ankara is still hoping for a Saudi change of mind and Doha is trying to drive a wedge between members of the Arab alliance behind Egypt, Turkey and Qatar chose to attack the UAE.

The response to the Turkish statements came in a tweet by UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash, saying that media rhetoric is worth no more than a social-media post.

Gargash said that Turkey should stop interfering in Arab affairs, adding in his tweet that relations are not managed by threats, and there is no place for colonialist delusions in this day and age.

The Qatari channels interview with the Turkish defence minister was preceded by a rumour that Turkey was seeking to set up a military base in Oman, which neighbours both Saudi Arabia and the UAE. This started with a social-media post picked up by Qatari-financed Websites and then passing into the mainstream media.

Omani commentators responded by saying that those who had started the rumour had apparently not known that the claimed naval base would be in the middle of the desert.

Officials in Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Oman refused to comment on fake news originating on social media, but two Saudi sources said it was understandable that the Brotherhood and foreign countries want to divide the Gulf countries through spreading false rumours.

One of the sources referred to what he called Turkish intimidation through fabrication to pressure the Gulf countries into softening their positions towards Ankara or Doha.

Emirati media commentator Rashed Murooshid told Al-Ahram Weekly that the Turkish verbal outbursts reflected its anxiety due to the UAEs position as a spearhead in the opposition to the Muslim Brotherhood and terrorist offshoots harboured by Erdogan.

There is also envy at how the UAE is prospering and keeping up the pace of sustainable development while supporting Arab allies resisting Turkeys aggression, he added.

He suggested that Ankara had failed to blackmail the Gulf countries, especially Saudi Arabia and the UAE. It seems that the money Erdogan got from a Gulf country to finance terrorism has run out and that country cannot provide billions more, so he is trying extortion instead, he said.

Though Qatar has provided Turkey with billions of dollars, the Turkish economy is in a dire situation, not only due to the negative impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic but also due to the rising costs of foreign military ventures in Syria, Iraq, Libya and now possibly also Azerbaijan.

Before the falling out between Ankara and the Gulf, mutual trade and investments between them came to tens of billions of dollars on an annual basis.

Turkey is also now losing the benefits of helping Iran to circumvent the economic sanctions against it, as Iran has found alternative ways of trying to save its deteriorating economic situation.

Saudi commentator Abdel-Aziz Alkhames said that Erdogan was furious because Saudi Arabia and the UAE had concluded that his adventures were targeting them through targeting Egypt.

He referred to a rumour from Turkey through Qatari and Brotherhood social-media accounts of Egypts sending troops to Syria. Erdogans media is portraying the Egyptian army going to Syria, a few km from Turkey, to hit them near their home, he said.

Erdogan had also seen the failure of the planned Ottoman route from Turkey through Egypt and Sudan to Saudi Arabia supervised by the company led by his son Bilal, Alkhames said.

The conclusion is that the Turkish rhetoric reflects Turkeys increasing frustration that Egypt is not alone and that Erdogans bet on Qatar and the Brotherhood is leading to disaster.

For Saudi Arabia and the UAE, Turkish bluster will do nothing more than solidify their support for Egypt.

While it does not downplay the danger of the Turkish-Qatari alliance in spreading terrorism and seeking the destabilisation of the region, the Gulf stand is getting stronger in the face of Turkish blackmail and intimidation.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Tik Tok logos are seen on smartphones in front of a displayed ByteDance logo in this illustration taken Nov. 27, 2019. (Dado Ruvic/Illustration/File Photo/Reuters)

Chinese State Media Vows Tech Mortal Combat in Response to TikTok Buyout Talks

Chinese state media has threatened retaliation after the Trump administration compelled short-video app TikTok to find an American buyer, citing national security concerns about the popular platforms Chinese ownership.

In an editorial published on Aug. 4, state-run outlet China Daily said the Chinese regime would not accept the theft of a Chinese technology company, adding that it had plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab.

The United States actions left China no choice, with either submission or mortal combat in the tech realm, the commentary said.

U.S. tech giant Microsoft confirmed that it was in talks with TikToks owner, the Beijing-based ByteDance, to buy parts of the apps overseas operations. President Donald Trump set a deadline of Sept. 15 for parties to strike a deal, or the app will be banned.

U.S. officials have warned that the app poses national security risks because it could allow Beijing access to vast amounts of American personal data. Chinese laws compel companies to cooperate with security agencies when requested. The company has denied these allegations.

Chinas foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, at a regular briefing on Tuesday, said Beijing firmly opposed Washingtons move, accusing the administration of abusing its power and using national security as a pretext for cracking down on non-U.S. companies.

The Chinese regime has dialed up its rhetoric against the United States since the deterioration of relations between the two countries. State media has recently promoted the idea of war, while central authorities directed television stations to run war movies to foment nationalist sentiment. They came as the Trump administration sharply escalated actions against Beijing in response to the regimes coverup of the pandemic, tightening grip over Hong Kong, theft of American technology, and military aggression in the South China Sea.

White House spokeswoman Kayleigh McEnany told reporters at a briefing on Tuesday that the United States will take action in the coming days regarding TikTok and other Chinese apps, but gave no other details.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over the weekend said: These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, whether its TikTok or WeChat, there are countless more  are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus.
The death of John Hume represents the loss of 20th century Irelands most significant and consequential political figure.

It is no exaggeration to say that each and every one of us now lives in the Ireland Hume imagined  an island at peace and free to decide its own destiny.

This is an historic moment on this island but most of all it is a moment of deep, deep sadness.

In the days ahead, Ireland will be united in mourning his loss.

However amidst that national mourning, it is equally true that the marking of Johns death also opens up a space to reflect on, and celebrate, the magnitude of his life.

As part of that reflection of Johns work, never has the beatitude rung truer  blessed be the peacemakers.

The life of John Hume will forever be a blessing upon this island since Ireland is now blessed by the peace he gifted to us all.

It is the greatest legacy a political leader can bestow upon his country.

Read More Unionists and nationalists united in praise of John Hume

Hume will always find a home amongst the pantheon of great Irish leaders and it is only right and natural that he will now be spoken of in the very same breath as OConnell and Parnell.

It is important that Johns endeavours are fully appreciated in terms of their sheer scale  his impact and legacy extends well beyond one lifetime and well beyond the confines of Northern Ireland.

His lifes work brought to an end the seemingly intractable historical arc of bitter conflict between the neighbouring islands of Britain and Ireland.

After some 800 years which inflicted so much hurt and harm on all our peoples, it is John Hume who must now be remembered as the great healer of that history.

For all of these reasons and more, John Hume truly was Irelands greatest.

It is especially poignant that Johns death has occurred as we concluded celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement.

The Irish nation has lost a giant of its history but his family have lost a husband, a father and a grandfather.

The thoughts, prayers and love of all the SDLP family are today with the entire Hume family  with his children Terese, Aine, Aidan, John and Mo, his brothers and sisters and all his grandchildren.

Most especially our thoughts are with his loving wife Pat who cared for and carried alongside John the very same burdens over many dark and difficult years.

In the coming days, weeks and months I know that people will be eager to encase the Hume family in the very same warmth, gentleness and infectious humanity which Pat has shared with everyone she has ever met.

It is especially poignant that Johns death has occurred as we concluded celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Civil Rights Movement, a time which first awakened his political journey.

Witnessing the enflamed streets of the 1960s and a community determined to rise up and put an end to the systematic discrimination of the state, John choose to build a politics and a political party which was true to its time and true to the aspirations and the needs of our people.

Derry, and the whole island, is in mourning today following the passing of our friend, leader and greatest peacemaker.



We can never repay all that John did for us but we can live the values that meant so much to him. We shall overcome. pic.twitter.com/GXpcNnu5AW  Colum Eastwood (@columeastwood) August 3, 2020

In setting off on that political path, John embodied and thus gave birth to a new political creed on this island, transforming the conflicting traditions which had rigidly defined our past.

That new creed imagined a better and a shared future beyond the rubble of our history.

It taught us that it is far better to live for Ireland than to die for Ireland, it challenged us to pursue the path of politics rather than the reactionary instinct of violence, it dared us always to choose principle ahead of easy populism and it told us that human difference doesnt have to mean division.

The Good Friday Agreement, embraced and endorsed by the Irish people in 1998, is the institutional embodiment of that creed and its vision.

John was not simply the Agreements architect or its builder, he was very much both. He will forever remain its enduring inspiration.

Through the power of Johns truly European imagination, through the depth of his language, he proved that solutions and partnership were possible and that even the greatest obstacles could be overcome.

The three strands of relationships, amongst and between the islands of Britain and Ireland, remains a template of genuine genius and, if utilised, its structures and original ethos still hold the potential to guide us through and beyond the turbulence of our political present.

As a result of his efforts, Hume achieved the rarest of things in a political career  he became a living statesman.

It is telling that John Hume remains the only person to have received the Gandhi Peace Prize, the Martin Luther King Award and of course the Nobel Peace Prize.

In truth though and true to his character, the greatest reward for John was not personal recognition  it was instead found in the end to the violence and death which had taken ownership of our streets for far too long.

As part of our refection, a special mention is appropriate for the city that was always so special to John Hume.

Senator George Mitchell during a visit to Dublin against a backdrop of John Hume. Picture: Gareth Chaney Collins

Today, Derry is a city shrouded in grief. Derry was beloved by John and in return he was beloved by the people of this city.

Whether in Washington, Brussels, London or Dublin, Johns first thought was always for the people of his hometown.

His early involvement in the Credit Union Movement and later his success in bringing thousands of jobs was testament to the fact that forefront in Humes mind was always the cause of social justice and fighting poverty.

John brought hope back into this city where it was too often in short supply.

It is something our city will never forget.

John Hume once summed up his political philosophy in saying: I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people.

The simplicity of that statement remains a powerful insight into the patriotic devotion that came to define the man.

Having spent his life in the service of others, no-one is more deserving of the eternal rest which now awaits him.

Ar dheis De go raibh a anam dilis.

Colum Eastwood is the leader of the Social Democratic & Labour Party
An EasyJet plane. The airline has expanded its flights despite uncertainty over UK coronavirus quarantine rules. Photo: Soeren Stache/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

EasyJet (EZJ.L) has ramped up its flight timetables over the summer, despite heightened uncertainty over UK travel quarantine restrictions after new rules were imposed on Spanish travel.

The companys CEO Johan Lundgren said demand in July and bookings for the rest of the summer were higher than expected. He announced EasyJet had expanded its schedule to about 40% of capacity in its fourth-quarter between July and September, rather than the 30% expected last month, with 210 lines of flying expected to be operating in August.

Lundgren said it had a continued focus only on profitable flying, and flights to Nice and Faro had proved particularly popular in July. EasyJet flew just over two million passengers in July after re-starting commercial flights in mid-June.

The UK government is still imposing 14-day quarantine on new arrivals from many countries, however, in a bid to limit the spread of COVID-19 from countries with high infection rates. The reintroduction of the rules for holidaymakers returning from Spain at short notice late last month sparked fears among would-be travellers and airlines that more popular destinations could follow.

We urgently need to target quarantine requirements to where spikes have occurred rather than at national level, Lundgren told reporters on Tuesday.

READ MORE: EasyJet slashes up to 4,500 staff in knee-jerk job cuts

EasyJet also revealed it burnt through 774m ($1.01bn) in its third quarter to 30 June as the airline took a hammering from the collapse in global air travel, albeit with cash burn lower than previous expectations of about 1bn.

Its revenue came in at just 7m, with the airline swinging to pre-tax losses of 324.5m, from a profit of 174.2m a year earlier. It did not give detailed financial guidance, but said it expected a smaller loss in its fourth-quarter to the end of September than the third quarter.

READ MORE: Coronavirus travel restrictions drag Frankfurt Airport operator to first-half loss

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EasyJet had raised around 419m by issuing new discounted shares last month in a bid to shore up its finances. The budget airline has already announced plans to slash around 4,500 jobs, after warning it did not expect demand to reach pre-virus levels for another three years.

The decision to slash up to a third of its entire workforce sparked a backlash from union leaders, who called it a kick in the teeth.
The Hindus performed the prayer rituals awkwardly in supplication to their new, single god, as they prepared to leave their many deities behind them. Their lips stumbled over Arabic phrases that, once recited, would seal their conversion to Islam. The last words uttered, the men and boys were then circumcised.

Dozens of Hindu families converted in June in the Badin district of Sindh Province in southern Pakistan. Video clips of the ceremony went viral across the country, delighting hard-line Muslims and weighing on Pakistans dwindling Hindu minority.

The mass ceremony was the latest in what is a growing number of such conversions to Pakistans majority Muslim faith in recent years  although precise data is scarce. Some of these conversions are voluntary, some not.

News outlets in India, Pakistans majority-Hindu neighbor and archrival, were quick to denounce the conversions as forced. But what is happening is more subtle. Desperation, religious and political leaders on both sides of the debate say, has often been the driving force behind their change of religion.
Right Now: Queen Letizia Is Living Proof That Chic Royals Wear ASOS

While on a formal royal visit welcoming President Xi Jinping and First Lady Peng Liyuan of China this week, Letizia left her extravagant (read: expensive) gowns by the wayside and opted for a $119 dress from your favorite online store: ASOS.

King Juan Carlos I, the former monarch of Spain, says that he's leaving the country as news breaks of his involvement in a financial scandal, Time reports.

"I am informing you of my considered decision to move, during this period, out of Spain," reads a letter that Juan Carlos wrote to his son, King Felipe VI. Additionally, the letter states that the decision was made after Juan Carlos considered the "public repercussions of certain episodes of my past private life."

Part of why he's leaving, he insists, is to make Felipe's position as king easier by removing any possibility of tension or scandal. Juan Carlos didn't mention where he would be moving.

"A year ago, I expressed my will and desire to stop performing institutional activities. Now, guided by the conviction to perform the best service to the Spanish people, their institutions and you as King, I am communicating my thoughtful decision to move, at this time, outside of Spain," he added. "A decision I make with sadness, but with great serenity. I have been King of Spain for almost forty years and, during all of them, I have always wanted the best for Spain and for the Crown."

David Ramos / Staff

RELATED: Queen Letizia's Outfits Are Freakin' Phenomenal  and Full of Priceless Style Lessons

The decision doesn't brand him as an escaped convict, however. Javier Sanchez-Junco Mans, Juan Carlos's lawyer, told Time that the former ruler would cooperate with any future investigations, no matter where he's living. Juan Carlos is credited with bringing Spain into a democracy after the dictatorship of Francisco Franco.

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"The King wishes to emphasize the historical importance that his father's reign represents, his legacy and his political and institutional work for Spain and democracy; and at the same time he wants to reaffirm the principles and values on which it (Spain's democracy) is based," a press release from King Felipe reads, according to CNN.

Spanish newspapers recently published testimony from a Swiss investigation that found millions of Euros  about $76 million  "that were allegedly given to Juan Carlos by Saudi Arabias late King Abdullah," Time wrote. Juan Carlos allegedly transferred large amounts of money to a "former companion," which investigators saw as an attempt to hide the transaction.

After the news broke, Felipe stated that he would renounce all future inheritances from the former king and stripped him of his annual stipend, which was about $228,000. Spain's royal house also insists that it was unaware of Juan Carlos's supposed dealings with King Abdullah.
With movie theaters still largely shut down across the country, Disney may be selling off one of its upcoming movies to Netflix.

The Woman in the Window, based on the bestselling novel by A.J. Finn and starring Amy Adams, may be picked up by Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

The film was set for release on May 15, but it was pushed to an undetermined date due to COVID-19, and now it may forgo a theatrical release if Netflix picks it up.

Move to Netflix: The Woman in the Window, based on the bestselling novel by A.J. Finn and starring Amy Adams, may be picked up by Netflix, according to The Hollywood Reporter

Sources claim Netflix is 'closing in on a deal' for worldwide rights to the film, which was produced by 20th Century Fox's Fox 2000 label.

Films like The Woman in the Window, a thriller with a midrange budget, is said to be more 'vulnerable' now, because studios will have a backlog of big budget movies to release into theaters once they re-open.

The R-rated thriller will also be the final film under 20th Century Fox's Fox 2000 label, which has been disbanded under Disney's ownership.

Deal: Sources claim Netflix is 'closing in on a deal' for worldwide rights to the film, which was produced by 20th Century Fox's Fox 2000 label

The Woman in the Window follows Anna Fox (Amy Adams), an agoraphobic child psychologist in New York City who spies on her neighbors from her brownstone.

She befriends one of her neighbors (Julianne Moore), one of the few people she's opened up to, but when she disappears under mysterious circumstances, she learns more about her family than she ever wanted to know.

The film also stars Anthony Mackie, Brian Tyree Henry, Gary Oldman, Wyatt Russell, Fred Hechinger and Jennifer Jason Leigh.

Agoraphobic: The Woman in the Window follows Anna Fox (Amy Adams), an agoraphobic woman in New York City who spies on her neighbors from her brownstone

The film, directed by Joe Wright (Darkest Hour, Pan) from an adapted screenplay by Tracy Letts (August: Osage County), was originally slated for release on October 4, 2019.

It was pushed from that date in July 2019 when test audiences reacted negatively towards the third act of the film.

It was then pushed to May 15, 2020, before being delayed indefinitely by the COVID-19 pandemic that has shuttered theaters around the world.

Release: The film, directed by Joe Wright (Darkest Hour, Pan) from an adapted screenplay by Tracy Letts (August: Osage County), was originally slated for release on October 4, 2019

Adams also stars in Hillbilly Elegy from director Ron Howard, which is currently slated for release in November though that may change due to COVID-19.

She was last seen on the big screen in 2018's Vice, which was nominated for Best Picture, and the HBO series Sharp Objects.

She will be featured again as Lois Lane in Zack Snyder's Justice League, which is coming to HBO Max in 2021, and she's attached to star in Disenchanted, a sequel to 2007's Enchanted.
KINMOUNT  A tornado touched down in the south end of Kinmount on Sunday afternoon, damaging structures, felling trees, downing hydro lines and forcing the closure of a major road.

The Northern Tornadoes Project confirmed late Monday afternoon that it was an EF1 tornado, packing winds of about 150 km/h, in Kinmount, about 80 kilometres northwest of Peterborough.

The tornado struck at about 4:50 p.m. Sunday.

City of Kawartha Lakes Road 121 between Bobcaygeon Road and Peterborough County Road 503 in Kinmount was closed to traffic for repairs and cleanup after damage from the storm.

A section of the road just heading out of the village remained closed Monday for the cleanup.

Power went out for about 1,100 Hydro One customers in the Kinmount area, with some not getting their power back until Monday afternoon.

There were also scattered smaller outages in other parts of Peterborough County and the City of Kawartha Lakes.

Winds reached 57.6 km/h at the Peterborough Airport during the storm, according to Environment Canada.

The Kinmount tornado was one of three tornadoes to touch down after a low pressure system moved through southern Ontario. The others were in Camden East, between Napanee and Kingston, and Oxford Mills, south of Ottawa near Kemptville.

The Camden East tornado, rated high-end EF0 in streangth, struck around 2:35 p.m. and the Oxford Mills one, rated low-end EF0, touched down at about 4:25 p.m.

Meanwhile a week tornado was reported to have struck on Monday at about 12:40 p.m. in Mitchell, in southwestern Ontario, causing tree damage, according to Environment Canada.

Anyone with information about the Kinmount tornado and damage it caused can email the Northern Tornadoes Project at ONstorm@canada.ca
Iran resumes electricity exports to Afghanistan after brief halt

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 6:29 PM

A spokesman of the Iranian Energy Ministry says electricity exports to neighboring Afghanistan has resumed following a brief halt caused by a suspected attack on transmission lines.

Mostafa Rajabi Mashhadi said on Monday that the short pause to electricity supply to Afghanistan had taken place earlier in the day because of an "incident" in the Afghan territory.

"The repair personnel of this country immediately moved to fix the line and resolve the problem," said Rajabi Mashhadi, adding, "Now the network linking the two countries is connected and there is now specific problem."

The semi-official Fars news agency had said earlier that Iran's supply of electricity to Afghanistan stopped early in the morning on Monday after a "bullet" was fired toward the transmission lines in a location between cities of Herat and Islam Qala, near the border with Iran.

The report cited a local energy official in Heart as saying that the incident had caused a 50-percent decrease in the supply of electricity from Iran to the region.

There were no information about who might have carried out the attack on transmission lines neither was there any claim of responsibility from any group.

The province of Herat receives a bulk of its household electricity from Iran and Turkmenistan. The Afghan governorate also relies on the power imported from Iran for about a half of the energy consumed in a key industrial town near the provincial capital of Herat.

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David Lazer is university distinguished professor of political science and computer and information sciences with joint appointments in the College of Social Sciences and Humanities and the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern. Credit: Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

More than 63 percent of U.S. residents are waiting longer than one to two days to get their coronavirus test resultsdelays that undermine the contact tracing that could identify individuals who are contagious but show no symptoms, according to results of a new survey by researchers from Northeastern, Harvard, Northwestern, and Rutgers universities.

Overall, the average wait was four days, but in some cases grew to as long as ten days or more for about 10 percent of respondents in a study. The discovery is significant in that health authorities consider rapid turnarounds essential to containing the COVID-19 pandemic, which has so far resulted in the deaths of more than 150,000 in the United States.

Even more worrisome is that wait times do not seem to be diminishing across the country.

"Given the timing of how quickly and how long someone is infectious, speed in producing reliable enough results is of the essence for COVID-19," researchers wrote.

A delay of even a day is critical given that the peak of contagiousness lasts about one week. In that time, scores more could be infected with SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus that causes COVID-19, if they come in contact with someone who may seem healthy, making a positive test virtually useless.

"This is definitely a case of closing the barn doors after the horses have escaped," says David Lazer, university distinguished professor of political science and computer and information sciences at Northeastern, and one of the researchers who conducted the study.

"It's too slow for contact tracing and isolation to be effective."

The study of 19,058 people across all 50 states and the District of Columbia was conducted between July 10 and July 26, 2020. It asked residents if they had been tested for COVID-19 and how long they waited to get the results back.

It found that 37 percent of those who had been tested by nasal swab received results within two days, with 31 percent taking more than four days. For individuals who responded that their last test had been in April, they had waited on average 4.2 days to get results; for those who were tested in July, it was 4.1 days.

Transmission by people who are infected but have no symptoms (either because they will never develop significant symptoms or are presymptomatic) is a key driver behind the spread of COVID-19 because such people are more likely to go about their lives without adopting measures such as quarantining to stem transmission to others.

"If individuals with COVID-19 simply manifested with a purple nose before they were contagious, the disease would be easier to contain and would quickly disappear," the researchers wrote. "Testing is the functional equivalent of that purple nose."

Reasons for delays in getting test results out faster invariably point to a bottleneck in national testing labs, says Lazer. "They are simply overwhelmed."

One solution to the challenge could be at-home tests, which have yet to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration. They have greater false negative rates but appear to perform better for individuals who are shedding more virus, says the study.

In terms of demographics, researchers found that Black and Hispanic people are waiting five days for their test results compared to four days for white respondents, a difference that could be explained by resources and local conditions in their communities, according to Lazer.

In separate, COVID-19-related studies, the universities' researchers reported that the pandemic is resulting in higher support for voting by mail among likely voters.

The July study found 64 percent are in favor of making it easier to cast ballots by mail, and an even larger number (66 percent) say they would support giving every American the universal right to vote by mail in November, an effort opposed by President Donald Trump because of the potential for fraud.

Approval of the president's handling of the pandemic is down 10 points since April, the latest findings show. Some Republican governors of states that reopened earlyand that have faced surges in COVID-19 infectionscontinue to see declining approval numbers, mirroring the president's pandemic-related approval in those states.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak
A gunman stole a watch valued at $250,000 from a friend of Kim Kardashian, known as the Foodgod, during a stickup on an Englewood Cliffs street Sunday night, authorities and reports said.

Jonathan Cheban, a regular on Keeping Up with the Kardashians, confirmed he was robbed in an interview with the Daily Mail.

Police did not identify the victim, but released a composite sketch Monday of the robber.

An assailant approached the victim in a driveway of a home on East Bayview Avenue around 8:30 p.m. and asked what time it was, according to Englewood Cliffs police spokesman Sgt. Ronald Waldt.

The robber pulled a silver semi-automatic handgun and pointed it at Cheban, his mother and a friend, he told the Daily Mail.

The suspect then forcibly removed a watch valued at approximately $250,000 from the victims wrist causing minor injury to the victim, Waldt said in an email.

Police said the robber was described as having dark skin in his late 20s to early 30s, and last seen wearing a purple shirt, light blue jeans, and white and gray sneakers.

After snatching the watch, the bandit took off on foot and met with another man, according to authorities. A police dog was called to track the suspects, who fled to Sylvan Avenue.

Anyone with information can call Englewood Cliffs detectives at 201-569-8088.

A composite sketch of a suspect in the robbery of a $250,000 watch, made public by Englewood Cliffs police.New Jersey State Police

Jonathan Cheban, longtime friend of Kim Kardashian, reportedly told police he was robbed in New Jersey Sunday.Vittorio Zunino Celotto | Getty Images

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Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

A team of researchers at Columbia University has found that abstract art tends to evoke a more abstract mindset than does representational art. In their paper published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, the group describes their online study involving art and paid viewers and what they learned from it.

Representational art depicts subject matter that is generally recognized by viewers. Paintings of people, buildings, fruit or other objects are examples of representational art, as are statues and busts. Abstract art, on the other hand, involves imagery that communicates ideas mainly without visual reference to the natural world. In this new effort, the researchers sought to learn more about the ways the two types of art impact the brains of the people who view them. To that end, they created a study that could be performed entirely online using a platform called Amazon Turk, a website owned by Amazon that allows researchers and others to pay workers to conduct tasks. In this effort, the tasks involved asking 840 workers to look at paintings by four abstract artists. Each of the paintings fell into one of three categories: clearly defined objects, somewhat abstract, and abstract. The workers were asked to place (in their minds) each of the paintings in a given exhibition. The exhibition choices included those representing "today" or those representing "in a year." They also had the option of placing them in an exhibit nearby, such as around the corner, or far away, such as in another state.

The researchers found some patterns in the responsesthose looking at abstract art tended to see the paintings as depicting things in the future, or far away. They wanted to showcase them in the exhibits "in a year" and "another state." Those looking at more representational art, on the other hand, were more likely to want to showcase the art in a "today" exhibit "around the corner." The researchers suggest their findings indicate that looking at abstract art can evoke what they describe as psychological distanceseeing things more conceptually as opposed to realistically.

Explore further Neurosciences unlock the secret of the first abstract engravings

More information: Celia Durkin et al. An objective evaluation of the beholder's response to abstract and figurative art based on construal level theory, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (2020). Journal information: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences Celia Durkin et al. An objective evaluation of the beholder's response to abstract and figurative art based on construal level theory,(2020). DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2001772117

 2020 Science X Network
ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming told employees in an internal letter on Tuesday that the United States' goal was not to force a sale of TikTok U.S. operations but rather to ban the app, and that some people had misconceptions about the situation.

The letter, which was reported by Chinese media and confirmed by a source to Reuters, was sent only to ByteDance's Chinese employees after news that ByteDance was in talks to sell parts of TikTok to Microsoft prompted online criticism of the firm and Zhang.

ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
People wear masks as they walk through the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on June 10, 2020. (Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)

Minnesota Governor Sued by Voters Over Contradictory Mask Laws

A week before Minnesota primary voters go to the polls, the Minnesota Voters Alliance and an independent group of voters filed a federal lawsuit against Democrat Gov. Tim Walz challenging the states combination of laws that criminalize both wearing a mask and not wearing a mask.

As part of Walzs Executive Order 20-81, dated July 22, in response to the pandemic, its currently illegal to appear in public without a protective face mask, according to a summary.

At the same time, Minnesota Statue 609.735, on the books since 1963, makes it against the law to wear a mask in a public place.

The legal complaint for declaratory and injunctive relief was filed Aug. 4 in U.S. District Court in Minnesota, ahead of the scheduled primary election Aug. 11.

The governor cant have it both ways, the plaintiffs attorney Erick G. Kaardal, of the Minneapolis-based law firm of Mohrman, Kaardal & Erickson, said during a press conference conducted online.

His poorly thought-out Executive Orders compel upstanding law-abiding citizens to wear face masks or face criminal fines, and in some circumstances, imprisonment.

Those same individuals, complying with Walzs order, are forced to violate longstanding Minnesota law, and by doing so commit a criminal act punishable by up to 90 days imprisonment and/or a $1,000 fine.

With the specter of threatened prosecution hanging over those who show up barefaced at polls on primary election day, upstanding voters are faced only with the option of breaking another well-established state law.

Walz has brought this lawsuit upon his administration through his hasty despotic actions against the people of his state, said Kaardal.

The governors overall disregard for their well-being and insistence upon total control have created this untenable scenario, which the court must now resolve.

Kaardal stressed that the purpose of the lawsuit was to provide clarity so Minnesotans know how to conduct themselves on Election Day, not necessarily to strike down the mask-wearing edict.

No one in this case is saying that mask-wearing isnt a good thing, he said.

Its just in this case, the State of Minnesota has created conflicting laws where people are criminally prosecuted for wearing a mask and for not wearing a mask. The executive and legislative branch must decide which law prevails.

Meanwhile, failing to do so has created a chilling effect on the plaintiffs who wish to exercise their political rights protected by the First Amendmentincluding in-person voting in the polling place on primary day, Aug. 11.

The complaint itself explains how, according to the plaintiffs, Minnesotas combination of laws criminalizing both wearing a mask and not wearing a mask are suppressing political participation and in-person voting in the primary election next week.

Even in pandemics, when there is a likelihood of government deprivation of civil liberties, the branches of the government have to work together to ensure that the laws are narrowly tailored to meet a compelling state interest, the complaint states.

State Rep. Steve Drazkowski, a Republican, said in a statement that he supported the lawsuit.

Each unlawful executive order signed by Governor Walz represents another violation of the Minnesota Constitution, he said. We are acting swiftly on this second lawsuit, and we will bring forward additional lawsuits to protect the people of Minnesota from the damage caused by the Governors wanton lawlessness.

State Rep. Jeremy Munson, a Republican, also expressed support for the suit.

I think its really important to get clarity on the issue, he said during the press conference, calling the situation regarding the dueling mask laws a constitutional crisis for our state.

The governors unilateral executive orders are an affront to transparency, accountability, and a constitutional process. We have challenged these orders since day one and will not be silent as long as the governor continues to act like a dictatorial monarch, he said.

Our lawsuit hopes to draw attention to the importance of our constitutional process. The rights and civil liberties of all citizens are protected by our state and federal constitutions. These documents are the law of the land, and they must not be suspended at any time simply because they are an inconvenience to Governor Walz.

State Rep. Tim Miller, a Republican, said during the presser that his patience with Walz has worn out.

The governors mask mandate is meant to condition people for more control, Miller said. Ive tried talking to his people. They dont call me back.

The people Miller represents in rural Minnesota are very frustrated, he said.

What the governor is doing both here and with the emergency powers is either unconstitutional or certainly against the laws of Minnesota.

The Epoch Times reached out to Walzs office for a comment but didnt receive a reply as of press time.
Visakhapatnam:

Locals on Wednesday rushed to collect a number of Rs 500 notes found floating in a drain, but were left disappointed after realising that they all were fake.

Local police inspector K L Murthy said the fake notes had a face value of Rs 10 lakh.

As the word spread about the notes being spotted in the drain near Mithulapuri Colony and Vikalangula Colony, residents of the nearby areas gathered at the spot to collect them, police said.

Many of them thought they had struck a fortune, but were shell-shocked to know that the notes with the face value of Rs 500 were in fact counterfeit.

Two persons came to the spot on a bike and dumped Rs 500 notes into the drain before fleeing, said K Ravi Kumar, a resident at the area.

We thought the unidentified persons might have thrown money as they could not exchange them with new currencies. However, after recovering the notes from the drain we realised that they were fake, he added.

According to Murthy, Locals had recovered all notes and fled before we reached there. We suspect that some gangs behind circulation of counterfeit currency notes might have dumped them in the drain as they couldnt utilise them anymore in the wake of demonetisation.

He said efforts are on to trace the two persons who are suspected to have dumped the fake notes in drain.

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Capt Amarinder Singh

Chandigarh: Asserting that he will finish the liquor mafia in the state, Punjab Chief Minister, Captain Amarinder Singh, on Tuesday said no one, whether a politician or a public servant, will be spared if found complicit in the hooch deaths.

The Chief Minister said nobody will be allowed to get away with killing people with the poison called spurious liquor. He had put the entire force of the Punjab Police to crack down on the mafia, said Captain Amarinder.

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Capt Amarinder SinghSome unscrupulous elements took advantage of the police focus on battling the Covid pandemic to satiate their greed at the cost of the lives of Punjabis, said the Chief Minister.

While the state government was busy battling Covid, which has claimed 449 lives in the state so far, the liquor mafia seized the opportunity to play with the lives of our people, he added.

This is sheer murder and the killers will not get away with it, Captain Amarinder said, referring to the death of 111 people (83 from Tarn Taran, 15 from Amritsar and 13 from Batala) due to the spurious liquor.

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Liquor

They knew this could kill and yet they supplied/sold the poison to innocent people. They deserve no mercy, said Captain Amarinder, adding that his government stands with the families of the deceased in their hour of grief and he will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for them.

Castigating the opposition for exploiting the tragedy for their petty political interests, the Chief Minister said this is not the time to play politics but to stand by the government in its efforts to eliminate the mafia that is indulging in such acts.

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He flayed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its dharnas against the hooch tragedy, and asked how this would help in battling the mafia or supporting the bereaved families.

The Chief Minister pointed out that such tragedies have been taking place through the years across states, under different political dispensations.

Capt Amarinder SinghMafias and criminals do not have any political affiliation, their only interest is to earn money by hook or by crook, he said, noting that 2019 had seen three hooch tragedies, all in the BJP-ruled states of Assam, UP and Uttarakhand, claiming 168, 97 and 30 lives.

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In 2016, 16 people had died in Janata Dal ruled Bihar while in 2015, BJP-led Maharashtra had lost 102 lives to hooch in Mumbai and under the Trinamool Congress rule in West Bengal, as many as 167 people had similarly died due to consumption of spurious liquor.

Almost every year, India sees some or the other hooch tragedy, which has nothing to do with who is in power in the affected state, said Captain Amarinder, urging the opposition parties to stop playing politics over the lives of innocent Punjabis.

Our people dont care which party is ruling the state, all they want is justice for their loved ones, who fell victim to the greed of the liquor mafia, he said, pointing out that Punjab had also witnessed similar tragedies under the SAD-BJP regime.

The Chief Minister urged the opposition to rise, for once, above their petty political interests, to fight for justice for the people.
New Delhi: India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan, over the release of its new political map showing Indian territories as its own, and called it "an exercise in political absurdity". India further called the move as "ridiculous assertions" which neither have "legal validity nor international credibility".

A day ahead of the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir, the Imran Khan government included the entire region of Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh, the erstwhile princely state of Junagadh in Gujarat and Sir Creek as Pakistan's territories, in an act of cartographic aggression.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said, "We have seen a so-called 'political map' of Pakistan that has been released by Prime Minister Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our Union Territories of Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh."

The MEA added, "These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistans obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism."

While domestically Khan might be hoping that it be seen as a big political move, the same map was issued in 2012 by the Pakistan government. The only claim in the "new political map of Pakistan" is Sir Creek in Kutch region.

The Imran Khan government has planned several moves ahead of the first anniversary of the removal of special status to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir.

Unveiling the map, Khan called it a historic day in Pakistans history, according to Pakistani media Tribune. He also said that for the first time ever, Pakistan has launched a political map which shows the entire Kashmir region as its territory, reported Tribune. Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that plebiscite should be held in Kashmir region under the watch of UN to determine the future of the disputed territory, Tribune reported.

The move by Pakistan comes months after Nepal PM KP Sharma Oli took a similar step of including India's territories in its political map. The Nepal government on May 20 had released the revised political and administrative map incorporating the disputed territories of Limpiyadhura, Lipulekh and Kalapani. India has said that Nepal`s unilateral action is "not based on historical facts and evidence."

India has been continuously opposing Nepal for including its three territories in its revised map. India also said that the move is contrary to the bilateral understanding to resolve the outstanding boundary issues through diplomatic dialogue and "such artificial enlargement of territorial claims will not be accepted by India".
DEXTER, MI - Dexter Community Schools will largely begin the year with remote learning, the district announced Monday, with plans to gradually bring students back into the classroom.

District officials broke down a detailed draft plan for returning to school this fall during the Aug. 3 Dexter School Board meeting, giving parents a choice between fully virtual learning or a phased-in, hybrid learning schedule that could eventually lead to 100% in-person classes.

With a recent parent survey indicating more than 42% want face-to-face instruction as soon as permitted, compared to 23.4% who want fully-online learning, Superintendent Chris Timmis said the district will begin the year on Sept. 8 by bringing small numbers of students back into building, starting with those with the highest instructional needs.

This plan allows us to transition our students while teaching them a new way of doing school, Timmis said. So when we bring in the smaller numbers (of students) we can review the protocols so that the kids truly understand how we have to operate to be safe.

The district is offering two options for parents: the Home Room Model, which would have students come to school in-person according to the districts transition plan; or the Home-Based Model, which would be entirely virtual.

The phased-in approach in the Home Room Model would bring back young fives through elementary school students first, followed by intermediate school students and then secondary students.

Our goal would be 100% face-to-face learning to any interested family, Timmis said.

Parents will have the option of in-person or virtual school for their children at all levels of Dexter Community Schools.Image provided | Dexter Community Schools

The steps back to in-person learning

After starting the year remotely as step one, the district would look for 14 days of local and county data showing consistent decline in new COVID-19 cases before moving to step two, which would phase-in 25% of young fives through fourth grade students per day for about a week.

The younger grades would move to 50% of students attending each day, before reaching step three, which would include all young fives through fourth grade students attending daily. At that point, fifth through eighth grade students would begin phased-in hybrid learning with the same approach, while high school students would still remain fully online.

In step four, all students through eighth grade would be attending in-person classes daily, with Dexter High School beginning to phase in its students. Under step five, all students would have the option of attending in-person classes on a daily basis.

A look at the plans for elementary education at Dexter Community Schools to start the year on Sept. 8.Image provided | Dexter Community Schools

What an elementary day looks like

Daily live lessons with classes will be part of the virtual learning, after the district heard from parents who said they wanted the school day to have more structure.

However, we do not want to have kids sitting in Zoom sessions all day, Timmis said.

At the elementary level, classes will take place daily from 8:14 a.m. to 3:06 p.m. Instructional time will be maximized with all students attending school initially in smaller groups on an alternating day schedule until the district is permitted to safely bring in all students at one time, Timmis said.

At 25% capacity at the elementary level, students are divided into Group A and Group B, with Group A students attending on Monday or Thursday, as assigned by the school, with virtual learning the other four days of the week. Group B students would attend on Tuesday or Friday.

At 50% capacity for in-person classes, Group A students would attend school on Monday and Thursday, while Group B would attend on Tuesday and Friday. Wednesday currently is scheduled as a distance learning day, providing opportunities for virtual learning experience, parent-teacher conferences and a cleaning of school buildings.

Students will remain in one classroom throughout the school day at the elementary level, with the exception of recess, lunch, one-to-one or small group instruction or other outdoor instruction, Timmis said.

A look at the remote learning schedule for intermediate school students at Dexter Community Schools.Image provided | Dexter Community Schools

Intermediate school

In the intermediate grades, students will begin remotely with the day starting with 15 to 20 minutes of real-time instruction beginning at 8 a.m., followed by 20 to 30 minutes of core content instruction and 15 to 30 minutes of other special subjects before they begin online and offline work that will take two to two and a half hours per day.

When students are in person at 25% capacity, four groups of students will each attend in-person classes one day a week, while Creekside Intermediate would follow its current schedule.

At 50%, Group A students would go to school Monday and Thursday, while Group B would go Tuesday and Friday, with Wednesday all virtual. At this capacity, there would be between 10 to 15 students per classroom, Timmis said. Groupings will remain in the same classroom for the day, while teachers will rotate classrooms to minimize exposure.

Wednesday will give us opportunities to clean and have some smaller group time and to get our teachers together to do things like organize curriculum, Timmis said.

Students will receive core instruction along with time in their special subjects like art, lifetime fitness, media and world languages. Social emotional learning will be embedded within the core curriculum, and will be further supported through mentoring.

A look at the remote learning schedule for Dexter High School students to start the year on Sept. 8Image provided | Dexter Community Schools

Mill Creek, Dexter High School

Mill Creek Middle School will have a period schedule under the virtual format running from 8 a.m. to 2:52 p.m., with three classes a day before a period of an elective class, world language, student work time or virtual office hours to close out the day.

At 50% capacity, the school will be split into cohorts, with Cohort A doing face-to-face learning on Monday and Thursday and Cohort B attending Tuesday and Friday, with Wednesday a virtual learning day for all. During virtual learning days, students will receive multiple contacts from teachers and staff.

Students with siblings in the same school - including children in blended families - will be placed in the same cohort to ease child care, transportation and scheduling concerns, Timmis said. When in-person Mill Creek would run classes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

That will allow us to develop a staggered entry and dismissal so that we dont have 600 students walking in and out, once we get all of the students in at the same time, Timmis said.

At Dexter High School, the year will begin virtually with three class periods to start the day with student work time, teacher planning and virtual monitoring to close out the day.

At 25% capacity, students are split into four cohorts meeting for one day of in-person classes per week. The other four days of the week would be virtual learning days where students lead their own learning through a continuation of the face-to-face instruction.

At 50%, high school students will attend in-person classes in cohorts, with Cohort A attending Monday and Thursday and Cohort B in-person on Tuesday and Friday. Class sizes will generally range between 12 and 15 students and class period will be about 100 to 110 minutes each.

Tech, PPE, logistics

Technology distribution will occur before the start of the school year in a similar fashion to the spring. Devices will be made available to all students for either the Homeroom or Home-Based models.

All students will be required to wear masks on the bus, in school hallways and in common areas. Timmis said the district has spent between $10,000 and $20,000 on masks for the coming year. Shields will be provided for all staff.

Six-foot social distancing is not possible in classrooms once the number of students transitioning into buildings increases, Timmis said.

It is merely mathematical. There isnt enough room in a classroom or school to provide a six-foot distance at all times, Timmis said, estimating school rooms can only fit about six students in a class under those constraints.

In the event a member of a Homeroom family, staff or student tests positive for COVID-19, the school will follow state guidelines, health department guidance and district guidelines regarding exposure and quarantine upon notification.

Instruction will continue in a modified format during any quarantine.

After the district presents its final plan for back to school to the school board on Aug. 10, it will ask parents to make a final decision on which learning format they would prefer for the coming year.

READ MORE:

What you need to know about Ann Arbor Public Schools plans for school this fall

Kalamazoo schools will start the year online-only

Jackson Public Schools approves hybrid plan that includes in-person classes
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 15:26:15|Editor: huaxia

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SYDNEY, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Australian state of Victoria introduced new harsh penalties on Tuesday for breaching COVID-19 restrictions, as the state recorded a further 439 infections.

Those who breach orders to self-isolate will face fines of up to 4,957 Australian dollars (3,535 U.S. dollars), while repeat offenders could face court and penalties of up to 20,000 Australian dollars (14,276 U.S. dollars).

Already in place was a 1,652-Australian-dollar penalty (1,178 U.S. dollars) for failing to comply with stage 4 social distancing restrictions and a 200-Australian-dollar fine (142 U.S. dollars) for not wearing a mask.

With just under 6,500 active cases, Victoria's leadership was desperate to regain control of the outbreak, an effort they said was being hampered by members of the public ignoring official advice.

State Premier Daniel Andrews revealed that of 3,000 home visits carried out to check on those ordered to self-isolate, in more than 800 instances the person was not at home.

"The vast majority of people are doing the right thing, but there are a number of people who are not," Andrews said.

Andrews said that those for repeat offenders and particularly "selfish" behavior, such as going to work while positive will face court and potentially much harsher penalties.

"We don't want it to come to that. We want people to be where they are supposed to be because that is how we will all get past this," Andrews said.

Meanwhile, Victorian police officers issued 161 fines within a 24-hour-period to those not abiding by COVID-19 regulations, including 60 for not wearing a mask.

Victoria's stage 4 restrictions which came into place on Sunday will last for six weeks, with residents only allowed to leave their homes for a handful of reasons, including buying food, work, school, and outdoor exercise. Enditem
Lifetime announced Monday it will feature its first same-sex relationship at the core of one of its "It's a Wonderful Lifetime" holiday movies. The new film is titled "The Christmas Set Up."

The movie will follow Hugo, a corporate lawyer in New York, who returns home to Milwaukee for the holidays, according to a press release. While there, his mother plays matchmaker between him and his secret high school crush, Patrick, who recently made it big in Silicon Valley. While their relationship sparks, Hugo receives a big promotion which would require him to move to London.

MORE: 98-year-old Betty White to star in a Christmas movie on Lifetime

Lifetime -- who, like Hallmark Channel, has been called out for lacking LGBTQ representation in its holiday programming -- previously featured a same-sex kiss in its 2019 holiday movie "Twinkle All the Way." Even though it was the final kiss of the entire film, the relationship between the two characters, played by Brian Sills and Mark Ghanime, wasn't its central focus.

PHOTO: In this still from the 2019 Lifetime movie 'Twinkle All The Way', actors Brian Sills and Mark Ghanime play a married couple. (Courtesy of Lifetime)

"We are thrilled to continue our legacy of creating a holiday destination that is welcoming to all at Lifetime," Amy Winter, EVP and head of programming at Lifetime and LMN, said.

Elsewhere in Lifetime's slate of 30 new holiday movies, which will be released in full sometime in September, are more wins for diversity. For example, the Jennifer Liao-directed "A Sugar & Spice Holiday" is about a Chinese-American family -- another first for the network.

Lifetime said casting for both "The Christmas Set Up" and "A Sugar & Spice Holiday" is currently underway and production on both is set to begin later this month.

In addition to these two projects, the network announced "Christmas Ever After," which stars Ali Stroker, the first actress who uses a wheelchair for mobility to be nominated for and win a Tony. Tiffany Haddish is also executive producing a holiday film titled "Christmas Unwrapped."

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MORE: How 'Mulan' helped me accept my sexuality and gender

This news comes weeks after a Hallmark Channel spokesperson told "Good Morning America" the network would be announcing "projects featuring LGBTQ storylines, characters and actors."

"Diversity and inclusion is a top priority for us," a statement from the representative read. "We are committed to creating a Hallmark experience where everyone feels welcome."

None such projects from Hallmark Channel have been revealed as of yet.

Lifetime announces 1st holiday movie centered around same-sex couple originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
The work of 16 comic artists from seven African nations is showcased in an online-only exhibition, Afropolitan Comics. The French initiative, which germinated in South Africa, aims to show what Africans can do, the curators say.

Afropolitan Comics is part of the Africa 2020 project and regroups comic authors from South Africa, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Cameroon, Senegal, Cote dIvoire and Algeria.

Afropolitan is an amalgam of the words 'Africa' and 'cosmopolitan' in a reminder of the modernity and diversity that exists across the African continent.

We wanted to break away from the cliches and stereotypes about Africans. Also, inform people that comic authors in Africa do not just work on biographies or make fun of politicians, says Joelle Epee Mandengue, one of the four curators of the exhibition.

The online event is free to access and will be available, with Africa 2020, until July 2021.

Pan-African focus

According to Epee Mandengue, it is the first time that an exhibition of African comics was conceived to be shared on a digital platform only.

Afropolitan Comics exhibition is the Chapter 2 of comic events that started, in 2019, with The Art of Comics exhibition, initiated by the French Institute of South Africa.

This year, it partnered with Angoulemes International centre for comics and images (Cite Internationale de la bande dessinee et de limage) to further explore and showcase the talented authors of the lesser-known African comics.

The comics museum in France is the best partner for this type of exhibition as it is quite unique in this field with a solid reputation both in France and internationally, explains Selen Daver, the cultural attache at the French Embassy in South Africa.

Last years Art of Comics exhibition in Johannesburg focused on South African comics and graphic novels with a special section on the rich tradition of French comics. It aimed to reveal common threads that tie France and South Africa together in heroic fantasy, science fiction, history and other genre.

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We realised, last year, that there were no Africans among the Francophone comic artists in the exhibition. This is why we felt it was very important, this time, to create bridges and actually engage a conversation between Anglophone and Francophone Africans, Daver told RFI.

The huge success of The Art of Comics encouraged the French Institute to continue working on comics but, Covid oblige, the 2020 edition became all digital.

Interconnected African comic artists

The 16 artists  eight from South Africa and eight from six other African nations  were chosen because of their similarities, either in the way they draw or the themes they explore.

Having spent the last four years organising the Bilili International Comics Festival in the Republic of the Congo, Epee Mandengue has a solid overview of what is being done on the comics scene in Africa and is in a position to see what the various authors may have in common.

Even if they dont know each other, you can see they sort of mirror each others work as if they are pursuing the same conversation. And this is why this exhibition is also called images in conversation, the Brazzaville-based curator told RFI.

This idea of mirror effect is reflected in the lay out of the exhibitions website: on the left-hand side, there is the work of a South African artist and on the right-hand side, his counterpart from the rest of the continent, as if they are talking to each other, sharing experiences.

You can be in Senegal, speaking Woloff, in Cote dIvoire, speaking French or in Zimbabwe, speaking English but with comics we overcome the language barrier, adds Epee Mandengue.

The four curators chose to divide the exhibition into three themes: Autobiography, Heroes and History, Folklore and the Future.

The exhibition shows that we are interconnected even though we live afar and we have different cultural backgrounds, Epee Mandengue said.

She says that each comic artist has a specific way of approaching a theme. For example, the story of Shaka  the Zulu warrior prince  is told from a South African perspective by Luke Molver while the Ivorian artist Koffi Roger Nguessan offers a different approach.

But at the end of the day there is a similar point of view even though they dont know each other or dont even speak the same language, explains the curator.

Next chapter

She believes that the art of comics is only slowly blossoming in Africa with only a few authors who can earn a living from it.

In Africa, you wont find it easy being a graphic author. Our society has difficulties accepting graphic artists as part of its creative force, Epee Mandengue added.

LInstitut Francais is likely to pursue a Chapter 3 in 2021 as there is so much to do and there is such a big interest in comics.

Comics is not something that you will see in the art sector here [in South Africa], she says. The purpose of the exhibitions is to show that comics are really art.

Daver added that the French Institute is looking for a partnership with the 2020 edition of Comic Con Africa, which this year, will be an online event due in September.
A Norwegian cruise ship line halted all trips and apologized Monday for procedural errors after an outbreak of coronavirus on one ship infected at least 4 passengers and 36 crew members.

The 40 people on the MS Roald Amundsen who tested positive have been admitted to the University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsoe, north of the Arctic Circle, where the ship currently is docked.

"A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures," Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement. He added the company that sails along Norway's picturesque coast between Bergen in the south and Kirkenes in the north is "now in the process of a full review of all procedures, and all aspects of our own handling."

The cruise line has contacted passengers who had been on the MS Roald Amundsen for its July 17 and July 24 departures from Bergen to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, which is known for its polar bears.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4

By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend:

Various types of coloring substances were exported to Turkmenistan from Russia from January through May 2020, Trend reports citing statistics data of the Eurasian Economic Commission.

According to statistics, Russia was the only country which exported plant and animal origin dyes To Turkmenistan among EAEU countries. Volume of dyes exported from Russia to Turkmenistan was 4,750 kilograms for a total of $12,384.

In addition, Russia exported 1,891 kilograms of organic dyes to Turkmenistan for a total of $18,913.

According to statistics, paints and varnishes produced from synthetic polymers were exported to Turkmenistan in both non-aqueous and aqueous environments.

Thus, the volume of paints and lacquers produced from synthetic polymers exported from Russia to Turkmenistan in a non-aqueous environment amounted to 319,085 kilograms, for a total amount of $305,563.

Meanwhile, the exporters of paints and lacquers based on synthetic polymers in the water environment to Turkmenistan were Russia and Kazakhstan in the amount of 18,055 kilograms, for a total of $16,486.

The share of Russia in the export of paints and lacquers based on synthetic polymers in the water environment was $15,678, and the share of Kazakhstan was $807,814.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva
OnePlus Nord now available in the UK and Germany, the rest of Europe gets it in 2 days

As of this morning, the OnePlus Nord is available in the UK and Germany, ready to ship in 24 hours. And the company has a surprise for its fans that are getting the first batch of units  exclusive goodies.

These perks seem to be randomized. You can get a tote bag, you can score a Creator Case, or maybe just get the AR Cardboard (which was used for the announcement stream). Hit refresh a few times and see what you come up with.



The luck of the draw determines the free goodies you get with your Nord

In addition to the UK and Germany, the OnePlus Nord will ship in two days in most of Europe. August 6 is when shipments start in India too, by the way.

Note that in France theres a free pair of OnePlus Type-C Bullets included, but thats due to local laws that require a headset be bundled with the phone.

Dont miss our hands-on review of the Nord for more details on OnePlus mid-ranger.
Rating Action: Moody's assigns Ba1 to Xerox Holdings' proposed notes; outlook negative

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

New York, August 03, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") assigned a Ba1 Corporate Family Rating (CFR), Ba1-PD Probability of Default Rating (PDR), and an SGL-1 speculative grade liquidity rating to Xerox Holdings Corporation (Xerox Holdings), the parent holding company of Xerox Corporation. Moody's also assigned a Ba1 rating to Xerox Holdings' proposed senior unsecured notes. The outlook is negative. As part of the rating actions, the CFR, PDR, and SGL rating of Xerox Corporation were withdrawn. All other ratings for Xerox Corporation were affirmed. The proposed notes will be issued by Xerox Holdings and used to refinance existing notes of Xerox Corporation that mature in the second half of 2020.

Ratings for the proposed notes reflect the guarantee provided by Xerox Corporation resulting in the new senior unsecured notes of Xerox Holdings being pari passu with the existing senior unsecured notes of Xerox Corporation in respect of the assets of Xerox Corporation. Going forward, we expect Xerox Holdings will be the issuer of new debt instruments as debt at Xerox Corporation is refinanced. Ratings also assume that the final transaction documents will not be materially different from draft legal documentation reviewed by Moody's to date and assume that these agreements are legally valid, binding and enforceable.

Rating Actions:

Assignments:

..Issuer: Xerox Holdings Corporation

..Corporate Family Ratings, Assigned Ba1

..Probability of Default, Assigned Ba1-PD

NEW Proposed Gtd Senior Unsecured Notes, Assigned Ba1 (LGD4)

....Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating, Assigned SGL-1

Affirmations:

..Issuer: Xerox Corporation

....Senior Unsecured Shelf, Affirmed (P)Ba1

....Senior Unsecured Bank Credit Facility, Affirmed Ba1 (LGD4)

....Senior Unsecured Commercial Paper, Affirmed NP

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....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture, Affirmed Ba1 (LGD4)

Withdrawals:

..Issuer: Xerox Corporation

.... Corporate Family Rating, Withdrawn , previously rated Ba1

.... Probability of Default Rating, Withdrawn , previously rated Ba1-PD

.... Speculative Grade Liquidity Rating, Withdrawn , previously rated SGL-1

Outlook Actions:

..Issuer: Xerox Holdings Corporation

..Outlook, Negative ..Issuer: Xerox Corporation ....Outlook, Remains Negative RATINGS RATIONALE

Ratings for Xerox Holdings reflect continued uncertainty about the company's ability to stabilize and grow its revenue base over the next few years given the secular decline in copier and printing demand as well as intense global competition. Beyond the impact of COVID-19 and the global recession, Moody's expects Xerox Holdings will be challenged to stabilize revenues in the absence of an unlikely fundamental change in the company's revenue mix or market share. Xerox Holdings' top line faces continuing erosion due to a secular decline in copier and printing demand in developed countries combined with new equipment and service offerings from competing providers, a few of whom have deeper financial pockets, more stable revenues, or exposure in higher growth Asian markets.

Through the first half of 2020, revenues for Xerox Holdings have declined in the mid 20% range due to the impact of COVID-19 and the global recession. "We expect revenue and EBITDA to continue declining for the remainder of 2020 followed by a return to growth in 2021; however, the company has been able to generate free cash flow and has maintained significant liquidity which supports Xerox Holdings' ability to recover when the global recession abates and demand for IT equipment, supplies and services strengthens," said Carl Salas, Moody's senior credit officer.

Xerox Holdings' Ba1 CFR is supported by the company's good market position in its core mid-range print and document outsourcing markets as well as robust liquidity and positive adjusted free cash flow metrics. Excluding the impact of COVID-19, more than 75% of Xerox Holdings' revenue is typically derived from post-sale activities that include document outsourcing, managed print services, maintenance service, supplies (toner and paper), and finance income. These elements come with higher operating margins and provide some revenue predictability. Moody's recognizes the importance of providing customer financing as part of Xerox Holdings' overall selling proposition as it provides a competitive advantage and greater flexibility in structuring large technology purchases; however, financing equipment receivables weigh on the company's risk assessment due to the ongoing need to manage sizable debt maturities and cost of funding.

Ratings for the senior unsecured notes and credit facility (Ba1, LGD4) incorporate the overall probability of default of the company, as reflected in the PDR of Ba1-PD and Moody's expectation for an average family recovery in a default scenario. The assigned SGL-1 rating reflects the company's very good liquidity, supported by $2.3 billion of cash as of June 30, 2020, positive free cash flow despite the impact of COVID-19, and an undrawn $1.8 billion revolving credit facility.

The rapid spread of the coronavirus outbreak, deteriorating global economic outlook, low oil prices, and high asset price volatility have created an unprecedented credit shock across a range of sectors and regions. We regard the coronavirus outbreak as a social risk under our ESG framework, due to the substantial implications for public health and safety. Given Xerox Holdings' exposure to the global economy, the company remains vulnerable to shifts in market demand and sentiment in these unprecedented operating conditions.

Demand for office copiers and printers is experiencing a secular decline reflecting substitution of traditional physical copies with digital documents and the social trend to go paperless. Governance is also a key consideration given the company's aggressive financial policies. Earlier this year, Xerox Holdings' proposal to acquire HP Inc. was aggressive from an operating and financial perspective. In addition, the company established a new holding company, Xerox Holdings Corporation, with the intent of providing strategic, operational, and financial flexibility. Xerox Holdings guarantees the credit facility of Xerox Corporation but does not guarantee the senior notes of Xerox Corporation which could favor shareholders, holders of Xerox Holdings' new notes, and revolver lenders at the expense of Xerox Corporation noteholders. Xerox Holdings' board is comprised of seven members of which six are considered independent. Xerox Holdings' shareholder base is diversified with funds of Icahn Associates and Vanguard holding 10% to 11% of outstanding shares and other investment firms owning 7.5% or less.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

The negative outlook reflects the persistent pressures on Xerox Holdings' core copier and printing business as well as execution challenges, especially if management's operating and strategic plans include sizable restructuring charges, incremental investments, or relaxation of historical capital allocation policy. The outlook could be changed to stable if the company demonstrates progress in restoring revenues to approach pre-pandemic levels while also restoring operating margins and free cash flow generation.

Xerox Holdings' ratings could be upgraded with business execution that leads to consistent revenue growth, stable to improving operating margins, and growing free cash flow. An upgrade would also require conservative financial discipline, ensuring classes of unsecured debt at Xerox Corporation and Xerox Holdings have similar instrument ratings despite potentially asymmetric investment activities, and maintaining the asset quality of its finance operations while reducing the refinancing risk associated with finance liabilities. These results would be evidenced by achieving and maintaining adjusted operating margins in the low double-digit percentage range, adjusted total debt to EBITDA approaching 1.75x, and improving free cash flow generation.

Ratings could be downgraded if Xerox Holdings is unable to restore and stabilize revenues approaching pre-pandemic levels, or operating margins or other credit metrics weaken after mid-2021. Downward rating action could also occur if liquidity deteriorates including cash balances falling below $1 billion or revolver availability falling below $1.2 billion, adjusted debt to EBITDA exceeds 2.75x after mid-2021, or adjusted free cash flow to debt falls below 15% after mid-2021. Ratings could also be downgraded if the company incurs leverage to undertake any combination of share buybacks, dividends or acquisitions that leads to weakened credit metrics or if classes of unsecured debt at Xerox Corporation or Xerox Holdings have different instrument ratings reflecting asymmetric credit metrics.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Diversified Technology published in August 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1130737. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

Xerox Holdings Corporation, with operations in roughly 160 countries, is a worldwide leader in document processing systems and related supplies.

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WhatsApp is trialling a new feature that lets its users inspect forwarded messages sent to them, in a bid to clamp down on misinformation.

The 'Search the Web' feature, which is being trialled in six markets including the UK from today, lets users do a quick Google search on dubious-sounding content.

Users tap a magnifying glass icon next to a message to fact-check it and get more information on the topic  and debunk dodgy misinformation.

The feature is WhatsApp's latest attempt to stop the spread of misleading and far-fetched conspiracy theories during a global pandemic.

The Facebook-owned chat platform, which has more than 2 billion users worldwide, introduced a limit to the number of times a message can be forwarded on in April.

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WhatsApp users in the UK can now quickly check the contents of forwarded messages in a web search to help expose misinformation. As an example, a WhatsApp message containing a link to a web page describing garlic as a cure for coronavirus  something the World Health Organisation describes as a myth

'Today, we're piloting a simple way to double-check these messages by tapping a magnifying glass button in the chat,' WhatsApp said in a blog post.

'Providing a simple way to search messages that have been forwarded many times may help people find news results or other sources of information about content they have received.'

'This feature works by allowing users to upload the message via their browser without WhatsApp ever seeing the message itself.'

The new feature is rolling out today on both Android and iOS for users of the latest version of WhatsApp in the UK, Ireland, the US, Brazil, Italy, Mexico and Spain.

WhatsApp already attached a 'forwarded label' icon to messages shared in chats that have been forwarded many times.

This icon, which appears as two small arrows, help people know when theyve received a message that was not written by a close contact.

The new feature is rolling out today in the UK and several other countries as part of a trial by the Facebook-owned platform

With the new feature, the Facebook-owned app gives users a quick way to search messages that have been forwarded many times to check whether they're from a reliable source and contain facts rather than misinformation.

As an example in the blog post, a WhatsApp message contains a link to a web page describing garlic as a cure for coronavirus  something the World Health Organisation describes as a myth.

Automatically, the magnifying glass symbol appears on the side of the message, which users have the option to tap.

Once they've done so, a pop-up box appears with the message: 'Would you like to search this on the web? This will upload the message to Google.'

After selecting 'Search Web' the app will bring up search results to debunk the theory.

Commenting on the new feature, Chad Anderson, a researcher at security firm DomainTools called it an 'encouraging development' for a company mired by accusations that it's facilitated fake news.

'For a feature such as this to be introduced is a big blow to those who would seek to subvert democracy by peddling disinformation,' he said.

Pictured, a frequently forwarded WhatsApp message is denoted by two arrows when sent to a chat. These can now only be sent to one chat at a time

In April, WhatsApp put strict measures in place to restrict how many times a viral message can be forwarded to other chats.

It was hoped the decision would help stop the spread of misinformation during the coronavirus pandemic.

On WhatsApp, when users receive a message that has been forwarded, it appears next to a single arrow to indicate that it wasn't created by the person who sent it.

These messages can also be forwarded to up to five chats at once.

However, once a message has been forwarded five times, it gets a double arrow to denote that it is a 'highly forwarded' message.

Once a message gets this double arrow and becomes a 'highly forwarded' message it can then only be sent to one chat at once.

WhatsApp said that since the introduction of the forwarding limit, the number of highly forwarded messages sent has been reduced by 70 per cent.
A couple in China has been devastated after catching their son's nanny allegedly abusing the six-day-old boy.

The 26-year-old father, Mr Tian, came to the shocking discovery last week while watching security footage on his phone, he told police.

The domestic worker, 50-year-old Ms Wang, has been accused of slapping, hitting and throwing the newborn child 'like a toy'.

Viral footage appears to show the nanny in China throwing the baby onto the bed 'like a toy'

Another clip purports to show her hitting the crying boy in the wee hours of July 31 in Shahe

The news came to light after Mr Tian's wife sent the nanny cam footage to several influential Chinese bloggers on messaging platform WeChat.

The boy's mother claimed that her nanny had handled her child violently while looking after him at their home in the city of Shahe in northern China's Hebei province.

She added that the worker had been caught beating her son in the past.

The boy's parents accused the 50-year-old domestic worker of abusing their six-day-old son

One clip, filmed on July 31, shows the worker putting the boy onto the bed roughly in the morning, according to a trending post.

Another section, taken on the same day, purports to show her hitting the crying boy in the wee hours.

In a third video from August 1, the carer appeared to be putting the baby to sleep impatiently.

Shahe police launched an investigation into the case after the video went viral on Monday.

According to a police statement, Mr Tian claimed to have seen Ms Wang whacking her son's hands, feet and buttocks on camera.

He said he was watching home surveillance footage through a mobile app at around 6pm on Saturday.

Police have verified the authenticity of the footage and said they were investigating the case

Mr Tian argued with Ms Wang the same day. He then went to her agency with his elder brother to complain about her service the next day.

The two parties had an altercation outside the company.

Police said when Ms Wang tried to drive her car and leave the scene, an enraged Mr Tian used tools to wreck Ms Wang's car, causing the latter to be frightened and sent to a hospital.

Officers said they were carrying out further investigations. They noted that they were treating the incident as an administrative case.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 23:51:31|Editor: huaxia

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DAR ES SALAAM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania is planning to employ 12,000 teachers in public primary and secondary schools, a senior official said on Tuesday.

"The government is in final stage of employing the 12,000 teachers," said Selemani Jafo, the Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government.

Jafo said in a statement issued in capital Dodoma that for the last five years, the government has employed 18,000 teachers for public primary and secondary schools.

Jafo said the government has released a total of 1.09 trillion Tanzanian shillings (about 469 million U.S. dollars) for free education in the last five years.

The free education policy went in tandem with the improvement of schools' infrastructure, including the construction of classrooms and science laboratories as well as the making of school desks, said Jafo.

"The free education policy has helped children from poor families to access education in both public primary and secondary schools," he said. Enditem
About 1.5 billion young learners  90 per cent of the worlds schoolchildren  are or have been locked out of school. About 810 million are in low and middle-income countries, where even before COVID-19, there were significant barriers to learning, especially for the poorest and most marginalised children.

The pandemic continues to make life difficult in Australia. Millions are experiencing economic hardship due to job losses and business closures.

Julia Gillard with Hugh Evans, CEO of youth charity Global Citizen, and pop star Rihanna, an ambassador for The Global Partnership For Education, in Malawi. Credit:Evan Rogers

As tough as it is, we are in a much more fortunate position than many around the world. Imagine going through all this without a decent, universal healthcare system. Or without adequate food. Or knowing that even when schools reopen, the pandemic has ended your childrens chance for an education.

That is exactly what many families and nations face. In the past, Australians have looked out for our neighbours. We need to do so again.
The demonstrators pushed past a barbed-wire fence towards the energy ministry's Beirut headquarters but were dispersed by baton-wielding security forces

Lebanon security forces scuffled Tuesday with dozens of demonstrators who tried to storm into the energy ministry in protest at power cuts that have plunged entire areas into darkness.

The demonstrators pushed past a barbed-wire fence towards the energy ministry's Beirut headquarters but were dispersed by baton-wielding security forces.

One protester, speaking on the behalf of the group, said they would block the entrance to the ministry for 24 hours.

"Your continued presence will plunge Lebanon into total darkness," he said, urging Energy Minister Raymond Ghajar to step down.

The crisis-hit country's ailing power sector receives one of the largest slices of the government's budget after debt servicing and public sector salaries.

But hours-long power cuts have persisted over the past three decades, despite repeated promises of uninterrupted supply from consecutive governments.

As a result, the vast majority of Lebanese pay two power bills: to a ravaged state electricity company and secondly for expensive private generators for three to 12 hours a day when the mains are cut.

Since the start of summer, outages have run up to 20 hours a day in some areas, due to a spiralling economic crisis that has hampered fuel imports.

This has fuelled the grievances of a protest movement mobilised since October to demand the removal of a political class deemed incompetent and corrupt.

According to consultancy firm McKinsey, Lebanon has the world's fourth worst electrical supply, ranked only above Haiti, Nigeria and Yemen.

The state-run electricity firm has cost the government more than $40 billion since the 1975-1990 civil war in a huge drain on a country now grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades.

International donors have pointed to electricity reform as a key condition to unlock assistance, including an $11-billion aid package for Lebanon pledged at a Paris conference in 2018.

The government approved a new electricity plan promising uninterrupted supply in April, but it has yet to be implemented.

"We have gathered in front of the energy ministry because it is the main nest of corruption," said Rihab, another protester.

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Mosquitoes in Philly and elsewhere are feasting on flesh earlier in the summer and prompting thigh-slapping swats later in the season than before, new data suggest.

In some areas of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware, mosquitoes are around weeks longer than in previous decades because of the changing climate, according to Climate Central.

The nonprofit group of scientists and journalists calculated the number of mosquito-friendly days in the Philadelphia region and found they are growing.

The insect survives best at temperatures between 50 and 95 degrees Fahrenheit with relative humidity of 42% or more, according to studies by the National Institutes of Health. Climate Central analyzed weather data from 1979 on, and filtered for days meeting those conditions.

Philadelphia went from 153 such days in the 1980s to 163 in the 2010s, according to the data. Allentown went from 128 to 142. And Atlantic City went from 142 to 155.

State College, Pa., has seen nearly a month of additional mosquito-friendly days.

Climate Central found the number of mosquito days has increased in 64% of the 239 U.S. locations it examined for the two periods, 1980-89 and 2010-19. The biggest increases were in the Northeast, Pacific Coast, and Ohio Valley.

The average temperature in July 2020 for Philadelphia was 81.9 degrees, which is 3.8 degrees above normal. It was Philadelphias third-hottest July since the government began keeping score in 1871 and tied a record for 90-plus temperatures.

And its part of a trend. Phillys average summer temperature has risen about 2.8 degrees from 1970 to 2019, according to another analysis by Climate Central.

But even mosquitoes have their limits. The South is seeing fewer mosquito-friendly days because it is getting too hot in some locations for the insects to thrive, according to the Climate Central analysis.

The data suggest that more weather conducive to mosquitoes survival can mean an increased risk of diseases they transmit, such as West Nile virus.

West Nile is the leading cause of mosquito-borne disease in the United States, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The mosquitoes get infected from feeding on birds carrying the disease, then transmit it to humans.

Though there are no vaccines to prevent the disease or medications to treat it, most of those infected do not feel sick. Those who do can develop a fever. The disease does prove serious or fatal in about 1 out of 150 cases.

Matt Helwig, a West Nile specialist for the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, cautioned that more mosquitoes doesnt automatically translate into more cases of the disease.

For example, Helwig said, 2018 saw a big outbreak of the disease. But 2019 and, so far, 2020, have proven minimal for West Nile, because birds that transmit the virus to mosquitoes developed an immunity after that outbreak. Only one probable human case has been reported this year in Pennsylvania.

Its going to take a bit of time to ramp back up, Helwig said.

The DEP has detected West Nile virus-infected mosquitoes in five counties. Non-human infections have been reported in New Jersey as well. None have been reported in Delaware.

The Asian tiger mosquito, Aedes aegypti, poses another concern. The invasive species is an aggressive biter thats pushed north into Pennsylvania as the weather has become warmer. The mosquito is more typically found in tropical areas, such as South America, Central America, and Southeast Asia and can carry the Zika virus.

The chances of Zika transmission are likely lower now because of the coronavirus pandemic, Helwig said. Thats because most Zika cases in the U.S. occur when a mosquito bites a traveler infected in another country, and the pandemic has canceled most travel. So far, no local transmissions have occurred in Pennsylvania.

Nate Wardle, a spokesperson for the state Department of Health, said that warmer temperatures also mean other pests that pose a danger to human health can thrive.

He said the blacklegged tick (deer tick) that transmits Lyme disease has begun to survive in the winter months due to milder weather. And the Lone Star tick, once confined to the South, is now present in Pennsylvania. It can cause ehrlichiosis and alpha-gal allergy, a severe immune response that affects people after they have eaten red meat.

Though mosquitoes can bite at any time, they are most active at dawn and dusk. Experts recommend that people use a repellent containing DEET, cover exposed skin with lightweight clothing, and make sure window screens are in good condition.

The mosquitoes that transmit West Nile breed in areas with standing and stagnant water, such as catch basins, clogged gutters, old tires, poorly maintained swimming pools, bird baths, flower pots and other types of containers. Any of these located near your home should be eliminated.

Where thats not possible, officials recommend treatment with Bti products, sold at most home improvement stores. Bti is a natural product that kills mosquito larvae but is safe for people, pets, aquatic life and plants.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  The police won't conduct arrests yet for quarantine violators in Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan as residents adjust to new lockdown restrictions, Philippine National Police Chief Archie Gamboa said on Tuesday.

He said the PNP understands that the public is getting used to the new rules under modified enhanced community quarantine after staying under a relaxed general community quarantine for several weeks.

Police personnel have been ordered to give warnings to quarantine violators for the meantime. Gamboa said residents in these four areas will be given a reprieve of "2 to 3 days" before police begin arresting those who violate rules on quarantine passes, wearing of masks, pillion riding on motorcycles, and physical distancing.

"Mahirap kasi parang nagsimula tayo sa uno. So magsimula din muna tayo sa warning. Bibigyan natin ang publiko ng strict warning on the first initial days of violations. Kung nag-aadjust ang PNP, nag-aadjust (din ang publiko)," he said in a media briefing.

[Translation: It's hard because it's like we're relearning the rules. So we will start with giving warnings in the first few days. Both the PNP and the public are adjusting to MECQ.]

The PNP Chief told his personnel to exercise "maximum tolerance" especially in checkpoints located at borders. At the same time, he asked the public to cooperate.

"We need the cooperation of the public para maiwasan ang confrontation sa checkpoint... Huwag niyo lang awayin ang pulis. Kaya minsan ang fina-file hindi na (for violation of) quarantine protocols, yung disobedience na," he said.

[Translation: We need the cooperation of the public so we avoid confrontations in the checkpoint. Do not fight with the police. Sometimes the cases filed against the violator isn't about failure to follow quarantine rules, it's about disobedience.]

Metro Manila police chief Debold Sinas heeded the order of Gamboa, saying they will distribute surgical masks to those caught not wearing face masks.

Meanwhile, Gamboa said they will not ask for a "timeout" similar to the request of healthcare workers amid the steadily rising number of COVID-19 cases in the country.

"We are not authorized to call for a time out in the PNP. We have to continue," he said.

PNP has logged a total of 2,283 COVID-19 cases in their ranks, with 11 deaths. At least 900 Metro Manila personnel contracted the virus.

Gamboa said deployed personnel will be provided personal protective equipment and given a rotational assignment.
South Africa: Different timetables to help ensure social distancing at schools

Staffing and spacing is the biggest challenge that will face the public education sector when schools welcome all learners on 24 August 2020.

This is according to Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga who on Tuesday paid a visit to Eletsa Secondary School and Tshepagalang Secondary School in Letlhabile, Brits to monitor the return of Grade 12 learners to schools.

The visit follows a weeklong break following various calls in the education sector to suspend schooling as COVID-19 infections surged in the country.

Grade 12s returned to the classroom on Monday and will be followed by the Grade 7s who will return to class on 10 August.

All other grades will return to school on 24 August 2020, after nearly a months break from 27 July.

For now there is space and there is not much really. The problems are going to come after the 24th.

When learners come back we wont have enough space to ensure physical distancing so we are going to have to use differentiated timetables which are going to be either daily rotations because we cant all be here at the same time every day, there wont be enough space for all of them to safely distance, said the Minister.

To manage the challenge of space, Motshekga said schools will implement a rotational timetable to allow for adequate social distancing in line with the recommended health protocols.

Maintaining that the reopening of schools remains the best decision, the Minister said it would have been catastrophic to cancel the academic year completely.

For me it is even catastrophic as it is to have kids who have no access to reading materials and ICTS sitting at home since March up to now they have not gone to school.

For me it is a disaster as even next year when we have trimmed the curriculum we will still not be able to claw back what we have lost, she said.

Department claws back lost teaching time

In order to make up for the lost teaching time, the department has trimmed the curriculum nationally. Parts of the 2020 curriculum will be carried over into 2021.

What we have done for the internal grades is to take parts of the curriculum of 2020 into the 2021 so we are going to only teach and assess them on only 70% of the curriculum.

We are not going to dump the work we missed, we are going to factor it into 2021, said Motshekga.

Having carried over parts of the 2020 curriculum into 2021, the Minster said it is unlikely that schools would be able to complete the 2021 curriculum.

So it is going to be a three-year programme to see if we can claw back what we have lost. Every school is looking at its own situation with the curriculum, and what are some of the available resources.

What remains for the Grade 12 is that their paper has been set. They are writing a paper that has been set since two years ago. Because the cycle for the paper is 18 months.

That is why we pushed the exam to December and we are not giving them a break to allow them to finish, she said.

By pushing back the 2020 Grade 12 examinations to conclude by 15 December, they would have made up the lost time due to the pandemic.

Home Schooling

While the department has left home schooling as an option for parents anxious about the Coronavirus, the Minister said all indications show that many are not taking it up.

We even checked with the Home Schooling Association and parents didnt take up home schooling. Without speaking to parents my view is that it is also not easy to home school. You have to register your child and you also have to arrange for assessments and sometimes parents themselves dont have the time and capability to monitor the programme and that is why most of them didnt take it up, she said.

Motshekga said while the department is leaving no stone unturned to ensure the safety of children, parents who still want to keep their children at home must register for home schooling.

As far as we are concerned we are doing all we can to make sure that children are safe but, rightfully as a parent, if you continue to feel that your child is not safe do the right thing and register your child for home schooling, develop a programme and keep your child at home, she said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
(EPA)

Four people are dead after Tropical Storm Isaias made landfall and strengthened to a category one Hurricane on Tuesday.

The deadly storm has spawned tornadoes and left communities without power as it surges up the US East Coast, killing individuals in New York, Maryland and North Carolina according to The Associated Press.

Since making landfall, the storm has sustained top winds of 65 mph (105 kph) and has caused dangerous flooding around Philadelphia and along other parts of Interstate 95.

The National Hurricane Center warned that high winds could possibly generate more tornadoes across New England, where sustained winds between 52 (84 kph) and 61 mph (98 kph) were recorded.

More than 2.2m people across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut lost power Tuesday, and flash floods were reported across Pennsylvania, including in and around Philadelphia.

The storm is expected to continue moving north through the northern New England states before crossing over into Canada in the early hours of Wednesday.

Catch up on events as they happened
The Centre on Tuesday lifted the export ban on all ventilators to push the outbound shipments of the product, more than four months after it had imposed a curb amid rising coronavirus COVID-19 cases. In a notification, the directorate general of foreign trade (DGFT) said, "All ventilators including any artificial respiratory apparatus or oxygen therapy apparatus or any other breathing appliance/device are made free for export."

The ban was imposed on March 24 to ensure domestic availability to fight COVID-19 pandemic. On August 1, the group of ministers on COVID-19 had considered and agreed to the proposal of the Ministry of Health to allow the export of made-in-India ventilators.

An official statement, issued on August 1, has said that this decision came on the heels of India continuing to maintain a progressively declining low rate of case fatality of COVID-19 patients, which means that fewer numbers of active cases are on ventilators.

Additionally, there has been substantial growth in the domestic manufacturing capacity of ventilators. Presently, there are more than 20 domestic manufacturers for ventilators.
ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming told employees in an internal letter on Tuesday that the United States goal was not to force a sale of TikTok U.S. operations but rather to ban the app, and that some people had misconceptions about the situation. The letter, which was reported by Chinese media and confirmed by a source to Reuters, was sent only to ByteDance's Chinese employees after news that ByteDance was in talks to sell parts of TikTok to Microsoft Corp prompted online criticism of the firm and Zhang. ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Viva Gold Corp. (TSXV:VAU)(OTCQB:VAUCF) (the "Company" or "Viva") is pleased to announce that VAUCF is approved by OTC Markets Group Inc. for trading on the OTCQB Venture Markets as of August 4, 2020.

Viva's upgraded listing to the OTCQB is likely to provide greater liquidity and a more seamless trading experience for its U.S. shareholders. With higher reporting requirements and greater transparency required with the OTCQB listing, the upgrade also provides exemptions from U.S. state securities laws or "blue sky" exemptions which may help to further increase liquidity and expand investment advisors' ability to research and recommend investment in Viva Gold.

James Hesketh, CEO commented, "We anticipate that the upgrade to OTCQB will increase Viva's visibility with U.S. investors and help broaden our retail and institutional shareholder base by facilitating easier access for U.S. investors to acquire shares. With our U.S. electronic DTC eligibility already in the place, the upgrade to OTCQB rounds out our U.S. listing."

The OTCQB Venture Market is the premiere marketplace for early stage and developing U.S. and international companies. Participating companies must be current in their reporting and undergo an annual verification and management certification process. Investors can find real-time quotes and market information at https://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/VAUCF/overview

About Viva Gold Corp:

Viva Gold is a gold exploration and project development company with a focus on Nevada. Viva holds 100% of the advanced Tonopah Gold Project, a large land position of approximately 8,800 acres with demonstrated high-grade measured, indicated and inferred gold resources, located on the prolific Walker Lane gold trend in Nevada, about 30 kilometers south-east of the Round Mountain mine of Kinross Gold and 20 kilometers north from the Town of Tonopah. Viva's management team has extensive experience in gold exploration, mine development and production and are supported by a Board of Directors and advisors who are proven mine finders, deal makers and financiers. Viva trades on the TSX-V as "VAU", on the OTCQB in the US as "VAUCF" and on the Frankfurt exchange under "7PB". For additional information on Viva Gold and the Tonopah Gold Project, please visit our website: www.vivagoldcorp.com.

For further information please contact:

James Hesketh, President & CEO

(720) 291-1775

jhesketh@vivagoldcorp.com

Valerie Kimball, Director Investor Relations

(720) 933-1150

vkimball@vivagoldcorp.com

SOURCE: Viva Gold Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600160/Viva-Gold-Upgrades-to-OTCQB-Listing-in-the-US
Pointing to the pandemic, Hugo Boss said sales slipped 59 percent in the second quarter to 275 million euros. Even though 90 percent of Hugo Boss stores are now open, half had been closed during most of the second quarter.

This added up to a significant decline for the German companys half-year accounting. By June, it had brought in 830 million euros, a decrease of 38 percent compared to the previous half year. At the same time last year, Hugo Boss had already made 1.34 billion euros in sales.

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Market analysts from the likes of Goldman Sachs, JP Morgan and RBC Europe said the results were slightly worse than expected, but that the companys moves to reduce costs and ensure financial stability and credit were praiseworthy.

During a press conference, company spokesperson and board member Yves Muller accentuated those more positive developments.

As with many other European brands, Hugo Boss saw signs of an upturn in China, with a gradual return to growth that started at the end of March and reached double digits in June. That added up to growth of 4 percent in the second quarter out of mainland China.

July had also been positive there, Muller added, and it was encouraging to see how quickly our business in mainland China has come back to normality.

Because of double-digit drops in other areas, like Hong Kong and Macau, sales in the Asia-Pacific territory were still down 36 percent for the quarter, totaling 69 million euros.

Slumps in Europe  the brands biggest market  and North America were even bigger during the second quarter, with sales in those territories falling 59 percent and 82 percent, respectively.

In the Americas, sales in H1 fell 52 percent in currency-adjusted terms to 124 million euros.

Online sales vaulted 74 percent to total 55 million and make up a fifth of all sales in the second quarter, Muller reported.

Sales via Hugo Boss own web site as well as through various concessions  including Zalando in Europe, Next in the U.K. and Amazon from Q2 onward  totaled 93 million euros in the half. Online sales have risen from just 4 percent of total sales to 11 percent, the company said.

Story continues

Hugo Boss wants to quadruple online sales to 400 million euros by 2022 and is rolling out digital services to 24 new territories this year, including Australia, Japan, Poland and Portugal. This month, Canada and Mexico should come online.

While sales of both of the companys brands  Boss for formalwear and suiting and Hugo for more casual looks  declined, Hugo fared better than Boss. The more casual line only fell 30 percent while Boss dropped 38 percent.

A lack of suit sales for special occasions, many of which were postponed or canceled, had certainly had a negative impact on the second quarter, Muller conceded. But he didnt think current trends would permanently dampen this segment.

In fact, he said, the company believed there would be pent-up demand. I dont know what it was like in your private lives but, for example, my daughters confirmation was postponed, Muller explained. People will still get married. There will still be confirmations and christenings and people will meet up again. And these are all occasions where consumers will say, Oh, I need to get myself something new for that.

In terms of more enduring and systemic trends  for example, working from home  Muller said the company was well prepared because it had already seen several years of casual clothing increasingly mixed with more formalwear.

And were on trend with that, the executive said. Suits are our heritage, our DNA, but we must keep modernity close to our hearts.

Given ongoing uncertainties about the pandemic, Hugo Boss couldnt offer any reliable guidance for the rest of the year. Retail sales had continued to improve from May onward, Muller reported, and preliminary results showed that July was also looking positive.

The company now believes there could be a second wave of lockdowns, but is betting that these will be more localized. For example, stores in California, New York and most recently, in Melbourne, Australia, had to be closed. Sales at airport locations also remained weak. But in the rest of the world, Hugo Boss sites were open.

Questioned further about recent, unsettling developments inside the company over this quarter, Muller was sanguine. We are proud of how we have coped [with this crisis], he said.

By the end of June, controversial British retail entrepreneur Mike Ashley, whose Frasers Group is known for buying into distressed companies, had taken a stake of 10.1 percent in Hugo Boss.

In mid-July, longtime chief executive officer Mark Langer left the top job officially. New ceo Daniel Grieder and new sales manager Oliver Timm, both formerly of PVH Europe, wont take up those positions until 2021. Until then, board members  including Muller  are running daily operations.
Hinghams police chief, a 40-year-veteran of the department, abruptly retired Monday following the towns removal of the controversial thin blue line flags from the communitys firetrucks, several news outlets reported.

Joe Fisher, a selectman in Hingham, told the Boston Herald that the town received a letter about Police Chief Glenn Olssons immediate retirement Monday.

The men and women of this department are first-class, and its been a pleasure, Olsson told The Patriot Ledger on Monday. Definitely, Ill miss it and the camaraderie, but Ive been struggling to find time to spend with my family.

News about Olssons sudden departure from the Hingham Police Department comes as the town is embroiled in controversy surrounding officials decision to remove thin blue line flags that were previously being flown on firetrucks in the community.

Olsson and Hingham Fire Chief Steve Murphy ordered the removal of the flags after a citizen noted political messaging is not allowed on town property, according to the Heralds report.

The resident submitted their complaint to the Hingham Board of Selectmen last month, arguing in an email that the flag has become a political symbol used frequently to counter the Black Lives Matter Movement.

While some individuals claim the thin blue line flag aims to show support for police and express the importance of officers roles in curbing chaos, others have argued it has been associated with white supremacist groups and has a racist connotation, NPR reported.

The person who complained about the flags use in Hingham also explained the community is only allowed to display official flags on town property, including those of the U.S., the state of Massachusetts and the town itself.

The complainant has since received threats of violence for asking that the flags be removed, according to the Board of Selectman.

In an interview with The Patriot Ledger, Olsson said the controversy over the thin blue line flags weighed on his decision to leave the department, though the 62-year-old man noted he had been thinking about retiring for a while.

Olsson, who took on the role of Hingham police chief in 2015, had previously served as the departments deputy chief. His older brother, Robert Olsson, was Hinghams fire chief until 2018, according to the Ledger.

The chiefs contract was set to expire in May 2021, and he was looking forward to spending more time with his family, the newspaper reported.

My parents said, When its time to retire, youll know. And they were right, Olsson told the Ledger.

Authorities announced Monday that one of the flags removed from the firetrucks in Hingham will now hang from Engine 3 in Weymouth, the Norfolk County city where Police Sgt. Michael Chesna was fatally shot two years ago in the line of duty.

His widow, Cindy Chesna, has been a critic of the town of Hinghams efforts to remove the thin blue line flags and of the Massachusetts State Legislatures police reform bill.

The piece of legislation, which is currently being finalized, seeks to hold police officers more accountable for wrongful acts performed on the job and to fight racial inequities in law enforcement.

In a Facebook post, Cindy Chesna claimed both the removal of the flags and the legislatures bill are a personal attack on everything Mike stood for as a police officer and a decorated army veteran.

4 Thin blue line flag removed from Hingham fire truck now hangs on back of Weymouths Engine 3

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(Newser)  President Trump's new interview with Axios on HBO is drawing attention not only for the president's condemnation of mail voting but for his comments on the late John Lewis. On the latter, Trump didn't criticize Lewis exactly, but he chose not to praise the congressman and civil rights leader, who was lying in state at the Capitol when the interview took place. Asked how history would remember Lewis, Trump said, I really don't know," adding, "I don't know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration. ... I never met John Lewis, actually, I dont believe. When interviewer Jonathan Swan pressed him, asking Trump whether he found Lewis' life to be impressive, Trump again balked.

story continues below

I can't say one way or the other," said Trump. "I find a lot of people impressive. I find many people not impressive. The president again raised the inauguration: He didn't come to my inauguration. He didn't come to my State of the Union speeches. And that's OK. That's his right. And, again, nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have. Trump added: He should have come. I think he made a big mistake. Axios notes bad blood between the two when Lewis was alive, with the congressman saying in 2017 he did not consider Trump to be a "legitimate" president because he thought Russia got him elected. The Washington Post points out that Trump's reluctance to praise Lewis came as three former presidents, especially Barack Obama, did just that at his funeral. (Read more John Lewis stories.)
I went to my first Zoom funeral a couple of weeks ago. I had no idea what to expect. That phraseZoom funeralsounds so tacky and degrading. Who would come? How would it work? What would people wear? Would we be gathering respectfully to mourn a loved one, or slouch on our respective couches, alone together, arguing with other family members at home about how to position the phone, tablet, or laptop screen, with the cat mewling to be fed?

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A Zoom funeral feels  like a travesty, Violet Kim wrote for Future Tense in May. Until I went to one, I would have agreed. By the end of the ceremony, I had the opposite conclusion: A Zoom funeral, in many ways, might be better than an in-person one. Certainly, it was no less real.

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At the appointed hour, barefoot but dressed in a suit and tie, I logged in from my attic office. This was no mere memorial service. The deceased, my fathers Uncle Larry, was there live on camera, albeit in a closed coffin. With him, at the Florida mausoleum where hed be interred, were Larrys eldest son, the sons spouse, and a rabbi.

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All three wore face masks. The couple and the rabbi sat more than 6 feet apart.

The rest of the screen filled in the now-familiar Hollywood Squares Zoom array. Soon some 50 householdsapproximately 80 peoplehad joined the service. Besides the two men by Larrys coffin, I seemed to be the only one wearing a tie, but everyone was dressed at least to business casual standards, and some more formally. I recognized my parents first and then several of my fathers cousins and their children. Others I distinguished by last name or familiar facial features. Strangers. And yet my family.

Raucous cross-chatterJewish white noiseflooded my computer speakers.

Im going to put everyone on mute now, the rabbi said, kneeling as he did so, at the same time admitting latecomers from the Zoom waiting room. Otherwise, this risks turning into a Seinfeld episode.

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Even on mute, I could see others join me as I simultaneously laughed and teared up.

The service started. We should be able to be physically together, the rabbi said. We should be able to hug and kiss one another. But through technology we are together spiritually.

He instructed members of Larrys immediate family in the ritual tearing of the black ribbon they wore on their shirts or dresses. He read Psalm 23The Lord is my shepherd  And then, one by one, he unmuted the individual speakers: four grandchildren, two daughters-in-law, and two sons. Their stories over the next 40 minutes introduced me to a relative Id encountered only three or four times and never spoken with alone. They highlighted Larrys phone banter and the funny nicknames he bestowed. The shorts he wore to otherwise formal outings and his demand for cold butter at restaurants. His graciousness, generosity, and affection in times of need.

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I laughed and cried, embarrassed but grateful that I could get up and grab a roll of toilet paper when my scant supply of tissues ran out. What hit me hardest was realizing that I had lost the last relative of my parents parents generation, save Larrys own wife, Beverly, still alive but so gripped by Alzheimers disease that she was no longer cognizant of others. But I was also struck by the reminder that I had a host of second cousins I had never met, with children and parents roughly the same age as mine. And now I was meeting them, virtually but very much face-to-face, and in the intimacy of our living rooms, kitchens, bedrooms, and home offices instead of a more alien public setting. Close enough to see the books on one anothers shelves, the art on our walls, and the photos on our mantel.

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Close enough to meet each others eyes.

Despite the severity of Beverlys condition, Larry had been planning to travel with her from their retirement community in Florida to New York to be in proximity to their two younger children when his COVID-19 test came back positive. He felt OK at first, save a tell-tale loss of taste, he told my father when they spoke by phone following the diagnosis. In less than a week, however, he was gone. One of 157,000 Americans and counting to die from this disease. The first I knew personally.

Funerals, like every other aspect of death and dying, are typically siloed in our society. First, when seriously ill, were isolated in hospitals and sick rooms. Then, after we pass, our remains are deposited in cemeteries, mausoleums, and urns, or scattered to the wind or waves. Yet here I was home and with Larryand at the homes of my extended family. The Zoom funeral left me feeling much more connected to everyone involvedand to everyone else who has lost a loved one during this pandemic. And it made me appreciate the ways technology like Zoom can make clearer our shared experienceshow it can literally show us all the other livesand deathshappening one square over.

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The service concluded with the insertion of Larrys coffin in a mausoleum wall crypt. He and Beverly had been married for 70 years. A few days after his funeral, she died herself, and her servicesame rabbi, same son and daughter-in-law, same mausoleumwas exactly one week after his. This time I brought a full tissue box, plus plenty of water, with me to the attic. Speakers shared new heartfelt storiesand their faith that the loving couple was now together again. And so were we, at least for another hour.

Zoom life, pandemic life, is both awful and awe-inspiring. Given the remove in my relationship with Larry and Beverly and the distance between my home in Montana and theirs in Florida, its highly unlikely I would have gone to either funeral if they hadnt been online. Now, 10 minutes after both, I had changed into shorts and a t-shirt and was taking a walk around my block.

On the one hand, it felt funny to be back home so quickly. On the other, it seemed fitting. Death isnt elsewhere or extraordinary. It surrounds us, all the time, including our time online. On my walk after Larrys funeral, I made out a baby crying in a house next door.

Then, from the firehouse a few blocks away, I heard an engine roar and the wail of sirens.

I took out my phone. That was very moving, I texted. I love you.

The reply came seconds later: Yes, it was. I love you.Dad.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
'These increases in numbers are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis,' report co-author Daniel Auer said

The number of Britons moving to European Union countries soared after the Brexit vote in 2016, according to a U.K.-German study released Tuesday _ an exodus comparable to those caused by major social or economic crises.

An analysis of official statistics by the Oxford in Berlin research partnership and the Berlin-based WZB Social Science Center found that migration from the United Kingdom to other EU countries rose by 30%, from about 57,000 a year in 2008-2015 to more than 73,000 a year in 2016-2018. Spain saw the largest number of U.K. arrivals, followed by France.

``These increases in numbers are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis,'' report co-author Daniel Auer said.

Migration among the 27 countries that now remain in the European Union remained relatively stable during the same period, the researchers found.

The number of Britons seeking passports from EU nations also soared by more than 500%. In Germany it was up 2,000%.

British voters opted narrowly in a 2016 referendum to leave the EU, ending the automatic right of the bloc's citizens to move to the U.K., and of Britons to live and work across Europe. Britain left the EU in January, though it remains bound by the bloc's rules _ including the right to freedom of movement _ during a transition period that lasts until the end of 2020.

Brexit has left about 3.6 million EU citizens in the U.K. and more than 1 million Britons in the 27 EU nations scrambling to preserve their residency and employment status. The British government says more than 3 million Europeans have completed a registration process confirming their right to remain in the U.K.

Auer and co-author Daniel Tetlow said the study ``reveals the U.K. is facing a potential brain drain of highly-educated British citizens, who have decided to invest their futures in continental Europe.''

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(Natural News) The Catholic Bishops Conference of Scotland fears that the countrys proposed new hate crime legislation could criminalize the possession of a Bible or the Catholic catechism.

(Article by Dorothy Cummings McLean republished from LifeSiteNews.com)

In a submission to the Scottish government on the Hate Crime and Public Order (Scotland) Bill, the Scottish Catholic bishops said they were concerned that the creation of new offenses within the multi-part legislation would impinge on civil liberties. Two of the proposed new offenses include stirring up hatred and possession of inflammatory material.

The provisions of the stirring up hatred offense are twofold yet imprecise. First, the behavior or communication must be threatening, abusive or, in the case of race, insulting. Second, either the actor must intend to stir up hatred against a protected group, or there is a likelihood that his or her behavior or communication will stir up hatred against a protected group. The bishops objected that the definition of hatred is so unclear it is open to a wide interpretation.

The proposed threshold for an offence under the stirring-up provisions might be considered disproportionately low, the bishops wrote.

They then provided a surprising hypothetical example: a group accusing a transgenderist of stirring up hatred against them for their biological realism.

For example, A might disagree with Bs belief that a biological male cannot become a woman. A might even go so far as to say that B is talking nonsense, and that he is transphobic and say so either in person or on a social media platform such as Twitter. The term abusive means offensive or mistreating, and should B feel offended, the first case is met, the bishops wrote.

In terms of the second test, a group of people accompanying B deem the comments to be an intention to stir up hatred against them as a group, and thus the second test is met.

They then stated that As behavior should not be criminalized and that criminal behavior should not be determined solely on the subjective.

The test must be stronger and allow the law to be consistent and not forever stretched in multiple ways to meet the capricious sensibilities and mores of the current culture and public opinion, they wrote.

The bishops more clearly defended the rights of Catholics and other Christians to publicly profess their beliefs in Scotland when they addressed the proposed new offense of possessing inflammatory material.

We are also concerned that Section 5 of the Bill creates an offence of possessing inflammatory material which, if taken with the low threshold contained therein, could render material such as the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church and other texts such as Bishops Conference of Scotland submissions to government consultations as being inflammatory under the new provision, they wrote.

This time, the bishops offered as their example their own submission to the government on its proposed reform of the Gender Recognition Act 2004. In their submission, they had explained that the Catholic Church teaches that sex and gender are not fluid and changeable and that male and female are complementary and ordered towards the creation of new life.

Such pronouncements, which are widely held, might be perceived by others as an abuse of their own, personal worldview and likely to stir up hatred, they warned.

The right of Catholics to profess their beliefs about human anthropology was stressed later in the document, saying that the above opinions would need a freedom of expression provision in the proposed law for their protection from prosecution.

The bishops observed that prominent public figures have been accused of hate and transphobia for arguing that a man cannot become a woman and vice versa. They also cited people accused of hate simply for using pronouns corresponding to someones biological sex. They deplored the rise of cancel culture and hinted that some groups were being unfairly allowed to silence others.

No single section of society has domination over acceptable and unacceptable speech or expression, they wrote.

Whilst the legislature and judiciary must create and interpret laws to maintain public order it must do so carefully, weighing in fundamental freedoms and allowing for reasonably held views, the expression of which is not intended to cause harm.

The bishops warned that choosing censorship over the encouragement of respectful debate and tolerance would risk turning Scotland into an intolerant, illiberal society.

Anthony Horan of the Scottish Catholic Parliamentary Office told LifeSiteNews that the Scottish bishops picked the hypothetical example of biological realists prosecuting a transgenderist to underscore their desire for fairness.

Whilst we could have used any one of a number of situations to highlight the low threshold for criminal liability in the proposed new offence, this example is a measure of the bishops desire for consistency under the law, he said.

The bishops feel that the criminalising of someone who calls another person a transphobe is just as wrong as criminalising someone who directs an inappropriate but otherwise relatively harmless remark at someone with same-sex attraction or who is pro-abortion.

One of the ironies of hate crime legislation being a worry to Scottish Catholics is that Catholics have been victims of prejudice and sectarian hate in Scotland since the 16th century. Although relationships between actual faith communities in Scotland are now good, individual attacks on Catholics and Catholic churches still occur.

The Bishops Conference has long engaged on the issue of anti-Catholic hate and will continue to do so, though the problem there is not so much in the legislation or lack thereof, as in both the deep reformation culture pervading Scottish society and the aggressive element of the emerging secular culture, Anthony Horan told LifeSiteNews.

We have, on many occasions, pointed out the disproportionate number of anti-Catholic hate crimes under religiously aggravated offences.

Horan said that recently the government has been more willing to shift from references to sectarianism and to talk specifically about anti-Catholicism. This marked change, he said, came about as a result of intense pressure from the Bishops Conference after a spate of anti-Catholic incidents.

However, much work needs to be done and we will continue to do what we can to pressure the government and work with stakeholders to address this problem.

Leaders of other communities in Scotland have come forward to warn of the dangers the proposed hate crime legislation poses to civil liberties in Scotland. The Presbyterian Free Church of Scotland has expressed its concerns that the proposed new offenses will be detrimental for free speech in Scottish society. Its leaders also fear for the criminalization of the Bible.

In particular we are concerned that there is a lack of clarity about what is meant by stirring up hatred and both offences are incredibly subjective in terms of deciding when material is actually abusive or inflammatory, they wrote.

Given people have been reported to the police for potential hate crimes for displaying verses from the Bible, could the secular courts decide that the Bible itself is inflammatory material which should be confiscated and destroyed?

The Scottish Police Federation released a statement saying that the bill could lead to its members, i.e. the police, having to determine free speech. They too believe that the wording around the offense of stirring up hatred is too vague.

We are firmly of the view (that) this proposed legislation would see officers policing speech and would devastate the legitimacy of the police in the eyes of the public, said Calum Steele, the General Secretary of the Scottish Police Federation.

That can never be an acceptable outcome  and we should never forget that the police in Scotland police only with the consent of the people.

J.K. Rowling, the author of the Harry Potter novels, is the most prominent resident of Scotland to be accused of hate and so-called transphobia. Rowling has sparked transgender activists ire by asserting womens sex-based rights to privacy in prisons, domestic abuse shelters, and wherever else women are physically vulnerable. Rowling has also spoken up recently in defense of children against transgenderist medical experiments.

Read more at: LifeSiteNews.com
By Aug. 04, 2020

GOLCONDA - Due to the current situation with COVID-19, the Golconda Shrimp Festival board of directors has voted to cancel this years 20th edition of the event scheduled for September 19th.The celebration of the harvest of locally grown freshwater shrimp draws crowds of more than 5,000 people for shrimp dishes and live music in the historic Ohio River town.We put off this difficult decision off as long as possible, said Nathan Ryder of Mainstreet Golconda, the non-profit who relies on the event as their primary fundraiser for the year.The festival has a history of persevering through difficult events. The very first festival in 2001 was scheduled and then 9/11 occurred. It ended up being an opportunity for the community to come together and return to some normalcy.We were hoping the situation with COVID-19 was going to be similar, that infection numbers would be declining, and we could celebrate a return to normal. Unfortunately, we just dont see that as being a safe opportunity this fall, Ryder said.The festival board is planning to sell a commemorative t-shirt of this years non-event as a fundraiser.In addition, continued sponsorships and/or donations are tax deductible and will help Mainstreet continue their community outreach activities in Pope County.For more info visit: www.mainstreetgolconda.org

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The middle of the week is good for an attack, for the surprise. It is March 4, 1873, in the city of New Orleans, a Tuesday night. About 9:00 p.m., a man called Polycarp Constant Lecorgne emerges from his house by the levee of the Mississippi River. He is a forty-one-year-old carpenter. Constant Lecorgne and his wife, Gabrielle Duchemin, live in a neighborhood called Bouligny. They have six children, and Gabrielle is pregnant with another. Gabrielle and the children remain in the house when Constant leaves for the night. He carries a gun, probably a revolver. The U.S. Army confiscated most of the long guns years ago.

The newspapers tell much of the story. The Catholic Messenger. The New Orleans Republican. The Times, the Picayune. Newspapers tell a crisp story, and court records say more.

At home, the family of Constant Lecorgne speaks French, their first language. French is a tongue of preference, as it is for about one-quarter of the city, black as well as white. French is the language of Creoles, English the language of most business and politics. The familys house by the levee of the river is a rental. Constant and Gabrielle once lived in a house they owned, but ten years ago they lost it, along with all their money. They can no longer afford to buy. Constant is a ship carpenter who works on the barges and steamers, the passenger boats and freighters that ply the Mississippi. The house is close to his work, a stones throw from the water.

[ Return to the review of Life of a Klansman. ]

Constant has brothers and sisters, five of them. All have families, all live nearby. People named Lecorgne are scattered through Bouligny. The neighborhood of Bouligny lies three miles upstream on the Mississippi from the old center of New Orleans. It is a square mile of clapboard houses and workshops on the shoulder of the river, a place the Lecorgnes regard as theirs. Before they start to move away from Bouligny, which eventually occurs during the 1940s, the family lives in this part of New Orleans for one hundred years.
The three victims were contract workers engaged in the construction work of the IIT campus at Kanjikode, work for which began just one and half months ago

Palakkad: Three migrant workers from Jharkhand were found dead near the railway track at Kanjikode late Monday night, in a suspected case of train runover.

The incident occurred between Kanjikode and Palakkad stations around 9 to 10 pm.

The three are contract workers engaged in the construction work of the IIT campus at Kanjikode, work for which began hardly one and half months ago.

Palakkad district Collector D Balamurli said the three were missing since last afternoon and their bodies found near the railway track have been identified.

The cause of death is yet to be ascertained.

The three workers had recently come to Palakkad, the collector told PTI.

Enraged over the incident, a few other workers had refused to hand over one of the bodies to police and shifted the remains to the campus, demanding compensation.

They also allegedly indulged in rioting.

It was only this morning after the district labour officer, other officials and police held talks with the protesting workers, did they allow the body to be shifted to hospital.

"The workers refused to hand over one of the bodies, damaged a private vehicle and also caused minor injuries to a policeman," Palakkad SP G Siva Vikram told PTI.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem and the exact cause of death will be knownonly after the report comes, the SP said.

Meanwhile, Railway sources from Palakkad said the railway control room had not informed of any runover deaths last night.

A railway engine on monsoon track patrolling had left the Palakkad station at 7.55 pm and returned by 10 pm and did find any unusual incident on both the tracks, the sources said.

A goods train carrying food grains had also crossed the track and the loco pilot had also not informed about any runover incident, railways said.
Last week, the African Energy Chamber (www.EnergyChamber.org) held a bilateral discussion with the Ministry of Mines and Hydrocarbons of Equatorial Guinea, led by H.E Gabriel Mbaga Obiang Lima, alongside the Director of Hydrocarbons, Robustiano Eyegue Ndong and NJ Ayuk, the Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber.



The Chamber sought to understand the state of the hydrocarbon sector in the country and was briefed by the Minister and the Director on immediate and near-term plans by the Ministry.



Equatorial Guinea has moved its Year of Investment program to 2021, with plans to add many more investments opportunities and projects, while taking into consideration the challenges of Covid-19. For instance, the Ministry is continuing its mining drive-in with a strong focus on the mainland and expects to drive new mining programs in 2021.



The Minister agreed with the Chamber that Covid-19 has been a great disruptor to the energy sector. The Chamber urges the Equatorial Guinean government to continue working with oil and gas operators to find ways to ensure operations continue.



The Minister advised the Chamber that the rapid development of the Alen unitization project operated by Noble Energy will be delayed until 2021. This is liquid-rich gas and condensate field is located in Block O, about 32km off the east coast of Bioko Island, in Equatorial Guinea. However, the Alen backfill gas project into EGLNG remains on track, with the project scheduled to come online in the first quarter of 2021.



When pressed on the rapid approval of Chevron acquisition of Noble Energy, the Minister advised the Chamber that the Ministry is currently studying the transaction as it pertains to Equatorial Guinea and will respond in due course taking into consideration compliance with the laws and regulations of the country as well as binding legal instruments like the Production Sharing Contract.



On the Gas Mega Hub, the Chamber was informed that Equatorial Guinea has contracted UK-based firm Gas Strategies to continue working on a revised Gas Master Plan as the Minister believes it is an important step towards the country developing a timely, economic and equitable plan for to monetise gas, and with a clear vision towards having a Gas Mega Hub anchored around Punta Europa.



The Chamber commends the development of gas, as LNG stands to be a game changer in the local, regional and international energy markets. It also puts Equatorial Guinea in line with other members of the Gas Exporting Countries Forum, of which Equatorial Guinea is a member, when it comes to monetizing gas.



The Minister advised that exploration activity is still ongoing in the country, with Kosmos Energy likely to proceed with a drilling campaign in 2022. Furthermore, Trident Energy started a 4D seismic survey over its Block G assets, which contain the Ceiba and Okume fields offshore with a potential to drill three wells in 2021.



Finally, the Ministry is engaged in discussions with Venezuelan state company PDVSA on the upstream and the downstream sector.



Equatorial Guinea is an important oil and gas player and continues to be a great partner in advancing the relationships with investors while promoting local content. The Chamber welcomes this dialogue and we remain committed to more engagements with African energy leaders because this is vitally important to the private sector, said NJ Ayuk



The African Energy Chamber, supported by leading energy companies, is confident that by working together, we will ensure win-win opportunities as well as engage candidly on serious issues with African governments. These frank, no-holds-barred conversations concerning our energy industry can guide African governments to create an enabling environment that is effective for investors and citizens alike, concluded Ayuk



The African Energy Chamber periodically holds bilateral discussions with governments and institutions on energy issues in Africa. These discussions are important for leaders and investors to engage in discussions of the most important economic and commercial issues, including investment in oil and gas, infrastructure development, local content, and enabling policies that make in country operations better.





Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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US President Donald Trump said during a phone conversation with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin that he looks forward to progress on arms control (AFP Photo/Brendan Smialowski)

Washington (AFP) - President Donald Trump told his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Thursday that he hopes to avoid an "expensive" US arms race with Russia and China, the White House said.

Washington and Moscow are preparing negotiations on a successor to the New START treaty capping their countries' nuclear arsenals. However, China has so far rejected pressure from the Trump administration to join the talks, saying that its arsenal is far smaller than that of the two former Cold War foes.

In a call with Putin, Trump "reiterated his hope of avoiding an expensive three-way arms race between China, Russia, and the United States and looked forward to progress on upcoming arms control negotiations in Vienna," a White House spokesman said.

According to the Kremlin, the two leaders confirmed the "urgency" of holding bilateral talks on "strategic stability and arms control."

They also discussed "the situation around the Iranian nuclear program" and underlined the "need for collective action," the Kremlin statement continued.

Trump has torn up an international agreement intended to reward Iran for allowing verification that its civilian nuclear program, which is supported by Russia, cannot be converted to military use.

According to Washington, Iran is hiding a military program to build weapons capacity.
Z-img.com scored 49 Social Media Impact. Social Media Impact score is a measure of how much a site is popular on social networks. 2.5/5.0 Stars by Social Team

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PAGE TITLE z-img.com DESCRIPTION KEYWORDS OTHER KEYWORDS search,



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Site Traffic trend during the last year. Only available for sites ranked <= 100000 in the world.

Referring domains for z-img.com by MajesticSeo. High values are a sign of site importance over the web and on web engines.

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Every now and then you want to get away and visit some place truly special. In Pennsylvania theres no excuse to stay in a normal hotel or an average home. Here are eight of the most unique Airbnbs in the state.

A tree house

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Relax amongst the trees in this unique Farmington home. Just minutes away from Ohiopyle, its a great spot to get away and spend time with nature. The treehouse also has its own hot tub too. It can sleep two. The Airbnb rents for around $118 a night. Book this Airbnb.

Photo from Airbnb.

A restored vintage caboose

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Spend the night in this old train caboose in Lock Haven. The caboose can sleep two and comes with its own sink, toilet, shower and microwave. As a note, the caboose is only available for rental from May to October. It rents for around $79 a night. Rent this Airbnb.

Photo from Airbnb.

A haunted former Civil War field hospital

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This historic farm house was used as a field hospital after the Battle of Gettysburg. The Airbnb is just for one room and a private bathroom, but youll be sharing the rest of the house with those who live there -- including six cats and a large dog. The host even claims that the house is haunted -- but by friendly ghosts (so no need to be scared!). Rooms rent at this Airbnb for $109 a night. Rent this Airbnb.

Photo from Airbnb.

A spectacular 1860s mansion

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This historic 1860s mansion in Lebanon County is rumored to have been part of the Underground Railroad. It sleeps more than 16 people in its 8 bedrooms. Its a secluded home, sitting on 2.4 acres. Theres plenty of space in the mansion too, which boasts a ballroom and four fireplaces. It rents for around $521 a night. Book this Airbnb.

Photo from Airbnb.

An old church

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An old church has been converted into a boutique hotel in Philadelphia. There are eight bedrooms available to rent, as well as several common spaces to hang with one another. With gorgeous stained glass and high ceilings, its a spectacular space. The Deacon rents for $1,114 a night. Book this Airbnb.

Photo from Airbnb.

A canned ham

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This old-school camper is also known as a canned ham thanks to its shape. It can sleep three and is perfect for those who really want to get a camping experience, but with actual beds. You will have to use an outhouse. The camper is by a pond, where you can watch frogs hop around and deer stop by for a drink. It rents for around $85 a night. Book this Airbnb.

Photo from Airbnb.

A tiny home

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Have your vacation in this cozy 240 square foot home near Ohiopyle. Two people can fit in the space, which has its bed in a little loft. But the main highlight of this listing is the location. Minutes away from Ohiopyle State Park, youll have easy access to some of the best hiking in the state. This Airbnb rents for around $102 a night. Book this Airbnb.

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A houseboat in Philadelphia

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This houseboat on the Delaware is nicknamed the Love Shack for its tin roof and can sleep two. It offers views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and a chance to take a little break from the city life. No pets are allowed. It rents for around $132 a night. Book this Airbnb.

READ MORE

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10 great Airbnbs in the Pocono Mountains

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7 great glamping sites in Pennsylvania

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By Lee Hyo-jin







Six people, including three Malaysian nationals, were indicted Tuesday for smuggling drugs into the country inside various objects through international mail, according to Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office.







The Prosecutors' Office announced three smuggling cases, each using different objects  a paintbrush bucket, coffee bags and teddy bears  to sneak in drugs from overseas.







A suspect in his 50s smuggled 2,003 grams of methamphetamine, known as philopon in Korea, from Cambodia in May. The drugs were hidden in a paintbrush bucket. It was the largest drug seizure by the Daejeon High Prosecutors' Office in its history.







A Malaysian national in his 20s, with two accomplices, illegally brought in 287.2 grams of methamphetamine through express cargo in June. They used coffee bags to hide the drugs.







The same month, two other suspects were caught trying to smuggle in 432.89 grams of marijuana from the United States. The authorities found the drugs stuffed inside a teddy bear.







Daejeon District Prosecutors' Office stated that the perpetrators in all three cases were caught through close cooperation with the customs authority at Incheon International Airport. The suspects were indicted accordingly on drug charges and an additional law on punishment for specific crimes.











The prosecutors' office noted that drug-related crimes are increasing throughout the industrial area in South Chungcheong Province, where many foreign workers are residing. The authorities will tighten controls on drug smuggling and trafficking in the area.


The Canadian governments inability to navigate the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China has exposed a striking dysfunction in Canadas foreign policy.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Opinion

The Canadian governments inability to navigate the ongoing rivalry between the United States and China has exposed a striking dysfunction in Canadas foreign policy.

It speaks to a serious vulnerability in a nascent superpower conflict driven by techno-nationalism and populist politics. Whats clear is that both Beijing and Washington are willing to manipulate Canadas rule of law system for their own political ends.

The Trump administrations request to arrest and extradite Huawei chief financial officer Meng Wenzhou, followed by Chinas retaliatory detention of Canadians Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, illustrate Prime Minister Justin Trudeaus helplessness and confusion on how to handle such a difficult situation.

In fact, near policy paralysis coupled with a "wait and see" approach appears to have guided the government throughout the crisis.

Middle-power interests

The tragedy of Kovrig's and Spavors imprisonment provides guidance on how middle-power states should navigate rivalries between more powerful nations. On the one hand, the Trump administrations America First policy has shown its traditional allies are expendable, while Xi Jinpings emboldened authoritarianism advocates the detention of foreigners for political leverage. Middle-power states, meantime, must protect their values and interests.

But what is Canadas national interest and what are Canadian values? Finding an agreed-upon set of non-partisan ethics is an emotional and a complex endeavour. Despite the difficulty, times of crisis require leaps of political faith in finding unity to build meaningful policy.

Now is one of those times.

As Canada becomes a playground in a great power rivalry, Canadians must prepare themselves for an era marked by fierce competition between the U.S. and China. A conflict with both global and regional implications, Canada is notably vulnerable given its geographic proximity to the United States and its economic interdependency with both nations.

Canada in a no-win situation

There is a strong lesson for Canada and other middle power states. Its clear now that Huawei is a politically exposed firm, and the American request to extradite Meng Wenzhou poses a significant risk for Canadians. As David Zweig, a professor emeritus at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, rightly points out, if Meng is deported, hundreds of thousands of Canadians in China will be in peril. Canada has been forced into a no-win situation.

Michael Kovrigs wife, Vina Nadjibulla, has noted: "We cannot win a race to the bottom with China; we cannot become aggressive and confrontational because confrontation is not a strategy."

Both Zweig and Nadjibulla, along with a powerful collective of Canadas political elite, are advocating for Mengs release in exchange for the two Michaels. There is of course fierce objection to a prisoner swap, along with calls for tougher action while diplomatic efforts continue behind the scenes.

A prisoner swap would in fact undermine Canadas credibility and signal to the world and our allies that Ottawa accepts hostage diplomacy. It would in many ways jeopardize Canadas future relationship with Asia.

Embracing human security

While there is speculation that China and the United States are headed towards whats known as a Thucydides Trap  which holds that war is inevitable when a rising power challenges a dominant state  Canada must prepare itself for the worst and find creative ways of navigate this superpower rivalry.

In doing so, Canadian policy-makers must understand that theyre in no position to change the behaviour of nuclear-armed, authoritarian China. To think otherwise is pure fantasy.

But Canada has options.

First, the government should return to its post-Cold War roots and advocate clear principles of human security. Unlike traditional security, human security is a people-to-people, centred approach for understanding how communities can build capacity and resilience. As Kenneth Christie at Royal Roads University and I have written, human security is fundamentally concerned with supporting good governance, human well-being and sustainable development.

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Second, Canada should draw on its Cold War experience as a middle power state navigating great power rivalries through multilateral organizations. The Trump administrations retreat from global institutions is an opportunity for Western allies to implement progressive policies with a clear focus on human security. While Canada has friends, it must do better in reminding them what we stand for.

Third, Canada should aggressively market its human security campaign within Chinas vital Belt and Road Initiative countries and the hallways of NATO, advocating human rights and the rule of law. Billboards should be placed on the sides of highways reminding allies how far their economic partners will go to meddle in a nations legal sovereignty should they not comply with their wishes.

China does not have to agree with Canadas liberal democratic principles, nor should we force our values on China.

But the world needs to know how Canadas sovereign rule of law has been steamrolled by two self-interested superpowers. And Canadians must stay true to our values and help other vulnerable and marginalized victims of great power rivalry.

Robert J. Hanlon is an associate professor of international relations and Asian politics at Thompson Rivers University.

This article was first published at The Conversation Canada: theconversation.com/ca.
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Dear President Trump,

The difference between myself and several of my friends is only a few years, a few miles and a few numbers.

By years: My parents migrated to the U.S. in the mid to late 1970s when it was simple to secure work authorization and a social security number, especially if you worked for the airlines in the Bahamas, as my dad did. He just walked into the immigration office and signed up for a social security number.

By miles: I live in a city that is just 689 miles from Haiti, 200 miles from Cuba, and only 50 miles from the Bahamas. So close in proximity yet far enough for certain dreams to be deferred.

By numbers: My social starts with 59. This indicates that I was born in Florida. At times, I wish I could lend my friends these numbers to alleviate, if just for a day, their feelings of fear, dread, and uncertainty.

President Trump, my friends, my colleagues, my interns, and my students are not much different from myself. They are smart, funny, educated, civil, hard-working and they are just as American. We share similar values. Such as the Christian faith, a hunger for higher education, a spirit of entrepreneurship, and a desire to change the world for the better.

Yet, President Trump, under your administration you have continued to create more anxiety for those who have filed Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA)  even after the news of the Supreme Court decision.

Mr. President, for years, my high-achieving students and friends languished in low-level jobs and outside the walls of colleges they couldnt afford.

When DACA was made available, it gave these precious people with intellect and specialized skills  the kind that they developed and perfected living in this wonderful country  a new lease on life.

Yet, I still remember that day in 2017 when you announced your plan to end the DACA program.

I received a panicked phone call from a former employee of mine, the brightest and hardest working talent who had ever walked through our doors. She started as an intern, became an editorial assistant with us, then a PR assistant, and finally left after a few years to obtain a job at a New York PR agency.

When she came to me several years ago, I immediately knew she was an asset to our company and when she admitted to me that she was an undocumented student, I was surprised at all that she had achieved in the country with such an impediment.

I have some insight Id like to share, Mr. President.

She was one of the many DACA youth who had come to the U.S. before she was 16 years old, had continuously resided in the United States since June 15, 2007; graduated high school with honors, and was never convicted of a felony or a misdemeanor, for that matter. She was a model student, neighbor, and friend.

DACA was that simple recipe for success  it was that clear path needed in the wilderness. The aforementioned was the general criteria to apply for DACA and it was working.

However, even after the Supreme Court, in a 5-4 decision, found your administrations move to wind down the Obama-era program for Dreamers lacked a sound legal basis, you continue to dash these young peoples dreams.

You have determined that you will not accept new DACA applications and you will plan to limit renewals to only one year instead of the two years, as was standard.

But, Mr. President, had you ever considered why the DACA criteria produces and motivates such young people like my former employee?

Its not a coincidence. These young people think like, talk like, dress like, and move like the best American citizens because they rubbed shoulders with the most high-achieving Americans at their schools. Yet, their immigration statuses have caused them to always hope against hope, pushing them to surpass many of those high-achieving American friends.

The truth is, one should never underestimate what hope can do to the human spirit. It can spur you on to achieve the impossible. It is that substance of things hoped for, the evidence of unseen things.

It is the story of the immigrants that built this country from the ground up, as I wrote about in my book HOLA AMERICA: Guts, Grit, Grind and Further Traits of the Successful American Immigrant.

Regardless of a hazy future and your talk of a merit-based immigration system, these young people have done all the right things. I, for one, would never be advocating for their stay if they had not.

They charmed their teachers and guidance counselors. They were voted by their fellow students to become student council presidents. They became school valedictorians. They were college ambassadors. They are church leaders. And, because of DACA, they are now working professionals. They are now married with kids. They are shaping the next generation with some of the same steel that got them through all these years. In fact, my former employee  an inaugural DACA recipient  just bought her first condo.

She, like so many other DACA-holders, stick out as 20 and 30-somethings. Just ask the fellow Americans who have had the pleasure to work with, study with, worship with, and be friends with them. Our jobs, schools, churches, and cities wouldnt be the same without the contributions of these 800,000 young people.

The reason the Obama administration chose to deploy DACA by executive branch memorandum  despite the fact Congress affirmatively rejected such a program in the normal legislative process on multiple occasions  was because of the tremendous value that this type of human being, this type of American could bring to the workforce and the economy.

I know firsthand as I have taught DACA students and Ive worked alongside H1-B workers. I can tell you the truth. Our economy is better for it.

One of the most difficult truths I confronted when speaking to the young lady who called me on the day of your 2017 announcement was this: Even if my company fires me, theyre not going to find an American to do what I do. Theyre not qualified.

Those words assaulted me at first but then I began to understand. If shes more qualified than her contemporaries, it would behoove us to create a pathway to citizenship for her.

And if these new dreamers are anything like my former employee (and I know they are), were going to the top with them. So, why not take them and her with us?
WASHINGTON - For-profit nursing home providers that have faced accusations of Medicare fraud and kickbacks, labor violations and widespread failures in patient care received hundreds of millions of dollars in "no strings attached" coronavirus relief aid meant to cover shortfalls and expenses during the pandemic, a Washington Post analysis of federal spending found.

More than a dozen companies that received federal funding have settled civil lawsuits in recent years with the Justice Department, which alleged improper Medicare billing, forged documents, substandard care and other abuses.

The companies repaid the government a total of more than $260 million and nearly all are under active corporate integrity agreements with the inspector general of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - the same agency that distributed the coronavirus relief payments. The five-year agreements require independent audits, employee training and other enhanced reporting protocols.

One nursing home provider is still embroiled in active litigation with the government, which has accused the company in federal court in Tennessee of putting elderly residents into unnecessary therapy services and delaying the release of patients to reap higher Medicare payments. SavaSeniorCare, whose homes received more than $65 million in pandemic relief aid, has denied wrongdoing.

All told, nursing home companies sued for Medicare fraud in recent years received more than $300 million in relief payments.

Millions more went to nursing homes with widely publicized breakdowns during the pandemic. Among them: a facility in Pennsylvania cited by the state for giving more than 200 residents the experimental anti-malarial drug touted by President Donald Trump and a home in New Jersey under investigation by the state attorney general for lapses in infection control and patient care during a lethal coronavirus outbreak earlier this spring. After an anonymous tip, police found the bodies of 17 residents in a makeshift morgue; another had been stored in a shed.

The money was distributed through the $175 billion Provider Relief Fund, which since April has directed federal stimulus payments to hospitals, some nursing homes and other health-care providers. In May, HHS announced a targeted nursing home distribution of another $4.9 billion.

The payments, for covid 19-related expenses or lost revenue, came with few spending restrictions. Agreements between the providers and HHS include language prohibiting nursing homes from using the federal money for abortions, gun-control lobbying and the purchase of chimpanzees, but do not require homes to spend on such things as personal protective equipment or hazard pay for nurses and aides caring for covid-19 patients.

"The president wants us to accelerate getting those dollars out," Seema Verma, administrator for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), announced in April during a news briefing with the White House coronavirus task force. "There are no strings attached, so the health-care providers that are receiving these dollars can essentially spend that in any way they see fit."

Watchdog groups and some independent experts say the government should have assessed the financial needs of the nursing home industry, scrutinized the track records of providers and attached some spending restrictions before distributing the payments. They say they are most concerned about for-profit companies, some owned by private equity and other investment firms, that in the past have slashed costs and cut staff to boost profit.

Two publicly traded nursing home companies that regularly pay dividends to shareholders announced they continued to do so in the first two quarters of this year, The Post found.

Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., who chairs the House select subcommittee on the coronavirus crisis, launched a congressional investigation in June focused in part on grant spending by five nursing home chains.

"Our committee intends to conduct rigorous oversight to ensure that nursing home companies that received funds in order to deal with the crisis spend those funds as Congress intended," he said in a statement to The Post. "Nursing home companies that received funds after committing fraud warrant particularly close scrutiny."

HHS said that providers will be required to undergo audits and submit spending documents, and those unable to show that money went to expenses or lost revenue attributed to the coronavirus could be forced to return some or all of the funds.

"HHS will have significant anti-fraud monitoring of the funds distributed, and the Office of Inspector General will provide oversight as required in the Cares Act to ensure that federal dollars are used appropriately," according to HHS.

The American Health Care Association (AHCA) and National Center for Assisted Living, which represents 14,000 long-term-care providers, said the federal money was badly needed. The group has reported that both nonprofit and for-profit nursing homes had been "on the verge of collapse" during a deepening health crisis, faced with the increasing costs of supplies and personnel expenses and the loss of existing and potential residents.

The industry group said it expects reporting and tracking protocols.

"For several months, all health care providers have been waiting for guidance on reporting and HHS' approach to auditing and are anticipating significant oversight in the coming months," Mike Cheek, AHCA senior vice president of reimbursement policy, said in a statement to The Post. "We support reasonable efforts to ensure this federal aid has been properly directed to providers to cover costs associated with addressing COVID-19 and potential losses."

Whether that oversight prompts the government to flag irregular spending - or demand the return of stimulus money - is not yet known.

As the money became available, LeadingAge, an industry group that represents nonprofit providers, put out a primer for providers with detailed instructions about how to access and use the payments.

"HHS or Congress could clawback some portion of the relief funds from non-COVID areas," the document says. "But in an election year, there is low probability of this occurring."

Those familiar with the industry say they fear some companies will simply absorb the money without investing in patient care or compensation for front-line workers.

"This has been one of my concerns from the moment the government passed the Cares Act - the money is not ending up where it needs to be," said Michael Wasserman, medical director of a Los Angeles nursing home and president of the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine. "The help has to go specifically to the front line."

To better understand where stimulus money was distributed, The Post used public records and provider websites to untangle the ownership structure of individual homes and then determine the total funding for homes within the same parent company. The calculations may be low. In some cases, The Post was unable to link the names of individual nursing homes with ownership records maintained by HHS or CMS.

The analysis captured more than 2,000 homes within some of the largest chains in the United States. The Post also looked at several publicly traded nursing home companies as well as smaller companies and individual facilities scrutinized for improper business practices or patient care before or during the pandemic. The Post could not independently verify how the relief payments, only recently distributed, were spent.

More than $35 million went to homes operated by the for-profit Brius, with dozens of nursing homes in California, federal data shows.

In 2016, officials at four Brius homes acknowledged in federal court that employees used corporate credit cards to buy massages, tickets to sporting events and excursions on the 222-foot mega yacht Inspiration Hornblower for hospital planners who provided patient referrals. The officials, who struck deferred prosecution agreements with the government, said at the time that Brius management was unaware of the scheme to maximize Medicare revenue.

The four homes repaid $6.9 million through a settlement.

Last year, the state threatened to fine one Brius home $156,000 after inspectors noted that a resident who had trouble swallowing choked on a honey bun and died, and another resident needed two surgeries after she fell out of her wheelchair while unattended. The home's administration withheld records and instructed staff not to cooperate, according to the state inspection report.

In 2014, then-California Attorney General Kamala D. Harris called the company's owner, Shlomo Rechnitz, a "serial violator of rules within the skilled nursing industry" in an emergency court motion to stop Brius from buying homes through a bankruptcy sale.

Speaking for Rechnitz, company attorney Mark Johnson said Rechnitz does not have any role in the day-to-day operations of Brius homes. Johnson said the Justice Department settlement stemmed from allegations from 2006 to 2012 and "clearly has nothing to do with the Cares Act or the current pandemic." The company, he said, cooperated with investigators and terminated the individuals involved.

Johnson denied allegations that facility employees failed to cooperate last year with state inspectors and said the company appealed the state's findings. He added that Brius has faced rising expenses from increased wages, the cost of supplies and other needs during the coronavirus crisis.

"While we certainly cannot project the end of this pandemic, at present it seems unlikely that the relief funding will be sufficient to meet the increased expenses related to this pandemic," Johnson said in an email.

In New York, two homes that are part of the for-profit SentosaCare received more than $2 million in pandemic relief payments, federal records show. In October, a federal judge ruled that the owners of the company were liable for violations of human-trafficking laws after Filipino nurses brought to the United States to work in the two homes said they were overworked, improperly paid and threatened with $25,000 fines if they quit before their contracts ended.

Elliot Hahn, a lawyer for SentosaCare, said nurses were not threatened and were paid an hourly rate of $29 or more. The company has appealed the ruling.

"This is not a case where employees were mistreated or 'trafficked' in any sense of the word," Hahn said in an email.

Nursing homes that have drawn significant scrutiny during the pandemic also received relief payments, The Post found.

The Life Care Center of Kirkland in Washington state, the site of the country's first known coronavirus outbreak, received nearly $320,000 in pandemic relief. After the outbreak, CMS inspectors found the home did not properly care for sick residents or alert authorities to the spread of illness. The state banned the home, linked to more than 40 deaths, from accepting new residents until changes were made.

The Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley outside of Boston drew $300,000 in federal funds. After 17 people died of covid-19, including a nurse at the home, Sens. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and Edward Markey, D-Mass., and Rep. Lori Trahan, D-Mass., appealed to CMS to provide more oversight of Life Care and other for-profit chains. The Massachusetts Attorney General is investigating the home.

Tim Killian, public information liaison for the Tennessee-based chain, said the company continues to work with government regulators to "provide the best care and to safeguard both residents and staff."

"We have lost both residents and staff members to this horrible contagion," he said in an email. "Our staff members engaged in heroic efforts to provide the best care possible at great risk to their own health and well-being."

Life Care, with more than 200 nursing homes, is being monitored by federal authorities for financial compliance with Medicare rules. In 2016, Life Care, without admitting liability and arguing the government did not prove its case, agreed to the oversight and to a $145 million settlement to resolve allegations by the government that the chain and its billionaire owner had engaged in "a systematic scheme" to maximize Medicare billing.

Homes within the Life Care network received more than $48 million in pandemic relief payments, federal data shows.

"I asked Seema Verma to increase oversight of these for-profit chains, not hand out hundreds of millions of dollars with no strings attached," Warren said in a statement to The Post. "CMS needs to make sure this money goes to responding to the virus and protecting vulnerable residents and staff, not padding profits and bottom lines."

Billions Distributed With Few Restrictions

The nursing home lobby has pressed for financial relief since the start of the pandemic, when hundreds and then thousands of elderly residents fell ill during coronavirus outbreaks that swept homes from New York to California. More than 45,000 residents have died since March, along with several hundred nurses and other caregivers.

For months, the industry has asked Congress and the Trump administration to provide testing supplies, protective gear and money to cover expenses as well as lost revenue from beds left empty by patients who died of covid-19 or potential residents who decided to live elsewhere. Congress complied, allowing nursing homes to use stimulus money to cover shortfalls in revenue or expenses attributed to covid-19.

Nursing homes received about $2.7 million in initial payments for hospitals and health-care providers. In May, HHS Secretary Alex Azar announced a targeted $4.9 billion distribution to nursing homes.

"This funding secured by President Trump will help nursing homes keep the seniors they care for safe during the COVID-19 pandemic," Azar said at the time.

HHS opted for a simple distribution formula: All nursing homes would receive a $50,000 lump-sum payment, along with an additional allocation of $2,500 per bed. The average distribution was $315,000, with some larger facilities receiving $3 million or more, according to HHS.

The money, HHS said in guidance to the industry, did "not need to be specific to providing care for possible or actual coronavirus patients." Providers could use the grants for a range of expenses, including health insurance, rent or mortgage payments, and equipment lease payments. Providers would have to comply with unspecified future audits and reporting requirements.

"They should have specified that the money couldn't just be used for administrative costs and profits," said Charlene Harrington, a nursing home researcher and professor at the University of California at San Francisco. "There was no reason that CMS couldn't have put more restrictions on the money."

Some say the government also should have assessed the finances of nursing homes and their parent companies before distributing the payments.

In 2018, nursing homes in the United States received $28.5 billion from Medicare, which covers short-term stays and pays a far higher rate for services than Medicaid.

As the coronavirus crisis spiraled, CMS waived a rule that required patients to spend three consecutive days in a hospital before becoming eligible for skilled nursing care funded by Medicare. The idea was to free up hospital beds for covid-19 patients - and protect the elderly from exposure. But the change also allowed nursing homes to convert existing, long-term-care patients on Medicaid to higher-paying Medicare as long as the homes determined the residents needed skilled care under CMS guidelines.

David Grabowski, a professor of health-care policy at Harvard Medical School, called the change a "huge revenue bump."

"That's where all of the high margins are associated with nursing home care," Grabowski said. "You can quadruple your revenue overnight for those residents."

CMS also extended the time that patients were eligible for Medicare-funded skilled nursing, doubling the pre-pandemic 100-day limit if patients affected by covid-19 needed more care. At the same time, states including Massachusetts and Connecticut have directed aid to nursing home providers.

Then came the stimulus money.

Homes within the Pennsylvania-based Genesis HealthCare, which reported $33 million in net income in the first quarter of this year, received about $180 million in pandemic payments. States provided an additional $27 million.

"It goes back to this issue of whether or not there were shortfalls," Grabowksi said. "You would want them to be able to make payroll, to buy all the supplies. . . . But I think there are a lot of concerns, especially with private equity and others, are you making the payments to a private-equity group or are you paying your staff? Greater accountability here on the financial side would be a good thing."

The American Health Care Association said the money came at a critical time: Medicaid for years has covered only 70 or 80 percent of the cost of care in nursing homes, leaving some companies even before the pandemic with razor-thin margins. Struck by higher costs and lower occupancy rates during the crisis, the industry faced the loss of billions of dollars in revenue, the group has reported.

On the front lines of nursing homes, the needs are clear. Last month nearly 3,000 reported shortages of nurses, aides or both, according to CMS data. More than 1,700 reported that they lacked a week's supply of N95 masks; 1,500 said they lacked surgical gowns.

But lawmakers and watchdog groups worry that with few safeguards, nursing home companies will seek to grow profit rather than direct money to patients and caregivers. Some providers have affiliated entities, such as medical supply companies, that could charge related nursing homes above-market rates for goods and services to justify expenses.

"There are owners in the industry who have related parties," said Wasserman, the California doctor and industry representative. "Now the facility is paying five to 10 times the amount for PPE. That is not how Cares Act money should be spent."

Watchdog groups say they are particularly concerned about companies that have faced allegations of Medicare abuse.

Nursing homes within Ohio-based Saber Healthcare, with facilities in seven states, received more than $45 million in pandemic funding only weeks after the company and related entities settled a 2016 government lawsuit, agreeing to five years of compliance monitoring and repaying $10 million to the government, court records show.

Government lawyers alleged in federal court in Virginia that nine of Saber's homes submitted false claims to Medicare in recent years for rehabilitation therapy services for residents that were not reasonable, necessary or skilled.

"Our office is committed to investigating and stopping health-care fraud," U.S. Attorney G. Zachary Terwilliger, of the Eastern District of Virginia, said in April. "Billing Medicare for higher-than-necessary levels of care exploits our senior citizens and undermines trust in the health-care system."

Saber did not admit liability when settling the case.

"Saber disputes the allegations and has the utmost confidence that its facilities have acted in compliance with applicable laws and regulations in providing the best possible care to each and every patient," the company said in a statement to The Post. "During this critical time for healthcare providers, our resources are better spent in serving our patients' needs and supporting our employees rather than continuing to litigate these issues."

In federal court in Tennessee, the Justice Department is currently pursuing a case against SavaSeniorCare, arguing that the nursing home company, among the largest in the U.S., pressured its homes to meet "unrealistic" financial goals by submitting false claims to Medicare for rehabilitation therapy.

Homes within the Sava network received more than $65 million in pandemic relief, federal spending data shows.

Patte Packey, whose 83-year-old father died of covid-19 at a Sava nursing home in Bethesda, Md., said she worries the money will not be spent on patient care.

"Who's responsible for the oversight?" she said.

A spokesperson for Sava declined to comment on the government's case, saying the litigation is ongoing. In court records, the company disputed the allegations, arguing the government failed to prove its case.

"The government hinges its entire case on five patient examples that demonstrate, at most, the government's subjective clinical disagreement- and even then, a disagreement that wholly ignores the high standard to which [skilled nursing facilities] are held in the delivery of therapy services," the company said.

Nursing homes flagged by government inspectors also drew millions of dollars, including Andover Subacute and Rehabilitation Center in New Jersey, where 17 bodies were found in a makeshift morgue.

The facility, which along with a sister property received more than $3 million, failed to follow infection-control standards or properly screen visitors, according to a state inspection in April. Inspectors also found staff members who did not use proper protective equipment, wash their hands or separate sick patients from healthy ones.

The home, under investigation by the New Jersey attorney general, said every effort was made to keep residents safe.

"Despite all our efforts, the virus made its way into our facility, as it did in the majority of long-term care facilities across New Jersey," owner Chaim "Mutty" Scheinbaum said in a statement. "We took every possible step to handle this crisis internally while simultaneously making dozens of outreaches to local, state, and federal agencies for help. . . . The facility has made a strong recovery since the height of the pandemic."

In recent weeks, state and federal lawmakers have ramped up calls to track the money. Rep. Clyburn is investigating Sava, Genesis and Life Care, among other nursing home chains, to determine how the stimulus money was spent.

In Pennsylvania, state Sen. Katie Muth, D, is pushing a measure that would require providers to track and report their spending.

"All these things that we hoped the feds would do, they haven't," Muth said.

The nursing home industry, meanwhile, is lobbying for more money. Last month, the Trump administration announced an additional $5 billion in funding for nursing homes and state veterans homes.

The American Health Care Association is asking for $100 billion, much of it directed at nursing homes. In early June, the group announced a $15 million fundraising effort to launch a lobbying campaign.

"Our profession faces its greatest challenge in history," Mark Parkinson, the former governor of Kansas and AHCA's president, wrote in a letter to the industry. "This isn't like the usual fight we have in D.C. over a two percent increase or cut, or over some crazy regulation. Instead, this is a battle for the lives of our residents, our staff, and the very survival of our sector."

- - -

Jacobs and Mulcahy are graduate students in journalism at Northwestern University's Medill Investigative Lab. Washington Post researcher Alice Crites and staff writer Douglas MacMillan contributed to this report, along with Michael Korsh, Ellie Eimer, Chloe Hilles, Cadence Quaranta, Catherine Buchaniec, Daniel Rosenzweig-Ziff and Alexa Mikhail with the Medill Investigative Lab.
China on Tuesday said the boundary problem with India should be placed in an proper position in bilateral ties and the two countries should ensure that differences do not escalate into disputes.

The Chinese foreign ministry said Beijing hopes New Delhi will work together with it to safeguard overall interests of the bilateral ties.

In a separate comment in the context of New Delhi taking steps cut down on the dependency on Chinese products, the ministry said artificially damaging the cooperation in business between the two countries does not serve Indias purpose.

Also read: Upset at Indias big review of Confucius institutes tomorrow, China says be fair

The ministrys spokesperson Wang Wenbin was responding to a question at the regular ministry briefing on Tuesday on Indian external affairs minister, S Jaishankars interview August 2 where he said that reaching an equilibrium with Beijing is not going to be easy and that India must stand its ground and make China value India more.

Jaishankar had made it amply clear that the situation at the border and Sino-Indian ties could not be separated, indicating that peace and tranquility along the line of actual control (LAC) are mandatory for the bilateral relationship to progress.

We have noted this report. We believe stronger solidarity and cooperation between China and India, (the) two largest developing countries and emerging economies will not only inject impetus into our respective development but also stability and positive energy to worlds peace and prosperity, Wang said at the regular ministry briefing.

The two should place the boundary issue in an proper position in bilateral relations and make sure differences do not escalate into disputes. I hope India will work with us in the same direction and safeguard over all interests of bilateral relations with concrete actions, he said.

Also read: India-China expand border talks, to revisit patrolling protocol to avoid skirmishes

Wang was separately asked to comment on New Delhi considering measures to prevent trade partners mainly in southeast Asia from rerouting Chinese goods to India with little added value.

Responding to the query, Wang said: I want to stress that Chinese products to India met the demands of Indian consumers. The cooperation is mutually beneficial. Artificially damaging such cooperation doesnt serve Indias own interests.

Jaishankars interview and Chinas reaction come in the backdrop of the worst state of ties between the two neighbours following the June 15 Galwan Valley clash in eastern Ladakh.

The June 15 violence was preceded and followed by a tense faceoff between Indian and Chinese border troops at multiple points along the LAC in Ladakh.

Following several rounds of diplomatic and military talks between the two countries, New Delhi has made it clear that for the situation to be normalised, the Chinese will have to completely de-escalate and move back troops to their permanent locations.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava acknowledged last week that there has been some progress towards disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC though the process is far from complete.

On Sunday, the latest round of commander-level talks were held on the Chinese side of the LAC.

Beijing has so far revealed no details of the talks except commenting that the disengagement was complete in most places  a claim refuted by New Delhi.

Also read: How the cold will alter the India-China power equation next month in Ladakh

On August 2, China and India held the fifth round of talks at the level of military commanders and exchanged views resolving the remaining issues on the border, and on the ground, (and) continuing to push for a de-escalation of the situation, the Chinese foreign ministry told Hindustan Times in a statement on the Sunday talks.
A huge fire has engulfed industrial warehouses near Tehran - the latest in a series of mystery blazes and explosions to hit Iran.

The flames ripped through three warehouses in Jajrud, around 15 miles outside of the capital, around 7am on Tuesday.

Warehouses spanning 8,000ft that were used to store manufacturing goods, including wood and leather, were hit, the local fire chief said.

A huge blaze has ripped through industrial warehouses east of the Iranian capital of Tehran, the latest in a series of mystery fires to strike the country

It took fire crews six hours to extinguish the flames, which destroyed manufacturing supplies including wood and leather

Firefighters managed to extinguish the blaze around 2pm local time, after it had burned for six hours, gutting the warehouses along with a nearby building.

There were no casualties in the fire, state-owned media reported.

Officials said the blaze is under investigation, and the cause is not yet clear.

The fire comes amid a string of explosions across Iran, amid speculation they could be part of a coordinated campaign against the government.

The most serious blast took place last month at the Natanz nuclear facility causing significant damage, though Iranian officials said operations were not affected.

Another explosion hit a medical clinic north of Tehran last month, killing 19 people in what Iran said was a gas leak.

On June 26, an explosion occurred east of Tehran near the Parchin military and weapons development base that was also blamed on a gas leak.

Iran has seen power stations, shipyards and industrial plants hit by fires over the last two months, suggesting that they could be the result of 'sabotage'

Fire crews say the cause of Tuesday's fire is not clear, and is currently under investigation

Six other fires and blasts have also been reported, most of which have taken place around Tehran, but some of which have occurred further south.

A factory in Baqershahr, a power plant in Zergan, the Shahid Tondgooyan petrochemicals plant, and Bushehr shipyard have all been struck.

While Iran has attempted to downplay many of the blazes as accidents, state-run IRNA news agency has conceded that the the Natanz fire could have been sabotage.

It warned of retaliation if it could prove who was behind the incident, casting suspicion on 'hostile countries, especially the Zionist regime [Israel] and the US.'

Other possibilities including dissident groups within Iran and perhaps even within its military who are trying to weaken the regime, in the wake of mass protests that took place late last year.

Saeed Aganji, a Finland-based Iranian journalist, told the BBC: 'By targeting Iran strategic and economic sites, the aim is to bring Iran's economy to its knees and force the regime to stop financing militia groups and change course.'
Sunday morning was meant to be a girls outing for the Gilliams, as cousins, sisters, aunts and nieces piled into an SUV to go get their nails done together in suburban Denver.

But before they could even find an open salon, the family's four children were ordered at gunpoint to lay facedown on the parking lot, and two were handcuffed. The Black girls, who range from 6 to 17 years old, broke down into tears and screams as a group of White police officers hovered over them.

"I want my mother," one of them can be heard wailing on a video of the incident, gasping for air between sobs. "Can't I have my sister next to me?"

Aurora's police chief apologized on Monday night and launched an internal investigation after video of the incident quickly went viral. Police blamed a misunderstanding: The license plate number on a stolen motorcycle matched the family's blue SUV, and that car had been reported missing earlier this year, too.

But Brittney Gilliam, who had been driving her relatives to the salon, said the mix-up did not justify forcing her young relatives onto the pavement or putting two of them, ages 12 and 17, in handcuffs. She has since filed a complaint.

"That's police brutality," she told KUSA. "There's no excuse why you didn't handle it a different type of way. . . . You could have even told them, 'Step off to the side let me ask your mom or your auntie a few questions so we can get this cleared up.'"

Sunday's confrontation, which had been viewed more than 1.4 million times on Twitter as of early Tuesday, marks another troubling incident for a police department that has already drawn intense scrutiny over its treatment of Black people.

Nearly one year ago, Aurora police tackled 23-year-old Elijah McClain as he was walking down the street and placed him into a chokehold, just moments before paramedics injected the Black man with a heavy sedative. Last month, two officers were fired over photos reenacting the violent arrest near a memorial for McClain, who died days later.

Following a national outcry in recent weeks, Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis has ordered an independent review of the man's death.

The latest troubling incident for the Aurora Police Department began just before 11 a.m. Sunday, when police were notified about a possible stolen vehicle near a strip mall on Aurora's Iliff Avenue, they said in a statement. Officers dispatched to the scene found a vehicle matching the physical description and license plate number they had been given.

A few yards away, the Gilliam family discovered that the nail salon they were hoping to go to was in fact closed. As Brittney and another adult relative loaded the four girls back into the SUV, police approached the car from behind with their guns drawn.

As an adult in the family was led away and questioned, officers handcuffed two of the girls and ordered all four to lay facedown on the parking lot beside the car.

Jennifer Wurtz, a bystander who filmed the incident, shouted to police that the girls were scared and asked to be able to speak to them, she told KUSA. But the officers refused, telling her to back up 25 feet to avoid interfering.

After about a minute, an officer crouched down to ask the children, "Can I get you guys off the ground?"

"Yes, I want to get off," one of them responds through tears. He helps the two girls in handcuffs, 17 and 12, sit up but leaves them with their hands restrained behind their backs.

In a statement Monday, Aurora police said the officers may have gotten mixed up because the family's SUV had been reported stolen earlier this year. (Gilliam had in fact contacted authorities in February, she told KUSA, though her vehicle was found the next day.)

Police also clarified that another vehicle bearing the same license plate number as the Gilliam's car was reported stolen on Sunday. That vehicle was a motorcycle from Montana, the Associated Press reported.

Aurora police said officers are trained to perform a "high-risk stop" when stopping a stolen car. The tactic involves drawing weapons, telling passengers to exit the vehicle and ordering them to lie on the ground.

Faith Goodrich, a spokeswoman for the police department, told KUSA that there is no written policy about when and how to use the stop, which is also used when officers know or suspect people in a car are armed.

The department's interim chief, Vanessa Wilson, said police officers must be allowed to deviate from the written procedure depending on the different scenarios they face in the field.

In a statement on Twitter Monday, she publicly apologized to the Gilliam family and offered age-appropriate therapy to the children involved in the incident. Her agency would examine new practices and training around high-risk stops, she added.

Yet Teriana Thomas, Gilliam's 14-year-old niece and one of the girls who had been pinned down, said there was little the police could do to regain her trust.

"It's like they don't care," she told KUSA. "Who am I going to call when my life is in danger?"

Later on Monday night, as the video of the officers pinning the girls spread far and wide across social media, Auroras city council voted to make Wilson the citys permanent police chief.
Chinese Villagers Arrested for Protesting Over Contaminated Tap Water

Villagers in the rural area of Chinas Hangzhou city located in Zhejiang province, protested after they found out their tap water was contaminated by a wastewater treatment plant. Residents have noticed a foul odor emitting from their tap water since July 26, and many had diarrhea, allergies, enteritis from drinking the water.

Instead of arranging free water treatment for the residents, local authorities sent a large number of special police to quell those who went to protest at the wastewater treatment company. Six villagers were arrested, and one of them was knocked unconscious.

Some of the villagers told The Epoch Times that the police justified their actions with the excuse that the residents had blocked traffic.
Madhya Pradesh (MP) Congress unit would send 11 silver bricks to Ayodhya to be used in the construction of Ram temple, state party president and former chief minister Kamal Nath said on Tuesday.

Kamal Nath, who along with several other party leaders and workers, had recited Hanuman Chalisa at his residence in Bhopal on Monday, as part of the partys statewide programme for the progress and prosperity of MP, made the announcement during a freewheeling interaction with media persons a day ahead of the bhoomi pujan of the Ram temple in Ayodhya to be presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He welcomed the construction of Ram temple at Ayodhya, but gave its credit to Congress leader and former PM late Rajiv Gandhi. We welcome the construction of Ram temple. Rajiv Gandhiji made a beginning on this in 1985 and he was instrumental behind laying of the foundation stone for the temple construction in 1989. Had Rajivji been among us, he would have been attended Wednesdays ceremony, the veteran Congress leader said.

We are sending 11 silver bricks on behalf of the people of MP for construction of the temple, he added.

However, he didnt give any further details as to when the bricks will be sent; who will carry them and if it will be donated by him only.

He also took the opportunity to attack the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Whenever we do something BJP has a stomach ache. Do they have a patent, contract, or agency on religion?

He said, I installed a huge idol of Lord Hanuman at Chhindwara. During 15 months of my government, gaushalas were constructed across the state. Hurdles in the way to Ram van gaman path were removed. There were development plans for Mahakal and Omkareshwar temples. But we dont use religion for politics and dont make it an event. We are religious in our thoughts, but we dont mix religion and politics.

State BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal rebutted Kamal Naths assertions.

The Congresss state president must make his stand clear on his partys governments affidavit in the Supreme Court in 2007 through which it had denied the existence of Lord Ram. But, now, the Congress wants to take credit for the same. Another Congress leader said there should be a Ram temple, but is raising a question on the timing of the foundation stone-laying programme. Its a double standard of the Congress leaders. No wonder, the voters have rejected the party across the nation, Agarwal said.
"The Department of Health and Human Services did not have access to data on the total number of individuals that may have been exposed to COVID19 at the Cedar Meats facility until nine days after the first case had been identified on 24 April 2020," the report says. Loading The report also notes that a number of GPs were aware of the Cedar Meats outbreak before it was public because workers had presented to them seeking testing. "Better communication between the Department of Health and Human Services and General Practitioners could have mitigated the impact of the outbreak," it says, recommending that better rules for communication in a pandemic be established. A subsequent case was identified at Cedar Meats on April 26. A day later, DHHS contacted management to inform them about the infections and that an investigation into a potential cluster was commencing.

At least 111 cases, including 67 staff, were eventually linked to the outbreak. A minority report, supported by Coalition MPs on the committee, recommended medical information should be disclosed during a state of emergency. That minority report, which blasted the main one as politically biased, said Professor Sutton should have made it clear to the state government earlier that medical privacy laws were an impediment to contact tracing. "In a state of emergency it makes no logical sense that a person must remain in isolation because they have tested positive to coronavirus, but their workplace cannot be informed of the reason in order to protect other workers and their families," the minority report said.

"The Cedar Meats outbreak was preventable had the Andrews Government allowed contact tracers to do their job without restriction." The Coalition MPs also criticised DHHS for only notifying the labour hire firm about the positive case, rather than asking the infected staff member where they were working. The inquiry heard that an earlier infection at Cedar Meats reported on April 2 was discounted as having originated at the facility. That worker told authorities they were not infectious while working at Cedar Meats and could not have caught the virus there, with flight records checked to corroborate the information. Abattoirs have been a regular site of outbreaks in Victoria during the pandemic, with close working conditions and refrigeration proving particularly challenging in preventing infections. PPE concerns

The report found health professionals' experience in accessing personal protective equipment (PPE) varied. It broadly found state-run organisations could access the PPE they needed, while those relying on the Commonwealth' stockpile - particularly GPs and aged care providers - sometimes experienced difficulties. However, it also found that hospital staff felt there had been insufficient or inconsistent training on how to properly use PPE. The committee recommended that the department "work with the health sector to develop a comprehensive pandemic preparedness training program for healthcare workers including proper use of personal protective equipment".

Homelessness support An increasing number of people from "middle Australia" accessed homelessness services for the first time as the coronavirus pandemic took hold and governments announced strict lockdown measures to suppress the spread of COVID-19. The federal government's income support packages, JobKeeper and JobSeeker, and the state's moratorium on rental eviction prevented a "deluge" of middle-class Victorians from plunging into homelessness, the report found. The committee heard from a range of people and providers, including homelessness, tenant and domestic violence services, all reporting an increase in demand.

Tenants Victoria recorded a 400 per cent increase to their services after the Victorian government started introducing restrictions, including shutting down some businesses, designed to suppress the spread of coronavirus. Consumer Affairs Victoria reported almost 18,000 reduced rent agreements had been lodged through its website by July 5  this equates to about 3 per cent of the total number of Victorian households renting. The average weekly reduction in rent was $155, or 27 per cent. "National and state legislation such as JobKeeper, JobSeeker and Victoria's eviction moratorium have protected some Victorians who may have been at risk of homelessness," the committee found in its interim report. "Evidence from the homelessness sector suggests that during the period March to May, the sector experienced an increase in demand for its services in general, and from segments of the Victorian community that had not accessed these services in the past. "There are concerns from the sector that the economic effects of the COVID19 restrictions could lead to further demands on services and more homelessness."

The committee also recommended the state government develop a strategy to improve access to mental health support in regional and rural Victoria, following evidence the pandemic disproportionately affected people outside of Melbourne. Loading Disadvantaged communities cop fines Victoria's three most disadvantaged communities accounted for 10 per cent of police fines for failures to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. Residents in the Central Goldfields Shire and the cities of Greater Dandenong and Brimbank were issued a combined 529 fines by police over the first two months of restrictions, to May 19.

In contrast, Victoria's three most advantaged communities based on a socio-economic index of the 80 local government areas - Nillumbik Shire in Melbourne's outer north-east and the inner-city councils of Bayside and Boroondara - accounted for 1.9 per cent of fines issued by May 19. Residents in those three areas were issued a combined 85 fines for non-compliance over that period. Victoria Police issued 5600 fines from more than 47,000 compliance checks by May 19, although some fines were later cancelled or are under review. The Department of Justice and Community told the committee it was working with police to ensure there was no disproportionate impact on disadvantaged communities. However, the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service raised concerns that fines could compound existing disadvantage. The service highlighted the example of a homeless Indigenous man who was fined for sleeping on a park bench.
There is a group of 25 foreign ambassadors in Egypt that I consider to be the ambassadors of queen Cleopatra. Members of the group meet once or twice a month, and they choose, on the basis of rotation, one of their number to be president and one to be vice president. The success of the group has been wonderful, and even as ambassadors come and go the Cleopatra Group continues to live.



The idea of the group came about when Dragan Bisenic, the ambassador of Serbia to Egypt, came to my office in 2015 as he had some of my books that he had wanted me to sign. We became good friends and used to have dinner together almost every week, sometimes inviting other ambassadors to join us. We used to invite Kathleen Martinez from the Dominican Republic, who started to work with me at the Temple of Taposiris Magna west of Alexandria in the search for the tomb of Cleopatra and Mark Antony.



She had a theory that Cleopatra and Mark Antony were buried inside this temple dedicated to Isis and Osiris 45km west of Alexandria near Borg Al-Arab. The religious and political significance of the temple, along with its location, would have made it a logical burial place for Cleopatra since during her reign she associated herself with Isis and Mark Antony with Osiris.



However, the ancient Roman historian Plutarch states that Cleopatra and Mark Antony were buried together in Alexandria, and for years archaeologists believed Plutarchs conclusion. The historical evidence suggests that Cleopatra built a tomb for herself near the royal palace in the city, and so most scholars reasoned that her tomb had sunk beneath the ocean floor where it has been lost with the rest of ancient Alexandria.



The Temple of Taposiris Magna was also described by Plutarch as being resplendent with Osirian mystery. The historian Strabo recorded that Alexander the Great stopped at this temple on his journey to the Siwa Oasis when he was in Egypt, making it an important place for Cleopatra in life and perhaps also in death.



I was not convinced that Martinezs theory was correct, even though I agreed to start the excavation of the site because no one had ever attempted to search for the tomb of the queen before and because I thought the excavation could generate important publicity for Egypt.



There were some interesting discoveries, the most important being a large cemetery extending to the east and west of the temple. All the tombs were oriented towards the temple, indicating that the cemetery was likely constructed around it. Inside the tombs, we found mummies covered with gold and coins bearing the face and name of Cleopatra. One coin depicted Alexander the Great, and a mask was found that had a cleft in the chin. Kathleen Martinez asked me if the mask could have belonged to Mark Antony. I laughed and said no, it belongs to the British actor Richard Burton.



Another significant discovery was a hole in the northwest corner of the temple containing three small stelae saying that it had been constructed during the reign of the Pharaoh Ptolemy IV between 221 and 205 BCE. Another important find made before the end of 2015 was a stela dated to the reign of Ptolemy V. Written in two languages, it was a decree dedicating land to the priests of Isis at the Temple of Taposiris Magna and made two years before the Rosetta Stone.



By following the sunset and observing the way the sun sat on the horizon of the temple pylon, we knew that the temple and the cemetery had to be linked to one another. Some believe that the cemetery came about because the ancient Egyptians wanted to be buried near Isis, but the cemetery may also have been constructed for people who wanted their final resting place to be near an important person, such as a king or a queen.



After I left my job as minister of antiquities, I ended my cooperation with this excavation and started my own dig in the Valley of the Kings at Luxor to search for the tomb of another queen, Nefertiti.





SEARCH FOR CLEOPATRA: More recently, an article published in a UK newspaper has predicted that the tomb of Cleopatra will soon be found. In my opinion, the tomb will never be discovered as there is no evidence whatsoever that indicates the existence of a tomb.Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA) in Egypt, answered the claims of this newspaper last week, saying that there was no evidence that the tomb would be found and adding that a theory could not stand in for a discovery. I believe that Cleopatra was buried in a tomb built next to her palace in Alexandria that is now under water.The young princess Cleopatra VII, known today as simply Cleopatra, became queen of Egypt in 51 BCE. Thrust onto the world stage by her father, Ptolemy XII, she ruled a country in tumult and one on the verge of crumbling in the face of the mighty Roman Empire.Only 17 years old when she took the throne, she quickly became one of the most powerful rulers Egypt had ever known. She bonded personally and politically with two of ancient Romes most powerful leaders, Julius Cesar and Mark Antony. Then, barely two decades after coming to power, she took her own life in a climatic act of defiance against the Romans who were still hungry for her kingdom.While we know these facts of Cleopatras life and times, much remains to be discovered. Who was she really? What and whom did she hold dear? Was she the exotic beauty depicted by modern artists and filmmakers, or did she lure her famous lovers with her intelligence and power?From the underwater ruins of once-vibrant ancient Alexandria to the Temple of Taposiris Magna where she may have gone to begin her journey into the afterlife, archaeologists today seek further evidence about the life, death, and world of ancient Egypts last queen. Yet, Cleopatra has remained shrouded in the layers of history, revealing just enough to captivate the worlds imagination, including my own.Instability pervaded Egypt when Cleopatra was born. Her father had come to power after the king and queen before him had been murdered. Commonly known as Auletes, or the flutist, Ptolemy XII depended on the goodwill of Rome and spent Egyptian money to bribe it, so infuriating the people of Alexandria that they revolted against him in 58 BCE. Ptolemy XII fled to Rome, where he ingratiated himself with powerful leaders who eventually helped him to return to Egypt and his throne.Resuming power, Ptolemy XII punished those who had rebelled against him. He had his daughter, Berenice IV, Cleopatras older sister, put to death because she had ascended the throne in his absence. Yet, he also wanted to guarantee that his children would be his successors, and so in 51 BCE he wrote a will granting the throne to the 17-year-old Cleopatra and mandating that she share power with her younger brother Ptolemy XIII, around 11 years old at the time.The older ruler kept the original will in Alexandria and sent a copy to Rome, asking his Roman friends to enforce it if need be. Thus, upon his death, Cleopatra VII, 13th in the line of the Ptolemies, became the P.haraoh of Egypt, the last of her line to do so. Since then this influential queen has taken the world by storm.I will never forget the late journalist Kamal Al-Mallakh, the discoverer of the Pharaoh Khufus solar boat at Giza, inviting the actress Elizabeth Taylor to visit Egypt. She had played Cleopatra in the 1963 epic film of the same name opposite Richard Burton as her lover Mark Antony and Rex Harrison as Julius Caesar. These three were immortalised together in this film. Al-Mallakh brought Taylor to Giza to see the Pyramids for herself, and here he introduced her to me. She also arrived dressed as Cleopatra.Dragan Bisenic used to ask me about Cleopatra, and when we had more ambassadors attend our dinners I suggested that we should create a new group called the Cleopatra Group. He would be its president, and I would be its invisible co-president. We also agreed that during every meeting of the group we would ask an ambassador to be the speaker. For example, when we had a dinner at the residence of the Argentinian ambassador Eduardo Antonio Varela, we heard a lecture by the Argentinian team working on the West Bank of the Nile at Luxor.In response to Bisenics questions about Cleopatra and her achievements, I told him that this queen had been very devious and that she would betray anyone, or even kill anyone, to get what she desired. Her younger brother and co-ruler, as well as her sister, were executed on her orders, for example. I also believe that Cleopatra was selfish and that she wanted to rule the world. In order to achieve her goal, she had to capture the hearts of the most powerful men in the world at the time, Julius Caesar and Mark Antony.



She seduced the much older Caesar and even had a son by him whom she called Caesarion. When Caesar died, she set her sights on Mark Antony, with whom she had three children. After the next Roman leader Octavian defeated Mark Antony at the Battle of Actium in 31 BCE, a message reached Mark Antony that she had died, because of which he tried to kill himself. Wounded, he was brought to her mausoleum to die with her. Though Cleopatra then attempted to seduce Octavian, she found that her tricks would not work with him. In order to avoid being paraded through Rome in chains, she committed suicide.



My personal opinion is that Cleopatra was very ambitious and wanted to rule the world from Egypt. Moreover, I have discovered that some women I have met today believe in reincarnation and even believe that they were Cleopatra in the past. Funnily enough, most of them have the same character as the ancient Cleopatra.





CLEOPATRAS AFTERLIFE: During the excavation at the Temple of Taposiris Magna, some strange accidents happened to me.The first was when I was cleaning a statue next to the temple wall about two metres higher than my head on top of which there was a large stone. Suddenly, this large stone fell on my head. I felt dizzy and took a car to Cairo. My assistant Nashwa Gaber made me an appointment with an eye doctor, who told me that I had a macular hole that needed surgery. I went to the Pasken Palomar clinic where Dr Semedy operated on me. Even so, it took two surgeries and having to look down for two weeks even when sleeping for the treatment to be a success. I later had to take a train to Philadelphia for the opening of the Tutankhamun exhibition when I was in the United States because I could not fly.The second accident took place when there was a shaft at the temple that I wanted to enter, so the excavation team arranged for me to be put inside a basket connected to a machine. I went down for about 15 metres and then asked the team to pull me up. However, the machine broke down, and they could not pull me out. I stayed inside the shaft for hours, looking down at the water below and above me people screaming. Later, they were able to fix the machine, and I was rescued from the shaft.At that time, there was a group of Latin American ambassadors in Cairo visiting the temple. I received a telephone call from Farouk Hosni, the then minister of culture. I told him the story, and he told former president Hosni Mubarak. On my way to Cairo, I received a call from Mubaraks office, informing me that he would call me himself at 7pm. The president then asked me about the story of the shaft, and he inquired about the tomb of the magical queen.While we have to admit that Cleopatra is not buried in the temple, the Cleopatra Group has continued, with Khaled El-Enany, the minister of tourism and antiquities, becoming a member. Dragan then had to leave Egypt, as he had filled his position for more than six years, during which he had practically became Egyptianised and was loved by all Egyptians.We chose Michael-Christos Diamessis, the ambassador of Greece, as the next president. He was wonderful president for the Group, and we call his time in office its golden age. He had a lovely sense of humour, and we all miss him. The vice president at the time was Ruy Amaril, the ambassador of Brazil, somebody we all miss also. But the time came when we had to say goodbye to these two excellent ambassadors who really elevated the Cleopatra Group. We had many dinners and lectures during their time in office as well as trips to archaeological sites with El-Enany.The next president of the Cleopatra Group was a lady, Sibille de Cartier dYves, the Belgian ambassador in Cairo. The vice president was Jose Octavio Tripp, the ambassador of Mexico. DYves did her best to continue the success of the Cleopatra Group. I always say that though we have had many ambassadors in Cairo who have come and gone without leaving any impact, we have also had many others that will never be forgotten because they loved Egypt and the Egyptians loved them.I went to a Ramadan dinner at the house of my friend Amr Badr earlier this year, for example, to which he had invited Stephane Romatet, the French ambassador, as the only foreign person there. Romatet left the dinner early, and when he did so everyone present said that while we had had many French ambassadors in Egypt, Romatet was really the best of all. He had been proud to say that the recent exhibition of the ancient Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun had been seen by over 1,300,000 people during its recent visit to France as an ambassador of Egypt.The names of the ambassadors of the Cleopatra Group will be engraved in golden hieroglyphic letters because of their love for this country. Every ambassador in the Cleopatra Group deserves to be named, but I want to say to all of them that we are proud to have you in Egypt, and we hope that you will be able to start new chapters of the group in the countries you will serve in next. If I discover the tomb of Nefertiti in the Valley of the Kings during my excavations, we will have to change the name of the group to the Nefertiti Group, putting the ancient and modern Cleopatra behind us.The sad news is that our beloved DYves left Egypt in July for another post, and we will miss her as much as we missed Diamessis and Amaril. While we wanted to have a Cleopatra Group meeting to wish her farewell, the coronavirus restrictions stopped us. We are all using WhatsApp instead to wish her success in her new post.According to the rules, the groups committee has met and chosen Jose Octavio Tripp, the Mexican ambassador, formerly vice president, as its next president. Jan Thesleff will be the new vice president. It is to be hoped that the coronavirus restrictions will soon be lifted, so that we may all gather joyously once more.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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People can get really passionate about pickup trucks.

The Wall Street Journal published an article Saturday titled "Pickup Trucks Are Getting Huge. Got a Problem With That?", arguing that as pickup trucks have gotten bigger and "scarier," they've become inherently unsafe for pedestrians and others inhabiting the roadway.

Ryan Cooper, a national correspondent for The Week, tweeted it out with some pointed criticisms of the trucks.

A VERY HOUSTON ROMANCE: Simone Biles posts photos with new boyfriend, Texans' Jonathan Owens

Cooper was, as the kids say, overwhelmingly "ratioed" as people swooped in to comment.

And a very vocal segment of Twitter was not happy, from Texans to politicians to Conservative commentators.

People accused Cooper of owning a Prius.

Someone also had this hopefully satirical response.

Even Texas Sen. Ted Cruz commented, using "blue check-marks" as a shorthand for "liberal." Yes, Cruz also has a blue checkmark indicating he's verified on Twitter.

A quick Google search revealed that in 2013, Cruz was seen leaving Capitol Hill in a BMW, not a pickup truck.

But this 2016 survey found that Prius owners were 126% more likely to support Ted Cruz in the general election. The irony.
There might an overflow of TWS earphones in the Indian market but there is only a handful that can be categorised as the best true wireless earbuds. However, now were getting TWS earbuds that also has noise cancellation features which you cannot find on many TWS earbuds. Weve been using both the Sony WF-1000XM3 Vs AirPods Pro for a year even though the former launched their offering almost a year after its global launch. However, it is never too late as we will be weighing both of them in numerous scenarios to determine which one is the best for you.

Before we start, we need to say that neither of them are perfect but we do have a preference when it comes to features, price and functionality. Here are some of the features we love on both devices that you may want to look into detail before purchasing either of the two TWS ANC earbuds.

1. Noise Cancellation

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

Sony and Apple both have started to familiarise themselves with active noise cancellation on their offerings. However, Sony has more experience with this technology than Apple at the moment. Sony already killed it with their over-the-head WH-1000XM3 and took over the market leader Bose in this category. It was thanks to the QN1e HD noise cancelling processor, and we see the same chipset is used for the TWS version of the earbuds. I personally own all three, the over-the-head 1000XM3, the TWS 1000XM3 and the AirPods Pro. With confidence, I can say that Ive made the WF-1000XM3 as my exclusive noise-cancelling earphones for the time being. They are incredible at eliminating most of the noise near you and can even let in voice in if someone is speaking near you. You can customise these settings from the Sony Headphones Connect app fairly easier.



You can even adjust the level of noise cancellation from the app for situations such as using them in the office and you may need to some noise or chatter coming in. Similarly, theres a profile where the earphones detect if you are walking and lets in noise from the nearby traffic so that you are aware of your surroundings. These features work with both iOS and Android phones which gives the Sony 1000-XM3s a huge advantage. No such feature is available on the AirPods Pro the way it works with Sony's earbuds.

In the case of the AirPods Pro, one has to hold the stem to let chatter in and does not have other exclusive features such as sound profiles and location-based settings even when using with an iPhone. Sony offers by far more flexibility than the AirPods Pro and if you are looking for a superior TWS that does ANC well, the Sony WF-1000XM3 should be your only choice.

Winner: Sony WF-1000XM3

2. Design

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

If you are a little fussy about the design, then theres no secret that the AirPods Pro looks less bulky than the Sony WF-1000XM3. If you are looking for TWS earphones that have a low profile and do not stick out of your ear, then the AirPods Pro is a far better option to consider. Having said that, we do prefer the touch sensor on WF-1000XM3 as it is more natural to control music playback, switch between noise cancellation profiles and fire up Google Assistant than holding the short stem of the AirPods Pro. The AirPods Pro are also lighter in weight which means you can use them for a longer period of time as compared to the WF-1000XM3. The AirPods Pros charging case can also be used wirelessly which is an absent feature for Sonys offering.



Winner: AirPods Pro

3. Sound Quality

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

Beating Sonys legacy of audio products is hard and the case remains the same here as well. The Sony WF-1000XM3 have larger 6mm drivers that output a great soundstage, perplexing mid-range frequency and a very controlled low-range frequency i.e. bass. You can even adjust each of the frequencies to your liking from the equaliser in the Sony Headphones Connect app which is not an option on the AirPods Pro. While the AirPods Pro also sound great with vocals sounding very rich and a similar low-frequency profile, the Sony WF-1000XM3 gives more room for sounds in the mid-range frequency which basically gives more character to any song. The fact that the Sony WF-1000XM3 makes it feel as if the sound is coming from inside your head rather than an outside source is the main reason why we would recommend these TWS earbuds. AirPods Pro feel slightly more distant and lack key details that earbuds should provide.



Winner: Sony WF-1000XM3

4. Sweat Resistance

If your intention is to use any of these earbuds while working out then you need to proceed with caution. The Sony WF-1000XM3 does not come with any IP Rating and Sony does not recommend using them while working out or near any water source. If you need to use TWS earphones while working out, the AirPods Pro is a better choice as it comes with an IPX4 rating.

Winner: AirPods Pro

5. Battery Life

 MensXP_Akshay Bhalla

If we do a direct comparison between the two, the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds can last up to 6 hours on a single charge and even longer when not using the noise cancellation feature. The charging case can bring up the total usage to around 26 hours which is quite impressive. Having said that, the charging case is also fairly larger than the AirPods Pro case so make sure you have enough space in your pockets to carry it around. The AirPods Pro earbuds can last up to 4.5 hours on a single charge and 24 hours in total with the charging case. So the earbuds on the Song WF-1000XM3 do last longer than the AirPods Pro by at least two hours which can be a big deal if you travel for long periods of time.



Winner: Sony WF-1000XM3

Overall Winner

Its a fairly close fight however there is only one winner and in our honest opinion that happens to be the Sony WF-1000XM3. It has better sound quality, better noise cancellation feature and more customisation options than what the AirPods Pro has on offer. The Sony WF-1000XM3 also last longer than the AirPods Pro which is a crucial factor to consider and works with every smartphone out there. If you can look past the bulky design and the lack of sweat resistance, the Sony WF-1000XM3 is a highly recommended purchase for Rs 19,990 that also happens to be cheaper than the AirPods Pro. You can even get these earbuds at an introductory offer of Rs 17,990 from 6th August onwards on Amazon India.

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A second person has been arrested in connection with a suspicious death in Catoosa.

Madison Broyles, 18, was arrested by federal agents Sunday at the Airport Inn & Suites near Sheridan Avenue and Archer Street, according to an Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation news release. Authorities had arrested Bradley Bales, 33, in mid-July.

Bart Kutt, 55, was found dead in the garage of his home in the 18000 block of East Archer Street in Catoosa about 7 p.m. June 8. The OSBI said he had not been heard from or seen in several days.

Bales and Broyles are charged in Rogers County District Court with first-degree murder and desecration of a human corpse, according to court records. Broyles is charged also with larceny of an automobile.

Both are being held in the Rogers County jail without bond, according to jail and court records.
Bismah Malik By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: Tech giant Microsoft on Sunday announced that it is planning to acquire TikTok businesses in the United States, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The statement comes after Trump indicated that he would sign an executive order banning TikTok in the US over data privacy concerns arising from the possibility of user data being stored outside the country.

Microsoft, meanwhile said that the dealwhich analysts peg at $50 billionis expected to close no later than September 15, 2020. Microsofts interest in acquiring 100 per cent of these TikTok units follow Microsoft CEO Satya Nadellas recent discussions with Trump. Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the Presidents concerns.

ALSO READ | If not sold by September 15, TikTok 'out of business' in US, says President Donald Trump

It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury, the company said in its Sunday statement.

The US is the third largest market for TikTok in terms of revenue, generating $86.5 million (19 per cent of total revenues), according to a report from market intelligence firm Sensor Tower. In terms of downloads, US was the third largest market, behind India and China at over 160 million.

Both Microsoft and TikTok parent company Bytedance had earlier sent a notice of their intent to the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to explore a potential purchase of Tik Tok in the US besides several other countries. Microsoft said it is also seeking investments from other American groups.

The operating model for the service would be built to ensure transparency to users as well as appropriate security oversight by governments in these countries. Among other measures, Microsoft would ensure that all private data of TikToks American users is transferred to and remains in the United States. To the extent that any such data is currently stored or backed-up outside the United States, Microsoft would ensure that this data is deleted from servers outside the country after it is transferred, it added. TikTok however, continues to deny all allegations over privacy concerns.

Negotiation in progress

Microsoft and Bytedance earlier sent a notice of their intent to explore a potential purchase of TikTok in the US to a committee.
Help.org, a trusted online resource for individuals who struggle with addiction and their loved ones, has announced the Best Rehab Facilities in Akron, Ohio for 2020. The informational guide recognizes the top 18 rehab facilities based on cost, treatment options, location, accompanying services and more.

According to recent studies, drug overdose is the leading cause of death among people under age 50. In Akron, deaths related to opioid abuse increased significantly from 2011 to 2015. Substance abuse among adolescents is also escalating in Akron with 55 percent of high school students reported using alcohol, 38 percent reported using marijuana, 8 percent reported using prescription drugs without a valid prescription, and 2 percent reported using heroin. With the growing need for accessible and high-quality rehab programs, Help.org has developed a unique ranking process to help connect individuals with treatment providers that meet their needs.

The Help.org research team analyzed thousands of facilities across the country and then identified the most cost-effective and highest rated programs in larger cities like Akron. Each facility was evaluated based on rehabilitation services, treatment approaches, cost, special programs for unique demographics and ancillary services. The website also provides information about drug use and side effects as well as educational articles. For a detailed listing of the Best Rehab Facilities in Akron, Ohio please visit https://www.help.org/drug-and-alcohol-rehab-centers-in-akron-oh/

2020 Best Rehab Facilities in Akron, Ohio (in alphabetical order)

Akron Urban Minority Alcoholism Drug Abuse Outreach Program Inc.

665 W. Market Street

Akron, OH 44303

330-379-3467

Arrow Passage Recovery

721 Lincoln Way E.

Massillon, OH 44646

855-790-7398

Child Guidance and Family Solutions

18 N. Forge Street

Akron, OH 44304

330-762-0591

Community Health Center

725 E. Market Street

Akron, OH 44305

330-434-4141

Crossroads Center

311 Martin Luther King Drive E.

Cincinnati, OH 45220

513-475-5300

IBH Addiction Recovery Center

3445 S. Main Street

Akron, OH 44319

330-644-4095

Inpatient Rehab Placement

87 E. Tallmadge Avenue

Akron, OH 44310

330-349-8121

New Day Recovery

960 Boardman-Canfield Road

Youngstown, OH 44512

330-886-4744

Ohio Addiction Recovery Center

1151 S. High Street

Columbus, OH 43206

800-481-8457

Oriana House ADM Crisis Center

15 Frederick Avenue

Akron, OH 44310

330-996-7730

Rosary Hall

2351 E. 22nd Street

Cleveland, OH 44115

216-861-6200

Sojourner Recovery Services

1430 University Blvd.

Hamilton, OH 45011

513-896-3497

Summit County Health District Counseling Services

1867 W. Market Street

Akron, OH 44313

330-923-4891

Tarry House Recovery Home

564 Diagonal Road

Akron, OH 44320

330-253-6689

The Bluffs

2650 Lodge Road S.W.

Sherrodsville, OH

888-481-7821

The Recovery Village Columbus

3964 Hamilton Square Boulevard

Groveport, OH 43125

614-362-1686

The Ridge Ohio

25 Whitney Drive, Suite 120

Milford, OH 45150

513-275-7571

ABOUT HELP.ORG

Help.org is an online resource for individuals who struggle with addiction and their loved ones. The website provides the latest research through scientifically proven methods, community recovery resources as well as information about local financial assistance. Help.orgs team of researchers, activists and writers work together with addiction counselors and other professionals to offer useful and accurate resources to help individuals seeking recovery. To learn more, visit https://www.help.org/.
The rebel Rajasthan Congress MLAs, led by former deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, on Tuesday denied that Rajasthan BJP president Satish Poonia had met them in Manesar, a claim made by the special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan police.

Murari Meena, MLA from Dausa, said the news had been spread to defame the MLAs with Sachin Pilot, who are currently staying in a hotel in Manesar.

No one from the BJP either met us or plans to meet us. It is an attempt to defame us, said Meena in a telephonic conversation from Manesar.

HT reported on Tuesday that the Rajasthan police investigation into three cases of sedition and conspiracy to topple Ashok Gehlot government has found that state BJP president Satish Poonia met the Sachin Pilot camp of MLAs twice in July.

According to the HT report, Poonia met the Pilot camp MLAs twice between July 18 and July 29.

Poonia denied this vehemently. I have never met Pilot or any other rebel MLA. Police are speaking the governments language, he said.

The Dausa MLA said they had not decided on attending the Assembly session from August 14. It is still 10 days away. We will sit together and decide about our future strategy, Meena said.

Meanwhile, the special operations group (SOG) dropped the sedition charges in the three cases related to efforts to topple Gehlot government, and transferred the cases to the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) of the state government.

Earlier today, the Congress said it could hold talks with the rebel MLAs of Sachin Pilot camp if they leave the hospitality of Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana.

Congress national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala maintained that the only condition for talks with the dissident Rajasthan MLAs is that they leave the BJPs suraksha chakra (protection).
The Islamic State have launched a surprise attack against government troops in Deir ez-Zor, killing four reports Al-Masdar.

On Saturday, a number of soldiers from the National Defense Forces (NDF) were killed in an attack carried out by the Islamic State (ISIS) in the western countryside of Deir ez-Zor.

According to reports, the NDF troops in western Deir ez-Zor suffered six casualties (four dead and two wounded) after ISIS launched a surprise attack on their positions.

ISIS carried out the surprise attack on the National Defense Forces newly established points in the western desert area of Deir ez-Zor Governorate.

This area has been targeted by ISIS on several occasions in the past, including a number of attacks near the town of al-Shoula, which is located along an important highway.

The Syrian army recently foiled an attempted attack by gunmen belonging to the terrorist organization in an area between archaeological sites in northeast Hama and Khanasser in southeastern Aleppo.

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.
Mumbai, Aug 4 : Actress Renuka Shahane has called out Amruta Fadnavis, wife of former Maharashtra Chief Minister, Devendra Fadnavis, on politicising death of Sushant Singh Rajput.

"This is really unfair to a city that feeds and homes millions. However tattered the roof or blanket, Mumbai gives residents a reason to hope, dream & smile even without Z security. @MumbaiPolice have been working tirelessly to keep us safe even during covid," Renuka tweeted on Tuesday in response to a tweet posted by Amruta.

"Please don't politicize Sushant's tragic death and use it to badmouth Mumbai and it's people @fadnavis_amruta. Instead you have all the power to help the police in their investigation by providing them with any details that you might be sure of," the actress wrote in the second part of her post.

Amruta had earlier written: "The manner in which #SushantSinghRajputDeathCase is being handled - I feel #Mumbai has lost humanity & is no more safe to live - for innocent, self respecting citizens #JusticeforSushantSingRajput #JusticeForDishaSalian." A few among Twitterati, however, reacted on Renuka's post saying they did not see anything political in Amruta's statement.

"When Mumbai Police and Present Government are hiding facts and trying to save criminals, Everyone should speak up.

#SushantSinghRajput," wrote a netizen.

Renuka replied: "There is! If she were the CMs wife she wouldn't make such a statement about Mumbai, whatever the circumstances. Remember Elphinstone bridge collapsing during @Dev_Fadnavis tenure? Many Mumbaikars died but she did not say anything about Mumbai not being safe or being heartless!" The actress noted that the investigation into Sushant's death has to be conducted "without pressure, either from media, politicians or whoever. If it was suicide & there was abettment we must bring the perpetrators to justice. If it was a murder, the murderers must be caught. But this Bihar v/s Mumbai nonsense isn't helping".

Sushant was found hanging in his apartment on June 14. The post mortem report stated that the actor committed suicide. Mumbai Police has been investigating the case. Following an FIR lodged by Sushant's father KK Singh in Patna on July 25, Bihar Police have also started a probe.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
There was never and still isnt even minimalist support for the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir

A CRPF jawan stands guard along a street on the first day of the two-day curfew in Srinagar. PTI Photo

High on the hubris of a second electoral victory, the NDA/BJP government carried out a legislative coup detat on the state of Jammu & Kashmir.

After flooding the state with the armed forces of the Union without any prior consultation with any stakeholders leave alone the Opposition, the government on 5th of August 2019 introduced the Jammu & Kashmir reorganisation bill 2019 and a resolution to repeal Article 370 of the Constitution.

The bill became law despite vociferous opposition in both the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha. I had the privilege of leading the Oppositions charge in the Lok Sabha. A state for the first time in the history of India stood bifurcated into two Union Territories as on 31st of October 2019.

That law for a variety of reasons is patently unconstitutional and is under challenge in the Supreme Court for the past one year. One aspect that perhaps has not been highlighted in the list before the apex court is that the bill flies in the face of the Pre-Legislative Consultation Policy instituted by the previous UPA government on 5th February, 2014. The said policy clearly stated:

The department/ministry concerned should publish/place in public domain the draft legislation or at least the information that may inter alia include brief justification for such legislation, essential elements of the proposed legislation, its broad financial implications, and an estimated assessment of the impact of such legislation on environment, fundamental rights, lives and livelihoods of the concerned/affected people, etc. Such details may be kept in the public domain for a minimum period of 30 days for being proactively shared with the public in such manner as may be specified by the department/ministry concerned.

To the best of my knowledge the said policy was never repealed by the first or second NDA/BJP.

One year later it is now time to take stock of what India has gained through these actions. It would be a non-sequitor to say that civil liberties and fundamental freedoms were the first casualties.

They have been mercilessly trampled underfoot by the jackboot of the state.

Home ministry statistics reveal 6,605 people were taken into custody following the reorganisation of the state. 255 of them continue to be in detention in various prisons across the country even one year later.

The central government was compelled to detain three former chief ministers of the state namely Dr Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and the BJPs comrade in arms chief minister Mehbooba Mufti. She still continues to be in detention.

The 83-year-old former Union minister Saifuddin Soz endures illegal incarceration even a year later. On Wednesday last, the government told the Supreme Court that Soz was not under any detention.

Tragically, the same day, he was captured on candid camera screaming that what the government had told the Supreme Court was patently incorrect and policemen were not allowing him to move out of his home. This is even more chilling that a person can be detained without any formal legal processes and that too interminably.

What is even more disconcerting is the purported letter written by the Executive Committee of the Jammu & Kashmir Bar Association to the Chief Justice of India on June 25, 2020.

The letter states that out of 600 odd habeas corpus petitions filed in the J&K high court since August 2019, 99 per cent of the habeas corpus petitions have remained pending.

Even a law student understands that the jurisprudence of habeas corpus places it on a pedestal when compared to other writs since it concerns the life and liberty of an individual.

Coupled with this has been the extended periods of curfew and the non-resumption of 4G internet services in Kashmir considering that the whole world has been compelled to go virtual in the wake of the China Virus alias Covid-19.

In other words there was never and still isnt even minimalist support for the abrogation of Article 370 in Kashmir. Even in Jammu the reality has began to sink in that the influx of outsiders would not be in Kashmir that continues to be volatile but in Jammu.

It has remained largely peaceful over the three decade long militancy. The new domicile rules have further reinforced the perception that the NDA/BJP government wants to transform the demographic complexion of J&K.

There are some other implications that are even more portentous.

Articles 230 and 231 of the Indian Constitution empower Parliament to extend the jurisdiction of high courts to Union Territories and establishment of a common high court for two or more states, respectively, while Article 230(1) uses the phraseology two or more high courts and a Union Territory.

Can this be read to mean that two Union Territories can have one common high court? There seems to be no constitutional clarity. Though Section 75 of the J&K reorganisation bill says the high court of Jammu & Kashmir would be a common high court for the Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh, the constitutional status of the J&K high court would need to be examined in this light of the wording of Article 230 (1).

China reacted sharply to the reorganisation of Jammu & Kashmir and the home ministers bellicose utterances on Aksai Chin. Their foreign office spokesperson stated: China deplores and firmly opposes that (move).

This is unlawful and void and this is not effective in any way and will not change the fact that the area is under Chinese actual control.

Were the governments actions the trigger for the Chinese theatre level aggressions that India is currently dealing with is a question that the NDA/BJP would need to answer itself.

Finally, what are the implications of this internal reorganisation qua the Shimla Pact of 1972?

The Agreement states, Pending the final settlement of any of the problems between the two countries, neither side shall unilaterally alter the situation.

Would the reorganisation carried out last year render the agreement dud or does it still remain valid given that Pakistan has reorganised the internal dynamics of PoK and the Northern Territories ad-nauseam in the past 70 odd years? The jury remains out on that.

The author is a lawyer, Member of Parliament and former Union information and broadcasting minister. The views expressed are personal. Twitter handle

@manishtewari.
When news of John Hume's death was confirmed yesterday morning, tributes began to flood in from current and former leaders of all shades of political opinion, here and from around the world.

This was a man of staggering achievement.

So much of what we take for granted in the Ireland of 2020 is in place because of his vision and tenacity. Every news agency in Europe mourns his death and John Hume's name will join the list of great Irish leaders for posterity.

And yet, for many people under 40, there may not be the true understanding of his life's work that he deserves.

John's extended illness took him from the public space for too long. It would be a fitting tribute if the global response to his death prompted a new examination of his life.

Such was his towering contribution to Irish society, it may be impossible to properly express the significance and the scale of his work.

In a dark and worsening conflict, where sectarianism, hatred and bitterness threatened to banish forever the hope of better days, John Hume stood as a beacon.

His philosophy was simple but revolutionary. He understood and distilled the roots of a conflict that had blighted our country and our relationship with Britain for centuries.

With single-minded determination, he promoted that philosophy relentlessly.

Respect for difference was at the foundation of his entire approach. He recognised that, in order for progress to be made, institutions needed to be shared.

His political foundation stones are now almost universally accepted without question. John Hume taught us the way.

To his core, John believed in the dignity of every human being.

It was what propelled him into community activism. It saw him become a driving force in the credit union movement, working to break the cycle of poverty and exploitation in Derry and across the North.

Understanding at first hand the importance of education in improving life prospects, he was a lifelong champion of education.

He loved Derry from the bottom of his heart and Derry loved him. No matter where his work took him, he never lost his connection with his home place. And as the situation got worse, he looked further afield for help.

He knew we couldn't fix the terrible mess we were in by ourselves alone, so he built an international coalition of interested parties. It was unprecedented in scope and influence.

In the United States and in Europe, he brought the Irish conflict to the very top table and gave everyone a stake in finding peace.

To this day, the deep affection and support that Ireland enjoys, in Brussels and Washington DC, is, in part, a legacy of the work of John Hume.

He didn't do it on his own.

His successor as SDLP leader and MP for Foyle, Colum Eastwood, put it well when paying tribute yesterday.

He said: "There was no John Hume without Pat Hume." This is true.

Wife Pat's dedication and support during his active career and her unfailing care during his retirement and ill health is central to his story and his success.

In a very real way, John Hume saved this country. He saved us from a descent into hopelessness and hatred. He saved us from a conflict that had held us back for centuries.

Ten years ago, the Irish people recognised this when they voted him 'Ireland's Greatest' in an RTE series of that name.

It was a fitting tribute.

When historians stand back and survey the long arc of Anglo-Irish relations, when they see how close we came to the abyss in the 1980s and 1990s, and when they look at what this man did and how his philosophy transformed relationships, I am confident that 'Ireland's Greatest' is also a tribute that will stand the test of time.
Poppi was founded by husband and wife duo Stephen and Allison Ellsworth. After Allison discovered that drinking Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) subsided her chronic health issues, she set out to create a digestive health product that makes it easy to boost your immunity by delivering a full serving of gut-friendly prebiotics to aid in digestion, skin clarity, blood sugar, pH balance, and more. Each can of Poppi is packed with a tablespoon of ACV, along with clean ingredients including sparkling water, fresh fruit and all-natural sweeteners, selected specifically to mask the overwhelming taste of ACV that many consumers struggle with.

The brand's latest flavor addition serves as a testament to its rapid growth since earning a major deal on Shark Tank with iconic brand builder and CAVU Ventures co-founder Rohan Oza in December 2018. Poppi is on a mission to redefine what soda can be by creating clean, functional, fun, and genuinely delicious beverages for the next generation of soda drinkers. The brand continues to earn mass popularity amongst the millennial and gen-Z population. In April 2020, the Poppi founders returned to Shark Tank to announce that the brand is on-track to become the show's first billion-dollar company.

Poppi is available direct-to-consumer nationwide through Amazon.com , where the brand has experienced unprecedented increases in sales since launch. Poppi's Watermelon flavor will be exclusively available on Amazon.com for $35.88 per 12 pack case.

Allison Ellsworth, Co-Founder of Poppi states, "Watermelon is America's favorite summertime flavor, and we're excited to partner with Amazon on this exclusive introduction to celebrate summer."

About Poppi

Poppi is a better-for-you prebiotic soda designed to keep your gut in check. Founded by husband and wife duo Allison and Stephen Ellsworth, Poppi combines real fruit juice with prebiotic powerhouse apple cider vinegar to create a soda that tastes amazing and provides real health benefits. After finding regional success in farmers' markets across Dallas, Texas the brand has since expanded to over a thousand retail locations nationwide. Poppi is available in eight delicious flavors (orange, blueberry, strawberry lemon, mango pineapple, strawberry rose, lime ginger, peach tea, and watermelon) and available at Sprouts, Whole Foods, Wegmans, Amazon and online at drinkpoppi.com and follow @drinkpoppi on Instagram.

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The special National Investigation (NIA) court on Tuesday extended the custody of Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil (54), an associate professor in the department of English with the Delhi University (DU) and accused in the Elgar Parishad/ Bhima Koregaon case, to the central probe agency until August 7 (Friday).

The NIA claimed that Tharayil was in touch with those connected to Manipur-based insurgent group Kangleipak Communist Party Military Council (KCP  MC), a banned outfit.

The special public prosecutor Prakash, while seeking his custody, made several revelations about his links with the outlawed Communist Party of India (CPI)-Maoist.

He was arrested by the NIA on July 28 in connection with the Elgar Parishad/Bhima Koregaon case.

He has been remanded to NIA custody for further investigation.

On Tuesday, as his custody ended, the agency produced him before the special court and sought his further custody.

During the investigation, it is revealed that the accused was in contact with one Paikhomba Meitei, secretary, information and publicity, military affairs, KCP (MC), an organisation banned under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Amended Act, 2019.

The agency told the court that the data recovered from the DU academician showed that Meithei had shared the interview with the former general secretary of CPI (Maoist), Muppala Lakshman Rao, alias Ganapathi.

The agency also claimed that the accused was actively involved in raising funds to help the Maoist rebels for their release from prisons.

The accused, along with the arrested accused, was involved in highlighting the issue of arrest and subsequent conviction of GN Saibaba, who was sentenced to life imprisonment for his links with the CPI (Maoist), the agency told the court.

The agency claimed that the accused was using various social media accounts for communication with other co-accused persons, suspects as well as other members and Maoist sympathisers.

During the investigation of the present case about 1.26 lakhs of e-mail were recovered from the accuseds e-mail ID, which is under the process of scrutiny, the agency claimed.

The plea was opposed by his lawyer Susan Abraham, along with advocate Nilesh Ukey, on the grounds that the accused has co-operated with the NIA.

The special court did not accept the objection and extended Tharayils custody to NIA until Friday (August 7).

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AFTER THE LAST BORDER

Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America

By Jessica Goudeau

Many of us think we can imagine the life of an immigrant to the United States  the isolation, the loneliness, the small triumphs and lacerating defeats of trying to find ones way in a new world. Such stories are the staples of newspaper and TV news features, so much so that telling them in fresh ways seems almost impossible.

But now comes Jessica Goudeau, who brings the 21st-century American immigrant experience to life anew. Her After the Last Border: Two Families and the Story of Refuge in America is simply brilliant, both in its granular storytelling and its enormous compassion. This book should be required reading for anyone trying to understand the challenges of getting to and surviving in the United States in the Trump era, and it would make an excellent, subversive gift for those who believe that closing our borders is the best way to keep America strong.

After the Last Border is really three books in one. There is the story of Mu Naw, a refugee from Myanmar who comes with her family to Austin, Texas, in 2007 after spending most of her life in a Thai camp, and that of Hasna al-Salam, who arrives nine years later, escaping from the horror and violence of modern-day Syria. (Their names are pseudonyms, as both women have family members in their countries of origin who could be endangered were their names made public.) Then, interspersed between gripping chapters about narrow escapes, seemingly impossible language barriers, excruciating paperwork, child rearing in a radically different culture and marriages that sometimes reach the breaking point, there are chapters that recount the twists and turns of American immigration policy from 1880 to the present day.

After the Last Border offers a crash course in how shifts in public attitudes and, in turn, United States policy have helped and hindered people desperate to escape the poverty or violence in their homelands. As Goudeau explains, Americans national fight for identity  the wrangling about who we once were, how we will define ourselves for each generation, and who we want to become  is the single greatest determiner of who we accept for resettlement.
Two PILs filed in SC, seek CBI probe in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case

India

pti-Madhuri Adnal

New Delhi, Aug 04: Two public interest litigations (PILs) have been filed in the Supreme Court on Tuesday seeking a CBI probe into the death case of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput who was found dead at his residence in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14.

The two PILs, one by BJP leader and lawyer Ajay Agrawal and other by a Mumbai-based law student Dwivendra Devtadeen Dubey, have been filed during the day when Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has taken an important decision recommending to the Centre the CBI inquiry in the sensational case after actor's father made the request for it.

Bihar govt recommends CBI investigation in Sushant Singh Rajput death case

Vivo pulls out of IPL, Chinese-owned Vivo pulls out amid row | Oneindia News

Agrawal, who has been pursuing politically sensitive Bofors scam case in the apex court, has filed the PIL seeking a direction to CBI to take up the investigation in the death of Sushant Singh and the events which led to the untimely death of the actor.

That on June 14, Sushant Singh Rajput, an upcoming Bollywood film star, was found dead in mysterious circumstances. Mumbai police immediately declared it a case of suicide. But nobody could swallow this theory of suicide of a bright carrier upcoming star who played a lead role in the film of 'M.S. Dhoni, the plea said.

Seeking the CBI probe, the BJP leader who had contested the 2014 Lok Sabha elections against Congress President Sonia Gandhi from Rae Bareli, also referred to the news that Rajputs live-in partner Rhea Chakraborty had withdrawn Rs 15 Crore from the account of Sushant Singh Rajput out of total Rs. 17 Crores balance in his account.

Mumbai police was warned about threat to Sushant Singh Rajput's life in Feb, claims his father

On similar lines, the law student has sought the transfer of the FIR, lodged by actor's father Krishan Kishore Singh at Rajiv Nagar police station in Patna to either to the CBI or the NIA to ensure that the investigation is carried out impartially, effectively and efficiently. However, it is important to note that a bench headed by Chief Justice S Bobde, on July 30, had junked a similar PIL seeking transfer of probe into Rajput's death case from Mumbai police to the CBI.

"Go to Bombay High Court if you have anything concrete to show," the court had said while dismissing the PIL. Rajput, aged 34, was found hanging from the ceiling of his apartment in suburban Bandra in Mumbai on June 14 and since then the Mumbai police has been probing the case keeping in mind various angles.
A coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine is something the world awaits the most, but right now, the next big treatment to fight the pandemic could come from antibodies designed to attack this new virus.

Using antibodies in treatment is a class of biotech therapy used against cancer and other disorders. Many are hoping it will work the same way for COVID-19.

Developing monoclonal antibodies to fight the virus has been endorsed by leading scientists. It includes top U.S. infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci, who called antibodies "almost a sure bet" in the fight against COVID-19, reported Reuters.

Antibodies are proteins that a person's body makes to target invaders, like a virus. They are produced when the virus gets past the body's first defenses.

To stop the spread of a virus in a person's body, they will recognize it and lock onto it. Monoclonal antibodies are grown in bioreactor vats, and they copy the proteins that the body naturally makes.

Scientists are still looking into the exact role of antibodies for a person to get better from COVID-19.

Drug Makers Show Confidence in Antibodies

Drug makers are confident that the right antibodies or a mix of them can change the nature of the disease that has claimed more than 600,000 lives all over the world.

For one, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals is testing a two-antibody combination. Using two of the proteins is what they believed to be a better treatment from COVID-19 than just one. Data on the test trials is expected to come by late summer or early fall.

In an article from Malaysian news site The Star Online, Regeneron said their drug both prevented and treated the disease in rhesus macaques and hamsters. It added that it hoped that the drug may work for people too.

While their animal study has not yet been peer-reviewed, it did show that the mix of two antibodies was able to "almost completely block the establishment of virus infection."

In a second study where they had animals with higher levels of the virus, their drug was also able to have lower infection rates.

In June, they were given a $450 million supply contract by the U.S. government. With that, they plan to produce the drugs as soon as possible at its U.S. plant once approved.

The CNBC also reported that Eli Lilly has started to have the last stages and trials for its drug. They are looking forward to testing it in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes. Eli Lilly is using mobile research labs to make the study possible.

Monoclonal antibodies are being used in both the Regeneron and Eli Lilly drug trials.

'Instant Immunity' from COVID-19

Infused antibodies are not like vaccines that boost the body's immune system to fight a disease. The effects that people get from antibodies will go away in time.

That said, these kinds of treatment can still be a brief safeguard for people at risk like medical workers and the elderly. It can be a form of treatment for until vaccines have been made and are widely available.

Mark Brunswick of Sorrento Therapeutics said this kind of treatment is "basically instant immunity" against a virus. The company is also looking forward to human trials on its single treatment by next month.

With the belief of many in antibodies, Florian Krammer, microbiology professor at Icahn School of Medicine, stressed that antibodies have a chance of working well if given early. But it may not still be the case if given later on.

Want to read more? Check these out!

New Study From CDC Confirms Kids Could Be the Spreader of the Virus

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WHO Warns the Global Pandemic Will Not End Soon
CARACAS, Venezuela - A court in the West African nation of Cape Verde has approved the extradition to the United States of a Colombian businessman wanted on suspicion of money laundering on behalf of Venezuelas socialist government, his lawyers said Tuesday.

The court made the decision to extradite Alex Saab on Friday, but his legal team said in a statement it was informed about the decision only on Monday. They said they would appeal.

Saab was arrested in June when his private jet stopped to refuel in the former Portuguese colony on the way to Iran.

Saab was waiting for the court to schedule a hearing at which he could argue against extradition, according to the statement sent by the legal team, which is led by former Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon.

The legal team described the extradition order as alarming and accused Cape Verdean authorities of denying him his legal rights. The defence lawyers plan to appeal to Cape Verdes Supreme Court and, if necessary, the constitutional Court, the statement said.

U.S. officials trying to reignite their campaign to oust Maduro believe Saab holds many secrets about how Venezuelan president, his family and top aides allegedly siphoned off millions of dollars in government contracts at a time of widespread hunger in the oil-rich nation.

Venezuelas government had protested the arrest of Saab, 48, who it said was on a humanitarian mission to buy food and medical supplies.

Saab came onto the radar of U.S. authorities a few years ago after amassing a large number of contracts with Maduros government.

Federal prosecutors in Miami indicted him and a business partner last year on money laundering charges connected to an alleged bribery scheme that pocketed more than $350 million from a low-income housing project for the Venezuelan government that was never built.

Separately, Saab had been sanctioned by the Trump administration for allegedly utilizing a network of shell companies spanning the globe  in the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Hong Kong, Panama, Colombia and Mexico  to hide huge profits from no-bid, overvalued food contracts obtained through bribes and kickbacks.

___

Hatton reported from Lisbon, Portugal.

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From House Beautiful

The Queen and Prince Philips's former Maltese idyll Villa Guardamangia will be reconstructed from its crumbling state and opened to the public as a museum.

The beautiful 1900s property holds special significance for the monarch and Philip, as it was where they lived as newlyweds between 1949 and 1951, before her father Prince George VI's death and her appointment as Queen.

The royal couple enjoyed relative anonymity at the time and are said to have led an idyllic existence in Malta, an archipelago in the central Mediterranean between Sicily and the North African coast, swimming, dancing and enjoying beach picnics (via The Times). The Queen is also believed to have enjoyed shopping trips, visited the hairdresser and drove around in a Morris Minor.

Photo credit: Matt Cardy

Philip was leased the house by his uncle Lord Mountbatten while he was stationed in Malta serving as a naval officer on the HMS Chequers within the Royal Navy's Mediterranean fleet. It was previously owned and run by a veteran heiress of the Schembri family.

Though the Queen and Prince Philip have visited the property a few times since leaving in 1951, the home has deteriorated after decades of neglect. When Her Majesty visited Malta five years ago as part of the Commonwealth Summit, she was denied entry due to its decrepit state.

Photo credit: Matt Cardy

Local conservationist, Astrid Vella, was reported to have said at the time: 'If the Queen asks to visit this property again, it shouldn't be in this state. We must save it.'

It went up for sale in 2019 and was said to boast six bedrooms, a lounge, dining room, living room, kitchen, three bathrooms, grand 'sala nobile' and two garages.

Photo credit: Hulton Archive - Getty Images

Following appeals from heritage sites, the government has finally stepped in and purchased it for 4.5million, with plans to turn it into a tourist attraction.

Malta's state Heritage Agency told The Times that they would work with Buckingham Palace to 'reconstruct' the villa before it is opened to the public.

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Its easy to go to work every day, she said. Its easy to get paid every other Friday. But theres something powerful about that perspective that you not only have to push yourself through, you have to push others through. If were all locked in chains, theres no way I can move if you cant move. Everyone has to move or we cant move together.
Hong Kong: Health expert inspects markets

Hong Kong University Chair of Infectious Disease Prof Yuen Kwok-yung inspected Hung Hom and To Kwa Wan markets today in view of recent COVID-19 cases found to be related to these facilities.

The Government invited Prof Yuen to conduct the inspection at the two markets and offer advice on anti-epidemic measures.

Because of this, the two markets were closed early, at 5pm, the Food & Environmental Hygiene Department said.

The department added that it had arranged for about 20 markets in various districts to close an hour earlier in the past few weeks for additional deep cleaning and disinfection.

For markets related to COVID-19 cases, the department pointed out that it immediately cleaned and disinfected areas that patients had used and arranged for these markets to close earlier for deep cleaning and disinfection.

The department has also arranged a voluntary one-off free COVID-19 testing service for market workers. It has been distributing specimen bottles to markets with confirmed cases, involving market stall operators and personnel.

It appealed to market stall tenants to actively participate in the testing, wear masks, and maintain personal and environmental hygiene.

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
ePac Lyon is the latest chapter in the flexible packaging specialists journey as the company fulfills its ambition to establish sites in local markets across mainland Europe.

Wolverhampton, UK, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Having previously revealed its expansion plans, ePac Flexible Packaging is pleased to announce the opening of its latest site in France as the company expands its network of flexible packaging production plants across the European Continent. Strategically situated near Lyon, in Bourgoin Jallieu, ePac Lyon is following the same successful business model that sees ePac deliver custom printed roll-stock and pouches to customers in just 1015 working days from approval of artwork.

Johnny Hobeika, Managing Director of ePac Holdings Europe, says, We are very excited to bring our fantastic concept to France and to start serving customers there. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, we are on track with our mission to become a local supplier for brands of all sizes across Europe. They can now benefit from fast time to market full flexibility and sustainable production, and the ability to order-to-demand with small and medium run length jobs.

ePac Lyon will be headed up by Jonathan Schmitt as managing partner, who brings with him over two decades of experience in printing and flexible packaging. He has worked in different countries for a number of international packaging groups. I have had the opportunity to gain a great deal of insight into the flexible packaging industry over the past 20 years in my various roles, so when the chance to lead ePacs expansion in France came along, I did not hesitate, says Jonathan. The community of smaller brands is growing fast in France, and I feel certain that we will make ePac Lyon a great success.

Following in the footsteps of ePac Silverstone in the UK, the state-of-the-art facility will produce digitally printed flexible packaging, including roll-stock and pouches. Orders will be supported by ePacs UK operation until the site is fully up and running.

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About ePac Holdings Europe:

ePac Holdings Europe serves as the management entity for ePacs European operations. As a leading full-service provider of multiple types of flexible pouches and roll stock for small- to medium-sized brands, ePac offers a sustainable, integrated approach with fast time to market and the highest quality, digitally printed custom packaging.

ePacs European operations are built on the successful digital-only print concept first launched by ePac Flexible Packaging in the United States in 2016. The company now has 18 sites across Europe, the United States, Canada, and Asia operational or opening in 2020.

For more information, please visit ePacFlexibles.com.

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CONTACT: Maria Lyri ePac Flexible Packaging +44-3300-555343 mlyri@ePacFlexibles.com




Dad died this evening at 2.45 pm after a massive heart attack, his son said.

Theatre doyen and legendary teacher Ebrahim Alkazi died on Tuesday afternoon after suffering a heart attack, his son said. He was 94.

"Dad died this evening at 2.45 pm after a massive heart attack. He was admitted to the Escorts hospital the day before yesterday," his son Feisal Alkazi said.

Born to a Saudi father and a Kuwaiti mother, Alkazi, who had eight brothers and sisters, remained in India after the Partition in 1947, even as other members of his family migrated to Pakistan.

Alkazi produced over 50 plays, including Girish Karnad's "Tughlaq", Mohan Rakesh's Ashadh Ka Ek Din, Dharamvir Bharati's "Andha Yug" and several Greek and Shakespearean plays. Alkazi was the longest serving director of the National School of Drama, serving in the position between 1962 and 1977.

Trained at Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), Alkazi was known to undertake rigorous research before producing a play. He won the BBC Broadcasting Award in 1950. Starting out as an English-language dramatist, he later revolutionised the Hindi-language theatre too.

As a teacher, he mentored generations of actors, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Vijaya Mehta, Om Shivpuri, Balraj Pandit, Manohar Singh, Uttara Baokar, Jyoti Subhash, Suhas Joshi, B Jayashree, Jayadev and Rohini Hattangadi.

A noted art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, he also founded the Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi with his wife, Roshan Alkazi.

Alkazi was awarded the Padma Shri (1966), the Padma Bhushan (1991), and India's second highest civilian award the Padma Vibhushan in 2010.

Director Sudhir Mishra was one of the first to pay homage to the theatre veteran. He tweeted: "One can write a volumes about him . A theatre Director , a teacher , a art curator . A great great man . Unfortunately we like mediocrity! (sic)"

Actor Nawazuddin Siddiqui took to Twitter to pay his tribute to the doyen of Indian theatre.

The true architect of the Modern Indian Theatre. The Doyen who possessed the extreme knowledge in all the aspects of ART. The magician who nurtured many greats of theatre.

May your brightest spark from the heaven keeps us enlightening #EbrahimAlkazi

#RIP pic.twitter.com/PjYxRybpSr  Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) August 4, 2020

Actor Danish Husain tweeted a photo of the late actor and wrote: "End of an era".

Sarod maestro Amjad Ali Khan condoled the death of Alkazi and noted that he revolutionised Indian theatre.

Very sad to know about the passing away of the legendary Ebrahim Alkazi who revolutionized theatre in India and became one of the most prominent theatre artistes. May his soul Rest In Peace   Amjad Ali Khan (@AAKSarod) August 4, 2020

Sushant Singh, popular TV actor who came into media spotlight during the anti-CAA protests, tweeted: "My Guru, thank you for everything. On your final exit from this stage, I salute you and bid you farewell with a standing ovation."
Tocilizumab doesn't keep Covid-19 patients alive, researchers have claimed in a blow to the goal of discovering more treatments.

Hopes were rising that the drug, originally designed for rheumatoid arthritis, would save lives by halting the immune system 'storm' that has killed thousands of infected patients.

But doctors in New Jersey have now said there is no evidence to support the use of tocilizumab in dealing with the life-threatening complication.

Results from their study, which involved 132 patients, revealed tocilizumab did not boost survival rates at all.

Scientists have now warned doctors should only give patients the drug  marketed as Actemra  in trials until evidence proves it works.

Swiss drug giant Roche, which makes the treatment, last week admitted its medicine had no effect in treating critically-ill coronavirus patients. Results showed it failed to keep patients alive or reduce disease severity.

Biotechnology company Genetech, which ran the phase three trial  one of the final steps before a drug can be approved, described the findings as 'disappointing' amid the race against time to find more cures for the disease.

Only one drug has so far been proven to treat Covid-19. Dexamethasone, a 5 steroid, was found to cut the number of critically ill patients dying by a third.

Tocilizumab, marketed as Actemra (pictured), doesn't work to treat Covid-19 patients, two studies have claimed, dashing hopes of a cure for the immune system 'storm' responsible for killing thousands

Doctors in New Jersey have said there is no evidence to support the use of tocilizumab to manage the often fatal cytokine storm. Pictured, a Covid-19 patient in Los Angeles

WHAT IS THE 'CYTOKINE STORM' KILLING COVID-19 PATIENTS? Devastating lung inflammation triggered by the so-called 'cytokine storm' is thought to be what ultimately kills the sickest coronavirus patients. Cytokines are a group of cells involved in the immune system's response to injury or infection. They race to the site of a problem and signal to the body to send more immune cells to mount a defense against a foreign invader. It's a crucial part of how the body heals itself - but when it goes haywire it can lead to devastating damage. The influx of immune cells causes inflammation which, when persistent, an go awry and start killing cells in the very tissues the immune system is trying to protect When overabundant signalling cytokine cells stay switched 'on' for too long inflammation can continue out of control. This inflammation overwhelms the lungs of coronavirus patients, sending them into respiratory failure an ultimately killing many of them if this inflammation can't be stemmed. Advertisement

Tocilizumab was hoped to stop the 'cytokine storm'  an overreaction of the immune system causing inflammation  seen in some coronavirus patients.

Cytokines are a proteins in the body that give signals between cells. They play an important role in normal immune responses.

When the body releases too many inflammatory-provoking cytokines in one go, it's called a cytokine storm.

It is thought to be a major factor behind lung damage, catastrophic organ failure and death in some coronavirus patients.

Tocilizumab reduces levels of IL-6, a cytokine that promotes inflammation in the body found in high levels in patients with autoimmune conditions.

The medication, also sold as RoActemra, is taken by rheumatoid arthritis patients to lower inflammation.

Hopes that tocilizumab would work were boosted by an Italian study in June, which suggested it might slash deaths by 39 per cent.

But the results of the latest trial, from New Jersey's Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital Somerset, have dealt a crushing blow.

The study was not published in a journal, meaning it has not yet been scrutinised by fellow scientists to uncover flaws in the method.

And it also wasn't a randomised control trial (RCT), which is considered the gold standard of scientific evidence.

In a RCT, patients are split into two groups at random to receive the experimental drug or a placebo.

Instead, the study  released on medrxiv  analysed the outcomes of 66 patients who had already been given tocilizumab, called a retrospective study.

Researchers matched them with another 66 of a similar age, gender and disease severity who did not receive the drug.

WHAT IS TOCILIZUMAB? Tocilizumab is used to treat adults with rheumatoid arthritis, as well as certain types of childhood arthritis. It is typically marketed under the names of RoActemra in Europe and Actemra in the US, produced by the Swiss pharmaceutical firm Roche. RoActemra was hailed as the first innovation in the field of treating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) for ten years when it was approved by the NHS in 2012. The prescription medicine works by reducing levels of IL-6 protein in the body, which people with rheumatoid arthritis or another autoimmune conditions have too much of. If there is too much IL-6, it can cause inflammation and damage. Tocilizumab blocks the effects, and has become a go-to for inflammatory disease treatment. Doubts have been raised about the safety of tocilizumab, which has a long list of side effects including a cough, headaches or dizziness, high blood pressure, and stomach problems. Tocilizumab has been shown to increase the risk of infections in patients with rheumatoid arthritis, including pneumonia and upper respiratory tract infections, according to Versus Arthritis. Trials on patients with RA before approval were not designed to assess long-term efficacy and safety. The Food and Drug Administration has received reports on 1,128 people who died after taking Actemra, according to a report by Stat News in 2017. It said the FDA declined to comment about Actemra. Advertisement

Therefore, patients were not randomly assigned to receive the drug from the beginning and there was no placebo arm.

The researchers admitted there is room for selection bias - the patients in the tocilizumab arm may have had worse disease severity, even if the researchers tried to match them with a similar patient.

During the pandemic, doctors have needed to make decisions about which treatment to give depending on the patients.

Generally in this study, patients who had received tocilizumab were given it early on before the progression of respiratory failure.

The other patients received standard 'supportive care', which differs broadly depending on the patient, given that doctors do not have a one-size-fits-all approach to treating Covid-19 yet.

They were given the antibiotic azithromycin and antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine - also being trialled as a potential Covid-19 treatment - on presentation to the hospital, as were those in the tocilizumab group.

Data showed 18 patients died in both groups, suggesting tocilizumab had no benefit. The researchers called the findings 'unexpected'.

Academics led by pharmacist Andrew Tsai suggested the drug did not work because dozens of cytokines are released  not just IL-6.

There is not enough evidence to conclude that interrupting the signalling of IL-6 alone is enough to prevent the cytokine storm, the team concluded.

They wrote: 'Contrary to other observational studies that have been reported, we did not find a benefit with tocilizumab treatment.'

One study in March, before the coronavirus had took hold across the world, claimed tocilizumab cured 95 per cent of critically-ill patients.

Chinese medics gave it to 20 patients during the peak of the country's outbreak, and claim 19 were discharged from hospital within two weeks.

But the study  which led to Beijing approving the drug to treat Covid-19  was very small and did not compare it against a placebo.

CHINESE DOCTORS CLAIM TOCILIZUMAB CURED 95% OF PATIENTS Doctors in China were the first to try tocilizumab against the deadly coronavirus that causes Covid-19 in early February. Severe or critical Covid-19 patients treated with the drug saw their fever return to normal within a few days, and all other symptoms improved remarkably, Dr Xiaoling Xu and colleagues reported. Nineteen patients (95 per cent) were discharged after 13 and a half days. The other patient is recovering well, the study said. CT scans also showed damage to the lungs reduced significantly around the fourth and fifth day of treatment. The authors concludes: 'Tocilizumab is an effective treatment in severe patients of Covid-19, which provided a new therapeutic strategy for this fatal infectious disease.' The researchers did not compare the drug to a placebo or any other drugs in the small study. The paper was published on ChinaXiv, a website which hosts scientific research which has not been peer-reviewed. Advertisement

Another promising Italian study, which claimed tocilizumab may slash deaths by 39 per cent, was also only a retrospective analysis.

The only RCT of Actemra  which began in March and involved 452 patients across 60 hospitals in the US, Canada and Europe  showed it had no benefit.

The phase III COVACTA trial, launched by biotech company Genetech, compared the drug to a placebo plus standard care.

All of the patients had been hospitalised with severe coronavirus-related pneumonia, a life-threatening complication.

Roche said the COVACTA trial failed to improve the condition of patients or survival rates. Genetech said it was 'disappointed'.

Around 19 per cent of patients in both groups died after four weeks, according to the results of the study.

However, patients treated with Actemra were ready to be discharged after 20 days compared with 28 days in the placebo group.

Despite the setback, the drug will still be tested by Oxford University researchers in the RECOVERY trial in Britain.

The RECOVERY trial was the one to prove dexamethasone could save up to 35 per cent of Covid-19 patients relying on ventilators - the most dangerously ill - and reduce the odds of death by a fifth for all patients needing oxygen at any point.

Remdesivir  an experimental drug originally designed to treat Ebola  has already been approved in the UK and other nations to treat Covid-19 patients.

Matt Hancock called remdesivir the 'biggest step forward' in treating Covid-19 after the drug became the first medicine approved for coronavirus patients in Britain in May.

But the study results for Remdesivir are not as conclusive as dexamethasone.

Gilead Sciences Inc, who manufacturers the drug, found it reduced the risk of death in severely ill coronavirus patients by 62 per cent. But the study was retrospective, and not a RCT.
Meghan has been a feminist campaigner for years. (Getty Images)

Meghan Markle is celebrating her 39th birthday, likely at the Los Angeles home she has been sharing with husband Prince Harry and their son, Archie.

She and Harry are currently planning their next moves after stepping back from their roles as senior royals, although they have been delayed by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Its very likely that Meghan will want to use Archewell, the couples newly formed non-profit organisation, to continue the work she did campaigning for womens rights, something which has been a passion of hers since she was a girl.

Heres some of her best quotes on feminism and womens rights from over the years.

Humanity needs female activists

14 July 2020: In a speech at Girl Up, a UN conference aimed at young female activists, she said:

This is a humanity that desperately needs you. To push it, to push us, forcefully in a more inclusive, more just, and more empathetic direction.

To not only frame the debate, but be in charge of the debate  on racial justice, gender, climate change, mental health and wellbeing, on civic engagement, on public service, on so much more. Thats the work youre already out there doing.

Girl Up members are organising Black Lives Matter protests around the world, you are creating films to encourage your peers to become activist leaders, you are reforming the criminal justice system, you are telling your school boards we need more mental health resources for all ages, you are leading coalitions to end gun violence.

Feminism is about fairness

28 October 2018: In a speech made in New Zealand shortly after they were married, she said:

Womens suffrage is about feminism, but feminism is about fairness.

Womens suffrage is not simply about the right to vote for women, but also about what that represents: the basic and fundamental human right of all people, including those members of society who have been marginalised whether for reasons of race, gender, ethnicity or orientation, to be able to participate in the choices for their future and their community.

Story continues

Read more: International Women's Day: The Royal Family's most feminist moments

Meghan uses her platform to raise issues around women's rights. (Getty Images)

We should uplift each other

12 September 2019: In a speech at the launch of her Smart Works capsule collection, she said:

As women, it is 100% our responsibility, I think, to support and uplift each other, to champion each other as we aim to succeed, to not set each other up for failure but instead to really be there rallying around each other and say I want to help you.

The rights of women is close to my heart

23 September 2019: Speaking to people who work at The Justice Desk in South Africa, she said:

The rights of women and girls is something that is very close to my heart, and the cause I have spent the majority of my life advocating for because I know that when women are empowered, the entire community flourishes.

I read a quote a few weeks ago and it resonated with me as Ive been watching whats been happening here and your active efforts. Maya Angelou, the legendary poet and civil rights activist, once said: Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it, possibly without claiming it, she stands up for all women.

Men should be in the conversation

8 March 2019: In a panel debate after she was given her commonwealth role, which marked International Womens Day in 2019, she said: Ive said for a long time, you can be feminine and a feminist.

You can be masculine and a feminist, and I think in terms of masculinity you understand that your strength includes knowing your vulnerability.

She later said: Your confidence comes in knowing that a woman by your side, not behind you, is actually something you shouldn't be threatened about but, opposed to that, you should feel really empowered in having that additional support. That this is really about us working together.

That's what gender equality means for me, and having men part of that conversation saying there's nothing threatening about a woman coming up to the same level. It's our safety in numbers. This is our power and our strength as a team. And that's gender neutral, if you really think about it. So I hope that men are part of the conversation. My husband certainly is.

Read more: Meghan Markle's six most significant royal moments in 600 days

Meghan also says her husband Harry is a feminist. (Getty Images)

She stood up for herself in her acting role

October 2014: Meghan was best known during her acting days as playing Rachel Zane on Suits. As reported by the Irish Independent, in 2014 she refused to keep doing scenes where she was wrapped in a towel.

This season, every script seemed to begin with Rachel enters wearing a towel.

And I said, Nope! Not doing it anymore. Not doing it!

I called the creator and I was like, 'It's just gratuitous. We get it.

You've already seen it once, so I think at a certain point, you feel empowered enough to just say no.

Read more: Meghan Markle urges girls to 'chase convictions with action' in powerful speech

When she played Rachel Zane, Meghan took a stand against all the towel scenes she had to do. (Getty Images)

Stigma around periods stops girls getting education

8 March 2017: In an article for Time magazine she said:

As a female in India, the challenge of survival begins at birth, first overcoming female feticide, then being victim to malnourishment, potentially abuse, and lack of access to proper sanitation facilities. Why, if she is able to overcome all of these challenges and finally get to school, should her education and potential to succeed, be sacrificed because of shame surrounding her period?

To break the cycle of poverty, and to achieve economic growth and sustainability in developing countries, young women need access to education. When we empower girls hungry for education, we cultivate women who are emboldened to effect change within their communities and globally.
The minor prophets is a collection of books in the Old Testament which give insight into who God is, how He works, and the history of Israel and Judah; they are just as important to Scripture as the major prophets, but their texts are not as long.

One of these minor prophets to Israel, most likely near Samaria in the north, was Hosea, whose ministry was before the exile to Babylon. This book prophecies the results of the Israelites turning to other gods, the separation of their nation from the one true God, the subsequent disastrous results, and the eventual reconciliation. Moreover, God used Hoseas own life as a symbol for this relationship through the prophets marriage to Gomer, who would be unfaithful to him. Why would God want Hosea to marry Gomer? What is the greater plan?

Hoseas life and ministry serve not only as prophecy for Israel at that time, but as a reminder today about the consequences of choice, the power of forgiveness, and the importance of virtue.

What Happens in Story fo Hosea and Gomer?

The Book of Hosea can be broken up into two thematic sections. There is the story of Hosea, Gomer, and their children, and there is the story of God and Israel. Both are stories of covenant relationships which get violated and then restored.

God made a covenant relationship with Israel, promising to bless and protect them if they follow Him, worshipping only the one, true God. Marriage was instituted to be a lifelong promise between a man and a woman to be faithful, and to help one another. Under the Lords guidance, Hosea married Gomer, a woman he knew would commit adultery. The marriage would serve as a symbol for the relationship between God and His people.

After King Davids death, his son Solomon married hundreds of women from cultures all over the region, who worshipped many false gods. Theologians generally pinpoint this event as the reason that polytheism became more widely practiced in Israel. Eventually, Judah and Israel separated, becoming two separate kingdoms, which had their own prophets. Hosea lived in the northern kingdom, and God chose Him to live a life which illustrated the relationship between Israel and Himself.

When the Lord first spoke through Hosea, the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take to yourself a wife of whoredom and have children of whoredom, for the land commits great whoredom by forsaking the Lord (Hosea 1:2). By setting this example, God wanted Israel to understand the extent of their sins.

Gomer gave birth to three children, whose names reflected the state of the nation. When they were born, their names were sad, symbolizing the turning away of the nation, and the tragedy that would befall the people. The first sons name was Jezreel, because God said, ...I will punish the house of Jehu for the blood of Jezreel, and I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel. And on that day I will break the bow of Israel in the Valley of Jezreel (Hosea 1:4b-5).

Their daughter was named Lo-Ruhamah or No Mercy, because God would show no mercy.

The third childs name means Not My People - Lo-Ammi. It was common among the families in the Bible for their children to bear names of significance. One of the most significant examples was before the Flood. Enoch named his son Methuselah, which theologians agree translates roughly to, when he dies it shall come or upon his death it comes. The it is the Great Flood. Likewise, Hoseas children received their names in this tradition.

Hosea and Gomer: Separation and Reconciliation

Gomer does leave Hosea and commit adultery, but eventually her husband retrieves her, taking her back into his home and forgiving her. This reconciliation foretold the future return to God the nation of Israel would make, and His forgiveness.

The majority of the fourteen chapters deal with the specific prophecies about this separation from God and its eventual reconciliation, and beyond the sequence of events, little is known about Hoseas life, wife and children. It does not discuss how he felt, only that he obeyed.





Photo credit: Unsplash/Travis Grossen

Hosea was not the only prophet whose life reflected the state of the relationship between God and His people. Ezekiel, a prophet in Judah, was called by God to act out his life in such a way that it foretold the siege of Jerusalem in 587 BC:

Then lie on your left side, and place the punishment of the house of Israel upon it. For the number of the days that you lie on it, you shall bear their punishment. For I assign to you a number of days, 390 days, equal to the number of the years of their punishment. So long shall you bear the punishment of the house of Israel. And when you have completed these, you shall lie down a second time, but on your right side, and bear the punishment of the house of Judah. Forty days I assign you, a day for each year. And you shall set your face toward the siege of Jerusalem, with your arm bared, and you shall prophesy against the city. And behold, I will place cords upon you, so that you cannot turn from one side to the other, till you have completed the days of your siege (Ezekiel 4:4-8).

God sometimes called on his prophets to live symbolically and sacrificially in order to communicate to the people. Much like Christians today are called to live by faith, which sometimes includes taking risks that do not make sense. While few Christians are called to take a spouse or a live in the streets to symbolically communicate things today, both require trust and obedience.

Why Did God Let Bad Things Happen in the Story of Hosea and Gomer?

One of the biggest questions that arises from the life of Hosea is why God would orchestrate his obedient prophets life in such a manner that Hosea would suffer so much. He married Gomer knowing she would be an adulteress, suffered the humiliation of her having multiple affairs, and gave his children sad names because of this marriage. Hosea was a prophet, obedient to His Lord, but still he suffered. It is a picture of a good man who has many bad things happen to him.

Despite the hardship, through Hoseas life, God works out the redemption of Gomer through her husbands forgiveness. She is welcomed back into her husbands home, much like how the Father of the Prodigal Son forgave the young man and brought him back in the home. The Lord used these hardships to teach Israel and all future generations about the long-suffering patience of God, who waits for the sinful to come to Him.

During the prophetic communications in this book, God says, When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son. The more they were called, the more they went away; they kept sacrificing to the Baals and burning offerings to idols (Hosea 11:1-2). Over and over, the Lord emphasizes His love for His people, everything He did for them, and the heartbreak of seeing them chose false idols over Him. Yet, He redeemed them anyway, after a period of chastisement and exile.

Correcting through chastisements and times of difficulty are some of the ways God shows His love. He does not want His children to behave badly, to wallow unchanging in spiritual immaturity and sin. Instead, He wants them to grow and become more righteous; My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline or be weary of his reproof, for the Lord reproves him whom he loves, as a father the son in whom he delights (Proverbs 3:11-12).

Though the people of Israel and Hosea went through difficult times, God used the hardship.

Is This Book Still Relevant Today?

The events prophesied in the Book of Hosea happened centuries ago, but that does not mean there is nothing there for the contemporary Christian to take away. By living a life of suffering personal injury and embarrassment at the hands of someone close to him, Hosea obeyed the Lord knowing these hardships would come, and also found the strength to forgive his wife.

Forgiveness is one of the hardest acts for a sinful man. It is also a lesson of obedience to God, because sometimes believers are called to do hard tasks or make big sacrifices. Finally, there is a reminder of Gods love and forgiveness. Even in the Old Testament, God was merciful and patient with Israel, just as He is with people today.

Sources

Bartlett, Hosea: The Prophet of a Broken Heart. Eugene: Wipf & Stock, 2016.

Bassett, Rev. F. Tilney. Book of the Prophet Hosea Literally Translated with Introduction and Notes Critical and Explanatory. London: W. Macintosh, 1869.

Craigie, Peter. Twelve Prophets Volume 1: Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 1973.

Photo credit: Getty Images/Katarzyna Bialasiewicz

Bethany Verrett is a freelance writer and editor. She maintains a faith and lifestyle blog graceandgrowing.com, where she muses about the Lord, life, culture, and ministry.
Nolan sisters Linda and Anne have shared brave photos just days after revealing they are battling cancer together.

The siblings, who formed part of Irish pop group The Nolans, began chemotherapy at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital last month.

They received news of their shock diagnoses within days of each other, shortly after the sisters returned from filming a series of The Nolans Go Cruising in March.

Now, the sisters have shared brave photos of themselves without any hair as they go through chemotherapy to battle the disease.

The news comes seven years after Linda and Anne lost their sister Bernie to cancer in 2013.

Linda and Anne Nolan together, photographed for the first time since their hair loss due to cancer treatment

They received news of their shock diagnoses within days of each other, shortly after the sisters returned from filming a series of The Nolans Go Cruising in March

The devastating news comes seven years after Linda and Anne lost their sister Bernie to cancer in 2013

Speaking of the moment they were diagnosed, Linda told the Sun : 'We laughed and we cried really, It's hysterical'

The siblings, who formed part of Irish pop group The Nolans, began chemotherapy at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital last month

A tweet from the Nolan's account confirmed the devastating news on Sunday.

It said: 'For the past few months during lockdown, Linda and Anne have been battling cancer and chemotherapy together. We will get through this together, as a family.'

Loose Women presenter Coleen also took to Twitter after the news broke.

'They've beaten it before - they can beat it again,' she said. 'Please keep them in your thoughts and well wishes.'

Speaking of the moment they were diagnosed, Linda told the Sun: 'We laughed and we cried really, It's hysterical.'

'Forget the Chemical Brothers, we've become the Chemo Sisters,' she added.

Mother-of-two Anne said: 'I don't want to die. I love my life so much. I love my daughters, my grandchildren, my friends, all my family.

'I want to live for as long as I possibly can.'

Anne, 69, found out she has stage three breast cancer in April, 20 years after she was first diagnosed with the disease in 2000.

Her sister Linda, 61, discovered she has incurable liver cancer days later.

The pop star has also battled cancer before. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, cellulitis and lymphoedema in her arm in 2007 and secondary cancer on her pelvis in 2017.

Linda said she thought her scans 'would be just fine as they normally are', before her oncologist's office phoned her to say she needed an MRI scan as they had found something on her liver.

The call came just half an hour after her sister Maureen contacted her to deliver the news that Anne's breast cancer had returned.

Anne, 69, found out she has stage three breast cancer in April, 20 years after she was first diagnosed with the disease in 2000

The sisters, who formed part of Irish pop group The Nolans, endured a round of chemotherapy together at Blackpool's Victoria Hospital last month after receiving the devastating diagnoses. Pictured: Denise, Linda, Anne, Coleen, Bernadette and Maureen Nolan

Linda (left), 61, found out she has incurable liver cancer shortly after the pair returned from filming a series of The Nolans Go Cruising with sisters Coleen and Maureen in March

'I couldn't tell anyone then because they were so obviously devastated about Anne,' she said. 'I thought, 'I can't turn around now and say, 'Actually I've got it back as well'.''

The devastating news comes seven years after Linda and Anne lost their sister Bernie to cancer in 2013.

The second youngest Nolan was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2010. She underwent chemotherapy and a mastectomy and announced in February 2012 that she was cancer-free.

However, months later Bernie shared the heartbreaking news that her cancer had spread to her brain, lungs, liver and bones. She died in July 2013, aged 52.

Linda said: 'I look in the mirror now and I see Bernie, because I think we're so alike anyway and it just brings back all of her trauma and how sick she was.'

Anne, 69, found out she has stage three breast cancer in April, 20 years after she was first diagnosed with the disease in 2000.

Pictured: Maureen, Bernie, Linda and Coleen Nolan as The Nolan Sisters in 1980

After the sisters received their heartbreaking diagnoses, Maureen moved in with Anne and Linda relocated to her sister Denise's home.

The sisters had their first session of chemotherapy together on June 5, and will both have six rounds of the treatment in total.

Anne, who was in hospital for 11 days amid her treatment, will then have either a mastectomy or lumpectomy, most likely followed by radiotherapy.

In April, Loose Women host Coleen told how Linda's cancer treatment had been delayed amid the coronavirus crisis.

The Loose Women host, 55, appeared on This Morning as she discussed how the global pandemic left her older sister waiting to receive treatment.

The devastating news comes seven years after Linda and Anne lost their sister Bernie ( second from right) to cancer in 2013

Pictured: Coleen, Bernie, Linda and Maureen Nolan of The Nolans perform at the Apollo in Manchester on October 13, 2009

Linda receives regular hospital treatment to 'strengthen her bones and keep the cancer at bay', she said.

Coleen added: 'It is worrying. I know one of her injections was delayed for a couple of weeks which meant she was in a lot of pain with her bones.

'You don't want her to miss what she should be having. On the other hand, is it putting her more at risk to put her in a hospital where she's going to bump into other people?'

Linda was first diagnosed with stage three breast cancer in 2006.

Although the star went into remission, the cancer returned in 2017, and was confirmed to be incurable.

She revealed last night she has now been diagnosed with liver cancer.
Gov. Phil Murphy will hold a news conference at 10 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the states preparation for Tropical Storm Isaias, which is expected to bring flooding, wind gusts as high as 75 mph and up to 6 inches of rain to New Jersey.

The gathering at the states Traffic Management Center in Woodbridge will be streamed live on the governors YouTube channel.

As of 8 a.m., Isaias was 15 miles south-southeast of Tapahannock, Virginia and traveling north-northeast at 33 mph with tropical storm force winds extending about 140 miles from the center. The maximum winds are 70 mph.

Wind gusts in Wildwood reached 30 mph by 8:15 a.m. according to the state climatologists office and are expected to increase considerably by the time Murphy and emergency management officials begin their briefing.

The storm will be at its worst during the early to mid-afternoon and is expected to move away from South Jersey by late afternoon and North Jersey in the evening.

Power outages and downed trees are one of the major concerns with Isaias, according to the National Weather Service.

The states largest utility, PSE&G said 1,300 additional crews from 13 states and Canada are en route to New Jersey. Its also secured additional supplies such as poles and transformers.

Jersey Central Power & Light said additional dispatchers, damage assessors and analysts at regional dispatch offices are standing by. Its also arranging to bring in additional line, substation and forestry personnel if theyre needed.

The states third major utility  Atlantic City Electric  has increased staffing of lineworkers and tree-trimming workers. Its also added customer care representatives to handle emergency and outage calls.

Isaias made landfall as a category 1 hurricane Monday night in North Carolina.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) has recovered a body from a gas explosion that occurred on Monday at Alafia bus-stop, Orile Iganmu, while four other persons were injured.

According to a statement by Nosa Okunbor, the spokesperson of the agency, a 35-year-old male artisan, Ajibola Olaoye, lost his life in the explosion.

Upon arrival at the scene of incident, it was discovered that there was an explosion from a gas cylinder used in welding a truck flatbed with unknown registration number as a result of gas leakage from the cylinder.

According to report of investigations and eye witness accounts, the explosion was attributed to a leak in the supply of gas from the cylinder leading to the death of the artisan utilizing the welding equipment while working on a heavy duty equipment, Mr Okunbor said.

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However, an adult male (Ajibola Olaoye, 35yrs) lost his life at the scene of incident and four adult male sustained different degree of injuries and had been rushed to the hospital before the arrival of the LRT. LRT, Police, LNSC and LASG fire service are responders at the scene as the entire area have been cordoned off to prevent any secondary incident.

The dead victim (Ajibola Olaoye), was bagged by the LRT and handed over to his family in the presence of Officers of the Nigerian Police Force from Amukoko Division. The entire area have been cordoned off. Operation concluded, he added.

This is the third fatal gas explosion in Lagos in the last week. PREMIUM TIMES reported how three people were killed in a gas explosion in Ajao Estate, Isolo on July 29, a day after one person was killed in a separate incident.
A huge explosion in port warehouses near central Beirut killed more than 50 people, injured over 2,750 and sent shockwaves that shattered windows, smashed masonry and shook the ground across the Lebanese capital, Reuters reported.

Lebanese media carried images of people trapped under rubble. The cause of the blasts that took place in the port area of the city is not immediately known.

The explostions shook buildings, caused apartment balconies to collapse and sent huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky.

Officials expected the death toll to rise further as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead. It was the most powerful explosion to hit Beirut in years.

Lebanons interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up. Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, denied any role and offered help, Reuters reported.

An AFP correspondent at the scene was quoted as saying every shop in the Hamra commercial district had sustained damage, with entire shopfronts destroyed, windows shattered and many cars wrecked.

A woman in the city centre told AFP: "It felt like an earthquake ... I felt it was bigger than the explosion in the assassination of Rafic Hariri in 2005.

I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding. Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street, said a Reuters witness.

Injured people were walking in the street, while outside the Clemenceau Medical Centre, dozens of wounded people, many covered in blood, were rushing to be admitted to the centre including children.

Destroyed cars had been abandoned in the street with their airbags inflated.

A huge cloud of black smoke was engulfing the entire port area, the AFP correspondent said.

The explosions came at a time when Lebanon is suffering its worst economic crisis in decades, which has left nearly half of the population in poverty.

The explosions also come as Lebanon awaits the verdict on Friday on the 2005 murder of former Lebanese premier Rafic Hariri, killed in a huge truck bomb attack.

Four alleged members of the Shiite Muslim fundamentalist group Hezbollah are on trial in absentia at the court in the Netherlands over the huge Beirut suicide bombing that killed Sunni billionaire Hariri and 21 other people.
On July 30, numerous Republican senators had called for $1,000 direct payments to be given to qualified Americans.

The $1,000 direct payment is a part of the bill called CAAF Act or the Coronavirus Assistance for American Families Act.

Family of four qualifications

Under the new bill, both adults and their dependents would get $1,000 each. That would be $4,000 for a family of four.

This can help families to get a higher amount than the previous one that they got in the first round of stimulus checks that was included in the CARES Act, which was a $2.2 trillion relief bill that was passed in March 2020.

This means that a qualified American family of four would receive $4,000 under the CAAF Act, which is $600 more than the CARES Act.

Also Read: Fact Check: FEMA Offering $4,800 Hazard Pay During Coronavirus Pandemic?

The CARES Act gave $1,200 to qualified individuals who were earning under $75,000 a year, but their dependents only got $500 each.

Under the CAAF Act, a new bill that was proposed by Republican Senators Mitt Romney, Bill Cassidy, and Marco Rubio, the $1,000 checks would be given to all American citizens, regardless their dependent status or their age.

Qualifications for CAAF Act

The $1,000 stimulus check would be considered as the second one to be given to Americans in 2020, and it could be on its way next week as soon as the bill is approved.

To qualify for the $1,000 check, both adults and their dependents should have a valid Social Security number. Single taxpayers and married taxpayers with no children would get less compared to the first round of stimulus checks.

Single taxpayers would get $200 less while married taxpayers who have no children would get $400 less. Democrats have been fighting to give the American people the second round of stimulus checks. Under the Democratic bill called HEROES Act, families would get as much as $6,000 in total.

Differences between CARES, HEALS, and HEROES Act

CARES Act: stimulus check payments

The CARES Act was given to taxpayers who filed a 2019 or 2020 tax return. Millions of Americans have already received the $1,200 stimulus check payment from March to April 15.

The CARES Act was signed into law by President Trump as part of the coronavirus aid. Additional payments were made for dependents, as $500 were made available per dependent that was under 17 years of age, and for a maximum of three dependents per household.

HEROES Act: stimulus check proposal

Under the HEROES Act, the amount given to dependents would be increased to $1,200. Those who are eligible would include college students, dependents who are over 16 years old, dependent parents, and disabled relatives.

The HEROES Act is led by the Democrats, and they are pushing to give a maximum of $6,000 per household, which means it would be $2,400 for couples and $3,600 for the dependents, with a maximum of three dependents.

HEALS Act: stimulus check proposal

The HEALS Act, also led by Republicans, would be $1,200 stimulus checks for qualified Americans. The difference is the criteria of the dependents.

Under the HEROES Act, dependents would get $1,200 stimulus checks, but under HEALS Act, dependents would only get $500, with a maximum of three dependents per household.

Related Article: Fact Check: Will Trump's Order Drop the Prices of Insulin to "Pennies a Day?"

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Seniors turning age 65 in Massachusetts have special decisions to make according to the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI).

"Massachusetts is one of a few states with special rules and plan options for seniors," explains Jesse Slome, director of the Association. "Supplement 1 Plan is no longer available to people who are new to Medicare. Individuals can buy Supplement 1A Plan but rates there can vary from one insurer to another."

Medicare Supplement 1A plan covers basic benefits including Part A: inpatient hospital deductible as well as skilled nursing facility coinsurance. It also includes foreign travel emergency coverage as well as state-mandated benefits including yearly Pap tests and mammograms.

"In Boston a woman turning 65 could pay as little as $211 monthly or as much as $259 for basically identical coverage," shares Jesse Slome, director of the Association. "Massachuseets couples need to be aware that fees added to the monthly cost may also vary. So do discounts for two-person households. In Massachusetts, they vary from zero to as high as five percent."

The Association's 2020 Medicare Supplement Price Index reports both the lowest and highest insurance rates. "The survey is intended to educate more consumers about the importance of comparing options," Slome adds. "You might be making a decision that you cannot easily change down the road."

To see 2020 Medicare insurance pricing for top U.S. cities visit the organization's website. You can also find tips for getting coverage shared by top Medicare insurance advisors.

Massachusetts Medicare 1A Plan 2020 Price Index Findings

BOSTON, MA (Zip 02128)



FEMALE age 65, Plan G



Lowest monthly premium: $211.25



Highest monthly premium: $258.99

MALE age 65, Plan G



Lowest monthly premium: $211.25



Highest monthly premium: $258.99

WORCHESTER, MA (Zip 01604)



FEMALE age 65, Plan G



Lowest monthly premium: $211.25



Highest monthly premium: $258.99

MALE age 65, Plan G



Lowest monthly premium: $211.25



Highest monthly premium: $258.99

PEABODY, MA (Zip 01960)



FEMALE age 65, Plan G



Lowest monthly premium: $211.25



Highest monthly premium: $258.99

MALE age 65, Plan G



Lowest monthly premium: $211.25



Highest monthly premium: $258.99

Find Massachusetts Medicare insurance agents by accessing the American Association for Medicare Supplement Insurance (AAMSI) online directory of local Medicare agents. "The national's largest listing of Medicare insurance advisors is free to use and completely private," Slome adds.

AAMSI is an advocacy and informational organization. The national organization supports insurance professionals who market Medicare Supplement insurance.
The Kerala governments decision to hand over virus contact tracing and other related responsibilities to the police has angered state health officials and opposition parties alike even as the state reported 1083 new cases of coronavirus patients on Tuesday.

Earlier primary and secondary contact tracing of Covid-19 patients and marking of containment zones were done by health inspectors and grassroots health workers but now, the task has been handed over to police officers. The government took the decision after a big spurt in positive cases. While it took more than five months for the state to record the first 10,000 cases, the total number of infections galloped past the 27,000-mark in the last two weeks, forcing the government to strengthen virus control measures.

But the opposition parties, the Congress and the BJP, decried the move, saying the government was trying to impose a police raj in the name of the pandemic. The Indian Medical Association Kerala chapter and the government medical officers association also criticized the decision. Later, the government made it clear that it was a joint fight against the common enemy and health officials were not slighted.

Kochi police commissioner Vijay Sakhre, who was made the state nodal officer, echoed the view saying all involved in the Coved 19 containment efforts will work together as a single team.

Meanwhile, the state reported 1083 cases on Tuesday taking the virus tally to 27,955. Out of this, 11,450 are active cases and 16,303 have recovered. With three more deaths registered in the past 24 hours, the death toll in the state has gone up to 89. The state capital of Thiruvananthapuram remained worst-affected with one-third of the active cases
Chennai: KK Selvam, the sitting DMK MLA from the prestigious Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai met BJP leaders in Delhi, on a day when even the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tamil Nadu unit said that he would be joining the party.

However, after meeting BJP leaders in Delhi, he told reporters that he was not joining the BJP and had met them only to make certain demands related to his constituency. I visited Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to request him to install two lifts at the Nungambakkam station in my constituency and also asked BJP President JP Nadda to develop temple town Rameswaram on par with Ayodhya," he said.

The MLA also demanded that his party leader MK Stalin holds internal party elections and snapped ties with the Congress and the Gandhi family. His other demand was about wanting MK Stalin to condemn Karuppar Koottam, a Youtube channel that had made a derogatory video related to a holy hymn on Lord Muruga. On being asked about reaching Delhi and meeting BJP leaders without informing the party high command, he asserted his readiness to face disciplinary action from the party.

Clear links of his possible shift to the BJP, coming just ahead of the 2021 assembly election, isnt good news for Tamil Nadus opposition party DMK, which has been out of power for two terms. While it is common for leaders to jump ship and join other Dravidian parties, it comes as a surprise that the DMK leader has chosen to join the BJP, which has an insignificant political representation in the Tamil Nadu, where the Dravidian majors have ruled for over five decades.

The first leader from the DMK to join the BJP in recent times was VP Duraiswamy and it is said that not being given a Rajya Sabha seat led to his exit. Similarly, Selvam too is said to have been eyeing a district secretary post, which eventually he ended up not getting.

Persons close to the DMK claim that this is not going to affect the partys prospects in the coming poll especially as the leaders who have left are disgruntled leaders and not big names. However, there is also the widespread talk of old-timers being unhappy about newbies and those close to Stalins son being given plum party posts, despite their inexperience.

Recently there have been various reports of DMK youth wing leader and MK Stalins son Udhayanidhi wielding influence in appointing those in his close circle for plum posts. This is said to have caused heartburn among a few old-timers.

Basically the BJP is on a campaign to woo leaders from the DMK and they are also in talks with two-three others, including a former Minister. While Udhayanidhi and his actions cannot be seen as a sole influence for the exits, it is one among the reasons. Unlike the 2019 Lok Sabha polls(which DMK and allies swept), next years assembly polls wont be a one-horse race for the DMK. There is uncertainty," said senior journalist and political analyst Sumanth C Raman.

Thousand Lights as a constituency also holds significance as it is bang in the heart of Chennai city and was a constituency that MK Stalin had also fought elections from. When asked about the possibility of more leaders from DMK joining the DMK, BJP Spokesperson Narayanan Thirupathy said that the BJP welcomes anybody who accepts their ideology.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, there has been a massive uptick in the number of forwarded messages in social media and instant messaging platforms. Often they contribute to the spread of misinformation, and now to help combat it, WhatsApp is testing a new feature that will let users Google search forwarded messages to check for their authenticity.

Due to the nature of social media, false information can spread very quickly, which has led to companies like Twitter label tweets that contain false information. Instant messaging apps like WhatAapp introduced features like a special double arrow label for messages that have been forwarded multiple times.

Extending on this functionality, WhatsApp is now testing a feature called Search the Web, where users can see a magnifying glass button next to a forwarded message. Upon clicking it, the forwarded message will be directly uploaded to Google via the browser and Google will then provide the results or other sources of information about content they were searched.

With this, users can quickly and easily authenticate the information in the forwarded message without ever sharing the message with WhatsApp itself. The feature is being tested starting today in Brazil, Italy, Ireland, Mexico, Spain, UK, and US on WhatsApp for Android, iOS and WhatsApp Web.

Source
Approximately 300 Vietnamese citizens stranded in Canada and South Korea due to the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic were repatriated on Monday evening.

Flight VN417 operated by national carrier Vietnam Airlines departed from Canada, connected through South Korea, and landed at Can Tho City in Vietnams Mekong Delta at around 7:00 pm on Monday.

The passengers included children under 18 years old, the elderly, pregnant women, those with illnesses, workers with expired visas and labor contracts, students without accommodation, stranded tourists, and those in extremely disadvantaged circumstances.

Staff from the Consulate General of Vietnam in Vancouver and the Embassy of Vietnam in South Korea were present to assist the citizens in completing all the required procedures before boarding the flight.

Strict security, safety, and hygiene measures were enforced by the carrier during the flight to protect the passengers health and prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Following their arrival, 160 passengers were brought to a quarantine center in the Mekong Delta province of Vinh Long, while the others were transported to a facility in Soc Trang Province, also in the delta.

All of them will be tested for COVID-19.

Vietnamese authorities will continue arranging more flights to repatriate stranded citizens in the coming time.

Vietnams COVID-19 tally stood at 652, with 374 having recovered and eight deaths as of Tuesday afternoon.

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The ongoing years-long battle between Afghan forces and terrorists, which nearly killed 29 people and left at least 50 wounded, has ended after an 18-hour-long gun battle. According to international media reports, the Afghan forces were able to retake the Nangarhar prison in Jalalabad after the facility was targeted by Islamic State group militants. The prison is believed to hold hundreds of IS members.

As per reports, the attack by the terrorists began late on August 2 when a suicide bomber slammed his explosive-laden vehicle into the prison entrance. The provincial police chief reportedly informed that there were around eight attackers. However, the Afghan Defense Ministry in a statement informed that the prison the Jalalabad, located around 115 kilometres east of Kabul, was now under the control of Afghan forces.

READ: Attack On Prison In Afghanistan Continues; At Least 11 Dead

Even though the Afghan troops retook the prison, the IS terrorists reportedly continued to fire on security forces from a nearby neighbourhood. Sporadic gunfire also rang out from nearby residential buildings in central Jalalabad, which is an area of high security near the provincial Governors office. According to reports, as security forces swept through the prison, they even found the bodies of two Taliban prisoners who were apparently killed by the Islamic State group.

READ: Suicide Car Bomb, Gunmen Attack Prison In East Afghanistan

Three terrorists killed

The killing of Taliban inmates shows the tensions between the two terrorist factions battling each other in eastern Afghanistan. Meanwhile, among the 29 dead were prisoners as well as civilians, prison guards and Afghan security personnel, Attaullah Khogyani, a spokesman for the governor of Nangarhar province reportedly informed. Furthermore, the officials also informed that three terrorists were also killed during the long gun battle.

While the motive of the attack wasn't immediately clear, some prisoners did successfully escape during the fighting, said a provincial official. As per reports, the prison houses about 1,500 inmates, of which several hundred are believed to belong to the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan. The attack came a day after the Afghan intelligence agency reportedly said a senior Islamic State group commander was killed by Afghan special forces near Jalalabad. While the IS group has seen its so-called caliphate stretching across Iraq and Syria eliminated after a years-long campaign, the group has continued fighting in Afghanistan. The extremists also have battled the Taliban in the country.

(Image: Rep/AP)

(With Agency inputs)

READ: Flash Flooding In Afghanistan Kills 16 Including Children

READ: Afghanistan: Car Bomb Kills 17 A Day Before Eid Ceasefire Begins
Md. governor issues emergency order exempting private schools from shutdowns

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan on Monday issued an emergency order clarifying that private schools are exempt from a county order mandating the closure of schools until October.

Montgomery County officials had issued an order prohibiting both private and public schools from holding in-person classes until at least Oct. 1 in an attempt to curb the spread of COVID-19.

However, in the emergency order, Hogan exempted private academic institutions, saying they could dictate their own decisions on whether to hold in-person learning.

In an accompanying statement, the governor explained that his recovery plan for schools in the state stresses local flexibility within the parameters set by state officials.

Over the last several weeks, school boards and superintendents made their own decisions about how and when to reopen public schools, after consultation with state and local health officials, stated Hogan.

Private and parochial schools deserve the same opportunity and flexibility to make reopening decisions based on public health guidelines. The blanket closure mandate imposed by Montgomery County was overly broad and inconsistent with the powers intended to be delegated to the county health officer.

The First Liberty Institute and the American Association of Christian Schools expressed their support for Hogan's order in a joint statement emailed to supporters.

We appreciate Governor Hogans efforts to balance the needs for public health while respecting the freedom, and religious autonomy, of private, religious institutions, they stated.

Not only are we committed to following appropriate health and safety guidance from the CDC and other public health agencies, we agree with Governor Hogan that blanket dictates from central planning rarely provide the freedom and flexibility to develop appropriate plans that meet the needs of Marylands private, Christian schools.

Last week, Montgomery County Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles directed private schools to be closed until October, saying in a statement we have based our decisions on science and data.

At this point the data does not suggest that in-person instruction is safe for students or teachers, Gayles said Friday.

We have seen increases in transmission rates for COVID-19 in the state of Maryland, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Virginia, particularly in younger age groups, and this step is necessary to protect the health and safety of Montgomery County residents.

As of Tuesday, Maryland has 91,705 COVID-19 infections among a population of more than 6 million. Montgomery County has 17,881 cases and 793 deaths listed as COVID-19 related, among a population of over 1 million.
Cut Thi Oanh at a police station in Nghe An Province, August 3, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Thien An.

Police in central Vietnam detained a local woman on Monday for tricking and selling two others to Chinese men in 2016.

Cut Thi Oanh, 32, a resident in Ky Son District of Nghe An Province, is under investigation for "human trafficking."

According to investigators, Oanh was tricked and sold to China, where she was forced to marry a Chinese man in 2013.

Three years later, she returned to Vietnam and applied the same method to deceive women without jobs or a stable income in Ky Son, promising them a better future in China.

Two victims aged 30 and 36 eventually allowed Oanh to take them to the neighboring country.

Oanh then sold both to Chinese middlemen for VND370 million (almost $16,000), giving each women VND15 million while pocketing the rest.

The two were then forced into marriages with Chinese husbands.

In late July, the two women escaped home and reported Oanh to police. It remains unclear whether any children were born in the interim.

In the first half of this year, Vietnam had uncovered 60 cases of human trafficking involving 90 victims.

The country has recorded over 3,400 victims of human trafficking since 2013, over 90 percent women, children and those from ethnic minority communities, Nguyen Xuan Lap, head of the ministry's Department of Social Issues Prevention, said at a conference in November last year.

According to the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a think tank, around 40 million men in China need to look abroad for a wife as of this year. This is a direct result of the nations former one-child policy, which has seen families abort female fetuses for decades.

Hundreds of thousands of women from Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar have gone to China to wed local men, activists say. Some end up happily married, but many others suffer violence and forced labor.
As legislators work to hammer out another coronavirus stimulus package and debate continues about the amount of federal funds jobless Americans should get, a new study has found there is no evidence to suggest that recipients of more generous unemployment benefits are less likely to go back to work.

The 24-page study, conducted by Yale University, looked at weekly data from Homebase, a company that allows small businesses across the U.S. to track hours worked through scheduling and timesheet technology.

The report sought to address whether high benefits provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act encouraged employers to lay off workers and discouraged workers from returning to work.

The CARES Act, passed in late March, expanded federal unemployment insurance (UI) benefits by providing a $600 weekly payment on top of state unemployment benefits, which tend to provide much less money. Those benefits since expired at the end of last month.

Published in early July, the Yale economists report found that the expanded unemployment benefits from the stimulus package did not encourage layoffs at the beginning of the pandemic, nor did they deter people from returning to work.

According to the researchers, workers who received large UI benefits experienced similar gains in employment by early May in relation to workers who got less aid, Yale said in a statement.

Americans who received more from unemployment benefits went back to work at a similar or slightly faster rate than others did, the economists report.

The data do not show a relationship between benefit generosity and employment paths after the CARES Act, which could be due to the collapse of labor demand during the COVID-19 crisis, Prof. Joseph Altonji, a co-author of the report, said in the universitys statement.

Yales report comes as negotiations about another stimulus deal between Democratic leaders and the Trump administration remain tied up over the amount of weekly UI benefits that would be provided in another aid package.

The $1 trillion Health, Economic Assistance, Liability Protection and Schools (HEALS) Act, proposed by Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell last week, unemployed Americans would receive $200 in weekly federal aid.

However, Democrats in Congress are pushing for the same amount that was provided by the CARES Act, $600 per week.

Critics of higher UI benefits have pointed out that expanded aid as part of Marchs stimulus package has exceeded many individuals normal weekly wage, and some Senate Republicans continue to argue that workers may, therefore, be deterred from returning to work.

In an interview with CBSs Face the Nation last week, Republican Sen. Ted Cruz, of Texas, claimed the $3 trillion Health and Economic Recovery Omnibus Emergency Solutions (HEROES) Act House Democrats introduced is just shoveling money at Americans and not actually solving the problem.

He went on to argue that some workers received twice as much money from UI benefits than from actually working and had no incentive to return to their jobs.

The problem is, for 68% of people receiving it right now, they are being paid more on unemployment than they made in their job, Cruz said about those getting UI benefits. Ive spoken to small business owners all over the state of Texas who are trying to reopen and theyre calling their waiters and waitresses. Theyre calling their busboys, and they wont come back.

And, of course, they wont come back because the federal government is paying them, in some instances, twice as much money to stay home.

The Yale researchers, however, found that higher amounts of UI benefits did not lead to slower rehiring rates.

In future research, they noted, it will be important to see whether the same results hold when states move to reopen.

Related Content:
Megastar Amitabh Bachchan was recently discharged from hospital after testing negative for Covid-19. The actor took to his Tumblr blog to share his experiences with the pandemic.

The star talked about how the pandemic has caused a standstill around the world. The actor also said that because of the uncertainty around Covid-19, he has been detained at home and quarantining despite testing negative for the infection.

He wrote, "I may be home after testing negative..but I have been detained at home in solo quarantine.. why.. why because the medical world is not sure what they need to advise a recovered patient of how he needs to conduct himself or herself..They say developed antibodies in our systems prevents the occurrence of the disease again .. but there have been several cases where there has been a recurrence despite all other parameters falling into place.

"Are we able to understand the medical dilemma being faced by not just one community or region.. its a dilemma that strikes the entire Universe.. and still nothing definite, finite has been found of how the disease can be cured, addressed, pre and post the ailment..hands are tied.. what can be done !? Its almost like we are being held to ransom..and nothing is coming from any source, or from they that hold us as to, what needs to be delivered for our captive release !!!," he added.

Four members of the Bachchan family including Amitabh, son Abhishek, daughter-in-law Aishwarya and granddaughter Aaradhya were tested Covid-19 positive and admitted in Nanavati Hospital, Mumbai. While the others have been discharged, Abhishek is still admitted due to co-morbidities and undergoing treatment.
Major food retailers are remaining tight-lipped on whether or not they will enforce a mandatory face mask policy here.

Supermarket giants Tesco, Sainsbury's and Asda have already said in England they will not challenge shoppers who are not wearing face masks.

The rule came into effect there on July 24.

Read More

Yesterday all three would not disclose if they would adopt the same stance in Northern Ireland.

Tesco said it would not be commenting on the matter.

Sainsbury's said: "Safety is our highest priority and we are asking customers to play their part in keeping everyone safe by following Government guidance."

Meanwhile, Asda said it would be monitoring the situation.

It added: "Just as in Great Britain, Asda continues to follow the Government guidance very closely."

Face coverings are strongly encouraged to be worn while in shops here, but are not mandatory.

In England and Scotland shoppers face being fined if they are caught flouting the rules.

It is only currently compulsory for face coverings to be worn here while travelling on public transport.

Health Minister Robin Swann has urged the Executive to reconsider its voluntary position on the matter.

The Executive is due to review the policy on August 20, and as a result could make them a mandatory requirement.

However, Mr Swann wants Stormont to bring the review date forward to next Thursday, the BBC has reported.

Yesterday Glyn Roberts, chief executive of Retail NI, raised further doubts on how a compulsory face mask policy would be enforced, warning that asking staff to enforce the measure was a "step too far".

"I think it is completely unfair to expect shop staff to have to police this," he said.

"We've already seen with large multiple retailers in England, which obviously have security staff, and if they're saying they cannot enforce it, then what can the local corner shop or your local independent retailer, how can they be expected to enforce it?

However, Mr Roberts stressed Retail NI would play its role "encouraging people to wear face coverings".
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:54:43|Editor: huaxia

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Local people gather and mourn near to the site where a 12-year-old girl was killed after being hit by a stray bullet in a gang shooting at a petrol station car park in Norsborg, south of Stockholm, Sweden, Aug. 4, 2020. Sweden's Minister for Home Affairs Mikael Damberg vowed on Tuesday to tackle gang-related crimes following the recent tragic death of a 12-year-old girl. According to Swedish Television, the shooting was part of an escalating conflict between gangs fighting over local drug markets. (Xinhua)

STOCKHOLM, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Sweden's Minister for Home Affairs Mikael Damberg vowed on Tuesday to tackle gang-related crimes following the recent tragic death of a 12-year-old girl.

"We must gather strength against this. We are expanding the police with more employees and new tools. But if we do not stop the new recruitment of young people into the criminal environment, the harsh measures will not play such a big role," Damberg was quoted by Swedish Television (SVT) as saying.

A 12-year-old girl was killed on Sunday after being hit by a stray bullet in a gang shooting at a petrol station car park in Norsborg, south of the country's capital Stockholm. According to SVT, the shooting was part of an escalating conflict between gangs fighting over local drug markets.

"It's terribly tragic. You feel a great anger towards the criminal gangs who show no empathy because their shootings affect others. There are no words to describe the grief that it means for parents to lose their child in this way," said Damberg.

"The police are now making great efforts in the murder hunt. They are using all available resources to convict the perpetrators of this act," he added, calling on witnesses to contact the police.

Norsborg stands out as one of the country's most gang-ravaged areas, Manne Gerell, associate professor of criminology at Malmo University, told SVT. Gerell added that there are active criminal networks in Norsborg, with police issuing three warnings about shootings in the past 14 days alone.

Despite Swedish police tightening surveillance and toughening sentences for drugs and weapons-related crimes recently, bombings, shootings and gang-related crimes in Sweden have not decreased.

According to Swedish police statistics, 42 people were killed and 120 wounded in 334 reported shootings in 2019. In the first half of this year, 20 people have been killed and 56 wounded in 163 shootings.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:17:19|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China on Tuesday urged the United States to take the concerns of the international community seriously and clarify its overseas biological militarization activities.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to relevant U.S. biological militarization activities, which have caused great concern and raised many questions and objections.

Recently, media in the Republic of Korea (ROK) have repeatedly reported that the U.S. military stationed in the ROK have conducted activities violating the Biological Weapons Convention (BWC), and a large number of social groups there have demanded the closure of relevant U.S. military laboratories and the expulsion of relevant U.S. troops stationed in the ROK.

The United States has conducted activities of biological militarization in many countries which have indeed caused widespread skepticism and opposition, Wang said.

Those activities are not transparent. Many of the countries involved have no idea what the U.S. military labs are doing. The United States is the one that has conducted the largest number of biological militarization activities overseas, yet none of which is mentioned in the Confidence Building Measures materials submitted by the United States to the BWC, he said.

They are not safe. Many of their activities are closely related to high-risk pathogens. If any accident occurs, it will have disastrous consequences for the country concerned, its neighbors and the whole world, Wang said.

Meanwhile, they are unjustified. Looking around, only the United States, spearheaded by its military, is building biological labs around the world and collecting without restraint biological resources abroad, and only the United States is opposed to negotiating a BWC verification protocol, he added. "No matter how the United States explains it, it cannot justify itself."

"We urge the United States to be a responsible party, take the concerns of the international community seriously, clarify its overseas biological militarization activities, earnestly fulfill its BWC obligations, and stop being the only one that stands in the way of the negotiations on a BWC verification protocol," Wang said. Enditem
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:26:45|Editor: huaxia

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LUSAKA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- About 72 percent of businesses in Zambia are not able to raise funds for expansion due to the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, a research released on Tuesday have shown.

The survey, conducted by the Zambia Financial Sector Deepening Limited (FSD) in collaboration with BFA Global, said the small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Zambia critically needs working capital because three-quarters of them were unable to raise capital.

The research further established that about 40 percent of the firms were seeing a significant drop in revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Eneya Phiri, the organization's head of communication, said in a release that the research was aimed at understanding the economic situation from the perspective of SMEs.

The research was also undertaken to assess the digital readiness of the firms as a method to limit the impact of COVID-19.

Betty Wilkinson, the organization's chief executive officer, said the issue of working capital was key for the small firms to stay alive through the challenging period posed by the pandemic.

The organization will be looking for options to help financial institutions grow working capital loans and expand on working capital access projects to help the small firms to survive and grow. Enditem
Jean Castex has called on France "not to let down its guard" in the fight against the coronavirus in order to prevent the need for a new national lockdown, as concern grows over a recent surge in cases, notably across the north of the country.

Speaking this Monday in the northern city of Lille, the premier said, "The virus has not gone on holiday and neither have we.

"We need to protect ourselves against this virus, without putting a stop to our economic and social life, in other words avoiding the risk of a new generalised lockdown."

France, which has registered over 30,000 deaths from the Covid-19 pandemic, recorded thousands of new cases last week prompting some regions to reimpose local restrictions.

"We are seeing an increase in the figures for the epidemic which should make us more attentive than ever, and this is the case," Castex said.

"I call on every French person to remain very vigilant. The fight against the virus depends of course on the state, local communities, institutions, but also on each of us," he added.

Masks compusory in some public areas

The city of Lille, a bustling hub close to the Belgian border, has been the subject of particular concern with the prevalence of the virus doubling to 38 people per 100,000 people over the last two weeks.

In parts of the city it is now obligatory to wear masks outside to limit the contagion, a move that local authorities can now impose themselves.

As well as in Lille, outdoor mask wearing is now obligatory in parts of the northern region of Mayenne, as well as the popular coastal summer tourist destinations of Biarritz, Saint-Malo and Le Touquet.

The French government has been determined to encourage citizens to go on holiday this year, especially within the country, in the hope of giving some help to an economy that contracted by almost 14% in the second quarter of 2020.

But officials are keenly aware that the opening up brings risks and the government has been troubled by scenes especially of young people partying at close quarters outdoors in holiday spots.

Decentralised EU contact tracing app in development

Meawnhile, the European Commission said on Friday it had signed a contract for SAP and Deutsche Telekom to build a software platform that would enable national coronavirus contact tracing apps to 'talk' to each other.

The hope is that creating the gateway would help slow the spread of Covid-19 by making it possible to log encounters between people while they are travelling abroad and issue push warnings should one of them be infected.

The two companies, designers of Germany's Corona-Warn-App which has been downloaded 16 million times, proposed creating the gateway in June, when EU member states agreed on a framework to make the apps interoperable.

Nine EU states - Austria, Croatia, Czechia, Denmark,

Germany, Ireland, Italy, Latvia and Poland - have launched apps based on a technology standard developed by Alphabet's Google and Apple.

Another nine countries plan similar apps that will use this "decentralised" design, where phones that come into close contact share random identifiers and receive risk notifications if a contact later tests positive for Covid-19.

The common design means these apps are compatible and could easily be plugged into the gateway.

However, experts say it will be more challenging to hook up the French and Hungarian apps, which store data on central servers.

France's Stop Covid app, which was launched in June, has been critiscised for being inefficient in tracking the spread of coronavirus, too expensive to develop and mainly ignored by the French with only 3% of the population having downloaded the application.
Sony is well and truly back. After letting most rivals enjoy what can be best referred to as their free period last year, Sony has dropped what can perhaps be safely described as a category changer for wireless earbuds. The Sony WF-1000XM3 follow up a couple of years after the original WF-1000X, but clearly, the time has been spent well in the Sony offices. The Sony WF-1000XM3 lands with a feature set that is quite unmatched among the rivals, noise cancellation that could very well be the best there is among wireless earbuds and battery life that wouldnt require you to be bothered about charging these up often. A lot of that is also because the WF-1000XM3 adopt the same QN1e audio processing hardware which made the WH-1000XM3 the king of the noise cancelling headphones category.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds are priced at Rs 19,990 though there is an introductory offer in place which makes this a best buy price of Rs 17,990. This means the Sony WF-1000XM3 has a competition spectrum which is wider than most earbuds have to contend with. The price of the Sony WF-1000XM3 pegs it close to the very good Jabra Elite Active 75t but those dont have noise cancellation. At the same time, the feature set that Sony has given the WF-1000XM3 means much more expensive wireless earbuds must be worried too. At least they should be, if they arent already. Those would include the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2, which is priced around Rs 24,990, and I had really appreciated the performance it delivers, including the very good noise cancellation. Yet, with this big a price difference, it will be natural for a potential buyer to pause for a moment and take stock of the competition. Bose, mind you, will now have a tough job on their hands when their noise cancelling earbuds finally land in the next few months.

Design: Beauty And Brains, Never In Doubt

This is what you get when a brand spends a lot of time getting everything right. The Sony WF-1000XM3 look positively sleek and sophisticated. They arent the smallest true wireless earbuds that you can probably find, but they dont really stick out of the ear. That is immediately a point scored over rivals that include the Bose SoundSport Free Wireless, which genuinely stick out of the ear and look very ungainly to say the leastthat being said, Bose launched those a long time ago and designs have evolved since. Interesting to note with the Sony WF-1000XM3 is that the design isnt exactly a circle as how Bose and more recently Sennheiser chose to design their flagship wireless earbuds. And neither is it a teardrop, in a tribute to the Apple AirPods Pro.

This refreshed design isnt just about the looks. It has been designed in such a way that when you wear the Sony WF-1000XM3, they deploy what Sony calls the tri-hold mechanism that fixes the earbuds at the Tragus, Antitragus and Antihelix points of your ear. At the same time, it leaves a gap at the crucial points to allow for air circulation and to keep your ears cool. That could be really handy if you are wearing these for a long time at a stretch. Also, the part of the buds that resides in your ear is finished with a soft rubber surface, which adds more grip for the Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds to stay in place. Each earbud weighs 8.2 grams, yet when I wore these, they felt much lighter, well balanced and no point did they lean unnecessarily or cause any stress in the ear because of pressure.

On the outside, each earbud has a nice matte finish with a very subtly done Sony logo and a circle that has been highlighted. This is where the touch panels are on each earbud, for the tap gestures.

Now we come to what is frankly not the smallest charging case for wireless earbuds but most certainly the prettiest you can find right now. Yes, the case has a curved base which means it isnt exactly usable to keep this case uprightand it always has to be kept flat on a table or anywhere you are keeping it. The lid has a gorgeous copper finish which really stands out in a sea of sameness that true wireless earbuds have become with mostly black colour casesSennheisers Momentum True Wireless 2 with the fabric draped charging case bucked the trend with its sophistication. The Sony WF-1000XM3 dual-tone finish case weighs about 77 grams. It however doesnt have any indicators that tell you how much charge is left in the caseyou will need the app for that. Yet, it is quite simply forgiven for its slightly larger footprint and the lack of battery charge indicators, simply because it looks absolutely great.

That is not all. Sonys attention to detail is perhaps best established by the fact that each Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds pack bundles four pairs of silicon hybrid ear tips and three pairs of what Sony calls comfort ear tips which is made of a slightly thicker yet softer material than silicon hybrids and is better poised if you want to use the noise cancellation to the fullest. No other wireless earbuds bundle so many ear tips, and two different varieties of materials, while at it.

Yet, it is surely very perplexing that Sony has gone to town with the WF-1000XM3 buds at the higher end of the wireless earbuds segment, and yet these dont offer any sweat or water resistance. The Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and the Apple AirPods Pro get the IPX4 water resistance rating, which means those buds will have no problem with an accidental splash of water, sweat or even getting caught in a momentary shower as you run for cover. You can however, take no such risks with the money that you have spent on the WF-1000XM3if you see the clouds gathering, get these into the case and into the backpack.

Features List: The Smartest Earbuds Out There

There is a lot about the innards of the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds that takes us back in time to the brilliance that was the Sony WH-1000XM3 wireless noise cancelling headphones. The party piece has to be the Sony HD Noise Cancelling Processor QN1ethis chip handles the digital noise cancellation algorithms, the 24bit audio signal processing and the digital to analogue conversion with amplification duties. The Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds also support the Digital Sound Enhancement Engine HX (DSEE HX) feature which uses the prowess of this hardware chip to upscale audio files to improve their resolution and bring them closer to the High-Resolution Audio without the content being originally High Res ready. This option is turned off by default in the Sony Headphones Connect app (free for Android and iOS) but I would recommend you turn this on, because it genuinely makes a very audible difference, for the better, with Apple Music as well as Spotify music streaming.

Sony is also using a different Bluetooth connectivity method with the WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds. How most earbuds do it is that one bud connects with the source device, which may be your phone or tablet. Then that bud circles around the connection to the other earbudsomething known as relay transmission. In case of the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds, both buds connect with the source device, that is your phone or tablet, directly. This means a more stable connection (I did not notice any dropouts or audio glitches) as well as low latency which means you wont notice a delay in the audio that you hear if you are watching a video. In each earbud, the Bluetooth antenna has been redesigned too for stronger signal, which means wireless congestion around you or even an increase in distance. I did step away from the iPad for a bit and it did not impact the connectivity the way it does on most other wireless earbuds, two walls in the way.

The app can also be used to customize the touch controls for the right and the left earbud. By default, the left bud is configured for noise cancellation and ambient sound modes as well as quick attention, while the right earbud focuses on music playback controls. The Headphones Connect app lets you tweak these as per your preference.

Sound: You Choose The Power. Or, The Power Chooses You

It is perhaps only sensible to start with the noise cancellation feature as we detail the performance and my experience with the Sony WF-1000XM3 wireless earbuds. These are competing with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 that also offers active noise cancellation. Till now, that did a stellar job of keeping the Apple AirPods Pro company. Now however, I have to say that Sony WF-1000XM3 earbuds, along with a bunch of unique features in tow, has completely reset the benchmarks. Not surprising, considering how the Sony WH-1000XM3 headphones using the same chip reset the way we approached noise cancellation in larger headphones. You can choose the level of noise cancellation you want, and you can adjust the slider accordingly to get it exactly how you want it. At home with the usual noisiness that happens indoors, even 50% is more than enough. But as and when you can step outdoors, you will appreciate the ability to dial this up as you like itnoisy airport terminals and aircraft journeys with a slightly unhappy child on board will be more pleasant with the Sony WF-1000XM3 in your ears.

Not only are the Sony WF-1000XM3 most effective when it comes to noise cancellation, but the detailed options that are part of the Sense Engine 4.0 make for a much smarter wireless earbuds experience. For instance, there is the Adaptive Sound Control, which based on what you are doing at the time and your location, changes the sound mode of the earphonestraveling, walking etc. There is the Quick Attention mode which lets you hear someone who may have come to have a chat with you or pay attention to any announcements around you, for instance.

In each earbud are 6mm audio drivers, which is largely the same size as the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and the Jabra Elite 75t earbuds. There are a lot of more affordable wireless earbuds that claim to have larger audio drivers, but a lot has to do with how these are tuned and not just the size. Sony has, by pairing these with the QN1e audio processing chip, has given the WF-1000XM3 a very solid base to build on. The net result is these are high energy earbuds, which offer extensive amount of details, a wide soundstage, crisp vocals, powerful bass, adequate mids and an overall richness of sound that cannot be achieved at all by artificial boosts. The DSEE HX feature that I mentioned above, does a fantastic job of extracting details from a track that may otherwise have been lost on you. The companion app offers enough EQ tweaks that let you alter the sound as per your preference. Such is the neutral sound of the Sony WF-1000XM3 out of the box, I really had to increase the bass to make the trance tracks sound alive.

If we are to compare with the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 as we must, the Sony WF-1000XM3 sounds chirpier by default in comparison, while the more restrained Sennheiser sound shows its true colours as you go through the playlists one by one. It must also be noted that the Sennheiser buds support the aptX codec while the Sony WF-1000XM3 doesntin fact, it also doesnt support Sonys own LDAC codec. Yet, in a way, the DSEE HX does make up for it in a way, for most, except the finicky audiophiles.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 can also detect if you are wearing one earbud or both earbuds and can alter the sound for the best possible experience on the fly. As far as getting in touch with voice assistants go, the Sony WF-1000XM3 works with Apple Siri, Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant, depending on which device you have connected the earbuds with.

Battery Life: Charge It. Forget About It.

The Sony WF-1000XM3 are the sort of earbuds that you charge once and then forget about charging these up for a few days at least. With noise cancellation active and depending on the intensity of NC you have set in the app, this will last up to 24 hours on a single charge, which includes 6 hours battery life from each earbud and up to 18 hours more from the charging case. If you are indoors and keeping NC off most of the time as I did during the tests, these will go a bit more than 32 hoursthats 8 hours and a bit for each earbud and up to 24 hours more usage time when topped up with the charging case. There is the quick charge option as well, where a 10-minute splash and dash of the battery is good for 90 minutes of music playback on the Sony WF-1000XM3.

The Last Word: The Sony WF-1000XM3. It came. It Saw. It Conquered

The Sony WF-1000XM3 is actually facing competition not just from the likes of the Sennheiser Momentum True Wireless 2 and the Apple AirPods Pro, but also from buds that are a bit more affordable and yet quite goodthe likes of the Samsung Galaxy Buds+, the Jabra Elite 75t and the second generation Apple AirPods. That means, your loyalties towards Sony and the need for powerful noise cancellation will be really tested. That, and whether you are able to get over the fact that the Sony WF-1000XM3 does not have any sort of water resistance capabilities. All said and done, it is very easy to see what Sony have gone for here. Powerful sound, very well-designed earbuds and noise cancellation that leads the way in the ecosystem at this time. Sony already has a big lead over Bose, which has still not launched its noise cancelling earbuds. All in all, the Sony WF-1000XM3 will be money very well spent. You will really enjoy the music you listen through it, the clarity of voice calls, the myriad of features and all that backed up by robust battery life that most rivals dont even come close to.
Donald Trump had said he was going to ban TikTok on August 2, but a 45-day window has been negotiated.

US President Donald Trump has threatened that TikTok will be out of business in the US on September 15 if ByteDance, its parent company, does not sell it and provide the US Treasure Department with a lot of money. This comes off an earlier claim Trump made about banning the app on August 2.

Trumps new threat, according to reports, follows the news of Microsoft negotiating a 45-day window to acquire the company, as confirmed in a blog post.

The US president announced the news at the White House and went on to say that he believes that Microsoft or any other big, secure and a very American company should buy TikTok. Trump argued that this American company should buy the whole company from ByteDance and not just its US, Canada, New Zealand and Australia operations since he thinks that buying 30% is complicated.

Trump also stressed on the fact that any deal must send a substantial portion of the price to the US Treasury Department. While he did not explain what that exactly means, he compared the US governments relationship with companies to one between landlords and tenants.

Trump said that these companies did not have any rights unless it was given to them and only if they were given rights could they come into the country, much like the landlord-tenant relationship. Without a lease the tenant has nothing, Trump said.

He added that TikTok will close down on September 15 unless Microsoft, or another company, manages to buy and also manages to work out an appropriate deal with the US Treasury. Microsofts blog about buying TikTok also mentions providing proper economic benefits to the US along with the US Treasury.

The Trump administration has been hot-stepping on this TikTok ban for weeks now without actually furnishing enough details. They have cited reasons like national security threats and a desire to punish China for the global pandemic etc.

Over the past week, the Trump administration settled on requiring ByteDance to spin-off TikTok. This is something the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) can require.

CFIUS can penalise ByteDance if it does not sell off TikTok, but Trumps ban language has much more sweeping implications.
The Australian share market followed strong US gains to record its best session in two weeks as the Reserve Bank signalled it would resume bond purchases.

The benchmark ASX 200 added 111.5 points, or 1.9 per cent on Tuesday to finish at 6037.6, recouping its losses from last weeks close.

A new record high for the NASDAQ and positive overnight manufacturing data gave ASX investors a gentle hint that the global economic recovery is continuing, while coronavirus cases in some US states also showed signs of flattening.

However, JP Morgan Asset Management market strategist Kerry Craig said Tuesdays rally wasnt necessarily one driven by bullish sentiment.

I think this is more of a catch-up from the last few days and a lead on overseas markets, Mr Craig said.

The market is looking for a silver lining its picking up off those lows and is not a strongly persuasive risk-on rally. Investors should be asking themselves how much of this is the returns for this year and next being brought forward.

Nonetheless, all sectors finished higher in local trade as tech shares and financials led the pack for most of the session. Commonwealth Bank set the pace for the big four with a 2.3 per cent rise to $71.50.

The $33 billion rebound also received support from health and energy stocks and appeared undaunted by sagging June quarter retail volumes, a below-expectation June trade surplus, and increasingly exasperated Victorian health officials.

Another 439 virus cases were announced for the state as well as a new $5000 fine for those who breaching quarantine during Melbourne's stage 4 lock downs.

Markets improved after RBA board members announced it would maintain an accommodative approach on expectation that the economic recovery from the pandemic would be uneven and bumpy.

The central bank did however announce it would resume bond purchases in order to keep a lid on the 3-year yield.

Mr Craig said restrictions on Victoria May have been enough to tip the central bank into action. Ultimately this is not a strong signal for markets, the RBA may have thought its job was done, but has been forced to step back in, he said.

The fiscal side is likely to expand as well. While markets may be reassured that the RBA backstop remains, it's a signal of a weaker economic outlook for now at least.

Materials stocks were buoyed by a 5 per cent increase in iron or prices to $US116 a tonne, with Fortescue Metals setting another new record close of $18.16. Rio Tinto and BHP added 2 per cent and 1.5 per cent respectively.

The gold miners were among the rare disappointments on the day as the precious metal retreated from record highs. CSLs 2.2 per cent rise to $283.16 helped health stocks, as did Sonic Healthcares 2.5 per cent rise to a record close of $33.30.

Afterpay added 6.5 per cent to $70.80 as the tech sector soared a collective 3.2 per cent, with NextDC also closing at a record high, adding 3.4 per cent to hit $12.01.

Supermarket Woolworths rose 2.3 per cent to $39.92 and rival Coles joined the party with a record high close of $18.91.

There were new intraday record highs for online retailer Kogan and appliance maker Breville.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : In a change of guard at HDFC Bank after 26 years, Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Sashidhar Jagdishan as Managing Director and CEO of the Bank for a period of three years.

Jagdishan takes over from Aditya Puri, who had probably one of the longest stints as MD and CEO in the private banking space and even in India Inc as a professional CEO at the helm for 26 years.

Jagdishan's tenure is for three years with effect from his date of taking charge, October 27, 2020, under Section 35B of the Banking Regulation Act 1949.

HDFC Bank informed the stock exchanges that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the Bank will be convened in due course to approve the appointment of Sashidhar Jagdishan as the Managing Director & CEO of the Bank, in place of Aditya Puri, who is due to retire as Managing Director of the Bank on October 26, 2020.

Jagdishan is currently the Group Head of Finance, Human Resources, Legal and Secretarial, Administration, Infrastructure, Corporate Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility & the Strategic Change Agent of the Bank. Sashi has an overall experience of 30 years.

Sashidhar Jagdishan (Sashi) joined the Bank in the year 1996 as a Manager in the Finance function. He became Business Head- Finance in 1999 and was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in the year 2008. He has played a critical role in supporting the growth trajectory of the Bank.

He has led the finance function and played a pivotal role in aligning the organization in achieving the strategic objectives over the years. Prior to joining the Bank, Sashi was a Senior Officer in the Country Financial Control Division of Deutsche Bank, AG, Mumbai. He has completed his graduation in Science with specialization in Physics, and is a Chartered Accountant. He also holds a Master's degree in Economics of Money, Banking & Finance from the University of Sheffield, UK.
New Delhi: Markets opened in green on Tuesday tracking massive foreign fund inflow amidst positive global cues.

The BSE Sensex was trading 330.53 points or 0.89 per cent higher at 37,270.13; while the NSE Nifty was up 37,270.13 points or 0.78 per cent at 10,976.55.

Major gainers in the Sensex pack were HDFC Bank, RIL, ONGC, Asian Paints, Maruti, HDFC ,ITC, LT, Bajaj Finserve, M&M, ICICI Bank, Bajaj Auto, rising upto 4.50 percent. On the other hand, major losers were Indus Ind Bank, Tech Mahindra, HCL Tech, Infosys, Ultrachem, TCS, Tata Steel, HUL, Powergrid, Titan, SBI and Nestle, falling upto 3.17 percent.

Exchange data showed that foreign institutional investors purchased equities worth Rs 7,818.49 crore on a net basis on Monday.

MSCI`s broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 0.9%, while shares in China nudged up 0.1%. Australian stocks gained 2% for the biggest intraday gain since July 21. Tokyo shares also jumped by more than 1%, a Reuters report said.

Global oil benchmark Brent crude was trading 0.86 per cent lower at USD 43.77 per barrel.

In the previous session on Monday, the 30-share Sensex ended 667.29 points or 1.77 per cent lower at 36,939.60, while the NSE Nifty tumbled 181.85 points or 1.64 per cent to 10,891.60.
The Hollow in Albany reopens

The Hollow Bar + Kitchen, closed since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic, reopened Tuesday.

Check out the new menu at facebook.com/thehollowalbany.

Hours are from 4 p.m. Tuesday and Saturday, and from 11:30 a.m. Wednesday to Friday; closed Sunday and Monday. Owner Dora Philip said closing time will be flexible depending on customer demand. Reservations are accepted for patio dining, inside tables and seats at the bar; call 518-426-8550 or reserve online.

The Hollow is at 79 N. Pearl St.

Albany's Mexican Market adds Madison Avenue restaurant sibling

Mexican Market, a grocery and cafe at 654 Central Ave., Albany, that has unfortunately been largely hidden by a BusPlus shelter for almost all of its decade in business, last weekend opened a sibling restaurant, Mexican Taqueria, at 858 Madison Ave., also in Albany. It replaces a spot called Asian Place.

Hours are 11 a.m. to midnight daily. Owner Manny SantaCruz said the taquerias menu is largely the same as at the market, with the restaurant having a few more items. It does not have its own online presence yet, and the phone is not yet operational; search Grubhub for the market's page for an overview of whats available at the taqueria. SantaCruz said he hopes to have online ordering for delivery and pickup for the restaurant in the coming weeks from Grubhub, DoorDash and Uber Eats, but for now ordering is in person.

Wolff's Biergartens reopen

A month after closing temporarily because coronavirus-related restrictions were judged not conducive to the atmosphere at Wolffs Biergarten, its four locations reopened Tuesday. Masks are required when entering and walking around indoor and outdoor spaces, according to the reopening announcement from owner Matt Baumgartner; socially distanced seating will be indicated by signage; and food will be required to be ordered with initial alcohol orders. Groups of six to 10 are asked to call ahead to reserve a table; otherwise, Wolffs does not not accept reservations, and it takes credit cards for larger groups only.

Baumgartner said menus have been limited to wursts/dogs, German potato salad and a few other items. Because Wolffs does not have table service, there will be a designated area at the bar for ordering, under an exemption from the recent state prohibition against stand-up ordering at bars. Baumgartner said about 90 percent of employees are returning.

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The Albany Wolffs, at 895 Broadway, is open 2 p.m. until late weekdays and from 9 a.m. weekends; Schenectady, at 165 Erie Blvd., and Troy, at 2 King St., serve from 11 a.m. until late weekdays and from 9 a.m. weekends. The fourth Wolffs is in Syracuse.

Druthers developing Clifton Park location

Druthers Brewing, which has opened three Capital Region brewpubs in the past eight years, is planning a fourth, in Clifton Park. The agenda for the Aug. 11 meeting of the town planning board says it is being proposed for a site on Southside Drive, a road that runs between two shopping plazas that sit opposite Clifton Park Center Mall. The proposal for the 5.3-acre site calls for a 10,000-square foot building for dining and brewing operations and extensive outdoor space that would include opportunities for play area, casual seating, music and private events.

Druthers opened its first location, on Broadway in downtown Saratoga Springs, in 2012, followed three year later by one in Albanys warehouse district. The most recent, at Schenectadys Mohawk Harbor complex, opened in summer 2018.

Compiled by Steve Barnes. Items to be submitted for publication should be emailed to sbarnes@timesunion.com. Visit his blog, blog.timesunion.com/tablehopping.
Australian exports to China have surged past expectations as trade with the rest of the world falls, adding an extra $2.6 billion despite the diplomatic rift between the two countries.

Overall trade with China is now almost 4 per cent higher than it was this time last year, with significant increases in the iron ore, grain and wool sectors, bolstering Australian producers amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The figures are a rare boost for the local economy as it faces three quarters of negative growth in the worst economic environment since the 1930s.

The trade surge also occurred as China implemented trade strikes on Australian beef, barley, tourism and higher education.
As further details emerge about the deal struck between an obscure American oil company and the Kurdish-led autonomous administration of northeast Syria, it is increasingly clear that the accord is as much about political brinkmanship as oil. Mazlum Kobane, the commander in chief of the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), is the brains behind it. In sealing the 25-year-long accord with Delta Crescent Energy, Kobane hopes to achieve a set of ambitious and interlinking goals.

The first is to cement the US military presence in northeast Syria by bringing in a US oil company, an idea that has been floating around for some time. Its no accident that when President Donald Trump said he was keeping US forces in northeast Syria in the wake of Turkeys October incursion, it was for the oil. The idea had been planted in the presidents brain too. Starving the Bashar al-Assad regime of oil revenues serves Washingtons overall strategy of pressuring the Syrian strongman into ending his alliance with Iran. Just as importantly, oil revenues also keep the Syrian Kurds financially solvent, obviating the need for American largesse.

In Kurdish minds, the injection of US business will, over time, lead to deeper political engagement between the US government and Syrian Kurds. The longer the Americans stay, and the more the relationship diversifies away from a narrow, security-focused one, the greater the chances that the Syrian Kurds will acquire a semi-independent status akin to that of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG) in northern Iraq, which evolved under US military protection. But the KRG was unlikely to have survived economically without Turkey. Therein lies the other main pillar of Kobanes strategy  one that chimes with Washingtons desire to repair relations with its NATO ally.

Oil played a critical role in getting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to formalize ties with the KRG in 2010. That is when Turkey opened a consulate in Erbil and went on to build a pipeline to export Iraqi Kurdish crude via export terminals on its southern Mediterranean coast in defiance of the central government in Baghdad.

The Iraqi Kurds were shrewd enough to give a big chunk of the contracts in the early days of the oil-fueled construction boom to Turkish companies with strong links to far-right nationalists. At the same time, they facilitated peace talks between Turkeys national intelligence agency (MIT) and Abdullah Ocalan, the imprisoned leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), to bring an end to his nearly four-decadeslong armed insurgency against the Turkish state.

Can the same scenario be repeated between Turkey and the Syrian Kurds? Can giving Ankara a cut in the oil revenues by routing exports through Turkey melt its resistance to the SDF, in turn making the US military presence easier to sustain? Kobane is betting that it can. Its a long shot. But the arc of history suggests that time is working in the Kurds' favor, except when they miscalculate and overreach. When the Iraqi Kurds held their independence referendum in 2017 in the face of stiff resistance from Washington, Ankara, Tehran and Baghdad, they lost their Jerusalem of Kirkuk. When the Syrian Kurds made a play to extend their control west of the Euphrates River in 2016, Turkey launched its first invasion to torpedo their plans.

Has Kobane overreached with the oil deal?

Turkeys internal political dynamics are undoubtedly a big problem. With his poll numbers slipping, Erdogan is ever more dependent on the support of the nationalists who view any Kurdish rights as an existential threat, or so they claim to keep their base intact. Erdogan pulled the plug on the peace talks in 2015 in part because they were robbing him of nationalist votes.

Turkey has been launching massive operations targeting the Kurds in northern Syria, most recently in October when it occupied a slice of northeast Syria after US troops pulled away from the border. It placed a bounty on Kobanes head and continues to target his associates inside Syria, killing three women from his village in Kobani in a drone strike in July.

Turkey justifies its actions on the grounds that Kobane and many of his Syrian Kurdish comrades are members of the PKK. This was certainly true until 2011 when Syrias civil conflict erupted. But its impossible to prove that they still report to the Qandil Mountains in Iraqi Kurdistan where the top PKK commanders are based.

Egged on by the State Department, Kobane has been determinedly trying to downplay his PKK credentials, which have allowed Turkey to freeze the autonomous administration out of now-stalled UN-sponsored peace talks in Geneva between the Syrian opposition and Assads people.

The PKK is on the European Union's and the State Departments list of terrorist organizations.

Kobane has also been cultivating Nechirvan Barzani, the president of Iraq's Kurdistan Region. Barzani clinched the oil deal with Turkey as prime minister in 2013, gets on well with Erdogan and is said to be involved in the Delta Crescent deal. It remains unclear, however, where Masrour Barzani, his cousin and brother-in-law who replaced him as prime minister, stands on the matter. His views are key.

Following Turkeys Operation Peace Spring, Kobane made a fresh play. He decided not to put up any resistance against the Turks and their Sunni rebel proxies, deploying his acumen in the diplomatic arena instead. Kobane initiated reconciliation talks with Syrian Kurdish opposition parties gathered under the umbrella of the Kurdistan National Council (KNC). The KNC is closely allied with the KRG and is part of the Istanbul-based Syrian opposition.

The aim is to bring the KNC into the autonomous administration and fold its small group of Iraq-based fighters into the SDF. This would give the SDF and its allies more local buy-in and kill Turkeys claims, or so its hoped, that they are PKK puppets. Unity would also bolster the Kurds hand in future negotiations with the regime and give Kobane a seat at the Geneva talks.

Hakan Fidan, the MIT chief, is said to be in favor of rapprochement with the Syria Kurds, especially if the unity talks result in the PKK withdrawing unconditionally from Turkey. The Americans have made it clear to the SDF that their support for the talks is conditional on PKK cadres, and non-Syrians in particular, being kicked out. This may explain why Ankara has  despite occasional growls  done little to disrupt the negotiations.

But the PKK is unlikely to walk away after three decades of war in Turkey that has killed almost 40,000 people, most of them rebels, without Ankara having granted its own Kurds a single constitutionally enshrined right thus far  least of all on the back of vague US promises to support Rojava or Syrian Kurdistan.

As such, Turkish demands for the PKK to disband and leave Turkey are a dead end. By the same token, the notion that the PKK could leverage the Pentagons support for the SDF against Ankara has proven every bit as ill-conceived.

Ankara would likely consider any lasting rift that might result between Kobane and the PKK under American pressure as a big plus because it would weaken both. That, in turn, is why any such rift is unlikely to emerge.

The bigger worry for the Syrian Kurds is Russia. Trust in the Russians tanked after it allowed Turkey to invade Afrin in January 2018. Yet while Ankara and Damascus have issued predictably shrill statements condemning the oil deal, the Kremlin has yet to comment officially. The question is why.

Russia wants American troops gone from Syria and for Damascus to reassert full control, including over the oil. Some 90% of it lies in the Kurdish-controlled region.

Its been trying to persuade the Kurds to strike a deal with Damascus, wielding the threat of another Turkish attack to cow them into submission. Assad has, however, shown zero interest in accommodating Kurdish demands. Kobane would in any event prefer to stick with the Americans with whom hes worked seamlessly for six years than to sign a dodgy deal with a ruthless regime that has not stuck to the terms of any of the "local reconciliation pacts" made with the Sunni rebels.

The most pressing question facing Syrias Kurds is whether the oil deal with the Americans can serve, at the minimum, as a deterrent to another attack by the Turks if not as an incentive for peace with them. Delta Crescent will be operating among others in oil fields near the mainly Arab-populated town of Qahtaniyah, which Turkey has been eyeing. Or could Russia greenlight a further land grab, which would help boost Erdogans ebbing popularity and advance the Kremlins agenda of wrecking relations between Turkey and America?

One might argue that the fact that the oil deal only covers the Kurdish-dominated Hasakah province will fan Turkish paranoia about supposed US plans to establish a new Kurdish statelet on Turkeys borders. But then as Ankara well knows, as long as US sanctions over Damascus remain in place, the project can only be commercially viable if Turkey comes on board. Moreover, the autonomous administration is looking to lure the Russians with separate oil deals. Kobane's gamble may yet pay off.

The anatomy of the deal

Delta Crescent Energy LLC, the company first cited by Al-Monitor as having signed the deal, was incorporated in the US state of Delaware in February 2019. A memorandum of understanding between the firm and the Syrian Kurdish administration was inked a month later on March 27, 2019, just as the Donald Trump administration ordered fresh sanctions against companies engaged in oil trade with the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

In April, the Treasury Departments Office of Foreign Assets Control issued Delta Crescent Energy a waiver to operate in northeast Syria.

A 25-year-long contract to market the oil and modernize and develop oil fields that fall within the boundaries of Hasakah, a predominantly Kurdish province that is under SDF control, was signed between the US company and the Syrian Kurds in late July, sources with close knowledge of the deal told Al-Monitor.

On July 30, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed in a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing that the deal is backed by the United States government and is now in implementation.

Jim Reese, a retired Delta Force colonel, is one of the three partners who set up the company. He laid out their plans in detail to the Washington Examiners Tom Rogan who published these in an October 2019 column.

Reese currently heads the North Carolina-based private security firm TigerSwan. The latter provided protection for California-based Tetra Tech staff when they began demining Raqqa after it was captured from the Islamic State (IS), The New Yorker reported.

Iraq Oil Report connected the dots, revealing the names of the remaining two partners. One is John P. Dorrier, a former executive at British-based Gulfsands Petroleum, which was granted a license to develop fields in northeastern Syria. It was forced to halt its operations in 2011 when the European Union declared sanctions against the Syrian regime. Assads cousin Rami Makhlouf held a 6% share in Gulfsands until the company scotched the deal.

The current deal mirrors the terms struck between Assad and Gulfsands but covers a broader swath of territory, skirting the Turkish border to the north and reaching al-Hol at its southernmost tip, the sources said. Oilfields under the SDFs control in the Arab-heavy Deir ez-Zor province are not included in the deal, in part to head off potential conflict with local tribes.

The other partner is James Cain, a former US ambassador to Denmark who lost his son-in-law in an attack carried out by IS in Brussels on March 22, 2016. Cain told Politico, The goal is to get production up to where it was before the civil war and sanctions. The sources briefing Al-Monitor placed the figure at 200,000 barrels per day.

The trio was photographed is separate meetings with Iraqi Kurdistan Region President Nechirvan Barzani and the former governor of Dahuk province. They crossed the Fish Habur border gate linking Iraqi Kurdistan to northeast Syria last month.

The initial phase of the contract will involve finding buyers for the oil, the sources said. In other words, Delta will need to ensure that the KRG and Turkey are willing to either buy or help export it before it puts down real money in the project.

Already some of the crude produced in northeastern Syria makes its way to Iraqi Kurdistan at cut-rate prices and on to Turkey. The trade is facilitated by the Kurdistan Democratic Party, which is led by the Barzanis.

A Syrian Kurdish official speaking anonymously to the National Interest appeared to play down the deal, claiming that no company had signed a contract yet.

VOAs Kurdish-language service quoting unnamed Syrian Kurdish officials meanwhile reported that the autonomous administration had signed a $150 million contract to build two refineries in northeastern Syria. Al-Monitor was told talks were under way on the refineries but did not confirm that any final deal had been reached and was given no details on costs. Once the Syrian Kurds begin to properly refine the oil, prices will go up, making it less lucrative for the Iraqi Kurds. If the Syrian Kurds export it directly to Turkey, both sides stand to benefit.
French pharmaceutical giant Sanofi confirmed on Monday that it has been placed under formal investigation for involuntary homicide over the anti-epileptic drug sodium valproate.



The medicine, marketed in France as Depakine, has been linked to birth defects and developmental disorders when taken by pregnant women.



The company said it was already under investigation on charges of aggravated deceit and causing involuntary injuries. It said it was appealing to a prosecution appeals chamber.



"Sanofi Aventis France has respected its obligations to provide information and contests the basis for these proceedings," it said in an emailed statement.



A 2017 study by French authorities estimated that between 2,150 and 4,100 children were born with severe birth defects after being exposed to sodium valproate during pregnancy between 1967 and 2016.



Last month, an administrative court ordered the French government to pay almost half a million euros (more than half a million dollars) compensation to three families whose children suffered grave disabilities linked to the drug.



On Friday, Sanofi and British pharmaceutical company GlaxoSmithKline said they were in "advanced discussions" with the European Union to supply up to 300 million doses of a vaccine for Covid-19 that they are currently developing.

Source: GNA









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The iPhone SE might be Apples unexpected hit of 2020, but theres a new competitor in town: the Google Pixel 4a. But Googles newest mid-range handset is going to need a lot more than a low price to take on Apples mighty budget blockbuster. Heres how the two phones measure up.

Google Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE: Design

I never thought Id see the day when Google designs a nicer phone than Apple, but it is hard to deny the Pixel 4as good looks. It has relatively slim and uniform bezels all around thanks to its hole-punch camera, an extremely compact and light frame, and a classy all-black exterior. Even with a far-bigger display, the Pixel 4a has very similar dimensions and weight as the SE:

Pixel 4a: 144 x 69.4 x 8.2mm, 148 grams iPhone SE: 138.4 x 67.3 x 7.3mm, 143 grams

When it comes to the back of the phone, the SE has the advantage. Not only does the Pixel 4a have an ugly and largely unnecessary camera array, its also made of plastic and comes in just one color, black. The SE, on the other hand, comes in three colors and is made of glass, so it feels more luxurious and is less prone to scratches. Even the camera bump is nicer on the SE, with a single circle surrounded by an aluminum ring.

Chris Martin/IDG The Google Pixel 4a has a much higher screen-to-body ratio than the iPhone SE.

But the front is all that really matters when buying a phone, and the 4a excels. The iPhone SE isnt an ugly phone by any stretch, but it certainly shows its age compared to the 4a. From the gigantic bezels to the small display, the iPhone SE simply isnt as modern as the Pixel 4a, and Google has put some pressure on Apple to update its design with the SE 2.

Google Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE: Display

Along with the iPhone SEs outdated design comes an outdated display. Nearly every other phone has better screen specs, and the Pixel 4a is no exception:

Pixel 4a: 5.81-inch Full HD+ OLED, 10803240, 443ppi iPhone SE: 4.7-inch HD LCD, 7501334, 326ppi

The Pixel 4a also supports HDR, 10,000:1 super contrast ratio, and of course, the true blacks of OLED displays. The iPhone SEs screen is probably the best LCD ever made for a smartphone, but it cant hold a candleor even a high-res photo of a candleto the Pixel 4a.

Google Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE: Specs and performance

Here where things start to even out. The Google Pixel 4a is a mid-range phone with mid-range specs while the iPhone SE is more of a high-end phone trapped in a budget body:

Pixel 4a

Processor: Snapdragon 730G RAM: 6GB Storage: 128GB

iPhone SE

Processor: A13 RAM: 3GB Storage: 64GB

You get twice as much storage with the Pixel 4a, but dont be fooled by the iPhones seemingly smallish amount of RAM. Apple doesnt play the spec sheet game with its phones, but the iPhone SE is one of the speediest phones around, with a processor that runs circles around the latest Snapdragons, let along the 730G here.

Both phones have Bluetooth 5 and NFC for contactless payments, but the SE also supports WiFi 6 (802.11ax) while the 4a stops at Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).

Chris Martin/IDG The Pixel 4a isnt slow, but its nowhere near as fast as the iPhone SE.

Neither phone has 5G on board, but Google has announced that a 5G version will be arriving later this year for a $150 premium over the LTE 4a. As far as we know, there wont be a 5G iPhone SE until at least next year, so that could give the 4a a speed advantage even with a higher price tag. But for now, the iPhone SE is a better performer.

Google Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE: Battery and charging

Neither of these phones are going to win any awards for their batteries, but on paper Google takes the crown:

Pixel 4a: 3140mAh iPhone SE: 1821mAh

But like the specs above, numbers dont tell the whole story. Google says the Pixel 4a will last up to 24 hours based on a mix of talk, data, standby, and use of other features (down from the 30 hours in the Pixel 3a), while Apple claims you can get up to 14 hours of talk, 12 hours of internet, and 12 days of standby. So the two phones will likely both last you through a full day before they need to be charged.

Both handsets support 18W fast charging, but only the Pixel 4a includes the appropriate adapter. Youll need to BYO with the iPhone SE. However, youll get wireless charging with the iPhone SE (also with a supplied adapter).

Google Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE: Camera

The Pixel 4a and the iPhone SE both have single cameras, and the specs are quite similar:

Pixel 4a: 12.2MP wide, f/1.7, OIS iPhone SE: 12MP wide, f/1.8, OIS

But the hardware similarities are very skin deep. While both phones support portrait mode with depth control, HDR, and excellent zoom up to 5X even without a proper telephoto lens, the Pixel 4a is the superior performer, with a slew of premium features that you wont find on the SE, at least not without third-party apps.

Willis Lai/IDG The iPhone SE has a very similar camera to the Pixel 4a, but it doesnt have as many tricks.

Chief among them is Night Mode, which is stellar on the iPhone 11 but completely absent from the SE. Theres also astrophotography, which lets you take pictures pf stars with the aid of a tripod, as well as dual exposure controls for adjusting highlights and shadows. The iPhone SE has a great camera, but the Pixel 4a is just a little better, at least on paper.

We wont get into the iOS versus Android debate here, but both phones come with the newest version of their respective OS (Android 10 and iOS 13), but the difference between the two systems is more than apps and features. Google promises just three years of Android updates with Pixels, while Apple doesnt put a limit on how many updates youll receive. But its almost guaranteed to be longer than three years.

Take, for example, the iPhone 6s, which launched in 2015 with iOS 9. It will receive iOS 14 in the fall, representing five years of updates and four full version upgrades. With that in mind, it could mean the iPhone SE will likely be able to install iOS 18 when it lands in 2024.

The Pixel 4a, on the other hand, will get Android 11 in a few months, then Android 12 and 13, but thats probably it. Even if Google throws users a bone and lets them update to Android 14, which will likely launch just weeks after its cut-off date, the phone probably wont receive any updates once the calendar changes to 2024.

Google Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE: Price

Apple is selling the iPhone SE at an aggressive $399 price tag, but Google is going even cheaper with the Pixel 4a: $349. That might be just 15 percent less, but it is a pretty significant psychological discount, especially when you factor in the traditional Pixel discounts Google and other retailers often run.

Willis Lai/IDG The $50 difference in price between the iPhone SE and the Pixel 4a is bigger than it seems.

Google Pixel 4a vs iPhone SE: Conclusion

The iPhone SE has been the phone to beat since its launch in March, and there hasnt been much in the way of any serious competition. But Google might have done it with the Pixel 4a. From the design to the camera and lower price tag, the Pixel 4a is truly Androids answer to the iPhone SE, and Apple just might have met its first serious threat. Well have comparisons and a full review soon on PCWorld.
SpiceJet has secured slots at London Heathrow Airport to operate flights effective September 1, 2020, continuing on its aggressive international expansion despite COVID-19 limitations.

"This is presently under the bubble arrangement between India and UK and effective up to the end of summer schedule i.e. October 23, 2020," the company said in a statement on August 4.

A slot allows an airline to land and depart at a particular airport, at a designated time. SpiceJet is the first low-cost airline from India to get this facility in Heathrow, one of the busiest airports in the world.

This follows the low-cost airline getting the rights to operate flights to the UK. In a statement on July 24, SpiceJet had said, "We would like to further inform you that in terms of the Air Services Agreement between the Government of India and the Government of the United Kingdom, SpiceJet has been designated as Indian scheduled carrier to operate on agreed services between India and the UK."

A day before, the carrier had got similar rights to operate flights to the US.

On its Heathrow slots, SpiceJet said that these will be extended when regular operations resume. "The company is also in advance discussion to secure slots for winter schedule for regular operations," it added.

"London is one of the busiest long-haul destinations from India and this is a huge milestone for SpiceJet," said Chairman & Managing Director Ajay Singh. "The identical arrival/departure slots that we have secured at Heathrow should suit the convenience of our passengers perfectly,he added.

On August 1, the airline had chartered a flight from Amsterdam to Bengaluru, claiming it to be its first wide-body operation. But many from the industry contested the claim.

Also read: Explained: The Amsterdam to Bengaluru flight that was SpiceJet's. Or was it?

The airline has applied for an Airbus A330 aircraft on wet lease from Hi Fly, a Portuguese charter airline. The Indian airline will use the plane for its long haul operations.
RESTON, Va., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Leidos (NYSE: LDOS), a FORTUNE 500 science and technology leader, today announced the appointment of Elizabeth (Liz) Porter to Health Group President, effective immediately. Porter will report to Chairman and CEO Roger Krone.

The Health Group is a $2 billion, 7,500-person business with deep technology and life sciences expertise that transforms patient care, as well as provider and payer operations. As group president, Porter will have responsibility for all Health Group activities, including new business growth, technology development and thought leadership.

"Our strong bench of talent is one of many things that makes Leidos great and we are thrilled to add Liz to our executive team," said Krone. "Through her experience leading operations for the Civil Group, and recently as acting president of the Health Group, Liz has demonstrated a track record of driving our business and generating growth. As the health market continues to expand and evolve, we are fortunate to leverage her expertise going forward."

Liz Porter has been serving as acting group president since March 9 and previously served as operation manager for the Civil Group's Federal Energy & Environment business. Her experience spans critical infrastructure system engineering and technology, business development, and program management including several leadership roles at Lockheed Martin. She is a graduate of Villanova University with a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering, and earned her MBA from the University of Colorado, Colorado Springs.

Liz is a proud military spouse and serves on the Industrial Advisory Board to the Engineering Department at Villanova University. She also serves on the board of the American Red Cross of the National Capital Region and is a member of the Healthcare Leadership Council.

About Leidos

Leidos is a Fortune 500 information technology, engineering, and science solutions and services leader working to solve the world's toughest challenges in the defense, intelligence, homeland security, civil, and health markets. The company's 37,000 employees support vital missions for government and commercial customers. Headquartered in Reston, Va., Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $11.09 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2020. For more information, visit www.leidos.com.



Statements in this announcement, other than historical data and information, constitute forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause our actual results, performance, achievements, or industry results to be very different from the results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Some of these factors include, but are not limited to, the risk factors set forth in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the period ended January 3, 2020, and other such filings that Leidos makes with the SEC from time to time. Due to such uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.

SOURCE Leidos

Related Links

http://www.leidos.com


Belarus's Rubber-Stamp Parliament Opens Session Called By President Ahead Of Election

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service August 03, 2020

MINSK -- An extraordinary parliamentary session called by authoritarian Belarusian President Alyaksandr Lukashenka has started in Minsk, just days ahead of an August 9 presidential poll.

Lukashenka's spokeswoman, Natallya Eismant, said on August 2 that Lukashenka will address the parliament and the nation on August 4.

Last week, as political opponents mounted a growing challenge to his decades-long rule, Lukashenka called an extraordinary meeting of parliament for August 3.

He said he decided to push forward his address from its scheduled time in April because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The joint session of the House of Representatives and the Council of the Republic was opened by Uladzimer Andreychanka, the chairman of the House, the parliament's lower chamber.

"On the basis of the constitution, the head of state [Lukashenka] decided to summon an extraordinary session...to hear the president's annual message to the Belarusian people and the National Assembly as well as discuss other issues," Andreychanka said.

Opposition presidential candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on July 28 that she had submitted a request to both of parliament's chambers, the Central Election Commission, and the national television and radio corporation, to allow her to also address the nation and the parliament the same day as Lukashenka.

"We are both presidential candidates, and according to [the constitution's] Article 73, all presidential candidates have equal rights and equal responsibilities. We express our opinions, which must be taken into account by all," Tsikhanouskaya said.

It is unlikely that Tsikhanouskaya, who managed to gather tens of thousands of supporters at rallies in Minsk and other Belarusian towns and cities in recent weeks, will be allowed to address the lawmakers and the nation.

In practice, Belarus's rubber-stamp National Assembly has little real power.

The system concentrates nearly all governing power in the hands of Lukashenka, who has ruled Belarus since 1994.

Opposition to Lukashenka seeking a sixth term has been growing recently, with tens of thousands of people attending opposition rallies over the last few weeks.

With reporting by BelTA

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/belarus-parliament -session-called-by-president-ahead -of-election/30763695.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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ALBANY  State Health Commissioner Howard Zucker warned Rensselaer Countys top executive late last week that a recent attempt to block a health inspection at the county-run nursing home could put the facilitys Medicaid and Medicare funding at risk.

The warning letter, issued Friday and obtained by the Times Union, comes after a blowup between local, state and federal officials over a recent inspection at the Van Rensselaer Manor, the countys 362-bed skilled nursing facility.

State health officials tried to carry out a surprise inspection of the facility July 20 at the request of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), but were stopped when County Executive Steve McLaughlin showed up and demanded they be escorted for the duration of the inspection. They refused and then left, according to state and local officials.

State officials returned to the facility three days later with a regional CMS director in tow and faced additional resistance and attempts by the county to interfere with the survey team, according to Zucker, who said visits are supposed to be unannounced and unaccompanied so as to provide an "unvarnished view" of a facility's operations.

The Departments surveillance teams have completed more than 1,300 inspections (since the pandemic)  and have never encountered the type of resistance and blatant interference with governmental administration they experienced on two separate occasions at Van Rensselaer Manor last week, Zucker wrote.

Zucker Letter by Bethany on Scribd

Zuckers letter contends that McLaughlins conduct violated state rules and regulations prohibiting the interference with or obstruction of a Department inspection. He also said it violates the terms and conditions of the Manors participation agreement with CMS, which can put a nursing homes ability to receive Medicaid and Medicare funding at risk and may lead to actions up to and including the termination of its Medicaid Program Provider Agreement.

According to the facility's most recent cost data report from 2018, the Manor received $31 million in Medicare/Medicaid funds that year.

McLaughlin has said his refusal to allow the inspectors in stemmed from concern they may have the novel coronavirus and could unnecessarily expose residents and staff. A state Health Department spokesman said inspectors are tested weekly for the virus and are not allowed out in the field if they test positive. They also wear personal protective equipment while inside facilities, he said.

After the second inspection attempt, McLaughlin told viewers on Facebook Live that he would have allowed the inspectors in had they shown proof of a negative virus test. He made no mention of this, however, in a letter sent to Zucker earlier that week. In that letter, McLaughlin said the county had no objection to an inspection, but would be requiring all visitors to the facility to be accompanied due to the pandemic.

"Howard Zucker was caught violating his own rules, said Rich Crist, operations director for the county. He ordered that people not be allowed into nursing homes unless they can prove they are free of COVID-19. Unfortunately, more than five months into the outbreak, his own inspectors were trying to access nursing homes without carrying proof they were COVID-19 free."

While the state requires nursing home staff and ombudsmen to carry proof of a negative virus test to enter facilities, there is no such requirement for visitors, who are instead asked to wear PPE, submit to temperature and symptom checks, and answer screening questionnaires about travel and possible exposures.

"We welcome inspections at the Van Rensselaer Manor, but state inspectors need to follow the same rules set for (certified nursing assistants) and other staff who are tested once a week to show they are COVID-19 free, Crist said. On two occasions, our simple request for inspectors to demonstrate they were following their department's own rules were ignored until we forced the issue."

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

The inspection was eventually completed after counsel from the state Department of Health affirmed that the inspectors had recently tested negative, county officials said.

Both sides accused the other of politicizing the incident.

"If the county executive interferes with legally federally mandated inspections the nursing home cannot be funded and county taxpayers will have to pay the bill for his political stunts, said state Department of Health spokesman Gary Holmes.

McLaughlin is a frequent critic of the Cuomo administration. He has argued that an early state policy directing nursing homes to admit coronavirus patients fueled thousands of deaths in the facilities, and has characterized himself as an ardent defender of nursing home residents.

In a statement provided to the TU on behalf of McLaughlin, Crist claimed the county-run nursing facility has yet to experience a coronavirus death and has only had one resident and five employees test positive for the virus (a sixth was confirmed Tuesday). He accused the commissioner of playing "silly political games."

Rest assured, we are prepared to defend our nursing home and the residents we are trusted to care at every level of the court system," he said.

State officials say the inspection was ordered after the facility reported four new suspected cases of the virus to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. CMS mandates inspections whenever a nursing home reports three or more new confirmed or suspected cases of the virus, Zucker said.
Bengaluru, Aug 4 : Karnataka Congress leader Siddaramaiah, 71, tested Covid-19 positive and has been admitted to a private hospital in the city, an official said on Tuesday.

"Karnataka opposition leader and former state chief minister Siddaramaiah is admitted to Manipal Hospital for evaluation of fever after the antigen test for Covid-19 came positive," the official told IANS here.

Karnataka Chief Minister B.S. Yedyiyurappa, who has also tested positive for the virus is doing well at a private hospital where he was admitted on Sunday.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 18:30:12|Editor: huaxia

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KABUL, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Afghanistan on Tuesday reported 36 newly confirmed COVID-19 cases, taking the country's total to 36,782, the country's Ministry of Public Health said.

The ministry said in a statement that during the past 24 hours, 187 tests were conducted, of which 15 positive COVID-19 cases are from western Herat province and 21 positive ceases are from capital Kabul.

A total of 1,288 deaths have been recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country in February, and no deaths were reported within the past 24 hours.

Of the total infected people, 25,556 have recovered and showed improvement and were discharged from hospitals since February.

Laboratories across Afghanistan have completed 89,547 tests during the past six months. Enditem
Algeria's state prosecutor is demanding four years of prison for independent journalist Khaled Drareni. Drareni was arrested in the capital Algiers last March and has been kept in detention ever since. His trial opened on Aug. 3 and sentencing is expected in a week. Two activists are standing trial together with Drareni. Apart from imprisonment, the three also face heavy fines and being stripped of their civic rights.

Drareni, 40, has been working over the past few years for several media outlets, including the French TV Channel TV5 Monde. He has also run the local Sabah Tribune and served as correspondent for the global press freedom group Reporters Without Borders. He was very active on Twitter, with 146,00 followers. For the last year and a half he has been focusing on the demonstrations that led to the toppling of Algerian President Abdelaziz Bouteflika in April 2019 and the demonstrations that followed against the replacing regime. The marches and demonstrations, organized by the Hirak movement, only came to a halt in March due to the coronavirus crisis.

The saga of his arrest started on March 7 this year. Drareni and two others  Slimane Hamitouche and Samir Benlarbi  were detained by the police while participating at a demonstration in Algiers. Three days later they were brought before the state prosecutor. Drareni was placed under judicial review, while a detention warrant was issued for his two colleagues.

On March 25, a judge in Algiers charged him with "inciting an unarmed gathering" and undermining the nation's "territorial integrity," both charges he denied. According to people close to him, Drareni was aware of the risks, but decided not to flee. His last tweet dates from that day: "The Algiers Chambers confirms the detention warrants submitted against Samir Benlarbi and Slimane Hamitouche, and the judicial review submitted against me," Drareni wrote in Arabic and in French.

On March 27, police knocked on his door and took him away. He was held in a police station for two nights before being brought in front of a judge. The court ordered him transferred to a state prison, where he stayed until the opening of his trial yesterday.

Reporters without Borders says the accusations are fabricated. The group has been campaigning since March for the charges to be dropped and for Drareni to be released. In a tweet today, the group stated that Drareni has denied the accusations leveled against him and insists that he was merely doing his job and fulfilling his mission as an independent journalist.

A source in the group told Al-Monitor that this is a classic case of a journalist being attacked over his opinions. The Algiers court kept todays session closed to the public and the media, citing coronavirus restrictions. People close to Drareni believe there are other reasons, pointing to recent and worrying data. The 2020 World Press Freedom Index ranks Algeria 146th out of 180 countries. It explained that the Algerian authorities continue to harass members of the media, stating, "Journalists covering the Hirak protests that began in February 2019 are often detained for questioning, placed in police custody or even jailed for extended periods."
A scammer who conned her boyfriend and a North Queensland community into believing she was dying from cancer is behind bars.

A heavily pregnant Lucy Victoria Wieland, 28, pleaded guilty to six fraud charges and one count of possessing a restricted drug when she appeared at Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday.

She broke down in tears as she was sentenced to two years jail and escorted from the court in handcuffs.

She was also ordered to pay back more than $29,000 to the victims she defrauded, including her ex-boyfriend, Australian Defence Force soldier Bradley Congerton.

Lucy Victoria Wieland (pictured) posted photos of herself receiving treatment on social media to convince family and friends she had ovarian cancer in 2018

In sentencing, Magistrate Viviana Keegan described Wieland's deception as 'beyond significant', the ABC reported.

'There's also an extraordinary breach of trust to members of the public, who were empathetic towards you  and gave up money to try and help you when it was all just a lie,' she told Wieland.

Wieland went to great lengths to convince family and friends of her ovarian cancer diagnosis in 2018.

She shaved her head, posted photos of herself receiving treatment on social media and set up a Go FundMe page.

The court also heard Wieland forged a doctor's letter and lied about her illness on medical forms when she donated blood several times.

Lucy Victoria Wieland (right) even conned her doting boyfriend Bradley James Congerton

'There was significant research undertaken by the defendant to ensure that what was displayed by her was convincing,' police prosecutor Tim Madsen told the court.

Wieland later claimed to police she can't recall the seven-month period in which she told friends and family she was dying.

Defence barrister Michael Hibble told the court an assessment found his client was suffering from a rare factitious mental disorder known as Munchausen syndrome and that the scam 'snowballed' out of control as community sympathy grew.

'She had no control of how generous the Townsville community would be in relation to the donations,' Mr Hibble told the court.

Wieland will give birth to her first child in October and will be eligible for parole in February next year.

Earlier this year, Mr Congerton revealed he told Wieland that he loved her just hours before discovering he had been deceived.

Bradley Congerton (right) told his then-girlfriend Lucy Victoria Wieland (left) he loved her hours before he found out he'd been lied to

Wieland went to great lengths to convince family and friends of her ovarian cancer diagnosis

He had given up work to care for his supposedly sick girlfriend and spent all his life savings on treatment.

He also took out a $12,000 loan, and two other $5,000 loans in the hope it would help save her life.

'Id sit her up in bed, get her some food, take her to the toilet, set up her biomat in bed to do three hours,' he told the Townsville Bulletin in January.

'Set up her nebuliser to make sure it had enough juice and sit her medication by her bed.

'I did that every day for her. That morning, I kissed her goodbye, said "I love you" and went to work. That was the last time I spoke to her.'

He revealed he even received death threats from the public who falsely claimed he was in on Wieland's scam.
Grace thanked Kimbrough for his apology.

"We want to take the opportunity to acknowledge the truth of this matter," he said. "The truth is not tamped down; it is not hidden; it's not kept secret. The sheriff acknowledged that mistakes were made and that means a lot to the family."

Grace said he is planning to sue the county and Wellpath, the jail's medical provider. If Grace follows through, it would be at least the fifth time that Wellpath, formerly Correct Care Solutions, has been sued over the death of an inmate at the Forsyth County Jail. The county has a $13.2 million contract with Wellpath that expires at the end of the month, with the option to renew it for another year.

Grace also said that he and Sean Neville plan to march with protesters. He said protesting is necessary. Neville's children have participated in marches in recent days and have visited Bailey Park, where a group of protesters have held all-day occupy-like events for the past two weeks. The protesters have demanded specific answers from Kimbrough and O'Neill.

The ACLU of North Carolina has also joined efforts to seek answers about Neville's death. It is circulating a petition.
The Tuesday restrained the Centre from discharging the Short Service Commissioner (SSC) women officers in from service pending consideration of their claims for grant of Permanent Commission (PC).

The top court on March 17 in a major verdict paved the way for granting Permanent Commission to women officers in Indian Navy, saying a level playing field ensures that women have the opportunity to overcome "histories of discrimination".

The apex court had said that all the Short Service Commission (SSC) officers in the education, law and logistics cadres of Navy, who are presently in service, shall be considered for the grant of permanent commissions (PCs) and gave three months' time to Centre to complete the modalities.

A bench of Justices D Y Chandrachud and K M Joseph, was hearing a plea of a woman officer through video conferencing, alleging that Centre has not complied with top court's direction of March 17, for the grant of Permanent Commission within a period of three months in

Advocate Santosh Krishnan, appearing for petitioner Rupali Rohatgi said that this exercise has not been initiated (beyond inviting applications) and completed.

After hearing the arguments, the bench said, Prima facie, the Union of India having failed to comply with the directions contained in the judgment of this Court dated March 17, 2020 which mandated consideration for the grant of Permanent Commission within three months, it would be unfair to discharge the Short Service Commissioned officers in the meantime, pending consideration.

It said, We accordingly issue an ad-interim order and direction that the petitioner(s) shall not be discontinued from service pending consideration of their requests for the grant of Permanent Commission.

It stayed the judgment of the Delhi High Court dated July 23, 2020 and of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) dated July 13, 2020 on the issue of grant of permanent commission.

The bench issued notice to Centre on the plea filed by Rupali Rohatgi, an SSC officer in Indian Navy, challenging the orders of the Delhi High Court and the order of AFT, which had refused to restrain the authorities from releasing them after the lapse of their commission till their claim for grant of permanent commission is considered on merits.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for Centre, said an application for extension of time has been filed before this Court in view of the intervening pandemic and the lock down which was occasioned, as a consequence.

Krishnan submitted that as a result of the impugned order of the Delhi High Court; even those cases where interim orders have been granted by the Armed Forces Tribunal are now being listed for vacating them.

The bench posted the matter for further hearing on August 20.

On March 17, the top court had said that the battle for gender equality is about confronting the battles of the mind and history is replete with examples where women have been denied their just entitlements under law and the right to fair and equal treatment in the workplace.

"A hundred and one excuses are no answer to the constitutional entitlement to dignity, which attaches to every individual irrespective of gender, to fair and equal conditions of work and to a level playing field," the top court had said, giving three months to the Centre to work out the modalities for granting permanent commission to women SSC officers.

It had said the Centre's contention that certain sea-going duties are ill-suited to women officers is premised on sex stereotypes that male officers are more suited to certain duties by virtue of the physiological characteristics and to accept it would be to "approve the socially ascribed gender roles which a commitment to equal worth and dignity of every individual belies".

The top court had quashed the prospective effect of the Centre's controversial September 2008 policy, which restricted the grant of permanent commission to certain categories only.

The top court had said that the period of service after which women SSC officers shall be entitled to submit applications for the grant of PCs shall be the same as their male counterparts.

"A level playing field ensures that women have the opportunity to overcome their histories of discrimination with the surest of responses based on their competence, ability and performance," it had said, adding that in the context of the Armed Forces, specious reasons have been advanced by decision makers and administrators, which range from physiology, motherhood and physical attributes to the male dominated hierarchies.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Eastman Kodaks potentially lucrative deal to help the U.S. government make more generic drugs domestically is threatening to turn into a regulatory headache for the fallen photography giant.

Kodaks depressed stock price surged last week before the company announced its plans to work with the President Donald Trumps administration in exchange for a $765 million loan. That prompted Sen. Elizabeth Warren to send a Monday letter asking the Securities and Exchange Commission to investigate whether insider trading laws have been broken.

The SEC is now in the early stages of a probe, according to a report published Tuesday by The Wall Street Journal. The newspaper cited unidentified people familiar with the matter.

The SEC declined to comment on the report.

Kodak said Tuesday that the Rochester, New York, company intends to cooperate with any potential inquiries, without saying whether it has been contacted by the SEC.

The companys stock soared on the July 28 news about the $765 million loan from the federal government to help Kodak make factory changes necessary to make pharmaceutical ingredients in short supply in the U.S. Its shares rocketed from around $2 to as high as $60 before some of its former debt was converted into stock as part of a complex arrangement.

The conversion resulted in Kodak issuing nearly 30 million additional shares, undercutting the value of the stock already outstanding. Kodaks stock closed at $14.40 after falling 3.6% in Tuesdays trading.

Any investigation is likely to focus in an abrupt rally and trading frenzy in Kodaks stock before the company and the Trump administration made their announcement. The rally may have triggered by some of the news being shared online on Twitter and websites by at least two reporters in Rochester and two television stations before the official release of the information.

In its Tuesday statement, Kodak said it didnt intend for the news to be shared by the media in advance.

Warren, a former Democratic Party presidential candidate from Massachusetts, also asked the SEC to look into whether Kodak board members were buying stock in the company while they were secretly negotiating the loan with the Trump administration.

After the news of the deal came out, Kodak also disclosed in regulatory filings that it had issued stock options to several executives on July 27 before its shares soared. Kodak CEO James Continenza was among the recipients.

Kodak said the stock option grants were approved by shareholders in May and issued July 27 to preserve the value of Continenza had already earned before the dilution triggered by the conversion of old debt.

Although Kodak became world famous for its inroads in photography before digital technology decimated the market for film, it also has a lesser-known pharmaceutical division. The government loan agreement, which hasnt been finalized, is supposed to used to help expand and renovate existing plants in Rochester and St. Paul, Minnesota.

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
The Morrison government is being urged to release more funding to allow older Australians to receive help at home so they can delay any move into aged care facilities as the coronavirus crisis grows.

The peak group for older Australians, National Seniors, blamed political leaders for ignoring years of warnings about aged care and leaving the sector at greater risk from the pandemic.

The COVID-19 Senate committee yesterday heard evidence in relation to death's at the St Basil's aged care home. Credit:Justin McManus

As authorities confirmed more deaths at Victorian aged care facilities, a Senate inquiry heard the St Basil's aged care home kept federal agencies in the dark for five days before reporting a COVID-19 outbreak last month.

But the federal government refused to name all the 97 aged care homes in Victoria with known coronavirus infections, saying families had been told but there was no need to inform the wider public.
NEXT-GEN CHOLESTEROL DRUG WORKS FAST AFTER A HEART ATTACK TO LOWER 'BAD' CHOLESTEROL

Media Contact: Vanessa McMains, Ph.D., vmcmain1@jhmi.edu

Within a month following a heart attack, people are at increased risk for a second one. As a result, physicians treat these patients with medications to rapidly reduce cardiovascular risk factors for another event. Although statins are designed to reduce the risk from one underlying problem, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or "bad" cholesterol, they often aren't able drop it to recommended levels within 30 days.

Now, testing a next-generation cholesterol-lowering drug known as a PCSK9 inhibitor, Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers showed they could lower blood cholesterol to safer levels faster when it is added to traditional therapies.

Although larger studies are needed to assess other outcomes, the researchers say the early finding, published July 27, 2020, in Circulation, suggests that a PCSK9 inhibitor is safe to use, significantly lowers LDL cholesterol during hospitalization and achieves the reduction within the month following a heart attack.

"As these are the most vulnerable patients, we need to most aggressively treat them to lower their risk factors," says Thorsten Leucker, M.D., Ph.D., assistant professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. "With our study showing that we can lower these bad cholesterol levels with a PCSK9 inhibitor -- which in stable patients decreases cardiovascular events -- we hope that this approach also will reduce secondary events and perhaps even prevent early deaths in patients after an acute heart attack."

For the study, 57 people were randomly assigned to get either one dose of the cholesterol-lowering drug evolocumab -- which reduces activity of the PCSK9 protein and increases LDL cholesterol levels in the bloodstream -- or a placebo after they were admitted to the hospital for a heart attack. Over the course of the 30-day study period, the patients on evolocumab had their bad cholesterol reduced on average by 28.6 milligrams per deciliter more than patients given the placebo.

Upon hospital discharge, 80.1% of patients given the PCSK9 inhibitor were at or below the American Heart Association/American College of Cardiology recommended LDL cholesterol targets of 70 milligrams per deciliter compared with 38.1% of people given the placebo.

For future studies, the researchers plan to see whether the drug also reduces inflammation in the heart muscle and arteries to improve the healing and functioning of the heart following a severe heart attack.

Leucker and co-author Michael Blaha, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, are paid advisory board members to Amgen Inc. Amgen provided monetary and material support for this study. This arrangement has been reviewed and approved by The Johns Hopkins University in accordance with its conflict of interest policies.

CELLS UNDER STRESS GET INTO MOLECULAR 'TRAFFIC JAMS,' TRIGGERING A SUICIDE PATHWAY

Media Contact: Vanessa Wasta, M.B.A., wasta@jhmi.edu

When cells experience a high level of stress -- for example, when they are exposed to too much UV light -- ribosomes inside the cell collide and get into traffic jams. Now, Johns Hopkins scientists have found a protein that recognizes this traffic problem and pushes the cell down a path toward cell suicide.

Molecular understanding of this pathway could lead to ways to control its outcome. A report of the research was published June 30, 2020, in the journal Cell.

Molecular biologist Rachel Green, Ph.D., and her team have long been studying how cells recognize problems within their coding information and how this recognition relies on cellular structure called the ribosome. These problems can arise from errors encoded in the genome or from environmental damage to the cell.

The ribosome travels along a piece of genetic material called messenger RNA (mRNA). The ribosome's job is to decode the mRNA to provide a set of instructions for making a protein. When cell stress increases, and mRNAs are damaged, ribosomes can't travel down the mRNA highway, and they tend to collide with each other like molecular bumper cars. Since these ribosomes fail to reach the end of the mRNA, they produce incomplete proteins.

"Incomplete proteins aggregate and cause diseases," says Green, a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of molecular biology and genetics at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and Howard Hughes Medical Institute investigator. "The cell needs to stop incomplete proteins from being produced and aggregating."

When ribosome collisions aren't too abundant, cells can often recover. They initiate a pathway called the integrated stress response, which keeps them from dying. However, if the collisions are causing a major traffic headache, cells trigger the ribotoxic stress response, a pathway to cell suicide.

Green and her team aimed to find out how cells assess traffic conditions and spot these ribosomal collisions. So, they added an antibiotic that blocks ribosome movement to mammalian cells cultured in the laboratory.

The scientists found no problems with the traffic flow of ribosomes in untreated cells. With a high dose of the antibiotic, they found that ribosomes simply stopped moving all together. However, when the scientists treated the cells with an intermediate dose of the antibiotic, they saw widespread ribosome collisions in the cell, and to their surprise, activation of proteins involved in both the life-promoting integrated stress response and the death-promoting ribotoxic stress response.

In collaboration with her colleague, Johns Hopkins scientist Sergi Regot, Ph.D., Green identified a critical protein, called ZAK, which is part of a family of proteins called MAP3K. ZAK binds to colliding ribosomes and is itself activated.

Her team is planning studies to determine precisely where ZAK binds to ribosomes by using a cryoelectron microscope to create a 3D rendering of its structure. Green also aims to learn how different cell types may be more or less vulnerable to ribosome collisions.

Green says an exciting potential outcome of the research is that the ZAK-mediated molecular pathway could be targeted with drugs to alter cell fate when they are under stress in health and disease.

INTERNATIONAL JOHNS HOPKINS STUDY SAYS BROAD MEASURES NEEDED TO PREVENT TB SPREAD IN INDIA

Media Contact: Michael E. Newman, mnewma25@jhmi.edu

While tuberculosis, or TB, may not be a major health problem in the United States, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports it is still the leading cause of death worldwide from a single infectious agent (the microbe Mycobacterium tuberculosis) and is responsible for some 1.5 million fatalities annually. TB is especially serious in India, the country that accounts for 27% of all global cases of the disease.

Recently, the WHO changed its guidance for preventive treatment in countries with a high TB prevalence, recommending proactive drug therapy for all members of households exposed to TB by someone in the home with the pulmonary form of the disease. This is a departure from the current national guidelines in India that only require preventive TB therapy for children under age 6 and people living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

However, the new WHO recommendations for broader preventive measures is conditional and not based on strong evidence, so health officials in countries such as India wanted more proof that a switch in policy was warranted. Thanks to a new research study led by Johns Hopkins Medicine in collaboration with two Indian medical institutions, science and statistics are now backing the move.

The C-TRIUMPH (Cohort for TB Research with Indo-US Medical Partnership) study, which was reported in the July 29, 2020, issue of the journal PLOS One, was conducted under the Regional Prospective Observational Research in Tuberculosis Consortium for India (RePORT India), a consortium of coordinated TB research efforts across India funded by the governments of India and the United States. RePORT India is part of RePORT International, a larger collaborative undertaking similar work in five other high-burden TB nations: Brazil, China, Indonesia, the Philippines and South Africa.

The collaborating institutions on the study in India are the BJ Government Medical College (BJGMC) in Pune and the National Institute of Research in TB (NIRT) in Chennai.

The research team that conducted the study in India was directed by Amita Gupta, M.D., professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. The data analysis was led by Mandar Paradkar, M.B.B.S., D.C.H., M.P.H., study coordinator at the BJGMC Clinical Research Site in Pune, in coordination with U.S. senior author Robert Bollinger, M.D., the Raj and Kamla Gupta Professor of Infectious Diseases and professor of medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.

For their study, the researchers in India enrolled 1,051 adults in the cities of Pune and Chennai who had been exposed to someone in their household with pulmonary TB. The 997 participants who completed the study were screened for both TB infection (presence of the bacteria) and TB disease using clinical, microbiologic and radiologic methods at enrollment, at sometime between four and six months, and at 12 and 24 months.

"We found that 707 of the 997 participants, or 71%, tested positive for TB infection at the start, and 20, or 2%, subsequently developed the disease during 24-month follow-up period," says Paradkar. "Based on these numbers, we estimate that that 12 people per 1,000 per year will get TB disease through a household contact. This is a large enough rate to support the new WHO guidelines for stopping the spread of the bacteria, calling for all residents in households with TB present to receive therapy without needing to first be tested for infection."

Paradkar adds that the development of TB disease through household exposure was not associated with smoking, alcohol consumption, diabetes mellitus or when TB infection was detected during the study period.

To increase the effectiveness of TB prevention on a large scale, the new WHO recommendations provide options for shorter-duration treatments in addition to the previous course of the antibiotic isoniazid daily for six months. The alternatives include: one month daily regimen of another antibiotic, rifapentine, plus isoniazid; three months weekly rifapentine plus isoniazid; three months daily rifampicin plus isoniazid; or four months of daily rifampicin alone.

"The findings from our study will help inform national protocols for the screening of household contacts of TB patients and the administration of appropriate preventive therapy in India and other high-burden TB regions of the world," says Bollinger.

###
Mike succeeds Max Pellegrini, who will be leaving RealNetworks in September to return to Italy where he will be taking on a new executive opportunity. Mike starts at Real on August 17 th and will fully complete the transition to President and COO by the time of Max's departure in early September.

"I am delighted that Mike will be coming back to Real to help lead the company into the future," said Rob Glaser, Real's Chairman and CEO. "Mike did a great job as our interim CFO earlier in 2020. I'm confident that he will hit the ground running in this significantly expanded permanent role."

Mr. Ensing is a skilled business leader with over 25 years of experience in executive finance and operations at large-scale organizations. He was most recently Chief Financial Officer of Savers/Value Village from 2014 to 2019. Previously, he served in Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer roles at Knowledge Universe, from 2012 to 2014, and in several financial leadership positions at Microsoft Corporation, from 2004 to 2012. Earlier in his career, he held various positions at consulting companies, including McKinsey & Co. and Deloitte Consulting. Mr. Ensing earned an M.B.A. from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Michigan.

"I am thrilled at this opportunity to lead RealNetworks in this new operational and strategic role," said Mr. Ensing. "Real is renowned for its technological expertise, innovation, and industry leadership, which provides a strong foundation for future growth."

Mr. Glaser added, "On behalf of everyone at RealNetworks, I want to thank Max Pellegrini for his numerous contributions to the Company during his seven years at Real. Max is a strong leader, an outstanding person, and a good friend to Real as well as to me personally. We will miss him, but I'm happy for Max that he and his family will be following a path that is important to them."

"During the last seven years at Real, I have been working with amazing people and fantastic teams on new exciting products and groundbreaking technologies," said Mr. Pellegrini. "I am proud of the work we have done to lay the foundation for future growth. These are exciting times, and I am looking forward to seeing the next phase of Real over the coming years."

About RealNetworks

Building on a legacy of digital media expertise and innovation, RealNetworks has created a new generation of products that employ best-in-class artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance and secure our daily lives. SAFR (www.safr.com) is the world's premier facial recognition platform for live video. Leading in real-world performance and accuracy as evidenced in testing by NIST, SAFR enables new applications for security, convenience, and analytics. For information about our other products, visit www.realnetworks.com.

RealNetworks is a registered trademark of RealNetworks, Inc. All other trademarks, names of actual companies and products mentioned herein are the property of their respective owners.

For More Information:

Investor Relations for RealNetworks

Kimberly Orlando, Addo Investor Relations

310-829-5400

[email protected]

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SOURCE RealNetworks, Inc.

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<! Ize-Iyamu and Obaseki >

By Jethro Ibileke

Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), in the September 19 governorship election in Edo State, Pastor Osagie Ize-Iyamu, has said that Governor Godwin Obaseki is heading for a disgraceful end, with the avalanche of defection hitting his camp.

Ize-Iyamu stated this on Monday in Benin, while receiving the Deputy Speaker of the State House of Assembly, Mr. Yekini Idiaye, who reportedly dumped Obaseki and pledged loyalty to the APC candidate.

Addressing the lawmaker, Ize-Iyamu lamented what he called disgraceful end to which Obasekis regime which claims popular support, has come, with the daily abandonment of his government by civil commissioners, chairmen of Boards and appointees.

He described the alleged inaugurating five out of 24 elected APC members as legislators in Edo Assembly at 9.45 pm, by Governor Obaseki as lamentable and an assault on democracy, which he said had deprived over 50 percent of Edo people of representation in the legislature.

The APC candidate commended the lawmaker and others who had previously pledged their loyalty, for their steadfastness in choosing to remain in the APC on which platform they got elected.

He assured them that his Manifesto of Hope, Simple Agenda will be implemented to the letter in every part of the state when he gets elected.

Responding, Idiaye, said: I was elected on the platform of the APC and I have made it clear and I have told the whole world that I started my political career on the APC and I have no reason to defect to any political party.

Related
The Conversation

Sperm is critical for the fertilisation of almost every living organism on our planet, including humans. To reproduce, human sperm have to swim a distance equivalent to climbing Mount Everest to find the egg. They complete this epic journey simply by wiggling their tail, moving fluid to swim forwards. Though over 50 million sperm will fail to reach the egg  the equivalent to more than six times the entire population of London or New York  it only takes one single sperm in order to fertilise an egg that will eventually become a human being.

Sperm was first discovered in 1677  but it took roughly 200 years before scientists agreed on how humans are actually formed. The preformationists believed that each spermatozoa contained a tiny, miniaturised human  the homunculus. They believed that the egg simply provided a place for the sperm to grow.

On the other hand, the epigenesists argued that both males and females contributed to form a new being, and discoveries in the 1700s showed more evidence for this theory. Though scientists now better understand the role that sperm plays in reproduction, our latest research has discovered that sperm have actually been fooling scientists this whole time.

One of the first microscopes was developed in the 17th century by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek. He used a blob of molten glass that he carefully ground and polished to create a powerful lens. Some of them could magnify an object 270 times. Remarkably, a better lens was not created for over 200 years.

Leeuwenhoeks lenses made him the first explorer of the microscopic world, able to see objects including bacteria, the inside of our cells  and sperm. When Leeuwenhoek first discovered sperm, he described it as a living animalcule with a tail, which, when swimming, lashes with a snakelike movement, like eels in water.

Strikingly, our perception of how sperm swims hasnt change since. Anyone using a modern microscope today still makes the very same observation: sperm swim forward by wiggling their tail from side-to-side. But as our latest research shows, weve actually been wrong about how sperm swim for the last 350 years.

Using state-of-the-art 3D microscopy technology, our team of researchers from the UK and Mexico, were able to mathematically reconstruct the rapid movement of the sperm tail in 3D. Not only does sperms size make them difficult to study  its tail only measures half a hairs breadth  theyre also fast.

Their tails whip-like movement is capable of beating over than 20 swimming-strokes in less than one second. We needed a super-fast camera capable of recording over 55,000 pictures in one second mounted in a fast oscillating stage to move the sample up and down at an incredibly high rate  effectively scanning the sperm tail while swimming freely in 3D.

What we found surprised us. We discovered that the sperm tail is in fact wonky and only wiggles on one side. While this should mean the sperms one-sided stroke would have it swimming in circles, sperm have found a clever way to adapt and swim forwards: they roll as they swim, much like the way otters corkscrew through water. In this way, the wonky one-sided stroke evens out as sperm rolls allowing it to move forwards.

The sperms rapid and highly synchronised spinning causes an illusion when seen from above with 2D microscopes  the tail appears to have a side-to-side movement. However, this discovery shows that sperm have developed a swimming technique to compensate for their lop-sidedness. In doing so they have also ingeniously solved a mathematical puzzle: by creating symmetry out of asymmetry.

The sperm body spins at the same time that the tail rotates around the swimming direction. Sperm drills into the fluid like a spinning top by rotating around itself whilst its tilted axis rotates around the centre. This is known in physics as precession, much like the precession of the equinoxes in our planet.

Computer-Assisted Semen Analysis (CASA) systems, in use today, both in clinics and for research, still use 2D views of the sperms movement. Like Leeuwenhoeks first microscope, they are still prone to this illusion of symmetry while assessing semen quality. Symmetry (or the lack of it) is one identifying trait that may impact fertility.

The scientific tale of the sperm tail follows the route of every other area of research: advances in understanding sperm movement are highly dependent upon the development of technologies in microscopy, recording and, now, mathematical modelling and data analysis. The 3D microscopy technology developed today will almost certainly change the way we analyse semen in future.

This latest discovery, with its novel use of 3D microscope technology combined with mathematics, may provide fresh hope for unlocking the secrets of human reproduction. With over half of infertility caused by male factors, understanding the human sperm tail is fundamental for future diagnostic tools for identifying unhealthy sperm, and improving fertility.

Hermes Gadelha, Senior Lecturer in Applied Mathematics and Data Modelling, University of Bristol

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Euro Forecast Overview:

EUR/USD rates gained more than +4% in July for the first time since March 2016, and July 2020 put in its best performance since September 2010.

While EUR USD rates continue to hover below resistance, EUR/JPY rates are starting to probe through its recent swing highs.

Per the IG Client Sentiment Index , the Euro has a mixed if not bearish bias.

Euro Rally Hits Brakes

The Euro, the best performing major currency since mid-May, just capped off its best monthly performance since September 2010. EUR/USD rates posted gains north of +4% for the first time since March 2016, while EUR/JPY rates gained the most since June 2017. But the past few days, particularly around the end of the month, have seen the Euro rally slow, if not hit the brakes. The forex economic calendar over the coming days may help reinforce the prevailing trend in recent weeks.

Will Data Reinforce or Buck Narrative?

As is typical during the first week of a new month, the forex economic calendar is saturated with significant event risk. While the Euro does not have a central bank meeting on its agenda over the coming days (unlike the Australian Dollar or the British Pound), incoming PMI data should continue to point to a recovery gathering pace in the Eurozone.

In the world of FX, everything is about relativity; and while the UK PMI figures are likely to outpace those in the Eurozone (perhaps helping explain the recent pullback in EUR/GBP rates; the UK economy is growing relatively faster than the EU), the Eurozone PMIs are set to continue to outpace those coming from the United States.

EUR/USD RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: WEEKLY CHART (November 2016 to August 2020) (CHART 1)

EUR/USD rates have hit significant near-term resistance, a zone that holds several important levels that could ultimately dictate a pause in the recent run higher. The 38.2% retracement of the 2017 low/2018 high range comes in at 1.1709 (as indicated by the orange Fibs in Charts 1 & 2). Taking the move from the European Recovery Fund announcement date in May, to the June high and to the June low (within the symmetrical triangle), and the 100% Fibonacci extension (as indicated by the green Fibs in Charts 1 & 2) comes in at 1.1791.

Furthermore, the descending trendline from the 2008 and 2014 highs is nearby at 1.1800. A breakout through this zone (roughly 1.1709 to 1.1800) would be a significant long-term bullish development for EUR/USD rates. EUR/USD rates are above their weekly 4-, 13, and 26-EMA envelope, while weekly MACD is pushing higher and Slow Stochastics are lingering in overbought territory.

EUR/USD RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (August 2019 to August 2020) (CHART 2)

It is worth noting that EUR/USD rates are holding below resistance in the form of the long-term trend from all-time highs, trapped between the 100% Fibonacci extension (1.1791) and the 38.2% Fibonacci retracement (1.1709). It still holds that this is a successful breakout from the multi-year downtrend originating at the February 2018 highs.

At present time, EUR/USD rates are holding above their daily 5-, 8-, 13-, and 21-EMA envelope (which is still in bullish sequential order). Daily MACD, while cooling off, is still in bullish territory, and Slow Stochastics are starting to pullback from overbought territory  but without a subsequent pullback in price. Bullish momentum has been firm, and a pause does not mean that the uptrend is finished.

IG Client Sentiment Index: EUR/USD Rate Forecast (August 3, 2020) (Chart 3)

EUR/USD: Retail trader data shows 33.01% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 2.03 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 0.72% lower than yesterday and 3.67% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 16.11% higher than yesterday and 0.04% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/USD prices may continue to rise.

Positioning is more net-short than yesterday but less net-short from last week. The combination of current sentiment and recent changes gives us a further mixed EUR/USD trading bias.

EUR/JPY RATE TECHNICAL ANALYSIS: DAILY CHART (August 2019 to August 2020) (CHART 4)

EUR/JPY rates have proven stronger than EUR/USD rates in recent days, thanks in part to the snapback in USD/JPY rates higher. The EUR/JPY rally has carried price back through a significant area of interest in recent years, between 123.65 and 123.88, an area that proved to cap price action during the EUR/JPY rally in late-May/early-June. Now, EUR/JPY rates are finding resistance around the June swing high, and the uptrend from September 2012, September 2016, and January 2019 swing lows.

EUR/JPY rates have risen above their daily 5-, 8-, 13-, and 21-EMAs, which remains in bullish sequential order. Daily MACDs rise in bullish territory has resumed, while Slow Stochastics are holding in overbought territory. A double top may no longer be forming in EUR/JPY rates; a break above 125.50 would constitute a significant bullish development.

IG Client Sentiment Index: EUR/JPY Rate Forecast (August 3, 2020) (Chart 5)

EUR/JPY: Retail trader data shows 45.77% of traders are net-long with the ratio of traders short to long at 1.18 to 1. The number of traders net-long is 27.51% higher than yesterday and 15.42% higher from last week, while the number of traders net-short is 8.46% higher than yesterday and 23.11% lower from last week.

We typically take a contrarian view to crowd sentiment, and the fact traders are net-short suggests EUR/JPY prices may continue to rise.

Yet traders are less net-short than yesterday and compared with last week. Recent changes in sentiment warn that the current EUR/JPY price trend may soon reverse lower despite the fact traders remain net-short.

Read more: USD/MXN Rates Turn Higher - Does Bearish Breakout Potential Persist?

--- Written by Christopher Vecchio, CFA, Senior Currency Strategist
August 04 : Sushant Singh Rajputs case has taken a new turn after his father KK Singh filed an FIR against Rhea Chakraborty. Thereafter, Bihar Police swung into action and reached Mumbai to investigate the case. Almost every day new developments are taking place, and the latest update is that Bihar government has recommended CBI investigation into the late actors death.

The DGP spoke to #SushantSinghRajput's father this morning and he gave consent for CBI inquiry. So now, we are recommending CBI probe in the matter: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar to ANI

(file pic) https://t.co/gKpHeYbrk5 pic.twitter.com/jnkNXOzY6h  ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

Janta Dal United (JDU) spokesperson Sanjay Singh revealed that the Bihar government wants the case to go to CBI. This development took place after Sushants father KK Singh met Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar told ANI that after the DGP spoke to Sushants father this morning, he gave consent for CBI inquiry. So now, we are recommending CBI probe in the matter.

There can't be transfer of a case which had no legal basis for Bihar to get involved. At most, it would be a 'Zero FIR' transferable to Mumbai Police. Transfer of a case,on which they had no jurisdiction, to CBI has no legal sanctity:

Satish Maneshinde, #RheaChakraborty's lawyer https://t.co/rHnq6zn0Pm  ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

Meanwhile, reacting to the new development, Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer, advocate Satish Maneshinde said in a statement, The Petition Filed by Rhea Chakraborty in SC that Bihar Police had no jurisdiction to investigate the case will continue in SC. There cannot be transfer of a case which had no legal basis for Bihar to get involved. At the most it would be a Zero FIR and transferable to Mumbai Police. The transfer of a case on which they had no jurisdiction to CBI has no legal sanctity. Having realised that Bihar has no jurisdiction this illegal method has been adopted. Otherwise you are interfering in the Federal Structure of our Nation in a back door manner. It touches the very root of the Federal Structure on the basis of which India became a Republic by Union of States.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS sign in the sand that was spotted from above, authorities say.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WELLINGTON, New Zealand - Three men have been rescued from a tiny Pacific island after writing a giant SOS sign in the sand that was spotted from above, authorities say.

The men had been missing in the Micronesia archipelago for nearly three days when their distress signal was spotted Sunday on uninhabited Pikelot Island by searchers on Australian and U.S. aircraft, the Australian defence department said Monday.

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The men had apparently set out from Pulawat atoll in a 7-meter (23-foot) boat on July 30 and had intended to travel about 43 kilometres (27 miles) to Pulap atoll when they sailed off course and ran out of fuel, the department said.

Searchers in Guam asked for Australian help. The military ship, Canberra, which was returning to Australia from exercises in Hawaii, diverted to the area and joined forces with U.S. searchers from Guam.

The men were found about 190 kilometres (118 miles) from where they had set out.

"I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world," said the Canberras commanding officer, Capt. Terry Morrison, in a statement.

The men were found in good condition, and an Australian military helicopter was able to land on the beach and give them food and water. A Micronesian patrol vessel was due to pick them up.

SOS is an internationally recognized distress signal that originates from Morse code.


(Photo: 5 Relaxing Vacation Ideas for Those Who Want to Get Away from It All)



(Photo: Historical Nha Trang, Vietnam)



(Photo: Cruise Around the Caribbean)



(Photo: The Beaches of Sarasota, Florida)

The majority of Americans are feeling stressed these days. Doesn't it make you want to get away?

A vacation is a perfect opportunity to relax, unwind, and unload some of that stress that's on your shoulders.

In fact, we spend nearly $800 billion on crafting getaways and adventures for ourselves every year. But if you spend a lot or a little, there's a peaceful escape from the daily grind that's perfect for you.

No need to add to your stress with searching for the best getaway. We've got five relaxing vacation ideas that you're going to love!

1. The Beaches of Sarasota, Florida

Does your image of a peaceful retreat from the workaday world involve beautiful beaches and a thriving arts scene? Sarasota is the place for you.

Sarasota has upscale nightlife but also a sleepy beach resort vibe. This is the perfect spot for those who like to take it easy while taking in gorgeous sunsets and interesting art.

2. Lake Place Lodge, New York

Lake Place is a gorgeous and remote destination. You'll feel truly at peace in the forests and mountains all around the lake.

Lake Place Lodge steps up the tranquility. This wellness resort asks you to deposit your tech toys with them at the front desk so that you can be with your thoughts in peace.

3. Cruise Around the Caribbean

The islands have a reputation for being all about fun on the beach and partying it up. There's nothing wrong with that, but you might shy away if you're looking for somewhere peaceful and relaxing.

There's something for everyone if you just know where to look. You can chart your own course with great cruise deals and find romantic and restful ocean vacations away from the busy and stressful working world.

4. Historical Nha Trang, Vietnam

Want to explore the world, take in some history, and experience a different culture? Nha Trang is the perfect place for you.

Nha Trang is close to big cities and has a thriving nightlife yet has plenty of secluded beaches and hidden treasure. Plan the ultimate around-the-world getaway in this hidden Vietnamese gem.

5. Christmas in Kennebunkport, Maine

Kennebunkport is the perfect place if you're looking to experience a picturesque small-town Christmas. There's no harried holiday rush here, only beautiful scenery and a jolly holiday vibe.

Join in the festivities from November 29 to December 9. Take in the caroling, lights, hot cocoa, gift shops, and more in this quiet, quirky Christmas town.

More Relaxing Vacation Ideas

Where are you booking tickets to first? There's so many amazing destinations on this list, we're sure they'll all be on your itinerary soon!

These relaxing vacation ideas are perfect to unwind, unplug, and get away from your everyday hustle and grind. Don't just daydream about these places at work -- start planning your getaway today.

Want more travel tips, best vacation deals, cultural insights and more? We've got tons of more amazing ideas, guides, and more.

Start out by browsing through our travel tips section. You're sure to become a travel pro on your next trip!

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018




U.S. President Donald Trump said the U.S. government should get a commission if an American company ends up buying short video app TikToks business in the country. A Chinese company challenges Apples patent rights in voice assistant Siri. Meanwhile, global mining giant Rio Tinto said it is working with its Chinese partner to promote a project to develop the worlds largest untapped iron ore reserve. China outlines more policies to encourage domestic chip-making.

 By Guo Yingzhe (yingzheguo@caixin.com) and Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com)

** TOP STORIES OF THE DAY

Apple faces $1.4 billion Siri patent lawsuit in China

A Chinese artificial-intelligence company filed a lawsuit Monday against Apple Inc. over alleged patent infringement related to the U.S. giants virtual assistant Siri. Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology Co. demanded 10 billion yuan ($1.43 billion) in compensation for damages and a ban on Apples products involving the patent.

The dispute can be tracked back to 2012 when Shanghai Zhizhen first lodged its complaint. Apple then filed a request to have the patent invalidated. China's Supreme Court ruled last month in Shanghai Zhizhens favor.

New policies to support integrated circuits and software industries

Chinas State Council, the cabinet, issued new rules Tuesday to bolster the countrys integrated circuit and software industries including up to 10 years of tax exemptions and measures to encourage public listing. It is the latest effort to expand and upgrade domestic chip-making capacity.

Trump says U.S. government should also get paid if American firm buys TikTok

U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday that the U.S. Treasury should receive a very substantial portion of the purchase price if a U.S. company buys TikToks U.S. operations. He also said he does not care whether its Microsoft or another U.S. company that ends up buying the popular short video app, but said the deal need to be done by Sept. 15.

India blocks Baidu Search, Weibo

India has blocked the influential Chinese apps Baidu Search and Weibo in the country, The Times of India reported, adding that the government has asked app stores to take down the apps that are the Chinese answers to Google and Twitter.

ByteDance founder says U.S. ultimate goal is to ban TikTok

Zhang Yiming, founder and CEO of ByteDance Ltd., the company that owns TikTok, said on Tuesday (link in Chinese) that the U.S. ultimate goal is to ban TikTok. In an email to staff, he said that anti-China sentiment is one factor behind TikToks troubles overseas.

Rio Tinto and Chalco progressing on African iron ore project

Mining giant Rio Tinto Group (link in Chinese) and its partner Aluminum Corp. of China (Chalco) are progressing on the long-delayed development of an iron ore mine in Guinea, Rio Tinto told Caixin on Monday.

Located in the mountains of southeastern Guinea, the Simandou iron ore mine is considered to have the worlds largest and highest-quality untapped iron ore reserves.

Central bank urges markedly higher money supply than last year

The central bank wants the M2 money supply, which includes savings deposits, and total social financing to grow at a markedly higher pace (link in Chinese) than last year, according to a Monday meeting of the Peoples Bank of China. At the meeting, officials laid out their goals for the second half-year. It also called for a substantial growth in loans to small businesses and medium- and long-term loans to manufacturers.

Virtual banks pick a tough time to launch in Hong Kong

More than a year after Hong Kongs banking regulator issued licenses to eight virtual banks, only three have opened for business. The Covid-19 pandemic is one factor, but the new ventures face other headwinds in a particularly competitive and highly regulated market, such as addressing technology safety risks and regulators concerns about the virtual banks impact on traditional banks. (Read the in-depth story.)

Zoom halts direct sales in China, will rely on local partners

Zoom Video Communications Inc., a popular conferencing app, will halt all sales of products in China except through locally based partners. The company informed Chinese customers that sales will be conducted only through authorized partners starting Aug. 23. (Bloomberg)





** OTHER STORIES MAKING THE HEADLINES

 Chinas securities watchdog held a hearing Monday on the fraud case of scandal-plagued Kangde Xin Composite Material Group Co. Ltd. with inspectors revealing that the company had inflated export sales by as much as 4.6 billion yuan ($659 million) with help from illegal underground lenders.

 A new draft of a catalogue of listed industries, specifying sectors eligible for preferential policies to encourage foreign investor participation, has been released for public comment by Chinas top economic planning agencies. The 2020 edition is longer than last years list, adding 125 areas and amending 76 previously listed areas to expand their coverage. (Read the full story.)

 HSBC Holdings PLC missed estimates after reporting that its first-half profit fell by about 50% to $5.6 billion because of higher credit provisions. The bank is speeding up a shakeup of its global operations after warning that fallout from the coronavirus pandemic may trigger as much as $13 billion in loan losses this year. (Bloomberg)

 Former president of Bank of Huludao Co. Ltd., Wang Xueling, is under investigation (link in Chinese) on suspicion of serious violations of law and Communist Party discipline. The top banking regulators branch in Northeast Chinas Liaoning province has instructed the regional lender to improve its corporate governance.

 Chinese cinema conglomerate Wanda Film Holding Co. Ltd. (link in Chinese) reported a 73.9% year-on-year drop in revenue and a net loss of 1.57 billion yuan for the first half of 2020.

 Chinas top economic planning agency has approved a 474.1 billion yuan railway project (link in Chinese) that aims to make it faster to travel among cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area.

** ON THE CORONAVIRUS

 The Chinese mainland reported (link in Chinese) 36 new Covid-19 infections on Monday. Of the new cases, 30 were locally transmitted, with 28 from the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region and two from Liaoning.

 World Health Organization official Dr. Michael Ryan said Monday that the organization cannot be sure whether the city of Wuhan is the place where the coronavirus crossed over from animals into humans. Ryan said broader retrospective epidemiological studies were needed.

 Hong Kong reported 80 new coronavirus infections on Monday, taking the number of total confirmed cases to date to 3,590. The citys government said the existing social distancing measures will be extended for seven days starting Wednesday.

 As of Tuesday afternoon Beijing time, the number of global coronavirus infections had surpassed 18.2 million, with a death toll over 694,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University.

** AND FINALLY

The 30th Qingdao International Beer Festival kicked off Friday in the eastern coastal city. Despite the coronavirus prevention measures, the annual event drew thousands of beer lovers eager to sample the more than 1,500 types of brew available on tap.

A man holds up a beer-filled chalice of sorts as he takes a selfie Friday in Qingdao.

Read more

Caixins coverage of the new coronavirus

** LOOKING AHEAD

Aug. 5: Release of Caixin China services PMI

Aug. 6: SMIC reports second-quarter financial results

Aug. 7: Release of Chinas import and export data for July

Contact reporter Guo Yingzhe (yutonglu@caixin.com) and editors Marcus Ryder (marcusryder@caixin.com) and Michael Bellart (michaelbellart@caixin.com)

Read more

China Business Digest: Trump Allows Time for Microsoft or Others to Buy TikTok in U.S.; Two Luckin Affiliates Fined by CSRC

Support quality journalism in China. Subscribe to Caixin Global starting at $0.99.
Donald Trump suggested that Jeffrey Epstein may have been murdered before again sending his best wishes to Ghislaine Maxwell, who is in jail awaiting trial on child sex trafficking charges.

President Trump, who has admitted meeting Ms Maxwell, 58, in Palm Beach, Florida  where some of her alleged crimes took place  attempted to bat away questions on why he voiced support for the British socialite in a press conference last month.

In a heated exchange with Axioss Jonathan Swan on Monday night, Mr Trump replied I dont know that when asked by the broadcaster about Ms Maxwells charges, and why he voiced support for his former acquaintance.

Mr Trump then immediately sought to deflect the questions by switching the conversation back to Epstein, who died in a New York prison cell in August 2019, aged 66. The disgraced financier and convicted sex offender was facing further charges in relation to trafficking and abuse of minors.

Her friend or boyfriend, was either killed or committed suicide inside jail, said Mr Trump. Shes [Ms Maxwell] now in jail. Yeah, I wish her well, he added.

Ms Maxwell has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Mr Trump had previously wished Ms Maxwell well on 21 July, after prosecutors announced that she had been detained.

In August last year, the New York medical examiners office ruled Epsteins death a suicide. A forensic pathologist later hired by Epsteins brother disputed the decision. Dr. Michael Baden presented findings which he claimed showed that Epstein may have been strangled.

President Trumps relationship with Epstein has come under increasing scrutiny in recent months. The two men mixed in the same social circles for years, with Mr Trump once describing Epstein as a terrific guy.

Epsteins waterfront mansion in Palm Beach is located just 1.8 miles away from Mr Trumps Mar-a-Lago club. The pair reportedly cut ties in 2004 after falling out over a property purchase.

Some of Epsteins victims have mentioned the president and Mar-a-Lago in their accounts of events surrounding their alleged abuse.

Story continues

The president is also mentioned in a civil suit filed by an unnamed woman who is suing Epsteins estate. The alleged Epstein victim claims her abuser took her to Mar-a-Lago when she was just 14 and showed her to Trump.

She claims Epstein elbowed Trump playfully and said: This is a good one, right? There is no suggestion Mr Trump knew she was underage or was involved in any abuse.

Last week, unsealed court documents revealed further details of Epstein and Ms Maxwells alleged crimes. The court papers related to a now-settled 2015 civil litigation brought against Ms Maxwell by Virginia Guiffre, 36.

Ms Giuffre, who previously worked for Mr Trump as a changing room assistant at Mar-a-Lago in the early 2000s, has accused both Epstein and Ms Maxwell of abusing her.

In the papers, Ms Guiffre also alleges that Epstein tried to gather incriminating material against Prince Andrew, the Duke of York, by forcing an underage girl to have sex with him.

A court document claims Epstein instructed the girl, referred to as Jane Doe #3, but known to be Virginia Roberts Giuffre, to give the prince whatever he demanded and report back to him on the details of the sexual abuse.

Prince Andrew denies the allegations. Ms Guiffre has previously claimed that she was forced to sleep with a host of powerful men.

When asked at the 21 July press conference if he thought Ms Maxwell would turn in the names of powerful people in an attempt to get a better plea deal, Mr Trump said he hadnt been following it too much but that he wished Maxwell well.

I just wish her well frankly, he said. Ms Maxwell has been denied bail and her trial has been scheduled for July 2021.

Read more

Ghislaine Maxwell had sex with girls as young as 15  court documents
Recent audiobooks of note:

YES, I CAN SAY THAT: When They Come for the Comedians, We Are All in Trouble, by Judy Gold, read by the author. (HarperAudio.) The veteran humorist defends comedy and its creators, from Samantha Bee to Nimesh Patel to Michelle Wolf, against all who would censor them.

MEMOIRS AND MISINFORMATION, by Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon, read by Jeff Daniels. (Random House Audio.) This semiautobiographical novel  starring Carrey and Nic Cage in a story about everything wrong with Hollywood  is read by his Dumb & Dumber co-star.

CHILDHOOD INTERRUPTED: Raising Kids During a Pandemic, by Sanjay Gupta, read by the author. (Audible.) The neurosurgeon, CNN medical correspondent and father of three shares the trials (and rewards) of raising adolescents in 2020.

THE YEAR OF MAGICAL THINKING, by Joan Didion, read by Vanessa Redgrave. (Audible.) The actor performs a one-woman theater adaptation of Didions National Book Award-winning 2005 memoir of losing and grieving her husband, John Gregory Dunne.
Amid preparations for the upcoming 27 bypolls in Madhya Pradesh, Kamal Nath appeared in a 'Bhagwa' avatar on Twitter, while hosting a recital of 'Hanuman Chalisa' at his residence on Tuesday, ahead of the Ram Temple ceremony to be held in Ayodhya. The former Chief Minister also announced that 11 silver bricks would be donated to Ayodhya on Tuesday on behalf of the state Congress.

We are sending 11 silver bricks to Ayodhya on behalf of the public of Madhya Pradesh, announced Nath at his residence after recital of 'Hanuman Chalisa'. These bricks were bought by the Congress family by offering donations, he added.

August 5 is a historical day awaited by the whole country, said the MPCC chief who changed his Twitter profile picture on Tuesday. "India is a widely diverse country but still everyone is standing beneath a single flag (for the Ram temple construction). The temple construction is being done with unanimity and agreement as we believe in culture of integrity," he said.

Referring to the 'puja' and recital of Hanuman Chalisa, he said the party's sentiments were initiated by former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in 1985. In Gandhi's maiden speech in 1989, he had said that there should be 'Ram Rajya' in the country, Nath said.

We bow down to late Rajiv Gandhi ji who had got the locks opened (at the disputed site) from where the Ram temple's legacy had started, he said, while claiming that it was the intent and wish of Rajiv Gandhi that this temple be constructed. Had he been alive today, he would have been the happiest," he added. "We all are happy and I take this opportunity to express this happiness on behalf of the public of the state."

Kamal Nath also took a dig at the Bharatiya Janata Party. He asked how the BJP could "own a patent on religion" and any particular deity. "Whenever we hold any religious function, BJP has a stomachache. We also have a religious sentiment like any other country man," he said.

The Congress party had called for 'Hanuman Chalisa' recitals at the homes of party leaders and workers on Tuesday. Nath is a a staunch devotee of lord Hanuman and always prefers undertaking key assignments on Tuesday.

The Congress leader also put up a giant picture of lord Hanuman with Lord Ram, Laxman and Goddess Sita.

Congress Party IT cell too flooded social media with various religious initiatives undertaken by the Kamal Nath government in the past, including the development of Ram Van Gaman Path, Gaushala, Om circuit, development of Mahakal and Omkareshwar temples, among others.

Even while other Congress dignitaries kept silent on the issue of Ram Temple, Nath openly welcomed the construction. However, BJP saw a political end in Kamal Naths religious moves.

BJP spokesperson Rajneesh Agrawal said that when the Congress party was in power, it had engaged in sullying 'Bhagwa' everywhere and was now reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' and 'Sunderkand'. He added that Naths moves were "nothing but gimmicks" to reach out to Hindu voters in the assembly bypolls.

Nath's party colleague Digvijaya Singh has been drawing criticism for calling the August 5 date inauspicious for the Ram Temple Ceremony.

Minister Bhupendra Singh too criticised the Congress partys stand, saying that the Ram temple issue had been raised by the BJP under LK Advani and that the Congress party had nothing to do with it. "Ram temple, Hanuman Chalisa and other things are just vote bank issues for them and have no link with their faith," alleged Singh.

Congress spokesperson Manak Agrawal said that Kamal Nath had been seen in a 'Bhagwa' avatar before, as well, but the leader had only put the picture of it on Twitter, now. He had established a mega Hanuman statue in Chhindwara and used to perform puja in Bhagwa attire, said Agrawal, adding that everyone in the Congress party had faith in lord Hanuman, which is why the recital took place.

On being asked whether the events were being carried out to prevent BJP from stealing credit for the Ram temple credit, Agrawal said that lord Ram was "revered by everyone". The spokesperson said that the event should not be seen from a political perspective, and added that lord Ram was revered by each Congress party worker, who wanted the Ram temple to be built in Ayodhya.

According to political analysts, Kamal Nath's actions are important with respect to the assembly bypolls. With the BJP riding high on the Ram temple construction, the Congress party is apprehensive of losing out due to religious sentiments in the bypolls, said a political analyst from Bhopal.

Sixteen of the bypoll seats are in the Gwalior-Chambal region which shares its border with Uttar Pradesh; and is likely to be influenced by Hindutva sentiments post the 'Bhumi Pujan' which takes place on August 5. These areas share similarities of culture, language, with the neighbouring areas of UP.
At a small-town campaign rally held by the rising star of Belarus's political opposition, Elena stood among the unusually large crowd, wrapped in a red and white flag -- the colours of the ex-Soviet country's emboldened opposition. Like many others at the gathering for opposition candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya, she preferred to give her first name only, for fear of drawing unwanted attention from the authorities. "I want to have freedom of expression. To go out on the street and speak freely and not be afraid anymore," the 42-year-old bread factory worker told AFP. Several thousand people filled a small stadium in Maladzechna, a city of some 100,000 people northwest of the capital Minsk, to listen to Tikhanovskaya -- who has emerged as the leading opponent to strongman Alexander Lukashenko. The crowd, packed with young people born after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union and with no memory of the pre-Lukashenko era, waved flags and chanted "change" as 37-year-old Tikhanovskaya took to the stage in late July. "Now is the time when everyone must overcome their fear," she said. "Do you think I'm not scared? I'm scared every day. But I muster my courage, get over my fear and go to you and go for victory." The stay-at-home mother launched her presidential bid after her husband and popular blogger Sergei Tikhanovsky was arrested and barred from challenging Lukashenko in the August 9 polls. Their five-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son have been taken abroad for their own safety. Another leading rival, ex-banker Viktor Babaryko, was also imprisoned while a third, former diplomat Valery Tsepkalo, has fled the country fearing arrest. His fear is well-founded. According to the Viasna rights group, at least 1,100 people have been arrested since May during pre-election rallies. Despite the crackdown, Tikhanovskaya was allowed to run in her husband's place, and her bid to remove 65-year-old Lukashenko has galvanised his opponents. - A 'symbol' - Tikhanovskaya has drawn massive crowds at her rallies throughout the country where she is accompanied by Maria Kolesnikova, Babaryko's campaign director, and Veronika Tsepkalo, the wife of the self-exiled opponent. The women wear t-shirts with a design featuring their signature gestures: Tikhanovskaya's punched fist, Kolesnikova's fingers in a heart shape and Tsepkalo's victory sign. "What is important is that this is happening not only in the capital but also in small towns and villages," said Alesia Rudnik, a Belarusian political analyst. Rudnik added that the trio of women are bringing together Belarusians who would not normally participate in anti-government demonstrations. The day after the rally in Maladzechna, a large crowd gathered to see the women in Grodno, a city in northwest Belarus. Some 10,000 residents of Gomel in the southeast of Minsk came out to hear Tikhanovskaya speak in her husband's hometown. The open-air rally went long into the evening with bands playing and the crowd lit by cell phone flashlights. The largest rally drew an estimated crowd of 63,000 in Minsk's People's Friendship Park on July 30 -- despite concerns over reprisals after the authorities arrested 33 Russian "militants" supposedly planning mass riots with the opposition. "Tikhanovskaya is a symbol of the moment, that of the protest vote against Lukashenko. She has attracted everyone who does not want Lukashenko," political scientist Valery Karbalevich said. - 'Not afraid'- Observers say Tikhanovskaya has leveraged widespread discontent with Lukashenko, who has been nicknamed "Sasha 3 percent" in a jibe at his supposedly low popular ratings. The former collective farm director has come under fire for his handling of the economy, deteriorating relations with Russia, and his management of the coronavirus outbreak. Even though health officials have registered tens of thousands of infections, Lukashenko has dismissed the pandemic as a hoax and refused to introduce a lockdown. Residents of towns and cities across the country were forced to organise anti-virus measures among themselves, including wearing masks and working from home. Yet the real challenge for critics will come if -- as expected -- Lukashenko wins the vote by falsifying the outcome, said Rudnik. The Belarusian authorities have already shown they are capable of detaining protesters en masse and in the run-up to the vote, Lukashenko has overseen police running riot dispersal drills. "People are not afraid now," Rudnik said, pointing out that the opposition rallies have been sanctioned by the authorities. "But an important step will be played out after the vote -- will people take to the streets after the results are announced?" Presidential candidate Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has become a symbol for change in Belarus Svetlana Tikhanovskaya (centre), accompanied by Veronika Tsepkalo (left) and Maria Kolesnikova, address supporters Svetlana Tikhanovskaya launched her presidential campaign after her husband was arrested and barred from challenging the incumbent Alexander Lukashenko Support for Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has been growing
CNBC.com's MacKenzie Sigalos brings you the day's top business news headlines. On today's show, CNBC.com's Jordan Novet breaks down why TikTok, which has found itself at the center of a geopolitical conflict, would be an attractive acquisition target for enterprise giant Microsoft. Plus, CNBC's Sharon Epperson explains how much money Americans say they need to retire during the coronavirus pandemic.



Trump says Microsoft should pay 'key money' to Treasury for facilitating TikTok deal

President Donald Trump said Monday that it could be easier if Microsoft were to buy Chinese-owned TikTok in its entirety, rather than a small part of the social video app, because the name would be split across two companies, and suggested the company should pay the U.S. Treasury as part of the deal. "I think buying 30% is complicated, and I suggested that he can go ahead, he can try," Trump told reporters in the Cabinet Room at the White House on Monday. He was referring to his conversation over the weekend with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella. The comments come a day after Microsoft confirmed in a statement that it has looked at buying TikTok in the U.S., Canada, Australia and New Zealand. A larger deal could go beyond resolving the U.S. government's concern over Chinese control of the app, where hundreds of millions of people share short videos that often feature music.

Pandemic is heightening stress over the $1.9 million retirement number. How you can save more

The top source of financial stress is saving enough for a comfortable retirement, a worry that is trending upward as a result of the pandemic, according to a newly released nationwide survey by Charles Schwab of 1,000 currently employed 401(k) plan participants between the ages of 25 and 70. The survey, conducted between May 28 and June 11, 2020, by Logica Research for Schwab Retirement Plan Services, revealed that Americans think they'll need to save $1.9 million on average to retire. This is up 12%, from $1.7 million in 2019. Millennial and Gen X savers were slightly more ambitious, putting their target at $2 million, while boomers said they'll need about $1.6 million.

Disney edges by with profitable quarter, boasts more than 100 million streaming subscribers
TikToks parent company has confirmed it is considering the location of its headquarters after reports claimed it was weighing up moving its offices to London.

The app is at the centre of an ongoing geopolitical dispute between the US and China, with President Donald Trump threatening to ban the app over security concerns.

On Monday, reports suggested Chinese parent firm ByteDance was considering moving its global headquarters to the UK as part of efforts to distance the app from links to China.

In response, a ByteDance spokesperson said: ByteDance is committed to being a global company.

In light of the current situation, ByteDance has been evaluating the possibility of establishing TikToks headquarters outside of the US, to better serve our global users.

TikTok has come under scrutiny in the US over fears that personal data could be accessed by China, something the app has repeatedly denied.

Microsoft Purchase

Meanwhile, Microsoft has confirmed it is in talks to buy and operate the platform and its business in the US after discussions between its chief executive Satya Nadella and Mr Trump over the apps security.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo said the White House plans to take action against a number of Chinese software companies it sees as linked to the Chinese Communist Party.

US secretary of state Mike Pompeo (Peter Summers/PA)

These Chinese software companies doing business in the United States, whether its TikTok or WeChat  there are countless more  are feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party, their national security apparatus, he said.

TikTok insists personal data cannot be accessed by Beijing and that it has no ties to the Communist Party.

Microsoft said its discussions with ByteDance over a possible buyout would be completed by September 15, a deadline reportedly set by Mr Trump.

Following a conversation between Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella and President Donald J Trump, Microsoft is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States, the US tech giant said.

Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the presidents concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.

Microsoft said that, as part of any deal, it would ensure that all private data of TikToks American users is transferred to and remains in the United States.

Despite the political sensitivities surrounding the Chinese firm, Downing Street has said any decision on its HQ would be a commercial one for TikTok.

The Prime Ministers official spokesman said: I am not aware that any decision has been made on that.

In any event, ByteDances decision on the location of their global headquarters is a commercial one for the company.
The aircraft about four hours ago.

An Il 96-300 jet that is reportedly part of the Russian Presidential Administration's fleet has landed in the occupied Crimea, as evidenced by FlightRadar monitoring system data

The liner, registration No. RA-96012, arrived from Moscow some four hours ago, bihus.info reported.

According to journalists, until 2003, the plane was used as the president's main aircraft, while now it is reportedly being used as backup.

It is worth noting that Putin's political operative in Ukraine, MP with the Opposition Platform  For Life Party Viktor Medvedchuk and his wife Oksana Marchenko crossed from mainland Ukraine into the occupied Crimea on Sunday.

Read alsoRepublicans propose sanctions against Medvedchuk (Document)

According to Medvedchuk's press secretary, he is there on vacation along with his family.

No official meetings were announced.

In 2019, in the heat of presidential election campaign in Ukraine, Medvedchuk was harshly criticized for flying to Moscow where he met with senior Russian officials without any authorization on the part of Ukrainian authorities.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says he is sure that Viktor Medvedchuk, who is believed to be in actual control, through affiliated persons, of a TV channels' pool in Ukraine, is sponsored by Moscow.
Speaking at a conference, the cardinal criticised the invisibility of Christians in school textbooks. Culture can represent a barrier to the barbarism of the Islamic State group and other extremisms. Art and history are a peoples "living memory" and represent more wealth than oil. Leading figures of various ethnic and religious backgrounds should make a joint statement to that end.

Baghdad (AsiaNews)  Iraqs Christian cultural, historical and artistic heritage should be preserved "like the Islamic heritage, said Chaldean Patriarch Card Louis Raphael Sako. It "saddens me not to find any reference to this heritage, to our contribution to the nations civilisation, in its school books, he added.

Via video link, the cardinal spoke yesterday to the Second Conference on Conservation of the world heritage in crisis areas (29-30 July), promoted by the Iraqi National Committee for Education, Culture and Science, in collaboration with Al-Mustansiriya University.

In his address, the patriarch noted that a peoples cultural heritage is its living memory" and greatest "treasure" because "it not only contributed to building its past, but also to its present".

In Iraq, he went on to say, "we must prepare educational curricula for our students" to teach "education, respect and acceptance of others, their life and diversity.

Such openness is fundamental to "preserve ones heritage and dismantle" radical ideology, like that promoted by the Islamic State (IS) group which destroyed monuments, treasures and historical places in Nimrod, Hatra and Mosul.

Since the days when he was archbishop of Kirkuk, Card Sako has spoken out against the dangers that threaten Iraqs cultural heritage, a "universal good" to be safeguarded like the countrys archaeological heritage, which alone is worth "more than oil".

Such a task falls on all Iraqis, not only Christians, something that he mentioned at the 2016 conference on Safeguarding Endangered Cultural Heritage in conflict areas, held in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, which brought together heads of state and government, Islamic and Christian clerics, historians, archaeologists, as well as cultural experts and activists.

For Card Sako, a countrys cultural heritage does not belong to a single class, ethnic group or religion, but is a "universal good" and source of "wealth for all humanity". It is more important than oil because it is "immortal and does not run out" if properly preserved.

"The Christian heritage is a human legacy and an integral part of Iraqis heritage, and includes monasteries and churches, places like the 1st century church in Kochi (Tell Kuchi, 35 km south-west of Baghdad), plus sculptures, icons and manuscripts.

"Christians welcomed Muslims in the 7th century and contributed to the construction of Islamic culture, especially during the era of the Abbasid caliphate in the 'House of Wisdom', with their doctors, translators and architects" who built many mosques and buildings of great value that still stand today.

For the cardinal, "This heritage must be cared for, maintained, and displayed in schools and universities; it must also include references to Shias, Sunnis, Christians, Yazidis, Sabaeans and Mandaeans. To this end, he would like to see a joint statement on the matter.


By Jung Min-ho





Ali, the undocumented hero from Kazakhstan / Yonhap

A Kazakh man who risked his life to save 10 people from a burning building faces deportation after his illegal status came to light.



Moved by his story, more than 10,000 people have signed a petition urging the government not to deport the man, 28, who they say deserves permanent residency and a reward, not deportation.



"The government should compensate him for what he did," a petitioner said on the Cheong Wa Dae website. "I have heard he is going to be deported. If the government did so to such a person, it would be an international embarrassment."



The man, identified only by his given name Ali, smelled something burning when he arrived at his one-bedroom apartment in a town in Yangyang County, Gangwon Province, about 11:20 p.m. on Mar. 23.



After realizing the building was on fire, he immediately opened the windows on the second and third floors to let the smoke out. He then he screamed "fire, fire!" to wake up everyone in the complex.



After being told that one woman was still in her room on the second floor, Ali climbed gas pipes to get in and ran through flames to rescue her. In doing so, he suffered burns to his neck, back and hands. But unfortunately the woman died after inhaling too much toxic smoke.



Worried about his illegal status, Ali left the scene as soon as firefighters arrived.



After learning what happened to him, his neighbors eventually took him to a hospital where they helped him receive treatment.



On April 16, Ali reported himself to the Korea Immigration Service as an undocumented worker. Following his admission, he now has to leave Korea by May 1.



Ali, a father of two children, came to Korea on a tourist visa in 2017 and has worked at various places to support his family in Kazakhstan.



In 2018, an undocumented Malian migrant who rescued a child dangling from the balcony of a fourth-floor flat in Paris was given French citizenship for his bravery.




(ANSA) - ROME, 03 AGO - The results of serological tests conducted and analysed by the health ministry and statistics agency ISTAT suggest that 1.482 million people in Italy, 2.5% of the resident population, have developed antibodies for SarsCov2.

The estimate suggests that six times as many people have come into contact with the coronavirus than the number of confirmed cases identified so far.

The "provisional' analysis is based on 64,660 serological tests taken as part of a campaign to see how widely the coronavirus has spread in the Italian population.

The campaign failed to hit the target of doing 150,000 serological tests but the health ministry and ISTAT said the analysis was still valid. (ANSA).


Establishing a coworking space is often an early step for communities to attract and support more digital economy workers, entrepreneurs and employees with the flexibility to work remotely. Coworking spaces not only provide the infrastructure, equipment and professional setting for productive work, but also offer a support network for members to connect with potential collaborators, customers or mentors. Coworking spaces are typically hubs for community events including classes or workshops designed to teach new skills.

"The rise of the digital economy has allowed cities of all sizes to attract high-paying jobs, diversify their industries and create revitalized entrepreneurial ecosystems," says Brian Watson, Director of Community Development for Proximity. "Coworking spaces and the people who are attracted to them play a vital role in transformation. We've worked with hundreds of communities across the country and we are very encouraged by the work being done at the State of Utah to embrace the innovation economy. We believe initiatives like this will help secure Utah's place as a leader in rural economic development for years to come."

Proximity has completed hundreds of software implementations for coworking spaces, many of which are located in rural areas across the United States. Rural coworking space operators in the Proximity Network are often the first to establish a coworking space in their local communities and rely on Proximity to provide information on best practices for coworking space operations. Proximity owns and operates three coworking spaces on Colorado's Western Slope.

Proximity was selected as a software provider by the State of Utah based on coworking software implementation experience and comprehensive platform capabilities including a digital door access system, member check-in system and management of reservations, events, billing and reporting.

Coworking space grant recipients will work cooperatively with local city and county officials, educational institutions and regional economic development organizations to promote job growth, particularly in communities with high unemployment rates and lower median incomes. Through Utah's Rural Economic Development Incentive grant, businesses in rural regions can also receive funding support for new jobs created. These jobs can be remote, based in a coworking space or physically located in the same county as the business.

About Proximity

Proximity helps coworking spaces manage and grow member communities by providing digital door access and software for memberships, billing, reporting, Wi-Fi access, events and conference room reservations. With hundreds of coworking space locations in the Proximity Network, workspace is searchable and accessible to entrepreneurs, small businesses and remote workers across the country. Proximity also founded the School of Coworking to provide coworking space owners and community managers training and resources to run a successful coworking space.

Contact

Holly Williamson

Head of Growth, Proximity

[email protected]

970-412-2075

SOURCE Proximity Space

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More than 250 employees of Georgias largest school district are out of work due to COVID-19.

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported that Gwinnett County Public Schools reported 260 employees have called in to report a positive coronavirus test or possible exposure to the virus and are therefore unable to work.

Gwinnett County schools, which has about 180,000 students, will open for virtual classes only on Aug. 12.

A spokesperson for the district said the majority of the cases are the result of community spread and the people have not been at school or work.

Gwinnett County is one of Georgias areas hardest hit by coronavirus. As of Sunday, the county has 17,781 positive cases and 240 deaths.

The U.S. currently has more than 4.6 million diagnosed cases of coronavirus and 154,965 deaths.

See all of AL.coms coronavirus coverage here.

Birx warns of extraordinarily widespread virus

Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, said the countrys current coronavirus situation is very different from what the U.S. saw in March and April.

It is extraordinarily widespread. So everybody who lives in a rural area, you are not immune or protected from this virus and that is why we keep saying, no matter where you live in America, you need to wear a mask and socially distance, Birx said during a weekend interview.

Emergency room visits plunged during pandemic

A new study showed that emergency room visits plunged during the coronavirus pandemic.

Emergency room visits decreased by almost 65% even as hospital admissions grew by 149%, according to Dr. Molly Jeffery and a team from the Mayo Clinic. The study examined emergency room conditions in five states - Colorado, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New York and North Carolina  from the beginning of January to the end of April.

Decreases ranged from 42% in Colorado to 64% in New York.

Random testing mandatory for presidential office staff

Randomized coronavirus testing will become mandatory for staff of the Executive Office of the President, CNN is reporting. The testing order goes into effect today.

As part of our ongoing efforts to protect the health and safety of the entire White House Complex, randomized testing of Executive Office of the President staff, which has been ongoing for several months, will become mandatory rather than voluntary, an official told the network.

Previously, the testing had been voluntary. The change comes after President Trumps national security adviser, Robert OBrien, tested positive for the virus.
Anglo-Australian metals and mining giant Rio Tinto Group and its Chinese partner Chinalco are making progress on their long-delayed development of an iron ore mine in Guinea.

Anglo-Australian metals and mining giant Rio Tinto Group and its Chinese partner Chinalco are making progress on their long-delayed development of an iron ore mine in Guinea, the company told Caixin on Monday.

The Simandou iron ore project (Blocks 3 and 4) in Guinea is progressing as we collaborate with our partners to optimize the program, the company said.

The West Africa project also was mentioned earlier in Rio Tintos half-year earnings report for this year after being on hold for several years, mostly due to infrastructure financing issues.

The change followed the Guinea governments approval for the development of two other blocks of Simandou deposits in June, Rio Tinto said. This provided hope for the potential construction of sites owned by the company.

Located in the mountains of southeastern Guinea, Simandou has more than 8.6 billion tons of iron ore reserves, according to the countrys National Institute of Statistics. It is considered to be the worlds largest and highest-quality untapped reserve.

Some industry insiders expect the project could produce up to 150 million tons of iron ore per year, or about 14% of Chinas 1.07 billion tons of iron ore imports in 2019.

The mining rights for Simandou have been split into four blocks. SMB-Winning, a consortium backed by French, Singaporean and Chinese companies, owns the rights to Blocks 1 and 2. Aluminum Corp. of China (Chinalco) owns 44.65% of blocks 3 and 4 and Rio Tinto has the rest.

Some China-based design institutes are set to review the local infrastructure elements, including the route of a trans-Guinea railway and shipping capacity. Right now, we are concentrating on updating the infrastructure elements of the project, Rio Tinto said.

The amount of capital that will be thrown into the project has not been revealed, and no specific timelines have been provided for construction.

Given the scale and complexity of the behemoth project, financing has been a fundamental issue for shareholders to address before construction can begin.

Caixin reported in June that state-owned steel giant China Baowu Steel Group is considering taking over Chinalcos shares in a consortium with other domestic steelmakers and is seeking to raise some $6 billion to develop the mine.

Rio Tinto declined to comment on the matter, and said it and Chinalco continue to work with the government to look at all options.

Rio Tinto added that it is assessing options that involve all four Simandou blocks. People close to the project predict the infrastructure costs will make up 60% of the estimated $18 billion investment that Rio identified was needed.

That figure includes a 650-kilometer (403-mile) trans-Guinea rail line required by Guineas government to haul goods produced by the mine, as well as a deep-water port.

Some industry insiders remain doubtful about Rio Tintos momentum, saying the development of Simandou will lead to a surge in iron ore production. This would depress recent high prices and tilt the tight balance between supply and demand.

The estimated cost, insurance, and freight (CIF) price for iron ore shipped from Simandou to China is $40 per ton, more than double the average $20 per ton for iron ore from Australia.

A previous version of this story used the incorrect abbreviation for Aluminum Corp. of China Ltd. It should be Chinalco.

Contact reporter Lu Yutong (yutonglu@caixin.com)

Download our app to receive breaking news alerts and read the news on the go.
More than 34bn has been handed out under the government's 'Bounce Back' scheme. Photo: Anthony Upton/Pool via AP

The UK Treasury has dolled out more than 50bn ($65bn) in loans to firms that have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic thus far, according to new figures.

Up to 2 August, more than 34bn had been handed out under the bounce back scheme, which allows eligible small businesses to access loans of up to 50,000 backed by a 100% government guarantee.

A further 13bn has been issued through the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS), which offers 80% government-backed loans.

And some 3.3bn has been handed out to larger firms as part of the coronavirus large business interruption loan scheme (CLBILS).

Separately, the government has given 534m to startups as part of its Future Fund initiative.

READ MORE: European stocks mixed as investors assess surging coronavirus cases

The government is also continuing to support the salaries of about 9.6 million workers who have been furloughed under the governments coronavirus job retention scheme.

HM Revenue and Customs said that some 1.2 million businesses are claiming 33.8bn in wage subsidies.

The speed at which small businesses are taking out loans under the bounce back scheme has been described as an incredible red flag by the Institute for Government.

Launched in early May, the programme is by far the most popular form of coronavirus support loan offered to small and medium-sized businesses, with firms borrowing more than double the total lent by the other two support schemes.

READ MORE: BP halves dividend as it swings to record $6.7bn loss

I would raise a flag over the speed with which the Bounce Back loans have gone out the door, Giles Wilkes, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government, told the Treasury Select Committee of the House of Commons in June.

Bounce back loans were launched in response to criticism of the slow speed of the governments coronavirus business interruption loans (CBILS).

The 100% state guarantee requires banks to conduct only basic money laundering and fraud checks before handing out the loans.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 05:47:54|Editor: huaxia

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A woman wearing a face mask is seen on a street in Cairo, Egypt, Aug. 4, 2020. Egypt reported on Monday 157 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily figure since April 22, raising the total cases registered in the country to 94,640, the Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement on Monday. (Xinhua/Wu Huiwo)

CAIRO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Egypt reported on Monday 157 new COVID-19 cases, the lowest daily figure since April 22, raising the total cases registered in the country to 94,640, the Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

A total of 23 patients died from the pandemic on the same day, bringing the death toll to 4,888, while 1,611 others were cured and discharged from hospitals, increasing the total recoveries to 44,066, the ministry's spokesman Khaled Megahed said in the statement.

The Egyptian Health Ministry stated earlier on Monday that the recovery rates for people infected with coronavirus in quarantine hospitals have risen to 44.9 percent for the first time since the beginning of the crisis.

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 saw a record of 1,774 COVID-19 daily infections on June 19.

But since the first week of July, daily new coronavirus fatalities and infections in Egypt started to gradually decline amid a significant increase in daily new recoveries.

Egypt and China have been working together on 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.
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From Ahmad SAKA,Bauchi

Gombe State Government has restated its commitment to formalize the Almajiri system of education in the State.

A statement signed by the Technical Assistant to the Gombe State Project Coordinator on Better Education and Service Delivery BESDA Usman Usman Dankyarana which was distributed to reporters in Bauchi today Monday said ,The State Commissioner of Education, Dr. Habu Dahiru stated this in Kaduna when he led Government delegation to the Headquarters of National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies NBAIS a Federal Government Board to regulate the education of Almajiri in Nigeria.

He said the visit was the second visit after the first one to seek partnership with the board on how the quranic education will be better taught and managed.

Dr. Dahiru said Gombe State Ministry of Education is fully aware of the expertise of the board in quality assurance, conduct of examination and issuance of certificates to students of Arabic and Islamic and government is ready to collaborate with NBAIS to ensure that people who pass through the modern tsangaya schools and found worthy in character and learning are certificated.

You also know that the teacher is the back bone of the provision of any form of education, the Gombe State Government will also seek the expertise of NBAIS in building the capacity of our teachers in this regard

He said the State Ministry of Education is aware of the contributions of NBAIS to the success recorded in Arabic and Islamic studies in some states that have partnered with it, adding that Gombe State is desirous to reap from such benefits.

The Commissioner said the present administration of Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya is committed to a holistic transformation of the education sector right from the basic level.

He attributed the high number of out of School children in the State to the centrality of Gombe in the North east zone, as a result of which the state grapples with influx of people running from the insurgency affected neighbouring states of Borno Yobe and Adamawa.

In order to address such challenges, the Gombe State Commissioner of Education said, the Inuwa Yahaya-led administration keyed into the Federal Government- World Bank project, Better Education Service Delivery for All, BESDA to mop up out of school children and bring them back to the classroom.

He said the partnership with the National Board for Arabic and Islamic Studies, NBAIS is to modernize, standardize and formalize the tsangaya learning system so that those who pass through it can obtain certificate for future challenges.

Also speaking, Gombe state BESDA Coordinator, Dr. Abdullahi Bappah Garkuwa stated that Governor Inuwa Yahaya is committed to repositioning Almajiri system of education in the State as he intends to establish 11 tsangaya model schools that will accommodate 1000 Almajiri in each local government, which is the first of its kind in the country and will help to sustain the BESDA project on integrating Almajiri to continue with their education.

Dr. Garkuwa said that Gombe State Government is planning a National Summit on Almajiri education.

He said Under BESDA programme the state reduced the number of out of school children especially girl child who hawk on the streets, and integrate thousands of almajiri in western Education classes.

The Acting Registrar of the Board, Professor Shafiu Abdullahi expressed its readiness to collaborate with any state government in modernizing Tsangaya Quranic School to address challenges of Al-Majiris in the country.

Professor Shafiu Abdullahi said the board has come up with modalities with a view to transforming Tsangaya System of Education in the country.

He said the measures include training proprietors and Alarammas of Tsangaya school in a bid to take a new turn in Almajiri system of education for sustainable development.

Registrar said the board was highly committed to bringing an end the problems of Almajiri by providing them with appropriate syllabus and Method of teaching in the tsangaya Quranic schools.

The commissioners delegation comprised of Special Adviser on Budget, Planning and Development Partners Coordination, BESDA coordinator, Representative of alarammas, Permanent member 2 (who represented the SUBEB chairman), the Representative of Sheikh Dahiru Bauchi foundation and Representative from sheikh Abdulkadir Jahun foundation.
New Delhi: Actress Rhea Chakraborty has always been living in Mumbai. She was in Mumbai on June 14, the day Sushant Singh Rajput died, but was not allowed to attend his funeral, her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said in a statement on Monday. His statement comes just days after the Bihar Police claimed that its team is unable to "locate" her. Meanwhile, Satish Maneshinde also added that Rhea's name was struck off from the list of 20 people who were allowed to attend Sushant's last rites.

Confirming Rhea's presence in front of the Mumbai Police to record her statement in the case, her lawyer said, "She was summoned by Mumbai Police on June 18 at Bandra police station. Her statement was recorded there. Subsequently, she was summoned to appear on July 17 at Santacruz police station. She appeared and recorded her supplementary statement."

Rhea has been featuring in headlines since Sushant's death. The duo was in a relationship. However, last week, Sushant's father KK Singh filed an FIR against her accusing the actress of cheating and harassment. After the FIR, a team of Bihar Police launched an investigation in Mumbai, which hasn't gone down well with Mumbai Police. Rhea, too, has approached the Supreme Court seeking transfer of the Patna FIR to Mumbai.

Of which, Satish Maneshinde said in the statement, "Later on when the Bihar Police came to Mumbai to investigate a case on the basis of an FIR registered at Patna, she approached the Supreme Court and filed a Transfer Petition on July 30 for transfer of the case to Mumbai in view of the legal position that a case registered beyond the jurisdiction of the local police station where the alleged incident has taken place can only record a ' Zero FIR' and transfer it for investigation to Mumbai where the criminal law has already been set in motion. The Bihar Police has no jurisdiction to investigate the case legally and otherwise."

Sushant died by suicide on June 14 in Mumbai. Rhea was spotted at the Cooper Hospital where his body was taken for a post-mortem on June 15.
Watertown, NY (13601)

Today

Cloudy. Snow showers developing late. Low 1F. SE winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Higher wind gusts possible..

Tonight

Cloudy. Snow showers developing late. Low 1F. SE winds at 5 to 10 mph, increasing to 15 to 25 mph. Chance of snow 40%. Higher wind gusts possible.
Krista Waring may not be a runner, but she uses the activity to make a difference in the lives of others.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Krista Waring may not be a runner, but she uses the activity to make a difference in the lives of others.

The 57-year-old Wolseley resident is the founder and race director for Run 4 Your Cause (R4YC). About 140 runners participated in the third annual event, which took place virtually last month. Participants raised more than $8,000 for seven charities.

"This was an opportunity to engage in social solidarity while practising physical distancing," Waring says. "Folks were so appreciative. Now that we know how to do it, I think a virtual option will become part of future R4YC events."

R4YC is the successor to Hand in Hand with Haiti, a charity run Waring co-founded with her friend Jacquie Daoudi.

Hand in Hand with Haiti benefited EMAS Canada, a Christian organization that provides education, medical aid and service in a number of countries around the world.

Warings husband, Pierre Plourde, is a physician, and the couple have traveled to Haiti with EMAS Canada numerous times in the past 33 years.

After six years of being a race director for Hand in Hand with Haiti, Waring worked with the Manitoba Runners Association to create R4YC.

She believed that if they offered an event that allowed smaller organizations to work together to create one fundraising run, rather than each doing their own, they would be able to offer a better experience for the participants.

They could also create more awareness and fundraising opportunities for the participating charities.

In addition to EMAS Canada, some of the organizations that this years event raised funds for included the Resource Centre for Manitobans who are Deaf-Blind, Winnipeg Lost Dog Alert and the Canadian Hemophilia Societys Manitoba chapter.

MIKAELA MACKENZIE / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Fair trade medals, hand-made from scrap metal by a Haitian artist, were presented to Run 4 Your Cause participants, which raised more than $8,000 for seven charities last month.

"I love working with the variety of causes," says Waring, who leads a seven-person committee to plan the event. "Its a wonderful opportunity to learn about different organizations and the great work that they do."

Participants in this years R4YC could choose from four different challenges.

They could walk or run 3 km, 5 km, 10 km or participate in the 5 km "Awesome Twosome," a two-person challenge that added together each persons individual 5 km time to create a combined 10 km result.

Finishers each received a unique medal that was purchased following fair trade principles. The medals were hand-made out of scrap metal by a Haitian artist.

"The thing that sticks out for me the most is how grateful folks were that we still offered (an event)," Waring says, adding that planning a virtual challenge was very different from putting on a physical event. "It was a steep learning curve, but we put it together and had 141 take up the challengemany from outside of Winnipeg."

People from all over Manitoba and northwestern Ontario participated, as well as folks from the U.S., Switzerland and Israel.

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"A lot of people were still deeply grieving not having events to go to, but Im very pleased with the whole experience," Waring says. "It did go quite well."

Waring attributes her interest in volunteering to the influence of her parents, as well as her Christian faith.

In addition to her year-round work with R4YC and Hand in Hand with Haiti, she serves as president of the Manitoba Runners Association, treasurer for EMAS Canada, and treasurer for the Manitoba Council for International Cooperation.

She also volunteers in the two congregations she belongs to, St. Benedicts Table and Epiphany Indigenous Anglican Church.

"Im always wondering what I can do to make the world a better place in whatever context Im in," Waring says. "Theres no time for boredom, thats for sure."

If you know a special volunteer, please contact aaron.epp@gmail.com.
Microsoft On Track To Save TikTok

Microsoft has confirmed that it is in serious negotiations to acquire short-form video social media service TikTok from Chinese technology company ByteDance.

Microsoft may invite other American investors to participate in the purchase and anticipates completing negotiations over the potential sale by September 15th.

Microsoft fully appreciates the importance of addressing the Presidents concerns. It is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury,  Microsoft

According to Microsoft, they have already notified the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States of their interest and the deal would involve a purchase of the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand and would result in Microsoft owning and operating TikTok in these markets.

The sale would allow them to build on TikToks existing platform, while enhancing its security, privacy, and digital safety protections.

It is those security and privacy concerns that have drawn scrutiny for TikTok in recent weeks as a possible conduit for collecting personal and sensitive information by the Chinese government.

In June, India announced a ban on more than a dozen Chinese smartphone apps, including TikTok amid deadly border tensions between the two nuclear-armed nations.

As well, in the U.S. last week, President Donald Trump threatened to ban TikTok as early as Saturday, expressing similar concerns.

The threat appears to have prompted Microsoft to step forward about the potential deal and the company said that its CEO Satya Nadella has held discussions with President Trump over the deal.

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Agartala, Aug 4 : Four people in Tripura were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly abusing and spitting on a woman doctor at a health facility here, police said.

There was an additional government advocate among these four who had earlier tested Covid positive. They were arrested after the completion of their seven-day institutional quarantine.

The victim was West Tripura District Health Surveillance Officer Sangita Chakraborty. The incident was reported from a government-run Covid Care Centre (CCC) here when she had gone on July 24 to admit five women who had given birth only a day earlier, the police officer said.

Chakraborty also told the media: "One of the patients rinsed his mouth and spat on my head from the roof of the Covid care centre, forcing me to rush inside the centre." She said they had reached the care centre with a health department team and police personnel to admit the new patients when a group of people, men and women, obstructed their way and claimed that there were no beds vacant at the centre.

"When requested by the other doctors and nurses to return to their beds, some of them started agitating using filthy language, spat on me and threatened to touch me and infect me with coronavirus," the health officer said.

Tripura Health and Family Welfare Department Director Radha Debbarma said that the authority would take stern action against the accused.

Stating that Chakraborty, a young doctor, worked hard to take care of COVID-19 and other patients, Debbarma told IANS: "We will not tolerate any unruliness in the health institutions and Covid care centres." Demanding 'exemplary punishment', the All Tripura Government Doctors' Association (ATGDA) general secretary Rajesh Choudhury said they had raised the issue with higher authorities, including Sanjay Kumar Rakesh, Additional Chief Secretary (in-charge of the Health and Family Welfare Department). "If they failed to take any action, we would take appropriate legal steps," Choudhury told IANS.

Tripura Law and Education Minister Ratan Lal Nath has promised legal action against all those who ill-treated the woman doctor.
Spaniards ask where Juan Carlos has gone after ex-king leaves country FILE PHOTO: Funeral of Luxembourg's Grand Duke Jean in Luxembourg

By Marco Trujillo and Ezequiel Abiu Lopez

MADRID/SANTO DOMINGO (Reuters) - The whereabouts of former king Juan Carlos remained a mystery on Tuesday after he abruptly left Spain under a cloud of scandal, and the Dominican Republic, where several Spanish newspapers reported he was, said it had no registry of his arrival.

One Spanish media outlet speculated he was in Portugal.

The royal palace said on Monday that Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 over a previous scandal, was leaving the country so that his personal affairs would not overshadow his son King Felipe's reign, in a statement that stunned Spaniards.

The palace did not say where the 82-year-old went, triggering intense speculation about his whereabouts.

The Migration Office in the Dominican capital Santo Domingo said the former king's last trip to the Caribbean country was from Feb. 28 to March 2. The foreign ministry also said it had no information about a possible arrival of Juan Carlos.

Adding to the confusion, RTVE broadcaster, citing unnamed sources close to Juan Carlos, said the former monarch wanted to return to Spain soon and El Mundo quoted an anonymous person close to him saying he may come back in September.

Pressure had been building on Juan Carlos and Felipe to take action to protect the monarchy, after Spanish and Swiss prosecutors started examining allegations of bribes relating to a high-speed rail contract and reports of offshore accounts.

Juan Carlos is not formally under investigation in either country and so is not technically a fugitive.

Juan Carlos came to the throne in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco and was widely respected for his role in helping guide Spain from dictatorship to democracy, but recent scandals have tarnished his image.

"I think he's running away like a coward. He should admit what he has done and be up front," said Madrid resident Paz Rodriguez.

Retiree Santiago Pradas was more understanding. "They're not being fair. There are many politicians, many parties, who have stolen three times as much," he said.

Story continues

REMOTE EXILE OR STAYING NEXT DOOR?

Juan Carlos' lawyer said on Monday the ex-king was "at the disposal" of prosecutors. Neither the lawyer nor the Royal House have commented on whether Juan Carlos has left Spain or where he is. Via his lawyer, the ex-king has repeatedly declined to comment on the corruption allegations.

La Vanguardia said Juan Carlos, who is keeping the title of King Emeritus, left the palace on Sunday, before going to Portugal by car on Monday and flying on to the Dominican Republic.

The former monarch plans to stay for a few weeks with a family who made their fortune in sugar plantations, the newspaper said, without citing a source.

The ABC newspaper also said Juan Carlos had gone to the Caribbean country. However El Confidencial said he was in Portugal, not far from Lisbon.

Asked about his whereabouts, Portugal's foreign ministry replied that it had nothing to say, while local authorities in the region had no information.

Prosecutors in Geneva and Madrid are looking into offshore accounts and possible bribes. The Geneva prosecutor's office did not respond to a request for comment. In Spain, the Supreme Court's prosecutor's office said it was carrying on with its investigation, adding that Juan Carlos' decision to leave changed nothing.

Switzerland classifies the Dominican Republic as a country with which judicial cooperation is "very difficult", but Spain has an extradition agreement with it.

"EVADE JUSTICE"?

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he respected the royal household's decision.

"Institutions should not be judged, people should be judged. In this case, Juan Carlos has said clearly he is at the disposal of the legal system if necessary, just like any other Spaniard," he told a news conference.

His leftist Podemos allies took a much harsher stance, saying Juan Carlos was "trying to evade justice" and putting the future of the monarchy in question.

Jose Juan Toharia of polling firm Metroscopia said the royal household's handling of the situation would go down well with Spaniards, because Juan Carlos had said he would answer any legal case and Felipe is trusted by 70% of the population.

(Additional reporting by Nathan Allen, Isla Binnie, Michael Gore, Miguel Gutierrez, Joan Faus, Catarina Demony, Paola Luelmo, Emma Farge, Elena Rodriguez, Writing by Ingrid Melander and Andrei Khalip; Editing by Giles Elgood and Alexandra Hudson)
A new Penn Medicine study sheds light on yet another reason why the coronavirus pandemic is disproportionately killing the poor: Residents in low-income neighborhoods lack access to intensive care unit (ICU) beds.

While the shortage of ICU beds in the United States has been documented since the pandemic began, the new report, published Monday in the August issue of Health Affairs, is the first to show how starkly a person's ZIP code affects access to COVID-19 care. Most dramatically, approximately half of communities with the lowest median household incomes (less than $35,000) have zero ICU beds per ten thousand residents age fifty or older, compared with just 3 percent of communities with household incomes of at least $90,000.

ICU, or critical care units, provide life support and high-tech equipment for patients with serious, life-threatening illnesses who require continuous care and monitoring. In the case of COVID-19, patients who are unable to breathe on their own require the ventilator support offered by an ICU to survive. For seriously ill patients, having access to an ICU is the difference between life and death.

The findings suggest that policymakers must take action, such as facilitating hospital sharing and publicly financing specialized resources, said study principal investigator Genevieve P. Kanter, PhD, an assistant professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania.

Because low-income communities face higher infection rates of the virus, as well as a higher prevalence of comorbidities -- which increases the risk of death from the disease -- the low supply of ICU beds compounds the impact COVID-19 will have on these communities. Plans should be made for coordinating how hospitals can share these burdens." Genevieve P. Kanter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Medical Ethics, and Health Policy in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania

The study sample consisted of the ICU bed capacity of 4,518 short-term and critical access hospitals in the 50 states and Washington, D.C., obtained from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services' Healthcare Provider Cost Reporting Information System. The researchers used 2018 five-year American Community Survey estimates to gather information about population, age distribution, racial distribution, and median household income. Rather than comparing ICU bed capacity by county or ZIP code, the researchers instead aggregated their data by hospital service area (HSA), which is defined as a set of ZIP codes corresponding to the area in which residents receive most of their hospital care.

The study found that ICU availability varied considerably across the country. More than one third of American communities had zero ICU beds. Geographically, half of hospital service areas in the Midwest census region and 34 percent in the West had zero ICU beds per then thousand residents age fifty or older. By contrast, 52 percent of hospital service areas in the Northeast and 54 percent in the South had more than four ICU beds per ten thousand residents age fifty or older

The researchers also found a large gap in access by income: 49 percent of the lowest-income communities had no ICU beds in their communities, compared to only 3 percent of the highest income areas. Conversely, 46 percent of the lowest-income communities had an ICU bed supply of more than four beds per ten thousand residents age fifty or older, while a total of 59 percent of the highest-income places had more than four beds per ten thousand.

These differences were most pronounced in rural areas. Similar proportions of low-, middle-, and high-income communities in cities had access to more than seven ICU beds per ten thousand residents age fifty or older, compared with communities in less urban areas.

In response to these disparities, the study's authors suggest several steps that policymakers might take to mitigate further harms of COVID-19 in these regions. First, they point out that individual hospitals facing severe COVID-19-related financial losses have little incentive to attract critically-ill patients from underserved areas, as these patients often lack extensive insurance coverage, and the costs of their care often exceed reimbursement rates. Therefore, the authors recommend that higher-level coordination is needed at the county, state, and federal levels to facilitate hospital sharing of the demand for care and to publicly finance specialized resources, such as ventilators and critical care doctors.

Second, the researchers say that the typical emergency medical system guideline to "transport to the nearest hospital" should be revisited under these new pandemic conditions. Local emergency medical services agencies should develop plans for how and under what conditions patients can be transported to hospitals outside their immediate communities and how these transport protocols will be communicated to the public.

And lastly, the study's authors argue that emergency funds need to be directed toward hospitals lacking sufficient ICU resources, especially those caring for large older populations that are more likely to be hospitalized for COVID-19.

"I hope our study provides policymakers with information on which communities will be in greatest need, as well as guidance in the steps required to meet those needs," Kanter said.
Devaraj B Hirehalli By

Express News Service

TUMAKURU: The ten per cent quota implemented by the Narendra Modi led BJP government on Jan.7, 2019 for the Economically Weaker Section (EWS) in the General category turned a boon to Vivek H B as the 2018 Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer graduates to Indian Police Service.

His rank being 257 in 2018, he could not get the IAS as he belonged to General category but now despite his rank going down at 444, he will get the IPS and is all set to join the training at Indian Police Academy in Hyderabad.

He hailed from a humble background of a farmer's family and had lost his mother Shashikala and his older sister Sukanya, a mathematics lecturer was his mentor. His father H L Basavalingaiah, a farmer at Hucchagondanahalli village in Tiptur taluk, who had studied up to class X, was all praise for his son's improved achievement as he did not give up.

The BE computer science graduate from Kalpataru Institute of Technology (KIT) had worked with an MNC for some time.

"I would like to bring a humility to the police force and give justice to the last person of the society by building the public trust," Vivek told to TNIE over the phone from New Delhi.

Rural boy graduates from IRS to IAS

Another IRS officer Harish B C of Hebburu village near Tumakuru of 2017 batch who had already been serving in Nagpur improved his rank from 657 to 409 in 2019 and will get the IAS this time. He hailed from a socially weaker section.

Harish B C IAS

His father Chikkavenkataiah was a farmer ZP member and mother Chikkamma, also a farmer. "Marriage did not deter me from chasing the dream of becoming an IAS officer as my wife Rashmi, also an engineer stood by me," he remarked.
By Marco Trujillo and Nathan Allen

MADRID (Reuters) - Spain's former king Juan Carlos has gone to the Dominican Republic after abruptly leaving his home country under a cloud of scandal, several Spanish newspapers said on Tuesday, though one placed him in Portugal.

The royal palace said on Monday that Juan Carlos, who abdicated in 2014 over a previous scandal, was leaving so that his personal affairs would not overshadow his son King Felipe's reign, in a statement that stunned Spaniards.

The palace did not say where the 82-year-old went, triggering intense speculation about his whereabouts.

Adding to the confusion, RTVE broadcaster, citing unnamed sources close to Juan Carlos, said the former monarch wanted to return to Spain soon and El Mundo quoted an anonymous person close to him saying he may come back in September.

Pressure had been building on Juan Carlos and Felipe to take action to protect the monarchy, after Spanish and Swiss prosecutors started examining allegations of bribes relating to a high-speed rail contract and reports of offshore accounts.

Juan Carlos came to the throne in 1975 after the death of General Francisco Franco and was widely respected for his role in helping guide Spain from dictatorship to democracy, but recent scandals have tarnished his image.

"I think he's running away like a coward. He should admit what he has done and be up front," said Madrid resident Paz Rodriguez.

Retiree Santiago Pradas was more understanding. "They're not being fair. There are many politicians, many parties, who have stolen three times as much," he said.

DOMINICAN EXILE?

Juan Carlos' lawyer said on Monday the ex-king was "at the disposal" of prosecutors. Neither the lawyer nor the Royal House have commented on whether Juan Carlos has left Spain or where he is. Via his lawyer, the ex-king has repeatedly declined to comment on the corruption allegations.

La Vanguardia said Juan Carlos, who is keeping the title of King Emeritus, left the palace on Sunday, before going to Portugal by car on Monday and flying on to the Dominican Republic.

Story continues

The former monarch plans to stay for a few weeks with a family who made their fortune in sugar plantations, the newspaper said, without citing a source.

The ABC newspaper also said Juan Carlos had gone to the Caribbean country. However El Confidencial said he was in Portugal, not far from Lisbon.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic and Portugal said they had no news of his whereabouts.

While prosecutors in Geneva and Madrid are looking into offshore accounts and possible bribes, Juan Carlos is not formally under investigation in either country and so is not technically a fugitive.

The Geneva prosecutor's office did not respond to a request for comment. In Spain, the Supreme Court's prosecutor's office said it was carrying on with its investigation, adding that Juan Carlos' decision to leave changed nothing.

Switzerland classifies the Dominican Republic as a country with which judicial cooperation is "very difficult", but Spain has an extradition agreement with it.

"EVADE JUSTICE"?

Many of Spain's newspapers sought to defend the former king's achievements.

"The disappointing ... conduct by Juan Carlos in the last years of his reign cannot make us forget his irreplaceable contribution to Spaniards' progress and freedom during close to half a century," the left-leaning El Pais said in an editorial, adding that it would be irresponsible to launch a debate on the monarchy now because Spain needs stability.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he respected the royal household's decision.

"Institutions should not be judged, people should be judged. In this case, Juan Carlos has said clearly he is at the disposal of the legal system if necessary, just like any other Spaniard," he told a news conference.

His leftist Podemos allies took a much harsher stance, saying Juan Carlos was "trying to evade justice" and putting the future of the monarchy in question.

Jose Juan Toharia of polling firm Metroscopia said the royal household's handling of the situation would go down well with Spaniards, because Juan Carlos had said he would answer any legal case and Felipe inspires the trust of 70% of the population.

(Reporting by Isla Binnie, Marco Trujillo, Michael Gore, Miguel Gutierrez, Nathan Allen, Joan Faus, Catarina Demony, Paola Luelmo, Emma Farge, Ezequiel Abiu Lopez, Elena Rodriguez, Andrei Khalip; Writing by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Giles Elgood and Alexandra Hudson)
As many as 111 people have died after consuming spurious liquor in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur's Batala

Chandigarh: Under fire from the opposition over the spurious liquor tragedy that has claimed over 110 lives, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said no one will be spared if found complicit in the hooch deaths.

Describing the deaths in the hooch tragedy as "sheer murder", the chief minister said he would now allow the "killers" to get away with it.

As many as 111 people have died in the hooch tragedy that took place in Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Gurdaspur's Batala.

The chief minister said he would finish off the liquor mafia in the state.

"No one, whether a politician or a public servant, will be spared if found complicit in the hooch deaths," said the chief minister.

He said the entire force of the Punjab Police would crack down on the mafia.

Promising the strictest action in the matter, Singh said, "111 deaths have taken place because of spurious liquor. The entire police force and the Excise department have been put on the job, and I want this job to be finished in the next two days."

Some unscrupulous elements took advantage of the police focus on battling the COVID pandemic to satiate their greed at the cost of the lives of Punjabis, the chief minister said in a statement.

While the state government was busy battling COVID-19, which has claimed 449 lives in the state so far, the liquor mafia seized the opportunity to play with the lives of our people, he added.

"This is sheer murder, and the killers will not get away with it," the chief minister said.

"They knew this could kill and yet they supplied/sold the poison to innocent people. They deserve no mercy," he added.

Singh said his government was with the families of the deceased in their hour of grief, and asserted that he would leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for them.

Slamming the opposition for "exploiting" the tragedy for their "petty political interests", the chief minister said this was not the time to play politics but to stand by the government in its efforts to eliminate the mafia that is indulging in such acts.

He targeted the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) over its dharnas against the hooch tragedy, and asked how it would help in battling the mafia or supporting the bereaved families.

The chief minister pointed out that such tragedies had been taking place through the years across states under different political dispensations.

The mafia and the criminals do not have any political affiliation, their only interest is to earn money by hook or by crook, he said.

Singh said 2019 had seen three hooch tragedies, all in BJP-ruled states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, that claimed over 290 lives.

In 2016, 16 people had died in Janata Dal-ruled Bihar, while in 2015, BJP-led Maharashtra had seen 102 lives lost to hooch in Mumbai, and under the Trinamool Congress rule in West Bengal, as many as 167 people died due to consumption of spurious liquor, he added.

Hooch tragedies take place almost every year, but this has nothing to do with the party in power in the affected state, the chief minister asserted.

He urged the opposition to stop playing politics over the lives of innocent Punjabis.

"Our people don''t care which party is ruling the state, all they want is justice for their loved ones, who fell victim to the greed of the liquor mafia," Singh said, pointing out that Punjab had also witnessed similar tragedies under the SAD-BJP regime.

Opposition parties have been targeting the Congress government over the hooch deaths and have demanded the resignation of the chief minister.

Two Congress Rajya Sabha MPs, Partap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, have petitioned the Punjab governor for a probe by the CBI and the ED into the alleged "illegal" liquor trade.
Kolkata, Aug 4 : The West Bengal administration has imposed lockdown in Kharagpur on August 5. The police have said anyone stepping out of their homes on Wednesday would be arrested and stringent actions would be taken.

They have also installed CCTV cameras outside various temples to monitor movement of people.

Meanwhile, Bengal Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Dilip Ghosh said in Barrackpore on Tuesday that the police had prevented party workers from putting up banners.

"While the whole world is chanting Ram's name, here in West Bengal it's not allowed," Ghosh said.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Encompass Health Corp. (NYSE: EHC) today announced it has placed land under contract and plans to build a freestanding, 50-bed inpatient rehabilitation hospital in Naples, Florida, to be named Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Naples.

Complementing local acute care services, the hospital will care for patients recovering from debilitating illnesses and injuries including strokes and other neurological disorders, brain injuries, spinal cord injuries, amputations and complex orthopedic conditions. The hospital will provide physical, occupational and speech therapies that aim to restore functional ability and quality of life and 24hour care by registered nurses, many of whom are certified in rehabilitation nursing.

The medical staff will be comprised of physicians experienced in physical medicine and rehabilitation as well as other specialties such as internal medicine, cardiology, infectious disease and nephrology to assist in the medical management and support a complex patient population.

"As we've operated other hospitals throughout the state for more than three decades, it's exciting to see Florida grow and thrive and Naples in particular. With that growth comes increased need for healthcare services," said Linda Wilder, president of Encompass Health's southeast region. "This new, state-of-the-art inpatient rehabilitation hospital will augment the already strong healthcare delivery system in the area. We look forward to serving the community and becoming part of a wellcoordinated healthcare delivery network."

"We are excited about the Encompass Health hospital coming to Collier County and providing exceptional medical services and high paying jobs in our community," added Nick Casalanguida, deputy county manager for Collier County.

The hospital will feature all private patient rooms, a spacious therapy gym with advanced rehabilitation technologies and an activities of daily living suite, cafeteria, dining room, pharmacy and therapy courtyard.

The planned hospital, once opened, will become part of Encompass Health's national network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals and home health and hospice agencies. The Company's Florida footprint currently includes 12 inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, a hospital under construction in north Tampa and 19 home health locations. A construction timeline for the hospital has not yet been established.

About Encompass Health

As a national leader in integrated healthcare services, Encompass Health (NYSE: EHC) offers both facility-based and home-based patient care through its network of inpatient rehabilitation hospitals, home health agencies and hospice agencies. With a national footprint that includes 136 hospitals, 245 home health locations, and 83 hospice locations in 39 states and Puerto Rico, the Company is committed to delivering high-quality, cost-effective, integrated care across the healthcare continuum. Encompass Health is ranked as one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies to Work For. For more information, visit encompasshealth.com, or follow us on our newsroom, Twitter and Facebook.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements contained in this press release which are not historical facts, such as those relating to the likelihood, timing and effects of the completion of this hospital project, are forward-looking statements. In addition, Encompass Health may from time to time make forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. All such estimates, projections, and forward-looking information speak only as of the date hereof, and Encompass Health undertakes no duty to publicly update or revise such forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Encompass Health's actual results or events may differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors. While it is impossible to identify all such factors, factors which could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those anticipated include, but are not limited to, the regulatory review and approval process, any adverse outcome of various lawsuits, claims, and legal or regulatory proceedings that may be brought by or against the Company; the possibility this project will experience unexpected delays; the ability to successfully complete and integrate this project consistent with Encompass Health's growth strategy, including realization of anticipated revenues, cost savings, and productivity improvements arising from the related operations and avoidance of unforeseen exposure to liabilities; the continued spread of COVID-19, including the speed, depth, geographic reach and duration of the spread; the actions to be taken by Encompass Health in response to the COVID-19 pandemic; changes in the regulation of the healthcare industry at either or both of the federal and state levels; competitive pressures in the healthcare industry and Encompass Health's response thereto; the hospital's ability to maintain proper local, state and federal licensing; potential disruptions, breaches, or other incidents affecting the proper operation, availability, or security of Encompass Health's information systems; Encompass Health's ability to attract and retain nurses, therapists, and other healthcare professionals in a highly competitive environment with often severe staffing shortages and the impact on Encompass Health's labor expenses from potential union activity and staffing shortages; changes, delays in (including in connection with resolution of Medicare payment reviews or appeals), or suspension of reimbursement for Encompass Health's services by governmental or private payors; general conditions in the economy and capital markets; and other factors which may be identified from time to time in Encompass Health's SEC filings and other public announcements, including Encompass Health's Form 10-K for the year ended Dec. 31, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020.

Media Contact:

Hillary Carnel | 205 970-5912

[email protected]

Investor Relations Contact:

Crissy Carlisle | 205 970-5860

[email protected]

SOURCE Encompass Health Corp.

Related Links

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Amid the rise in Covid-19 positive cases in the city to avoid the mismanagement of beds, district and civic administration has decided to launch a centralised bed management system following the instructions from chief minister Uddhav Thackeray.

According to divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao, the administration will allocate the beds for positive patients soon in Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad instead of hospitals managing the same.

The inflow of positive patients is high in Pune and there is pressure on private hospitals too. Naturally, despite showing the vacant bed on dashboards, some complaints are coming that critical patients are not getting beds in Pune. By considering all these issues, it is decided to launch the centralised bed system, said Rao.

The centralised bed system will be functional in next two to three days, he said.

Vikram Kumar, Pune municipal commissioner, said, Trials for centralised bed management system are going on at all the 15 ward office levels. It will help to avoid confusion and would have better coordination.

District collector Naval Kishor Ram said, The impression had been created that the city would have less beds, but the situation is not that difficult. We are getting two to three complaints every week.

Shravan Hardkiar, commissioner, Pimpri Chinchwad Municipal Corporation (PCMC), said, PCMC had completed trials in all the eight wards. Now municipal corporation and district administration would get immediate information of the critical and positive patients and they would allocate the beds to the patients.

Arrangements for students coming from rural parts

Maharashtra Public Service Commissions (MPSC) prelims examination is scheduled on September 13 in the city. Thousands of students from various parts of rural Maharashtra are expected to visit the city for the same. As many hotels are closed and Covid-19 restrictions are still in place Divisional commissioner Saurabh Rao said, If necessary administration will provide the accommodation to these students as most of them (officials) have vacated their existing rooms and hostels.
SHANGHAI, Aug 4 (Reuters) - China will not accept the "theft" of a Chinese technology company and is able to respond to Washington's move to push ByteDance to sell short-video app TikTok's U.S. operations to Microsoft, the China Daily newspaper said on Tuesday.

The United States' "bullying" of Chinese tech companies was a consequence of Washington's zero-sum vision of "American first" and left China no choice but "submission or mortal combat in the tech realm", the state-backed paper said in an editorial.

China had "plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab", it added.

Microsoft Corp said on Monday it was in talks with ByteDance to buy parts of TikTok after U.S. President Donald Trump reversed course on a plan to ban the app on national security grounds and gave the firms 45 days to strike a deal.

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said over the weekend that Trump would take action shortly against Chinese software companies that shared user data with the Chinese government.

The Global Times newspaper, which is also government-backed, said U.S. treatment of ByteDance and Huawei Technologies , now on a U.S. trade blacklist, was indicative of U.S. efforts to separate its economy from China's.

China had "limited ability" to provide protection to these Chinese companies by retaliating against U.S. companies because the United States had technological superiority and influence with its allies, it added.

"China's opening-up to the outside world and disintegrating the U.S. decoupling strategy should be priorities," it said in an editorial.

The Global Times is published by the People's Daily, the official newspaper of China's ruling Communist Party. (Reporting by Brenda Goh; Editing by Stephen Coates)
UNIVERSITY HEIGHTS, Ohio

Obstructing official business: Warrensville Center Road

At 12:10 p.m. July 28, a South Euclid man, 24, was in the University Heights Police Department lobby to file a report about the theft of his credit card when police told him that his car, then parked in the UHPD lot, would be towed if he did not pay several unpaid parking citations.

Instead of paying the fines, the man had his girlfriend drive the car off the lot, which led the UHPD to charge the man with obstructing official business.

Harassment: Cedar Road

At 2:20 p.m. July 28, a Shaker Heights woman, 28, reported that she had been harassed while in the Target store, 1470 Cedar Road. The woman said she was verbally accosted by a fellow female customer who asked her inappropriate questions about her heritage. Police took a report and are investigating.

Domestic violence: Washington Boulevard

At 12:40 a.m. July 29, police were called to a home where it was reported that a man, 33, had destroyed the homes interior, yelled at his girlfriend, 31, and assaulted her. The man left the scene before police arrived. Police are investigating and may charge the man with domestic violence.

Improper discharge of a firearm: Cedar Road

At 1:35 a.m. July 30, a South Euclid police officer was giving someone a courtesy ride home when he heard four gunshots as he drove west on Cedar Road from Washington Boulevard. The officer reported that his car was struck by something, and was then passed by a dark-colored sedan heading west on Cedar at a high rate of speed and without activated headlights.

After stopping to check the police cruiser, the officer noticed that the cars roof antenna had been knocked off, possibly by a bullet. UHPD officers located several bullet casings in the area. Investigation of the incident was turned over to the UHPD detective bureau.

Drug overdose: East Carroll Boulevard

At 5:25 a.m. July 30, police were called to East Carroll Boulevard and Laurelhurst Road, where a man was lying in the street and not breathing. Officers administered CPR and Narcan, then took the man, 21, of Beachwood, to the hospital.

Warrant arrest: Washington Boulevard

At 4 a.m. July 31, an officer located a car whose owner was wanted on a Parma police warrant for grand theft. A traffic stop was conducted and the driver, a Cleveland man, 21, was arrested on the warrant and transferred to the custody of Parma police.

Theft: Cedar Road

At 2:05 p.m. July 31, police were called to CVS/Pharmacy, 13956 Cedar Road, where an employee reported that a man, known to shoplift during previous visits to the store, was present and was concealing merchandise.

Police apprehended the Cleveland man, 50, and cited him for theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Assault: Faversham Road

At 8:20 a.m. Aug. 2, a Euclid man, who was staying with relatives in University Heights while recovering from injuries stemming from a prior incident, reported that he had been assaulted on Aug. 1 by his girlfriend, a Mayfield Heights woman, 31. Police are investigating.

Read more from the Sun Press.
Icare chairman Michael Carapiet asked NSW Treasury to query the operating budget of its own industry regulator just days before the watchdog released a damning review into the troubled workers' compensation insurer.

Internal emails obtained by The Sydney Morning Herald show that Mr Carapiet, a former Macquarie Group investment banker and long-time Liberal Party donor, raised the issue of the State Insurance Regulatory Authority's cost base with Treasury.

Icare chairman Michael Carapiet. Credit:Peter Braig

The concerns were raised around the time he and other senior figures at icare were briefed on the contents of a damning report into the organisation commissioned by SIRA that was released in December.

The SIRA report outlined serious issues with icare including a "poor" attitude with the regulator, concerns with its financial position, weak return-to-work rates and a claims model that had serious problems.
By Aparajita Ghosh, TwoCircles.net

Mumbai: His head was blooming just like a lotus, recalls Mangesh Shivsharans mother, who collected parts of his nine-year-old sons brain, after he was hit by a bullet fired by police in Mumbai.

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As many as 10 Dalits were killed and 26 injured by Special Reserve Police Force (SRPF) led by PSI Manohar Kadam on 11 July 1997 in Ghatkopars Ramabai Nagar of Mumbai. The residents had witnessed Dr Babasaheb Ambedkars statue garlanded with sandals at dawn on Friday, causing anger among them and this resulted into protests.

The crowd reportedly enforced rasta roko, blocking the Eastern Express Highway and lodged a complaint to the Beat No.5 of Pantnagar Police Station which is situated within Ramabai Nagar. In no time, a total of four vans of SRPF arrived near the statue and began firing into the crowd.

The distance between the statue and the police force was fifty steps when they opened fire in the alleys of the colony, said Jaywant Hire, a senior journalist and a social activist from Ramabai Nagar.

Namdeo Surwade came running to me when he was shot on his arm. He told me that firing was going on inside. I immediately called several ministers and media after seeing the site, and around 12 in the noon, police arrested me from my house, he added.

Soon Mumbai Bandh was declared with shutters pulled down and railway tracks uprooted, bringing trains to halt and traffic being diverted from the nearby areas. The Dalit strongholds of Mumbai witnessed stone-pelting incidents as well.

A twenty-two-year-old Hitesh Bhalerao was killed in a protest against the Ramabai Nagar incident in the eastern suburbs of Kurla when the police opened fire on the crowd.

Raghunath Jadhav was on his way to work and while walking to the bus stop he was shot in his arm, I was clueless where the bullet came from. A boy came running to me saying your arm is bleeding and I fell unconscious right after.

The police force lathi-charged and used tear gas to disperse the residents who would take recourse inside the alleys of the colony for cover.

I was shot just outside my house when I saw police entering the alley and started firing out of nowhere. I first thought it must be the sound of fireworks, said Hiraman Gaikwad.

The street was spattered with blood and the bullets pierced through tin-roofed homes. The brutal firing continued for nearly fifteen minutes and around fifty rounds of bullets were fired.

A doctored video was recorded by Ravi Shinde, near the highway with a fabricated LPG tanker story, said Hire.

Ramchandra Dhanawade, the father of Anil Dhanawade, broke down while narrating the gory details of losing his 18-year-old. He was shot on his chest when he went to drop his nephew for school, he said.

In their defence, the police stated that they fired after the crowd set a passenger bus on fire and they (police) were apprehensive that they would set the tankers ablaze too.

They fired indiscriminately without observing any norms at all. Several bullets had hit above the waists of the victims. This situation was uncalled-for, said Advocate B. G. Bansode, who represented Ramabai Nagar residents at Gundewar Commission.

Among the victims, Sukhdev Kapadne, Nandu Katare, Sanjay Nikam, Amar Dhanawade, Vilas Dodke, Anil Garud, Sanjay Kamble, Mangesh Shivsharan, Bablu Verma, Kausabai Pathare were killed on spot.

The Maharashtra state government soon appointed The Gundewar Commission, headed by Justice S.D. Gundewar for conducting a detailed investigation of the incident.

The Gundewar Commission submitted the report in both State Legislative Council and Assembly stating there was no need for the SRPF to begin firing and whosoever instigated the incident should discontinue from the police force.

The victims who were injured in the incident were blamed as accusers in the sessions court by Manohar Kadam and the inquiry went on for a year, said Shyam Gaikwad, a senior activist.

Hatyakand Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti was founded in 1997 by Gaikwad to help the victims of the Ramabai Nagar incident to fight cases and support them with legislative work.

Both Ramabai residents and Manohar Kadam had their magistrates, while the hearing needed to take place in the same court, said Advocate Rajesh Karamkar.

The residents were booked under three cases falling under section 334, 335 and 336 IPC (voluntarily causing grievous hurt on provocation and negligent act on personal safety to be punished with imprisonment) respectively. No one had an idea about it for nearly seven months until we went to the court, he added.

Previously, convicted under section 304 IPC (culpable homicide with imprisonment) PSI Manohar Kadam was granted bail in the year 2009 when Bombay High Court suspended his life sentence by a vacation bench of Justices Anand Nirgude and Rajesh Ketkar.

Manohar Kadam was never incarcerated in his entire term of imprisonment. The system was challenged because the government was reluctant to prosecute Kadam, said Advocate Bansode.

Government comes and goes, but the leaders stay, he added.
A new report has revealed the depth of the widespread lack of scrutiny and reporting surrounding cases of missing and murdered indigenous women in Northern California.

The study, carried out by the Sovereign Bodies Institute, a nonprofit, indigenous-led research organization based in Humboldt County, details the alarming lack of data surrounding the cases of 105 women and girls from the Bay Area to the Oregon border using police reports and community-based information.

In all, the report documented a total of 2,306 missing Native American women and girls in the U.S., 1,800 of whom were killed or disappeared in the last four decades. The report focuses on Northern California. The most highly concentrated region of cases is the "Lost Coast"  Humboldt, Mendocino, and Del Norte Counties  which is home to over a third of cases in Northern California.

The Bay Area made up 16% of cases highlighted in the report of missing or murdered indigenous women that never made national headlines or garnered social media attention.

There are more indigenous people in California than any other state in the U.S., with 700,000 Native Americans calling the state home. According to the report, only nine percent of murders of indigenous women in the state have ever been solved, compared to 60% in the greater population, meaning homicides of Native American women in the region are around seven times less likely to be solved than the murders of all other victims.

Thirty-one percent of the cases studied involved girls aged 18 and younger, and nearly three-quarters of the cases had victims who were living in the foster care system when they vanished.

Some of the problems around collecting data on crimes against indigenous women reportedly include the sharing of jurisdictions with tribes' own police forces, the misclassification of Native American women as white, and the labelling of many deaths as accidental, despite the evidence to contrary, which the study calls a "a chronic and pervasive failure to investigate.

Annita Lucchesi, the executive director of the institute and a Cheyenne descendant, told CalMatters that there is no reliable data on missing native women in California and that more than half of the cases in the state were not in official missing persons databases.

Women after women, disappearing, Lucchesi said, It creates a sense of hopelessness. It makes it feel like this is a world that we cant live in anymore.

One example of misclassification in the report reveals evidence of a homicide labelled as a car accident in 1991.

Alicia Lara, a Tarahumara woman, was found dead in her vehicle in Weitchpec, Humboldt County in 1991. When her daughter, Christina Lastra, pushed the coroners office for more information on her death, she was told her that her mothers death showed evidence that it was actually a homicide  the body was badly beaten and found in the passenger seat of the vehicle, the report said.

There was no explanation as to why her death was not classified as a homicide and nearly 30 years later Lastra told the authors of the report, "I would like to know why the Humboldt County officials didnt do anything and why they felt compelled to tell me and my brother that she had died in a car accident. [The coroner] seemed like such a nice man, but to me ... he was probably trying to protect me, but thats not honoring my mother and thats not honoring his own oath or society by any means, to allow a murderer to not be held accountable."

Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal told CalMatters that the case report for Lastras mother didnt strike him as particularly suspicious, but that he did have trouble understanding how Lara had gotten in the passenger seat. An investigation into the case was never opened.

Were learning from past mistakes, trying not to repeat that in the future, Honsal said.

Find the full Sovereign Bodies Institute report here.

Andrew Chamings is an editor at SFGATE. Email: Andrew.Chamings@sfgate.com | Twitter: @AndrewChamings
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 06:21:39|Editor: huaxia

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UNITED NATIONS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday sent his condolences to the families of the victims following the horrific explosions in Beirut.

"The secretary-general expresses his deepest condolences to the families of the victims, as well as to the people and Government of Lebanon, following the horrific explosions in Beirut today. He wishes a speedy recovery to the injured, including several United Nations personnel working in Lebanon," said Farhan Haq, the deputy spokesman for the secretary-general in a statement.

"The United Nations remains committed to supporting Lebanon at this difficult time, and is actively assisting in the response to this incident," he said.

Two huge explosions rocked Lebanese capital Beirut on Tuesday, leaving at least 50 people dead and 2,500 others injured.

The blasts hit the Port of Beirut at around 6:10 p.m. local time, shaking buildings all over the city while causing massive casualties and damages. Enditem
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(Newser)  The husband of Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey has been charged with pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter members who demonstrated outside the couples home the day before she faced a primary election in March. The state attorney general filed three misdemeanor charges Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against David Lacey for assault with a firearm for the March 2 incident, the AP reports. Lacey, 66, pointed a gun at demonstrators who protested outside the couple's home before dawn on March 2 and said "I will shoot you," according to video of the incident. Jackie Lacey offered an emotional apology at the time, saying her husband told her he pulled the gun and told protesters to leave.

story continues below

Lacey's campaign issued a statement Tuesday saying her husband thought they were in danger and was trying to protect them. "The events that took place earlier this year have caused my family immense pain," Lacey said in the statement. "My husband acted in fear for my safety after we were subjected to months of harassment that included a death threat no less than a week earlier." Lacey, the first Black person and first woman to run what is the nation's largest local prosecutor's office, has been targeted for nearly three years by Black Lives Matter protesters, who have held weekly demonstrations outside her office calling for her ouster.

(Read more Los Angeles County stories.)
General Secretary of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), John Boadu has chastised his colleague General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Johnson Asiedu Nketia for suggesting that military officers stationed at Banda in the Bono Region were drunk.



Mr Asiedu Nketia on Monday, questioned the level of professionalism of military personnel deployed to maintain peace in the Banda Constituency, accusing them of not only "reeking of alcohol", but having the demeanour of "rebels on drugs".



He alleged that instead of discharging their core duties as expected, the military officers are rather supporting the NPP Parliamentary Candidate to flout the agreement signed between the two main political parties.



He was speaking in an interview with Kwame Nkrumah Tikesie on Okay FMs "Ade Akye Abia" Morning Show.



The military officers on duty have no business to stop people from taking part in the registration exercise. They can't block the road to stop people from registering. You should see those military officers on duty smelling of alcohol; blowing fuse when they were talking to me. They looked like rebels on drugs and you could not look into their eyes and if you don't take care, you will get drunk talking them, a furious Asiedu Nketia charged at the soldiers.



But in a sharp riposte on the same platform, John Boadu described the remarks as "unfair". To him, since the NDC General Secretary is not a teetotaler, it is likely he (Asideu Nketia) was the culprit.



I think that it was unfair on the part of the NDC General Secretary to label state actors in the manner he did. He (Asiedu Nketia) also drinks; doesnt he take in alcohol as well? I have visited Banda and I have interacted with the security agencies and nobody blew fuse (reeked of alcohol) as Asiedu Nketia claimed. Maybe he smelt the reek of alcohol of his own breath and is rather attempting to channel it to police or the military officers....



He (Asiedu) is guilty of reeking of alcohol thus he believes same of others. It was an unfair comment and unbefitting his stature. They (military personnel) reek of alcohol, how?....these gallant men and women have left their homes to maintain peace at our borders because of a misunderstanding in the area...and this is how you describe them! he fumed.



The NPP Chief Scribe however admitted that border towns in the country over the years are a thorny issue when it comes to who is eligible to register and vote as a Ghanaian. He, therefore, stressed that it is about time a stop is put to this cheating behavior by political parties who have the penchant to bus people from neighboring countries to participate in Ghana's electoral process.



It is not only the Togo border that such challenges happen, but the border between Pulsiga and Burkina Faso and Togo and Aowin in the Western Region, a border town with Ivory Coast; all these areas experienced same major challenge where there is deliberate attempt over the years to bus people who are not Ghanaians and dont qualify to register to sneak in to register leading to some of these confrontations, he said.





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China's success in controlling the COVID-19 epidemic means the economy is steadily reviving. The following facts and figures indicate how the country is forging ahead in resuming work and production:

-- China's futures market in July continued to report double-digit growth in both trading volume and turnover, industry data showed Monday.

The trading volume of futures last month stood at 567.65 million lots, with a turnover of 45.42 trillion yuan (about 6.49 trillion U.S. dollars), up 36.77 percent and 55.7 percent from the same period last year, respectively, according to the China Futures Association.

In the first seven months of 2020, the trading volume of the market totaled 3.089 billion lots, an increase of 43.69 percent year on year.

-- China's internet and related sectors have returned to double-digit growth in business revenue and research development in the first half of this year (H1) amid the COVID-19 epidemic, official data showed.

Major internet companies raked in 590.7 billion yuan in the January-June period, up 14.1 percent year on year, which is 12.6 percentage points higher than the growth rate registered in the first quarter (Q1), according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology.

In H1, the operating profit of the industry snapped the sharp slump in Q1, rising by 2.8 percent year on year to 52.2 billion yuan.

-- China has seen a rapid increase in loans extended to clean energy, environmental protection and other green sectors in the first half of this year as the country puts more emphasis on green development, central bank data showed.

Outstanding green loans in yuan and foreign currencies reached 11.01 trillion yuan by the end of H1, up 10.8 percent from the beginning of the year, according to the People's Bank of China.

Outstanding loans for green infrastructure projects totaled 5.28 trillion yuan by the end of June, up 11.1 percent from the beginning of the year, the data showed.
By Ayya Lmahamad

Some 2,022 citizens were fined during the period of July 30- August 3 across the country for violating the strict quarantine regime, the main traffic police department under the Ministry of Interior reported on August 4.

All 2,022 were fined according to Article 211.1 of the Code of Administrative Offences. Of them 1,563 were drivers who failed to follow the quarantine regime requirements and 265 were citizens not using facial masks in the public transport.

In the meantime, 1,315 cars, which had sought to leave the territories where the quarantine is imposed, were stopped, and returned back during the reporting period.

Earlier, it was reported that 45,160 citizens were fined in the period of June 21 and July 29 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. On August 3 the decision was taken to extended until August 31 the strict coronavirus quarantine regime that is in force in the country, while cancelling the SMS permit system that will allow citizens leave their homes without obtaining electronic permission.

The strict special quarantine regime will remain in force until 00:00 on 31 August in Baku, Jalilabad, Ganja, Masalli, Mingachevir, Sumgayit, Yevlakh, Absheron, Barda, Goranboy, Goygol, Khachmaz and Salyan regions.

Within the rules established by the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the Executive Power of Baku city, citizens will be allowed to visit beaches without obtaining permission as of August 5.

The movement of public transport will remain restricted on weekends during the August - from 00:00 on August 8 to 06:00 on August 10; from 00:00 on August 15 to 06:00 on August 17; from 00:00 on August 22 to 06:00 on August 24; from 00:00 on August 29 to 06:00 on August 31.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Namita Bajpai By

Express News Service

LUCKNOW: If the end of one of the lengthiest legal battles over the title suit involving 2.77 acre disputed land in Ayodhya with the Supreme Court ruling on November 9, 2020, marks the climax of one chapter of political narrative woven around Ram temple, another is set to start with PM Narendra Modi laying the first brick for the foundation of the temple of Lord Ram at his birthplace on Wednesday.

The prelude to Hindutva politics linked to temple movement echoing the sentiment of getting Lord Ram librated catapulted the BJP from a two-MP party in 1984 to worlds largest political outfit in 2020, is set to be followed by the emergence of a discourse re-oriented to benefit the saffron brigade as a fulfilment of a long-standing electoral promise.

Perhaps in the long-drawn battle for temple and mosque between the two communities, Wednesday groundbreaking ceremony will be the first moment fraught with no controversy especially the one laced with a flavour of communal politics.

As Ayodhya is set to move beyond Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri masjid dispute, both Hindu and Muslim communities are now vying for the development of the temple town as the only agenda.

However, when looked back, the BJP, whose political identity is attributed to the temple politics, has had a tumultuous journey during the last 40 years. Undoubtedly, the party always tried to link the temple issue with a strong nationalistic Hindutva outlook but other political players also used the issue for their political benefit.

However, political pundits feel that now the saffron brigade will re-orient its strategy to keep the issue alive with a different flavour. After the end of mandir-masjid dispute and temple set to take shape, the saffron brigade would now re-model its discourse over nationalism making the temple its supreme

symbol, says Prof AK Mishra, a political scientist.

The history reflects that it is not that only BJP which professed its ideology openly in favour of the majority community by pushing temple politics, even Congress also tried its hand at it. When Rajiv Gandhi took over as countrys PM in 1984, BJP along with Rashtriya Swayam Sewak Sangh (RSS) gave momentum and more voice to its core temple issue.

As the BJP was becoming more and more vocal about it, the Congress, despite having an overwhelming majority in Parliament, found it difficult to counter the BJP narrative. It rather boarded the boat and facilitated the unlocking of the temple (disputed) in 1986 triggering a new trail in the history of Ram temple movement.

It was a certain move by the then Congress government to capitalise on the growing Hindu sentiment, says Prof AK Mishra of political science department of Lucknow University.

Subsequently, the political desperation of Rajiv Gandhi to return to power as he was losing the charm and popularity owing to Bofors scam and mishandling of other issues such as Punjab, Kashmir and Sri Lanka led him to allow shilanyas by the VHP in Ayodhya. It was the time of 1989 general elections and Congress tried to reap the benefit of the surge of Hindu sentiment.

But due to the realignment of political forces against Congress, it failed to get expected results in 1989. Subsequently, the regional forces under the satraps such as Mulayam Singh Yadav started making a mark in state politics. He used temple issue to polarise Muslims in his favour by playing their messiah.

There was a time when Mulayam Singh was known by the moniker --Mualana Mulayam in the 1990s. This led to the emergence of a new political equation comprising Muslim-Dalit combination which still has its relevance in the political landscape of UP.

Now with Prime Minister Narendra Modi all set to reach Ayodhya on Wednesday, the focus on the issue is back. Will it mark an end to the Ram Mandir politics or open up new roads for the Hindutva ideology -- one that further empowers its electoral-political gains to saffron discourse is yet to be seen.

The common sentiment in the BJP is to capitalise on the issue further. The party may look for ways to build a mass emotional connect, with the construction of the temple. An indication of this strategy can already be seen on the ground on Ayodhya in the form of grand preparations for the Bhoomi Pujan on Wednesday.
OTTAWA - Answering criticism that the federal "COVID Alert" app only works on newer smartphones, Dr. Theresa Tam says it's one of many tools in fighting the novel coronavirus.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Howard Njoo, Deputy Chief Public Health Officer, hold a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Answering criticism that the federal "COVID Alert" app only works on newer smartphones, Dr. Theresa Tam says it's one of many tools in fighting the novel coronavirus.

The app released last week is meant to tell users if their phones have recently been close to a phone registered to someone who volunteers that they've tested positive for COVID-19. But it works only on phones released in the last five years or so because it needs a relatively recent operating system.

Critics say that will leave out poorer and older Canadians, who are more likely to use older devices and suffer worse effects from the virus.

Tam said she's heard that criticism and understands it, but the app isn't supposed to be a comprehensive solution to the pandemic.

"It may not be the broadest coverage that you need," Tam said in an Ottawa news conference Tuesday, "but what if, for example, before you walked into a pub, before you walked into a nightclub or places where there may be a bunch of people you may not know, who are not in your specific social circle, where notification is particularly important?"

Younger people with newer phones are an "extremely relevant" target for the app, she said, as are people working in offices who might have more current employer-issued devices.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

"Despite these gaps, we need to have a go at using it," Tam said.

A spokesman for the Treasury Board said Tuesday that as of Monday evening, the app had been downloaded 1.3 million times.

He said it's not possible to track how many exposure alerts had been sent out.

Tam said we need to use every tool we have to fight the pandemic, even if they aren't perfect.

"For the hard-to-reach populations, public health will still be doing, as rapid as possible, the contact tracing ... that's required," Tam said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: IAS officer Naval Kishore Ram has been appointed as Deputy Secretary in the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), according to a Personnel Ministry order issued on Tuesday.

Ram, a 2008 batch IAS officer, is serving in his cadre state Maharashtra.

He has been appointed to the post for a period of four years, it said.
Lucknow, Aug 4 : Striking a discordant note right on the eve of the most awaited 'bhumi pujan' ceremony in the country for the grand Ram temple, Apna Dal MLA Choudhary Amar Singh on Tuesday claimed that Dalits have been ignored when invitations were extended for the ceremony in Ayodhya.

The Shohratgarh MLA said that President Ram Nath Kovind should have also been invited for the event. "The shilanyas was done in the Congress regime by the then President Buta Singh. He did the 'shilanyas' and he was a Dalit," said the MLA from Apna Dal (S), an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh.

"Dalits and backwards have been deprived of an opportunity to attend the Ayodhya bhumi pujan event. The haste which PM Modi showed for building the temple should have also been shown for providing houses and pensions to the poor," he said.

"Those who struggled for the temple have been ignored. The trust constituted for the construction of the temple does not have people from backward, SC and ST communities. It is a 'Ved Pratha trust' and seems that Lord Ram belongs only to the BJP," Choudhary Amar Singh said.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan
At 7:45 a.m., the sun is already blazing over Kensington.

Its not long after Larry Brown and Rashan Purcell have started their shift for the day. Sweat glistens on Browns shaved head as he and Purcell sweep up a sprawling pile of loose trash outside a bodega on Allegheny Avenue  whats left behind after they throw bags of garbage, some torn and leaking, into the back of the roaring truck.

Makim Carter, who lives on the block, stops to gawk and shakes his head.

Man, he says, thats hazard pay.

Carters trash pickup has been erratic lately, but he doesnt blame the workers.

I aint mad at them, said Carter, 30, after throwing his own bag of trash into the truck. Theyre not tryna put themselves in danger.

Welcome to the summer of sanitation workers.

Bags of trash have festered on the streets as pickup runs days late, and Philadelphians have been groaning about the pileup. But instead of blaming workers, many, like Carter, have taken to defending them. They put up signs saying they stand in solidarity with sanitation workers, pass out water to the workers as they come by, and buy T-shirts  from sanitation worker Terrill Haigler or @_YaFavTrashman, a true icon for these times  to help workers purchase protective equipment and cleaning supplies.

Its a sign of how the narrative around work has shifted, especially during the pandemic. Americans have been witnessing the reality faced by many workers  low wages, few protections  as those risking their lives on the job speak out about unsafe working conditions.

Sanitation workers in particular have been at the forefront of this moment. Like their counterparts in Philadelphia, workers have protested in Pittsburgh and in Raleigh, N.C. In New Orleans, sanitation workers have been on strike for nearly three months.

The Black Lives Matter uprisings have only bolstered the efforts, as many sanitation workers are Black men. In Philadelphia, where the sanitation workers union has been fighting for hazard pay and better protective equipment since before the pandemic, Black men are the majority of the sanitation workforce.

There hasnt always been widespread support for city workers from the public and elected officials.

In the early 90s in Philadelphia, then-Mayor Ed Rendell made a name for himself by demanding concessions from the public sector unions, like AFSCME District Council 33, which represents the sanitation workers, and privatizing city services. The workers, Rendell said, were bankrupting the city.

This summer, Councilmember Brian ONeill, who was first elected in 1979, hearkened back to Rendell when he called on Mayor Jim Kenney to hire private trash workers as a way to address the looming public health crisis  or at the least threaten to do so in order to pressure the union into ending what he called a mini-strike.

But ONeill seemed to be the only one on that train. Not only have Philadelphians been vocal about supporting sanitation workers, but this City Council and administration are more pro-worker than theyve been in decades, passing some of the most cutting-edge worker protection laws in the country. (Kenney has recently been the subject of protests in response to his proposal to lay off hundreds of city workers.)

Last week, Kenney announced that he would hire 120 temporary workers to help with the trash holdup. Theyll be paid $17.20 an hour, just under the median salary for city trash-throwers, though, as is custom for the city, they will not be unionized unless they become full-time. That means theyll be doing the same work as their union counterparts without the same protections.

Is it a strike?

The trash pileup is not the result of a strike as ONeill alleges, says Omar Salaam, business agent for AFSCME Local 427 of D.C. 33, adding that it would not be good leadership to do so. Both the city and the union say the delays are due to workers calling out because of COVID-19, whether thats testing positive, isolating due to exposure to their colleagues, or lacking access to childcare, and the increase in household trash during the pandemic. The union also says its due to the citys mismanagement.

Strikes are illegal under Local 427s contract  though workers could legally go on strike after the contract expires in March if a new one is not in place.

The city could fire workers and sue union officials if they break that law, said Stephen Richman, a labor attorney with Markowitz & Richman. But workers around the country  most notably teachers in West Virginia in 2018  have gone on strike in defiance of no-strike laws without being fired en masse.

There were several periods in the 20th century when sanitation workers did go out on strike.

They were an essential service, said Francis Ryan, a labor historian at Rutgers University who wrote the 2011 book AFSCMEs Philadelphia Story: Municipal Workers and Urban Power in the Twentieth Century. That was the source of their power, and they werent afraid to use it.

Most of those times, he said, workers were largely backed by the public  which is a key to successful strikes.

The last one was in 1986, which lasted nearly three weeks and ended when Mayor W. Wilson Goode Sr. said hed fire the workers if they didnt return to work per a judges order. They havent gone on strike since.

City workers dont do it the way they once did, Ryan said, pointing to the decline of labors power, and politicians willingness to break strikes and take on unions the way Goode and Rendell did.

Theres also the fact that private-sector service workers, like the striking sanitation workers in New Orleans, are generally paid less than city workers and have fewer protections and benefits. The median salary among Philadelphia laborers, the workers who throw trash, is $37,000, which is about $18 an hour, a city spokesperson said, and they have made an average of $8,000 in 2020 in overtime. The median annual salary for a trash truck driver is $49,000; they made about the same as a laborer in overtime in 2020. The New Orleans workers make $10.25 an hour with no benefits.

Although union density still remains at historic lows, the tide for labor seems to be changing, at least in terms of public support.

Its a nod to another time, Ryan said, back when sanitation workers used to go out on strike  a time of an alliance between the people who collect the trash and the public they serve.

Staff writer Sean Collins Walsh contributed to this article.
At least 100 people were killed and over 2,000 injured following a powerful explosion that ripped through Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday, local media reported.

IMAGE: Smoke rises from the site of an explosion in Beirut's port area, Lebanon. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

The country's health minister Hamad Hassan said that the massive explosion shattered buildings and caused widespread damage.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab in a televised address to the county warned that those who were responsible for the devastating catastrophe will be held accountable and not go unpunished.

"What happened today will not fly by without accountability. All those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price. This is a promise I make to martyrs and injured. This is a national commitment," Diab said.

Lebanon's interior minister Mohammed Fahmi was quoted by Al Jazeera saying the explosion was apparently caused by ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse at the port.

National News Agency of Lebanon also reported that a warehouse at the Beirut Port caught fire and lead to major explosions, which reverberated in the capital and the suburbs and left behind great damages to the surrounding buildings and a considerable number of wounded.

IMAGE: A damaged vehicle is seen at the site of an explosion in Beirut. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Prime Minister Hassan Diab in his address said that currently his government was focussed on handling the disaster and treating the wounded but said facts will soon be put out about the "dangerous warehouse that has been in existence for six years, since 2014."

"We will cooperate at the level of responsibility, and I urge you to unite to heal the nation's wounds," the prime minister said.

IMAGE: A man is evacuated at the site of an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Indian envoy to Lebanon Suhel Ajaz Khan said,"All our embassy staff are safe. We are in touch with Indian community members, so far there is no report of casualty. We are keeping a close watch and are in touch with community organisations. There is lot of damage to buildings in central Beirut."

The Embassy has also shared its helpline numbers with the Indian community.

WATCH: Massive Beirut blast

Explosions were heard over several kilometres away from the blast, which resulted in a large mushroom-like cloud above the country and blast was even felt as far away in Cyprus, as per reports.

The blast was caught on video by several people and dramatic footage of the explosion was shared on social media, eliciting reactions from users across the world.

IMAGE: An injured man is seen following an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Among the buildings which suffered damage, including headquarters of Lebanon's prime minister as well as the Baabda Palace, the residence of the president of Lebanon.

IMAGE: People run for cover following the explosion. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

With hundreds of people hospitalised following the massive blast, hospitals in Beirut was suffering from overcrowding, health minister Hassan said.

"Hospitals in Beirut are overcrowded. The injured should be taken to hospitals outside of Beirut," Hassan said, as quoted by the Al Jazeera broadcaster.

Leaders from across the world expressed their condolences over the incident.

IMAGE: Firefighters spray water at a fire after the explosion. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

United States President Donald Trump said that the explosion in Lebanon's capital looks like a "terrible attack."

"Looks like a terrible attack," Trump told reporters at the White House.

IMAGE: A man walks by an overturned car and destroyed buildings in Beirut, Lebanon. Photograph: Marwan Tahtah/Getty Images

"Let me begin by sending America's deepest sympathies to the people of Lebanon, where reports indicate that many, many people were killed, hundreds more were very badly wounded in a large explosion in Beirut," Trump said at a press briefing.

"Our prayers go out to all the victims and their families. The United States ready to assist Lebanon," he said.

IMAGE: Men walk at the site of explosion. Photograph: Mohamed Azakir/Reuters

Trump said the country has a "very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help."

"Shocked and saddened by the large explosion in Beirut city leading to loss of life and property. Our thoughts and prayers are with the bereaved families and the injured," tweeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi

Russian President Vladimir Putin sent his condolences to Lebanese President Michel Aoun in connection with the casualties and massive destruction caused by the explosion, the Kremlin said.

IMAGE: eople ride past a car destroyed after a building wall collapsed after a large explosion in Beirut, Lebanon. Video shared on social media showed a structure fire near the port of Beirut followed by a second massive explosion, which damaged surrounding buildings and injured hundreds. Photograph: Daniel Carde/Getty Images

Iranian Foreign Minister Javad Zarif stated that his country is fully prepared to render assistance in anyway necessary.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon. As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary. Stay strong, Lebanon," Zarif tweeted.

Sputnik reported that according to reports the explosion began as a short bang, five minutes later white and black smoke emerged and then a powerful blast followed, launching a heavy stream of red smoke into the air.
The faithful pray on Sunday during the "Day of Prayer and Silence" organised after an attack on the Managua Cathedral (ANSA)

Pope Francis pens a message to Archbishop of Managua, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, expressing his closeness following an attack on the Managua Cathedral on Friday.

By Vatican News

Pope Francis has addressed a message to Archbishop of Managua, Cardinal Leopoldo Brenes, in a gesture of closeness over a petrol bomb attack at the Managua Cathedral on Friday.

Dear Brother, I accompany you in sorrow for this act of vandalism and I am close to you and your people. I am praying for all of you, reads the Popes message.

Cardinal Brenes read the Popes message and showed it on a video during a Mass on Sunday organized as part of a Day of Silence and Prayer organised following the attack on the cathedral.



Pope Francis also prayed for the Church in Nicaragua following the recitation of the Angelus prayer on Sunday.

Attack on Managua Cathedral



On Friday, an unknown attacker entered Managuas Cathedral and threw a molotov cocktail which burned, among other things, a 400-year-old crucifix.

Cardinal Brenes deplored the incident calling it an act of terrorism in his homily broadcast on YouTube from his home.

He thanked Pope Francis for his message of solidarity which he also expressed during the Angelus on Sunday. It is beautiful to feel the closeness of the Pope as a brother and friend, Cardinal Brenes said, adding that the closeness strengthens us in faith and encourages us to move forward.

Several other reactions have trailed the incident. The Mexican Bishops Conference referred to the attack as a deplorable act and a painful wound and called for harmony and peace. Other Bishops Conferences including those of Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica and Guatemala have also deplored the incident in various statements.

Several expressions of solidarity

Cardinal Brenes said he has received many gestures of solidarity from people all over the world, including from the Nuncio in Nicaragua, the Archbishop of Madrid and its Cardinal, Carlos Osoro Sierra. He also recognized the messages of closeness from various religious orders and Catholic Universities.

Many among the Nicaraguan faithful have also set up small altars in their homes to participate in a Day of Silence and prayer.

At this time, said Cardinal Brenes, the Word of God is help and comfort. Today more than ever, the Lord is our strength.

Cardinal Brenes called for forgiveness of the perpetrator pointing out that the enemies of the Church may destroy sacred images but we cling to the God who loves us, the God of mercy and love.

Previous attacks on Churches

Other attacks on Churches have taken place in Nicaragua. On 29 July, unknown persons desecrated the Chapel of Our Lady of Perpetual Help in the municipality of Nindiri. While on 27 July, in the same city, the tabernacle of the Chapel of Our Lady of Carmel in the Parish of Veracruz was thrown to the ground.
JERUSALEM (AP)  Israeli fighter jets and attack helicopters struck military targets in southern Syria belonging to the Syrian army Monday night, hours after thwarting an infiltration attempt from Syria by suspected militants trying to plant explosives, the Israeli military said.

In a rare statement acknowledging strikes in neighboring Syria, the army said the targets included observation posts and intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft artillery facilities and command and control systems" in Syrian army bases.

Syria acknowledged the strikes, saying that Israeli helicopters fired missiles at Syrian army outposts and reported unspecified material damage.

The incident comes amid heightened tension on Israels northern frontier following a recent Israeli airstrike that killed a Hezbollah fighter in Syria and anticipation that the militant Lebanese group would retaliate.

Earlier Monday, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus, a military spokesman, said Israeli troops spotted irregular activity in the Golan Heights. Israeli troops opened fire on the suspected militants, some of whom were armed, after observing them placing the explosives on the ground, Conricus said.

There was no official confirmation that the four suspected attackers were killed but a grainy video released by the army shows four figures walking away from barbed wire marking the frontier. The four then disappear in a large explosion that engulfs the area.

The Israeli military has not said if the four are suspected of ties to Iran or Hezbollah, two Syrian allies. However, Conricus said Israel held the Syrian government responsible for the incident.

Addressing Likud party lawmakers, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Monday that Israel "thwarted an attempted sabotage on the Syrian front and would continue to harm all those who try to harm us and all those who harm us.

Israel captured the Golan Heights from Syria in 1967 and later annexed the territory. The U.S. is the only country to have recognized Israels annexation.

Story continues

Tensions have been high on Israel's northern frontier following the Israeli airstrike that killed the Hezbollah fighter in Syria last month. Following the airstrike, the Israeli-controlled Golan Heights was hit by explosives fired from Syria and Israel responded by attacking Syrian military positions and beefing up its forces in the area.

Israel has been bracing for further retaliation and last week it said it thwarted an infiltration attempt from Lebanon by Hezbollah militants, setting off one of the heaviest exchanges of fire along the volatile Israel-Lebanon frontier since a 2006 war between the bitter enemies.

Israel considers Hezbollah to be its toughest and most immediate threat. Since battling Israel to a stalemate during a monthlong war in 2006, Hezbollah has gained more battlefield experience fighting alongside the Syrian government in that country's bloody civil war.

After 40 years of calm, the Israel-Syrian frontier has heated up in recent years as Iran has tried to establish a military foothold on Israel's doorstep while helping Syrian President Bashar Assad in his country's yearslong war. Hezbollah also has aided Assad.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 03:08:16|Editor: huaxia

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HELSINKI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Finland began to pilot a new mobile app -- with privacy priorities -- to combat COVID-19 on Monday, announced the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL).

If a person is confirmed infected with COVID-19, health authorities will give the patient a code that can be feed into the app, if he or she chooses to do so. Thereafter the app will alert other users who have been in the vicinity recently and they can contact the health services, explained the THL.

Aleksi Yrttiaho, Director of Information Services at the THL, noted in a media release that the app would alert users without identifying them. The app would not create a database of the infected persons, either.

The app was developed jointly by Finnish digital services company Solita Oy and state-owned development company SoteDigi, in cooperation with government agencies.

The new app, which came after a previous one that started testing in June in Vaasa, western Finland, will be launched for public use in September, said the THL, adding that its uploading will be voluntary.

According to the THL, as of Monday afternoon, Finland had confirmed 7,466 COVID-19 infections and 329 deaths. An estimated 6,950 people have recovered, accounting for over 90 percent of reported cases. Enditem
In a sensational statement made here on Tuesday, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister who presently is BJP Rajya Sabha member alleged that both Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and his former manager Disha Salian were 'murdered'. Narayan Rane also said police should find out who all attended the parties held on the eve of each death.

The Mumbai Police is an efficient organization and the probe should be carried out properly, but instead, they are trying to save people who are in power, contended the former Shiv Sena Chief Minister.

"Who all were there in the party that was held on June 8 and June 13... the police must find out," Rane demanded, broadly hinting at the presence of a young Maharashtra minister at the gathering.

Rane further alleged that on June 8, Disha Salian was raped and then murdered, and later on June 14 even Sushant was killed.

He claimed that both the incidents are related and pointed out that Disha Salian was raped must have been evident in her autopsy report.

It is not very difficult to find out who was issuing threat calls to Sushant Singh Rajput, Rane said at a press conference.

However, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Monday categorically stated that there was no party at the late actor's home on June 13, as per the CCTV footage now in possession of the police.

On the night of June 8-9, Disha Salian fell from a high rise building in Malad suburb, while Sushant was found dead on June 14 at his rental flat in Bandra and he allegedly hanged himself.

Besides Rane, several leaders from the state BJP, including Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and sections of Bollywood personalities have been clamouring that the Sushant case should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, but the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government has spurned the demands.

Reacting to the BJP charges, senior Sena leader and Transport Minister Anil Parab said Tourism Minister and Chief Minister's son Aditya Thackeray was not linked in any manner either to the Sushant suicide or the case investigations.

"This is being done to tarnish his image... If anybody has any evidence about this, they are free to prove it or expose it in the media," Parab challenged, speaking to media-persons.
Shiv Sena leader and Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray Tuesday broke his silence over the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput. Taking to Twitter, Thackeray labelled the allegations against him as 'dirty politics' and said that he has been exercising 'restraint'.

Thackeray tweeted his statement in Marathi saying he has no involvement in this case. Calling the allegations levelled at him and his family baseless, he said it is an attempt to malign the image of the Thackeray family.

He alleged that Sushant's death is being politicised and those who do not trust the law are derailing the investigation and diluting the motive of the fight for justice. He wrote that he will maintain calm in this case and will not act in a manner that will affect his family's image.

Thackeray also said that the film industry is a crucial part of Mumbai and it is not a crime to have friends from the film fraternity.

Earlier in the day Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab said Aaditya Thackeray is nowhere linked to the case.

"Allegations are being made in this connection to malign the image of the chief minister," PTI quoted him as saying.

Parab alleged that political opponents of the Shiv Sena have engaged into this conspiracy (against the Thackerays).

"If anybody has any evidence that Aaditya Thackeray is related to this case, they can present the same and then we will speak," he added.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14. Mumbai Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and an investigation is underway in the case.

An FIR has been registered in Patna on the complaint of the late actor's father KK Singh against his son's girlfriend and budding actress Rhea Chakraborty and others.
U.S. President Donald Trump signed an order Monday requiring federal agencies to prove they are not replacing qualified American workers with people from other countries.

The White House said the executive order would help prevent federal agencies from unfairly replacing American workers with low-cost foreign labor.

The order requires all federal agencies to complete an internal audit to show whether they are hiring U.S. citizens and nationals for competitive service positions.

Trump said his move was partly prompted by the announcement of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) that it intended to outsource 20% of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries, using H-1B visas.

The executive order also comes as some foreign journalists at Voice of America await a ruling on whether their J-1 visas will be renewed following an agencywide review of such visas.

This photo illustration shows a visa stamp on a foreign passport in Los Angeles on June 6, 2020.

Trump told reporters Monday that he had fired the chair of the TVA, Skip Thompson, because he was hiring foreign workers and getting paid too much.

He also threatened to remove other federally appointed board members if they keep hiring foreign labor.

If you betray American workers, you will hear two words: Youre fired, he said.

The TVA is a federally owned corporation created in 1933 to provide flood control, electricity generation and economic development to the Tennessee Valley, a region that was hard hit by the Great Depression.

The visa review at the U.S. Agency for Global Media (USAGM), which oversees VOA, is part of the changes implemented since Michael Pack took up his appointment as chief executive officer.

The VOA has 62 contractors and 14 full-time foreign employees who are in the United States on J-1 visas, an entry permit for individuals with unique skills, such as the command of multiple languages.

Asked by VOA how Trumps new executive order would impact the news organizations J-1 visas, the White House only provided a link to a federal government jobs website that described employment of noncitizens.

A USAGM spokesperson said in a statement that the case-by-case visa review was aimed at improving agency management, protecting U.S. national security and ensuring that hiring authorities are not misused.

Journalist groups, including PEN America and the National Press Club, have said the visa renewal delays could put many VOA journalists at risk of threats to arrest if they are forced to return to their home countries.

The U.S. Agency for Global Media logo at Voice of America, in Washington, D.C., Nov. 22, 2019. (VOA)

An unknown number of journalists at the other USAGM networks, which include Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Radio Free Asia, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting and Middle East Broadcasting Networks, are also affected by the visa review.

New entries on J-1 visas are among several categories of visas that were temporarily banned by the Trump administration in response to the coronavirus pandemic. The administration has argued that foreign workers should not take jobs away from U.S. citizens during the economic downturn.
Two men were sentenced to federal prison on Monday for their involvement in a New Haven-based drug trafficking organization, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney for Connecticut.

John H. Durham, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced on Monday that Jamaine Jack Jackson, 46, of Bridgeport, was sentenced to 77 months in prison, while Theodore Ted Smith, 38, of New Haven, was sentenced to 42 months. Each will serve three years of supervised release following their stays in prison.

Jackson and Smith were arrested in 2019 for their connections to a drug trafficking ring run out of Fitchburg, Massachusetts and a second drug trafficking network involved in large-scale heroin distribution, Durham said.

Durham said the ring was uncovered during an investigation headed by the FBIs New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force and New Haven Police Department that targeted drug trafficking and related acts of violence by members, former members and associates of the Island Brothers street gang in New Haven.

Twenty-seven individuals were charged as a result of this investigation.

During the investigation, Brian Backman of New Haven and Anderson Atkinson of Hamden were identified as suppliers of heroin to members of the drug trafficking organization, according to Durham. He said Jackson conspired with Backman, Anderson and others to acquire heroin a sell it to his own customers.

Backman and Atkinson have since both pleaded guilty to related drug charges

Smith, who resided in Fitchburg for a time, distributed crack cocaine and heroin, and also wire-transferred proceeds of his drug sales to his Connecticut associates, Durham said.

On November 22, 2019, Jackson pleaded guilty one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, and Smith pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base (crack) and heroin.

Jacksons criminal history includes 13 convictions for drug offenses, and convictions for assault, strangulation and burglary. Smith also has a lengthy criminal history, which includes multiple convictions for narcotics and assault offenses.
SPRINGFIELD  Gov. J.B. Pritzker said Monday that Illinois faces the prospect of having to make deep spending cuts over the rest of the fiscal year if Congress does not pass an economic relief package that helps states make up for the massive loss in revenue theyve seen since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I continue to do my part to make calls, to make sure that people understand that Republican-led states and Democratic-led states all have this challenge of revenues that fell off a cliff because of COVID-19, Pritzker said during a news conference in Springfield.

COVID-19 first appeared in Illinois in January and it quickly spread to all corners of the state, prompting Pritzker to issue a stay-at-home order that virtually shut down major segments of the economy. Similar economic restrictions were imposed in other states as well, although many were less strict than those in Illinois.

As a result, base revenues flowing into state coffers fell during the fiscal year that ended June 30 by a little more than $1.1 billion.

In May, state lawmakers passed a budget for the new fiscal year that began July 1. That budget was roughly $5 billion out of balance compared to revenue estimates available at the time, but the plan was to fill the gap by borrowing from the Federal Reserve and by passage of a proposed constitutional amendment to allow the state to levy a graduated income tax that would impose higher tax rates on higher levels of income.

The budget authorized borrowing roughly $4.5 billion through the Federal Reserves Municipal Liquidity Facility, something the Fed board approved earlier this year as a way to help state and large local governments make up for the loss of revenue theyve seen.

In Illinois, the plan was to borrow that money and pay it back with aid that lawmakers expected Congress to approve.

Republicans in the General Assembly argued against that plan, saying it would be unwise to rely on short-term borrowing to balance the budget, especially when it was still unknown what, if any, kind of relief package Congress would authorize in the future.

But Democrats argued that using the Federal Reserves credit program was the best option available because it enabled the state to continue spending and spurring economic activity at a time when businesses and consumers couldnt.

Now, as negotiations between the Democratic-led U.S. House and Republican-led U.S. Senate have dragged on, many observers say it looks increasingly less likely that the next economic relief package will include aid to states.

Although the House has passed its own version of a relief package that includes about $500 billion to help states make up for their lost revenue, the latest Senate proposal does not include such aid.

And as recently as July 23, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told CNBC that, the president is not going to bail out Chicago and New York and other states that prior to the coronavirus were mismanaged.

Without federal aid, however, Pritzker said Monday that there will be significant cuts and job layoffs in Illinois and throughout the country.

But this is going to be up to the Congress. Theyre the ones who have the ability to help us and to help all 50 states with the challenge we all have. But there are going to be layoffs across the country, not just related to state government, but when you dont fund state and local governments youre going to see, and youve already seen to some degree, layoffs, Pritzker said. Not to mention those who provide services to state and local governments, private companies whose contracts no doubt will be put aside because the money isnt flowing, because we dont have the ability to balance the budget in the way that we had originally intended to.



Highlights of what's in the state budget approved in Springfield
A Niagara Falls man says he expected to get arrested when he set out to scrape physical distancing markers off the floor of a Shoppers Drug Mart store Monday.

Sandor Ligetfalvy said he was sending a message to the corporate world for creating a climate of fear as he pulled the directional arrows off the floor of the Victoria Avenue store in Niagara Falls at about noon Sunday. As two friends filmed, he was confronted by staff and the manager, who asked them to leave.

Get out of my store now! a woman tells him in a video posted Monday on YouTube.

A second, longer video also posted on YouTube, shows Ligetfalvy  not wearing a protective mask  methodically scraping off the markers with a paint scraper blade as confused shoppers walk by. I scrape for justice, I scrape for freedom, he sings at one point in a nod to Peter, Paul and Marys If I Had a Hammer.

The unidentified manager then asks customers to leave the store, saying shes calling 911 because someone in the store had a weapon.

Management at the Shoppers Drug Mart did not return messages left by the Niagara Falls Review Tuesday.

Reached Tuesday morning, Ligetfalvy said he was prompted to take action after a recent visit to the store shortly after the birth of his son in April. It was then he felt the psychology of fear gripping everyone as the COVID-19 pandemic enters its fifth month.

If we dont push back now, well never get the chance to push back, he said. What are we doing to our society when were promoting fear everywhere we go?

Im tired of having to go to a store  which used to be a type of therapy  and now its a type of trauma.

Shoppers Drug Mart, like many large stores during the pandemic, use directional floor arrows to avoid congested aisles and encourage physical distancing.

Ligetfalvy views them as symbols of fear. Along with face-covering masks and various other stickers on plastic.

Scraping them off, he said, is not really vandalism, its unvandalism.

The corporate world vandalized our psychologies and we need to push back.

Shortly after leaving the store, Legitfalvy said he was approached by police on Victoria Avenue and told to lie on the ground, where he was handcuffed.

He will appear in court in October for one count of mischief.

He will also appear before a judge in December for defying Niagara Regions mandatory mask bylaw for enclosed public spaces. He could face a fine of up to $1,000.

Its quite possible I am the first (mask) bylaw infraction.
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LONDON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Former British Prime Minister John Major paid tribute to John Hume, describing the Nobel laureate as one of the most fervent warriors for peace who had earned himself an honoured place in Irish history.

Hume, a Roman Catholic architect of Northern Ireland's Good Friday peace agreement who won the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending 30 years of sectarian violence, died on Monday at the age of 83.

"Few others invested such time and energy to this search, and few sought to change entrenched attitudes with such fierce determination," Major said in a statement.

"Those whose communities have been transformed into peaceful neighbourhoods may wish to pay tribute to one of the most fervent warriors for peace. He has earned himself an honoured place in Irish history."

(Reporting by Kate Holton and Guy Faulconbridge)
Texas Rep. Louie Gohmert was diagnosed with coronavirus last week, and now his daughter is encouraging others to not follow in his footsteps.

Caroline Gohmert, a musician who goes by BELLSAINT, went to Twitter to talk about her father's diagnosis. Gohmert previously refused to wear a mask on Capitol Hill.

MASK UP: Failure to wear a mask in Houston could cost you $250

"Wearing a mask is a non-partisan issue," Caroline Gohmert wrote in a note posted to Twitter. "The advice of medical experts shouldn't be politicized. My father ignored medical expertise and now he has COVID."

"Please, please listen to medical experts," Caroline continued. "It's not worth following a president who has no remorse for leading his followers to an early grave."

The Republican from Texas drew attention when he refused to wear a mask on Capitol Hill, saying he didn't need to because he was being tested regularly for COVID-19.

"I don't have the coronavirus, turns out as of yesterday I've never had it. But if I get it, you'll never see me without a mask," Gohmert told CNN in June.

Gohmert tested positive for coronavirus right before he was set to join President Donald Trump on a trip to Texas. He reportedly then went to Capitol Hill to inform his staff in person that he had contracted COVID-19.

Gohmert said in a statement posted to Twitter that he had been wearing a mask often for two weeks prior to his diagnosis.

"I don't know about everybody, but when I have a mask on, I'm moving it to make it comfortable and I can't help but wonder if that puts some germs in the mask," Gohmert continued. "Anyway, who knows."

COVID-19 ON CAPITOL HILL: Rep. Louie Gohmert of Texas is 'all in' on hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19

On July 30, Gohmert told Fox News that he would treat his coronavirus with hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malaria drug touted by President Donald Trump and other Republicans that scientists have warned against using for COVID-19 treatment.

In his initial statement, Gohmert said he was asymptomatic.
Ravindra Rao

COMEX gold December contract trades moderately higher near USD 1,990/oz after a flat close on August 3. Spot gold trades little changed near USD 1,977/oz off the record high level set on August 3.

In domestic market, MCX gold August contract hit a high of Rs 54,199/10 gram on August 3, the highest price on record for a first month contract. Gold continues to hold near record high level supported by safe haven buying amid increasing challenges to global economy in form of rising virus cases and increased US-China tensions.

Virus cases have been rising globally and this has forced countries to reimpose restrictions hampering economic activity. As per Reuters report, the World Health Organization warned on Monday that there might never be a "silver bullet" for COVID-19 in the form of a perfect vaccine and that the road to normality would be long. US-China tensions have intensified further as US targets Chinese applications citing security threats.

ETF inflows also show pick up in investor buying. Gold holdings with SPDR ETF rose by 6.42 tonne to 1248.33 tonne, highest since March 2013. However, weighing on gold price is some recovery in US dollar and some upbeat economic readings from major economies. The US dollar index has managed to recover from May 2018 lows as safe haven buying offset increased concerns about health of US economy.

Manufacturing data released from Asia, Europe and US showed improvement and this improved risk sentiment reducing golds safe haven appeal. Also weighing on price are concerns about consumer demand with record high prices and sluggish economic activity in key consuming countries like India and China. Gold has turned choppy amid mixed factors however the general momentum is still positive given the challenges to global economy and strong investor interest.

Base metals on LME trade sideways to lower in early trades today after most ended on a higher note yesterday. On weaker note weighing on the prices is recent modest rebound in US Dollar Index along with simmering US-China tensions. US Dollar Index trades little changed near 93.60 holding onto yesterdays rebound and is nearly 1 percent off the two year low of 92.539 hit last week. The currency has risen amid yesterdays upbeat PMI data from US along with decline in pace of new cases in the region and hopes of further stimulus. The downside may however be capped on demand optimism tracking upbeat factory activity data from China to US along with growing hopes of more stimulus.

In US, data on August 3 showed that manufacturing activity accelerated to its highest level in nearly one and half years in July as orders increased despite resurgence in new infections. This followed an upbeat reading from Euro Zone and Chinas PMI. Also capping the downside is slowdown in pace of rise in virus cases in US even as global cases continue to rise and worries persist over second wave of infections across Asia, Europe and Australia.

Meanwhile, on fundamental front, Aluminium and Zinc prices may come under pressure amid higher stocks at LME warehouses however steady decline in inventories at SHFE may cap the downside. In other metal, Lead prices may come under pressure amid higher stocks at LME however recent retreat in stock at SHFE along with hopes of rebound in demand for Lead based battery due to recovery in global auto sector may cap the downside. In US, data yesterday showed that total vehicle sales in July jumped to 14.5 million from Junes 13.1 million. Further, in case of Nickel, higher stocks at both LME and SHFE warehouses may weigh on the prices.

Lastly in case of Copper, prices come under pressure amid signs of easing demand in China however lower stocks at both LME and SHFE warehouses along with worries over supply tightness may cap the downside. In China, the Yangshan copper premium has declined to USD 83.50 a tonne, its lowest since June 15 and down from USD 99 two weeks ago; fanning demand worries. (Reuters) However Copper stocks at LME continue to decline and hover near January lows while LME Cash to three-month spread continues to be in backwardation indicating some tightness. The metals pack may witness mixed movement today amid mixed cues however overall bias for most metals may be positive amid demand optimism.

The author is VP- Head Commodity Research at Kotak Securities

: 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.
Khorshed Alam Sujan appoints as CCC Administrator

Chattogram Bureau

Mayor AJM Nasir Uddin is going to leave the responsibility of Chattogram City Corporation (CCC) with a debt of Taka 814 crore 20 lakh 80 Thousand . When he was sworn in the mayor's chair five years ago, the city corporation's debt was only Tk 265 crore. When he is about to step down from the post at the

end of his term, the amount of debt is 614 crore 20 lakh 80 thousand taka. Out of this huge debt, the contractors owe more than Tk 700 crore. On the other hand, the officers and employees of CCC will get around 100 crore taka. Reliable sources of CCC have confirmed this information.

AJM Nasir Uddin is scheduled to resign from the post of mayor on August 4. The term of the mayor of CCC is coming to end on August 5. Then the responsibility of City Corporation goes to the Administrator. The government has already appointed Chattogram City Awami League Vice-President Khorshed Alam Sujan as the Administrator of CCC.

An official of Chasik's Accounting Department, who did not want to be named, said that when AJM Nasir Uddin was the mayor, he spoke loudly about the corporation's debt of Rs 2.5 crore. Now he will leave the office keeping debt around Tk 1,000 crore. He is leaving unpaid various types of allowances including pension and gratuity of the officers and employees of Nagar Bhaban around Tk 100 crore. But no previous mayor has left money unpaid for officials and employees. The retired workers are also not happy with the mayor.

According to City Corporation Sources, out of the Tk 614 crore 20 lakh 50 thousand, matching fund of various projects is 386 crore taka, the bulk allocation and general allocation is 287 crore 95 lakh 41 thousand 950 taka, the ICC cricket project 11 crore and ADP (Chattogram Metropolitan Infrastructure Development Project) 15 crore including CDMP Bahaddarhat project, CDMP Maheshkhal project, garbage treatment plant project, commercial capital project and 31 crore 32 lakh 35 thousand 496 taka of these seven projects.
Justice Vinod Kumar heard the petition even though it was Raksha Bandhan day.

Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court had to intervene to help the family of a soldier who died of COVID-19 in securing the release of his body after a private hospital refused to release it until its bill was paid.

Ram Kumar Sharma, an ex-Army man, died of Covid-19 at Sunshine Hospital on August 2. The hospital raised a bill of Rs 8,68,832.30. Though his family paid around Rs 4 lakh, the hospital refused to release the body.

Taking up the family's brief, advocate Pratap Narayan Sanghi filed a writ petition in the High Court by way of a house motion as Monday was a holiday for Raksha Bandhan.

Justice Vinod Kumar directed the station house officer of Ramgopalpet police to immediately take steps to secure the release of Ram Kumar Sharmas body and hand it over to his son Naveen Kumar Sharma for performing the last rites.

Justice Vinod Kumar also took serious note of corporate hospitals not handing over bodies to their kin if bills are not cleared, and directed the Union and state governments to take stringent steps against such institutions.

Justice Kumar impleaded the central government suo motu and directed it and Telangana's director of medical and health services to examine the bills raised by Sunshine Hospital.

If the bill was found to be excess, the judge ordered serious action against the hospital for exploiting citizens. The court posted the matter for September 11.
Moscow, Aug 4 : The Russian Ministry of Defence has said that a Covid-19 vaccine that it developed in partnership with the Gamaleya Scientific Research Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology appears to be safe.

On August 3, a "final medical examination" of participants in clinical trials of the vaccine took place at the Burdenko Main Military Clinical Hospital, it said in a statement.

The results clearly showed that all volunteers had a clear immune response resulting from vaccination, the ministry said, adding that there were no side effects or abnormalities in the work of the volunteers.

"Thus, the available data of laboratory and instrumental studies allow us to speak about the safety and good tolerance of the vaccine," the statement added.

The announcement comes amid international scepticism surrounding Russia's approach to developing Covid-19.

According to the World Health Organisation, at least 26 Covid-19 vaccine candidates are in clinical trials around the world, including one early-stage one from the Gamaleya Institute, CNBC reported on Monday.

But the UN health agency did not list any second or third-phase trials from Russia in its latest update of the list.

Last month, officials in the US, Canada and Britain accused Russia of attempting to hack and steal Covid-19 vaccine data.

In a BBC interview in July, Russia's envoy in Britain said that there was "no sense" in the allegations.

According to Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, the country is planning a mass vaccination campaign against the novel coronavirus for October.

"We plan wider (vaccination) for October because we need to launch a new system of treatment gradually," the Minister told TASS News Agency on Saturday.

Another vaccine, developed by the State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology Vector, was going through clinical trials, he said.

Moreover, the Health Ministry in Russia expects that two more vaccine developers will request permission to start clinical trials on volunteers in the coming weeks.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday as global coronavirus infections kept soaring, with the World Health Organization warning against relying on a vaccine "silver bullet" to end the pandemic.

More than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China late last year and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Desperate to contain the spread and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals, some countries such as the Philippines have resorted to reimposing economically painful restrictions on travel and businesses.

Commuter trains, buses and other public vehicles stayed off the main roads of the capital Manila on Tuesday and police were again staffing checkpoints to restrict public travel as surging virus cases forced another lockdown.

Officials deployed dozens of shuttle buses, along with army trucks, to ferry stranded medical personnel and workers of authorised businesses. Most domestic flights to and from the capital were cancelled, and night curfews will return in places.

President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to reinstate the lockdown after medical groups warned the health care system was being overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients. More than 106,000 people have been infected, including more than 2,100 who have died.

More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon, which includes Manila, are expected to remain under lockdown for weeks. With only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many found themselves stranded in the capital and unable to get back to their hometowns.

"We've run out of money. We can't leave the airport because we don't have any relatives here," said Ruel Damaso, a 36-year-old construction worker trying to return to the southern city of Zamboanga.

"We will have to stay here for two weeks until we get our flights back."

The lockdown is milder than the one imposed earlier this year, which largely confined most people to their homes for weeks, but is more severe than the quarantine restrictions the capital had been under recently.

Story continues

Businesses previously allowed to partly reopen, including barbershops, gyms, dine-in restaurants and tourist destinations, have been ordered shut. Authorised companies including banks, health and food processing firms must shuttle their employees between home and work.

Vaccine 'silver bullet'

Despite months of crippling restrictions, the pandemic is gathering pace in regions across the globe, with the worldwide death toll nearing 700,000.

Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean where infections have topped five million. South America's largest country has recorded 2.75 million cases, and close to half the region's more than 202,000 deaths.

Only the United States has been worse affected, with the number of fatalities surpassing 155,000.

Hopes of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rest largely on a vaccine, with research labs around the world locked in a race against time.

Russia said Monday it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year.

But Vitaly Zverev, laboratory chief at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, said it was "impossible to ensure a vaccine's safety in the time that has passed since the beginning of this pandemic".

The WHO warned that governments and citizens should focus on what is known to work: testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask.

"We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.

"However, there's no silver bullet at the moment  and there might never be."

Despite rising infection numbers in Europe, some countries are pushing ahead with plans to reopen schools and finding ways to keep their battered tourism sectors functioning.

Germany watched anxiously Monday as 150,000 children returned to school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the country's first state to restart full-time classes after the summer holidays.

In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex urged the nation "not to let down its guard" as surging cases led the Riviera resort city of Nice to become the latest to mandate outside mask-wearing.

"The virus has not gone on holiday and neither have we," Castex said.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP)
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa's tenuous control of the ruling party was laid bare at the weekend when its leaders rebuffed his proposal to investigate allegedly tainted state contracts for health equipment.

Ramaphosa called for a panel led by former President Kgalema Motlanthe to scrutinize deals secured by African National Congress officials, but was spurned at a meeting of the party's National Executive Committee, according to three people who attended the gathering and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Instead, they accepted Secretary General Ace Magashule's suggestion that the ANC's integrity commission handle the matter, the people said.

Ramaphosa, 67, replaced Jacob Zuma as the ANC's leader in December 2017, after narrowly winning an election against Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, Zuma's ex-wife and favored successor. Members of a party faction who were allied to Zuma and have loosely coalesced around Magashule won several other top party posts and seats on the NEC, leaving it deeply divided.

The ANC forced Zuma to quit as president in February 2018, after his scandal-marred nine-year tenure caused it to hemorrhage support, and replaced him with Ramaphosa. His tenure as party leader runs until late 2022 and as president until 2024, but he may seek reelection to both posts.

While Ramaphosa has pledged to clamp down on endemic corruption, his efforts have been stymied by a lack of support from his party and a dearth of capacity within law-enforcement agencies. Not a single high-profile politician has been convicted in connection with the theft of more than $29 billion (500 billion rand) from the state during Zuma's rule, and the ANC hasn't expelled any members that were implicated.

Allegations of officials abusing their positions have continued under Ramaphosa's administration.

Khusela Diko, Ramaphosa's spokeswoman, and Bandile Masuku, the political head of the health department in the central Gauteng province, were both forced to vacate their positions after it emerged they stood to benefit from contracts to supply the state with equipment to protect heath-care workers against Covid-19.

Two of Magashule's sons also won contracts worth 2.7 million rand to supply goods and services to combat the coronavirus in the central Free State province, the Daily Maverick reported on July 31. Magashule, a former premier of the region, said he exerted no influence over the tenders, the news website said.

Ramaphosa has instructed nine government agencies to investigate possible impropriety regarding the covid-19 contracts. And last week he urged the ANC to follow through on a resolution it took in 2017 -- but never implemented -- to suspend members who were facing investigation or disciplinary proceedings.

"We have an obligation to combat, root out and isolate the corrupt elements amongst us," he said in an ANC memorial lecture that was delivered on his behalf. In his weekly letter to the nation on Monday, the president likened those who stole food parcels, unemployment benefits and other covid-related aid to hyenas and said they would be dealt with decisively.

The ANC's NEC said it was "outraged and deeply embarrassed" that some of its leaders and members tried to benefit unlawfully and voiced support for the measures announced by Ramaphosa to hold them accountable. It made no mention of any disagreement within its ranks over how graft should be addressed.

"Leaders and members of the ANC are expected to set an example to society by displaying the highest levels of integrity," the NEC said in a statement on Tuesday. "The moral standing of the ANC has been severely damaged by the conduct of some of its members who, in fact, do not deserve to be in our ranks."

Tyrone Seale, Ramaphosa's acting spokesman, referred requests for comment to the ANC. Pule Mabe, the party's spokesman, didn't answer his phone or respond to queries sent by text message.

Despite his tough public stance against graft, Ramaphosa drew criticism at the weekend meeting for failing to bring the scourge under control, with Magashule declaring the problem worse than during the Zuma era, the three NEC members said. The president and his administration, other than Health Minister Zweli Mkhize, were also criticized by several NEC members for failing to contain the coronavirus, they said.

More than 516,000 people in South Africa have been diagnosed with the disease, the fifth-most in the world, and 8,539 have died.

Two of the NEC officials also revealed that:

- Magashule's proposal for the party's integrity commission to probe the supply contracts won backing from the South African Communist Party and the Congress of South African Trade Unions, which have been long-standing Ramaphosa allies.

- Ramaphosa was criticized for decreeing that evidence presented to a judicial commission of inquiry that is probing graft during Zuma's rule be accessible to prosecutors.

- The integrity commission tabled a report which states that it didn't clear Deputy President David Mabuza of allegations of corruption that were leveled against him when he assumed office in 2018, as claimed by the party leadership. Mabuza has denied wrongdoing.
SoftBank Group Corp under-reported income to Japan's tax authorities by around 40 billion yen ($380 million) in the financial year ended March 2019, a person with knowledge of the matter said, requiring the conglomerate to resubmit filings.

The under-reported income was offset by losses recorded that year, the person said, meaning no additional tax was paid.

SoftBank was told it booked expenses in the wrong period, made calculation errors when converting foreign denominated debt and under-reported income at overseas affiliates, SoftBank said without providing details.

SoftBank's domestic wireless unit, SoftBank Corp, was also told it under-reported income by 3 billion yen due to booking expenses in the wrong period, a spokesman for the telco said.

It paid additional tax of more than 1 billion yen, the spokesman said.
Domestic flights of the Ukrainian airline SkyUp Airlines, launched at the end of June, are at 62% capacity, according to the airline's press service.

At the end of June, we launched domestic flights  from Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv to Odesa, as well as Kyiv-Zaporizhzhia and Lviv-Kherson flights. Passenger seat occupancy on these flights is 62%. We provide social tariffs on these flights. We see a tendency that passengers are ready to buy tickets in the price range of UAH 500-800," the press service notes.

At the same time, the situation with international regular flights is somewhat better - the occupancy rate is about 100%. However, from July 1, SkyUp launched flights only to Tirana (Albania). On July 22, the airline began a regular flight program from Kyiv, Kharkiv and Lviv to Burgas (Bulgaria).

The airline hopes that the situation will improve in the coming months and more countries will open their borders to Ukrainians. Accordingly, SkyUp will start operating more regular flights to different countries.

As reported, adaptive quarantine is in force in Ukraine until August 31. That is, restrictive measures can be relaxed or intensified depending on the epidemic situation in each region.

Scheduled international flights were resumed on June 15 after a months-long break due to the coronavirus pandemic. Domestic air traffic was resumed on June 5.

ish
As coronavirus continues to spread, the government announces the closure of mosques and the halting of mass prayers, while the government media outlets are hit particularly hard.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Endowments announced the suspension of Friday and mass prayers at the mosques of Damascus and its countryside for fifteen days, as of Monday, in response to the precautionary measures for tackling the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), SANA reported.

The ministry says it took this step to prevent the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the province of Damascus and its countryside.

Meanwhile, Damascus Governorate launched Monday, a disinfection campaign covering all the city streets and neighborhoods, starting from Bab Musalla and al-Midan areas aimed at enhancing measures taken to contain coronavirus in light of the increase in registered infections. Director of Cleaning in Damascus Governorate said that the focused campaign includes disinfection and cleaning, and it will cover all Damascus neighborhoods in parallel with the usual daily work carried out by the services department, including disinfecting and cleaning the citys streets.

A number of shop owners in al-Jazmatia area stressed the importance of sterilization and maintaining spatial distances in crowded places, affirming their commitment to the preventive measures of disinfection.

In Deir ez-Zor, two COVID-19 cases were recorded in al-Kasrah hospital in the western Deir ez-tor countryside. One of them came from Raqqa city, while the other one came from the western Deir ez-Zor countryside, which pushed the hospital staff to announce measures against the virus. Opposition outlet Deir Ezzor 24 met with one of the medical employees working in al-Kasrah Hospital to learn about the latest developments with regards to the infections and procedures taken.

He said, The United Nations Monitoring and Follow-up Team (EERN) is present in the hospital. It is composed of a number of people from the region who have been working for years to control pandemics

He added, Al-Kasrah Hospital lacks respirators, which are very important for the critical cases. It also lacks the necessary laboratory materials and equipment, knowing that the lab technicians were trained by experts on PCR, the device used to check the swabs. The hospital was also equipped at modest level with special beds for the quarantined persons. The infected people are quarantined at home unless there is a need to transfer them to hospital.

Regime Media Personality Contracts Virus, Doctor Dies

Regime television anchor, Ajfan Qabalan, announced that she has contracted the coronavirus. She is the fourth media personality to announce her infection in recent days, while stressing the spread of the pandemic throughout Damascus, while information indicates the virus is spreading in the building of the regimes TV.

Pro-regime media figure, Shadi Helwa, published a video on his Facebook account in which he talked about what he described as a terrible outbreak of the coronavirus in Aleppo, justifying the regimes failure to deal with the pandemic.

Helwa commented on the repeated news about the infection of female anchors and described it as a bad habit, indicating that he would be open about his test results should he ever contract the disease. He went on to blame citizens for the spread of the coronavirus.

Pro-regime media sources revealed that at least three female employees who are affiliated with the regimes public radio and television had coronavirus. This news coincided with the announcement of the passing of the editor-in-chief of the regimes news channel.

This comes after media figure and supporter of the regime, Nour Qassem, who works for the regimes Tishreen newspaper, announced that she was also infected with the coronavirus. This was followed by a similar announcement from an anchor on a Syrian satellite channel, Marwa Odeh, along with the infection of another anchor called Heba Ajeeb.

The three infected people also published video recordings in which they talked about their symptoms, amid reports that the regime has deliberately kept secret the number of positive cases, while new cases were recorded in the radio and television building in the capital Damascus.

The General Authority for Obstetrics and Gynecology at the University Hospital in Damascus announced today that one of its doctors had died from coronavirus.

The doctor, Mahmoud Omar Sabsoub, a member of the academic staff in the Faculty of Human Medicine at the University of Damascus and who holds a doctorate degree with high distinction, was subjected to home stay a few days ago, after he started experiencing symptoms.

The authority added that the 62-year-old doctor ended up dying from health complications, which records the first death at the Maternity Hospital in Damascus.

The number of cases that that have been officially announced in Syria is now 809, including 256 recovering cases and 44 deaths. Information indicates that the infections documented by the Ministry of Health constitute only a fraction of the total infections in the Syrian governorates.

The dean of the Faculty of Human Medicine at the University of Damascus, Dr. Nabog al-Awa, confirmed that the real numbers of people infected with the coronavirus in Syria are higher than the numbers announced by the Ministry of Health, noting that the numbers that are published do not convey the reality because the ministry conducts a limited number of tests, knowing how limited their capabilities are. Awa added that, the infected do not usually visit the hospital except when the situation is dire, for fear of quarantine or because they are afraid of stigma.

On Jul. 27, 2020, the regime-affiliated Ministry of Information announced the death of Khalil Mahmoud, a media executive for the regimes television. He was the editor-in-chief of the regimes news channel.

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.
Both Horry and Georgetown counties reported zero coronavirus-related deaths on Monday, while also seeing a dip in daily COVID-19 reported cases.

Horry County posted 45 new cases, bringing its total to 8,147. Meanwhile, Georgetown added 18 cases and now has a total of 1,306.

South Carolina reported 1,105 new confirmed cases and 11 new deaths, increasing the state total to 92,404 and 1,721, respectively.

The 11 deaths came from Aiken, Bamberg, Calhoun, Charleston, Chester, Dorchester, Florence, Newberry, Orangeburg, Richland, and Spartanburg. Seven deaths are still being investigated by officials in Aiken, Anderson, Charleston, Greenville and Spartanburg.

For hospitals, state health officials said they are still working on creating a new process for gathering inpatient bed availability and occupancy from each hospital in the state. They said a new system will be coming soon. Out of the 1,401 patients hospitalized, 366 were in ICU and 224 on ventilators.

For anyone looking to get tested, there is planned drive-thru coronavirus testing on Aug.4 at Precious Blood of Christ Church at 1633 Waverly Road in Pawleys Island. The testing will take place from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. For more mobile testing sites, check out the DHEC website.

Rate per 100K

Georgetown: 2,086

Horry: 2,300

Percent of deaths vs. state total

Horry: 7.4%

Georgetown: 1%

Probable cases

Georgetown: 1

Horry: 27

Probable Deaths

Georgetown: 1

Horry: 2
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Aug. 04, 2020 | PADUCAH

By West Kentucky Star Staff Aug. 04, 2020 | 07:51 AM | PADUCAH

As fall classes at West Kentucky Community and Technical College begin August 17th, several new online courses are being offered, including a history class that will examine the African American experience spanning over the past 150 years.



The class, taught by history instructor Stacey Watson, will focus on the Reconstruction to the present, with an emphasis on the rise of segregation, the Civil Rights Movement, and race relations in the 21st Century.



Watson said the course will engage students by providing a deeper understanding of a group of people and events that have been hidden, forgotten and overlooked. The course will help students to analyze, examine and discuss the truth about the United States while connecting the past to the present.



"It is a recurring theme in the broader context of history that the voices of the African American community have been ignored, their demands have been unheard and their communities have been under represented. It is important to understand the history of these people and why they currently continue to fight for both equality and representation in every aspect of life," Watson said. "Education is the best tool to breakdown stereotypes, combat racism and understand the triumphant steps taken on the behalf of the African American community to fight against systemic racism."



The 12-week online class begins September 14th, and requires no textbook.



Two other new online courses offered this fall are "Terrorism and Political Violence," which begins also begin September 14th, and "Introduction to LGBTQ Literature," which begins August 17th.



"Through education, we teach critical thinking, persuasive and argumentative writing, to debate modern social problems, the evaluation of history, and interpersonal and public speaking skills, to name a few," said WKCTC President Anton Reece. "We can encourage individuals to become educated, skilled, and trained for meaningful employment, the more giving back will be fostered, and the more our community relations are improved."



Fully online classes are part of WKCTC's three-pronged approach to fall semester that also include face-to-face and hybrid classes to promote a healthy teaching and learning environment. Online classes are available for in-state tuition.



For more information about hybrid/online classes this fall, visit https://westkentucky.kctcs.edu/education-training/hybrid/index.aspx.
JERSEYVILLE  A Saint Clair, Missouri woman faces multiple battery and other charges after an altercation involving several police and correctional officers.

Cheryl C. Fawe, 61, of Saint Clair, Missouri, was charged July 27 with three counts of aggravated battery, all Class 2 felonies; and unlawful use of weapons and resisting a peace officer, both Class A misdemeanors.

According to court documents, on July 26 committed aggravated battery against two Jersey County Sheriffs Office correctional officers by biting one on the hand and kicking another in their chest and torso; and a Jerseyville police officer who Fawe allegedly struck then rubbed blood from a skin tear saying I hope you get some disease. She was also charged with resisting arrest for pulling away from a Jersey County sheriffs deputy attempting to handcuff her, and also had a loaded 9 mm handgun in her vehicle illegally.

Bail was set at $25,000.

Other felony charges filed recently by the Jersey County States Attorneys Office include:

 Jacob R. Fry, 34, of the 23700 block of Dogwood Lane, Jerseyville, was charged July 31 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents on July 30 he was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $5,000.

 Mandy A. Margadonna, of the 400 block of W. Carpenter, Jerseyville, was charged July 30 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony; and unlawful possession of controlled substance, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, on July 29 she was found in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine and less than 15 grams of psilocybin mushrooms. Bail was set at $15,000.

 Paul E. Wahls, 56, of 17300 block of Indian Lake Road, Jerseyville, was charged July 28 with unlawful possession of methamphetamine, a Class 3 felony. According to court documents, on July 24 he was found to be in possession of less than five grams of methamphetamine. Bail was set at $5,000.

 MaKinnon M. Marshall, 18, of the first block of Cross County Court, Jerseyville, was charged June 27 wit unlawful possession with intent to deliver cannabis, a Class 4 felony. According to court documents, on July 26 he was found to be in possession of 10 to 30 grams of cannabis, with the intent to deliver. Bail was set at $10,000.

 Terry R. Gray, 29, of St. Louis, was charged July 27 with unlawful possession of stolen vehicle, a Class 2 felony. According to court documents, on July 25 Gray was found to be in possession of a stolen 2017 Ford Focus with a Missouri registration. Bail was set at $10,000.
South Africa: Parliament considers request to address COVID-19 corruption allegations

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.

The Department of Sport, Arts and Culture has, through its COVID-19 Relief Fund, disbursed R61 million to beneficiaries in the creative and sport sectors. Addressing a virtual media briefing on Monday, the Minister of Sport, Arts and Culture, Nathi Mthethwa, said his department received a total number of 5 322 applications in the catego... See more
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Linkedin Brendan O'Brien (Reuters) Chicago, United States  Tue, August 4, 2020 09:12 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b63781 2 World US,teacher,protest,school,reopening,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus Free

Teachers and support staff at more than 35 school districts across the United States on Monday are protesting the re-opening of schools while COVID-19 is surging in many parts of the country.

They are demanding in-person classes not be held until scientific data supports it, safety protocols such as lower class sizes and virus testing are established, and schools are staffed with adequate numbers of counselors and nurses, according to a website set up for the demonstrations.

On Twitter, the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association showed protesters making fake gravestones that said "Here lies a third grade student from Green Bay who caught COVID at school" and "RIP Grandma caught COVID helping grand kids with homework."

Teachers are also demanding financial help for parents in need, including rent and mortgage assistance, a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures and cash assistance.

Many of these issues are at the center of a political tussle in Washington, where Congressional Democrats and Trump administration officials will resume talks on Monday aimed at hammering out a coronavirus economic relief bill after missing a deadline to extend benefits to tens of millions of jobless Americans.

The coronavirus, which first appeared in China late last year, has infected 4.6 million people in the United States and killed more than 155,000 Americans since February, according to a Reuters tally. Deaths rose by over 25,000 in July and cases doubled in 19 states during the month.

President Donald Trump has made school re-openings for classroom instruction, as they normally would in August and September, part of his re-election campaign. The Republican president is trailing in opinion polls against Democratic candidate Joe Biden ahead of the Nov. 3 election.

"Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools!" Trump tweeted on Monday.

While reported case numbers may be linked to more testing, recent increases in hospitalizations and deaths have no connection to more people being tested for the virus.

The United States is in a new phase of the outbreak with infections in rural areas as well as cities, Deborah Birx, the coordinator of Trump's coronavirus task force, said on Sunday.

"What we are seeing today is different from March and April. It is extraordinarily widespread," Birx said on CNN's "State of the Union" program.

On Monday, Trump lashed out at Birx for her comments. Trump accused Birx of capitulating to criticism from Democrats that the federal governments response to the pandemic has been ineffective.

"So Crazy Nancy Pelosi said horrible things about Dr. Deborah Birx, going after her because she was too positive on the very good job we are doing on combatting the China Virus, including Vaccines & Therapeutics. In order to counter Nancy, Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!" Trump wrote.

House of Representatives Speaker Pelosi said on CNN on Monday that Birx has "enabled" Trump, who played down the seriousness of the virus in the early stages and pushed for a quick reopening of the economy and schools following weeks of lockdowns.

"I don't have confidence in anyone who stands there while the President says swallow Lysol and it's going to cure your virus," Pelosi said in a reference to Trump at a coronavirus briefing in April with Birx present.

Trump had asked whether injecting disinfectant into the body could be a treatment for the virus, leading makers of those products to issue warnings against doing so.
TORONTO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - CI Financial Corp. ("CI") (TSX: CIX) and Balasa Dinverno Foltz LLC ("BDF") of Itasca, Illinois, announced an agreement today under which CI will acquire full ownership of BDF, a private wealth management firm with US$4.5 billion in assets.

BDF's excellence has been recognized through its inclusion on the prestigious Barron's magazine list of America's Top 50 registered investment advisor (RIA) firms for 2019. Through offices in the Chicago region, the BDF team of 62 people provide customized wealth management services to individuals and families, business owners and institutions and non- profit organizations.

"The purchase of BDF, a large and incredibly well-run RIA, significantly accelerates the growth and development of our U.S. wealth business," said Kurt MacAlpine, CI Chief Executive Officer. "We are very excited that the BDF team will be joining CI to help execute our wealth management strategy. BDF, with its client-centric approach, scale and experienced leadership, will be a strong foundation for continued expansion."

The acquisition vaults CI's U.S. wealth management business past the US$10 billion mark to approximately US$11 billion (C$14.7 billion) in assets. CI is the industry's fastest-growing RIA platform, having built its U.S. business in just six months. BDF is CI's fifth direct RIA acquisition, its eighth transaction when including acquisitions by CI's RIA subsidiaries, and its largest RIA acquisition to date.

"We could not have found a better partner for our firm than CI," said Armond Dinverno, BDF President and Co-Founder. "This relationship will provide stability, continuity, and an enhanced service offering for our clients, and new opportunities for our firm and team members. Backed by CI's financial strength, expertise in all aspects of asset and wealth management, and vision for a national wealth business, BDF is ready to begin our next phase of growth."

Following the close of the transaction, Chad Carlson, who is currently Wealth Manager and Director of Research at BDF, will be named President and Co-Chief Investment Officer.

"I'm looking forward to BDF joining the CI family and am excited to leverage CI's deep capabilities to enhance our client service and experience, as we build on our leading position in the Chicago market," said Mr. Carlson.

"BDF is an exceptional company and gives us a solid presence in the Midwest and the affluent Chicago market," said Mr. MacAlpine. "This acquisition provides us additional scale in wealth management to realize synergies and introduce enhancements such as broader investment choices and wealth planning support. An important step will be the introduction of the CI Private Wealth brand in both Canada and the United States to represent our high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth advisory businesses."

CI began its expansion in the U.S. earlier this year in support of its newly adopted strategic priorities of globalizing the firm and expanding its wealth management platform.

"The RIA sector is the fastest-growing segment in U.S. wealth management and the RIA model is a strong fit with our own approach to wealth management, which emphasizes the central role of the advisor and the importance of a holistic approach to wealth planning," Mr. MacAlpine said.

CI also holds ownership interests in the following RIAs:

The Cabana Group, LLC, of Fayetteville, Arkansas

Congress Wealth Management, LLC of Boston, Massachusetts

One Capital Management, LLC, of Westlake Village, California

Surevest, LLC, of Phoenix, Arizona .

BDF, established in 2001, was founded by Mark Balasa, Armond Dinverno, and Mike Foltz, who each have more than three decades of industry experience. BDF's expertise includes practice groups specializing in the unique needs of women, widows, business owners, insurance brokers and agency owners, lawyers, financial professionals, and divorcing individuals. In addition to the Barron's Top 50 RIA ranking, BDF has received extensive recognition over the years, including being listed on the 2020 FT300: Top Registered Investment Advisors, the Investment News Best Places to Work for Financial Advisors (2020) and being ranked Number 30 on the RIA Channel Top 100 Wealth Managers for 2020.

BDF was advised by the Asset & Wealth Management Investment Banking group of Raymond James Financial, Inc. The transaction, which is subject to regulatory approval, is scheduled to close in the third quarter of this year. Terms were not disclosed.

About CI Financial

CI Financial Corp. (TSX: CIX) is an independent company offering global asset management and wealth management advisory services. CI held approximately $179 billion in fee-earning assets as of June 30, 2020. CI's primary asset management businesses are CI Investments Inc. and GSFM Pty Ltd., and it operates in wealth management through Assante Wealth Management (Canada) Ltd., CI Private Counsel LP, WealthBar Financial Services Inc., BBS Securities Inc., The Cabana Group, LLC, Congress Wealth Management, One Capital Management, LLC and Surevest LLC. Further information is available at www.cifinancial.com.

All financial amounts in Canadian dollars unless otherwise specified.

Barron's RIA rankings are intended to shine a spotlight on the nation's best wealth managers and raise standards in the industry. Firms that wish to be ranked fill out a 102-question survey about their practice. Barron's verifies that data and applies its rankings formula to the data to generate a ranking, based on assets, revenue and quality of practice.

The FT 300 assesses registered investment advisers based on desirable traits for investors and presents the FT 300 as an elite group, not a competitive ranking of one to 300. RIAs must complete an application to be considered. The formula the FT uses to grade advisers is based on six broad factors and calculates a numeric score for each adviser. Areas of consideration include AUM, asset growth, the company's age, industry certifications of key employees, SEC compliance record and online accessibility.

Investment News recognizes standout employers in the financial advice industry each year. These firms, ranging from small practices with fewer than 20 people to large companies with hundreds, invest in creating a work atmosphere and culture that attracts the best employees. The annual list of top firms is compiled by Best Companies Group through online employee and employer surveys. The collected information is combined to determine the strengths of each of the firms that voluntarily participate in the program and each workplace is ranked on this data.

RIA Channel ranked the Top 100 RIA firms of 2020 based on a proprietary set of criteria and data. The ranking is based on both size and growth in assets as of June 30, 2020, as reported to the SEC. RIA Database (RIADatabase.com) was used for regulatory data, organic research, and advisor surveys.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning anticipated future events, results, circumstances, performance or expectations with respect to CI Financial Corp. ("CI") and its products and services, including its business operations, strategy and financial performance and condition. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as "believe", "expect", "foresee", "forecast", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate", "goal", "plan" and "project" and similar references to future periods, or conditional verbs such as "will", "may", "should", "could" or "would". These statements are not historical facts but instead represent management beliefs regarding future events, many of which by their nature are inherently uncertain and beyond management's control. Although management believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements involve risks and uncertainties. The material factors and assumptions applied in reaching the conclusions contained in these forward-looking statements include that the investment fund industry will remain stable and that interest rates will remain relatively stable. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations include, among other things, general economic and market conditions, including interest and foreign exchange rates, global financial markets, changes in government regulations or in tax laws, industry competition, technological developments and other factors described or discussed in CI's disclosure materials filed with applicable securities regulatory authorities from time to time. The foregoing list is not exhaustive and the reader is cautioned to consider these and other factors carefully and not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Other than as specifically required by applicable law, CI undertakes no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statement after the date on which it is made, whether to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.

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DEPUTY Prime Minister Boris Milosevic is going to Knin with a heavy cross on his shoulders, to end the hatred that dominates in Croatia and Croatian-Serbian relations," the leader of the Independent Democratic Serb Party (SDSS), Milorad Pupovac, told Serbian media on Tuesday.

Speaking in an interview with the public broadcaster RTS, Pupovac said that Milosevic was going to Knin "on the most difficult day in the recent history of the Serbs in Croatia."

"That's why this cross is so heavy and that's why it gives rise to so many misunderstandings. But this cross should result in the Croats recognising the suffering of the Serbs, those who were killed in the aftermath of Operation Storm, those who were killed while fleeing from the Storm. It should also result in the Serbs recognising the suffering of the Croats during the war in Croatia and in turning a new page, a page of true peace in Croatia," Pupovac said.

"He is not going there to give legitimacy to anything"

He said that people "on the other side" too should realise and turn a new page, adding that "our compatriots who fled and started a new life in Serbia can decide what they will do with what they left behind, a wealth that has been created by our people for centuries."

Asked if Boris Milosevic hesitated after hearing negative reactions both from Serb refugees and some of the Serbs who stayed in Croatia, Pupovac said that Milosevic was not going to Knin to celebrate.

"He is going with the same feeling that we share on that day. He is not going there to give legitimacy to anything. He is going there to close a page of the war so that messages of peace can start coming from all the places in Croatia that are commemorating or celebrating something, messages of compassion with the Serbs and messages of regret over what happened," Pupovac said.

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Asked if Milosevic's attendance in Knin and the attendance of Veterans' Minister Tomo Medved at a commemoration in Grubori, a village where Serb civilians were killed in the wake of Operation Storm, could change the attitude towards the Serbs in Croatia, Pupovac said that after the formation of the new government in Croatia "we have realised that a step in that direction can be made and more resolute action can be taken to punish acts of verbal and physical violence against Serbs in Croatia."

Clearing up the war legacy

He called for more determined action to clear up the war legacy that was burdening Croatia. "An atmosphere, a spirit of war and messages of war emerge every now and then, disturbing people and creating a state of conscientiousness in people that they can attack other people just because they are different," Pupovac said.

He told his ethnic kin that they should not fear that Boris Milosevic would say or do something that would further aggravate their pain.

The main commemoration of the Serb victims of Operation Storm will be held this evening in Sremska Raca, a village near the border with Croatia through which thousands of Croatian Serb refugees entered Serbia while fleeing the Croatian military offensive 25 years ago.

The commemoration will be attended by President Aleksandar Vucic, Prime Minister Ana Brnabic, Republika Srpska President Zeljka Cvijanovic, representatives of the Serbs in Croatia, and children from the refugee column, RTS said.

Two non-governmental organisations from the northern Serbian province of Vojvodina, the Croatian Civic Alliance and the Croatian Democratic Forum, welcomed the announcement that representatives of the Serb minority in Croatia would attend the celebration of Operation Storm in Knin and that a Croatian state delegation would attend the commemoration in Grubori.
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Based on CoreLogic's latest Home Price Index for June, U.S. home prices increased by 4.9% in June 2020, compared with June 2019. Month over month, home prices increased 1%, compared with May of this year, the fastest monthly gain for the month of June since 2013.CoreLogic's HPI forecast predicts a modest decline in home prices over the twelve months ending June 2021. A sign of a solid foundation and resiliency in the housing market in the face of the pandemic, stronger home prices this summer reflect improved affordability, demographic demands, supply constraints and continued strong interest in purchasing a home. These factors combined to keep home prices steady despite the continued pressure of the pandemic and related economic fall-out."Mortgage rates hit record lows this spring, which enhanced affordability for home buyers," said Dr. Frank Nothaft, chief economist at CoreLogic. "First-time buyers, and millennials in particular, have jumped at the opportunity to achieve homeownership.""Home price appreciation continues at a solid pace reflecting fundamental strength in demand drivers and limited for-sale inventory," said Frank Martell, president and CEO of CoreLogic. "As we move forward, we expect these price increases to moderate over the next twelve months. Given the economic outlook, housing remains a bright spot for the foreseeable future."Despite the renewed pickup of national home price growth, the impact on local markets continues to fluctuate. For example, home prices in Philadelphia experienced an annual gain of 8.4% in June, driven by an uptick in New York City residents purchasing homes, likely in an effort to migrate from the coronavirus (COVID-19) hotspot. Meanwhile, affordability constraints in San Francisco led to an annual decline in home prices of 0.2%.Looking forward, the HPI Forecast also reveals the disparity of home prices across metros. In markets like Las Vegas, where the local tourism economy and job market continue to suffer due to the pandemic, home prices are expected to decline 11.3% by June 2021. Meanwhile, in San Diego, home prices are forecasted to increase 4.2% over the next 12 months as lack of inventory continues to push prices up.The CoreLogic Market Risk Indicator (MRI), a monthly update of the overall health of housing markets across the country, predicts that metro areas with an elevated resurgence of COVID-19 cases--like Prescott, Arizona, and Lake Havasu, Arizona--are at the greatest risk (above 60%) of a decline in home prices over the next 12 months. Other metro areas with a high risk of price declines include Las Vegas, Nevada; Peoria, Illinois; and Worchester, Massachusetts.
(CNN)  Mayra Ramirez says she was careful about following every health precaution she could before the day she was admitted to a Chicago hospital with coronavirus symptoms.

The 28-year-old arrived at the Northwestern Memorial Hospital's emergency room on April 26 and within minutes -- giving her barely enough time to call her family -- her harrowing experience began.

"All I remember was being put to sleep as I was being intubated and then six weeks of complete nightmares," she told CNN. "Some of the nightmares consisted a lot of drowning and I attribute that to not being able to breathe."

Coronavirus had taken a deadly toll on her body: her lungs had been irreversibly damaged and other organs were beginning to fail, she said. After Ramirez spent more than a month on a ventilator, her family flew from North Carolina to say a final goodbye after she says doctors announced they were unsure if she'd survive.

There was one option to save her life: a double-lung transplant.

"Without the transplant, she would not have made it," Dr. Ankit Bharat, the chief of Thoracic Surgery at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago, adding Ramirez had multiple complications linked to the virus.

The fact that she was young and had otherwise been healthy, he says, made her a good candidate for the rare procedure.

"I looked at myself and I couldn't recognize my own body," Ramirez said, after waking up in the hospital following her procedure. "I couldn't talk, I could barely lift a finger, I couldn't move. I was in a lot of pain, I was very confused."

Ramirez is now the first known American to have undergone the procedure after a battle with coronavirus, according to a news release from Northwestern Medicine. It's been now nearly two months since the surgery and she's recovering at home. She says she's still weak and struggling to breathe.

She's one of more than 4.6 million Americans who have been infected with coronavirus. At least 154,860 people have died.

"This is not a hoax," she said. "This virus is real, it happened to me."

This story was first published on CNN.com A 28-year-old woman is the first COVID-19 survivor to receive a double-lung transplant in the US
As a first-year graduate student studying truffle ecology at Oregon State University, Dan Luoma attended a scientific meeting in 1981 on Orcas Island in Washington. Having recently learned how to search for truffles, he went out one day of the meeting looking for the prized fungi and found a collection.

He brought them back to Oregon State and showed them to his mentor James Trappe, who confirmed the collection was of an undescribed species. Trappe added it to the university's collection. Then it sat there.

Almost four decades later, with the help of new scientific technologies, Trappe and several other scientists confirmed that the truffle is unique. They recently published their findings in the journal Fungal Systematics and Evolution recognizing it as a new species. Fittingly, it's named Tuber luomae after Luoma, who retired this year after 40 years at Oregon State.

"This truffle in 1981 was among the first truffles I ever found," Luoma said. "To have it named in my honor the year I retired completes the circle for me. It's a wonderful way to celebrate retirement."

Some truffle species are highly prized for culinary purposes because of their distinct flavor. These species, which are black, white or brown, are hard to find and exist in limited geographic areas, meaning they command high prices.

Oregon and the Pacific Northwest are home to several of those prized species, making the region one of the world's hot spots for truffle hunting. The species discovered by Luoma, though, is a red truffle, which doesn't have the distinct flavor sought by chefs and cooks.

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While the culinary use of truffles and the thrill of searching for them gets a lot of attention, they and other fungi are important for the health of forests. They provide nutrients to plants and can also help plants withstand drought.

Luoma studied the ecology of truffles and fungi while earning his doctorate from Oregon State in 1988 and until earlier this year worked as a researcher at the university.

Several graduate students who worked with him during his early years planned to name the truffle species he found on Orcas Island in honor of Luoma, but they graduated before doing so.

Then about 10 years ago Trappe, now Luoma's colleague, searched the Oregon State truffle collections, the largest in the world with about 50,000 collections, looking for truffles similar to the one Luoma found on Orcas Island. Trappe found three.

Joyce Eberhart, a truffle researcher at Oregon State and Luoma's wife, and Greg Bonito, an assistant professor at Michigan State University, studied the DNA of those three and determined they were the same species as the Orcas Island truffle.

Those three were all found in Oregon -- one each in Benton (found in 1962), Clackamas (1995) and Jackson (2012) counties. While the Benton County specimen was found before Luoma dug up the Orcas Island one, it was never fully described until Trappe noticed the similarities between the two. Now the known distribution of the new species extends from southwestern Oregon to northwestern Washington.

Carolina Pina Paez, a doctoral student at Oregon State who also does truffle research, provided the final piece by documenting the microscopic structures inside the truffle with photos, confirming that the spores and outer layers were that of a unique species.

Trappe, who has studied truffles for more than 60 years and has discovered 230 new truffle species, still gets excited about a new species, such as this one named after Luoma.

"Many dozens of professional and amateur mycologists have sought truffles in western Oregon for over 100 years, but only these four collections of Luoma's truffle have been found. Each of those seems to be quite local in distribution, indicating that it's a very rare fungus," Trappe said.
Federal crossbenchers have criticised the Australian governments plan for a taxpayer funded gas-led economic recovery, as recommended by the Prime Ministers COVID-19 advisory body, because it is out of step with Australias Paris climate commitments.

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Independent MPs Zali Steggall, Andrew Wilkie and Helen Haines issued a signed statement with Greens leader Adam Bandt citing research from the University of Melbourne that predicted the cumulative economic damage of Australia failing to keep temperature increases below 2 degrees to be $2.7 trillion.

The COVID-19 economic crisis and recovery spending is going to impact Australians for years to come. Public debt incurred in response to the COVID-19 pandemic must be done in the interest of all current and future Australians, the statement said.

Ms Steggall said she was concerned that special advisors to the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission were not being required to declare conflicts of interest given the clear direction the NCCC was taking on gas.
A Melbourne nursing home linked to at least 20 coronavirus deaths has been accused of failing to report an infected staff member to federal regulators.

St Basil's Homes for the Aged in Fawkner came under fire during a Senate inquiry into the government's pandemic response on Tuesday.

Federal health officials told the committee they didn't become aware of the infection, which caused the outbreak, until the state government notified them on July 14.

That was five days after the staff member reported contracting the disease to management, while by law any such infection has to be disclosed within 30 minutes.

St Basil's Homes for the Aged in Fawkner (pictured) did not report COVID-19 case to health officials up until five days after a staff member reported about having the disease

Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy (pictured) said it was likely that state health officials were 'overwhelmed' by huge levels of community transmission

'The board chair became aware on the ninth but didn't raise it with Commonwealth,' Health Department secretary Brendan Murphy told the hearing.

Providers are supposed to notify federal authorities, which regulate the private system, and the state public health unit within 30 minutes of learning of an infection.

St Basil's management has previously disputed allegations of failing to report the case, arguing state authorities were notified on July 9.

Professor Murphy said state health officials were likely overwhelmed by huge levels of community transmission in Victoria.

'The Victorian public health unit had some delays in both getting tests back and identifying and analysing this was an aged care outbreak,' he said.

'That was a significant factor in this case. It's merely a reflection of the scale of transmission.'

Health Department deputy secretary Michael Lye said St Basil's was the only provider with an outbreak that failed to tell federal regulators.

'The Victorians might have been under pressure but the service didn't notify us,' he said.

Federal health authorities initiated widespread testing at St Basil's on July 15.

Ambulance officers remove a resident from the St Basil's Home for the Aged in the Melbourne suburb of Fawkner on July 27 (pictured)

Ambulance officers remove a resident from the St Basil's Home for the Aged in the Melbourne suburb of Fawkner on July 27 (pictured)

Labor senator Katy Gallagher suggested precious days were lost because of the communication breakdown.

'There was a five-day window where the Commonwealth had no line of sight or understanding that there was an outbreak at St Basil's,' she said.

Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck said the entire workforce at the nursing home was quarantined, sparking high-profile failures in care and communication standards.

'Clearly some of the residents didn't receive the sort of care they should have received,' he said.

'There's no point in me trying to pretend that it all did go as well as it should have done, because it didn't.'

He said residents weren't in their usual rooms, there were issues with identification and some contact details for families were wrong.

Aged Care Quality and Safety commissioner Janet Anderson said 10 'notices to agree' - which highlight non-compliance - have been sent to providers.

There are 1186 active cases in aged care, with all 11 deaths reported on Tuesday linked to aged care.

As of Monday, St Basil's was tied to 139 infections.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media during a press conference on Tuesday (pictured) where he announced another 11 deaths - all in aged care homes)

A nearly empty Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne is seen on Tuesday (pictured) as the city began its stage four lockdown.

Victoria recorded a further 439 new cases on Tuesday and another 11 deaths, bringing the national toll to 232.

Premier Daniel Andrews also introduced harsher restrictions for anyone found not to be self-isolating.

An on-the-spot fine of $4,957 will be handed out to anyone breaching the health safety rule. The fine could increase to $20,000 if taken to court.

It comes after ADF personnel went door knocking and found 800 people who were meant to be self-isolating not at home.

Victorians have also been banned from going out to exercise if they have tested positive to COVID-19.

'We will do everything we possibly can to support people but you have got to be isolating when you are directed to do so,' Mr Andrews said.

Bourke Street mall stands deserted during the curfew period in Melbourne on Monday night (pictured)

Police officers and soldiers patrol a popular running track in Melbourne on Tuesday (pictured)

At least 250,000 Victorians will be affected by widespread shutdowns across the retail, manufacturing and construction sectors.

They will join another 250,000 stood down since the pandemic began and another 500,000 working from home.

All non-essential businesses and services in Melbourne will be forced to close or dramatically alter their operations.

Essential businesses including supermarkets, petrol stations, bottle shops, pharmacies, banks and newsagencies will be allowed to stay open.

Construction sites will be forced to scale back and introduce more personal protective equipment.

The prime minister has announced $1500 disaster payments for Victorians who need to self-isolate for two weeks and have exhausted their sick leave.

But unions argue the paid pandemic leave does not go far enough.
The first hires were being trained and construction workers were putting the final touches on the building Tuesday as Black Rifle Coffee Co. inches closer to its San Antonio opening near the intersection of Bitters Road and U.S. 281 on the North Side.

Black Rifle officials couldnt commit to an official opening date, but they said that the coffee will be flowing at some point in mid-August.

The location at 180 W. Bitters Road, the former home of Market Barbecue, will be the first brick-and mortar location for the popular Salt Lake City-based franchise in San Antonio. The company already was selling bagged coffee at kiosks inside The Shops at La Cantera and North Star Mall, and in September, it opened its first Texas coffee shop in Boerne.

Scott Harvey, chief operating officer for Black Rifle, said the military veteran-owned company decided that it was a no-brainer to have a full location in San Antonio. This is a town that loves its military, and this was the natural place to be, Harvey said. There are so many active duty members here and a community of veterans. We needed to be here.

Shane Baker, director of retail for the brand, said the company hopes to open next in Alamo Ranch.

On ExpressNews.com: Chucks Food Shack: Recipes for using coffee rubs

Black Rifle will feature more than 15 different blends of coffee as well as nitro options and a full espresso bar once opened. The light food menu includes breakfast sandwiches, salads and grab-and-go lunch options.

The location will also have a drive-thru, which will likely be the primary way to get the coffee and food upon opening due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There also will be a small dog park and outdoor seating in front of the property.

Black Rifle is popular for its merchandise, with approximately 50 percent of its sales devoted to shirts, hats, blankets and accessories, Baker said.

These shirts played a very large part in developing our following, Baker said. Thats about an even split of our business with the coffee.

Black Rifle Coffee Co., 180 W. Bitters Road. Hours: 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sundays through Thursdays, 5 a.m. to 11 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Online: blackriflecoffee.com

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.comTo read more from Chuck, become a subscriber. cblount@express-news.net | Twitter: @chuck_blount | Instagram: @bbqdiver
A meteorologist at a Colorado news station has been fired after he shared a tweet comparing federal agents policing cities amid the recent unrest across the country to Nazi Germany.

Marty Coniglio shared a picture of soldiers posing with Adolf Hitler and captioned the July 23 post: 'Federal police in cities  now where have I seen that before?'

The following day Coniglio, who has been on television in Denver for three decades, confirmed he had stopped working for 9News.

His social media profiles no longer refer to the network.

Marty Coniglio is 'no longer employed by 9News' the station confirmed after his controversial social media post last month

Coniglio shared a picture of German soldiers posing with Adolf Hitler and captioned the July 23 post: 'Federal police in cities  now where have I seen that before?'

Staff at the network reportedly received an email on Friday July 24 announcing that Coniglio had gone.

'Dear Colleagues, I want to share that Marty Coniglio is no longer an employee of 9News. We thank him for his many years of service,' the internal email read.

The TV station's president and general manager also confirmed their working relationship had ceased.

'Marty is no longer employed by 9News,' Mark Cornetta wrote in an email to the Denver Post.

However Cornetta declined to comment on how or why Coniglio had stopped working there.

Last year Cornetta told Westworld that he was disappointed Coniglio was planning on leaving due to health problems, saying 'he's done a fantastic job' and is 'a really smart scientist who's added an incredible amount to our meteorological team.'

Coniglio was supposed to leave December 2019 but formalized his contract renewal mid-January, saying that 'it will go past this summer.'

The Colorado GOP criticized the tweet and called it 'radical hate against law enforcement'

The backlash came amid ongoing protests against police brutality were responded to with federal troops. Pictured on Tuesday, July 21, in Portland, Oregon

Coniglio told the Denver Post in a text message that he would 'not be able to talk about the situation for at least a week or so.'

He told Westworld in a text: 'I am moving along with the next opportunities coming up in my life. I don't really have anything to say about past events.'

Coniglio's tweet featuring the leader of Germany's Nazi Party was posted on the same day President Trump announced he was sending troops into cities with Democratic leaders.

Coniglio confirmed his departure and said he would 'not be able to talk about the situation for at least a week or so'

Many of those leaders declined Trump's offer to help combat crime, saying their local police forces were handling it in their own way.

Coniglio later deleted the tweet at the advice of his Republican activist friend, Rick Endstrom, who wrote: 'Oh, boy. @martyconiglio stepped (on) it big-time.... Take it down, bro.'

But others had taken screen shots of the post. He received criticism for the comparison including from Colorado's Republican Party chairman.

'Comparing the brave men and women of our law enforcement community to Nazis is absolutely reprehensible,' U.S. Rep. Ken Buck commented as he shared Coniglio's post.

The politician's tweet was followed by one from his party that included unifying persuasive language to suggest bias and that referred to the social media post as 'radical hate.'

'Republicans know that the press leans to the left, but are fellow reporters okay with this type of radical hate against law enforcement from employees at local news stations?' the Colorado GOP posted.

Coniglio has been at the station for 16 years and prior to that appeared on CBS4 and Denver7.

His departure followed outrage over protesters in Portland, Oregon being snatched off the streets by unlabeled officers and bundled into unmarked vans.

He's not the only one who said there were similarities between what was happening to protesters and what occurred under Hitler.

Earlier that week House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C. said it reminded him of Germany's Geheime Staatspolizei (Secret State Police).

'That kind of activity is the activity of a police state, and this president and this attorney general seem to be doing everything they possibly can to impose Gestapo activities in local communities, and that is what I have been warning about for a long time,' Clyburn told CNN last month.

'I do believe that this election is all about the preservation of the greatest democracy that this country has ever known.'
The ad campaign will carry the tagline It only works if you wear it and will focus on cities and counties in the state that have the most work to do, Pritzker said. The effort was launched in Springfield, days after Sangamon County was one of 11 counties in the state flagged by the Illinois Department of Public Health as at a warning level based on COVID-19 metrics.
The essence of Black Is King is summed up in one particularly extravagant scene. As Beyonce lounges atop a leopard-print Rolls-Royce in a matching catsuit, she raps about raising the sons of empires and embodying Queen Sheba. She closes the verse with a proclamation: I be like soul food, I am a whole mood. And its truethis 86-minute spectacle scans as one long, stunning moodboard. It is gorgeous to look at, invigorating to absorb, and life-affirming in its display of Black cultural splendor. But it has little narrative weight.

The film functions well as a visual companion to her year-old movie soundtrack, The Lion King: The Gift, and as a vehicle for her finely tuned artistic machine, but there are also grander ambitions at play here. With this visual album, I wanted to present elements of Black history and African tradition, with a modern twist and a universal message, and what it truly means to find your self-identity and build a legacy, Beyonce wrote on Instagram. Thats a lot to foist upon a movie slotted alongside Muppets Now and Mickey Mouse Clubhouse on the Disney+ homepage, and yet, at its best, Black Is King feels like an exultation. This is a massive production with many epic set pieces connected by bits of dialogue plucked from the 2019 movie and the larger thematic thread of serving looks. The film does not match the interpersonal world-building of Lemonade or the indefatigable pageantry of Homecoming, but it is definitely the most daring thing on Disney+ (sorry, Hamilton). In some ways, Black Is King even serves as a correction to last years Lion King movie, as it feels truer to the classic version than those creepy photorealistic animals ever did.

Black Is King loosely follows Simbas familiar arc: A young prince is displaced from his kingdom by an interloper and must uncover his inheritance through travel and introspection. Throughout the film, his journey to reclaim his throne, captured by eight directors across three continents, is tracked alongside Beyonces personal considerations of tradition, womanhood, motherhood, heritage, and legacy. All of her three children make cameos, and her mother and husband are prominently featured. Some of her collaborators from The Gift appear (Mr. Eazi, Pharrell, WizKid, Tiwa Savage, and more), while others are conspicuously absent (including Kendrick Lamar, Donald Glover, and Burna Boy), but Beyonce is usually front and center (or within view). This leads to a perpetual dilemma: The storyline cannot unfold with her chewing up so much scenery, but every time she is out of frame, her absence becomes palpable. The entire project also hinges upon some of the least interesting music of Beyonces illustrious career, and while several songs are elevated by this new context, it still lacks the punch and momentousness weve come to expect.

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Many of the films issues come from the fact that it must tether its objectives to the framework of a corporations cat cartoon. The interstitial movie dialogue is distracting, yet there is no sense of story without it. In combination with Beyonces spoken-word proverbs and recitation of Warsan Shire poetry, the voiceover work is inconsistent and contrived. Saddled with the well-worn Lion King franchise, she struggles to make its concepts fully jibe with her style.

Even with this responsibility to the original story, the focus is obviously elsewhere. This is a celebration of Black heritage and beautythe spirituality of nature, the connective threads of the diaspora, the resplendence of bodies, hair, and skin. Blackness has been demeaned for so long that seeing it displayed so proudly and so magnificently feels like a political act all its own; even more so with the backing of such an all-American brand. The films value is mostly aesthetic, but there are lessons beneath the surface.

Beyonces turn toward Africa as the Black ancestral home mirrors the longstanding narrative correction that Black people descended from kings and queens, that our roots run far deeper than American slavery, and that the Middle Passage disconnected us from our rich history and our birthright. The films very title is trying to invoke a repressed and overwritten royal lineage.

The King has become an obvious status symbol in Black pop culture, and Beyonce herself once co-opted the mantle. On Watch the Throne, JAY-Z and Kanye West used royalty to denote Black excellence in artistry and social climbing. In one of the most famous renderings of Biggie Smalls, he is wearing a crown. For T.I., being king represented dominion over the South. From King of Rock and the endless King of R&B discourse to King magazine, this fixation reflects not just majesty and sovereignty but also the way history is passed down from generation to generation.

There is this idea that getting in touch with our royal ancestry will help us undermine the white power structure, even though the king is the linchpin of the patriarchal hierarchy. The film attempts to rectify this clear contradiction by redefining kingship as a rhetorical mode. Before the young prince returns for his throne, riding a horse with his new queen, new theories of kingship are put forth: It would be a much better world for all of us if kings and queens realized that being equal, sharing spacing, sharing ideas, sharing values [...] that is the way in which our ancestors did things, and that is an African way, one voice posits. The royalty is there for you to be a blessing to others. Black kingship, it suggests, is egalitarian.

Such a thing is fantasy and, in many ways, representative of an idealized motherland that doesnt exist. The pan-Africanism espoused in Black Is King isnt wholly representative of the product, either. The soundtrack itself omitted the music of North Africa, and the filmshot in New York, Los Angeles, South Africa, West Africa, London, and Belgiumlargely does the same. Many of the images seem to play into existing Western conceptions of Africa in which the place is seen through a spiritual lens that borders on mythology. Some Africans pushed back against what they considered stereotypical depictions of the continent in the trailer: the huts, face painting, sweeping shots of the savanna, and, of course, lions. This sense of incompleteness is only furthered by the films lack of any cogent ideology. Even at its most nebulous, though, Black Is King produces some truly awe-inspiring visions.

The moments in the film that feel most vital often echo those from The Gift. On Brown Skin Girl, a colorful exhibition of melanin, Beyonce shares tender exchanges with Kelly Rowland, Naomi Campbell, and Lupita Nyongo, who each inspired lyrics in the song. The electric posse cut My Power, which features Tierra Whack, songwriter Nija, Nigerian Yemi Alade, and South Africans Busiswa and Moonchild Sanelly, is staged in an endless white labyrinth, recalling the surreality of Missy Elliott. The images of Beyonce ad-libbing for Shatta Wale before a shirtless mob during Already and mugging in the back seat of a neon-lit hearse during Burna Boys Ja Ara E bring me profound joy. Even in instances where the observations are lacking, her presence is empowering.

It is obviously difficult, if not impossible, to create any sort of unified theory of Blackness, especially for Disney. Even with the collective traumas suffered, Blackness is not a monolithic experience. But with Black Is King, Beyonce taps into a force of Black triumph and dignity that feels all-embracing, even when the delivery of its message gets muddled or platitudinous. In her Instagram post, she closed by saying that she wanted people to watch the film with their families, and for it to give them pride. That everlasting mood is translated loud and clear.

Originally Appeared on Pitchfork
August 04 : After initial cooperation between Mumbai and Patna police on Sushant Singh Rajputs death case, now they have started pointing fingers at each other. In a current development, Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey asked why Mumbai police ignored the trail of a large amount of money in the late stars account.

Talking to the media, DGP Gupteshwar Pandey revealed that in the past four years about Rs. 50 crore was credited to the bank account of Sushant, and all of it was withdrawn. He also informed that in one year, Rs 17 crore was credited to his account, out of which Rs 15 crore was withdrawn. Isn't this a crucial point to be investigated? We will question Mumbai police as to why such leads are hushed up, the DGP said.

Bihar police is also dissatisfied as SP Vinay Tiwari, who was sent to Mumbai for the investigation, has been quarantined by the Mumbai municipal authorities. Gupteshwar Pandey also accused Mumbai police for not sharing the postmortem and forensic reports of Sushant. He said Mumbai polices non-cooperation is alarming. If Mumbai police are sincere, then they should share the investigation with us, the DCP said.

After Bihar police addressed the media, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh also addressed the media, and revealed that total 56 witnesses have been recorded. Singh also denied that no party was thrown at Sushants house in Bandra the night before he found dead on June 14.

Meanwhile, the late actors father, KK Singh also accused Mumbai police for their inaction. In a video statement to Times Now, he claimed that he filed a complaint with Bandra police on February 25, alerting them that Sushants life was in danger. He said Mumbai police did not act on his complaint.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
The source of Offaly's most recent coronavirus outbreak has been confirmed at Carroll Cuisine meat factory in Tullamore. Carrolls of Tullamore remain fully open with all necessary safety measures in place.

Offaly had gone through July with just four new confirmed cases but last weekend, nine new cases were confirmed countywide. Seven of these were diagnosed at the Carroll's plant.

During the past week, an employee of Carroll Cuisine informed the company that they had tested positive for Covid-19 and they were self-isolating.

In a statement, Carroll Cuisine said: "The company immediately carried out testing of all employees and six other staff members, who work with the initial colleague affected, have tested positive and are now also self-isolating.

"No other positive cases have been identified and the company will continue testing all staff and will remain vigilant on a constant basis.

"We are supporting our affected employees and are working closely and co-operatively with the HSE who are satisfied with the actions we are taking.

"Since the first outbreak of Covid-19 in Ireland we have implemented stringent health and safety measures to protect our employees and to help prevent the spread of the virus.

"Production was on a scheduled shut-down and a deep clean has already taken place, in addition to all other ongoing and comprehensive measures, to allow production to recommence."

Carroll Cuisine makes high quality prepared consumer meat products. The company employs 330 people in Tullamore, Co Offaly.

The Carroll's outbreak follows those at Rosderra Meats in both Edenderry and Roscrea back in April. Over 150 staff members tested positive between both plants but neither closed at the time. They continued to operate at a reduced capacity.
Gandhinagar, Aug 5 : As many as 1,020 more people have tested positive for COVID-19 in Gujarat, taking the state's tally to 65,704 on Tuesday, a health officia said.

At least 898 patients were discharged on Tuesday, taking the total number of recoveries to 48,359.

During the four days of August, 4,266 positive cases have been registered in Gujarat.

Surat, the new Covid hotspot in the state is also witnessing each day with a higher count than the previous day. Registering 24 per cent of Tuesday's positive cases, Surat registered245 cases, while Ahmedabad saw 153 cases coming up.

Vadodara, on the other hand saw its daily spike climbing over the hundred with 105, the highest recorded so far.

Vadodara was followed by Rajkot 88, Bhavnagar 55, Junagadh 37, Gandhinagar 28, Dahod and Kutch with 23 each, Jamnagar and Panchmahals with 22 each, Narmada 20, Amreli 18, Bharuch, Botad and Gir-Somnath with 16 each, Mahesana 15, Navsari and Sabarkantha with 13 each, Mahisagar 12, Patan, Surendranagar and Valsad with 10 each, Anand 9, Morbi 7, Banaskantha 6, Aravalli 5, Tapi 4, Porbandar 3, Chhota Udepur and Devbhumi Dwarka with 2 each and Dang with one positive case.

The death toll of the state has climbed to 2,534.

The total number of Corona deaths in Ahmedabad have reached 1,617. 461 have died in Surat, 90 in Vadodara, 44 in Gandhinagar, 29 deaths each in Patan and Rajkot, 26 deaths in Bhavnagar, 24 in Aravalli, 21 in Mahesana, 17 deaths in Panchmahals, 16 deaths in Banaskantha, 15 in Kheda, 13 deaths in Anand and 11 have died in Bharuch.

The death toll rate of Ahmedabad which used to be around 81% of the total toll during the peak in June gradually got lower. On Tuesday, it came down to 63.81%. Gujarat's mortality rate has come down under 4 to 3.85%, but is still one of the highest in the country.

Till now the health authorities have conducted over 8.5 lakh tests, 8,54,839 RT-PCR tests in Gujarat. A total of 898 patients were discharged on Tuesday. Till now, over forty-eight thousand patients, 48,359 have been discharged in the state.

Out of a total RT-PCR tests carried out in the 7,89,135, have been found negative.

There are 14,811 active cases, out of which the condition of 14,724 is stable, whereas 87 critical patients are still on ventilator.

Currently, there are nearly 4.9 lakh people quarantined in the state at 4,89,135, where 4,87,865 are home quarantined and 1,473 in government facilities.
Police barricades, yellow banners, walls with a fresh coat of paint and the sounds of bhajan mark parts of Ayodhya as the city awaits its big day on Wednesday, when the first brick will be laid for the Ram temple.

IMAGE: Famous Hanumangarhi Temple being decorated ahead of the ground breaking ceremony of the Ram Mandir, in Ayodhya, on Tuesday. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

Ayodhya is decked up for the bhoomi pujan that will be attended at the Ram Janmabhoomi by 175 people, who figure in a select guest list of seers and politicians topped by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Concerned over the spread of coronavirus, the authorities are encouraging others not to come to the temple town, asking them to mark the occasion by celebrating at their homes.

The groundbreaking ceremony will be telecast live.

Roads leading to Ayodhya display hoardings with the picture of the proposed Ram temple and of Ram Lalla, the infant Ram, the deity now housed in a makeshift temple.

IMAGE: Allahabad Central University students built a sand sculpture of Ram Temple, ahead of the foundation ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya, on the banks of River Ganga at Sangam, in Prayagraj, on Tuesday. Photograph: PTI Photo

Around the town's Hanumangarhi area -- named after a well-known temple which Modi will visit on Wednesday -- both police sirens and 'bhajans' in praise of Ram are heard.

Most of the shops in the locality wear a new look, with their fronts painted in bright yellow.

A large number of policemen were deployed there on Tuesday. Some sat in the sweet shops, waiting for their next instructions.

Roads leading into the area are barricaded. Yards of yellow cloth and marigold garlands were being hung on poles.

Even on the day before the event, security checks on vehicles heading to Ayodhya begin from adjoining Barabanki district itself on the Lucknow-Ayodhya road. Policemen take down details, including mobile numbers of the travellers.

IMAGE: Devotees clean the idols of Lord Ram and Sita at a Ram temple, ahead of the ground breaking ceremony of Ayodhya's Ram temple, in New Delhi, on Tuesday. Photograph: Shahbaz Khan/PTI Photo

Senior Superintendent of Police Deepak Kumar said the focus of the force is on maintaining the COVID-19 protocol.

"So we are not going to allow any outsider to enter Ayodhya city," he said.

Prohibitory orders are also in force and not more than four people will be allowed to gather.

"The markets and shops will remain open but with strict adherence to the COVID protocol," he said.

Outsiders will be stopped from entering the city, but Ayodhya residents will be allowed in if they produce any identification document.

"We are also carrying out random checks on people living in Ayodhya to ensure that no outsiders are staying here," he said.

The city's temples and mosques will remain open, but no other religious event -- except for the bhoomi pujan -- will take place on Wednesday.

IMAGE: A policeman checks the details of a commuter heading on a national highway towards Ayodhya, in Barabanki, on Tuesday. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

Pickets have been set up at sensitive points in the city.

Sub-inspector Ram Chandra Yadav and constables Avnish Kumar and Ankit Chaudhary man the Terhi Bazar Chauraha picket near the Ram Janmabhoomi site.

"We are here for the past some days, and were on duty on the Rakshabandhan day. Duty comes first and only after that come other things in life, like festivals," Yadav said.

Mayank Gupta, who runs a restaurant, was handing out food packets to policemen, his customers.

"For the last two months, I have been providing tiffin to them twice a day. There are around 100 policemen to whom I supply tiffin," Gupta said.
After Samsung group company Samsung Securities pledged to cease its financial backing for Adani's Australian coal operation, another Korean company Hanwha Securities have backed out from financing its coal projects amid environmental issues related to Carmichael mine.

With the financial backers pulling away, the India tycoon is now staring at debt difficulties concerning the company's Abbot Point export terminal, The Guardian Australia reported.

In view of this, S&P Global recently downgraded its outlook on Adani's Abbot Point terminal to "stable". As the company faces difficulties in raising fresh capital for the terminal, Adani Enterprises, the holding company, had recently pumped in $100 million in May to meet the debt repayments. Around $170 million was also drawn down from shareholders' loan repay debts of Commbank and WestPac.

The development comes after anti-Adani group, Galilee Blockade, had last week organised a protest at Hanwha Q Cells' Sydney office. "[Hanwha Securities] undertook its own review and eventually approved the investment for the terminal in the form of debt financing," the company's chief executive Kwon Hee-Baek said in the letter to Tipping Point, the news daily reported.

This has not only delayed refinancing of its Abbot Point project but has also given time to environmental activists more time drum-up support from investors. Last month, Samsung Securities withdraw its financial support for Adani's project as protestors started targetting its electronics branch.

Established in 1962, Hanwha Investment & Securities provides comprehensive asset management services. Its Hanwha Q Cells brand is a leading global solar company in the US, Australia, UK, Japan and Korea.

Gautam Adani-led Adani Group entered Australia in 2010 with the purchase of the greenfield Carmichael coal mine in the Galilee Basin in central Queensland, and the Abbot Point port near Bowen in the north. The massive coal mine in Queensland state has been a controversial topic, with the project expected to produce 2.3 billion tonnes of low-quality coal.

Also read: Competition watchdog approves Adani Power's 49% stake buy in Odisha Power Generation Corp
This election is in danger of being stolen. By Donald Trump.

Trump is a win-at-all-costs kind of operator. For him, the rules are like rubber, not fixed but bendable. All structures  laws, conventions, norms  exist for others, those not slick and sly enough to evade them, those not craven enough to break them.

Trump is showing anyone who is willing to see it, in every way possible, that he is willing to do anything to win re-election and will cry foul if he doesnt, a scenario that could cause an unprecedented national crisis.

Trump has been on a rampage over voting by mail. Last week he tweeted:

With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history. It will be a great embarrassment to the USA. Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???

Setting aside the fact that Trump has no power to delay the election, he is clearly seeking to undermine the legitimacy of the outcome should he lose. If he wins, hell say he did so despite fraud, and if he loses, hell claim he did so because of it.

At the same time Trump is attacking voting by mail, he is undermining the mechanism by which it would be done: the U.S. Postal Service. This is fueling concerns by many that the Postal Service is being damaged precisely because of Trumps opposition to mail-in voting.

As former President Barack Obama said in his eulogy for John Lewis:

But even as we sit here, there are those in power who are doing their darnedest to discourage people from voting by closing polling locations, and targeting minorities and students with restrictive I.D. laws, and attacking our voting rights with surgical precision, even undermining the Postal Service in the run-up to an election that is going to be dependent on mailed-in ballots so people dont get sick.

Trump is afraid of what the data say: According to a May Gallup poll, 83 percent of Democrats would favor their state allowing all voters to vote by mail or absentee ballot in this years presidential election, while only 40 percent of Republicans would.

Trump wants to suppress the votes of those opposed to him because he fears there wont be enough votes in support of him.

Polls now consistently show him losing to Joe Biden, not only nationally but also in battleground states.

These polls arent enough to lock in a victory for Biden, but they have been enough to rattle Trump.

A couple of weeks ago, Trump even suggested in an interview with Fox News Chris Wallace that he may not accept the election results in November, saying, I think mail-in voting is going to rig the election, I really do. When Wallace pressed and asked specifically if Trump was suggesting that he might not accept the election results, Trump said, I have to see.

For months now people have been gaming out what will happen if Trump lost the election, doesnt concede and refuses to leave the White House.

One concern is that he might view the results as invalid and challenge the election in court, which could lead to protracted litigation.

Trump hinted at the prospect of litigation last week, when he said he wanted to know the winner of the election on election night, adding, I dont want to see that take place in a week after Nov. 3, or a month or, frankly, with litigation and everything else that can happen, years.

This could happen. We should put nothing past this man. The words far-fetched and outlandish dont exist in the Trump universe.

This is a man who, during the last election, invited assistance from Russia. Since taking office, he has repeatedly doubted or refused to accept his own intelligence services conclusion about Russian interference in that election. He has met privately with Putin without the world knowing fully what was discussed. He has instituted policies favorable to Russia. He was even impeached over issues surrounding the assistance from Russia.

And yet he has said that he would accept assistance from foreign governments again. And yet when it was reported there was intelligence that Russia may have placed a bounty on our troops, Trump refused to condemn that and said that he didnt even raise the topic in a discussion with Putin.

All of this was unfathomable just a few years ago, and now its the reality we are all living. There are no norms under Trump but the consistently abhorrent.

Put nothing past Trump, not even the destruction of the American electoral process.
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Linkedin Mardika Parama (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 13:03 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b7703b 1 Business PUPR,Public-Works-and-Public-Housing-Ministry,PPP,road-preservation,state-budget Free

The Public Works and Housing Ministry agreed on Monday to a public-private partnership (PPP) on road preservation in South Sumatras eastern road network. The deal is worth Rp 982 billion (US$67.3 million) and is the ministry's first PPP deal for a non-toll road project.

Through the agreement, state-owned construction companies PT Adhi Karya and PT Brantas Abipraya secured a 15-year concession for the operation and preservation of South Sumatras 29.8 kilometers of roads under an availability payment scheme.

Availability payment is a fee structure where a public agency makes periodic payments to the private sector to provide infrastructure services of a specified standard. It is seen as a cost-saving way to develop infrastructure and ensure its quality.

Public Works and Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono said he hoped the PPP scheme would boost the reliability of contractors and the quality of roads, after the poor performance of a contractor on the ministry's West Sumatra eastern road network.

We aim to provide good infrastructure quality for economic activity, he said in an online press briefing on Monday, adding that the PPP scheme was expected to improve transparency.

The National Development Planning Agency (Bappenas) has estimated that the country will require $429.7 billion in infrastructure investment, equal to 6.1 percent of GDP, between 2020 and 2024.

The private sector is expected to provide most of the financing, while the government and state-owned enterprises (SOEs) are expected to contribute between 19.2 and 21.7 percent each.

Read also: Corruption risk to Indonesias infrastructure push: Experts

The concession period for the consortium company, PT Jalintim Adhi-Abipraya (JAA), will be divided into a 3-year construction period and a 12-year service period, according to a project outline released by the Public Works and Housing Ministry.

Finance Ministry government support management and infrastructure funding director Bramantyo Istidjoso said the project was backed by the government through the state infrastructure guarantee fund PT Penjaminan Infrastruktur (PII) and that the availability payment scheme fund would be sourced from the state budget.

The World Bank previously suggested the government improve its PPP financing schemes to attract more private capital to help cover the governments budget shortage for infrastructure.

The government has also been urged to decrease its reliance on state-owned enterprises (SOE) for the execution of toll and national road projects and to allow private companies to build economically viable projects as SOEs were already highly leveraged.

We recommend the government revise its decision-making and consider whether the project is good for leveraging private financing before looking at the potential allocation for public-sector financing, World Bank transportation specialist Elena Chesheva said.

Last year, the government awarded a consortium that included the investment, consulting and management arms of Singapores Changi Airport a PPP to expand Komodo Airport in East Nusa Tenggara.

The project, the first PPP for airport development, is expected to attract more tourists to Labuan Bajo, which has been designated a priority tourism site by the government.

Read also: Private sector infrastructure funding needs boost as SOEs overleveraged: World Bank
The emblem of the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) at the court's entrance in Hamburg, Germany. Patrick Lux | AFP | Getty Images

China has nominated a Chinese candidate for a judge's position in an international tribunal that settles maritime disputes. But the U.S. is seeking to stop China, arguing that Beijing has flouted international sea laws in the disputed South China Sea. "Electing a PRC official to this body is like hiring an arsonist to help run the Fire Department," said David Stilwell, U.S. assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, at an online forum held by think tank Center for Strategic and International Studies last month. PRC refers to the People's Republic of China, the official name of the country. "We urge all countries involved in the upcoming International Tribunal election to carefully assess the credentials of the PRC candidate and consider whether a PRC judge on the Tribunal will help or hinder international maritime law. Given Beijing's record, the answer should be clear," he added. The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea is expected to hold an election in August or September to select seven judges to serve a nine-year term. All 168 signatories of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, or UNCLOS, will cast their votes in the election.

The UNCLOS is an international treaty that outlines nations' rights and responsibilities in the world's ocean space. It forms the basis for how international courts, such as the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, settle maritime disputes. In 2016, a tribunal at the Permanent Court of Arbitration dismissed China's claims of nearly 90% of the South China Sea as baseless according to UNCLOS principles. China, which negotiated and ratified the convention, refused to accept or recognize the ruling.

The next time a China Coast Guard ship plays chicken with an oil rig off Vietnam or a flotilla of Chinese fishing boats appears in Indonesian waters, the United States will likely speak up more forcefully to decry the illegal action. Greg Poling Center for Strategic and International Studies

Meanwhile, the U.S. is not allowed to vote in the tribunal election because it has not ratified the convention. That's a point raised by Hua Chunying, a spokeswoman at China's foreign ministry, who disputed Stilwell's arguments. "So far, the United States has not ratified the UNCLOS, but has always posed as a defender of it," Hua said at a regular media conference by the ministry last month after she was asked for her comments. "Judges of the Tribunal perform their duties in their personal capacity," she said, defending her country's candidate as one who's "well versed in international law and the law of the sea," according to an official transcript released on the ministry's website.

The U.S. gets tougher on China

It's not the first time that China has put up a candidate for the election of judges for the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea. In fact, three Chinese judges have served at the judicial body since the first election was held in 1996, according to the tribunal's website. But the U.S. brought attention to China's latest nomination as it toughened its stance against continued Chinese aggression in the South China Sea, a resource-rich waterway that's a vital shipping lane for global trade.

Stilwell's comments at the CSIS forum came a day after U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called China's claims to "offshore resources" in the South China Sea "completely unlawful." The U.S. has long promoted freedom of navigation by air and sea across the waterway. However, China claims nearly all of South China Sea, an area encompassing about 1.4 million square miles, that stretches from Singapore to the Straits of Taiwan. China backs up its claims and activities in the sea  including drilling for oil and creating artificial islands  with a vague "nine-dash line" that it said delineated Chinese historical territory in olden maps. The nine-dash line, which overlaps with territorial claims by several parties, was dismissed in the 2016 tribunal ruling. According to UNCLOS, coastal states have sovereign rights to national resources within 200 nautical miles from their shores, and can conduct certain economic activities and maritime research within that area. The area marked out by the nine-dash line stretches far beyond 200 nautical miles from China's coast.
South Africa: Police stations decontaminating after COVID-19 cases

A number of police stations have shut down for decontamination after members in different provinces tested positive for COVID-19.

Bronville, Kopanong, Virginia, Mangaung, Sun City and Delmas police stations are among those affected.

In the Free State, the Bronville Community Service Centre (CSC) will temporarily operate from the United Apostolic Faith Church and the number to be used during closure is 082 466 6708.

The Kopanong CSC will operate from the Victim Empowerment Centre situated at the back of the police station.

The numbers to be used for emergencies are: Station Commander - 082 370 9600; Detective Commander - 082 301 6383.

The Virginia CSC will operate from the Detective Building located on Civic Road. The alternative numbers to be used are 057-9108280/1/; Station Commander - 079 505 3222; Visible Policing Commander - 082 465 3011.

The SAPS Mangaung CSC will operate from a mobile unit placed outside the police station. For any emergencies and complaints, the community can contact the station commander, Brig Winnie Mokalake - 082 491 3029; Colonel Lefela - 063 688 2692.

In the North West province, SAPS Sun City police station will now operate from a mobile CSC placed in front of the police station. The old police station telephone number is not working, but the station can be reached on 0609877595.

In Mpumalanga, the SAPS Delmas police station CSC telephone lines will not be accessible for the duration of the closure. For this reason, members of the community who need assistance should contact 082 352 3460; Station Commander Colonel Sipho Sithole - 082 0651 028.

The SAPS management has apologised for any inconvenience caused. - SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Amaravati, Aug 4 : The Andhra Pradesh High Court on Tuesday ordered status quo on the state capital, barring the state government from taking any steps on the two Bills approved by the Governor for trifurcation of the capital.

Taking up for hearing petitions challenging the Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority Repeal Bill, 2020 and the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill, 2020, the court adjourned the hearing till August 14 after the state government sought 10 days time to file a counter to the petitions.

Prasad Babu, counsel for one of the petitioners, said the order meant the state government can't take any step on a gazette notification for trifurcation of the state capital.

Governor Biswabhusan Harichandan on July 31 approved the two Bills and the same day, the government issued the gazette notification.

Under the Andhra Pradesh Decentralisation and Inclusive Development of All Regions Bill 2020, the government seeks to shift key capital functions out of Amaravati.

It proposes to develop Visakhapatnam as the executive capital. With the shifting of the offices of the Chief Minister, the Governor, ministers and secretaries to the coastal city, it will, for all practical purposes, will become the seat of power.

Kurnool will be developed as the judicial capital by shifting the High Court there.

Amaravati, which was originally planned as the only state capital and a world-class city, will only be a legislative capital.

The move by Jagan Mohan Reddy-led government has led to fresh protests by farmers in 29 villages in Amaravati.

About 24,000 farmer families had given 33,000 acres of land for development of Amaravati under land pooling scheme five years ago.

The then Telugu Desam Party (TDP) government headed by Chandrababu Naidu had embarked on the mega plans to build Amaravati on the banks of Krishna river as the dream capital and a world-class city. Naidu had got its design prepared by the Singapore government.
<! Maimuna Abubakar, NIPOST chairman and Muhammad Mamman Nami, FIRS chairman >

By Abankula

Two Federal government agencies, NIPOST and Federal Inland Revenue Service are waging a social media war over stamp duty, that will require President Buhari to resolve.

NIPOST chairman, Maimuna Abubakar triggered the war on 2 August, when she tweeted that FIRS has gone rogue over stamp duty, by stealing its mandate, by way of printing the adhesive stamp, attached to documents.

I like to make this clear, NIPOST is the only agency charged with the responsibility of producing adhesive stamps and revenue for the purchase of such stamp accrues to NIPOST, Maimuna said on 2 August.

There is no where in FIRS act or stamp duty act where its so stated that FIRS can produce stamp or sale stamp, she added and attached the hashtag #justiceforNIPOST.

She also mentioned that NIPOST so far had generated N60 billion for the Federal Government from Stamp duty collection.

FIRS went ballistic on reading the tweets and the interest they have generated, hammering Maimuna for showing ignorance over stamp duty.

Abdullahi Ismaila Ahmad, Director Communication and Liaison for FIRS also took to Twitter to reply Maimuna and at the same time, urged the public to disregard her campaign.

Our attention was drawn to the tweet by Mrs. Abubakar. Her indecorous tweet would not have deserved any response but for the sensitive nature of the issue at stake, which if not sensibly treated and promptly corrected would likely mislead the public.

To be sure, NIPOST is a government parastatal established by Decree 41 of 1992 with the function to develop, promote, and provide adequate and efficiently co-ordinated postal services at reasonable rates .

This function is clearly contrary to the claim by NIPOST over the administration of stamp duties in Nigeria.

On the other hand, the FIRS is the sole agency of got charged with the responsibility of assessing, collecting, and accounting for all tax types including Stamp Duties.

It is therefore shocking to us that such a privileged young lady who happened to be appointed to high office would throw all caution to the air to cast aspersions on reputable public institutions like the National Assembly and FIRS, which she accused of stealing NIPOST idea.

This, to say the least, is a preposterous claim and great disservice to the government and people of Nigeria.

We wish to state categorically that, as an agency which operates within the ambit of the law.

The FIRS is determined to not only ensure that all monies collected by NIPOST into its illegally operated Stamp Duties Account are fully remitted into the Federation Account but also make sure that any kobo not accounted for in that account is legally recovered in line with the charge of President Muhammadu Buhari to the recently inaugurated Inter-ministerial committee on the recovery of stamp duties from 2016 till date.

We therefore call on right-thinking Nigerians to disregard that ill-advised tweet by Mrs. Maimuna Abubakar and allied misinformation being disseminated by NIPOST in relation to Stamp Duties collection, which by law is the responsibility of the FIRS.

But Maimuna Abubakar doubled down on Tuesday, insisting that NIPOST is the appropriate authority to earn revenue from physical or electronic stamps affixed on any document or contract, liable to pay stamp duty.

Under the extant laws of Nigeria to wit the NIPOST Act, the Stamp Duties Act and the Finance Act, the adhesive postage stamp is not only used for postage it is the only stamp with which denoting of ALL receipts documents and registrable instruments is to be done in Nigeria, she said on Tuesday.

The Tax Certificate or a Tax Clearance Certificate and any other formalized document issued by the FIRS whether in the form of a paper copy or an electronic copy which is printed out remains a document liable to be denoted with an adhesive postage stamp minted by NIPOST.

The Finance Act 2019 did not delete nor repeal neither did it amend Section 5(d) nor Section 34(1) and (2) of the NIPOST Act 2004.

Section 34(2) of the NIPOST Act 2004 provides and vests in the Postmaster General of NIPOST the power to appoint or engage agents as business partners to sell by retailing the adhesive postage stamps minted by NIPOST.

Section 5(d) of the NIPOST Act 2004 provides and vests solely in NIPOST the power to mint stamps. This power is exercised by the Postmaster General of NIPOST pursuant to the provision of Section 34(1) of the NIPOST Act 2004.

The receipt issued by the FIRS whether in the form of a paper receipt or an electronic receipt which is printed out remains a receipt liable to be denoted with an adhesive postage stamp minted by NIPOST.

The Finance Act 2019 did not delete nor repeal neither did it amend Section 11(1), (2) and (3) and Section 89(1) of the Stamps Duties Act 2004(As Amended 2019).

Section 89(1) of the Stamps Duties Act 2004(As Amended 2019) provides that a receipt evidencing the payment of a money amount N4:00k(Four naira) and above MUST be denoted using an adhesive postage stamp and the affixed adhesive postage stamp cancelled out.

In response to a feedback, she said: There is no confusion, tax is ad-valorem (in percentage) while N50 is the cost of NIPOST stamp.

The controversy between NIPOST and FIRS is not new. It has been on for some years, after Nigerian government resolved to collect stamp duty to shore up revenue. Banks began to charge N50 on transactions by account holders, the proceeds of which had built up to N60 billion with CBN.

The nucleus of the argument by NIPOST is that it is the repository of stamps, from where the stamp duty derives its name. It is the only agency that mints stamps.

Stamps are the historical products from which emanated stamp duties introduced into the country for the first time on April 1, 1939 by the British Colonial Government through the Ordinance 15, 1939, read an article published by Blueprint newspaper in July.

The FIRS counter-argued that the Finance Law passed in 2019 gives it the power to collect the revenue from stamp duty.

This is where lies the confusion. NIPOST is not disputing FIRS right to collect revenue, its position is that it should harvest the revenue from stamps used for transactions like the N50 imposed by CBN on payments above N1000.

Luckily for the two warring agencies, the Federal Executive Council will meet again on Wednesday.

May be Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Mallam Ali Pantami and Finance Minister, Zainab Ahmed will bring the issue to President Buharis attention.

.

Related
Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday federal funding for the Texas National Guard has been extended as COVID-19 cases continue to climb across the state, including Montgomery County.

According to information from Abbotts office, the extension of the Texas National Guard will be fully funded by the federal government through the end of 2020. Abbott activated the Texas National Guard in March to aid in the state's efforts to combat COVID-19. The Texas National Guard has assisted in field testing, decontaminating facilities, providing regional support of storage and distribution of personal protective equipment and more.

"The Texas National Guard plays a vital role in our response and recovery efforts, and I thank President Trump for extending this federal funding, Abbott stated. "The Lone Star State remains vigilant in our efforts to combat the spread of COVID-19 and we will continue to work alongside our federal partners to keep Texans safe."

Montgomery County health officials confirmed two more COVID-19 deaths Tuesday bringing the county death toll to 71.

According to the Montgomery County Public Health District, the deaths include a Spring woman in her 70s and a New Caney woman in her 50s. Both women were hospitalized at the time of their deaths.

While the county added 106 new cases, the number of hospitalizations of both county and non-county residents has continued to decrease from Thursday from 190 to 150 with 42 of those patients in critical care beds.

The total number of COVID-19 cases in Montgomery County is now 6,397. Of those cases, 2,234 are active, a drop of 82 from Monday.

County officials continue to urge resident to follow the CDC recommendations including: stay at least six feet from others at all times; wear a cloth face covering to help protect yourself and others; 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; and bring hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol to use if soap and water are not available.

For those needing to be testing, MCPHD has launched an online registration process for its voucher program for both symptomatic and asymptomatic. The testing is for Montgomery County residents only.

To get a voucher, go to mchd-tx.org or mcphd-tx.org and click on the need to be tested link. Fill out the information. A voucher will be emailed. Once you have the voucher, make an appointment at your choice of testing center and get tested.

The MCHD/MCPHD COVID-19 Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 936-523-5040.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
At the detention center, there were two people to a room. Our families could meet us once a week after asking permission. We were not allowed to step outside on the grass. We used to walk the corridors for hours. That was our space. We had only the freedom of being able to walk in a corridor.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 10:04:13|Editor: huaxia

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Located in what the UN once called the "most unfit place for human settlement," terraced fields in Pengyang County are now among China's most beautiful rural vistas thanks to decades of environmental work.
Presidency has frowned at the plan protest by the TUC over the alleged President Buhari's inaction over the corruption uncovered at some Federal Government's commissions.

Presidency has frowned at the reported plan by the Trade Union Congress (TUC) to embark on a nationwide protest over the alleged President Buhari's inaction over the high-level of corruption uncovered at some Federal Government's commissions.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that both the Executive and Legislative arms are currently investigating alleged cases of misconduct at the Niger Delta Development Agency (NDDC), the Nigeria Social Insurance Trust Fund (NSITF) and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC).

Malam Garba Shehu, the President's Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity in a statement in Abuja on Monday, however, described the planned protests against the affected commissions by TUC as ill advised and totally uncalled for.

This is so, according to the presidential aide, in view of the fact that there are ongoing investigations in the cases by both the Executive and Legislative arms of government.

He said that these processes must be allowed to run their full courses.

It is against the norm in a democratic society as well as the natural laws of justice to seek action, meaning punishment against offenders before proper investigation, trial and conviction.

The President has made it clear that the allegations that have surfaced clearly constitute a breach of trust and as the investigations take hold and close out, all those found wanting will face the wrath of the law.

The TUC, as an enlightened group of labour unionists, should indeed voice their indignation whenever such acts are being unearthed.

However, the expectation will be for it to also raise the bar higher, in terms of the debate concerning the impact of such allegations on our ability, to create and retain employment, attract investment, improve the living conditions of its members and citizens, and how a preponderance of these heinous crimes decimates any gains being made in other spheres.

The world is confronted with a global public health crisis, decline in economic growth, and expanding areas of conflict by non-state actors, he said.

According to him, all these ills in their singular or combined form are consuming every nation, and Nigeria is no exception.

He, therefore, maintained that, we must hold the line and lock arms that way we rid ourselves of these existential issues whilst we grapple with those that are our own homegrown problems.

This administration is committed to doing just that, and organisations like the TUC should be extending a hand in supporting such a fight that is in our collective interest, he said.(NAN)
US 'robbery' of TikTok angers Chinese hi-tech companies

Global Times

By GT staff reporters Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/3 23:23:40

Trump's 45-day deadline turns transaction into fire sale: experts

Chinese tech companies entangled in the ever increasingly nasty crackdown waged by the US' Trump administration are mulling to act proactively, the Global Times learnt, with public anger growing on both sides of the Pacific, as the drama of the US forcing the sale of the hugely popular Chinese short-form video platform TikTok morphed one step closer to daylight robbery over the weekend.

Since threatening to ban TikTok last week, which reportedly has 100 million American users, US President Donald Trump is giving ByteDance, TikTok's Chinese parent company, 45 days to reach a deal to sell its US business to US software giant Microsoft, Reuters reported on Monday, citing sources.

By slapping a deadline on the potential deal, Trump has effectively turned transaction into a fire sale, further pressuring Beijing-based ByteDance to give up its business interests and intellectual property at a discounted rate.

The drama to forcibly hand the highly successful TikTok over to a US company has drawn widespread criticism across the Pacific, and has become another vivid lesson viewed closely by China's rising tech companies eyeing overseas market expansion amid an escalating tech war between the world's two largest economies which had already seen dozens of Chinese tech firms hit by US blacklist.

Drama continues

In contrast to the usually low profile approach Chinese companies choose when facing US government crackdowns, ByteDance issued an unusually harsh announcement at the early hours on Monday, saying it is facing unimaginable difficulties in the process of growing to be an international company, entangled in international political tension and met with "copying and slandering" from its US competitor Facebook.

Zhou Shijian, a senior research fellow at the Center for US-China Relations at Tsinghua University, said that different from the US government-led crackdown on Chinese technology giant Huawei, the clampdown on TikTok, which could result in TikTok's business ending up in the hands of some US companies, is simply because the US could not accept a Chinese company becoming a winner in the US tech sphere.

TikTok is widely believed to be the first Chinese app that has blazed a trail around the world due to its unique ability to understand users' needs, a feat that had not been achieved by any other Chinese tech juggernaut such as Tencent, Alibaba or Baidu.

The US government's actions toward TikTok has alerted other high-tech Chinese firms, with some emphasizing the importance of maintaining core competitiveness in the face of an utterly unreasonable US administration.

"In the geopolitical fight between China and the US, we, Chinese companies, should drop the illusion and clearly realize that it is undoubtedly naive and foolish to expect our opponents to abide by international rules, sit down and negotiate disputes in a civilized manner," a staff member working at a Beijing-based chip firm, told the Global Times on Monday.

An executive of a leading Chinese high-tech company, who only spoke on the condition of anonymity, told the Global Times on Monday that the move shows Washington is mobilizing political strength to wage a tech war against China.

"This is not the moment to talk about passively defending or keeping a low-profile to avoid US sanctions. Rather, Chinese firms should act proactively, to scale up research and development efforts and beat their US rivals so that American consumers and companies become increasingly dependent on tech supplies from China," the executive said. "This is the right path in which Chinese firms should fight back."

"If Trump's crackdown on Chinese companies shows little effect and instead hurts the key interests of American companies, there will be more maneuvers for communication," the anonymous executive noted.

Zhou said TikTok should bring the case to the New York-based United States Court of International Trade on the grounds of the US' non-market oriented approach and government interference on the matter and the US limiting a foreign company's intellectual property rights (IPR).

"The US government has long portrayed itself as a protector of IPR in its deals with China, and it is odd to see the lack of respect it shows toward the IPR issue when it comes to dealing with a Chinese firm," Zhou said.

China's response

It is more than just TikTok. US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo revealed in a Sunday interview that "in the coming days" the scope of the witch-hunt will be further extended to "countless Chinese apps" specifically mentioning WeChat, a social messaging app developed by Chinese internet giant Tencent.

In a tit-for-tat response, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday that the US threats of taking action against Chinese tech companies have exposed the US' hypocrisy in maintaining its so-called freedoms and violated the WTO's nondiscrimination principle.

"China firmly opposes discriminatory US policies against Chinese software companies and its tendency to generalize the concept of national security, make guilty presumptions without evidence and politicize economic issues," Wang said.

The US' restrictions on Chinese companies have stirred up angry sentiments among Chinese netizens, who vented their dissatisfaction at comments left under the latest posts of the US Embassy in China on China's social media platforms.

"The US claims that the freedoms inherited from its market economy has an overwhelming edge and its government won't wantonly interfere in normal market activities between companies. Is this slapping its own face?" a netizen wrote on Monday.

Another Chinese netizen urged other countries to be cautious when cooperating with the US, as "the country has been kidnapped by politics and is the foremost rule-breaker in the world."

After the US shut down the Chinese consulate in Houston, the US Embassy's Weibo account attracted a substantial amount of daily traffic from Chinese netizens, who jeered at the hypocrisy and double standards shown by the Trump Administration with the platform becoming a barometer of Chinese public opinion.

Risk factor

Zhou said Chinese tech companies that have ambitions to explore international markets should treat Huawei as an example, although there is a difference between the telecommunications giant that provides both hardware and software, and other "pure" software firms.

"All Chinese firms should learn from Huawei, which has proven to be a rock that has cracked the many eggs that the US has thrown upon it," Zhou said, noting Huawei's secret is that it has long prepared for a rainy day scenario and emphasized mastering core technologies.

A tech war is ultimately about a talent war. Yi Beichen, a veteran mobile internet observer, told the Global Times on Monday that amid the narrowed scope of China-US education cooperation, there is chance that the best talent for the next decade may come out of the Chinese mainland, the forefront of global technological innovation.

Chen Da, an executive director with Shanghai-based Anlan Capital, said it is a remarkable sign of progress to see a Chinese software firm engage in a turf fight with a US tech giant such as Facebook.

However, Chen, who is familiar with the landscape of Chinese tech firms in the US, said Chinese companies should never, in their overseas expansion, overlook compliance issues so that no potential legal loopholes are left to be explored by others given the rising headwinds of the China-US tech war.

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C-Mask, a smart mask by a Japanese robotic startup, has unveiled a tech face mask that lets users stay connected to their smartphones, make calls remotely, send text messages and more without accessing their smartphones.

The white silicone C-mask fits over standard face masks and connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone and tablet application that can transcribe speech into text messages, make calls, or amplify the mask wearers voice.We worked hard for years to develop a robot and we have used that technology to create a product that responds to how the coronavirus has reshaped society, said Taisuke Ono, the chief executive of Donut Robotics when speaking with Reuters.

Engineers at Donut Robotics came up with the idea of this mask as they were looking to work on a product that would keep the startup, launched in 2014, afloat amid the pandemic. It had secured a contract to supply robot guides and translators at Tokyos Haneda Airport, just shy of when the virus outbreak began. The translation software being created for a robot called Cinnamon has since been put on hold as itll be a while before air travel is able to resuscitate with full gusto in the post-pandemic world.

The cutouts on the front of the mask are necessary for breathability, hence the smart mask doesnt protect against the coronavirus. However, it been so designed that users can wear it top of their usual face masks. It made of white plastic and silicone, and has a microphone embedded in it that facilitates Japanese to be translated into 8 languages including Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, English, Spanish and French.

It delivers your voice to the smartphone of the other party and realizes to convert voice into letters, translate in 8 languages, and create minutes. Of course, our robot cinnamon can also give instructions from a distance. I hope that it will be useful in a society where people live apart from each other, reads a description on the official Donut Robotics website.

Currently, only sounds and characters are used, but in the future, it will be expanded to image systems (AR, VR, etc.). It is a new communication device in the rapidly progressing online and digital world., it adds.

The masks are priced at $40 a piece and will be ready for sale from September onwards.

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New Democratic County Chair Sylvia Bruni and other representatives of the Democratic party such including the various precinct chairs were officially sworn in Monday after being elected to the positions in March.

During the ceremony, Bruni took the oath of office for her new role in the Democratic party along with the precinct chairs in the first virtual ceremony for the party as most of them participated via Zoom. Although she officially became the party chair on Monday, Bruni said her efforts began in April amid the pandemic.

It is really a milestone for the party as today was the official day, Bruni said. But, quite frankly, ever since I was elected in March our plans had been right then and there to strategize and organize, and then the pandemic came and come April we began to Zoom. We have over 100 people in the group, and we have been meeting since every single Saturday.

In the past four months, the group has been more productive than ever according to Bruni doing everything from recreating the platform for the party locally to creating a website. Other plans have been impacted by the pandemic such as wanting to have meriendas food gatherings for citizens to discuss issues the party can impact locally and nationally.

Mayor pro temp and outgoing Democratic county party chair Albert Torres administered the oath of office. He said he is proud of his accomplishments and proud Bruni is taking over the mantle.

I feel very proud to have been the Democratic chair for six years and becoming the youngest county chair to ever get elected in Webb County, and when I took over of the Democratic party we promised better representation and fight for all of the issues of the party and brought candidates from across the state and nationally to meet with local borders, Torres said. I am very happy that my good friend Sylvia Bruni, who is the right person to continue leading the party into the right direction, took over the office today as she has the experience, leadership and knowledge needed to continue the representation of the Democratic party.

Bruni made clear what she expects to accomplish in her tenure including engaging the community more and reaching out in efforts to make the Democratic turnout in the city much higher.

She believes educating people on how to vote via mail, curbside and other methods can help increase voter turnout in a time when the pandemic has many questioning the voting process.

Another goal is to highlight policies by Democrats and to bring more of these candidates who are running statewide and even nationally to the city along with making sure all the precinct slots in the county are filled.

When I realized that with the county there are 69 precincts and we only had 21 or 22 of them filled, so how are you going to do grassroots organizing if there is no one there to help organize the precincts as these are the ones closer to the community as they can get, Bruni said. So, one of my primary goals from the very beginning was to go out there to take charge. We need to energize, communicate and reach out to the community, and today we approved 15 new precinct chairs and only had 16 of the 69 that were active, so we are almost at 50 percent but not quite there yet.

One of these new precinct slots has been filled by the youngest ever individual to hold such a position as Christian Ochoa is 18 years old and a recent high school graduate from Harmony School of Excellence who will be attending Texas A&M International University in the fall. Even at his young age, he has been heavily involved with the party locally.

As I got more involved in the party, I took on more responsibility, eventually leading me to sign up for the precinct chair position, Ochoa said. In addition to my role as a precinct chair, I also founded and reactivated the TAMIU College Democrats. The Mission of TACD shall be to promote awareness of issues affecting students at Texas A&M International University, educate students about the philosophy of the Democratic Party, work towards electing Democrats throughout the county and to bring more students into the political process.

Ochoa said TACD shall serve as the direct and official TAMIU student Democratic organization with relations to Texas College Democrats, Webb County Democratic Party, and Webb County Young Democrats.

One other of the precinct chairs is Jessica Olivares who owns her own firm in the city and across the state as it is remotely based. She is also very involved in the community and will be representing Precinct 343 for the party.

I am honored and looking forward to engaging with the constituents in my precinct to inform them of what our party stands for, Olivares said. I want to keep people in my precinct engaged and informed. With a historical election ahead of us, it is important that people vote for the right candidate.

All of the newly inducted Democratic party leaders said it is essential for people to go out and vote Democratic this time around not because of dislike toward the current administration but because of change needed for the people of Laredo, the state and the country. She claims education is key.

What we want is reasonable policy that makes sense as we want reasonable gun control that is data-driven, and we want people to know that we will not take away their rifles, Bruni said. We also want the same thing with immigration as we are not going to go out there and open up the bridges so every Tom, Dick and Juan can come as we want reasonable data-driven immigration reform, and the only way we can do our part is to provide the facts and also hope those who are undecided go out to vote as we cannot force them to vote, but we can educate them.

Although the event was held via Zoom for most people, Bruni and a few others were able to get together for the official swearing in at 10:30 a.m. on Monday at 1802 Social House Houston St.

During the March primary, Bruni became the victory after running in a two-person race against Eduardo Chapa and taking away more than 56% of the votes with 15,082 to Chapas 11,775.

jorge.vela@lmtonline.com
The Government has removed five countries from its travel-advisory 'green list', following a rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in those nations.

The move means that any Irish people who are in Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Monaco, or San Marino will now have to self-isolate for 14 days upon their return to the country.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said that the decisions had been made to "keep the incidence of the virus low" in Ireland.

He said that the five countries had slipped below Ireland's minimum criteria for inclusion on the list, which exempts travellers from the requirement to self-isolate.

Malta, for example, has seen a spike in cases in recent days. Its 14-day rate of infection per 1,000 is now 26.7  far above Ireland's 7.54. The same rate in Cyprus is now 13.4.

Mr Martin said that there would be no countries added to the list at this time, with the list updated every two weeks.

However, he reiterated the advice that people should not travel abroad unless it is absolutely essential.

"There are no additions to the list, and we continue to advise people that the safest thing they can do, in terms of their own health and the health of the country, is to stay in Ireland," he said.

The Taoiseach made the announcement as the Government, for a second time, postponed moving to phase four of the roadmap for reopening, saying that the decision had been made based on a rise in Covid-19 cases.

"I wish that I was in a position to share better news today, but I am not," said Mr Martin.

It is now clear that our cautious approach in mid-July was the correct approach. Evidence of increased transmission is now even clearer.

The removal of the five countries will not impact greatly on Irish tourists or the travel industry, the Irish Travel Agents Association (ITAA) said.

ITAA president Michael Doorley said there is no appetite for travel overseas at the moment and the emergence of Covid-19 clusters in parts of Europe was dampening demand.

Consumers haven't an appetite for travel at the moment," he told the Irish Examiner. "You could have 25 green countries, and there still wouldn't be an appetite to travel.

Everyone is of the same attitude: 'we're not going to travel this year, but hope to travel next year'. So reducing the number of green-list countries is not going to impinge much on travel agents.

Mr Doorley said people were travelling in tiny numbers and gave an example of 37 people on a flight to Malaga last Friday, adding that he didnt think many Irish holidaymakers had travelled to Cyprus or Malta.

Cyprus and Malta would have been popular holiday destinations if people were of a frame of mind to travel, but they are not at the moment, he said.

Travel agents, he said, were availing of Government grants and supports as they prepared to write off 2020 and focus on next year's market.

Any travel agent you speak to will tell you they have written off 2020 as a year where nothing will happen, he said.

What most companies are trying to do is hibernate for four to five months and then hopefully open up again for next year.

The ITAA, he said, endorsed the removal of countries from the green list in the interests of keeping people healthy and safe.
The National Archives and Records Administration, the official recordkeeper of the United States, provides digital access to more than 110 million digital records, a number that continues to grow exponentially.

"The National Archives is expected to host as many as 13 billion records within the next few years," said Sylvester Johnson, director of the Virginia Tech Center for Humanities. "So if you want to tackle a specific topic -- to find the proverbial needle in the haystack -- your ability to search those records in a meaningful way is becoming harder and harder. The needle you're seeking hasn't increased in size, yet the haystack is millions of times larger than it used to be."

The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation has awarded Virginia Tech a planning grant to work with the National Archives and a number of universities nationwide to understand the opportunity for using artificial intelligence to search digital records.

"The Mellon Foundation is making it possible for us to understand how we can enable researchers to continue studying archives when particular sources are buried among billions of other digital records," said Bill Ingram, assistant dean for archives and technology services in University Libraries at Virginia Tech, who will serve as principal investigator for the grant. "Citizens should be able to easily access and find governmental information they need to be informed about government actions and policy. An informed citizenry is essential to maintaining democracy. We are excited that Virginia Tech can pursue such an important opportunity."

The planning grant will make possible a two-day workshop in which Virginia Tech librarians, archivists, and humanities faculty researchers will join with deep subject experts in the fields of digital libraries, machine learning, archives, information retrieval, document analysis, natural language processing, computational linguistics, and deep learning. Together, the scholars will explore the application of artificial intelligence and machine learning to help ensure public and scholarly access to the large-scale collection of government records at the National Archives.

"The University Libraries at Virginia Tech has spent years developing new ways for technology to support scholarly communication," said Ingram. "As digital technology advances, this has become even more urgent. And collaborating with the National Archives will provide citizens new methods of search and discovery within the large collection of governmental documents housed in the archives."

Representing the National Archives on the leadership project team will be Pamela Wright, who, as chief innovation officer, is responsible for formulating and implementing the agency's strategic direction for providing online public access to its holdings.

"The National Archives is eager to collaborate with Virginia Tech and scholars across the country to explore ways that emerging technologies could improve digital access to our records," said Wright.

Johnson believes the timing is right for testing the promise of those technologies in ensuring access to the nation's holdings.

"We need a more sophisticated ability to search those records, as humans literally cannot look at billions of records," said Johnson, who is leading another Center for Humanities project recently funded by the Mellon Foundation. "We envision this process will allow us to understand at a technical level and more broadly how artificial intelligence can help solve this problem."

A key outcome of the planning workshop will be the design of a subsequent pilot project aimed at enhancing access to National Archive collections, including the creation of new tools, techniques, and practices.

"Understanding the business of our government is foundational to democracy," Johnson said. "Our ultimate aim is to ensure that scholars and members of the public alike can use these records. We want our university to have an impact beyond the boundaries of our campus, and this workshop is one important way we can accomplish that."

###
- Tundu Lissu returned to Tanzania over a week ago after three years in Belgium where he was in exile

- He was nominated by Chadema's governing council to vie for presidency in October 2020

- Lissu beat two other contestants after garnering 405 votes out of the 442 votes cast

- He is set to be confirmed by the party members as the presidential flag-bearer during Chademas National Convention on Tuesday 4

Tanzania Opposition party Chama cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (Chadema) has nominated Tundu Lissu to vie for the country's presidency in the upcoming October 2020 elections.

Lissu was nominated by the party's governing council after battling it out with Lazaro Nyalandu and Maryrose Majinge during a meeting that was held in Dar es Salaam on Monday, August 3.

READ ALSO: Georgina Rodriguez donates KSh 2.5 million to help in coronavirus vaccine research

Tanzania Opposition leader Tundu Lissu returned to the country recently after staying in Belgium for three years. Photo: The Citizen

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Wandani wa Raila Odinga wapenyeza ndani ya ngome ya DP Ruto kutafuta ushawishi

Lissu garnered 405 votes out of the 442 votes cast, Nyalandu became second with 36 votes while Majinge managed to garner only one vote, as reported by The Citizen.

The firebrand politician is expected to be endorsed officially as the party's presidential candidate on Tuesday, August 4, during Chademas National Convention.

Speaking after the win, Lissu thanked the governing council for nominating him noting that his win was not an individual one, but that of the party.

READ ALSO: Kenyan newspapers review for August 4: Doom for Uhuru-backed division of revenue formula as 4 more senators join Sakaja's rebel team

''This is not my win, but that of the party, we have a huge task ahead of us, let us focus," said Lissu.

The former Singida East MP will battle it out with the incumbent John Pombe Magufuli who will be seeking to be re-elected for a second term on a Chama cha Mapinduzi ticket.

Lissu returned to the country a few weeks ago after staying in Belgium for over three years where he was receiving medical attention following an attempted assassination in the country's capital.

Tanzania President John Pombe Magufuli is expected to face off with Tundu Lissu in the upcoming elections. Photo: Pombe Magifuli

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Big win as EACC recovers KSh 5B land grabbed from Met Dept 23 years ago

However, political pundits argue that the 2020 election is going to be a walkover for President Magufuli should the Opposition parties fail to agree to form a coalition ahead of the October elections.

In 2015, Chadema joined hands with other parties opting for a coalition Umoja wa Katiba ya Wananchi (UKAWA) with Edward Lowassa as the front-runner who lost to Magufuli.

Lissu who has built his reputation as a prominent lawyer, fierce opposition figure and outspoken government critic said he will create a political tsunami ahead of the October polls that will see the opposition party unseat CCM.

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
Police are calling for help to identify a man who allegedly sexually touched a woman on a bus in western Sydney.

The 26-year-old woman boarded the bus at Mt Druitt railway station about 10.30am on June 4 when a man sat behind her and assaulted her, police say.

The woman confronted the man before leaving the bus and notifying police.

Police have released an image of a man, who is of Pacific Islander/Maori appearance, in his 30s, of a large build, with black hair and a moustache who they want to talk to in regards to the alleged assault

Police have released an image of the man, who is of Pacific Islander/Maori appearance, in his 30s, of a large build, with black hair and a moustache.

He was wearing an orange high-visibility jumper, navy trousers and brown shoes.
The Bihar government on Tuesday gave its consent for a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death by suicide on June 14 following a demand by his family members.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the director-general of police, (DGP), Bihar, Gupteshwar Pandey, spoke with the late actors father, KK Singh, and he gave his consent for the CBI probe.

We are recommending the CBI probe in the matter, as per the procedure. The recommendation will be sent by Tuesday evening. The proceedings have started, the CM told media persons.

I have also spoken with his (Rajputs) father and other family members and they have given their consent. The CBI inquiry was suggested by everyone in the case. Bihar Police started the investigation after the late actors father filed an FIR (first information report) in the case. However, Bihar Police didnt get any cooperation from the Mumbai Police. Vinay Tiwari, a Bihar-cadre IPS (Indian Police Service) officer was also quarantined (because of the raging coronavirus disease [Covid-19] outbreak in Mumbai) on Sunday evening, despite prior information about his arrival, the CM added.

Sources in the CMs secretariat revealed that a notification for the CBI probe would be issued shortly.

Janata Dal (United) spokesperson Sanjay Singh also confirmed the development.

Satish Maneshinde, the lawyer of Rhea Chakroborty, Rajputs reported girlfriend, and who has been accused by the late actors father for his sons death by suicide, told news agency ANI: There cant be a transfer of a case, which had no legal basis for Bihar Police to get involved with. At best, it would be a zero FIR transferable to Mumbai Police. Transfer of a case, on which they (Bihar Police) had no jurisdiction, to the CBI has no legal sanctity:

DGP Pandey also expressed his disappointment with the treatment meted out to Bihar Police officials by their Mumbai counterpart.

He said that the Rajputs familys trust might have been broken because of how Bihar Police officials were dealt with by the Mumbai Police.

They must have understood that the Bihar Police authorities wanted to help them but they are unable to do things because of a lack of co-operation by the Mumbai Police, he added.

Earlier on Tuesday morning, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) president Chirag Paswan also spoke to CM Kumar and demanded a CBI probe in Rajputs death case, whose echoes were felt in the Vidhan Sabha, as leaders cutting across party lines, raised the issue.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Neeraj Singh Bablu and Rajputs cousin also joined the chorus along with the leader of Opposition in the Bihar Assembly and Rashtriya Janata Dals (RJD) Tejaswhi Prasad Yadav, who demanded justice for the late actors family.

Bihar Police has interrogated 15 people connected with Rajputs death to date.

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Nearly a month after an employee at a store in the Ocean County Mall was hit with a belt and spit at after asking two customers to properly wear their masks, Toms River police have charged two New Yorkers.

Richard Alter, 41, and Sylina Kramer, 32, both of Binghamton, were each charged with simple assault for the July 9 incident, Toms River police said Tuesday. Alter was also charged with terroristic threats and police have a warrant out for his arrest. Kramer was issued a summons.

Malls in New Jersey reopened June 28 with masks required for all customers and workers to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The pair entered Zumiez, a store that sells skateboards, footwear and clothing, about 3:10 p.m. when the worker noticed that both were wearing their face coverings around their necks, according to police. When she asked them to pull up the masks, Alter became irate and started screaming at the employee before picking up a belt for sale and snapping it toward the workers, striking her once, police said.

Alter then made several threatening comments, while Kramer spit at the woman before the pair left, officials said.

Police were unable to find them after searching the area.

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Jeff Goldman may be reached at jeff_goldman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @JeffSGoldman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
The government of China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) announced Monday the suspension of extradition and legal assistance agreements with New Zealand and expressed opposition to the latter for interfering in China's internal affairs.

The HKSAR government has issued a notice to the New Zealand Consulate-General about the suspension of the agreement for the surrender of accused and convicted persons and the other concerning mutual legal assistance in criminal matters between the two sides.

The move came after New Zealand unilaterally suspended the agreement on surrender of fugitive offenders with the HKSAR using the law on safeguarding national security in the HKSAR as an excuse.

It is an international practice to safeguard national security through the enactment of laws, a government spokesman said, adding that New Zealand itself has put in place such laws and enforcement mechanisms.

The move by New Zealand smacks of political manipulation and double standards, interferes in China's internal affairs, and violates international law and basic norms governing international relations, the spokesman said.

The HKSAR government strongly objects to the move that has politicized juridical cooperation and seriously damaged the basis of juridical cooperation between the two sides, he said.

With the authorization and assistance of the central government, the HKSAR government has conducted close and effective law enforcement cooperation with New Zealand based on the principle of mutual assistance and reciprocity, the spokesman said.

The spokesman stressed that the HKSAR government will as always uphold the principle of mutual assistance and reciprocity, and carry out law enforcement cooperation with other members of the international community in accordance with the law.
AccuWeather forecasters are warning chances of snow and other wintry weather to break out across portions of the eastern United States, just after a winter storm spent the weekend making a mess of places from the Tennessee Valley through the Southeast and up the Eastern Seaboard into New England.
Microsoft said on Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to President Donald Trump and "is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States" and that the company is "committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury." This comes after Trump stated he was going to ban the service in the US.

TikTok targeted by Microsoft

Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok's US operations. Some congressional aides are worried about a backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump banned TikTok, which has 100 million American users.

Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the US government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

US Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.

"A US company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe," Schumer said on Twitter, adding: "This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government."

TikTok, TikTok... China and US tensions continue. Florence Lo (REUTERS)

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.

"So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised?" Navarro said in an interview with CNN. "Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?"

Navarro said the Chinese government and military use Microsoft software to do all the things they do.

President Trump wants a 'substantial' piece of the TikTok pie

The US President spoke about the move on Monday stating that the US government should get a "substantial portion" of the sales price of the US operations of TikTok and warned he will ban the service in the United States on 15 September without a sale.

The turnaround came after Trump Friday he said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video app's US operations as soon as Saturday after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.

"I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it, because I guess its China essentially  I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because were making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump said.

It was not clear how the US government would receive part of the purchase price.

He added it "will close down on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal so the Treasury  of the United States gets a lot of money.

You | US President Donald J. Trump holds a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House, 3 August 2020. MICHAEL REYNOLDS / POOL (EFE)

US officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following U.S. laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.

Trump's comments confirmed a Reuters report Sunday that he had agreed to give China's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft.

Trump said he did not mind "whether its Microsoft or somebody else  a big company, a secure company, very, very American company buy it."

ByteDance says goal of US was to ban TikTok - internal letter

ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming told employees in an internal letter on Tuesday that the United States goal was not to force a sale of TikTok US operations but rather to ban the app, and that some people had misconceptions about the situation.

The letter, which was reported by Chinese media and confirmed by a source to Reuters, was sent only to ByteDance's Chinese employees after news that ByteDance was in talks to sell parts of TikTok to Microsoft Corp prompted online criticism of the firm and Zhang.

ByteDance did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Hotel occupancy rates  a closely watched weekly indicator of how many tourists are coming to South Carolina  suggest that hesitations about vacationing in the Palmetto State may already be wearing off.

After just a couple weeks of declining figures as COVID-19 case numbers were spiking in early July, the numbers are starting to inch up again, even as South Carolina remained a staple on travel advisory lists across the U.S.

State tourism director Duane Parrish pointed to the national coverage of South Carolina's status as a coronavirus hot spot as a reason why the 10 weeks of upward-trending lodging rates started taking a dip around the Fourth of July holiday.

Statewide, the figure went from a high of 58 percent to 52 percent that week. Afterward, it dropped for a second week, to 48 percent.

The decline didn't last long. For the past two weeks, numbers have been slowly rising, first to 51 percent, then back up to 52 percent.

Even when South Carolina's occupancy was trending downward, hotels were filling up at higher rates than those in the U.S. overall. That's been true for 13 consecutive weeks.

For the month of June overall, the Palmetto State had a substantial lead over the rest of the country. The monthly average for South Carolina was 52 percent, or 10 percent higher than the national average.

While the state is still hitting Parrish's expressed goal of getting "more than (its) fair share" of this summer's paltry tourist crop, hotel figures show how drastically low travel activity is compared to previous years.

Occupancy for the first six months of the year in South Carolina has been down 31 percent from 2019 numbers. Another crucial stat for the industry, revenue per available room, was down 44 percent for the first half of the year.

Since the first week of February, visitor spending in the state  which most recently has been valued at about $24 billion a year  has dropped by about $3.7 billion, according to the S.C. Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism.

The Office of Tourism Analysis at the College of Charleston, which earlier in the pandemic calculated an estimated loss over a two-month period of $1 billion for the Charleston region, hasn't calculated an updated loss estimate yet.

Even if occupancy rates are inching back, South Carolina has still retained its status as a destination some other states consider a risk to their own populations. The escalating COVID-19 case numbers and high positivity rate prompted multiple states to require anyone who vacations in South Carolina to quarantine for two weeks after returning home.

Kansas so far is the only state to remove South Carolina from its quarantine travel advisory list.

A couple states within the region's all-important drive market  Kentucky and Ohio  have in the last couple weeks named South Carolina among the places where they don't mandate but strongly recommend a 14-day quarantine upon return.

Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear this week urged residents to change their plans if they had booked stays to go to one of the states in its advisory.

"I need everybody that has plans to go to Florida or Georgia, Alabama, South Carolina, Texas, Arizona  cancel them," Beshear said.
Harry and William fell out, when Duke of Sussex branded older brother a 'snob'

Prince Harry took offence when his 'snobby' brother cautioned him not to rush into marrying Meghan Markle.

Harry took offence when William told him: 'Take as much time as you need to get to know this girl.'

Harry is said to have considered the choice of the words 'this girl' to be condescending.

'In those last two words, 'this girl', Harry heard the tone of snobbishness that was anathema to his approach to the world,' claims the book. 'During his ten-year career in the military, outside the Royal bubble, he had learnt not to make snap judgments about people based on their accent, education, ethnicity, class or profession.'

Prince Harry took offence when his 'snobby' brother cautioned him not to rush into marrying Meghan Markle. Pictured: The brothers with Meghan Markle and Kate Middle at Westminster Abbey in 2018

Meghan was disappointed Kate never reached out

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle never became friends - while the Duchess of Sussex was 'disappointed' she never reached out to her or visited.

The Duchesses 'struggled to move past distance politeness' and had 'nothing in common other than the fact that they lived at Kensington Palace', according to the authors of Finding Freedom.

In one particularly awkward encounter when Meghan was dating Harry, Kate went alone in her Range Rover on a shopping trip - despite the fact Meghan was also going to the same street.

The lack of any friendship between the pair was confirmed in 2018 when the Sussexes announced they wanted to base their family at Windsor.

Despite this frostiness, Meghan felt hurt at newspaper stories of the 'duelling duchesses' and was angry at the failure of the palace press office to correct them.

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle never became friends - while the Duchess of Sussex was 'disappointed' she never reached out to her or visited. The pair are pictured at Wimbledon together in 2018

Courtiers branded Meghan Markle a 'showgirl with lots of baggage' and said 'there's something about her I don't trust'

A courtier in the Royal Household has said 'there is something I don't trust' about Meghan Markle, the book claims.

The book, Finding Freedom, claims as soon as Meghan was introduced to members of the Royal Household, tensions emerged.

One source claimed: 'She comes with a lot of baggage.' Another suggested: There's just something about her I don't trust.'

Another described Meghan as 'Harry's showgirl

Harry was convinced he was going to marry Meghan after the second date

The biography describes in detail the couple's first date in Soho, London, which went so well that Meghan later confided in a friend: 'Do I sound crazy when I say this could have legs?'.

Before arriving in the capital she had also told a confidant that she'd be happy for 'a nice English gentleman to flirt with' while promoting Suits in Britain.

During that first date at London's Dean Street Townhouse the couple spent three hours in conversation, Harry drinking beer and Meghan sipping martinis. Harry was said to be 'in a trance' and had told himself: 'I've got to up my game here' when trying to impress the LA-born actress.

The book says: 'Meghan had enough dating experience to know a charmer when she saw one, and Harry was obviously not at all that' - adding the couple were 'immediately obsessed' with each other and bonded over their joint 'passions for wanting to make change for good'.

The biography describes in detail the couple's first date in Soho, London, which went so well that Meghan later confided in a friend: 'Do I sound crazy when I say this could have legs?'. The couple are pictured in March

According to one friend quoted in the book, Harry and Meghan 'chatted a lot' but the evening, like the night before, ended chastely, with Harry returning to Kensington Palace despite their 'electric chemistry'.

Describing how they flirted throughout, the authors said: 'A touch of an arm here, direct eye contact there.'

The pair had now met just twice but Harry already knew 'they would be together at that point', a friend said, adding of Meghan: 'She was ticking every box fast.' Meghan, who was in London visiting, documented much of her trip on social media.

The night out was so successful the second date the following night at the same venue where they are said to have sneaked in via a side door, hidden from view by a delivery truck bringing in produce and fresh fish from Billingsgate Market.

Prince Harry was the first to say 'I love you' in his relationship with Meghan Markle, with friends revealing the couple were 'immediately obsessed' with each other. They are pictured in March this year

One trusted waiter was asked to serve them the entire evening to keep it private.

According to one friend quoted in the book, Harry and Meghan chatted a lot but the evening, like the night before, ended chastely, with Harry returning to Kensington Palace despite their electric chemistry.

Describing how they flirted throughout, the authors said: A touch of an arm here, direct eye contact there.

The pair had now met just twice but Harry already knew they would be together at that point, a friend said, adding of Meghan: She was ticking every box fast. Meghan, who was in London visiting, documented much of her trip on social media.

Harry was the first to say 'I love you'

Prince Harry was the first to say 'I love you' in his relationship with Meghan Markle, with friends revealing the couple were 'immediately obsessed' with each other.

Meghan's necklace controversy

Meghan Markle was left 'frustrated and emotional' after a palace aide 'scolded' her for wearing a necklace with the initials H and M before she and Prince Harry were engaged, according to Finding Freedom.

The former Suits star, 38, was spotted wearing the personalised gold chain by Canadian firm The Right Hand Gal Jewelry Co. while out shopping in Toronto in December 2016.

The bold move was seen as an early indication of the seriousness of their relationship - a month after the news of their love affair emerged. The Duke and Duchess of Sussex later announced their engagement in November 2017.

The former Suits star, 38, was spotted wearing the personalised chain - believed to have been a gift from the prince - while out shopping in Toronto

According to a source close to the couple, following the publication of the images Meghan received a dressing down from a palace aide.

'She was advised that wearing such a necklace only served to encourage the photographers to keep pursuing such images  and new headlines,' they said.

Prince Harry was REFUSED Queen's offer of a trial period' that would have allowed him and Meghan Markle to return to the fold 12 months after Megxit

Prince Harry was so keen on quitting the royal family that he initially refused the offer of a trial period which could have seen him and Meghan return to the UK after Megxit,

The review was insisted upon by courtiers and other royals, with the Queen keen to let Harry know he could return to the fold if he changed his mind.

However, the Duke of Sussex was keen to make a 'clean break' and had to be persuaded to agree to the trial period. A source said: 'He was adamantly opposed to the review process.'

Harry is thought to have been against the idea because it came from 'the institution' and he feared that a review would lessen the impact of their departure, allowing the media to write they could return.

Prince Harry was so keen on quitting the royal family that he initially refused the offer of a trial period which could have seen him and Meghan return to the UK after Megxit. Meghan is pictured with the Queen in June 2018

Harry believed the 'old guard' at Buckingham Palace disliked Meghan and wanted to make her life difficult.

That belief is thought to have fuelled his desire to not include a review option in Megxit.

Harry 'ditched an old friend for criticising Meghan'

The Duke of Sussex was so 'incandescent' with rage at the racist abuse Meghan Markle received after their relationship went public that he ditched an old friend for gossiping about her.

Harry was shocked at the reception given to his new girlfriend by his social circle and the wider public, according to Finding Freedom.

He was especially concerned about the ugliness of racism...both unconscious and intentional.

Charles didn't know about Harry's press statement

Before they were engaged, Harry gave a bombshell statement from Kensington Palace condemning the press while confirming Harry's new girlfriend.

But it's release coincided with Prince Charles' tour in the Middle East, the Prince of Wales and the Duchess of Cornwall having arrived in Bahrain to meet the country's King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa.

The palace decided to go ahead with the statement, much of it drafted by Harry himself.

Before they were engaged, Harry gave a bombshell statement from Kensington Palace condemning the press while confirming Harry's new girlfriend, upsetting Charles who didn't know about the statement until 20 minutes before. Pictured: Prince Harry and Prince William walk behind Charles, and the Queen at Westminster Abbey. Also pictured: Duchesses of Cornwall (front), Cambridge (middle) and Sussex (back)

His father only learnt of the statement 20 minutes before it was released and, unsurprisingly, it soon dominated the news cycle.

Prince Charles and his team were left crushed and disappointed, though Charles also understood the intervention was a necessary one.

However, the episode only served to prove that Harry felt the need to prioritise the woman he loved over duty to the royal family.

Harry had a secret Instagram account

Harry used the username SpikeyMau5, inspired by Canadian DJ Deadmau5, before freezing the account after his relationship with the former Suits star emerged in October 2016.

The private Instagram profile had a mouse-shaped helmet for a picture - but piqued attention from Meghan's legions of fans when she became just one of two people following it four years ago just after the couple had a blind date at Dean Street Townhouse in Soho.

The 'Spikey' element of its name came from the code word used by Scotland Yard officers guarding the Duke of Sussex 24/7.

Harry and Meghan's 1500 a night camping trip

Six weeks after their first date, Harry took Meghan to Botswana where the pair stayed in 1,500-a-night tents.

A friend is quoted as saying: She came back smiling and just completely spellbound. Meghans phone was also said to be full of photos, including selfies of her and Harry.

Ive never felt that safe that close to someone in such a short amount of time, she reportedly told a friend.

They continued their relationship in secret with Harry flying out to Canada to spend time with her.

But the authors said that ever since the couples trip to Africa, their romance had been on a fast track.

Technically the getaway was just their third date but by then, they were each already dancing around the idea that this just may be a for ever thing, a friend said.

The biography also claims: -
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 18:41 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b8a9d4 1 National djoko-tjandra,AGO,prosecutors Free

The Attorney General's Office (AGO) is looking into alleged law violations by a prosecutor who had reportedly made face-to-face contact with graft convict Djoko Soegiarto Tjandra while the latter was still on the run outside the country.

According to a report received by the AGOs junior attorney for special crimes (Jampidsus), the prosecutor, identified as Pinangki Sirna Malasari, had allegedly met Djoko several times abroad before the fugitive was finally arrested and brought back to Jakarta late last month.

"We are currently still looking into the result of the preliminary probe. We have yet to start [investigation] since the dossier was just submitted [on Monday] to the prosecutors in the special crimes unit," said Febrie Adriansyah, the director of investigations at the AGO's junior attorney for special crimes' office, on Tuesday.

"We will decide later whether this case will be followed up by an investigation or not," he added as quoted by kompas.com.

The scandal involving Pinangki came up after a photo circulating on social media showed her together with Djoko and his lawyer Anita Kolopaking in a meeting which allegedly took place in Malaysia.

Read also: Police following money trail in Djoko Tjandras flight

After investigating some witnesses, the AGOs supervisory unit declared that Pinangki had committed an ethics violation, as she was found to have taken nine international trips to Singapore and Malaysia in 2019 without permits. She was suspected to have met with Djoko during the several trips that she had taken.

While the exact motive of Pinangki's meeting with Djoko is still unclear, Deputy Attorney General Setia Untung Arimuladi decided to remove Pinangki from her post as an official in the planning bureau under the AGO's junior attorney general for development on July 29.

Djoko, a convict in the high-profile Bank Bali corruption case, was arrested in Malaysia and brought back to Indonesia on July 30 in a planned operation by the National Police.

He was previously at large for 11 years after fleeing Indonesia a day before the Supreme Court sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered him to pay Rp 546 billion (US$54 million) in restitution for his crime.

The convict, who is now detained in Salemba Penitentiary in Jakarta, previously made headlines in June after he managed to return to Indonesia undetected, have his identity documents issued and request a case review over his conviction to the South Jakarta District Court.

Previously, the National Police had also removed three high-ranking officials from their posts for aiding Djoko Tjandra while on the run. Among the three, the police named Brig. Gen. Prasetyo Utomo a suspect for issuing a travel letter for Djoko and brought multiple charges against him.
The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police has done a U-turn about the three first information reports (FIRs) registered in July related to the toppling of the Ashok Gehlot-led government by requesting a local court to transfer the investigation to the anti-corruption bureau (ACB).

We have requested the court to transfer the investigation to the ACB because the preliminary probe has revealed that the charges of inducement of Rajasthan Assembly lawmakers cannot be categorised as sedition. More details will be shared soon, said Ashok Rathore, additional director general of police (ADGP), SOG, Rajasthan Police.

The SOG has registered three FIRS on the basis of complaints filed by the chief whip of Rajasthan Assembly, Mahesh Joshi, which pertained to horse-trading allegedly aimed at dislodging the Gehlot government in Rajasthan.

The first FIR was registered on July 10, in which the two accused, Ashok Jain from Banswara and Bharat Malani, were arrested and are in judicial custody.

The second and third FIRs were registered on July 17.

In the second FIR, Bhanwarlal Sharma, one of the 18 dissident Congress lawmakers, who is backing the sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, a businessman-turned-political fixer Sanjay Jain and one Gajendra Singh were booked.

On July 17, the ACB also registered a case against the three accused, who were booked under relevant sections of the Prevention of Corruption (PC) Act, 1988.

Vivek Bajwa, the counsel for Jain, said that the SOG has filed an application in the chief judicial magistrates court that the shreds of evidence found to date are not applicable under Section 124A (sedition) of the Indian Penal Code, and the ACB could be entrusted with the responsibility of conducting the probe.

He also demanded Jains bail on the ground that the charges levelled against his client are a bailable offence.

We have requested the court that the SOG FIRs only related to criminal conspiracy, a bailable offence. We have requested the court to grant bail to my client, Sanjay Jain, Bajwa added.
Voice of America has been effective because it broadcasts truth rather than propaganda. Its independence is now in jeopardy. (Associated Press)

Today a global battle of ideas is raging between representative democracy and authoritarianism. But instead of leading the forces of freedom in this epic clash, President Trumps administration has laid down arms.

Both Russia and China have launched sophisticated communication strategies aimed at silencing their critics, shaping popular attitudes and undermining support for democratic institutions and values. These efforts have accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, with despots sensing an opportunity to put the champions of liberty further on the defensive.

The last time the West faced a comparable threat, during the Cold War, the United States and its allies mustered the resources required to engage in and ultimately win the ideological competition. A similar effort is urgently needed today. But instead, the Trump administration is dismantling the U.S. governments existing information capabilities.

Especially troubling are the recent moves to gut the independence of the U.S. Agency for Global Media, which manages the countrys international broadcasting  including Voice of America, Radio/TV Marti, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, and Radio Free Asia.

With some 3,000 employees and an annual budget that exceeds $700 million, the Agency for Global Medias mission is to give people around the world what they deserve but are too often denied: information that is accurate, comprehensive and fair. Historically, when listeners have tuned in to these outlets, they could count on hearing from professional and independent journalists, not from government propagandists. Indeed, that is why they tuned in.

As the past has taught us, the truth needs allies precisely because it has enemies. During World War II, BBC broadcasts from London served to keep hope alive by delivering accurate news to captive populations and resistance groups throughout Nazi-occupied Europe. Following the war, the Voice of America and Radio Free Europe played a comparable role for millions trapped behind the Iron Curtain.

Story continues

We saw the continued importance of these capabilities during the 1990s, when one of us served as U.S. secretary of State and the other as chairman of the Broadcasting Board of Governors, predecessor to the Agency for Global Media. During this period, extreme nationalists in the Balkans, Central Asia and parts of Africa used TV and radio stations under their control to spout hatred and advocate ethnic cleansing and even genocide. The United States and its allies responded with targeted broadcasts of our own, countering propaganda with facts, and vicious lies with balanced reporting.

Such efforts are a form of public diplomacy based not on self-serving fictions but on openness and truth. This is a tradition of which Americans can be proud and one that, in these difficult times, we should seek to reinforce. Instead, that tradition is under attack by the official who should be doing the most to uphold it: the president of the United States.

In April, the White House launched an extraordinary and baseless attack against Voice of Americas coverage of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, last month, the Trump administration installed a documentary filmmaker with no professional qualifications, Michael Pack, as head of the Agency for Global Media. Within days, the director and deputy director of Voice of America resigned, and Pack fired the respected heads of three other networks  Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty and the Middle East Broadcasting Networks  as well as the Open Technology Fund.

Pack also dissolved the networks bipartisan advisory boards and replaced them with new panels composed of Trump loyalists  including Jonathan Alexandre, who serves as director of public policy for an organization designated by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group for its anti-LGBT activism.

These moves undermine the credibility of our worldwide broadcasting efforts by threatening the firewall that has insulated them from political pressure. And there may be more alarming news to come. Pack has reportedly launched a case-by-case review of visas for foreign journalists working at the Agency for Global Media, raising fears that the reporters could be subjected to reprisal. As Matt Armstrong, a former Republican appointee to the Broadcasting Board of Governors, has suggested, these are all ways for Pack to influence coverage without directly intervening.

Fortunately, these measures have not gone unnoticed. There has been bipartisan outrage in Congress over the steps Pack has taken to weaken his agencys independence. Among those raising objections have been two influential Republican Senators, Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio. But speaking out will not be enough. Congress must, through vigorous oversight and legislation, prevent Pack from inflicting lasting damage.

If and when a new administration takes office in January, it will be critical for it to restore the agencys reputation while also adapting its mission to meet this new era of ideological competition. In a world where Russia and China are actively spreading disinformation and propaganda, the United States must tell the truth  not as it is narrowly defined by ideologues of the left, right or center, but as boldly, broadly and free from bias as possible. Americas public diplomacy, as well as the future of democracy in the world, demands that we maintain this proud tradition.

Madeleine Albright was secretary of State under President Bill Clinton. She chairs the Albright Stonebridge Group. Marc Nathanson was chair of the U.S. Agency for Global Media from 1998 to 2002. He is currently co-chair of the Pacific Council on International Policy.
Tiffany Haddish, seen last week in Los Angeles, has opened up about her relationship with Common. (Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)

Tiffany Haddish has confirmed she's in a relationship with rapper-actor Common, the person she's been isolating with during the coronavirus outbreak.

The admission came during a discussion of her newly shaved head last week on a profanity-filled episode of the podcast "Steve-O's Wild Ride."

"I take it you're not in a relationship right now," co-host Scott Randolph said. "Or are you?"

"I am in a relationship," Haddish replied.

"With Common?," Steve-O asked excitedly.

"Yeah, we're twins now," she said, referring to their mutually hairless heads, adding later that she was "doing it with Common now."

The two met in 2018 when they were filming her 2019 movie "The Kitchen" and became friends, she said. Then in May of last year, she joined Bumble and got into the dating thing, only to have the app approach her to do something for charity. She enlisted then-pal Common to join her in a virtual Bumble date in April to raise money for front-line workers during the pandemic.

At that point, she said, their friendship was getting to be a little bit more than just friendship  and at some point that month they were isolating together.

"Then he got tested for everything, I got tested for everything," she told Steve-O.

Common told her she was brave for shaving her head, she said. (She had it all cut off in early July and then honed her shaving skills a week later.)

"Hes like, Wow, you did it, man. Youve got a lot of courage. You look so beautiful. I love it. And Im like, Ahh, put your head on my head,'" she said.

Haddish shaved her head not for a movie role, but simply because she wanted to know herself "from head to toe," she said.

"And as a woman, most women, you don't ever cut your hair off, so you don't know what your head looks like. And I wanted to see where all my moles were," she explained.
Comedy duo Little and Larges last stage show together will be finally broadcast - four months after Eddie Large died aged 78 from coronavirus.

The showbiz pair, who were huge stars in their heyday, will be seen by fans again, despite one half of the act sadly passing away.

Comedy lovers will be able to catch the 90-minute look back at their careers at the Bristol Slapstick Festival, which was filmed in January 2019.

Eddie Large and Syd Little at the Bristol Slapstick Festival filmed at the start of last year

The poignant footage of the duo, who had a partnership spanning 56 years, shows Eddie is battling poor health but is still determined to get the last laugh.

He waves to the crowd and declares: "One final thing - I've lived an extra 15 years thanks to this heart and everything.

"I just want to say that I hope everyone here lives long enough to see the end of Brexit."

Eddie died in April after catching Covid-19 and his partner joked at the start of the gig most of the public probably thought they had already perished.

Syd quipped 'Hands up all those who thought we were dead?' before he and Eddie raised their arms.

Mourners gathered to see off the cortege for Eddie Large's funeral after his death in April

Later they reminisced about meeting in Manchester and Eddie then going to see Syd perform in the Stonemasons Arms, according to the Mirror.

It sparked the "Syd and Eddie" act which saw them turn pro in 1963 before changing their name to Little and Large in 1970.

Eddie told the crowd: "We were a club act, an aggressive club act. We worked places where fights would break out, bottles thrown, bread rolls thrown, but I didn't mind that so much because I was always hungry."

Syd added: "We just used to go out performing all night and then have a curry about three in the morning."

Eddie Large and Syd Little had huge success with their double act in the seventies and eighties

The footage will be put onto the internet by Slapstick festival organisers later this month and give fans a final look at the two funnymen in action.

Syd Little said goodbye to Eddie in April after he passed away in hospital from coronavirus while being treated for heart failure.

In heartbreaking scenes he was consoled by his wife Sheree as he touched the hearse carrying his old friend whom he graced British television screens with as Little And Large for five decades.

The star was joined by around 50 well-wishers who turned out to show their support for Eddie as his body was taken to a crematorium in Portishead, Somerset.

Eddie, a lifelong Manchester City fan who lived with his wife Patsy in Portishead, near Bristol, died alone in hospital because of a ban on visitors during the current crisis, with his son Ryan saying 'his heart was sadly not strong enough to fight' coronavirus. He had a heart transplant in 2003.

See Little and Large reunited from August 14, at youtube.com/user/SlapstickFest. The channel also features Jo Brand, John Cleese and Tim Vine.
Jabalpur, Aug 4 : On August 5, when the 'Bhumi Pujan' for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya will take place, a 81-year-old Urmila Chaturvedi, a resident of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, will break fast after 28 years. When the disputed structure was demolished in Ayodhya in 1992, she had given up eating pledging that she would consume food only when the Ram temple construction will take place.

Sandeep Pauranik Jabalpur, Aug 4 (IANS) On August 5, when the 'Bhumi Pujan' for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya will take place, a 81-year-old Urmila Chaturvedi, a resident of Jabalpur, Madhya Pradesh, will break fast after 28 years. When the disputed structure was demolished in Ayodhya in 1992, she had given up eating pledging that she would consume food only when the Ram temple construction will take place.

Chaturvedi recounts that she was distressed by the violence that erupted after the disputed structure was demolished in Ayodhya and vowed she would have food only after the construction of the Ram temple with the consent of all stakeholders. Since December 6, 1992, she has been surviving on fruits and spends most of her time reciting Ramayana and chanting prayers.

Chaturvedi was happy on the day when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the temple. She sent letters congratulating the Supreme Court judges who pronounced the verdict and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

When Urmila Chaturvedi started fasting, she was 53 years old. Her relatives urged her to break the fast, but she was adamant.

Chaturvedi says she wishes to go to Ayodhya and take food only after seeking blessings from Lord Ram. The construction of the Ram temple is like a rebirth for her. She says that she will go to Ayodhya after the 'Bhoomi Pujan' for Ram temple is performed and after taking bath in Sarayu river, she would break her fast.

Family members have also said that they will go along with Chaturvedi to Ayodhya after 'Bhumi Pujan' is performed and would like to partake of good deeds, helping her fulfill the resolve after so many years.

On receiving information that Chaturvedi had not consumed food for the last 28 years, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan tweeted, "Lord Ram never disappoints his devotees whether she is mother Shabari of Treta Yuga or today's mother Urmila! Mother, Blessed is your reverence! The whole Bharatvarsh (country) salutes you! Jai Siyaram!"

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Downtown Simcoe on a Friday night is usually filled with migrant farm workers stocking up on groceries, grabbing a taco or a heaping plate of goat curry, and socializing with friends while enjoying a brief respite from the fields.

But this year, with many workers confined to their farms out of fear of the coronavirus and thousands more having never made it to Canada, the streets are quieter  and the merchants have noticed.

Its down probably 70 per cent of what we (usually) get from them, said Jim Wakeford, who owns Max Convenience on Colborne Street.

Migrant workers typically account for more than half the stores business, and Jim and his son Dustin stock their shelves accordingly, offering an assortment of culturally appropriate food as well as energy drinks  including Jamaican staples Peanut Punch and Irish Moss  that keep the workers going on hot days.

With foot traffic down, the store shifted to filling bulk orders from farmers who bring in food for their workers, even offering to deliver if need be. But the volume isnt the same.

Jim Wakeford says business from migrant farm workers is down 70 per cent at his Simcoe convenience store this year, mirroring a trend at stores and restaurants throughout the downtown that cater to Norfolk's seasonal residents. J.P. Antonacci

Kathy-Ann Fearon says sales at her Caribbean restaurant, JKs, are similarly sluggish without the usual influx of 6,000 workers from Jamaica, Mexico, and Trinidad and Tobago. This year only about 3,500 have landed in Norfolk.

Losing that many shoppers makes a difference, said Downtown Simcoe BIA spokesperson Brian Jones.

Theyre vital to our downtown, Jones said, noting some migrant farm workers spend more time in Norfolk than snowbirds who escape to Florida for half the year.

When you get 6,000 people shopping in an area on a regular basis, and shopping repeatedly, thats going to be good for business, he said.

Its not just weekly grocery runs and bar tabs, either. Workers pool their money to fill large shipping containers bound for their home ports with appliances, tools, electronics, and bins of food bought locally.

They work and they sink their money right back in the community, Fearon said.

Migrant farm workers usually crowd JK's Restaurant in Simcoe in search of home-cooked Caribbean food, but owner Kathy-Ann Fearon has seen 80 per cent of her regular business evaporate due to the pandemic and labour shortages at Norfolk farms. J.P. Antonacci

Chances to shop and socialize are fewer this year as farmers strive to keep COVID-19 off their farms. The five migrant workers at Fox Hollow Farms, a tree farm and nursery in Langton, go to town every other week, with farmer Paul Rapai bringing in food on the off weeks.

Were minimizing all our stops, Rapai said, adding that his workers understand why the precautions are needed.

Everybodys got a really good attitude, he said. Happy to be working, happy to be safe, happy to be sending money home.

Farmer Brett Schuyler also provides groceries, and even registered as a Western Union agent so his workers can send money home without leaving the Simcoe fruit farm. But neither service is mandatory, and Schuyler said he trusts his employees to stay safe when theyre in town.

My attitude on it is we make the options available, but its not my spot (to decide for them), Schuyler said.

Dustin Wakeford said the farm workers who shop at Max Convenience are always masked and follow physical distancing rules to the letter.

Hes more disheartened by what he calls underlying racism toward migrant workers in a community that has already witnessed a large-scale COVID-19 outbreak on a farm. Wakeford said workers who are regulars at his store seem more timid this year.

This COVID thing, I think they feel theyre being blamed for it, and thats not fair, he said. Theyre just honest, hardworking guys trying to make a buck. I dont think a lot of business owners downtown appreciated how much money they spend in our community.

Theyre finding out now, Jim Wakeford said.

Saul Ramos, a migrant farm worker from Mexico, enjoys a taste of home from the Tacos Mexico food truck in Simcoe on Friday after finishing his workday at Cedar Home Farms, a ginseng farm in Scotland. J.P. Antonacci/The Hamilton Spectator

Ephron Maurice and Reuben Sampson landed in Canada from Trinidad on July 17 and served their mandatory quarantine before getting to work at Schuyler Farms. Both men have worked in Norfolk for several years and say they havent had any issues.

The people are lovely towards us. Never had no problems, Sampson said.

But Maurice said he can sometimes detect pushback from residents annoyed at the workers presence.

I never get any blatant thing in Simcoe. But you can see below the surface. It could be a little bit of my paranoia, but I see it, he said.

Youre seeing the tolerance, but youre seeing that sometimes we are an inconvenience when we run into Simcoe. Especially on grocery day, when you see the place flooded. You can see on their faces  oh, them again. And I wonder if they know how much we actually contribute to the economy in Simcoe. They should be glad to see us, because every one of us is spending money when we go to town.

Schuyler agreed that societys perspective on migrant workers needs to change.

Norfolks nothing without the farm worker, he said. And when they go to town, it should never feel like its inconveniencing people. It should feel like, Im wanted and welcome here, because I make this economy happen.

J.P. Antonacci s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. The funding allows him to report on stories about the regions of Haldimand and Norfolk.

This is Part 2 in a series about the experiences of migrant farm workers in Norfolk County. Part 1 introduced workers from Trinidad who lobbied their government to work in Canada during COVID-19, while Part 3 will address problems with the farm worker program.
You almost certainly have a fond memory of going to a concert, whether it was a big crowded extravaganza or a small intimate show, a night of music or comedy, an incredible performance on the stage or something special that happened in the crowd.

Your local independent stages made that happen. They helped give you those great times  and now they need your help to ensure that there will be more of those great memories in the future.

Today marks a local day of action for the National Independent Venue Association (NIVA)  a nationwide group promoting the survival of independent venues big and small, including 72 locales across the state of Wisconsin  which is pushing support for the Save Our Stages Act and RESTART Act.

The two bills were designed to provide vital aid for struggling independent venues that have been shutdown since the beginning of the pandemic and will likely remain that way until the very end in the name of public health and safety.

According to NIVA, 90 percent of their 2,400 members nationwide are likely to close their doors for good if the shutdown continues six months or more without help from the government, meaning the need for both bills to pass is imminent.

"The timing is vital. Congress goes on break, and is rushing to complete its next relief bill, and independent venues MUST be included," writes NIVA in a release. "These mom and pop entrepreneurs are among the hardest hit by a pandemic: first to close and will be among the last to re-open.

"Theres no takeout version of concerts. Drive-ins and virtual streaming shows dont begin to put our people back to work. The gig economy has been shuttered, and many thousands of our friends are at home, hoping the government keeps them fed while our industry tries to figure out whats next."



How can you help?

Buying shirts and items from venue's gift shops can provide some support, but the only thing that can truly sustain these local businesses and cultural epicenters during this unprecedented pandemic is life-giving government support. So the best way that you can help is by reaching out to your your local representatives and making it known that you support both the Save Our Stages and RESTART Acts.

To do so, simply fill out a form letter at NIVA's website; it's phenomenally easy to send the pre-written message or to write your own letter encouraging action. Either way, it's vital that you let your legislators know that you value the work of local independent venues and ask them to pledge their support for these two bills.

Let's all work together to bring back as much of our pre-pandemic world as possible. #SaveOurStages
Most Americans Pray But Disagree about How Prayer Works NEWS PROVIDED BY

The Presidential Prayer Team

Aug. 4, 2020 SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Aug. 4, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Since the advent of the Coronavirus crisis millions of Americans have addressed the fears and challenges raised by COVID-19 through prayer. As part of a new two-dimensional national survey of U.S. adults commissioned by The Presidential Prayer Team, a non-partisan, non-profit organization, profiles the prayer life of Americans. The survey of the general public reveals that in the initial weeks of the pandemic half of all adults (49%) indicated they prayed more than usual in response to the pandemic while just 4% prayed less and four out of ten (41%) did not change their normal prayer practices. Prayer is Common In a typical week, two out of three American adults (66%) pray at least once. Another one out of ten adults (10%) prays at least once a month. Only one out of seven (15%) said they never pray, making prayer the nation's most widely practiced religious activity. Question: Thinking about prayer, how often, if ever, do you pray? Source: survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, on behalf of The Presidential Prayer Team; N = 1,000 adults 18 or older, nationwide sample, data collected in April 2020.

Other = non-Christian faith. * indicates less than one-half of one percent. Source: survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, on behalf of The Presidential Prayer Team; N = 1,000 adults 18 or older, nationwide sample, data collected in April 2020.Other = non-Christian faith. * indicates less than one-half of one percent. The population segments most devoted to prayer included SAGE Cons (Spiritually Active Governance Engaged Conservative Christians  97% of whom pray at least once a week); people who read the Bible at least once a week (95%); adults who believe the essence of Christianity is having an ongoing relationship with God (92%); born-again Christians (90%); people who attend religious services every week (89%); adults who say they are deeply committed to practicing their faith (88%); and those who attend evangelical churches (86%). In other words, the more actively engaged a person is with their faith, the more likely they are to pray every week. The survey also indicated that if a person engages in prayer at all during a typical week, they are most likely to pray on a daily basis. Two-thirds of the adults who pray in a given week (68%) pray daily, while one-fifth pray several times a week (21%) and the rest pray once during the week (11%). Among the 15% of Americans who never pray, the failure to pray is reflective of a dormant spiritual life in general, and a rejection of basic Christian beliefs in particular. The survey revealed that 99% of people who never pray are among the least religious Americans (i.e., people with a low level of spiritual activity). More than nine out of ten of those who do not pray (94%) reject the Bible's description of God; 93% of them do not believe the Bible is the true and accurate word of God; and nine out of ten of them never read the Bible or attend religious services of any kind. The survey found that prayer is predominantly a Christian activity. While three-quarters of those who consider themselves Christian pray several times a week, the same is true for less than half of those who are associated with a non-Christian faith. (Unexpectedly one out of every seven spiritual skeptics  14% also pray several times a week.) A different way of assessing the religious background of those who pray is to recognize that people who consider themselves to be Christian are 71% of the adult population in the U.S. but represent 91% of the Americans who pray at all. How Prayer Works Among the seven out of ten American adults who consider themselves to be Christian, three out of four (76%) believe that God hears prayers. However, there is a range of ideas concerning how God responds to the prayers He hears. A plurality of self-identified Christians (39%) believe that He hears all prayers and answers each one, although sometimes the answer is "no"



One out of five self-identified Christians (20%) argue that He hears all prayers but carries out His will, regardless of those prayers



One out of every nine self-identified Christians (11%) says God hears all prayers but only answers those from people who are truly committed to Him



Just 6% of self-identified Christians contend that God only answers a prayer if many people pray it, or it has been prayed consistently for a long time



A surprisingly large share of people who pray (14%) admitted that they don't know if God responds to peoples' prayers or, if He does, how He responds Several people groups stood out for the breadth of belief that God hears and answers all prayers, though the answer may not be the desired one. Those segments included SAGE Cons (74%), adults who attend mainline Protestant churches (65%), and born-again Christians (64%). Women were considerably more likely than men to believe God hears and answers all prayers but may give a negative response (48% versus 30%). Age affected such a perspective: people 65 or older were far more likely than people 18-to-29 to embrace this view (51% versus 28%). Political conservatives were twice as likely as political liberals to harbor this perspective (49% compared to 24%). Perhaps unexpectedly, the views of adults who attend an evangelical church were far from united. About half (53%) said God hears and answers all prayers, but sometimes the answer is "no." One-quarter (23%) believe that He hears all prayers but does His will regardless of prayer content. One out of eight (13%) said He hears all prayers but only answers those from people who are truly committed to Him. The remaining one out of ten who attend evangelical churches have adopted other viewpoints. Motivations for Prayer The survey examined nine possible reasons for praying. Five of those were considered "very accurate" descriptions of peoples' motivations for praying by a majority of adults who pray at least once a month while between one-third and one-half of the public embraced each of the other four reasons. By far the most compelling reason for praying was that it is peoples' way of communicating with God. Nearly two-thirds of those who pray regularly (64%) are driven by this purpose. That reason was particularly catalytic among SAGE Cons (92%), born-again Christians (86%), those who attend evangelical churches (79%), and people 65 or older (78%). Other popular reasons for praying included the perception that it is a way for them to worship God (57%); prayer is central to their relationship with God (57%); it helps the person cope with situations (55%); and it gives the individual hope of a positive resolution (53%). Less widely accepted reasons for praying were that prayer reduces their concern or anxiety (47%); it is one way that God transforms them (44%); praying is something they have always done (43%); and the belief that their prayers influence God's actions (31%). Adults under the age of 30 stood out for not producing a majority who identified with any of those nine possible motivations. Prayer motivations differed according to the type of church a person attends. Adults associated with evangelical churches were more likely than other people to view prayer as a relational tool between them and God. Those who attend a mainline Protestant church were driven to pray to advance their relationship with God but also to strengthen their own resolve in the face of concerns and anxieties. Catholics consider prayer to be part of a personal spiritual routine and engage in it as a way of increasing their hope of a positive resolution to challenging situations or opportunities. People associated with non-Christian faiths mirrored the motivations of Catholics. Reasons Why People Pray

(Responses of adults who pray and said the reason

listed was a "very accurate" reason why they pray) Source: survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, on behalf of The Presidential Prayer Team; N = 1,000 adults 18 or older, nationwide sample, data collected in April 2020.

Other = non-Christian faith. Source: survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, on behalf of The Presidential Prayer Team; N = 1,000 adults 18 or older, nationwide sample, data collected in April 2020.Other = non-Christian faith. There are obvious generational differences in motivations for prayer, too. Boomers and Elders  two generation whose members are 55 and older  pray primarily to communicate with God and to worship Him. Gen Xers, on the other hand, are most interested in prayer as a means to communicating with God and coping with life circumstances. They were also the segment most likely to believe their prayers could influence God's actions. The youngest adults  those in the Millennial generation were most likely to view prayer as an avenue for communication. In fact, that was the sole motivation embraced by a majority of that generation. Overall, the youngest adults emerged as the generation least interested in prayer  of any type, for any reason. The Objects of Prayer Survey respondents who pray at least once a month were asked to describe who or what they pray for most often. By far the most common subject of prayer, from the options posed to respondents, was prayer for people in their life  family, friends, co-workers, and people in the community. Three-quarters of adults (75%) pray for other people at least once a week. Next in frequency was praying for the nation, which six out of ten praying adults (61%) do every month. A slight majority (53%) also noted that they pray every month for those who serve in the military. Less than half of praying adults acknowledged praying for people serving in the government (46%), the president of the United States (45%), or for people with whom they disagree on important issues or choices (33%).

What Americans Pray For

(Base: Adults who pray) Source: survey conducted by the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University, on behalf of The Presidential Prayer Team; N = 1,000 adults 18 or older, nationwide sample, data collected in April 2020. Among adults who pray each month, large portions of the group never pray for the president of the United States (29% of the monthly praying adults), for people serving in the government (24%), and for people with whom the person disagrees on important issues and choices (20%). The survey discovered that adults associated with the Democratic Party or who are registered as independent voters are more than twice as likely as people associated with the Republican Party to never pray for the president of the U.S. (36% versus 15%, respectively). Similarly, those who are politically liberal are considerably more likely than those who are politically conservative to never pray for the president (39% versus 23%, respectively). The population segments most likely to pray for the nation's chief executive include SAGE Cons (89% pray for the president at least monthly), people who have the highest levels of spiritual activity (89%), those who read the Bible every week (82%), and adults who attend Pentecostal churches (81%). The Americans who are least likely to pray for the nation's president are those who attend mainline Protestant churches (41% never pray for the president); spiritual skeptics (41%); and people in the 50-to-64 age group (41%). Sharing Insights on Prayer "Americans pray. And that is a good thing," said James Bolthouse, president and CEO of The Presidential Prayer Team. "How much they understand about communicating with God, how they approach Him, and what they expect from it, was surprising. It was heartening to know that Americans do pray for the government and our leaders, as we are instructed in the Bible to do. But we also know there is a demographic that isn't sure about the value of praying and whether it would change anything even if they prayed. We hope to share with the public some of the central lessons from centuries of human experience with prayer, as well as dozens of research studies that have been conducted regarding prayer, to help people better understand, enjoy, and see the impact of prayer." About the Research The research was developed and implemented by George Barna, Director of Research of the Cultural Research Center at Arizona Christian University. The survey was conducted among a nationwide sample of 1,000 adults associated with an online survey panel managed by Braun Research. The data were collected in April 2020. The demographic profile of the survey results reflects that of the adult population of the U.S., as determined by the U.S. Bureau of the Census. The two-dimensional study was commissioned by The Presidential Prayer Team (PPT), a non-partisan, non-profit organization as part of their national prayer initiative, Pray the Vote 2020. Their national headquarters is located in Scottsdale, AZ. The second study will be an inward dimension. The focus will be on prayer team membership in order to learn ways to better encourage their members, provide helpful prayer resources, and to improve their prayer life during the upcoming election season and into the future. Since its inception in 2001, PPT has become the nation's largest intercessory prayer movement. Regardless of party politics and ideology, PPT is dedicated to encouraging and facilitating prayer for the nation's president, political leaders, and military leaders. It seeks to ignite a lifestyle characterized by robust prayer based on its belief that prayer will transform the nation, one heart at a time. More information about The Presidential Prayer Team and the national survey can be accessed at www.presidentialprayerteam.org or www.praythevote.org. Interviews with President James Bolthouse available. SOURCE The Presidential Prayer Team CONTACT: Teresa Corelli, 866-433-7729, teresa.corelli@presidentialprayerteam.org Related Links www.presidentialprayerteam.org www.praythevote.org

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A Cicero business owner who commented online about children with special needs not needing to go to school as much as other children this fall is taking heat on social media.

Her statements also are getting national attention too, with Yahoo posting a column by an author and autism advocate.

Mary Beth Nappa of Bridegport, who owns Bellas Bowtique in Cicero, recently started her exchange on Facebook saying she thought it was pretty sad special education children could go to school five days a week, when others couldnt under the coronavirus school reopening plans.

She went on to say the kids that are going further in life arent the special ed kids sorry to say but its the truth.

After someone questioned her on that statement, asking if she was saying kids in special ed dont deserve to attend school five days a week, she replied:

ding ding ding we have a winner! Also when I say special I mean head banging, screaming, throwing fits special. My child is going a lot further in life than these children.

Syracuse.com | The Post-Standard has reached out to Nappa for comment. Her business Facebook page has been removed and the phone number doesnt appear to work.

The posts

Mary Beth Nappa of Bridegport posted these comments on Facebook about special education students attending full-time under the coronavirus school reopening plans.Provided image

Social media erupted, with people calling for a boycott of her business. Facebook users are reaching out to media outlets nationally, asking them to share the story.

Bashing special Ed kids-Wow Mary Nappa shame on you!! I dont know this woman and I sure as hell dont want to know her. Shaming special education students. Stuff a sock in your mouth you uneducated person! Pass along,' said one.

Another wrote: Please DO NOT purchase from this shop. Please. Im not one to bash a hard earned business but Im appalled by Mary Nappa and her horrid trashy comments about SN kids. Reading her comments made me physically ill then I bawled my eyes out. Shes silencing us #ActuallyAutistic people, all parents, as well as anyone else who dares to speak up on our kids behalfs. Im so angry and hurt. She has deleted my comment and banned me. Instead of apologizing and making things right she is doubling down. Please report this page.

Nappa removed her posts and her business Facebook page, but it was too late. Dozens and dozens of people had already taken screen shots of her comments and began sharing them over the weekend.

The Wild Animal Park in Chittenenago responded by kicking her and her business out its Sunday small business event.

Her comments were the subject of the Yahoo blog essay this morning by Kerry Magro, a professional speaker, author and autism advocate who is on the autism spectrum.

Magro asked why everyone cant embrace each other and said he knows many people with disabilities who are hugely successful.

Another business with a similar name reported people posting on her page that they wouldnt do business with her. She has posted that she is not the same business.

Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com
* Raiffeisenbank expects 2020 profits at 2019 levels

* Bank could pay dividends in H2

* Bank forecasts growth in corporate and retail lending

By Tatiana Voronova

MOSCOW, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Russia's Raiffeisenbank is ready to pay dividends and expects its profits and loan portfolio to grow at 2019 levels this year despite economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis, the chairman of its managing board said.

Sergey Monin told Reuters he expects profits in 2020 to be around the level seen last year when the bank, the Russian arm of Austria's Raiffeisen Bank International (RBI), earned 37.6 billion roubles ($508.66 million). "I think we don't disappoint in terms of profit," he said. "If the situation doesn't change, then we would pay dividends in the second half of the year."

The coronavirus crisis and a plunge in oil prices have pummelled Russia's energy-dependent economy, which the World Bank expects to contract 6% this year.

The central bank has said Russian banks are expected to remain profitable and that there is no need to provide them with extra capital to cover losses caused by the pandemic.

In April, when cities across Russia were in lockdown, the central bank warned lenders that they should pay 2019 dividends only if their capital was sufficient over the medium term.

With assets worth 1.4 trillion roubles, Raiffeisenbank is among Russia's 15 largest lenders.

Monin expects Raiffeisenbank's assets, both in corporate lending and retail, to grow in 2020 despite it closing a quarter of its branches last year.

"Average market growth in corporate lending last year was weak, but we managed to grow by 20%," he said.

Monin said the pandemic would not affect the overall quality of Raiffeisenbank's portfolio. Unlike some major lenders in Russia, Raiffeisen will not accumulate greater reserves or restructure more loans this year, he said.

"We don't expect the cost of risk and the number of defaults to rise," he said. "This is a surprising phenomenon occurring during this crisis." ($1 = 73.9193 roubles) (Writing by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Kirsten Donovan)
Wildwood also sustained some damage. The roof that houses a bunch of businesses, including It's Sugar, Kohr Brothers, Quinceys and a few t-shirt and souvenir shops blew of and landed on Glennwood Ave, one block behind #Isaias pic.twitter.com/nVzlFMQSYw  Chris Franklin (@cfranklinnews) August 4, 2020

Several motels lost their roofs as Tropical Storm Isaias raged across the Jersey Shore Tuesday morning, although Wildwood was spared from the worst of the damage, officials said.

Wildwood Mayor Byron told NJ Advance Media Byron there was some damage around town, but that the outcome could have been much worse given the size and strength of the storm.

We had a couple motels, like The Brittany, lost its roof, Wildwood Mayor Byron told NJ Advance Media.

The motel said most of the damage was already cleaned up, and thanked guests for their help.

There was damage to the roof but as you can see, in just a short while most of the cleanup is already finished. We want to thank our incredibly hard working staff and our beautiful, loyal guests who jumped right into action to help lend a hand with the cleanup, the Brittany Motel wrote online, calling the storm just another bump in the road in 2020.

No hotel guests were injured during the storm, according to the motel. Byron said he did not believe there were any injuries in Wildwood.

In addition to The Brittany Motel, several boardwalk businesses sustained roof damage, and there were downed trees and signs throughout town. There are also power outages in the area, as more than 1 million New Jersey residents are in the dark.

Sections of a roof from a building on the boardwalk are scattered along Glenwood Avenue in Wildwood after strong winds of Tropical Storm Isaias passed through, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Sections of a roof from a building on the boardwalk are scattered along Glenwood Avenue in Wildwood after strong winds of Tropical Storm Isaias passed through, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. Tim Hawk | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Chris Franklin may be reached at cfranklin@njadvancemedia.com. Katie Kausch may be reached at kkausch@njadvancemedia.com. Tell us your coronavirus story or send a tip here.
European stocks closed slightly lower Tuesday as investors reacted to a slew of corporate earnings, after positive manufacturing data around the world drove stocks higher to start the week.

The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally closed down by nearly 0.2%, with health care stocks tumbling 1.3% to lead losses while oil and gas stocks climbed 2.4%.

Stocks had swung higher to begin the week after July's final IHS Markit manufacturing PMI (purchasing managers' index) reading showed manufacturing activity across the euro zone expanded for the first time since April 2019.

Strong manufacturing data out of the U.S. also helped boost sentiment, and stocks in Asia Pacific broadly advanced overnight after the Reserve Bank of Australia opted to leave its monetary policy stance unchanged.

Markets started Tuesday's session on the front foot, but a flurry of weak earnings reports from major European corporates reversed the momentum in early deals.

On Wall Street, stocks built on the previous session's strong gains, as lawmakers try to make inroads on a new coronavirus stimulus package.
Microsoft has said it will 'move quickly' with talks to buy TikTok after President Trump gave his personal blessing to the firm's advances.

The tech giant confirmed it was in discussions with Bytedance, the popular Chinese video-sharing app's parent company, after it emerged it could be banned in the US.

On Friday the potential deal looked imperilled, when the US president told journalists he was opposed to an American firm taking TikTok over.

Watching brief: Microsoft confirmed it was in discussions with Bytedance, TikTok's parent company, after it emerged it could be banned in the US

But after Trump spoke with Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, the company said it would address his concerns and seek security clearances for any agreement struck.

Microsoft said they 'will move quickly to pursue discussions with Bytedance in a matter of weeks' over buying TikTok.

But Fred Hu, chairman of Primavera Capital Group, an investor in Bytedance and one of China's best known private equity groups, said a selling to Microsoft 'absolutely makes no sense'.

The investor added: 'Bytedance is an innocent victim of the mad politics.'
(Newser)  Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, as a Category 1 hurricane before being downgraded to a tropical storm, according to an official with the National Hurricane Center. The hurricane touched down just after 11pm on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85mph. The stormcentered about 25 miles northwest of Greenville and moving quickly north northeastnow has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour, per the AP. "Now that the center has moved further inland into east North Carolina, the winds are now coming back down, so it has been downgraded back to a tropical storm," says Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist with the NHC. The weather service also said in its 4am advisory that threats of tornadoes were beginning to spread into southeastern Virginia, where the storm was expected to arrive around daybreak.

story continues below

The storm set off flooding and sparked five home fires in Ocean Isle Beach, the town's mayor told WECT. About 80 miles north of Ocean Isle Beach, about 30 people were displaced due to a fire at a condominium complex in Surf City, news outlets reported. It is not clear if the fires were connected to the storm. No injuries have been reported. The storm could continue to bring down trees and cause power outages as it moves north along the mid-Atlantic and New England coastline, Berg said, predicting "very strong and gusty winds that will affect much of the mid-Atlantic and the Northeast over the next day or two." Rainfall will continue to be a big issue, he added. A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday. The NHC warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina early Tuesday, and from eastern Virginia to southern New England later Tuesday.

(Read more Hurricane Isaias stories.)
Highlights:

95% gold recoveries and 80% silver recoveries with a conventional flow sheet

Ability to recover lead and zinc through flotation into separate saleable concentrates

VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Luminex Resources Corp. (TSXV: LR) (US OTC: LUMIF) (the "Company" or "Luminex") is pleased to announce positive metallurgical test results from the Camp deposit area of the Condor project in southeast Ecuador. The tests demonstrated that gold, silver, zinc and lead could all be recovered using conventional processing methods.

Summary Metallurgical Recovery Results

C. H. Plenge & CIA S.A. ("Plenge"), an independent metallurgical testing laboratory based in Lima, Peru where the tests were conducted, recommends that the process flowsheet include gravity concentration, intensive cyanidation of gravity concentrates, bulk flotation of gravity tailings, Carbon-in-Leach ("CIL") cyanidation of bulk rougher concentrates and lastly separate lead and zinc flotation concentrate production.

The proposed flow sheet would generate three saleable products: gold and silver dore, a lead concentrate and a zinc concentrate. Total recoveries for saleable metals were: 95% for gold, 80% for silver, 56% for lead and 62% for zinc. The summary recoveries for each stage are presented in the below table.



Gold Silver Lead Zinc Gravity Concentration and Intensive Leach 34% 7% - - CIL Treatment of Bulk Flotation Concentrate 61% 46% - - Flotation for Lead and Zinc Concentrates - 27% 56% 62% Total Recovery 95% 80% 56% 62%

Test Work Description

The results were generated based on a master composite (the "Master Composite"), which was a blend of low, medium and high-grade composites from the Camp deposit. The individual variability composites were prepared using approximately 310 kilograms of drill core collected during the 2019 and 2020 drilling campaign from 13 different drill holes.

The three composites had gold assays that ranged from 1.7 g/t to 6.4 g/t and silver assays that ranged from 10.5 g/t to 60.3 g/t. The Master Composite was prepared for the metallurgical testing program using equal weights of the three composites and assayed 4.3 g/t gold, 29.3 g/t silver, 0.18% lead, 0.98% zinc and 3.6% sulphur sulphide.

The types of tests performed were: whole ore gravity concentration, intensive cyanidation of gravity concentrates, whole ore CIL cyanidation, CIL cyanidation of the gravity tails, bulk flotation of gravity tails and CIL cyanidation of the bulk rougher concentrate and bulk flotation of the whole mineralized material and flotation for lead and zinc from the cyanidation residue.

Detailed Results of the Test Work

CIL cyanidation of the Master Composite, at a grind size of 80% passing 75 microns, yielded gold and silver extractions of 97% and 44%, respectively. Finer grinding improved extractions slightly.

Gravity concentration tests on the Master Composite yielded gold and silver extractions that averaged 34% and 12%, respectively, into concentrates that averaged 548 g/t gold and 1,235 g/t silver. Intensive cyanidation of gravity concentrates resulted in gold and silver extractions of 99.7% and 60%, respectively.

CIL cyanidation of gravity tails yielded gold and silver extractions of 95% and 29%, respectively. In one test the combined gold and silver extractions for cyanidation of gravity concentrates and gravity tails were 95% and 39%, respectively.

Flotation of gravity tails yielded rougher concentrates that assayed 16 g/t gold, 143 g/t silver, 0.6% lead and 4.7% zinc. Recoveries into the rougher concentrates were 98% for gold, 96% for silver, 92% for lead and 88% for zinc. Cyanidation of rougher concentrates from the flotation of gravity tails averaged extractions of 94% for gold and 52% for silver.

Flotation of the Master Composite resulted in rougher concentrates that assayed 32 g/t gold, 186 g/t silver, 1.0% lead and 5.6% zinc. Rougher concentrate recoveries were 98% for gold, 96% for silver, 94% for lead and 79% for zinc.

The combination of gravity concentration, intensive cyanidation of gravity concentrates, flotation of gravity tails and cyanidation of rougher flotation concentrates results in gold and silver recoveries in a dore product of approximately 95% and 53%, respectively.

Flotation concentrate cyanidation residues were subjected to open circuit flotation to produce separate lead and zinc concentrates. Cleaner flotation yielded lead concentrates that assayed 3,324 g/t silver, 1.0 g/t gold and 52% lead at a lead recovery of 25%. Zinc concentrates assayed 258 g/t silver, 3.2 g/t gold and 48% zinc at a zinc recovery of 55%. Lead and zinc recoveries in rougher concentrates, prior to cleaning, were 48% and 93%, respectively. More testing is required to better define flotation conditions and improve lead and zinc recoveries into final concentrates.

Quality Assurance

All the samples were assayed by Plenge. Head assay were also submitted to Inspectorate Services Peru, an independent metallurgical testing laboratory based in Lima, Peru. Assay results between the two testing facilities were consistent. Product re-assays by a third party are in progress. Flotation optimization tests using design of experiment included no less than four duplicate tests to obtain lack of fit and pure error estimates. A good reconciliation was found between the calculated head grades and the assay head grades.

Luminex is not aware of any factors that could materially affect the accuracy or reliability of the data referred to herein.

Qualified Persons

Nelson King, SME Registered Member and Metallurgical Consultant to the Company, is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Mr. King has assisted Luminex in the development and direction of the metallurgical testing program for the Condor project, has visited Plenge's laboratory in Lima to review the testing facilities, and has reviewed, verified and approved the content of this press release, including the data underlying the metallurgical testing.

About Luminex Resources

Luminex Resources Corp. (TSXV:LR) is a Vancouver, Canada based precious and base metals exploration and development company focused on gold and copper projects in Ecuador. Luminex's inferred and indicated mineral resources are located at the Condor Gold-Copper project in Zamora-Chinchipe Province, southeast Ecuador. Luminex also holds a large and highly prospective land package in Ecuador, including the Tarqui and Pegasus projects, which are being co-developed with BHP Group plc and Anglo American respectively.

Further details are available on the Company's website at https://luminexresources.com/.

To receive news releases please sign up at https://www.luminexresources.com/contact/contact-us/.

LUMINEX RESOURCES CORP.

Signed: "Marshall Koval"

Marshall Koval, CEO and Director



Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements and information herein, including all statements that are not historical facts, contain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Such forward-looking statements or information include but are not limited to statements or information with respect to the optimization of flotation conditions, that more testing is required to better define flotation conditions and improve lead and zinc recoveries into final concentrates and that the recommended flowsheet will be used. Often, but not always, forward-looking statements or information can be identified by the use of words such as "expected" or variations of that word and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results are "expected to" be taken, occur or be achieved.

With respect to forward-looking statements and information contained herein, the Company has made numerous assumptions including among other things, assumptions about general business and economic conditions, the prices of gold and copper, and anticipated costs and expenditures. The foregoing list of assumptions is not exhaustive.

Although management of the Company believes that the assumptions made and the expectations represented by such statements or information are reasonable, there can be no assurance that a forward-looking statement or information herein will prove to be accurate. Forward-looking statements and information by their nature are based on assumptions and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements or information. These factors include, but are not limited to: risks associated with the business of the Company; business and economic conditions in the mining industry generally; the supply and demand for labour and other project inputs; changes in commodity prices; changes in interest and currency exchange rates; risks relating to inaccurate geological and engineering assumptions (including with respect to the tonnage, grade and recoverability of reserves and resources); risks relating to unanticipated operational difficulties (including failure of equipment or processes to operate in accordance with specifications or expectations, cost escalation, unavailability of materials and equipment, government action or delays in the receipt of government approvals, industrial disturbances or other job action, and unanticipated events related to health, safety and environmental matters); risks relating to adverse weather conditions; political risk and social unrest; changes in general economic conditions or conditions in the financial markets; changes in laws (including regulations respecting mining concessions); risks related to the direct and indirect impact of COVID-19 including, but not limited to, its impact on general economic conditions, the ability to obtain financing as required, and causing potential delays to exploration activities and the preparation of an updated NI 43-101 technical report for the Condor project; and other risk factors as detailed from time to time in the Company's continuous disclosure documents filed with Canadian securities administrators. The Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Luminex Resources Corp.
A patient, who was admitted to a dedicated COVID care centre in Himachal Pradesh's district, has escaped, police said on Tuesday.

A resident of Kashmir, the patient was admitted to the centre in Mashobra, around 10 km from Shimla, on July 14, they said.

According to police, the patient escaped on Sunday night and reached Jammu on Monday, they said.

The Jammu and Kashmir authorities were informed and a first information report (FIR) was registered against the man at Shimla's Dhalli Police Station under relevant sections, they added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Police responded to a missing persons report Monday just before 3 p.m., Lt. Dawn Westerfield said in a release. The witness estimated he left house, or went missing sometime between Sunday night and 10 a.m. Monday, police said. No one has been able to reach him by phone, he said.
The clubhouses for resentful poor whites are the neighborhood firehouses. Lecorgne joined one just off Napoleon Avenue, the Home Hook & Ladder Company, housed in a Romanesque building with a first-floor facade clad in stone and a second in red brick. Its membership suddenly swelled during Reconstruction to 85 men, far more than were necessary to fight off the neighborhoods house fires. Instead, as Ball writes, the firehouses play a big part in the tale of the Ku-klux, which is what the loose-knit confederation of white supremacist organizations came to be called.

Lecorgne was a minor player in this movement. But for that reason his tale is valuable, both for understanding his times and for understanding our own; he allows us a glimpse of who becomes one of the mass of followers of racist movements, and why.

His one recorded inglorious moment came in early 1873. With Black support, a Republican was elected governor, and the local white militias took up arms to resist his rule. Lecorgne and a group of armed men gathered with the goal of taking over their neighborhood police precinct station, hoping it would spark a wider white uprising. Although the newspapers referred to them as Ku-Kluxers, the rebel raiders most likely did not wear robes and hoods. That practice was mainly for rural marauders. They were successful, but the following night the police staged a counterattack. As Lecorgne hid in a staircase, his cousin was wounded and a friend was killed.

Lecorgne surrendered and was carried away to the city jail. In the indictment, which misspelled his name, he is accused of treason and violating federal law for having unlawfully maliciously and traitorously conspired to attack state authorities. But a local judge quickly dismissed all the charges. That low point was the high point of his life.

Near the end of his book, Ball makes a fascinating digression. It involves a prominent person of color who lived in New Orleans at the same time as Lecorgne. Louis Charles Roudanez was a medical doctor, trained in France and at Dartmouth, who published The New Orleans Tribune, a daily newspaper for the Black community. An homme de couleur libre, Roudanez married a free woman of color. While researching his own family, Ball decided to look for the descendants of the Roudanez family.

He finds one of the physician-publishers great-great-grandchildren, named Mark Roudane, living in a leafy subdivision of St. Paul, Minn. He was raised white, and he appears white, Ball writes of Roudane. In middle age he learned that according to the one-drop rule of blackness, he was not white. Roudane did not know the tale of his fathers ancestors, or even the Roudanez spelling of his family name, until he stumbled across some family documents when he was 55. As happened with Ball, the discovery of a bit of family history leads Roudane on a quest. When my father died, in 2005, I was going through his papers and throwing stuff away, and I found an unmarked binder, Roudane tells Ball. It contained papers showing how his father, who was designated as colored on his birth certificate, had forsaken his distinguished roots, changed the spelling of his name as a young man, gone to Tulane by passing as white and then moved to the Midwest. Despite this history, or perhaps because of it, he became a resentful white racist. When it came to talking about Black people, Mark Roudane told Ball, all this venom would come out. I thought, Why is my dad being ugly? I didnt understand it.

The interconnected strands of race and history give Balls entrancing stories a Faulknerian resonance. In Balls retelling of his family saga, the sins and stains of the past are still very much with us, not something we can dismiss by blaming them on misguided ancestors who died long ago. It is not a distortion to say that Constants rampage 150 years ago helps, in some impossible-to-measure way, to clear space for the authority and comfort of whites living now  not just for me and for his 50 or 60 descendants, but for whites in general, Ball writes. I am an heir to Constants acts of terror. I do not deny it, and the bitter truth makes me sick at the stomach.
A truck arrived Monday afternoon in Lacy Lakeview after logging more than 1,600 miles, carrying a load of beverages and snacks for those in need, along with a message of hope.

The delivery from a faith-based Pennsylvania shipping company arrived at the drop-off location to deliver donations to Brothers for Others, a new Waco-area ministry that aims to help the homeless and needy.

Ministry volunteers greeted the drivers as they moved drinks and snacks out of the refrigerated trailer into smaller trucks for distribution to local ministries and faith organizations this week.

Weve had a relationship with this shipping company and since they are a faith-based company out of Pennsylvania they are shipping donations to us to help spread the word of God, Brothers for Others President Anthony Galgano said. It is overwhelming to know that we can reach so many people with the outpouring of support we are getting from all the way in Pennsylvania.
KLIA, KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - 2019/02/27: An AirAsia airplane seen flying in the sky at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). (Photo by Faris Hadziq/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Budget airline carrier AirAsia will launch daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore and one weekly flight each between Singapore and Penang, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching and Ipoh. These flights are scheduled to begin in the week of 17 August, subject to further announcements by both the Singapore and Malaysia governments. This will be followed by other international destinations, subject to approval from the authorities.

This comes following the decision by both of the governments to open up cross-border travel for essential business and official purposes between both countries through the Reciprocal Green Lane (RGL) scheme.

The RGL scheme requires eligible travellers to abide by the prevailing COVID-19 prevention and public health measures mutually agreed upon by both countries, which includes undergoing polymerase chain reaction swab tests.

CEO of AirAsia Group, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said: Both countries have performed exceptionally well in keeping the spread of COVID-19 in check, especially amongst the local populations. Both the governments and the people of Malaysia and Singapore deserve a pat on the back for their relentless efforts and strict discipline in breaking the COVID-19 chain.

The RGL might only be the first step but certainly is most important as both countries start to revive the economy. We look forward to the formation of more travel bubbles and green lanes between countries with low infection rates or active cases, and proven pandemic curbing systems. AirAsia is thoroughly committed to resuming air connectivity and thus reviving economic activities in the region.

The aviation sector had contributed 4% to the global GDP, supporting over 65 million jobs. The tourism industry, on the other hand, made up 10% of the world GDP and helped create 1 in every 10 jobs around the world. The global pandemic has caused both sectors to come to a grinding halt and its pertinent that countries and governments work hand in hand with the industry players to ensure that we are back on our feet again.

Story continues

Flights are available for booking on airasia.com and the AirAsia mobile app.

Travellers can expect enhanced safety measures throughout the entire journey, including pre-flight, in-flight, and arrival processes. Travellers are also advised to check and comply with measures implemented by local airport authorities.

AirAsia will also allow guests to upload their COVID-19 test results during check-in using the AirAsia mobile app and website in the near future.

The airline has made Malaysias MySejahtera contact tracing app available for download on its website and mobile app, and is currently working with the relevant authorities in Singapore for a similar arrangement for the TraceTogether app.
Unidentified terrorists on Tuesday evening shot the sarpanch in Kulgam district of Jammu and Kashmir injuring him critically. The sarpanch has been identified as Arif Ahmad of Akhran village in Qazigund area of the district, according to a police officer.

He was shifted to the emergency hospital at Qazigund with firearm injury in the neck. Top police official confirming the incident said, "Terrorists fired on one Arif Ahmad at Akhran (sarpanch). He is being shifted to the emergency hospital at Qazigund. Firearm injury in the neck. Condition critical."

Ahmad is affiliated with BJP sarpanch Akhran and Vice President of BJP Divsar constituency.

In another incident, terrorists attacked a police party in Pulwama district injuring two cops but both are said to be stable.

Police official confirming the incident said, "In Wanpora area of Pulwama a grenade was lobbed on SOG Kakpora Party. Two police personnel HC Khurshid and SPO Ishfaq have suffered splinter injuries. Both are stable."

Both the places have been cordoned and search operation launched by security forces to nab the terrorists.
Former supermodel Kelly Bensimon doesn't let a little thing like a heatwave get in the way of her exercise routine.

On Tuesday the Real Housewives of New York City alum was seen sweating as she jogged around the Soho area of Manhattan during rush hour.

The 52-year-old showed off her tanned and toned figure in a skimpy bra top with low-riding short shorts that must have made heads turn.

Born to run: Former supermodel Kelly Bensimon doesn't let a little thing like a heatwave get in the way of her exercise routine. On Tuesday the Real Housewives of New York City alum was seen sweating as she jogged around Manhattan

The white bra-top had thin straps and covered only what it needed to, showing off her very flat tummy as well as her sculpted arms.

The shorts were micro allowing for a good view of her long legs - at 5ft10in she sure has a decent frame.

Nondescript white sneakers with baby blue accents on the sole matched well as she jogged for several miles without a break.

Summer look: The 52-year-old showed off her tanned and toned figure in a skimpy bra top with low-riding short shorts that must have made heads turn

Nice kicks: Nondescript white sneakers with baby blue accents on the sole matched well

Looking sharp: And the ex-wife of fashion photographer Giles Bensimon, with whom she has children Thadeus and Sea, wore her highlighted hair down with minimal makeup. She jogged across a street and also around the park

The television personality was dripping in gold jewelry - she had a dainty necklace on as well as several bracelets and rings. And she carried a cell phone in one hand.

And the ex-wife of fashion photographer Giles Bensimon, with whom she has children Thadeus and Sea, wore her highlighted hair down with minimal makeup.

She jogged across a street and also around the park.

Bling it on: The television personality was dripping in gold jewelry - she had a dainty necklace on as well as several bracelets and rings. And she carried a cell phone in one hand

Also on Tuesday Kelly shared an image where she had on a turquoise feathered outfit as she flashed her legs, this time with a Band-Aid on, inside a NYC space.

'The best way to predict your future is to create it,' the Elle model said in her caption.

'I would wish you luck today not you dont need it. Fortune favors the prepared mind.'

Fashion fun: Also on Tuesday Kelly shared an image where she had on a turquoise feathered outfit as she flashed her legs, this time with a Band-Aid on, inside a NYC space. 'The best way to predict your future is to create it,' the Elle model said in her caption

She added the hashtags for New York, healthy, happy, real estate and 5th avenue.

Also this week, the cover girl shared bikini images from a visit to Newport, Rhode Island.

She captioned some photos of herself scantily clad in a purple string bikini, writing: 'There is something about the water in Newport.'

Bikini babe: Bensimon recently gave another glimpse at her beautiful body as she posted bikini snaps from her getaway to Newport, Rhode Island

Beach day: She captioned some photos of herself scantily clad in a purple string bikini, writing: 'There is something about the water in Newport'

The former Elle editor also sported a pink ruffled babydoll dress while flying kites and walking her white Havanese Fluffy, writing: 'Newport has colored my world.'

She previously spent time with her family in Palm Beach, Florida, where she moved last year from New York City.

A source told Page Six at the time: 'Yes, shes planning to move to Florida full time. She loves beaches, horses  it has everything she loves.'

Bensimon returned to the Big Apple last month, as the city began phase two of quarantine, with many businesses reopening.

She wrote on her blog: 'I thought NYC was going to be a dark and scary place, and it ended up being warm, sunny, and quiet. It felt more like a holiday weekend, then it did anything else.'
FORT WORTH, Texas, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- What worries today's prospective college students most? Topping the list are two life-altering decisions they don't want to flub: selecting the right college and choosing the right major.

For students, finding a trusted source for college and degree information to make those huge decisions means sifting through websites that rank colleges without giving users a clear sense for the data, algorithms, and formulas that generated those rankings. In the end, a question lingers: Are these options really the best?

Students need a trustworthy, science-based means to measure genuine excellence. Now they can find it at

https://AcademicInfluence.com

"AcademicInfluence.com uses machine learning and search routines to evaluate the real-world influence of noteworthy individuals, institutions, and other rankable entities," says Dr. Jed Macosko, academic director of AcademicInfluence.com and professor of physics at Wake Forest University. "Never before have inquirers had such a customizable, objective, online tool for discovering the people and institutions that are changing our world. While there is no limit to what can be ranked with our Influence Engine technology, the AcademicInfluence.com website will focus on meeting the needs of students, with rankings of the world's top colleges and most influential thought leaders. Look for sites that explore other topics using our Influence Engine soon."

Founded in October 2016, with funding assistance from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Influence Networksnow part of the EducationAccess groupcreated proprietary, real-time technology that maps lines of influence through constantly updated data repositories online, including Wikipedia and Crossref. Because they consist of billions of open-sourced, crowd-edited data points, these databases result in analysis that resists being gamed or undermined by single-source editorial bias.

"Our results aren't spin, promotion, or paid advertisement but instead reflect true, objective, real-world influence," says Macosko. "The objectivity of AcademicInfluence.com stands in stark contrast to major ranking sites that typically gather data by faculty survey, student opinions, and an over-reliance on self-reportingall of it at least a year out-of-date before it can be used to derive rankings. The difference at AcademicInfluence.com is enlightening."

With its interactive search and Custom College Match tools, AcademicInfluence.com offers students the capabilities they need to find the answers they want. The site also delivers influence rankings to researchers exploring the most authoritative voices in a gamut of disciplines and over time.

AcademicInfluence.com puts to rest the question of the best. And it does so by the best means possible: science. When coupled with the influence of individual choice, it's a powerful combination.

AcademicInfluence.com is the preeminent technology-driven rankings site dedicated to students, researchers, and inquirers from high school through college and beyond, offering resources that connect learners to leaders. AcademicInfluence.com is a part of the EducationAccess group, a family of sites dedicated to lifelong learning and personal growth, including Influence Networks, InfluencePublishers.com (nonfiction publishing and publishers of Bright Notes), IntelligentEducation.com (instructional video library and easy instructional video creation with 3D elements), AlexandriaLibrary.com (free, online library and reader), and soon, Success Portraits (personalized strengths inventory for college and career).

Contact:

Dr. Jed Macosko

Academic Director

AcademicInfluence.com

[email protected]

(682) 302-4945

SOURCE AcademicInfluence.com

Related Links

https://AcademicInfluence.com


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Linkedin Made Anthony Iswara (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Wed, August 5 2020

The United Nation's secretary-general issued a policy brief on Thursday commending Southeast Asia for acting swiftly against COVID-19. But it warns that these early successes must be translated into addressing the serious socioeconomic setbacks that threaten to further deepen inequalities across the region. United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP) executive secretary Armida S. Alisjahbana talked with The Jakarta Posts Made Anthony Iswara through a teleconference call about the reports findings and recommendations for Indonesias COVID-19 response.

Question: UNESCAP's latest report highlights the disproportionate impact of the pandemic on vulnerable groups in Southeast Asia. What are some of your concerns for Indonesia, specifically, on how the pandemic will affect the country in the months to come?

Answer: The impact, especially the socioeconomic impact, hits the vulnerable groups the hardest.

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BATAVIA  Immigration attorneys and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have reached a settlement in a lawsuit over living conditions for detainees at the Buffalo Federal Detention Center amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Under the new settlement, immigrants being held at the Batavia-based detention center who are vulnerable to experiencing detrimental health impacts from contracting COVID-19 will receive a number of accommodations to prevent getting the virus.

The foundational piece is what weve been pushing for all along: protections for every vulnerable individual, said John Peng, one of the attorneys at Prisoner Legal Services of New York who was behind the May lawsuit. Along with these protections, we want to make sure that people within the facility know what their rights are.

The settlement, which was filed Thursday and authorized by U.S. District Judge Lawrence Vilardo Monday, established that vulnerable individuals must receive individual cells without roommates, ability to eat their meals in those cells, biweekly COVID-19 testing, the option to shower in isolation and access to shower disinfectant, masks and soap. It was also ordered that Batavia staff and officers wear masks when interacting with those vulnerable individuals.

The new rights are mandated to be delivered to each detainee.

The New York Civil Liberties Union and PLSNY filed the federal class-action lawsuit against ICE and the Batavia facility in May. The lawsuit claimed the facility had not been enforcing guidelines to protect medically at-risk immigrants from COVID-19, in violation of a federal judge's April decision.

At Batavia, like in many other ICE facilities around the country, ICE was not taking enough steps to provide adequate social distancing or control the outbreak in the way that public health officials were recommending, said Megan Sallomi, an attorney with NYCLU. We wrote several letters asking ICE to commit to providing protections to everybody who was vulnerable at the facility. ICE refused to respond to our letters or provide any statement anyone could rely on.

Sallomi also said that ICE was not taking initiatives to identify vulnerable people on its own, overlooking multiple individuals with underlying health conditions, including the man who ultimately represented the class action lawsuit that followed.

The class-action representative, Dioris Ramon Rivera de los Santos, is a 65-year-old man with diabetes and hypertension. On May 8, Santos described being forced to live in a multiple-occupancy room, not having easy access to soap or cleaning supplies and being forced to interact regularly with staff who do not wear protective gear.

"I think what happened to me is very unfair," Rivera de los Santos wrote. "There are a lot of people here in jail who are in the same situation as me. I want to help them as well.

Peng confirmed he heard similar accounts from multiple clients he represented within the facility.

In a statement, the ICE Buffalo Field Office Director commended the facilitys response to the pandemic as exemplary.

There are currently no active cases of COVID-19 at the facility. The men and women employed at BFDF, including the dedicated medical professionals with ICE Health Service Corps (IHSC), are the best in their field and have taken extraordinary precautions to keep both our detainees and staff safe, said Thomas Feeley. The settlement reached has affirmed the value of the proactive measures previously undertaken, which has protected both staff and detainees.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

At the time of the lawsuit, the Batavia facility had seen 49 positive cases of COVID-19 out of 300 detainees  an infection rate of more than 16 percent. Since May, however, there have been no additional COVID-19 cases, according to the ICE website.

Peng said that if accurate, the freeze on additional cases within the facility is promising.

That outbreak was very fast, very all-encompassing throughout the facility in a way that was in line with what our medical experts predicted, he said. For us its about making sure were maintaining vigilance and that there isnt a further outbreak in the facility.

There are currently two more pending lawsuits from PLSNY against ICE and the Batavia facility, both of which aim to expand the classification of vulnerable individuals. The recent settlement could be impacted by the decisions made in those two cases.

I think its frustrating that we had to bring a lawsuit to get to this point because ICE is a public agency that has a responsibility not only to the people who are detained, but to their staff and the lawyers who meet with the detained people and put their health at risk, said Sallomi. I hope that all of the litigation they face will cause them to act more responsibly as the pandemic continues.
Two Indian nationals have been released from captivity in Afghanistan and returned home to India on Tuesday, the Indian Government has said.

The two Indian nationals released on July 31 were among a group of seven Indian engineers of a company working in Afghanistan's northern Baghlan province who were abducted in May, 2018, reportedly by the Taliban who apparently mistook them for government employees.

Of those seven Indian nationals, six are now free, New Delhi said, while thanking the Afghan Government for its constant and unwavering support in securing the release of the Indians. One Indian national had been freed in March last year while according to media reports, three others had been freed in October last year.

In a statement on Tuesday, the MEA said, Two Indian nationals, who were released from captivity in Afghanistan on 31 July 2020, returned to India today. It would be recalled that seven Indian nationals were kidnapped in Afghanistan in May 2018, including the two who returned today. Six Indian nationals have now been released so far from captivity. We thank the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for their constant and unwavering support in securing the release of the Indians.

It may also be recalled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had spoken to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Monday and had conveyed his Eid greetings. India has extremely close ties with Afghanistan under President Ghani.

In a statement earlier on Monday, the MEA had stated, President Ghani thanked Prime Minister Modi for timely supply of food and medical assistance to meet Afghan requirement. The Prime Minister reiterated India's commitment to the people of Afghanistan in their quest for a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive Afghanistan. The two leaders also exchanged views on the evolving security situation in the region and other areas of mutual bilateral interest.
SINGAPORE  Regularly sharing photos with his 5.8 million followers on Facebook, American actor and filmmaker Joseph Gordon-Levitt shared a picture of a Singaporean in the rain on Sunday (2 August) and asked his followers to write a story based on the photo, amassing over 800 comments within a day.

Starring in movies such as The Dark Knight Rises, Inception, and G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, and in sitcoms like 3rd Rock from the Sun, Joseph Gordon-Levitt has made appearances in more than 80 films and shows over the course of his career since 1988.

The actor had also founded an online production company, HitRecord, in 2004 with his brother.

The photo of a Singaporean in the rain first appeared on his collaborative media platform where the challenge is to write a line of dialogue or narration to go with the picture. The creative platform, which boasts over 750,000 creatives, received more than 200 contributions over the course of a week.

Joseph, who shared the photo on his Facebook page, saw over 800 comments under his post within 24 hours, with some of the fans pointing out that the photo was taken in Singapore.

The unmistakeable HDB blocks in the background, along with the school zone sign by the road were the giveaways.

Amanda Ho thanks the actor. (PHOTO: Screenshot)

The Singaporean lady was identified as Amanda Ho in a series of photos taken by Dahlia Rong. Commenting on Josephs post, she thanked Joseph for sharing her photo with his fans.

Thank you for reposting my photo Joe! You just gave me the gift of reading everyone's short stories about my photo!

Some comments from Singaporeans posting about the photo reflect confusion as to whether the photo was taken in Yishun or Pasir Ris. A pun by one commenter Micheal Chin reads, And then it started to pour. Singapour.
You know sometimes youre listening to the radio, and one of those voices comes on that stops you in your tracks.

Maybe its familiarity, or perhaps just the urgency of the message.

This was one of those voices, and I was immediately compelled to listen.

A man it was. He was speaking quietly, but with authority and determination.

It wasnt immediately clear who his audience was, but it seemed to me (thats the beauty of radio) that he was addressing a bedraggled and scared group of soldiers.

Perhaps just back from a dangerous mission, perhaps just about to leave on one.

But he wasnt telling them what to do. Instead, like a true leader, he was telling them what he was willing to do. Hed stand alongside them.

He wouldnt give up  ever. Hed never let the circumstances get him down. And hed never let them down.

And then he finished with a simple sentence, the kind of sentence that put the danger his men faced in its proper context.

Read More Daniel McConnell: Coalition facing death by a thousand cuts

Lets get back to work, he said. I was impressed. Inspired even. Id follow this lad into a gap, I thought.

But that was before the music started, and some woman with a sugary sweet voice started burbling on about how were backing brave.

And I realised with a start that Id been listening to an ad for a company called AIB. Talk about feeling like a complete eeejit.

AIB is a company that over-reached itself so badly, that was managed so irresponsibly, that it almost destroyed Ireland.

We had to bail it out, and take it into public ownership, at a social and economic cost that was almost indescribable in its magnitude.

And now its spending millions trying to persuade people to borrow money from them rather than from anyone else.

Despite what it tells you, AIB doesnt exist to back brave.

It would much rather support the comfortable and the strong. It would never want to back you if youre brave and havent a penny to your name.

It really wants you to be brave and have plenty of collateral in case your bravery doesnt work out.

Bank of Ireland doesnt believe in begin except as a marketing tool.

Its not alone of course. Bank of Ireland doesnt believe in begin except as a marketing tool.

KBC isnt the bank of you, its the bank of its shareholders, who expect a tidy dividend each quarter.

Ive written about this before here.

I honestly believe that the banks and other financial institutions get away with the most dubious possible messaging, that bears no comparison with the way they frequently treat their customers.

Banks have been found guilty of wrongdoing again and again in relation to their practices and the way they treat people.

Yet they get away with the sort of rubbish and dishonest advertising Ive just described.

And in the meantime, an ad for tampons is banned.

You may be familiar with the ad in question. It featured two women (one was described by the Advertising Standards Authority of Ireland (the ASAI) as a young girl although both seemed young to me) discussing the proper use of tampons in pretty direct and what you might call in your face language.

Thats all it was about.

A screenshot from the Tampons & Tea commercial which attracted complaints from some Irish viewers

Clearly, the ad was aimed at women (sorry for being so obvious), and Im in no position to judge whether the information imparted was true and necessary.

I dont have to be, though, because the ASAI set up an expert committee to consider the ad, presumably in endless detail.

According to themselves, they examined the issue of whether the ad was misleading.

They decided and reported that it had provided factual information in a manner that was neither explicit nor graphic.

They examined the possibility that the ad was demeaning to women. They decided and reported that it was neither demeaning, belittling, nor degrading to women.

They went on to consider the possibility that the ad was inappropriately full of sexual innuendo, and they dismissed that compliant too.

They looked at the issue of whether the ad could be damaging to children, and decided that it wasnt.

And again at the end of their report they reaffirmed that the ad, although presented in a light-hearted manner, was factual and (they) didnt consider that the content was inappropriate.

And then they banned it. Why? Because even though they could find nothing wrong with it, 84 people had complained about it, on all of the grounds above.

One complainant even said their teenage daughters were mortified.

It is an established historical fact that a former (Catholic) Archbishop of Dublin was instrumental in having a provision included in Irish law that would enable the importation of tampons into Ireland to be banned, as possible occasions of sin.

That was a quaint phrase intended to imply that if elderly male churchmen discovered that the insertion of a tampon could cause pleasure, that would be the end of that.

That was the disgusting way the church thought about women then, of course.

The provision was never used, thank goodness.

But whod have thought that seventy years later, a television advert for the same product would be banned because 84 people objected to it?

84 people (out of a population of 4,234,925 according to the last Census) represents widespread outrage. So be it, I suppose.

Im only 1, a much smaller proportion. But I find myself wondering if the ASAI would be so quick to ban ads from powerful financial institutions because they are crassly manipulative and aimed at luring customers into a warm and supportive embrace.

To be fair, the ASAI did object to one AIB ad  though on rather surprising grounds.

The ASAI did object to one AIB ad where a man had borrowed money to buy his wife a new car.

It was an ad where a man had borrowed money (being brave, no doubt) to buy his wife a new car.

The ever-loving and grateful woman didnt hit him over the head and demand to know why he had gone to the bank to take out a loan without consulting her.

Instead she told him he was going to get serious brownie points (a bit of sexual innuendo there, Im thinking) and set out to bring her child  Evan was the boys name  for a spin.

The ASAI objected to the ad, again no doubt after rigorous scrutiny and on the basis of 11 complaints, because Evans coat was too thick to enable him to be properly strapped into his safety seat in the back of the car.

It took me a while to figure all this out.

The ASAI is just another example of a concept known as self-regulation  Im guessing because the advertising industry would be terrified of independent regulation (a bit like the banks are).

They do their best Im sure, and to be fair, they have a code that reads very well.

But slapping a bank on the wrists about a mistake in one of its ads is one thing.

Telling the banks that the millions they spend on trying to manipulate people into taking out loans is a form of corruption thats probably a step too far for an industry devoted to self-regulation, and for an industry body thats funded by the industry it regulates.

Tampons, I suppose, are an easier target.
Former Deputy Communications Officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fred Agbenyo has appealed to the Ghana Education Service to re-assess the countrys education system.



According to him, it is important to go back and look at the fundamentals of the educational system to eradicate leakages of examination papers ahead of exams.



Speaking on UTVs Adekye Nsroma, Fred Agbenyo stated that the root cause of the problem must be tackled. Competitions created among schools fuel some of these examination leakages...The moment the system places one school ahead of the other, it automatically creates competition because every school wants to be the first...I think the time has come for us to relook into our educational reforms.



Is there a possibility for a student who is interested in science to continue after failing Mathematics rather than truncating the person's academic life? he questioned.





Source: Josephine Acheampomaa/[email protected]









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The following are some of the best pictures of the ceremony which attracted almost 20,000 students and their parents and relatives in the entire VAS system.

Fourteen VAS students receive scholarships for overseas study worth more than VND40 billion ($1.74 million) from universities and high schools in the US, the UK, the Netherlands, and South Korea

VAS students have also bagged 469 prizes at municipal, national, and international levels in international math, English Champion, English Olympic, Math and Physics ViOlympic, TOEFL Junior, scientific research, and World Scholars Cup.

More than 2,000 VAS students obtain excellent results in academic subjects, aptitude, and community activities

A place to cultivate young talents in the arts and English speaking public

Students confidently host the ceremony in both English and Vietnamese.

The ceremony was conducted by two outstanding MCs who are also VAS students

Musical performances by VAS students

Jubilation and joy at the ceremony

The jubilation and joy of VAS students and teachers after a year in which they spared no efforts to reach their impressive achievements
Historical Churches in West Azarbaijan Undergo Rehabilitation

Tehran -- Three historical churches, dating back to different historical eras in the northwestern West Azarbaijan province, have undergone restoration, a provincial tourism chief has said.

Petrus Polis, Chamaki's Saint Merry and Nakhjavan Tappeh's Saint Merry churches due to their damages and destructions are being restored, CHTN reported Jalil Jabbari as saying on Tuesday.

Located eight kilometers to the east of the provincial capital of Urmia, in Klisakendi village, Petrus Polis Church was built in the 8th century. The church, which is considered one of the oldest Assyrian churches in the country, was inscribed on the National Heritage list in 2001.

Saint Merry in Chamaki village is also one of the oldest Assyrian churches in the region. Around 600 Assyrian populated the village, who speak in Modern Assyrian.

Saint Merry Church in Nakhjavan Tappeh, 22 Kilometers to the northeast of Urmia, was built in the 17th century and is still used by the Armenians living in the village.

Iran is home to several ancient and historical churches. Christians, Jews, and Zoroastrians are the most significant religious minorities in the country with Christians constituting the bulk.

West Azarbaijan embraces a variety of lush natural sceneries, cultural heritage sites, and museums including the UNESCO sites of Takht-e Soleyman and Qareh Klise (St. Thaddeus Monastery), Teppe Hasanlu and the ruined Bastam Citadel.

The region was a center of several ancient civilizations. According to Britannica, it was conquered by Alexander the Great in the 4th century BC and was named Atropatene after one of Alexander's generals, Atropates, who established a small kingdom there. Ultimately, the area returned to the Persian (Iranian) rule under the Sasanians in the 3rd century AD.
Kerala Gold Smuggling: Deliberate attempt to undermine economic stability of India

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 04: The National Investigation Agency said that the accused in the Kerala Gold Smuggling case made a deliberate attempt to undermine the economic stability of the country.

Gold and narcotics are the most preferred means of funding for terrorist activities. After the Mumbai 26/11 attacks, the agencies are on high alert regarding terror funding, the NIA also said.

The submissions were made during the hearing of a bail plea filed by Swapna Suresh one of the key accused in the case. The NIA said that the accused persons used the lockdown period to smuggle the gold and this shows the intent of these persons to destabilise the economy.

Kerala gold smuggling: NIA arrests six more people, conducts searches at 6 places

These persons smuggled 200 kilograms of gold on 20 occasions since June 2019, the NIA further submitted.

The agency has so far arrested 10 persons in connection with case. The NIA had said that there is a terror angle to this case. The NIA had also arrested one Muhammad Ali, who was charged by the Kerala police in connection with the hand chopping case involving a professor.

On Sunday, the NIA made six fresh arrests in the case. Ali was arrested after the investigation revealed that he was part of the conspiracy. He is alleged to aided and assisted arrested accused, Jalal A M in collecting the smuggled gold from Ramees K T at Thiruvananthapuram and distributing the contraband amongst other conspirators.

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

The NIA also conducted searches at six places. During searches, 2 hard disks, 1 tablet PC, 8 mobile phones, 6 SIM cards, 1 Digital Video Recorder and 5 DVDs were seized besides various documents including bank passbooks, credit/ debit cards, travel documents and identity documents of the accused.

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 16:31 [IST]
Britain's Prince Philip stepping down from his role as Colonel-in-Chief for the Rifles in Windsor

LONDON (Reuters) - Queen Elizabeth's 99-year-old husband Prince Philip and other senior royals will lead British commemorations for the 75th anniversary of VJ Day which marks victory over Japan and the end of World War Two, the government said on Wednesday.

Philip, who served in the British navy during the war and was on board the destroyer HMS Whelp in Tokyo Bay when the Japanese surrender was signed, will feature in a photo montage of living veterans which will be shown on large screens in locations across the country for the Aug. 15 tributes.

His son, heir-to-the-throne Prince Charles, will lead a national two minute silence at the National Memorial Arboretum in central England while grandson Prince William will feature in a special BBC TV programme that will be broadcast on the day.

There will also be flypasts by the Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, the Red Arrows, over the four capitals of the United Kingdom.

"When the Second World War ended 75 years ago with the surrender of Japan, British soldiers, sailors and airmen were serving in the Far East, fighting hard to achieve victory  and were among the last to come home," Prime Minister Boris Johnson said.

"On this anniversary I want to remember what we owe the veterans of the Far East campaign. They brought an end to the Second World War, they changed the course of history for the better, liberated South East Asia, and many paid the ultimate sacrifice."

(Reporting by Michael Holden; editing by Kate Holton)
Since the novel coronavirus swiftly circled the planet this winter and shut down countries and economies, a full recovery and a return to normal, whatever that might be, has hinged on the development of a vaccine.

Through strict measures, such as physical distancing, the about-face on face masks and ritual handwashing, we have slowly opened up our public spaces and businesses.

But full schools and restaurants, airplanes and arenas, even hugging and dancing, will rely on a vaccine that prevents COVID-19. There have been promising headlines recently on that front and the World Health Organization reported last week a number of candidates are in late-stage trials. The first vaccine could be available by early 2021.

For the first time in human history, however, every country in the world will be fighting for access to a vaccine, or perhaps several vaccines, and any rollout will face a multitude of logistical and ethical challenges.

But when it comes to mass vaccinations, this isnt our first rodeo. We have decades of experience with the flu vaccine, which should serve as a cautionary tale.

Lets first acknowledge that influenza is not COVID-19. Its not as deadly and apparently not as contagious, but it is a serious illness that is especially dangerous to the very young and very old and people with weakened immune systems or medical conditions, such as asthma.

In this country, the Public Health Agency of Canada reports every year that an average of 3,500 people die of the flu and 12,200 more are hospitalized. It also recommends everyone six months of age and older get immunized between October and December, before the virus spreads.

But the sad reality is that despite the seriousness of the danger the flu poses to public health, not enough people get the vaccine. Thats especially disappointing given that in most parts of Canada, including Ontario, its free and readily available.

In the last fully reported cycle, 2018-2019, only 42 per cent of Canadians over the age of 18 got the vaccine. That is a substantial increase from 2015-2016 when only 34 per cent were vaccinated, but it is still far too low.

Public health officials have long been urging more people to make a habit of getting the flu shot every year.

Given the extreme steps weve all taken to reduce the spread of COVID-19, this may well be the year that far more people decide to take the easy step of getting a flu shot to protect themselves and others from seasonal influenza.

If theres one year to get your flu shot, this is going to be the year, Dr. Natasha Crowcroft, a professor at the University of Torontos Centre for Vaccine Preventable Diseases said.

Every flu season results in a surge of patients, which strained our hospitals even before the arrival of COVID-19. An outbreak of both could prove disastrous.

In Australia, which is already in influenza season, there has been an increased demand to get the flu shot.

Anticipating the same trend here, health officials in Ontario have purchased additional doses of the flu vaccine. Now they need to get moving on figuring out the best way to deliver the flu vaccine given that the coronavirus makes mass immunization clinics tricky.

Ontarians have risen to the challenge of physical distancing and wearing masks. The Greater Toronto Area finally entering Phase 3 on Friday is proof of that.

If COVID-19 has taught us anything about the importance of a vaccine to protect public health, then everyone who can should get the flu shot this year. Just like socially distancing or wearing a mask, you are protecting yourself and the most vulnerable among us.
When humans bring a non-native herbivore to an isolated island, the native trees do not possess traits to craft an operative defense to the new threat, and the results can be devastating. A long-term study on cycads in Guam has revealed how rapidly invasive species devastated the native Cycas micronesica species and the key factors that have influenced the plant's mortality. The research -- conducted by the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center at the University of Guam and the College of Micronesia-FSM -- is published in the May 2020 issue of Diversity, a peer-reviewed journal published by MDPI.

"Guam's Cycas micronesica was the most abundant tree on Guam two decades ago, but then an onslaught of non-native insect herbivores invaded the island and initiated sweeping mortality," said Adrian Ares, associate director of the Western Pacific Tropical Research Center, where the research was conducted.

The researchers established 120 permanent plots throughout Guam in 2005 during the time period that the armored scale Aulacaspis yasumatsui was spreading across the island from the initial 2003 infestation site. This tiny insect was among the first to invade Guam and remains the most devastating cycad pest that has altered the island's natural and urban forests. As the plots were being positioned to provide the pre-invasion plant data, a second invasion occurred -- the specialist butterfly Chilades pandava. The larvae of this butterfly consume vast quantities of young tender cycad leaf tissue.

The results of the researchers' island-wide compilation of plant mortality over 15 years reveals only 4% of the 2005 population remains alive on Guam.

The 15-year data set validated an earlier observation that plant size was negatively correlated with speed of mortality. The first wave of mortality included seedlings -- 100% of which were killed by 2006 -- and the second wave of mortality encompassed juvenile plants, 100% of which were killed by 2014. The persisting populations are comprised of large individuals that possessed substantial stored resources when the non-native pests initiated the threats.

"The means by which the invasion of an island by a non-native herbivore can wreak such havoc is actually two-fold," said Murukesan V. Krishnapillai, one of the authors of the study. "First, the native tree that is attacked by the new pest has spent millennia evolving without a comparable herbivore and, therefore, possesses few defensive strategies. Second, the pest has escaped from its own native habitat where it co-evolved with natural enemies, and, therefore, the new island environment contains no natural enemies to tamp down the pests' population growth."

The Guam team used what biologists call a Type 1 right-censoring approach to document the plant mortality and joined the College of Micronesia in the Federated States of Micronesia to showcase the forests on the Micronesian island of Yap as an unthreatened healthy population of the same tree species.

The team's research on Guam and within the native geographic range of these two pests indicate the armored scale's threats are due to the release from the natural enemies in its homeland, and the butterfly's threats are caused by the absence of defensive strategies by the tree.

The study also illuminated two other spatial factors that have influenced the plant population's responses to the non-native insect herbivore threats. First, the populations in Western localities have exhibited much more mortality than the populations in Eastern localities. Second, the plants within large contiguous forests have exhibited less damage than plants within forest fragments.

The authors contend that this sort of information is important for informing the factors that influence localized loss of genes of endangered tree species.

"Conservationists need developing knowledge like this to craft the most appropriate mitigation strategies and identify where available funds should be spent," Ares said.

The long-term nature of the study, which Ares said is rare in contemporary academia, and the use of benchmarking were crucial in developing a full understanding of rapidly developing threats to island tree populations. The decision to establish permanent plots throughout Guam prior to the onset of the predicted damage from the non-native pests has proven to be crucial for understanding the 15 years of damage.

The study concluded that the only high priority activity to conserve the Cycas micronesica species in Guam is to establish a complex integrated biological control program under the direction of scientists with international expertise. The report says that knowing that plant size and habitat traits influence cycad susceptibility to non-native threats can now inform conservation management decisions.

###

Further Reading

Marler, T.E. and M.V. Krishnapillai. 2020. Longitude, forest fragmentation, and plant size influence Cycas micronesica mortality following island insect invasions. Diversity 12:194. doi:10.3390/d12050194.
Two major retailers have confirmed that they are not currently interested in moving into a vacant former Lidl supermarket building in Kildare town.

The former foodstore and car park on Hospital Street became empty late last year when the German discount chain moved to a larger of 2,192 square metre premises across the road in the old Magee Barracks site.

The building and grounds of the empty property were refurbished after construction workers returned to sites after Covid-19 restrictions were lifted.

Locals have speculated that the purpose-built foodstore may attract discount chain Dealz may set up an outlet there.

The retailer already has stores in Newbridge, Naas and Athy.

But a Dealz spokeswoman said: "Dealz would love to open a new store in Kildare - and theyre looking for opportunities but nothing is confirmed as of yet."

The frozen goods retailer Iceland, which has no outlets at all in Co Kildare, was also rumoured to be considering the building for a new store.

But a spokesperson for Iceland said: "Unfortunately, we have no immediate plans to open in Kildare town."

Local politicians had previously urged Kildare County Council to rent the former Lidl building for community use.

Former Mayor of Kildare, Cllr Suzanne Doyle had suggested the site may suit a youth centre or a bowling alley.
1. Yes. Too many kids are staying home. They need a virtual learning option to keep up.

2. Yes. Teachers are out sick and subs cant handle the load. Online learning is needed.

3. No. Its too late in the school year to make a wholesale switch in teaching platforms.

4.No. Many parents arent in a position to stay home while their kids learn virtually.

5. Unsure. It may seem like a good idea from a health standpoint, but it has shortcomings.

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In a move to control the outbreak of COVID-19, the government of Delhi has prohibited the use of in public places from immediate effect, as per the latest order.

"The use of (with and without tobacco i.e., herbal hookah, water pipes, and other hookah-like devices) in all public places including hotels, restaurants, eatery houses, bars, pubs; discotheques, etc. of the NCT of Delhi is strictly prohibited with immediate effect," the order said.

The order released by the health and family welfare department observed that the use and sharing of could lead to a further increase in the spread of COVID-19. "It is observed that in public places, use and sharing of hookah may further increase the spread of COVID-19," it said.

The rationale behind prohibiting the hookah was that it involves sharing its mouthpieces and hoses, which could facilitate the transmission of COVID-19. Besides, as it's smoked in closed spaces and social settings, the aerosols carrying the virus generated by an infected person could further spread the infection among people sitting firmly to the infected person.

Besides, the directive also pointed out that smokers are more vulnerable to be infected by the COVID-19 as the "act of smoking" increases the possibility of transmitting the virus from hand to mouth. "The fingers and cigarettes are in contact with lips which increase the possibility of transmission of the virus from hand to mouth," the order said.

Medical experts also weighed in that smokers are more likely to spread the virus as smoking in public could further increase its spread in the environment. "The research suggests that the virus has been airborne. If an infected person is smoking in public, the aerosols generated by that person could infect the people present in his vicinity," said Dr Pankaj Solanki.

Apart from being more infectious, the doctors said that health-wise, the impact of COVID-19 could be more fatal for the smokers. "Smokers may already have lung disease or reduced lung capacity, which would greatly increase the risk of serious illness. The conditions that increase oxygen needs or reduce the ability of the body to use it properly will put them at higher risk of the consequences of bilateral viral pneumonia if they get infected," opined Dr Avinash Mohanty, an expert dealing in pulmonary diseases.

Meanwhile, the doctors also said that the government should furthermore strictly enforce restrictions on smoking in public too as an added measure to contain virus' spread. "Despite being a public offense, the compliance authorities are very lenient on smoking in public. The challans against the violation are merely symbolic and fail to prevent people from practicing it in the public spaces," said Dr Solanki.

--IANS

str/rt

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Spain's former King Juan Carlos has left his country, a dramatic exit after corrupion allegtions surfaced against him

Local media reported that he had left the country by Monday (August 3) but his destination was unclear.

Pressure has been building for weeks, after Spanish and Swiss prosecutors opened an investigation into bribes over a high-speed rail contract.

A Swiss newspaper reported that Juan Carlos had received $100 million from the late Saudi King over the contract.

It's left some Spaniards feeling surprised:

" I did not expect it at all and the truth is that I think it is a bit of a rash decision."

And some angry with his decision:

"It's really bad, he should leave Spain when he has returned everything he's stolen. When he leaves all the money here, he can leave."

The 82-year-old was once-popular with the Spanish people, but is his reputation has been tarnished by scandal.

Juan Carlos apparently announced his exit in a letter to his son, the current King Felipe.

A palace statement quoted from that letter, with Juan Carlos saying his intention for his departure was to enable his son to rule untroubled amid " the public repercussions that certain past events in my private life are generating".

Juan Carlos was widely respected for helping guide Spain from dictatorship to democracy.

He came to the throne in 1975 upon the death of General Francisco Franco.

His popularity faded following a series of scandals, pushing him to step down in 2014.

Despite his departure from the country, Juan Carlos' lawyer said the former king woud "Remain at the disposal of the prosecutors' office."
Officials said ten streams where Permanent Commission is being made available include army air defence, signals, engineers, army aviation, etc.

New Delhi: The Indian Army has kickstarted the process to grant Permanent Commission to eligible women officers, nearly two weeks after the defence ministry approved the proposal.

Officials said the Army headquarters has invited applications by 31 August for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers recruited under Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES) and Short Service Commission (SSC).

"Consequent to the receipt of formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of PC to women officers in Indian Army, the Army headquarters is in the process of convening a special number selection board for screening women officers for grant of PC," said an Army statement.

The officials said women officers who have joined the Army through the WSES and SSC are being considered for grant of the PC.

Last month, the Ministry of Defence issued an order for grant of PC to women officers in the Army.

In a landmark judgement, the apex court in February directed that all serving women officers recruited under the short service schemes will have to be considered for PC.

Officials said 10 streams where PC of women officers are being made available include army air defence, signals, engineers, army aviation, electronics and mechanical engineers, army service corps and intelligence corps.

At present, the Army offers permanent commission to women officers in two branches -- judge advocate general (JAG) and education.

Under SSC, women officers are initially taken for a period of five years, which is extendable up to 14 years. Permanent commissioning will allow them to serve till the age of retirement.

The Army recruits women officers under SSC for streams like air defence, engineering, signals and services and they can serve up to a maximum of 14 years.

The three services have allowed permanent recruitment of women in select streams including medical, education, legal, signals, logistics and engineering.

The women officers recruited through the SSC in the IAF have the option of seeking permanent commission in all streams except the flying branch.

The Navy has allowed permanent commission of women in a host of departments such as logistics, naval designing, air traffic control, engineering and legal.
Chandigarh, Aug 4 : 29-year-old Pradeep Singh who topped the Civil Services exam 2019 has success mantras that can help crack the prestigious test and even lifes many complicated crises codes.

Speaking to the media after the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) announced the test results on Tuesday, Singh said the mantra for success is simple: "If one has determination, he will achieve success." Son of a farmer from Haryana's Sonipat district, Singh (29) looks up to his father Sukhbir Singh for inspiration. "My father motivated me a lot, while my teachers and mentors too played a crucial role behind my success," said Singh, who is a firm believer of self-learning.

"If a person from a modest background like me can top the Civil Services exam, anyone can do it. You just need strong determination to realise your dreams," Singh told the media.

Singh, who topped the prestigious exam in his fourth attempt, added: "At one point of time, I almost decided to stop preparing for the exam, but my father told me not to lose hope. Self-motivation is the key to success." Last time Singh had ranked 260th in the Civil Services exam and he is presently undergoing training as an Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer in Faridabad.

His father is a former sarpanch of Tewri village in Ganaur block, while his mother is a homemaker. For Singh, getting quality education with limited resources at his disposal was the real challenge.

On his future plans, Singh said: "I want to serve my home cadre (Haryana) and help the downtrodden through the various government schemes." The 29-year-old is fond of reading books, newspapers and periodicals besides surfing the internet to widen his knowledge base.

After completing his graduation in engineering, Singh cracked the Staff Selection Commission exam and joined his first job as an Income Tax officer in Delhi five years ago.

"My son has proved that even a candidate from a humble background can become an IAS officer," said his father Sukhbir Singh.

This year, a total of 829 candidates have been selected for the various services, including 66 who have been provisionally recommended. Singh is followed by Jatin Kishore and Pratibha Verma, who is also the highest ranked among the female candidates.
Former king Juan Carlos has said he is leaving Spain to live in another country amid a financial scandal.

The royal familys website on Monday published a letter from Juan Carlos to his son, King Felipe VI, saying I am informing you of my considered decision to move, during this period, out of Spain.

Juan Carlos, in the letter, says he made the decision against the backdrop of public repercussions of certain episodes of my past private life.

He says he wants to ensure he does not make his sons role difficult, adding my legacy and my own dignity, demand that it should be so.

He did not say which country he will be moving to.

Juan Carloss lawyer, Javier Sanchez-Junco Mans, said in an emailed statement that the former king had asked him to make clear that even though he will be outside Spain he intends to be available to cooperate with the investigation.

The royal familys website published a letter from the former monarch saying he is leaving Spain to live in another country (Esteban Felix/AP)

Spains prime minister recently said he found the developments about Juan Carlos  including investigations in Spain and Switzerland  disturbing.

Since Spains Supreme Court opened its probe earlier this year, Spanish media outlets have published testimony from a separate Swiss investigation into millions of euros that were allegedly given to Juan Carlos by Saudi Arabias late King Abdullah.

Juan Carlos allegedly then transferred a large amount to a former companion in what investigators are considering as a possible attempt to hide the money from authorities.

The 82-year-old former king is credited with helping Spain peacefully restore democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

But marred by scandals in the later years of his reign, Juan Carlos in 2014 abdicated in favour of his son Felipe VI, losing the inviolability protection Spains Constitution grants to the head of state.

After media reports claimed Felipe was a beneficiary of an offshore account holding an alleged 65 million-euro gift from Saudi Arabia to Juan Carlos, Felipe renounced any future personal inheritance he might receive from the former king.

Felipe also stripped his father of his annual stipend of 194,232 euros.

The royal house has denied that Felipe had any knowledge of his fathers alleged financial irregularities.
Four vaccine manufacturers and research agencies in Vietnam are in a race for vaccines against Covid-19.

A researcher works on Covid -19 vaccine research and production in Vietnam.

Development and testing for made-in-Vietnam Covid-19 vaccine have shown positive results in animal tests, as the nations leading production unit, VABIOTECH, speeds up standard procedures, aiming for an official launch by October next year, Tuoi Tre Online reported, citing a health official.

Nguyen Ngo Quang, deputy director of the Administration of Science, Technology and Training under the Ministry of Health, made the statement, adding that Vietnam currently has four vaccine manufacturers and research agencies involving in vaccine research against Covid-19 disease.

Two research projects of Covid -19 vaccines of the Institute of Vaccines and Medical Biologicals (IVAC)) and the Company for Vaccine and Biological Production No.1 (VABIOTECH) are also showing positive signs, according to Quang.

He added that IVAC has successfully produced three test lots on the existing line with satisfactory quality.

The vaccine project is promising thanks to the cooperation with two vaccine manufacturers using similar technology from Thailand and Brazil, and an American university.

VABIOTECH conducted preclinical research trials on animals in May, which produced positive results and good immune response. It is expected that the company will test its Covid-19 vaccine on humans by the beginning of 2021, Quang said.

He thus anticipated that Vietnam will have a Covid-19 vaccine ready by as early as October next year.

There are 38 nations working to create their own vaccines that adhere to the standards of the World Health Organization, including Vietnam. Hanoitimes

Anh Kiet

COVID-19 strain found in Da Nang wont impact Vietnamese vaccine study The latest mutation of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) found in Da Nang will not affect the gene pool selected by Vietnamese researchers for antigens and vaccines, according to experts.
British nationals are among those affected by the huge explosion that rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut today, it has been confirmed.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said a small number of staff sustained non-life threatening injuries in the explosion and are receiving medical attention where necessary.

The Prime Minister said the Government is 'ready to provide support in any way we can' following the blast that has killed at least 73 people.

At around 6.30pm local time, a warehouse in the Port of Beirut that was already on fire blew up, sending out a shockwave for several kilometres.

A Foreign Office spokesperson said a small number of staff sustained non-life threatening injuries in the explosion and are receiving medical attention where necessary

The impact was catastrophic, ripping apart buildings and car and smashing windows. People on the island of Cyprus reported hearing two explosions in quick succession.

The British embassy is just two kilometres away from the scene of incident, in the densely-packed city centre.

In a tweet, Mr Johnson said: 'The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident.

'The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.'

Videos of a huge mushroom cloud rising above the Middle Eastern city were shared extensively on social media on Tuesday evening local time.

Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: 'My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the devastating explosion in #Beirut today.

At around 6.30pm local time, a warehouse in the Port of Beirut that was already on fire blew up, sending out a shockwave for several kilometres

'The UK stands in solidarity with the people of Lebanon and is ready to offer help and support including to those British nationals impacted.'

The British Embassy said it was in contact with local authorities and urgently seeking further information, adding that there is 'significant disruption' across Beirut.

James Cleverly, Minister for the Middle East, said: 'Scenes of todays explosions in #Beirut are truly shocking.

'Our sympathies are with the Lebanese people and all those affected. We standby to provide support to British nationals who need it.'
State Counsellor of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi, on Aug 4, conveyed her intention to contest the upcoming elections by filing her candidature for the same. As a part of democratic reforms, the South East Asian nation is all set to have its parliamentary elections in November this year.

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel peace prize for campaigning for democracy was elected as the first State Counsellor in 2016. She is also the leader of the National League for Democracy and played a vital role in the state's transition from military junta to partial democracy. However, since her election, she has been coerced to share power with military generals.

Read: Myanmar Marks Anniversary Of Murder Of Aung San

Submitted application in Yangon

However, on August 4, the 75-year-old was spotted on the outskirts of former capital Yangon submitting her application to run the elections. According to media reports, nearly 50 supporters, all donning red coloured face masks, came to support her and yelled Mother Suu, be healthy.

Read: DRI Seizes Gold Worth Rs 7 Crore Smuggled Into India From Myanmar, Six Accused Held

Myanmar caught international attention in 2017 when a military crackdown led to over 7,30,000 Rohingya crossing the border to enter Bangladesh, Later, investigations by UN discovered that the crackdown was made with genocidal intent. Since then, refugees in the camps are increasing, creating border troubles for Myanmar, Bangladesh snd India. Back home, Suu Kyis peace talks with ethnic armed groups have faltered many tines amid an increasing economic crisis accelerated by the coronavirus pandemic.

Read: Myanmar Observes Annual Martyr's Day, Pays Tribute To Fallen Heroes

Read: Myanmar: US-China Embassies Get Into A War Of Words Over South China Sea, Hong Kong

Though the pandemic has battered the country, it celebrated its slain independence heroes through its annual Martyrs Day celebration on July 20. Martyrs Day which is observed every year in Myanmar marks one of the countries darkest times. During the Martyrs Day tribute state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi reportedly laid a wreath on her late fathers mausoleum, her father is considered an independence hero and was assassinated in 1947 along with the rest of his Cabinet.
NASSAU, The Bahamas:--- Two local businessmen today launched a new website to allow Bahamians to easily track through customizable graphs the COVID19 pandemic in our country from the very first case in March.



With almost every country around the world dealing with the Coronavirus Pandemic, tracking cases, waves and fatalities has become an all-consuming pastime for people across the globe. Until now, the citizens and residents of The Bahamas could only track the terrifying path of the virus on our shores through a series of static graphics published daily by the Ministry of Health.



Seeing a need for comprehensive, customizable and easily-understood data on the virus, two local businessmen, Ash Henderson and Ben Jamieson, have developed a new website, CV19BS.com, to provide an interactive look at the virus throughout the country.



Jamieson, founder of local web design company Thyme Online Ltd said, "As a web application developer for the past two decades, I knew I had the ability to build a website to provide up to the minute and historic information on a daily basis, I just didn't have the data. Luckily Ash, a long-time friend and colleague, had been compiling meticulous spreadsheets since the start of the pandemic. I knew we were on to something."



The two built the website, that will be updated daily, in their own time, and Thyme Online has donated the hosting space to keep it online. Initially fairly simple, the website includes interactive charts, allowing visitors to visualise the COVID19 spread throughout the islands in myriad ways.



Henderson, a prominent Rotary member and marketing guru, said of the project, "As a citizen and as a parent, I am constantly worried about the spread of this virus and how it affects our nation. I'd been compiling the raw data since day one, but had no real way to make it useful to others. When Ben and I came up with the idea for the website, it made total sense - he had the web development expertise, and I had the analytical skills to make it work. Now we are on a par with other nations who have fully interactive COVID19 dashboards to give their citizenry a way to visualize the threat of this pandemic."



The two men are excited to be able to offer a tool such as this to everyone in The Bahamas, and hope to be able to expand the system in the future if time and funds allow. The website will be updated daily as soon as information is release by The Bahamas Ministry of Health.



For now, they've created an amazing platform for citizens, residents, and those around the world with friends and family in the country, to monitor how things are progressing throughout the islands.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Vietnam (CAAV) plans to build Quang Tri Airport in Quang Tri province, but experts disagree with the idea.

Quang Tri Airport located in Gio Linh district, 7 kilometers north of Dong Ha City as designed by CAAV, would be a 4C airport for civil purposes and second class airport for military activities.



Quang Tri Airport, covering an area of 594 hectares, would serve passenger and cargo transportation for both civil and military uses. The project is estimated to cost VND8.014 trillion and the capital would be sourced from the state budget, businesses and investors under the PPP mode.



If Quang Tri is built, it would be 93 kilometers away from Dong Hoi Airport in Quang Binh and 88 kilometers from Phu Bai International Airport in Thua Thien  Hue.



Nguyen Thien Tong, former head of Aviation Engineering Department of the HCM City University of Science and Technology, said that building Quang Tri Airport is impractical.



Why do we have to build an airport if we dont need to use it and it will be financially ineffective? he said.



Tong said that air travel demand in Quang Tri and neighboring provinces in the region is very low, and therefore, there is no need to build airports.



He went on to say that the distance between two nearest airports should be at least 200 kilometers to operate effectively. India stipulates that the distance must be 150 kilometers at minimum. Meanwhile, the distance between Phu Bai Airport and the proposed Quang Tri is just 90 kilometers.

Quang Tri Airport, covering an area of 594 hectares, would serve passenger and cargo transportation for both civil and military uses. The project is estimated to cost VND8.014 trillion and the capital would be sourced from the state budget, businesses and investors under the PPP mode.

He believes that people will not travel by air if they want to go from Phu Bai to Dong Ha in Quang Tri, because the highway there is very good. It would better if local authorities paid attention to developing roads and railways to connect Quang Tri and Phu Bai Airport.



It takes 1.5-2 hours only to go from Quang Tri to Phu Bai Airport by road, Tong said.



CAAV, as the corporation proposing the airport, needs to calculate if the total daily or weekly number of passengers who want to fly from Quang Tri Airport to other airports in the country is high enough to arrange one flight.



Quang Tri  Tan Son Nhat and Quang Tri  Noi Bai are expected to be the busiest air routes if Quang Tri Airport is built. However, even the two air routes have low potential.



While disagreeing with the plan to build an airport in Quang Tri, Tong raised the idea of building a small airport for emergency cases.

Kim Chi

Dong Nai urged to hand over clean land for Long Thanh Airport Dong Nai plans to send officials to assist the Long Thanh District in speeding up site clearance, compensation and resettlement for households affected by the Long Thanh airport project so that construction can begin next year.
Chrome News Track date for Week 30 of 2020 reveals that India and France big deal on Missile was the Most Trending and the Most Watched News of the week.

Chrome News Track, from Chrome Data Analytics and Media, conducts study on News Content aired across India by choosing the Most Aired, Most Watched and Most Discussed News of the week.

The automated data is picked from 30,200 Chrome DM Panel Homes across India. It analyses the effectiveness of News aired on television every week and categorises it through three broad segments, namely Most Aired, Most Watched and Most Discussed.

Most Aired News in Week 30

According to the Chrome News Track data for the Week 30 - 2020, India and France big deal on Missile was the most Aired News this week, followed by News about Ram temple construction in Ayodhya. The News about IAF chief to receive Rafale jets at Ambala air base stood at the 3rd spot, while Sushant Singh Rajput commits suicide was next in the list and News about Rajasthan political crisis managed to take the fifth and the last spot.

Most Watched News in Week 30

The data also unveils that Ram temple construction in Ayodhya was the most watched news for the week grabbing maximum eyeballs, followed by IAF chief to receive Rafale jets at Ambala air base. The news about India and France big deal on Missile, Rajasthan political crisis and Sushant Singh Rajput commits suicide also generated interests amongst viewers and are placed at 3rd, 4th and 5th positions, respectively, in the list.

Most Discussed News in Week 30

On the other hand, taking a closer view of the Most Discussed News category, the news about Ram temple construction in Ayodhya has been the talk of the nation making it the most discussed news, whereas the News about India and France big deal on Missile happens to be the 2nd most discussed news as per the automated data picked from 30,200 Chrome DM Panel Homes. IAF chief to receive Rafale jets at Ambala air base became the 3rd most discussed news among the masses. News about Sushant Singh Rajput commits suicide and Rajasthan political crisis are placed at the 4th and 5th positions, respectively, in the list.
As Caribbean tourism exploded and got cheaper, local tour operators raked in money, but faced unexpected problems. Tropical infrastructure, local police and medical systems were overwhelmed on some islands even before the virus. One island friend, a divemaster at a major site, who asked that his name not be used for fear of losing his job, told me he has seen increasingly obese, relatively unhealthy American tourists who feel entitled to be squished into neoprene suits and taken to the depths as cruise lines and cheap tours market scuba diving  once reserved for scientists, Navy SEALs and the ultrawealthy and sporty  to all.

The Caribbean is the biggest source of business for the global cruise industry, which is notoriously callous about the environment. Cruise lines were the first global heralds of the coronavirus disaster and will likely be the last travel industry to come back once the virus is under control.

The cruise industry always had the upper hand on the islands. When a cruise ship docks and thousands of people are disgorged, the impression of prosperity is illusory. Most of the islands pay a per head fee to the cruise lines for each passenger who disembarks, the cruise ships are notoriously bad for reefs, and they have a stranglehold on the discretionary dollars their passengers are spending.

Everything that can be sold on board is already sold, and anyplace on the island that could benefit has already made arrangements with the cruise company, said Noel Mignott, a former deputy director of tourism for Jamaica and a founding partner of Portfolio Marketing Group. If one good thing could come of Covid, I would be encouraged to see governments take this opportunity to renegotiate the relationship with the cruise lines. And if I was a cruise line, I would wave that green flag and try to be as good as I can to the environment  if only to say we are not dumping our garbage in the ocean two miles off Ocho Rios.

The Dutch island of Bonaire is one of the ports of call for behemoth and often super-discounted cruise ships plying the Caribbean. In the last few years, two building-size ships have daily disgorged up to 4,000 passengers at a time during the cruising season. The ships have sometimes sparked food shortages by taking up dock space needed for cargo.

Now, in the pandemic lull, tour providers, officials and some citizens have been quietly discussing what to do about the ships when they return. Facebook groups like Bonaire Future Forum: Opportunity From Crisis are debating whether the island should limit access to specific ships that cost more and are therefore more selective in their choice of passenger.
New Delhi: In a first, the European Union has imposed sanctions on two Chinese nationals and one Chinese company linked with the Chinese intelligence agency in the aftermath of a massive Cyber Attack targetting companies in the continent.



The two Chinese nationals are Gao Qiang, Shilong Zhang and the company that funded them is Tianjin Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development. All of them based are located in Tianjin, China. The sanctions include a travel ban and an asset freeze and no EU persons or entities will be allowed to deal with them.

They were involved in Operation Cloud Hopper which was a major cyber attack spanning 6 continents including targetted attacks on companies located in European union. The attack involved gaining unauthorised access to commercially sensitive data, resulting in significant economic loss.

What is an added worry is that EU says all 3 were linked to APT10--Advanced Persistent Threat 10 which is backed by the Chinese intelligence agency. The EU sanction order said, "The actor publicly known as APT10 --Advanced Persistent Threat 10--a.k.a. Red Apollo, CVNX, Stone Panda, MenuPass and Potassium carried out Operation Cloud Hopper."

APT10 and Red Apollo are well known Chinese cyberespionage groups and are linked to China's main intelligence agency--The Chinese Ministry of State Securitys Tianjin State Security Bureau. APT10 Group works by basically gaining unauthorized access into the computers and installs a Malware. To avoid antivirus detection, the malware masqueraded as legitimate files associated with the victim computers operating system.

According to FBI, In 2018 APT10 Group obtained unauthorized access to the computers of more than 45 technology companies and U.S. Government agencies based in least 12 states, including Arizona, California, Connecticut, Florida, Maryland, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Wisconsin. The same year saw the US charging-- 2 Chinese nationals engaged in hacking and linked with the same company --Huaying Haitai Science and Technology Development based in Tianjin.

The EU sanctions have been imposed on 6 people and 3 entities and other than Chinese, includes Russians and North Korea nationals.

And this incident looks like a symptom of a larger problem Europe is facing. Europe is increasingly worried about an "assertive" and "aggressive" China even as it has called for "like-minded democracies" to work together, which includes India.

High Representative of the European Union or EU FM Josep Borrell has raised concerns regarding China many times now. The public concern is a departure when it comes to EU in the past.

In his latest blog just a week ago, Borrell said, "China is increasingly asserting itself on the international scene. This was already the trend before the current crisis, but the coronavirus pandemic has accentuated this. It has become more assertive  some even say aggressive - in its neighbourhood, especially in the South China Sea or on the border with India."

Explaining, "Given everything thats happening in the world and the rise in authoritarian powers, it is important to have strong cooperation with like-minded democracies.....we should be working closely with Japan, India, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and others"

Before that in an interview with german's Der Spiegel Borrell said, "The West was naive with regard to China; we thought that with increasing trade there would be change."

The EU council has also expressed "grave concern" over China's national security law for Hong Kong. Among other things, EU has said it will support civil society in Hong Kong.
Health workers signed a letter calling for a paid leave sent on Monday to the White House. More than 500 health experts signed the letter to call for the expansion of paid sick and family leave for all American workers.

The health experts are cautioning the Trump administration regarding the federal government allowing the reopening of schools in the fall without establishing first a paid leave program for the health workers, as per HuffPost.

The letter was organized through the Paid Leave for All Campaign. Health workers urged the Trump government to push Congress to expand the emergency paid leave policy, which was made during the COVID-19 pandemic. The letter also calls on lawmakers for an end to the exemption of large companies.

The letter states that public health professionals and organizations in front of protecting the public health urge the administration and Congress to ensure access to emergency paid sick leave and paid family and medical leave through 2021.

In March, Congress passed the Families First Coronavirus Response Act to provide funding up to two weeks of paid sick days plus ten weeks of paid emergency child care leave. This program will be applicable if the school or child care facilities shut down. But the paid leave program is set to expire at the end of 2020. The policy excludes all workers in companies with more than 500 employees. Meaning, millions of front-line workers are not included.

Health workers are concerned that millions of people will face financial pressure without comprehensive paid leave. Affected people would have to think to go to work even if they have COVID-19 symptoms. With the paid leave programs, many parents who can't find child care would ease the burden in the reopening of schools even if they are at risk of losing employment.

The letter address to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention the guidance that schools and businesses imply flexible sick leave policies and practices that allow staff to stay home when they have been exposed, sick, or caring for a sick family member.

The co-signers of Monday's letter believe that paid leave is important and will work as their safety net, especially for the reopening of schools. Solange Gould, a signer of the letter and co-director of the public health group "Human Impact Partners," told HuffPost, "As a public health professional and parent, I know that expanded paid leave is critical to the safe and equitable reopening of schools." He added that paid leave could ensure the families' financial security and allow parents, teachers, and school staff to care for their families and themselves while fighting the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Top White House officials and lawmakers are negotiating another pandemic relief package after early aid measures expired. However, the universal paid leave has not reached the center of the latest negotiations. Republicans carved out exemptions for the huge corporations and the healthcare industry, in the Families First package. The exclusions would exclude 106 million workers for the program, as per Huffpost's Emily Peck.

Check these out:

COVID-19: Hair Loss Continues to be A Problem Among the Patients

Back to School Efforts Raise Challenges for Parents, Teachers

Are Health Care Workers Really Protected Wearing PPE? Study Says Not Completely
Avrodh Actor Amit Sadh On Comparisons With Vicky Kaushals Uri: I Am Like Arjun With My Eyes Trained On The Target
FILE PHOTO: The logo of Wirecard AG is pictured at its headquarters in Aschheim

BERLIN (Reuters) - The German body in charge of regulating auditors is examining the work of EY, the auditor that approved the books of collapsed payment services firm Wirecard <WDIG.DE>, the German Economy Ministry said on Monday.

The ministry said Auditors' Regulator (Apas) had upgraded a preliminary investigation that had been running since October 2019, when the Financial Times first reported allegations of fraud at Wirecard, into a full formal regulatory inquiry.

The ministry gave no further details.

Handelsblatt newspaper, which first reported that the inquiry was underway, said the regulator was examining all audits that EY had conducted of Wirecard's accounts since 2015. The regulator has the power to check earlier submitted accounts and audits.

"A preliminary inquiry was launched in October 2019," the ministry said in a statement. "In May 2020, after KPMG's report came out, that was turned into a full regulatory inquiry, which is still underway."

EY, Wirecard's auditor for more than a decade, said it was assisting the authorities with their investigations.

"We too are interested in this matter being cleared up comprehensively, completely and quickly," EY said in a statement.

Munich-based Wirecard collapsed in June after EY refused to sign off on its 2019 accounts because it could not verify 1.9 billion euros ($2.2 billion) supposedly held abroad in escrow by third-party partners.

The company subsequently filed for insolvency owing debts of 3.2 billion euros. Three former top managers have been arrested on suspicion of fraud and racketeering in Germany's biggest accounting scandal.

(Reporting by Thomas Escritt, Christian Kraemer, Hans Seidenstuecker and Douglas Busvine; Editing by Caroline Copley and Jan Harvey)
Ex-Agriculture Minister Barry Cowen has demanded documentation to show why an evaluation committee shot down an immigrant investment programme application by an investor planning to set up a meat processing plant at Banagher, Co Offaly.

The immigrant investment programme was introduced by the Government in 2012 to encourage inward investment from outside Europe, including making a secure residency status in the State available for investors and certain categories of family members.

The Laois-Offaly Fianna Fail TD said he worked with investors over the past 12 to 18 months on their planning application to locate the plant at the site of Banagher Chilling, which was previously used as an abattoir.

Some of the investors involved applied under the immigrant investor programme, open to applicants who invest more than 1 million.

However, an evaluation committee has refused the first such application, to my utter dismay and disbelief, said Deputy Cowen.

The committee concluded, it would appear, that the proposed project is not an appropriate project for approval, he told the Dail last week.

The committee concluded the project does not align with Government policy on the beef processing industry, having regard to the fact it is not currently policy to pursue the development of additional plants where there is no established deficit in capacity.

I might have been the Minister for agriculture for only 17 days, but one would hardly need a green certificate to recognise this conclusion in no way reflects the Irish farming sectors understanding of Government policy which has, for example, over the past ten years, sought to open Asian markets, which this plant and project would exclusively supply.

How then can a 40 million project, which has the approval of the States planning authority, the co-operation of Offaly County Council, the support of the community in the region, the backing of beef farmers, the support of Bord Bia and the support of the Chinese Embassy, be subject to disapproval by an evaluation committee that oversees this scheme?

Demanding documentation on the evaluation committees decision, Deputy Cowen said, We need these answers and we need them fast if we are to secure and proceed with the realisation of 250 jobs in construction and 150 jobs in the plants operation.

He revealed he has seen documentation pertaining to this case from officials in the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, and from the Chinese embassy, and Bord Bia, and that Bord Bia says the proposal is particularly opportune, given that Ireland became the first European country to gain access to China for beef exports, in 2018, and six Irish beef plants have been approved to export there.

Bord Bia revealed recently that a 29m increase in beef exports to China year-to-date has contributed to a 59% increase in beef exports to Asia, and strong sustainable demand is expected when the China market returns, after a temporary closure for technical reasons.

Responding in the Dail, Minister for Justice Helen McEntee said she could not respond directly on a specific case, but explained how the immigrant investor programme process managed by her Department.

She said the applicant is subject to rigorous screening by her Department as to suitability for permission to enter into and reside in the State, and their enterprise, fund or project is subject to detailed examination by an independent evaluation committee, including experts from relevant government departments and Irish embassies. If the committee deems the project suitable for funding under the programme, a submission is made to her for final approval.

The investment should also be aligned with overarching Government policy, she said. Investment in social infrastructure, especially social housing and nursing homes, is a key priority as set out in Project Ireland 2040, but agricultural projects are included in the programme also, according to the Minister.
Kumawood actress, Rose Akua Attaa Mensah, popularly known in showbiz as Kyeiwaa has urged Ghanaians to exercise patience, and wait on God because He (God) has good plans for them.



She made the statement during her thanksgiving service on August 3 2020, following her marriage to one Michael Kissi Asare



She described her wedding as a testimony, because of her history of a failed marriage with a Kumasi-based spare parts dealer, which ended after only four days.



I thank you all for the love and the wonderful comments I received. You have all done really well, I thank all my church members as well, my pastor and his wife. I never thought God will make me this happy. I didnt know I will also be a Mrs.



"And what makes me happier is when he refers to me as his wife when someone calls him. I had thrown the thoughts of marriage away initially but my pastor assured me that I will get married so I should not lose hope. God had plans for me  so I advise everyone to have patience for God. It will help you a lot, she said.



According to the talented actress, some people may quickly have their dreams fulfilled, while others may delay. However, everyone should continue to have reverence and patience for God no matter their circumstances.



There are some people who have it easy in life, whether they have been anointed by pastors or not. There are people who also find it hard like me, they suffer, and if they do not take care, they could even speak against God.



"However I bless God that my story has changed, that a man came to marry me. If your good things have not come yet, you might even be pressured to kill yourself, and lose the good things in store for you. Wait upon the lord, no matter your circumstance. God has time for us, He has good things in store for us, so let us wait on Him, she concluded.

Source: Ghanaweb









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Ford Motor Co. announced Tuesday that CEO Jim Hackett is retiring from the company he has led since May 2017, and Chief Operating Officer Jim Farley is taking the helm.

Hackett, 65, who went to Ford after retiring as CEO of Steelcase in Grand Rapids, Michigan, "elected to retire from the company," the automaker said in a news release. Ford has struggled under his leadership, with product launch problems involving the Ford Explorer, the Lincoln Aviator and the Police Interceptor; issuing frequent apologies after sales and earnings reports; and seeing a steady drop in stock value that predates the pandemic.

Farley, 58, assumes his role as CEO on Oct. 1. He was also elected to the company's board of directors.

Ford Motor Company CEO Jim Hackett talks with reporter from Detroit Free Press in his office at the Henry Ford II World Center in Dearborn on Wednesday, February 20, 2019.

"Under Hackett, Ford moved aggressively into the new era of smart vehicles and drove a deeper focus on customers wants and needs," the company said. "At the same time, Ford improved the fitness of the base business  restructuring operations, invigorating the product portfolio and reducing bureaucracy."

In the first three months of this year, Ford reported a $2 billion earnings loss. A week ago, the company reported a $1.9 billion earnings loss, which was actually better than Wall Street expected. But the company has sustained criticism for emerging from 2019 without healthier financials.

Two-tone car paint makes a comeback: Nissan, Hyundai among automakers reviving 50s-era styling for SUVs

Ford executive chairman Bill Ford, who has had a close relationship with Hackett since he started, said in a statement, I am very grateful to Jim Hackett for all he has done to modernize Ford and prepare us to compete and win in the future."

He said the "new product vision," led by the all-electric Mustang Mach-E SUV, the 2021 F-150 and the Bronco and Bronco Sport, "is taking shape."

"We now have compelling plans for electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as full vehicle connectivity," Bill Ford said. "And we are becoming much more nimble, which was apparent when we quickly mobilized to make life-saving equipment at the outset of the pandemic.

Story continues

Farley, who worked at Toyota before being tapped by then-CEO Alan Mulally, was named chief operating officer in a management shakeup in February.

James D. Farley Jr. then-President of New Businesses, Technology & Strategy at Ford Motor Company, is photographed at The Factory at Corktown in Detroit on Tuesday, May 7, 2019.

Jim Farley matches an innate feel for cars and customers with great instincts for the future and the new technologies that are changing our industry, Bill Ford said in a statement. "Jims passion for great vehicles and his intense drive for results are well known, and I have also seen him develop into a transformational leader with the determination and foresight to help Ford thrive into the future.

The company noted that Farley's background is extensive:

Farley joined Ford in 2007 as global head of marketing and sales.

He later led Lincoln, Ford South America, Ford of Europe and all Ford global markets.

In April 2019, Farley was named leader of Fords New Businesses, Technology & Strategy team.

Hackett, who will continue as "a special advisor to Ford through March of 2021," believes "the time is right to pass the mantle of leadership to Jim Farley," Ford said.

My goal when I took on the CEO role was to prepare Ford to win in the future, Hackett said in a statement. The hardest thing for a proud, long-lived company to do is change to meet the challenges of the world its entering rather than the world it has known. Im very proud of how far we have come in creating a modern Ford and I am very optimistic about the future."

Farley has been "instrumental in crafting our new product portfolio and redesigning our businesses around the world," Hackett said. "He is also a change agent with a deep understanding of how to lead Ford in this new era defined by smart vehicles in a smart world.

Farley, whose grandfather worked for Ford at the Rouge complex in Michigan, said he was "honored by the opportunity to serve" and take the company into a "new era."

Follow Detroit Free Press reporter Phoebe Wall Howard on Twitter @phoebesaid.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford CEO Jim Hackett to retire; COO Jim Farley to replace him
Dhruva Sarja and Rashmika Mandanna Pogaru was recently back in the news as the team announced the Telugu version of their hit song 'Karabuu, will be unveiled on August 6. And now, the Action Prince has revealed that he will be resume shooting for remaining portions of the film from August 16 in Bengaluru. Dhruva was quoted by the New Indian Express as saying, I am preparing myself to resume shoot for Pogaru songs, and preparations are going on from the teams end to begin the shoot from mid-August.

For the unversed, the actor has been through some trying times in the recent past with the sudden demise of his brother and actor Chiranjeevi Sarja. This was closely followed by Dhruva and his wife testing positive for COVID-19. However, he has now recovered from the virus and has been hitting the gym regularly for his upcoming shoot.

On being quizzed about him extending support to his late brothers pending projects, the 31-year-old said, I will reveal more as and when we start working on the films. At present, I have agreed to dub Chirus portions in Rajamarthanda. I might get emotional watching his visuals at the recording studio, and that is one of the reasons for my decision to take a little more time to start dubbing. Dhruva signed off by stating, Chiru will be my guiding force and I will follow in his footsteps. My brother will decide, and I will go by what is expected out of me.

Pogaru is a mass action entertainer bankrolled by B K Gangadhar under the banner of Sri Jagadguru Movies. The film will release in both Kannada and Telugu languages and features Dhananjay, Raghavendra Rajkumar, P Ravi Shankar, Kai Greene, Sadhu Kokila, and Kuri Prathap in pivotal roles.

ALSO READ: Dhruva Sarja And Rashmika Mandanna Starrer Karabuu Songs Telugu Version To Be Out On August 6

ALSO READ: The Makers Of Chiranjeevi Sarjas Under-Production Films On Completing & Releasing The Movies
Collins Street in Melbourne city centre is deserted after the 8pm to 5am curfew was introduced

Victoria state, Australia's coronavirus hotspot, has announced that businesses will be closed and scaled down in a bid to curb the spread of the virus.

Victoria premier Daniel Andrews said non-essential businesses will close starting late tomorrow in Melbourne, Australia's second-largest city.

The new restrictions followed Mr Andrews on Sunday declaring a disaster in Melbourne and introducing an evening curfew for six weeks. Mr Andrews predicted the latest restrictions would cost 250,000 jobs.

Yesterday Victoria announced 429 new infections and 13 more deaths overnight.

Read More

Chief health officer Brett Sutton said the infection rate would continue at 400 or 500 new Covid-19 cases a day without the new restrictions.

Industries that will have to close on-site operations for six weeks include most retail and manufacturing.

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said that workers in Victoria state will be entitled to a AU$1,500 (1,150) payment if they are required to self-isolate for 14 days and they do not have paid sick leave.

Meanwhile, a Norwegian cruise line has halted all trips and apologised for procedural errors after an outbreak of coronavirus on one ship infected at least five passengers and 36 crew.

Health authorities fear the vessel could have infected dozens of towns and villages along Norway's western coast.

The 41 people on the MS Roald Amundsen who tested positive have been admitted to the University Hospital of North Norway in Tromsoe, north of the Arctic Circle, where the ship currently is docked.

"A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures," Hurtigruten CEO Daniel Skjeldam said in a statement.

He added the company that sails along Norway's picturesque coast between Bergen in the south and Kirkenes in the north is "now in the process of a full review of all procedures, and all aspects of our own handling".

The cruise line has contacted passengers who were on the MS Roald Amundsen for its July 17 and July 24 departures from Bergen to the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, known for its polar bears.

All 158 crew members on MS Roald Amundsen have been tested and 122 were negative. There were 209 guests on the first voyage and 178 on the second voyage.

In the South Pacific, some 340 passengers and crew are confined on a cruise ship in Tahiti after one traveller tested positive for the virus.

The commissariat for French Polynesia said all those aboard the Paul Gauguin cruise ship are being tested and will be kept in their cabins Monday pending the results.

The South Pacific archipelago started reopening to tourists last month, with a requirement that all visitors get tested before arriving and re-test themselves four days after entering.

In France, beach resorts, promenades on the Loire River and farmers markets in the Alps are among scores of spots around the country where everyone is now required to wear a mask outdoors.
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Jennifer Keller, a nationally prominent attorney at Keller/Anderle LLP in Irvine, has been selected by Benchmark Litigation for its annual nationwide list of the "Top 250 Women in Litigation" in the United States. She has been selected annually for the award since 2017.

According to Benchmark Litigation: The Benchmark Litigation 'Top 250 Women in Litigation' is a list of "the most distinguished women in the world of litigation. These women have earned their place amongst the leading female litigators by participating in some of the most impactful litigation matters in recent history as well as by earning the hard-won respect of their peers and clients."

Jennifer Keller is one of America's most successful trial attorneys. She represents both plaintiffs and defendants in a broad range of high-stakes commercial litigation and white collar cases. Chambers USA and Chambers Global, quotes sources who call her "the consummate trial lawyer," "an incredible cross-examiner," and "widely regarded as one of the best trial lawyers in California." She is a Fellow of the invitation-only American College of Trial Lawyers, considered to be among the highest honors a North American trial attorney can receive. Jennifer is also a 2018 inductee into the California Lawyers Association Trial Lawyer Hall of Fame, one of only 32 attorneys so honored throughout the years. Benchmark Litigation lists her as one of the "Top 100 Trial Attorneys in America" and among the "Top 20 Trial Lawyers in California," calling her a "National Litigation Star." In three separate years, in starkly different subjects, Jennifer's trial victories have led to California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) awards.

Over the last 12 months, Jennifer received a plethora of awards and honors, statewide and nationally, including: ranked the #1 attorney in Southern California by Southern California Super Lawyers for 2020; Chambers USA and Chambers Global ranking of lawyers, recommended in General Commercial Litigation and Trials; the 2020 Benchmark Litigation "Top 100 Trial Lawyers in America"; California Lawyer Attorneys of the Year (CLAY) award for 2019; the Los Angeles and San Francisco Daily Journals' list of "The Top 100 Lawyers in California"; and Lawdragon's "The 500 Leading Lawyers in America."

Contact: Kay Anderle

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Address: 18300 Von Karman Ave., Suite 930

Irvine, California 92612-1057

Ph. 949.476.8700

Fax 949.476.0900

[email protected]

www.kelleranderle.com

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Mumbai: Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday lashed out at dirty politics over actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death after his name came up in theories floating online and indirect references to him in speculative news reports. The 30-year-old minister, known to have cordial relations with several personalities in the Mumbai-based Hindi film industry, dismissed the allegations, saying he had no connection with the actors death on June 14.

Thackeray, in a strongly worded statement in Marathi, termed the campaign against him mudslinging stemming from of frustration of the opposition party, a reference to the Bharatiya Janata Party. Thackeray, in a statement that he tweeted, said that he was not even remotely connected to the case of the actor, who is suspected to have committed suicide on June 14.

Those who are pricked by the success and popularity of the Maharashtra government have started dirty politics over the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Unnecessary mudslinging is going on me and the Thackeray family. This is nothing but dirty politics arisen out of frustration, he said in the statement.

This is the first time Thackeray has responded to speculation dragging him into the Sushant Singh Rajput case.

Over the past few weeks, speculative news reports also indirectly mentioned a young politicians involvement in the case and said thats why the Maharashtra government headed by chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was not willing to hand over the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

At least two Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs from MumbaiAtul Bhatkhalkar and Ameet Satamalleged that the Mumbai police are acting under pressure to save an influential young politician. On August 2, Satam, in a letter to Abhishek Trimukhe, deputy commissioner of police (Zone 9), asked if everybody who attended the party at Rajputs house, allegedly held on June 13, were questioned. Why are the Mumbai police not collecting the call data records (CRDs) of all those present at the party? he asked.

Thackeray called the politics over the dead an assault on humanity.

I am not even remotely connected to the case. I wish to say as the grandson of Hinduruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray, that I will never do anything that would hurt the prestige of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena and Thackeray family. The people who are levelling baseless allegations should understand this.

Last week, a photograph of the state environment and tourism minister with an actress went viral. Several people claimed that the actor in the picture was Chakraborty, but it was actually another actress. The film industry is an integral part of Mumbai. Several thousand livelihoods depend on this industry. I have personal relationships with some from the industry, and it is not a crime, added Thackeray in the statement.

Anil Parab, Sena minister and close aide of CM Thackeray on Tuesday challenged the opposition to show proof of Aaditya Thackerays involvement in the Rajput death case.

The minister told reporters, For the past few days, opposition leaders are raising the issue of some links of the young minister in this case. Whoever has evidence that Aaditya Thackeray is connected to the cases, or he went to some party, should come forward. This is nothing but an attempt to malign the image of the young leader.

The Sena minister also took on former chief minister Devendra Fadnavis wife Amruta Fadnavis, who on Monday tweeted that Mumbai was no longer safe to live in. Responding to the tweet, Parab said, When the government changes, the police force does not; it remains the same. The same police provided them security for five years, and they are protected by the same police even today. If they do not have faith in the police any longer, then she should leave the state.

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Happy birthday! And if it isnt your birthday today, it will be soon enough.

Didnt get enough gifts from family and friends? From burgers to beauty products, there are tons of free offers and discounts across Toronto to take advantage of on your special day.

Here are just some of the offers available:

FOOD AND DRINK

Dennys: Enjoy one free Grand Slam Breakfast, with no purchase necessary and no need to sign up for any email lists. Have your ID ready to prove that its your birthday.

Starbucks: You get one free beverage or food item if youre a Starbucks Rewards member. Youll need to have been signed up at least seven days before your birthday and made a star-earning purchase within the last year.

Chatime: Sign up for Chatime Rewards at least seven days before your birthday and enjoy a free drink.

Davids Tea: Join the Frequent Steeper rewards program and receive a free cup of tea on your birthday.

South St. burger: You can get a coupon for a free five ounce burger if you sign up for South St.s Birthday Club at least 72 hours before your birthday.

Harveys: You can also get a free burger from Harveys if you sign up for their newsletter.

Baskin Robbins: If you enter your email address and join Club 31, youll receive a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for an ice cream cone along with $5 off a birthday cake.

Mandarin: If you sign up for their email list at least one day before your birthday, youll receive a coupon for a free buffet meal (as long as youre accompanied by three paying adults.) Mandarin is currently closed for buffet dining due to COVID-19, but the company is extending the redemption period for an additional 90 days after your birthday once dine-in service resumes.

Red Lobster: Sign up for their Fresh Catch News email list at least 10 days before your birthday and receive a free dessert coupon.

Boston Pizza: Similar to Red Lobster, youll get a free dessert on your birthday if you sign up for the MyBP rewards program,

Moxies: This is another restaurant chain that will give you a free dessert on your birthday. However, theres no need to sign up for anything in advance. Simply inform the server that its your birthday in order to receive the dessert.

Panera Bread: You can receive a free birthday treat if you sign up for the MyPanera rewards program.

RETAIL

Sephora: Join the Beauty Insider club and receive a free gift. You can redeem the gift up to two weeks before or after your birthday and anytime during your birthday month. If you were unable to pick up your gift due to the pandemic-related store closures, Sephora is also offering an extra 30 days to pick up your gift.

Clinique: Similar to Sephora, you can also get a free birthday gift from Clinique within 30 days from your birthday if you join their Smart Rewards program

Reitmans: If you create a Reitmans account online, youll receive a coupon for 25 per cent off your next purchase on your birthday.

Old Navy: Enter your email address to sign up for Old Navys newsletter and receive a free birthday gift.

RW & Co.: Join the RWInsider program and receive a free gift on your birthday.

American Eagle: If youre a member of the Real Rewards program, youre entitled to a discount coupon valid during your birthday month. Depending on what level your membership is, the discount will be between 15 and 25 per cent off.

Value Village: Members of the Super Savers Club will receive a 20 per cent off coupon for a purchase of $50 or more.

The Body Shop: Sign up for the Love Your Body Club and receive a $10 off coupon on your birthday.

TY Tom Yun is a breaking news reporter, working out of the Star's radio room in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: @thetomyun
Geneva: Young people who are hitting nightclubs and beaches are fuelling a rise in fresh coronavirus cases across the world, with the proportion of those aged 15 to 24 who are infected rising three-fold in five months.

World Health Organisation analysis of 6 million infections found people aged between 15 and 24 represented a 4.5 per cent share of COVID-19 cases on February 24 compared with 15 per cent on July 12.

Barcelona's bars and clubs have been restricted, but young people are gathering in the streets instead. Credit:AP

In addition to the United States, which leads a global tally with 4.8 million total cases, Spain, Germany, France and Japan have all said that many of their newly infected are young people.

"Younger people tend to be less vigilant about masking and social distancing," Neysa Ernst, nurse manager at Johns Hopkins Hospital's biocontainment unit in Baltimore, Maryland said.
Mumbai, Aug 4 : In a sensational statement made here on Tuesday, a former Maharashtra Chief Minister who presently is BJP Rajya Sabha member alleged that both Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput and his former manager Disha Salian were 'murdered'. Narayan Rane also said police should find out who all attended the parties held on the eve of each death.

The Mumbai Police is an efficient organization and the probe should be carried out properly, but instead, they are trying to save people who are in power, contended the former Shiv Sena Chief Minister.

"Who all were there in the party that was held on June 8 and June 13... the police must find out," Rane demanded, broadly hinting at the presence of a young Maharashtra minister at the gathering.

Rane further alleged that on June 8, Disha Salian was raped and then murdered, and later on June 14 even Sushant was killed.

He claimed that both the incidents are related and pointed out that Disha Salian was raped must have been evident in her autopsy report.

It is not very difficult to find out who was issuing threat calls to Sushant Singh Rajput, Rane said at a press conference.

However, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Monday categorically stated that there was no party at the late actor's home on June 13, as per the CCTV footage now in possession of the police.

On the night of June 8-9, Disha Salian fell from a high rise building in Malad suburb, while Sushant was found dead on June 14 at his rental flat in Bandra and he allegedly hanged himself.

Besides Rane, several leaders from the state BJP, including Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis and sections of Bollywood personalities have been clamouring that the Sushant case should be handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation, but the ruling Maha Vikas Aghadi government has spurned the demands.

Reacting to the BJP charges, senior Sena leader and Transport Minister Anil Parab said Tourism Minister and Chief Minister's son Aditya Thackeray was not linked in any manner either to the Sushant suicide or the case investigations.

"This is being done to tarnish his image... If anybody has any evidence about this, they are free to prove it or expose it in the media," Parab challenged, speaking to media-persons.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
The Securities and Exchange Commission announced charges against a San Antonio-area businessman and his company for running a multi-million dollar fraudulent scheme that victimized scores of investors, many of them retired San Antonio police officers and other first responders.

The SEC's complaint alleges that Victor Lee Farias and his company, Integrity Aviation & Leasing (IAL), raised $14 million from investors, promising that they would use the funds to purchase engines and other aircraft parts for leasing to major airlines. As alleged, Farias and IAL falsely touted Farias's supposed investment experience and IAL's purported competitive advantages, such as an algorithm that supposedly identified profitable leasing opportunities, and represented that all investments would be secured by IAL's assets. According to the complaint, many of the investors were retirees who, in order to invest their retirement funds, had to withdraw the funds from their retirement accounts and deposit them in newly created self-directed IRA accounts. The complaint alleges that IAL never purchased any engines and spent only a small portion of investor funds on aircraft parts. Farias and IAL allegedly diverted more than $11.6 million for unauthorized purposes, such as making $6.5 million in Ponzi-like payments to investors and investing $2.7 million to fund a friend's business. Farias also allegedly misappropriated $2.4 million for personal expenses. According to the complaint, Farias continued to mislead investors after he learned of the SEC's investigation, including by using the letterhead from the SEC's investigative subpoena as "proof" for investors that he was working with the SEC to take IAL public.

The SEC's Office of Investor Education previously issued an investor alert on the risks associated with use of self-directed IRAs.

The SEC's complaint, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas, alleges that Farias and IAL violated the registration provisions of Sections 5(a) and 5(c) of the Securities Act of 1933, and the antifraud provisions of Section 17(a) of the Securities Act and Section 10(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Rule 10b-5 thereunder. The SEC seeks injunctive relief, disgorgement plus prejudgment interest, and civil penalties.

The SEC's investigation was conducted by Rebecca Fike, Kendrea Tannis, Melvin Warren, and Ty Martinez under the supervision of Scott Mascianica and Eric Werner of the Fort Worth Regional Office. The SEC's litigation will be led by Janie Frank and supervised by B. David Fraser.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  Rice imports reached 1.457 million metric tons in the first seven months of the year, data from the Bureau of Plant Industry showed.

This is slightly lower than the 1.491 million MT reported in the same period last year, which includes those that arrived prior to the implementation of the Rice Tariffication Law in March.

For July alone, rice imports were at 61,175 MT, down 67 percent versus the same period last year.

Imports were from China, India, Myanmar, Pakistan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam. About 47,896 MT came from Thailand alone, BPI reported.

In 2019, total rice imports reached 2.9 million MT as the government removed relaxed restrictions on rice imports, while requiring a 35-percent tariff on Southeast Asian grain.

The country was also considered to be the worlds top rice importer, replacing China, last year.

Agriculture Secretary William Dar told CNN Philippines that for this year, imports will still come but not as high as last year. He added that they are expecting around 2 million MT of rice to come in, which is more than enough.

As for the coming months, Rolando Dy, executive director of the Center for Food and Agribusiness of the University of Asia and the Pacific, said with expected good harvests, imports will be moderated.

Philippine Institute for Development Studies Roehlano Briones also expects weaker imports even on lean months, which last from July to September, due to the high price in the world market and enough local supply due to subdued demand.
U.S. Navy Conducts Joint Operations with U.S. Air Force in the Black Sea

US Navy

From U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

03 August 2020

The Arleigh Burke class, guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78), a P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) from Patrol Squadron VP-47, four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, KC-135 Stratotankers from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, Mildenhall, England, and an MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2, Miroslawiec Air Base, Poland, conducted a joint training mission in the Black Sea, Aug. 2, 2020.

The Arleigh Burke class, guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78), a P-8A Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft (MPA) from Patrol Squadron VP-47, four F-16 Fighting Falcons from the 31st Fighter Wing, Aviano Air Base, Italy, KC-135 Stratotankers from the 100th Air Refueling Wing, Mildenhall, England, and an MQ-9 Reaper assigned to the 52nd Expeditionary Operations Group Detachment 2, Miroslawiec Air Base, Poland, conducted a joint training mission in the Black Sea, Aug. 2, 2020.

The training mission occurred in international waters and airspace within the Black Sea and was designed to train U.S. forces to integrate, operate and communicate while executing surface and air operations.

"With over 90 percent of the global economy and digital communication traveling via the world's oceans, protecting the maritime domain has never been more important," said Vice Adm. Gene Black, Commander, U.S. 6th Fleet. "Integrating with U.S. Air Force Europe during this training mission enabled us to conduct realistic and relevant training to reinforce U.S. resolve at sea in the Black Sea region."

Participating units conducted training scenarios that included tactical maneuvering and communications.

"The purpose of this training event was to exercise command and control in a joint training environment with our U.S. Air Force brothers and sisters to increase our tactical proficiency, and Porter's crew did just that," said Cmdr. Craig Trent, Porter's commanding officer. "This training enabled us to continue to build on our combined capability to quickly and effectively respond to any threats in the complex maritime environment."

Porter and the P-8A Poseidon are currently operating in the Black Sea following participation in the 20th iteration of Exercise Sea Breeze. Exercise Sea Breeze is an annual, multinational maritime exercise co-led by the U.S. and Ukraine and designed to enhance interoperability among participating nations and strengthen regional security in the Black Sea.

Joint training missions like this are vital to the readiness of U.S. military forces and demonstrate our capability to integrate platforms across multiple domains.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with joint, allied, and interagency partners in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 21:12:32|Editor: huaxia

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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks during a press briefing in Washington D.C., the United States, on March 5, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

The incumbent U.S. administration's disapproval ratings have risen sharply. Finding a scapegoat is the handiest option for an anxious Pompeo, as well as other like-minded China hawks in the administration with elections only 90 days away. China is the target. No surprise there.

by Xinhua writer He Fei

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- As the top diplomat of the world's sole superpower, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo ought to promote global peace and stability. Instead, he has spent much of his tenure in the past two years on bashing China and stoking division and chaos in the international community.

Pompeo is no fool. He finished top in his class from the United States Military Academy at West Point and was a rather successful businessman and lawyer before entering politics. He must have anticipated enormous benefits by launching a boisterous anti-China campaign, even if it meant sacrificing the interests of the American people.

Boosting the incumbent U.S. administration's re-election odds in November has become an urgent task. Under the watch of the current White House, about 5 million have been infected in the pandemic and over 150,000 lost their lives in the country so far. In the meantime, the knock-on effects of the outbreak have led to unprecedented job losses and a sharp economic downturn. The result: the administration's disapproval ratings have risen sharply.

People tour the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the United States, July 31, 2020. (Photo by Ting Shen/Xinhua)

Finding a scapegoat is the handiest option for an anxious Pompeo, as well as other like-minded China hawks in the administration with elections only 90 days away. China is the target. No surprise there.

Pompeo also sees an opportunity to promote his own political ambitions by attacking China with outright lies. That's because acting tough on China can help promote his popularity among America's conservative voting base.

Being an ambitious career politician, he has quite a history of staging melodramatic political showmanship for personal political gain. His rise to prominence as a new political star in Washington from a freshmen congressman by sharply lambasting then U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton over the Benghazi affair is a classic example.

Pompeo's scandalous Madison Diners in 2018 and off-public-schedule meetings with conservative influentials during work trips have drawn widespread criticism in the United States that the secretary of state has been using public resources to cultivate a supporter base for his own political ambitions. He has in fact turned his office into a launchpad for just that.

A plane flies in the sky with the U.S. national flags in the foreground in Washington, D.C., the United States, on July 21, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

Underneath these political calculations lie a hegemonic thinking and Cold-War mentality ingrained in Pompeo that propel him to view China's development in a you-win-I-lose manner.

In his Nixon library speech late last month, Pompeo sought to frame China as an ideological threat, and coax U.S. allies to form an anti-China alliance, demonstrating that some U.S. politicians are still trying to use the obsolete zero-sum logic to define America's role in the 21st-century world and its relationship with the rest of the international community in an age of globalization.

Pompeo and other China hardliners should bear in mind that engagement, not decoupling, is the right way to manage the most important bilateral relationship in the world. And cooperation, not confrontation, is the only wise choice for both countries - and the world - to better prosper. 
A new stop will be added to the CityCat timetable on Friday as Brisbane City Council scrambles to service Kangaroo Point residents who lost their single-hull CityHopper ferry services last week.

The change in river passenger services comes as the council investigates the future of eight old CityHopper cross-river ferries that connected Kangaroo Point and the city.

Brisbane's CityCats will stop at Holman Street, Kangaroo Point, for residents. Credit:Robert Rough

Lord mayor Adrian Schrinner said the addition of Holman Street to the CityCat route would be a short-term change while a review of the councils old timber ferries continued.

Problems with the timber ferries were observed a fortnight ago.
Happy Birthday, Meghan Markle! The Duchess of Sussex turns 39 today.

Even after American showbiz became a member of the British royal family after marrying Prince Harry and quit two years later, Meghan Markle continued to grow an outspoken feminist.

Before becoming a celebrity, she first had a career in activism.

Meghan, who used to be a little girl with big dreams, fought sexism when she was only 11 years old.

Since then, she addresses issues of gender inequality, racism, and many more. The 39-year-old even talked about it in her now-defunct blog, The Tig.

Meghan Markle continues to empower people, and because of that, here are some of the most inspiring quotes she said in her 39 years of existence.

"We just need to be kinder to ourselves. If we treated ourselves the way we treated our best friend, can you imagine how much better off we would be?"

We all know the golden rules that we should treat others as we want them to treat us. While we tend to treat our friends with love and kindness, we're often tough on ourselves.

It's natural for us to try to be kind to the people we care about in our lives, but not all of us are good at being compassionate to ourselves.

Treat yourself kindly so you can boost your work ethic, your health, and happiness. Self-compassion is conducive to motivation, said Dr. Kristin Neff, an associate professor of Human Development.

"You are going to lead with love, you are going to lead with compassion, you are going to use your voice. You are going to use your voice in a stronger way than you've ever been able to because most of you are 18 or you're going to turn 18, so you're going to vote."

Good thing Prince Harry is always supportive of Meghan Markle as she still wants to make a difference.

Speaking to Immaculate Heart for her commencement speech, she told the students to make a difference in the community by speaking out and always register to vote.

Not voting means giving up your voice. If you don't vote, someone else will decide for you. So use that power to vote, and vote for good.

"Continue to believe in yourselves, believe in what makes you unique, and don't be afraid to do what you know is right even when it's not popular, even when it's never been done before scares people. And even if it scares you."

In her most recent speech for Girl Up Summit 2020, Meghan Markle asked the audience to believe in yourself.

The Duchess of Sussex had a rough year ever since quitting the royal family, battling British tabloids, and being a mom to a one-year-old kid.

Though the former actress has all of these challenges, self-doubt, and fear as most people do, everything we have in our lives is the result of our belief in ourselves and the idea that anything is possible.

Believing in yourself is a critical step on the path to success.

"It is just imperative: women need a seat at the table, they need an invitation to be seated there, and in some cases, where this is not available, well then, you know what, they need to create their table. We need a global understanding that we cannot implement change effectively without women's political participation."

A lot of women shy away from the idea of a fight, but not Meghan Markle. Considering the odds, who could blame them?

The Duchess of Sussex talked about it in her 2015 UN Women Speech.

Not so many women are okay with the implications of a power struggle.

But to be able to be heard, pull up a chair and bring your unique strengths and perspective.

Empowering women is vital for society's development because it enhances the quality of human resources available for sustainable development and quantity.

Additionally, empowered women also strengthen the economy, according to a Brookings report by the United Nations Foundation.

"It's a shame that that is the climate in this world, to focus that much on that, to be discriminatory. I think, you know, at the end of the day, I'm just proud of who I am and where I've come from, and we have never put any focus on that. We've just focused on who we are as a couple."

Are you going to stay silent or speak up? Confronting prejudice is an effective way to get people to stop their discriminatory ways.

With Meghan Markle being a black woman, she surely received a lot of hate resulting from prejudice.

But it is never anybody's responsibility to educate someone hateful or discriminatory toward you. All you can do is speak up, as it will make you feel better and make you a better person, make meaning out of experiences, and control what you can.

With Meghan Markle turning 39 on her birthday until she turns old, she will continue to kick butts, fight for what is right and speak what's on her mind.

READ MORE: Ellen DeGeneres Quitting Show, James Corden To Take Over Afternoon Slot?
BOSTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG), a leading provider of solutions implementation and operations improvement services to the public sector, is pleased to announce that it has been awarded the contract to support the State of New Jersey's COVID-19 contact tracing initiative. This news follows an announcement made late last month by the New Jersey Department of Health confirming the award. PCG was selected from a competitive field of applicants based on its record of success, resources, and commitment to serving the diverse communities of New Jersey. New Jersey is the latest state to partner with PCG in their efforts to stop the spread of the coronavirus since May 2020. The firm is also supporting contact tracing programs in New York State, Wisconsin, and Arkansas.

"Public Consulting Group has always been guided by our mission to help our public sector partners deliver the best possible outcomes to the communities they serve," said William Mosakowski, Founder, President and CEO of PCG. "While this pandemic has caused unprecedented, widespread disruption, we remain committed to helping our government clients across the country rise to the challenges of COVID-19 and are proud to continue to deliver innovative solutions that matter, like our new contact tracing services."

In New Jersey, PCG will build and deploy a robust workforce of contact tracers to support local health departments across the state in their efforts to quickly identify and alert individuals who may have been exposed to the virus. PCG is proud to work with the state's Community Contact Tracing Corps, which has been developed through the New Jersey Department of Health, the administration of Governor Phil Murphy, and the Rutgers School of Public Health. To ensure the program's success, PCG will work alongside a team of three subcontractors with recognized expertise in workforce recruitment, healthcare staffing services, and community outreach: The Computer Merchant LTD, Staffing Etc., and Kivvit respectively.

John Danieli, President and CEO of The Computer Merchant Ltd., said, "TCM has long been a workforce solution resource for private sector New Jersey companies and we are thrilled to now work directly with state government as well." Added Hope Porter, Co-Founder of Staffing Etc., "As a healthcare professional whose company provided Newark Airport screeners during the 2014 Ebola crisis, we are honored to offer help to New Jersey once more."

Maggie Moran, Kivvit Managing Partner, said, "We recognize the vital importance contact tracing plays in creating a safer environment for people across the state, especially for minority communities hit hardest by the pandemic. Kivvit is eager to use our expertise as we partner with PCG to bolster the ongoing efforts of health officials to combat COVID-19. New Jersey is our home. It's where our families live, our children play, and our friends work. We stand ready to do our part in helping our state overcome this dreadful disease."

PCG's contact tracing services combine the best of the firm's offerings for public health, project management, and human capital management in addressing the pandemic. With programs successfully underway in New York State, Arkansas, and Wisconsin, PCG has proven experience supporting thorough and effective contact tracing programs, providing a dedicated team with the experience and skills sets to meet this unprecedented challenge.

About Public Consulting Group

Public Consulting Group, Inc. (PCG) is a leading public sector solutions implementation and operations improvement firm that partners with health, education, and human services agencies to improve lives. Founded in 1986 and headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, PCG has over 2,500 professionals in more than 60 offices worldwideall committed to delivering solutions that change lives for the better. The firm has four designated practice areas with extensive experience in all 50 states, clients in six Canadian provinces, and a growing practice in Europe. Often combining resources from two or more practice areas, PCG offers clients a multidisciplinary approach to solve their challenges or pursue opportunities. To learn more, visit www.publicconsultinggroup.com.

About The Computer Merchant

The Computer Merchant, Ltd. (TCM) is a Veteran-Owned, national provider of workforce solutions and staffing services in business since 1980. TCM has deep national public and private sector, health and human services and information technology delivery expertise across all 50 states. Since 2010, it has deployed over 10,000 consultants in 34 Fortune 500 companies, 150 Fortune 1000 businesses as well as government agencies across the United States.

About Staffing Etc.

Staffing Etc. is a Minority Business Enterprise (MBE), Woman-Owned (WO), Small Disadvantage Business (SDB). Since 2003, Staffing Etc. has provided RNs, LPNs, CNAs, Social Workers, Physicians and Allied Health Professionals and administrative staff to our clients at their time of need, staffing over two million hours of quality staff throughout the nation.

About Kivvit

Kivvit, an award-winning independent public affairs and strategic communications firm with decades of experience in government, politics, issue advocacy campaigns and community relations efforts in the state. Kivvit has partnered with Jeannine LaRue on this critically important effort. Larue has spent almost 40 years serving the public on policy, governmental and political issues in the public and private sectors. She is a founding board member of the Wynona's House Child Advocacy Center in Newark and has served on numerous boards and commissions across the state.

Media Contact

Stephen Skinner, Public Consulting Group

(617) 717-1150

[email protected]

SOURCE Public Consulting Group

Related Links

http://www.publicconsultinggroup.com


SAN ANTONIO  Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday reiterated that school boards have authority to overrule advisories from local public health officials in setting when schools re-open and when students go back to in-classroom learning during the pandemic.

It really is the responsibility of and the necessity of the locally elected school boards that are responsive to the teachers, to the parents, to the students, to the public, to make the decision that is best for the school, Abbott said during a news briefing at a warehouse in San Antonio used for shipping personal protection equipment to school districts across Texas to protect against the spread of COVID-19.

Abbott said the school boards can take input from local public health officials, but if there is a disagreement, the local school district will prevail.

His remarks met with a sharp rebuke from the Texas State Teachers Association, which represents 60,000 teachers and support staff.

The governor needs to stop passing the buck to local school boards on when to reopen and should mandate no district start in-person instruction before Sept. 8 and then only when it is safe to do so, said the groups president, Ovidia Molina, in a statement.

The governors guidance on school re-openings has been met with confusion in many parts of the state. At least one Bexar County school superintendent has talked about suing over the directives, the Boerne Independent School District moved ahead to open schools in two weeks, and some leaders expressed frustration about confusing  and even contradictory  mandates from state and local governments as coronavirus infections and deaths continue to increase.

The San Antonio Metropolitan Health District had earlier issued an order that prohibited in-person instruction in Bexar County schools until after Sept. 7, Labor Day. The health district has since recast its order as a recommendation.

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff have said they hope school districts will honor such advisories and use remote instruction to avoid continuing spread of the coronavirus.

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Abbott said Tuesday he doesnt see any confusion in his orders. Abbott said hes convinced hes been clear in his directives already, but if need be, he said hes prepared to issue an executive order to make it more clear.

If they want me to issue an executive order, I can cut and paste what we issued and sign it, Abbott said.

Abbott was referring to a joint letter he issued last week along with key members of the Legislature that stressed it was up to local school districts to make the decision on how and when schools open. But schools that decline to open without approval from the Texas Education Agency risk losing state funding.

Molina, the leader of the state teachers association, said Abbott is minimizing the pressure the state is putting on districts to reopen for classroom learning.

The governor continues to ignore the fact that when schools do start, the Texas Education Agency will require districts to offer in-person instruction to students who request it, putting those students, school employees and families at risk, her statement said.

Abbott was asked by reporters if people should take guidance from him and politicians over doctors in sending kids back to school.

This is not my decision and no one is having to place trust or non-trust in me, he said. Very important the decision is made by local school boards and superintendents.

State Sen. Paul Bettencourt, R-Houston, said all that Abbott and other state officials are doing is trying to block local officials from overstepping their authority and handcuffing local school boards who were left as little more than spectators as some counties were talking about closing schools well into October.

Specifically, he said there are 17 counties where local officials were essentially going to block school re-openings for 3.2 million students without any input from school districts, who are supposed to have authority.

Let the school districts try to open under the plan offered by the Texas Education Agency which has a lot of built in flexibility for either virtual or in-classroom learning, Bettencourt said. What we cannot have is local health departments jumping the gun and taking their focus away from hotspot clean up.

Abbott, who was just a few blocks from Walzem Elementary School in San Antonio, said a key is to make sure school boards have flexibility. He said if outbreaks occur during the return to school, districts can close buildings for 5 days to disinfect while still doing distance learning.

He said as the state re-opens schools, the health and safety of students, teachers and parents is the absolute top priority.

Nim Kidd, the states director of emergency management, said the warehouse where Abbott was speaking Tuesday is one of 40 around the state that are stocked with personal protection equipment that has been being distributed statewide.

Already more than 132 million masks, and nearly 33 million gloves have been distributed around the state. Almost 60 million of those masks have been distributed to schools along with nearly 568,000 gallons of hand sanitizer.

That state has ordered over $1 billion of equipment and almost $600 million already received. Another $400 million is set to be delivered in the next 60 days, Kidd said.
The COVID-19 pandemic has notably taken a more significant toll on men compared to women, in terms of both disease severity and death. Now, a new study by researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and published on the preprint server medRxiv* in August 2020 confirms the increased risk that males have for death following COVID-19 disease while also highlighting worse outcomes in women with coronary artery disease, obesity, and hypoxia compared to men. These emphasize the need for extra care in these groups and also helps explain the sex differences seen in COVID-19.

This scanning electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 (round gold objects) emerging from the surface of cells cultured in the lab. SARS-CoV-2, also known as 2019-nCoV, is the virus that causes COVID-19. The virus shown was isolated from a patient in the U.S. Image captured and colorized at NIAID's Rocky Mountain Laboratories (RML) in Hamilton, Montana. Credit: NIAID

Prior Studies

Earlier studies showed that case fatality rates for men with COVID-19 in China were almost double those for women. Again, Italian researchers reported that over 80% of patients in intensive care were men. The reasons for this male preponderance of severe disease have been speculated to be pre-existing diseases more commonly found in men, such as cardiovascular disease or diabetes, as well as the higher expression of ACE2 and TMPRSS2 in men which are necessary for viral entry into the host cells.

However, the current researchers reasoned that the difference in risk could be due to sex-specific clinical and molecular risk factors, which have not been explored so far. This study is therefore aimed at finding risk factors that act differently in the sexes.

Finding Sex-Dependent Risk Factors

The study included over 3,000 patients in a hospital system, who had a positive COVID-19 diagnosis. Over 99% of the patients died or were discharged over the follow-up period from April 13, 2020, through June 2, 2020. The patients were male in about 60%, and somewhat equally divided between Hispanic, Non-Hispanic black, and Non-Hispanic white, with less than 5% being Asian.

Male patients had a median age of about 64 years while it was 74 years for females, and the percentage of ever-smokers was ~17% vs. 8% for men relative to women. Hypertension, diabetes, asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and obesity were more common in women, however, at 40% (vs 33%), 26% (vs 23%), 11% (vs 7%) and 10% (vs 7%), compared to men.

Flow diagram of included patients

Other Diseases and Mortality Risk

Men had 20% higher odds of death compared to women after adjusting for multiple factors like age, race, other illnesses, and the oxygen saturation at admission. The researchers found that the presence of hypoxia at admission was an independent predictor of death, conferring almost threefold higher odds of death, but not obesity or heart disease.

Next, the researchers looked at the risk of death in each of these conditions for men and women with COVID-19 separately. This showed that women with these conditions were at a higher mortality risk than men. In fact, obese men or men with heart disease had no effect on COVID-19 mortality in men but exerted a negative effect on women, with 70% to 85% higher odds of death in women with heart disease or obesity who developed COVID-19.

Concerning hypoxia at baseline, the effect was to increase the odds of death twofold in men, but over four times in women. This means that the odds of death are higher among men than in women without hypoxia, but in hypoxic individuals, the risk is the same among men and women.

Laboratory Differences and Mortality Risk

The baseline values for inflammatory markers were lower in women than in men, including white cells, procalcitonin, LDH, CRP, and ferritin. Interestingly, while ferritin levels were lower in women than in men, at ~ 500 vs. 960 ng/mL, the former had over threefold the upper limit of normal for their sex, vs. 2.4 times in men.

The proinflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8 were higher in both men and women, but lower in women than in men. TNF and IL-1 were at the upper limit of normal in both.

Among all these markers, higher mortality was predicted by increased white cell count, CRP, LDH, D-dimer, and procalcitonin, as well as IL-6 and IL-8. Lower albumin levels also predicted a higher risk of death. Ferritin was linked to higher odds of mortality by ~70% in women but not in men. Procalcitonin elevation increased the odds of death in men by over twofold but not in women. LDH predicted higher odds of death in both men and women, but weakly in the former, while the odds were 2.5 times higher in women.

Among patients who had normal blood oxygenation at admission, LDH, ferritin, and IL-6 were linked to 40% to 200% higher odds of death, but not among hypoxic patients.

Implications

The study shows that women with obesity and ischemic heart disease are disproportionately at risk of death from COVID-19 compared to men, even though both sexes are at higher risk from these comorbidities.

Secondly, when it came to patients without hypoxia at baseline, both men and women were at equal risk for death. This is despite the fact that men are at higher risk for death overall. Thus, hypoxia abolishes the protective effect of the female sex. men were somewhat more likely to have hypoxia at baseline.

The researchers point out the practical application of this finding: The risk-benefit ratio of an early-intervention agent administered to non-hypoxic patients may differ for men and women, whereas the risk-benefit ratio would not differ by sex for a therapy administered to hypoxic patients.

Inflammation is confirmed to be a predictor of mortality. In patients without hypoxia, higher levels of LDH, CRP, IL-6, and ferritin predicted higher mortality. Thus, the study is the first to reveal the sex-dependent nature of these comorbidities and inflammatory markers. It identifies two patient subgroups who merit more careful evaluation and care.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.
Specialized Covid-19 police hit Cancun streets

Cancun, Q.R.  With trained, specialized and designated officers, special Covid-19 police have hit the streets of Cancun. The first of their kind in the country, the Policia de Reaccion COVID-19 will ensure that all citizens and visitors to the city abide by the current health protocols.

Cancun mayor Mara Lezama Espinoza led the official start on the esplanade of the Municipal Secretariat of Public Security, emphasizing that these specialized police officers will be a fundamental key to contributing to the health of the people of Benito Juarez.

You are the pioneers in this field so we can have a new healthy and calm normal and with impeccable performance, always respecting human rights and being empathetic, we will succeed, she announced.

During the ceremony, Lezama Espinoza emphasized that the primary mission of this new division is to alert and prevent the spread of the virus. Incorporating the Policia de Reaccion COVID-19 into the Seguridad Publica y Transito is one of the best decisions we have taken to face the pandemic, especially at a time when we must implement all the preventive measures in public areas and zones allowed with the restart of activities, she emphasized.

These are not police that arrive to be an inquisitor, to be a tax collector, they are a police that comes to save lives, to help us spread the message, so that all those who have to go to essential activities have guidance to return safe and sound, she concluded.

In shifts, the officers, who can be identified by their specialized arm bands, work in the city with GPS motion sensor night vision cameras on their lapels, with which they can document every moment with citizens.

Other cities have already expressed interest in creating a similar Covid-19 police force, waiting for Cancun to announce the new forces usefulness and benefits.
South Korea said Tuesday it will release data on restaurants that follow sanitary guidelines meant to avoid the spread of the new coronavirus to induce people to dine out more without being excessively concerned about safety.



"The data on the safe restaurants will speed up the efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19," the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs said in a statement. "We plan to build more open data that can lend a hand to the country's anti-virus fight."



The country has been building up a database of restaurants that strictly follow sanitary and distancing guidelines to cope with the new coronavirus pandemic. So far, 2,309 establishments are on the list.



Health authorities have been advising restaurants to have their employees wear protective masks at all times and to provide separate utensils for communal dishes and pots.



Sharing a dish provided simultaneously for a group has been common practice in Korean culture, but the virus pandemic has made South Koreans opt for separate dishes. The data will be updated every week.













South Korea's top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. plans to reflect the data on its mobile map application to help users find nearby shops that follow anti-virus guidelines starting Wednesday.



The country's new coronavirus infections reached 14,423 as of Tuesday, with the number of imported cases especially rising sharply recently as more South Korean workers returned home, along with cluster infections from overseas sailors.



Locally transmitted cases nevertheless showed a clear sign of a slowdown. South Korea added just 13 cases on the day. (Yonhap)
As a parent of a teacher and as a grandparent, I believe the Ontario government has failed in its duty to prepare for opening our schools. Large corporations continue to have employees working from home as they prepare retrofits to protect the health of employees. From thermal cameras upon entry to changes in air filtering systems to virus killing lights  work places are being reconfigured from a health perspective.

Ontario students and teachers who require much greater proximity and interaction than office workers deserve the same considerations. Having nurses present to diagnose an undesired outcome is far less effective than taking preventive measures.
HIROSHIMA, Japan - For nearly 70 years, until he turned 85, Lee Jong-keun hid his past as an atomic bomb survivor, fearful of the widespread discrimination against blast victims that has long persisted in Japan.

But Lee, 92, is now part of a fast-dwindling group of survivors, known as hibakusha, that feels a growing urgency  desperation even  to tell their stories. These last witnesses to what happened 75 years ago this Thursday want to reach a younger generation that they feel is losing sight of the horror.

The knowledge of their dwindling time  the average age of the survivors is more than 83 and many suffer from the long-lasting effects of radiation  is coupled with deep frustration over stalled progress in global efforts to ban nuclear weapons. According to a recent Asahi newspaper survey of 768 survivors, nearly two-thirds said their wish for a nuclear-free world is not widely shared by the rest of humanity, and more than 70% called on a reluctant Japanese government to ratify a nuclear weapons ban treaty.

We must work harder to get our voices heard, not just mine but those of many other survivors, Lee said in an interview Tuesday at the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum. A nuclear weapons ban is the starting point for peace.

All lives are equal, he added. As someone who has faced harsh discrimination, thats the other lesson I want to pass on to younger people.

The first U.S. atomic bombing killed 140,000 people in the city of Hiroshima. A second atomic attack on Nagasaki on Aug. 9, 1945, killed another 70,000. Japan surrendered on Aug. 15, bringing an end to a conflict that began with its attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941 during its attempt to conquer Asia.

Some 20,000 ethnic Korean residents of Hiroshima are believed to have died in the nuclear attack. The city, a wartime military hub, had a large number of Korean workers, including those forced to work without pay at mines and factories under Japans colonization of the Korean Peninsula from 1910 to 1945.

On the morning of Aug. 6, 1945, 16-year-old Lee, a second-generation Korean born in Japan, was on his way to work at Japans national railway authority in Hiroshima when the uranium bomb nicknamed Little Boy exploded. The whole sky turned yellowish orange, knocking him face first to the ground, Lee said. He suffered severe burns on his neck that took four months to heal.

Back at work, co-workers wouldnt go near him, saying he had A-bomb disease. Little was known about the effects of the bomb, and some believed radiation was similar to an infectious disease. Prospective marriage partners also worried about genetic damage that could be passed to children.

Lee had been bullied at school because of his Korean background, his classmates ridiculing the smell of kimchi in his lunchbox. Revealing that he was also an A-bomb victim would have meant more trouble. So Lee lived under a Japanese name, Masaichi Egawa, until eight years ago, when he first publicly revealed his identity during a cruise where atomic bomb survivors shared their stories. Until then, he hasnt even told his wife he is hibakusha.

No ethnic Koreans want to reveal their past as hibakusha, Lee said.

Japanese bomb survivors had no government support until 1957, when their yearslong efforts won official medical support. But a strict screening system has left out many who are still seeking compensation. Assistance for survivors outside Japan was delayed until the 1980s.

The atomic bombings set off a nuclear arms race in the Cold War. The United States justified the bombings as a way to save untold lives by preventing a bloody invasion of mainland Japan to end the war, a view long accepted by many Americans. But Gar Alperovitz, author of Atomic Diplomacy: Hiroshima and Potsdam and The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb, said at a recent online event that documentary records show wartime American leaders knew of Japans imminent surrender and the bombings were not necessary militarily.

I cant live for another 50 years, said Koko Kondo, 75, who was an 8-month-old baby in her mothers arms when their house collapsed from the blast about a kilometre (half a mile) away. I want each child to live a full life, and that means we have to abolish nuclear weapons right now.

Even after so many years, too many nuclear weapons remain, Kondo said, adding, We are not screaming loud enough for the whole world to hear.

Kondo, who survived the blast as a baby, is the daughter of the Rev. Kiyoshi Tanimoto, one of six atomic bomb survivors featured in John Herseys book Hiroshima. She struggled for decades until she reached middle age to overcome the pain she experienced in her teens and the rejection by her fiance.

She was almost 40 when she decided to follow her fathers path and become a peace activist. She was inspired by his last sermon, in which he spoke about devoting his life to Hiroshimas recovery.

This year, the frustration of survivors is greater because peace events leading up to the Aug. 6 memorial have been largely cancelled or scaled back amid the coronavirus pandemic.

For the first time in over a decade, Keiko Ogura wont provide English guided tours of Hiroshimas Peace Park.

Ogura was 8 when she saw the searing bright flash outside her house, about 2 kilometres (1.2 miles) from ground zero. Smashed to the ground, she was woken by her little brothers wails. The rubble of their house was burning.

Crowds of people with severe burns, their hair charred into curls, headed to a shrine near her home, grunting and asking for water. Two people dropped dead after receiving water from her, a scene that haunted her for years. She blamed herself for surviving when so many others died.

Oguras relatives and friends told her to hide her status as a hibakusha or nobody would marry her. She kept her past to herself for decades, until her husband, a peace activist, died and she decided to continue his efforts. She set up a group of interpreters for peace.

Her relatives dont want her to mention them in her speeches. Why? Because people are still suffering, Ogura, 83, said in a recent online briefing. The impact of radiation, the fear of it and the suffering were not just felt during the moment of the blast  we still live with it today.

Survivors are frustrated by their inability to see a nuclear-free world in their lifetime, and by Japans refusal to sign or ratify a nuclear weapons ban treaty enacted in 2017.

But no matter how small, we must pursue our efforts, said Ogura. I will keep talking as long as I live.

More than 300,000 hibakusha have died since the attacks, including 9,254 in the past fiscal year, according to the health ministry.

For me, the war is not over yet, said Michiko Kodama, 82, who survived the bombing but has lost most of her relatives to cancer. Years after the atomic bombing, a receptionist at a clinic noted Kodamas hibakusha medical certificate in a loud voice, and a patient sitting next to her moved away.

The fear of death, prejudice and discrimination continues, and nuclear weapons still exist.

We dont have much time left.  I want to tell our story to the younger generations when I still can, Kodama said. If someone wants to hear my story, I will go anywhere and talk.

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LONDON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb in the UK today announced that it has signed up to Business in the Community's Race at Work Charter.

The initiative, developed in partnership with the UK government, is designed to foster a public commitment from businesses to improving outcomes for Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) employees in the workplace.

Business in the Community was created nearly 40 years ago by HRH The Prince of Wales to champion responsible business.

David Furby, Regional President, Chubb European Group said: "I'm pleased we are taking this important step to focus our efforts and I look forward to partnering with Chubb's internal Cultural Awareness Network to identify opportunities that will have a meaningful impact for our colleagues and business."

Sandra Kerr CBE, race equality director at Business in the Community said:

"We would like to thank Chubb for setting out their commitment to being an inclusive and responsible employer. By signing up to the Charter they are showing that they aspire to have one of the most inclusive workplaces in the country. Together we can break down barriers in the workplace, raise the aspirations and achievements of talented individuals, and deliver an enormous boost to the long-term economic position of the UK."

About Chubb

Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries and territories, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London, Paris and other locations, and employs approximately 33,000 people worldwide. Additional information can be found at: www.chubb.com

About Business in the Community

Business in the Community, part of the Prince's Responsible Business Network, is a business-led membership organisation made up of progressive businesses of all sizes who understand that the prosperity of business and society are mutually dependent. We exist to build healthy communities with successful businesses at their heart. We use our Responsible Business Map to guide members on a journey of continuous improvement, working across the whole responsible business agenda. From community engagement to employment, diversity and the circular economy, we offer expert advice and specialist resources, driving best practice by convening, sharing learning and recognising great performance across our influential network. www.bitc.org.uk

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The arrival of hihi (stitchbirds) at Shakespear Open Sanctuary last month (HM July 1) means that all three of New Zealands honeyeaters are now in residence, the other two being tuis and the korimako (bellbird).

Tuis are a regular feature on the peninsula but bellbirds less so, despite the fact theyve been coming and going regularly since becoming a common bird on Tiritiri Matangi Island.

In the mid 1990s I counted 12 bellbirds on a walk from Okoromai Bay to the top end of Waterfall Gully, a number I havent seen since. When we found them breeding in the park TVNZ and TV3 news crews turned up and bellbirds featured on the news.

When Tawharanui Regional Park became a sanctuary it almost immediately filled up with bellbirds thought to have come from Little Barrier Island. When Shakespear Park became a sanctuary in 2010 we all expected a similar thing to happen, but it failed to eventuate.

In the last two years, however, bellbird numbers at Shakespear Open Sanctuary have been building up. In spring I saw a pair feeding two newly fledged young just above the waterfall in Waterfall Gully, and they wont have been the only pair breeding in the park. A pair was even thought to be nesting on the peninsula at Coalmine Bay.

It may be a while before we know if this is a turning of the tide but at least its a step in the right direction. And if bellbirds are doing well in the open sanctuary it wont be long before we see them on the coast on a more regular basis. I was thrilled in late summer to hear a bellbird singing just behind the Weiti Yacht Club where Forest and Bird will soon be setting up a new community trapping line. This will control the rats and possums that prey on birds nests and give pioneering bellbirds such as this a better chance of success.

It would be great to get a better idea of how many and how far bellbirds are moving down the peninsula. If you have bellbirds coming to a feeder or see them anywhere on the Coast please email Hibiscus Coast Forest & Birds Jenny Hanwell, j.hanwell@forestandbird.org.nz to add your sighting to the big picture.
GaN devices will trigger a technological revolution in the field of power supplies. Only GaN devices can support high-frequency, low-loss operation.

Navitas Semiconductor announced today that OPPO, the worlds leading fast-charge phone company had adopted its gallium nitride (GaNFast) power ICs to enable the worlds smallest, thinnest and lightest 110W fast charger for phones, tablets and laptops.

Measuring only 65.5 x 45.5 x 12 mm (36 cc), OPPOs 110W Mini fast charger is over 12x smaller than the 96W charger supplied with the Apple MacBook Pro 16. With GaNFast technology, fast-charger design has finally caught up with the demand for slimline laptops, tablets and phones. With its ultra-thin 12 mm profile, this fast charger is now 20% lower profile than the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Air.

The incredible savings in size and weight are possible thanks to gallium nitride (GaN), a next-generation semiconductor technology that runs up to 20x faster than old, slow silicon chips. Navitas GaNFast power ICs monolithically integrate GaN power, GaN analog and GaN logic circuits on the same chip, to enable faster, reliable, efficient operation.

The 110W Mini SuperVOOC charger was launched on July 15th by Jialiang (Jeff) ZHANG, Chief Charging Technology Scientist at OPPO, who said GaN devices will trigger a technological revolution in the field of power supplies, adding Only GaN devices can support high-frequency, low-loss operation.

Navitas and OPPO design engineers partnered to develop a new, two-stage, very high-speed (MHz) Pulsed-DCX converter topology that allows the use of advanced, slimline planar transformers to replace legacy wire-wound transformers and eliminates the bulky electrolytic capacitors which can take up 40% of old, slow, silicon-based designs. The first stage uses NV6125 GaNFast power ICs to isolate and step-down the voltage, with the second stage controlling the current for optimal battery charging. The 110W Mini includes a Power Factor Correction (PFC) function and is rated for universal AC input  meaning it is the ideal, world-wide charger. The full 110W rating is available via USB-PPS, with 65W fast charging for SuperVOOC and USB-PD protocols.

Laptop users suffer from heavy, bulky, tangled chargers every time they travel, or even just commute. The 110W Mini is the featherweight fast charger that lifts the burden, said Stephen Oliver, Navitas Vice-President Marketing and Investor Relations, adding OPPOs dedication to fast-charging and pioneering adoption of GaNFast technology to enable new topologies is a clear game-changer. Now, consumers can carry a single, small, flexible fast charger that meets all their needs from their laptop and tablet to phone and earbuds  and charge them at incredible speed.

About Navitas:

Navitas Semiconductor Inc. is the worlds first and only GaN Power IC company, founded in 2014. Navitas has a strong and growing team of power semiconductor industry experts with a combined 200 years of experience in materials, devices, applications, systems and marketing, plus a proven record of innovation with over 300 patents among its founders. GaN power ICs monolithically-integrate GaN power, GaN analog and GaN logic circuits to enable faster charging, higher power density and greater energy savings for mobile, consumer, enterprise, eMobility and new energy markets. Over 100 Navitas patents are issued or pending.

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Navitas Semiconductor, GaNFast and the Navitas logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Navitas Semiconductor, Inc. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.
A resident is taken from the Epping Hardens Aged Care Home on July 29, 2020 in Melbourne, Australia. (Robert Cianflone/Getty Images)

Inquiry to Probe Aged Care Virus Response

Federal Aged Care Minister Richard Colbeck will give evidence to an inquiry into the governments response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

There have been 800 cases of COVID-19 in aged care facilities nationally so far, with 136 residents dying.

As well, there have been 54 cases recorded at in-home care, including five deaths.

Senator Colbeck is one of a number of high-profile witnesses to front the Senate committee on Aug 4, along with the acting Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly and head of the health department Brendan Murphy.

The committee will also speak with Janet Anderson, the aged care quality and safety commissioner.

Last Friday, the commissioner wrote to aged care service providers to say it would be launching spot checks of infection controls and the use of personal protective equipment, with priority put on greater Melbourne and the Mitchell Shire.

Where aged care staff were found not to be following appropriate practices the commission would consider sanctions, the commissioner warned.

A special response centre has been set up in Victoria to deal with the identification of cases in aged care, as well as the testing of staff and residents.

Labor has called for greater federal government action to deal with the horror show in aged care.

As well, the royal commission into aged care has expressed its concern at the many deaths from COVID-19 in residential facilities and began looking at the specific issue in May.

The Prime Minister has said the worst of the crisis has been avoided by a majority of the aged care system.

Morrison also confirmed that the most concerning cases are no longer operating as normal. Instead, the care and management style of those aged-care homes has reformed into a system more similar to hospital care.

They have move effectively into an in-patient care type facility, akin to what you would see in a hospital, Morrison said.

Additionally, around 150,000 Victorian aged care workers will partake in a refresher course for infection control.

Paul Osborne in Canberra
A new version of the Great Game is unfolding in Afghanistan, the five Central Asia countries, as well as Nepal, India and Pakistan. As Washington and Delhi undertake a rapprochement, Beijing develops closer ties to Iran and Pakistan. Afghanistan too is in Chinas sight, but US influence remains strong. COVID-19 becomes part of the diplomatic game.

Kabul (AsiaNews)  Afghanistan and Central Asia, for years torn by wars and extremist violence, still active despite the recent peace agreement with the Taliban, are becoming a new battleground between the United States and China for global leadership.

Billions of dollars in trade and new energy corridors that connect the region to South Asia and the Middle East, the worlds oil reserve, are at stake.

The rivalry between Beijing and Washington entered a new phase following the mid-June border clash between Chinese and Indian troops in Ladakh, in the disputed region of Kashmir.

Since then, diplomatic and security relations between the United States and India have grown considerably, with New Delhi oriented towards joining a strategic alliance with the US, Japan and Australia against China in the Indo-Pacific region.

Expectedly, China has responded to the India-US rapprochement by strengthening its strategic partnership with Iran.

The two countries are close to finalising a 25-year strategic cooperation agreement, which could dwarf even the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). Both projects are part of Beijings Belt and Road Initiative, and mark a reshuffling of alliances.

Fundamental realignments are taking place across the world at a challenging, transformative time in international affairs, said Maleeha Lodhi, former Pakistani ambassador to the UK, the US and the United Nations. With global power is shifting to the East, the world is witnessing a reordering of relationships.

Recent diplomatic activity in Central and South Asia seem to confirm this, with both China and the United States getting more and more actively involved in the region.

In a series of meetings with the foreign ministers of Pakistan, Afghanistan and the five Central Asian states  as well as Taliban negotiators based in Qatar  a US delegation sought to reinforce the message that Washington intends to remain the top geopolitical player in Afghanistan, on the basis of its continuing role as the countrys major financier.

China, for its part, wants to boost its own strategic alliances by strengthening its access to the Middle East, via Central and South Asia.

To this end, Beijing is using the novel coronavirus as a soft diplomacy tool, providing material and human resources to help countries affected by the pandemic. The one exception is India, which seems to be turning more and more towards the US to defend its economic, trade and strategic interests.

In a four-way video conference on 27 July with the foreign ministers of Nepal and Afghanistan and Pakistans development minister, Chinas foreign minister Wang Yi proposed expanding their pandemic cooperation to establish a green corridor between them.

He also did not exclude the prospect of including Afghanistan into the CPEC but remains cautious to avoid creating another point of friction with the Americans.

Another project on Chinas agenda is the trans-Himalayan corridor, which would integrate Nepal into the Belt and Road plan via Tibet, Xinjiang and Gwadar, thus reducing Indias historic influenced over Nepal. This explains Beijings guarded endorsement of Pakistans proposal to extend the CPEC into Afghanistan.

Overall, Developments such as closer China-Iran relations that promote regional stability, economic development as well as connectivity will be welcomed by Pakistan, said Lodhi, the former ambassador. We await details of whether Pakistan has a role to play in this regard.

Seyed Mohammad Marandi, a professor of English literature and oriental studies at the University of Tehran, said it was natural for China and Iran to seek closer ties because they had enjoyed a conflict-free relationship based on Silk Route trade and civilisational exchanges for several millennia.

This creates a natural convergence between nations to protect themselves against a great menace, the US, Marandi added.
With a tropical storm barreling up the East Coast, it might be time to tune into your weather app of choice. But, for Android enthusiasts, that app can no longer be Dark Sky.

The app first hit the market back in 2012, thanks to a Kickstarter campaign, and won over hordes of users with its hyperlocal, extremely accurate forecasts. In 2014, the Verge described it as one of the best weather apps for the iPhone.

Apple acquired the hyper-accurate weather app in March. Over the weekend, Dark Sky for Android and WearOS users became, at long last, kaput. On Twitter, people reported opening the app, only to find a notification that reads, The Dark Sky app has shut down.

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RIP Dark Sky for Android  pic.twitter.com/nQ89bIcuUq  Marques Brownlee (@MKBHD) August 1, 2020

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The app was slated to stop working July 1, but an extension let Android users enjoy its hour-by-hour predictions for an extra month.

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In a blog post, Dark Skys developers explained the acquisition. Our goal has always been to provide the world with the best weather information possible, to help as many people as we can stay dry and safe, and to do so in a way that respects your privacy, they wrote. There is no better place to accomplish these goals than at Apple. Were thrilled to have the opportunity to reach far more people, with far more impact, than we ever could alone.

What does that mean? Per Ars Technica, iOS 14 will likely launch later this year. And Apples preview page for the new operating system isnt shy about its Dark Sky-related offerings. In the weather section, the preview boasts, View a minutebyminute chart that shows the intensity of rain or snow over the coming hour. With iOS 14, the Weather widget will also specify when the weather will be much warmer, colder, or wetter the next day.

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While Apple appears to be integrating Dark Sky features into its weather widget, no changes will be made to the Dark Sky iOS app at this time.

There is some good news for Android users: Apple extended the deadline to discontinue the web version of Dark Sky, which was going to shut down Tuesday. Apple has yet to announce the new date for the web shutdown, though the embeds have already been disabled.

Subscriptions for the Android app ran $2.99 per year. Upon the apps suspension, users received an automated email that read, Hyperlocal Weather subscription from The Dark Sky Company, LLC on Google Play has been canceled. Subscribers to Dark Sky received full refunds.

Future Tense is a partnership of Slate, New America, and Arizona State University that examines emerging technologies, public policy, and society.
Every student in Connecticut should expect at least partial in-person schooling if the state maintains its current low COVID infection rate, according to a new series of metrics announced by Gov. Ned Lamont Monday.

Lamont announced the metrics for school districts to use in determining how broadly they can open for in-person learning  and if Connecticut caseloads continue trending at the current rate, every district in the state would fall into the lowest risk category.

A low risk level  fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 people  favors more in-person learning for students. Connecticut is trending at 2 cases per 100,000 people over a seven-day rolling average.

As long as were less than 10 cases, we figure thats a good reason why you can have your schools open for in-person learning, Lamont said, though he did not mandate that schools reopen.

The state will provide county-by-county data on a weekly basis that indicates whether districts are in the low, moderate, or high risk category, based on seven-day rolling averages of cases per 100,000 people, and a secondary metric tracking the percentage of positive tests.

That will allow our state Department of Education, local public health and the superintendents of schools in each of your local districts to make the call on the low, moderate, high category, whether its time to move from in-person to hybrid, or hybrid to stay at home, and well be able to give you that update on a very regular real time basis.

Lamont was joined Monday by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, who said the state is in a good position to reopen schools for in-person learning, but that preparedness to change course is essential.

My approach is always, and Ill say it whether Im in Connecticut or in any other place, is that the default position should be to try as best as you possibly can, to try to open up the schools for in-person learning, Fauci said of the states metrics and reopen plan

Its important for the children because of the psychological benefit, and in some places even for the nutrition of children who rely on the breakfast and the lunch in school for proper nutrition. No. 2, there are important negative downstream effects that are unintended but can occur of a ripple effect on the parents who have to dramatically modify their own work schedule when you keep children at home.

Still, Fauci said the state should keep a close eye on its neighbors and trends across the country.

Rhode Island, for example, is trending around 10 cases per 100,000 people, a rate that falls in the moderate-risk category for Connecticut, and would favor more hybrid learning models that incorporate more distance learning for students.

There is a big however, Fauci said. And the however is that the primary consideration should always be the safety, the health and the welfare of the children as well as the teachers and the secondary effects for spreading with regard to the parents and other family members. If the infection rate is so low that theres very little chance of there being infection spread, then you should feel OK about doing it and making sure that you do the things that are necessary to prevent spread.

But just because the state falls squarely in the low-risk band for reopening schools, that doesnt mean schools must reopen. That decision is still being left to local officials in each district.

Along with the key metrics districts must pay attention to, the new directive from the state Department of Education, says there are other factors that play into whether schools should move from in-person to remote learning. Those include the amount of classroom space available for social distancing, whether classes of students can be kept together throughout the school day and how much ventilation there is to keep the air flowing.

In late June, Lamont and Commissioner of Education Miguel Cardona announced their desire for Connecticut schools to fully open, five days a week in the fall. They gave school districts until July 24 to develop three reopening scenarios based on the level of COVID-19 cases that could exist in the fall.

Even so, many districts leaders said the social distancing guidelines that encourage class sizes to remain small and to stick together throughout the school day are next to impossible to follow without limiting the number of students in the building at one time.

Many local school district plans call for blended or approaches that would rotate students through school for in person learning on various days and weeks. The plans also acknowledge that some students - as many as half in districts like Bridgeport  may choose to learn fully at home, at least at first.

In addition, teachers across the state have come out strongly against a full return to school under current health conditions and without a vaccine. Teachers say schools are underfunded, undersized, understaffed and in many cases, poorly ventilated.

Some worry students can be asymptomatic carriers of the virus. Many wonder why reopening plans dont call for testing of the virus or at least temperature checks.

Late last month, Lamont and Cardona acknowledged that a full reopening would be unlikely, particularly at the high school level.

Many district plans call for no more than 3 feet of space between students in classrooms, and that is with all bookcases and other classroom furniture removed.

Fauci said Monday if schools dont have the room to keep students six feet apart they have to rely on face masks and good ventilation systems.

Jeff Leake, president of the Connecticut Education Association, the largest teachers union in the state, said he didnt hear Fauci definitively say schools should open or stay closed.

As unusual he is a thoughtful and informed individual, Leake said. I respect the guy. He brought up interesting points which will be part of our thinking about how to best open schools in the fall.

Safety and following protocols that are uniform across school districts are important, Leake added.

Compromising wont do it for teachers. Leake said.

American Federation of Teachers-Connecticut are of the same mind.

Educators are on the same page with Dr. Fauci on what should be the priority when it comes to reopening safely, said AFT Vice President Shellye Davis. They agree that nothing is more important than the health and the welfare of children, their teachers and school support staff.

Davis said her members lack confidence in the guidelines state officials have put forward to make that possible and remain concerned that a full reopening will lead to another spike in cases.
Transportation - Gauging pandemic impact

Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers have developed a machine learning model that could help predict the impact pandemics such as COVID-19 have on fuel demand in the United States.

Called the Pandemic Oil Demand Analysis, or PODA, this model compared mobility patterns before and during the COVID-19 pandemic, analyzing historical weekly motor travel trends and projecting future usage.

"We developed this machine learning-based model by studying trip activities and corresponding fuel usage," ORNL's Shiqi (Shawn) Ou said. "The PODA analysis can serve as a useful tool to understand the impact of travel quarantine on fuel demand."

In a Nature Energy study sponsored by Aramco Research Center, researchers focusing on mid-May until August determined that average fuel demand is not likely to reach pre-pandemic levels before October 2020. However, while a continued quarantine would have a negative impact on fuel demand temporarily, demand would likely recover to normal levels quicker.

PODA data could help inform economic and energy planning.

Media contact: Jennifer Burke, 865.414.6835, burkejj@ornl.gov

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/Transportation-Gauging_pandemic_impact_ORNL.jpg

Caption: ORNL researchers developed a machine learning model to know the impact a pandemic can have on U.S. fuel demand prior to a travel quarantine. Credit: Andy Sproles/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Ecosystem - At the root

Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists evaluating northern peatland responses to environmental change recorded extraordinary fine-root growth with increasing temperatures, indicating that this previously hidden belowground mechanism may play an important role in how carbon-rich peatlands respond to warming.

The team working at DOE's whole-ecosystem warming experiment in northern Minnesota found that shrub fine-root growth increased linearly by 130% for every degree increase in soil temperature - a response 20 times greater than other ecosystems. This was driven by soil drying in the usually sodden peatlands, which store one-third of the world's soil carbon.

According to published results, this response could explain why shrub coverage is increasing in these landscapes, which could shade out Sphagnum moss - a key species for carbon fixation in peatlands - and have downstream effects on peatland carbon storage.

"This work helps us understand a previously unknown aspect of these ecosystems, the world belowground," said Avni Malhotra of Stanford University, formerly of ORNL.

Media contact: Stephanie Seay, 865.604.3384, seaysg@ornl.gov

Link: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/FineRootGrowth.jpg

Caption: A belowground snapshot reveals the complex maze of tree and shrub roots and their fungal partners in carbon-rich peatland soils. Credit: Colleen Iversen/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Link: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/SPRUCE.png

Caption: Scientists use the Spruce and Peatland Responses Under Changing Environments experiment in Minnesota to assess the response of northern peatlands to increases in temperature and atmospheric carbon dioxide. Credit: ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Neutrons - Ferromagnetic topological material

A UCLA-led team that discovered the first intrinsic ferromagnetic topological insulator - a quantum material that could revolutionize next-generation electronics - used neutrons at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to help verify their finding.

Topological insulators act as insulators on the inside while allowing electrons to flow across their surfaces. Their less-studied ferromagnetic counterparts are thought to hold useful properties for quantum technology. The researchers discovered the first intrinsic ferromagnetic topological insulator - consisting of manganese, bismuth and tellurium atoms - by stacking ferromagnetic molecular layers.

To confirm the material's intrinsic nature, the team used the High Flux Isotope Reactor at ORNL.

"Neutron diffraction's high contrast can distinguish magnetic manganese atoms from others," said ORNL's Huibo Cao, co-author on the study published in Science Advances. "It is well-suited for the new two-dimensional material and its magnetism."

"Using neutron diffraction, we concluded the atomic arrangement in each layer and confirmed the ferromagnetic order to support this discovery," added ORNL co-author Lei Ding.

Media contact: Abby Bower, 865.323.9943, bowerae@ornl.gov

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/2017-S00412.jpg

Caption: Researchers performed single-crystal neutron diffraction using the HB-3A four circle diffractometer to confirm the first intrinsic ferromagnetic topological insulator. Credit: Genevieve Martin/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Technology - Lab on a crystal

An all-in-one experimental platform developed at Oak Ridge National Laboratory's Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences accelerates research on promising materials for future technologies.

The "Lab-on-a-crystal," designed on a commercially available quartz crystal microbalance, or QCM, measures materials' interrelated responses to the environment in real time - something that traditionally required different specialized instruments, multiple experiments and a lot of time.

Modified QCM hardware has been incorporated into a machine learning platform that optimizes data collection and identifies correlations among several simultaneous measurements, including mechanical, electrical and optical.

"Being able to characterize multiple functionalities simultaneously at macro-, micro- and nanoscales on the same sample is a breakthrough for materials sciences. In a day, we can accomplish a month's worth of experiments," said ORNL's Ilia Ivanov.

A collaboration with researchers from the European Union on advancing rapid-detection methods for enzymes that degrade milk quality highlights the platform's broad applications to CNMS users. -- Ashley Huff

Media contact: Sara Shoemaker, 865.576.9219, shoemakerms@ornl.gov

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/lab_on_crystal2.png

Caption: ORNL's Lab-on-a-crystal uses machine learning to correlate materials' mechanical, optical and electrical responses to dynamic environments. Credit: Ilia Ivanov/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

Computing - Enhancing fusion models

Combining expertise in physics, applied math and computing, Oak Ridge National Laboratory scientists are expanding the possibilities for simulating electromagnetic fields that underpin phenomena in materials design and telecommunications.

An initial application for the work is in fusion energy, for which modeling small-scale, energetic particle movements in fusion plasmas requires complex numerical simulations, particularly at plasma boundaries where electromagnetic fluctuations can result in energy loss or damage to the fusion reactor.

To overcome computational limitations and advance models of whole fusion reactors, the ORNL team developed the Adaptive Sparse Grid Discretization, or ASGarD, mathematical framework for solving complex equations.

As reported in a recent Computer Physics Communications paper, the team applied its framework to the foundational equations of electromagnetism, known as Maxwell's equations, and demonstrated a 100-times reduction in the computational resources required for solving the equations compared to traditional methods. -- Katie Jones

Media contacts: Jason Ellis, 865.241.5819, ellisjk@ornl.gov; or Scott Jones, 865.241.6491 jonesg@ornl.gov

Image: https://www.ornl.gov/sites/default/files/2020-08/Max1_t5e-1_EB.png

Caption: Using the ASGarD mathematical framework, scientists can model and visualize the electric fields, shown as arrows, circling around magnetic fields that are colorized to represent field magnitude of a fusion plasma. Credit: David Green/ORNL, U.S. Dept. of Energy

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Courts have ordered more than 500 at-risk detainees released, and ICE has released an additional 900 at its own initiative. Those reductions, along with ongoing deportations, have cut the detainee population by 40 percent since March, to roughly 22,000 now. Thats good, but it is clear that the agencys steps to mitigate the outbreak have been inadequate. It is also clear that testing at the facilities has lagged, proper distancing at some is insufficient, and health care is not equal to the task of containment. At the Farmville Detention Center in Virginia, west of Richmond, nearly two-thirds of 400 detainees have tested positive for the virus in recent weeks.
The legal market is still taking shape nearly four years since voters legalized marijuana in Massachusetts, and rules around home delivery of cannabis and access options for medical patients were at the center of the latest round of push-and-pull on Monday between the industry, medical patients and regulators.

Aspiring entrepreneurs, medical marijuana patients and caregivers gave regulators plenty to think about during a public hearing held Monday to collect input as the Cannabis Control Commission works through at least its third phase of rule-making about three years since its inception.

Delivery service was one area of the CCCs draft regulations for adult-use marijuana that attracted significant public comment. The commission approved a delivery license structure in the fall and made applications available in May, but has not yet licensed a delivery-only business. Several prospective cannabis delivery operators told commissioners Monday that the framework for delivery will not work as currently written.

"We think that it's not economically viable in its current form, even though the intention behind it is very well-meaning. So to make this a viable license type, the delivery, we think there's three very important changes that should be made to the draft regulations," Morriss Partee, president of Emerald River LLC and advisor to the Massachusetts Cannabis Association for Delivery (MCAD), said.

Partee and others from the MCAD said delivery licensees need the ability to purchase marijuana and marijuanaproducts wholesale from cultivators and manufacturers. As the CCC's regulations are written, all marijuanadelivered by a licensee must be sourced from a CCC-licensed retailer. They also said delivery businesses need to be allowed to store products overnight.

"You can't talk about wholesale without talking about storage. So right now, delivery companies have to return those [unsold or declined] goods back to the retailer at the end of the day. With the ability to wholesale, it needs to be paired with warehousing or storage because those companies need to be able to store those goods overnight. And then we'll be able to take care of them, similar to a retailer," Christopher Fevry, co-founder of Your Green Package and president of MCAD, said.

Home delivery of marijuana has long been allowed under the state's medical marijuana program, and advocates pushed for a delivery-only license in the recreational market arguing that it will help level the playing field between large corporations and small businesses because the barriers to entry for delivery are typically far less burdensome than those for retail licenses.

Delivery licenses are available exclusively to participants in the CCC's Social Equity Program and certified economic empowerment applicants for a minimum of two years. Fevry, Partee and others told the CCC that the exclusivity period should be longer.

"If the exclusivity period remains at two years, this will not give the commission enough time to evaluate the success or lack thereof of the delivery license since not every operator will be licensed at the start of the period, and evaluation must occur many months before the expiration date of exclusivity," Partee said. "To give yourselves enough time to evaluate the program and what changes might need to be made, please extend exclusivity to three years, with an option to renew at that point."

The CCCs latest draft of regulations for the medical marijuana program also attracted plenty of feedback during Mondays hearing. Of particular interest was the CCCs proposal to allow medical marijuana caregivers to care for to up to 10 patients each.

"I currently serve as a caregiver for two patients through a waiver from the commission, so I obviously support the ability for caregivers to serve more than one patient at a time. However, I do believe that placing the number at 10 is an invitation for abuse," Jeremiah McKinnon, a member of the Massachusetts Patient Advocacy Alliance advisory board, said. "The commission should instead establish a case-by-case basis that determines whether or not the caregiver is suitable to serve additional patients. This process can take into consideration the public health and safety measures necessary for a caregiver to ensure proper care of multiple patients."

Nichole Snow, the president and executive director of the MPAA, said her organization "mathematically theorized a caregiver ratio of one caregiver, 10 patients would be sufficient to provide safe access for the number of registered patients" in 2015 but said the ratio "is no longer necessary" because all adults can now legally grow their own marijuana. She said the MPAA would rather see caregivers approved to care for multiple patients on a case-by-case basis.

"An arbitrary number of patients per caregiver will likely open the door to a gray market that is indistinguishable from the legally-regulated market you and the staff have worked so hard on developing," Snow told the commissioners Monday.

Another MPAA official, Development Director Michael Latulippe, asked that the CCC make its executive directors bulletin allowing initial medical marijuana patient certification to take place via a telehealth appointment between the patient and a physician a permanent part of its regulations.

"The medical program suffers from the same problems as traditional health care in communities of disproportionate impact. Additionally, patients in rural areas and patients incapacitated by their conditions are limited by this regulation. It is widely reported that veterans, victims of incarceration, and many other groups in areas of disproportionate impact suffer from post-traumatic stress and have a general anxiety towards health care, that creates social disparities in health care access for those groups," he said.

Also included in the latest draft of the CCC's regulations is a requirement that retailers display in-store and disclose on packaging that vape products have been tested for Vitamin E acetate but may still be harmful to health regardless.

The regulations would also allow for delivery licensees to have an interest in another license type (and vice versa), more flexibility for the CCC to add new groups to its Social Equity Program, and a new a process for the CCC to be notified of and have oversight over licensees placed under the control of a receiver by a Massachusetts court. That last regulation is necessary because bankruptcy court is not an option for businesses that are illegal at the federal level.

The CCC will accept written comments emailed to Commission@cccmass.com until 5 p.m. on Aug. 14. The commission expects to vote on the final set of regulations on Sept. 24.

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The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have arrived in Scotland for the start of their summer holiday.

The couple, who have been isolating at Windsor Castle, travelled by car earlier today to RAF Northolt, in west London, where they boarded a private jet.

After a short flight, the Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, this afternoon touched down at Aberdeen airport where they were met by a driver and whisked off to Balmoral, roughly an hour away.

The couple landed in overcast weather, with the Queen donning a rain mac over her smart powder blue suit as her husband followed her down the stairs of the plane in his own practical waterproof coat.

They were followed by royal aides carrying luggage and a pair of dorgis, the Queen's beloved dogs which are a cross between a dachshund and a Welsh corgi.

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh will remain at the 50,000-acre estate until early October and will be joined by family members throughout their stay.

It will be a welcome change of scenery for the couple, who have not left the grounds of Windsor Castle since March.

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The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have arrived in Scotland for the start of their summer holiday. The couple travelled by private jet from RAF Northolt, in west London, to Aberdeen airport where they were met by driver, pictured

The couple were followed off the plane by royal aides carrying luggage and their faithful dorgis - a cross between a dachshund and a Welsh corgi. Pictured, a member of royal staff carries one of the dorgis off the flight

The couple, who have been isolating at Windsor Castle, travelled by car to RAF Northolt, in west London, earlier today, where they boarded a private jet, thought to belong to Tottenham Hotspur chairman Daniel Levy

The Queen, pictured, arrived at RAF Northolt in the back of a chauffeur-driven car ahead of the flight. She and Prince Philip will remain at Balmoral, in Aberdeenshire, until early October

Balmoral: The Royal Family's summer retreat A group of aides have already travelled up to the Scottish home of the Royal Family to prepare the castle for the couple's arrival. The Queen and Philip will stay in the main castle, pictured Balmoral Castle has been the Scottish home of the Royal Family since it was purchased for Queen Victoria by Prince Albert in 1852, having been first leased in 1848. In the autumn of 1842, two and a half years after her marriage to Prince Albert, Queen Victoria paid her first visit to Scotland. They were so struck with the Highlands that they resolved to return. A further visit to Perthshire and then Ardverikie encouraged them to seize the opportunity to purchase Balmoral. After Queen Victoria bought the Castle in 1852, plans were made to build a new castle about 100 yards north-west of the old building designed by the city of Aberdeen architect William Smith. On 28 September 1853 the foundation stone of the new Castle was laid by Queen Victoria. Prince Albert took a great interest in the design and construction which was completed by 1856, also in the Scottish Baronial style. The Castle is constructed from local granite, which was precision cut using the modern machinery of the day, producing a much smoother finish to the building than usual. Prince Albert set about landscaping the area, starting a programme of improvements lasting several years, which was done in accordance with a model he had constructed in sand. The main works were completed by 1859 and included new houses, stables, workshops and schools. Royals continue to make improvements to the castle and the ruggedly beautiful surroundings have captivated generations of royals since. The Queen has visited Balmoral almost every year of her reign and it holds a special place in her heart. Advertisement

A group of royal aides travelled up to the sprawling 50,000-acre Scottish estate ahead of today to prepare the castle for the couple's arrival.

It is understood staff quarantined for two weeks in order to minimise the risk of the Queen or Prince Philip, who are both in their 90s, being exposed to Covid-19.

Reports suggest the hand-picked team of royal aides who will join the couple include Vice-Admiral Tony Johnstone-Burt, master of the household; Sir Edward Young, the Queens private secretary, and Paul Whybrew and William Henderson, her pages.

Major Nana Kofi Twumasi-Ankrah, her equerry; Terry Pendry, her head groom; Angela Kelly, the Queens personal assistant and her senior dresser; Jackie Newbold, Kellys PA; and three assistant dressers will also join, according to The Sunday Times.

It is thought staff will minimise their contact with people outside the royal household in order to create a 'Balmoral bubble' designed to keep the Queen and Prince Philip safe.

Measures will also be taken if any members of the royal family come to visit. Typically the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh are joined by their children and grandchildren, as well as close friends, throughout the summer holiday.

She's arrived! The Queen lifted her arm and waved as she arrived at Balmoral Castle after a long journey to mark the start of her delayed summer getaway

Her Majesty sported a blue and purple silk headscarf with a deep red lipstick while Prince Philip opted for a yellow shirt and green jumper as they arrived at the Scottish estate

After the short flight, the couple were seen arriving to overcast weather, with the Queen donning a rain mac over her smart powder blue suit as her husband followed her down the stairs of the plane

The Queen's beloved dorgis were carried from the plane after the royal couple, one pictured above

Another royal aide was carrying what appears to be a new Apple laptop, unopened in its box (pictured)

Pampered pooches: The Queen's lifelong love of dogs The Queen pictured with two of her corgis at Buckingham Palace in 1936 Known for her love of Corgis, the Queen's two remaining dogs - Vulcan and Candy - are in fact Dorgis, a Dachshund cross breed. She has not owned a Corgi since her last one, Willow, died in April 2018. Her love affair with the dogs began 85 years ago when the Queen's father  then Duke of York  brought home a Pembroke corgi called Dookie from kennels in Surrey. Three years later Jane arrived to breed with Dookie, but no puppies were forthcoming. Jane did produce two puppies with another mate, however, and Crackers and Carol joined King George and Queen Elizabeth's household during World War II. In 1944, Susan arrived as Princess Elizabeth's 18th birthday present. Mistress and pet were inseparable. She even accompanied the Princess on her honeymoon with Prince Philip in 1947, hidden from view under a blanket in the royal carriage. A year later, Susan followed her royal mistress into motherhood, producing a pair of puppies: Sugar, who belonged to Prince Charles, and Honey who, in later years, lived with the Queen Mother. It marked the beginning of a new royal dynasty. Over the years, the Queen became one of the most experienced breeders of Pembrokeshire corgis in the country. She always chose the sire herself, aiming for good-looking puppies that maintain the red colouring of the original Pembrokes. At one stage there were said to be 13 corgis  memorably described by Princess Diana as a 'moving carpet'  lolling in the Queen's private sitting room, and nipping the heels of footmen, prime ministers, ladies-in-waiting and diplomats. Queen Elizabeth II with some of her corgis walking the Cross Country course during the second day of the Windsor Horse Trials Every few years, a fresh litter arrived and older dogs passed away. No puppies were ever sold; instead the Queen ensured that they went to good homes. Susan's descendants have gone to Australia and America. Then came the dorgis, a cross-breed resulting from an unplanned liaison between one of the Queen's corgis and Princess Margaret's dachshund Pipkin. In 2009, it emerged that the Queen had stopped breeding the dogs. She worried about puppies and lively young dogs around her feet, and the fear that she might trip over, hurting herself or them. But what was not clear then was that she no longer wanted any new four-legged companions to replace those that died. Monty Roberts, the Californian cowboy who inspired the Hollywood film The Horse Whisperer, who was an informal adviser to her on horses and dogs for more than 25 years offered to find her a replacement puppy in 2012, when Monty - named after him - died. 'But she didn't want to have any more young dogs. She didn't want to leave any young dog behind. I understood we would discuss it further at a later date,' he said. 'Well, we never did, and I have no right to try to force her into continuing to bring on young puppies if she doesn't want to.' By Richard Kay for the Daily Mail Advertisement

However this year any visitors, who typically include the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall and Prince Edward and the Countess of Wessex, will likely maintain social distancing while on site.

Family members will not stay in the castle with the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh as they have done in previous years and will instead be housed in other properties in the grounds of the 50,000-acre estate.

They will be able to meet her for outside activities instead including walks, horse riding and picnics.

Previous reports suggest Balmoral staff have been banned from social activity and the annual Ghillies Ball has also been cancelled due to coronavirus.

An insider told the Mail on Sunday 'stir-crazy' aides are staying in the New Block, a dull granite building with a dozen bedrooms outside near the castle.

The insider said: 'Without all the normal facilities which make a stay pleasant for staff, everyone's saying it's like being in Colditz, the prisoner of war camp.

The Queen's removal van, from high-end moving company Abels is pictured crossing a bridge to approach the the Scottish castle

The Queens removal van departs Balmoral Castle after moving Her Majesty from Windsor Castle to Balmoral to mark the start of her summer break - albeit on a rainy day

The couple, who have been isolating at Windsor Castle since March, travelled by car from Windsor to RAF Northolt, west London, ahead of their private flight to Aberdeenshire

The Duke of Edinburgh, 98, was dapper in a yellow collard shirt and green jumper as he travelled in the back of a car for the flight to Aberdeenshire this afternoon

The Queen looked perfectly made up with a slick of berry-coloured lipstick and expertly coiffed hair as she arrived at the airfield with the Duke of Edinburgh

Shortly after the royals arrived at RAF Northolt, an Embraer Legacy 600 G-THFC (Tottenham Hotspur Football Club), pictured, which once belonged to Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, took off from the airfield

'It's the assignment from hell because there is absolutely nothing people can do. The social club remains shut and the staff bar closed. With so little to do they're going stir-crazy.'

The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have been isolating at Windsor Castle with a reduced household since March 19.

Although she has been unable to carry out many engagements in person, the Queen has remained active in her royal duties, taking part in video call meetings and conducting her weekly audience with the Prime Minister via telephone.

Meanwhile the Duke of Edinburgh recently came out of retirement to perform a long-distance royal engagement with his daughter-in-law the Duchess of Cornwall, who remained in Gloucestershire.

The couple were most recently seen together at the wedding of their granddaughter Princess Beatrice, 31, and property developer Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi, who tied the knot in secret on 17 July at Royal Chapel of All Saints, Windsor.

That same day the Queen knighted Colonel Sir Tom Moore, 100, in recognition of his extraordinary fundraising efforts.

At one point it was feared Covid-19 travel restrictions would scupper the Queen's annual summer getaway.

Meanwhile, Prince Charles also visited Scotland and shared pictures from his visit to the North Highlands. He met with his local Caithness to thank them for their work during the pandemic

The Prince of Wales sported a grey suit and his signature spotted tie and pocket square combo to meet representatives from Dounreay and the Castletown Community Council Trust to the Castle of Mey

Charles revealed on Instagram that he met with locals after hearing about the remarkable support they have provided locally including grocery and hot food deliveries, manufacturing of much needed PPE and vital prescription pick-ups for residents

The weeks in Balmoral will be a welcome change of scenery for the couple, who have not left the grounds of Windsor Castle since March. Pictured, the couple in the quadrangle of the royal residence in a photo shared to mark Philip's birthday in June
Jock Zonfrillo rang in his 44th birthday in style with a trailer full on balloons and a traditional Vietnamese banh mi Pate en Croute.

The MasterChef judge documented his celebrations on his Instagram platform on Tuesday, as he thanked his co-host Melissa Leong and Andy Allen for making his birthday a special one.

The team behind the hit competitive cooking series were also thanked for throwing him a 'little COVID style birthday party' while he went on to heap praise on Melissa further for his scrumptious treat.

Happy birthday: Jock Zonfrillo rang in his 44th birthday in style with a trailer full on balloons and a traditional Vietnamese banh mi Pate en Croute. Pictured

Jock shared a video of him stepping into his balloon-filled trailer, and declaring in awe: 'It's too much!'

His tune quickly changed as he revealed his plans to keep the decorations in his trailer forever.

He added a lengthy caption, which read: 'Big shout out to all the @masterchefau crew, @fooderati & @andyallencooks today for making my birthday a very special one, to all the crew you are amazing.

Big day: The MasterChef judge documented his celebrations on his Instagram platform on Tuesday, as he thanked his co-host Melissa Leong and Andy Allen for making his birthday a special one

Yummy! The team behind the hit competitive cooking series were also thanked for throwing him a 'little COVID style birthday party' while he went on to heap praise on Melissa further for his scrumptious treat

'Extra extra thanks to my executive wardrobe specialists @charmainedepasquale_stylist @megcuda for not only always making me the smartest dressed Scotsman but for making my bothy into a little birthday party for one COVID style!'

He continued to list off a bunch of people to express his gratitude: '@maurzmoriarty9 & Davey for always making me smile even on my birthday!

Delicious: Jock gushed over the treat which was organised by Melissa Leong

'Amazing!' He added a lengthy caption, in which he thanked everyone for the celebrations

'Also to @fooderati for arranging this absolutely AAAANMMAAZZZIINNG Banh mi Pate en Croute made by @genghiskhanh from @sunda_dining.'

Speaking of the dish further, he added: 'Hhhowww gooood!???!! It was absolutely delicious! Thanks to everybody for the birthday wishes, I feel the love big time!'

Jock joined Melissa Leong and Andy Allen as part of MasterChef Australia's brand new line-up this year.
By Siddharth Cavale

(Reuters) - Diageo Plc, the world's largest spirits maker, took a 1.3 billion pound writedown as it reported a bigger than expected decline in underlying net sales on Tuesday as demand for its whisky, vodka and gin fell in nearly all markets.

The Johnnie Walker whisky maker took the 1.3 billion pound non-cash writedown related to its businesses in India, Nigeria, Ethiopia and the Windsor whisky brand in South Korea, blaming challenging trading conditions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, the company reported an 8.4% drop in organic sales for the year ended June 30, larger than the 7.3% fall analysts had expected, company supplied estimates showed.

This marks the company's worst annual sales performance in more than a decade, according to Bernstein analysts.

Diageo shares were down 6.2% in early trading and was the biggest loser on the FTSE. The stock is down nearly 10% this year, better than the FTSE's 20% decline over the same period.

By region, organic sales in Asia fell the most, dropping 16% due to the impact of coronavirus-related closures of alcohol outlets and bars in India and Thailand, while in China demand was hit by the absence of the Chinese New Year.

The company's Latin America, Africa and Europe and Turkey markets also posted double-digit falls in sales, mainly due to disruptions to supply chains and fewer social occasions due to the pandemic.

North America was the only bright spot, with sales rising 2%, reflecting strong demand for tequilas and ready-to-drink beverages at supermarkets and alcohol stores, the company said.

Chief Financial Officer Kathryn Mikells said the strong results in North America, its biggest market by revenue, was because 80% of Diageo's sales came from retail stores, in contrast to other markets, where bars and restaurants make up most of the sales.

The company, which also makes Tanqueray Gin, Smirnoff Vodka and a wide range of scotch whiskey, said it was still unable to provide specific outlook for the year, after abandoning a full-year forecast in April. Its 4.5 billion pound ($5.9 billion) capital returns programme remains suspended.

Story continues

"The hit to earnings should be short lived provided the global economy doesn't take too long to recover," William Ryder, equity analyst at Hargreaves Lansdown said. "We think the group will continue to do well long term, but management will have to focus more on debt reduction than they probably would have liked."

The company also said it would keep paying a dividend, which Liberum analyst Nico Von Stackelberg called a "positive sign".

After a tough second half of the year "we should see sequential improvements (in the business) from here," he said in a note.

Diageo's business outlook was in contrast to French spirits makers Pernod Ricard and Remy Cointreau , which last month said the pandemic would not hit their full-year forecasts as strongly as initially feared.

Diageo's impairment charge follows those of other alcoholic beverage makers, AB InBev and Heineken. While AB Inbev took a $2.5 billion writedown related to its African operations last week, Heineken announced a nearly 550 million euro writedown on Monday.

($1 = 0.7633 pounds)

(Reporting by Siddharth Cavale in Bengaluru; Editing by Bernard Orr, Saumyadeb Chakrabarty and David Evans)
Thats their loss, the hypervirtuosity of Parkers alto saxophone playing matched by the heightened sophistication of his harmonic concept. Though musical fashions have come and gone since Birds death in 1955 at age 34, no jazz language has had a greater influence on the music than bebop. In a way, it remains the standard against which other idioms are measured.
The U.S. Navys first Black female tactical aircraft pilot, Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle, received her wings of gold on Friday, marking a historic milestone for naval aviation.

Swegle was named a naval aviator and awarded her gold naval aviator wings with 25 classmates during a small ceremony at Naval Air Station (NAS) Kingsville in Texas, according to the Navy.

Im excited to have this opportunity to work harder and fly high performance jet aircraft in the fleet, Swegle said. It wouldve been nice to see someone who looked like me in this role; I never intended to be the first. I hope its encouraging to other people.

Swegle became the Navys first Black female strike pilot after completing tactical strike training at NAS Kingsville on July 7. A strike pilot flies the Navys strike aircraft, including fighter jets like the F/A-18 Super Hornet and the F-35C Joint Strike Fighter, or the EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft.

Lt. j.g. Madeline Swegle receives her naval aviator Wings of Gold from her friend Barbara Dodson during a ceremony aboard Naval Air Station Kingsville. (Anne Owens/U.S. Navy)

Lt. j.g. Swegle has proven to be a courageous trailblazer, said Vice Adm. DeWolfe Bullet Miller III, the commander of Naval Air Forces. She has joined a select group of people who earned Wings of Gold and answered the call to defend our nation from the air. The diversity of that groupwith differences in background, skill and thoughtmakes us a stronger fighting force.

Swegles landmark accomplishment follows the footsteps of other groundbreaking women and minorities in the U.S. Navy, like Rosemary Mariner, who became the first female jet pilot in 1974, and Brenda Robinson, the first black woman to become a Navy flight instructor, evaluator, and VIP transport pilot in the 1980s, according to the nonprofit organization Women in Aviation International.

I think representation is important because we are a very diverse nation, Swegle said in a video released by the Navy earlier this week. I would like everyone to believe that they can achieve whatever they want to do.

Swegle graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2017 and completed initial flight screening at NAS Pensacola. She completed primary flight training at NAS Corpus Christi and finished her advanced strike training at NAS Kingsville. She completed her aircraft carrier qualifications in the Atlantic Ocean off the Florida coast on May 20.

Swegle will now report to Electronic Attack Squadron 129 at NAS Whidbey Island in Washington to begin training as an EA-18G Growler pilot. The squadron trains new naval aviators, naval flight officers, and naval aircrewmen in electronic warfare tactics, techniques, and procedures in preparation for their fleet assignments, according to the Navy.

The EA-18G Growler is an electronic warfare aircraft, a specialized version of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet fighter jet, and is based on U.S. aircraft carriers.

CNN Wire contributed to this report.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:45:13|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China firmly opposes the U.S. plan to deploy land-based medium-range missiles in the Asia-Pacific and European regions, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said Tuesday.

He said Russia's remarks on U.S. decision to terminate the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty had exposed true intentions of the United States.

Russian foreign ministry issued a statement Tuesday, saying U.S. withdrawal from the INF treaty one year ago was a serious mistake. The ministry added that after announcing the withdrawal, the United States immediately adopted a policy to complete the proliferation of weapons previously restricted by the treaty, thus revealing its plan to deploy advanced missiles in the Asia-Pacific region.

Wang said after the United States officially withdrew from the INF Treaty, it went further to exit organizations and treaties, having successively announced its withdrawal from the signing of the Arms Trade Treaty, exited the Treaty on Open Skies, unilaterally loosened its standards of the Missile Technology Control Regime on Unmanned Aerial Systems export control.

It has not yet agreed to extend the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, he added.

"These negative moves by the United States have seriously damaged global and regional peace and security, impacted international arms control and disarmament, weakened mutual trust among major countries, undermined global strategic stability, and exposed U.S. intentions to seek unilateralism and military hegemony," Wang said.

The United States should earnestly respond to the concerns of the international community and take concrete actions that are conducive to the global and regional peace and stability, he said. Enditem
In Toronto and cities nearby, average rental costs have been dropping for months.

Not so in Niagara, where rates continue to increase. And dont expect them to drop any time soon, said Maria Rekrut, president of the Niagara Landlords Association.

If prices go up on properties, the rent has to go up on properties, too, because there are higher carrying costs, she said.

She said the rising rental rates in Niagara are like a market correction, because landlords here have really lagged in maintaining rents at market value.

Our taxes have gone up, our utilities have gone up, and now with COVID-19 where do you think the tax dollars are going to come from? From our property taxes.

She also believes investors and speculators are looking toward Niagara because Toronto has become too expensive.

Paul Danison, content director for Rentals.ca, which tracks and posts rental properties across Canada, said average rents in the pre-amalgamation city of Toronto have been dropping for the past three months.

Municipalities in the GTA, including other pre-amalgamation communities such as North York and Etobicoke, have seen average rents decline for seven months.

But in outlying areas, including Hamilton, Kitchener and London, the rents are up a little bit.

The rents in St. Catharines have gone up a little bit more on average than the rents in Ontario, he said.

In St. Catharines, he said, a one-bedroom that went for $1,156 in June 2019 rented for $1,323 in June this year, a 14 per cent increase.

A two-bedroom, meanwhile, rose on average about seven per cent to $1,578.

Toronto is still the fastest-growing city in North America, Danison said, but many people have learned they can work from home while making occasional business trips into the big city.

He believes that was accelerated by COVID-19, which forced office closures and required people to work remotely. A recent Toronto Star article noted GTA realtors have noticed that trend.

From February to June we had an uptick of 73 per cent of unique visitors to our site looking for a place to rent in Niagara Falls, and 71 per cent for St. Catharines, he said.

People work from home so why not live in St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake, and be in wine country where youre right on the lake and theres a lot of trees, while you work elsewhere.

Demand for rental space drives up rates, as does demand to purchase property. And Niagara is a sellers market, said Rekrut.

Data from the Niagara Association of Realtors indicates even with the hit the real estate market took from the COVID-19 pandemic, the benchmark price for a home sale in Niagara rose 11.4 per cent to $463,600 between June 2019 and June 2020.

Between May and June this year, even while Niagara was still in partial lockdown, the benchmark price rose 1.5 per cent in a month.

Canada Mortgage and Housing Corp. reported St. Catharines and Niagaras overall vacancy rate at 2.3 per cent, unchanged from 2019. A vacancy rate of three per cent is considered healthy.

According to CMHC, the overall average rent for the St. Catharines-Niagara Falls area is $1,028, up four per cent from last year.

Rekrut, who is also an author and radio host, said absolutely the best incentive to make more rental properties available would be to change the Landlord and Tenant Act to make it easier to evict bad tenants.

Most people are good tenants, absolutely. Ive been doing this for 20 years, she said.

In some cases though, she said, it can take up to a year to evict a tenant who does not pay their rent.

We work for our money, our homes are expensive  and we anticipate whoever will move into our homes will care for our homes, she said.

Rekrut said, If you allow a person to stay in your home without paying  and youre paying all the bills, the mortgage, everything  youre bankrupting these poor landlords.
PUNE, India, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Panchshil Realty and British Safety Council today announced a new milestone in workplace safety in the corporate real estate sector in India in the context of COVID-19 and safe return to work.

Panchshil Realty has become the first and only real estate group in India and in the entire Asia-Pacific Region to have benchmarked and independently validated its COVID-19 related control measures at its workplaces, against stringent global safety standards as laid down by the British Safety Council.

Following a rigorous auditing process, the British Safety Council's Assurance Statement confirms that at the time of audit, Panchshil Realty has implemented, proper and adequate policies, procedures and arrangements relating to control of COVID-19 within the workplace, across 15 million square feet of its office parks portfolio.

Panchshil Realty's office portfolio in Pune comprises landmark projects like EON Free Zone, World Trade Centre, Business Bay and the International Convention Centre and, its campuses are home to leading global corporations like Allianz, Citibank, Cognizant, Concentrix, Credit Suisse, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, MasterCard, Michelin, T-Systems, UBS, VMWare and Vodafone among many others.

The British Safety Council's Assurance Assessment says that, "Panchshil Realty's senior leadership has demonstrated commitment to manage, prevent and control transmission of COVID-19 and ensure the safe return of employees and tenants to their respective workplaces on lifting of the lockdown."

"Proper health and safety measures commensurate with the nature and scale of operational activities were put in place as early as March 2020, even before the nationwide lockdown was announced. Panchshil has demonstrated suitably effective management of COVID-19 related risks within the workplace and associated operational activities," it adds.

British Safety Council guidance takes account of current global good practice, including information from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare - Government of India guidelines and WHO.

Panchshil Realty's total completed real estate portfolio is around 23 million square feet with another 20 million square feet under development. Its three business verticals comprise commercial office spaces, hospitality and residential.

A significant chunk of Panchshil Realty's office portfolio is anchored by Blackstone Real Estate Private Equity Fund, sponsored and managed by Blackstone Group LP.

For more information, please visit www.panchshil.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1223648/Panchshil_BSC__Logo.jpg
ST. LOUIS, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Despite COVID-19's severe and disproportionate impact on the health of aging adults, older Americans reported they are coping far better than younger ones, according to the Edward Jones and Age Wave study released today, "The Four Pillars of the New Retirement." The 9,000-person, five-generation study in the U.S. and Canada revealed that in the U.S. 37% of Gen Z and 27% of millennials said they have suffered mental health declines since the pandemic began, while only 15% of baby boomers and 8% of silent generation respondents said the same.

"COVID-19's impact forever changed the reality of many Americans, yet we've observed a resilience among U.S. retirees in contrast to younger generations," said Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., psychologist/gerontologist and founder and CEO of Age Wave. "Older Americans tend to recognize the value of a long-term view, and so as they think about their lives, longevity and legacy, they're able to pull from an array of experiences that help them weather current storms, feel gratitude about many aspects of their lives and still plan for the future."

The landmark Edward Jones and Age Wave research uncovered a new definition for retirement, as far more than simply the end of work. The majority of U.S. retirees (55%) defined retirement as a whole new chapter filled with new choices, freedoms and challenges, and they do so in a more holistic way across four important areas of health, family, purpose and finance.

COVID-19's Impact on Family Closeness and Finances

COVID-19's initial dramatic impact on the U.S. economy and personal financial situations may very well leave long-lasting implications. Reflecting a great deal of generational generosity, 24 million Americans* have provided financial support to adult children due to COVID-19, and an overwhelming 71% of retirees said they would offer financial support to their family even if it could jeopardize their own financial future. Despite COVID-19's negative impact on finances, 67% of Americans said the pandemic has brought their families closer together. The research also revealed that 20 million Americans stopped making retirement savings contributions during the COVID-19 pandemic and only a quarter of working Americans were on track with their retirement savings prior to the pandemic.[i]

"We've certainly seen COVID-19's disruptive force on finances, with the pandemic influencing retirement timing and financial confidence," said Ken Cella, Edward Jones Client Services Group Principal. "However, this cloud has brought several silver linings in terms of family closeness and important discussions about planning earlier for retirement, saving more for emergencies and even talking through end-of-life plans and long-term care costs."

Social Relationships as Predictor of Health and Purpose

While loneliness is pervasive across all five generations, as people age, physical isolation becomes a greater health risk, as deadly as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day[ii], and it is linked to increased risk for heart disease and dementia.[iii] While most retirees (76%) said they derive the greatest sense of purpose from social relationships, specifically time spent with loved ones, 72% noted that one of their biggest fears is becoming a burden on their families.

"Retirees say they miss people and purpose, not paychecks, when they retire, but 31% of new retirees are struggling to find purpose in this stage of life. They want to feel useful, not just youthful, and keep learning and growing at every age," Dychtwald added.

The study found that 89% of all Americans feel that there should be more ways for retirees to use their talents and knowledge for the benefit of their communities and society at large.

Financial Advisors as Connectors and Confidence Builders

As Americans redefine retirement in a broader way across the four pillars, the majority of U.S. respondents felt their ideal financial advisor is a guide who can understand them and help them achieve their goals. In fact, 84% of those working with a financial advisor said that their financial advisor relationship gave them a greater sense of comfort regarding their finances during the pandemic.

Further underscoring the fundamental importance of financial security, retirees are often met by new challenges as they enter retirement. Thirty-six percent of retirees said managing money in retirement is more confusing than saving for retirement, and they want help navigating. Fifty-two percent of retirees cited healthcare costs, including long-term care, as the most common financial worry. This concern was also echoed by pre-retirees as more than two-thirds (68%) of those who plan to retire in the next 10 years said they have no idea what their healthcare and long-term care costs will be in retirement.

"Beyond finances, we can help our clients envision and truly realize a holistic retirement, which, we know includes decisions about their health, family and purpose," said Cella. "Empathy and knowledge allow us to better serve our clients in a human-centered way and work together to achieve what's most important to them and their families."

While the above findings feature a selection of respondents' thoughts regarding the new definition of retirement, further examination of the four pillars of health, family, purpose and finances reveal their highly intertwined nature and influence in shaping retirees' overall quality of life. For more details from The Four Pillars of the New Retirement, please visit www.EdwardJones.com/NewRetirement.

Methodology

This report is based on a large-scale investigation of what it means to live well in retirement that began in November 2019. The study was conducted by Edward Jones in partnership with Age Wave and The Harris Poll.

As part of the study, The Harris Poll conducted an online, representative survey from May 21 through June 4, 2020 among more than 9,000 adults age 18+, in the US and Canada, including n=3,000 among a US general population, n=1,000 among a Canadian general population, and oversamples of approximately 500 in each of the following 10 metropolitan regions: Atlanta, Charlotte, Cleveland, Dallas, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, St. Louis, and Toronto. Results were weighted where necessary to bring them into line with their actual proportions in the population.

*Estimated projections to the US population are calculated based on the 2019 Census Current Population Survey.

About Edward Jones

Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in St. Louis, provides financial services in the U.S. and, through its affiliate, in Canada. Every aspect of the firm's business, from the investments offered to the location of branch offices, caters to individual investors. The firm's 19,000-plus financial advisors serve more than 7 million clients with a total of $1.2 trillion in client assets under care. Visit www.edwardjones.com or the recruiting website at www.careers.edwardjones.com. Member SIPC.

About Age Wave

Under the leadership of Founder and CEO Ken Dychtwald, Ph.D., Age Wave is the nation's foremost thought leader on population aging and its profound business, social, financial, health care, workforce, and cultural implications. Dychtwald's long-awaited new book What Retirees Want: A Holistic View of Life's Third Age was just published (Wiley, July 15,2020). Since its inception in 1986, the firm has advised numerous non-profits and over half the Fortune 500. For more information, please visit www.agewave.com.

About The Harris Poll

The Harris Poll is one of the longest-running surveys in the U.S.; tracking public opinion, motivations and social sentiment since 1963. The Harris Poll is now part of Harris Insights & Analytics, a global consulting and market research firm that delivers social intelligence for transformational times. The Harris Poll works with clients in three primary areas; building twenty-first-century corporate reputation, crafting brand strategy and performance tracking, and earning organic media through public relations research. Learn more at www.theharrispoll.com

[i] Federal Reserve, Report on the Economic Well-Being of U.S. Households in 2018 - May 2019

[ii] Holt-Lunstad J, Smith TB, Layton JB. Social relationships and mortality risk: a meta-analytic review. PLoS Med., July 2010

[iii] National Institute on Aging, "Social isolation, loneliness in older people pose health risks," April 23, 2019.

SOURCE Edward Jones

Related Links

https://www.edwardjones.com


NASA astronauts Doug Hurley and Bob Behnken returned to Earth on Sunday afternoon after two months aboard the International Space Station. The duo undocked from the station Saturday night and began their journey back home, eventually splashing down in dramatic fashion off the coast of Florida right on schedule. They were met by a recovery ship with recently quarantined and coronavirus-tested staff.

The water landing caps what's been a successful test run for NASA and SpaceX, who teamed up to usher in a new era of American spaceflight. Hurley and Behnken were traveling in SpaceX's Crew Dragon Endeavour, the first commercially built and operated spacecraft to carry people to and from orbit. The smooth operation means another SpaceX crew launch will go ahead as early as next month, and tourist flights into orbit could begin next year, The Associated Press reports. Watch the final stages of the return journey below.

Dragon's four main parachutes have deployed pic.twitter.com/iU5Uy7lHbM  SpaceX (@SpaceX) August 2, 2020

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Advanced genetic testing known as Whole Genome Sequencing revealed that the Plaintiff in the case contracted outbreak strain of Salmonella, according to the Complaint. To date, the Centers for Disease Control has identified 396 confirmed Salmonella Newport illnesses in 34 states that were caused by contaminated onions. Oregon was one of the hardest hit states with 71 confirmed illnesses.

In response to the public health investigation, Thomson International, Inc. of Bakersfield, California initiated a nationwide recall of red, yellow, white, and sweet onions distributed to wholesalers, restaurants and grocery stores.

OFT Food Safety Lawyer Ryan Osterholm praised the public health testing that revealed the source of the outbreak:

Public health infrastructure is critically important to protecting our families from dangerous food. The WGS testing performed on my client and the other 395 people in this outbreak allowed CDC, FDA and state health departments to get this product off the shelves and quite literally save lives. It is even more important to have a robust testing system when the outbreak is caused by a product like red onions which is often mixed in with other produce items.

Osterholm also noted that the outbreak-causing strain of Salmonella has proven to be particularly dangerous. "As of today, CDC reports 59 hospitalizations from red onions. I have talked to people with kidney damage, auto-immune neurological symptoms, and truly horrible blood infections. This is not just the stomach flu," Osterholm said.

The Plaintiff in the Oregon case reported purchasing red onions at both a Fred Meyer grocery store and at Wal-Mart. Within days he experienced debilitating stomach cramps, bloody stool and was hospitalized.

With over 4 decades of experience, the lawyers at OFT Food Safety & Injury Lawyers have recovered millions on behalf of food poisoning victims. OFT is one of the largest national law firms committed to representing food poisoning victims. If you have been affected by this outbreak, contact OFT Law for a free consultation today. Call or text 888-828-7087 or email [email protected] .

Primary Contact: Secondary Contact: Ryan Osterholm Lindsay Lien Rinholen Partner | OFT Law Associate | OFT Law 888-828-7087 888-828-7087 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE OFT Law PLLC

Related Links

https://www.oftlaw.com/


Felix Ekow Eshun

04.08.2020 LISTEN

According to Claude Grunitzky, a renowned Global media entrepreneur, regardless of your business idea, the entrepreneur must ask him or herself, "what is the single necessary and sufficient condition for a business?

It is not a product, a technology, a customer need, a business plan, a vision, a strong team, investors, or competitive advantage. While all those things are important for a company to have, none of them is the right answer.

The single necessary and sufficient condition for a business is a PAYING CUSTOMER - the person who will pay your company money for its product or service.

Before any good business plan is hatched, the first thing that comes to mind is the target customer.

Ironically, in our setting, some customers can collapse a business of the young entrepreneur through their self-seeking gains, with the help of some careless, self-seeking or short-sighted employees engaged by an entrepreneur.

Every entrepreneur would want to succeed in business, but unfortunately, greed can push some to orchestrate to bring down colleague entrepreneurs in their quest to succeed at all cost.

The reason why most Ghanaian businesses don't survive is as a result of these issues - lack of integrity, dishonesty, poor planning and self-centeredness, which have eaten deep into our moral fiber.

There have been several attempts by political or business leaders geared towards encouraging Ghanaians to think of owning their own business. Examples are the Presidential Pitch, McDan Entrepreneurship Challenge etc., plus a whole Ministry set up to push this agenda.

However, many start-ups are also confronted with diverse challenges ranging from cash flow management, time management, capital etc.

But in my view, one of the most difficult challenges in entrepreneurship especially in the Ghanaian society, is having the right personnel, especially for entrepreneurs who are engaged fully in their professions, but manage a business on the side.

Aside from access to capital which is undoubtedly a difficult hurdle most start-ups are confronted with, the next big hurdle as I mentioned earlier; is the quest to have the right personnel. Most of personnel these days, particularly the youth, have different motivations for work, and have become self-seeking.

For this reason, they can easily abandon the business or stifle it from growing.

A 'Side-Entrepreneur' Friend's Experience

A friend who works with one of the government agencies shared his bitter experience of his failed side business with me. He started his 'Iced Kenkey' business and employed a few people to handle it.

Although he played a critical role in the running of the business, he hands over to the staff and goes to work in his professional space every morning.

According to him, he realized later that, his staff conspired to produce the same product on his blind side, and then after that, used his resources (Van, Ice chest) to sell theirs - allowing his ('Iced Kenkey') to go bad.

This guy went to the extent of registering with the Food and Drugs Authority, FDA, and yet had to wind down his business after the disappointment.

My 'Side-Entrepreneur' Experience

As the owner of a start-up in the courier space myself, one thing I identified in my business is that, some customers are able to collaborate with employees to short-change a business.

They do this by dealing directly with the office or the field staff to shortchange the business owner.

In this case, some field staff i.e. riders; pocket monies meant for the business and deliver items to customers at the expense of the company.

I found out that many customers, especially in the courier service space I find myself, cut corners just to make abnormal profits.

A number of these customers operate in the Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) sector, comprising restaurants, retail shops, fashion designers among others.

A typical scenario is where employees give out their personal Mobile Money numbers to customers; instead of providing the office Money Transfer number; and then divert the company proceeds for their personal gain.

They do these in collaboration with some of these dishonest customers.

Some of my customers, especially the restaurants, ended up poaching my firm's riders. Unfortunately, they lose them to other courier companies; and you find these same customers returning to us to engage in business.

How does this customer expect the business owner to pay these same employees at the end of the month?

How do they expect the business owner to remain in business, whiles these customers whom I presume are religious or profess to be morally upright, pray to God for their businesses to flourish?

How do they expect the business to finance regular maintenance of the bikes?

And how do they want the business to increase the fleet of motorcycles to meet the needs of customers?

I understand that sometimes employees are callous to their employers or the business because they are not paid well or treated better.

But some employees are generally dishonest, ungrateful and destructive regardless of how well they're treated.

As a start-up, I did my best in making my staff comfortable.

There's also the scenario where the customer, upon seeing a new business setup, would go there and compare their services with the "giants" in the industry, and punch holes in all your processes just to take advantage of the young entrepreneur. They will not give you any chance at all to grow.

There was an instance where a customer walked into my office, and created the impression that she was in a hurry. She hurriedly dropped her item for onward delivery, and then provided contacts to the supposed recipients, but she failed to leave behind her personal contact details.

She however made payment and quickly left.

Apparently, all the two contacts of the said recipients were wrong and could not be reached.

The staff was thus unable to deliver the item (A Wreath), since both the sender and the supposed receiver could not be reached.

The Sender surprisingly returned to the shop to demand payment of GHS300.00 for the wreath because it could not be delivered, even though we're not to blame.

In the end, the company had to painfully part away with GH300.00 just to save image after she created a scene.

Clearly, this was nothing but a well-orchestrated strategy to extort money from us.

These are just a few of the many hurdles a young business owner has to go through just to keep a business afloat in this country.

In the end, some of my young riders broke into my office and made away with two of my motorbikes just a day after they all received their salaries.

It's unfortunate that a substantial number of our youthful population are looking for money, but obviously do not want to work honestly. They have the 'get rich quick mentality', and so they engage in suppression of cash, thievery, insubordination etc.

Although my Comprehensive Insurance Policy has taken care of these stolen bikes, I am in the process of winding up this business because it looks quite clear that for as long as I will keep the business as my side job without my full attention, I cannot find trustworthy people whether as supervisors or normal employees to run the business properly.

So, a lot of start-ups in Ghana continue to wrestle with an extremely unfriendly business environment that hits from all angles whether from customers, employees or government agencies, while the high cost of credit remains a bane for businesses.

You can never be sure that any kind of business will be successful. But starting a side business and remaining in employment, can give you some peace of mind that if your business doesn't work out, you'll still have work and be generating an income.

It also gives you a competitive advantage in your career, as starting a business requires you to learn new skills. Such skills can be used to develop your own career and give you a competitive advantage.

And starting a side business can be the perfect way to unleashing the creativity inside you; although it also comes with some disadvantages such as you not having much spare time to spend with family and friends, and less time for your side business and your main job as well.

Nonetheless, in dealing with the aforementioned challenges of employee dishonesty and the likes, I dare say that one of the most important solutions for any start-up is to be fully present and totally involved in the generic growth of the business.

This will give you the owner the chance to fully appreciate better the nooks and crannies of the new business.

The Author, Felix Ekow Eshun, is a Banker and Supply Chain Professional. He is also member of the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) and an entrepreneur.

Email: [email protected]
Three people were killed and another injured after a car was crushed by a trailer truck while stopping at a red light in Hanoi early on Tuesday morning.

The accident occurred at Nguyen Van Linh-Sai Dong Intersection along National Highway No. 5 in Sai Dong Ward, Long Bien District at around 4:00 am, according to preliminary information.

A trailer truck was traveling along the street when it rear-ended an automobile carrying four people that was stopping at a red light.

Officers investigate a crash site involving a car and trailer truck in Hanoi, August 4, 2020. Photo: Do Quang / Tuoi Tre

The truck ran up and over the vehicle, crushing it and killing three of the people inside while severely injuring the other.

The injured victim was immediately brought to the hospital for emergency treatment.

The automobile was heavily damaged with the front of the truck also sustaining serious damage.

The Ministry of Public Security has ordered the Hanoi traffic police division to direct an investigation into the case.

A damaged car is salvaged following a collision with a trailer truck in Hanoi, August 4, 2020. Photo: Do Quang / Tuoi Tre

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Citing a series of inputs that suggest that Pakistan-sponsored groups and separatists are going to observe August 5 as a 'black day', the Srinagar administration has imposed a curfew in the district on August 4 and 5. Issuing the order on Monday evening, the administration said that 'specific inputs' have been received about violent protests endangering public life and property. The administration also cited a hike in COVID-19 cases adding that any mass gathering could be 'detrimental to efforts' of fighting the Coronavirus.

Curfew imposed in Srinagar

In its order, the Srinagar administration has said that the step to impose curfew has been taken in order to prevent any violence, loss of life & property. "The report has further made a case to prevent such violence and loss of life/ property, it's imminent to impose curfew in the district," it said.

However, it clarified that medical emergencies and movement of staff on COVID-19 duty are exempted from the aforementioned restrictions. Moreover, the COVID-19 restrictions imposed on July 31 that was valid till August 5 has been extended till August 8. The officials also said that security forces have been deployed in strength at several places across the valley to enforce the lockdown, adding any violation would invite strict action.

PDP to stage 'Black Day' protest on August 5 over 'Kashmir losing its special status'

PDP to stage protest on August 5

PDP on Monday announced that it will stage a 'Black Day' protest on August 5. Slamming PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti's continued detention, the party stated that the Valley was 'cheated' a year ago. The Valley is still bereft of high-speed internet till August 19, as ordered by J&K administration.

"On August 5, 2019, a fraud incident happen happened with Jammu-Kashmir and we do not accept it. On August 5 we will celebrate it as a 'Black Day' and we will protest. Details of the protest will be shared later. We may be arrested tomorrow itself for this," said a PDP leader at a press conference.

Ram Mandir Bhoomi Pujan: PM Modi, CM Yogi & only 3 others to be on stage; read all details

Abrogation of Article 370

On August 5, 2019, the Government of India abrogated Article 370 - that gave special rights to the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two Union Territories - J&K and Ladakh. Prior to the announcement of the decision in the Parliament on August 5, Centre placed the mainstream political leaders of J&K in preventive detention. Additionally, Amarnath pilgrims were airlifted after intel reports were recieved about a terror attack and 38,000 troops were moved in the Kashmir Valley ahead of the decision, as Centre said that there was security threat from Pakistan.

Restrictions have been put on communication links since August 5 with 4G internet banned till August 19 in the view of completing one year since the revocation of Article 370 and Independence Day. The case is sub-judice and Centre says that 4G internet will increase the security threat in the valley. While the state-run internet provider BSNL has restored internet services throughout the Kashmir Valley. Recently, the Supreme Court allowed a state-led committee to decide on the restoration of Internet services while refusing to pass orders to restore 4G internet services in Jammu and Kashmir. While several political leaders have been released from detention, former CM Mehbooba Mufti has been slapped with the stringent PSA law for another three months.

Kashmiri women celebrate Raksha Bandhan by tying Rakhi to Indian Army personnel
Raya Al Jadir is a freelance journalist and co-founder of the Disability Horizons Arabic magazine, and Deena Kamel is a business reporter at The National, have been awarded Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

Fellow recipients Deena Kamel and Raya Al Jadir will join an international cohort of journalists who have been awarded fellowships since 1996. Since 1996, the Center has awarded one-year fellowships to more than 220 journalists, connecting them with resources and experts to increase the quality and accuracy of mental health reporting around the world. The program is currently in the United States, Latin America, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, and was previously in New Zealand, South Africa, and Romania.

ATLANTA (August 3, 2020)As part of a partnership with The National media outlet in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), The Carter Center announces two new fellows for the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism Program in the UAE.

Deena Kamel, left, and Raya Al Jadir, right, have been appointed as recipients of the Rosalynn Carter Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism.

In September, the pair will join the UAE program of the year-long, non-residential fellowship, which aims to increase and improve the quality of mental health reporting in the media.

During their time as fellows, both journalists will be assisted by a local advisory board in the UAE and receive intensive training from experts and mentors in the U.S. to help them accurately report on mental health.

Al Jadir has contributed to BBC Arabic, The Independent newspaper in the UK, as well as The National and Huffington Post. Over the next year, she will seek to report on how pandemic stay-at-home orders have affected the mental health of people in the region who live with disabilities.

Kamel is a reporter at The National whose has reported from cities including Sydney, Australia; Seoul, South Korea; Seattle, Wash.; and Geneva, Switzerland. Previously she was the Gulf transport correspondent for Bloomberg in Dubai. During her fellowship, Kamel will explore the upheaval experienced by the aviation sector during the coronavirus crisis and its impact on the mental health of those working in the industry.

"These fellows reshape how media in the Middle East covers one of the most significant, misunderstood public health problems. Like the fellows before them, they will likely impact their colleagues and newsrooms, and become the point person in their field on mental health issues," said former U.S. First Lady Rosalynn Carter.

The Carter Center provides training, educational materials, mentorship, evaluation tools, and technical assistance to develop a sustainable and tailored program in the UAE. The National manages the program in the UAE and is responsible for the selection of journalists and the adaptation of the program to meet the needs of the population.

Applications for the 2021-22 UAE cohort of Rosalynn Carter Fellows for Mental Health Journalism will open in February 2021. Learn more details and how to apply here: http://bit.ly/39KE9FD.

Fellows will be assisted by a local advisory board in the UAE and experts and mentors in the U.S. They will visit The Carter Center in Atlanta in September, when they will discuss their fellowship work with a community of journalists and mental health experts and attend workshops on behavioral health.

Since Rosalynn Carter established the Fellowships for Mental Health Journalism Program in 1996, fellows have produced more than 1500 stories, documentaries, books, and other works during and after their fellowship year. Their projects have garnered Emmy Awards, nominations for the Pulitzer Prize, and other awards. See mentalhealthjournalism.org and follow @CarterFellows on Twitter for more information about the fellows and tips on mental health journalism.

Contact: In Atlanta, Rennie Sloan, rennie.sloan@cartercenter.org

Contact for fellowship questions: carterfellows@cartercenter.org



Waging Peace. Fighting Disease. Building Hope.

A not-for-profit, nongovernmental organization, The Carter Center has helped to improve life for people in over 80 countries by resolving conflicts; advancing democracy, human rights, and economic opportunity; preventing diseases; and improving mental health care. The Carter Center was founded in 1982 by former U.S. President Jimmy Carter and former First Lady Rosalynn Carter, in partnership with Emory University, to advance peace and health worldwide.
Clemson University's Kara Powder will study the genetics behind facial development that could aid in the fight against birth defects.

CLEMSON, South Carolina - Clemson University researcher Kara Powder has been awarded a $444,464 R15 grant by the National Institutes of Health for her research into the genetics behind facial development that could aid in the fight against birth defects.

Powder studies cichlid fishes, which have evolved with different basic facial structures depending on their feeding habits.

"One important thing about facial development is that the genes and mechanisms that control fish facial development are the same genes that control human facial development. So if we can understand the general process of making a different-looking face using cichlids, we can apply that knowledge to humans," said Powder, an assistant professor in the College of Science's department of biological sciences. "For humans, maybe that facial variability is within a normal range, or maybe it's getting into variation that we might call a rare condition or disease. And craniofacial development has a lot of things that change. Craniofacial abnormalities are one of the most-common birth defects."

Cichlids are ideal subjects because the fish are similar to humans when it comes to facial development.

"It's not that a fish has fish genes and we have human genes. We're using the same genes in slightly different ways. Even more, with cichlid fishes, there's a continuous spectrum of variation primarily between two morphologies - long face versus short," said Powder, who is also a recent recipient of a $1.17 million National Science Foundation CAREER award grant. "That's really similar to what we see in humans. Most of us fall within continuous facial variation. We might have more-pronounced cheekbones or brows, but if you line up all humans, we all kind of blur together into a continuous spectrum."

Powder's research examines how changes in this DNA packaging, or epigenetics, can produce species-specific facial variations using essentially the same genetic building blocks.

"Our DNA is not all open DNA that anything can bind to. If it was, your DNA would never be able to fit within a single cell. It's highly packaged within the cells," Powder said. "DNA is wound around proteins and packed in. Think about if you take a piece of rope and you twist it and keep twisting it until it folds back on itself and gets really compact."

DNA packaging controls how genes get turned on during development. If DNA is highly packaged - really tightly wound - the proteins that turn on gene expression and make the products of genes can never have access.

One aim of the grant, Powder said, will be to study pharmacological agents that affect proteins related to the packaging. These drugs are in clinical trials and prescribed for conditions from cancer to heart disease. Powder's group will attempt to determine if these drugs might serve as a potential source of facial malformations if prescribed to pregnant women. Further, Powder hopes to look at how these drugs might affect one species of cichlids but not others.

###

This R15 grant includes funding for undergraduate students to be involved in the study. It was issued by the Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research, a division of the National Institutes of Health, under award number 1R15DE029945-01. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the NIH.
Happy birthday to the Duchess of Sussex!

The former Meghan Markle received well-wishes from the British royal family for her 39th birthday on Tuesday, which marks her first birthday since she and husband Prince Harry officially stepped down from their duties as senior royals at the end of March.

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The Duke And Duchess Of Sussex Visit New Zealand - Day 4 (Phil Noble / Getty Images)

There appeared to be no hard feelings from the British royal family as they tweeted their birthday messages for the duchess on Tuesday.

Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip marked the day with birthday wishes and a happy photo of the queen and Meghan together in 2018.

Wishing The Duchess of Sussex a very happy birthday!



 The Queen and The Duchess are pictured during a joint visit to Chester in 2018. pic.twitter.com/jTv8NmISYo  The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) August 4, 2020

Meghan's brother- and sister-in-law, Prince William and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge, also sent their well-wishes. The couples have rarely been together since Meghan and Harry dropped the bombshell in January that they intended to step back from their royal duties. Their last official event together was at Commonwealth Day in March, when Meghan greeted the former Kate Middleton briefly, and the brothers maintained a seemingly icy distance.

Wishing a very happy birthday to The Duchess of Sussex today!  pic.twitter.com/42VD8c8q69  The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) August 4, 2020

Harry's father, Prince Charles, and his wife Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, joined in expressing their birthday wishes for Meghan.

Happy Birthday to The Duchess of Sussex!  pic.twitter.com/NPuCdbAAEz  The Prince of Wales and The Duchess of Cornwall (@ClarenceHouse) August 4, 2020

Meghan plans on spending the day at home with Prince Harry and their 1-year-old son, Archie, a spokesperson for the family told NBC News. The spokesperson would not say whether the couple was having any video calls with other members of the royal family.

Story continues

Since the end of their duties as senior royals in March, the couple lived in Canada before moving to Meghan's hometown of Los Angeles, where they have volunteered to deliver meals to those in need and visited with community organizations.

Meghan has also expressed her support for the Black Lives Matter movement in the wake of George Floyd's death while giving a speech to the graduating seniors at her high school alma mater. In addition, she has continued her message of female empowerment, most recently giving a speech at the U.N. Foundations 2020 Girl Up Leadership Summit last month.

Harry and Meghan have also had an ongoing legal battle with the British tabloids, which included a court filing last month stating that she was "unprotected" by the royal "institution." The documents also referred to Meghan's mental health struggles, which included feeling "vulnerable" when she was pregnant with Archie.

Her claims followed an interview with London's ITV in October in which she said she struggled under the intense media spotlight during her pregnancy and as a new mother. She also hinted at a lack of support from the royal family by saying, "Not many people have asked if I'm OK."

Last month, Harry and Meghan also filed a lawsuit in the state of California that accuses paparazzi of unlawfully trying to photograph Archie.
Northrook, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/03/2020 -- According to the new market research report "Wafer Cleaning Equipment Market with COVID-19 impact analysis by Equipment Type (Single-wafer Spray System, Batch Spray Cleaning System, and Scrubbers), Application, Technology, Operation Mode, Wafer Size, and Geography - Global Forecast to 2025", published by MarketsandMarkets, The global Wafer Cleaning Equipment Market size is estimated to be USD 7.0 billion in 2020 and is projected to reach 11.2 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 9.9% during the forecast period. The growth of the wafer cleaning equipment market is fueled by growing adoption of MEMS technology in patient monitoring devices due to COVID-19, increasing demand for NAND memory in smart devices, increasing number of critical steps in the wafer cleaning sequence, and ongoing radical miniaturization of electronic. Moreover, factors such as rising demand for wafers in 3D structure and increasing adoption of silicon-based sensors, chips, and diodes in IoT applications play an important role in driving the growth of the market.



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The market for batch spray cleaning system expected to hold the largest market share during the forecast period



In 2019, the batch spray cleaning system accounted for the largest share of the wafer cleaning equipment market, by equipment type. Growth of this segment can be attributed to the various benefits provided by the system which includes processing of multiple wafers at one go, which saves time and cleaning cost. Batch processing is adopted for volume manufacturing and can help attain economies of scale. A batch spray cleaning system is capable to perform functions of both a batch immersion processing system and a single wafer processing system, which gives it a cutting-edge advantage and the ability to yield large batches with a high throughput or small batches with short cycle times.



Wafer cleaning equipment market size for MEMS application expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period



MEMS is a key component of nearly every electronic device, owning to its benefits such as miniature design, less power consumption, and resistant to vibration and shock. There is an increasing adoption of MEMS devices for clinical monitoring applications, imaging applications, diagnostic and treatment equipment positioning applications, and patient monitoring applications. Moreover, with the advent of IoT, the penetration of MEMS technology is further expected to grow. Thus, the growing applications of MEMS is pushing integrated device manufacturers (IDMs) to increase their capacity and procure more semiconductor manufacturing equipment, including wafer cleaning equipment.



Browse in-depth TOC on "Wafer Cleaning Equipment Market"



277  Tables

58  Figures

281  Pages



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https://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_BuyingNew.asp?id=772



APAC is projected to hold the largest share of wafer cleaning equipment market in 2025



APAC is expected to hold the largest share of the wafer cleaning equipment market in 2025. The commanding position of APAC is due to the presence of a large number of semiconductor manufacturing companies in countries such as China and South Korea. Additionally, increasing investments and business expansion strategies executed by offshore companies in the region is expected to boost the wafer cleaning equipment market growth in the near future. Moreover, innovation and advancement in fabrication plants in Taiwan, and growth in the capabilities of semiconductor equipment manufacturing in Japan are among a few of the cutting-edge advantages for the Asian semiconductor industry.



The report profiles key players, including SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. (Japan), Tokyo Electron Limited (Japan), Applied Materials (US), LAM Research (US), Shibaura Mechatronics Corporation (Japan), PVA TePLA AG (Germany), Entregris Inc., (US), Semes Co. Ltd. (US), Modutek Corporation (Japan), and Veeco Instruments (US). These companies focus on adopting both organic and inorganic growth strategies, such as new product launches, partnerships, agreements, mergers and acquisitions, and expansions to strengthen their position in the market.



Related Reports:



Terahertz Technology Market by Type (Terahertz Imaging, Terahertz Spectroscopy, and Terahertz Communication Systems), Technology (Terahertz Source and Terahertz Detector), Application & Region - Analysis & Forecast to 2022



Tunable Diode Laser Analyzer (TDLA) Market by Methodology (In-Situ and Extractive), Gas Analyzer Type (Oxygen (O2), Ammonia (NH3), COX, Moisture (H2O), CxHx, HX), Industry (Oil & Gas, Cement, Power), and Geography - Global Forecast to 2022



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Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.



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Research Shows That People Can Transmit Coronavirus To Cats, Dogs

A study by Italian scientists has found that people can transmit coronavirus SARS-COV-2 to cats and dogs.

The study tested 540 dogs and 277 cats living in households in northern Italy, particularly in Lombardy, where someone was infected with the virus or in areas where there were many cases.

The study, which has not been peer-reviewed yet, found coronavirus antibodies in 3.4 per cent of dogs and 3.9 per cent of cats, indicating they were infected with the virus.

Swab tests for active virus infections were negative in all animals, as the virus shedding period ended after two weeks.

The tests were conducted between March and May of this year.

Thomas Mettenleiter, leader of the German Federal Research Institute for Animal Health (FLI), said the results showed that the virus could be transmitted between humans and animals.



This confirms what we already know, Mettenleiter said, adding that the large scale of the study was unprecedented as it was difficult to get samples.

According to Mettenleiter, most animals in the study came from households affected by the coronavirus, indicating that infection is generally transmitted from humans to animals.

He added that this confirmed the FLIs assumption that cats and dogs dont play a significant role in the spread of COVID-19, and that healthy people needed not limit their contact with their pets.

People, who are infected with the virus, however, should limit their contact with their pets, although there are no indications so far that animals can die of the coronavirus, according to Mettenleiter.
No Turning Back: a captivating journey of a man and his wife as they face the storms that the world give with aid from their faith in the Almightys great power. No Turning Back is the creation of published author Stephen S. Fisher, a writer who now resides at Welsh Mountain Home. At sixteen, he began to follow a Christian youth group and came to faith in Jesus Christ.

Fisher shares, I want the world to know how big our God really is. This is why Im sharing the reality of the life that my wife and I have lived. We have not always been in ideal situations, and I want the world to know there is a real God who holds us, his precious children, in the palm of his hand. When he speaks, he will direct our paths. He will make our paths straight. May the glory of our resurrected Lord Jesus Christ lift you up, hide you in the shadow of his wing, and give you the grace to carry on. He is my God! May the Lord bless you and keep you.

Published by Christian Faith Publishing, Stephen S. Fishers new book is a mind-clearing testimony shared to give inspiration to everyone and to challenge them to engage in a closer relationship and a deeper faith in God.

View a synopsis of No Turning Back on YouTube.

Consumers can purchase No Turning Back at traditional brick & mortar bookstores, or online at Amazon.com, Apple iTunes store, or Barnes and Noble.

For additional information or inquiries about No Turning Back, contact the Christian Faith Publishing media department at 866-554-0919.
Even before she married Prince Harry and officially became a royal, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex often found herself in front of the cameras. As a former actress, she made a name for herself when she landed the role of Rachel Zane on the popular legal drama, Suits, and suddenly, photographers couldnt seem to get enough.

After entering into a relationship with Harry, however, Meghans popularity jumped to an entirely different level. Although she had done photoshoots and taken many pictures prior to the couple going public, photographers are now clamoring like never before.

Somehow, it seems like Meghan looks absolutely perfect in each and every picture that is taken of her, and it is hard not to wonder what her secret is. As it turns out, the duchess has some techniques for making sure every photograph looks great, and we have to say what she does is absolutely brilliant.

Lets talk about how Meghans trick for photos will upgrade any Instagram.

A little bit of background on Meghan

RELATED: Why Does Meghan Markle Keep Losing Friends?

Meghan grew up in Los Angeles, California, where she spent a lot of her time visiting her father, Thomas Markle, where he worked on the set of Married With Children as a lighting director. It was from a young age that she knew she wanted to pursue a career in acting, and her efforts definitely paid off.

After a few small parts alongside actors such as Ashton Kutcher, Meghan finally rose to fame after joining the cast of Suits. In addition, she was and still is, a womens rights activist and a humanitarian, and she definitely stands for what she believes in.

Due to her work, Meghan was often photographed at special events, and those who have seen the pictures would definitely agree that the former American actress knows how to look amazing on camera.

Becoming one of the most photographed women in the world

While Meghan definitely had her fair share of photographs taken prior to meeting Harry, it is nothing like it is now. Photographers will stop at nothing to get the perfect shot of the duchess, and it almost seems as if we see new pictures all the time.

It is pretty safe to say that since Meghan and Prince Harrys 2018 wedding, she has become one of the most sought-after and photographed women in the entire world. She is certainly no stranger to looking spectacular in every snapshot, whether it be while she is greeting well-wishers or speaking about one of the causes she so deeply believes in.

Meghan Markles trick for photos will upgrade any Instagram

Meghan Markle | Chris Jackson/Getty Images

So, what are some of Meghans tricks for making sure every photograph looks fantastic? Well, as it turns out, she has a few of them, and it looks like she has the techniques down pat.

According to What to Wear, the duchess works the camera by doing several things. First, she makes sure her posture is perfect by doing the model pose whenever possible. What is this, exactly? Its a pose that makes the body appear longer and slimmer by having the person stand with one hip pointed to the side and the other leg pointed out.

In addition, Meghan makes sure to always be smiling  but not too much, as she doesnt want it to look unnatural! She knows that a simple grin is all that she needs, and that is always what we see. Meghan also knows that tilting her head to the side and down just a little provides the most flattering angle, and also, that the camera loves solid colors.

The Duchess of Sussex is a natural beauty that is sure to look stunning no matter what, but it looks like she has a few simple tricks to make herself even more photogenic than she already is.
Pizza Express is thought to employ around 8,000 people in the UK (PA)

Jobs in Northern Ireland are at risk as Pizza Express has announced it could close around 67 of its UK restaurants, as part of a major restructuring plan to shore up its finances.

The chain said it plans to launch a Company Voluntary Arrangement (CVA) in the near future, in a move which could lead to the closure of 15% of its 449 UK restaurants.

A spokesperson for Pizza Express told the Belfast Telegraph that the future of stores in Northern Ireland "has not yet been decided" and that plans are likely to be announced next week following the launch of the CVA.

Pizza Express, which is majority-owned by Chinese firm Hony Capital, said it has also hired advisers from Lazard to lead a sale process for the business.

The company closed all of its UK and Northern Ireland restaurants on March 23 after the Government-mandated lockdown, before starting a phased reopening of sites last month.

It said the coronavirus pandemic has been a huge setback for the restaurant sector but it believes the turnaround plan will put the business on a stronger financial footing in the new socially distanced environment.

Customer demand has been encouraging since sites reopened, with 166 outlets now open across the UK, it said.

Group chief finance officer Andy Pellington said: While we have had to make some very difficult decisions, none of which has been taken lightly, we are confident in the actions being taken to reduce the level of debt, create a more focused business and improve the operational performance, all of which puts us in a much stronger position.

We can now plan to invest in both our UK & Ireland and international businesses as well as support our teams as they return to work.

UK and Ireland managing director Zoe Bowley said: Our business has a long history of success, but the UK-wide lockdown has hit the hospitality industry particularly hard.

We're excited to announce that we're opening another batch of pizzerias for dine-in and take-away this Thursday.



By the end of this week, we will have reopened over 230 restaurants with more opening every week.



Book now - https://t.co/Wuvzah2Tb4 pic.twitter.com/drk9Oq7Fj9  @pizzaexpress (@PizzaExpress) August 3, 2020

While the financial restructuring is a positive step forward, at the same time we have had to make some really tough decisions.

As a result, it is with a heavy heart that we expect to permanently close a proportion of our restaurants, losing valued team members in the process.

The restructuring will also involve a significant de-leveraging of the groups external debt, reducing it from 735 million to 319 million, and extending maturities.

It also said the move could potentially result in the transfer of majority ownership of the group to its secured noteholders.

Pizza Express also plans to sell its business in mainland China, where it runs 60 restaurants.
Health experts are calling on policymakers to introduce a hepatitis B vaccine to all newborn babies within 24 hours after birth as part of measures to control the increasing rate of the disease in the country.



Currently, newborns are immunised against Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) six weeks after their birth to prevent any possibility of maternal transmission.



But health experts say that is not enough since most newborns affected in the early days have a high chance of chronic hepatitis which may develop into irreversible liver damage, liver cancer and, in some cases, premature death.



A member of the Hepatitis B Working Group under the National Viral Hepatitis Programme, Dr Adwoa Agyei-Nkansah, told The Mirror that currently, Ghana was one of the countries with very high level of hepatitis B, with about 12 to 15 per cent of the population living with the condition.



She made reference to the World Health Organisation (WHO), which says any country with a prevalence rate of eight per cent and above was considered hyper-endemic.



For countries like Ghana, the main mode of transmission is from mother to child during and after delivery, so one way of preventing that is to give the newborn a vaccine right after birth. About 95 per cent of babies who are exposed to the virus become chronic carriers for life as their defence system is not developed at that stage, she explained.



Transmission in adults



In adults, Dr Agyei-Nkansah, who is also a Senior Lecturer at the University of Ghana Medical School, said the transmission could be through sex, sharing of personal care items, blood transfusion and also during accidents when victims with the virus bled into the wounds of other victims.



Health workers might also be exposed if they were accidentally pricked by an infected needle used on a patient.



Avoid sharing of personal care items



She explained that adults could only take the hepatitis B vaccine as a preventive measure if they were negative.



The adult vaccine comes in three shots; the first two doses are usually given one month apart, with the third dose six to 12 months later. If the source of the vaccine is accredited and the vaccine is well kept within the appropriate temperature, it can last you for a lifetime, she noted.



Dr Agyei-Nkansah said although there were five main strains of the hepatitis virus  A, B, C, D and E, the prevalence rate of B in Ghana was high, hence the need to increase awareness and encourage more people to check their status.



Hepatitis B has a vaccine, so its easier to control the spread. Once people are well informed about the preventive measures and the need to get a vaccine, the prevalence rate decreases, she added.



High cost of treatment



Dr Agyei-Nkansah explained that currently, the cost of laboratory tests ranged between GH800 and GH1,200, with treatment costing between GH200 and GH300 per month for life.



Aside from the strain it puts on both the patient and the health system, treating a patient with the disease is so costly. Most of the costs of investigations are also not covered under the National Health Insurance Scheme and this puts a financial burden on the patient and family. The vaccines, on the other hand, are cheaper and prevent any complications resulting from the virus, the doctor said.



World Hepatitis Day



According to the WHO, World Hepatitis Day is commemorated each year on July 28 to enhance awareness of viral hepatitis, an inflammation of the liver that causes a range of health problems, including liver cancer.



There are five main strains of the hepatitis virus  A, B, C, D, and E. Together, Hepatitis B and C are the most common cause of deaths, with 1.3 million lives lost each year. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, viral hepatitis continues to claim thousands of lives every day.



The vaccines are cheaper and prevent any complications resulting from the virus



This years theme was Hepatitis-free future, with a strong focus on preventing Hepatitis B among mothers and newborns.



In Ghana, as part of activities to mark the day, trained health promotion officers educated people at antenatal and various clinics across the country in compliance with COVID-19 protocols, media engagements and virtual meetings amongst health experts.

















Source: Graphic.com.gh









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PALM BEACH, Fla., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- According to Gold.org, Gold mining is a global business with operations on every continent, except Antarctica, and gold is extracted from mines of widely varying types and scale. Mines and gold mining operations have become increasingly geographically diverse, far removed from the concentrated supply of four decades or so ago when the vast majority of the world's gold came from South Africa. The report said: "China was the largest gold producer in the world in 2016, accounting for around 14% of total annual production. But no one region dominates. Asia as a whole produces 23% of all newly-mined gold. Central and South America produce around 17% of the total, with North America supplying around 16%. Around 19% of production comes from Africa and 14% from the CIS region. Overall levels of mine production have grown significantly over the last decade, although substantial new discoveries are increasingly rare and production levels are increasingly constrained." Active mining stocks mentioned in today's commentary include: Ridgestone Mining Inc. (TSX-V: RMI) (OTCQB: RIGMF), Vista Gold Corp. (NYSE: VGZ) (TSX: VGZ), B2Gold Corp. (NYSE: BTG) (TSX: BTO), Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE: SAND) (TSX: SSL), Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE: AUY) (TSX:YRI).

The Gold.org article continued: "Gold mining and mine production does not respond quickly to prices. The project development timeline and mine lifecycle is a very long one  it often takes decades to move from discovery to production. The best estimates currently available suggest that around 197,576 tonnes of gold has been mined throughout history, of which around two-thirds has been mined since 1950. And since gold is virtually indestructible, this means that almost all of this metal is still around in one form or another. If every single ounce of this gold were placed next to each other, the resulting cube of pure gold would only measure around 21 metres on each side. Each year, global gold mining adds approximately 2,500-3,000 tonnes to the overall above-ground stock of gold. While gold production has shown an upward trend in recent years, this is likely to level off in coming years."

Ridgestone Mining Inc. (TSX-V: RMI) (OTCQB: RIGMF) (FSE: 4U5) BREAKING NEWS - Ridgestone Makes Strategic Appointment of Dr. Andrew J. Ramcharan to its Advisory Board - Ridgestone Mining ("Ridgestone") is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr. Andrew Ramcharan to its Advisory Board.

Dr. Ramcharan has an extensive background in exploration, project evaluation, investment banking and corporate development spanning over twenty years. Dr. Ramcharan is currently Executive Vice President, Corporate Development for Roscan Gold (TSXV:ROS) where he has been instrumental in raising over $18 million and a five-fold increase in market valuation of over $100 million in the last six months.

In a similar role with IAMGOLD Corp (TSX:IMG) as Manager of Corporate Development, Dr. Ramcharan was involved with raising over $600 million in equity and over $800 million in project acquisitions. Dr. Ramcharan has also held senior investment banking roles, including Sprott Resource and Resource Capital Funds, where he performed over 300 project evaluations and numerous debt and equity financings valued over $1 billion.

Dr. Ramcharan holds a Ph.D. and M.Sc. in Mining Engineering and Mineral Economics, and attended the Colorado School of Mines, University of Leoben, and Harvard Busines School Continuing Education Program. Dr. Ramcharan is a P.Eng in Ontario, a Registered Member of The Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration (SME) in USA, a Fellow of both The Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (AusIMM) and The South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy (SAIMM).

Mr. Jonathan George, CEO, commented "We are very excited to have someone of Andrew's caliber join the team to add value to all stake holders. His extensive background and experience in both technical and capital markets will aid us as we advance our Rebeico project and evaluate prospective opportunities in Mexico."

"Ridgestone Mining's future is compelling and exciting", said Dr. Andrew Ramcharan. "The Company's exploration program is off to a great start and has a great team to take the Company to a new level in a short time. With positive drill results and news flow, this promises to be a very exciting year for all shareholders." Read this full release more news for Ridgestone Mining by visiting: https://www.ridgestonemining.com/news-releases/2020/

In other mining news of note:

Vista Gold Corp. (NYSE: VGZ) (TSX: VGZ) recently announced receipt of the final $1.5 million payment ("Purchase Price Payment") from Prime Mining Corp. ("Prime Mining") and through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Minera Gold Stake, S.A. de C.V. ("MGS"), has executed a transfer agreement that assigns MGS's legal title to the claims covering the Guadalupe de los Reyes gold / silver project to a subsidiary of Prime Mining.

As previously announced on June 15, 2020 (see news release), Prime Mining is required to pay Vista an additional $2.1 million in lieu of being granted certain royalties and back-in rights:

- $1,100,000 no later than six months from receipt of the Purchase Price Payment; and

- $1,000,000 no later than twelve months from receipt of the Purchase Price Payment.

- If Prime Mining fails to make the two payments, Vista will have the right to reinstate its royalties and back-in rights.

Sandstorm Gold Ltd. (NYSE: SAND) (TSX: SSL) recently released its results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020 (all figures in U.S. dollars). SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS:

- Attributable gold equivalent ounces sold1 of 10,920 ounces (Q2 2019  16,356 ounces); Revenue of $18.7 million (Q2 2019  $21.5 million);

- Cash flows from operating activities, excluding changes in non-cash working capital1 of $13.4 million (Q2 2019  $14.5 million);

- Average cash cost per attributable gold equivalent ounce1 of $257 resulting in cash operating margins1 of $1,458 per ounce (Q2 2019  $301 per ounce and $1,013 per ounce respectively);

- Net income of $7.1 million (Q2 2019  net income of $2.4 million);

- Capital: As at June 30, 2020, Sandstorm has a strong balance sheet with over $40 million in cash, over $70 million in equity and debt investments, strong operating cash flows, and an undrawn revolving credit facility of $225 million.

B2Gold Corp. (NYSE BTG) (TSX: BTO) recently announced the launch of its Namibian Rhino Gold Bar campaign in North America to help support the conservation and protection of the critically endangered black rhinos, and the community-based rhino rangers and trackers who protect the rhinos, in Namibia, Southern Africa. This announcement coincides with the International Ranger Federation's ("IRF") World Ranger Day, which takes place annually on July 31.

World Ranger Day was established on the 15th anniversary of the founding of the IRF and has been observed globally since 2007. The day, which is promoted through the IRF's Thin Green Line Foundation and sanctioned and supported by global members of the International Union for Conservation of Nature, recognizes and celebrates rangers who are at the forefront of conservation efforts around the world by protecting natural and cultural resources. It also commemorates rangers that are injured or killed in the line of duty.

Yamana Gold Inc. (NYSE: AUY) (TSX: YRI) recently reported its financial and operational results for the second quarter of 2020. The Company posted strong quarterly production and free cash flow while further reducing net debt. SECOND QUARTER HIGHLIGHTS:

- Strong Adjusted Net Earnings and Cash Flows, Further Reduction in Net Debt

- Adjusted net earnings(1) of $63.3 million or $0.07 per share basic and diluted compared to adjusted net earnings of $19.8 million or $0.02 per share basic and diluted a year earlier.

- Net earnings were nil or nil per share basic and diluted compared to net earnings of $14.1 million or $0.01 per share basic and diluted a year earlier.

- Strong quarterly cash flows from operating activities of $92.2 million and cash flow from operating activities before net change in working capital of $118.1 million, reflecting the impact of strong production, strong precious metal prices, and the positive impact of foreign exchange movements on costs.

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates Financialnewsmedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM's market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM was compensated forty four hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by Ridgestone Mining Inc. by a non affiliated third party. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.



This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. "Forward-looking statements" describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as "may", "future", "plan" or "planned", "will" or "should", "expected," "anticipates", "draft", "eventually" or "projected". You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company's annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.



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NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- World Brand Lab released the "China's 500 Most Valuable Brands of 2020" list with an analysis report at the World Brand Summit, which was held in Beijing on the 5th of August. In the annual report, State Grid tops the list with a brand value of 503.69 billion RMB. The other four brands in the top five are ICBC (450.58 billion RMB), Haier (428.65 billion RMB), Tencent (421.55 billion RMB) and China Life (415.86 billion RMB). The above brands have all developed into world-class brands. Management experts from Harvard University, University of Oxford, University of Cambridge and INSEAD attended the World Brand Summit and gave online speeches. They discussed the topic of "Bucking in the Trend: How Brands Can Grow in the Face of the Global Pandemic" through an interactive session with the guests.

World Brand Lab

The total value of brands on the "China's 500 Most Valuable Brands 2020" list reached 24692.06 billion RMB, which indicated an increase of 2821.03 billion RMB, or 12.90%, from the previous year. Professor Robert Mundell, Chairman of the World Brand Lab and Nobel Prize winner in Economics, said that for the world's manufacturing industry, the output value of China is approximately equal to the total value of the U.S., Japan and Germany. However, the growth of Chinese brands has not kept pace with the development of Chinese manufacturing. Nevertheless, the success of Chinese brands is known worldwide. This is the 17th year that the World Brand Lab has compiled the report on Chinese brands. In 2004, the threshold was only 500 million RMB and the average value of the top 500 brands was 4.94 billion RMB. In 2020, 17 years later, the threshold has grown to 2.72 billion RMB, and the average value of the top 500 brands is as high as 49.38 billion RMB, which indicates an increase of 899.07%.

The competitive strength of a region mainly depends on its comparative advantages, where brand effectiveness directly affects the formation and development of the regional comparative advantages. From the regional distribution of the top 500 brands in 2020, Beijing, with 93 brands selected, ranks first. The main reason being that the headquarters of central enterprises with strong profitability are concentrated in Beijing. Guangdong and Shandong, with 90 and 44 brands selected, rank second and third, respectively. Depending on the scope of influence, these brands are separated into three groups: global, national and regional. The list includes 435 brands with national influence that account for 87%, along with 55 brands with global influence that account for 11%, which is a slight increase from last year.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic did not stop the overall upward trend of values of Chinese brands, in comparison with the numbers of the previous year, the numbers of selected brands have significantly dropped in industries that have been heavily affected by the pandemic, such as clothing, automobiles, tourism and media. The numbers of selected brands in the staple industry, such as food, beverages, finance and machinery have increased in varying degrees. In this year's brand list, a total of 27 related industries have been covered. Among them, the food and beverage industry still accounts for the largest number of selected brands with a total of 85 brands, which represents 16.80% of the overall selection. The industries that rank second to fifth are the light industry (50), construction materials (39), media (35), and textiles and apparel (31). This year, there are 53 Chinese brands worth more than 100 billion, with an addition of six brands from last year.

Since this year's topic for World Brand Summit was "Bucking in the Trend: How Brands Can Grow in the Face of the Global Pandemic", Dr. John Deighton, a professor of Business Administration at the Harvard Business School, pointed out that the first learning from the pandemic has been that agility matters more than ever. Agility is easier if a brand has up-to-date information. The second learning is to change the way brands interact with consumers. They must not be light or humorous or lacking in empathy, since people are insecure. Third, marketing must feed back to the rest of the senior leadership team.

Dr. Steve Evans, a professor of Industrial Sustainability at the Institute for Manufacturing at the University of Cambridge, pointed out that more frequent and large disruptions are likely to become normal. Businesses must find a path to become resilient. For Chinese brands, he offered some suggestions. Firstly, growth in size alone will not make a business strong. Secondly, growth in well-being is becoming important. Thirdly, trust will become the most important business word of the next decade. Lastly, companies should accelerate their experiments and improve their ability to innovate as part of their resilience plan.

Dr. Steve Woolgar, a professor of Marketing at the Said Business School of the University of Oxford, pointed out that brands now can focus on two qualities: helpfulness and empathy. Brands form the basis of relationships, not just between the company and its customers, but between groups and networks of customers. The most successful brands play to the concerns and anxieties of this large societal collective of potential customers.

Dr. Ziv Carmon, a professor of Marketing at INSEAD, pointed out that the pandemic has caused unprecedented economic fallout. However, some firms have managed to flourish during this crisis. The key to success during this crisis has been deep customer centricity. In particular, brands must identify central customer pain points. While such centricity is always important, major crises accentuate customer sensitivities.

Haiseng Ding, CEO of World Executive Group and World Brand Lab, stated that consumer behavior has undergone major changes. First, consumers are more willing to try new brands and products during the crisis. Second, consumers have higher requirements for brands than before. They are more inclined to buy brands with better ESG performances. Third, the pandemic has forced most consumers to abandon their consumer beliefs and to change their behaviors in areas from grocery shopping to social interaction. Entrepreneurs should follow these trends and make timely adjustments to brand strategy.

The world's leading consultant of brand valuation and marketing strategy, the World Brand Lab, is wholly owned by leading strategic consulting and business communication companyWorld Executive Group. Professor Robert Mundell, the winner of the 1999 Nobel Prize in Economics, serves as the Chairman of World Brand Lab. Over the past 17 years, World Brand Lab has sought to help foreign brands enter China and simultaneously help the globalization of Chinese brands. Over 150,000 companies use its dynamic database. World Brand Lab's research findings have been applied by many enterprises as important references for intangible asset evaluation in mergers and acquisitions processes. The "China's 500 Most Valuable Brands" list has been released for 17 consecutive years and adopts the approach of showcasing the present value of earnings to evaluate brand values. The method is based on the method of economic applications, which combines consumer research, competitive analysis and forecasts of the company's future income.

Related Images

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Figure 1: Top 10 of "China's 500 Most Valuable Brands of 2020" (Billion RMB)

figure-2-geographical-distribution.png

Figure 2: Geographical Distribution of "China's 500 Most Valuable Brands of 2020" (Top 10 Province/City)

Related Links

World Brand Lab Website

SOURCE World Brand Lab
I am the Australia director of Human Rights Watch and an adjunct law lecturer at UNSW. Last week, the university's media department interviewed me about the human rights implications of Hong Kong's new national security law. I expressed concern and urged governments to call on the United Nations Secretary-General to appoint a special envoy on Hong Kong.

Unfortunately, my recent experience suggests that the university might be more interested in damage control than an open marketplace of ideas. But this is a test of academic freedom that UNSW can't afford to fail.

Some students and others from China were so enraged by criticism of the Chinese government that they quickly organised an aggressive campaign targeting UNSW's social media channels, calling the article hurtful and saying it should be removed from the UNSW website. Some social media users threatened to boycott UNSW, others said that I should recant my statements or the university should sack me.

UNSW briefly removed the article from its website twice, and then reinstated it, shifting it from the university's main news page to the UNSW Law page. UNSW also deleted the tweet quoting me  saying it decided "to remove the posts on our social channels as they were not in line with our policies  and the views of an academic were being misconstrued as representing the university". But other tweets quoting UNSW academics that could "also be misconstrued as representing the university" have not been removed, suggesting at best an arbitrarily enforced policy.

Human Rights Watch campaigner Elaine Pearson.

Human Rights Watch has been tracking Chinese government threats to academic freedom in Australia and other countries since 2015, including detailing episodes like this involving other scholars. The pro-Chinese Communist Party (CCP) students certainly don't have to agree with my remarks. But I was still somewhat shocked at the ferocity of their response, and disappointed at the university's feeble reaction. I worry that other academics and students from China or who write about China may be afraid to raise their voices.

A 23-year-old UNSW law student from China recently told Human Rights Watch: "I wanted to study abroad to have a way of life so I'm not afraid to share my opinion. In our law department there are a lot of students who share the same opinion as me but they are too afraid to speak out, they are afraid of retaliation ... If you protest against the CCP abroad they will find people you love and hurt them to make you pay."
Islamabad, Aug 4 : A bellicose and Janus faced Pakistan will be marking the one-year anniversary of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on August 5, 2020, with rallies, protests, events, speeches and commemorations, declaring the day as "Youm-e-Istehsal" (Day of Exploitation), when Indian government abrogated Article 370 and 35A and changed the special status of the state of Jammu and Kashmir into two union territories.

The Pakistan government will also be changing the name of its main Kashmir Highway in the capital Islamabad to Srinagar Highway in solidarity with the Kashmiri people.

Prime Minister Imran Khan will be heading to Muzaffarabad, the capital of Pakistan administered Kashmir and will be addressing the legislative assembly.

Kashmir solidarity rallies will be taken out in major cities of Pakistan and across the Pakistan administered Kashmir.

Ahead of the big day and activities, Pakistan Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi, along with Defence Minister Pervez Khattak and National Security Advisor Moeed Yusuf visited the Line of Control (LoC) to express support and solidarity with the Kashmiri residents.

Qureshi was taken to the Chirikot sector of the LoC where he was briefed about the security situation and the ongoing conflict, which Pakistan calls India's ceasefire violations.

"Kashmiri people have rejected Indian government's August 5 actions last year," said Qureshi, adding that "for the first time in 50 years, the UN Security Council held meetings on the Kashmir issue".

"Organization of Islamic Cooperation's (OIC) role is appreciable. OIC Contact Group on Jammu and Kashmir has raised its voice against the Indian illegal actions and endorsed Pakistan's stance on the issue," he said.

Qureshi said India is isolated on the Kashmir issue as it has put hundreds of thousands of Kashmiris in a lockdown for an year.

"India is isolated, Iran has kicked out India from its port of Chabahar, Nepal has also claimed its territory and what happened with India in Ladakh, the world also saw it," he said.

During the briefing of military officials, it was said that the ceasefire violations on the de factor border have intensified since 2016, after the killing of Burhan Wani.

"So far, 115 civilians were martyred and 614 other wounded in Indian ceasefire violations," said Major General Amer Ahsan Nawaz, Commander of the area.

It was also briefed that Indian ceasefire violations have increased since 2016.

"Indian forces have carried out 578 CFVs in 2016, 2,329 in 2017, 3,348 in 2018, 3,526 in 2019 while 1,875 so far this year," the commander said.

This claim of Islamabad is countered by New Delhi, who accuses that there have been at least 2,027 times as of June 10.
The six Massachusetts lawmakers negotiating the terms of a final police reform proposal have no shortage of input from interest groups.

A group of African Methodist Episcopal Church pastors urged lawmakers on the conference committee to include limits to qualified immunity, as outlined in the Senate bill, and a stricter governmental ban on facial surveillance, as proposed by the House.

Members of the Massachusetts Coalition of Police, a coalition of 4,300 officers, have sent emails to conferees urging them to strip the broader restrictions proposed by the House and Senate. They laid out seven core principles for police reform that they say were the crux of Gov. Charlie Bakers policing bill and were backed by the Black and Latino Legislative Caucus.

The Black & Latinx City Council Presidents submitted a letter calling for a civilian-led commission for training, a decertification process for problem police officers and other reforms. Among the signatories were Springfield City Council President Justin Hearts and Boston City Council President Kim Janey.

Black & Latinx City Council Presidents of MA have joined forces. See our letter regarding Criminal Justice Bills H. 4886/S. 2820. Proud to partner w/ Justin Hearst of Springfield, Kendrys Vasquez of Lawrence, and Roy Avellaneda of Chelsea. #mapoli #bospoli pic.twitter.com/8YjMMQCEMD  Kim Janey (@Kim_Janey) July 31, 2020

These are just a fraction of the letters hitting the inboxes of the six conferees. Those lawmakers are Sens. William Brownsberger of Belmont, Sonia Chang-Diaz of Jamaica Plain and Bruce Tarr of Gloucester, as well as Reps. Claire Cronin of Easton, Carlos Gonzalez of Springfield and Timothy Whelan of Brewster.

Brownsberger and Chang-Diaz, both Democrats, served on the racial justice advisory group that drafted the Senate bill along with Tarr, a Republican serving as the Senate minority leader. Chang-Diaz is also a member of the BLLC.

Gonzalez, chairman of the BLLC, worked with Cronin, Judiciary Committee co-chair, on drafting the House proposal. Both are Democrats.

Whelan, a Republican, was one of 66 House members who voted against the police reform bill.

The 93 lawmakers who voted for the House policing bill ensured the proposal could move forward, but it falls short of the two-thirds majority the House needs to override a veto from the governor. For some representatives, the margin was too close for comfort.

The conference committee met throughout the last week, which traditionally would have marked the final week of formal sessions. The House and Senate adopted orders extending formal sessions past Friday, but the committee still met on and off for more than 12 hours. They did not reach a deal.

Regarding police reform, the conferees are working productively to come to agreement, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, a Winthrop Democrat, said in a statement issued early Saturday. We are committed to reaching resolution, and the conferees will take the time to get it right.

In this March 23 file photo, House Speaker Robert DeLeo, left, meets with Gov. Charlie Baker and Senate President Karen Spilka in the Senate Reading Room next to the Senate chamber.

Senate President Karen Spilka previously said she was confident the conference committee could reach a deal on the police reform bill by Friday even if formal sessions are extended. On Friday, she said the conferees need more time to get the details right.

Its better to get it right than just get it done for the sake of getting it done, she told reporters.

Officers affiliated with MassCOP argue the Senates approach isnt the right one. In letters to the conferees, they called the process to move legislation dangerously rushed and called on conferees to stick to the provisions agreed to by the BLLC and Baker.

The group laid out seven principles they want lawmakers to focus on as they finalize the bill: banning chokeholds, standardized training across the state, equal representation from police in oversight boards, accreditation for agencies and certification for officers, guidelines banning excessive force and promoting diversity.

Almost everything else the Senate or House has proposed, they say, is punitive. The law enforcement officers argue limits to qualified immunity should be studied, not implemented.

It is difficult not to conclude that some Senate and House members have aligned with those who wish to punish police officers just for being police officers, the letters state. I implore you, please do not join those who have taken this unfortunate stance.

The City Council Presidents group urges the conference committee to create a civilian-led commission for training, certification and de-certification of officers that can independently investigate misconduct complaints, audit internal agencies internal investigations and make investigations subject to public records laws. They also backed stricter limits to qualified immunity that were in the Senate bill.

Other changes they proposed: the Houses creation of a commission to study civil service and other reforms; the House version of the no-knock warrants ban that only allows warrants to be carried out if officers can attest that no children or elders are home; a requirement to collect racial data on traffic stops; and the creation of a fund that takes money saved as the incarceration rate drops and redirects the funds to economic resources in communities that have historically had the highest levels of policing.

As municipal leaders of color, we know firsthand  both from our work in government and our lived experiences with racism  that police violence and discrimination are not only problems that exist elsewhere in the country, but are daily realities for too many residents of color in our commonwealth, the council wrote.

Leaders of the Boston-Hartford District in the New England Annual Conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Church submitted a letter to conferees Sunday. Fifteen pastors signed onto the letter, including the Rev. Gregory G. Groover of Charles St. AME Church in Bostons Roxbury neighborhood and the Rev. Marcus T. McCullough of Bethel AME Church in Springfield.

We recognize that both the House of Representatives and the Senate have made meaningful attempts to respond to the demands for justice in light of the recent murders of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, wrote the group, which represents 12 churches with more than 4,000 members in Massachusetts. We also recognize that the respective bills miss key opportunities to address decades-long policing practices that have caused harm to people in communities of color, many of whom are our congregants.

The pastors urged lawmakers to meet the BLLCs four demands: a police certification and decertification system that can independently investigate misconduct complaints, a civil service exam commission, a structural racism commission and limits on use of force that include banning choke holds, tear gas and most no-knock warrants.

They also called for stricter limits to qualified immunity, as proposed by the Senate, and a broader ban on face surveillance technology, as proposed by the House.

We are pleased to see that the House bill bans the use of the technology with limited exemptions for police use only in exigent circumstances, the pastors wrote.

The Massachusetts Law Enforcement Policy Group did not make a final pitch to the conferees directly, but sent a letter to Baker and the Legislature Monday. The groups leaders reiterated their calls for a bill that sticks to the BLLCs priorities that union leaders agreed to in previous meetings. They reiterated the seven core principles, just as MassCOP did.

Our request and our desires have been the same from the start, Lawrence Calderone, the president of the policy group, told MassLive in an interview. Our message is always the same: common sense reform.

While law enforcement officials say the bills are too extreme, civil rights advocates argue the bills dont go far enough, Gonzalez said on a Friday night in July after the House passed its policing bill.

We have advocates and we have individuals that feel their sides werent heard, he said, but I think for the betterment of Massachusetts residents, for improving race relations and police reform, we have a bill we probably can stand on today and be able to work towards a bill we can get to the governors desk with the short period of time and be able to pass.

A week later, Gonzalez and other lawmakers continued to negotiate on what that final bill will look like.

I think weve been having tough conversations, productive conversations, Gonzalez said.

Related Content:
Tackling road congestion in Brisbanes northern suburbs is now officially a key priority in Infrastructure Australia's updated assessment of the nation's needs.

Several years ago, the Gold Coasts M1 was the road corridor in the spotlight, but that has priority has shifted as work is already under way.

Congestion in Brisbane's northern suburbs has been listed as an infrastructure priority. Credit:Peter Rae

On Wednesday, the federal governments infrastructure body will include studies to improve the road capacity in Brisbanes northern suburbs, as part of the national COVID-19 recovery, as a new "high priority".

Infrastructure Australia has released, for the first time, a midyear assessment of its priorities for infrastructure projects listed by the federal and state governments as Australia plans its recovery from COVID-19.
Prince William and Kate Middleton keep insanely busy schedules as senior working members of the royal family, but that doesnt keep them from being hands-on parents. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge often travel with Prince George, Princess Charlotte, and Prince Louis while performing their royal duties, but that family togetherness presents a unique problem.

Prince William and Prince George | Max Mumby/Indigo/Getty Images

Prince George poses for birthday pics taken by his mom

Royal fans fell in love with Prince George all over again when Kate Middleton shared two sweet pics of the future King to celebrate his seventh birthday on July 22. In one photo, the young prince wore a gray polo shirt while flashing a gap-toothed grin. In the second pic, George wore a camouflage shirt while smiling and playing outside at the familys country home in Norfolk, Anmer Hall.

Prince George looked all grown up in the photos, which were less candid than the ones Middleton shared last year. When George turned six, Middleton posted a pic of her oldest son laughing while laying on the grass at Kensington Palace.

Middleton has made it a tradition to share birthday pics of her children instead of professional photos. The Cambridges have been at Anmer Hall throughout the COVID-19 lockdown, and all three of the children have celebrated birthdays during that time.

Princess Charlotte  who turned five on May 2  was photographed delivering food packages to nearby residents in need. Prince Louis celebrated his second birthday on April 23 with a paint party.

William and Kate have a modern approach to parenthood

It has long been a tradition in the royal family that nannies raise the kids before sending them off to boarding school. Public appearances that include royal children are very prim and proper without showing any kind of affection.

That started to change with Princess Diana and her two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry, as cameras caught many more candid moments between them. William and Kate have continued Dianas modern approach. Royal expert Ingrid Seward believes this could change royal tradition in other ways.

RELATED: Prince William and Kate Middleton Plan On Prince George Helping Them Clean Up After Harry and Meghan Drama

Seward says that William and Kate want their children to be happy, which means they might not send their kids to boarding school.

We are used to seeing members of royalty breaking tradition these days, so it wont come as much of a shock if they do things their way, Seward told Spanish magazine Quien? Kate and William are modern parents and will weigh up the decision very carefully. I think theyll wait to see how the childrens personalities develop and take into consideration whether or not they would be happy to live away from home.

Prince William and Prince George still need the Queens permission to travel together

Due to the line of succession, royal protocol dictates that the father and son are not allowed to travel on a plane together. While this is not an official rule, having two direct heirs traveling together by plane has been a no-no for decades.

According to Insider, this rule dates back to the days when air travel wasnt nearly as safe as it is today. The palace created the guideline in place to make sure that the line of succession wasnt completely destroyed.

RELATED: The Adorable Way Kate Middleton and Prince William Are Preparing Prince George to Be King

The Cambridges have four direct heirs in their family and air travel is much safer in the 21st century. Which is what has lead Queen Elizabeth to be a little more lax.

Back in 2014, Prince William and Kate brought George with them on a tour of Australia and New Zealand. At the time a royal spokesperson told the BBC that they had the monarchs approval.

While there is no official rule on this, and royal heirs have traveled together in the past, it is something that the Queen has the final say on, said the spokesperson.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 3)  For researchers, reverting back to the two-week modified enhanced community quarantine may be able to reduce the number of COVID-19 infections to more than 50,000.

The University of the Philippines OCTA Research team revealed during the Palace briefing that the government may save over 50,000 to 70,000 cases, significantly reducing its previous projection of 220,000 cases if the metropolis retains its general community quarantine status.

"Over 200,000 ang aming estimate projection in August pero dahil nag-MECQ tayo, bababa between 50,000 and 70,000 cases," said UP professor Ranjit Rye.

[Translation: We have an estimate projection of 200,000 in August but since we returned to the MECQ, cases will be reduced by 50,000 to 70,000 new cases.]

Rye added that the MECQ status will give significant impact on the transmission rate, alongside strengthened testing, tracing and treatment efforts. This should also be matched with intensive cooperation between the private sector and civil society.

Prof. Guido David, another member of the UP OCTA Research team, said Metro Manila currently has a high virus reproduction rate which is the number of people or infected persons that the virus could pass to.

In NCR, its also around 1.5. It went down but its actually starting to increase again because were seeing huge numbers which is what people are saying were getting four to five thousand cases per day, David told CNN Philippines Rico Hizon.

Does this mean that the government will finally be able to flatten the curve? For Health Undersecretary Rosario Vergeire, there is no guarantee to this.

"Itong dalawang linggo na hinihingi ng ating kasama sa mga medical societies is not really to flatten to curve," she said.

[Translation: The two-week timeout requested by our friends from the medical societies is not really to flatten the curve.]

Vergeire clarified that the request is only to allow health workers to take a "breather," and to allow the government to reorganize and re-strategize how to better address the pandemic.

"Hindi po natin masasabi kung mako-contain ang transmission in two weeks, pero pinapaigting natin ang response," she added.

[Translation: We cannot entirely say that we will be able to contain the transmission in two weeks, but we are strengtening our response.]

David emphasized that for Metro Manila, the manageable number of COVID-19 infections per day should be down to 14.

As long as the virus is here, our economy is suffering, he said.

Health workers and medical associations on Saturday proposed a two-week enhanced community quarantine status in Mega Manila, citing surging COVID-19 cases and an overwhelmed healthcare system.

To date, the country now has 106,330 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 38,405 active infections. Some 2,104 persons died and 65,821 patients recovered from the virus.
U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris / Korea Times file



U.S. Ambassador Harry Harris offered sympathy Tuesday to South Koreans affected by torrential rains that have left at least a dozen people dead.



Torrential rains have pounded the greater Seoul and central provincial areas since late last week, causing massive flooding and landslides that have damaged roads and buildings and left more than 1,000 people displaced.



"My thoughts and prayers go out to those affected by the torrential rains in South Korea. Grateful as always to the First Responders and wish everyone stays safe as the rain continues," Harris tweeted.













President Moon Jae-in held an emergency meeting later in the day to discuss measures to counter the recent damage. In a Cabinet meeting earlier in the day, Prime Minister Chung Sye-kyun ordered the disaster agency to review declaring damaged areas as special disaster zones. (Yonhap)
Dhaka, Aug 4 : The flood situation improved in Bangladesh as water levels of major rivers fell further but many rivers are still flowing above the danger mark.

There was a reduction in water level at 9 points, said Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) officials.

"However, water level of the Teesta rose by 2 cm at Dalia point in Nilphamari and was flowing 28 cm below the DM there at 9 am today," said Rabiul Islam, Executive Engineer of Teesta Barrage Project (TBP) Division of BWDB.

The flood situation improved further with a sharp fall in water levels of major rivers in eight northern districts in the Brahmaputra basin during the 24 hours till 9 am on Tuesday.

The positive trend in the flood situation might continue in the basin during the next 72 hours paving the way for displaced people to start returning to their homes.

Incidents of riverbank erosion have been reported from several points alongside the Dharla, Dudhkumar, Teesta, Brahmaputra, Ghaghot and Jamuna rivers due to stronger river currents with recession of floodwaters.

The Brahmaputra was still flowing above the danger mark at Chilmari, Dharla, Kurigram and Ghaghot on Tuesday.

"The government continues allocating more rice and money frequently for the purpose. The district administrations are ensuring proper distribution of relief goods, baby food, animal fodder and cash among the flood-hit people," an official said.

District Relief and Rehabilitation Officer (DRRO) Moazzem Hossain said the second phase of the deluge has affected 2.50 lakh people in Gaibandha district where the flood situation continues to ease.

"We are distributing 440 tonnes of rice, eight lakh Takas, 6,650 packets of dry food, 4 lakh Takas for baby food and 9 lakh Takas for animal fodder among flood-hit people in the district," he added.

The district administration has also intensified relief activities in other flood-affected northern districts in the basin.
European Union member states should avoid closing their internal borders, despite the growing number of COVID-19 cases, a representative of the European Commission (EC) told TASS.

The representative's remarks came on the statement of Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda that the EU member states may return to the issue of re-closing borders.

According to him, the opinion of the European Commission on this issue has not changed and the renewal of ineffective EU restrictions and internal border controls must be avoided moving forward.

He added that any restrictions on free movement within the EU should only be applied where strictly necessary and they must be coordinated, proportionate, and non-discriminatory to address public health risks.

As the President of Lithuania said on Monday, the situation with the coronavirus is getting worse and they may face border control restrictions.

According to the president, at the EU level, it is necessary to agree on a mechanism for using such a measure, which would be uniformly applied as a quarantine tool.

EU member states opened their internal borders on 15 June.
While there has been mystery looming over the death of Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput, many fans and close friends are also taking it as an opportunity to celebrate the artist that he was and remember some of movies that made a star out of him.

A throwback video has surfaced on social media in which contemporary actress Alia Bhatt is seen praising Sushant's Ms Dhoni: The Untold Story (2016) after she catches a late night show of the film in Mumbai and gets snapped by paparazzi post the screening.

Alia calls the movie 'superb'. Take a look.

Earlier, there was a lot of discussion around one of Alia's snippet from celebrity chat show Koffee With Karan in which the actress says that she would 'kill' Sushant and marry Ranbir Kapoor and hook up with Ranveer Singh. Meanwhile, Alia celebrated the occasion of Raksha Bandhan with boyfriend Ranbir Kapoor's family in Mumbai on Monday. Pictures of the family having a good time together are going viral on social media.

View this post on Instagram

Family lunch  Miss you Lolo 

A post shared by Kareena Kapoor Khan (@kareenakapoorkhan) on Aug 3, 2020 at 3:34am PDT

On the movies front, Alia's Sadak 2 with Aditya Roy Kapur, Sanjay Dutt, Jisshu Sengupta and Pooja Bhatt releases on OTT soon.
A sergeant with the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety died Sunday on duty after suffering a heart attack.

Sgt. Steven Splan, a married father to four children, was 46 years old.

He was a 15-year veteran of the department.

Sgt. Splan was a man whose life centered around his family, said his colleague, Det. Lt. Jeffrey Gormley.

He was a very hands-on dad, Gormley said. If he wasnt at work, he was taking care of the girls.

His children were in school and at the age of participating in many activities, such as dance, keeping Sgt. Splan and his wife busy, before the pandemic shut down many activities.

Sgt. Splan came to police work a little later in life, having previously worked as a salesman while also serving as a volunteer in the Troy Fire Department. He went to the police academy and was hired by the Bloomfield Hills Department of Public Safety, which handles both police and fire matters.

Gormley said the sergeant was good at his job because he liked helping people.

Steve was a people person, he said. He was very personable. He liked solving problems and helping people out.

Sgt. Splan also like woodwork and home-building projects, enjoying the labor and work with wood, including cabinet making.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page, Sgt. Splan had suffered the heart attack hours after cutting and removing a large tree that had fallen onto Bloomfield Hills Parkway off of Woodward Avenue early in the afternoon. He had died later after returning to the station.

On Monday, a procession of about 20 police cars accompanied his trip from the Oakland County Medical Examiners Office in Pontiac to downtown Rochester, where the citys fire department presented a flag in his honor.

Pixley Funeral Home in Rochester is handling arrangements, with friends and family able to meet from 2 to 8 p.m. Thursday, though COVID-19 concerns only 10 people plus the honor guard will be allowed at one time. Face masks and social distancing are required.

Pixley Funeral Home is at 322 W. University Drive, Rochester, MI, 48307.

The funeral will be conducted Friday at St. Andrews Church, 1400 Inglewood, Rochester, with staging starting at 9 a.m., family at 11 a.m., and services at noon.

A procession to Guardian Angel Cemetery in Oakland Township follows. Its address is 4701 Rochester Road, Rochester.
Technavio has been monitoring the global automotive intelligent door system market size and it is poised to grow by 1,869.20 thousand units during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 12% 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/20200804005666/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Automotive Intelligent Door System Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd., Brose Fahrzeugteile SE Co. KG, Continental AG, Huf Hulsbeck Furst GmbH Co. KG, Johnson Electric Holdings Ltd., Kiekert AG, Magna International Inc., Mitsui Kinzoku ACT Corp., Schaltbau Holding AG, and WITTE Automotive GmbH are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

The growing demand for differentiated in-car experiences has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, the imposition of higher tax on luxury vehicles might hamper market growth.

Automotive Intelligent Door System Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Automotive intelligent door system market is segmented as below:

Technology Power Sliding Door System Soft Close Door System Retractable Door Handle System

Geography APAC Europe North America South America MEA



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR44507

Automotive Intelligent Door System Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our automotive intelligent door system market report covers the following areas:

automotive intelligent door system market size

automotive intelligent door system market trends

automotive intelligent door system market industry analysis

This study identifies as the development of smart doors one of the prime reasons driving the automotive intelligent door system market growth during the next few years.

Automotive Intelligent Door System Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the automotive intelligent door system market including some of the vendors such as Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd., Brose Fahrzeugteile SE Co. KG, Continental AG, Huf Hulsbeck Furst GmbH Co. KG, Johnson Electric Holdings Ltd., Kiekert AG, Magna International Inc., Mitsui Kinzoku ACT Corp., Schaltbau Holding AG, and WITTE Automotive GmbH. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the automotive intelligent door system market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Automotive Intelligent Door System Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist automotive intelligent door system market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the automotive intelligent door system market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the automotive intelligent door system market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of automotive intelligent door system market vendors

Table Of Contents :

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019-2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Technology

Market segments

Comparison by Technology

Power sliding door system Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Soft close door system Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Retractable door handle system Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Technology

Customer Landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market Drivers

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Aisin Seiki Co. Ltd.

Brose Fahrzeugteile SE Co. KG

Continental AG

Huf Hulsbeck Furst GmbH Co. KG

Johnson Electric Holdings Ltd.

Kiekert AG

Magna International Inc.

Mitsui Kinzoku ACT Corp.

Schaltbau Holding AG

WITTE Automotive GmbH

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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.

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Reputed Indian theatre director and drama teacher Ebrahim Alkazi passed away on Tuesday at age 95. His son Feisal Alkazi informed the media outlet that his father died of a massive heart attack at Escorts Hospital in New Delhi. He became one of the most prominent theatre artists back in the 1940s and 1950s. Ebrahim Alkazi was also credited for revolutionising theatre in India and his significant contributions to the field.

Ebrahim Alkazis career

Early in Alkazis career, he got associated with the Bombay Progressive Artists Group which included M. F. Husain, Tyab Mehta, Akbar Padamsee and more. Later, Alkazi moved to Delhi and became the director of the National School of Drama (NSD) for almost 15 years. In his stellar career, he was also known to have leading important advances in scenography. Noted as an art connoisseur, he founded the Art Heritage Gallery in Delhi.

ALSO READ| Sushant Singh Rajput Starrer 'Sonchiriya' To Re-release In Theatres?

The true architect of the Modern Indian Theatre. The Doyen who possessed the extreme knowledge in all the aspects of ART. The magician who nurtured many greats of theatre.

May your brightest spark from the heaven keeps us enlightening #EbrahimAlkazi

#RIP pic.twitter.com/PjYxRybpSr  Nawazuddin Siddiqui (@Nawazuddin_S) August 4, 2020

As the director of NSD, he revolutionised Indian theatre with his magnificent vision and meticulous techniques. He is known to have trained prominent directors and artists like Om Puri, Naseeruddin Shah, Vijaya Mehta and many more. He was the recipient of several honourable accolades for creating awareness about theatre sensibility and aptly mixing modern manifestations with Indian traditions.

In the year 2004, he became the first recipient of Roopwed Pratishtans Tanvir Award for his lifetime contribution to Indian theatre. He has also bagged Padma Shri in 1966 and the Padma Bhushan in the year 1991.

ALSO READ| Ranvir Shorey 'cynical' About Bollywood, Says 'theatre Game Going To Go Back To The Same'

Ebrahim Alkazis personal life

Alkazi was born to a wealthy Saudi Arabian businessman in Pune. His mother belonged to Kuwait and he had nine siblings. During partition, the rest of his family migrated to Pakistan while Alkazi decided to stay back in India. Schooled in Vincents High School in Pune, he was educated in English, Arabic, Marathi and Gujarati. He later joined the St. Xaviers College in Mumbai.

ALSO READ| Fans Wish To See SSR On Silver Screen For One Last Time, Demand 'Dil Bechara' In Theatres

He married Roshan Alkazi who passed away back in 2007. She used to design costumes for all his plays. She had also written two books on the history of Indian garments. Ebrahim Alkazi is survived by his two children Amal Allana and Feisal Alkazi.

ALSO READ| EXCLUSIVE: Undekhi's Surya Sharma On OTT Vs Theatre Debate, Says "OTT Will Take Over"
Trump made the comment during an interview in which he also downplayed the legacy of civil rights icon John Lewis.

United States President Donald Trump, in a wide-ranging interview, has contended the coronavirus outbreak in the country was under control, downplaying the legacy of recently deceased congressman and civil rights icon John Lewis, and again calling into question the use of mail-in voting in the upcoming election.

In the interview, which aired on the show Axios on HBO on Monday, Trump sought to downplay the coronavirus outbreak in the US, saying it was under control.

When pushed on that characterisation, Trump responded: Theyre dying its true. It is what it is, but that doesnt mean we arent doing everything we can. Its under control as much as you can control it.





Those people that really understand it, that really understand it, they said its incredible the job that weve done, Trump added.

Trump and reporter Jonathan Swan also sparred over the metrics used to measure the countrys battle against the coronavirus.

While the US has the highest number of confirmed cases and deaths of any country in the world, Trump contended that the number of fatalities was not as significant when looked at deaths against confirmed cases in the country, not the overall population.

To date, the US, a country of about 328 million, has recorded more than 4.7 million cases and 155,000 deaths amid a new surge in western and southern states.

You have to go by the cases. The cases, Trump said.

When Swan asked its surely a relevant statistic to say the US has X population and X percentage of death of that population, Trump responded: No, because you have to go by the cases.

Comments on John Lewis

Trump also defended his decision not to pay his respects following the recent death of Lewis, a US Congress representative and civil rights activist who played an instrumental role in passing the Voting Rights Act of 1965.

When asked about Lewiss legacy and how he will be remembered, the president instead focused on the congressmans decision not to attend Trumps 2017 inauguration.

I really dont know  I dont know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration, he said. I never met John Lewis, actually, I dont believe.





The president did not attend a memorial on July 28, in which Lewis, who died of pancreatic cancer, laid in state in the US Capitol. Vice President Mike Pence, who had served in the House of Representatives with Lewis, did attend.

When Swan asked if Trump found Lewis impressive, the president again demurred.

I cant say one way or the other. I find a lot of people impressive, I find a lot of people not impressive, Trump said. He didnt come to my inauguration, he didnt come to my State of the Union speeches  and thats ok, thats his right.

When pushed, Trump added, He was a person that devoted a lot of energy and a lot of heart to civil rights, but there were many others also.

During the at times contentious interview, which comes amid weeks of unrest following the custodial death of George Floyd in Minnesota in May, Trump also asserted that no one has done more for Black Americans than I have.

Mail-in ballots

The president also continued to raise scepticism over large-scale mail-in ballots for the November presidential election, saying this election could be decided two months later due to related delays.





Lots of things that can happen during that time, especially when you have tight margins, he said.

The president again reiterated the claim, which is not supported by evidence, that mail-in voting leads to widespread voter fraud.

Somebody got a ballot for a dog. Somebody got a ballot for something else. You got millions of ballots going. Nobody even knows where theyre going, he said.
The Headwaters at Incarnate Words 50-acre nature sanctuary in the middle of San Antonios urban core isnt well-known, perhaps by design.

Its bordered by Highway 281, Olmos Dam and Hildebrand Avenue and sits up against Alamo Heights and the University of the Incarnate Word, hidden in plain sight.

Its use stretches back more than 12,000 years to the indigenous people who were the areas first and longest inhabitants. Others followed their trails there to the head of the river in pilgrimages to the famous Blue Hole.

Today the Headwaters property is really a small forest trapped within the city, filled with oaks hundreds of years old and abundant springs and wildlife.

Long owned by a congregation of Catholic nuns, the nature sanctuary now has what environmentalists and land conservationists hoped it would  perpetual protection from real-estate development.

Those assurances were enshrined in July in a legally binding conservation easement signed by Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, a land trust focused on the Edwards Aquifer, the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word and its environmental ministry Headwaters of Incarnate Word.

Those involved in the agreement say it took years to reach and was the work of godly patience, in part because so many entities were involved.

No doubt it was difficult because the acreage remains an enormously expensive piece of real estate, now forever off the market.

As part of the deal, the congregation gave up the rights to its development and to all those who may own the property in the future.

Its an infinite gift at a poignant time, when members of the congregation have not escaped the effects of a global pandemic and its declining membership looks to its own legacy and future generations that will enjoy and find solace in the preserve.

The congregation closed its 150th anniversary with the gift to those they may never minister to, nurse or educate.

They have 260 members in the United States, Mexico, Chile, Columbia, Peru, Ireland, Tanzania and Zambia, 100 of them are retired in the United States and Mexico.

Sister Teresa Maya, the groups leader, said the nuns were influenced by Pope Francis encyclical on the environment five years ago. It was the Vaticans most powerful instructions on the care of the planet and its poorest inhabitants.

Weve had an ecological conversion, said Maya, who led the national Leadership Conference of Women Religious through turbulent times. She said the conservation easement was the logical next step to that conversion.

It was a sacrifice, she said of the agreement and the valuable land to which the congregation has given up rights. We were not thinking of selling or building on it, but this agreement confirms that intent.

The day the agreement was signed, a letter arrived at the motherhouse in San Antonio from Rome celebrating Laudato Si, the papal encyclical on the environment. Maya took it as a sign that saving the green space in perpetuity was the right decision.

Former City Councilman Weir Labatt found his own validation in the Headwaters nature sanctuary, which he calls a spiritual forest. The conservation easement has been the only item on his agenda as chair of the Headwaters board.

Labatt thought of nothing else as he and other volunteers worked on clearing chinaberry and ligustrum trees, invasive species that overgrow and choke the sanctuarys majestic oaks. That project will take another 20 years, he said.

Douglas Dillow, CEO of the Green Spaces Alliance of South Texas, called the agreement tremendously important to San Antonios environment.

As a steward, the alliance wont do the day-to-day management of the sanctuary, he said. That will remain the work of the Headwaters of Incarnate Word. But the alliance will remain involved in perpetuity.

Maya and the congregation have no problem with that.

Having an environmental ministry reminds us we are stewards of nature, not owners of nature, she said. If we take care of nature, nature takes care of us.

She has seen the benefit of that first-hand.

Last spring, Maya said fireflies were spotted in the preserve for the first time in a long time

This spring, another gift arrived.

We saw so many Monarch butterflies, she said. It was absolutely magic, just magic.

eayala@express-news.net
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New Delhi: A year ago, on the morning of August 5, when home minister Amit Shah walked into the Rajya Sabha with a pile of papers, the Opposition, the media, and most importantly, the Kashmiri street, did not know what to expect.

There had, of course, been intense speculation in the run-up to Shahs entry into the House. The security crackdown in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), abrupt cancellation of the Amarnath Yatra citing terror threats, the detention of Kashmiri leaders, restrictions on telecom connectivity, and an advisory to tourists and outsiders to leave the Valley all indicated that something big was in the offing.

Also read: In Jammu and Kashmir, a year of loss and suffering

But Shah surprised even the most astute of Kashmir-watchers in unveiling the entire political package of effectively nullifying Article 370 that conferred special status on J&K, removing Article 35A that enabled the state legislature to define permanent residents, dividing the state into two units of J&K and Ladakh, and converting both into Union Territories.

The decision was met by contrasting responses.

In Kashmir itself, there was, among political quarters, a sense of shock at the enormity of what had happened; there was apprehension about a possible demographic shift in the valley; there was resentment against what was seen as an effort to curtail the powers available to the political leaders of the erstwhile state; and there appeared to be sullen anger at the disruption this had caused to everyday lives, with education, health, mobility, connectivity and travel affected.

In Ladakh, there was jubilation and pride at having finally got the Centre to concede what was a longstanding demand  a separate administrative territory which would not have to be under Srinagars control. In Jammu, where the desire for closer integration with the Indian Union is deep, the announcement was noted with relief and hope about a more equal and secure future where the subregions aspirations will be taken more seriously.

But it was in the rest of India that the response was the most telling.

There had been anger on the Indian street against what was widely perceived as the special treatment meted out to Kashmir; resentment against mainstream Kashmiri leaders for playing to both galleries and speaking a language of radicalism in Srinagar and of moderation in Delhi; hurt at the lives of soldiers lost and innocents killed due to terrorism. The decision, in this backdrop, was welcomed with applause by the masses  with the hope that this would, finally, resolve the Kashmir question, long seen as a problem created by Pakistan, with its use of terror and patronage of secessionists.

Also read: Revoking Article 370 didnt usher in any development in J&K: Farooq Abdullah

And internationally, there was concern not at the decision itself  which was widely recognised as a sovereign right of Parliament  but at the restrictions which accompanied the decision, from arrests to suspension of the Internet, and at the implications of the move for the security situation in South Asia.

A year later, it is in these contrasting responses that the puzzle of Kashmir can be reviewed, for the responses show the collision between nationalism and democracy, between the quest for sovereignty and international norms to which democratic countries are held, and between the aspirations of the people of India and the aspirations of the Indian citizens living in Kashmir.

The nationalism puzzle

The central question in Kashmir is one of nationalism. And here two ideas collide  the notion of Kashmiri nationalism and the idea of Indian nationalism.

The Indian State has for long recognised sub-national aspirations. Given Indias staggering diversity, the founders recognised that India was best served as a union of states. As regional aspirations grew, federalism became stronger and states articulated their own aspirations and resentments. But within this matrix, sub-nationalist aspirations  for the most part  did not clash with the idea of the Indian nation. As a model of dealing with diversity, India achieved what was considered impossible, with the coexistence of multiple political identities within a constitutional, federal system. You could be a proud Tamil, a proud Maratha, a proud Gujarati, a proud Assamese  and you could be a proud Indian.

Kashmir, however, was unique, for here it was not just sub-nationalism. There was a strong strand of Kashmiri nationalism, which stood in contrast to Indian nationalism. This could be traced back to its religious complexion, the terms of accession, past agreements, the presence and role of Pakistan in its internal politics, the strong yearning for autonomy even among mainstream leaders, to a young generation radicalised by incessant anti-India propaganda, growing extreme Islamist influence, and excesses of the Indian State. You could be a proud Kashmiri without being a proud Indian.

Also read: Curfew ordered in Jammu-Kashmirs Srinagar till August 5 over intel reports of violent protests

The Indian State recognised the uniqueness of Kashmir and accepted the idea of an asymmetric federal mechanism  where Kashmir had its own Constitution, its own flag, its own laws. To be sure, these special provisions were gradually whittled down. And New Delhi made its own share of mistakes, including by arresting popular leaders, managing elections, and giving security forces an excessively free hand. But the overall sentiment in Delhi, for long, was that it was only by allowing Kashmiri sub-nationalism within the Indian Union that Kashmiri nationalism could be defeated.

Armed with a legislative mandate, and committed to its own core ideological beliefs, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) overturned this consensus. It believed that instruments which allowed Kashmir to be a unique case were the root of the problem, and the problem of Kashmiri nationalism had to be tackled with both a strong security offensive and a political re-imagination. Remove statehood  and send a message to those who wanted a separate country. Remove Article 370 in effect  and make it clear that J&K was just another Indian State. Remove Article 35A  and ensure that every Indian had the same rights in Kashmir that they had elsewhere. Remove Ladakh  and ensure Kashmirs political leaders cannot speak for sub-regions with distinct identities. Ensure central control  and stop anyone from putting political obstacles in the manner in which security forces operated.

In the quest to defeat Kashmiri nationalism, the Indian State  a year ago  decided it would not even leave the space available to other states and allow the conditions for sub-nationalism. Kashmir, the thinking went, had brought this on itself.

The democracy puzzle

This strategy  of integrating Kashmir with the rest of the country on the same terms  to defeat Kashmiri nationalism and the violence and terror that has often accompanied it, however, had one fallout , a democratic deficit.

The government, to ensure peace and quell the possibility of protests which could turn violent and lead to an escalation from the security forces, detained political leaders, including those who had participated in elections and committed themselves to the Indian Constitution (a few prominent leaders continue to remain locked in). It curtailed civil liberties, restricting political activity and protests, enhancing surveillance, and depriving the Indian citizens in Kashmir of their right to connectivity (4G services have still not been restored). It held panchayat elections, but within a controlled environment where the space for open dissent was limited. It failed to hold elections to the assembly. And it enhanced control over the local media. The judiciary, too, was criticised for not being proactive enough in either judging the constitutionality of the Parliaments decisions, or deciding on detentions and habeas corpus writ petitions.

This had two implications. Domestically, Kashmiri separatists got ammunition to suggest that India could never be trusted, its claims of secularism were shallow, its democracy was selective, its institutions were not robust  and this view, it must be acknowledged, found a ready audience on the Kashmiri street. This view was encouraged by sustained Pakistani propaganda.

Externally, it made western democracies, including Indian allies, worried about the erosion of rights and liberties. To be sure, what Pakistan does internally or what China has done consistently with its own people, is far worse than what India has ever done. But India was being held up to its own principles and record of being a proud multicultural, secular democracy.

Resolving the puzzle

A year later, therefore, India has to now resolve this fundamental puzzle. It must keep the national flag flying high in Kashmir. It must battle terrorism and the separatist infrastructure that has grown over decades. It must make it clear that separatism has no future. It must ensure that non-discriminatory legal provisions apply to J&K as much as it does to the rest of India. And it must defeat Pakistans designs.

But this national project will not be complete without the democratic project, for it is true democracy in Kashmir that will restore Indias political currency both in the valley and internationally. It must release leaders committed to the peaceful path; it must lift restrictions on connectivity; it must allow peaceful protests; it must allow expressions of Kashmiri sub-nationalism (not to be mistaken with separatism) as it does elsewhere; it must initiate a political dialogue with all stakeholders; it must be open to restoring statehood in J&K, which may lead to mainstream parties returning to the democratic fold; and it must hold free and fair elections in J&K.

It is only when both nationalism and democracy win that India will win.

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'Just quit.'

That's the advice Alec gave a year and a half ago when I expressed concerns about my job.

'You just quit. It's that simple.'

'Stay at MSNBC at least until the midterms,' Jeffrey said a couple years back. He advised to watch and see what happens.

'Hang in there you're needed,' Elizabeth recommended last winter. 'I was in your shoes when I was younger but I stuck it out.'

A year and a half ago, simply quitting my job without knowing my next step sounded pretty radical. So I stuck it out a bit longer until we were in the middle of a pandemic to make a truly radical move.

July 24th was my last day at MSNBC. I don't know what I'm going to do next exactly but I simply couldn't stay there anymore. My colleagues are very smart people with good intentions. The problem is the job itself. It forces skilled journalists to make bad decisions on a daily basis.

You may not watch MSNBC but just know that this problem still affects you, too. All the commercial networks function the same  and no doubt that content seeps into your social media feed, one way or the other.

It's possible that I'm more sensitive to the editorial process due to my background in public radio, where no decision I ever witnessed was predicated on how a topic or guest would 'rate.' The longer I was at MSNBC, the more I saw such choices  it's practically baked in to the editorial process  and those decisions affect news content every day. Likewise, it's taboo to discuss how the ratings scheme distorts content, or it's simply taken for granted, because everyone in the commercial broadcast news industry is doing the exact same thing.

But behind closed doors, industry leaders will admit the damage that's being done.

'We are a cancer and there is no cure,' a successful and insightful TV veteran said to me. 'But if you could find a cure, it would change the world.'

As it is, this cancer stokes national division, even in the middle of a civil rights crisis. The model blocks diversity of thought and content because the networks have incentive to amplify fringe voices and events, at the expense of others all because it pumps up the ratings.

This cancer risks human lives, even in the middle of a pandemic. The primary focus quickly became what Donald Trump was doing (poorly) to address the crisis, rather than the science itself. As new details have become available about antibodies, a vaccine, or how COVID actually spreads, producers still want to focus on the politics. Important facts or studies get buried.

This cancer risks our democracy, even in the middle of a presidential election. Any discussion about the election usually focuses on Donald Trump, not Joe Biden, a repeat offense from 2016 (Trump smothers out all other coverage). Also important is to ensure citizens can vote by mail this year, but I've watched that topic get ignored or 'killed' numerous times.

Context and factual data are often considered too cumbersome for the audience. There may be some truth to that (our education system really should improve the critical thinking skills of Americans)  but another hard truth is that it is the job of journalists to teach and inform, which means they might need to figure out a better way to do that. They could contemplate more creative methods for captivating an audience. Just about anything would improve the current process, which can be pretty rudimentary (think basing today's content on whatever rated well yesterday, or look to see what's trending online today).

Occasionally, the producers will choose to do a topic or story without regard for how they think it will rate, but that is the exception, not the rule. Due to the simple structure of the industry  the desire to charge more money for commercials, as well as the ratings bonuses that top-tier decision-makers earn  they always relapse into their old profitable programming habits.

I understand that the journalistic process is largely subjective and any group of individuals may justify a different set of priorities on any given day. Therefore, it's particularly notable to me, for one, that nearly every rundown at the network basically is the same, hour after hour. And two, they use this subjective nature of the news to justify economically beneficial decisions. I've even heard producers deny their role as journalists. A very capable senior producer once said: 'Our viewers don't really consider us the news. They come to us for comfort.'

Again, personally, I don't think the people need to change. I think the job itself needs to change. There is a better way to do this. I'm not so cynical to think that we are absolutely doomed (though we are on that path). I know we can find a cure. If we can figure how to send a man to the moon, if Alex Trebek can defy the odds with stage 4 pancreatic cancer, and if Harry Reid can actually overcome pancreatic cancer (he's now cancer free), then we can fix this, too.

'Not everything that is faced can be changed, but nothing can be changed until it is faced.'

I know James Baldwin wasn't thinking about MSNBC when he wrote that line in 1962, but those words spoke loudly to me in the summer of 2020. Unfortunately, many of the same ailments are still at stake today. Now maybe we can't really change the inherently broken structure of broadcast news, but I know for certain that it won't change unless we actually face it, in public, and at least try to change it.

Through this pandemic and the surreal, alienating lockdown, I've witnessed many people question their lives and what they're doing with their time on this planet. I reckon I'm one of those people, looking for greater meaning and truth. As much as I love my life in New York City and really don't want to leave, I feel fortunate to be able to return to Virginia in the near term to reconnect with family, friends, and a community of independent journalists. I'm both nervous and excited about this change. Thanks to COVID-19, I'm learning to live with uncertainty.

And so very soon, I'm going to be seeking you out, any one of you who also may sense that the news is fundamentally flawed and is frustrated by it. This effort will start informally but I hope to crystallize a plan for when better, safer days are upon us. On that front, feel free to reach out anytime if you would like to discuss any of this  whether in agreement or not. More than ever, I'm craving a full and civil discourse.

Until next time, thank you for reading. I wish you all well.

Ariana
By Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS: U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday the coronavirus pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education in history, with schools closed in more than 160 countries in mid-July, affecting over 1 billion students.

In addition, the U.N. chief said at least 40 million children worldwide have missed out on education in their critical preschool year.

As a result, Guterres warned that the world faces a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities.

Even before the pandemic, Guterres said, the world faced a learning crisis, with more than 250 million children out of school, and only a quarter of secondary school youngsters in developing countries leaving school with basic skills.

ALSO READ | COVID-19 a setback for education sector: UNESCO report urge govts to address inclusion challenges

According to a global projection covering 180 countries by the U.N. education agency UNESCO and partner organizations, some 23.8 million additional children and youths from pre-primary school to university level are at risk of dropping out or not having access to school next year due to the pandemics economic impact.

We are at a defining moment for the worlds children and young people, Guterres said in a video message and a 26-page policy briefing. The decisions that governments and partners take now will have lasting impact on hundreds of millions of young people, and on the development prospects of countries for decades to come.

According to the policy briefing, the unparalleled education disruption from the pandemic is far from over and as many as 100 countries have not yet announced a date for schools to reopen.

Guterres called for action in four key areas, the first being reopening schools.

Once local transmission of COVID-19 is under control, he said, getting students back into schools and learning institutions as safely as possible must be a top priority.

UNESCOs Assistant Director-General for Education Stefania Giannini told reporters the Paris-based agency plans to hold a high-level virtual meeting in the fall, likely during the second half of October, to secure commitments from world leaders and the international community to place education at the forefront of recovery agendas from the pandemic.

There may be economic trade-offs, but the longer schools remain closed the more devastating the impact, especially on the poorest and most vulnerable children, Giannini warned.

She stressed that schools are not only for learning but provide social protection and nutrition, especially for vulnerable youngsters.

The coronavirus crisis has amplified digital, social and gender inequalities, Giannini said, with girls, refugees, the disabled, displaced and youngsters in rural areas the most vulnerable and facing limited opportunities to continue their learning.

Guterres said increasing financing for education must be given priority.

Before the pandemic, low- and middle-income countries faced an education funding gap of $1.5 trillion annually, he said, and the gap in education financing globally could increase by 30% because of the pandemic.

The secretary-general said education initiatives must target those at greatest risk of being left behind, including youngsters in crises, minorities, and the displaced and disabled. And these initiatives should urgently seek to bridge the digital divide that has become even more evident during the COVID-19 crisis, he said.

On a positive note, Guterres said the pandemic is providing a generational opportunity to reimagine education and leap forward to systems that deliver quality education.

To achieve this, he called for investments in digital literacy and infrastructure and education systems that are more flexible, equitable and inclusive.

UNESCOs Giannini said innovations made so far during the pandemic, including online learning and education on radio and television, proves change can happen quickly.

She said a coalition of global organizations launched a campaign Tuesday called Save Our Future to amplify the voices of children and young people and urge governments worldwide to recognize that investing in education is critical to COVID-19 recovery and to the future of the world.
South Africa: Communities urged to protect water infrastructure

The Department of Water and Sanitation says the destruction of water infrastructure is resulting in a huge setback in service delivery.

Vandalising of infrastructure does not only disrupt water supply to communities but it also impacts on the financial well-being of the department and other stakeholders in the water sector, particularly municipalities, the department said on Tuesday.

The department said acts of vandalism of infrastructure, including property theft, is prevalent both in rural and urban settings, as witnessed in Buffalo City, Eastern Cape.

These acts include vandalism and theft of valuable metal pipes, fittings and manhole covers, leading to an increase in maintenance costs by Water Services Authorities.

Water theft through bypassing of meters or tampering with pipes and fittings to make illegal connections is also a serious challenge, especially for downstream water users.

Destruction of water infrastructure generally results in reduced access to a suitable quantity and quality of water to users broadly. This is turn affects the sanitation services, with associated impacts on public health and personal dignity, the department said.

The department has called on communities to refrain from destroying water infrastructure and to protect it instead.

This will result in improved water and sanitation services, especially in areas that are challenged with water shortages, the department said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Delhi High Court on Tuesday refused to entertain a PIL seeking waiver of tuition fees charged by schools for the month of August amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A division bench of the court presided by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan refused to entertain the petition after noting that another Public Interest Litigation (PIL) with similar prayers was dismissed by the court earlier.

"This is clear misconduct of the court proceedings," said the two-judge bench while expressing displeasure over not being appraised about the said dismissal. Following which the petitioner and counsel N. Pradeep Sharma sought withdrawal of the said petition and also tendered an apology.

The petition filed by Naresh Kumar while citing the interpretation of the force majeure clause in the present pandemic situation and sought waiver of the school fees.

It is a contractual provision allocating the risk of loss if performance becomes impossible or impracticable, especially as a result of an event that the parties could not have anticipated or controlled. A force majeure clause provides temporary reprieve to a party from performing its obligations under a contract upon occurrence of a force majeure event.

The petition states that the impact of the deadly coronavirus is developing day by day and supply chains are being significantly disrupted and businesses' rights and obligations under contracts are coming into sharp focus.

"The students are facing several side effects and such online classes offered by schools have other medical and psychological implications which is against the concept of school education," the plea said while adding that private school administrations have been demanding school fees and other charges without rendering any services.

It further said that the school admission form does not have any clause that in case of an adverse situation, the school would charge tuition fees for providing online classes. "The schools are duty-bound to follow and abide by the terms and conditions which are a part of school prospectus and if there is no force majeure clause in the school prospectus, demanding of tuition fee, without providing the actual education, is a violation of law in terms of a contract and also against the principle of natural justice," the petitioner said.

"Some homework and class tests are required to be undertaken under the guidance of trained teachers so as to achieve, through the online way of teaching. It would be important to mention that private schools are either being run by the societies or trusts and are not doing any social service to society. Even otherwise, the school is a service provider and thus is covered under the Consumer Act also," the plea said.

In April this year, the high court dismissed a petition seeking complete exemption from payment of any fees, including tuition fee, to schools during the period of lockdown (Naresh Kumar vs DoE).

Rejecting the plea, a division bench of the high court presided by Chief Justice Patel and Justice Jalan had then stated, "We cannot agree that during the period of lockdown, or during the period when online education is being provided by the schools, and availed of by students, tuition fees should be exempted." "So long as schools are disseminating education online, they are certainly entitled to charge tuition fees," the bench had remarked while rejecting the contention of the petitioner that no tuition fee could be charged as the schools are "closed".
PREIT, owner of Capital City, Plymouth Meeting and other malls, is trimming the salaries of its chief executive and chief financial officer while suspending dividend payments as part of a deal with its lenders to stave off default as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take its toll on the troubled company.

The temporary 25% salary cut represents about a $38,000 reduction for chief executive Joseph C. Coradino. It comes after The Inquirer reported earlier this year that he had not joined other corporate leaders in taking a pay reduction to save cash during the health crisis, even as his company furloughed employees and received $4.5 million in relief money from the government.

PREITs new deal with Wells Fargo Bank NA and other creditors, meanwhile, gives the company a reprieve until at least the end of August from the financial-performance benchmarks  known as covenants  that the company must meet to keep its loans in good standing as it seeks to renegotiate that debt, it said in a regulatory filing late Friday afternoon. During that respite, which was formalized through amendments to its agreements with lenders, PREIT is barred from making dividend payments to shareholders, the company said.

PREIT continues to take action to navigate the challenging operating environment, including steps to enhance the companys liquidity, manage its debt obligations, and further strengthen its financial foundation, Heather Crowell, a PREIT vice president, said in a statement.

The voluntary 25% pay reductions taken by PREITs CEO and CFO are part of this effort and underscore managements commitment to acting in the best interest of PREITs stakeholders and becoming stronger.

PREIT is the biggest mall owner in Philadelphia and its surrounding counties, with 4.7 million square feet of space under management in the region, according to market tracker CoStar Group. Its 21 malls in nine states include the former Gallery in Center City, now known as Fashion District Philadelphia; Willow Grove Park and the Plymouth Meeting Mall in Montgomery County; and the Cherry Hill Mall, Moorestown Mall, and Cumberland Mall in South Jersey.

Even before all its properties were ordered closed in March to help stem the coronavirus, PREIT had been in a punishing, yearslong struggle to revamp as shoppers increasingly migrate from shopping malls to e-commerce sites for everything from clothing to major appliances.

As business losses from the pandemic mounted in May, PREIT was prompted to disclose substantial doubt about the companys ability to continue as a going concern if it was unsuccessful in its plans to raise cash through property sales and renegotiate its debt.

All of its malls had reopened by July 3, when Fashion District Philadelphia resumed operation. It also announced in July that it had sold a portfolio of properties at its malls that are detached from its main structures, known as outparcels. Those sales have earned it a total of $27.8 million since February.

More: Capital City Mall reopens

The deal announced on Friday, meanwhile, buys PREIT some time to complete the debt talks with its banks, said analyst Frankel.

It gives them some breathing room to negotiate, he said. It becomes less of an urgent situation.

The deal runs from June 30 until Aug. 31 but can be extended until Sept. 30 if PREIT is successful in getting a new loan and has agreed on terms for permanent amendments to its existing loans before the end of August.

Separately from the deal with its lenders, PREIT said in its disclosure on Friday that Coradino and chief financial officer Mario C. Ventresca Jr. would each have their base pay cut by 25% from July 27 until Sept. 30, a duration of 65 days.

By Jacob Adelman, The Philadelphia Inquirer (TNS)

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Internal emails unearthed by the committee's investigation, revealing allegedly anti-competitive behaviour from the companies, will be useful evidence for any agency planning to prosecute them, as well as for politicians writing monopoly laws fit for the 21st century.

Unfortunately for Zuckerberg, as well as Apple's Tim Cook, Google's Sundar Pichai, and Amazon's Jeff Bezos, today's emperors do have those things. Last week's hearing of Congress's antitrust subcommittee may have had its farcical moments, and the tech executives there avoided any particularly memorable gotcha moments, but it was still the clearest sign yet that a new era of competition enforcement is here.

Augustus never had to deal with pesky regulators trying to break up Imperial Rome. There was no bipartisan committee arguing that competition between republics would improve consumer welfare, or that invading Germania amounted to market abuse.

Mark Zuckerberg famously counts Augustus, the Roman leader who turned a republic into an empire, as one of his heroes. So when Facebook's chief executive was called an "emperor of the online economy" in last week's big tech competition hearing, perhaps Zuckerberg took it as a compliment.

All four bosses stressed that competition was alive and well in the digital sphere. But Zuckerberg had the most persuasive argument. Revealing himself as a keen student of recent, as well as ancient, history, Facebook's founder pointed out that of the world's 10 biggest companies a decade ago, only three are still in that list. "New companies are created all the time, all over the world," he said. His argument was that the market works. Firms that fail to adapt to new developments and technology will be pushed aside. Those that consistently remain on top are the ones that are nimble enough to innovate: they are there on merit.

It is an obviously self-serving position. The more one believes that competition works itself out, the weaker the argument for the sort of regulation that Zuckerberg's counterparts in Congress were after. But history shows there is some validity to it. The technology company that has faced the most monopoly scrutiny in the last century was not at last week's hearing. Nor is it Microsoft, which fought a brutal battle against the US government at the turn of the millennium.

In the Fifties, IBM was accused of holding a monopoly over punch-card processing machines, resulting in an agreement with the US government that opened up the market in 1956. In the next decade, computing had moved on to mainframes, and the company's 70 per cent share of the market led to a 13-year legal battle with Washington that was dubbed "the antitrust division's Vietnam". Today, IBM has a much higher share of the mainframe computer market, but few are concerned, because mainframes are no longer at the cutting edge.

To an extent, the same thing has happened to Microsoft, which is still a giant but not nearly under the same competition pressure as Facebook, Amazon, Apple or Google. The US justice department's case against the company over its bundling of Internet Explorer with Windows, seemed vital at the time. Today, when almost everybody downloads Google's Chrome browser, it seems almost quaint.

The reason we don't worry about IBM or Microsoft as much is not because they have lost their respective monopolies; it is because the markets they control no longer seem so vital. Mainframes were supplanted by minicomputers and PCs; PCs by the web and smartphones.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Tuesday offered US assistance to Lebanon after Beirut was rocked by massive blasts.

We are monitoring and stand ready to assist the people of Lebanon as they recover from this horrible tragedy, Pompeo wrote on Twitter.

Pompeo in an accompanying statement said that the United States will wait for the findings of Lebanese authorities on the cause of the explosions, which killed at least 50 people and flattened the Mediterranean citys harborside.

Also read: Israel not involved in Beirut blast, Israeli official says

Our team in Beirut has reported to me the extensive damage to a city and a people that I hold dear, an additional challenge in a time of already deep crisis, said Pompeo, who has spoken in the past of his personal interest in Lebanon.

The US embassy in Beirut encouraged Americans in the city to take shelter.

There are reports of toxic gases released in the explosion so all in the area should stay indoors and wear masks if available, it said in a security alert.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for calendar year 2021 (CY2021) jeopardizes patient care, specifically surgical care. While the proposed rule takes steps to increase access to care through telehealth, it also has the potential to drastically reduce patients' access to surgical care, just as many patients have delayed care due to COVID-19.

In the fee schedule announced by CMS, surgeons will see their Medicare payments cut by 9% for cardiac surgery, 8% for thoracic surgery, 7% for vascular surgery, 7% for general surgery, 7% for neurosurgery and 6% for ophthalmology for CY2021.

"We support steps to expand access to care, but this rule takes one step forward and several steps back by disregarding patients' needs and the surgeons who care for them. The middle of a pandemic is no time for cuts to any form of health care, yet this proposed rule moves ahead as if nothing has changed. The health care system cannot absorb cuts of this magnitude," said David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, American College of Surgeons Executive Director. "The Surgical Care Coalition believes no physician should see payment cuts that will reduce patients' access to care. This proposed rule would move forward with significant payment cuts that will only make the situation worse and harm patients."

The proposed rule affirms, and for some surgical specialties increases, the cuts CMS announced last year, which are set to take effect January 1, 2021. These cuts will reduce payments to nearly all surgical specialties, including by as much as 9 percent for some surgeons. The policy was ill-informed and dangerous to patients even before the pandemic started but could be even more detrimental as our health care system continues to weaken under COVID-19.

To stop these cuts and preserve care for patients, Congress must act now. The Surgical Care Coalition is urging Congress to enact legislation to waive Medicare's budget neutrality requirements for these E/M adjustments and to require CMS to apply the increased E/M adjustment to all 10- and 90-day global code values.

In a survey earlier this year, one-in-three private surgical practices stated that they are already at risk of closing permanently due to the financial strain of the COVID-19 crisis. In the same survey, it was found that nearly half of surgeons face more difficult financial decisions, and are responding by either cutting their own pay or paying employees in the face of declining revenues. This rule will likely force surgeons to take fewer Medicare patients leading to longer wait times and reduced access to care for older Americans.

About the Surgical Care Coalition

The Surgical Care Coalition advocates for access to quality surgical care for all Americans. The Surgical Care Coalition is comprised of 12 surgical professional associations that proudly represent more than 150,000 surgeons working across the country with a common goal of improving the quality of care, and quality of life, for all patients. The founding members have worked together for nearly three decades to promote sound policy solutions to the U.S. Congress and federal regulatory agencies to solve the biggest challenges in health care.

Contact

[email protected]

SOURCE Surgical Care Coalition
2021 MAZDA3 2.5 TURBO FULL REVEAL

Starting MSRP 1 for the 2021 Mazda3 is $20,500 while the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo will start at $29,900

for the 2021 Mazda3 is $20,500 while the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo will start at $29,900 Available Aero Kit add more aerodynamic styling that complements its refined performance

Fans interested in learning more about the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo can speak to a Mazda representative by clicking HERE

IRVINE, Calif. (August 4, 2020)  The 2021 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo, generated resounding excitement with owners and fans when it was announced in July. Mazda North American Operations (MNAO) today shares the first full look at the 2021 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback with a launch film and image gallery.

The well-appointed and stylish Mazda3 2.5 Turbo is equipped with an impressive engine capable of delivering 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel (or 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque on regular fuel) and standard i-Activ all-wheel drive system. Sophistication with an edge.

The Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback with Premium Plus package shown in the launch film is equipped with the available Appearance Package that builds on its award-wining design by adding a more aggressive feel. The turbo hatchback offers two Appearance Package options. With the Premium Plus package, the front air dam and rear roof spoiler come standard, and the upgraded Appearance Package includes a rear diffuser and side sill extensions. Additionally, all four aerodynamic accessories can be equipped on the standard Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback with its own Appearance Package option. New BBS 18-inch gloss black forged wheels are available on all Mazda3 models. A full list of accessories can be found and ordered at Accessories.MazdaUSA.com or through a local Mazda dealership2.

With many options available to those interested in the 2021 Mazda3, every fan can find the ideal hatchback or sedan that best fits their lifestyle. For those who would like to be the first to have the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo to arrive in their driveway, interested fans can speak to a Mazda representative now that will collect details on their preferred Mazda3 2.5 Turbo and answer select product questions.

The starting MSRP3 for the 2021 Mazda3 is $20,500 while the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo will start at $29,900. For more information or to speak with a Mazda representative, please visit: https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/2021-mazda3-turbo.

MSRP4 FOR THE 2021 MAZDA3 IS AS FOLLOWS

Drivetrain Sedan Hatchback Mazda3 2.0 FWD $20,500  Mazda3 2.5 S FWD $21,500 $22,500 Mazda3 2.5 S w/ Select Package FWD $22,700 $23,700 AWD $24,100 $25,100 Mazda3 2.5 S w/ Preferred Package FWD $24,350 $25,350 AWD $25,750 $26,750 Mazda3 2.5 S (6MT) w/ Premium Package FWD  $27,850 Mazda3 2.5 S w/ Premium Package FWD $26,850 $27,850 AWD $28,250 $29,250 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo AWD $29,900 $30,900 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo w/ Premium Plus AWD $32,450 $33,750

ACCESSORIES PACKAGE

BBS 18-inch gloss black forged wheel (price per wheel) $918.95 Aero Kit for Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback w/ Premium Plus Package $1,075 w/o Premium Plus Package $1,900

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Soul Red Crystal $595 Machine Gray Metallic $495 Snowflake White Pearl Mica $395

Fans are encouraged to download the MyMazda mobile app to receive exclusive Mazda content as it becomes available (must have push notifications turned on), including the latest information on Mazda3 2.5 Turbo, which is expected to arrive in dealerships by the end of this year.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through approximately 620 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City.

Follow MNAOs social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA.
Afghan security forces ended a jail siege on Monday (August 3) during which around a thousand prisoners escaped.

More than 300 of them were still at large Tuesday (August 4).

At least 10 Islamic State fighters who attacked the prison in the eastern city of Jalalabad were killed by security forces.

The assault started on Sunday (August 2) evening after a car bomb was detonated at the prison entrance.

Gunmen overran the prison where many of their fellow militants were being held, along with Taliban fighters and common criminals.

A spokesman for the local governor said at least 29 others were killed, including civilians, prisoners, and members of the security forces.

A defense ministry statement said all of the 10 attackers died, though a provincial council member and a witness inside the prison told Reuters the number was likely around 30.

As the siege dragged through the day, the normally bustling city was placed under a curfew.

The violence comes at a sensitive time for Afghanistan as the United States attempts to usher peace talks between the Afghan government and the insurgent Taliban, who say they oppose Islamic State and have fought against them.
A regime advance was halted by opposition forces, with casualties reported on both sides following the clashes writes Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

Jihadists and allied rebels in northwestern Syria on Monday killed at least 12 pro-regime fighters, thwarting their advance, a Britain-based war monitoring group said.

Another 17 pro-regime fighters were wounded while on the jihadist-led side six fighters died, said the Britain-based group Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The forces loyal to President Bashar-al Assad had launched an attack with artillery and heavy gunfire in Syrias last major opposition bastion, said the war monitor.

But the jihadist Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) alliance, headed by ex-leaders of Syrias former al-Qaeda affiliate, and their allies reportedly thwarted the advance.

Four HTS and two other rebel fighters were killed in the clashes in a rural area of Latakia province, the monitor said.

The HTS-led alliance also controls large areas of Idlib province and slivers of territory in neighbouring Aleppo and Hama.

The region they hold is home to some three million people, nearly half of whom have been displaced from other parts of the country.

Syrias nine-year-old war has killed more than 380,000 people and displaced nearly half of the countrys pre-war population.

The rebel-held area is a regular target of attacks by regime forces and their Russian and Iranian allies.

A Russian-backed government offensive between December and March displaced nearly a million people in the region.

A Moscow-backed ceasefire agreement in March has reduced violence in the area, but shelling and air strikes by the regime and its backers continue.

Russian air strikes on the town of Binnish in Idlib province killed three people from the same family on Monday, according to the Observatory.

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.
Despite the coronavirus pandemic and citywide order against large gatherings, Dolores Park was packed with people over the weekend amid a spell of warm weather in San Francisco. Park-goers pulled cold beers from coolers, tossed Frisbees and shared pizzas from to-go boxes. Some people wore face masks, but many didn't.

UCSF infectious disease doctor Dr. Peter Chin-Hong described people's behavior as "reckless" and said the scene was "as scary as American Horror story, the COVID version."

He explained that transmission of the coronavirus is reduced in outdoor spaces because the air is "turbulent" and virus droplets disperse, but even a two-block expanse of grass can become dangerous when the crowd grows large enough and social-distancing measures are ignored.

"It was like normal times this weekend," said Chin-Hong, who lives in the city and drove by the park over the weekend. "We do have public messaging that outdoor activities are safer than indoor activities, but not outdoor activities en masse."

San Francisco resident Michael Piazza was on the grass Saturday and had a slightly different take, saying the park "felt relatively safe."

"Spacing between groups felt good," said Piazza. "There were some larger groups, and mask usage wasnt where we want it to be  people eat and drink, and then forget to put the masks back on."

Piazza added that Dolores Park "felt much lower risk than Valencia Street on Friday, when restaurants take over the street with outdoor tables filled up with people."

S.F. Recreation and Park Department General Manager Phil Ginsburg agreed that the vast majority of visitors have complied with health orders at Dolores Park.

"Our rangers and volunteers from other city departments have been doing intense outreach in the most crowded parks, advising more than 20,000 people and handing out nearly 14,000 masks citywide since May 1," said Ginsburg. "We will continue our efforts, but we need everyones help."

The city painted large circles on the grass with chalk, each six feet apart, to encourage social distancing and help park-goers know when they are getting too cozy.

Chin-Hong said he didn't observe people sticking to their circles over the weekend. "Dolores Park is like a beach," he said. "When people look at images of beaches in San Diego and Huntington Beach and pooh-pooh it as being reckless behavior in SoCal, Dolores Beach over the weekend wasnt too dissimilar from that."

How dangerous is Dolores Park, really?

Amid the coronavirus pandemic, popular public outdoor spaces  whether Dolores Park in S.F., Lake Merritt in Oakland or a beach on Lake Tahoe  have become flash points in bad behavior. Photos of crowds gathered in these places without masks are popping up all over social media with many criticizing rule breakers. Others who are on the ground at these places say the actual social-distancing violations aren't as bad as the photos show.

With scientists still working to understand the coronavirus, first identified in China in December, it's hard to gauge the exact risk of a day at a busy park, but we do have enough information to know that how you behave at the park makes a huge difference.

Chin-Hong said if you walk through Dolores, your risk for catching the virus is minimal, next to none, if you wear a mask and don't take it off. But if you sit down and take off your mask, the risk goes up significantly. The longer you sit there, the longer you sit across from someone talking, the more your risk goes up, and if you pull out a picnic to share with friends, the danger skyrockets.

"Even if you go to the park wearing a mask in the best case scenario, the riskiest transmissions occur when people take off their masks to eat or drink," said Chin-Hong, who advises against sharing food with those outside your household. "You touch someone else's Tupperware of food and you don't have hand-sanitizer, and then you touch your nose or mouth. You and other dive into a plate of sliced mango and your mouths and noses get close ... I think eating is one of the riskiest areas."

When alcohol is thrown into the mix, as it often is at Dolores Park, the danger increases. "People tend to not be as careful when they're drinking," he said. "You might be shouting and screaming when youre drunk, which projects the virus farther. You might be drooling. Its almost like adult preschool meets the beach."

Dogs are also a part of the Dolores Park scene and Chin-Hong said while there's some risk of petting someone's dog and catching the virus, the risk is minimal. He explained risk of transmission from surfaces is much higher from metallic surfaces than dog hair. He's also less concerned with dogs actually catching the virus, as cases of infections in domestic pets are extremely rare.

A popular gathering spot at the park is an outdoor urinal at Church and 20th streets. Chin-Hong said taking care of businesses would be less risky here than in the indoor restroom, but you need to wear your mask when waiting in line.

To completely eliminate risk of contracting the virus, Chin-Hong said it's best to avoid Dolores Park altogether on crowded days.

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

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Amy Graff is the news editor at SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.
MT MORRIS TWP, MI -- When Jessica Reed entered her classroom, her eyes filled with tears.

The room was repainted, turned white from its former dark blue. Desks were spaced 6 feet apart and hand sanitizer stations were located at every corner. Big block letters on one wall read: This is our happy place.

Northridge Academy plans to start class online and revisit possible in-person instruction in October. However, Reed will still teach virtually out of her new and improved classroom.

Reed said shes excited to show her Northridge Academy kindergarten students her new vacation-style room.

You know this is going to be life-changing for them, Reed said.

Whitmer and Trump have different ideas about if and how to reopen schools. But in Michigan, plans are ultimately local.

Before classrooms were shut down in Michigan due to COVID-19, Reed had a classroom makeover in the works with Schoolgirl Style, a brand of classroom decorations launched by a longtime Genesee County educator Melanie Ralbusky.

It was disappointing to put the project on hold, but once restrictions were loosened, Ralbusky said she was able to still perform the classroom makeover with COVID-19 safety measures in mind. A team of up to five were able to work through the week to complete the room for a Friday, July 31 reveal.

As the kindergarten teacher, Reed said she gets to be the fun teacher.

When youre the kindergarten teacher, every kid comes back to your room, Reed said.

This year, Reed is facing new challenges. She will not have normal kindergarten family orientation. But students will see the classroom in her background when tuning in online.

The classroom was redesigned by a teacher Reed knew growing up.

Ralbusky grew up in the Flint area, attended University of Michigan-Flint and taught in Genesee County districts for most of her career. She said classroom design was a passion because the atmosphere of a classroom improves the learning experience for both the teacher and the students. Eventually, she created her own brand, Schoolgirl Style, to support this passion and share it with other educators.

Ive done classroom makeovers for deserving teachers all across the country and I thought it was time to come back home and do something special for my hometown, Ralbusky said.

Ralbusky knew Reed as she pursued her career in teaching.

She taught Reeds sister, Chloe, kindergarten when Reed was in high school. After teaching Chloe for two years, Ralbusky said she got to know Reeds family well.

When Reed decided to become a teacher, Ralbusky said she was not surprised.

I knew she was going to make a phenomenal teacher someday because she loved kids and cared about kids so much regardless of background or any limitations they might have, Ralbusky said. She was an advocate.

Knowing Reed and watching her grow up made this classroom makeover special, Ralbusky said.

Her positivity about all kids and about how all kids can learn -- Ive always been her biggest fan, Ralbusky said of Reed. Im going to cry talking about her.

COVID-19 has made classroom design challenging, but Ralbusky said she has been able to adjust and get creative.

Usually, Ralbusky said, she likes to have a rug in a room and lots of areas for community supplies, but with COVID-19 restrictions, she had removed all soft surfaces. A collection of pillows were displayed in the room Friday for the photo op but she said they plan on removing them when students return. She also adjusted storage spaces so students each have their own space for supplies, eliminating shared items.

I think this room is just very inspirational, Ralbusky said. I think that no matter what situation a teacher is in, no matter what state theyre in or what their guidelines are, the room makeover reminds them that the classroom is still here and we still have students and we can still celebrate learning.

To help you navigate this complicated fall, were pleased to offer you a simpler way to get all of your education news: Our new Michigan Schools: Education in the COVID Era newsletter delivered right to your inbox. To receive this newsletter, simply click here to sign up.

Read more:

Davison Community Schools plans for Aug. 17 start date

2 Genesee ISD cosmetology students test positive for coronavirus

Flint schools announce new assistant superintendent, administrators

Mt. Morris schools release back-to-school plan, prep for online or in-person learning

Lapeer schools push start date to fall, opt to suspend balanced calendar year

Flint school board passes plan to start virtually Aug. 5, possibly return to classrooms in Sept.
Newsfrom Japan

Tokyo, Aug. 3 (Jiji Press)--A farmer in Mozambique on Monday pointed to issues related to a Japan-led project to support agriculture in the southern African country that ended last month.

The ProSavana project was wrong because parties involved tried to implement it without hearing the voices of small farmers, said Costa Estevao, leader of a farmers' group in the northern Mozambique province of Nampula.

He made the remarks while joining online a press conference held in Tokyo by groups, including the Japan International Volunteer Center, or JVC, following the end of the project. The JVC and Estevao's group had raised questions about the decade-long project, implemented through cooperation between Japan and Brazil.

ProSavana was devised on the basis of a project to turn a central area in Brazil into rich farmland for soybeans and other produce for exports. But a Brazilian nongovernmental organization had criticized the project, saying that Brazilian companies participating in the project were trying to kick out small Mozambican farmers.

Estevao called for a review of the project, at the Seventh Tokyo International Conference on African Development, or TICAD 7, held in Yokohama, south of Tokyo, in August last year.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]
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Hurricane Isaias made landfall in North Carolina just after 11pm on Monday as local officials warned residents of life-threatening storm surges, flash floods, wind gusts of up to 85mph that knocked out power for at least 124,000 customers.

The massive system strengthened from a tropical storm to a Category 1 hurricane as forecasters expect it to dump up to 8 inches of rain along most of the Eastern Seaboard, which is under a tropical storm watch stretching from Georgia all the way up to Maine.

Preparations for the storm's arrival have been underway in major cities along the East Coast, including New York, where officials say Isaias packs the strongest punch since Superstorm Sandy from 2012.

Video footage uploaded to social media by residents of Myrtle Beach show flooding induced by storm surge just before the hurricane was due to make landfall.

'Ocean Boulevard is just covered in storm surge,' Josh Morgerman tweeted.

People walk through flood-hit Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, late on Monday after Hurricane Isaias made landfall

A man uses his phone to record video of floodwaters on Ocean Blvd. The hurricane made landfall in nearby North Carolina, generating sustained wind gusts of 85mph

A group of people are seen above walking along a flooded roadway in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, late on Monday

A car is driven along water-covered Sea Mountain Highway in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, late on Monday night

Storm surge covered the area as Hurricane Isaias made landfall near North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Sunday

Fire officials in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, deployed high-water vehicles to rescue motorists stranded in floodwaters early on Tuesday morning

A high-water vehicle is seen driving down a flooded street in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, early on Tuesday morning

Fire officials are begging drivers to stay off the roads so that they could tend to other emergencies during the hurricane

Storm surge is seen above in Surfside Beach, South Carolina, late on Monday after Hurricane Isaias made landfall

Hurricane Isaias approached landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, late on Monday evening, bringing heavy rain and strong wind gusts as well as coastal flooding

Meteorologists also expect up to 5 feet of storm surge for the region as Isaias makes it way inland

In the Carolinas, coastal residents secured patio furniture, ferry operators completed evacuations on the Outer Banks, and officials passed out sandbags and offered car space in elevated garages Monday as Isaias marched northward late on Monday.

Fire officials in North Myrtle Beach deployed high-water vehicles to rescue stranded drivers who got stuck in the floodwaters early Tuesday morning.

'We are seeing several areas of the city beginning to have ponding on the roadways from heavy rain as well as tidal flooding in Cherry Grove,' North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue posted on its social media.

Authorities are begging motorists to stay off the roads while the storm continues to impact the region.

'You being out and getting stuck somewhere you shouldnt be ties up Emergency Personnel that are needed for other incidents,' North Myrtle Beach Fire Rescue posted on its social media.

In North Carolina, at least 124,000 power outages were reported in the Wilmington area the encompasses both Brunswick and New Hanover Counties, the Charlotte Observer reported.

'The high winds and heavy rains associated with this powerful tropical storm are expected to cause widespread power outages along the coastline and to points well inland,' a Duke Energy update stated.

'Updates on the estimated times of restoration may be delayed until the storm clears the area.'

The National Hurricane Center warned oceanside home dwellers to brace for storm surge up to 5 feet and up to 8 inches of rain in spots, as Isaias moves up the coast.

As the storm neared the shore, a gauge on a pier in Myrtle Beach recorded its third highest water level since it was set up in 1976. Only Hurricane Hugo in 1989 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 pushed more salt water inland.

The hurricane made landfall just after 11pm on Monday near Wilmington, North Carolina

As of 1am local time on Tuesday, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, was under a hurricane warning while most of the rest of the East Coast from Georgia up through New England were under a tropical storm warning

The red-shaded area shows the likely trajectory of the storm's path. Heavy rain, high surf, coastal flooding, and strong winds are forecast for Virginia, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, New York, and New England

Hurricane Isaias is due to hit the Virginia region sometime early on Tuesday before making its way toward the New York metropolitan area on Tuesday evening

Flood alerts are in effect for most of the Eastern Seaboard stretching from South Carolina all the way up toward Maine

Strong wind gusts are being felt along the coast of the Carolinas on Monday as Hurricane Isaias made landfall at around 11:10pm

After making landfall, Isaias turned northeastward and crept up the coast toward Wilmington, North Carolina, just before midnight on Tuesday

Severe weather is expected to impact much of the East Coast on Tuesday and into early Wednesday morning

Coastal cities like Atlantic City, New York, and Boston are expected to see strong wind gusts reaching between 60mph and 75mph

Oceanfront streets throughout the area flooded as the sea ended up nearly 10 feet above low tide.

Up the coast in southern North Carolina, high winds from Isaias' inner core knocked down trees and power lines, blocking roads. No major damage was initially reported.

The Carolinas weren't the only states at risk.

'All those rains could produce flash flooding across portions of the eastern Carolinas and mid-Atlantic, and even in the northeast United States,' said Daniel Brown, senior hurricane specialist at the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

A tropical storm warning extended all the way up to Maine, where flash flooding was possible in some areas on Wednesday.

Isaias killed two people in the Caribbean and roughed up the Bahamas but remained at sea as it brushed past Florida over the weekend, providing some welcome relief to emergency managers who had to accommodate mask-wearing evacuees in storm shelters.

People walk across Ocean Boulevard in the rain in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon

A young woman rides a bicycle in the rain on Ocean Boulevard hours before Hurricane Isaias made landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday

Waves crash against the Pier at Garden City in Garden City, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon

Friends play in the surf in Garden City, South Carolina, on Monday afternoon as authorities warned of an impending hurricane

Curious onlookers take photos with their cell phones underneath a pier in Garden City, South Carolina, on Monday

A surfer rides the stormy seas off Garden City, South Carolina, as Hurricane Isaias neared the Carolinas on Monday

Shops are boarded up in North Carolina in anticipation of the arrival of Hurricane Isaias on Monday

The National Hurricane Center also warned of possible tornadoes in North Carolina on Monday night and early Tuesday

Thick clouds and rough surf are seen above at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, on Monday

RECORDS BROKEN BY ISAIAS SINCE ITS FORMATION Isaias is the ninth named storm of the 2020 Atlantic hurricane season. It is the earliest in the year that the US has seen a storm with an 'I' name. The previous record was set on August 7, 2005. Isaias is also the second storm to reach hurricane status in the Atlantic for 2020. The average date for the second hurricane is later in the month around August 28. The storm's formation also marked the first time two hurricanes formed during the last week of July. Advertisement

President Donald Trump on Monday described Isaias as 'very serious.'

'Storm surge and inland flooding are possible and everyone needs to remain vigilant until it passes,' Trump said.

Authorities in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, ordered swimmers out of the water to avoid rough surf and strong rip currents.

Still, many people were out enjoying the beach and walking their dogs under overcast skies.

On Pawleys Island, southwest of Myrtle Beach, Terrie Wilson Heffner moved outdoor furniture and potted plants and kept her TV tuned to weather reports.

A coastal South Carolina resident since 1981, when Hurricane Hugo destroyed her parents' home, Heffner said she doesn't leave except for major storms.

'They don't really scare me,' Heffner said, 'but I have great respect for them.'

Shops and restaurants appeared quieter than usual for a summertime Monday in North Myrtle Beach, but locals blamed COVID-19 more than Isaias.

No businesses were boarding up their windows, although some moved outside furniture inside.

Wayne Stanley and his family came to the city over the weekend from Julian, North Carolina.

He's never experienced a hurricane, but said he never considered canceling his family's weeklong vacation either.

'I was pretty scared to start off with,' Stanley said Monday. 'Then we thought maybe its not going to be that bad.'

Floodwaters on Ocean Boulevard threaten moped rentals in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday night

Floodwaters reach above the knees for one woman who ventured out onto Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach on Monday

Authorities in South Carolina warned of life threatening storm surge caused by Hurricane Isaias, which made landfall just before midnight on Tuesday

The images above show storm surge covering the coastline of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, late on Monday

Storm surge, floods, heavy rains, and downed trees were reported across Myrtle Beach (above) and other nearby towns

Storm surge-induced flooding was seen in Ocean Lakes, South Carolina, late Monday as Hurricane Isaias made landfall

A resident of Kings Grant, North Carolina, posted a photo showing candles used to light up the home after the power went down

People walk at the Garden City Pier in Garden City, South Carolina, on Monday just hours before Isaias made landfall

Heavy rains fell on Salem, North Carolina, on Monday afternoon as Hurricane Isaias bore down on the US coastline

The image above was taken by a local resident and uploaded to social media on Monday, hours before Isaias was set to make landfall

People play in the ocean as Tropical Storm Isaias approaches in Kure Beach, North Carolina, on Monday

Beachgoers are caught in a rain shower just hours before Isaias makes landfall in Kure Beach, North Carolina, on Monday

A couple looks out over the ocean as Isaias approaches in Kure Beach, North Carolina, on Monday

Authorities in the Carolinas were warning bathers to get out of the water due to rough surf and high tides caused by Isaias

A man observes the dark clouds and high surf produced by Hurricane Isaias from the balcony of his hotel in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday

Forecasters expect Hurricane Isaias to turn northeastward after making landfall near the North-South Carolina frontier on Monday

Children play on the beach in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday as Isaias whips up high surf along the coast

A man continued to fish on the beach in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday as Isaias made its approach toward the coastline

Winds were expected to grow stronger through the night on Monday and into early Tuesday as Isaias makes landfall

Officials in frequently flooded Charleston, South Carolina, handed out sandbags and opened parking garages so residents on the low-lying peninsula could stow their cars above ground.

Though the center of Isaias was expected to pass offshore of Charleston on Monday evening, National Weather Service meteorologists said a major flood is possible if rainfall is heavy when the high tide arrives about 9pm.

The hurricane center predicted storm surges of 3 to 5 feet in portions of both North and South Carolina.

Charleston Mayor John Tecklenburg told a news conference he didn't plan a curfew, though city offices were closing early.

He asked residents to stay home after 6pm when winds are predicted to increase above 40 mph and flooding could be at its worst.

'It's a great night, as long as your power is up, to watch a movie or read a book,' Tecklenburg said.

'Just chill out this evening. Stay home and stay safe.'

North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper warned residents on Monday that the storm could be dangerous regardless of its strength.

He urged those evacuating to turn to shelters as a last resort, citing coronavirus risks and the need to operate shelters at reduced capacity to allow for social distancing.

'Whether it's labeled a tropical storm or a hurricane, you should take this storm seriously, and make sure your family is ready,' Cooper said.

Ferry operators wrapped up evacuations from Ocracoke Island in North Carolina's Outer Banks on Monday, moving more than 3,500 people and 1,700 vehicles off the island over four days.

Island officials were taking no chances after taking a beating less than a year ago from Hurricane Dorian. Evacuation orders have also been issued for Hatteras Island north of Ocracoke.

Morgan Stewart said many evacuating residents had come into the store where she works in the inland community of Kinston to buy tarps, batteries, flashlights and other supplies.

'You can tell they're worried,' said Stewart, who saw cars parked on higher ground over the weekend as she secured her boat at a marina.

Isaias was still a tropical storm at 5pm with maximum sustained winds of 70 mph, but it was expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane later Monday, with winds of 74 mph or more.

The storm was centered about 120 miles southwest of Myrtle Beach on Monday afternoon.

Since forming last week, Isaias has been buffeted by competing forces both trying to kill and strengthen it, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.

'Of all the places it could be, it found the warmest water it could,' which fuels storm development, McNoldy said.

'And yet it is struggling.'

Rebecca Nelson and Terry Crabtree arrange boats inside the garage at Downeast Marine in Otway, North Carolina in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Isaias on Monday

Walkers stroll past Cherry Grove pier at dawn in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, as Isais moved up the East Coast

Hurricane Isais is moving up the East Coast and is expected to make landfall near Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, on Monday

Beachcombers look towards the sea at dawn in North Myrtle Beach where a lifeguard stand warns of rip currents on Monday

City of North Myrtle Beach workers removes hanging plans on Main Street ahead of Hurricane Isais on Monday

That's because dry air kept working its way into the storm at low and mid-levels, which chokes storms.

Isaias' passage near Florida over the weekend was particularly unwelcome to authorities already dealing with surging coronavirus caseloads.

The storm brought heavy rain and flooding to the state, forcing authorities to close outdoor virus testing sights, as well as beaches and parks.

Officials lashed signs to palm trees so they wouldn't blow away.

About 150 people had to keep masks on while sheltering in Palm Beach County, which had a voluntary evacuation order for people living in homes that can't withstand dangerous winds, said emergency management spokeswoman Lisa De La Rionda.

Connecticut is preparing for the arrival of Isaias, which is expected to bring up to 4 inches of rain in parts of the western half of the state

The coastal area in southern Connecticut could see fierce wind gusts of up to 70mph on Tuesday evening

The coastal areas of the Long Island Sound are likely to see storm surge between 1ft and 3ft beginning Tuesday evening

The New York City tri-state area could also see isolated tornadoes as a result of the storm on Tuesday

Isaias was blamed for two deaths in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, where it uprooted trees, destroyed crops and homes and caused widespread flooding and small landslides over the weekend.

The storm snapped trees and knocked out power Saturday in the Bahamas.

Shelters were opened on Abaco island to help people still living in temporary structures since Dorian devastated the area, killing at least 70 people in September 2019.

Meanwhile, New York City has started preparing for Isaias that could hit the Big Apple with 70mph winds, the strongest since Superstorm Sandy.

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the city began its preparations on Sunday by implementing flood measures learned from Superstorm Sandy.

Temporary one-mile barriers are being installed from Wall Street to Water Street in Manhattan. Photos showed workers preparing a hydro-dam in the lower Manhattan area to prevent storm surge from Isaias.

Vents were also placed at the Flatbush Ave and Nostrand Ave entrance of the Flatbush Av/Brooklyn College 2 and 5 train station.

Rain in New York City is expected to run from 1 to 6pm on Tuesday.

Lightning illuminates the skies above New York City on Monday night as showers and thunderstorms hit the area a day before the arrival of Isaias

Lightning strikes as storms hit New York City on Monday. The image above was taken across the Hudson River in Hoboken, New Jersey, on Monday

Lower Manhattan is seen in the image above as thunderstorms moved across the Hudson River ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Isaias on Monday

New York City has started preparing for Isaias, which is expected to strengthen into a Category 1 hurricane as it closes in on the Carolinas before it takes aim at the Northeast. A worker helps prepare a hydro-dam to prevent storm surge in Manhattan on Monday

Mayor Bill de Blasio said the Big Apple is preparing for the storm by implementing flood measures learned from Superstorm Sandy. Temporary one-mile barriers (pictured) are being installed from Wall Street to Water Street in Manhattan

Photos showed workers preparing a hydro-dam in the lower Manhattan area to prevent storm surge from Isaias

Rain in New York City is expected to run from 1 to 6pm on Tuesday. The city also expects winds of 35 to 45mph for two to three hours with some gusts at 60mph

Workers erect temporary flood barriers in the South Street Seaport neighborhood in preparation for potential flooding and a storm surge from Isaias

Temporary sidewalk vent covers have been put in place in preparation of Hurricane Isaias in Manhattan

The vents were put in place at the Flatbush Ave and Nostrand Ave entrance of the Flatbush Av/Brooklyn College 2 and 5 subway station

Forecasters have warned that New York City, which is still grappling from the impact of COVID-19, could see some of the strongest wind gusts since Superstorm Sandy.

According to the National Weather Service, winds of up to 70mph are forecast for New York City on Tuesday.

On October 29, 2012, the peak wind gust at John F. Kennedy International Airport was 69mph during Superstorm Sandy.

Meteorologist Ross Dickman told CNN that 'the wind and flooding impacts from Isaias will be similar to what the city has seen from some of the strongest coastal storms, but we havent seen one this strong in many years'.

On top of dealing with a storm, New York City is still reeling from the impact of COVID-19. The city was once the epicenter for the virus, but last month it successfully entered the final phase of reopening.

City officials have asked restaurants to take precautions since most are operating with outdoor seating due to the coronavirus. Indoor dining is still prohibited in New York City.

Maryland Gov Larry Hogan said Monday that the state will be suspending its COVID-19 testing on Tuesday due to the storm.

So far, 13 state and local testing sites will be closed, according to the Maryland Department of Health.

A tropical storm warning has been issued for southern Maryland and nearby waters, according to the NWS.

About 100 million people are in the storm's path, which stretches 1,500 miles from Florida to Maine.
MADISON  There are many aspects to the value of a community having a local newspaper serving its community.

The financial health of these newspapers has been challenged in recent years with the loss of local retail advertising, the transition to digital news delivery, negative effects of recent newsprint tariffs, the announcement of huge newspaper postage increases (50%-plus) over the next five years, and the recent negative impact of COVID-19 on many community businesses which advertise in local papers.

One of the main things a newspaper does is represent the public in keeping a local open government.

It does this by receiving information about activities/actions occurring at local government meetings, gathering information from open government records and publishing government notices.

These three things are the foundation for open government and without any one of them, openness is compromised.

The loss of all of those things can be devastating and often occurs when a newspaper closes. Up to this point in time, there has been no effective replacement of a community newspaper in print or online.

One of the impacts of losing a newspaper is an increase in the operational costs of local governments. I am going to reference one study on local governments following newspaper closures to illustrate the financial impact alone of such a loss, Financing Dies in Darkness? The Impact of Newspaper Closures on Public Finance, by Pengjie Gao, University of Notre Dame; Change Lee and Dermot Murphy, University of Illinois at Chicago, February 12, 2019.

This particular study looked at increased costs to municipalities for borrowing bonds after a newspaper closure. This study looked at actual data from municipalities from across the United States over a period of several years where newspapers were closed.

The study examined the actual cost increase in a municipality during the three years after a newspaper closed. According to the study, our main finding is that newspaper closures have a significantly adverse impact on municipal borrowing costs in the long run.

Why does the public pay more when a newspaper closes? Simple. According to the study, first, the increased government inefficiencies that result from the loss of a government watchdog, and second, increased informational frictions that result from lack of press coverage, thus lenders charge more.

The study further found that the number of government employees increased by approximately four per 1,000 residents, tax revenue per capita increased by $85, and the deficit per capita increased by about $53.

Wow. This means taxes increased $340 per year for a household of four people. It is not theoretically what could happen. This is what actually has happened. In perspective, a $50 annual subscription to a community newspaper is an incredible value.

Perhaps informed citizens can prevent further newspaper closures. Community newspapers are different from any other local business. No other business has the rights of the citizens tied to it as community newspapers do. The press is the only private business mentioned in the Constitution, so our founding fathers must have thought it was important.

The purpose of this column is to make sure the public knows the value of a newspaper. I feel an ethical obligation to write this column and could only do it when I was no longer an active publisher, because of conflicting interests of owning a business and serving the community.

Actually, there was not much conflict because newspapers in recent years are not businesses that make much money; nevertheless, they are private businesses. It is important that the people in this community are clearly informed on the value of having a community newspaper and the consequences for all citizens if it closes.

What can you do? First and foremost, subscribe to the paper, give gift subscriptions, or ask your employer to offer subscriptions to the local paper as a benefit. Encourage your family and friends to subscribe.

It is much less expensive to subscribe than not.

Second, patronize businesses which currently advertise in a local paper and encourage other businesses you patronize to advertise in the paper.

Third, support the paper by what you say in words and post on social media.

Fourth, consider making a tax-deductible contribution to the paper specifically to employ professional journalists. Perhaps there will be a day when surviving newspapers will have a similar model structure to public television stations.

Finally, engage with the people who run your local newspaper. Let them know you do care and want to see them succeed. Citizens who are lucky enough to still have newspapers in their communities should do whatever they can to keep the papers, because if they close, the publications statistically will not return and it will cost every business and citizen more money  a lot more money each and every year into the future until something is developed to effectively replace the community newspaper  if that ever happens.

Andrew Johnson is immediate past president of the National Newspaper Association and a past president of the Wisconsin Newspaper Association.
The entire country has become



excited in view of the bhoomi pujan ceremony for in and there is no other golden moment like Prime Minister breaking the ground to mark the start of construction work, the Shiv Sena said on Tuesday.

The COVID-19 crisis is prevailing in the country, but it will disappear with the blessings of Lord Ram, an editorial in Shiv Sena mouthpiece 'Saamana' said.

It the ceremony, to be held at in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, will be fika (lacklustre) as Union Home Minister Amit Shah will not be able to attend it.

Shah on Sunday said he had tested positive for coronavirus after showing initial symptoms. He said his health was fine and he was getting admitted to a hospital on the advice of doctors.

The Shiv Sena said it is praying for his speedy recovery. The party, however, cryptically said though Shah is in isolation, the crisis still looms large over the Ashok Gehlot government in Rajasthan.

Gehlot has no reason to be happy that Shah is in isolation as the BJP leader performs political surgeries from wherever he is, the Marathi daily said.

"Prime Minister Modi himself will perform the 'bhoomi pujan' by visiting Ayodhya, the Sena said.

It noted that BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, key leaders attached to the construction campaign, will witness the sweet end of the battle of temple construction via video conferencing from Delhi.

Advani and Joshi were advised not to attend the ceremony in view of their age and the outbreak of COVID-19 in Ayodhya, it said.

Uma Bharti, another leader attached to the campaign, will not attend the ceremony in person given the fear of COVID-19, and will watch the ceremony from the banks of the Saryu "through the eyes of her mind, the Shiv Sena said.

"The country has become excited in view of the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony. There is no other golden moment like the countrys prime minister breaking the ground (for temple construction)," the Sena said.

"Coronavirus is prevailing. It has spread in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh and the entire country. This crisis, too, will fade away with the blessings of Lord Ram, it said.

The Sena further said the responsibility of security arrangements in was with the Home ministry, but it was unfortunate" that Shah got infected by the novel coronavirus.

"Prime Minister, RSS chief, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and other invitees will be there (for the ceremony), but the ceremony will be lacklustre without Home Minister Shah, the Shiv Sena said.

Referring to the Rajasthan political crisis, it said Gehlot had to shift Congress MLAs from that state in isolation when Shah was quarantined at a hospital.

"That means the threat (to the Gehlot government) persists! the Shiv Sena claimed.

The MLAs were recently shifted to a Jaisalmer resort from Jaipur.

The Sena further said Uttar Pradesh has seemingly turned into a COVID-19 hotspot and the death of the states minister Kamal Rani Varun due to the disease is demoralising for people.

It raised concern over Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa also getting infected by the disease.

The Shiv Sena said Shah had taken utmost care during the lockdown period.

It noted that the Union home minister took part in a public event in Delhi last Saturday and attended the cabinet meeting last Wednesday observing social distancing norms.

Yet, Shah has asked those who came in his contact in the past few days to isolate themselves and get themselves tested for coronavirus, the Shiv Sena said.

"The entire Union council of ministers need to be isolated, if the Home minister is saying this. Shah is close to the prime minister as his second key colleague in the council," the Marathi publication said.

But nothing will happen to the prime minister and the home minister due the blessings of Lord Shriram. Wishes extended by (Congress leader) Rahul Gandhi to Shah are important, it said.

Gandhi had on Sunday wished Shah a speedy recovery.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Americans with Christian nationalist views more likely to flout COVID-19 precautions: study Religious commitment 'completely unrelated' to incautious behaviors during pandemic

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A new study suggests that Americans who embrace Christian nationalism ideology are more likely to refrain from wearing a mask and social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.

The study published July 26 in the Journal for the Scientific Study of Religion was co-authored by Samuel Perry, an associate professor at the University of Oklahoma and author of the recently released book Taking America Back for God: Christian Nationalism in the United States, and two other scholars.

Christian nationalist ideology tends to make people really distrustful of scientists and science generally, Perry told The Christian Post in an interview. We suspected that  people who are scoring higher on Christian nationalism would be less likely to follow the advice of medical experts.

The study analyzed data from the Public and Discourse Ethics Survey in which respondents were asked how often they engaged in incautious behaviors such as eating inside a restaurant, attending gatherings of 10 or more people and going to work outside of their home.

At the same time, respondents were asked how frequently they engaged in the precautionary behaviors of washing their hands more often than usual, avoiding touching their faces, wearing a mask and the frequent use of hand sanitizer.

The authors conclude that at the bivariate level, Christian nationalism ideology is positively associated with Americans frequency of engaging in incautious behaviors and negatively associated with engaging in precautionary behaviors.

According to the study, Christian nationalism is the leading predictor that one engaged in more frequent incautious behavior related to COVID-19 and the second strongest predictor that Americans took fewer precautions like wearing a mask or sanitizing/washing one's hands.

Perry, who has studied the topic of Christian nationalism for six years, was joined in authoring the report by Andrew L. Whitehead, associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis and co-author of Taking America Back for God; and Joshua B. Grubbs, associate professor Bowling Green State University.

The study was conducted in three waves, with the first begging collected in August 2019, the second in February 2020 and the third in May 2020 to gather data on experiences and interpretation of the COVID19 crisis.

The survey waves were designed by the authors and fielded by YouGov, an international research data and analytics company. Due to sample attrition between waves and a very modest amount of missing data, the scholars report a final analytic sample for their study of 1,255 respondents.

The study measured Christian nationalism based on respondents indications as to whether they agreed with or disagreed with certain statements.

Those statements include: the federal government should declare the United States a Christian nation, the federal government should advocate Christian values, the federal government should enforce strict separation of church and state (reverse coded), the federal government should allow prayer in public schools, the federal government should allow religious symbols in public spaces, and the success of the United States is part of Gods plan.

If respondents indicated that they strongly agreed with the aforementioned statements, they would score highest on the Christian nationalism scale while those who claimed to disagree with the statements would score much lower.

Perry did not find the results of the study surprising at all.

In an interview with The Christian Post, Perry defined Christian nationalist ideology as one in which adherents want to institutionalize our religious beliefs and values and view religion more as something that is like a cultural marker of identity.

Christian nationalist ideology is associated with a whole lot of really negative views and values, he said.

Christian nationalism tends to make Americans more racially prejudiced, more fearful of immigrants to an irrational degree, and hold views that are unequivocally xenophobic or racist."

According to Perry, the ideology of Christian nationalism has a profound impact on how people view the coronavirus. Perry argues that, because Christian nationalism seems to make people inclined to Donald Trump and Donald Trump, wasnt really encouraging a lot of precautions regarding coronavirus early on, it should not come as a surprise those identified as having a Christian nationalist ideology are less likely to take precautions during the pandemic.

Perry also cited a reluctance to trust the media among reasons for their reluctance to follow recommended coronavirus precautions. He also said that there is a belief that the United States has a protective relationship with God and that if God punishes us with this disease, its not because were not social distancing, its because  weve slid morally.

The professor said that some believe the solution to coronavirus is not necessarily to wash your hands more or use hand sanitizer, or wear masks or social distance." Rather, he said, they think the solution is to "repent  of our  immorality publicly.

While people who scored higher on the Christian nationalism scale were less likely to abide by recommended precautions for stopping the spread of the coronavirus, those who attend church more or pray more or think religions more important to them were more likely to do things like social distance or wear a mask once Christian nationalism was accounted for, Perry said.

The study states that "religious commitment was completely unrelated to incautious behaviors in our full models."

Findings document that Christian nationalism, not religious commitment per se, undergirded the farright response to COVID19 that disregarded precautionary recommendations, thus potentially worsening the pandemic, the report reads.
Daiane Pelegrini (pictured) was stabbed to death in western Sydney on Monday

A Brazilian mum-of-one who was stabbed to death by an intruder in a western Sydney home may have been attacked by an ex-lover.

Daiane Pelegrini, 33, was found with significant injuries inside an apartment block in Ingleby Street, Oatlands at about 4.50pm on Monday.

Ms Pelegrini was rushed to Westmead Hospital in a critical condition but died a short time later.

A 25-year-old man, known to Ms Pelegrini, was arrested at the scene and taken to Granville Police Station.

No charges have been laid.

Another man, also known to the victim, was treated nearby for a minor injury.

Ms Pelegrini, who moved to Australia from Brazil with her husband at the end of 2016, was allegedly stabbed when she arrived home with her boyfriend to pick up something.

The 25-year-old man assisting police with their inquiries is understood to have briefly dated Ms Pelegrini before a recent split, The Daily Telegraph reported.

Ana Paula Bonomo mourned the loss of the nursing student in a Facebook post.

'Jesus receive Daiane Pelegrini, with all affection. I have no words to express my sadness,' she wrote.

Ms Pelegrini was undertaking a Bachelor of Nursing at Western Sydney University and last year wrote on Facebook she had 'waited so long' to commence her studies.

Multiple emergency services were called to an apartment block in Ingleby Street, Oatlands at about 4.50pm on Monday

She worked at aged care facility, the Residential Gardens, in Rooty Hill.

Ms Pelegrini's eight-year-old daughter was with her husband Marcelo Antunes de Ataide when the alleged stabbing occurred.

'She was a really good mother ... she was the best mum and would do anything for her daughter,' he told the ABC.

'We are devastated, we have a good family in Brazil and my daughter doesn't want to leave Australia and her friends.'

One neighbour said Ms Pelegrini was a 'really nice women' and described the incident as 'awful'.

Anyone with information should call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
France has announced a decision to halt the ratification of an extradition treaty with Hong Kong. This follows the recent introduction by Beijing of a controversial security law in the former British colony.

"In light of the latest developments, France will not proceed . . . with the ratification of the extradition agreement signed on 4 May 2017 between France and the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region," the French foreign ministry said in a statement.

China has reacted angrily to the French decision, saying Beijing is "firmly opposed" to the suspension of ratification by Paris.

The foreign ministry criticised the new security legislation, saying it called into question the principle of "one country, two systems" . . . and the fundamental freedoms that result from that principle

"This law also directly affects our citizens and our businesses," the foreign ministry added.

"Following the decision by the Hong Kong authorities to postpone the legislative elections, France underscores the vital importance of holding the elections as swiftly as possible under conditions that will allow sincere democratic expression, in accordance with the rights and freedoms guaranteed by Hong Kong's Basic Law," the official statement continues.

New security law heightens international tension

The introduction of the security law has raised new tensions between China and the West, compounding existing strains over the treatment of the Uyghur minority and the behaviour of telecoms giant Huawei.

Britain last month suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong "immediately and indefinitely" in response to the new law, while Germany suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong over the decision to push back local elections by a year.

Europe showing a united front against Beijing

The EU has already agreed on options for drawing the consequences of the new situation in Hong Kong.

On 28 July, the Council of the European Union adopted conclusions expressing its deep concern and reaffirming EU support for Hong Kong's high degree of autonomy, in accordance with the one country, two systems principle, as well as the EU's solidarity with Hong Kong's population.
CLEVELAND, Ohio  My brother canceled his flight from Fort Myers last month, deciding instead to drive to Ohio from Florida rather than risk three-plus hours in an airborne tube of potential infection.

In the end, he scuttled his plan to drive, too  and switched his flight to Delta instead, one of a handful of carriers that is still guaranteeing that the middle seats on its aircraft will remain unoccupied.
As Nitish Kumar-led Bihar government seeks the transfer of investigation in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case to the CBI, Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer breaks silence, invokes 'federal stucture' and claims that it doesn't have any jurisdiction pertaining to the case. Sushant's father has lodged an FIR against Chakraborty with Bihar Police for abetting his son's suicide.

Bihar government cannot transfer the case related to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) as it does not have jurisdiction in the matter, Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer said on Tuesday.

There cannot be a transfer of the case as there is no legal basis for Bihar to get involved. At most, Bihar Police can register a Zero FIR and transfer it to the Mumbai Police. The transfer of a case on which they had no jurisdiction to the CBI has no legal sanctity, advocate Satish Maneshinde, lawyer of Rhea, told media persons.

He said that the petition filed by Rhea Chakraborty in the Supreme Court claiming that the Bihar Police had no jurisdiction to investigate the case will continue.

Having realised that Bihar has no jurisdiction, this illegal method has been adopted. Otherwise, you are interfering in the federal structure of our nation in a back door manner. It touches the very root of the federal structure, Maneshinde said.

Also read: SSR death probe: IGP Patna writes to BMC, seeks release of SP Vinay Tiwari from home quarantine

Also read: Bombay HC to hear plea seeking transfer of SSR death probe to CBI today

Earlier today, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that the state government is recommending a CBI inquiry in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case. He said that the late actors father spoke to Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) earlier in the day and gave his consent for the same.

He further said that the treatment meted out to the Superintendent of Police (SP) Patna (Central), Vinay Tiwari, in Mumbai, where he was put under home quarantine by Brihannmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) personnel, was not right.

Notably, BJP MLA Niraj Kumar Singh, a relative of the deceased actor, had raised the issue of Rajputs death in the Bihar Legislative Assembly on Monday and demanded a CBI probe. The father of the late actor, KK Singh, had also requested Nitish Kumar to order a CBI investigation in the matter.

An FIR was filed by Patna Police against actor Rhea Chakraborty in the Rajputs death case, on a complaint filed by KK Singh, under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including abetment of suicide. A team of Bihar Police is in Mumbai to probe the case.

Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh had on Monday said that they are taking legal opinion to examine whether Bihar Police can investigate Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Yesterday, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh had also said that the investigation being conducted by the Mumbai Police in the case is progressing in the right direction.

Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai residence on June 14.

According to Mumbai Police, the statements of 56 people have been recorded till now in connection with the case, including the family of the actor, his domestic help and several industry persons.

Also read: SSR death probe: Siddharth Pithani leaks Sushants brother-in-laws messages
(Natural News) Unprecedented flooding in communist Chinas major food-producing regions is spiking demand for American corn, which is putting immense strain on already limited supplies.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), exporters here in the United States recently sold 1.937 million metric tons of corn to China, which is the third-largest deal for exported grain in our countrys history.

The runner-up was another recent sale earlier this season of 1.762 million tons of corn, creating a combined total of 3.699 million tons of American corn that has been exported to China just this summer alone.

Reports indicate that China has been ramping up its import of U.S. corn since March, the same month that a Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic was declared by the Trump administration.

Much of this corn is destined for animal feedlots in China, which started to become bare after China was largely cut off from receiving barley imports from Australia. China is purchasing American corn not only from this season, which ends on August 31, but also from next season.

That puts China on a path to meet or exceed the World Trade Organizations quota of 7.2 million tons of corn imports from any country in the year, reports Bloomberg, as syndicated by MSN.

If the Three Gorges Dam fails, China will need as much food as it can get

As we reported, excess rains in and around the region where Chinas failing Three Gorges Dam is located have created a dire situation for the nations nearly 1.4 billion people, who could face mass starvation.

China claims to have things under control, and insists that the Three Gorges Dam is just fine. But many are speculating based on satellite imagery that the dam could be bowing, and that what lies below is at risk of major inundation should it ultimately fail.

In the meantime, China is hoarding up agricultural goods, many of which are being imported from the U.S. While China purchased $24 billion worth of food from the U.S. back in 2017, that number has soared to $36.5 billion this year, a more than 50 percent increase.

If China is able to successfully reach its import quota, this could spell good news for President Donald Trump, whose support from farmers ahead of the upcoming election in November is likely to see a significant boost.

In addition to corn, China is also buying up American soybeans to the tune of 1.925 million tons in the week ending on July 23. This represents the biggest weekly total since November 17, 2016, right after Trump was elected president.

All this buying is taking place amid an escalating conflict between the U.S. and China. China is accusing the U.S. of stoking a new Cold War, while the U.S. has indicated that Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is the central threat of our times.

Some worry that China will slow its agricultural purchases as the situation further degrades, with China already showing signs of slowing down in soybean purchases. At the same time, China needs these soybeans and anything else it can get its hands on in the event that the Three Gorges Dam turns into an all-out disaster.

We have also sold a huge amount of pork, even as food and meat prices have gone up as consumer buying power has gone down, notes one AgWeb commenter about the situation.

I do not want to weaponize the world food supply, but I have no desire to impose hardship on our own people either, particularly when it enriches a select few.

For more related news about the shifting sands of agriculture in this uncertain time, be sure to check out FoodSupply.news.

Sources for this article include:

MSN.com

NaturalNews.com

AgWeb.com
Signals begin to appear on the Arab landscape that the paralysis of the last nine and a half years, in terms of finding Arab solutions to Arab problems, is over

For the last nine and a half years, the Arab world has failed to have a determining say in how Arab crises and conflicts unfolded. Most Arab countries stood almost helpless before the Arab drama of countries torn apart, and Syria is a crying example, with Arab people either displaced, killed, maimed or seeking asylum in foreign lands. In some cases, they became silent numbers among those drowned in the Mediterranean while escaping the countries of their fathers and grandfathers.

The near absence of Arab countries from international and regional efforts to search for permanent solutions to these crises and conflicts made it easy for regional powers to shape the outcomes and the destinies of Arab lands and people. It is no wonder that the Astana Process comprises Russia, Turkey and Iran, and these three powers have been trying for the last three years to shape the future of Syria without the presence of any Arab power.

Sadly enough, the future of the Middle East has been discussed, debated and is being negotiated at the expense of Arab interests and future security.

The Arab League is another absentee from international and regional deliberation concerning Arab questions. However, Libya is an exception for the Arab League has partnered with both the European Union and the African Union in a joint effort to push for a negotiated solution to the intractable Libyan question, which the United Nations has warned lately could trigger a regional war.

This near Arab paralysis is unprecedented. Previously, the Arabs had mustered enough political will coupled with a common vision to deal with a myriad of threats and challenges to their independence and national security. That coincided, historically, with an active Arab policy by Egypt. Egyptian diplomacy had been proactive at dangerous crossroads in modern Arab history. In 1961, Egypt was behind the decision to send Arab peacekeeping forces to the Kuwaiti borders with Iraq after the latter, under the Abdel-Karim Kassam government, threatened to invade. Nine years later, Egypt under the leadership of late president Gamal Abdel-Nasser called for an emergency Arab summit to defuse the Jordanian-Palestinian crisis that could have pitted the Jordanian army against Palestinian national liberation forces in Jordan.

Egypt hosted in 1990 another summit to deal with the catastrophic Iraqi invasion of Kuwait that had taken place 2 August the same year.

In the last nine and a half years, Egyptian diplomacy has faced serious challenges to which it allocated almost all of its resources, let alone the internal political situation up to 2014. After the election of present Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah Al-Sisi, we could argue that Egypt has become more involved in Arab affairs based on the perception that Egyptian national security cannot be delinked from the national security of other Arab countries. We have seen how Egypt has taken a firm stand on the Libyan question, and how the Egyptian president let it be known that Cairo could intervene militarily in Libya under certain circumstances that could develop into a major threat along its western borders.

On 27 July, Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faysal Bin Farhan paid a visit to Cairo where he held talks with the Egyptian president as well as Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry. His visit came in the context of a tour in North Africa that included Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco.

Judging from the statements he made in the capitals he visited, it seems that Saudi Arabia is trying to elaborate a joint Arab position against growing Turkish meddling, mainly in Libya, along with other Arab countries like Syria and Iraq.

The Saudi efforts are welcome by Egypt and other North African countries, save the Libyan Government of National Accord based in Tripoli  a government whose will has been superseded by Turkish dictates.

The recent Arab awakening could become a driver for the implementation of UN Security Council resolutions pertaining to Libya and other Arab crises. Needless to say, the road would be relatively bumpy, for the regional powers that have held sway during the last decade in Arab affairs would not welcome easily the return of a more proactive Arab diplomacy. These regional powers have enjoyed a free hand for a long period of time, meddling dangerously in Arab countries. Still, there is no other alternative before the Arabs if they are really serious in regaining the initiative in finding permanent Arab solutions for Arab conflicts.

Libya is a good starting point on this path. If the neighbouring countries of Libya with the weight of Saudi Arabia could come together, once again, to broker a negotiated political solution to the Libyan question, that could be tried elsewhere in the Arab world  particularly in Syria. For this to succeed, Arab countries, or some of them, particularly in the Gulf, should think seriously hard about dropping their grievances and objections to Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad.

In the not-too-distant past, the Arabs were always successful in marshalling enough political will to find quick solutions to problems that could develop into major conflicts if kept unresolved. The Arabs have a chance today to try and muster enough political will to turn the page of their paralysis in the last nine and a half years. For this to materialise, Egypt should take the initiative in sustained diplomatic efforts across the Arab world. It should seek common denominators with other Arab countries, and its objectives should be in complete alignment with resolutions adopted by the Security Council related to the crises and conflicts that have been raging  unnecessarily  across the Arab world.

The writer is former assistant foreign minister.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The stampede toward online delivery is increasingly moving toward bigger, bulkier goods. That's one key takeaway from Tuesday's news that Home Depot (NYSE:HD) is expanding its online fulfillment centers and pushing deeper into delivery of heavy, large parcels.

The home improvement giant said it is adding three new distribution centers in Georgia over the next 18 months as part of its $1.2 billion multi-year investment into its digital infrastructure. The facilities will speed up standard services to most of the southeastern U.S. while adding new capabilities around delivery for bulk goods, both to professional contractors and do-it-yourself shoppers. "Customers expect to shop whenever, where and however they want," executive Stephanie Smith said in a press release, "whether they're buying a hammer or a pallet of pavers."

Home Depot credited its online business with helping sales jump in the fiscal first quarter, which ran through early May. Comparable-store sales rose 7%, or about double the pace from 2019.

Its second-quarter report, set for Aug. 18, will cover May, June, and part of July and should show even more of a tilt toward digital fulfillment. That selling channel was already becoming a core growth avenue for Home Depot, but its importance has only risen thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic.
They are the family to whom generations of the Royal Family  as well as princelings from overseas  have turned whenever augmenting their jewellery collections.

But now, I can disclose, the unthinkable has happened: the Aspreys have vanished from London's West End.

William Asprey, the seventh generation of the family to rule the roost, has taken the distressing decision to place his company into administration, even though it boasts a Royal Warrant from the Queen and, just four years ago, recorded an annual profit of 26 million.

William Asprey, the seventh generation of the family to rule the roost, has taken the distressing decision to place his company into administration. Asprey pictured with his wife Lucy above

That stupendous result appeared to vindicate Asprey's boldness in striking out on his own in 1999, when he established William & Son just four years after his father, John Asprey, sold the eponymous family business (founded by a forebear in 1781) to Prince Jefri of Brunei for 243.5 million.

Within a decade, Asprey, 54, and his team of craftsmen created what the company described as 'the finest jewellery and timepieces', as well as a treasury of silver and glassware, while its gunsmiths made coveted trophy shotguns.

But since 2017 William & Son's fortunes have turned south and racked up total losses of 21 million.

The company's collapse dismays Naim Attallah, a longstanding friend and former chief executive of Asprey in its days under family ownership.

'It makes you want to cry,' Attallah tells me. 'The people who work for William were working for me. Everybody's feeling desperate. The economy is shrinking, so people with high overheads are now taking decisions they never thought they would have to take. It's very depressing.' The administrators, RSM Restructuring Advisory, declined to comment, while William Asprey could not be reached.

Perhaps he is already plotting a comeback. Nothing better reflected his ambition than his decision to call the firm William & Son  even though his son, Tom, was just a toddler  as he envisaged the company being passed down the generations for 'another 200 years I hope'.
At Least 70 Killed, 3,000 Injured After Explosion Rocks Beirut

An explosion in Lebanons capital, Beirut, caused injuries and some damage on Tuesday, as social media footage showed a blast and shockwave that could be seen for miles. At least 70 were killed and more than 3,000 injured.

The source of the explosion was a major fire at a firecracker warehouse, said the state-run National News Agency.

A major fire broke out in Amber No. 12 near the wheat silos at the Beirut port, in a bunker warehouse, according to a translation.

Firefighting teams were deployed to put out the fires, the report said.

Following the blast, a red cloud of smoke hung over the city. A number of buildings, namely windows, were destroyed in the explosion.

What I felt was that it was an earthquake, Rania Masri, a local, told CNN. The apartment shook horizontally and all of a sudden it felt like an explosion and the windows and doors burst open. The glass just broke. So many homes were damaged or destroyed.

Lebanons health minister, Hamad Hasan, told the BBC that extensive damage and numerous injuries were reported.

An Associated Press photographer near the port saw people lying injured on the ground, and hospitals called for blood donations, but exact casualties were not immediately known.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. It came at a time when Lebanon is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades.

Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said it might have been caused by highly explosive material that was confiscated from a ship some time ago and stored at the port. Local television channel LBC said the material was sodium nitrate. Witnesses reported seeing a strange orange-colored cloud like that which appears when toxic nitrogen dioxide gas is released after an explosion involving nitrates.

The explosion also comes amid rising tensions between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group along Lebanons southern border.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A leading recruiter has shared the four things to do to help your application stand out in a crowded competitive job market, and revealed why a cover letter is absolutely critical for job success.

Recruitment Manager Emma Teale, from Adairs Retail Group, said there has been a steep increase in people applying for jobs since the onset of COVID-19.

But if you want your application to be at the top of an employer's pile after reading through hundreds of CVs, you need to do a few things.

A leading recruiter has shared the four things to do to help your application stand out in a crowded competitive job market (stock image)

1. Include a 'top-notch' cover letter

Recruitment Manager Emma Teale (pictured), from Adairs Retail Group, said there has been a steep increase in people applying for jobs since the onset of COVID-19

While you may spend hours and hours perfecting your CV, Emma told Seek that if you want to rise to the top of the 'interview pile', you should definitely include a decent cover letter.

'A good cover letter is a way to introduce yourself professionally, show the value you could bring to the role you are applying for, and give a sense of who you are - almost like a pitch,' Emma told the publication.

The recruiter added that the applications which have always stood out to her are the ones with a good cover letter that shows both your 'voice' and why the job is right for you.

Emma recommends using key words that show you have tailored your letter to the requirements of the job and also highlighting any key achievements you have.

'In the cover letters that I've seen recently, the high performers almost always list their key achievements because it shows that they are results focused,' she said.

2. Highlight transferable skills

Secondly, a focus on transferable skills will always get you noticed, and these can be defined as skills or abilities that are relevant and helpful across different areas of life: socially, professionally and at school.

Good examples are organisational skills, creative thinking, leadership or people skills - and Emma said you should always highlight these in any job application.

If you've had another job, such as a flight attendant, Emma said you should think about how you can adapt that skill to the role ahead, such as customer service.

'I suggest helping a company to visualise your transferable skills by explaining the scenarios that you've been exposed to and how the skills you've demonstrated can transfer to different roles or industries,' Emma said.

In order to stand out from others on the market, you should highlight transferable skills which include organisational skills, creative thinking or leadership (stock image)

3. Mind the gaps

If you have ever taken a bit of time out of the workforce to study or travel, don't worry - but you should address any CV gaps or 'gaps' in employment.

Emma said if you've moved from one industry to another or had a complete role change, just explain it.

She said many of us take time off, for one reason or another, whether by choice or design.

And breaks aren't always seen in a negative light, provided you explain how they helped you in your career to date.

4. Be yourself

Finally, the recruiter said you should never try to conceal your basic identity, but rather you need to be honest and be yourself.

'If you are a bit quirky, I encourage you to express that in your cover letter, because you want to find the right match in an employer,' Emma said.

There is no point trying to paper over any cracks as they will later become evident.

Careers expert and LinkedIn specialist Sue Ellson (pictured) said to be as employable as possible after COVID-19, you need to attach a cover letter and get involved on LinkedIn

Careers expert and LinkedIn specialist Sue Ellson previously shared her tips to help you make yourself as employable as possible after COVID-19.

What are the best things to include in your CV? List all forms of education  high school, tertiary study, online courses, diplomas, certificates, apprenticeships Display relevant training, the institution and completion year for each course completed Include all past job titles, duties involved and expertise Alter your resume for every job and relate your responsibilities and experiences to the position advertised Share your significant achievements well Write a succinct summary explaining career objectives and value to the organisation Clearly highlight core skills by using bullet points List the most recent and relevant position first to showcase skills and knowledge List your interests and hobbies Provide a good summary to showcase experience Source: Seek Advertisement

'If you are considering going back into your old role after COVID-19 or into a new role somewhere else, you need to think in terms of the best value you can provide your employer,' Sue told FEMAIL.

She said employees must add value to the employer by having the necessary skills, a 'can do' attitude and a willingness to learn.

One of the ways you can do this is by participating in online courses, such as those offered by TAFE.

The courses, which can cost as much as $1,570 for 12 weeks of study, offer practical skills and experiences across a range of industries including administration, business and computing.

You could also use this time during the pandemic to update your CV and make sure you're putting forward the best foot possible.

Sue said you should be sure to include your previous jobs, experiences, skills, achievements, volunteer work (if any), interests and how the employer can contact you.

'The achievements need to describe your value in terms that the employer understands, so if you are switching careers, you need to focus on your transferable skills as well as document your other skills,' Sue said.

You should also take the time to write the perfect cover letter for that particular job, and update your LinkedIn profile so that it's relevant with your experience.

A good cover letter should predominantly outline and summarise your resume and why you are best suited for the job position available.

Finally, you should also use online platforms including LinkedIn, which are a great way to develop connections and network with other people.

'Now is a good time to track down past colleagues and managers and request an online recommendation via LinkedIn,' Sue said.

'And don't be afraid to contact members of a professional association related to where you would like to work and see if you can volunteer in some way'.

Sue said to 'be realistic' about how much time is spent each day on career development tasks, as adjusting to the new home isolation 'rhythm' will take time.

'I usually suggest two hours a day, five days a week is more than enough to keep you in the running for great opportunities,' she said.
The Bachelorette twist

The Bachelorette is getting a major twist this season. ET reports Tayshia Adams will replace Clare Crawley as the star of season 16, despite the reality show already filming for two weeks. Insiders say Crawley, 39, fell in love quickly with contestant Dale Moss, who won the first impression rose, and refused to continue filming with other men. Adams, 29, who has been quarantining due to at the shows base in Palm Springs, California, to ensure coronavirus safety during production, is expected to take over handing out roses to the remaining men -- but both Crawley and Adams will appear on the show, making it the first time The Bachelor spinoff series has two bachelorettes at the same time.

Seinfeld, Dirty Harry actor dies

Seinfeld and Dirty Harry actor Reni Santoni is dead at 81. Variety reports Santoni died Saturday in Los Angeles while in hospice care after years of health issues. He started acting off-Broadway before appearing in Carl Reiners 1967 film Enter Laughing, eventually playing Clint Eastwoods partner Detective Chico Gonzalez in 1971s Dirty Harry. He also appeared opposite Sylvester Stallone in 1986s Cobra and memorably played sloppy restaurant owner Poppie on four episodes of Seinfeld. Santoni is survived by his wife and son.

What a guy!



RIP, Reni Santoni pic.twitter.com/PrFiqYyIt6  George David Allen (@GeorgeDAllen) August 4, 2020

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Banana Split, new movie shot in Syracuse, gaining fans on Netflix https://t.co/pD7TTF2SYe  Geoff Herbert (@deafgeoff) August 3, 2020
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 13:01:22|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia attracted 1.18 million international visitors during the first half of 2020, down 64.6 percent from 3.33 million over the same period last year, said the latest report released by the Ministry of Tourism on Tuesday.

China, Vietnam and Thailand were the biggest sources of foreign travelers to the kingdom during the January-June period this year, the report said.

It added that some 275,673 Chinese, 179,698 Vietnamese, and 161,084 Thais visited the country during the first six months of this year, down 79 percent, 55 percent, and 7.6 percent, respectively compared to the same period last year.

In June alone, Cambodia received only 12,284 foreign visitors, a drop of 97 percent from 450,013 over the same month last year, the report said.

The huge slump in the number of international arrivals to Cambodia was due to the COVID-19 pandemic that forced the country to impose entry restrictions for all foreign travelers since March.

Tourism Minister Thong Khon has predicted that Cambodia could lose about 3 billion U.S. dollars in tourism revenue in 2020 due to the remarkable drop in the number of international visitors.

"For 2020, due to the COVID-19 crisis, the number of foreign tourists to Cambodia can drop by 70 percent," he said.

Tourism is one of the four sectors supporting Cambodia's economy as the country attracted 6.6 million international visitors in 2019, earning a total revenue of 4.9 billion U.S. dollars.

The Southeast Asian nation has recorded a total of 241 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, with 200 patients cured and 41 remained in hospital, according to the Ministry of Health. Enditem
India takes pride in having largest vaccination programme in the world: PM Modi

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74th Independence Day: Story of Chandra Shekhar 'Forever' Azad

India

oi-Briti Roy Barman

New Delhi, July 04: Chandra Shekhar Azad was deeply affected by the Jallianwala Bagh massacre in his early teens and eventually the youngster joined Mahatma Gandhi in his call for non-cooperation.

But Gandhi's suspension of the non-cooperation movement prompted Azad to aggressively pursue his fight aganist the British.

Soon Azad joined Ram Prasad Bismil's HRA (Hindustan Republic Association ) and became one of its most active members.

Early life

Chandra Shekhar Azad was born as Chandrashekhar Tiwari on July 23, 1906, in Madhya Pradesh. He was arrested at the age of 15 for participating in Gandhi's movement and in the jail when asked for name he promptly replied 'Azad' (the free). He became to be known as Chandrashekhar Azad since then.

But because of his age he was not imprisoned and given a severe flogging by British police. The Indian National Congress soon lionized him and Azad stepped in the freedom fight.

74th Independence Day: A tribute to Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose

Azad and HRA

In February 1922, after several policemen had been murdered by a revolutionary mob at Chauri Chaura, Gandhi suspended the noncooperation movement. Azad was deeply effected by the move.

Azad joined the radical Hindustan Republican Association (HRA) and participated in several violent crimes like the Kakori train robbery, in 1925, and the revenge killing of a British police officer in 1928.

After managing to evade the British police after the Kakori case, Azad sought the company of Bhagat Singh in reorganising the HRA and HRA became Hindustan Socialist Republic Association (HSRA).

The objective of HSRA was loud, that was the creation of an independent India on strong socialist principles.

The famous Kakori case

The new form of nationalist revolutionary movement in the country jolted the British government. The revolutionary which was inspired by the freedom fighter like Bhagat Singh and Chandra Shekhar Azad.

Meanwhile, the Kakori incident came as a shock to the British.

The Number 8 Down Train from Shahjahanpur to Lucknow was approaching the town of Kakori which is now in Uttar Pradesh.

The train was abruptly stopped by pulling the emergency chain by a man in the second class compartment.

Then the revolutionaries belonging to HRA looted the official cash that were transporting in the train.

British police went on a massive hunt to arrest members of the HRA after the incident and in few weeks arrested two dozen members of the HRA.

Among them four were hanged and close to 17 sentenced to life imprisonment.

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

There was one, Azad, however, who the British could not catch hold of.

Azad was able to elude the police and its informants for several years.

On February 27, 1931, Chandra Shekhar Azad committed suicide in Alfred Park in Allahabad after a police chase.

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Story first published: Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 16:40 [IST]
But exports were higher month on month, according to figures released by the countrys economy ministry on Monday August 3.The country shipped 33.99 million tonnes of iron ore last month, compared with 34.23 million tonnes a year earlier.Last months shipment volumes are 3.94 million tonnes (13%) higher than Junes 30.05 million tonnes Brazils Vale is taking a cautious approach with its iron ore output guidance for 2020. It expects to reach the lower end of its guidance of 310-330 million tonnes due to effects of Covid-19 on its operations.Fastmarkets index for iron ore 62% Fe fines, cfr Qingdao was at $116.03 per tonne on Monday, up by $5.45 per tonne from $110.58 on July 30, and $16.86 per tonne higher than July 1s $99.17 per tonne.The average export price for Brazilian iron ore was $70.30 per tonne fob in July, down by 6.09% from $74.80 per tonne fob in July 2019, according to Brazils economy ministry. In June, the average price was $62.70 per tonne fob.The countrys revenue from iron ore exports amounted to $2.39 billion last month, down by 6.74% from the $2.56 billion in July 2019, according to the ministrys statistics.
WASHINGTON - In the early days of the coronavirus crisis, President Donald Trump was flanked in the White House briefing room by a team of public health experts in a seeming portrait of unity to confront the disease that was ravaging the globe.

But as the crisis has spread to all reaches of the country, with escalating deaths and little sense of endgame, a chasm has widened between the president and the experts. The result: daily delivery of a mixed message to the public at a moment when coherence is most needed.

Trump and his political advisers insist that the United States has no rival in its response to the pandemic. They point to the fact that the U.S. has administered more virus tests than any other nation and that the percentage of deaths among those infected is among the lowest.

Right now, I think its under control, Trump said during an interview with Axios. He added, We have done a great job.

But the surge in infections, hospitalizations and deaths tells a different story. And it suggests that the president is increasingly out of step with the federal governments own medical and public health experts.

The U.S. death toll, which now stands at 155,000, is expected to accelerate. The latest composite forecast from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention projects an average of nearly 1,000 deaths per day through Aug. 22.

Dr. Deborah Birx, White House coronavirus task force co-ordinator, warned this week that the virus has become extraordinarily widespread.

Trump didnt like that. He dismissed her comment as pathetic and charged she was capitulating to criticism from House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who had earlier criticized Birx.

Adm. Brett Giroir, the assistant secretary of Health and Human Services who has avoided contradicting the president throughout the crisis, said on Sunday it was time to move on from the debate over hydroxychloroquine, a drug Trump continues to promote as a COVID-19 treatment even though there is no clear evidence it is effective.

Dr. Robert Redfield, head of the CDC, last week acknowledged during an ABC News interview that the initial federal government response to the virus too slow.

Its not a separation from the president, its a cavernous gap, said Lawrence Gostin, a public health expert at Georgetown University. What were seeing is that scientists will no longer be cowed by the White House.

Until recently, the medical experts on the White House coronavirus task force have walked a tightrope. They have been pressing to deliver the best science to the public while trying to avoid appearing to directly contradict Trump  in hopes of maintaining influence in the decision-making process.

The effort has played out, at moments, as an awkward dance.

For months now, the West Wing has controlled the media schedule of Dr. Anthony Fauci, who drew the ire of the president and his advisers in the early days of the pandemic because of the outsized media attention he received and his perceived willingness to contradict the president, according to three White House officials and Republicans close to the West Wing not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.

Fauci, the nations top infectious disease expert, has struck a far more cautious tone than Trump or any other member of the task force about the nations move to reopen, provoking the frustration of a president who sees a resurgent economy as key to winning another four years in office.

Birx, until recently, had largely stayed on the presidents good side, though her rosy depictions of the pandemic fight drew recent skepticism from Democrats and other public health officials. But Trump also shredded Birx privately as well as in his public comments this week for not striking a more optimistic tone about states that are doing well and for saying she had tremendous respect for Trumps rival Pelosi, the officials said.

Throughout the pandemic, some government public health officials have privately expressed worry to West Wing staffers that they are fearful of contradicting the president even as they try to focus on the data and the science behind the administrations response to the virus, officials said. But publicly, there has been a concerted effort to appear that the team and the Oval Office are speaking with one voice.

Redfield disputed on Monday that the health officials were looking to distance themselves from the president.

I dont think thats an accurate characterization, Redfield said in an interview. He added, I think we communicate freely and directly as we see the outbreak as members of the task force.

On Monday, Trump seemed to walk back from his criticism that Birx was taking the bait from Pelosi and said that he had great respect for the doctor.

He suggested his frustration was spurred by his administration not receiving proper credit for testing so many people or for pushing to replenish the stockpile of ventilators early in the crisis. On Tuesday, he boasted that the U.S. has increased testing capacity by 32,000% since March 12 and has far and away the most testing capacity in the world. Trump in early March declared anybody that needs a test gets a test. Yet, in many parts of the country, it can still take a week or longer for patients to receive test results.

His positive self-evaluation gives short shrift to the fact that the U.S. has the worlds fourth highest per capita virus death rate, according to Johns Hopkins Universitys coronavirus resource centre.

In the Axios interview, Trump insisted that the appropriate statistic to judge the virus response is the ratio of deaths to cases. By that metric, the U.S. ranks 14th among the 20 countries most affected by COVID-19. Chile, India, Argentina, Russia, South Africa and Bangladesh all have lower rates of deaths to infections, according to the Johns Hopkins-compiled data.

Its not a bragging right that over 3% in your country thats infected is dying, Georgetown Universitys Gostin said.

Trumps undercutting of his health advisers makes it all but impossible for the federal government to speak with a single, authoritative voice at a time of national crisis, critics say.

Its a very dangerous place for the country to be, said Kathleen Sebelius, health and human services secretary under President Barack Obama. The reason I say it is very dangerous, is that we continue to have a White House that has made a public health crisis in this country into a debate about whether people like Donald Trump or not. We have never seen a situation like this before, and we are paying the price.

___

Associated Press writer Mike Stobbe in New York contributed reporting.
BOISE, Idaho - A judge ruled Tuesday theres enough evidence for a man to go to trial after the bodies of his new wifes two children were found buried on his Idaho property. The bizarre case involving doomsday beliefs and the deaths of several people linked to the couple has attracted national headlines.

Chad Daybell, 52, has pleaded not guilty to charges related to hiding the remains of 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow and 17-year-old Tylee Ryan. Investigators found their bodies during a search in June, months after they were last seen in September.

Daybell last year married Lori Vallow Daybell, who has pleaded not guilty to conspiring to help him keep the bodies of her children hidden. Authorities have yet to file charges related to the deaths of the children.

They also have yet to say how or when the children died, but the prosecuting attorney on Tuesday during closing arguments called both deaths homicides based on the condition of the bodies.

The two-day hearing included graphic testimony about unearthing the duct-tape bound body of the boy and the charred and dismembered remains of the girl.

A friend of Lori Daybell, Melanie Gibb, testified how people involved in the case became acquainted through a doomsday belief system that led them to preparedness meetings loosely affiliated with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

An FBI analyst who reviewed cellphone records testified that on Sept. 9 Chad Daybell sent a text to his then wife, Tammy Daybell, saying he was burning debris and that he had also shot and buried a large raccoon on his property. The analyst said that was notable because Tylee Ryan was last seen alive on Sept. 8 in Yellowstone National Park.

Prosecutors also said cellphone location records indicated that the day after Joshua JJ Vallow was last seen alive in late September, Lori Daybells brother, Alex Cox, showed up at Chad Daybells property just as he had shown up at Tylee Ryans grave site the day after she disappeared.

Cox died in December, and the former spouses of both Chad Daybell and Lori Daybell also died last year.

Police started investigating a missing child case last year and eventually arrested Lori Daybell on charges she abandoned her children.

She called Chad Daybell from jail on June 9, the day authorities arrived to search his property with at least five cadaver dogs, according to testimony at Tuesdays hearing.

I love you so much, Chad Daybell said somberly after telling her police were searching the field behind the house.

I love you, she responds. Should I try to call you later?

I dont know, he said. You can try.

Chad Daybell was taken into custody later that day after searchers found one of the bodies.

Investigators said they found the bodies by tracking Coxs cellphone movements. Police said Cox was involved in the conspiracy to hide the childrens remains. He died of an apparent blood clot in his lung at his Arizona home last December

Court documents in Lori Daybells criminal case include claims that the couple believed dark spirits, or zombies, would possess people. Gibb said Lori Daybell told her at different times last year that both children had become zombies and that the couple believed the only way to rid a person of a dark spirit was by killing them.

Much of Gibbs testimony revolving around a phone conversation she recorded with the couple after she became suspicious and confronted them about the missing children and accused them of multiple lies.

Gibb acknowledged to Chad Daybells attorney, John Prior, that she initially lied to police about having Joshua JJ Vallow with her. She said she was persuaded to lie by Lori Daybell. Gibb said she became concerned that she could be blamed for the childrens disappearance, leading her to call the couple and record the conversation, which she shared with police.

The strange case also includes the shooting death of Lori Daybells estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix by Cox. He asserted the shooting was in self-defence. Vallow had been seeking a divorce, saying Lori believed she had become a god-like figure who was responsible for ushering in the biblical end times.

A short time later, she and the children moved to Idaho. Daybell ran a small publishing company there and had written many books about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from beyond the veil.

At the time, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell. She died in October of what her obituary said were natural causes. Authorities grew suspicious when he married Lori Vallow just two weeks later. Police had Tammys body exhumed last December in Utah for further investigation; the results of that autopsy have not been released.

Lori Daybell faces a hearing next week on whether the case against her will proceed to trial.
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Linkedin Clement Melki and Jeremy Marot (Agence France-Presse) Lille, France  Tue, August 4, 2020 08:00 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b57bdf 2 World France,coronavirus,COVID-19,COVID-19-infection,pandemic,SARS-CoV-2,virus-corona,novel-coronavirus,coronavirus-prevention Free

Prime Minister Jean Castex on Monday urged France "not to let down its guard" in the fight against the coronavirus in order to prevent a new national lockdown, as concern grows over a surge in cases.

"The virus has not gone on holiday and neither have we," the premier said on a visit to the northeastern city of Lille.

"We need to protect ourselves against this virus, without putting a stop to our economic and social life, in other words avoiding the risk of a new generalized lockdown."

The country has emerged relatively swiftly from a two-month lockdown imposed to combat the virus, but this has come with the risk of an increase in cases.

France, which has registered over 30,000 deaths from the COVID-19 epidemic, recorded thousands of new confirmed infections last week, prompting some regions to reimpose local restrictions.

"We are seeing an increase in the figures for the epidemic which should make us more attentive than ever," Castex said.

"I call on every French person to remain very vigilant. The fight against the virus depends of course on the state, local communities, institutions, but also on each of us," he added.

Castex, a right-wing technocrat, was named prime minister last month in a cabinet reshuffle by President Emmanuel Macron.

Before his appointment, Castex masterminded the plan that took France out of lockdown.

He faces a delicate August in the frontline of the health crisis, with Macron decamped for his annual holiday at the Fort de Bregancon presidential retreat in the south of France.

Outdoor masks obligatory

The city of Lille, a bustling hub close to the Belgian border, has been the subject of particular concern with the prevalence of the virus doubling to 38 people per 100,000 in just two weeks.

In parts of the city it is now obligatory to wear masks outside to limit contagion, a move that local authorities in France can decide themselves.

Outdoor mask-wearing has also been made mandatory in parts of the northern region of Mayenne, as well as the popular coastal holiday destinations of Biarritz, Saint-Malo and Le Touquet.

The mayor of the southern city of Nice, Christian Estrosi, announced Monday that masks would be obligatory on some streets, including the busiest ones by the Mediterranean Sea.

Asked how long the measure would remain in force, he replied: "Until someone tells me that the virus is not circulating."

Police were already out on the streets of Nice to enforce the new rule, but fines for not wearing masks -- which can go as high as 135 euros ($158) -- will only be imposed from Wednesday.

The French government has encouraged citizens to go on holiday this year, especially within the country, in the hope of giving some help to an economy that contracted by a whopping 13.8 percent in the second quarter.

But officials are keenly aware that opening up brings risks, and the government has been troubled by scenes especially of young people partying at close quarters outdoors in holiday spots.
The Democrats, Not the Republicans, May Face Reconstruction After This Election

Commentary

The admirable (and convivial) Peggy Noonan, always the most civilized of the vast anti-Trump media gallery, again contemplated on Aug. 1 (Wall Street Journal) the post-Trump era, with the peppy confidence of Never Trump Republicans that its about to begin.

Her column addresses the question of whether the post-Trump Republican Party should be burned down, totally dismantled, as if that were a real option. The last major American political party to endure this fate was the Whigs, at the onset of the Civil War and after all of its major figures had decamped to the new Republican Party.

She correctly attributed Trumps victory in the 2016 Republican primaries, and in the presidential election, to public impatience over expensive and strategically disastrous wars, the greatest economic crisis since the Great Depression, a complete failure of everybody to deal with the endless inflow of penurious illegal immigrants across the southern border, and a general feeling among working and lower-middle-class Americans that they were being ignored by a bipartisan government of financial and celebrity elites.

This is a reasonable and not overly difficult analysis, but it omits the failure of the Bush-Clinton-Obama era to generate economic growth. Per capita GDP growth declined from 4.5 percent in the bustling Reagan years steadily to 1 percent under Obama, with admonitions from senior administration officials that the country had to accustom itself to flatlined growth.

This was, in effect, an assault upon the American ethos of ever-greater plenty and of unlimited rewards for honest hard work. The Noonan analysis also underplayed the national frustration at a loss of manufacturing jobs through trade agreements with ostensibly friendly countries, and a foreign policy that, despite invincible military strength, led to failures and self-eradicating redlines.

Trumps Decision to Run

Before addressing the pretended question of the fate of the post-election Republican Party, there was the usual anti-Trump mind-reading of the motives for his candidacy. It was a brand-building exercise, and Trumps program was allegedly assembled in mid-campaign by measuring the applause generated by various oratorical gambits as Trump proceeded around the country making flamboyant stump speeches.

In fact, Trump had been considering and exploring the possibilities of transforming high public recognition into the highest political office for 20 years since he recovered from his financial crisis. He did win two primaries as the progressive candidate in 2000, a party that included Ross Perot and the wrestler Jesse Ventura (governor of Minnesota).

He changed parties seven times in 13 years, looking for the right moment and the correct vehicle. He withdrew in 2000 after realizing that the original Republicans in 1860 were the only third-party in American history to become a governing party. He saw that he couldnt run against an incumbent in 2004 or 2012 and that in 2008, he had no chance of the Democratic nomination and the Republicans had no chance of winning.

The roulette wheel stopped in 2016 and he placed his bets. Brand-building may have been the default position that he would have invoked (doubtless profitably), but he had substantial and, as events revealed, well-founded hopes for political success.

Testing crowd reactions is a more reliable and cheaper canvas of public opinion for someone who can pull large crowds spontaneously than employing the experts who infest Washington and overcharge all candidates for frequently erroneous guidance.

Appeasing Violence and Leaning on Pestilence

Obviously, if Trump loses this election it will be by a relatively narrow margin and the Republican Party will be in perfectly good condition to reorient itself and will win again in four or eight years, especially as a Biden presidency can be confidently assumed to be a catastrophe.

Thats the pattern of American politics, and the Republicans will do much better than they did with Barry Goldwater in 1964 or the Democrats did with George McGovern in 1972, and in both cases, the White House changed hands at the next election.

So the question of the Republican Party ending is nonsense and not only for the reasons the author gives: that the two-party system is a good thing, and that a Democratic White House and both houses of the Congress would do a good many bad things, and that Trump is destroying himself, so nothing further need be inflicted on the Republicans.

Noonan had already written that the president has produced a different kind of disaster than the one he ran against.

The past six months, Mr. Trump came up against his own perfect storm, one he could neither exploit nor talk his way past, referring to the pandemic, the economic contraction, and prolonged sometimes violent national street protests. If the polls can be trusted, he is on the verge of losing the presidency.

Certainly, he cant talk his way past these problems, but he is managing the pandemic and the economy quite well, and he can exploit in different respects all three of these crises.

Trump didnt create them and the disaster that Noonan refers to was, in fact, a presidency that had a gold approval rating and was almost universally expected to be reelected prior to the onset of the coronavirus. As long as the polls have been judging the level of public discontent and not measuring candidates against each other, Trump was sinking. But as the process grinds toward Election Day, he is recovering in the polls, and the Democratic effort to make the election a referendum on Trump is giving way to a choice of available alternatives.

Joe Biden accused Trump of hysteria and xenophobia when he stopped direct air flights to the United States from China at the end of January. The Democrats want a continued shutdown of as much as possible to prolong the artificial recession and represent Trump as the Herbert Hoover of the 21st century.

The Democrats have been (as Attorney General William Barr mentioned in the House Judiciary Committee on July 28) unable to condemn mob violence. Violent crime is rising steeply in most U.S. cities where corrupt Democratic municipal authorities are curtailing or even abolishing police departments.

The Democrats want a prolonged shutdown and the nonsense of urging self-quarantine on anyone who has been near a coronavirus-afflicted person in the previous two weeks and can be identified and located, an insane proposal.

Trump has drastically reduced illegal immigration, had effectively eliminated unemployment, and shown what he could do to generate prosperity especially in lower-income groups prior to the virus onset, and is running against a completely implausible candidate who in the hands of his minders is appeasing urban mob violence and leaning upon a pestilence to sustain him.

On Nov. 4, the country will be more likely to be considering how to reconstruct a defeated Democratic Party than the Republicans. On that day, a hand should be extended to the Never Trumpers who have sleep-walked through these four years, inviting them to return usefully to the Republicans, and they should accept the offer.

Conrad Black has been one of Canadas most prominent financiers for 40 years, and was one of the leading newspaper publishers in the world. Hes the author of authoritative biographies of Franklin D. Roosevelt and Richard Nixon, and, most recently Donald J. Trump: A President Like No Other.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
An Army draftee and a military intelligence command officer tested positive for the new coronavirus, bringing the total number of infections among the military population to 79, the defense ministry said Tuesday.



The soldier based in Pocheon, some 45 kilometers north of Seoul, has been in isolation after coming into close contact with an outside counselor who was infected with COVID-19 late last month, according to the ministry.



The soldier tested positive on his second test required to exit mandatory quarantine, it added.



The counselor was found to have visited several front-line units in the Pocheon areas before he tested positive, and 19 virus patients at the barracks are believed to be linked to the man.



Another fresh case is a warrant officer affiliated with the Defense Security Support Command in Gwacheon, Gyeonggi Province, according to the defense ministry.













He appears to have contracted the virus after visiting a restaurant in Seoul where a COVID-19 patient stayed, command officials said, adding that contact tracing is under way.



The command carried out disinfection work at its headquarters building and had all of its members undergo a virus test, they noted.



The total number of service members in quarantine stands at 466, and the military authorities have put another 1,673 in isolation as a preventive measure.



Nationwide, South Korea reported 34 new cases of the new coronavirus Tuesday, including 13 local infections, raising the total caseload to 14,423, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC). (Yonhap)
By Trend





A spokesman for Iran's customs administration said that the reason for the heavy traffic of Iranian trucks at the Bazargan border is that Turkey accepts only about 150 trucks a day from the Bazargan border and other borders between Iran and Turkey are not allowed for trucks.

"Yesterday, 96 export trucks and 59 transit trucks entered Turkey from the Bazargan border, Rouhollah Latifi said, Trend reports citing ILNA.



In turn, 190 trucks imported goods from Turkey in addition to 82 transit trucks which entered into our country from Turkey through the Bazargan border, Latifi added.



He said that 350 trucks have also got permission to leave the country, but have not yet left the Bazargan border for Turkey.

"Previously, trucks were also accepted from the Sarv border, but now this border is only for passengers," he added.



According to the latest foreign trade report, Iran's exports to Turkey in the first four months of the current Iranian year (started on March 20) decreased by about 90 percent, while the decline in imports from Turkey is below one percent.



During the first four months of the current Iranian year (started on March 20, 2020), Iran imported 1.870 million tons of goods worth $1.178 billion from Turkey, which accounted for 11 percent of the total country's imports, while the exports to Turkey amounted to 842,000 tons worth $450 million, Iranian media reported.

According to the statistics, Iran sees a 90-percent decrease in exports to Turkey in terms of weight and 82 percent in terms of value.
The Minority in Parliament says it will go for a vote of censure proceeding against the Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul regarding allegations of voter suppression and intimidation by the military in some registration centres across the country.

The Defence Minister at a media engagement on Monday dismissed any allegation of military intimidation in Banda.

But the Ranking Member on the Defence and Interior Committee, James Agalga says the Minority will not hesitate to drag the Minister to the House to answer for the actions of the military in these areas.

We as the people's representatives have a duty to bring these things to public attention on the Floor of Parliament itself. We have extended a number of invitations. We are going to engage with the sector minister. When the opportunity is created and the ministers involved are asked to come and account for their stewardship so far and we think that the right things have not been done, maybe we will invoke the standing orders and advice ourselves accordingly.

Some residents and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have in the last two months raised concerns about the heavy military deployment to border communities in the country.

While earlier narratives suggested that the personnel were deployed to stop the influx of non-Ghanaians into Ghana through unapproved routes amidst the closure of the countrys international borders, military personnel are seen at various voter registration centres too.

Recently, the General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia called on the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) to immediately withdraw armed officers from registration centres at Banda in the Bono region.

Videos circulating on social media had earlier shown a number of military personnel questioning registrants at a particular registration centre while preventing others from registering for the voters' ID in the area.

Asiedu Nketia said the presence of armed personnel has deterred a lot of people from registering for a voters ID card, a development he believes will disenfranchise a lot of Ghanaians in Banda.

The problem we have is about ethnic profiling, which this government is persistently doing, it threatens the peace of this country. When military men were dispatched to the Togo border, the government explained that they were there to prevent police from entering the country with COVID-19. Talking about the deployment in this area, targeting the same Ewe ethnic group, it is a very dangerous thing that is happening in this country.

The National Democratic Congress flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama and the Adontenhene of Bongase Community in the Banda District of the Bono Region, Nana Yakubu have both condemned the deployment of military deployment into the community.

---citinewsroom
A computer generated image of a man who 'behaved indecently' when he approached three high school students has been released by police.

The suspect, an orange-haired man with freckles, approached the teenage girls on two separate occasions on Hillview Road in Kingswood, in Adelaide's south.

In the first incident, two girls were stopped at 9am on Friday by the man driving a silver hatchback who asked them asked for directions.

An orange-haired man with freckles is said to have approached teenage girls on two separate occasions and acted inappropriately towards them. Pictured is an artist's impression of the man from the victim's description.

After one of the girls saw the man was 'acting in an indecent manner' the pair fled and the stranger did not chase them.

On Monday, police said a similar incident unfolded, with a man of the same appearance approaching a teenage girl on the same street at 1.15pm.

The man was driving a late-model black hatchback or sedan and acted inappropriately towards the girl, police said.

She quickly walked off to a safe place and immediately called police. Officers were unable to find the man.

He is described as aged in his late 20s to early 30s with a thin build and a Caucasian appearance.

The teenagers were approached on Friday and Monday before the man acted inappropriately towards them and they fled

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Fitzgerald urged anyone who witnessed the incidents or had any information to come forward.

'We believe the same person is involved in these two incidents,' he told reporters.

'If anyone knows the person who was in the street at the time or who was involved with either of those vehicles to contact police.'

He said the area was busy during school drop off times and requested that anyone driving nearby send their dashcam footage to police.

Detective Chief Inspector Scott Fitzgerald (pictured) appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident or had any information to come forward

Det Insp Fitzgerald said if anyone found themselves in a similar situation their first action should be to find somewhere safe.

'If you feel that you are unsafe go to a public place, call out to someone who is close to you and get away,' he said.

Anyone with information should report it to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:40:02|Editor: huaxia

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People enjoy themselves at a beach in Ayvalik district of the northwestern province of Balikesir, Turkey, Aug. 4, 2020. Turkish people flocking to shores to spend the four-day holiday of Eid al-Adha last week has raised health concerns over the further surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. The total number of infected cases across the country climbed to 233,851, while 5,747 people have died so far, the ministry's data revealed. (Photo by Osman Orsal/Xinhua)

ISTANBUL, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Turkish people flocking to shores to spend the four-day holiday of Eid al-Adha last week has raised health concerns over the further surge of the COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

Beaches, cafes, and restaurants in many resort towns along the Aegean and Mediterranean coasts were packed with holidaymakers, while hotels also enjoyed the boom.

Despite the critical calls of the officials not to stay in crowds, the Turkish people mostly ignored the pandemic rules during the festival, according to the country's Health Minister Fahrettin Koca.

"Unfortunately, the pandemic factor was not sufficiently taken into consideration during the celebrations at holiday resorts," Koca twitted on Monday night, putting the latest daily increase of COVID-19 cases at 995.

The total number of infected cases across the country climbed to 233,851, while 5,747 people have died so far, the ministry's data revealed.

"We are concerned about the increase in the number of cases across the country in the coming days," the minister said, urging citizens to be careful on vacation.

Yasemin Yavuz and her family of three came to Ayvalik, a district of the northwestern province of Balikesir, on Monday to spend the last day of the festival at the Sarimsakli beach.

"Not a single person was wearing a mask on the beach. They were swimming side by side in the sea," she told Xinhua over the phone, saying that they had to return to their home in the western province of Izmir a couple of hours later.

Tevfik Ozlu, a member of the Scientific Committee, noted that there might be an "explosion" in the number of the coronavirus cases in the upcoming seven to 10 days as citizens mostly did not comply with the rules of social distancing, wearing masks, and confined social life.

"If the figures take an upward course again, some restrictions may be imposed to prevent the spread of the pandemic," Ozlu said at a televised speech on Monday.

Mehmet Ceyhan, president of the Infectious Diseases Association, said that a restriction could be imposed on social gatherings, including beaches, according to press reports.

Sukran Boncuk, a 68-year-old resident of the Kusadasi district in the western Aydin province, told Xinhua that she did not step out during the last couple of days due to the crowd.

Boncuk also said the mobile application of the health ministry has lately increased the risk level of her neighborhood.

However, Sururi Corabatir, chairman of the Turkey Hoteliers Federation, emphasized that people who stayed at home for a long time due to the pandemic restrictions needed a vacation.

He told the state-run Anadolu agency that travelers re-energized the pandemic-hit tourism sector, and the occupancy rate in the hotels in all regions has seen a significant increase.

Corabatir added all the necessary precautions have been taken in hotels for a safe stay.
B rits are set for another few days of scorching weather at the end of this week, with temperatures possibly climbing as high as 37C, the Met Office has said.

The south east of England is likely to have the hottest weather throughout the week, but some central, southern and northern parts of the country could also see temperatures of 30C on Friday.

Met Office chief meteorologist Frank Saunders told the Standard some parts of the UK could experience 37C temperatures on Friday.

He told the Standard: "Most of us will see a spell of warm, summery weather later this week, with hot weather developing across southern parts of the UK.

"From Thursday temperatures will be in the low-to-mid-20s Celsius for Northern Ireland, Scotland and north Wales, but it will be much warmer across southern and central areas.

It'll be another hot day on Friday with temperatures widely reaching 30 Celsius, or higher, in central, southern and some northern parts of England.

UK Heatwave: June 26, 2020 1 /29 UK Heatwave: June 26, 2020 People relax on the beach near Bournemouth Pier, PA People relax on the beach at Viking Bay in Broadstairs Getty Images People on the beach in Southend PA General view of Bournemouth Beach REUTERS People on the beach in Southend, Essex PA A group of people lie on the beach surrounded by a makeshift social distance marker in Bournemouth PA People on the beach in Southend, Essex PA Bournemouth REUTERS Bournemouth REUTERS Bournemouth beach PA People relax on the beach near Bournemouth Pier, PA A paddle boarder in the North Sea at Tynemouth PA Exercising in Hyde Park Jeremy Selwyn Bournemouth beach PA A sun worshiper feeds a Goose as she enjoys the hot weather in Regents Park Nigel Howard A security guard looks over Bournemouth beach PA A person rides a paddleboard off Boscombe beach PA Boscombe beach PA Hyde Park Jeremy Selwyn Bournemouth beach PA Police patrol near to Bournemouth beach PA People relax on Bournemouth beach PA

"It is likely to be hotter still in southeast England where 34 to 37 Celsius is possible.

"Saturday will likely be another hot day for southern and central parts of the UK, with heatwave conditions possibly being met in parts of southern and southeast England.

The Met Office has issued a heat warning for some parts of England later this week amid the rising temperatures and urged Brits to be careful as UV levels will be higher in the sunshine.

Deputy chief meteorologist David Oliver added: High temperatures could trigger some thunderstorms across southern parts of the UK over the weekend, but for most there will be plenty of dry and sunny weather.

"At the moment there is some uncertainty as to how long the hot spell of weather will last".

It comes after thousands flocked to beaches across the UK after the country recorded its third-hottest day on record on July 31.

Pictures showed crowds of people at beaches in Bournemouth, Thanet in Kent and Brighton.

Beachgoers in Bournemouth / AFP via Getty Images

The Coastguard had its busiest day for more than four years, with many calls about people being cut off by the tide, missing children and swimmers getting into difficulty.

Julie-Anne Wood of HM Coastguard, said last Friday "was a beautiful day weather-wise in much of the UK".

But she added: "It was less beautiful a day for those who got themselves into trouble and had to be rescued. Some people will remember July 31 for all the wrong reasons."

Meanwhile some local authorities warned that beaches are becoming hard to manage due to soaring visitor numbers.

Brighton and Hove City Council tweeted on it was concerned about the number of people in the city, and stated that large numbers make it impossible to maintain physical distancing.

People on Bournemouth beach / AFP via Getty Images

Thanet District Council asked people to avoid four of the areas beaches, including Margates Main Sands, due to the number of visitors.

The UK's record temperature of 38.7C was recorded last year in Cambridge.
Outdoor dining and retail stores have now been reopened for more than a month in New Jersey. Thousands of service and retail industry workers have returned to their jobs. Waiters are taking orders and running food, bartenders are making drinks and workers are helping customers find what they need at stores.

Weve talked to countless business owners throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, we want to hear from you on a more granular level. Hows it going at your restaurant, bar or store? How are customers behaving? Are you being tipped more or less than before? Working in the service industry is difficult no matter what, and its only gotten harder as we all adjust to the new normal brought on by the coronavirus.

Please fill out the form below, and share this survey with anyone else you know in the service or retail industry in New Jersey. Information received from the survey will help us to continue to report on how everyday workers are handling the coronavirus, shining a light on one of the most difficult aspects of the pandemic.

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The Popes charitable initiatives in Latin America and the Caribbean are carried out largely through the Populorum Progressio Foundation for Latin America and the Caribbean, operating under the Vaticans Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

By Robin Gomes

During the annual meeting held online, July 29-30, the board of directors of the Populorum Progressio Foundation selected 138 social development projects from among the numerous proposals, developed by the Latin American and Caribean communities and regions most in need.

Church's outreach during pandemic

In addition to these, another 30 food aid projects already in operation, were approved earlier by the board of directors in June. This was in response to a request by Pope Francis, as a collaboration between the Foundation and the Vatican Covid-19 Commission, which the Pontiff established in March in the Dicastery, in collaboration with other dicasteries of the Roman Curia and other agencies. The 168 projects in 23 countries express the Church's concern and love for the entire human family in the face of the ongoing pandemic.

The board of directors also analyzed the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic in the region. The projects selected aim at helping mitigate the short and mid-term effects of the virus.

At the virtual meeting, Cardinal Peter Turkson, the prefect of the Dicastery, who is the president of the Foundation, thanked and encouraged the members to continue working with dedication and enthusiasm on behalf of those who need their support in this difficult situation.

Among the several participants in the annual meeting were representatives of the Committee for Charitable Interventions in favour of the Third World of the Italian Bishops Conference (CEI), which finances most of the projects. Also present were delegates from Cross Catholic Outreach, an American charity that has been funding a significant number of them since 2018.

Pope's closeness

In collaboration with the Italian Church, the Foundation aims at promoting the integral human development of farmers communities (campesinos), indigenous peoples and African Americans of Latin America and the Caribbean. This way, it bears witness to the closeness of the Pope through the works of charity that are accomplished.

In the face of this crisis of global proportions that we are experiencing, these projects are intended to be a tangible sign of the Pope's charity, said a statement issued at the end of the meeting. It also appealed to all Christians and people of goodwill to practice the virtue of charity and solidarity ever better, ensuring that during this pandemic "no one is left behind", as the Holy Father Pope Francis has asked.

Founded in 1992 by Saint Pope John Paul II, on the occasion of the 5th centenary of the evangelization of the Americas, the Foundation is headquartered at the Vaticans Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, while its operations secretariat is in Bogota, Colombia.

There are 3 other foundations for papal charities within the Dicastery, namely, the John Paul II Foundation for the Sahel, Justice and Peace Foundation and the Good Samaritan Foundation.
Travel company shares took off after a buoyant update from budget airline easyJet.

Demand for last-minute summer holidays has been so much better than expected that the company has expanded its schedule.

It had been planning to operate at about 30 per cent of its capacity between July and September.

Take-off: Demand for last-minute summer holidays has been so much better than expected that budget airline Easyjet has now expanded its schedule

But it will now bump this up to 40 per cent, and will be running 1,000 or so flights a day in August. Some of the most popular destinations have been Nice in the south of France and Faro in Portugal, even though Portugal has not yet been included in any air bridge agreements.

Chief executive Johan Lundgren said customers still have 'an underlying desire and willingness to book and travel', especially to get away on a beach break.

He also said the UK's swift decision last month to impose a two-week quarantine on those arriving from Spain hadn't caused customers to cancel their plans en masse  but said that late bookers were just looking elsewhere at places such as Greece and Croatia.

Stock Watch - Genedrive Genedrive surged after the diagnostics firm said it was working on technology to speed up coronavirus testing. The London-listed company said its collaboration with US-based Beckman Coulter Life Sciences would involve automating the laboratory process to deliver faster results, aiming to process 1,000 tests in eight hours. Genedrive boss David Budd said he hoped the technology could be introduced in labs in six weeks' time. Shares rose 27.5 per cent, or 19.5p, to 90.5p.

Unsurprisingly, the fact that it ran a mere 709 flights in the three months to June, compared with 165,656 a year ago, pushed it to a 325million loss.

This was down from a 174million profit in 2019.

But these figures weren't what the stock market was focused on.

The change in tone about summer holidays, following news rivals were curbing services to Spain and being hammered by the shock quarantine, was exactly what traders wanted to hear.

EasyJet rose 8.8 per cent, or 44.4p, to 551.6p  and it brought the rest of the sector up too.

British Airways owner IAG climbed by 7.1 per cent, or 11.55p, to 175.4p on the FTSE 100 index, while Tui rocketed 9.1 per cent, or 26.3p, to 314.2p on the mid-cap index.

The rally helped keep both of London's top indexes in the black, though only just.

The Footsie rose 0.05 per cent, or 3.15 points, to 6036, while the FTSE 250 rose 0.9 per cent, or 149.58 points, to 17307.7.

The blue-chip index also got a boost from GKN-owner Melrose, which managed to thrash out new terms with its banks that it says will give it 'considerable headroom and flexibility'.

The company, which makes parts for the hard-hit car making and aerospace sectors, has already scrapped its dividend and says job cuts are inevitable.

But the breathing room sent shares 9.4 per cent higher, up 8.28p, to 96.5p  and straight to the top of the Footsie leaderboard.

Defence contractor Babcock International had a more difficult start to the week.

The company won't pay a dividend for the past year after profits took a 40 per cent knock in its most recent quarter and revenues fell.

It said this was an 'appropriate' decision given that it had been tapping into the Government's coronavirus furlough scheme.

Doing the honourable thing didn't do much for its shares, though, with its stock falling 9.4 per cent, or 27.2p, to 261.8p.

Direct Line and Centamin both unveiled better news on dividends. Insurer Direct Line rose 5.3 per cent, or 16.4p, to 324p after pledging a 7.4p per share half-year payout and a one-off 14.4p divi to replace the annual one that it previously suspended.

It came as the number of motor claims dropped by as much as 70 per cent at the peak of lockdown.

And gold miner Centamin rose 2.1 per cent, or 4.3p, to 211.8p, after the coronavirus-driven surge in gold prices so far this year helped push first-half profits from 45.6million last year to 146million.

It increased its divi by 50 per cent to around 4.6p per share.
We are all familiar with the images of Covid-19 patients lying on their chests, and we know that prone positioning saves lives. But the simple act of turning a critically ill patient is physically strenuous and, if done hastily, treacherous. Breathing tubes and intravenous lines can become dislodged. The head must be repositioned every two hours.

At my hospital, during the height of the pandemic, we formed a dedicated prone team of respiratory and physical therapists who were available 24 hours a day. This spared the bedside nurses and kept patients as safe as possible. Even so, breathing tubes became kinked, and on at least one occasion, we had to urgently replace a breathing tube  a risky procedure. This is why in some hospitals, prone positioning might not have been offered at all. Indeed, the JAMA study found rates of prone positioning to range from just under 5 percent at one hospital to nearly 80 percent at another. Patients would have suffered as a result.

Anyone who has cared for a coronavirus patient knows how quickly they can crash. Thick mucus blocks airways and endotracheal tubes. Oxygen levels plummet. Heart rhythms go haywire. As a doctor, Ill admit that we are rarely the first to intervene in these moments of crisis. Instead, we rely on nurses and respiratory therapists. More times than I would like to count, I have watched with gratitude as their interventions  suctioning, repositioning a breathing tube, increasing the dose of medications to raise blood pressure  avert certain disaster. It is humbling to realize that had our nurses been spread too thin, these relatively small events would have turned catastrophic.

Perhaps most importantly, because we had the resources to do so, we were able to give our patients time for their lungs to recover. I think of one man, a father, so sick that he was dependent not just on the ventilator but also on a heart-lung bypass machine. These machines, and the staff who know how to manage them, are a truly limited resource. Large academic centers have five of them, maybe 10. Some community hospitals do not have any.

This man had been on the machine for weeks, encountering one complication after another. He bled, we stopped blood thinners, and then surgeons had to rush in overnight to replace a part of the machine when it clotted off. There seemed to be no way out. But then, even as we prepared to say enough, his lungs started to improve. I remember standing outside his room one overnight, amazed, as his stiff lungs began to work with the ventilator once again.

He has now left the hospital. On the night of his return home, his son sent me a note: Finally family is back, and that is the best feeling of this world.

You might say he was lucky. But so were we. He was able to return home not because of any 11th-hour save on our part, but because we were able to watch and wait. And we could only afford to do so because here in Boston, we were busy but never underwater. Of course, we made mistakes, miscalculations and errors in judgment as we learned about this new disease. But we were in a privileged position. It could have been far worse. And as the pandemic tears through rural areas of the country with even less access to resource-rich hospitals, I am worried that the inequities of this virus will only become more entrenched.
Led by Boyce Thompson Institute's Andrew Nelson, four partners will identify RNA modifications and develop resources that may lead to hardier crops

ITHACA, NY, August 4, 2020 -- RNA perform a variety of functions in cells, helping with everything from regulating genes to building proteins. In recent years, it has become clear that chemical modifications to RNA help guide these functions, but only a handful of these modifications have been identified in plants.

On July 24, Andrew Nelson, a faculty member at the Boyce Thompson Institute, and collaborators received a $2 million award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to identify and infer the functional significance of dozens of different types of RNA modifications in 15 diverse model and crop species. Resources developed by the project will make it easier for plant scientists to utilize and expand upon the discoveries.

The project also places a strong focus on building undergraduate curricula teaching biology as a data-driven science.

"If these RNA modifications have the impact that we think they will," Nelson explains, "researchers will be able to do some very targeted gene editing in their favorite species and potentially make more stress-tolerant crops, which is becoming increasingly important because of the effects of climate change."

Nelson is joined in this effort by project co-leaders Rebecca Murphy, an associate professor of biology at Centenary College of Louisiana, Brian Gregory, an associate professor of biology at University of Pennsylvania, and Eric Lyons, an associate professor of plant sciences at University of Arizona.

The first step will be led by Nelson at BTI. His team will map more than a petabyte of publicly available RNA sequence data from at least 15 different species back to their respective genomes, including important crops like corn, rice, wheat and cotton. For perspective, a petabyte is approximately the same amount of data it would take to stream a playlist of music for 2,600 years.

"The amount of publicly available RNA sequencing data for these 15 plants has tripled in the last two years," says Nelson. "It's an incredible resource."

After the data are processed, Gregory's team will run them through two different algorithms. The first algorithm, called HAMR, was developed by the Gregory lab. HAMR capitalizes on flaws in RNA sequencing technologies, and can identify up to 45 different modifications based on the pattern of mistakes. The second algorithm, called PEA, identifies two important RNA marks that HAMR cannot detect.

Once the modifications have been identified, Nelson will develop a pipeline for identifying the context in which they occur. Do the RNA modifications show up only in roots? Are they present on the same gene in many related species? Do certain genes get modified by a specific mark only under drought conditions? By answering questions like these, he hopes to identify specific RNA modifications that underlie critical cellular processes.

All of these data, as well as the workflow used to process them, will be made available to scientists and the public. This effort, along with additional data analysis and management, will be headed by Lyons.

"We are going to release our data as a curated list that researchers can use to generate hypotheses," Lyons explains. "In addition, we will be releasing our code and workflows for others to replicate and reuse our work."

The potential of the data generated by the project is vast, emphasizes Gregory. "Hopefully, this large-scale resource will allow us and others to focus on the RNA modification sites that are truly important to crop plant stress responses," says Gregory, "in turn allowing us to utilize the knowledge for future crop improvement."

Undergraduate involvement will be a key element of the project. Murphy will introduce students to bioinformatics, RNA sequencing, and genomics through course work at her primarily undergraduate institution. In the summer, a number of these students will travel to BTI to participate in immersive bioinformatics training as well as in vivo biomolecular work.

"Students will be able to hone their computational and data analysis skills while making real contributions to cutting edge science," says Murphy.

Teaching coding skills to undergraduates is imperative, Nelson adds: "Bioinformatics used to play a supporting role in plant biology. Now it is actually driving much of the discovery."

Nelson stresses that collaborative funding opportunities such as those offered by the NSF make ambitious projects like this practical, adding, "This project wouldn't be possible without three amazing collaborators. I think together we will probably uncover some very fundamental principles of RNA biology."

###

The NSF grant (no. IOS-2023310), entitled, "TRTech-PGR: Identification and characterization of stress-responsive and evolutionary conserved epitranscriptomic modification sites in plant transcriptomes," is in the amount of $2,022,004.

About Boyce Thompson Institute: Boyce Thompson Institute is a premier life sciences research institution located in Ithaca, New York. BTI scientists conduct investigations into fundamental plant and life sciences research with the goals of increasing food security, improving environmental sustainability in agriculture, and making basic discoveries that will enhance human health. Throughout this work, BTI is committed to inspiring and educating students and to providing advanced training for the next generation of scientists. BTI is an independent nonprofit research institute that is also affiliated with Cornell University. For more information, please visit BTIscience.org.
There have been no casualties among Ukrainian defenders.

Ukraine has reported three enemy provocations on Monday, August 3 as Russia's hybrid military forces three times violated the newly-agreed truce in Donbas, eastern Ukraine.

"In the morning, enemy troops fired one provocative shot from a tripod-mounted man-portable antitank gun near the village of Pivdenne. At lunchtime, several random shots from small arms were heard near the town of Maryinka. Another shot from an under-barrel grenade launcher was fired near the village of Mayorsk. The ceasefire was fully maintained in all other sectors of the front," the press center of Ukraine's Joint Forces Operation (JFO) said in a Facebook update as of 07:00 Kyiv time on August 4, 2020.

Ukrainian soldiers didn't return fire, the report stresses.

There have been no casualties among Ukrainian defenders.

Read alsoUkraine's Defense Ministry responds to Russia's statements on possible arming of Donbas

Since Tuesday midnight, enemy troops have also opened fire using an under-barrel grenade launcher to stage an act of provocation near the village of Pisky. Ukraine Armed Forces did not fire back.

The situation is under full control of Ukrainian military.

In addition, the JFO HQ said 40 IEDs had been found by the State Emergency Service's units in the past day.

At the request of local administrations, Joint Forces' rescuers are repairing houses damaged in artillery shelling over previous years.

Joint Forces personnel have also provided medical and other assistance to over 40 Ukrainian citizens at the exit and entry checkpoints on the contact line.

Firefighters who are also part of the Joint Forces extinguished 21 fires over the past day.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:53:52|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Martian meteorites, seen as gifts from Mars and also a way to study the red planet, have attracted increasing interest from Chinese scientists in the past decades.

Recently, researchers from the Institute of Geology and Geophysics (IGG) under the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) discovered coesite, a form of silicon dioxide, in a Martian meteorite for the first time, said a report by the Science and Technology Daily.

In the country's first Mars exploration mission, China launched its Tianwen-1 probe, heading for the red planet, on July 23. The study on the "precious stones" has been moving forward since the first known Martian meteorite landed on Earth in 1815.

As of Aug. 2, a total of 276 pieces of Martian meteorites have been discovered on Earth, according to the meteorite database of the Meteoritical Society. However, more than 70,000 named meteorites in the world are contained in the database.

"In all, the number of Martian meteorites found on Earth is very small and the total weight is only over 200 kg," said Xu Weibiao with the Purple Mountain Observatory under the CAS, adding that a Martian meteorite is less likely to fall to Earth than other asteroid meteorites.

In the database, the heaviest Martian meteorite, which landed in Nigeria in 1962, has a weight of 18 kg, and the lightest only weighs about 0.48 g.

Methods for identifying Martian meteorites are also constantly being updated with scientific and technological advances.

Initially, one method of identification was to measure whether the gas in the meteorite glass was consistent with the composition of the Martian atmosphere, said Zhang Aicheng, a professor from Nanjing University.

Asteroids landing on Mars at high temperatures would form molten glass, which would contain Martian gases. Consisting of gases like carbon dioxide, nitrogen, neon and krypton, the composition of the Martian atmosphere was analyzed by a U.S. Mars exploration rover in 1975.

Another method is to confirm the meteorite's age by measuring its radioisotopic composition, Xu said.

Mars was volcanically active even 200 million years ago. Therefore, Martian meteorites are generally between 200 million and 2 billion years old, whereas the age of meteorites from asteroids or the Moon are much older.

In addition, the content of specific elements in Martian meteorites also provides support for identification. For example, a Martian meteorite has a different composition of oxygen isotopes from that of the Moon and Earth, Xu added.

At present, Martian meteorites are mostly found in deserts and the Antarctic region, said Zhang, adding that with a thick ice sheet, Antarctica can bury the fallen meteorites, and preserve them well for a long time.

Also, meteorites can be preserved in deserts owing to a dry environment for hundreds of thousands of years. But compared to the Antarctic region, where solid ice holds meteorites in place, they will not be concentrated in one area, said Lin Yangting with the IGG .

For years, Chinese scientists have devoted themselves to exploring clues about Martian life and evolution with the meteorites as a medium.

In 2014, Lin's team discovered that the Martian mantle contained about a tenth as much water as Earth's mantle, indicating that Mars is a very dry planet.

About 3 billion years ago, there was running water on the surface of Mars. As it gradually cooled, some of the water escaped from the red planet and some turned into underground glaciers and frozen soil, according to their research results.

"We always wish to know what major geological changes took place on Mars and whether it is habitable for human beings, and we are expected to find more answers from Martian meteorites," said Xu. Enditem
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Bloodied, dazed and weeping residents wandered through Beirut into the night, surveying the devastation around them. Fifteen years of civil war had numbed them to blast damage, but even they had seen nothing like this.

The explosion that destroyed the city's port yesterday also laid waste to homes, shopping centres, hotels and businesses throughout surrounding suburbs.

At the city's airport, part of the roof collapsed. That was six miles away.

Beirut's governor, Marwan Abboud, broke into tears as he toured the blast site. 'Beirut is a devastated city,' he said.

Marwan Ramadan was 500 yards away from the port but was still blown off his feet by the blast. 'It was a real horror show,' he said. 'I haven't seen anything like that since the days of the war.'

People on the street in Beirue which is strewn with debris from damaged buildings following the explosion

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4

A huge explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut, wounding dozens of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the sky

Entire buildings were razed to rubble in Beirut yesterday after a chemical explosion punched through the city and wreaked devastation for miles

A large explosion rocked the Lebanese capital Beirut today. The blast, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city

Sombering scenes showed citizens in despair as their homes were damaged, with walls blown through and windows shattered

The blast inflicted severe damage to people's homes. Paola Rebeiz was watching television when a blast in central Beirut hit her home in St Nicolas, around a kilometre south of the site of the explosion, shattering all of her windows (right)

A view shows the damages entrance of a store in Burj Abu Haidar area in Beirut

Glass is shattered by the explosion at the Cavalier Hotel in Beirut following the explosion

A mobile phone image showing a general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large exoplosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

It lay waste to the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames this evening, and even wreaked havoc on districts miles away from the blast site

Fires burning at the port on Beirut well into the night following an explosion, believed to be from chemicals

Smoke billows at the site of the large explosion and buildings are reduced to twisted wreckages

The blast ripped through buildings and blew bricks out of walls and brought them crashing down on to the street.

Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the port area shortly before an enormous fireball explodes into the sky and blankets the city in a thick mushroom cloud

People ride past a car destroyed after a building wall collapsed because of the blast which wreaked havoc for miles

Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than six million

The explosion laid waste to sections of the city as Lebanon grapples with its worst economic crisis in decades

Firefighters douse a blaze at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanon's capital Beirut

The lobby of a building overlooking the Lebanese capital Beirut's central Martyrs' Square, with rubble and debris from covering the street following massive explosions earlier at the nearby port of Beirut

Outside one hospital, Omar Kinno sat on the pavement, holding back tears. Kinno, a Syrian, said one of his sisters was killed when the blast rocked their apartment near the port, and another sister's neck was broken.

His injured mother and father were taken to a hospital but he didn't know which, and he was making calls trying to track them down.

'I have no idea what happened to my parents. I am totally lost,' he said.

Vital infrastructure was damaged, with Roum Hospital putting out a call for generators. One medical centre received 300 emergency patients. 'I've never seen this. It was horrible,' a medic there said.

Confusion reigned across the city, as people cleared out of damaged homes or tried to locate family. Motorcyclists picked their way through traffic, carrying the injured.

Soldiers cordoned off the port last night, amid warnings that the burning chemicals could give off toxic fumes.

Regardless, relatives of the missing arrived at the perimeter.

A woman in her twenties stood screaming at security forces, asking about the fate of her brother, a port employee.

'His name is Jad, his eyes are green,' she pleaded, to no avail as security forces would not let her enter.

Nearby another woman almost fainted while also asking about her brother who worked at the port.

But even the security forces were not immune from emotion.

The body of one of their colleagues was brought to them on a stretcher. A fellow officer pulled out a photograph of the dead man with his fiancee, and the comrades wept.

Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut

A car was flung upside down by the blast which hit Beirut yesterday and caused widespread damage

There was a structure fire near the port of Beirut followed by a second massive explosion, which damaged surrounding buildings and injured thousands

Vital infrastructure such as hospitals sustained damage, as did the city's airport despite its location six miles away from the blast site, laying bare the magnitude of the trauma

Rescue crews search a street for survivors after a large explosion caused buildings to collapse

In St Maron Parish, the priest was broadcasting his sermon to his congregation, as is the norm during coronavirus. The video shows an initial blast knocks out the power and the candles behind him blow out ominously - but he perseveres, unaware of what is approaching.

Seconds later the main blast wave hits, bringing stained-glass windows crashing onto the altar. As he flees, footage shows one piece of masonry smashes into his back, sending him to the ground.

But in a rare piece of positive news yesterday, locals reported he was not badly hurt.

Inside the port itself, the hangars looked like charred cans, everything destroyed beyond recognition as fire-fighting helicopters flew overhead, dumping water.

Out at sea, ships burned. The UN peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, UNIFIL, said one of its boats in the port was damaged and a number of its peacekeepers were injured, some seriously.

Authorities worried that fires on boats could trigger yet more explosions, or oil slicks if they sink.

'The explosion caused an opening in it, and there are serious injuries on board,' said one Egyptian sailor, pointing at his craft, the Mero Sar, in the harbour.

Reporters from the city's newspaper, the Lebanon Daily Star, released footage of their own office obliterated.

Miles from the scene of the explosion, balconies were knocked down, ceiling collapsed and windows were shattered.

Even areas largely undamaged were in darkness last night, with power cuts across the city.

One woman covered in blood from the waist up walked down a devastated street while talking furiously on her phone. On another street, a woman with a bloodied face looked distraught, staggering through traffic with two friends at her side.

A young man passed by. 'This country is cursed,' he muttered.

Firefighters douse a blaze at the city's port tonight following the deadly explosion which has wreaked devestation on Beirut

Pictures shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which lay waste to surrounding buildings

A general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large explosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut
By Elizabeth Kwiatkowski, 08/04/2020



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ARIELA AND BINIYAM

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DEAVAN AND JIHOON

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TIM AND MELYZA

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JENNY AND SUMIT

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Elizabeth Kwiatkowski is Associate Editor of Reality TV World and has been covering the reality TV genre for more than a decade.

: The Other Way featured Deavan Clegg giving Jihoon Lee another chance despite her lack of trust in him, Ariela getting jealous over Biniyam's ex-girlfriend and dance partner, Tim reuniting with Melyza's disapproving mother, and Jenny Slatten learning Sumit's parents still didn't want them together during Monday night's Season 2 episode on TLC.: The Other Way follows American citizens moving to foreign countries for the sake of love and their future spouses, and they must marry within 90 days in order to stay.: The Other Way's second season features a total of six couples, including Season 1 returnees Jenny and fiance Sumit as well as Deavan and husband Jihoon.Jenny, a 61-year-old from Palm Springs, CA, is moving back to India for Sumit, a 32-year-old from New Delhi, India, once and for all after previously uprooting her life only to discover Sumit was married to another woman.And Deavan, a 23-year-old from Salt Lake City, UT, is officially moving to South Korea along with her two children to start a life with Jihoon, a 29-year-old from Seoul, South Korea.The four new couples starring on Season 2 of : The Other Way are Yazan Abo Horira, a 24-year-old from Amman, Jordan, and Brittany Banks, a 26-year-old from Palm Beach, FL; Ariela, a 28-year-old from Princeton, NJ, and Biniyam, a 29-year-old from Ethiopia; Kenneth Niedermeier, a 57-year-old from St. Petersburg, FL, and Armando Rubio, a 31-year-old from Mexico; and Tim, a 34-year-old from Dallas, TX, and Melyza, a 29-year-old from Colombia.Below is what was shown on Episode 9 of : The Other Way's second season.Ariela's mother Janice still had a lot of reservations about leaving her daughter in Biniyam's care in a country neither she or Ariela knew or understood well.Janice and Ariela therefore met some of Biniyam's family members, including his brother and two sisters. Janice told Biniyam's sisters she had heard a lot about them and was excited to finally meet them, and the girls said they felt the same way.Biniyam's sisters promised to help Ariela, saying it was their "duty" to take care of and protect her.Janice and Ariela were then served raw meat in two forms, and one of Biniyam's sisters admitted the food can be hard on the stomach and they take medicine for it. The raw meat, Gursha, was a tradition in their culture, and it's also a tradition to feed each other as a sign of respect.The women told Janice that the man's duty in a marriage is to work and earn money for his family and wife, who usually stays at home with the baby.Janice had yet to observe Biniyam's talent, but she didn't think it was acceptable for him to dance late into the night. Janice said taking care of a baby is "a shared responsibility."Janice knew Ariela was "in love," but she predicted feelings would fade if Ariela felt alone in raising and taking care of her child.Biniyam's sisters asked Ariela if she was going to take the baby away from Biniyam if their relationship didn't work out, and Ariela said she wouldn't do that.Ariela realized she was "suffering some of the consequences" of Biniyam's previous relationship in which the American woman fled back to America with Biniyam's child, and it worried Ariela that Biniyam's family didn't trust her.Ariela and Janice later went to a nightclub so they could watch Biniyam dance and perform. Janice said there was "a lot riding" on Biniyam's job and how his dancing came across to her.Janice was focusing on whether Biniyam could provide the environment and financial support her daughter would need.Biniyam apparently danced in the club every single night, and Janice wondered if he had more job options and opportunities. Biniyam apparently danced with his flexible ex-girlfriend, and Janice didn't like Biniyam dancing with an ex while Ariela would be home along with a child."Biniyam and his ex rekindled their friendship and she's his current dance partner. The idea of them dancing together every night, I don't know," Ariela said in a confessional."I'm definitely a jealous person. I think anyone who says they're not jealous is a liar."Janice noticed chemistry between Biniyam and his dance partner, saying they seemed like "a great match." But Janice laughed and was just being playful.Biniyam said his relationship with the ex-girlfriend didn't work out because he didn't pay enough attention to her and just wanted to go out and party. However, he promised Ariela he had grown up a lot since then.Biniyam explained dancing is his talent and passion and his ex-girlfriend, apparently the American woman, didn't like his job or support him.Biniyam went on to tell a story about how he had worked as an MC one night and a woman requested a song and got lipstick on his white shirt. Biniyam tried to remove the lipstick by washing it for three hours because his ex didn't trust him.Biniyam told Ariela and Janice that he would tell them the truth, and the girls said he couldn't hide anything from Ariela or tell little white lies to avoid conflict."Lying to make things better only makes things worse," Ariela told the cameras. "Jackass."Jihoon stormed away from Deavan in the restaurant and told her to "go back to America," and she didn't understand what was happening. Deavan acknowledged the situation had gotten "out of control."Deavan said she just wanted to be alone, so she left Jihoon's parents at the dinner table by themselves. Jihoon's mother apparently took Jihoon's side in believing the past should stay in the past, while his father agreed with Deavan.Jihoon's mother said it was ridiculous and upsetting to hear Deavan say that Jihoon was "scamming" her. That apparently made Jihoon's mother "crazy."Jihoon asked Deavan if she thought he was a liar, and Deavan said she thought he was saving money for his family while she was pregnant. Jihoon admitted he was being "selfish" and spending money on himself."Because of long distance, I didn't take it seriously," Jihoon confessed."F-ck you. I don't ever want to talk to you again. Don't ever talk to me again!" Deavan cried. "Apparently my pregnancy was not serious. You obviously f-cking didn't love me."Deavan told the cameras everything she had believed was "a lie" and she felt "broken." She said Jihoon just wanted to have fun and she felt she had been scammed.Jihoon said he really wanted to change for Deavan but she didn't believe or trust in him anymore.Jihoon then sat down with Deavan outside of the restaurant and insisted, "I made [a] mistake. I will change." Deavan told Jihoon that she needed him to transfer the $3,000 he had into her account to prove he wanted her to be there and he would step up as a man.Jihoon agreed to do that to prove he wasn't lying, and Jihoon found a nearby ATM and took out the money in cash. He called the situation very "embarrassing" but was willing to do it in order to make Deavan stay in South Korea."I'm at this age and I haven't done anything. And I haven't saved anything. I just spent it on going out and I didn't take care of the kids," Jihoon said in a confessional. "As a man, I'm embarrassed."Jihoon's mother questioned whether Deavan really loved her son and called the situation "kid's play," adding, "If we give her $100,000, will she finally see the truth?"Jihoon was afraid Deavan was going to leave South Korea, and he said he'd do everything Deavan wanted to convince her to stay. In fact, the told the cameras she could take "everything."Deavan wasn't sure what she was going to do about her relationship, and she cried with her face in her lap. Deavan wanted Jihoon to take her back to her hotel room so she could "crawl into a hole and disappear." She felt she had "ruined" her life and her children's lives.Jihoon went over Deavan's hotel room the next morning so they could talk, and Drascilla was excited to see Jihoon. Deavan said her mother Elicia was even "more pissed off" at Jihoon and so Elicia left the hotel so Deavan could talk to him alone.Jihoon begged Deavan to forgive him and trust him one more time, but Deavan said hearing that was "a broken record" and she just needed to see "actions."Deavan told Jihoon to never get mad at her and talk to her again like he did the night before, and she added that she and Jihoon must share a bank account in their own names -- not Jihoon's mother's name.Jihoon promised that his money was going to be Deavan's money, and she suggested she could use his $3,000 to rent an apartment for one month. If she didn't see Jihoon change within one month, she swore she would move back to America and stay there for good."And I will take the kids back with me," Deavan said."Okay, I will do my best. I promise you," Jihoon replied.Deavan decided to give Jihoon another chance because she thought her son deserved this second chance. Deavan told the cameras she was making this decision for the sake of their son, Taeyang."Let's fix it," Jihoon told his wife."No, you fix it," Deavan responded.Melyza was shown cooking Tim a nice breakfast, but she said everything wasn't okay between them. Tim agreed they were "on separate pages," but he was trying to make progress in their relationship as quickly as he could."Somehow, our love has survived, even if it's not as expressed as it used to be," Tim explained. "It gives me tremendous hope we can figure this out."Tim planned to see Melyza's parents that night, and Melyza warned Tim that her mother Martha knew about Tim's cheating and was "very disappointed."Melyza told Tim that her mother was actually "very vocal" about the couple not being together yet her father didn't know anything because she didn't want him to be disappointed in Tim.Tim said he loved Melyza's father and they had gotten really close. Tim cried at the table, fearing his one mistake had changed others' view of him forever.Tim insisted he was going to try his hardest to render the situation because he truly loved Melyza and wanted to "marry" her and "deserve" her again.Melyza, however, noted Tim was good with apologies and expressing himself in words but it would be his actions that would make the difference and set them on a good father towards the future.Tim was very nervous about the family gathering, knowing Melyza's mother was well aware of his infidelity. Melyza said it would be "almost impossible" to have a future with Tim if her parents weren't onboard or supportive of their relationship."It makes me upset obviously, because I doubt that he can win my mom back. But I do think it's worth a try, so I am still hoping for the best," Melyza said.Tim then reunited with several of Melyza's family members, including her sister Sussana. Martha told the cameras that she's not made of stone, but she wasn't super happy about him moving in with Melyza either.Martha immediately commented on Tim's weight gain, and then her father asked Tim why he had decided to move to Colombia when their initial plan was to live in the United States together.Tim hesitated when answering, and Melyza told her father that she and Tim realized they had to work on some things while living together. Melyza felt "terrible" about keeping a secret from her father and almost "tricking him.""When we tell him, I think he's going to completely lose respect for Tim. And I think he's gonna be really heartbroken obviously, because he really, really loves Tim," Melyza said in a confessional.Tim asked for a moment to speak to Martha alone, and he immediately broken down into tears. Martha said she knew everything about his infidelity, and Tim took the opportunity to apologize and express his guilt and regret.Tim said he felt bad about hurting Melyza's family and he was "purely being selfish" and wasn't thinking. Martha said there were excuses in what Tim was saying, but he promised to work harder to become a better man.Martha was glad Tim took responsibility for his mistake, but she told the cameras that didn't mean Tim had changed -- just because he cried.Martha also cried and said she was "very, very disappointed" in Tim, adding, "His good image for me, it's lost. Being very sincere, it's lost."Tim said not having Martha's approval was more or less like "a death sentence" for his relationship."If it's something that I cannot earn back, I honestly don't think our relationship will survive," Tim said.Melyza's father then came back to the table and gushed about how he loved and respected Tim, and the men took shots of alcohol together to celebrate his move to Colombia.Jenny was certain she was going to marry Sumit "for sure," and the couple went out to dinner with Sumit's brother, Amit, to talk about Sumit's family.Jenny hoped to win over Amit and that he talked to Sumit's parents in attempt to convince them Jenny was a good person and Sumit was happy in his relationship.But Amit broke the news to Jenny and Sumit, "[My parents] don't want you guys to be together. I'm sorry for that, but the big thing is the age factor between you guys. This can impact our dignity, our social circle and society."Jenny felt like Sumit's family cared more about society than their son's happiness.Amit said he cared about Jenny and Sumit's feelings and emotions but didn't like making his parents feel bad or unhappy."Why don't you come home and meet mom and dad?" Amit asked Jenny.Amit felt Jenny and Sumit should talk to Sumit's parents together, but Sumit thought he had tried everything already -- and a previous conversation ended in "intense fighting."Sumit was afraid his parents were going to ask him to choose between them or a life with Jenny.Sumit said he loved and wanted to marry Jenny but he didn't want to lose his family over it.Want more spoilers or couples updates? Click here to visit our homepage!
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:41:35|Editor: huaxia

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TEHRAN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Tuesday that enemies have waged "a psychological warfare" against the country to downplay its achievements, Tasnim news agency reported.

One of the enemy's main strategies in harming Iran's economy, beside sanctions, is to "portray a poor image of the administration's economic management and downplay the country's achievements through psychological warfare," Rouhani said in a meeting of the administration's Economic Coordination Headquarters on Tuesday.

Through distorting realities, imposing sanctions and obstructing Iran's economic progress, the enemy seeks to disappoint the people, he was quoted as saying.

The Iranian president, however, defended his administration's performance despite the U.S. sanctions, which he called an economic war against the Islamic republic, saying that the administration has been able to reduce its reliance on oil incomes and continue the process of non-oil exports.

Iran has been under U.S. economic and financial sanctions for nearly two years after U.S. President Donald Trump pulled Washington out of the Iranian multilateral nuclear deal in May 2018.

Washington has called for talks on new deal for further limits on Iran's nuclear program and its ballistic missile activities, but Tehran has dismissed the calls and insisted on maintenance of its "civilian" nuclear program and "deterrent" ballistic missile development. Enditem
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal are now under the stricter modified enhanced community quarantine (MECQ) starting today until August 18.

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered on Sunday to implement the MECQ in these four areas as the medical community appealed for tighter quarantine restrictions due to the state of the countrys healthcare system being overwhelmed by the increasing COVID-19 cases over the past few weeks.

Under MECQ, any person below 21 years old and those who are 60 and above are required to stay home, except when obtaining essential goods and services or reporting to work in permitted industries. Those who will travel to work should prepare their company identification cards.

Also prohibited to leave their residences during MECQ are those with immunodeficiency, comorbidity, or other health risks, and pregnant women.

Department of Interior and Local Government Usec. Jonathan Malaya confirmed on Monday that quarantine passes will be required once again to limit the people allowed to go out. Philippine National Police spokesperson BGen. Bernard Banac added previously issued quarantine passes are still valid.

Quarantine checkpoints will also be in place not just in all borders of Metro Manila and the four provinces but also between cities and towns under MECQ, Joint Task Force COVID-19 Shield Commander Police Lt. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar stressed.

Public transportation will also remain limited in MECQ areas as only public shuttles dedicated for frontliners and other workers in permitted industries are allowed to ply the roads.

Common public transport services like bus, jeepney, taxi, trains (PNR, LRT-1, LRT-2, and MRT-3), and Transport Network Vehicle Service (TNVS) are prohibited to operate during MECQ. Tricycles will also not be allowed, but with exceptions subject to guidelines of the DILG and local government units.

For private transport, company shuttle will be allowed to operate as long as it follows the 50 percent passenger capacity rule and has a special permit from the Land Transportation Franchising and Regulatory Board.

Personal vehicles owned by persons or workers in permitted sectors will also be allowed, given only two persons per row are seated.

Individual use of bicycle, motorcycle, and e-scooter (subject to existing traffic regulations) will also be allowed, with back riding now prohibited.

Domestic flights are not permitted during MECQ, but international flights will remain limited, Transportation Asec. Goddes Libiran said.

All forms of mass gatherings are also prohibited in MECQ areas according to the guidelines issued by the Inter-Agency Task Force on the Management of Infectious Diseases. But the same rules allow religious gatherings limited to five people, provision of critical government services, and authorized humanitarian activities.

Face-to-face classes are also not allowed under MECQ.

Also permitted under MECQ are individual outdoor exercises such as outdoor walks, jogging, running, and biking, provided persons are observing minimum health standards in doing these activities.

Some Metro Manila LGUs also announced the re-imposition of curfew and liquor ban in their localities.

To date, the country now has 106,330 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 38,405 active infections. Some 2,104 persons died and 65,821 patients recovered from the virus.
Hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for coronavirus has "absolutely no benefit" and "proves to be ineffective," Dr. Chris Thomas, a pulmonary and critical care doctor at Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center in Baton Rouge, said in an interview Monday.

Thomas, appearing on WBRP-FM in Baton Rouge, said four randomized, controlled trials have proven that that the once highly touted drug "for sure" doesn't work for hospitalized patients.

A big reason for the drug's ineffectiveness is tied to "adverse drug events" such as cardiac dysrhythmia, which is an abnormal heartbeat.

"With hydroxychloroquine we're really sure what those adverse drug events are and so they're both in the liver and they have cardiac toxicity," Thomas said.

In June, Thomas told The Advocate that the drug was more harmful than beneficial.

We have all learned in COVID the story of hydroxychloroquine, where clearly the harm was more than the demonstrable benefit, at least on the inpatient side, he said at the time.

Drug trials, fewer ventilators: here's how Louisianas coronavirus treatments have evolved Louisiana physicians faced a troubling scenario in early March when coronavirus patients started appearing in the states intensive care units

The malaria drug repeatedly touted by President Donald Trump and other politicians has not turned out to be a coronavirus cure-all. In April, Attorney General Jeff Landry announced that hed helped to secure 400,000 hydroxychloroquine sulfate tablets from pharmaceutical companies for local providers. For a time, hydroxychloroquine was part of the standard treatment for anyone hospitalized with COVID-19, and others were taking the drug as a preventive measure, including Trump himself.

Adm. Brett Giroir, assistant secretary of the US Dept. of Health and Human Services, reportedly said on NBC's "Meet the Press" on Sunday that there's "no evidence to show" that hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment.

Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

"So, at this point in time, we don't recommend that as a treatment," Giroir said, according to USA Today.

Heres how Louisiana doctors are using the drug that U.K. scientists tout for coronavirus When Dr. Joshua Denson treated a coronavirus patient in April who was on the verge of needing a ventilator, he decided to give him a steroid, 

There are still some clinical trials underway in Louisiana determine whether hydroxychloroquine could be an effective prophylactic, a medicine used to help prevent people from getting sick.

Thomas added that remdesivir, on the other hand, is effective. He described the drug as the "Tamiflu" for COVID-19, though it's not an outpatient medicine.

Remdesivir works, he said, because it limits the number of viruses in the body because the enzyme that helps it build up more virus is inhibited. That results in shorter hospital stays, particularly for patients who need oxygen and take the drug early.

But remdesivir isn't a "home run" drug, Thomas said.

"It's a single. But in a disease where we haven't even been able to get anybody on base for about six-to-seven weeks, I'll take a single," he said.

Click here to listen to Thomas' full interview.

Staff writer Andrea Gallo contributed to this report.
The federal government says it will very soon resume the roll out of Digital Switch Over (DSO)  a transition from analogue to digital television broadcasting  across the country.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, stated this on Tuesday in Lagos at a ceremony to unveil the new amendment to the 6th Edition of the Broadcasting Code.

Fielding questions from stakeholders at the ceremony, the minister said the DSO suffered some setbacks which led to a hold after it was launched in six states.

He reiterated the commitment of the government to spread the massive benefits of digital television to the people, stressing that it was the fastest way to create jobs.

The roll out of DSO commenced in Jos, Plateau in April 2016 and moved to Abuja, Ilorin, Kaduna, Enugu and lastly in Osogbo in February, 2018.

The minister assured the stakeholders that they would hear from the government on the resumption of the DSO roll out in the coming weeks.

Mr Mohammed also told the stakeholders that the government had been implementing policies and programmes to reposition the creative industry.

He said one of the major recommendations of the Post COVID-19 Initiative Committee on the Creative Industry chaired by ace comedian, Ali Baba, was a restructure of the industry.

The minister reassured that the government would soon set up a committee on the implementation of the recommendations to move the industry forward.

The Minister also reiterated governments commitment to assist the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria in securing the N10 billion Nigeria Media Intervention Fund from the Central Bank of Nigeria.

(NAN)
Chief Minister on Monday met with the family members of "corona warrior" Doctor Joginder Chaudhary, who succumbed to COVID-19 and handed over a cheque of Rs one crore as financial assistance.

According to an official release, the 27-year-old doctor succumbed to the deadly novel Delhi last week after a month-long struggle.

Chaudhary had been battling the infection since June 28 after he was tested positive a day earlier.While meeting the family of doctor Chaudhary at his residence, Chief Minister Kejriwal expressed his gratitude to Dr Chaudhary's sacrifice and sacrifice for the people of Delhi. He also said that the Delhi government will do whatever it can to support the family of Dr Chaudhary.

"Our Corona Warrior Dr Joginder Chaudhary, posted in Delhi Government Hospital, served the patients by putting his life at stake. Dr Chaudhary had passed away recently due to corona infection, today I met his family and handed over a cheque of Rs one crore as financial assistance. Will help the family in every possible way," tweeted Delhi CM Kejriwal.

Dr Chaudhary was a junior resident and worked on an ad hoc basis at the Delhi government-run Dr Baba Saheb Ambedkar (BSA) Medical Hospital and College since October 2019.

He worked in the flu clinic and then in its casualty ward until he developed a fever on June 23. Four days later, he also tested positive and was admitted to a hospital, where he complained about the difficulty in breathing. A day later, he was admitted to Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Hospital (LNJP).

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a video meeting on Monday with Taliban's chief negotiator, Mullah Baradar Akhund, to discuss the state of the Afghanistan peace process, an insurgent spokesman said.

The discussions included the issue of Taliban prisoners whose release by the Afghan government the insurgents are demanding, Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban spokesman in Doha said on Twitter.

Mike Pompeo testifies during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the State Department's 2021 budget in Washington, D.C., U.S., July 30, 2020. /Reuters

The Taliban want the prisoners freed before they join talks with government officials and other Afghans on a political settlement to decades of war.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

"Both sides talked about the inception of intra-Afghan negotiations" and they "emphasized that the release of the remaining prisoners are essential for commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations," Shaheen wrote.

The meeting between Pompeo and Baradar, the Taliban's Doha-based deputy leader, came as Afghan security forces ended a siege of a major prison in eastern Afghanistan by Islamic State militants in which hundreds of prisoners escaped.

It was not immediately known if the escapees included any of the prisoners whose release the Taliban is demanding.

The release of the Taliban prisoners has become a major hurdle to the convening of intra-Afghan peace talks, which were to have started by March 10.

A February 29 agreement United States signed with Taliban aims to withdraw all forces from Afghanistan in 14 months. It called for Kabul to free up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for the release by the insurgents of up to 1,000 government detainees.

The Taliban has released around 1,000 detainees. The Afghan government, under U.S. pressure, has freed around 4,600 Taliban prisoners named on a list compiled by the insurgents.

File photo of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani who speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan. /Reuters

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, however, is resisting freeing the remaining 400 named on the list, contending they were involved in serious crimes, including a massive 2017 bombing against the German embassy and other bloody attacks.

Instead, Ghani is expected to release 500 prisoners who are not on the list, and has called a traditional assembly of tribal elders from across the country  known as a loya jirga  to consult on whether to free those remaining on the list.

The assembly is expected to be held later this month.

Newly freed Taliban prisoners sit at Pul-i-Charkhi prison in Kabul, Afghanistan, May 26, 2020. /Reuters

Rumors of Taliban regrouping

At least 29 people were killed in a raid on an Afghan prison claimed by the Islamic State group, officials said Monday.

The attack came a day after Afghanistan's intelligence agency announced the killing of a top ISIL commander near Jalalabad, where about 1,700 ISIL and Taliban inmates were being held.

Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province some 130 km (80 miles) east of Kabul, lies on the highway leading to the Khyber Pass and the Pakistani city of Peshawar.

Nangarhar province has seen deadly ISIL group's attacks, including a suicide bomb that killed 32 mourners at a funeral in May.

The ISIL group attacks continue despite officials claiming last year that the group had been defeated in Nangarhar.

A United Nations report last month estimated there are around 2,200 ISIL group members in Afghanistan, and that while the group has lost territory and its leadership has been depleted, it remains capable of carrying out high-profile attacks.

(With input from agencies)
The Pfalz left the Victoria Dock, where she had been unloading cargo during the past week, at 7.45 am, and, according to clearance papers taken out at the Custom House on Tuesday afternoon, was bound for Sydney and Brisbane. As customary, the services of river and deep sea pilots were requisitioned. Slow progress was made down the Bay, and it was noon before the vessel arrived off Portsea. Here she was met by the pilot steamer Alvina, from which the naval authorities are conducting the examination of all outgoing shipping. Upon naval officers boarding the Pfalz, her papers were found to be in order and nothing of a suspicious nature apparent to warrant her detention. At the time the naval boarding party was unaware that war had been declared between Great Britain and Germany, while Captain Kuniken and his crew were also oblivious of the grave turn of events since their departure from Melbourne.

Upon permission to leave the port being granted, the Pfalz, with her pilot still on board, headed towards the Rip. About ten minutes later, when in a direct line between Point Nepean and Queenscliff, those on board were startled by the report of a big gun fired from the fortress at Nepean. A puff of white smoke suddenly rose over the fortification, and a shell came screeching past, to fall into the water about 50 yards astern of the vessel. Spray was thrown up in all directions, and those on board were thrown into a state of alarm at the sudden attack upon them.

Officers were surprised at the turn of affairs, and at a loss to understand the summons. Fearful less further shots might be fired, the vessel was stopped. Signals were then observed flying from Queenscliff, which soon enlightened the now thoroughly alarmed officers that they were to turn back. No time was lost in responding to this order, and at 1.30 pm Australias first prize of war commenced her return to Hobsons Bay. The pilot remained on board and assisted in the navigation till anchor was cast of Williamstown at 5.15 pm. Naturally the officers of the Pfalz were uncommunicative, but they are said to have raised no demur at their enforced return and take their hold up quietly.

Last night the vessel was boarded by customs officials, who notified those on board of the existence of war between Great Britain and Germany, and carried out an inspection of the vessels papers. They were accompanied by a guard of ten men from the naval depot at Williamstown. The men were fully armed, and their warlike appearance amply confirmed the German crews fear of an outbreak of hostilities. No demonstration was made on board when the armed guard scrambled up the vessels side, and the crew accepted the situation in good grace.

Looming grimly a short distance away was the Australian cruiser Pioneer, cleared for action and ready for any emergency. She had been cruising in the Bay during the afternoon and remained off Williamstown last night. Her presence no doubt had an awesome effect, no resistance was offered the naval party when the vessels machinery was disarranged as a precaution against her departure during the night. No guard was placed on the vessel, and the naval party came ashore on completing the task.
Sylvan Beach, N.Y.  An Oswego contractor has been charged with stealing building supplies and other items in Central New York and the Finger Lakes.

Dana J. Boyden, 38, was arrested late last week by the New York State Police and charged with stealing over $1,000 worth of items. He has been linked to thefts in Oneida County and in Seneca County, troopers said.

The investigation started in late June, when troopers started to get reports of items being stolen in Sylvan Beach and Vienna. A caller also reported a similar theft over an hour away in Seneca County.

Boyden was working at a job site in Sylvan Beach at the time of the thefts, troopers said. The vehicle he drove was also spotted at or near the places where building supplies and other items were taken, troopers said.

After an investigation, troopers got a warrant to search Boydens home. Investigators seized car memorabilia, power tools and building supplies, troopers said.

Boyden has been charged with:

Fourth-degree grand larceny in Vienna

Petit larceny in Vienna

Fourth-degree grand larceny in Sylvan Beach

Petit larceny in Tyre

Boyden was released from custody.

Staff writer Samantha House covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea, a question or a comment? Reach her at shouse@syracuse.com.
Sri Lankan police are probing an incident in which a cat was allegedly used to smuggle drugs and contraband into a high-security prison, officials said on Monday.

Prison officials found the cat on Saturday with a small parcel tied to its neck, entering the Welikada prison in Colombo, the capital.

Prison officials found 1.8 grams of heroin, two SIM cards, and a memory chip used for mobile phones.

The cat was detained in a room inside the prisons to facilitate investigations, but has escaped from the room, police said.

However, investigations are proceeding to determine if the cat had been used previously to smuggle drugs and contraband.

Police will check CCTV footage and interview prisoners.

The incident comes shortly after a person attempted to throw a ball packed with heroin into the same prison and was arrested.

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It also comes in the wake of tightening security in prisons to prevent smuggling in phones and drugs into prisons.

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa has directed prison officials to strengthen security in prisons after reports that prison inmates were still coordinating criminal activities by mobile phone.

At least three prison officials who helped prisoners by helping them get goods like mobile phones were arrested on Sunday.

(dpa/NAN)
Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla and Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Igor Morgulov held a telephonic conversation on Tuesday, covering a range of bilateral, regional and international issues.

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said they discussed the forthcoming meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and the five-nation BRICS grouping.

It said Shringla and Morgulov also deliberated on preparatory meetings ahead of the India-Russia annual summit later this year.

"The foreign secretary and the deputy foreign minister also exchanged views on various regional and international issues of mutual interest reflecting common ground and approaches. Both sides agreed to maintain regular contacts," the MEA said in a statement.

Both the BRICS (Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa) and SCO are important groupings for India. The BRICS represents over 3.6 billion people, or half of the world population and they have a combined GDP of $16.6 trillion.

The SCO, seen as a counterweight to NATO, has emerged as one of largest transregional international organisations which accounts for almost 44 per cent of the world population stretching from the Arctic Ocean to the Indian Ocean and from the Pacific Ocean to the Baltic Sea.

The aim of the SCO is to maintain peace, stability and security in the region. India became a member of the SCO in 2017.
As the world awaits a COVID-19 vaccine, the next big advance in battling the pandemic could come from a class of biotech therapies widely used against cancer and other disorders - antibodies designed specifically to attack this new virus.

Development of monoclonal antibodies to target the virus has been endorsed by leading scientists. Anthony Fauci, the top U.S. infectious diseases expert, called them almost a sure bet against COVID-19.

When a virus gets past the bodys initial defenses, a more specific response kicks in, triggering production of cells that target the invader. These include antibodies that recognize and lock onto a virus, preventing the infection from spreading.

Monoclonal antibodies - grown in bioreactor vats - are copies of these naturally-occurring proteins.

Scientists are still working out the exact role of neutralizing antibodies in recovery from COVID-19, but drugmakers are confident that the right antibodies or a combination can alter the course of the disease that has claimed more than 675,000 lives globally.

Antibodies can block infectivity. That is a fact, Regeneron Pharmaceuticals executive Christos Kyratsous told Reuters.

Regeneron is testing a two-antibody cocktail, which it believes limits the ability of the virus to escape better than one, with data on its efficacy expected by late summer or early fall. Protection will wane over time. Dosing is something we dont know yet, said Kyratsous.

The U.S. government in June awarded Regeneron a $450 million supply contract. The company said it can immediately begin production at its U.S. plant if regulators approve the treatment.

Eli Lilly and Co, AstraZeneca, Amgen, and GlaxoSmithKline were cleared by the U.S. government to pool manufacturing resources in order to scale up supplies if any of these drugs prove successful.

Even with that unusual cooperation among rivals, manufacturing these medicines is complex and capacity is limited. There is also a debate over whether a single antibody will be powerful enough to stop COVID-19.

AstraZeneca said it plans to start human trials of its dual-antibody combination within weeks.

Lilly, which began human testing in June of two antibody candidates in separate trials, is focusing on a one-drug approach.

If you need a higher dosage or more antibodies, fewer people can be treated, Lilly Chief Scientific Officer Dan Skovronsky said.

'Instant Immunity'

Unlike vaccines, which activate the bodys own immune system, the impact of infused antibodies eventually dissipates.

Still, drugmakers say monoclonal antibodies could temporarily prevent infection in at-risk people such as medical workers and the elderly. They could also be used as a therapeutic bridge until vaccines become widely available.

In a prophylactic setting we think we may achieve coverage for up to six months, said Phil Pang, chief medical officer of Vir Biotechnology, which aims to start testing an antibody in non-hospitalized patients next month with partner GSK.

The advantage of an antibody is that it is basically instant immunity, said Mark Brunswick, senior vice president at Sorrento Therapeutics, which aims to begin human trials next month of a single antibody candidate.

Safety risks for monoclonal antibodies are considered low, but their cost can be quite high. These type of drugs for cancer can cost over $100,000 a year.

There is also concern that the coronavirus could become resistant to specific antibodies. Researchers are already at work on second-generation compounds with targets other than the crown-like spikes the virus uses to invade cells.

We are trying to develop something that is complementary, Amgen research chief David Reese said. Amgen is working with Adaptive Biotechnologies Corp.

Researchers in a recent paper published in the journal Nature said they had discovered several new, very potent, antibodies directed to an area where the virus attaches to human cells and to a region of the spike that has not attracted attention.

To avoid development of resistance you want to target different sites, study author and Columbia University professor David Ho told Reuters.

There are also questions about when in the course of the illness it might be best to employ these new weapons.

Giving an antibody later on after infection might not be that helpful, said Florian Krammer, microbiology professor at New Yorks Icahn School of Medicine. Given early, they probably work well.
Vijay Inder Singla

Chandigarh: On the instructions of Punjab School Education Minister Vijay Inder Singla, an amount of around Rs 2.5 crore has been released for the mid-day meal so that the cooks/helpers under the mid-day meal could be paid on time.

Vijay Inder SinglaDisclosing this here today a spokesperson of the school education department said that on the direction of the Education Minister, funds of Rs 2,49,78,780 have been released by the Punjab Mid Day Meal Society.

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In a letter sent to all the district education officers of the state, instructions have also been given for the immediate distribution of this remuneration and to record it in the ledger book as per the component.

Punjab governmentAccording to the spokesperson Rs 22,03,200 has been released for Ludhiana district, Rs 17,89,200 for Jalandhar, Rs 17,35,080 for Patiala district, Rs 16,69,800 for Amritsar and Rs 14,37,480 for Sangrur.

Funds for other districts also have been released according to their needs.
Ijas Kallukettiya Purayil, a one-time dentist from Keralas Kasargod, is believed to be among the suicide attackers killed when the his jihadist unit stormed a prison in Afghanistan's Jalalabad on Sunday, intelligence sources have told News18. Twenty-nine people, including at least 10 suicide attackers, are reported to have been killed in the attack aimed at freeing jihadists from the prison on Eid.

The suicide attackers wife, Rafilla Purayil, and has been held in Kabuls Badam Bagh prison along with their five-year-old son, Ayaan, and as well as an infant born in Afghanistan.

The family learned of Purayils death on Monday from messages circulated on social media by the Islamic State, said police sources. A senior Kerala Police officer familiar with the case said they were yet to receive any official confirmation of the death from the Ministry of External Affairs, but were seeking information.

The only way to be certain about these things is to match the DNA of the body with that taken from his parents, said the official. Given that flights between India and Afghanistan are not operating normally, this could take some time.

Purayil is the second Kerala-origin jihadist to have been killed in a a suicide-strike involving the Islamic State. Muhammad Muhsin, a 21-year old high-school dropout from Kerala earlier living in the United Arab Emirates, died in an attack on a gurdwara in Kabul, which claimed the lives of 27 members of the citys tiny Sikh community.

Born in May 1984 to Abdul Rehman Parambath and Afsath Kallukettiya, Purayil left for Afghanistan in mid-2016 as part of a group of 26 Kerala residents linked to an Islamist cult run by the neo-fundamentalist preacher Abdul Rashid Abdullah. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) issued a notice through the international police agency Interpol later that year, seeking his arrest.

The individuals in that group of 26 included Purayils younger brother, Shiyas Kallukettiya Purayil, and a cousin, Ashfaq Majeed Purayil. The younger sibling, Shiyas Purayil, is thought to have been killed in a United States military drone strike in Nangarhar along with his wife Ajmala Purayil, several months pregnant when she left for Afghanistan.

Ashfaq Purayil, who once ran a hotel in Mumbai, is also thought to have survived the bomb strikes. His wife, Shamsiya Purayil, and their four-year-old daughter Ayesha, are also among those held in Badam Bagh prison.

Government sources say the Purayil case is of critical importance because of evidence it could throw up between possible links between the Islamic State in Afghanistan and Pakistans intelligence services. NIA officials had been scheduled to leave for Kabul earlier this year to question Aijaz Ahanger, an ethnic-Kashmiri jihadist from Srinagar alleged to be leading the cell which commanded Purayil and others from India.

Afghanistans intelligence service, the National Directorate of Security, says although Ahangers group branded itself as a part of the Islamic State, it operated under the orders of the Haqqani Network -- a key faction of the Taliban run by warlord Sirajuddin Haqqani and with close links to Pakistans Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate.

Afghan government officials have told News18 that evidence of the groups links to the Haqqani Network emerged from interrogations of the overall commander of the Islamic State forces in the Nangarhar region, Abdullah Orakzai.

Ahanger was a close associate of Budgam resident Abdul Gani Dar  also known by the alias Abdullah Gazali  who founded the Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen  a jihadist group with close links to Kashmirs Ahl-e-Hadith neo-fundamentalist movement. Dar was murdered by rivals in the group last year, having earlier served several years in prison.

In 1996, Ahanger married Dars daughter, Rukhsana Dar, in 1992. The following year, the couple fled to Pakistan through Nepal, Indian intelligence services believe.

Rukhsana Dar is among a group of Indian jihad-widows held in Badam Bagh prison, along with her daughters Sabira, born according to her travel documents on September 13, 1997, and Tooba, born on December 27, 2001.

The NIA had been granted permission to question Ahanger as well as the nine Indian women linked to slain Islamic State jihadists now held in Badam Bagh jail early this year. The agencys plans were, however, put on hold after international flights were terminated as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in both countries.

Government sources said the NIA is now considering sending officials on a non-commercial special flight.
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WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Improved math skills would raise the salary of workers by tens of thousands of dollars a year and would help the country rebound from a deepening COVID-19 economic freefall, according to research in a new white paper from The Learning Agency.

The major findings of The Learning Agency's white paper are:

Better high school math skills could increase worker incomes by $21,000 per year

per year Improved reading and writing skills could result in an $11,000 increase in pay annually

could result in an increase in pay annually Graduating with a high school diploma nets a worker an additional $7,000 in annual earnings

As the U.S. economy continues to retractsecond quarter GDP fell 9.5 percentand with states and local governments looking to cut education budgets , the white paper argues that increased learning would have a dual effect: It would boost earnings for workers while increasing tax collections by trillions of dollars.

"Education is one of the best strategies for recovering from an economic downturn," said Ulrich Boser, founder of The Learning Agency and the paper's author. "Now is the time for governments to increase spending on things like tutoring , not making deep cuts to services."

To better understand the benefits of improved learning from critical thinking to metacognition , The Learning Agency conducted a study to look at how Americans' incomes would grow as a result of better skills and education. The white paper drew from a 2015 National Bureau of Economic Research study that demonstrated workers could expect impressive increases in salary.

Read the full white paper "Education and Income: How Learning Leads to Better Salaries" at: https://www.the-learning-agency.com/insights/education-and-income-how-learning-leads-to-better-salaries

The Learning Agency is a Washington, DC-based education organization. Our mission is to help individuals and organizations harness the power of learning to solve problems. For more information, visit https://www.the-learning-agency.com /

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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 20:41 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b91436 1 National Jokowi,Luhut-Binsar-Pandjaitan,Airlangga-Hartarto,mahfud-md,cabinet-meeting Free

The State Palace vowed compliance with health protocol on Tuesday after President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and several ministers faced criticism on social media for not wearing masks in photographs taken during a Cabinet meeting on Monday.

In the photos posted on the Cabinet Secretariat's Twitter account @setkabgoid on Monday, Jokowi was seen without a mask while leading a limited Cabinet meeting discussing the COVID-19 pandemic and the national economic recovery at Merdeka Palace in Jakarta.

Coordinating Maritime Affairs and Investment Minister Luhut Pandjaitan, Coordinating Economic Minister Airlangga Hartarto and Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Mahfud MD were seen sitting opposite the President, also without masks on.

Some other ministers present in the meeting, such as Finance Minister Sri Mulyani, State Secretary Pratikno and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung, were seen complying with the mask rule.

Presiden @jokowi memimpin #RapatTerbatas tentang penanganan Covid-19 dan Pemulihan Ekonomi Nasional di Istana Merdeka, Provinsi DKI Jakarta, Senin (3/8).



Sekretaris Kabinet @pramonoanung turut mendampingi Presiden pada #Ratas tersebut.



 BPMI Setpres pic.twitter.com/IYWWbImLh4  Sekretariat Kabinet (@setkabgoid) August 3, 2020

Social media users took to Twitter to remind Jokowi and his ministers to wear masks during the pandemic, particularly as the national COVID-19 task force's guidelines --issued on the order of the President himself -- urged everyone to wear masks to prevent further COVID-19 transmission.

Jokowi and the task force have repeatedly asked the public to prepare for a "new normal", stressing that physical distancing and mask-wearing were likely to stay. By the end of May, the President even deployed the Indonesian Military and National Police to guard crowded places and ensure people comply with health protocol.

Regulations imposed by regional governments stipulate fines for people caught mask-less in public, up to Rp 150,000 (US$10.29) in the case of West Java.

Also on Monday, Jokowi slammed his ministers and officials over poor COVID-19 budget management during the meeting, pointing out how government institutions had no sense of urgency with regard to tackling the pandemic.

On Tuesday, Presidential Secretariat head Heru Budi Hartono responded to the public criticism, saying the President and the ministers had complied with health protocol and had been "putting the masks on and off" during the meeting, since their voices were sometimes unclear when speaking with masks on.

Acrylic partition glass was also installed [on the table] there, Heru said on Tuesday as quoted by kompas.com.

The participants of the meeting had also maintained physical distancing all the time and everyone coming to the Presidential Palace had been obliged to undergo COVID-19 tests -- both a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and a rapid test -- prior to meeting the President, he added.

"Even after having tested [negative] using a swab test the day before, the person must still take the rapid test on the day [of the meeting], Heru said.

Recently, two regional leaders, namely Surakarta Deputy Mayor Achmad Purnomo and Riau Islands Governor Isdianto, tested positive of the coronavirus days after meeting with Jokowi.

The President took a swab test shortly after Achmad's result came out and tested negative, while the State Palace said Isdianto had tested negative in a PCR test two days before his inauguration ceremony as the governor in Jakarta on July 27 and that his rapid test taken right before the ceremony had also been negative. (trn)
A City Council work group on Monday recommended nine local organizations that, if selected, would nominate members for the Civilian Oversight Board envisioned to hold the Madison Police Department accountable.

Among the organizations are an LGBTQ nonprofit, a behavioral health clinic, a nonprofit that provides services for people involved in the criminal justice system, and activist groups that led recent protests in Madison against police brutality after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody.

The work group  made up of Alds. Shiva Bidar, Donna Moreland and Rebecca Kemble  also unanimously recommended the ordinance that will create the board and an independent police monitor, a yet-to-be hired person who would have the power to investigate the police department and file formal complaints against officers. The ordinance still needs council approval, which the work group hopes will happen in early October.

Both oversight measures were fundamental recommendations of the Madison Police Department Policy and Procedure Review Ad Hoc Committee, a community group that spent more than four years studying the police departments policies and creating a report of 177 recommended changes.

Under the proposed ordinance, the 13-person civilian board would hire the monitor, conduct an annual review of the police chief and make policy recommendations to police, among other duties.

Each of the nine community groups will submit three names for appointment to the board, with the mayor and City Council picking nine from that pool. The mayor and council will also each pick two members.

The ordinance sets out that the board must include at least one member each from the Black, Asian, Latino, Native American and LGBTQ communities, as well as a member who is affiliated with a mental health organization, one who works in youth advocacy and one who works in substance abuse. One member must also have an arrest or conviction record. A provision added Monday requires that the board be at least 50% Black.

Bidar, Moreland and Kemble tried to select groups that could put forward candidates from the diverse groups desired. The nine organizations recommended are:

Freedom Inc. , a Black and Southeast Asian nonprofit that works to support low-income communities of color through providing services and advocating for social justice. The local activist group has been one of the main organizers of recent protests against racism and police brutality.

, a Black and Southeast Asian nonprofit that works to support low-income communities of color through providing services and advocating for social justice. The local activist group has been one of the main organizers of recent protests against racism and police brutality. Urban Triage , a nonprofit that supports Black families by providing services for professional development, parent leadership, trauma response and economic empowerment, among other support programs. The group has also been one of the main local protest organizers.

, a nonprofit that supports Black families by providing services for professional development, parent leadership, trauma response and economic empowerment, among other support programs. The group has also been one of the main local protest organizers. JustDane , a nonprofit that provides support services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system, advocates for social change and helps launch other nonprofits. The organization was called Madison-area Urban Ministry (MUM) until it changed its name this year.

, a nonprofit that provides support services for individuals involved in the criminal justice system, advocates for social change and helps launch other nonprofits. The organization was called Madison-area Urban Ministry (MUM) until it changed its name this year. YWCA Madison , a nonprofit focused on racial and gender equity that provides job training and transportation, as well as housing for women, children and families.

, a nonprofit focused on racial and gender equity that provides job training and transportation, as well as housing for women, children and families. UNIDOS , a Madison-based nonprofit founded in 1996 as a group of volunteers dedicated to helping Latino survivors of domestic violence. The group has expanded its mission to include providing statewide education to professionals wishing to improve services to Latinos in Wisconsin.

, a Madison-based nonprofit founded in 1996 as a group of volunteers dedicated to helping Latino survivors of domestic violence. The group has expanded its mission to include providing statewide education to professionals wishing to improve services to Latinos in Wisconsin. NAACP of Dane County , the local branch of the nations oldest civil rights organization. The group works to ensure the equality of all people and eliminate race-based discrimination through educating the public and advocating for laws to secure civil rights.

, the local branch of the nations oldest civil rights organization. The group works to ensure the equality of all people and eliminate race-based discrimination through educating the public and advocating for laws to secure civil rights. OutReach LGBTQ+ Community Center , a nonprofit that advocates for the equity and well-being of Madisons LGBTQ community, with the goal of creating a community where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are celebrated.

, a nonprofit that advocates for the equity and well-being of Madisons LGBTQ community, with the goal of creating a community where lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people are celebrated. Community Response Team , a local group that seeks to advance community-led public safety, hold police accountable and minimize police use of force. Some of the groups members were leading voices in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee.

, a local group that seeks to advance community-led public safety, hold police accountable and minimize police use of force. Some of the groups members were leading voices in the work of the Ad Hoc Committee. Pending information on the clinics budget: Sankofa Behavioral & Community Health, a Monona-based, not-for-profit outpatient behavioral health clinic that focuses on how equality and fairness intersect with mental health care.

Bidar, Moreland and Kemble narrowed the list in part by prioritizing organizations whose yearly budgets were less than $1 million, so smaller, grassroots groups were lifted up. Sankofa did not yet give budget information, so their selection was pending that update.

If Sankofa is not ultimately recommended, the work group will instead recommend the Dane County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

[Editor's note: This story has been updated to reflect two corrections. An earlier version misstated the requirements for one of the members of the board. He or she must be affiliated with a mental health organization but doesn't necessarily have to represent the organization. The earlier version also misstated which organization would be recommended if Sankofa Behavioral & Community Health is not. It is the Dane County chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.]

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Neil Young is suing the Trump campaign for using his songs without permission. (Wally Skalij / Los Angeles Times)

Legendary musician Neil Young has sued President Trump's campaign for copyright infringement after it used Young's music to promote a "campaign of ignorance and hate."

Young's songs "Rockin' in the Free World" and "Devil's Sidewalk" were played "numerous times at rallies and political events," namely during the president's June campaign rally in Tulsa, Okla., without license or Young's permission, alleged the complaint, posted Tuesday on Young's website.

"This complaint is not intended to disrespect the rights and opinions of American citizens, who are free to support the candidate of their choosing," the document said. "However, [Young] in good conscience cannot allow his music to be used as a 'theme song' for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate."

The veteran musician said that the campaign, Donald J. Trump for President, Inc., "willfully ignored" and "willfully proceeded" to play the songs even after Young objected to the use of "Rockin' in the Free World" at Trump's 2015 presidential campaign announcement. The organization produced a license required to play the song at the time after Young's public objection.

Young demanded that further performance of the songs be halted at public events associated with the campaign, for statutory damages between $750 to $150,000 for each infringement, as well as the cost of the lawsuit and attorney fees, the complaint said.

The lawsuit was filed Tuesday in U.S. District Court Southern District of New York, Young's attorney Ivan Saperstein told The Times.

The Trump campaign did not immediately response to The Times' request for comment.

Young, 74, an outspoken critic of the president, is among the many musicians who have criticized Trump for playing their work at his events. Others include the Rolling Stones, Rihanna, Adele, R.E.M. and the estate of Prince.

The Rolling Stones threatened legal action last month over the campaign's disregard of a provision in the BMI Political Entities License that allows songwriters or publishers of the music to withdraw their work from the license. This after Trump again used the band's hit "You Cant Always Get What You Want" as his walk-off theme at the Tulsa rally.
Millie Bobby Brown's beloved dog Dolly Brown has died.

The 16-year-old actress took to Instagram Monday evening with a memorial for her late pet, who she had for nine years.

'I love you dolly brown,' Brown said. 'You will always be our #1.'

The latest: Millie Bobby Brown's beloved dog Dolly Brown has died. The 16-year-old actress took to Instagram Monday evening with a memorial for her late pet, who she had for nine years

'In 2011, we [received] this blessing to our family,' the Stranger Things star said. 'Nine years later, you turned into [everyone's] best friend.

The Emmy award-nominated teen said that the dog's 'slobbery good mornings ... were the best ever,' as was the dog's habit of 'always showing us your toys.'

'Your cuddles always felt better than the ones before and your loyalty to our family was incomparable.'

Brown said she was heartbroken at the loss of Dolly, who she described as 'the heart and soul of' her family, adding that 'if anyone met dolly, you know how special she truly was.'

Out and about: Brown was snapped in LA for a Stranger Things event last fall

Lots of love: Brown said she was heartbroken at the loss of Dolly, who she described as 'the heart and soul of' her family

Memories: The Emmy award-nominated teen said that the dog's 'slobbery good mornings ... were the best ever,' as was the dog's habit of 'always showing us your toys'

Retrospective: Brown added a heartwarming clip of herself and Dolly scored to the emotional Bruno Mars song Talking to the Moon

Brown, who plays Eleven on the Netflix show, told more than 34 million followers that she had taken the dog on international trips with her.

'As I held your paw while you were going to heaven... I thought about the memories we made together and the adventures we went on like, London. Orlando. Los Angeles. Canada. Atlanta. you name it, dolly had probably been there.'

She said she would 'never forget' Dolly, adding the quotation, 'All dogs go to heaven because, unlike people, dogs are naturally good and loyal and kind.'

Brown, who is an ambassador for UNICEF, added a heartwarming clip of herself and Dolly scored to the emotional Bruno Mars song Talking to the Moon displaying a montage of pictures of herself with the canine, who adorably wore a blonde wig in the memorial set of photos.

Fun times: The canine adorably wore a blonde wig in the memorial set of photos

Well-traveled: Millie said she brought the canine with her on trips to London, Los Angeles and Canada, among other locales
Orlando Bloom has recalled the moment he first clapped eyes on Katy Perry, who is now heavily pregnant with their first child together.

In a new interview, the actor, 43, enthused about meeting his singer fiancee, 35, at the Golden Globes ceremony in January 2016, when he winked at her over a plate of burgers.

The screen star reflected: 'So I stood on the stage, gazing out at the audience and there she was, just sitting amongst the crowd. And I remember she was wearing this beautiful pink dress and I was just like 'Wow; I think that's Katy Perry.''

'I thought "wow"': Orlando Bloom has recalled the moment he first clapped eyes on Katy Perry at the 2016 Golden Globes ceremony (pictured)

The media personality went on to explain how he made a beeline for her by walking over to legendary thespian Denzel Washington, who was sitting next to her with fast food platters.

Orlando told The Mirror: 'She was sitting at a table with Denzel Washington, who had just been sent over a box of hamburgers.

'When I saw that box of burgers arrive, I wandered over and said to Denzel, ''Hey man, can I have one of those?' Denzel said, ''Sure,'' so I took one and winked at Katy. And that was it.'

The pair quickly formed a close bond as they 'chatted and danced' at an afterparty hosted by now disgraced movie mogul Harvey Weinstein.

What a love story: The 43-year-old actor's fiancee, 35, is now heavily pregnant with their first child together

How it all began: In a new interview, the Troy star revealed he winked at her over a plate of burgers before they chatted and danced through the night (pictured at the show's afterparty)

Going strong: Embarking on a romance shortly after, the couple called it quits in February 2017, before reconciling in April 2018 (pictured in August 2019)

Embarking on a romance shortly after, the couple called it quits in February 2017, before reconciling in April 2018.

They took their relationship to the next level by getting engaged on Valentine's Day last year, and are now expecting their first child together.

The Lord of the Rings actor already shares son Flynn, nine, with former wife Miranda Kerr.

The ex files: Screen star Orlando was married to model Miranda Kerr, 37, from July 2010 until late 2013 (pictured in January 2013)

Fierce split: The Firework hitmaker wed comedian Russell Brand in October 2010, before divorcing in early 2012

Orlando was married to model Miranda, 37, from July 2010 until late 2013, while Katy wed comedian Russell Brand in October 2010, before divorcing in early 2012.

Elsewhere in the interview, the TV and film star revealed he has tried to see the positive side of losing his dog Mighty.

His pet vanished during a walk two weeks ago and his collar was later found, seemingly confirming he had died.

Tragic: Elsewhere in the interview, the TV and film star revealed he has tried to see the positive side of losing his dog Mighty

And as he prepares to marry pop star Katy, Orlando revealed he hopes the incident has proven what a good father and husband he'll be.

Taking to Instagram on Wednesday morning, he confirmed his dog had died seven days after going missing.

In a lengthy caption, he revealed that after an exhaustive search, which he intricately documented on social media, he had found Mighty's collar and revealed that while grieving, he had his late dog's name tattooed on his chest.

Heartache: Taking to Instagram on Wednesday morning, Orlando confirmed his dog had died seven days after going missing

Earlier in the week, Orlando confessed he had been left 'broken wide open' after learning his beloved dog Mighty had gone missing on July 15.

He offered a $5,000 (3,950) reward for the return of his dog and was seen out and about all weekend looking for the pooch.

He then shared a timelapse video showing him having Mighty's name tattooed on his chest beneath an ace of spades within a heart.

Emotional: Orlando sobbed while having his inking for Mighty

Signs: Pregnant Katy was seen on Thursday putting up signs for Mighty, revealing the reward was offered for the dog's return

Heartache: He proudly showed the permanent tribute




John Tighe is stepping down as the president of Peerless Clothing International.

The executive, who had assumed the post in February 2018, officially resigned on Monday. No successor has been named and Tighe will continue to work with the brand to complete open projects and ensure a smooth transition, the company said.

Its a very amicable separation, Tighe told WWD. Im here and on call if they need anything.

At Peerless, Tighe had succeeded Ronny Wurtzburger, who had been president and the face of the countrys largest mens and boys tailored clothing manufacturer for more than 30 years. Wurtzburger has transitioned to chairman of the board.

Peerless, which marked 100 years in 2019, is owned by Canadian executive Alvin Segal, who keeps a low public profile. Segal, chairman and chief executive officer, started working in the companys factory in 1951 and moved into the American market after the North American Free Trade Agreement in 1989 opened the countrys borders to imports from Canada and Mexico.

His grandson, Douglas Raicek, serves as executive vice president of the brand and is the heir apparent to Tighe if the company decides to name another president. Hes a great guy, very smart  a Harvard MBA.  and I spent the last two-and-a-half years working with him, Tighe said, adding that he had also worked with Wurtzburger when he was president. I believe he will take on a lot of my responsibilities.

In revealing Tighes departure, Segal said: He is a true professional who has led Peerless through great growth and the current crisis. Johns ability to lead through turmoil has positioned our company to remain strong and prosperous for years.

Tighe said while he and Segal had some differing opinions on how to grow the business, he is very grateful for the opportunity to have worked with an industry icon like Alvin Segal. The Peerless team is best in class, and it has been an honor to lead them. I will be cheering for Peerless as they emerge stronger from this current crisis.

Story continues

Until joining Peerless, Tighe had spent his entire career in retail, the last 15 years of which were with J.C. Penney Co. Inc., where his last position was as chief merchant. He left that company at the end of 2017 following a reorganization. He also spent 11 years with May Department Stores, most of them with Filenes.

Tighe said hes now ready to look for my next adventure. Im very happy I took this assignment, which allowed him to learn the ins-and-outs of wholesaling by working with all of the best brands in America and all the best retailers.

Looking ahead, Tighe said hed like to run something. I went through a lot of crises with Penneys and helped guide it back to profitability. Im a great merchant and really good at leading teams through chaos. Im hoping somebody needs someone with my skills.

Peerless is the licensee for brands including Lauren by Ralph Lauren, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors, Tommy Hilfiger, Todd Snyder, Michael Strahan, Karl Lagerfeld Paris and its own Tallia Orange label.

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LEXINGTON, S.C., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Prince Manufacturing, headquartered in Lexington, SC, has entered into an agreement with Phoenix, Arizona-based Tomcar to produce TX model multi-purpose vehicle. Iram Chavez, Prince Manufacturing CEO, recently stated that "The entire Prince organization is looking forward to working with Tomcar to bring this excellent product to market. We believe that the quality of our manufacturing services will be a positive reflection on the Tomcar brand."

Tomcar logo Tomcar TX Tomcar TX

The Tomcar TX is a highly functional, extremely durable, and highly versatile machine that is ideal for use under the most demanding of conditions. Unlike any other commercial utility or side-by-side vehicle on the market, the Tomcar was originally designed for military use but is used today in a diversity of activities such as mining, emergency response, tourism, security and patrol, and ranching and farming. Its origins go back to the Israeli special forces.

Ram Zarchi, Founder and CEO of Tomcar, expressed optimism in light of his company's newly formed partnership. "Prince has been doing quality manufacturing for their customers since the 1960s. We spent years searching for a top-notch company to work with and our search led us to them in the early 2019. In the past 18 months, we've been working together on establishing high volume production in their facilities, and we are expecting ramping up during the fall."

Under the terms of the partnership Prince Manufacturing will assemble the Tomcar TX at its facilities in Asheville, NC, El Paso, TX, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico. As a result of this bi-national effort, the project will create employment opportunities for workers in both the US and Mexico.

Prince Manufacturing, Inc. was founded by Edgar Prince as the Prince Corporation in Holland, Michigan in 1965 and operates today mainly as a contract manufacturer. In addition to metal fabrication, sheet metal forming, powder coating capabilities, it has extensive experience as a service provider to the automotive industry.

Tomcar is based in Phoenix, Arizona and had its beginnings during a top-secret mission in 1967 when a specialized unit of airborne commandos parachuted behind enemy lines and all six airdropped jeeps were destroyed upon landing leaving the unit stranded. The unit's commander, Yoram Zarchi, was able to construct two working vehicles from the wreckage, allowing the commandos to complete their mission successfully. Twenty-five years later the same military commander created the ultra-dependable, highly functional, and all-terrain Tomcar.

Iram Chavez

[email protected]

(803)-310-5244 Ext 1006

https://princemanufacturing.com/

https://tomcar.com/

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SOURCE Prince Manufacturing
WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The U.S. Small Business Administration will host a virtual "Military Spouse Entrepreneur Summit" in collaboration with Second Lady of the United States Karen Pence and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes on Wednesday, Aug. 19 from 1-3:30 p.m., EDT.

This free event will connect military spouses with resources and information available to help them start or grow a small business.

The event will open with remarks from the Second Lady and SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. Panel speakers will include representatives from the Veteran Entrepreneurial Training & Resource Network, Institute for Veterans and Military Families, Dog Tag, The Rosie Network, the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Program, and the Military Family Advisory Network.

"The SBA is committed to helping entrepreneurial military spouses succeed at every stage of small business development," said SBA Administrator Jovita Carranza. "We are thrilled to collaborate with the Second Lady to support military spouse entrepreneurs and help them overcome the unique business challenges they face."

Attendees will have an opportunity to learn about SBA and partner resources for the military small business community. Panel discussions will cover entrepreneurship tips, disaster preparedness, access to capital, and government contracting.

For more information about the Military Spouse Entrepreneur Summit and to register, visit https://events.hiringourheroes.org/d/37ql80. To join the conversation on social media, use hashtag #SBAMilSpouseSummit.

About the U.S. Small Business Administration

The U.S. Small Business Administration makes the American dream of business ownership a reality. As the only go-to resource and voice for small businesses backed by the strength of the federal government, the SBA empowers entrepreneurs and small business owners with the resources and support they need to start, grow or expand their businesses, or recover from a declared disaster. It delivers services through an extensive network of SBA field offices and partnerships with public and private organizations. To learn more visit www.sba.gov.

Contact: [email protected] (202) 205-6987

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Release Number: 20-59

SOURCE U.S. Small Business Administration

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Kanye West Withdraws Petition to Get on NJs 2020 Ballot

TRENTON, N.J.Kanye West withdrew his petition to appear as a presidential candidate on New Jerseys ballot, according to an email chain between a judge and what appears to be the rappers campaign email address.

In email correspondence obtained by The Associated Press, an unidentified person writing from a Kanye 2020 address tells Administrative Law Judge Gail Cookson that West is dropping his effort to appear on New Jerseys ballot.

At this time, Kanye 2020 has no further option than to regrettably withdraw from New Jersey and cease further efforts to place Mr. Wests name on the New Jersey ballot, the Kanye 2020 email said late Monday.

Cookson replied Tuesday, accepting the withdrawal.

I will consider this email as a request for a withdrawal of your petition to be placed in nomination for the President of the United States in the State of New Jersey, Cookson wrote.

Election law attorney Scott Salmon objected to Wests petition last month, arguing that it failed to pass legal muster because signatures were incomplete and in some cases appeared written in very similar handwriting.

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)

Salmon, who is a registered Democrat but brought the complaint on his own behalf, reacted positively to the news that West had withdrawn.

I am glad that the Kanye campaign has realized that their petition was so deficient that it wasnt even worth defending, Salmon said in a phone interview. It sort of highlights the fact that it shouldnt have been submitted in the first place.

The New Jersey petition showed a number of signatures looked nearly identical, including lower-case is dotted with a small circle. Some signatures lacked complete addresses. On the petition, West listed his residence as Cody, Wyoming, where he bought two ranches in the area last year.

Questions about why West withdrew and whether the campaign disputed Salmons objection were sent to the Kanye 2020 email address.

New Jersey is a reliably Democratic state in presidential elections, siding with the Democrat since 1988.

The status of Wests presidential campaign and whether he is truly seeking the White House remains unclear.

Kim Kardashian West last month asked for empathy for her husband and said he is bipolar.

Last month in South Carolina, Kanye West delivered an unconventional campaign introduction speech during which he proposed a $1 million payout to mothers and decried Harriet Tubman for her work on the Underground Railroad.

The Kanye 2020 website invites visitors to sign a petition so he can appear on the South Carolina ballot and uses a shorthand name that West uses as his Twitter handle as a slogan: Ye for President.

By Mike Catalini
Education plan all doesnt ensure safety

Re: Provinces education plan imperfect but workable, July 31

I am almost 89 and have significant health concerns. My daughters, both over 55, teach high school. One of them is my caregiver. It would be impossible for her to isolate from me, and I am unlikely to survive infection.

The connections between school and community are wide and deep, and just two or three asymptomatic infections of children can spread quickly and fatally.

The government is treating high school as an afterthought. Suppose a student in another classroom gets COVID-19. The student, all family members, classmates and teachers have to isolate. What happens to other students of those teachers? Where is the money for supply teachers?

This plan is about the economy, about enabling parents of young children to work, not about anyones health and safety. In Saturdays editorial, you advocated using alternate spaces to distance elementary students. That would cost money which the Ford government is unwilling to spend, preferring to send students back into already over-crowded, disease-prone classrooms. Alternate spaces and more teachers would solve a number of problems, including permitting full-time instruction for secondary students. Removing 50 per cent of instructional time is very damaging at this point in their education.

There is no day set aside for deep cleaning of classrooms. Teachers are getting medical grade masks according to the plan. Most teachers work in buildings without air conditioning. Are students and teachers expected to wear masks for five hours a day in hot September conditions?

The governments plan is also unclear regarding teachers who feel unsafe. They can teach online but there is no clarity as to what they would be teaching. Their own classes? Students who opted out of in-class learning? If teachers opt to teach online, where do they get the resources to print assignment submissions?

The government needs to address these structural issues, not download everything on school boards with limited resources. As long as younger Canadians continue to flout safety directives and drive cases higher, schooling remains in jeopardy.

Elizabeth Richardson-WhealySt. Catharines

Lundys Lane traffic loud and dangerous

I dont know whether anything can be done about the daily problem of excessive traffic noise and speed on Dorchester Road going towards Lundys Lane and from Lundys Lane, where a speed limit of 50 km/h is posted.

One can tell when the traffic signal is green by the way the traffic flies up and down the road. The noise is caused mostly by motorcycles revving and backfiring along with small trucks. The noise of backfiring is so loud at times it sounds like gunfire.

Also the volume of traffic is so bad at times it is almost impossible to exit our parking lot onto the road. This is worse at the weekend when the tourist traffic is here.

Edna WallNiagara Falls

Care received at Niagara Falls hospital was outstanding

I recently had a stay at Greater Niagara General Hospital and felt compelled to contact you.

What an experience. Literally from the paramedics who delivered me, to the people who change the sheets to those who change the bandages, I dont know how to thank them all enough.

These days there are plenty of haters and naysayers and even though nobody asked for my comments or report card, Im giving them anyway ... straight As

We as a community are fortunate to have these people and if I may steal a line from an old sitcom, Best care anywhere.

Allan FourniaNiagara Falls

Letters welcome

We welcome letters from our readers. Send them to letters@niagaradailies.com or mail to 55 King St., Suite 600, St. Catharines, Ont., L2H 3HR. Letters may be edited for length and clarity. Please include your name, address and phone number for verification purposes.
Three years later, he secretly met with Adams at Clonard Monastery in Belfast, beginning the talks that laid the groundwork for an IRA cease-fire. When those negotiations became public a few years later, Mr. Hume was lambasted by loyalists and members of his own party. Adams was allegedly a former IRA commander, which the Sinn Fein president denied, and some critics accused Mr. Hume of bringing a terrorist into the fold.
Tripura Chief Minister Biplab Deb on Monday (August 3) said that he has gone into self-isolation after two members of his family tested positive for coronavirus COVID-19.

Deb tweeted that some other members of his family had tested negative and the result of his COVID-19 test is yet to come. The Tripura chief minister added that he has decided to remain in self-isolation at his residence and that "all precautionary measures have been taken".

"Two of my family members found COVID-19 positive. Other family members found negative. I have undergone COVID-19 test, result is yet to come. I am following self-isolation at my residence and all precautionary measures have been taken. Praying for the speedy recovery of family members," CM Deb tweeted.

Two of my family members found COVID19 POSITIVE.Other family members found NEGATIVE I have undergone COVID19 test, result is yet to come I am following self isolation at my residence & all precautionary measures have been taken Praying for the speedy recovery of family members  Biplab Kumar Deb (@BjpBiplab) August 3, 2020

On Sunday (August 2), Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa had tested positive for COVID-19. Both Shah and Yediyurappa said that they were "fine" and had decided to admit themselves in hospital as per the doctor's advice.

It is to be noted that Shah was present in the meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last week to discuss New Education Policy. Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had also attended the meeting. According to sources, all necessary precautions, including social distancing, were taken during the meeting.

Meanwhile, Yediyurappa's daughter, Padmavati, has also tested positive for the virus, while his son Vijayendra tested negative for COVID-19.
SUNNYVALE, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SafeBreach , the world's most widely used breach-and-attack-simulation platform, today announced that SafeBreach with the SafeBreach Insights() content pack is now available on the Palo Alto Networks Cortex XSOAR Marketplace , the industry's most comprehensive security orchestration marketplace. SafeBreach joins a select group of Cortex XSOAR Marketplace launch partners who have developed content packs that help solve the toughest security challenges for customers with end-to-end automation. The Breach and Attack Simulation (BAS) integration from SafeBreach on Cortex XSOAR Marketplace provides customers with automated validation and remediation of their security controls to ensure they detect and prevent known indicators of compromise (IOCs).

SafeBreach offers an extensive Hacker's Playbook with over 15,000 breach and attack methods that enables security teams to test their controls against known attacks with the latest indicators of compromise (IOCs). Validated IOCs are streamed automatically from SafeBreach into Cortex XSOAR playbooks to fully automate updates of endpoint and network security controls. The integration enables closed-loop automated security control remediation of IOCs by:

Discovering security gaps through continuous breach & attack simulation

Automatically remediating and validating missed IOCs

Maximizing the effectiveness of existing security controls

SafeBreach Insights() further extends the BAS offering and integration to include remediation and validation of behavioral-based indicators of compromise (BIOCs). Coverage of BIOCs allows security teams to expand control validation beyond detection of specific attack and compromise signatures to evidence of compromise contained in the behavior of processes, registry, files, and network activity.

"A robust, open ecosystem is at the heart of Cortex XSOAR. We are proud to welcome SafeBreach to the industry's largest SOAR ecosystem," said Rishi Bhargava, vice president of product strategy, Cortex XSOAR at Palo Alto Networks. "Having SafeBreach available on the Cortex XSOAR Marketplace will enable our shared customers to rapidly scale automation and further improve their security posture."

"Today's security teams have plenty of excellent controls and tools. Integrating SafeBreach and Cortex XSOAR makes it far simpler for those teams to optimize their use of controls, validate that their control settings are effective against the most current threats, and automate critical portions of the remediation process," said Itzik Kotler, CTO at SafeBreach. "Our inclusion in the Cortex XSOAR Marketplace makes it even easier for CISOs to give their teams cutting-edge risk detection, remediation and response capabilities that will ultimately help them use their existing controls to prevent more breaches and remain on top of the ever-changing cybersecurity risk environment."

Cortex XSOAR is the industry's first extended security orchestration, automation and response platform that empowers security teams by simplifying and harmonizing security operations across their entire enterprise. As a native extension of Cortex XSOAR, the Cortex XSOAR Marketplace enables customers to discover, share, and consume orchestration innovations contributed by the industry's largest SOAR community.

For more information, please read the Palo Alto Networks and SafeBreach joint solution brief for Cortex XSOAR. For more information on the integration please watch the product video .

About SafeBreach

SafeBreach is the world's most widely used breach-and-attack-simulation platform. The company's patented platform provides a "hacker's view" of an enterprise's security posture to proactively predict attacks, validate security controls, and improve security operations center (SOC) analyst response capabilities. SafeBreach automatically and safely executes thousands of breach methods validating network, endpoint, cloud, and email security controls by leveraging its extensive and growing Hacker's Playbook of research and real-world investigative data. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, the company is funded by Sequoia Capital, Deutsche Telekom Capital Partners, OCV Partners, DNX Ventures, Hewlett Packard Pathfinder, PayPal and investor Shlomo Kramer. For more information, visit www.safebreach.com or follow us on Twitter @SafeBreach.

Media Contact

Corinna Krueger

VP Marketing, SafeBreach

[email protected]

SOURCE SafeBreach

Related Links

http://www.safebreach.com


Extra 22.7 million for adult social care sector described as temporary sticking plaster

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Aug 4th, 2020

Care home owners in North Wales have described the extra 22.7 million in emergency funding announced by the Welsh Government as a temporary sticking plaster.

The funding, announced yesterday, was described by Health and Social Services Minister Vaughan Gething as helping to ensure adult social care providers can maintain their vital care in what continues to be challenging circumstances.

The money being made available to local authorities is in addition to the 40 million made available to local authorities in April to support the social care sector to meet the skyrocketing bills in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

But while the announcement was most welcome, sector champions Care Forum Wales say the overwhelming priority must be to devise a national action plan to implement long-term structural change to mend a system thats broken and fragmented.

The Welsh Government say they will review the situation again in September.

Mario Kreft MBE, the chair of Care Forum Wales, has called for an overall strategy that includes the social care sector in tackling this emergency.

This extra funding and the kind words from the Health Minister are most welcome, said Mr Kreft.

But the extra money is only a temporary sticking plaster to tide the sector over until September.

What we also need as a matter of urgency is a national action plan to implement fundamental long-term structural change to a broken and fragmented system.

It is now August and this funding covers the period from July 1 so providers were becoming increasingly desperate.

We cannot afford to wait until September to review the overall situation again. We need to start planning now so we can sustain the sector through this coming winter so that, crucially, care homes and nursing homes can support the NHS.

We need to plan for the six-month period to get us through the winter when the pressure on the NHS is likely to be greater than they have ever seen and greater than we have seen during this pandemic.

Certainly, care homes have never faced pressures like this before  its an enormously challenging situation.

Mr Kreft has also called for structural change to ensure social care which is means tested dovetails better with the health service thats free at the point of delivery and that it is funded in a more coherent way.

He said: The current model of funding which has been in operation for nearly a quarter of a century is clearly not fit for purpose and never has been.

Funding is allocated via local councils and health boards which means we essentially have 29 variations on a theme which is an absolute nonsense.

The vast majority of care home residents are publicly funded and providers have been forced to dance to the varying tunes of local councils for a generation

Our magnificent front line staff and the providers have been heroic in keeping the virus at by in the vast majority of care homes where they have either not had outbreaks of have managed them very well.

Fundamentally, care homes are very safe, robustly managed places for vulnerable people and the biggest issues have been around people going into hospital. Many more people have succumbed to the virus in a hospital setting than in a care home setting.

In fact, care home deaths associated with Covid-19 as a percentage in Wales have been lower than any of the other UK countries and lower than many in Europe.

We need a new national action plan in place sooner rather than later so we can pump prime the sector, ensure the workforce benefits from the same terms and conditions as the NHS and implement structural change to properly integrate social care and the NHS so that providers are hard-wired in to meet the massive challenges that lie ahead.

You cannot continue doing the same thing over and over again and expect a different result.

Mr Gething said: Social care plays a vital role in supporting some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and has been on the front line in our effort across public services to meet the challenges posed by Covid-19.

The initial payment of 40m helped the sector meet the rising costs incurred during the pandemic in areas such as staffing, increased infection control, higher food prices and greater use of ICT to keep families in touch with their loved ones where they were no longer able to meet.

This further funding will ensure adult social care providers can maintain their vital care in what continues to be challenging circumstances.

This is particularly so in the case of care homes, who are now also facing financial challenges through loss of income as a result of increased vacancies in their homes due to the need to restrict new admissions to contain the virus.

The funding will be made available immediately and continue until the end of September after which the situation will be reviewed again.

The Minister added: The social care workforce is on the front line of this huge effort to respond to the coronavirus pandemic and we are committed to supporting every single person do their job.

Every one of us in Wales owes them a debt of gratitude. I want to personally want to thank our social care workforce for their fantastic efforts in protecting the public.
According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, global meat production will decline in 2020 for the second year in a row, and only the third year since 1961. Several factors have contributed to that three-percent reduction in per-capita meat consumption (which is the biggest drop since 2000), including the rise of the alternative meat industry and the spread of COVID-19.

For instance: Plant-based meat sales are up 264-percent this year, over half of Americans say theyd be open to giving up at least one type of meat (ushering in the age of the flexatarian), and meat production factories are still reeling from a rash of coronavirus cases, which left dozens dead and ignited a nationwide discussion on the facilities safety measures and treatment of workers.

Still, another reason meat production is slowing, according to Bloomberg Green, is a decline in demand for a specific type of meat: beef. From 1961 to 2018, beef has gone from 39 percent of total meat production to 20 percent as the world has reached peak pasture  the total global land area devoted to grazing cows (to be turned into beef) has declined for 20 years now, while personal beef consumption has trended down since the 1970s.

This is a huge boon for the environment. Beef production is the most resource-intensive of the meats. It contributes 10 times the emissions of pork or chicken production and requires significant land-use change (which leads to deforestation, which leads to wildfires). For those whove longed for the death of the beef cattle industry  from enraged environmentalists to those speculating on alternative meat stocks  this could be a significant turning point.

One thing to keep in mind, though: as beef production has gone down, chicken production has actually shot through the roof, and tripled in its share of total meat production. From a stone-faced, land-use perspective, this is a good thing. Chicken will soon pass pork as the globally preferred meat, and is raised in more efficient, confined areas. But that confinement makes for a miserable existence for the chickens to to be slaughtered, and the manner in which most of those chicken are usually consumed are is dubious and unsustainable.

Subscribe here for our free daily newsletter.

The post Meat Production Is Actually Down for the Second Year in a Row appeared first on InsideHook.
IndiGo said on Tuesday that it operated a passenger charter flight from Moscow to Amritsar to Kochi on Sunday, bringing back a total of 212 Indians from the Russian capital.

"The passengers who were mostly students flew home by the chartered flight en route Moscow - Amritsar - Kochi with the assistance of Embassy of India in Moscow, Russia and Nixtour India Private Limited," the airline said in a press release.

Scheduled international passenger flights continue to remain suspended in India since March 23 amid the pandemic. However, special international charter flights, permitted by the Indian aviation regulator DGCA, have been operating as usual.

India resumed domestic passenger flights from May 25 after a gap of two months due to the pandemic. PTI DSP

Also read: SpiceJet operates its maiden long-haul charter flight from Amsterdam, brings back 269 Indians
With Libya's conflict escalating, the country's crude oil exports are set to be just 1.2 million barrels in August, a 40-percent plunge from July, Bloomberg reported, citing an initial loading program it has seen.

This month, two terminals in the country holding Africa's largest crude oil reserves are set to ship a cargo of 600,000 barrels each, according to the program Bloomberg has seen.

Most of Libya's oil terminals and facilities are closed amid an ongoing civil war in the country, with violent clashes erupting between armed groups in Libya's Oil Crescent.

Currently, oil production in the country is around 100,000 barrels per day (bpd). This figure is dramatically down from 1.2 million bpd at the start of the year, just before paramilitary formations affiliated with the Libyan National Army (LNA) of eastern Libyan strongman General Khalifa Haftar occupied Libya's oil export terminals and oilfields.

Early in June, Libya's National Oil Corporation (NOC) resumed production at the 300,000-bpd Sharara oilfield after negotiating the opening of an oilfield valve that had been closed since January. But just a day later, Sharara shuttered again, after an armed force had told the workers in the field to stop working.

Last week, NOC said that it "is deeply concerned about the continuing militarization of its oil facilities and the heavy presence of foreign mercenaries at various oil fields and ports in the east and south of the country."

The presence of mercenaries at the Ras Lanuf petrochemical complex, the Zueitina oil port, and the Zallah field "are a threat and may lead to the destruction of the Libyan people's sole source of revenue," the Libyan oil firm said.

A few days earlier, NOC's chairman Mustafa Sanalla said that "The illegal oil blockade has had disastrous effects on our national economy and damaged the living standards of Libyans. Our reservoirs are suffering permanent damage, and stagnant fluids are corroding our pipelines, which will cost us huge amounts to repair. We urge all Libyan parties to do everything possible to restart oil production as soon as possible to avoid further damage."

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
July Revenue Growth Driven by Robust Nanoproduct Portfolio; Management Expects Continued Revenue Growth throughout 2020

HOUSTON, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- C-Bond Systems (the Company or C-Bond) (OTC: CBNT), a nanotechnology solutions company, announced today that it has reported record monthly revenue of more than $128,000 in July driven by robust sales of the Companys nanoproducts.



Unaudited revenue generated in July was primarily a result of robust sales of C-Bond NanoShield, the Companys patented windshield strengthener, and an order for MB-10 Tablets from an overseas distributor.

In the first quarter of 2020, C-Bond Systems delineated its business model into the Transportation Solutions Group and Safety Solutions Group in order to expand and better position its business for strategic partnership opportunities. C-Bond Transportation Solutions includes the C-Bond NanoShield product line and C-Bond Safety Solutions includes C-Bond BRS (ballistic-resistant system).

Following the establishment of the two divisions, through various national and international distribution agreements with strategic partners, the Company has added new branded nanoproducts to its portfolio ranging from automotive paint sealants to surface protectors. Other new products include FN NANO, a photocatalytic coating used in hospitals, schools, and other facilities to reduce the spread of airborne toxins and allergens; and most recently, MB-10 Tablets, an EPA registered, broad spectrum disinfectant effective against a wide range of bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, which causes COVID-19.

Earlier this year when the COVID-19 pandemic was initially taking hold across the world, we made the decision to broaden our focus from our core businesses of transportation and safety solutions to add complementary nanoproducts to better address the urgent needs our customers faced, said Scott R. Silverman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of C-Bond Systems. Based on our current visibility and sales pipeline, we believe this decision to evolve our business to attract a wider customer base and anticipate industry trends has been a success. As a result, we expect continued sales growth for the remainder of 2020.

Story continues

About C-Bond

C-Bond Systems, Inc. (OTC: CBNT) is a Houston-based advanced nanotechnology company and marketer of the patented C-Bond technology, developed in conjunction with Rice University and independently proven to significantly strengthen glass in key automotive and structural applications. The Companys Transportation Solutions Group sells C-Bond NanoShield, a liquid solution applied directly to automotive windshields, sold through distributors. The Companys Safety Solutions Group sells ballistic-resistant glass solutions and FN NANO Coating directly to private enterprises, schools, hospitals and government agencies. For more information, please visit our website: www.cbondsystems.com , Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cbondsys/ and Twitter: https://twitter.com/CBond_Systems .

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release about our future expectations, including the likelihood that management expects continued revenue growth throughout 2020; the likelihood that based on our current visibility and sales pipeline, we believe this decision to evolve our business to attract a wider customer base and anticipate industry trends has been a success; the likelihood that as a result, we expect continued sales growth for the remainder of 2020; constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and our actual results could differ materially from expected results. These risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, C-Bonds ability to raise capital; the Companys ability to successfully commercialize its products; the effect of the COVID-19 global pandemic on the Companys ability to operate; the timing and recognition of revenue; as well as other risks. Additional information about these and other factors may be described in the Companys filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) including its Form 10-K filed on March 25, 2020, its Forms 10-Q filed on May 15, 2020, November 14, 2019, and August 12, 2019, and in future filings with the SEC. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this statement or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

Contact:

Luke Zimmerman

Senior Vice President

MZ Group - MZ North America

949-259-4987

CBNT@mzgroup.us

www.mzgroup.us

Allison Tomek

C-Bond Systems

6035 South Loop East

Houston, TX 77033

atomek@cbondsystems.com




Penn State University's main campus in State College. The university has established partnerships with universities in other countries for first-year international students to attend classes until they can get into the United States. Read more

Many first-year international students might not be able to get into the United States to attend college this fall, given coronavirus-related visa restrictions.

But as universities nationwide are anticipating a dip in international enrollment this year  by as much as 25%, according to some projections  some local colleges are figuring out ways to hold on to the students. They contribute vitally to campus culture and the economy, with many paying full tuition.

Pennsylvania State University and Lehigh University in Bethlehem  both planning to open in the fall with a hybrid method of instruction  are setting up partnerships with universities in other countries to keep the students who cannot get into the United States enrolled and on track to receive their degree until they can get a visa.

Through a program called Penn State First, nearly 500 first-year Chinese students scheduled to attend Penn State will start their studies at East China Normal University in Shanghai, and 39 Korean students will attend Yonsei University in Seoul, president Eric Barron said at a board of trustees meeting last month. Students will take the equivalent of Penn State general education classes, which will be taught in person by faculty at the universities in those countries and remotely by Penn State faculty.

Its an innovative way  for us to meet them where they are, and for them to be able to continue when they are able to be at Penn State in person, Barron said.

New York University, the University of Pittsburgh, and Franklin and Marshall in Lancaster are among other schools that are preparing to have first-year international students study on campuses abroad. In NYUs case, students can take classes at one of its campuses in other countries, including Shanghai and Abu Dhabi.

Other local schools, including Bryn Mawr, Temple, and Rutgers, have not specified any special programming in other countries for international students. The campuses plan to offer some in-person classes, which students can take if they can get into the country.

 READ MORE: Pa. and N.J. attorneys general join lawsuit to block ICE from barring or deporting international students

Last month, Immigration and Customs Enforcement caused panic on campuses when it said international students could not remain in the country if their colleges opted for online-only classes in the fall. The agency has since reversed that stance, but the reversal applies only to students who were enrolled in a college on March 9. First-year students pursing an online-only course load are not able to enter the country, and even those planning to take in-person classes may face travel and flight restrictions and closed U.S. consulate offices. .

 READ MORE: Trump administration agrees to end policy that could have led to mass deportation of students from U.S. colleges

Roger Brindley, Penn State vice provost for global programs, said the universitys program for international students had nothing to do with the July ICE directives and was planned and ready in June. Lehighs program also was in the works before the directive came out.

Lehigh has made arrangements for 80 of its 134 international first-year undergraduate students to take courses at partnership universities in six countries through its Lehigh in Residence program, said Cheryl Matherly, vice president and vice provost for international affairs. Students will pay tuition to Lehigh, and Lehigh will reimburse those institutions, she said.

Students can begin studying and make progress toward their degree while they are waiting on their visa, Matherly said.

In China, students will take preapproved courses taught in English and in person by local faculty, and at least one class taught remotely from Bethlehem, she said. In the other countries, including South Korea, India, and Pakistan, students will take courses at the local universities and two courses remotely from Bethlehem.

Yiting Chen, a rising Lehigh first-year student from Anhui, China, had hoped to begin pursuing her mathematics degree on the Bethlehem campus, with its extensive libraries and resources and an English-speaking environment that would allow her to improve her language skills. But amid visa cancellations, she is grateful for the Lehigh in Residence in Shanghai program, which will provide her with some semblance of a campus atmosphere.

And, she said she will feel safer staying in her home country, due to Chinas more effective handling of the pandemic.

In Shanghai, theres almost no coronavirus now, and all the campus [buildings] and hotels are very safe, so I dont worry about this, she said. But on Lehighs campus, I could meet students from all over the world.

Incoming Lehigh first-year student Kelly Sun, who is from Shanghai, is also appreciative of the program, which she said allows her to make friends and take classes in a safer environment.

Even with some disappointment, I can understand this decision, and  its a good decision, she said.

There are some countries, particularly those that allow only remote instruction, where Lehigh wasnt able to establish a program, Matherly said. Those students may choose to either take their Lehigh classes online or defer to a later semester.

Alberto Guinand, an incoming first-year student from Lima, Peru, where Lehigh was not able to establish a residence program, said he will take his classes from home to stay on track for graduation. But he will miss out on some experiences, including starting a band. He had already picked his bandmates.

Despite being unable to make it to campus this fall, Guinand, Chen, and Sun all praised Lehigh for its efforts to introduce international students to campus resources and culture through an online summer course called ENGL 095: Lehigh Life and Language for International Speakers. They hope to continue their studies in Bethlehem as soon as possible.

We are thankful to Lehigh for giving us this option, Sun said. I can do nothing [about] the virus; all I can do is wait for someone to solve it and just hope everyone in America can [stay healthy].
By Tom Fowdy

Editor's note: Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain and the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

There was more drama in the saga concerning popular social media application TikTok today as U.S. President Donald Trump is to set a 45-day deadline for ByteDance to sell its American operations, and then demanded that a share of the proceeds be paid to the U.S. treasury.

It comes as speculations continue to mount on talks with American technology giants considering its future, amid reports that the company may also relocate its headquarters in London, an announcement which drew a positive response from Boris Johnson but was berated by the hardliners in Conservative Party's anti-China fringe.

Amidst all the controversy and beyond Trump's aggressive technology protectionism, there is one strategic point which observers are failing to note in regard to disdain for TikTok, that is the challenge the application poses to America's global allied surveillance and data sharing network commonly known as "The Five Eyes" (FVEY).

With a Reuters report also having stated that Microsoft may be looking to also buy TikTok's operations in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, a clear pattern emerges. Although it is argued by the critics that data in the application is being sent to China (without evidence) in practice these countries are disdainful of a major social media network which cannot fall under their own data collection systems. This is why there is an obsession that a U.S. tech giant controls it.

It has been elaborated multiple times how the U.S. crusade against TikTok is simply about preserving American technological hegemony and aggressively stifling competitors. This doesn't need to be elaborated again.

The fact the U.S. president himself is weaponizing threats and coercion to push this deal through is self-explanatory, not least as much as it is an unacceptable abuse of power by the American government to undermine rival companies.

However, what does "hegemony" mean in this particular instance? TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service with a majority of users who are youngsters, whilst it is commercially successful it does not appear such as Huawei, to be a "strategic technology" that can change the balance of power between two countries, so what is the issue which links it to great power politics?

The answer is what it is being accused of - data, albeit at a different angle. TikTok is being widely considered the first successful Chinese video social media application which exists beyond the power of American technology giants.

Whilst the point of competition is raised above, its rise to become the most downloaded application in the world is not a surveillance threat itself (as this has never been proven) but in fact that it undermines America and its allies' global surveillance operations by taking away a new generation of young people beyond their reach.

In the United States, the PRISM and ECHELON programs harvest data from Silicon Valley giants and distribute it amongst the other "four eyes" (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and UK) accordingly and vice versa.

As a result, it is imperative for the U.S. and its allies to keep this system in place by ensuring that global social media remains under their control, giving them a strategic hold over the entire world.

The TikTok app as seen on a smartphone. /Reuters

TikTok challenges this not because it allegedly gives data to China, but because it denies access to data from their own citizens, which exists beyond their sphere of political power.

This is why the United States are so obsessed with ensuring that an American company such as Microsoft controls it, so that then TikTok becomes co-opted by default (as Microsoft is a participant) into these programs, thus allowing the National Security Agency to gain insight into 80 million Americans which they previously did not have. This explains why the potential sale may expand into three of these other countries as well.

In this case, attacks against the application are in fact a form of projection, it's not so much "China stealing data" (for this is just a politicized scare-story) but the fact the U.S. government itself cannot do what it accuses Beijing of in this instance.

This makes sense when one understands the broader scope of the technology war to effectively be the "five eyes" coordinating together against Chinese technology companies, as has been done with Huawei.

These five countries build their power on maintaining dominance over all communications and networks as part of a global surveillance effort; China is a threat because its technological successes have by default challenged this monopoly and its stranglehold over leading innovation.

As a result, TikTok has a five-eyed monster coming after it, one that isn't trying to protect the data of its users, it is trying to steal for its own nefarious purposes.
Heavy showers in Mumbai and neighbouring areas brought life to a juddering halt and disrupted rail and road traffic in the city on Tuesday, with essential services workers like nurses and other medical staff treating Covid-19 patients also finding it difficult to reach hospitals. State minister Aaditya Thackeray, who visited several areas in the city, said this is probably the heaviest rains Mumbai has seen in a 12-hour span. Several areas in the city and suburbs received more than 200 mm rainfall since Monday night and heavy showers were likely to continue for the next 48 hours, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Several houses in low-lying areas like Kurla, Sion and parts of Bhandup were flooded due to the heavy downpour, a civic official said. Several vehicles, which suffered engine problems due to the heavy downpour, were seen lying abandoned on roads.

Here are the top 10 updates on Mumbai rains:

* The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) appealed to residents to stay at home and urged commercial establishments, except those providing essential services, to remain closed on Tuesday.

* The Maharashtra government also announced a holiday for all its offices in Mumbai city and suburbs on Tuesday in view of the heavy rainfall in the metropolis and neighbouring areas.

* State minister Aaditya Thackeray visited several areas, saying work is on in full swing to drain out water from water logged areas. The minister also said, in a tweet, that this is perhaps for the first time after July 2005, Mumbai has experienced such heavy rains in a 12 hour span.

* A 35-year-old woman and her two children were swept away in a swollen nullah after their house collapsed due to heavy rainfall in suburban Santacruz here on Tuesday afternoon, an official said.

* Local train services, which are currently being operated only for those engaged in essential services, were suspended on some routes in Mumbai and suburbs in the morning due to water-logging on rail tracks.

* A landslide on the Western Express Highway, a major north-south arterial road, in suburban Kandivali affected vehicular movement from the western suburbs towards south Mumbai, though there was no casualty, officials said.

* Water-logging outside the civic-run Nair Hospital in central Mumbai, where several Covid-19 patients from the city are being treated, posed a problem for its medical staff. Nurses and other medical staff have been struggling to reach the hospital due to water-logging in the premises and elsewhere, a resident doctor from the hospital said.

* Some incidents of tree fall were also reported, a civic official said, adding that a big tree fell on Andheri- SEEPZ road, disrupting traffic movement there.

* The Bombay High Court adjourned its virtual hearings in various cases as many staff members could not reach the court in south Mumbai, an official said. The high court will hear the matters on Wednesday, an official said.

* The city has been witnessing heavy rainfall since Monday night, leading to water-logging in several low-lying areas.

(With PTI inputs)
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: The fifth round of talks between the Indian and Chinese Corps Commanders did not yield any result as the Chinese side have shown no inclination to execute the disengagement of troops from the Finger area.



Top brass of security establishments met in Delhi on Tuesday for the analysis of the meeting and sources confirmed that the matter came up for discussion during the meeting.



The Chinese are not ready to move back from the Finger area, said the sources. Chinese troops although left the height of Finger 4 but remained present on the ridge.

Indian claim has been till Finger 8 but after the clash of Indian and Chinese troops in the first week of May, China moved in its troops gradually to the Hotspring Sector, Galwan Valley, and Depsang Bulge.



There is an estimated presence of about 40,000 Chinese troops along with Armoury, Artillery, and other equipments. India has also deployed its troops along with commensurate presence of Artillery, armoured and other equipments to counter the Chinese Army.



There have been five Corps Commanders meetings with the last one being July 2 and India has reiterated its position on disengagement that status quo ante to the position before Chinese moved in and adopted the standoff position.



Of the five standoff points, the Chinese moved back only from Patrolling Point 14 and 15 and it was verified. The Chinese have not honoured the agreement between the two Corps Commanders meeting and they remain present, apart from the Finger area, in Gogra-Hot Spring sector and also in Depsang.



Keeping the present situation and fast approaching winters Indian Army has got into preparations to maintain its troop presence and in case of need even beef them up at those areas of high altitude and extreme cold.
Photo credit: JP Yim

From Harper's BAZAAR

Bella Hadid has called for an end to racism in fashion, highlighting examples of how racial discrimination manifests itself in the industry.

The 2020 Black Lives Matter movement has prompted an awakening about the extent of existing global racism. The fashion world is part of the problem, with a lack of Black representation on catwalks and adverts, as well as in magazines, both in the pages and behind the scenes. Infrastructures are also needed to ensure that Black-owned businesses are able to thrive.

Hadid said that racism was something her Black model friends experienced regularly.

"Going into the next season, my fear is having to see another one of my Black girlfriends get her hair burned by a hair straightener, or do her own make-up because the make-up artist hasnt been trained to work with all different skin types," Hadid told Elle.

"I hate that some of my Black friends feel the way they do. Even if theyre sitting front row, theyre not feeling accepted," she added. "Our industry is supposed to be about expression and individuality, but the reality is that [many people] still discriminate because of exactly [those differences]."

The model, who has been self-isolating on her family ranch in Pennsylvania, feels it's her duty to use her platform for good. I want young girls and boys to know that it is okay to use your voice and demand justice for what is important to you," she said. "I want them to know its okay to be empathetic and gentle, but to be strong and speak your truth at the same time.

Following the murder of George Floyd, Hadid shared an impassioned Instagram post demanding justice. She said there was no reason for anyone to be treated so inhumanely.

"This has got to stop. Its hard to watch a video so foul," she wrote. "Its hard to think that this is still happening. but it is reality. And these police officer need to be accountable to the maximum degree for their obviously disgusting and horrific actions. I feel so sick, sad and sorry for George Floyd and his family."

Story continues

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President Donald Trump wears a protective face mask during a tour of the Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies' Innovation Center, where components for a potential coronavirus disease vaccine are being produced - Reuters

Scientists in the US have expressed fears that the Trump administration is brushing aside safety concerns in a bid to deliver a Covid-19 vaccine in time for the November election.

Experts said they worried that a White House anxious for good news will push the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to overlook insufficient data from trials of a vaccine.

Donald Trump announced in May the Operation Warp Speed initiative to develop and deliver 300 million doses of a safe, effective coronavirus vaccine by January 2021.

The date has since been brought forward.

Approving vaccines usually takes years as the threshold is typically higher than for other drugs because they will be used in millions of otherwise healthy people. This would mean that even rare side effects could affect many more people than a drug that treats a specific illness.

the world's biggest study of a possible COVID-19 vaccine, developed by the National Institutes of Health and Moderna - AP

There are a lot of people on the inside of this process who are very nervous about whether the administration is going to reach their hand into the Warp Speed bucket, pull out one or two or three vaccines, and say, Weve tested it on a few thousand people, it looks safe, and now we are going to roll it out, Dr Paul Offit of the University of Pennsylvania, who is a member of the Food and Drug Administrations vaccine advisory committee, told the New York Times.

They are really worried about that, he added. And they should be.

In a tweet last month, the president explicitly tied vaccines to his re-election hopes.

F.D.A. has been great, at my instruction. We expect to have a vaccine available very, very early before the end of the year, far ahead of schedule, he said. Were very close to having that finalized.

Dozens of Covid-19 vaccines are currently in development in the US. Massachusetts-based Moderna and National Institutes for Health last week began the third stage of testing with 30,000 participants. Earlier trials were encouraging, with the vaccine producing an antibody response in the majority of patients.

Story continues

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has drawn up guidance on who will be first to receive any vaccine. Some 12 million of the country's most critical health, national security and other essential workers will be first in line. Next will be 110 million people deemed to be at high risk from the novel virus.

White House officials said that the vaccine timeline had no connection to Mr Trumps re-election campaign. The rapid research, development, trials and eventual distribution of a Covid-19 vaccine is emblematic of President Trumps highest priority: the health and safety of the American people, said Judd Deere, a White House spokesman. It has nothing to do with politics.

It came as senior Democrats spoke out against a key member of the administrations coronavirus taskforce.

Nancy Pelosi, House Speaker, criticised what she called Dr Deborah Birxs overly "optimistic" briefings to the president on the virus.

Dr Birx, the taskforces response coordinator, replied: This was not a pollyannish view. I've never been called pollyannish, or non-scientific, or non-data driven.

I will stake my 40-year career on those fundamental principles of using data to implement better programs and save lives."
Kabul (AFP) - A ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan government appeared to hold for the third and final day on Sunday, with hundreds of militant prisoners released in a bid to bring peace talks closer.

Calm prevailed across much of Afghanistan, with officials not reporting any major clashes between the two foes since the truce began on Friday to mark the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

President Ashraf Ghani and the Taliban have both indicated that long-delayed negotiations could begin straight after Eid.

The rare respite from violence gave some Afghans the opportunity to safely visit relatives for Eid celebrations after long periods apart.

"I managed to visit my village for the first time in two years," said Khalil Ahmad from volatile Uruzgan province, a hotbed for insurgents.

"There were many Taliban checkposts on the way, but they did not bother anyone."

Shahpoor Shadab, a resident from the eastern city of Jalalabad, told AFP that "Eid feels different, parks are full with people".

"You almost forget that there has been a war in this country for 40 years."

Kabul resident Fawad Babak, a shopkeeper, was sad that it was the last day of the ceasefire.

"I'm a little disheartened... the killing and bloodshed may resume again tomorrow," he said.

In restive Zabul province, several residents recited poems calling for the ceasefire -- only the third official halt in fighting in nearly two decades of conflict -- to be made permanent.

"Peace is everybody's need and aspiration," said Sardar Wali, who took part in the poetry session.

"This is a great opportunity to extend the ceasefire today and start intra-Afghan talks tomorrow."

Under a deal signed by the Taliban and the US in February, the "intra-Afghan" talks were slated to start in March, but were delayed amid political infighting in Kabul and as a contentious prisoner swap dragged on.

The deal stipulated that Kabul would free around 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for 1,000 Afghan security personnel held captive by the Taliban.

Story continues

The National Security Council said Sunday that a further 300 Taliban prisoners had been released since Friday, taking the total number of insurgents freed so far to just over 4,900.

Authorities however have refused to free hundreds of inmates accused of serious crimes that the insurgents had requested for release.

The Taliban said they have already fulfilled their side of the exchange.

Deadly violence has rocked Afghanistan since the US-Taliban deal was agreed, with more than 3,500 Afghan troops killed in attacks by the insurgents, according to Ghani.

strs-us-jds/ecl/mtp
UNION CITY, CA  If the New Haven Unified School District wants to hold classes in schools instead of online this fall, State epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan on Tuesday outlined the state's waiver process for K-6 schools.

Alameda County is currently on California's COVID-19 coronavirus "Watch List."

Pan, the former health officer for Alameda County, said K-6 schools can apply for a waiver to begin in-person instruction if they are located in a county that meets several criteria in spite of being on the state's Watch List.

Individual schools must submit a site-specific plan to keep students and staff safe, taking into account input from interest groups like labor unions and parent organizations. Those schools must then publicly post their plan and submit it to their local health officer to apply for a waiver.

California Department of Public Health officials will then review each application on a case-by-case basis, taking into account factors such as which direction indicators like coronavirus positivity rates are trending in a given county.

All 11 counties in the greater Bay Area, from Monterey to Sonoma, are on the state's monitoring list as of Tuesday.

State public health officials issued details about the waiver process "based on evidence that is evolving about how we know this virus is behaving in children and the importance of in-person instruction for our youngest," Pan said.

Students will be required to work in small groups to allow them the chance for social interaction while diminishing the chance they spread the virus to another student or a teacher.

Gov. Gavin Newsom and state public health officials have reiterated that schools in counties on the state's Watch List must begin the fall semester without in-person classes unless they have a waiver.

State Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Mark Ghaly said parents who want their kids to attend classes in person during the fall semester should take heed of public health guidelines by wearing a mask, washing their hands and keeping their distance from others.

Story continues

"We continue to learn from the science, we continue to learn from our own data how to stop the spread," Ghaly said. "It really does come down to a few simple acts that can make a big difference."

 Patch editor Bea Karnes and Bay City News contributed to this story



Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know

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This article originally appeared on the Union City Patch
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 17:36:16|Editor: huaxia

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PHNOM PENH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) on Tuesday donated medical supplies to Cambodia for the COVID-19 fight, said a press statement from the Cambodian Ministry of Health (MoH).

WHO's representative in Cambodia Li Ailan handed over the items to Cambodian Minister of Health Mam Bunheng at a ceremony held at the MoH in Phnom Penh, the statement said.

The items included 17,000 specimen collection kits, 17,000 nasopharyngeal swabs, and 20,000 RNA extraction kits, it said.

Bunheng expressed his profound thanks to the WHO for providing the items, saying that they are very useful for the kingdom to prevent and respond to the pandemic.

"We highly appreciate the WHO for working closely with Cambodia to set out measures to prevent, control and respond to the COVID-19 spread," he said.

The Southeast Asian nation has recorded a total of 241 confirmed COVID-19 cases to date, with 200 patients cured and 41 remained in hospital, according to the MoH. Enditem
Ryan Reynolds is apologizing for marrying Blake Lively on a plantation.

Reynolds, 43, and Lively, 32, exchanged vows in 2012 at Boone Hall Plantation in South Carolina, but they later regretted not giving the site's "devastating" history more thought, Reynolds told Fast Company in a new interview. The plantation features nine slave cabins.

"Its something well always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for," said the "Deadpool" star.

Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds (Venturelli / WireImage)

"Its impossible to reconcile. What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy," he added.

The Canadian-born actor said the "shame" he and Lively later felt about the setting motivated them to educate themselves about racism.

"A giant f------ mistake like that can either cause you to shut down or it can reframe things and move you into action. It doesnt mean you wont f--- up again. But repatterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesnt end," he said.

Reynolds and Lively  who share daughters James, 5, Inez, 3, and a child reportedly named Betty, whom they welcomed last year  donated $1 million to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and the Young Center for Immigrant Childrens Rights last year.

In late May, the couple announced they'd donated another $200,000 to the NAACP Legal Defense Fund following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis police custody days before. In a joint statement on Instagram, the pair said they were "ashamed" that they'd been uninformed in the past about the evils of systemic racism in the U.S., but vowed to continue educating themselves on the topic.

The couple wrote that they wanted to "use our privilege and platform to be an ally. And to play a part in easing pain for so many who feel as though this grand experiment is failing them."

Reynolds recently announced he was launching a new program called the Group Effort Initiative to hire trainees who are "Black, Indigenous, people of color or people from marginalized or excluded communities" to work on his next film.

Story continues

"Making a movie, well, it's a group effort. But for entirely too long, that group has systemically excluded Black, Indigenous, people of color and a whole host of otherwise marginalized communities," Reynolds shared in a video on Instagram.

The actor said he was committed "to bringing between 10 and 20 trainees from the BIPOC community and any and all other marginalized communities of all ages" to the movie's set. (BIPOC is a term referring to Black people, Indigenous people and people of color. It has gained popularity during the recent rise of the Black Lives Matter movement.)

In his caption, Reynolds wrote that the Group Effort Initiative was "designed to invest in the talent and creativity of any and all under-represented communities whove felt this industry didnt have room for their dreams."
Al Jazeera speaks to witnesses and survivors in immediate aftermath of massive explosion that shook Lebanons capital.

Confusing, devastating, disastrous: these were some of the words people in and around Beirut used to describe a huge explosion that ripped through the Lebanese capital, killing dozens of people and wounding thousands more.

The explosion at Beiruts port on Tuesday was felt across the city and beyond, causing widespread damage and spreading panic. Authorities have launched an investigation to determine what had caused it.

Al Jazeera spoke to survivors and witnesses in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Here is what they had to say.

I cant believe Im still alive

I was a few metres away from the electricity establishment in Lebanon, which is parallel to the port, Nada Hamza, a Beirut resident, said.

I went out of my car, I ran away to the entrance of one of the buildings, then I realised that the building was destroyed. Then, I tried to call my parents, but I couldnt reach anyone, she added.

I cant believe Im still alive.

The explosion left the port a wasteland [Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera]

This was very massive

Nasser Yassin, an associate professor at the American University of Beirut, was outside Beirut at the time of the explosion but felt as if it was nearby.

We were shaken, he added.

This was very massive, I havent seen this [before], I lived through the civil war in Lebanon, the Israeli invasion  but this is the biggest explosion that happened in Lebanon up to my experience and knowledge.

We dont know yet what happened, but this is going to be huge in Beirut.

Devastation beyond any description

Mohamed Khalifeh, a former health minister who rushed to a hospital to help treat the wounded, said he was at his house at the time of the explosion.

I shouted to my family to take care, theres an earthquake  and immediately, everything collapsed, he recalled.

I narrowly escaped this; I left my family and jumped to the hospital to save lives.

We are in a very bad situation economically, [there is a shortage of] medical supplies, shortage of everything, we manage to cope, but the devastation is beyond any description.

It was a disaster

Khaled Hamade, a former army general, said he was about one kilometre (0.6 miles) from the site of the explosion.

It was a disaster, he said. There was broken glass all over the streets, and you see many, many injured all over the streets, added Hamade.

Everything [made me remember] the last day of the civil war in Beirut.

People are going to sleep without windows

Habib Battah, a journalist and founder of the news site beirutreport.com, described the incident as a natural disaster because it caused widespread damage far beyond the explosion site.

I have friends who live 10-15 minutes away who showed me their entire house was blown out. I am wondering how people are going to sleep tonight without windows, he said.

This country is not prepared for disasters, added Battah. We always lived in the fear of a major catastrophe. A natural disaster, an earthquake  this country has no emergency readiness and no response. There are barely enough police to control highways which are extremely dangerous. In no place you will find the government trying to put regulations and safety for its citizens  so there are no highways patrols, no fire inspections of buildings.

Hospitals in the city were overwhelmed with wounded [Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera]

The glass cut me up

A man covered in blood said he did not fully understand what had happened.

I dont know what happened, he said. I was fishing, I heard there was a fire, so I began to head home, then I heard that something explode, and then, this happened, I got injured this is all I know.

Another wounded man, whose face was also covered in blood, said: My car was down there and it rolled over. I think my injuries are because of the glass. The glass cut me up.

Youssef, dad is in heaven

At Hotel-Dieu hospital, itself left damaged by the explosion, dozens of people trying to enter were told to go elsewhere.

Its a catastrophe, a catastrophe, a man said in disbelief.

Inside the crowded lobby, a family got the news that their relative was dead. A young woman bent over in anguish, spread her arms open to an infant child and said Youssef, dad is in heaven. An old man fell to his knees and smacked the ground, over and over.

The ship is totally destroyed

Several people on board an Italian ship docked near the explosion site, the Orient Queen, were wounded and taken to hospital.

The ship is totally destroyed  the cabins, the lounge, everything, Vincenco Orlandini, a 69-year-old crew member, said.

I heard the blast, and I flew to the opposite of the lobby, then I landed on the carpet, and Im lucky, I think that saved me.

Additional reporting by Timour Azhari and Zeina Khodr in Beirut
A friend of a young woman who died when she was thrown from a quad bike has been charged with allegedly driving the vehicle while drunk.

Aaron Luke Benato was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving over the alcohol limit and driving an unregistered vehicle on a road after the incident in Mcdesme on the north coast of Queensland in May.

Taylah Pearson suffered severe head injuries when the quad bike she was a passenger on crashed and flipped at a private property on Old Home Hill Road.

The 22-year-old was rushed to Ayr Hospital and later airlifted to Townsville University Hospital, where her family turned off her life support.

Aaron Luke Benato (pictured) has been charged after Taylah Pearson's horror quad bike death

Ms Pearson (pictured) suffered head injuries when the quad bike she was on flipped in May

Benato appeared in Ayr Magistrates Court on Monday as the alleged driver of the quad bike and will reappear in Townsville Magistrates Court on October 26.

The 24-year-old from Home Hill was good friends with Ms Pearson and was not seriously injured in the accident.

Queensland Police confirmed three quad bikes carrying five people were travelling together when the bike Ms Pearson was on flipped over.

A second driver, 22, was charged with drink driving, not wearing a helmet, driving unregistered and driving uninsured.

A 21-year-old man who was driving the third bike has also been charged with drink driving.

Both will appear in Ayr Magistrates Court on August 17.

Ms Pearson's death shocked the Burdekin shire community, with many friends posting heartfelt tributes on Facebook.

'I am so thankful for every memory we had together and I will cherish them forever,' one woman wrote.

Mr Benato was charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, driving over the alcohol limit and driving an unregistered vehicle on a road after the incident in Mcdesme

'You will always be one of my best friends and I am so glad you were apart of my life. Rest easy Tay. I love you.'

'Fly high Taylah Pearson. You're bubbly, happy and cheerful personality will be missed by everyone,' another wrote.

'I hope they have plenty of country music playing and beer up there for you.'

Ms Pearson's family thanked first responders and medical personnel for their help with Taylah after the tragedy.

'To the men who were with Taylah at the scene  we will be forever grateful for the care you gave to Taylah,' they told Townsville Bulletin.

'You gave us the precious gift of time we got to spend with her  this will never be forgotten.'

Ms Pearson's sister Brytni said her organs had saved the lives of several people.

'Some of her organs were too damaged but we are happy to say that Taylah has saved a few lives,' she said. 'One has her beautiful heart and three have her liver, one being a baby.'
Chris Miller joins EvoShare

EvoShare, a microsavings oriented FinTech startup based in Berkeley, CA, announced today that Chris Miller, a 16-year 401(k) retirement industry executive, will be joining the company in the newly created position of Chief Revenue Officer (CRO). Working closely with EvoShare co-founders, CEO Eugeny Prudchyenko and CTO Dan Tseytlonok, Mr. Miller will help to expand and bolster the companys position as the leading retirement micro-savings solution.

Were excited to draw on Chris demonstrated leadership and deep experience in the industry to guide our monetization strategies during our expansion, said Eugeny Prudchyenko, CEO of EvoShare.

Prior to joining Evoshare, Chris served dual roles as Senior Vice President of Cota St and Vice President of Pensionmark; a premier national RIA/ Broker-Dealer. Mr. Miller developed and expanded Pensionmark's presence in the 3(38) and Managed Account space. Prior to Pensionmark, Mr. Miller served in executive sales roles helping advisors, employers, and employees by promoting 401(k) platforms from various prominent companies such as Transamerica, The Hartford, and Merrill Lynch.

I have spent the last 16 years of my career educating employers and employees on the benefits of saving for retirement," Miller said. "The question that the retirement community is trying to solve is how to energize employees to save for their retirement. The excitement of EvoShare is answering this question with technology that uses the proven concept of cash-back rewards to boost employees savings, without them having to change their spending behavior.

EvoShares proprietary system turns a percentage of every dollar spent at over 10,000 partnered local and online stores into additional contributions for a financial savings account like a 401(k), IRA, 529 College Savings Plan, or HSA.

###

About EvoShare:

EvoShare is the premiere cash-back retirement savings program that is giving employees a new, automated way to save for their 401(k). EvoShare provides employers with a set it and forget it experience where plan participants can spend as usual at over 10,000 participating businesses and receive up to 20% cash back toward a financial account; 401(k) or 403(b) plan, IRA, HSA, student loan, or 529 plan.

EvoShare has been featured in Forbes, Inc., Entrepreneur, and The Huffington Post. It won the 2019 DC Genie Award from 401(k) TV for Best Financial Technology and was a finalist for KNect365s 2019 Finovate Award for Top Emerging Tech Company.


As the first anniversary of abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir inches closer, the BJP seems to be getting into a celebratory mood. The party is terming them move as the brightest moment in the lives of people of J&K and Ladakh. However, Shiv Sena, their former ally and now opposition, has said that many questions remain still unanswered.

"The government must tell us what transpired in the last one year in the state. What are the gains and what are the losses?" Sanjay Raut, Shiv Sena MP told CNN News18.

Taking a potshot at BJP, Raut said the government must explain why the region has been in a perpetual lockdown, the internet services remain blocked and so many leaders are still in detention.

Several political leaders including former J&K chief ministers Farooq Abdullah, Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti were detaine on August 5 last year, the day Narendra Modi government abrogated the special status of J&K and downgraded the state into two Union Territories. While Mufti was lodged under preventive detention for six months, she was booked under PSA in February this year along with Omar.

Raut asked why, despite all the measures taken by central government, attacks on security forces continue in J&K. "The bloodshed continues and Pakistan continues to bleed us with a thousand cuts. Now they're even more emboldened by what China has done in the Galwan Valley. The Centre must answer all these questions. In fact, there should be a discussion on this in the Parliament. We had supported the government to pass the bill in both Houses. Like many other parties, we too would like to know the answers."

According to official data, a total of 148 terrorists have been killed by the Indian forces so far in the last one year.

The number of our security personnel who've been martyred this year stands at 30. Personnel from the Indian Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and the Jammu and Kashmir Police have laid down their lives in the line of duty.

Close to 14 security personnel were killed in anti-terrorism and counter-infiltration operations. Of the terrorists eliminated, big names that had been at large for long included Hizbul Mujahideen chief Riyaz Naikoo.

Shiv Sena also reminded the BJP government to come out and declare the ghar wapasi plan for Kashmiri pundits suffered exodus in 1990 after several targeted killings and have been demanding justice for the last three decades. But successive governments have failed them, Raut said.

Not only do Kashmiri pundits want to return home, they want terrorists Yasin Malik and Bitta Karate  who they old responsible for the killings against their community  to be convicted. They have been demanding better job prospects in the J&K government.

The central government maintains that it is committed to the safe and peaceful return of the pundits and to also provide for financial assistance for their rehabilitation.

Despite being allies for several decades, only to have parted ways post the Maharashtra polls last year, Shiv Sena has often been at loggerheads with the Modi government  questioning their actions against Pakistan and their alliance in the Jammu and Kashmir region with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Sena has worn its patriotism on its sleeve much like the BJP and continues to ask questions.

Meanwhile, the state unit of Sena has set up posters all over Jammu on the first anniversary of Abrogation of 370 and stated the next step for reclaiming Pakinstan Occupied Kashmir (PoK) and China Occupied Kashmir (Aksai Chin). Keeping in the challenges of law and order in mind, Lt Governor Murmu has declared curfew in the region.

"The fact that curfew has been imposed yet again tells you the story of the last one year. There is nothing to take home. The government must tell the people of this country what has been achieved so far," said Hasnain Masoodi, National Conference MP Justice (Retd).

However, Union Minister Dr Jitender Singh hit out at the critics, saying, "At least three chief ministers in the state maintained a convenient silence to cling to power when their own daughters were denied rights. Now changes have been witnessed in their own households when women and daughters have been given property rights. This has been the change while they there is no change."
A Manhattan prosecutor trying to get President Donald Trumps tax returns has told a judge he was justified in demanding them due to public reports of extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organisation.

Mr Trumps lawyers last month said the grand jury subpoena for the tax returns was issued in bad faith and amounted to harassment of the president.

Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance is seeking eight years of the Republican presidents personal and corporate tax records but has disclosed little about what prompted him to request the records, other than part of the investigation relates to pay-offs to women to keep them quiet about alleged affairs with Mr Trump.

In a court filing on Monday, though, attorneys for Mr Vance said Mr Trumps arguments that the subpoena was too broad stemmed from the false premise that the probe was limited to so-called hush-money payments.

President Donald Trump is fighting the court action (Alex Brandon/AP)

This court is already aware that this assertion is fatally undermined by undisputed information in the public record, Mr Vances lawyers wrote.

They said that information confirms the validity of a subpoena seeking evidence related to potentially improper financial transactions by a variety of individuals and entities over a period of years.

They said public reporting demonstrates that at the time the subpoena was issued there were public allegations of possible criminal activity at Plaintiffs New York County-based Trump Organisation dating back over a decade.

These reports describe transactions involving individual and corporate actors based in New York County, but whose conduct at times extended beyond New Yorks borders. This possible criminal activity occurred within the applicable statutes of limitations, particularly if the transactions involved a continuing pattern of conduct, the lawyers said.

The lawyers urged Judge Victor Marrero to swiftly reject Mr Trumps arguments, saying the baseless claims were threatening the investigation. Judge Marrero, who ruled against Mr Trump last year, has scheduled arguments to be fully submitted by mid-August.

Every day that goes by is another day Plaintiff effectively achieves the temporary absolute immunity that was rejected by this Court, the Court of Appeals, and the Supreme Court, Mr Vances lawyers said.

Every such day also increases the prospect of a loss of evidence or the expiration of limitations periods  the precise concerns that the Supreme Court observed justified its rejection of Plaintiffs immunity claim in the first place.

The Supreme Court last month rejected claims by Mr Trumps lawyers that the president could not be criminally investigated while he was in office.

Mr Vances lawyers said Mr Trump was not entitled to know the scope and nature of the grand jury investigation.

But they said information already in the public domain about Mr Trumps business dealings provided satisfactory support for the subpoena of his tax records.

They cited several newspaper articles, including one in the Washington Post examining allegations that Mr Trump had a practice of sending out financial statements to potential business partners and banks that inflated the worth of his properties by claiming they were bigger or more potentially lucrative than they were.
The term cancel culture is appearing in the news a lot lately.

But what exactly is cancel culture?

Here are some explanations, gathered by the Associated Press, from people who have been writing about the issue.

Writer and reporter George Packer has explained that it is an event where many voices, mostly on social media, try to silence a point of view that they find offensive by trying to damage or destroy the reputation of the person who has given offense.

Tressie McMillan Cottom has a different opinion. I dont think its real. But there are reasonable people who believe in it, the writer and educator said. Accountability has always existed. But some people are being held accountable in ways that are new to them.

It "[takes] away the ability of a person with whom you disagree to ever be taken seriously as a writer/editor/speaker/activist/intellectual, or to be hired or employed, says Letty Cottin Pogrebin. She is an activist and founding editor of Ms. magazine.

In tweets, online letters, opinion pieces and books, people from every political point of view are angry about what they consider a growing intolerance for other opinions. A Politico/Morning Consult public opinion study released last week shows 44 percent of Americans disapprove of it, 32 percent approve and the remaining 24 percent had no opinion or said they did not know what it was.

There are recent examples of unpopular cancellations. They include reports of what happened to the owner of several Minneapolis food stores. His business was threatened with boycotts after his daughter wrote words on social media that were offensive.

A data expert was fired by the company Civis Analytics after he tweeted a study finding that nonviolent protests increase support for Democratic candidates and violent protests decrease it. Civis Analytics has denied he was fired for the tweet.

These events damage the lives of innocent people and have little purpose, Yascha Mounk wrote in the magazine The Atlantic last month. Mounk has been criticized for saying that many educated, important people are saying it is acceptable to give up on values like due process and free speech.

Discussions can be confusing however. Those who do not like intolerance can be unhappy with those who do not agree. A few weeks ago, more than 100 artists and thinkers signed a letter co-written by Packer and published by Harpers. It warned against big thinking that weakens free and open discussion and demands conformity of thought.

The letter was signed by many people with different political ideas, from far-left Noam Chomsky to the conservative David Frum.

The writer and trans activist Jennifer Finney Boylan, who signed the letter, quickly disowned it because she did not know who else had signed their names. Salman Rushdie was one of the signers. In 1989, he was forced into hiding. Rushdie received death threats from Iranian Islamic leaders because he had written a novel called The Satanic Verses. Some online critics said the letter was from self-important people who knew nothing about censorship.

One of the organizers of the letter, the writer Thomas Chatterton Williams, later wrote about an incident on Twitter. He wrote that he had asked a guest to leave his home after an argument over Bari Weiss. Weiss is the former New York Times writer who quit over what she called political correctness at the newspaper.

The only speech these powerful people seem to care about is their own, the feminist writer Jessica Valente wrote about the Harpers letter.

It is certainly not about free speechcanceled is a label we all understand, a powerful person whos been held to account, she wrote.



Hard to define

However, cancel culture remains hard to define because it appears to have no limits. It has no single cause, ideology or punishment.

Movie producer Harvey Weinstein and actor Bill Cosby were convicted of sex crimes and are in prison. Actor Kevin Spacey was accused of sex crimes. He was not been convicted but has made no movies since he faced trial.

Others people are only canceled a little. Movie director Woody Allen was accused of sexual abuse by his daughter Dylan Farrow. His business deal with Amazon was cancelled. But, he continues to release movies internationally. He recently published a book about his life.

But what about politicians?

Politicians can ride this outif the public is willing to go along, then they can sometimes survive things perhaps they shouldnt survive, Packer says.

Im Susan Shand.

The Associated Press reported this story. Susan Shand adapted it for Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

point of view phrase. a way of looking at or thinking about a subject

reputationn. the common opinion that people have about someone

accountabilityn. the degree to which someone is held accountable for something

intolerancen. a lack of willingness to permit or accept something

due process n.(legal)the requirement that the rules in a legal case must protect the rights of all the people involved

conformityn. behavior that is the same as most other people in a society or group

censorshipn. the process of removing opinions from books, movies, letters and other media

feministadj. something related to feminism, a movement which seeks to support womens rights and interests

ideologyn. a set of ideas and beliefs of a group or political party
A 32-year-old Polish national has been charged after gardai seized ecstasy and cocaine worth an estimated 600,000 during a search at a house in Co Kildare.

At approximately 12.45pm on Saturday, following an intelligence-led operation undertaken by the Leixlip Drugs Unit targeting the sale and supply of drugs in the Kildare, Laois and Offaly divisions, a search operation was conducted at a house in Louisa Park, Leixlip.

During the course of the search gardai seized approximately 520,000 of suspected MDMA, more commonly known as ecstasy.

Przemyslaw Goska was later arrested at the scene by gardai.

Supply

During a follow-up search of the man's vehicle, approximately 80,000 of suspected cocaine was seized.

Mr Goska was detained at Leixlip Garda Station under Section 2 of the Criminal Justice (Drug Trafficking) Act and appeared before Dublin District Court yesterday.

Garda Jason Tome from Leixlip Garda Station told Judge John Campbell that Mr Goska made no reply to four separate charges under the Misuse of Drugs Act.

Mr Goska was charged with possession of and possession with intent to supply both MDMA and cocaine.

There was no application for bail, and Mr Goska was remanded in custody to Cloverhill Prison to appear in court again on August 6 via video link.
We meet Franny Stone, a detached and mysteriously damaged woman who has traveled to Greenland to electronically tag what might be the last remaining colony of arctic terns before they embark upon the longest natural migration of any living creature, a pole-to-pole quest that will eventually land them in Antarctica.

Seeking passage on a boat to follow the birds on what could be their final migration, Franny encounters Ennis Malone, the enigmatic and tight-lipped captain of the Saghani, a purse seine herring boat. Somewhat implausibly, the captain agrees to take Franny aboard, hoping that her tracked terns will lead them to a hidden jackpot of herring. No matter the outrageous fuel costs required to make such a voyage. Were afloat in the realm of metaphor here, so to sum up: We have a mercurial and restless narrator signing on with a menacing captain who is rarely seen above deck. Ringing any bells? As well as a work of first-rate climate fiction, Migrations is also a clever reimagining of Moby-Dick, that foundational text of humankind vs. nature, of hubris vs. humility, with Franny playing Ishmael, the famously morose seafarer whose damp and drizzly soul has gone full November. Sea yarns that serve as voyages of self-discovery have been the exclusive literary domain of men for far too long, and McConaghy deserves extra credit for sounding the oceanic depths of the female soul.
State Minister for Shipping Khalid Mahmud Chowdhury exchanges Eid-ul-Azha greetings with the officials of the ministry at his office on Monday.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- About 50% of people who take the drug infliximab for inflammatory bowel diseases, such as Crohn's disease, end up becoming resistant or unresponsive to it.

Scientists might be able to catch problems like this one earlier in the drug development process, when drugs move from testing in animals to clinical trials, with a new computational model developed by researchers from Purdue University and Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The researchers call the model "TransComp-R." In a study published in Science Signaling, they used the model to identify an overlooked biological mechanism possibly responsible for a patient's resistance to infliximab.

Such a mechanism is hard to catch in preclinical testing of new drugs because animal models of human diseases may have different biological processes driving disease or a response to therapy. This makes it difficult to translate observations from animal experiments to human biological contexts.

"This model could help better determine which drugs should move from animal testing to humans," said Doug Brubaker, a Purdue assistant professor of biomedical engineering, who led the development and testing of this model as a postdoctoral associate at MIT.

"If there is a reason why the drug would fail, such as a resistance mechanism that wasn't obvious from the animal studies, then this model would also potentially detect that and help guide how a clinical trial should be set up," he said.

TransComp-R consolidates thousands of measurements from an animal model to just a few data coordinates for comparing with humans. The dwindled-down data explain the most relevant sources of biological differences between the animal model and humans.

From there, scientists could train other sets of models to predict a human's response to therapy in terms of those data coordinates from an animal model.

For infliximab, data from a mouse model and human hadn't matched up because they were different types of biological measurements. The mouse model data came in the form of intestinal proteins, whereas data from patients were only available in the form of expressed genes, a discrepancy TransComp-R was able to address.

TransComp-R helped Brubaker's team to find links in the data pointing toward a resistance mechanism in humans.

The team collaborated with researchers from Vanderbilt University to test the predicted mechanism in intestinal biopsies from a Crohn's disease patient and then with experiments in human immune cells.

The researchers used single-cell sequencing of a sample from an infliximab-resistant Crohn's disease patient to identify the cell types expressing the genes related to the resistance mechanism predicted by TransComp-R.

They then treated immune cells with infliximab and an inhibitor of the receptor identified by the model to be part of the resistance mechanism. The experiment showed that inhibiting the receptor enhanced the anti-inflammatory effects of infliximab, enabling the drug to be more effective because it could better control inflammation.

With additional testing to figure out a way to more precisely measure the markers of this resistance mechanism, doctors could use information about the drug response to determine if a patient needs a different course of treatment.

Since this study, Brubaker has been working with his former research group at MIT to apply the mathematical framework behind TransComp-R to identify mouse models predictive of Alzheimer's disease biology and immune signatures of vaccine effectiveness in animal studies of COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

"The modeling framework itself can be repurposed to different kinds of animals, different disease areas and different questions," Brubaker said. "Figuring out when what we see in animals doesn't track with what's happening in humans could save a lot of time, cost and effort in the drug development process overall."

###

The TransComp-R code is available at MathWorks File Exchange (ID: 77987). Brubaker received funding for this research from the Strategic Hub for Innovation New Therapeutic Concept Exploration program of Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals.

ABSTRACT

An interspecies translation model implicates integrin signaling in infliximab-resistant inflammatory bowel disease

Douglas K. Brubaker1,2,3, Manu P. Kumar1, Evan L. Chiswick1, Cecil Gregg1, Alina Starchenko1, Paige N. Vega4,5, Austin N. Southard-Smith4,5, Alan J. Simmons4,5, Elizabeth A. Scoville6,7, Lori A. Coburn6,7,8, Keith T. Wilson6,7,8,9, Ken S. Lau4,5,7, Douglas A. Lauffenburger1

1Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology,

Cambridge, MA 02139, USA.

2Department of Biomedical Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA

3Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47906, USA

4Epithelial Biology Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, Nashville, TN 37232, USA

5Department of Cell and Developmental Biology, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN 37232, USA

6Division of Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Medicine, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA

7Center for Mucosal Inflammation and Cancer, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA

8Veterans Affairs Tennessee Valley Healthcare System, Nashville, TN 37212, USA 9Department of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University

Medical Center, Nashville, TN 37232, USA

DOI: 10.1126/scisignal.aay3258

Anti-tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) therapy resistance is a major clinical challenge in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), due, in part, to insufficient understanding of disease-site, protein-level mechanisms. Although proteomics data from IBD mouse models exist, data and phenotype discrepancies contribute to confounding translation from preclinical animal models of disease to clinical cohorts. We developed an approach called translatable components regression (TransComp-R) to overcome interspecies and transomic discrepancies between mouse models and human subjects. TransComp-R combines mouse proteomic data with patient pretreatment transcriptomic data to identify molecular features discernable in the mouse data that are predictive of patient response to therapy. Interrogating the TransComp-R models revealed activated integrin pathway signaling in patients with anti-TNF-resistant colonic Crohn's disease (cCD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). As a step toward validation, we performed single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) on biopsies from a patient with cCD and analyzed publicly available immune cell proteomics data to characterize the immune and intestinal cell types contributing to anti-TNF resistance. We found that ITGA1 was expressed in T cells and that interactions between these cells and intestinal cell types were associated with resistance to anti-TNF therapy. We experimentally showed that the 1 integrin subunit mediated the effectiveness of anti-TNF therapy in human immune cells. Thus, TransComp-R identified an integrin signaling mechanism with potential therapeutic implications for overcoming anti-TNF therapy resistance. We suggest that TransComp-R is a generalizable framework for addressing species, molecular, and phenotypic discrepancies between model systems and patients to translationally deliver relevant biological insights.
Aditi Sharma, an MA Sociology student at Ambedkar University Delhi, highlights the demands made by students looking for administrative support in e-learning.

On 29th July 2020, the Ambedkar University Students Council (AUDSC) met with Dr Abhinandita Dayal Mathur, Advisor to Deputy CM and Education Minister Manish Sisodia regarding the hasty commencement of online classes on August 4.

Aditi Sharma, an MA Sociology student at Ambedkar University Delhi, highlights the demands made by students looking for administrative support in e-learning.

Beginning with a massive mail campaign, the students have urged the college to repeal the notice, deeming it highly insensitive. Students across programmes are mainly demanding to postpone online classes until all issues are resolved along with infrastructural support from the university.

According to a survey conducted by the student council with a sample size of 400+ students, around 47% used smartphones for online learning, says Aditi.

"50% do not have laptops, 2-3% don't have access to any electronic devices. 47% of the students pointed out that Wifi and recharge expenses were a financial burden. 75% believed online classes weren't inclusive at all. Most importantly, 98% of the women were spending over 3 hours on online chores, apart from college work and personal time," she added.

Students are now in a state of constant panic, worried over their inability to keep up with the financial requirements of an online classroom, or worse, not be a part of it at all. In spite of repeated requests, the authorities have neither taken into account the past semester's problems nor put out a statement detailing provisions yet.

As students from across India grapple with the pandemic and ensuing financial insecurities, they have demanded a 50% reduction in fees, laptops for every student that needs one, an extended stipend for research scholars and reimbursements for all expenses incurred.

Even one student being denied the opportunity to access education is one too many. The students have threatened empty Zoom meetings if their demands aren't met with, reiterating the necessity factor of it as opposed to a luxury.

Currently, a petition calling for recalling of the notice is being circulated around the University, with 800-900 signatures, to be submitted to Manish Sisodia.
Amy Kennedy, who emerged from a hard-fought primary to win the nomination against party-switching Rep. Jeff Van Drew, received the backing of President Barack Obama on Monday.

Kennedy, the wife of former Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, was one of five House Democratic candidates from New Jersey endorsed by Obama. She was the only challenger in the state to receive his support.

She defeated the South Jersey political machine led by George Norcross to win the nomination last month to take on Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., who switched parties after voting against impeaching President Donald Trump.

Kennedy said she was honored to win Obamas endorsement.

In these unprecedented times, leadership is more important than ever, she said.

Patrick Kennedys late father, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., gave Obama a much-needed boost during the 2008 election by endorsing him over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama later delivered the eulogy at Senator Kennedys funeral.

Van Drew is rated as a slight favorite to win re-election by the Cook Political Report and in a tossup race by Inside Elections, the Washington-based publications that track congressional races.

Obama also endorsed three rookie New Jersey representatives, Andy Kim in the 3rd District, Tom Malinowski in the 7th District, and Mikie Sherrill in the 11th District, as well as sophomore Rep. Josh Gottheimer in the 5th District. All four flipped Republican-held seats in the last four years.

The former president also backed dozens of other Democrats throughout the country, calling them thoughtful, empathetic, and highly qualified.

They make me optimistic not just about our partys chances in November, but about our countrys future long after that, Obama said. So if youre in one of their districts or states, make sure you vote for them this fall. And if you can, vote early  by mail or in person.

Im proud to endorse this diverse and hopeful collection of thoughtful, empathetic, and highly qualified Democrats. If youre in one of their districts or states, make sure you vote for them this fall. And if you can, vote earlyby mail or in person. https://t.co/PSm3Rf3wkF pic.twitter.com/7RXrJriBz8  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 3, 2020

Both Kim, who was a National Security Council staff member, and Malinowski, a former assistant U.S. secretary of state, worked in the Obama administration and received the former presidents endorsement two years ago as they ousted Republican incumbents.

The four Democratic incumbents all entered July with at least $2 million apiece to spend on their re-election campaigns. Only Malinowskis opponent, state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., R-Union, with $1.3 million, had more than $310,000 in the bank as of June 30.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.
US President Donald Trump said Monday the US government should get a substantial portion of the sales price of the US operations of popular short-video app TikTok and warned he will ban the service in the United States on September 15 without a sale. The turnaround came after Trump on Friday said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video apps US operations as soon as Saturday after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft. Reuters reported last week that some investors are valuing TikTok at about $50 billion, citing people familiar with the matter. I ...
EAST GREENBUSH, N.Y.  Upon reviewing guidance from the New York State Education and Health Departments, and discussing plans with the districts Reopening Task Force throughout the summer, the East Greenbush Central School District unveiled its preliminary reopening plan, which includes a hybrid model of in-person, remote and live virtual instruction.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he plans to announce whether schools can reopen or not during the first week of August.

East Greenbush Central School Districts preliminary reopening plan would essentially reduce school enrollment in each school on in-person instructional days into A groups and B groups. Hence, each school would have classes at approximately 50% normal capacity. This would enable physical distancing in classrooms and on school buses as required by the NYS Department of Health.

It would also enable each school to implement manageable and safe procedures for health screening requirements for students and ensure compliance with all NYS Department of Health and NYS Department of Education requirements.

Under the plan, all K-12 students would be guaranteed direct interaction with their teachers and some of their peers, which has not been possible since schools were closed on March 16. Each group would attend in-person classes two days a week, have live virtual instruction once a week and remote learning two days a week.

The smaller in-person class size will allow for more personalized instruction for students.

Additionally, all electives, honors, AP, and college-credit courses would be offered during both in-person and remote instructional periods.

Students with disabilities were particularly impacted by the closing of schools this past spring. Therefore, special education students enrolled in self-contained classes, including Transitions, Communications, Language Concepts, Academic Skills, and Life Skills would have in-person instruction four days a week. Individual determinations regarding Special Education students will be made by the Committee on Special Education.

The Hybrid proposal schedule is as follows below:

Reduce class size (50%) to enable physical distancing in schools.

Group A attends in-person school for a full day on Mondays and Thursdays.

Group B attends in-person school for a full day on Tuesdays and Fridays.

All students will receive live virtual instruction on Wednesdays.

Teachers report to their assigned classrooms and provide live virtual instruction using classroom technology.

During live virtual instruction days, teachers at all levels may assign students to smaller groups to differentiate and personalize learning.

Periodically, teachers and staff will be provided time for collaboration and professional development. These dates and times will be announced ahead of time to parents/guardians.

On the two days that students are not in school or receiving live instruction, they would work on assignments and projects remotely.

Efforts to keep siblings on the same schedule will be made.

Parents/guardians will be informed of their childs assigned instructional schedule (Group A or Group B) by the week of Aug. 17.

This approach to scheduling enables each of the districts schools to meet or exceed all health and safety requirements and ensures that all students in grades K-12 have direct contact and live instruction from teachers three out of five days per week, Superintendent Jeff Simons said.

The preliminary reopening plan outlines specific health and safety guidelines, such as a physical distancing in classrooms and on school buses, face coverings for all students and staff, daily temperature checks and health screenings before entering school and rigorous and ongoing cleaning and disinfecting.

As a district, were confident that the procedures weve developed, many of which are being utilized by our Summer School Program at Columbia High School, will create a safe and healthy environment for our students and staff, Simons explained.

The East Greenbush Central School District evaluated various hybrid plans and how they would affect health and safety, teaching and learning, social and emotional needs, transportation, and food services. The district has also sent surveys to parents regarding access to technology, transportation, and child care.

All of this information and data was discussed among school administrators and the Reopening Task Force which is composed of teachers, support staff, school nurses, the districts medical director, students, parents, and community partners.

The benefits of our preliminary reopening plan provide equity for all K-12 students, it returns students to their home school and it preserves important programs such as special education, AIS, related services, art, music and physical education, James McHugh, Assistant Superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, remarked.

In terms of digital access, Chromebooks would be supplied by the district to all students in grades 2-12 to facilitate the remote learning part of the hybrid plan. Where practicable, the district will provide devices for K-1 students whose families cannot provide one. The district will also be addressing locations where our students live that do not have internet access and, if possible, develop a plan to remediate that need.

In providing child care, the district recognizes the challenge that remote learning days may create for some families, and would continue to have without a full return to in-person instruction.

To assist parents/guardians who cannot be home with children on remote learning days, the district is collaborating with various community agencies including Greenbush Child Care and the YMCA to ensure the availability of full-day child care services. Before and after school care will remain at the elementary schools and Howard L. Goff Middle School for in-person days. Further information will be released by the district and community child care providers in the next two weeks.

Families who have concerns regarding their child returning to in-person learning are encouraged to contact the students principal to discuss those concerns.

The district will be presenting the proposed reopening plan to the community at the public Board of Education meeting on Wednesday, July 29 at 7 p.m. Students, parents, staff and community partners are invited to watch the virtual presentation and provide feedback.

The district has also scheduled two Virtual Parent/Community Input Sessions for Wednesday, Aug. 5 at 6:30 p.m. and Thursday, Aug. 13 at 6:30 p.m. Both sessions will require advance registration.

More information about these presentations will be available at www.egcsd.org/reopening.
With skilled fingers, disabled Gazan couple Nihad and Zeinab Jarboa have supported themselves by sewing finely detailed dolls and costumes, but coronavirus has hurt their already meagre income. Making a living is a challenge for all residents of the Israeli-blockaded Palestinian territory, which is ruled by the Islamist movement Hamas and where the poverty rate exceeds 50 percent. But the Jarboas face added adversity. Nihad, 37, has been physically disabled since childhood while Zeinab, 35, had both feet amputated after contracting a rare disease while giving birth to her second child. Both use wheelchairs, further limiting their work options in the Gaza Strip, where the unemployment rate is above 50 percent, according to official statistics. The Jarboas have perfected a craft of making dolls and costumes inspired by cartoon characters. They generate a modest income by selling the dolls and by sending costumed performers to nurseries and schools. Before the pandemic, "we sold around 20 to 30 dolls a month at 10 ($2.90 dollars) shekels a piece", Nihad told AFP. They also charged about 20 shekels (around $6) each to send actors to perform at events. "But everything stopped with the pandemic," he said. Access to Gaza was already tightly controlled by Israel and Egypt before the virus, which has left 78 confirmed infections and one dead in Gaza. Hamas has imposed lockdown restrictions since March, including bans on gatherings and the closure of schools and mosques. - Won't 'give up' - Maher al-Tabaa, an economist at Gaza's chamber of commerce, said COVID-19 has further weakened Gaza's fragile economy. "Unemployment and poverty rates are expected to increase," Tabaa told AFP, adding that 80 percent of the population was already dependent on food aid. Even though some restrictions have been lifted, the Jarboas said they have only received two requests for shows while doll sales are down 75 percent. "We won't give up, even if it's hard," said Zeinab as she prepared tea on a stove in their one-bedroom apartment in Rafah refugee camp of southern Gaza. "Things are harder with coronavirus (but) I am strong enough," she said, her hair covered with a pink scarf. "I want to raise my children so they have a decent life." Like nearly 50 percent of Gaza residents, the Jarboas receive food aid from the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA). Over 700,000 Palestinians fled or were expelled from their land at Israel's creation in 1948. Survivors and descendants are considered refugees by the UN. But UNRWA's support is "not enough to buy food", said Zeinab as she sewed a brightly coloured costume inspired by Donald Duck. Nihad and his wife Zeinab generate a modest income by selling the dolls and by sending costumed performers to nurseries and schools Nihad Jarboa is surrounded by children and volunteers, one of them dressed in a costume made by him and his wife Zeinab Even though some restrictions have been lifted, the Jarboas said they have only received two requests for shows while doll sales are down 75 percent
Jess Wright left her brother Mark's wife Michelle Keegan in awe as she asked her to be one of her 15 bridesmaids for her wedding to fiance William Lee-Kemp.

The former TOWIE star, 34, took to Instagram on Monday to share a sweet clip of her presenting her loved ones with socially-distanced invitations consisting of a flower balloon and personalised poems.

Actress Michelle, 33, was dressed in a satin robe as she gasped from her doorstep and admitted: 'I'm actually shaking!'

How sweet! Jess Wright left her brother Mark's wife Michelle Keegan in awe as she asked her to be one of her 15 bridesmaids for her wedding to fiance William Lee-Kemp

The former Our Girl star was caught off-guard as she sported sleepwear and went make-up free in front of her 2million home in Chigwell.

Michelle couldn't contain her delight as she covered her mouth in shock before gushing: 'Aww Jess, I want to hug you!'

The bride-to-be kicked off the video by teasing her by unique floral invites by The Bloom Room before visiting her sister Natalya's home.

The model, 19, broke down in tears as her eldest sibling asked if she could be her Maid Of Honour.

Woman on a mission: The former TOWIE star, 34, took to Instagram on Monday to share a sweet clip of her presenting her loved ones with socially-distanced invitations

What a surprise: Actress Michelle, 33, was dressed in a satin robe as she gasped from her doorstep and admitted: 'I'm actually shaking!'

In awe: The former Our Girl star was caught off-guard as she sported sleepwear and went make-up free in front of her 2 million home in Chigwell

Reading out the message by Word It Rhyme, the youngest member of the Wright clan said: 'So Natalya's, as I become I as I become a bride I need you by my side, please be my maid of honour.'

Influencer Jess later went behind the wheel as she explained her lengthy mission while sporting disposable gloves.

The brunette revealed she originally planned to share the invitations over a meal as she explained: 'I'm on my way to deliver my bridesmaids a poem and a balloon flower thing to ask them to be my bridesmaids as I can't get them all together to ask them.

'Originally I wanted to have a dinner and surprise them with these flowers, but please of the pandemic, that's not possible. I'm delivering it on their doorsteps with gloves, standing at least two metres away, if not more.'

The media personality cut a chic figure in bridal white as she visited many of her pals in front of their homes and in the middle of the street.

Details: The bride-to-be kicked off the video by teasing her by unique floral invites by The Bloom Room and poems by Word It Rhyme

Overwhelmed: The brunette later visited her younger sister Natalya, who broke down in tears as her eldest sibling asked if she could be her Maid Of Honour

Cheery: The youngest member of the Wright clan read out the heartwarming message

On her decision to switch up her plans, the TV star wrote: '2020 has been a strange year for us all.

'I got engaged just before this pandemic, & when rules were eased, told my (many) nearest & dearest that I wanted them to be my bridesmaids, from a distance.

'I hope everyone is keeping safe & we get through this soon & a big thank you to all our NHS & key workers for supporting us.'

Jess will need to enjoy her downtime to its fullest before diving into wedding preparations for her nuptials to her businessman fiance William in June 2021.

Going around the block: The media personality cut a chic figure in bridal white as she visited many of her pals in front of their homes and in the middle of the street

Making it work: On her decision to switch up her plans, the TV star wrote: '2020 has been a strange year for us all... I hope everyone is keeping safe'

William popped the question on the snow capped peaks of Courchevel, France, in February after 13 months of dating.

Only this month, the pair confirmed they would be getting hitched in a beach ceremony in Spain.

Jess told Hello! magazine that while the happy couple have holidayed in many exotic locations, Majorca has been like a second home to her as her family have a house on the island.

The fitness enthusiast said: 'I've been dreaming of a fairytale wedding since I was little, when I used to dress up in my mum's net curtains.

'Now I can't wait for the moment I've been imagining for so long, walking up the aisle in a fabulous dress to marry Will.'
KALAMAZOO, MI  The city of Kalamazoo has already experienced more killings in 2020 than it did in all of 2018 and is nearing the same total from a year ago.

Following Sundays killing of 30-year-old Brandon Brewer, the city has experienced nine homicides to date in 2020. In 2019, there were a total of 10 homicides all year, and in 2018, seven.
This is content that drives decision making. Right now, businesses are developing new strategies in the midst of a global crisis. By convening thought leaders with industry-shaping perspectives, were building a community where members can help each other make the best possible decisions.

Business information company Arizent, publisher of American Banker, The Bond Buyer, and other titles, today announced the launch of Leaders, a new forum of live and on-demand content showcasing leadership experiences and perspectives on business-critical topics from the most influential voices in financial services.

With this launch, Arizent furthers its mission to advance the financial and professional services communities it has long supported. Arizents award-winning brands American Banker, The Bond Buyer, PaymentsSource, and National Mortgage News will curate this thought leadership forum alongside their renowned journalism.

With 2020 being a year of unexpected and unprecedented challenges, the pace of change continues to accelerate. Leaders programming is designed to empower users with the critical ideas and analysis they can use to advance their thinking, their teams, and their businesses. At launch, Leaders conversations will be organized under one of six topics impacting the financial services industry: The Future of the Workplace, Regulation & Policy, Disruptive Innovation, The Future of Money, Diversity & Inclusion, and Automation & AI.

This is content that drives decision making, says Gemma Postlethwaite, CEO of Arizent. Right now, business leaders are navigating uncertain waters, building new strategies in the midst of a global crisis. Our audiences need access to the best ideas to make smart choices that address both immediate and long-term needs. By convening thought leaders with industry-shaping perspectives, were building a community where members can help each other make the best possible decisions.

Current subscribers of American Banker, The Bond Buyer, PaymentsSource, and National Mortgage News will have full access to Leaders as a part of their subscription. Livestream episodes and podcasts will be available to the broader financial services community.

Starting today, subscribers can watch on-demand content from a variety of senior executives and innovators, including:



Jonathan Stein, CEO, Betterment, How startups can surviveand thriveduring crises

Dr. Tanu Luke, Head of AI, U.S. Bank, Ethics in artificial intelligence

Ronald Oliveira, CEO, Revolut U.S., Mapping Revoluts U.S. expansion

Oliver Jenkyn, President, North America, Visa, How COVID-19 changed consumer spending

Erminia Johannson, Group Head North America, Personal and Business Banking, BMO, Hear and be heard: Leadership lessons from the COVID-19 crisis

Karen Elinski, SVP, Government Relations & Public Policy, Wells Fargo; President of the Financial Women's Association, Does COVID-19 give us an opportunity to rebalance the boardroom?

Upcoming livestreams include:



Malia Lazu, Chief Experience and Culture Officer, Berkshire Bank, How banks can be a force for change on August 6th at 12:30 pm EST

Bruce Van Saun, Chairman and CEO, Citizens Financial, The big decisions now facing all CEOs on August 17th at 3:00 pm EST

Leaders also provides Arizents marketing services customers with new ways to engage their communities and provide value to these audiences. Fortune 500 brands are looking to Arizent to create highly engaging content like podcasts and videos that are fueled by the companys deep editorial capabilities. With livestream and podcast sponsorships, these brands will align with influential thought leaders around todays most pressing topics, and support their customers in their strategic decision-making. These opportunities are a fulfillment of Arizents commitment to position these customers as champions, whose contributions will help advance community members careers and companies.

To explore Arizents new Leaders Forum, see the links below:

https://www.americanbanker.com/leaders

http://www.nationalmortgagenews.com/leaders

https://www.bondbuyer.com/leaders

https://www.paymentssource.com/leaders

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Arizent is a business information company that advances professional communities by providing insights and analysis and convening industry leaders. The Company uses deep industry expertise and a data-driven platform to deliver its services, which include subscriptions, marketing services, live events, and access to Leaders, an executive forum. Arizent connects business communities through leading financial services brands like American Banker, The Bond Buyer, PaymentsSource, Financial Planning, and National Mortgage News, as well as professional services brands like Accounting Today, Employee Benefit News, and Digital Insurance.
Experts have raised concerns that Vietnamese businesses are slow in preparing conditions to enjoy preferential tariffs in the Viet Nam-EU Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA).

The country expects to surpass Bangladesh to become the second largest textile and garment exporter to the world market after the EVFTA comes into effect.  Photo baodautu.vn

Nguyen Hai Minh, EuroCham vice chairman, said the EVFTA has taken effect from August 1, but only 2 per cent of 8,600 local enterprises know the details of this FTA and about 20 per cent of them know about the agreement at all. The important thing is that they must really understand the content of this agreement and its conditions.

Minh said some textile enterprises are choosing whether or not to meet the rules of origin to enjoy preferential tariffs in this FTA. At present, the main import material of Vietnamese textile enterprises is still from China, so if they do not change suppliers their products can not satisfy the origin requirements in the EVFTA.

Some businesses say that if they buy the materials from eligible suppliers with higher prices to enjoy tariff preferences, it still won't be as profitable as buying materials from China to enjoy the tariffs according to the EU's Generalised scheme of preferences (GSP) at present.

However, Vietnamese businesses need to know that right after the EVFTA comes into effect, the GSP tariffs would end, Minh told the Dau Tu (Investment) newspaper.

In addition, the EVFTA's rules on origin are quite complicated. The complexity is the reason that many Vietnamese face mask manufacturers are ineligible to export to the EU, even if they already have customers, because they do not have the required medical certificates.

Vietnamese businesses also do not understand clearly about food hygiene and safety conditions when working with European partners, Minh said.

Another problem is the material region. He said, at the beginning of this year, when EU enterprises announced they would stop using plastic packaging, instead of recyclable materials, many Vietnamese businesses have immediately changed to use paper and bamboo packaging.

However, when the EU businesses required information about material region for producing the packaging, Vietnamese enterprises could not identify eligible material regions.

The planning of raw material regions for Viet Nams many export products is challenging for businesses and also the Government, Minh said.

Truong Van Cam, deputy chairman of the Viet Nam Textile and Apparel Association, said the association continues to request the Ministry of Industry and Trade to complete the Textile and Apparel Development Plan until 2035, which must clarify requirements for the construction of concentrated industrial parks for textiles and clothing, including waste water treatment.

Therefore, the textile and garment industry could have large dyeing and textile projects with products meeting the EVFTA's origin requirements and also CPTPP requirements, Cam said.

The country expects to surpass Bangladesh to become the second largest textile and garment exporter to the world market after the EVFTA comes into effect. It could be difficulty reaching this goal if the domestic textile and garment sector does not have a supporting industry, Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Tran Quoc Khanh said.

Vu Tien Loc, chairman of Viet Nam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), also agreed with this proposal and said that it is an important issue that needs attention from ministries and sectors.

Viet Nam could not promote textile and garment exports if the country does not create favourable conditions to develop the auxiliary industry for the textile and garment sector as well as call on investment to this industry.

VCCI has proposed the National Assembly to formulate the Law on Auxiliary Industry for receiving a new wave of foreign direct investment, Loc said.

The State also needs institutional reforms, complete the legal framework, and improve investment and business environment to meet the EVFTA requirements, he said.  VNS

Vietnam fulfills international commitments as EVFTA takes effect Vietnam will continue to fulfill its international commitments so that it can take full advantage of the EU-Vietnam Free Trade Agreement (EVFTA) and recover its economy amid a resurgence of COVID-19 pandemic.
B'desh HM Kamal wishes early recovery of Amit Shah

Dhaka, Aug 4 (UNI) Bangladesh Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan on Tuesday expressed deep concern over the hospitalisation of his Indian counterpart Amit Shah after he tested positive for coronavirus.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with you at this challenging time," Asaduzzaman said in a message to Shah.

The Home Minister, in his message, voiced Dhakas appreciation for the support it received from New Delhi in its efforts to manage the pandemic.
The NBC Universal logo is seen on its headquarters building in Los Angeles, Calif., in a file photograph. (David McNew/Getty Images)

MSNBC Producer Resigns, Says Cable News Is Cancer That Risks Our Democracy

A former MNSBC producer said she left the network last month because it consistently aired news reports lacking context and too often focused on President Donald Trump.

I dont know what Im going to do next exactly but I simply couldnt stay there anymore. My colleagues are very smart people with good intentions. The problem is the job itself. It forces skilled journalists to make bad decisions on a daily basis, Ariana Pekary, who helped produce The Last Word With Lawrence ODonnell, said in a blog post explaining her move.

The open note is unusual in the broadcasting world, where employees who leave jobs typically stay silent.

MSNBC and other cable news networks are hyper-focused on ratings, which drives decisions on what to cover and how to cover them, adding that its taboo to discuss how the ratings scheme distorts contents. The result is a cancer that stokes national division, even in the middle of a civil rights crisis, Pekary alleged.

The model blocks diversity of thought and content because the networks have incentive to amplify fringe voices and events, at the expense of others all because it pumps up the ratings.

While the COVID-19 pandemic is ongoing, MSNBC continues focusing on Trump instead of scientific updates, causing important facts or studies to get buried, Pekary continued.

Producers will the vast majority of time choose what to run based on whats trending or what rated well the day before, according to the former producer.

An MSNBC spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email: We take the public trust granted to us very seriously and even more so in todays unprecedented news environment.

Its our responsibility to cover stories that are critical to our viewers. They rely on our hosts, correspondents and contributors to go where breaking news and the facts lead, asking tough questions and digging into stories with deep analysis. We encourage debate and differences of perspectives in our newsroom because it makes the product better, the spokesperson added.

MSNBC is owned by NBCUniversal.

Sasha Walek, a former producer for MSNBC and CNN, said on Twitter that she wished she was brave enough to write something like what Pekary did when she left cable news.

While many smart & well intentioned people work in news, nuanced discourse & reporting has been sacrificed for ratings. Sowing division & hyperpartisanship is highly profitable, she said.

Author and reporter Matt Taibbi, who in his book Hate Inc. delved into issues with the media in the current era, shared the blog post, adding that it mirrored what he wrote about.

The news business is now designed to comfort and retain audiences, not inform them, he said.
A hotel in Majorca has become the first on the holiday island to close after an outbreak of coroanvirus saw ten staff fall sick.

The Club Cala Barca is not accepting any new bookings and will shut its doors for disinfection on Sunday when the last of the current guests leave. New arrivals will have to check in at a different hotel, 40 miles away.

The outbreak was first detected last week when a worker fell ill, and 192 more tests uncovered another nine infections among staff and four more among their relatives.

Bosses say no guests are showing symptoms and they do not have any plans to test visitors, since all staff are required to socially distance.

The Club Cala Barca hotel, in Mallorca, has been forced to close after an outbreak of the virus saw 10 staff infected along with four of their relatives

It comes as Spain announced 8,500 new coronavirus cases across the country at the weekend - its largest jump in three months - bringing its total to 297,054.

Many European countries are starting to see an uptick in cases after reopening key sectors of the economy following near-total lockdowns that lasted for two months.

Spain is the worst-hit, with many of its neighbours including Italy, Germany and the UK, recommending against travelling there.

Elsewhere in Spain, two towns are back in lockdown after a coronavirus outbreak at a poultry farm left 49 workers infected.

Around 10,000 people living in Iscar and Pedrajas, 80 miles north of Madrid, were told to remain in their homes for all-but essential business, starting this week.

Extra police and a helicopter have been drafted in to stop people leaving their homes for non-essential business.

Rule-breakers will face on-the-spot fines as mayors of both towns accused people of not taking advice seriously, including failing to wear masks and socially distance.

The outbreak started after a worker at a local slaughterhouse fell ill and was tested positive.

Spain has locked down two towns north of Madrid after an outbreak of coronavirus at a poultry slaughterhouse saw 49 people infected with coronavirus (file image)

Trackers traced numerous contacts, including other workers who had travelled in the same car, family members and friends and other people with whom they had mixed.

So far, 22 of the 49 positives work at the slaughterhouse.

The new lockdown will remain in place for 14 days, during which time nobody will be allowed to leave the towns but will be allowed to travel between them.

Meanwhile in Lleida, 80 miles west of Barcelona, a business has been forcibly closed after inspectors discovered 19 staff were still working despite having the virus.

Owners of the business had initially refused to comply with regulations meaning staff had to be tested.

They eventually agreed, but insisted that only staff who volunteered for the tests should have them. Ninety people took the tests, and 38 tested positive.

When inspectors returned for a follow-up six days later, they found that 19 people were still at work, despite the positive test result.

Officials did not name the affected business, or say what work the staff were doing.

In Lleida, a company was forced to shut down after it allowed 19 of its staff to go on working despite knowing they had tested positive for coronavirus (file image)

Globally, coronavirus has now killed at least 694,507 and sickened 18,324,580 people in 196 countries and territories.

Of these, at least 10,707,500 are now considered recovered.

The tallies, using data collected by AFP from national authorities and information from the World Health Organization (WHO), probably reflect only a fraction of the actual number of infections.

Many countries are testing only symptomatic or the most serious cases.

On Monday, 4,309 new deaths and 207,124 new cases were recorded worldwide.

Based on latest reports, the countries with the most new deaths were India with 803 new deaths, followed by Brazil with 561 and the United States with 532.

The United States is the worst-hit country with 155,471 deaths from 4,717,716 cases.
Israeli jets and helicopters conducted a series of airstrikes on Syrian military targets late on Aug. 3. In a rare move, the Israel Defense Forces acknowledged the operation, stating, "IDF fighter jets, attack helicopters and other aircraft attacked Syrian Army targets in southern Syria in response to the bomb-planting incident that was thwarted yesterday in the southern Golan Heights." The statement went on that the targets included observation posts and intelligence collection systems, anti-aircraft artillery facilities and command and control systems in Syrian army bases.

Quoting an unidentified military source, Syrias official news agency SANA reported that Israeli drones had hit positions near the border fence, resulting in material losses and no injuries.

The IDF attack came hours after the Israeli forces caught suspected militants allegedly planting explosives by the border fence in the Golan Heights. IDF spokesperson Jonathan Conricus said on Monday morning that Israeli troops had spotted irregular activity in the Golan Heights. According to Conricus, Israeli troops opened fire on the suspected operatives, some of whom were armed, after observing them placing the explosives on the ground.

Conricus did not confirm reports that the four suspects were killed by IDF fire. A grainy 32-second video released by the IDF shows four figures walking away from barbed wire marking the border fence. The Israeli military did not share any details about them, including whether they were Hezbollah operatives. Conricus said that Israel could not confirm any link between the group and Hezbollah or Iran, adding that many smaller militant factions were active in the area on the Syrian side. He said Israel held the Syrian government responsible for the incident. According to reports, the IDF believes the intended targets of the explosives were probably the Israeli troops who occasionally patrol the area.

In another announcement Aug. 4, the IDF said that troops who searched the area after the incident found a gun as well as a backpack with several more bombs. Israeli officers met this morning with seniors at the United Nations Disengagement Observer Force and lodged a protest over the incident.

For the IDF, the operatives affiliation is crucial. Haaretz analyst Amos Harel claimed yesterday that the security services believe that the infiltrators were part of a local cell operated by Iran, not by Hezbollah. Harel noted that Iran has run other local cells and sent Shiite militants to Syria to assist the regime. If that is the case, then the attempted bombing could be interpreted as retaliation over attacks on Iranian military targets in Syria, and not over the killing of Hezbollah operative Ali Kamel Mohsen Jawad on July 20.

Be that as it may, the IDF is on high alert near the borders with Lebanon and Syria for Hezbollah to attempt to avenge Jawad.
A group of teachers and nurses in Agona West constituency in Central Region has issued a stern warning to members and leaders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stop terrorizing residents in the constituency.



The group alleged that the Member of Parliament for the constituency, Cynthia Morrison, who also doubles as the Gender and Children Minister; was met with aggression from some NDC faithfuls in the constituency when she decided to go to the area to register her name for her voter ID card.



The teachers and nurses calling themselves the ''Teachers and Nurses Caucus'' (TNC) chastised the NDC saying ''the NDC in Agona West are engaging in an unnecessary tribal politics, which is not known to us in the constituency and is likely to destroy the peace in the traditional area, the constituency and for that matter the region as a whole''.



According to them, Hon. Cynthia Morrison ''has lived with us, married one of us and contributed socially, economically and politically to the development of Agona and for that matter Agona West. She is and has been one of us (Agona)'' and so condemned ''in no uncertain terms, the tribal cards being played by the NDC in Agona West against Hon. Cynthia .M. Morrison. We see this as unfortunate, unghanaian, ancient and must be stopped immediately. Towns, countries and societies are developed with people''.



The group asked the NDC to run their campaign with decorum and not bulldoze people, particularly the Minister.



''We employ the NDC to run their campaign devoid of any form of tribal politics so that we can continue to enjoy the peace we are having in Agona West. The big question now is: Are the NDC by this saying all non- Agonas in the constituency should not vote for their candidate, because their candidate is an Agona and Cynthia is not? Should we all non- Agonas leave for our various Towns and villages today, Agona West will be a ghost district. We are therefore appealing to all citizens to shun this behaviour of tribal politics and rather encourage oneness.



''Our Chiefs, Queen mothers, religious leaders, local peace council and all well-meaning stakeholders in the constituency should also condemn this act'', they stressed in a statement copied to Peacefmonline.com.



Read full statement below:



PRESS STATEMENT BY TEACHERS AND NURSES CAUCUS(TNC)- AGONA WEST,CENTRAL REGION ON MONDAY 3RD AUGUST,2020



Greetings, fellows Ghanaians. We are grateful to the Almighty God for His protections on us through these trying times of Covid-19 pandemic.



All praises goes to the President of the Republic of Ghana, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo and his team for their wonderful show of leadership. God richly bless them.



Aside these things, we have followed keenly as professionals, happings around the country since the start of the ECs voter registration exercise for which some unpatriotic Ghanaians trying to create unnecessary noise and tension in some parts of the country.



We wish to praise and thank the Chiefs and people of Agona West in the Central region for the peaceful nature in which we have conducted ourselves. Indeed, a sign of brotherliness, maturity and respect for our elders in the ongoing Voter registration exercise by the EC.



However, some people want these gains wiped off for their own selfish reasons. We wish to state and emphatically make it clear that, the people of Agona are peace loving and friendly and we will not countenance any act that will wipe off these gains.



The NDC in Agona West are engaging in an unnecessary tribal politics, which is not known to us in the constituency and is likely to destroy the peace in the traditional area, the constituency and for that matter the region as a whole.



We therefore condemn in no uncertain terms, the tribal cards being played by the NDC in Agona West against Hon. Cynthia .M. Morrison. We see this as unfortunate, unghanaian, ancient and must be stopped immediately. Towns, countries and societies are developed with people.



Hon. Cynthia .M. Morrison has lived with us, married one of us and contributed socially, economically and politically to the development of Agona and for that matter Agona West. She is and has been one of us (Agona).



We employ the NDC to run their campaign devoid of any form of tribal politics so that we can continue to enjoy the peace we are having in Agona West.



The big question now is: Are the NDC by this saying all non- Agonas in the constituency should not vote for their candidate, because their candidate is an Agona and Cynthia is not?



Should we all non- Agonas leave for our various Towns and villages today, Agona West will be a ghost district. We are therefore appealing to all citizens to shun this behaviour of tribal politics and rather encourage oneness.



Our Chiefs, Queen mothers, religious leaders, local peace council and all well-meaning stakeholders in the constituency should also condemn this act.



We also condemn those who instigated and planned to prevent Hon. Cynthia Morrison from registering at Ankyiase on the basis that she is not an indigene of Ankyiase. All those behind this attempt must be called to order and shamed by all well-meaning Ghanaians.

We would therefore like to caution those behind this agenda against Hon Cynthia Morrison that they have been well noted and marked for posterity.



We humbly again call on Nananom and Elders of the land to disassociate themselves from such outmoded and anti-development politics and stop this unpatriotic tactics by some elements within the constituency.



Lastly, we are by this statement encouraging all citizens who are 18 years and above and have not yet registered to do so, since the exercise ends this week. Thanks.



SGN

FELIX OWUSU-TAWIAH

PRESIDENT (T&N CAUCUS)

0244419218



BAFFOUR AWUAH (SECRETARY)

0243865837



EMMANUEL .K. ARHINFUL (ORGANIZER)

0246645490

Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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NSA Doval led panel to review outcome of India-China commander level talks

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 04: A high powered panel headed by National Security Advisor, Ajit Doval will review the discussions held by the military commanders of India and China.

The fifth meeting of the commanders was held on August 2. The panel headed by NSA Doval is informally known as the China Study Group. It would meet on Tuesday and review the discussions, sources told OneIndia.

The source said that India reiterated to China for complete disengagement and de-escalation. India also sought for full restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas as had been agreed upon during the earlier meetings.

No compromise on territorial integrity: India to China during 5th round of military talks

The Indian side also sought for restoration of status quo ante along the Line of Actual Control, the source also added. The official cited above said that the Doval led panel would analyse China's response during the talks.

During the meeting of the military commanders on Sunday, India said that it wanted immediate disengagement at patrolling point 17 (Gogra) and Pangong Tso fingers. While the de-escalation at these points would be a short term solution, diplomatic channels are looking at a long term solution as well which would ensure that the soldiers of both sides are kept apart.

The Indian security establishment does not trust the PLA. The official said that the Chinese side should not object to border infrastructure development as long as it is within the LAC limits. There should be no objection as long as the development is carried out without encroaching on each other's perception of where the border lies.

The Chinese border infrastructure allows for rapid deployment of troops, when compared to India. Hence it is important that India also continues with the border infrastructure development, the officer cited above also said.

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

A long term solution would be needed to ensure that flare ups and tense stand offs do not take place between the Indian and Chinese armies. For this India and China would need to exchange maps indicating the presence of troops along the Line of Actual Control. Following this patrolling protocols would have to be introduced. Earlier both India and China would undertake patrolling once a month by avoiding stand offs. However the patrolling intensity has gone up drastically now as both sides are building border infrastructure right up to the LAC.

The PLA has been building roads, setting up posts powered by solar panels, laying fibre optic cables. The Indian Army too is matching the effort.
A lost Viking waterway that ran across Orkney and connected the North Atlantic and Scapa Flow 1,000 years ago has been discovered by archaeologists.

The canal-like network would have provided a shallow water routeway through which the Norse/Vikings were able to haul both their boats and heavy goods, such as grain.

Similar navigable waterways are known elsewhere in Scotland, for example, at Rubh an Dunain in Skye.

A team of researchers from the Universities of the Highlands and Islands, St Andrews and Wales worked to uncover the lost passage that formed an 'ancient highway'.

The results showed that a complete route from Harray, through the Loch of Banks and including a portage at Twatt over to the Loch of Boardhouse into the earldom estates in Birsay was easily achieved.

A series of Old Norse place names, connected to the sea and boats, located in the middle of the Orkney Mainland initially drew the attention of the researchers.

Using the names, scientific methods, sensing, mapping and sediment samples allowed the team to discover a series of ancient waterways and canals.

Names with Viking origins are prevalent on the west mainland of Orkney which was a key area of power for the Norse Earls from the 9th to the 12th century.

A lost Viking waterway that ran across Orkney and connected the North Atlantic and Scapa Flow 1,000 years ago has been discovered by archaeologists

The results showed that a complete route from Harray, through the Loch of Banks and including a portage at Twatt over to the Loch of Boardhouse into the earldom estates in Birsay was easily achieved

A team of researchers from the Universities of the Highlands and Islands, St Andrews and Wales worked to uncover the lost passage that formed an 'ancient highway'

The identified waterways provided easy access to the Earls' stronghold on the Brough of Birsay for the transport of rents and taxes from the rich farms and estates surrounding the Loch of Harray.

They also provided essential trade routes to the protected waters of Scapa Flow.

The medieval Viking names for farms and homesteads have long been known and studied in northern Scotland and the Isles.

The new study investigated some of the names that have sea or boat connotations used for places that today are far inland in central Orkney.

A series of Old Norse place names, connected to the sea and boats, located in the middle of the Orkney Mainland initially drew the attention of the researchers. Left is a wetland map of West Orkney and right is a map of the same area from 1870

This is a bridge at the centre of Dounby transect showing piers founded on bedrock. They found a stream channel cut into the bedrock

Names such as Greenay, meaning shallow waters, or Knarston (Old Norse 'knarrar stair') derived from the words for a transport vessel (Old Norse 'knorr') and a farm or homestead (Old Norse 'stair') where these vessels were moored.

Warth, derived from Old Norse 'vara' ('beacon'), may also seem obscure as it is in a low-lying land-locked position today.

However, there is evidence from Denmark that the same name (Danish 'warth') was used for a 'vagttarne' ('watchtower') in low-lying locations along water routes, such as the Roskilde fjord.

Many such inland places are today located many miles from the open sea.

Researchers used remote sensing geophysical methods to map a series of now infilled channels that extended north from the Loch of Harray to the lochs of Sabiston and Boardhouse towards the Earls seat of power in Birsay.

The data was combined with information about the old landscape obtained from environmental records within sediment samples.

These sediment samples were cored from key sites throughout the area.

The land is now dominated by agricultural activity and heavily modified by artificial drainage networks constructed over the last three centuries making it difficult to see anything of the old waterways at the surface today.

However, once the scientific data was analysed it was possible to model the pathways and link them to the nautically named locations.

The team found there were waterways hidden that once would transport people and grain across the island via various homesteads

The data was combined with information about the old landscape obtained from environmental records within sediment samples. These sediment samples were cored from key sites throughout the area

The researchers used a range of techniques to find the waterways including geophysics - pictured - to model the location of the streams across the island

This new work changes how we think about the transfer of goods and people in the west of mainland Orkney and perhaps enables historians and archaeologists to find more evidence of water transport in the Viking Age and Late Norse period.

Dr Alexandra Sanmark of the Institute for Northern Studies at the University of the Highlands and Islands said it was an important discovery.

'I am delighted with the outcome, as multiple pieces of written and landscape evidence suggested the existence of the waterway,' Sanmark said.

'The results will be used in our continued study of how the Norse used and organised the landscape of Orkney.'

Orkney was a seat of great power in the Norse empire, according to Orkney.com.

The islands were a strategically important part of the Scandanavian kingdom until 1468 when they were pawned to the Scottish Crown as part of a dowry in the marriage of the daughter of Christian I of Denmark to James III of Scotland.

Vikings arrived in Orkney int he 8th century fleeing an emerging new monarchy in Norway - the exiled seafarers used the islands to launch raids and voyages.

There are still many place names with the old Norse monikers and those names inspired the researchers to find the waterways.

Many of these are named after the old Viking earls - or jarls - that were setup by the Norwegian king to try and stop raids.

They settled and created homesteads and farms that lasted hundreds of years, with evidence still existing today.

Dr Richard Bates of the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of St Andrews, said it was amazing so much evidence still exists that they were able to uncover the ancient waterways.

The research has been published in the Journal of Wetland Archaeology.
Hollywood power couple Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively just revealed that one of their biggest mistakes happened on their wedding day.

The actor spoke about his wedding in 2012 to Fast Company, saying that it "is something we'll always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for."

The "Deadpool" star and his "Gossip Girl" actress wife faced backlash for having a wedding ceremony on a South Carolina plantation that is widely connected to slavery.

"It's impossible to reconcile. What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest," Reynolds revealed. "What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy."

He added, "Years ago, we got married again at home, but shame works in weird ways."

Ryan Reynolds said that it was a "giant f****** mistake" that can "cause you to shut down or reframe things and move you."

"It doesn't mean you won't f*** up again. But repatterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesn't end," he concluded.

The couple's relationship has been, for the most part, drama-free, but their 2012 wedding was one enormous controversy that exploded just last year.

Critics have spoken about their concerns around the time of their wedding. Blake Lively and Ryan Reynolds wanted to hold their wedding at a site that contains historical and traumatic trauma for people in the African-American community.

However, that secret wedding was planned and executed with the design team of Martha Stewart and took place just outside of Charleston at Boone Plantation.

The wedding had a small guest list attended by 35 people and were even intimate performances by Florence Welch.

Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively were very protective of their wedding photos but later revealed exclusively to Stewart's website some images after they tied the knot.

When the couple's actual photos or the intimate ceremony didn't make their rounds online, many people were waiting and wondering what had happened.

The A-list stars reportedly didn't want to share any full images of them because perhaps they knew that the place held disturbing information of the past.

As per Boone Plantation's website, the site has nine slave cabins on the property used many years ago. It is also a place where people can learn how Black Americans used to work and live and the devastating struggles they faced as slaves.

While the controversy did die out after the wedding, it has surfaced again and again, as of writing for both actors' apology.

But Boone Plantation wasn't just one of the most sought-after wedding locations, and it has also been used for the iconic movie "The Notebook," which starred Ryan Gosling and Rachel McAdams.

Though Ryan Reynolds and Blake Lively found their inspiration from Pinterest, because of the booming plantation weddings, the wedding website The Knot, and including Pinterest said they "limit the distribution" of pictures that feature plantation weddings.

The decision was only made at the end of last year, but civil rights advocates have long asked people to avoid any events at plantation due to their inhumane history and traumatic past.

READ MORE: Meghan Markle, Prince Harry 'Not Bankable' Enough in Hollywood, Writer Claims
This is the dramatic moment an antelope had to escape predators on land and in the air when two jackals and an eagle tried to chase it down.

Shaun Etsebeth, 33, had been leading a tour though Kruger National Park, in South Africa, when he spotted the steenbok, a small antelope common in southern and eastern Africa, being pursued by the carnivorous predators.

The field guide, who was on a small road near Tshokwane, watched in awe as the creature managed to outrun both predators and survived to live another day.

The antelope runs through the overgrown grass at Kruger National Park in South Africa as an eagle begins to circle it

Seconds later a jackal appears and beings to chase after the antelope as it runs for its life

He filmed the chase, which starts with the small antelope running through long grass as a tawny eagle flies above it.

The eagle circles above the steenbok as it frantically tries to escape.

Seconds later, two black-backed jackals emerge from the tall grass and join the chase.

Mr Etsebeth told LatestSightings.com: 'We were on a drive when we spotted a tawny eagle up in a tree.

'We stopped for a minute when the eagle suddenly dove and started chasing after a steenbok in the grass.

'It was surprising enough to see the eagle hunt such large prey, and I was lucky to have been able to catch this on video as the action was very short-lived.

'It wasn't long before we noticed movement from another direction, when two black-backed jackals entered the frame out of nowhere!

'Even though this was a short chase, and neither the jackals nor the eagle managed to catch the steenbok, this was a first-time sighting for me.

'The steenbok managed to outrun both predators and survived to live another day.'

The steenbook runs through the national park as the eagle swoops and circles above it

The antelope eventually outran both sets of predators, tour guide Shaun Etsebeth revealed

Tawny eagles belong to the family of birds classified as Accipitridae and typically feed on reptiles, birds, warthogs, small animals and aquatic life forms.

The predator, which is frequently spotted in Kruger National Park, has a wingspan of around six feet (1.83 metres).

Meanwhile black-backed jackals, which are often a red-rust colour coat with a distinct black patch on their back from the neck to the tail, often feed on small mammals, reptiles, birds, eggs, carrion and fruit.

The footage was filmed on June 21, but only shared online today.
The body of a Queensland mayor's daughter has been found just days after she was reported missing.

Megan Springborg was last seen in Hobart on July 28, but she wasn't reported missing until several days later after her family raised the alarm.

The 27-year-old's father, Lawrence Springborg, who is the mayor of border town Goondiwindi in Queensland, was among several family members concerned for her well being when they couldn't contact her.

Megan Springborg was last seen in Hobart on July 28, but she wasn't reported missing until several days later after her family raised the alarm

The 27-year-old's father, Lawrence Springborg, who is the mayor of border town Goondiwindi in Queensland, was among several family members concerned for her well being when they couldn't contact her

Tasmanian Police confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death.

Mr Springborg told Daily News there was 'no way to prepare' for the loss of his daughter.

'We're very, very grateful for the time we had with Megan, and we hope those memories will sustain us into the future,' Mr Springborg said.

'We just want to thank so many members of the community that have reached out to offer their support, we're very grateful for that.'

Megan leaves behind her partner, Kai, and siblings Jens, Laura, and Thomas and her parents

Tasmanian Police confirmed there are no suspicious circumstances surrounding her death

James Lister, a close friend of the family and member for Southern Downs said he heard of Megan's 'dreadful' passing on Saturday night.

Her body was found earlier on Saturday.

'I've heard the news, and I'm sure I speak for everyone in wishing Linda, Lawrence, and their family our sincerest condolences for this tragedy,' Mr Lister said.

Megan leaves behind her partner, Kai, and siblings Jens, Laura, and Thomas.

Lifeline: 13 11 14

Beyondblue: 1300 22 4636
Harry Shearer, the voice of Dr Hibbert, Mr Burns and Ned Flanders on The Simpsons, has spoken out about the shows decision to stop white actors playing characters of color.

The long-running cartoon confirmed in June, under renewed pressure from the Black Lives Matter movement, that it would 'no longer have white actors voice non-white characters.'

The move followed years of public criticism about the Fox television show's 'stereotyped' Indian convenience store character Apu, who is voiced by Hank Azaria.

Now Harry Shearer, 76, who voices multiple characters on The Simpsons including African American doctor Juilius Hibbert, appeared to criticize the decision, telling Times Radio that actors should be able to play outside their own experience.

'I have a very simple belief about acting. The job of the actor is to play someone who they are not,' said Shearer, who has also appeared in multiple movies including Spinal Tap and The Truman Show.

Harry Shearer (right), the voice of Dr Hibbert (left), Mr Burns and Ned Flanders on The Simpsons, has spoken out about the shows decision to stop white actors playing characters of color

'That's the gig, that's the job description.'

Shearer, who also plays Principal Skinner, Reverend Lovejoy and Weyland Smithers, warned against conflating representation in the industry with on screen performance.

The actor explained that he did not have anything in common with some of his characters, such as Mr Burns, but that did not mean he couldn't play the character well.

However, he says no longer voicing Dr Hibbert will not affect seriously affect him.

'We don't get paid by the voice.'

Hank Azaria said earlier this year that he would no longer play thee character of Apu, which has been criticized as a negative portrayal of Indian-Americans.

Azaria has also voiced the Simpsons characters of black police officer Lou and the Mexican-American Bumblebee Man.

In January Azaria said he wasn't sure how to approach the issue or whether to stubbornly keep playing the character, but knew he needed more time to figure it out.

Hank Azaria, 55, announced in January that he would stop portraying Kwik-E-Mart owner Apu after 30 years

'It just didnt feel right.' Hank Azaria says he came to the decision to stop voicing Indian immigrant Apu on The Simpsons after years of educating himself on racism

As a white Jewish man, Azaria said he started asking himself how he would feel about a prominent TV character representing him on television in the same way.

'But then I started thinking, if that character were the only representation of Jewish people in American culture for 20 years, which was the case with Apu, I might not love that,' he said.

Azaria first debuted as the character during season one in 1990.

Bumbling Homer Simpson, housewife Marge, troublemaker Bart, prodigy Lisa and baby Maggie have captured the changing face of America for more than 30 years in the longest-running scripted show on U.S. television.

The Simpsons is syndicated in more than 100 countries.

The show's announcement comes amidst a widespread reckoning for U.S. pop culture about racism following mass protests over the killings of Black Americans by police.

Mike Henry has said that he will no longer voice the black character Cleveland Brown on Family Guy. Henry had voiced the character since 1999

Henry announced his decision to no longer play Cleveland Brown on Friday evening

Other white actors, including Mike Henry of animated series Family Guy and Kristen Bell of Central Park, who are both white, have also said they will no longer voice characters of color.

'It's been an honor to play Cleveland on Family Guy for 20 years. I love this character, but persons of color should play characters of color. Therefore, I will be stepping down from the role,' Henry said on Twitter on Friday.

The 54-year-old voice actor, who is a white man, has voiced the character since the series debut in 1999.

Henry had also voiced the Latina maid named Consuela on the series.

Voice actors Jenny Slate and Kristen Bell - who are white - pulled out of their roles on their respective shows to have their biracial characters with someone of color.
But escapism isnt the only objective. At its best, travel can transform us: It can awaken us to the restorative power of nature; it can broaden our ability to understand and appreciate dissimilar cultures; it can help us become more empathetic to people whose lives fall outside the scope of our day-to-day routines. These, too, are things we hope the series can provide, especially at a time when such transformations arent available to many of us via direct experience.

To achieve all that, weve tried to create immersive visual experiences; every story in the series is driven by images. (Instead of assigning photographers to shoot new work, we are relying on photojournalists with previously shot, and unpublished, portfolios.)

Weve also tried to create a more intuitive and symbiotic relationship between images and text. (In most cases, the journalist who took the pictures is also the one who wrote the copy.) And as a general rule, weve avoided service information: no hotel plugs or restaurant reviews, no recommended itineraries. The focus is on the people and the places themselves, as seen and captured by some of the best photojournalists in the world.

Thats it for this briefing. See you next time.  Carole

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 is about inequalities in the use of facial-recognition technology as a crime-solving tool.

 Heres our Mini Crossword, and a clue: U.F.O. pilot (five letters). You can find all our puzzles here.

 The Times Opinion audio team is expanding with colleagues from a vast range of experiences, to produce high-impact audio journalism.
The American president says his government should get a cut from the sale of TikTok's US operation if an American firm buys it. Donald Trump has warned that he will ban the video-sharing application, owned by a Chinese company, if there is no deal.

The US leader accuses TikTok and several other Chinese technology companies of providing data to the authorities in Beijing.

Trump has warned that he will ban the application on 15 September, unless the current owners, ByteDance, sell to a US company before then.

Last weekend, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said President Trump would take action "in the coming days" against Chinese-owned software companies that he believed posed a national security risk.

Pompeo told Fox News that TikTok was among those "feeding data directly to the Chinese Communist Party".

He did not offer any evidence to back up that claim.

Trump change-of-heart on Microsoft deal

Microsoft are known to be negotiating with ByteDance.

Last Friday, President Trump said he was opposed to Microsoft buying TikTok's US business.

His latest statement seems to contradict that, provided "the Treasury of the United States gets a lot of money," the president says.

Legal experts have questioned the president's authority to demand a payment to secure a takeover deal, describing the move as "highly unorthodox".

Beijing objects to US "smash and grab"

China accused the United States on Tuesday of "outright bullying", after President Donald Trump ramped up pressure for TikTok's US operations to be sold to an American company.

"This goes against the principles of the market economy and the WTO's principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination," said foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin.

The state-run China Daily newspaper said on Tuesday that Beijing would not accept the "theft" of a Chinese technology company.

The paper also warned in an editorial that China had "plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab".
I still cant believe it sometimes, said Miller, a St. Ignatius College Prep School graduate who plans to enroll at Harvard this fall. To be able to say that I was able to just go throughout schooling and be involved in so many extracurriculars and, really, just be able to be accepted into Harvard is just amazing because of the prestige and all of the opportunities Ill have as a student.
Jose Hernandez sits down for an interview with The Epoch Times' California Insider show. (Hau Nguyen/The Epoch Times)

World-Renowned Mariachi Maestro Helps Latino Students Thrive in US

California-based mariachi star Jose Hernandez is establishing mariachi programs in schools across the country. He says its helping raise graduation rates among Latino students while spreading an appreciation of Mexicos traditional music.

Hernandez is a world-renowned composer and musician known for popularizing mariachi in the United Stateshis was the first mariachi ensemble to be nominated for a Grammy.

His ensemble plays with the San Francisco Symphony, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, and other prestigious orchestras. He said many Latinos and Latinas feel pride when they see that.

Theres a pride that you feel when you hear mariachi music, Hernandez told The Epoch Times. Its like the Mexican flag.

Hes been asked to play the stereotypical mariachi musicianfor example in the movie Naked Gun 2 but turned those offers down.

Thats a big stereotype, and I want to get away from thatthe big fat Mexican with a guitar and a tequila bottle sitting under a cactus.  Mariachi musicians nowadays, we have music education. We know how to write [music], we could orchestrate for a symphony orchestra. We know how to teach music.

He has helped establish mariachi programs in schools across 37 states. He said he has seen Latino students with tears in their eyes because its important to have this link to their culture.

Hernandez gave the example of two middle schools and a high school in Nashville that brought in his mariachi program. The graduation rate for Latino students there was about 40 percent before, he said. A few years after the program started, the rate was up to 90 percent, and he attributes that in large part to the mariachi program.

It helps motivate students in various ways, he said. It has a requirement of a minimum grade point average for entry, motivating some students to pull up their grades.

The class gives students a skill that some of them use to perform and make some money. It also gets the different generations in a family together, and gets parents engaged in their childrens school and education.

The parents connect with the teachers because theyre so proud to see their children learning mariachi, Hernandez said. They feel connected to the school.

The little 5-year-old falls in love with the music, and the grandmother loves the music also, he said.

Its been a connection between Hernandez and his own ancestors. He is a fifth-generation mariachi musician.

He moved to Pico Rivera, LA County, from Mexico with his family when he was 4 years old. He started playing mariachi music with his family when he was 3 years old; his brothers play as well. The Hernandez family has been key in influencing the mariachi presence in Los Angeles.

Hernandez also discussed the origins of Mariachi. Spanish conquistadors brought their instruments to Mexico, including the three instruments used in early mariachithe violin, harp, and guitar. Trumpets were added later, in the 20th century, when mariachi was being produced to play on the radio.

Early mariachi bands combined their own indigenous rhythms with the use of the European instruments. The musicians started wearing clothes that imitated the dress of charros, Spanish horsemen Hernandez described simply as rich Spaniards.

The charros didnt like that. They were offended at first, Hernandez said.

That dress is still the standard for mariachi musicians, though the pants are tapered instead of loose-fitting the way the horsemen wore them.

He said he gives even more attention to his dress and presentation in the United States, because were in the melting pot. Im representing my country, so I take even more care.
ByteDance, the company that owns TikTok, accused Facebook of "plagiarism and smear" following continued pressure on its business in the U.S.

ByteDance did not dive into the details about the "plagiarism and smear" accusation on Facebook.

Late Sunday, ByteDance said it is "committed" to being a company that covers the whole globe but has faced "all kinds of complex and unimaginable difficulties," CNBC translated their Chinese statement.

They did, however, allude to "plagiarism and smear of competitor Facebook" in the statement. They also pointed to an "intense international political environment" and a conflict of different cultures.

According to Reuters, the statement from ByteDance was made on its official account on Jinri Toutiao, a news aggregator app that it also owns. The tech firm said its statement is mainly aimed at their local Chinese audience.

Facebook Accused ByteDance of Censorship

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg shone a light on TikTok when he accused the app last year of censoring political protest. But TikTok has denied that claim.

CNBC reached out to Facebook for comment, but the tech giant has not yet replied.

The statement did not talk about the pressures on TikTok in the U.S.

According to Channel News Asia, the company is now in front of a sell-off for its most popular app TikTok. They were given 45 days to talk about a sale of their famous short video app to Microsoft Corp, said people with knowledge on the matter Sunday.

Before Microsoft could even confirm that it is in talks to buy TikTok, ByteDance had already released the statement.

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella spoke to President Donald Trump about their interest in buying TikTok operations in the U.S., and the tech giant is also thinking of a purchase of TikTok in Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

"New Cold War"

This is not the first time TikTok has been in the heat with Washington. It has also faced accusations of scooping up American user data to send back to the Chinese government. Time and time again, the app has denied this claim.

Also, before the Microsoft sale announcement, the social media app was also under threat of a ban by Trump. Tensions have boiled between the U.S. and China, putting the sector caught in the middle.

Some have even dubbed the tensions a "new Cold War."

On the other hand, Facebook has been facing competitive pressures from TikTok.

It tried to create a rival product through Lasso. But Lasso did not take off well and was shut down last month. Lasso allowed users to record videos that are up to 15 seconds long and have music to come with it.

Facebook, however, is gearing up to launch a new short video product called Instagram Reels.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer, who was hired in May from Disney, called out Facebook last week.

Mayer said in a blog post that he thinks fair competition "makes all of us better," so he told those who want to launch competitive products to "bring it on." In the post, he pointed to Instagram Reels in particular.

There, he said Facebook's "other copycat" Lasso did not pan out well. He said Facebook made a move "designed to put an end to our very presence in the U.S."

Want to read more? Check these out!

Microsoft in Talks to Acquire TikTok

What Exactly is Going on with TikTok? Here are Bunches of Details You Wouldn't Want to Miss

Apple Tops Oil Giant Saudi Aramco as World's Most Valuable Company
LONDON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- A group of young entrepreneurs have taken up a monumental task for their first independent business endeavour. The founders of Nursery and Childcare Ratings Stephanie Downey, Kendall Gideon and Melissa Nelson have joined professional forces to create a business with longevity. www.nurseryandchildcareratings.co.uk is a newly created website covering the whole of the UK; it allows parents to choose the most suitable nursery or childcare establishment in their area using a unique rating system developed by skilled industry experts. This is therefore thorough, impartial and highly comprehensive. The mission is to provide non-biased, factual, evidence based reviews on all nurseries in the UK.

Stephanie a founding member said: "Children are what parents live for! They are the most important part of their lives and are loved unconditionally." This company acknowledges the fact that parents have to trust nursery and childcare establishments with both the safety and nurture of their beloved children. Therefore Nursery and Childcare Ratings should be the first step for all parents and carers when searching for an establishment for their children to thrive.

Our vision is to become the number one point of call for parents and carers when they are deciding on what childcare establishment to send their child to. Our website also provides useful and informative information such as the latest news and articles, activities to do at home, places to visit with kids, information on child special needs and mental health issues, watch lists, childcare products and lots more.

In 1929, John Spedan Lewis initiated a form of business that enabled all future employees to become co-owners and this concept is one we intend to emulate here at Nursery and Childcare Ratings LTD. Therefore all members of the team have been offered an opportunity to own a percentage of the company. We believe this concept encourages important values such as a shared commitment, collaboration, enthusiasm, an all or nothing mentality and a 'we not me' team culture.

We have set up a go fund me to support our evolution; the funds will be used for content creation, website improvements, nursery assessments and advertisements. Please donate to help us improve nursery and childcare practices over the UK https://gf.me/u/ykq7d7.

Follow;

Instagram - @nurseryandchildcareratings

Facebook - Nursery Ratings

Twitter - @childcarerating

LinkedIn - Nursery and Childcare Ratings LTD

Contact:

Executive Director: Stephanie Downey

Telephone number: +44(0)7951 040 391

Email address: s.downey@nurseryandchildcareratings.co.uk
Chalk up another COVID-19 casualty. The North Carolina Humanities Council has canceled their Road Scholars speakers bureau.

Road Scholars, founded in 1990, allowed groups throughout the state to book speakers to discuss a variety of topics at little or no cost to the hosting organization. The Road Scholars program catalog included presentations by more than 60 speakers which focused on issues of American history, literature, philosophy, ethics, religious studies, linguistics, jurisprudence, nature, history and criticism of the arts, sociology, and certain aspects of social science. All programs were offered to the public free of charge.

I was one of the Scholars. I am grateful that for the past eight years I had the opportunity to address groups from Burnsville and Brevard to Greenville and many places in between. Every speaking engagement allowed me to meet interesting people and to visit a new part of the state. I enjoyed sharing my knowledge of Southern literature and American history, especially my talk about my great-grandmother as an orphan train rider.
Residents from North Georgia and the Tennessee Valley will be gathering for a Motor March in support of the Hamilton County Sheriff's Department and Collegedale Police Department on Sunday at 1 p.m. at the Tractor Supply parking lot, 9408 Apison Pike in Ooltewah.

The parade of motorcycles and vehicles will start in Collegedale and make its way through Ooltewah, then return to downtown Collegedale, where they will organize in front of the Collegedale City Hall.



"This event will be a positive and lawful gathering to show our love and support for the men and women in uniform that protect and serve this community every day," organizers said.
As far as whether the governor overstepped his authority with the restrictions, Wood wrote that the governor has sweeping powers in the event a disaster strikes all or part of the state, and even if he did not properly interpret the law it would not necessarily render his actions beyond his legal authority.
It has been a year since Parliament changed the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), effectively nullifying Article 370, and reorganising the state into two Union territories of J&K and Ladakh. This newspaper supported the quest for integrating Kashmir with the rest of India, constitutionally and legally, with the dilution of Article 370  while raising questions about the process followed to achieve it, and emphasised the need for outreach to the Kashmiri people.

A year later, there is little doubt that the entire constitutional, legal and administrative rejig of J&K has cemented the control of the State over the territory. It has armed Indian security forces with greater room to tackle Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and crack down on violence. And it has shown the futility of the azaadi slogan of those who harbour ambitions of secession. At the same time, the challenge of integrating Kashmiris with the Union persists. The detention of mainstream leaders, the curtailment of civil liberties, including mobility and connectivity, and the restrictions on political activity (all of which this newspaper has consistently opposed) has left the Kashmiri street alienated. The dilution of statehood has been met with hostility. There has been tremendous disruption to the everyday lives of people.

The government must note these sentiments and not brush aside the democratic dissent of citizens, even as it battles the violence. Restoring democracy fully  by removing restrictions on connectivity, releasing detained leaders, initiating a political dialogue, making security forces more accountable for excesses  and restoring statehood to J&K (while keeping Ladakh as a separate unit) is the best way to restart the political process. Kashmir has been won over, now win over the Kashmiris.
Like the 50mm f/1.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens that was launched in INDIEGOGO February 2020, the new SIRUI 35mm f/1.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens delivers a wider cinematic shot at a great value!

VERONA, New Jersey, Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The lens comes with detachable geared rings for the focus and aperture rings, uses a 67mm front filter thread, and has a minimum focus distance of 0.85m (2.8ft). Weighing in at only 700g, this compact, sturdy, and durable lens is perfect for on-the-go filmmaking.

Drawing on our experience with the 50mm Anamorphic Lens, SIRUI has achieved a focal length breakthrough, enabling us to deliver an affordable 35mm f/1.8 1.33x Anamorphic Lens. There is now another high-quality and affordable, wider-frame anamorphic option for cinematographers and cinematic enthusiasts. With the combination of the two SIRUI anamorphic lenses, you can capture your imagination and create breathtaking, cinematic shots.

Built with the highest standards, this brand-new anamorphic pro lens achieves the field of view of a 26.3mm camera lens by widening the horizontal FOV up to 33%. Ideal for users looking for a wider cinematic look, the 35mm Anamorphic Lens is a gamechanger, providing a superb, silky depth of field and oval bokeh.

Break the limitations, break the traditional boundaries. SIRUI's 35mm lens provides customers with three convertible mounts to adapt to different mirrorless cameras. One mirror with multiple uses makes the product more cost-effective. The new 35mm lens can attach to an M4/3 mirrorless camera and fit onto an APS-C mirrorless camera with a selection of E, EF-M, and Z lens mounts by attaching the optional adapter rings.

Built with a precision optical structure and multiple layers of Nano-coating, SIRUI's Anamorphic Camera Lens will deliver a vivid, recognizable horizontal blue flare. Another characteristic of the SIRUI Anamorphic Lens is its out-of-focus elements. The lens has a large F1.8 aperture ring, which optimizes the depth of view to create an oval bokeh effect. Each lens has 10 aperture blades that create specular out-of-focus highlights and more pleasing bokeh.

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File photo: Grounded Boeing 737 Max aircraft are seen parked in an aerial photo at Boeing Field in Seattle, Washington, July 1, 2019.

REUTERS/Lindsey Wasson

The FAA published its proposed changes to the Boeing 737 Max, outlining the fixes required for the plane to return to service  among the final steps before the plane can fly again.

The FAA also published a summary of its review of the plane, writing that the proposed changes will fix the problems that caused two of Boeing's flagship narrow-body jet to crash, killing a combined 346 people.

The proposed changes are subject to a 45-day public comment period, meaning the plane could return to service as soon as mid-September. Here's the list of changes the FAA wants to see.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

The Boeing 737 Max has taken one of the final steps required before to returning to service, as the Federal Aviation Administration released a preliminary summary outlining its review of Boeing's fixes to the troubled plane.

The FAA on Monday issued a notice of proposed rulemaking outlining an airworthiness directive that would detail its approved updates to the 737 Max, and require airlines to implement those changes in order to return their planes to service. The Max has been grounded since March 2019, following two crashes that killed a combined 346 people.

Among the changes, 737 Max operators would be required to install a revamped software system on the plane's flight control computer, following a major redesign to the computer, and upload new software for the plane's display system. 737 Max operators would be required to use a revised flight manual, install new wiring for the plane's horizontal stabilizers, complete tests of each plane's angle-of-attack sensor system, and perform operational test flights.

The FAA also issued a preliminary summary of its review of the plane.

The proposed changes and the summary together outline, for the first time in an official public setting, the changes that FAA and Boeing safety inspectors and engineers have outlined for the plane as it inches closer to returning to service.

Story continues

Southwest is Boeing's largest customer for the 737 Max. Its fleet, like those of every airline around the world, has been grounded since March, 2019.

REUTERS/Mike Blake

Boeing completed the plane's recertification flights with the FAA in late June and early July, among the final major hurdles for the planemaker to overcome before the plane could be cleared to fly again. During the flights, Boeing and FAA engineers tested the various changes made to the jet.

In the preliminary summary, the FAA wrote that it found that Boeing's proposed changes to the Max design, along with flight crew and maintenance procedures, "effectively mitigate the airplane-related safety issues that contributed to the Flight 610 and Flight 302 accidents."

The summary added that the proposed changes "also addressed additional safety concerns beyond those identified during the accident investigations."

Once a notice of proposed rulemaking is published by the Office of the Federal Register, a 45-day public comment period is held before any final decisions are made, suggesting that the plane could be cleared to fly by mid-September.

The 737 Max has been grounded since March, 2019

The first 737 Max deadly crash, Lion Air Flight 610, plunged into the Java Sea off Indonesia in October 2018 12 minutes after takeoff, during which the pilots struggled to control the plane. The crash killed 189 people.

Although questions immediately emerged about a new flight-control system on the 737 Max  the latest iteration of Boeing's 55-year-old workhorse  the plane largely remained in service, with an emergency Airworthiness Directive issued by Boeing and the FAA warning pilots about possible control issues.

People walk at the scene of the Ethiopian Airlines Flight ET 302 plane crash, near the town of Bishoftu, southeast of Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, on March 10, 2019.

Tiksa Negeri/Reuters

The second crash occurred in March 2019, when Ethiopian Airlines Flight 302 crashed six minutes after taking off from Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, killing all 157 on board. Within days, the plane type was grounded worldwide. On March 13, 2019, the US became one of the last countries to ground the jet.

Investigators found that both crashes were linked to the automated system, called the maneuvering characteristics augmentation system, or MCAS.

MCAS was designed to compensate for the 737 Max having larger engines than previous 737 generations. The larger engines could cause the plane's nose to tip upward, leading to a stall  in that situation, MCAS could automatically point the nose down to negate the effect of the engine size.

But the system could be activated by a faulty reading from a single angle-of-attack sensor, without any redundancies or backups. In both crashes the sensors are thought to have failed, sending erroneous data to the flight computer and, without a redundant check in place, triggering the automated system.

Although the grounding was initially expected to last a few weeks, Boeing and the FAA found additional safety hazards  eventually requiring Boeing to redesign the jet's entire flight computer rather than just the MCAS software.

FILE PHOTO: The angle of attack sensor, at bottom center, on an unfinished 737 Max aircraft at the Boeing factory in Renton, Washington, March 27, 2019. A faulty angle-of-attack sensor, combined with a flawed flight control system, was implicated in the crashes.

Lindsey Wasson/Reuters

Numerous federal investigations are underway into the design of the jet, part of an effort to determine how it was allowed to be certified in the first place and whether there was criminal negligence behind the design.

Questions remain over whether other countries will accept the FAA's decision on the plane  an industry norm  or conduct their own recertification flights, which would represent a loss of standing for the American agency.

Boeing previously said it expected the jet to return to service in the second half of this year. Although airlines have eagerly awaited the jet's return, the collapse of travel demand due to the coronavirus pandemic has dulled the need for the added capacity.

Read the original article on Business Insider
DENVER, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EnerCom, Inc. is pleased to announce that the schedule for The Oil & Gas Conference is now available on the conference's website. For the 25th consecutive year, EnerCom is proud to host three days of the energy industry's leading companies. Attendees will have the opportunity to listen to presentations from management teams representing companies public and private, international and domestic, and with a market caps ranging from $50 million to over $60 billion.

Qualified members of the investment community are invited to request meetings with management teams from the conference's lineup. Meetings will take virtually August 17th to the 19th as companies present in The Oil & Gas Conference.

To view the schedule for the 25th Anniversary of The Oil and Gas Conference and to register to secure your virtual attendance, please visit the conference website at www.theoilandgasconference.com

Keynote panel discussions includes:

Government and Politics Panel discussion with Elizabeth Ames Coleman , former Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, Christopher Hill , diplomat and four-time ambassador, nominated by three presidents, whose last post was as Ambassador to Iraq and Kathleen Sgamma , President of the Western Energy Alliance Western Energy Alliance.

discussion with , former Chairman of the Texas Railroad Commission, , diplomat and four-time ambassador, nominated by three presidents, whose last post was as Ambassador to and , President of the Western Energy Alliance Western Energy Alliance. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Panel discussion with Great Western Petroleum, University of Denver , Preng & Associates and Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC.

Company lineup as of August 3rd, 2020 includes:

Advantage Oil & Gas Ltd.

AEGIS Energy Risk

Ajax Analytics

Apache Corporation

Avant Natural Resources

Barclays

Barrow, Hanley, Mewhinney & Strauss, LLC

Baytex Energy Corporation

Bonanza Creek Energy

BTU Analytics

CAC Specialty

Canacol Energy Ltd.

Cimarex Energy Co.

Cleargistix, LLC

Comstock Resources

Core Laboratories

Data Gumbo

DistributionNOW (DNOW)

Earthstone Energy

Eni SpA

Enverus

GeoPark

Goodrich Petroleum

Great Western Petroleum

Haynes and Boone

Infrastructure Networks Inc. (INET)

Locus Bio-Energy Solutions

Lonestar Resources

MKM Partners

Noble Royalties

Northern Oil and Gas, Inc.

Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc.

NuVista Energy Ltd.

Penn Virginia Corporation

PetroTal Corp.

Port of Corpus Christi

Preng & Associates

ResFrac Corporation

Ring Energy

Rystad Energy

SCFCan, Inc.

Seven Generations Energy Ltd

SM Energy

Spartan Delta Corp.

Steel Reef Infrastructure Corp.

Sundance Energy

Tamarack Valley Energy Ltd

U.S. Energy Development Corporation

Ubiterra

University of Denver

Vaquero Midstream

Western Energy Alliance

Health and Safety: EnerCom remains focused on the health and safety of our attendees, presenters, sponsors and staff. As such, this year's conference will be held primarily in a digital format which will ensure the safety of everyone involved in the event.

Conference Details: The Oil & Gas Conference 25 offers investment professionals the opportunity to listen to senior management teams in the oil and gas industry present operational and financial strategies and to gain exposure to important energy topics affecting the global oil and gas industry.

Public and Private Company Presenters: The 2020 edition of EnerCom's The Oil & Gas Conference will feature public and private oil and gas companies with operations around the world including the U.S. shale basins, the Gulf of Mexico and Canada. A list of presenting companies will be provided on the conference website at a future date and updated periodically.

Additional Speakers: Global energy industry leaders, economists, market strategists, government officials and other energy experts will provide their insights on global commodities markets, ESG policy and reporting, exports of crude oil and natural gas, frac sand supply and logistics, and capital sources for energy development.

Who Attends the Conference: More than 2,000 institutional, private equity and hedge fund investors, energy research analysts, retail brokers, trust officers, high net worth investors, investment bankers and energy industry professionals gather for the conference.

One-on-One Meetings: EnerCom works in advance with presenting company management teams to arrange one-on-one meetings with the attending institutional investors and research analysts at the conference venue. Traditionally, EnerCom arranged and managed more than 2,000 one-on-one meeting requests. Registered buy- and sell-side attendees will be able to schedule meetings with presenting management teams in-person and online as appropriate.

How to Register: Investment professionals and oil and gas companies can register for the event through the conference website.

EnerCom History and Sponsors: EnerCom ( Ener gy Com munications) has a rich history of working with clients to differentiate and deliver targeted messages to investors. EnerCom, Inc. founded The Oil & Gas Conference in 1996 with this goal in mind.

Global sponsors of EnerCom's conferences are Netherland, Sewell & Associates; and Moss Adams, LLP. Additional sponsors of The Oil & Gas Conference 25 include Enverus; CAC Specialty; Haynes and Boone, LLP; PNC; and Bank of America.

About EnerCom, Inc.

Since 1994 EnerCom, Inc. has developed into a nationally recognized management consultancy advising oil and gas industry clients on corporate strategy, asset valuations, investor relations, media relations, external communications and visual communications design.

EnerCom produces and publishes numerous data products and external communications tools for public energy companies and oil and gas investors including:

ESG consulting and reporting

peer group company valuations that are specific to the oil and gas industry;

corporate annual reports, oil and gas company websites, custom stratigraphic and subsurface illustrations;

company investor presentations; and

Oil & Gas 360 - an online daily industry news portal.

Headquartered in Denver, with senior consultants in Texas, EnerCom uses the team approach for delivering its wide range of services to public and private companies, large and small, operating in the global exploration and production, OilService, capital markets, and associated advanced-technology industries. EnerCom's professionals have more than 170 years of industry and business experience and a proven track record of success.

For more information about EnerCom and its services, please visit http://www.enercominc.com/ or call +1 303-296-8834.

About Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc.

Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (NSAI) was founded in 1961 to provide the highest quality engineering and geological consulting to the petroleum industry. Today they are recognized as the worldwide leader of petroleum property analysis to industry and financial organizations and government agencies. With offices in Dallas and Houston, NSAI provides a complete range of geological, geophysical, petrophysical, and engineering services and has the technical experience and ability to perform these services in any of the onshore and offshore oil and gas producing areas of the world. They provide reserves reports and audits, acquisition and divestiture evaluations, simulation studies, exploration resources assessments, equity determinations, and management and advisory services. For a complete list of services or to learn more about Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. please visit www.netherlandsewell.com

For more information about NSAI, call C.H. (Scott) Rees, Chief Executive Officer, at 214-969-5401 or send an email to [email protected].

About Moss Adams LLP

Moss Adams is a fully integrated professional services firm dedicated to assisting clients with growing, managing, and protecting prosperity.

With more than 3,200 professionals and staff across more than 25 locations in the West and beyond, we work with many of the world's most innovative companies and leaders. Our strength in the middle market enables us to advise clients at all intervals of developmentfrom start-up, to rapid growth and expansion, to transition.

For more information, please contact Joe Blice, Partner, National Practice Leader, Oil & Gas, CPA.

[email protected], 972.687.7818.

Moss Adams LLP provides details at mossadams.com/industries/oil-and-gas

About Enverus

In 1999, Enverus was founded as Drillinginfo, a groundbreaking provider of reliable oil & gas data, when the industry was on the brink of a digital revolutiona revolution that we would eventually fuel. Over the years, we grew exponentially through product innovation, market expansion, and acquisitions. Today, we are the energy industry's leading data, insights, and software company, helping customers outpace their competition and influence their respective industries.

For more information, visit https://www.enverus.com

About CAC Specialty

CAC Specialty is an employee owned risk solutions company of seasoned and proactive industry leaders, operating as a nimble and collaborative partner who puts you and your business first. With a knowledge-driven approach informed by industry data and decades of honed instinct, CAC brings an innovative vision to insurance broking and merchant banking by providing solutions to solve your risk challenges  from the simple to the previously unsolvable. Backed by a $40B AUM asset manager and not constrained by traditional risk transfer thinking, CAC can expand the range of risk transfer through access to private debt and alternative pools of risk capital.

Read CAC's most recent insights here, and for more information contact Brad Elliott, Senior Vice President and Team Lead.

About Haynes and Boone

Haynes and Boone, LLP is an energy focused corporate law firm that provides a full spectrum of legal services and solutions to clients across the oil and gas industry, including the upstream, midstream, and downstream sectors. Our team of more than 100 energy lawyers and landmen has been helping operators, lenders and private equity firms complete some of the largest financings and M&A transactions in recent years. With more than 575 lawyers in offices in Texas, New York, California, Charlotte, Chicago, Denver, Washington, D.C., London, Mexico City and Shanghai, Haynes and Boone is ranked among the nation's most recommended law firms by general counsel for client service according to BTI Consulting Group's "Most Recommended Law Firms 2019" report.

For more information, please visit www.haynesboone.com.

About PNC

For more than 160 years, we have been committed to providing our clients with great service and powerful financial expertise to help them meet their financial goals. We are proud of our longstanding history of supporting not only our customers but also our communities, employees and shareholders.

For more information, please visit www.pnc.com.

Bank of America

Whether expanding a local business in the US, raising capital in Singapore or hedging currencies in Frankfurt, Bank of America Merrill Lynch understands the challenges our clients face in the US and around the world. We use the full resources of our company to help them achieve their goals. Our solutions span the complete range of advisory, capital raising, banking, treasury, as well as liquidity, sales and trading, and research capabilities.

Our Global Banking & Markets division serves mid- to large-sized companies, corporations and institutions. It comprises Business Banking, Global Commercial Banking, Global Corporate & Investment Banking and Global Markets. Aligned with these client-facing groups are Global Capital Markets, Global Research, Global Transaction Services and Wholesale Credit.

For more information, please visit www.bankofamerica.com.

Preng & Associates

Preng & Associates is the world's leading executive search firm totally dedicated to the energy industry. Over our 40 years, we have assisted more than 750 management teams and boards in 75 countries and conducted over 3,700 engagements. Our mission continues to be helping companies and boards identify and attract talent around the world that will impact shareholder value.

Rystad Energy

Rystad Energy is an independent energy research and business intelligence company providing data, tools, analytics and consultancy services to the global energy industry. Our products and services cover energy fundamentals and the global and regional upstream, oilfield services and renewable energy industries, tailored to analysts, managers and executives alike. We are headquartered in Oslo, Norway with offices across the globe.

For more information, please visit www.rystadenergy.com.

SOURCE EnerCom, Inc.

Related Links

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Jakarta, August 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Golden Agri-Resources' (GAR) latest Sustainability Report entitled "Staying the Course" details GAR's commitment to continued implementation of the GAR Social and Environmental Policy (GSEP). Published amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, the report also provides a snapshot of the company's efforts to support employees and communities during the outbreak.

"Staying the Course, is a fitting description for the reality of working to achieve lasting sustainable practices within our own business and our wider supply chain. Major initiatives such as Traceability to the Plantation (TTP) and supply chain transformation, as well as continued work on delinking deforestation from production, are now showing significant traction and benefits, five years after we launched the GSEP," said Agus Purnomo, Managing Director, Sustainability, GAR.

"Industry-wide transformation, such as the palm oil sector has been undergoing, can only be achieved by daily on-the-ground effort. It requires the collaboration and support of all stakeholders - our employees, our suppliers, our financiers, our customers, and consumers. We have a shared responsibility to stay the course," he continued.

Report highlights include:

The achievement of nearly 80 percent TTP for GAR's entire palm supply chain, putting it on track to achieve the target of full TTP by end-2020 (subject to unforeseen delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic). Supply chain transformation backed by traceability continues apace through GAR's various deep engagement and capacity-building programmes. Workshops on traceability, responsible labour practices, and implementation of Free, Prior and Informed Consent (FPIC) were amongst those organised for suppliers in 2019.

Effective resolution of supply chain grievances based on a structured engagement approach. GAR was ranked by NGO Mighty Earth as the top ranking palm oil company in resolving grievances involving third-party suppliers.

GAR supports, directly and indirectly, the conservation of 144,000 hectares of forest area. 72,000 hectares of which are within GAR's own concessions with the rest within third-party supplier concessions and community areas. Last year, it joined an industry initiative to fund and support the development of increased surveillance of deforestation in Indonesia through radar monitoring.

Continued support to 40 Alternative Livelihood projects in partnership with local communities across Indonesia. These projects which include growing organic vegetables and other cash crops like coffee help improve rural farming communities' resilience and livelihoods, especially in times of crisis like the COVID-19 outbreak.

Other achievements include the reformulation of almost all consumer products like margarine and shortening to be free of trans fatty acids. To support its programme of yield improvement, GAR has produced about 2.5 million clones of super high-yielding clonal stock, Eka 1 and Eka 2 for replanting as of end 2019. These new clonals are capable of producing over 10 tonnes/ha/year of CPO, about three times the current national average yield in Indonesia.

Looking forward, the Chairman and CEO of GAR is confident GAR is well-positioned to stay the course: "GAR's strong vertically integrated business model and sustainable operations provide resilience during industry volatility and disruption, including the current COVID-19 pandemic. With the momentum we have gained over the years, we remain hopeful that we will stay on track and continue to provide sustainably produced and superior quality palm oil products, while creating value for all our stakeholders."

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1223154/Gambar_3.jpg

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1223156/Gambar_1.jpg

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Analyses of lung fluid cells from COVID-19 patients conducted on the nation's fastest supercomputer point to gene expression patterns that may explain the runaway symptoms produced by the body's response to SARS-CoV-2.

A team led by Dan Jacobson of the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory used the Summit supercomputer at ORNL to analyze genes from cells in the lung fluid of nine COVID-19 patients compared with 40 control patients.

The computational analyses suggest that genes related to one of the body's systems responsible for lowering blood pressure -- the bradykinin system -- appear to be excessively "turned on" in the lung fluid cells of those with the virus. The results were published in eLife.

Based on their analyses, the team posits that bradykinin -- the compound that dilates blood vessels and makes them permeable -- is overproduced in the body of COVID-19 patients; related systems either contribute to overproduction or cannot slow the process. Excessive bradykinin leads to leaky blood vessels, allowing fluid to build up in the body's soft tissues.

Much attention has focused on what's known as the cytokine storm, a severe reaction in which the body releases an excess of cytokines, a variety of small proteins that help regulate the immune system. Jacobson's team thinks a bradykinin storm may instead be to blame for much of the viral pathogenesis. If the team's disease mechanism model is accurate and substantiated by experimental analysis, it may mean that existing medicines could be repurposed to slow the pathogenesis of COVID-19. This would require extensive clinical trials of drugs currently used to treat other bradykinin-related conditions.

"If we can block this pathogenesis in severe patients, we can keep the human response from going overboard and give their immune system time to fight off the virus so they can recover," Jacobson said.

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The bradykinin storm could explain the wide variety of symptoms experienced by COVID-19 patients, such as muscle pain, fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, headaches, and decreased cognitive function. Similar symptoms are also experienced by patients with other bradykinin-related conditions such as hereditary angioedema, a genetic condition that is characterized by episodes of severe swelling throughout the body.

"This is one of those rare times where you can really tie everything back to a eureka moment," said Jacobson, staff scientist in ORNL's Biosciences Division. "I was looking at data, and I suddenly saw some very distinct patterns happening in the pathways of the renin-angiotensin and bradykinin systems. That led us to do a deep dive of the gene families of the blood pressure regulatory system." The renin-angiotensin system, or RAS, and bradykinin pathway regulate blood pressure and fluid balance in the body.

Using the Summit and Rhea supercomputers at the Oak Ridge Leadership Computing Facility, the team compared the genes of COVID-19 patients against a control group and analyzed population-scale gene expression data -- 17,000 samples from uninfected individuals -- to see which genes were normally co-expressed, or turned on or off at the same time.

Summit is currently the nation's most powerful supercomputer, with a theoretical peak performance of 200 petaflops, or 200 quadrillion calculations per second. Jacobson and his colleagues required the power of Summit to run 2.5 billion correlation calculations that helped them understand the normal regulatory circuits and relationships for the genes of interest. With Summit, the team completed the calculations in one week rather than spending months doing them on a desktop computer.

Researchers found an increased expression of enzymes that can trigger the production of bradykinin and a decreased expression of enzymes that would break down bradykinin -- the perfect storm. The team also uncovered that an enzyme that forestalls the bradykinin cascade -- the angiotensin-converting enzyme, known as ACE -- was less expressed in COVID-19 patients. At least ten existing drugs are known to act on the specific pathways Jacobson's team studied, but large-scale clinical trials are needed to determine whether they might be effective at treating COVID-19.

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"We believe that when you take the inhibition at the top of this pathway off, you end up with an out-of-control cascade that leads to an opening up of the blood vessels, causing them to leak," Jacobson said. "If that happens in the lung, that's not good. Immune cells that are normally contained in the blood vessels flood into the surrounding infected tissue, causing inflammation."

The lungs of COVID-19 patients are known to have an increased amount of hyaluronic acid, a gooey substance found in connective tissues that can trap around 1,000 times its own weight in water to form a hydrogel. The team also found that genes in the cells of COVID-19 patients increased the production of the substance and decreased its breakdown. The findings suggest that further experimental study of drug compounds known to slow the synthesis of hyaluronic acid and the mechanisms involved in the process is warranted.

"When the lungs end up with an excess of hyaluronic acid in them, it's like trying to breathe through Jell-O," Jacobson said. "It reaches a point where regardless of how much oxygen you pump in, it doesn't matter, because the alveoli in the lungs are filled with this hydrogel. With this excess of hyaluronic acid, any water leaking out of the blood vessels due to bradykinin will soak up this structure and the lungs become like a water balloon."

The team also used the Compute and Data Environment for Science, or CADES, at ORNL to determine which genes in the RAS-bradykinin pathways have vitamin D binding sites. The results of their analyses might help scientists determine through experimentation which parts of these pathways could potentially be influenced by vitamin D. Because vitamin D helps regulate the RAS and vitamin D deficiencies have already been associated with more severe illness in COVID-19 patients, Jacobson said it's another molecule worth further study.

The research team included colleagues from ORNL, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, the Yale School of Medicine, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, the Versiti Blood Research Institute, the University of Kentucky and the Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center.

The OLCF is a DOE Office of Science user facility located at ORNL.

The team's research was supported by ORNL's Laboratory Directed Research and Development Program; the DOE Office of Science through the National Virtual Biotechnology Laboratory, a consortium of DOE national laboratories focused on response to COVID-19, with funding provided by the Coronavirus CARES Act; and the National Institutes of Health.
NEWS FLASH

Low cost carrier Ryanair has resumed partial operations from Nis in Serbia and Banja Luka in Bosnia and Herzegovina over the weekend following a four-month hiatus resulting from the coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic. The carrier has restored flights from Berlin to Nis, with Malta to follow in mid-August. The carrier will resume services from Milan and Bratislava at the start of the 2020/2021 winter season in late October. Europes largest airline has also returned to Banja Luka with flights from Charleroi and Memmingen. Services from Berlin and Hahn will return in late October when the carrier will also launch its new flights from Bergamo, while its subsidiary Lauda will inaugurate operations from Vienna.





Commenting on Ryanairs return, the head of Nis Airport, Dusan Knezevic, said, We are delighted by Ryanairs return to Nis because it grows our portfolio of destinations. We expect for all pre-pandemic routes operated by Ryanair to be restored and for new ones to launch. Banja Luka Airports General Manager, Milan Racic, noted, Ryanairs service resumption is good news for the airport, which is ready to handle passengers in line with all health recommendations prescribed against Covid-19.





Ryanair has launched a flash sale with cheap tickets to both Nis and Banja Luka available until Wednesday, August 5. Last month, Ryanair resumed operations to Croatia and Montenegro.





Nis













Banja Luka








The Andhra Pradesh high court on Tuesday stayed the notifications issued by the YSR Congress government on the formation of three capitals for the state till August 14.

Acting on a petition filed by Rajadhani Rythu Parirakshana Samithi (Committee of farmers to protect the capital), a three-member division bench of the high court comprising Justice Rakesh Kumar, Justice Sesha Sai and Justice Satyanaryana Murthy granted stay on the implementation of the gazette notifications and asked the state government to file a counter within 10 days.

The high court ordered that the state government maintain status quo with regard to Amaravati as the capital city and not to proceed with any moves with regard to the shifting of executive capital from Amaravati to Visakhapatnam.

On July 31, the Jagan Mohan Reddy government issued two separate notifications  one on abolition of AP Capital Region Development Authority formed in December 2014 to develop Amaravati as the capital of AP; and the second one on formation of three capitals for the state  executive capital at Visakhapatnam, judicial capital at Kurnool and legislative capital at Amaravati.

The notification followed the assent given by Governor Biswabhushan Harichandan earlier in the day for the two bills passed by the state legislature.

However, the farmers of Amaravati challenged these notifications in the high court. When the petition came up for hearing on Tuesday, the division bench asked the state government to file a counter affidavit. The state advocate general asked for 10 days time for the government to file the counter.

When the counsels for petitioners expressed apprehensions that the government might go ahead with the shift of some of the offices to Visakhapatnam during this 10-day period, the high court ordered that status be maintained on the gazette notifications and granted a stay on the implementation of the notifications till August 14.

Meanwhile, the farmers of Amaravati continued with their protests over the state governments move to form the three capitals. The protesters, including women, formed a human chain all along the road leading to the high court and pleaded the judges passing through the road with folded hands.

Some of them were carrying national flags and some others were on their knees as the convoy of judges passed by. Some women protestors also offered aarti to the high court building before the arrival of the judges, seeking a favourable judgment for them.

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TOKYO Toshiba Chief Executive Nobuaki Kurumatani may have held onto his job but a breakdown of voting results at last weeks shareholder meeting showed a precipitous slide in support to just 58% from 99% a year earlier.

And while two activist funds fell short in their bid to add a total of 5 nominees to the board, one nominee - Yoichiro Imai, the co-founder of activist fund and Toshibas top shareholder Effissimo Capital Management - gained substantial backing with 43% of the vote.

Both results, disclosed on Tuesday, indicate that pressure from activist funds on the beleaguered Japanese industrial conglomerate is likely to remain for some time.

Singapore-based Effissimo, which owns a 9.9% stake, had sought additional directors, citing fictitious transactions Toshiba disclosed this year as evidence that its corporate governance has not made significant progress since a major accounting scandal in 2015.

Proxy advisers Institutional Shareholder Services Inc and Glass, Lewis & Co had sided with Toshiba, arguing that the current management team is relatively new and diverse.

Toshiba has been under pressure from activist funds since it sold 600 billion yen ($5.6 billion) of stock to dozens of foreign hedge funds during a crisis stemming from the bankruptcy of its U.S. nuclear power unit in 2017.

Effissimo and other activist funds hold about 30% of Toshibas voting rights. Foreign shareholders in total account for about 60%. Toshiba added seven new independent directors last year at the urging of U.S. hedge fund King Street Capital.

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
As President Donald Trump's poll numbers continue to sink, Wall Street is starting to envision Washington under Joe Biden - a scenario that many executives say they welcome. But to some pessimists, the upbeat view underestimates the rising influence of progressive Democrats who are demanding a clampdown on banks, hedge funds and private-equity firms.

Those with the rosier outlook point to Biden's mostly pro-business inner circle, his significant campaign contributions from the financial industry and his longtime support of credit card companies located in his home state of Delaware. Plus, a Biden victory would likely be driven by US voters seeking change because they believe the country is a mess. Wall Street thinks it has a strong argument to make that reining in lenders would be a fatal mistake when unemployment is sky-high and the economy remains ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic.

Joe Biden is the 2020 election front-runner but not everyone on Wall Street is convinced he is the right person for the job. Credit:AP

The enthusiasm, however, is tempered by fears over how much sway Biden will give progressives and their firebrand leaders, including Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders. That's especially true when it comes to picking appointees to run the powerful agencies that police banks and securities firms, jobs that the activists are mobilising to fill with industry critics. At a minimum, progressives want to ensure that the days are long over when Democrats appointed officials like Robert Rubin, Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers, who is a key Biden adviser.

The stakes for Wall Street couldn't be higher. Centrist regulators would be less likely to overturn rule rollbacks approved under Trump that have saved financial firms tens of billions of dollars. Progressive agency heads, on the other hand, could pursue what the C-suite calls the "shame and investigation agenda." Policies like taxes on trading, curbs on executive pay and even breaking up behemoth banks would be back on the table.
San Diego's Museum of Man has officially changed its name to the 'Museum of Us'

The cultural institution - which opened in 1915 and is home to 75,000 artifacts from around the world - announced the switch over the weekend, following a three-decade debate that drew sharp divisions in the community.

The change comes amid a nationwide reckoning on race and social justice, which has seen historical statues torn down and problematic films scrapped from streaming services.

'Change is hard and change is messy - but it can be transformational,' CEO Micah Parzen stated in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune on Sunday.

Employee Eva Trujillo applauded the change, telling the publication that the museum's old name was 'offensive'.

'It was a reminder to me that this is a man's world,' she stated.

San Diego's Museum of Man has officially changed its name to the 'Museum of Us' amid a nationwide reckoning on race and social justice

A new sign was seen being placed outside the revered cultural institution on Monday morning

Parzen told The San Diego Tribune that city residents first began discussing a potential name change back in 1990.

When Parzen was named the museum's CEO in 2010, he heard from 'women who refused to step inside what they considered a monument to patriarchy'.

Two years ago, the museum pushed ahead with a change - asking residents to rate potential new names, including Museum of Humankind and Museum of The Human Experience.

The public favored Museum of Us - which was approved by the institution's board just a few months ago.

Trustees initially planned to officially rename the museum in several years time, but decided to fast-track amid nationwide protests that unfolded following the May 25 death of unarmed black man George Floyd.

The board also chose to remove the city's name from the museum, saying the decision 'was a nod to the idea that decolonization has national and international implications'.

The transformation reflects the work that Parzen has been doing inside the museum - 'decolonizing' the way that collections are displayed and discussed.

'Change is hard and change is messy -but it can be transformational': The museum's CEO, Micah Parzen (pictured), has lauded the change

'Museums like ours emerged out of the colonial experience. To the victor go the spoils. We know now how problematic that is,' Parzen explained.

Artifacts owned by the museum include ancient Egyptian mummies and objects that may have been 'looted' from Native American Apache tribes and Indigenous communities in Australia.

There are also reportedly up to 8,000 human remains in the museum's storage. The museum is now working to return them to their rightful communities.

According to The San Diego Tribune, the museum has recently 'been moving away from glass-case displays that reduce 'ancient civilizations' to their bodies and belongings.'

'Its mission is now to 'inspire human connections by exploring the human experience'.

Employees are now also asked to refer to artifacts as 'cultural resources'.

However, some in the San Diego community have been left less than impressed.

Parzen concedes that several prominent donors have pulled their support in the wake of the changes.

Those critics say museum officials have caved to a 'politically correct' agenda, and are in the midst of a 'misguided attempt to rewrite history'.
Filmmaker James Gunn has made an announcement. On August 4, 2020, amid delays at Disney, the Marvel Cinematic Universe favorite tweeted that his upcoming film, the third in the Guardians of the Galaxy franchise, has not been affected by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic yet. Heres what he wrote.

James Gunn directed the Guardians of the Galaxy movies

James Gunn sign copies of his Marvel film Guardians of the Galaxy on December 12, 2014 in Hollywood, California. | Paul Archuleta/FilmMagic

RELATED: What Is James Gunns Net Worth & How Much Will He Make For Guardians of the Galaxy 3?

Gunn is perhaps best known for writing and directing Guardians of the Galaxy and its sequel, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2. The movies follow Peter Quill, aka Star-Lord, a man from Earth who has spent most of his life living in space. He teams up with a ragtag crew of extraterrestrials, including Gamora, Rocket, Groot, Drax, Mantis, and, sometimes, Nebula.

Aside from the GOTG franchise, Gunn has worked on films such as Slither, Super, and Brightburn. He also wrote the screenplay for the live-action 00s film Scooby-Doo and its sequel, Scooby-Doo 2: Monsters Unleashed. While Gunn didnt direct the Guardians in Avengers: Infinity War and Avengers: Endgame, he is credited as a producer.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 has experienced obstacles

After the success of the first two films, Gunn confirmed that Vol. 3 was on the way. The film was initially set to premiere in 2020, according to a tweet from the director himself in early 2018. However, he was then fired due to past Twitter content. After apologizing and taking a break from social media, Marvel reinstated Gunn in 2019.

By that point, things had shifted in the MCU and Gunns career. He had already begun filming The Suicide Squad for DC and continued to work on that project throughout the year. As fans know, these movies are typically more than a year in advance, so Vol. 3 was no longer on schedule.

Gunn says the film has not been delayed due to coronavirus

Thanks, friend. I can confirm that the plans for when we're filming #GotGVol3 & when it's being released have not changed at all over the past year & a half or so. Any rumors otherwise are false. I appreciate your caution!  https://t.co/mhbSYWHWJ4  James Gunn (@JamesGunn) August 4, 2020

Because he is generally open with fans who ask him questions online, Gunn regularly shares his frustration with sites that peddle gossip about his films. So when a Twitter user tweeted that they had heard rumors that Vol. 3 was delayed, but would not share the links, Gunn gratefully replied with insider info.

Thanks, friend, he tweeted. I can confirm that the plans for when were filming #GotGVol3 & when its being released have not changed at all over the past year & a half or so. Any rumors otherwise are false. I appreciate your caution! Gunn also shared that The Suicide Squad is still set for an August 6, 2021 release.

What do we know about GOTG 3?

Ill just say Rocket is a big part of whats happening in the future  and a lot of this stuff (like the scars were about to see on his back) sets up what Ive been planning for Rocket all along. #QuarantineWatchParty #GotG https://t.co/WLqoiG7Wzg  James Gunn (@JamesGunn) April 8, 2020

RELATED: Did Avengers: Endgame Just Tell Us the Plot Of Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 3?

Over the past few years, Gunn has shared even more intel about the upcoming film, especially as it pertains to each character. Rocket is a big part of whats happening in the future, he tweeted in April 2020. Actors like Chris Pratt and Karen Gillan are guaranteed, while Drax and Mantis could get a spinoff, according to Dave Bautista himself.

One of the final scenes in Endgame set the characters up on a search for Zoe Saldanas Gamora. If the film picks up there, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) could be a part of the team. However, he is also set to appear in Thor: Love and Thunder. So either one is just a cameo appearance or Vol. 3 could take place at another time.
LOS ANGELES - The husband of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey has been charged with pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter members who demonstrated outside the couples home the day before she faced a primary election in March.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this Jan.6, 2020 file photo Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey talks during a news conference at the Hall of Justice in Los Angeles. Lacey's husband, David Lacey, on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020 was charged in an incident on March 2, 2020, in which he pointed a gun at Black Lives matter protesters outside the Lacey residence, as they demanded a meeting with her at her home the day before a primary election for her seat. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes, File)

LOS ANGELES - The husband of Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Lacey has been charged with pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter members who demonstrated outside the couples home the day before she faced a primary election in March.

The state attorney general filed three misdemeanour charges Monday in Los Angeles Superior Court against David Lacey for assault with a firearm for the March 2 incident.

Lacey, 66, pointed a gun at demonstrators who protested outside the couple's home before dawn on March 2 and said "I will shoot you," according to video of the incident.

Jackie Lacey offered an emotional apology at the time, saying her husband told her he pulled the gun and told protesters to leave.

Lacey's campaign issued a statement Tuesday saying her husband thought they were in danger and was trying to protect them.

"The events that took place earlier this year have caused my family immense pain," Lacey said in the statement. "My husband acted in fear for my safety after we were subjected to months of harassment that included a death threat no less than a week earlier."

Lacey, the first Black person and first woman to run what is the nation's largest local prosecutor's office, has been targeted for nearly three years by Black Lives Matter protesters, who have held weekly demonstrations outside her office calling for her ouster. The protests were once small, but have numbered in the hundreds and thousands after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

Protesters claim she has failed to hold law enforcement accountable in fatal shootings. She has charged one officer in a fatal on-duty killing, but has declined to file charges in more than 340 other fatal shootings.

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Melina Abdullah, who is the victim named in count one of the criminal complaint, declined to comment but said she would hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon before Black Lives Matter's weekly "Jackie Lacey Must Go" protest outside the Hall of Justice.

Lacey faces a runoff in November for her third term. She is being challenged by former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, a longtime police officer and former chief who vows to reform the office.

David Lacey, who is also Black, was an investigative auditor with the DAs office until his 2016 retirement. He was seen in video shot by protesters telling them: "I will shoot you. Get off of my porch."

His attorney issued a statement saying they were disappointed that he was charged with a crime, but they wouldn't discuss the facts at this time.

"We disagree entirely with their assessment, but we have the utmost faith in the justice system, and we are confident that the correct result will be reached," attorney Samuel Tyre said. "My clients human instinct is forever and always to protect his wife and his family and to keep them safe from physical harm."

The charges were first reported by Politico.
Senior BJP leader in Maharashtra Narayan Rane has waded into Sushant Singh Rajput death case by alleging that the budding actor was murdered and did not die by suicide as was initially suggested by Mumbai police. Ranes claim comes close on the heels of Bihar government recommending a CBI probe into a case of abetment of suicide against Rajputs live in partner Rhea Chakarborty and her family members.

Maharashtra government has vehemently opposed handing over the probe to the Central Bureau of Investigation claiming the Mumbai police was fully capable of investigations. However, it has been accused of shielding powerful Bollywood interests by Sushants family and Bihar politicians including deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi.

Rane on Tuesday toed a similar line and accused the Maharashtra government of trying to save someone.

He was murdered. The Maharashtra government is trying to save someone. It is not paying attention to the case, Narayan Rane was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Also Read: Police buying time to ensure evidence is destroyed: Lawyer

Parties cutting across the political divide in Bihar have demanded CBI investigation in the case expressing their lack of confidence in Mumbai police, which has also been accused of inaction and waylaying the probe by Sushant Singhs family in Patna.

Bihar chief minister and JDU chief Nitish Kumar had earlier today recommended a CBI probe on the request of Sushant Singhs father and the growing political consensus on the issue.

Also Read: Sushant Singhs death case: Bihar govt recommends CBI probe

His deputy, Sushil Kumar Modi of the BJP had alleged a couple of days ago that Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackeray was under pressure from coalition partner Congress to protect the Bollywood mafia responsible for Sushants death.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Mumbai flat on June 14 and soon after his death, allegations surfaced that he was a victim of an alleged culture of nepotism in the industry that shuts out outsiders. Mumbai police had initially said that Sushant had died by suicide but later started a preliminary investigation that continued for days without registering of even an FIR.

Sushants family then lodged an FIR in Patna alleging he was driven to death by his former live-in partner Rhea Chakarborty and few of her family members. They also alleged financial irregularities apart from wrongful confinement and mental harassment of the late actor.

A team of Bihar police probing the case in Mumbai complained of non-cooperation by the local police as the probe snowballed into a faceoff between two states. The strife escalated after a senior Bihar police official was asked to quarantine himself after he landed in Mumbai for investigations.

Following the recommendation to transfer the probe to CBI, Maharashtra minister and NCP Leader Nawab Malik has accused Bihar CM Nitish Kumar of diverting attention from his governments alleged failures in handling the Coved crisis. Questions have also been raised if the Bihar government has the legal authority to recommend a CBI probe in an incident that took place in Maharashtra.

The development came a day before the Supreme Court is slated to hear a petition by Rhea Chakraborty, who has sought transfer of the FIR registered in Patna to Mumbai.

A public interest litigation filed in the Bombay High Court seeking transfer of Rajputs death case to the CBI or a special investigation team (SIT) is also likely to be heard tomorrow.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:27:38|Editor: huaxia

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The logo of TikTok is displayed on the screen of a smartphone on a computer screen background in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Aug. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"It's a rare feat to upturn two fundamental democratic values -- free speech and free markets -- at the same time." -- Nicholas Thompson, editor in chief of Wired

"It offers a blueprint for others around the world to think, 'Maybe we don't trust the way that Silicon Valley companies are handling our data, so let's just ban them, too." -- Samm Sacks, a senior cybersecurity policy fellow at Yale Law School

"Since TikTok is one of the only recent social media startups to compete with tech giants like Facebook, weakening TikTok could further reinforce what many argue is the monopolistic nature of the U.S. tech economy." -- Vox reporter Shirin Ghaffary

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government threatened to ban Chinese firm ByteDance's TikTok video app on Monday under the pretext of maintaining a free and fair market as well as national security concerns, an excuse widely used to discriminate against Chinese companies and investment.

Speaking to reporters at the White House briefing, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he is open to a deal in which Microsoft Corp. or other U.S. companies buys one of the world's most popular video-sharing apps.

Trump set Sept. 15 as the deadline for TikTok to find a U.S. buyer or face shutdown in the country.

The forced sale reveals Washington's intentions to control the tech economy and runs counter to the principles of a free market. Furthermore, it violates the World Trade Organization's principles of openness, transparency and non-discrimination.

FREE MARKET FRAUD

Since 2017, the United States has investigated ByteDance over its acquisition of a social media app Musical.ly, which was fully rebranded as part of TikTok in 2018. Yet the White House has found no evidence indicating violation of any regulations by the Chinese company.

"We have faced all kinds of complex and unimaginable difficulties, including the tense international political environment, collision and conflict of different cultures and plagiarism and smears from competitor Facebook ... We strictly abide by local laws, and will actively use the rights granted by the law to protect the legitimate rights and interests of the company," ByteDance has said in response to Washington's threat.

Photo taken on July 7, 2020 shows the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., the United States. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"Chinese companies have been accused of incredible activities that have nothing to do with their commercial operations ... It appears that Washington is using every opportunity to use non-market and extraterritorial methods and illicit techniques to elbow a strong high-tech rival out of the market," Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said in the weekly press briefing on July 23.

"The fate of the platform remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Banning it would upturn fundamental principles of democracy," wrote Nicholas Thompson, editor in chief of Wired, in the article The Rank Hypocrisy of a TikTok Ban on Monday.

"It's a rare feat to upturn two such fundamental democratic values -- free speech and free markets -- at the same time," Thompson said.

"And since TikTok is one of the only recent social media startups to compete with tech giants like Facebook, weakening TikTok could further reinforce what many argue is the monopolistic nature of the U.S. tech economy," said Shirin Ghaffary in a story posted by VOX Saturday.

NATIONAL SECURITY LIES

"This is a purchase that wouldn't be necessary but for the Trump administration's hostility to Chinese ownership of any tech companies," said Mark Lemley, director of Stanford University's program in law, science and technology.

There isn't "real evidence" that the app's Chinese ownership presents a security threat, Lemley added.

"If a deal goes through (between Microsoft and TikTok), it would mark a dramatic intervention by the U.S. government in private enterprise and alter the global technology landscape," wrote Shelly Banjo and Dina Bass in a Bloomberg report.

Banning TikTok also "would likely be against the U.S.'s commercial interests," warned Samm Sacks, a senior cybersecurity policy fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center and New America, recently.

"It offers a blueprint for others around the world to think, 'Maybe we don't trust the way that Silicon Valley companies are handling our data, so let's just ban them, too ... If we are increasingly closed out of markets around the world and access to that data because we've helped create a blueprint for how to do it with China, I could see those same tools turned around on us,'" she said.

Photo taken with a mobile phone shows the Washington Monument under the clouds in Washington D.C., the United States, June 20, 2019. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

"There are also reasons to be skeptical of the motives of TikTok's biggest critics," said Kevin Roose, Tech columnist for the New York Times, in a story posted on Monday.

"Many conservative politicians, including Mr. Trump, appear to care more about appearing tough on China than preventing potential harm to TikTok users. And Silicon Valley tech companies like Facebook, whose executives have warned of the dangers of a Chinese tech takeover, would surely like to see regulators kneecap one of their major competitors," he said, stressing that TikTok is not an urgent threat to America's national security.

OUTPOURING OF ANGER

Washington's TikTok ban has provoked outrage with a hashtag #savetiktok2020 created among about 70 million monthly active users of TikTok in the United States. Videos with the hashtag #ban had more than 620 million views by Sunday night on TikTok. Many of the users have grown to depend on TikTok as a way to build a career in social media and earn a living.

Since September 2018, TikTok usage among adults in the United States has increased exponentially, doubling and reaching 14.3 million in just six months, the third highest number of downloads in the world. As of April, the app has been downloaded more than 2 billion times worldwide on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

TikTok's U.S. job growth has already nearly tripled this year, going from almost 500 employees on Jan. 1 to just under 1,400.

"We're not planning on going anywhere," said TikTok's U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas thanking American users for their "outpouring of support" in a video posted on its official TikTok account after the ban.

"When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do ... We're here for the long run. Continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok," said Pappas.

For weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly targeted TikTok citing concerns over the privacy and security of its American users. TikTok has denied the allegations and said it has an American CEO and that its servers reside in the United States.

"TikTok has enabled the kinds of interactions that could never take place on the likes of Facebook and Instagram," a group of nine TikTok creators with a collective 54 million followers wrote in an open letter to Trump on Sunday.

"Our generation has grown up on the internet, but our vision of the internet is going to require more than two gatekeepers. Why not use this as an opportunity to level the playing field?" they said.

A Morning Consult poll released in July showed that 33 percent of U.S. adults opposed the ban, with the strongest opposition coming from adults between 18 and 29 years old.

In a statement published Wednesday, Kevin Mayer, former Disney executive who became the CEO of TikTok in May, said that "we are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda -- our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy."

"Without TikTok, American advertisers would again be left with few choices. Competition would dry up and so too will an outlet for America's creative energy," Mayer said. 
ATLANTA  A massive, black afro pick topped with a clinched fist a potent symbol of Black identity  is touring the country to promote social justice amid a national reckoning of racism, police brutality and voter suppression.

The creators behind the 28-foot tall art installation "All Power to All People" say they hope it will spark activism and energize Black voters in every city it touches leading up to the November presidential election. The first stop is Atlanta, the birthplace of the civil rights movement and Martin Luther King Jr.

"I think at its best, its a call to action to take major steps toward the improvement of our society," artist Hank Willis Thomas said. "And its making a claim and statement that we belong here and our power can make our country better and greater. No one should be ashamed of that."

The exhibit's tour comes as protesters renew calls for the removal of statues and symbols such as Confederate monuments that reflect America's racist past. In recent years, protesters have uprooted the statues themselves or government officials have voted to do so.

The All Power to All People exhibit will be in Atlanta until Aug. 11.

Thomas, who created the exhibit in 2018 in partnership with Kindred Arts, an arts non-profit based in New York City, said Black and indigenous people have suffered inequalities for many years and their struggle is often misrepresented in American history.

Thomas said it's time to reconsider the value of historical monuments that have been up for decades. Some may need to be replaced with new monuments that reflect America's ideals today, he said.

"Sometimes they have worn out their expiration date," Thomas said. "And when they do, it requires creative solutions.

"All Power to All People" will be in Atlanta until Aug. 11 and then it moves to Washington D.C., to coincide with the 2020 March on Washington set for Aug. 28. The march will mark the anniversary of the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963. The tour also includes New York City in September, Los Angeles in October and Philadelphia in November.

Story continues

Marsha Reid, executive director of Kindred Arts, said she hopes the exhibit will help maintain the momentum from recent protests against racism.

We have so many inequities to correct and we cant do that until we are willing to acknowledge them and we correct the imbalance of power," Reid said. "We have to unite in the desire to see change."

Reid said organizers decided Atlanta should be the first stop in this tour given the recent unrest here. It was previously displayed in Miami.

Protests and looting broke out across Atlanta after the deaths of George Floyd and Rayshard Brooks, both Black men.

Kyna Sosa demonstrates Sunday, June 14, 2020, after protestors set fire to the Atlanta Wendy's where Rayshard Brooks, a 27-year-old Black man, was shot and killed by Atlanta police.

Floyd died after a white Minneapolis police officer pressed a knee into his neck for nearly nine minutes on Memorial Day. Brooks was fatally shot on June 12 by a white Atlanta police officer in a Wendy's parking lot after he grabbed the officer's taser and ran. The Wendy's was burned down the night after the shooting.

Voting rights activists have also accused Georgia elections officials of voter suppression after the state's June 9 primary saw long lines and voting machine problems at majority Black polling places in Atlanta. Some of the same voting issues were seen in the 2018 general election.

And days before the exhibit went up, two civil rights heroes with roots in Atlanta  John Lewis and C.T. Vivian died on July 17.

"It just felt like back-to-back blows," Reid said. "The village is hurting."

The exhibit has been welcomed by Atlanta officials who say the city's rich civil rights history makes it a good temporary home.

It's located about two miles from the birth home of King and a few blocks from the entrance to the John Lewis Freedom Parkway. The parkway was renamed to honor Lewis in 2018.

Camille Russell Love, executive director of the Atlanta mayors Office of Cultural Affairs, said she hopes the exhibit will inspire people to vote and continue protesting.

The fact that John Lewis passed and the country is in an uproar in more ways than one, having something that will spark conversation I think is very important and very timely," Love said. Atlanta does represent to the world the birthplace of the civil rights movement in a lot of ways.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Black power art fights racism, seeks to empower Black Americans
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- GFM Resources Limited (the Corporation) (TSX-V: GFM.H) announces that it has changed the venue for its 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders scheduled for 10:00 am Pacific Time on August 13, 2020 to Suite 1100  1111 Melville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia (the Meeting).



Pursuant to the Canadian Securities Administrators guidance dated March 20, 2020 entitled Canadian Securities Regulators Provide Guidance on Conducting Annual General Meetings During COVID-19 Outbreak (the CSAs AGM Guidance), the Corporation announces:

the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders will be held on August 13, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. Pacific Time at Suite 1100  1111 Melville Street, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada;



the Corporation will post a copy of this news release on SEDAR; and



the Corporation will take all reasonable steps necessary to inform all parties involved in the proxy voting infrastructure (such as intermediaries, transfer agents and proxy service providers) of the change in the location for the Meeting.

Pursuant to the CSAs AGM Guidance, the Corporation will not be preparing revised or supplemental proxy materials for the Meeting. A copy of the materials for the meeting are available under the Corporations SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com.

In light of ongoing and evolving concerns and issues related to the spread of COVID-19, and in order to mitigate potential risks to the health and safety of its shareholders, employees, communities and other parties, the Corporation is strongly encouraging shareholders and others NOT to attend the Meeting in person to be held on Thursday, August 13, 2020 at 10:00 a.m. (Pacific Time). The Company has set up a call-in number for those wishing to attend by phone at 604-688-2602 (Vancouver) or 1-833-353-8610 (toll-free anywhere in Canada/USA) with access code 8473253#.

Those shareholders who do wish to attend the Meeting in person, should carefully consider and follow the instructions of the federal Public Health Agency of Canada available at: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/coronavirus-disease-covid-19.html We ask that shareholders also review and follow the instructions of any regional health authorities of the Province of British Columbia, including the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, the Fraser Health Authority and any other health authority holding jurisdiction over the areas you must travel through to attend the Meeting. Please do not attend the Meeting in person if you are experiencing any cold or flu-like symptoms, or if you or someone with whom you have been in close contact has travelled to/from outside of Canada within the 14 days immediately prior to the Meeting. All shareholders are strongly encouraged to vote by submitting their completed form of proxy prior to the Meeting.

The Corporation reserves the right to take any additional pre-cautionary measures deemed to be appropriate, necessary or advisable in relation to the Meeting in response to further developments in the COVID-19 outbreak, including denying access to persons who exhibit cold or flu-like symptoms, or who have, or have been in close contact with someone who has, travelled to or from outside Canada within the 14 days prior to the meeting, limiting the number of persons who may be allowed in a single room for the meeting to allow for required social distancing, or any other measures that may be recommended by public health authorities in connection with gatherings of persons.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Information

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed forward-looking statements. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address events or developments that the Corporation expects to occur, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the words expects, plans, anticipates, believes, intends, estimates, projects, potential and similar expressions, or that events or conditions will, would, may, could or should occur. Although the Corporation believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include regulatory actions, market prices, and continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on the beliefs, estimates and opinions of the Corporations management on the date the statements are made. Except as required by applicable securities laws, the Corporation undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements in the event that managements beliefs, estimates or opinions, or other factors, should change.

GFM RESOURCES LIMITED

Suite 2000 - 1066 West Hastings Street Vancouver

British Columbia, Canada V6E 2X2 Tel: (+1) 604 925 2839
NEW DELHI: Around Rs 1.62 crores were provided to the accused of northeast Delhi violence before the violence started in February this year, Delhi Police sources said.

As per ANI sources, almost Rs 1.42 crores were spent on several things including management of 20 protests (Anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests) at different sites and purchase of weapons. Suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) councillor Tahir Hussain, Miran Haider, Ishrat Jahan, Shifa Ur Rehman and Khalid Saifi were among those accused who received the money which was sent from Oman, Qatar, UAE, and Saudi Arabia.

According to reports, Tahir spent around Rs 1.29 crores out of Rs 1.32 crores he received while Saifi received over Rs 6.23 lakhs. Ishrat Jahan received around Rs 5 lakhs, Rehman got Rs 5.55 lakhs and Rs 5.46 lakhs were given to Haider.

As per the Special Task Force of Delhi Police, Tahir confessed about his role in the northeast Delhi violence and admitted that he incited people to unleash violence. During his interrogation, the suspended AAP councillor revealed that he collected a huge stock of empty glass bottle, stones frpm construction sites, petrol, acid, at the roof of his house on the instruction of ex-JNU students Umar Khalid.

Tahir said he received support from Saifi, Umar Khalid, Ishrat Jahan and Popular Front of India (PFI) member Danish.

"On February 24, according to our plan, I have called several people and told me how to throw stones, petrol bombs, and acid bottles from my roof. I had shifted my family to another place. On 24 February 2020, at about 1:30 pm we started throwing stones," he reportedly told the police.

The police interrogation revealed that Tahir had also collected his licensed pistol, which was deposited with police, to use during the riots. He also ensured that all CCTV cameras were pulled out so that the police did not get any evidence. On the day of the riots, he deliberately kept calling the Delhi Police so as to avoid any kind of suspicion about his role.

Tahir reportedly told police that he was aggrieved after the abrogation of Article 370 of the Jammu and Kashmir, Supreme Court ruling in favour of Ram Temple in Ayodhya and the Centre passing Citizenship Amendment Act; and hence decided to take an extreme step.

He revealed that on January 8, 2020, Khalid Saifi facilitated his meeting with former JNU student Umar Khalid at PFI office in Delhi's Shaheen Bagh. During the meeting, Khalid reportedly told him that he is ready to sacrifice his life for his community. It was at the same time, when Khalid Saifi told Tahir that PFI member Danish would provide all the financial assistance needed in the 'war against Hindus'.

The trio then conspired to do something major in the national capital in order to force the Central government to roll back its decision of CAA. As per Tahir, Khalid Saifi took the responsibility to provoke people to a level that they come out on the streets and unleashed violence against the Hindu community.

Saifi, along with his friend Ishrat Jahan, staged an anti-CAA demonstration along the lines of Shaheen Bagh at Khureji, which gradually spread to different parts of Delhi.

On August 1, Delhi Police questioned Umar Khalid about his speeches that he delivered before the northeast Delhi riots, and also about his meetings with Tahir and Saifi at Shaheen Bagh ahead of the communal violence.
Beginning as a teachers college in its inception, Appalachian has created a culture set on building community engagement and high-quality professional education programs. We have also helped lay the foundation for a commitment to lifelong learning and excellence, said Dr. Melba Spooner, dean of Appalachians Reich College of Education (RCOE).

All education majors at Appalachian, regardless of their specialization, are required to take core education courses through.

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Incorporating the fine arts, including music, in a students learning experience is key to developing and enriching the whole person, Spooner added.

About Jenny S. Lanier

Lanier, who serves as director of bands at McDowell High School in Marion, said Appalachian will always hold a special place in her heart. I was fortunate to study alongside peers who were amazing musicians and have now turned into amazing colleagues and friends, she said.

She cited the instruction of the late Dr. William Gora, professor emeritus of music, as having a lasting impact on her career. I continue to strive to be a better musician and teacher because of the lessons he taught me, she said.
Worker exploitation

COVID-19 is the No. 1 news item in every community, in every language, in every country, around every kitchen table, and it has been for many months. Advertising, and communication, is not the issue. The problem society faces is the use of outsourced labour hire companies to cut costs. Outsourcing and labour hire companies have created a large underclass of working poor in high-density housing who cannot afford to miss a shift, dont get sick leave and have no rights. These labour hire companies enrich themselves, and keep the accountability away from the business and government enterprises that use their services. They dominate the operation of private security guards, childcare, fruit picking, immigration detention centres, distribution centres, ride sharing, aged care and so on. All the places where workers are exploited. Solving the root cause of the exploited worker problem is difficult, so a distraction of there wasnt enough advertising has been thrown to the crowd instead.

Geoffrey McNaughton, Glen Huntly Not only the elderly at risk

Tony Danino argues as to whether saving some very old people is worth the economic and human cost to the majority of Melburnians (Letters, 4/8). Perhaps a stint in the hospitals dealing with traumatised coronavirus patients might alter the perception that old people are the only demographic facing their mortality or long-term damage to their bodies.

Paul Miller, Box Hill South Alternative is worse

Swedens decision not to shut down, use voluntary restrictions and not mandate mask-wearing has resulted in more deaths per capita than in the US. Herd immunity has not been achieved and their economy has not benefited any more than any other country. This method, in the words of the WHO, can lead to a very brutal arithmetic that does not put people and life and suffering at the centre of that equation. Tony Danino (Letters, 4/8) suggests that the cost of saving some very old people is not worth it. While acknowledging the issues facing society in hard lockdown, including financial hardship and mental health, we should realise that the alternative is far worse and the cost to our humanity is greater.

Helen Kamil, Caulfield South Will end justify means?

About 90 Australians have died over the past two weeks from coronavirus, almost all of them Victorians. Over the same two-week period, Sweden has had 34coronavirus deaths. Sweden seems to be approaching the end of its pandemic, which it has endured without imposing a severe lockdown, because Swedens public health officials dont believe there is enough benefit from a lockdown to justify its overall social costs. Lets hope that Victorias stage four lockdown yields the sought-after benefit.

Andrew Rothfield, Northcote

Trust to fix mistakes

Dan Andrews has made two related mistakes. He employed a security company to guard quarantine hotels. He trusted them to do their job, and they didnt. His second mistake was to trust the Victorian people to do the right thing, and thousands didnt. These people deserve equal blame and more than a monetary fine. Andrews is working 24/7 to fix mistakes he has made. The only way all those who broke the rules and caused severe illness and deaths can fix their mistakes is to do the right thing now.

Janice Ham, West Melbourne Dostoyevskian era

Victorians are liable to become serfs of an all-powerful state (State in deep freeze, 4/8). You cant live, breathe, walk, talk, shop, work or perform a normal function in Victoria without the Virus Patrol suppressing your next move. As Dostoyevskys Grand Inquisitor said, In the end they will lay their freedom at our feet, and say to us: Make us your slaves, but feed us. What is happening in Victoria is an economic catastrophe the likes of which we have never seen before. Victoria: your government-ordered Depression has arrived.

Victor Diskordia, McKellar, ACT Parliamentary division

As a Victorian I am utterly disappointed with the actions of the leader of the upper house, David Davis, to hold parliament against the advice of the Chief Health Officer. This is not the time for political games and criticism. It would serve the Liberal Party in Victoria better to publicly support the Andrews government and the wider Victorian community at this time rather than drive political division. We are all in this together, and this should include all of our politicians.

Tamara Brown, Croydon North Mask protocol

Its easy to pop on a face mask but it doesnt end there. They are used to contain coronavirus on the outside from others, or to keep it on the inside if coming from the wearer. If you touch your mask you should use hand sanitiser or washing each time where possible.

Disposable masks should be discarded after four hours continuous use owing to moisture accumulation. Reusable ones should be washed with soap and water and dried overnight. Masks should not be shared. If reusing the mask in public, open a plastic bag out (cut if necessary), place mask in, use hand sanitiser and close bag.

Generally, one hand can be the dirty hand for touching such possibly contaminated surfaces and cleaned when the task is completed.

Dr Lachlan Fraser, Alexandra A mass of detail

There are similarities between Labors federal election loss in 2018 and the ingredients of the COVID-19 stage four lockdown. Labor lost the election because it failed the K.I.S.S test (Keep It Simple Stupid)  it bombarded the electorate with a tsunami of detail that detracted from its benchmark policies.

The Prime Minister, on the other hand, just kept on reiterating a basic, well-rehearsed mantra that was less ambitious but more effective. Similarly, Premier Andrews has bombarded Victorians with an avalanche of dos and donts that are confusing. Its not necessarily complacency, we are trying to come to grips with an amorphous mass of detail that is not presented in a streamlined, prioritised way.

Noel Butterfield, Montmorency Wetland gifts

It was heart-warming to read of the late John Clarkes wifes gift of her Phillip Island property (Hearts desire: a familys gift to nature, 30/7) to the Victorian conservation organisation Trust for Nature. This is recognised as a globally significant wetland under the Ramsar Convention, and Westernport Bay is similarly under the Ramsar Convention. However AGL has other plans for our beautiful pristine bay. If the Victorian government is sincere about conservation and natural habitat, it will say no to AGLs plans and put a stop to this possible environmental disaster.

Georgie Gibbs, Balnarring Follow through on fines

It was great to hear that police are being given further powers and larger fines to enforce stay-at-home restrictions and mask-wearing. However, I suspect many of the same people who flout these directions will also just ignore the fines. They will be the same people who ignore traffic fines and parking fines. Dan Andrews needs to add to his message, a clear statement that fines will be collected and that wages will be garnisheed and/or personal property seized if fines arent paid.

Tony Cogan, Blairgowrie Broadcast quality

In recent years Australia has suffered from a series of disasters, not only to the environment in the form of droughts, bushfires and floods but also from the social upheaval caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. It is even more vital therefore that we have a broadcaster upon whom we can rely (particularly in emergency situations) to supply us with up-to-date information based on stringent and unbiased research, plus quality drama and locally based programs. It is a tragedy therefore that the ABC continues to be severely underfunded by the federal government, with the resultant loss of hundreds of jobs in the past few years while over the same period Foxtel has received millions in funding.

Estelle Ross, Riverside, Tas. AND ANOTHER THING ...

Credit: Coronavirus

What is this sudden epidemic of people walking around with their masks down, demonstratively clutching a coffee cup?

Bernd Rieve, Brighton Maybe supermarkets could start putting Christmas decorations out to give us a bit of hope.

Greg Lee, Red Hill Georgina Davidson is missing the point when she asks how the one hour of exercise will be policed. It shouldnt need to be, we just need to do as weve been asked.

Graeme Gardner, Reservoir Tony Danino (Letters, 4/8) succinctly shows how we got into this crisis. The refusal to see the epidemic as everyones problem shows how it got out of control.

Tony Haydon, Springvale

Victoria has never had a harder-working Premier than Daniel Andrews. His CHO is no slouch either. John Walsh, Watsonia Please Daniel Andrews, stop wishing bereaved families best wishes in your repetitive speech announcing coronavirus deaths.

Susie Holt, South Yarra Could a wink be our masked substitute for a smile? With politically correct intentions, of course.

Glenda Johnston, Queenscliff Anyone who complains about the job the Premier is doing should be grateful its not Michael OBrien whos doing it. The person who should be most grateful is Michael OBrien himself.

Jenifer Nicholls, Armadale Im not looking forward to summer. COVID-19 and bushfires.

Claire Cooper, Maldon
Two New Jersey police officers with lightning-fast reflexes saved a life when they were called into a local bistro to help a choking woman.

In the early evening of July 25, Allendale Police Officers Alex Helmer and Sean Hubbard were directing traffic at the intersection of West Allendale Avenue and DeMercurio Drive when a waiter came running toward them. The distressed waiter, from a nearby bistro, asked for the officers help in reviving a choking diner.

Allendale, New Jersey, restaurant Mezza Luna Bistro. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

One of the waiters from Mezza Luna knew that our guys were down at the intersection there and ran down, Police Chief George Scherb told NJ.com. He ran down to get [the officers] and to tell them what was going on.

Helmer and Hubbard left their post and rushed to the bistro with the waiter to attend to the emergency, the outlet reported. A 68-year-old Park Ridge woman was choking on her meal; her airway remained blocked after an unsuccessful attempt at the Heimlich maneuver by her husband.

When Helmer and Hubbard arrived, the woman wasnt breathing, the police chief said in the report. The officers, unable to detect a pulse, drew on their training and immediately began administering CPR.

The intersection of West Allendale Avenue and DeMercurio Drive. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

The CPR loosened some of the trapped food. After some more efforts, the officers were able to clear the womans airway and she began breathing on her own.

The woman made a full recovery on-site, the report stated. Helmer and Hubbards revival was so expertly executed that the diner refused further medical assistance and thanked the officers before they departed.

The pair also received hearty thanks from Allendale Mayor Ari Bernstein, who soon caught wind of the amazing rescue. The mayor posted a photo of himself standing with the heroic officers and the owner of Mezza Luna, Eddie Veseli, outside the bistro on Facebook, with a caption praising Helmer and Hubbard for their quick-thinking actions.

So proud to be standing with Officers Helmer and Hubbard in front of Mezzaluna Bistro tonight, Bernstein wrote. Our hometown heroes saved a life this evening. A patron from Park Ridge was choking and our officers sprang into action, performing CPR to revive her.

The mayor added, Thank you to Allendale Police for everything you do!

The Allendale Police Department building, New Jersey. (Screenshot/Google Maps)

Scherb said in the NJ.com report that Helmer and Hubbard had been on duty in the area as part of a community event, Dine Out in Allendale, diverting vehicles away from a closed-off street in an effort to make restaurants more accessible. Their posting that night saved a life.

They really worked hard for this lady, Scherb concluded. And it shows.

We would love to hear your stories! You can share them with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.nyc
Pizza Express today revealed it could shut 67 of its UK restaurants with up to 1,100 jobs at risk as it becomes the latest business devastated by coronavirus.

The 55-year-old company, owned by Chinese private equity firm Hony Capital, has debts of 735million and has put itself up for sale after bringing in experts.

Bosses at the chain said they wanted to push down rents by closing about 15 per cent of its 449 restaurants in the UK, which would help protect 9,000 jobs.

It means at least 75,000 jobs are now at risk across the UK amid the ongoing crisis which has devastated a swathe of industry sectors including hospitality.

The company closed all of its UK restaurants in March 20 after the Government-mandated lockdown, and has been gradually reopening them since July 9.

The news came as Currys PC World owner Dixons Carphone also announced today that it is to cut 800 jobs as part of an overhaul of its store management structure.

And it emerged on the second day of the Government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which Pizza Express signed up to, giving diners 50 per cent off meals out on Mondays to Wednesdays throughout August to help beleaguered restaurants.

Pizza Express has said it could close around 67 of its UK restaurants (file picture from 2019)

The chain said it was launched a major restructuring plan and is planning a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) in the 'near future' in a bid to push down its rents amid a 'significantly more challenging environment' after the coronavirus pandemic.

The outcome has 'yet to be decided', Pizza Express said, but it may end in the closure of around 15 per cent of its 449 restaurants in the UK, affecting 1,100 staff.

The locations of the 67 restaurants have not yet been revealed. Pizza Express said it has also hired advisers from Lazard to lead a sale process for the business.

The company added: 'This decision is a very difficult one; however, against the current unprecedented backdrop, Pizza Express believes reducing the size of its estate will help it to protect 9,000 jobs.'

Pizza Express also said it had put itself up for sale after bringing in experts. The sale will be run independently to its other plans and was started today, it revealed.

Separately, it announced plans to sell its business in mainland China and has brought in restructuring experts to help deal with its 735million debts.

The news was mourned online, with Amit Champenri tweeting: 'Such sad news - Pizza Express has become a high street restaurant institution over the years and never disappoints. Hope this restructuring results in a platform to build for the future.'

Dixons Carphone to axe 800 jobs in store management shake-up Currys PC World owner Dixons Carphone is to cut 800 jobs as part of an overhaul of its store management structure. The company said the shake-up will see it create a 'flatter management structure' as it adapts to increasing online sales. Dixons Carphone said it will remove retail manager, assistant manager and team leader roles, introducing new sales manager, customer experience manager and operational excellence manager positions in stores. The group said it will also create opportunities for staff to join its ShopLive personal shopping service, where customers are advised by sales staff from home via video-link. It comes months after the technology retailer announced plans to shut all 531 of its standalone Carphone Warehouse mobile phone stores in the UK, with the loss of 2,900 jobs. Dixons Carphone's chief operating officer Mark Allsop said: 'We have now entered into consultation with some of our store colleagues. This was not an easy decision and we'll do everything possible to look after those colleagues we can't find new roles for, financially and otherwise.' Advertisement

And Wayne O'Brien added: 'That's Pizza Express now maybe losing jobs. Is there going to be any jobs around after this pandemic?'

Others joked that the news would upset the Duke of York, with one saying: 'No one tell Prince Andrew. Don't think man can take any more bad news.'

Andrew previously claimed he visited a Pizza Express in Woking with his daughter Princess Beatrice on March 10, 2001 - denying he was with alleged Jeffrey Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre at a London nightclub on the same night.

Pizza Express UK and Ireland managing director Zoe Bowley said: 'While the financial restructuring is a positive step forward, at the same time we have had to make some really tough decisions.

'As a result, it is with a heavy heart that we expect to permanently close a proportion of our restaurants, losing valued team members in the process.

'This is incredibly sad for our PizzaExpress family and we will do everything we can to support our teams at this time.

'As we continue to reopen our restaurants for dine-in and delivery, we will successfully navigate the extended period of social distancing expected in the months ahead and, in so doing, protect 9,000 jobs.

'The initial signs from the restaurants that have been reopened have been very encouraging and we hope that our loyal customers continue to support us now more than ever.'

Andy Pellington, group chief finance officer, said: 'While we have had to make some very difficult decisions, none of which has been taken lightly, we are confident in the actions being taken to reduce the level of debt, create a more focused business and improve the operational performance, all of which puts us in a much stronger position.

'We can now plan to invest in both our UK&I and international businesses as well as support our teams as they return to work.'

Julian Cox, partner and employment law specialist BLM, said: 'Pizza Express is yet another household name that has been pushed to the brink by COVID-19, with the hospitality sector hit particularly hard.

Which restaurants are now facing job cuts or closing locations? Ask Italian

Burger King

Bella Italia

Cafe Rouge

Caffe Ritazza

Las Iguanas

Pizza Express

Pret a Manger

Upper Crust

Zizzi Advertisement

'Whilst the Government has attempted to encourage people through the doors with 'Eat Out to Help Out', the initiative is clearly not going to be enough to protect the sector in the long term.

'As we've seen from local infection spikes, this pandemic is far from over and further support is needed for the months ahead.

'Whilst the Chancellor has previously suggested that the October end date for the scheme is final, many impacted businesses will surely be asking whether this will go far enough to stave off financial ruin.'

Meanwhile Currys PC World said its shake-up will see it create a 'flatter management structure' as it adapts to increasing online sales.

Dixons Carphone said it will remove retail manager, assistant manager and team leader roles, introducing new sales manager, customer experience manager and operational excellence manager positions in stores.

The group said it will also create opportunities for staff to join its ShopLive personal shopping service, where customers are advised by sales staff from home via video-link.

It comes months after the technology retailer announced plans to shut all 531 of its standalone Carphone Warehouse mobile phone stores in the UK, with the loss of 2,900 jobs.

Gross domestic product has plummeted into negative territory in the UK during the pandemic

More than 75,000 jobs are at risk across the UK amid the ongoing coronavirus crisis Below is a table showing how many jobs are at risk in British businesses Southbank Centre - 400

DFS Furniture - 200

Centrica - 5,000

Johnson Matthey - 2,500

Accenture - 900

Airbus - 1,700

Arcadia - 500

BA - 12,000

BBC - 520

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

Cruise & Maritime Voyages - 4,000

Dixons Carphone - 800

DHL at Jaguar Land Rover - 2,200

EasyJet - 4,500

Go Outdoors - 2,400

The Guardian - 180

Harrods - 700

Hays Travel - 4,500

Harveys - 240

Links - 350

Mothercare - 2,500

Oasis Warehouse - 1,800

Pizza Express - 1,100

P&O Ferries - 1,100

Pret a Manger - 1,330

Ryanair - 3,000

Skyscanner - 300 (84 in Edinburgh)

SSP Group (Upper Crust, Caffe Ritazza) - 5,000

Ted Baker - 160

TM Lewin - 600

Tui - 8,000

Victoria's Secret - 800 at risk

Zizzi/Ask Italian - 1,200 Advertisement

Dixons Carphone's chief operating officer Mark Allsop said: 'We remain committed to our stores as part of an omnichannel future, where we offer the best of online and stores to our customers.

'This proposal will ensure in-store roles are focused on giving a seamless customer experience and exceptional service across all our customer channels, whether online or in-store.

'Sadly, this proposal means we have now entered into consultation with some of our store colleagues.

'This was not an easy decision and we'll do everything possible to look after those colleagues we can't find new roles for, financially and otherwise.'

It comes after Hays Travel announced yesterday that it is to cut up to 878 jobs out of a total workforce of 4,500 people.

The travel company said it has 'made every possible effort' to avoid job losses 'during these extraordinary and distressing times'.

It was 'on track for recovery' when the Foreign and Commonwealth Office stopped advising against all non-essential travel in early July, but the recent decision to reintroduce restrictions for people going to Spain 'triggered the cancellation of hundreds of thousands of holidays'.

Owners John and Irene Hays said: 'We are devastated that after all of our efforts and the huge investment we've made we now face losing some of our valued employees, through no fault of their own.

'Following the decision to ban travel to Spain and the changes in furlough conditions coming at the same time, we have had no choice.

'We are also devastated for everyone who may lose their job and we will do all we can in consultations to help them, as we focus on retaining as many people as possible and rebuilding consumer confidence through our renowned friendly and knowledgeable customer service.'

Shadow business minister Lucy Powell said the move was 'devastating' and called for targeted support for firms struggling during the pandemic.

'The Government's illogical decision to withdraw furlough support from businesses across the board, regardless of sector or circumstance, is putting so many jobs at risk,' the Labour MP said.

'With forecasts of a 10 per cent unemployment rate and regular mass redundancies, it is clear the Government must urgently target support where it is needed and protect people's livelihoods.'

Hays Travel (whose owners John and Irene Hays are pictured) announced yesterday that it is to cut up to 878 jobs out of a total workforce of 4,500 people

Hays surprised many in October 2019 when it said it was taking charge of all of Thomas Cook's 555 travel agents across the UK, after the 178-year-old firm went out of business.

How Pizza Express was founded by Associated Press worker who couldn't find a good pizza in London Pizza Express founder Peter Boizot The first Pizza Express opened on Wardour Street in London's Soho on March 27, 1965, opened by founder Peter Boizot. He had been working in the Associated Press news photography department in Rome and selling postcards from a barrow in St Peter's Square, but is said to have been unable to find anywhere in London to buy a proper Italian pizza. He shipped over an authentic pizza oven over from Naples and was also the first man to import Peroni beer to the UK. The original location in Soho opened selling square slices of pizza in greaseproof paper through the front window, before launching a restaurant designed by Enzo Apicella with a wine menu and dining tables. Mr Boizot sold his shares in the business in 1992 and the company was owned by a variety of firms until Chinese private equity group Hony Capital bought it in 2014 for 900million. The chain now owns 449 restaurants across Britain, with 67 of these at risk of being closed under the proposed restructuring. Mr Boizot died in December 2018 aged 89, and his entire estate was swallowed up by a 45,000 tax bill owed on his death. He lost the bulk of his money by taking over and investing in his struggling local football club, Peterborough United, and buying a theatre, art galleries and a hotel. Advertisement

This prevented thousands of staff from losing their jobs. Hays said it has had 'no significant redundancies in its 40-year existence'.

It is consulting with 344 employees who are training as travel consultants and 534 who work in its foreign exchange division.

Rival firm Tui announced last week it is to close nearly a third of its high street stores in the UK and the Ireland because of the coronavirus pandemic and in response to changes in customer behaviour.

It plans to move 70 per cent of the 900 affected jobs to a new 'home-working sales and service team'.

The FTSE 100 index was trading down by 17 points or 0.3 per cent at 6,016 this morning.

Last Friday, business leaders warned that Boris Johnson postponing a further easing of England's coronavirus lockdown was a 'hammer blow' to the economy.

The British Chambers of Commerce said businesses and consumer confidence will be damaged again after the Prime Minister warned the UK 'cannot be complacent' amid a rise in the Covid-19's prevalance in communities.

BCC co-executive director Claire Walker said: 'While tackling the public health emergency must be the priority, these announcements - made at short notice - will be a hammer blow to business and consumer confidence at a time when many firms were just starting to get back on their feet.

'Businesses communities need as much clarity as possible from government if they are to plan ahead and rebuild their operations in the coming months.

'Ministers must also consider extending support to all firms, many of whom will be forced to close for an even more prolonged period, as well as targeted measures to help businesses placed under localised lockdowns.'

Also last Friday, Matthew Fell, the Confederation of British Industry's chief UK policy director, said: 'This news will come as a real disappointment for some businesses, but firms know that public safety comes first. Businesses will continue to do what is necessary to avoid an infection spike.

'Delayed reopening will unfortunately lead to even more financial pressure for some companies. So there may yet be a need for more direct support to shore up cash flow, including extended business rates relief.'
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Craft Beer Marketing Awards (CBMAs) is proud to announce a successful inaugural year and worldwide expansion of the program for 2021. This is the first awards program of its kind to celebrate the best marketing achievements in the craft brewing industry.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the CBMAs pivoted to a digital format from the original ceremony that was to take place during April's Craft Brewers Conference Week in San Antonio, TX. The 2020 CBMA "Crushie" winners were presented in a LIVE virtual ceremony on June 16, 2020 on Facebook and Zoom.

Winners of the CBMAs were announced among 32 categories and levels (Platinum, Gold, and Onyx) that were evaluated by a panel of over 100 industry-recognized judges. A total of 130 awards were presented to brewers, designers, and agencies from all across North America. Watch the presentation here.

In only its first year, the CBMAs received entries from nearly every state in the US, along with submissions from Mexico and Canada. View the full list of 130 winners at the 2020 CBMA Winners Page. Winning work can be viewed in the 2020 CBMA Winners Gallery.

Beverage marketers Jim McCune and Jackie DiBella developed the CBMAs for the purpose of honoring the best nationwide marketing achievements in the brewing industry. Breweries, their agencies, designers, and marketing partners were invited to enter their top work. Hillebrand is the presenting sponsor of the CBMAs.

"We're honored to have received so much interest in our first year with entries from both big and small breweries, and their agencies, all across North America," said DiBella. "There was a clear need for these awards to recognize the critical and increasing contribution that marketing efforts play in the competitive craft beer industry."

Additionally, the 2021 CBMAs are expanding and will accept entries from across the world in beer, hard seltzer, and cider. The program will also add more categories for entry. The 2021 CBMAs will launch in September 2020.

"We were so impressed with what was submitted this past year," added McCune. "We look forward to seeing even more amazing work next year from around the world!"

For more information and updates about the 2021 CBMAs, visit craftbeermarketingawards.com.

SOURCE Craft Beer Marketing Awards

Related Links

http://craftbeermarketingawards.com


(Newser)  David W. Nagy, 79, died July 22 from COVID-19. And in his obituary, which has gone viral, Nagy's wife places the blame for his death squarely on the shoulders of President Trump, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, and "the many ignorant, self-centered and selfish people" who won't mask up. "Dave did everything he was supposed to do, but you did not," Stacey Nagy, 72, wrote. "Shame on all of you, and may Karma find you all!" As she explains to BuzzFeed News, her husband was hospitalized after a fall in late March and then went into a Texas nursing home to recover. That's where he eventually contracted the coronavirus, she tells Snopes.

story continues below

"He stayed there and I would go and visit, and just go to the window and we'd yell back and forth at each other to talk," she says of the pandemic's early days. "We'd kiss the glass to give kisses to each other." And once he contracted the disease and was hospitalized, she could only see him through a sliding glass door. The obituary blames Trump, Abbott, and other politicians who refused to take the pandemic seriously. "I didn't do it to make people like it," she tells BuzzFeed of the obit. "I did it because I was pissed off and I wanted people to know the ones that refuse to wear a mask, that they are the killers and they are to blame, not just for Dave's stuff but for all these people. He's not the only husband to die. There's been thousands of other husbands and wives and fathers and mothers and brothers that have died." You can view the full obit here. (Read more coronavirus stories.)
On a consolidated basis, Godrej Consumer Products net profit fell 3.12% to Rs 394.88 crore on 1% decline in total revenue from operations to Rs 2,327.34 crore in Q1 June 2020 over Q1 June 2019.

Consolidated profit before tax (PBT) jumped 9.21% to Rs 409.60 crore in Q1 June 2020 as against Rs 375.03 crore in Q1 June 2019. Current tax expense for the quarter rose 10.29% at Rs 94.07 crore as against Rs 85.29 crore in Q1 June 2019.

During the quarter, Godrej Consumer Products incurred an exceptional item of Rs 33.15 crore being gain on account of change in earn out liability of a subsidiary offset by impairment of investment in associate of Rs 15.38 crore and restructuring costs worth Rs 4.59 crore the consolidated financial statements. The result was declared during market hours today, 4 August 2020.

Consolidated EBITDA for Q1 FY21 grew 3% year-on-year (Y-o-Y) while consolidated EBIDTA margin expanded to 20.5% during the quarter. In Q1 FY21, India business sales grew by 5% year-on-year, led by 3% year-on-year growth in volume. Indonesia sales grew by 5% year-on-year, on a constant currency basis. Africa, USA and Middle East sales declined by 23% year-on-year, on a constant currency basis. Latin America & SAARC sales grew by 23% year-on-year, on a constant currency basis.

Commenting on the business performance of Q1 FY 2021, Nisaba Godrej, the chairperson and managing director (MD) of Godrej Consumer Products (GCPL), said, "This quarter was tough due to the challenges we faced with lockdowns across geographies and the ensuing supply side issues. We also scaled up alternate channels, reduced our new product development cycle time from months to weeks (we launched 45 products this quarter, our most ever), and learnt how do things better and faster because of the constraints placed on us. From a category perspective, Household Insecticides, Hygiene and Value for Money (which contributed to 85% of our overall sales) grew by 9%. Household Insecticides grew by 27% and Hygiene grew by 15%. Value For Money declined in the initial part of the quarter but grew in June."

"From a country perspective, both India and Indonesia (which contributed to over 76% of overall sales) showed resilient growth at 5% each. Our Africa, USA and Middle East business had a degrowth of 23% in constant currency terms. The silver lining was that May and June were much stronger than April, and big markets like South Africa and Nigeria are gradually picking up."

"Going forward, we are focusing our efforts on where the demand is - in Household Insecticides, Hygiene, and Value for Money. We have several new launches, strongly price- enabled, across geographies. It is not just our categories; our channels too are seeing a shift, and we will be doubling down on digitisation and platforms like e-commerce and chemists. We are also ramping up our supply chain operations and distribution," Godrej added.

Shares of Godrej Consumer Products declined 2.12% to end at Rs 683.50 on BSE. Godrej Consumer Products is an Indian consumer goods company. The company's products include soap, hair colourants, toiletries and liquid detergents.

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Jonathan Cheban, a reality star known for his friendship with Kim Kardashian, told police he was robbed at gunpoint Sunday in Bergen County, TMZ reports.

Cheban, 46, who calls himself Foodgod, grew up in Fort Lee and became known for his appearances on the long-running E! reality show Keeping Up with the Kardashians.

TMZ reports that Cheban was in Englewood Cliffs with his mother and a friend when a man held him at gunpoint in a driveway and took his $250,000 Richard Mille watch.

Englewood Cliffs Police say they responded to a 911 call reporting an armed robbery at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday at East Bayview Avenue.

According to TMZ, Cheban told the man he could take anything he wanted after he pointed the gun at his mothers head.

Police said the suspect had asked Cheban what time it was, then flashed a silver semiautomatic handgun. The man and another male suspect later fled the scene on foot to Sylvan Avenue, they said. A K-9 unit was dispatched to track the men, but they were not found.

Cheban sustained a minor injury to his wrist, while others were unharmed. Englewood Cliffs Police shared a sketch of the suspect on Facebook.

The suspect who allegedly held Cheban and his mother at gunpoint is described as a dark-skinned Hispanic man in his late 20s to early 30s wearing light blue jeans, a purple shirt and white and gray sneakers. The other suspect is described as a heavyset Hispanic man wearing a gray sweater. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact Englewood Cliffs Police at 201-569-8088.

Kim Kardashian was held at gunpoint in 2016 during a burglary of her Paris apartment when five men dressed as police officers stole more than $6 million in jewelry.

Thank you for relying on us to provide the journalism you can trust. Please consider supporting NJ.com with a voluntary subscription.

Amy Kuperinsky may be reached at akuperinsky@njadvancemedia.com. Send a coronavirus tip here.
The Bihar Government has now recommended a CBI inquiry into Sushant Singh Rajput's death. This comes KK Singh, Sushant's father, appealed to the CM Nitish Kumar, asking for the same , after he made a statement talking about the laxity of the Bandra police, to whom he reported as far back as February 25th, that his son was in danger.

The Bihar Government has now recommended a CBI Investigation into the matter of Sushant Singh Rajputs death. This is after Sushant Singh Rajputs father, KK Singh, spoke with the Bihar CM, Nitish Kumar, requesting him to open a CBI investigation into the death of his son.

Nitish Kumar said that the DGP spoke to KK Singh, and gave consent for a CBI Investigation. Due to this, the Bihar government, is now recommending an inquiry. BJP MLA, and relative of Sushant Singh Rajput, Niraj Kumar Singh expressed his gratitude towards CM Nitish Kumar for recommending a CBI inquiry.

Sushants father made a statement, released yesterday, in which he said that he had warned the Bandra police that his son was in danger as far back as February 25th, and had named certain people in his compliant.

His message took social media by storm, and he also revealed that even 40 days after Sushants demise, no action had been taken by the police.

Also Read: SSR death probe: Sushants father ends silences, exposes Bandra polices laxity

Also Read: Heavy rain lashes Mumbai, BMC halts transport services

The statement especially comes at a time when the probe into Sushants death gets more confusing everyday. A Bihar Police officer, who had arrived in Mumbai to aid with the case, was given a forceful home quarantine

Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar earlier in the day that Bihar DGP will speak with the authorities in Maharashtra, on this particular matter.

Also Read: After BSY, Bengal CM Siddaramaiah tests positive for Covid-19
Cairo, Aug 4 : Egypt has reiterated its rejection against any "unilateral move" by Ethiopia to fill the reservoir of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Nile River without reaching an agreement with the downstream countries.

"Such an action carries negative indicators reflecting that Ethiopia has no desire to achieve a fair deal that follows the Declaration of Principles in 2015," the Egyptian Ministry of Irrigation and Land Reclamation said in a statement on Monday.

"The water ministers of the three countries agreed in today's meeting that the technical and legal committees would convene to discuss the points of disagreement on August 4-5." The ongoing meetings will only focus on the dam's operation and the reservoir's filling, while the future projects on the dam will be tackled later after an agreement on the filling is first concluded, Xinhua news agency quoted the statement as saying.

Egypt has proposed a mechanism to run the discussions over the coming two weeks, but the results of the current meetings will be announced on Thursday, it said.

Representatives of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia besides the observers from the US, European Union, and experts of the African Union Commissions have been taking part in the ongoing meetings.

Ethiopia in mid-July started filling some four billion cubic meters of water in the reservoir whose capacity is 75 billion cubic meters.

On July 25, Egypt stated that the first filling of the $4 billion dam wouldn't harm Egypt's share of the Nile resources.

However, Egypt, Sudan, and Ethiopia's controversial points of discussion over the past 10 years have been inflamed by the Ethiopian desire to fill the reservoir in only three years while the other two countries target the filling in seven to ten years to avoid the implications of the time of severe drought.

The massive dam is expected to produce over 6,000 megawatts of electricity and become Africa's largest hydropower dam upon completion.

Ethiopia started building the dam in 2011, while Egypt, a downstream Nile Basin country that relies on the river for its freshwater, is concerned that the dam might affect its 55.5-billion-cubic-meter annual share of the water resources.
Traditionally, funerals are supposed to serve at least three purposes: honor the life of the deceased, comfort those who mourn his passing and preach a message about eternity and the brevity of life.

Tradition was discarded during John Lewis funeral last week in Atlanta. Like the memorial service of the late Sen. Paul Wellstone, D-Minn., in 2008, the Lewis service was a political event that included veiled denunciations of President Trump. There were allegations of voter suppression by Republicans and a comparison of Trump by former President Obama to the late Alabama governor and segregationist, George Wallace.

On that last point, it was Wallace who stood in a schoolhouse door in1963 in an effort to stop African Americans from entering the University of Alabama. Todays Democrats have it reversed. They are blocking poor kids from escaping failed public schools, bowing to the desires of teachers unions that support and contribute campaign money to Democratic politicians.

Obama also criticized President Trump for sending federal agents to Portland, Oregon, to help quell violence that had gone on for more than 60 days.

Presumably, President Obama would not have been opposed to President Eisenhowers decision in 1957 to send the 101st Airborne Division to Little Rock, Arkansas, to protect nine black students entering Central High School.

Someone should ask the former president if he approved of President John F. Kennedys decision on May 21, 1961, to send 300 federal marshals to Montgomery, Alabama, to keep order after race riots broke out when then-governor John Patterson said he could not guarantee the peace.

President Obama apparently ignored another historical event in which federal forces were used to achieve a civil rights goal. On Sept. 20, 1962, James Meredith attempted to register as a student at the University of Mississippi. The entrance was blocked, and rioting erupted. Attorney General Robert Kennedy sent 500 U.S. Marshals to the school. President Kennedy sent military police, troops from the Mississippi National Guard and even U.S. Border Patrol officials.

Is President Obama OK with President Kennedys decision on June 11, 1963, to federalize Alabama National Guard troops to end then-governor George Wallaces blockade of African Americans attempting to enter the University of Alabama?

On March 20, 1965, President Lyndon Johnson federalized the Alabama National Guard to protect the civil rights March from Selma to Montgomery, of which John Lewis was a notable part. President Obama probably favors that decision. A reporter should ask him.

Alabama, Mississippi and Arkansas all had governors at the time who were Democrats and segregationists, and yet todays Democrats claim Trump is a racist.

In his eulogy, Barack Obama also mentioned mail-in ballots, the latest effort by Democrats (early voting and no required identification are other efforts) that many believe could open the door to voter fraud.

One pastor at the Lewis funeral even reached back to the Reagan administration and erroneously blamed the 40th president for the poor housing conditions endured by some African Americans.

Democrats and their media allies consistently ignore the fact that Jim Crow Laws, the Ku Klux Klan and other immoralities were all led by Southern Democrats.

What was even sadder than the politicized funeral service was the applause from attendees, who apparently believe every word that comes from President Obamas mouth, though none of this kind of talk improves a single life. It makes one wonder why so many African Americans continue to be loyal to the Democratic Party.

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.
Atlantic City Electric released the following information in regards to the power outages, which, at one point, consumed 209,000 customers.

We will continue to work around the clock until every customer is restored, said Gary Stockbridge, Atlantic City Electric region president. This storm was incredibly destructive, and we will continue to keep our customers informed as we complete our assessments of the damage. We know power outages can add additional stress during an already difficult time and we want customers to know that we are working to restore their service safely and as quickly as possible.

A significant amount of work remains to repair the damage and customers should be prepared for a multi-day restoration effort.

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Ocean County roads crews continued to scour the 618 miles of county roads on Wednesday for downed trees and broken branches causing havoc for motorists and homeowners. The county also issued an emergency declaration allowing the county to tap into resources in order to expedite the ongoing cleanup and other storm related activities.

Freeholder Director Joseph H. Vicari. met with Gov. Murphy earlier Wednesday in Jackson Township and told the governor that the largest concern is the power outages.

We have a very large senior population and also the number of people in the County swells at this time of year due to our tourism season, Vicari said. From our most vulnerable citizens to our visitors, getting power restored is paramount at this time.

County residents can bring storm debris including downed tree branches to the countys regional recycling centers located in Lakewood and Stafford Township.

Our homeowners can access the county recycling centers with their storm debris, said Ocean County Freeholder Gary Quinn, who is liaison to the countys recycling program. I am happy we can provide this free service to our residents so they can quickly clean up their properties.



Widespread power outages continues to impact South Jersey.

As of 5:35 p.m., only Buena Borough and Brigantine had less than 5 percent of their towns without power, according to Atlantic City Electric.

In Long Beach Island, over 99 percent of the island was without power. On mainland Ocean County, over 98 percent of the region was powerless.

There is no estimated restoration time form the company.

__

The tropical storm warnings are dropped for South Jersey. At the 5 p.m. update, Tropical Storm Isaias was located near Albany, New York, with maximum sustained winds of 65 mph. The tropical storm wind field remains large, stretching from Long Island to central Vermont.

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In addition to the Tornado in Marmora, the National Weather Service also reported a second in Ship Bottom.

A waterspout came ashore near the borough on Long Beach Island Tuesday morning, part of a line of cellular thunderstorms on the northeastern side of the storm. A weather gauge measured a wind gust of 109 mph at 10:53 a.m.



The Ocean City Fire Department responded to a house on Central Avenue in the city after a roof uplifted from a house on Tuesday. Much of South Jersey is in a tornado and flood watch as Tropical Storm Isaias bears down on the Northeast, leaving more than 100,000 people without power in the area. The New Jersey coast can see winds up to 70 miles per hour due to the storm.



At least two trees are down in Dorset Avenue in Ventnor.



At 1 p.m. there were currently more then 3,000 active outages across South Jersey, according to Atlantic City Electric's outage map.

There are more than 150,000 customers affected, according to the site.



Last night, Gov. Phil Murphy signed an Executive Order placing New Jersey under a State of Emergency for the storm.

We urge all New Jerseyans to stay off the roads and stay at home today, he said during a storm briefing Tuesday morning.

The entire state is under a flash-flood watch, and areas may experience some flooding, especially in low-lying areas.

If you are out on our roads and come across a flooded section, do not attempt to cross it, he said. Turn around, dont drown. Especially with the flash-flood watches in effect, some flooded streets may have currents swift enough to wash a car into them.

He added that the state can expect wind gusts in excess of 40 miles per hour across most of the state, with the potential for even more damaging winds in excess of 70 miles-per-hour along the coastal areas.

A tornado watch is also posted for the entire state. Some watches will expire for some counties at noon, others at 4 p.m.



Lower Township officials asked residents to stay off the roads while officials clean storm damage from township roads.

"The Lower Township Office of Emergency Management is requesting that residents please try and stay off our roadways for the next several hours," according to a news release from police. "There are multiple trees and wires down across roadways from storm damage and our DPW Crews need time to clear the storm debris and trees. Thank you for your cooperation and patience."



A tornado warning is in effect for parts of Cape May and Atlantic counties through 10:15 a.m.

A tornado is on the ground in Strathmere.

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A tree was knocked down on the Garden State Park way near mile marker 24, according to a a First Responder Twitter account.

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A tornado warning was in effect for parts of Cumberland County. However, that has since been cancelled.

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At 9:15 a.m. Jerry Inderwies, Jr. City Manger and Emergency Management Director reported up to 10 fire calls, downed wires and a "surge" of winds in Cape May.

A storm, with radar indicated rotation with in. passed just to the west of the city. However, strong winds were still present within the cells, which did move through.

--

Two separate tornado watches are in effect for South Jersey Tuesday.

The first covers Atlantic and Cumberland Counties, and is in effect until noon. The next one is in effect for Atlantic, Ocean and counties northward. That is in effect until 4 p.m.

Damage can occur with these storms, before the strongest winds from Isaias moves in. If you are in a tornado warning, get to the center of your building and to the lowest level, away from windows.

Tornado watches, warning have very important meanings On average, two tornadoes come through New Jersey each year, according to the National Weath



All state Motor Vehicle Commission offices will be closed Tuesday due to the storm, according to the state.



The Casino Reinvestment Development Authority, or CRDA, has authorized the Wave Parking Garage, located at the corner of Mississippi and Fairmount avenues, to provide free overnight parking for all Atlantic City residents and visitors from 8:00 p.m. Monday evening through 8:00 a.m. Wednesday in preparation for the impending Tropical Storm Isaias, according to a news release.

Overnight parking will only be permitted on the 4th floor of the garage during this time, according to the release. Standard parking personnel will be on duty through the overnight hours. Residents will be required to show proof of residency.

Parking will be validated at the exit gate upon departure.



The Cove Beach in Hamilton Township will be closed to swimming on Tuesday due to expected Tropical Storm Isaias. The Cove will open again on Thursday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.



Due to the forecast of inclement weather related to Tropical Storm Isaias, curbside service at Atlantic County library branches is canceled for Tuesday but is expected to resume at all branches on Wednesday, from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., unless otherwise noted, according to a news release from the city.

For more information, visit www.atlanticlibrary.org or contact your local branch.



Cape May County officials have announced cancellations to government due to the storm.

The Freeholder Caucus scheduled for Tuesday has been canceled, according to a news release from the county. The caucus and regular Freeholder meeting will take place on Aug. 11 at 3 p.m. and the regular Freeholder meeting is scheduled for 4:30 pm.

Fare Free Transportation is suspending all services to the barrier islands on Tuesday and Wednesday, due to the potential of flooding, officials said. All services to the mainland will continue on the regular schedule during this time.

All services to the barrier islands will resume on Thursday, according to the release. There is no change to the services to the mainland during this weather incident.

Meals on Wheels will provide double service to cover meals for both Tuesday and Wednesday for those living on the barrier islands and impacted by the canceled services, officials said.

The Cape May County Park and Zoo are closed.

Check the zoos website at www.cmczoo.com and the county government website at www.capemaycountynj.gov for storm information and additional closings and cancelations.

Freeholder Director Gerald M. Thornton advised all residents and visitors to take this storm warning seriously and follow safety guidelines in preparing for and during the storm.

Remove or secure outdoor furniture and other items that can blow away from the high winds associated with a tropical storm and hurricane, officials said. Stay indoors during the storm and if you must go out, avoid flood-prone areas for your safety and the safety of First Responders. Everyone is advised to follow posted notices at all beaches, and U.S. Coast Guard restrictions on boating during this storm. 



South Jersey is bracing for impact Tuesday morning as Tropical Storm Isaias is expected to bring heavy rains, dangerous rip currents and roadway flooding.

Gov. Phil Murphy is scheduled to hold a briefing at 10 a.m. about the storm.

Isaias was downgraded from a hurricane to a tropical storm Monday after making landfall near Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, according to an official with the National Hurricane Center.

The hurricane had touched down just after 11 p.m. on Monday with maximum sustained winds of 85 mph (136 km/h). The storm now has maximum sustained winds of 70 miles per hour (117 km/h).

Now that the center has moved further inland into east North Carolina, the winds are now coming back down, so it has been downgraded back to a tropical storm, Robbie Berg, a hurricane specialist with the National Hurricane Center, told The Associated Press.

The weather service also said in its 4 a.m. advisory that threats of tornadoes were beginning to spread into southeastern Virginia.

The storm set off flooding and sparked five home fires in Ocean Isle Beach, Debbie Smith, the towns Mayor, told WECT-TV. Firefighters from the towns fire department were battling the blaze with assistance from Horry County firefighters in South Carolina, Tony Casey, a spokesperson for Horry County Fire Rescue, told The Associated Press.

About 80 miles (128 kilometers) north of Ocean Isle Beach, about 30 people were displaced due to a fire at a condominium complex in Surf City, news outlets reported. It is not clear if the fires were connected to the storm. No injuries have been reported.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Molly Bilinski Staff Writer My beat is public safety, following police and crime. I started in January 2018 here at the Press covering Egg Harbor and Galloway townships. Before that, I worked at the Reading Eagle in Reading, Pa., covering crime and writing obituaries. Follow Molly Bilinski 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
Chef Hindrigo Kiko Lorrans exit had to be the most heart-wrenching departures in the history of Below Deck Mediterranean or Below Deck.

Although Captain Sandy Yawn gently let the chef go, it didnt stop Lorran and the entire crew from crying well into the episode. After Lorran realized he was being fired he returned to his cabin where audio picks up his painful sobs.

Hindrigo Kiko Lorran | Karolina Wojtasik/Bravo

Yawn isnt thrilled that she had to fire him either. I feel like Im just hammering this guy who continues to pour his heart into it but yet he bit off more than he could chew, she says in a confessional. As a captain you can like someone a lot but if theyre not ready to take on the job, like trained properly, then I have to let them go.

While there wasnt a dry eye on The Wellington, Lorrans Instagram shows that he bounced back quite well since leaving the show.

Chef Kiko is traveling the world

Like most yachties, Lorran loves to travel. Hes shared several photos of breathtaking destinations along the way. Lorran was cheffing in Italy before he joined the Below Deck Med crew in Spain. He shared a sweet photo making pizza in the galley kitchen with some children. I kind started my passion for cooking like these kids, just having fun making some pizza, so happy to do what I love , he captioned his post.

After he left the Below Deck Med crew he hit Oldenburg Vineyards in South Africa. Lorran shared a photo of the gorgeous landscape and What else?. Next it was time for another one of his passions  surfing. He rode the waves at Jeffreys Bay where it appears he met up with his girlfriend.

RELATED: Below Deck Med: Has a Fired Chef Ever Left Mid-Charter?

By January, he was back in Brazil and snuggling with his girlfriend. Happy Life , he wrote along with a sweet photo. He returned to the United States in February and hit the waves in California. Got luck with the swell! I guess now lm used to sharky and freezingn water, he shared. He later traveled to Hawaii in April.

Chef Kiko is still cooking

He recently shared a lowkey conversation with a yacht stew on his Instagram story. It appears that Lorran is still working as a yacht chef and is giving Instagram fans a glimpse into his cuisine. My crew deserves good food as well! he recently shared along with a photo of what he made for the crew. Happy crew, happy boat isssaa.

Lorran also shared photos from his cookbook. Mushroom Risotto with grill filet mignon!, he featured along with a photo of the dish. One of my favorite recipes of The Surfers Cookbook! Super easy and delicious.

LINK IN BIO. .

He was also on charter in Hawaii. Charter two is done, after spoiling the guest with lobster in white truffle sauce, octopus with shrimp and black rice and salmon tartar with caviar, I cant wait for the next moqueca monday ., he shared in late June.

RELATED: Below Deck Med Chef Says the Job Is Far More Intense Than What Viewers See (Exclusive)

Before his last episode aired, Lorran shared a photo on Instagram that had the crew sending him love. Just feel blessed to live this beautiful life and to get old like a pirate!   , he wrote. Bosun Malia White sent him hearts. Deckhand Peter Hunziker wrote, I love you my brother amen ! His girlfriend seems to have taken the photo which means she may also be on charter with him.
In an interview released on Monday night, Donald Trump said he had never met legendary civil rights leader John Lewis and complained that the congressman had declined to attend many of his presidencys major events.

During the wide-ranging conversation, which also saw the president dispute reliable coronavirus data and struggle to answer some questions coherently, Axios interviewer Jonathan Swan asked Mr Trump how history would remember Lewis, who at the time was lying in state at the US Capitol.

I dont know, replied Mr Trump. I dont know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration, he chose  I never met John Lewis, actually, I dont believe.

Do you find him impressive? Mr Swan asked.

Uh I cant say one way or the other. I find a lot of people impressive, I find many people not impressive, but no, he didnt come to my inauguration, he didnt come to my state of the union speeches, and thats okay, thats his right.

And again, nobody has done more for black Americans than I have. He should have come. I think he made a big mistake. He should have come.

Mr Trump was the only living president not to attend Mr Lewiss funeral.

The president has repeatedly claimed that he has done more for black Americans than any other US leader, in one interview conceding he will take a pass on Abraham Lincoln, who oversaw the Civil War and the emancipation of enslaved people.

Mr Trump is not, however, forthcoming with the details of what precisely he has done, or where he fits in with the civil rights tradition in which Lewis was an icon.

Asked by Mr Swan whether he found Lewiss legacy impressive, Mr Trump was equivocal. He was a person that devoted a lot of energy and a lot of heart to civil rights, but there were many others also.

The president did, however, give no objection to renaming the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama the John Lewis Bridge, as a growing petition of signatures has demanded.

Lewis, who spoke at the 1963 March on Washington, was an outspoken critic of Mr Trumps since before his presidency even began, disputing the legitimacy of his election and calling him a racist after reports he referred to Haiti and various African nations as s***hole countries.
New Delhi: In a bid to fast tract the PM SVANidhi Scheme for Street Vendors, an important review meeting was held on Tuesday to discuss several issues faced by the street vendors.

Several banks, NBFCs, MFIs participated in the review meeting held by Secretary of housing affairs ministry and DFS secretary.

The important discussion held during the meeting covered the issues faced by the street vendors in getting loans from banks, documentation related issues, providing UPI and QR codes to sanctioned beneficieries.

Application received: 3,95,000

Application sanctioned: 71,215

Loan disbursed: 17,317

The PM SVANidhi was launched by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairshad, on June 01, 2020 for providing affordable Working Capital loan to street vendors to resume their livelihoods that have been adversely affected due to Covid-19 lockdown.

This scheme targets to benefit over 50 lakh Street Vendors. Under the Scheme, the vendors can avail a working capital loan of up to Rs. 10,000, which is repayable in monthly instalments in the tenure of one year. On timely/ early repayment of the loan, an interest subsidy of 7% per annum will be credited to the bank accounts of beneficiaries through Direct Benefit Transfer on quarterly basis. There will be no penalty on early repayment of loan.

The scheme promotes digital transactions through cash back incentives up to an amount of Rs. 100 per month. Moreover, the vendors can achieve their ambition of going up on the economic ladder by availing the facility of escalation of the credit limit on timely/ early repayment of loan.
A public interest litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Bombay high court (PIL) seeking the setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or to transfer the investigation to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) into the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput by suicide in his Bandra apartment on June 14.

The PIL has alleged that Rajput had taken the extreme step, as he was being sidelined in the film industry due to nepotism at the behest of some bigwigs, who had links with the underworld and politicians.

The PIL has claimed that the Mumbai Police is not recording statements of people, who could provide vital information on why Rajput chose to die by suicide.

It has cited that the Mumbai Police is overburdened with the ongoing coronavirus disease (Covid-19) management and is also trying to shield the industry bigwigs and made a case for the probe to be shifted to SIT, CBI or any other investigating agency outside Mumbai.

HC Chief Justice Dipankar Datta will hear the PIL on Wednesday.

According to the PIL filed by Sameet Thakkar, a Nagpur resident through advocate Raspal Singh Renu, the investigation into Rajputs death has been carried out in a shoddy manner by the Mumbai Police.

The petition has alleged that Mumbai Police has failed to crack the case and ascertain the reason behind his death by suicide.

The PIL has cited several factual anomalies and the tardy pace of the probe.

It has blamed the Mumbai Police for deliberately delaying the probe in a bid to obliterate crucial evidence linked to the high-profile case.

The PIL has cited that the Mumbai Police has failed to mention that Rajput has changed his subscriber identification module (SIM) card of his mobile phone at least 50 times in a month prior to his death by suicide.

It has pointed out that Rajput had tweeted thrice on June 14 and then deleted them intentionally before dying by suicide.

The petition has also questioned why the viscera report makes no mention of pomegranate juice cited in Rajputs post-mortem examination report, even though his house help had deposed that the actor had consumed it hours before he was found dead in his rented apartment.

Last week, the Supreme Court had dismissed a similar PIL seeking transfer of the probe to CBI.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : Senior Advocate Colin Gonsalves on Tuesday informed the Delhi High Court that the alleged police brutality which were unleashed on the students of the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) in December last year "was to tell the students to drop the idea of going to the Parliament".

"The beating was really serious and severe and it seemed like the police went against their enemies. Students are not certainly enemies I suppose.This was to tell the students that they should forget the idea of marching to the Parliament," said Gonsalves appearing before a division bench of the High Court presided by the Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan.

He further questioned, "Why did the police aim at the head of the 18,19 year old students. What was the purpose?" The submissions came in while the high court was hearing a batch of petitions relating to the violence that broke out in and around the Jamia MIlia Islamia in December last year.

During the course of hearing, senior counsel Salman Khurshid while appearing for another petitioner, supporting Gonsalves's argument that the police action was intended to stop the students from carrying out a march to the Parliament, said that while the Police can regulate such a march, but here, they decided to not to allow that march to parliament to take place at all.

Khurshid further said that gatherings of students were intended to be peaceful. "Such march is an ethos of our democracy even if it's a dissent towards the government," he stated.

Meanwhile, senior advocate Indira Jaising appearing from the side of the petitioners argued that that there's a need for an independent inquiry into the misconduct of the police in relation to the students of Jamia.

She further argued that there was use of excessive force by the police which has resulted in acts of unconscionable conduct. "Law has to take its own course against the police as well. Just because you wear uniform that does not at all mean that you have the right to thrash the students this way." "Police must be ready to face the trial," she submitted while adding that the Police force does not enjoy any impunity or immunity from acts of misconduct.

The hearing which continued for over six hours has now been adjourned for tomorrow as some of the petitioners as well as the state (respondents) are yet to address their arguments.

The batch of petitions which include the one file by one Nabila Hasan sought action against the alleged ruthless, and excessive use of force and aggression unleashed by the police and paramilitary forces on students within the university.

The pleas have also sought registration of FIRs against the erring police officers.

Protests against the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) had turned violent on December 15 near Delhi's Jamia Nagar. Several buses were set on fire during the violence in which police and protesters sustained injuries.
Mail-in ballots are the latest talking point for Democrats and their media allies. They claim this will keep voters safe from the Wuhan virus, even though it is burning itself out quite nicely on its own.

The surges in cases we are seeing across the country mean that more and more of the population have been exposed to the virus. The vast majority are not getting sick; in fact, most don't even know they are ill, and they are getting tested due to potential exposure, for return to work or travel or simply because the tests are widely available and free under most insurance plans.

Once the virus tears through a population, there are fewer left to infect, and it goes away. A summer surge in positive tests brings us closer to herd immunity, and this will likely burn itself out by fall. Normal colds and seasonal flu may complicate things, but that's another story.

The compassionate Democrats say it's too dangerous to wait in line to vote. Yet it was fine for hundreds to wait in line for John Lewis's funeral procession. Hypocrisy is on full display when it comes to the Chinese coronavirus.

The all-knowing, all-caring Dr. Anthony Fauci donned a large mask while standing all alone on the pitcher's mound waiting to launch his ill fated pitch closer to the dugout than home plate. Yet in the bleachers, he was yukking it up with some pals, forgetting all about masks and social distancing.

Aside from mail-in ballots being ripe for cheating, there are other more subtle forces at play here. CBS did its own vote-by-mail experiment and, surprisingly, at least to CBS, discovered "potential problems" such as that "3 percent of voters were effectively disenfranchised." That could be enough to tip a close election.

RealClearPolitics reports, "28 million mail-in ballots went missing in the last four elections." Someone should ask Mitt Romney for comment, if he is not too busy marching with the Black Lives Matter Marxists. How many of those ballots had his name on them? Or John McCain's?

Mail-in ballots have been in effect in my home state of Colorado since 2013. Local media described this as "smart." It was certainly smart for Democrats. A couple of years later, not coincidently, the Daily Beast observed that Colorado is "starting to look more blue than purple." Aside from an anemic Colorado GOP, ballot-harvesting is quite easy with mail-in ballots, turning Colorado blue.

Is the Democrat-media push for mail-in ballots simply so they can cheat and steal the election from President Trump? Perhaps, but suppose Trump is headed for a landslide victory, as some of us have suggested. Even cheating may not be enough to drag Dementia Joe across the finish line.

Uber-left Harvard law professor Lawrence Tribe let the cat out of the bag with this tweet.

Another tweet from Time further connects the dots.



Screenshot, Twitter.

The Democrats don't have to cheat in the casting of ballots. They simply don't have to count the ballots at all. It's quite clever, and Professor Tribe, along with the U.S. Postal Service, provided the roadmap.

Democrats will push mail-in ballots, for voter safety, they say  as in it's safe to attend John Lewis's funeral without distancing, but try that for your own family member's funeral. The media will fan the flames with exaggerated case counts and deaths. Democrat governors will keep their subjects in fear with increasing mandates  masks, face shields, school and business shutdowns  such that everyone is afraid to leave his house for anything, including voting.

The Postal Service will conveniently shut down, unable to deliver the ballots. If some post offices remain open, they will misplace or lose ballots. If ballots cannot be delivered, they cannot be counted. The election will not be decided, not on election night, not the next day, next week, next month.

It will be a repeat of Al Gore's hanging chad story, with lawsuits and Soros-funded state and county officials unwilling to certify any election results. Democrats have been preparing for this scenario.

CNN reported, "Joe Biden's campaign is assembling hundreds of lawyers nationwide to monitor potential voting issues as part of its extensive voter protection efforts heading into the general election."

There will be mass chaos and confusion. The virus will be long forgotten, and the new narrative will be that there is no way to declare a winner as too many ballots were lost and unable to be counted.

Enter Professor Tribe's prediction. Section 3 of the 20th Amendment.

If a President shall not have been chosen before the time fixed for the beginning of his term, or if the President elect shall have failed to qualify, then the Vice President elect shall act as President until a President shall have qualified; and the Congress may by law provide for the case wherein neither a President elect nor a Vice President elect shall have qualified, declaring who shall then act as President, or the manner in which one who is to act shall be selected, and such person shall act accordingly until a President or Vice President shall have qualified.

Amid the chaos, enough states won't be able to certify their electoral votes, and neither candidate will have a majority. Voila: it will be up to Congress to decide, the Democrat-controlled House choosing a president and the Senate choosing the irrelevant vice president.

And not necessarily House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, as she is only a half-step behind Dementia Joe in age and cognition. How about Hillary Clinton? Michelle Obama? Mayor Pete? Take your pick. Mitt Romney for V.P.? How about Susan Collins? Bipartisan in name only.

It is certainly clever and now obvious how the Democrats plan to steal the election and install a president of their choosing, without the messiness of an actual campaign and election. If I figured this out, certainly, the very stable genius president has, too. And he is ready, based on this recent tweet.

Trump merely suggested the possibility of delaying the election, and the media, Democrats, NeverTrumps, and everyone else went ballistic, saying there is no way this can be allowed. Check and checkmate to Professor Tribe's scheme of delaying the election results.

They will still try, and the media will cheerlead the effort, but Trump is prepared, and this latest Road Runner vs. Coyote scheme will fail, just like all the others. Enjoy the show!

Brian C. Joondeph, M.D. is a Denver-based physician and freelance writer whose pieces have appeared in American Thinker, Daily Caller, Rasmussen Reports, and other publications. Follow him on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Parler, and QuodVerum.

Image credit: Twitter screen shots, public domain.
Workstation divider at Tyson Foods' Chick N Quick plant in Rogers, Ark. April 24, 2020

Tyson Foods

Tyson Foods announced on Monday tech industry veteran Dean Banks will become the company's new CEO in October. He will be tasked with leading the meat industry giant out of the chaos caused by the pandemic.

"Without a doubt, our third quarter was one of the most volatile and uncertain periods I've seen during my 40-year career in the industry," CEO Noel White said in a call with investors.

There have been at least 10,261 reported COVID-19 cases among Tyson meat processing workers, and at least 24 have died.

"Currently less than 1% of Tyson Foods' U.S. workforce of over 120,000 team members has active COVID-19," White said.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Tyson Foods tapped a new CEO, after the coronavirus pandemic sparked one of the most "volatile and uncertain" periods the company has ever seen.

On Monday, Tyson announced that Dean Banks would become the company's chief executive in October. Banks, a tech industry veteran, will be tasked with leading Tyson out of one of the most chaotic times in the meat giant's history.

On Monday, Tyson reported $527 million profit in the most recent quarter, beating expectations. Tyson said it expects the pandemic to continue to negatively impact the volume of meat production and raise operating costs into 2021.

The company spent $340 million in COVID-related costs in the most recent quarter, $114 million of which went towards "thank you" bonuses for workers. Other costs included COVID-19 testing and personal protective gear for workers.

"Without a doubt, our third quarter was one of the most volatile and uncertain periods I've seen during my 40-year career in the industry," CEO Noel White said in a call with investors on Monday.

As the pandemic swept the US, meat processing companies struggled to keep plants open as many workers caught the coronavirus and some stayed home from work to avoid becoming ill. According to White, roughly a third of Tyson's US workforce  40,000 people  have been tested for the virus.

Story continues

"Currently less than 1% of Tyson Foods' U.S. workforce of over 120,000 team members has active COVID-19," White said.

While less than 1,200 Tyson workers have COVID-19 at this moment in time, thousands more have been diagnosed with the coronavirus in recent months.

The Food and Environment Reporting Network (FERN) identified at least 10,261 reported COVID-19 cases among Tyson meat processing workers from mid-April to mid-July. As of early June, at least 24 Tyson workers had died, according to Business Insider analysis.

According to FERN, more Tyson workers have tested positive for COVID-19 than employees at any other company in the industry. FERN found that there have been at least 39,056 COVID-19 cases among meatpacking workers across the industry. At least 174 have died.

Tyson says safety has been a top priority

A Tyson Foods employee puts on a second protective mask outside of the company's meat processing plant in Waterloo, Iowa, on April 22, 2020.

Jeffrey Becker/USA TODAY NETWORK via REUTERS

White said that protecting workers has been the top priority throughout the pandemic. Tyson has rolled out new safety measures, including temperatures scanners, installing workstation dividers, and hiring 500 social distance monitors.

Last week, Tyson announced it was hiring nearly 200 nurses and administrative employees as it launches a new monitoring program. The company is also hiring a new chief medical officer position and has more than 400 people currently on its health services team.

"The new data-driven program was designed with the help of outside medical experts and involves weekly testing of a sampling of team members to monitor for the presence of the virus," White said.

However, some critics say Tyson and other meat industry giants have not done enough to protect workers.

"A cohort of advocacy groups  including the Rural Community Workers Alliance and Forward Latino  have sued both Tyson and JBS for allegedly racially discriminating against their own employees in their response to the coronavirus epidemic," reports Business Insider's Aine Cain.

The complaint alleges that JBS and Tyson failed to protect workers by following measures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. According to the CDC, 87% of COVID-19 cases in the meatpacking industry occured among workers who are racial and ethnic minorities.

In May, the family of Pwar Gay, who worked as a meat cutter at a Amarillo, Texas plant, filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Tyson. Gay died after being hospitalized due to a workplace fall and COVID-19 symptoms.

The families of three workers at a Tyson plant in Waterloo, Iowa sued the company in June, saying in a complaint that Tyson failed to immediately close the plant when urged to do so by local law enforcement and health officials. According to the complaint, Tyson failed to implement necessary safety measures.

Tyson representative Gary Mickelson declined to comment on any of the specific lawsuits, but noted that the company has rolled out a variety of initiatives to keep workers safe across the US, as well as efforts specific to Waterloo, Iowa and Amarillo, Texas.

"We're saddened by the loss of any Tyson team member and sympathize with their families," Mickelson said. "Our top priority is the health and safety of our workers and we've implemented a host of protective measures at our facilities that meet or exceed CDC and OSHA guidance for preventing COVID-19."

Read the original article on Business Insider
The pandemic-truncated 2020 legislative session, which resumed last week, has no shortage of business to conduct and just a month to do it  unless Gov. Gavin Newsom grants an extension.

Legislative leaders have imposed a tightly restricted schedule of committee hearings, with very limited public input, and asked their members to drop non-essential bills. In other words, they should be doing only what needs to be done and setting aside everything else.

Senate Bill 614 would be a good candidate for deferral, since it proposes to jettison Californias quarter century-old method of testing the readiness of prospective teachers to develop students reading skills, and is vague on what, if anything, would replace it.

Its obvious, or should be, that reading is the portal to all other educational progress. If a youngster cannot comprehend whats in a textbook on any subject, everything stops. Its also obvious that an applicant for a teaching credential should demonstrate at least a basic ability to teach reading.

Dan Walters: Becerra slants two ballot measure titles California's attorneys general are empowered to write official titles for statewide ballot measures but the current AG, Xavier Becerra, continues the practice of providing slanted and partisan summaries.

California law, dating from the mid-1990s, requires almost all prospective teachers to pass a Reading Instruction Competence Assessment (RICA), based on the principle of phonics  instruction in letters and letter combinations that make up sounds, thus allowing children to sound out words and later whole sentences and passages.

In California, advocates of phonics had won a protracted duel with those who supported whole language, which assumes that reading is a naturally learned skill, much like speaking, and that exposing children to appropriate and interesting reading material will allow it to emerge.

California embraced whole language in the 1970s and 1980s, but nationwide academic tests in the late 1980s and early 1990s revealed that the state was very near the bottom among the states in reading proficiency. The backlash resulted in a series of bills signed by Republican Gov. Pete Wilson in the mid-1990s, including the phonics-based RICA.

Dan Walters: State pressures locals on housing crisis California's Department of Housing and Community Development is getting tough with local officials about addressing the state's chronic shortage of housing.

Last year, state Sen. Susan Rubio, a West Covina Democrat, unveiled a revised version of SB 614 to eliminate RICA. Rubio, citing her 17 years as a teacher, says its something personal to me and that she wants to bring stakeholders to the table to make RICA up to date on current standards.

She and her support coalition, led by the California Teachers Association, argue that RICA and phonics have not delivered better reading comprehension and that high RICA failure rates among Black and Latino applicants for credentials have prevented diversification of the states teaching corps.

The bill has resided in the Assembly Education Committee for more than a year and has drawn sharp opposition from education reformers.

SB 614 would exacerbate inequality of access to a quality education by failing to guarantee that every child, particularly disadvantaged children with higher illiteracy rates, have an equitable opportunity to access a basic education, of which reading is a critical skill, EdVoice wrote in opposition.

Dan Walters: Appeals court makes tax increases easier California voters may see a slew of new local tax proposals after a state appellate court ruled that the two-thirds vote requirement doesn't apply to those placed on the ballot via initiative petitions.

Its position is backed by a phalanx of academic experts in reading instruction and, among others, the NAACP. Parents/caregivers have enough to worry about with respect to education loss during the COVID-19 pandemic without now adding generations of teachers unprepared to teach foundational reading standards to children, Oaklands NAACP chapter declared.

We dont know how long classrooms will be closed or how the threat of pandemic will change education in the future.

Given the long history of the issue and the obvious conflicts, a hurry-up committee meeting with legislators attending remotely and very limited public participation would be a mistake. Something as serious as a fundamental change in reading instruction needs sober and extensive consideration.

Watch Now: California's surprising history of Confederate monuments

CalMatters is a public interest journalism venture committed to explaining how Californias state Capitol works and why it matters. For more stories by Dan Walters, go to calmatters.org/commentary.

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Amid reports of Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) MLA Ku Ka Selvam joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the legislator met the saffron camps national president JP Nadda in New Delhi on Tuesday evening and presented a memorandum for infrastructural support in his constituency.

He also issued a statement in praise of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, but did not officially join it.

Selvam, who represents the Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai, said he met Union Minister Piyush Goyal seeking two elevators at Nungambakkam railway station, and followed by a meeting with Nadda.

While Selvam has maintained that he was not unhappy with main opposition party in Tamil Nadu, he has openly urged DMK president MK Stalin to sever ties with the Congress as its leader Rahul Gandhi has been ceaselessly finding faults with Modi.

Selvam has suggested that Stalin conduct intra-party polls and also speak out against those who attacked Lord Murugan recently.

An a recent controversy involving Periyarists and right-wingers, a Youtube artist Karuppar Kottam had put out a video that was allegedly disrespectful a Tamil devotional song in praise Lord Murugan.

On Tuesday, Selvam said the Centre should consider raising a temple in Rameswaram (a southern town in Tamil Nadu) and treat it on par with Ayodhya.

When asked about leaving the DMK, he said, I am indebted to the DMK

So far, the DMK has not expelled Selvam, even though the party leadership got into a huddle around the time Selvam left for Delhi during the day.

Even after the death of DMK icon M Karunanidhi, Stalin had managed to keep his flock intact, barring a brief show of dissent from estranged brother MK Alagiri.

It was, in fact, the AIADMK that witnessed rebellion since the demise of J Jayalalithaa in late 2016. Social media was abuzz on Monday night about a Dravidian defection. While all eyes were on former AIADMK leader Nainar Nagendran, currently with the BJP, the action emerged from the DMK.

A source said a post occupied by late party strongman J Anbazhagan became a much-sought-after one, leading to a lot of lobbying by several leaders, including Selvam.

However, following a recommendation of DMKs youth wing secretary and Stalins son Udhay, it went to someone younger in the partys hierarchy causing some heartburn.
The Si Ma Cai border post of Lao Cai province recently detained nine people, four women and five men, while they were crossing the border river to Vietnam illegally, head of the post, Major Ta Binh Nguyen said on Monday.

Staff of Si Ma Cai border post inspect border area

The group said they had illegally crossed the border into China before the lunar New Year earlier this year. They were detained by Chinese authorities in July but escaped back to Vietnam on August 2.

The post imposed administrative fines on them and sent them to quarantine.

The officer added that so far this year, the post has detained more than 700 people who illegally enter Vietnam from China. They are from various localities and worked in China.

The post has started legal procedures against two people who illegally brought 14 migrants to China, he revealed.

Vietnamese, Chinese arrested for illegal entry

At Tan Thanh border post

Many Vietnamese and Chinese have been arrested for illegally entering Vietnam in recent days.

On August 3, border guards of Tan Thanh post, the northern mountainous province of Lang Son, arrested 10 men and 15 women at border markers in Tan Thanh commune, Van Lang district. They were later sent to the provincial Military Command for medical quarantine in line with regulations.

Police in Thanh Thuy district, the northern midland province of Phu Tho, also decided to impose administrative fines on two local men for crossing national border without immigration procedures in line with regulations.

In the southern province of Tay Ninh, authorities caught one Vietnamese and seven Chinese in Ben Cau district on August 2 night. They were also tested and quarantined later.

Earlier on July 30, three Vietnamese and eight Chinese were also arrested in Ben Cau district.

Security official discusses illegal immigration from China

Chief of the Office of the Ministry of Public Security and spokesman, Maj. Gen. To An Xo.

Chief of the Office of the Ministry of Public Security and spokesman, Maj. Gen. To An Xo said the ministry has tightened control at border gates and international airports to prevent illegal immigration.

He was speaking at the regular Government press conference in Hanoi on Monday.

Xo said since the beginning of this year, 504 Chinese nationals have been caught illegally entering Viet Nam in 27 out of the 63 localities. Since June, local public security forces and border guards have uncovered 21 cases involving 177 illegal Chinese immigrants, and launched criminal proceedings against 19 Vietnamese and several Chinese in five cases.

He added the illegal entries were mostly made by Chinese nationals and Vietnamese working in neighbouring countries without contracts. Due to natural disasters and the pandemic in China, some entered Viet Nam to seek jobs, many went to visit Viet Nam, while a number of others sought to go to Cambodia to gamble now that the country has reopened its casinos.

Xo said after the recent COVID-19 outbreak in the community, the ministry asked units and localities to seriously follow the Prime Ministers Directives No.16 and No.19 and guideline documents on pandemic prevention and control, including the inspection of immigration at border gates and international airports, especially in localities with trails and open roads.

The ministry also requested ensuring absolute safety of quarantine areas.

He also suggested issuing suitable policies for illegal Vietnamese immigrants, most of them illegal workers in China. VNA/VNS
Do you know those who go like 'I was today years old when I learned...'? Well, I had that moment after finding out a weird and honestly unexpected relation between India and an actor from one of the most beloved shows right now.

Before Miguel Herran was going by Rio and robbing the Royal Mint of Spain, he actually, once upon a time, appeared in an Indian ad.

 Netflix

The eight-minute and twenty-second video for gaana.com features him along with Pia Bajpai and chronicles a love story of two people who met on the Delhi Metro.



 Gaana

Wow, just taking a metro with Rio, fun stuff.



Side note - the sign says Rajiv Chowk and I don't think there has been a single day where that metro station has been this empty. It's almost as unrealistic as Miguel actually speaking Hindi.

 Gaana

Talking about the language, it's kind of cringey the way his lines are dubbed but overall, this is such a shocking crossover, I will let that slide.



How did this even happen, though? And, why is a Spanish actor, who wasn't even known in India back in 2015 when the ad was released, is doing here?

 Gaana

But, even though it seems so out of place, it's actually still a nice discovery.



Here's the video:

A lot of people were surprised after finding this, but not as shocked as me, for sure.

 YouTube

Yes, Tokyo would not be happy.



 YouTube

This person gets it.



 YouTube
Fewer people would die of colorectal cancer if health care providers adopted a new model of screening that combines better risk assessment, more options for noninvasive testing and more targeted referrals for colonoscopy.

That's the course laid out by the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA) in a white paper titled "Roadmap for the Future of Colorectal Cancer Screening in the United States" published in July.

If we offered tests that were convenient, accurate and lower cost, and we could help people choose the best option based on their individual cancer risks, we would save more lives." Joshua Melson, MD, MPH, lead author, associate professor, Rush Medical College, and member of the AGA Center for GI Innovation & Technology

The paper sets the target and the steps for scientists and industry partners to take in exploring new biomarkers and developing tests that will turn the tide.

The sooner, the better.

At least one if four Americans who should be screened for colorectal cancer has never been tested. Yet colorectal cancer (CRC), the nation's second deadliest cancer, is highly preventable and treatable when found early. That's after years of effort to increase compliance with testing recommendations.

The AGA gathered 60 experts in gastroenterology and research to envision how screening could reach its full potential. Their conclusion: To significantly reduce the number of colorectal cancer cases and deaths would require a universal approach to screening that reaches more people and offers alternatives in addition to colonoscopy.

"Approximately 67% of eligible Americans are screened for colorectal cancer. We need to improve our strategies to curb the cancer that ranks second for deaths in the U.S.," said Sri Komanduri, MD, AGAF, chair of the AGA Center for GI Innovation and Technology. "AGA is proud to introduce this white paper -- the first step in our mission to develop a more structured screening program that can increase screening rates, catch more colorectal cancers early, and save countless lives."

Currently, CRC screening usually begins when a physician recommends a colonoscopy based on the patient's age or other risk factors. The colonoscopy allows the gastroenterologist to fully examine the colon and remove any precancerous polyps that are found. Polyps are found about a quarter of the time. But having a colonoscopy requires scheduling well ahead of time, taking time off work, arranging a ride home and going through a bowel-emptying routine.

A new approach would:

Offer noninvasive testing upfront, such as stool testing, and integrate these options with colonoscopy.

Share decision-making with the patient and consider personal risk factors: colonoscopy for those at high risk, or initial noninvasive testing for those at lower risk.

Assign colonoscopy when it would provide the greatest benefit, rather than as the default screening method. This would improve access to patients who most need a colonoscopy.

Systematically initiate screening, follow-up testing and surveillance, rather than rely only on a physician's recommendation.

Ensure appropriate screening is readily available to at-risk individuals, with no social, racial or economic disparities.

To make this vision a reality, the authors set a course for development of affordable, highly accurate, easy-to-use noninvasive tests, as well as research into how best to integrate the different types of tests and who would benefit most from each based on individual risk factors.

Two noninvasive tests in use today are the stool-based fecal immunochemical test (FIT) and the multi-target stool DNA test (MT-sDNA).

FIT, which looks for hidden blood in the stool, is the most readily available. The MT-sDNA has emerged as an alternative to FIT that is more sensitive in detecting colorectal cancer but less specific in its findings. Both tests can identify markers of large colon polyps and cancer. MT-sDNA tests carry a higher price - more than $500 compared to about $25 for FIT.

"The ideal test needs to be highly sensitive and highly specific, as well as convenient, with low risk and low cost," Melson said. "It would identify lesions that have a high potential to progress to colorectal cancer in the short term."

To achieve that goal, the AGA initiative defined targets for industry partners and scientists who are developing colorectal cancer screening tests and exploring novel molecular biomarkers, including biochemical, microbiome, genomic, proteomic or epigenomic markers. With input from the major endoscopic and noninvasive testing companies, the authors defined criteria for meaningful endpoints of what are the important lesions a noninvasive marker would be able to detect and at what level of accuracy, in an affordable way.

The authors set forth the aspirational goal of developing a minimally invasive, easy-to-use test that will "detect advanced adenomas and advanced serrated lesions with a one-time sensitivity and specificity of no less than 90%."

In addition, all types of CRC screening would benefit from a better understanding and more thorough identification of risk factors to help identify the most appropriate screening for the individual patient.

Thanks to advancements in electronic health records, health care providers can share information across institutions that will provide a full picture of the patient's medical history, including screening history and results. This would allow for more accurate risk assessment paradigms that include past colonoscopy polyp data, molecular markers if found, and family history.

With a clearer risk assessment, the provider and patient could share in deciding the most appropriate test - colonoscopy for those at high risk, or initial noninvasive testing for those at lower risk. Also, more thorough risk assessment would reduce the number of colonoscopies performed that provide little benefit and flag those patients who would benefit most from colonoscopy. Test rates would benefit from patient buy-in and from easier access.

Ultimately, these advances will support the development of organized screening programs that can identify and connect people who need to be screened with the testing best suited for them.
Jack Fincham has been pictured kissing a student on holiday just weeks before going Instagram official with his new girlfriend.

The Love Island winner, 28, and Lucy-Mae Georgiou, 17, from Hastings, were seen sharing the intimate moment at Jumping Jacks bar in Tenerife after meeting during a night out on July 18.

This week Jack shared a photo with new girlfriend Connie O'Hara which sparked speculation the pair could even be engaged, a fortnight after his liaison with Lucy.

'Little sort': Jack Fincham has been pictured kissing a student, 17, on holiday in Tenerife just weeks before going Instagram official with his new girlfriend, Connie O'Hara

A source told MailOnline Jack offered to take Lucy out in London when they were back from their holidays and the pair kept in contact by privately messaging on Instagram.

'Jack was on holiday in Tenerife with his close friend Jacob and met Lucy with one of her friends at Jumping Jacks, before continuing their night at a club called Tramps,' an insider told MailOnline.

'He told Lucy the moment they met he thought she was a "little sort" and he wanted to take her out in London.

'She flew home the next day, by which point Jack had already messaged her calling her "baby" and asking her plans for the following Friday.

Holiday romance: The Love Island winner, 28, and Lucy-Mae Georgiou, 17, were seen sharing the intimate moment at Jumping Jacks bar after meeting during a night out on July 18

Official: This week Jack shared a photo with new girlfriend Connie O'Hara which sparked speculation the pair could even be engaged, a fortnight after his liaison with Lucy

'Lucy had no idea Jack could be involved with anyone else as he acted like a single man, she only became aware of Connie after he posted the photo.'

A spokesman for Jack said: 'Jack was unaware of Lucy being 17 as the drinking age to enter bars in the Canary Islands is 18 years of age.'

The reality star was wearing an all white outfit in the pictures exclusively obtained by MailOnline.

One image shows him and Lucy kissing and the other sees the pair looking to camera with an Instagram filter.

Jack became a dad to daughter Blossom 18 months after finding fame on Love Island with ex-girlfriend Dani Dyer, 23.

Love Island winners: The reality star became a dad to daughter Blossom 18 months after finding fame on Love Island with ex-girlfriend Dani Dyer, 23

The TV star went official with Connie just days after Dani announced she's expecting her first baby with boyfriend Sammy Kimmence.

In a photo posted to Instagram, Jack's girlfriend appeared to show off a diamond ring, but he later confirmed the pair are not engaged.

The former pen salesman has been single since his romance with Casey Ranger, who's the mother of his baby daughter.

Speaking in February, Jack said: 'All I'm thinking about is Blossom. I'm not thinking of dating anyone else at the moment at all.

'I've not really done dating apps, and I don't want to do any now. For me, it's all about little Blossy Finch.'
BP reported a $16.8 billion quarterly loss on Tuesday, and cut its dividend in half  the first reduction since the Deepwater Horizon disaster a decade ago.

But what caught the attention of analysts and, apparently, investors, was the ambitious plan that Bernard Looney, the chief executive, set out for making over the London-based oil giant into a diversified purveyor of cleaner energy within a decade. BPs share price jumped by more than 7 percent during trading Tuesday.

On a webcast with analysts Mr. Looney described a transformation plan that Stuart Joyner, an analyst at the market research firm Redburn, said in a note to clients was major, positive, thoughtful and largely unexpected.

European oil companies, much more that their counterparts in the United States, have made a flurry of commitments to reduce carbon emissions in the future, responding to pressure from investors and governments to be on the right side of tackling climate change.
AYODHYA: Ahead of Ram Temple Bhoomi Pujan in the holy town of Ayodhya on August 5, special prayers were offered to Lord Hanuman at Hanumangarhi on Tuesday (August 4, 2020). According to an old tradition, Nishan Puja was conducted by the priests at the Hanumangarhi around 9 AM.

The Nishan Puja was conducted to please the deity before the formal commencement of the construction of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. The tradition of conducting 'Nishan Puja' at the Hanumangarhi temple is nearly 1700 years old. Lord Hanuman is considered as an ardent devotee of Lord Ram and thats why there is a tradition of pleasing Lord Hanuman and taking his blessings before beginning any auspicious project.

On the other hand, Ram Archana is being held at the Ram Janmabhoomi Complex in Ayodhya. It is believed that Lord Rama will be pleased through Ram Charan Pujan.

For pleasing the deity, Ram Charan' is worshiped in a special way. Noted saints from Varanasi, Ayodhya, Delhi, Haridwar and South India have been invited for Ram Charan Pujan.

Besides Lord Rama, prayers are also being offered to King Dasharatha, Queen Kaushalya during 'Ram Archana'. Special prayers are also being held for all those who helped Lord Ram during the epic war with the demon king 'Ravana' like - Hanuman, Nal & Neel, Sugriva, Jamwant and Vibhishan.

What is a Nishan Puja

Lord Hanuman, the biggest devotee of Lord Rama, is considered as the chief guard of Lord Ram's residence. According to the legends, no one gets entry into Lord Rams place without Lord Hanumans permission. This is why Nishan Puja is conducted to please the monkey god before beginning the Ram Temple construction.

Nishan Puja holds great religious significance since Lord Hanuman was very dear to Lord Ram. Hence, for the success of any auspicious work, it is considered very important to take the blessings of Lord Hanuman.

Ahead of the 'Bhoomi Pujan' on August 5, the General Secretary of the Sri Ramjanmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has extended an invitation to 175 people, including 135 saints of 35 religious organisations, to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Ram Temple.

"We have sent invitations to 175 people including 135 saints of about 36 religious organisations of India in this event. We have also invited Iqbal Ansari (former litigant in Ayodhya land dispute case) and Padma Shri Mohammed Sharif (who does cremation of unclaimed dead bodies according to their religion) to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony," Rai said while addressing the press conference.

He also said that all the invitees will be in Ayodhya by Tuesday evening.

Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the makeshift temple on Sunday had stated that the idol of Ram Lalla will be dressed as per the day`s significance. "For Monday, it would be white clothes, for Tuesday it would be red clothes and for Wednesday it would be green clothes. We have also kept an option of yellow and saffron clothes," he had said.

Moreover, sacred soil from more than 2000 religious sites and water from more than 100 rivers has been brought to Ayodhya for the ceremony.

The trust has also called upon "Shri Rambhakts across the world to organise Bhajan, Kirtan and Prasad distribution in all villages and cities" by maintaining strict COVID-19 guidelines to prevent people from contracting the virus.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had urged people to light earthen lamps on August 4 and 5 to celebrate the grand ceremony.
Some people say nothing can surprise them anymore.

Others, myself included, arent quite there yet. This week revealed that the current occupant of the White House and many like-minded people, including at least one Ontario MPP, support the scientific views of a woman who also contends that some medical drugs contain alien DNA, and that some endometriosis and infertility are actually caused by demon sex.

Didnt see that one coming.

Its the mask resistance, however, that puzzles me most. Admittedly, its small in Canada compared with the United States and there is a risk of exacerbating it by giving it any oxygen. But, given that wearing a mask (in addition to social distancing and handwashing) has been shown to be a cheap, effective way to control the spread of COVID-19, its hard to grasp why theres any resistance at all (aside from valid medical exceptions, of course).

Is there a psychological explanation for this? Turns out, yes, there likely is. Nobody has had time to study resistance to COVID-19 safety measures in depth (although there are researchers working on it), but scholars see parallels between this event and resistance to past safety measures. Despite the fact that these are frequently called unprecedented times, there are actually plenty of precedents, including antivaccination campaigns, motorcycle helmets, condom resistance and even seatbelts.

I think you can see it in all sorts of different areas and seatbelts are an interesting one because they dont feel so controversial anymore, says Tyler Davis, associate professor of psychological sciences at Texas Tech University. But when seatbelts first came out, I can remember my grandfather would always cut them out of his new cars and take out the dinger on the doors so, certainly, some people still feel their identity is related to seatbelts and people do in other areas as well.

What Davis means by identity is that his initial research into attitudes toward pandemic safety measures are suggesting that many people who resist social distancing and/or masks dont necessarily disagree with the science. Instead, its more likely related to a political or cultural identity statement: I dont want to and you cant make me.

Simple enough. Except theres more to it than just a toddler-esque tantrum following being told what to do. Psychologists refer to this response as reactance and, to a certain degree, we all have it in us, even after were all grown up, although some of us more than others.

That basic phenomenon of resistance to being forced to do things or having your freedom constrained is extremely commonplace and is something we see across lots of different areas of life, explains Hilary Bergsieker, PhD, associate professor of psychology at the University of Waterloo. Its a sort of instinctive and almost impulsive opposition, which is why a lot of good social psychology and public policy domain is about nudging or inspiring people to do the right thing.

Its not clear that reactance is linked to personality type or how we got along with our mothers. Instead, social and cultural psychologists like Bergsieker have found the greatest correlations to be related to the society and culture people live in.

People in more collectivist societies may be more willing to adopt things like mask-wearing that maybe impinge on individual preference but are good for the collective, which is one explanation for why mask-wearing has become so normative in East Asian societies dating back at least to the SARS epidemic of 20 years ago, she says. People have been more willing to wear masks out of a sense of care for and connectedness to others versus the individualistic tradition of a lot of the western nations.

The issue is whether you see society as just made up of disconnected individuals, each of whom maximizes his or her own self-interest and their own preferences, versus seeing people as fundamentally interconnected, she explains.

The pandemic, however, should be a massive object lesson in the fallacy of libertarian-ish notions about disconnectedness and individualism. No matter how wealthy and privileged someone is, it is next to impossible to protect oneself entirely against a contagious disease. Just ask Louie Gohmert. Or Bolsonaro. Or Herman Cain. Oh no, wait. You cant ask Cain. He asserted his right not to wear a mask at a rally in Tulsa, Okla., and didnt live to tell about it.

On a population level, wealthier people will have better outcomes, but everyone is vulnerable so, no matter what your politics are, investing in public health, both through money and safety precautions, is a no-brainer. But how do we get people past reactance and into acceptance?

Im not sure everybody understands that this is not to protect themselves, but to protect other people, says Dr. Nick Kates, chair of the department of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences at the Michael G. DeGroote School at McMaster University. The fact that we had inconsistent messaging about masks, even in Canada, probably sowed a little bit of doubt in peoples minds.

Kates contrasts that with handwashing messaging, which was consistent from the outset. Moving forward, mask messaging has to be consistent. But people also can be nudged into better choices just by seeing other people around wearing masks.

I think we also know the concept of the tipping point, explains Kates. Once you get over 20 or 30 per cent of people wearing masks, people start to note it and think about it a little more.

And, above all else, we dont want it to be as politicized as it has been in the U.S. Part of that is focusing on the people who do wear masks and want to protect other people. For every one person caught on video refusing a mask, there are thousands of Ontarians who wore masks and had successful, uneventful trips to grocery stores.

I think part of it is about changing the way we frame it, adds Bergsieker. Its not about doing it because we have to, but because wearing a mask ties back to personal values. So, for example, for people from a Christian religious background, its the message of Love Thy Neighbour.

That could even be printed on masks. Or, for patriots, it might be wearing a mask to help and care for fellow citizens. And we have plenty to be proud of in Canada when it comes to our response.

I think that things that weve done at every level  federal, provincial and municipal government  and the way business reacted and the way communities and individuals have reacted, we have done a lot of things well and a lot of things right under just unimaginable circumstances, says Kates.

We must make sure we dont lose sight of that, because we know that the virus isnt going to magically disappear.
After seeing so many unfamiliar faces  police offers, social workers, foster parents  the 2-year-old found alone in Miramar last week will be excited to finally see his family Wednesday, Gina Lewis, an aunt, said Tuesday.

While police, and most recently the FBI, continued the search for Kamdyns mother, 21-year-old Leila Cavett, his aunts, uncle and grandmother hired a lawyer to begin a custody battle that could last months.

On Tuesday, they celebrated their first victory: getting to see Kamdyn for the first time after his mothers disappearance. Kamdyn was taken into the care of the Broward Sheriffs Office Child Protective Investigations Section last weekend, and by last Monday had been assigned to foster parents.

They are only allowing Zoom calls, Lewis said, but I think hell be excited to see everybody.

The familys Chicago-based lawyer, Javaron D. Buckley Sr., said the judge granted the family visitation without a hearing Tuesday. But Buckley predicts that getting the boy back home to his family wont be as quick.

It will be a while before anybody can get custody of Kamdyn because there are multiple states involved: Florida, Georgia and Alabama, Buckley explained.

Leila Cavett was last seen on July 26 in Hollywood near the area of Hollywood Boulevard and State Road 7, about two miles from where her son was found that same day in the 1800 block of Southwest 68th Avenue in Miramar.

Two days later, Miramar police also found Leilas car, a mid-to-late 90s white Chevy Silverado 3500, in Hollywood. Hollywood police have since taken over the missing person search with the assistance of the FBI, according to Buckley.

At least until February, Cavett lived in Dawsonville, Georgia, a small town about 60 miles northeast of Atlanta, while her family  sisters Lewis, and Tyuania and Curina Cavett, brother Curtis Cavett and mother Tina Kirby  is from Jasper, Alabama.

Family members nearly all returned to Alabama last Wednesday after failing to persuade authorities to let them see Kamdyn, Lewis told the Miami Herald.

Story continues

But under Buckleys recommendation, some family members remained in the state and, on their second attempt  taking the legal route, this time  they were successful.

On Aug. 14, Buckley will return to court to begin the legal process for custody, which he said will certainly run into more legal complications involving the man listed as Kamdyns legal father on Kamdyns birth certificate, Levi Arnold.

Daniel Lee West, 35, came forward last week as the biological father and tried claiming custody of Kamdyn himself. The Florida Department of Children and Families told him he might have to take a DNA test to prove that he is the father, he told the Miami Herald last Wednesday.

He has since joined the family in Florida, according to Buckley. However, it was unclear whether he had taken the DNA test Tuesday.

Daniel Lee West, 35, playing with his son Kamdyn, who was found alone in Miramar on July 26, 2020. West is cooperating with police to find the boys mother, Leila Cavett, who was last seen in the city of Hollywood.

West met Cavett in Dawsonville more than two years ago, while she was in a relationship with Arnold, he said. Family members confirmed that he is the biological father, and Arnold stepped up as a father figure when the little boy was born.

Arnold has since moved to Townley, Alabama, according to his Facebook profile. West said he stayed in touch with Kamdyn and his mother as they moved from Georgia to Alabama and back over the past two years, sending payments and visiting Kamdyn every two or three weeks.

We are seeking answers and will get them, Buckley, the lawyer who is representing the family, said Friday on Instagram.

Buckley said the family was eager to see Kamdyn and get one step closer to custody Tuesday, but continued to be distraught about not finding his mother.

Im feeling anxious all the time. Im ready to see my sister, Lewis, the aunt, said Tuesday.

Buckley and Lewis said police have not made progress in the search for Leila Cavett. Hollywood police did not immediately respond to the Miami Heralds request for comment.
Jacksonville Police

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Sammy M. Wells, 56, of 435 S. New St., Springfield, was arrested at 11:09 a.m. Monday on a retail theft charge after being accused of taking items from Walmart Supercenter at 1941 W. Morton Ave. without paying.

 Brian X. Jordan, 41, of 814 W. Washington St., Springfield, was cited on a charge of driving while license is revoked after being stopped during an investigation into a theft at Walmart Supercenter at 1941 W. Morton Ave.

 Jeremy T. Greenwood, 27, of 109 E. Sixth St., New Berlin, was arrested at 12:39 a.m. Monday on a charge of driving while license is suspended after a traffic stop in the 200 block of Richards Street. He also was cited on a charge of operating an uninsured vehicle.

A passenger in his car, William J. Sanders, 30, of 219 Prairie St., Franklin, was arrested on a charge of possession of a stolen firearm.

ACCIDENTS

 Levi C.M. Collins, 26, of Bloomington was cited on a charge of improper lane use after the car he was driving and one being driven by Brandi L. Kaptena, 32, of Pittsfield collided at 12:51 p.m. Monday in the 700 block of East Hardin Avenue.

Kaptena was cited on a charge of driving while license was suspended.

Both drivers were taken to Passavant Area Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries, according to a police report.

VANDALISM

 A 2-foot-long log was thrown through the back door of a house in the 600 block of South Church Street between Thursday and Sunday, according to a report filed at 3:56 p.m. Sunday.

THEFTS, BURGLARIES

 A burglary occurred overnight in the 400 block of South Mauvaisterre St., according to a report filed at 6:36 a.m. Monday.

OTHER REPORTS

 Someone used a ladder to climb onto the roof of a house in the 300 block of South Kosciusko Street about 10:30 p.m. Sunday, according to the homeowner. The person left before police arrived.



Pike County

Sheriff

ARRESTS, CITATIONS

 Justin J. Alsenstat, 39, of Fenton, Missouri, was arrested at 8:46 a.m. Thursday on charges of driving under the influence, operating an uninsured motor vehicle and improper lane use.

Compiled by David C.L. Bauer
Rejecting the so-called "political map" of Pakistan released by PM Imran Khan, Government of India (GOI), on Tuesday, termed it an 'exercise in political absurdity'. Calling Pakistan's claims to India's Union Territories of Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh and Junagarh untenable, the government said that these had neither legal validity nor international credibility. Slamming Pakistan's continued support to terrorism, GOI said that these claims proved the same.

Pakistan approves sham new political map with parts of India's J&K, Ladakh & Gujarat

India rejects Pak's new map

"We've seen a so-called "political map" of Pakistan that has been released by PM Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our union territories of Jammu Kashmir and of Ladakh. These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism," read the statement.

Coronavirus LIVE Updates: India's case fatality at 2.1%; 3 vaccines in phase 2 trials

Pakistan releases 'new map'

Earlier in the day, Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan released a new map of Pakistan including Indian territories - Jammu-Kashmir, Ladakh and Gujarat's Junagarh - a day ahead of the first anniversary since the revocation of Article 370, 35 A. Terming it a 'historic day', Khan said that the map which also included Siachen will be presented at the United Nations as well. While Khan talked about 'Kashmir's right to self-determination', the new map claimed the entire Kashmir as a part of Pakistan.

Jammu-Kashmir admin allows reopening of all religious places in Valley from August 16

Pakistan and Kashmir

Since India-Pakistan's partition in 1947, Pakistan never accepted the treaty signed by Maharaja of Kashmir's acceding the erstwhile princely state to India. Since then, Pakistan has conducted several infiltrations into the Valley and also illegally occupied several parts of Kashmir (PoK) and dubbed it 'Azad Kashmir' - installing an 'independent' government there. Though Pakistan has raised Kashmir at several international forums seeking intervention, India has maintained that Kashmir is a bilateral issue between the two nations. Since India revoked Article 370 & 35 A on August 5, Pakistan has peddled fake news on Kashmir's ground situation and failed in any global intervention in the matter.

PDP to stage 'Black Day' protest on August 5 over 'Kashmir losing its special status'

Nepal claims Indian territories

This blatant move to incite tensions comes a month after Nepal claimed three Indian territories including Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura, in its new map which has been passed by the Nepalese Parliament. On June 18, Nepal's upper house of Parliament unanimously voted to amend the Constitution to update the country's new political map, with all 57 members of the National Assembly voting in its favour. India has termed it Nepal's claims as 'untenable' and 'artificially enlarged'. The PM KP Oli-led administration also plans to send its updated map to India, the United Nations, Google and international communities by mid-August.
Drugs companies have been told by ministers to restart stockpiling medicines amid fears of a No Deal Brexit.

Department of Health officials sent a letter to medical suppliers urging them to 'replenish' their drug stock.

They have even warned companies to be prepared to reroute shipping to avoid the Channel.

Ministers have asked companies to ensure stockpiling is 'a key part of contingency plans'.

Officials want firms to ensure they have at least six weeks of supplies in hand by December 31.

However, acknowledging how the coronavirus pandemic has disrupted supply lines, officials accepted it might not be possible and that 'a flexible approach to preparedness may be required'.

Department of Health officials sent a letter to medical suppliers urging them to 'replenish' their drug stock by December 31

Ministers have asked companies to ensure stockpiling is 'a key part of contingency plans'

A letter revealed by the Times read: 'The first priority of any contingency should be to maintain replenishment rates at necessary levels by securing capacity to reroute freight away from the short straits [the Channel] potential disruption points.

'Companies are encouraged to review their own logistics arrangements and consider making plans for avoiding the short straits as a matter of priority.'

It comes as the government revealed plans to fine lorry drivers destined for the Channel ports 300 if they drive into Kent after December 31 without necessary export paperwork in a separate consultation published yesterday.

Ministers fear that, in the absence of a trade deal, the EU will impose strict import checks on all goods entering the EU.

This has the potential to gridlock cross-Channel travel.

Officials will now set up a new system to ensure all lorries have the correct paperwork before they reach ports.

Those who failed to comply, not the company employing them, would be fined.

'The government's intention is to legislate to enable penalties to be applied to hauliers bound for the EU that have not used the service on entering Kent,' the consultation said.

It comes after new French minister for Europe Clement Beaune has said No Deal Brexit is better than a bad deal and France will not be 'intimidated' in upcoming talks.

It comes as the government revealed plans to fine lorry drivers destined for the Channel ports 300 if they drive into Kent after December 31 without necessary export paperwork

'We will not accept a deal at any price,' he told France Inter radio in his first public comments on Brexit since his appointment.

'Better no deal at all than a bad deal,' he said while adding that a deal was nevertheless the best outcome for all concerned.

He said France would be 'intransigent' on fishing, and will not be 'intimidated' by Britain in the negotiation 'game'.

'Let's not kid ourselves, if there is no deal, it will be a difficult issue,' he added. 'We'll have to organise a response for sectors like fisheries. Support our fishermen financially. We're not there yet.'

Britain and the European Union clashed last week over the chances of securing a free trade agreement, with Brussels deeming it 'unlikely' but London holding out hope one could be reached in September.
On August 5 and 6 last year, the Narendra Modi administration took two steps that fundamentally altered the lives of the people of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K). First, it removed the special status that the state enjoyed in the Indian Union under Article 370 of the Constitution. Then, Parliament enacted the Jammu and Kashmir Reorganisation Act, which demoted and divided the state into two Union territories.

To ensure that there was no protest against these steps, the Modi administration arrested all the states political leaders the day before, except those belonging to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), imposed Section 144, and snapped all communications in and with the state.

The BJP claimed these measures would improve security, and give the people of J&K the same rights as prevailed in the rest of India. One year has passed. How do we assess those claims? Take security first. There has been a sharp rise in insecurity on the borders, but some improvement internally. We are still struggling to reverse the Chinese incursions into Ladakh, and cross-border firing by Pakistan has risen sharply. Internally, however, there has been a drop of around 30% in casualties comparing August 2019-July 2020 with the same period in the preceding year. But we also find a rising trend in casualties from April 2020, which is worrying. The reduction in casualties was achieved at considerable human cost. According to figures given by the J&K administration, this came at the cost of the detention of 6,600 people  including children  under the draconian Public Safety Act, the continuous imposition of Section 144 to date, the restriction of mobile telephony and Internet to 2G services, and a new media policy that allows security agencies to censor media outlets.

Most of the detainees have been gradually released, but the majority of political leaders spent anywhere between eight-to-11 months in detention. Many of them were released only after agreeing that they would not criticise the August actions. Former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti is still under detention and there is controversy over whether Congress leader Saifuddin Soz is under house arrest or not.

Since the August lockdown was only gradually being relaxed when the Covid-19 lockdown was imposed, J&K has suffered one year of closures. According to the Kashmir Chamber of Commerce and Industry, businesses across all sectors of the economy have lost close to ~40,000 crore in the Valley alone. Even discounting these figures, the economic cost to the former state as a whole must be even larger.

Losses in education and health are similarly grave. Schools had just reopened after the August lockdown and winter vacations, when the pandemic struck. Online classes barely worked on 2G networks. In a recent report issued by the Forum for Human Rights in Jammu and Kashmir, of which I am a member, teachers, students and researchers spoke in the same voice about the damage done to human development, of which education is a critical pillar. University students often missed college admissions, teachers and researchers could not participate in conferences or send papers for publication.

Health care professionals faced the same problems. Doctors could not seek specialist advice on serious illnesses or participate in exchanges of the latest information on Covid-19. In the first few months after August, pharmacies could not get deliveries of medicine and clinics were closed.

Because of the ban on 4G networks and the continuous imposition of Section 144, most of these problems persist, along with a host of others. The media has been deeply affected, both editorially and financially. Anyone who reads the local papers can see the difference before and after August 2019. There is some reporting but no comment on either the August actions or their implementation over the past year.

Though challenges to the removal of special status and reorganisation of the state are pending in the Supreme Court, the Modi administration has proceeded to implement both. New domicile rules have replaced the permanent resident certificates, raising fears of further job and industry losses as well as long-term fears of losses of land and other privileges. The latter impact Jammu more than the Valley; reportedly 2.9 lakh applications for domicile certificates have been made in Jammu as against 73,000 in the Valley.

The past year has been one of a terrible loss for the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Not only has development been rolled back and incomes fallen, political rights to representation, civic rights to information and communication, and human rights to freedom of expression, protection against arrest and attendant rights, to bail or a speedy trial, have all been denied.

The only gain has been in counter-insurgency, and that too small in absolute numbers. We should, of course, be glad that even a couple of hundred lives have been saved  but we should equally ask whether banning 4G has really contributed to it, and how a drastic curtailment of rights can possibly be justified in the name of counter-insurgency.

Worst still, we are yet to hear the voices of the people. One year has passed, but we do not know what they feel about losing their special status under Article 370 and its implementation, or what they feel about being divided and turned into two Union Territories. We dont even know whether these government actions are constitutionally valid.

Many ask, what can be done now to win Kashmiri hearts and minds. After what they have undergone, I am doubtful whether forgiveness will come so easy. But the first step would be to restore special status as well as statehood, hold elections and open a dialogue based on the promises made within the Instrument of Accession. The fact that the Modi administration is unlikely to take these steps does not make them any the less necessary.

Radha Kumar is a policy analyst. Her latest book is Paradise at War: A Political History of Kashmir

The views expressed are personal
Adam Max, an investment manager who became a leading patron of Brooklyn cultural institutions, notably the Brooklyn Academy of Music, where he had been board chairman since 2017, died on July 27 at his home in East Hampton, N.Y. He was 62.

The cause was bile duct cancer, his wife, Diane Max, said.

Mr. Max was captivated by the venerable Brooklyn Academy after he and Ms. Max were given a gift subscription as a wedding present in 1985. The couples gifts to BAM would become the largest by individual donors in its history, according to the academy (though it declined to divulge the amount).

Mr. Max went on to be a major benefactor of St. Anns Warehouse, the performance space now in Brooklyn Bridge Park. And he and his wife were instrumental in the establishment of the New-York Historical Societys Center for Womens History, which opened for research and exhibitions at the societys headquarters in Manhattan in 2017. The couple also sponsored the Diane and Adam E. Max Conference on Womens History there.

Originally an aspiring actor, Mr. Max taught childrens theater as a Brown University student in Providence, R.I., performed as a mime during a gap year with a theater group, and inveighed against British taxes as a costumed character on a Boston Tea Party tourist attraction ship before joining the Jordan Company, a New York private equity firm, in 1986.
Nearly a decade after his arrest on kidnapping and rape counts, Troy Taylor walked out of the New Orleans jail on Friday a free man, thanks to a federal judges finding that he had been subjected to a vindictive prosecution.

He went home and hugged his 69-year-old mother, who hed worried would die before they could meet outside of a prison again.

But three days later, Taylor returned to the lockup after the same judge who released him said he had to go back in. U.S. District Judge Sarah Vances order on Monday was the latest whipsaw in a case that has already involved a belated DNA match, two prosecutions in state court and months of debate over Taylor's fate in federal court.

Prosecutors say Taylor, then 18, raped a woman as she was coming home from a St. Claude Avenue nightclub in New Orleans on Aug. 30, 1994. However, it was only in 2008 that a sample of Taylors DNA in a federal database was matched to that of the womans attacker.

DNA evidence in hand, along with an accusation that Taylor committed another sexual assault in 2006, prosecutors convinced a jury to convict Taylor of forcible rape and second-degree kidnapping in 2011. A judge handed Taylor the maximum, 40-year prison sentence.

However, Taylor told appeals judges he never should have been charged because the case was well past the statute of limitations. His convictions were tossed in 2017.

But on the same day that Taylor was supposed to be released, Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaros office obtained elevated charges of aggravated rape and aggravated kidnapping, which carry life sentences and no statutes of limitation.

Taylor, who has claimed the sex was consensual, launched a fresh round of legal challenges that fell on deaf ears up to the state Supreme Court. Then he filed a lawsuit in federal court arguing that his continued imprisonment ran afoul of the U.S. Constitution.

Federal probe into Jason Williams started in 2017, 'unrelated' to taxes, attorney says City Council President Jason Williams revealed in a legal filing on Friday that a federal probe targeting him began with grand jury subpoenas 

Last week, Vance agreed. She said that Taylors indictment on aggravated rape and kidnapping counts gave rise to an unrebutted presumption of prosecutorial vindictiveness.

The increased charges against didnt seem to fit the case, Vance said. While Taylors accuser said she was in fear for her life, she never claimed that he made explicit threats to harm her, or that she resisted the act to the utmost but her resistance was overcome by force, a necessary element of the aggravated rape count, Vance said.

The prosecution claimed it charged Taylor again to protect the public, but they were also willing to let him plead guilty to a lesser count and go home, Vance said.

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(I)f the States true motivation was to hold Taylor accountable or to protect the public from a criminal, this plea offer makes little sense because Taylor would be in much the same position with respect to his personal liberty under the plea deal as he would if the Court granted relief, she said.

Vance said Taylors was the rare case that violated a Constitutional prohibition on vindictive prosecutions, a legal term for prosecutions that are banned to ensure that defendants arent chilled from exercising their right to appeal convictions. Within hours of her Thursday ruling, Taylor walked out of the New Orleans jail, 3,538 days after his arrest.

In a signed statement, Taylor said the courts ruling was especially liberating because hes spent months in 23-hour-a-day lockdown due to coronavirus restrictions.

It is hard to describe how hollowed out this type of isolation can make a person feel, and I would not wish the experience on anyone, Taylor said.

But at the same time Taylor was being released from jail, New Orleans prosecutors asked the judge to place a hold on her order. Too late to block Taylors release, Vance approved their request.

+10 New Orleans DA Leon Cannizzaro says he won't run again, ending era and controversial career Orleans Parish District Attorney Leon Cannizzaro announced on Friday that he will not seek a third term, a blockbuster decision that leaves th

Prosecutors then filed another request to have Taylor sent back. Thomas Frampton, his defense attorney, argued that would be unnecessary since he was willing to wear an ankle monitor and wanted to win his case in court.

After placing his trust in the judicial system and finally securing his liberty after 10 long years, to have it snatched back away after only a few days would be psychologically crushing, said Frampton, who didnt respond to requests for comment.

However, Vance said she was convinced she should let prosecutors challenge her decision on appeal. She also said she had never found that Taylor was actually innocent.

Ken Daley, a spokesman for the Orleans Parish District Attorneys Office, noted that the law has changed since 1994 to allow a later prosecution due to fresh DNA evidence. He said prosecutors respectfully disagreed with the finding of a vindictive prosecution.

The defendant has no reasonable claim of actual innocence. A jury unanimously found him guilty of a rape that was confirmed by DNA evidence, and for the sake of his victim he should be held accountable, Daley said.
FORT WAYNE, Ind., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Indiana Tech's Office for Student Success announced today the launch of Indiana Tech Readiness Academy to help incoming adult and online students within the university's College of Professional Studies (CPS) prepare for the college environment. The academy is a partnership with StraighterLine, the pioneering developer of online general education courses delivered through a low-cost monthly subscription.

"Even before the pandemic, colleges were seeing surging interest from adult studentsoften with long gaps between their last experience with educationreturning to start or complete a college degree," said Nicole Scott, Ed.D., associate vice president of student success at Indiana Tech. "Our new Readiness Academy is designed to help adult and online students quickly get back up to speed on fundamental math and English language skills that are essential for college-level work, closing gaps in academic preparation while giving students the confidence to succeed in their degree pathway."

Every year, over one million students start college underprepared for the rigor of college course-level work. Extensive research has demonstrated that offering support courses while students are enrolled in college-level studies can increase the likelihood of retention and graduation.

Beginning immediately, the Indiana Tech Readiness Academy will provide self-paced introductory classes in English and College Algebra to all new CPS students who have fewer than 30 transfer credits and have not tested out of the courses. Students will have 12 weeks to complete both courses at no cost to them. Because the courses are delivered in StraighterLine's competency-based format, students can demonstrate skills and knowledge they may have gained through work or previous educational experiences and more quickly advance to the essential skills needed for college-level work.

"For so many incoming college studentsparticularly returning adults who are juggling work, family and personal responsibilitiesit's easy to start feeling behind from the first day of class," said Burck Smith, StraighterLine's founder and CEO. "Universities such as Indiana Tech are recognizing the important role that self-paced instruction and competency-based courses can play in helping students gain foundational academic skills and accelerating degree completion."

For more information, students interested in learning about the Readiness Academy can contact the Office of Student Success at [email protected], or 800.288.1766, ext. 2209.

About Indiana Tech

Established in 1930 in Fort Wayne, Indiana, as an engineering college, today's Indiana Tech is a comprehensive university that educates students beyond its home base with regional campuses in Indiana, Illinois, Kentucky and Michigan, and online programs that meet the needs of students worldwide. This private, not-for-profit university specializes in career-oriented degree programs in business, engineering, computer science, criminal justice and health care administration. We prepare students for active participation, career advancement, and leadership in the global 21st century society, and motivate them toward lives of significance and worth.

About StraighterLine

StraighterLine is a student success company and the category creator for providing scalable solutions to deliver affordable, effective and accelerated learning pathways to formal degree programs and widely recognized industry credentials. The StraighterLine platform supports over 35,000 new students a year, including directly through the straighterline.com website as well as through the company's growing network of university and employer relationships.

Visit https://www.straighterline.com or https://partners.straighterline.com for more information.

SOURCE StraighterLine

Related Links

https://www.straighterline.com


by Vladimir Rozanskij

The slogans "Russia, wake up!" and, in Belarus, "We are tired!", are signs that the neo-Soviet phase in Russian and Belarusian politics is running out of steam. In Minsk, 60,000 people protested in favour of Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya against Lukashenkos 26 years in power. In Russia, support for Putin has dropped to 23 per cent. Still, the age of "eternal leaders might be at an end, censorship and arrests continue.

Moscow (AsiaNews)  Protests, which began in Russias Far East in July, have spread across the country, reaching neighbouring Belarus, where elections are scheduled for next Monday.

Belarusian President Aleksander Batka (godfather) Lukashenko is expected to be re-elected for the seventh time, but after 26 years, his hold on power is being seriously challenged, and this despite the exclusion of many opponents.

In a show of support for Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the woman who has dared to face down the godfather (picture 1), some 60,000 people filled a square in Minsk.

Support for Putin also seems to be draining fast. According to the Levada Center, a leading Russian sociological research organisation, the presidents approval rating is now 23 per cent, down from 80 per cent during the Crimea takeover in 2014. In a major attempt at crackdown on media, the Presidents Office issued an advisory not to publish such data.

In Khabarovsk, where large crowds of protesters have gathered every day for a month (pictures 2a and 4), Alexey Romanov, a YouTuber with 300,000 subscribers, was arrested for covering the protests. In Moscow, a ban has been imposed on the lone picketers who stand or walk alone with protest signs. Yulia Galyamina, a Moscow municipal councillor, now faces up to five years in prison for violating such a regulation. The well-known political analyst and journalist Fedor Krasheninnikov was also arrested in Yekaterinburg on charges of insulting the authorities.

Khabarovsks former governor, the charismatic Sergei Furgal, has been under arrest for a month on serious accusations. However, his popularity is growing steadily every day, and is now considered one of Russias top 10 political leaders. Some believe that if he is released, he could follow the path undertaken Boris Yeltsin who opposed Gorbachev in the early 1990-1991.

In all likelihood, this is why the authorities have not yet used force to suppress the protests, except for a few arrests. From Khabarovsk, but also in nearby Komsomol-on the Amur and Vladivostok, the protest could spread. The protests are over the poor state of the economy, but also a desire for a more open political and social life.

Slogans like "Russia, wake up!" and, in Belarus, "We are tired!" are signs that the neo-Soviet phase in Russian and Belarusian politics is running out of steam. Until recently, the two regimes had close political ties, even though Lukashenko has tried to show greater independence from Moscow, arresting even some little green men, i.e. members of Russias unofficial forces involved in military action in Ukraine, and often deployed in Belarus.

Broadly speaking, "eternal leaders" appear to be no longer very popular, and Putin's highly centralised control  following constitutional changes  is having the opposite effect to what desired.

Lukashenko's case is not much different. When he came to power in 1994, he said that the only dictatorship would be the "dictatorship of the law". The following year, he won a referendum to rewrite the constitution giving the president full powers over parliament and law enforcement agencies. Subsequently, he used other referendums to further boost the presidential position, but now he seems to have run out of popular support.

In the past two years, Belarus has cracked down and arrested numerous journalists, placing the country in 153rd position (out of 180) in terms of freedom of the press. Only in the last month, before the elections, 25 members of the opposition media ended up in detention, including some presidential candidates.
Opponents of the Parramatta Powerhouse project have focused their criticism on plans to demolish two heritage buildings as trade union pressure grows for a redesign of the museum.

The vast majority of community submissions lodged with the NSW government about the project lamented the loss of the 19th-century Italianate villa Willow Grove, a former maternity hospital, and a row of terraces known as St George's Terrace. Residents who had either been born at Willow Grove or knew of family members who had were among those penning submissions.

Willow Grove in Parramatta. Credit:Steven Siewert

But Parramatta Liberal MP Geoff Lee said only 111 of the 1264 submissions were authored by Parramatta residents. The majority were from outside his electorate, provided no address or not from NSW.

"There are in fact submissions from Queensland, Victoria, Northern Territory, ACT, Western Australia, and even one from the United Kingdom," Mr Lee said.
Ram temple in Ayodhya to be ready by 2025, open for 'darshan' to devotees by 2023 end

Foundation works for Ram Mandir to be ready by October, 'garbhagriha' by Dec 2023: VHP

Karnataka astrologer who suggested auspicious date for Ram temple Bhumi Pujan gets threat calls

India

oi-Madhuri Adnal

Belagavi, Aug 04: A Sanskrit scholar from Belagavi in Karnataka, among the astrologers reportedly consulted for fixing auspicious date for the ground-breaking ceremony for Ram temple construction at Ayodhya, has complained of receiving threat calls following which he has been provided security by police.

N R Vijayendra Sharma alleged he had been receiving telephone calls regarding fixing the auspicious date.

In pictures: How will Ram Mandir look like

A police constable had been posted at the 75-year-olds residence here following a complaint he lodged with police in this district headquarters town in north Karnataka. Police on Tuesday said they were looking into the complaint.

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

Sharma told PTI earlier this week that Swamy Govind Dev Giriji, a member of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, had approached him regarding fixing muhurat for the ground- breaking ceremony.

Sharma, who was associated with Ramjanma Bhoomi movement for many years, said he had suggested four dates (July 29, July 31, August 1 and August 5) as the most auspicious days for performing Bhumi Pujan since all those days fall in Shravana month according to the Hindu calendar.

On August 5, the auspicious time for the event will be between 8 a.m. to 12 noon, he said.
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
Katie Price has slammed trolls who accused her of faking breaking both of her feet while on holiday - as her 13-year-old daughter Princess claimed her mother won't walk properly for a year.

Taking to an Insragram video, the mother and daughter addressed those who have accused them of lying - after one troll claimed Katie was in face abroad having bunion surgery.

'By the way, someone said on my Instagram, "Oh she has had bunions done on both feet!"

Hitting back: Katie Price has slammed trolls who accused her of faking breaking both of her feet while on holiday - as her 13-year-old daughter Princess claimed her mother won't walk properly for a year

'Well, when I have the X-rays and show you, I haven't had bunions, I have never had bunions in my life!' Katie, 43, insisted.

Princess then chimed in, saying: 'She'll be in a wheelchair for three to six months - but she won't walk for a year!'

She then asked her mother what bunions were.

Attempting to explain the condition - which sees a painful bump appear where the toe and foot connect - Katie seemed unsure herself, saying: 'Like, you know, the side where you get like... that is one thing perfect about me, my feet! But obviously they are not perfect now!

Ouch! Taking to an Insragram video, the mother and daughter addressed those who have accused them of lying - after one troll claimed Katie was in face abroad having bunion surgery

'At least I am learning to use the wheelchair better now!'

Katie and the family travelled to Turkey for a relaxing getaway last week but things quickly turned to disaster when the mother-of-five broke both her ankles.

She is currently abroad with new boyfriend Carl Woods, and two of her children Junior, 15, and Princess.

The reality star shared a clip of her trip to hospital on Monday as she writhed in agony and she cried out 'it f***ing hurts' and 'someone help me' as medics tended to her injured feet.

Agony: Katie posted a video on Monday of her experience at the hospital in Turkey as she fractured both ankles by jumping off a wall at a theme park on her holiday

She was rushed to A&E in Turkey last week for emergency surgery after doctors realised the extent of her horrific injuries.

The TV personality had to spend a night in hospital after fracturing both ankles after she jumped off a wall at the holiday theme park, Land Of Legends.

Katie posted a video online from her stint in hospital as she got her feet bandaged up by medical staff and she cried out from the horrendous pain.

Unbearable: The reality TV star, 42, squirmed from the pain and shed tears as the medical staff tended to her feet and wrapped them in bandages

As the doctor attempted to reposition her broken leg, the former glamour model yelled out 'help, ouch, It's hurting me,' and pleaded with staff to operate on her.

The journey to recovery will be a long road for Katie as she won't be able to walk for three to six months.

According to doctors, she will need pins in her feet which will undoubtedly be another agonising experience.

Soldier on: Katie decided to stay for the rest of her holiday for the sake of her children, Junior, 15, and Princess, 13, and has been getting around with the help of a mobility scooter

Katie thought she might have to cut her holiday short to head home with her Love Island beau, Carl Woods.

However, she decided to endure the pain and ride it out in Turkey for the sake of her children so that they could enjoy the rest of their holiday.

Junior, 15, and Princess, 13, have been pushing her around in a wheelchair so that she can still enjoy her remaining days abroad.

Meanwhile her eldest child, Harvey, 18, is currently in the UK after he was sent to intensive care last month after suffering from breathing difficulties.
The choice of August 5 as the day of the bhoomi puja coincides with the abolition of Kashmir's special status on the same day a year ago.

Perhaps the RSS-BJP wants August 5 to be remembered as the date on which the foundation stone of their cherished Hindu rashtra was laid, notes Amulya Ganguli.

IMAGE: Devotees perform aarti on the banks of the Saryu river in Ayodhya, August 2, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

What began 35 years ago with a reference by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad to Lord Ram's putative birthplace in Ayodhya is now nearing a climax with a 'bhoomi puja' or the auspicious ground-breaking ceremony by Narendra Damodardas Modi to inaugurate the construction of a temple on a site deemed holy by a section of Hindus.

Although the Hindutva brotherhood emphasises a prolonged 'struggle' to reclaim the Hindu god's birthplace from the iconoclastic attempt by the Mughal emperor Babur in 1528 to build a mosque on the site, it wasn't until the VHP unexpectedly raised the issue in 1985 that the matter came to the forefront of public life to the surprise of not a few people.

Neither the Jan Sangh nor its mentor, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, had paid much attention to the issue till the early 1990s.

It took the Bharatiya Janata Party four years to refer to the VHP's 1985 call for 'recovering' the birthplace from the Muslims.

The VHP's choice of the year was also significant since it came just as year after the BJP's crushing defeat in the 1984 parliamentary polls when the party could win only two Lok Sabha seats.

It is noteworthy that the BJP's president at the time, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, said soon afterwards that it was perhaps the time for the party to consider whether its then professed ideology of Gandhian socialism was leading it in the right direction or whether there was a need for it to change course.

The introspection was not unlike what happened to the Muslim League in 1937 when it realised after its comprehensive electoral defeat by the Congress that it needed a new political approach to recover lost ground.

The line which the League chose was an extremist one to rally its supporters: 'Islam khatre mein hai (Islam is in danger)', which turned out to be the basis of its two-nation theory leading to the subcontinent's Partition a decade later.

Similarly, the BJP fell back on its Hindu vote bank to claw its way into political reckoning.

Like the League's half a century ago, the BJP's slogan, too, was religion-based with the party underlining not only the need to 'liberate' Lord Ram's birthplace from the grasp of the Muslims by 'removing' the mosque 'brick by brick', as the saffronites said, but also highlighting how thousands of other temples had been destroyed by Muslim invaders.

IMAGE: A hoarding of Narendra Damodardas Modi and other leaders ahead of the bhoomi puja for the Ram temple in Ayodhya, July 30, 2020.

Missing from the poster interestingly is L K Advani, whose Rath Yatra in 1990 flagged off the Ram Janambhoomi campaign in earnest. Photograph: PTI Photo

It was not long after the RSS-BJP began their campaign to reclaim the 'disputed' site that they realised that they had hit a political lodestone, for the faith-based propaganda rapidly catapulted the BJP to centre-stage from the margins of Indian politics where it had languished ever since its predecessor, the Jan Sangh, was constituted in the 1950s.

The bhoomi puja is the culmination of that momentous transformation from a party of lower middle class, orthodox, Hindu traders of north India which despaired of ever reaching the corridors of power to one with not only a wider social and professional base, but also capable of being ensconced at the Centre and in several states, appearing to its supporters as the natural party of governance as the Congress once was.

The BJP's phenomenal journey has also convinced the party of its ability to mould the country into its own ideological shape with the implementation of a Hindutva agenda.

The temple is the cornerstone of this religious-cultural programme which highlights the primacy of the Hindus in Indian society and politics.

It also aims at telling all other religious communities -- Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Jews, Zoroastrians, animists, atheists and others -- that for all practical purposes, they are living in a Hindu rashtra (nation) in all but name.

However, the sporadic attempts even to tamper with this nomenclature by filing legal petitions seeking to change the name of 'India' to 'Bharat' or dropping the Constitutional provisions in favour of secularism and socialism are also a part of an overall endeavour to make the country as different as possible from what it was when the supposedly anglicized and deracinated liberals subscribing to Jawaharlal Nehru's multicultural "idea" of India were in power.

It was a disinclination to dispense with this pluralist vision which made the BJP's first prime minster, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, decide to put on hold the construction of the temple, the abrogation of Kashmir's special status under Article 370 of the Constitution and introducing a uniform civil code which had long been the key items on the RSS-Jan Sangh-BJP's Hindutva project.

Vajpayee announced his decision in 1996.

It has taken his party a quarter of a century to do the opposite of what he wanted.

Interestingly, the choice of August 5 as the day of the bhoomi puja coincides with the abolition of Kashmir's special status on the same day a year ago.

Perhaps the RSS-BJP wants August 5 to be remembered as the date on which the foundation stone of their cherished Hindu rashtra was laid.

But history pursues its own meandering course and few outside the saffron camp will be able to predict with certainty that the Hindutva lobby will succeed in achieving its objective.

As voting percentages reveal, those who do not subscribe to the BJP's worldview comprise 63 per cent of the population.

How relevant to them is the defining symbolism of the temple as India's sole identity?

Amulya Ganguli is a writer on current affairs.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Only 0.27 per cent of the total active cases in the country were on ventilators, the health ministry said on Tuesday, while highlighting how India had become self-sufficient in manufacturing ventilators with the share of domestic production in volume terms reaching 96 per cent.

Besides, India is also ramping up its testing capacity, having conducted more than 20 million tests so far and 600,000 tests in a single day - the highest yet. Around 25-30 per cent of the tests being conducted are rapid antigen, while the remaining are the RT-PCR tests that are considered the gold standard ...
(Natural News) As Chicago continues to experience an explosion in crime, mayor Lori Lightfoot has found a new bogeyman to blame; guns from out of state (and not those firing them).

(Article by Tyler Durden republished from ZeroHedge.com)

Our gun problem is related to the fact that we have too many illegal guns in our streets  60% of which come from states outside of Illinois, Lightfoot said during a Sunday interview with CNN.

Chicago Mayor Lightfoot: "We are being inundated with guns from states that have virtually no gun control, no background checks, no ban on assault weapons  that is hurting cities like Chicago." pic.twitter.com/vGLKClYHYW  The Hill (@thehill) July 26, 2020

Over 300 people have been murdered in Chicago this year and 1,300 murdered  nearly surpassing 2019s totals (337 and 1,307) in just seven months.

And according to NBC Chicago, shootings in June were up 75% vs. 2019, while murders rose by 78% during the same period.

Lightfoot  who just admonished Chicago police for asking Trump to help bring back civility to the Windy City  has received pushback from community leaders and experts  such as Cure Violence CEO Gary Slutkin, who told TIME that the police might be able to reduce the flow [of illegal weapons] slightly or temporarily by collecting guns off the streets, but there is no demonstration of it being truly effective.

So, the mayor of one of the countrys most violent cities is now blaming guns for said violence, and wont allow federal officials into the city to keep the peace.

We cant just allow anyone to come into Chicago, play police in our streets, in our neighborhoods, when they dont know the first thing about our city. Thats a recipe for disaster. And thats what youre seeing playing out in Portland on a nightly basis, Lightfoot told CNN.

Its always somebody elses fault, and help is not wanted.

Read more at: ZeroHedge.com
MADRID  Former monarch, Juan Carlos I, is leaving Spain to live in another, unspecified, country amid a financial scandal, according to a letter published on the royal familys website Monday.

The letter from Juan Carlos to his son, King Felipe VI, said: I am informing you of my considered decision to move, during this period, out of Spain.

Juan Carlos, in the letter, said he made the decision against the backdrop of public repercussions of certain episodes of my past private life.

He said he wanted to ensure he doesnt make his sons role difficult, adding that my legacy, and my own dignity, demand that it should be so.

Juan Carlos current whereabouts were not known.

Image: FILES-SPAIN-POLITICS-ROYALS-KING (Zipi / AFP - Getty Images)

Since Spains Supreme Court opened its probe earlier this year, Spanish media outlets have published damaging testimony from a separate Swiss investigation into millions of euros (dollars) that were allegedly given to Juan Carlos by Saudi Arabias late King Abdullah.

Juan Carlos allegedly then transferred a large amount to a former companion in what investigators are considering as a possible attempt to hide the money from authorities. The companion, Corinna Larsen, is a Danish-German businesswoman long linked by Spanish media to the former king. Spanish prosecutors have asked her to provide testimony in the case in September in Madrid.

Spains prime minister Pedro Sanchez recently said he found the developments about Juan Carlos, including investigations in Spain and Switzerland, disturbing.

The 82-year-old former king is credited with helping Spain peacefully restore democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

But marred by scandals in the later years of his reign, Juan Carlos in 2014 abdicated in favor of his son Felipe VI, losing the immunity from prosecution Spains Constitution grants to the head of state.

After media reports claimed Felipe was a beneficiary of an offshore account holding an alleged 65 million-euro gift ($76 million) from Saudi Arabia to Juan Carlos, Felipe renounced any future personal inheritance he might receive from the former king.

Story continues

Felipe also stripped his father of his annual stipend of 194,232 euros ($228,000).

The royal house has denied that Felipe had any knowledge of his fathers alleged financial irregularities.

The royal website said in a statement that Felipe respected his fathers decision.

Felipe acknowledged the historic importance of his fathers reign, the statement said, but also reaffirmed the principles and values on which it stood, in the framework of our Constitution and the rest of our legal system.

Though Juan Carlos finances have been questioned in Spanish media for years, there have so far been no legal implications for him. Spanish lawmakers have rejected at least two proposals since the first allegations emerged to open parliamentary investigations.
Come to Sweden, said the voice on the phone between a swig of rum and a puff on his cigar. Ill answer whatever the f-ck you want.

On the line was Clark Olofsson, one of Swedens most notorious criminals of the 20th century. He had long made tabloid headlines for robbing banks, escaping prison and taunting authorities with his eminently quotable interviews, spiced up, as they often were, from his years reading history and philosophy in his cell. Handsome and charismatic, Olofsson had been a counterculture icon in 1970s Sweden. He was, as one reporter put it, a scruffy Scandinavian mixture of Jesse James and Warren Beatty.

I had been interested in talking with Clark Olofsson because he had played a prominent role in a crime I was researching. On Aug. 23, 1973, a tall, muscular man had entered a bank in central Stockholm wearing makeup, a ladies wig and a pair of sunglasses. He ripped out a submachine gun and fired a round into the ceiling, shouting The party starts! He then took hostages and made his demands: He wanted 3 million Swedish crowns (about $4,000,000 today) and Clark Olofsson, who was in prison at the time, to be brought to him.

Police poured into the square outside the bank, followed by reporters, photographers, camera crews and soon also a large crowd of spectators. The crime in progress was going to be broadcast on live television.

Get your history fix in one place: sign up for the weekly TIME History newsletter

Then, to the astonishment of many, Olofsson was in fact brought to the bank and handed over to the gunman, Jan-Erik or Janne Olsson. This was the first of many controversial decisions that the police made, as tensions increased and the situation became more volatile. How could they have released this dangerous criminal into a bank where an erratic gunman was holding employees hostage? The country was mesmerized. Swedish media records show that the event, at its height, captured no less than 73% of the viewing public.

Story continues

I had first become fascinated with this story when I lived in Sweden in the 1990s and used to walk past the site where the hostage crisis took place on my way to the library where I was researching what became my first book. At that time, the story reminded me of the classic Sidney Lumet film, Dog Day Afternoon, starring Al Pacino. But there were many differences, too, not least in the fact that the Swedish hostage affair ended up drawing in the countrys prime minister Olof Palme and forging a new way to understand the complicated emotional relationship between captor and captive: Stockholm syndrome.

Stockholm syndrome is traditionally defined as the tendency of a hostage to sympathize with, identify with or form powerful bonds with his or her captor. A psychiatrist assisting the Stockholm police, Nils Bejerot, studied the interactions of Olsson, Olofsson and the four hostages, and then outlined the broad parameters of the concept to the press. This theory was later elaborated by psychiatrists, psychologists and hostage negotiators in Sweden and the United States, particularly at the New York Police Department and the FBI. This concept of terror bonding would be repeatedly evoked over the years to explain the behavior of victims in high-profile kidnapping and hostage cases from Patricia Hearst to Elizabeth Smart, and it would have a long life too in film, television and popular culture.

But, to my surprise, there were no English-language books on the original hostage crisis that inspired the Stockholm syndrome. So, I decided to look into it further. In the end, I would spend more than three years full-time on these six days in August. I read all the Stockholm police files and court documents about the case, as well as the lavish media coverage in dozens of newspapers and magazines from around Sweden and the world. I watched the Swedish television news broadcasts, including raw footage when the crews left the cameras pointed at the bank or the getaway car, in fear of missing any development in a crisis that could, at any moment, come to an abrupt and violent end.

The Stockholm police, it turned out, had also kept their cameras rolling, from their vantage point inside the bank. They had, moreover, managed to place microphones near the vault, where Olsson, Olofsson, and the hostages had retreated. The record of these remarkable conversations, hour after hour, provided invaluable insight into the forces that drove the events and revealed that there was much more to the Stockholm syndrome than usually depictedand in fact, the popular conception of what Stockholm syndrome means was not part of the original story.

For me, archival work is always a highlight of the research process. But this time, I also had the opportunity to ask my questions directly to the main participants. Not just Clark Olofsson, but also the gunman, Janne Olsson, who had moved back to Sweden after many years in Thailand. Many other people agreed to talk about their experiences including policemen, journalists and, above all, the hostages who had first been diagnosed with the Stockholm syndrome.

At first, my goal was simply to tell a story of what happened back in 1973a story that, in my opinion, needs to be told. As I dug deeper, however, I realized that this was more than a real-life tale of drama and suspense as young lives hung in the balance. The hostage crisis would lead to police reform, inspire a vigorous debate about the role of the media in society, and, most famously, live on in Stockholm syndrome. The concept spread from a bank in Sweden into the realms of psychology, crisis negotiation and popular culturebut only by coming to terms with its origins can we better understand the real impact of such trauma on the human mind.

Norton

David King is the author of Six Days in August: The Story of Stockholm Syndrome, available now from W.W. Norton & Company.
Rumors of a romance between the two popped up over the weekend after Too Hot To Handle's Harry Jowsey posted Stassie Karanikolaou on his Instagram and TikTok.

And the two fueled rumors on Monday night as they head dinner together at BOA steakhouse in Los Angeles.

Kylie Jenner's BFF Stassie flaunted her figure in a skintight Christian Dior tank and black skinny jeans for the outing.

Dior lady: Kylie Jenner's BFF Stassie Karanikolaou flaunted her figure in a skintight Christian Dior tank and black skinny jeans for dinner with Harry Jowsey

The social influencer teamed her look with open-toe black heels and a white leather shoulder bag.

Stassie left her golden brown hair down in sleek waves as she wore a brown SKIMS face mask amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Meanwhile, reality TV star Harry also kept a cool and fashionable look as he headed out of the restaurant.

The star wore a white long sleeve tee, with black skinny jeans and white Nike sneakers.

Look: The social influencer teamed her look with open-toe black heels and a white leather shoulder bag

Cool look: Harry wore a white long sleeve tee, with black skinny jeans and white Nike sneakers

He was also sure to don a face mask, opting for a black and white barcode style covering.

Earlier on Monday, Stassie flaunted her curves on Instagram posting several lingerie shots as she promoted Savage x Fenty.

The two riled up fans over the weekend, as Harry posted Stassie on his Instagram and TikTok multiple times.

They posed for a pair of photos, posted to Instagram, with Harry in a mostly unbuttoned pink top, wrapping his arm around Stassie, who equally rested her arm on his shoulder.

Thirst trap: Earlier on Monday, Stassie flaunted her curves on Instagram posting several lingerie shots as she promoted Savage x Fenty

Two look: She flaunted her curves in black and purple lingerie sets

He captioned the photos 'wholesome,' with a smiley face surrounded by hearts.

They also lip synced to two songs on TikTok, enjoying wine and hanging outside.

In one, while sipping wine, they danced and sang along to Bitter by Fletcher.

The lyrics include 'i know she thinkin' that she found herself a winner,' with them both singing 'I know you f****d her on the counter / Right before you cooked her dinner.'

Stassie continued with the song sining 'I know you think about me when you kiss her.'

Swirling: The two riled up fans over the weekend, as Harry posted Stassie on his Instagram and TikTok multiple times

Not bitter: In one, while sipping wine, they danced and sang along to Bitter by Fletcher. The lyrics include 'i know she thinkin' that she found herself a winner,' with them both singing ' I know you f****d her on the counter / Right before you cooked her dinner'

Smooch: Stassie continued with the song sining 'I know you think about me when you kiss her'

In the other TikTok, both of which received over 1m views in 3 days, they lounged outside they danced and sang to Big Pun and Joe's Still Not A Player.

Their rumored romance comes as Harry Jowsey revealed that he is considering legal action against his ex-girlfriend Francesca Farago, who he met on Too Hot To Handle.

The pair split in June, and Harry believes the fallout from their break-up has damaged his 'brand'.

The 22-year-old claims he has lost 200,000 Instagram followers in the weeks since their relationship ended.

Dance party: In the other TikTok, both of which received over 1m views in 3 days, they lounged outside they danced and sang to Big Pun and Joe's Still Not A Player

Claims: Harry has revealed that he is considering legal action against her ex-girlfriend Francesca Farago (right). The pair split in June, and the Too Hot to Handle star believes the fallout from their break-up has damaged his 'brand'

'I can't believe it, it's damaging my brand. I've been nothing but nice to her and regarding the reason why we broke up, because of stuff she did,' he told The Courier Mail on Tuesday.

In particular, Harry takes issue with Francesca's various social media posts addressing their relationship and break-up.

'She made a big YouTube video and has been doing a whole bunch of TikToks and crazy stuff and I haven't done anything,' the Australian hunk said.
(HealthDay)Early in the U.S. coronavirus pandemic, many people landing in the hospital may have been given unnecessary antibiotics, a new study suggests.

The findings come from one of the hard-hit hospitals in New York City, the initial epicenter of the U.S. pandemic. Researchers there found that of COVID-19 patients admitted between March and May, just over 70% were given antibiotics.

That's despite the fact that COVID-19 is caused by a virus, and very few of those patients actually had a coexisting bacterial infection.

Antibiotics kill bacteria, but are useless against viral infections such as the common cold, the flu and COVID-19.

However, someone with a bad case of COVID-19 has all the symptoms that mark bacterial pneumonia, explained lead researcher Dr. Priya Nori, who specializes in infectious diseases at Montefiore Medical Center. The hospital is based in the Bronxa New York City borough that saw a high rate of COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in the spring.

"Early on, we didn't have a great handle on the disease yet," Nori said. It wasn't even clear whether COVID-19, by itself, was "enough" to cause such severe symptoms, or whether those patients often had coexisting bacterial infections.

For ER doctors seeing patients who are so sickand with antibiotics "at their fingertips"giving the drugs could seem like the right call, Nori explained.

At Montefiore, her team found, that was often the case earlier in the pandemic: Of more than 5,800 COVID-19 patients hospitalized from March through May, 71% received at least one antibiotic dose.

Yet an analysis of patients admitted through April 18 found that fewer than 4% actually had a bacterial or fungal "co-infection."

The findings, published recently in the journal Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology, are based on just one hospital.

But the center is "not an outlier," said Dr. Cornelius Clancy, a spokesperson for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

He said studies have found a very consistent pattern at some other hospitalswith around 70% of COVID-19 patients getting antibiotics, despite low rates of bacterial infections.

Those numbers are, however, from earlier days. And things are likely different now, according to Clancy, who is also chief of infectious diseases at the VA Pittsburgh Health Care System.

Nori agreed, and said that since the study period, antibiotic use at Montefiore has "reset" to more typical levels.

With this report, Nori said, one goal was to document what happened during the COVID surge. "If it happens again, let's not be so ubiquitous with our antibiotic use," she said.

Beyond that, Nori added, "if hospitals in other states can benefit from this experience, that would be huge for us."

That does not mean COVID-19 patients should never get antibiotics before tests confirm a bacterial infection.

Clancy said that "some empiric use" of the drugs will continue in hospitals. Empiric means based on doctors' clinical experience; in some cases, he said, it is reasonable to give antibiotics to a seriously ill patient before test results are in.

But if those results turn out to be negative, Clancy added, antibiotics should be stopped.

The main concern with unnecessary prescribing is that it will feed antibiotic resistancewhere bacteria develop defensive strategies against the drugs that kill them. And in this study, Nori's team found that even in a short time frame, certain bacteria isolated from patients harbored signs of increased resistance.

Antibiotic resistance is already a huge problem in the United States, Clancy said.

Each year, almost 3 million Americans fall ill with antibiotic-resistant infectionsand more than 35,000 of them die, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Now, Clancy said, there is a "major concern" that antibiotic overuse during the pandemic could fuel the problem.

But it's actually antibiotic misuse outside of hospitals that is the bigger threat, he noted.

Many people, Clancy said, want an antibiotic when they are miserably sickoften unaware the drugs cannot kill viruses.

"Don't go to the doctor expecting to get an antibiotic," Clancy said. "If you're diagnosed with COVID-19 and you don't get an antibiotic, your doctor is doing the right thing."

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

More information: The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more on antibiotic resistance

Copyright  2020 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany rejected the notion that the president has changed his views. She said he supports absentee voting by mail for a reason, as opposed to states mailing out ballots to all voters regardless of whether they requested them. Most election officials say there is little effective difference between absentee voting and voting by mail.
August 5 marks the first anniversary of the scrapping of Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred special status on Jammu and Kashmir. The move led to numerous petitions in the Supreme Court. Here is a look at where those cases stand.

Challenge to abrogation of Article 370

A total of 23 petitions challenging the central governments decision to abrogate Article 370 of the Constitution, thereby revoking Kashmirs special status, are pending in the Supreme Court.

These petitions were heard by a Constitution bench led by justice NV Ramana last December and in January.

Some parties to the case requested the case should be referred to a larger bench of seven or more judges. This, they argued, was because two earlier Supreme Court judgments  Prem Nath Kaul (1959) and Sampat Prakash (1968)  are at loggerheads on the scope and intent of Article 370, and whether the provision was intended to be temporary, transitory or permanent. Since both judgments were delivered by benches of five judges, the parties asked the court to refer the matter to a larger bench.

The Central government and the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir opposed the reference and said there was no conflict between the two judgments. They maintained Article 370 was temporary.

The Constitution bench heard the parties with regard to the reference and delivered its verdict on this limited aspect on March 2. It declined to refer the matter to a larger bench, saying there was no conflict between the judgments in Prem Nath Kaul and Sampat Prakash.

The case has not been heard after that.

Petitions against lockdown

The scrapping of Article 370 was accompanied by a total shutdown of Kashmir to stifle protests which were anticipated. Telephone lines, mobile communication and internet services were stopped and restrictions were imposed on media and transport.

A slew of petitions were filed in the Supreme Court challenging these restrictions, which petitioners argued were violated the fundamental right to speech and expression and the right to move freely. The petitioners included Kashmir Times editor Anuradha Bhasin and Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad.

A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court heard the case and ruled on January 10 that restrictive orders suspending internet, telecommunications and movement should be reviewed by the government.

It said freedom of speech and expression and the freedom to carry on trade or profession through the internet is a fundamental right under Article 19 of the Constitution, and any order suspending internet can only be temporary and not for an indefinite period. Such orders should indicate reasons for such a shutdown, which should be published in the public domain, the court ruled.

While the court did say bars on free speech and movement would violate fundamental rights, it didnt strike down such prohibitions. Instead, it asked the government to review such restrictions. The practical impact of the judgment was scant, though the government subsequently eased many restrictions.

Plea for restoring 4G services

A petition was filed in the Supreme Court in April, challenging an order by the Jammu and Kashmir administration restricting mobile internet speeds to 2G. The petition by the NGO, Foundation for Media Professionals, said 4G services be restored in view of the Covid-19 crisis.

It contended restrictions on mobile internet speed was affecting the peoples right to know the latest information about Covid-19 and medical health services since doctors werent able to access latest studies, protocols, manuals and advisories on the Coronavirus.

It also pointed out that slow internet speeds rendered telemedicine or online video consultations impossible.

The Supreme Court, in a judgment on May 11, refrained from passing directions to restore 4G services and instead constituted a special committee of senior officers to take a call on the issue and to examine the need to allow faster internet speed in certain areas of the union territory.

Subsequently, a contempt of court petition was filed by the petitioner in June, pointing out that no action had been taken to comply with the top courts judgment.

The central government told the Supreme Court a special committee was set up in line with the Supreme Courts May 11 order to review restrictions on mobile internet speeds and it decided against any relaxations for the time being.

When the matter came up for hearing on July 28, the petitioner told the court that Lieutenant Governor GC Murmu had told media that 4G should be restored, a stance contrary to the Central governments.

The Central government told the Supreme Court it will verify media reports and respond to the petitioners claim. The case will come up for hearing on August 7.

Habeas corpus petitions

Several habeas corpus petitions were filed in the Supreme Court against detention of individuals. Four such petitions are:

Omar Abdullah

Former chief minister Omar Abdullahs detention was challenged in February in the Supreme Court by his sister Sara Abdullah Pilot.

The top court on February 14 issued notice to the Jammu and Kashmir administration but the petition became infructuous (pointless) after Abdullah was released on March 24.

Mehbooba Mufti

Iltija Mufti, the daughter of former chief minister and Peoples Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti, challenged the latters detention under the Public Safety Act (PSA), saying it was based on vague grounds that demonstrated personal and political bias.

Mufti was detained on August 5, 2019. She was initially detained under Section 107 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, which empowers an executive magistrate to order a person to execute bonds for keeping the peace. She was in custody for six months and her detention was set to expire in February, when a new detention order was issued under PSA, which allows the administration to detain a person without trial for up to two years.

In her petition, Iltija said the February 5 order shifting her mother from preventive custody to detention under PSA was based on a dossier prepared by the superintendent of police, Srinagar, that was replete with personal remarks and in bad taste.

The court issued notice to the Central government on February 26 but the matter hasnt been heard after that. The central government, on July 31, extended Muftis detention by three months.

Saifuddin Soz

This would be the most noteworthy of all habeas corpus pleas from Jammu and Kashmir. Congress leader and former Union minister Sozs detention was challenged in the Supreme Court on June 1 by his wife Mumtazunnisa Soz.

Soz, an octogenarian, is a former member of Parliament who served as Union minister for environment and forests during 1997-99, and as Union minister for water resources during 2006-09. He was detained on August 5, 2019.

When the petition came up for hearing on June 8, the Supreme Court sought responses from the Central government and Jammu and Kashmir. The Centre said in an affidavit in July that Soz was never under detention and the petition was misconceived and frivolous. It said Soz had been given security for his protection and was free to go anywhere.

The Supreme Court disposed of the case on July 29 after recording the Centres stance.

However, there was a twist to the tale as Soz was captured on video stating he is under house arrest. The video showed security personnel barring Soz from coming out of his house or not permitting visitors inside the compound.

The order passed by the Supreme Court on July 29 disposing of the petition is yet to be uploaded on the courts website.

Mian Abdul Qayoom

Jammu and Kashmir High Court Bar Association president Qayoom secured a reasonably favourable order from the top court.

Qayoom was detained on August 5 last year under PSA. He was shifted to Agra the same month and then to Tihar jail in Delhi in January.

His plea challenging his detention was turned down by the Jammu and Kashmir high court on May 29. The high court said Qayooms ideology, which the government termed separatist, was like a live volcano and remained unaffected by passage of time. Qayoom then appealed to the top court.

A three-judge bench ordered Qayooms release on July 29 after the Central government agreed, taking into account his age and deteriorating health.

We are sure that the petitioner (Qayoom) will also adopt a more constructive approach to the future and the Government will consider how to bring complete normalcy at the earliest, the court said.
Thanks to Tropical Storm Isaias, the New Jersey Supreme Court could face an unprecedented question on Wednesday:

Will an argument over the legal impact of the term act of God be delayed because of an actual act of God?

The debate in question concerns a case in which New Jerseys minority Republicans are challenging a law enacted by the majority Democrats. The law would permit the Murphy administration to borrow up to $9.9 billion to deal with the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Hed have to get approval of both houses of the Legislature, but the Democrats hold comfortable majorities in the Senate and Assembly.

Normally a bond issue that size would have to be approved by the voters. But there is an exception for an emergency caused by an act of God.

Oral arguments are set to begin at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday. In normal times, that sort of debate might have been postponed because of the storm that could hit New Jersey by later on Tuesday.

But these are not normal times. Because of the pandemic, the argument was already scheduled to be held online. If all goes according to plan, you will even be able to watch the webcast on the courts website.

I strongly recommend you do. Thats because your house and land might be used as collateral for the loans if the Murphy administration succeeds in getting the court to accept its interpretation of the legal impact of an act of God.

The Democrats argue the pandemic is an act of God that permits an exemption to the debt clause. The Republicans say not so fast.

In their brief, they argue that even if the court construes the pandemic as an act of God, the only permissible use of any borrowed money would be to cover expenses incurred in fighting the disease, such as purchase of personal protective equipment, ventilators, or healthcare related products and services.

But Gov. Phil Murphy intends to use the money to make up for tax revenue lost because of the economic slowdown caused by Covid-19.

The bonds in question are called general obligation bonds. In the event the state cant make the payments, the creditors can demand that a statewide property tax be imposed to reimburse them in the event the sales tax doesnt provide sufficient revenue.

Thats why such borrowing usually goes on the ballot.

Whether this bond issue should go before the voters will be one question for the seven justices to decide. Another concerns whether borrowed money can be considered as revenue for the purposes of balancing the budget.

The Republicans cite the 2004 Lance v. McGreevey case in which the court ruled that borrowed monies, which themselves are a form of expenditure when repaid, are not income and cannot be used for the purpose of funding or balancing any portion of the budget pertaining to general costs without violating the Appropriations Clause.

There is no act of God exception to that clause. The plaintiffs argue that the budget has to be balanced without borrowed money - period.

Murphy argues that its fine to make up for revenue losses with borrowed money  and plenty of it. At a May 22 briefing, the governor said, The revenue losses we can already project stemming from our current emergency are drastic  $10 billion, over the next, slightly more than, calendar year.

The Republicans point man on budget issues, state Sen. Steve Oroho of Sussex County, says any such projections are premature.

We dont know what the real number is, Oroho said. What we do know is that the sales tax collections for June came in just 3.7 percent below the prior year. They had projected 30 percent below.

Meanwhile the July 15 income tax receipts have yet to be reported, he said. But they are based on calendar year 2019, which was a good year because of the economic boom.

And the administration has already certified that the budget for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, has enough revenue to meet expenditures.

Murphy will not be submitting his budget for Fiscal 2021 for three weeks.

So whats the hurry?

Oroho argues that Murphy is just following in the tradition of prior governors of both parties. Back in 1997, Republican Christie Whitman sold $2.7 billion in pension bonds. Well still be paying them off at $500 million a year until 2029.

When they have the opportunity to defer, the government defers all the time, said Oroho. That hurts and its bad fiscal policy.

But is it bad legal policy? In the administrations brief supporting the borrowing, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal argues that the State may use the proceeds of General Obligation bonds issued under the emergency provision of the Debt Limitation Clause to make up for revenue deficits in order to pay for operating expenses over multiple fiscal years.

Or in other words, the skys the limit.

Im not sure thats the best argument to be making on a day when the actual sky may be imposing some limits of its own.

ADD: Also, read the brief from Seth Grossmans Liberty and Prosperity group.

AND THEN THERES THIS:
Catawba County saw two new laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, according to Catawba County Public Health.

It is the lowest daily increase in cases the county has seen since May 15, according to county data.

The health department said there can be fluctuations in the number of positive test results reported because the health department receives the data in batches from laboratories, public health Community Engagement Specialist Emily Killian said. The reporting can result in extreme highs and lows in the number of new cases in a day, she said.

The county has a total of 1,974 confirmed cases, and an estimated 1,483 are recovered.

The number of Catawba County residents hospitalized with the virus dropped to 16 on Tuesday.

The state reports that 11 percent of COVID-19 tests done in Catawba County have been positive over the past two weeks.

In Burke County, there are 1,672 cases, with 1,258 recovered as of Monday. Eleven people are hospitalized and 28 people have died.

Caldwell County has seen 1,141 cases as of Monday, 510 of which are recovered. Fourteen people have died and 18 people are hospitalized.
RENO, Nev.  A botanist hired by a company planning to mine one of the most promising deposits of lithium in the world believes a rare desert wildflower at the Nevada site should be protected under the Endangered Species Act, a move that could jeopardize the project, new documents show.

The unusually candid disclosure is included in more than 500 pages of emails obtained by conservationists and reviewed by The Associated Press regarding Ioneer Ltd.s plans to dig near the only population of Tiehms buckwheat known to exist on earth.

Six months of communications between government scientists, Ioneers representatives and University of Nevada, Reno researchers studying the plant also show the director of UNRs work  financed by Ioneer  repeatedly pushed back against company pressure to prematurely publicize early success of efforts to grow buckwheat seedlings in a campus greenhouse for replanting in the wild.

Im not used to such a focus on in-progress research, Beth Leger, a biology professor who also heads UNRs Museum of Natural History, wrote in April.

I feel like maybe one very important thing isnt clear, and thats that these plants could die at any stage of this experiment.

The experiment is part of Ioneers strategy intended to help avert a federal listing of the plant that could scuttle the mine.

The Center for Biological Diversity, which petitioned last year to list the plant under the Endangered Species Act, obtained the documents under a Nevada public records request. Its public information because of UNRs research contract.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service recently announced its received enough scientific information to warrant a full-year review of the buckwheats status 200 miles (320 kilometers) southeast of Reno to determine whether it should be federally protected.

The emails include an April exchange with a Fish and Wildlife official who shared concerns expressed by the head of Nevadas own state listing review about Ioneers transplanting strategy.

This document is at best a mitigation plan, certainly not a `protection plan,' James Morefield, supervisory botanist for Nevadas Division of Natural Heritage, wrote to the service April 16.

Ioneer has spent millions at the site rich with lithium needed to manufacture such things as batteries for Teslas electric cars. That includes UNRs $60,000 grant to study transplants and $168,000 for five years of monitoring.

Ioneer President Bernard Rowe told AP in March their plans will ensure protection and, in fact, the expansion of the buckwheat population.

The emails offer a behind-the-scenes look at the sensitive relationship between public institutions and private companies funding research they often have a stake in. They indicate UNR scientists and a private one at EM Strategies  Ioneers consultant  believe the propagation efforts could benefit the plant, but dont yet prove they could ensure its survival.

Nothing we are researching is a quick fix, or even a fix. There isnt a fix for this type of impact, EM Strategies biology manager Kris Kuyper wrote to a UNR researcher Jan. 7.

Im sure it will be listed (it should be), then it will be a matter of consultation with the USFWS, she said.

Kuyper was responding to a UNR researchers concerns about providing information for a news release Ioneers PR firm wanted to issue touting the success of the plant regeneration study.

I wouldnt want them trying to frame our work in a way that would imply listing is unnecessary, or that concern for the populations that would be impacted by mining is unfounded because they may be able to be relocated, wrote the UNR researcher whose name was redacted. Even if we get encouraging initial results from the propagation and transplant efforts, we wouldnt know whether that is truly possible to establish a new population, potentially for years.

The slow-growing flowers have fragile roots that dry out easily. As for transplants, Leger told AP then, I dont think its an awesome idea.

The emails suggest growing frustration among the researchers over what they viewed as interference with their work.

Ioneers press people reached out AGAIN, they seemingly want to publish a blow-by-blow as the research goes on, Leger wrote Kuyper in February.

When Ioneers PR firm made another media request March 4, Leger responded, Id like to wait (for) actual results.

On March 6 she wrote Kuyper, My advice is that they just let the scientific process roll forward.  You cant count your chickens before they hatch!

Patrick Donnelly, the Center for Biological Diversitys Nevada director, said the emails underscore the highly experimental, highly uncertain nature of the transplant strategy.

Ioneer has portrayed their mitigation as a sure-fire bet to save the buckwheat, he said. He maintains Ioneers current plans would wipe out the plants entire population and that a federal listing would mean an end to the mine.

The company said last week it is committed to being good stewards of the environment and working in lockstep with State of Nevada and Federal oversight bodies.

As such, we have retained the most reputable, independent and unbiased research team available, Ioneer said in a statement emailed to AP. This work is informing our efforts to protect Tiehms buckwheat in its natural habitat and help set a path forward to produce critical minerals necessary to reduce greenhouse gas emissions globally.

Leger said in an email Friday to AP that her job is to present the information to decision makers, who can then make fully-informed choices about how to best protect it.

Donnelly countered:

This is science being done to greenwash a mine.  It appears that is not Dr. Legers intention, but it is very much Ioneers intention.

___

This version corrects that the wildflowers name is Tiehms buckwheat, not Theims buckwheat
Women were killed by guns and bombs, were the victims of sexual assault and had their hair forcibly shorn during the Irish Civil War, new analysis of documents shows.

The serious and traumatising violence women suffered during the conflict is revealed in compensation claim records, as well as the psychological impact on victims.

Some injuries were accidental, due to female civilians being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or because they were present when there were raids on private homes.

Dr. Gemma Clark, from the University of Exeter, has analysed newly accessible records of the Irish Free State's Compensation (Personal Injuries) Committee. Her research, published in the journal Irish Historical Studies, shows women suffered aggression and intimidation but there is less evidence of attempts by either side in the conflict to denigrate women en masse.

Dr. Clark said: "Revolutionary Ireland was not a safe place for many Irishwomen, however there is little evidence that sexual violence was widespread during the conflict. The records suggest violence against women was not used in a systematic way to realise political or military objectives. But it's important to remember that people then, as now, may be reluctant to report sexual assault.

"The highly damaging legacies of the Civil War ought not to be forgotten, and these papers give information about the violence and intimidation suffered by people which otherwise would have gone unrecorded."

The committee was set up in April 1923, as the war was ending, to consider injuries sustained by civilians. The committee considered in total 6,616 applications from the public, paying out more than 269,000 (around 14.5 million, in today's terms) to the injured and dependants of the deceased.

There are 2,107 applications for support in the records, nineteen percent of which were submitted by, or on behalf of, women. Of these, 20 percent relate to the period after 11 July 1921, the Truce with Britain. Dr. Clark's research has focused on these compensation claims relating to violence against women during the Civil War.

Around 12 percent of compensation claims mention mental illness triggered by witnessing violence at close quarters. Mary Hyde's 'nerves are shattered', for example, after being knocked unconscious by debris from a mine explosion in St Mary's Hall, Cork, on 2 March 1923. Mary Gallagher had a 'very severe shock' when 'Irregulars' attacked her home in the Arigna mountains in County Roscommon.

However, some women were targeted because of their loyalties or beliefs. At Dillons Cross, County Cork in December 1922, Mary Barry, and 'three other girls', were 'singing a song in support of the Treaty when a shot rang out and I fell'. She attributed the attack to 'civilians believed to be anti-treaty or supporters of anti-treaty forces'.

When a "party of Irregulars" carried out a night-time raid at the home of Patrick Callanan, in Dromelehy, Cooraclare on 29 December 1922, his daughter Mai was shot in the foot. It is not clear if the shooter, William Campbell, later arrested, meant to injure her foot specifically (Mai's shoes were off as she undressed for bed), but she was suspected of informing the government troops at Kilrush of "the whereabouts of Campbell and other Irregulars".

Serious attacks also took place in the home, where womenas guardians of the domestic spacebore the brunt of violence. Some had opened the door to violent groups searching for the men of the house. Bridget Barry from County Cork had to hide under her kitchen table when "machine gun fire and bullets came through [the] back door". She had given water to "rebels" who came to her front door, an act seen by National Troops who then opened fire.

Dr. Clark's investigations of possible cases of sexual assault were made difficult by omissions and obscure language in the sources. Women were more forthcoming in compensation claims, by contrast, about forced hair-shearing than sexual assault or rape. This was used as a punishment for women who associated with British or Free State forcessocially, economically or by passing on information.

Anne White, a housekeeper for a Catholic priest in County Cork was assaulted when the house was raided by armed men in April 1923. Her sister Mary, also a servant, and the priest, "remonstrated" with the raiders, but they were threatened with revolversand Mary was "badly dragged about and assaulted", which, according to the compensation claim, resulted in lasting physical and mental damage rendering her unable to work or care for elderly parents. Anne was forced into a motorcar by the raiders and taken away to an unoccupied house five or six miles away, where she was kept and her hair cut off.

Explore further Sexual violence is a driver of women's political mobilization
Kaitlyn Taylor, of Syracuse, is a volunteer with the Syracuse chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby.

In the early days of the Covid-19 pandemic, uncertainty was everywhere. Would the virus spread, and where? What did this mean for day-to-day life? Pretty quickly, that uncertainty showed up at the grocery store. I remember seeing partially empty shelves as people panicked and stocked up on food.

Today, plenty of uncertainty remains, but our grocery store shelves are full again. Americas food supply chain has proven to be strong and resilient. Americas farmers are at the beginning of that supply chain, including growers here in Central New York. Im so grateful for the work theyve done to keep us fed even during these tumultuous times.

But Covid-19 is not the only challenge facing our country or our farmers. Climate change, with its unpredictable precipitation, rising heat and stronger extreme weather events, brings another level of uncertainty to Americas agriculture sector.

Here in Central New York, climate change is already affecting our farmers through drastic shifts in seasonality. Just this spring, we had a historic snowstorm in May which left our farmers scrambling to protect crops from the unexpected cold snap. Ithaca reported over an inch of snow on the Friday before Mothers Day, and other Upstate cities saw as much as 6 inches fall within a single day that weekend. Several cities across Central New York, including Syracuse, experienced record low temperatures for the time of year.

So far, summer has provided no relief from the extreme weather. The first half of June was the driest Central New York has had in 26 years, raising concerns of drought and wildfire. Heavy rains in early July officially ended the dry spell as an entire months worth of rain fell in a single day, causing road closures in the Finger Lakes and flash floods in Western New York. This humidity, coupled with temperatures in the 90s, put the heat index close to 100 in much of Upstate New York from Syracuse to Rochester. Syracuse and Buffalo have both set new temperature records already this summer.

In addition to making life difficult for humans, these wild swings in the weather can have dire agricultural consequences. Plants have a specific temperature range for optimal growth, and shifts in average monthly temperatures, as well as higher maximum and lower minimum temperatures, will slow growth and diminish yields for the temperate crops grown in Central New York. Sporadic rainfall creates even more complications. Both droughts and deluges can be deadly to many crops. Farmers face a challenge of adjusting their practices to compensate for these changes. Its time for Congress to enact legislation that will combat climate change and give farmers more support.

Encouragingly, a bipartisan group of senators and representatives have introduced the Growing Climate Solutions Act. This legislation provides the incentive for farmers and foresters to engage in sustainable practices by helping them to access lucrative carbon credit markets. Basically, it will be easier for farmers to get paid for emissions they reduce and carbon they sequester. The bill gives farmers technical assistance to develop practices that are eligible for carbon credits, measure the value of those credits, and certify them for trading on the market. This is good news for farmers and for the planet, since agriculture and forestry contribute an estimated 10.5% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions, according to the USDA.

The Growing Climate Solutions Act would help farmers combat these concerning trends and reap a financial benefit while they do so. Our own Rep. John Katko is an original cosponsor of this bill in the House. I am happy to see he is taking these issues seriously and championing this effort to provide relief to both our planet and our farmers.

In July, the Senate Agriculture Committee held a hearing on this legislation. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, the ranking member on the committee and a co-sponsor of the Growing Climate Solutions Act, said, While farmers are uniquely affected by the climate crisis, they are also a critically important part of the solution.

I couldnt agree more. Even as farmers need support to navigate our changing climate, they have huge potential to help prevent the worst of the possible changes. Congress should continue to work together to pass bipartisan legislation that values farmers contributions to feeding America and solving the challenge of climate change.
Burma Fighting in Western Myanmar Disrupts Voter List Posting Ahead of Election

Paletwa Township. / Aung Kyaw Htet / The Irrawaddy

YANGONElection authorities in Myanmar are still unable to post preliminary voter lists publicly for the upcoming election in most of Chin States Paletwa Township due to armed conflict between the Myanmar military and the Arakan Army (AA), according to township election sub-commission chair U San Thar Kyaw.

Preliminary voter lists could be displayed in only 50 out of 120 wards and village-tracts because we could not go to many places due to security concerns. It is not safe for us to travel and we cant run the voter list display, said U San Thar Kyaw.

Election authorities normally collect the names and personal information of eligible voters and display them in each ward or village-tract so that voters can check the information. Voters may correct the information before the election authorities finalize the list in October.

Over 60,000 out of Paletwas 108,512 residents are eligible to vote in the 2020 general electionan increase of 10,000 compared to the 2015 general election. Meanwhile, there are over 4,000 displaced people taking shelter in urban Paletwa, around 3,000 of whom are eligible voters.

Authorities compile voter lists based mainly on data from household registration lists from the Ministry of Immigration and Population and logbooks received from the General Administrative Department.

U San Thar Kyaw said that voters in the townships where lists have not been displayed will not lose their suffrage and can still check with relevant ward and village-tract election sub-commissions to make sure they are included in the voter lists.

However, even in places where voter lists have been posted, there are complaints from voters about errors in personal information such as birthdates and addresses.

As we cant run the preliminary voter list display in all the villages, we have to run it in urban areas, said Chin State Municipal Minister U Soe Htet.

U Kyaw Nyein, a candidate from the Chin National League for Democracy running for a Lower House seat in Paletwa, said security is a key question for holding elections in Paletwa.

For the time being, there are places that cant be travelled to upstream on the Kaladan River due to security concerns. If [the government] has the goodwill to hold the election in Paletwa, it should provide full security, he said.

He added that if the government cant ensure that all eligible voters can cast votes, it is fair to say that the would-be lawmaker of Paletwa wont really be elected by the people.

There is a need to provide security so that local residents can choose according to their wishes, he added.

The AA has asked the government to negotiate with them if it wants to hold the election in Paletwa. I doubt the government will negotiate with them, U Kyaw Nyein said.

I dont want voters to lose their suffrage. Every citizen has the right to vote, said Union Solidarity and Development Party (USDP) spokesperson Dr. Nanda Hla Myint. Every vote counts for political parties. The authorities concerned should work for regional stability so that people do not lose these rights.

According to the Union Election Commission, preliminary voter lists are to be displayed for 14 days, beginning July 25, at ward and village-tract administration offices.

A total of four partiesthe National League for Democracy, the USDP, the CNLD and the Khumi National Partywill contest five seats representing Paletwa in the coming electionone in the Lower House and two each in the Upper House and the Chin State parliament.

The current Chin State Municipal Affairs Minister U Soe Htet of the NLD will run for a seat in Chin State parliament and current Upper House lawmaker U Whei Tun will run for a seat in the Upper House.

We dont know if the voter lists were displayed. We know nothing, said local resident of Paletwas Kuu Wa Village Daw Than. We will cast votes if we are asked to. As we are struggling just to make ends meet, we have no time to take an interest in it.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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In Bethlehemthe little town of Jesus birthonly 1 in 5 residents today are Christians (22%). A decade earlier, more than 4 in 5 were believers (84%).

The steep decline is reflected in other traditional Christian cities in the Holy Land. In Beit Jala, the Christian majority has fallen from 99 percent to 61 percent. In Beit Sahour, it has fallen from 81 percent to 65 percent.

When the Ottoman era ended in 1922, Christians were 11 percent of the population of Palestineabout 70,000 people. According to the 2017 census by the Palestinian Authority (PA), they now number 47,000barely 1 percent.

There are competing explanations of whator whois to blame. Some identify the Israeli occupation. Others describe Muslim chauvinism.

The overwhelming answer, according to a new survey of local Christians by the Palestinian Center for Policy and Survey Research (PCPSR), is economics.

Nearly 6 in 10 respondents identified this as the main reason they consider emigration (59%).

The poll, commissioned by the Philos Project, a US-based initiative promoting positive Christian engagement in the Middle East, surveyed 995 Christians in 98 Palestinian locations throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip in January and February.

Compared to the economy, other cited reasons paled in significance.

Security conditions were named by 7 percent. Another 7 percent cited better education. And another 7 percent blamed the political situation.

Only 4 percent blamed corruption, while 3 percent gave a religious explanation.

But this particular question measured the primary driver of desire to leave the Holy Land. What secondary factors might be involved?

Philos affirms the right of all Christians to live and flourish as indigenous citizens, and its Gaza-born Palestinian advocacy officer, now living in the West Bank, wanted to discover the realityor at least the perceptionabout why many believers were not flourishing.

Step-by-step, we worked on questions that represent concrete situations, said Khalil Sayegh. I personally experienced them, and I know that our community did too.

About half of Palestinian Christians are Greek Orthodox (48%), while 38 percent are Latin Catholic. Evangelicals and Lutherans represent 4 percent. (The rest are Greek Catholics or Syriac Orthodox/Catholics.)

Overall, about 1 in 3 label themselves as religious (36%), up from 23 percent two years earlier.

The gain corresponded to a decline among the not religious, who fell from 27 percent to 17 percent. The somewhat-religious middle held steady at about 46 percent.

Historically in the Middle East, when nationalism becomes weaker, ones religious/ethnic identity becomes more dominant, said Salim Munayer, executive director of the Jerusalem-based Musalaha Ministry of Reconciliation.

Those with a stronger religious identity feel a sense of mission: willing to pay the price to remain.

Only 1 in 4 religious Palestinian Christians (24%) are considering emigration, compared to 41 percent of the somewhat religious and 45 percent of the not religious.

But for all Christians who are not considering emigration, the sense of mission is evident in 4 of 5 of them: 43 percent want to demonstrate Palestinian solidarity, while 39 percent refuse to abandon their family and friends.

A loss of a sense of belonging, however, roughly corresponds to the 36 percent considering emigration. While 70 percent of Christians feel fully integrated into Palestinian society, 30 percent do not.

Munayer described one factor as the corruption of the PA, the local government, which 4 in 5 Christians agree on: 52 percent see a great deal of corruption in the PA, while 30 percent see it to some extent.

And overall, 2 out of 3 Christians have little to no trust in the PA (66%). The courts (trusted by only 16%) and police (trusted by only 22%) fare even worse. One out of five Christians report discrimination when seeking PA services (20%). And 3 out of 4 are dissatisfied with how Christianity is portrayed in the PA educational system (76%).

But while Munayer recognizes these failures as part of the reason why Christians are emigrating, there is a clearer culprit behind the economic crunch: Israeli occupation and the siege on Gaza. These restrict and choke the possibility for development, he said.

Munther Isaac, pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Christmas Church in Bethlehem, agrees.

It is important to stress that this is not a religious conflictit is political, he said, while acknowledging a religious dimension.

The situation is complex and has many elements, but clearly the Israeli occupation is ultimately the one that determines what happens here.

The concerns of the Palestinian Christians surveyed bear this out.

About 8 in 10 worry about attacks from Jewish settlers and being driven from their homes (83%). About 7 in 10 worry about Israeli annexation (67%). And about 6 in 10 believe Israels goal is to expel Christians from their homeland (62%).

And in terms of actual experience, 42 percent must regularly cross Israeli checkpoints, and 14 percent have lost land to the occupation.

We are frustrated by how some try to manipulate the reality using certain figures in order to serve certain agendas, said Isaac, who frequently provides pastoral care to youth contemplating emigration.

It suits some to blame Muslims for our situation, trying to hide the reality of decades of Israeli occupation and forced migration.

But high percentages also reveal concerns about their fellow Muslim citizens: 77 percent are worried about the presence of austere Salafi Muslims, 69 percent are worried about armed factions like Hamas, and 67 percent are worried about Palestinian Basic Law referring to sharia (Islamic law).

More than 2 in 5 believe that Christians are discriminated against for employment in the private sector (44%). The same share believe that Muslims dont want Christians in the land (43%).

In terms of actual experience, 1 in 4 report being called an infidel (27%). And 1 in 10 reported ill treatment, where their children are made fun of at school for their religion (11%) or they themselves suffer harassment by Muslim neighbors (10%).

Despite positive experiences Christians might have with their Muslim neighbors, Sayegh said, there is always skepticism as long as they know that their Muslim neighbors believe they will go to hellfire.

Most Christians do report general friendliness. While 2 in 3 live primarily in a Christian-majority area (66%), 24 percent reside in mixed neighborhoods, and 11 percent are minorities among Muslim neighbors.

Nearly 2 in 3 said they had excellent or normal relations with Muslim neighbors (65%), while only 10 percent described relations as medium or bad.

This corresponded with their evaluation of their neighbors religious outlook. Two in five Christians consider their Muslim neighbors to be liberal or open minded (20%), while 64 percent find their neighbors moderate, and only 9 percent describe their neighbors as too religious or extreme.

Isaac blamed the fear and suspicion on the rise of ISIS. Munayer cited extremist Islamic propaganda in the media for the gap between reality and perception.

Munir Kakish agreed.

You can build a good relationship with your neighbors, said the president of the recently recognized Council of Evangelical Churches in the Holy Land, but not with an online hate group.

Yet despite positive interactions with Muslims, and while identifying the occupation as an important driver of emigration, Kakish cites the promise of Israel as contributing to a striking statistic.

Six in 10 Christians favor a one-state solution (61%).

A similar PCPSR poll during the same time period found only 37 percent support among Palestinians overall. But for Christians, it was seen as the best means to achieve peace while securing safety for their community.

There will be less discrimination from the Israelis in a one-state solution, said Kakish. And Israel has better living conditions, such as in hospitals and employment.

Munayer agreed.

The rights-based approach is what is most appealing, he said, as Christians are being denied many basic human rights at the moment.

Isaac recently published The Other Side of the Wall to theologically advocate for a shared land perspective. Whatever the perceived advantages of Israel, he said the traditional two-state solution is collapsing before our eyes.

Sayegh attributed one-state support to Palestinian Christian belief in democracy, coupled with the above described fear of an Islamic Palestine. Three in four (73%) view a single state as the best model for governance, while only 11 percent view the PA as democratic.

Yet even with the PAs faults, Christians cited a striking level of religious freedom in Palestine. Half said it was high or high enough (50%), while an additional quarter said it was medium or average (27%).

And 8 percent reported inviting Muslim acquaintances to convert to Christianity.

Kakish said that despite Christians being cautious in outreach, it is acceptable to discuss religion and there is more openness than ever before.

While Muslims have always challenged Christian belief23 percent of respondents stated that Muslims have asked them to convert to IslamChristians now feel more empowered due to better apologetic resources available online, Sayegh said.

However, Munayer, who teaches a course at Musalaha on freedom of religion and belief, believes the increase in Christian religiosity has fueled an increasing self-isolation. While they are not shy in expressing their beliefs, Christians are detaching themselves from both Jews and Muslims. (He surveyed Christian university students around Bethlehem and found they show less interest in interfaith friendships than their Muslim peers.)

So while Christian numbers continue to dwindle, where should their hope come from?

More than half said they need more jobs: 56 percent have asked the church about this, and 52 percent ask the PA. Only 2 percent and 6 percent, respectively, believed these institutions should do more to secure religious freedom.

Perhaps this is because Palestinian Christians already believe they are living their faith.

We have a committed community that understands our mission to witness, to serve, and to advocate for justice and peace, said Isaac.

Our role as churches is to bring the message of hope, as we find it in the gospel.

Additional reporting by Jeremy Weber





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DENVER - A federal appeals panel has upheld the dismissal of a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the family of a woman who died when the car she was riding in drove off a Forest Service road and into an abandoned mine shaft in the Rocky Mountain foothills of Colorado.

Sarah Ball, 18, was a passenger in the vehicle that drove off the unpaved road in the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests in Boulder County shortly before 3 a.m. June 12, 2016. The vehicle ran over an earthen mound before plunging into the mine shaft about 20 feet (6 metres) off the road.

Ball and another passenger, 19-year-old Peter Kim, were killed. The driver, Isaac Lutz, 32, was later sentenced to three years probation after pleading guilty to reckless endangerment and reckless driving.

Balls parents, Logan and Elizabeth Ball, filed a wrongful death suit, saying the U.S. government was negligent in not posting a warning sign or erecting a barrier at a fork in the road where the accident occurred. Tree branches partially blocked the left fork, the original road route; the right path led to the mine shaft, their lawsuit contended.

A U.S. District Court dismissed their lawsuit, finding the government was immune from liability under a provision of the Federal Tort Claims Act, which allows lawsuits alleging wrongful injury or death because of negligence. The Balls appealed.

A three-judge panel of the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Denver upheld the dismissal Friday, finding in part that to rule against the Forest Service would be to second-guess Forest Service policy when it comes to warning the public about the risks of using so-called Level 2 roads, suitable for high-clearance vehicles and other backcountry activity.

That policy includes publishing a motorists guide to Forest Service roads stressing the risks of using them, the panel ruled. It also includes efforts to mitigate the risks of abandoned mines, damaged roads and other hazards if funding permits  and that is not the case with the Forest Service, the panel said.

It noted that there are more than 1,300 remnants of abandoned mines in the Arapaho and Roosevelt forests, including shafts, entrances and tailings, as well as thousands of miles (kilometres) of roads.

If the government is liable for not posting the warning or putting up the barrier suggested by plaintiffs at the site of the tragic accident in the case, it could protect itself from future liability only by regularly examining all 1,329 mine features and all 1,987 miles of Level 2 roads in the forest for possible hazards and then, at the very least, posting warning signs to alert motorists, the appeals panel wrote.

And posting the number of warning signs that would evidently be required could not help but detract from the scenic beauty of the forest, making it a far less attractive place to get away from it all,  it said.

Plaintiffs attorney Randall Weiner said Tuesday he and his clients are considering whether to take their case before the full 10th Circuit.

We believe the government should be held accountable to same extent as a private person on lands they control, especially when a warning of a specific hazard would cost a few dollars and could save lives, Weiner said.
CALEXICO, Calif.  Dr. Tien Vos last stop of the night is the home of a 35-year-old woman who has diabetes, asthma, rheumatoid arthritis and, now, the coronavirus. The virus killed her father six days earlier. The oldest of her four children, a 15-year-old boy, learned he had it that morning.

Tilted back in a reclining chair at her bedside using an oxygen device, Cynthia Reyes tells the doctor she can no longer stand up herself.

I cant catch my breath. It takes a long time to get to the restroom. I feel like Im going to faint, she says anxiously.

Vo, who exchanges text messages with Reyes every few hours and speaks with her almost daily, listens and nods.

Ive tried my best already, but sometimes, you know, we cant do enough, Vo says after leaving.

Reyes lives in Californias often-forgotten Imperial County, a farming region along the Mexican border. Until recently, it had the states highest coronavirus infection rate and its two hospitals were overwhelmed. The county is largely Latino and low income, groups that have suffered disproportionately from the virus.

Vo is a rock star for bringing medical services, says Alex Cardenas, a former mayor of El Centro, the county seat. The doctors two clinics have done more than 27,000 coronavirus tests since March 23, with a positive rate between 25% and 30%.

Vo and his wife, a nurse practitioner, emigrated from Vietnam as teenagers. They drifted west from New York to settle 10 years ago in Imperial County, which produces a major share of vegetables in U.S. supermarkets during the winter.

Vo, 43, says he stayed because people are friendly and appreciative. He sees happiness in their eyes when they greet him.

They really need a doctor here, he says from the front seat of a company van between house calls. Theyre not very hard to please. They chat with me. They text me every day.

To date, Imperial County has had more than 5,200 cases for every 100,000 people, nearly triple that of hard-hit Los Angeles County, the nations largest county. Nearly 20% of Imperial patients have tested positive, compared with 6.3% statewide.

Deaths have reached 220 in a county with about 180,000 residents. San Francisco has five times the population but two-thirds fewer deaths.

El Centro Regional Medical Center, which briefly stopped taking patients in May, is bursting at the seams, says Dr. Adolphe Edward, chief executive officer. Tents set up in a parking lot serve COVID-19 patients, one an emergency room and one an intensive care unit.

A lack of beds has forced the transfer of more than 600 coronavirus patients to hospitals elsewhere in California and brought an influx of state and federal aid, including a spillover 80-bed hospital in a community college gymnasium and additional intensive-care beds.

There is no single reason for Imperial Countys plight, but inequalities loom large. It often has the highest unemployment rate among the nations 389 metropolitan areas. The jobless rate was 27.3% in June.

Imperial is 85% percent Latino, with elevated rates of diabetes and obesity. Wind-blown dust contributes to asthma. Its 21% poverty rate is among Californias highest. Crowded, multigeneration households spread the virus quickly.

Mexicali, Mexico, an industrial city of 1 million people, brings additional strain when people cross the border for medical care. Many are U.S. citizens and legal residents.

Imperial County is surrounded on three sides in the U.S. by vast, uninhabited desert and Mexicalis urban sprawl to the south. Settlers diverted Colorado River water with a dike that breached in 1905, causing a two-year flood. Large farms have been passed through generations of families of white European descent.

Colorado River water gravitates through hundreds of canals along highways and dirt roads to the farms, getting saltier before it empties into the Salton Sea, Californias largest lake. It was once a desert playground for speedboat racers and Hollywood entertainers but now is evaporating as less water seeps down from the river.

The lakes shores occasionally are blanketed with the carcasses of oxygen-starved tilapia, while dust from newly exposed lakebed is kicked up by desert winds, helping explain why air quality in the area violates federal standards.

Dulce Garcia, who was born in Mexico and settled with her family in Californias Central Valley when she was 12, moved to Mexicali 10 years ago after her husband was deported. She walks across the U.S. border to her job in Calexico to work as a medical assistant at a El Centro Regional Medical Center clinic. She is one of the hospitals 60 employees who live in Mexicali.

Garcia, 38, rents a room in a Calexico house with other women, letting her register her U.S.-born sons, ages 17 and 15, in the citys public schools. She sleeps some nights on the U.S. side but usually returns to her apartment in Mexicali. Her husband picks her up in their 2001 Chevrolet Monte Carlo for a 10-minute drive to their leafy neighborhood with a large park for evening strolls.

Garcia, a naturalized U.S. citizen, is uncomfortable crossing the border daily to be around COVID-19 patients but, like many others, sees no alternative. A U.S. salary goes much further with Mexicos cost of living and makes up for the scant wages her husbands construction job pays in Mexicali.

Everybodys scared of the pandemic, but we have to cross, Garcia said after pulling out her travel documents for U.S. border inspectors at the end of a hallway, where a guitarist sang Mexican ballads for morning commuters. We have to survive.

During harvests, Garcia is part of a second wave of daily commuters, made up of workers with later hours and students.

Thousands of farmworkers who live in Mexicali begin lining up shortly after midnight at the border, filling streets of tiny downtown Calexico until buses take them to fields to pick lettuce, spinach, broccoli, onions, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage and celery. In spring, they harvest cantaloupe, honeydew and watermelon.

Vos clinic is just outside the sleepy downtown shopping area, which gives way to wide streets and large strip malls. President Donald Trump visited the city of 40,000 people last year to see his new border wall of 30-foot (9-meter) steel poles coated in black paint.

Cars filled Vos parking lot when he began drive-through virus testing in March. He soon began taking walk-ins, with lines wrapping around his building.

Vo met his wife when she was in college in New York City and he was doing his residency there. They moved to upstate New York, Phoenix, Yuma, Arizona, and finally Imperial County, where he says they have about 40,000 patients. They also own a 31-bed nursing home.

Part of the appeal is proximity to family in Southern Californias Orange County, a magnet for Vietnamese immigrants where they were raised as teenagers in the 1990s. Their parents still live there. The couple have two children, a 9-year-old daughter and 10-year-old son.

The indefatigable doctor is often on the move in blue scrubs, even after his clinic closes at 6 p.m. weekdays. He eases up slightly on Sundays, when he shuts down at 2 p.m.

Cardenas, the former El Centro mayor and lifelong resident, is Vos driver on a recent night of meal deliveries for people who are quarantined and dont have anyone to shop for them.

Their first stop is the mobile home of a 62-year-old man who lives alone with diabetes and asthma. Next is the modest, two-story house of a 55-year-old diabetic, one of seven people infected with the virus in a household of 12 people spanning three generations.

Judith Aguirre, 53, believes her husband got the virus at his dialysis center because so many other patients got it. She, a pregnant daughter and four of eight grandchildren got it next in their five-bedroom house.

Doctor, we really appreciate what you do for the valley, Aguirre said after Vo delivered boxes of barbecue beef, macaroni and cheese, bread and coleslaw. Ive heard that you call in the middle of the night. You do house calls.

At Vos last stop, Reyes talks about her 69-year-old father, a very strong man who died three weeks after being diagnosed with the virus.

All of a sudden, he went to the hospital and he couldnt breathe, she said.

A week later later, Reyes symptoms had improved, but she was still on the oxygen device and a long way from a full recovery.

___

This story has been corrected to show Vos wife is a nurse practitioner, not a nurse; and to show the couple has two children, not two sons. The daughter is 9 and the son is 10 years old.
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EDMONTON - The Alberta government is following the lead of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and making masks mandatory for most students and staff when schools reopen in September.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Alberta chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw updates media on the Covid-19 situation in Edmonton on Friday March 20, 2020. The Alberta government says it will make wearing masks mandatory for most students and staff when schools reopen in September.THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jason Franson

EDMONTON - The Alberta government is following the lead of Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia and making masks mandatory for most students and staff when schools reopen in September.

Education Minister Adriana LaGrange announced Tuesday that students between Grades 4 to 12 and all staff will be required to wear masks in common areas, hallways and on buses.

"Emerging evidence has made it clear that masks can play an important role in limiting the spread of COVID-19 in our schools," she told a news conference.

Children will not have to wear masks when sitting in class at a safe distance from others.

Masks will be optional for younger students.

"This is because mask use for younger children is a challenge due to difficulties with proper fit and compliance," LaGrange said. "Current medical evidence indicates that children under 10 may be less likely than older children or adults to transmit COVID-19."

More than 1.6 million reusable masks will be provided to 740,000 students and 90,000 staff. That will include two reusable masks for each student and staff member. Employees will also receive a plastic face shield for optional use.

Hand sanitizer will also be supplied and each school will receive two contact-less thermometers.

Alberta schools were shut down in mid-March when the pandemic took hold. The government initially announced in July that it was safe to reopen schools in September, but masks would not be mandatory.

Edmonton and Calgary have since required the use of masks in public areas.

Provincial officials have also said that the decision to return to in-person classes in September was partly based on the success of Calgary's summer school program. But last week, the local Catholic school district confirmed that a student taking part in the program had tested positive for COVID-19.

Alberta's chief medical health officer, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, said Tuesday's announcement was the result of a review of medical evidence of COVID-19 in schools around the globe, and it matches the approach being adopted in Ontario, Quebec and Nova Scotia.

Later in the day during her routine COVID-19 briefing, she said the province's back-to-school plan "provides flexibility so individuals can make the right choice for themselves and their family."

"It is important to remember how far our understanding of COVID-19 has come," she said. "In March, we did not know much about this virus, we did not know what it spreads among children, whether children were a high-risk group and what sort of locations and gatherings were major drivers of spread."

Closing schools can have significant emotional, physical and mental health affects on children, particularly those who need support from abusive or unstable family situations.

"I have children in school, I have nieces and nephews in school," Hinshaw said of those who have been critical of her office giving the green light to reopen schools.

"I have a very strong interest not only in the safety and health of all Albertans  that's my job, and I take that very seriously  but I have many people who I personally love and care about who will be in schools in the fall."

Opposition NDP education critic Sarah Hoffman said the announcement to wear masks in schools is a start, but only addresses one of 15 recommendations her party made last week.

"I think that the only reason why the government has moved on this today is because of significant public outcry," she said.

Hoffman said one measures shown to be most effective in schools elsewhere is capping class sizes. "And to make that happen, we need to make sure that this government is funding education properly to ensure we can hire the additional staff, teachers, custodians, educational assistants to make sure that our kids are safe and spread out," she said.

"This isn't opened or closed. This is about safe or unsafe."

The Alberta Teachers' Association welcomed the mask requirement but said the plan falls short of what teachers want to see.

"(The) announcement again does not adequately address the issue of distancing in Alberta's overcrowded classrooms," association president Jason Schilling said in a statement.

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"The suggestion that masks need not be worn if students can be appropriately distanced within the classroom or if teachers are not working closely with students betrays a fundamental failure to understand what actually goes on in classrooms."

The Edmonton Catholic School Division also released its back-to-school plan Tuesday. Students will not have access to lockers and, when possible, will remain in the same class. Campuses are also closed, so students aren't allowed to leave during the day.

The chief superintendent of Edmonton Catholic Schools said parents will have an option for their children.

"Many are pleased that we are returning to school while others are understandably concerned ... we will be providing parents with an online option for students this fall in K-12," Robert Martin said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020

 By Bill Graveland in Calgary with files from Lauren Krugel and Daniela Germano
A 15-year-old Georgia girl was nearly mauled to death by two pit bulls on Friday while she was walking through her neighborhood.

Joslyn Stinchcomb has been placed on a ventilator by doctors at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta after she had her scalp torn off, her left ear bitten off, and her trachea damaged, according to Classic City News.

The young girl, who was weeks away from starting her sophomore year of high school, was listed on Monday in critical condition.

According to her family, Joslyns left ear has been reattached though doctors are uncertain if it will return to be fully functional.

Joslyn Stinchcomb, 15, was hospitalized on Friday at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta, Georgia. She was hooked up to a ventilator and listed in critical condition after she was nearly mauled to death by two pit bulls near her home in Winder, Georgia

Joslyn had her scalp torn off, her left ear bit off, and her trachea damaged in the attack

The two pit bulls (seen above) have been euthanized by Barrow County Animal Control

Barrow County Sheriff's deputies arrested and charged Alexandria Torregrossa (seen above with one of her pit bulls), 29, with reckless conduct

Joslyn was walking in her home neighborhood of Winder, Georgia, a small town about 25 miles west of Athens, on Friday afternoon when she was chased and attacked by two pit bulls.

A Barrow County Sheriffs deputy who responded to a 911 call arrived on the scene and found Joslyn lying face down against a curb as one dog was grabbing her neck and the other was biting at her head, according to a police report cited by Classic City News.

When the deputy got out of his vehicle, one of the dogs approached him. The deputy then shot the dog, who ran off having suffered a bullet wound.

The other dog released its grip on young Joslyn and also ran, according to the report.

Investigators later located both dogs at the residence of 29-year-old Alexandria Torregrossa, according to Classic City News.

According to Joslyn's aunt, Joslyn had her left ear reattached though doctors do not know if she will be able to hear with it again

Joslyn, who was about to start sophomore year of high school, also suffered lacerations all over her body as well as nerve damage that will affect her ability to blink and smile, according to her aunt

DailyMail.com has reached out to Torregrossa for comment.

After Torregrossa returned home, she was taken into custody and charged with reckless conduct, it was reported.

The dogs were transferred into the custody of Barrow County Animal Control.

One of the dogs was euthanized on Friday. The other was put down on Monday, WSB-TV reported.

According to her Facebook page, Torregrossa moved to Winder from Brooklyn, New York.

She lists her occupation as a commercial driver for Carvana, the online used car retailer.

DailyMail.com has reached out to Carvana for comment.

Joslyns aunt, Charity Stinchcomb Montgomery, has been acting as a family spokesperson by providing status updates on her nieces condition on a Facebook page titled Prayers and Updates for Joslyn.

According to her Facebook page, Torregrossa moved to Winder from Brooklyn, New York. She works as a CDL driver for the used car online retailer Carvana

Torregrossa posted several photos of her posing with her pit bulls on social media

A Barrow County Sheriffs deputy who responded to a 911 call arrived on the scene and found Joslyn lying face down against a curb as one dog was grabbing her neck and the other was biting at her head, according to a police report

Montgomery said that Joslyns scalp was damaged to the point where she may never have natural grown hair again.

There may be implants and things that can be done, but it will be over a year before those discussions can even begin, Montgomery said.

Joslyns aunt also said she suffered lacerations all over her face and body.

Joslyn also sustained nerve damage that may affect her smile, her blinking and other facial expressions, Montgomery said.

On Sunday, doctors learned that Joslyn had a blood clot in her jugular vein that may need treatment.

The family has requested that anyone willing to donate toward medical expenses do so through a PayPal link

There is still so much that we dont know about her injuries, but we know that God knows and that can heal her, Montgomery said.

Joslyn will most likely need years of extensive therapy, according to her family.

The family has requested that anyone willing to donate toward medical expenses do so through a PayPal link.

Joslyns family is asking donors to give funds to that link only as several unauthorized crowdfunding efforts using her name and image have cropped up on other sites.
Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds public approval rating for how she has handled the new coronavirus pandemic is the lowest of any U.S. governor, according to a new survey.

Just 28% of Iowans said in July that they approved of the way Reynolds is handling the coronavirus outbreak, according to the survey.

Thats lower than any other governors pandemic response approval rating in the latest report, and a sharp plummet from the 54% of Iowans who in the same survey in April said they approved of Reynolds pandemic stewardship.

The national average of governors pandemic response approval ratings is 51%.

The survey is part of the COVID-19 Consortium for Understanding the Publics Policy Preferences Across States, a joint project of Northwestern, Harvard, Rutgers and Northeastern universities. The project has been surveying Americans on the pandemic since April.

For the most recent report, the project surveyed more than 19,000 Americans across all 50 states from July 10-26. The margin for error for Iowas results is plus or minus 6 percentage points.

Reynolds pandemic response approval rating fell from 54% in April to 36% in May. It held steady there at 36% and 37% over the next two surveys, then dropped again to 28% in the July survey.

That number puts the Republican governor on par with President Donald Trump: 29% of Iowans approve of the Republican presidents handling of the coronavirus outbreak, according to the survey.

However, unlike Reynolds, Trumps approval rating in Iowa, while similarly low, is also on par with the national average: 32% of Americans approve of Trumps handling of the outbreak.

The other governors near the bottom of the pandemic response approval pile include Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (30%), Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (34%), Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp (36%), Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (38%), Missouri Gov. Mike Parson (38%), and Hawaii Gov. David Ige (39%). All are Republicans except Ige, a Democrat.

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, had the highest pandemic response approval rating, 76%, in the July survey. He was followed by Republican Gov. Phil Scott of Vermont (75%), Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo of New York (71%), Democratic Gov. Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island (71%), and Republican Gov. Charlie Baker of Massachusetts (70%).

One of the studys co-authors surmised the approval ratings favor governors who have been more cautious in their pandemic response efforts.

In general, governors that have sought to reopen have been out in front of their citizens. Theyve moved faster than the public was comfortable moving, Matthew Baum, the Marvin Kalb professor of global communications at Harvards Kennedy School and a co-author of the study, told The Hill. The governors who are doing really well are the ones that have acted most proactively.

Reynolds first order of widespread business closures was on March 17. She began loosening those restrictions in some parts of the state just more than a month later, on April 27.

Erin Murphy covers Iowa politics and government for Lee Enterprises. His email address is erin.murphy@lee.net. Follow him on Twitter at @ErinDMurphy.

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RICHMOND  A coalition of Virginia hospitals and physicians is suing the states Medicaid program over emergency budget cuts that they say will cost them $55 million in reduced payments for emergency room visits this year during a public health emergency when they can least afford it.

The Virginia Hospital & Healthcare Association, the Medical Society of Virginia and the Virginia College of Emergency physicians filed the suit in federal court last week. They allege that Medicaid budget cuts approved by the General Assembly in April will cause irreparable harm not only to needy patient populations, but also to hospitals and physician practices themselves, which are already struggling with increased costs and decreased revenue due to the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The assembly approved the cuts to Medicaid reimbursements for providers during its reconvened session on April 22, when it also suspended more than $2 billion in planned spending in response to the sharp economic downturn caused by the coronavirus crisis.

Considering this climate, the middle of a global pandemic is the worst possible time to initiate new policies that threaten the ability of hospitals and doctors to respond to patients emergency medical needs, hospital association spokesman Julian Walker said in a statement on Monday. Yet that is exactly what Virginia has done.

Legislators say the budget provisions are necessary to discourage Medicaid recipients from unnecessary use of emergency departments instead of seeking care from their doctors or urgent care centers.

They should talk to their primary care physician, said Del. Mark Sickles, D-Fairfax, chairman of the House Health, Welfare and Institutions Committee and vice chairman of the budget committee. That should be something everybody can agree to.

Sen. George Barker, D-Fairfax, a member of the Senate Finance & Appropriations Committee who sponsored the budget amendments, said the state applies similar provisions to the six managed-care insurance companies that oversee 90% of the state Medicaid programs 1.6 million recipients.

This is just making the hospitals accountable as well, Barker said Monday.

The budget actions direct the Department of Medical Assistance Services to reduce state payments for emergency room services later deemed to be unnecessary and cut payments in half for services to Medicaid patients who are readmitted to the hospital within 30 days if their return is later determined to be potentially preventable.

The hospital association and its allies contend that the budget provisions represent an unlawful taking of reimbursements they earn by treating Medicaid patients who come to emergency rooms because they are generally poorer, sicker and have less access to routine preventive medical care than other Virginians.

They also say that the provision that reduces the level of medical care and reimbursement considered necessary will have a disproportionate impact on minority communities that rely heavily on some of the hospitals that would be hurt most.

Pandemic or not  these policies are fundamentally flawed, constitutionally invalid, and a violation of federal law and regulations, Walker said for the association. The devotion to patients shared by Virginia doctors and hospitals compels us to stand against policies such as these that treat Medicaid beneficiaries as second class citizens when it comes to their health care.

The hospital association, representing 110 hospitals within 26 health systems in Virginia, is a politically muscular organization that worked closely with Gov. Ralph Northam to persuade the assembly to expand the Medicaid program in 2018 to serve more than 400,000 uninsured Virginians under the Affordable Care Act.

However, the association also has unsuccessfully pushed the governor to provide its members $1 billion in federal aid under the federal CARES Act to compensate them for lost revenues and $218 million in additional expenses to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic, including emergency surge capacity.

Hospitals also say theyve lost more than $1 billion from elective surgeries and other medical treatment that was cancelled or deferred during the public health emergency, but state officials estimate that the federal government has provided $750 million in emergency relief directly to Virginia hospitals.

The hospital association and its allies acknowledge the need for health care reforms that reduce unnecessary use of hospital emergency rooms for conditions that could be treated more efficiently and less expensively elsewhere, or prevented entirely.

However, they say they should not bear the financial burden of fixing larger societal inequities that are beyond the control of hospitals and doctors who have no choice but to treat Medicaid patients who show up at emergency rooms for treatment.

The high rates of emergency department use and hospital readmission among Medicaid beneficiaries are problems worth addressing, states the 28-page lawsuit filed on Thursday in the U.S. Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. But Virginia may not unlawfully take economic value from hospitals and physicians to offset the costs of public problems that rightfully should be borne by the public as a whole, through system-wide health care and social services reform.

Legislators and insurers say the readmission provision already applies to the federal Medicare program for the elderly, and that the state is holding hospitals to the same standards as managed-care companies to discourage unnecessary use of expensive emergency hospital care.

If you dont manage your expenses, you pretty much have to pay anything and everything they charge you for, regardless of whether it is necessary, said Doug Gray, executive director of the Virginia Association of Health Plans.
The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) and Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA, Madan Dilawar, filed an appeal in the division bench of the Rajasthan High Court on Tuesday seeking stay on the Speakers decision to uphold merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress last year.

The appeal will be heard on Wednesday.

We have prayed to accept our special appeal and to suspend the effect of the order of assembly speaker dated September 18, 2019, whereby he has declared that 6 elected representatives of BSP have merged with the Indian National Congress (INC), said Dinesh Kumar Garg, counsel for BSP.

He said that earlier the single bench of HC had issued notice to the six MLAs, who are at present in a private hotel in Jaisalmer, and had sought a reply from them by August 11.

Also Read: Rajasthans SOG drops sedition charge, transfers horse trading cases to anti-corruption bureau

As per the news published in the daily newspapers that the six MLAs were staying at a hotel in Jaipur and have now shifted to Jaisalmer in some hotels and therefore, service of the notices upon the respondents is not possible. The Rajasthan assembly session is proposed to start on August 14. If the stay prayed for is not granted, the present matter would be rendered infructuous and it will defeat the whole purpose of filing of the present writ petition before the court, Garg said.

On last Thursday, the a single bench of HC had issued notices to the assembly speaker C P Joshi, secretary of assembly secretariat and six legislators, who won the 2018 elections on Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) tickets and joined the Congress in September 2019, on two petitions seeking disqualification of the six MLAs.

Also Read:Sachin Pilot camp denies BJP leader met them at Haryana resort

The next hearing in the case is scheduled for August 11, by when the assembly speaker CP Joshi, secretary of assembly secretariat and six BSP MLAs  Sandeep Yadav (Tijara), Wajib Ali (Nagar), Deepchand Kheria (Kisangarh Bas), LakhanMeena (Karauli) and Rajendra Gudha (Udaipurwati)-- have been asked to submit their replies.

BSP national general secretary Satish Mishra and BJP lawmaker Madan Dilawar filed separate petitions in the HC against the merger on July 28 last, saying the move by the MLAs was unconstitutional as neither the state BSP nor the party at the national level had merged with the Congress  a contention the Congress has rejected.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 06:00:54|Editor: huaxia

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ROME, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Italy's coronavirus infection rate has gradually climbed over the last four weeks with the national reproduction rate climbing near an important threshold, government figures have shown.

Government and health officials urged caution but said the situation remains under control.

According to the data released on Friday by the National Institute of Health, best known as the ISS, the national coronavirus reproduction rate in Italy has risen to 0.98 -- just below the 1.0 threshold. The number refers to the average number of other people infected by each infected individual.

But eight Italian regions -- including Lazio, the region that includes the Italian capital of Rome; Campania, which includes Naples, the country's third-largest city; the southern island region of Sicily; and Emilia-Romagna, which includes the city of Bologna -- all have reproduction rates above 1.0.

Still below 1.0 is Lombardy, by far Italy's hardest-hit region which includes the country's financial capital of Milan.

"The transmission of the coronavirus in Italy persists, which means that when there are certain conditions there can be significant outbreaks," the ISS said in a statement.

Though the reproduction rate is rising, total infections remain remarkably low. On Monday, the country of more than 60 million residents recorded 159 new infections and 12 deaths from COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus.

Monday's number of new infections is the lowest Since July 21, a period that saw three days with more than 300 infections. Still, the daily figures remain far below the totals from March 18 and April 12, when there were at least 4,000 infections 22 times in the 25-day period.

Similarly, Monday's death total was the highest since July 25 but dramatically below the worst period of the outbreak, which included a peak one-day death total of 969 on March 27.

According to figures from the Ministry of Health, the outbreak has now claimed 35,166 lives in Italy, with infections totaling 248,229. In the last 24 hours, 129 patients were listed as recovered from the pandemic, bringing that total to 200,589.

According to Massimo Galli, director of the Institute for Biomedical Science at the Sacco Hospital in Milan, the latest increase in infections is due to a mix of domestic transmission and the arrival of infected people from abroad.

But Galli, in an interview with the Rome newspaper Il Messaggero, said Italy should not consider closing its borders, which it started to open to foreign arrivals starting June 2.

"Closing the borders would imply a very serious problem and would seriously damage an already weakened economy," Galli said in the interview. "We are far from that point. We will have to deal with a small number of imported cases."

Galli's remarks coincide with efforts from the Italian government to attract tourists from countries where the outbreak is deemed to be under control. Those efforts include modest ad campaigns, and, according to media reports, a handbook published especially for tourists showing the coronavirus rules in each of Italy's 20 regions. Enditem
Shopping center Westend won its eighth Superbrands award at the 16th Hungarian edition of Superbrands awards, according to a press release.

Westend, located in downtown Budapest next to the Nyugati Railway Station, celebrated the 20th anniversary of its opening last year.



However, apart from celebrations, last year was especially significant in the life of the mall as it marked the debut of a new logo, as well as the beginning of a major overhaul.



According to the organizations website, every year, the Superbrands research team conducts a comprehensive survey of the best brands operating in Hungary.



The brand database is further filtered by an independent list of the strongest brands based on professional criteria, GfK measurements, and Bisnode risk index. The final decision on the award is made by a non-branded professional committee.



Participation in Superbrands is by invitation only.





MTI Photo: Csaba Jaszai
Three defendants in 2014 Total CEO plane crash case challenge sentence

 flickr.com/ Papas Dos

10:40 04/08/2020

MOSCOW, August 4 (RAPSI)  Three convicted defendants have filed appeals against a ruling sentencing them in a case over the tragic crash of Total CEO Cristophe de Maergeries plane in 2014, one of the defense lawyers Olga Dinze has told RAPSI.

In late July, Moscows Solntsevsky District Court convicted and sentenced three employees of Moscows Vnukovo Airport. The airport flight manager Roman Dunayev was ordered to serve 6 years in penal colony settlement. Air traffic controllers Alexander Kruglov and Nadezhda Arkhipova received 5.5 and 5 years in custody respectively. However, Arkhipova was granted amnesty.

Dinze is going to seek acquittal of Arkhipova.

The case against airport flight manager Roman Dunayev and air traffic controllers Alexander Kruglov and Nadezhda Arkhipova was severed, and in 2017, the court returned it to prosecutors to fix the problems related to enforcement of the right to defense of Dunayev and Arkhipova. Their attorneys Leonid Kurakin and Valentin Kolesnikov were recused as they earlier represented the interests of witnesses in the case.

In July 2017, snow plow driver Vladimir Martynenko and Vnukovo lead airfield service engineer Vladimir Ledenev, who had earlier pleaded guilty and signed a plea bargain, were sentenced to 4 and 3.5 years in penal colony respectively and were immediately pardoned as part of the broad amnesty program on the occasion of the 70th anniversary of victory in World War II.

Martynenko and Ledenev were charged with violation of traffic safety rules resulted in the death of two or more persons. The widow of Total CEO Cristophe de Maergerie, relatives of the deceased flight crew members, Vnukovo airport and Unijet air carrier have been recognized as victims in the case.

Christophe de Margerie died in a plane crash at Vnukovo airport on October 21, 2014, when his planes wing hit a snow plow. Among the victims were three crew members, all French citizens.

On October 25, 2016, the Interstate Aviation Committee (IAC) published its final report on the investigation into the death of de Margerie. The reports authors listed several factors, which, when combined, may have resulted in the plane crash. Among potential causes of the crash are: violation of regulations over control of alcohol use by drivers of special equipment, absence of equipment for listening to traffic controllers in snow plow machines, inefficient organization of work with subsystem of observation and control of airfield, no measures taken by the planes crew to prevent takeoff after receiving information about machine that intersects a road.




London: Spain's former long-serving king has fled abroad amid allegations he may have inappropriately pocketed tens of millions of dollars from a secret offshore fund tied to Saudi Arabia.

Juan Carlos, who spent 39 years on the throne before abdicating in 2014 following a series of highly embarrassing scandals, made the bombshell announcement in a letter to his son, King Felipe, released on Monday.

The former king of Spain, Juan Carlos, has left to live in another country. Credit:AP

The former monarch said his "well considered decision to move away from Spain" stemmed from the "public repercussions that certain past events in my private life are causing".

The 82-year-old also told his son he was "guided by the conviction to provide the best service to Spaniards, its institutions and to you as King".
As I write this column just after Pride Month and I realise I havent always been this grumpy gay that doesn't want to join the parties and parades. So what changed?

The Queer Take is a fortnightly column by poet-writer Joshua Muyiwa. Read more from the series here.

***

Looking back on this year, we might remember it for the current Covid crisis. But that would be a mistake. There were other moves made in the time of this pandemic to expose the subtle yet striking ways that the system has failed each one of us. Of course, it has failed a lot more of us than imagined or empirically calculated.

In the midst of this, I returned to bell hooks  the African-American woman writer who has been mining lessons from her history and lived experiences to cultivate weapons that help us take on the "imperialist white supremacist capitalist patriarchy". It might take travelling through bell hooks 30 books and other writings to see the precise, prophetic and patient way in which she reveals these nouns to be adjectives and the kinds of violence meted out to marginalised bodies, making crystal clear the intentions of those wielding the power.

Ive been attempting to tame, tie together these thoughts that have been gushing forth while deep-diving into hooks books as well as listening to her in conversation with everyone from the radical thinker Cornel West, feminist icon Gloria Steinem to trans actress-activist Laverne Cox. In witnessing the ways that stories from (still?) silenced, shamed bodies are valued, I was gifted with the sparks to further ignite and illuminate ideas of my own. Im writing this column just after Pride Month and realising I havent always been this grumpy gay that doesn't want to join the parties and parades. So what changed?

Having spent this same month reading and listening to hooks and her words, I have used them as the lens to locate the source of my own resistance and refusal of these new-found properties that have come to be associated with Pride in the LGBTQ+ discourse. Through this act of writing down my thoughts, I hope to stop them from simply swimming around in my head, settle them in my skin  or at the very least mark the time when the flimsy found safety.

*

Ive always had irrational doubts about any form of hyphenation in peoples titles or descriptions of themselves. As a freelance writer, on encountering these marks, I would automatically roll my eyes. At second glance, Id be impressed by the individuals ability to traverse multiple domains  not just the business side of it but the social skills required to do so. Id play this game: What came first, the writer or the theatre director? What do they love more, coding or design? Whenever I have made this game more public, no one has been interested in playing. In fact, everyone seemed familiar with the mechanics of having a finger in those many professional pies. For the first time, perhaps, mansplaining didnt turn me rabid when a straight male friend, annoyed at this game, shouted: "It is the same way you can be Black, queer, Indian and many other things at the same time." I didnt know whether to be proud or terrified of him. I have stopped rolling my eyes at these kind of word sequences since.

*

Oppressive systems arent gendered (thanks, bell!). So, heres some gratuitous mansplaining. Its called intersectionality: the ability to embody diverse identities and see that the enemy is common to each one of them. To know that we arent small, silent or shameful, it is the system that has made us so. One cant be gay and be anti-abortion. This isnt because you cant make that choice for your own life, it is because the same system oppresses all of our bodies and defines these dimensions and desires too. One cant be gay and show preferences  where one body, one caste, creed or community is privileged over another  because we have to interrogate the source of these attractions. Herein also lies the real trouble: in acting upon these preferences, we mirror the violences enacted by the larger society on even the best hidden among us.

*

Please stop using the word ally. Please. Stop. It wounds me. I cant sleep at night. I haven't been able to escape into the resistance or revelry rising out of my Instagram feed without tripping over this word over the past month (and the past several years). I dont mean dont do the hard work of understanding the ways you can help dismantle the systems of violence that my brothers, sisters, friends, lovers and I have to face every day. Please dont stop doing that; it is important, necessary, thankless work. But seeing each other as whole humans allows wholeness for ones self too, right? Or if youll only learn with a sting, Ill use the words of Nikki Giovanni for the first cut: cause I aint shit you must be lower than that to care. Right?

*

Fine, dont goad me. Ill give you another reason why the word ally doesnt sit right with me. This one might make you feel special too (or a balm for your cut?). hooks reminds us that it is a complete disservice to the path of re-education youve embarked on. She insists that youve chosen to be active, aware and arent an ally alone. So maybe dont undersell yourselves? Also, ally implies it isnt your war, a choice our community doesnt actually have.

*

Im also tired of this persisting need for safe spaces. In a world away from the ways you have mangled it, that word does harbour an attractive hue for us. But I think the minute it is co-opted by a capitalistic saviour complex, it does lose its sense of succour. I wrestle words to express my take on this but hooks has them down pat so Ill borrow them. She says: Im actually critical of the notion of safety  in my work. What I want is for people to feel comfortable in the circumstance of risk. Because I think that if we wait for safety  then fear will hold us back. So, Im interested in what does it mean for us to cultivate together? A community that allows for risk, the risk of knowing someone outside of your own boundaries, the risk that is love, there is no love that doesnt involve risk.

*

At its riotous, bloody, magnificent birth, the Pride March had attempted to acknowledge  even if it hadnt begun to address  these possible worlds that (in the present climate) Ive had to tentatively thread together. It has been fifty years since trans activists Marsha P Johnson and Sylvia Riviera pioneered the Stonewall uprising with several other activists  and our outrage at the world remains at the level of being upset with a queer anthem being sung by a straight man financed by a corporation to show support to the LGBTQ+ community. How did it even come to this? Yes, we have definitely come a long way...but maybe in the wrong direction?
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  The modified enhanced community quarantine imposed in some areas until mid-August could further push back payouts for the second tranche of the emergency cash subsidy program, the Department of Social Welfare and Development said Tuesday.

DSWD Undersecretary Glen Paje said in a virtual press briefing that digital payouts could be affected.

The DSWD has tapped financial service providers like GCash and PayMaya for faster, digitized distribution of cash aid following massive delays in the first tranche.

Sinisikap pa rin ng DSWD na mabigyan ng ayuda ang ating mga kababayan sa kasalukuyang buwan. Humihingi lang tayo ng dagdag na pagunawa sa ating mga kababayan, Paje said.

[Translation: The DSWD is still working toward distributing aid to our countrymen this month. We are appealing for more understanding.]

The DSWD has failed to meet its target of distributing cash aid to at least 80 percent of beneficiaries by end of July.

As of August 4, some 9.6 million beneficiaries have received cash aid under the second tranche of the Social Amelioration Program.

Officials gave various reasons for the delays, including difficulty in reaching far-flung communities and lack of manpower as more personnel contract the coronavirus disease.

Target beneficiaries now only 14.1 million

The government originally said some 17 million poor families would benefit from the second tranche, including the 5 million waitlisted families, or those who were not included in the initial payout.

But the DSWD is now saying that only 14.1 million families will receive cash aid under SAP 2.

Mula sa 17 million na target, ibabawas ang bilang ng duplicates, ang mga hindi kwalipikado, at mga nagboluntaryong nagbalik o nagsauli ng ayudang natanggap, Paje explained.

[Translation: From the 17 million target, duplicates will be removed, as well as those who are not qualified and those who voluntarily returned the money they received.]

As of July 26, a total of 675,933 duplicates were recorded while 239,859 people were found to be ineligible. A total of 58,725 individuals voluntarily returned the cash aid.

Meanwhile, the DSWD said it is coordinating with local government units for the quarantine passes of beneficiaries so they can still go to Bayad centers during MECQ.

Metro Manila, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, and Bulacan are under MECQ until August 18 as healthcare workers called for stricter quarantine measures to help prevent the further spread of COVID-19 amid rising infections.
NEW DELHI: The family of Kothari brothers - Ram Kumar Kothari and Sharad Kumar  who laid down their lives during the Ram Temple movement in Ayodhya almost three decades ago is among the 175 distinguished guests who have been invited by the Sri Ramjanmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust for ground-breaking ceremony or 'Bhoomi Pujan' in Ayodhya on August 5.

According to reports, two members of the Kothari family -Purnima Kothari and her niece Yashashwini Kothari - have been formally invited by the Trust to attend the Bhoomi Pujan which will mark the formal beginning of the Ram Temple construction work in Ayodhya.

Brothers Ram Kumar Kothari and Sharad Kumar, then in their twenties, were among the Kar Sewaks who were killed in police firing during the peak of Ram Temple movement in Ayodhya nearly 30 years ago. The Kothari family had since been waiting for this moment to come and now feels elated over being invited for the ceremony.

The two members of the Kothari family will collect soil from the place where both kar sevaks were born. Besides them, some other enthusiasts have also collected soil from the famous Belur Math temple and other temples as far as Andaman & Nicobar Islands which will be used in the Bhoomi Pujan in Ayodhya.

While the Kothari family is ecstatic over getting the invitation from the Trust, the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool Congress government has announced a lockdown on August 5 in West Bengal. This has triggered a controversy in the political corridors. BJP has alleged that the Mamata government has deliberately taken such a step to please a particular community and hurt the religious sentiments of Hindus.

The Kothari family has also expressed its displeasure against the lockdown announced by the Mamata government. Purnima Kothari alleged that the government of West Bengal is being biased.

When she was asked about the threat of coronavirus looming large in Uttar Pradesh and whether it would be right to hold such an event, she said the Bhoomi Pujan is being done while keeping in mind the Centres guidelines for social distancing.

The Sri Ramjanmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust authorities have maintained that the ceremony to lay the foundation of the temple will be a low-key affair. Ahead of the 'Bhoomi Pujan' on August 5, the General Secretary of the Sri Ramjanmbhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust has extended the invitation to 175 people, including 135 saints of 35 religious organisations, to attend the foundation stone-laying ceremony of Ram Temple.

"We have sent invitations to 175 people including 135 saints of about 36 religious organisations of India in this event. We have also invited Iqbal Ansari (former litigant in Ayodhya land dispute case) and Padma Shri Mohammed Sharif (who does cremation of unclaimed dead bodies according to their religion) to attend the foundation stone laying ceremony," Champat Rai said while addressing the press conference.

He also said that all the invitees will reach Ayodhya by Tuesday evening. Acharya Satyendra Das, chief priest of the makeshift temple on Sunday had stated that the idol of Ram Lalla will be dressed as per the day`s significance. "For Monday, it would be white clothes, for Tuesday it would be red clothes and for Wednesday it would be green clothes. We have also kept an option of yellow and saffron clothes," he had said.

Moreover, sacred soil from more than 2000 religious sites and water from more than 100 rivers has been brought to Ayodhya for the ceremony.

The trust has also called upon "Shri Rambhakts across the world to organise Bhajan, Kirtan and Prasad distribution in all villages and cities" by maintaining strict COVID-19 guidelines to prevent people from contracting the virus.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had urged people to light earthen lamps on August 4 and 5 to celebrate the grand ceremony.
Here is why the Karnataka mining case worth Rs 35,000 crore is falling apart

Is Sidda and Ramaiah the next divide on the cards in Karnataka?

Santosh Hegde calls for peaceful coexistence, religious harmony ahead of Bhumi Pujan

India

pti-PTI

Bengaluru, Aug 04: As the stage is set for the ground-breaking ceremony for Ram temple construction at Ayodhya on Wednesday, retired Supreme Court judge N Santosh Hegde has called for promotion of religious harmony and peaceful coexistence and respect for different faiths.

"It is a good idea to make that as an object of the temple so that there can be peace in the world," the former Solicitor General of India said when asked if the temple should be promoted as a symbol of national integration, and social and communal harmony. Hegde said one of the most dangerous things for conflict today is religion.

In pictures: How will Ram Mandir look like

"In that background, there should be some effort from somebody or other to bring about peaceful coexistence, respecting each religion," the former Karnataka Lokayukta told PTI on Tuesday.

"It is a good idea to start Bhumi Pujan as an indicator of that or foundation for developing harmony among various religions," he added.

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

The Supreme Court had in November last year paved the way for the construction of a Ram temple by a Trust at the disputed site of the Babri Masjid's demolition in Ayodhya. It also directed the Centre to allot an alternative 5- acre plot to the Sunni Waqf Board for building a new mosque at a "prominent" place in the holy town in Uttar Pradesh.

The Uttar Pradesh government has allotted a five-acre land in Dhannipur village in Sohaval Tehsil of Ayodhya for the mosque's construction.
US President Donald Trump on Monday signed an executive order preventing federal agencies from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers from hiring.

Trump's executive order increases scrutiny of federal contractors' use of H1-B visa to bring in temporary foreign workers for high-skilled jobs, instead of relying on Americans.

The decision will impact a large number of Indian IT professionals who are seeking jobs in the US.

The H1-B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US firms to employ foreign workers in specialty occupations that require technical and theoretical expertise.

The move came after the Trump administration on June 23 suspended the H1-B visa, along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020.

President Trump has said that his administration will not tolerate the firing of hardworking Americans in the pursuit of cheap foreign labour.

"As we speak, we're finalising the H-1B regulation so that no American workers be replaced ever again. H-1B should be used for top highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour programmes and destroy American job," Trump said.

The COVID-19 recession has thrown millions of Americans out of work. In fact, a $600 jobless benefit paid weekly to millions of unemployed Americans got expired this week. Additionally, the US economy shrank by 9.5 per cent in the second quarter of 2020, compared with the preceding three months. This was equivalent to an annual rate of 32.9 per cent - US steepest contraction for decades.

The executive order requires all federal agencies to complete an internal audit and assess whether they are in compliance with the requirement that only US citizens and nationals are appointed to the competitive services.

According to the White House, Trump's actions will help combat employers' misuse of H-1B visas, which were never intended to replace qualified American workers with low-cost foreign labour.

Trump also said he was in favour of a merit-based immigration system that would bring in high-skilled people that creates jobs inside the US and not take jobs of Americans. He added that his administration is working on other changes to the H-1B visa programme that may be announced in the coming weeks.

Also read: US hikes visa fee, move to hurt Indian IT firms

Also read: H-1B visa: Indian woman sues US immigration services over delay in work permit
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Motilal Oswal 's research report on Castrol (India)

Castrol India's (CSTRL) 2QCY20 volumes came in higher than estimated at 29m liter (v/s est. 19m liter and -48% YoY/-23% QoQ), while realization was lower at INR169/liter (v/s est. INR178/liter and -6% YoY). This resulted in net sales of INR4.9b (-53% YoY). Net realization was lower owing to a scheme announced in 2QCY20 to aid dealers/customers. The scheme ended in the quarter itself. -According to CSTRL, volume recovery momentum looks stable post Jun'20. However, the company has refrained from commenting on the outlook as various states have extended or imposed further lockdowns. A gradual pickup is being witnessed in demand for two-wheelers over other auto segments.

Outlook

We value the stock at 20x (in line with global peers) to arrive at a target price of INR170. Maintain Buy.

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.

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(Bloomberg Opinion) -- Elon Musk was entitled to be elated when he welcomed two NASA astronauts back to earth on Sunday. His company, SpaceX, had blasted them into space and then brought them safely home 63 days later. The entire mission was a marvel of engineering and a milestone for American enterprise. In its current mood of exhaustion and discord, the country might need reminding that, for all its shortcomings, its still capable of stirring achievements.

SpaceX deserves plenty of credit for this one. Taking off in May from the same launchpad that served the Apollo missions, the companys Falcon 9 rocket flawlessly conveyed a reusable Crew Dragon capsule into orbit, where it eventually docked with the International Space Station. The astronauts on board, Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley, traveled in style, with modish new flight suits, slick touch-screen controls and more than 1.7 million pounds of thrust propelling them through the atmosphere.

It sent a clear message: After nine years of ignominiously hitching rides aboard Russian rockets, the U.S. space program was back in business. The launch  a first for any private company  also inaugurated a new era of public-private cooperation, with SpaceX and its competitors aiming to carry astronauts to the moon and perhaps beyond in the years ahead. This blend of public-spiritedness and private competitiveness holds immense promise, and suggests that the best days of the U.S. space program may yet lie ahead.

NASA has a long history of doing stunning things in the middle of very difficult times, Jim Bridenstine, the agencys administrator, told Bloomberg Television shortly before takeoff. He was hardly exaggerating. The moon landing in 1969 unified a country that only the year before had been rocked by riots, assassinations and a staggering death toll in Vietnam. When Alan Shepard became the first American to visit space in 1961, he also became a national hero at a harrowing moment of the Cold War  a moment evoked in May by mission control, when they quoted Shephard in a message to the astronauts just before takeoff: Lets light this candle.

Story continues

These too are difficult times. Coping with the Covid-19 pandemic and reckoning with Americas legacy of racial injustice havent left much energy for saluting a remarkable instance of progress. This was nonetheless such a moment. It exemplified the best of American ambition and ingenuity, and holds out the promise of better days to come.

Editorials are written by the Bloomberg Opinion editorial board.

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com/opinion

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.
The Manhattan district attorneys office suggested that President Donald Trump and his business were under investigation over bank and insurance fraud, according to court documents filed Monday.

The documents  filed as part of an ongoing legal battle between District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. and Trump over Trumps tax returns  mention public reports of possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization.

The office was already known to be investigating alleged hush-money payments Trumps legal team made to two women who claim to have had affairs with Trump before he took office. The new documents suggest that the scope of the investigation is much wider than originally thought.

This possible criminal activity occurred within the applicable statutes of limitations, particularly if the transactions involved a continuing pattern of conduct, court documents read.
Yet another assassination has taken place, this time killing a former member of the opposition factions, with it not known who is responsible reports Baladi News.

Unidentified gunmen assassinated a former member of the opposition factions, in the city of Tafas in the western countryside of Daraa on Sunday.

A Baladi News correspondent said that unidentified gunmen shot Mahmoud Bedoui al-Zoubi in Tafas city, west of Daraa, killing him instantly.

According to the correspondent, Zoubi was a former member of the opposition factions, and he was an integral part of the security settlement. He is also the younger brother of one of the most prominent leaders of the opposition in southern Syria, Khaldoun Bedawi al-Zoubi.

The Gathering of Ahrar Horan documented in their report, published on Saturday, that there were 30 operations and assassination attempts in Daraa during the month of July, which resulted in the killing of 29 people and wounding 23 others.

According to the report, 14 people were assassinated, including five who had been accused of cooperation with the Assad regimes intelligence branch, 12 former members of the opposition factions, two former members of the Islamic State, and a former member of the National Liberation Front.

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.
T wo people have been arrested after an "incredibly dangerous" laser torch was shone into the eyes of a police helicopter crew.

Police said that a officers from the National Police Air Service in Epsom, Surrey were targeted by the "huge" torch on Sunday night.

There have been several less dangerous incidents of people shining smaller laser pens towards police or ambulance helicopters, but officers said they were "shocked" to find the suspects using a much more powerful beam.

Two men were arrested with the help of local ground police and police dogs and were later released under investigation, officers added.

A spokesperson for Surrey Police said: "On Sunday evening, our [National Police Air Service] colleagues were in the Epsom area assisting with the search of a missing person.

"Whilst in the air a laser pen was shone into the aircraft a number of times. This caused concern to the pilot and crew and put the entire team at risk.

"NPAS guided ground units to the area where they suspected the lasers has been shone from.

"Within minutes, a 20 year old man and a 32 year old man, both from Epsom, had been arrested under the Laser Misuse Act 2019 and have been released under investigation."

National Police Air Service said in a statement on Twitter: "Redhill crew were subject of a #aser attack tonight.

"A swift response by @SurreyPolice and a @sspoldogsection 4 legged friend resulted in 2 arrests.

"Shocked to discover it wasnt the usual laser pen, but was a huge laser TORCH, extremely powerful and incredibly dangerous!"
The QuamNESS consortium unites researchers in University of Bristol, Queens University of Belfast and Trinity College Dublin with the support of a grant from the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and Science Foundation Ireland (EPSRC-SFI) to explore the thermodynamics of quantum machines and technologies.

Thermodynamics is one of the pillars of natural sciences: it studies the way energy is exchanged between bodies at different temperature, predicts the likeliness of certain chemical reactions, and explains why even the most energy-efficient engine will always produce waste.

However, what happens when the processes of interest involve systems as simple as electrons, atoms or simple molecules? For such nanoscale building blocks of matter, the laws of physics experienced in the everyday world are no longer valid, and quantum mechanics come into play. Therefore, to provide an accurate description of energy-exchange processes occurring at microscopic scales, thermodynamics must be blended with the quantum framework.

Such new avenues of investigation promise to deliver minuscule devices able to make use of the counter-intuitive laws of quantum mechanics to outperform their classical counterparts. Miniaturised to only handfuls of atoms, these machines hold the promise of offering highly efficient ways of generating power, managing heat flows and recovering wasted energy in wide-ranging technologies, from microprocessors to chemical reactions.

The UK-Irish consortium QuamNESS, comprising researchers at the University of Bristol, Queens University Belfast, and Trinity College Dublin, will address this challenging perspective. By developing novel mathematical tools and powerful simulation methods the fundamental principles governing the performance of the smallest possible engines will be revealed. Supported by a large EPSRC-SFI grant, totalling more than 1.6 million, the QuamNESS team will work towards a fully-fledged understanding of how to engineer new technologies that benefit from super-efficient (quantum-enhanced) thermal management.

Dr Stephen Clark, Senior Lecturer in Physics at the University of Bristol and one of the principal investigators of QuamNESS, said: Developing the tools to unravel quantum enhancements is of paramount importance to near-future technologies and is the main objective of our project.

Quantum systems are well known to behave in very unintuitive ways. Under certain conditions, these strange quantum effects can both compete and radically alter the way energy is transformed. Our project will sharpen the view of this interplay by reassessing the fundamental concepts of irreversibility and fluctuations. The long-term aim is then to design schemes to harness quantum effects to make more efficient nanoscale machines.

A crucial feature of QuamNESS is that it brings together a uniquely well-suited team of researchers across world-class institutions in England, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Consequently the EPSRC-SFI partnership scheme was perfectly placed to support a project built on such close cross-border collaboration.
Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the release of medical practitioner Kafeel Khan, booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for alleged hate speech. Chowdhury contended that "grievous injustice" was being meted out to the Uttar Pradesh doctor. Khan is in detention for allegedly making an inflammatory speech on the Aligarh Muslim University campus during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

With just a day to go for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Chowdhury, in his letter to the PM, said, "Ramraj (Lord Ram's rule) is antithetical to injustice, discrimination and retribution."

"I, on behalf of my party, vehemently opposed the legislation (CAA) inside the Parliament and outside. However, no NSA was invoked against me or the millions of other protesters across the country.

"I am quite bewildered as to why a young medical practitioner has been implicated despite the fact that freedom of expression has been engraved in the hallowed Constitution of India," Chowdhury wrote in the letter. The senior Congress leader urged Modi to secure justice for Khan, who had been in jail since January.

"Even international forums such as the United Nation shave been persuading you for the release of Kafeel Khan. Sir, I firmly believe that 'Ramraj' is simply antithetical to injustice, discrimination and retribution," the Lok Sabha MP from Berhampore said. Khan was arrested at Mumbai airport on January 29 in connection with a case registered at Aligarh's Civil Lines police station under section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code.

The section relates to enmity promotion between groupsover religion and other differences. On February 10, Khan was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court but not immediately released by Mathura Jail authorities. His family then moved the court in Aligarh,claiming contempt of the HC order.

The court issued a fresh release order on February 13.But before it could be executed, the authorities invoked the National Security Act against him. The paediatrician had earlier faced arrest following the deaths of over 60 children in a week at a government hospital in UP's Gorakhpur in 2017.

About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges.
MIAMI, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 27, 2020, New York City entrepreneur, Guy Smilovich, announced the launch of Smilovich Love for Humanity Foundation. The mission of the foundation is to promote global relief efforts while aiming to create financial aid to qualified individuals from underserved communities throughout the world. First round efforts this summer so far have focused on direct monetary support for COVID-19 economic sufferers around the globe, as well as financial relief packages for political refugees in Israel who were recently displaced from Sudan. Today the organization has announced the hiring of social workers to help explore regions around the world with a need for immediate assistance.

Smilovich Love for Humanity Foundation

The creation of the Smilovich Love for Humanity Foundation was born from a vision that follows along the lines of Guy Smilovich's successful business models. Step-by-step organizations under his wings have always carved out a strong and clear pathway. Now for this prominent businessman the time has never been clearer. It is the precise time to demonstrate publicly that his insight will be used for the good of mankind.

His motto is in order to do anything in life greatly 'you have to have it in your heart.' With a faithful vision Smilovich Love for Humanity Foundation is out to help the world one project at a time as an umbrella philanthropy foundation. A team of expert board advisors in the coming months will evaluate various global cases and determine where Guy can make the most positive changes on the planet. His philosophies are incorporated in the newly announced philanthropy model. Inspiration comes from personal strong family values, as well as religious devotion.

"Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can," states the proud businessman about his projected philanthropic activity over the next year.

In 2018, a silent business partner from the East Coast helped establish a first look foundation called the Holocaust Survivor Foundation. The organization at the time recognized the anguish of Holocaust Survivors who suffered unbearable trauma. He openly supported elderly victims who were residing in destitute situations of poverty in Israel. The organization provided necessities for their survival in the remaining years of their lives. This first tribute for the salvation of mankind planted strong roots for the expansion and merging of efforts to create the official Smilovich Love for Humanity Foundation.

In 2020, the organization's board of advisors will take on exclusive efforts to 'to heal the world,' as the founder describes. Initiatives will range across many countries and will be aim to help underserved communities across the world. Upcoming months will bring on a team of newly hired social workers to help administer funds to those in need.

For more information on the efforts being formulated by the foundation and for interviews with Guy Smilovich on his mission please contact

SmilovichFoundation.com

[email protected]

Press inquiries

Glo Creative

Belen Ponce

786-623-3911

[email protected]

SOURCE Smilovich Love for Humanity Foundation

Related Links

https://smilovichfoundation.com


Educational exposure of ideas, assumptions or hypotheses, based on proven facts" (which need not be strictly current affairs) Value in judgments are excluded, and the text comes close to an opinion article, without judging or making forecasts , just formulating hypotheses, giving motivated explanations and bringing together a variety of data

The annus horribilis of the Spanish monarchy began in April 2012 in Botswana, 7,200 kilometers from Zarzuela Palace, Spains royal residence. But it lasted much longer than 365 days. Indeed, it hasnt ended, despite the fact that Spains emeritus king, Juan Carlos I, announced on Monday that he would leave Spain to ensure his reputation would not continue to harm his son, King Felipe VI, who became head of state in 2014. Juan Carlos trip to Botswana was not his first safari, nor was the woman he was photographed with, Corinna Larsen, his first female friend. But the royal household would soon discover that this trip would mark a before and after for the monarchy.

RELATED NEWS How the departure of Spains former king was planned

At the time of the trip, the country was about to accept a bailout for its ailing banks and unemployment was skyrocketing. A few days before the safari, Juan Carlos had said that the thought of young people in Spain unable to find work was keeping him up at night. An accident  the king fell and broke his hip  meant that, unlike other occasions, this safari would not escape public notice. Zarzuela Palace considered all options, including concealing what happened, but at 9.30am on April 14, 2012, on the 81st anniversary of Spains Second Republic, the royal household reported that Juan Carlos had had an emergency hip operation after having an accident on a safari. The trip to kill elephants, at a cost of more than 40,000, had been paid for by Mohammed Eyad Kayali, an advisor to the Saudi royal family who was named in the 2016 Panama Papers as the head of 15 offshore companies. The king was not alone on his trip: he was with a woman with an exotic name that would soon be learned by the Spanish people: Corinna zu Sayn-Wittgenstein  she went by her ex-husbands name to present herself as a princess  or Corinna Larsen, her maiden name.

King Juan Carlos poses during his Botswana safari. Rann Safaris (EL PAIS)

Juan Carlos wife, Queen Sofia, waited three days before visiting her husband in the hospital. In the middle of the crisis, the country was furious with the king, who in 2007 had won praise for telling then-Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez: Why dont you shut up? at the Ibero-American Summit in Chile. The phrase was turned into ringtones and printed on t-shirts  Juan Carlos even gifted one to Chavez at the same summit the following year.

Don Juan Carlos discussed the situation with people he trusted. He was worried. He and his team spent hours putting together a speech of two sentences: Im very sorry. I have made a mistake and it will not happen again. Former staff members of the Zarzuela Palace were dismayed  Kings do not apologize!  but according to sources from the royal household, the gesture had to be equal to the level of public anger. It humanized him, said then-foreign minister Jose Manuel Garcia-Margallo. It was this minister who the monarch would ask to receive Corinna Larsen, who is now under investigation in Switzerland for money laundering.

The public opinion polls that Zarzuela Palace periodically orders, strictly for internal use, showed a sharp fall in support for Juan Carlos at that point. All the members of the House of Bourbon have hunted and have had lovers, but Spain was going through a very serious crisis and the new generation of Spaniards did not tolerate what was before tolerated, explains the French historian Laurence Debray, the author of a biography of the former king, Juan Carlos de Espana (or Juan Carlos of Spain).

Juan Carlos tells then Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez to be quiet at the 2007 Ibero-American summit in Chile. TVE

The royal household launched a public campaign to try to restore the kings reputation, but this sometimes backfired, bringing to light other problems and old mistakes. For example, the accounts of the royal household were published for the first time in the institutions history, but this acted as a reminder that the personal wealth of the monarch is still not known.

Then Juan Carlos gave up the Fortuna, a 18-million yacht that cost 20,000 just to get started, but this brought up the boats history, and the fact that it was a gift bought by 25 businessmen and the Balearic regional government. In her biography of Juan Carlos, Debray explains that the former monarch had a peculiar relationship with money: He had known as a young man the humiliation of having to economically depend on rich Spanish aristocrats who were voluntarily ensuring the lifestyle of the royal family in exile. The Spanish royal family was forced into exile following the proclamation of the Second Spanish Republic in 1931. The dictator Francisco Franco overthrew the Second Republic but waited 10 years, until 1947, before declaring Spain a kingdom, and another 22 years before naming Juan Carlos de Borbon as his successor.

The Spanish royal family on the yacht Fortuna in 2005. gtresonline

By January 2013, several members of the royal family and their team had read a study called Monarchies as Brands, written by three marketing experts who had interviewed the king and queen of Sweden, Princess Victoria and several of their communication advisors. The conclusion was that the institution depends on two pillars of support: the people and the parliament. The disappearance of one is enough to cause its collapse. After the trip to Botswana, the Spanish royal household had begun to lose the initiative: it couldnt make plans or set objectives, and it spent the next few years reacting to scandals and looking for ways to minimize the damage to the monarchys reputation.

In politics, sources from the Popular Party (PP) and the Socialist Party (PSOE) began to accuse one another of being too lenient with the king, of not disapproving more forcefully of his getaways. The Noos graft case in which Inaki Urdangarin, Juan Carlos son-in-law, was accused of securing no-bid contracts from regional governments using his position in the royal family, and the Botswana safari put a spotlight on the Spanish monarchy, an institution without executive power, whose reason for being and main mission in life is to provide a good image. After Juan Carlos fall in Botswana, his son-in-law Urdangarin and daughter Cristina began to be treated like any other public official facing charges. Urdangarin ended up in prison and the mistakes of Juan Carlos, both past and present, were exposed.

Inaki Urdangarin arrives in court in 2017 to face charges in the Noos graft case. Tolo Ramon

Some of the more dangerous friendships of the monarch also came to light: the disgraced Spanish banker Mario Conde, the businessman Javier de La Rosa, and the diplomat Manuel Prado y Colon de Carvajal, all of whom spent time in prison. Other scandals emerged, like the eight million pesetas (48,000) that the royal household had paid to avoid the publication of love letters that a very young Juan Carlos had written to Countess Olghnia de Robilant, and his subsequent relationship with the Spanish socialite Marta Gaya.

In the private opinion polls as well as the social media analysis that the royal household ordered, there was only one conclusion: there was no more room for error. In a bid to save the image of the institution, Juan Carlos, who had once said that kings die, they do not abdicate, ceded the throne to his son. The generation that did not live through the 1981 coup attempt, which came to an end when Juan Carlos appeared on television in full military uniform to denounce the plotters, was mostly more in favor of a Spanish republic than the monarchy, according to a survey published by Metroscopia before the proclamation of Felipe VI as king in 2014. Debray interviewed Juan Carlos a few days before he announced his abdication: I dont like power, he told her. The historian concluded that he believed that he had fulfilled [his role].

But the spotlight remained on the monarchy. It was revealed that Juan Carlos had transferred 65 million to Corinna Larsen, that he had bank accounts in Switzerland, and that a foundation in Panama had named Felipe VI as a beneficiary. This final revelation prompted Felipe VI to renounce the inheritance from his father and strip Juan Carlos of his yearly stipend of nearly 200,000.

Corinna Larsen in New York in 2016. Andrew Toth (GETTY)

If the king had died before the infamous elephant hunting trip, he would have died a hero, the man of the miraculous transition to democracy, the symbol of the modernization of Spain, says Debray, who as a child had a poster of Juan Carlos in her room. I believe that nobody was expecting such a sad end, in which only corruption and lovers are being talked about and his political work is being forgotten. Its complete disappointment. The tragic end to a sad fate: to be born in exile, to grow up in a strict boarding school in Switzerland, to lose a brother, to live in Spain while depending on your fathers enemy, Franco

As Viscount Bolingbroke wrote in the 18th century: Just as kings must never forget they are men; men must never forget that they are kings.

English version by Melissa Kitson.
Kammatipaadam is a 2016 Malayalam movie directed by Rajeev Ravi, which captures in a simple yet profound manner what land means to Dalits.

Historically, Indian cinema exploited the labour of Dalits in its making, whilst erasing or appropriating their stories. This was not an accidental practice. When their stories were told on screen, it would be by savarnas who also played their characters with patriarchal, sexist and casteist undertones.

The scenario has slowly changed, and the identity of Dalit characters in cinema  directed by a Dalit (and a few non-Dalit) filmmakers  has become explicit, transcending boundaries of caste and class. These filmmakers have helped shape visual storytelling that combines justice with aesthetics.

Justice with aesthetics was rarely present in cinema made by savarnas, or it was seldom honest. Dalit-Bahujan filmmakers have filled this gap, while creating a new wave of cinema that is more appealing to a Dalit-Bahujan audience.

In this series, we examine 10 Indian films that count not only among the finest cinema the country has produced, but are also intertwined with justice, politics, and aesthetic.

***

Fifteen or 20 years ago, there was an empty stretch of land, a few metres outside my basti in Nagpur. The stretch actually comprised two adjoining lots  one overgrown with scrub, the other with piles of sharp stone. The bushy lot was used by people as a spot to defecate in; the rocky one was used as a playground. For a child looking to play, there was enough land around the basti. When I ran around this open land, playing games, I felt free and unburdened. The two lots had no signboards. In the monsoon, theyd be overrun with grass. In the summer, theyd turn barren, dusty and rough.

As I grew up, builders signs came up on the land, which was marked, divided. Over the past couple of years, tall buildings have come up  apartment complexes. The people who live here are from the traditionally dominant castes; these same people once considered the land inauspicious since it was attached to a Dalit basti. But as the population increased and the city grew, the location of my basti proved to be, in real estate terms, prime.

For individuals from upper castes, land signifies power. But for Dalits, land is no less than a metaphor for life. The lesser land you have, the lesser life. This simple truth, however, has for long remained unseen and rarely understood.

This isnt the story of my basti alone. Wherever there are Dalit bastis, especially around cities, this is their story too. Land which was once open, on which they once played, which was free and on which they felt free, is now covered by buildings, filled with unknown people. For the people in the Dalit bastis, their misery seems to have proportionately alongside these highrises.

The story of the subtle deracination of Dalits from their feeling of freedom, in relation to land, is a complex one. Kammatipaadam (2016) is this story.

***

Kammatipaadam (alternatively spelled Kammati Paadam) is a Malayalam movie directed by Rajeev Ravi, which captures in a simple yet profound manner this aspect of land and what it means to Dalits.

Deracination from land means being uprooted from where you belong. In locating the emotional worlds of the three central characters in Kammatipaadam  Gangadharan (played by Vinayakan), Krishnan (Dulquer Salmaan) and Balan (Manikandan)  we reach a mental space deprived of belongingness, land and consequently, philosophy. While Ganga, Krishnan and Balan are characters in the narrative, they are also metaphors  of the displacement of consciousness which is largely shaped by land and love.

Balan is Gangas older brother; when Krishnans family moves into the neighbourhood, the younger boys (Ganga and Krishnan) become friends. Krishnan is evidently upper caste, while Ganga and Balan are Dalits.

Ganga and Krishnans childhood is shaped by the swampy land and trees surrounding their locality, and the thug life they witness growing up. Balan has already become part of this life  ticketing in black outside theatres, extracting revenge, working the illegal liquor supply chain of a local businessman. He also introduces Krishnan and Ganga to this life. They grow into teenagers like this, free and wild.

***

In a skirmish with the police, Krishnan kills a policeman to save Ganga. He is imprisoned, and returns as an adult. By this time, Ganga has become involved in other criminal activities  activities that impact the lives of the poor and the Dalits.

For a businessman from the dominant caste, they begin evicting Dalits and poor people from the land on which theyve found and built shelters. Agonised at the pain inflicted by Balan and Ganga on their own people, their grandfather passes away. The loss transforms Balan, who begins to think of leaving the criminal life behind, and starting a travel business. He realises the terrible mistake he has made in displacing his people from their land. However, a rival who works with another faction of the land mafia kills Balan before he can rectify his past actions.

Devastated, Ganga blames Krishnan for Balans death. Their friendship is deeply splintered, and Krishnan leaves for Mumbai, where he hopes to start afresh. One day, he receives a phone call from a shaky-sounding Ganga, who suddenly goes silent. Krishnan decides to go back to Kammatipaadam to find out what happened to his friend, and discovers that Ganga is dead. The moment marks the culmination of a misery brought about by landlessness.

***

Shaken by Balas death, Krishnan and Gangas paths diverge but neither remains the same. They are both pushed away from their land, from the people and memories attached to their land. Besides, gradually, tall buildings start to overshadow the land on which once they once played, walked, ran, breathed, enjoyed. They are guilty of taking part in the act of displacing people from their lands.

While Krishnan is unhappy in Mumbai, away from his Kammatipaadam, Ganga is troubled too, by the emotional distance from Krishnan, and Balans death. For others, life moves on. But for Krishnan and Ganga, it is stuck, putrefying. And they know that they themselves are responsible for this.

Ganga becomes an alcoholic; Krishna is unhappy. Neither can bear the recollection of an old Kammatipaadam in which they had something to belong to. They are sunk into a misery from which they cannot get out. Krishnan ultimately avenges Gangas death, but what has been lost cannot be brought back.

For Dalits, land is life because theyve been historically displaced at various junctures and it takes a lifetime to build a life in one place in the absence of social capital. Kammatipaadam does not tell this story in the manner that I have, but it is nonetheless there in the film. Unless you know how to see land as philosophy, you cannot perceive the fullness of this story. When you do though, you see why Kammatipaadam is a great story.

*

Yogesh Maitreya is a poet, translator and founder of Panther's Paw Publication, an anti-caste publishing house. He is pursuing a PhD at the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Mumbai.
Michigan will have the services of the state National Guard to assist with COVID-19 relief through the rest of the calendar year, the state announced Tuesday.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said President Donald Trump granted her request to authorize National Guard members help with pandemic response through Dec. 31.

Since COVID-19 was first discovered in our state, the Michigan National Guard has been a crucial part of our emergency response, from conducting testing and screening, distributing personal protective equipment, and assisting at food banks across the state Whitmer said in a Tuesday, Aug. 4 statement.

Our dedicated guardsmen and women will continue to be a crucial part of our recovery efforts moving forward. I thank the president for granting my request, and implore him to work with Congress on a bipartisan recovery package that protects American families, front-line workers, and small business owners. The only way we will get through this is if leaders in the federal government put partisan games aside and work together to save lives.

Previous authorization that allowed members to receive federal pay and benefits was set to expire Aug. 21. The extension, however, comes with a change in funding.

Instead of funding 100% of the Guards activities federally, Trump imposed a 25-percent cost share to come from the state for activities Aug. 21 through Dec. 31.

While I am grateful for the extension, the presidents decision to federally fund Guard activities at only 75% leaves states across the country with an additional cost when were already facing severe holes in our state budgets, Whitmer said. We need the president and Congress to work together in a bipartisan way to support states like Michigan.

Whitmer requested the extension in a July letter to the president. She first involved the Michigan National Guard in the states response to the pandemic in mid-March.

National Guardsmen have assisted food banks in communities across the state. Theyve also helped set up temporary medical stations to support coronavirus patients, and have assisted with COVID-19 testing.

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 executive orders requiring people to wear face coverings over their mouth and nose while in public indoor and crowded outdoor spaces. See an explanation of what that means here.

Additional information is available at Michigan.gov/Coronavirus and CDC.gov/Coronavirus.

Read more on MLive:

Fair discussion on hydroxychloroquine made impossible by political climate, Michigan hospital says

Whitmer and Trump have different ideas about if and how to reopen schools. But in Michigan, plans are ultimately local.

How accurate is Michigans COVID-19 death total?
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Bangkok, Thailand  Tue, August 4, 2020 08:20 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b5a649 2 SE Asia Thailand,pro-democracy,protest,Harry-Potter,politics Free

Dozens of mostly young Thais wearing striped "Harry Potter" scarves rallied Monday against the government, vowing to "cast a spell" for democracy as the nascent movement grows increasingly bold in targeting the powerful elite.

For more than two weeks, young Thais across the country have held near daily protests at universities and town halls to denounce the military-aligned government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha.

Some have also waded into sensitive territory in recent weeks by holding up placards opposing Thailand's lese majeste law, one of the world's harshest.

It shields the monarchy and its super-rich King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism, making open scrutiny of the monarch virtually impossible.

But younger Thais have grown bolder in lock-step with their rising discontent of Prayut -- whose hold on power is regarded as a legacy of a royalist junta regime.

As night fell Monday, the protesters -- who rally organizers had said would "cast a spell" for democracy -- listened in rapt attention as an organizer recounted the plot of the popular J.K. Rowling novels about the adventures of a young wizard.

Prominent lawyer Anon Numpa -- wearing a striped Gryffindor scarf and black robe -- took the stage under the gaze of dozens of police officers to denounce Prayut.

He accused the former army chief of using his position to "gain benefits".

The government "must stop this before the country finds itself in another... confrontation," Anon said.

The kingdom's draconian lese majeste law carries a sentence of up to 15 years per charge, making reporting of any criticism by Thailand-based media forbidden.

The subversive protest was held at Bangkok's Democracy Monument, built to mark the 1932 revolution that established a constitutional monarchy.

Analysts say the kingdom risks slipping back towards absolutism under the reign of Rama X and the hardline royalist generals around him.

The pandemic has also sent Thailand's economy into freefall, laying bare the inequalities of a society perceived to favor the elite pro-military establishment.

Young Thais on Monday harpooned the government for its mishandling of the economy, calling a protester dressed as deputy prime minister Prawit Wongsuwan a "tax eater", referencing the "death eaters" of the Harry Potter world.
Asante Mampong, July 20, 2020 - Strategic Way-Policy and Economic Development Centre (SWEDEC), a non-governmental organization, on Wednesday donated Personal Protective items to five (5) Junior High Schools in the Mampong Municipality to help pupils and teachers fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

The beneficiary schools were Aframano JHS, Bunuso JHS, Nyamebekyere JHS, Kwame-Krom JHS, and Woraso M/A JHS

The donation, organised with funding from the Strategic Way Policy and Economic Development Centre (SWEDEC) which is self-funding and also formed part of the NGOs corporate social responsibility.

Items donated included Tissues papers, hand washing soaps, and sanitizers.

Speaking at the event, the Media Relation Officer Mr. MARFO GODWIN said as an organization it was interested in the health and safety of the youth.

He said the COVID-19 pandemic had exposed more vulnerability of the youth, education and poor access to healthcare,

We are undertaking this project to contribute to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic in schools. It is our way of saying that in the face of the pandemic we can still show compassion, he said.

Furthermore, he added SWEDEC is looking forward to two (2) aspects.

1. Providing relief to Basic schools

2. Providing Education/ Precautions on how to prevent Covid19'

Mr MARFO GODWIN said the support would be extended to other schools in the Mampong Municipality as well as Sekyere Central District and Ejura Sekyeredomasi Municipality.

He applauded the government on the measures taken so far in various Basic schools to ensure our pupils are safe from Coronavirus in the Basic schools nationwide.

Receiving the items on behalf of five (5 ) JHS's various Schools, Headmistress of Kwame-Krom JHS, assure SWEDEC of the schools commitment to put the donated materials to effective use for the benefit of all.

About SWEDEC

SWEDEC Ghana is an NGO that aims to promote innovative ideas and direct attention to critical issues of social and economic accountability, empowerment, and governance in Ghana. SWEDEC-Ghana through its initiatives encourages citizens to engage with and seek accountability.

We work with communities, governmental institutions, the private sector, donor agencies, and other civil service organizations focus on providing human rights education, leadership, and training.
Pizza Express has said it could close around 67 of its UK restaurants, with up to 1,100 jobs at risk. Photo: Matthew Horwood/Getty Images

Pizza Express said on Tuesday that a sweeping restructuring process could lead to it closing around 67 of its UK restaurants, putting up to 1,100 jobs at risk.

The chain said that it expected to launch a company voluntary arrangement (CVA) process, which would allow it to negotiate its debts and potentially reduce its rents, in the near future.

The company cited the significantly more challenging environment caused by the coronavirus pandemic, which forced it to close all of its restaurants on 23 March.

Pizza Express said that, while the outcome of the CVA process had yet to be determined, the move may result in the closure of 15% of its 449 restaurants across the country  or around 67 restaurants.

This decision is a very difficult one; however, against the current unprecedented backdrop, Pizza Express believes reducing the size of its estate will help it to protect 9,000 jobs, it said in a statement.

READ MORE: European stocks mixed as investors assess surging coronavirus cases

UK and Ireland managing director Zoe Bowley said that UK-wide coronavirus restrictions had hit the hospitality industry particularly hard.

As a result, it is with a heavy heart that we expect to permanently close a proportion of our restaurants, losing valued team members in the process, Bowley said.

The company had already been struggling under the weight of a 1.1bn ($1.4bn) debt pile, with interest payments on its loans more than offsetting its operating profits.

Pizza Express said that it had also hired advisers from financial advisory firm Lazard to conduct a sale process for the business.

The company is now owned by Chinese private investment firm Hony, which acquired it in 2014 from UK private equity firm Cinven.

READ MORE: BP halves dividend as it swings to record $6.7bn loss

While we have had to make some very difficult decisions, none of which has been taken lightly, we are confident in the actions being taken to reduce the level of debt, create a more focused business and improve the operational performance, all of which puts us in a much stronger position, said Andy Pellington, the companys group chief finance officer.

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The news comes in spite of the rollout of the governments landmark Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which will see the Treasury pay up to 50% of a customers bill at participating restaurants this month.

Pizza Express is one of the more than 72,000 businesses that have signed up to take part in the scheme. Independent eateries and well-known restaurants such as Nandos and Costa Coffee are also taking part.

The discount, which aims to keep more money in hardworking families pockets, applies to all food and non-alcoholic drinks, with a maximum discount of 10 per person, saving a family of four up to 40.

Anyone visiting a participating restaurant, cafe or pub on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays in August is eligible to receive the half-price discount.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 18:42:43|Editor: huaxia

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SUVA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Fiji has reported a alarming rate of child abuse cases from February to April this year, according to Fiji's Child Welfare Act national database.

Fiji reported a total of 122 child abuse cases in February, 97 cases in March and 90 cases in April.

The majority of the child victims were 16 to 17 years of age and more than half of them were girls. Of the reported child cases, child neglect cases stand at 95, physical abuse at 75 and Sexual abuse cases at 37.

Shairana Ali, chief executive of Fiji's Save the Children, said that the rise in the number of child abuse cases in Fiji is triggering concern in the community level.

"We are doing awareness at the grassroots level for communities to be in a position to recognize and be in a position to report as soon as they know or come to know off these issues," Ali told Fijian Broadcasting Corporation on Tuesday.

Currently, the Save the Children is working together with Fiji's Social Welfare Department to educate the public on learning to speak out and reporting signs of such acts.

In recent years, child abuse cases have sky-rocketed in the island nation.

The Child Welfare Act national database shows that 3,061 cases, involving children, were reported between 2016 and 2018.

More than 1,300 cases of child abuse were reported last year, a 22 percent increase compared to 838 cases recorded in 2018, also the highest reported since 2016. Enditem
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

New research into people's coping strategies faced with COVID-19 highlights the mental health toll for those shielding

Coronavirus and the imposition of lockdown this year 'significantly raised' mental health challenges, particularly so for the most vulnerable groups, including those shielding, according to the first study to look at people's coping styles in face of the pandemic.

The new research, published today in the journal American Psychologist, draws on survey responses from over 800 people recruited online and via social media who answered questions over a ten-day period when the UK was in full lockdown (from 1726 April 2020).

The study from psychologists at the University of Bath is the first study to substantiate extensive media debate that health anxieties were heightened as a result of the pandemic, and it is also the first study to indicate that those in vulnerable groups are clinically more distressed as a result.

Results suggest that a quarter of all participants revealed significantly elevated anxiety and depression, exacerbated by lockdown and isolation. Nearly 15% reached clinical levels of health anxiety, which reflects that health-related anxiety has become distressing and is likely to be causing preoccupation and disruption to normal activities. Health anxiety focusses on the fear of having or contracting a serious illness despite medical reassurance.

Lead author, Dr. Hannah Rettie from the University of Bath's Department of Psychology explains: "The COVID-19 pandemic has caused global uncertainty which has had a direct, detrimental effect on so many people across the UK and around the world. People have been unsure when they would see relatives again, job security has been rocked, there is an increased threat to many people's health and government guidance is continuously changing, leading to much uncertainty and anxiety.

"What our research focused in on is how some individuals have struggled to tolerate and adapt to these uncertaintiesmuch more so than in normal times. These results have important implications as we move to help people psychologically distressed by these challenging times in the weeks, months and years ahead."

Deeper analysis reveals that those in vulnerable groupsclassified according to the UK government 'vulnerable' categoriesreport twice the rates of health-related anxiety than the general population. Those who identified themselves in these categories were on average more anxious and depressed, with anxiety and health anxiety specifically significantly higher than in non-vulnerable groups. Those who are in the vulnerable group are at risk both physically and psychologically.

Average age of participants in the study was 38 years old, 22% of whom had a pre-existing medical condition. The majority of respondents were female (80% female: 20% male).

The team who led the work hope their findings can help inform clinical practice in dealing with the mental health aftermath caused by these tumultuous past six months. They suggest one of the most important findings concerns those in vulnerable groups who demonstrate significantly higher levels of distress yet are also those most likely to have shielded for longest. This needs to be addressed by policymakers to ensure adequate and appropriately tailored provision of mental health services moving forwards, they say.

The researchers suggest that clinicians could use their findings to target intolerance of uncertainty as part of standard psychological therapies, focussing on developing coping skills to reduce distress. This could also be extended to public resources, drawing out individuals' abilities to manage uncertainty and reduce reliance on less effective coping strategies, for example denial or self-blame.

Research lead Dr. Jo Daniels also of the Department of Psychology at Bath, who has written and spoken extensively about health anxiety and how this relates to coronavirus, added: "This is important research which looks at the potential mechanisms in COVID-19 related distress, a recently prioritised area of research. These findings can help us to tailor our existing psychological treatments to help those most in need but may also be useful in considering what coping strategies might be particularly helpful at a new time of uncertainty.

"We are also now better informed as to the likely number of the population that are experiencing clinical levels of health-related anxiety. This may serve to normalise distress at this difficult time and promote the uptake of emerging models of COVID-19 related distress for those who may need support at this time of uncertainty."

"While this research offers important insights into how common distress was during 'lockdown', it is important to stress that anxiety is a normal response to an abnormal situation such as a pandemic. It can be helpful to mobilise precautionary behaviours such as hand-washing and social distancing. Yet for many, as reflected in our findings, anxiety is reaching distressing levels and may continue despite easing of restrictionsit is essential we create service provision to meet this need, which is likely to be ongoing, particularly with current expectations of a second wave. Further longitudinal research is needed to establish how this may change over time."

More information: Hannah Rettie et al, Coping and tolerance of uncertainty: Predictors and mediators of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic., American Psychologist (2020). Journal information: American Psychologist Hannah Rettie et al, Coping and tolerance of uncertainty: Predictors and mediators of mental health during the COVID-19 pandemic.,(2020). DOI: 10.1037/amp0000710
Announcement of Periodic Review: Moody's announces completion of a periodic review of ratings of Asaka Bank

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

London, 03 August 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service ("Moody's") has completed a periodic review of the ratings of Asaka Bank and other ratings that are associated with the same analytical unit. The review was conducted through a portfolio review in which Moody's reassessed the appropriateness of the ratings in the context of the relevant principal methodology(ies), recent developments, and a comparison of the financial and operating profile to similarly rated peers. The review did not involve a rating committee. Since 1 January 2019, Moody's practice has been to issue a press release following each periodic review to announce its completion.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action and is not an indication of whether or not a credit rating action is likely in the near future. Credit ratings and outlook/review status cannot be changed in a portfolio review and hence are not impacted by this announcement. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

Key rating considerations are summarized below.

Asaka Bank's B1 long-term local currency deposit rating incorporates its b3 Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) and Moody's assessment of a very high probability of support from the Government of Uzbekistan (B1), which results in a two-notch rating uplift of the B1 local currency deposit rating from the BCA. Asaka Bank's long-term foreign currency deposit rating of B2 is capped by Uzbekistan's foreign currency deposit ceiling, also B2.

Asaka Bank's b3 BCA reflects increased level of problem loans and modest profitability metrics which will remain under pressure this year amid the slow economic growth in Uzbekistan worsened by the global spread of the coronavirus; At the same time, the bank's BCA remains supported by its good capital position. Other factors weighing on Asaka Bank's BCA are its material exposure to foreign-currency loans and modest liquidity.

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This document summarizes Moody's view as of the publication date and will not be updated until the next periodic review announcement, which will incorporate material changes in credit circumstances (if any) during the intervening period.

The principal methodology used for this review was Banks Methodology published in November 2019. Please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

This announcement applies only to EU rated and EU endorsed ratings. Non EU rated and non EU endorsed ratings may be referenced above to the extent necessary, if they are part of the same analytical unit.

This publication does not announce a credit rating action. For any credit ratings referenced in this publication, please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com for the most updated credit rating action information and rating history.

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The government is planning to bring in a law to ban trade in cryptocurrency, sources have told Moneycontrol, a move that will come as a huge blow to an industry that has been booming during the lockdown.

The Supreme Court had in March 2020 set aside a Reserve Bank of Indias circular that prohibited banks and financial institutions from providing services related to cryptocurrencies. Indian and overseas cryptocurrency majors have been waiting for clarity from the government or the RBI on digital tenders following the order.

"There was a view in the government that banning it through a law would be more binding. It will clearly define the illegality of the trade. We have forwarded a note to related ministries for inter-ministerial discussions," a government official told Moneycontrol on condition of anonymity.

ALSO READ: Crypto business takes off but industry still waiting for regulations

The government has been holding consultations with law ministry, ministry of information and technology and the RBI for a framework of a law that will formally end trading in cryptocurrency in India, the official said.

"We are working on it. After inter-ministerial consultations, it (the note) would be presented to the cabinet for approval. Once Parliament resumes for the session, we are hoping to get it ratified," the official said.

In 2018, the RBI prohibited regulated entities from providing services to any individual or business dealing in digital currencies like bitcoin.

Junking the RBI circular, the Supreme Court had said citizens had the right to create a new industry of cryptocurrencies and exchanges along with the fundamental right to trade.

The government had in 2017 set up a panel led by then finance secretary Subhash Garg to study the ecosystem of cryptocurrencies.

In its report, the panel proposed a ban on all forms of private virtual currencies. However, it also asked the RBI and the government to look at the possibility of official virtual currency.

It suggested a fine of up to Rs 25 crore and imprisonment of up to 10 years for anyone dealing in them.

The income tax department issued notices to 500,000 investors, bringing the platforms, which are private, trading in virtual currencies under the scanner.

The notices asked whether taxes had been paid on the rise in valuations after a surge in prices.

The indirect tax department, too, issued notices to the exchanges and sought explanations on whether they were treating cryptocurrencies as the supply of goods or services and if they were paying Goods and Services Tax.

As reported by Moneycontrol, millions of dollars worth of business in cryptocurrency is being done every week, with the lockdown pushing up the volumes. The government, industry insiders said, was losing out on precious revenue by not coming up with a regulatory mechanism.

A growing number of investors have found refuge in virtual currencies as traditional assets have taken a beating over worries about the health of the economy battered by the coronavirus outbreak.
New Delhi/Islamabad, Aug 4 : India on Tuesday slammed Pakistan, saying it is obsessed with territorial aggrandisement after the Imran Khan government issued a new political map which includes parts of Gujarat and the Union Territories of Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir.

Pakistan released its official "political map" which includes the erstwhile princely states of Junagadh and Jammu & Kashmir, which acceded to India in 1947 when the India subcontinent was Partitioned. However, Islamabad left the map open-ended in the UT of Ladakh, a part of which is under the Chinese occupation and where China has been locked in a faceoff with India along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The move comes a day ahead of the first anniversary of the reorganisation of the erstwhile Jammu and Kashmir state, which resulted in the nullification of its special status and creation of two UTs -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir -- last year.

Reacting sharply to Islamabad's offensive, the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi in a statement rubbished it is as a "so-called political map" of Pakistan released by Prime Minister Imran Khan.

Describing it as "an exercise in political absurdity", the government said that Pakistan was laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and the Indian Union Territories of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.

"These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism," the government said.

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan while releasing the new political map said that it is "the most historic day in Pakistan's history". He said the map represented the aspirations of the entire nation and all the political parties in Pakistan.

The Imran Khan-led government has called for observing August 5 as 'Yaum-i-Istehsal' (day of exploitation) in Pakistan.
Rotary Club of Birmingham has received a major grant to help in the fight against cervical cancer in Sri Lanka.

Rotary International has awarded almost $400,000 to the club and its partners - the ONeal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB, The Rotary Club of Colombo, Sri Lanka, the Ashok Leyland Co. and the Sri Lankan Ministry of Health.

Sri Lanka, located in the Indian Ocean just off the coast of India, is a nation of more then 21 million people.

Dan Stephens, executive director of the Rotary Club of Birmingham, said work on the project will begin once travel and social restrictions due to the coronavirus pandemic are eased.

The funds will be used to develop training materials for health professionals in Sri Lanka, to purchase testing equipment for use in Sri Lanka, and to have UAB experts who are Rotarians travel to the nation to train health professionals there, in partnership with the Sri Lankan ministry of health.

Our club has had a multi-year partnership with the Rotary Club of Colombo, Sri Lanka, that started with a project to make mammography and other cancer screening equipment available several years ago, Stephens said. Our members have traveled there several times, and their members have visited Birmingham as well.

International partners are also contributing other funds, goods, and services, such as the actual vaccines, which will be purchased by Sri Lankan Ministry of Health, and commercial buses from the Ashok Leyland Co. will be used as mobile clinics.

Cervical cancer can be preventable, since the discovery of human papillomarvirus, or HPV, as the cause of it and other related cancers. Boys and girls can be protected from these cancers through HPV vaccination, and adult women can be screened through HPV testing, which detects risk for cervical cancer before cancer develops.

The cancer effort is based on Rotarys earlier work to eliminate the threat of polio.

As we have seen with other diseases, like polio, having the tools is not enough, Isabel Scarinci, a senior leader at the ONeal Comprehensive Cancer Center said. Scarinci is a Rotary Club member and co-leader of the project.

Stephens said many communities within Alabama suffer from high rates of preventable diseases, such as cervical cancer. Information learned in this project could benefit communities locally and across the globe.
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has warned the Akufo-Addo government to stop what they termed as deliberate agenda of tribal discrimination and bigotry hatched by President Akufo-Addo to frustrate and disenfranchise some Ghanaians.



The NDC believes the government is in cahoots with the security services to intimidate and prevent Voltarians and non-Akans from taking part in the voter registration exercise across the country.



The partys Communications Officer, Sammy Gyamfi said this during the NDCs 9th edition of its weekly press briefing at their Headquarters.



He played a number of video recordings of separate incidents that took place in Banda, Ahafo Ano North, Sekyere Afram Plains, Ketu South, and Oti Region to support their allegations against the governing party.



The NDC is deeply worried and totally aghast at what appears to be a deliberate agenda of tribal discrimination, hatched by President Akufo-Addo and the NPP, to frustrate and disenfranchise Ghanaians of certain tribes from acquiring Voter ID cards that will qualify them to exercise their democratic right to choose a President and Members of Parliament on 7th December 2020, he said.



Indeed, we have long known about this diabolic and nation-wrecking agenda. You would recall that as part of our resistance against the compilation of a new voters register, we argued forcefully that the ECs entrenched and unjustifiable decision to compile a new voters register at all cost, was part of a grand scheme to help the NPP/Akufo-Addo government suppress votes and disenfranchise many in NDC strongholds. Yet some of you our friends in the media did not believe us. As a matter of fact, some of you have always challenged us to produce evidence to back our claim.



Today, we will be showing evidence of state-sponsored discrimination and unlawful prevention of thousands of Ghanaians belonging to various ethnic groups, including Ewes, people of Northern descent, and other non-Akans from registering at various registration centres across the length and breadth of Ghana, the NDC Communications Officer insisted.



Read the full statement below;



Good morning distinguished friends from the media. It is always my greatest pleasure to welcome you to the headquarters of the great National Democratic Congress. We remain grateful to you for availing your esteemed platforms to us to engage the Ghanaian people on national issues that are critical to the development of our beloved country.



We have invited you here today to address a very worrying development currently playing out in the ongoing voter registration exercise, which threatens to throw our nation into full-blown ethnic unrest if not checked.



The NDC is deeply worried and totally aghast at what appears to be a deliberate agenda of tribal discrimination, hatched by President Akufo-Addo and the NPP, to frustrate and disenfranchise Ghanaians of certain tribes from acquiring Voter ID Cards that will qualify them to exercise their democratic right to choose a President and Members of Parliament on 7th December 2020.



Indeed, we have long known about

this diabolic and nation-wrecking agenda. You would recall that as part of our resistance against the compilation of a new voters register, we argued forcefully that the ECs entrenched and unjustifiable decision to compile a new voters register at all cost, was part of a grand scheme to help the NPP/Akufo-Addo government suppress votes and disenfranchise many in NDC strongholds. Yet some of you our friends in the media did not believe us. As a matter of fact, some of you have always challenged us to produce evidence to back our claim.



Today, we will be showing evidence of state-sponsored discrimination and unlawful prevention of thousands of Ghanaians belonging to various ethnic groups, including Ewes, people of Northern descent and other non-Akans from registering at various registration centers across the length and breadth of Ghana. Hopefully, this time, you will appreciate the NPPs clandestine agenda to deploy voter suppression through ethnocentric discrimination to rig the 2020 general elections and the danger that portends for the democracy and stability of this country.



Banda Constituency

Distinguished friends from the media, we will start from the Banda Constituency in the Bono region of Ghana where armed military men and NPP hoodlums are terrorizing and brutalizing innocent citizens believed to be Ewes in the ongoing voter registration exercise.



I am sure some of you may have seen a short video that emerged from Banda Ahenkro in the Bono Region over the weekend. In that video, a man identified as Awuku Gyeabia, the Asiakwahene of the Banda Ahenkro Traditional Council is seen openly confronting armed military men who stormed a registration center to forcibly prevent people who are believed to be settlers of the Ewe tribe from registering in the Banda Constituency.



The chief, while calling out President Akufo-Addo for encouraging the ethnocentric military invasion of the area, also gave a brief history of the Ewe people on Banda soil, which dates back to as far as 1919, long before the Gold Coast became Ghana.



Just like the chief in that video, many are perplexed at how these settlers who have lived in Banda area for over 100 years, and have voted in the area since 1992 suddenly do not qualify to register and vote in the Banda Constituency now that Akufo Addo is President.



The harassment and brutalization of innocent Ghanaians by some military personnel and NPP thugs at several peaceful registration centers in the Banda Constituency has exacerbated tensions in that Constituency and created a situation where several thousands of people have not been able to register.



Over the weekend, we received reports of severe brutalities being meted out to people of the Ewe tribe in a community called Bator Akanyakrom, a fishing community which has been relocated as part of the Bui Dam Resettlement Plan. As a matter of fact, Akanyakrom is a community of Ewe people located in the Banda District of the Bono Region. This community has existed since the 1920s, when these settlers who are predominantly fishers got attracted to the area due to its fishing potential. However, and quite unfortunately, it has been the plan of the despotic and tribalistic Akufo Addo government to physically and violently prevent these Ghanaians from taking part in the ongoing voter registration exercise on grounds that they are Togolese.



We must also add, that due to the relocation of settlements to make way for the Bui Reservoir, most of the Ewe people of Akanyakrom, especially those from communities such as Dokokyina have found themselves on one side of the Dam, whilst others remained upstream of the dam, and mostly go fishing, staying for several weeks and months before coming back on market days. The number of people who are currently staying upstream are close to 42,000, whilst those at the Bono side are about 20,000 people, if not more. These are all Ghanaians that President Akufo Addo and the NPP are bent on disenfranchising on the basis of their tribe and nothing more.



It is worth mentioning that these events in the Banda Constituency were heralded by a capricious and inhumane decision to demolish the homes of an indigenous Ewe community around Bui under the auspices of the Bui Dam Authority, for allegedly posing an unspecified danger to the Dam. This exercise was designed to unsettle the people and render them incapable of part-taking in the ongoing voter registration exercise.



Over the weekend, NPP thugs, ably supported by military men in uniform, police and immigration officers stationed themselves at the landing beach at Bongase and physically prevented these people from going into the community to register, including people who wanted to visit the clinic to seek healthcare. Some of the people were brutally assaulted, and those who managed to get to the registration centers were denied the process completely. It is instructive to note, that all these people were not challenged as the law demands. Instead, they were attacked and beaten up, while several of them remained on the river, unable to dock.



Again, on Sunday, August 2, 2020, known thugs of the NPP besieged the Akanyakrom Funeral Grounds registration center, beat up people who had turned up to register, including elderly women and injured several of them. The registration exercise got disrupted, the police were called in, they came to meet those NPP thugs in khaki and black uniforms, but watched on while these thugs jumped into their vehicles and drove off, only to return intermittently to unleash more violence.



Friends from the media, it is this situation which compelled our General Secretary who hails from the area and has served as Member of Parliament of the Banda Constituency to visit these areas last Sunday as part of his monitoring activities, leading to a confrontation between him and some armed military officers who had mounted a road block and were preventing innocent Ghanaians belonging to the Ewe tribe from crossing into the nearby community to register.



Only this morning, five (5) Voltarians whose eligibility were challenged upon registration and were on their way to attend the adjudication committee meeting of the EC, were attacked by some armed NPP hoodlums belonging to the NPPs Delta Forces around the Bui Lake close to Bongase. Three (3) of them who sustained series injuries managed to escape, whiles two (2) of them were kidnapped by the NPP hoodlums, a situation that is currently generating a lot tension in the area and has led to the suspension of the entire registration process at Akanyakrom by the EC citing heightened insecurity.



Ladies and gentlemen of the media, this is how serious the matter is and the earlier President Akufo Addo halted the ongoing ethnocentric harassment of innocent Ghanaians in the area, the better it will be for the nation.



Ahafo Ano North Constituency

Ladies and Gentlemen, another area which had recorded similar happenings is the Ahafo Ano North Constituency, where armed military men are aiding Electoral Commission Officials to deny hundreds of people of northern descent, predominantly of the Grumah tribe from taking part in the Voter Registration Exercise, despite majority of them possessing Ghana Cards, one of the requirements needed to register. Their only crime according to their oppressors is that, they do not bear Akan names and therefore cannot be identified as hailing from the Ahafo Ano North Constituency.



Not even the presence of the media to highlight these obvious infractions of the law has been able to convince the EC and the armed military men deployed to the area to allow these Ghanaian citizens to register.



Still in Ahafo Ano South Constituency, on Saturday July 11 2020, the BVR kits deployed to the D/A Primary School Akwadaanyame 1 Registration Centre stopped functioning few hours after the start of the exercise and many attempts by the EC officials to resolve the issue was unsuccessful. Unfortunately, the District EC Officer declined the request to replace the BVR and claimed they simply needed an IT technician to rectify the situation, it took 4 hours for the IT technician to arrive, and regrettably, he was unable to resolve the situation. This was the last day for the 2nd phase of the exercise. Yet, at about 4pm, the over 300 registrants most of whom are Ewes and Northerners who were waiting in the queue to register were aggressively dispersed by armed Military men in the area. It will interest you to note that this registration center is a known stronghold of the NDC in the constituency.



SEKYERE AFRAM PLAINS CONSTITUENCY

Similarly, in the Sekyere Afram Plains Constituency, on Thursday 9th July 2020, NDC supporters who in accordance with our electoral laws challenged some registrants at the Sekyere Afram Plains District office of the EC on grounds that they are not residence of the area were arrested by the military and beaten to pulp and Locked up at the Drobonso Police Station based on the suspicion that they were foreigners



Ketu South Constituency

Ladies and gentlemen of the media, the election-driven ethnic victimization of Voltarians by the NPP/Akufo Addo-government continues to manifest in the Ketu South Constituency of the Volta Region as we speak.



It is trite knowledge, and indeed a matter of public record, that the Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and other NPP bigwigs have long singled out the Ketu South Constituency for their election-driven myth of a so-called bloated register. As we all know, this myth is backed by no evidential value, other than fictitious and imaginary fallacies championed by Dr. Bawumia. And so, throughout the ongoing registration exercise, Ketu South has been reduced to a military zone, where combined forces of military personnel, National Security Operatives, Immigration and Customs Officers sometimes storm peoples homes, ransack them and molest innocent Ghanaian citizens in search of so-called Togolese nationals who allegedly attempt to part-take in the voter registration exercise.



This dehumanizing and disturbing tribal bigotry being sanctioned by President Akufo Addo and the NPP in the Ketu South Constituency has degenerated into preposterous extremes, where security officials now indiscriminately attack vehicles conveying people to funerals, markets and other places, and literally beat them up on suspicion that they are being conveyed to registration centers.



Scenes of uniformed military personnel at peaceful polling stations and streets of the Ketu South Constituency and other parts of the Volta Region over the past few weeks, accurately describe the posturing of the Akufo-Addo government towards a group of people this regime considers unfavourable to its reelection bid.



If we may ask, when did it become a crime to be deemed as loyal to a particular political tradition? Are political strongholds not commonplace in most jurisdictions around the world? Why is President Akufo-Addo up in arms against an innocent ethnic group just to massage his political ego? Is the President not supposed to unite rather than divide us?



Only last week, the Volta Regional Minister, Dr. Archibald Yao Letsa led a team of military personnel to the Ketu South Constituency after reports emerged of high enthusiasm among the people of the area to defy the intimidation antics of NPP to register in their numbers. Dr. Archibald Letsa was accompanied by Hon. Elliot Edem Agbenorwu, the Municipal Chief Executive of Ketu South who turned himself into a Citizenship Inspector, by personally confronting majority of his own indigenes and forcibly preventing them from taking part in the registration exercise.



Sadly, these are high-ranking government officials in the Volta Region, who are fully aware of the challenge rules governing this registration exercise, yet they are gladly lending themselves as pliant agents of President Akufo-Addos tribal agenda against their own tribesmen for political capital.



OTI REGION

Ladies and gentlemen, the situation is not different in the Oti Region. Only yesterday, about 17 Ghanaians who were in a queue waiting for their turn to register at a village called Kpena in the Nkwanta South Constituency of the Oti region, were arrested by armed National Security operatives on grounds that they speak French, hence are Togolese. In the process, the so-called National Security operatives without any provocation fired warning shots at the registration center thereby disrupting the entire registration exercise at the center. Ladies and gentlemen, since when did



Other incidents in the Asougyaman Constituency, Atiwa East Constituency and other parts of the Eastern Region



Friends from the media, we also wish to bring to your attention similar acts of ethnic discrimination and tribal bigotry being pursued by the Akufo Addo-government in parts of the Eastern Region so you appreciate how widespread this evil agenda is.



In the Asougyaman Constituency for instance, Ewe settler communities have witnessed the deployment of two military groups, made up of both uniformed and non-uniformed armed men who are going around molesting and terrorizing innocent people. The uniformed military men are being led by one Lieutenant Daniel Opoku, whilst the non-uniformed troop is being commanded by one Sergeant Bio, who often resorts to brandishing offensive weapons at innocent civilians at various registration centers, as was witnessed at the Senchi registration center recently.



In the Atiwa East Constituency, Hon. Abena Osei Asare, MP and Deputy Minister for Finance has been terrorizing and physically preventing non-Akans from partaking in the ongoing registration exercise. During the fourth phase of the registration exercise, Hon. Abena Osei Asare, together with the Anyinam Police Commander and some thugs belonging to the NPP, stormed the houses of about 30 non-Akans who registered unchallenged at Anyinam and forcibly took their voter ID cards from them with the excuse that they are not Ghanaians. It was this same Deputy Finance Minister, Abena Osei Asare, who stormed registration centers at Abekwaase in the Atiwa East Constituency with armed NPP bandits and physically chased out all Non-Akans at the three (3) registration centers during the fourth (4th) phase of the registration exercise.



Similar happenings in the Central Region

In the Central Region, ethnic discrimination via state sponsored military intimidation and orchestrated thuggery have been widespread since the ongoing voter registration began in the Upper Denkyira West Constituency and other areas. The aim, obviously, is to disenfranchise Voltarians and northerners in areas like Denkyira Adaboi, Denkyira Abura, Denkyira Bremang, Denkyira Brofoyedru, Denkyira Domenase, and currently, Denkyira ANANEKROM where the intimidating activities of NPP hoodlums have reached an alarming crescendo.



These communities have large Ewe and Northern population because of mining in the Offin River and Farming. In these places, the NPP MP for Upper Denkyira West, Samuel Nsowah Gyan with his youth organizers acting as hoodlums have on some occasions, yanked registrants off registration queues saying they were either Ewes, and therefore Togolese ; or Northerners, and therefore Burkinabes.



It will interest you to note, that in some cases public announcements are caused to be made at the outset of the registration exercise to warn ewes, northerners and other minority groups to stay away from registration centers if they valued their lives and properties. For these NPP hoodlums, the resort to the use of challenge forms is alien to them as they display violence in the full glare of the security personnel at the registration centers.



This state-sponsored ethnic discrimination and tribal bigotry in the ongoing voter registration exercise targeting Voltarians, Northerners and Muslims in our Zongo communities is very pervasive in the Upper Denkyira East and West, Assin North, Central and South, Twifo Atti Morkwaa, Awutu Senya East and West, Agona West and East Constituencies of Central Region.



The dishonesty and hypocrisy of President Akufo-Addo

Distinguished friends from the media, despite the fact that some of the above shameful incidents have been widely reported in both the traditional and social media space, President Akufo Addo who is the sponsor, promoter and ultimate beneficiary of the ongoing electoral-driven ethnocentrism and tribal bigotry has failed to take any action to nip these disturbing acts in the bud.



We in the NDC are not surprised by the posturing of President Akufo-Addo towards this rather worrying trend, because this has always been his plan. This is why he has chosen to see nor hear any evil about any infamy or injustice to the Ghanaian people, once it advances his electoral fortunes.



Only last week Friday, President Akufo-Addo claimed in his speech delivered to Muslim leaders in Asawase during the celebration of Eid, that the ongoing Voter Registration exercise has been peaceful in the Ashanti Region and across the country. The President further claimed that every Ghanaian has been allowed to take part in the registration exercise and that no one has been denied the chance to register on account of their tribe and ethnicity, because there is unity and togetherness among Ghanaians.



How dishonest can Akufo Addo be? We know that the President was not misled by his handlers on this occasion. President Akufo-Addo knows deep down his heart, that he currently presides over a country where ethnic tensions are alarmingly high and threatens the peace and cohesion of the nation. President Akufo-Addo knows fully well, that thousands of Ghanaians are being threatened, molested and physically prevented from taking part in the ongoing registration exercise simply because they are Ewes, Grumahs, Gonjas, Frafas, Moshie or belong to other ethnic groups.



The media space is awash with incontrovertible video and pictorial evidence on these happenings. Yet as usual, he has chosen the path of deception and dishonesty to throw dust into eyes of unsuspecting members of the public to conceal the evil tribalistic voter suppression agenda he is supervising. The odious dishonesty and hypocrisy being displayed by President Akufo Addo in this matter is the height of insensitivity and an insult to the intelligence of Ghanaians and must be condemned. But we know that the good people of this country are discerning and very much aware of what is going on, and will not be hoodwinked by his lies anymore.



We have also taken notice of a laboured effort by the Defence Minister, Dominic Nitiwul to attempt to justify some of the ethnocentric events we have witnessed in the ongoing registration. The Defence Minister's ludicrous attempt to explain away the sheer use of brute force and physical assault by certain elements in the once revered Ghana Armed Forces to prevent some legitimate Ghanaians from taking part in the ongoing registration process, only goes to reinforce President Akufo-Addo's attitude of 'see no evil, hear no evil'.



For the Defense Minister of Ghana to be justifying the unfortunate use of armed soldiers in peacetime to terrorize innocent civilians belonging to a particular ethnic group in areas such as Banda, Oti Region and Ketu South is ample testament to a deliberate targeting of that ethnic group, regardless of where they find themselves.



Dominic Nitiwul should stop the unlawful use of armed military men to harass innocent Ghanaians based their tribe or ethnicity in the ongoing voter registration exercise, if he still has a conscience or shut up and spare us his lies if he has nothing meaningful to say. We have had enough of their chicanery and insults.



Conclusion

Distinguished friends from the media, never in the history of Ghana, have we seen this level of tribal discrimination, lawlessness and divisiveness in our body politics as we are witnessing today under the despotic, tyrannical and tribalistic Akufo Addo government.



What is happening is shameful and totally reprehensible, and has the potential to plunge our beloved country into civil unrest if not halted.



The NDC is a political tradition that holds dear the peace, unity and development of our beloved Ghana because we are patriotic and also guided by history. We are very much aware of the divisions that our dear nation suffered in the immediate pre and post-independence era.



In addition, the deep scars of the obnoxious and ethnocentric aliens compliance order in the early 1970s under Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia  a celebrated forbearer of the NPP  which drove people perceived to be non-Ghanaians from Ghana remains an eternal dark spot in our history.



It is, therefore, surprising but as others put it, not unsurprising that Nana Akufo-Addo whose father served as the President of Ghana during Dr Busias era will repeat such travesty of justice against sections of Ghanaians just because of their ethnicity.



We unreservedly condemn the misuse of the military, police service and other security services to intimidate and harass innocent citizens in the ongoing voter registration exercise. Under our electoral laws, where an eligible voter must register to vote is determined by residence and not tribe or ethnicity. We equally wish to make the point, that under the laws of Ghana, the provision of security for voter registration and other election related activities is the responsibility of the Ghana Police Service and not the Ghana Armed Forces.



No military officer has the right or power to prevent any person who turns up at voter registration centers from registering. Therefore, the deployment of military officers to harass and prevent people from registering in the ongoing voter registration exercise as we are witnessing across the country is unlawful and unacceptable and must cease immediately.



For emphasis, It does not take ones lineage of the Grumah, Ewe, Ga, Dagomba or Akan ethnic Group to qualify to be registered. Rather, it is ones proof of residence and possession of either a Ghana Card, a Ghanaian Passport or two guarantors, which qualifies one to have his or her name registered in any part of this country.



Also there are clear rules under our electoral system that allows political party agents to challenge any registrant they consider ineligible. Therefore, brazen lawlessness that NPP hoodlums and a few unscrupulous military men are engaging in by brutalizing innocent citizens and preventing them from registering based on their tribe must cease forthwith.



The NDC demands the immediate withdrawal of military men who have been deployed for the purpose of the ongoing voter registration exercise in the Banda constituency, the Central Region, Ahafo Ano North Constituency, Ketu South, constituency, Oti Region, and other parts of the country.



We wish to remind President Akufo-Addo that Ghana remains a unitary state, and that Ghanaians must continue to be united by a common destiny and not by tribal or ethnic cleavages.



Ladies and gentlemen of the media, we acknowledge the vital role you in the media have played and continue to play towards sustaining the peace and modest developmental gains we have chalked as a nation. We call on you who are the fourth estate of the realm, Moral Society, Traditional Leaders, CSOs and all men and women of conscience to rise up and speak out against the well orchestrated ethnic discrimination, harassment and tribal bigotry in the ongoing voter registration exercise being supervised President Akufo Addo and his New Patriotic Party.



Ghana is a peaceful country. And we all have a duty to God and country to speak up against the shameful culture of tribalism, ethnocentrism, divisiveness and lawlessness that President Akufo Addo is gradually normalizing and entrenching in our body politics.



We have entered the final phase of the Electoral Commissions voter registration exercise, yet there are several thousands of Ghanaian citizens who have not been able to register due to a state-sponsored ethnocentric discrimination being championed by President Akufo Addo and his failed NPP regime against people belonging to certain tribes.



We wish to encourage all such Ghanaians and all the teeming supporters of the NDC not to give up, but to persist and defy the intimidation antics of the despotic, tribalistic and tyrannical NPP/Akufo-Addo-government.



We have an opportunity on 7th December to vote out Akufo Addo and stop the ongoing tyranny and tribal bigotry. To refuse to register to vote is to allow this evil to triumph. The John&Jane ticket is our only hope for a united and peaceful Ghana, where the rights of all will be respected irrespective of their ethnicity or tribe.



And so let us all go out in our numbers in the next four days, starting from today, to register to be able to vote in the December polls. It is only by so doing, that we can accomplish the mission of kicking out this tribalistic and nepotistic Akufo Addo-government. That is the only way we can restore Ghana back on the path of peace, togetherness and true progress.



We cannot survive four (4) more years of tribal bigotry, four (4) more years of harassment, four (4) more years of violence and lawlessness, four (4) more years of bastardization of state institutions and four (4) more years of injustice under despotic Akufo-Addo.



Thank you for your attention.

Source: peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Caladium Investments, an affiliate of Singapore's GIC, has raised its stake in private sector lender Bandhan Bank to 7.79 per cent from 4.49 per cent earlier. The acquisition of shares was done through open market on August 3, Bandhan Bank said in a regulatory filing.

Caladium Investment, an affiliate of Singapore's sovereign wealth fund, now owns 12.54 crore equity shares in the Kolkata-based bank.

Earlier on Monday, Bandhan Bank's main shareholder Bandhan Financial Holdings Limited (BFHL or NOFHC) sold Rs 10,500 crore worth of equity stake in the private sector lender through a block deal. The promoter, which owned 60.95 per cent shares in the lender, offloaded about 20.95 per cent stake in Bandhan Bank. The block deal involved selling 33.74 crore shares in the lender at a floor price of Rs 311 per share, a discount of 10 per cent against Friday closing price of Rs 345.25.

Also Read: Bandhan Bank share price falls over 8% after promoter sells shares worth Rs 10,500 crore

The move was part of the bank's effort to bring down promoter shareholding in the lender to meet the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) regulatory norms. As per the RBI's new banking licensing norms, banks have to bring down the promoter holding to 40 per cent within three years from the date of commencement of business. Bandhan Bank started operations as a universal bank on August 22, 2018.

Also Read: Bandhan Bank promoter to sell stake worth Rs 10,500 crore via block deal

Meanwhile, Bandhan Bank shares closed Tuesday's trade at Rs 306.90, down 0.57 per cent, against previous closing price of Rs 308.65 on the Bombay Stock Exchange.

By Chitranjan Kumar
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: The Covid containment measures undertaken in Chennai may be replicated elsewhere in the State, Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani said during a review meeting at Ripon building on Monday.

Health Minister C Vijayabaskar, Fisheries Minister D Jayakumar, Revenue and Disaster Management Minister RB Udayakumar, Transport Minister MR Vijayabhaskar and Tamil Development Minister K Pandiarajan took part in the meeting.

A press release from the city corporation following the meeting quoted Velumani as saying that various measures undertaken in Chennai including increased testing, special fever camps, door-to-door surveys, contact tracing and isolation, special measures for densely populated areas like slums and micro-level containment plan helped contain Covid in Chennai. These measures may be replicated in the rest of the State.

As on Sunday, 1,01,951 people had been affected by the virus in the State, among whom 87,604 had recovered, the statement said. Out of the 39,537 streets in the city, only 5,549 have been affected by the virus, it added. Further, 44 sample collection centres and another 10 mobile sample collection centres have been set up. Around 12,000-15,000 tests are being carried out in the city every day and tests per million has reached 87,000.

In addition, a monitoring scheme to keep track of those under home isolation through telephone has benefitted 25,011 people, the statement said. Meanwhile, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare J Radhakrishnan and Corporation Commissioner G Prakash inaugurated a quarantine centre handed over by the Rajasthani Health Foundation. Talking to reporters after the inauguration, Radhakrishnan congratulated the efforts of the city corporation in achieving a positivity rate of below 10%.

No time to relax

Corporation Commissioner G Prakash said the civic body will not relax and residents should continue to cooperate with the measures it undertakes for the next three months
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Both national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines and low-cost Vietjet Air reported heavy losses in the second quarter of this year and cumulative first-half deficits as a result of industry disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its consolidated financial statement for the second quarter of 2020, Vietnam Airlines reported revenues of just VND6 trillion (US$257 million), a 68-percent fall from the previous quarter.

The corporation suffered quarterly losses of VND4.03 trillion ($172.72 million), raising the total losses in the first half of the year to more than VND6.64 trillion ($284.26 million).

It blamed the decline on the COVID-19 pandemic, which forced it to suspend all international flights and also limit domestic services during the social distancing period in early April.

Vietnam Airlines is seeking an urgent bailout of VND12 trillion ($514.3 million) from the government to help it overcome financial difficulties.

Meanwhile, Vietjet Air expanded 52 domestic routes, operated 14,000 flights, and carried more than two million passengers in the second quarter, according to its report.

The low-cost airline recorded revenues of VND1.97 trillion ($84.4 million) in airway transportation, a decline of 54 percent from the previous quarter.

The carrier posted airway losses of VND1.1 trillion ($47.1 million) in the second quarter, or more than 50 percent of its first-half losses of VND2.1 trillion ($90 million).

However, the company offset these losses by asset transfer solutions and financial investments, which brought in VND1.1 trillion in financial turnover.

Vietjet Air thus gained a post-tax profit of VND1 trillion ($42.85 million) in the second quarter, and a first-half post-tax profit of VND73.6 billion ($3.15 million).

Globally, airlines are set to lose $84 billion as the coronavirus pandemic reduces revenue by half to mark the worst year in the sectors history, Reuters quoted the International Air Transport Association (IATA) forecast in June.

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Alpha Pro Tech, Ltd.'s (NYSEMKT:APT) price-to-earnings (or "P/E") ratio of 45.6x might make it look like a strong sell right now compared to the market in the United States, where around half of the companies have P/E ratios below 17x and even P/E's below 9x are quite common. Although, it's not wise to just take the P/E at face value as there may be an explanation why it's so lofty.

Recent times have been quite advantageous for Alpha Pro Tech as its earnings have been rising very briskly. The P/E is probably high because investors think this strong earnings growth will be enough to outperform the broader market in the near future. You'd really hope so, otherwise you're paying a pretty hefty price for no particular reason.

Check out our latest analysis for Alpha Pro Tech

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Want the full picture on earnings, revenue and cash flow for the company? Then our free report on Alpha Pro Tech will help you shine a light on its historical performance.

Is There Enough Growth For Alpha Pro Tech?

The only time you'd be truly comfortable seeing a P/E as steep as Alpha Pro Tech's is when the company's growth is on track to outshine the market decidedly.

If we review the last year of earnings growth, the company posted a terrific increase of 72%. Pleasingly, EPS has also lifted 175% in aggregate from three years ago, thanks to the last 12 months of growth. Accordingly, shareholders would have probably welcomed those medium-term rates of earnings growth.

Comparing that to the market, which is predicted to shrink 0.6% in the next 12 months, the company's positive momentum based on recent medium-term earnings results is a bright spot for the moment.

With this information, we can see why Alpha Pro Tech is trading at a high P/E compared to the market. Investors are willing to pay more for a stock they hope will buck the trend of the broader market going backwards. However, its current earnings trajectory will be very difficult to maintain against the headwinds other companies are facing at the moment.

Story continues

The Key Takeaway

Using the price-to-earnings ratio alone to determine if you should sell your stock isn't sensible, however it can be a practical guide to the company's future prospects.

We've established that Alpha Pro Tech maintains its high P/E on the strength of its recentthree-year growth beating forecasts for a struggling market, as expected. At this stage investors feel the potential for a deterioration in earnings isn't great enough to justify a lower P/E ratio. Our only concern is whether its earnings trajectory can keep outperforming under these tough market conditions. Although, if the company's relative performance doesn't change it will continue to provide strong support to the share price.

You should always think about risks. Case in point, we've spotted 2 warning signs for Alpha Pro Tech you should be aware of.

You might be able to find a better investment than Alpha Pro Tech. If you want a selection of possible candidates, check out this free list of interesting companies that trade on a P/E below 20x (but have proven they can grow earnings).

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.
Chandigarh, Aug 4 : The PGI Hospital here is among the 17 trial sites in India for conducting the second and third phases of human clinical trials of Covishield, the potential vaccine developed by Oxford University, its director said on Tuesday.

The trials would involve administration of the vaccine to 1,600 healthy adults across 17 sites.

Postgraduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER) Director Jagat Ram said, "It's an honour to be entrusted with this vital responsibility of being one of the sites for phase two and three trials on Covishield vaccine.

"The results of phase one trials in the UK have been encouraging and did not present any serious adverse side effects. Phase two and three trials will be done on a larger human population to see its efficacy and requisite protection against COVID-19 in humans." Further detailing, the Director added, "As the results of the trials will have far reaching impact, we will strengthen our capacities, wherever required, to come out with tangible outcomes.

"A core group will be constituted to work out the modalities and comprehensive plan along with timelines to meet the desired expectations of Drugs Controller General of India and contribute towards containing the pandemic to the best of our abilities." Earlier, a committee of experts on COVID-19 under Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) had recommended the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) to grant approval to the Serum Institute of India (SII) for conducting the Phase two and three trials.

The permission was granted after the Serum institute satisfied certain requirements sought by the Drug Controller in the design of the proposal.

In addition to PGIMER Chandigarh, the other sites for trials include AIIMS in Delhi, ABJ Medical College in Pune, Rajendra Memorial Research Institute of Medical Sciences (RMRIMS) in Patna, AIIMS in Jodhpur, Nehru Hospital in Gorakhpur, Andhra Medical College in Visakhapatnam and JSS Academy of Higher Education and Research in Mysuru.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text




Editor's note: Tom Fowdy is a British political and international relations analyst and a graduate of Durham and Oxford universities. He writes on topics pertaining to China, the DPRK, Britain and the U.S. The article reflects the author's opinions, and not necessarily the views of CGTN.

There was more drama in the saga concerning popular social media application TikTok today as U.S. President Donald Trump is to set a 45-day deadline for ByteDance to sell its American operations, and then demanded that a share of the proceeds be paid to the U.S. treasury.

It comes as speculations continue to mount on talks with American technology giants considering its future, amid reports that the company may also relocate its headquarters in London, an announcement which drew a positive response from Boris Johnson but was berated by the hardliners in Conservative Party's anti-China fringe.

Amidst all the controversy and beyond Trump's aggressive technology protectionism, there is one strategic point which observers are failing to note in regard to disdain for TikTok, that is the challenge the application poses to America's global allied surveillance and data sharing network commonly known as "The Five Eyes" (FVEY).

With a Reuters report also having stated that Microsoft may be looking to also buy TikTok's operations in Australia, Canada and New Zealand, a clear pattern emerges. Although it is argued by the critics that data in the application is being sent to China (without evidence) in practice these countries are disdainful of a major social media network which cannot fall under their own data collection systems. This is why there is an obsession that a U.S. tech giant controls it.

It has been elaborated multiple times how the U.S. crusade against TikTok is simply about preserving American technological hegemony and aggressively stifling competitors. This doesn't need to be elaborated again.

The fact the U.S. president himself is weaponizing threats and coercion to push this deal through is self-explanatory, not least as much as it is an unacceptable abuse of power by the American government to undermine rival companies.

However, what does "hegemony" mean in this particular instance? TikTok is a video-sharing social networking service with a majority of users who are youngsters, whilst it is commercially successful it does not appear such as Huawei, to be a "strategic technology" that can change the balance of power between two countries, so what is the issue which links it to great power politics?

The answer is what it is being accused of - data, albeit at a different angle. TikTok is being widely considered the first successful Chinese video social media application which exists beyond the power of American technology giants.

Whilst the point of competition is raised above, its rise to become the most downloaded application in the world is not a surveillance threat itself (as this has never been proven) but in fact that it undermines America and its allies' global surveillance operations by taking away a new generation of young people beyond their reach.

In the United States, the PRISM and ECHELON programs harvest data from Silicon Valley giants and distribute it amongst the other "four eyes" (Australia, Canada, New Zealand and UK) accordingly and vice versa.

As a result, it is imperative for the U.S. and its allies to keep this system in place by ensuring that global social media remains under their control, giving them a strategic hold over the entire world.

TikTok challenges this not because it allegedly gives data to China, but because it denies access to data from their own citizens, which exists beyond their sphere of political power.

This is why the United States are so obsessed with ensuring that an American company such as Microsoft controls it, so that then TikTok becomes co-opted by default (as Microsoft is a participant) into these programs, thus allowing the National Security Agency to gain insight into 80 million Americans which they previously did not have. This explains why the potential sale may expand into three of these other countries as well.

In this case, attacks against the application are in fact a form of projection, it's not so much "China stealing data" (for this is just a politicized scare-story) but the fact the U.S. government itself cannot do what it accuses Beijing of in this instance.

This makes sense when one understands the broader scope of the technology war to effectively be the "five eyes" coordinating together against Chinese technology companies, as has been done with Huawei.

These five countries build their power on maintaining dominance over all communications and networks as part of a global surveillance effort; China is a threat because its technological successes have by default challenged this monopoly and its stranglehold over leading innovation.

As a result, TikTok has a five-eyed monster coming after it, one that isn't trying to protect the data of its users, it is trying to steal for its own nefarious purposes.
Matt Gaetz urges Jeff Bezos to cut ties with SPLC over AmazonSmile bans

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Republican Congressman Matt Gaetz of Florida urged Amazon's CEO Jeff Bezos to sever the company's ties with the Southern Poverty Law Center during the House Judiciary Subcommittee's hearing on antitrust Wednesday.

During the hearing on Capitol Hill with the CEOs of Amazon, Apple, Facebook and Google, Gaetz pressed Bezos over his companys relationship with the SPLC, which it partners with to decide which organizations can receive donations through the AmazonSmile program.

Some conservative and Christian organizations have been prohibited from participating in AmazonSmile, while atheist organizations and Planned Parenthood are allowed to receive donations through the program.

I am not here accusing you as someone who would ever traffic in hate, but it seems you have empowered people who do. Im particularly talking about the Southern Poverty Law Center, Gaetz told Bezos at the hearing that followed a yearlong investigation by the committee into the four biggest tech companies in the U.S.

Amazon, Gaetz asserted, allows the SPLC to dictate who can receive donations on your AmazonSmile platform. Listing organizations the SPLC has labeled as extremists, Gaetz named several faith-based organizations, including Catholic Family News, Catholic Family Ministries, the American Family Association, the Family Research Council, and the Jewish Defense League.

The first four of the aforementioned groups were designated as hate groups because of their opposition to same-sex marriage. Similarly, renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson was also listed on the SPLC's "extremist files" for subscribing to traditional Christian values on issues of sexuality and marriage. Carson was listed next to white supremacists, Neo-Confederates and anti-Semites. His name was finally removed in February 2015, with apology, following immense criticism.

Im just wondering why you would place your confidence in a group that seems to be so out-of-step and seems to take mainstream Christian doctrine and label it as hate, Gaetz asked.

In response to Gaetz's question, Bezos first discussed how the AmazonSmile program works, explaining that it allows customers to designate a certain fraction of their purchases to go to charity that we then pay for. We use the Southern Poverty Law Center data to say which charities are extremist organizations.

But why?" questioned Gaetz. "Since theyre calling Catholics and these Jewish groups hateful groups, why would you trust them?

Im going to acknowledge this is an imperfect system, Bezos replied. I would love suggestions on  better or additional sources.

Gaetz replied by suggesting that Amazon "divorce [itself] from the SPLC.

Although Bezos indicated an openness to using other sources other than the SPLC in determining which groups can participate in AmazonSmile, he did not commit to cutting ties with the organization.

In another exchange between Gaetz and Bezos later on in the hearing, the congressman once again brought up Amazons relationship with the SPLC. Gaetz asked Bezos whether he agreed with the SPLCs previous characterization of Carson, the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, as an extremist, and Bezos said he did not.

When Gaetz again asked why Amazon would partner with a group that labels Carson as someone worthy of an extremist watchlist, Bezos explained that his company needs to have some source of data to use to weed out actual extremist groups.

I would like a better source if we could get it, Bezos added.

After Gaetz indicated that he was pleased that Bezos recognized the infirmities of the Southern Poverty Law Center, he asked Facebook's CEO Mark Zuckerberg if he agreed with the characterization of Carson as an extremist. After Zuckerberg indicated that he disagreed with that characterization, Gaetz asked, why would you trust the people who think he is? Zuckerberg followed up by asserting that he didn't know the details of Facebooks relationship with the SPLC.

Over the past few years, Amazon has blocked several charity organizations from the AmazonSmile program because the SPLC attached the hate group label to them. These charities include D. James Kennedy Ministries, the Family Research Council and the religious liberty law firm Alliance Defending Freedom.

In response to its banishment from the AmazonSmile program, D. James Kennedy Ministries filed a defamation lawsuit against both the SPLC and Amazon. Attorney David Gibbs III, who represented the ministry, warned of a world where churches are banned from the internet, churches are banned from services, (and) Amazon wont deliver to churches if his client did not emerge victorious from the lawsuit.

The fact that only right-leaning groups seem to get extra scrutiny from Amazon raises the appearance of a double standard. As Heritage Foundation president Kay Coles James explained in a Washington Times op-ed, Amazon customers can use the AmazonSmile program to donate a portion of each purchase to left-leaning organizations such as Planned Parenthood, the Freedom From Religion Foundation, and the Center for American Progress.

Coles James also noted that shareholders at Amazon defeated a resolution that would have ended the use of the SPLCs defamatory list when determining which charities to include as part of AmazonSmile.

She was referring to a resolution requesting a report on viewpoint discrimination that Amazon shareholders, at the urge of the board of directors, voted down. The report would have evaluated the range of risks and costs associated with discriminating against different social, political, and religious viewpoints.

Should Bezos decide to "divorce" Amazon from the SPLC, as Gaetz suggested, his company would not be the first tech giant to do so. Last year, Twitter stopped using the SPLC as one of its safety partners in its effort to prevent abuse, harassment, and bullying. Twitters decision to cut ties with the SPLC came at a time when the organization grappled with allegations that it promoted a toxic workplace culture.
Specific antibodies protect us against viral infections - or do they not? Researchers at the German Cancer Research Center (DKFZ) studied the immune response to papillomaviruses in mice and discovered a hitherto unknown mechanism by which the pathogens outwit the immune system: At the beginning of the infection cycle, they produce a longer version of a protein that surrounds the viral genome. The body produces antibodies against this protein, but they are not effective in fighting the pathogen.

The human immune system has a wide variety of defense strategies to protect the body against pathogens, one of which involves producing antibodies to fight viruses and bacteria. Over time, however, these pathogens have developed elaborate ways of escaping the immune system.

Scientists are already aware of some of these strategies. In human papillomaviruses (HPV), however, up until now they have only known about such strategies in innate, already present immunity and not in adaptive immunity, which does not develop until pathogens enter the body and is associated with the production of antibodies.

Frank Rosl and his co-workers from DKFZ under the supervision of Daniel Hasche have now discovered a new mechanism by which cutaneous papillomaviruses (specific to the skin) trick the immune system.

Certain cutaneous HPV, such as HPV5 and HPV8, occur as natural infections on the skin. They are not sexually transmitted, but are passed on from the mother to the newborn child. Thus, family members are usually colonized with the same HPV types. An infection normally goes unnoticed, because the body is able to overcome it. Depending on the individual status of a person's immune system, their genetic predisposition, age, and other external factors such as UV radiation, however, certain cutaneous HPV types are able to stimulate cell division in their host cells. This leads to skin changes and in rare cases to development of a squamous cell carcinoma, also known as fair-skin cancer.

The experiments were conducted in a particular mouse species, Mastomys coucha, which, like humans, can become infected with cutaneous papillomaviruses shortly after birth and produce specific antibodies against the virus. In combination with UV radiation, infected animals are more likely to develop squamous cell cancer.

The animals' immune system produces antibodies against the two viral proteins L1 and L2 that make up the virus particles, also called capsids. These antibodies can prevent the viruses from entering the host cells and thus neutralize the virus. However, the experiments carried out by the DKFZ scientists showed that besides the normal L1 protein, the viruses also produce a longer version. The latter is not able to actually take part in forming the viral capsid. Instead, it acts as a kind of bait against which the immune system directs its response and produces specific antibodies.

However, the scientists were able to demonstrate that these antibodies are not effective in fighting the papillomavirus. Instead of neutralizing the infectious pathogen through binding to L1, the antibodies merely bind the nonfunctional protein used as bait. While the immune system is busy producing these non-neutralizing antibodies, the virus can continue to replicate and spread throughout the body. It take several more months before neutralizing antibodies are produced that target the normal L1 protein and ultimately the infectious viruses themselves.

"In both rodents and humans, in almost all HPV types that can cause cancer, the L1 gene is designed such that a longer version of the protein can be produced. This is also true for high-risk HPV types such as HPV16 and HPV18, which can cause cervical cancer. It therefore appears to be a common mechanism that enables the viruses to replicate and spread efficiently during the early stage of infection", Daniel Hasche explained. "The fact that antibodies against papillomaviruses can be detected is therefore not necessarily associated with protection against infection. This will need to be taken into account in future when evaluating and interpreting epidemiological studies," Frank Rosl added.

###

The present study was funded by the Wilhelm Sander Foundation (2018.093.1 and 2010.019.1), the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF, 031L0095B), and the China Scholarship Council (CSC).

Yingying Fu, Rui Cao, Miriam Schafer, Sonja Stephan, Ilona-Braspenning-Wesch, Laura Schmitt, Ralf Bischoff, Martin Muller, Kai Schafer, Sabrina E. Vinzon, Frank Rosl and Daniel Hasche: Expression of different L1 isoforms of Mastomys natalensis papillomavirus as amechanism to circumvent adaptive immunity. eLife 2020, https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.57626

A photo is available for download:

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Picture caption: Papillomaviruses in the stratum corneum of a skin tumor of a Mastomys coucha

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Distribution of images to third parties is not permitted unless prior consent has been obtained from DKFZ's Press Office (phone: ++49-(0)6221 42 2854, E-mail: presse@dkfz.de). Any commercial use is prohibited.

The German Cancer Research Center (Deutsches Krebsforschungszentrum, DKFZ) with its more than 3,000 employees is the largest biomedical research institution in Germany. More than 1,300 scientists at the DKFZ investigate how cancer develops, identify cancer risk factors and search for new strategies to prevent people from developing cancer. They are developing new methods to diagnose tumors more precisely and treat cancer patients more successfully. The DKFZ's Cancer Information Service (KID) provides patients, interested citizens and experts with individual answers to all questions on cancer.

Jointly with partners from the university hospitals, the DKFZ operates the National Center for Tumor Diseases (NCT) in Heidelberg and Dresden, and the Hopp Children's Tumour Center KiTZ in Heidelberg. In the German Consortium for Translational Cancer Research (DKTK), one of the six German Centers for Health Research, the DKFZ maintains translational centers at seven university partner locations. NCT and DKTK sites combine excellent university medicine with the high-profile research of the DKFZ. They contribute to the endeavor of transferring promising approaches from cancer research to the clinic and thus improving the chances of cancer patients.

The DKFZ is 90 percent financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and 10 percent by the state of Baden-Wurttemberg. The DKFZ is a member of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers.
Chinese Regime Pushes Propaganda Ads in New Zealand Newspaper, Hong Kong Extradition Treaty Suspended

New Zealanders are criticising a metropolitan newspaper over running Chinese Communist Party (CCP) propaganda advertisements in a weekly paper for over two years.

The New Zealand Herald reported on August 3 that the CCPs consulate in Christchurch had been placing propaganda advertisements into a prominent Christchurch newspaper for the past two-and-a-half years.

According to the Herald, the adverts, which have been appearing regularly in the Christchurch Star, push the Chinese regimes stance on a range of issues including COVID-19 and the recent persecution of Uyghur Muslims in Chinas Xinjiang area.

The last advertisement appeared on June 18 and promoted the CCP view of the Hong Kong national security law imposed by Beijing.

Marc Latigne, a China expert at the University of Troms in Norway, told the Herald this was concerning because the New Zealand government had recently suspended an extradition treaty with Hong Kong because Hong Kong is no longer seen as an independent judicial actor.

Lanteigne noted the fact that New Zealand is a target for propaganda shows New Zealand is seen as a very important factor in a lot of Chinese foreign policy thinking.

Certainly, the fact that New Zealand is seen as a major recipient of Chinese publicity or propaganda.., should be looked at very carefully, said Lanteigne.

New Zealand Suspends Extradition Treaty With Hong Kong

New Zealand suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong after China passed a national security law for Hong Kong

Explaining the decision on July 28, Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters said that Chinas decision to impose the legislation had eroded rule-of-law principles, and undermined the One Country, Two Systems framework that underpins Hong Kongs unique status.

It has also gone against commitments China made to the international community, said Peters.

New Zealand can no longer trust that Hong Kongs criminal justice system is sufficiently independent from China. If China in future shows adherence to the One Country, Two Systems framework, then we could reconsider this decision, said Peters.

New Zealand remains deeply concerned at the imposition of this legislation, and we will continue to monitor the situation in Hong Kong as the law is applied. As a result, the review of our cooperation settings with Hong Kong will be ongoing, Peters said.

The deputy prime minister also said that New Zealand would be reviewing its overall relationship with Hong Kong and immediately updating the countrys travel advice to alert New Zealanders to the risks presented by the new law.

The Ardern government will also change how they treat the export of sensitive goods to Hong Kong. From now on, we will treat military and dual-use goods and technology exports to Hong Kong in the same way as we treat those exports to China, said Peters.

The suspension by New Zealand comes after Australia, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Germany all suspended their extradition treaties with Hong Kong.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : Alliance Air, an Air India subsidiary, on Tuesday launched a Leave Without Pay (LWP) scheme for its employees, similar to the one rolled out by its parent organisation before its privatisation. Alliance Air said that it is introducing the scheme with immediate effect.

The move comes at a time when Air India employees are resisting the same fiercely and have shot off several protest letters to the management. They may also move the court to press their demand.

The LWP policy of Alliance Air is being introduced for grant of leave without pay or allowances for its employees for a period of six months extendable up to two years at the discretion of the management.

Leave under the scheme will not be sanctioned to the employees under a bond until the period of the bond is over or they fulfill their bonded obligations.

Also, No employee availing this scheme will be permitted to take up jobs in government or public sector undertakings. Employees who take up jobs in an airline or allied sectors after availing the scheme will have to seek prior permission from Alliance Air. If this is not done, it will lead to termination of services.

During the LWP period, if an employee takes up employment in India or abroad, he will have to inform Alliance Air in writing regarding the new employment.

In the leave period, employees will not be eligible for any benefits, allowances or perquisites. They will also lose seniority or higher grades during the period.

The Chief Executive Officer of the company reserves the right to accept or reject any application under the scheme in the interest of the company, as per the details of the scheme.
As Canadians prepare for the start of the school year, Plan International Canada is calling on donors, governments and all Canadians to help stop a setback that is violating girls' rights and could further derail the future of a generation.

"The longer girls remain cut off from education, the greater the risks of their fundamental rights being violated and the less likely they will return to school  acting like a domino effect in toppling progress made in global poverty eradication and gender equality goals," said Saadya Hamdani, Director, Gender Equality at Plan International Canada.

"COVID-19 responses must prioritize education, including the unique needs of adolescent girls who face increased risks and disadvantages, increased expectations around home childcare, and lower value accorded to their education relative to boys linked to harmful gender norms," added Hamdani.

School closures and barriers to education in all crises have impacts that go beyond the direct loss of learning. When school stops, children lose a protective environment. This includes the loss of social contact, the support of peers and teachers, the opportunity to build networks for the future and access to sexual and reproductive health and rights information, as well as meal programs to stave off malnutrition.

Plan International found that during the Ebola crisis, girls in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone were less likely to study at home compared to boys while schools were closed. In Sierra Leone, where schools were closed for months, there was an increase in adolescent pregnancy  an insight into what we might expect in the coming months.

Research from the Ebola pandemic also demonstrates that multiple forms of violence are exacerbated within crisis contexts, including trafficking, child marriage, sexual exploitation and abuse.

Before COVID-19, there was progress being made, particularly with girls' education. In March 2020, UNICEF's research showed that nearly 67 per cent of girls were enrolled in secondary school compared to 50 per cent in 1998. Fewer girls were getting married or becoming mothers, and more were in school and literate  acquiring key foundational skills for lifelong success. But setbacks to this progress are happening with COVID-19 causing the closure of schools, lockdowns that have isolated girls at home, and economic pressures that may force families and girls to take dangerous and desperate action.

"I've witnessed first-hand the achievements made when we invest in girls' education and how, among many benefits, it increases a girl's confidence and decision-making power within her home and her community," said Dr. Tanjina Mirza, Plan International Canada's chief programs officer.

"The direct and indirect impacts of COVID-19 are threatening to unravel decades of progress and cause irrevocable damage  but together we can stop it by tackling the root causes of gender inequality and prioritizing girls' rights now, as we build back a better post-pandemic world," adds Mirza.

Plan International Canada is calling on governments and decision-makers to be flexible in their approach to education, ensuring equal rights for all children and taking their unique gendered needs into account. For example, learning is moving online, and it has strong potential to increase access to education but when access to technology and the internet is unequal, and girls are less likely than boys to have access, it will expand  not reduce  inequalities. Girls must be provided with equal access to free, low-cost mobile internet and digital literacy training. Low-tech learning options must be provided as well, such as radio and television broadcasts or take-home learning materials coupled with regular information and guidance for caregivers to support at-home learning.

About Plan International Canada's Stop the Setback Campaign

Plan International is working to stop the setback COVID-19 is causing for vulnerable people worldwide, and directly helping 20 million people  especially girls and young women  across more than 50 countries. This past year, Plan International's work reached more than 73 million people thanks to our donors. But, six months of COVID-19's effects can undo up to 20 years of development work. With the current global crisis, these communities need our help more than ever before.

Plan International Canada is encouraging Canadians to help spread awareness and donate today at plancanada.ca/stopthesetback. Canadians can download free, branded meeting backgrounds for Zoom, Microsoft Teams and other video chat platforms that feature projects and countries around the globe where Plan International is working to support children, especially girls impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

About Plan International Canada

Plan International Canada is a global organization dedicated to advancing children's rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Visit plancanada.ca for more information. Follow @PlanCanada on social media to join the conversation.

SOURCE Plan International Canada

For further information: Mahmoud Shabeeb, Plan International Canada, 647.674.2456, [email protected]; Alex Shinnan, Paradigm, 204.558.2025, [email protected]

Related Links

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The northeastern Chinese city of Dalian has preliminarily ruled out the possibility of the recent COVID-19 resurgence originating from domestic transmission, according to the local health commission.

An epidemiological survey showed that the local outbreak since July 9 may have started from a seafood processing workshop in the Dalian Kaiyang World Seafood Co., Ltd., said Zhao Zuowei, director of the Health Commission of Dalian.

The gene sequence of the local virus samples is different from that of the domestically prevalent virus in China, and the connections with outbreaks in Urumqi, Beijing and several other cities in northeast China have also been ruled out, Zhao said.

The possibility that the virus is imported from overseas has not been excluded, Zhao said.

By the end of Sunday, Dalian had reported a total of 87 confirmed local cases during the recent resurgence.
The Kenya Union of Journalists has started legal action against Mediamax for the unfair dismissal of its journalists via a midnight text message and for months of unpaid salaries. The IFJ welcomed the action as a crucial step in protecting and defending the rights of journalists.

The case is due to be considered in court on 24 August.

Mediamax, owned by the Kenyatta family, is the holding company for K24 and Kameme TV stations, People Daily, Milele FM, and several radio stations.

The KUJ application said the case was extremely urgent and urged the court to the court to order Mediamax to immediately release to the interested parties salary arrears for the months of April, May and plus one-month pay in lieu of termination notice.

The KUJ claims the dismissals were unfair, unlawful, unreasonable and in violation of Article 41(1) of the Constitution by deploying unfair labour practices, stating that the manner in which the Petitioners were terminated was cruel inhuman and degrading".

In a show of unbridled impunity and contempt to the fundamental human rights of its employees, the Respondent via a text message sent out in the middle of the night summarily terminated the Interested Parties Employment. In a process that was unfair, unlawful and outrightly inhumane and continues to withhold their salaries for the months of April, May, June payment in lieu of notice as well as other lawful terminal dues," read part of the application.

According to the KUJ, Mediamax has taken advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic to subject employees to unfair labour practice which includes unilateral introduction of pay cuts, withholding salaries, and now unfair termination of contracts disguised as redundancy.

Among those sacked via a midnight text message sent from the company's HR team were anchor Nancy Onyancha and her husband Job Mwaura, Ken Wariahe (Swahili anchor and editor), Isabella Kituri (anchor/Swahili editor), Caroline Wambui (acting managing editor), Shukri Wachu (education/crime reporter), Apollo Kamau (political reporter), Mercy Milanoi (business reporter), Joy Kiruki ( features editor), Gloria Milimu (health reporter) and Kimani Githuku (reporter).

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger said: The KUJ has taken a crucial step in protecting the rights of the journalists who were employed by Mediamax. Media employers must be held accountable when they break the law and deny their journalists their labour rights. Unions are there to protect workers and the KUJ is showing the value of union membership and exposing the unlawful and outrageous behaviour of Mediamax".
The U.S. government issued an alert Monday that a type of malware seen frequently by security researchers in the last decade is tied to the Chinese government, the latest in a series of American warnings about Chinas cyber capabilities this summer.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Securitys Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Department of Defense identified a malware variant used by Chinese government cyber-actors, which is known as Taidoor, according to the alert. The purpose of the alert, which contained no information about the prevalence of the malware or who has been targeted, is to enable network defense and reduce exposure to Chinese government malicious cyber-activity.

While this type of malware has been used since 2008, the Chinese government continues to leverage it in ongoing espionage to gain intelligence, according to a U.S. Cyber Command official, who requested anonymity as is the agencys policy.

The cybersecurity firms FireEye Inc. and CrowdStrike have seen Taidoor malware used by multiple China-based groups targeting the U.S. and Asia but have observed a recent decline in its use.

In the past, the malware has hit sectors including law, nuclear power, airlines, engineering, defense industrial base, technology, government and aerospace, according to the cybersecurity firms. Its commonly sent in spearphishing attacks and used to gain access to systems, said Ben Read, a senior manager of analysis at FireEye.

The governments decision to publicly connect Taidoor to China comes as President Donald Trump plans to order Chinas ByteDance Ltd. to divest its ownership of the music-video app TikTok amid a U.S. investigation of potential national security risks. In May, the U.S. warned organizations researching coronavirus of likely targeting and attempted network compromise by China.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has joined hundreds of worshippers for the first Muslim prayers in 86 years inside Hagia Sophia  the Istanbul landmark that served as a cathedral, a mosque and a museum before its conversion back into a Muslim place of worship.

Thousands of other Muslim faithful came from across Turkey and quickly filled specially-designated areas outside of the Byzantine era monument to join in the inaugural prayers.

Many others were turned away, while Orthodox Christian church leaders in Greece and the United States announced a day of mourning over Hagia Sophias return as a mosque.

People pray inside the Byzantine-era Hagia Sophia (Yasin Akgul/AP)

The prayers began with Mr Erdogan reciting from the Koran. The head of Turkeys religious authority, Ali Erbas, led the ceremony and prayed that Muslims would never again be denied the right to worship at the internationally celebrated sixth century structure.

As many as many as 350,000 people took part in Fridays prayers, the president said.

Adem Yilmaz, who attended the prayers, expressed joy at experiencing the making of history.

This turned into a place where all hearts beat at once, he said.

Brushing aside international criticism, Mr Erdogan issued a decree restoring the building as a mosque earlier this month, shortly after a Turkish high court ruled that the Hagia Sophia had been illegally made into a museum more than eight decades ago.

The structure, a Unesco World Heritage site, has since been renamed The Grand Hagia Sophia Mosque.

The move sparked dismay in Greece, the United States and among Christian church leaders who had called on Mr Erdogan to maintain Hagia Sophia as a museum in recognition of Istanbuls multi-faith heritage and the structures status as a symbol of Christian and Muslim unity.

The reopening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque threatens to deepen Turkeys isolation on the world stage following its military interventions in Syria and Iraq and amid international disputes over oil-and-gas rights in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Story continues

The decision was in line with Mr Erdogans ambitions to raise Islams profile in Turkey and to make his country a leader nation in the Islamic world.

Hagia Sophias re-emergence as a mosque is also being interpreted as a move aimed at consolidating Mr Erdogans conservative and religious support base at a time when his popularity is sagging amid an economic downturn.

Built by the Byzantine Emperor Justinian in 537, Hagia Sophia was turned into a mosque with the 1453 Ottoman conquest of Istanbul.

Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, the founding leader of the secular Turkish republic converted the structure into a museum in 1934.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 09:39:05|Editor: huaxia

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ALGIERS, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune Monday announced that his country "is reviewing the possibility to reopen mosques for the public," the official APS news agency reported.

The president made the remarks during a meeting of the High Security Council attended by top military and security officials as well as cabinet members to assess the COVID-19 epidemic inside the country.

Tebboune instructed Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad to program a gradual reopening of mosques.

He added that the first phase of the program will be limited to 1,000 large mosques in the country, which "will be able to allow the essential physical distancing with the imperative wearing of masks by all."

The prime minister was authorized to estimate the reopening of beaches and other places for recreation and relaxation.

Mosques, beaches and parks in the country have been closed since mid-March, as part of measures taken by the authorities to stem the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic. Enditem
Hong Kong residents have voiced support for the postponement of the 2020 Legislative Council (LegCo) election amid a grave COVID-19 epidemic situation in Hong Kong.

Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) Carrie Lam announced on Friday the decision to postpone for a year the election originally slated in September.

As Hong Kong has reported more than 3,500 infections and 37 deaths, the election, if held as scheduled, will likely boost the risk of infection as the event could involve as many as 4.4 million registered voters and 34,000 election staff.

Photo taken on Aug. 1, 2020 shows the interior of a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients at the AsiaWorld-Expo in south China's Hong Kong. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

"The postponement is for our health and safety," said a resident surnamed Ko, who is a safeguard of a residential block in Hong Kong Island.

With hundreds of people entering and exiting every day, two dwellers in the area that Ko is responsible for have been infected with coronavirus, he said. "Not to mention the LegCo election. The risk will be very high as millions of voters will come to the streets."

The government must have considered carefully and had no choice but to postpone the election, Ko said. "Both my wife and I support the government decision. Health and safety must come be the first priority."

As the epidemic showed no signs of abating, the financial company that Chun, a clerk in Hong Kong, worked for, has encouraged its employees to work at home.

Photo taken on July 20, 2020 shows a banner with slogans on fighting COVID-19 in Tsim Sha Tsui, south China's Hong Kong. (Xinhua/Wang Shen)

From promotion campaigns to voting and ballot count, many activities of the election are likely to compound the spread of COVID-19, Chun said, stressing that the postponement is necessary to push Hong Kong economy back on track and ensure the safety of residents.

Weighed on by the epidemic, the combined income of restaurants fell sharply by 25.9 percent year on year in the second quarter and retail sales declined 33.3 percent in the first half from a year ago, official data showed.

Only after the epidemic is under control, people will go out to dine and shop and the catering and retail sectors and the wider economy will start to recover, a resident surnamed Lee said. "The HKSAR government is doing actively and wisely to cut transmission chains and avoid public gatherings."

Staff members work at a makeshift hospital for COVID-19 patients at the AsiaWorld-Expo in south China's Hong Kong on Aug. 1, 2020. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaochu)

Wong Tai Sin District was one of the hardest-hit areas amid the latest wave of COVID-19 outbreak in Hong Kong. So Ka-Lok, a community organizer of Choi Hung Estate in the district, said there had been 22 confirmed cases in the community and he worried about the worsening epidemic situation.

Given expected gatherings during the election, no one can guarantee that voters will not be infected, So said.

As some voters currently stranded in the mainland or overseas can not return to Hong Kong, their rights would be damaged if the election was held as planned, he added.

An organization named Hong Kong Community Anti-Coronavirus Link has collected more than 850,000 signatures online since last Friday to show support for the government decision to postpone the election for a year.

Observers also believe the deferment is proper as the election, which will lead to frequent gatherings and dense crowds, can only be held after an effective mechanism to trace and cut transmission chains is put in place.

With the one-year buffer period, Hong Kong will be able to build such a mechanism and focus on containing the COVID-19 spread and reviving the economy, observers said.








HOUSTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) today announced that former Anadarko Petroleum Chief Executive Officer Al Walker and President Robert G. Gwin have been named to the Board of Directors (Board) of the general partner of Enable Midstream Partners, LP, Enable GP, LLC, as representatives of CenterPoint Energy. CenterPoint Energy owns 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets.

CenterPoint Energy and OGE Energy Corporation each have 50% of the management interests in Enable GP. Enable GP is governed by a board of directors made up of two representatives designated by each of CenterPoint Energy and OGE Energy, along with Enable Midstream Partners' Chief Executive Officer and three independent Board members CenterPoint Energy and OGE Energy mutually agreed to appoint.

"Bob and Al, on behalf of CenterPoint Energy, will bring to the Enable Board accomplished industry executives with a deep knowledge of and successful track record with master limited partnerships," said Dave Lesar, President and Chief Executive Officer of CenterPoint Energy. "They will be outstanding additions to the Enable Board and will support our continued focus on driving value from CenterPoint Energy's investment in Enable."

Lesar added, "Also, as Chairman of the Business Review and Evaluation Committee of CenterPoint Energy's Board, I believe Bob's and Al's appointments to the Enable Board are consistent with the Committee's goal to take actions that will strengthen our long-term performance. While the Committee is expected to conclude its work and make recommendations to the CenterPoint Energy Board by October 2020, this demonstrates we will not hesitate to capitalize on opportunities we believe will optimize value for our business investments."

Gwin will serve as Chairman of the Board of Enable and Walker will serve on its Compensation Committee.

About Al Walker

Walker served as President, Chief Executive Officer and director of Anadarko from 2012 to 2019, assuming the additional title of Chairman of the Board in 2013. He joined the company in 2005 as Senior Vice President-Finance and CFO, later becoming COO in 2009. He served as Chairman of the Board of Western Gas Partners, LP at the time of its Initial Public Offering in 2008, later serving as a director when Gwin became Chairman. Western, a large U.S. oil and natural gas midstream company formed by Anadarko, had a market capitalization of approximately $16 billion at the time of Anadarko's approximate $58 billion enterprise value merger with Occidental Petroleum Corporation in August 2019.

Walker was appointed to the Board of Directors of ConocoPhillips in March 2020, and serves on the boards of BOK Financial Corporation and Health Care Services Corporation. He is Vice-Chairman and a member of the Executive Committee of the Business Council, Chair of the Board of Trustees of the Houston Museum of Natural Science, and a Senior Advisor to Crane Capital.

About Robert G. Gwin

Gwin was President of Anadarko until August 2019 when the company was purchased by Occidental Petroleum. He previously was Executive Vice President, Finance and Chief Financial Officer of Anadarko from 2009 to 2018. Gwin joined Anadarko in 2006 and was a member of Anadarko's Executive Committee since 2008. From 2007 through 2010, he also served as President and CEO of Western Gas Partners.

Gwin was appointed to the Board of Directors of Pembina Pipeline Corporation in May 2020. He served as the Chairman of the Board of both Western Gas Partners and its general partner Western Gas Equity Partners, LP from 2010 to 2019, and as a director of both entities beginning in 2007. Gwin was also the Chairman of LyondellBasell Industries, N.V. from 2013 to 2018, where he served as a director beginning in 2011. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Southern California and a Master of Business Administration degree from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University, and also earned the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) designation from the CFA Institute.

About CenterPoint Energy

As the only investor-owned electric and gas utility based in Texas, CenterPoint Energy, Inc. (NYSE: CNP) is an energy delivery company with electric transmission & distribution, power generation and natural gas distribution operations that serve more than 7 million metered customers in Arkansas, Indiana, Louisiana, Minnesota, Mississippi, Ohio, Oklahoma and Texas. As of March 31, 2020, the company owns 53.7 percent of the common units representing limited partner interests in Enable Midstream Partners, LP, a publicly traded master limited partnership that owns, operates and develops strategically located natural gas and crude oil infrastructure assets. With approximately 9,600 employees, CenterPoint Energy and its predecessor companies have been in business for more than 150 years. For more information, visit CenterPointEnergy.com.

Forward Looking Statement

This news release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this news release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "continue," "could," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "goal," "intend," "may," "objective," "plan," "potential," "predict," "projection," "should," "target," "will" or other similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions of management which are believed to be reasonable at the time made and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual events and results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. Any statements in this news release regarding future events, such as CenterPoint Energy's potential business strategies and initiatives, including any recommendations of the Business Review and Evaluation Committee of CenterPoint Energy's Board, the anticipated timing thereof and any resulting courses of action taken, expectations with respect to the ownership interest in Enable, and any other statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Each forward-looking statement contained in this news release speaks only as of the date of this release. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by the provided forward-looking information include risks and uncertainties relating to: (1) the impact of COVID-19; (2) financial market conditions; (3) general economic conditions; (4) the timing and impact of future regulatory and legislative decisions; (5) effects of competition; (6) weather variations; (7) changes in business plans; and (8) other factors, risks and uncertainties discussed in CenterPoint Energy's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, CenterPoint Energy's Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 and other reports CenterPoint Energy or its subsidiaries may file from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information contact

Alicia Dixon

[email protected]

713-825-9107

SOURCE CenterPoint Energy, Inc.

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About 30% of the parents said this is the right thing to do, 20% said they didnt agree with the decision, but know Im trying to do whats right, and the other 50% said they cant believe this is happening, and we need our kids to be back in school, Bein said. Its an agonizing situation any way you look at it, because every solution creates other problems.
North Korea has probably developed nuclear warheads small enough to be fitted on to its ballistic missiles, a leaked UN report has warned.

Security services from several countries warned the UN Security Council this week that the Hermit Kingdom has likely overcome the technical hurdle, one of the key steps in developing a viable long-range nuclear weapon.

The countries, which were not named in the report, said North Korea is continuing to develop its nuclear capabilities - despite a hiatus in testing that was agreed by Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump in now-stalled nuclear talks.

North Korea has probably developed nuclear warheads small enough to be fitted to the nose of its ballistic missiles, the UN Security Council has been warned

North Korea has not tested a nuclear device or long-range missile since 2017, when it declared it had completed its race for 'The Bomb' - despite international skepticism.

That year, Kim oversaw the launch of the Hwasong-15 intercontinental ballistic missile, which is capable of ranging the entirety of mainland United States.

The North is also thought to have tested a thermonuclear bomb at its underground testing site, that was so powerful it caused the mountain above to partially collapse.

Experts warned at the time that Kim only needed to miniaturise the bomb so it could be fitted to the missile, and then develop technology to land it precisely on a target in order to have a weapon capable of threatening the US.

The interim report, seen by Reuters, was submitted to the 15-member UN Security Council North Korea sanctions committee on Monday.

'The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is continuing its nuclear program, including the production of highly enriched uranium and construction of an experimental light water reactor,' the report said.

'A Member State assessed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is continuing production of nuclear weapons.'

North Korea is formally known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK).

North Korea's mission to the United Nations in New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the report.

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un said last week there would be no more war as the country's nuclear weapons guarantee its safety and future.

The UN report said one country, which it did not identify, assessed that North Korea 'may seek to further develop miniaturisation in order to allow incorporation of technological improvements such as penetration aid packages or, potentially, to develop multiple warhead systems.'

Long-range nuclear weapons of the kind developed by Russia and the US contain up to 10 warheads along with decoys and chaff to make it difficult for missile defence systems to shoot them down before they land.

North Korea has been subjected to U.N. sanctions since 2006 over its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, while the Security Council has steadily strengthened sanctions in a bid to cut off funding for those programs.

Kim Jong-un and Donald Trump have met three times since 2018, but failed to make progress on U.S. calls for Pyongyang to give up its nuclear weapons and North Korea's demands for an end to sanctions.

Security services from several countries warned that Kim Jong-un has continued to develop his nuclear weapons despite a testing hiatus agreed with the US in 2018

In May 2018 North Korea followed through on a pledge to blow up tunnels at its main nuclear test site, Punggye-ri, which Pyongyang said was proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing.

But they did not allow experts to witness the dismantlement of the site, amid rumours that it had already partially collapsed and was unusable.

The U.N. report said that as only tunnel entrances were known to have been destroyed and there is no indication of a comprehensive demolition.

One country had assessed that North Korea could rebuild and reinstall within three months the infrastructure needed to support a nuclear test.

The U.N. experts said North Korea is violating sanctions, including 'through illicit maritime exports of coal, though it suspended these temporarily between late January and early March 2020' due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Last year the U.N. experts said North Korea has generated an estimated $2billion using widespread and sophisticated cyberattacks to steal from banks and cryptocurrency exchanges.

'The Panel continues to assess that virtual asset service providers and virtual assets will continue to remain lucrative targets for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea to generate revenue, as well as mining cryptocurrencies,' the report said.
Lonza Expands Microbial Capacity and Extends Long-term Partnership with Servier for L-asparaginase API Manufacturing

New mid-scale microbial facility to support Servier with active pharmaceutical ingredient (API) for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) therapies

Sixth facility to be housed in Lonza's new biopark in Visp, Switzerland, currently under construction

Operational in the second half of 2022, 100 new staff to be recruited

Quote from Jean-Christoph Hyvert, Chief Commercial Officer, Lonza:

"By building on our current microbial capabilities, we will be able to continue our long-standing support for Servier as they look to expand access for patients. We see a clear role for microbial technology as new medicines evolve and we are investing in key enablers including expression technology and manufacturing assets."

Quote from Pierre Venesque, Executive Vice President Industry, Servier:

"We are extremely pleased to already have been collaborating with Lonza for the production of L-asparaginase, the active pharmaceutical ingredient for our ALL therapeutic regimens, allowing us to quickly provide for patients we serve. Lonza's drug manufacturing experience, infrastructure is important to this partnership and ensures the timely supply of these therapeutics."

Basel, Switzerland, 4 August 2020 - Lonza announced an expansion to the company's microbial manufacturing facility in Visp, Switzerland. The new facility will provide mid-scale commercial manufacturing to multiple customers and in particular, serve the growing needs of Servier, an independent international pharmaceutical company and long-term Lonza partner.

Servier and Lonza have recently signed a long-term extension to the manufacturing agreement for L-asparaginase, produced at Lonza since 2009. The extension and expansion of the collaboration will provide Servier with the additional capacity required to provide treatment to many more patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), a cancer of the white blood cells. Servier intends to expand access to asparaginase-based multi-agent chemotherapeutic regimens, as ALL continues to be the most common type of cancer (~75%) among children diagnosed with leukemia.1

The new facility will be the sixth to be housed in Lonza's new biopark in Visp, Switzerland, currently under construction. Lonza launched Ibex Solutions in 2018 to offer custom-tailored manufacturing solutions across a broad range of technologies while minimizing time to market with pre-built shells and infrastructure. The new mid-scale (3,000L) microbial facility will tap into existing central utilities and labs and will complement the existing small-scale (1,000L) and large-scale (15,000L) assets in Visp. The facility is expected to be operational in the second half of 2022 and Lonza expects to add 100 new staff to the existing, highly-experienced microbial team.

Traditionally used for producing hormones, enzymes and some vaccines, microbial fermentation is becoming increasingly attractive for new molecular formats that do not need human glycosylation given the higher yields and shorter production timelines. For example, many antibody fragments, as well as plasmid DNA, can be produced in microbial systems. Lonza is constantly developing the technology required including XS Technologies, an extensive microbial expression toolbox with more than 3,000 individual microbial strains expressed, together with a range of manufacturing assets designed to support customers from clinical supply to commercial production.

1American Cancer Society. About Childhood Leukemia. Available at: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/leukemia-in-children/about/key-statistics.html. Accessed November 19, 2018.

About Lonza

At Lonza, we combine technological innovation with world class manufacturing and process excellence. Together, these enable our customers to deliver their discoveries in the healthcare, preservation and protection sectors.

We are a preferred global partner to the pharmaceutical, biotech and specialty ingredients markets. We work to prevent illness and promote a healthier world by enabling our customers to deliver innovative medicines that help treat or even cure a wide range of diseases. We also offer a broad range of microbial control solutions, which help to create and maintain a healthy environment.

Founded in 1897 in the Swiss Alps, Lonza today operates in 120 sites and offices in more than 35 countries. With approximately 15,500 full-time employees, we are built from high-performing teams and of individual employees who make a meaningful difference to our own business, as well as the communities in which we operate. The company generated sales of CHF 5.9 billion in 2019 with a CORE EBITDA of CHF 1.6 billion. Find out more at www.lonza.com and follow us on Twitter @LonzaGroup or Facebook @LonzaGroupAG.

Lonza Contact Details

Dr. Sanna Fowler

Head of External Communications Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 61 316 8929 sanna.fowler@lonza.com Dirk Oehlers

Investor Relations Lonza Group Ltd Tel +41 79 421 1609 dirk.oehlers@lonza.com

Additional Information and Disclaimer

Lonza Group Ltd has its headquarters in Basel, Switzerland, and is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange. It has a secondary listing on the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGX-ST"). Lonza Group Ltd is not subject to the SGX-ST's continuing listing requirements but remains subject to Rules 217 and 751 of the SGX-ST Listing Manual.

Certain matters discussed in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements. These statements are based on current expectations and estimates of Lonza Group Ltd, although Lonza Group Ltd can give no assurance that these expectations and estimates will be achieved. Investors are cautioned that all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainty and are qualified in their entirety. The actual results may differ materially in the future from the forward-looking statements included in this news release due to various factors. Furthermore, except as otherwise required by law, Lonza Group Ltd disclaims any intention or obligation to update the statements contained in this news release.
Emraan Hashmi Thinks People Are Settling Old Scores In The Name Of Sushant Singh Rajputs Death: It Is Extremely Toxic
Coronavirus-sniffing dogs capable of detecting the infection with 92 per cent accuracy have been recruited to vet passengers at Dubai airport.

Currently all travellers arriving in the United Arab Emirates must be tested for Covid-19 prior to their trip before showing the confirmed negative result on arrival.

But Dubai International Airport has now also introduced the use of police sniffer dogs who are capable of detecting coronavirus among passengers within minutes.

It comes as the UAE reported a total of 61,163 coronavirus cases and 351 deaths.

Coronavirus-sniffing dogs capable of detecting the infection with 92 per cent accuracy have been recruited to vet passengers at Dubai airport (stock image)

In a statement, Dubai's Ministry of Interior said: 'Data and studies showed that detection of presumed Covid-19 cases achieved approximately 92 per cent in overall accuracy.

'Figures indicate that dogs can quickly detect infected cases, help protect key sites, effectively deal with huge crowds and secure large events, airports, etc.'

The process begins with a sample of body odor being taken from a passenger's armpit before it is placed inside a container in an isolated room.

The specially-trained dogs then sniff the samples through a funnel-like contraption and, if they detect coronavirus, the passenger is then directed to take the nasal PCR test.

The dogs never come in direct contact with the passengers.

Sniffer dogs have previously been used to detect several other diseases that can affect body odor such as cancer and malaria.

Last month researchers from Germany trained army sniffer dogs to distinguish between samples of fluids from patients infected with SARS-CoV-2 and healthy donors.

Currently all travellers arriving in the United Arab Emirates must be tested for Covid-19 prior to their trip before showing the confirmed negative result on arrival (Dubai International Airport pictured)

In their study, the researchers trained eight Bundeswehr (German Army) detection dogs over the period of a week to detect the saliva and secretions from the lungs and windpipe of patients who had been infected with SARS-CoV-2.

The team then explored whether dogs could distinguish between the samples from both infected and non-infected individuals in randomised tests where the dogs, their handlers and the supervising researcher did not know which samples was which.

After sniffing 1,012 samples, the researchers reported that those dogs had an accurate detection rate of around 94 per cent  with 157 correct positive identifications, 792 correct reflections of non-infected samples but 33 incorrect results.

'Dog odour detection is far better than the general public can imagine,' said behavioural researcher and Bundeswehr dog trainer Esther Schalke.

'Nevertheless, we were amazed at how quickly our dogs could be trained to recognise samples from SARS-CoV-2 infected people.'

'The results of the study are incredibly exciting,' said paper author and veterinarian Holger Volk, also of the University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover.

'We have created a solid foundation for future studies to investigate what the dogs smell and whether they can also be used to differentiate between different times of illness or clinical phenotypes.'

Similarly a trial involving sniffer dogs was launched in the UK earlier this year with the backing of 500,000 in government funding.
Emergency Services respond to a major incident after a vehicle enter the waters of Strangford lough. Credit Conor Kinahan/PACEMAKER PRESS

Emergency Services respond to a major incident after a vehicle enter the waters of Strangford lough. Credit Conor Kinahan/PACEMAKER PRESS

Emergency Services respond to a major incident after a vehicle enter the waters of Strangford lough. Credit Conor Kinahan/PACEMAKER PRESS

Emergency Services respond to a major incident after a vehicle enter the waters of Strangford lough. Credit Conor Kinahan/PACEMAKER PRESS

Former UTV presenter Brian Black has died after his car plunged into the water at Strangford Harbour.

The Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS) said that he was rescued from the vehicle by members of the public and the Coastguard.

He was then taken to the Royal Victoria Hospital by the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service, where he has since died.

Among those paying tribute to Mr Black, who was in his 70s, was his former UTV colleague Gerry Kelly.

Expand Close Emergency Services respond to a major incident after a vehicle enter the waters of Strangford lough. Credit Conor Kinahan/PACEMAKER PRESS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Emergency Services respond to a major incident after a vehicle enter the waters of Strangford lough. Credit Conor Kinahan/PACEMAKER PRESS

"I am devastated to learn of the tragic death of my former UTV colleague Brian Black. May he rest in peace," he posted on Twitter.

UTV's political editor Ken Reid said: "Devastated. My old UTV colleague Brian Black has been killed in a tragic accident. He was a special man, great communicator with a special passion for improving our environment. The UTV family is in a state of shock at the loss. RIP."

Devastated. My old UTV colleague Brian Black has been killed in a tragic accident. He was a special man, great communicator with a special passion for improving our environment. The UTV family is in a state of shock at the loss. RIP  Ken Reid (@bigkenreid) August 4, 2020

Former UTV managing director Michael Wilson, who commissioned a number of Brian Black's programmes for UTV, also paid tribute to his former colleague.

"So sad to learn of the passing of Brian Black. Brian was a superb journalist, programme maker and environmental champion. I send my condolences to his family and friends. The whole UTV family - past and present - will mourn the loss of a remarkable man," he said.

So sad to learn of the passing of #BrianBlack. Brian was a superb journalist, programme maker and environmental champion. I send my condolences to his family and friends. The whole @utv family - past and present - will mourn the loss of a remarkable man. pic.twitter.com/AENL4Ws6uN  Michael Wilson (@MWTweets) August 4, 2020

The Fire Service said a call was received at around 11.40am at Quay Road in the Co Down village.

Three appliances were sent to the scene as well as the specialist rescue team.

I was very lucky in the early years of my career to work with Brian Black.

He was an absolute gentleman to me.

My condolences to Brians family & to his colleagues and friends at UTV  Stephen Nolan (@StephenNolan) August 4, 2020

Portaferry RNLIs inshore lifeboat was also sent to the scene.

At the scene of a major incident in Strangford County Down where its believed a vehicle and its occupants have entered the waters of Strangford lough. pic.twitter.com/UxpBpoKZ6h  C.A Kinahan (@ConorK_Photo) August 4, 2020

A spokeswoman said a launch was requested at 11.30am by Belfast Coastguard following a report of a car in the water.

"Portaferry RNLI and Portaferry Coastguard recovered a casualty from the water who was subsequently transferred to hospital. A search is ongoing to ensure no other casualties are involved," a spokeswoman said.

The Coastguard helicopter carried out an aerial search, while NIFRS Specialist Rescue Team and the RNLI carried out search on the water to make sure there were no other casualties.

Pictures from the scene showed a car being lifted out of the water while the RNLI scours the surrounding area.

Sinn Fein MLA Emma Rogan said the news shockwaves throughout the community.

It has left people reeling and my thoughts and prayers are with everyone affected at this time especially the family and friends of Brian Black," she said.

"I would like to commend those who entered the water including the Portaferry RNLI and Portaferry Coastguard to help recover Brian from the water.
The right lane and off-ramp of westbound Interstate Highway 580 at Broadway are closed because of police activity Monday morning, the California Highway Patrol said.

Motorists are advised to expect delays and use alternate routes. As of 9:30 a.m., the left and center lanes of the freeway are open, but there is still police activity in the area.
New Delhi: The central government carved out two union territories -- Ladakh and Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), out of the state of J&K on August 5 last year, fulfilling the long pending demand of the Ladakhi people.

Ladakhi people in 1949 placed their first request for being declared as a Union Territory so that the development needs of the region can be fulfilled adequately, but the successive government in consonance with Gupkar Road elites completely ignored the legitimate demands of the people of Ladakh.

The agitation for the demand had begun under Kushok Bakula and later carried forward by another Ladakhi leader Thupstan Chhewang. Both represented Ladakh in Parliament.

As promised to the people of Ladakh, the Modi government granted UT status to Ladakh in the historic decision taken on the 5th of August besides initiative several development projects that aim to build a clean, green, healthy, and wealthy Union Territory of Ladakh.

The government has already initiated a host of development projects focussing Ladakh:

1. 220 kV Srinagar- Alusteng - Drass- Kargil  Leh Transmission System completed and dedicated to the public in February of 2019

2. With this, Ladakh became connected to the National Grid and ensured a reliable, quality power supply to the region

3. Now, power could be supplied even in winters and surplus power can be evacuated from there in summer. This will help in reducing reliance on diesel, boosting the economy and protecting the environment

4. PM Modi also inaugurated a 9MW Dah Hydro-Electric Project and dedicated 220 KV (S/C) transmission line for overall electrification of every household in February of 2019

5. 255 Km long all-weather Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley has been constructed enabling year-round connectivity between Karakoram Pass and Leh in 2019 itself

6. Work on building a new terminal building of the KBR Airport in Leh and Ladakh in Jammu-Kashmir also started in 2019

Massive financial allocation for development of Ladakh

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also announced development package for Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh in 2015

2. After the formation of UT, 9 projects with an outlay of Rs 21,441 crore were transferred to the UT of Ladakh

3. An unprecedented amount of Rs 5,958 crore was allocated for the development of Ladakh for the fiscal year 2020-21

5. Lieutenant Governor of Ladakh also held a conference with CII to promote industry and tourism in Ladakh

Education for All Ladakhis



Prime Minister Narendra Modi also gave a green signal to the plan for the first Central University in Ladakh along with a Center on Buddhist Studies, fulfilling a long-standing demand of Ladakhis. The proposed central university will offer degrees in all courses such as liberal arts and basic sciences.

Earlier, over 10,000 Ladakhi students were forced to travel hundreds of kilometers away from their home for higher education would now benefit from this decision.

Other decisions taken for Ladakhi people include 5% seats are allocated in the UG programmes of NIT Srinagar; Khelo India winter games were held in Ladakh for the first time in February this year.

Energy Rich Ladakh: The central government has approved Rs 50,000 crore grid-connected solar photo-voltaic project spread across Leh and Kargil districts. So far, this is the single biggest investment proposal in the region since Ladakh was designated as a Union Territory.

The renewable energy ministry plans to eventually scale it up to a 23,000 MW grid-connected Ultra Mega Solar PV project in Ladakh, with the 7,500 MW package forming the first part of the larger project.

PM Modi has vowed to make the Ladakh Carbon Free region in the coming years. Rs 500 crore Mission Organic Development Initiative (M.O.D.I) and Greenhouse Project have recently been started in Ladakh.

M.O.D.I which promotes organic agriculture will be implemented in three phases: Under Phase I, around 66 villages in the region of Leh and Kargil will be converted into organic villages by the end of March 2021; under Phase II, around 85 villages of Ladakh will get the certification by 2023. The remaining 90 villages of Leh and Kargil districts will be declared as organic by 2025 in Phase III.

Ladakh Greenhouse project has also been started to promote the use of Greenhouses in Ladakh. The project is targeted to increase the availability of vegetables throughout the year through deep winter and to establish around 1676 greenhouses in the Leh and Kargil districts over 2 years of time with a budget of Rs 76.44 crore.

Preserving Culture and Promoting Tourism in Ladakh

1. Statue of Sengge Namgyal, the 17th century Namgyal dynasty King of Ladakh has been opened

2. Known as the Lion King, Sengge Namgyal is remembered by the locals for commissioning many monasteries, palaces, and shrines

3. Eco-tourism and cultural tourism are being promoted big time in Ladakh by the government

4. Cultural tourism by the way of homestay in the monasteries which are present in almost all important parts of the region is being planned

5. Eco-tourism and ecological activities like bird watching, wildlife safaris, etc are also being promoted

6. Siachen Glacier is now open for tourism exposing tourists to not only the beautiful terrain of Ladakh but also show the hardships faced by our Jawans

Infrastructure build-up in Ladakh

1. This massive infrastructure development will not only benefit the people of Ladakh by making their commute easier and facilitating tourism but also strengthen Indias border infrastructure.

2. Colonel Chewang Rinchen Bridge, which has been constructed by the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) in a record time of 15 months, will not only provide all-weather connectivity in the region but also be a strategic asset in the border areas.

3. 82 Meter Span Motorable Bridge over River Shayok at Rongdo in Nubra opened

4. Bids for Zojila tunnel and floats tenders for preparation of DPR for Shinkun-La, Tanglang-La, and Lachaung- La tunnels have been invited.

Keeping Ladakh connected: Construction of as many as 54 mobile towers under the Universal Service Obligation Fund has started in Ladakh.

Some remote villages such as Yulchung, Neyraks, Linshed, Photoksar, which remains cut off for six months from Leh during the winters, will get the mobile service before winter.

Mobile towers will work through the satellite connection not requiring optical fibre cable connection and are expected to function within a few months.

PM Modis visit to Ladakh: Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in Ladakh near the army base at Nimu during the height of border tensions. He was accompanied by CDS Bipin Rawat and Army Chief Gen MM Narawane. It was not only a statement of power but also a sign of standing solidly with people of Ladakh and the Indian Army.

PM Modi later visited the injured soldiers in Leh, sending a message that India stands with its Bravehearts. While addressing Army, Air Force, and ITBP soldiers, PM Modi spoke of valour witnessed from Leh to Kargil and Siachen, saying "if we worship Lord Krishna playing the flute, we also revere Lord Krishna carrying a Sudarshan Chakra."

The Prime Minister further said that the weak can never have peace, only the mighty can and that Indian armed forces are that might. Conveying a message to China, he said the era of expansionism is over and that India is capable of protecting its borders.
Like all of the world, I experienced my first summer during a pandemic. Like all of the world, it changed my plans. Lucky for me, I was able to still participate in my summer internship. I was fortunate enough to spend my summer working with and learning from experienced journalists at a real newspaper  something I had no idea I would do earlier this year.

I first want to thank the community and my co-workers at the Huron Daily Tribune for the past few months of fun and education that I was lucky enough to enjoy. Prior to this past spring, I had seldom heard of the Thumb, let alone Bad Axe, and I am beyond thankful to have had this time here to discover another corner of the world.

As a student at Central Michigan University, I stumbled upon this opportunity after receiving an email from WCMU Public Radio, in Mount Pleasant, about an on-campus boot camp in February. I thought back to a lesson my dad taught me: take every opportunity. I thought, "Why not?" and responded with an RSVP.

I attended the boot camp, professional and enthusiastic, because as a freshman in college with admittedly no experience, that was the only advantage I thought I had.

After a 9-5 day including lectures on journalism, recording with equipment, and creating radio scripts, I then sat down with three people who asked me why I was a good fit for their summer internship. I didnt really know, but I told the truth; that I am likely more inexperienced than most but nonetheless I am optimistic, motivated, and hard-working. I also had some photography experience, which ended up being a huge benefit.

At the end of the month, I received an email telling me I would be a good fit for the Bad Axe location as they were interested in someone with photo experience. I was ecstatic  my first professional experience, let alone my first year of college.

Now, about five months after receiving that email, I find myself reflecting on the past summer that was my first breath of professional journalism.

The coronavirus, a topic that is seemingly at the center of every conversation, altered my internship drastically. But you already knew I would say that. "Whose life hasnt changed?" is a question that would yield a significantly shorter answer.

I find myself often struggling to finish the sentence, If the pandemic did not happen, because I cannot seem to find a sufficient answer to what I would be doing, what the world would be doing.

But I bring myself back to the reality I live in, to my three-month internship in which I never met my co-workers face-to-face. My reality, however, is not just myself alone in a small house thinking about what I could be doing. I made the most of it.

I was able to meet people and discover jobs I never even knew existed. I talked to government officials about topics ranging from invasive species to personal protective equipment. I interviewed a pastor, for nearly an hour, as he described his life story including his involvement in the counterculture movement in the 1960s.

The platform I now have to launch off is immeasurably greater than a year ago, or even three months ago. Now, returning to CMU as a sophomore, I will be the assistant photo editor at the schools newspaper, Central Michigan Life.

I will always carry my experience at the Tribune in my heart and mind as I carry on along my journey of journalism. I look forward to returning to the Thumb in the future to experience and photograph the incredible events I have heard so much about.

Thank you Huron County.

Aurora Abraham was an intern for the Huron Daily Tribune. She is now doing freelance work for the Tribune.
A Black officer with the Port of Seattle police is suing over the Ports alleged failure to provide records of an investigation into racial discrimination claims he made against superiors including the police chief.

Yandle Moss alleged to his employer that Police Chief Rod Covey and other superiors were subjecting him to retaliation for engaging in protected activity including collective bargaining grievances, whistleblowing, and reporting race discrimination, and that he was being treated adversely because of his race, according to the complaint filed earlier this month in King County Superior Court.

The Port of Seattle did not immediately respond to request for comment, The Seattle Times reported.

Mosss allegations of race-based discrimination, the suit says, prompted the Port to put the police chief on administrative leave in June. At the time, the Port declined to specify why, citing an ongoing investigation into his workplace conduct.

In 2019, the Port hired attorney Elizabeth Van Moppes to investigate Mosss claims. Van Moppes produced two reports, the second of which, the complaint says, is a Port-requested revision of her first report in which she removed four pages of content, (and) changed facts and findings.

Moss requested both reports in February. The documents he received, though, were substantially redacted, which Moss alleges was in violation of the state Public Records Act.

Moss is asking the Port give him the records it withheld, as well as unspecified penalties.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Lawsuits
Dubai Silicon Oasis Authority (DSOA), the regulatory body for Dubai Silicon Oasis (DSO), has upgraded its integrated building management system (IBMS) that looks after 40 buildings within DSO to an artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled IBMS.



The system connects almost 60,000 points of control from all the buildings and plants, including the DSOA headquarters, six office towers, the cedre shopping centre, the operations and facilities centre, light industrial units, two residential complexes, Al Waha Mosque, and Dubai Digital Park project, through a local area network (LAN) and using Tridiums Niagara Framework to integrate all the digital data streams available across the network.



Data is aggregated centrally and analysed through an artificial intelligence-enabled approach, with algorithms designed to recognise and react to patterns. Every data point in the building portfolio is consolidated into a single system to optimize information management and decision-making.



Leveraging state-of-the-art technology, the IBMS has helped DSOA save approximately AED1 million ($272,000) per month. This number takes into consideration both a reduction in energy usage and reduction in facilities manpower.



The newly implemented AI solution will further enhance DSOAs existing integrated building management system that was implemented for the first time in 2009, said Khalil Odeh Shalan, Senior Vice President of Operations and Facilities at DSOA.



The new upgrade is testament of our commitment to implement sustainable projects, in line with the objectives outlined in the Dubai Integrated Energy Strategy 2030 and the Dubai Clean Energy Strategy 2050, he added.



We will continue implementing our AI enabled building management systems in newly completed projects and integrate them with the current system. Going forward, building management systems will be incorporated within the centralised system into the planning of all DSOA-owned facilities. In addition, any private developer in DSO will have the flexibility to integrate their building management system into our IBMS.



More specifically, the benefits of the new system include a significant reduction in energy saving totalling 36 per cent per year and the number of operators required to manage the 40 buildings  from 110, to five. Furthermore, the software is based on a framework that integrates a range of devices, regardless of manufacturer or communication protocol, hence allowing DSOA greater flexibility.



In addition, from the centralized control room, the DSOA facilities management team can monitor electricity usage in real-time, giving greater ability to make appropriate adjustments and send alerts during high-consumption instances. Lastly, the IBMS grants the ability to capture and store more historical data to feed analytics tools, which help DSOAs facilities management team to drive toward continual energy reduction and performance improvements.  TradeArabia News Service
HALIFAX - The Nova Scotia government has sold Liscombe Lodge to a private operator, officially ending its role in the resort business.

The province announced today that it has sold the resort about 170 kilometres east of Halifax to Hearthstone Hospitality Ltd. for $450,000.

The new owner has agreed to invest $1 million in upgrades and offer employment to all current employees at the Guysborough County property.

Geoff MacLellan, the minister of business, said hes pleased Liscombe Lodge and another resort formerly owned by the province, Digby Pines, are both in the hands of experienced private sector operators.

The sale closed Aug. 1.

Hearthstone currently operates three hotels in Nova Scotia in Port Hastings, Sydney and Dartmouth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.

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A tiny tick became a major source of pain and suffering for Meadows Place resident Jenny Harrison five years ago when she was infected with Lyme disease.

By the time Harrison was treated a couple weeks after the bite, she was left with joint pain and fatigue that only seemed to worsen.

I used to walk 20,000 steps a day, carrying boxes, Harrison said. Id never been to the doctor. I never took medicine.

All of that changed, basically overnight.

I felt like I hit a brick wall, Harrison said. I used to hike and swim. Suddenly, I couldnt lift a gallon of milk without two hands.

She turned to a regimen of ibuprofen. It doesnt make the pain go away, but it makes it manageable, she said.

Being completely pain free felt like a fantasy - until she stumbled upon a medical trial.

Dr. Hyochol Brian Ahn, professor at UTHealths Cizik School of Nursing, suggested that pain could be zapped away using electric currents. The concept behind his research is transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), a noninvasive way to stimulate certain parts of the brain using a low intensity current.

At first, Harrison was skeptical - especially when she saw the hat she would need to wear as part of the experiment. The headgear would carry a weak electric current, powered by batteries.

Still, Harrison was hopeful for some reduction of her pain. Every week, she headed to the Texas Medical Center, for brain imaging. Then, she would agree to wear the electronic headgear at home for 20 minutes a day.

You dont feel anything, Harrison said. Theres just a small current. You feel a little warm.

The day the study finished, Harrison said that lockdown began. For the next two months, I didnt have any pain, she said. Usually, I have it when I first wake up, before I even get out of bed. It was like I had a whole new lease on life.

Harrison is not cured; she still feels pain from time to time, though it is greatly reduced.

Its certainly the best Ive felt in five years - with no side effects, said Harrison, who looks forward to a day when the electronic headgear is available at stores.

If I could buy one, Id get it today, she said.

And that day may be getting closer. Ahn recently was awarded a $2.4 million grant from the National Institute of Nursing Research to continue his studies.

Ahn has a unique combination of knowledge in electricity, computers and nursing. He earned a bachelors degree in electrical engineering in his native South Korea before moving to the U.S. to pursue his masters degree in electrical and computer engineering.

At the time, Anh became increasingly interested in biomedical research. My ultimate goal was to improve the quality of medicine using technology, said Ahn, who continued his studies with focus on medicine, earning his doctorate in nursing science in 2012.

His experience working at a pain clinic led to his interest in transcranial direct current stimulation. At the clinic, Ahn observed that a patients pain levels did not always match his or her physical condition.

For example, a patient might be in the initial stages of arthritis but be in a lot of pain, and vice versa, he said.

That got him thinking: Perhaps the pain wasnt directly tied to the physical problem. Instead, he thought, the problem could be with the signaling process - in the brain.

The brain is a central organ that processes pain, Ahn said. We need to focus on that central signal and mechanism.

Joint paint in osteoarthritis patients can be traced to a part of the brain called the primary motor cortex, according to Ahn. When processing chronic pain, the brain can actually heighten the symptoms, making patients feel worse. For instance, Ahn said, a patient can still feel pain in a knee, even after a surgery to eliminate the problem. In that case, the brain has already been hardwired to experience pain.

Ahn was interested in the concept of neuroplasticity, the idea that the brain can change and create new connections. He wondered if it was possible to massage the brain.

But the brain is inside the skull, so we couldnt really do brain massage therapy, he said.

Ahn considered an alternative  electric currents. He considers transcranial direct current stimulation treatment to be brain massage therapy.

In 2015, he began his first study on transcranial direct current stimulation. He recruited a small group of about 40 patients, who met in his lab every day for a 20-minute treatment.

I found that it worked, Ahn said. But many people have a job. Its hard for them to come to my lab every day. I wanted to reduce their burden.

He started a second study in 2018 to allow patients to get their brain massage at home.

We changed the headgear to cellphone size, Ahn said. Its a very handy machine.

Again, the technology was successful. It actually changes the way the brain processes pain, Ahn said. We see a lot of improvement in pain and also function.

In his new study, he will pair transcranial direct current stimulation with mindfulness meditation for knee osteoarthritis pain in older adults.

Patients will practice a guided meditation, while wearing the electronic headgear during 20-minute at-home sessions conducted through a secure videoconferencing platform. Patients will then go to the clinic once a week for brain imaging to gauge the treatments effectiveness.

Ahn compared using meditation and brain massage to using two pain prescriptions at once, increasing the efficacy of each one.

We are combining two therapies to increase neuroplasticity, he said. This is similar to combining two medications, but its much safer. Theres no threat. Theres just hope, and our lab is at the frontier nationally to examine this hypothesis.

The study will be conducted over a five-year period. Were gearing up now to recruit patients, Ahn said.

With transcranial direct current stimulation, Ahn hopes to improve the self-management of pain, decrease public health expenditures and improve the quality of life for older adults.

This would also offer a nonpharmacological approach to pain care, which Ahn said is especially critical, due to the opioid epidemic.

He is collaborating with Dr. Kenneth Mathis, an orthopedic surgeon at UT Physicians and an associate professor at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth.

Ultimately, providing a drug-free pain relief is Ahns goal. The first steps are focusing on transcranial direct current stimulation, finding the optimal duration for the treatment and researching whether combining this method with other therapies will provide greater relief.

At this point, we need more evidence, he said. My five-year study will shine more light on this future direction.

The research may also result in a user-friendly, home-based therapy.

We will continue to develop the best strategies to reduce the pain of the patient, Ahn said. Everybody has the right to a life without pain - and without limits to their physical ability.
Now covered in graffiti, the Lee monument has become a focal point and gathering spot amid Richmonds sustained anti-racist protests since the police custody death in Minnesota of a Black man, George Floyd. Northam announced plans in June to remove the statue, citing the pain felt around the nation by Floyds killing.

Floyds death sparked a renewed wave of Confederate monument removals across the U.S., just like a violent 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville before it and a mass shooting at a historic African American church in South Carolina before that.

USAID official fired after anti-LGBTQ social media posts

WASHINGTON  The deputy White House liaison for the U.S. Agency for International Development has been fired after posting a series of anti-LGBTQ tweets and complaining of anti-Christian bias by her now former colleagues.

Officials said Merritt Corrigan was fired on Monday just hours after sending the torrent of tweets that also accused Democratic lawmakers of a corrupt campaign to oust her from her job.

A USAID spokeswoman confirmed that Corrigan was no longer employed by the agency.
LOUISVILLE, Ky.  Despite mounting public pressure to file criminal charges nearly five months after Breonna Taylors death, prosecutors may face significant obstacles to bringing homicide-related charges against police officers who were shot at when sent to her house with a warrant, legal experts said.

Tensions have swelled in her home town and spread far afield as activists, professional athletes and social media stars push for action while investigators plead for more patience. The warrant also has been called into question and, with federal officials looking into potential civil rights abuses, the case could reach beyond the officers on the scene that night.

Taylor, a 26-year-old Louisville emergency medical tech studying to become a nurse, was shot multiple times March 13 after being roused from sleep by police at her door. The warrant was approved as part of a narcotics investigation into a suspect who lived across town, and no drugs were found at her home.

Attorney General Daniel Cameron, the first African American elected to the job in Kentucky, has declined to put a timetable on his decision since taking over the case in May.

Its a tough issue. He has to figure out whether theres probable cause to believe that there was an unreasonable use of force by the officers, said Christopher Slobogin, director of the criminal justice program at Vanderbilt University. Slobogin said attorneys for the officers would certainly raise the warrant as a defense in a criminal case.

Cameron has seen increasing pressure from protesters in recent weeks. Dozens of activists who went to his Louisville home were arrested after they wouldnt leave his yard, and last week, an armed militia marched into downtown and demanded that Cameron make his decision within a month. Taylors family and multiple cultural luminaries  from LeBron James to Oprah Winfrey  have called for three police officers who were at her home to be charged with her killing. Oprah put Taylor on the cover of her O magazine this month.

Taylors boyfriend, Kenny Walker, was with her at the apartment and fired a shot at Louisville police Sgt. Jonathan Mattingly after the door was broken down. Mattingly was struck in the leg and returned fire, along with other officers who were outside the apartment.

Taylor, unarmed, was shot several times in her hallway and died on the scene. The officers on the scene were not wearing body cameras and the department has said there is no video of the raid.

The warrant they were carrying has come under scrutiny, and the police lieutenant who sought it, Joshua Jaynes, has been placed on administrative leave during the investigation. Attorneys for Taylors family said it was based on erroneous information that a drug dealer was sending packages to Taylors apartment.

The FBI is investigating the case for civil rights violations, and agents at its state-of-the-art crime lab in Quantico, Virginia, are examining evidence.

Walker told police investigators he heard knocking but didnt know who was at the door. Police had secured a controversial no-knock warrant that allows for sudden entry, but Mattingly insisted to investigators they knocked and announced themselves before entering.

Louisville has since banned no-knock warrants in a local ordinance named for Taylor.

Slobogin and other experts noted that it may be challenging for prosecutors to push for charges against police officers who were shot at, prompting them to fire back.

The warrant, combined with the fact that they were fired upon, would make for a powerful defense argument that they acted in valid self-defense while conducting a lawful police operation, said Sam Marcosson, a University of Louisville law professor who has closely watched the local case.

Marcosson and Slobogin said if the warrant were proven to be obtained fraudulently, the officers would have had to be aware of that, another difficult legal hurdle.

Police department protocol allows the use of lethal force when officers feel threatened, giving some measure of latitude to their judgment at the time.

But the warrant does not necessarily immunize the police, Slobogin said. Even if they had a valid no-knock warrant and properly announced themselves, blazing away, the way they did, arguably is an excessive use of force.

One of the officers involved, Brett Hankison, was fired in June. A termination letter said the officer violated procedures by showing extreme indifference to the value of human life by wantonly and blindly shooting 10 rounds into Taylors apartment. Its not yet clear whose bullets struck Taylor. Mattingly and Myles Cosgrove remain on administrative leave.

Sam Aguiar, an attorney for Taylors family who is suing the three officers, said the police shot an innocent person.

Breonna did not shoot at them and posed no threat, Aguiar said in an email to AP. Mattingly clearly says (in his testimony) he sees a female without a firearm and a male with a firearm. He and the others dont get a license to keep shooting an unarmed female simply because they are confronted by an armed male.

Aguiar said the officers created the initial threat and Hankison should be charged with attempted murder for his recklessness.

Louisvilles top criminal prosecutor, who recused himself from the Taylor investigation, has pointed to the confusion over whether Taylor and Walker knew the police were at the door. Tom Wine dropped an attempted murder charge against Walker in May and has said he believes the police announced themselves at least three times before knocking down the door.

At a news conference in late May, Wine played sections of testimony from Walker and Mattingly, who said he and the other officers were called in that night for extra manpower in a large-scale drug operation.

Its possible there was no criminal activity on either side of that door because no one could hear what the other party is saying, Wine said.

Since Wine made those statements, the citys police chief has been fired, the FBIs Louisville office called the case their top priority and Taylors name has spread to protests against racial injustice around the world.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 3

Trend:

Taking into account the epidemiological situation in Azerbaijan, the issue of allowing making trips to the districts is being discussed, Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev said.

Hajiyev made the remark at the briefing of the Operational Headquarters under the Azerbaijani Cabinet of Ministers, Trend reports on Aug. 3.

The number of infected people in Baku may increase, assistant to the president added. "At present, the permission for travelling to the districts may lead to the spread of the virus in the districts. Taking this into account, the issue of allowing travelling to the districts, taking into account the epidemiological situation, will be considered."
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 20:03:50|Editor: huaxia

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MANILA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Tuesday said it is providing a 1.5 billion U.S. dollars loan to support the Thai government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a statement, ADB President Masatsugu Asakawa said the loan will "help reduce the pandemic's social and economic impacts" on this Southeast Asian country.

"Our budget support will help fund the government's relief packages, which aim to better prepare the country's health care system for possible future waves of COVID-19; protect the vulnerable; support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in industries most affected by the outbreak such as tourism and manufacturing; and provide overall economic stimulus," he added.

The Manila-based bank said Thailand has one of the more developed health care systems in Southeast Asia, but the country remains highly vulnerable to the pandemic due to its deep integration with regional and global economies.

ADB forecast Thailand's economy to contract 6.5 percent in 2020, down from its December 2019 projection of 3.0 percent growth.

The ADB said the loan to Thailand is funded through its COVID-19 pandemic response option (CPRO) under ADB's Countercyclical Support Facility.

CPRO was established as part of ADB's 20 billion U.S. dollars expanded assistance for developing members to respond to COVID-19, announced on April 13. Enditem
More Covid-19 patients in critical condition

Vietnam had 10 Covid-19 critical cases as of Monday morning among 21 who are in worse condition.



The information was given by Associate. Prof. Dr Luong Ngoc Khue, head of Department for Medical Examination and Treatment and deputy head of the Treatment sub-committee under the National Steering Committee for Covid-19 Prevention and Control.

By Monday evening, Vietnam had recorded 642 Covid-19 cases, including 374 discharged from hospital after their recovery, accounting for 60% and six deaths, equal to 1%.



Among those, 21 are battling worsened conditions, including 10 in grave condition who are now using ventilators and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) with five at Hue Central Hospital, four at Danang Hospital and one at Danang Lung and Respiratory Diseases Hospital.



Most of those in serious condition are elderly and have other complicated diseases. The patients are monitored through an online management and administration centre at the Department for Medical Examination and Treatment.



Vietnam confirmed six deaths related to Covid-19 by Monday morning, including five from Danang City and one from Quang Nam. They all had pre-existing conditions such as heart and kidney problems.



Managing Minister of Health Nguyen Thanh Long said that Vietnam was being ravaged by a new strain of Covid-19 which has a higher infection rate than the strain experienced in the first six months of this year.



Roughly 1.4 million people visited the central tourism city of Danang which has suffered a Covid-19 outbreak over the past month.



Long urged localities to take drastic measures to fight against the pandemic, emphasising that it was necessary to expand Covid-19 tests which are covered by health insurance.
QOSMEZGIL, Kazakhstan -- There is a quiet farming village in southern Kazakhstan that has been home to several thousand ethnic Uzbeks and Kazakhs living side by side for centuries.

But peace in the dusty community of Qosmezgil was shattered recently by a clash between several young Uzbek and Kazakh men that left four people, including a policeman, injured. One victim of the violence is in intensive care with a severe eye injury and other wounds he sustained in the July 20 fight.

Two weeks later, the villagers are reluctant to talk about what some described to reporters as just an "ordinary scuffle between a group of young people."

Outside of Qosmezgil, however, many people call it an ethnic conflict between Kazakhs and Uzbeks.

Keen to prevent any further escalation of the situation, Kazakh authorities have swiftly deployed an unspecified number of police to the village.

Blue-and-gray police minibuses are parked near houses with broken windows, the scene of the melee. Police cars can be seen driving on the near-empty village roads, with officers patrolling the streets.

A police checkpoint was also installed at the entrance to the area in Turkistan Province immediately after the violence broke out.

A nighttime curfew has since been imposed on the village, where all gathering have also banned.

It's clear the authorities -- perhaps noticing the fighting as far away as the capital, Nur-Sultan -- want to stamp out any sign of ethnic conflict in the multinational country that has had more than its share of violence between ethnic groups in recent decades.

'Argument Over Matches'

Eyewitnesses say the brawl began with an argument between Iftikhor Jumadulloev, an ethnic Uzbek, and Almas Tolbasiev, an ethnic Kazakh.

According to local residents, including relatives of the two men, their argument started after Tolbasiev asked Jumadulloev for matches to light a cigarette.

Tolbasiev is among four people who have been arrested because of the skirmish. Tolbasiev's older brother, Olzhas, told RFE/RL that he took his sibling to the police station and demanded that he tell officials what had happened.

"On his way back from work, my brother bumped into some young men and asked one of them for matches," Olzhas Tolbasiev said. "The men swore at him. They started arguing and it led to a brawl between the two groups."

Although the "two groups" were ethnic Uzbeks and Kazakhs, Tolbasiev insisted that "it was a personal issue, not an ethnic conflict."

He says someone recorded the fight on a mobile phone and posted the footage on the Internet.

According to Tolbasiev and many villagers and the authorities, it was the video that caused the "misunderstanding" about the nature of the scuffle and "provoked" the wrong reactions.

Jumadulloev and his brother were injured in the clash. Jumadulloev, whose arm was broken in the fight, is under investigation. His brother is in the hospital.

Later in the night after the melee, a group of people threw stones at Jumadulloev and his brother's houses, breaking windows and damaging vehicles.

Jumadulloev's mother, Jamila Jumadulloeva, said she had to hide her 18 grandchildren in her house when the men attacked their homes with stones overnight on July 20-21.

Jumadulloeva also repeated what others in Qosmezgil say: "We don't call it an ethnic fight. It was an insignificant, ordinary dispute."

"But there was some stupid person among us who posted a video of the fight, which shocked the whole country," she told RFE/RL.

The video shows a policeman with his face covered in blood and with stains on his blue uniform. He is surrounded by a group of men who accuse him of trying to run away, which he denies.

Authorities say the policeman was trying to break up the fight and get the two groups to go home.

Interior Minister Erlan Turgumbaev said those involved in the fight had been detained and the authorities are also separately investigating those behind the "provocations on the Internet."

Fake News Or Long-Standing Issues?

Despite the government and the families rejecting an "ethnic" factor behind the latest conflict, some villagers privately say arguments and scuffles between the Kazakh and Uzbek communities have long existed.

Torekhan Abdirazakov, the imam at a local mosque, says brawls between Uzbek and Kazakh youth have become more frequent in recent months. The July 20 brawl was the third such incident so far this year, the imam told RFE/RL.

"In the past, such disputes were resolved by village elders, who reconciled the parties. But this time, the elders were not aware of what happened," Abdirazakov said.

The situation is said to be the same in the entire Shornaq rural area, which consists of four villages, including Qosmezgil. Shornaq is home to more than 12,000 people, most of them ethnic Uzbeks and Kazakhs.

Nyshankul Jumanova, the deputy governor of Shornaq, told RFE/RL that a similar brawl between young Kazakhs and Uzbeks took place last year. "It was a fight between students at the local school," she said.

"Several officials...including provincial Deputy Governor Saken Kalmakanov and representatives of law enforcement agencies and the prosecutor's office visited the village and organized a meeting to discuss the situation," Jumanova said.

Some local residents suggest that disagreements between the two communities have intensified over the renaming of the village and its school.

Four years ago, the village name was changed from Kyzylasker to Qosmezgil, which mean "Red Army" and "two seasons," in Kazakh, respectively.

Some local Uzbeks, however, wanted to rename the village and school Sunaq, the name of an ancient tribe in southern Kazakhstan. Some ethnic Uzbeks in Shornaq believe they are descended from the Sunaqs.

"But the Kazakhs are against renaming the village or the school Sunaq," said a local resident, who didn't want to give his name.

The renaming issue is just one of many that divide the two communities in Shornaq. But no one in the area is willing to discuss those grievances.

Officials in Nur-Sultan flatly reject the existence of any ethnic issue in Shornaq. It's a sensitive topic in Kazakhstan that saw a tragic ethnic conflict between Dungan and Kazakh communities just six months ago in the country's southeast.

'Worried For Our Children'

Eleven people were killed, dozens were injured, and thousands of Dungans fled across the border to Kyrgyzstan during that conflict, which broke out on February 7 near the town of Kordai in the southern Zhambyl Province.

Previous ethnic tensions in Kazakhstan include a clash between ethnic Kazakhs and Tajiks in the Turkistan provincial village of Bostandyk in February 2015.

In 2007, fighting broke out between ethnic Kazakhs and Chechens in the village of Malovodnoye in Almaty Province. At least three people were killed in that violence.

Kazakh authorities say there have taken urgent measures to prevent the scuffle in Qosmezgil from flaring up or growing in scale.

On July 23, police patrolling the village stopped a group of some 40 young people from nearby areas who tried to enter Qosmezgil to take sides in the tension.

Both the villagers and officials said the men were incited by the video of the clash and the comments posted on social media about it.

A special task force has been set up to investigate the conflict. Beside the police and prosecutor's probe, the intelligence services are also investigating the root causes of the conflict.

The villagers, meanwhile, say they are anxious about their and their families' safety as well as the protection of their property.

The nighttime curfew lasts only nine hours, but the streets of Qosmezgil are deserted even during the day.

"We are worried about our children," one local resident said.

Written by Farangis Najibullah, based on reporting by Dilara Isa and contributions from Ruslan Medelbek, both of RFE/RL's Kazakh Service
Beach resorts along Frances Atlantic coast, picturesque promenades on the Loire River, farmers markets in the Alps  theyre among scores of spots around France where everyone is now required to wear a mask outdoors.

The outdoor mask rules taking effect Monday are on top of a nationwide decree last month requiring people to wear masks in all stores and other indoor public places. Pressure is growing on the government to mandate outdoor mask use on a national level, too.

France is seeing an uptick in coronavirus infections, with hundreds of new clusters in recent weeks, notably as young people gather at waterside cafes or dance parties and families get together for summer vacation.

Several sites around France have started requiring masks outdoors in recent days. Starting Monday, 69 towns in the Mayenne region of western France imposed outdoor mask rules, as did parts of the northern city of Lille and coastal city of Biarritz in French Basque country.

France has reported 7,000 new cases in the last week, after bringing the virus nearly under control with a strict two-month nationwide lockdown, and has confirmed 30,265 virus-related deaths since the pandemic began.

(This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.)

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Chinese state media is accusing President Trump of trying to steal TikTok by forcing the sale of its US arm to Microsoft, saying it is part of America's 'decoupling' strategy.

The Global Times published a piece on Tuesday denouncing Trump, saying he was trying to 'kill China's most competitive companies'.

They compared him threatening to ban TikTok- which has more than 800million users worldwide - to him outlawing Huawei.

'The US' decoupling from China starts from killing China's most competitive companies. In the process, Washington ignores rules and is unreasonable.

'Although suppressing Huawei and TikTok also incurs losses to the US, the suppression can still be implemented in the US.

Scroll down for video

Chinese president Xi Jingping and President Trump are at war over the future of TikTok, which is owned by a Chinese company but has dominated the US social media space in recent months, stoking fears in Washington that it could be used against America

'This is because such suppression echoes the sense of crisis instigated by some US elites when facing China's rise,' the article states.

It goes on to claim that Trump and the US are threatened by China's dominance in technology, saying: 'Huawei has advanced equipment, and ByteDance sells services to the world through unique concepts and technologies.

The two companies are pioneers worldwide.

'They have brought a sense of crisis to US elites, which shows that China's top companies have the ability to move to the forefront of the world in technology.

'It reflects the power of China as an emerging market.

'As long as such power continues to expand, these top Chinese companies can eventually break through US suppression.

'By banning Huawei, the US would lag behind in 5G technology. By banning TikTok, the US would harm its own internet diversity and its belief in freedom and democracy.

'When similar things happen time and again, the US will take steps closer to its decline.'

Shares of Microsoft rose almost 6% on Monday after it confirmed that it was continuing talks about buying the popular social-media platform TikTok

President Donald Trump said Monday he does not oppose Microsoft Corp acquiring the U.S. operations of TikTok and said he will ban the service in the United States on September 15 unless a sale is agreed upon.

The comments came after Trump on Friday said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video app's U.S. operations after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.

During a White House meeting, Trump said he didn't mind if the US tech giant purchased the social media app after having a 'great conversation' with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella

Talks of a possible buy of by Microsoft saw the tech company's share price soar by nearly nearly 6%, or $11.53, on Monday.

The jump added $95 billion to Microsoft's worth in a clear sign that investors back what some experts say could be a game-changing transaction for a mature technology company like Microsoft.

On Sunday Trump said that he had agreed to give China's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft.

Trump also said the U.S. Treasury would need to get a lot of money out of a TikTok deal, but was not clear how that would happen.

Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and 'is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.'

Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations.

The talks of a TikTok buyout saw gains of $95 billion added to Microsoft's worth bringing its total value to more than $1.6 trillion

WHAT DOES MICROSOFT STAND TO GAIN FROM BUYING THE US ARM OF TIKTOK? TikTok's catchy videos and ease of use has made it popular, and it says it has tens of millions of users in the U.S. and hundreds of millions globally. Its parent company, ByteDance acquired Shanghai-based video app Musical.ly in a $1 billion deal in 2017 and relaunched it as TikTok the following year. In its statement, $1.5 trillion company Microsoft said it may invite other American investors to participate on a minority basis in the purchase of TikTok. Financial terms were undisclosed. ByteDance was valued at as much as $140 billion earlier this year. Any deal with Microsoft to buy TikTok could be worth billions of dollars. It could also expose the company, which already owns Xbox, LinkedIn and Skype, to tech savvy teens. Advertisement

Some congressional aides are worried about a backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump banned TikTok, which has 100 million American users.

Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the U.S. government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.

'A U.S. company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe,' Schumer said on Twitter, adding: 'This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government.'

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.

'So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised?' Navarro said in an interview with CNN. 'Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?'

Navarro said the Chinese government and military use Microsoft software 'to do all the things they do.'

U.S. officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following U.S. laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.








Snapchat is now adding a new feature to the app, which will let users add music to the videos they record. The feature is going to make Snapchat the latest competitor for TikTok.





This announcement from Snapchat was made after president Donald Trump told reporters about his plan to soon ban TikTok in the U.S., and Instagram revealed its plans to launch its own TikTok competitor app.





The new feature is going to allow users to get more creative around making videos, however, it looks like its design won't make it a full-on TikTok competitor. Apparently, Snapchat won't be adding two key features that TikTok has; a feed of videos set to music and seeing other videos featuring the same song.









The design of Snapchat's feature will enable users to swipe up on a video to view the song's title and artist, along with a link to listen to the music track on a preferred streaming platform.





A spokesman from Snapchat explained that the feature will be introduced to let people share music with ''real friends". The social media company also stated in an email detailing that Snapchat has a wider reach in the U.S. than both Twitter and TikTok combined.





The feature will be released to English language users this fall and will initially be available to New Zealand and Australia.




A U.S. Army Special Forces colonel is awaiting court-martial on multiple counts of sexual assault.

Col. Kevin M. Russell, who has had extensive operational experience with the 7th Special Forces Group, is facing five counts of violating Article 120 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, Task & Purpose reported.

U.S. Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) released a statement, confirming that Russell "is accused of sexual assault and abusive sexual contact."

Read Next: US Could Bring More Than 4,000 Troops Home from Afghanistan by Election Day: Trump

Russell's court-martial is set to begin Aug. 25 at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, according to the statement.

"As with any criminal allegation, Col. Russell is presumed innocent until proven guilty at court-martial," it adds.

Russell is currently assigned to USASOC with duty at U.S. Special Operations Command, USASOC spokesman Lt. Col. Loren Bymer said. Prior to being reassigned, Russell was assigned to U.S. Southern Command, where he served as the commander of Joint Task Force-Bravo, a forward command designed to promote stability and security and counter transnational and transregional threat networks in Central America.

Bymer did not release details of Russell's current job and declined to release a charge sheet or further details about the case against him.

Military.com reached out to Russell's attorney, Michael Waddington, but did not immediately receive a response.

Russell was commissioned in 1992 as an engineering officer and was later assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division, 82nd Airborne Division, and 7th Special Forces Group, according to Task & Purpose.

Bymer confirmed that Russell has had multiple deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. His awards include four Bronze Stars, two Meritorious Service Medals, four Army Commendation Medals, Master Parachutist Badge, Military Freefall Parachutist Badge, Special Forces Tab and Ranger Tab, according to an Army bio.

Russell has also spent time in Honduras and Central America on multiple occasions as a member of the 7th Special Forces Group and has extensive operational experience, according to a 2018 Joint Task Force-Bravo news release when he assumed command of the post.

Prior to that assignment, Russell served as theater liaison element team chief for Special Operations Command Central, according to the release.

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: Soldier Makes History as First Woman to Join the Green Berets
(Natural News) Public health officials in Virginia are warning prospective students to get all the required vaccinations before the start of the school year in order to do online virtual learning from their home. If parents do not comply and do not show proof their kid got the injections, then their kid wont be able to access the online learning materials provided by the school district. This is a threat. Its also a lie, an empty threat, because children belong to their parents, not the state.

I think people feel like if youre not going to the brick and mortar school then you dont need to have the immunizations but thats incorrect, said Fairfax County Health Department worker Shauna Severo, speaking with NBC 4 in Washington.

This controlling public health official is lying. There are legal exemptions for any and all vaccination for schoolchildren in Virginia. These exemptions are constantly under assault in each state, but they do exist, as long as parents realize how important their freedom is to make medical choices for their own family.

According to Virginia law 12VAC5-110-80: No certificate of immunization shall be required of any student for admission to school if: The student or his parent or guardian submits a notarized Certificate of Religious Exemption (Form CRE 1), to the admitting official of the school to which the student is seeking admission. Form CRE 1 is an affidavit stating that the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the students religious tenets or practices.

Its all about compliance as controllers try to force vaccinations on kids learning from home

Its now apparent that vaccination coverage is all about compliance, not health. Why do officials want to force children to take liability-free inoculations, when these children will be learning from the confines of their home? How intrusive will these controlling people get?

Theres nothing in the vaccinations that enhances a childs immune system  no antiviral prophylactics, no minerals like zinc that will stop viral replication. Vaccines do not contain vitamin C, so they cannot boost thymus gland function nor strengthen the adaptive immune response. They do not contain Vitamin D and therefore do not strengthen the intra-cellular T-cell response to viral infection. Theres nothing in a vaccine that strengthens the childs microbiome, enhancing their immune systems ability to detect and react quickly to invading pathogens.

If anything, there are enough side effects listed on the vaccine insert sheets to make any rational parent second guess the safety and effectiveness of the inoculations.

Forced to do online learning, students across the nation are being conditioned to fear their own immune system and be ignorant of how it works and adapts to its environment. Instead, they are taught that they are biological sources of contamination, always infecting others with infections they dont even have. Forced to stay in their homes, children are being mentally abused to accept a life of fear and false guilt. When they are included in school activities, they are lined up and spaced out like prisoners, forcibly masked and monitored.

Desperate, Virginia setting up pop up clinics to get kids vaccinated

Virginia is now setting up pop up clinics to make sure that schoolchildren are inoculated with the CDCs bloated vaccine schedule, which has not been studied as a whole for safety. Parents are told to make appointments beforehand.

Virginia officials are desperate to force compliance because vaccination rates have plummeted in 2020. During the initial lock downs, vaccination coverage plummeted as parents avoided contact with medical facilities. Ironically, the mortality rate for infants plummeted during this time as well. The drop off in inoculations for infants coincided with historically low cases of SIDS.

Parents are still avoiding the medical system and vaccination rates are down. Many are starting to see the rampant coercion in the vaccine industry and how vaccine makers are shielded from legal liability when their products harm people. More parents are skeptical of how many vaccinations they submit their child to and are speaking up at pediatrician offices.

In the end, the threats from public health officials in Virginia are empty and have no legal or constitutional authority. Parents have the final say what goes into their childs body, especially when they are facilitating their childs education from home.

Sources include:

BlackListedNews.com

Intellihub.com

Law.Lis.Virginia.gov

NaturalNews.com

NaturalNews.com
As one of Smashburger's most beloved premium burger offerings, the Colorado Burger is made with Certified Angus Beef, and is topped with green chilies, melted aged cheddar and pepper jack cheeses, lettuce, tomato, and mayo on a spicy chipotle bun. Traditionally only offered in the Centennial State, the spicy menu item pays tribute to its American West origins offering a bold flavor combination that guests crave. This delectable burger pairs well with any Smash side such as brussels sprouts, tots or the classic Smashfries tossed in rosemary, garlic, & olive oil.

"Smash fans always rave about the Colorado Burger and beg every year for its return, so we're thrilled to finally bring it back for our guests nationwide," stated Carl Bachmann, President at Smashburger. "This burger reflects our restaurant's humble beginnings in Colorado, and we're eager to share this widely-loved menu item with guests who haven't yet experienced its distinct quality and flavor."

Known for its Certified Angus Beef burgers smashed on the grill to sear in the juices and seal in the flavor, Smashburger has over 300 locations in 36 states and eight countries. For more information about its new menu, please visit www.smashburger.com.

*Valid only on Thursday, August 6, 2020, the buy one, get one for 13 cents offer will be available at all participating U.S. locations.

About Smashburger:

Smashburger is a leading fast casual better burger restaurant known for its Certified Angus Beef burgers that are smashed on the grill to sear in the juices and seal in the flavor. In addition to burgers, Smashburger offers grilled or crispy chicken sandwiches, turkey and black bean burgers, fresh salads, signature side items such as Brussels sprouts and SmashFries, and hand-spun shakes made with Haagen-Dazs ice cream. In 2020, Smashburger introduced a new coffee lineup powered by the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf including coffee shakes, cold brew and an iced latte. Smashburger began in 2007 in Denver, Colorado. There are currently more than 300 corporate and franchise restaurants operating in 36 states and eight countries. To learn more, visit www.smashburger.com .

SOURCE Smashburger

Related Links

http://www.smashburger.com


By Laman Ismayilova

Smena Contemporary Art Gallery in Kazan has displayed stunning works of national artists.

The exhibition invites to look at contemporary art of Azerbaijan through the eyes of art collector Sadagat Khayal-Kushku.

Together with curator Asli Samedova and Triumph Gallery (Moscow), she selected the best examples of contemporary art to present gallery visitors.

The exhibition " Extension.AZ: Velvet Confessions features a wide range of art styles from watercolor paintings to unique video installations.

Entitled "Extension.AZ: Velvet Confessions", the art project brought together 15 contemporary artists, including Agil Abdullayev, Faig Akhmad, Orkhan Huseynov, Niyaz Najafov, Vusal Rahim, Aidan Salakhova, Irina Eldarova and others.

Art lovers in Kazan have a chance to enjoy works of national artist until August 31.

Founded in 2013, Smena Center of Contemporary Culture is an independent project which hosts multiple contemporary art exhibitions, lectures by well-known art and science figures, international film festivals and much more.

Smena is intensively promoting the subject of local history and new ways of representing the knowledge about it. This activity was launched by the Iskra festival in 2016 and later supported by the biannual intellectual literature festival and the Rudnik International Documentary Film Festival. The Center implements this mission by the activity of the independent publishing house of the same name which deals with little-known cultural and historical subjects connected with Kazan, Tatarstan and the Volga region.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
SHANGHAI, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- WuXi Biologics ("WuXi Bio") (2269.HK), a global company with leading open-access biologics technology platforms, announced that it was awarded as "Most Honored Company" by Institutional Investor, an international financial publication, based on the strength of its outstanding corporate governance and investor relations management. The Company also ranked top three in five other categories, including Best CEO, Best CFO, Best IR professionals, Best IR Team and Best IR Program. Recognition by this publication, and the capital market that it represents, for a second consecutive year affirms the Company's high-performing leadership team, investor relations management, and dedication to Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) practices.

In only a few years since listing on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 2017, WuXi Biologics has received multiple prestigious awards and reports a market cap of over HK$200 billion. The Company is dedicated to practicing global-standard corporate governance and maintaining active communication with the capital market via various channels, including result announcements, global Non-Deal Roadshows (NDR), investor conferences and Investor Days. The Company will continue to improve information disclosure mechanisms and expand communication channels with global investors to create higher value with stable business growth in the long term.

With global leading open-access biologics technology platforms, WuXi Biologics has established extensive partnerships with over 260 global pharmaceutical and biotech companies, with the goal of accelerating and transforming biologics discovery, development and manufacturing. Confronting the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company mobilized a world-class development and manufacturing team consisting of over 1,000 scientists to enable global partners to find potential treatments. Actively practicing corporate and social responsibility, WuXi Biologics is making unique contributions to address this global public health challenge and benefit patients worldwide.

As one of the most influential global financial publications, Institutional Investor is noted for its high-quality award rankings. Covering 1,472 publicly-listed companies across 18 sectors in Asia, the voting this year was conducted by over 2,500 portfolio managers and sell-side analysts. The core evaluation factors include accessibility of senior executives, IR team is well informed and empowered, timeliness of information disclosure, responsiveness, improved corporate structure and ESG information, etc.

About WuXi Biologics

WuXi Biologics (stock code: 2269.HK), a Hong Kong-listed company, is a leading global open-access biologics technology platform offering end-to-end solutions to empower organizations to discover, develop, and manufacture biologics from concept to commercial manufacturing. The company's history and achievements demonstrate its commitment to providing a truly ONE-stop service offering and strong value proposition to its global clients. As of December 31, 2019, there were a total of 250 integrated projects, including 121 projects in pre-clinical development stage, 112 projects in early-phase (phase I and II) clinical development, 16 projects in late-phase (phase III) development, and one project in commercial manufacturing. With total estimated capacity for biopharmaceutical production planned in China, Ireland, the U.S., Germany, and Singapore exceeding 280,000 liters by 2022, WuXi Biologics will provide its biomanufacturing partners with a robust and premier-quality global supply chain network. For more information on WuXi Biologics, please visit www.wuxibiologics.com.

SOURCE WuXi Biologics

Related Links

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: Oil Minister Dharmendra Pradhan on Tuesday tested positive for coronavirus and has been admitted to Medanta Hospital.

In a tweet, Pradhan said he has been admitted to hospital after testing positive of COVID-19.

Pradhan, 51, had developed COVID-like symptoms on Monday and was tested on Tuesday.

"After seeing symptoms of COVID-19, I got tested. The report has come positive," he tweeted.

"On the advice of doctors, I have been admitted to hospital and I am healthy."

Sources said Pradhan had last week met Home Minister Amit Shah, who was admitted to Medanta on Sunday after testing positive of coronavirus.

His staff too had earlier tested positive and has been isolation since.

Pradhan is one of the several high-profile names to have tested positive.

Others include Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has also been diagnosed with the infection and is being treated at privately-owned Kauvery Hospital.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik spoke to Pradhan on Tuesday and wished for his speedy recovery from COVID-19.

Pradhan was admitted to a hospital earlier in the day after testing positive for COVID-19.

"Concerned to know about the hospitalisation of Honble Union Minister @dpradhanbjp after being tested positive for #COVID19. Spoke with him and wished for a quick recovery & good health," Patnaik tweeted.

Pradhan, 51, had developed COVID-like symptoms on Monday and was tested on Tuesday.

Sources said Pradhan had last week met Home Minister Amit Shah, who was admitted to a hospital on Sunday after testing positive for coronavirus infection.

Both of them are admitted to Medanta Hospital in Gurgaon in Haryana.

Pradhan is one of the several high-profile names to have tested positive.

Others include Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Karnataka Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa and former Karnataka Chief Minister Siddharamaiah.

Tamil Nadu Governor Banwarilal Purohit has also been diagnosed with the infection and is being treated at the privately-owned Kauvery Hospital.

Four Odisha MLAs were earlier diagnosed with COVID-19 and all of them have recovered, sources in the state assembly said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Australian Department for Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) said Ambassador Lyndall Sachs had been allowed to visit jailed academic Kylie Moore-Gilbert at Tehran's notorious Qarchak prison on Sunday and found that she is well.

Dr. Moore-Gilbert is well and has access to food, medical facilities and books, the DFAT statement said. We will continue to seek regular consular access to Dr. Moore-Gilbert.

The Australian Embassy in Tehran has also issued a statement and said Dr. Moore-Gilbert is well and has access to "food, medical facilities and books".

In a tweet on July 29 Mehdi Keshtdar, the managing director of the Judiciary's Mizan News Agency had said that Dr. Gilbert-Moore was "in good health" and a judicial order had been issued to allow the Australian ambassador in Tehran to visit her.

Dr. Moore-Gilbert, one of the several foreign nationals and dual-citizens jailed in Iran on charges of spying, was recently transferred to the notorious Qarchak Prison in the south of the capital Tehran from Evin Prison.

Unlike Evin where a big number of inmates are political prisoners and prisoners of conscience are kept, Qarchak is primarily a prison for those who have committed serious crimes including drug-related offenses and murder.

In a brief phone call Dr. Moore-Gilbert informed prominent human rights lawyer Nasrin Sotoudeh who is herself serving a 38-year term in Evin Prison for a series of ambiguous security charges of her transfer. In a Facebook post Sotoudeh said Dr. Moore- Gilbert was sent to Qarchak "as a punishment", apparently for not cooperating with interrogators and prison authorities.

Dr. Moore-Gilbert, is a lecturer in Islamic studies at the University of Melbourne. She was in Iran to take part in a university program on Islam for foreign academics. During her stay she conducted some interviews and one of her academic colleagues on this program who she also interviewed flagged her as "suspicious" to the Revolutionary Guard leading to her arrest in early 2019.
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Chron.com is following the latest headlines on the COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the Houston area.

Afternoon update: Houstonians not wearing masks will now face a $250 fine, Mayor Sylvester Turner announced Monday.

The move is a pivot from educating the public about wearing masks, Turner said. Now, Houston police officers will be tasked with issuing warnings to people who do not wear masks, as mandated by the state of Texas.

Anyone who does not heed the warning will be issued the citation.

The mayor cited rising case numbers, particularly several days of more than 1,000 new cases. Turner said Houston's COVID-19 testing positivity rate has been dropping and is now 17 percent.

"We need it to be 5 percent or below," Turner said. "Seventeen is too high; ten is too high; the number needs to be 5 percent or below."

Officers will not respond to 911 calls about people not wearing masks, Turner said.

Morning update: A second Houston firefighter died this week after battling COVID-19, the fire department announced.

Jerry Pacheco, a 17-year veteran with the Houston Fire Department, died early Monday morning after spending time in the hospital battling the virus that has gripped the city. Pacheco worked as a paramedic at Station 101 in Kingwood.

We mourn the loss of our friend, said Marty Lancton, president of the Houston firefighters union. His tragic death is another reminder to be vigilant in our efforts to keep our families, friends and station crews safe in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Pacheco is the second Houston firefighter to die after a fierce battle with the virus. Leroy Lucio, a 62-year-old captain from Station 103 in Kingwood, died a week ago in a San Antonio hospital.

On Twitter, Houston leaders offered condolences for HFD and Pacheco's family, including Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo.

In other headlines, the Texas governments tally is undercounting coronavirus cases by the thousands, according to the Houston Chronicle. The discrepancy shows up because the state is not collecting data from rapid testing sites, which report their numbers to local governments but not the state.

This means there are likely 11,000 more cases of COVID-19 throughout the state, the newspaper found.

As of Aug. 1, statewide cases rose to 444,566. The Houston region added 2,337 new cases and is now at 105,765 cases total. The region reported 44 new deaths that brought the death count up to 1,708. Harris County reported 1,920 new cases and is now at 74,884 cases total.

NOTE: The numbers included in this report represent a one-day change in data from July 31 to Aug. 1. 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. DSHS is now using death certificate data for its counts of COVID deaths, leading some Texas counties to have dramatically higher counts than others and some counties to have higher numbers than state figures.

jay.jordan@chron.com
A tornado alert awakened Philadelphia-area residents in the middle of the night on Monday, April 15, 2019. Read more

Nothing gets the publics attention like the "T" word  even though statistics show that nearly three-quarters of all tornado warnings are false alarms.

Consider that tornado warning issued by the National Weather Services Mount Holly office at 3:19 a.m. on Monday, April 15. It covered an area inhabited by 2.7 million people, from Claymont, Del., to all of Philadelphia to Glenside to Palmyra.

Thanks (depending on your viewpoint) to the nations sophisticated public-alert technology, thousands were roused from their beds and advised to take shelter, although some were oblivious or disdainful, or just chose to roll the bones.

It rained, the winds roared, but in the end no tornadoes were sighted anywhere near Philadelphia, although one did touch down in deep Delaware.

Wouldnt it be better to wait until a tornado forms before setting off the alarm bells? Why risk scaring the daylights out of people?

A tornado has a spectacular but very brief career.

Relative to other cyclones, tornadoes are pinpricks. A winter storm can affect thousands of square miles; a tornado, often only a few.

A winter storms fury can last several days. A tornado? The average of life span is a couple minutes, says Joe Miketta, who is the Mount Holly offices warnings coordinator. If we wait for a tornado being sighted, its too late.

What triggers a warning?

Twisters are spun by tremendously complicated processes interacting at different levels of the atmosphere. Those alignments are difficult to predict.

The Storm Prediction Center, a national mayhem center in Norman, Okla., issues generalized tornado watches when it appears that the atmosphere is poised to riot over a given area.

This time of year, when the atmosphere is particularly frisky, the forecast floor at the center can resemble that of the National Hurricane Centers on five cups of espresso, with warning bells going off every few minutes.

It is up to the local offices to issue warnings, and they rely on Doppler radar images  tornado vortex signatures several miles up in the atmosphere  that indicate a tornado is possible.

Thats a tremendous advance over old technology, but not all those signatures will be followed by tornadoes, and sometimes if they do form, they head in unpredictable directions.

So are warnings all sound and fury, signifying nothing but fright?

The April 14-15 period was an incredibly active one for tornadoes in the mid-Atlantic.

In all, eight were confirmed in Pennsylvania, where, on average, only eight touch down in a year, according to the weather service.

Delaware exceeded its quota for the year. On average it sees only one annually; two touched down early on April 15.

The first one tore a 6.2-mile-long path, 50 yards wide, through Laurel, in southwestern Sussex County, at 3:38 a.m.

Incidentally, at 3:31, the National Weather Service did issue a tornado warning for a far smaller area that included Laurel.

The tornado was stronger than most that land in the Tri-State area, according to Sarah Johnson, a meteorologist with the weather service in Mount Holly, an EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale, with winds estimated at 120 mph. One person was injured.

A weaker tornado touched down nearby in Milton about 20 minutes later.

How do we know when a tornado really does happen?

The weather service conducted investigations and determined the wind damage was circular, as opposed to straight line winds.

Asked why the agency bothers to verify whether winds were linear or circular, Gary Szatkowski, the former head of the Mount Holly office, responded thats because we media people keep asking.

The findings do have at least one practical application, in that they help the service keep track of false-alarm rates, the object being to get better at this.

Yes, false alarms are quite high for tornadoes, says Miketta.

And, yes, they are likely to stay that way for a while.
Factory quotes for lamb have slumped under the 5/kg mark in some plants for the first time this year.

Farmers have seen 50c wiped off lamb quotes over the past fortnight - this equates to a 10/hd price cut on a 20kg carcass.

Both ICM plants cut their quotes by 30c/kg over the weekend, leaving them on 4.90/kg - plus an additional 10c/kg for quality assured (QA) stock. Meanwhile, Kepak Athleague's 5.05+15c/kg is 20c/kg less than last week.

Lamb prices had held up well until this point, with French imports of Irish lamb up 4pc this year, and overall sheepmeat exports up by 3pc.

Underpinned

Eid al-Adha, which came to an end yesterday, had underpinned the trade in recent weeks and Bord Bia has reported that demand for Irish lamb was very high in the lead-up to the Muslim festival.

IFA national sheep chairman Sean Dennehy said a lot of lambs were sold over the last few weeks, with 74,535 sold in the past week alone. He said the lamb kill is running 14pc ahead of last year or up 75,000. "This should mean supplies will be tighter in the coming weeks, and this should help steady the trade," he said.

"I think farmers that have gone through their lambs and taken two or three pulls already, have large numbers moved, and they will want to see the trade settle before they move again."
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Linkedin News Desk (Reuters) Tokyo, Japan  Tue, August 4, 2020 11:30 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b718b1 2 World World-War-II,Pacific,Asia Free

This month marks 75 years since the end of World War Two in the Pacific.

Japan invaded and occupied parts of Asia before and during the war in the name of its emperor, Hirohito, and aligned itself with Germany and Italy in 1940 to become one of the so-called Axis powers.

Here are some key events of World War Two in the Pacific:

Dec. 7, 1941: Japanese forces attack Pearl Harbor with torpedo planes, bombers and fighter planes, pounding the US fleet moored there in the hope of destroying US military power in the Pacific. Around 2,300 Americans die and 1,200 are injured, 21 vessels sunk or damaged and hundreds of aircraft destroyed.

The United States declares war the following day and three days later, Germany declares war on the United States.

Shortly before the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese troops land on the east coast of west Malaya, and capture large swathes of territory in their push southward to Singapore.

Jan. 15, 1942: Five weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbour, a Japanese land column, moving from Thailand, strikes across the frontier into present-day southern Myanmar. British forces fight back but Japan's superior jungle tactics see Myanmar fall at the end of May.

Feb. 15, 1942: Lieutenant General Arthur Percival, commander of the British Commonwealth forces, surrenders to Japanese Lieutenant-General Tomoyuki Yamashita in Singapore after a swift, humiliating battle. Singapore is then occupied by the Japanese until 1945.

April 1942: US and Filipino prisoners of war are forced to march about 100km (62 miles) under brutal conditions after the three-month Battle of Bataan in the Philippines. Many died from physical abuse, dysentery and other diseases.

Death marches also occurred in Sandakan on Borneo island. Both were later judged as war crimes.

Aug. 1942: In the Pacific, Japanese and US troops fight from island to island. Guadalcanal, in the Solomon Islands in the Pacific Ocean, was the scene of six months of fighting. Along with the Battle of Midway, this was one of the first major offensives and decisive victories for the Allies in the Pacific.

Oct. 1944: On the verge of losing the Philippines to US forces, Japan conducts its first kamikaze attack off the island of Leyte, deliberately crashing planes into Allied targets. Roughly 4,000 kamikaze pilots died and 34 US ships were sunk as a result of the attacks in the last few months of the war.

Feb. 1945: More than 30,000 US Marines battle 21,000 Japanese on the island of Iwo Jima, the first native Japanese soil to be invaded during the Allied advance. Nearly all the Japanese defenders died in the 36-day battle, along with nearly 7,000 US Marines.

Aug. 6, 1945: The US B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay carrying 12 crew members drops an atomic bomb nicknamed "Little Boy" on Hiroshima in Japan's main island of Honshu.

The death toll from the blast was estimated at about 140,000 people by the end of the year, out of a total of 350,000 who lived there at the time. Three days later, the United States drops an atomic bomb nicknamed "Fat Man" on Nagasaki.

Aug. 15, 1945: Emperor Hirohito announces Japan's decision to surrender in his first speech broadcast by radio, bringing World War Two to an end.

Sept. 2, 1945: A Japanese delegation headed by Foreign Minister Mamoru Shigemitsu board the battleship USS Missouri to sign the surrender document, along with US General Douglas MacArthur as Supreme Allied Commander.
Two Indian nationals, who were kidnapped in Afghanistan in May 2018, were released from captivity on July 31 and returned to India on Tuesday, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The two were among the seven Indian nationals kidnapped in Afghanistan in May 2018. A total of six Indian nationals have now been released so far from captivity, the MEA said.

"We thank the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan for their constant and unwavering support in securing the release of the Indians," it said.
Islamabad, Aug 4 : Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) said that it has sacked 63 employees last month on various charges, including fake pilot licences, false educational credentials, embezzlement and dereliction of duty, it was reported on Monday.

PIA spokesperson Abdullah Khan said that the actions had been taken in accordance with the rules, The Express Tribune reported.

He confirmed that among the 63 laid-off employees, five were captains, who were sacked over charges of having fake licences.

The PIA fired 28 employees over fake credentials, while 27 employees were sacked for being absent without notice.

Two employees over fired on charges of embezzlement and one employee was fired for incompetence, according to officials.

Besides, the airlines demoted four employees for refusing to work, and held back increments to three employees for violating the standard operating procedures (SOPs).

The spokesperson said rules of procedure were followed in the process of punishment, which would continue in PIA without any pressure.

Last month, the PIA had sacked 17 pilots for having 'dubious' flying licences on the order of the federal cabinet. They included 12 captains and five first officers.

The sacking followed startling revelations by Aviation Minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, The Express Tribune reported.

In June, Khan had told Parliament that 262 pilots, out of total 860 in the country, had "suspicious flying licences" and would be grounded immediately.

Later, PIA announced that it would ground a third of its 434 pilots.
Less than a week after he was sentenced to four years in a penitentiary for hiding a quantity of drugs in his groin, a Toronto man returned to a Niagara court to answer to an additional drug charge.

This time around, the 25-year-old was convicted of concealing drugs in his rectum.

Tirone Hazel appeared via audio conference in Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines Tuesday and pleaded guilty to charges of possession of fentanyl and assaulting a corrections officer.

Court heard the defendant was admitted to Niagara Detention Centre in Thorold in October 2018 and a body scan indicated he was hiding contraband inside is body.

He was placed in a dry cell and monitored.

A few days later, security officers rescanned the man and determined there was something concealed against his thigh.

He was searched and officers seized six packages, each 2.5 inches in length, containing mixtures of tobacco, marijuana, powdered fentanyl and rolling papers.

The packages had a foul odour and appeared to be covered in fecal matter, said federal prosecutor Michelle Colacarro.

The Crown is seeking a penitentiary term of three years, consecutive to the sentence the offender is currently serving.

Bringing drugs into a jail causes absolute chaos, Colacarro said.

The drug trade can cause significant violence within the jail, just as drug trafficking often does outside the prison. It puts everyones safety at risk.

It is a pernicious situation that ought to be adequately denounced and deterred by the courts.

Judge Joseph De Filippis is expected to deliver his decision Aug. 14.

Hazel appeared in a St. Catharines court last Thursday and received a four-year penitentiary term. That sentence was reduced to 15 months due to the time he had spent in pretrial custody.

That case involved a police investigation in October 2018 regarding the sale of drugs in St. Catharines.

When he was arrested in that matter, police conducted a pat down and discovered two cellphones, a wad of cash and a hard object in the mans groin area.

While the man maintained the large lump in his groin were his testicles, Niagara police had their suspicions.

During a strip search, police discovered a large quantity of fentanyl, crack cocaine and cocaine stashed in a compartment sewn into his underwear.

The drugs had an estimated street value of more than $12,000.
The death of a 12-year-old girl in a drive-by shooting in Sweden over the weekend has shocked the country, leading to growing outrage and debate about gang violence.

The unnamed girl died after she was struck by a stray bullet in the car park of a petrol station near Stockholm in the early hours of Sunday morning, according to local media.

The Expressen newspaper reported that two men linked to a criminal gang were the intended targets of the shooting.

Swedish police have launched an investigation into the murder.

National police chief Anders Thornberg told the TT news agency: We will investigate and do everything in our power to bring the people behind this terrible act to justice.

Recommended Boy killed after gunmen open fire in busy city square

We will collect witness statements, forensic evidence and all material that could help us move the investigation forward. But how successful we are also depends on those who know anything about the incident coming forward and helping us solve the crime, he added.

Mr Thornberg added that authorities would tackle increasingly serious violence in society, while justice minister Morgan Johansson vowed more police and harsher sentences after the incident.

Meanwhile, opposition MP Johan Forssell said steps should be taken to make Sweden safer.

Swedish police data shows that 20 people were killed in the first half of this year as a result of 163 shootings, while 334 shootings in 2019 led to 42 fatalities.

In comparison, 32 people were killed in shootings in England and Wales in the year up to March 2019, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

Last year, Sweden established a special task force to counter gang violence, which has been growing in recent years.

There has been a large spike in bomb attacks in Sweden, an increase thought to be linked to gangs. There were 257 bomb explosions across the country in 2019, up from 162 the year before.
Read next: Emirates to offer free COVID-19 cover

First of all, I think its important to acknowledge that many independent insurance agents are small businesses themselves. Thats important for a couple of reasons: 1) because of the understanding and the empathy that they can provide to similar businesses, and 2) if theyre going to be valued and trusted partners, its important that they too have a solid plan in place for transitioning their own employees back to the new normal, and they can showcase this and share their own experiences.

Policyholders are looking for agents to be valued partners and navigators to help them through the new risks associated with these unprecedented times. In order to be that valued partner, it is critical for agents to stay educated and up-to-date about local, state and national challenges, according to Killins. He advises staying abreast of local requirements, state requirements, and public safety guidelines from the CDC, the FDA, the World Health Organization, and other similar trusted entities, and then sharing that guidance without contributing to the uncertain messaging surrounding the pandemic.

Helping clients anticipate risk is a big thing too, he added. Agencies can lean on their carriers for tools to help them with those risks. I think thats important because we have the data, and we have decades of risk management and risk control expertise to share. At EMPLOYERS, we have consultants that are available by phone or by email, and many agencies have dedicated risk control personnel to supplement that. The point is, policyholders dont have to navigate these waters on their own. Thats where agencies can provide support, or they can find and lean on the right carrier with that expertise to help policyholders navigate those challenging waters.

Read more: Insurance agency websites standing suffers amid pandemic

When summarizing the role of the agent as businesses start to reopen and bring employees back into the workplace, Killins whittled it down to four key points. The first, he said, is to listen well, understand, and be a shoulder or a sounding board for policyholders to vent to. Killins said: At this point, independent agents can emphasize that theyre a small business too. I think that empathy is very important, and will significantly increase the agents value with the client.

The second point is to be educated and available. Small business owners are making decisions 24/7. Yes, things will change as they continue to run their business, and they need a partner who is there for them and educated about how any changes might impact their risk. Next, being positive and solutions oriented is really important. Small businesses have enough doom and gloom to worry about on a daily basis without insurance concerns to add to the list. And finally, agents should lean on the support systems that are there, be it a carrier, an industry group, or a trade group  there are lots of resources, solutions and tools out there to help agents help their clients. Those who follow those points, chart a course for their small business clients, and stay by their side through this crisis I think will find their relationships deepen and solidify as a result.
On August 3, tons of young Thai people wearing Harry Potter scarves rallied against the government. They vowed to cast a spell for democracy. This is the result of the growing protests against powerful people.

Protests in Thailand

According to reports, it has been more than two weeks now that young Thai people are protesting at universities and town halls to bring down the military-aligned government of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha. People have also been seen holding placards opposing the world's harshest law which is Thailand's lese majeste law. This law protects the monarchy and King Maha Vajiralongkorn from criticism.

As the anti-govt students protests continue, the activists have decided to mix it up a bit: todays theme is Harry Potter vs You-Know-Who

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named.



Bringing Democracy to #Thailand shouldnt be wizardry, one organizer tells me. pic.twitter.com/ZZQQzsB9oj  Saksith Saiyasombut (@SaksithCNA) August 3, 2020

Read: Royalists In Thailand Rally Against Pro-democracy Protesters

On August 3, as the night fell, the protesters paid complete attention as the organisers recounted the plot of the popular novels of J.K Rowling. Reports suggest that prominent lawyer Anon Numpa was also seen as a part of the protest. He was seen wearing a striped Gryffindor scarf and black robe. Accusing the former Army Chief and the current Prime minister Prayut of using his position to gain benefits, he took to the stage and to denounce Prayut. Anon said that the government should stop this before there is another confrontation.

Read: Thailand LGBTQ Activists Raise Pride Flag In Anti-govt Rally, Demand Military To Step Down

According to analysts, the kingdom might get back to absolutism under the reign of Rama X and the royalist generals around him. Thailand's young people were among thousands of people on the streets of Bangkok last week in what we can call as one of the biggest anti-government protests the capital has seen in years. The youth demands three things and they say that they will continue to protest if the demands are not met: for parliament to be dissolved, for the constitution to be rewritten, and for authorities to stop harassing critics.

Read: Thailand: Thousands Of Protesters Take To Streets To Protest Against Government

Also Read: Thailand: Researchers Plan To Begin Human Trials Of Potential COVID-19 Vaccine

(Image Credits: AP)
A roundtable session focusing on spreading women's positive energy online is held in Beijing on July 29. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

A group of outstanding women from all walks of life shared their stories about pursuing dreams and contributing to society at a roundtable session for women in Beijing on July 29.

To spread women's positive energy online, the All-China Women's Federation (ACWF) and the Office of the Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission (OCCAC) launched the roundtable session, which was jointly organized by Zhihu, China's popular question-and-answer website, and gsdata.cn, a new media evaluation platform.

Wu Haiying, Vice-President and Member of the Secretariat of the ACWF, spoke at the event.

Wu noted that the roundtable session is an important initiative of the ACWF to unite and lead more women to work hard at their posts, and contribute to the decisive victory in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects and the battle against poverty.

Participants at the roundtable session [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Participants at the roundtable session [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

Participants at the roundtable session [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

During the activity, some women role models shared their inspirational stories and thought-provoking opinions.

"I think women need to have a very important quality, which is to stay self-motivated, self-development and pursue their dreams bravely," said Pang Xiaoqing, co-founder of a famous Internet media company, underlining that women should seize the opportunities of the times and make contributions to social development.

Sun Jinghan, co-founder of an online video platform, shared her entrepreneurial story. "I chose to start a business for realizing my own social value, and I believe I have unlimited possibilities," Sun said.

She Sha, a female role model medical worker on the front line of the battle against COVID-19, shared her stories of rescuing and treating COVID-19 patients in Wuhan, capital city of Central China's Hubei Province. She expressed her gratitude to those who extended their hands to help quake-affected people when a magnititude-8 earthquake hit Wenchuan, her hometown and a county in Southwest China's Sichuan Province, in May 2008. "All the people around the country have helped my hometown 12 years ago, so I chose to pay back to those who have helped us and I was determined to go to the front line," said She, adding that she was proud of being a nurse.

Yang Xue, an anti-epidemic volunteer in Wuhan, shared women's power in the battle against COVID-19. She set up a fleet of vehicles through the Internet to pick up medical workers and transport epidemic prevention and control supplies.

Representatives of the All-China Women's Federation and Zhihu sign a cooperation agreement at the roundtable session held in Beijing on July 29. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

The ACWF will further deepen its cooperation with Zhihu in the construction of the social media platform and the promotion of women's positive energy. Under the guidance of the ACWF and the OCCAC, online lessons especially for female Internet users were launched on Zhihu on July 6, attracting more than 114 million views to date.

The roundtable session was livestreamed on Zhihu and ACWF's online platforms, attracting nearly 710,000 views.

Women representatives pose for a group photo during the roundtable session held in Beijing on July 29. [Women of China/Fan Wenjun]

(Women of China)
Ovid, N.Y.  A skydiver was seriously injured after jumping out of a plane and landing hard in Seneca County, deputies said.

Alisa L. Tripp, 56, of West Virginia, jumped out of plane July 26 and parachuted into Ovid, the Seneca County Sheriffs Office said Tuesday in a news release. She had a hard landing at Ovid Airport, deputies said, and broke both of her legs.

Deputies and South Seneca Ambulance gave Tripp emergency first aid, deputies said. She was then airlifted by Mercy Flight to Strong Memorial Hospital in Rochester.

Tripp remains at Strong, deputies said, and is in stable condition.

Staff writer Samantha House covers breaking news, crime and public safety. Have a tip, a story idea or a comment? Reach her at shouse@syracuse.com.
Taylor Hill/Getty ImagesAfter postponing earlier this year, the Rolling Loud Festival is officially headed to Europe in 2021.

A$AP Rocky, Future, and Wiz Khalifa are slated to headline the first-ever European edition of the world's most popular hip-hop festival.

Rolling Loud Portugal 2021 recently announced its official lineup, boasting performances from some of the biggest artists including -- City Girls, Gunna, A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie, Gucci Mane, Meek Mill, Young Thug, Lil Uzi Vert, and Roddy Ricch.

The summer lineup also includes K Camp, Rico Nasty, Rubi Rose, SAINT JHN, Youngboy Never Broke Again (NBA), Tyga, and Trippie Redd, with more to be announced.

The three-day festival will make its European debut at Praia da Roca, Portugal, on July 6-8, 2021.

Tickets are available on Rolling Loud's official website.

By Rachel George

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The PSNI has urged parents to inform their children of the dangers of social media apps after it emerged children in Co Armagh are being targeted by drug dealers via Snapchat

The PSNI has urged parents to inform their children of the dangers of social media apps after it emerged children in Co Armagh are being targeted by drug dealers via Snapchat.

The warning comes after children as young as 12 in the Lurgan area were contacted via the app at the weekend, the Armaghi website reported.

Sinn Fein councillor Keith Haughian said the children are being asked if they want to buy drugs via messages, including special offers.

"I have informed the PSNI of this and I am asking all parents to check the phones/iPads etc of their children, if they have concerns," he said.

The Lurgan councillor also urged parents worried if their child has been targeted to contact police, adding they should also reach out to their GP if there are also any addiction or mental health issues.

Inspector Duncan McBain, from the Lurgan Neighbourhood Team urged parents to be aware of their children's presence and activity online.

"The internet plays an increasing part in our lives. Unfortunately, while it can be great for learning and communicating, there are many ways that children and young people can be exploited online," he said.

"It's important to make your child aware of these dangers and make sure they know that they can speak to someone if anything or anyone online causes them concern.

"Make sure you know what your child's online presence is, what apps and websites are they using and who they are communicating with."

The officer continued: "Individuals should be wary about whom they invite or accept invitations from on social networking sites.

"Do not accept friendship requests from complete strangers. Update the privacy settings on your social networking accounts so only people you know can view your account."

Anyone who has information in relation to illegal drugs can alert the PSNI online via: www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/
New Delhi:

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Thursday dissuaded his party MPs from raising the hacking of his Twitter account in Parliament saying "we should not blow up such issue", according to Mallikarjun Kharge .

"We wanted to raise this issue. But when we discussed it with Rahul-ji, he said Parliament should not be used for raising the purpose. He said we should not blow up such issue if any person commits such insensible act," Kharge, who is Leader of Congress in the Lok Sabha, told reporters outside Parliament.

Read More: Rahul Gandhi's twitter account hacked, expletives-laden tweets posted; Cong cries conspiracy

A day after the hacking of Rahul's Twitter account, the official Twitter account of Indian National Congress was also hacked on Thursday.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Rating Action: Moody's downgrades Ruby Pipeline's notes to B1; outlook negative

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

New York, August 03, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service (Moody's) downgraded Ruby Pipeline, LLC's (Ruby) Corporate Family Rating (CFR) to B1 from Ba2, Probability of Default Rating (PDR) to B1-PD from Ba2-PD and senior unsecured notes rating to B1 from Ba2. The rating outlook remains negative.

"The downgrade and negative rating outlook reflect Ruby's increasing re-contracting risk in 2021 when its non-PG&E contracts mature, and the weak pricing and volume environment for such re-contracting," said Amol Joshi, Moody's Vice President and Senior Credit Officer. "The company also faces rising refinancing risk amid cash flow uncertainty and weak liquidity as its senior notes mature in 2022."

Downgrades:

..Issuer: Ruby Pipeline, LLC

.... Corporate Family Rating, Downgraded to B1 from Ba2

.... Probability of Default Rating, Downgraded to B1-PD from Ba2-PD

....Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture, Downgraded to B1 (LGD3) from Ba2 (LGD3)

Outlook Actions:

..Issuer: Ruby Pipeline, LLC

....Outlook, Remains Negative

RATINGS RATIONALE

Ruby's B1 CFR is challenged by the weak credit quality of its principal shipper Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E), which comprises about 30% of Ruby's revenue and whose parent PG&E Corporation is rated Ba2 stable, high and increasing re-contracting risk in 2021 when its non-PG&E contracts mature, and the weak pricing and volume environment for such re-contracting. Ruby is supported by natural gas pipeline transportation contracts with non-PG&E shippers having good weighted-average credit quality for about 70% of its revenue through mid-2021. As Ruby manages its maturing contracts, it will be imperative that committed contract cash flow and debt are managed to ensure continued leverage and coverage metrics consistent with the credit profile. As existing contracts mature, if Ruby executes firm transportation contracts from the larger producers in the Rocky Mountains, it will likely be at reduced rates as Canadian natural gas remains competitive. Ruby's owners, Kinder Morgan, Inc. (KMI, Baa2 stable) and Pembina Pipeline Corporation (unrated), have the ability to provide support, but Pembina has a preferred ownership interest relative to KMI's ownership interest. At this point, the partners do not have any commitment to provide future financial support to Ruby, beyond the existing term loan committed payments.

Story continues

Ruby has weak liquidity. The company's cash flow from operations will fall in 2021 as non-PG&E contracts expire in mid-2021, while a material portion of its cash flow will be used for required debt payments in 2021. The remaining cash flow will likely be distributed, but it should still be insufficient to fully cover Pembina's preferred distribution. Because it's a relatively new pipeline, maintenance capital expenditures are minimal at less than $1 million per year.

Ruby does not have a revolving credit facility. The company has a $62.5 million term loan maturing in March 2021 which is scheduled to be repaid in equal quarterly payments over one year, using a committed subordinated debt facility provided by subsidiaries of the partners that should grow to $250 million and mature in 2026. The company also had $606 million of senior unsecured notes at March 31, 2020, with scheduled payments of about $88 million in 2020, $44 million in 2021 and final maturity of $475 million in April 2022. Ruby is expected to remain in compliance with its financial covenant of debt to EBITDA less than 5x under the term loan and 5.5x under the senior unsecured notes, but covenant cushion will fall after mid-2021 as the non-PG&E contracts expire.

Ruby's senior unsecured notes are rated B1, consistent with the B1 CFR, despite its senior claim to the subordinated debt (unrated) from the partners in the capital structure. The B1 rating for the senior unsecured notes is more appropriate than the rating suggested by Moody's Loss Given Default for Speculative-Grade Companies methodology because the support provided by the subordinated debt is reflected in the CFR. The term loan (unrated) is pari passu with the notes.

The negative rating outlook reflects Ruby's significant cash flow uncertainty and weak liquidity while its senior notes mature in 2022.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

Ruby's ratings could be downgraded if there is a significant change to its contract terms with PG&E, contracting with non-PG&E shippers fails to sufficiently materialize, the company is unable to refinance its debt in a timely manner, or if liquidity weakens further.

Ruby's ratings could be upgraded if contract counterparty risk and tenor improve, the company achieves adequate liquidity while mitigating refinancing risk and maintains leverage below 5x.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Natural Gas Pipelines published in July 2018 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1113727. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

Ruby Pipeline, LLC (Ruby) is owned equally by Kinder Morgan, Inc. (Baa2 stable), one of the largest midstream energy companies in North America, and Pembina Pipeline Corporation (unrated), a diversified energy infrastructure company based in Calgary, Alberta. A subsidiary of Kinder Morgan, Inc. operates the company's sole asset, the Ruby Pipeline, a 1,500 MMBtu per day natural gas pipeline that entered service in July 2011 and runs 680 miles from Opal, Wyoming to Malin, Oregon.

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.

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.

Amol Joshi, CFA VP - Sr Credit Officer Corporate Finance Group Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Steven Wood MD - Corporate Finance Corporate Finance Group JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653 Releasing Office: Moody's Investors Service, Inc. 250 Greenwich Street New York, NY 10007 U.S.A. JOURNALISTS: 1 212 553 0376 Client Service: 1 212 553 1653

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Hitting newsstands August 11 is the first Oprah-less O magazine cover. Oprah Winfrey gave up her cover spot for the first time in the magazine's 20-year history to honor Breonna Taylor, the 26-year-old who was killed this past March by Louisville police officers.

Here is part of her explanation on why she put an illustration of the young murder victim on the cover:

Breonna Taylor was 26 years old. Breonna Taylor loved cars and treated her 2019 Dodge Charger like a trusted friend. Breonna Taylor loved chicken any way you could cook it. Breonna Taylor put hot sauce on everything, especially eggs. Breonna Taylor appreciated every kind of music and the dances that went along. Breonna Taylor treated all her friends like besties. Breonna Taylor was a force in the life of her 20-year-old sister. Breonna Taylor felt meaning and purpose in her work as an emergency room technician. Breonna Taylor was saving to buy a house. Breonna Taylor had plans. Breonna Taylor had dreams. They all died with her the night five bullets shattered her body and her future. I think about Breonna Taylor often. She was the same age as the two daughter-girls from my school in South Africa who've been quarantining with Stedman and me since March. In all their conversations I feel the promise of possibilities. Their whole lives shine with the light of hopefulness. That was taken away from Breonna in such a horrifying manner. Imagine if three unidentified men burst into your home while you were sleeping. And your partner fired a gun to protect you. And then mayhem. What I know for sure: We can't be silent. We have to use whatever megaphone we have to cry for justice. And that is why Breonna Taylor is on the cover of O magazine. I cry for justice in her name.

This powerful cover art is the work of 24-year-old Alexis Franklin. In the same September issue of O, Franklin describes her inspiration and process:

Working as a digital portrait artist, I reimagine an existing image and can quickly switch moods or colors. The original photo is one Breonna took herself and has been featured in the news many times. Looking at it, I see an innocence, simple but powerful. It was critical for me to retain that. And there was a sparkle in Breonna's eyesa young Black woman posing in her Louisville EMS shirt, happy to be alive. I started by sketching out the concept first using Procreate for the iPad. At this stage, I get familiar with the pose and figure out the colorsthey're my absolute favorite thing to play around with. Using Photoshop, I did a rough painting of Breonna, solidified my color choices, and, in the process of creating the final portrait, focused on the texture and details. So many things were going through my mindBreonna's life, mostly, and how it ended so abruptly and unnecessarily. Every stroke was building a person: each eyelash, each wisp of hair, the shine on her lips, the highlight on her cheek. I had that season when I chose to shut down my feelings around the killing of unarmed Black people because I couldn't take living day to day in such a state of awareness. Now I was as up close and personal as I could ever get to this woman and, consequently, to this very real problem. I felt a new level of determination and pressure to get it right, but I tried not to let that affect me. My greatest work happens when I simply enjoy it and let my hands do what they know how to do."

image via The Oprah Magazine/art by Alexis Franklin

(Kottke)
Flowers and candles are placed near where a twelve-year-old girl was shot and killed near a petrol station in Botkyrka, south of Stockholm, Sweden, Aug. 2, 2020. (Ali Lorestani//TT via AP Photo)

Outcry in Sweden After Drive-By Shooting Kills 12-Year-Old

COPENHAGEN, DenmarkThe Swedish government vowed on Tuesday to find the perpetrators of a drive-by shooting that killed a 12-year-old girl in what authorities said appears to be the latest violence from suburban feuds between criminal gangs fighting over territory.

Police work at the site where a 12-year-old girl was shot and killed near a petrol station in Botkyrka, south of Stockholm, Sweden , onAug. 2, 2020. (Naina Helen Jama/TT via AP Photo)

If we dont stop the new recruitment of young people into the criminal circles, harsh measures will not mean anything, Home Affairs Minister Mikael Damberg told Swedish broadcaster SVT.

He called the girls death in southern Stockholm County terribly tragic. No arrests have been made.

People gather near to where a 12-year-old girl was shot and killed near a petrol station in Botkyrka, south of Stockholm, Sweden, on Aug. 3, 2020. (Stina Stjernkvist/TT via AP Photo)

You feel a great anger toward the criminal gangs who show no empathy because their shootings affect others,  Damberg said. The police are now making great efforts in the murder hunt.

Justice Minister Morgan Johansson promised more police and harsher sentences, and he told Swedish news agency TT on Monday that he felt disgust over the shooting.

Flowers and candles are placed near where a 12-year-old girl was shot and killed near a petrol station in Botkyrka, south of Stockholm, Sweden, on Aug. 2, 2020. (Ali Lorestani//TT via AP Photo)

The girl was shot late Sunday at a parking lot in the municipality of Botkyrka that is a popular hangout for teenagers. Swedish media say investigators think the gunfire that killed her was intended for two men with ties to a criminal gang.

Sweden has seen a rise in organized crime activity in recent years. Several gang-related shootings have taken place in the countrys three major cities: Stockholm, Goteborg, and Malmo.
Former US President Bill Clinton has led tributes from around the world to John Hume, saying his work to forge peace in Northern Ireland will be his lasting legacy.

The ex-SDLP leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner passed away on Monday at the age of 83. He had been ill for some time.

A towering figure in Irish politics, he is credited with laying the groundwork for the Good Friday Agreement.

Mourned in his home city of Derry on Monday as a hero of Ireland, moving tributes came from presidents, prime ministers and Taoisigh, past and present.

His funeral is to be held on Wednesday and his family have said it will follow coronavirus guidelines and asked those wanting to mark his death support a 'celebration of light for peace' by lighting a candle tonight at 9pm instead of lining the streets as his body is brought home.

The family said they were "very grateful for the outpouring of love and support following the death of their beloved John".

Mr Clinton said: "With his enduring sense of honour, he kept marching on against all odds towards a brighter future for all the children of Northern Ireland."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson described Mr Hume as a "political giant", while Irish premier Micheal Martin said he was a "great hero and a true peacemaker".

Former PM Tony Blair hailed Mr Hume's "epic" contribution to the peace process.

A founding member of the party he went on to lead for 22 years, Mr Hume was a key part of the civil rights movement of the late 1960s.

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Steadfast in his commitment to non-violence, his participation in secret talks with then Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in the late 1980s and early 1990s was a catalyst for the peace process.

It culminated in 1998 with the signing of the historic agreement which largely ended three decades of sectarian violence here.

Along with Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, now Lord Trimble, Mr Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to stopping the bloodshed.

In 2010, Mr Hume was named "Ireland's Greatest" in a poll by Irish state broadcaster RTE.

His death comes six months after that of fellow Good Friday architect and long-time SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon.

SDLP leader and Foyle MP Colum Eastwood described his predecessor as "Ireland's Martin Luther King".

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Writing in a book of condolence in Derry on Monday, he added: "We live in the Ireland you imagined and built. Thank you from a grateful generation. Our leader always." However, the Hume legacy spread far beyond his native city, drawing tributes yesterday from around the world.

Mr Clinton said: "Through his faith in principled compromise, and his ability to see his adversaries as human beings, John helped forge the peace that has held to this day."

He added: "His legacy will live on in every generation of Northern Ireland's young people who make John's choice, to live free of the hatred and horror of sectarian violence."

Mr Blair, another architect of the peace process, said: "John Hume was a political titan; a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past.

Expand Close John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim Photopress Belfast / Facebook

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Whatsapp John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim

"His contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic and he will rightly be remembered for it. He was insistent it was possible, tireless in pursuit of it and endlessly creative in seeking ways of making it happen."

In Northern Ireland, tributes were led by First Minister Arlene Foster, who recalled a "giant in Irish nationalism".

"In our darkest days he recognised that violence was the wrong path and worked steadfastly to promote democratic politics," she said.

Deputy First Minister Michelle O'Neill described Mr Hume as a "huge political figure in our society for many decades".

"A leader who took risks that ultimately helped bring about peace, he will be sadly missed," she said. Lord Trimble said: "He was a politician who devoted his life to dealing with the situations that we have here."

Taoiseach Micheal Martin said it was "impossible to properly express the scale and significance of John Hume's life".

Tributes were also paid by the Irish rock band U2.

In 1998, during the campaign for a Yes vote in the peace deal referendum, Mr Hume appeared on stage at the Waterfront Hall with Mr Trimble and U2's Bono, in what became a defining image of the time.

On Monday night the band described him as "the greatest servant leader of them all", adding: "RIP John Hume".

Mr Hume led the SDLP from 1979 until 2001, and was MP for Foyle from 1983 to 2005.

He was also an MLA in the early years of the restored Assembly and an MEP from 1979 to 2004.

He stepped down as SDLP leader in 2001 to be replaced by protege Mark Durkan.

SDLP co-founder Austin Currie said "John Hume is the greatest Irishman since Parnell".

The mayor of Derry and Strabane, Brian Tierney, said he was "a true son of Derry and a hero of Ireland", adding: "RIP Ireland's greatest".

Mr Hume, who had dementia and in recent years had lived in a care home in Londonderry, died in the early hours of Monday morning

His family said: "John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather and a brother. He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family.

His funeral will take place in Derry tomorrow in a ceremony limited in size due to coronavirus restrictions.
While the Queen left Windsor Castle this week to start a low-key summer holiday at Balmoral with Prince Philip, members of her extended family are travelling farther afield.

The daughters of HM's third cousin once removed, Lord Ivar Mountbatten, have opted for a sojourn in Croatia instead of a staycation  and they're not afraid of sparking friends' envy as they pose for bikini-clad pictures online.

Ella, 24, whose godfather is Prince Edward, posted a picture of herself with her sisters Alix, 22, and Luli, 18, sunbathing on the deck of a boat, and one of them at a restaurant.

Sunseekers (from left): Alix, Ella and Luli catch some rays

Lord Ivar Mountbatten's three daughters from his marriage to Penny enjoy their holiday in Croatia

'You'd think after four months we'd be bored of each other,' Ella joked, referring to lockdown, which they spent at their family home in Devon with their father, their mother Penny, and their father's husband, James Coyle.

The last of the Aspreys leaves London after 240 years...

They are the family to whom generations of the Royal Family  as well as princelings from overseas  have turned whenever augmenting their jewellery collections.

But now, I can disclose, the unthinkable has happened: the Aspreys have vanished from London's West End.

William Asprey, the seventh generation of the family to rule the roost, has taken the distressing decision to place his company into administration, even though it boasts a Royal Warrant from the Queen and, just four years ago, recorded an annual profit of 26 million.

That stupendous result appeared to vindicate Asprey's boldness in striking out on his own in 1999, when he established William & Son just four years after his father, John Asprey, sold the eponymous family business (founded by a forebear in 1781) to Prince Jefri of Brunei for 243.5 million.

Within a decade, Asprey, 54, and his team of craftsmen created what the company described as 'the finest jewellery and timepieces', as well as a treasury of silver and glassware, while its gunsmiths made coveted trophy shotguns.

But since 2017 William & Son's fortunes have turned south and racked up total losses of 21 million.

The company's collapse dismays Naim Attallah, a longstanding friend and former chief executive of Asprey in its days under family ownership.

'It makes you want to cry,' Attallah tells me. 'The people who work for William were working for me. Everybody's feeling desperate. The economy is shrinking, so people with high overheads are now taking decisions they never thought they would have to take. It's very depressing.' The administrators, RSM Restructuring Advisory, declined to comment, while William Asprey could not be reached.

Perhaps he is already plotting a comeback. Nothing better reflected his ambition than his decision to call the firm William & Son  even though his son, Tom, was just a toddler  as he envisaged the company being passed down the generations for 'another 200 years I hope'.

Birthday girl Kate says: 'Bling it on!'

Newsreader Kate Silverton is ensuring her sixth decade gets off to a sparkling start.

Celebrating her 50th birthday yesterday, the BBC broadcaster visited top jeweller Patrick Mavros in London's Chelsea. Mother-of-two Kate was joined by her husband, former Royal Marine Mike Heron (right).

The African jewellery brand is favoured by the Duchess of Cambridge and made the bangle that Mike gave Kate on their wedding day ten years ago.

Downton Abbey star Jessica Brown Findlay plays a courtesan in Harlots, the Regency romp hastily added to BBC2's schedules to cover up a dearth of new titles.

'This world revolves around sex,' says the actress. 'But Harlots is not titillating. There was no question of going: 'I know how we'll get people to watch it. Let's sex it up.' '

Viewers accosted by heaving bodices in trailers for the series, marketed as 'the BBC's bawdiest drama ever', may beg to differ.

Mother of all hugs for Nicole

There was no need for performing when Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman was reunited with her mother after eight months.

The Hours star, 53, shared a picture of the poignant moment she was able to hug Janelle Kidman, whom she had been unable to visit for so long due to the health pandemic.

This week, Nicole flew over to be with her former nursing instructor mother, who lives in Australia. 'Feels so good to be able to hug my mum,' she said. 'I missed her 80th birthday but I'm here now.'

There was no need for performing when Oscar-winner Nicole Kidman was reunited with her mother after eight months

Former Spandau Ballet heartthrob and silver fox Martin Kemp still attracts female attention, but not quite in the way he used to.

Kemp, happily married to wife Shirlie, says: 'I'm 58 years old now. For a long time, the kids used to say it to me, then they used to come up and say: 'My mum fancies you.' Now they say: 'My nan really fancies you.' '
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Digital native brand relies on Centric Software to optimize massive business growth

CAMPBELL, Calif., August 4, 2020  Fast-growing Russian women's and men's clothing brand 12 STOREEZ has selected Centric Softwares Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) solution. Centric Software provides the most innovative enterprise solutions to fashion, retail, footwear, outdoor, luxury, home decor and consumer goods companies to achieve strategic and operational digital transformation goals.

12 STOREEZ is Centric Software's third customer in Russia, marking exciting growth and geographic expansion for the market-leading PLM company.

Founded in 2014 by twin sisters Irina and Marina Golomazdiny and Ivan Khokhlov, 12 STOREEZ launched as an online Instagram store, with a small showroom in Ekaterinburg, Russia. Now a globally recognizable brand employing about 460 people, the company has amassed over one million followers on Instagram with 26 offline retail stores in ten cities across Russia and one store is located in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Production and sales are doubling or tripling each year.

"We enable our customers to create a practical and well-thought capsule wardrobe that can be quickly updated with just one or two fresh new items," explains Ivan Khokhlov, CEO and co-founder of 12 STOREEZ. "We release new collections every month  not a couple of times a year  and we carefully monitor quality and prices."

Khokhlov explains that 12 STOREEZ decided to implement a Product Lifecycle Management (PLM) system to streamline information access and communication across all departments of the organization, and that Centric Software offered the most agile, forward-thinking and fastest solution.

"Our rapid company growth and fast-moving collections require a centralized, digital storage system providing visibility of all stages of the product journey," adds Khokhlov.

"Centric Software is a progressive company with an innovative approach to introducing PLM in the most agile way, allowing us to integrate the program in the shortest time frame possible," Khokhov says. "With Centric Fashion PLM we expect to reduce time and resources for unnecessary communications by around 38% by uniting a large product team in a single system."

Khokhlov goes on to explain: "We predict that Centric PLM will allow us to calculate the cost price more accurately and the system will also help us to structure all our data and product information libraries in one place."

Centric Software is excited to be partnering with such a young, dynamic company striving to embrace the newest digital technology to be as 'mobile' as possible. Both Centric and 12 STOREEZ believe that times of crisis present an opportunity to advance the company for the better, address challenges and win more market share while other businesses are cutting costs and resources.

We are delighted to welcome 12 STOREEZ as our third partner in Russia, comments Chris Groves, President and CEO of Centric Software. 12 STOREEZ and Centric share many core values, and we are looking forward to working with 12 STOREEZ to implement Centric PLM and support their accelerated growth.

Learn more about Centric Fashion PLM

Request a Demo

12 STOREEZ (www.12storeez.com)

12 STOREEZ is a Russian women's and men's clothing brand created by twin sisters Irina and Marina Golomazdiny and Ivan Khokhlov in 2014. Initially established as an online Instagram store with one offline store in Ekaterinburg run by a team of 3 people, the team now consists of around 460 professionals working across 26 offline retail stores in 10 cities in Russia, and each year the business has increased production and sales two-three times, year on year.

The company has gained over one million Instagram followers to date, with RBC magazine describing it as one of the fastest-growing women's and men's clothing brands. The company's key concept is to enable its customers to create a practical and considered capsule wardrobe that can be quickly and easily updated with one or two new items.

New collections are released every month, with quality and prices closely monitored, to ensure beautiful, stylish items are available to everyone, regardless of age, appearance and income.

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.

Media Contacts:

Centric Software



Americas: Jennifer Forsythe, jforsythe@centricsoftware.com

EMEAR: Kristen Salaun-Batby, ksalaun-batby@centricsoftware.com

APAC: Lily Dong, lily.dong@centricsoftware.com
Four students from some of the most disadvantaged areas of London have been awarded scholarships, worth around 1million, to America's most prestigious universities.

The students, all from an inner-city East London sixth form, will swap the likes of Tower Hamlets, Beckton and Dagenham for the halls off US Ivy League universities such as Princeton, Harvard and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

With only 160 places and thousands of applicants worldwide, the four students, Lennox Keeble, Catherine Lowe, Xuan Nguyen, Umar Azad, all attend Newham Collegiate Sixth Form (NCS), in East Ham, east London, had around a 330-1 chance of sealing one of the much sought-after places.

And they will be further boost because as the students come from low income families, the cost of their four-year education and accommodation, around 250,000, will be funded entirely by the universities.

Four students from some of the most disadvantaged areas of London have been awarded scholarships, worth around 1million, to America's most prestigious universities

With only 160 places and thousands of applicants worldwide, the four students, Lennox Keeble (left), Catherine Lowe (right), Xuan Nguyen (middle right), Umar Azad (middle left), all attend Newham Collegiate Sixth Form (NCS), in East Ham, east London, had around a 330-1 chance of sealing one of the much sought-after places

It is the third year the high achieving sixth form have helped students win a place at a top US university.

The top 10 universities in the world according to the Times Higher Education guide 2020 1. University of Oxford - England 2. California Institute of Technology - America 3. University of Cambridge - England 4. Stanford University - America 5. Massachusetts Institute of Technology - America 6. Princeton University - America 7. Harvard University - America 8. Yale University - America 9. University of Chicago - America 10. Imperial College London - England Source: THE.com Advertisement

Former students Tafsia Shikdar in 2017, and Mohammed Isuf Ahmed last year, both accepted scholarship places to MIT - which regularly ranks among the top five universities in the world.

Lennox Keeble, from Dagenham, whose carer mum Ifatu, 49, fled Sierra Leone during the civil war, is off to Princeton after turning down MIT.

He has four siblings and his mum, who he describes as his 'hero', looked after the elderly in care homes during the coronavirus.

Lennox said: 'The streets of Dagenham and the hallowed halls of Princeton are very different places but I do not see it as a big deal.

'I will adjust, make friends. I am looking forward to it massively.

'Einstein taught in room 302 Frist Campus Center at Princeton, that's what inspired me to want to study there when I had the opportunity to visit with my Sixth Form.'

Catherine Lowe, from Tower Hamlets, has an unconditional offer to study at man on the moon Buzz Aldrin's former university MIT.

The 18-year-old, whose dad, Steve, 60, is self-employed and whose mum, Belinda, 56, is a housewife, hopes to major in physics.

She said: 'My dad left school at 17 even though he was very bright so I guess I am helping to fulfil his potential as well as my own. He is very proud of me as you can imagine.

'I think the moment I started to believe this could happen was when we got the chance to travel to these universities. It seems like a dream but when you are there it gives you the belief you can make it.'

Lennox Keeble, from Dagenham, whose carer mum Ifatu, 49, fled Sierra Leone during the civil war, is off to Princeton (pictured) after turning down MIT

Catherine Lowe, from Tower Hamlets, has an unconditional offer to study at man on the moon Buzz Aldrin's former university MIT (pictured)

Xuan Nguyen, 18, from Beckton, has accepted an unconditional offer from Harvard after being rejected by Cambridge to study natural sciences (pictured)

Xuan Nguyen, 18, from Beckton, has accepted an unconditional offer from Harvard after being rejected by Cambridge to study natural sciences.

He scored 790 out of 800 on level 2 maths SAT test. Xuan has also represented GB at Volley Ball.

He will major in civil engineering. After university he hopes to focus on tackling global environmental issues.

He said: 'The level of support we got at NCS is unparalleled and it is why all four of us are going to the top US universities, no questions. Yes, we probably would have done well anywhere, but not this well.

His dad Duc Trong, 55, works as a machinist in a factory. His mum My Loan, 56 is a housewife.

Bright Umar Azad, 18, lives with his admin assistant mum Munni Akhter older sister and younger brother.

He will swap Tower Hamlets for Harvard next September and will major in chemistry.

He said: 'When I found out I had been accepted it was a real surreal moment.. My mum had just come back from Bangladesh so she was self-isolating with her mother.

'It was just me and my sister in the house. I called her in and told her and we both just hugged. I called my mum straight away. She was incredibly proud.'

The four students were all part of the US University Preparation Programme run by the college, which has its own dedicated member of staff overseeing all overseas applications and providing mentoring advice and guidance.

The four students (pictured) were all part of the US University Preparation Programme run by the college, which has its own dedicated member of staff overseeing all overseas applications and providing mentoring advice and guidance

They also include a paid for tour of the Ivy League Universities in the US last year which all four successful scholarship students attended.

All the support is offered to students for free, in contrast to an agency in the UK who are charging richer families up to 20,000 per pupil to guide families through the American application process.

While studying for their A Levels, later cancelled due to the coronavirus, students sat US subject specific and critical thinking and aptitude tests known as SATs - paid for by their sixth form.

They passed with flying colours thanks to support from a specialist tutor who is flown in from the US and paid for by NCS before acing interviews, leading to the scholarship offers.

NCS headteacher Mouhssin Ismail said: 'To have students from some of the most disadvantaged boroughs in London win full scholarships to Harvard, Princeton and MIT is testament to the hard work of the students and their teachers.

'To know their lives will be enriched and changed forever is a great feeling.

'NCS was set up to push the boundaries of what is possible and we tell our student every day that they can study at the most prestigious universities, lead the most high-profile organisations and join the highest ranks of politics.

They are beginning to believe, because they are seeing it is possible and with time this will become the norm.'
'Terrorist' who threatened to blow up Kyiv business center is notified on suspicion, issue of imposing pretrial restraint is decided  prosecutor's office

A citizen of Uzbekistan who was in the building of the Leonardo business center in Kyiv and claiming that he has explosives in his backpack, was notified on suspicion of committing a terrorist attack, and now the issue of imposing a pretrial restraint in the form of detention is being decided, the Prosecutor's Office of Kyiv said.

"Under the procedural guidance of the prosecutor's office of the city of Kyiv, a citizen of Uzbekistan, who threatened an explosion at a bank in the center of Kyiv, was notified on suspicion of committing a terrorist attack, that is, a threat of an explosion that poses a danger to people's lives in order to violate public security and draw public attention to certain his views (Part 1 of Article 258 of the Criminal Code of Ukraine)," the prosecutor's office said in a statement released on Tuesday morning.

Prosecutors said that the issue of imposing a pretrial restraint for the suspect in the form of detention is now being decided: "The relevant motion has been submitted for consideration to Pechersky District Court of Kyiv."

The pretrial investigation is carried out by the investigators of the SBU State Security Service Main Directorate in Kyiv and Kyiv region. The investigation establishes the motives for the commission of the crime.

As reported, at about noon Monday, a man entered the Universal Bank office in the Leonardo business center on the intersection of Volodymyrska and Khmelnytskoho streets in the center of Kyiv, said he had a bomb in his backpack and asked to call the police. The employees of the banking institution left the premises, and the department head volunteered to remain.

According to preliminary information, the terrorist was a citizen of Uzbekistan, a native of Samarkand, Sukhrob Karimov, born in 1988. He demanded access to media and live coverage to make a statement.
OTTAWA - The potential sale of social-media platform TikTok to Microsoft is leaving Canada with a sense of deja vu.

Experts say the country is once again being pressured to take sides in a debate about digital technology that seems driven more by politics than by policy.

U.S. President Donald Trump is effectively forcing the sale of the Chinese-owned TikTok, citing national-security concerns over the user data and device access potentially available to Chinas government.

Microsoft has emerged as a potential buyer for the popular video-sharing app, seeking to acquire its presence in the United States, New Zealand, Australia and Canada.

Michael Geist, an expert in internet law at the University of Ottawa, says the issue feels like a replay of the debate over whether to allow Huawei technology into Canadas 5G wireless data networks.

The federal government still hasnt ended that debate with a decision, while Huawei executive Meng Wanzhou awaits possible extradition to the United States after being arrested in Vancouver and two Canadians, Michael Kovrig and Michael Spavor, have been detained in China for more than 600 days.

Geist says Canada is once again uncomfortably pressured to take sides in an emerging global digital tech battle and may try to not get too involved in the TikTok talks.

At this stage, Im not convinced that the Canadian government has clear policy on the area, Geist said, meaning our likely response is to stay on the sidelines and let the issue unfold without much input or engagement.

TikTok launched three years ago and now boasts 100 million users worldwide who upload short, catchy videos.

A report earlier this year from We Are Social, a global agency that tracks social-media use, found that TikTok was the sixth most-downloaded app in Canada in 2019, but used by only nine per cent of Canadian internet users aged 16 to 64.

Trump has framed his concerns around a Chinese company having access to Americans personal data, echoing concerns that earlier this year led a Chinese gaming company to sell Grindr, a gay dating app, to an American company for over US$600 million.

Trumps push comes amid escalating rhetoric towards Beijing over trade and the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The recent TikTok developments in the U.S. appear to be driven far more by politics than policy, Geist said. There is little difference in the data collection practices of TikTok and the large U.S. social-media companies.

A decision late last month from the Court of Justice of the European Union highlighted what it saw as the inadequacy of U.S. privacy laws, saying the U.S. government could have unchecked access to user information through its own surveillance laws.

So while bringing TikToks user data to U.S. servers might alleviate concerns about Chinese spying, it doesnt eliminate concerns of U.S. agencies doing the same to an American-owned platform.

When Europe passed the strongest privacy regulation in the world, Microsoft decided to offer those protections and rights to everyone  even though they werent required to by law, said Lauren Reid, president of privacy consultancy The Privacy Pro.

At the end of the day, Microsoft is a U.S. company and is subject to the U.S. government surveillance programs, which allow unchecked access to the personal information held by private companies.

On Monday, Trump told reporters he would ban TikTok in the U.S. unless Microsoft or another American company bought the app by Sept. 15, with a portion of the sale going to the U.S. treasury.

Christopher Parsons, a senior research associate at the University of Torontos Citizen Lab, said Trumps actions to force a sale would be a fairly substantive break with the way governments ordinarily treat internet companies.

In effect, the presidents actions suggest that each country should have its own branches of social media companies, Parsons said.

A question for Canadian policy-makers is what they would do if a country demanded part of a domestic tech darling  Parsons used Ottawa-based Shopify as an example  be hived off for similar reasons Trump has for TikTok.

If Canada were to be involved, I think that it may be less around concerns about there being two TikToks ... and more around are these the kinds of norms we want to be propagated, he said.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.

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At least one federal agency knows how to quarantine. In style.

NASA astronauts aboard Space Xs Crew Dragon capsule splash down in Gulf of Mexico

From the Washington Post story:

On behalf of the SpaceX and NASA teams, welcome home and thanks for flying SpaceX, mission control radioed to the spacecraft after it landed. Its truly our honor and privilege, NASA astronaut Doug Hurley responded. On behalf of the Dragon Endeavour, congrats to NASA and SpaceX.

The mission  the final milestone in a rigorous test program years in the making  was celebrated as a victory for NASA and its decision under former President Barack Obama to entrust the private sector with the lives of its astronauts. And it served as a rare bright spot in a year full of turmoil and devastation, from the deadly coronavirus pandemic to the social unrest in the wake of George Floyds killing to the clashes between protesters and authorities in cities from Portland, Ore., to Richmond, Va.

Well played, NASA and Space X. 2020 needed a win.

Thanks, Obama.

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Photograph: Philip B Poston/AP

Police in the Colorado city of Aurora prompted outrage after drawing their guns on a Black woman and four Black children and handling them aggressively after mistakenly thinking their car had been stolen.

A video posted on Facebook went viral, showing Brittney Gilliam with her two daughters, aged six and 12, and their cousins, aged 14 and 17, lying down on the concrete of a parking lot after police handcuffed them.

In the video the children can be heard crying while onlookers ask the police why they had drawn their weapons on the family. It was later established that car was not stolen, and the department apologized.

I have called [Gilliams] family to apologize and to offer any help we can provide, especially for the children who may have been traumatized by yesterdays events, Auroras new chief of police, Vanessa Wilson, said in a statement. I have reached out to our victim advocates so we can offer age-appropriate therapy that the city will cover.

Wilson has only been in her position on a permanent basis since Monday and faces the task of rebuilding trust between police and residents of Aurora, a diverse city east of Denver, after recent scandals.

In August last year, Elijah McClain, a 23-year-old Black man, was stopped by Aurora police as he walked from a shop, put in a chokehold and then given ketamine by paramedics. He suffered cardiac arrest and later died. The Colorado governor, Jared Polis, has appointed the state attorney general, Phil Weiser, as a special prosecutor to investigate McClains death.

McClains death only later came to widespread national attention when highlighted by anti-racism protesters who have taken to the streets in US cities since George Floyd, another Black man, was killed after a white police officer kneeled on his neck in Minneapolis in May.

The Black Lives Matter movement has gained renewed popular traction in the US and internationally in the wake of a spate of police killings of Black people, leading to calls that police forces be fundamentally reformed and more funding diverted to social, health and educational services.

Story continues

In an interview with CNN, Gilliam said she was taking the four girls to get their nails done. She said she had been parked in the car when Aurora police pulled up with guns drawn and demanded they put their hands out of the window and to get out of the car. Gilliams car had been stolen earlier this year but returned to her the next day.

In a statement Aurora police said they were reacting to a report that another vehicle with the same plate information, but from a different state, had been reported as stolen.

The confusion may have been due, in part, to the fact that the stopped car was reported stolen earlier in the year, the statement said. After realizing the mistake, officers immediately unhandcuffed everyone involved, explained what happened and apologized.

Wilson said she has directed the police force to look into new practices and training to avoid a repeat of the incident. Currently, when stopping a stolen car officers are trained to draw weapons and instruct occupants to lie down on the ground.

Jennifer Wurtz, who shot the video of Gilliam and the children, told the officers on camera that the children were scared and she asked to speak to them but was told to move back because she was interfering in their investigation.

Gilliam questioned whether the family would have been treated differently if they were not Black, ABC News reported.

You did not protect and serve, Gilliam said of the department.
The vast majority of students, faculty and staff are anxious to return to campus with proper precautions, and Elon expects to enroll its third largest first-year class in its history, Covington said Monday.

Students at Mondays 90-minute online town hall called Elons plans insufficient to ensure the health of students, employees and people who live nearby. Although the university has been largely closed since March, six students living on or near campus and three employees have tested positive for COVID-19 since late May, according to a university dashboard.

Rising junior Alyssa Meritt noted that Elon moved quickly to remote instruction in March when the number of COVID-19 cases statewide was approaching 300. Now that N.C. cases have topped 125,000, she said, it makes no sense to bring about 7,000 students to campus from all over the country. Some students, she added, cant be counted on to wear masks or avoid parties.
LOS ANGELES, Aug 4 (Reuters) - Walt Disney Co's live-action version of "Mulan" will skip most of the world's movie theaters and go directly to its streaming platform in September, the media giant said on Tuesday. The decision follows uncertainty about when big movie theater chains in the United States will be able to reopen after being shuttered since mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.

"Mulan" will cost a premium price of $29.99 on the Disney+ streaming service in the United States, Canada, Australia and parts of Western Europe, Disney's chief executive, Bob Chapek, said on a call with investors after Disney reported quarterly earnings.

The movie, reported to have cost $200 million to produce, will be released Sept. 4 in movie theaters that do not currently have the Disney+ platform and where movie theaters are open, Chapek added.

"Mulan" had been scheduled to reach theaters in March, but its release has been postponed several times as many cinemas remain closed. Most recently, it was set to debut Aug. 21, and theater operators had hoped it would help spark a late-summer rebound for movie-going.

Last month Disney said it was postponing the debut of "Mulan" indefinitely while it assessed its options. (Reporting by Jill Serjeant and Lisa Richwine; Editing by Leslie Adler)
River otter shows belly at Pelican Island NWR. Creator: Adams, Keenan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Credit: North Carolina State University

North American river otters are known for their playful swimming, but they are also an important species for helping scientists understand the health of river systems. A new study from North Carolina State University detected evidence of otter diseases that may be spread by pets.

Researchers said the study's findings are not cause for alarm, but are important for establishing a baseline that will allow wildlife officials to monitor otter health over time.

"Everything runs to the rivers," said Chris DePerno, co-author of the study and a professor in NC State's Fisheries, Wildlife and Conservation Biology Program. "Everything on the landscape ends up in the water, and that is where otters live and eat. That is why they are an excellent species to investigate pathogens and diseases."

The research team conducted laboratory tests to identify the presence of three different diseases in a group of 220 otters that had been trapped by hunters in two seasons in 2014-15 and 2015-16.

DePerno and his collaborators detected parvovirus, a virus found in mammals, in 19 percent of otters studied. Parvovirus can infect unvaccinated dogs and related species as well as other mammals.

They also detected a parasite, Toxoplasma gondii, in 24 percent of otters tested. T. gondii can spread to people and other animals, causing a disease called toxoplasmosis. The disease is common in outdoor cats, and DePerno has detected it in feral pigs as well as river otters.

The researchers also found very low prevalence, less than 1 percent, of Leptospira bacteria, which can be found in mammals, reptiles and amphibians. This genus of bacteria cause a disease called leptospirosis that can be transmitted to people, and is lethal in otters.

The otter population is abundant and self-sustaining, researchers said, so the prevalence of these diseases did not appear to be affecting survival of the otter population across North Carolina. DePerno indicated that more work is needed to determine the relationship of disease transmission from unvaccinated domestic animals, as well as possible "sublethal effects" of these diseasesmeaning effects that do not kill the otters but could affect their health and ability to reproduce.

We spoke to DePerno to learn more about the study and findings.

The Abstract: Why were you interested in studying diseases in otters?

Chris DePerno: Otters are aquatic, and they are at the top of the food web. So, we were interested in how these diseases may influence reproduction, survival, fitness and abundance of the otter populations.

This information will help the North Carolina Wildlife Resources Commission, which was one of our partners on the project, have more data to manage otters.

Also, wildlife diseases can impact biodiversity within and across ecosystems. Otters are an excellent sentinel species, which means it's a good species to study because it can tell you a lot about the environment.

There are also concerns regarding biomagnification. Biomagnification is when a toxin, substance or pathogen accumulates in a species.

As a very simple example of biomagnification, let's say there is a little bit of mercury in the environment. Fish pick it up from their prey and have a tiny amount of mercury. Otters then go and eat many fishlet's say 100. Now otters have accumulated all of the mercury that those 100 fish had accumulated. So whatever contaminants are present throughout the food web will be magnified in the top predators.

In another recent study, we evaluated the presence of metal contaminants, such as mercury and cadmium, in otter populations in North Carolina.

TA: Have otters historically thrived in North Carolina?

DePerno: In the late 19th century and early 20th century, there was little to no management of wildlife species. Otters were decimated in the mountains and much of the Piedmont of North Carolina. Fortunately, otters were translocated from the coastal plain to the mountains, and the statewide otter population recovered by 2005. Today, otter populations are doing very well across North Carolina. All wildlife populations are managed, and hunting and trapping are regulated.

We wanted to develop a solid baseline of information about diseases and contaminants for otters across North Carolina.

TA: Why did you study prevalence of leptospirosis, parvo and toxoplasmosis in particular?

DePerno: Leptospirosis is bacterial and zoonotic, which means it can move from animals to people. Parvo is a highly contagious virus that is not zoonotic, meaning it doesn't spread to people, but it does spread through many vertebrates, including mammals. Most pet owners will be familiar with canine parvo, which affects dogsunless they are vaccinated. It can also impact wolves and other canids. Untreated dogs can get it in the environment, and otters can as well. Toxoplasmosis is a zoonotic parasite that is widely distributed.

These are important pathogens because otters are semi-aquatic and the quality of the water sources may influence reproduction, survival, fitness and abundance of the otter populations.

TA: How are these diseases spread to otters?

DePerno: Primarily through contaminated soil and water. Once contaminants are in the soilmaybe from outdoor cat fecesthey can run off into the water and be picked up by otter populations.

There has been research in Washington state and California, where cat feces in toilets was running into the sounds and bays and sea otters and river otters were being infected with toxoplasmosis. That gives you a really good idea of how this stuff can spread.

Aquatic ecosystems are efficient ways for pathogens and contaminants to move and be picked up by semi-aquatic furbearers like otters. Landscape drainage can move these pathogens into rivers and wetlands, and apex predators like otters are exposed to them.

TA: How is the spread of these diseases in wildlife related to people?

Humans are expanding across the landscape. And as we develop areas, we bring along invasive species with us, and we introduce those into the landscape. Of course, there is the potential for disease transmission between people, pets and wildlife, depending on the disease.

TA: What did you learn from your study?

DePerno: We detected very low prevalence of these diseases, especially of leptospirosis. We did see there were some higher levels of parvo and toxoplasmosis in a couple river basins, and we came up with some reasons why we thought that was the case, but did not see anything alarming.

We were unable to determine if there are any population-level impacts of these diseases and believe if there are any it is minor, but more research is necessary.

We would like to continue the work and delve deeper into bioaccumulation and where otters are picking up diseases and contaminants and how they are spreading it. We wanted to gather information on baseline levels to help us understand any future changes that we might see in the landscape.

The paper, "Leptospira, Parvovirus and Toxoplasma in the North American River Otter (Lontra canadensis) in North Carolina, U.S." is published in the Journal of Wildlife Diseases.

Explore further Sea otters, opossums and the surprising ways pathogens move from land to sea

More information: Charles W. Sanders et al. LEPTOSPIRA, PARVOVIRUS, AND TOXOPLASMA IN THE NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER (LONTRA CANADENSIS) IN NORTH CAROLINA, USA, Journal of Wildlife Diseases (2020). Journal information: Journal of Wildlife Diseases Charles W. Sanders et al. LEPTOSPIRA, PARVOVIRUS, AND TOXOPLASMA IN THE NORTH AMERICAN RIVER OTTER (LONTRA CANADENSIS) IN NORTH CAROLINA, USA,(2020). DOI: 10.7589/2019-05-129
A day before the much-awaited foundation laying ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, vedic rituals continued on Tuesday with Ramacharya puja at Ram Janmabhoomi here.

Ayodhya residents also marked the occasion by celebrating it as Chhoti Diwali. The entire city glittered in the lights of diyas that were lit by seers on the banks of river Saryu and by locals outside their houses. Almost all temples in the temple town have been decorated.

Twenty-one priests started the Ramacharya puja at around 9.30 am. These rituals continued for three hours. They were followed by Purvang anushtan, Sri Ram Shodash Matrika, Vishnu puja and Chaturved parayan.

The three-day Vedic rituals, which began on Monday, will end with the Ram temple bhoomi pujan on Wednesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will perform the bhoomi pujan at around 12.40 pm.

Simultaneous vedic rituals began at Hanuman Garhi temple on Tuesday.

Lord Hanuman is considered to be the protector of Ayodhya. So, before the construction of Ram temple begins, we are performing this puja at Hanuman Garhi to seek his (lord Hanumans) permission to start construction work of Ram temple, said Anil Mishra, member of Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirath Kshetra Trust.

Offerings were also made at Chhoti Devkali and Badi Devkali temples, considered to be clan-deities of lord Ram.

Mahant Nritya Gopal Das, chairman of Sri Ram Janambhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust, has donated a 40 kg silver brick for the Ram temple bhoomi pujan. Prime Minister Modi will use this brick to lay the foundation stone of the temple. However, the brick will be removed after the ceremony.

Several devotees have donated silver bricks to the trust. All of them will be used for the ceremony on Wednesday.

Later, these silver bricks will be encashed and the money will be used for construction of the temple, said Mahant Kamal Nayan Das, successor-designate to chairman of the trust.

Modi is expected to reach Ayodhya at around 11.30 am and will stay there for three hours.

Before the PMs arrival for bhoomi pujan, priests will complete several Vedic rituals, including Maha Ganpati, Ambika pujan, Varun pujan, Shodash matrika, Sapath Grahan matrika, Ayush mantra jaap, Nav Prastar Khand Shila pujan and graha shanti puja.

In Ayodhya, Modi will first offer prayer at Hanuman Garhi and thereafter he will go to Ram Janmabhoomi where he will perform the bhoomi pujan at around 12.40pm.

For the ceremony, a water-proof pandal has been put up at the venue. A stage has also been set up from where Modi is expected to address the gathering.

The guests will be allowed entry to the venue from 10 am and they will have to undergo Covid-19 test before entering the venue. Rapid testing kits will be used which will give results in 15 minutes. District health department will deploy its team for carrying out the tests.

Meanwhile, Shankaracharya Jayendra Saraswati of Kamikochi, Tamil Nadu, has sent silver coins to the temple trust.

Jayendra Saraswati has sent these coins on behalf of the Ashok Singhal Foundation, an organisation named after Ashok Singhal, late president of the VHP.

To mark the occasion, coins will be distributed on Wednesday to seers attending the bhoomi pujan.

Meanwhile, about 1.11 lakh ladoos are being prepared at Mani Ram Das Chhavni Peeth for distribution among locals after the bhumi pujan. The temple trust has also placed order for one lakh packets of Bikaneri laddus for distribution after the ceremony. Each packet will have four laddus. The trust will also send laddus to all embassies in New Delhi to mark the occasion.
CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago (FHLBank Chicago or Bank) today announced Matthew R. Feldman, President and Chief Executive Officer, has submitted his intention to retire effective December 31, 2020. Mr. Feldman has held his current position since May 2008, and has been with the Bank since September 2003.

The Board of Directors of FHLBank Chicago has accepted Mr. Feldman's plans for retirement and has appointed Michael A. Ericson, Chief Operating Officer, Mr. Feldman's successor effective January 1, 2021.

"I am honored to have been able to serve the Bank, our members, and their communities for so many years and to work alongside such a talented and committed group of colleagues," said Mr. Feldman. "I am pleased that the Board has named Michael Ericson as my successor as I have worked closely with him for many years and have tremendous respect for his ability to lead this Bank into the future with the support of our excellent Executive Team, senior leadership, and Board of Directors."

During his tenure, Mr. Feldman transformed the Bank to be mission driven, focusing on the needs of members in Illinois and Wisconsin and championing member directed community investment and economic development activities in the communities in which our members serve.

"On behalf of FHLBank Chicago's Board of Directors, I would like to thank Mr. Feldman for his exceptional service to our members and the Federal Home Loan Bank System," said John Reinke, Chair of the Board of Directors. "He is an iconic, highly principled, greatly admired leader who has profoundly affected us in many positive ways. The results of his longstanding leadership is an example of great stewardship for us all. We are fortunate to name Mr. Ericson, a member of Mr. Feldman's team for many years, as our next President and CEO as he is uniquely qualified to lead our Bank into our next great chapter."

Mr. Ericson was named Chief Operating Officer of the Bank in January 2020, and has been with FHLBank Chicago since January 2005 having previously served as Executive Vice President, Group Head, Members and Markets, as well as Executive Vice President, Chief Risk Officer. Mr. Ericson is a Fellow of The Daniel Burnham Fellowship of Leadership Greater Chicago.

"It is truly an honor to be able to serve the Bank and our members alongside colleagues that believe in and support the mission of the Bank, and I look forward to the opportunities that lie ahead," said Mr. Ericson.

About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago

The mission of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago is to partner with our member institutions in Illinois and Wisconsin to provide them competitively priced funding, a reasonable return on their investment in the Bank, and support for community investment activities. FHLBank Chicago is one of 11 Federal Home Loan Banks chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1932 to promote homeownership. Our members include banks, thrifts, credit unions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions throughout our District. To learn more about FHLBank Chicago, please visit fhlbc.com or follow @FHLBC on Twitter.

SOURCE Federal Home Loan Bank of Chicago

Related Links

http://www.fhlbc.com


Yerevan Mayor Hayk Marutian defended on Tuesday his decision to allow the construction of a new restaurant and cafe in a famous park which was the scene of a three-month standoff between former municipal authorities and environmental activists eight years ago.

Marutians predecessor, Taron Markarian, sparked angry protests in early 2012 when he placed a dozen commercial kiosks in the small park located in downtown Yerevan. They were due to be rented out to private entrepreneurs.

Scores of mostly young people demonstrated there on a virtually basis for more than three months in protest against what they saw as further damage to the citys green areas. They repeatedly clashed with riot police while trying to stop construction work.

The protests ended only after then President Serzh Sarkisian visited the park and publicly told Markarian to remove the kiosks. The decision was hailed as a landmark triumph of growing civic activism in Armenia.

The former authorities refurbished the park, commonly known as Mashtots Park, in the following years. Only one structure, a one-story glass-and-steel cafe and restaurant built in the early 2000s, was allowed to remain there.

The cafe was dismantled after the 2018 Velvet Revolution which was followed by Marutians election as Yerevan mayor. It emerged earlier this year that the new municipal administration allowed its owner to build a new and apparently larger property in its place.

The builders have cut down several trees as a result, triggering an uproar on social media from environment protection and other civic groups in recent days. The latter have demanded that the mayors office halt and ban the construction.

Some activists point out that Marutian was among those prominent public figures who voiced support for the 2012 protests at Mashtots Park. The 43-year-old mayor was a popular TV comedian at the time.

Marutian held a news conference on Tuesday to explain his decision which he said was the result of a deal struck with the cafe owner. In his words, the owner agreed to give up ownership of the 300-square-meter former cafe in return for renting the same plot of land from the municipality until 2040.

The new cafe will formally belong to the municipality, stressed Marutian. He also insisted that the trees in question were too old and had to be cut down in any case.

The mayor further defended his failure to organize prior public discussions on the issue. Discussions are held during elections, he said. Then [voters] elect a mayor, who takes over and makes decisions.

Marutian announced at the same time that work on the new cafe was suspended earlier in the day because of what he described as violations of the construction permit issued by his office. He said he will decide his further steps after municipal officials ascertain the number of deviations from the construction project.
Canastota, N.Y. - Shane Pinards family was busy decorating for his Canastota high school graduation party, preparing food and awaiting the arrival of the guest of honor on Saturday afternoon.

Shane, 18, and two friends were on their way to the party at his dads house in Whitelaw, about a 15-minute drive from the Sylvan Beach camp the three were staying, said Shanes sister Kyra Elerick, 24.

Shane had just left the camp when he lost control of the pickup truck on Vienna Road in Vienna and rolled over several times. That was shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday.

Shane was trapped beneath the truck, police said. Several bystanders helped pull the truck off him before rescue crews arrived, police said. He was airlifted to Upstate University Hospital where he died.

It was all surreal,' said his sister, who was helping set up the party. Everybody was arriving at the party, and we had to tell them what happened. We found out a little after 3 p.m. he had passed away.

His two friends, who were in the truck with him, are OK and out of the hospital, Elerick said. New York State Police confirmed the two teens are Zachary Stevens, 15, and Dylan Bender, 16.

Zacharys mom, Brenda Stevens, said her son and Dylan worked with two bystanders to lift the truck. She said her son is devastated.

They were best friends for the past three years, and they were together every day,' she said. They fished together, and Shane was always at our house. They slept overnight at each others homes.

Elerick said the entire family is in shock, and mourning the loss of Shane, who was so full of life and enthusiasm. Living in Whitelaw, a small hamlet south of Messenger Bay in the town of Lenox, everyone knows everybody and it is very close knit, she said.

Shanes grandfather was town of Lenox supervisor and everyone in Whitelaw and the surrounding area knows the family, Elerick said. John Pinard served as supervisor from 2014 to 2017.

Lenox Town Clerk Charlene Barres said the community is rallying to help the families of all three.

As a small close knit community, everyone knew or was connected in some way to the young men or their families who were in or affected by this tragic accident,' she said. Our community has come together before, and we will rally once again around the families and friends of the three boys.

People from all over are posting message of sorrow and support on social media, and reaching out to ask how they can help. Elerick said they are planning a memorial for her brother at 9 p.m. Saturday at his mothers house, 309 N. Main St., Canastota.

A friend is selling T-shirts reading The Fishing King in honor of Shane and his lifelong passion for fishing. Proceeds will go to the Shane Pinard Future Fishermens Foundation. Money from that will be used to start a fishing tournament, help fund a fishing-related program at Canastota High School and possibly other youth programs involving fishing.

Canastota School Superintendent Shawn Bissetta also expressed the districts sympathy in a statement:

We are devastated by the loss of Shane, who we will remember as a good friend and an avid fisherman who lived life to the fullest. We send our sincere condolences to Shanes family and friends for strength during this tragedy. Our thoughts and wishes go out to the families of the other two students for a speedy recovery.

Shane Pinard was passionate about fishing, and was a natural it, according to his family.

Shane spent all his free time fishing on Oneida Lake, his sister said. He first went fishing at age 4, and Elerick said he didnt want to touch the worms or the fish at the time, so she helped him.

His love for fishing grew, and he planned at attend SUNY at Morrisville and go into the fish hatchery program, Elerick said.

He was a natural at it,' Elerick said. He would catch a lot of walleye, and anyone who lived near him would be given a walleye to put in their freezer. In the winter, he liked snowmobiling - and ice fishing.

Shane worked at McDonalds in Canastota and saved his money for a new fishing boat. His parents took out a loan for it with him, but he made the down payment and monthly payments on it, Elerick said. He saved enough money to buy about 20 fishing reels.

His sister said he also loved to teach people how to fish - hed take anyone on his boat and show them the finer points of landing a fish.

He loved to be funny, she said, and so he would sometimes be spotted pumping gas or fishing in his underwear.

He was an 18-year-old boy after all,' she said.

Bu there was a soft side to Shane that not everyone saw, she said. He adored his three nieces. Elerick has two daughters aged 3 and two months, and his sister Sonya, 26, has a five-year-old.

Shane Pinard holding his infant niece, Lydia. He adored his three nieces

He loved them...he was a really good uncle, Elerick said. He would have been a great dad. Im so sad that he wont get to do that, and that my kids wont have the experience of getting to know him.

Shane also has a sister, Marlie, and two brothers, Joseph and Nathan.

Shane was always the one to jump up and help someone if they needed it,' Elerick said. So everyone doing that for him and his family would be something hed really like.

Elizabeth Doran covers education, suburban government and development, breaking news and more. Got a tip, comment or story idea? Contact her anytime 315-470-3012 or email edoran@syracuse.com.
Cult mom Lori Vallow sent her seven-year-old autistic son JJ to stay with her brother the last time he was seen alive after becoming frustrated with the boy for 'climbing up' kitchen cabinets and smashing a picture of Jesus.

Vallow told friends JJ was a 'zombie' and that she'd sent him to stay with her brother Alex Cox on September 22 last year because he was 'out of control'.

It was the last time the boy was seen alive. His remains were found on Vallow's husband Chad Daybell's property, buried in a pet cemetery where a dog and cat had also been buried, earlier this year. His sister Tylee's burned remains were found nearby on the Idaho property.

The day police made the grim discovery, Lori called Chad from jail where she was being held at the time for telling police where JJ and Tylee were for months.

At the time, Chad was still free. He was on the property and the pair spoke on the phone where he told Lori it was 'logical' for police to search the home.

The new details emerged on Tuesday at a preliminary hearing for Daybell to decide whether or not his trial should proceed. A judge later ruled that it should.

An emotionless Daybell listened as magistrate Judge Faren Eddins said probable cause was shown by the state, allowing the case to proceed to an arraignment before a district judge on August 21. Lori faces a hearing on the same charges next week.

Scroll down for video

Chad Daybell in court on Tuesday for the second day of his preliminary hearing in Idaho

Lori Vallow remains in custody on charges of concealing evidence. She is shown on March 6

This is the last photograph taken of JJ, Tylee and their uncle Alex Cox. It's believed to have been in Yellowstone National Park shortly before the kids vanished in September. Cox died in December

Neither he nor Vallow have been charged with either of the children's deaths and it remains unclear how they died.

To find JJ's body, police tracked data from Lori's brother Alex Cox's phone. Family friend David Warwick testified on Tuesday that on September 22, the last day JJ was seen alive, Vallow asked her brother Alex to come and collect JJ.

'She said JJ was being a zombie. He was out of control so she had Alex come get him,' he told the courtroom in Idaho.

Lori had complained that JJ was climbing the cabinets and the refrigerator, and that he had smashed a photograph of Jesus.

Warwick testified that he and his girlfriend, Melanie Gibb, were at Lori's home to record a podcast and that they last saw JJ being carried by Cox. He looked like he was sleeping, he said.

Cox died in mysterious circumstances in December last year. His death is one of the many unexplained deaths in Vallow and Daybell's circles.

As part of their case, prosecutors are tying to piece together the days and months before the children vanished.

They have now asked multiple witnesses how close Lori and her brother were.

Cox followed his sister from Arizona to Idaho after shooting dead her ex-husband, Charles Vallow, last summer in an apparent domestic dispute.

At the time, he told police he was protecting Lori from Charles and that the shooting happened in self-defense.

He was never charged for it.

They then moved to Idaho, where Daybell lived with his wife of 23 years. She died not long after Lori arrived with the children.

Melanie Gibb, Lori's friend, also took the stand, as did her boyfriend, David Warwick, Gibb's boyfriend. They told the court he saw JJ on September 22 in Idaho and that Alex Cox came to get him because Lori said he was 'out of control'

Vallow with Melanie. They were recording a religious podcast the night JJ was last seen alive

Lori's friends said she complained to them that JJ, only seven, was a 'zombie' and was climbing kitchen cabinets and the fridge

In this aerial photo, investigators search for human remains at Chad Daybell's residence in the 200 block of 1900 East in Salem, Idaho on June 9

After the children disappeared in September, Lori and Chad flew to Hawaii, where they got married.

At Tuesday's preliminary hearing, Lori's fried, Melanie Gibb, was also interviewed.

She already admitted to police that Lori asked her to lie and say that JJ was being looked after by her when she was questioned by the authorities in November.

The court also heard a phone call between Lori and Melanie in December, after she'd already lied to the police saying JJ was alive and staying with her when Lori was questioned a month earlier.

Lori and Daybell spoke to her, insisting they were being unfairly targeted.

'Darkness is knocking on the door all the time,' Lori told her in the recording, insisting that JJ was safe and that she knew where he was but was protecting him.

Lori then told Gibb that she had done 'exactly what the Lord told her to do'.

When police searched Daybell's home on June 9 and found the children's bodies, Lori called Daybell from jail.

The audio of that call was played for the court on Tuesday. She is heard asking him if they 'are seizing things again' . Daybell explained they were mostly outside.

She said it was 'logical'. The call ended with Daybell telling Vallow: 'I love you so much.'

On Monday, the court heard how JJ was wrapped in plastic and duct tape, with his ankles and hands tied, when he was found in the ground.

Tylee's remains were more difficult to identify because she had been burned.

'It was a mass of dismembered human remains, partially burnt. We did the best we could but it was kind of hard to recognize.

'We just couldn't tell what we were dealing with. We ended up excavating all the way around it and at the very bottom of this mass, we find this melted green bucket and then to the bottom, to the side of that green bucket, we eventually find a skull. ...we find some teeth.

'We did the, the team did the best they could to kind of excavate around this and tell this story,' Special Agent Daniels from the FBI told the courtroom. He also told how they recovered JJ's pelvic bone which was a 'major piece of evidence'.

Chad Daybell told his late wife that he buried a large raccoon in pet cemetery where the kids' bodies were found on the day Tylee, 17, was last seen alive

Also on the stand on Tuesday was an FBI intelligence analyst who went through Chad Daybell's phone.

Chad Daybell with his ex-wife Tammy. A text exchange where he went to great length describing his day on September 9 was read aloud in court on Tuesday. It was also the same day Lori's daughter, Tylee, was last seen alive

He picked out a text exchange on September 9 - the last day Tylee was seen alive - between his then wife, Tammy, where he went into great detail describing killing a raccoon in their backyard.

'I've had an interesting morning! I felt I should burn all of the limb debris by the fire pit before it got too soaked by the coming storm.

'While I did so, I spotted a big racoon along the fence.

'I hurried and got my gun, and he was till walking along. I got close enough that one shot did the trick.

'He is now in our pet cemetery. Fun times!' he said.

They'd previously exchanged shorter exchanges, but Dean said the raccoon conversation was strange because it was the first time Daybell described his day at length.

The pair's previous messages included messages like 'I love you' and 'cant sleep without you.'
A mazon has removed a pair of shoes described as n***** brown from its site after Labour MP David Lammy flagged the offensive listing.

The shadow justice secretary made the complaint just hours after he revealed that he had suffered racist threats on Twitter.

Sharing a screen grab of the shocking descriptor on Monday evening, he wrote: Just buying brown brogues tonight leads to this racist micro aggression.

Is it 2020 or 1720? Please Amazon take it down.

Amazon/DavidLammy/Twitter

The e-commerce giant has since deleted the item, sold by a company based in Sichuan, China.

An Amazon spokesperson told The Independent: All sellers must follow our selling guidelines and those who do not will be subject to action including potential removal of their account.

The product in question is no longer available.

David Lammy MP said he was shopping online when he came across the offensive listing / Getty Images

Mr Lammy thanked the firm for taking action, but asked what systems it had in place for reviewing descriptions and not allowing offensive terms to be posted in the first place?.

This is not the first time, he added.

It comes just hours after the MP called on Twitter to be much faster at removing hate after a post targeting him with racist abuse remained on the platform for more than 13 hours.

Mr Lammy posted a screen shot of a message in which a fellow social media user said he would hang from a lamppost if he wasnt careful.

Vile racists like you will not silence me, Mr Lammy commented.

But social media must not be a platform for threats and abuse.

Sharing the message on Sunday evening, the Shadow Justice Secretary called on Scotland Yard to investigate.

The following afternoon, a Met Police spokesperson told the Standard: Police received an allegation of malicious communication on 2 August 2020.

Loading....

The allegation relates to at tweet directed at an MP.

The contents are being assessed.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:08:38|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China said on Tuesday that the United States should immediately stop the political suppression of the U.S.-based Chinese media and journalists.

Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin made the remarks when commenting on the fact that no Chinese journalists in the United States have had their applications for visa renewal approved since May.

In May, the U.S. side issued new guidelines, restricting visas for journalists of Chinese origin to 90 days with the possibility of extension. Enditem
Courtesy photo/Getty Images

A fight over gambling led to gunfire and a mans death Monday night in Third Ward, according to police.

Police found a 39-year-old man who had been shot and killed around 11 p.m. in the 3400 block of McIlhenny Street, near Sampson Street. Neighbors heard the two men arguing about gambling on the street, police said.
In this screen grab from NASA TV, SpaceX 's Crew Dragon capsule spacecraft just before it splashes down in to the water after completing NASA's SpaceX Demo-2 mission to the International Space Station with NASA astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley onboard, August 2, 2020 off the coast of Pensacola, Florida in the Gulf of Mexico: NASA via Getty Images

Nasa, Donald Trump and fellow astronauts have welcomed the SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule as it successfully splashed down on Earth.

The safe landing brought a close to a two month mission that sent astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley to the International Space Station, as the final test of the Crew Dragon capsule that SpaceX and Nasa hope represent the future of spaceflight.

That initial launch was the first crewed liftoff on American soil for nearly a decade. And their safe splashdown was the first in 45 years.

The successful completion of that splashdown  and of the mission and the test that it brought to a close  was celebrated by everyone from the president to fellow space travellers.

"Great to have NASA Astronauts return to Earth after very successful two month mission," the president posted, in the first of a series of tweets. "Thank you to all!

"Astronauts complete first splashdown in 45 years. Very exciting!"

Mr Trump then shared Nasa's video of the splashdown.

Nasa administrator Jim Bridenstine wrote "We have SPLASHDOWN!" and congratulated the two astronauts on their successful mission.

Fellow space travellers also tweeted their joy at seeing the astronauts arrive safely.

"Fantastic to see SpaceX Dragon splashdown," wrote British astronaut Tim Peake, before writing "welcome home" and tagging the two members of the crew.

Scott Kelly  a space veteran who spent a year on board the ISS, after serving in the US navy  tweeted "congratulations" to the two astronauts. "Welcome to the U.S. Navy!" he wrote.

Elon Musk, who owns SpaceX and had been intently live tweeting throughout the return, had not posted at the time of publication.

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Nasa astronauts safely drop into sea after pioneering SpaceX mission
A 74-year-old state prison inmate serving time for murder died Saturday, several days after he was diagnosed with COVID-19, the Alabama Department of Corrections said Monday.

James Cowan, an inmate at St. Clair Correctional Facility in Springville, died at a nearby hospital after testing positive for the coronavirus July 26. Cowan, who was serving a 25-year-sentence for a murder that occurred in Montgomery County, was transferred to the hospital from the prison infirmary July 24 for treatment of multiple severe underlying medical conditions, the agency said.

Since July 31, eight state inmates have tested positive for the coronavirus, including three at St. Clair, two at Draper Quarantine Intake Facility and one apiece at Bullock Correctional Facility, Elmore Correctional Facility and Staton Correctional Facility.
Like most of us, Justin Stuller was looking forward to a great vacation  fishing, catching lobsters and swimming in the Florida Keys with his family and friends, according to the Fort Myers News-Press on USA Today.

And then everyones nightmare happened. He got bitten by a shark.

It wasnt quite what you usually see on Discovery Channels Shark Week, but Stuller received a bite serious enough to demand two dozen stitches after he was attached by what they determined to be an eight-foot lemon shark last Wednesday. Lemon sharks usually do not represent a large threat to humans.

Florida man once bitten by alligator is chomped by 8-foot shark while on vacation



Justin Stuller is now sporting two dozen stitches and a small limp after tangling with an eight-foot lemon shark in the Florida Keys.



from USATODAY - News Top Sto https://t.co/IgbZTGWqjN pic.twitter.com/BRyri7g1bf  soccerman (@soccerm00956420) August 3, 2020

Stuller said he has encountered sharks before on similar trips. Some have even snatched fish he speared as he swam back to the boat. But hes never been bitten before -- well -- not by a shark.

I did get bit by an alligator, he said. And also by a spider, he said, showing the scars of both on his leg. A third scar has now been added to the mix

Stuller said he thinks the shark was interested in an injured fish he had just stowed on the seabed.

While his family and friends were swimming nearby, Stuller and a few friends had been searching for spiny lobsters. An experienced diver (having been certified since the age of 12), Stuller is no stranger to being in and around the water. He is co-owner of Estero River Outfitters, in southwest Florida, just below Fort Myers.

Stuller saw an injured fish in the rocks under the water. When he went to retrieve it, he noticed It was too small, not a keeper. So, he put it back.

"I put it in a hole, and right before I surfaced, wham," he said. "I felt the skin more than the shark. It rolled me over and I saw it swimming away."

No one noticed until he surfaced and started yelling. Stuller's said his first thought was for his family and friends, since they were swimming.

When they were all back safe on the boat, they got a look at the damage  a five- to six-inch bite below his knee, as well as a few other puncture marks on his leg. He said his wife, Kristen, let out a gasp and her first words were, "We're going to the hospital."

Jake Dorn, a friend and co-worker, said they are not usually worried about sharks. "I've been lobstering here for years," he said. "You see sharks and they usually swim around you."

Stuller said he always has a complete medical and first-aid kit on his boat. "I tied it off and actually lost very little blood," he said. "It was pretty deep, but no bone. I was very lucky, no tendons."

His wife said she had to remain calm so that their three children would remain calm (ages 4-months, 2- and 10-years-old)  and they did.

After getting stitched up at Florida Keys Memorial Hospital, Stuller said they went back out on the boat the next day. But to his dismay, his role was that of captain, not diver.

"He was 'Mr. Grumpy Pants' the second day," his wife laughed.

Ive got nothing against the shark, no ill will, he said. Right place, wrong time. I was more angry I couldnt go in the water the next day.

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Darren Clawson was refused bail on charges linked to the seizure of a haul which included a loaded revolver (stock photo)

A Co Antrim man accused of having an assortment of guns, ammunition and replica weapons stored at his home failed in a new bid to be released from custody.

Darren Clawson was refused bail on charges linked to the seizure of a haul which included a loaded revolver.

The 33-year-old, of Cheston Street in Carrickfergus, faces two counts of possessing a firearm with intent to endanger life and six counts of possessing an imitation firearm with intent to cause fear of violence.

He is further accused of having a quantity of ammunition.

The guns were discovered during searches carried out at his home on January 21 this year amid suspicions items had been imported, a previous court heard.

Police claimed the revolver was discovered in a drawer under Clawson's bed, while other firearms and imitation weapons were also readily accessible in a kitchen cupboard.

At the time a detective contended that they may have been intended for an organised crime gang or paramilitary use in the Carrickfergus area.

But Clawson's lawyer described him as a solitary individual with an innocent obsession in the history of weapon development.

One of the guns was a fake weapon bought from a Spanish website, while another was a Webley Revolver issued to British officers during the First World War, a judge heard.

At Belfast Magistrates' Court on Tuesday, defence barrister Paul Bacon mounted a new application for bail based on potential delays in the case.

Mr Bacon argued his client has already spent more than six months in custody, and will not get a trial date until sometime next year due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Comparisons were also drawn with decisions to release two men charged with offences connected to the killing of journalist Lyra McKee.

Ms McKee, 29, was shot dead as she observed rioting in Derry's Creggan area in April 2019.

Mr Bacon contended: "I appreciate these are serious charges (Clawson faces), but the person accused of the murder of Lyra McKee, and the person accused of possessing a weapon that killed Ms McKee are both on bail.

"While it's unhelpful to compare and contrast (cases), there has to be some form of perspective."

Despite submissions, District Judge George Conner again denied bail to Clawson.

Adjourning the case for four weeks, Mr Conner indicated that he may review his decision if a preliminary enquiry hearing is not fixed at that stage.
Pakistan: 14-y-o Christian girl abducted at gunpoint fights for her freedom

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A 14-year-old Christian girl who was abducted at gunpoint during the COVID-19 lockdown and forced to convert to Islam has been allowed by a court to leave her captor's home and stay at a womens shelter until her case is heard by the Lahore High Court next week.

The family of Catholic teenager Maira Shahbaz, 14, has been fighting for her freedom ever since she was abducted in April by three Muslim men.

One of her captors, Mohamad Nakash, a married man who forced her to live with him, is accused of presenting a false marriage certificate to a lower court that said Maira was 19 years old and they had wed in October 2019. The document not only fails to provide proof of consent from Nakashs first wife, with whom he has two children, but the Muslim cleric whose name is listed on the certificate has denied involvement in the sham marriage.

A court ruling that initially sanctioned the marriage was overturned, and hearings have bet scheduled to hear the case after police registered a formal complaint against Nakash and his two alleged accomplices accused of participating in the abduction.

After Maria's mother presented her daughter's birth certificate to the lower court as proof that she's underage, Faisalabad District and Sessions Judge Rana Masood ordered that Maira be allowed to leave Nakash's home and placed in a womens refuge, known as Dar ul Aman, until the Lahore High Court hears her case, the Catholic group Aid to the Church in Need reported.

The judge also prohibited Maria, who is from Madina Town near the city of Faisalabad, not to contact her family until after the hearings, which could result in her captor and his two accomplices being sentenced to jail.

Developments over the past few days have been an answer to prayer and we are so grateful for everyone for their prayers in this case, Mairas family lawyer Lala Daniel was quoted as saying.

Daniel added that had the Maira been ordered to stay in Nakashs home, she might have been forced to become a sex worker.

Nakash has filed a counter-complaint alleging harassment against the girls mother, Nighat Shahbaz, and Daniel.

Lawyer Khalil Tahir Sandhu, who is representing Maira and the family in Lahore High Court, said, I am hopeful of a good outcome.

In a separate case, Christian teenager Huma Younus, who was kidnapped and forced into an Islamic marriage last year, is now pregnant and being confined to one room by her abuser, Aid to the Church in Need reported in July.

Recently, Tabassum Yousaf, a lawyer representing the Younus parents, informed them by phone that she was pregnant after being repeatedly raped by the man who abducted her.

Asked by her father if she could leave her abductors house and return to her parents home, she told him that she is not allowed to leave the house and that her life has become still more difficult, Yousaf was quoted as saying. [S]he is now imprisoned within the walls of one room.

Younus was taken from her home on Oct. 10, 2019, at the age of 14, and later forcibly married to a radical Muslim man named Abdul Jabbar.

Last month, yet another young Christian girl was nearly abducted from her home when a radical group of Muslim men attacked her entire family, the U.S.-based Christian persecution watchdog International Christian Concern reported.

The near abduction of the 13-year-old girl in the Christian-majority neighborhood of Sadigabad in Punjab province took place on July 12. The family was beaten up for saving the girl.

The U.S. State Department has designated Pakistan as a country of particular concern for engaging in or tolerating egregious and systemic abuses of religious freedom. Pakistan has also been ranked as the fifth-worst country in the world when it comes to Christian persecution on Open Doors USAs 2020 World Watch List.
A murder suspect is on the run after making a daring escape from an Oklahoma jail by breaking his cell window, tying bed sheets together and climbing down from the 12th floor.

Pablo Robledo, 34, and his cellmate Jose Hernandez escaped from the Oklahoma County jail in Oklahoma City early Friday morning.

Robledo was being held on a first-degree murder charge.

The pair managed to escape by breaking their cell window, tying multiple bed sheets together and then climbing down the outside of the building.

Images from the scene show at least seven bed sheets tied together hanging from the broken cell window.

Robledo managed to escape and is still on the run.

His cellmate, however, fell or jumped from the makeshift rope at about the fourth floor.

Hernandez broke his leg during the fall and was later found by Oklahoma City police.

He was taken to hospital for treatment.

Officers at the jail werent aware the inmates were missing until about 7am when they received a call from police saying they had found and arrested Hernandez outside the facility.

When officials went to investigate the cell, they realized that Robledo was also missing.

Robledo was captured on jail security video about 5.25am outside the jail.

Police are still searching for him.

Jail records show Robledo had been jailed since June 2019 on murder, assault and battery, domestic abuse and other charges.

Court records show he had pleaded not guilty and was set for trial beginning August 31.

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WASHINGTON (AP)  Fearing another grim wave of nursing home deaths as COVID-19 cases rebound, President Donald Trump on Wednesday announced his administration will provide $5 billion to help facilities counter the virus.

The move follows Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden's recent unveiling of a family caregiver plan that aims to greatly expand and subsidize alternatives to institutional care for frail older adults. Both men are competing for seniors' votes against a backdrop of eroding political support for Trump among older Americans.

I want to send a message of support and hope to every senior citizen," Trump said at the White House. The light is starting to shine and we will get there very quickly.

The $5 billion announced Wednesday is part of a package, including efforts to facilitate ongoing testing of nursing home staff, providing states a weekly list of facilities with increased COVID-19 cases, and offering additional training and support for the homes. Nursing homes in hotspots will get priority for the new funds.

Advocates and industry have been pressing the administration and Congress for weeks to provide more financial assistance and support for nursing homes. An earlier White House recommendation to test all residents and staff has had mixed results. Nursing homes already have received $4.9 billion from pandemic relief funds approved by Congress.

The American Health Care Association, an industry group, welcomed the White House announcement but said more aid is needed for nursing homes as well as other long-term care facilities.

Experts have testified to Congress that once the coronavirus is spreading within a community, it's just a matter of time before it enters nursing homes. Staffers can be the unwitting carriers.

Once inside, the virus encounters ideal conditions to propagate among medically frail residents living in close quarters. States like Florida and Arizona now seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases are trying to head off a repeat of high numbers of nursing home deaths earlier in states like New Jersey and Massachusetts.

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Elderly housing facilities account for a disproportionately large share of U.S. deaths from COVID-19, more than 37,000 fatalities among nursing home residents according to federal estimates, and more than 57,000 in an ongoing tally by The Associated Press, which also counts other long-term care facilities, and staff as well as residents. Both estimates were updated early this month. The AP's count would represent about 40% of more than 142,000 U.S. deaths. Nursing home residents account for only about 1% of the U.S. population.

As cases surge across the country, it has never been more important for nursing homes to maintain a sturdy defense against the virus, said Seema Verma, head of the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS, which sets safety standards and pays much of the bill.

Two months ago the White House urged governors to test every nursing home resident and staffer within two weeks and then to have staff members retested on a weekly basis. It was a request  much like the presidents push for a return of in-person schooling  that many states shrugged off.

The latest White House initiative would also:

 Build on an announcement last week that the administration is distributing point-of-care tests  15-minute tests  to all 15,400 nursing homes in the country. On Monday, Vice President Mike Pence told governors in a private conference call that the administration was in the process of purchasing and distributing the equipment and supplies.

CMS said Wednesday it will issue regulations requiring all nursing homes in states with an overall positive testing result of 5% or more to test staff weekly, as well as visitors. Pence said tests will be shipped on a priority basis to where the need is greatest and the goal is to get them all distributed in roughly the next five weeks.

 Report weekly to states on states on high risk nursing homes in their jurisdiction that are seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases. The idea is to target inspections and remedial efforts to those facilities. Three or more cases will trigger an inspection.

 Provide additional training and support for all nursing homes on best practices for infection control and strategies to keep the virus out.

Older people are a key election-year constituency and many have direct experience with nursing homes. Some have had a short-term nursing home stay for rehabilitation following a hospitalization, and many have friends and loved ones who are living permanently in such facilities. Many nursing homes have been closed to visitors since March.

___

Associated Press writer Alan Suderman in Richmond, Virginia, contributed to this report.
Islamabad:

A 64-year-old die-hard fan of former Pakistan army chief Raheel Sharif has committed suicide by consuming poison, protesting the government's decision not to give an extension to the just-retired General.

Lutf Amim Shibli, who once served as chairman of the Progressive Workers Union at the Karachi Port Trust (KPT), had begun his protest on November 1 outside Karachi Press Club (KPC), threatening that he would commit suicide if Raheel was not given an extension in service.

"Raheel Sharif is a messiah. I am his fan. Only he can save the country from terrorism and social ills," read the posters and banners set up around his camp.

According to doctors, the man took his life by consuming poison a few days ago. "He attempted suicide on November 27 after the ISPR [Inter-Services Public Relations] announced the retirement plan of Gen Raheel.

We took him to Jinnah hospital from where he was referred to Aga Khan University Hospital. He was initially on ventilator, but later died," said Shibli's sister-in-law Nooren.

"Before consuming poison, he wrote a letter to his wife, saying that his funeral prayers must be held in front of the KPC," she was quoted as saying by the 'Express Tribune'. Police surgeon Eijaz Ahmed said that Shibli's post-mortem had not yet been conducted but it looked he died of poisoning.

Shibli's family originally belonged to Jalandhar, India, but they had migrated to Pakistan after independence and he joined the KPT. He had married thrice and his first wife, Gulzari Begum, also a trade union leader of the Pakistan Steel Mills Progressive Workers Union, was killed a few years ago.

He is survived by five children from his first spouse and two children from another wife, who lives in Gizri. One of his close friends, while requesting anonymity, said the deceased was not mentally fit and would become aggressive on different issues confronted by Pakistan.

"He was frustrated and used to talk about committing suicide. Finally, he did it," he said. Nasir Mansoor, deputy general secretary of the National Trade Union Federation, said Shibli was a leftist leader and his decision to support the army bewildered many of his colleagues.

"We have never supported any general. I don't know how Shibi, who had once played a great role for the rights of labourers, became a fan of Raheel Sharif, which was unusual for left-oriented comrades," he said.

60-year-old Raheel retired on November 29 after a three-year tenure. General Bajwa, 57, took over the command of the army on Tuesday at a ceremony in Rawalpindi from him.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 18:51:07|Editor: huaxia

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MALE, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Maldives President Ibrahim Solih has urged citizens to maintain strict anti-COVID-19 precautionary measures, warning that a second lockdown would be challenging, local media reported here Tuesday.

Solih said that in the wake of a COVID-19 resurgence which has seen cases cross the 4,000 mark in the country, citizens must wear face masks and cooperate fully with health protection authorities in order to avoid another economically damaging lockdown.

The president said that government offices would remain closed until at least Aug. 6, though public sector workers have been encouraged to perform their duties from home through online means.

While a lockdown applied on the Greater Male region has been significantly eased, with construction, tourism, retail and other sectors re-opening, certain restrictions are ongoing.

The government has made it mandatory for citizens to wear masks covering the nose, mouth and chin while outdoors, subject to a fine of 65 U.S. dollars, and a curfew is imposed between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m. local time.

The Maldives' economy is highly dependent on tourism which contributes around a quarter of the country's GDP and employs thousands of workers.

Tourism was greatly disrupted when the Maldives' borders were closed between March 27 and July 15, though the country still hopes to attract 850,000 tourists by the end of the year.

The country's Health Protection Agency has confirmed 4,293 cases of COVID-19 so far, of which 2,670 have fully recovered and 18 have died. Enditem
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Last week, the Supreme Court ruled that Nevada can legally limit attendance at indoor religious services to just 50 persons. At the same time, casinos, restaurants, bars, theme parks, and gyms are allowed to operate at 50% capacity.

This is a double standard. Why are houses of worship restricted to an arbitrary number  no matter how big the venue is or what safety precautions are in place  while business capacity is regulated based on the size of the venue?

This ruling unfairly targets churches and other institutions of faith. It tells the American people that the economy is more important to our countrys recovery than our spiritual well-being.

Data has shown otherwise. A Pew Research study found that a quarter of Americans have experienced religious growth because of COVID-19. According to the American Psychological Association, Religion and belief are now seen by many researchers and clinicians as an important way to cope with trauma and distress.

Americans are craving spiritual connection. Thats why revivals are happening across the country, with hundreds and thousands of people gathering in New York City and on Californias beaches for worship. Its also why, according to American Bible Societys State of the Bible 2020 report, two-thirds of American adults now say they want to learn more about Scripture.

The actions of our courts and our governments often tell us that the stock market, political races, and our wallets should demand more of our attention than God. But with Americans mental health declining and substance abuse rising over the past several months, are drinking and gambling really the answer? A comprehensive 2015 review of studies on people of various faiths, ages, and races found that religious involvement is related to better coping with stress and less depression, suicide, anxiety, and substance abuse.

Governor Sisolak has said that religious venues should be more limited in capacity than casinos because the casinos are more closely regulated by the state, and therefore represent less of a threat to public health. But a New York Times op-ed argued that Pastors who ignore coronavirus restrictions grab headlines. But most are being very careful about worship during the pandemic. According to a new LifeWay Research survey, more than 70% of Protestant churches have resumed in-person services. These churches also increased safety measures: 94% of pastors said theyd provided hand sanitizer, masks or gloves, 86% conducted additional cleaning, and 76% said they had closed seats for social distancing.

What our country needs now is more opportunities for prayer, worship, spiritual connection and spiritual guidance. No one should be closed out of church because they were number 51.

The capacity of churches and other houses of worship in Nevada should be restricted by the same rules as Nevadas businesses, if at all. The Supreme Courts current ruling is discriminatory and threatens our countrys collective recovery. More money flowing through our economy wont address the crises of anxiety, depression, addiction, loneliness and fear in America right now. Lets trust our churches to worship safely and stop unjustly regulating them.
Wall Street expects a year-over-year increase in earnings on higher revenues when GCI Liberty (GLIBA) reports results for the quarter ended June 2020. While this widely-known consensus outlook is important in gauging the company's earnings picture, a powerful factor that could impact 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 August 10. 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 communications provider in Alaska is expected to post quarterly earnings of $2.44 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +434.3%.

Revenues are expected to be $225 million, up 3.4% from the year-ago quarter.

Estimate Revisions Trend

The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. 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 GCI Liberty?

For GCI Liberty, the Most Accurate Estimate is the same as the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that there are no recent analyst views which differ from what have been considered to derive the consensus estimate. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0%.

On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #3.

So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that GCI Liberty 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 GCI Liberty would post a loss of $0.20 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.26, delivering a surprise of +230%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates just once.

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.

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GCI Liberty 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.



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PHOENIX, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Nationwide, college families are evaluating the daily updates for how schools will protect their students from Coronavirus and also preparing to pay their final tuition bill before arriving on campus. Among the many questions that families of college bound students are smart to ask is  What will happen to my tuition payment if my child must withdraw from college?

The majority of colleges and universities do not provide refunds for tuition and fees to students who complete a medical withdrawal. ACHA data reveals families are often unaware that their college student may be vulnerable to the stress of college life.

For many families, college is one of the largest investments they will ever make. As a result, it's a smart move for anyone paying tuition to understand their school's refund policy and to consider protecting their investment with tuition insurance.

"The thousands of dollars students and families are paying for college tuition, housing and academic fees are often at risk," said John Fees, the co-founder of GradGuard, a national provider of modern student insurance programs to more than 350 colleges and universities.

Only 6% of schools surveyed in 2019 provided 100% refunds for tuition and virtually none provide refunds for academic fees or housing.

Many universities may refund a portion of tuition through the first few weeks of school, but most schools will not provide a refund after the fifth week of classes. Academic fees, deposits and housing are usually not eligible for a refund.

The coronavirus pandemic has brought important attention to the risk of investing in college and particularly, how schools manage refunds.

The risk can often surprise college parents. Less than a quarter of parents surveyed in a 2019 College Parents of America report indicated that their student's college refund policy was disclosed to them during the enrollment process.

Families are often unaware that their college student may be vulnerable to the stress of college life. The National College Health Assessment produced by the American College Health Association demonstrates the frequency of incidents such as illnesses, accidents, and injuries that can require a student to complete a medical withdrawal. This data also reveals a growth in chronic illnesses and rapid growth in serious mental health incidents during the past five years.

It's important for families to note that student health incidents force thousands of students to withdraw from classes each year, without the ability to recover the thousands of dollars paid for classes, fees and housing.

The Top Three Reasons GradGuard's Tuition Insurance Is A Smart Decision:

If the school does not provide a 100% refund  Ask your school about their refund policy.

 Ask your school about their refund policy. If the student has more than $1,000 of academic expenses  Even if the school provides a 100% refund for tuition, most do not refund academic fees or student housing costs.

 Even if the school provides a 100% refund for tuition, most do not refund academic fees or student housing costs. If the student or family is taking out a student loan - Student and parent loans must be repaid even if a student must take a medical withdrawal. Tuition insurance can be used to repay the balance of these loans.

"With so much money at stake, it is vital that families develop a plan in case their student has to withdraw from school due to a serious illness or injury," said Fees. "No matter where a student attends college, families deserve the opportunity to protect their investment in higher education and nearly all students will benefit from securing a minimum level of coverage. Just remember tuition insurance must be purchased before school starts."

Despite the stress and changes caused by Coronavirus to higher education, the good news is that college families can protect both their student and their investment by purchasing GradGuard's tuition insurance, with rates as low as 39.95 for $2,500 of tuition insurance coverage.

About GradGuard: GradGuard is a technology-enabled pioneer in developing innovative protections designed to reduce the financial risks of college life. Since 2009, GradGuard is trusted by more than 350 colleges and universities and since its founding has protected more than 700,000 students and families. Visit GradGuard.com to use its college insurance search tool to find the insurance programs that are right for your college student or recommended by their college or university.

Contact:

Natalie Tarangioli

480-485-6138

[email protected]

SOURCE GradGuard
US President Donald Trump treads 'Hire American' line again; signs a new Executive Order in "the interest of American workers", to take stringent measures restricting H1B visas to what he calls the 'top, highly paid talent', and not as a means to erode Americans off their jobs.

US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a new Executive Order on aligning federal contracting and hiring practices with the interest of American workers. It called for prohibiting American employers from using H-1B workers to displace Americans in outsourcing contracts.

Today Im signing an executive order to ensure that the federal government lives by a very simple rule: Hire American. Weve been doing it at a level that hasnt been done maybe ever, President Trump said.

This ensures that US federal agencies will prioritise hiring Americans rather than signing on foreign workers majority of those who are on H-1B visas.

The US President stated he will be taking firm, disciplinary action against the leadership of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which has sadly and cruelly betrayed American workers. As we speak, were finalizing H1-B regulations so that no American worker is replaced ever again. H1-Bs should be used for the top, highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour program to destroy American jobs, he said.

Also read: India slams Pak in UN, calls it nerve centre of terrorism

Also read: China calls for forced Uyghur marriages in new surveillance efforts

The US President said formally removing the chairman of the board, James Thompson, and board member Richard Howorth. If the TVA does not move swiftly to reverse their decision to rehire their workers, then more board members will be removed. We have the absolute right to remove board members, he said.

The Executive order signed by President Trump states that the head of each agency that enters into contracts shall assess any negative impact of contractors and subcontractors temporary foreign labor hiring practices or offshoring practices on the economy and efficiency of Federal procurement and on the national security, and propose action, if necessary and as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to improve the economy and efficiency of Federal procurement and protect the national security.

Also read: US set to ban Chinese app Tiktok, Trump says will ban app
Joseph V. Micallef is a best-selling military history and world affairs author, and keynote speaker. Follow him on Twitter @JosephVMicallef.

On June 9, 2020, the Trump administration unveiled a new national security and defense strategy for the polar regions. Titled "Memorandum on Safeguarding U.S. National Interests in the Arctic and Antarctic Regions," the presidential memorandum is the latest sign of the administration's growing interest in polar affairs.

The recognition that the U.S. needs to define and implement a comprehensive polar strategy is long overdue. The Arctic and Antarctic regions, however, are subject to very different geopolitical constraints and represent very different operating environments. Much of the administration's polar strategy appears to be shaped by Arctic concerns, and will likely prove less than ideal in Antarctica.

This is part one of a two-part series on U.S. strategic policy in the polar regions. In Part I, we will look at U.S. threats and strategy in the Arctic region. In Part 2, we will do the same for the Antarctic region.

U.S. Policy in the Arctic

In February 2019, at the urging of the White House, Congress finally appropriated $655 million dollars for a new Coast Guard icebreaking fleet. The proposed "polar security cutters" have been under discussion for more than two decades. The funding covers the cost of only one icebreaker and enough to begin work on a second. This was followed by a speech, in May 2019 at the Arctic Council's meeting in Helsinki, by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, where he warned that Russia's and China's Arctic ambitions threaten to transform the region "into a new South China Sea."

Related: Part II: US Polar Strategy and the Geopolitics of Antarctica

In August 2019, President Donald Trump suggested that the U.S. should purchase Greenland from Denmark. The Danish government promptly said that the island was not for sale. Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen publicly dismissed the notion as "absurd," and Trump was widely derided for his suggestion. This was not, however, the first time that the U.S. had offered to buy Greenland. In 1946, the Truman administration offered Denmark $100 million in gold bars, the equivalent of $5.7 billion today, for the island.

Thule Air Base, which Greenland hosts, has been in operation since 1943, and is the northernmost U.S. air base. It also hosts a ballistic missile early warning system and satellite tracking system. The island would be an important strategic asset for the U.S. if the Arctic region continues to warm. Its acquisition would make a lot of sense, even if the prospects of doing so are virtually nonexistent. In the meantime, the U.S. has stepped up foreign aid to the Greenland territorial government and reopened its consulate in Nuuk, Greenland's capital.

The renewed American interest in the polar regions is driven, in part, by the desire to push back against the expansion of Russian and Chinese influence and military force projection in the region, as outlined in the 2018 National Security Strategy and in the Pentagon's June 2019 Department of Defense Arctic Strategy. It also reflects the recognition that a warming polar region could unlock significant resource potential, as well as open new maritime transit routes between North America, East Asia and Europe.

At the heart of the memorandum is the goal of having "a ready, capable and available fleet of polar security ice breakers that is operationally tested and fully deplorable by fiscal year 2029." In addition, the memorandum calls for the U.S. to secure "associated assets and resources capable of ensuring a persistent United States presence in the Arctic and Antarctic." The Pentagon has already announced that the Navy will increase its surface presence in Arctic waters, and that it is considering building either a naval base or expanding port facilities, most likely in either Adak or Nome, on the Bering Sea.

The Trump administration indicated in 2019 that it may conduct Freedom of Navigation Operations (FONOPS) in Arctic waters. There are only two areas where such operations are relevant: Canada's Northwest Passage and Russia's Northeast Passage. A FONOPS operation through the Northeast Passage would likely lead to a confrontation with Russia. Moscow would again sharply oppose any such operation, both diplomatically and, conceivably, militarily.

In 1965 and 1967, U.S. Coast Guard cutters ostensibly undertaking scientific research attempted a transit through Vilkitsky Strait. The passageway connects the Kara and Laptev seas through the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. Moscow opposed the transit, deployed Soviet Navy ships and planes to prevent it, and applied significant diplomatic pressure. Eventually, Washington aborted the mission. It's likely that U.S. Navy submarines routinely transit the Northeast Passage, but they do so underwater. Those transits are not publicized and are not considered FONOPS.

Ottawa, on the other hand, while it would vigorously object to any such operation, is unlikely to take any concrete steps to oppose it. Although any such U.S. action would aggravate already strained U.S.-Canada relations, the U.S. has transited the Northwest Passage before, but it has always obtained Canadian permission prior to doing so.

FONOPS operations in the Arctic also carry significant risks. In 2019, for example, a buildup of ice in the Northwest Passage forced the Canadian Coast Guard to suspend maritime transit. It would be deeply embarrassing to the U.S. if the Navy was forced to abort a proposed FONOPS because of hazardous ice conditions.

The Arctic region has long been an arena of military rivalry. It represents the northern approach to North America and, by extension, to the U.S. Historically, it represented the shortest air corridor for intercontinental bombers flying between the United States and the Soviet Union, and that continues to be the case for Russia and the U.S.

Moreover, nuclear armed ballistic missile submarines often hide beneath the polar ice cap. The ice cap provides cover from detection, while the region's proximity to Asia reduces the missiles' flight time. In addition, the Arctic region connects the Northwest and Northeast passages with the Atlantic, via the GIUK-N (Greenland, Iceland, United Kingdom and Norway) Gap, and with the Pacific, via the Bering Strait.

Over the last several decades, polar regions have seen a sharp warming trend. Time will tell whether this trend will continue, stabilize or reverse itself. The immediate impact of Arctic warming, especially if it continues, is threefold: It allows resource exploitation in the region, it supports maritime transit along polar shipping routes, and it opens up large tracts of the Arctic Ocean to the conduct of naval surface operations.

In 2008, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that the Arctic contains more than 1.67 quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas. That's equivalent to 30% of the world's remaining undeveloped supply, and is four times the current U.S. reserves. This estimate does not include methane hydrates, whose existence on the Alaskan continental shelf has already been confirmed, and which could boost reserves exponentially.

In addition, USGS estimated that there were also potential reserves of 44 billion barrels of natural gas liquids and 90 billion barrels of oil. According to the USGS, the region also has large subsurface deposits of a wide range of minerals.

Maritime transit across the Northeast Passage or the Northwest Passage could cut shipping times between Asia, Europe and North America by a third, saving thousands of dollars in operating costs per voyage.

Conflicting Territorial Claims in the Arctic

Unlike Antarctica, there is no Arctic landmass. Roughly one-third of the Arctic Ocean sits atop the Eurasian and North American continental shelf. In addition, if the Mendeleev and Lomonosov ridges are classified as part of the continental shelf, then the sovereignty of more than half of the Arctic Ocean could be decided, in accordance with the U.N. Convention of the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), on which country has the strongest claim to the sea bed.

There are six countries that have Arctic coastlines: Russia, Norway, Iceland, Denmark (Greenland), Canada and the U.S. Two other countries, Finland and Sweden, are considered Arctic countries, although they do not have any coastline on the Arctic Ocean or its adjacent seas. China's northernmost point of land is in Heilongjiang, about 900 miles south of the Arctic Circle. Beijing, however, claims that China is a "near-Arctic state," in part because of Arctic-like climate conditions in the Himalayas, and has long shown an interest in Arctic affairs.

The Arctic region was extensively explored from the late 15th century on. Even earlier, between the 10th and 12th centuries, Viking explorers also traveled through the region, though the extent of their voyages is not entirely known. Those earlier exploration efforts are still relevant, as they form the basis of ongoing land claims in the region.

Currently, there are conflicting assertions among the six nations that have extended claims over the Arctic Sea and the ocean floor. In 1925, Canada, in accordance with a concept in international law called the sector principle, unilaterally extended its maritime boundary to cover an area from 60W to 141W and northward all the way to the North Pole. The distance between Canada's northernmost point of land, Cape Columbia on Ellesmere Island, to the geographic North Pole is 415 nautical miles (478 statutory miles).

The sector principle is a concept in international law whereby international boundaries are extended over sea areas in the Arctic toward the North Pole following lines of longitude. The same principle is used over land in the Antarctic to the South Pole.

Canada has also claimed that the various channels and straits that constitute the Northwest Passage are part of its internal waters. The U.S. and several other countries have contested that claim, arguing that the Northwest Passage is an international waterway allowing free and unencumbered passage.

In 1926, the Soviet Union claimed sovereignty over all the islands and lands between 32E and 168W, between its coastline and the North Pole. During the Cold War, Soviet-era maps of the Arctic marked the USSR's northern boundary as a line along 32E longitude from the Kola Peninsula and 180E longitude from the Bering Strait, extending toward the North Pole. Based on those coordinates, approximately a third of the Arctic Ocean was considered Soviet territorial waters. Russia's current claims are less expansive than those extended by the Soviet Union.

Under UNCLOS, maritime states can claim a 200-mile-wide Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) off their coasts. This EEZ can be extended up to 350 miles if a country can show it has an "expanded continental shelf" that extends beyond the 200-mile limit. According to the Russian claim, the Lomonosov and Mendeleev ridges, two roughly 1,000-mile-long underwater mountain chains that span the Arctic sea floor almost all the way to Greenland and the Canadian Arctic, are part of the Russian continental shelf.

Based on Russia's extended continental shelf claims, roughly 460,000 additional square miles of the Arctic Ocean would come under Moscow's sovereignty. The area would extend to virtually the 200-mile EEZ of the U.S., Canada and Denmark/Greenland. It would also include the geographic North Pole. Under International Law, the North Pole is considered "the common legacy of all mankind" and cannot be claimed by any country.

In 2007, however, the Russian Arktika expedition -- the first crewed descent to the seafloor beneath the North Pole -- did plant a Russian flag made of titanium on the Arctic floor at the geographic pole. The action brought sharp rebukes from the U.S., Canada and Denmark. The Kremlin claimed, however, that it was not asserting sovereignty and, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavarov, "The purpose of the expedition is not to stake whatever rights of Russia, but to prove that our shelf extends to the North Pole."

Norway has extended a claim from 5E to 25E, extending to the North Pole, and the U.S. has extended a claim from 170W to 141W, also extending to the North Pole. Denmark has claimed that the Lomonosov and Mendeleev ridges are extensions of Greenland's continental shelf. It has extended a claim from 60W to 10W, also reaching to the North Pole. The area covers 350,000 square miles.

Russia and Norway had a long-standing dispute over the demarcation of their respective boundaries in the Barents Sea. The dispute was finally resolved in 2010, when both countries signed a treaty dividing the contested region evenly between them. None of the other conflicting Arctic land claims has been resolved. Most of these have been submitted to the U.N. Commission on the Limits of the Continental Shelf (CLCS) for adjudication. The U.S. is the one exception. Although the U.S. has signed the UNCLOS treaty, it has not formally ratified it.

China in the Arctic

China has not extended any land claims in the Arctic region. Over the last several decades, however, it has shown a keen interest in the Arctic and has injected itself into Arctic affairs both diplomatically and economically. Since 2013, Beijing has had Observer status on the Arctic Council, an intergovernmental body of the eight Arctic nations. It has also created joint Arctic research stations with Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Finland.

China currently operates two icebreakers: Xue Long 1 (Snow Dragon) and Xue Long 2. Both are designated as polar research vessels. It has announced plans to build a third icebreaker, a Polar Class 2 vessel with a displacement of 26,000 tons. The icebreaker would be capable of breaking through 10-foot-thick ice at a speed of two knots. It may also be nuclear powered, making it the first nuclear powered surface ship in the People's Liberation Army Navy (PLAN).

The two Xue Long icebreakers have a displacement of 21,000 and 13,990 tons. By comparison, Russia's Arktika, a nuclear-powered behemoth, displaces 33,540 tons. The U.S. Coast Guard currently has two operating polar icebreakers: The Healy displaces 16,257 tons, and the Polar Star displaces 11,037. The proposed Polar security cutters will have a displacement of 23,300 tons.

China has incorporated Russia's Northern Sea Route (Northeast Passage) into the One Belt One Road (OBOR) Initiative, designating the route as the Polar Silk Road. In addition to being shorter than the Suez Canal route, the Polar Silk route offers China an additional advantage: It would be a route where the U.S. Navy would find it extremely difficult to operate on a sustained basis.

Additionally, China has invested in a variety of mining projects in the Arctic region, which have significantly expanded its footprint. Although the infrastructure development associated with these projects is commercial, they could, in a pattern already evidenced in the OBOR initiative, be used for military purposes.

China's MMG Ltd. has obtained zinc and copper deposits in Izok Lake and High Lake in Nunavut. The Shandong Gold Mining Company is proposing, subject to Ottawa's approval, to buy a gold mine owned by TMAC Resources. Both mineral projects are adjacent to Canada's Northwest Passage and would require construction of docking facilities along that passage to ship out the ore. Additionally, Jilin Jien Nickel Industry Co. Ltd. operates a mine at the northern tip of Quebec.

Chinese companies have two resource projects in Greenland with Australian partners: Citronen Fjord at the very top of Greenland and Kvanefjeld along its southwest coast. In 2015, General Nice, China's largest coal and iron ore importer, took control of the Isua iron ore project in Greenland. The company proposed to bring in 5,000 Chinese miners to operate the facility, the equivalent of around 10% of Greenland's current 56,000 population. The project has been on hold due to low iron ore prices.

China's economy has a large appetite for raw materials. Its investment in the Arctic parallels its investments in other mineral assets around the globe. Nonetheless, the fact that infrastructure development associated with those projects might also have military applications has raised Washington's concerns.

Since 2011, U.S. Northern Command has had sole responsibility for the Arctic region. Prior to that change, portions of the Arctic region also came under the Pacific and European Commands. NATO has also stepped up its involvement in the Arctic region. The NATO exercise Trident Juncture in 2018 saw a U.S. aircraft carrier operating above the Arctic Circle for the first time since the 1990s. The 2020 exercise, Cold Response, planned for 16,000 NATO troops, was intended to simulate a clash with Russia during the Norwegian winter, but was postponed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

NATO has a natural role to play in Washington's Arctic strategy. Five of the Arctic nations -- the U.S., Canada, Iceland, Denmark and Norway -- are already members of NATO. Sweden and Finland, two other Arctic nations, are closely associated with NATO and coordinate military activity with that organization. Most significantly, NATO was created to counter Soviet aggression in Europe. In the short term, notwithstanding China's aims in the region, Russian military power poses the most significant challenge to U.S. interests in the Arctic. NATO already exists, is already tasked with countering Russian aggression, and is already active in the Arctic region.

The Trump administration's plans to expand the USCG polar icebreaker fleet is a necessary and important first step to countering Russian and Chinese aims in the Arctic region. It is only the first step, however, in what must be an expanded and more active role for the U.S., both diplomatically and militarily in the region.

-- The opinions expressed in this op-ed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Military.com. If you would like to submit your own commentary, please send your article to opinions@military.com for consideration.
Jaipur, Aug 4 : Amid the ongoing political crisis in Rajasthan, there are whispers that the state may get a new Chief Minister as both the AICC and state Congress leaders are going soft on rebel Sachin Pilot and his loyalists who have maintained a stoic silence all these days.

Pilot's silence, Gehlot's loquaciousness and the party's confusion over having the magical number for a majority will definitely be a game changer in Rajasthan politics, said a Congress leader. He added that Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot however will settle his pending issues in Rajasthan, appoint his people in key positions and then might go to Delhi to lead the Congress to reform and rebuild the oldest political organisation.

Added to this is the Bahujan Samaj Party's move to file a plea before the double bench of the Rajasthan High Court demanding a stay on the Speaker's decision which permitted the merger of BSP MLAs with the Congress.

BSP state president Bhagwan Singh told IANS, "We moved to the double bench court on Tuesday. The reason for doing it is that all our former MLAs are in 'jail' in Jaisalmer under Gehlot. So notices issued by the High Court will not reach them. Hence we requested the court to stay the Speaker's decision which permitted the merger of the BSP with the Congress in Rajasthan." Earlier, BJP MLA Madanlal Dilawar had filed fresh petitions in the Rajasthan High Court questioning the merger of six BSP MLAs with the Congress. The High Court issued notices to the Speaker, assembly secretary and the six BSP MLAs. The hearing is scheduled for August 11.

Meanwhile, Gehlot and senior party leaders have apparently gone soft on the Pilot camp and have repeated many times that if the High Command forgives them, they shall be embraced in the party.

On Monday, Gehlot said that he is like a disciplined soldier who accepts all decisions taken by the party high command.

Gehlot was responding to a media query that the Pilot camp has issued a statement that they shall be attending the assembly session which will start from August 14.

Do you think they are changing their minds? Answering this question, Gehlot said, "They know what they want to do. I am clueless whether they are in contact with someone or not. We don't take a decision on them. I have been accepting whatever the High Command decides like a disciplined soldier." IANS contacted many Congress leaders who themselves were unsure of the fact if the magical figure to prove its majority is with the Gehlot camp or not.

However, one thing is sure that the number flaunted during the first CLP meeting at the residence of the Chief Minister which was said to be 109 was untrue, said a Congress worker who is a Pilot supporter.

A total of 92 MLAs went to Jaisalmer while 7 were in Jaipur which makes it 99.

One of the CPM MLAs supporting the government has announced to stay away during floor test, while another CPM MLA has been suspended for voting in favour of the Congress during the Rajya Sabha polls.

Two BTP MLAs had initially decided to stay away. However, later, a video went viral which showed BTP MLAs being beaten by the police. A few days later, they announced their support to the Congress but their support seems to be doubtful, said a party leader.

Out of 13 Independents, three have joined the Pilot camp.

So with all these numbers, the Congress had 125 MLAs with its individual tally at 100. However, now with 19 MLAs gone, it has 106 MLAs and minus 3 Independent MLAs, this number comes down to 103. One MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma is unwell, and hence the effective figure is 102.

If the six BSP MLAs get a stay order, this number gets reduced to 96 which will result in the fall of the Gehlot government.

The BJP with 75 MLAs (including 3 RLP MLAs) can extend outside support to the Pilot group (19 MLAs) and 3 Independents which takes their score to 97.

It's an interesting fight which the Congress doesn't want to lose at any cost.

So, the party leadership is trying for a patch up formula which is acceptable to both the Gehlot and Pilot camps. This can be to bring a new CM face as Pilot and his group have made it clear that they are not against the party but against the leadership, said a party loyalist.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
South Africa: No link identified between COVID-19 and breastfeeding

The novel Coronavirus cannot be passed on to babies through breast milk, says Health Minister, Dr Zweli Mkhize.

I can assure you that COVID-19 has not been found in breast milk and research evidence has shown that the virus is not transmitted through breast milk or by giving breast milk that has been expressed from a mother who is confirmed or suspected to have COVID-19, he said.

Speaking during the World Breastfeeding Week virtual commemoration on Tuesday, the Minister said breast milk remains the best nutrition for babies even during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He said government remains committed to improving the health of babies during the global pandemic under the theme Support breastfeeding for a healthier South Africa.

"We are mindful that families, mothers, caregivers and even some healthcare workers, in particular, are worried and asking many questions whether the Coronavirus can be passed on through breast milk and how can they protect themselves and their babies."

According to Mkhize, great progress has been made in studying mothers and babies who have been affected by COVID-19 and breastfeeding in the context of COVID-19 came under the spotlight.

Based on these studies, mothers who have been suspected as or confirmed COVID-19 positive are encouraged to continue breastfeeding while practising good respiratory hygiene, he added.

These include wearing a mask, washing hands with soap and water, or using hand sanitiser and routinely cleaning and disinfecting surfaces.

A babys immune system is not yet fully developed and requires immune protection from breast milk. This life-saving protection is more important than ever right now during the COVID-19 pandemic, he stressed.

Benefits of breastfeeding

Nursing can protect children from many other illnesses and conditions such as diarrhoea, chest infections, diabetes and heart disease.

Nearly half of diarrhoea episodes and one-third of respiratory infections are due to lack of breastfeeding, he said.

Meanwhile, breastfeeding also offers children long-lasting protection against conditions such as diabetes, cancer, asthma and malnutrition.

It is not only good for the infants but has benefits for mothers too.

It can also reduce the chances of women getting breast, ovarian and endometrial cancers.

In addition, breastfeeding facilitates bonding between baby and mom by triggering the release of large amounts of oxytocin. This is the same hormone that causes the uterus to contract thus reducing the chances of postpartum haemorrhage.

Its natures way of protecting the physical and mental wellbeing of mothers and babies in the first critical years of life.

Weaning

Weaning children too early can lead to malnutrition especially in children under five, Mkhize pointed out.

The 2016 Demographic Health Survey South Africa has an estimated 27.4% (1 in 4 children) under the age of five being stunted, or low height for age and 3% wasted or low weight for height.

Stunting is a result of chronic undernutrition. Stunting during the first two years of life is particularly damaging and may be irreversible, he said.

Prolonged undernutrition can also compromise a childs physical and mental development and expose them to a higher risk of getting diseases like heart disease and diabetes in adulthood.

"Furthermore, our current levels of exclusive breastfeeding [of] 1 in 4 children (32%) is not good enough," he said, adding that babies should be exclusively breastfed for the first six months of life.

Meanwhile, breastfeeding should begin within the first hour after birth  regardless of the mothers HIV status, he said.

Women must be able to feed their babies anywhere, anytime, without feeling any shame in doing so. We call on all men and women to support natural breastfeeding in any environment whether it be work, in public places, in gatherings, churches or even at home when other people enter into that space.

Donated breast milk

The Minister said donated breast milk remains critical in managing children who cannot breastfeed for various reasons.

The vast majority of these patients are premature babies who benefit enormously from the properties contained in breast milk.

The Minister urged all healthcare workers to contact the nearest Breast Bank if they require breast milk for patients while also assuring them that there is adequate stock at this stage.

Immunisation

Meanwhile, he said the department has noted with concern of children missing their vaccination schedules for fear of visiting a facility and contracting COVID-19.

Many of the illnesses we vaccinate against  such as measles, polio and meningitis are much more dangerous for children than COVID-19.

He has assured parents and caregivers that health facilities have a triage mechanism whereby patients with flu-like illnesses are separated.

This is to ensure that access to quality health care is not compromised during the COVID-19 surge.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Massive explosions rocked central Beirut, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the capital.

Witnesses in the Lebanese capital saw many people injured by flying glass and debris.

The blast in central Beirut has caused damage across the city, collapsing buildings and shattering windows as far as 1.2 miles away.

A photographer near the port saw people lying injured on the ground, and hospitals called for blood donations, but exact casualties were not immediately known.

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Miles from the scene of the blast, balconies were knocked down, ceiling collapsed and windows were shattered.

The cause of the blast was not immediately clear.

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It came at a time when Lebanon is passing through its worst economic and financial crisis in decades.

It also comes amid rising tensions between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group along Lebanons southern border.

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Online video showed a column of smoke rising from the port area from what appeared to be an initial explosion, followed by a massive blast that sent up a mushroom cloud and a shock wave racing over the city.

Some local TV stations reported the blast was at Beiruts port inside an area where fireworks were stored.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 06:56:46|Editor: huaxia

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QUITO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Ecuador will reopen 40 beaches to visitors five months after closing them to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), Tourism Minister Rosi Prado said on Tuesday.

The opening on Wednesday of beaches in the five coastal provinces of Guayas, Santa Elena, Manabi, Esmeraldas and El Oro, aims to reactivate tourism, she said, adding the public would still need to observe social distancing measures.

"The reactivation of beaches in Ecuador requires the cooperation of citizens in complying with social distancing and avoiding crowds," Prado said at a joint virtual press conference with the director of the country's Integrated Security Service ECU 911, Juan Zapata.

Prado also called on tourism service providers to comply with new health and hygiene rules.

"That allows us to build the confidence of visitors so that travelers continue to choose Ecuador as their preferred destination," said the minister.

"Nowhere can more than three people be gathered together," she stressed.

Ecuador, one of the Latin American countries hit the hardest by the pandemic, has a total of 87,963 cases of COVID-19 infection and 5,808 deaths from the disease. Enditem
The city of Worcester has closed many of its beaches and pools ahead of Tropical Storm Isaiass expected arrival in Massachusetts on Tuesday, officials said.

Isaias, previously a hurricane, was downgraded back to a tropical storm early Monday morning. It is currently hovering near the North Carolina-Virginia border, heading northward at 28 miles per hour, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The storm is expected to hit New England late Tuesday afternoon or at night, bringing with it winds of 40 to 60 MPH, 1 to 3 inches of rainfall, the risk of flooding and the potential for tornados. The peak of Isaias is expected to occur between 5 p.m. and midnight.

Strong wind gusts can cause severe bodily and property damage, the city of Worcester said. Residents are urged to bring any loose objects indoors and secure those that cannot be moved. Restaurants and retailers must breakdown outdoor displays, tents, tables and other furniture.

The National Weather Service has issued a tropical storm warning for the greater Worcester area and the rest of Massachusetts through Wednesday morning, forcing the closure of all public aquatics facilities, including pools, beaches and spray parks.

The tropical storm warning also calls for postponing all regularly scheduled recreation programs, like Recreation Worcester, the citys summer youth initiative.

The Worcester beaches and pools that are closed Tuesday include:

Bell Pond Beach

Crompton Park Pool

East Spray Park

Greenwood Spray Park

Indian Lake Beach

John J. Binienda Memorial Beach

Shore Park Beach

Related Content: Tropical storm Isaias to hit Massachusetts Tuesday, bringing drenching rains, high winds to 4 western counties
Fees for stormwater regulation and control, including land disturbances, will be increasing in the city of Collegedale. When property is disturbed, it requires time and attention from the city to issue permits. The current fee structure does not allow Collegedale to recover a reasonable fee to reimburse the actual costs, officials said.

At the commission meeting Monday night, the board of commissioners approved an amendment to the municipal code that will base the fee on the size of the property. The stormwater permit fees will start at no charge if the size of the property is less than 10,000 square feet and $100 for property that is 10,000 square feet up to .9999 acres. The highest increment is $10,000 for 150 acres or more.

Collegedale will be applying for two grants. During a recent inspection of the airport, some obstructions to both runways were discovered caused by trees that have grown. Chris Swain, director of airport operations, received approval for an airport grant from the Tennessee Department of Transportation that will give Collegedale $29,300 to do a drone survey to pinpoint the trees which then can be shown to the property owners. The grant will pay 95 percent of the cost and the city will be responsible for $1,465, just five percent which was included in this years budget.

The city will pay for the work, including trimming or cutting the trees, possibly with help from another grant and/or large property owners. In the past when similar work has been done, said Mr. Swain, there have been no problems getting permission from the property owners. They will be sent proper notifications before Mr. Swain meets with them. Removal of the obstructing trees will allow the airport to keep its license.

Authorization was also given for the city to participate in the Safety Partners matching grant program from the Public Entity Partners. Money received from this grant will be used to make Collegedale a safe workplace. The 50 / 50 grant will reimburse the city for up to $2,000 for the purchase of personal protective equipment such as safety glasses and boots. The majority of this equipment is used by the public works or building codes department, said Mr. Swain.

Repairs to the roof of the Collegedale Library that are being made due to the tornadoes in April, are nearly complete. Mayor Katie Lamb said the work should be finished next week.

The next meeting of the Collegedale Commission is scheduled for Aug. 17 at 6 p.m.
Deputy Interior Minister of Ukraine Anton Gerashchenko has passed Deputy Ambassador of Turkey to Ukraine Buket Kabakci an address regarding the attack on Ukrainian citizen Daria Kyryliuk and three more women in a Turkish city.

"By order of Interior Minister Arsen Avakov, I held a meeting with Deputy Ambassador of Turkey to Ukraine Ms Buket Kabakci and passed her an address regarding a violent attack on Ukrainian citizen Daria Kyryliuk, who was violently beaten along with three more women in a Turkish city," Gerashchenko said on his Facebook page on Tuesday.

He emphasized that Ukraine hopes to see an unbiased, transparent and fast investigation into the incident, adding that those guilty must be punished.

Earlier, Ukrainian model Daria Kyryliuk said that she was violently beaten at a Turkish resort where she was spending her vacation. She also posted a picture of her bruised face and her own version of the incident in the Instagram account.

According to Kyryliuk, she had rest on the Momo Beach together with her friends and boyfriend. Security guards of the beach attacked them. The woman said that the security service paid no attention to their opponents' gender and injured both women and men.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP ("Scott+Scott"), an international securities and consumer rights litigation firm, is investigating certain directors and officers of AT&T, Inc. ("AT&T") (NYSE: T), for breaching their fiduciary duties to AT&T and its shareholders. If you are an AT&T shareholder, you may contact attorney Joe Pettigrew for additional information toll-free at 844-818-6982 or [email protected].

Scott+Scott is investigating whether AT&T's board of directors or senior management failed to manage AT&T in an acceptable manner, in breach of their fiduciary duties to AT&T, and whether AT&T has suffered damages as a result.

In recent years, AT&T and its media subsidiaries have seen a series of reports of sexual and racial discrimination and harassment.

In November 2017, Warner Bros. TV Group launched an investigation regarding sexual harassment allegations against executive producer, Andrew Kreisberg.

On March 18, 2019, AT&T-owner Warner Bros. announced the resignation of its chairman and CEO Kevin Tsujihara, following allegations of an improper sexual relationship.

On July 27, 2020, AT&T-owned WarnerMedia announced a full investigation into reports of a hostile work environment, including racial and sexual harassment and intimidation, at the Ellen DeGeneres Show.

What You Can Do

If you are an AT&T shareholder, you may have legal claims against AT&T's directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at 844-818-6982 or [email protected].

About Scott+Scott

Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, Virginia, and Ohio.

Attorney Advertising

CONTACT:

Joe Pettigrew

Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

230 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10169

844-818-6982

[email protected]

SOURCE Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

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Want to take true 4K streaming? EZCast Ultra can handle it

Summary

The EZCast Ultra is a 4K HDR wireless dongle designed to project smart devices to HDMI receiver up to 4K resolution

HDR wireless dongle designed to project smart devices to HDMI receiver up to resolution It perfectly works with the most screen mirroring protocols and all popular OS devices, includes iOS, Android, Windows and macOS

Compatible with a variety of smart speakers, let you easily command Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for video search and playback

Allows you to stream YouTube videos while multitasking on your phone

TAIPEI, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- EZCast, a leading company of wireless display technology, introduced EZCast Ultra to activate the 4K TV to receive the content from all smart devices. Whether users are using an iPhone, Android phone, iPad, Android tablet, or laptop, EZCast Ultra can easily cast a high-quality video from the smart devices to 4K TV and turn the house into a luxury cinema.

EZCast Ultra: Multi-OS and Screen Mirroring Protocols Support

iOS, Android, macOS, and Windows are the main types of operating systems on smart devices. EZCast Ultra supports all popular OS devices to screen mirror media to the big screen without hassle. Besides, it supports native screen mirroring protocols such as Miracast, DLNA, iOS mirroring, and Chrome mirror so users can project smartphone and laptop content to the TV with ease.

EZCast Ultra: Play Videos with Voice Command

In recent years, the idea of a connected "smart" home is getting more topical and more enticing. The uses of technical systems, automated processes, and connected, remote-controlled devices in apartments and houses are incarnating in daily life. Activate the EZCast Ultra with Google Home, Amazon Alexa, or Xiaomi AI speaker then users can voice search their favorite online videos in seconds. The voice control feature can also instruct the device to play, pause, rewind, fast forward, or stop. This makes EZCast Ultra a truly smart home-compatible media device.

EZCast Ultra: Multitasking on the Phone When Stream YouTube Video

Without installing an app, EZCast Ultra can stream YouTube videos from any smartphones and tablets. When users access YouTube with a laptop, they can also stream videos on TV through the Chrome browser. Moreover, while streaming YouTube videos from your smartphone, tablet, or laptop to TV, users can pick up the call without hesitation and do whatever they want on phones.

EZCast Ultra packs 802.11ac bandwidth support, both 2.4GHz and 5GHz frequencies, and Bluetooth support making connectivity a breeze.

Read more about EZCast Ultra at https://www.ezcast.com/product/ezcast/ezcastultra

To become our distributor, please visit https://www.ezcast.com/ultra

About EZCast

EZCast is a leading company of wireless display technology located in Taipei, Taiwan. We produce wireless digital accessories, Wi-Fi dongles, and digital beam projectors, and have more than 10M users around the world. Our products have great compatibility to support all popular OS devices. Learn more about EZCast at www.ezcast.com. Reach us on Facebook: @iezcast or on YouTube: @EZCast

Media Contact

Nidya Yu

nidyayu@ezcast.com

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1219679/EZCast_Ultra_Img.jpg
The chief of the World Health Organization (WHO) said that the COVID-19 pandemic is "a once-in-a-century health crisis," but it is still "in our hands."

Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said at a virtual press conference on Monday that the world has never seen anything like this pandemic for decades, and its effects might last for decades more, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Since we started probably recording, this is the first ever coronavirus-caused pandemic which has two dangerous combinations: it moves fast, and at the same time it's a killer," the chief explained.

However, he noted, although the crisis is very severe, there are still solutions and hopes.

"I'm not saying there is no solution now. Whatever happens in the next few months or years, I also believe that it's in our hands," he said.

"Since the outbreak started, many countries have shown that it can be controlled, or serious transmission can be suppressed," Tedros said, adding that he has mentioned many such countries in the past, including Spain, Italy, China and South Korea.

--IANS

rt/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
(Adds more quotes, analyst comment; adds report on sales price potential)

By David Shepardson and Jeff Mason

WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. government should get a "substantial portion" of the sales price of the U.S. operations of TikTok and warned he will ban the service in the United States on September 15 without a sale.

The turnaround came after Trump Friday he said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video app's U.S. operations as soon as Saturday after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.

Reuters reported last week that some investors are valuing TikTok at about $50 billion, citing people familiar with the matter.

"I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it, because I guess its China essentially  I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because were making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump said.

It was not clear how the U.S. government would receive part of the purchase price.

He added it "will close down on September 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal so the Treasury  of the United States gets a lot of money.

Daniel Elman, analyst at Nucleus Research, said a sale "could foreshadow a growing wave of U.S. company acquisition of Chinese internet properties, particularly if the geopolitical tensions continue to mount."

Elman said that could impact Tencent's WeChat.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referenced WeChat on Sunday and said Trump "will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party."

U.S. officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following U.S. laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.

Story continues

Trump's comments confirmed a Reuters report Sunday that he had agreed to give China's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft.

Trump, a former New York real estate developer, compared TikTok to the landlord tenant relationship, suggesting TikTok is like a tenant. "Without a lease, the tenant has nothing - so they pay what's called key money or they pay something."

He said he did not mind "whether its Microsoft or somebody else  a big company, a secure company, very, very American company buy it."

Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and "is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States."

Microsoft said Sunday it is "committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury."

Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikTok's U.S. operations. Some congressional aides are worried about a backlash by younger voters against the party if Trump banned TikTok, which has 100 million American users.

Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the U.S. government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.

"A U.S. company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe," Schumer said on Twitter, adding: "This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, it's subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government."

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.

"So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised?" Navarro said in an interview with CNN. "Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?"

Navarro said the Chinese government and military use Microsoft software to do all the things they do.

(Reporting by David Shepardson, Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey, Alexandra Alper, Echo Wang, Greg Roumeliotis, Paresh Dave and Pete Schroeder; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Lisa Shumaker)
Berlin, Aug 4 : German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier has urged citizens to "show consideration, caution and responsibility" in the wake of increasing COVID-19 cases in the country.

"The irresponsibility of a few is a risk for us all," Xinhua news agency quoted Steinmeier as saying in a video message on Monday.

"If we are not particularly careful now, we are endangering the health of many. And we also endanger the recovery of our society, our economy, our cultural life." Steinmeier addressed the nation after protests against COVID-19 restriction measures took place in Berlin on August 1.

Although organizers had initially announced up to half a million people, the rally was attended by 20,000 people, according to German police.

By keeping a minimum distance, by observing the rules of hygiene and by wearing mouth and nose protection in specified places, it had been possible to re-open restaurants and cafes and to ease travel restrictions in Germany, said Steinmeier.

"But the interim success must not make us careless... The summer mood is good for us all. But it must not lead us to become inattentive in our fight against the pandemic.

"Let us be particularly careful now, in our leisure time, at work, but also at our holiday destination and after returning from a journey," said Steinmeier.

From August 1, all travellers returning to Germany from abroad were asked to be tested for COVID-19 within 72 hours after their return voluntarily and free of charge, according to the Ministry of Health.

Returnees from COVID-19 risk areas would have to undergo mandatory testing upon request when entering the country, if a corresponding order comes into force this week.

"The increasing number of infections in Germany is a clear warning signal," said Minister of Health Jens Spahn, adding, "the coronavirus does not take a holiday".

As of Tuesday, Germany accounted for a total of 212,111 COVID-19 cases, with 9,154 deaths.

Latest updates on Coronavirus (COVID-19)
ALBANY  Jadyn Coutte told police he was protecting his mother when he allegedly drew a loaded shotgun during a confrontation on Delaware Avenue on July 10.

Police and prosecutors, however, say the 20-year-old Coutte threatened to shoot a 29-year-old woman during the incident, warranting charges of fourth-degree weapon possession and second-degree menacing, both misdemeanors. The shotgun was legally owned.

Coutte, of Albany, who has no prior record, was arraigned on the charges Tuesday before City Court Judge Holly Trexler.

Outside, more than two dozen supporters of Coutte protested his case and called for the charges to be dismissed. They stood underneath tents outside the Morton Avenue courthouse as rain from Tropical Storm Isaias poured down.

What he did is protect his mother, said Jamaica Miles, of All of Us, who led the protest. It boggles my mind that we have to keep having these conversations over and over.

She said the "harm thats already been caused is more than any punishment that would be given."

The judge released Coutte on his own recognizance, but did issue of order of protection barring him from contacting the woman following arguments by Assistant District Attorney Marissa Olsen.

Court documents show that the woman told police she and her friends had left a nearby bar and were walking to their car, parked outside the Market 32 supermarket on Delaware Avenue, when she got into an argument with a person she now knows to be Coutte sometime after 9 p.m.

He got into my face, the woman told police, adding that she shoved him away from me.

The woman told police she then got into a verbal argument with an older woman who was identified as Coutte's mother. The woman said in court papers that Coutte's mother grabbed her, knocked off her glasses and slammed my head off something hard.

The woman said she was trying to get away from Coutte's mother when Coutte came toward her holding a shotgun.

Im going to shoot you, Coutte allegedly told the woman, according to court papers.

In a statement to police, Coutte allegedly said: Yes, I had a shotgun. I got it out of my trunk when the girls tried to jump my mom.

People with knowledge of the case say the incident was caught, at least in part, on surveillance footage. Olsen asked for the order of protection, in part, because, she said people have contacted the alleged victim at her job and on social media. She said she did not believe Coutte directed the behavior.

Mark Mishler, the attorney for Coutte, opposed the order of protection. He said the judge should consider appointing a special prosecutor because of allegations that Coutte's mother lodged against the woman and a friend of hers being assaulted. Olsen said if charges were brought, they would seek a special prosecutor in that case.

"We're hopeful that these charges will be resolved in the correct way which will be by having them dismissed," Mishler told the Times Union outside court. He said "based on my understanding of what happened, based on my understanding of what the evidence is and based on my understanding of the law, Mr. Coutte should not have been charged and certainly should not end up with any convictions."
Google is making a boat load of changes to Android in Android 11, and one of those relates to music features for the lockscreen.

Some of it is for the better and some of it perhaps for the worst. Because no matter how you look at it a fair number of people are probably going to dislike the changes while others may not care.

With Android 11, Google will be removing a favorite lockscreen feature for music that you have playing. According to a new report from 9To5Google, the company has confirmed that Android 11 will not bring it back with a stable release. Its currently not available in the beta, so it was thought that it may be added back in.

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Music album art on the lockscreen is disappearing in Android 11

The Android 11 beta made some changes to currently playing music from the lockscreen. In attempt to make things a little more convenient to access, it added the ability to see a persistent set of media controls in the notification panel.

It also removed lockscreen album art. In the current version of the Android 11 beta, if you play music on the device and then lock it, you can hit the power button again to wake the screen and album art will only show on the lockscreen notification.

In Android 10 and prior however, album art can be displayed on the entire lockscreen backdrop. Its this in particular that is changing and will no longer be available once Android 11 hits devices officially.

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This is of course for stock Android on Pixel devices. Or any devices that choose to follow Googles design in this way. Android devices which have their own UI touches could always choose to keep this.

Google hasnt provided an explanation for this change

Google has apparently not explained why this change was made, but it more than likely has its reasons.

It no doubt has something to do with the way things are being designed in Android 11. Though its possible that there are other factors at play which caused it to decide it was just better to remove album art on the lockscreen entirely. Google may also discuss why its taking album art away once Android 11 officially launches.

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If you dont have the skip lockscreen toggle enabled (on Pixel 4 devices), youll see your currently playing music on the lockscreen still. But, things change. And Google seems to think that Androids design deserves a tweak when it comes to lockscreen music controls going forward.
COLUMBIA, Md., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As Carl Sagan famously said, "We're made of star stuff"  but how do stars distribute their essential "stuff" for life into space? NASA's telescope on an airplane, SOFIA, is finding some answers by watching pulsating stars as they expand and contract, almost like beating hearts.

The Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, SOFIA, examined several types of pulsating stars in our Milky Way galaxy, watching as some spewed carbon, into interstellar space.Carbon is created deep inside stars through the process of helium fusion. As stars evolve, this carbon can get dredged up to the surface. But it must be forced into space for it to become a building block of life as we know it.

SOFIA found that some Mira stars, late-stage red giants with especially powerful pulsations, can drive strong stellar winds that eject carbon-rich gas and dust out into interstellar space. On the other hand, stars with much weaker pulsations called semiregular stars, can't push the wind out as effectively. The Mira Stars are therefore responsible for distributing large amounts of carbon into the universe. The research was published in The Astrophysical Journal.

"We know that essential chemicals like carbon come from stars," said Kathleen Kraemer, a scientist at Boston College and lead author of the study. "But these strong pulsations help explain how carbon moves away from stars to where it can evolve into more complex structures, which in the case of Earth, ultimately became DNA  life."

Previous research observed pulsating stars in other galaxies, like the Large Magellanic Cloud, but this research with SOFIA provides new insights into how carbon gets distributed in our own Milky Way galaxy.

For more information see: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.3847/1538-4357/ab4f6b

ABOUT SOFIA

SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is a Boeing 747SP jetliner modified to carry a 106-inch diameter telescope. It is a joint project of NASA and the German Aerospace Center, DLR. NASA's Ames Research Center in California's Silicon Valley manages the SOFIA program, science and mission operations in cooperation with the Universities Space Research Association headquartered in Columbia, Maryland, and the German SOFIA Institute (DSI) at the University of Stuttgart. The aircraft is maintained and operated from NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center Building 703, in Palmdale, California.

PR Contact:

Suraiya Farukhi, Ph.D.

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A Nine News Melbourne journalist accidentally dropped the F-bomb on air after her pre-recorded blooper was played instead of her final edit.

Lana Murphy appeared to be reporting on the state's alarming coronavirus crisis when she stumbled over her words and sheepishly told someone off-camera: 'F*** my life.'

Thinking the camera had stopped rolling, Lana began fussing with her locks before the segment cut back to Alicia Loxley in the studio.

Scroll down for video

Oops! A Nine News Melbourne journalist (pictured) accidentally dropped the F-bomb on air after her pre-recorded blooper was played instead of her final edit

Some 'live cross' segments are pre-recorded before they are broadcast live on the show.

It's evident that Lana's package was filmed beforehand; however, the wrong footage was accidentally handed over for the final show.

Nonetheless, amused viewers in Melbourne saw the fun in the blooper and likened Lana's accidental slip-up to how they were feeling amid their new lockdown rules.

One joked: 'The whole of Melbourne feels the same as @LanaMurphy right now. #FML.'

Tell us what you're really thinking! Lana Murphy appeared to be reporting on the state's alarming coronavirus crisis when she stumbled over her words and sheepishly told someone off-camera: 'F*** my life'

Another amused: 'Channel 9 reporter Lana Murphy sums up how were all feeling right now: F*** my life.'

'Somehow I think @Lana Murphy is speaking for all of us in Vic at the moment ;-)' another viewer added.

Some else added: 'Oh @LanaMurphy, you have given me a much needed laugh today! Bless ya cotton socks, I hope you're not sweatin it too much.'

'We feel the same': Amused viewers in Melbourne saw the fun in the blooper and likened Lana's accidental slip-up to how they were feeling amid their new lockdown rules

One viewer addressed an annoyed parent who watched the segment with his children.

'Obviously not Lanas fault and it's very clearly a mistake that wasn't meant to go to air. Don't get mad, have a laugh and move on, we all need one right now.'

Lana has been covering breaking and general news across Victoria for Nine News Melbourne since late 2018.
The drama of another primary day arrives on Tuesday, and in many ways, the contests across five states that stretch from the Midwest to the West Coast encompass the themes of the election cycle.

From key tests for the progressive wing to tightropes being walked by Senate Republicans and challengers in the era of President Donald Trump, the races across Arizona, Kansas, Michigan, Missouri and Washington will showcase the dynamics at the fore of the 2020 season.

On Tuesday, voters in Arizona and Michigan, both battlegrounds, are set to finalize two key matchups in November that could determine the balance of power in the Senate. A highly competitive primary between an endangered member of the "squad" -- Michigan Rep. Rashida Tlaib -- and her formal rival, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, is set to come to a close in Detroit and its surrounding suburbs.

MORE: Trump suggests delaying 2020 election, a power designated to Congress

In a contentious GOP Senate primary in Kansas, Democrats' meddling and Trump's lack of intervention could possibly elevate the state to be another potential pickup opportunity for Democrats on the expanding battlefield for the upper chamber. In Missouri, progressive challenger, Cori Bush, aims to unseat long-time Democratic Rep. Lacy Clay, a 20-year incumbent, in St. Louis and its suburbs, including Ferguson.

And in the midst of the novel coronavirus, chief executives on the frontlines of the response will meet their general election opponents.

Here are five things to watch on Tuesday:

Contours of the Senate battlefield to be set

In the special election for Arizona's Senate seat -- long held by the late-Sen. John McCain, the 2008 Republican presidential nominee -- the contest is shaping up to be one of Democrats' best chances to cut their deficit in the fall and potentially tilt the majority in their favor.

Sen. Martha McSally, a first-term Republican who was appointed to the seat in 2018 by Gov. Doug Ducey, is expected to cruise to a victory in her primary on Tuesday, but she is not running uncontested. Daniel McCarthy, a wealthy real estate investor, is challenging the incumbent, a sign of potential cracks in McSally's efforts to coalesce the Republican base behind her bid.

Story continues

And the hurdles for McSally are likely to only get steeper from there.

PHOTO: President Donald Trump and Senate candidate Martha McSally rally with supporters at Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport in Mesa, Ariz., Oct. 19, 2018. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters, FILE)

McSally narrowly lost to Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, D-Ariz., in the 2018 Senate race, and as she seeks to win the seat outright, the heavyweight battle between her and Democrat Mark Kelly, the husband of former Congresswoman Gabby Giffords, is turning into one of the most costly and contentious scuffles of the election.

Republican concerns about McSally's ability to retain her seat in the fall are increasing as she lags in the polls and money race behind Kelly. The former Navy captain and NASA astronaut has proven to be a prolific fundraiser -- easily outraising his rival by more than $16 million so far this cycle and leading by at least seven points in recent polls.

MORE: How experts worry the coronavirus outbreak could cloud the 2020 general election

Despite her efforts to showcase her pro-Trump priorities and close ties to the president -- which her campaign previously said they view as beneficial -- she didn't get behind his recent suggestion of pushing back Election Day, a signal of the bounds of Trump's influence on Senate Republicans who are balancing tough campaigns this cycle.

Another race likely to be among the central fights on the battlefield is in Michigan, where Sen. Gary Peters -- a first-term senator who won the seat in 2014 -- is one of only two Democrats this cycle running for re-election in a state Trump won in 2016.

Peters, who formerly served in the U.S. Navy Reserve, is part of the Democrats' hope of restoring the blue wall after Trump carried the state by the thinnest of margins -- about 10,000 votes -- four years ago.

But potentially standing in Peters way could be John James, a former Apache combat helicopter pilot in Iraq, who is running for the Republican nomination. James is attempting a second run for the Senate after a failed bid in 2018 against Sen. Debbie Stabenow, when he lost by about seven points.

James has outpaced Peters in fundraising over four straight quarters in the campaign, bringing in $6.45 million between April and June, compared to Peters' $5.25 million, and holding an edge in total fundraising for the cycle by about $1 million.

Still, he is doing a delicate dance of putting some distance between himself and the president -- who is seeing growing unpopularity in Michigan -- without alienating Trump's loyal base of voters.

"He is trying to navigate the kind of no man's land between being sensible and being too Trumpy in today's political environment," said Jeff Timmer, a veteran GOP strategist and former executive director of the Michigan Republican Party. "You cannot afford to be too Trumpy, but then again he can't afford to get too far away from Trump either or he loses the support from Trumps solid base."

Tuesday is set to bring an end to the primaries and an official start to what will be a closely watched general election. Three months out, polling shows Peters with a double-digit lead over James, who is also further behind Trump in his matchups with former Vice President Joe Biden -- a troubling sign for a compelling candidate as he heads into the fall.

Two different tests for progressives

Tuesday brings key tests of the strength of the progressive movement in two different forms, but both in flashbacks to 2018.

In Michigan's 13th Congressional District, which covers parts of Detroit and its surrounding suburbs, Rep. Rashida Tlaib, an outspoken, progressive freshman who is also a member of the squad, is up against a highly competitive challenger in Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones in a rematch from two years ago.

In 2018, Tlaib only defeated Jones by 900 votes in the general election primary, after Jones had defeated Tlaib in a special election to fill the vacancy left by longtime Democratic Rep. John Conyers' departure from Congress.

Tlaib eked out a win in the six-way primary in 2018, but now in a head-to-head contest with Jones, who has been endorsed by her other four 2018 primary opponents, Tlaib is receiving some support from prominent Capitol Hill allies, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and fellow members of the squad -- Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass., and Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.

Still, Tlaib is likely the most vulnerable member of the freshman group as she faces Jones, who views Tlaib's national profile as a liability and a distraction from her job in Congress and her ability to address the issues confronting the district.

PHOTO: Missouri Democratic congressional candidate Cori Bush leads protesters against police brutality on June 12, 2020 in University City, Mo. (Michael B. Thomas/Getty Images, FILE)

About 530 miles southwest of Detroit, Democratic Rep. Lacy Clay, a fixture in Congress with a 20-year career, is once against facing a primary challenge from progressive Cori Bush, who unsuccessfully ran in 2018 for the Democratic nomination.

Bush is hoping to oust the long-time incumbent with the help of the district's African American base, but unlike other incumbents who lost to more diverse primary challengers, Clay is Black and the son of another political fixture. Clay's father, Bill Clay, represented the same district for over 30 years.

Up against a 50-year tenure between the two Clays, Bush aims to peel off a crucial bloc of voters by tapping into the zeal of the recent protests over racial inequality and turn it into political prowess.

Bush argues that Clay is ineffective and out of touch with all voters in the district.

MORE: Progressives look for AOC-style upset in NY primary against House committee chairman

"The question the voters must ask themselves this Tuesday is: who can better represent them in Congress? When voters ask themselves that question, I have no doubt that they will decide that Cori Bush is the answer, because Ive been an active fighter for ALL of us my whole life," she wrote at the end of a lengthy Twitter thread on Sunday responding to some attacks on her campaign by Clay.

In 2018, Clay defeated Bush by nearly 30,000 votes, but this time around, she has more money and more national influences behind her. Bush is backed by key figures in the liberal wing of the party, including former Democratic presidential candidate, Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Justice Democrats.

Republican brawls define contests in the Sunflower state

In Kansas, intraparty clashes over ties to the White House are set to come to a close for Republicans in the competitive Senate primary and the race in Kansas' 2nd Congressional District.

Kris Kobach, the unsuccessful 2018 gubernatorial candidate and former secretary of state, is running a Trumpian race -- without an official endorsement -- against Rep. Roger Marshall, a doctor who represents the 1st Congressional District, in the Senate primary which has been dominated by millions in outside spending in its final weeks.

Kobach is seen as the far more riskier pick for Republicans, as Democrats eye a broader Senate map. His hardline stances on guns, immigration and voting rights appear to have the potential to alienate some voters in November, should he win the primary. According to the New York Times, internal Republican polling shows that up to 30% of GOP primary voters would cast their ballot for Democrat Barbara Bollier, a former Republican and the likely Democratic nominee, should Kobach nab the nomination on Tuesday.

MORE: Outside groups spend big on last days of Kansas Republican Senate primary amid intraparty duel

Marshall, an OB-GYN and the preferred pick of the GOP establishment, is the subject of millions in attack ads from Democrat-aligned Sunflower State PAC, who have gone on the air hitting Marshall in an effort to elevate Kobach through the primary.

"When he ran for governor, he was the only Republican who ran statewide who lost. Everybody else down ballot won handily. He lost. This indicates there are a lot of people who voted for Laura Kelly and then voted Republican for the rest of the line," Nathaniel Birkhead, an associate professor of political science at Kansas State University, said of Kobach.

Trump hasnt endorsed in this race, leaving Republicans to settle it amongst themselves. And the efforts between both Kobach and Marshall to pitch themselves as the candidate who has more fealty to Trump and Trumpism reflects a similar dynamic in nearby Tennessee, where the open Senate race set to be settled on Thursday pits Bill Hagerty, the Trump-backed former ambassador to Japan and former national finance chair for Sen. Mitt Romney's 2008 presidential campaign, against Dr. Manny Sethi, an orthopedic trauma surgeon who has garnered support from Sens. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and Rand Paul, R-Ky., as the candidate who will be a "true conservative" that supports Trump.

Back in Kansas, Marshall pulled endorsements from highly regarded establishment Republicans, including retiring Sen. Pat Roberts, whose seat the two are hoping to fill come January, and former presidential candidate Bob Dole, a Republican from the state. Hes also got the support of the Kansas Farm Bureau -- a telling sign of where the agricultural vote may sway on Tuesday considering Roberts sits as the chairman of the Senate Agriculture Committee.

In another GOP-centric fight, Rep. Steve Watkins is facing a tough primary after being convicted of charges related to voter fraud just three weeks before the primary in Kansas' 2nd Congressional District. Watkins is accused of fraudulently voting in the Topeka City Council election, but he's claiming no wrongdoing, according to the Kansas City Star.

PHOTO: Rep. Steve Watkins speaks during the Problem Solvers Caucus press conference in the Capitol, Feb. 11, 2020, in Washington, D.C. (Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images, FILE)

Days after the charges were announced, Watkins stepped down from his committee assignments, which is required of U.S. House members convicted of a felony pending their charges. Watkins was previously endorsed by Trump, and in 2019, was announced as the honorary state co-chair of Trump's re-election campaign. He also still has the backing of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy.

Watkins most serious challenger is Kansas State Treasurer Jake LaTurner, 32, who upon his appointment in 2017 became the youngest statewide official in the United States.

"LaTurner is sort of a rising star in the Kansas establishment," Birkhead said. "The party never wanted Watkins anyway you can look at the campaign finance reports to kind of get the sense of that."

LaTurner is endorsed by current Rep. Ron Estes of the 4th district and Kansans for Life, who had endorsed both Watkins and LaTurner in the primary, but rescinded their endorsement of Watkins after his conviction.

MORE: 'This is not just a Georgia problem': Primary election troubles foreshadow challenges for November

Ultimately, Tuesdays primary could end with Kansans picking two risky general election candidates, Kobach and Watkins, although both seats currently hover in likely red territory in November.

Further down-ballot, Joe Arpaio fights for political survival, Missouri aims to be 38 on Medicaid expansion

In the Republican primary for Maricopa County, Arizona, sheriff, Joe Arpaio, 88, is running again and facing an uphill climb to reclaim the seat he held for two decades until 2016.

In a three-way race against Jerry Sheridan, his former chief deputy, and Mike Crawford, a police officer from Glendale, Arpaio is looking to win by campaigning on restoring his hardline immigration stances, the very issue that put him in legal jeopardy before Trump pardoned him. But if Arpaio loses, it could signal that Arizona's all-important Maricopa County is moving away from his forceful law-and-order approach, which is aligned with Trump's own platform.

The winner will face current Democratic Sheriff Paul Penzone in November, who toppled Arpaio in 2016.

Beyond candidates on the ballot on Tuesday, voters across Missouri will weigh in on a crucial ballot initiative.

Missouri voters will decide whether to become the 38th state to expand Medicaid eligibility, possibly joining 37 other states and the District of Columbia that have already expanded the government-run health care program to cover low-income adults.

The ballot measure in a state that backed Trump by nearly 20 points, could be a blow to his administration and state Republicans, since if approved, it will expand Medicaid under the Obama-era Affordable Care Act after Republicans in the state legislature refused to broaden the program.

The measure would expand Medicaid to 230,000 low-income adults, according to supporters, by allowing adults who are between the ages of 19 and 65, whose incomes are at or below 138% of the federal poverty level to be eligible.

Since 2017, five states have voted to expand Medicaid by a ballot initiative in the Trump era. This measure is a key test for the health care debate amid the coronavirus pandemic, and less than 100 days until Election Day, which is likely to be a referendum on Trump's and state leaders' response to the public health crisis.

Fights for the governor's mansion in era of COVID-19

In Missouri and Washington, crowded gubernatorial primaries will soon turn into low-key general election matchups, but both races come as chief executives continue to combat the rampant outbreak -- testing the virus' political impact.

After the downfall of former Missouri Gov. Eric Greitens, who resigned in 2018, Mike Parson, then the lieutenant governor, assumed office.

Now, Parson is up against a crowded primary to win the seat outright, with three other candidates in the Republican race: Saundra McDowell, a former candidate for state auditor, state Rep. Jim Neely and Raleigh Ritter, a business owner. The unelected chief is expected to win on Tuesday, even as he downplays the severity of the coronavirus.

Parson has mostly stuck to a Trumpian message on the pandemic, encouraging kids to return to school, but he has also pushed for social distancing and mask wearing. Missouri surpassed 50,000 cases and is considered in the federal "red zone" for new confirmed cases, meaning it has an infection rate of more than 100 cases per 100,000 residents.

On the Democratic side, the favorite to win the primary is State Auditor Nicole Galloway, who is also facing a slate of lower-profile rivals, including Jimmie Matthews, a pastor and real estate developer, Antoin Johnson, an activist, Robin Van Quaethem, who served in the U.S. Air Force, and Eric Morrison, a pastor.

Galloway, if she topples her opponents, is expected to be a competitive challenger for Parson, but still the race is currently rated as Lean Republican.

PHOTO: Washington Gov. Jay Inslee speaks next to a video display showing images of people wearing masks during a news conference, June 23, 2020, at the Capitol in Olympia, Wash. (Ted S. Warren/AP)

Out west, in Washington -- a state with the first confirmed case of the coronavirus within the U.S. borders and one that was on the frontlines of the crisis throughout the spring -- there is a crowded GOP primary to take on incumbent governor and former 2020 presidential candidate Jay Inslee, who is seeking a third term.

MORE: Inside President Trump's call with governors: a mix of praise and criticism

The field of Republican challengers has narrowed in recent weeks to roughly half a dozen top contenders, including Yakima doctor Raul Garcia, who has racked up a slate of endorsements from former statewide elected Republican leaders, and Tim Eyman, a well-known conservative figure in the state having authored 11 statewide ballot initiatives that have passed since the 1990's.

Other Republicans vying to take on Inslee -- who remains popular in the state despite his unsuccessful presidential bid -- include Bothell Mayor Joshua Freed, Republic police Chief Loren Culp, state Sen. Phil Fortunato and businessman Anton Sakharov.

But Inslee, who recently put the state's reopening process on hold amid a spike in cases, is riding on high marks for his response to the crisis as he approaches Election Day. The race is rated as solidly in Democrats' corner.

ABC News' Benjamin Siegel and John Verhovek contributed reporting.

Tuesday's primaries across 5 states: 5 things to watch originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
Abu Dhabi Waste Management Center (Tadweer) has announced that it has become a platinum member of the International Solid Waste Management Association (ISWA), a non-governmental, independent and non-profit association based in Vienna, Austria.

ISWA aims to promote and develop the waste management sector worldwide through facilitating the exchange of information and expertise on all aspects of solid waste management.

By joining the association, Tadweer will benefit from various services offered by the association to its affiliates covering all aspects of solid waste management. This include access to statistical data and technical studies related to solid waste management as ISWA knowledge base comprises nearly 3,500 documents related to solid waste management, said a statement from the company.

The affiliation will allow Tadweer to connect and share knowledge and expertise with over 40,000 specialists in solid waste management sector from more than 110 countries, it added.

Tadweer will also be able to participate in various international conferences, workshops, and training programmes organised by the 10 working groups of ISWA on solid waste management to stay up-to-date with the latest developments in this field.

In utilizing ISWAs platform, Tadweer will prepare technical studies on the latest solid waste management technologies, and contribute to the statistics and studies related to the collection, transportation and management of solid waste.

Furthermore, it will arrange field visits by ISWA specialists to its facilities to benefit from their expertise in the management and development of its various divisions and operations, it added.

Tadweer Director General Dr Salem Al Kaabi said: "Tadweers affiliation to ISWA as a Platinum Member comes as a natural outcome of our outstanding achievements in promoting sustainable development, protecting environment and safeguarding the public health."

"At Tadweer, we continue to contribute to Abu Dhabi Environment Vision 2030 that aims to make the Emirate a global model for sustainable development through adopting the highest international standards and best practices in the integrated waste management," he noted.

"In joining ISWA, we aim to support the associations efforts to secure a pollution free planet through adopting safe waste management practices that protect hygiene and public health across the globe," said Al Kaabi.

"Through working with ISWAs global team, we also look forward to sharing knowledge and broadening our perspectives in solid waste management sector," he stated.

Our affiliation to a high caliber international association like ISWA will positively reflect on the future development of our services in line with Tadweers plan to enhance engagement with global players in integrated waste management sector to address various issues related to climate security, public health and sustainable development, added Al Kaabi.-TradeArabia News Service
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-03 23:22:31|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- The June-August cold season is responsible for a dramatic surge in COVID-19 cases in Kenya that reached 22,597 on Monday after 544 people tested positive to the disease.

Rashid Aman, chief administrative secretary in the Ministry of Health, said that chilly weather has a direct link to rapid transmission of coronavirus hence undermining efforts to contain other viral respiratory ailments.

"The cold season poses various challenges for our people including children and the aged, particularly during this period of COVID-19 pandemic," Aman said at a briefing in Nairobi.

He said that extreme cold and hot temperatures have been associated with higher morbidity among people who contract the coronavirus.

Kenya witnessed a doubling of COVID-19 infections in July when the cold season was at its peak and the government relaxed containment measures like lockdowns in the hotspots.

"During this cold season, the country has continued to witness an upsurge in COVID-19 cases and being an infectious airborne condition, there are concerns of its rise during this period," said Aman.

He urged people living with chronic respiratory diseases to be more vigilant amid risk of contracting the coronavirus during this cold season.

"I would like to appeal to our people to take extra precautions during this cold season by ensuring they put in place measures that will not expose them to infections," said Aman.

He said that wearing masks, maintaining physical distance, hand hygiene and physical exercises is key to strengthen defences against COVID-19 during this cold season.

Aman spoke against a backdrop of lingering concern that a spike in COVID-19 cases and fatalities could overwhelm Kenya's health care infrastructure.

Kenya's COVID-19 deaths hit 382 on Monday, after 13 people including a 32-year-old nurse succumbed to the disease.

So far, eight healthcare workers in Kenya have died of COVID-19 related complications while the youth with no pre-existing medical condition have also succumbed to the disease. Enditem
The police intercepted a motorist hurtling down one of the capital's main thoroughfares at 5am on Tuesday morning.

The driver in question was caught speeding on Route d'Arlon, doing more than 105 kilometres per hour in a 50km zone. Police issued a provisional driving ban and confiscated the man's licence.
Lisa Vanderpump is facing yet another class action lawsuit from a former employee of SUR.

Olivia Beverly Hanson filed the lawsuit on behalf July 31 on behalf of herself and others who worked at Vanderpump's West Hollywood, Calif. restaurant, which is featured on Vanderpump Rules. According to the documents obtained by E! News, Hanson is accusing Vanderpump and her husband, fellow restaurateur Ken Todd, of breaking multiple California labor laws.

The filing claims that for at least the past one to four years, Vanderpump and Todd failed to pay workers minimum and overtime wages, provide proper meal and rest breaks, provide accurate wage statements or provide workers with pay stubs at the end of their employment.

Hanson claims she worked at SUR from Oct. 2019 to Jan. 2020. Her responsibilities at the upscale eatery included "seating patrons, confirming reservations and answering phones," the lawsuit states.

Lisa Vanderpump Confirms Closure of Her Famous Restaurant Due to Coronavirus Pandemic

She is requesting a jury trial and is seeking damages for all wages earned and owed, including minimum and overtime wages, damages for unpaid premium wages from missed meal and rest periods, and damaged for gratuities earned but not received, among related reparations.

Lisa Vanderpump, BravoCon 2019

In Jan. 2020, another former employee of SUR and the couple's other restaurants, Tom Tom and Pump, filed a class action lawsuit against Vanderpump and Todd. The suit, which is still ongoing, also alleged the violation of labor laws.

A source told E! News at the time, "These were two disgruntled ex-employees that had been written up with many warnings by management and subsequently let go. Lisa and Ken do not tolerate anyone that may be abusive to their staff or to patrons."

E! News has reached out to Vanderpump's attorney for comment, but have not heard back.

(E! and Bravo are both part of the NBCUniversal family.)
A supermarket worker who secretly filmed his sexual encounter with a 15-year-old schoolgirl and tried to extort her has avoided jail.

The Gold Coast man, now 24, began a covert relationship with the teenager in March 2017, after they met the previous year.

A few months into dating, the then 21-year-old, threatened to release sexually explicit photos the girl had sent him when she was 14 if she did not do as he said.

Police launched an investigation into the blackmail and discovered secretly filmed videos of the pair having sex on his phone.

The man, 24, has escaped jail after secretly filming himself having sex with a 15-year-old girl and trying to extort her (stock)

Last year, the man was charged with three counts of carnal knowledge of a child and four counts of indecent treatment of a child.

He pleaded guilty in the Southport District Court on Tuesday, the Gold Coast Bulletin reports.

The man was sentenced to two years prison to be wholly suspended and placed on two years probation.

The court heard investigators were the first to tell the girl about the videos, which showed the pair in sexual situations, with the girl wearing her school uniform in some.

'She had seen his phone but did not know it was being recorded,' Crown prosecutor Gary Churchill said.

The man was sentenced to two years prison to be wholly suspended, with two years probation at Southport District Court (pictured) on Tuesday

The pair began a relationship in 2016 after first meeting, but it temporarily ceased when her parents found out and told the man to stay away.

'In March 2017 they commenced an intimate relationship and he told her not to tell anyone,' Mr Churchill said.

The man was sentenced was to seven months in prison, wholly suspended, in March last year for the extortion.

He was then charged over the videos after the first sentence.
Kate Garraway has revealed she has been contacted by parents of teenagers across the country, worried about their children's mental health amid the pandemic.

Speaking on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain, the presenter admitted it has been 'an incredibly tough time' for her own children Darcey, 14, and Billy, 11, as well as other young people.

Kate, whose husband Derek Draper has been hospitalised since March after contracting coronavirus, said: 'I think for lots of young people, this has been an incredibly tough time.'

Family: Kate Garraway has revealed she has been contacted by parents of teenagers , worried about their children's mental health amid the pandemic (pictured with her children Billy, 11, and Darcey, 14

'They are responsible. For some youngsters, you do feel like you want them to relax a little bit more,' she added.

'I've had lots of people contact me saying, "My teenager is now terrified to go out." It's a balance, isn't it, that's very hard to strike.'

On Monday's GMB, Kate revealed how her two children have gone on their first family visit during the pandemic.

Kate explained her children have gone to stay with Derek's parents this week, but admitted she has taken precautions as her in-laws have been shielding since March.

Tough: Speaking on Tuesday's Good Morning Britain, the presenter admitted it has been 'an incredibly tough time' for her own children

'My children have gone for the first time to stay away from home - they've gone to stay with Derek's mum and dad,' she said. 'Derek's mum and dad have been shielding since the beginning of March because they both feel vulnerable.'

'So this was a very big deal for them to have the children to stay, and also very important because they haven't seen their grandchildren in a while. Very important for Billie and Darcey because they haven't seen their grandparents as well.'

She added that her children isolated over several days before they went to visit and she washed and sealed Darcey and Billy's clothes before they travelled on Sunday.

Kate explained that she didn't want to travel with the children to their grandparents as she wanted to limit the people her in-laws have had contact with, so her friend Jeremy Kyle stepped in.

Support: Kate's husband Derek Draper has been hospitalised since March after contracting coronavirus (pictured together in December 2019)

Advice: 'I've had lots of people contact me saying, "My teenager is now terrified to go out." It's a balance, isn't it, that's very hard to strike,' Kate told her co-host Ben Shephard

'It was thanks to Jeremy Kyle that they travelled up - big thanks to him. Because he said, "Listen, my driver has been isolating and has been keeping the car very clean so I'll take the children up." Very, very kind of him, thank you very much Jeremy.'

Last week Kate revealed she paid an 'extra emotional' first visit to Derek, as he continues to slowly recover from COVID-19.

The Good Morning Britain presenter, 53, also told Ben Shephard that it was 'lovely' to see her partner as (28 July) was his 53rd birthday, but she continues to be 'frustrated' by his slow progress.

Kate told Ben: 'I did go and see Derek, he's had a tough couple of weeks, and it's just frustrating, it would have actually been his birthday today so I was extra emotional so I was thinking about the day he was born.

She added: 'What the doctor said to me was, "Sometimes, Kate, a day when nothing has gone backwards is a positive".'

As Ben agreed that Derek had 'a stable day,' Kate added: 'It's just I'm desperate for a step forward. It's always lovely to see him and so it's wonderful to have the chance to see him.'

A timeline of Derek's coronavirus battle MARCH Kate revealed she and Prince Charles had got 'relatively close' at the Prince's Trust Awards on March 11 - Charles was diagnosed with coronavirus in mid-March. She said: 'Around the 29/30 March, I came home came in and said [to Derek] 'god you look ill.' 'He said he had a headache, numbness in his right hand, and was struggling to breathe, 'I rang Dr Hilary (Jones) and tried to get through, he talked to Derek. He said put me back on, I think you need to call an ambulance' Derek, 52, was taken into hospital on March 30 and remained in an unresponsive condition. APRIL Kate and her children isolated at home after she displayed 'mild symptoms'. Kate said: 'Derek remains in intensive care and is still very ill. I'm afraid it remains an excruciatingly worrying time. 'I'm afraid he is still in a deeply critical condition, but he is still here, which means there is hope.' MAY Kate said: 'The journey for me and my family seems to be far from over as every day my heart sinks as I learn new and devastating ways this virus has more battles for Derek to fight. 'But he is still HERE & so there is still hope.' That month, Kate and her family took part in the final clap for carers She said: 'I'll never give up on that because Derek's the love of my life but at the same time I have absolute uncertainty' JUNE On June 5, Kate revealed Derek is now free from coronavirus but continues to fight against the damage inflicted on his body JULY On July 5, Kate revealed Derek has woken from his coma but he remains in a serious yet critical condition. On July 8, she announced she would be returning to GMB, after being urged by doctors to 'get on with life' during Derek's recovery. She added that Derek had 'opened his eyes' after waking from his coma, but has been told his recovery could take years. On July 13, Kate returned to GMB for the first time since Derek was hospitalised. On July 28, Kate revealed she'd paid an 'extra emotional' first visit to Derek, and admitted she's 'frustrated' by his slow progress. Advertisement

The presenter has been unable to visit her husband Derek due to strict measures in place in hospitals around the country during the coronavirus crisis, and has instead been 'seeing him' over FaceTime.

Last Monday, Kate also spoke about the 'utterly terrifying' moment her tyre blew while she was driving with her family over the weekend.

The Good Morning Britain presenter was left shaken following the incident, which occurred as she hurried back to see ailing husband Derek.

Speaking to co-host Ben, Kate said: 'We were rushing back because we were conscious of getting back to London to check on Derek, and my mum and dad were coming for their first visit.

'You know people say God and the universe doesn't send you what you can't deal with. I would like to put a message out, I am at my limit, I am at my absolute limit now. If the universe could just give me a calm Monday!'

Terrifying: Last Monday, Kate also spoke about the 'utterly terrifying' moment her tyre blew while she was driving with her family

Referring to the accident, which happened while children Darcey, 14, and Billy, 11, were in the car, she added: 'It was the first time that I had been out with the kids in the car...

'Leaving London, going to meet some friends in Kent, in a socially distanced way at lovely Port Lympne Safari Park.

'On the way back we suddenly exploded. It's that moment where you think ''I cant control the car."

'All weird steering, bits of rubber flying everywhere. I dont know if it was smoke but looked like smoke  it could be burning rubber.

Touching: Derek has credited Kate for saving him from depression which started during his career as a political advisor and led to a nervous breakdown (pictured in 2006)

'I managed to pull over but it just happened to be on the section of the motorway where there wasnt a hard shoulder, there was a feeder road going off so I was nervous about people going on the inside.'

Kate later admitted she had chosen to stay close to London for the sake of Derek, who remains in a critical condition at a local hospital.

She said: 'We've been talking about travel plans all morning and the problems people are facing going to Spain and having to quarantine, but I made baby steps.

'This was the first time I was taking the kids out of London. Obviously wanting to stay local to Derek and taking it step by step.'
Dear Hurt and Confused: Its time to examine your feelings about yourself and your marriage. It is understandable that you are hurt by what your husband did. However, he has apologized for it and stopped his relationship with her for you.

Now, it is up to you to forgive. Forgiveness is a gift you give to yourself. It gives strength to move on. Though you cant change the past or go back to the same marriage you once had, you can decide what youd like your marriage to look like from this point forward. Seek the help of a professional counselor to support you in working through this hurt and anger, and then consider marriage counseling.

Dear Annie: Recently, I read a letter in your column from a single mom who took offense at the term broken home. My comment isnt about the letter but your reply: There is nothing broken about a single mom. You should have added single dad to your reply. My son is one of many single dads who are raising children with no partner.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 3) - After he was deemed ineligible to represent Duterte Youth Party-list last year, Ronald Cardema is back at the National Youth Commission (NYC) as a commissioner.

Yes, but as NYC Commissioner not as NYC Chairman. And not as DILG Asec, said Department of Interior and Local Government Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya in a text message to CNN Philippines.

This was contrary to an earlier social media post by Calamba Mayor Justin Marc Chipeco saying that Cardema was appointed as assistant secretary of NYC.

NYC is under the supervision of DILG.

The Commission on Elections First Division cancelled last year Cardemas nomination as first nominee of Duterte Youth for material misrepresentation as he was already 34 years old that time.

The Party-list System Act provides a nominee of the youth sector must not be more than 30 years old.

Cardema resigned from his post as chairman to supposedly replace his wife as first nominee of the party-list.
'Does a secular nation not believe in its ancestry? The Constitution has a photo of Ram also.'

IMAGE: Ram Ki Pauri illuminated ahead of the bhoomi puja ceremony for the construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, August 1, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

"When have we hidden our opinions? We are not like the Congress who say something and do something else," Bhupender Yadav, a key member of the Bharatiya Janata Party's A-team, tells Senior Rediff.com Contributor Sheela Bhatt in the concluding segment of an exclusive two-part interview.

Can you share the most important points that helped Hindu litigants win the legal case over the Ram temple?

There is evidence that around 1528 Babur's general Mir Baqi, on order of his master Babur, demolished the temple and built a mosque.

No time since then did the Indian people leave that holy place behind.

Continuously they fought to regain the place where Ram was born.

It was proven before the court.

Second, in Mughal times and even in British revenue records this place is mentioned as and registered in the name of the Ram Janambhoomi.

Thirdly, below the structure, evidence of a temple has been found.

So culturally, according to revenue records, according to archeological findings, and according to oral evidence, even according to the statements recorded by the Muslim community in 1947, it is the Ram Janambhoomi.

There are over 100 Masjids in and around Ayodhya, none of them have been contested.

When did the Hindus say that you can't built a masjid in Ayodhya?

When did the Hindus say that you can't build a church in Rameshwaram?

When did the Hindus say that nothing can happen in Puri?

Hindus have never said anything about other religious presences being there in places of religious importance for Hindus.

IMAGE: Sadhus perform a havan at the Sankat Mochan Mandir ahead of the bhoomi puja ceremony for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, July 31, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

How did you join the movement?

I have been aware about this topic from the start.

When I was in college in Ajmer, I attended the Ram Janambhoomi movement in Ayodhya. Later, I was part of the Liberhan Commission as a lawyer. From 1998 onwards, I was associated with the historic Ayodhya legal case. So I have been part of it for 20 years.

The legal case was challenging.

There were times when there were setbacks.

I know there were some good people like Champat Raiji (secretary, Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust) who were continuously associated with it, and therefore now those 20 years feel like just a moment.

I am happy I was a part of that team.

It was a long litigation, there were voluminous documents, there was an archeological specialisation aspect to it, different documents, revenue documents, historical documents, religious documents, cultural documents, history from the time of the Britishers, gazetteers from all the travelers, archeological records and findings, and several judicial interpretations of various subjects.

All of those collectively came to over 150 issues in the Court were raised.

There were five different court cases that had to be consolidated. It was a complex litigation.

IMAGE: Workers clean the Ram Ki Pauri ahead of the bhoomi puja ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, July 27, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

The Ram Janambhoomi temple issue has become a monopoly of the Sangh Parivar. There are enough bhakts in the Congress and other parties too.

This should be asked to the Congress lawyers who went to the Supreme Court and said that this matter should not be decided at the earliest.

If some leader has done it, then Rahul Gandhiji should give a clarification. It is his responsibility.

I took Nirmal Khatri's name, but the Congress as the party never worked towards it.

And you also know that building the Somnath temple was opposed by the Congress prime minister (Jawaharlal Nehru) of the time.

It is on the records.

They have been against a lot of things.

Rajiv Gandhi made a speech against the Mandal Aayog also.

What has the Congress done in favor of the country till date?

The bhoomi puja's political advantage seems certain.

It isn't interlinked.

Some things are in terms of a mission.

If it was for political advantage it would have happened in 1989.

Everything is not politics.

Ram puja is a way of life. When have we hidden our opinions? We are not like the Congress who say something and do something else. Our thoughts are clear.

IMAGE: Workers prepare sweets for the bhoomi puja ceremony of the Ram temple, July 31, 2020. Photograph: PTI Photo

There is an allegation that in these times of covid, a failing economy, when there are issues with China, you have brought up the Ram Mandir issue as a diversion.

The government has successfully worked on covid.

Compared to the rest of the world, the government has saved India from covid in a huge way.

Our moderate death rate is the evidence of our work.

When there is talk about development for betterment of life, you should develop culture as well for better minds and life.

You should develop music and games that much as well.

You should develop health that much.

You should fight poverty that much. You should instill civic sense in people that much.

There is controversy about the prime minister of a secular country attending the bhoomi puja.

Does a secular nation not believe in its ancestry? The Constitution has a photo of Ram also.

He is our ancestor.

Should we disconnect from our ancestor? This is not just the India of 1947.

It is an India with a long cultural heritage.

What does Ram mean to you personally?

Who inspires the moral values in you, who inspires you to live your life with dedication and responsibly, someone who is your ideal whom you base your life on and work towards community betterment.

Gandhi's Ram is my Ram.

Feature Presentation: Aslam Hunani/Rediff.com
Herman Cain, former chairman and chief executive officer of Godfather's Pizza. Justin Sullivan | Getty Images

Herman Cain had been put on a ventilator and was at times unconscious during his final weeks hospitalized with the coronavirus, a top aide and friend of Cain's told CNBC. The new details come less than a week after the former Republican presidential candidate succumbed to his illness. Cain, who was a vocal advocate for President Donald Trump, is among the most well-known people in the U.S. to have died from Covid-19. More than 156,000 people have died due to the disease, according to Johns Hopkins University. Dan Calabrese, who announced Cain's passing shortly after his death last Thursday morning, offered a glimpse at Cain's final days. He said in a phone interview Tuesday that doctors in the Atlanta-area hospital where Cain was being treated "were trying to use the ventilator to strengthen his lungs." The 74-year-old Cain "wasn't conscious the whole time because he was on a ventilator, which was something that we weren't telling you at the time because we didn't think there was any reason we needed to tell you," Calabrese said. "The family just didn't want to discuss it in that much detail." In addition to his wife, Gloria Etchison, Cain's survivors include his two children, Melanie and Vincent. Calabrese, who is speaking for Cain's family, said he does not believe they plan to make any statements.

Calabrese had served as a main point of contact for journalists covering Cain after it was announced through his social media on July 2 that he had tested positive for Covid-19 and "had developed symptoms serious enough that he required hospitalization." The diagnosis came more than a week after Cain had attended a rally for Trump in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The announcement of the diagnosis said Cain "did not require a respirator" at the time he was first hospitalized. But Cain's condition worsened over time, despite some glimmers of hope, according to Calabrese. "As recently as, I want to say maybe the Friday or Saturday before he passed away, the report we had was that the doctors actually thought he would make a recovery," Calabrese said. The rest of Cain's systems were "actually pretty strong," Calabrese said, considering Cain had survived a bout with stage 4 colon cancer years earlier. "There were hopeful things," Calabrese added. But in Cain's final days, he said, "I was starting to have a real sense of concern, because it didn't seem like he was getting better as fast as he should have been." Other associates of Cain, including his executive assistant Lisa Reichert and Robert Laurie, a contributor to Cain's site, did not respond to repeated interview requests.

Trump rally controversy

Like much of his life, Cain's illness and death were marked by politics, personality and press coverage. Less than two weeks before his diagnosis, Cain had attended Trump's late-June campaign rally in Oklahoma. Cain, the former CEO of Godfather's Pizza who became famous during the 2012 GOP presidential primary for his catchy "9-9-9" tax plan, had been briefly considered to become a Trump nominee for the Federal Reserve Board of Governors. Cain remained a vocal supporter of the president after his nomination was withdrawn. At the campaign rally  which was denounced by health officials, who warned it could become a "superspreader" for the virus  Cain posed for a photograph showing him sitting in the Tulsa arena surrounded by a group of other Trump supporters. Neither Cain nor the others in the photo were wearing masks or abiding by federal recommendations for maintaining a safe social distance. Cain TWEET Critics were quick to point out the potential connection between Cain's attendance at the Trump campaign's large, in-person gathering and his critical illness shortly thereafter. "I realize people will speculate about the Tulsa rally, but Herman did a lot of traveling the past week," Calabrese wrote on Cain's blog. "I don't think there's any way to trace this to the one specific contact that caused him to be infected. We'll never know." Trump, who has defended his rally and subsequent campaign events, denied after Cain's death that the former pizza executive had contracted the virus in Tulsa. "No, I don't think he did," Trump said Friday when asked if he thought Cain caught Covid-19 at the rally.

A life cut short
China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS) has played a significant role in the country's flood-control operations, said BDS Spokesperson Ran Chengqi on Monday.

The BDS system has helped the country fight against floods, assisting in deformation monitoring, early warning and resident transfer, Ran said at a press conference.

Based on its constellation and ground stations, the BDS system can provide high-precision services with centimeter-level accuracy in real-time processing and millimeter-level accuracy in post-processing.

With the help of the system and auxiliary equipment, debris flow can be predicted through real-time deformation monitoring to gain time for resident transfer and rescue.

In Shimen County, central China's Hunan Province, the BDS-based monitoring system helped issue early warnings and relocate over 60 people threatened by a landslide, thus ensuring the safety of people's lives and property, according to Ran.

Another distinctive function of the BDS system is short message communication, which allows users to send messages without the support of a mobile network.

The short message communication capability of the BDS-3 system has been greatly improved. Users can send a message of 1,000 Chinese characters at one time, as well as pictures and voice messages, Ran said.

The BDS system can also aid international search and rescue with its bidirectional communication services. Ships in need of rescue can receive a reply from the ground station after sending a distress signal, which is a more advanced method than those used previously.

China will endeavor to provide legal and policy guarantees and create a sound, open environment for the development of the BDS system, according to Ran.

The integration of BDS with emerging technologies, including 5G, mobile communications and big data, will be further promoted to create new business models and growth points, he added.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 09:58:32|Editor: huaxia

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URUMQI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region reported 28 new confirmed COVID-19 cases on Monday, all in the regional capital Urumqi, the regional health commission said Tuesday in its daily report.

The region also saw nine new asymptomatic cases in Urumqi Monday.

By Monday, Xinjiang had 606 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 114 asymptomatic cases, and 15,213 people were still under medical observation.

From July 15 to Monday, a total of 42 patients were discharged from the hospital after recovery and another 37 asymptomatic dismissed from medical observation in Urumqi. Enditem
Chelsea Becker was arrested Nov. 6 after giving birth to a stillborn boy who had toxic levels of methamphetamine in his body. Her case has drawn the attention of national news outlets and advocacy groups. (Tomas Ovalle / For The Times)

It sounds like a nightmare scenario for women's rights in California. Every time a woman suffers a late-term miscarriage or gives birth to a stillborn baby, she could potentially become the target of a homicide investigation, with police visiting homes and delivery rooms to carry out interrogations.

Yet some medical and civil rights groups say that scenario is not so far-fetched if the murder prosecution of Chelsea Becker is permitted to proceed in a rural county of the San Joaquin Valley. They say it could judicially rewrite the states homicide statute, expanding it to apply to any pregnant woman whose conduct might have resulted in the loss of her pregnancy.

These are potentially dangerous precedents which make all women who have any not-perfect pregnancy event criminally liable for that event, said Dr. Mishka Terplan of UC San Francisco, an expert in the fields of pregnancy and addiction. And that should terrify everyone.

The Kings County district attorney maintains the prosecution is driven by law, not by politics.

The conduct of the defendant resulted in the death of a fetus, which is a crime in California, said Dist. Atty. Keith Fagundes, who declined interview requests and responded to questions only through emails.

Yet the controversy is playing out as antiabortion groups seek new laws and legal rulings to limit reproductive rights in many states, with California not separate from the fray.

Becker gave birth to Zachariah Joseph at Adventist Health Hanford in the early-morning hours of Sept. 10, 2019. He never had a pulse.

Becker had a history of methamphetamine addiction, and the coroner launched a criminal investigation after being contacted by hospital staff.

About a month and a half later, the district attorneys office filed a complaint charging Becker, now 26, with murder. Authorities said an autopsy showed her child had toxic levels of meth in his system.

After a brief search that drew national news coverage, Becker was arrested Nov. 6. She remains imprisoned in the Kings County Jail in lieu of $2-million bail.

Story continues

Her case has gained broad support from legal rights, medical and advocacy organizations. She has replaced a public defender with a team of high-powered attorneys provided by the National Advocates for Pregnant Women, which also launched a public relations campaign demanding her release.

Fifteen groups have signed on to a legal brief calling for the prosecution to be dropped. The American Civil Liberties Union also has submitted a brief, saying it has successfully defended women in California three times under nearly identical circumstances.

People are up in arms about this, said Mary Sylla, senior staff attorney with the Drug Policy Alliance, who helped prepare the brief signed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry, among other groups. Its anti-woman. I cant imagine another situation where we would be incarcerating somebody for something that would be as personally painful as losing a child.

In comments relayed by her attorney, Becker said she was cautiously optimistic. Id like to be positive. I feel like [the case] should be dismissed because of how the legislation was written, she said. But this is Kings County and they do whatever they want here.

At the heart of the case is a 1970 revision to Californias murder statute that added a fetus as a potential victim.

Legislators made the change after the state Supreme Court overturned the murder conviction of a Stockton man who had beaten his estranged wife, causing her to deliver a stillborn baby. Subsequent amendments explicitly exempted abortions, as well as any act resulting in the death of the fetus where that act was solicited, aided, abetted or consented to by the mother of the fetus.

Kings County prosecutors have argued that the wording means a woman can be charged with the murder of her own unborn child, provided she did not seek a lawful abortion.

The law does not exempt a late-term mother to do an act that results in death to her fetus, Fagundes said.

California courts that have considered the issue have unanimously agreed that the murder law cannot be applied to a woman for killing her own fetus.

First there was Roseann Jaurigue, 36, of Gilroy, whose stillborn babys death in 1992 authorities blamed on cocaine use. Defense attorneys submitted an affidavit from former state Assembly Speaker Craig Biddle, the primary author of the 1970 amendment to the murder statute. He wrote that its sole intent was to make punishable as murder a third partys willful assault on a pregnant woman resulting in the death of her fetus.

No legislator ever suggested that this legislation, as it was finally adopted, could be used to make punishable as murder conduct by a pregnant woman that resulted in the death of her fetus, Biddle wrote.

A San Benito County Superior Court judge ordered the charge dismissed.

A Justice Court in Siskiyou County made a similar ruling the following year, noting that state lawmakers considered bills in 1987, 1989 and 1991 that would allow drug-using mothers to be charged with child endangerment, manslaughter and a misdemeanor offense, respectively. Lawmakers rejected each measure.

The ACLU says it also represented Jackie Lynn Johnson of Contra Costa County in 1995 after she was charged with murder for allegedly using methamphetamine while pregnant. Prosecutors eventually dropped the case.

The facts of the [Becker] case are strikingly similar to the cases that we brought in the past," said Jennifer Chou, reproductive and gender equity attorney for the ACLU of Northern California. Its 30 years later, but were at a moment in time where there is increased attention to drug use, where there is heightened politicization of reproductive rights.

If Beckers case goes to trial, it will be the first time a California court has permitted the murder prosecution of a woman for acts she committed while pregnant that resulted in the loss of her child. A woman could be charged with murder for jaywalking if that resulted in the end of her pregnancy, Chou said.

In a legal filing justifying the charge, prosecutors cited two research articles, saying they show its public knowledge that a mother's methamphetamine use can cause serious harm or death to a viable unborn child.

Thats not true, said Dr. Barry Lester, an author of the articles, professor at Brown Universitys Warren Alpert Medical School and director of the school's Brown Center for the Study of Children at Risk.

Let me put it this way: I cant believe they read those articles and came to this conclusion, said Lester, who has asked the prosecution to file a correction. Because we didn't even study the phenomenon. His colleague, Dr. Donald DeRauf of the Mayo Clinic, also signed a statement saying the citations were inaccurate.

While the papers didnt address the topic, the study on which they were based actually showed no higher incidence of death among babies who were exposed to methamphetamine than it did among a control group, Lester said.

The main takeaway that we learned was that what these drugs seem to do is that they make a baby a little more fragile, Lester said. They dont cause brain damage. They certainly dont cause death.  Ultimately, its the interplay of the effects of the drug and the effects of the environment that determine the outcome of the kid.

Other studies have come to similar conclusions, said Dr. Tricia Wright of UC San Francisco, a clinician and researcher who has written papers on meth use during pregnancy. Along with Terplan, she signed an affidavit calling for the case to be dropped.

"While [meth use] can be a risk factor for a stillbirth, its certainly not causative  any more than prosecuting someone for having diabetes during pregnancy, which can also increase the risk of stillbirth," she said.

Fagundes said the research cited by his office "is largely irrelevant at this stage, because the medical findings in this case conclude that Zachariah C., the full-term fetus, had lethal levels by adult standards of methamphetamine in his blood.

He also denied there were political undertones to the prosecution, calling himself neither pro-life nor pro-death.

The case has shone a bright spotlight on Fagundes. The lifelong Hanford resident and son of a Kings County supervisor was elected district attorney of the conservative-leaning county in 2014 after winning the backing of law enforcement associations.

In late April, the National Advocates for Pregnant Women launched a campaign urging people to contact the district attorney and tell him to dismiss the murder charge. Fagundes said that write-in campaign could be seen as an effort "to intimidate and influence a prosecution.

The Kings County Superior Court sided with his office in early June, denying an application by Beckers lawyers to dismiss the case. Judge Robert Burns said he found the 1993 affidavit signed by Biddle, which the defense team resubmitted as evidence, to be unconvincing.

The judge also said his reading of the states murder statute was in line with the prosecutions.

The defense attorneys have taken their arguments to Californias 5th District Court of Appeal, which theyre asking to prohibit the lower court from continuing with the prosecution. Theyre awaiting a response.

Becker was recently released into the Kings County Jails general population after having been placed in isolation when news of her case hit the papers in November. She said shes found her fellow inmates to be supportive and kind. Shes also heartened by the support the case has received from advocates.

I felt alone when I first got here, Becker said. But now I know that there are people who know I need and deserve help.

If the charge is dismissed, advocates hope the ruling will bolster the case to free Adora Perez, 32, who is two years into an 11-year sentence at the state prison in Chowchilla.

The facts are nearly identical: Fagundes charged the Hanford woman with murder in 2018 after she gave birth to a stillborn baby at the same hospital where Becker had her stillbirth, with staff calling the coroners office. Perez was assigned the same public defender as Becker and appeared before the same judge.

Unlike Becker's, Perezs case did not initially draw the attention of national news outlets or advocacy groups. Her counsel didnt challenge the legality of the proceedings and Perez took a plea agreement, pleading no contest to a charge of voluntary manslaughter.

Weeks later, Perez was able to hire a private attorney, who filed a motion to withdraw the plea. But Judge Burns denied the motion and handed Perez a prison sentence. A court denied a subsequent appeal.

Fagundes defended the agreement, saying it provides Ms. Perez with an ability to rehabilitate her life, and although she cannot bring her fetus back to life, she can be a better mother to her surviving children.
The territory must meet the national requirements to this end for three consecutive days.

Ukraine's Deputy Health Minister, Chief Medical Officer Viktor Liashko has explained how any region may be excluded from the "red" quarantine zone.

"A region may get out of the 'red' zone if it meets national requirements for three days in a row... In order for the region to comply with these indicators, it needs to implement what's prescribed in the Cabinet decree, i.e. to introduce and observe clearly defined restrictive anti-epidemic measures," he said at a briefing on Tuesday, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

The new rules of adaptive quarantine had come into force in Ukraine on August 3, Liashko recalled.

Read alsoOver 1,000 new COVID-19 cases confirmed in Ukraine in past day

In particular, cities and districts are divided into four zones depending on the epidemiological situation.

Under the new rules, Ukraine has been divided into several zones: green, yellow, orange, and red, depending on the COVID-19 threat levels.

Quarantine zones will be reviewed every Friday.
* Brazil on Sunday (August 2) recorded 541 new deaths from COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the national death toll to 94,104, according to the country's health ministry. Meanwhile, tests have detected 25,800 new infections, taking the total caseload to 2,733,677, said the ministry. Brazil has become the hardest hit country in Latin America and the second-worst hit worldwide, second only to the United States in deaths and total number of COVID-19 infections.

* Mexico's Health Ministry said on Sunday that 274 deaths related to COVID-19 were reported during the past 24 hours, taking the national toll from the pandemic to 47,746. Meanwhile, 4,853 new cases of COVID-19 were reported, bringing the total in the country to 439,046. The Mexican Foreign Ministry said in mid-July that the country sought to extend restrictions on non-essential border travel with the United States for an additional 30 days.

* Russia reported 5,394 new cases of the coronavirus on Monday, pushing its national tally to 856,264, the fourth largest in the world. Officials said 79 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 14,207.

* India's health ministry announced on Monday that the country's COVID-19 cases have surpassed 1.8 million, reaching 1,803,695. As many as 52,972 fresh cases were added to the tally in the past 24 hours, according to data released by the ministry. Meanwhile, 771 deaths took place during the past 24 hours taking the total deaths to 38,135. A total of 1,186,203 people have been cured and discharged across the country so far, while 579,357 active cases are being treated in hospitals.

* Republic of Korea reported 23 more cases of the COVID-19 as of 0:00 a.m. Monday local time compared to 24 hours ago, raising the country's total number of infections to 14,389. The daily caseload fell below 30 due to a sharp drop in local infections, but it continued to grow in double digits owing to imported cases. No more death was confirmed, leaving the death toll at 301. The total fatality rate stood at 2.09 percent.

* Germany's COVID-19 cases rose by 509 within one day to 210,402, the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) said on Monday. The death toll in the country rose by seven to stand at 9,148, it added.

* The Norwegian authorities are tracing passengers from recent Arctic voyages after at least 40 crew and passengers from a luxury cruise liner have tested positive for COVID-19, the country's public health department said on Sunday. According to Johns Hopkins University, Norway has reported more than 9,200 cases of COVID-19 and 255 deaths.

* The number of COVID-19 cases in Maldives has crossed 4,000 after recording the highest daily rise in cases amid a resurgence of the virus, local media reported here Monday. As many as 215 new COVID-19 cases were confirmed on Sunday, the Health Protection Agency (HPA) said, raising the country's total case count to 4,164. An 89-year-old Maldivian national died of COVID-19 at the Hulhumale Medical facility on Sunday, marking the second virus-related death within 24 hours and raising the country's virus death toll to 18.

* Colombia's Ministry of Health on Sunday reported a total of 317,651 cases of COVID-19, with 139,037 cases considered active. The death toll rose to 10,650 after 320 more patients died from the disease in the previous day. The total number of people who recovered rose to 167,239. A nationwide lockdown is in effect through Aug. 30.

* Argentina will pursue a debt refinancing program with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) if its current debt renegotiation with private creditors fails to lead to an agreement, Economy Minister Martin Guzman said on Sunday. To avoid defaulting on more thanUS$ 66 billion in foreign debt, Argentina's government has proposed some debt alleviation and a longer repayment schedule.

* At least 13 civilians and three attackers were killed and 42 others wounded in a car bomb attack and gunfight in a prison in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar provincial capital Jalalabad, provincial government spokesman Attaullah Khogiani confirmed Monday. The attack took place on Sunday evening, the last day of the three-day Eid al-Adha ceasefire between the Afghan government and Taliban. The Taliban outfit has denied involvement in the deadly attack.

* Palestine on Sunday welcomed a letter signed by the European Union diplomats to protest against Israel's construction plans in an East Jerusalem area, urging the EU's "actionable decisions." On July 31, representatives of the EU and ambassadors of 15 European countries sent a protest letter to the Israeli Foreign Ministry on the Israeli government's decision to start the construction in the settlement of Givat Hamatos.

* Australia will introduce a pandemic leave payment for workers who have run out of sick leave but need to be quarantined because they have been directed to stay at home due to the novel coronavirus, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Monday. The announcement comes as the country deals with a second wave of infections, and its second most populous state, Victoria, closes retail shops, limits construction projects and curtails manufacturing activity in order to slow the spread of COVID-19.

* Poland's health minister said police health authorities would start checks in shops this week to see if people are following regulations to keep their mouths and noses covered.

* Israel's army said on Sunday its troops attacked a "terror squad" that attempted to plant explosive devices near the disputed border between Syria and Israel. A military spokesperson said in a statement that the incident took place late on Sunday night near the Alpha Line between Syria and Israel.

* The Iranian president on Sunday expressed hope that dialogue among Afghan political groups will result in durable peace in Afghanistan, official IRNA news agency reported. In a phone conversation with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, Hassan Rouhani welcomed the cease-fire in the neighboring country and expressed hope that a temporary truce will lead to standing tranquility and drop of violence in Afghanistan. He announced Iran's consistent support for the peace process led by the Afghan government.

* Over 1,300 firefighters were battling a fast-growing wildfire burning out of control on Sunday in Riverside County of Southern California, the United States. The blaze, dubbed "Apple Fire," forced around 8,000 local residents to be evacuated, the authorities said.

* A Cameroonian military plane crashed in a bush during landing at Maroua Airport in the country's Far North region on Sunday, but there were no fatalities, local authorities said. The plane sped off the runway following landing and crashed in the bush, authorities said. Several people, including civilians and soldiers, were injured and were immediately rushed to the hospital to receive medical attention.

* Spanish firefighters and military emergency personnel battled amid blistering heat on Monday to control a wildfire in the Madrid region that had burned through the night and forced the evacuation of several houses. The director of Madrid's emergency services said early on Monday that firefighters had established a perimeter around the blaze and would now deploy aircraft to drop water on the flames.
Doug McNair pumped his fist in the final strides of the $200,964 Battle Of Waterloo final on Monday at Grand River Raceway as Bettor Sun strode clear to a 1:53.4 victory as the 8-5 second choice.

Avion Seelster swept to the lead from post 6 moving up the backstretch towards a :28 first quarter, but yielded command to Bettor Sun heading to the second turn. Springbridge Duel, the 8-5 favourite, tipped first over from fourth moving to a :56.2 half and marched to race at Bettor Suns wheel nearing three-quarters in 1:25.1.

Into the final turn Springbridge Duel lost ground while Avion Seelster raced anxiously in the pocket. By the top of the stretch Bettor Sun hit another gear, kicking away from Avion Seelster while Cantstoplying -- at 68-1 -- claimed third.

Last week he was surprised by a lot of people, myself as well, McNair said after the race of Bettor Suns 36-1 upset in the Waterloo elimination. I didnt think that one of Casies [Springbridge Duel] was beatable in that race. But of all the colts we qualified, I thought he went as good as any. I mean he got interfered with in his first lifetime start -- he went a long first over -- it just didnt work out. Hes really good gaited; he gets around these turns just like a hoop around a barrel.

The two-hole was a great spot -- anything inside [post] five I thought he had a good shot, McNair also said. I figured [Jamieson and Avion Seelster] had a little bit of horse, but three-quarters of the way around the turn I let mine pace and we overcame it. That was a good mile today, [1]:53.4. They did a good job with the track...sometimes this track can get a little deep but they kept it good and hard today.

The victory gave driver Doug McNair and trainer Gregg McNair their fourth team victory in the Battle of Waterloo. The McNairs previously won the Battle Of Waterloo with Magnum J in 2017, Three Of Clubs in 2013, and Trail Boss in 2008.

It doesnt feel as great as winning the first time obviously, McNair said, but every time is good. This is my home track and I love coming here.

A colt by Sunshine Beach, Bettor Sun has won two race from three starts, earning $116,558 for owner Willow Oak Ranch. He paid $5.40 to win.

Bursting out of the pocket into the final turn, Scarlett Hanover soared through the off going to a stakes-record 1:54.3 win in the $128,149 Battle of the Belles Final under wraps.

Ring Of Kerry claimed command from the pylon post, allowing Scarlett Hanover to secure the pocket from the second tier. Turning The Table tucked into third as 6-5 favourite Andra Day landed in fourth from post 8 moving to a :27.4 first quarter. The tempo slowed moving towards a :57 half, prompting Andra Day to move first over.

Andra Day advanced to pressure Ring Of Kerry moving towards three-quarters in 1:25.4 but began to back through the field entering the final turn. Driver Ed Hensley raced tightly in the pocket with Scarlett Hanover until finding clearance midway into the final turn. Once fed racetrack, Scarlett Hanover gained separation, opening three lengths on Ring Of Kerry holding second from Cyclone Seelster, who made a three-wide rally up the backstretch and around the final turn to take third.

My mare was getting a little rammed; she was wanting to get out of the hole...I might have to put some ear plugs or something on her because shes getting a little aggressive, Hensley said after the race. She wanted out, and I was able to get out of there just in time to get her ahead and let her pace down the lane.

Owned by Burke Racing Stable LLC, J&T Silva Purnel & Libby and Weaver Bruscemi LLC, Scarlett Hanover won her second race from four starts, earning $101,856. Ashleigh Hensley trains the filly by Bettors Delight who paid $6.20 to win.

Several Ontario Sires Stakes events for three-year-old pacing fillies also filled the Industry Day card. To read a recap of those events, click this link.

To view Monday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Monday Results  Grand River Raceway.
According to media reports on August 1, jail intelligence officials of Sri Lanka detained a cat allegedly trying to smuggle drugs and sim cards. The cat was arrested at Sri Lankas main high-security Welikada Prison. A police official reportedly said that nearly two grams of heroin, two SIM cards, and a memory chip were found in a small plastic bag tied around the cat's neck.

However, in a new development, the cat escaped on August 2 from the prison room where it was kept. There was no immediate comment by officials, according to Sri Lankan media. Last week, according to international media reports, Sri Lankan officials also seized a drug trafficking eagle, who reportedly belongs to underworld leader Angoda Lokka. The eagle was taken under custody by the Western Province Intelligence Unit of Sri Lanka Police in Meegoda.

Two suspects were arrested by police from a farm where the eagle and an air rifle were found. Police officials are suspecting that the drug traffickers who trained the cat are part of the same cartel that was caught using an eagle to smuggle drugs in a suburb of Colombo. The mastermind behind these drugs smuggling Lokka died while hiding from the authorities in early July, according to local media.

Read: Sri Lanka Seizes $65 Million Worth Of Drugs, 9 Pakistani Men Arrested

Read: Drugs Bound For Sri Lanka Seized, Nine Held In TN

Sri Lanka's Drug Problem

The Sri Lankan authorities on April 2 said the navy reportedly seized $65 million worth of crystal methamphetamine and ketamine in the countrys biggest drug bust. According to international media reports, the authorities raided a flagless vessel in the countrys southern waters after receiving a tip-off. The Sri Lankan navy arrested nine Pakistani men, who were suspected of smuggling drugs. Sri Lanka is in a bid to eradicate drug problems supplied via Indian ocean, In the month of June Sri Lankas president had ordered the executions of four drug offenders who will be hanged in prison soon, amid alarm over drug-related crimes in this Indian Ocean island nation.

Read Sri Lanka: Rajapaksa Hope To Further Tighten His Grip With Outright Win

Read:Irfan Pathan Set To Be Biggest Attraction In Sri Lanka Premier League: Report

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Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey in 2015. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times)

The husband of Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey has been charged with multiple counts of assault in connection with a March incident recorded on video in which he waved a gun at protesters outside the couple's Granada Hills home, according to court filings made public Tuesday.

The California attorney general's office filed three counts of misdemeanor assault with a firearm against David Lacey on Monday, records show. Lacey had been under investigation for several months after video surfaced of him brandishing a handgun on his doorstep on March 2.

An arraignment is scheduled for Aug.13, the attorney general's office said. David Lacey is not currently in police custody, a representative for the district attorney's reelection campaign said.

The case was investigated by the Los Angeles Police Department but will be prosecuted by the California Department of Justice to avoid any conflict of interest. David Lacey previously worked as an investigative auditor in the district attorney's office.

The chaotic scene, much of which was captured in cellphone video, unfolded when protesters affiliated with Black Lives Matter L.A. and other local organizations descended on the Laceys' Granada Hills home for a predawn protest. The group had banged on drums and gathered in the street before three of them approached Lacey's home and knocked on the door.

Footage shows David Lacey open the door and point a handgun in the direction of the protesters.

I will shoot you. Get off of my porch," he said in the video.

Melina Abdullah, one of the city's most visible Black Lives Matter activists and among the district attorney's loudest critics, was among those David Lacey allegedly aimed the weapon at.

#BREAKING This morning Los Angeles District Attorney Jackie Laceys husband pulled a gun out on Black Lives Matter activists who protested his wife in front of their house. @BLMLA pic.twitter.com/wnCFMMvaWV  Jasmyne Cannick (@Jasmyne) March 2, 2020

At a news conference after the incident, Jackie Lacey apologized and said her husband was reacting in fear, as she had received death threats during a contentious reelection campaign. Lacey will face former San Francisco Dist. Atty. George Gascon in the November general election.

Story continues

In a statement Tuesday, Lacey again cited the vitriolic campaign as a reason for her husband to be worried about their safety.

"The events that took place earlier this year have caused my family immense pain. My husband acted in fear for my safety after we were subjected to months of harassment that included a death threat no less than a week earlier," she said. "Protesters arrived at my house shortly after 5 a.m. while I was upstairs. My husband felt that we were in danger and acted out of genuine concern for our well-being."

In March, The Times asked the district attorney's office to provide additional information about threats faced by the Laceys. At the time, a spokeswoman for the office said the family had received numerous documented threats  including a death threat in recent weeks. A protester also rushed toward the stage shouting at Lacey during a January debate.

Only one of the threats to Lacey was serious enough to be referred to an outside law enforcement agency, however, and Long Beach police told The Times in March that investigators did not "believe the suspect intended to carry out the reported threat.

David Lacey's defense attorney, Samuel Tyre, said his "client's human instinct is forever and always to protect his wife and his family and to keep them safe from physical harm." He declined to comment on the facts of the case.

Carl Douglas, the civil rights attorney representing Abdullah and two other protesters named in the complaint, described the Laceys' explanation that they were in fear for their lives as "laughable." He said that the Laceys' home has a doorbell equipped with a camera that would have made clear the protesters at their doorstep were unarmed.

"Rarely, in 40 years of toiling in this space, have I ever been so pleasantly surprised to see justice in action, that [Atty. Gen.] Xavier Becerra and his team would understand the wrongfulness and the maliciousness of David Lacey pulling a handgun on peaceful protesters," he said.

Abdullah said she was thankful for Becerra's decision, but also questioned why felony charges weren't filed, suggesting David Lacey was given preferential treatment due to his status. Abdullah also scoffed at the idea that the Laceys felt threatened, noting that Jackie Lacey was familiar with her and the other two protesters at the door.

I would think that if youre afraid you would stay in the house and call the police because you were in fear," said Abdullah, a professor at Cal State L.A. "They werent in fear. They were agitated.

Laurie Levenson, a Loyola Law School professor and former federal prosecutor, said felony charges would have been excessive. Several circumstances  David Lacey's knowledge of the prior threats against his wife, the fact that he was at his home and his lack of a criminal record  were all likely mitigating factors the attorney general's office considered, Levenson said.

I dont know whether he is thinking particularly clearly at 5 a.m. when people are on his doorstep and there has been increasing harassment of his wife, she said, adding that she did not condone David Lacey's behavior. "Its easy to say he shouldnt have been so afraid, he should have called the police, he made an unwise decision. But making an unwise decision doesnt always end up with a felony or even a criminal charge.

Protests at Lacey's office and home demanding that she resign for failing to prosecute police killings have become more frequent in the run-up to her November contest with Gascon.

During one event in late June, demonstrators and police officers had a brief standoff down the block from her home after some protesters began to pile mattresses and other debris on top of LAPD cruisers in the area. Officers in riot gear descended on the neighborhood, but the confrontation ultimately ended without arrests or injuries.

Lacey is in a tough reelection battle amid nationwide calls for criminal justice reform that have ramped up following the police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

Gascon has picked up endorsements from progressive luminaries such as Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren in recent months, while prominent politicians such as U.S. Reps. Adam Schiff and Ted Lieu have withdrawn their support from Lacey. Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has also signaled that he is reconsidering his endorsement of the incumbent.
The World Wildlife Fund for Nature - WWF - reports that nearly 3 billion animals were killed or displaced by Australias wildfires in 2019 and 2020. The number, reported in late July, was about three times higher than an earlier WWF estimate.

A team of 10 scientists studied more than 11 million hectares of Australias countryside to create the latest estimate.

In total, the wildfires affected about 143 million mammals, 2.46 billion reptiles, 180 million birds and 51 million frogs, the WWF said. The group noted that koalas, kangaroos and other native animals were among the affected wildlife.

This ranks as one of the worst wildlife disasters in modern history, said WWF-Australia Chief Executive Officer Dermot OGorman.

The WWF said it used different methods to estimate wildlife populations, including information from over 100,000 studies. The scientists created models to estimate the number of creatures found in areas destroyed by fire.

Project leader Lily Van Eeden from the University of Sydney said the research was the first continent-wide examination of animals affected by wildfires. Other nations can build upon this research to improve understanding of bushfire impacts everywhere, she said.

The total includes wildlife that fled destroyed habitats. These creatures faced a lack of food and shelter or the likelihood of moving into already occupied habitats.

Researchers said the destruction will cause some species to become extinct before their existence is even recorded.

We dont even know what we are losing, said Chris Dickman, a professor of ecology at the University of Sydney. He spoke to Reuters news agency. These were species that were here and now they have gone... Its almost too tragic to think about, Dickman added.

The WWF report calls for improvements in habitat connectivity to help species escape from fires. It also calls for identifying and protecting habitat that was not burned to help save threatened species. An expanded report on the study is expected later this year.

The wildfires started in September 2019 and continued through March of this year. Scientists say the fires were fueled by higher than normal temperatures and years of drought in the Australian bush. The fires caused 34 human deaths and destroyed nearly 3,000 homes.

The WWF said that over the past year, it had raised money from donors to deploy emergency aid to the front lines of the fires to help injured and displaced wildlife.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Reuters reported on this story. Bryan Lynn adapted the report for VOA Learning English, with additional information coming from the WWF. 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

rank  v. give someone a position on a list of things in order of importance

impact  n. effect on something

habitat n. the natural environment of an animal or plant

species  n. a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants

extinct  adj. no longer existing in nature

drought  n. a period of extended dryness caused by a lack of rain

front lines  n. a position of direct and important influence
As it has been for everyone, 2020 has been a year of uncertainty for Modern Family star Jesse Tyler Ferguson. But when the COVID-19 pandemic plunged the world into unknown territory, the actor still knew one thing for sure: In mid-July, a baby was coming, he tells AD. It was nice to have that reassurance that there was something concrete to look forward to.

Of course, even with a global pandemic and protests happening, the child would need a place to sleep in the Los Angeles home Ferguson shares with his husband, Justin Mikita. They had turned to Breegan Jane, an interior designer who stars alongside Ferguson on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, for help before the lockdown orders in California. Though the actual installation of the nursery had to take place later than they had hoped, she was able to work her magic before the birth of the couples new son.

Shot by.jpg Photo: Ryan Garvin

Beckett Mercer Ferguson-Mikita arrived home to a room Jane decked out in furniture from Pottery Barn Kids, with a blue-and-yellow color-blocked paint job as the focal point. The nursery is fresh, inviting, approachable, and bright, with modern touches, Jane tells AD, noting that Ferguson and Mikitas openness allowed for a lot of freedom with the design.

Below, Ferguson tells AD more about the nursery and being a first-time dad.

Architectural Digest: What were some of the initial ideas you and Justin presented to Breegan?

Jesse Tyler Ferguson: We werent sure the sex of the child, so we wanted to go really gender neutral and we wanted it to be fun. We wanted it to be a space that we were all comfortable in. We loved the idea of a joyful rainbow type thing, but we didn't want to be so literal, so we sort of picked our favorite colors of the rainbow which were greens and golds and yellow.

Shot by 9.JPG Photo: Ryan Garvin

AD: As first-time dads, how did you figure out what your must-have items were?

JTF: That is one of the reasons we asked Breegan to do this room. We have had our homes in Los Angeles and New York City featured in AD, and the fantastic designer Peter Gurski worked on both places. He doesnt have kids, so we felt we needed someone who was a parent to do this room. Breegan is someone whose designs we know well because we have gotten close to her on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. I was drawn to her designs. I felt like we were on the same page. The other designer on the show lives in New Jersey, so she wasnt an option. Breegan was close and local, and it was nice working with a friend. It was an easy ask. But as far as must-haves, I sort of looked to her and was like, You tell me what we need because I am totally new. I know we need a crib and a place for us to lie down.

Story continues

AD: Was she able to give you good advice ?

JTF: Absolutely. She brought in some things that we didnt even know we might need, like humidifiers and sound machines. Just little touches that she knew would be helpful for us as new parents. She wanted a glider chair instead of rocker. Things she felt were more helpful for her when she was a new parent. She wanted to pass on those pieces of advice to us. We are really grateful that she did that. She is also good at organization. We opened the drawers to the dresser, and everything was itemized. She had all these clothes and baby accessories we didnt even know existed, so it was quite a reveal day.

AD: Was there anything that was a surprise to you?

JTF: It was all in the little touches. There is this pom-pom mobile above the bed that picks up the colors of the room and pops. The stuffed animals and throw pillows. These arent things that we were talking about. They were just nice surprises that made the room above-and-beyond.

Shot by 4.JPG Photo: Ryan Garvin

AD: How has the whole experience of lockdown impacted your journey of becoming a father?

JTF: You know, I am always an optimist. I certainly am not one who wants to find joy in what we are experiencing right now, because Id rather be working, the world be open, people have their jobs. But there was a blessing for us in that Justin and I got to spend those first months before the baby came together. We had this really nice quiet time at home before Beckett arrived and then once Beckett was here. I was meant to be doing a play and I wasnt going to be here for the first two weeks of Becketts time on this planet. I got to have that with him instead of a job pulling me away. So there were blessings in disguise because of the lockdown. You know, you cant take a baby, really, anywhere the first months anyway. As someone who suffers from FOMO, there is really nothing to have FOMO about now.

AD: You have the best thing going on at home right now! Do you have a favorite element of the nursery if you had to pick one?

JTF: I guess the centerpiece of the nursery for me is the crib. I spend a lot of time looking at it because I spend a lot of time looking at Beckett while he is sleeping.

Originally Appeared on Architectural Digest
LATEST, Aug. 4, 5 p.m.: San Mateo and Santa Cruz counties both passed ordinances enforcing fines on people who don't follow local or state COVID-19 guidelines on wearing masks. Both counties' Board of Supervisors unanimously passed the emergency ordinances, and they enforce the same fines for people: $100 for the first offense, $200 for the second offense and $500 for further violations within the same year.

Businesses in San Mateo County that violate the guidelines would face a minimum fine of $250 and a maximum fine of $3,000 per violation.

Several other Bay Area counties have implemented similar ordinances, including Napa, Contra Costa and Marin.

Aug. 4, 4 p.m. A technical issue hindering up-to-date accurate reporting of the state's coronavirus case numbers is prompting an incomplete picture of new infections, a state health official said Tuesday. The state's official data page now includes a note stating the numbers in their official tracker represent an underreporting of actual positive cases each day.

The latest daily tally posted Tuesday showed 4,526 new confirmed positives, the lowest total in more than six weeks and a precipitous drop from the record nearly 13,000 reported two weeks ago. County health officials are now posting notices on their sites advising of the lag and that a drop in cases might not paint a full picture.

Santa Clara County issued a statement on the technical issue Tuesday afternoon, writing, "Due to a significant and unresolved problem with the State of Californias reporting system for communicable diseases the County Public Health Department .. is experiencing significant underreporting of COVID-19 testing results."

It's not yet clear how widespread the reporting issue is at this point. Read more here.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Aug. 4, 3:50 p.m. The Santa Rita Jail in Alameda County reported 13 positive cases of the coronavirus in inmates Tuesday, 10 of which are asymptomatic cases. Zero are currently hospitalized, and zero have died as a result of COVID-19. A total of 205 positive cases have recovered.

Aug. 4, 1:40 p.m. American Airlines will furlough nearly 400 workers at San Francisco International Airport and permanently halt operations at the Oakland International Airport on October 1, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. The news follows an announcement last month that United would also furlough up to 40% of its workforce at the same time, when the companies are able to downsize under the Cares Act.

Read more from the Chronicle.

Aug. 4, 1:30 p.m. Some California elementary schools in counties with high rates of coronavirus transmission may be able to open for in-class learning this fall after the California Department of Public Health posted guidelines for a waiver process on Monday.

State officials outlined a framework for the reopening of schools last month and are requiring that schools in the counties on the watch list keep their campuses closed and offer distancing learning until their county is off the list for at least 14 days.

Counties on the list are being monitored closely by the state and are restricted from opening certain sectors. Currently, 38 of the state's most populous counties are on the list, including all nine Bay Area counties.

Read more from SFGATE.

Aug. 4, 12:15 p.m. San Francisco Department of Public Health Director Dr. Grant Colfax addressed city residents in a livestreamed press conference Tuesday morning, noting that while case numbers and hospitalizations in San Francisco remain high, indicators currently look slightly better than they did last week.

San Francisco is set to soon cross the 7,000-case mark  an alarming milestone  and still counts more than 50 new cases of the coronavirus a day. Those stats keep the city in the red zone, "on high alert," and on the state's watch list. A total of 92 San Franciscans are hospitalized, but that number is "a slight drop from last week," Colfax explained. Additionally, while the county's current R0 score isn't as high as it's seen in recent weeks (1.34), it's still not below 1, as it was in April and May.

One "likely" reason for the slowdown in cases: the pause in reopening San Francisco businesses. Colfax noted that if residents continue to wear masks and cases drop, city health officers will "continue to follow the data closely to determine when reopening could begin again."

"I can't speculate on a date at this point," he continued. "We'll need to follow the data and make an evidence-based decision."

Aug. 4, 11:50 a.m. San Quentin prison announced the 22nd death of an inmate Tuesday.

The unnamed individual died Aug. 3 "at an outside hospital from what appear to be complications related to COVID-19," according to a statement from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.

The Marin County facility currently has 168 inmates with active COVID-19 infections. Since the start of the pandemic, 1,965 inmates have tested positive, according to the CDCR tracker.

Aug. 4, 9:30 a.m. Ahead of the start of the school year, the California Department of Public Health posted new guidelines for youth sports on Monday. While games and events are banned amid the coronavirus pandemic, practices are allowed if precautions are taken, such maintaining a stable group of kids and maintaining six feet of distance.

"Activities should take place outside to the maximum extent practicable," the guidelines state. (Find the full set of guidelines here.)

In response to the ongoing pandemic, the California Interscholastic Federation, which regulates prep sports in the state, delayed all fall high school sports to next year. Sports like football, volleyball and cross country will hold their section playoffs in March. The state championship for high school football will be held on April 17, 2021.

Aug. 4, 9 a.m. As the coronavirus pandemic has clouded hopes of reopening schools nationwide, parents who want more than remote instruction have been scrambling to hire tutors and private teachers for small groups of children. The race to set up learning pods threatens to vastly deepen inequities in access to education.

In some cases, parents are paying thousands of dollars each to include their children in pods, promising teachers $40 to $100 an hour or more. A Facebook group on learning pods attracted more than 30,000 members within three weeks of being formed and launched numerous offshoots in states and cities. New sites like pod-up.com and partnerpods.org have emerged offering to connect families and instructors.

Read the full story on SFGATE.

Aug. 4, 7:50 a.m. California saw its deadliest month in July, according to data from the California Department of Public Health.

The state had 16 days when 100 or more deaths were reported. July 31 alone saw 219 fatalities, the highest number of same-day deaths since the start of the pandemic. Before July, from March to June, there were six days when the death toll was above 100.

While the case rate decreased in California at the start of August, the death rate remains high with 121 deaths per day reported on average across the last 14 days.

Gov. Gavin Newsom noted at a Monday press briefing that deaths are a lagging indicator and even though the number of new cases may be slowing, we're likely to see the death toll "remain stubbornly high over the course of the next number of days."

The state's rate of new cases is decreasing and Newsom said the average number of new cases across seven days is 7,764, compared to roughly 9,859 a week ago. The seven-day average is down 21.2% from last week. "That's some good news," the governor said.

While more tests are being implemented than ever before, the percentage of people testing positive is going down.

The 14-day positivity rate is 7% compared to 7.5% a week ago. The positivity rate is an indicator tracked by officials and the World Health Organization recommends a state or region maintain a 5% positivity rate for at least two weeks before lifting shelter-at-home protocols.

Aug. 4, 7:05 a.m. Hundreds of families in East Palo Alto have been unable to pay rent due to the COVID-19 pandemic and are struggling to get assistance, housing advocates said at a briefing Monday.

Community activist and renter Laura Rubio, a single mother whose daughter is at college, cleans houses for a living. She lost her job in April and even though she's back to work now, few clients are hiring. She said she makes up to $200 a week now, only enough to cover basic expenses.

Read the full story on SFGATE.

Aug. 4, 7 a.m. All nine Bay Area counties are on the state's COVID-19 monitoring list and are subject to state-mandated indoor business closures, with analysis showing that only Santa Clara County has a chance of breaking free.

A county must be off of the watch list for 14 days before its schools can hold in-person classes. With the start of the new school year right around the corner, many parents are surely hoping their counties can escape the watch list sometime in the near future.

Read the full story on SFGATE.

Aug. 4, 6:55 a.m. A San Francisco judge on Monday denied a legal challenge brought on by property owners looking to block a new San Francisco law prohibiting landlords from evicting or imposing late fees on tenants who can't pay because of COVID-19.

The COVID-19 Tenant Protections ordinance, initially introduced by Supervisor Dean Preston back in early June, has since been signed by Mayor London Breed.

Read the full story on SFGATE.

Aug. 4, 6:45 a.m. a.m. The San Mateo County City Council will consider an emergency ordinance Tuesday that would impose fines for businesses and individuals who violate the state's public health orders. Those who refused to wear masks could be ticketed.

Fees for individuals would be $100 for first offense, $200 for second and $500 for each additional violation. Businesses would be required to pay $250 to $3,000, depending on the severity of health risk.

Several other Bay Area counties have implemented similar ordinances, including Napa, Contra Costa and Marin.

Coronavirus in the greater Bay Area: Links you need

COUNTY HEALTH DEPARTMENTS

Alameda County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Contra Costa County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Lake County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Marin County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Monterey County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Napa County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

San Benito County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

San Francisco County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

San Mateo County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Santa Clara County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Santa Cruz County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Solano County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

Sonoma County: Find the latest COVID-19 numbers and health order.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Here are answers to your most frequently asked questions about coronavirus

Lasting heart damage could be COVID-19's legacy for some non-hospitalized survivors

Bay Area had avoided spikes until shutdown fatigue, early reopening and prison outbreak

WHEN WILL THE BAY AREA REOPEN?

Is it less dangerous to reopen elementary schools than high schools?

Solano County health chief: It may be impossible to get off state watch list

San Mateo County added to state COVID-19 watch list, faces business closures
Representative image

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted fairly widespread rainfall in Gujarat, with heavy to very heavy showers in isolated places of the state, between Tuesday and Friday.

Several parts of Saurashtra region, especially Gir Somnath, Junagadh, Amreli and Rajkot districts, received heavy rainfall on Tuesday.

Veraval in Gir Somnath received 132 mm rainfall between 6 am and 4 pm on Tuesday, followed by Mangrol in Junagadh district at 121 mm, Khambha and Bagasra in Amreli at 120 mm and 119 mm respectively, the State Emergency Operation Centre said.

The MeT department also issued warnings for fishermen to not venture into the Arabian Sea along the south and north Gujarat coasts till August 8, as the sea will be rough with wind speed of up to 45-55 kmph due to the squally conditions.

"In view of favourable monsoon conditions, Gujarat is very likely to experience an active wet spell from August 4 to August 7," the IMD said.

Gujarat region, Saurashtra-Kutch as well as Daman and Dadra and Nagar Haveli will receive light to moderate rainfall during this period, it said.

Isolated parts of the region will also receive heavy to very heavy rainfall, with extremely isolated rainfall, it said.

Saurashtra, south Gujarat and adjoining east-central districts are likely to experience "fairly widespread to widespread rainfall" due to a low pressure area that has formed over Bay of Bengal and a cyclonic circulation created in south Gujarat region and neighbouring areas between 3.1 and 7.6 km, said Jayant Sarkar, director of the Ahmedabad MeT centre of the IMD.

"South Gujarat region, especially Valsad, Navsari, Dang, Tapi, Surat and Bharuch districts, will receive rains, while showers will also be witnessed in coastal districts of Saurashtra such as Bhavnagar, Amreli, Gir Somnath and Junagadh," he said.

North Gujarat may not witness much rainfall, he said, adding that the wet spell will to some extent reduce rain deficiency in the state.
By Abdirahman Hussein

MOGADISHU (Reuters) - At a government building in a former United Nations compound in Mogadishu, Khadar Sheikh Mohamed stares at a bank of giant screens displaying weather conditions across the country.

Mohamed is the director of the new national disaster early warning centre designed to help Somalia predict disasters. This year it has already suffered from flooding and a locust invasion.

"Finding the accurate data which may save lives is ... important for us," he told Reuters at the centre.

The centre opened in June, and is funded by Saudi Arabia through the United Nations' World Food Programme. It was conceived after cycles of floods and drought caused widespread food shortages, including a famine in 2011 that killed more than a quarter of a million people.

Out of Somalia's 15 million people, 5.2 million currently need aid, the United Nations says, and more than 2.6 million are displaced due to fighting and natural disasters.

Somalia has been rent by civil war since 1991, and a fragile, federalist government is battling al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab insurgents.

The violence has destroyed almost all the country's infrastructure and driven many educated Somalis abroad, but in recent years the internationally backed administration has been trying to rebuild government institutions.

At the centre, dozens of Somali analysts use the latest satellite data, from temperatures to wind pressure, to provide early warnings for flooding, drought, and locust movements.

Government officials said they had initially struggled to recruit skilled workers locally.

"Somalis don't really have the expertise," said Muqtar Sheikh Hassan, the director general at the ministry of humanitarian and disaster management, so they had hired foreign experts to train local analysts.

Now the centre is fully staffed by Somalis, said Mohamed. "Sometimes you have only 24 or 72 hours to evacuate people. If the information is in another language, it takes more time to translate and disseminate. Now we are able to release warnings quickly."

(Writing by Duncan Miriri; Editing by Katharine Houreld and Giles Elgood)
The rock bands legal team launched an investigation last week after their former sound engineer claimed to have heard crew members discuss the sexual assault of an unconscious woman in a dressing room at a gig in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After speaking to the female engineer, as well as venue staff, tour staff and the alleged victim, the legal team said they were unable to find any corroboration whatsoever for these claims.

However, the Las Vegas-formed band, who have headlined Glastonbury twice, urged anyone with further information to contact them.

The claims emerged last week in a blog post by the sound engineer, who said she had worked with The Killers briefly in 2009, and claimed she had been the only female touring with them at the time.

None of the band members were implicated in the allegations.

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The bands legal representatives said at the time that they were taking the allegations extremely seriously and they were astonished and shocked by these claims.

In a lengthy statement detailing the findings of their investigation, The Killers legal team said the serious accusations were discovered to be entirely unfounded.

They said the sound engineer had joined the touring team for three weeks and received much of the information detailed in her blog post from a second or third hand source.

It added: She confirmed that she did not witness the alleged events herself.

The legal team said a former front of house engineer for the band, one of her superiors, had been a problematic workmate whose treatment of others was deemed unfair by those who witnessed it.

They concluded this persons poor management and sexist remarks and rude comments had caused the female engineer great distress.

Several crew members who were interviewed said this employee, who no longer works for the band, could have been the person who made a number of radio transmissions about an incident in Dressing Room A  taken to be the alleged sexual assault.

The legal team said everyone interviewed during the probe claimed the idea the band had been paying them extra to bring back girls or have one waiting in the shower was an in-joke based upon urban legends of tours from an earlier era, and not something any of them had ever done.

However, The Killers have promised to establish a new touring system where the entire touring party are furnished with an off-site independent HR contact to call anonymously to flag any concerns.

The Killers  Brandon Flowers, Dave Keuning, Mark Stoermer and Ronnie Vannucci Jr  formed in 2001 and are preparing to release their sixth album Imploding The Mirage.
China suspends extradition treaty with New Zealand

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 10:24 AM

China has suspended its extradition agreement with New Zealand in response to Wellington suspending its existing extradition treaty with Hong Kong.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin announced the decision at a daily briefing on Monday, adding, "New Zealand's practices grossly interfere in China's internal affairs."

New Zealand suspended the extradition treaty with Hong Kong last week, citing the enactment of a uniform national security law in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

"New Zealand can no longer trust that Hong Kong's criminal justice system is sufficiently independent from China," Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters said on Tuesday, adding, "If China in future shows adherence to the 'one country, two systems' framework then we could reconsider this decision."

Earlier, Canada, Australia, and Britain had suspended their extradition agreements with Hong Kong over the same matter.

Wenbin said last Tuesday that the security law had been an "an excuse" for those countries to unilaterally suspend their extradition treaties with the Chinese region.

The United States, which has already ended the preferential economic treatment of Hong Kong, is also preparing to suspend its own extradition treaty with the city.

The US, New Zealand, Canada, Britain, and Australia are members of the so-called "Five Eyes" (FVEY) intelligence alliance.

Hong Kong's new security law, detested by Western governments, punishes crimes of secession, subversion, and collusion with foreign forces with sentences of up to life in prison in Hong Kong.

Under the law, mainland security agencies are also officially based in Hong Kong for the first time since 1997, when the city's rule returned from Britain to China.

Hong Kong has been governed under the "one-country, two-system" model since then, meaning that Chinese sovereignty is applied to the city even as it has its own government.

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Joe Biden released a campaign advertisement recognizing the anniversary. In it, he says that Americans must stand against hate.

And Students Demand Action, a grass-roots arm of the nonprofit Everytown for Gun Safety, posted a message on Instagram in remembrance of the victims. We are committed to fighting for stronger gun legislation, because too often guns end up in the wrong hands and make hatred lethal, the post read.

Each of these acts of commemoration acknowledged the shooting not only as part of a national scourge of gun violence but also as an example of the countrys struggle with racism.

It has been over two years since young activists led the March for Our Lives, storming Washington with a demand for change after a school shooting in Parkland, Fla., left 17 people dead. In those years, March for Our Lives and Students Demand Action have sprouted hundreds of chapters across the country. In 2018, their organizing efforts helped drive a surge in youth turnout in the 2018 midterm elections. And they have committed themselves to making just as big an impact this year.

The only catch is that many of those young voters who said that gun safety was their top priority in the months after Parkland have now turned their most intense focus toward other issues, particularly matters of racial justice, according to polls.

Still, activists insist that it isnt a matter of either/or. In our interview for an article published yesterday, Alanna Miller, a 19-year-old organizer with Students Demand Action, said that the overlap between issues of racial justice and gun violence was in fact central to activists focus this year.

I dont know if I would still be in this movement, organizing, if I hadnt expanded my worldview in thinking about this issue and how insidious and how pervasive it is, Miller said.
Amanda Holden sent temperatures soaring in a racy red bikini which displayed her spectacular figure in a snap shared to her Instagram on Monday.

The Britain's Got Talent judge, 49, dazzled in the tiny string bikini-top which sported a central sand-ring detail and clung to Amanda's stunning curves.

Amanda's washboard stomach and toned legs were plain to see in the seaside snap which showed the Heart Breakfast presenter strolling through the shallow waves.

Goddess: Amanda Holden sent temperatures soaring in a racy red bikini which displayed her spectacular figure in a snap shared to her Instagram on Monday

The mother of two savoured the peaceful moment by closing her eyes and running a hand through her blonde sea-soaked tresses while stood before a majestic sunset.

The actress captioned the sultry picture 'GreatBritishStaycation' as she is currently enjoying a seaside getaway with her husband and two daughters.

Amanda married record-producer Chris Hughes, 49, in an elegant ceremony at Somerset's Babington House in 2008 and the pair share two children, Lexi, 14, and Hollie, 8.

Golden girls: Amanda is currently enjoying a Great British Staycation with her husband Chris Hughes and daughters Lexi, 14, and Hollie, 8

The TV personality has been documenting the coastal break with a flurry of gorgeous snaps to her social media channels, including a number of swimwear pics.

Amanda posed up a storm on Saturday as she donned a stripy cold-shoulder crop top and a pair of denim hot-pants which accentuated her bronzed limbs.

The Worst Witch star also posted a shot of herself gazing out at the North sea in a blue and white checked top and matching bikini bottoms.

Blonde beauty Amanda captioned the atmospheric pic: 'The sea is a bone chiller but we still swam. Fish and chips supper- can't beat a holiday in Great Britain (when the sun shines) Family time'.

Wow! On Saturday Amanda showed off her toned abs and long legs in an off-the-shoulder top and high-cut shorts as she enjoyed family staycation

Beach babe: Earlier in the day Amanda looked incredible in a blue patterned bikini bottoms and a matching long sleeved top as she looked out on a scenic beach

Family fun: Amanda has been documenting the coastal break with a flurry of gorgeous snaps to her social media channels, including a number of swimwear pics

Last week, Amanda sent her fans into frenzy after sharing a sweet family snap as her followers thought her eldest daughter looks just like Holly Willoughby.

The star posted the Instagram, taken by friend and F1 icon David Coulthard, on Friday captioned: 'Ma famille.'

One wrote: 'Your daughter so reminds me of a young Holly Willoughby! I knew her at 15!'

Another added: 'I was thinking the exact same thing!!'
In response to the programme, icare stated many of the issues are historical and have already been addressed. Additionally, the company says some elements of the report were misleading and inaccurate.

Our primary concern remains our customers  injured people and employers. Over the past five years since we began, we have worked tirelessly to transform a broken system, from one that treated injured workers as numbers and ignored business, to one that puts them at the heart of decision making, an icare spokesperson said.

It is difficult to hear stories of injured workers who have not been treated in the manner they deserve and we actively review their grievances and concerns. We remain committed to providing care and support for every single injured worker and to the sustainable return to work of injured workers more broadly.

Read more: icare review to improve support for vulnerable customers

Additionally, icare has announced improvements in support for vulnerable customers, which will be aided by a review into its management of claims across its insurance and care schemes.

The review, which is expected to commence by September this year, aims to identify the most appropriate support for customers. The final report will be published by the end of 2020.

Building on the deeper insights our Customer Advocate provided in the 2019 review of the Nominal Insurer [NI], an important component that our business must be able to deliver on is best in class support for customers who experience temporary or ongoing vulnerability through the claims processes that we manage and oversee, said CEO and MD of icare, John Nagle ahead of his resignation.

It was one week after the report that Nagle announced his resignation. A statement from the company said Nagle was central in driving fast change across the organisation and was saddened to see him go.

Four days earlier, icares long-standing board member, Mark Lennon, also the president of NSW Labor, tended his resignation from the embattled organisation. NSW Treasurer, Dominic Perrottet, thanked Lennon for his service to icare since its inception in 2015.

So, whats the verdict from outside the organisation?

The State Insurance Regulatory Authority (SIRA) declined an interview but noted its recent submission into the Inquiry into 2020 Workers Compensation Scheme, highlighting icares alleged troubled management of workers compensation and the impact on NIs.

Declining return to work rates and rising healthcare costs have significantly impacted claims costs and the financial position of the NI since 2017, the report stated.

SIRA also considered customer complaints and concerns raised by business representatives, unions (noting that employers and workers are the customers of the workers compensation system) and other stakeholders.

The review contains findings on the operation and sustainability of the NI and recommends significant steps for improvement. It is an important contribution to maintaining a fair and sustainable workers compensation system for NSW.

Among SIRAs priorities for improvement for icare are an early and safe return to work outcomes, including for people with a psychological injury; claims management, early intervention and treatment; premium transparency and volatility in alignment with SIRA guidelines; engagement with employers; data quality, and escalating medical costs due to leakage and increases in utilisation.

But for Richard Gilley (pictured), director at RiskNet which helps employers across Australia manage work, health and safety, workers compensation and industrial relations, icares conduct has, he believes, given it a scathing reputation among insurers.

icare has almost achieved a cult-like status in the last three or four years, he said. Ive been a very strong critic of them for a number of years now, since at least 2017.

Gilley, who concedes hes been called the agitator by icare because of his unflinching criticisms of the organisation, says the behemoth company is difficult to deal with because of the staffs commitment to its claims management model.

 because [icare staff] have got no real experience anywhere else, they dont understand just how disastrous a model that truly is and how poorly that serves everybody, he continued. The claims model is, from an external observer perspective, a complete and utter failure.

According to Gilley, in December 2017 the return to work rate at 26 weeks was 89.6%. In other words, 89.6% of workers that had been injured at work were back at work within 26 weeks, which is about as good as it gets.

He says that return to work mark is what you should be expecting from a system like icare. He also claimed that rate had been fairly consistent for a long, long time.

But then along comes the new claims model in January 2018 and, since then, return to work rates have been collapsing  as of March 2020, that same return to work rate is 80%, he explained. If you look at 89.6% that means that 10.4% of workers continue on receiving workers comp benefits  10.4%. Whereas, if you look at the current 80% rate, that means 20% of workers continue on receiving benefits. The difference is, its almost doubled the continuance rate, which is a shocking statistic.

That means thats 20% of workers now, but if we went back to 2017, 10% of them would be back at work earning their pre-injury salaries and getting on with their lives. Now, theyre confined to the scrappy and thats a disgraceful thing to have happened.

Read next: icare CEO resigns amid financial mismanagement allegations

Alongside its allegedly poor claims management model, Gilley also detailed icares behaviour within the insurance market, which he says amounts to misfeasance in public office.

icare has made threats to service providers about withdrawing their services if they speak up against icare and a large number of people who would otherwise be quite vocal in their criticisms are concerned to make any comments because theyre worried about their futures, he said.

I know rehab providers have been threatened if they raise any questions about how things are going, if they make any public comments, they will cease to get work, he continued. I know insurers have been told to not use certain doctors. Its disgraceful  this is a public sector agency for goodness sake, I dont know who they think they are. Theyre public servants they need to be brought before an Ombudsman and they need to be prosecuted. For that to happen, they should go to jail.

He says if icare employees were using their power as public officials to gain an advantage over another person, it is a problem. The bigger problem, however, is that people are too frightened to put their heads up and say anything.

For Gilley, the only way icare can secure its future is if it starts over and gets rid of the entire board. He says Lennons resignation was a step in the right direction, but not enough.

The board should go and if [NSW Treasurer Dominic] Perrottet hasnt got the guts or the gumption to sack them, well they should resign and fall on their swords, he stated. The icare executives need to go  all of them. Youve got to start again; weve got to get rid of this model that they put together which has caused so much damage.

His solution to the current scandal and to ward off any future mismanagement is to follow the Northern Territory, the ACT and Tasmania in privatising the market.

We [should] kick out the nominal insurer system entirely and privatise the scheme - then you dont need a board, you dont need a chief executive, you dont need any government interference  you let the private sector get on with it like it does in Western Australia, like it does in the ACT, in Tasmania and in the Northern Territory, he claimed.

Its only NSW, Victoria, Queensland and South Australia who have these silly schemes.
Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-o-cha on Tuesday urged anti-government activists not to incite turmoil, a day after protesters called for curtailing the power of Thailands monarchy and loosening strict laws against criticizing the royal family.

The protest Monday was the latest in a series of rallies around the country since mid-July at which participants have become bolder in speaking about the monarchy, while also calling for the ouster of the current government.

I beg (protesters) not to incite turmoil and make things worse during this time because we are attempting to solve many problems, Prayuth told reporters at Government House in Bangkok following a routine cabinet meeting.

Under Thailands Lese-Majeste law, one count of defaming, insulting or threatening the Thai royal family carries a penalty of three to 15 years in prison. Nearly 100 people have been charged under the law since a 2014 coup led by Prayuth, according to iLaw, an online legal advocacy group. He has since been elected Thailands leader.

The Lese-Majeste law has been used less frequently of late, at the request of the King himself, according to Prayuth.

More power than the system allows

Speaking to about 200 people at the protest on Monday, including many who wore Harry Potter costumes, human rights lawyer Arnon Nampa called for curtailing the power of the monarchy and expanding free speech.

We have democracy with the king as the head of state, but the monarchy has much more power than the system allows, Arnon told protesters. We need to seriously deal with this matter and allow everyone to speak out publicly and with due respect to the institution, otherwise we cant solve problems.

This doesnt mean we want to abolish the monarchy  we want to improve how the monarchy legitimately co-exists in the system, he said.

Royal Palace officials declined comment on Tuesday, Reuters news service reported.

On July 18, a student group rallied in Bangkok before a crowd of more than 2,000. They called for the government to dissolve parliament, to stop harassing dissidents and to amend the 2017 Constitution, which they said was tailored to enable Prayuth to maintain power. That first protest was followed by a series of smaller ones across the nation.

On Tuesday, Prayuth said he would tell officials to discuss constitutional amendments, without saying specifically what changes could be considered and presented to the parliament.

He also commented on the protesters.

Im concerned about the lads and I have a guideline that we will listen more to the people, he told reporters. We know the new generation wants a future.

Within this month we will open forums and they can rally, because the law gives them that right.

The King has mercy

In June, Prayuth warned activists not to criticize the monarchy, while dismissing reports linking a Thai activists disappearance in Cambodia to alleged violations of Lese-Majeste.

Since Wanchalearm Satsaksit went missing in early June, the Thai and Cambodian governments have denied having any role in the incident, even as some social media posts had linked the Thai palace to his disappearance.

The worrying thing is the undermining, criticizing of the monarchy. I beg all of you not to believe in distorted information or disseminate information to create hatred, Prayuth told reporters at the time. I need to say this today because I want Thailand to stay peaceful.

What I want all Thais to know is that, lately Article 112 has not been used. Do you know why? Because the King has mercy and advised us not to exercise the law, Prayuth said, referring to the section of the criminal code that covers Lese-Majeste. He added that he had received the advice in person a couple of years ago.

King Maha Vajiralongkorn, now 68, succeeded his father, King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in the wake of his death in October 2016. Bhumibol had reigned for 70 years.
A low-pressure area has formed over the North Bay of Bengal for the first this monsoon season since June 21, which is likely to cause intense rainfall in central and peninsular India over the next three to four days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. Northwest India, including Delhi which had a rain deficiency of 28% as on Tuesday, is likely to largely remain dry during the period.

IMD said the monsoon is in its active phase over Konkan and adjoining areas of the western coast, Odisha, and West Bengal. A cyclonic circulation is also lying over south Gujarat, which has strengthened monsoon flow over the Arabian Sea. Most parts of Konkan and Goa, including Mumbai, have been receiving heavy rain.

IMD scientists said 10 weather stations in Mumbai have recorded extremely heavy rain of over 21 cm since Monday. The heaviest spell was between 11.30 pm to 5.30 am on August 3 [Monday] night, said National Weather Forecasting Centre senior scientist RK Jenamani.

The low-pressure area over the West Bengal-Bangladesh coast is likely to move overland and reach Gujarat on August 7 across central India. It will bring extremely heavy rain on its path covering Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat. Gujarat is also getting moisture-laden winds from the Arabian Sea. The rain deficiency over central India will reduce this week, said Jenamani. We are not expecting rain in northwest India until August 8. Another low-pressure area is likely to form over the Bay of Bengal around August 9.

The low-pressure areas are the main rain-bearing systems during monsoon, which bring rain to parts of central and east India.

IMD said the monsoon trough, which is presently near its normal position between Ganganagar and the Bay of Bengal, is likely to become active during the next two to three days.

The lower level south-westerly/westerly winds have strengthened over the Arabian Sea and over southern parts of Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. Due to these favourable conditions, monsoon will enter its active phase over central and peninsular India from Tuesday for the next 3-4 days, an IMD bulletin said. It said widespread and heavy to extremely heavy rainfall was likely over Konkan, Goa, Mumbai, Madhya Maharashtra on Tuesday and Wednesday. Heavy to very heavy rain is also very likely at a few places over coastal Karnataka, over Kerala and Marathwada from August 4 to 7. Heavy rain is likely over parts of Gujarat on August 5 and 6 and over Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, and Chhattisgarh on August 4 and 5.

IMD has also issued a moderate to severe thunderstorm and lightning warning for east Rajasthan, western Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Vidharbha on Wednesday.

There was 2% rain deficiency across the country as on Tuesday with 10% in the east and northeast, 20% in the northwest, 7% in central India, and 14% excess in peninsular India. The country has recorded a 9.7% rainfall deficiency in July.

A good monsoon, which accounts for 70% of Indias annual rainfall, is crucial for the agriculture sector, on which at least 700 million people in India depend on for livelihood. The monsoon is crucial for the yield of rice, wheat, sugarcane, and oilseeds in a country where farming accounts for about 15% of the economy but employs over half of its people.

Presently, strong squally winds with wind speed reaching 50-60kmph are prevailing over east-central Arabian Sea and along and off south Gujarat- Konkan-Karnataka coasts, over Mumbai and also over south and central Bay of Bengal. It is very likely to continue over these regions on Wednesday and over northeast Arabian Sea along and off Gujarat Coast on Wednesday and Thursday.

Fisherman are advised not to venture into Arabian Sea, along and off Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa coasts and into eastcentral and northeast Arabian Sea during August 4 to 6 and into south and central Bay of Bengal and along and off Odisha and West Bengal coast Tuesday and Wednesday.

Southwest monsoon currently is in active to vigorous phase over Konkan coast and adjoining area of west coasts including Mumbai and over east coast of India covering Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal.

IMD has issued a red category warning for Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, Saurashtra, Kutch on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday for heavy to extremely heavy rain and orange category warning for Kerala, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, east Madhya Pradesh for Tuesday and Wednesday. A red category warning implies that disaster management authorities should act immediately to control any heavy rain related disasters and an orange category warning indicates that they should be prepared to avert any rain related disasters.
Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's tragic death has not only shocked the country, but has triggered a debate on mental health conditions. From depression to anxiety to seeking counsellors, internet has been flooded with discussion on the crucial issue, which otherwise is often ignored. A similar impact has been witnessed in United States after the outbreak of coronavirus. Amid the increased concerns on mental health, Johnson & Johnson has come up with the "first antidepressant for actively suicidal people".

According to a report in Bloomberg, J&J's Spravato has been approved by America's Food and Drug Administration.

The Food and Drug Administration approval means the quick-acting nasal spray will be available to people with suicidal thoughts and a plan to put them into action, Michelle Kramer, vice president of J&J's US neuroscience medical-affairs unit, was quoted as saying. That constitutes 11% to 12% of as many as 17 million Americans who have major depressive disorder.

Spravato has been used by about 6,000 people for treatment-resistant depression since its approval in March 2019, Kramer said. J&J's decision to study it in depressed people actively contemplating suicide bucks a trend among drugmakers who routinely exclude such patients from trials.

Part of the thinking behind the decision was that Spravato's ability to act quickly could mean it works differently than older antidepressants that can take weeks to kick in, Kramer said. In its studies, J&J found those who got the drug had a rapid reduction in the severity of their thinking, although the results didn't differ in a statistically significant way from patients given a placebo, the Bloomberg report stated.

The data from studies of the drug shows it "may offer clinicians a new way to provide support to patients quickly in the midst of an urgent depressive episode and help set them on the path to remission," said Gerard Sanacora, director of Yale's Depression Research Program and a trial investigator.

America has been in the throes of a suicide crisis even before the pandemic, with the rate rising 30% from 1999 to 2016.

In India, some fans of Rajput were reported to have killed themselves after learning about the untimely death of the actor. While a 15-year-old girl died by suicide in Andaman and Nicobar Island's Port Blair on June 17, a class 10 student from Bareilly and a 12-year-old boy from Hapur hanged themselves apparently upset over Rajput's death.

A teenager and an 18-year-old TikTok stars also died by died recently. One of them was said to be depressed over ban on video-making platform. Kannada television actor Susheel Gowda died by suicide in his home town Mandya. Tamil actor Vijaya Lakshmi was recently admitted to a hospital in Chennai after attempting suicide alleging online harassment.

Spravato is a close chemical cousin of the anesthetic ketamine, which differs from existing antidepressants because it acts on the glutamate system in the brain rather than on seratonin or norepinepherine. Scientists have been working to better understand how the drug helps patients and why it works so quickly.

The drug's approval last year marked the first major breakthrough for depression since 1987. President Donald Trump has since trumpeted the drug as having the potential to curb veteran suicides, but a Veterans Affairs medical panel only approved the drug's use on a limited basis, the report stated.
Though LA is still not completely open amid the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, that hasnt stopped new love connections from sparking. While Rob Kardashian was recently spotted out on a date with Instagram model Aileen Gisselle, it looks like Kylie Jenners best friend, Stassie Karanikolaou was also seen with Too Hot To Handle alum Harry Jowsey.

Karanikolaou has been by Jenners side since the demise of the makeup moguls relationship with Jordyn Woods. The sultry blonde has made a name for herself as an influencer and with her twinning photos with Jenner. As a result, her personal and dating life has also sparked interest among fans.

For his part, we were introduced to Harry Jowsey on the Netflix dating show, Too Hot to Handle. In the series, he fell for Canadian beauty, Francesca Farago. The pair dated for a long while after the series ended before Jowsey called it quits in June 2020. Now it appears that hes made a love connection with Karanikolaou.

RELATED: The Bachelorette: Is Tyler Cameron Dating Kylie Jenners BFF Stassie Karanikolaou?

Inside Stassie Karanikolaous dating history

As Jenner began posting more and more of Karanikolaou and referencing her on her social media pages, interest in the sultry blonde began to rise. Then, in the fall of 2019, she was spotted getting super cozy with The Bachelorette alum Tyler Cameron.

Cameron had recently ended a summer fling with supermodel GiGi Hadid when he and Karanikolaou were seen getting flirty at a Los Angeles Clippers game. The pair were then spotted getting cozy at various clubs around the city, but it seemed to be all be in good fun since nothing actually came of it.

When Karanikolaou was spotted chatting close with Rob Kardashian as they entered Kendall Jenners Halloween-themed birthday, rumors also started buzzing, but those were squashed quickly. There is absolutely nothing going on between Rob and Stassie, an insider told Hollywood Life at the time. They have known each other for a long time and he simply looks at her as one of his little sisters friends.

RELATED:Too Hot to Handle: Fans Are Convinced Francesca Farago and Harry Jowsey Broke the Rules on the Final Night

Fans were shocked when Harry Jowsey ended thing with Francesca Farago

For his part, Jowsey is newly single after breaking up with Farago. The pair met in March 2019 while filming Too Hot to Handle. Despite the rocky start to their relationship, they ended up having to forfeit $20,000 because they could not keep their hands off of one another.

After filming ended, the pair visited each other in LA and Vancouver respectively. They even traveled to Jowseys native Australia. The pair struggled to maintain their long-distance relationship, breaking up in early 2020 before rekindling a couple of months later when Too Hot to Handle debuted.

However, in June 2020, a distraught Fargo uploaded a YouTube video revealing that Jowsey had pulled the plug o their relationship. She implied that he was unfaithful and that he had played her. For his part, Jowsey revealed that he simply fell out of love with Fargo.

RELATED: Too Hot to Handle Star Harry Jowsey Removed Matching Tattoo He Got With Francesca Farago

This is why fans are convinced Stassie Karanikolaou and Harry Jowsey are dating

Now, it looks like Jowsey has moved on with Karanikolaiu. Over the weekend, Jowsey posted several photos to his Instagram, and TikTok accounts of himself posed up with Karanikolaou. He captioned the photos, Wholesome [smiley face hearts emoji]. On his TikTok, Jowsey posted Karanikolaou in two videos with Big Puns Still Not a Player and Fletchers Bitter. playing in the background.

Of course, Too Hot to Handle fans are literally losing their minds. One fan quipped, Harry jowsey left francesca farago for stassie baby?? i JUST KNOW its only for clout. I SAID WHAT I SAID.

For her part, Fargo seems unbothered, she was spotted making out with Australian model Casey Boonstra in West Hollywood this past weekend.
Hudson Ltd. (NYSE:HUD)

Q2 2020 Earnings Call

, 10:00 a.m. ET

Contents:

Prepared Remarks

Questions and Answers

Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Good day, everyone, and welcome to the Hudson second-quarter 2020 earnings call. [Operator instructions] Please also note that today's event is being recorded. And at this time, I'd like to turn the call over to Cindi Buckwalter, vice president of investor relations and corporate communications for Hudson. Ms.

Buckwalter, you may begin.

Cindi Buckwalter -- Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

Thank you, operator, and good day, everyone. Thank you all for joining us. This morning, we released our second-quarter results. You can find a copy of our press release and the presentation on our website at investors.hudsongroup.com, along with our Q2 financial statements.

On today's call, we will have Roger Fordyce, our CEO; and Adrian Bartella, our CFO. Please note that management may make forward-looking statements regarding their beliefs and expectations as to the company's future business prospects and results. These statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from these statements. Although we believe the expectations reflected in our forward-looking statements are reasonable, we can give no assurance that such expectations will be realized.

We urge everyone to review the safe harbor statements provided in our earnings release and financial statements, as well as the risk factors contained in our 2019 annual report on Form 20-F, which is available on our website. During today's call, we'll refer to both IFRS and non-IFRS financial measures of the company's operating and financial results. For information regarding our non-IFRS financial measures and reconciliations to the most directly comparable IFRS measures, please refer to our earnings release. And with that, I'll turn the call over to Roger.

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Cindi, and good morning, everyone. Thank you for joining us to review our second-quarter 2020 results. When we spoke with you in late June, we have laid forth our plans for rebuilding our business, which included gradually reopening a number of our stores and instituting numerous measures to ensure team members and customers felt safe when they return back to our stores. At the same time, we detailed the many initiatives we have undertaken to significantly reduce expenses across the company to preserve liquidity and ensure the fiscal health of our business.

I'm pleased to share today that we're making progress in all of these areas. We've been working in close partnership with our airports and other landlords to determine when and where to open stores to best serve the needs of travelers, employees, and daily commuters. We have now reopened over 200 stores to date, bringing our total open store count to approximately 450, with additional store openings each week. We expect that traveling trends will be different at every location, and so we will continue to open stores where economically feasible using a pilot test-type of approach to ensure productivity.

We have received tremendous support from our airport partners in this regard. Our ability to reopen new stores each week would not be possible without the support of our field and corporate team members, as well as our business partners. Collectively, this team has been instrumental in working hand in hand in partnership with our airports and landlords on appropriate rent relief and other efficiencies so that we can keep our stores operational. We especially appreciate the efforts of our frontline team members, who have continued to be the Traveler's Best Friend for travelers and essential personnel and who have made sure health and safety remains the top priority for Hudson.

While travel volume increased sequentially in the months of May and June, we are still witnessing passenger volumes significantly below last year, with TSA passenger throughput data, reflecting a volume reduction of about 75% in the last few weeks of July. While this is an improvement over the 81% reduction in the month of June, these numbers still show a very low level of travel as reflected in our sales volume. While we had hoped to see passenger traffic at higher levels by this point in July, the extended closure of the U.S.-Canadian border and the recent increases in COVID-19 cases across the various parts of the U.S. have led to new travel restrictions and quarantines.

The result has been a slight reduction in traffic recently, decreased demand, and significant variability in day-to-day traveler volume. Given the extremely challenging environment and the uncertainty about when travel will fully rebound, last month, we determined that it was necessary to implement the more permanent reduction in workforce. As part of this reduction, we have reduced our workforce by approximately 40% across both our corporate and field staff. In addition to the reduction in force, we have extended the furlough period for several hundred members of our team, with the hope that some or all of these individuals will be called back as business recovers.

Adrian will provide further details about the financial impact of this action later on in the call. While this reduction in workforce was a very difficult decision, we believe it was necessary to ensure the long-term success of our business. I personally want to extend my heartfelt appreciation on behalf of the entire company, to the team members who will be leaving Hudson. The company we are today would not be possible without the contributions and dedication of these individuals, and they will always be part of Hudson's history.

The reduction in force, alongside our ongoing actions to reduce expenses and manage cash flow, are critical in navigating this crisis and positioning Hudson for a full recovery. As we discussed last quarter, we have been working closely with our landlords and industry partners to secure rent waivers and deferrals in order to better align our cash outflow with our significantly reduced sales levels. We truly appreciate the partnership that most of our airports and landlords have demonstrated to date. I look forward to continuing to find ways together to help each other weather this storm.

Adrian will provide further details on the impacts of the rent waivers in a short while. Despite the many challenges the industry is facing, we continue to work with a number of our airport partners on new store development where it makes fiscal sense. For example, we had a recent store opening in Nashville International Airport, the Tennessee Trading Post, which is a tribute to all things Nashville. This locally inspired travel essential store features a variety of products made in and around Nashville, including food and beverage offerings from local vendors, as well as an assortment of local spirits.

We're very proud of our teams who brought this store to life during a challenging environment. In regards to other recent initiatives, we entered the world of automated retailing with the introduction of our personal protection equipment vending machines in airports across North America beginning in July. We successfully completed Phase 1 of this project, now are entering the second phase of this project with plans to roll out to 27 airports in total. The vending machines are stocked with a proprietary line of essential PPE products, providing a 24/7 retailing experience.

We are also beginning to roll out our Sunglass Hut shop-in-shops in our travel convenience stores in partnership with Luxottica, a leader in premium eyewear. The shops feature the Ray-ban and Oakley brands and will provide a convenient way for travelers to purchase this classic eyewear. The first 10 shops will open in the next two weeks, with a phased opening approach continuing into 2022 for up to 250 shops. This new initiative of integrating branded merchandise into our travel convenience stores offers additional growth opportunities for Hudson, particularly in the current environment where low travel volumes make it less economical to open stand-alone specialty retail shops.

You can expect to see more of these branded partnerships moving forward. Lastly, we continue to adapt our business model to the heightened expectation for a contactless shopping environment. In addition to enhancing our Tap to Pay capabilities in all of our stores, we've added self-scanning options and continue to expand our self-checkout capabilities. In a time when so much is uncertain, we want to thank our team members for their continued passion and service to our company and for their ability to adapt and stride to our changing and evolving business.

Our responsibility as an organization is to ensure that we are supporting our team members and customers, and in that regard, health and safety remains a priority for Hudson and is our commitment to our teams as we traverse this new normal. Equally important are the concerted actions we have taken to solidify our financial position and will help us to emerge a more focused business on the other side of this crisis. Thanks in part to the efforts of our business partners and landlords aiding in our recovery. While the near term remains unpredictable, as we have seen time and time again, the travel industry will return.

And we are confident that Hudson will emerge as a leader and innovator in the ever-evolving travel concessions industry. I'll now turn it over to Adrian to review our second-quarter results in more detail.

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Roger. Now turning to the results for the quarter. As Roger noted, our second-quarter results were significantly impacted by COVID-19 and the reduction in travel. Turnover in the second quarter decreased by 87.9% to $61.7 million.

Duty-paid sales were 83% of net sales, representing a higher percentage of total sales than historical levels, as our travel convenience stores have been the first to reopen and the faster to recover. It's important to point out our monthly sales evolution during the quarter. As you can see on the lower left of this slide, in April, net sales bottomed out at 94.6% below prior-year levels. And from there, sales trends improved to a year-over-year decline of 89.9% in May and further improved to a decline of 81.5% in June.

You can see similar positive monthly evolution in a sales trend in duty-paid and duty-free on the lower right of the slide. This positive trend continued into July, where total net sales to date were trending down approximately 75% from the prior-year levels. Gross margin was 61.6% compared to 64.2% in the prior-year second quarter primarily due to higher promotional activity on luxury merchandise. Lease expenses decreased by $69.1 million, resulting in lease income for the quarter of $32.2 million, reflecting lower variable rent base on the client sales and rent waivers of $42.6 million received from numerous airports and commuter terminals associated with waived rent payments.

We realize some of you may be interested in more detail on accounting treatment for end waivers, so we have included additional information in the appendix. And as Roger noted, we continue to have ongoing discussion to landlords and rent waivers and deferrals are expected to continue as long as travel volumes remain low. Personnel expenses decreased by 61.3% to $42 million, primarily driven by our expense reduction actions in response to COVID-19. We also received $4.5 million in employee retention credit from the U.S.

CARES Act and subsidies from a similar employee-support program in Canada. The U.S. CARES Act credit helped us to partially offset the expense of health benefits we offered to furloughed employees. Personnel expenses also included $8.6 million of restructuring expense due to the reduction in costs that Roger discussed earlier.

As a percentage of turnover, personnel expenses increased to 68.1% from 21.3% last year due to significantly lower sales levels. Other expenses decreased by 52.5% to $20 million, primarily driven by a reduction in variable selling expenses due to the sales decline, along with our expense management initiatives. As a percentage of turnover, other expenses were 32.4% compared to 8.3% in last year, again, due to the much lower sales volume this year. Depreciation and amortization impairment increased by $8.8 to $98.2 million.

This was primarily due to a non-cash charge of $9.7 million related to impairment of property, plant, and equipment and right-of-use assets, reflecting a reduction in forecasted cash flows due to the impact of COVID-19. Adjusted EBITDA decreased by $132.3 million year over year to a negative $61.7 million, representing a flow-through of only 30%, which was on the low end of the 30% to 50% flow-through range we have discussed in our previous calls. We were able to achieve this primarily due to our cost savings initiatives and the rent waivers. Adjusted EPS attributable to equity holders of the parent was a loss of $0.63 for the second quarter.

Turning to our cash flow and balance sheet. The cash flow from operating activities for the quarter was a negative $11 million, compared to a positive $163.4 million last year. The decrease in cash flow was driven by decline in operating performance due to COVID-19. Capital expenditures decreased to $6 million in the second quarter, compared to $15 million last year.

This capital spend has been reduced to minimal levels to preserve liquidity. Our adjusted net debt, which represents total borrowings, excluding lease obligations, minus cash, was $340 million, including $204.5 million of available cash. Notably, our cash usage was only $21 million in the second quarter, compared to $92.4 million in the first quarter, driven by our significant cost reductions across the company, along with rent waivers and deferrals. We feel comfortable with the current debt and liquidity position, given our strict financial discipline and ongoing expense management, including the reduction in force discussed today, combined with the rent waivers and abatements we are receiving from many landlords.

Looking ahead, we can't currently estimate the duration or extent of travel disruption, so we are not providing guidance at this time. However, we have significantly adjusted our cost structure to align with recent sales trends and the conditions of travel industry today, so we can't provide some commentary on expected expense levels for the year. The reduction in force that Roger discussed earlier is expected to reduce our personnel expenses by approximately $140 million to $160 million on an annualized basis. Additionally, we currently expect to receive approximately $60 million to $90 million in waivers and other contractual rent reliefs in the second half of 2020.

Moving to other expenses, which we have previously said are roughly 50% fixed and 50% variable, we expect to reduce fixed cost by approximately $10 million in the balance of the year. The viable component will be based on sales levels, which are largely driven by passenger volume. With our existing cash balances, expected operating cash flow, and long-term financing arrangements, we believe we have adequate funds to support our current operating plan, make necessary capital expenditures and fulfill debt service requirements for the foreseeable future. In summary, while we continue to experience lower sales levels due to COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on travel, we have reduced our cost structure accordingly to withstand this challenging period.

We are continuing to advance our strategic initiatives and remain confident in the long-term potential of our business model and the resiliency of the travel industry. I will now turn it back over to the operator to open it up to Q&A.

Questions & Answers:

Operator

And we will now begin the question and answer session. [Operator instructions] And our first question today will come from Seth Sigman with Credit Suisse. Please go ahead.

Lavesh Hemnani -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst

Hi. This is Lavesh Hemnani on for Seth Sigman. So just to start with sales growth, I mean, organic sales down 88%, like-for-like down 82%. Can you give us some color on the delta between that, in a 600-basis-point negative impact? I mean, some of it is sort of to net new business, but if you can provide some additional color.

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

Hi, Lavesh. It's Adrian here. So, yeah, the reason it looks -- so we provided additional color on the contribution of organic and like-for-like. So in normal circumstances, like-for-like, as you represent, around 90 to -- in excess of 90% of our overall sales in this quarter because we have closed so many stores.

The like-for-like is actually only calculated on the stores which are open, which is less than half. So this is why you cannot really add those business together. You have to look on the contribution from like-for-like and net new business, which we disclosed in our presentation on Page 14, I believe.

Lavesh Hemnani -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst

OK. That's helpful. So just following up on the margin outlook, I mean, thanks for this helpful color on the moving pieces, especially into the second half. But then considering the lease, there was cost-reduction announcement and the fixed cost reduction of other expenses.

Is there a way to think about the flow-through margin for the back half and probably like into next year? I think you guys mentioned 30% to 50% prior. So just trying to think about how that would look going ahead.

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

So we don't want to provide any guidance. We feel comfortable that the range is still valid. We will do our best efforts to keep and stay as close as possible to the lower end of the range, but we don't want to provide any guidance. We have provided some guidance on cost savings, the personnel expense savings, the big waiver savings expected.

And those savings should help us to achieve our goal. Also, one additional piece of color, the waivers we recorded in the quarter actually represent on departure of the waivers for second quarter. There is additional waivers, which we expect to receive for the second quarter. But we didn't receive the proper documentation on time when we close our books, so we could not record them.

But there is additional upside for waivers coming for the second quarter. So if we wouldn't account for all the waivers, we would technically be even below the 30% -- bottom end of the 30% range.

Lavesh Hemnani -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst

Understood. So just talking about merchandising actions for the second half, I mean, in Q2, the food and beverage penetration expanded considerably. I know some of it has got to do with the initiatives on the grab-and-go offerings. But, I mean, looking at that and looking at the inventory position in Q2, which was down just about 12% given the big sales decline, how do we think about what the merchandising plan is for the second half?

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

So I think the big aspect for us is going to be continuing to focus on the food and beverage aspect of it. We've added grab-and-go uses to just about most of our contracts to date, so we would expect that to continue to be a major driver of the convenience business. But we're also continuing to look at and test and pilot the reopening of specialty stores as well, too, particularly in the uses of electronics, sunglasses, bookstores, etc., and are finding some successes. So I would say that we would expect to have some continued improvement on some of the more discretionary categories as the quarter trend continues, providing, however, that the passenger trends continue to grow and that the specialty stores remain productive.

Lavesh Hemnani -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst

Got it. Thank you for that.

Operator

And our next question will come from Michael Lasser with UBS. Please go ahead.

Michael Lasser -- UBS -- Analyst

Good morning. Thanks. Number one, with the $21 million cash burn rate in the quarter, is that the right number that we should think about as sustainable moving forward if this level of overall passenger traffic persists for at least the near term? Or was there something unique in this quarter that temporarily reduced the cash burn rate?

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

Hi, Michael. So I think -- so for the balance of the year, we think this is probably something we would think is sustainable. For the balance  for end of July, our cash balance was $200 million. So the implied burn for the month of July was around $4 million, which is more or less close, we did see in June.

But there's a few moving parts, which we need to consider, and we need to consider the deferrals. So we have received around $30 million of rent deferred in the second quarter. Most of them are due in Q3 and Q4 this year. We are still working on further postponements and extension of the due pay dates for those deferrals.

We're also working on converting those deferrals into waivers, which we are successful in many cases. So there are many moving parts, but we want to anticipate -- as you see from our sales trend, we anticipate higher net sales and the revenue inflows, which we think in the worst case now will more than offset the deferrals, should they become due in Q3 or Q4.

Michael Lasser -- UBS -- Analyst

OK. So the net effect of that should be that $20 million a quarter is still a decent run rate to think about?

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

Yeah, I think so.

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

Yes, Michael, I agree. I think that's a good number. Yes, yes.

Michael Lasser -- UBS -- Analyst

OK. And based on having additional few months of operating in this environment, how are consumer -- how are passenger traffic behavior -- passengers behaving differently from what they're buying? How they're buying it? How much they're spending, more importantly, that it can help inform what a more normalized environment might look like as we get into next year? Are there other stark differences, Roger?

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

So with much of our specialty stores remaining closed, it's difficult to understand how that -- I'm going to refer to that as our discretionary spend categories. What we've seen in the core convenience is a slight rise in the food and beverage because of the fact that we have added so much of it and because airlines had stopped serving, in many cases, some of the food and beverage locations were limited in their openings. So we benefited, in many cases, from the expansion of that category. How long that will be sustained remains to be seen.

But we also have seen some improvement in what we refer to as the health and beauty category very as well, too, as our health and beauty care category as the PPE or the personal protection equipment became a stronger part of our sales. Once again, we anticipate that to be sustained for quite a while but, at some point, starting to wane. So I think in the short term, what we saw in the second quarter, at least on the convenience side of the business, will remain the same. And as we move further into the year, we do, hopefully, start to anticipate opening some more of our specialty stores.

And more of those categories starting to balance out. But for most of the convenience business, outside of those two categories, we are still seeing a fairly good balance of product sales across all the categories within the convenience business.

Michael Lasser -- UBS -- Analyst

So if you just look at the convenience business, is spend per passenger up and by how much?

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

So in the convenience stores, it's up a few percentage points. Now one thing I want to talk about that because this is an interesting dynamic. Remember that when I say duty pay, that is not just convenience now, the duty-paid business includes all of our duty-paid specialty as well, too. And that specialty business carries with it a very, very high spend per ticket per transaction.

So the fact that we're driving a higher spend right now, slightly higher spend right now in our duty pay business overall is really a good sign. It means our convenience business is performing very, very well.

Michael Lasser -- UBS -- Analyst

And, Roger, my last question is, as you go out to talk to airport operators and even airlines, what do you think the consensus is on the number of years it will take overall passenger traffic to get back to pre-COVID level?

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

I mean, most of the indications right now are pushing toward the consensus between what I've seen and what I've read. People I've talked to are indicating that 2023 is kind of the year of the return to 2019 passenger levels. Now, I say 2019 passenger levels because it's going to be an interesting dynamic to see how much of a shift there is in domestic versus international, business versus leisure. But I think the overall consensus is that the total passenger numbers here in North America are targeting more like 2023 to be the return of the 2019 levels.

Michael Lasser -- UBS -- Analyst

Thank you very much. Good luck.

Operator

And our next question will come from Kimberly Greenberger with Morgan Stanley. Please go ahead.

Kimberly Greenberger -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

Great. Thank you so much. I just wanted to confirm, Adrian, your comments on the month of July. I saw in the press release you talked about passenger volumes in the second half of July down around 75%.

But I thought you said also that Hudson's revenue in July was down 75%. Did I hear that correctly?

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

That's correct, yes. So July to date, it was the full month of July, but July to date, we were 75% down to prior-year levels.

Kimberly Greenberger -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

OK. So running maybe similar to, I guess, slightly better, if the first half of July -- I don't know if you have the first half of July passenger volumes. Were they meaningfully different from the 75% decline? Or was July relatively consistent throughout?

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

I can't really  I think the first half of July on the passenger accounts was boosted by the July fourth travel. We saw quite a boost in both sales and passenger levels during that first week or two, and then things kind of leveled out. So right now, the overall month trend, as I said, to your point, we are trending slightly above the TSA throughput on a regular basis.

Kimberly Greenberger -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

OK. Great. So we could use that. If we sort of watch that data come out regularly, we could use that as a kind of a rough proxy, it sounds like.

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

Yeah. As we mentioned last quarter, it has been a very, very good benchmark and weathervane for our business, yes.

Kimberly Greenberger -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

Great. OK. Wonderful. And then I wanted to ask about the $140 million to $160 million risk savings that you've got.

Can we just sort of take that, divide it by four, and apply an even amount to each of the next four quarters in order to get to that annualized savings number? Or did you experience any savings from the reduction in force in the second quarter that we should keep in mind for the second quarter next year?

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

I think you can use it for this year, for the next two quarters. Next year will depend on the recovery level of the sales. So should the sales bounced back dramatically, then we may need to hire some additional employees. So the savings may be a bit different, but the revenue will also be higher.

But I think for the balance of the year, you can do it this way.

Kimberly Greenberger -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

OK. Fantastic. And I apologize if I missed this in your follow-up. Did you mention the -- or quantify what you received from the U.S.

CARES Act so far here in the third quarter? I know you gave the second-quarter benefit do you have maybe a July number for the third quarter that we could think about?

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

No, we didn't mention the July number, and we have received $4.5 million for June. So as we move forward with our reduction-in-force program, the subsidies will obviously go down because many of them are reimbursing us indirectly for the benefits we offer to the furloughed employees. So I think the number for Q3 will be much lower but our expense base also be lower.

Kimberly Greenberger -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

OK. Great. OK. Fantastic.

That takes care of my question. Thanks so much.

Operator

And this will conclude the question-and-answer session. I'll turn the call back over to Ms. Buckwalter.

Cindi Buckwalter -- Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

Thank you, Paul. Thanks, everyone, for joining us today. This concludes our call. Just a reminder.

You can find a replay of our call on the Investor Relations part of our website. Thanks for joining us and enjoy the rest of your day.

Operator

[Operator signoff]

Duration: 35 minutes

Call participants:

Cindi Buckwalter -- Vice President of Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

Roger Fordyce -- Chief Executive Officer

Adrian Bartella -- Chief Financial Officer

Lavesh Hemnani -- Credit Suisse -- Analyst

Michael Lasser -- UBS -- Analyst

Kimberly Greenberger -- Morgan Stanley -- Analyst

More HUD analysis

All earnings call transcripts
As countries reopen, the Amex Trendex  a trend report from American Express  found that almost half of global consumers are feeling optimistic about the economy. And despite countries reopening at different paces, consumers in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Japan, Mexico and Canada are showing common spending sentiments in the last month.

Many consumers are showing they are ready to shop. According to the report, 37 percent of U.S. consumers, 42 percent of Australian consumers and 43 percent of Japanese consumers are planning to visit a mall or stand-alone retail store in the next month. While consumers continue to note hesitancy to take part in activities that are not as conforming to social distancing, like visiting bars, attending concerts, or going to night clubs, local businesses are likely to benefit. In total, 78 percent of global consumers say they plan to visit local restaurants and 71 percent say they will visit coffee shops in the next month.

According to the report, consumers across the globe are looking to make purchases over $200 in the next month. Top categories for planned spending are electronics, travel and home appliances.

Still, across the six countries surveyed, consumers in the U.S. were least likely to be planning a large purchase over $200 at 54 percent compared to 77 percent in Japan. Of those U.S. consumers who are planning to make a large purchase, 16 percent said they would spend on travel while 14 percent said they would spend in the electronics category.

With so much more time spent at home the past couple months, we see people are thinking about making larger purchases on things like home appliances and technology, said Eva Reda, executive vice president and general manager, global partnerships and product development at American Express.

For U.S. consumers, travel plans will focus on health and safety, and according to the survey, they are willing to pay more to ensure these measures. In fact, 63 percent said they would pay more to have every other seat free on a plane, 56 percent said they would pay more for frequent cleaning of hotel rooms, and 49 percent said they would pay for the availability of hand sanitizer.

Story continues

Consumers in the U.K. were most likely to be planning to travel domestically at 69 percent in the next three months, followed by Mexico at 47 percent and Japan at 45 percent. Only 40 percent of consumers in the U.S. and Canada said they planned to travel domestically.

For More WWD Business News:

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Draper James, Birddogs Make List of Top 25 D-t-c Sites

Consumer Anxiety Continues as Pandemic Endures

Sign up for WWD's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram.
Off limits for the public for the past four months, the Mahendra Chaudhary Zoological Park, popularly known as Chhatbir Zoo, has suffered a loss of Rs 3.5 crore due to the Covid-19 lockdown.

Thanks to the steep losses, work on the Dinosaur Park, an aquarium and an exchange project for exotic animals has come to a grinding halt.

Before it closed its gates in March, the zoo was earning Rs 1.8 lakh a day with the help of 3,000 visitors daily and was hoping to become self-reliant in the next two years.

On the flip side, it will now take the zoo six months to help its accounts tide over the losses.

The Punjab government had planned a Dinosaur Park on two acres in the zoo at a cost of Rs 4.5 crore. Completed 50% so far, it is being developed on public-private partnership (PPP) mode.

As part of an exotic animal exchange programme, the zoo was to import animals from Africa, including zebras, giraffes, chimpanzees and gorillas.

A bask of gharials, endemic to the Indian subcontinent, at the zoo. (HT File Photo)

Last year, we collected a revenue of Rs 6.5 crore. This year, we have already suffered a loss of Rs 3.5 crore. There is no certainty on when the new projects will see the light of the day, while it will take at least six months to recover from the losses, said zoo field director M Sudhagar.

Over the past few months before the lockdown, the zoo was equipped with numerous new features to attract visitors, such as an aviary and new ticket counters, besides road maintenance.

The zoo spends about Rs 30 lakh a month on meat, fodder, grains, fruits and vegetables for the animals. Its revenue comes from outsourcing the parking, canteen and lion safari  all of which have been closed due to the pandemic.

A gaggle of geese, one of the major delights for the younger visitors at the zoo. (HT File Photo)

The tickets are priced at Rs 80 for adults and Rs 40 for children, which, on an average, contributes to a daily revenue of Rs 1.8 lakh. Lion and deer safari tickets cost Rs 75 per visitor.

We were aiming at becoming self-reliant in two years, but that seems a pipe dream now, said a zoo staffer, not willing to be named.

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Shanghai TV Festival kicks off

By:An Ranran | From:english.eastday.com | 2020-08-04 10:00

Shortly after the Shanghai International Film Festival ended last Sunday, the 26th Shanghai TV Festival opened.The TV festival, held by the National Radio and Television Administration, China Media Group and Shanghai government, aims at rejuvenating Chinas television industry which has been affected by the epidemic this year. The Magnolia Awards will be held during the festival and about 55 TV productions from around the world will compete for the prize.

The event organizer announced that the festival has received more than 800 entries from 48 countries and regions, and this years event includes web series for the first time, reflecting the current situation. Due to the impact of the epidemic, the festival has turned to a combination of online and offline operations. Chinas judges will gather in Shanghai and judges abroad will participate in the selection online. The committee, with famous director Zheng Xiaolong as chairman, has attracted plenty of attention.

Besides the Magnolia Awards, the festival is also hosting a variety of events both online and offline, including industry forums and exhibitions of international programs. The 2020 Internet Summit will begin with an offline forum on Tuesday. Professionals from across the country will meet and exchange ideas on how to produce high-quality web native content. A series of industry reports are also expected to be released, including the Report on the Development of Chinas Audio-visual New Media 2020.

In addition to the awards ceremony and livestreamed forums, the TV festival will hold outdoor screenings in Jingan District, Songjiang District and Pudong New Area. Citizens will have easy access to excellent TV productions from both home and abroad.
Southern California Gas Co is suing the California Energy Commission over the states climate policy and attempts to phase out natural gas as a source of heating and cooking.

Southern California Gas Co, owned by Sempra Energy, is trying to shield itself from policy actions that could ban the hook-up of natural gas for all new homes.

The California Energy Commission, for its part, is promoting building efficiency and emissions-cutting rules for new construction, encouraging home developers to build all-electric buildings in the state.

For example, last year, Berkeley, California, passed an ordinance requiring all new homes to be all-electric with no gas hook-ups beginning in January 2020. Berkeleys primary motivation for the gas hook-up ban was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and promote the use of clean energy.

Climate activists say that natural gas is a fossil fuel and is responsible for a large part of emissions from buildings, while natural gas companies are pitching natural gas as an affordable and stable bridge fuel toward all-renewable electricity generation.

Natural gas and renewable gas are clean, affordable, resilient, and reliable sources of energy on which millions of California consumers and businesses depend, Southern California Gas Co said in its lawsuit, as carried by the Los Angeles Times.

Natural gas has played a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality, the company added.

California, New York, and Massachusetts have started the process of phasing out natural gas. In fact, in California, some 30 cities have already banned natural gas in new buildings.

In another California lawsuit over the natural gas phase-out, the California Restaurant Association (CRA) sued the City of Berkeley last year over the ban on the use of natural gas in newly built buildings, in order to protect Berkeleys businesses and consumers from having to pay higher energy bills.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
New Delhi, Aug 4 : To identify the cause and nature of grievances and frame a policy accordingly, the Ministry of Defence has decided to use artificial intelligence to carry out predictive analysis of public grievances.

The MoD signed a tripartite memorandum of understanding with the Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur (IITK) in this regard on Tuesday.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of State (Independent Charge) in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh were present when the MoU was signed.

Both ministers expressed satisfaction over the signing of the MoU.

The MoU envisages IIT Kanpur developing artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques to conduct exploratory and predictive analysis of public grievances received on the web-based Centralised Public Grievances Redress and Monitoring System pertaining to the defence ministry.

The Department of Administrative Reforms & Public Grievances, the nodal government department in respect of policy initiatives on public grievances will provide the data dump on the grievances pertaining to MoD to IIT Kanpur to facilitate their analysis.

The project is expected to help the MoD to identify the cause and nature of grievances and bring about systemic changes and policy interventions wherever required.
President Donald Trump campaigned on a promise to drain the swamp during the 2016 election, vowing to take on the special interests, lobbyists and big-dollar donors that permeate much of Washington lawmaking.

Near the end of his first term, it would seem that Trump has not made much headway in following through on his pledge. He counts nearly 300 ex-lobbyists as members of his administration, with some cabinet members brought on who used to lobby for the very industries they are now tasked with regulating. The swamp, it seems, is still teeming with life.

But corruption and the influence of special interests far predate Trump, and will likely far outlive him too. Documentary filmmakers Daniel DiMauro and Morgan Pehme  City & States former editor-in-chief  wade through the muck to explore what is broken in Congress in their new documentary The Swamp. The self-proclaimed liberals followed three Republicans  Reps. Matt Gaetz, Ken Buck and Thomas Massie  who are seeking bipartisan solutions to reduce the power of special interests and money in politics. The two filmmakers spoke with City & State about their new film, which premieres on HBO on Aug. 4. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What inspired you to make this documentary?

DiMauro: Our producer Matt Whitworth had this idea that he had access to these Republican congressmen and we should talk to them. So we did and we were kind of surprised, frankly, that we had a lot of agreement with them on a lot of the issues that were facing the Congress, mainly that theres too much money, that the corporations and the lobbyists control the agenda, the leadership controls the agenda. And its just kind of corrupt and dysfunctional. So we kind of thought it would be an interesting thing to try to do a film behind closed doors in Congress, try to understand how its really broken from this nonpartisan, kind of good government point of view.

Pehme: You know, covering politics, how what is conveyed is through politicians public statements, to the media, that they weave, its so disparate from the ways they talk behind closed doors, the grays that they acknowledge in a system they try to promulgate to the public as black and white. And the fact that these three members of Congress were willing to say on camera things that politicians usually shy away from, said the parts that you're supposed to whisper out loud, we thought was so intriguing.

Why specifically these three Republicans: Reps. Matt Gaetz, Ken Buck and Thomas Massie?

DiMauro: First and foremost, these Republicans are kind of willing to be whistleblowers about the corruption they see in Congress. And despite that theyre Republicans, they do kind of think they are the more independent members who want to buck the establishment and expose the corrupt ways of the way Congress functions. But just as importantly, we as liberal filmmakers wanted to make this film primarily through speaking with Republicans so we could actually have some Republicans view this film. So it's was definitely a conscious decision on our part to approach it, talking across the political spectrum to both sides of the aisle and to present the somewhat hopeful view that there is consensus around this very important issue, which is the corruption of our core democratic institutions

In making the film, how much consensus did you actually see? The landmark ethics and campaign finance bill HR1, which you focus on, still ultimately failed along party lines, with Democrats in support and Republicans opposing.

Pehme: There is more consensus than you think about the understanding that the system is corrupt, and that the members are trapped in this labyrinth of systemic corruption that is meant to marginalize the rank-and-file members, and aggregate everything in the hands of the leadership. And there's widespread frustration about the inability of Congress to accomplish anything among the members of Congress themselves. It was important for us to bring (Reps.) Ro Khanna and Katie Hill and John Sarbanes into the conversation as a way of showing that these Republicans, they're not just griping about sour grapes, but that there is agreement  surprising agreement just like there is surprising agreement on ending the perpetual wars  among contingents of Republicans with Democrats, that this is a real problem of corruption. And so is there a kumbaya around this issue? No. And in fact, a lot of the Democrats that we spoke to were a lot less willing to be candid about it, because now they're in the majority. And they were worried about offending the leadership and their place in the totem pole. And this system of the carrot and the stick that I think we go into in the film silences a lot of folks, at least in terms of what they're willing to say publicly about the corruption of the system.

President Donald Trumps 2016 campaign promise to drain the swamp is a recurring theme throughout the documentary. What if any meaningful progress has he made to remove monied interests from Washington and make it less swampy?

Pehme: Look, Donald Trump is right that we need to drain the swamp. He just, as we demonstrate in our movie, never was serious about actually doing so. And once he became president, he became arguably the swampiest president in American history. There really isn't anything that you can point to concretely that he is done to drain the swamp. You know, there is this idea that he's changed the culture. I mean, that's absolute gibberish. What he has done is he's changed the definition of the swamp throughout his presidency. So during the campaign, he had identified it as the super PACs and the lobbyists and special interests. Then it became this idea of the deep state, which is essentially these operatives or these career bureaucrats and governments who were not loyal to the president. And now it effectively just means who's on the president's enemies list. And so he's bastardized the definition of the swamp in a way that is very hurtful to the aim of draining the swamp. But everybody who voted for Donald Trump because they want it to and the corruption that he articulated during the campaign was right. He had the mandate from his voters to drain the swamp. And of course, he did nothing.

Your three subjects, especially Gaetz who you focus on more heavily, are supporters of the president. Is there a way to square supporting someone you call the swampiest president in American history with the reform ideals theyre espousing?

Pehme: It is impossible to, in good faith, square this reform agenda with the way that the president has not only failed to pursue reform, but acted counter to reform. And I think thats something we point out very clearly in the movie. But that doesn't mean that the three Republican members aren't right about the need for reform. And the fact is the Trump presidency, whether it's over in a few months or is over in four years and a few months, will be just another chapter in our history. But the scourge of corruption that has infected the Congress and that has infected the federal government will live on no matter who is in the White House.

In making the documentary, what was the most surprising thing you learned about the inner workings of the capital?

DiMauro: I think one thing specifically was the structure of the committees in Congress and how they're ranked based on their ability to fundraise from lobbyists, and that the members of Congress actually have to pay hundreds of thousands of dollars to rent their committee seats every cycle. This is just like one layer deeper than when you go into Congress, and you can see this corruption in action. There's an inherent conflict of interest if you sit on a committee that is supposed to discuss and make laws about a certain sector or industry, and the people who fund your ability to get on that committee are the people with a vested interest in the work product of that committee. It's just an inherently corrupt system within Congress that no one really talks about.

Pehme: Whats surprising is how intricately set up the system is to corrupt members. I was talking to an incoming member of the New York congressional delegation and (they were) saying, Oh, well, you know, I didn't raise money from, you know, that people will compromise me, but we don't think about the fact that it's not just the the corrupting influence of money in our elections, but this whole internal rigmarole that you get drawn into that is meant to corrupt you. Just like we know about the big ugly budget bill up in Albany once a year, but all of the bills in Congress essentially are these omnibus bills that are meant to trap you into taking bad votes against your principles. I think that another thing that we learned that was really striking is that there is now an opportunity for Congress to have a different power dynamic. And that's one that's really illustrated powerfully by (Rep.) Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez. She's refused to pay this money for her committee seat, because she has a source of her own power, which is that she has more than two million Twitter followers more than Nancy Pelosi. So she can command or she can channel the strength of her public support to change this top-down hierarchy that leadership has created in order to maintain the corrupt status quo.

In pulling back the curtain on whats happening in Washington, what do you hope the impact will be in state and local governments across the country, like the infamously corrupt Albany, that perhaps dont get the same amount of attention?

Pehme: So many of the reforms that we've talked about that need to be brought about on the federal level need to occur on a state level, like in New York state. And we've heard of a promise of public funding of elections for as long as I've been covering New York politics. And yet we've only seen the most halfhearted attempt to actually implement that. And the governor has been really the No. 1 obstacle to that occurring. But this is more important than ever, for state governments to take an interest in pushing the federal government to clean up its corrupt ways. Because with state governments in the worst economic state that they have been in generations and municipalities and the state depending upon the federal government to bail them out and to drive policy to bring about what will need to be an enormous revival of the economy, this is when our state leaders need to agitate for the system to change because the states are going to be dangling in the wind. Part of the opposition weve seen to state and local aid does come from the entrenched interests in Washington.

In the documentary, you explore how Gaetz cultivates a controversial public persona thanks in part to social media and cable news appearances that gets him grassroots support by riling up his base, something Harvard Professor Lawerence Lessig referred to as the politics of hate in the film. How does that compare to how Ocasio-Cortez has leveraged her own celebrity?

Pehme: Perhaps this is showing a partisan bias, but I don't think that it's a fair characterization to say that AOC has weaponized the politics of hate to raise money. And to be fair, she raises far more money than Matt Gaetz does. Because I don't think that her aim at its core is to bring about conflict for attention. I think that her aim is to mobilize the grassroots to action. And I realize that that may be splitting hairs. But I think that you can't have a conversation with members of Congress practically in D.C. these days without AOCs name coming up. Her name always comes up because she has really been a game changer for the system, and she has upset the apple cart of the status quo. And folks begrudgingly respect that, or they resent the fact that she was able to do this across the political spectrum. And I think that she is a model for how the system can be changed in a positive way.

But is this something that ultimately has to be bipartisan because monied interests are represented in both parties?

My old boss, former New York City Parks Commissioner Henry Stern, used to say, There are only two parties, the ins and the outs. The ins want to stay in, and the outs want to get in. The dynamic in Congress between the leadership of both parties is to maintain the status quo. Changing the system would disempower them, if not put them completely out of power, so they have no vested interest in changing the system, as corrupt as it is. Theres not any one villain. Its a system that is set up to corrupt people so that the special interests and the lobbyists and the big money donors, no matter who wins the elections, theyre always the winner.
International organizations have provided a humanitarian aid in the form of personal protective equipment and materials for disinfection works for a total amount of KGS 9 million (117,121 US dollar), Trend reports citing Kabar.

Also, he added Uzbekistan provided humanitarian assistance for $560,000, including 2,000 tons of wheat flour, 9,500 overalls, 12,000 masks, 25,000 gloves, 500 glasses, 200 pyrometer and 45 tones of chlorine.

"This assistance was distributed by regions and health care organizations, Ministry of Emergency Situations Zamirbek Askarov concluded.
The lawmakers named to hammer out a compromise climate policy bill for the House and Senate will likely have their hands full. Both chambers passed legislation to put Massachusetts on a path towards net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, but negotiators will have a wide array of other issues to reconcile as advocates and business groups lobby for their priorities.

The Senate overwhelmingly passed a package of climate bills in January that called for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, and set deadlines for the state to impose carbon-pricing mechanisms for transportation, commercial buildings and homes. The House, which had earlier passed a $1.3 billion climate adaptation bill, on Friday night passed its response to the main Senate proposal, addressing the 2050 emissions reduction roadmap, solar energy net metering, grid modernization, workforce development, energy efficiency, and municipal electric and light plant clean energy targets.

Now, it will be up to six lawmakers-to-be-named-later to work through the differences between the House and Senate bills and to come up with a compromise version that can pass both chambers. Meanwhile, a slew of environmental advocacy organizations, business groups and activists -- many of whom put pressure on lawmakers to get climate policy bills done -- have given some indication of what they like and dont like about the House and Senate bills.

Once the House passed its bill on Friday night and it was clear the issue was headed for a conference committee, the most direct overture to the negotiators came from the Northeast Clean Energy Council (NECEC), which generally liked both the House and Senate bills.

The House took a big step forward on climate policy today in passing this bill. Advancements in environmental justice, offshore wind and appliance standards are to be commended, Jeremy McDiarmid, NECECs vice president for policy and government affairs, said. There were some setbacks on solar tax policy that we expect the conference committee will resolve.

The House and Senate are likely to name climate bill negotiators during sessions on Thursday. Rep. Tom Golden and Sen. Michael Barrett -- co-chairs of the Committee on Telecommunications, Utilities and Energy -- will probably be tapped to lead the conference committee talks for their chambers.

The Sierra Club applauded much of the House bill but said the legislation fails to include a commitment to reach 100% renewable energy in a reasonable timeline, citing a change related to the states renewable portfolio standard which the organization said will put 100 percent renewable power off until 2090.

This bill is a small step in the right direction. We applaud House leadership for creating additional opportunities for low income residents to benefit from the renewable energy revolution and for providing long overdue protections for environmental justice communities. However, it is critical that the state takes immediate action to lower our emissions now, Jacob Stern, Deputy Director of the Massachusetts chapter of the Sierra Club, said. As a millennial, I find it unacceptable that Massachusetts will reach 100% renewable electricity the same year I turn 100 years old.

The group was similarly disappointed after the Senate passed its climate bills in January.

Ceres, a national non-profit that works with investors and companies on sustainability efforts, said the House bill is an important step towards Massachusetts climate goals but echoed the sentiment that there is more to do still.We hope it will spur the legislature to adopt more policies to decarbonize the transportation and building sectors, and further accelerate the transition to a carbon free electricity sector, Alli Gold Roberts, director of state policy at Ceres, said.

Environment Massachusetts said the House legislation is an ultimately flawed bill, though the organization was pleased with provisions related to offshore wind power procurement, environmental justice, and more.

While these are good steps, its important to be clear about what this bill does not do. It does not end the use of dirty, polluting oil and gas. Rather, it allows the burning of fossil fuels to continue for decades, and it postpones necessary action in favor of studies and roadmaps, Ben Hellerstein, state director for Environment Massachusetts, said. This roadmap doesnt take us where we need to go. It puts us on a road that still ends with the use of fossil fuels.

When the Senate passed its climate bills in January, Environment Mass. issued a press release focused almost exclusively on a bill (S 2478) dealing with energy standards for appliances, which it said would reduce Massachusetts annual carbon emissions by 271,000 metric tons by 2035, equivalent to taking 57,000 cars off the road, and cut water consumption by 9.8 billion gallons per year.

Language very similar to that Senate bill was adopted into the House climate bill as an amendment offered by Duxbury Rep. Josh Cutler, who got a shout-out from Environment Mass. in its statement on the House bill late last week.

Though many of the climate advocacy groups that weighed in on the House and/or Senate bills said they wanted to see the Legislature go further and faster, the Environmental League of Massachusetts -- at least in its statements -- seemed content with both bills.

This legislation positions the Commonwealth on a strategic and tactical path toward carbon neutrality by 2050. In order to meet our ambitious long-term goals, we need the interim targets, data-driven plan, and accountability mechanisms that this bill provides, the group said in a statement after the House passed its climate bill Friday. The group said the amendments the House adopted made the bill better, yielding a comprehensive environmental bill that will empower our communities, protect our natural resources, and promote renewable energy, including game-changing offshore wind power, for our Commonwealth.

ELM was similarly pleased with the gist of the Senates emissions reduction bill when it was released in January.

We thank the Senate for releasing an energy bill that sets us on a course to more boldly address climate change -- the most critical issue of our time, ELM President Elizabeth Henry said in a statement released by the Senate presidents office. By setting interim GHG reduction targets and echoing the Governors call for net zero emissions by 2050, the Senate acknowledges how much work is left to do.
A man walks past the headquarters of the Ukrainian state energy company Naftogaz in central Kiev, Ukraine, on Dec. 2, 2019. (Valentyn Ogirenko/File Photo/Reuters)

Ukraine Says No Plans to Resume Gas Purchases From Russia

Ukraines state energy firm Naftogaz said it would not resume buying natural gas from Russia, suspended since late 2015, until Moscow offered it competitive prices and conditions.

Ukraine was one of Russias largest consumers of natural gas until the relations between the two ex-Soviet republics soured in 2014 when Moscow annexed Crimea peninsula from its neighbor.

Kyiv stopped buying Russian gas in November 2015, increasing purchases from Europe instead.

Ukraine has embarked on natural gas market reforms, including scrapping of state-regulated gas prices for industrial users. The reform is one of the prerequisites for much-needed financing from the International Monetary Fund.

Reform of the Ukrainian gas market has created an opportunity for any Ukrainian or foreign trader to buy gas from Russia, should prices and conditions be competitive. But, so far, Russia hasnt offered gas under these terms, Andriy Kobolyev, Naftogazs chief executive told Reuters in an email.

Ukraine will never go back to the days of corrupt energy deals and energy dependence on Russia, and they know that.

Russian and Ukrainian companies signed a 5-year deal at the end of 2019, safeguarding the transit of Russian gas to Europe via Ukraine, just hours before the previous agreement expired.

Kobolyev said Russian pipeline gas exporting monopoly Gazprom transited 25 billion cubic metres of gas through Ukraine in the first half of 2020, 45 percent less than over the same period of 2019.

By Timothy Gardner
The Trump administration is set to award more than $35 million in grants to organizations that provide safe housing for human trafficking survivors.

The Associated Press reports the grants will be announced Tuesday at a White House event that will be attended by Attorney General William Barr, presidential adviser Ivanka Trump, other administration officials, survivors of human trafficking and organizations that serve them.

The $35 million in Housing Assistance Grants for Victims of Human Trafficking is being provided by the Office for Victims of Crime within the Justice Departments Office of Justice Programs.

The administration has heard these concerns and is responding by awarding leading nonprofit organizations the necessary funding to ensure that survivors have a stable place to live, Ivanka Trump said in a statement.

The grants will be shared by 73 organizations in 33 states, including Michigan, to provide anywhere from six to 24 months of transitional or short-term housing assistance to survivors, including to pay rent, utilities or related expenses, such as a security deposit.

The money can also be used to help victims find permanent housing, get a job and receive occupational training and counseling, according to the White House.

Among organizations sharing the grants are Camillus House Inc. in Miami, Alternatives for Girls in Detroit and the Jordan Community Resource Center in Shaker Heights, Ohio, according to the Associated Press.

President Trump has sought to elevate human trafficking since taking office. In January, he appointed a special adviser for the issue.

His daughter has also made human trafficking one of her issue areas during her time at the White House, calling it modern-day slavery in January.
Plains All American Pipeline

Houston pipeline operator Plains All American Pipeline saw its profits slide by more than two-thirds as the coronavirus pandemic takes its toll on the oil and natural gas industry.

Plains made $142 million in the second quarter, down 68 percent from a $446 million profit one year earlier. The second-quarter results translated to earnings per share of 13 cents, a 76 percent decline from 54 cents per share during the second quarter of 2019.
The COVID-19 pandemic, one of the worlds most significant events in recent memory, has resulted in the cessation of economic activities for many African countries. Many economic analysts have predicted that the pandemic will lead to a significant decline in GDP, unparalleled social disruption, and the loss of millions of jobs. In fact, the COVID-19 pandemic has exposed Africa more than any other human or natural disruption.



The IMF in its June 2020 edition of the World Economic Outlook (WEO) projected that the global overall fiscal balance will worsen from a deficit of 3.9 percent of GDP in 2019 to a deficit of 13.9 percent in 2020; while global debt-to-GDP ratio will worsen from 82.8 percent of GDP in 2019 to 101.5 percent of GDP in 2020. The World Bank has also estimated that economic growth in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) is expected to decline from its 2019 value of 2.4% to between -2.1% and -5.1 % in 2020; making 2020 the worst year since records began in 1970 for the continents economic growth (April 2020).



Significantly, global trade is expected to contract by 11.9 percent in 2020, with that of Emerging Market and Developing Economies declining by 9.4 percent. In Africa, the African Development Bank has estimated that contraction of the regions economies will cost sub-Saharan Africa between US$35billion and US$100billion due to an output decline and a steep fall in commodity prices, especially the crash of oil prices.



Ghana is one country that has been hard-hit by the pandemic, which has reversed virtually all economic projects for 2020. Mr. Ofori-Atta told Parliament last week that provisional fiscal data for the first half of the year indicated a revenue shortfall of 26.0 percent. According to him, the negative trend resulted mainly from shortfalls in oil revenue, Customs receipts and non-oil and Non-Tax revenues.



In Ghana, sectors heavily affected by COVID-19 include the hotel and hospitality industry, foreign direct investment, trade and industry, agriculture, health, transportation, manufacturing and education. Households and businesses have equally been hard-hit, with significant job losses and reduced incomes, says Mr. Ofori-Atta. As a result, he disclosed, the updated fiscal estimates point to a shortfall of the 2020 Budget target by GH13,632million (3.5% of revised GDP)  arising from shortfalls in Petroleum Receipts of GH5,257million; Non-Oil Tax revenue of GH5,089million; and Non-Tax Revenues of GH3,286million. Thus, the GDP growth for 2020 has been revised downward from 6.8 percent to 0.9 percent. Indications are that 2020 and beyond will be very challenging for Ghana. But as Mr. Ofori-Atta noted, we must not and will not be daunted by this extraordinary crisis.



Industrialisation



In an analysis of COVID-19s impact on Africa, Prof. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka of the African Development Bank attributed the root of Africas underdeveloped industrial and health sectors to three factors: First, some African policymakers simply think that poor countries do not need to industrialise. To them, Africa has no comparative and/or competitive advantage and should remain, prominent consumers of foreign goods, while at the same time being the primary exporters of raw materials. This, in other words, is called mental slavery. According to Prof. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka, the history of Western societies and contemporary lessons from East Asia indicate that they embarked on massive industrialisation to reach their current economic status. Development does not come on a silver platter.



He argued that governments have an important role to play in the nature and direction of industrialisation. Progressive governments throughout history understood that the faster the rate of growth in manufacturing, the faster the growth of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). This raises the need for African leaders to look in the mirror and ask where this continent will be in 2030 and 2063. Africa must adopt progressive industrial policies that create inclusive, prosperous and sustainable societies. Moving forward, Prof. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka suggested a three-pronged approach.



First, Africa needs a strong regional coordination mechanism to consolidate small uncompetitive firms operating in small atomistic market structures. With a consumer base of 1.3 billion and a US$3.3trillion market under the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the continent has no choice but to bring together its fragmented markets. Second, Africa needs to build better institutions, strengthen weak ones and introduce those that are missing. No better wake-up call is required than the present pandemic.



Third, one important institution, for example, that has been abruptly disrupted is the supply chain for medicines and food. Logistics for transporting capital and consumer goods across the region need predictable structures. The building or strengthening supply chains involves fostering and providing regulations for long-term agreements and competencies that leverage both private and public institutional challenges, such as Customs regulations.



Finally, development finance institutions (DFIs) such as the African Development Bank are mandated and are currently trying, to fill the gaps left by private financial institutions. There is an opportunity for Africa to rethink and re-engineer its future. The Africa of tomorrow must look inward for its solutions  whether in feeding its own people or building industrial powerhouses led by African champions.



Ghanas industrialisation drive



Mr. Ofori-Atta told Parliament that the governments agenda of industrial development for job creation and economic transformation rests on the partnership with the private sector to operationalise the One District, One Factory (1D1F) initiative. According to him, the governments efforts so far have resulted in 76 operational factories with 232 projects at various stages of implementation. Not only have we leveraged private sector support through tax exemptions valued at GH34miilion, but the government has also directly spent GH210.03million to support existing factories and for the construction of new factories. Our industrial agenda has certainly enhanced the prospect of more jobs for Ghanaians, he emphasised.



He announced that as a result of governments new comprehensive Automotive Manufacturing Development Policy, some of the leading global automobile companies (referred to as Original Equipment Manufacturers) have already established commercial interests in Ghana to assemble their brand of vehicles. In March 2020, the Volkswagen Group rolled out the first VW locally assembled vehicle. VW Ghana is currently producing six different brands of vehicles: namely Tiguan, Teramont, Amarok, Passat, Polo and Caddy.



Both the Toyota and Nissan Groups are also planning to establish assembly operations before the end of the year. Sinotruk, a leading global manufacturer of Heavy-Duty Trucks, is also assembling a variety of trucks in Ghana through Zonda Tec Ghana Limited. Most importantly, an indigenous Ghanaian company, the Kantanka Group, has also been formally granted a licence to continue its auto-assembly operations in Ghana and to benefit from incentives under the Ghana Automotive Manufacturing Development Policy.



According to the Finance Minister, in order to support these new developments, the government will establish an Automobile Industry Development Centre to coordinate the technical processes for licencing vehicle assemblers and manufacturers. The Centre will also be empowered to monitor their compliance with industry regulations and standards. Further, the Centre will coordinate the implementation of a Vehicle Financing Scheme that will link financial institutions to individuals and groups interested in purchasing newly-assembled vehicles in Ghana. Lastly, it will manage an Automotive Skills and Technology Upgrading Programme to provide requisite skills for the industry.



The Finance Minister noted that the development of the automobile industry in Ghana will constitute a significant step toward import substitution and enhancing exports, particularly within the context of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). Ghana is well-positioned to become the new automobile manufacturing hub of Africa. One of the factors Prof. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka suggested was for Africa to build a strong regional coordination mechanism to consolidate small uncompetitive firms operating in small atomistic market structures.



Improving the business climate



The government appears to be on course with its economic revitalisation and transformation agenda through the Ghana CARES initiative. The Ghana CARES Obatanpa programme is an investment of GH100billion to reengineer Ghanas industrialisation. The minister says the Initiative is in two phases: a Stabilisation Phase, which runs from July to end of the year (2020); and a medium-term Revitalisation Phase, which will accelerate Ghana Beyond Aid transformation agenda.



The stabilisation phase will target food security, protect businesses and worker incomes, strengthen the health system, attract private investments and support Ghanaian businesses. We must have courage and be audacious in repositioning Ghana and Ghanaians  not only to mitigate this pandemic but also to implement programmes that will transform our country. We should change our approach to our development and dare to do the impossible, says Mr. Ofori-Atta



Both Mr. Ofori-Atta and Prof. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka are thinking ahead. As Prof. Oyelaran-Oyeyinka notes, what Africa needs now is to execute structurally transformative projects which generate positive externalities and social returns. Judging from governments industrialisation drive, it appears Ghana has responded to the call for transformation and industrialisation aimed at actualising the Ghana Beyond Aid development paradigm. But I wonder if the African Development Bank can and will support Ghanas push for deeper economic transformation.



My word to those Africans advocating that Africans should remain, primary consumers of foreign goods, is that they need to come out of their stone-age mentality. The future belongs to Africa; so, we must position ourselves to grab the future  by force where necessary. Enough of leaving our destiny in the hands of others. Of course, good leadership is an essential element in economic transformation. Africa needs good leaders at this critical moment in the quest for transformation.

Source: B&FT









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LONDON  European Union authorities on Tuesday announced an investigation into Googles $2.1 billion purchase of the fitness-tracking company Fitbit, raising alarms about the health data the internet giant would be acquiring as part of the deal.

The inquiry shows the increased scrutiny Google and other large technology companies are facing from regulators in Europe and the United States about their growing dominance of the digital economy. Officials have raised concerns that the biggest tech platforms buy smaller companies to solidify their dominance and limit competition.

Margrethe Vestager, the European Commissions top antitrust regulator, said a preliminary investigation of the Fitbit deal had raised concerns about how Google would use data collected from Fitbit for its online advertising services, a market where Google is already dominant. The health and fitness data could be used to more narrowly target ads, she said.

By increasing the data advantage of Google in the personalization of the ads it serves via its search engine and displays on other internet pages, it would be more difficult for rivals to match Googles online advertising services, the commission said in a statement announcing the investigation.
Stefanchuk emphasized that separation of the territories is out of the question.

First Deputy Chairman of the Verkhovna Rada, Ukraine's parliament, Ruslan Stefanchuk says the issue of granting special status to Russia-occupied Donbas may be put to a referendum.

Answering a question under what conditions the future of Donbas or Crimea could be decided by putting the issue of their "special status" to the vote at a referendum, he said in an interview for the Focus magazine: "Any question that the people of Ukraine wish could be put to a referendum."

Read alsoFM Kuleba elaborates on compromises Ukraine ready to make to regain control over Donbas

"Exceptions are those that are aimed at liquidating Ukraine's independence, violating the sovereignty and, what is important, the territorial integrity of the country, as well as incitement to national, interethnic, racial and religious hatred. And also the issues of taxes, amnesty and law enforcement agencies, courts."

Stefanchuk emphasized that separation of the territories is out of the question.

"It is important to understand: only one question is to be put to a referendum, its wording must be clear, and the answer is either 'yes' or 'no,' without suggesting options," he added.

Stefanchuk noted that "if the issues the nation is interested in require amendments to the Constitution, they also need to be solved and approved by referendum, if necessary."

What is more, answering a question whether a decision made by Ukrainians through a referendum is non-binding or binding, the parliament's first deputy speaker said that referendums are expensive, and "opinion polls are enough for consultation with the people."

"We have created a formula according to which the decision of the people is obligatory for implementation by the state authorities," Stefanchuk emphasized.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Spiegel reported on July 3 that at Berlin talks between the advisers to the Normandy leaders (Ukraine, Germany, France, and Russia), the Russian side demanded that by July 6 Kyiv should submit via the Trilateral Contact Group in Minsk a draft amendment to the Constitution of Ukraine on the future special status of certain regions of Donbas.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky responded by saying that no one could demand anything from Ukraine.
Lets make it more convenient for thieves to steal our things

Minneapolis political leaders are advising people to comply with the demands of robbers to give up their valuables. Next week the Minneapolis City Council will vote on whether or not to eliminate the city police department.

Perhaps the city could establish collection points at various locations for people to turn in their valuables and where crooks can go to take them. That greatly would reduce the need for criminals to carry guns as they mug their street victims.

Additionally, the council could pass an ordinance making it unlawful for business owners to lock the doors and windows to their establishments  such devices only serve to block freedom of access.

LYLE D STOCKMOE

College Station

Dont muddy the discussion with irrelevant language

It seems to be the fashion these days for writers on the Opinions page to introduce terms intended to be derogatory as a substitute for a genuine refutation of positions they dont like.
A PR professional would be so happy and excited when a story of his or her clients story gets published. A lot of hard work and thinking would have gone into creating a compelling and strategically well-directed pitch to the publication to get the end results. A great and interesting pitch will always excite a journalist to look at the story and take it forward; but a pitch that is not focussed and without a great idea will never see the light of day. We all know writing a pitch note is an art and one has to meticulously craft and rewrite it several times before arriving at that killer strategy or peg that will compel the journalist to convert it into a story.

Another interesting point to note is we should also understand the journalist well and his way of thinking and writing stories. One should also be able to deeply think if the story is news worthy before writing the pitch note. These days you need not limit to e-mail pitching. You can also reach them through social media to get a faster response and get the story initiated fast, if the journalist spots an opportunity for an interesting story angle. So, what really drives a good pitch note?

Key drivers for a good pitch:

Define your objective, target audience and your key message Understand the category well. One needs to do a lot of homework here A deep dive into research will help you to cull out great insights Have a focussed approach and get your points clearly across to the journalist Substantiate your pitch with sufficient support points to make your story very credible. Brainstorming with your team members will help you draw fresh ideas Make your pitch note very tight and crisp so that the essence is captured easily for the journalist to comprehend The storytelling approach will also help you to make your case stronger Look innovatively and think out of box to grab the attention of the journalist Finally, it helps if you have a strong relationship. It can strengthen your case with the journalist

Preparing a pitch note does not come overnight. It is through sheer experience, knowledge and voracious reading that one will be able to master the same as one grows in the PR profession. One of the major roles of PR consultants today is to help and advise their clients on what kind of strategy that can and will work when they plan a story and hence, it is equally important for the client also to share a sharply focussed brief to achieve the desired results. To get an in-depth perspective on what goes into a well thought out pitch note to the journalist, Adgully spoke to some PR industry experts to seek their valuable thoughts and insights.

Sharing his views on what goes into a pitch story, Jaideep Shergill, Co-Founder, Pitchfork Partners Strategic Consulting, said that the first thing one should remember is to find out if the journalist is interested in a story, not in a brand or product. And make sure that you have a truly genuine story. The second most important thing to remember is that the journalist is talking to a specific audience  business, consumer, citizen, trade, etc., so ask yourself if the story is relevant to that journalists audience. Adding further on the focus of the media pitch, Shergill suggested writing the pitch story in the way that the journalist would think. Go out of box and look at innovative ways to pitch your story by sharing it on a video or presenting infographics with your notes to make the pitch forceful. The journalist should get a real feel of the product, so think differently to grab his attention, he advised.

Giving her opinion on how to make the story pitch exciting, Ruby Sinha, Managing Director, Kommune Brand Communications, said that a story pitch should be crisp, factual, relevant and topical to make it compelling for a journalist. Like Shergill, Sinha, too, stressed on having an in-depth understanding of the publications target readership, writing style of the particular journalist and possible story angles based on current or upcoming industry trends. In an agency environment, this requires collaboration between the client servicing, media pitching and content/ graphics team to ensure optimal results, she added.

On where should the key focus be in the media pitch, Sinha noted that normally journalists get multiple story pitches in a day and hence, a media pitch should be unique with a compelling news peg to grasp his/ her attention. The subject line of the email is especially important and it has to be brief, with a news hook to grab the journalists attention so that he/she opens the mail. Remember, you are pitching a story and integrating your company or brand subtly into it. Avoid lengthy emails, keep the pitch simple and brief. An interesting infographic condensing key data points always helps, she added.

Along similar lines, Akshaara Lalwani, CEO and Founder Communicate India, too said that pitching compelling storylines and sources formed the crux of any PR strategy, followed by effectively crafting your story. With media dynamics changing by the day, one needs to clearly decode the clients objective clearly to align them respectively in the pitch to present the right perspective to the media. There is a staggering number of pitch requests that the journalist will receive, so its imperative to have an indepth knowledge about ones clients business to create a winning media pitch which will interest the target audience, she added.

On what should one focus on in the media pitch, Lalwani emphasised on the importance of research and added that one should be in sync with the media trends and media conversation to find out what really interests the journalists and how you can help in contributing to that beat. She further said, A well-crafted media pitch should clearly focus on and look at the newsworthiness angle which will strongly communicate the clients information to turn into a good story.

One needs to look at two simple things when working on a story pitch. Elaborating on this, Kavita Lakhani, Executive Director, Golinopinion, said, The secret to successfully drawing attention to your pitch is to have a compelling Why. Why does your business matter? Why is it different or better? What is so interesting that people, including readers of the publication, should pay attention? The other point that she made was to give the reporter more than one potential story angle of why and how they can share the story with their audience. A simple bullet point style list of story options gives more opportunities for the reporter to say yes.

Regarding what one should focus on, Lakhani stressed on avoiding templated pitches and instead talk upfront about the exciting component of ones brand or product. Get the right journalist for the pitching and make it a point to read about what that reporter has written in the past and accordingly craft the pitch. Journalists look for evidence and credibility, so furnish all relevant data to help him shape the story, she advised.

Meanwhile, Tarunjeet Rattan, Managing Partner, Nucleus PR, said, If you are making the pitch on a call, then mention your story idea in the first 2 minutes to capture the journalists attention and then back it up with details and an email. On the other hand, if you are making an email pitch, then make sure that the subject line is catchy enough and will compel the journalist to read it. Highlight the story idea and state your value proposition in clear and concise manner. Your tone of the mail counts and will make a huge difference, so carefully craft your mail which should be polite and not demanding.

Rattan further added that the PR professional needs to back their pitch with research, numbers and all the relevant reports that will help the journalist. Finally, take care of the way the mail is presented and ensure that it is simple and easy to read without any over use of fonts and colours, she concluded.
Detroit contest points to a debate in the Democratic Party between the establishment and more progressive activists.

Michigan Democratic Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib had been in office for a matter of hours when she was seen on video telling supporters that she and other Democrats were going to impeach President Donald Trump, using an expletive rather than Trumps name.

The room full of activists cheered, but some people back home  and in Democratic leadership  were not pleased.

It was not the last time Tlaibs approach to governing  an unapologetic fighter, taking aim at the status quo alongside three other first-term congresswomen of colour who make up the squad  would make her a target, both of the Republican (GOP) and her own party.

And every time, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones said, agitated constituents would call and encourage her to challenge her fellow Michigan Democrat to a rematch of their 2018 battle for the partys congressional nomination. Now, Tlaib is the squads most vulnerable member, as she and Jones are set to square off again in Michigans August 4 primary.

In a sign that Tlaibs troubles are gaining wider recognition, US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who has tangled with Tlaib in the past, issued a statement in her support.

Representative Rashida Tlaib is a tireless advocate for the residents of Michigans 13th Congressional District, Pelosi said in the statement. Rep Tlaib never stops fighting for her district, which she is proud to represent. And I am proud to endorse her for reelection.

The contest points to the broader debate in the Democratic Party between the establishment and largely younger, more progressive activists, as well as the racial dynamics of a heavily Democratic Detroit-area district at a time when racial injustices are getting renewed attention.

Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones, who is challenging Rashida Tlaib, is embraced by former Vice President and Democratic presidential contender Joe Biden in Detroit [File: Daniel Mears/Pool, AP Photo]

To Jones, it all boils down to one thing for a district that is among the countrys poorest: who can bring home the bacon.

There are things that I might feel, but I just dont say in public and an example is impeach the M-F on the very first day, said Jones, 60. Not to say youre going to always agree, but you have to be able to work with those people because you never know who youre going to need in order to get things done that need to be done.

The two candidates have a history. In 2018, Jones finished a close second to Tlaib in a six-person primary for the seat long held by Democratic Representative John Conyers, who stepped down amid sexual harassment allegations. But Jones defeated Tlaib in a two-person special election to finish the final weeks of Conyers term  which she did, spending five weeks in Washington before Tlaib was sworn in for the full term in January.

Tlaib said that she has legislated exactly the way she promised and that she has gotten results by pushing back against those who are too cosy with corporations and big developers.

She noted that Trump signed into law a bill she sponsored to protect retirees pension benefits, even if she did not get invited to the White House for the signing, and that she has gotten amendments approved with bipartisan support, including a measure that provides billions to replace lead pipes and prioritises low-income communities.

Im pretty tenacious and its resulting in actual things getting done, Tlaib said. Its not just about me as a person, but all of the various social justice issues that Ive been standing up for for the last year and a half that have not been popular among the wealthy.

A national racial reckoning following the death of George Floyd has led to renewed questions in Detroit about whether a Black person should represent Rashida Tlaibs district, which is 50 percent African American [File: Paul Sancya/AP Photo]

Race and religion are also factors in Tlaibs diverse district, where more than half of the residents are Black, while the rest are a mix of white, Arab American, Latino and other races. Tlaib, a Palestinian who was born and raised in Detroit, was one of the first two female Muslim members of Congress; Jones is Black. Conyers was also Black and was the longest-serving Black member of Congress, holding office for more than five decades.

Ian Conyers, whose grandfather was the former congressmans brother, said the district was drawn to ensure a voice for Black residents, and he believed it should continue to have a Black representative, particularly following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and the elevation of racial justice issues.

Folks are wanting someone to make their case in their own words, said Conyers, who also ran in the 2018 primary. He said other candidates of colour should look to gain political power in white districts, and not simply look at urban areas and the African American community as a place to win a seat.

Some Black voters who plan to support Tlaib said race did not matter. William Clark, 74, thought Jones is too conservative.

Black, white, Hispanic, Martian, I dont care who is in power, just do what you say youre going to do, he said. Rashida will speak. She is real.

Branden Snyder, who leads the grassroots organisation Detroit Action, called Tlaib a visionary and praised her candour and willingness to fight, saying she is not beholden to the same old status quo.

Right now politics as usual aint been working for our communities, Snyder said during an event announcing the organisations endorsement of Tlaib.





Tlaib has a huge financial advantage over Jones, having raised more than two million dollars, and she has backing from the political action committee Justice Democrats and other progressive groups.

Jones has brought in about $140,000 but was far outraised in 2018 and lost by only 1 percentage point. The four other candidates are now backing Jones.

Besides the racial issues, Conyers said Tlaib has been too focused on issues outside the district. Jones pointed to moments like last summer, when Tlaib booed Hillary Clinton at an event for Clintons former rival, US Senator Bernie Sanders, in his 2020 presidential bid.

Tlaib remains unapologetic.

I didnt have to change who I am to please voters, Tlaib said. I didnt sell out. Thats one thing I promised them, that I wouldnt do it. And I didnt.
By Pham Duy Khuong Managing director, ASL LAW

As a result, the two countries have opened their door for more funding from domestic enterprises and become promising investment destinations. However, apart from advantages of this, the enterprises of one country investing in the other also face difficulties because of legal and culture differences among countries. Therefore, solutions need to be recommended to deal with these problems.

Singapore has a huge investment in Vietnam and has one of the highest foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows into Vietnam. Specifically, in 2017, Vietnam attracted strong FDI from Singapore, ranked third behind South Korea and Japan in the primary sectors of infrastructure, consumption and processing, agriculture, and food.

In the first seven months of 2020, there were 104 countries and territories investing in Vietnam, and Singapore has risen to become the largest investor in Vietnam with the total investment capital of $4.57 billion (accounted for 53.1 per cent of the total investment capital into Vietnam), compared to the second place South Korea with $984 million.

This shows that Singapore is highly focusing on investment to develop industries and fields in Vietnam. Moreover, Singaporean companies have quickly integrated into the business community in Vietnam and are strictly complying with the law, since they have a good management team and market research, as well as risk warning teams.

The companies projects also showed their effectiveness of investment when they have contributed to the development of science and technology because they also bring many new technologies, as well as contributed to economic development and created many jobs for Vietnamese workers.

One of the special projects is the development of Vietnam-Singapore Industrial Parks (VSIP) in Vietnam. These have paved the way for many Singaporean enterprises to invest into Vietnam and created jobs for more than 250,000 workers.

Besides that, in real estate, CapitaLand and Keppel Land are typical examples of successful investments with green urban and high-rise buildings projects.

Furthermore, since participating in new-generation free trade agreements, Singapore also considers Vietnam as a bridge for enterprises to invest in these markets. Since joining, many laws have been amended to meet the international needs in Vietnam such as laws on enterprises, investment, and land, creating a transparent environment and more investment directions for Singaporean enterprises.

It can be seen that mergers and acquisitions (M&A), processing, and real estate are the areas where Singapore focuses on investment.

For Vietnam, outward investment has been on an upward trend in recent years, but the majority of capital mostly concentrates in Laos and Cambodia in the ASEAN. Vietnam has a close relationship with Singapore and increasingly investing in this country. Significant examples are FPT Group investing in IT, and Petrolimex pouring money into oil and gas. They are typical companies that have successfully invested in Singapore but are still small- and medium-sized, which shows that Vietnam has not had much capital to invest in Singapore.

There is a huge difference between the investment of Singapore into Vietnam and vice versa. This is because Singapore has a dynamic and transparent business environment; therefore, Vietnamese enterprises have to compete fairly with others.

However, because Vietnamese enterprises do not have an abundant finance and high-tech system  while Singapore businesses boast abundant capital, high-tech development, and a logistics system  Vietnamese enterprises do not have many opportunities to compete with the enterprises of Singapore or even with enterprises from other countries.

In addition, Vietnamese groups prefer using Singapore as a hub for receiving investment from international companies into their projects in Vietnam.

For example, in fund raising, in order to receive investment from foreign investors, Vietnamese enterprises are required to open a company in Singapore where they put all fund and finance there.

Then, the new Singaporean company shall invest again into the Vietnamese enterprises.

Not only that, there is a clear difference in business cultures and laws between Vietnam and Singapore. Hence, this can make it hard for Vietnamese enterprises to adapt, which may lead to unwanted conflicts and affect project implementation.

Therefore, if Vietnamese enterprises want to invest to Singapore, they still need a lot of supportive and prompting policies from government to expand business investment aboard. In addition, they need to improve their financial and managerial capacity, as well as understand deeply about the culture and law system of Singapore to enhance adaptability when investing in the country.

Along with the good political relations and the expansion in economic, trade, and other fields, the diplomatic relationship between Vietnam and Singapore is constantly developing.

With the efforts of the two sides, the strategic relationship between two will achieve good results, complementing each other for further development.
The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company, a leading manufacturer of premium chocolate products since 1852, announces the debut of its White Chocolate Caramel SQUARES, the newest version of Ghirardellis Caramel SQUARES, now available in creamy white chocolate.

Theres nothing else on the market quite like our Ghirardelli White Chocolate Caramel SQUARES. We combined real white chocolate and our signature luscious caramel to create our new delicious, creamy, and well-balanced flavor. We use the best ingredients so that you can taste the quality and care we put into the flavor through every bite, said Bobby Oliver, director of marketing at Ghirardelli.

Just in time for National Smores Day on August 10, White Chocolate Caramel SQUARES provide a twist on traditional smores. White chocolate and buttery caramel with a touch of sea salt and vanilla finish take smores to the next level.

To celebrate, Ghirardelli has teamed up with The FeedFeed again this year for their annual Summertime Smores Contest. Consumers who post a photo on Instagram of their smores made with Ghirardelli Chocolate SQUARES can enter the contest by using the designated hashtags and following the brands channels. Winners will receive Ghirardelli chocolate and other prizes valued at $1,100. For more information, visit https://thefeedfeed.com/contest/ghirardelli-contest.

Our SQUARES are perfect for smores, something the whole family can make and enjoy together. We hope to make this summerand National Smores Daya bite better with chocolate thats delicious and made with love, said Oliver.

Furthering its mission to give back to the community, Ghirardelli has donated 642,843 squares, equating to 15,589 pounds of chocolate, to organizations supporting children and families, and healthcare and frontline workers. Over the last five months, the brand has donated product to nearly 40 organizations, such as the John Muir Health Foundation, Stanford Health Care, George Mark Childrens House, and the Lucile Packard Foundation. Ghirardelli will continue this community outreach moving forward.

Ghirardellis White Chocolate Caramel SQUARES is a permanent item added to its lineup. The product is available starting at $4.49 for a five-ounce bag and can be found at most retailers nationwide, such as Target and Walmart. For more information, visit http://www.ghirardelli.com.

About The Ghirardelli Chocolate Company

Ghirardelli is passionate about quality bean to bar chocolate, and all of the ways our fans enjoy it. Founded in San Francisco in 1852, we take pride in producing premium chocolate products with the highest quality ingredients. Ghirardelli is one of the few companies in America that controls the entire chocolate manufacturing process, from cocoa bean to finished product. This oversight of the manufacturing process combined with Ghirardelli's proprietary bean blend and unique methods of roasting and processing, ensures that you are rewarded with the highest quality and richest products. Ghirardelli makes life a bite better!

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Noor Sweid on innovation in the MENA region: Its not that were trying to think outside the box; there is no box

Nov 9, 2021
By PTI

MUMBAI: Maharashtra minister and Shiv Sena leader Anil Parab on Tuesday said the Bihar government's move to recommend a CBI probe into actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case was politically motivated.

"Nitish Kumar is the head of the Bihar administration. He should speak about what is happening in Bihar. This case has acquired political colour and everyone is trying to derive a mileage out of it," Parab told reporters when asked about the Bihar government recommending a CBI investigation.

Earlier in the day, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tweeted in Hindi, "The state government has sent its recommendation for a CBI inquiry into the case filed by Mr K K Singh, the father of late Sushant Singh Rajput".

Parab, whose party heads the Maha Vikas Aghadi government in Maharashtra, alleged the opposition BJP was questioning the ability of the Mumbai Police by pushing for a probe by the Central agency.

READ| Bihar govt can't recommend CBI probe, says Rhea Chakraborty's lawyer

"How many suicide cases you handed over to the CBI in the last five years? Why is the CBI probe being demanded only in this case? There is politics involved. The state government stands with the Mumbai Police," he said.

Parab said no culprit, if any, in the case will be spared. Responding to a query, Parab said state tourism minister and chief minister Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray is nowhere linked to the case.

"Allegations are being made in this connection to malign the image of the chief minister," he said.

Parab alleged that political opponents of the Sena have engaged into this conspiracy (against the Thackerays).

"If anybody has any evidence that Aaditya Thackeray is related to this case, they can present the same and then we will speak," he added.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14. Mumbai Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and an investigation is underway.
A man and his children try to find shelter from the wind in lower Manhattan as Tropical Storm Isaias passes through New York: EPA

Four people are dead after Tropical Storm Isaias made landfall and strengthened to a category one Hurricane on Tuesday.

The deadly storm has spawned tornadoes and left communities without power as it surges up the US East Coast, killing individuals in New York, Maryland and North Carolina according to The Associated Press.

Since making landfall, the storm has sustained top winds of 65 mph (105 kph) and has caused dangerous flooding around Philadelphia and along other parts of Interstate 95.

The National Hurricane Center warned that high winds could possibly generate more tornadoes across New England, where sustained winds between 52 (84 kph) and 61 mph (98 kph) were recorded.

More than 2.2m people across New York, New Jersey and Connecticut lost power Tuesday, and flash floods were reported across Pennsylvania, including in and around Philadelphia.

The storm is expected to continue moving north through the northern New England states before crossing over into Canada in the early hours of Wednesday.

Catch up on events as they happened
To make matters worse, the three main security contractors contracted on short notice to guard the hotels, Wilson, MSS and Unified Security, had to respond so quickly they were relying on a range of little-known subcontractors to supply hundreds of often ill-prepared and ill-equipped guards. The workforce, according to sources deeply involved in the industry, was a mix of international students  some recruited via WhatsApp messages  working alongside a smattering of local security guards. On Thursday, the government's long-awaited inquiry into hotel quarantine, a calamity largely blamed for Victoria's second wave of coronavirus, will begin questioning its first witnesses, seeking information about infection control, epidemiology and contact tracing and genomic testing. Millions of Victorians hope it will shed light on who was responsible for the scheme and why private security was preferred over police or Defence Force personnel to guard guests. In NSW, police and Border Force personnel largely carried out these duties. Another key question will be how Sydney-based Unified, the smallest of the three selected contractors and the only one not on the state government's approved panel of suppliers, was chosen to watch over more of the returned travellers than any other company. Unified's Indigenous ownership met the government's social procurement guidelines and is thought to have negated its absence from the security providers panel.

At one point, Unified was working on site at the Rydges on Swanston Street in Carlton, The Marriott, The Grand Chancellor, three Crown hotels, the PanPacific and the Novotel South Wharf. One of the major virus outbreaks occurred at the Rydges under Unifieds watch. There, 19 security guards and their contacts caught coronavirus from returned travellers. Hugh de Kretser, the executive director of the Human Rights Law Centre, was among those to return to Australia in late June and, like all returning travellers, he had to complete a 14-day stay in one of the 16 hotels that took part in the program. Hugh de Kretser. Credit:Ken Irwin Mr de Kretser said his family was alarmed to be taken to the Rydges, as it came just days after The Age had revealed the extent of the outbreak there. He said his familys stay had started badly when, after they checked into the hotel and were escorted into a lift, they were left unsupervised to find their rooms on the floor they were staying on.

Loading Staff seemed to change constantly and move between facilities and on at least two occasions a staff member came to our room without a face mask, Mr de Kretser said. Quarantine was an important part of protecting public health, he said, "but it has to be done properly and humanely. Our experience at the Rydges was that while some things worked very well, other things fell short. Some in Victorias security industry say Unified's late 2019 decision to hire two former managers from Wilson Security, Nigel Coppick and Karl Leitner, who had long-established ties to the Victorian public service, may have helped raise its profile with the government. Unified had also won the Metro Trains contract and had already established a relationship with Jobs Victoria as part of a push to find work for disadvantaged Victorians.

Loading Weeks into the quarantine program, Unifieds workload became heavier when bigger rival Wilson lost two of its four hotels. It is understood that Wilson did not receive an explanation from the government about this. The company did not experience a virus outbreak at its hotels. The Stamford Plaza in Little Collins street was the other hotel to have a major outbreak, with the work contracted to MSS Security. MSS in turn passed its work to what one in the industry said was three tiers of subcontracting. Ultimately, more than a dozen guards working at the hotel contracted coronavirus, and the outbreak eventually spread to 43 people. The Age and Herald have been contacted by security subcontractors who say they only lasted a short time working in hotel quarantine because of health and safety fears. After two days we ended our tenure due to lack of health protocols clearly putting us at risk, one subcontractor working at a city hotel said.

Loading Another veteran Victorian security industry operator said the hotel quarantine inquiry should be the catalyst for major changes to the way the private security sector operates and is regulated by Victoria Police. Youve got undercutting going on all the way through. You get companies telling a client they can do a job for so much an hour. They then subcontract it out for five or seven dollars less and the subcontractor finds whoever he can to do it for even less. You end up with a workforce that isnt properly trained or equipped to do the job, the source said. Unified, Wilson and MSS have all vowed to fully co-operate with the inquiry. The hotel quarantine inquiry will hold an extraordinary sitting on Wednesday to establish what impact the latest stage four restrictions will have on hearings.
Mumbai, Aug 4 : Legendary Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar recently came forward to support a cause dedicated to ensure that essentials duly reached slum dwellers during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

The lockdown had left many poor families, especially those living in the slums, face hardships. Owing to restricted movements, sole-bread earners of families have not been able to move for work.

The Centre for the Study of Social Change (CSSC), an NGO located in Bandra East, left no stone unturned in ensuring that the 6,300 slum dwellers spread across 1,250 families in Bandra East were not left hungry and were given the required provisions on time.

An appeal to come forward and donate generously was made across various forums and amongst the donors was Tendulkar. The families were provided with boxes and each box contained rice, wheat flour, tur dal, sugar, tea powder, spices, salt, bathing and washing soap.

The CSSC team, led by its President SY Bhojraj, ensured that the boxes were duly handed over to the legitimate beneficiaries only. CSSC identified deprived families of H-East municipal ward through their health volunteers.

Bhojraj said: "The initiative was taken for families of daily wage earners, domestic helpers, hawkers and other needy persons. They were and are out of jobs with no salaries and did not have provisions to tide over this stressful period." "We would like to thank all those who came forward, including Sachin Tendulkar, who donated generously to the deprived and needy families," he added.

Earlier in May, Tendulkar had provided financial aid to 4,000 underprivileged people, including children from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC).

In April, the former Indian batsman had pledged to help around 5,000 people for a month in Shivaji Nagar and Govandi area of the city through an NGO named Apnalaya.

Before that, he had donated Rs 25 lakh each to the Prime Minister's Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund (PM-CARES Fund) and Chief Minister's Relief Fund (Maharashtra) in his bid to join the fight against COVID-19.
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern California Gas Co. (SoCalGas) today announced it is working with Goodwill Southern California to promote its energy efficiency and money-saving programs for qualifying customers. The Energy Savings Assistance (ESA) program and the California Alternate Rates for Energy (CARE) bill discount program help customers save money on their SoCalGas bill while also helping to improve the safety and comfort of their homes. SoCalGas will publicize the programs with banners, flyers and applications at all participating Goodwill stores in its service territory beginning this month.

"Now more than ever, we need to make sure that all customers who qualify for these programs are aware of them and are getting signed up. With the COVID-19 pandemic affecting many families in Southern California economically, programs like these could help immensely. Qualifying customers are not only eligible for a 20% discount on their monthly SoCalGas bill from CARE; if they also take advantage of the ESA Program for home retrofits as well, their combined annual savings could grow to over $800," said Brian Prusnek, director of customer programs and assistance at SoCalGas. "Our partnership with Goodwill is another example of our commitment to our customers and our communities so that they have clean, reliable and affordable energy."

"Goodwill Southern California is proud to partner with SoCalGas, an organization that recognizes the importance of giving back to the community," said Patrick McClenahan, President and CEO of Goodwill Southern California. "We are particularly appreciative that this alliance will provide relief for families in the communities we serve."

In addition to providing printed materials and applications inside 10 Goodwill Southern California retail stores, SoCalGas will also work with employees at Goodwill SoCal Employment Centers who can work directly with their clients to provide information on SoCalGas's energy- and money-saving measures.

The CARE assistance program aims to aid people in paying their utility bills. Qualifying customers can receive a 20% discount on their SoCalGas bill each month and save an average of $145 dollars over two years through this program. Currently, SoCalGas has over 1.5 million customers enrolled in the CARE program. This is especially important in light of increasing economic impacts caused by the pandemic.

The ESA program provides eligible customers with home improvements, at no cost to the renter or homeowner, that help conserve energy, reduce natural gas use and will enhance their safety, health, and comfort. SoCalGas provides this service to over 100,000 customers a year. Those who qualify receive services and professionally installed upgrades worth hundreds of dollars. Improvements may include clothes washer replacement, water heater replacement, furnace replacement, attic insulation, door weather-stripping and more. This program helps customers save money on energy  up to $700 annually. SoCalGas has helped over one million of its customers save on their energy bills through energy efficient upgrades with the ESA program.

To qualify for either CARE or ESA, the customer or someone in the customer's household must be enrolled in a public assistance program or meet income qualifications. To learn more, please visit socalgas.com/assistance.

SoCalGas has donated more than $2.5 million to nonprofit organizations for COVID-19 recovery efforts, including supporting the region's workforce, feeding the hungry, providing bill assistance to customers, and more.

Together, the Sempra Energy family of companies  including SoCalGas's sister California utility San Diego Gas and Electric, and the Sempra Energy Foundation  have donated more than $12.5 million to those in need during this crisis.

For more information on SoCalGas's response to the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit www.socalgas.com/coronavirus.

About Goodwill Southern California

Transforming lives through the power of work, Goodwill Southern California (GSC) serves individuals with disabilities or other vocational challenges by providing education, training, work experience and job placement services. Each year, GSC prepares and places thousands of individuals into sustainable employment through programs and services offered at three campuses, Career Resource Centers, Work Source Centers, Deaf, Youth and Veteran Employment Programs throughout Los Angeles (north of Rosecrans Ave.), Riverside and San Bernardino counties. GSC supports its mission with proceeds generated from more than 80 stores and over 40 attended donation centers. GSC spends 95 percent of its budget on programs and services. Committed to caring for the earth, last year GSC diverted over 100 million pounds of reusable or recyclable goods from landfills. Goodwill is GOOD for Everyone!

About SoCalGas

Headquartered in Los Angeles, SoCalGas is the largest gas distribution utility in the United States. SoCalGas delivers affordable, reliable, clean and increasingly renewable gas service to 21.8 million customers across 24,000 square miles of Central and Southern California, where more than 90 percent of residents use natural gas for heating, hot water, cooking, drying clothes or other uses. Gas delivered through the company's pipelines also plays a key role in providing electricity to Californians about 45 percent of electric power generated in the state comes from gas-fired power plants.

SoCalGas's vision is to be the cleanest gas utility in North America , delivering affordable and increasingly renewable energy to its customers. In support of that vision, SoCalGas is committed to replacing 20 percent of its traditional natural gas supply with renewable natural gas (RNG) by 2030. Renewable natural gas is made from waste created by dairy farms, landfills and wastewater treatment plants. SoCalGas is also committed to investing in its gas delivery infrastructure while keeping bills affordable for our customers. From 2014 through 2018, the company invested nearly $6.5 billion to upgrade and modernize its pipeline system to enhance safety and reliability. SoCalGas is a subsidiary of Sempra Energy (NYSE: SRE), an energy services holding company based in San Diego. For more information visit socalgas.com/newsroom or connect with SoCalGas on Twitter (@SoCalGas), Instagram (@SoCalGas) and Facebook.

SOURCE Southern California Gas Company

Related Links

http://www.socalgas.com


Representative image

Curfew and other restrictions which had been ordered in Srinagar on August 4 and 5 ahead of and on the day of the first year anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir have been lifted with immediate effect, the Srinagar District Magistrate Office said.

However, precautionary orders/measures in place to tackle the COVID-19 outbreak will continue to be enforced.

"Restrictions  including curfew  imposed in Srinagar district for 4th and 5th August, lifted with immediate effect. COVID-19 precautionary orders/measures in place," the order said, according to news agency ANI.

The Srinagar administration had, on August 3 evening, imposed a curfew in the city citing intelligence inputs of violent protests.

The Centre had, on August 5 last year, revoked J&K's special status under Article 370 of the Indian Constitution.

"There are specific inputs about violent protests endangering public life and property," the order had said.
Bengaluru:

The mortal remains of martyr Major Akshay Girish Kumar, killed during the terror strike on Nagrota Army camp in Jammu, were cremated with full military honours in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The body of 31-year old Kumar was brought from New Delhi in an IAF aircraft and kept at the Yelahanka Air Force station where the Army and IAF officials and dignitaries paid their last respects to the martyr.

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra and Bengaluru Mayor Padmvathi laid wreaths on the body of Kumar, who was part of the Quick Reponse Team that swung into action soon after the terror strike on Tuesday.

Jayachandra announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Kumar, who was among the seven armymen, including two officers, killed in the terror attack.

Kumar is survived by wife Sangeetha and two and a half year old daughter Naina.

The mortal remains of martyr Major Akshay Girish Kumar, killed during the terror strike on Nagrota Army camp in Jammu, were cremated with full military honours in Bengaluru on Thursday.

The body of 31-year old Kumar was brought from New Delhi in an IAF aircraft and kept at the Yelahanka Air Force station where the Army and IAF officials and dignitaries paid their last respects to the martyr.

Karnataka Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra and Bengaluru Mayor Padmvathi laid wreaths on the body of Kumar, who was part of the Quick Reponse Team that swung into action soon after the terror strike on Tuesday.

Jayachandra announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs 25 lakh to the family of Kumar, who was among the seven armymen, including two officers, killed in the terror attack.

Kumar is survived by wife Sangeetha and two and a half year old daughter Naina.

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Discussions included the issue of Taliban prisoners whose release by the Afghan government has been delayed.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo held a video meeting with the Talibans chief negotiator, Mullah Baradar Akhund, to discuss the state of the Afghanistan peace process, the armed groups spokesman said.

The discussions included 400 Taliban prisoners still held by the Afghan government in spite of being on a list of 5,000 prisoners the armed group is demanding that Kabul release, Suhail Shaheen, Taliban spokesman in Doha, said on Twitter.

While the government has released most of the 5,000 Taliban prisoners stipulated in a February agreement between the US and the Taliban, the delayed release of the remaining 400 has stalled the so-called intra-Afghan talks envisioned in the agreement to start by March 10.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani last week said he had no authority under the countrys constitution to release the remaining inmates because of their involvement in serious crimes.

The Taliban want the prisoners freed before they join the talks with government officials and other Afghans, seen as the countrys hope for a lasting peace after decades of war. The Taliban has been engaged in an armed rebellion since 2001 when it was removed from power in a US-led invasion.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Both sides talked about the inception of intra-Afghan negotiations and they emphasised that the release of the remaining prisoners are essential for commencement of intra-Afghan negotiations, Shaheen wrote.

A wounded man receives treatment at a hospital after a suicide car bomb and multiple gunmen attack in the city of Jalalabad [AP Photo]

Deadly prison attack

The meeting between Pompeo and Baradar, the Talibans Doha-based deputy leader, came as Afghan security forces ended an attack on a major prison in eastern Afghanistan by ISIL in which hundreds of prisoners escaped.

It was not immediately known if the escapees included any of the prisoners whose release the Taliban is demanding. The armed group has denied it was behind the deadly attack.

The February US-Taliban agreement called for a US troop withdrawal in return for security guarantees from the Taliban. It also detailed the release of up to 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for the armed group freeing 1,000 government detainees.

The Kabul administration, led by Ghani, was not part of the Doha agreement but has largely agreed to honour its elements.

The Taliban has released about 1,000 detainees while the Afghan government, under US pressure, freed approximately 4,600 Taliban prisoners.

Ghani, however, contends that the remaining 400 were involved in serious crimes, including a massive 2017 bombing against the German embassy and other deadly attacks.

Instead, Ghani is expected to release 500 prisoners who are not on the list and has called a traditional assembly of tribal elders from across the country  known as a loya jirga  to consult on whether to free those remaining on the list.

The assembly is expected to be held later this month.
Police and emergency services continue to work at the crash site, which saw four police officers killed, along the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne, Australia on April 23, 2020. (Luis Ascui/Getty Images)

Third Man Charged in Connection to Melbourne Crash That Killed Four Police Officers

A third man has been charged from the fatal Melbourne crash in April that killed four Victoria police officers. The multi-car collision involved two police vehicles, a truck, and a Porsche.

Simon Tuteru from Frankston was arrested in Lyndhurst, southeast Melbourne on Aug. 2, and later charged with four counts of manslaughter over the Eastern Freeway incident, a Victoria police statement said.

Three divisions of Victoria police carried out an extensive 3-month investigation leading up to Tuterus arrest.

The two other men arrested in connection to the fatal collision are the Porsche driver, Richard Pusey; charged with multiple offences including failing to render assistance and destruction of evidence, and the truck driver Mohinder Singh Bajwa; charged in April with four counts of culpable driving.

The third is 49-year-old Tuteru, a manager of the logistics company that owns the truck involved in the fatal crash. He has been penalised for safety breaches including truck defects and using fatigued drivers, reported AAP.

An out-of-session hearing was held on the evening of Aug. 2 in Melbourne Magistrates Court where both Pusey and Bajwa were trialled. Tuteru was granted bail and told to return to court on Oct. 26.

Related Coverage Melbourne Truck Driver Faces Court Over Fatal Police Crash

Victorian police intercepted Puseys black Porsche 911 on April 22 for allegedly speeding at over 140 kilometres (86 miles) per hour. Soon after, a semi-trailer driven by Mohinder Singh Bajwa veered into the emergency lane at 100 kilometres per hour and collided with the four officers.

At the time of the incident, Pusey was urinating on the side of the freeway, away from the others. He was the only person on the ground to avoid death.

Leading Senior Constable Lynnette Taylor, Senior Constable Kevin King, Constable Glen Humphris, and Constable Joshua Prestney lost their lives that evening.

Pusey is facing over a dozen charges and is due in court on Aug. 13.
The Worcester Public Schools has scheduled a virtual forum this week to discuss plans for reopening schools during the coronavirus pandemic.

The forum is at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6 and will be on Zoom, Facebook Live and YouTube. Information on how to join is on the school website.

Directions on how to access translations, including closed captions, are provided when a user logs on to Zoom, the school district said.

Worcester has been focusing on planning a return to school that is either fully online or a hybrid of in-school and remote learning.

Last month, the district created preliminary plans, which were sent to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education last week for review.

Worcester created two models for its hybrid plan, one that allowed 50% of students back into school buildings and another model with 1/3 of students back in school. Guidelines on bus transportation from DESE, however, make the 50% model impossible, according to Superintendent Maureen Binienda.

The 1/3 model plans to have about 1/3 of students occupying a school building at a time, with students learning on Mondays with their teachers while at home, one day per week of in-person learning at their schools either Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays, and remote learning the other days each week when they are not in school.

Some teachers have said they wished educators were involved more in the planning process for the year. Educators have concerns about health and safety. While students can choose to participate in online learning if they cannot return to school buildings for health reasons, it remains unclear what accommodations will be made for employees.

Parents are also worried as the new school year approaches. During a virtual meeting last month to discuss the districts preliminary plans, some parents offered concerns about the virus getting passed from student to student, while others worried that young elementary school students would fall behind if they were not in the classroom.

The school year will start two weeks later than planned, giving districts an additional 10 days to prepare.

Meanwhile, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley plans to host a virtual listening session Wednesday at 3 p.m. to hear directly from students across the Massachusetts 7th congressional district as they share concerns about returning to school in a few weeks.

TOMORROW: Join me at 3 p.m. ET to hear from students across #MA7 as they share their hopes, fears and preferences around school reopening this fall.



RSVP required: https://t.co/lhSSUk7VNQ pic.twitter.com/oXc0d9DpBp  Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (@RepPressley) August 4, 2020

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A former Local Government Minister, Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi and Member of the NDC has recounted the bad blood that characterized the relationship between former President Jerry Rawlings and former Vice President, Kow Nkensen Arkaah which reportedly led to a brawl.

Prior to the 1992 presidential polls, Arkaah who was the leader of the then National Convention Party (NCP) became the Vice-Presidential candidate to Jerry Rawlings following an alliance between the National Democratic Congress and the NCP.

Both of them had a difficult working relationship. There were reports that Rawlings physically assaulted Arkaah at a cabinet meeting on December 28, 1995.

Recounting the incident 25 years on, Mr. Ahwoi, who was present at that cabinet meeting, insisted that Arkaah wasnt beaten by Rawlings.

He however acknowledged that there was an incident at the meeting, but argued that Arkaahs suit was not torn as claimed.

Rawlings didnt beat him [Arkaah]. But there was an incident and both of them fell on the floor. But Commodore Stephen Obimpeh who was a military person was sitting next to Arkaah so he went very quickly, jumped into them and separated them and Arkaah left there [the cabinet meeting].

At the time he [Arkaah] was leaving [the meeting], his suit wasnt torn but we all later saw a picture with his suit torn. [He did that] because he went to the then IGP, to report that he had been assaulted by President Rawlings so he needed evidence, Prof. Ahwoi narrated on Foot Prints on Citi TV.

Arkaah later became the leader of the Convention Peoples Party formed by the merger of the NCP and the Peoples Convention Party. Arkaah continued as Vice-President despite being the leader of the Convention Peoples Party.

So he [Arkaah] became the Vice-President and from day one, things were not good between them. Arkaah was beyond salvation because he a very stubborn person, Prof. Ahwoi said.

Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi has written a book entitled Working with Rawlings which he launched last week.

In the book, Prof. Ahwoi narrated his experiences working with the founder of the NDC, Rawlings and other notable persons who played diverse roles in the governance of Ghana.

Prof. Ahwoi was subsequently interviewed by Samuel Attah-Mensah on Foot Prints on Citi TV.

Click below to watch the full interview:

---citinewsroom
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee former Vice President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the William Hicks Anderson Community Center, on July 28, 2020 in Wilmington, Delaware.

Joe Biden's bundlers are planning to host a slew of virtual fundraisers for him and the Democratic National Committee just after he announces his running mate, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter.

Some of the expected co-hosts who are privately being mentioned are Hollywood movie executive Jeffrey Katzenberg, Wall Street executive Jim Chanos, Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., Andrew Hauptman, co-founder of investment firm Andell and movie star George Clooney, according to the people.

The events have yet to be finalized. There are many others who are also in the mix to host Biden fundraisers, including other lawmakers and business leaders. The people declined to be named as the events have yet to be made public.

The events will be a showcase for Biden's running mate, whom he is expected to choose within the next couple weeks. Many of these fundraisers would feature both Biden and his VP choice. But some gatherings will allow his pick to appear solo, giving her a chance to connect with big money donors.

Most of the proceeds for these fundraisers will go to the Biden Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee between Biden, the DNC and a variety of state parties.

A spokesman for Biden did not return a request for comment.

The fundraising developments come with three months left until the general election.

Biden is ahead of President Donald Trump in the polls, with a Real Clear Politics polling average showing the former vice president ahead by just over 7 points.

Biden and the DNC are within striking distance of matching the president's long-established campaign war chest, after they out raised Trump's team in the second quarter. Biden is catching up to Trump's cash on hand advantage.

There's also a campaign being waged behind the scenes to stop Sen. Kamala Harris from becoming Biden's running mate. As CNBC reported, a group of Biden's closest allies have been pushing members of the VP select committee to not pick Harris, citing at times what they deem as too much ambition, and instead look to alternatives such as Rep. Val Demings, D-Fla., Rep. Karen Bass, D-Calif., former national security advisor Susan Rice, and Sen. Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill.

Harris continues to lead the rest of the field in the betting markets, according to Predict It. Trailing her is Rice, Duckworth, Demings and Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass.

Biden's team appeared to fire back against Harris' critics in a tweet from their campaign manager, Jen O'Malley Dillon.

Tweet:
Johnnie Walker is a brand of Scotch whisky owned by Diageo. Photo: Igor Golovniov/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Drinks giant Diageo (DGE.L) on Tuesday reported that net sales had fallen in all its global markets apart from North America in the 12 months ending 30 June, as demand for whisky, vodka, and gin weakened as bars and restaurants closed across the world due to the pandemic.

The worlds biggest spirits company posted a bigger-than-expected 8.4% drop in organic net sales for the year. Sales in Asia fell 16% after governments in Thailand and India banned alcohol sales as part of their coronavirus lockdown measures, and China effectively cancelled Chinese New Year celebrations.

Supply-chain disruptions also had an effect on sales in European, African, and Latin American markets.

However, the North American Market saw 2% net sales growth, where, Diageo said, demand for its tequilas and pre-mixed drinks were was high.

The owner of Johnny Walker whisky and Tanqueray gin said in its preliminary results for the year ending 30 June, that operating profit declined by 47.1% to 2.1bn ($2.7bn), while as sales fell by almost 9% to 11.8bn.

"After good, consistent performance in the first half of fiscal '20, the outbreak of Covid-19 presented significant challenges for our business, impacting the full year performance, said Diageo chief executive Ivan Menezes said in a statement.

While the trajectory of the recovery is uncertain, with volatility expected to continue into fiscal 21, I am confident in our strategy, the resilience of our business and am very proud of the way our people have responded. We are well-positioned to emerge stronger."

Diageo, which abandoned its full-year forecast in April, said it could not provide a forecast for the year.

Shares in Diageo fell by over 6% in the market opening:
Major corporations including Coca-Cola, J.M. Smucker Company, Diageo, Mars, HP, CVS Health and Verizon will continue pausing their ads on Facebook after the official end of a major advertiser boycott of the platform.

Advertisers announced various degrees of pauses to their social media advertising budgets in June, after a campaign called "#StopHateForProfit" called on advertisers to boycott Facebook for the month of July. Some companies said they'd only pause ads on Facebook for July. Others said they'd do it through the end of the year. And others extended the pause to other social media companies like Twitter and Alphabet's YouTube. All in all, more than 1,000 groups and companies took part in the boycott, with the goal to pressure Facebook into taking more stringent steps to stop the spread of hate speech and misinformation on its platform.

Though the movement may have hit Facebook reputation-wise, there doesn't appear to have been much of an impact on revenue. Wedbush analysts said in a research note last week that they expected "minimal financial impact from brand boycotts," writing that given the duration of announced boycotts, the firm expected roughly $100 million of "near term brand revenue is at risk, representing less than 1% of [year-over-year] growth in Q3."

In its second-quarter earnings report last week, Facebook listed the boycotts from major advertisers as a factor that would negatively impact its revenue this quarter. Yet the company said its year-over-year ad revenue growth rate in the first three weeks of July were in-line with its second-quarter year-over-year ad revenue growth rate of 10%, and that its ad revenue growth rate for the third quarter will be "roughly similar to this July performance."

In short, Facebook signaled to investors that the boycotts won't be a huge hit, and ad revenue will continue to grow despite the boycotts.

According to marketing analytics platform Pathmatics, the top U.S. 100 advertisers on the Facebook platform in July 2020 spent a combined $338.2 million, while the top U.S. 100 advertisers in July 2019 spent $389 million, though it should be noted many marketing budgets have also been slashed amid the pandemic.

But Facebook is increasingly less reliant on big spenders as its advertiser base grows. Last week, the company said its top 100 advertisers represented 16% of its $18.3 billion in total ad revenue in the second quarter, a lower percentage than a year prior. The company now says it has more than 9 million advertisers on its platform, mostly small businesses.

A Facebook spokesperson said the company doesn't supply data to Pathmatics, and the firm's estimates are "very limited." Pathmatics bases its data on a panel of Facebook users along with other sources.

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg didn't seem too perturbed by the boycott when speaking with employees in June, saying "[his] guess is that all these advertisers will be back on the platform soon enough," The Information reported in July.

"We've invested billions of dollars to keep hate off of our platform, and we have a clear plan of action with the Global Alliance for Responsible Media and the industry to continue this fight," a Facebook spokeswoman said Monday. Last week, the company published a blog post outlining the company's actions on civil rights issues.

The "Stop Hate for Profit" campaign, in an email to supporters last week, said the success of its campaign was "unmistakable" and that it "forced Facebook to make a series of concessions to long-standing demands of civil rights organizations," such as the creation of a senior role to oversee civil rights and a dedicated team to study algorithmic bias. But they said they still wanted to see more from the company.

"To be clear, Mr. Zuckerberg has not yet approached the type of meaningful action that we want to see," they wrote. "The issue is not that Facebook just lags competitors in working systemically to address hate and bigotry on their platform. To use a favorite term of Facebook's leadership, Facebook's attitude towards seriously addressing how their algorithms push hate, violent conspiracy theories and disinformation is transparently 'inauthentic.'"

Stop Hate for Profit said last Thursday that it sees the movement growing in Europe and in other areas and have "explicit commitments" from advertisers to participate in future pauses and new actions if they see fit. The organization didn't provide specifics in the letter on new advertisers joining the boycotts in Europe. They also said many companies said they aren't ready to return to Facebook's platforms.

Those companies include a number of high-profile companies. Here's a look at some of the companies that will continue to withhold advertising on Facebook and/or other social networks.

American Honda said it will continue to evaluate Facebook's efforts to curb hate speech and has not resumed advertising thus far.

Beam Suntory said it was extending its U.S. boycott through August and would continue through the rest of the year if Facebook doesn't change policies sufficiently in the next month.

Unilever-owned Ben & Jerry's said in the U.S. it was stopping all paid advertising for products on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter for the rest of 2020. It said it would continue to run paid ads in support of its activism campaigns that focus on racial justice and equity and 2020 elections.

Coca-Cola, which said it would be returning to channels like YouTube and Microsoft's LinkedIn as of August 1, said it will continue pausing ads on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter globally, among other platforms.

CVS Health, which originally said it would be pausing for at least 30 days, said its pause would remain in place as it continues "to define [its] go-forward strategy."

Denny's said it would not resume advertising on Facebook in August.

Spirits giant Diageo, which said it would be pausing paid advertising globally on "major social media platforms" beginning in July, said Monday its pause still stands.

Consumer goods company Henkel said it will not "automatically resume our spending on Facebook and its platforms in the U.S. at the beginning of August, but will continue to monitor and evaluate the developments before we will take further actions."

HP said following a review of its social media strategy globally and pausing its U.S. advertising on Facebook and Instagram, it decided to expand the policy globally for the rest of the year across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

The J.M. Smucker Company also said it has not yet been satisfied that Facebook has put forth an adequate plan to eliminate hate speech and discriminatory content from its platforms. It will continue to pause global ad spend across all of Facebook's properties.

Mars said its initial statement to pause paid advertising globally across news-feed based social media platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Snapchat, will stand as it continues to work with agencies, industry and social media partners "to make progress."

Verizon, which said in June it would be pausing ad spend on Facebook, told CNBC Monday the company is continuing its pause and staying in close contact with the Facebook team "as they work on a solution that makes us comfortable."

Volkswagen said it will extend its boycott in the U.S. until negotiations lead to a "satisfactory result," but said it has seen progress in other regions. It said it will resume paid advertising activity in August in all regions except the U.S.

Some companies, when announcing their pauses, said they already planned to continue their pauses beyond just July. Unilever said it would be pausing Facebook and Twitter advertising through the rest of 2020; Clorox said it was stopping advertising on Facebook and Instagram through December and will shift its ad spend to other media; and Conagra said it would stop U.S. advertising with Facebook and Instagram through 2020.

Other companies are resuming their spend on Facebook, though many said they plan to continue to review the platform on an ongoing basis.

The North Face, which was an early company to join the boycott, said it has held "constructive conversations" with Facebook and intends to "resume its working relationship" with Facebook and Instagram in August. But it said it has also joined parent company VF Corporation to hold regular check-ins with Facebook evaluate their progress and "determine on an ongoing basis if they are a partner and platform that upholds our values."

Dunkin' said it temporarily paused paid media on Facebook and Instagram last month to send a message that it expects all business partners to take a stand against hate speech, spreading misinformation. The company said it's resuming spending in August.

Eileen Fisher said it plans to resume paid advertising on Facebook and Instagram in early August. "Along with our external agencies and partners, we will continue to monitor the conversation and shift our strategy if need be," a spokeswoman said.

Heineken, which said it paused Facebook and Instagram in July, said it's resuming advertising on Facebook platforms in August. The company said it had engaged in "detailed conversations with Facebook" and was "pleased to see their new commitments."

Puma said the company would resume advertising with Facebook as of August 1, and said the boycott had led to "direct, positive discussions with Facebook."
OTTAWA, ON / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / The Patented Medicine Prices Review Board's (PMPRB) revised Guidelines will result in patients losing access to innovative new medicines, a reduction in the number of clinical trials in Canada, and reduced investment in the country's life sciences sector, according to a recent submission by Innovative Medicines Canada to the PMPRB.

"We remain deeply concerned about the impact the amended Patented Medicines Regulations will have on Canadians' access to affordable, innovative medicines, and on the country's ability to attract investment to our life-sciences sector," said IMC President Pamela Fralick. "As the COVID-19 crisis has shown, Canada's innovative medicines companies are vital to the health and well-being of all Canadians, and we need a regulatory environment that will help them to grow and thrive."

The PMPRB's ability to implement its approach to cost containment has been challenged by the recent Federal Court of Canada decision regarding the August 21, 2019 amendments to the Patented Medicines Regulations. That decision removed a key pillar of PMPRB's approach to achieving its policy objectives. Coupled with the serious concerns raised by patient groups, innovative medicines companies, life sciences groups, and others, the decision confirms the need for PMPRB to immediately suspend its current consultations and re-release a Guidelines package that is consistent with the regulatory tools within its mandate.

"Fortunately, it is not too late to find a solution that will avert the negative impacts of PMPRB's current approach," added Fralick. "Industry is prepared to come forward, as we have been over the last three years, with alternative approaches that will prevent the negative consequences of the amended regulations, while still allowing Health Canada to meet its public policy objectives. We hope that they are willing to have that discussion with us."

About Innovative Medicines Canada

Learn more about how our member companies are contributing to the fight against COVID-19.

Innovative Medicines Canada is the national voice of Canada's innovative pharmaceutical industry. We advocate for policies that enable the discovery, development and commercialization of innovative medicines and vaccines that improve the lives of all Canadians. We support our members' commitment to being valued partners in the Canadian healthcare system.

For further information:

Sarah Dion-Marquis

Director, Media and Public Relations

Telephone: 613-769-6510

E-mail: sdmarquis@imc-mnc.ca

SOURCE: Innovative Medicines Canada

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600228/Innovative-Medicines-Canada-Responds-to-the-Revised-Draft-PMPRB-Guidelines-Consultation
Shares of Infosys will be watched. National Bank of Bahrain (NBB), the Kingdom's leading provider of retail and commercial banking services, and Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys announced the bank's decision to adopt the Finacle Cash Management Suite to digitally transform its transaction banking business.

Bandhan Bank disclosed after market hours yesterday, 3 August 2020 that its holding company, Bandhan Financial Holdings (BFHL), sold 20.95% stake through secondary market sale to comply with RBI guidelines. Shares of the private lender slumped 10.6% to Rs 308.65. In order to be fully compliant with the licensing guidelines, BFHL diluted its excess shareholding of 20.95%, or 33,73,67,189 equity shares of Bandhan Bank through secondary market sale. Consequently, the shareholding of BFHL in the bank has reduced to 40% of the total paid-up voting equity capital of the bank.

Bank of India said that the capital raising plan was defferred to the next board meeting.

Shares of Yes Bank will be watched. Moody's Investors Service has upgraded Yes Bank's long-term foreign currency issuer rating to B3 from Caa1. Moody's has also upgraded the bank's long-term foreign and local currency bank deposit ratings to B3 from Caa1, and its foreign currency senior unsecured MTN program rating to (P)B3 from (P)Caa1. In addition, Moody's has upgraded the bank's long-term local and foreign currency Counterparty Risk Ratings (CRR) and long-term Counterparty Risk (CR) Assessment to B3 from Caa1 and B3(cr) from Caa1(cr) respectively. At the same time, Moody's has upgraded Yes Bank's Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) and Adjusted BCA to caa2 from ca. The outlook on Yes Bank's ratings where applicable is changed to stable from positive

Exide Industries reported consolidated net loss of Rs 10.68 crore in Q1 June 2020 as compared to net profit of Rs 161.87 crore in Q1 June 2019. Total income fell 31.26% to Rs 2,537.55 crore in Q1 June 2020 over Q1 June 2019.

BSE Ltd reported 5.88% fall in net profit to Rs 32.34 crore on 3% fall in total income to Rs 138.08 crore in Q1 June 2020 over Q1 June 2019.

KEC International has secured new orders of Rs 1,192 crore across its various businesses.

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Bihar governor on Tuesday evening gave his assent to state governments recommendation to hand over probe in Sushant Singh Rajput death case registered in Patna to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) amid fierce opposition of the move by Maharashtra government.

Earlier today Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar had made the recommendation to hand over the case of abetment of Rajputs suicide registered against his former live-in partner and actor Rhea Chakarborty to the CBI following a request from Sushants father KK Rajput. Announcing the decision, the Bihar CM had said that his government will finish all formalities for sending the recommendation today itself.

The Bihar governors approval to the recommendation by the state government follows questions being raised on Bihar government and polices locus standi in an incident that took place in the state of Maharashtra.

Some prominent Maharashtra ministers have said that while Bihar police had the right to seek information from Mumbai police in the case; it had no right to investigate the case in Maharashtra. Maharashtra ministers have also extended the argument to question the legal sanctity of Bihar governments recommendation for a CBI probe into the case, which is already being investigated by Maharashtra police.

In the past 5 years, many incidents of suicides and deaths took place, were all the cases transferred to CBI? Mumbai Police is competent enough to handle the Sushant Singh Rajput case and we support them, Maharashtra minister Anil Parab was quoted as saying by ANI.

Anil Parab also termed Bihar governments decision to be politically motivated. Shiv Sena leader Sanjay Raut had earlier claimed that the decision was influenced by the state assembly polls to be held in Bihar later this year.

The turf between the two states started with allegations that Mumbai police was engaged in a cover-up of the case under pressure from influential people. Soon, Sushants family filed a case of abetment of suicide against actor Rhea Chakarborty in Patna alleging they had no faith in Mumbai polices probe. Sushants father further claimed a few days ago that Mumbai police had taken no action on his complaint made in February this year alleging there was a threat to Sushants life. Mumbai police have denied receiving any written complaint.

The demand for a CBI probe in Sushants death case has been supported by almost all political parties in Bihar across the political spectrum.

The alleged conspiracy theory behind Sushants death received a fresh shot in the arm on Tuesday with prominent BJP leader in Maharashtra, Narayan Rane claiming that the budding actor was murdered and his death could also be linked to the death of his former manager Disha Salian.

34-year old Rajput was found dead at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14 and since then conspiracy theories alleging involvement of influential Bollywood and political personalities have been made.

Earlier today, Maharashtra chief minister Uddhav Thackerays son and a minister in his cabinet, Aaditya Thackeray released a statement distancing himself from rumours linking him to Rajputs death. He hit out at BJP leaders saying there was an attempt to politicize the death by frustrated people who were jealous of Maharashtra governments popularity.

On Monday, former chief minister and BJP leader Devendra Fadnaviss wife Amruta Fadnavis tweeted that Mumbai had lost its humanity and was no more safe to live looking at the way the metropolis police was handling the Sushant Singh Rajput case.
The Commissioner for Health in Anambra State, Vincent Okpala, has said that Typhoid fever in Nigeria is not as common as it has been made to be.

Mr Okpala told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka on Monday that the widal test used in the country to diagnose Typhoid fever would not give accurate diagnosis for the fever.

He described Typhoid fever as a life-threatening systemic infection caused by the bacterium, Salmonella typhi.

He said, seriously, nobody in Nigeria had or have Typhoid. If you have 101 patients claiming to have Typhoid or are being told at the hospital that they have the fever, I tell you there is zero or no patient suffering from Typhoid out of the 101 patients.

Typhoid fever is not as common as they make it to be. The standard tests for Typhoid are the stool and urine culture but these tests are not done here in Nigeria, he said.

Most hospitals here conduct Widal test; while it is easy and low cost to administer, it is not reliable in the diagnosis of Typhoid fever.

And this has most likely led to a large number of patients being misdiagnosed and treated for a disease they never had.

READ ALSO:

Mr Okpala said that the standard test  stool and urine culture, were not usually done in Nigeria due to the lack of efficient laboratories, delay in producing results, patients inability to pay for the tests and physicians poor knowledge.

He said there was need for renewed scrutiny and adherence to diagnosis guidelines by healthcare practitioners in the country, lamenting that malaria and Typhoid have become common terms adopted by many Nigerians.

According to him, there is need for increased awareness to break the cycle of misconception.

(NAN)
LANSING (AP)  Michigan on Monday ordered coronavirus testing of agricultural and migrant workers, citing nearly a dozen outbreaks at farms and food-processing plants in recent weeks.

Under the emergency order issued by the state Department of Health and Human Services, migrant housing camp operators must do initial baseline testing of all residents age 18 and older. New residents must be tested within 48 hours of their arrival, be provided separate housing and get a second test 10 to 14 days after arriving.

Agricultural employers with more than 20 workers on site at a time must also ensure testing  both for current and new employees and any workers with symptoms or suspected exposure to COVID-19. The requirement applies to meat, poultry and egg processing plants; greenhouses; and employers that hire migrant or season workers who do not live on site.

The men and women who work in our fields and food processing plants are at particular risk for COVID-19, and they need and deserve protection, Robert Gordon, director of health department, said in a statement. Todays order will help to reduce the spread of COVID in communities across Michigan and reduce the pandemics disparate impact on Latinos.

A spokeswoman said department officials were not aware of any other states requiring such universal testing of agricultural and migrant workers.

Gordon cited 11 recent identified outbreaks in farms and food processing plants, and said Latinos are 5% of Michigans population but account for 11% of virus cases in which the individuals ethnicity is identified.

The testing must be implemented as soon as practicable and no later than Aug. 24, according to the order. State grants are available to help mitigate testing and other virus costs.

CASE UPDATE

Also Monday, the state reported six additional coronavirus-related deaths and 604 more confirmed cases, bringing the death count to 6,467 and the case count to more than 92,000 when probable deaths and cases are included. The seven-day average as of Sunday, about 728, had remained mostly constant over the previous two weeks, according to an Associated Press analysis of data from Johns Hopkins University. So had the daily death toll, which was roughly eight.

UM QUARANTINE

The University of Michigan said Monday that students who return to campus for the fall semester must observe a 14-day period of enhanced social distancing before arriving in Ann Arbor or on campus. Classes start Aug. 31.

Students who return  about 70% of undergraduate credits can be completed remotely  were told to take steps such as monitoring for a fever by taking their temperature two times a day and staying home and not going to work, school or social gatherings.

MSU GUIDANCE

Michigan State University President Samuel Stanley urged students who will take all online classes in the fall to consider staying at home. The vast majority of first-year students will have course schedules that are completely online, he said. The school is waiving its requirement that freshmen live on campus.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 01:04:16|Editor: huaxia

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KIGALI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- As Gerald Turatsinze took a decision in March to turn his residential house in Rwanda's capital Kigali into a bar, the health authorities later that month confirmed the country's first case of COVID-19, leading to a declaration of a lockdown.

The owner of Friend's Bar in Kigali's Gasabo district could not have imagined how the virus would shake the foundation of his business.

Since the outbreak of the pandemic in Rwanda, Turatsinze told Xinhua in a recent interview that he has written off as much as 100,000 Rwandan francs (about 100 U.S. dollars) of income daily.

Despite the pain for his customers and six employees, the crisis gave Turatsinze an opportunity to explore other business avenues to fulfill his vision of self-employment.

When government on May 4 eased the lockdown, allowing businesses to operate with essential staff, Turatsinze changed his bar into a restaurant.

The global spread of COVID-19 "only reaffirmed the need to think outside the box and reinvent my business," Turatsinze said.

Turatsinze is not alone, many bar owners in Kigali and other parts of the country have switched their business model to restaurants.

"Transforming a bar into a restaurant restored my hope," Turatsinze said.

Most importantly, the change of his business model was not difficult since he already had furniture and utensils.

Even integrating bartenders and other staff into restaurant business was easy, he said.

While the decision Turatsinze took may help him achieve his business goals of having a regular cash flow, his beer customers did not automatically become food customers.

"The amount of income is down 60 percent, a steep drop compared to bar business," he said.

Without a clear plan of how the restaurant is going to become a popular eatery in the city, Turatsinze hinges his business largely on hope.

But what is clear is that bars may not be reopened soon because they could compromise public health measures put in place to control the spread of the coronavirus, according to health experts.

"The restriction on bars for now is justified because when one gets drunk, their behavior changes. People would forget public health measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus such as social distancing, and wearing of masks," Vedaste Ndahindwa, an epidemiologist working for the World Health Organization in Rwanda said.

"Coronavirus changed things," Claude Mbonyebucya, Turatsinze former bar client said in a recent interview.

"We no longer have fun the way we used to have. You can take a beer when you are having a meal but it cannot be the same," Mbonyebucya said.

Claudine Uwantege, one of the employees, appreciates her boss for moving fast into restaurant business, saying the future of bar business looks bleak.

"The key to success will be in satisfying customers. There is strong support from most of our regular customers much as many of our former revellers have never come for a meal," Uwantege said.

For a company, the business model depends on the circumstances, according to Teddy Kaberuka, Rwandan economic expert.

"Transforming businesses is a kind of adaptation to the new circumstances of the market. More such changes should be expected because currently restaurants are operational. Changes can apply to other businesses," Kaberuka told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"I believe such should be the spirit of entrepreneurship. An entrepreneur is not someone who sticks on the same model forever and ever but someone who sees the opportunity, he is able to change and adapt to the new market reality," he said. Enditem
Vietnamese workers repatriated from Equatorial Guinea enter the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases in Hanoi on July 30, 2020 to be quarantined. Photo by VnExpress/Ngoc Thanh.

Only 21 of 219 Vietnamese repatriated from Equatorial Guinea last week have tested positive for the novel coronavirus, not 129 as thought earlier.

The disparity in the number of infectees could have happened because many patients might have already been treated or recovered from the infection during the three to four weeks that passed before they landed in Vietnam, said Dang Hong Hai, deputy head of the General Planning Department at Hanoi's National Hospital for Tropical Diseases.

"Covid-19 has an acute stage of around one to two weeks. For patients whose illness was not severe, the symptoms may subside in two weeks and they would test negative for the novel coronavirus," Hai said, adding that the lower number also makes infections less likely among other passengers and crew members.

The workers had sought help earlier last month from Vietnamese representative agencies in Angola. They were working at the Sendje Hydropower Plant in Equatorial Guinea under labor contracts signed by Duglas Alliance Ltd of the U.K. with three Vietnamese companies. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc then ordered relevant agencies to arrange a special flight to bring them home, including those that were infected with Covid-19.

Last Wednesday, 219 Vietnamese workers from Equatorial Guinea returned home on a Vietnam Airlines special flight from the Bata International Airport to Hanois Noi Bai Airport. Authorities then said at least 129 had tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

Upon landing, the passengers and flight crew were quarantined for 14 days at the Hanoi hospital. Patients already at the hospital had either been discharged or transferred to other facilities to reserve rooms for the returnees.

The Health Ministry had confirmed 20 of the returnees infected on July 31. Among them, six showed signs of lung damage and three were also infected with malaria, said Nguyen Trung Cap, deputy director of the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases. Their health is stable and they are being monitored, Cap said.

More than 16,000 Vietnamese have been brought home from many foreign countries on dozens of special flights since early April, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Vietnam has recorded 670 Covid-19 cases so far, with 374 recoveries and 288 active cases. Eight people have died, mostly the elderly with pre-existing serious illnesses.
In this handout photo provided by Walt Disney World Resort, guests stop to take a selfie at Magic Kingdom Park at Walt Disney World Resort on July 11, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida.

While Disney was able to reopen most of its international theme parks in recent months, the continued closure of Disney World and Disneyland in the U.S. resulted in a big financial hit.

On Tuesday, the company said the Covid-19 outbreak cost its Parks, Experiences and Products segment around $3.5 billion in lost operating income during its fiscal third-quarter.

That unit includes all six of Disney's international theme parks, its cruise lines, hotels and tours, as well as its merchandise.

In the quarter, which ended June 29, Disney reported an 85% drop in this segment, with revenue falling to $1 billion.
Phoenix, Arizona--(Newsfile Corp. - August 3, 2020) - The Stock Day Podcast welcomed Gold Terra Resource Corp. (OTC Pink: TRXXF) ("the Company"), a company that controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. CEO of the Company, David Suda, joined Stock Day host Everett Jolly.

Jolly began the interview by asking about the Company's background and current projects. "Gold Terra is a junior exploration play in the mineral industry," explained Suda. "We're looking for gold," added Suda, noting the increasing value of gold. "This company, with its current management team and the assets that we have and the jurisdiction that we are in and the fact that we're right next to infrastructure, was built for the kind of gold market that we're in," he continued. "It's a very prolific zone that we're in and we're very excited to be funded and getting drilling again here in mid-August."

Jolly then noted that the Company was previously operating under 'TerraX Minerals, Inc.', and asked about the recent name change to 'Gold Terra Resource Corporation'. Suda shared that the Company's new name is more direct in regards to their primary focus: gold.

"What are your plans for drilling this summer and are you fully funded?" asked Jolly. "Our plans are to drill about 10,000 meters and we are fully funded," said Suda, adding that the Company will be starting their 2020 program by drilling 7 holes into a high-grade target. "This target has been drilled in the past," said Suda when discussing its history of impressive gold intersections. "Those drill holes were quite shallow, so they behoove us now to drill deeper and look for the opportunity to increase the size of this deposit significantly."

The conversation then turned to the Company's positioning near Campbell Shear. "Campbell Shear is effectively a geological structure," explained Suda, adding that the mine has proven to be a prolific gold producer and is now the primary focus for the Company's 2020 drilling program. "The Campbell Shear target is definitely the apple of our eye right now, and again it's partly due to the tenacity and the passion that Gerald brings to the project," said Suda, speaking of the Company's Executive Chairman, Gerald Panneton.

Story continues

"Why should investors take notice of your company now?" asked Jolly. "We've got all-time highs of gold and the set-up of our company is perfect. We've just got everything in focus, we're well funded with $7.5 million in the bank, and ready to drill for high-grade," said Suda. "We're just about to go and do something that we believe could be very significant, and what better time to take note of a company than when it's just about to do something great."

To hear David Suda's entire interview, follow the link to the podcast here: https://audioboom.com/posts/7647750-gold-terra-resource-corp-discusses-its-2020-drilling-program-with-the-stock-day-podcast

Investors Hangout is a proud sponsor of "Stock Day," and Stock Day Media encourages listeners to visit the company's message board at https://investorshangout.com/

About Gold Terra's Yellowknife City Gold Project

The YCG project encompasses 790 sq. km of contiguous land immediately north, south and east of the City of Yellowknife in the Northwest Territories. Through a series of acquisitions, Gold Terra controls one of the six major high-grade gold camps in Canada. Being within 10 kilometres of the City of Yellowknife, the YCG is close to vital infrastructure, including all-season roads, air transportation, service providers, hydro-electric power and skilled tradespeople.

The YCG lies on the prolific Yellowknife greenstone belt, covering nearly 70 kilometres of strike length along the main mineralized shear system that host the former-producing high-grade Con and Giant gold mines. The Company's exploration programs have successfully identified significant zones of gold mineralization and multiple targets that remain to be tested which reinforces the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

Visit our website at www.goldterracorp.com.

For more information, please contact:

David Suda, President and CEO

Phone: 604-928-3101 | Toll-Free: 1-855-737-2684

dsuda@goldterracorp.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.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

Certain statements made and information contained in this news release constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities legislation ("forward-looking information"). Generally, this forward-looking information can, but not always, be identified by use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events, conditions or results "will", "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved" or the negative connotations thereof.

All statements other than statements of historical fact may be forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information. In particular, this news release contains forward-looking information regarding the Company's plan to start a fully-funded 10,000 metre drilling program in mid-August 2020, the Company's confidence in the potential to expand the Crestaurum deposit along strike and at depth and the potential of a discovery along the Campbell Shear structure, and the Company's objective of re-establishing Yellowknife as one of the premier gold mining districts in Canada.

There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as the Company's actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in this forward-looking information as a result of the factors discussed in the "Risk Factors" section in the Company's most recent MD&A and annual information form available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com.

Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that would 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. The forward-looking information contained in this news release is based on information available to the Company as of the date of this news release. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. All of the forward-looking information contained in this news release is qualified by these cautionary statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking information due to the inherent uncertainty thereof. Except as required under applicable securities legislation and regulations applicable to the Company, the Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update this forward-looking information.

About The "Stock Day" Podcast

Founded in 2013, Stock Day is the fastest growing media outlet for Nano-Cap and Micro-Cap companies. It educates investors while simultaneously working with penny stock and OTC companies, providing transparency and clarification of under-valued, under-sold Micro-Cap stocks of the market. Stock Day provides companies with customized solutions to their news distribution in both national and international media outlets. The Stock Day Podcast is the number one radio show of its kind in America. Stock Day recently launched its Video Interview Studio located in Phoenix, Arizona.

SOURCE:

Stock Day Media

(602) 821-1102

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60945
BROOMFIELD, Colorado, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mile High Labs, a leading processer of hemp-derived cannabinoids, announced the close of a Series B equity financing round from renowned American entrepreneur John Paul DeJoria. This funding is a resounding vote of confidence in the Company and its longstanding position as an industry-leading manufacturer of trusted CBD products. The financing will be used to pay off existing debt and accelerate the development of its best-in-class manufacturing and formulations platform as global brands and big-box retailers begin to enter the CBD category.

"The first wave of mainstay consumer companies are already preparing to launch CBD products," said Jon Hilley, newly-appointed Chief Executive Officer of Mile High Labs. "As we look forward, we see a groundswell of interest from the world's most recognizable brands and we are excited about the global partnership opportunities in front of us."

For the past year, Mile High Labs has been working with leading consumer packaged goods companies to launch pilot CBD products. In June 2020, Mile High Labs became the supplier to Ocean Spray Cranberries, Inc.'s CarryOn sparkling water beverages. The following month, the Company launched a line of CBD products with NISA Retail for distribution through its network of over 2,500 independently owned stores across the UK. Mile High Labs expects to announce additional partnerships over the coming quarters.

"There isn't a company in the CBD industry that matches Mile High Labs," said John Paul DeJoria. "The scale of their platform, along with their drive for innovation, is exactly what brands need to navigate and succeed in this emerging market. They are well on their way to creating one of the most important platforms in the cannabis industry."

"We have built a different kind of company with a different approach to this market," said Jon Hilley. "We believe that if we set our standards high, if we lead with integrity and transparency and if we are intentional about how we manufacture our products, we can build one of the legacy companies in this industry. John Paul shares this ethos and we are beyond humbled to partner with him and learn from him."

ABOUT MILE HIGH LABS

Mile High Labs is a global leader in hemp-derived cannabinoid extraction and manufacturing. Headquartered in a 400,000-square-foot GMP and ISO 9001 certified facility in Broomfield, Colorado, Mile High Labs supplies bulk cannabinoid ingredients, as well as private label CBD and CBG products to the world's leading consumer brands. The company's adherence to the strictest manufacturing certifications and commitment to self-regulation has earned the trust of brands and consumers around the world. For more information, visit milehighlabs.com.

If you'd like to help build this great company, please email [email protected].

Contact

John Husak

(720) 614-4322

[email protected]

SOURCE Mile High Labs
Iran accuses Sharmahd, 65, of Glendora, California of planning a 2008 attack on a mosque that killed 14 people and wounded over 200 others, as well as plotting other assaults through the little-known Kingdom Assembly of Iran and its Tondar militant wing. It aired an interview of him on state television  footage that resembled many other suspected coerced confessions broadcast by the Iranian government in the last decade.
FILE PHOTO: Cans of Heineken beer are displayed at a supermarket of Swiss retailer Denner in Glattbrugg

By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Heineken saw a gradual recovery in its business after global COVID-19 lockdowns in April, but uncertainty over the future impact of the pandemic left it unable to give a forecast for the rest of the year.

The world's second-largest brewer said it took a more cautious view than sector leader Anheuser-Busch InBev, which said it had been encouraged by the global recovery in beer demand in June.

New Heineken Chief Executive Dolf van den Brink said business had improved to June, but this was partly due to restocking, particularly in territories such as Mexico, its largest market, where brewing was forced to halt in April and May.

"We are a bit concerned that people would see the ... rate of June and extrapolate that going forward," Van den Brink, who took charge at the Dutch brewer on June 1, told Reuters.

The company said Europe, Mexico and South Africa had led the sales decline, while its large Vietnam market fared better.

South Africa has re-instated an alcohol ban, while Mexico, the country with the world's third-largest number of COVID-19 fatalities, had tighter lockdowns in some regions.

The maker of Europe's top-selling lager Heineken, as well as Tiger and Strongbow cider, had issued preliminary first-half results in mid-July showing it sold 11.5% less beer compared with the previous year and suffered a sharp drop in revenue as consumers opted for cheaper brews.

Heineken's operating profit fell by about half and the brewer took 548 million euros ($644 million) of impairments, largely for its operations in Papua New Guinea and Jamaica, resulting in an overall net loss.

Europe's largest beer seller said it had seen beer sales rise by double-digit percentages in stores, but fall by up to 40% or 50% in bars and restaurants.

Profitability of store sales was also lower as consumers bought multi-packs, and costs of producing canned and bottled drinks were higher than kegs, though Heineken said its premium brands had won share in most markets.

($1 = 0.8507 euros)

(Reporting by Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Tom Hogue and David Holmes)
Pardee set to borrow $14.5 million for parking, repairs

The Henderson County Board of Commissioners moved Monday to allow the borrowing of up to $14,500,000 for the benefit of county-owned Margaret R. Pardee Memorial Hospital.

The management of Henderson County Hospital Corporation proposed the borrowing in order to improve the hospital through renovations and new projects. Proceeds from the loan would pay for:
The Sekyere Kumawu District command of the Ghana Police service has commenced an investigation after WASSCE candidates of the Tweneboa Kodua Senior High School demonstrated on Monday over what they claim is strict supervision by the headmaster.

The over 1,200 final year students of the school are demanding the immediate removal of the headmaster of the school, Mr. John Asante, who has been accused of being firm on them during the Integrated Science examination paper.

They want us to get F9, unacceptable, a student is heard on a video shared on Facebook while others scattered tables and chairs at the schools dining hall boycotting their lunch.

However, the timely intervention of Police restored calm on campus as the protest nearly halted Paper 2 of the Integrated Science examination.

District Chief Executive of Sekyere Kumawu, Mr. Samuel Addai Agyekum, who was on his way to the campus for first-hand information on the protest promised parents that steps would be taken to resolve the matter.

We were monitoring the exams and we had to go to Tweneboa Kodua so on my way there I saw the students chanting [and] demanding the removal of the headmaster. They were accusing the headmaster of being autocratic and so I have directed the CID to investigate and report same to me, the DCE said.

This unfortunate development in the school by the first product of the Free Education government policy has attracted wide public condemnation with some parents accusing the education ministry of over pampering the students.

Im highly disappointed in our children for embarrassing government with this corrupt mindset in their youthful stage. Government has done whatever it could to give you free education. If our children want cheating to be entertained in final examination then how can we win the national battle against corruption, a parent questioned.

Another parent accused the government of over pampering the students just for votes in elections throwing moral values and discipline .

Now a teacher has no right to punish a student for wrongdoing why wont we see these unfortunate developments in schools.

---starrfmonline
Victorias peak farming group has warned that meat prices may fluctuate and shoppers preferred products may not be available as abattoirs prepare to cut production to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

But supplies of fresh food will remain plentiful if shoppers buy what they need rather than stockpile produce, the Victorian Farmers Federation says.

Tom Bouchier serves a customer at his Peter Bouchier Butchers in Malvern Central. Credit:Eddie Jim

Customers stripped the shelves of meat after stage four restrictions were announced for Melbourne on Sunday.

Butchers are hopeful that panic buying will settle down after the announcement that meat works will only have to reduce their production by a third under the new restrictions.
The former SDLP leaders body will be taken from Moville in Co Donegal to St Eugenes Cathedral in Derry on Tuesday evening ahead of his funeral on Wednesday.

Mr Hume was a key architect of the Belfast Agreement and was awarded the Nobel Prize for the pivotal role he played in the peace process

He died on Monday aged 83, having endured a long battle with dementia.

In ordinary circumstances, Mr Humes removal service and subsequent funeral would have been expected to draw huge crowds, but numbers will now be limited due to coronavirus restrictions.

Mr Humes widow, Pat, and other family members have urged people to stay at home and instead light a candle for peace.

John loved the people of Derry and Donegal, the family said.

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The heartfelt and sincere condolences that we have received from people across the island, but particularly from the communities John loved being a part of, have been immensely comforting to us.

Mr Humes coffin will leave Moville across the Border at 7.30pm on Tuesday and is expected to arrive at the cathedral at around 8.30pm.

His family added: We know that he would have prioritised public health and the safety and health of our communities. Were asking people to follow that guidance  please do not put yourself or others at risk. Instead, we would ask that people light a candle for peace at 9pm in their homes or at their door.

Fr Paul Farren, from St Eugenes Cathedral, said: Pat and her family are very grateful for the outpouring of love and support following the death of their beloved John.

The family are anxious that a public gathering for Johns funeral might inadvertently put someones health at risk in the context of the current Covid-19 pandemic, and are asking that people express their grief by staying at home and joining with the Hume family in a Celebration of Light for Peace.

Instead of lining roads and streets to show respect to John, it is the wish of the Hume family that we remain at home and, at 9.00pm, light a candle and join with the family to pray the prayer for peace of Saint Francis of Assisi in the presence of Johns body in the cathedral.

This Celebration of Light for Peace is a fitting tribute to a much loved and distinguished Irishman.

Mr Hume, a former MP, Stormont Assembly member and MEP, was a founding member of the party he went on to lead for 22 years.

He was a key figure in the civil rights campaigns of the late 1960s and also played a leading role in the formation of the credit union movement.
Some California elementary schools in counties with high rates of coronavirus transmission may be able to open for in-class learning this fall after the California Department of Public Health posted guidelines for a waiver process on Monday.

State officials outlined a framework for the reopening of schools last month and are requiring that schools in the counties on the watch list keep their campuses closed and offer distancing learning until their county is off the list for at least 14 days.

Counties on the list are being monitored closely by the state and are restricted from opening certain sectors. Currently, 38 of the state's most populous counties are on the list, including all nine Bay Area counties.

Elementary schools in counties on the monitoring list can submit an application for a waiver to reopen for in-person learning under certain conditions, State Epidemiologist Dr. Erica Pan said at a Tuesday press conference. Pan said schools in counties with the highest rates of infection should not consider this option.

Pan said the waiver was created due to "evolving" evidence that the youngest children are less likely to contract and transmit the virus.

Schools will need to follow strict social distancing guidelines and submit site specific safety plans to their county public health directors for approval. Health directors will work in conjunction with the California Department of Public Health.

Public, private and parochial schools, serving grades kindergarten through sixth, are all eligible for the waiver, but an article in the LA Times pointed out that the smaller private and parochial campuses with more flexibility "will be among the most successful at meeting the special guidelines, prompting concern from some that select reopenings could add to gaps in educational equity."

"If a county is on the monitoring list, there is a reason they are on the monitoring list, and without the testing and tracing the state needs to provide, it is not safe until these numbers come down, Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, told the Times. We feel that more privileged communities are going to be applying for those waivers, and it will create an additional inequality.

Secretary of the California Health and Human Services Dr. Mark Ghaly has said the decision to allow the waiver was in part based on a study in South Korea.

A trickle of small studies has supported this idea that children are at lower risk for COVID-19, and the large and more recent study of nearly 65,000 children in South Korea has bolstered it. (Read more about the study on SFGATE.)

The study published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that children younger than 10 transmit to others much less often than adults do, while people ages 10 to 19 can spread the virus at least as well as adults do, maybe even more.

Ghaly reiterated the study "showed that the youngest kids dont transmit the disease, aren't vectors of COVID-19 in the same way that adults are, and that older students, older younger people, middle school and above, actually transmit in a way thats not too dissimilar from adults."

Even if school is less dangerous for the youngest kids, the risk for teachers remains. The California Federation of Teachers wrote a letter urging Gov. Gavin Newsom and other California public leaders to, "start the new school year under robust distance learning protocols until the virus is

contained in local communities and proper safety measures can be put into place."

MORE CORONAVIRUS COVERAGE:

Sign up for 'The Daily' newsletter for the latest on coronavirus here.

 Newsom delivers encouraging COVID-19 numbers for Calif. with caution

Meet the Bay Area rapper working on a COVID vaccine

Solano County health chief: It may be impossible to get off state watch list

 Does a plastic face shield protect you and others as well as a mask?

 You told us how your 2020 would look if COVID never happened

Amy Graff is the news editor for SFGATE. Email her: agraff@sfgate.com.
How to stop being miserable

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Ive been making myself miserable lately. How so, you ask?

For starters, its hard to turn around these days without being assaulted by bombasts coming from every direction. We have literally minute-by-minute broadcasts of panic porn pouring out of the mainstream media designed to not broadcast truth, but rather weaponized misinformation that buoys their own political agenda with no desire to even try and hide that fact anymore.

The double standard employed by the leftist propaganda machines is breathtaking. For example, Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sangers racism is overlooked while Americas founding fathers are derided because of their supposed racist beliefs. Mobs decry police using guns but refuse to see that police wouldnt use guns so often if criminals didnt carry and use them so often.

If youre someone like me who hates to see lies and deception spread, you naturally get engaged to counter the false assertions being made. As C. S. Lewis said, Good philosophy must exist, if for no other reason, because bad philosophy needs to be answered.

And its one thing for lies to be constantly circulated, but its another for so many people to swallow them hook, line, and sinker. I oftentimes sit in disbelief watching this play out each day, which then turns into churning heartburn-like agony at night as I wonder how anyone can believe such falsehoods.

As an example, the blatant belching forth of anti-God neo-Marxism in America has been absolutely bewildering to behold, especially given its history. Its past, along with the phony narrative it peddles, is captured well in an excerpt from a speech given by Jordan Peterson a few years ago that ends with a very stark warning: They were motivated by resentment and hatred right from the beginning. But you could make the case that at least they had the benefit of ignorance, but they dont have that now. I dont know how much more proof you need. If you need more proof than the 20th century provided, then the next layer of proof is going to be the annihilation of everything.

Fretting over these and other events like them has resulted in me becoming irritable and glum.

Fortunately, my podcast rotation recently included a couple of sermons on the book of Daniel from one of my favorite pastors. They supplied me with a great reminder of why I shouldnt get so worked up even when it feels like the world has been overtaken by escaped mental patients.

Daniel to the rescue

Daniel is, hands down, my favorite book in the Old Testament. There are many amazing things the book provides, including some of the most stunning prophecies in all the Bible. But the primary theme of the book that overshadows everything else is the sovereignty of God.

Daniel and his countrymen were firmly in the hands of the nation that represents everything that is anti-God in Scripture: Babylon. I can only imagine the hurt and confusion that afflicted him because of that.

But the astonishing thing is, the first two verses in the book tells us that God is the one who made it happen: In the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah, Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came to Jerusalem and besieged it. The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand (my emphasis).

This sets the tone for the entire book, which is that God controls everything that happens, even things that appear to be absolutely appalling and against what we would consider best. Later in the book we read statements like:

"Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him. It is He who changes the times and the epochs; He removes kings and establishes kings; He gives wisdom to wise men and knowledge to men of understanding. It is He who reveals the profound and hidden things; He knows what is in the darkness, and the light dwells with Him" (Dan. 2:2022).

"The Most High is ruler over the realm of mankind, and bestows it on whom He wishes and sets over it the lowliest of men (Dan. 4:17).

All throughout the Bible, God tells us He commands all nations and not one molecule is outside His influence. This fact is highlighted in Isaiah where God speaks in the past tense about future events: The LORD of hosts has sworn saying, 'Surely, just as I have intended so it has happened, and just as I have planned so it will stand' (14:24).

I dont know about you, but this truth allows me to catch my breath during times like these and provides great comfort and peace when things seem so chaotic and depressing.

Sovereignty over the individual

If God controls what nations do, it stands to reason that He is in control of what each individual does and thinks.

Ever wonder why people believe the things they do? Daniel tells us: All the inhabitants of the earth are accounted as nothing, but He does according to His will in the host of heaven and among the inhabitants of earth; and no one can ward off His hand or say to Him, What have You done? (4:35).

We like to think were in charge of ourselves, but in reality, A persons steps are directed by the LORD (Prov. 20:24) and The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes (Prov. 21:1).

The fact is, God determines everything about us including our personal beliefs and the truths/lies we absorb. You see this play out in the New Testament where Jesus uses parables to provide light to His people alone, leaving others in darkness: And the disciples came and said to Him, 'Why do You speak to them in parables?' Jesus answered them, 'To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. Therefore I speak to them in parables; because while seeing they do not see, and while hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand'" (Matt. 13: 10-11, 13, my emphasis).

Another example of this in action involves the end times where God causes those who reject Him, and instead embrace the antichrist, to be deceived: For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness (2 Thess. 2:11-12).

Comfort in the face of adversity

In the same way it must have deeply hurt Daniel to see Israel taken captive by Babylon, it truly sickens my soul to see a new Babylonian captivity happening in America.

Scripture tells us, Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord (Ps. 33:12). But the Bible also tells us what happens to a people that reject Him: The Lord, the God of their fathers, sent word to them again and again by His messengers, because He had compassion on His people and on His dwelling place; but they continually mocked the messengers of God, despised His words and scoffed at His prophets, until the wrath of the Lord arose against His people, until there was no remedy (2 Chron. 36:1516).

Were seeing the outworkings of this play out now and the scenario Webster warned us about so long ago: The principles of all genuine liberty and of wise laws and administrations, are to be drawn from the Bible and sustained by its authority. The man, therefore, who weakens or destroys the divine authority of that book may be an accessory to all of the public disorders which society is doomed to suffer.

But just as the book of Daniel tells us that Israel was, for a time, given to Babylon by God, I take comfort in the fact that our Creator is firmly in control of Americas destiny and know that whats currently happening is part of His divine plan.

I hope youll join me in continuing to pray for revival, a return to God, and remember that nothing short-circuits anxiety and misery like the doctrine of divine sovereignty.
SAN DIEGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Shareholder rights law firm Johnson Fistel, LLP has launched an investigation into whether the board members of Jernigan Capital, Inc. ("Jernigan Capital" or the "Company") (NYSE:JCAP) breached their fiduciary duties in connection with the proposed sale of the Company to NexPoint Advisors, L.P. ("NexPoint").

On August 3, 2020, Jernigan Capital announced that it had entered into a definitive merger agreement with NexPoint. Under the terms of the deal, Jernigan Capital shareholders will receive $17.30 for each share of Jernigan Capital they own.

The investigation concerns whether the Jernigan Capital board failed to satisfy its duties to the Company shareholders, including whether the board adequately pursued alternatives to the acquisition and whether the board obtained the best price possible for Jernigan Capital shares of common stock. Nationally recognized Johnson Fistel is investigating whether the proposed deal represents adequate consideration, especially given one Wall Street analyst has a $20.00 price target on the stock. The 52-week high for Jernigan Capital was $20.66.

If you are a shareholder of Jernigan Capital and believe the proposed buyout price is too low or you're interested in learning more about the investigation, please contact lead analyst Jim Baker ( [email protected] ) at 619-814-4471. If emailing, please include a phone number.

Additionally, you can [Click here to join this action]. There is no cost or obligation to you.

About Johnson Fistel, LLP:

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Linkedin Linda Sieg (Reuters) Tokyo, Japan  Tue, August 4, 2020 10:40 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b6c709 2 World Japan,Yasukuni-shrine,wartime,World-War-II Free

Seventy-five years after Japan's defeat in World War Two, Tokyo's Yasukuni Shrine for war dead is a potent symbol of the controversy that persists over the conflict's legacy in East Asia.

Here are some reasons why the shrine is a flashpoint in Japan's relations with China and the two Koreas.

Dying for the emperor

Established in 1869 in a leafy urban enclave, the shrine is s dedicated to 2.5 million Japanese who died in wars beginning in the 19th century and including World War Two.

Funded by the government until 1945, Yasukuni - its name formed by combining the Japanese words for "peace" and "country" - was central to the state religion of Shintoism that mobilized the wartime population to fight in the name of a divine emperor.

Since 1978, those honored have also included 14 World War Two leaders convicted as "Class A" war criminals by an Allied tribunal in 1948, among them wartime prime minister Hideki Tojo.

Tojo and the others were secretly elevated to the status of gods at the shrine in a solemn ceremony that year, news of which sparked a domestic firestorm when it became public.

Bitter memories

Many Japanese pay respects to relatives at Yasukuni and conservatives say leaders should be able to honor those who died in the war.

Chinese and Koreans, however, resent the honors accorded there to the war criminals.

Koreans still chafe over Japanese rule from 1910 to 1945, while China has bitter memories of Japans invasion and brutal occupation of parts of the country from 1931 to 1945.

Critics in Japan see Yasukuni as a symbol of a militarist past and say leaders' visits violate the separation of religion and state mandated by the post-war constitution.

A museum on the grounds has been criticized as depicting the war as one that Japan fought to liberate Asia from Western imperialism, while ignoring atrocities by its troops.

The names of thousands of men from Taiwan and Korea killed while serving with Imperial forces are also recorded at Yasukuni. Some relatives want their names removed.

Emperors shun

Emperor Hirohito, in whose name Japanese soldiers fought the war, visited Yasukuni eight times between the conflict's end and 1975. Historians say he stopped due to displeasure over the enshrined convicted wartime leaders.

His son, Akihito, who became emperor in 1989 and abdicated last year, never visited, nor has current Emperor Naruhito. The royals have attended a separate, secular ceremony.

Prime ministers' controversy

Many Japanese premiers visited Yasukuni after the war, but refrained from saying it was in an official capacity, until Aug. 15 1985, when Yasuhiro Nakasone made an official visit.

The move, on the 40th anniversary of the war's end, drew harsh criticism from China. Nakasone did not go again.

Junichiro Koizumi made annual pilgrimages while premier from 2001 to 2006, contributing to a deep chill in ties with China.

Abe, whose agenda includes reviving pride in Japan's past, visited in December 2013, saying he went to pray for the souls of the war dead and "renew the pledge that Japan must never wage a war again".

The pilgrimage sparked outrage in Beijing and Seoul and an expression of "disappointment" from the United States. Abe has not gone since, but has sent ritual offerings instead.

Another way?

One proposal is to expand the nearby Chidorigafuchi National Cemetery, dedicated to unidentified war dead, into an alternative memorial site. A 2002 panel called for a state-run, secular facility for war dead. Neither idea gained traction.

Others have suggested dropping the Class-A war criminals from the list of those honored, but shrine officials say that is impossible.
After discarding her cellphone, she showed up later at a family friends home where her elder son was staying. He called police, who recovered one of the kitchen knives used in the attack in Plackowskas vehicle. The other knife was found in the garbage disposal in the Dworakowski kitchen.
(@ChaudhryMAli88)

A Mines and Minerals University would be established in Nok Kundi area of Balochistan province aimed at providing quality education to youth matching the contemporary world needs

ISLAMABAD, (UrduPoint / Pakistan Point News - 4th Aug, 2020 ) :A Mines and Minerals University would be established in Nok Kundi area of Balochistan province aimed at providing quality education to youth matching the contemporary world needs.

According, a feasibility report was being prepared in consultation with education experts, said an official of Education and Professional Training. He said currently around 13 universities were operating in different parts of Balochistan under a co-education system, adding setting up their campuses at district-level across the province was not possible due to certain reasons.

Answering a question, he said it was a fact that there was only one Women University "Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University" that had been established in 2004 in Quetta city.

The university offered programs at undergraduate, post graduate and doctoral level. All female students of the province and residing in far-flung areas have equal opportunity to enroll in public sector universities established in different locations of Balochistan. In year 2017, he said, Higher Education Commission (HEC) had established three female campuses of Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University at districts Pishin, Khuzdar and Naushki.

In order to make necessary arrangements to establish more Women universities campuses at each division level, he said the HEC had approved a plan to conduct the feasibility study of overall Balochistan province for identification of potential districts/divisions for the purpose.
A woman has claimed she saw Prince Andrew with alleged trafficking victim Virginia Giuffre in a nightclub on the day the Duke of York said he was in Pizza Express, according to a US lawyer.

The prince has previously denied Ms Guiffres claim she was at a London club with him in 2001, saying he was at home after visiting the Woking branch of the pizza restaurant on the night she mentioned.

Lisa Bloom, a US lawyer representing trafficking victims of Jeffrey Epstein, said she has passed information on to the FBI from a woman supporting Ms Giuffres version of events.

Ms Bloom said Shukri Walker allegedly remembers seeing Prince Andrew at the club with Ms Giuffre  then known as Virginia Roberts  and Epsteins girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell, who was recently arrested in the US.

The lawyer said Ms Walker credibly alleges that she was there at the Tramp nightclub in 2001.

She said the woman specifically recalls Prince Andrew being there with Virginia Roberts Giuffre and Ghislaine Maxwell, adding: She had never been in the presence of a royal before or since and so it was very memorable to her.

Ms Bloom said Ms Walker was disappointed when she saw the Duke of York deny being at the nightclub in a Newsnight interview.

When quizzed about Ms Guiffres claim Prince Andrew was at the club with her on 10 March 2001, he replied he was at home that night.

The prince said he had taken his daughter, Beatrice, to Pizza Express in Woking in the afternoon and returned home.

When asked by Emily Maitlis how he remembered those details from nearly 20 years ago, he said it was because going to the pizza chain in the Surrey town was an unusual thing for me to do.

Ms Giuffre, an alleged Epstein trafficking victim, has claimed she had sex with Prince Andrew on three separate occasions, and was aged 17 on the first occasion.

The duke categorically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre.

Ms Maxwell has been charged with trafficking minors for Epstein, a convicted sex offender who was found dead in a prison cell last year. The British socialite has pleaded not guilty and will go on trial in July next year.

An FBI spokeswoman said it would not comment on the developments surrounding Ms Walker.

The Independent has approached representatives for Prince Andrews legal team for comment.

Additional reporting by Press Association
DUBLIN, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The "Vitiligo Pipeline Research Monitor, 2020 - Drugs, Companies, Clinical Trials, R&D Pipeline Updates, Status and Outlook" report has been added to ResearchAndMarkets.com's offering.

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Edesa Biotech Inc

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Villaris Therapeutics Inc

For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/r/qg6dgk

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For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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Hanoi is trying to stay on schedule by urging progress for Metro Line No.3

The chairman requested the prime minister to assign the Ministry of Planning and Investment and the Ministry of Finance to submit a plan on using ODA capital and incentive loans from overseas to develop the project. The ODA loans are expected to come from the ADB, French Development Agency (AFD), and Germany's KfW Development Bank. As of July 2019, ADB pledged ODA loans worth $450 million for the project.

In addition, the two ministries were asked to report on the plan to establish the state evaluation council that will appraise the pre-feasibility report, according to the Law on Public Investment. Then, the report will be submitted to the National Assembly along with other relevant documents to approve the project's investment planning in late 2020.

Furthermore, in order to ensure the schedule to sign and negotiate ODA capital for the project right after the investment planning is approved, Hanoi Peoples Committee requested the prime minister to assign the Ministry of Finance to cooperate with cities, other ministries, and relevant authorities to negotiate with sponsors.

Metro Line No. 3 will be 8.7km long, a little more than 8.13 km of which will run underground, with the rest being an open tunnel section leading to the depot area.

According to the proposed plan, the metro line will include dual underground tunnels connecting Tran Hung Dao  Tran Thanh Tong  Kim Nguu  Tam Trinh and a 10-hectare depot area located near Yen So pumping station.

According to the plan, the metro line will be able to handle 124,000 passengers a day by 2030 and the figure will increase to 295,000 passengers per day by 2040.
It seemed only fitting after last weeks story about the oldest brick building in the village that this week should be about the second oldest. Norwoods Christ Anglican Church is the oldest of all of the villages church buildings. Its cornerstone was set in place in 1853 likely making it the second oldest brick building still in use today.

The history of the Anglican or Church of England in the village dates back much further to the early 1830s. The village itself, known at the time as Keelers Mills, was only about 10 years old and still emerging from the wilderness.

Many of the earlier settlers were members of the Anglican faith and their ministerial needs were looked after by travelling missionaries, some from Cobourg and one in particular from Peterborough whose routine included visiting and holding services in five villages every two weeks, one of these was Norwood. These sporadic worship services were mostly held in private homes and eventually in the early Norwood Orange Lodge.

In 1853 the growing congregation decided that they would build their own building. A church member and one of Norwoods most affluent early entrepreneurs, (who was featured in an earlier column) Peregrine Maitland Grover donated a parcel of land to the Anglican parish for the construction of a permanent church home.

The foundation was built and the corner stone laid, however it would be a full seven years later in 1860 before the centre section of the building would be completed and the first worship service was held.

Over the next few years construction continued with the addition of the steeple tower and spire and the installation of the church bell, a gift from a generous lady member of the congregation. This same bell is still rung whenever a service is held.

The church now had its own resident clergy and by 1884 they had built a fine rectory beside the church for their minister. This manse served as the home for Norwoods Anglican clergy for more than 125 years, until it was sold by the church, the stately red brick house continues to be used as a family home.

More additions came to the church building in the early 1890s with the construction of the chancel at front of the sanctuary. This was another gift from a generous member, whose descendants still attend the church today.

The chancel also contains a large gothic arched stain glass window, constructed by the Dominion Stained Glass Co. of Toronto; it is dedicated to the Glory of God and in memory of P.M. Grover. The interior walls of chancel were hand painted by a noted ecclesiastical artist at the time Willowdale-based Peter Charles Browne.

Along with the many Christian symbols and associated scrollwork, the back wall also bears life-sized renditions of the four evangelists, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John. Many years later in 1953 this art work was retouched by the artists son Thomas Grant Brown in preparation for the churchs centenary celebrations. Keeping it in the family even longer the original artists grandson, another Thomas Grant Brown restored the artwork again in the late 1990s.

Shifting back to the 1890s the church was flourishing with a large Sunday School, Bible study classes, a Branch of the Womans Auxiliary and not one but two services being held every Sunday.

Many donations and memorials have enhanced the church, including the large eagle shaped lectern in 1953, a large brass cross that still sits on the alter today, a new communion service in honour of their 100th anniversary in 1953, a baptismal shell donated by the Sunday school and two more stained glass windows for the chancel. In 1960 the Parish Hall was added to the back of the church giving the church some much needed classroom and meeting hall space.

An ambitious and costly restoration program was adopted by the congregation in the fall of 1996. Structural problems and major renovations and replacements were required to keep the building viable. This project lasted several years and included among the many jobs, the strengthening and reinforcement of the basement walls with several tons of concrete and the complete restoration of the vestry, sanctuary and chancel.

Unfortunately, as with the congregation of many churches today, the Anglican congregation in Norwood has and continues to shrink, their clergy is now part time and is shared with St. Michaels Westwood.

The church is also no longer used every Sunday; instead worship is held at St. Michaels in the summer months and at Norwood for the winter months, at least when there is not a pandemic happening.

Christ Churchs official address is 71 Queen St. although it was not actually assigned this number until 1962 when the Norwood Lions undertook a project to number the villages buildings, however it has stood at that location for nearly 170 years a testament to its extremely committed, hard-working and faithful parishioners from generations of both now and then.
Chinese students in Australia are scared of speaking out about Hong Kong as the Chinese Communist Party ramps up new online portals for reporting dissent and UNSW is engulfed in controversy over academic freedom.

UNSW deleted social media posts over the weekend that raised concerns about the erosion of human rights in the Chinese territory after a campaign was launched by Huang Yuwen, a Sydney-based lawyer with links to the Chinese consulate. The university was subsequently inundated with social media posts and emails from Chinese nationals that said the posts severely offended students, and amounted to interference in China's internal affairs.

The UNSW campus in Sydney. Credit:Brook Mitchell

The social media posts quoted Elaine Pearson, the Australia director of Human Rights Watch, who warned it was time to bring attention to the rapidly deteriorating situation in Hong Kong, where new national security laws punish dissent with sentences of up to life in prison.

Ms Pearson on Tuesday accused the university of baulking under pressure.
A 40-year-old mother of three teens was shot and killed in a Texas home invasion gone wrong during the early hours of Monday morning.

The woman was was killed in her Baytown home, just east of Houston around 2am after a group four men barged into the family home.

Police say the suspects first came across the family's three teenage children - one 17-year-old girl and two boys aged 15 and 19, The suspects demanded money from the teens.

Police in Baytown, Texas are searching for suspects who shot and killed a 40-year-old mother during a home invasion

Police said the incident happened at around 2am on Monday when four armed suspects broke into the home and confronted three teenage siblings

The teens began arguing loudly and ended up waking up their parents who came downstairs to see what the noise was about.

The teen suspects were confronted whereupon things suddenly turned violent resulting in multiple shots being fired, killing the mother.

Police note that one of the teens recognized one of the suspects but have not elaborated on what their relationship was.

Authorities told ABC13 that they do not believe anyone living inside the home was armed.

'This is a relatively quiet neighborhood, not a lot of home invasions for sure, so this is kind of a shock to the residents around here I'm sure,' Lt. Steve Dorris said, pictured

A verbal and physical altercation occurred when the teens parents came out of their bedroom room to see what the commotion was and the mother was shot

Police say the neighborhood is a relatively quiet and an unusual location for a home invasion

'This is a relatively quiet neighborhood, not a lot of home invasions for sure, so this is kind of a shock to the residents around here I'm sure,' Lt. Steve Dorris said.

'We're going to be canvassing this area to see if anybody has some security footage that may have captured anything for us,' Dorris said. 'But at this point, we don't have anything as far as video or anything like that.'

Police do not yet know why the familys home was targeted or if it was a random crime.

Baytown PD say that two persons of interest are already in custody. One person is an adult and the other person is a teen according to Click2Houston.

Anyone with information that could help investigators should call Baytown PD at 281-422-8371.
Adelaide fitness queen Kayla Itsines has launched a new workout program that requires zero equipment, so you can make your at-home exercise routine as simple as possible.

The 29-year-old personal trainer said she launched the new BBG Zero Equipment program to 'make it easier for women all over the world to stay fit and healthy, and to work out anytime, anywhere'.

The program currently costs 33 cents per day if you sign up on a one-year plan, or 66 cents per day on a one-month plan.

Scroll down for video

Adelaide fitness queen Kayla Itsines (pictured) has launched a new workout program that requires zero equipment, so you can make your at-home exercise routine as simple as possible

The 29-year-old personal trainer (pictured) said she launched the new BBG Zero Equipment program to 'make it easier for women all over the world to stay fit and healthy'

Kayla (pictured) said the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic inspired her to launch the zero-equipment workout, as she wanted to show how easy it is to workout without equipment

Kayla said the onset of the global coronavirus pandemic inspired her to launch the zero-equipment workout:

'Talking and listening to many women around the world in the past few months, I understand the many complexities and barriers that women are facing to exercise during this time,' she said in a statement.

'It can be daunting not having access to a gym and having to work out at home without equipment whilst trying to juggle the pressures of living and working.'

Kayla added: 'Listening to the needs of women, I created BBG Zero Equipment to help make working out at home as simple as possible by removing the need for equipment and giving women the tools and confidence to workout effectively using their body weight.'

The trainer revealed that in her early days as a personal trainer, she only did all of her own workouts in a small space with zero equipment to hand.

'Lately I've been thinking a lot about my early days as a personal trainer and the way I used to train women in their backyards and at bootcamps,' Kayla said.

'I remember when I first met these women they felt so defeated - they often weren't able to get to the gym and didn't have any equipment at home and felt like they would never be able to make progress.

'Once I started training them, it was amazing to see the changes in their attitude when they learnt they could get a high-intensity workout in from their homes or in a park without any equipment. They felt amazing.'

The trainer (pictured) revealed that in her early days as a personal trainer, she only did all of her own workouts in a small space with zero equipment to hand

What do the no equipment workouts look like? Full Body Circuit (28 minutes): These sessions are time-based, and consist of three circuits, each targeting a different area of the body. Each circuit has four exercises, which you do for 30 seconds each. You complete three laps of each circuit. There is a 5-second transition or rest between exercises and each circuit is completed in 7 minutes. You rest for 1 minute between each circuit, and the session is completed with a superset finisher. A superset is two exercises performed back-to-back, with little to no rest in between. Full Body Bootcamp (28 minutes): These time-based sessions follow the same format Ive used for my world tour workouts. A Full Body Bootcamp includes three trisets (three exercises you complete consecutively without a rest), two supersets and a workout wrap-up. There is a 1-minute rest between each of the trisets and the supersets. The wrap-up consists of every exercise already completed in the workout in succession  you do each exercise for 30 seconds, and there is a 30-second break in the middle so you can finish at a high intensity. The high-paced wrap-up sees you run through all the completed exercises from the workout at a greater intensity. Express Abs and Express Legs (12-13 minutes): These are time-based workouts. They consist of 7 exercises, 30 seconds per exercise and a total of three laps for a 12-minute or 13-minute workout. You have a rest or transition between each exercise to allow time to swap from one exercise to the other. Arms & Abs and Full Body Chair (28 minutes): These are rep-based workouts, and follow the same format as my original BBG workouts  two circuits of four exercises each. Circuit 1 & 2 are repeated to create four 7-minute circuits. Source: Kayla Itsines Advertisement

All you need to complete the workouts is a space on the floor that is roughly the size of a yoga mat (Kayla pictured)

All you need to complete the workouts is a space on the floor that is roughly the size of a yoga mat.

The program follows a 16-week routine, and each week there are four 28-minute workouts, including Full Body Circuit, Full Body Bootcamp, Arms and Abs, and Full-Body Chair.

As you steadily get fitter, the routines increase in complexity.

Weeks one to four are designed to ease you back into your fitness routine, while from week five, things will get a bit tougher.

In the first four weeks, you should complete three resistance workouts, two cardio sessions and a recovery session, before you up this to four resistance workouts, two cardio sessions and one recovery session from week five.

For more information about Kayla's no-equipment program, please click here.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- For an intense two hours, Tropical Storm Isaias whipped Staten Island with fierce wind and rain Tuesday, tearing up trees, bringing down live wires, knocking out power to 34,000 and forcing the complete closure of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge.

The rain stopped and the winds began to let up by around 2 p.m.

And by 4 p.m., blue skies had returned.

But the storm left significant damage in its wake, with scores of felled trees blocking roads from Tompkinsville to Tottenville, and tens of thousands left without power.

Here are the most important things you need to know right now:

Staten Island Railway has been restored; click here for the latest on the transportation around the borough

Con Edison is reporting 30,000 customers are without power across Staten Island as of 9 p.m.;

NYC OEM has established a command center at the Staten Island Mall;

Half-hour Staten Island Ferry service resumed at 3 p.m.

HERE IS A LOOK AT HOW THE STORM UNFOLDED ON STATEN ISLAND

10:10 P.M. -- CON EDISON REPORTS 25,000 HOMES REMAIN WITHOUT POWER

Approximately 25,700 Con Edison customers remained without power on Staten Island as of 10:10 p.m., according to the agencys outage map.

9:15 P.M. -- STATEN ISLAND RAILWAY SERVICE RESUMED

The MTA said that it was working to restore full service to the railway Tuesday night.

8:07 P.M. -- MORE THAN 900 TREES REPORTED DOWN

The Parks Department said that more than 900 downed trees had been reported on Staten Island as of 7 p.m. Tuesday. Citywide, the agency said it was managing nearly 13,000 incoming reports of tree-related issues due to Tropical Storm Isaias, said Dan Kastanis, a spokesman with the Parks Department.

7:05 P.M. -- VERRAZZANO BROOKLYN-BOUND UPPER LEVEL REOPENS

An MTA spokesman said the FDNY removed the overturned tractor-trailer after extinguishing a fire that occurred and that all lanes of the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge are now reopened.

6:45 P.M. -- NYC OEM ESTABLISHES COMMAND CENTER AT S.I. MALL

Borough President James Oddo said the NYC Office of Emergency Management established a command center at the Staten Island Mall.

6:15 P.M. -- THOUSANDS REMAIN WITHOUT POWER

Con Edison is reporting approximately 36,00 customers are without power as of 6:15 p.m.

4:30 P.M. -- TRUCK FIRE CAUSES VERRAZZANO CLOSURE

After all lanes of the Verrazzano reopened to traffic, a truck fire caused the Brooklyn-bound upper level to be closed.

4 P.M. -- TORNADO WATCH EXPIRES

A tornado watch issued by the National Weather Service for Staten Island is no longer in effect.

3:59 P.M. -- VERRAZZANO RE-OPENED

All lanes of the Verrazzano have re-opened to traffic in both directions. Residual delays can be expected.

3:56 P.M. -- LIVE WIRES CAUSE BLAZE IN GREAT KILLS

Live wires brought down by Isaias struck a house on Keegans Lane in Great Kills, causing a fire, a witness told the Advance/SILive.com.

A witness said the line hit the ground and fish-tailed and hit the back of the house, causing one big spark to come up in the rear of the home.

3:33 P.M. -- VERRAZZANO PARTIALLY RE-OPENS

After a prior closure, the New Jersey-bound lanes of the Verrazzano have re-opened to traffic on the upper level.

The lower level remains closed in both directions.

A tree blocks Victory Boulevard at Silver Lake Park Drive in Silver Lake. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

3:20 P.M. -- LARGE TREE BLOCKING VICTORY BLVD.

A large tree is blocking Victory Boulevard at Silver Lake Park Drive in Silver Lake. The tree ripped up a huge chunk of sidewalk as it came down.

3 P.M. -- FERRY SERVICE RESUMES

Staten Island Ferry service resumed 3 p.m.

Due to increased visibility and calmer winds, the #SIFerry resumed half hour service as of 3 p.m., the Department of Transportation announced on Twitter.

The ferry will run every half hour through 11 p.m. at St. George and 11:30 p.m. at Whitehall, at which point hourly overnight service will resume.

Westervelt Avenue near Corson Avenue is closed to traffic. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

2:41 P.M. -- TREE DOWN ON WESTERVELT AREA BLOCKING STREETS

Officials are blocking Westervelt Avenue to traffic between Corson and Scribner avenues in New Brighton after a large tree branch brought down a power line.

A large tree is down at Tompkinsville Park. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

2:39 P.M . -- LARGE TREE DOWN AT TOMPKINSVILLE PARK

A large tree was snapped in half at Tompkinsville Park. The jagged stump remains, while the rest of the tree is blocking the sidewalk and part of the street.

Construction site collaspe in St. George. (Courtesy/Teresa Rampulla)

2:19 P.M. -- CONSTRUCTION SITE COLLAPSE IN ST. GEORGE

Scaffolding fell at a hotel construction site on Bay Street in St. George. A worker on the scene said there were no injuries as result.

The NYPD has one lane of traffic blocked near the site.

2:11 P.M. -- RAIN, WIND APPEAR TO BE LETTING UP

After about two hours of intense rain and wind, conditions appeared to have mellowed. The rain has ceased in most parts of the Island, and while the wind is still howling, it is not as intense as earlier.

Traffic is backed up on exists near the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

2:03 P.M. -- MAJOR JAMS AROUND VERRAZZANO

There appear to be multiple bottlenecks and delays related to the closure of the Verrazzano. Cars can be seen piled up at exists on the Staten Island Expressway near the span. The NYPD is helping direct traffic at McClean and Lilly Pond avenues, near the entrance to the bridge.

1:57 P.M. -- WIND HOWLS IN ST. GEORGE

Video from Staten Islands Bay Street Landing shows Tropical Storm Isaias with rain and wind picking up in intensity.

1:53 p.m. -- OUTERBRIDGE TO S.I. RE-OPENED

The Outerbridge Crossing to Staten Island has re-opened to traffic. New Jersey-bound lanes remain blocked.

A tree is down on Cedar Terrace in Grymes Hill. (Photo courtesy of Brian Middendorf)

1:50 P.M. -- TREE DOWN ON GRYMES HILL

A large tree brought down power lines on Cedar Terrace in Grymes Hill.

1:43 P.M. -- OUTERBRIDGE TRAFFIC BEING HELD

The Outerbridge Crossing in both directions is experiencing a traffic hold due to operational activity. [52]  OBX. Wear a Face Covering. (@PANYNJ_OBX) August 4, 2020

1:35 P.M. -- OUTAGES GROW TO 20K

The Con Edison online outage map is now reporting 21,590 customers on Staten Island without power. There are reports of downed trees and power lines coming in from all parts of the borough.

1:23 P.M. -- TRAFFIC LIGHTS OUT ALONG HYLAN

There are numerous traffic lights out across the borough; those include busy Hylan Boulevard, in Dongan Hills, Ocean Breeze and South Beach.

1:10 P.M. -- VERRAZZANO CLOSED

Due to an overturned vehicle, the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge has been closed on both levels in both directions.

A tree fell on two homes on Norwood Ave. and Talbot Place in Clifton. (Courtesy of C.T. Lowney)Courtesy of C.T. Lowney

1:05 P.M. -- TREE DOWN ONTO HOUSE IN CLIFTON

A tree fell onto two homes on Norwood Avenue and Talbot Place in Clifton.

12:36 P.M. -- WIDESPREAD OUTAGES ON S.I.

The Con Edison online outage map is reporting 5,790 customers without power on Staten Island. Affected areas include Tottenville, Eltingville, Bulls Head, Dongan Hills and Willowbrook.

12:13 P.M. -- TRACTOR TRAILERS BANNED ON N.J. CROSSINGS

Due to high winds, tractor-trailers, empty tandem, car-pulled trailers and motorcycles are banned from the Outerbridge Crossing and Bayonne Bridge, the Port Authority announced.

12:04 P.M. -- FERRY SERVICE TO BE DISCONTINUED

The Staten Island Ferry will not run from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesday due to the latest forecast from the National Weather Service indicating there is an increased wind & tornado (water spout) threat because of Tropical Storm Isaias.

10:35 A.M. -- MODIFIED FERRY SERVICE

The Staten Island Ferry will operate on a modified schedule during the evening rush with service approximately every 20 minutes. Regular service resumes at 8 p.m.

9:03 A.M. -- TIME FRAME NARROWS

The storm is now expected to hit Staten Island between noon at 5 p.m., according to AccuWeather.

The New York City area will probably get an inch to an inch and a half of rain, said meteorologist Mike Doll.

8:05 A.M. -- VERRAZZANO RESTRICTIONS

Empty tractor-trailers and tandems will be prohibited from noon to 8 p.m. on the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, the MTA announced.

CALM BEFORE STORM: The Franklin Delano Roosevelt Boardwalk in South Beach was quiet around 7:45 a.m. on Tuesday. (Staten Island Advance/Paul Liotta)

7:20 A.M. -- TORNADO WATCH

The National Weather Service issued a tornado watch for most of the tri-state area, including Staten Island, until 4 p.m. Tuesday. There is also a tropical storm warning in effect Tuesday, as well as a flash flood watch and coastal flood warning until Wednesday morning.
Australian Ninja Warrior presenter Freddie Flintoff may soon be hard-pressed to find time in his calendar for a 2021 season, judging by his popularity with UK broadcasters.

Flintoff is already a presenter on Top Gear for BBC, having already filmed two seasons.

But in recent weeks he has picked up two other UK series.

In Dont Rock the Boat he joins AJ Odudu (The Voice UK), as twelve celebrities compete toy row the entire length of Britain. Travelling more than 500 gruelling miles, the teams will battle hell and high water to win a coastal race.

On Total Wipeout: Freddie And Paddy Takeover, he and comedian Paddy McGuinness, re-voice classic episodes of Wipeout.

I think a lot of things have been tried over the years but nothings been as good as Wipeout! he said. Hence bringing it back, and even watching the old episodes, it just doesnt date. Its still very funny. Its fun, theres a bit of jeopardy and its quite hard so hopefully itll go well and who knows  they might make it again!

Flintoff dropped out of Australian Ninja Warrior last night due to COVID restrictions, with Shane Crawford returning.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Delhi High Court was told by petitioners in a matter relating to the Jamia violence, that the Police should be the last agency to investigate this matter.

"Police should be the last person to conduct this inquiry. Even CBI should not conduct the same as it is governed by the Centre and the protest was against Centre's CAA," said senior advocate Colin Gonsalves while appearing before a division bench of the High Court presided over by Chief Justice D.N. Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan on Tuesday.

Gonsalves asked for an independent inquiry to be conducted by a Special Investigation Team which should be headed by an officer (a list of the same was submitted to the court) in whom the public has faith.

The senior counsel also read out various testimonies about the police brutalities. "They were using abusive language. I guess the students were getting the first lesson of communalism in the police force," Gonsalves said after reading out one of the testimonies.

The submissions came while the court was hearing a batch of petitions relating to the violence that broke out in and around Jamia Millia Islamia in December last year.

While hearing the matter, the court asked Gonsalves who recorded the testimonies that he was reading.

"We recorded it, we asked them to write it on a piece of paper which we later gave to the NHRC and also to the police. They were recorded just a day after the violence broke out," said Gonsalves while responding to the query of the court.

Gonsalves also aired some video clips before the court which showed police barging into the library, beating up the students and breaking the CCTV cameras. "When the girls ran to the washrooms of the reading rooms, they smashed the bulbs and assaulted the girls," Gonsalves submitted.

He submitted before the court that no FIR against the police has been filed for the brutality. "We want the entire CCTV footage to be placed on record under an affidavit filed by the Commissioner," Gonsalves said.

"These videos will prove the criminality of the police", he argued, questioning how can the police be trusted when their affidavit states that there was no evidence against any police official.

"I want to ask the police, How can we trust you with the investigation?," the counsel questioned.

The batch of petitions sought action against the alleged ruthless and excessive use of force by the police and paramilitary forces against students within the university.

The pleas have also sought registration of FIRs against the erring police officers.
Colombo, Aug 4 : The Nepal governments decision to resume domestic and international flights from August 17 has prompted airline companies to start submitting their proposals seeking permission to resume operations, it was reported.

According to Raj Kumar Chhetri, spokesperson for Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal (CAAN), a total of 12 airline companies, including two from Nepal, have submitted proposals for slots, reports The Himalayan Times.

"Generally, airline companies have to resubmit their proposal for slots if flight operations are halted for more than 60 days," he said on Monday.

"Hence, international companies are applying to get their slots to resume flight operations from and to Nepal." Chhetri added that besides Nepal Airlines Corporation (NAC) and Himalaya Airlines, Indigo Air of India; Air China and China Southern of China; SalamAir of Oman; Jazeera Airways of Kuwait; Fly Dubai and Air Arabia of the United Arab Emirates; Malaysia Air and Malindo Air of Malaysia; and Turkish Airlines have so far submitted their applications to CAAN, seeking slots.

"However, we are still working on the nitty gritty of providing permission for flight operations," Chhetri said, adding: "Destinations that are less affected by COVID-19 will be higher on our priority list while permitting flight operations." Before the pandemic struck, around 100 international flights were being conducted daily via Tribhuvan International Airport.

The suspension of the flights came on March 22 to prevent the spread of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.

During the months, only chartered flights for humanitarian purpose or delivery of medical goods were allowed.
The journalist believes that no revolutionary shifts are being plotted in Minsk talks on Donbas.

Ukraine's new top envoy, the country's first President Leonid Kravchuk, came to the working meeting of the country's delegation to the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas settlement, bringing along Vitold Fokin, ex-prime minister who could also take up a position on the team.

The meeting lasted for about three hours, while Fokin's status remains unclear as he has not yet decided whether he would accept the offer to join the delegation, said Sergiy Garmash, a Donbas-born chief editor of the Ostrov outlet, who is part of the Ukrainian negotiating team representing certain areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions.

"So we met. Basically, Kravchuk was briefed on the latest developments at subgroups. He voiced some ideas. For example, on granting Donetsk and Luhansk regions the status of free economic zones. Or on making delegation's work more open to public. My overall impression is positive. He didn't voice or suggest anything treasonous. I asked directly if he had contacts with [Putin's political operative in Ukraine Viktor] Medvedchuk. The answer was that there had been no contacts for four years. Moreover, according to his rhetoric, it's apparent he watches Medvedchuk's TV channels, although he realistically assesses the information presented there," said Garmash.

Read alsoKravchuk roots for "dialogue" to resolve Donbas crisis

At the same time, he stressed it was Fokin's words that surprised him.

"I haven't heard for a long while the expression 'people of Donbas' in my circle. It's apparent he watches too much TV... There was an impression that the ex-prime minister had arrived not from a village outside Kyiv, but from the occupied territory. But this is also useful. I just wish he's sincere in his concern for the people and the country, while everything else (if he agrees to work in the delegation) will be erased by the harsh realities of Moscow's unwillingness to go for any compromises," the journalist is convinced.

Garmash believes that no revolutionary shifts are being plotted in Minsk talks on Donbas.

"This can't be done by individual members, even in the rank of head of delegation. It's the incumbent president who determines the policy. Deputy Prime Minister [Oleksiy] Reznikov remains the main moderator and generator  he has real mechanisms to this end. Any other ideas, no matter who they come from, are put up for discussion, some suggestions, probing the opponent or promising carrot  no more than that," explained Garmash.

As UNIAN reported earlier, Leonid Kravchuk said earlier that first Prime Minister of Ukraine (1990-1992) Vitold Fokin could become a member of the Trilateral Contact Group on Donbas.
Last week, the International Youth and Students for Social Equality (IYSSE) organized an international panel discussion at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) titled 75 Years after the Second World War: How war and dictatorship are being prepared at universities.

The event marked the culmination of the IYSSEs campaign in this years student parliament election at KIT. It was broadcast live on the internet and watched by an audience of about 150 people. Many of those in attendance participated in the discussion that followed a series of speeches.

How war and dictatorship are prepared at universities - 75 years after the Second World War

Moderator Philipp Frisch, a member of the IYSSE in North Rhine-Westphalia, placed the event in the context of current political developments. When we talk today about the preparation of war and dictatorship at universities, he said, we do not do so in a vacuum, where universities are a kind of island of erudition.

Frisch referred to the social and political impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the mobilization of fascistic paramilitaries against peaceful demonstrators in the US, and the recent announcement by the German grand coalition government, consisting of the Christian Democrats and Social Democrats, of plans to introduce voluntary military service.

In the first contribution of the evening, Katja Selin from the IYSSE in Berlin explained how the universities are centrally involved in the preparations for war and dictatorship. The universities have become political battlefields, she said. The ruling class is striving to make them centres of militaristic and right-wing extremist ideology, as in the First and Second World Wars. Nowhere is this more true than at Humboldt University in Berlin.

There, Selin said, the IYSSE has opposed the falsification of history by professors such as Herfried Munkler and Jorg Baberowski, who told Der Spiegel, Hitler was not cruel. In this struggle against militarism and for historical truth, the IYSSE has received broad support among workers, students and young people.

Selin explained that the shift to the right in Germany comes from above, and Professor Baberowski is a key figure in this. Baberowski, she noted, has played an important ideological role in relation to the central questions around which official politics have moved rapidly to the right in recent years. This has involved the falsification of history and promotion of war, as well as agitation against refugees and rationalizations in support of dictatorship.

For this reason, the right-wing extremist professor was still being defended vehemently by the university administration, the university association (Hochschulverbund) and the federal government, even after he attempted to sabotage the IYSSEs student government election campaign at Humboldt University in January and insulted and physically attacked a member of the IYSSE.

The entire controversy at Humboldt University made clear that a socialist perspective and an orientation towards the international working class are necessary to counter the rise of the extreme right, Selin concluded.

The speech by Thomas Scripps, a leading member of the IYSSE in Britain, evoked particular interest. Scripps stressed that the struggle of the IYSSE at Humboldt University had been vindicated by events in Germany in a very short time. A similar process, he explained, was taking place at leading universities in London, where an international network of academic racists, backed by the British government, was working systematically to rehabilitate eugenicist positions.

The increasing promotion of Social Darwinist ideology in science and politics finds its political expression in the ruling classs murderous response to the coronavirus pandemic, Scripps said, referring to the policy of so-called herd immunity. Although most openly expressed by Boris Johnson, it is an international phenomenon, he stressed.

The ruling class in every country, Scripps said, is reacting to the explosive growth of international class struggle by reviving all the ideological filth of the past. He cited as an example the fact that the German Social Democrat Thilo Sarrazin, in his xenophobic agitation, had been able to rely, among other things, on the writings of Professor Heiner Rindermann of the Technical University of Chemnitz.

In the third and final speech of the evening, Gregor Kahl, an IYSSE member at KIT and candidate in the student election, spoke of technological war preparations at the university. He explained that dozens of KIT professors were in contact with military research institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, a leading applied research organization, and worked closely with arms manufacturers and representatives of the armed forces on campus.

Professor Beyerer, chair of Interactive Real-Time Systems at KIT and consultant for the Bundeswehr (Armed Forces), was only one example. Most recently, Beyerer announced his intention to make substantial contributions to the development of the European FCAS air combat system and the MGCS Franco-German battle tank system.

The Karlsruhe Institute of Technology is certainly one of the centres of German war weapons research, Kahl concluded, emphasizing that a vote for the IYSSE was therefore of great importance, particularly at KIT.

The contributions were followed by a lively discussion on a wide range of political and historical issues: from the silence of the professors to the growth of the international class struggle and the revolutionary optimism of the IYSSE. There was as well discussion on the lessons of twentieth century history and the significance of the Russian Revolution.

At the conclusion of the meeting, IYSSE candidate Kahl stressed, We are now entering a period that will be marked by enormous international class struggles, and in this situation it is crucial to build a revolutionary party in the working class so that it can fulfil its historical role. This party is the International Committee of the Fourth International and its youth and student movement, the IYSSE.


Duchess of Cambridge helps at church baby bank Duchess of Cambridge helps at church baby bank

The Duchess of Cambridge has today helped to launch a new baby bank initiative at a West Norfolk church, with a personal volunteering visit.

On Tuesday August 4 HRH The Duchess of Cambridge launched a new initiative with Baby Basics, Little Village and Abernecessities, following on from a private volunteering visit to her local branch of the national Baby Basics charity at St Nicholas Church in Dersingham. The Duchess has brought together 19 British brands to donate items to support Baby Banks across the UK.



In May, The Duchess of Cambridge expressed a desire to see what happened at the sharp end of this organisation that supports expectant or new mothers.



Maggie Anderson Co-Lead of Baby Basics West Norfolk explains: The Duchess requested to volunteer with myself and a Health Professional to build a Moses Basket, ready to be delivered to a mum in need. During the visit she asked lots of questions and thoroughly enjoyed herself. Whilst it was exciting, because of social distancing requirements, it took a lot of organising and numerous telephone calls to ensure this private visit could take place.



Following on from this in June, at the Duchess request, HRH met with two mothers and their babies who had previously received a filled Baby Basics Moses Basket. Over an informal afternoon tea, the Duchess heard their stories and how Baby Basics had helped them when they needed it most.



The Duchess of Cambridge said: Over recent months, I have heard from families who have been supported by baby banks through the most difficult of times and I have been deeply moved by their stories. Having somewhere to turn to for support is important for all families, and baby banks work every day, up and down the country, to provide immediate, tangible and practical help for parents and carers when they are most in need.



Baby banks are driven by incredible volunteers, demonstrating the power of community spirit in supporting families and coming together to raise the next generation. Thanks to the generosity of the companies taking part in this initiative, baby banks across the UK will be able to support even more families through this particularly challenging time.



Following several private visits to Baby Basics West Norfolk, The Duchess spearheaded a drive for donation of items for babies and toddlers from brands and high street retailers.



Rev Mark Capron, Rector of St Nicholas Church Dersingham, said: It is wonderful that HRH has chosen to support this local Christian charity. The Duchess is aware that sadly there are many babies who arrive into the world where there is so little. The Baby Basics Moses basket offers an expression of Gods love and hope to new and precious lives as they begin their journey in this world; a journey's beginning that to some degree echoes Jesus who was born in a humble place, being laid in a manger. The Duchess of Cambridges involvement is will raise the profile of the wonderful work done by Baby Basics, and in doing so will support all those who need it most.



On hearing of the Duchess care and involvement with Baby Basics, the Rt Rev Graham Usher, Bishop of Norwich said: I am delighted that HRH The Duchess of Cambridge has supported the outreach work of St Nicholas Church in Dersingham by filling a Moses basket. The arrival of a new baby should be a time of joy and delight, but for some women it can be a time of huge vulnerability. I pray that the gift of a basket of items will support them and encourage them so that they can delight in the remarkable gift of a new life.



Baby banks aim to support and empower families by ensuring every child has the essential items they need to thrive. In the UK, they are powered primarily by volunteers and typically run on professional referral from services such as health visitors, midwives and social workers.

Maggie Anderson said: Baby Basics West Norfolk has been blessed by so many wonderful people donating new items of baby clothing and bedding, maternity sanitary wear, nappies, toiletries, knitting, and so much more. Working with Health Professionals, referrals are made to the team for new mums and babies in need, essentials for baby and mother are lovingly prepared in a Moses basket. During this current pandemic kindness and generosity to the charity has enabled Baby Basics to continue providing to those mums and vulnerable families in need unable to meet the financial burden of providing for a new baby.



www.facebook.com/BabyBasicsWestNorfolk



www.baby-basics.org.uk



Pictured above is the Duchess of Cambridge during her visit to St Nicholas church in Dersingham.



Keith Morris, 05/08/2020
Leslie Rivera, who has experienced homelessness in her past, couldn't sit back and watch the San Antonio community grow hungry due to the coronavirus pandemic any longer.

After brainstorming for more than a month, Rivera, a 31-year-old who works for a non-profit AIDS-service organization, launched her mutual-aid initiative last weekend, placing a community refrigerator downtown for anyone in need to grab free fresh goods.

"Take what you need, give what you don't" is the motto of the community fridge - a concept Rivera formed in July after seeing the initiative used in New York City.

"You just don't see things like that in San Antonio," the nine-year resident said. "This community absolutely needs it and I'm hoping to provide more around the city in areas that are being disproportionately affected by COVID-19 such as the East Side, the West Side and the South Side."

The first community fridge is hosted by Swift Movers LLC, which is located at 1316 Austin Street, near East Grayson and Broadway streets. The fridge, which was designed by local artists, was launched on Saturday and will remain open to the public 24/7.
The coronavirus pandemic will cost nearly three million travel and tourism jobs in the UK because of the collapse of the industry, according to the World Travel & Tourism Council.

Bosses described the job losses as 'heartbreaking' and warned that positions were 'disappearing by the day'.

They expressed their frustration and said that research conducted two months ago predicted that this 'worst case scenario' would occur if barriers to global travel - such as quarantine measures and blanket travel restrictions - remained in place.

While some travel bans have been removed, many others remain. New restrictions are also likely to come into force to tackle the continuing threat posed by Covid-19 and possible second spikes.

WTTC estimates the UK could lose a staggering $186 billion from the Travel & Tourism sector's contribution to UK GDP (file photo)

However, a patchwork of bans, quarantines and uncoordinated international testing and tracing measures have deterred many from travelling at all.

Bosses warn that the peak summer 2020 travel season has all but been wiped out, and that 197million jobs in the sector will be lost worldwide.

Last week travel to Spain was thrown into chaos when the UK government changed its travel advice to re-impose a 14-day quarantine period for people arriving back in the UK.

This countrywide 'travel ban' came despite parts of Spain, such as Andalucia, the Balearics and Canaries having a lower Covid-19 infection rate than the UK.

WTTC estimates the UK could lose a staggering $186 billion from the Travel & Tourism sector's contribution to UK GDP.

That equates to a 73% percent drop compared with 2019.

An aerial view of Figueretas beach in Ibiza on July 28, where there were tiny crowds during what is usually one of the busiest times of the year

Gloria Guevara, WTTC President & CEO, said: 'It's heart-breaking to see our worst fears for the UK and global Travel & Tourism sector coming true.

'The jobs and livelihoods of millions of people who work throughout the sector are disappearing by the day, despite our warning this could happen.'

She added that the 'economic black hole of US$186 billion in the country's finances' was due to an 'international failure to implement proper coordination to combat the pandemic'.

Guevara said, however, there was 'time to turn this around', but only 'if we act together now as one and replace ineffective quarantines with comprehensive rapid testing, a worldwide accepted standard of contact tracing and widespread face mask usage.'

She said using the latest technology and mass adoption of face coverings will restore confidence to travellers.

'Governments around the world must align their policies and work hand in hand with the private sector to revive Travel & Tourism, so we can restore jobs and help revive the global economy.

'We strongly believe that by working as one we can beat Covid-19 and return to safe travels with world class standards of hygiene to travellers and regenerate the jobs and livelihoods of the 300 million people who worked in the sector before Covid-19.

'That is a much more, cost effective and efficient option which will alleviate the terrible economic impact of mass unemployment.'

WTTC had urged governments to follow a four-point plan to avoid the 'worst case scenario' it feared could take place.

The plan recommended the immediate removal and replacement of travel bans and 14-day quarantine measures, with 'air corridors' to stimulate the sector and the wider economy.

It also urged the adoption of global health and safety protocols to provide assurance to travellers and those working within the sector.

WTTC believes the implementation of a rapid test and trace strategy is a critical step to help contain the spread of the virus.

This would still allow people to travel responsibly and encourage greater and sustained collaboration between the public and private sectors to ensure a standardised, global approach to the crisis, they said.

According to WTTC's 2020 Economic Impact Report, during 2019, Travel & Tourism was responsible for one in 10 jobs (330 million in total), making a 10.3% contribution to global GDP and generating one in four of all new jobs.
This upcoming school year promises to be unlike any other. Now is the time to get prepared.

Many local officials across the country are balancing the advice of public-health experts against the administrations reckless demands to open all schools everywhere with in-person instruction, regardless of the threat to the health of students, families, teachers, and staff. Some of the largest school districts across the nation already have announced that their schools will rely on remote instruction or a mix of in-person and distance learning. The simple truth is that remote and hybrid learning will be with us for the foreseeable future, as we continue to grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

In that context, denying students access to broadband is tantamount to denying them access to education.

Weas a former U.S. secretary of education and a current member of the Federal Communications Commissionbelieve this years summer assignment is clear and urgent: We must make sure that every student has the home connectivity and devices they need to make the most of learning during the coming school year.

Even before this pandemic, new technology was helping skilled educators redefine the student-learning experience. Technology can enhance and enrich instruction; teachers can use adaptive- learning platforms to address students unique learning needs or they can pair traditional study with a virtual tour of the ocean floor or the ancient pyramids. The transition to these tools can also better prepare students for the digital world, from using PowerPoint to prepare a 4th grade research report to using computer-assisted design software in a high school pre-engineering class. But it also raises profound equity challenges.

For so many students, the classroom is no longer just inside the school building."

The U.S. Senate Joint Economic Committee reported in 2018 that there were more than 12 million students who fell into the homework gapmeaning they lack the necessary internet access at home to complete their homework assignmentsand data from Common Sense Media this year indicates the number might be as high as 16 million. More than 70 percent of educators assign homework that requires the internet. As a result, before the pandemic, these students without Wi-Fi access at home resorted to seeking out venues that offered it for free. They were the students nursing a drink at a fast-food restaurant, or sitting on the library steps with a laptop while they typed out their papers, or lingering in the school parking lot to complete their homework long after the final bell rang.

But now the homework gap has turned into a devastating learning chasm with so many students disconnected during this pandemic at the same time as schooling moved online this spring.

In fact, Common Sense Medias new statistics suggest that gaps in home-internet access are especially dire in rural areas, where 37 percent of students lack internet connections at home. Additionally, we see racial disparities within the lack of access: At least a quarter of all Latinx, Black, and Native American students lack adequate home connectivity.

With some form of online instruction certain to continue in the fall, we need to address this connectivity crisis now. A recent McKinsey report estimated that, this past spring, the combination of inadequate internet access, insufficient professional development and support for teachers, and uneven instruction cost students an average of seven months of learning (with a disparate impact of nine months for Latinx students and 10 months for Black students).

We need a national policy to leave no child offline.

Heres how to do it: E-rate.

The E-rate is the nations largest education technology program, and it is run by the FCC. Right now, it provides support for internet and Wi-Fi access in classrooms in every state across the country. But, with the ongoing pandemic, its time to modernize the program. After all, for so many students, the classroom is no longer just inside the school building. It is now online.

We can meet the current moment by adjusting E-rate so that it supports connecting kids to virtual school.

With in-person instruction still up in the air, the FCC should use the remainder of the summer to update the E-rate program so every student is connected at home this fall. Congress is pressing for this to happen with the proposed Emergency Educational Connections Act that would direct the FCC to update the E-rate program to meet this moment. But theres no reason the FCC cant get started right now.

Of course, making sure that students are connected is only part of the equation. There are other actions we can take to ensure online learning is as effective as possible.

Congress can step up with adequate funding to stabilize state and local budgets to prevent budget cuts that would devastate schools and force layoffs. Congress also can provide targeted funding to address student-learning loss from last spring as well as students socioemotional needs as kids and their families navigate the pandemic.

In addition, Congress and state governments can encourage districts to implement multilingual digital-learning platforms to be fully inclusive. Districts should develop thoughtful plans for the kinds of teacher professional development and collaboration that will be essential to make remote or hybrid learning successful. Federal, state, and district resources must then be dedicated to ensuring educators can effectively teach, build relationships with, and assess their students learning remotely. Establishing a highly functioning, comprehensive online learning system will require an all-hands-on-deck approach.

Navigating the politics of the moment and the logistics of even a partial reopening of in-person instruction are complicated. But thats no excuse for squandering the opportunity to make online instruction more effective this fall than it was in the spring. We need to start now, so that every student has a fair shot at getting the connection and content they need to continue learning during this crisis.
PUBS, nightclubs and casinos will remain closed for at least another three weeks, the Taoiseach has stated tonight.

Face coverings will also be mandatory in shops and shopping centres from August 10 and five countries have been taken off the green list.

Only 50 people will be allowed to meet indoors and 200 outdoors.

Pubs will not reopen until at least August 31 and pubs that serve food and restaurants must now close at 11pm.

Malta, Cyprus, San Marino, Gibraltar and Monaco have been taken off the Green List.

Anyone travelling to those destinations would now have to isolate for 14 days on the way back.

Micheal Martin said he realised this news would come as a blow to publicans but there was no choice in the matter, given the increase in cases.

Read More

While we have opened our society to a significant degree, one thing has not changed. This virus is as virulent as vever. It remains indiscriminate in its cruelty.

But as dangerous as it is, we have shown we can beat it.

We need to wash our hands, wear a mask...social distance and minimise our contacts.

Have patience, we know how deadly this disease is, we have seen a terrible human cost with 1,763 dead.

"We need to suppress this virus. The only way to do this is to work together. Let us continue to fight the virus together for our brilliant health workers, our children who need to get back to school, for the vulnerable in our society, in honour of those who have passed away.

"The Irish people have done a good job in containing the virus, but it's important to remain vigilant.

"This will come as a blow to pub owners, I want them to know I have every sympathy for their plight.

"This virus is taking away their ability to earn a living, to provide a key service in the heart of in particular rural communities.

Together we will be in a position to overcome this.

The Taoiseach said the Cabinet would need to now look at supports for the industry, as he realised how they had been severely affected. He also urged people to avoid house parties.

While publicans and other businesses would be "very upset" he said the priority was public health. The priority was to "save lives", to look after the vulnerable and "to reopen our schools."

"The life chances of our children depend on us getting the schools open in a safe way."

The Taoiseach asked the country to continue to have patience in the fight against Covid-19 and to follow all the public health advice in keeping the virus under control.

Green List

In discussing the five countries removed from the Green List, the Taoiseach announced Malta, Cyprus, San Marino and Gibraltar had been taken off the list.

Anyone travelling to those destinations would now have to isolate for 14 days on the way back. The best advice was, to stay home, Mr Martin said.

Dr Ronan Glynn, the acting CMO, said: "It's not about the number of cases, it's about where those cases are arising, can we link one case with another.

"What are we seeing in the hospitals, what's the age profile, is it getting into our care facilities.

"It never has been or will be as simple as saying we reached X number and need to do Y, it's a range of measures we need to keep under review."

Outdoor gatherings

Outdoor gatherings will remain at 200 for outdoor events, due to a risk of the virus spreading as people travel to and from events, Dr Ronan Glynn has said.

The Taoiseach announced there will be no expansion of outdoor gatherings to help keep Covid-19 figures down.

The acting CMO Ronan Glynn said it wasn't the aim to put people off going outside together, but there was a risk from large numbers gathering outside venues, households mixing together and trips to and from destinations, where people mixed together.

Dr Glynn said there had been "multiple cases of people sharing transport and going to and from different households."

"This virus thrives, it's counter to what us Irish people love to do, to meet up with people and engage with people.

"We haven't been able to do the things we want to do."

But he added that this was the necessary time to pull back on moving forward to Phase Four to help schools open.

"In three weeks time hopefully our schools will open. There are many good things happening over the last couple of months."

Society now had to "double down" and go back to the psychology of March, he added, when the country was in lockdown. That meant washing hands, social distancing and following all the public health advice to keep numbers down.

'Despair' from pubs sector

The reopening of some 3,500 pubs across the country, that have been shuttered since March, will now not go ahead on August 10 as had been planned.

The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) advised the Government against reopening pubs after it met this morning.

The Government has "abandoned the 3,500 smaller pubs across Ireland" following their decision to stop pubs from reopening next week, according to the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI).

They also said that the decision will be met with fury and despair across the sector.

VFI Chief Executive, Padraig Cribben, said: This is Groundhog Day for the trade as twice now the reopening of pubs has been postponed. The new Governments decision has caused grave alarm within the trade as publicans face an extremely uncertain future with little to feel optimistic about. Make no mistake, this is a full-blown crisis for the trade as over 3,500 pubs must now remain shut.



The Government has effectively denied pubs the ability to trade and as a result will have to provide substantial supports to our members, many of whom are deeply agitated at what they feel is the State abandoning a vital part of the hospitality sector.

While Donall OKeeffe, Chief Executive of the LVA, said the Government has "basically just abandoned half the pub sector".

This decision will be met with both fury and despair across the entire sector. It is creating intolerable pressure on those pubs still closed, their 25,000 staff, suppliers to the industry and all their families. The Government cant keep stringing the entire sector along like this.

"Where is their plan? Where are their supports for the industry? The pubs that are closed or their staff certainly wont benefit from the July stimulus if they have to stay closed and the future viability of these businesses is in doubt.

There is only so much an industry can take. If the Government wants the pub sector to survive, there needs to be a solution for handling pubs during this public health emergency crisis. That means coming up with a meaningful support package for pubs whose doors remain shut by order of the Government, he said.

Education Minister Norma Foley said she understood the difficulties that publicans and other businesses were in and was very sympathetic to their concerns but this is that the public health experts have advised and we have been guided by public health advice thus far.

She told independent.ie that while these were not ideal circumstances, we have to take public health advice seriously.|

Ms Foley said that the Governments top priority was re-opening schools.

More than a week on from the publication of the roadmap for re-opening schools, Ms Foley expressed confidence that the planned full re-opening would happen on target.

She said there had been "a very positive engagement and a desire to make things work coming from schools, from parents, from students and from general society.

I say that with absolute gratitude. People do want this to work and are prepared to engage to make it work and I see no reason at this stage that we cannot move forward to that agenda of the end of August/first of September.

Ms Foley said while there will be issues and glitches her department wanted to engage and work hand in hand with schools on whatever specific issues that might arise.

The minister said the re-opening helpline set up for principals was busy and grants for minor works had been paid to primary schools last week and would be going out to post primary schools this week.

Speaking before Cabinet earlier today, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar highlighted the recent spike in new Covid-19 cases in Ireland and across Europe and said the Governments priority is reopening schools and colleges.Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said this will be come as a further blow to some sectors that have not been reopened but added that we cant risk going backwards or risk the schools reopening.

The Tanaiste stated that support would have to be provided to the industries that are still unable to open.

But Mr Varadkar said he couldnt go into further detail on this, due to the need to meet with Cabinet to discuss the finer details.

Mr Varadkar said: This pandemic is blazing around the world with record new cases.

Financial supports, such as the current unemployment schemes, are thought to be likely to be kept in place for some time.
Tropical Storm Isaias could bring more than four inches of rain and strong winds to Western Massachusetts, causing localized flooding and power outages.

The Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency is predicting the storm, which is currently over the Atlantic Ocean is expected to hit the coasts of northeastern South Carolina and southern North Carolina Monday night. It will then move inland and travel north along the coasts of mid-Atlantic states. It is expected to hit Massachusetts late Tuesday afternoon or evening, said Christopher Besse, agency spokesman.

Gradual weakening will take place as it moves north and the center of the storm is expected to travel over Western Massachusetts, he said.

The storm is expected to bring between 2 to 4 inches of heavy rain to the four counties of Western Massachusetts with as much as 6 inches falling in localized areas, especially over the Berkshires. Eastern Massachusetts will receive less rain, he said.

(The) greatest risk is urban flooding but if rainfall exceeds 4 inches, small stream flooding could also occur, Besse said.

Wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are predicted, which could cause fallen trees and limbs and power outages, he said.

At Cape Cod and along the rest of coast there could be dangerous rip currents and minor coastal flooding, he said.

To prepare for the storm, utility companies are ready to bring in crews from other New England states and Canada if there are widespread outages. At least one crew is also being sent to Nantucket before the storm in the case that they are needed and it is too dangerous to travel to the island, Besse said.

The American Red Cross is developing agreements with area communities where the storm is expected to be the most severe so it can set up emergency shelters if needed, he said.

Officials on Cape Cod are also carefully monitoring state parks to ensure campers are not stranded if campgrounds close, he said.

This graphic shows the predicted timetable for Tropical Storm Isaias. (Massachusetts Emergency Management Agency graphic)

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The number of NHS patients forced to wait longer than a year for routine treatment in London is now 20 times the figure for the whole of England in 2019.

Leaked performance data showed 19,775 patients in the capital were waiting longer than 12 months for procedures such as hip or knee ops by July 19.

In contrast, only 1,032 people across the entire country had not started treatment within a year of being referred in July 2019.

The shocking figures lay bare how Covid-19 has devastated the NHS, with warnings that the health service faces an 'enormous' challenge if it wants to catch-up.

NHS data last month revealed 1.5million patients in England were forced to wait at least 18 weeks to start treatment, the most since 2007. Under the health service's own rulebook, patients should be treated within 18 weeks of a GP referral.

Health bosses fear it could take up to four years to clear the growing backlog of patients needing treatment.

The overall waiting list  at a record-high of 4.4million before the pandemic struck  was described as ticking time bomb.

Top medics have since warned it has detonated, with the decision to postpone tens of thousands of operations during the crisis causing backlog to grow.

The number of NHS patients who have been forced to wait more than a year for treatment in London is 20 times the figure for the whole of England in 2019

NHS England chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, has now told hospital bosses to get back to 'near-normal' levels of activity or they could face a fine

The data for London  seen by The Independent  was submitted to NHS England by 23 hospitals across the country.

The hospital with the most patients waiting for routine treatment is the Royal Free in Hampstead.

According to the leaked data, the trust had 6,488 patients waiting more than a year by the week ending July 19.

And the Royal Free Foundation Trust, which runs the hospital, said its activity levels were down 60 per cent from normal.

Barts Health Trust, which runs the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel and St Bartholomew's Hospital in the City, has also fared badly.

It had more than 2,469 patients waiting more than a year and its activity levels were down 50 per cent from normal.

Chelsea and Westminster Hospital Foundation Trust reported its activity was down 76 per cent.

NHS England chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, has now told hospital bosses to get back to 'near-normal' levels of activity or they could face a fine.

An expert on waiting times who runs the demand and capacity planning company Gooroo, Rob Findlay, told The Independent: 'If you can't keep up with demand then waiting lists are going to grow, almost without limit.

YOU'LL HAVE TO BOOK A&E VISITS THIS WINTER Patients will be asked to book an A&E appointment by calling 111 this winter, NHS bosses have been told. The plans, revealed in a board meeting for NHS England and NHS Improvement yesterday, are set to be put in place before December. But hospitals will not turn away patients who turn up without calling ahead of their visit, it was claimed. Pilot studies of the ring-ahead scheme at casualty departments in Portsmouth and London have reportedly produced good results. The plans to 'transform' A&E care will move towards scrapping the four-hour waiting time target, it was also revealed. Hospitals will be asked to rapidly adjust to the measures and make improvements as they go, according to board papers seen by The Times. NHS trusts across England currently work off a four-hour wait time target to operate emergency departments. The standard is 95 per cent of patients visiting A&E should be admitted, transferred or discharged within four hours. However, the NHS has failed to hit its four-hour benchmark for almost five years in a row. Advertisement

'Wherever you draw the line it will inevitably be breached and waiting lists will continue to grow until the NHS can keep up with demand.

'The rest of this financial year will be about doing as much as they can in difficult circumstances but it won't be until April before the NHS can turn its hand to a proper recovery plan and that's likely to take several years.'

He added that what 'really worries' him is some of the patients who haven't been seen could have cancer and other urgent needs which have not yet been diagnosed.

The coronavirus pandemic has added to the growing backlog because some hospitals don't have the capacity to treat patients while keeping areas safe from infection.

Some hospitals have even had to reduce bed numbers and limit operations.

NHS hospitals have been warned they could face a fine if they are not at 90 per cent of their usual capacity levels by October.





Health bosses will still be able to access private hospital beds until March  but a letter from NHS England chief executive, Sir Simon Stevens, said services must aim to deliver a huge increase in care in NHS hospitals.

The letter sets out plans to address as much of the NHS's waiting list as possible before winter and to reduce the NHS alert level from four to three, The Times reported.

Data from NHS England last month revealed that only 54,550 patients were admitted to hospital for treatment in May, which was a fraction of the 295,000 recorded this time last year.

A lot of routine care was paused due to the coronavirus pandemic and hospitals are currently thought to be running at around 60 per cent of their usual capacity.

Thousands of non-urgent operations were cancelled at the peak of the pandemic and analysts revealed the NHS faces an 'enormous challenge' in catching up with the backlog of patients whose treatments were postponed.

Sir Simon's letter, co-signed by chief operating officer Amanda Pritchard, outlined that hospitals should aim for 80 per cent of last year's capacity in September. This will then rise to 90 per cent in October.

At the end of June, hospital bosses warned the coronavirus crisis could mean the NHS are unable to return to normal for as long as four years due to the treatment backlog.

Experts said they believed the waiting list for operations could rise from 4.2million people to 10million by the end of the year.
MASSY Holdings CEO, Gervase Warner, yesterday confirmed that the group is scheduled to cross-list its shares on the Jamaica Stock Exchange (JSE) on January 27, 2022.

Massy published an abridged statement on the website of the JSE last Friday in accordance with the listing requirements of the Jamaica Stock Exchange.

In the abridged statement Massy describes itself as an investment management/holding company engaged in three main industry portfolios; integrated retail, motors & machines and gas products in Trinidad and Tobago and the wider Caribbean region.
China aids construction of Pakistan's 'Three Gorges Dam' despite pandemic

Global Times

By Dong Feng Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/3 20:37:06

Despite the novel coronavirus pandemic, China and Pakistan are stepping up efforts on committed projects focusing on cooperation in industrial development, agriculture and the improvement of people's livelihoods. The Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Power Project, nicknamed the "Three Gorges Project" by the Pakistani people, joins a long list of bilateral cooperation efforts between the two countries.

As a country with an agricultural population accounting for about 60 percent of its total population and agriculture accounting for more than 20 percent of its GDP, the construction of the Diamer-Bhasha Dam is of great strategic significance for improving Pakistan's water security and sustainable development and it has therefore been supported by successive governments, Wang Zhihua, economic and commercial minister counsellor at the Chinese Embassy in Pakistan, told the Global Times, noting that a dam construction fund was specifically set up, with full support from those in all walks of life both in Pakistan and abroad.

Despite having more glaciers than any other country, Pakistan ranks the 14th most water-stressed country, facing extremely high water stress, according to the Pakistan Council of Research in Water Resources, which warned that Pakistan may run out of water by 2025.

In a UNDP joint report titled the Vulnerability of Pakistan's Water Sector to the Impacts of Climate Change, the findings were similar.

"Based on the United Nation's estimate of Pakistan's population in 2015, per capita water availability was just less than 1,000 cubic meters per person, classifying the country as water scarce," the report read.

Pakistan's agriculture sector, a major consumer of water resources, will bear irreparable losses with the productivity of staple crops reduced by up to 20 percent by 2050, according to the UNDP's report.

The report concluded that building water reservoirs to store flood water and provide water during dry spells was a priority action to make the country more water and food-secure.

"The Diamer-Bhasha Dam and Power Project - being the third largest dam in Pakistan - will achieve multipurpose objectives. It will increase the water storage capacity of Pakistan from 30 to 48 days. The people of Pakistan are grateful to China, which has once again decided to help Pakistan secure and ensure its strategic water security in the 21st century," Syed Hasan Javed, director of the Chinese Studies Center of Excellence at the National University of Science and Technology in Islamabad, told the Global Times.

The contract for this project was signed between Chinese energy firm PowerChina and Pakistan's Frontier Works Organization, with a value of 442 billion rupees ($2.75 billion). The project will be built in two phases.

"The Chinese company will extend and share all available technical experience with its Pakistani partner for the project. The dam is scheduled to be completed by 2029. During the construction of the project, 16,500 jobs will be directly created," Wang said.

PowerChina will share its experience in dam construction and large-scale project construction organization, said Wang.

The Diamer-Bhasha Dam will contribute to the production of clean energy, help mitigate the impacts of climate change, lessen dependence on fossil fuel imports, reduce pollutant damage to the environment, assist with flood control and combat water shortages. It will bring revolutionary change and uplift the living standards of the people of Pakistan, Javed noted.

He said that the project is being built 315 kilometers upstream of the Tarbela Dam, at the confluence of Chilas in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province and Diamer in the Gilgit Baltistan region.

Some Western media have reported voices that oppose the Diamer-Bhasha Dam project.

"The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is beyond any controversy, being constructed by two sovereign nations. The people of Pakistan are deeply grateful to China for undertaking several energy projects, both under the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as well as through contracted projects like this one, which have greatly reduced the electricity shortage in the country, improving the living conditions of the people and helping economic revival," Javed elaborated.

The project is currently in the initiation stage, with focus on supplementary surveys and organizational planning. The construction of the camp at the early stage has not been seriously affected by the pandemic, Wang said.

When compared to the Three Gorges Dam in China, the Diamer-Bhasha Dam will be seen as its "younger brother."

The Diamer-Bhasha Dam is designed to be 272 meters high and comprise 17.1 million cubic meters of roller-compacted concrete. Once completed, it will be the world's tallest and largest roller-compacted concrete dam, with an installed capacity of 4.5 million kilowatts and a storage capacity of 10 billion cubic meters, according to PowerChina's website.

"China has an excellent record of building huge dams not only for itself, but for other developing countries. The Pakistani authorities have completed all preparatory work related to land acquisition, resettlement, financial and operational mobilization, and the work has begun at the site," Javed said.

Referring to another media report that slandered the dam project as another "debt trap" set up by China, Javed said that Pakistan's external debt is roughly $111 billion out of a GDP (calculated at market price) of $265 billion as of June 2020. Almost 75 percent of Pakistan's debt is owed to international financial institutions such as the World Bank, IMF, Paris Club and Asian Development Bank.

"The total amount of Chinese loans does not exceed 10 percent at $11 billion. Pakistan can take care of it. The propaganda of China laying a 'debt trap' is guided by malicious intentions of detractors. If you see the external debt to GDP ratio, Pakistan is not among the most highly indebted nations of the world," Javed said.

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Public health experts have urged the Government to take a very cautious approach to reopening sectors over the coming weeks.

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said they will be recommending that advice during Tuesday afternoons Cabinet meeting.

Mr Varadkar and Taoiseach Micheal Martin met with acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn and the National Public Health and Emergency Team (NPHET) ahead of the meeting.

Ministers are discussing whether to press ahead with the final phase next Monday, which includes the reopening of pubs and allowing meetings of up to 500 people outdoors.

What I can say is that it is an unfortunate truth that this pandemic is still raging across the world Leo Varadkar

Speaking at Dublin Castle, Mr Varadkar said: We had a meeting with the acting chief medical officer just now and well have a Cabinet meeting next and a decision will be made at Cabinet and well announce it afterwards.

What I can say is that it is an unfortunate truth that this pandemic is still raging across the world, and even in Europe where it is under relative control, we have seen an increase in cases across Europe, including here in Ireland.

Relative to other European countries, we are still doing quite well and we want to keep it that way.

We want to make sure we do nothing that jeopardises the opening of schools and colleges in the next couple of weeks and thats why, on the advice of NPHET, we will be recommending to Cabinet that we will take a very cautious approach over the next couple of weeks.

I know thats going to come as a further blow to some of the sectors that have not been reopened but we just cant risk going backwards or risk the reopening of schools.

Mr Martin said: We just had a fresh briefing from the chief medial officer in respect of the advice from NPHET. It was very firm and we have a Cabinet meeting now and well talk afterwards.

The Government has repeatedly said its main priority is the reopening of schools at the end of the month.

Concerns have been raised over the rising number of Covid-19 cases and clusters in recent weeks.

On Monday, there were 46 new coronavirus infections reported, bringing the total number of infections to 26,208 in the Republic.

Mr Martin is to confirm the Governments decision following the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday evening.
Is Turkey the new Russia? That question is increasingly being asked in European capitals as Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan adopts a more aggressive foreign policy. In addition to using migration to threaten the European Union, Erdogan has also been deploying military power to expand Turkeys sphere of influence across the wider region.

Since the end of the Cold War, Europeans have viewed regional security through a unipolar Western lens. While NATO guaranteed military security, the EU provided legal order. Back in the 1990s, it was widely assumed that the two big non-Western regional players, Russia and Turkey, would gradually be accommodated to this arrangement.

But over the last 15 years, this has changed. Both Russia and Turkey have had a long, tortured love-hate relationship with Europe, and both have grown more assertive under national leaders who share a disdain for EU norms.

The breakdown of the EU-Russia relationship is well documented; the Turkish story less so.

Read More Covid-19 is beating Donald Trump and depleting his support

The Iraq War in 2003 complicated Turkeys relationship with NATO, and its relationship with the EU took a turn for the worse in 2007 when France blocked a key part of its EU accession negotiations. Turkey has since been forging its own path in Syria, the Balkans, and Libya, as well as pursuing new ties with Russia and China.

Of course, the Turkey-Russia relationship is no less complicated, not least because Erdogan and Russian President Vladimir Putin backed different sides in Syrias civil war. The low point came when Turkey shot down a Russian military plane in 2015. In response, Putin imposed sanctions, which sowed chaos in the Turkish economy and prompted an uncharacteristic apology from Erdogan.

Vladimir Putin attends the Navy Day parade in St.Petersburg, Russia, on Sunday, July 26, 2020. Picture: Alexei Druzhinin, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Despite being a NATO ally, Turkey has purchased a Russian-made missile-defense system over the objections of the United States. And while tensions over the Syria conflict remain, Erdogan clearly admires how Russia has re-established itself  at relatively little cost  as an important player in the Middle East and North Africa.

After becoming mired in an unwinnable war in eastern Ukraine, Putins largely successful campaign in Syria seemed to restore some of his domestic authority. The West had spent five years insisting that there was no military solution to the conflict, and that Syrian President Bashar al-Assad had to go. But while United Nations-sponsored talks in Geneva went nowhere, Russia-sponsored talks in Astana seemed to make some headway.

Facing growing opposition at home, Erdogan has adopted the Putin playbook. With the West unwilling to intervene militarily again in Libya, Erdogan saw an opportunity to strut Turkeys stuff.

Following Russias approach in Syria, he secured a formal invitation from the Libyan government to intervene. In one fell swoop late last year, he not only boosted Turkeys image as a regional power, but also clinched a maritime border deal with Libya, thereby disrupting a plan by Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, and Israel to develop underwater oil and gas fields in the vicinity.

Since then, the EU and UN-led Berlin peace process has sought to end the war in Libya, but Turkeys military intervention has fundamentally changed the balance of power on the ground. Once again, Russia and Turkey will determine the future of a country that is essential to European interests.

Erdogan also seems to have been inspired by the Kremlins divide-and-conquer strategy in Europe, where it often squeezes those EU member states that are most reliant on Russian hydrocarbons or markets.

Just as Putin has long weaponised the supply of energy, Erdogan has tried to weaponise the flow of migrants and refugees fleeing conflicts in the Middle East. When the EU announced a new naval mission to block the flow of weapons into Libya, Turkey dangled the migrant threat in front of Malta, which then signalled that it would veto the missions funding.

For years, Europeans told themselves that Russia was a kind of prodigal son, and the European unipolar order remained sound. Yet that made Europe an easy target for the Kremlins divide-and-conquer strategy. Only relatively recently did the bloc devise new policies and a robust sanctions regime to deter Russian aggression.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel, right, and French President Emmanuel Macron prepare to address a media conference at the end of an EU summit in Brussels in July. File picture: John Thys, Pool Photo via AP

And, despite the best efforts of German Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President Emmanuel Macron, the EU still has not created effective channels of communication with Russia for addressing shared problems.

Turkey is not yet a new Russia, but it could become one if the situation is mishandled. For now, most Europeans still regard Turkey as a complicated partner, not a systemic rival.

But Europeans should heed the hard-won lessons of dealing with Russia over the past 15 years. The EU-Turkey relationship needs a new, mutually agreed set of principles, as well as clear red lines to deter further destabilisation.

To that end, Europeans should make clear that the EU accession process can be either rolled back or pushed forward, and that a more transactional relationship will involve the use of both carrots and sticks. The challenge will be to ensure that there is still room for political engagement on issues concerning shared security in a region influenced not just by Europe and Turkey, but also by Russia, the US, and a rising China.

Mark Leonard is Director of the European Council on Foreign Relations.

Copyright:

Project Syndicate
Three men allegedly gave false information to police at the Queensland border, concealing that they had spent several weeks in Melbourne before their return.

The trio from Logan, south of Brisbane, crossed the border on the M1 at Coolangatta on the Gold Coast on Sunday with a general pass that contained false information, according to police.

Queensland Deputy Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said the three men had been ordered to appear in court. Credit:Jono Searle/Getty Images

State disaster co-ordinator Deputy Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said police were alerted to the situation after one of the men revealed he "had been exposed to people in Melbourne".

Questioning revealed the two others had travelled from the COVID-19 hotspot area.
Nouakchott, Mauritania (PANA) - The board of governors of the World Bank (WB) Monday approved a donation of 70 million dollars from the International Development Association (IDA) for Mauritania to help strengthen its response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-03 21:44:28|Editor: huaxia

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Photo taken on Aug. 3, 2020 shows the site of a blast targeting a restaurant near Mogadishu, Somalia. At least three people were killed and four others injured after a suicide bomber blew himself up near a busy restaurant in Mogadishu's Hamarjajab district, medical officials and witnesses said on Monday. (Xinhua/Hassan Bashi)

MOGADISHU, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) - -At least three people were killed and four others injured after a suicide bomber blew himself up near a busy restaurant in Mogadishu's Hamarjajab district, medical officials and witnesses said on Monday.

"We have carried three bodies and four injured people to the hospitals," Abdikadir Abdirrahman, director of Aamin Ambulance told Xinhua by phone.

Police sources said that security forces managed to stop the suicide bomber by firing at him before reaching his target.

Ismael Mukhtar Omar, government spokesman however said two people were killed and another one was injured when a suicide bomber wearing a suicide vest blew himself up at the entrance of the busy Lul Yamani restaurant.

"The attacker wanted to blow up himself inside the restaurant, but one of its restaurant security staff grabbed him and stopped him at the gate before blowing up," Omar said.

Witnesses said they heard a huge blast near the Mogadishu seaport.

"As I was travelling near the road, I heard a huge blast, then I ran away for my safety," Said Ahmed, a witness, said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the latest attack but the militant group al-Shabab which is fighting to overthrow the Western-backed government has usually conducted such attacks in the past.
China will continue to pursue a comprehensive trade deal with the US, phase by phase

People in China often say that China's economic reform has entered "deep water". Since it implies huge uncertainties, this analogy can also be applied to the relationship between China and the United States at the time being.

China, which is the second-largest economy in the world and one of the fast growing economies, is now deeply intertwined with the global economy. This makes any possible deficiencies and distortions in China's economic system of global concern as they may have repercussions for other countries.

Over the past few years, confrontation between China and the US has intensified and rhetoric about decoupling is spreading-a technology cold war may even have started-but it is still unimaginable to kick China completely out of the global economic system, as it would be too costly for everyone.

No matter how the Sino-US relationship may evolve in the future, the two countries will still trade with each other and compete in third-party markets as important players, at least for many civil use products.

This justifies the argument that the US and China will continue to pursue a comprehensive trade deal, phase by phase. In fact the presence of US pressure may tip China's domestic politics and economy in favor of market-oriented reforms and help release the innovation energy of the private sector, therefore creating a virtuous circle.

What's more, this will also lay the ground for reform of the current multilateral trade mechanism.

In the past few years, due to many political changes, the bilateral relationship between the US and China has deteriorated rapidly, mutual trust and good intentions have dissipated and given way to growing mutual suspicion, which seems to be self-fulfilling. It is striking and concerning that the two countries cannot even cooperate in face of the global pandemic.

Against this backdrop and huge economic difficulties caused by the pandemic, China is still committed to fulfilling the "phase one" trade agreement, as formally announced in the government work report to the annual National People's Congress in May, and economic reform is still gathering pace. This may provide a window of opportunity for reaching a phase two agreement and resolving some key thorny structural issues.

As for the technology decoupling, China has never been fully accepted and integrated into the Western world in terms of the high tech sector, as evidenced by the export control regime in the US. As a consequence China was forced into a parallel universe for sensitive technology and had to independently develop its own technology path and standards. Past experiences have shown that China's isolated tech sector has not been crushed and it has even made some impressive achievements.

As their mutual strategic suspicions have deepened rapidly, security concerns have grown relentlessly. What is more worrying is the definition and scope of security is being expanded beyond the traditional defense field, to possibly include ventilators and power plant equipment, for instance. An overstretched security-driven decoupling is a double-edged sword for both, reinforcing the mutual suspicion further. Where to strike the balance and how to manage the process is a big challenge.

Some people claim that Sino-US relationship will never return to the past, which may be true to some extent. But even the US official policy document calls for principled realism in dealing with China, acknowledging that there are still important common interests, climate change, terrorism, nuclear proliferation, to name just a few.

But just as the pandemic vividly shows, without minimum mutual trust and good intentions, it may be impossible to pursue and grow our shared interests.

Although severely damaged, trade is still the ballast for the bilateral relationship. A comprehensive trade deal will serve to strengthen that ballast and help boost mutual trust, which is of great importance.

Since there are always opposing forces domestically and competing interests globally, the handling of Sino-US relationship has never been easy, and the ongoing paradigm change makes it even harder.

The two countries are in an uncharted deep water zone, which calls for able helmsmen to maintain a delicate balance between competing interests and opinions to avoid shipwreck, and navigate the bilateral relations on a safe course.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Group Ten Metals Inc. (TSX.V:PGE)(OTCQB:PGEZF)(FSE:5D32) (the "Company" or "Group Ten") is pleased to provide an exploration update from its flagship Stillwater West platinum group element, nickel, copper, cobalt, and gold ("PGE-Ni-Cu-Co + Au") project in Montana, USA, including the start of an Induced Polarization ("IP") geophysical survey, arrival of the drill rig and crew, and assay results from geological mapping programs completed in the past weeks at earlier stage targets.

Highlights:

Titan Drilling's crew and drill have arrived at Stillwater West and are preparing to start work at the Discovery target at Chrome Mountain. Discovery is one of three priority target areas where the Company is now advancing drill-defined mineralized zones towards maiden NI 43-101 mineral resources.

Simcoe Geoscience commenced work in late July on a planned 66 line-kilometer IP geophysical survey. The survey will focus on the most advanced target areas - Discovery, Pine, Camp and HGR - with coverage extending from known mineralized zones into adjacent targets to refine and focus expansion drilling planned to immediately follow the survey.

Group Ten's 2020 exploration program is targeting world-class polymetallic deposits of precious and battery metals in a famously productive and metal-rich mining district which supports the highest grade palladium-platinum mines in the world, and a smelter and refinery complex, in the USA. The Company's work to date has demonstrated potential for bulk tonnage "Platreef-style" deposits of nickel and copper sulphide that host palladium, platinum, rhodium, gold, and cobalt within the lower Stillwater complex, based on known parallels with South Africa's Bushveld complex.

The Company is also prioritizing advancement of drill-defined high-grade gold mineralization at the Pine target, building on the expanded potential for high-grade gold across the 25-kilometer Stillwater West project, as announced recently in news releases on May 13 th and 29 th , 2020.

and 29 , 2020. Geological mapping and prospecting programs have been underway since June at earlier-stage targets. Early results have returned high-grade precious metal values in rock samples from the Blakely target area, including 7.10 g/t 3E (4.25 g/t Pt, 1.97 g/t Pd , and 0.88 g/t Au) in sample 3191471.

, and 0.88 g/t Au) in sample 3191471. Blakely, located at the western end of the Stillwater West project, is one of four new kilometer-scale targets announced on May 13, 2020. These early results show significant PGE-Ni-Cu-Co + Au mineralization in apparent Peridotite Zone rocks, within coincident conductive and soil geochemical anomalies that show significant potential for size.

Michael Rowley, President and CEO, commented, "We are pleased to announce the arrival of the drill to Stillwater West for what is expected to be our largest exploration program yet as we target precious and battery metals, including high-grade gold, in a famously productive district. Drilling will focus on the most advanced target areas and will be preceded in each area by an IP geophysical survey that is now underway at the Discovery target. These two exploration methods are expected to form a powerful combination as we expand from known mineralization into untested adjacent targets defined by coincident and high-level soil and conductive anomalies. In addition, we are active with smaller programs at less advanced targets and our first campaign of the year has already returned high-grade precious metals results from the Blakely target, a target that was first announced in May. It is an exciting time for the Company as we are well funded and have permits in place to begin to fully test and expand upon our "Platreef-in-Montana" model, based on known similarities with the Bushveld Complex. We look forward to providing additional news from Stillwater West as we work to expand known mineralization and convert drill-defined mineralized zones to mineral resources in the most advanced target areas."

FIGURE 1 - Four Priority Target Areas (Pine, Discovery, Camp, and HGR) and the Early-Stage Blakely Target Across the 25-Kilometer Stillwater West Project

About Stillwater West

The Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu-Co + Au project positions Group Ten as the second-largest landholder in the Stillwater Complex, adjoining and adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwater's Stillwater, East Boulder, and Blitz PGE mines in south-central Montana, USA1. The Stillwater Complex is recognized as one of the top regions in the world for PGE-Ni-Cu-Co mineralization, alongside the Bushveld Complex and Great Dyke in southern Africa, which are similar layered intrusions. The J-M Reef, and other PGE-enriched sulphide horizons in the Stillwater Complex, share many similarities with the highly prolific Merensky and UG2 Reefs in the Bushveld Complex. At the same time, the lower part of the Stillwater Complex also shows the potential for much larger scale disseminated and high-sulphide PGE-Ni-Cu-Co deposits, similar to Platreef in the Bushveld Complex2. Group Ten's Stillwater West project covers the lower part of the Stillwater Complex along with the Picket Pin PGE Reef-type deposit in the upper portion and includes extensive historic data, including soil and rock geochemistry, geophysical surveys, geologic mapping, and historic drilling.

About Group Ten Metals Inc.

Group Ten Metals Inc. is a TSX-V-listed Canadian mineral exploration company focused on the development of high-quality platinum, palladium, nickel, copper, cobalt, and gold exploration assets in top North American mining jurisdictions. The Company's core asset is the Stillwater West PGE-Ni-Cu project adjacent to Sibanye-Stillwater's high-grade PGE mines in Montana, USA. Group Ten also holds the high-grade Black Lake-Drayton Gold project adjacent to Treasury Metals' development-stage Goliath-Goldlund project in northwest Ontario, and the Kluane PGE-Ni-Cu-Co project on trend with Nickel Creek Platinum's Wellgreen deposit in Canada's Yukon Territory.

About the Metallic Group of Companies

The Metallic Group is a collaboration of leading precious and base metals exploration companies, with a portfolio of large, brownfield assets in established mining districts adjacent to some of the industry's highest-grade producers of silver and gold, platinum and palladium, and copper. Member companies include Metallic Minerals in the Yukon's high-grade Keno Hill silver district and La Plata silver-gold-copper district of Colorado, Group Ten Metals in the Stillwater PGM-nickel-copper district of Montana, and Granite Creek Copper in the Yukon's Minto copper district. The founders and team members of the Metallic Group include highly successful explorationists formerly with some of the industry's leading explorers/developers and major producers. With this expertise, the companies are undertaking a systematic approach to exploration using new models and technologies to facilitate discoveries in these proven, but under-explored, mining districts. The Metallic Group is headquartered in Vancouver, BC, Canada, and its member companies are listed on the Toronto Venture, US OTC, and Frankfurt stock exchanges.

Note 1: References to adjoining properties are for illustrative purposes only and are not necessarily indicative of the exploration potential, extent, or nature of mineralization or potential future results of the Company's projects.

Note 2: Magmatic Ore Deposits in Layered Intrusions-Descriptive Model for Reef-Type PGE and Contact-Type Cu-Ni-PGE Deposits, Michael Zientek, USGS Open-File Report 2012-1010.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Michael Rowley, President, CEO & Director

Phone: (604) 357 4790

Toll Free: (888) 432 0075

Email: info@grouptenmetals.com

Web: http://grouptenmetals.com

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Field samples were analyzed by ACT Labs in Vancouver, B.C. Sample preparation: crush (< 7 kg) up to 80% passing 2 mm, riffle split (250 g) and pulverize (mild steel) to 95% passing 105 m included cleaner sand. Gold, platinum, and palladium were analyzed by fire assay (1C-OES) with ICP finish. Selected major and trace elements were analyzed by peroxide fusion with 8-Peroxide ICP-OES finish to insure complete dissolution of resistate minerals.

Mr. Mike Ostenson, P.Geo., is the qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, and he has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

Forward Looking Statements: This news release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, historic production, estimation of mineral resources, the realization of mineral resource estimates, interpretation of prior exploration and potential exploration results, the timing and success of exploration activities generally, the timing and results of future resource estimates, permitting time lines, metal prices and currency exchange rates, availability of capital, government regulation of exploration operations, environmental risks, reclamation, title, and future plans and objectives of the Company are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Although Group Ten believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance and actual results or developments may differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on a number of material factors and assumptions. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include failure to obtain necessary approvals, unsuccessful exploration results, changes in project parameters as plans continue to be refined, results of future resource estimates, future metal prices, availability of capital and financing on acceptable terms, general economic, market or business conditions, risks associated with regulatory changes, defects in title, availability of personnel, materials and equipment on a timely basis, accidents or equipment breakdowns, uninsured risks, delays in receiving government approvals, unanticipated environmental impacts on operations and costs to remedy same, and other exploration or other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the companies with securities regulators. Readers are cautioned that mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability. Mineral exploration and development of mines is an inherently risky business. Accordingly, the actual events may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. For more information on Group Ten and the risks and challenges of their businesses, investors should review their annual filings that are available at www.sedar.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.

SOURCE: Group Ten Metals Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600198/Group-Ten-Reports-71-gt-Platinum-Palladium-and-Gold-in-Early-Results-at-Stillwater-West-Announces-Arrival-of-Drill
Burma Police, Military Troops Killed in Fighting With Arakan Army in Western Myanmar

A police vehicle in northern Rakhine State. / The Irrawaddy

NAYPYITAWMyanmar military officials, soldiers and other personnel were killed in clashes with the Arakan Army (AA) in norther Rakhine States Rathedaung and Buthidaung townships on Sunday and Monday.

The AA ambushed border guard police providing security on the Inn Din-Taungpyo road in Rathedaung Township on Sunday, killing one police officer and injuring others, according to Myanmar military spokesman Major General Zaw Min Tun.

The border guard police who came to change shifts were ambushed by the AA, he told The Irrawaddy. They were attacked twicethe first time at 10 or 11 a.m. and the second time at 2:30 p.m.

He said that Myanmar military troops and government officials also came under attack to the northeast of Inn Din Village on Monday.

Some officials and Myanmar military soldiers died and were injured, said Maj-Gen Zaw Min Tun. Police officers and an immigration officer also died. Some from both the military and the police went missing. The Myanmar military is now undertaking security operations.

As the AA troops are stationed in villages between Buthidaung and Rathedaung, we have announced that we will carry out a counter-insurgency operation, and so we did, the military spokesman said. Their troops are stationed on the eastern bank of the Mayu River and the clashes took place on the western bank.

The western area of Inn Din Village is where ARSA [the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army] was active before, he added.

At least 10 military personnel and police, including immigration officer U Kyaw Zaw Khaing, were killed in the attacks, according to Rathedaung resident U Maung Saw Win.

The immigration officer was killed while travelling with security troops to conduct a census in the area.

The fighting lasted for hours, U Maung Saw Win said. We could hear all the shooting on the first day, but the fighting was far from Rathedaung yesterday. As it took place near Maungdaw and Kyaukpanu, we could only hear the shelling. Both sides had large numbers of troops. There were around 100 police and 300 soldiers. And there were be around 600, including the AA troops.

Many local residents had already fled from their villages in the area, he added.

A police source confirmed to The Irrawaddy that seven people died in the attacks. A police major died in the ambush on Sunday and an immigration officer, a police major, a military captain and officers of other ranks died on Monday, he said.

The police major sustained an exit wound in his face, so we can conclude that he was shot by a sniper. They were attacked as they travelled to Rathedaung along the Inn Din-Taungpyo road, said the police officer, who asked for anonymity.

The Irrawaddy was unable to obtain a comment from the AA because the Myanmar government and military have declared it to be a terrorist organization, criminalizing all contact with the group. However, the AA said on its website that they were attacked by the Myanmar military and police in Rathedaung, rather than the ethnic armed group having attacked them.

The rebel group claimed that they killed over 20 soldiers and police and abducted others in the fighting on Sunday and Monday. They also claimed to have seized weapons and ammunition, though the groups website does not show photos of the arms.

Fierce clashes are still going in Rathedaung, Maungdaw and Buthidaung townships in northern Rakhine, as Myanmar prepares to hold its third general election since 2010 in November.

Translated from Burmese by Thet Ko Ko.

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Testing all passengers arriving into the UK could cut the quarantine period from 14 days to five, a think tank claims.

Under proposals drawn up by Tony Blair's Institute for Global Change, travellers would be tested five days after arriving  with those who return a negative result freed from self-isolation.

The organisation cites studies suggesting tests eight days after infection are 80 per cent accurate, and those three days from infection are 68 per cent accurate.

A five-day quarantine period would 'allow for an acceptable level of risk' in light of this, they say, and account for those who contract the virus near the end of their holiday.

Testing all passengers arriving into the UK could cut the quarantine period from 14 days to five, a think tank claims. Above, passengers arrive at Heathrow airport

Travellers who test positive or have symptoms would still have to quarantine for 14 days.

The scheme would encourage mass travel and allow holidaymakers to include the five days of quarantine in their annual leave.

The report adds: 'Over time, as tests become quicker and more accurate, this quarantine period should be reduced further still. The ultimate objective is for travellers to be tested on arrival, receive their results almost instantly and use this to inform quarantine requirements.' Travel and aviation bosses are pushing mass testing as an alternative to blanket quarantine, but any scheme will require legislative changes.

Heathrow is among airports which have begun to build airside testing areas in the hope ministers will change their approach.

The Blair Institute report also calls for greater transparency around the Government's 'opaque and haphazard' decision making on travel corridors. It suggests the criteria for deciding a country's risk level should be made publicly available.

At the moment, the travel corridor status is determined by the Joint Biosecurity Centre  but this organisation has no public website and feeds information directly to ministers. Instead, the report calls for a new JBC website with a traffic light system determining the risk of each country.

The report says: 'We recommend testing returning travellers after five days to reduce quarantine periods and allow this time to be baked into planned annual leave.

'More effective communication of travel-corridor status, centred around a traffic-light system, would reduce confusion and ensure that travellers have enough warning when the designation of a destination was due to change.'

A Department for Transport spokesman said: We are committed to tackling this virus while enabling a sustainable and responsible return to tourism. The current border measures are in place to reduce the risk to public health, with all arrivals who are not exempt from the requirement to self-isolate required to do so for 14 days.

We keep our approach to border measures under regular review to ensure that they remain effective and practical. Data on all countries and territories is closely monitored so that decisions can be taken rapidly to help stop the spread of the disease.
The Ellen DeGeneres Show has been hit with multiple claims that racism, bullying and sexual harassment was rife behind the scenes of the daytime program.

And Australia's most outspoken footy WAG, Rebecca Judd, has now weighed in on the scandal.

Speaking on the 3pm Pick-Up on Monday, the 37-year-old subtly criticised Ellen by throwing support behind her rumoured replacement, James Corden.

Speaking out: Footy WAG Rebecca Judd has weighed in on the Ellen DeGeneres Show bullying scandal. Pictured left: Rebecca Judd, and right: Ellen DeGeneres

'The latest rumour is that James Corden is going to take over. I like him!' the former model declared.

Last week, a network source told The Sun that Corden, who hosts CBS' The Late Show, has long been seen as Ellen's 'successor' - even before the bullying scandal made headlines.

'Now this shocking new development places a spotlight on the next step,' they added.

'I like him!' Speaking on the 3pm Pick-Up on Monday, the 37-year-old subtly criticised Ellen by throwing support behind her rumoured replacement, James Corden

Rumours: Last week, a source told The Sun that Corden, who hosts CBS' The Late Show, has long been seen as Ellen's 'successor' - even before the bullying scandal made headlines

However, a production insider has since told DailyMail.com that Corden 'is not under consideration' as he already has a long-term deal with CBS.

Meanwhile, Rebecca also slammed Ellen over an 'awful' segment that aired on her eponymous talk show in 2017.

During the segment, the 62-year-old shamed an audience member for stealing free merchandise during a taping in Los Angeles.

'That would have been the worst day of her life': Meanwhile, Rebecca also slammed Ellen over an 'awful' segment that aired on her eponymous talk show in 2017. During the segment, Ellen shamed an audience member for stealing free merchandise (pictured) at a taping in LA

Confronting the woman on stage, Ellen played hidden camera footage of her stealing the items, before demanding that she go to 'Ellen jail' - a stool set up in front of the entire audience.

'That is such an awful set-up,' Rebecca complained to her co-host Monty Dimond.

'They even set up the cameras to film people knowing that someone was going to take more than one... and then to do that to them,' she added.

Awkward: Confronting the woman, Ellen played hidden camera footage of her stealing the items, before demanding that she go to 'Ellen jail' - a stool set up in front of the entire audience

'That would have been the worst day of her life.'

Pressure has been building in recent months as a seemingly endless stream of staffers have stepped forward to accuse Ellen of perpetuating a 'toxic work environment'.

The show's parent company, WarnerMedia, last week launched an investigation after a handful of employees went public with their grievances.

Internal investigation: The show's parent company, WarnerMedia, last week launched an investigation after a handful of employees went public with their grievances

Last month, one current and ten former employees of the daytime chat show accused its three executive producers, Ed Glavin, Mary Connelly and Andy Lassner, of 'bullying'.

Ellen is now allegedly telling executives at Telepictures and Warner Bros. that she has had enough and wants to pull the plug on the show.

Last Thursday, she attempted to do some internal damage control by issuing an apology email to current staffers, in which she appeared to deflect all blame and noted that she was 'disappointed' to learn the show was not 'a place of happiness'.

The email was immediately met with backlash, with many expressing disappointment over Ellen shifting the blame to her executive producers.
Photo: (Photo : unsplash/Josh Appel)

The global health crisis, due to the coronavirus, has affected many people's lives negatively. Since March, more than 50 million Americans have filed for unemployment. If your family is struggling financially, you may be looking for the best ways to tell your children about your situation.

Experts share ways to explain to kids that money is tight.

Speak calmly and be relaxed

A New York-based psychologist, Sanam Hafeez, said that parents should set the tone when talking to children. Wait for the right time and explain to them that you cannot buy new toys or clothes. Tell them that it will be for the best of the family.

See also: Value of Money: 7 Essential Lessons to Teach Children

Inform but never overshare

A pediatric psychologist at Akron Children's Hospital, Katrina Lindsay, said that you should inform your kids about your situation. She explained that whether it is about the pandemic or financial stress, you should tell your children but not to the point that they would feel stressed and pressured.

Use age-appropriate, clear, and brief terms to tell your kids about changes in family spending. Be honest, and avoid stating more than what they need to know. Lindsay said that based on her experience, children understand more than what parents think. Her kids often fill in the details with fears which is scarier than the actual reality.

Use age-appropriate examples

Lindsay suggests that for kids to understand your situation, you should use age-appropriate examples. You may use your favorite restaurant and tell your kids that the place is closed so that everyone can stay safe. Tell your kids that employees may not get incomes like before, so they have to hold back on things not necessary at the moment, Lindsay said.

See also: Juggling priorities: 4 Positive things moms can be thankful for

Focus on things you can control

Financial counselor and The Budget Mom creator, Kumiko Love, shared her thoughts. She said that to fight stress during the uncertain times, you must focus on things that you can control. Have your kids help with tracking money goals, and seek creative ways to save.

Hafeez explained that it is essential that you remind your children you are constant in their life because adapting to change is very stressful for them. She also said that your older kids could play a more significant role as they understand your reasons for being frugal more.

Everyone is affected

Tell your kids that other people also have the same struggles as you. Co-founder and CEO of the family-focused financial literacy app Greenlight, Tim Sheehan, said that kids should know that this is only temporary. Families may find support by talking to a counselor or sharing with their loved ones.

Have fun with free activities

Explain to your children that there are fun and free activities, too, Lindsay said. Hafeez echoed, saying that parents may get their kids excited about playing new games without shelling out money. Reward them with snacks or stickers for good behavior instead of money.

She also said that parents should explain to their children that there are ways to have fun without using money.

Grab the opportunity to teach money lessons

Parents should serve as role models, so you should show them how to save, Sheehan said. He advises parents to use this time to discuss needs versus wants so that kids could apply the concept at the right moment. Hafeez noted that you are not depriving your children but teaching them a good lesson about money matters.

See also: Online Shopping: How to Save money [6 Effortless Tips]
Family nurse practitioner Willie Rios collects a specimen for a coronavirus test from Araceli Merlos at St. John's Well Child and Family Center on Wednesday in Los Angeles. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times)

There are growing glimmers of hope that California's surge in coronavirus cases could be peaking  but don't expect the pandemic-shattered economy to share much of this progress in the short term.

A Los Angeles Times analysis found that California has now experienced its first weekly reduction in new confirmed coronavirus cases for the first time in 12 weeks. For the seven-day period that ended Sunday, California reported 59,697 new coronavirus cases, a drop of 9% from the previous week of 65,634 cases, which was a pandemic record.

If the trends continue, it would mark a turning point after weeks of record hospitalizations that began in mid-June, the result of California starting to rapidly reopen the economy in May.

Allowing many businesses to reopen their doors in May and June seemed like a moment of triumph, with California celebrating a seeming miracle in avoiding the huge death tolls of hot spots like New York and New Jersey.

But the subsequent summertime spikes in disease have humbled the Golden State, and epidemiologists and other public health experts said the only way to prevent surges is to learn from past failure. That means continued restrictions of public movements and better education and outreach about how to prevent new outbreaks.

It also means setting better and narrower priorities  such as putting an emphasis on schools reopening over allowing bars and indoor dining rooms to resume operations. They were shut down again in late June and early July.

"We have learned how dangerous indoor environments are for transmission," said Dr. Kirsten Bibbins-Domingo, chair of UC San Franciscos Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. "Frankly, those things like indoor dining and bars and restaurants are those types of very discretionary things that I don't think we can take a risk on at a time when we're talking about" schools unable to be opened.

The surge in California cases has been blamed on several factors, including a failure to follow new disease control measures at workplaces, leading to the rapid spread of disease among lower-income and essential workers in factories, agriculture and other businesses, as well as people getting back to old habits like parties and summer gatherings.

Story continues

"We didn't expect people to become complacent as they have, which provides more opportunities for transmission," said Dr. Robert Kim-Farley, medical epidemiologist and infectious-diseases expert at the UCLA Fielding School of Public Health. That resulted in reclosing bars and limiting restaurant service to outdoor dining or takeout, and "we end up on a roller coaster ride."

On Monday, officials vowed to do things differently this time as they cited progress in efforts to slow the spread of COVID-19.

"We're cautiously optimistic that we're getting back on track to slowing the spread of COVID-19," said Barbara Ferrer, L.A. County's public health director. L.A. County reported an average of 2,594 new cases daily over the past week on Sunday, down from its peak of 3,284 on July 17, which Ferrer said is "still really high, but it does show progress."

Ferrer said the improvements mean that "simply put, closing the bars worked. It also worked to limit indoor dining at restaurants and to move the operations of various businesses and institutions outdoors." In addition, Ferrer credited Angelenos with increasingly wearing face masks and avoiding gatherings and parties.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said it would take a few weeks before knowing for certain whether California was on an improving path.

"We can quickly find ourselves back to where we were just a few weeks ago, a month ago, with significant increases if we do not maintain our vigilance," Newsom said Monday. "Until we have a vaccine, we are going to be living with this virus."

One of the things Newsom said would be different this time is looking for not only consistent stabilization of key pandemic numbers  as occurred before the first reopening  but consistent declines as well. And Newsom said he's realized that there needs to be greater efforts on educating the public about how to reduce the spread of disease, and that will be "foundational in terms of any subsequent efforts to reopen."

In the first reopening, too many Californians resumed gatherings and did not wear masks, he said, planting the seeds of the second resurgence of disease.

"Let's not relive that experience again," Newsom said.

Dr. Peter Chin-Hong, professor of medicine and an infectious disease specialist at UC San Francisco, warned that California is now at a higher plateau of disease than it was when the first surge seemed to ease. And failing to reduce disease transmission in hot spots can easily help ignite a renewed surge of cases.

"The plateau wasn't where we were in March or early April. It's at a higher level," Chin-Hong said. "When you're at that high point, you can go up very easily to then tip over into not having hospital resources. ... The risk is much higher."

Kim-Farley, of UCLA, said California is still in its first wave of the disease, but its second plateau. "We can't expect to reopen again soon; we have to be at least at the level of the first plateau and dropping before we can further reopen," Kim-Farley said.

Most California counties have much to do before they can get new case rates low enough to begin contemplating business reopenings. One of the state's criteria is having counties have fewer than 100 new cases per 100,000 residents over a two-week period; as of Tuesday morning, San Bernardino County has a rate of 437; L.A. County, 344; Riverside County, 342; Ventura County, 251; Orange County, 248; and San Diego County, 184.

Many counties in the Central Valley are hard hit; Kern County is the worst in the state, with a rate of 1,293 new cases per 100,000 residents in the last two weeks; rural counties are hit hard, too, with Imperial County reporting a rate of 467 and Mono County, home to Mammoth Lakes, at 430.

Reductions in cases were seen regionally throughout the state. The five-county Southern California area  L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties  has now experienced two consecutive weeks of falling weekly case numbers, and recorded 30,662 last week, down 16% from its weekly high two weeks ago, when 36,637 cases were reported.

San Diego County has also experienced two consecutive weeks of declines in cases, recording 2,899 cases last week, down 23% from the number two weeks ago. The nine-county San Francisco Bay Area reported 6,661 cases last week, a 3% drop from its previous week; the seven-county Sacramento region, 1,787 cases, a 33% drop.

The eight-county San Joaquin Valley experienced 14,295 cases last week, an 11% decrease from the previous week's total of 15,874. But last week's number was still much higher than it was three weeks ago, when 8,837 cases were recorded.

The rate at which coronavirus test results are positive is also declining. It was above 8% in early July; as of Monday, the statewide seven-day positive test rate fell to 6.1%. In L.A. County, the positive test rate has been stable, between 8% and 8.8% over the past month.

Statewide hospitalizations also stopped its relentless climb. California experienced a daily average of 6,632 people in hospitals with confirmed coronavirus infections last week, a 5% drop from the previous week, when an average of 6,969 people were hospitalized.

Deaths, however, are a lagging indicator of the pandemic, and continue to climb to record levels. Last week, 945 Californians died from COVID-19, the worst such weekly number in the pandemic and a 9% increase from the previous week. An average of 135 Californians a day died last week from the pandemic.

There remain challenges.

The case numbers in L.A. County alone are so overwhelming  cumulatively more than 193,000  that they dwarf the experience the entire nation of South Korea faced in its pandemic, which has recorded fewer than 15,000 cases.

South Korea, with a population of 51 million people, never saw more than 1,000 positive cases in a single day, Ferrer said, while L.A. County, with a population of 10 million, routinely experiences double or triple that volume daily, a pace that has persisted for more than a month.

Relying on contact tracing  the process by which county health officials reach out to newly infected people and try to identify close contacts and get them to quarantine  is proving to not be as effective as once hoped, given the astonishing number of cases. In nearly one-third of cases, newly infected people in L.A. County either refused to talk to a county disease investigator or they could not be found. Officials are now offering $20 gift cards to encourage people to complete the interview.

Healthcare workers statewide are increasingly getting infected; an average of 374 healthcare workers were getting infected daily statewide last week; that's up 84% over the past month.

State Alcoholic Beverage Control and county health officials have launched an investigation over reports of a large indoor party allegedly attended by L.A. County sheriff's personnel at a Hollywood bar. The Sheriff's Department on Saturday denied it hosted the event and said it is investigating.

"There is really zero tolerance for having indoor parties," Ferrer said.

Even healthcare professionals can become complacent. At one hospital, officials realized it was communal dining among nurses or physicians that was spreading the coronavirus among coworkers. "Social events have gone away, basically," Dr. Carlos del Rio, professor at Emory University School of Medicine, said at a recent UC San Francisco webinar.

Times staff writer James Queally contributed to this report.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
For fans of Criminal Minds frustrated by recent episodes being yanked, the final three episodes are now back in play.

S15 E8 Family Tree screens at 9:15pm Tuesday August 11 on Seven.

Prentiss and J.J. are faced with important decisions to make about their futures as the BAU travels to Beaumont, Texas to investigate a series of murdered businessmen.

The last-ever episodes screen as a double a week later, 9:15pm Tuesday August 18.

Episode 9: Face Off

It has been a year since Rossi nearly died at the hands of Everett Lynch, a.k.a. The Chameleon, and he has developed some new theories, with inspiration from his former partner, Jason Gideon. The BAU team sets out on an epic hunt to capture Lynch.

Episode 10 And in the End

Following an explosive face-to-face encounter with Everett Lynch, a.k.a. The Chameleon, Dr. Reid suffers from a brain injury and, while experiencing hallucinations, is visited by ghosts from his past. Also, the BAU makes a shocking discovery about Lynch that affects Rossi personally, and the entire BAU team comes together to celebrate Rossis retirement.
Corrigan, who could not be reached for comment, said she planned to attend a news conference Thursday to discuss the rampant anti-Christian sentiment at USAID. She vowed to expose how Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) and Rep. Eliot L. Engel (D-N.Y.), who sit on the foreign policy committees in the Senate and House, had engaged in a corrupt campaign to remove me from USAID. And she accused Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) of demanding her dismissal purely because of my Christian beliefs I WILL NOT be bullied into submission by radical anti-Christian leftists like Cory Booker.
Canadian Overseas Petroleum Ltd - oil and gas exploration and development company focused on offshore Africa - Announces that its 50% owned joint venture company, Shoreline CanOverseas Petroleum Development Corp Ltd, has agreed to definitive agreements for resolving its disputes with Essar Exploration & Production Ltd. ShoreCan and Essar Mauritius sign a sales and purchase agreement as well as other agreement concerning their obligations under their shareholders agreement. The settlement agreement settles Essar Mauritius's claim against ShoreCan with both parties agreeing to bear their own costs and end proceedings in the High Court of Justice of England and Wales. Sharecan is to return 70% of shares in Essar Nigeria to Essar Mauritius with Essar Mauritius to carry ShoreCan for a 10% carried interest on all costs relating to drilling of the first well up to USD5 million. ShareCan is able to increase its Essar Nigeria shareholding to 30% from 10% though payment of 20% of historic Essar Nigeria expenditures at cost through the first well drilling. Essar Nigeria's board and management team are being restructured.

Current stock price: 0.49 pence

Year-to-date change: seven times higher; share price 0.07p December 31

By Anna Farley; annafarley@alliancenews.com

Copyright 2020 Alliance News Limited. All Rights Reserved.
Afghan Prison Attack Leaves At Least 39 Dead As Hundreds Of Prisoners Escape

By RFE/RL's Radio Free Afghanistan August 03, 2020

An attack by Islamic State (IS) militants on a prison in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar Province has left at least 39 people dead as violence continues in the war-torn nation.

Civilians, security forces, prisoners, and militants were among those killed in the assault, Afghan officials said on August 3. The death toll includes at least 10 militants.

IS claimed responsibility for the attack via its Amaq news agency.

The assault began on August 2 when the IS militants detonated a car bomb outside the prison in the provincial capital of Jalalabad around 6:00 p.m. local time and then proceeded to storm it, sparking a gun battle with security forces that raged through the night.

The militants released some of the compound's nearly 1,800 prisoners, which include Taliban and IS members, along with common criminals.

The fighting continued into August 3 as militants exchanged fire with security forces from buildings near the prison, according to an RFE/RL correspondent in Jalalabad.

Afghan officials announced later in the day that the attack was over but said many prisoners were still on the loose.

Officials initially said between 50 and 100 inmates escaped but that number was revised dramatically upward to more than 300.

The surrounding residential area is one of high security, with the provincial governor's office nearby.

IS Intelligence Chief Killed

The attack came one day after Afghan special forces announced they had killed Assadullah Orakzai, the intelligence chief of IS's Afghan headquarters in Jalalabad.

The IS affiliate in Afghanistan has suffered heavy losses over the past year but could still undermine the nation's troubled peace process through continued attacks, analysts have said.

The U.S. military command in Kabul said in late July that the IS affiliate "remains a threat to Afghanistan, the U.S., NATO allies, and our partners" despite being flushed out of Nangarhar and Kunar provinces.

Meanwhile, the UN warned in a recent report that IS remains capable of high-profile attacks and hopes to recruit more fighters from among opponents of a deal between the United States and Taliban militants, who have long battled against Kabul's authority.

The U.S.-Taliban deal, signed in February, is aimed at reducing U.S. troop numbers and encouraging direct peace talks between the Taliban and the Afghan government.

However, Taliban militants have continued to carry out attacks to disrupt the talks, with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani saying on July 28 that more than 10,000 government troops had been killed or wounded since February.

The August 2 IS assault came on the third and final day of a cease-fire between the Taliban and the Afghan government to mark the Muslim festival of Eid al-Adha.

Ghani and the Taliban have both indicated that intra-Afghan talks could begin immediately after the festival.

With reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/afghan-prison -attack-leaves-several-dead- dozens-injured/30762659.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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From whether to 'warm the pot' to Evelyn Waugh's assertion that only 'nannies and many governesses' put the milk in first, the art of tea making is fraught with dispute.

Experts from China have now 'stirred the pot' by showing how microwaving tea can ruin your cuppa by creating uneven heat distribution throughout the mug.

Unlike a kettle, microwave ovens do not produce an evenly heated cup and can leave the bottom as much as 14F colder than the top, the team found.

Making the perfect tea is dependant on heating water to the right temperature  black teas need to brew at 194208F, while green teas grow bitter over 176F.

However, the researchers created a special silver-rimmed glass to allow water for a brew to be heated properly within a microwave.

The tech may come as good news to Michelle, the US-born, UK-resident mother who posted a video on TikTok supposedly showing how to make a cup of 'British tea'.

Her video, which disturbed many, involved first microwaving the water, then pouring in a third-of-a-cup of milk, before adding a tea bag and vast quantities of sugar.

Experts from China have shown how microwaving tea (pictured, this abomination) may ruin your cuppa  but a special silver-rimmed cup could allow it to be heated properly

When water is boiled in a kettle, it is heated from underneath  either by an electric heating element, or the bottom of the pot if on a stove  causing the water at the bottom of the kettle to become less dense and move upwards by convection.

In turn, colder water can then sink down to be in contact with the heat source  until, eventually, all the water in the kettle is heated uniformly.

In a microwave, however, the electromagnetic field used to heat things is pervasive, but not uniform  causing 'hot spots' of heating in the liquid depending on the localised strength of the field.

In fact, this uneven heating is why conventional microwave ovens have turntables  to help move food through the field to ensure it is heated throughout.

It is also part of why microwave instructions recommend food is left to stand before eating, as to allow the heat to spread out more evenly.

A by-product of the uneven microwave heating is that it generates unusual convection currents within liquids  and, as a result, the water ends up hotter at the top of the container than it is at the bottom.

When water is boiled in a kettle, it is heated from underneath, causing the water at the bottom of the kettle to become less dense and move upwards by convection (left). In turn, colder water can then sink down to be in contact with the heat source  until, eventually, all the water in the kettle is heated uniformly. In a microwave, however, the electromagnetic field used to heat things is pervasive, but not uniform  causing 'hot spots' of heating in the liquid, depending on the localised strength of the field, as well as a warmer top than bottom

In fact, this uneven heating is why conventional microwave ovens have turntables  to help move food through the field to ensure it is heated throughout. It is also part of why microwave instructions recommend food is left to stand before eating. Pictured, the electric field (left) and temperature (right) profiles of a glass of water in a microwave

In their study, engineer Baoqing Zeng of University of Electronic Science & Technology of China and colleagues studied the nature of this non-uniform heating on both water and alcohol  and have come up with a solution to address it.

This involves designing a special silver plate that covers the rim of the container  which, in the case of their tests, was a tall glass  which shields the surface of liquids from the microwaves by reducing the electric field.

This means that the surface of the liquid is not directly heated and ends up cooler than the liquid beneath  just like seen when warming water in a kettle  and fosters the same kind of convection as seen when heating from below.

As a result, the liquid ends up far more uniformly heated.

In their study, engineer Baoqing Zeng of University of Electronic Science & Technology of China and colleagues studied the nature of this non-uniform heating on both water and alcohol  and have come up with a solution to address it. This involves designing a special silver plate that covers the rim of the container  which, in the case of their tests, was a tall glass  which shields the surface of liquids from the microwaves by reducing the electric field

Normally, putting metal in a microwave ovens would be a disastrous idea. Metal mostly reflects microwaves, rather than absorbing them, which can allow enough energy to build up to damage the oven's circuit and radiation-producing magnetron.

Furthermore, electrons excited by the microwaves on the surface of metal objects can build up on corners and edges, eventually allowing electrical arcs to form, like tiny lightning bolts, which can also damage the microwave and even start fires.

However, the team's silver coated glass  like some existing commercial steam pots and rice cookers  was designed with a specific geometry to be microwave-safe.

'After carefully designing the metal structure at the appropriate size, the metal edge, which is prone to ignition, is located at weak field strength, where it can completely avoid ignition, so it is still safe,' said Professor Zeng.

The silver lining around the surface of the container means that the surface of the liquid is not directly heated and ends up cooler than the liquid beneath  just like seen when warming water in a kettle  and fosters the same kind of convection as seen when heating from below (pictured). As a result, the liquid ends up far more uniformly heated

According to the researchers, however, the same trick will not work to improve the heating of solid foods in the microwave, as they do not undergo convection.

'For solids, there is no simple way to design a bowl or plate in order to achieve a much better heating result,' Professor Zeng explained.

'We can change the field distribution, but the change is very small, so the improvement is limited.'

With their initial study complete, the team are now collaborating with a microwave manufacturer to bring their silver-rimmed cups to the market  alongside looking for novel ways to improve the way solid foods are heated in microwave ovens.

The full findings of the study were published in the journal AIP Advances.
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Ministers today admitted the struggling coronavirus contact tracing system must improve - but insisted schools will reopen in September despite fears of a catastrophic second peak.

Local government minister Simon Clarke conceded there is 'more to do' after a major study warned a resurgence of the disease could be twice as bad as that in the Spring.

Scientists said the only way of bringing back schools and avoiding another crisis around Christmas was to ramp up dramatically the NHS test and trace operation.

To prevent a second wave when schools reopen, the NHS contact tracing system must reach 68 per cent of cases and their contacts, according to researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

But the current NHS system is 'not good enough' as it reaches just half of contacts and only a fraction of symptomatic cases are tested.

The dire picture came as WHO expert David Nabarro cautioned that the virus is not 'going away', and it would return with a vengeance if people get 'bored' and stop obeying lockdown rules.

Meanwhile, former PM Tony Blair has called for a fresh push on mass testing, dismissing the idea of relying herd immunity or completely eradicating the disease. He said unless people without symptoms were routinely screened most of cases would continue to be missed.

However, in a round of interviews today Mr Clarke insisted that the reopening of schools in September was 'not up for debate' and will definitely go ahead. While stressing that the test and trace system was 'delivering', he said: 'There's always more to be done, we're very honest about the fact this is a challenge.

'There's a massive role here for the public in helping us with this process, because in the end it is up to all of us to do the right thing.'

He added: 'One thing is clear, schools are going to reopen in full in the autumn, that is not up for debate.'

In other coronavirus developments:

There were a total of 8,891 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to July 24, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 161 fewer than the five-year average of 9,052. It was the sixth week in a row that deaths had been below the five-year average;

Pizza Express has said it could close around 67 of its UK restaurants, with up to 1,100 jobs at risk, as part of a major restructuring plan;

The first day of Rishi Sunak's Eat Out To Help Out scheme for 50 per cent means saw restaurants and fast food chains packed;

Government figures show the cost of the furlough scheme has hit 33.8billion, with 9.6million jobs having been subsidised by the state since the crisis erupted.

Children returning to school in September will trigger a devastating second wave of Covid-19 that could infect twice as many as the first unless the test and trace system improves, a major study has claimed (file photo of children heading to class)

A second wave could be avoided  with pubs remaining open and no draconian lockdowns needed  if testing is dramatically ramped up and the contact tracing system becomes better (file photo of a doctor testing for virus with swab)

Experts found that, to prevent a second wave when schools reopen, the NHS contact tracing system must reach 68 per cent of cases and their contacts. But as well as that, three quarters of people with Covid-19 would need to be tested and self-isolate (bottom, the measurements combined showing a second 'wave' would not occur)

Local government minister Simon Clarke conceded there is 'more to do' after a major study warned a resurgence of the disease could be twice as bad as that in the Spring

SLIM DOWN EXAMS, SAY UNIONS Teaching unions are demanding a reduction in content in next year's exams due to the learning disruption caused by the pandemic. This year's GCSE and A Level exams were cancelled  and teachers now say next year's exams should cover less material to mitigate the effects of pupils' disrupted education. Although Boris Johnson has said all pupils will be back full-time from next month, union leaders say schools will not be able to make up for lost time. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'Schools and students are now being left in the unenviable position that they will be expected to cover as much content as possible in a reduced amount of time.' Mr Whiteman's comments came after Ofqual, the exams watchdog, revealed its initial decisions about next year's exams. At present, most exam criteria will remain the same  but Ofqual has reduced the workload for English Literature GCSE. Ofqual has not yet said how it plans to ensure fairness between pupils, or whether exams will be held later in the summer than usual. Advertisement

Today researchers at UCL working with a team at LSHTM revealed that, if schools do re-open and lockdown is gradually lifted with more people slowly returning to work, a second wave will occur.

The secondary wave would result in the R rate  the number of people each Covid-19 patient infects  rising above the dreaded number of one.

This could yield a secondary wave of infections 2-2.3 times the size of the first, which has so far killed around 46,201 people.

The peak would come in December, or in February 2021 if schools re-open on just a part-time basis.

Dr Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, study author, said: 'Our results are reflective of a broader loosening of lockdown, rather than the effects of transmission within schools exclusively.'

The study, published today in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, assumed children were as infectious as adults.

But the results remained true even when the team re-ran the model with the assumption that children and young people were 50 per cent as infectious as adults.

The authors said without improvements in testing it will be 'absolutely essential' to introduce other measures in September to 'mitigate' the effects of schools opening. This could mean pubs are forced to shut or greater restrictions are placed on people meeting indoors.

England's chief medical officer last week admitted the UK may have reached a limit for how much society can be opened up safely, without leading to a resurgence of the virus.

One scientist who advises the government even suggested closing pubs as a trade-off for allowing schools to finally open again.

But the contact tracing will be critical in keeping the virus under control as the country starts to get up and running.

Dr David Nabarro, the WHO's special envoy on Covid-19, warned that if Test and Trace is 'not done properly, then you get very bad surges occurring'.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'This virus is capable of surging back really quickly and is actually doing so in most countries where there's been success at getting it under control and, as it surges back, the way you stop outbreaks developing is through having well-functioning contact tracing linked to testing, with isolation of people who've got symptoms or who've been in contact.

'If we can do that, and do it well, then the surges are kept really small, they're dealt with quickly and life can go on. '

If, on the other hand, this testing and tracing and isolation just is not done properly, then you get very bad surges occurring and this will lead to economic challenges.'

RECOVERED COVID PATIENTS 'SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM SOCIAL DISTANCING' Recovered coronavirus patients should be exempt from social distancing and self-isolation if they develop further symptoms, according to scientists advising the Government. Experts at the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) looked into evidence from top virologists who found people with Covid-19 antibodies are unlikely to become infected again in the short-term. It follows previous suggestions over the idea of 'immunity passports', which say someone has had the disease and therefore they cannot get it again. Scientists had said this would be 'premature' because declining antibody levels may not mean that the body cannot fight off the virus a second time. But a Sage meeting last month chaired by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and attended by England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty decided there was enough evidence for a variation on the rules to some of those confirmed to have had coronavirus. According to the i newspaper, the minutes of the meeting said: 'Sage advised that, based on current understanding, it would be premature to introduce immunity passports, but it advised that use of antibody positivity for short-term decisions may be possible.' Advertisement

Mr Blair said a mass testing regime - covering people who are not displaying coronavirus symptoms - was essential to avoid the need for another lockdown.

'On some estimates 70 per cent of people with the disease are asymptomatic, so if you are only testing people with symptoms you are losing the majority of people from your testing strategy,' he told Times Radio.

Without a vaccine or an effective treatment, mass testing is the only way to control the spread of the virus, he said.

'From the very beginning, mass testing has been the only thing that gets you through this, avoids the severity of the very blunt instrument of lockdown and gets you to a place where you can more or less get your economy moving whilst containing the disease.'

Getting children back to classrooms was heralded by Boris Johnson as a 'national priority' and it emerged last night ministers are considering sending testing squads into schools in hard-hit regions.

A localised approach to tackling the crisis has been adopted by Downing Street, which has reimposed lockdown restrictions in some Northern towns suffering flare-ups.

Teachers and pupils in areas with higher infection rates will receive be tested for the virus to allow authorities to identify any cases and keep schools open, according to The Times.

When Leicester was plunged into a second lockdown, all schools were forced to shut - blanket measures ministers are keen to avoid in future.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is working on a timetable to have all schools open full-time in September.

He is expected to hand millions of pounds to councils to bolster bus services for pupils, making social distancing easier.

Getting children into classrooms is also a crucial element in firing up the economy, as it will allow parents providing childcare to go back to work.

Many businesses are not expecting workers to return to offices until the end of the year, while the likes of Facebook UK and the RBS banking group said staff will not go back until 2021.

Financial services company Legal & General said just 1,200 of its 5,000 staff were back in the office and it was aiming to get 80 per cent of its workers back to the office 'for a day or two per fortnight'.

Advertising giant WPP said 99 per cent of its 11,000 staff continue to work remotely, adding: 'We will continue to allow people to work from home until they feel safe commuting and coming into work.'

HSBC, Europe's largest bank, said it expected flexible working to become the norm after the pandemic, reducing its need for office space.

Shell, which has 4,700 UK office workers, said it would start a 'phased return' from the end of September.

It came as a new report found 80 per cent of workers claimed they were more or equally productive at home as in the office. And more than six in ten surveyed by Equiem said they expected to work remotely from the office at least once a week once lockdown is lifted.

MATT HANCOCK DENIES PLANS FOR LOCKDOWN OF THE OVER-50s Matt Hancock has denied claims that over-50s will be targeted for a fresh lockdown as the Government was told that any new measures should be aimed more at young people. Officials have drawn up radical plans that could see millions of people asked to stay at home if a second wave of coronavirus infections takes hold. Under one option, people aged between 50 and 70 would get personalised risk ratings as part of a significant widening of the shielding programme. Asked about the report Mr Hancock told Sky News: 'We have paused the shielding programme because the number of infections is so low. The reports with respect to the over-50s are inaccurate and they are speculation. But we will always do whatever is necessary to keep people safe.' However, neither he nor Number 10, who repeated his claim of inaccuracies later, were able to explain which parts of the report they believed were wrong. After a weekend when the young flouted distancing rules across the country, the proposals last night attracted a storm of protest. Critics warned that they failed to recognise the important contribution over-50s make to the economy and risked stigmatising older people in the workplace. Former government adviser Joan Bakewell said ministers needed first to tackle the problem of young people failing to socially distance. Advertisement

The Government has admitted just one in five of its own 430,000 workforce has returned to the office  meaning hundreds of thousands of civil servants are still working from home.

Another study also published today suggested that schools could re-open safely but only under strict rules and with robust contact tracing.

The research looked at how Covid-19 spread in schools in Australia, one of the only countries to keep its schools open during the pandemic.

It found that outbreaks were not common in schools and children do not spread the coronavirus as much as adults do. Separate scientific research has found exactly the opposite.

Schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are planned to return in September, while Scotland's first term begins at a slightly later date than usual on August 11.

But as cases of Covid-19 rise in the UK, there are concerns school start-dates will be delayed. The easing of some lockdown restrictions were set back on August 1.

Professor Chris Whitty, England's CMO, said on Friday the UK has probably reached a limit for how much of society can be opened up safely just weeks before schools are supposed to return.

The Lancet study found a second wave could be prevented, however, if a robust testing and an adequate contact tracing system was in place.

Both have come under intense scrutiny in the UK, with test and trace performance figures in England worsening last week.

The research will heap pressure on Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Baroness Harding  the head of the test and trace scheme  to get the system up to scratch before children go back next month.

The study said testing would need to be ramped up so between 59 per cent and 87 per cent of symptomatic patients are tested during the infectious period.

It is not clear how many symptomatic patients in the UK are tested each day.

But one of the study authors, Chris Bonell, professor of public health sociology at LSHTM, said: 'It looks from the ONS data like there are about 4,200 new infections per day.

'And it looks like from the testing data there are about 4,200 testing positive per week. So it looks like about one in seven (14 per cent). So, that's not good enough, basically.'

The study said 75 per cent of individuals with symptomatic infection would need to be diagnosed and isolated if schools return full-time in September. It dips to 65 per cent if schools run on a part-time rota system.

This is based on the contact tracing system reaching 68 per cent of people  a combination of 75 per cent of positive Covid-19 cases and 90 per cent of their contacts.

The NHS is currently reaching an overall standard of 50 per cent, Professor Bonell claims.

'Currently, test, trace, isolating (TTI) is not achieving the levels that we modelled. Looking at the NHS reports from the TTI system, it looks like it's about 50 per cent coverage.'

SHOULD PUBS CLOSE FOR SCHOOLS TO OPEN? The study comes after one scientist suggested that pubs may need to shut to allow schools to reopen. Professor Graham Medley told the BBC on Sunday there may need to be a 'trade-off', with the reopening of schools seen as a 'priority' for children's wellbeing. Professor Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said England could have to consider closing pubs in order to reopen schools next month. When asked about the chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty's prediction that the country was 'near the limits' of opening up society, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine academic told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think that's quite possible. 'I think we're in a situation whereby most people think that opening schools is a priority for the health and wellbeing of children and that when we do that we are going to reconnect lots of households. 'And so actually, closing some of the other networks, some of the other activities may well be required to enable us to open schools. 'It might come down to a question of which do you trade off against each other and then that's a matter of prioritising, do we think pubs are more important than schools?' He claimed he thought it was 'highly unlikely' that restrictions imposed on the north-west of England last week would be 'the last intervention that has to be done regionally', adding: 'I fully expect there will have to be others in different places at different times.' Advertisement

He added: 'The most recent data [shows] about 81 per cent of positives are interviewed, about 81 per cent of those report contacts and about 75 per cent of those contacts are reached so overall that equates to coverage of 50 per cent.'

If only 40 per cent of contacts could be traced, under a more pessimistic tracing scenario, testing would need to increase to a higher 87 per cent if school returned full time.

Professor Bonell said: 'Our study should not be used to keep schools shut because of a fear of a second wave but as a loud call to action to improve the infection control measures and test and trace system so we can get children back to school.'

Professor Bonell suggested that other sectors will face new restrictions in September unless the coverage reached by NHS Test & Trace improves.

He said: 'We're not giving specific recommendations about what sectors need to have restrictions imposed, but logically that is absolutely essential.'

Professor Bonell added that 'safe mitigation measures must be in place' before schools reopen for all pupils in all year groups in September.

Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the NHS and Government must be 'held to account' over the test and trace strategy.

He added that officials should be 'thinking carefully' about what measures could be taken in September to allow schools to reopen safely.

But he said that game-changing virus tests which provide results in 90 minutes provided 'real reasons for optimism'.

Commenting on the study, Matt Keeling, professor of populations and disease at University of Warwick, said: 'In essence the problem is simple.

'Reopening schools is going to increase the R number so if we are to keep R below 1 and prevent a second wave, some other forms of control are necessary.

'The reopening of schools should clearly be a key priority for the UK, many children will have gone over 5 months without setting foot in a classroom.

'The key questions are how much impact will school reopening have on the epidemic and what can be done to mitigate this.'

Business and Industry Minister Nadhim Zahawi yesterday said the tests, which will be rolled out next week, could be used to help schools stay open.

It follows Professor Graham Medley, a top Government scientific adviser, suggesting on Sunday that pubs may need to shut when schools open.

Another study published in the same Lancet journal today also suggests schools in the UK can re-open safely  but only if stringent control measures are in place.

Researchers identified all staff and children who attended a school or nursery in the Australian state of New South Wales while they had Covid-19.

Overall, 12 children and 15 adults were found to have attended schools or nurseries while infectious between 25 January to 10 April, when term ended.

All adults or the parents of children were interviewed at diagnosis to track who the cases had been in contact with during the time that they were infectious.

The study said 75 per cent of individuals with symptomatic infection would need to be diagnosed and isolated if schools return full-time in September to avoid a second wave (graph on left, middle row). This is based on the contact tracing system reaching 68 per cent of people. The findings for a partial opening of school is shown on the right

The study shows that even with contact tracing, testing needs to be ramped up in order to reduce cases and deaths. The top graphs show how deaths would increase if testing only reaches 18 per cent of symptomatic cases

Once contacts were identified, they were told to self isolate and were tested if they showed symptoms, allowing the authors to calculate how many secondary transmissions were linked with each primary case.

IS THE TEST AND TRACE SCHEME GETTING WORSE? Figures last week revealed some 4,242 people infected with coronavirus were referred to the test and trace scheme during the week of July 16-22. But just 2,809 (77 per cent) agreed to provide details of people they had come into close contact with recently, meaning thousands of potential patients went missed. A total of 646 with the virus could not be reached at all by the tracers, who phone, text and email someone up to 10 times a day to get hold of them. The contact tracing figures, released by the Department of Health, also found the programme failed to reach almost a fifth of people who tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Little over 81 per cent of infected people were actually tracked down by tracers  marking the first time the system had caught more than 80 per cent of patients since it launched on May 28. One in four people who came into close contact with someone infected with coronavirus could not be reached by the NHS Test and Trace service. Only 75.1 per cent (13,974) of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate. This was down from the 78.4 per cent reached in the previous week, and the 90.8 per cent reached in the first week of Test and Trace. Scientists have previously said eight in 10 Covid-19 sufferers need to be reached and their contacts isolated for the system to be effective. Advertisement

The team showed that, of the 633 close contacts who were tested following symptoms, 18 were found to have Covid-19.

It means that 1.2 per cent of all close contacts (1,448) got the coronavirus from a primary case.

However, some asymptomatic or milder cases may have been missed seeing as testing was only of those with tell-tale signs.

Further analysis of a subset of schools showed the transmission rate between staff (4.4 per cent) was much higher than between children (0.3 per cent), suggesting children do not spread the virus as much as adults.

The attack rate from child to staff was one per cent for child-to-staff, compared to 1.5 per cent the other way around.

The researchers, led by Professor Kristine Macartney also said the transmission rates may have been higher in areas where contact tracing systems and testing were not as rigorous.

In a linked commentary discussing both articles, Professor John Edmunds, a leading authority on mathematical modelling of the spread of infectious diseases at LSHTM, said: 'Both studies give potential options for keeping schools open and show the clear importance of adequate contact tracing and testing.'

The UCL study modelled six different scenarios of school reopening using baseline data about how the coronavirus spreads.

Alongside school reopening, the model included the relaxation of measures across society, which they assumed would accompany one another.

For each scenario, they estimated the number of new infections and deaths, as well as the effective reproduction number.

As with any modelling study, a number of assumptions were made about the spread of the virus to measure the effects of lifting lockdown.

For example, it assumed the test used by Public Health England is 100 per cent accurate  however it is known this isn't the case. And the model assumes everyone tested gets their result within 24 hours, which official statistics show is not true either.

In the UK, around three quarters of tests outside of hospitals are being returned in 24 hours, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson setting a target of 100 per cent by the end of June.

Dr Adam Kucharski, an associate professor in infectious disease epidemiology, LSHTM, said the model uses a 'very optimistic scenario about the speed and performance of testing'.

WHY ARE MASKS NOT COMPULSORY IN SCHOOLS? In England, the Government has decided that face masks will not be necessary in schools. Its guidance for schools states that: 'Wearing a face covering or face mask in schools or other education settings is not recommended. 'Face coverings may be beneficial for short periods indoors where there is a risk of close social contact with people you do not usually meet and where social distancing and other measures cannot be maintained, for example on public transport or in some shops. 'This does not apply to schools or other education settings. 'Schools and other education or childcare settings should therefore not require staff, children and learners to wear face coverings. 'Changing habits, cleaning and hygiene are effective measures in controlling the spread of the virus.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said: 'If you're in a space with the same people repeatedly and for long periods of time, whether an office or a classroom, then a mask doesn't actually protect them.' Advertisement

He added: 'In reality, there will be a trade off with speed and effectiveness  even if a high proportion of people ill with COVID-19 are tested, it won't stop transmission if test results end up taking too long or infected contacts aren't traced before they become infectious.'

It comes as Mr Hancock said that testing in schools will be expanded due to machines which can reveal if a person is infected within 90 minutes.

He said there is 'currently survey testing' in some schools but suggested the machines could be deployed to screen pupils even if they don't show symptoms.

But the researchers warned that without improvements in testing, it will be 'absolutely essential' to introduce other measures to 'mitigate' the impact of schools opening.

This could mean that pubs are forced to shut or greater restrictions are placed on meeting others indoors.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman confirmed that all pupils will return full-time in September but acknowledged that outbreaks of coronavirus could force some schools to close.

He said: 'You've heard from the Prime Minister on many occasions his absolute commitment to getting children back into school in September and that's vital for their education and their development.

'We are planning for all pupils in all year groups to be in school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term.'

Evidence shows children are unlikely to get ill with the virus but it is still not clear how much they contribute to its spread.

Yesterday new Australian research found there were 'low' levels of coronavirus transmission in schools and nurseries. Figures collected from 15 schools and ten nurseries showed that although 27 children or teachers went to lessons while infectious, only an additional 18 people became infected.

A Government spokesman said: 'NHS Test and Trace is already working - last week over 80 per cent of those testing positive were reached with over 75 per cent of their contacts reached as well.

'We have rapidly built, from scratch, the largest diagnostic testing industry in British history.

'Over 2.6million people have been tested in just eight weeks and we have the capacity to carry out more than 330,000 tests per day, growing to 500,000 per day by the end of October.'
The Army on Tuesday released the identity of a Fort Hood, Texas, soldier who died in a boating incident off post, according to a post news release

Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas of the 1st Cavalry Division, who was killed Aug. 2, is the second Hood soldier to die recently at Stillhouse Hollow Lake and joins a string of soldier deaths linked to the sweeping Texas post.

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Fort Hood officials did not release any further details about the boating incident that killed Hernandezvargas but said the unit is cooperating with local authorities in an investigation, according to the release.

Hernandezvargas, 24, whose home of record is listed as Woodside, New York, entered the Army in May 2017 and had been assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, since December 2017, according to the release.

He was the second 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, soldier to die in a three-week period at the lake near Fort Hood. Pvt. Mejhor Morta, a Bradley fighting vehicle mechanic, was found dead July 17 in an unexplained incident being investigated by the Bell County Sheriff's Department.

The deaths of Hernandezvargas and Morta also follow the recent high-profile deaths of two other Fort Hood soldiers. In late June, Hood officials announced that skeletal remains found in Killeen, Texas, had been positively identified as those of Pvt. Gregory Morales, a Hood soldier who went missing in August.

And on July 6, Army officials confirmed that human remains discovered near Hood had been identified as Spc. Vanessa Guillen's.

Guillen, a 20-year-old 3rd Cavalry Regiment soldier who disappeared April 22, was allegedly murdered by Army Spc. Aaron Robinson, according to a July 2 criminal complaint filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office of the Western District of Texas.

Guillen's case has become a rallying cry for lawmakers and advocates of female veterans, who are now calling for an end to the culture of sexual harassment and assault in the U.S. military.

Hernandezvargas' awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Army Service Ribbon, according to the Hood release.

"The Black Knight family is heartbroken by the loss of Spc. Francisco Hernandezvargas. Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time," Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong, commander of 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry, said in the release. "Spc. Hernandezvargas served his country honorably both stateside while at Fort Hood and abroad in Korea and Romania, and this tragic loss is felt by every member within our formation."

-- Matthew Cox can be reached at matthew.cox@military.com.

Related: Soldier Vanessa Guillen's Murder Now a Rallying Cry for Lawmakers
After starting classes online on Aug. 24 like other Clear Creek ISD students, the districts tiniest learners  prekindergarten students  will report to campus for in-person instruction beginning Aug. 31.

Elaina Polsen, the districts chief communications officer, said the in-person classes will be important for the pre-K students.

We know that the best environment for (that age group) is in person, she said.

Like other districts in the area, Clear Creek will welcome students back to in-person learning via a phased-in approach, starting the school year with one week of online learning for all students on Aug. 24, followed by an easing in of some on-campus students beginning Aug. 31, specifically prekindergartners, kindergartners, special-education students, sixth-graders and ninth-graders.

NEED TO KNOW: CDC updates school safety guidelines, strongly advocates for reopening campuses in the fall

Polsen said this schedule was chosen not only to give students in those grade levels time to adjust to new safety protocols put in place to prevent the spread of the coronavirus but also to get used to and familiarize themselves with their new campuses.

All other students choosing in-person instruction will report to class Sept. 8. The remaining students will continue remotely.

It helps us go through that transition time with a smaller group of students, she said.

To be in the districts prekindergarten program, students must be age 4 by Sept. 1 and live in district boundaries. To qualify for free pre-K, children must meet one criterion out of a list that includes requirements such as having limited English proficiency, being economically disadvantaged or having a parent in the military.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: Paxton, TEA put out new guidance on Texas school closures. What does it mean?

For more information about Clear Creeks reopening plan, go to ccisd.net.

Rethinking classrooms

Rosemary Lagrone, a district kindergarten teacher who was part of the districts safe reopening committee, said pre-K classes will not look the same as they have in the past and that parents, teachers and students will need to be flexible and patient.

She said pre-K students  some of which will attend full day classes while others attend half a day depending on their campus' offerings  will eat meals in their classrooms, wont share supplies and will be required to wear masks as much as possible when they are indoors and unable to be socially distant from each other.

None of that is normal in early childhood classrooms, but we have to rethink lots of things this year, including how to minimize community touch and how to minimize travel within the classroom, said Lagrone, who teaches at North Pointe Elementary and has been an educator for nearly a decade. Im hard-pressed to think of any procedure thats not going to change this year.

MORNING REPORT: Get the top stories on HoustonChronicle.com sent directly to your inbox

As for mask wearing, young children wont be required to wear them while playing outdoors or while eating, but Lagrone said district leaders are discussing additional times they might be able to remove their face coverings, perhaps for a few minutes in the classroom if sufficient distance can be maintained. However, she said that while the kids are indoors, I dont think well be leaving them off for a long time.

High school robotics club making face shields

Polsen said the district is working to equip its elementary campuses with face shields for students and teachers, which Lagrone said is important for pre-K and kindergarten kids who need to see a teachers expressions and mouth movements while teaching phonics or for deaf children who often read lips in order to communicate.

Polsen said Clear Creek ISD has received several shipments of personal protective equipment from the Texas Education Agency and is also working with one of its own high school robotics clubs to fill an order of approximately 2,500 face shields for teachers and their young students.

Lagrone said teachers have received much support from district administrators as they prepare for a school year filled with uncertainty and, in some cases, fear.

THE BIG DEBATE: Should you send your kid back to school? New study shows the risk on a county-wide basis

Id be lying if I said I wasnt nervous, but I do feel like our district has been working very hard to try everything they can to get us ready, she said. Weve had tech training, and theyve even offered us training on trauma and what a trauma-sensitive school should look like. I feel like theyre going above and beyond, and I feel supported.

She said parents have come through, as well. Her schools parent teacher association purchased lanyards for children to hook to their masks to keep them on their bodies when they take them off to play or eat.

Tips for dressing young kids for school

And for those parents who are wondering how they can best prepare their little ones for school, Lagrone had a few tips. She said they should try to avoid dressing their kids in anything the youngsters cant put on themselves, namely clothing with zippers or buttons or shoes with ties.

We all want to go back and have that school experience, but if they send them in something they cant (put on themselves), that creates more touch contact with teachers, she said. So, if your kid cant do the belt, then dont put them in the belt.

ON HOUSTONCHRONICLE.COM: With schools starting online only, Houston districts work to convince skeptical families to log on

Lagrone also advised sending paper plates or paper towels for kids to place their food on rather than on their desks, which may have germs. Additionally, she suggested parents send their kids with an extra face mask, food containers they can open themselves and one or two water bottles with button-controlled pop-up straws.

These simple things can make a world of difference, she said.

As for her fellow teachers, Lagrone said they are unsure what to expect, but shes been heartened by all the creative ideas many have to tackle potential challenges. They are sharing those ideas with their colleagues and collaborating when a new challenge arises.

Now, as they get ready to go back to the classroom, she said its important for everyone to be flexible, be ready to quickly transition to online if need be and be armed with a good attitude.

These are unprecedented times. So, we can fight it, complain about it or we can make the best of it, move forward and give the kids the best that we can to make it a fun, happy experience, Lagrone said. Will it be weird? Yes. But weve got to keep it positive, because if we bring that stress into the classroom, it will be a disaster.
The governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) of doing everything possible to undermine the peaceful voter registration exercise being conducted by the Electoral Commission across the country.

Addressing a press conference at the Alisa Hotel on Tuesday, August 4, 2020, National Chairman of NPP, Freddie Blay said the NDC does not have a message to Ghanaians in the upcoming 2020 polls hence making baseless and ethnocentric claims.

The NDC is desperately trying to undermine the simple and peaceful exercise of voters registration into one of ethnocentrism, outright fabrications, needless exaggerations, and old fashioned fear-mongering propaganda and inferior communists tactics. It has not been very smooth, I must say, but the Electoral Commission, the only institution with sole authority to determine elections has had to prove its mettle during this exercise, Mr Fredie Blay said.

Mr. Blay made the remark on the back of the banter between the NDC and NPP as both parties accuse each other of violence and busing of people to centres to take part in the voter registration exercise.

The NDC led by its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama had accused the government of using security agencies to suppress votes in the NDCs strongholds.

John Mahama, recently spoke against what he calls the discriminatory use of military personnel by President Akufo-Addo to disenfranchise some Ghanaians in Banda in the Bono Region.

The road President Akufo-Addo is taking our beautiful country through, using the military and party thugs to stop people from exercising their right to register and vote in the upcoming December elections, is dangerous and unacceptable.

There have been many reports and video evidence, like the one in this post, of the President's deployment and discriminatory use of soldiers to target our brothers and sisters in the Volta Region and wherever there are settlements of Voltarians and non-Akans, he added.

The party had also complained that the government had deployed military some areas including the Volta Region with the hope of intimidating residents from registering to vote.

In all such instances, the Akufo-Addo government had rubbished the claims.

---citinewsroom
At least one Australian has been killed in the horror blast in the Lebanese capital of Beirut.

The explosion, which destroyed buildings across the city, has left 73 people dead and thousands more injured.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said the Australian embassy had been 'significantly' damaged in the deadly blast but staff escaped with minor injuries.

'It's my deep regret to inform you that one Australian has been killed in this horrific blast,' he told the Today show on Wednesday morning.

'Obviously, we can't give more details about the specifics at this time but our sympathies to all of the people in Lebanon.

'There is such a large Lebanese Australian community here and they would be worried about loved ones. The details will hopefully be provided soon.'

The massive explosion has killed at least 73 people, including one Australian, Scott Morrison confirmed on Wednesday

It obliterated the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames this evening, and even inflicted damage on districts miles away from the blast site

He said embassy staff were working to determine how many Australians had been injured.

'I know there will be many prayers in the churches and the mosques in Australia but given the COVID restrictions, I would just urge the appropriate response.'

He said prior to the coronavirus pandemic about 20,000 Australians were usually in Lebanon.

The Sydney Morning Herald reported an Australian consular team was travelling to Beirut to help the local team with any Australian casualties.

Witnesses have stressed the sheer enormity of the blast, which was heard 125 miles away in Cyprus, and likened it to a 'nuclear bomb'.

It obliterated the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames, and even inflicted damage on districts miles away from the blast site.

One witness said: 'I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding. Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street.'

General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim said: 'It appears that there is a warehouse containing material that was confiscated years ago, and it appears that it was highly explosive material.'

Lebanon's interior minister said ammonium nitrate had been stored in the unit since 2014, with experts agreeing that the chemical would cause the red plume of smoke which burst up from the blast.

Local media are reporting that 2,700 tonnes of the chemical exploded, causing a 'strange smell' at the port which has led officials to instruct civilians to leave for fear of any harmful toxins.

It lay waste to the immediate surrounding buildings, where firefighters were still battling flames this evening, and even wreaked havoc on districts miles away from the blast site

Glass is shattered by the explosion at the Cavalier Hotel in Beirut following the explosion

Prime Minister Hassan Diab vowed in a televised address that 'those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price,' and declared Wednesday a day of national mourning.

Israel has denied any involvement amid escalating tensions with the militant group Hezbollah along the country's southern border.

It even joined other countries including Britain, France and several Gulf nations in offering aid to Lebanon, which is in the grip of its worst economic and financial crisis in decades.

The port's governor told journalists he does not know the cause of the explosion and said he had never seen such destruction, comparing the sobering scenes to Hiroshima and Nagasaki, which were obliterated by atomic bombs in the Second World War.'

A man reacts at the scene of an explosion at the port in Lebanon's capital Beirut on August 4

Dramatic footage shows smoke billowing from the port area shortly before an enormous fireball explodes into the sky and blankets the city in a thick mushroom cloud

Smoke billows from harbor area with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor of Beirut

Charbel Haj, who works at the port, said the explosion started as small explosions like firecrackers before he was suddenly thrown off his feet by the huge blast.

Explosion rocks Lebanon during time of deep economic turmoil The explosion comes amid political tension in Lebanon, with street demonstrations against the government's handling the worst economic crisis since the 1975-1990 civil war. Late last year investigators revealed what was effectively a state-sponsored pyramid scheme being run by the central bank, which was borrowing from commercial banks at above-market interest rates to pay back its debts and maintain the Lebanese pound's fixed exchange rate with the US dollar. In January mass protests against the corruption allegations and a faltering economy led to the fall of Prime Minister Saad Hariri's government. His predecessor , Independent Hassan Diab, cut the country's budget by $700million and put in place a financial rescue plan a month later. But Lebanon's problems have persisted after the Covid-19 pandemic forced global border closures, and protests have returned after the Lebanese pound fell in value, despite a lockdown being imposed in March. Many businesses have been forced to close, but as prices continue to rise with a devalued currency some are struggling to buy basic necessities, and the prime minister warned that Lebanon was at risk of a 'major food crisis'. Analysts suggest the crisis has been prolonged because of political sectarianism, with the president, prime minister and speaker split between the three largest cultural groups; Christians; Shia Muslim; and Sunni Muslims. Parliament is also drawn down the middle between Christian and Muslim members. With the country's governance in need of unity between the competing groups, external powers have been able to interfere in the country. Iran, for instance, backs the militant Hezbollah Shia movement. Advertisement

Images showed port buildings reduced to tangled masonry, devastating the main entry point to a country that relies on food imports to feed its population of more than six million.

U.N. spokesman Farhan Haq told reporters it was not immediately clear what the cause was, and that there was no indication of any injuries to any U.N. personnel.

'We do not have information about what has happened precisely, what has caused this, whether its accidental or manmade act,' he said.

For a long time after the blast, ambulance sirens sounded across the city and helicopters hovered above.

Boris Johnson offered to help the crisis-hit country, tweeting: 'The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking.

'All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.'

Offers of aid also came from bitter rivals Israel, with which it is still technically at war. Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government - via international intermediaries - medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance,' said a joint statement from the two ministries.

Last week, Israel accused the Lebanese group Hezbollah of trying to send gunmen across the UN-demarcated Blue Line and said it held the Lebanese government responsible for what it termed an attempted 'terrorist' attack.

Hezbollah said all of the country's political powers must unite to overcome the 'painful catastrophe'.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said that France stood 'alongside Lebanon' and was ready to help, tweeting: 'France stands and will always stand by the side of Lebanon and the Lebanese. It is ready to provide assistance according to the needs expressed by the Lebanese authorities.

Iran's foreign minister has said it is standing by to help Lebanon recover from the fallout of the explosion.

Countries in the Gulf paid tribute to victims of the explosion as Qatar said it would send field hospitals to support Lebanon's medical response.

Qatar's ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani called President Michel Aoun to offer condolences, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency.

Sheikh Tamim wished 'a speedy recovery for the injured,' adding that he 'expressed Qatar's solidarity with brotherly Lebanon and its willingness to provide all kinds of assistance'.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted that 'our hearts are with Beirut and its people'.

He posted the tribute alongside an image of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, illuminated in the colours of the Lebanese flag.

'Our prayers during these difficult hours are that God... protects brotherly Lebanon and the Lebanese to reduce their affliction and heal their wounds,' he wrote.

Gulf countries including Qatar and the UAE maintain close ties with Beirut and have long provided financial aid and diplomatic assistance to mediate Lebanon's political and sectarian divisions.

Pictures shows the scene of an explosion at the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut, which lay waste to surrounding buildings

Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut

Bahrain's foreign ministry urged its nationals in Lebanon to contact the ministry's operations centre or Manama's representative in Beirut, while Kuwait ordered its citizens to take extreme caution and stay indoors.

It comes just days before a United Nations tribunal is set to rule on the assassination of the country's former PM Rafik Hariri.

The house of his son, Saad Hariri, who also led the country, was damaged by the blast but he was confirmed safe.

Save the Children said in a statement that members of their team on the ground in the city have reported entire streets destroyed and children unaccounted for.

Despite the charity's offices in the city being badly damaged, they have pledged that a rapid response team is ready to offer support.

Jad Sakr, Save the Children's country director in Lebanon, said: 'We are shocked and devastated by the explosion today.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun holds a High Defence Council meeting at the Baabda Palace following the blast

A mobile phone image showing a general view of the harbor area with smoke billowing from an area of a large exoplosion, with damage and debris after a large explosion rocked the harbor area of Beirut

'The death toll may not be known for several days but we do know is that in a disaster like this, children may be hurt, shocked and separated from their parents.

'Our child protection teams are ready to support the government's efforts, which will almost certainly go on for several days to come.

'It is vital that children and their families get access to the services they urgently need, including medical care and physical and emotional protection.'

He added: 'The incident could not have occurred at a worst time and has hit communities who were already suffering from the impact of the Covid-19 crisis and the economic deterioration.

'Beirut's main port, now completely damaged, is vital for much of the food, grains and fuel that Lebanon imports, and families will immediately feel the shortage in basic needs as a result of this tragedy.'

To donate or offer support visit: The Lebanese Red Cross or Impact Lebanon.
Regional headlines: remembering the Roma Holocaust; constructive talks between Iran and Ukraine; coronavirus vaccine in Russia; Japanese bail out Lithuanian museum; and state secrets in North Macedonia.

European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma Marked at Auschwitz

European leaders, state officials, and survivors commemorated European Holocaust Memorial Day for Sinti and Roma at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp in Poland, Al Jazeera writes. Yesterdays event fell on the same date as the massacre on the night of 2 August 1944, when German guards murdered thousands of men, women, and children in gas chambers as part of an operation to liquidate what was then called the Gypsy family camp at Auschwitz-Birkenau. The commemoration was attended by representatives of the Evangelical Church in Germany (EKD) and Germanys Central Council of Jews, making this their first shared remembrance of the Sinti and Roma killed at the camp. In a statement released ahead of yesterdays day of rememberance, high officials of the European Commission spoke about Europes duty to protect its minorities from racism and discrimination, and said: We must replace anti-gypsyism with openness and acceptance, hate speech and hate crime with tolerance and respect for human dignity, and bullying with education about the Holocaust. As Deutsche Welle notes, Nazi Germany launched an extermination campaign against Romani peoples, killing an estimated 500,000 of them, out of which around 20,000 were killed at Auschwitz alone.

Kyiv Holds Constructive Talks with Tehran Over Downed Airplane

We saw Iran was disposed to have a serious and substantive conversation, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba said following the first round of talks with the countrys representatives last Friday, Reuters writes. Last month, the Civil Aviation Organisation of Iran (CAOI) blamed human error and poor military communication for the downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane in January. The Ukrainian International Airlines Boeing 737 plane crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran; all passengers  including 82 Iranians, 63 Canadians, 11 Ukrainians, 10 Swedes, three Germans, and three Britons  died. A month later, Iran announced that it would no longer cooperate with Ukraine on the crash investigation, after Ukrainian media obtained an audio recording allegedly of an Iranian pilot about to land at Tehrans international airport, who reported a suspicious sight. If talks with Iran falter, Kuleba said Ukraine will go to international courts and I have absolutely no doubt that we will bring Iran to justice. But this is plan B, Reuters reports. And plan A is negotiations with Iran and the solution of all these issues and the payment of compensation.

Contradictory Accounts Surround Coronavirus Vaccine Release in Russia

A vaccine developer dispelled claims that Russians might be vaccinated against the coronavirus as early as October. But the director-general of the Vektor State Research Center of Virology and Biotechnology, Rinat Maksyutov, did confirm yesterday that his institution would start manufacturing a vaccine this fall, Radio Free Europe writes. We expect to start production already in November this year, Maksyutov told Rossiya-1 TVs Vesti program, as cited by RFE. So closer to the end of this year and the start of next year we can talk about switching to vaccination at least for [people] from risk groups with a further switch to massive vaccination. Maksyutovs statements are at odds with those of Russian Health Minister Mikhail Murashko, who said that doctors and teachers would be the first to receive the vaccine in October, according to the BBC. Last month, Russian Ambassador to UK Andrei Kelin denied claims that Russian intelligence services attempted to steal research into the development of a vaccine against the coronavirus. The rebuttal came after Britain, the U.S., and Canada said that a group of hackers linked to Russian intelligence, known as the Dukes or Cozy Bear, have targeted research bodies around the world, including in the UK.

Japan Extends Economic Lifeline to Lithuanian Museum Dedicated to Holocaust Figure

A cash-strapped museum in the south-central city of Kaunas has been rescued by a Japanese fundraiser, AP writes. Dedicated to Japanese diplomat Chiune Sugihara, who served as vice-consul at the Japanese Consulate in Kaunas during 1939-1940, the memorial is located in the villa that served as the consulate. During his time in Kaunas, Sugihara issued transit visas to Japan to nearly 6,000 Jewish refugees, most of them from neighboring Poland, thus helping them survive the Holocaust. Since the vast majority of its visitors have come from Japan, the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and ensuing travel restrictions meant that the museum risked closing its gates for good. Tickets sales are our main income resource. Japanese used to make up 85 percent of the visitors. Now, the visitors from Japan are gone, so is our income museum director Ramunas Janulaitis said. However, the threat has been averted thanks to donations coming from Sugiharas birth country, which total 30,000 euros (about $35,600), with Japanese Ambassador Shiro Yamasaki saying that another round of donations are expected for the fall. Pragues Jewish Quarter faced a similar financial conundrum at the start of the pandemic, which paralyzed tourism in the popular Central European destination.

North Macedonian Media Concerned After Editor Accused of Revealing State Secrets

Journalists and media unions in North Macedonia announced they would look into the case against the owner and editor in chief of the Ekonomski Lider news portal, Ljupcho Zlatev, who faces five years in jail after being accused of revealing classified, illegally obtained information, Balkan Insight writes. Zlatev published two articles last month about a former employee of the Directorate for Security and Counterintelligence, UBK, which was recently transformed into the Agency for National Security (ANB) after a huge wire-tapping scandal. The man did not pass the security checks needed to transfer into the ANB, allegedly as a result of his father taking part in protests against changing the name of the country. Zlatev, however, is often perceived as a propagandist rather than a journalist, according to Balkan Insight, which also notes that editor has repeatedly faced complaints of unethical and unprofessional conduct related to his work, filed at the Journalistic Council of Ethics, a self-regulation body. I published [the texts] because after one father attended the protests against the change of name [to the country], his son lost his security certificate and the chance to work in the ANB, he wrote on social media.

Compiled by Ioana Caloianu
Two wild black bears in Asheville, North Carolina, have been found with Trump 2020 campaign stickers.

Sheila Chapman, of Asheville, told News 13 that she saw a Trump 2020 sticker on the collar of the bear that stopped on her front porch on July 31.

Less than a year earlier, in September 2019, another local resident sent a photo of a black bear on his deck, sporting what he said was a Trump sticker on its tracking collar to the Citizen-Times.

Help Asheville Bears (HAB) non profit said the two bears were different, based on the fact that the stickers were angled differently on the collars.

A North Carolina woman spotted a Trump 2020 on the tracking collar of a wild black bear on her porch, the second time a bear has been spotted in Asheville with a Trump sticker on it

Local animal rights group Help Asheville Bears is now offering a $5,000 reward for information about who is putting the stickers on the bears because they 'are NOT Billboards'

The organization is now offering a reward for information about who put the stickers on the bears.

That sentiment is echoed by the activist group, which wrote on Facebook on July 31 that 'Bears are NOT Billboards!'

The group posted Chapman's pictures of the bear - which show the sticker on a big plastic collar around its neck, as well as plastic tracking bolts in its ears - noting that it was the second time a black bear was spotted in the city with a political sticker on its collar.

'We have so many places in this world to put stickers and express our political views,' Chapman told the news station. 'Using a wild animal for that is cruel and inhuman. Its not OK.'

The woman who saw the bear took pictures of it and sent the images to the animal rights group

The researchers running the tracking study on the bears said that it's 'highly unethical to place any sticker on an animal.' The Trump 2020 sticker is clearly visible on the bear's collar

'Whoever put these political stickers on these bears is cruel and heartless. HAB and our followers hope to stop and expose you,' the group said, postulating that the sticker enthusiast is either someone involved with the study or a member of the public.

In her original note to the non profit, Chapman had written that having bears stop at her home is not an unusual occurrence over the last two to three years.

She said that her neighborhood 'does its best to peacefully coexist with the bears and have few problems-- and the problems we do have are usually because we forget to secure our garbage cans.'

Chapman noted that the bears seemed to be uncomfortable with the collars around their necks and was concerned about them.

In September 2019, another Ashveille resident shared a photo of a bear on his porch (pictured) that also had a Trump sticker on its collar. The animal rights group said that the two bears were different, based on the placement of the stickers

She eventually learned that the bears were collared by the North Carolina Urban/Suburban Bear Study. After speaking with a member of the organization in May 2019, Chapman said, 'The group sounded committed to protecting our Urban bears and promoting their health and well being.'

'That is why I was shocked to see this on the bear's collar today,' she wrote of the Trump 2020 sticker.

'I believe this is an abhorrent practice. These bears are already suffering enough with the heavy collars and metal ear mutilations. But to put a political sticker on the collar? No words can describe my anger and sadness.'

Chapman said that she had reached out to North Carolina Urban/Suburban Bear Study and also the North Carolina Wildlife Resources, but had not had a response yet.

North Carolina State University professor Dr. Chris DePerno, who is a member of the bear study program that the school is conducting, told CNN that it's 'highly unethical to place any sticker on an animal.'

'Unfortunately, someone has habituated this bear to the point where it has lost its natural wariness of people, allowing this person to place the sticker on the collar,' DePerno said.

In doing so, 'The person that has helped this bear become food dependent and habituated is putting humans and the safety of the bear at risk.'

The danger to the human is, of course, being attacked by the bear. But, the danger to the bear is that it will likely be euthanized if it mauls a human.

In 2019, after the first political sticker bear sighting, NC State wildlife biologist Jennifer Strules told the Citizen-Times that 'People really need to understand they have a responsibility to live with these animals in a manner thats befitting each of our species, respectively.'

She added that 'doing something like that (the sticker) is not how we want people to be cohabiting with bears at all.'

The HAB is urging anyone with information about who put the Trump stickers on the bears to call 1-855-SOS-BEAR.
Home caregivers who helped the elderly and people with disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic to receive a bonus.

French President Emmanuel Macron has announced that home caregivers who helped the elderly and people with disabilities during the coronavirus pandemic will receive a bonus of up to 1,000 euros ($1,174) by the end of the year.

During a visit to the French southern city of Toulon on Tuesday, Macron paid tribute to about 320,000 caregivers who provided essential at-home services to 1.1 million people in the country.

He said the bonus would be financed by a 160 million euro ($188m) package from the state and local authorities.

The French government had previously announced a bonus of up to 1,500 euros ($1,760) for healthcare staff in hospitals and nursing homes working in areas most affected by the virus.

France, which has confirmed 30,294 coronavirus-related deaths since the pandemic began, brought the virus nearly under control with a strict two-month nationwide lockdown.

Yet the country is now seeing an uptick in virus infections, notably as young people gather at cafes or dance parties and families get together for vacations.

The scientists warn

In an opinion prepared for the French government, the COVID-19 scientific council on Tuesday warned of a possible resumption of circulation of the virus at a high level by September.

Prime Minister Jean Castex on Monday urged France not to let down its guard in order to prevent a new national lockdown.

We are seeing an increase in the figures for the epidemic, which should make us more attentive than ever, Castex said.

I call on every French person to remain very vigilant. The fight against the virus depends of course on the state, local communities, institutions, but also on each of us, he said.
Line of Duty showrunner Jed Mercurio has revealed bosses are hoping that series six will be wrapped by the end of this year.

The acclaimed writer revealed that BBC bosses are currently working to get production back up and running again, with the hope that a sixth series could air in 2021.

Filming for Line of Duty was suspended back in March at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, with fans eagerly awaiting the next series as they hope to finally learn the identity of the elusive 'H.'

Back on soon? Line of Duty showrunner Jed Mercurio has revealed bosses are hoping that series six will be wrapped by the end of this year

Speaking in the Q and A as reported by The Sun, Jed said: 'There are a few things to figure out, but we're working towards a day... I know a date has been talked about in the press, but as usual they got it wrong.'

'We are working towards a day and if we can get over all the hurdles we will be back filming.

'We'd love to be on air next year, so we really have to make sure we complete our filming before Christmas.'

The police drama - which follows an anti-corruption unit in the police force - premiered on BBC Two in 2012, but moved to BBC One in 2017 as ratings soared.

Paused: Filming for series six of the police drama was put on hold in March at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic

Season six of the BBC drama was four weeks into filming when it was grounded to a halt mid-production due to COVID-19, with Jed hoping it could be completed 'by the end of the calendar year'

Earlier this month, star Vicky McClure said that she has still had 'no word' on when the show will be able to resume filming.

Speaking via FaceTime on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, she said the cast had begun work on the forthcoming season of the police drama prior to the UK's lockdown during the coronavirus crisis.

Back to work? Speaking in a web Q&A, Jed hinted that BBC bosses are working to get filming underway soon, so a sixth series can air in 2021 (the cast are pictured on a recent Zoom call)

Of how far along they were in their shooting schedule, Vicky said: 'We were about four weeks of a sixteen week shoot and you know when you're just getting into the groove and you're like 'yeah', and then, that was it.'

Chris then asked her when filming may resume, and she went on: 'There is no word, I don't know.

'You know, I'm hearing lots about certain productions - obviously the soaps are being quite vocal about they're going back I think next week  so you know, there's movement.

Back to AC-12? Earlier this month, star Vicky McClure said that she has still had 'no word' on when the show will be able to resume filming

'But the thing is Jed Mercurio  who writes, produces and is our showrunner - he was a doctor before he was a writer, so he's not going to cut any corners, do you know what I mean?

'We're going to make sure that when we go back, it's safe to do so, so when that day is, I don't know.'

While filming has been on hold, the cast have been reminiscing on their earliest experiences filming the show, as BBC re-airs Line of Duty's first series throughout August.

The cast also have been sharing plenty of throwbacks snaps during the lockdown from the earlier years of filming.
On Wednesday, August 5, at 12:30, the press center of the Interfax-Ukraine News Agency will host a press conference entitled "'Impact of Media Terrorism on Reputation: Where Journalism Ends and Criminal Responsibility Begins" on the role and participation of the media in influencing the reputation, legal protection and crisis response campaign to protect the reputation. Participants include Partner of the Sayenko Kharenko Law Firm, Chairman of the Committee on Criminal and Criminal Procedure Law of the Ukrainian Bar Association Yevhen Solodko; financial consultant of Kyiv office of the Center for Exchange Technologies Dmytro Chykh (8/5a Reitarska Street). The press conference will be broadcast on the YouTube channel of Interfax-Ukraine. More information at phone: (098) 524 8716 (Kateryna).
But that was only half the radiation story. The other half consisted of tens of thousands of people who had absorbed dangerous doses on the mornings of the bombings and were now sickening and in some cases dying. The U.S. Army officer who had directed the atomic bomb program, Lt. Gen. Leslie Groves, dismissed reports of dangerous radiation as propaganda. I think our best answer to anyone who doubts this is that we did not start the war, and if they dont like the way we ended it, to remember who started it. This was obviously a non sequitur. By the fall of 1945 accounts of radiation sickness had become indisputable even by Groves. Called to testify before a Senate committee on atomic energy, he resorted to claiming that radiation poisoning is a very pleasant way to die.

Hatred blinds people. Hatred makes people stupid. John Hersey was different. He was a New England sophisticate who had attended his exalted schools on scholarships, and now stood as evidence that if imbued with discipline and a deep education in the humanities, patricians can be molded as well as bred. He was physically brave. As a war correspondent he had willingly exposed himself to great danger. The Army formally commended him for having rescued a wounded G.I. on Guadalcanal. Characteristically, he explained that helping the man to safety was the best way he knew to remove himself from the fight. No one believed it. War correspondents move forward into fights. Hersey moved forward a lot. But he was not a Hollywood tough guy. He was quiet, self-effacing and empathetic. Throughout his experience with battle, and despite the slurs he had written about the Japanese, he distinguished between the idea of a hated enemy  the Japanese as a swarm  and the reality of whatever individual was currently bringing him under fire. Was he from Hakone, perhaps Hokkaido? What food was in his knapsack? What private hopes had his conscription snatched from him?

After the United States dropped the atomic bombs, Hersey wrote that if civilization was to mean anything, people had to acknowledge the humanity of their enemies. As the months passed he realized that this was the element still lacking in descriptions of the devastation. It was a failing of journalism, and an opportunity for him. With the backing of The New Yorker  specifically of the magazines founder and editor, Harold Ross, and his colleague William Shawn  he flew in early 1946 to China, and from there found his way into Japan, where he managed to obtain permission to visit Hiroshima. He was there for two weeks before returning to New York to escape the censors and beginning to write. The result was an austere, 30,000-word reportorial masterpiece that described the experiences of six survivors of the atomic attack. That August, The New Yorker devoted an entire issue to it. It made a huge sensation. Knopf then published the story in book form as Hiroshima. It was translated into many languages. Millions of copies were sold worldwide.

Today it exists as something of an artifact, a stunning work that nonetheless has lost the power to engage largely because the stories it contains have permeated our consciousness of nuclear war. Few people read the original source anymore. That is unfortunate, but now  74 years after the books publication, and 27 years after Herseys death  help has arrived in the form of a tightly focused new book, Fallout, that unpacks the full story of the making of Hiroshima. The author is Lesley M. M. Blume, a tireless researcher and beautiful writer, who moves through her narrative with seeming effortlessness  a trick that belies the skill and hard labor required to produce such prose. Her previous nonfiction book, Everybody Behaves Badly, was a purely literary work about the background of Hemingways first novel, The Sun Also Rises; though Blumes attributes as a writer were fully apparent, the book suffered from requiring readers to care about Hemingway and his narcissistic excesses.
(Natural News) The other day in between segments, Sean Hannity of Fox News appeared to take a pot shot at fellow Fox News host Tucker Carlson for criticizing Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos over his crony capitalistic ways. But Tucker is right: Bezos is a grotesque crony capitalist who engages in monopolistic, child-exploitative business practices that are unjustifiable and potentially criminal.

Seemingly addressing Carlsons criticism of Bezos for amassing $13 billion in a single day, Hannity went on a rant at the beginning of his program about how people can make money when they provide goods and services people want, need and desire.

Thats America, Hannity bellowed. Its called freedom, capitalism, and as long as its honest, right?

The whole thing seemed directed at what Carlson had said just a few minutes prior on his show about Bezos specifically, though Hannity later claimed that his monologue was a mere defense of honest capitalism.

But the fact that Hannity sees Bezos as operating honestly is perhaps even more concerning than had he left the initial rumor about his criticism being directed at Carlson intact.

Amazon operates multiple monopolies and unfairly stifles competition, writes Bay Buchanan for CNS News.

It uses its incredible power to crush smaller companies and ensure they can never compete against the tech giant. It also censors conservatives and relies on Chinese child labor.

True free-market capitalism, at least the type undergirded with a moral compass, would never allow a company like Amazon to flourish. It would instead favor companies that pay their employees living wages, for instance, rather than rely on underage children to manufacture cheap garbage products around the clock like Amazon does.

It also would not favor companies that pretend to be distributors while directing customers towards their own products, which Amazon also does. During the height of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19) plandemic, Amazon was caught steering customers towards its own branded products and away from other products by hiding the two-day Prime shipping option from its competitors product listings.

Amazon products were advertised with faster delivery times while the quicker delivery times of third-party sellers were hidden, Buchanan adds. Bezos behemoth claims this was an honest mistake caused by its algorithms, but isnt it funny this mistake benefited Amazon?

Amazon and honest capitalism dont even belong in the same sentence together

Another area where Amazon takes advantage of and disenfranchises its competitors is in the world of media streaming. The Amazon Fire stick, which currently holds a dominant market share, does not permit competing services like WarnerMedias HBO Max and NBCUniversals Peacock to appear on it, even though the Fire stick is supposed to be a media provider.

A similar tactic is used by Facebook and other social media tech companies, which pose as content providers while acting like content creators, all to unfairly enrich themselves at the expense of their opposition.

In the case of Amazon, the company routinely engages in crony tactics that keep its competitors from playing on the same level field. It unscrupulously squelches all competition through malicious tactics that, were Hannity to take a closer and more honest look, would reveal themselves as the antithesis of honest capitalism.

Amazons Twitch also banned President Donald Trump from its platform for engaging in hateful conduct, demonstrating the censorship side of Amazons business tactics. It is all about control and manipulation, neither of which are congruent with honest capitalism.

No conservative is opposed to people making a lot of money the honest way, Buchanan concludes.

American prosperity is due to the entrepreneurship and free market competition of its citizens. Yet we should question when one man amasses so much wealth and power with unfair business practices. Monopolies built on forced labor do not represent the American way. And greed is evil.

For more related news about the Amazon monopoly, be sure to check out Evil.news.

Sources for this article include:

CNSNews.com

NaturalNews.com
Portland rioters burn Bibles outside federal building

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Rioters carrying Black Lives Matter signs threw Bibles into a fire in front of the federal courthouse in Portland and burned an American flag, leaving bystanders wondering what that act of arson had to do with protesting against police brutality.

People began starting a fire in the street in front of the federal courthouse which started with burning a Bible, then an American flag, until more and more items were added, according to KOIN reporter Danny Peterson. Finally around 1 a.m. (Saturday), yellow-clad members of the group Moms United for Black Lives Matter went over to the fire and put it out with bottles of water and stamped it out.

Left-wing activists bring a stack of Bibles to burn in front of the federal courthouse in Portland, Ian Cheong, managing editor of Human Events, wrote in a post with a video that shows Bibles being tossed into a fire. Do not be under the illusion that these protests and riots are anything but an attempt to dismantle all of Western Civilization and upend centuries of tradition and freedom of religion.

Donald Trump Jr. reacted to videos of the incidents shared on social media, saying, Now we move to the book-burning phase. Im pretty sure ANTIFA doesnt actually stand for what they say it stands for. Maybe just remove the anti part of [their] name and its perfect.

Riots in Portland have been ongoing since the May 25 death of George Floyd, who was killed while in police custody in Minneapolis. President Donald Trump sent federal law enforcement to Portland to protect federal buildings and crack down on violence.

After "repeated requests" from Oregon Gov. Kate Brown, the federal government "agreed to a phased withdrawal of federal officers," which began this week. Brown said the federal officers had acted as an "occupying force" and "brought violence and strife to our community."

The Department of Homeland Security said Saturday that violence is abating and their "enhanced presence on the ground will remain for the time being until the Department determines that the courthouse and other federal property are safe."

On Friday, 18-year-old Gabriel Agard-Berryhill was charged in a criminal complaint for allegedly throwing an explosive device into the entrance of the federal courthouse in Portland.

No legitimate protest message is advanced by throwing a large explosive device against a government building, U.S. Attorney Billy J. Williams said, according to Fox News. Mr. Agard-Berryhills actions could have gravely injured law enforcement officers positioned near the courthouse, other protesters standing nearby, or himself.

Russel Burger, a U.S. Marshal for the District of Oregon, stated, The violent opportunists engaged in dangerous acts of violence, such as arson, need to realize there will be grave consequences. Serious crimes of this nature go beyond mere property damage to the courthouse and endanger peoples lives.
Paris and London, 4 August 2020 - Atos, a global leader in digital transformation, has signed a four-year contract worth 5 million with the University of Oxford to deliver a new, state of the art, deep learning supercomputer built on the NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD architecture, which will enable UK academics and industry to drive forward scientific discoveries and innovation in machine learning and artificial intelligence, as part of the JADE2 project.



The largest AI-focused supercomputer in the UK with over 500 NVIDIA GPUs, this high-performance system is funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and aims to build on the success of the current JADE1 (Joint Academic Data Science Endeavour) facility - a national resource providing advanced GPU computing facilities to world-leading AI and machine learning experts from a consortium of eight UK universities and the Alan Turing Institute.

The JADE2 supercomputer is built on NVIDIA DGX systems, and uses the DDN A3I storage solution. It will more than triple the capacity of the original JADE machine and provide increased computing capabilities to a wider consortium of over twenty universities and the Turing Institute, helping to meet the level of demand for AI-focused facilities created as a result of the success of the JADE resource.

Professor Wes Armour at the University of Oxford said:"The successful delivery of JADE has created more demand among UK researchers and industry for powerful computing facilities which can accommodate high end, data intensive AI workloads. Building on the success of the JADE collaboration with Atos, and by significantly expanding the JADE consortium's computing capacity, the new Deep Learning supercomputer supplied by Atos will allow us to meet this demand and help many institutions to make some potentially ground-breaking discoveries. It will cement JADE's status as the de facto national computing facility for academic AI research."

Alison Kennedy, Director, STFC Hartree Centre said: "We are pleased that the delivery and hosting of this cutting-edge JADE-2 hardware and the resultant increase in capability will support the development and expansion of research computing skills across industry and academia. This aligns directly with the Hartree Centre's mission and we are delighted to continue the collaboration with Atos and Oxford University which builds upon the previous success of JADE."

Agnes Boudot, Senior Vice President, Head of HPC & Quantum at Atos, concluded: "We are proud to be working with the University of Oxford on the delivery of JADE2, which will provide researchers and industry with more computing power to enable new scientific breakthroughs and innovation in machine learning and AI. We believe this high-performance system, coupled with our expertise, will help the UK to address key AI and machine learning challenges, while supporting the UK's ambition to be a world-leader in these areas."

The DGX SuperPOD system will comprise a cluster of 63 DGX nodes, having 504 NVIDIA A100 Tensor Core GPUs in total, interconnected with NVIDIA Mellanox InfiniBand networking, all being fed by DDN's AI400 storage, making it the largest such system in the UK.

The system is to be hosted at the STFC Hartree Centrein Daresbury, near Warrington, UK.

1 JADE - Joint Academic Data science Endeavour. This proposal, led by the University of Oxford, with support from the Alan Turing Institute (ATI), and 22 universities, is the national GPU system supporting multidisciplinary science with a focus on machine learning and molecular dynamics.

###

About Atos

Atos is a global leader in digital transformation with 110,000 employees in 73 countries and annual revenue of  12 billion. European number one in Cloud, Cybersecurity and High-Performance Computing, the Group provides end-to-end Orchestrated Hybrid Cloud, Big Data, Business Applications and Digital Workplace solutions. The Group is the Worldwide Information Technology Partner for the Olympic & Paralympic Games and operates under the brands Atos, Atos|Syntel, and Unify. Atos is a SE (Societas Europaea), listed on the CAC40 Paris stock index.

The purpose of Atos is to help design the future of the information space. Its expertise and services support the development of knowledge, education and research in a multicultural approach and contribute to the development of scientific and technological excellence. Across the world, the Group enables its customers and employees, and members of societies at large to live, work and develop sustainably, in a safe and secure information space.

Press contacts:

Global: Laura Fau | laura.fau@atos.net | +33 6 73 64 04 18 | @laurajanefau

UK: Helena Shadbolt helena.shadbolt@mhpc.com +44+44 (0)20 3128 8897





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Sam Jay in 3 in the Morning. Photo: Marcus Price/Netflix

A comics ideology is often drawn on a particular axis: Are they punching down, or are they punching up? Do the targets of their material have less power than they do, or more? Its an axis often used to measure something like morality. It is Good to punch up, to use comedy to take jabs at those in power, to slice away all the things we take for granted as being untouchable. It is Bad to punch down. Its mean to dunk on the people and institutions that are less powerful, those already the butt of the social joke. Meanness aside, though, the punch-up-punch-down axis is also a measurement of degree of difficulty. Its not hard to laugh at someone or something that much of the world has already put down; its much harder to take exalted figures and manage to actually turn them into meaningful joke fodder. So it was with some initial shock, some awe, and eventually impressed laughter that I watched Sam Jay, in her new Netflix special 3 in the Morning, do an entire joke about her annoyance with Greta Thunberg.

The angle of Jays annoyance stems from Thunbergs focus on adults as the source of all climate disasters: How can the current adults be the problem, Jay asks, when this shit been bad? When I was a kid, they told me California was gonna be gone by now. Be glad that shits still here! The joke only mostly works. Jays point that people have been messing up the environment for generations doesnt have that sternal-punch sense of being a new truth that counteracts Thunbergs message. Its also less a puncturing of Thunbergs star image than it is a demonstration of taste; ultimately, Jay just doesnt like her. But the precision of the joke isnt even fully the point. Its the gutsiness of it. As Jay would put it, its the balls of it. Joking that Greta Thunberg is annoying? My texting finger itches for the wide-eyes emoji.

At an earlier moment in the special, Jay talks about the audacity of white people. Theyre ambitious, she says, and audacious in their presumptions of power, imperviousness, and entitlement. Elon Musk dreams about buying Mars, but when Jay was young, the furthest her dreams of wealth extended was Im gonna buy them gold ceilings Master P had in Cribs. Its one of the many fantastic sequences throughout the hour. One of my favorite images in it is the picture she draws of the British Museum as a site of stolen goods. That observation, while true, doesnt feel brand new, but Jay then immediately takes ownership of it by twisting the image further. Everybody steals, she says. But when Black people steal, they spread shit out. Cause [theyre] afraid. Not the white man, she says. Put it all in one building. Erect a fortress for it. And yes, charge em $20 to see it. Their own shit. And if one of em touches it, shoot em. Its not racist, Jay says. Its audacious.

Shes absolutely on the money there. That stretch of material hits in a way the Thunberg joke doesnt quite manage. But both sequences are united by the same underlying approach. With wild success, Jay performs her own kind of audacity, one less interested in buying Mars and more interested in gleefully traipsing into all kinds of tricky territory. Theres Thunberg, theres Me Too, theres a joke about Aziz Ansari, and a long section on Trump as the first n- - - - president.

Most interestingly, and most richly for Jay, there are several jokes on gender, biology, trans people, queerness, and bodies. Its an area where other comedians have floundered  most famously Dave Chappelle, who insists on biological essentialism in a way that, for him, reinforces strangeness, wrongness, and discomfort. (Primarily his own.) Jay has as much fascination with biology as Chappelle. She jokes about peeing and how women arent taught how to pee well. She jabs at her own dislike of male bodies and about the undeniable appeal of physical power. That Aziz joke, which deftly zags where you expect it to zig, is not about Me Too and consent. Its about sheer physicality.

Even early in the hour, she starts from material about her own masculine-presenting identity and the way both her girlfriend and cisgender dudes interpret it. When a guy at an airport offers to help Jays girlfriend with her luggage, the angle isnt solely about male overreach. Its about simplistic readings of outward appearances and about gendered assumptions. Its Get [my luggage] too! You gettin bags, get all the bitches bags! She smirks. Her physical appearance is not a trap to catch people with, but if they do happen to get caught, so be it. It is a comedy of confidence, a comedy about locating power in the places where it is often overlooked. For a few early minutes in her material on trans people, I feared she might fail to find that same kind of richness, especially as she lingered on reminders of physical difference. But material that could so easily have fallen into yet another exhausting, boring dehumanization of trans people flips the script again. Trans power becomes celebratory, glorious, a no-brainer, and once that joke is in the rearview mirror, everything about it seems obvious from the start. Like Elon Musk going to space, Jays audacity is what pulls it off.

Do not mistake my praise for Jays boldness as a disregard for her craft. None of 3 in the Morning would exist if she werent so happy to walk onto a stage and poke at all the things that are uncomfortable to poke. But none of the special would work if it hadnt been so painstakingly built this way, either. Her storytelling and timing chops are most obviously on display in the running/returning story about traveling with her girlfriend; its exactly the kind of joke thats dialed in so tightly that it manages to come off as loose. And yes, there are bits of the hour that dont hang together quite as well, a few transitions that couldve been tied down more firmly. Theyre tiny, though, in the larger scheme of things. In all, 3 in the Morning is so funny and smart and well done, full of bluster, pride, and insight. I wouldve happily hung around to listen to Jay sneer and smirk and wink and scoff her way through another hour.
Aug 3 (Reuters) - The U.S. economic recovery from the coronavirus recession likely slowed in July after surprising to the upside in May and June, and the trajectory from here is unlikely to be smooth, St. Louis Federal Reserve Bank President James Bullard said on Monday.

Bullard, in a presentation during an online event hosted by the St. Louis Fed's Memphis, Tennessee, branch, said it appears as though the trough in economic activity occurred in April. (Reporting by Jonnelle Marte Writing by Dan Burns Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
HOUSTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- FR TNT Holdings LLC and certain of its affiliates ("TNT" or the "Company") announced today that they have entered into a restructuring support agreement (the "RSA") with holders of more than 73% in principal amount of the Company's first lien secured loans and 75% in principal amount of its second lien secured loans, along with certain other supporting parties, to execute a transaction that will de-lever and financially strengthen the Company. Through the transaction, TNT will recapitalize and gain new liquidity in the form of a new $225 million term loan provided by the Company's first lien lenders. All operations will continue as usual without interruption. TNT's executive leadership team, which remains focused on the Company's operational performance, is expected to remain in place.

The Company is seeking to implement the transaction through a debt-for-equity exchange (the "Exchange"), which the lenders party to the RSA have agreed to accept. All the Company's first lien and second lien lenders will be solicited for the Exchange. The Exchange will only be consummated with the participation of 100% of the first lien and second lien lenders.

Simultaneously with the solicitation of the Exchange, TNT will also solicit votes on a prepackaged plan of reorganization (the "Prepackaged Plan") through cases under chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code, which will be commenced in August 2020 in the event the Company is unable to achieve 100% support for the Exchange. This dual-track approach, with significant lender support, will enable TNT to swiftly and definitively recapitalize its balance sheet with no impact to the majority of the Company's stakeholders. All parties to the RSA have already agreed to support the Prepackaged Plan, the terms of which are substantially the same as the Exchange and similarly provide for operations to continue as usual without interruption, with employees, suppliers, vendors, contract counterparties and other trade creditors to be paid in full in the ordinary course. The Company has secured commitments from certain of its first lien lenders for an additional $45 million debtor-in-possession financing, which, in addition to TNT's normal operating cash flows, will help fund the process and ensure the Company is able to operate as usual during the chapter 11 proceedings, if the transaction is implemented through a Prepackaged Plan.

"This restructuring is a positive outcome that will bolster TNT's financial strength and support our operations for the future. We are grateful to the lead members of our term loan group for working closely with us to prepare the consensual transaction and for the confidence demonstrated by their support. This consensual transaction will position TNT on firm financial footing with a healthier balance sheet. TNT will continue to operate seamlessly with an unwavering focus on safety and customer experience and no impact to our employees, customers and vendors," said Michael Appling Jr., Chief Executive Officer of TNT. "We are looking forward to working with the new ownership group to continue as North America's leader in providing safe, reliable lifting services as we grow alongside our customers."

Solicitation of the Exchange and the Prepackaged Plan is expected to commence imminently.

Through the transaction, the Company's first lien lenders will receive $100 million in exit term loans and 97% of the equity in reorganized TNT (subject to dilution). The Company's second lien lenders will receive the remaining equity in reorganized TNT and warrants that may be exercised for up to 5% of the equity in reorganized TNT (subject to dilution by a management incentive plan). All existing secured loans will be retired.

TNT is represented by Simpson Thacher & Bartlett LLP and Young Conaway Stargatt & Taylor, LLP, as legal co-counsels, Miller Buckfire & Co., LLC and Stifel, Nicolaus & Co., Inc., as financial advisor and investment banker, and FTI Consulting, Inc. as financial advisor. This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities.

About TNT

TNT is a crane services platform that provides operated and maintained ("O&M") crane services and comprehensive lifting services to a broad customer base across multiple sites, with a diversified end market exposure. As a provider of O&M services, the Company supplies its customers with highly skilled operators, technical expertise and project engineering and design in connection with its lifting services.

SOURCE FR TNT Holdings LLC
A toddler as well as a six-year-old girl and one other person were confirmed dead while six others sustained injuries in a lone accident on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The spokesperson of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the deaths to journalists in Abeokuta on Tuesday.

He said the accident, which involved a Mazda bus marked FUF109ZD coming from Kwara inbound Lagos, happened around the Youth Camp on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

Mr Akinbiyi, who said that the accident occurred at about 2:05pm, added that it was caused by a burst tyre which resulted in the bus somersaulting.

Six persons comprising four females and two males got injured while a toddler, a six-year-old girl and another female died in the accident.

We learnt that the commercial bus was coming from Kwara State inbound Lagos when it had a burst tyre due to excessive speeding with a female toddler losing her life immediately while a six- year -old girl and another female died later at Idera Hospital, Sagamu, he said.

The TRACE spokesman said the injured victims were currently receiving treatment at Idera Hospital in Sagamu while the corpses would be taken to Fakoya private morgue in the community.

He commiserated with the family of the deceased while admonishing motorists to desist from over-inflating or under-inflating tyres.

Mr Akinbiyi also cautioned drivers against excessive speeding, especially in diversion and construction zones.

(NAN)
The number ones in the pro rodeo world will be in North Platte this weekend.

Out of eight cowboys and one cowgirl who are leading their events in the PRCA world standings, seven cowboys and the cowgirl will all be competing at the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

Tim OConnell, Zwingle, Iowa (bareback riding); Matt Reeves, Cross Plains, Texas (steer wrestling); Luke Brown, Morgan Mill, Texas (team roping, heading); Wyatt Casper, Pampa, Texas (saddle bronc riding); Shad Mayfield, Clovis, New Mexico (tie-down roping); Brittany Pozzi Tonozzi, Victoria, Texas (barrel racing), Sage Kimzey, Salado, Texas (bull riding) and Tuf Cooper, Decatur, Texas (all around), are all ranked number one in their respective events, and have all entered the Buffalo Bill Rodeo.

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This years entry list has 667 cowboys and cowgirls listed, more than average, said Jack Morris, chairman of the rodeo. The COVID-19 pandemic is the reason for a higher than usual number of entries, he said. More than 350 PRCA rodeos have been canceled, causing contestants to compete at the rodeos that havent been canceled.
A socially distanced crowd gathered as the body of John Hume arrived in Londonderry on Tuesday night, ahead of his funeral.

Members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) he led for two decades formed a guard of honour in black face masks, holding lit candles as his cortege arrived at St Eugene's Cathedral in his native city.

The service on Wednesday is due to be pared down to comply with coronavirus health restrictions.

Hume's family have asked mourners to stay at home and light a 'candle for peace' at their door in tribute ahead of tomorrow's funeral.

Nonetheless a small crowd gathered outside the cathedral fences, craning to see the wicker coffin marked with a simple crucifix carried into the cathedral in the evening.

Politicians of all stripes came together after news of Hume's death broke to hail the former SDLP leader's relentless pursuit of peace and efforts in forging the historic Good Friday Agreement which ended the Troubles in Northern Ireland.

President Bill Clinton and two former British prime ministers led the tributes to Northern Irish 'political titan' Hume.

His role in brokering the 1998 power-sharing arrangement, which brought an end to the region's sectarian violence, won him a Nobel Peace Prize.

The coffin of the late John Humes is carried into St Eugene's Cathedral in Londonderry, Northern Ireland

John Hume's wife Pat (right) with family members as the funeral cortege of Northern Irish politician John Hume arrives at St Eugene's Cathedral

John Hume's wife Pat, with family members, follows his coffin into St Eugene's Cathedral in Londonderry

Members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) form a guard of honour outside the cathedral

John Hume's wife, Pat, and other family members stand beside his coffin as his remains are brought to St Eugene's Cathedral

John Hume was the founding member of the Northern Irish political party the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP)

The Bishop of Derry, Most Reverend Donal McKeown addressing the congregation after the coffin of John Hume is taken into St Eugene's Cathedral

A portrait of John Hume surrounded by candels lit by members of his family and colleagues in St Eugene's Cathedral, Londonderry

Leader of the SDLP, Colum Eastwood, MP lights a candle in memory of John Hume

Painted murals of Hume have long been a feature of the walls of Londonderry - also known as Derry - a city bordering Ireland which witnessed some of the darkest chapters of 'The Troubles'.

On one, his silhouette ranks besides fellow Nobel laureates Nelson Mandela, Mother Teresa and Martin Luther King Jr.

At the centre a bridge symbolises their commitment to reaching across divides.

At the foot of another, a small floral tribute had been added alongside a slate marker reading: 'RIP John Hume - blessed are the peacemakers'.

'John Hume saw very early that one life was too many,' Londonderry resident Jon McCourt said.

'When you've carried too many coffins, and you've visited too many homes where sons and daughters and fathers and mothers have died, you start to see something different.'

Hume's family have asked mourners to stay at home and light a 'candle for peace' at their door in tribute ahead of tomorrow's funeral

John Hume's daughter, Aine , lights a candle as his remains are brought to St Eugene's Cathedral

John Hume's daughter, Mo, lights a candle as his remains are brought to St Eugene's Cathedral

The former SDLP leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who passed away Monday, is widely acknowledged as being one of the key politicians responsible for securing a peace agreement in Northern Ireland

Members of the public gather outside St Eugene's Cathedral in Londonderry, where the coffin of John Hume was taken

'You get to the point where you understand that the force of argument is greater than the argument of force,' the 68 year-old added.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson tweeted a picture of a candle burning outside 10 Downing Street, adding: 'Tonight a candle has been lit in memory of John Hume and placed in the door of Downing Street. A symbol to all of us of the peace he was so instrumental in securing, and a reminder of the long-lasting impact he had on the world. #JohnsLight.'

Responding to a request from John Hume's family, many people across the island of Ireland lit candles in tribute to the Nobel Peace Prize winner on Tuesday night.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin and Irish President Michael D Higgins were among those who made the gesture, with images of their burning candles posted on Twitter.

Mr Martin wrote: 'Tonight we join together to light a candle for peace and reflect on the huge contribution John Hume made to our society. He brought people together and secured peace on this island. He truly was 'Ireland's Greatest'. Thank you John.'

SDLP deputy leader Nichola Mallon, Sinn Fein president Mary Lou McDonald, Tanaiste Leo Varadkar, Alliance Party leader Naomi Long, former Northern Ireland Secretary Julian Smith and Ulster Unionist MLA Mike Nesbitt were among other high profile politicians to post pictures of lit candles at 9pm.

After news of his death broke, President Clinton, a champion of the peace process, praised Hume's 'unshakeable commitment to nonviolence, persistence, kindness and love' yesterday.

His words were echoed by then-prime minister Tony Blair, who said the cross-party talks would have likely ended in stalemate without Hume's tunnel-vision for peace.

President Bill Clinton (second from right) and two former British prime ministers today led the tributes to Northern Irish 'political titan' John Hume (second from left) who has died at the age of 83. Pictured in 2000 at the White House with Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams (far left) and UUP leader David Trimble (right)

John Hume is detained by soldiers during a civil rights protest in Londonderry in August 1971

He was also the co-recipient of the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with fellow Northern Irish politician David Trimble (left)

Former Conservative prime minister John Major, whose government helped pave the way for the Agreement, described Hume as 'one of the most fervent warriors for peace'.

Hume's family say the SDLP founder, who had dementia and was being cared for in the Owen Mor nursing home in Londonderry, died after a short illness.

Hugely admired at both home and abroad for his fierce determination for peace, Hume was today remembered fondly by statesmen around the world.

'Ireland's greatest': John Hume: From teacher to Nobel Peace Prize winner January 18 1937: John Hume is born in Londonderry. He is educated at St Columb's College and St Patrick's College, Maynooth, before going on to become a teacher. 1968: Hume emerges as one of the leading members of the civil rights movement as the Derry Citizens' Action Committee (DCAC) stage a number of marches, advocating strictly peaceful demonstrations. 1969: Hume's political career begins when he is elected at the age of 32 as an independent nationalist MP at Stormont. August 1970: Hume becomes a founding member of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP). 1979: Hume becomes leader of the SDLP. 1980s: Hume becomes directly involved in secret talks between the UK government and Sinn Fein. June 10 1983: Hume is elected to Westminster for the new Foyle constituency. November 15 1985: The Anglo-Irish Agreement is signed. 1988: Hume begins a series of contacts with Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, which was to prove crucial in developing the peace process. 1997: The IRA announced the renewal of its 1994 ceasefire. Multi-party talks begin at which Hume and the SDLP play a significant role as the then second biggest party behind the UUP. 1998: Parties sign the Good Friday Agreement and a powersharing government is formed at Stormont. Hume wins the Nobel Peace Prize jointly with UUP leader David Trimble. 2004: Hume retires from politics due to ill-health. 2010: Hume is voted as 'Ireland's Greatest' in a public poll by RTE. 2012: Pope Benedict XVI names him a Knight Commander of the Papal Order of St Gregory the Great. 2018: Hume is too ill to attend a ceremony at Queen's University in Belfast to mark the 20th anniversary of the signing of the Good Friday Agreement. 2020: He dies aged 83. Advertisement

In a statement, President Clinton, who flew to Northern Ireland to support the peace process, said: 'Hillary and I are deeply saddened by the passing of our friend John Hume, who fought his long war for peace in Northern Ireland.

'His chosen weapons: an unshakeable commitment to nonviolence, persistence, kindness and love.

'With his enduring sense of honor, he kept marching on against all odds towards a brighter future for all the children of Northern Ireland.

'Through his faith in principled compromise, and his ability to see his adversaries as human beings, John helped forge the peace that has held to this day.'

Mr Blair made a rare broadcast appearance to underscore Hume's importance to delivering peace.

He said: 'John Hume was a political titan; a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past.

'His contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic and he will rightly be remembered for it.

'He was insistent it was possible, tireless in pursuit of it and endlessly creative in seeking ways of making it happen.

'Beyond that, he was a remarkable combination of an open mind to the world and practical politics.'

Mr Major said: 'Few others invested such time and energy to this search and few sought to change entrenched attitudes with such fierce determination.

'Those whose communities have been transformed into peaceful neighbourhoods may wish to pay tribute to one of the most fervent warriors for peace.

'He has earned himself an honoured place in Irish history.'

Boris Johnson described Hume as 'a political giant' while Sir Keir Starmer paid tribute to his 'courage'.

Hume co-founded the Social Democratic and Labour Party to campaign for a united Ireland - but by peaceful means - and served as its leader between 1979 and 2001.

He was a strong opponent of the IRA, whose militant behaviour plagued the region with violence.

But to deliver peace, he got round the negotiating table with Sinn Fein's Gerry Adams to thrash out a peace deal.

Mr Adams today said: 'The Good Friday Agreement in 1998, 12 years after we first met, was a landmark moment for both of us.'

Regarded as the architect of the Agreement,he was co-awarded the highly-coveted 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with Ulster Unionist leader David Trimble.

Accepting the award, he said: 'I want to see Ireland as an example to men and women everywhere of what can be achieved by living for ideals, rather than fighting for them, and by viewing each and every person as worthy of respect and honor.'

Current SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said Hume was Ireland's most significant and consequential political figure.

'It is no exaggeration to say that each and every one of us now lives in the Ireland Hume imagined - an island at peace and free to decide its own destiny,' he said.

Meanwhile, in a statement, Mr Hume's family said: 'We are deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness.

'Celebrating community in all its diversity went to the heart of John's political ethos and we are very appreciative that our communities supported, respected and protected John.

'John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather and a brother.

'He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family.

The family added: 'It seems particularly apt for these strange and fearful days to remember the phrase that gave hope to John and so many of us through dark times: 'we shall overcome'.'

Former US President Bill Clinton (centre) with John Hume and his wife Pat at the Guildhall in Londonderry in 2014

Former Northern Ireland's Social Democratic and Labour Party Leader John Hume and His Wife Pat in 2005

In their statement, the family also paid tribute to those who cared for Hume, who was being cared for at Owen Mor nursing home in Derry before his death.

The family praised the care he received in his final months as 'exceptional' and said the family were 'unfailingly inspired by the professionalism, compassion, and love they have shown to John and all those under their care'.

His funeral will be arranged according to the government's current Covid-19 regulations, which limits the number of people who can attend.

They said: 'We realise this will mean that many will be unable to join us and we will arrange a memorial service and a celebration of his life in due course.

'Above all, we know that John would have prioritised public health, and the safety and health of our communities.

'We are grateful for your condolences and support, and we appreciate that you will respect the family's right to privacy at this time of great loss.'

John Hume: The man seen as the principle architect of the Good Friday Agreement - for which he was awarded a Nobel Peace Prize

The Catholic leader of the moderate Social Democratic and Labour Party, Hume was seen as the principal architect of Northern Ireland's 1998 peace agreement.

He shared the prize with the Protestant leader of the Ulster Unionist Party, David Trimble, for their efforts to end the sectarian violence that plagued the region for three decades and left more than 3,500 people dead.

'I want to see Ireland as an example to men and women everywhere of what can be achieved by living for ideals, rather than fighting for them, and by viewing each and every person as worthy of respect and honor,' he said in 1998.

'I want to see an Ireland of partnership where we wage war on want and poverty, where we reach out to the marginalized and dispossessed, where we build together a future that can be as great as our dreams allow.'

Born January 18, 1937, in Northern Ireland's second city - Londonderry to British Unionists, Derry to Irish nationalists - Hume trained for the priesthood before becoming a fixture on the political landscape.

An advocate of nonviolence, he fought for equal rights in what was then a Protestant-ruled state, but he condemned the Irish Republican Army because of his certainty that no injustice was worth a human life.

Though he advocated for a united Ireland, Hume believed change could not come to Northern Ireland without the consent of its Protestant majority.

He also realised that better relations needed to be forged between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland and between London and Dublin.

He championed the notion of extending self-government to Northern Ireland with power divided among the groups forming it.

'Ireland is not a romantic dream; it is not a flag; it is 4.5 million people divided into two powerful traditions,' he said.

'The solution will be found not on the basis of victory for either, but on the basis of agreement and a partnership between both. The real division of Ireland is not a line drawn on the map, but in the minds and hearts of its people.'

While both Hume and Trimble credited the people of Northern Ireland and the Irish Republic for approving a referendum that led to power sharing, it was Hume's diplomacy that offered the impetus to the peace process that led to the 1998 Good Friday accord.

Hume won the breakthrough in Belfast's political landscape in 1993 by courting Gerry Adams, the head of Sinn Fein, the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, in hopes of securing an IRA cease-fire.

That dialogue burnished Adams' international credibility and led to two IRA cease-fires in 1994 and 1997.

Like most Protestant politicians at the time, Trimble had opposed efforts to share power with Catholics as likely to jeopardize Northern Ireland's union with Britain. He at first refused to speak directly with Adams, insisting that IRA commanders needed to prove they were willing to abandon violence.

He ultimately relented and became pivotal in peacemaking efforts.

Hume had envisioned a broad agenda for the discussions, arguing they must be driven by close cooperation between the British and Irish governments.

The process was overseen by neutral figures like U.S. mediator George Mitchell, with the decisions overwhelmingly ratified by public referendums in both parts of Ireland.

'Without John Hume there would not have been a peace process,' Mitchell said at the time the prize was announced. 'Without David Trimble there would not have been a peace agreement.'

Tributes poured in after's Hume's death was announced, from former Prime Minister Tony Blair, Chief European Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier, and Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin.

'It is impossible to properly express the scale and significance of John Hume's life,' Martin said in a tweet.

'He was one of the towering figures of Irish public life of the last century. His vision and tenacity saved this country. We owe him and his wife Pat so much.'
In the eight months since China first alerted the World Health Organisation about a new pneumonia emerging in Wuhan, more than 18 million people have been infected by the disease known as COVID-19 and the global economy has been upended.

The first case and the first death outside of China occurred in south-east Asia - in both instances, tourists from China who had travelled to Thailand and the Philippines respectively.

A woman walks past a row of T-shirts printed with Vietnamese flags in Hanoi. For 99 days, Vietnam seemed to have defeated the coronavirus, but now a new outbreak in the city of Da Nang has grown to dozens of cases in six cities. Credit:AP

But south-east Asian nations' handling of the virus has varied wildly, from out-and-out suppression (Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam) and initial suppression followed by a big second wave (Singapore), through to disastrous (Indonesia and the Philippines).

The extremely low infection rates of Cambodia, Myanmar and Laos are treated with suspicion by some observers  each country has reported fewer than 400 cases  while others argue the low numbers reflect high levels of citizens' compliance.

What happens in Australia's near-neighbours matters tremendously. The economic impact of the virus, which has smashed international tourism and trade, closed borders, cost tens of millions of jobs and will potentially send millions into poverty in our region are only just beginning to be felt. The effects will last for years to come.

So why have some countries done so much better than others?

Read the full story here
A man has been arrested here for selling Tocilizumab injection, used for treating critically ill coronavirus patients, in black market at three times its printed price, the police said on Tuesday.

Azam Nasir Khan (30), a resident of Kashipur in Uttarakhand, was selling the injection for as much as Rs one lakh, said an official of the Mumbai polices Crime Branch.

He was suspected to be part of an inter-state racket, the official added.

Tocilizumab is administered when the oxygen level of a Covid-19 patient goes down, he said.

Unit 9 of the Crime Branch had received information that some persons were selling `Tocilizumab injection, Actemra 400 mg without medical prescription at inflated prices in suburban Bandra, he said.

A trap was set by a team of Crime Branch and Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) officials and Khan was nabbed, he said.

The police seized 15 injections from his possession, the official said.

The owner of a medical store in Delhi had given him the injections, he told the police.

A court here remanded Khan in police custody till August 7 and further probe was on, the official said.

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An ice rink featuring a frozen waterfall in Beijings Changping district has become a popular destination among climbing enthusiasts and newcomers to ice sports. Located in the Huyu Natural Scenic Area, the rink consists of a 40-meter-high climbing area. With the approach to the Beijing Winter Olympics, ice and snow activities are attracting fans across the country. The China Tourism Academy estimated that 305 million people will visit such venues nationwide this season

Jan 18, 2022 05:36 PM
Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, the Vice-Presidential Candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), attended a thanksgiving service the day after the successful outdooring event on Monday, July 27, 2020 evening.



In his sermon, the Presiding Bishop of the Methodist Church, Most Reverend Dr. Paul Kwabena Boafo, acknowledged that Christians must get into politics to operate with truth and integrity as against the politics of insults and violence.



You are coming in at a time when our politics is bedeviled with all sorts of negative things but as a Christian, dont go that way, he cautioned.



He spoke against the lynching of an old helpless woman to death after being branded as a witch for no reason.



He told the newly outdoored NDC running mate that the mandate she was seeking from Ghanaians should be one to lead and be a servant who will care for the poor, helpless, and marginalized and those who do not count in society as well as champion the course of the vulnerable.



The Presiding Bishop advised her to constantly carry the value of peace along in her political journey, saying Carry peace, walk with peace, talk about the need for peace and let people know you stand with the God of peace.



In brief remarks, Prof. Naana Opoku- Agyemang expressed gratitude to God for how far he has brought her and said she viewed her new position as an important step God has placed in her path.



I do not intend to take this step all by myself; I am trusting God as I take this step and asking everyone to come on this journey with me, she said



Prayers were said for Prof. Naana Opoku- Agyemang and a bible presented to her to symbolize her acceptance to follow Gods guiding principles in her new position.



Family, friends, and members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) attended the service which took place on Tuesday, 28th July 2020 at the Asbury Dunwell Chapel at the Methodist Church Headquarters.

Source: King Edward Ambrose Washman Addo/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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Bogardus was born in New York City in 1927 and grew up in Scarsdale, NY. His father, who started as a clerk at Atlantic Mutual Insurance Co., later became the companys president and chairman, WSJ reported.

Bogardus joined the Navy after graduating from high school in 1945, during the closing months of the Second World War. He was stationed in California. While off duty, he hitchhiked to Los Angeles and met his future wife, Ice Capades performer Lela Wood. After completing his Navy service in 1946, Bogardus enrolled at Princeton University and majored in economics.

Bogardus and Wood married in 1950 and moved to New York City. He joined A&A as a trainee, making $200 per month, WSJ reported. His wife modeled in New Yorks garment district and worked as an ice skater at the Hotel New Yorker.

Bogardus was called back to the Navy during the Korean War and sent for officer training. During that stint, he served on ships mostly in the Mediterranean and Caribbean, WSJ reported. Returning to A&A in 1955, he was assigned to find new accounts. In 1958, he caught the notice of upper management when he won a major piece of business at Mobil Oil. By 1963, he was one of A&As 13 directors. He was unexpectedly promoted to CEO in 1978 when his predecessor died of a heart attack, WSJ reported.

As part of an industry-wide rush to create global networks, A&A acquired British insurance broker Alexander Howden Group. After the acquisition, it was revealed that senior Howden executives had been embezzling company funds to treat themselves to lavish lifestyles  including a villa on the French Riviera, according to WSJ. The scandal cost A&A more than $300 million in write-offs and legal fees.

We couldnt imagine that anything of this nature might occur with a company wed been doing business with, Bogardus wrote later. Nevertheless, as CEO the blame was mine.

Despite the setback, Bogardus guided A&A through the scandal. The company was purchased by Aon in 1992 for about $1.2 billion, according to WSJ.

In 2003, Bogardus wrote Spreading the Risks, a history of commercial insurance in the US.

Bogardus is survived by his wife of 70 years, Lela Bogardus, four children, seven grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
By PTI

MUMBAI: A special court here on Tuesday extended till August 7 the NIA custody of Delhi University's associate professor Hany Babu, who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case.

Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, 54, associate professor in the Delhi University's Department of English, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last week for his alleged involvement in the case.

The NIA submitted that the accused had links with the CPI (Maoists). The special court had last week remanded him in NIA custody till August 4.

As his custody ended on Tuesday, he was produced before the court by the probe agency.

Seeking his custody further, the NIA informed the court that some 1.26 lakh mails have been recovered from his email account and they need to be scrutinised.

READ| This is the time to resist not fear, says Hany Babu's wife Jenny Rowena

His social media accounts, which were used for communicating with other accused persons, suspects and sympathisers of CPI (Maoists) also needed to be scrutinised, it said.

The NIA further said investigations revealed that Tharayil was in contact with the other arrested accused and they were involved in raising fund for Maoists released from prison, and further probe in this regard was underway.

It came to light during the probe that a conspiracy was hatched by the accused persons, who promoted enmity between various caste groups.

It led to violence,loss of life and statewide agitation, the NIA said.

After hearing the probe agency's submission, special court judge R R Bhosale granted the accused's custody to NIA for three more days.

The case relates to alleged inflammatory speeches made at the Elgar Parishad conclave held in Pune on December 31, 2017, which the police claimed triggered violence the next day near the Koregaon-Bhima war memorial located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The Pune police filed a charge sheet and a supplementary charge sheet in the case on November 15, 2018 and February 21, 2019, respectively.

The NIA took up the investigation in the case on January 24 this year.
Lebanese President has appointed his diplomatic adviser as the new Foreign minister after former top diplomat Nassif Hitti resigned Monday citing governments lack of willingness for reforms to pave the way for a bailout by the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Nassif Hitti reportedly, submitted his resignation to Prime Minister Hassan Diab. Hitting according to his ministry warned that the Middle East country is a failed state. Lebanon today is not the Lebanon we loved, that we wanted to be a beacon and model, it is slipping to become a failed state  God forbid, Hitti said.

I resigned from my duty as foreign minister, hoping that the government and those who manage the state re-evaluate many of the policies and practices, and give priority to citizens and the nation over all other interests and contradictions, he added. The top diplomat also lambasted leaders of the country for lack unity for the interest of the Lebanese people, but instead sought their own, the London-based media reports.

President Michel Aoun and Premier Diab appointed Charbel Wehbe who has been diplomatic adviser of the Lebanese President since 2017. The 67-year old man is a former secretary general of the foreign ministry. Lebanon has been embroiled in an economic and financial crisis which began last year. The crisis, the worst since 1990, has compounded with street protests demanding an overhaul of the political class accused of corruption.

The country has entered into talks with the IMF for a bailout but the negotiations have stalled over lack of willingness for comprise over the scale of vast financial losses between the government, the banking sector and lawmakers from the main parties, reports say. Two government negotiators have resigned in protest at the handling of the crisis.
By Trend

Mexico's most influential newspaper, El Universal, published an article under the title Energy and territorial disputes threaten to reignite war in the Caucasus in English and Spanish, the Azerbaijani Embassy in Mexico told Trend.

Recent military clashes between Armenia and Azerbaijan have alarmed the international community over the risk of yet another war in the Caucasus, this time involving key energy and trade routes, said the article.

The armed incident occurred on the border of the two states, and this time the conflict is characterized by a new factor - the clashes occurred near strategic and transport projects connecting the South Caucasus, Central Asia and Europe, the article reads.

This created a threat to the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars (BTK) railway as well as to the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) pipeline, which passes through the territory of Azerbaijani Tovuz district and represents an exceptional significance in the context of ensuring the energy security of Europe, said the publication.

The article emphasized the fact that Nagorno Karabakh belongs to Azerbaijan is recognized by the entire international community, including Mexico.

Referring to the statements of the Turkish side regarding the armed clashes on the state border, the article stressed that official Ankara sharply condemned the military provocation of Armenia against Azerbaijan and supported the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.

The article also contains photographs of a residential building on the territory of the Tovuz district, which was damaged as a result of shelling from the Armenian side.

The publication in English can be found by following the link.

--

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Best friends Odin Frost and Jordon Granberry both have special needs and grew up together in Tyler, Texas. Both were given a roughly 2 percent chance of survival by their doctors, but on July 16 they graduated from the same high school, defying their shared prognosis.

Odin and Jordon had an immediate bond, Odins father, Tim Frost, told CBS News. Their bond persisted as the two 18-year-olds, both almost completely nonverbal, received their high school diplomas side by side from Wayne D. Boshears Center for Exceptional Programs.

(LR) Jordon and Odin on the day they met, then 15 years later at high school graduation (Courtesy of Tim Frost)

Tim walked with his son across the graduation stage, calling the moment surreal. We didnt think he was going to live, Tim, 37, exclaimed, now hes walking the stage and graduated.

Jordons parents, Donna, 42, and Damon, 44, have been firm friends with Odins parents since their children met on the very first day of school. The four parents, all in attendance at the socially distanced graduation ceremony, re-created a touching photo of their sons, aged 3 at the time, sitting together once again on the day of their graduation as accomplished teens.

After the sweet side-by-side photo comparison was posted online, it went viral on Reddit and received an outpouring of support.

Odin beside his best friend, Jordon (Courtesy of Tim Frost)

Odin was born prematurely, Tim explained to The Epoch Times via email. His mother, Deanda, 40, had preeclampsia, which caused stress on baby Odin during childbirth. He couldnt breathe on his own, Tim said. He stayed in the NICU for two weeks before getting to come home.

Odin had bleeding on the brain and a club foot, and he spent his first few years in and out of hospitals. Doctors suspected that he may never walk and may lapse into a vegetative state if he made it past the age of 7.

Tim and Deanda, unwilling to give up on their sons prospects, found a school tailored for children with all manner of special needs aged between 3 and 21. Odin was accepted.

Odin dressed in his high school graduation cap and gown (Courtesy of Tim Frost)

He then received the diagnosis of severe autism with speech and mobility impairment, Tim went on. After a few years of physical therapy and leg braces, he was in his room on school holiday and we heard a clanging about  [we] looked down the hallway and saw him walking towards us for the first time, at age five.

From then on, Odin has been on the move all over the place. This is something doctors gave a very low chance of ever doing, he reflected. His determination to be mobile outweighed any prognosis.

Odins best buddy, Jordon, took his first steps just before his 18th birthday, reports Metro.

Odin, above anything else, a musician, plays the guitar (Courtesy of Tim Frost)

The teens attend physical and speech therapy at their school, and Tims sons interests extend way beyond the boundaries of the classroom. Odin is, above anything else, a musician, he said. He is also a very gifted abstract finger painter.

Since receiving his high school diploma, Odin plans to stay at his school until the age of 21. He will also work alongside his father in Tims music studio, creating music for adverts; Odin has already helped his father compose two successful ad campaigns for Forever 21 and Tiffany & Co.

He will remain living with me and his mom for as long as needed, Tim added. My hope for him is that he is happy, safe, and full of joy. His job is just to spread that joy to the world, simply by being him.

Share your stories with us at emg.inspired@epochtimes.com, and continue to get your daily dose of inspiration by signing up for the Epoch Inspired newsletter at TheEpochTimes.com/newsletter
Goldman Sachs Group Inc has named Ian Taylor as the bank's new head of equity capital markets (ECM) for Australia and New Zealand, a spokeswoman in Australia said on Tuesday.

Taylor will be based in Sydney and replaces previous ECM head Sarah Rennie, following her departure to New Zealand-headquartered boutique advisory group Jarden in May.

He returns to the US investment bank, which ranks second in equity capital markets activity globally, from fintech focused merchant bank Galaxy Digital Holdings Ltd in New York, where he has led advisory services since 2018.

Goldman Sachs also ranks second in equity capital markets activity in Australia, where capital raising activity almost doubled to a five-year high of $17 billion in the first half of 2020, according to Refinitiv data.

Before Galaxy Digital, Taylor spent over 18 years in various capital markets-focused roles at Goldman Sachs in North and Latin America, Hong Kong and Sydney.

Aaron Lamshed, who is also based in Sydney, will be promoted to head of syndicate, overseeing pricing and allocation of capital market deals in Australia, the bank said.
Community Care is hoping to provide a little bit of normal for students in whats an extraordinary back-to-school year.

The non-profit agency is presenting its Snacks n Sneakers program again  which gives school supplies and gear to kids  but with a different delivery model in the age of COVID-19.

Every year weve been doing this, people have been lining up in the wee small hours of the morning, said Betty-Lou Souter, chief executive officer of Community Care of St. Catharines and Thorold, which saw 1,400 kids participate in the program last year.

We were really concerned about that, the social distancing is huge.

This summer, the agency is providing supplies by appointment only and is requiring clients to pre-register for the program in an effort to maintain safe distances.

The program is the same, with backpacks being handed out filled with school supplies, new shoes and gift certificates for healthy snacks. Its just being done a different way.

Souter said getting new school gear is one normal back-to-school thing that kids can look forward to this year.

The announcement came out last week about school and whats happening so theres all kinds of anxiety thats happening within that, Souter said.

This program is a little bit of stability that we can give people that is normal. A new pair of sneakers in September going back to school is almost a rite of passage.

Souter said creating as much normalcy for kids as possible is important now because theyre feeling the anxiety, too.

I think its really important that were supporting kids, keeping it as normal as possible for everybody so theres not too many differences. Every kid needs to be supported in their ongoing learning.

Their parents and guardians are also stressed learning about different back-to-school models and whats happening. Souter said at least with the program theyll have some of the tools and supplies they need to create the next phase for their families.

The program is available to children registered with Community Care who were born between 2003 and 2016.

Parents and guardians can apply for the Snacks n Sneakers program by calling Community Care in St. Catharines at 905-685-1349 or in Thorold at 905-227-9240. Appointments will be booked on a first-come, first-serve basis. Callers are asked to provide their childs shoe size.

Pick up dates will be Aug. 20 and 21 and Aug. 24 to 28.

The agency is also welcoming donations but has also had to change the way people can give due to COVID-19 so it doesnt have to clean and quarantine hundreds of items.

Danielle Cook, project manager for Snacks n Sneakers, said only money and backpacks are being accepted this year.

The monetary donations will help the agency purchase supplies. Many businesses that normally collect for the program through employee drives are unable to do so this year because people are working from home and offices are closed.

It costs $25 to help one child return to school with the gear they need.

Donations to the program can be made by calling the offices in St. Cathairnes and Thorold or going to communitycarestca.ca.
Tanzanian small-scale miner Saniniu Kuryan Laizer, 52, poses with two of the biggest of the country's precious gemstones, Tanzanite, as a millionaire during the ceremony for his historical discovery in Manyara, northern Tanzania, on June 24, 2020.

A Tanzanian miner made another discovery of one of the rarest gemstones on Earth, possibly earning the small-scale miner millions of dollars  again.

Saniniu Laizer, 52, recently discovered the rare, dark violet-blue tanzanite gem, weighing 14 pounds. Tanzanite is only found in northern Tanzania and is valued based on its rarity, color and clarity.

The gem is valued at 4.7 billion Tanzanian shillings, or $2 million, the BBC reported, and is among the dwindling number of Tanzanite left in the world.

Laizer, who has 30 children, told the BBC on Monday that he plans to use the money build a school and a health facility in his Simanjiro district community in the northern Manyara region.

He also said his earnings would not change his lifestyle, and plans to continue caring for his 2,000 cows.

Laizer became a millionaire in June when he found the two largest tanzanite stones ever unearthed in the country. The gemstones were also discovered in Manyara, surrounded by a government perimeter meant to control cross-border smuggling of precious gemstones, The Standard reported.

Background: Small-scale miner finds largest tanzanite gems in Tanzania's history, becomes millionaire

Tanzanian President John Magufuli congratulated Laizer on live television following his initial findings and the government paid Laizer 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings, or $3.35 million. The pair of violet-blue gemstones weighed 20.43 pounds and 11.26 pounds, according to the Ministry of Minerals.

The government set up trading centers around the country for small-scale miners, who often mine by hand, to sell their gems and gold to the government, Reuters reported.

"Selling to the government means there are no shortcuts... they are transparent," Laizer said at a ceremony in the northern Mirerani mine, according to the BBC.

Video: Federal black lung fund in danger of drying up

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Miner discovers third rare gem valued at $2 million
Ex-minister on unemployment in Ukraine: "Huge figure"

17:59, 04.08.20 1681

Ukraine's Central Bank forecasts the unemployment rate in Ukraine in 2020 may be as high as 10%.
History classes 'lead to white privilege and a racist society' and should be stopped in schools, according to an Illinios lawmaker.

Representative LaShawn K. Ford claimed history books and teaching as it stands 'unfairly communicates' the US's past and overshadows the work done by historically undermined groups - including LGBT, Black and Jewish people.

Both Ford - a Democrat - and other community leaders in Evanston, Illinois, are calling on state leaders to stop history lessons until a better teaching method can be found.

History classes 'lead to white privilege and a racist society' and should be stopped in schools, according to Illinois lawmaker LaShawn K. Ford (pictured)

He told CNN: 'Until a suitable alternative is developed, we should instead devote greater attention toward civics and ensuring students understand our democratic processes and how they can be involved.'

The Governor of Illinois Jay Robert Pritzker has not yet shared his thoughts on Ford's suggestion.

Ford put forward HB 4954, a bill calling for holidays included in the school code which would celebrate non-violent civil and human rights principles.

We Will board member Meleika Gardner added an amendment to HB 4954 which would make studying history including the American civil rights movement and America pre-enslavement compulsory.

We Will is an organization that helps get women and children involved in local legislation.

Gardner said of the current curriculum: 'It feeds into systemic racism if you're fed that information.'

Governor of Illinois Jay Robert Pritzker has not shared his thoughts on Ford's call to stop history classes

Ford claimed history books and teaching as it stands 'unfairly communicates' the US's past and overshadows the work done by historically undermined groups - including LGBT, Black and Jewish people (file image)

She added: 'With everything going on in the climate, with George Floyd, this is the perfect time now because people are starting to wake up.'

The Black Lives Matter movement spread around the globe this year following the horrific killing of George Floyd by police.

Floyd was killed when white police officer Derek Chauvin pressed his knee into his neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds despite his desperate pleas that he 'can't breathe'.

He passed out and later died in Minneapolis on May 25.
HOLYOKE  The City Councils Public Services Committee interviewed Darcy Lambert Monday for a position on the Fairfield Avenue Local Historic District Commission.

Councilor James Leahy, the committee chair, met with Lambert about the open position. The City Council was expected to approve the appointment during its Tuesday session.

Councilors Mike Sullivan and Rebecca Lisi joined Leahy on the conference call. City Hall remains closed due to the coronavirus pandemic.

According to Lamberts LinkedIn profile, she holds a bachelors in Physics from Smith College and a masters in Physics from Portland State University in Oregon.

She worked as a process engineer at several firms in Silicon Valley in California before moving to Holyoke in September. She lives on the historically designated Fairfield Avenue.

I appreciated the historical record-keeping of small towns in New England, she told the committee. I grew up in Southern California, and so the 1800s was really old. Being here is fantastic.

Concerned with having a local commission adept at technical matters and be a resource for residents, Lisi encouraged Lambert to take workshops with the Massachusetts Historical Commission or similar organizations.

There are funding resources Massachusetts Historical can at least provide links to, Lisi said. She noted the Holyoke Historic Committee revamped the Demolition Delay Orders regulations in the past year.

A demolition delay order protects buildings of historical or aesthetic qualities worth preserving, rehabilitating or restoring.

What weve seen is that six months go by and we say, dont demo, but nothing more comes of the process other than a delay, Lisi said. the delay is not meaningful unless we create an alternative, and thats not been happening.

Lambert wondered how much effort was dedicated to publicizing and engaging the community about the delay order. It also connects to using Massachusetts Historical resources, Lambert said.

Lambert told the committee she had attended several commission meetings before the pandemic hit.

Sullivan described Lamberts background as impressive and way beyond the scope of the commission. Leahy said, Holyoke would not operate as it does without the energetic volunteers.
South Africa: Didiza appoints Onderstepoort Biological Products interim board

Agriculture, Land Reform and Rural Development Minister Thoko Didiza has appointed an interim board of the Onderstepoort Biological Products (OBP) following the expiry of the term of office of the current board on 31 July 2020.

The board consists of seven members, as required by the OBP Act 19 of 1999.

This interim board consists of seven members, including five members who served on the previous board and two new additional members. Their urgent mandate is to finalise the current audit process and to compile the close out report, Didiza said on Monday.

The Minister has assured all stakeholders and members of the public that the process to appoint the new board is at an advanced stage, and will be concluded soon.

Following allegations of mismanagement and wrong doing within the OBP, I have tasked the Director-General, Mdu Shabane, to establish a process to ensure that all allegations raised by various stakeholders are investigated without fear or favour, Didiza said.

The seven members, who will serve as the interim board, include Dr Boitshoko Ntshabele (interim chair); Dr Manishree Jugmohan-Naidu (member); Tshililo Ramabulane (member); Dr Charlotte Nkuna (member); Dr Pieter Vervoort (member); Yaasir Haffejee (member) and Fulufhelo Mphuthi (member).

The Minister has thanked the members of the interim board and wished them well as they collectively lead the company towards the realisation of its mandate.

About OBP

OBP is a South African State-owned animal vaccine manufacturing company, whose mandate is to prevent and control animal diseases that impact food security, human health and livelihoods.

The mandate is delivered through continued development of innovative products and efficient manufacturing, which ensures vaccine affordability and accessibility through varied distribution channels.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 4

By Jeila Aliyeva - Trend:

Turkmenistan and Russia have discussed prospects for further strengthening of Turkmen-Russian cooperation in the Caspian Sea, Trend reports with reference to Zolotoy Vek (Golden Age) newspaper.

The discussion was held during a videoconference of representatives of Russia and Turkmenistan.

In particular, the parties discussed the possibility of using the logistics infrastructure of Russia Astrakhan region for the supply of Turkmen goods via the Caspian Sea to Russias Republic of Tatarstan.

The sides expressed their mutual readiness to intensify cooperation within the framework of the strategic partnership of Turkmenistan and Russia. In particular, representatives of Tatarstan who also participated in the meeting expressed their willingness to continue cooperation with Turkmenistan in all areas.

The participants reviewed activities of Turkmenistan's Trading House Kazan, Tatarstan's capital, which should help in promotion of Turkmen goods and services to the Russian market.

As reported, earlier, representatives of the two countries discussed intensification of cooperation between Turkmenistan and Tatneft oil and gas company, Kazan helicopter plant company, KER-Holding engineering company, AK bars Shipbuilding Corporation and Tatarstan's companies.

One of the most important field of trade cooperation between Turkmenistan and Tatarstan is the supply of famous Russian KAMAZ trucks, which are widely used in Turkmenistan's construction and agricultural sectors. Over the past ten years, more than 9,000 trucks and special equipment of KAMAZ Engineering JSC have been delivered to the country.

In addition, 46 dump trucks from KAMAZ were delivered to the International Sea Port of Turkmenbashi in Turkmenistan in April 2020.

The foreign trade turnover of Turkmenistan and Tatarstan amounted to $65 million from January through September 2019.

Branches of the leading companies of Tatarstan including KAMAZ, Tatneft and IED-Holding, currently operate in Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan focuses on cooperation with Russias regions and cities, in particular, with Tatarstan republic, Astrakhan region and Saint Petersburg, said the report.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @JeilaAliyeva
DETROIT, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Stratview Research announces the launch of a new market research report on Counter-Improvised Explosive Device (C-IED) Market Segmented by End-User Type (Military and Homeland Security), by Deployment Type (Vehicle-Mounted C-IEDs [Armored Vehicles, Unmanned Ground Vehicles, and Others], Ship-Mounted C-IEDs [Naval and Unmanned Maritime Vehicles], Airborne-Mounted C-IEDs [Aircraft, Aerostat, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles], Handheld C-IEDs, and Other C-IEDs), by Capability Type (Detection [Above-Surface Detection System, Underground Mine and IED Detection System, Stand-Off IED Detector, and Remote IED Detection Equipment] and Countermeasure [Jammers and Neutralizers]), and by Region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World), Trend, Forecast, Competitive Analysis, and Growth Opportunity: 2020-2025.

The report is designed in such a way that it addresses most of the industry stakeholders' concerns regarding market competition, future market directions, low-hanging fruits, key emerging trends, the Pandemic's (COVID-19) possible impact, key strategies of market participants, and high-growth regions. The team has conducted more than 15 detailed primary interviews across the supply chain including component manufacturers, C-IED and defense companies, as well as industry experts, to portray a 360-degree view of the market. Also, 1,000+ reliable secondary sources were exhaustively leveraged to comprehend the market insights to the next level. This 230-page lucid study comprises over 225 tables and figures providing different market angles and insights.

Counter-IED Market: Highlights

Improvised explosive device or IED is a type of unconventional explosive weapon that can be activated in several ways and can take any form. Rising occurrences of asymmetric warfare and snowballing incidences of terror attacks across the globe are the key reasons why there is a dire need for efficient ways to counter this looming threat. This is where counter-IEDs or C-IEDs come into play and are becoming an increasingly crucial aspect of warfare and military operations.

The COVID-19 pandemic has brought forth several unprecedented challenges for the defense industry including increased COVID-19-related costs, disruption in the supply chain, travel restrictions, production halts, labor crisis, and impact of remote and adjusted work schedules. Due to the pandemic, in the USA, about 279 defense contracting locations were compelled to shut down for an average of 20 days since April. Several countries' budget allocation and funding have directly or indirectly been impacted by the pandemic, which may cause a trickle-down effect on the C-IED market.

However, proactive formation of strategies by the defense companies is helping them mitigate the loss in their margin levels and revenues, triggered by the pandemic. Further, the rise in military expenditure of key economies coupled with the favorable timing of contracts proves to be game-changing for defense companies in this breath-taking market conditions.

The global C-IED market is likely to reach a value of US$ 1,406.7 million in 2025, experiencing a reasonable CAGR of 1.7% during 2020-2025. The C-IED market is extremely ambivalent, dependent on several unpredictable factors such as budgets, conflicts, country-specific war tactics, and overall need of the hour. Prevalent tensions among powerful countries may create a sudden spike in demand, turning the entire table. Also, the whirlwind of evolvement in IEDs presents huge opportunities for the market stakeholders to develop advanced and more efficient counter-IED equipment to satiate the market needs.

Click Here and Run Through the Detailed TOC of the Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/toc/717/counter-ied-market.html

Based on the end-user type, the military segment continues to be the key demand generator of C-IEDs owing to high military spending coupled with the pressing need to counter cross-border terrorism. Homeland security, another market for C-IEDs, is anticipated to witness higher growth over the next five years, supported by an increased budget of homeland security by the governments of several countries including China.

Based on the deployment type, the market is segmented as vehicle-mounted C-IEDs, ship-mounted C-IEDs, airborne-mounted C-IEDs, handheld C-IEDs, and other C-IEDs. The vehicle-mounted C-IEDs segment is further broken down into armored vehicles, unmanned ground vehicles, and others. Similarly ship-mounted c-IEDs into naval and unmanned maritime vehicles, airborne-mounted C-IEDs into aircraft, aerostat, and unmanned aerial vehicles. The vehicle-mounted segment is expected to maintain its irrefutable lead in the market until 2025. The vehicle-mounted C-IEDs can be used for detection, destruction, and/or jamming. They may have several sub-systems enabling the use of one vehicle for multiple capabilities (detection and countermeasure). All major players have the capability of supplying vehicle-mounted C-IEDs.

Based on the capability type, the market is segmented as detection and countermeasure. The detection system is further segmented into above-surface detection system, underground mine and IED detection system, stand-off IED detector, and remote IED detection equipment. Similarly, the countermeasure system is also bifurcated into jammers and neutralizers. Detection is likely to remain the dominant capability type in the market during the forecast period. It is the key revenue generator for the market with devices such as metal detectors, x-ray scanners, robotic systems, and counter-UAS. Countermeasure is expected to be the faster-growing capability type with jammers gaining more traction in the market.

Register Here and Ask for a Free Sample of the Exclusive Report: https://www.stratviewresearch.com/Request-Sample/717/counter-ied-market.html

In terms of regions, North America is expected to remain the largest market for C-IEDs during the forecast period. The USA is the growth engine of the region's market with massive defense spending and increased focus towards the adoption of emerging C-IED technologies. The US Army, the US Navy, and the US Marine Corps are the major demand generators of C-IED equipment and have formed several long-term contracts with the major market players. For instance, in 2018, Chemring Group PLC was awarded a contract worth US$ 92.6 Million to supply Husky Mounted Detection System to the US Army.

Asia-Pacific, the second-largest market after North America, is estimated to grow at the fastest pace in the coming five years. China is estimated to maintain its dominance in the Asia-Pacific's market in the foreseen future, driven by its large defense and homeland security budgets. On the other hand, India is estimated to be the fastest-growing market for the same period, propelled by rising bomb attacks and an increased focus on defense spending.

The supply chain of this market comprises component manufacturers, C-IED system manufacturers, defense companies, defense departments, navies, armies, commercial companies, etc. Key players in the C-IED Market are Chemring Group PLC, L3Harris Technologies, Northrop Grumman Corporation, Elbit Systems, Ltd., Lockheed Martin Corporation, Sierra Nevada Corporation, BAE Systems, Thales Group, QinetiQ, General Dynamics Corporation, and Denel SOC Ltd.

All the major players have different growth strategies based on their synergies, product portfolio, market reach, geographical presence, and market positioning. However, formation of long-term contracts, new product developments, and strategic alliances are some of the key strategies adopted by major players to gain a competitive edge in the market.

Report Features

This report provides market intelligence in the most comprehensive way. The report structure has been kept such that it offers maximum business value. It provides critical insights on the market dynamics and will enable strategic decision making for the existing market players as well as those willing to enter the market. The following are the key features of the report:

Market structure: Overview, industry life cycle analysis, supply chain analysis.

Market environment analysis: Growth drivers and constraints, Porter's five forces analysis, SWOT analysis.

Market trend and forecast analysis.

Market segment trend and forecast.

Competitive landscape and dynamics: Market share, product portfolio, product launches, etc.

Attractive market segments and associated growth opportunities.

Emerging trends.

Strategic growth opportunities for the existing and new players.

Key success factors

This report studies the global counter-IED market and has segmented the market in four ways, keeping in mind the interest of all the stakeholders across the value chain. Following are the four ways in which the market is segmented:

C-IED Market, by End-User Type

Military (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Homeland Security (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

C-IED Market, by Deployment Type

Vehicle-Mounted C-IEDs

(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)



(Type: Armored Vehicles, Unmanned Ground Vehicles, and Others)

Ship-Mounted C-IEDs

(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)



(Type: Naval and Unmanned Maritime Vehicles)

Airborne-Mounted C-IEDs

(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)



(Type: Aircraft, Aerostat, and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles)

Handheld C-IEDs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

Other C-IEDs (Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)

C-IED Market, by Capability Type

Detection

(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)



(Type: Above-Surface Detection System, Underground Mine and IED Detection System, Stand-Off IED Detector, and Remote IED Detection Equipment)

Countermeasure

(Regional Analysis: North America , Europe , Asia-Pacific , and RoW)



(Type: Jammers and Neutralizers)

C-IED Market, by Region

North America (Country Analysis: The USA , Canada , and Mexico )

Europe (Country Analysis: Germany , France , the UK, Russia , and Rest of Europe )

Asia-Pacific (Country Analysis: Japan , China , India , and Rest of Asia-Pacific )

Rest of the World (Country Analysis: Brazil , Israel , Saudi Arabia , and Others)

Stratview Research has number of high value market reports in the global aerospace & defense industry. Please refer to the following link to browse through our reports:

https://www.stratviewresearch.com/market-reports/Aerospace-Defense.html

About Stratview Research

Stratview Research is a global market intelligence firm providing wide range of services including syndicated market reports, custom research and sourcing intelligence across industries, such as Advanced Materials, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive & Mass Transportation, Consumer Goods, Construction & Equipment, Electronics and Semiconductors, Energy & Utility, Healthcare & Life Sciences, and Oil & Gas.

We have a strong team of industry veterans and analysts with an extensive experience in executing custom research projects for mid-sized to Fortune 500 companies, in the areas of Market Assessment, Opportunity Screening, Competitive Intelligence, Due Diligence, Target Screening, Market Entry Strategy, Go to Market Strategy, and Voice of Customer studies.

Stratview Research is a trusted brand globally, providing high quality research and strategic insights that help companies worldwide in effective decision making.

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OTTAWA  Canada's top doctor is warning an eventual Covid-19 vaccine will be no "silver bullet," and the public should brace for another two to three years of health precautions.

Dr. Theresa Tam said Tuesday that while a vaccine would be another important tool in the coronavirus response, it's unclear how effective it will be and whether there will be enough of it to go around.

"We cant at this stage just put all of our focus [on] the hopes that this is the silver bullet solution," Tam, Canada's chief public health officer, told reporters during the government's daily pandemic update. "Were planning, as a public health community, that were going to have to manage this pandemic  certainly over the next year, but planning for the longer term of the next two to three years."

Dr. Howard Njoo, Tam's deputy, added it's important to "temper peoples expectations" that a vaccine will ensure everything will return to normal quickly.

Covid-19 in Canada: Tam's warning is directed at a country that has shown more success than the United States in bringing the spread of the virus under control. She said Canada has reported 117,031 cases, including 8,947 deaths. Nearly 4.2 million people have been tested, and 87 percent of those who contracted the virus have recovered.

By comparison, as of Monday, the U.S. reported 4,649,102 Covid-19 cases. The virus has led to 154,471 deaths, which is 17 times more than Canada's total. The U.S. population is about nine times the size of Canadas.

The quest for a vaccine: Tam said all avenues must be pursued to find a vaccine, and even more than one.

"But, really, honestly we dont know at this stage how effective the vaccines going to be, whether it prevents serious illness and hospitalizations," she said.

Tam said some flu vaccines, for example, prevent severe illness, but don't necessarily shield people from getting the infection altogether.

Story continues

On a timeline, she said a lot of the companies in Phase 3 clinical trials are hoping to produce results by the end of 2020 or early next year. But it still doesn't mean there will be enough doses to go around as it rolls out, Tam said.

Getting ready for the longer run: Tam was asked how Canadians should prepare, psychologically, for the possibility of having to follow public health precautions for years.

The health system, she said, has been emphasizing "sustainable" habits  physical distancing, avoiding crowds, washing hands and wearing masks  that people can adopt over the longer term.

"There is no other way," she said. "Perseverance and patience, keep going, learn your routines.

Back to school: Covid-19's impact on the approaching school year has been central to public policy discussion in Canada. It is also creating deep concerns among parents and teachers.

Tam said Canada will release guidance this week that will include a recommendation that kids over 10 years old should wear masks in school, while it should be considered for younger children. In Canada, the education system is overseen by provincial and territorial governments.

But she said masks are only one part of the plan  schools should be arranged to make physical distancing easier, hand washing must be encouraged and officials are studying options to improve ventilation. School staff with underlying medical health conditions may need to wear personal protective equipment, Tam added.
Tolentino questions Philhealth for defying President Duterte's call for resignation of key officials

Administration Senator Francis "Tol" Tolentino questioned the head of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (Philhealth) for not implementing President Duterte's order calling for the resignation of the corporation's senior vice president and board members to pave way for its cleansing.

"There was a directive coming from President Duterte sa lahat ng Philhealth vice presidents to tender their courtesy resignation, was there a consequential action from the Philhealth board requiring the VPs to quit," Tolentino asked Philhealth chief executive officer Ricardo Morales during the Committee of the Whole hearing on the alleged widespread Philhealth corruption

In his reply, Morales said there was a Board resolution regarding the resignation of key officials, but it only reached the board members and not the vice presidents.

The Philhealth CEO added he exercised discretion because the agency couldn't function if all vice presidents will resign, adding that no cases have been filed against them.

"Kailangan po na maipaliwanag ito dahil ang sabi nyo mapa-paralyze kayo pag nawala sila eh pero na-promote pa?" Tolentino stressed, adding that the non-implementation of a board resolution is a clear legal violation.

The Senator said the resignation of key officials could have paved the way for needed reforms in the corporation amid serious allegations of corruption.

"Paano mangyayari ang hinihinging paglilinis at reporma sa Philhealth kung hindi sinunod ang utos ni Pangulong Duterte na mag-resign sila," he said.

Tolentino also questioned the promotion of four Philhealth officers involved in the Wellmed dialysis scam last year.

The Senator was referring to Cheryl Pena, Dr. Rizza Majella Herrera, Dr. Bernadette Lico and lawyer Recto Panti, who were promoted to department manager III on May 18.

"Walang tinanggal, walang na-suspend, na-promote pa," a dismayed Tolentino said.
MEIKLES LIMITED

NOTICE OF APPOINTMENT OF DIRECTORS

Shareholders are hereby advised of the appointment of Mr Simon Hammond, Ms Cathrine Chitiyo and Mr Stewart Cranswick as Non-Executive Independent Directors of the Company with effect from 31 July 2020. The Board welcomes the three new directors and looks forward to their valuable contribution to both the Company and Group's affairs.

Mr Simon Hammond

Simon is a Chartered Accountant and seasoned business leader. He joined the Old Mutual Group in 1999 and served in various positions including Group Finance Director for Zimbabwe, Chief Operating Officer for Old Mutual Africa and Managing Director of CABS, a position he held from 2015 until his retirement in March 2020. Prior to joining the Old Mutual Group, Simon was a Partner at KPMG Zimbabwe from 1989 to 1999 and is a past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Zimbabwe ("ICAZ"). Simon has held various positions of responsibility for ICAZ, is a director of Delta Corporation Limited since December 2000 and is the chairman of the Executive Committee of Peterhouse Group of Schools.

Ms Cathrine Chitiyo

Cathrine is a partner with law firm Atherstone & Cook in Harare. After graduating with an LL.B. from the University of Zimbabwe, Cathrine started her career as a Public Prosecutor before proceeding into private practice. She carved her niche in conveyancing whilst also practising commercial and corporate law. In 2009 her law firm Wickwar & Chitiyo merged with Atherstone & Cook. She has been involved in several commercial transactions, advisory mandates and legal due diligences.

She is a past Trustee of the Law Society Compensation Fund, and current member of the Law Society of Zimbabwe Conveyancing Committee. Cathrine is also a past board member of National Aids Council, and some commercial entities, including a bank.

Mr Stewart Cranswick

Stewart had a distinguished career as a stockbroker in Johannesburg. He brings a wealth of business insight having significant experience in a wide range of industries from travel and tourism to property and farming in various countries over the past 19 years including operating a successful hotel business in Africa and Australia. He has been a director of two listed entities in Australia and was previously a director of African Sun Limited.

BY ORDER OF THE BOARD

T. MPOFU

COMPANY SECRETARY

3 August 2020
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Microsoft yesterday announced its interest in acquiring TikTok from ByteDance for selected international markets. This was soon followed by US President Donald Trump announcing a ban on TikTok if it was not sold to a US company by September 15th. The move has not gone down well with the Chinese government who will not allow for such theft of a Chinese tech company.

The statements were made in an editorial in China Daily Newspaper thats known to act as a mouthpiece of the Chinese government. The editorial says that China has plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab.

The United States bullying of Chinese tech companies was a consequence of Washingtons zero-sum vision of American first and left China no choice but submission or mortal combat in the tech realm, the state-backed paper said in an editorial.

Global Times also had an editorial on Trumps ban on TikTok, but it noted that China had limited ability to protect Chinese companies from such retaliation because the US has technological superiority and has close ties with its allies.

Theres a possibility that the Chinese government could end up banning Apple or put it an Entity list of its own as a retaliatory measure which was rumored previously as well. The two other major U.S. tech giants, Facebook and Google, are already banned in China. At one point, Apple was dominating the premium smartphone sales in China and was rapidly expanding its retail presence in the country as well. However, over the last couple of years, Huawei has replaced Apple as the dominant premium smartphone brand in the country with its impressive flagship smartphones.

It will be interesting to see how China reacts to the US basically forcing ByteDance to sell TikTok to a US company and whether Apple will be a casualty of this war or not.

[Via Reuters
In the latest development in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case, the late actor's father KK Singh has requested the Chief Minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar to order a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation) probe.

Sushant Singh Rajput           ; Watch Video | FilmiBeat

As per an ANI tweet, Sushant's father has spoken to Bihar CM and requested him to order CBI investigation in Sushant's death case. Earlier, Singh had released a self-made video, in which he expressed his lack of faith in the probe being conducted by the Mumbai Police.

Earlier, Bihar CM Nitish Kumar had said that he is open to recommending a CBI probe into Sushant's death if the actor's father wants it and requests the state government for it. On the other hand, Maharashtra Home Minister had said that there won't be a CBI inquiry in Sushant's case as the Mumbai police is still investigating the matter.

Currently, the Mumbai and Bihar Police are conducting two separate investigations in Sushant's death case. So far, the Mumbai Police has questioned 56 people while the four-member team from Patna Police has recorded statements of 10 people.

On Monday (August 3, 2020), the Mumbai Police Commissioner briefed the media about the ongoing investigation in Sushant's death case. In his media briefing, he said that Sushant's father, sister and brother-in-law did not complain of any lapse when their statements were recorded on June 16.

Sushant Singh Rajput was found dead in his Bandra flat in Mumbai on June 14, 2020. The post-mortem report confirmed his death by suicide. However, fans and celebrities have been pressing fror a CBI probe in Sushant's death case as many feel that it's a planned murder and not suicide.

ALSO READ: Rhea Wasn't Allowed To Attend Sushant's Funeral; Name Struck Off From The List, Says Actress' Lawyer

ALSO READ: Sushant's Friend Siddharth Pithani Shares WhatsApp Texts Regarding The Actor From His Brother-In-Law

Worried about your mental well-being or of someone you know? Help is just a call away. Reach out to the nearest mental health specialist at COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ)- 0832-2252525, Parivarthan- +91 7676 602 602, Connecting Trust- +91 992 200 1122/+91-992 200 4305 or Sahai- 080-25497777/ SAHAIHELPLINE@GMAIL.COM
The online meeting on Monday between the three Nile basin countries is the second of a new round of talks brokered by the African Union to resolve the years-long dispute about the hydroelectric Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam.

Egypt, the Arab world's most populous country, fears that the dam will reduce its water supply and is seeking a legally binding deal that would guarantee appropriate flows of water and a legal mechanism for resolving disputes before the dam starts operating.

Ethiopia wants the dam to boost its power exports, whereas Egypt relies almost exclusively on the Nile for farming, industry and domestic water use.

During Monday's meeting, Egypt's Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel Aty expressed his country's rejection of Ethiopia's unilateral measure of starting the filling of the dam without consultation and coordination with Egypt and Sudan, which both lie downstream, according a statement issued by his spokesperson.

The minister said the move gives negative indications that Ethiopia does not want to reach a fair agreement and runs counter to a previous agreement of principles.

The three countries agreed that the legal and technical committees will discuss the contentious issues during the next two days. The results will be presented at a ministerial meeting on Thursday.

Tens of thousands of Ethiopians celebrated the first filling of the dam on Sunday, flooding the streets of the capital Addis Ababa in support of the project.

In July, Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed said the country had completed the first filling of the dam thanks to seasonal rainfall. (dpa/NAN)
The Teenager is back. Note the capital T. A lower case teenager is simply a person aged between 12 and 20. But capital Teens have been accumulating decades of emotional baggage since their first appearance in the 1940s.

By the late '60s, the term had come to imply erratic, self-centred, irresponsible, sullen, hysterical, rebellious, exhibitionistic, fad-driven and vulnerable to exploitation by ruthless capitalists. And of course, the Teens of then are the Boomers of now.

Olivia Muranga and Diana Lasu have been named as the COVID-19-positive women who flew to Brisbane from Melbourne via Sydney on July 21. Credit:The Today Show

In recent years, the term Millennial (or GenZer) has been the carrier of those pejoratives, but last week, three young women brought the original roaring back into the media. Brisbanes Courier-Mail branded these Teenagers as Enemies of the State because theyd gone to Melbourne, engaged in virus-risky behaviour and allegedly lied about their movements. The TV morning shows joined the Teen damnation (though two of the women are actually aged 21).

It filled me with nostalgia. I was reminded of Nora Ephrons warning: When your children are Teenagers, it's important to have a dog, so that when you get home, someone in the house is happy to see you. And of the song by Wheatus: Im just a Teenage dirtbag, baby.
While our office is used to dealing with death, it is impossible to come to terms with a child who felt so hopeless he believed that his only recourse was to take his own life, Arunkumar said. As Ive said that many times now, the deaths we deal with in our office are by and large preventable.
The University of Pennsylvania is alleged to have received $3 million from a company owned by a businessman with links to the Chinese Communist Party.

The prestigious Ivy League school, which is based in Philadelphia claims that the cash came from a Chinese citizen named Xin Zhou who was a 'large client' of UPenn's business school.

Zhou runs a company called E-House and participated in a University of Pennsylvania Wharton Business School event in Shanghai last year.

However the Washington Free Beacon claims the money actually came from an alleged shell company, the Nice Famous Corp., which is connected to Shanghai real estate developer Xu Xeuqing.

Xeuqing, who has no connection to the university whatsoever is in turn, alleged to have links with the CCP.

The prestigious Ivy League school claims that the cash came from a Chinese citizen named Xin Zhou, pictured, who was a 'large client' of UPenn's business school

The Free Beacon says the cash came from Shanghai real estate developer Xu Xeuqing, who has no connection to the university, but does have links with the Chinese Communist Party. Xin Zhou is pictured

The Ivy League school received $3 million from the Nice Famous Corporation Limited in 2019, which is owned by Chinese national Xu Xeuqing

Spokesman for the university, Stephen McCarthy has not explained why the university has decided to attribute the donation to Zhou.

However, Beacon states claims the funds ended up flowing through the Hong Kong-registered Nice Famous Corporation Limited company, which Xu reportedly owns but despite there being no obvious connection between Xu and Nice Limited.

The Nice Famous Corporation Limited appears to belong to another business, which is owned by Xeuqing, according to the Free Beacon.

Xu is said to have faced corruption allegations in 2011 after allegedly bribing a Shanghai official with a Cartier watch.

The official who received the item ended up being sentenced to life in prison yet Xu was not charged with a crime and was never prosecuted.

Michael Sobolik who is a China expert at the American Foreign Policy Council, a non-profit group and not a government entity, told the Free Beacon that Xu's non-prosecution could indicate close ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

UPenn has received $61 million 'in gifts and contracts' from China between March 2017 and December 2019 but between 2013 and 2017 only received $19 million

'The fact that Xu escaped prosecution in Tao Xiaoxing's trial, and especially his survival of President Xi Jinping's 'anti-corruption campaign,' suggests that Xu may have Party connections,' Sobolik opined.

'Businessmen with high-level CCP connections can play by a different set of rules, as long as they are connected to the right Party faction,' he said.

But it is not the only donation that the university received from China in recent years as the country has tried, in part, to buy influence on American campuses.

UPenn has received $61 million 'in gifts and contracts' from Chinese donors between March 2017 and December 2019, according to the Free Beacon.

In the four years prior, from 2013, the university received $19 million from Chinese donors.

There are no allegations that UPenn received the money improperly.

'It is difficult to determine whether Chinese businesses are 'truly independent of the government,' Ben Freeman, director of the Foreign Influence Transparency Initiative at the Center for International Policy said to the Beacon.

China uses its multi-million dollar donations, in part, to buy influence on American campuses. Pictured, Chinese President Xi Jinping, pictured last week

'Even some of the contributions that we're seeing ostensibly coming from Chinese businesses or Chinese charitable institutions, to some degree or another they are still connected to the Chinese government.

'Unequivocally they're using the money they're providing the universities to garner influence there. It's not the sole motive, but it's one of a variety of motives.'

Recently the Trump administration has sought to take action against Chinese influence at US universities, including the barring of graduate students with links to the Chinese military from studying in the US.

The State Department has said that China uses such students to steal technical information.

The university has been unable to explain why the university attributes the donation to Zhou rather than Shanghai real estate developer Xu Xeuqing who has no links to the university at all

Relations between China and the U.S. appear to be at a low point with frequent clashes between the two countries.

Earlier this year, President Trump accused the Chinese of deceiving the west over early data on the coronavirus before it spread.

Last week Trump said he will ban the popular TikTok in the U.S. - a Chinese-owned social media network.
WARNING  DISTRESSING AND GRAPHIC CONTENT: An Australian is among scores of people killed after a massive explosion rocked Lebanons capital Beirut on Tuesday.

The giant blast flattened much of the port, damaging buildings across the capital and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky.

At least 78 people were killed and 3,700 injured, with bodies buried in the rubble, Lebanons Health Minister Hamad Hasan said.

Hours later, ambulances still carried away the wounded as army helicopters helped battle fires raging at the port.

The sudden devastation overwhelmed a country already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis: Beirut hospitals quickly filled beyond capacity, pleading for blood supplies and generators to keep their lights on.

The cause of the blast  which sparked fires, overturned cars, and blew out windows and doors  was not immediately known.

Video of the explosion began to surface online shortly after the Beirut blast. Source: Storyful/Twitter

Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison told Channel Nines Today show on Wednesday morning one Australian is known to have died in the blast.

There's about 20,000 Australians at any one time who are in Lebanon and it's my deep regret to inform you that one Australian has been killed in this horrific blast, he said.

Our hearts go out to all of those in Lebanon and in Beirut in particular at the moment. You can see from the image of the blast it is just absolutely devastating.

Mr Morrison said Australias Beirut embassy has been impacted significantly and staff at the facility have suffered minor injuries.

Foreign Affairs Minister Marise Payne told ABC News 95 per cent of the windows in the embassy had shattered, with staff suffering glass-related injuries.

Mr Morrison said anyone from the Lebanese community in Australia concerned over the welfare of relatives in Beirut can call the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade on 02 6261 3305.

Smoke billowed into the air as a buildings nearby barely stood. source: AFP

Video shows moment orange mushroom cloud shoots into air

Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said it might have been caused by highly explosive material that was confiscated from a ship some time ago and stored at the port. Local television channel LBC said the material was sodium nitrate.

Story continues

Witnesses reported seeing a strange orange-coloured cloud over the site after the explosion. Orange clouds of toxic nitrogen dioxide gas often accompany an explosion involving nitrates.

Terrifying video from a nearby high-rise building shows the explosion erupt, sending a bright orange cloud into the sky before a blast wave engulfs the surrounding buildings.

The person filming appears to be sent flying inside their building amid smoke and debris before the camera pans again to the thick orange cloud now engulfing the skyline.

"It was like an atomic bomb," Makrouhie Yerganian, a retired schoolteacher in her mid-70s who has lived near the port for decades, told AFP.

"I've experienced everything, but nothing like this before," even during the country's 1975-1990 civil war.

An Israeli government official said Israel had nothing to do with the blast. He spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to discuss the matter with the media. Israeli officials usually do not comment on foreign reports.

BREAKING - A UNIFIL Maritime Task Force ship has been damaged following today's explosion in #Beirut port; leaving some naval 'peacekeepers' critically injured; Faytuks #LebanonExplosion



pic.twitter.com/IUDPRJ3Oli  SV News  (@SVNewsAlerts) August 4, 2020

Terrifying video from a guy driving his car while filming the Beirut explosion...pic.twitter.com/0XpfqCw22L  Rex Chapman (@RexChapman) August 4, 2020

A real horror show

The blast was stunning even for a city that has seen civil war, suicide bombings and bombardment by Israel. It could be heard and felt as far away as Cyprus, more than 200km across the Mediterranean.

It was a real horror show. I havent seen anything like that since the days of the (civil) war, Marwan Ramadan, who was about 500 metres from the port and was knocked off his feet by the force of the explosion, said.

Emergency teams streamed in from across Lebanon to help and the injured had to be taken to hospitals outside the capital. Mr Hamad added hospitals were barely coping and offers of aid were pouring in from Arab states and friends of Lebanon.

Injured people are rounded up into a military vehicle after the blast. Source: AP

Some of those injured lay on the ground at the port, Associated Press staff at the scene said. A civil defence official said there were still bodies inside the port, many under debris.

Beiruts governor Marwan Abboud broke into tears as he toured the site, saying: Beirut is a devastated city.

An AFP reporter in the city told ABC News the blast was felt right across Lebanon.

There were a lot of hospitals that were damaged so basically if you want to take victims or wounded people to the hospitals, they are full. People are piled up on the floors. It's like being in movie, she said.

Initially, video taken by residents showed a fire raging at the port, sending up a giant column of smoke, illuminated by flashes of what appear to be fireworks. Local TV stations reported a fireworks warehouse was involved.

The fire then appeared to catch at a nearby building, triggering a more massive explosion, sending up a mushroom cloud and a shock wave.

Charbel Haj, who works at the port, said it started as small explosions like firecrackers. Then, he said, he was thrown off his feet by the huge blast. His clothes were torn.

Smoke billows into the sky in the aftermath, with considerable structural damage in the proximity of the explosion. Source: AP

Explosion felt miles away

Miles from the port, building facades were shredded, balconies were knocked down and windows shattered. Streets were covered with glass and bricks and lined with wrecked cars. Motorcyclists picked their way through traffic, carrying the injured.

One woman covered in blood from the waist up walked down a trashed street while talking furiously on her phone. On another street, a woman with a bloodied face looked distraught, staggering through traffic with two friends at her side.

This country is cursed, a young man passing by muttered.

The blast came at a time when Lebanons economy is facing collapse from the financial crisis and the coronavirus restrictions. Many have lost jobs, while the worth of their savings has evaporated as the currency has plunged in value against the dollar. The result has thrown many into poverty.

Two men carry a wounded woman through a street covered in debris. Source: AP

It also occurred amid rising tensions between Israel and the militant Hezbollah group along Lebanons southern border.

The explosion was reminiscent of massive blasts during Lebanons civil war and took place only three days before a UN-backed tribunal was set to give its verdict in the killing of former prime minister Rafik Hariri in a truck bombing more than 15 years ago. That explosion, with a ton of explosives, was felt miles away, just like Tuesdays explosion.

Several of Beiruts hospitals were damaged in the blast. Roum Hospital put out a call for people to bring it spare generators to keep its electricity going as it evacuated patients because of heavy damage.

Outside the St George University Hospital in Beiruts Achrafieh neighbourhood, people with various injuries arrived in ambulances, in cars and on foot.

The explosion had caused major damage inside the building and knocked out the electricity at the hospital.

Dozens of injured were being treated on the spot on the street outside, on stretchers and wheelchairs.

This is a catastrophe we have on our hands, one doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to make press statements, said.

with AP

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More revelations are coming up concerning the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission. A Senate rep...

More revelations are coming up concerning the alleged financial recklessness in the Niger Delta Development Commission.





A Senate report which was obtained on Monday in Abuja showed how the top management of the agency shared N4.9bn among themselves. However, it was done in the guise of medical checkups at a time when Nigeria was under lockdown to check COVID-19 spread.





The Senate report also showed that the management paid N114.9m as a supplementary medical allowance to 26 staff members during the same period.





The report indicated that the monies were paid to the individual accounts in March and April this year, adding that acting Managing Director, Kemebradikumo Pondei, and the two executive directors got N14.2m each.

The report, however, cleared the first Interim Management Committee led by Joi Nunieh of any wrongdoing concerning this. It stated that no such payment took place during her tenure.





It nonetheless, stated that available data showed that the allowance had been in existence even though it appeared to have no specific policy underpinning it.





The report was adopted and approved by the Senate shortly before it proceeded on its annual recess penultimate week.





The report stated, The three members of the Interim Management Committee received the highest amount of N142m each.





Two other people, namely Evan Caroline Nagbo and Ms Cecilia Akintomide, took N12,387,500 each, while Peter Uwa Edieya was paid N10,340,000.





The report further added that four other members of staff collected about N8m each while 140 others collected an average of N7m each.





The NDDC management also paid 75 others N6m each while 153 staff members were paid N5.5m.





Four other categories of staff were paid between N4.1m and N4.8m while seven others got about N3m each.





The document further indicated that 804 staff members collected between N2.4m and N2.9m each.





Apart from these, the document showed that the management paid N114.9m as a supplementary medical allowance to 26 staff members.





No fewer than 15 of them got N7m while one of them collected N5.2m.





The rest however collected between N375, 000 and N550, 000 each.





The report indicated that payment to all the 1,401 staff who received the allowance was made on 16 March 2020.





It added that the distribution of the payment category and the number of staff did not suggest a regular hierarchical pattern and an absence of clear policy, which raised suspicion of arbitrariness.





The report also stated that the NDDC management used staff members for the distribution of Lassa Fever kits.





It explained that Personal Protective Kits were given to the 185 LGAs of the Niger Delta states through the NDDC staff.





The staff members, according to the document, were paid various amounts, ranging from N300,000 to N6,845,000, on April 15, 2020, for the distribution of the kits.





The report stated, The total amount used for the distribution is N55,090,000.





Twenty-nine employees were engaged in Monitoring of the Emergency Response Programme on Lassa Fever Outbreak at a cost of N5,972,500.





NDDC did not provide any returns on the end-user beneficiaries which would have helped in evaluating the accountability and transparency of the programme. There was also no mention of the original target beneficiaries.





NDDC management did not provide details of allocation of the Lassa fever Protective Kits per each state and LGA and how the distributors were assigned as well as the collated report on the distribution exercise.





They should have justified the huge amount of money allocated for the exercise.





The report further added that by its own record. NDDC spent N808.9m as imprest between October 29 2019 and May 23. 2020.





It stated that this covers a period of seven months during most of which the nation was on lockdown.




ST. LOUIS, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Something in Madness, the gripping new historical novel by Ed Protzel, illuminates Reconstruction, one of the darkest and least understood periods in American history and the roots of America's ongoing racial divide. The book, which works as a stand-alone as well as the conclusion to Protozel's DarkHorse Trilogy, will be released in print and ebook formats on Oct. 23, 2020, by TouchPoint Press. The Kindle edition is available for preorder on Amazon.

Something in Madness (DarkHorse Trilogy, Book 3) historical novel by Ed Protzel depicts Reconstuction, and the roots of America's racial divide. Ed Protzel, author of the Southern historical DarkHorse Trilogy (The Lies That Bind, Honor Among Outcasts, Something in Madness), and sci-fi thriller The Antiquities Dealer.

Protzel utilizes real events and attitudes from the era, as well as varied points of view  black, white, mixed-race, Native American, male and female  to ground both the characters and the story in reality.

"Sadly, the struggle for social justice depicted in this fictional story still reverberates today," notes Protzel. "But hope for a better future is strong in the human spirit, and that's what I wanted to convey in writing the trilogy."

Story Summary:

1865. Abolitionist Durksen Hurst and three black friends return home to a devastated Mississippi, the sole survivors of a Union colored cavalry regiment. But instead of peace, they find unregenerate Confederates who reject emancipation still in charge. Undeterred, Durk opens a law practice to help disenfranchised freedmen  only to be threatened by powerful planters and nightriders. A black school is burned; a petition march to Jackson is terrorized. And when one of his friends goes missing, Durk is horrified to discover Black Codes being used to force freedmen into brutal servitude. Clever Durk schemes to liberate them, but must contend with armed ruffians  and a rigged court system. Will fire and bullets prevail?

About the Author: Screenwriter turned novelist Ed Protzel is the author of the Southern historical DarkHorse Trilogy (The Lies That Bind, Honor Among Outcasts, Something in Madness), and sci-fi thriller The Antiquities Dealer. A graduate of the University of Missouri-St. Louis with an M.A. in English, Ed lives in St. Louis.

Publisher's ARC, sell sheet, cover art available. Contacts:

Ed Protzel, (314) 721-0035 / cell: 314-239-5468 / [email protected]

TouchPoint Press, (662) 595-4192, [email protected], https://touchpointpress.com/

Jeanie Loiocano, Loiocano Literary Agency, (912) 230-2207, [email protected], https://loiaconoliteraryagency.com/

SOURCE Ed Protzel
The economic collapses in Spain and France over the last quarter were massacres. Italy's GDP fell back to levels last seen in the early '90s. The picture emerging on both sides of the Atlantic from official GDP data is as traumatic as feared, but it is also in one sense a statistical mirage. An induced economic coma for three months is akin to an extended holiday.

It is not the end of the world as long as the tissue of the economy is kept whole and lost output is fully buffered by fiscal transfers, and so long as support is continued until a V-shaped recovery takes hold - and whittles down the extra debt load.

Sharemarkets remain strong, but they shouldn't be seen as a sign that the global economy is on the road to a quick recovery. Credit:AP

But this is not what is happening. The pandemic is still wreaking havoc and stimulus is running out before the rebound reaches self-sustaining "escape velocity". Cliff edges are approaching: furlough payments for workers are being cut; and loan guarantees for firms will expire, as will moratoria on corporate layoffs.

"We're going to hit a crunch in September and October," said David Owen from Jefferies.
The Congress party could hold talks with the rebel MLAs of Sachin Pilot camp if they leave the hospitality of Manohar Lal Khattar government in Haryana, underlined partys national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday.

Surjewala maintained that the only condition for talks with the dissident Rajasthan MLAs is that they leave the BJPs suraksha chakra (protection).

Innocent kids are being killed, gang rapes are taking place, people are being beaten up in Gurugram. There is no police available for them, but 1,000 policemen are deployed for the security of 19 upset MLAs. The legislators should first give up the Haryana polices security, and friendship and hospitality of the BJP, return home and only then will the dialogue take place, said Surjewala, once again underscoring the partys accommodating stance.

Congress leaders have alleged that Pilot camp is staying at a Haryana hotel on BJPs hospitality. They have also accused the BJP of attempting to topple the Gehlot-led government in Rajasthan.

Surjewala, Rajasthan Congress in-charge Avinash Pande, and senior leader Ajay Maken have been sent by the party to the state as Central observers.

On Saturday, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot, who earlier used harsh words against his Number 2 in the government, said that he would welcome back former deputy chief minister Sachin pilot and other dissident Congress legislators if the partys high command forgave them.

If the high command forgives them (dissident MLAs), I will hug them. I have no prestige point, Gehlot said while talking to the media outside a Jaisalmer hotel, where the MLAs loyal to him were shifted ahead of the assembly session from August 14.

Gehlot has also rejected the claim of dissident Congress MLAs that their work was not being done.

He told reporters that the MLAs earlier used to appreciate the governments work and now they are complaining about it.

He said people elected them but now they have revolted.

The fissures in the state Congress leadership came to the fore when Pilot and 18 other MLAs rebelled against the Gehlot government in July. The chief minister has accused Pilot of trying to topple the government and alleged that he did nothing substantial as the Rajasthan Congress president in a seven-year tenure.
Exam bosses responsible for accrediting qualifications in Scotland have marked down 124,564 pupils  after 'optimistic' teachers tried to give them the highest results in history for their coronavirus-cancelled tests.

The Scottish Qualifications Authority downgraded the students' marks for the exams that were not sat, changing a massive 93.1 per cent of all the moderated scores.

Chief Examining Officer Fiona Robertson said if the SQA had not stepped in exam pass rates would have risen at every level and would have been the highest on record.

Pupils took to Twitter to share memes about the incident, with one sharing a video of Greta Thunberg while others told of their disappointment.

Aiden, 17, from Falkirk was predicted to get three As and a B but was given a B and 3Cs and has been encouraged by his teachers to appeal. He said today: 'I was very proud of the Scottish education system but after this I am really disappointed.'

Dylan Quigley finding out his exam results with his sister Louise and mum Susan

The grades  which even after moderation saw a rise in pass rates across the board  were worked out by teachers based on their pupils achievements during the year pre-Covid.

It saw the number of students accepted to university rise with 28,970 people will start in higher education this academic year after meeting the requirements for university.

Ms Robertson said: 'There may be several reasons why estimates were above historic attainment, which has been relatively stable over time.

'Some teachers and lecturers may have been optimistic, given the circumstances of this year, or may have believed, correctly or incorrectly, that this cohort of candidates may have achieved better grades due to a range of factors.'

The exam results came out this morning and showed the National 5 pass rate was 81.1 per cent, the Higher pass rate was 78.9 per cent and the Advanced Higher pass rate was 84.9 per cent.

They have risen from 78.2%, 74.8% and 79.4% respectively up from 78.2 per cent, 74.8 per cent and 79.4 per cent last year.

In many cases the SQA knocked down the results down a grade, with a total of 45,454 entries moderated down from grades A-C to grade D or to no award.

More than a quarter - 26.2 per cent - of grades were moderated by the SQA, a total of 133,762, while 377,308 entries were accepted unchanged.

There were 653,000 entries or exams this year which went into the SQA.

It flagged a number which looked unusual, which made up over a quarter of the sum.

They were then moderated and sent back to the schools.

Pupils across Scotland reacted to the news today, with many missing out on the grades they had hoped for.

Pupils took to Twitter to share memes about the incident, while some told of their disappointment

Lewis Nixon from Bishopbriggs, just outside Glasgow, is another pupil who raised questions over how the results were calculated.

The 16-year-old told PA: 'I got As in history and modern studies; Bs in maths, English and PE; a C in chemistry, and a D in computing - this was despite getting a C in my computing prelim and an A in both my English and PE prelims.

'A lot of people in my school feel that they have also been marked unfairly, even though our school is usually up very high when it comes to nationwide exam grades.

'But I also know a lot of people who go to schools in more deprived areas who have been given terrible grades despite doing well through the school year.'

Moderation: how and why the results were marked down The Scottish Qualifications Authority received 653,000 entries or exams at the end of this academic year Of them assessors thought that a number of them - 26.2 per cent - looked irregular or out of step with expectations These were then taken out for moderation and anonymised for the start of the moderation process Specialists in the relevant subjects were brought in to help assess whether the papers should be marked up or down Of the 133,762 exams, a total of 124,564 were marked down by the authority They then had their names reattached and sent back to the relevant schools and colleges The remaining 73.8 per cent were awarded as estimated Advertisement

She added: 'I don't understand why the SQA are deciding our results when our teachers have a much better understanding of our work and progress.

'Even then, there is almost never a reason for moving someone down a grade from their predicted grade - it's been a shambles.

'Our teachers have even been emailing us saying they've not got a clue what's been going on.'

Others were happy with the grades they received on Tuesday morning.

Brooke Adam, an S5 pupil at Linwood High, was part of a group who opened their results live on TV.

The 16-year-old said: 'I got six As and a B and I'm very happy with it.

'Next year I am doing five Highers and when I leave school I'd like to be either a paediatric doctor or a child's nurse.

'It was a bit nerve-wracking because we didn't sit exams so I didn't have an idea of how I'd done so that was a bit weird.'

A 17-year-old pupil from St Ninian's High School in Giffnock, East Renfrewshire, who has a rare autoimmune condition called myasthenia gravis, has celebrated gaining five As.

Zainab Alani from Newton Mearns said: 'When I was diagnosed with the condition it was quite frightening and then as part of my management plan I had to go in for surgery.

'As soon as I was able I wanted to get back to school so that I could get some normality back in my life.

'Now I want to pursue a career in medicine to give back to all the amazing nurses and doctors who have cared for me throughout this difficult time.

'I'm so delighted that I've got the results now which will hopefully help me go in the direction that I want to.'

Pupils celebrating their exam results at Linwood High in Renfrewshire after they were released

Scottish Labour education spokesman Iain Gray said pupils should feel proud of themselves - but then took aim at the SQA.

He said: 'Pass rates are up, and I congratulate all the pupils who have worked so hard, and their teachers who faced a mammoth task of assessment,' he said.

'It is clear though that too many young people have been hit hard by the SQA's so-called moderation. Too many have seen their results lowered, often with passes turned into fails, damaging their prospects for university or college.

'Worst of all, the SQA have done this on the basis of each school's past performance, marking the school not the pupil, and baking in the attainment gap. They were told that this would be grossly unfair and it is. The SQA have also treated teachers' professional judgement with contempt.

GCSE and A-Level results will be decided by statistical modelling  not just teachers' predicted grades Statistical modelling will be used to determine the majority of this year's A-level and GCSE results as opposed to predicted grades from teachers. Exam regulator Ofqual announced the government u-turn in July after concerns regarding the reliability of teacher-predicted grades were raised. The new statistical model will take into account a number of factors, including pupils' previous attainment, results of previous students at the same school and the predicted grades teachers submitted in March. This will mean thousands of English pupils will avoid the disappointment experienced by thousands of their peers in Scotland today. Advertisement

'The SQA will now be deluged with appeals. I hope they are ready to deal with them properly.'

Education Secretary John Swinney insisted that he believed teachers had acted professionally.

He admitted there would be an appeals process for any pupils who thought they had got unfair marks.

Mr Swinney said: 'Without moderation, pass rates at grades A-C compared to last year would have increased by 10.4 percentage points for National 5, by 14 percentage points for Higher and by 13.4 percentage points for Advanced Higher - annual change never been seen in Scottish exam results.

'I know teachers and lecturers will always want the best for their pupils but I believe that teachers have acted professionally.

'I know that learners who did not achieve what they were expecting will be disappointed, however, the SQA will be operating a free appeals process this year.'

Clare Marchant, the chief executive of Ucas, congratulated students who had got their results

She added: 'The increase in people with a confirmed place, especially the record number from Scotland's most deprived areas and those choosing to study nursing, should be particularly celebrated, with their achievements providing their passport into higher education.

'Universities and colleges are ready to support students in making the transition into higher education during this, the most challenging of years, with appropriate plans in place to start teaching in earnest, and student safety their paramount consideration.'

Sir Michael Wilshaw, former chief inspector of schools in England and head of Ofsted from 2012 to 2016, said it was an 'absolute moral imperative' that teachers worked with students who have 'fallen furthest behind'.

Asked about the implications of today's Scottish results for pupils in other parts of the UK, he told BBC Radio 4's World at One programme: 'We have to remember that not all schools are good. The great majority are, but not all schools are good, if schools aren't good they're usually poorly led where the assessment systems are not well managed.

'So it's really up to the examination body Ofqual (Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulation) to make sure that they are really rigorous in making these judgments.'

He added: 'From what I've read, children will have, young people will have the right of appeal against the grades they have been given by the school and can do a final examination in the autumn in October, November. So I suspect quite a lot of youngsters will want to do that and I would encourage them to do it.'

He continued: 'There's a moral duty it seems to me - more than ever - for teachers to make up the lost ground that children have suffered... I would be saying: well look, curtail your summer holidays, come in for a few days to work, not with everyone, but with the ones, with the students we know have fallen furthest behind. It's an absolute moral imperative that they do that.'
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham packs plenty of information into her frequent pandemic-related livestreams  charts, graphs and Cabinet members all make regular appearances as New Mexicans tune in by the tens of thousands.

But as last week proved, you still have to read the fine print.

When the governor announced last week that her administration would be extending the public health order, it wasnt until the official order was released in writing that it became clear a few changes had been made  including that in-person group fitness classes, a no-go for months, now would be allowed at 25% capacity.

It caught more than one local industry leader off-guard.

We were blindsided, but pleasantly surprised, said Shelly Prant, CEO of the Jewish Community Center of Greater Albuquerque.

But, once organization leaders had verified the written order really did allow for group classes  a change the Governors Office has said aims to streamline regulations to make them easier for businesses to comply with  center COO Cathy Driscoll said they were ready to act.

Weve been prepared since we closed (early in the pandemic) to reestablish our fitness classes when it was allowed, Driscoll said. Were calling back our staff and confirming who can still teach what, because  its been months.

To group or not

Proprietors of some gyms and fitness centers are ready to forge ahead with the new order in hand.

The Jewish Community Centers gym has been open at a limited capacity for some time  and while some instructors were already back in the center Monday night, Driscoll said Thursday is the official first day of group fitness classes again. There have been adjustments, of course  a strict new cleaning regimen, the removal of some equipment, temperature checks and more.

Defined Fitness  which before the pandemic was running some 700 classes weekly at its seven New Mexico locations  is preparing to announce its revised class schedule and rollout timeline later this week, also with a strict new cleaning regimen, according to spokeswoman Maria Lamar.

Were really excited to be reopening the group exercise program, she said. Its really the heart of what we do.

Bill Keleher, owner of The Open Gym Albuquerque at 4200 Wyoming NE, said he plans to take a measured approach back to group classes.

Like many other facilities, The Open Gym has offered some streamed classes to members in recent months, some of which involved instructors leading the class from the gym itself over Zoom or Facebook.

With the very small capacity, what well probably do is have a few spaces for members in the studio, Keleher said Monday.

For other facilities, the way forward isnt so clear.

Heather Smelser, owner of Mi Vida Yoga, said shes not sure what restarting classes will look like under current restrictions, and plans to go really slow and cautious.

Im a little confused by the order, she said. Were contemplating doing park yoga, but I know the large group gatherings, to my understanding, are (limited to) no more than five right now.  Im going to take a day or two to really sit down and think about how Im going to move forward.

Meanwhile, Aaron Bubbico, owner of CrossFit Albuquerque, isnt planning to bring back traditional group classes at all in the near future.

Bubbico said when fitness centers reopened at the beginning of June, he restyled his facility at 6501 Eagle Rock NE to an open gym format and started taking reservations. While he said there may be some sort of group instruction going forward, hes not looking to get back to the classic CrossFit class format  because if its not broken, were not going to fix it.

Were kind of going to keep on doing what were doing because its working, Bubbico said. We still have to social distance. We still have to have masks. It kind of makes running a group CrossFit class  chaotic.

Bubbico, who during the shutdown loaned out his gyms equipment to members, said hes seen about 90% to 95% retention during the crisis  which he attributes to CrossFit members sense of community and a lot of hard work early on in the pandemic.

Finances a struggle

Some other facilities havent been as fortunate.

Honestly, I was just getting ready to close down the studio and shut down the business before learning Friday about the change to the public health order, said Smelser, a sole proprietor and single mother who started the studio at 2418 Juan Tabo NE nearly seven years ago after leaving a career as a corporate accountant.  (Now) were going to give it a try.

The income Smelser is taking in from the 15 or so virtual classes shes offering each week isnt enough to cover her fixed costs  which means shes looking at having to adjust her prices going forward. Smelser said she knows shes not alone.

Theres some beautiful, beautiful small gyms here that are really about ready to have to close, she said.  It is concerning.

The Jewish Community Center has had to cancel a number of its offerings this year  including its summer camp and swim team.

We are really running a deficit, Prant said. Right now, you know, were just squeaking by with the bare minimum.

Meanwhile, members of some facilities are either putting their memberships on hold or canceling outright.

Keleher of The Open Gym said he understands that some of his members lives, too, are in flux.

This is tough times for so many people, he said.
A court in the Russian city of Volsk in the Saratov region has sentenced a teenager to seven years in prison for attacking students and teachers at his school with homemade firebombs and an ax.

The court ruling on August 4 is the latest in a series of cases over school attacks by teenagers in Russia.

The teenager's name was not released on grounds that he is a juvenile. He will begin his seven-year-sentence at a facility for juvenile offenders.

He was 14 years old in May 2019 when he entered his school in Volsk with two Molotov cocktails and an ax.

The court found that he had lit and thrown one gasoline-filled bottle into a classroom with 18 students and a teacher.

He also threw another firebomb into a school corridor, the court determined.

Then, while fleeing the building, he encountered a 12-year-old girl in the corridor and attacked her with the ax. The girl survived the attack but lost one of her eyes.

Before his attack, the teenager had written a message in on social media declaring that he admired the two teenagers who'd carried out the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in the U.S. state of Colorado.

At his trial, he pleaded guilty and asked the court to hand him a suspended sentence, saying that he "became absolutely another person" while in pretrial detention.

The ruling came less than two months after Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) said its security officers in the southwestern city of Volgograd had detained a teenager suspected of plotting a school attack.

In April, a court in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk arrested a 14-year-old boy suspected of plotting a school attack.

In February, FSB officers detained two teenagers in Saratov on suspicion of plotting a gun-and-bomb attack in a local school.

Also in February, the FSB said that its officers had prevented a school attack in the city of Kerch -- which is on Ukraine's Russian-occupied Crimean Peninsula.

A court in the Far Eastern city of Khabarovsk also sentenced a teenager to eight years in prison in February on charges of planning a school shooting.

Historically, attacks at schools in Russia and other former Soviet republics are uncommon. However, they have been on the rise in recent years.

The latest occurred at a college in the Far Eastern city of Blagoveshchensk in November 2019. One student was killed before the shooter committed suicide.

In April 2019, a court in the Urals city of Perm sentenced a 17-year-old to seven years in prison after finding him guilty of a knife attack in January 2018 at his school that left 12 people hospitalized.

A year earlier, a teenager in the Bashkortostan region entered his school and stabbed a female student and a teacher before setting a classroom on fire.

Another girl sustained serious injuries in that attack when she fled by jumping from a second-story window.

In January 2018, a ninth-grader attacked fellow students with an ax and other weapons in the Siberian region of Buryatia.

In October 2018, an 18-year-old student killed 20 people in a gun-and-bomb attack at a college in Kerch before fatally shooting himself.
The COVID-19 pandemic has brought unprecedented challenges to our community.

City Councils allocation of federal COVID-19 stimulus package funds helped address some local needs, but the resources we have to sustain this relief in San Antonio are becoming strained. We are at the point where our partners in Washington must understand that what is needed in San Antonio, and the rest of America, is not merely a stimulus package but a survival package. I am working toward this, but our community needs help to make this happen.

The epidemiologists were right that not taking this virus seriously would result in foreseeable and preventable deaths. And they were right in warning that society was going to require drastic measures to stem community transmission. The economists who predicted catastrophic consequences for workers, renters, small businesses, airlines and hotels were also correct.

Governments at every level have been responding, with varying degrees of success, to this crisis. My San Antonio City Council colleagues, city staff and I have been working around the clock to make sure there is access to enough free and effective testing, PPE kits, small business support and workforce programs. We have set aside record amounts of resources for rent, utility and mortgage assistance. We have been working with schools, colleges, small and large businesses, landlords, the Police Department, the Fire Department, hospitals, nonprofits and other stakeholders to make sure San Antonians have accurate information and everything is in place to ensure our community remains resilient.

These efforts require a huge financial investment. And to compound the problem, a decrease in sales tax revenues has led to budgetary challenges for the city and Bexar County. Thats why we have turned to Washington to bring as much of our tax money back to San Antonio to invest in our pandemic response and recovery efforts.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg and Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff created the COVID-19 response task forces and assigned County Commissioner Kevin Wolff and me with leading the effort to bring back those federal tax dollars. Through our task forces efforts, we secured approximately $360 million in federal funds earlier this year.

A large portion of that money came from the CARES Act, the $2.2 trillion stimulus package rolled out by the federal government. The CARES Act included direct payments to Americans, the creation of the Paycheck Protection Program, an injection of cash into unemployment benefits, and approximately $339.8 billion for state and local governments.

With our $360 million, City Council helped the most vulnerable San Antonians with rental and utilities assistance, small-business assistance, workforce training resources and digital inclusion initiatives.

The $360 million is a good starting point, but it is no silver bullet. At this intersection, we are witnessing unprecedented rates of unemployment. Our community is seeing a tsunami of new clients knocking on doors at nonprofit agencies, and those nonprofits are triaging more people with budgets that are stretched to the limit. Restaurants, bars, airlines and businesses in all sectors have churned through their PPP loans and are filing for bankruptcy or reducing headcount.

Today, I am proud to be serving alongside County Commissioner Justin Rodriguez as co-chair of the San Antonios Intergovernmental Relations Committee. We will be tackling this economic crisis, resolute in our understanding of what is at stake. For the rest of the year, we will be working every angle in Washington and Austin to advocate that our local tax dollars be returned to San Antonio. Our efforts will focus on recovery for city and county revenue shortfalls, which threaten our ability to deliver basic services. We will be insisting on more PPE for small businesses, food assistance for hurting families, housing aid for renters and homeless San Antonians, and much needed job training for San Antonians impacted by the pandemic.

But we cant do this alone. We need your help. No matter how much work we put in or how much our city staff advocates on behalf of the community, nothing will be more effective than you joining us to contact your congressional representatives and senators.

Without you, we will be ceding the fight and our tax dollars to other cities and states. We must continue to be persistent in our calls for support. Please pick up the phone or email your federal elected representatives.

City Councilman Manny Pelaez represents District 8 on the North Side.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump's controversial pick for the No. 3 post at the Pentagon withdrew his nomination under fire but is now eligible to take other senior positions  even Defense Secretary  according to a legal expert.

Retired Army Brig. Gen. Anthony Tata, who once branded former President Obama a "terrorist leader" in a tweet, pulled his name from consideration for undersecretary for policy on Sunday. After Tata withdrew, he was promptly installed at the Pentagon "as the official performing the duties of the deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy," according to a Pentagon statement.

From that post, Tata can be tapped to fill other leadership roles on an acting basis if a vacancy occurs.

The Vacancy Act requires an official to serve in the agency for 90 days at a senior pay grade to be eligible to be named to a senior post there. Tata has been a senior adviser at the Pentagon since April and thus is eligible to be named another post, according to a Defense official who was not authorized to speak publicly.

That post could be acting Defense Secretary if the deputy Defense Secretary was removed as well, said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at the University of Texas School of Law who specializes in national security law. The only post Tata is not eligible to fill is the one he had been nominated for, Vladeck said in an email.

President Donald Trump speaks during a law enforcement briefing on the MS-13 gang in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 15, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky) ORG XMIT: DCPS119

Trump has favored placing senior officials serve in acting posts, a move that he says provides him with flexibility.

Last week, Tata's Senate confirmation hearing was postponed moments before it was scheduled to begin because he faced bipartisan opposition on the Armed Services Committee.

Democrats blasted Tata's new appointment as an attempt to evade congressional oversight.

"This is an offensive, destabilizing move and General Tata should not be appointed to a Senate-confirmed position," Sen. Jack Reed, the top Democrat on the Armed Services Committee, said in a statement. This method of appointment is an insult to our troops, professionals at the Pentagon, the Senate, and the American people.

Story continues

"Clearly, President Trump wants people who will swear allegiance to him over the Constitution. His hand-picked candidate for this critical position was on the verge of potentially being rejected on the merits. This is a flagrant end-run around the confirmation process. The situation is symptomatic of a president who is unraveling and continues to lash out."

Sen. Jim Inhofe, the Republican chairman of the committee, offered a qualified endorsement of Trump's move on Monday.

Sen. Jim Inhofe, R-Okla.

While I have always stressed the need to have Senate-confirmed leadership in top Pentagon positions, I believe it is within the presidents authority to appoint (Department of Defense) officials when and as appropriate," Inhofe said in a statement. "These are clearly critical positions within the Department where a full bench is needed.

Tata, a combat veteran, has been a regular guest on Fox News and has published several novels (as A.J. Tata). Tata retracted his controversial tweets, including one in which he had disparaged Islam, Hoffman told reporters last week. The tweets were first reported by CNN.

Defense Secretary Mark Esper and Deputy Defense Secretary David Norquist occupy the top two positions at the Pentagon. Statutes on succession would have Norquist take over for Esper, Vladeck said. If both were removed, Tata could be named to either job.

President Donald Trump walks with Attorney General William Barr, left, Secretary of Defense Mark Esper and others from the White House to visit St. John's Church after the area was cleared of people protesting the death of George Floyd in Washington, June 1, 2020.

Esper and Trump have been at odds on several issues over the summer. Last week, Esper defended the decision to move 11,000 troops out of Germany as a strategic move to counter Russia. Later that day, Trump called it retribution for Germany's failure to pay more to NATO.

They have also differed over banishing Confederate names and emblems from military bases, with Trump favoring the names as historic.

Esper also resisted invoking the Insurrection Act to allow federal troops to quell protests earlier this summer. Trump has argued for a more forceful approach.

Asked June 3 if Trump had lost confidence in Esper over that issue, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany offered a tepid endorsement.

"As of right now, Secretary Esper is still Secretary Esper," she said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump's controversial Pentagon pick Tony Tata eligible for top posts
Here are todays top news, analysis and opinion at this hour. Know all about the latest news and other news updates from Hindustan Times.

Pakistan violates ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector of J&Ks Poonch, heavy shelling in Mendhar

Pakistan violated ceasefire in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch district in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday morning. The unprovoked ceasefire violation was initiated along the LoC by firing with small arms and shelling mortars in the area. Read more

Economic recovery hits July plateau, shows data

The rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will begin a two-day meeting on Tuesday amid mounting evidence that Indias nascent economic recovery is at risk of plateauing out as new coronavirus disease (Covid-19) infections pile up. Read more

Video of Billie the elephant taking a dip in the pond is too cute to handle

If youre searching for content which can make your lips curl up into a smile, then we present you with a video of Billie the elephant. The video is simple, yet chances are itll leave you grinning for long. Read more

Ram temple trust on Covid shadow, gifts for Mandir | Ayodhya Ground Report

Ahead of the extravagant foundation-laying of the new Ram temple in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya, Hindustan Times national political editor Sunetra Choudhury spoke to Prakash Sharma, an official of the Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust, which is overseeing the construction of the shrine. Read more

Bihar DGP says Rs 50 cr withdrawn from Sushant Singh Rajputs account, asks Mumbai Police why such leads are hushed up

Bihar Director General of Police (DGP) Gupteshwar Pandey has accused the Mumbai Police of not investigating the financial angle in the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Read more

Snapchat to take on TikTok with its upcoming music-powered feature

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RSS affiliate wants BCCI to reconsider IPLs Chinese sponsorship deals

The Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), an affiliate of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) has demanded that BCCI must reconsider the decision to allow Chinese phone makers Vivo to sponsor IPL given the strain in India-China ties following the standoff at the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. Read more
An alarming number of travellers from Melbourne are flying into Sydney despite the hard closure of the Victoria-NSW border.

Between 100 and 200 people have arrived in the Harbour City from Australia's coronavirus capital every day over the past week.

And domestic travellers aren't required to undergo the mandatory two-week hotel quarantine imposed on those coming from overseas.

Several passengers walk through Sydney's Domestic Airport Terminal after being granted permission to fly in from Melbourne despite tough border control measures due to rising coronavirus cases in Victoria

An estimated 100-200 passengers are touching down at Sydney Airport each day from Melbourne despite strict border control measures in Victoria (Pictured: a woman arrives off a Jetstar flight from Melbourne on Tuesday)

But New South Wales Health told Daily Mail Australia it has strict measures in place at airports to ensure Sydney wasn't hit with a Victoria-style outbreak.

'Any traveller who arrives from Victoria into Sydney domestic airport is screened for symptoms and has a temperature check upon arrival,' the spokesperson said.

'It is recommended that anyone arriving from Victoria be collected in a private car by family or friends. If they cannot be collected in a private car, they can travel by taxi.

'Self-isolation guidelines are provided to everyone when they arrive from Victoria.'

Sydney Airport Health Commander Sarah Nielsen said passengers understand there are processes when leaving the airport.

A young woman wears a face mask at Sydney Airport after flying from Melbourne on Tuesday

Passengers wear face masks as they wait at the baggage carousel at Sydney airport after touching down from Melbourne

'We give very specific instructions that they need to handle their own luggage, that they need to sit in the back seat with the windows down,' she told news.com.au

'If there is four people, they can't fit in an Uber and we explain that to them, they would need two separate Ubers or taxis and we remind them about hand hygiene, we check that they have a mask for that travel in the taxi or the Uber and we also check that they know how to fit the mask

'If we can see that they have got their mask under their nose or anything like that, we remind them and we also give them the information sheet on how to check that a mask is fitting correctly.'

Passengers granted exemptions to enter Sydney via air from COVID-19 hot spot Melbourne have been told to sit in the back of Ubers or other ride share services to retain a 1.5 metre distance between them and the driver

A passenger waits for an Uber outside Sydney airport

Some of the 200 odd daily passengers walk through a near empty Sydney airport after arriving from the corona capital Melbourne

Passengers leaving Sydney Airport from Melbourne must handle all their luggage themselves rather than allowing friends or family collecting them to touch their equipment

Passengers arriving domestically are required to spend 14 days in self-isolation at their own home, rather than locked inside a hotel.

New South Wales Opposition Leader Jodi Mackay is urging authorities to bring in stronger restrictions for those arriving by air.

'We have a situation in New South Wales where the land borders have been closed, but the same restrictions have not been applied to our air borders,' she said.

Passengers arriving domestically will need to undergo 14 day self-isolation in their own home, rather than locked inside a hotel

'We are seeing flights come in on a daily basis. There are hundreds of people coming into Victoria from New South Wales who we trust are isolating in their homes for two weeks.'

Anyone who has been in Victoria in the past 14 days is banned from entering New South Wales without a border permit under the Public Health (COVID-19 Border Control) Amendment.

Exemptions can be granted for those living in border zones, those travelling through the state to Queensland, members of parliament, consular officials, boarding school students and staff, or those providing critical services including defence and medicine.

Permits can also be granted on compassionate grounds.

New South Wales Health Minister Brad Hazzard said on Tuesday he was pleased with the compliance of passengers.

'What we're finding with most of our visitors into our state, returning travellers, if they're asked to self-isolate, they do,' Mr Hazzard said.

New arrivals walk outside the airport to chase down transport before heading to self-isolation in Sydney, rather than the mandatory hotel quarantine required for international travellers

'The short message to Victorians is you shouldn't be coming to New South Wales, unless you have a particular permit entitlement.

'I know there has been commentary about 'why don't we have quarantine in the same way we have for international travellers?'. That was set up for a reason and that is we need all international travellers to be able to be managed here and we have done that successfully over some months.'

The New South Wales Government has conducted over 23,000 compliance checks on isolation including over 300 in the last 24 hours.
U.S. President Donald Trump participates in an executive order signing event on "hiring American" in the very dark Cabinet Room of the White House, with the lights low and curtains drawn, in Washington, U.S., August 3, 2020. Jonathan Ernst | Reuters

President Donald Trump insisted that the coronavirus pandemic is "under control" in the United States even when confronted with the staggering death tolls from the virus. During a contentious interview, Axios' Jonathan Swan asked Trump how he could claim his administration has a handle on the virus as it kills 1,000 Americans a day. "They are dying. That's true, and  it is what it is," Trump said. "But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it," Trump said in the interview, which took place July 28 and aired Monday night on HBO. "You really think this is as much as we can control it?" Swan asked. "A thousand deaths a day?"

"First of all, we have done a great job," Trump replied, focusing on how governors have handled the crisis in their own states rather than him taking personal responsibility. "I could tell you right now who the great ones are and who the not-so-great ones are. But the governors do it. We gave them massive amounts of material." Trump's rosy view of the U.S. response to the pandemic comes as more than 4.71 million cases have been confirmed in the country, as well as at least 155,478 deaths, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. Both are the highest recorded totals for any country.

"They are dying. That's true, and  it is what it is." President Donald Trump

Trump had downplayed the threat of the virus early in the year. In the spring, as the economy plummeted, Trump pressured state leaders to quickly lift their strict social distancing measures and reopen their economies. Even now, as public health experts in his own administration, such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, urge Americans to take precautions to help prevent transmission of the virus, Trump has at times undercut that message by holding events with tightly packed audiences and giving mixed signals on whether to wear masks in public. During the interview, Trump said his administration has done an "incredible" job combating the public health crisis. But Swan challenged Trump on his interpretation of the trajectory of cases and deaths from Covid-19 in the U.S. Axios TWEET "Numerous categories, we're lower than the world," Trump said while reading from a small stack of papers he was holding. "Lower than the world? What does that mean? In what?" Swan said. The president handed one paper to Swan, who after a brief examination responded: "Oh, you're doing death as a proportion of cases. I'm talking about death as a proportion of population. That's where the U.S. is really bad. Much worse than South Korea, Germany, etc."
Performances were recorded at Tanglewood's new and breathtaking spaces at the superbly designed Linde Center  a constituent part of the BSO's/Tanglewood's new entity, the Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI)

Tanglewood Online Festival Enters Sixth Week

The Tanglewood 2020 Online Festival will enter its sixth week with an expansive range of innovative digital audio and video streams. These performances were recorded at Tanglewood's new and breathtaking spaces at the superbly designed Linde Center  a constituent part of the BSO's/Tanglewood's new entity, the Tanglewood Learning Institute (TLI). Other concerts will include performances previously recorded and archived by the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood.

A unique, all-encompassing digital music festival, the array of programming replicates a choice selection of the previously announced 2020 live performances Tanglewood had hoped to present this summer, but which had to be cancelled due to the coronavirus.

Here is this week's schedule of streamed events, from Wednesday, Aug. 5, to Sunday, Aug. 9.

New content, recorded especially for the online festival:

 Aug. 5, 8 p.m.: Recitals from the World Stage featuring the Danish String Quartet from Copenhagen performing Shostakovich's Quartet No. 10 in A-flat, Op. 118 and a folk song arrangement to be announced from the stage, hosted by Karen Allen.

 Aug. 7, 8 p.m.: BSO Musicians in Recital featuring Bonnie Bewick, Mickey Katz and Lawrence Wolfe performing traditional, folk, and contemporary selections arranged and composed by Bewick and Wolfe themselves, as well as a performance of #cellominute  a world premiere compilation of small works for solo cello featuring works by Nico Muhly and Marti Epstein, among others. Cynthia Meyers, Robert Sheena, Michael Wayne, Richard Ranti and Jason Snider round out the program with a performance of "Umoja" by celebrated composer Valerie Coleman and works by Paquito D'Rivera, hosted by Lauren Ambrose.

 Aug. 8, 8 p.m.: Great Performers in Recital from Tanglewood featuring pianist Daniil Trifonov performing Bach's "The Art of Fugue" hosted by Nicole Cabell.

New Tanglewood Learning Institute content:

 Aug. 3, 1 p.m.: TLI Open Forum: The Roaring Twenties presents "Black & Tan Fantasies or Harlem Realities? African American Popular Dance and Early Sound Film" with Christi Jay Wells.

 Aug. 4, 10:30 a.m.: TLI Open Forum: The Romantic Spirit presents "Liszt's Double Vision, or the Gothic Liszt" with Susan Bernstein.

 Aug. 4, 1 p.m.: TLI Celebrates Beethoven presents "Resonances: The Afterlife of Opus 131" with Megan Ross.

 Aug. 5, 10:30 a.m.: TLI Open Forum: The Romantic Spirit presents "On Romantic Listening, or What We Learn in the Dark" with Gabriela Cruz.

 Aug. 6, 10:30 a.m.: TLI Open Forum: The Romantic Spirit presents "Eugene Delacroix and Romantic Musicality" with Judy Sund.

 Aug. 6, 1 p.m.: TLI ShopTalks presents composers Gabriela Lena Frank and Augusta Read Thomas in candid, informal conversation.

 Aug. 7, 1 p.m.: TLI Open Forum: The Romantic Spirit presents a panel discussion and live Q&A with scholars Susan Bernstein, Gabriela Cruz and Judy Sund.

Featured retrospective content:

 Aug. 9, 10 a.m.: Tanglewood Music Center Chamber Concerts, an audio presentation of TMC Fellows performing chamber music of Thomas Ades, Conlon Nancarrow, Ruth Crawford Seeger, Niccolo Castiglioni, Harrison Birtwistle, and Francisco Coll, hosted by Norman Fischer with Michael Gandolfi.

 Aug. 9, 2:30 p.m.: BSO Encore Performances from Tanglewood of Andris Nelsons leading Mahlers Symphony No. 3 (August 2018) with Susan Graham, the Tanglewood Festival Chorus, and Boston Symphony Childrens Choir, hosted by Jamie Bernstein.

For more information and for prices and access to all video or audio streaming concerts, lectures and special events, go online or call 888-266-1200.
Ryan Reynolds has branded marrying Blake Lively on a plantation back in 2012 'a giant f***ing mistake', during an interview with the September issue of Fast Company.

The Deadpool actor, 43, and the Gossip Girl star, 32, tied the knot at Boone Hall, a former plantation in South Carolina, and were subsequently criticized for glamorizing a place where black slaves once suffered and died.

Ryan was unequivocal in his apology, calling the choice of location 'something we'll always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for'.

He said: 'It's impossible to reconcile. What we saw at the time was a wedding venue on Pinterest. What we saw after was a place built upon devastating tragedy.'

'A giant f***ing mistake': Ryan Reynolds has expressed regret over the venue of his 2012 wedding to Blake Lively during an interview with Fast Company. The couple seen here in 2011

'Years ago we got married again at home - but shame works in weird ways. A giant f***ing mistake like that can either cause you to shut down or it can reframe things and move you into action,' continued the action star.

'It doesn't mean you won't f*** up again. But repatterning and challenging lifelong social conditioning is a job that doesn't end.'

Boone Hall Plantation also famously appeared in Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling's romantic 2004 movie, The Notebook.

It is one of America's oldest working plantations. In the 19th century it was owned by Henry and John Horlbeck who were in the brick business, building many of the public spaces in downtown Charleston using brick from the plantation.

History: The 43-year-old Deadpool actor and the 32-year-old Gossip Girl alum tied the knot at Boone Hall, a former plantation in South Carolina, and were subsequently criticized for glamorizing a place where black slaves once suffered and died

By 1850, Boone Hall was producing 4,000,000 bricks per year using 85 slaves.

The plantation has also been owned by a Georgian prince while since the 1950s it has been owned by the McRae family, who opened the 738 acre estate up to public tours in 1956.

12 feet by 30 feet slave cabins still remain on the property, and today house information about the slaves who lived there.

Amends: In May, the couple donated $200,000 to the NAACP, as well as releasing a statement which read in part, 'We're ashamed that in the past we've allowed ourselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is'

History: 12 feet by 30 feet slave cabins still remain on the property, with tours taking place daily

The cabins were in use well into the 20th century, as they were occupied by sharecroppers through the 1940s.

In May, Ryan and Blake donated $200,000 to the NAACP, as well as releasing a statement which read in part, 'We're ashamed that in the past we've allowed ourselves to be uninformed about how deeply rooted systemic racism is.'

Back in 2012, the Green Lantern stars held their nuptials in an intimate ceremony at Boone Hall - to which just 35 guests were invited.

Blake's self-confessed 'idol' Martha Stewart helped to create the big day, alongside local wedding planner Tara Guerard.

The ceremony was held in a 'rustic barn' and the reception was held in a white tent at the plantation, while Blake's good friend, British singer Florence Welch serenaded the newlyweds with three songs.

Bette Midler was one of a number of high profile guests who attended, as well as Blake's The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants co-stars America Ferrera, Amber Tamblyn, and Alexis Bledel.

Unreserved: The Canadian star was unequivocal in his apology, calling the choice of location 'something we'll always be deeply and unreservedly sorry for'

The fiercely private couple have only released a handful of images of their wedding via their planner Martha Stewart's magazine.

Blake wore a couture Marchesa ballgown and Ryan was dressed in a Burberry suit with one of the pictures giving a glimpse of their attire as the couple stood hand in hand.

The ballgown featured hand-draped silk tulle bodice which was tripped with crystal and rose gold embroidery.

Her bridesmaids also wore blush silk chiffon confections with crystal detailing by the same label.

Venue: Boone Hall Plantation also famously appeared in Rachel McAdams and Ryan Gosling's romantic 2004 movie, The Notebook

Martha Stewart website stated it was the pair's 'sole wish to have an intimate affair', adding: 'They wanted to celebrate in privacyand in style.

The site added: 'When Ryan and Blake secretly got engaged last June, they knew it would take careful planning, confidentiality, and a select crew to pull off their nuptials before word got out. Enter Martha Stewart.

'We quickly discovered that Ryan and Blake are not like the many altar-bound celebrities who sell their big-day photos to the highest bidder.'

Martha Stewart Weddings' style director Kate Berry created Blake's lush bouquet of pink jasmine, andromeda, dusty miller, and blushing bride hydrangea.

She dipped select petals in subtle rose-gold glitter to play up the embroidery of the same color on the bride's ballgown.

Setting: The plantation offers a number of settings for weddings including the front and back lawns and rustic barns

Past: Boone Hall is one of America's oldest working plantations with 85 slaves living on site at one point in the 19th century. The cabins were in use well into the 20th century, as they were occupied by sharecroppers through the 1940s

Grounds: The plantation entrance includes the Avenue Of Oaks - a  mile stretch of 270 year old giant live oaks draped with Spanish moss

While Blake, who was well known to bake for her co-stars on the set of Gossip Girl, make sure her guests were catered for with a table groaning with sweet goods.

Boone Hall Plantation released a statement on Tuesday, saying: 'We treasure all our relationships with couples that have chosen to get married at Boone Hall, and, when needed, respond to them in private, honest, and personal discussions to address any concerns they may have.'

'The discussions are heartfelt as we want to listen and put love and respect at the center of any issues that arise. We will always work to be a part of the solution for our couples, not a part of the problem.'

Ryan and Blake have gone on to have three daughters: James, five, Inez, three, and a third daughter, born last year in October, whom the pair have so far declined to name publicly.

The stars were first photographed as a couple in October 2011, not long after the premiere of their film, Green Lantern.
France said it is ready to help Lebanon following a huge explosion near the centre of Beirut that killed at least 10 people and injured hundreds.

"France is always on the side of Lebanon and the Lebanese people. It is ready to offer assistance depending on the needs expressed by Lebanese authorities," Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a statement on his Twitter feed.

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Ex-Love Island star Laura Anderson has revealed the disaster she faced when she had a breast enlargement at the age of 18.

The reality personality, 31, got a loan without her parents knowledge and booked the surgery as soon as she could - but now wishes she could go back in time and stop herself from doing it.

'I regretted it as soon as I came out of surgery,' she told The Sun. 'When I woke up I just cried!'

Regrets: Ex-Love Island star Laura Anderson has revealed the disaster she faced when she had a breast enlargement at the age of 18

'Id asked the surgeon for the C cup implants but theyd put in the bigger ones and said itd "save me cash in the long run as they knew Id want them done again". But I hated them as soon as I saw them, they were massive!'

She added: 'They just looked too big, it was distasteful but, would I have got onto Love Island without having such big boobs? Im not so sure.'

Laura had wanted to enlarge her chest size from 32B to 32DD so that she could emulate the likes of Lucy Pinder - one of the top glamour girls of the time.

Post-surgery, she did get modelling jobs in lads mags, but the confidence she felt when she received more attention due to her bigger breasts was 'superficial'.

Change of heart: The reality personality, 31, got a loan without her parents knowledge and booked the surgery as soon as she could - but now wishes she could go back in time and stop herself from doing it

After her stint on Love Island she felt pain in her breasts and went back for further surgery.

Her new surgeon informed her the implants her former surgeon had given her were too large for her body type and positioned too high.

Yet her second round of surgery still didn't make Laura feel a lot better.

'When I came around I felt quite disheartened again. Theyre still so big and I have these huge red scars which I dont think will go.

Laura is looking into having them redone for a third time after spending the past decade 'bitterly regretting it' and warns young women not to fall down the same trap she did.

Bikini babe: Laura admitted on Wednesday she's 'looking very skinny' as she posed in a yellow bikini before pinching stomach in a playful video on Instagram

Laura recently hit back at trolls who accused her of being 'too skinny' by sharing a photo of herself in a bikini earlier this week.

She continued to shed light on how posing differently can alter the way your figure looks as she took to Instagram on Thursday.

She posed on her bed in a yellow bikini, joined by her boyfriend Tom Brazier, and sat upright at first before hunching over and pinching her stomach.

Laura, who has been working hard on her fitness in recent months, showed off her enviably long legs and svelte midriff in the vibrant two-piece.

Tom watched her as she said: 'Looking very skinny' before slouching and using her hands to pinch her stomach as she said: 'Hello', prompting him to start laughing.

Laura's latest post comes a day after she defiantly hit back at trolls by sharing a bikini-clad snap after being trolled for being 'too skinny'.

Having a laugh: The Love Island star posed on her bed joined by her boyfriend Tom Brazier, sitting upright at first before hunching over and pinching her stomach

Gorgeous: Laura, who has been working hard on her fitness in recent months, showed off her enviably long legs and svelte midriff in the vibrant two-piece

Amused: Tom watched her as she said: 'Looking very skinny' before slouching and using her hands to pinch her stomach as she said: 'Hello', prompting her beau to start laughing

The television personality revealed she had hesitated to post the photo, which showed her posing by the beach in Barcelona, over fears she would be inundated with cruel taunts over her slender physique.

Wearing a blue bikini top and denim hotpants, Laura penned a lengthy caption: 'I hesitated to post this photo as I look extremely thin and we all know any trolling against your body, whatever shape is never fun.

'Reality is pictures can be deceiving and I really want to highlight this on here today. It's just a picture, an angle, lighting, maybe a filter.'

'I look like a beanpole': Laura's latest post comes a day after she defiantly hit back at trolls by sharing a bikini-clad snap after being trolled for being 'too skinny'

Laura continued: 'I like this photo because it's a happy memory of Toms and I's favourite day of our holiday together but I know my body 'at this angle' will be at the forefront of some Susan's mouths out there, am I right or am I right? (Sorry if you're name is Susan).

'On the flip side, we all naturally choose the best photos of ourselves, is this a crime? Can pictures be too deceiving? How can you please everyone?

This photo is even deceiving to me as I'm the heaviest I've ever been but I look like a beanpole above (nothing wrong with being a beanpole to my fellow long limbed angels out there)

'I shouldn't have to mention my weight and neither should you. I just knew it would be discussed negatively below today if I didn't.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 21:08:12|Editor: huaxia

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PRETORIA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- South Africa's National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) on Tuesday said they will prosecute directors of a sophisticated pyramid scheme that fleeced 230,000 investors of millions of rands amid the COVID-19 lockdown.

Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions and head of the Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) Ouma Rabaji-Rasethaba told a press conference in Pretoria on Tuesday.

She said Up Money unlawfully exploited the COVID-19 pandemic and food security concerns to lure consumers into joining and participating in the Up Money pyramid scheme.

New participants were required to pay a once-off joining fee of 180 rand (10 U.S. dollars). This qualified them for a meat pack. The new members were then required to recruit five other new participants. This process was termed level 1.

The original investor would then help the five members that they recruited to sign up their respective five new members. The original investor would then be moved to level 2 and get more reward of food.

"The sections might be racketeering, money laundering, fraud, theft, assisting another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities and acquisition, possession or use of proceeds of unlawful activities, as well as assisting another to benefit from proceeds of unlawful activities," Rabaji-Rasethaba said.

She stated that the AFU has obtained preservation orders from the High Court to freeze bank accounts worth more than 18 million rand and three luxury vehicles.

She said the pyramid scheme, which mainly used social media to recruit members, was neither registered with the Reserve Bank, a registered stokvel, nor a financial service provider.

The National Consumer Commission said pyramid schemes continue to mushroom in communities in different forms.

"If a scheme promises you high returns, especially 20 percent above the repo rate, then you should know it is a pyramid scheme," said the commission.
Australia's envoy to Iran said she recently met with Kylie Moore-Gilbert, a British-Australian academic convicted of espionage, and she is doing well in prison.

Iran has held Moore-Gilbert, a lecturer on Middle East politics at the University of Melbourne, since September 2018, when she was arrested after returning from an academic conference in the holy city of Qom.

The Australian government confirmed last month that Moore-Gilbert had been transferred from Evin prison in Tehran to the notorious Qarchak womens prison in what Iran watchers interpreted as a form of punishment. She denies all charges of espionage, and in December lost an appeal against her 10-year-sentence.

Ambassador Lyndall Sachs visited Moore-Gilbert in prison on Sunday, per a statement from Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

"Dr. Moore-Gilbert is well and has access to food, medical facilities and books, the statement read. "We believe that the best chance of resolving Dr. Moore-Gilbert's case lies through the diplomatic path.

Moore-Gilberts family said in a statement they was reassured by the meeting, adding, We remain committed to getting our Kylie home as soon as possible.

The US State Department has described Qarchak prison, where Moore-Gilbert is currently detained, as known for unbearable conditions, including regular assaults and inappropriate behavior of prison guards toward women, chronic lack of water, unsanitary living spaces and an environment that enables rape and murder.

A report from the the Human Rights Activists News Agency, an Iranian activist group, described the facility as a place prisoners are moved to put them under more pressure.
VANCOUVER, BC, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Entree Resources Ltd. (TSX: ETG) (OTCQB: ERLFF) (the "Company" or "Entree") has today filed its interim financial results for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020. All numbers are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted.

Q2 2020 HIGHLIGHTS

Oyu Tolgoi Underground Development Update  Mongolia

The Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia includes two separate land holdings: the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence, which is held by Entree's joint venture partner Oyu Tolgoi LLC ("OTLLC") and the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, which is a partnership between Entree and OTLLC. On July 2 and July 28, 2020, OTLLC's 66% shareholder Turquoise Hill Resources Ltd. ("Turquoise Hill") provided updates on underground development:

The unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic impacted some aspects of underground construction in the second quarter 2020 due to continued restrictions on mine site access for teams from OTLLC, Rio Tinto International Holdings Ltd. (" Rio Tinto ") and their construction partners.

") and their construction partners. Despite the challenges presented by COVID-19, underground development on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence continued, achieving strong productivity in underground advancement during the second quarter 2020 (1,830 equivalent metres in June with an average monthly rate of 1,831 equivalent metres for the quarter).

Shafts 3 and 4 continued on care and maintenance and this is expected to continue until expert service providers can return to site to complete technical commissioning of specialized equipment and commence sinking activities. Work also slowed on some essential underground material handling infrastructure, in particular the construction of primary crusher one, which has now returned to 24-hour shifts following a period of day shift only. Personnel numbers on site have been limited in order to manage the risks around COVID-19.

Routine Shaft 2 rope shortening was successfully completed utilizing remote presence technology. Payload and speeds are back to planned levels and people and materials movement via the service hoist continue to operate normally.

On July 2, 2020 , Turquoise Hill announced the completion of an updated Oyu Tolgoi Feasibility Study (" OTFS20 ") that incorporates the new mine design for the first lift (" Lift 1 ") of Hugo North Panel 0 announced by Turquoise Hill on May 13, 2020 . OTLLC is in the process of submitting OTFS20 with the Government of Mongolia in order to comply with local regulatory requirements. OTFS20 does not reflect the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are ongoing and continue to be assessed.

, Turquoise Hill announced the completion of an updated Oyu Tolgoi Feasibility Study (" ") that incorporates the new mine design for the first lift (" ") of Hugo North Panel 0 announced by Turquoise Hill on . OTLLC is in the process of submitting OTFS20 with the Government of in order to comply with local regulatory requirements. OTFS20 does not reflect the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic, which are ongoing and continue to be assessed. Turquoise Hill also announced on July 2, 2020 its updated mineral resources and mineral reserves prepared in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101  Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects (" NI 43-101 "), and CIM definition standards for mineral resources and mineral reserves (2014). The new mine design for Panel 0 reduces the mineral reserve estimate for the overall Hugo North Lift 1 underground mine due to the inclusion of two structural pillars planned to be located on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence. However, the ore tonnes and contained copper, gold and silver for the Probable mineral reserve that Turquoise Hill reported for Hugo North Extension Lift 1 on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property have all increased.

its updated mineral resources and mineral reserves prepared in accordance with the requirements of National Instrument 43-101  (" "), and CIM definition standards for mineral resources and mineral reserves (2014). The new mine design for Panel 0 reduces the mineral reserve estimate for the overall Hugo North Lift 1 underground mine due to the inclusion of two structural pillars planned to be located on the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence. However, the ore tonnes and contained copper, gold and silver for the Probable mineral reserve that Turquoise Hill reported for Hugo North Extension Lift 1 on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property have all increased. The block cave design incorporated in OTFS20 provides for 120 metre structural pillars included to the north and south of Panel 0, protecting ore handling infrastructure (which will be moved into the structural pillars) and increasing the optionality of sequencing Panel 1 and Panel 2. The Hugo North Extension deposit on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property is located at the northern portion of Panel 1 and is not affected by the pillars.

Turquoise Hill believes the existing feasibility study designs for Panel 1 and Panel 2 remain executable based on the current orebody understanding. However, with the introduction of structural pillars, Panels 1 and 2 become independent, allowing for much greater operational flexibility.

Panel 1 and Panel 2 design optimization studies have been initiated by OTLLC and Rio Tinto. The studies are not expected to delay the ramp up of Panel 1 or Panel 2. Drilling work is underway and the resulting updates to geotechnical modelling and mine design review are expected by Turquoise Hill to continue into 2021.

OTFS20 incorporates an update to the first sustainable production schedule and capital cost estimates for the underground mine development based on the new block cave mine design for Panel 0. The new design anticipates a base case development capital cost of $6.8 billion , with a range of $6.6 billion to $7.1 billion , and a target to first sustainable production from the Oyu Tolgoi mining licence of February 2023 , with a target range between October 2022 and June 2023 , inclusive of an allowance for schedule contingency. The mine design for Panel 0 will now undergo further detailed design, engineering and optimization to support the definitive estimate review (the "Definitive Estimate"), expected to be completed by OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill before the end of the year, subject to any delays due to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property

Entree's 2018 Technical Report completed on its interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property discusses two development scenarios, a reserve case (the " 2018 Reserve Case ") and a Life-of-Mine Preliminary Economic Assessment (the " 2018 PEA "). The 2018 Reserve Case is based only on mineral reserves attributable to the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture (the " Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV ") from Lift 1 of the Hugo North Extension underground block cave. Both the 2018 Reserve Case and the 2018 PEA are based on information reported within the 2016 Oyu Tolgoi Feasibility Study.

") and a Life-of-Mine Preliminary Economic Assessment (the " "). The 2018 Reserve Case is based only on mineral reserves attributable to the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture (the " ") from Lift 1 of the Hugo North Extension underground block cave. Both the 2018 Reserve Case and the 2018 PEA are based on information reported within the 2016 Oyu Tolgoi Feasibility Study. The Company has not yet been provided with OTFS20 or any of the data or assumptions underlying OTFS20, the block cave designs in OTFS20 or Turquoise Hill's updated mineral resources and reserves and the Company is therefore unable to verify such data or the scientific and technical disclosures made by Turquoise Hill at this time. For information on the Company's interest in Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, see the 2018 Technical Report available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

Once the Definitive Estimate and the Panel 1 optimization studies have been completed and delivered to Entree with OTFS20, the Company will be able to assess the potential impact on Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property resources and reserves as well as production and financial assumptions and outputs from the two alternative cases, the 2018 Reserve Case and the 2018 PEA. Entree will continue to evaluate any information made available to it by Rio Tinto or OTLLC and will update the market accordingly.

Corporate

Q2 2020 operating loss was $0.5 million compared to the operating loss of $0.4 million in Q2 2019. The increase was due to professional and advisory fees related to advancing potential amendments to the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture agreement (the " Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JVA ").

compared to the operating loss of in Q2 2019. The increase was due to professional and advisory fees related to advancing potential amendments to the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture agreement (the " "). Q2 2020 operating cash outflow after working capital was $0.4 million compared to a $0.5 million operating cash outflow in Q2 2019.

compared to a operating cash outflow in Q2 2019. As at June 30, 2020 , the cash balance was $4.5 million and the working capital balance was $4.4 million . The Company holds the majority of its cash in Canadian currency.

, the cash balance was and the working capital balance was . The Company holds the majority of its cash in Canadian currency. The Company recognizes the unprecedented situation surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and is closely monitoring the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on its business and operations and will continue to update the market on the impacts to the Company's business and operations in relation to these extraordinary circumstances.

OUTLOOK AND STRATEGY

The Company's primary objective for the 2020 year continues to be to work with other Oyu Tolgoi stakeholders to advance potential amendments to the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JVA that currently governs the relationship between Entree and OTLLC and upon finalization, transfer the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences to OTLLC as manager of the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi joint venture. The form of Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JVA was agreed between the parties in 2004, prior to the execution of the Oyu Tolgoi Investment Agreement and commencement of underground development. The Company currently is registered in Mongolia as the 100% ultimate holder of the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences.

The Company believes that amendments that align the interests of all stakeholders as they are now understood, would be in the best interests of all stakeholders, provided there is no net erosion of value to Entree. No agreements have been finalized and there are no assurances agreements may be finalized in the future.

The Company continues to expect 2020 full year expenditures, which include Mongolian site management and compliance costs, to be between $1.5 million and $1.7 million.

The Company's interim financial statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis ("MD&A") for the second quarter ended June 30, 2020 are available on the Company's website at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com, on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on EDGAR at www.sec.gov.

QUALIFIED PERSON

Robert Cinits, P.Geo., consultant to Entree and the Company's former Vice President, Corporate Development, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, has approved the technical information in this release. For further information on the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, see the Company's Technical Report (the "2018 Technical Report"), titled "Entree/Oyu Tolgoi Joint Venture Project, Mongolia, NI 43-101 Technical Report", with an effective date of January 15, 2018, available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com.

ABOUT ENTREE RESOURCES LTD.

Entree Resources Ltd. is a Canadian mining company with a unique carried joint venture interest on a significant portion of one of the world's largest copper-gold projects  the Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia. Entree has a 20% or 30% carried participating interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV, depending on the depth of mineralization. Sandstorm Gold Ltd., Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill are major shareholders of Entree, holding approximately 21%, 9% and 8% of the shares of the Company, respectively. More information about Entree can be found at www.EntreeResourcesLtd.com.

This News Release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws with respect to corporate strategies and plans; uses of funds and projected expenditures; the expectations set out in OTFS20; timing and status of Oyu Tolgoi underground development; the mine design for Hugo North Lift 1 and the related cost and production schedule implications; the re-design studies for Panels 1 and 2 of Hugo North (including Hugo North Extension) Lift 1 and the possible outcomes, content and timing thereof; timing of completion of the Definitive Estimate review and the scope thereof; timing and amount of production from Lift 1 of the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, potential production delays and the impact of any delays on the Company's cash flows, expected copper and gold grades, liquidity, funding requirements and planning; the potential impact of COVID-19 (coronavirus) on Oyu Tolgoi underground development and the business, operations and financial condition of the parties to the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV; the estimation of mineral reserves and resources; estimates of capital and operating costs, mill throughput, cash flows and mine life; capital, financing and project development risk; mining dilution; discussions with the Government of Mongolia, Rio Tinto, OTLLC and Turquoise Hill on a range of issues including Entree's interest in the Entree/Oyu Tolgoi JV Property, the Shivee Tolgoi and Javhlant mining licences and certain material agreements; permitting time lines; anticipated business activities; and future financial performance.

In certain cases, forward-looking statements and information can be identified by words such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budgeted", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates", or "does not anticipate" or "believes" or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might", "will be taken", "occur" or "be achieved". While the Company has based these forward-looking statements on its expectations about future events as at the date that such statements were prepared, the statements are not a guarantee of Entree's future performance and are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies; the correct interpretation of agreements, laws and regulations; local and global economic conditions and negotiations and the environment in which Entree will operate in the future, including commodity prices, projected grades, projected dilution, anticipated capital and operating costs, anticipated future production and cash flows; the anticipated location of certain infrastructure and sequence of mining within and across panel boundaries; the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine; and the status of Entree's relationship and interaction with the Government of Mongolia, OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill. With respect to the construction and continued development of the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine, important risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, the timing and cost of the construction and expansion of mining and processing facilities; the timing and availability of a long term domestic power source for Oyu Tolgoi (or the availability of financing for OTLLC or the Government of Mongolia to construct such a source); the potential impact of COVID-19; the ability of OTLLC to secure and draw down on the supplemental debt under the Oyu Tolgoi project finance facility and the availability of additional financing on terms reasonably acceptable to OTLLC, Turquoise Hill and Rio Tinto to further develop Oyu Tolgoi; the impact of changes in, changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of, laws, regulations and government practises in Mongolia; delays, and the costs which would result from delays, in the development of the underground mine; the status of the relationship and interaction between OTLLC, Rio Tinto and Turquoise Hill with the Government of Mongolia on the continued operation and development of Oyu Tolgoi and OTLLC internal governance; the anticipated location of certain infrastructure and sequence of mining; projected copper, gold and silver prices and their market demand; and production estimates and the anticipated yearly production of copper, gold and silver at the Oyu Tolgoi underground mine.

Other risks, uncertainties and factors which could cause actual results, performance or achievements of Entree to differ materially from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by forward-looking statements and information include, amongst others, unanticipated costs, expenses or liabilities; discrepancies between actual and estimated production, mineral reserves and resources and metallurgical recoveries; development plans for processing resources; the outcome of the Definitive Estimate review; matters relating to proposed exploration or expansion; mining operational and development risks, including geotechnical risks and ground conditions; regulatory restrictions (including environmental regulatory restrictions and liability); risks related to international operations, including legal and political risk in Mongolia; risks associated with changes in the attitudes of governments to foreign investment; risks associated with the conduct of joint ventures; risks related to the potential impact of global or national health concerns, including the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic; inability to upgrade Inferred mineral resources to Indicated or Measured mineral resources; inability to convert mineral resources to mineral reserves; conclusions of economic evaluations; fluctuations in commodity prices and demand; changing foreign exchange rates; the speculative nature of mineral exploration; the global economic climate; dilution; share price volatility; activities, actions or assessments by Rio Tinto, Turquoise Hill or OTLLC and by government authorities including the Government of Mongolia; the availability of funding on reasonable terms; the impact of changes in interpretation to or changes in enforcement of laws, regulations and government practices, including laws, regulations and government practices with respect to mining, foreign investment, royalties and taxation; the terms and timing of obtaining necessary environmental and other government approvals, consents and permits; the availability and cost of necessary items such as water, skilled labour, transportation and appropriate smelting and refining arrangements; unanticipated reclamation expenses; changes to assumptions as to the availability of electrical power, and the power rates used in operating cost estimates and financial analyses; changes to assumptions as to salvage values; ability to maintain the social licence to operate; accidents, labour disputes and other risks of the mining industry; global climate change; title disputes; limitations on insurance coverage; competition; loss of key employees; cyber security incidents; misjudgements in the course of preparing forward-looking statements; as well as those factors discussed in the Company's most recently filed MD&A and in the Company's Annual Information Form for the financial year ended December 31, 2019, dated March 13, 2020 filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and available at www.sedar.com. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The Company is under no obligation to update or alter any forward-looking statements except as required under applicable securities laws.

SOURCE Entree Resources

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JERUSALEM, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- Israel said on Monday its air force held a joint military exercise with the United States Air Forces Central Command for the second time in 2020.

The so-called "Enduring Lightning 2" exercise took place in southern Israel on Sunday.

The army said that the exercise was held in accordance with the guidelines of the Israeli Health Ministry, with planning and debriefing done at a distance and through digital means.

The U.S. and the Israeli air forces maintain close cooperation, including in training and mutual learning.

The exercise was held amidst tensions along Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria, sparked by the killing of a fighter with Hezbollah, a Lebanese Iran-backed armed group, in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria in July.
Then king Juan Carlos with his successor felipe in the background (Andres Kudacki/PA)

Speculation over the whereabouts of former monarch Juan Carlos gripped Spain a day after he announced he was leaving the country for an unspecified destination amid a growing financial scandal.

In a letter published on the royal familys website on Monday, Juan Carlos told his son King Felipe VI he was moving outside Spain due to the public repercussions of certain episodes of my past private life.

Juan Carlos is the target of official investigations in Spain and Switzerland, which are looking into possible financial wrongdoing.

Juan Carloss bombshell announcement took most Spaniards by surprise.

Neither the royal family nor the government disclosed where he was going.

Daily newspaper ABC reported Tuesday that Juan Carlos left Spain on Sunday and flew via Porto, in neighbouring Portugal, to the Dominican Republic.

Expand Close Then dictator General Franco of Spain with the then prince Juan Carlos de Bourbon, at a military parade in Madrid (Archive/PA) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Then dictator General Franco of Spain with the then prince Juan Carlos de Bourbon, at a military parade in Madrid (Archive/PA)

La Vanguardia also said he was in the Caribbean country, but only temporarily.

But El Confidencial newspaper said he could be in Portugal, where he spent part of his childhood, or in France or Italy, where he has family and friends.

The 82-year-old former king is credited with helping Spain peacefully restore democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

But marred by scandals in the later years of his reign, Juan Carlos in 2014 abdicated in favour of his son Felipe, losing the immunity from prosecution Spains Constitution grants to the head of state.

In the wake of Juan Carloss announcement, some people called for the monarchy to be abolished.

The leftist political party Unidas Podemos, the junior member of Spains coalition government, wants a public debate about creating a republic.

There is no reason at all to keep supporting a monarchy which doesnt possess minimum ethical standards, the party said in a statement late on Monday.

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But the Socialist party, which leads the government under prime minister Pedro Sanchez, has showed no willingness to follow that path and has declared its support for Felipe.

Even so, Mr Sanchez recently said he found the developments about Juan Carlos disturbing.

In Madrid, opinions were divided.

I think it is really bad that we let him go, said Sara Fernandez, a 38-year-old insurance worker.

He should have to stay here, return the money and do prison time, like all Spaniards when you break the law.

But caretaker Mar Verdugo, 55, urged caution, saying: We are judging him without any evidence, so when there is a sentence we will see if he has done right or wrong.

Juan Carloss lawyer, Javier Sanchez-Junco Mans, said in an emailed statement that the former king had asked him to make clear that even though he will be outside Spain he intends to be available to cooperate with the investigation.

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A statement from Spains general prosecutors office in June said it was investigating whether Juan Carlos received millions of dollars in kickbacks from Saudi Arabia during the construction of a high-speed railway there by a Spanish consortium.

Since then, Spanish media outlets have published damaging evidence from a separate Swiss investigation into millions of euros (dollars) that were allegedly given to Juan Carlos by Saudi Arabias late King Abdullah.

Juan Carlos allegedly then transferred a large amount to a former companion in what investigators are considering as a possible attempt to hide the money from authorities.

The companion, Corinna Larsen, is a Danish-German businesswoman long linked by Spanish media to the former king.

Spanish prosecutors have asked her to provide evidence in the case in September in Madrid.
RICHMOND, Va. - Former Virginia House speaker Kirk Cox confirmed Monday that he is "seriously looking" at running for governor next year, adding his name to a relatively small list of Republicans eyeing the Executive Mansion in a longtime swing state that has been steadily trending blue.

Cox, a veteran legislator and retired teacher who turns 63 this month, held onto his House seat in November in a drastically revamped district, but lost the speakership as Democrats won control of the House and the Senate for the first time in a generation.

Ceding the role of minority leader to another delegate, Cox spent this year's General Assembly session seemingly resigned to life as an ordinary legislator in a party that had not won a statewide election since 2009.

But on Monday, Cox said he is considering a run - influenced, he said, by policies enacted by the newly Democratic legislature and by Gov. Ralph Northam's handling of both the coronavirus pandemic and the recent street protests in Richmond. Northam, a Democrat, cannot seek reelection because Virginia bars governors from serving back-to-back terms.

"I have been hearing from people who want me to consider running for governor, something I would not have even thought about eight months ago," Cox said in a written statement. "After the policies put in place by Democrats this year, the vacuum of leadership during this health and economic crisis, and the violence and destruction in our streets, it's clear we need credible and steady leadership."

Any formal announcement will have to wait until after this year's elections, he said.

"Out of respect for candidates on the ballot this November," he said, he would not "launch a gubernatorial campaign now." Cox noted his desire for Republicans to win back congressional seats and defeat Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., and presumptive Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, but he did not mention President Donald Trump, whose unpopularity in Virginia suburbs has accelerated the GOP's slide.

An unusually large number of Democrats has expressed interest in running for governor, including former governor Terry McAuliffe, who left office in January 2018 and has raised $1.7 million for a still-unannounced candidacy.

Declared and potential Democrats running include Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, Attorney General Mark Herring, Del. Jennifer Carroll Foy of Prince William, state Sen. Jennifer McClellan of Richmond and Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney - though the former McAuliffe Cabinet secretary is not expected to seek the nomination if the former governor enters the race.

The filing deadline, typically in the spring, has not been set.

The field is smaller for Republicans. State Sen. Amanda Chase of Chesterfield is the lone declared candidate. Pete Snyder, a northern Virginia technology entrepreneur who unsuccessfully sought the 2013 GOP nomination for lieutenant governor, is considering a run. So is Charles "Bill" Carrico, a retired state trooper and former state senator from Grayson County, in the state's far southwest.

Rep. Denver Riggleman, R-Va.,said last week that he is exploring a run - potentially as an independent, bucking the party that in June rejected his reelection bid in favor of a "biblical conservative." Riggleman, who has a libertarian streak, angered social conservatives last year by presiding over a same-sex wedding.

As speaker, Cox was the most powerful Republican in the state and used his perch to advance conservative causes, thwarting bills to tighten restrictions on guns, expand gay rights and lift restrictions on abortion. But he went along with Medicaid expansion in 2018 and has tried to play up kitchen-table fare such as tax cuts and education, promising "practical solutions for everyday issues."

"I'll be candid. I'm 62 years old. The easiest thing for me and Julie to do would be to spend the next 20 years going on walks at the park and visiting our boys at the beach, tweeting we told you so as Democrats drive up our taxes, chase investment and business out of our Commonwealth, adopt policies that lead to public employee strikes that hurt our kids, and reverse the policies that made Virginia one of the safest states in the nation," Cox's statement said, referring to his wife. "But that's just not who we are. So, yes, I am seriously looking at a run for Governor."
Food was under lock and key at the home for teen moms where Diane Redsky lived for three months of her adolescence.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Food was under lock and key at the home for teen moms where Diane Redsky lived for three months of her adolescence.

Redsky wasnt expecting and she didnt meet the criteria to live at the maternity home, run by the Salvation Army near Grace Hospital, but the child-welfare agency responsible for her well-being had run out of options, she says.

"That was the longest placement I had," says Redsky, who currently serves as executive director of Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre in Winnipeg.

"I was one of those kids that was running away all the time because it wasnt my home and it wasnt my family and youre always the odd person out," she recalls during a video call interview from the organizations administrative office in Headingley. "It was that way and it felt that way."

"Literally I would walk in one door and out the back door. I never really got to know foster parents," she says. "I didnt have a bad experience. It just wasnt home."

Now at the helm of Ma Mawi, a robust, Indigenous-led, family support service organization working with families and youth throughout Winnipeg and Manitoba, Redsky is a celebrated advocate awarded multiple times for her work to advance the rights of women and children.

Since 1997, Redsky, a member of Shoal Lake 40 First Nation, has been part of the fabric of Ma Mawi, and in her early years with the organization she founded the Aboriginal Head Start Little Red Spirit program and a home for teen moms called Isobels Place  where the pantry is always open. Both programs continue to operate today.

She stepped away from Ma Mawi for a period between 2010 and 2015 to lead the National Task Force on Sex Trafficking of Women and Girls in Canada, before returning as executive director.

Looking back on her nearly two years spent in care, beginning at the age of 13, Redsky remembers being isolated from family, bouncing between placements and couch-surfing. She recalls wondering whether she would eat that day and attending school to see friends who would share their lunches.

And she recalls the dimly lit basement where newborns and their mothers lived at the maternity home, separated from their expectant peers, and wondering how family could bond with the newborn in the closet-sized visiting room.

Redsky keeps her focus in the present, however.

"When I look back, everything happens for a reason," she says. "Of all the things that I learned about being in child welfare... its developing programs that are doing just the opposite of that."

JESSE BOILY / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS Diane Redsky has been part of the fabric of Ma Mawi Wi Chi Itata Centre since 1997, and in her early years with the organization she founded the Aboriginal Head Start Little Red Spirit program and a home for teen moms called Isobels Place  where the pantry is always open. Both programs continue to operate today.

Across the 50-plus programs administered by Ma Mawi at more than a dozen locations, the organization is focused on supporting women and children and rebuilding families ensnared by the child-welfare system, poverty, systemic discrimination, sexual exploitation and violence.

A typical day for Redsky sees her attending back-to-back meetings and often putting in 12-hour shifts, six days a week. Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Manitoba, demand for services at Ma Mawi have increased, Redsky says, and so has her workload.

"Everything shut down and it just heightened and maximized all of the gaps to where the systems were already failing people," she says.

"And if anything, now, I hope the new normal is about addressing all of those gaps that are now magnified even more  that weve been advocating for many years but are magnified as a result of COVID  that poor people became poorer."

Ma Mawi reached a milestone last year, facilitating the return of 350 children in the child-welfare system to relatives through its family group conferencing program, up from 50 children the year prior. The program is based in Indigenous knowledge and builds on the natural instincts of family, Redsky says, supporting relatives in an all-hands-on-deck approach to caring for children.

"Working for an organization like Ma Mawi has allowed us to do things based on our value system, based on making systems work for people that are strength-based and value-based, because systems are not set up to do that for us," she says. "In fact, systems especially for Indigenous people are set up to make us fail.

"Much of my career has been changing those systems, to flip the script, so Indigenous people can succeed."

Joy Smith, a former member of Parliament and anti-human trafficking advocate who has worked closely with Redsky for more than a decade, says her colleague is masterful at bringing about legislative change and illustrating for policy-makers how systems neglect the most vulnerable.

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"In this business, there are very few who have the kind of experience and knowledge that Diane has, and this is what I respect," Smith says. "Shes very focused, and shes very survivor-oriented. So she works through the systems, she learns how to make things happen for the good.

"She can take the practical, everyday life and the needs of the survivor and she can address those needs, and then she can go to the legislature to actually fight for the issues that survivors need."

And in the coming weeks, Redsky will turn her attention to addressing violence against Indigenous women, girls and LGBTTQ+ people as chair of the urban sub-working group for the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls National Action Plan development, mandated in the Calls for Justice of the national inquiry.

"You solve inequity by changing the system," she says. "I just feel so compelled to do something and I just cant stop myself from not doing something about it and problem-solving in a good way.

"Im not leading protests. Im figuring out the system and building relationships and a network  gather up enough grassroots allies and then we can all do it together."

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:35:02|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) on Tuesday said that an estimated 50.6 million or 20 percent of the population in the Horn of African region was staring at hunger and required food aid before the end of this year.

Experts said the dire food situation is being compounded by the impacts of COVID-19 global pandemic, desert locust invasion and ongoing climatic shocks.

"Conflict and insecurity, adverse macroeconomic shocks and protracted food insecurity from past shocks are additional problems in the region," the experts said in a statement during the launch of food security and nutrition response strategy.

Workneh Gebeyehu, IGAD executive secretary urged the member states and partners to provide the technical and financial support required to avert widespread food insecurity.

He said that the regional body has developed guidelines for a coherent approach to improve the food security situation.

Gebeyehu urged humanitarian and livelihood assistance for population in pastoral, urban and rural regions already grappling with food insecurity.

He appealed for enhancement of regional multi-hazard response coordination and advocacy to address challenges brought about by disease outbreaks, desert locust invasion and climatic shocks.

Gebeyehu urged the Horn of African states, which include Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia, to promote and facilitate regional trade and cross-border access to markets and strengthen safeguarding mechanisms for pastoralists and pastoral areas.

He recommended operationalization of the IGAD disaster response fund as well as establishing a regional operations center for emergencies.

According to IGAD, the eastern African region is considered one of the most food-insecure globally, with nearly 28 million people in need of food aid. Enditem
Its raining heavily in Mumbai, where the weather bureau has forecast heavy downpour on Tuesday and Wednesday. A red alert has been issued for these two days.

Click here to follow live updates of Mumbai rains

The rain continued through the night and people in many localities woke up to severe waterlogging.

Many Mumbai residents took to Twitter to post pictures and videos of the extremely heavy rain. Some of them claim that they havent seen anything like this since July 26, 2005, when extremely heavy rainfall resulted in floods which killed nearly 1,000 people.

Oh no! Not again!! posted a user Sakshi Arora. She used a hastag #MumbaiRains along with her tweet.

The state of Mumbai currently! Many places broke record of 200mm just in 4 hours, posted another user Shalom Tellis.

The state of Mumbai currently!

Many places broke record of 200mm just in 4 hours.#MumbaiRains pic.twitter.com/i1fCPa4UrN  Shalom Tellis (@Shalomtellis) August 3, 2020

Another user Habib Khan posted a video of himself driving on the Western Express highway. Travelling on western express highway. Never seen anything like this after 26th july 2005..#MumbaiRains. Stay safe.. stay indoors, he said.

Travelling on western express highway..

Never seen anything like this after 26th july 2005..#MumbaiRains

Stay safe.. stay indoors.. pic.twitter.com/FBPBphuuFn  Habib Khan (@HabibKh76240112) August 3, 2020

Mumbais civic body, the BrihanMumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued an advisory asking people to stay indoors. As per the forecast of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), extremely heavy rainfall is expected in Mumbai and suburbs today with high tide at 12.47 pm. Mumbaikars are requested not to venture out unless extremely necessary and stay away from the shore and waterlogged areas, the advisory said.

According to BMC, Mumbai city received 140.5 mm rain from 8 am on August 3 to 3 am on August 4. The Eastern and Western Suburbs recorded 84.77 mm and 79.27 mm of rainfall respectively.

ALSO WATCH | Mumbai rains | Landslide on Western Express Highway, heavy traffic: Latest updates

The city corporation has also put on alert fire brigade, pumping stations and operating staff at temporarily installed 299 pumping machines.

Officers have also been put on alert in case evacuation is required when the water level of the Mithi river increases due to rains.

Education officers have been told to keep the BMC schools prepared if any emergency situation arises and people need shelter.
SACRAMENTO  Many elementary schools in the Bay Area could be eligible to receive waivers to reopen for in-person learning, even if their counties havent hit state benchmarks in slowing the spread of the coronavirus, under guidelines the state released late Monday.

The guidelines from the California Department of Public Health largely leave it up to county health officers to decide whether elementary schools that want to reopen in-class instruction can do so, provided they follow strict safety protocols.

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. Every Bay Area county is currently below that threshold, according to a running state tally.

That benchmark is double the figure that lands a county on the states monitoring list. Counties on that list must close various businesses.

Waivers for in-person classroom instruction will be available only for grades K-6, even if the school includes pupils in higher grades. State officials said scientific data suggest young children are far less likely to shed and transmit the virus.

Dr. Erica Pan, California state epidemiologist and deputy director for the Center for Infectious Diseases at the Department of Public Health, said the guidelines are meant to balance the benefits of stay-at-home orders with the educational and social advantages children gain in an in-person classroom.

When it is safe or safer, given the right conditions, we want to be able to get children back to in-person instruction, Pan said. Theres collectively a strong desire, in public health, to get our kids back to school when its safe.

Many school districts across the state, including San Francisco, have already said they will start the year with remote learning and dont have the resources to meet state guidelines for reopening in-person classes.

Jessica Christian/The Chronicle

Some smaller districts, private schools and charter schools could face easier paths to obtaining waivers.

President Trump has been vocal about his desire for classrooms to reopen. Two weeks ago, however, Gov. Gavin Newsom said most California schools would not be able to have in-person classes until their counties can slow the spread of the coronavirus.

At the time, though, he said the state would allow elementary schools to apply for waivers. Under the guidelines released Monday, the superintendent of a district school or the principal or director of a charter or private school must be the one to file such an application.

The application must have the support of parents, labor unions and community groups. Schools must also comply with a host of state guidelines to provide face coverings, keep students socially distanced and disinfect classrooms.

Ultimately, local health officers must confer with the state Department of Public Health about whether to grant the waiver.

California also released new guidelines Monday for youth sports and physical education. The guidelines prohibit sporting events, such as tournaments and competitions, that would promote large gatherings.

Youth sports and recreation will be allowed only when 6 feet of social distancing is possible and a consistent group of participants can be maintained, the rules state. Face coverings are required for indoor recreation.

The California Interscholastic Federation, the body that oversees high school sports in the state, decided last month that fall sports would be delayed until at least January. Those sports include football, cross country, volleyball, water polo and field hockey.

Dustin Gardiner is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dustin.gardiner@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @dustingardiner
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 18:05:26|Editor: huaxia

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SUVA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Fiji will strictly monitor the cross-border movement to ensure its citizens' safety, local media reported Tuesday.

According to Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), with discussions underway on safely reopening the island nation's ports of entry, stringent protocols need to be mapped out to ensure the citizens' safety.

Fiji's Permanent Secretary for Immigration Yogesh Karan said that as being the hub of the region, Fiji has been pressured to carry out repatriation flights for numerous neighboring countries.

The flights will also see cross-border movements which pose a major risk of the virus spreading however, he assured that COVID-19 safety procedures and protocols are being developed.

"Numerous questions have been asked particularly Fiji is seen as a hub, we've already facilitated few requests from numerous countries our members through the bilateral channels, repatriation of their citizens."

The United Nations and the Asian Development Bank are reportedly leading discussions on strategies to assist Fiji's economy to bounce back from the implications of COVID-19. These include plans to safely reopen ports of entry to attract foreign tourists and increase international trade with stringent protocols and procedures.

To prevent the spread of COVID-19, Fiji has closed its borders, and Fiji Airways, the national carrier, has suspended its international flights until the end of August this year.

Fiji had reported a total of 18 COVID-19 patients since it confirmed its first COVID-19 case on March 19 this year, but all of them have fully recovered before June 5. And since July 6, Fiji has reported nine active COVID-19 cases.

On Friday, Fiji recorded its first COVID-19 related death. The remaining eight active cases of COVID-19, all border quarantine cases, are now in stable condition.

Currently, Fiji maintains the nationwide curfew from March 30. Enditem
Louisiana-Pacific (LPX) came out with quarterly earnings of $0.43 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.18 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.11 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of 138.89%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this home construction supplier would post earnings of $0.30 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.34, delivering a surprise of 13.33%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.

Louisiana-Pacific, which belongs to the Zacks Building Products - Wood industry, posted revenues of $548 million for the quarter ended June 2020, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.92%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $588 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Louisiana-Pacific shares have added about 5.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 2%.

What's Next for Louisiana-Pacific?

While Louisiana-Pacific has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

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Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Louisiana-Pacific was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.50 on $606 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $0.90 on $2.25 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Building Products - Wood is currently in the top 2% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



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To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
This is the shocking moment Good Morning Britain reporter Jonathan Swain followed ten migrants as they crossed the Channel - as experts warned they are being told by smugglers to cross now before Brexit is finalised.

The small, packed boat was sitting dangerously low in the sea as one man on board bailed out water, while in the distance a French coastguard vessel could be seen escorting it into British waters.

Mr Swain told GMB viewers: 'That is actually shadowing a migrant dinghy all the way from the French coast, so no attempt to intercept it or turn it round to France.'

French officials claim they are unable to lawfully intercept boats in the Channel under maritime laws, prompting anger from Home Secretary Priti Patel.

Jonathan Swain on today's Good Morning Britain with the migrant boat in the background

The extraordinary incident happened on GMB this morning when Jonathan Swain was reporting from the Channel on migrant crossings.

More than 3,500 people have crossed the Channel so far this year, including 202 in 20 boats last Thursday, a record for UK Border Force.

As the camera panned towards the boat, Mr Swain said: 'I just want to show you something that's happening right now, this is symptomatic of the problem, we've just zoomed the camera in, that is the French coastguard you can see there just in the distance, we are not allowed to get any closer there is an exclusion zone around.

'What they are doing (pan the camera round to the left) in the distance is a UK border Force boat called seeker, that is now waiting for the migrant boat to be dropped off effectively by the French coastguard. Then UK Border Force will take those migrants back to Dover.'

The reporter shouted over at the ten men in the boat to ask if they were 'ok' and several of them replied with a thumbs up.

Mr Swain told GMB viewers: 'There are strict rules here, we can't intervene at this stage... we're going to keep an eye on this and if they get into further distress then we have to then perhaps intervene.'

He later said it was fourth or fifth boat they've overheard on the radio of migrants who have made the crossing this morning.

Migrants are being told by people smugglers it is 'now or never' to cross the Channel because the UK's borders will close next year when it is finally out to the EU, it is claimed.

This has fuelled a rise in illegal crossings with desperate people paying up to 6,000 a time to join one of the risky voyages.

Lucy Moreton, professional officer at the Immigration Services Union, told The Times: 'We know people smugglers are telling migrants that once Britain leaves the EU this will stop.

'This is used by them to gee up people to make the journey in case they miss out. Of course, it is not true. They are just saying it to encourage people to get over now.'

The small, packed boat was sitting dangerously low in the Channel as one man on board bailed out water, while in the distance a French coastguard vessel could be seen escorting it into English waters

Her warning came as former Border Force director Tony Smith said crossings are approaching 'crisis' levels and are on the brink of repeating the asylum crisis of the early 2000s.

He called for urgent action to allow claims for asylum in the UK to be processed on French soil - with only those who approved in advance allowed to enter this country.

Mr Smith said if daily arrivals continue to grow 'you're going to start getting up to the numbers that actually were indeed a crisis almost 20 years ago'.

He added: 'I do worry that if we can't get a new agreement with the French on returns we're not going to be able to stop this and we could see numbers of the scale of which we've seen in years gone by.'

Mr Smith said the UK and France need to agree joint patrols which would intercept migrants in the Channel and return them to France to have asylum claims considered there.

Such an approach would be a new departure and would mirror the UK Border passport checks that take place in France and other countries for legitimate travellers, known as 'juxtaposed controls'.

However, EU treaties set out that asylum should be claimed in the first safe country reached by a migrant - in this case, France.

And Mr Smith's proposal could require the UK and France agreeing to operate a joint asylum policy, which would be controversial.

The French Coastguard vessel that was escorting the boat into UK waters, where Border Force were waiting

'What I'm advocating is that we need to try as best we can to replicate the juxtaposed controls for legitimate applicants in the same way as for illegitimate applicants,' he said.

'If they want to come to the UK they need to make their case on the French side, and if they are found in the waterways or even make it as far as Dover we say 'I'm sorry but you go back there and that's where you will be interviewed and processed, on the French side'.'

He said the current situation was putting lives at risk and 'fuelling the smuggling supply chains'.

The crisis in the early 2000s, when David Blunkett was home secretary, saw thousands of migrants gather at Sangatte, a Red Cross holding camp a mile from the Eurotunnel entrance.

Mr Blunkett agreed a series of deals with Paris to combat the problem and have Sangatte bulldozed, thanks to fruitful collaboration with his counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy, who went on to be French President.

Current numbers are rocketing despite Home Secretary Priti Patel's promise, made last October, that she would virtually eliminate crossings by now.

Priti Patel (pictured on July 30 on a visit to the headquarters of North Yorkshire Police) said she wants 'stronger enforcement' on the other side of the Channel

Last month the Mail reported how the Royal Navy has been testing the use of nets to stop illegal boats in the Channel.

Miss Patel said she wants 'stronger enforcement' on the other side of the Channel and was working to persuade the French government to 'show willing' and allow migrant boats to be turned back.

'I've had some very, very - I think it's fair to say - difficult discussions with my French counterpart even looking at interceptions at sea because currently the French authorities are not intercepting boats at sea,' Miss Patel told MPs.

'A lot of this is governed by maritime laws and the French authorities' interpretations of what they can and can't do at sea.'

Home Office officials hope they can strike a deal with new French interior minister Gerald Darmanin, appointed last month.

Last weekend, a migrant was airlifted to hospital suffering from hypothermia after reaching Britain on a small boat.

The man, who gave his nationality as Sudanese, was picked up off Ramsgate, Kent, on Sunday morning after making the perilous 21-mile journey across the Channel with two others.

He was flown to the William Harvey Hospital in Ashford by the Coastguard's search and rescue helicopter - which plucked him from a lifeboat at sea.
Alabama Power is returning $100 million in surplus fuel costs to customers this year, after a vote today by the Alabama Public Service Commission.

Customers should expect to receive a credit on their October electric bill for about $25, the company said.

Thats a shot in the arm of $100 million that will go back into our economy, said Twinkle Cavanaugh, president of the Alabama Public Service Commission.

The PSC voted 3-0 Tuesday to approve the refunds, stemming from unexpectedly low fuel costs and decreased electricity use during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Obviously it has been a different type of year when it comes to the usage of power and all the other utilities in the state, Cavanaugh said shortly after the vote. But I want to thank Alabama Power Company for going ahead and bringing this before the commission to get this money back in the hands of the individuals, the consumers across this state.

The amount of the October credit will depend on the customers energy use over the 12 month period ending June 30, but should be about $25 for residential customers who use about 1000 kilowatt hours per month.

As first reported by AL.com last month, numerous advocacy groups wrote to the PSC in July to request a refund on a $112 million surplus in what Alabama Power had collected to cover its fuel costs.

The PSC said at the time that the rate covering Alabama Powers fuel costs did not include a refund provision and that the Commission would monitor the situation going forward.

This month, Alabama Power requested to refund $100 million of that surplus to customers through October credits and the PSC approved that request.

Alabama Power does not earn profits on the money it spends on fuel, but tries to estimate those costs a year at a time and bill customers accordingly. If the company collects too much or too little, the rates are normally adjusted the next year to make up the difference.

The petition by Alabama Power means customers will get the money back in October rather than waiting for a rate decrease next year.

We appreciate the commission voting today to expedite this credit for our customers, Richard Hutto, Alabama Powers vice president of Regulatory Affairs said in a news release.

Many of our customers have been hurt by COVID-19. We hope this credit will provide some additional relief at this difficult time.

Alabama Power said that its customers have already seen a 3% rate decrease in 2020 to account for estimated lower fuel costs and other factors, translating to a savings of about $4.50 per month for the average residential customer.

Daniel Tait of Energy Alabama drafted the letter to the PSC requesting the refund, which was also signed by representatives of the Southern Poverty Law Center, Black Warrior Riverkeeper, Gasp, Sierra Club, Black Lives Matter Birmingham, Adelante Alabama Worker Center, Alabama Arise, Alabama Rivers Alliance, Alabama Appleseed, Alabama Interfaith Power and Light, the Alabama Poor Peoples Campaign and Saint Junia United Methodist Church.

On Tuesday, Tait applauded the companys and PSCs actions to return the money.

Energy Alabama and our partners asked the Commission to refund $100 million in fuel costs that were over-collected by Alabama Power, Tait said in an email. Were all extremely pleased that the Commission agreed. Tens of thousands of Alabamians are better off because of this decision.

PSC Executive Director and Administrative Law Judge John Garner read excerpts from Alabama Powers petition to issue the refunds during Tuesdays meeting.

As stated by the company, the petition is the result of unprecedented economic circumstances and challenges that are attributable to the coronavirus pandemic, Garner said. In light of those unusual circumstance, the company is requesting authorization to develop customer-specific refunds based on customers actual energy usage.

The staff has reviewed that filing and finds it to be very meritorious and the recommendation is approval, Garner said.

Cavanaugh and Commissioners Jeremy Oden and Chip Beeker voted to approve the staff recommendation.
There are a few key trends to look for if we want to identify the next multi-bagger. Ideally, a business will show two trends; firstly a growing return on capital employed (ROCE) and secondly, an increasing amount of capital employed. Ultimately, this demonstrates that it's a business that is reinvesting profits at increasing rates of return. And in light of that, the trends we're seeing at Lockheed Martin's (NYSE:LMT) look very promising so lets take a look.

Understanding Return On Capital Employed (ROCE)

Just to clarify if you're unsure, ROCE is a metric for evaluating how much pre-tax income (in percentage terms) a company earns on the capital invested in its business. The formula for this calculation on Lockheed Martin is:

Return on Capital Employed = Earnings Before Interest and Tax (EBIT)  (Total Assets - Current Liabilities)

0.24 = US$8.3b  (US$50b - US$15b) (Based on the trailing twelve months to June 2020).

Therefore, Lockheed Martin has an ROCE of 24%. That's a fantastic return and not only that, it outpaces the average of 9.6% earned by companies in a similar industry.

Check out our latest analysis for Lockheed Martin

roce

In the above chart we have a measured Lockheed Martin's prior ROCE against its prior performance, but the future is arguably more important. If you'd like, you can check out the forecasts from the analysts covering Lockheed Martin here for free.

How Are Returns Trending?

Investors would be pleased with what's happening at Lockheed Martin. The numbers show that in the last five years, the returns generated on capital employed have grown considerably to 24%. Basically the business is earning more per dollar of capital invested and in addition to that, 28% more capital is being employed now too. So we're very much inspired by what we're seeing at Lockheed Martin thanks to its ability to profitably reinvest capital.

In Conclusion...

A company that is growing its returns on capital and can consistently reinvest in itself is a highly sought after trait, and that's what Lockheed Martin has. And a remarkable 105% total return over the last five years tells us that investors are expecting more good things to come in the future. In light of that, we think it's worth looking further into this stock because if Lockheed Martin can keep these trends up, it could have a bright future ahead.

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If you'd like to know about the risks facing Lockheed Martin, we've discovered 1 warning sign that you should be aware of.

High returns are a key ingredient to strong performance, so check out our free list ofstocks earning high returns on equity with solid balance sheets.

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As of August 3, the authorities made payments through employment centers and saved the jobs of more than 357,000 Ukrainians, including 174,500 self-employed persons.

"Within the framework of the partial unemployment benefits program, employers submitted more than 215,700 thousand packages of documents to employment centers as of August 3. In particular, more than 188,000 packages were submitted by insured self-employed persons," the press service of the Ministry of Economic Development, Trade, and Agriculture of Ukraine informs.

The biggest number of applications was filed by employers in Kharkiv, Lviv, Donetsk, Sumy, and Chernivtsi regions.

UAH 1.829,9 million has already been allocated under the program.

At a meeting on July 15, the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine adopted a resolution providing for the redistribution of more than UAH 4.72 billion from the COVID-19 Response Fund to the Compulsory State Social Insurance Fund of Ukraine to support citizens who lost their jobs.

As of July 24, 2020, almost UAH 1.64 billion was allocated within the partial unemployment benefits program, making it possible to save 348,000 jobs.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 06:38:56|Editor: huaxia

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WARSAW, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A contingent of 200 U.S. troops permanently based in Poland will form the core of the U.S. military presence in the country, Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak announced on Tuesday after meeting U.S. Army Chief of Staff James McConville in Krakow in southern Poland.

They discussed the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement, a legal framework for the stationing of U.S. troops in Poland. The deal was politically agreed upon by the two countries on July 30 and will be signed soon, according to the Polish Defence Ministry.

The core of the agreement consists of the opening of a base in Poland -- expected in 2021 -- for the 5th Corps of the U.S. Army. Combined with other units that will rotate in the European country, the total number of American soldiers will increase by 1,000 to around 5,500.

"This decision is the crowning achievement of our efforts to increase the presence of U.S. troops in Poland," Blaszczak said during a press conference. Enditem
Missiles are seen launched during a military drill in North Korea, in this photo supplied by the Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 10, 2019. (KCNA via Reuters)

North Korea Has Likely Developed Mini Nuclear Devices, UN Warns

According to a confidential UN report, communist North Korea is pressing on with its nuclear weapons program and several unnamed countries believe it has developed mini nuclear devices to fit its ballistic missiles.

The United Nations submitted to a UN Security Council committee on Monday a report stating that North Korea continues to develop nuclear weapons ignoring sanctions and several unidentified countries believe that it has probably developed miniaturized nuclear devices to fit into the warheads of its ballistic missiles.

According to the UN report seen by Reuters, the past six nuclear tests performed by North Korea could have helped it to develop mini nuclear devices, Reuters said.

The Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is continuing its nuclear program, including the production of highly enriched uranium and construction of an experimental light water reactor. A Member State assessed that the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea is continuing production of nuclear weapons, the report said, according to Taipei Times.

South Korean defense ministry spokesperson Col. Moon Hong-sik said on Tuesday, Our military is closely monitoring North Koreas nuclear and missile activities, and South Korea and the United States are maintaining a close cooperation system, according to Yonhap News Agency.

South Korea assessed that North Korean technology to miniaturize a nuclear warhead had reached a considerable level, Moon said at a regular press briefing, according to Yonhap.

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un speaks during the conference of the Central Military Committee of the Workers Party of Korea in this image released by North Koreas Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on May 23, 2020. (KCNA via Reuters)

North Korean leader Kim Jong Un said last week that the possession of nuclear weapons is the best guarantee to the countrys safety, according to state-run media.

Now we have become able to reliably defend ourselves against any form of high-intensity pressure and military threat, Kim said, adding, Thanks to our reliable and effective self-defense nuclear deterrence, the word war would no longer exist on this land, and the security and future of our state will be guaranteed forever.

North Korea has long claimed that its nuclear weapons are defensive, but officials with the United States and United Nations have said it would allow Pyongyang to adopt more hostile, threatening tactics in the Asia-Pacific region.

In 2018, Kim and President Donald Trump met for the first time in Singapore, raising the hopes that the country could be open to ending its nuclear threats in exchange for sanctions relief from the United States. A second meeting in 2019 in Vietnam between the two fell apart before talks stalled.

Pyongyang stopped conducting nuclear tests after September 2017 before talks with the United States.

Also in 2018, North Korea blew up the tunnels at its main nuclear test site, Punggye-ri, and said this was proof of its commitment to end nuclear testing. The country however did not allow experts to witness the site being dismantled.

The UN report said that since there is no indication of a comprehensive demolition, one unnamed country had assessed that North Korea could rebuild and reinstall the infrastructure needed to support a nuclear testwithin three months.

The UN experts also say North Korea is violating sanctions through quote illicit maritime exports of coal, though this was temporarily suspended due to the global pandemic.

Jack Phillips and Reuters contributed to this report.
As damaging winds and heavy rains battered Connecticut Tuesday, crashes, downed wires and debris closed roads across the state as first responders struggled to keep up with emergency calls.

Here is the latest information regarding weather-related road closures and crashes.

To check on the status of these road closures overnight Tuesday into Wednesday, visit https://cttravelsmart.org/List/Alerts.

UPDATE: LEDYARD: 9:48 P.M.

Route 214 is closed between Route 12 and Avery Hill Road because of debris in the roadway.

UPDATE: CORNWALL: 9:13 P.M.

Route 128 is closed between Route 4 and Route 7 because of trees in wires.

UPDATE: MONTVILLE: 8:44 P.M.

Route 163 is closed at Route 82 with tree across the road.

UPDATE: SOUTHINGTON: 8:26 P.M.

Route 322 is closed at Marion Avenue because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: WARREN: 8:29 P.M.

Route 341 is closed at Route 45 with trees across the road.

UPDATE: POMFRET: 8:23 P.M.

Route 169 is closed at Railroad Street for trees down on wires and across the road.

UPDATE: SIMSBURY: 8:08 P.M.

Route 315 is closed at Terrys Plain Road because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: CROMWELL: 8:03 P.M.

Route 3 is closed between Sanford Road and Sovereign Ridge because of trees down on the wires.

UPDATE: DURHAM: 7:59 P.M.

Route 17 is closed at Royal Oak Drive for a tree down on the wires.

UPDATE: DERBY: 7:58 P.M.

Route 34 is closed because of trees down in the roadway.

UPDATE: WETHERSFIELD: 7:48 P.M.

Route 5 south is closed north of Jordan Lane because of wires down.

UPDATE: HADDAM: 7:48 P.M.

Route 81 (Killingworth Road) is closed at the Haddam/Killingworth town line because of trees and wires down.

UPDATE: WILLINGTON: 7:47 P.M.

Route 74 is closed at Glass Factory Road because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: HARTFORD: 7:40 P.M.

Route 187 is closed between Hebron Street and Sharon Street because of wires down.

UPDATE: BETHLEHEM: 7:35 P.M.

Route 132 is closed at Nonewaug Road because of wires down.

UPDATE: BROOKLYN: 7:33 P.M.

Route 169 is closed at Beecher Road for trees down across the road.

UPDATE: SPRAGUE: 7:26 P.M.

Route 207 is closed at the Franklin town line because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: CROMWELL: 7:26 P.M.

Route 99 is closed between Prospect Hill Road and Doering Drive because of wires down.

UPDATE: WINDSOR: 7:22 P.M

Route 159 is closed Pierson Lane for multiple trees down across the road.

UPDATE: BROOKLYN: 7:13 P.M.

Route 6 is closed because of low hanging wires.

UPDATE: ELLINGTON: 7:09 P.M.

Route 32 is closed headed toward Stafford because of multiple trees down.

UPDATE: PUTNAM: 7:07 P.M.

Route 44 is closed at East Putnam Road because of wires down.

UPDATE: WILLINGTON: 7:05 P.M.

Route 74 is closed between Route 32 and Moose Meadow Road because of wires down.

UPDATE: EAST HADDAM: 7:02 P.M.

Route 148 is closed at Route 82 because of wires down.

UPDATE: COLCHESTER: 6:56 P.M.

Route 16 is closed between Victoria Drive and Route 149 because of wires down.

UPDATE: STAFFORD: 6:56 P.M.

Route 32 is closed at Spellman Road because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: LEBANON: 6:55 P.M.

Route 207 is closed south of Mack Road.

UPDATE: HADDAM: 6:47 P.M.

Route 81 is closed at Lake Avenue of a tree down on the roadway.

UPDATE: BURLINGTON: 6:44 P.M.

Route 69 is closed to Bradley Road because of multiple trees down across the road.

UPDATE: LEDYARD: 6:18 P.M.

Route 214 is closed at Stoddard Wharf Road because of trees down on wires.

UPDATE: STAFFORD: 5:37 P.M.

Route 190 is closed at Gulf Road because of wires down on the road.

UDPATE: LITCHFIELD: 5:24 P.M.

Route 202 is closed at Old Turnpike Road because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: COLEBROOK: 5:51 P.M.

Old Route 8 is closed at the Massachusetts line because of storm damage in Massachusetts.

UPDATE: FAIRFIELD: 5:46 P.M.

The Merritt Parkway north is closed between Exit 42 and Exit 44 because of debris in the roadway.

UPDATE: WATERFORD: 5:43 P.M.

The right lane of I-95 north is closed between Exit 76 and Exit 81 for debris in the roadway.

UPDATE: STAFFORD: 5:37 P.M.

Route 190 is closed at Gulf Road because of wires on the roadway.

UPDATE: LITCHFIELD: 5:24 P.M.

Route 202 is closed at Old Turnpike Road because of trees down on wires.

UPDATE: PRESTON: 5:27 P.M.

Route 164 at Route 2 is closed because of a tree down across the roadway.

UPDATE: SIMSBURY: 4:25 P.M.

Route 540 is closed between Route 189 and Route 187 because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: HADDAM: 4:13 P.M.

Route 154 is closed at Camp Bethel Road and at School House Lane because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: SOUTHINGTON: 3:33 P.M.

Route 10 at West Main Street is closed for a tree down on the road.

UPDATE: SOUTHINGTON: 3:15 P.M.

Tree down on I-84 west between Exit 32 and Exit 31. The left lane is closed.

UPDATE: WESTPORT: 3:09 P.M.

The Merritt Parkway north is closed between Exit 41 and Exit 42 because of debris in the roadway. Southbound lanes are also closed between Exit 42 and Exit 41.

UPDATE: EAST HADDAM: 2:57 P.M.

Route 82 is closed between Route 431 and Cold Spring Road because of a tree and wires down.

UPDATE: WOODBRIDGE: 2:27 P.M.  CLEARED

Route 15 north is closed between Exit 58 and Exit 59 because of debris in the roadway.

UPDATE: GREENWICH: 2:12 P.M.  CLEARED

A tree was reported in the roadway on I-95 north between Exit 3 and Exit 4. The right and center lanes are closed.

UPDATE: SOUTHINGTON: 2:08 P.M.  CLEARED

I-84 west is closed between Exit 31 and Exit 30 because of a one-vehicle crash.

UPDATE: NEW FAIRFIELD: 2:08 P.M.

Route 39 is closed at Gilloti Road because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: WESTPORT: 1:22 P.M.

Route 33 is closed at Kings Highway north because of a one-vehicle crash into a tree.

UPDATE: GREENWICH: 1:08 P.M.  CLEARED

Route 15 south is closed between Exit 28 and Exit 27 because of a one-vehicle crash into a tree.

UPDATE: POMFRET: 1:07 P.M.

Route 44 is closed at Gary School Road because of a tree down on wires.

UPDATE: ROCKY HILL: 12:53 P.M.

The ferry is closed because of high winds until further notice.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4) A group of physicians on Tuesday said this is the last time they will call for a medical timeout, as they expressed hope that the government will be able to address the concerns of an overwhelmed health sector amid the COVID-19 crisis.

Hindi na tayo magtatawag pa ng ibang timeout kasi ito po, we cannot really afford na mag-miss pa tayo sa time out na ito, Dr. Maricar Limpin, Vice President of the Philippine College of Physicians, said in a media forum.

Pag di nagawa yan (address concerns) ay medyo alanganin tayo manalo sa COVID-19. Ang mabibigay na assurance sa mamayang Pilipino sisiguraduhin namin na hindi ho kami papayag na matalo kami sa COVID-19. Oras na matalo kami, its the loss of the entire nation, she added.

[Translation: We are not going to call for another timeout, we cannot really afford to miss. If our concerns are not addressed, its going to be hard to beat COVID-19. But we assure the Filipino people, we wont let COVID-19 beat us. The moment we are defeated, its the loss of the entire nation.]

Meanwhile, Dr. Aileen Espina of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians reiterated that the timeout will enable them to reassess and re-calibrate the countrys response to the pandemic.

Representatives from the medical community met with the COVID-19 National Task Force and the Health Department on Monday and discussed various issues hounding the health sector.

These include the inappropriate use of rapid antibody tests for screening and diagnosis, the increasing number of patients flooding hospitals and other logistical concerns, Espina said.

Espina said the officials who attended the meeting agreed with their recommendation to recruit additional health resources to augment both government and private facilities, as well as to come up with just and timely compensation and benefits for healthcare workers.

On the other hand, Dr. Lei Alfonso of the Philippine Society of Public Health Physicians raised the need to strengthen contact tracing measures and telemedicine.

Alfonso said doctors will help man the tele-navigation and telemedicine hotlines to help lessen the number of patients visiting hospitals. She also emphasized the value of a clearer contact tracing system.

Bakit kumakalat ang sakit? Bakit nag-uumapaw ang pasyente nagkakaron ng pagkakahawa dito sa mga lugar na ito? May pasyente sa pamilya kumakalat, minsan di masabi, di matukoy saan? Sa pagsakay ba? O sa opisina, sa pagtrabaho? So di matukoy wala tayo maayos na contact tracing system, Alfonso said. Magiging safer tayo if kayang ma-trace.

[Translation: Why is the disease spreading? Why are patients piling up, why is there transmission in a certain area? There are patients within a family, sometimes we cant figure out how they contracted the virus. Was it during the commute? In the office? We cant point it out if there is no proper contact tracing system. Well be much safer if we can do tracing.]

Physicians are likewise calling on the public to do their part in fighting COVID-19, such as wearing of masks, maintaining social distance, only leaving the house for necessities, and taking advantage of virtual medical consultations.

The medical communitys plea for a timeout came in the wake of the rapid rise of coronavirus infections in the country, which have now surpassed the 100,000 mark. Frontliners said a stricter quarantine will help the healthcare system and the workers themselves breathe and pave the way for the refinement of pandemic control strategies.
Some 4,000 miles away from the hustle and bustle of Wexford's Main Street there's a hustle and bustle of a different kind. Colourfully dressed women and children busily move in and out of a purposely built clinic in Brikama in the West Coast region of The Gambia.

For Keith and Catherine Jordan, it's a world apart from their business Westgate Design on the main street in Wexford, but it's also a place that they've grown very, very close to over the years.

While visiting a family friend, Fr Sean Devereux on the missions in the Gambia, they first came across the clinic and felt compelled to help.

'We visited Sean and saw the poverty first hand,' Keith explained.

'The first time we visited was fairly rough. You see a lot of poverty and you just want to save the world, but obviously that's not possible.'

'We came across this clinic in a remote village. To call it a clinic is probably overstating it. It was a run-down shed. I grew up on a farm and I can tell you our cows were kept in better.'

'There and then we undertook to fundraise for the clinic.'

A whole process followed. Fr Sean liaised with the village elders and the ball was started rolling. The Jordan family undertook a major fundraising campaign back home and local workers immediately set about completely renovating the clinic, which primarily caters for women and children, antenatal medicine and general first aid. The Kitty Clinic opened it's doors in 2010 at a total cost of 53,000, all of which was kindly donated by the people of Co Wexford.

'We had a massive opening and hundreds of people turned up from miles around,' Keith recalls.

'I remember I had to give a speech, which was translated into the local dialect.'

The relationship with the well kitted out 'Kitty Clinic' in the Gambia has endured and the Jordan family continues to fundraise to maintain it. Anyone who has passed through Westgate Design may have noticed their famous golden pig in which people make donations. This is just some of the money which goes directly to the Gambia. One of the major fundraisers which the Jordan family hosted in recent years was a large concert in the National Opera House with Phil Coulter, who has himself visited the Gambia and seen the conditions that people are living in there.

Back in January, Keith and Catherine were delighted to visit the clinic once again along with Fr Tom Dalton, for the first time in a few years, as political unrest had made in dangerous. However, they were delighted to see the clinic continuing to serve people from miles around and were moved to sign up to provide a further 10,000 over the next two years to carry out important maintenance and repairs.

Keith was also delighted to meet up with a young man called John Gomez, who having met him a number of years ago, he had agreed to personally pay for his education.

'It's a real success story,' Keith says. 'He's probably 25 or 26 now and he's a computer programmer and he's looking after a whole community. When I first met him, you wouldn't believe what his home looked like, but now he lives in a nice house with his family. He's dying to visit Ireland and hopefully we'll be able to do that in the future.'

Keith and Catherine were delighted to see how the donations of the people of Wexford were being used to great effect to make a huge difference to those in desperate need.

'I suppose you can only do what you can do,' said Keith. 'It's great to see the work that's being done at the clinic. In the scheme of things, 10,000 is not a massive amount of money. We're delighted to be able to help in any small way we can.'
East Belfast DUP MLA and policing board member Joanne Bunting has been charged with careless driving and leaving the scene of an accident.

At Newtownards Magistrates' Court on Friday, sitting in Belfast, the 46-year-old was charged with four offences arising from an incident on March 3 this year, charges which are denied by the DUP politician.

Bunting, with an address in Ards, was charged with driving carelessly on the Movilla Road in the town and three offences alleging that following an accident which caused an injury to another person, she failed to stop, remain and report her details to the police within a reasonable time.

None of the facts surrounding the offences were heard during the brief hearing and after her defence solicitor entered not guilty pleas to each of the offences, District Judge Mark Hamill adjourned the case to September 7.
As Tropical Storm Isaias bears down on New Jersey, Hudson County municipalities are preparing for the worst.

Officials warn that Isaias could bring heavy rain, gale-force winds, and flooding to the region Tuesday afternoon, all of which will likely be exacerbated by Tuesday evenings high tide.

Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla, citing data from the National Weather Service, said the storm could become a prolonged flooding event that could be more severe, longer in duration, and more sustained then even the previous two flooding events weve seen most recently.

Municipalities across the county are bracing for the storm, but nowhere more so than Hoboken. With its low-lying topography, the city is especially susceptible to flooding, and officials expect Isaias to be the third major storm to put the city underwater in roughly a month.

At a press conference Monday, Hoboken officials outlined their plan for the storm. In an effort to clear the streets, driving in the Mile Square City will be prohibited for non-essential and non-emergency workers from 5 p.m. Tuesday to 5 a.m. Wednesday. Street sweeping will be suspended on Tuesday, and outdoor fitness and dining will be halted. A spokesman for Hoboken University Medical Center said some procedures would be postponed and inclement staffing would be implemented.

The city is setting up barricades to push traffic out of flood zones and offering parking spaces in municipal garages for $5 a day. Bhalla urged residents whose cars are parked in low-lying western and southwestern neighborhoods to move their cars before the storm.

There is a very real chance that the flood waters are literally going to total your car, he said.

Sands bag outside ShopRite in Hoboken on Monday, August 3, 2020.

Jennifer Gonzalez, the director of Hobokens Department of Environmental Services, said the combination of high tide and rainfall would likely exacerbate the situation for coastal municipalities.

During a high tide or storm surge, the water level of the Hudson River can rise above the level of the combined sewer outfalls, Gonzales said during Mondays press conference. As a result, the river traps the water inside the sewer system and it backs up into the system and onto our streets.

We do expect that this kind of confluence of rainfall and high tide is going to bring significant impacts, she added.

In an interview last month, Bhalla said that a long-term fix to the citys flooding problem  a $3 billion overhaul of the sewer system  was unlikely to happen soon. But he noted said that the citys flood mitigation systems, including two wet weather pumps and resiliency parks, improved the outlook. And planning is underway for a $230 million network of flood mitigation infrastructure in Hoboken and Weehawken.

Other Hudson towns are also putting measures in place. Bayonne spokesman Joe Ryan said in an email that the citys emergency services were preparing to have full manpower, all required vehicles, and emergency generators available to deal with the storm.

Parks in West New York will be closed all day Tuesday, and municipal buildings will be closed after 1 p.m. Tuesday. In a press release, West New York Mayor Gabriel Rodriguez urged residents to move cars out of low-lying areas and to prepare for power outages.

I strongly encourage our residents to take all precautions necessary to ensure they remain safe during this storm, Rodriguez said. Our administration will continue to monitor the progression and will continue working with local and state partners as well as PSE&G to ensure impact on our residents is minimal.

In a Facebook post, Jersey City Mayor Steve Fulop said the city was spending $115 million on flood mitigation projects, with plans for $450 million more over the next 5-7 years, but noted that those were not overnight solutions.

Jersey City workers have been cleaning catch basins and installing barriers to block off flooding areas, Fulop said, and restaurants and businesses were asked to remove or properly secure any outdoor items that could be caught in floodwaters.

We are very focused right now on preparation and we hope you are doing the same, he said.
Scorpio Bulkers (SALT) came out with a quarterly loss of $5.68 per share versus the Zacks Consensus Estimate of a loss of $3.78. This compares to loss of $1.50 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -50.26%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this dry bulk ocean shipper would post a loss of $3.10 per share when it actually produced a loss of $2.78, delivering a surprise of 10.32%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.

Scorpio Bulkers, which belongs to the Zacks Transportation - Shipping industry, posted revenues of $26.17 million for the quarter ended June 2020, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 5.33%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $49.10 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Scorpio Bulkers shares have lost about 77% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 1.3%.

What's Next for Scorpio Bulkers?

While Scorpio Bulkers has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Story continues

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Scorpio Bulkers was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is -$1.62 on $43.22 million in revenues for the coming quarter and -$19.94 on $160.37 million in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Transportation - Shipping is currently in the bottom 8% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.



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CANBERRA, Australia - Australias ambassador to Iran has visited a British-Australian academic who was convicted of espionage before being moved recently to a notorious Iranian prison, and found that she is well, Australias government said Tuesday.

Kylie Moore-Gilbert was a Melbourne University lecturer on Middle Eastern studies when she was sent to Tehrans Evin Prison in September 2018 and sentenced to 10 years.

Concerns for her well-being escalated with news last week that she had been moved to Qarchak Prison, east of Tehran.

Australia sought urgent consular access and its ambassador to Iran, Lyndall Sachs, visited Moore-Gilbert in Qarchak Prison on Sunday, Australias Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, or DFAT, said in a statement.

Dr. Moore-Gilbert is well and has access to food, medical facilities and books, the statement said. We will continue to seek regular consular access to Dr. Moore-Gilbert.

Moore-Gilberts family said they were reassured by the ambassadors prison visit.

We remain committed to getting our Kylie home as soon as possible and this is our top and only priority, a family statement said.

We continue to believe that Kylies best chance at release is through diplomatic avenues and are in close contact with DFAT and the Australian government on the best ways to achieve this, the statement added.

In 2018, Moore-Gilbert was arrested at Tehran airport while trying to leave Iran after attending an academic conference.

The Center for Human Rights in Iran, a U.S.-based organization, said last week that Moore-Gilbert was being held with violent criminals under harsh conditions.

Reza Khandan, husband of human rights lawyer and Evin Prison inmate Nasrin Sotoudeh, posted on social media last week that Moore-Gilbert had been transferred as a form of punishment.

Australia describes Moore-Gilberts case as one of its highest priorities.

Moore-Gilbert has gone on hunger strikes during her time in custody and pleaded for the Australian government to do more to free her during almost two years in custody.

She wrote to Australias prime minister last year that she has been subjected to grievous violations of my legal and human rights, including psychological torture and spending prolonged periods of time in solitary confinement.
(Bloomberg) The Federal Reserve and other central banks are heading for a collision with shadow lenders  the firms with a sinister nickname that are increasingly dominating global finance.

To read this article:
United Nations, Aug 4 : UN Security Council (UNSC) is expected to have focus on counter-terrorism issues in August, it was reported.

The Council will hold a ministerial-level open debate on "the linkages between terrorism and transnational organized crime" on Thursday, Dian Triansyah Djani, permanent representative of Indonesia to the UN and president of the Council for the month of August, said at a virtual press conference on the Council's program of work on Monday.

There will also be a briefing on Secretary-Gneral's biannual strategic-level report on the threat posed by the Islamic State terror group on August 24, reports Xinhua news agency.

The Council's other open debate is "pandemics and the challenges to peacebuilding and sustaining peace".

The likely briefers include Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, former Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Sarah Cliffe, director of New York University's Center on International Cooperation, according to the program of work.

Several regular Middle East meetings are on the program of work as well.

There will be the three monthly Syria meetings: open and closed video-conferences on the political and humanitarian situation and a closed VTC on the use of chemical weapons.

The monthly meetings on developments in Yemen and on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian Question, are also planned in both open and closed format.

In addition, the Council will meet for a briefing on recent developments in Iraq and on the two latest secretary-general's reports, on the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq and on the issue of missing Kuwaiti and third-country nationals and missing Kuwaiti property, including the national archives.

Meetings in open and closed format are also planned ahead of adoptions to renew the UN missions in Lebanon and Somalia.

An adoption is also expected to renew the Mali sanctions regime, as well as the mandate of its Panel of Experts.

The Council will be briefed on the latest secretary-general's report on the UN Integrated Peacebuilding Office in Guinea-Bissau, as well as developments in the country following the post-electoral crisis earlier in the year.

Council members may also participate in a "virtual visiting mission" to meet with key stakeholders in Somalia ahead of the adoption, according to the Security Council Report (SCR), whose mission is to advance the transparency and effectiveness of the Council.

The Council will be watching developments in Burundi, Iran, Libya, Myanmar and Sudan, as well as those related to the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, and additional meetings may be added as necessary, the SCR said.

Indonesia, the fourth most populous country on earth after China, India, and the US, has been elected four times as non-permanent member to the Security Council.
Maharashtra minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday said he and his family are being targeted for no reason in actor Sushant Singh Rajput death case and stressed he is nowhere related to the matter.

The Shiv Sena leader said dirty politics is being played following the death of the Bollywood actor and without naming anyone, added that the allegation being levelled is political stomach-ache stemming from frustration.

The tourism minister said he is a grandson of Shiv Sena founder the late Bal Thackeray and will not commit any act that will hurt the image of Maharashtra and his family.

In a statement he shared on Twitter, Aaditya Thackeray said the Maharashtra government is making all the efforts to combat COVID-19 and perhaps those who are sulking due to the MVAs popularity have started playing the dirty politics in connection with the death case.

'Mudslinging is being indulged in against me and the Thackeray family for no reason in connection with Sushant's suicide. This is a kind of political stomach-ache stemming from frustration.

'It is blot on humanity to seek mileage out of someones death. In fact, I am nowhere related to this episode,' Aaditya Thackeray asserted.

He said Bollywood is an important part of Mumbai and thousands of people are dependent on the film industry for employment.

The 30-year-old son of Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray said he shares cordial rapport with many people from Bollywood and added it is no crime.

He claimed efforts are being made to divert the probe into Rajput's death, an episode being investigated separately by the Mumbai police and their Patna counterparts.

Aaditya Thackeray further said Rajput's death is unfortunate and equally shocking and added the Mumbai Police are probing the matter in detail.

The Maharashtra Police are reputed in the world. But those who do not believe in law are stoking dust of baseless allegations to divert the probe.

'As a grandson of Hinduhridaysamrat (King of Hindus' heart) Balasaheb Thackeray, I want to tell, that I will not commit any act that will harm the reputation of Maharashtra, the Shiv Sena and the Thackeray family.

'Those who are making baseless allegations should understand this,' he said.

The minister further said anyone who has special information regarding the case should submit it to the police who will definitely probe in that direction.

I am exercising restraint in this case even today. None should remain under the illusion that the government and Thackeray family can be defamed by engaging in mud-slinging thus. This much for now, he added.

Earlier in the day, Bharatiya Janata Party leader Narayan Rane had said Rajput's death should be probed as 'murder'.

Rajput, 34, was found hanging at his apartment in suburban Bandra on June 14.

The Mumbai Police had registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) and an investigation is underway.
South Africa: UIF still processing COVID-19 TERS April/May payments

The Unemployment Insurance Fund (UIF) is to continue processing COVID-19 temporary employee/employer relief scheme (TERS) new claims for April and May until a cut-off date is announced.

UIF Commissioner Teboho Maruping said this is in line with the agreement reached by the Department of Employment and Labour, and the National Economic Development and Labour Council (Nedlac) social partners to extend the 14-day window period for new COVID-19 TERS applications made for April and May.

The 14-day notice window period is still to be announced, and employers and employees will have an opportunity to submit applications before the cut-off date.

Maruping said the UIF is working tirelessly to ensure that all valid COVID-19 TERS benefits claims for April, May and June are settled, as it gears up to open the system for the new extended period of six weeks, ending on 15 August 2020.

There are numerous challenges to handling applications. However, detailed FAQ [frequently asked questions] guiding employers to handle any error codes will be issued to enable processing for payment. To reduce the number of outstanding claims, the UIF is re-running updates on declarations on the system twice a week.

Added to that, the UIF makes payments every day, except on Sundays, in order to fast-track outstanding claims. The Fund is also working on a number of front-end adjustments to the system to enable applicants to fix some of the errors on their own, which will greatly ease the load on our side and improve the flow, Maruping said.

The UIF also expressed its appreciation for the collaboration and support received from employers, bargaining councils and other organisations across the board to resolve outstanding claims.

He said incidents of fraud have prompted the Fund to introduce the verification of banking details before payment is released into the applicants bank account.

The UIF is reliant on banks to ensure bank details verification. In instances where claims have failed bank verification, we appeal to employers to update the banking details on the system. The process to be followed will be outlined in the FAQs that will soon be made available on the departments website and the TERS online system, Maruping said.

Maruping said the Fund has made this activity the responsibility of the client because of its sensitive nature, but most importantly, it removes the potential of officials meddling with clients private information.

R37 billion benefit claims paid

As the Fund prepares to open the system for COVID-19 TERS benefit claims for July and August, Maruping said an amount of R37 133 662 558.77 has so far been paid for 693 561 applications, benefitting 8 298 307 workers.

With the testimonies that we are receiving, it is quite clear to us that these disbursements have made a real difference to millions of people dependent on the workers who received these cash injections. As the Fund, it is an honour for us to have played this part and will do so until 15 August, armed with learnings from the past three months.

"The Fund will leverage its resources to ensure that it continues to process those claims that are in the system and honour those that are valid, in line with commitment it has made to various parliamentary committees and the workers in this country, Maruping said.  SAnews.gov.za

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
Researchers uncovered in a new study how schistosomes, parasitic flatworms that infect more than 200 million people in the tropics, trick the host's immune system and continue producing eggs for decades.

Schistosomiasis, caused by schistosome infection, is a neglected tropical disease that is spread by contact with infected snails, according to WHO. Children are particularly vulnerable to schistosomiasis  also known as bilharzia  which causes anaemia, stunting and learning disorders.

Jayhun Lee and his colleagues at the Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison, explain in a report in PNAS how a specialised gland in the parasite's digestive tract, called esophageal gland, is behind an immune-evasion mechanism essential for its survival while in its host.

Lee says one feature ofschistosomes  which have a complex life cycle which begins in freshwater contaminated with human excrement  is that the mature parasites can live for a decade or more inside the host's bloodstream where immunity is active.

There are multiple human-infective schistosome species, each of which infects a specific snail species found in the rivers and lakes of Sub-Saharan Africa, South-East Asia and South America. People living in areas of these regions with poor sanitation systems are constantly at risk of schistosome infection through their daily activities involving water such as swimming, washing, and agriculture." Jayhun Lee, Morgridge Institute for Research, University of Wisconsin-Madison

The infected snails release larval offspring into the water, called cercariae, that burrow through human skin and migrate into the blood vessels by the liver where they mate and grow into mature adults. They can live for more than decade within the host and produce hundreds of eggs daily that are trapped in the body and cause organ damage. Some of the eggs released via human waste hatch in water to repeat their lifecycle.

Using a mouse model, Lee and his fellow researchers looked at stem cells from Schistosoma mansoni to discover that the larvae develop oesophageal glands before they start feeding on blood. They found that schistosomes that did not have the gland were killed by the immune cells of the mouse host.

"We believe that our research might be relevant to many parasitic worms that feed on blood, including hookworms that cause soil-transmitted helminthiasis and filarial worms that cause lymphatic filariasis," Lee says. "Since these parasites feed on large quantities of blood, they may be equipped with an organ that plays a similar function as the oesophageal gland of S. mansoni that destroys ingested immune cells."

Currently, a single drug, praziquantel, is used to cure schistosomiasis, Lee says. "It is effective in killing mature schistosomes, but less so towards immature schistosomes that might be growing inside a patient. Praziquantel does not prevent re-infection. People living in endemic areas, therefore, may need to take praziquantel repeatedly. There are also reports of schistosomes that display resistance to praziquantel treatment, indicating the urgent need for new drugs."

Stephen Davies, professor at the department of preventive medicine and biometrics, F. Edward Hebert School of Medicine Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Maryland, says that "the work reveals new details of the intimate relationship that exists between schistosome parasites and their hosts, and eloquently makes the case that understandingthis interaction in molecular detail will undoubtedly lead to novel treatments".

"In their work, Lee and his colleagues make two striking and unexpected discoveries," says Davies. "First, the parasite's oesophageal gland appears to act as a filter to the gut andfulfils a role that is critical for parasite development and survival. This is a remarkable insight into the basic biology of schistosomes that comes as quite a surprise."

Secondly, the schistosomes seem to be vulnerable to immunological attack from host immune cells which enter the parasite gut when the organism feeds, he says. "Most previous work assumed that, if effective at all, immune cells would mount an attack on the parasite's exterior surface. These findings pen up a new dimension to how schistosomes interact with the host immune system."

Davies believes that the findings are applicable only to schistosomes which are unique among parasitic worms in that they spend most of their lives in the host's bloodstream. "It makes you wonder though, whether other worms that feed on human blood, like hookworms, also employ similar strategies for protection against immune attack."
When he saw the news alert  huge explosion in central Beirut  Jad El Tal felt a shock wave thousands of kilometres away.

The incoming student at the University of Torontos Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy raced to call his mom, who lives less than a kilometre from the explosion site, through WhatsApp  a common way for the diaspora to reach their family back home in Lebanon.

She answered the phone but the signal was weak.

All I heard was, Were OK, were OK,  he said.

Like El Tal, 24, those in Toronto with ties to Lebanon  more than 13,000 according to the last census, more than 6,000 immigrants  scrambled to reach home amid power outages that have plagued the capital as they worried about already at-capacity hospitals amid an ongoing global pandemic.

There were local reports of more than 70 people killed and more than 3,000 injured as of Tuesday night. A former Montrealer was among those killed.

El Tal said miraculously none of his family was injured, but that he hasnt talked to a single person in Beirut whose house wasnt damaged  glass was shattered everywhere.

The blast Tuesday instantly drew him back to a similar moment in 2015 when ISIS claimed responsibility for a bombing in a suburb outside Beirut.

Its the same sunken feeling of I cant do anything to help and my heart and my soul are there, he said. Its inexplicable.

All of those the Star spoke to said the lack of clear information about Tuesdays blast  reportedly at a warehouse containing highly explosive materials  as well as the need for government accountability had them on edge.

Mohamad Fakih, a Lebanese-Canadian businessman and philanthropist, spent the day trying to reach employees at their Paramount Fine Foods locations in the capital city and the family he left behind when he immigrated to Toronto.

My parents house, the glass is all broken, he said.

His father was on the balcony of their apartment building about three to four kilometres from where a warehouse containing explosive materials is reported to have erupted.

My dad actually fell off his chair.

It was nothing like anything his mother  who has survived decades of war in her home country  has ever experienced before, said Fakih, the CEO and founder of the successful Middle Eastern restaurant chain.

My mom said it was for sure an earthquake.

Fakih also described the feeling of helplessness as he saw those in Beirut rushing to respond to calls to donate blood.

Its just hard not to be able to do something, he said, at times struggling to speak. Its so hard to feel helpless.

Sarah Bakri, a 25-year-old communications student, grew up in Canada but most of her family is back in Lebanon.

She woke up to news of the explosion and couldnt reach her cousin at first, who works less than a kilometre from the centre.

I was trying to contact him for the longest time, she said, as she watched news in Arabic about the lack of space in local hospitals and the strange chemical colour of the smoke plume.

Lebanons going through a lot right now, she said, describing the lack of electricity, a resurgence of COVID-19 and ongoing political turmoil.

It was definitely hard to reach them because you dont even know if there phone is charged . . . You start to fear for the worst.

She eventually reached her cousin, who was unhurt, as well as her grandmother who answered the phone right away  a huge relief. She urged family and friends to stay away from the area for fear of chemical exposure.

Theres no going back to normal after this, she said.

Rima Maamari, a Lebanese-Canadian in Brampton and mother of two young kids, said the horror didnt sink in until her husband told her to watch the video, saying she needed to call home.

She said unfortunately, she and others have become accustomed to hearing about blasts and bombings back in Lebanon.

What concerned me is when I saw the visual of it, she said after first seeing reports there were no casualties.

It spurred her to call her mom to find out if shed heard from their family abroad and message her cousins directly.

She too described the moment between sending the message and hearing back that everyone was OK  that feeling of helplessness.

At that point you just start to get emotional too . . . Theyve gone through so much trauma already.

Global Affairs Canada said in a statement that it is closely monitoring the tragic situation in Beirut. It has received one request for consular assistance.

The federal government says there are 10,996 Canadians in Lebanon who are registered in the Registration of Canadians Abroad database. However, as registration is voluntary, this is not a complete picture of Canadians in the country.

RELATED STORIES Middle East Massive Beirut blast kills more than 70, injures thousands

Nizar Najarian, who lived many years in Montreal, was among those who died. The businessman had recently returned to his home country to get involved in politics.

Aref Salem, a Montreal city councillor, confirmed Najarians passing.

Salem, a friend of the victim, said his wife and two children still live in Montreal.

His wife left two weeks ago for a visit and his two children will leave tomorrow for the funeral, Salem said in an interview with The Canadian Press.

He was an extremely dedicated man who believed in certain values and he believed in change, Salem said.

He had accepted a job in an insecure country, far from his family, because he was a man who had values, but he ended up giving his life for those values.

Paramounts Fakih called Tuesday another tragedy for Lebanon and said they will be calling for a meeting between Canadian and Lebanese leaders as questions remain about the explosion and frustration about political negligence that continues to frustrate citizens and expatriates.

Whats important is that everyone needs to be held accountable, he said.

He hopes one day, after so many decades, his parents will have the opportunity to experience, three, four, maybe five years of relative peace.

The people of Lebanon deserve better.

With files from The Canadian Press
England vs Pakistan, 1st Test Hosts look to continue winning run against unpredictable Pakistan



After a successful 2-1 series win against the West Indies, the focus now shifts to the Pakistan Test series for hosts England. The first Test begins today at Old Trafford, in secure bio-bubble, with facilities that were present during the Windies series too.

To start with, Pakistani team would consider themselves to be in an advantageous position rightaway -- since they have been in England for close to a month and have been getting used to the conditions by playing practice matches. Also England players would be a bit worn-out as it has been only a few days since the series against West Indies culminated.

Having said that, it is going to be Pakistan's first series after the coronavirus break, and the players could be rusty, which the English team would like to exploit.

In the coming series, some valuable World Test Championship points are going to be at stake. England having moved to third spot already, would have a chance to go one better, while Pakistan can overtake New Zealand to fourth position.

For this series, England have named the same squad that clinched them the Wisden Trophy and it will once be interesting to see what will be their bowling combination for the first Test. On the other hand Pakistan have gone with a 20+ squad for the series.

Jonathan Trott has been appointed batting coach for England for the upcoming series. Trott, who played 52 Tests, retired from playing all forms of cricket in 2018.

Former Pakistan captain Shahid Afridi announced that his foundation's logo will feature on the Pakistan cricket team's playing kits during the series against England. Earlier Pakistani team had struggled to get sponsors for their kit.
County jails are starting to move prisoners into the custody of the state after a judge determined the governor could not prevent the transfers.

Jails have housed prisoners since March, when Gov. J.B. Pritzker prohibited the felons transfers because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

That had jails scrambling to find space to lodge the prisoners while keeping them separate from other inmates. Sheriffs from several counties across the state, represented by the Illinois Sheriffs Association, went to court over the order.

A Logan Circuit Court judge ruled Monday that the order preventing the transfers was against state law and ordered the state to begin accepting prisoners.

Greene County had moved five prisoners from its facility to the states care by Tuesday.

Sheriff Rob McMillen said the jail has been holding prisoners for several months, keeping them separated from the countys inmates.

But that has been burdensome.

We are a 21-bed facility, and yesterday we were holding 22 inmates, which was low for the past few months, McMillen said. Being able to ship out five inmates, bringing our population down to 16, makes things a lot more manageable.

The jail has been housing on average 25 inmates since March, not holding some lower-level offenders because of the lack of space.

As soon as we got the court ruling yesterday  as soon as we got that notification  we called and loaded them up at 7:30 this morning, he said.

In Morgan County, there are 12 prisoners awaiting transfer to a state facility, with two others expected to be transferred soon.

Sheriff Mike Carmody said he will work with the state to get the prisoners transferred as soon as possible, but recognizes that with so many counties trying to do the same, it will take some time. Each prisoner also has to be tested for coronavirus disease before being transferred,

Fourteen inmates for a jail our size is quite a burden on our taxpayers, because we have to cover medical, food, housing  all the costs, Carmody said.

The court has not decided if counties will receive additional compensation for holding prisoners, which McMillen acknowledged placed an extra burden on the budget.

The Greene County Jails budget allows coverage of expenses for an average 15 to 16 inmates a day for food, housing and medical expenses.

The state can appeal, but McMillen said he hopes that isnt the case.

Im glad its over and things are getting back to normal with our jail, McMillen said. Im hoping the state will back off.
Ben Caspit talks this week with former Finance Minister and head of the opposition Yesh Atid Party in the Knesset, Yair Lapid. Lapid, explains why he blames Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for incitement against demonstrations and why Israel's political salvation wont be coming from Blue and White leader Benny Gantz.
A Tanzanian miner, Saniniu Laizer, who had found two of largest tanzanite gemstones in June 2020, has now again come across another giant 'violet-blue' stone.

The stone that Laizer has now discovered weighs 6.3 kg and has reportedly sold it to the Tanzanian government for $2.1 million.

"Selling to the government means there are no shortcuts. They are transparent," Laizer was quoted saying by BBC.

"The money will be used to build a school and a health facility in his community in Simanjiro district in northern Manyara region," Laizer who has four wives and 32 kids told BBC.

Earlier in June, he unearthed two dark violet-blue gemstones that were auctioned for $3.35 million. Those two stones weighed 9.27 and 5.103 kgs.

(Photos: Reuters)

As per reports, Laizer found the new stone about a kilometer below the ground which was not far from where he found the other two.
100 Years Ago  1920: Signs to direct traffic through Chester will be placed at important points by the Chester Rotary Club. This was decided at the weekly meeting and luncheon of the members yesterday at the Young Womens Christian Association. About sixty signs will be used and it is expected that at a future date the county will also be covered by the Rotary Club. Rotary is doing this in all parts of the country, and it is a great help to motorists. The signs will be ordered at once.

75 Years Ago  1945: The weatherman took a final poke at Delaware County last night as a brief but violent electrical storm struck here causing slight damage. Chester took the brunt of the storm in the county with three houses struck by lightning and several transformers reported hit. Two homes on East 16th Street were struck by a single bolt of lightning which took off shingles and cracked the chimney which serves both houses, Mrs. Gren A. Day, 916 E. 16th St., reported. Lightning ripped off shingles as it struck the roof on the home of Mrs. And Mrs. D.E. Hill, Dutton Mill Road, McCall Heights, at about 6:30 p.m. Mrs. Hill was in the bathroom when the bolt cracked near her and grounded itself on pipes.

50 Years Ago  1970: Three 16-year-old youths were charged with manslaughter Monday in connection with a July 6 blast that resulted in the fatal burning of two children and the hospitalization of four others. Capt. Laverne Rambo, city juvenile officer, said today the arrests climaxed a month-long police investigation into the tragedy.

25 Years Ago  1995: Gov. Tom Ridge this week announced the approval of Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA) loans totaling $25 million for 31 projects, including one in Delaware County. Located in Aston, PyroPure Inc. was awarded a $176,000 loan to acquire an existing 12,281-square-foot building. The startup company is purchasing the assets of Pyromet Inc. and specializes in the refining of non-ferrous metals to manufacture silver reclamation canister units as well as pure silver products.

10 Years Ago  2010: The renters of a Parkside home on the unit block of Beechwood Road recently reported two sinkholes on the property. By the time Borough Engineer Lisa Catania had arrived, a total of five had developed at various spots on the lot. Catania determined the borough was not responsible to fix the holes, but recommended Code Enforcement Officer David Favinger inspect the besieged property to determine what corrective steps should be taken by the residents.

 COLIN AINSWORTH
Hundreds of women in Malaysia are joining the thousands around the world to take a stand against skin-whitening products.

Not only are they sending a strong message to the multi-billion dollar skincare industry that for decades has been whitewashed with models and products promoting fairer skin, these women are also calling them out for promoting biased beauty standards and colorism while selling products that could be harmful to health.

But with so many Malaysian women still obsessed with obtaining fairer skin, there is a long way to go before society can fully appreciate diversity in beauty.

Since 2016, the global #UnfairandLovely online movement continues to trend in Malaysia today, taking a jab at the name of the popular Fair and Lovely skin-whitening product line that has been around since 1975. The brand has since changed its name to Glow and Lovely after pressure from the public to stop promoting fair skin.

Back then, it was common for young girls to want fair white skin because youd be considered as beautiful when youre fair, Malaysian news presenter Dharshaini Mary Grace told Coconuts KL in a recent interview. It was the era of fair & lovely. There were no ads that portrayed dark-skinned girls as beautiful.

The 27-year-old is also a supporter of the #UnfairandLovely online movement that began on social media by Texas University students Pax Jones, Mirusha Yogarajah, and her sister, Yanusha.

More brown women in the media

In the past two years, more brown women are being represented in Malaysian media, including local coffee brand Wonda Coffee, whose rare television ad recently featured at least three talents with a dark complexion.

Darker-skinned models are also appearing more frequently online with local cosmetics brands like Velvet Vanity, BeauTyra, Orkid Cosmetics as well as jewelry brand Wanderlust + Co featuring them in their social media campaigns.

Story continues

Last year, beauty contestant Haneesya Hanee became the first woman with a dark complexion to win the popular Malaysian beauty pageant Dewi Remaja. That victory drew backlash from some members of the public over the color of her skin.

Unfortunately, that title was revoked after the then 20-year-old was spotted allegedly drinking alcohol at a party, which is illegal for Muslims in Islamic Malaysia.

Former winner of Dewi Remaja Haneesya Hanee. Photo: Dewi Remaja Fans /Instagram

Since January, nearly 3,000 Malaysians have been advocating the #UnfairandLovely movement in the Brown girls of Malaysia Facebook group, sharing photos of local brown women to empower girls to stop bleaching and whitening their faces to please society, the page said.

Fighting colorism

The brown beauty uprising in Malaysia comes on the back of whitening products becoming glaringly uncool around the world as more brands choose to promote diverse skin colors.

Others that have joined Fair and Lovely manufacturer Unilever in distancing itself from promoting fair skin include conglomerates Johnson & Johnson, LOreal, and Amazon.

The conscious rebranding by major companies is considered a huge win for Brown girls of Malaysia. But there is still a lot of work to be done, including issues of colorism stemming from the promotion of skin-whitening products.

Renaming it is not going to solve the problem, the group said online. But its still a huge win and a major step in fighting colorism. Hopefully, this will make more people realize the problem with fairness creams and how it promotes internalized racism.

Dharshaini, who is of Indian and Filipino descent, said she has been the subject of racist jokes due to her darker skin tone.

Shelves of skin-whitening products at a local drugstore in Kuala Lumpur. Photos: Coconuts KL

Ive got comments about not needing to use an umbrella in the sun since I was already dark. Some words people have used on me were, dirty and hitam macam keling (black like a keling), she said. Keling is a derogatory term in Malaysia often used to insult people from the Indian community.

Its a bit sad because it took so long for brands to realize that skin-lightening is damaging, but I think its great theyre finally moving with the times, she said, noting that brands could still sell skin-whitening products under a different name.

At the end of the day, consumers have to be aware of what goes [onto] their skin, she added.

Others feel that skin-whitening products set unrealistic beauty standards even though some of them are not even effective.

Video producer Pauline Andreasa, 28, gave whitening products a go in her early twenties only to find out that it had no effect on her skin.

I fell for the fair and lovely advertisements. I become super obsessed with how to lighten my skin up by trying up most of the whitening products and even home remedies. Sadly, nothing worked, she said.

Makeup artist Sakinah Maharani also said that more people are now beginning to embrace their natural skin color and starting to see how problematic skin-whitening products can be.

People are more critical towards whitening products today because they believe its unrealistic, the 27-year-old said. Perhaps the products do make you appear fairer but it doesnt look natural at all.

Besides, more people are aware that some whitening products would use dangerous and abrasive ingredients, which can be bad for ones skin, she added. Right now, in Southeast Asia and even the world, we have started to recognize that your skin color doesnt define you, your actions do.

Fair and Lovely products continue to sell in Malaysia but some are banned in Norway for allegedly containing toxic levels of mercury.

The company has rebuked this, stating that it uses melanin suppressor niacinamide in its products, which is allowed under Malaysias health regulations. It also claimed that the offending products in Norway could be counterfeit.

More harm than meets the eye

Skin-whitening products have had adverse effects on consumers health.

Nearly 200 beauty products have been banned by Malaysian authorities since 2008 for containing unhealthy levels of mercury and other toxic ingredients such as hydroquinone  a bleaching agent  and tretinoin. Malaysia only allows products to contain up to 1 parts per million, or ppm, of mercury  a popular ingredient that has skin-lightening properties. This is in line with the standard set by the World Health Organization.

Coconuts KL recently spoke to one victim who suffered from major skin irritation after using a mercury-tainted whitening product from the Philippines.

A recent photo of Vanessa Mae Lim (right) and Lims neck covered with rashes caused by a skin-whitening product two years ago (right). Photos: Vanessa Mae Lim

Ive used tons of whitening products before but only this one had a bad reaction. It gave me pretty bad rashes, undergraduate Vanessa Mae Lim, 23, told Coconuts KL recently.

The Selangor native shared with Coconuts KL a photo showing red spots that had spread across her neck and chin after using the Goreebrand of skin-whitening products in 2018. She managed to purchase them from the Philippines.

The brand is called Goree. I searched more about it and it turns out its covered on the news in the Philippines that they had mercury in their ingredients list, so many people experienced sort of the same thing or worse, she said. Fortunately, Lim treated it with a topical steroid cream and the rash went away after a couple of weeks.

The Philippines Food and Drug Administration previously issued warnings about the Filipino brand and even found the Whitening Beauty Anti-ageing Spots Pimples Removing Cream to contain mercury 100,000 times more than what was permitted.

The effects of mercury are not only skin deep. According to Health Director-General Noor Hisham Abdullah in June, mercury could also affect internal organs such as the kidney.

Mercury is forbidden in cosmetics because it can be harmful to health. It can be absorbed into the body and cause damage to the kidneys and nervous system, he said when addressing the ban of three beauty products containing mercury.

Confident when I have fair skin

Nevertheless, cutting back on skin-whitening products in the market remains an uphill battle in Malaysia.

One bad experience did not deter Kuala Lumpur native Farah Nurdiana from continuing to incorporate skin-whitening products into her beauty routine. The 24-year-old has been using such products since she was in primary school and once had her face swollen after using a particular cream.

I bought a day and night cream from a local brand, that had mercury in it, and my face became so swollen, she said. For now, she sticks to drugstore brands like Hada Labo, Nano White, and Dr Morita, and advises those who want to use whitening products to do their research before making purchases.

Farah Nurdiana posing for a photo. Photo: Farah Nurdiana /Instagram

Please dont simply buy skincare. Do your research on what ingredients are in the product, and get to know your skin type to make sure it is compatible with the product, she said.

While Farah admits that such products and the ads promoting them could alienate those who are not born with fairer skin, she still supports skin-whitening products as they help her boost her self-confidence.

Beauty is more than just ones physical appearance. I think ads like Fair and Lovely have unwittingly sent us a message that being fair is the norm, the content creator said. This can make people who are not naturally fair feel alienated and compelled to buy whitening products.

She later added: I find that I am more confident when I have fair skin. My skin doesnt appear dull and I feel confident enough to speak to people.

Other stories to check out:

Gamer Tashbunny opens up on toxic misogyny in Malaysias gaming industry

Man opens up on struggle with religion, homosexuality, and coming out in Mecca

Iban man gives Barbie a Borneo makeover

This article, In a country obsessed with fair skin, Malaysias brown women are finally in the spotlight, originally appeared on Coconuts, Asia's leading alternative media company. Want more Coconuts? Sign up for our newsletters!
The Mizoram government has decided not to allow paramilitary personnel enter the state till August 15 in the wake of the surge in COVID-19 cases among the forces, an official said on Tuesday. The decision was taken at a meeting between officials of the state government and the paramilitary forces on Monday, he said.

It was agreed at the meeting, which was chaired by Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo, that a decision on allowing the security personnel to enter the state would be taken after August 15 based on the prevailing coronavirus situation, the official said.

Chief Minister Zoramthanga also urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to temporarily withhold inter-state movement of all paramilitary personnel during this month to contain further spread of COVID-19 in the state.

In a letter addressed to Modi on Monday, Zoramthanga said that the state government has been making massive efforts to contain the spread of the deadly virus in the state since February in spite of its enormous economic and financial challenges.

However, the main hurdle the state is facing in its efforts is the unrestricted movement of paramilitary forces, the chief minister said.

He said that daily statistics of new COVID-19 cases reported in the state indicates that the majority of new cases are detected among the paramilitary.

Zoramthanga also mentioned in his letter that the state government has written several times to the heads of the paramilitary forces in the state to curtail avoidable movement of their personnel and to restrict inter-state travel.

However, from my reading of the records maintained by the state government, it appears to me that the paramilitary forces are going about their deployments and leave sanctions as if it is business as usual, he said.

Zoramthanga said he had been informed that incoming personnel were freely roaming in public places and were using public amenities such as banks, ATMs and visiting marketplaces, which caused panic and unrest in the state.

Considering the COVID-19 tally of the paramilitary forces, I am extremely perturbed about the propensity of the paramilitary forces turning out to be super-spreaders of COVID-19 in the State and therefore, I seek your kind intervention in issuing suitable orders, Zoramthanga said in his letter.

Mizoram reported 22 more cases of COVID-19, taking the state's tally to 504.

Among the new cases are seven security personnel, according to the state health department.

So far, 249 security personnel and NDRF staffers have tested positive for COVID-19 in the state, as per the department.There are 222 active cases in the state while 282 people have already recovered. Mizoram shares international borders with Bangladesh and Myanmar.
A Miami Beach police officer filmed sucker-punching a black man outside of a restaurant two years ago has been cleared of any wrongdoing by internal affairs and state prosecutors  but two officers who filmed and shared footage of the shocking altercation have been disciplined.

Officer Adriel Dominguez has now returned to work after being relieved of patrol duties during an investigation into the December 2018 incident, when he was filmed punching unarmed homeless man, Lowell Poitier Jr, 35, in the face.

Miami-Dade State prosecutors determined that Dominguez used the appropriate amount of force after he was reportedly threatened by Poitier Jr after asking him to leave the Pelican Hotel Restaurant.

However, Officer Alfredo Garcia, who was with Dominguez at the scene, was issued a written warning by Internal Affairs investigators last month for producing and distributing an unauthorized version of recordings from his body camera, the Miami Herald reported.

Garcia used his cellphone to record the footage from his body camera, then posted it on social media before later deleting the post.

A second officer, Frederick Dominguez received notice of a 10-hour suspension for releasing a copy of the tape made by Garcia to his attorney, Michael Pizzi. He told Pizzi to forward the clip to the proper authorities and seek whistleblower protection for him.

Officer Adriel Dominguez has now returned to work after being relieved of patrol duties during an investigation into the December 2018 incident, when he was filmed punching unarmed man, Lowell Poitier Jr, 35, in the face

Officer Frederick Dominguez, who is of no relation to Adriel Dominguez, has so far refused to serve his suspension and continues to fight back against it.

Prizzi, meanwhile, has blasted the Internal Affairs department for their finding against his client and the Miami-Dade State Attorneys Office for failing to prosecute Adriel Dominguez.

What a disgrace. Based on the way this was handled, its open season on innocent people, Pizzi told the Herald. Its outrageous.

A public records request filed by the outlet revealed that Adriel Dominguez was cleared by prosecutors last October, after they determined the officer could have believed Poitier Jr was about to hit him.

Poitier suffered a cut lip as a result of the punch and was initially charged with misdemeanor assault on a police officer, resisting arrest without violence and disorderly conduct. The charges were later dropped

Thus, officer Dominguez had the right to protect himself, Assistant State Attorney Sandra Miller-Batiste wrote in summation.

In the footage shared by Garcia nearly two years ago, Poitier Jr. is seen getting out of his seat and snatching something off of a menu stand outside of the Pelican Hotel Restaurant.

The two men then come face-to-face with one another as Poitier yells, 'what, what'.

That's when Officer Adriel punches him in the face, sending Poitier crashing to the ground.

Reports at the time described Poitier as a homeless man from Orlando who has a history of mostly non-violent arrests, in addition to domestic violence charges.

Authorities said the confrontation, which took place on December 3, began when customers and staffers at the restaurant told police that Poitier was irate and refused to leave.

The responding officers were told by customers that Poitier was calling two women 'f***king gringas', which is a Spanish word that means white women.

Poitier (left, in white) is then seen getting out of his seat and snatching something off the menu stand in front of the restaurant

Officer Adriel Dominguez (center), who is unrelated to Officer Frederick Dominguez, who reported him, is seen in the video appearing to speak to Poitier while he's sitting down at a table at the Pelican Hotel restaurant

The two men then come face-to-face with one another as Poitier yells, 'what, what'

In police report of the incident, officers said Poitier was agitated, clenched his fist, took a fighting stance and leaned into' Officer Adriel's face.

Poitier also allegedly swore at the two officers and called then crackers.

The arrest report also said that Officer Adriel feared for his safety and subsequently punched the man in the face.

But Garcias video appeared to contradict the chain of events described in the police report. Poitier is heard yelling 'what, what' but he doesn't appear to try and fight Adriel.

When the video first surfaced, city officials voiced their shock over the altercation but warned the public not to rush to judgement and allow investigators to do their jobs.

Poitier suffered a cut lip as a result of the punch and was initially charged with misdemeanor assault on a police officer, resisting arrest without violence and disorderly conduct. The charges were later dropped.

In a statement to the Herald, Miami Beach Police Chief Richard Clements said police work doesnt always look good, but the actions of Officer Adriel falls within the guidelines of what police are trained to do.

He was in what the officer perceived to be a fighting stance. In that case the officer reverted back to his training. It was a distractionary blow, Chief Clements said.

As for Garcia and Frederick Dominguez, Clements said the two officers violated the departments body cam policy, and have, in his opinion, been rightfully punished.

Poitiers attorney, David Kubilium, told the Herald his client plans to file a civil rights lawsuit against the department and the city in the next few weeks, arguing that Officer Adriel did indeed use excessive force.
The Iranian government has drastically underreported data on coronavirus cases and deaths, according to state records secretly sent to the BBC.



The figures show nearly 42,000 people died with symptoms of COVID-19, the disease caused by the coronavirus, through July 20. That compares with 14,405 deaths reported by the Health Ministry over the same time period, the British news agency reported August 3.



The data, sent to the BBC by an anonymous source, include details of daily admissions to hospitals such as names, age, gender, symptoms, and time spent in the hospital. They also show any underlying conditions patients might have had.



The BBC said the data correspond to information it has about living and deceased patients.



Iran was one of the nations most impacted by the coronavirus early on in the pandemic and there have been lingering doubts about the accuracy of the data published by the government. China is another country whose official coronavirus data has been questioned by observers.

Why Numbers Dont Tell The Full Story A daily compilation of global coronavirus cases by Johns Hopkins University is currently the most comprehensive in the world, but it relies on information provided by governments. In many countries, there are restrictions on releasing such information or reasons why the full story might not want to be told. The methodology, immediacy, transparency, and quality of this data can vary dramatically country by country.



The BBC said the information sent by the anonymous source reveals significantly lower daily numbers, suggesting they were deliberately suppressed.



The source told the BBC the reason for sharing the data was to shed light on truth and to end political games over the coronavirus pandemic.



The data show that the initial rise in deaths in early March was much steeper than official figures. It also shows that by mid-March deaths were five times higher than the official figure.



The Health Ministry has said that the country's reports to the World Health Organization regarding the number of coronavirus cases and deaths are "transparent" and "far from any deviations."



The BBC quotes a former MP and official at the Health Ministry as saying that the Iranian government was anxious and fearful of the truth when the coronavirus first hit Iran.



"The government was afraid that the poor and the unemployed would take to the streets, said Nouroldin Pirmoazzen.



Iran already faced difficult economic conditions before the pandemic. Sanctions that followed the U.S. withdrawal from the nuclear deal have hurt the economy, and the country experienced anti-government protests in November that turned deadly.



Tensions between the United States and Iran grew even more tense in January after a U.S. drone strike near Baghdads airport that killed Qasem Soleimani, a powerful commander of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps.



Iran responded by firing on a civilian aircraft that its forces mistook as hostile. The Kyiv-bound flight was struck by two missiles and crashed just after takeoff from Tehrans main airport on January 8, killing 176 people.

Based on reporting by the BBC






New York City's wealthiest neighborhood is grappling with a spike in armed robberies, new data reveals.

Manhattan's Upper East Side has seen 27 robberies over the past four weeks - a 286 percent increase when compared to the same period last year, according to the NYPD.

Alarmingly, a significant number of those have involved locals being held up at gunpoint.

For the entirety of 2019, the Upper East Side only reported four armed robberies. This year, 14 have already been reported.

The figures are causing alarm in the ritzy neighborhood, where residents boast an average annual income of $322,400.

The Upper East Side is also known for its high concentration of billionaires - and some of the crimes have taken place just feet from their lavish residences.

Manhattan's Upper East Side - the wealthiest neighborhood in New York City - is grappling with a dramatic spike in armed robberies, new data reveals

The NYPD is pleading with members of the public to come forward with information on recent shootings in the Upper East Side

Last weekend, three teenagers held up man at gunpoint on the corner of East 65th St and Lexington Ave before making off with his wallet.

According to Fox New, financier Henry Kravis - who has a net worth north of $6.5 billion - lives just a 'stone's throw away'.

The trio of thieves struck again a short time later on East 84th St and Fifth Ave, snatching a woman's cell phone. Billionaires John Paulson and Glenn Dubin reside close by.

Cops later apprehend the teens - two aged 16 and one aged 17 - and seized a loaded gun.

Meanwhile, an analysis of data reveals that robberies are also on the rise in other affluent New York City neighborhoods - despite the fact thefts are down citywide.

The NYPD's 1st Precinct - which patrols the posh SoHo and TriBeCa neighborhoods -says robberies were up 175 percent in July when compared to the same month last year.

Meanwhile, the wealthy West Village - where stars such as Sarah Jessica Parker and Anderson Cooper bunk down - saw a 50 percent spike in robberies.

Across the water in gentrified Williamsburg, Brooklyn, there was a 40 percent surge in thefts.

An analysis of data reveals that robberies are also on the rise in other affluent New York City neighborhoods - despite the fact thefts are down citywide

The NYPD released its comprehensive crime figures for the month of July 2020, showing shootings and murders were up when compared with the same time last year

Meanwhile, on Monday, the NYPD released its comprehensive crime figures for the month of July 2020, showing shootings and murders were up on the same time last year.

Fifty-four murders were reported citywide - an increase of 20 percent.

Burglaries soared by 21 percent, while shootings were up a staggering 17 percent in comparison with July 2019.

NYPD Police Commissioner Dermot Shea described the current crisis as 'challenging'.

The crime increase comes after Mayor Bill de Blasio cut the NYPD's funding by more than $1 billion following weeks of anti-police protests.

'Amid the ongoing challenges of these times, the NYPD's commitment to public safety never wavers,' Shea stated on Monday

'Our men and women officers represent the best of the policing profession and work every day alongside those they serve in an ongoing joint mission to protect life, prevent crime and build safer neighborhoods for everyone across our great city.'
Japanese company Donut Robotics has developed the C-Face smart mask alongside an app, which makes it easier for people to communicate at a distance.

According to the developers," 'C-FACE' is the world's first smart mask that works with smartphones developed by applying robot technology.

"With the latest technology, we have redefined the 'mask' that has been protecting humans for such a long time.

The idea behind is that it will deliver your voice to another person's phone using the the text to speech function. It can also transcribe dictation and amplify the wearer's voice.

The company originally developed the translation software for a robot called "cinnamon", but when the pandemic occurred they adapted it so it can be used in conjunction with their new face mask.

Donut Robotics said with the mask they "hope this device will be useful in a society where people naturally practice social distancing.

Translation experts

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"Currently, only voice sound and text are used. In addition, we plan to expand to image systems (AR, VR) in the future. This is a new communication tool in the rapidly progressing online/digital world."

Donut Robotics chief executive, Taisuke Ono says their software uses machine learning developed with the help of translation experts and specializes in the Japanese language.

He claims that "the technology is better than Google API, or other popular technologies" for Japanese language users, because most competitor apps focus on translating to and from English.
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The Duchess of Cambridge revealed how she has been left in tears after hearing the stories of families coping amid the coronavirus pandemic during a visit to a baby bank in Sheffield on Tuesday.

Kate - who sported a 15 reusable cotton floral face mask from London-based label Amaia - spoke of how she went home and wept after visiting a baby bank helping vulnerable families at the start of lockdown.

'It can get very emotional,' she said. 'I remember a couple of the families I met from King's Lynn and I went home and literally burst into tears, their stories were so moving. The struggles they have gone through, the bravery they have shown...in extraordinary circumstances. Helping their families through extraordinary times.

The mother-of-three, 38, who cut a stylish figure in an elegant white 1850 dress by Suzannah, was talking on a visit to a Baby Basics UK, to launch a new initiative she has spearheaded, getting 19 major UK retailers and brands to donate more than 10,000 new items to more than 40 baby banks across the UK.

Baby Banks are a crucial nationwide service, run by volunteers, helping to support some of the most vulnerable families in the UK by providing essentials such as nappies, clothing and bedding.

Most of those who seek their help come on professional referral from services including health visitors, midwives and social workers.

The banks have proved to be a lifeline for many struggling parents during the coronavirus crisis, but have found their services under increasing pressure, both as a result of demand and because they have been unable to accept second-hand donations on health and safety grounds.

Kate Middleton, 38, put on a stylish display as she arrived for a visit to Baby Basic UK & Baby Basics in Sheffield on August 4, 2020

Kate beamed as she met those who volunteer to support some of the most vulnerable families in the UK by providing essentials including nappies and bedding

The Duchess of Cambridge, who opted for a timeless dress by Suzannah, could be seen lifting boxes as she helped unpack donations at the baby bank

During the visit, the mother-of-three spoke to parents about how baby banks have provided them with invaluable support when they have needed it most. Pictured, talking to the family of Ali Wartty, Sahara Hamawandy and their triplets San, Shan and Laveen, who got supported by Baby Basics

Hearing of this, Kate - who has also previously visited Baby Basics in West Norfolk the start of the crisis - decided to put out feelers for donations from brands and high street retailers.

In all, she has persuaded nineteen brands to donate more than 10,000 items to Baby Basics, Little Village and AberNecessities, who operate more than 40 baby banks across the UK.

The Duchess, who paired her ensemble with 531 mock snake skin heels by Tabitha Simmons, which she first donned during the 2011 royal tour of Canada, could also be seen wearing an apron and rubber gloves as she helped to unpack the first donations, which included clothes and toys.

Despite her vertiginous heels, she pulled boxes from a pallet with ease and carried them inside, helping staff from Baby Basics UK which started ten years ago in Sheffield, who have teamed up with two other baby bank services, Little Village and Aberdeenshire-based AberNecessities.

Inside their temporary distribution centre - which with the help of couriers DHL is transferring the donations as far afield as Aberdeen and Hastings - Kate helped unpack some of the boxes - exclaiming as she picked up a bottle of Child's Farm shampoo, which she clearly recognised.

Cat Ross, CEO of Baby Basics, told her: 'Often in a world where there is a lot of judgement and stereotyping about being poor, that additional stress can be even more difficult for parents who are doing amazing things to keep their families going with such strength, such determination.'

During her visit, the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured left, and right) revealed how in recent months, she had heard from families who have been supported by baby banks through the 'most difficult of times'

Kate (pictured) cut an elegant figure for the visit and opted to wear her brown locks down, keeping her eye makeup minimal

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) spoke to CEO Baby Basics UK Cat Ross, Founder of Abernecessities Danielle Flecher-Horn and CEO Little Village Sophia Parker during a visit to Baby Basic UK & Baby Basics

Kate donned a pair of rubber gloves as she helped to unload a pallet of supplies during a visit to the baby bank in Sheffield today

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) has brought together nineteen British brands and retailers to donate over 10,000 new items to more than 40 baby banks nationwide

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured, left and right) cut a stylish figure in the 'Flippy Wiggle' dress by Suzannah for the visit, which costs 1,850 online

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) sported a pretty floral face mask and cut a stylish figure in an elegant white 1850 dress by Suzannah

Following her arrival (pictured), Kate set about opening some of the boxes and chatted with the helpers about organisations they worked with to offer emotional support to families

After her hour-and-a-half visit, the duchess left by car, still sporting her mask, after saying a muffled goodbye to the volunteers

'Yes,' replied Kate. 'One of the mums I met was a nurse. These are families who do fantastic jobs and even they are struggling. All of the research shows how vital things like this are for them and that they are being recognised.'

The Duchess also talked at length about what the impact of Covid-19 would be, particularly for children.

'It's difficult for sure but there is a lot of fear about worry about when furlough ends and what it means for families,' said Miss Ross.

'But one of the positives to come out of it is the strength of communities across the UK and people wanting to help, volunteering and wanting to provide for each other. Organisations like us want to harvest that and it keep it going as much as possible.'

'It's been wonderful during lockdown, hasn't it?' said the duchess, 'about the way everyone has been busy knitting away and actually it is those small volunteering acts that everyone can contribute to that make such a difference.

'That inter-generational support system has been amazing. Knowing that you can make such a big difference to another family is wonderful.'

Sophia Parker, Chief Executive and Founder of Little Village, agreed, adding: 'We say the currency in this is kindness, this is what this is all about.

'It's really special being able to facilitate people to support others. They are often just looking for that opportunity to do something.'

Kate added: 'It's about finding new ways of still providing people with the support they so desperately need.'

Kate showed support for the initiative, explaining that it's necessary to find new ways to provide people with the support that they desperately need

The Duchess of Cambridge wore her glossy brunette hair in a relaxed style, opting for subtle makeup and minimal accessories for the visit

The Duchess of Cambridge donned a face mask as she visited Baby Basic UK & Baby Basics - which is a volunteer project supporting families in need struggling to provide for their newborns

Kate (pictured) spoke of how she went home and wept after visiting a baby bank helping vulnerable families at the start of lockdown

Baby banks aim to support and empower families by ensuring every child has the essential items they need to thrive. Pictured, Kate unloading a pallet of supplies

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) revealed how she has been left in tears after hearing the stories of families coping amid the coronavirus pandemic

Kate, who donned a floral face mask amid the coronavirus pandemic, helped to unpack vital supplies for families struggling and in need of them the most (pictured)

The mother-of-three could be seen donning a pair of safety gloves and mask amid the pandemic as she engaged in a socially distanced conversation with the Founder of Abernecessities Danielle Flecher-Horn, CEO Little Village Sophia Parker and CEO Baby Basics UK Cat Ross (pictured)

Kate then set about opening some of the boxes and chatted with the helpers about organisations they worked with to offer emotional support to families.

'Sometimes it's just about having the opportunity of offload,' she said. 'And once someone has received a basket do you often see them coming back for support in different areas?'

After helping with the packing, Kate met with one family who have been helped by Baby Basics UK in Sheffield, Ali Wartty and Sahara Mrs Hamawandy, both 47, who have lively triplets San, Shan and Laveen, aged one year.

The family came to the UK from Iraq seeking asylum and were given leave to remain, but with no access to public funds.

Mr Wartty, who is self employed, a managed to buy a one-bedroom, 12th floor flat from Sheffield Council, but the couple - who were initially told they were were having twins but found out about their triplets at their 20-week scan - have struggled financially, emotionally and practically with three young children.

They were referred to Baby Basics by their support worker who have helped them with basic necessities including a triple pram, as well as Moses baskets and starter packs, as well as clothes and toiletries as the babies have grown.

'Hi, all of them, of course they are triplets! ' exclaimed Kate. 'Gosh they are all doing very well and sorry to intrude on your family time.'

'Yes it's so fun!' she said, as Shan cooed and blew raspberries as he toddled.

In an emotional conversation, Mrs Hamawandy told Kate how she had struggled to cope.

'Is was living on the 12th floor of a block of flats and trying to cope with the three of them,' she explained.

'It must have been so stressful,' sympathised Kate. 'Is that when you sought the help Baby Basics? Is the fact that someone talked to you and someone listened to you, is that what made the difference? '

Mrs Hamawandy replied: 'Yes, it wasn't just the practical help, it was having someone to reassure me and give me a chance to have five minutes to myself.

'I wasn't coping at all, my brain wasn't coping. I had huge anxiety. Is wasn't able to go out with three babies. How do you take your three babies down from the 12th floor without a pram? We weren't able to go out at all. After eight months I tried to take them out. But when I tried to take them out I was crying because I couldn't.'

She told Kate that she had no family or friends that could help - her sister here in the UK is herself ill.

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) talked at length about what the impact of Covid would be, particularly for children

The mother-of-three talked to other baby banks on a teleconference during a visit to Baby Basic UK & Baby Basics Sheffield on Tuesday

During her visit, the Royal spoke to the family of Ali Wartty, Sahara Hamawandy and their triplets San, Shan and Laveen, who got supported by Baby Basics

'That must have been so difficult for you,' Kate said. 'It must have been even harder with lockdown. Did that make things more difficult?;

'Yes it was even worse as I couldn't go out,' she replied. 'When they started to walk and I was in the house by myself, it was really difficult. It really was a very bad time.'

Kate replied: 'I am so sorry to hear that. Do you still feel now that it will affect you in the long term, the struggles you had at the beginning? Do you feel you get support emotionally, as well as the physical support?'

Speaking after meeting the duchess, Mrs Hamawandy said it had meant a great deal to her to have the chance to tell her story to the duchess.

The following organisations have generously donated items such as nappies, bedding and clothing to Baby Basics, Little Village and AberNecessities: Bloom and Blossom Boden Bramley Childs Farm Frugi Green People (Organic Babies) John Lewis JoJo Maman Bebe Kit & Kin Kokoso Baby M&S Mamas & Papas Matalan My Little Coco Sainsbury's Tesco The White Company Trotters Advertisement

She continued: 'I wanted to tell her for a family like me, especially with three children, that mum needs help. If mum is not feeling good, it will affect the baby.

'To give support to mum means giving support to the whole family. If mum has the chance to sleep for half an hour or get a little help, it helps the whole family. I was really devastated and shocked and crying all the time.

'I didn't get the chance to look after myself and get at least ten minutes to myself. I couldn't even find half an hour to lie down in the day because I was always getting up to check on each one of them. I didn't have any support or family to help.

'That's why the charity has been so important to a mother like me. It gave me power. It transformed me. I just want to say thank you to everybody. '

The duchess also spoke via Zoom on a lap top to mothers helped by two of the other baby bank charities, Little Village and AberNecessities.

Chatting to Amy Cotton, who fled a violent home with only her baby son Ricky, now three, and the clothes on her back, and has received a buggy, clothing and toys for her child.

She now works as volunteer for the Little Village and has a 12-week-old daughter, Ellie-Rose.

'Do you feel it is good for you being part of that volunteering community, helping mums who have been in the same position as you?' asked the duchess.

Amy said it had mean a great deal of her to say thank you.

Kate added: 'It's so valuable. You hear so often that its very hard for parents and families to reach out for support because of the stigma about saying "I'm finding it really hard and I'm struggling'. Is that something you've come across, particularly with the families you are working with?"

Amy told her that it was, but added: 'We all want to do what's best for our children.'

'It is brave and not often the easiest thing to do but it is really fantastic that you've reached out, that you are so open about your own struggles but also the fact that you are in such a fanatic place now.

'I suppose it is real credit to you, the journey that you've undertaken and the courage and strength you've shown to get there. So well done. And I love the fact that you are volunteering too,' smiled the duchess.

She also chatted to Ella-Mae Michalski, who has twin girls Bella and Ruby, born prematurely and who are now 21-months-old and was helped by Little Village with a double pram., clothes, muslins and other essentials.

She has been shielding during the coronavirus outbreak because the girls have chronic lung disease.

'As a mum the one thing you want too be able to do is to provide for your children and it was difficult not to be able to do that but Little Village helped,' she explained.

'It must have been heart-breaking and such a huge worry and anxiety for you during pregnancy and after birth,' Kate said.

Ella-Mae replied: 'Yes, Little Village is amazing. It's something as basic as getting a cup of tea when you come here and people asking how you are and being able to offload without fear of what people might think.'

Kate then asked: 'Do you feel there is a judgement around being able to put on a facade and pretend that everything is going great? Is it places like this that are needed in communities where parents don't feel judged and mums can go and be honest and feel like they are being listened to?'.

'One hundred percent,' she was told.

The Duchess of Cambridge was also pictured donning a pair of rubber gloves as she spoke to Founder of Abernecessities Danielle Flecher-Horn, CEO Little Village Sophia Parker and CEO Baby Basics UK Cat Ross

During her visit, Kate (pictured) told how baby banks work every day, up and down the country, to provide immediate, tangible and practical help for parents and carers when they are most in need

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured, left and right) praised the generosity of the companies taking part in this initiative - and said thanks to them, baby banks across the UK will be able to support even more families through this 'particularly challenging time'

After her hour-and-a-half visit, the duchess left by car, still sporting her mask, after saying a muffled goodbye to the volunteers.

Speaking after the visit, Baby Basics CEO Cat Ross said: 'Having her visit and seeing the work we do has been just amazing. It will really help people to hear and know about Baby Basics and the work we do. A lot of people have heard about food banks but don't necessarily know about the baby banks and what we do. '

The charity, she explained, helps families including those in economic poverty, teenage mothers, women seeking asylum, women fleeing domestic abuse and trafficking.

She added: 'Having someone like the Duchess behind us is amazing and her helping us by getting in all these amazing brands has been incredible. We can get more to families and treat them to the goods they would never, ever get. It's just fantastic. '

Announcing her initiative, Kate said: 'Over recent months, I have heard from families who have been supported by baby banks through the most difficult of times and I have been deeply moved by their stories.

'Having somewhere to turn to for support is important for all families, and baby banks work every day, up and down the country, to provide immediate, tangible and practical help for parents and carers when they are most in need.

'Baby banks are driven by incredible volunteers, demonstrating the power of community spirit in supporting families and coming together to raise the next generation.

'Thanks to the generosity of the companies taking part in this initiative, baby banks across the UK will be able to support even more families through this particularly challenging time.'

A 2018 survey estimated that 1 in 100 families in England with children under 5 have visited a baby bank , and statistics from a new survey conducted by the charity Little Village shows that baby banks across the UK have found a substantial increase in the use of their services during the coronavirus pandemic.

However, many baby banks have been unable to accept second hand items at this time and the Little Village research shows that 77% of baby banks desperately need more nappies, mattresses and other products.

It also reveals that 9 in 10 baby banks say the outbreak of COVID-19 is making it harder to support families in the way they would want.

The royal donned mock-crock grey 531 heels by Tabitha Simmons, which she first donned during the 2011 royal tour of Canada. Pictured, during a socially distanced chat with CEO Baby Basics UK Cat Ross, Founder of Abernecessities Danielle Flecher-Horn and CEO Little Village Sophia Parker

The mother-of-three (pictured) was on a visit to launch a new initiative she has spearheaded, getting 19 major UK retailers and brands to donate more than 10,000 new items to more than 40 baby banks across the UK

Despite her vertiginous heels, Kate (pictured) had to trouble pulling boxes from a pallet with ease , before carrying them inside

The Duchess of Cambridge (pictured) opted for a pretty floral print mask and earlier in the day, donned an apron and rubber gloves to help unpack the first donations, which included clothes and toys

Kate previously visited Baby Basics West Norfolk, where she packed up Moses baskets with supplies and spoke to families who had received support from the charity

In total, nineteen brands have donated items to Baby Basics, Little Village and AberNecessities, who operate baby banks across the UK. Pictured, Kate talks to the family of Ali Wartty, Sahara Hamawandy and their triplets San, Shan and Laveen

On her previous visit to Baby Basics West Norfolk, Kate packed up Moses baskets with supplies and spoke to families who had received support from the charity.

She has also continued to speak to vulnerable families and the organisations that support them throughout lockdown, Kensington Palace said.

In recent weeks, she has held calls with Family Action, Home Start, Action for Children, London Early Years Foundation, Cocoon Family Support, East London Research School, and Coram about how they are continuing to support and nurture families and children throughout this challenging time.

In addition, DHL Express has provided logistical services for the dissemination of donations to baby banks across the UK.

Cat Ross, CEO of Baby Basics, said: 'We are thrilled to be part of this amazing initiative from The Duchess of Cambridge. To have the opportunity to highlight the importance of Baby Banks and the amazing service that Baby Basics Centres across the UK provide has never been more important than at this time when we are in the midst of a national crisis.

'So many more families in the UK will need support of a Baby Bank, some for the first time, and we are committed to doing all we can to support them in a way that restores dignity and values parents and their children.

'To have the support and donations of so many amazing brands makes our work that little bit easier and means that we can continue to ensure we can provide what is needed for every referral we receive.'

Sophia Parker, Chief Executive and Founder of Little Village, also welcomed the initiative, saying that they were 'delighted' that the duchess was helping to bring brands together to support them.

She added: 'Our survey with baby banks on the impact of Covid-19 shows huge gaps in support and rising levels of need among families living in poverty. The pandemic appears to be making the situation much, much worse for many families.'

The charity is set to support more than 6,000 children this year, double the number they helped in 2019.

She commented: 'We know that the first 1,000 days of a child's life are absolutely critical for their future outcomes around education, employment and health. Every child should have the right to a good childhood and this new initiative is a much welcomed step towards tackling child poverty in the under 5's.'

Danielle Flecher-Horn, Founder of Aberdeenshire-based AberNecessities, added: 'We are extremely proud to be part of this initiative which is dedicated and committed to supporting children living in poverty across the UK.

'Having taught children who have social and emotional difficulties I have seen the affect early childhood experiences have in later life.

'By providing parents with the resources to build a positive relationship with their children - from pregnancy and throughout the first years  we can make a real difference to a child's development, health and overall happiness.'

The Duchess of Cambridge paid a private visit to Baby Basics West Norfolk in May (pictured), where she opted ofr an on-trend look as she paired her green floral frock with white Superga trainers
Alafco, aircraft lessor company in Kuwait, will purchase 20 aircrafts from US airplane maker Boeing after both parties reached a deal over a dispute involving a cancelled 737 MAX order, Zawya reports.

The order, Alafco said in a statement will consist of 20 737Max instead of 40 with delivery dates kept secret due to confidentiality clauses. The Kuwaiti company sued Boeing for $336 million over accusations it wrongly refused to return advance payments on a cancelled order for 40 of its troubled 737 MAX planes, Zawya notes.

The lawsuit came after the US planed maker suspended deliveries of its narrow-body 737 MAX jet in March last year, when the Federal Aviation Administration grounded the aircraft after the deaths of 346 people in crashes of two 737 MAX planes operated by Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines.

Boeing lost more than $19 billion as result of the suspension which also forced the firm to slash its production. The Chicago-based multinational is still subject to criminal and congressional investigations.
The Legitimacy of the CCP Is Questioned by Century-Old Debt

A series of bonds issued by the Qing government a century ago are once again questioning the legitimacy of the Chinese Communist regime that is now in a difficult dilemma it can not get out of. The market value of the bonds is worth $1.6 trillion USD, and if the CCP wants to prove itself to be the legitimate government of China, then it has to pay back these bonds. If the CCP refuses to acknowledge this debt, then it must recognize that the Republic of China (Taiwan) as the legitimate government of China.

Recently, Americans who hold the Hukuang Railway Bondissued by the Qing Dynasty to the United States, Britain, France, and Germany to raise funds for the construction of the Hukuang Railways that runs from Hunan to Guangzhouinitiated a movement demanding the Chinese Communist Party repay the debt. The chairman of the American Bondholders Foundation (ABF), Jonna Bianco, said: These bonds were originally issued under the Republic of China, what we know today is Taiwan. And the Communist regime who went in and took over mainland China and became the official government in 1949. It becomes their responsibility to honor this debt. The CCP, the Chinese Communist Partys debt, just as they paid Great Britain in 1987 for the very same bond. It is the successor of government doctrine.

However, the CCP has always refused to cash in on bonds held by Americans. It selectively defaulted, deliberately not repaying the money owed to American investors.

As early as 1973, before the establishment of diplomatic relations between the United States and China, the U.S. representative told the CCP during negotiations that although the debt does not have to be repaid immediately, the U.S. will not exempt it. Although the CCP government claims to be the only legal government in China and has the right to inherit the sovereignty of Hong Kong left by the Qing government, it does not recognize the right to inherit the Hukuang Railway Bonds issued by the Qing government.

Bianco said that the previous U.S. administrations did not attach any importance to the issue of the Huguang Railway bond, but President Trump is different from them. Thank God for President Donald J. Trump, who is listening to this issue. I have met him personally. He has committed his support behind this issue. He is the only president that has held China accountable to play by the same rules, to have fair trades, to have as he said perfectly, reciprocity, and thats what Americans expect, thats what the world expects, she said.

According to data from the US Treasury Department, as of May 2020, the CCP holds US $1.08 trillion in US Treasury bonds. Bianco suggested that the Trump administration exchange bonds with the CCP, that is, use the Hukuang Railway Bonds to repay the U.S. Treasury bonds held by the CCP. Bianco said that she is confident that this matter will succeed.
An ISIS operative from Kerala features in yet another attack in Afghanistan

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Aug 04: The name of another operative from Kerala has come up in connection with a terror attack in Afghanistan.

This time the name of Kallukettiya Purayil Ijas, who was living in Nangarhar has cropped up during the investigations into the Jalalabad jail attack. He had fled with his family from Kasargod in Kerala in 2016. He had reached Muscat from the Hyderabad airport before reaching Afghanistan.

It may be recalled that in March, a recruit of the ISIS Khorasan, Mohammad Mushin hailing originally from Kannur had been identified as one of the suspects in the Kabul Gurudwara attack.

On ISIS recruits in South India, UN forgets to make a very honourable mention of Tamil Nadu

This week a terrorist assault on a prison complex at Jalalabad left 29 persons dead. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State. After hours of gun battle, the Afghan forces finally re-took the prison. At least 10 ISIS fighters involved in the assault were also killed while trying to free their fellow men from the prison.

The name of an operative from Kerala is cropping up for the second time in an attack in Afghanistan. Two years back, several persons from Kerala had left the country to join the ISIS Khorasan in Afghanistan.

Purayil had fled to Afghanistan with his wife and child. Both are in the custody of the Afghan authorities. A red alert had been issued against Ijas in 2017. The NIA said that he was born on May 10 1984 at Padanna, Kasargod, Kerala. In furtherance of a conspiracy hatched by Ijas and 14 others from 2015 onwards n Kasargod district, their aim was was to strengthen the ISIS. Ijas and others left India between mid May 2016 to July 5th 2016 to join the ISIS, the NIA had also said.

In March, the agencies had recognised one Mushin of Kannur as the main suspects in the Kabul Gurdwara attack. IB sources tell OneIndia that Muhasin had left for Afghanistan in 2018. A year later 21 more persons from Kerala left for Afghanistan to be part of the Islamic State Khorasan, a wing of the outfit that operates out of Afghanistan.

Muhasin had gone to Dubai looking for a job. However he came in contact with some persons part of the Islamic State. The dossier prepared on him states that he was lured into the ISIS by these persons, following which he agreed to travel to Afghanistan. These were early days for the ISIS in Afghanistan and they were at that time setting up their modules in the country.

Significant number of ISIS terrorists in Kerala, Karnataka: UN report

Mumbai: Flooding due to heavy rain, Local trains stopped and offices shut | Oneindia News

The ISIS sought to recruit a large number of persons from the sub-continent for their operations in Afghanistan. The officer cited above said that the ISIS did have some success in recruiting persons from India. The largest number of recruits into the ISIS for the Khorasan module were from Kerala, the officer also said.

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Story first published: Tuesday, August 4, 2020, 16:52 [IST]
The July 21, front-page headline was so promising: NM finds lasting gains in first pre-K cohort. And if you accept that any increase is worth the hundreds of millions of dollars the state has invested in pre-kindergarten over the years, you can take the announcement at face value.

But if you look at the actual results, and years of reports from the state Legislative Finance Committee, its clear not all pre-K is created equal, many programs dont deliver improved educational outcomes, and the fledgling Early Childhood Education Department and its $320 million trust fund have serious accountability work ahead to change the pattern of throwing money at a problem and calling it a day.

A study of the first state-funded pre-K cohort shows significantly improved graduation rates. Important movement in the right direction, yes, but the overall findings did not show the core academic improvement needed to remove us from the very bottom of state education rankings.

And not the core academic improvement needed to not only comply with the landmark Yazzie/Martinez ruling on equity in education, but to give every student the educational foundation they need for the next stages of their lives.

Analysts for the LFC tracked the states inaugural prekindergarten class for 14 years, many of whom recently graduated high school. The longitudinal study found about 80% of those who participated in prekindergarten graduated high school, compared with 74% of students who didnt participate. The study also found about 83% of the pre-K students who were English-language learners graduated high school, compared with 72% who werent in pre-K. Good progress at narrowing the achievement gap.

Other key improvements were a reduction in chronic absenteeism and improved odds a child will exit special education services.

But the study showed only nominal progress of just 2 percentage points in third-grade students proficiency in math and English. Among third graders, math proficiency climbed to 34% in the 2018 school year for pre-K students, compared with 32% among students who hadnt participated. Thats still an abysmal record of just three out of every 10 students able to do grade-level math. Consider that progress in light of state spending on pre-K, delivered through public schools and private providers, more than doubling over a six-year period through 2019. The state expects to spend $95 million on prekindergarten in the next year.

Meanwhile, a recent report from personal-finance website WalletHub again reinforced New Mexicos poor educational performance compared to other states. It examines pupil-teacher ratios, dropout rates, median standardized-test scores, bullying and high school students reporting being threatened or injured with a weapon on school property and ranks our schools 51st among states and D.C.

So yes, the results are somewhat promising when it comes to handing out more diplomas, but not when it comes to ensuring students have the basic math and language building blocks to successfully prepare for college or the workforce. And for the tens of millions of tax dollars being spent every year on early childhood education in New Mexico, our kids and our state deserve much more than 2 percentage points and seven out of 10 kids still being left behind.

This editorial first appeared in the Albuquerque Journal. It was written by members of the editorial board and is unsigned as it represents the opinion of the newspaper rather than the writers.
Here are some of the most memorable quotes from the late John Hume.

"I never thought in terms of being a leader. I thought very simply in terms of helping people."

"I grew up in Derry, of course, and it was... Derry was the worst example of Northern Ireland's discrimination."

"They believed that Britain was in Ireland defending their own interests, therefore the Irish had the right to use violence to put them out. My argument was that that type of thinking was out of date."

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next John Hume 1937 - 2020: A life in pictures Close John Hume playing with his children John Hume is carried aloft through Londonderry city centre after being returned as MP for Foyle in 1987 John Hume on his wedding day with wife Pat John Hume is detained by soldiers during a civil rights protest in Londonderry in August 1971. John Hume John Hume in thoughtful mood at the SDLP party conference in Newcastle in 1979 Bertie Ahern and John Hume as they took part in a press conference on the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Belfast. Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker. U2 star Bono is flanked by David Trimble and John Hume on stage during a special concert in Belfast to promote the Yes vote in the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement (Chris Bacon/PA) PA John Hume with his good friend, Senator Ted Kennedy, in the Bogside John Hume with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan John Hume and his wife Pat at the Foyle Arts Centre in Londonderry after hearing that he and David Trimble were to share the Nobel Peace Prize Photopress Belfast John Hume with party colleague Seamus Mallon John Hume and David Trimble with U2 frontman Bono celebrating the Good Friday Agreement The SDLP team led by leader John Hume arrives at Stormont in 1999 to start the process of selecting ministers for the devolved government John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim Photopress Belfast John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim Photopress Belfast Hometown heroes: John Hume celebrates with Derry City players after their 2010 First Division win SPORTSFILE Former SDLP leader John Hume and Bill Clinton pictured in front of the Guildhall. Photo-Jonathan Porter/Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (left) and SDLP leader John Hume (Chris Bacon/PA) PA John Hume worked with Ian Paisley PA SDLP leader John Hume with his wife Pat speak to the media after he and David Trimble won the Nobel Peace Prize (PA) PA John Hume in front of the Stormont Building in 2002 (Paul Faith/PA) John Hume with David Trimble (PA) PA Bill Clinton in front of the Guildhall with former SDLP leader John Hume and his wife Pat. Photo-Jonathan Porter/Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. SDLP Conference, St Columb's Hall, Derry 12th March 2016. SDLP Leader Colm Eastwood John Hume at the conclusion of the conference Photo:Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. File photo dated 19/10/2000 of the Dalai Lama (left) meeting with fellow Nobel peace laureate John Hume, the former SDLP leader has died at the age of 83. Photo: Martin McCullough/PA Wire PA File photo dated 24/08/2014 of John Hume and his wife Pat, the former SDLP leader has died at the age of 83. PA Photo.Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Handout File photo dated 12/04/2000 of Former South African President Nelson Mandela meeting John Hume at the South African Embassy in Dublin Photo: PA Wire PA / Facebook

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"Ireland is not a romantic dream; it is not a flag; it is 4.5 million people divided into two powerful traditions."

"The solution will be found not on the basis of victory for either, but on the basis of agreement and a partnership between both. The real division of Ireland is not a line drawn on the map, but in the minds and hearts of its people."

"I want to see Ireland as an example to men and women everywhere of what can be achieved by living for ideals, rather than fighting for them, and by viewing each and every person as worthy of respect and honour. I want to see an Ireland of partnership where we wage war on want and poverty, where we reach out to the marginalised and dispossessed, where we build together a future that can be as great as our dreams allow."

"You see, what he [my father] meant by [you can't eat a flag] was it was on the streets of the time elections were taking place, as they always did, with both sides waving flags. And young people getting all excited. And my father was standing watching this with me and he tapped me on the shoulder and he says: 'Don't you get involved in that stuff, son'. I say: 'Why not, dad?'. And he says: 'You can't eat a flag'. In other words what he was saying is real politics is about the living standards, about social and economic development. It's not about waving flags at one another."

"When one considers the streets of Belfast and examines the performance of the organisation that represents itself as the ultimate in Irish patriotism - the Provisional IRA - and one considers the bitterness that it has created by its campaign of destruction and killing, one can see how much rethinking and examination we must do if we are to bring about a settlement of the Irish problem and bring forward a definition of Irishness which is inclusive, not exclusive."
A newborn girl has been rescued in China after being dumped next to a public bin, reportedly with her umbilical cord still attached.

Police footage shows the baby's father, 24-year-old Mr Zhang, walking towards the rubbish station while carrying the baby in his arms in the early hours.

Mr Zhang and his wife, 21-year-old Ms Li, have been taken into police custody after admitting to deserting their daughter.

Surveillance footage released by Dongguan police shows the baby's father walking towards the rubbish station while carrying the baby in his arms in the early hours of July 29 in China

The girl (left) was discovered next to a public bin by residents in the morning. She was found to be healthy by doctors (right) and sent to the Dongguan Social Welfare Centre to be cared for

The child was discovered next to a waste collection point in a residential compound in Dongguan, southern China's Guangdong Province, on the morning of July 29.

Eyewitnesses told news outlet The Paper that the girl was still connected to her umbilical cord when she was discovered.

The girl was taken to the hospital and found to be healthy. She was sent to the Dongguan Social Welfare Centre to be looked after the next day.

Dongguan police said they tracked down a possible perpetrator after viewing 'a large amount' of security camera footage.

Eyewitnesses said the girl was still connected to her umbilical cord when she was discovered

One surveillance clip that caught officers' attention shows a bare-chested man holding a bundle while walking in the area.

After carrying out in-depth investigations in the neighbourhood, officers identified a young couple as the main suspects.

They waited outside their rented home on Sunday night and caught them by surprise when they came back from work, the police said in a social media statement.

During intense interrogation, the pair confessed to throwing away their newborn daughter.

The baby's father, 24-year-old Zhang, was filmed walking back home after dumping the girl

Mr Zhang and Ms Li said the child was born in their home at around 1am last Wednesday.

They said they decided not to keep the child after a brief discussion, but did not explain the reason.

Afterwards, Mr Zhang took his daughter to the local bin and left her there.

Police have detained Mr Zhang on suspicion of abandonment. His partner is on bail pending a trial for the same charge.

The incident took place in the city of Dongguan (pictured) in southern China's Guangdong

According to the latest statistics, around 100,000 babies are abandoned in China every year - an equivalent to more than 270 a day.

Under Chinese criminal law, any parents who desert their children can face imprisonment of up to five years.

However, in reality, few of them are given punishment due to a lack of law enforcement.

In June, a newborn boy was found stuck head down inside a plastic bag at a public toilet in north-western China's Gansu.

The baby was covered in blood with his umbilical cord and placenta still attached. He was found in a toilet bin, according to a previous report.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020 at 11:17AM

by Claudio Alves

In 1958, Burl Ives won the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor. Some cinephiles would, understandably, assume that the great honor came to him as a reward for his legendary turn as Big Daddy in the silver screen adaptation of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It wasn't so, however. Burl Ives did indeed win his Oscar for playing the impassioned patriarch of some portentous American clan, but it was for a story set in the arid landscapes of the Far West rather than the humid heat of Mississippi. The winning movie was William Wyler's The Big Country, a sublime epic of its genre whose taste for cruelty is only matched by the lushness of its score. It's not a well-remembered flick despite its quality, and, while great, Ives' supporting turn pales in comparison to what he did as Big Daddy in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof that same cinematic year...

We hear about Big Daddy long before we ever lay eyes on him. Even though the narrative of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is shaped by the marital agonies of Paul Newman's Brick and Elizabeth Taylor's Maggie, Burl Ives' commanding pater familias is the sun around which the other characters orbit. Even when he's absent, people can't stop talking about Big Daddy, whether in mercenary adulation or genuine respect. In the afternoon and dark night during which the story unfolds, the great man is celebrating his birthday. The occasion is all the more notable and stress-inducing because he's just returned from a hospital stay following a health crisis.

The specter of Death hovers over him at all times and questions of legacy, inheritance, and wealth ring throughout everyone's ears. He might not know it yet, but the end is near for Big Daddy and the conclusion to his sorry tale is bound to be painful in more ways than one. That being said, when we first see him, he is as magnificent as ever. Exiting his private plane unto a near-empty airport, Big Daddy's a man with a powerful presence. His body might be ridden with sickness, but he still bellows loud and walks into a room as if he owns it. In a way, the idea of incoming Death when contrasted with such a robust presence becomes even more disturbing than it already is. Big Daddy shouldn't die, he should be constant, a titan as old and eternal as the landscape.

Still, he does feel awfully tired, like a big balloon slowly losing its air. Burl Ives weaponizes his screen presence to show us why Big Daddy has earned his name, but he still peppers the characterization with dissonant notes, little screeches of unexpected pain, doubt, and exhaustion. Contempt itself bears the cross of infirm weariness when it comes to Big Daddy. There's an unmistakable disgust in the way he gazes at his bratty grandchildren and their over-fertile mother. However, the scorn is equal parts condescending superiority and bone-deep fatigue caused by their antics. He's had enough boot-licking to last a lifetime, and only feels at home when alone with people as openly hostile as he is. No wonder he's so enlivened when talking to Brick or Maggie.

To make it sound like Ives' turn is nothing but boisterous presence with a note of emotional sourness thrown in would be a crime, though. The actor had plenty of range and the role of Big Daddy makes great use of it. Notice how he modulates the character's bitterness into comedy, sitting emphatically still while the birthday party explodes around him. With his dark suit and dark mood, Big Daddy's composure is hilarious to behold. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Ives makes his scenes with Newman vibrate, a live-wire of parental despair running through every word thrown at the younger man. Brick is like a puzzle that Big Daddy can't solve  if he can't fix it with shouting, one gets the feeling that he'll smash that puzzle against a wall until it sorts itself out. Agony begets destruction in this household.

And then, there's the plain ugliness of Big Daddy, which coexists with the power, the comedy, the illness, and despair. His casual cruelty towards Big Momma is one of the film's most cutting elements and one of Ives' sharpest choices. She's loved him for years, even his hate, but he likes to see her hurt. Either that or he doesn't care about her pain. Maybe he once did, but has forgotten, one more piece of his soul lost to the passage of time and the accumulation of wealth. Because of that hard carapace of inhumanity built up over decades, Big Daddy's eventual epiphanies are all the more impactful. So much of the performance is about suggesting what Big Daddy knows or doesn't know, a veil of mystery that's teased but never completely lifted, that it can be shocking when knowledge his shoved right in the man's face and personal growth is pulled out of him, kicking and screaming all the way.

The moment when Brick tells him the truth about Big Daddy's health is astounding. One can almost see the claws of Death closing over this man's heart. The fulgor extinguishes, leaving behind only the tired old man that's desperately clawing at life and legacy in hopes of escaping the doom that awaits us all. It's grotesque and it is sad. Weirdly enough, it is in the reminiscence of loss that Big Daddy seems to regain a semblance of happiness, of hope, finding a light that cuts through the darkness. When he remembers the love of his dead father, Ives loosens up, he allows genuine sentiment to shine through his performance with no philter of patriarchal imperiousness. It's amazing to behold, a soul laid bare and beautiful, rueful regret blossoming into gratitude and love. By the movie's end, he's more alive than he was at its start, and Ives seems to have been reborn in front of our eyes.

When faced with such magnificence, it can be hard to return to the matter of the Oscars and its dumfounding results. Even so, that's what we must do.

Considering that The Big Country got only one other nomination besides Ives and that Cat on a Hot Tin Roof conquered a grand total of six Academy Award nominations, it's difficult to see why AMPAS chose to honor Ives for the former rather than the latter. Richard Brooks' movie even earned a Best Picture nod, making it the logical vehicle for which the Academy could honor Ives in 1958. The main problem seems to have been a debilitating category confusion. Despite Paul Newman and Elizabeth Taylor being the clear protagonists of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, the magnitude of Ives' role might have prompted the studio, and maybe even the actor himself, to campaign as a lead. In any case, the greatness he showed as Big Daddy helped him secure some rightly earned goodwill and precious votes for The Big Country. In the end, the right performer won the 1958 Best Supporting Actor Oscar.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof is available to stream on the Criterion Channel as part of its "Marriage Stories" collection. You can also rent it online from the usual places.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 02:26:26|Editor: huaxia

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Members of Chinese medical team work with local medics at the COVID-19 designated hospital "New Clinic" in Baku, Azerbaijan, Aug. 6, 2020. A team of Chinese medical experts arrived here on Tuesday to share their knowledge of and experience in COVID-19 treatment with their Azerbaijani counterparts. The 10-man team also delivered the last batch of protective equipment donated to Azerbaijan by the Chinese government. (Chinese Embassy to Azerbaijan/Handout via Xinhua)

BAKU, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A team of Chinese medical experts arrived here on Tuesday to share their knowledge of and experience in COVID-19 treatment with their Azerbaijani counterparts.

The 10-man team also delivered the last batch of protective equipment donated to Azerbaijan by the Chinese government.

During their 15-day stay in Azerbaijan, the Chinese medics will conduct trainings for local specialists focusing on the prevention, diagnostics and treatment of the coronavirus.

Given Azerbaijan's needs, the Chinese government offered assistance in a number of areas, including the construction and running of modular hospitals, development of basic technologies for intensive care, treatment with plasma therapy, and development of a diagnostics and treatment plan based on Chinese medicine.

Speaking at a ceremony to welcome the medics, Chinese Ambassador to Azerbaijan Guo Min said the two countries have been helping each other in fighting the pandemic since its outbreak. She described the mutual provision of strong moral support and timely financial assistance as manifestation of high mutual political trust and deep traditional friendship between the two countries.

"In order to help Azerbaijan fight COVID-19, the Chinese government has sent a team of medical experts from West China Hospital in Sichuan Province to build relations with relevant Azerbaijani medical institutions and share experience," the ambassador said.

Guo expressed her confidence that this move would contribute to the deepening of Sino-Azerbaijani cooperation in the field of medicine and health, and elevate the bilateral relations to a new level.

China has dispatched medical teams to help a number of countries curb the spread of COVID-19 since the outbreak of the pandemic. Enditem
Syrian Army Repels Militants' Attack in Idlib, Suffers Losses - Russian Military

Sputnik News

19:55 GMT 03.08.2020

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Militants tried to break through the positions of the Syrian army in the area of the village of Hamrat in Idlib de-escalation zone, the head of the Russian centre for Syrian reconciliation, Rear Adm. Alexander Shcherbitsky, said at a daily briefing on Monday.

He added that their attack was repelled, but there are losses among government troops.

"Over the past day, the Jabhat al-Nusra* militants have made several attempts to break through the positions of the Syrian Arab Army in the area of the village of Hamrat. All attacks by the militants have been repelled, they suffered significant damage in manpower and equipment. There are losses among the Syrian troops", Shcherbitsky said.

Russia and Turkey have registered several violations of the ceasefire in Idlib over past days. As of today, the province remains one of the four de-escalation zones, established by Russia, Iran, and Turkey back in 2017, that is not under the full control of Damascus.

The Syrian government has been trying to recapture Idlib since mid-December.

*Jabhat al-Nusra (also known as Al-Nusra Front, Jabhat Fatah al-Sham, or al-Qaeda in Syria) is a terrorist group outlawed in Russia and many other states

A Sputnik

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The letter that Shahidah Mubarak-Hadi received in the mail late last month presented a dilemma.

For weeks, she had been furious about the harm police caused West Philadelphia residents  many of whom had nothing to do with the protests, looting, and violence  during their response to unrest that erupted there May 31 after the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Now, the letter said, the departments Internal Affairs division wanted to interview her about her experiences that day, when tear gas wafted into her home on Chancellor Street and forced her and her two children to seek shelter in their bathtub.

Could she trust a department that had indiscriminately fired rubber bullets and tear gas into her neighborhood to now adequately police itself? Would refusing to cooperate hinder the chances that the officers responsible would ever be held accountable?

I just dont trust them, Mubarak-Hadi said. And shes not the only one.

More than two weeks after The Inquirer published a story spotlighting the bystanders and peaceful protesters caught up in the police response to a situation that began with outbursts of violence, and ended with officers firing rubber bullets and shooting tear gas down residential streets, a number of those interviewed by the newspaper have been contacted by Internal Affairs.

 READ MORE: Besieged, then betrayed

Nearly all of those who spoke to The Inquirer said they were not likely to cooperate, saying they are deeply skeptical that a police-led probe will lead to a meaningful response. And lawyers representing 20 of the West Philadelphia residents now suing the city in federal court have broadly advised their clients not to talk to police and to pursue justice through other avenues, including the courts and the office of District Attorney Larry Krasner, who has filed criminal charges against two officers for alleged misconduct while responding to protests in other parts of the city.

But refusing to participate in the internal investigation, said Staff Inspector Sekou Kinebrew, a department spokesperson, will limit the ability of the department to hold officers accountable.

Participation by community members who experienced or witnessed these events is essential in ensuring that the investigation is as comprehensive and exhaustive as possible, he said in a statement.

Its a struggle for protesters nationwide as authorities have vowed to seriously investigate allegations of heavy-handed police response. Victims of police overreach are being asked to accept that the department that harmed them can investigate itself.

I dont trust that the Police Department is investigating their own people thoroughly and correctly, said Onika Carrine, who shared with The Inquirer video of a police officer pointing a teargas gun at her, despite her having no involvement in violence, vandalism, or looting. Maybe thats not a good bias to have.

Despite reservations, Carrine called the investigating officer who reached out to her and told him he could find the video she took on her social media accounts. She is still unsure whether she will provide a statement, though, and as of Monday she had not.

Paul Hetznecker, one of the lawyers participating in the federal suit, said his clients have historic reasons to doubt the department is capable of policing itself.

Historically, Internal Affairs investigations have not provided protection to the community when it comes to transparency and accountability, he said. What they have done is protect police narratives.

 READ MORE: Black and Blue: 190 years of police brutality against Black people in Philadelphia

Department officials have acknowledged that a lack of planning resulted in too few officers responding to West Philadelphia on May 31, the day after peaceful protests in Center City devolved into violence. Officers stationed on 52nd were quickly overwhelmed by people burning cars and pelting cops with rocks and debris that left 15 officers hurt, two of them seriously.

When reinforcements arrived, the response was swift and harsh. Officers deployed tear gas on agitators, peaceful protesters, and bystanders alike.

The response left residents traumatized and shook their already rocky faith in the citys law enforcement. And despite their calls for an apology from police, the department largely responded with silence, even holding up their response in West Philadelphia as a justified use of the force they deployed. Mayor Jim Kenney has since apologized for the police response.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw has said the department has identified several officers alleged to have engaged in misconduct. Still, no officers have been disciplined. Kinebrew said disciplinary action could result from the Internal Affairs investigation.

Despite claims from Outlaw and other city officials that internal reviews of police action that day have been underway for two months, none of the residents who have been most public with their complaints about their neighborhoods treatment that day said they had been contacted by anyone in the department until after The Inquirers July 17 story.

The correspondence Mubarak-Hadi received, postmarked July 22, was nearly identical to two others shared with The Inquirer. They state the department has received a complaint, give a case number, and ask the recipients to call an investigator at a phone number included in the letter to discuss an incident May 31 in the area of 52nd and Market. Each of those contacted said they had received a letter or online message, but that no one personally called or approached them.

Its a little naive and kind of invalidates the entire experience of the community here to believe we are just going to trust police officers, said Carrine, who received a request from police through her Facebook account.

Others, like Pascale Vallee, who took photos and video of events that day, said she worries the images, if shared, could be used to target protesters and people committing property crimes rather than as evidence to hold police accountable.

And while Outlaw has said she wants to hear from anyone who heard officers use racial slurs while attempting to quell the May 31 unrest, Bedjy Jeanty  who alleged both in a lawsuit and in The Inquirers story that he heard multiple officers shouting the N-word while trying to clear a crowd from 52nd and Market Streets  said last week he had yet to hear from Internal Affairs.

Kinebrew did not respond to questions about the timing of the police outreach, but said the department is committed to conducting a thorough and objective investigation. He also said police were still in the process of contacting people.

Anyone uncomfortable going to police, he said, could file a complaint through the independent Police Advisory Commission (PAC), which would be forwarded to Internal Affairs.

Ideally, said Hetznecker, the lawyer, the oversight and investigatory function for police misconduct would be taken out of the departments command structure altogether and put in the hands of a more robust version of the Police Advisory Commission, empowered with the tools not only to investigate but enforce decisions based on its findings.

(Under a proposal passed by City Council, Philadelphia voters will be asked in November to approve the creation of a Citizens Police Oversight Commission, an independent body with the power to review complaints and use of force by officers.)

A number of people said the memory of the police actions on May 31 was still too raw, and the departments Internal Affairs investigators are stuck with the consequences of their colleagues choices.

People arent going to just trust the police a week after a couple handshakes or meetings with the protesters, Vallee said. Trust is something that needs a lot of time to build. Trust is a lot of transparency.

Staff writer Oona Goodin-Smith contributed to this article.
The world must 'learn to live' with the coronavirus, a top World Health Organization (WHO) official insisted today.

Dr David Nabarro, a Covid-19 envoy for the UN agency, warned the virus isn't going away' for the foreseeable future because it 'doesn't get bored'.

But he claimed life 'can go on' with robust test and trace systems, designed to stop clusters of cases before they spiral out of control.

Dr Nabarro, however, warned of 'very bad' spikes in Covid-19 cases that will lead to 'economic challenges' if it's 'not done properly'.

He called on countries to do 'everything' to control the virus, encouraging people to wash their hands, wear masks and social distance.

His comments follow a major study last night which showed the UK's test and trace system is currently 'not good enough' to prevent a second wave.

Scientists said reopening schools in the UK would result in another crisis that peaks in December  but could be avoided by improving the existing scheme.

Ministers today admitted the struggling coronavirus contact tracing system must improve.

Dr David Nabarro, the UN body's COVID-19 envoy, said the virus isn't going away in the foreseeable future, and so we 'must learn to live with it'

Dr Nabarro told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'This virus isn't going away for the foreseeable.

'This virus is really dangerous and as humanity, as society, we've all got to learn to live with it.

'And if I sound like a really dull person, then too bad, because that's my message and that's the message of the WHO.

'Let's all work on it together and do it as a community, as society, then we can get on.

'Otherwise we'll constantly be pushed back with local lockdowns, other problems, new instructions from authorities and I think that will be more damaging to the future of society than everybody levelling with each other and doing it together.'

Dr Nabarro said it was clear the virus was capable of a resurgence, pointing to spikes in cases in countries that appeared to had recovered.

COVID-19 CASES IN LATIN AMERICA TIP 5MILLION Latin America broke through five million confirmed cases of Covid-19 on Monday, according to figures. The region is now the world's hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic. The coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America  home to about 640 million people  than much of the world. But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus due to the region's poverty and densely packed cities. The more than 10,000 new cases reported by Colombia's health ministry on Monday pushed the region past the five million mark, a day after the nation reported a record 11,470 cases. Latin America has now topped 200,000 deaths. Brazil's total approached 96,000 on Monday and Mexico surpassed 48,000. The two countries have the world's second and third highest death tolls, after the US. North America is the region with the second highest number of cases, with 4.8million infections, according to a Reuters tally, followed by Europe and Asia, which have around three million infections each. Latin America is particularly vulnerable to the virus due to high levels of poverty, urbanization and labor informality, according to a July 30 report by the Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean and the Pan American Health Organization. More than 100million people across Latin America and the Caribbean live in slums, according to the United Nations Human Settlements Programme. Many have jobs in the informal sector with little in the way of a social safety net and have continued to work throughout the pandemic. Latin America has also a high death rate from the virus, likely due to a number of factors, including high levels of underlying conditions such as diabetes and obesity. Advertisement

Parts of Europe, including the UK, Spain and Germany, are all reporting more cases than usual  following a steady decline in infections over May and June.

Dr Nabarro said: 'As it surges back, the way you stop outbreaks developing is through having well functioning contact tracing linked to testing with isolation of people who have symptoms or who've been in contact.

'And, if we can do that, and do it well, then the surges are kept really small, they're dealt with quickly and life can go on.

'If, on the other hand, this testing and tracing and isolation just is not done properly, then you get very bad surges occurring and this will lead to economic challenges.'

Contact tracing involves identifying people who have Covid-19 and interviewing them to find out who they came in contact with.

Those contacts are ideally traced down and told to self-isolate to interrupt the chain of spread.

It relies on rapid testing, the ability to reach all cases and their contacts, and the public abiding by self isolation rules.

Dr Nabarro stressed that the process of testing, tracing and isolation, involves a joint effort between the public and authorities.

He acknowledged that people globally are tiring of restrictions and becoming complacent, which is a concern for controlling the disease.

He said: 'I hear about people in Berlin protesting at the weekend about being fed up about restrictions. I hear about people in many parts of other European countries saying we've had enough of this. And I so understand it.

'I think all of us are just thinking "when is this going to end?"

'We have absolutely no choice but to take it seriously and we must not compete with each other about it.'

The UK's contact tracing system uses call-handlers who were hired by the government.

An NHS smartphone app, considered a key part of the tracing system, was also supposed to be rolled out in May. But it is not yet ready.

Dr Nabarro's sobering comments come after a major study said British children returning to school in September will trigger a devastating second wave of Covid-19  unless the test and trace scheme improves.

Twice as many people could be infected than the first wave which would peak in December, scientists said.

But it could be avoided if testing is dramatically ramped up and the contact tracing system becomes better.

Experts found that, to prevent a second wave when schools reopen, the NHS contact tracing system must reach 68 per cent of cases and their contacts.

IS THE TEST AND TRACE SCHEME GETTING WORSE? Figures last week revealed some 4,242 people infected with coronavirus were referred to the test and trace scheme during the week of July 16-22. But just 2,809 (77 per cent) agreed to provide details of people they had come into close contact with recently, meaning thousands of potential patients went missed. A total of 646 with the virus could not be reached at all by the tracers, who phone, text and email someone up to 10 times a day to get hold of them. The contact tracing figures, released by the Department of Health, also found the programme failed to reach almost a fifth of people who tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Little over 81 per cent of infected people were actually tracked down by tracers  marking the first time the system had caught more than 80 per cent of patients since it launched on May 28. One in four people who came into close contact with someone infected with coronavirus could not be reached by the NHS Test and Trace service. Only 75.1 per cent (13,974) of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate. This was down from the 78.4 per cent reached in the previous week, and the 90.8 per cent reached in the first week of Test and Trace. Scientists have previously said eight in 10 Covid-19 sufferers need to be reached and their contacts isolated for the system to be effective. Advertisement

But the current NHS system is 'not good enough', according to researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

It reaches half of contacts and only a fraction  around 14 per cent  of symptomatic cases are tested, they said.

It emerged last night that ministers are drawing up plans for testing squads to enter classrooms in areas with a high infection rate to avoid closing down the how school.

The authors said without improvements in testing it will be 'absolutely essential' to introduce other measures in September to 'mitigate' the effects of schools opening.

This could mean pubs are forced to shut or greater restrictions are placed on people meeting indoors  an idea which has been floated by other scientists.

A different study published last month found contact tracers need to catch 80 per cent of infections and test suspected patients within three days to keep coronavirus epidemics squashed.

Researchers from the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands said the reproduction R rate can be kept under one as long as only two in 10 patients slip under the radar.

Any more than that risks driving the R  the average number of people each coronavirus patient infects  to the point at which the crisis could spiral again.

And people need to be swabbed and given results within three days to ensure they aren't tempted to go outside and mingle with others when results don't come back.

The UK's contact tracing system is only finding 77.6 per cent of patients who test positive.

And since the launch of Test and Trace, 83 per cent of close contacts of people who have tested positive for Covid-19 have been reached through the tracing system and asked to self-isolate.

One in four people who were tested for Covid-19 in the week ending July 22 at a regional site or mobile testing unit have to wait more than 24 hours for their test result.

This is despite the Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledging that, by the end of June, the results of all in-person tests would back within 24 hours.

The Government's own scientific advisers have been banging the drum about the need to catch 80 per cent of infections throughout the crisis.
After detailing the monthly payments and deductible, she asked, "Will you be paying with a credit card?" I asked her what the name of the company was. First, she said, that would come with my information packet in the mail. When I pushed her for the name of the company, she said National Dealer Services. I told her to hang on while I searched online for that. She disconnected the phone.
Technavio has been monitoring the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market and it is poised to grow by USD 878.07 million during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005195/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Global Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Please Request Latest Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impact

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Airbus SE, ASELSAN AS, BAE Systems Plc, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Leonardo Spa, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Technologies Corp., Saab AB, and Thales Group are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Increasing investments in surveillance and attack UAVs has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market. However, complexity in data management might hamper market growth.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market 2020-2024: Segmentation

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market is segmented as below:

Type Space-based Airborne

Geography North America APAC Europe South America MEA



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR44457

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. Our synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market report covers the following areas:

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market size

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market trends

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market industry analysis

This study identifies the rising preference for the integrated C4ISR ecosystem as one of the prime reasons driving the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market growth during the next few years.

Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market 2020-2024: Vendor Analysis

We provide a detailed analysis of around 25 vendors operating in the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market, including some of the vendors such as Airbus SE, ASELSAN AS, BAE Systems Plc, Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd., Leonardo Spa, Lockheed Martin Corp., Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Technologies Corp., Saab AB, and Thales Group. Backed with competitive intelligence and benchmarking, our research reports on the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market are designed to provide entry support, customer profile and M&As as well as go-to-market strategy support.

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Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) Market 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market growth during the next five years

Estimation of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market size and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of synthetic aperture radar (SAR) market vendors

Table Of Contents :

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five forces summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Integration Type

Market segments

Comparison by Integration Type

Space-based Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Airborne Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Integration Type

Customer Landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market Drivers Demand led growth

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Competitive scenario

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Airbus SE

ASELSAN AS

BAE Systems Plc

Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd.

Leonardo Spa

Lockheed Martin Corp.

Northrop Grumman Corp.

Raytheon Technologies Corp.

Saab AB

Thales Group

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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.

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CARBONDALE  The presidents of the faculty and graduate assistant unions at Southern Illinois University Carbondale are calling on university administration to commit to remote learning, teaching and working instead of widespread face-to-face education for the upcoming fall semester, with exceptions for courses and other university functions that must take place on campus.

If we encourage students to congregate in Carbondale, we will not only endanger their health and safety, but that of SIUC instructors and staff, and others in the Carbondale area, said Dave Johnson, president of the SIUC Faculty Association, which represents tenured and tenure-track faculty. Tenured and tenure-track faculty are educators who have, or are working toward, an indefinite academic appointment that can be terminated only for cause or under extraordinary circumstances.

Johnson said the unions are not asking every class to move online, but that those that can be taught remotely, should be. You cant learn everything about flying a plane without flying a plane, he said. The people  the students and the faculty in those classes  are our essential workers, and you prioritize those things. You shift your resources to those people. You keep those people safe.

The leaders of the SIUC Faculty Association and Graduate Assistants United, which represents the universitys graduate student teaching and research assistants, joined the Illinois Education Association and Illinois Federation of Teachers, unions that represent nearly 240,000 K-12, college and university employees, in calling for remote learning amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a Monday news release, the unions leaders called on the university to:

Offer all courses remotely unless they can only be offered face to face and are required for students to advance in their programs and graduate.

Encourage students to return to Carbondale only if they are registered for courses that must be offered face to face or can only safely and effectively continue their studies by returning.

Focus planning and resources on ensuring the safety of students and staff who do need to study and work on campus.

Work urgently to address the digital divide by providing all off-campus students with reliable access to the internet.

Repurpose fees to address the digital divide and refund other on-campus fees for students who remain off campus.

Work with unions to advocate for state and federal funding to make universities whole for economic losses suffered due to the COVID-19 crisis.

Work with unions to get the state and federal government to provide extended unemployment benefits for any workers who are laid off or cannot work safely on campus.

Rising cases

While masks and social distancing on campus are essential, the university can do very little to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID-19 outside of on-campus housing and classrooms, Johnson wrote in the release while noting rising coronavirus cases in Southern Illinois. We have to listen to what the scientists are telling us, rather than just hoping for the best, he said.

Bart Hagston, Jackson County Health Department administrator, recently noted Jackson Countys rise in COVID-19 cases has been attributed to people in their teens and 20s. Thats in part because they are more social and they also are more likely to work jobs where they interact more frequently with the public, such as at bars and restaurants, Hagston said. You just have more potential for exposure with that age group, he recently told The Southern.

Hagston said while many young adults want to get back to normal, they must think about the community at large and do their part in following health guidelines. Everybody wants to get back to normal, but we are unable to do that as long as there is an elevated level of transmission within the community, he said. Part of the college experience is learning how to be a good citizen of society and I think this plays into it.

Class delivery

Johnson and Anna Wilcoxen, Graduate Assistants United president, wrote they believe courses that are offered on campus should be offered off campus, excluding classes that are deemed essential to be taught face to face. But, they opine students should largely be encouraged to remain off campus if they have a safe place where they can effectively continue their studies.

The union leaders add progress has been made in negotiating with the university in an effort to reduce risks in the classroom, but the measures cant address the issue of transmission outside of classrooms and dorms while most students dont live in dorms, and the average student spends no more than fifteen hours a week in the classroom.

In tackling the challenges of risky behavior outside of the classroom, Chancellor Austin Lane said the university is updating its student code of conduct to support student accountability amid the COVID-19 pandemic and will be working with the city of Carbondale in providing best practices and other education for returning students.

Were not using (the code) as a punitive method, were using it more as a safety method, Lane said. Were asking them to wear masks. Were asking them to not have large gatherings and parties and those kinds of things off campus (...) so we can keep everyone safe.

Union leaders also said they worry the on-campus experience would not meet students expectations due to the constraints posed by the pandemic and could hurt the universitys reputation in the long term. Even under the current reopening plan, most courses would be partially or completely online, and campus services and activities would be limited, they wrote.

Students and families should make the decisions that are right for them, Johnson said. The on-campus experience simply isnt going to resemble what its been like in years past, and we shouldnt be asking students to return to campus just to fill dorms and pay fees.

Lane refuted that claim, stating all campus services will be available, although they may look somewhat different from a traditional fall semester.

COVID-19 on campus

The union leaders also questioned the transparency of the university in notifying the public about COVID-19 cases on campus. They claim that while the university quickly reported COVID-19 cases this spring, there has not been clear public reporting about the cases that have occurred on campus since then. This makes it impossible for students, families, and others to make informed decisions about safety on campus, they said.

While some have criticized the university for not planning on conducting mass testing, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have stated that COVID-19 entry testing is not recommended for universities because it has not been systematically studied.

It is unknown if entry testing in (institutes of higher education) provide any additional reduction in person-to-person transmission of the virus beyond what would be expected with implementation of other infection preventive measures, the federal agency wrote in June 30 guidance to institutions of higher education.

Johnson said it is clear that the CDC recommendation is political because SIU is asking students to get tested before they come (to campus and) clearly we believe its a good thing that will keep the community safer. Students exhibiting symptoms can be tested through Southern Illinois Healthcare or SIUs Student Health Center, but should call ahead.

Lane said the university is constantly looking at its plans for the fall semester and making adaptations to best fit the needs of the students and the community. Students living in residence halls have their own rooms, which makes the possibility of isolating positive cases more manageable, he said.

Lane said the university has made a commitment to safety while taking multiple steps to protect students, faculty and staff. The universitys administration has created a detailed safety plan that addresses masks and social distancing, cleaning protocols, testing and tracing, and personal responsibility.

At this point, the health center at SIU will only test symptomatic students, but Rae Goldsmith, university spokeswoman, suggested those who want to get tested to visit another testing facility in the community. Hagston said a recent grant of nearly $3 million from the Illinois Department of Public Health will allow an expansion of COVID-19 testing and contact tracing within the Jackson County Health Department and the community, some of which is earmarked to support small-scale testing efforts at SIU.

Changing plans

Institutions of higher education around the country are facing similar challenges in attempting to decide what educational delivery model is best for their students, instructors and communities. Out of nearly 3,000 colleges and universities surveyed by the The College Crisis Initiative at Davidson College, about 700 are planning to be primarily online in the fall, 625 are planning to function primarily in person and over 800 are still trying to figure it out.

Our fall plan, released last month, indicates that some courses will be online, some face-to-face and some a mix of both, Lane said. The university surveyed students and faculty who indicated they preferred face-to-face instruction when possible, Lane said. But, many courses will still be online because they can be taught effectively in an online format and faculty have indicated a preference to go the virtual route.

Lane said the universitys goal is to provide a safe, on-campus experience for those who take classes in person while giving students as much flexibility as possible.

Some courses will be face-to-face because they require lab and other experiences that cannot be offered online, and some courses will be a hybrid of face-to-face and online to minimize face-to-face instruction when possible, he said.

Throughout the university administrations decision-making process on class-delivery models for the fall semester, Lane said decisions have been focused on the safety of students, faculty and staff. The steps the university is taking are similar to those being taken at other universities in Illinois and across the country, he said, while aligning with Gov. J.B. Pritzkers Restore Illinois plan, the recommendations from the Illinois Board of Higher Education and the recommendations from state and national health agencies.

Lane notes roughly half of the classes that have in the past been offered in person have been moved to have an online option, taking into consideration the instructors preference in delivery method, as well. He said administrators at the university are continuing to look at classes that can be moved to a digital format, including academic advisers who have been informing students of delivery changes as they are determined.

Divides during the pandemic

The digital and socioeconomic divides within the student community  including access to internet, technology and at times food  have only deepened with the COVID-19 pandemic, Lane said. SIU has received state and federal support to help students in situations where they may need help solving a challenge or bridging the digital divide, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. Students facing such situations should email chancellor@siu.edu.

While the university has plans in place for the semester, Lane said people should know that plans can change, but he hopes they can have a pleasant semester while realizing it won't look like a traditional semester. Ive not seen one plan that has it all figured out, he said. Most of the plans were looking at, they've had to be adjusted.

As SIU strives to provide flexibility for the student body while keeping the college experience, Wilcoxen says its just not safe to have thousands of students returning on campus just yet.

We all want to return to the classroom as soon as we can do so safely, Wilcoxen said. But its just not safe yet, physically or psychologically, and an unsafe learning environment does not lead to a quality education. If we act now to switch to remote learning, we can provide students with a high-quality educational experience while protecting our communities against the deadly threat of COVID-19.

Lane said he understands the concern some may have with students returning for the fall, but wants the community to know the university will be working to keep everyone safe amid the pandemic. Were going to do our part to make sure we do everything humanly possible to keep our students safe, to keep our community safe and to make sure we battle the pandemic together, he said.

Photos: SIU Carbondale students, staff supply state with crucial COVID-19 test component

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Natalie Perez takes the temperature of Emily Lucatero, 9, before entering Chase Avenue Elementary School during the Cajon Valley Union School District's Emergency Child Care Program on May 5, 2020 in El Cajon, California. (Eduardo Contreras / San Diego Union-Tribune)

Sabrina Lira Garcia is proud to work as a clinical assistant in the COVID-19 ward of a Los Angeles hospital, but sometimes she wishes she could just stay home with her infant son until the pandemic is over.

But pulling her child from day care was not an option for Lira Garcia. She cant put her career on hold. Her husband was born in Mexico and is undocumented, and the family pays monthly legal fees to help him get residency papers. If he were ever deported, shed have to support 9-month-old Jeremiah by herself.

I couldnt afford to just stay home, she said.

Lira Garcia and thousands of other essential workers have had no choice but to put their children in day care and run the risk that they'll be exposed to the coronavirus. In effect, they've been part of an unplanned national experiment that's deeply relevant to parents weighing the pros and cons of letting their children return to school this fall.

So far, it seems fairly successful. Considering the number of kids at child-care centers in the U.S., the number of coronavirus outbreaks they've reported is low. Research to date suggests that children rarely get sick with COVID-19, and those under 10 aren't very efficient at transmitting the disease to older family members.

These dynamics  combined with additional precautions schools are taking regarding masks, classroom adaptations and keeping parents off campus  appear to make school and day care reasonable options for families with healthy younger children, experts say.

There are no guarantees, however. A week-long overnight camp in Georgia saw an outbreak in June despite several measures to mitigate risk. At least 51% of campers between the ages of 6 and 10 became infected with the coronavirus, as were 44% of attendees ages 11 to 17. About one quarter of those infected were asymptomatic, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Story continues

The key factor for parents to consider is how much the virus is spreading in their community, experts said.

Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the CDC, defines a "hot spot" as an area where more than 5% of coronavirus tests come back positive.

Allowing students to return to campus wouldn't be wise if youre in the hottest of the hot zones, and you have massive outbreaks," said Dr. Ashish Jha, the incoming dean of the Brown University School of Public Health. Even if the kids are all right, you still need to have teachers and staff in elementary schools.

But if the community transmission rate is low, "then I would have a lower threshold of getting K-5 back in person than I would, for instance, getting high school back," he said, adding that "child-care centers are probably reasonably safe."

Day cares remained open in California even after most schools shut down. As of July 22, about 33,300 facilities had the capacity to care for up to 720,882 children. Up until that date, the state recorded 1,365 COVID-19 cases linked to child-care centers, including 261 cases among children.

During the same time period, 9% of Californias 425,616 total cases were among people under age 18, and there were no coronavirus-related deaths reported in this age range. (The states first juvenile COVID-19 -related death was reported last week.)

In Los Angeles County, 268 cases  including 75 children  had been reported in the 7,238 day-care facilities that were open as of the end of July. Children under 5 account for fewer than 1% of all hospitalizations in the county, according to data presented by Barbara Ferrer, director of the county's public health department.

The picture is similar in other states that have tallied outbreaks in child-care centers, including Texas and Ohio.

But the low case counts dont mean that COVID-19 is a completely benign disease in children, Ferrer said. We still have a lot to learn about the short- and long-term impacts of the virus.

Theres a big void of information about how the virus spreads among small children and between children and older people, said Dr. Jeffrey Gunzenhauser, chief medical officer of the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health.

We dont quite understand the infection dynamics, and we dont really know the transmission dynamics, he said, so parents will have to balance the relative lack of information against their own need for child care.

Adding to the stress of these decisions, parents may not want children to see grandparents or other relatives who have helped take care of them in the past for fear of exposing them to the virus, Gunzenhauser said.

Ricardo Rizzo runs a child-care center with his wife and two daughters in the Panorama City neighborhood of Los Angeles. After the initial statewide shutdown in March, Rizzo and his family closed the center for two weeks to stock up on food and cleaning supplies. They also set up a sanitizing station outside the center and scheduled new cleaning routines.

Despite those precautions, the center still lost eight children because of layoffs, shortened work hours and parental fear about the virus. Eighteen kids are still in his care, Rizzo said, ranging in age from babies to a preteen.

The families who rely on the center are low-income and receive state subsidies to pay for child care. Nearly all have jobs deemed essential, such as grocery workers and certified nursing assistants. Some have multiple jobs.

We feel blessed because were helping them by taking care of their kids, Rizzo said.

So far, the center and its families have been COVID-free, Rizzo said. He finds comfort in following the protocol  adult caretakers wear masks, do a deep clean once a day and keep parents outside the facility when dropping off and picking up their children. He also lets his centers families know they should be taking precautions as well.

I say we have to work together, Rizzo said. If we do it here, you have to do it at home.

Infections can still break through the child-care bubble.

Anna C., a 30-year-old IT worker in Kent, Wash., who asked that her last name not be used, tried to keep her 4-year-old and 20-month-old sons home until the toddler fell off a bed and split his lip while Anna and her husband were on separate conference calls.

Realizing they couldnt work and safely watch their sons at the same time, the couple decided to send the kids back to child care in late April. They had to pull them out again a week later, after the spouse of an employee tested positive for COVID-19. No further infections arose during a two-week quarantine, so they sent the children back again.

This is going to happen with any day care center or provider, Anna said. Its just the new reality.

Almendrala writes for Kaiser Health News , a nonprofit news service covering health issues. It is an editorially independent program of the Kaiser Family Foundation and is not affiliated with Kaiser Permanente.





This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
A Wisconsin toddler tested positive for COVID-19, days before his second birthday.

Now his mom wants other families to hear their story and know young kids can catch the coronavirus, too.



Bridget Botts-Kastern said her son Jack woke up July 20 with a fever, congestion and shortness of breath.

Her husband had similar symptoms.

Doctors told the two to get tested for COVID-19.

Jack tested positive.

His dad did not, but doctors told the family it was likely a false-negative test and to stay home anyway since Jack had tested positive.

"It was surreal," Botts-Kastern said.

Jack remained sick over the next few days, as his parents tried to keep him hydrated and keep his fever down, which at one point, hit 103.2 degrees, Botts-Kastern said.

"It was a lot of coughing, a lot of congestion," Botts-Kastern said. "The first three days, breathing would be difficult especially during those coughing spells."

There have been 81 kids younger than 9 years old who have tested positive for COVID-19 in Waukesha County, Wisconsin, and 1,931 kids up to 9 years old have tested positive across Wisconsin, according to Wisconsin Department of Health data.

"There is that myth that kids, especially younger ones, don't get it. Now I have a 12-year-old who has been perfectly fine and my 2-year-old had been very sick. So that's why I wanted to get our story out there," Botts-Kastern said.

More than two weeks after his initial diagnosis, his mom said Jack is feeling better.

He was well enough to be part of his socially distanced birthday parade, where friends and neighbors drove by the family's house.

Watch the video above to learn more about this story.
Bury, who has characterized the gaming industrys opposition to the push tax as a powerful and politically connected special interest groups attempt to undermine the autonomy of a municipality and its residents, said the village was resolved to fight for the push tax for as long as it takes.
Police in Melbourne, Australia now have the power to enter peoples homes without a warrant and perform spot checks to enforce compliance with new coronavirus lockdown rules.

After the state of Victoria announced a state of disaster in response to a spike in coronavirus cases, Premier of the state Daniel Andrews told residents, We can no longer have people simply out and about for no good reason whatsoever.

In addition to an 8pm to 5am curfew, residents can only leave their homes outside those hours to shop for food and essential items, carry out care and caregiving, as well as daily exercise and work.

The new powers also give police the right to enter your home to carry out spot checks even if you dont give them permission and they dont have a warrant, reports LockdownSkeptics.org.

Controls on buying have also been introduced, restricting citizens to purchases of no more than two of certain essential items, including dairy, meat, vegetables, fish and toilet paper.

As we highlighted earlier, immediately after the government announced the new draconian measures, police in their hundreds positioned themselves around residential tower blocks to ensure no one could leave.

People were told they must stay in the residence in which they slept the previous night for the next six weeks. Anyone who violates the new rules faces a fine of up to $1,652, an amount which is set to be increased.

As Toby Young writes, the spike in COVID-19 cases in the region could simply be due to the fact that more tests are being conducted.

Victoria tested almost 43,000 on Sunday, July 26th, twice as many as on normal days, and the peak on Wednesday could be due to the few days delay before the results come through. In addition, a percentage of the positive results are likely due to the extensive contact tracing introduced in the past few weeks, with targeted testing of those whove been in contact with other infected people.

It looks like a familiar pattern: on the advice of public health officials, a political leader ramps up testing and introduces a track-and-trace programme, then, when the number of cases inevitably increases, the leader panics and introduces draconian new measures.



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By Jon Dunbar





Four bands representing four countries have come together to release a four-song compilation album on the Korean label

. This is volume 2 of the "World Domination" series, this time spotlighting ska-punk bands from Korea, Malaysia, the U.S. and the U.K.





"Since four bands from four different countries have come together for this album, we're really happy to have the opportunity for people in other countries to listen to our songs," said Kim Song-yi, frontwoman of Korean band

. "We're motivated to try even harder to become a band that stays true to ourselves while improving on our music for everyone who'll listen to us."







TalkBats contributes a song titled simply "TalkBats!" According to Kim, the song is "about how even though we don't know what will happen in our future and we don't know what we want to do, we want to enjoy this moment without any worries and share this fun moment with all of you."







The song features a bouncy ska-punk track reminiscent of 1990s bands like Dance Hall Crashers and Save Ferris, but with the TalkBats' signature keytar sound which gives their music a unique vibe and serves as the backbone for their whole sound.







"When we're in the process of making songs, we tend to think of the main riff for the keytar before anything else," Kim said.







The keytar is so important, it survived a major lineup change a few months ago, losing both keytarist Nagi and drummer Hyunmin. "We were able to start practicing with our new keytarist So-yoon and drummer two months before Nagi and Hyun-min's last show," Kim said. "Our new members individually practiced really hard and we made sure to practice together as a band often, so it didn't take long for TalkBats to have a show with our new members. For that, I'm really thankful to our original members as well. So-yoon actually bought her keytar as soon as it was decided she was going to join us. It looks really cool"







Kim got into ska at age 20, when she went to a punk show in her hometown Busan with the Korean band Skasucks playing. "I bought their CD right away and even got their autographs," she said. "After that, I listened to their songs every day for a while. And then I moved to Seoul!"







Now she has her own band, and it's on a worldwide compilation with Dan P and the Bricks from the U.S., Faintest Idea from the U.K. and Plague of Happiness from Malaysia.







Dan P and the Bricks is a 10-piece band featuring members from MU330, Slow Gherkin and the Bruce Lee Band signed to Asian Man Records, contributing the danceable crowd pleaser "Weak at Heart."







Faintest Idea started as an angry punk band that over time accumulated ska influences, which are mixed together in the incendiary anti-fascist song "

."







Plague of Happiness is the oldest of the four bands, founded in 1999 in Malaysia's Johor Bahru. They contributed the poppy number "Matahari."






WASHINGTON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Improved math skills would raise the salary of New York workers by tens of thousands of dollars a year and would help the country rebound from a deepening COVID-19 economic freefall, according to research in a new white paper from The Learning Agency.

The major findings of The Learning Agency's white paper are:

Better high school math skills could increase worker incomes by $25,000 per year

per year Improved reading and writing skills could result in an $11,000 increase in pay annually

could result in an increase in pay annually Graduating with a high school diploma nets a worker an additional $7,000 in annual earnings

As the U.S. economy continues to retractsecond quarter GDP fell 9.5 percentand with states and local governments looking to cut education budgets , the white paper argues that increased learning would have a dual effect: It would boost earnings for workers while increasing tax collections by trillions of dollars.

"Education is one of the best strategies for recovering from an economic downturn," said Ulrich Boser, founder of The Learning Agency and the paper's author. "Now is the time for governments to increase spending on things like tutoring , not making deep cuts to services."

To better understand the benefits of improved learning from critical thinking to metacognition , The Learning Agency conducted a study to look at how Americans' incomes would grow as a result of better skills and education. The white paper drew from a 2015 National Bureau of Economic Research study that demonstrated workers could expect impressive increases in salary.

Read the full white paper "Education and Income: How Learning Leads to Better Salaries" at: https://www.the-learning-agency.com/insights/education-and-income-how-learning-leads-to-better-salaries

The Learning Agency is a Washington DC-based education organization. Our mission is to help individuals and organizations harness the power of learning to solve problems. For more information, visit https://www.the-learning-agency.com/

SOURCE The Learning Agency

Related Links

https://www.the-learning-agency.com/


Narendra Modi at Ayodhya Ram Mandir LIVE Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to seers and other guests on the occasion of 'Bhoomi Poojan' said that many efforts were made over the centuries, buildings were destroyed in an attempt to try and eradicate Rama's name but he still lives in our hearts.

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However, on the dais, there will be just five people  Narendra Modi, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat, trust chief Nritya Gopaldas Maharaj, Uttar Pradesh Governor Anandiben Patel and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, according to media reports.

The stage is set for Wednesdays grand foundation stone-laying ceremony for the construction of a Ram temple at Ayodhya, to be attended by 175 dignitaries, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and 135 religious leaders.

According to the Office of the Prime Minister's Twitter account, Narendra Modi has left for the temple-town of Ayodhya for today's ground-breaking ceremony for the Ram temple.

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Prasad Maurya on Tuesday said that the Bhoomi Pujan ceremony of Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Temple is a historic moment and will be unforgettable. The world will see the glory of Lord Rama's dignity and greatness.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Smriti Irani chanted 'Jai Shree Ram' through posts on their respective Twitter accounts ahead of foundation laying ceremony of Ram Temple today.

According to media reports, the bhoomi pujan ceremony will be starting at 12.30 pm. Indian Express reports say that Prime Minister Modi is scheduled to arrive at Lucknow airport at 10.35 am and fly down to the Saket Degree College helipad in Ayodhya at 11.30 am. His first stop will be the Hanuman Garhi temple where, after a seven-odd-minute stay, he will reach Ram Janmabhoomi area by noon and offer prayers at the makeshift Ram Lalla temple.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Lucknow and will be proceeding to Ayodhya in a chopper for the Ram Mandir bhoomi poojan ceremony today, reports ANI.

Members of the Indian community gathered outside the Capitol Hill in Washington DC to celebrate the foundation laying ceremony of Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

Ahead of Ram Temple Bhoomi Pujan ceremony on Wednesday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee in a tweet said that the country has always upheld the age-old legacy of unity in diversity and it must always be preserved.

Its in the protocol for protecting the prime minister that he must be guarded by healthy personnel, he said. Now what can be healthier in these times than a COVID-19 warrior?

Uttar Pradesh Deputy Inspector General of Police Deepak Kumar HAS said that when Narendra Modi lands at the Saket College helipad in Ayodhya, he will have a special ring of protection around him. It will comprise of 150 security personnel who have recovered from the coronavirus, the Hindustan Times reported.

Advocate Majeed Memon, an ex-MP Rajya Sabha in a tweet questioned if the Prime Minister will also attend the stone laying ceremony of the mosque nearby the Ram Temple. "Will the PM also go to attend stone laying ceremony of the Mosque on nearby 5 acre land and show equal interest in its construction to prove his sabka sath, sabka vikaas aur subka Vishwas? (sic)" his tweet read.

Bharti on Monday had said she would not attend the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on 5 August, in view of the coronavirus pandemic. Instead, Bharti said she would be on the banks of the Saryu river and visit the site and offer prayers to Ram Lalla after the event had concluded.

Days after Uma Bharti said she will skip the ceremony, the BJP leader today said that she will in fact attend the ceremony as instructed by Ramjanmabhoomi Trust.

As per tradition, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will first visit the 10th century Hanuman Garhi Temple on arrival in Ayodhya. The premises of the temple were sanitised earlier today. He will later proceed to Ram Janmabhoomi site to offer prayers to Ram Lalla and lay the foundation stone for Ram Temple.

Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad on Wednesday in a tweet shared the sketch from the original document of the Constitution of India showing Lord Ram, Sita and Laxman returning to Ayodhya after defeating Ravan.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat has arrived at the Ram Janambhoomi site for 'Bhoomi Poojan' for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

Following is the timeline of events leading up to the bhoomi pujan ceremony on Wednesday since 1528.

The core of Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute lies in the belief that Lord Ram was born in a room located under what was the central dome of the Babri Masjid. The masjid was built on the orders of Mughal emperor Babur in the 16th century before its demolition by kar sevaks on 6 December, 1992.

The Supreme Court on November, 2019, settled the seven-decade-long Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute with the historic verdict of awarding a Hindu group the ownership of a centuries-old religious site. It ordered the allotment of an alternative piece of five acres of land to the Muslims for a mosque.

The BSP chief said that while it was unfortunate that the dispute over the site had been ongoing for years but appealed to all to accept the apex courts verdict on the issue.

It is the Supreme Court which ended the Ram temple-Babri Masjid land dispute, paving wthe foundation stone-laying ceremony for the temple in Ayodhya to take place, and everyone should accept its decision, said Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) chief Mayawati on Wednesday.

However, the weather is expected to clear up by early afternoon. Accuweather states that the maximum average temperature right now is around 33 degrees centigrade while the minimum average temperature is around 29 degrees. It will remain cloudy throughout the day with instances of rain and thunderstorm

Hours ahead of the Bhoomi Pujan, Ayodhya has been facing heavy rainfall which has caused a minor impediment to the preparations. According to reports, the celebratory hoardings and flags have been uprooted at many places.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived at the Hanuman Garhi Temple in Ayodhya. He will later proceed to Ram Janmabhoomi site to offer prayers to 'Ram Lalla'.

BJP members and workers perform special prayers at the party office in Kamalalayam, Tamil Nadu, as the foundation stone laying ceremony of Ram Temple is underway in Ayodhya.

Apart from the symbolic silver brick, nine bricks are also used which were sent by devotees of lord Ram from around the world in 1989. Additionally, there are 2 lakh 75 thousand such bricks out of which 100 bricks with 'Jai Shri Ram' engraving will be used for temple construction

There is no point in using silver bricks in laying the foundation of Ram Mandir. They will be removed after bhoomi pujan and will be kept in bank lockers of the Trust in State Bank of India, a priest told Hindustan Times. "Later, these silver bricks will be cashed out and the money will be used for the construction of Ram Mandir," he added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid down a 40-kilogram silver brick donated by Mahant Nritya Gopal Das. However, the brick will be removed after the ceremony and kept safely in a locker.

With the bhoomi pujan ceremony for the construction of a Ram temple being held in Ayodhya on Wednesday, the Shiv Sena has termed the development as "fulfilment" of party founder Bal Thackeray's dream. The NCP, which is one of the constituents in the Sena-led Maha Vikas Aghadi government, said the ceremony is a "matter of joy" for all and that Lord Ram is the deity of Indians.

"Felicitations to all for the foundation laying of Ram Temple in Ayodhya. Being built in tune with law, it defines Indias spirit of social harmony and peoples zeal. It will be a testimony to ideals of RamRajya and a symbol of modern India," he said

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat remembered LK Advani who headed the temple construction movement and other devotees who contributed to the cause. Bhagwat said, "There are many who could not be physically present today due to the global pandemic. But I am sure all of them, including Advani ji...., would be glad today to see their dream being realised."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I know many Indians are emotional today, many cannot believe that they are seeing this day in their lifetime. But I am sure entire India is joyous today as a centuries-old dream has been realised."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the chants of Jai Siya Ram are resonating in the hearts of all Indians. "This chant is not just echoing in Ayodhya but in the entire world," he added.

Ram Janmabhoomi has got freedom today. Like August 15 is Independence Day for the country, today holds a similar significance for crores of those who devoted their lives for cause of Ram temple. It is my good fortune that the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust invited me, giving me an opportunity to witness this historic moment. I heartily thank the trust for this, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "After the construction of the grand Ram Temple, not only will the grandeur of Ayodhya increase but the entire economy of the region will also change. New opportunities will be created in every field, opportunities will also increase in every field in the region. People from all over the world will come here, the whole world will come to see Lord Rama and Mother Janaki"

"A grand temple will now be built for our Ram Lalla who had been staying in a tent. Today Ram Janmabhoomi breaks free of the cycle of breaking and getting built again - that had been going on for centuries," Modi said. He said that like the movement for Independence, that was powered by the sacrifices of all Indians, the movement for Ram Janmabhoomi is also one of sacrifices.

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat remembered LK Advani who headed the temple construction movement and other devotees who contributed to the cause. Bhagwat said, "There are many who could not be physically present today due to the global pandemic. But I am sure all of them, including Advani ji...., would be glad today to see their dream being realised."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "I know many Indians are emotional today, many cannot believe that they are seeing this day in their lifetime. But I am sure entire India is joyous today as a centuries-old dream has been realised."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the chants of Jai Siya Ram are resonating in the hearts of all Indians. "This chant is not just echoing in Ayodhya but in the entire world," he added.

Ram Janmabhoomi has got freedom today. Like August 15 is Independence Day for the country, today holds a similar significance for crores of those who devoted their lives for cause of Ram temple. It is my good fortune that the Sri Ram Janmabhoomi Tirtha Kshetra Trust invited me, giving me an opportunity to witness this historic moment. I heartily thank the trust for this, says Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "After the construction of the grand Ram Temple, not only will the grandeur of Ayodhya increase but the entire economy of the region will also change. New opportunities will be created in every field, opportunities will also increase in every field in the region. People from all over the world will come here, the whole world will come to see Lord Rama and Mother Janaki"

"A grand temple will now be built for our Ram Lalla who had been staying in a tent. Today Ram Janmabhoomi breaks free of the cycle of breaking and getting built again - that had been going on for centuries," Modi said. He said that like the movement for Independence, that was powered by the sacrifices of all Indians, the movement for Ram Janmabhoomi is also one of sacrifices.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to seers and other guests on the occasion of 'Bhoomi Poojan' said that many efforts were made over the centuries, buldings were destroyed in an attempt to try and eradicate Rama's name but he still lives in our hearts. Modi also said that the deity's inclusivity and omnipresence was established from the fact that the tale of Ramayana was historically recorded in so many languages and that the deity himself was referenced in cultural history of countries outside India, like Nepal and Indonesia.

Bricks laid as part of 'Bhoomi Pujan' for #RamTemple in #Ayodhya . Soil from more than 2000 pilgrimage sites and water from more than 100 rivers was brought for the rituals. https://t.co/aGj5yugb2K pic.twitter.com/Ca7Yu5pjpm

Made of pure cow ghee, the remaining amount of laddoos will be sent to the temples in Janakis birthplace at Sitamarhi in Bihar and 25 other pilgrimage places where it is believed that Lord Rams footprints lie.

The Indian Express reported that the Patnas Mahavir Mandir Trust will be distributing 1.25 lakh Raghupati Laddoos. Of the total number of this special Indian sweet, 51,000 laddoos are to be given to Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust on the occasion of the bhoomi pujan.

"Construction of magnificent temple of Lord Ram demonstrates PM Narendra Modi's strong and decisive leadership. My heartiest congratulations to all Indians on this unforgettable day," Shah said.

Union home minister Shah, who has contracted the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), tweeted a long thread remembering devotees who had joined the movement for construction of temple at the disputed site, while also praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for 'realisation of the dream.'

Narendra Modi at Ayodhya Ram Mandir LATEST Updates: Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his address to seers and other guests on the occasion of 'Bhoomi Poojan' said that many efforts were made over the centuries, buildings were destroyed in an attempt to try and eradicate Rama's name but he still lives in our hearts.

Modi said that lord Rama was a deity who can inspire even modern humans in all aspects of their lives.

"For Rama, all his people were same and equal. But he had a special spot for the downtrodden and poor among all. He was the epitome of inclusive growth and development. Perhaps that is the reason why despite so many things, even when buildings were destroyed that carried his name, he continues to live on in our hearts," Modi said.

Modi said, "With the construction of this temple, not only history is being made, but is being repeated."

"I know many Indians are emotional today, many cannot believe that they are seeing this day in their lifetime. But I am sure entire India is joyous today as a centuries-old dream has been realised."

RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat remembered LK Advani who headed the temple construction movement and other devotees who contributed to the cause.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath remembered all devotees whose efforts, he said, were bearing fruit today. He also said that it was under the leadership of Modi that these difficult goal was achieved in a constitutional manner.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay a silver brick in the temple foundation. The brick weighs 22.6 kg and is worth Rs 15 lakh.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi offers prayers to Ram Lalla at the site and also took part in the prayer ceremony before the bricklaying ceremony.

Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath reviewed the preparations on Monday and instructed officials to ensure that health ministry guidelines on COVID-19 prevention are strictly followed. Adityanath spent hours reviewing the arrangements for the ceremony at the Ram Janmabhoomi, where the temple will be constructed following the go-ahead last year by the Supreme Court. The ceremony will be broadcast live by Doordarshan.

Meanwhile, the religious rituals are already underway since Monday. Twelve priests on Monday conducted prayers dedicated to Lord Ganesh. This was to be followed by prayers to the deities of the dynasties of Lord Ram and Goddess Sita. On Tuesday, prayers were offered at Ayodhya's Hanumangarhi temple.

The city has been decked up and sanitised for the prime minister's visit. Business Insider reported that the Ram Janmabhoomi site is given a fresh coat of yellow paint with plans to depict various characters of the Ramayana on them. While life-size sketches of both Lord Ram and Sita have been painted on the helipad at Saket College, sketches and drawings of Ramayana characters have been painted on the building walls on both sides of the roads leading to the temple site.

Borders sealed but no restriction on movement of city residents

The borders of the city of Ayodhya were sealed on Tuesday ahead of the prime minister's arrival on Wednesday.

Deepak Kumar, deputy inspector general (DIG) of Ayodhya range, talked about the elaborate security arrangements in the temple town before and during the bhoomi pujan ceremony.

"Barricades have been set up at 12 places across Ayodhya. Protocols for the security of Prime Minister Narendra Modi will also be followed during his visit to Ayodhya. COVID-19 protocols are also being followed," Kumar was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Kumar said that more than five people will not be allowed to gather but added that all shops will be allowed to remain open in the city.

"We are continuously keeping a watch across the VIP routes via drones. No restrictions on movement for the people residing in Ayodhya. I urge people not to step outdoors to contain COVID-19. We will not let outsiders enter the city," he said.

A Zee News report, however, said that the locals will be required to carry identification cards while stepping out of their homes to keep a tab on outsiders in the city.

UP's deputy general of police had earlier informed the press that the inner ring of the venue will be secured by the elite Special Protection Group while the rest of the security arrangements will fall upon the state police. He said that police personnel, who have tested negative for the coronavirus disease and are below the age of 45, will be deployed in Modi's security detail on the day.

"The inner security ring will be handled by the Special Protection Group (SPG) officers. But police personnel, who have tested negative for the infection as well as those kept in reserve in complete isolation, would preferably be deployed closer to the inner security ring of the PM," UP DGP Hitesh Chandra Awasthy was quoted as saying by the Hindustan Times.

175 invitees to attend ceremony

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra general secretary on Monday said 175 eminent guests have been invited for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The invitation list has been prepared only after "personally discussing" with BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, lawyer K Parasaran and other dignitaries, the trust's general secretary Champat Rai told reporters.

He said 175 eminent guests, including 135 seers belonging to as many spiritual sects, would be present at the programme, adding that some eminent citizens of the temple town have also been invited.

Salil Singhal, the nephew of late VHP leader Ashok Singhal, will be the "yajmaan" (ritual patron) at the ceremony. Hindu seers from Nepal have also been invited as Janakpur has relations with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Ayodhya, Rai said.

Iqbal Ansari, the chief litigant in the Ayodhya dispute has also been invited to the event and he has expressed his willingness to attend the ceremony.

There were, however, some allegations that the invitee list deliberately kept Dalits away from the ritual.

Apna Dal (S) MLA Chowdhury Amar Singh made the claim while talking to reporters on Monday. "Dalits and backwards have been deprived of attending the Ayodhya bhoomi pujan event. The haste which PM showed for the temple should also be shown for giving house and pension to poor," the MLA from Apna Dal (S), an ally of the BJP in Uttar Pradesh, said.

"The face of those who struggled for the temple is not seen. They are being ignored. The trust constituted for the construction of the temple does not have people from backward, SC and ST communities. It is a 'Ved Pratha trust' and seems that Lord Ram is only of the BJP," he said.

Rai, however, dismissed the allegations by saying: "Seers have no caste. Once they achieve sainthood, they are above caste," the Apna Dal (S) MLA said.

Rituals already underway in Ayodhya

The puja ceremony has already begun in Ayodhya since Monday with the offering of special prayers to Lord Hanuman at Hanumangarhi temple as a part of an old tradition of 'Nishan Puja', Zee news reported.

A four-phased Ramarchan puja started Tuesday morning to invoke the major gods and goddesses who consider Lord Ram as their 'Ishth' (the god of worship) at 10:30 am with Vedic saints conducting the prayers facing Ramlalla on his temporary seat.

Ramcharan Das, one of the seers conducting the puja told ANI, "This Ramarchan Pujan will be conducted in four phases. First will be of regular gods and then we will enter Ayodhya and second phase worship will be of Ayodhya and also of Lord Ram's soldiers and generals like Nal, Neel and Sugreev. In the third phase, Dashrath with his wives will be worshipped and then all three brothers, as well as their wives and Hanuman Ji, will too be worshipped. In the fourth phase, Lord Ram will be worshipped."

On Wednesday, the state government will release a postal stamp, which is based on the temple design. The prime minister will plant a 'parijat' (coral jasmine) tree in the premises.

At 12:30 pm, the bhoomi pujan will begin when Modi will lay the foundation stone. He will lay the stone at around 12:40 pm after which the puja ceremony will go on till 2 pm. An inscription of the temple will also be inaugurated, ANI reported. The Prime Minister will leave for Lucknow at around 2:30 pm.

With inputs from agencies
Mercedes will soon announce that its 'dream team' is staying together for another season.

That is the claim of team boss Toto Wolff, referring not only to the prospect of 2021 contracts for Lewis Hamilton and Valtteri Bottas, but also a new deal for himself.

"We will announce the wedding soon," the German broadcaster RTL quotes him as saying.

"Mercedes, myself, Lewis and Valtteri - the foursome. That is what we would like to do. There is no reason to dissolve it," Wolff insisted.

The Austrian also denied that Mercedes' innovative 'DAS' steering system could be why both Hamilton and Bottas suffered late-race tyre failures on Sunday.

And Wolff said he is not worried that Pirelli's even softer compounds for this weekend's race could make the situation worse.

"It doesn't make much difference whether it's softer or harder," he said.

"If there is a structural problem, a softer tyre wouldn't make it worse. We may just have to stop more often."

Pirelli boss Mario Isola says investigations are taking place as to what caused the failures - excessive wear, or debris on the circuit.

"We are investigating whether the soft choice for the next race will be re-evaluated," he told Sky Italia. "If it was debris, that's obviously different."

(GMM)
Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

The cellphone records of a man charged in a seven-year-old murder case can be used as evidence at trial, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

In a unanimous decision, written by Chief Justice Michael Vigil, the court ruled that a police affidavit for a search warrant provided enough information to obtain Jaycob Michael Prices telephone records.

A District Court judge in Albuquerque threw out some of the evidence obtained through the search warrant in 2018.

Price was indicted in 2017 for the 2013 murder of Julio Apodaca, 26, who was found shot in the head while sitting in a car in the parking lot of an apartment complex where his sister-in-law lived.

According to the ruling, Apodaca visited his sister-in-law to borrow money.

Police found that Apodaca had received a call on his cellphone after leaving his sister-in-laws apartment and police obtained a search warrant to identify the owner of the cellphone that called him and other information.

Prices attorneys sought to block the use of any information obtained by police, claiming officers didnt have probable cause to obtain the information from the cellphones carrier.

The judge permitted prosecutors to use the subscriber records showing Price owned the phone that was used to call Apodaca shortly before his death.

But the judge threw out evidence that showed the cellphones tracking information and records listing calls and text messages.

The Supreme Court found that the search warrant affidavit established probable cause for obtaining all the cellphone records in overturning the lower court ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that police need a warrant for cellphone location data because of constitutionally protected privacy interests for digital information showing a persons whereabouts.

We conclude that the totality of the circumstances described in the affidavit establishes reasonable grounds for the judge issuing the search warrant to find probable cause that the unknown person talking to Victim (Apodaca) was in the vicinity of the parking lot when the conversations took place before Victim was shot, Vigil wrote in the opinion.

He acknowledged the case was a close call.

Price was indicted for Apodacas murder in December 2017 and faces charges of armed robbery stemming from the incident.

Price was serving a sentence for aggravated burglary and other charges at the time of the indictment, which was filed almost four years after Apodaca was shot.

Price was discharged from probation earlier this year.
(Photo : Pixabay) The US government has sent out an alert regarding a malware used by the Chinese government.

The US government has issued an alert to the public to be aware of a frequently-seen malware over the last decade that is linked to the Chinese government.

Joint Malware Analysis Report

According to a report by Bloomberg, the alert has been issued by different federal and government agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the US Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), and the Department of Defense this Monday, August 3.

Based on the issued alert, the government has "identified a malware variant used by Chinese government cyber-actors, which is known as Taidoor," and that the purpose of the alert is to "enable network defense and reduce exposure to Chinese government malicious cyber-activity."

Furthermore, the alert said that the FBI has "high confidence" that the malware variants are used by Chinese government actors together with proxy servers to maintain their presence and further exploit their victim's network.

The Malware Analysis Report (MAR) also includes suggestions from the authorities regarding suitable response actions and mitigation techniques.

Nevertheless, the malware alert did not contain who the malware has targeted or its prevalence.

Read Also: China Requires Players to Use Their Real Name in Online Games as Real-Name Verification System to be Launched by September

Spotted in the Wild Since 2008

According to an unnamed US Cyber Command official, this type of malware has been seen by security researchers since 2008, but the Chinese government allegedly continues to use it as a leverage to gain intelligence in ongoing espionage.

Additionally, cybersecurity firms CrowdStrike and FireEye Inc. have also seen the Taidoor malware used by several groups based in China to attack the US as well as other countries in Asia.

However, the firms report that there's been a recent decline in the malware's use.

Ben Read, a senior manager at analysis in FireEye, said that in the past, the Taidoor malware is frequently sent as spear phishing attacks that attackers use to gain access to the victim's systems.

The firms also claimed that this type of malware had been used to attack several sectors, including airlines, law, defense industrial base, nuclear power, engineering, technology, the government, aerospace.

After the alert has been sent out, malware analyst from Nextron Systems, Florian Roth, said that he has been detecting Taidoor samples in the past, with the most recent detection in March 2019.

However, the malware is going by the name Taurus RAT.

Previous Joint Reports

In a report by ZDNet, this is not the first time the FBI, the Department of Defense's Cyber Command (CyberCom), and the DHS CISA have worked together to release malware reports.

The first joint alert of the agencies was sent out earlier this year in February regarding six new malware strains that have been developed by North Korea's state-sponsored hackers and are being distributed via a North Korean phishing campaign.

Based on the malware report, CyberCom believes North Korean hackers use the malware to access infected systems remotely and steal funds from the victims, which will be transferred to the country at a later date to avoid economic sanctions.

The malware samples have been identified as SLICKSHOES, ARTFULPIE, BISTROMATH, BUFFETLINE, CROWDEDFLOUNDER, and HOTCROISSANT.

Read Also: ByteDance CEO Says They Do Not Agree With Selling TikTok's US Operations; Works Overtime to Find Solutions

This article is owned by TechTimes

Written by: Nhx Tingson

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Victoria's three poorest communities have copped 10 per cent of its COVID-19 fines, while its three most advantaged local government areas were dealt less than two per cent of infringements in the same period.

The stark contrast has raised concerns the state's most disadvantaged areas are being fined at a disproportionate rate than those in better-off areas.

Residents in the Central Goldfields Shire and the cities of Greater Dandenong and Brimbank were handed a combined 529 fines by police over the first two months of restrictions, according to an interim report assessing the state government's response to the pandemic.

In contrast, Victoria's three most advantaged communities based on a socio-economic index of the 80 local government areas  Nillumbik Shire in Melbourne's outer north-east and the inner-city councils of Bayside and Boroondara  accounted for 1.9 per cent of fines issued for the same period up to May 19.
ABC NewsBy ADAM KELSEY, ABC News



(WASHINGTON) -- As the debate rages among politicians and education administrators over the reopening of schools in the coming months, former Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro, the father of two young children, says he doesn't feel "comfortable" with the prospect of in-person instruction.



"I know, you know, from everything that we read as parents, that it would be better for them, learning-wise, to be able to be in a classroom with a teacher, but I don't think that it's safe right now," said Castro, whose home state of Texas remains in the midst of a weeks-long surge in both novel coronavirus cases and deaths, in an ABC News Live interview on Monday. "I don't think it's safe for the kids and I don't trust that it's safe for the teachers and the staff either."



For the past month, President Donald Trump and his administration have been outspoken in their desire to see schools reopen, even as the pandemic has wreaked havoc in southern states where students typically return to the classroom in August. Vice President Mike Pence and Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visited a North Carolina private school last week that had reopened and DeVos characterized the situation as "not a matter of if schools reopen, it's a matter of how they do so safely."



In describing his opposition to the move, the former housing and urban development secretary and San Antonio, Texas, mayor pointed to the impact virus transmission can potentially have beyond those physically in the classroom, foreseeing situations where "the kids may spread it among themselves and come back home to their parents or grandparents and spread it to them."



Castro was personally affected by the pandemic last month when his stepmother Alice died after contracting the virus. On Monday, he described the impact her death has had upon him and the perspective he'd gained in the aftermath.



"It's really driven home for me how terrible this virus has been to many families across the country," Castro said. "Particularly, the circumstances that loved ones have faced because, like my stepmom, you know, they go to the hospital and then oftentimes don't get to see their family members for weeks if they recover, or perhaps ever."



The coronavirus has disproportionately affected the United States' Latino community, of which Castro is a part, whose members are as much as four times more likely than whites to contract COVID-19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That fact took on even greater importance as cases rose in Texas, where nearly 40% of the population is Latino, according to the Census Bureau, the second-highest rate in the U.S.



In response, Castro emphasized the importance of hazard pay to frontline workers, particularly those in heavily Latino workplaces like meatpacking plants, grocery stores, fast food restaurants and farms. He also criticized Texas Gov. Greg Abbot for his handling of the Lonestar State's initial push toward an economic reopening and state control over local decisions.



"The governor of Texas reopened the state too early, and when he reopened, there wasn't a sufficient amount of testing or contact tracing, which is what scientific experts tell us you need in order to reopen safely," Castro said. "On top of that, he is not allowing local communities to tailor their own safety precautions, including mandating that schools reopen."



"My hope is that, in the least, state leaders will allow local communities, where there is a higher infection rate -- like in the Rio Grande Valley, that has a crisis on its hands right now, one of the highest rates of infection in Texas, in the country, and very, very poor level of investment in terms of hospitals and health care -- they need to be able to control their own destiny," he continued.



Castro, whose presidential campaign drew heavily on his housing expertise and featured rental affordability as a centerpiece of his platform, also foresees an eviction crisis developing that could affect nearly 30 million Americans, many of whom are now unemployed due to the pandemic and struggling to make rent payments. An eviction moratorium on federally backed housing expired last week, but Castro argued such programs should continue and advocated for direct rental assistance for those facing a shortfall.



Following the Trump administration's decision last month to rescind a component of the federal Fair Housing Act that required local municipalities receiving federal money to investigate patterns of racial housing bias, Castro additionally spoke out about the change made by his former department.



"You know, Donald Trump, I think that he believes he's making a bet that we still live in the 1930s, 40s, 50s, instead of in 2020. He's trying to take us backward," Castro said. "And he thinks that if he can just stoke enough resentment and grievance, especially in white Americans, that that might be enough for him to eke out a narrow Electoral College victory like he did in 2016."



After the rule change -- which the administration explained by describing the provision as "unworkable and ultimately a waste of time for localities to comply with" -- Trump wrote, in a tweet addressed to "all of the people living their Suburban Lifestyle Dream," that they "will no longer be bothered or financially hurt by having low income housing built in your neighborhood."



"Your housing prices will go up based on the market, and crime will go down," Trump continued, in the tweet characterized as a racist dog whistle by some critics.



"Donald Trump right now is losing the suburbs to Joe Biden. That's amazing. Because usually Republicans win the suburbs," Castro said Monday. "That's why Trump is all of a sudden, you know, using this ... to try and drum up fear and resentment among suburbanites."



"The problem is one of the reasons -- one of the main reasons that suburbanites are leaving Donald Trump and the Republicans, is because of his bigotry. They're tired of the division," he continued. "So by doubling down on this division and bigotry, I actually believe he's going to move more people away from him in those suburbs."

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
The computer-based examination will be conducted on 29 November at various centres spread across 156 cities in the country

The online registration process for the Indian Institutes of Management (IIM) CAT exam 2020 will begin from tomorrow (5 August) at 10 am. Candidates can apply at the official site at iimcat.ac.in till 5 pm on 16 September, 2020.

The computer-based examination will be conducted on 29 November at various centres spread across 156 cities in the country. Candidates can choose up to 6 cities in their order of preference, according to an official media release. The examination will be held in two sessions.

The 180 minute exam will have three sections to be solved in 60 minutes each. The statement mentioned that examinees will not be allowed to switch between sections and must complete one section within one hour before moving on to the next.

The admit card for the IIM CAT 2020 will be released on the official website on 28 October, 2020. Candidates can download their admit cards till the date of the test.

The entrance examination to secure a seat in any of the IIMs or other participating B-schools will be conducted by IIM Indore, according to a NDTV report.

How to apply for IIM CAT 2020

Step 1: Visit the official site at iimcat.ac.in

Step 2: Select the 'Register' tab present on the homepage to create an account. In case you already are registered, press on 'Login'

Step 3: Fill in the form with correct details like contact details and educational documents

Step 4: Insert any work experience you might have had in the form

Step 5: Mention the programmes you are interested in. There is no limitation to the number of 'Programme Names'.

Step 6: Choose the city you would like to give the interview in

Step 7: Pay the registration fees (Rs 2,000 for regular candidates and Rs 1,000 for SC, ST and PwD candidates)
France and the Netherlands are gearing up for stricter mask-wearing rules to fight the coronavirus as the global death toll from the pandemic neared 700,000. Paris, Toulouse and other cities announced that the wearing of masks would be compulsory in particularly busy streets and squares. People already have to wear them inside most private businesses and all public buildings. A scientific committee advising the French government warned that the country could lose control of its spread "at any time." In the Netherlands, the same mask-wearing measure will be applied in Rotterdam and the famous red-light district of Amsterdam from Wednesday. And Ireland postponed the reopening of pubs and other nightspots on the advice of scientists, concerned about rising infections. In other developments, the Philippines placed millions of people back under lockdown. And the hunt for an effective treatment continued with the United States launching trials of an antibody treatment for COVID-19. - Philippines resumes lockdown - Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday in a bid to contain the rising rate of infections, and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals. More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon, including the capital Manila, went back into a partial lockdown. People have been told to stay home unless going out to buy essential goods, for exercise or for work, after the number of recorded infections surged past 100,000. But with only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many people were stranded in Manila, unable to get back to their hometowns after public transport and domestic flights were halted. More than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China late last year. The worst hit country, the United States, had added 1,300 new deaths as of Tuesday evening, bringing its toll to nearly 156,000, according to Johns Hopkins University. The caseload grew by 53,847 to nearly 4.8 million, it said. Far from slowing down, the latest figures show that the rate of infection is accelerating. Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean, where infections passed five million on Monday. South America's largest country has recorded more than 2.75 million cases, and nearly 95,000 deaths, nearly half the region's 203,800 deaths. - US announces clinical trials - The world's hope of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rests on finding a treatment. The United States announced Tuesday it had begun late-stage clinical trials into a drug they hope will be an antibody against the coronavirus. The Phase 3 trial will initially enroll some 300 volunteers around the world who have been hospitalized with mild to moderate COVID-19 with fewer than 13 days of symptoms. On Monday, Russia said it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year. In response, the World Health Organization on Tuesday urged Russia to follow the established guidelines for producing safe and effective vaccines. Just a day earlier, the agency's chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus called on countries to focus on basic suppression measures, such as contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask. "There's no silver bullet at the moment -- and there might never be," he warned. - 'Extraordinarily widespread' - Despite the grim numbers in America, President Donald Trump adopted a resolutely optimistic tone. "We're seeing indications that our strong mitigation efforts are working very well, actually, especially to protect those who are most at risk," he said during a White House press conference addressing the pandemic. In a morning tweet, he lashed out at his coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx after she warned the virus was "extraordinarily widespread" in the US. Trump -- angered by what he sees as overly pessimistic media coverage of his much-criticized handling of the epidemic -- accused her of giving in to pressure to sound negative about the new surge. "Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!" Trump wrote on Twitter Monday. Despite rising infection numbers in Europe, some countries are pushing ahead with plans to reopen schools and finding ways to keep their battered tourism sectors functioning. - Angry Nadal withdraws from US Open - Fears over the virus led defending champion Rafael Nadal to announce on Tuesday that he will not play the US Open, which is due to start in New York on August 31. "The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still don't have control of it." Nadal said on Twitter. "This is a decision I never wanted to take... for the time being I rather not travel." Women's world number one Ashleigh Barty withdrew from the tournament last week citing "significant risks" from COVID-19. burs-amj/jj/bsp/dw/to
Parties to the domestic conflict in Libya are still on alert on the ground along the coast of the Mediterranean around Sirte, extending west from the main ports of the oil crescent (Al-Zueitina, Brega, Ras Lanuf, Sidra) to the eastern town of Abugrein (138 kilometres west of Sirte) and south to the Jufra region. Rival local forces continue to receive military assistance from foreign sponsors, while Western powers led by the US are pushing for a new international plan to defuse tensions and support the ceasefire in central Libya, which is a pivotal point dividing east and west Libya. Washington is also trying to relaunch the Berlin Process which stalled after fighting escalated six months ago.

A diplomatic source as well as Western and Libyan reports revealed that a US-backed proposal suggests that the Sirte-Jufra region should be a demilitarised zone. The general command of the Libyan National Army (LNA) would withdraw from Sirte and Jufra towards Benghazi and Ajdabiya, while police forces belonging to the Ministry of Interior of the Government of National Accord (GNA) would enter Sirte to secure government sectors and institutions there, after security troops under US supervision are chosen. For over one year the US has been holding a security dialogue with the GNA in Tripoli to reform the security sector and demobilise, disarm, re-integrate and train fighters who will be chosen from armed formations.

Sources continued that the new international plan also calls for deploying military forces from Germany, Italy, the UK and France to the central region at major oil ports and Jufra Airbase, which sources believe will eventually come under NATO control. In the beginning, Qatar and UAE will fund these European forces and will later collect these funds from Libyan oil revenues. This plan is approved by European powers but is opposed by Russia.

Russia entered the fray since the battle of Tripoli by supporting LNA troops, and Washington accuses Moscow of sending combatants from the Wagner Group to fight alongside the LNA and fighter jets based in Jufra Airbase in central Libya. Europe and the US are concerned that Russia will gain a foothold on the southern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, which poses a threat to Europes historical influence in Libya and Africa in favour of Russia and Turkey.

The battle for Tripoli also gave Turkey an opportunity to land in Libya on a large scale after signing memoranda of understanding with the GNA on maritime mandates and security and military cooperation on 27 November 2019. The deals continue to stir controversy at home, regionally and on the international stage since they allow Turkey greater opportunity to manoeuvre on the regional and global stages, especially after sending troops, security and military consultants, as well as mercenaries to aid the GNA on the battlefield.

Russia and Turkey are coordinating and cooperating together in Libya, much as they have in Syria, which is disconcerting for regional and international players who are worried that the pair will dominate the Libyan scene, as they have the Syrian. Two weeks ago, senior diplomats from both sides met in Istanbul. On 22 July, the Russian Foreign Ministry said Moscow and Ankara agreed to look into creating a joint working group on Libya and holding another round of consultations in Moscow soon, since both countries want to reach a long-term ceasefire in Libya. Deputy Director of the Department of Information and Press Alexey Zaitsev said 30 July that Moscow will soon host a meeting of Russian and Turkish diplomats to discuss the Libyan matter. He said a key item on the agenda will be deployment of military and combat forces during the truce.

Meanwhile, Washington continues its efforts to defuse the situation in Sirte and Jufra. Joshus Harris, Charge dAffaires at the US Embassy in Libya, visited Misrata and Benghazi last week and urged Libyan leaders to stop fighting, return to the negotiating table, and remove foreign fighters from Libyan soil. Harris focused on the situation in Sirte and Jufra, discussing de-escalating military action, re-opening the energy sector and stepping up Libyan efforts to disband, disarm and reintegrate violent militia groups. This is part of a security dialogue under the auspices of Washington which began over one year ago.

In an online statement, the US embassy said Harris reiterated US support for Libyan sovereignty and integrity of its territories. It added there is an urgent need for foreign troops and mercenaries to leave the country, and that the embassy is willing to work with an all-inclusive group of Libyan figures from across the country who reject foreign interference. The statement also reiterated respect for the contributions of Misrata forces in combating terrorism.

In Benghazi, Harris discussed with officials from parliament and the LNA allowing the National Oil Corporation (NOC) to restart its vital operations across the country, and seize the opportunity provided by the UN-facilitated dialogue to reach a final formula for a permanent ceasefire, and a roadmap for all foreign and mercenary combatants to leave the country. The US is focused on pushing forward the Berlin Process at a time when it is being challenged by Russia and Turkey who want to play a more advanced role, after European powers, which Washington relied on heavily in recent years, failed to resolve the crisis. This caused rival domestic powers in Libya to turn to Turkey and Russia.

Although there is US, European and Arab support for a de-escalation in Libya, Turkey and Russia continue to support their Libyan allies with military materiel, according to the US Army and Pentagon. They report that arms and combatants continue to arrive on all sides of the conflict in Libya; a harbinger of certain war by proxy there, which has become more apparent since LNA Commander General Khalifa Haftar began his military offensive on Tripoli.

Acting UN Special Representative to Libya Stephanie Williams warned against the Libyan crisis evolving into a regional war due to foreign interference. Speaking to the media in London on Saturday, Williams said: With so many external actors with their own agendas, the risk of miscalculation and a regional confrontation is high. She added: The Libyan people are exhausted and scared in equal measure. They are tired of war, and want peace, but they fear this is not in their hands now. They want a solution and a ceasefire. The alternative to a ceasefire and an inclusive political solution is essentially the destruction of their country. This is as much a battle between external rivals as a civil war now, in which the Libyans are losing their sovereignty.

Williams said she is working on creating a demilitarised zone in central Libya, and disengaging forces around Sirte in preparation for a ceasefire. She said the US is determined to carry out structural reform in the UN Support Mission in Libya (UNSMIL) since Washington wants the UN representative to be two envoys: one working inside and another outside Libya. European countries and the UN itself object to this proposal.

Diplomatic sources said Washington wants to appoint a European figure as UN envoy for the peace process in Libya, a post former Danish prime minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt was nominated for, but she changed her mind and withdrew her name. Instead, former Ghanian foreign minister Hanna Tetteh was chosen as director of UNSMIL, and is waiting for US approval of the appointment.

The US is working on several fronts of the Libyan crisis, locally, regionally and on the world stage. Locally, it is trying to press forward in security and economic talks which it began more than two years ago with Libyans. Regionally, Washington is trying to calm tensions between its allies who are fighting in and about Libya. Globally, it is attempting to rein in Russia which creeped into Libya by taking advantage of regional and European disputes over Libya, and imposed itself as a key player on the scene.

The plan to demilitarise central Libya faces several challenges, including how responsive will US allies be to the idea, their opinion of the USs vision of the situation and position on domestic forces in Libya, and whether European powers can unify their view on Libya, since they continue to disagree on the priority of major strategic issues such as migration, energy and the war on terrorism.

Russias presence will likely further burden European and regional powers whom Washington will ask to resolve this issue. At the same time, Libyan forces are more reliant on foreign supporters than ever before, which means regional and international disputes must first be addressed before moving forward in the political process.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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The husband of the Los Angeles district attorney has been charged with pointing a gun at Black Lives Matter protesters who picketed the couple's home the day before the primary election in March.

The state attorney general filed three misdemeanor charges on Monday against David Lacey for assault with a firearm for the March 2 incident, as Politico first reported.

Authorities say David Lacey, 66, pointed a gun at demonstrators who protested outside the couple's home before dawn on March 2 and said 'I will shoot you.'

David Lacey, the husband of Los Angeles County DA Jackie Lacey (left), on Monday was charged with three misdemeanor counts of assault with a firearm for pointing a gun at BLM protesters on March 2 (right)

District Attorney Jackie Lacey offered a tearful apology at the time, saying she and her husband were awoken by the protest and were frightened.

But during in an interview on CNN last month, DA Lacey criticized activists for showing up on her doorstep.

'I definitely don't think you should be able to come onto someone's property,' she said to the BLM protesters. 'That crosses a line.'

Lacey's campaign issued a statement on Tuesday saying her husband thought they were in danger and was trying to protect them.

'The events that took place earlier this year have caused my family immense pain,' Lacey said in the statement. 'My husband acted in fear for my safety after we were subjected to months of harassment that included a death threat no less than a week earlier.'

Lacey, the first Black person and first woman to run what is the nation's largest local prosecutor's office, has been targeted for nearly three years by Black Lives Matter protesters, who have held weekly demonstrations outside her office calling for her ouster.

David, 66, was caught on video yelling at Black Lives Matter protesters and training his gun on them. Lacey's campaign issued a statement saying her husband thought they were in danger

Melina Abdullah, professor of pan-African studies at Cal State LA and a Black Lives Matter organizer, said she was one of the people who was threatened by David Lacey

The protests were once small, but have numbered in the hundreds and thousands after the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.

Protesters claim she has failed to hold law enforcement accountable in fatal shootings. She has charged one officer in a fatal on-duty killing, but has declined to file charges in more than 340 other fatal shootings.

Melina Abdullah, who is the victim named in count one of the criminal complaint, declined to comment but said she would hold a news conference Wednesday afternoon before Black Lives Matter's weekly 'Jackie Lacey Must Go' protest outside the Hall of Justice.

Lacey faces a runoff in November for her third term. She is being challenged by former San Francisco District Attorney George Gascon, a longtime police officer and former chief who vows to reform the office.

David Lacey, who is also Black, was an investigative auditor with the DAs office until his 2016 retirement. He was seen in viral video shot by protesters telling them: 'I will shoot you. Get off of my porch.'

Abdullah, professor of pan-African studies at Cal State LA, told KTTV the protesters rang Lacey's doorbell before dawn on March 2 to meet with her.

'Her husband met us at the door with a gun,' Abdullah told KTTV. 'We heard him cock it, he pointed the gun as he opened the door and then when he saw me, he pointed the gun directly at my chest.'

In the video, a woman off-camera says: 'Good morning. Are you going to shoot me?'

The man, identified as David Lacey, says: 'I will shoot you. Get off of my porch.'

The woman responds: 'Can you tell Jackie Lacey that we're here?'

DA Lacey has been targeted for nearly three years by Black Lives Matter protesters, who have held weekly demonstrations outside her office calling for her ouster

In a CNN interview last month, Lacey said protesters crossed a line when they showed up on her doorstep

The man says: 'I don't care who you are, get off of my porch right now. We're calling the police right now.'

Lacey addressed the gun incident during a news conference hours later, saying she and David were awakened by the couple dozen protesters picketing their home before dawn.

She said her husband was afraid for their safety and is 'profoundly sorry' for his response to the presence of protesters.

'Our home is our sanctuary,' she said. 'I do not believe it is fair or right for protesters to show up at the homes of people who dedicate their lives to public service.

DA Lacey has been married to husband David for 30 years. He is a retired investigative auditor for the district attorney's bureau of investigation. The couple are pictured above at a reception in 2015 with LA Mayor Eric Garcetti and his wife

In the CNN interview in mid-July, Lacey described the weekly protests against her as 'surreal.'

'They're treating me like "the man,"' she said of the protesters. 'But if they only knew that I'm the girl from the neighborhood.'

David Lacey's attorney issued a statement saying they were disappointed that he was charged with a crime, but they wouldn't discuss the facts at this time.

'We disagree entirely with their assessment, but we have the utmost faith in the justice system, and we are confident that the correct result will be reached,' attorney Samuel Tyre said. 'My client's human instinct is forever and always to protect his wife and his family and to keep them safe from physical harm.'
R oss Kemp has thanked the fantastic NHS for treating him after he suffered a horrendous wasp attack.

The 56-year-old, who is no stranger to exploring some of the worlds deadliest territories in this documentary series, faced danger on a more familiar turf when he approached a wasp nest while opening up a loft space  resulting in multiple angry stings.

Posting his injuries to Twitter, Kemp was in fairly good humour about the stings, joking he looked like Mike Jagger as his swollen lip protruded.

Thats what happens when we get stung by three or four wasps in the nasal and lip area, the former EastEnders star told his 208,000 followers. Be careful of those critters!

The star showed off his swollen face after wasp stings / @RossKemp

After receiving treatment at hospital, Kemp thanked the doctor and the NHS for treating the stings.

I still look like a massive Botox victim, he said in a later video, where his swollen features had calmed somewhat. But that goes to show what happens when you mess with nature.

Im very lucky they only stung me around my nose, in my nose and my top lip  it could have been far worse.

But thank you very much again, you lovely, lovely NHS.

One of Kemps most recent documentaries has observed the hard work of the NHS during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

Celebrities reacting to coronavirus - In pictures 1 /34 Celebrities reacting to coronavirus - In pictures Gigi Hadid with boyfriend Zayn Malik and sister Bella during her quarantined 25th birthday celebration Instagram / @gigihadid Joe Jonas and Sophia Turner have turned their isolation boredom into hilarious TikTok content TikTok Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Gigi Hadid celebrated her 25th birthday with family while in quarantine Instagram / @gigihadid Chrissy Teigen and John Legend have been able to enjoy time with their kids Instagram / @chrissyteigen Katy Perry recorded herself for American Idol in a life sized hand sanitizer bottle Instagram / @katyperry Tom Hanks and Rita Wilson were the first celebrities to have a confirmed case and kept us updated on their recovery journey on Twitter and Instagram Instagram / @tomhanks Demi Moore and Bruce Willis in matching pajamas with their daughter and her boyfriend Instagram / @buuski Kaia Gerber adopted a puppy to keep her company Instagram / @kaiagerber Helena Christensen has been having her son take glam Instagram photos for her Instagram Brooklyn Beckham in quarantine with his girlfriend Nicola Peltz Instagram Matthew McConaughey played virtual bingo with seniors The Enclave at Round Rock Senior Living/Facebook Kim Kardashian on a flight wearing a face mask and gloves @kimkardashian Naomi Campbell preparing for a flight @naomi Gwyneth Paltrow wearing a facemask during a plane ride @gwynethpaltrow Bella Hadid wearing a face mask on a plane @bellahadid Sophie Turner and Joe Jonas @sophiet Sebastian Stan on a plane in protective gear @sebastianstan Naomi Campbell preparing for a flight @naomi Nicole Scherzinger with Thom Evans @nicolescherzinger Idris Elba announced on Twitter that he had tested positive for coronavirus @idriselba Robbie Williams greets fans with elbow bumps Getty Images Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Kylie Jenner and best friend Stassie have been very active on TikTok TikTok Joe Jonas and Sophia Turner have turned their isolation boredom into hilarious TikTok content TikTok Katy Perry has taken to dressing up in outlandish costumes Instagram / @katyperry

In On the NHS Frontline, the star observed the intensive care unit of the Milton Keynes University Hospital to show first-hand how NHS staff are coping with the fight against Covid-19.

However, the documentary faced criticism before it even aired over fears that Kemps presence being intrusive and unnecessary  something Kemp himself has responded to.

The criticism happened before it went out. It was like they didnt even judge the book by the cover, they hadnt even seen the cover and they judged, he told the Radio Times.

I think its a very important story to tell and the NHS wanted us to go in there, I didnt suddenly rock up and go, I want to go into the ICU with a camera."
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Linkedin Paul Handley (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Tue, August 4, 2020 09:22 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b6467d 2 World Donald-Trump,TikTok,sell-off,US-companies Free

US President Donald Trump gave popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok six weeks to sell its US operations to an American company, saying Monday it would be "out of business" otherwise, and that the government wanted a financial benefit from the deal.

"It's got to be an American company... it's got to be owned here," Trump said. "We don't want to have any problem with security."

Trump said that Microsoft was in talks to buy TikTok, which has as many as one billion worldwide users who make quirky 60-second videos with its smartphone app.

But US officials say the app constitutes a national security risk because it could share millions of Americans' personal data with Chinese intelligence.

Trump gave the company's Chinese parent ByteDance until mid-September to strike a deal.

"I set a date of around September 15, at which point it's going to be out of business in the United States," he said.

Whatever the price is, he said, "the United States should get a very large percentage of that price because we're making it possible."

Trump compared the demand for a piece of the pie to a landlord demanding under-the-table "key money" from a new tenant, a practice widely illegal including in New York, where the billionaire president built his real estate empire.

"TikTok is a big success, but a big portion of it is in the country," he said. "I think it's very fair."

But Trump also threw a surprise new condition in any deal, saying the sale of TikTok's US business would have to result in a significant payout to the US Treasury for initiating it.

"A very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States, because we're making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump told reporters.

"They don't have any rights unless we give it to them," he said.

Sell or shut down

The pressure for a sale of TikTok's US and international business, based in Los Angeles, left the company and ByteDance facing tough decisions.

Trump has made TikTok the latest front in the ongoing political and trade battles between Washington and Beijing.

The app has been under formal investigation on US national security grounds because it collects large amounts of personal data on all its users and is legally bound to share that with authorities in Beijing if they demand it.

Both its huge user base and its algorithm for collecting data make it hugely valuable.

But being forced by the US government to sell at least its US business or be shut down -- and to then split the sale price with the US Treasury as Trump is demanding -- was an almost unheard-of tactic.

Shutting down could force users to switch to competitors, and many content creators are already encouraging followers to follow them on other social media platforms.

"The most obvious beneficiaries are Snapchat, Facebook and Twitter, with Snapchat likely being the biggest beneficiary," said investment analysts at Lightshed Partners.

Earlier Monday, ByteDance founder Zhang Yiming acknowledged the hefty pressure and said in a letter to staff, reported by Chinese media, that they were working around-the-clock "for the best outcome."

"We have always been committed to ensuring user data security, as well as the platform neutrality and transparency," Zhang said.

However, he said, the company faces "mounting complexities across the geopolitical landscape and significant external pressure."

He said the company must confront the challenge from the United States, though "without giving up exploring any possibilities."

According to Britain's The Sun newspaper Monday, as a possible consequence of the pressure, ByteDance is planning to relocate TikTok's global operations to Britain.

Pushing back

China's foreign ministry pushed back Monday, calling Washington hypocritical for demanding TikTok be sold.

"The US is using an abused concept of national security and, without providing any evidence, is making presumptions of guilt and issuing threats to relevant companies," said spokesman Wang Wenbin.

"This goes against the principle of market economy and exposes the hypocrisy and typical double standards of the US in upholding so-called fairness and freedom," he added.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. The National Security Service of Armenia is checking the information about government server penetration attack, ARMENPRESS reports spokesperson of the Prime Minister of Armenia Mane Gevorgyan wrote on her Facebook page, responding to the information spread in social networks about Azerbaijani cyber attacks.

''During the works done by the NSS Armenia it became clear that a screenshot circulated in the social media is a screenshot of the working process of the Government server operating system. But this does not mean that 55 terabytes of information has been acquired by someone. The NSS continues to work to find out the origin of the mentioned screenshot and checking the information on the penetration of state servers', Gevorgyan wrote.

Earlier cyber security specialist Samvel Martirosyan announced that Azerbaijani hackers have penetrated into government servers, getting access to 55 terabytes of information.

Editing and translating by Tigran Sirekanyan
DUP MP Sammy Wilson has claimed there is not significant proof face masks protect people from Covid-19.

Mr Wilson was speaking on BBC Radio Ulsters Talkback programme after he was heavily criticised - and sparked a split in his party - for a tweet last week in which he referred to masks as muzzles.

The East Antrim MP said that conflicting information had been put out around the wearing of masks.

A scientist, also appearing on the programme, however, said there had been studies extolling the benefits of wearing masks in preventing the virus spread.

Mr Wilson said there were other peer-reviewed reports that contradicted that and experts couldnt make up their minds whether masks were effective or not.

Read More

Mr Wilson expressed concern that masks could cause people to abandon their local shops and turn to online retailers.

He said the DUPs view was that the wearing of masks should be voluntary but that there were differing opinions around the Executive table.

The Executive is urging the public to wear face masks in shops, but it is not mandatory. Health Minister Robin Swann has indicated he wants enforcement brought forward. Something deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill has supported.

Read More

Asked if he would wear one should they become mandatory Mr Wilson replied that he thought it would be a bad law, but that he would never break the law.

Mr Wilson said actions showed the majority of people in Northern Ireland were not convinced the wearing of face coverings should be mandatory.

A petition set up against the mandatory wearing of masks in Northern Ireland has attracted over 500 signatures.

Mr Wilson also questioned how the law would be policed.

The DUP MP said that people in his constituency had fears they would lose their jobs and had mental health problems as a result of being locked up.

Youve got to say, look, wider considerations than simply weve got to at all costs defeat this virus, he said.

I dont know if it can be defeated or not, we havent been able to defeat the flu virus.

Weve got to learn to live with it and that means weve got to take risks.

The quality of life is as much important as the quantity of life and if in my grannys last months on earth she is deprived of seeing her grandchildren and her children and everything else are the restrictions weve put in place worthwhile?

Read More

Mr Wilson said a price had already been put on lives in relation to coronavirus.

Ive had constituents who have had operations stopped, some of them life-saving operations because a decision has been made it is important to save the lives of those who have contracted coronavirus than those who have cancer, he said.

How far do we go in pursuing one particular aspect of health policy at the expense of other people who are suffering from other diseases?

What do we do in relation to the wider and longer term aspects of health? If we destroy the economy, put people out of jobs, have them anxious, have them depressed and everything else.

In enforcing face coverings do we send out a message that increases anxiety in those who think if youve got to wear a face covering it must be dangerous to go outside the door and therefore Im going to have to stay locked in.

What does that do to our high streets, what does that to driving people to shopping online, what does that do to getting people back into work?

All those things are equally important impacts and all Im saying is we need to have a debate on all of that.
If you're out of work and struggling, fearful that Congress won't come up with more help for you and millions of other Americans during the pandemic, then you're probably worried about where your next few meals will come from  not whether you can deduct the full cost of them from your income taxes.

And yet, there it is: In the Republican version of the next big relief package, a proposal to raise from 50% to 100% the deduction for business meals at restaurants. Sen. Tim Scott, Republican of South Carolina, added the proposal to get more executives into restaurants for Mad Men meals in the second half of the year.

Nice idea, even somewhat logical  assuming restaurants are open in the second half of the year  and you could almost support it if Senate Republicans were willing to extend emergency food stamps and unemployment relief for hundreds of thousands of families.

But they're not. In fact, they propose just the opposite.

I hate to sound so dreary about Republicans, but you almost get the impression that they care more about subsidizing the wealthy than making sure families with little or no income, through no fault of their own, get to eat.
Joe Biden said Monday that Donald Trump issued 'bald-faced lies' about voting by mail, claiming the president will do everything in his power to 'argue this election is fraudulent.'

The presumed Democratic nominee's comments came after Trump suggested last week that the November elections be delayed to prevent an increased possibility of fraud by mass mail-in voting.

'He suggested we should postpone the election, full of just bald-faced lies about how mail-in votes were fraud, and how it was so terrible,' Biden said during a virtual campaign fundraiser Monday.

'Well look, he's calling out any effort to exploit this pandemic for political purposes,' the former vice president continued. 'It distracts from his complete failure.'

Trump has railed against issues with recent elections regarding mail-in voting, including proven instances of people fraudulently filling out ballots and delays in primary and other elections due to United States Postal Service delays.

The House Oversight and Reform Committee requested Monday that Postmaster General Louis DeJoy appear at an upcoming hearing on how delivery delays could affect mail-in voting.

Joe Biden said during a fundraiser Monday that Donald Trump is spewing 'bald-faced lies' regarding mail-in voting in order to 'argue this election is fraudulent'

The comments came after Trump tweeted Thursday that the election be delayed in order to avoid potential fraud with mass mail-in voting

The House Oversight and Reform Committee also requested Trump's Postmaster General Louis DeJoy testify at a hearing on how delivery delays could affect mail-in voting

Biden's remarks against Trump, who trails the presumptive Democratic nominee in most polls, came after the president tweeted on Thursday that he would not trust the results of an election that included widespread remote or mail-in voting.

'With Universal Mail-In Voting (not Absentee Voting, which is good), 2020 will be the most INACCURATE & FRAUDULENT Election in history,' Trump asserted in a July 30 tweet. 'It will be a great embarrassment to the USA.'

He demanded: 'Delay the Election until people can properly, securely and safely vote???'

Most observe mail-in ballot measures as a critical process during the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, of which there have been more than 4.7 million cases in the U.S. and more than 155,000 left dead after contracting the virus.

Trump then suggested the November 3 vote could be postponed, an idea immediately rejected by Democrats and his Republican allies on Capitol Hill.

Congress is the sole branch of government with the authority to make such a change as delaying the presidential election.

Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said the president was 'rightfully calling attention to the clear fact' that universal mail-in voting creates 'nightmare election scenarios'.

'Joe Biden and the radical left are fearmongering as they capitalize on the coronavirus crisis in an effort to scare voters into staying home on Election Day,' Murtaugh said.

Without evidence, Trump has repeatedly claimed increased mail voting would be rife with fraud, remarks that have deepened Democrats' fears that he will refuse to accept the election outcome should he lose.

An Axios-Ipsos Coronavirus Index poll released Tuesday, however, details that 52 per cent of American adults feel that in-person voting is risky.

Democrats are also more than two times as likely to view venturing to vote in-person as a risk than Republicans.

A new poll shows that 52 per cent of Americans adults feel that voting in-person is a large or moderate risk  with Democrats more than twice as likely to view the typical voting medium as a risk than Republicans

While 64 per cent of Democrats view the typical voting structure as a moderate or large risk, only 29 per cent of Republicans feel the same way.

It is not clear if DeJoy will appear before Congress to answer questions about the changes at USPS and how that could affect the handling of mass amounts of mail-in ballots.

In a July 22 letter, Thomas Marshall, the USPS general counsel and executive vice president said documents cited in the lawmakers' letter requesting DeJoy's appearance were not 'official Postal Service memoranda' and did not come from the service's headquarters.

'[USPS is] committed to delivering Election Mail in a timely manner,' the response assured, adding it is coordinating with state and local leaders ahead of the election.

Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney announced they are requesting DeJoy's testimony on September 17.

'The Committee on Oversight and Reform requests your testimony at a hearing to examine recent changes to U.S. Postal Service (USPS) operations and standards and the need for on-time mail delivery during the ongoing pandemic and upcoming election, which as you know may be held largely by mail-in ballot,' Maloney wrote in the letter, adding the hearing is to 'examine operation changes to the U.S. Postal Service.'
Ryanair has launched a High Court action aimed at setting aside what it claims are International travel restrictions announced by the Government earlier this month.

Ryanair claims that the 'restrictions', arising out of the Covid19 pandemic, are unlawful, amount to a disproportionate interference of individual's rights and are detrimental to its business.

In its action Ryanair is challenging measures, announced on July 21st last, including that persons not travel outside the Island of Ireland, save for essential purposes, and that everyone holiday at home in 2020.

It is also challenging what it says are requirement for persons returning to the state from countries not on a designated green list to restrict their movement and self-isolate for a period of 14 days.

Ryanairs claim the measures are mandatory in nature and have the same effect as regulations it says should have, but were not voted on or approved by the houses of the Oireachtais.

As a result the airlines says the restrictions are unconstitutional and in breach of the 1970 and 2020 Health Acts, the European Convention of Human Rights and the European Charter of Fundamental Rights.

Ryanair's action is against An Taoiseach, Ireland and the Attorney General. Aer Lingus Ltd is a notice party to the action.

In correspondence opened to the court the state strongly denies the measures challenged, which it says are advisory and not mandatory in nature, are unlawful.

It also said there is no basis for a legal challenge against the measures.

It said its Covid-19 travel advisory notice in relation to non essential travel are necessary, proportionate and transparent measures designed to deal with the global health emergency.

It said that the green list of countries will be reviewed on a fortnightly basis based on advice from public health officials.

The airline represented by Martin Hayden SC and Eoin O'Shea Bl, say that the measures are more than just advice from the government regarding travel to and from Ireland.

Mr Hayden agreed with Mr Justice Charles Meenan that its case is essentially that the government has introduced what are effectively "mandatory" regulations "under the cloak of advices."

The 'restrictions' represent law making by the executive which ought to have been made law by the Oireachtais, counsel said.

Without going through the proper processes the measures lack the proper checks and balances counsel added.

Mr Hayden said the 'restrictions' have a real effect on people including persons ability to go back to work after returning to Ireland from a country that is not on the "green list of nations" without going into a 14 day self-isolation.

There were also insurance implications, counsel added. Counsel added that the government's restrictions have raised serious questions for the entire airline industry in Ireland.

As well as seeking orders setting aside the measures Ryanair also seeks various declarations

These include a declaration that by announcing the restrictions the Government has unlawfully encroached on the legislative prerogatives of the Oireachtais and has breached articles 6, 40 and 15.2 of the Irish Constitution.

It further seeks declarations that the outside the powers and breach laws and articles of legislation including the 1970 Health Act, the 2020 Health Act (Emergency Powers) the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, and the ECHR.

After consider the application Mr Justice Meenan said Ryanair had raised important issues and directed that the application for leave be made in the presence of lawyers for the State respondents.

The application was brought on an ex-parte basis, with only one party present in court.

The judge said that given the urgency of the case it may be possible to have 'a telescoped hearing,' where both the application for leave and the challenge itself are heard at the same time.

The matter will return before the court in mid August.
Even as many public schools stay closed thanks to concerns about the novel coronavirus, the 31 Catholic schools in the Diocese of Baton Rouge are busy reopening not just for part of the week, but for daily instruction.

It would be so easy to let this pass and say, The (vaccine) is coming and well just wait," Superintendent Melanie Palmisano said in a 14-minute recorded interview last week. That child will have lost an important year of their life and their educational development and formation.

Why are Catholic schools in Baton Rouge reopening in August? Melanie Palmisano explains The leader of Catholic schools in Baton Rouge on Thursday made a forceful argument for parochial schools reopening next month and offering at 

Holy Ghost School in Hammond is first, opening Wednesday. Cristo Rey Franciscan Baton Rouge High School is opening Aug. 17. Thursday is the busiest day, with 13 schools reopening. The diocese oversees schools in eight civil parishes.

All schools, including Catholic schools, were forced to close in mid-March when the coronavirus first hit Louisiana. The hope was that after the virus subsided all schools could safely reopen for the 2020-21 school year.

The virus, however, has returned to Louisiana in force. Public schools across Baton Rouge and New Orleans shelved plans to reopen in-person and are planning virtual-only instruction until after Labor Day. Many other public schools in the state are reopening their buildings for students, but only partially, with kids receiving in-person instruction just two or three days of the week initially.

+18 Will they or won't they? Louisiana teachers deciding whether to work in reopened schools After the East Baton Rouge Parish school system announced on July 16 that it would reopen schools with at least some face-to-face instruction,

Catholic schools are emerging among the most committed to returning to daily instruction, despite the risks.

In her interview, Palmisano said diocesan school principals began meeting in late May and early June to plan for the 2020-21 school year and there was an immediate consensus.

They all felt like if it wasnt illegal, we were going back to school, she said.

Cindy Ryals, principal of St. Alphonsus Elementary in Central, said she feels that way as well.

Relationships are a huge part of learning. Having face-to-face (instruction) is a huge part of that, even if that face has a mask on it for a while, Ryals said.

To make this work, Catholic schools in the diocese are doing things all schools in Louisiana are doing: social distancing, regular cleaning, required mask wearing by all but the youngest children.

Reopening rules of Louisiana public schools: BESE votes in face mask, social distancing policies Backed by medical experts and education groups, Louisiana's top school board Tuesday approved minimum safety standards for the reopening of pu

In developing these plans, the diocese relied on several reopening guides, including one developed by Loyola University in Chicago. Also, all diocesan schools were visited by pediatricians from Our Lady of the Lake Regional Medical Center.

At the same time, by design, plans and safety protocols vary by Catholic school, or as Palmisano says, one size fits none.

For instance, Ryals and her staff at St. Alphonsus are checking the temperatures of children and adults. They are also having parents complete daily paper forms with health questions about their child.

St. Michael The Archangel High School in Baton Rouge is not doing temperature checks. It is having the parents do home health screens, but has created a digital app for that purpose.

St. Michaels calls not only for mask-wearing at school, but also, in some cases, in the car to school. About 40 percent of the students drive themselves to school and many ferry their fellow students with them, said Principal Ellen Lee.

Vaccine news in your inbox Once a week we'll update you on the progress of COVID-19 vaccinations. Sign up today. e-mail address * Sign Up

Were asking if you are riding in a car with someone who is not in your household, you begin to wear a mask when you enter your car, Lee said.

Both schools are using every classroom space on her campus to comply with the current social distancing requirements for schools.

We think we can do it, and we can do it safely, Lee said. Of course, there are no guarantees.

Palmisano is urging parents to trust that the school is taking the necessary precautions and that educators will figure out how to make sure students do their part as well.

We have to trust that (students) will be washing hands, they will be distanced, they will have face masks on, and they will learn and be happy to be back in school, Palmisano said.

How do Baton Rouge school parents feel about avoiding daily in-person classes in August? The announcement this weekend that East Baton Rouge Parish schools will not reopen in August with daily face-to-face instruction is being met 

Heather Stefan, whose two sons attend different Catholic schools in Baton Rouge, is not ready yet to give her trust.

She said shes terrified and thinks the Catholic schools should follow the lead of some public schools and wait longer to reopen, until the virus subsides. And shes been less than happy with what she sees as the insufficient precautions her sons' schools are taking. Stefan acknowledged that many of her fellow parents arent so worried and are happy to get their kids out of the house.

Im willing to send (my children) back. They want to go back, Stefan said. But without the right assurance or transparency, I know it makes parents nervous. I cannot be the only one.

Stefan said shes particularly worried her sons will catch the virus at school and pass it along to her parents, who both have health issues. By staying home, theyve been able to limit their parents exposure but no longer.

Weve already discussed that when the kids come back to school, we are going to have to wear masks around them, she said.

While some public schools are allowing many of their students to stay home even as their classmates come to school each day, Catholic schools locally will offer online learning at home only on a case-by-case basis.

We are offering it only in the case where a student has been quarantined and where someone has been diagnosed as COVID positive, said Ryals.

At St. Michaels, the online program will also be open to students who might have underlying health conditions, who dont want to go back to school, Lee said.

At the same time, diocesan schools are working avidly to prepare for the possibility of a shutdown like this past spring and a forced return to online-only instruction.

We had almost 600 teachers complete advanced preparation in how to teach effectively online, Palmisano said.

The diocese has been working with the New Jersey-based tech consulting firm Eduscap to offer even better training for these already master teachers.

They did a great job March through May, but now they are going to do a fantastic job, Palmisano said.
By Trend

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev met with members of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva also attended the meeting.

The meeting participants noted the importance of various projects carried out at the instruction of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to solve the problems of those Azerbaijani citizens who became internally displaced persons.

The community members stressed that they always feel the care of the state, and on behalf of the internally displaced persons, expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev.

The meeting focused on the activities of the Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region aimed at exposing the aggressive policy of Armenia at all international platforms and conducting proactive diplomacy in accordance with the instructions and recommendations of the president.

The meeting participants also discussed issues related to further strengthening of such activities. It was particularly stressed that the main objective of the policy pursued by Azerbaijans leadership is the restoration of the territorial integrity in a short time and the return of the Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their homeland.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
A college student was raped at the Easton home of a friend she knew from school, according to Easton police.

Augusto Giovanny Sanchez Vargas is charged with raping the 19-year-old as she slept on Feb. 16 around 4:30 a.m. in his home in the 800 block of Lehigh Street.

Police said Sanchez Vargas, 21, was at an Easton bar with the victim and her friend the day before the incident. Sanchez Vargas and the two women went back to his apartment, where the friend fell asleep and the other two drank alcohol and smoked marijuana, police said.

At 4 a.m. the victim got into bed fully clothed, police said. She shared the bed with her female friend, police said. Police said she permitted Sanchez Vargas to get into the bed with them since it was a large bed but she warned him I have a girlfriend.

Police said she awoke to find her pants pulled down and Sanchez Vargas raping her.

When police questioned Sanchez Vargas on the day of the incident, he said There might be a misunderstanding. He said he rubbed up against her but denied raping her.

Police confirmed the victim is a local college student but did not say what college she attends.

Sanchez Vargas is charged with rape, sexual assault and two counts each of aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault.

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Rudy Miller may be reached at rmiller@lehighvalleylive.com. If theres anything about this story that needs attention, please email him. Follow him on Twitter @RudyMillerLV. Find Easton area news on Facebook.
Huang Yu (R) teaches a student how to play bamboo flute at her training studio on July 23, 2020. [Xinhua/Xu Yu]

Huang Yu grew up in a family of flute players in Zijing Village, Zhongtai Sub-district, Hangzhou City, East China's Zhejiang Province, and she began to learn flute playing at the age of 7.

After graduating from the Music School of Hangzhou Normal University in 2015, Huang assisted her father, Huang Weidong, to establish a professional bamboo flute company and a training studio, organizing cultural activities and expanding the targeted consumers as well as the marketing channel online.

The Zhongtai Sub-district is famous for its bamboo flute industry. There are more than 160 flute production and accessory processing studios in the area, achieving an annual output of about three million flutes.

The local government and related authorities have encouraged young talents to join the industry and promote traditional bamboo flute manufacturing, sales and marketing through their technical knowledge and professionalism, in a bid to boost rural revitalization as well as the spread and inheritance of the culture.

Huang Yu (R) tunes a semi-finished bamboo flute under the guidance of her father Huang Weidong on July 23, 2020. [Xinhua/Xu Yu]

(Source: Xinhua/Translated and edited by Women of China)
A new study identified a new large source of coronavirus. Researchers claimed that jails could spread viral disease across nearby communities. According to CNN's latest report, experts said on Monday, Aug. 3, that jails can spread the novel coronavirus inside the facility, as well as the surrounding communities, which could lead to an increasing number of infected cases.

pic.twitter.com/VIzckT2YPl I signed an executive order today to prevent the spread of coronavirus in L.A. Countys jails. You can read more here: https://t.co/KKNjOY0aZp  Supervisor Kathryn Barger (@kathrynbarger) March 24, 2020

The journal Health Affairs reported that the prisoners going in and out of Chicago's Cook County Jail seemed to have carried the viral disease. The United States officials identified many prisons as coronavirus hotspots since the ongoing global pandemic has struck the inmates across the country.

Also Read: LOOK: 1918 Image is Now Viral on Reddit, Showing Spanish Flu Era Football Audience Wearing Face Mask

Several jail facilities have transferred other prisoners, while others have released certain qualified inmates, to decrease the accommodated populations. On the other hand, data suggests that more 4,700 coronavirus cases through Apr. 19, in Illinois, were linked with 2,129 individuals who are going in and out of the Cook County Jail in March. For more studies about how COVID-19 spread, check the latest updates here at TechTimes. Also, check the lists of 7 Ineffective hand sanitizers, according to FDA.

Also Read: COVID-19: FDA Lists 7 Ineffective Hand Sanitizers with Troubling Low Potent Alcohol Content

The researchers from Center National de la Recherche Scientifique in Paris and Harvard University's Department of Anthropology said that 15.7% of all the documented infections in the state and 15.9% in Chicago might be connected with the jail. They also said that before being surpassed by an Ohia state prison, the Cook County Jail was the most massive known viral disease transmission source.

"Existing conditions in jails and penitentiaries make infection control particularly difficult, putting inmates at unconscionable and perhaps unconstitutional risk," further explained the researchers.

How the researchers came up with the study

The researchers linked the relationship between the coronavirus case rates, and five variables, including the proportion of Black residents, jail inmates released in Mar., public transit utilization rate, population density, and poverty rate. The study revealed that all five variables of the whole state were positively connected with COVID-19.



The findings also showed that people in Chicago are using public transit more. They are poorer, have higher population density, and a higher proportion of Black residents than the rest of the state. "The criminal justice system in the United States is just one among many existing social structures that are being subjected to renewed scrutiny during the COVID-19 pandemic because of the public health hazards they pose," said the researchers.



They explained that the COVID-19 pandemic provided the reality of an unprecedented collective realization of national and global interconnectedness.

Also Read: COVID-19: Riding a Train? Here's the Safest Spot and Distance From Other Passengers, According to Science

This article is owned by TechTimes,

Written by: Giuliano de Leon.

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Nevadas legislature recently voted to join six other states who send the ballots to every voter ahead of election day.

President Donald Trump has threatened to sue Nevada after Democratic politicians passed a bill that would send mail-in ballots to every voter ahead of Novembers presidential election in light of the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump, who has claimed without evidence that voting by mail will lead to rampant fraud, wrote on Twitter on Monday that the legislation approved on Sunday was an illegal late night coup.

Using Covid to steal the state, he added. See you in Court!

In an illegal late night coup, Nevadas clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court! https://t.co/cNSPINgCY7  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 3, 2020

If Democratic Governor Steve Sisolak signs the bill as expected, Nevada would become the seventh state to send ballots to all registered voters for the November 3 election.

Utah, Colorado, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington already conduct their elections entirely by mail, while California and Vermont have decided to do so this year due to the pandemic.

The continuing public health crisis has prompted litigation in dozens of states between Democrats and Republicans over issues like absentee ballots, postmark deadlines and signature requirements.

Coronavirus precaution

Most states have sought to expand mail-in voting to avoid spreading the coronavirus at polling places on election day.





Nevada mailed ballots to all voters ahead of its primary election in June and encouraged residents not to risk in-person voting. Most of the states polling places were closed, leading to waits of as many as seven hours in Las Vegas and Reno.

Nevertheless, 1.6 percent of residents voted in-person during the states primary, a tiny share compared with the 34.2 percent in the state who voted in-person in the November 2018 election.

Nevada Secretary of State Barbara Cegavske told lawmakers last week that she was not aware of any fraud in the June primary.

Election experts say voter fraud of any kind, including incidents related to mail-in ballots, is rare.

Last week, Trump suggested delaying the election due to the likelihood of fraud, though he does not have the authority to do so.
Chinas state-run media has struck back in the war over TikTok, branding U.S. demands for the sale of the social media apps American operations to Microsoft Corp. as theft and suggesting Beijing may block the transaction.

The editorial, published late Monday by the China Daily newspaper, represented Beijings strongest defense yet of ByteDance Ltd. and its viral video app. China will by no means accept the theft of a Chinese technology company, and it has plenty of ways to respond if the administration carries out its planned smash and grab, it said.

President Donald Trump insisted several times on Monday that any sale of TikTok assets would include some form of payment to the U.S., and demanded that TikTok be sold to an American company by Sept. 15 or be shut down.

The war of words between Washington and Beijing has also spread into the boardroom. At the same time as his advisers are racing against the clock to strike a deal for its U.S. assets, ByteDances billionaire founder Zhang Yiming has penned his second letter to his employees in as many days, declaring Trumps real goal is not to save but to kill off TikTok.

Mortal Combat

ByteDance became the worlds largest startup thanks to the success abroad of TikTok, which American lawmakers accuse of posing a threat to national security because of its ability to vacuum up data. Trump has the power to cripple ByteDances prized asset by adding TikTok to the U.S. entity list, which would compel American companies such as Apple Inc. and Alphabet Inc.s Google to drop the service from their app stores.

While the China Daily acknowledged that selling the U.S. business might be preferable to ByteDance, the newspaper compared the process to officially sanctioned theft, a sentiment echoed in other prominent state media including the Communist Partys Global Times newspaper.

With competitiveness now dependent on the ability to collect and use data, it offers an either-or choice of submission or mortal combat in the tech realm, the China Daily said.

Beijing often uses the editorial page of the English-language China Daily to deliver messages to a Western audience.

The U.S. crackdown has split many in the industry: Some decry the betrayal of values like free speech and capitalism, while others advocate doing whatever it takes to subdue a geopolitical rival and its pivotal tech industry.

TikTok is already being used in a major disagreement between India and China. Apps from ByteDance and Tencent Holdings Ltd., are to be blacklisted by India in retaliation over a major military clash between the two countries. Tencents QQ -- Chinas second-largest social media platform -- and ByteDances Vigo Video will join TikTok and WeChat on a blacklist announced in June, according to a government document obtained by Bloomberg News.

While the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs has declined to comment on Microsofts TikTok talks, spokesman Wang Wenbin reiterated criticism Tuesday of what he said were Washingtons double standards and overreach.

If following the wrong example set by U.S., every country could use national security as an excuse to target American companies, Wang told a regular news briefing in Beijing. The U.S. should not to open a Pandoras box, otherwise it will swallow the bitter fruit itself.

Trump repeatedly insisted on Monday that any sale of TikToks U.S. operations would have to include a substantial payment to the U.S. That was open robbery, tweeted Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of the Global Times, a tabloid run by the partys Peoples Daily newspaper.

Its unclear what regulatory measures China could take. The Global Times wrote China has a limited ability to protect its companies since the U.S. still enjoys technological superiority.
Thirsty Lion Gastropub & Grill, will be offering craft beer flights from their Washington Square location in Tigard for the month of August. The "OBF Beer Flight" will feature six different Oregon beers from Maletis Beverage and $2 of every flight will go to support the Believe in Beer Craft Brewery Relief Fund. The OBF is Oregon's largest beer festival that would usually take place the last full weekend in July, but was canceled this year due to COVID-19.

More from a press release:



Thirsty Lion has partnered with longtime Portland beer distributor Maletis Beverage to create an OBF beer flight that includes Breakside Pilsner, Hefeweizen Wheat, Buoy IPA, Fort George City of Dreams Pale Ale, Ancestry Irish Red and Ninkasi Prismatic Juicy IPA. For every OBF flight purchased, $2 will be donated to the Believe in Beer Craft Brewery Relief Fund to support breweries and state brewers guilds impacted by COVID-19.



Since the Oregon Brewers Festival was canceled this year, we wanted to do something to help give back, said CEG Hospitality CEO John Plew. Like us, local breweries have been severely impacted by COVID-19. We felt that this was a great way to come together with Maletis Beverage and give back to our brewery partners.



In addition, locals are invited to join OBF founder Art Larrance, Thirsty Lion founder John Plew and Maletis Beverage president and owner Rob Maletis for a virtual meet and greet via Facebook Live on Saturday, August 22 from 4 to 5 p.m. at the Thirsty Lion at Washington Square. Log on to Facebook.com/OregonBrewFest, grab your favorite craft beverage and raise a pint to the year that didn't happen. Additionally, visit OregonBrewFest.shop to order OBF 2020 Canceled merchandise including souvenir T-shirts, sweatshirts and pint glasses.



About Thirsty Lion

The Thirsty Lion Gastropub and Grill franchise launched in Portland, Oregon, in 2006. It now has 10 locations in four different states, including Oregon, Arizona, Texas and Colorado. In 2018, Full Service Restaurant (FSR) Magazine named Thirsty Lion as one of the 12 Most Successful Emerging Restaurant Chains in the United States. ThirstyLionGastropub.com.



About Oregon Brewers Festival

Founded in Portland, Oregon, in 1988, the Oregon Brewers Festival is one of the nation's longest running and best loved craft beer festivals. Situated on the west bank of the Willamette River, with towering Mt. Hood as a backdrop, it is the ideal venue for anyone who loves craft beer and cider. More than 50,000 people annually travel from all parts of the world to drink up what the festival has to offer. The 2021 event will take place July 28 to July 31. OregonBrewFest.com.
The woman who has accused a Tory MP of rape believes he should be named, it emerged today.

The former Parliamentary researcher in her 20s reportedly wants the ex-minister identified, insisting it would not put her own anonymity at risk.

She has said she was 'devastated' when the Conservative chief whip Mark Spencer decided not to suspend the MP, who has been arrested and bailed by police.

Mr Spencer appeared to suggest yesterday that taking action against the politician could undermine the woman's anonymity. He said the allegations - which are denied by the MP - were being taken 'seriously' but it was for the police to investigate.

However, according to the Telegraph, the alleged victim told friends: 'His defence today that he can't name the MP because it would identify me is rubbish.

'I didn't work for this MP and in any case I have lifelong anonymity so there is no risk of me being ''outed'' in the press.'

Meanwhile, former Tory deputy chief whip Anne Milton has called for the MP to step aside from the party voluntarily while the police probe takes place, insisting it should not be seen as an admission of guilt.

The accuser has raised her allegations with Conservative chief whip Mark Spencer (pictured today) in April but claims he did not take any action or encourage her to contact police

The woman raised her allegations with Mr Spencer in April but claims he did not take any action or encourage her to contact police.

She told ITV News: 'I felt like he did not take me seriously or recognise the severity of what had happened.'

It is understood Mr Spencer does not believe that a sexual assault was reported to him in their conversation, but acknowledges that she told him of abusive behaviour and threats while the pair were in a relationship. He suggested that she take her allegations to the appropriate authority.

The alleged victim, who also cannot be named, said senior ministers 'seem to care more about protecting the MP and the party than protecting victims and other women'.

The woman said: 'I feel like the chief whip has never taken my allegations seriously or even cared. Since the news of the arrest the chief whip  or anyone from the party  has not contacted me at all, not to...offer support or anything.'

Mr Spencer yesterday insisted that the allegations against the MP are being taken 'very seriously' as the party came under increasing pressure over its decision not to withdraw the whip.

Boris Johnson was accused of 'reneging' on his promise to take sexual harassment complaints seriously.

Mrs Milton, who left Parliament last year, urged the MP to act voluntarily. She said: 'Giving up the whip is a serious step. It would provide an appropriate way forward and should not be considered an admission of guilt.'

Mrs Milton told The Times: 'In any other profession it wouldn't happen that a person suspected of a crime would be carrying on as normal.'

Claire Waxman, the victims' commissioner for London, quoted the Prime Minister.

She said: ''Women must have the confidence that crimes, domestic violence and sexual abuse, are treated seriously' said Boris Johnson last year.

'However, not suspending an MP accused of rape while investigations are ongoing conveys a different message.'

MPs have previously chosen to suspend themselves after being accused of wrongdoing.

Conservative Nigel Evans gave up the whip and the deputy speaker role in 2013 as he faced allegations of sexual assault.

Claire Waxman, the victims' commissioner for London (left), said not suspending the MP sends the wrong message, while former deputy chief whip Anne Milton (right) urged the senior Tory MP accused of rape to give up the whip voluntarily

He was later cleared and recently became deputy speaker again. Amy Leversidge, of the FDA civil service union, said: 'If this scenario occurred in any other workplace it would be quite reasonable and proportionate for the employer to suspend the individual to allow an investigation to take place.

'At this stage, it isn't about guilt or innocence but rather a duty of care to everyone involved.'

Tory MP Caroline Nokes, chairman of the Women and Equalities Committee, called for reform of the system for making complaints against MPs.

She said: 'There needs to be a simple, well-publicised and known process for this sort of incident to be reported.

'It should not be reliant on a young (because many staff in Westminster are young) man or woman having to make their way to the chief whip, who can be a very daunting figure, or to the Leader of the House  whose very job title makes them sound remote from most people's experiences.

'I have long thought there needs to be a system whereby staff are directly employed by IPSA [Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority], giving them a direct route to complain to their employer who is then not the MP.

'In any large organisation there needs to be a transparent process whereby a complaint can easily be made and, whilst Parliament has made progress, I am far from convinced we yet have a system that is fit for 2020.'

One senior female Tory MP said: 'Of course, the MP should be suspended if there's no way of identifying the victim.'

Labour said it sent a 'terrible message' that senior figures were able to secure 'protection' through their Westminster status.

Yesterday Mr Spencer said the police must carry out their investigation before 'we can assess where we're at'.

He stressed: 'I think it is down to the police to do that thorough investigation, not for the whips office to investigate this alleged crime.'

On Friday police received allegations relating to four incidents in London. They said a man was arrested on Saturday on suspicion of rape.

He has been bailed until mid-August. The MP is accused of coercing the woman into sex while they were in a relationship.
It accused ministers of failing to investigate if Moscow meddled in referendum

Furthermore, he claimed that Russia was itself under siege from cyber attacks

Vladimir Putins man in London has warned relations between Westminster and Moscow are close to being frozen  with Russia in no hurry to ease tensions.

In his first major newspaper interview since his appointment last year, Mr Putins ambassador Andrei Kelin denied claims that his nation had interfered in British politics.

Brushing off accusations that the Kremlin has waged a campaign of hacking and meddling, Mr Kelin said: I feel that Britain exaggerates, very much, its place in Russian thinking.

He denied Moscow had leaked sensitive documents by hacking Liam Foxs emails, or attempted to steal British coronavirus vaccine research. He also denied that Russia had interfered in the Brexit referendum, and dismissed claims it fired a space weapon last month.

Boris baron: Evgeny Lebedev, the owner of the London Evening Standard newspaper and son of a former KGB agent, with pop star Rita Ora at The Theatre Royal in London in 2018

Russias political interference in Britain was described as the new normal in a report by Westminsters Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) last month, which warned that the Government had badly underestimated the Kremlin.

Mr Kelin accused the UK of throwing a lot of mud... in our direction, saying of the relationship between London and Moscow: I wouldnt say this is at zero, but it is close to being frozen.

In 2018, then prime minister Theresa May expelled 23 Russian diplomats after the nerve agent Novichok was used in an attempt to murder former spy Sergei Skripal. Mr Kelin said he hoped to improve his countrys relationship with Britain following the poisonings in Salisbury, but admitted this was not going smoothly.

Following the string of allegations levelled at his country, Mr Kelin said: This type of attitude does not provoke much of an appetite for improving dialogue or relations in Moscow. We are patient and we are not in a hurry.

He did, however, welcome Boris Johnsons peerage for Russian-born billionaire Evgeny Lebedev, saying: It might be a good thing... even the House of Lords and British parliament need to have a variety of views, alternative opinions.

The peerage for Mr Lebedev, the owner of the London Evening Standard newspaper and son of a former KGB agent, was announced days after the publication of the ISC report which said Russia had wooed Establishment figures  including members of the House of Lords.

Denials: Diplomat Andrei Kelin ahead of presenting his credentials to the Queen in February this year. He has accused the UK of throwing a lot of mud... in our direction

Mr Kelin played down the claims, saying: I feel that Britain exaggerates, very much, its place in Russian thinking. The scope and place of Great Britain in Russian politics is not that big. We have other problems of much larger magnitude.

Mr Kelin also dismissed the ISCs claims that Russian oligarchs used London as a laundromat for dirty money. Oligarchs mean rich people that can influence the president, he said. The last one [oligarch] was about 20 years ago... those wealthy people living here [in Britain], the bulk of these people simply escaped Russia because they were being pursued for tax evasion, fraud and other criminal activities.

All of them have left the country just to escape prosecution. If British authorities will decide to provide us information about these people or decide to be positive on our demands for extradition, we will only greet this, salute this.

The ISCs report was followed by further claims of meddling, with Russia accused of stealing trade documents by breaking into former Cabinet minister Liam Foxs emails.

Insiders said the hack bore the hallmarks of a state-backed operation  but Mr Kelin said: I have no idea about the incident. These accusations are invented, if not to say false. These are senseless accusations which we do not understand.

A handout photo issued by the Metropolitan Police showing Alexander Petrov and Ruslan Boshirov on CCTV on Fisherton Road, Salisbury, in March 2018

Mr Kelin also denied Russia had attempted to steal coronavirus research. He claimed his own countrymen were closer to finding a breakthrough than the British, and hoped to produce a vaccine by October.

Furthermore, Mr Kelin claimed that Russia was itself under siege from cyber attacks  including 500,000 on a single day in June emanating from the UK.

His comments follow the publication of the ISC report, which accused ministers of failing to investigate whether Moscow had meddled in the Brexit referendum. Asked whether his country had indeed done so, Mr Kelin said: No, because politically, we are not interested. For us, there is no sense to choose any side.

The ambassador also played down reports that Russia had threatened peace in space by launching a missile-like projectile last month  an operation which prompted condemnation from Westminster and Washington.

Asked if Russia needs to mend its ways, Mr Kelin said: We cannot change.

Of a potential thaw in relations with Britain, he said: We do exist on the same continent and sooner or later of course we will have to come back to normalise our relationship. It is unavoidable.
Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) Plc - Board Reorganisation and Grant of Options

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc / Index: AIM / Epic: EOG / Sector: Oil & Gas

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc ('Europa' or 'the Company')

Board Reorganisation and Grant of Options

Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc, the UK, Ireland and Morocco focused oil and gas exploration, development and production company, is pleased to announce that Mr Simon Oddie has agreed to take on the role of Chief Executive Officer of the Company on a permanent basis. Concurrently, Mr Oddie is stepping down from his position as non-executive Chairman of Europa and will be replaced by senior non-executive Director, Mr Brian O'Cathain. The above changes are effective immediately.

Background on Simon Oddie

Mr Oddie, who joined the Board as non-executive Chairman in January 2018, was appointed Interim CEO in November 2019. Simon, an engineer, has more than 40 years of relevant experience as a petroleum engineer, technical consultant, manager and investment adviser in upstream oil and gas. He has worked with Schlumberger, ERC Energy Resource Consultants, Enterprise Oil and Gemini Oil and Gas Advisors LLP.

He was CEO of Enterprise Italy during its first operated exploration drilling both on and offshore. Simon more recently was the architect of the Gemini Oil and Gas royalty funds where he established a solid track record in fundraising, investor relations, and origination, evaluation and execution of oil and gas deals.

Background on Brian O'Cathain

Mr O'Cathain, who joined the Board as non-executive Director in January 2018, is a geologist and petroleum engineer with over thirty years' experience in senior technical and commercial roles in upstream oil and gas exploration and production companies, including Shell International, Enterprise Oil and Tullow Oil.

He has experience in working in West Africa, North Africa, onshore Europe and the North Sea. He was the Chief Executive of Petroceltic International plc from 2007 to 2016. During this period Petroceltic discovered the Ain Tsila gas condensate field in Algeria, and concluded a nil-premium merger with Melrose Energy. Prior to this he served as Chief Executive of Afren plc from 2005 to 2007. He served as the Managing Director of Enterprise Oil Ireland at the sanction of the Corrib Gas Field development.

Grant of Options

The Board of Directors has agreed to issue options over a total of 15,950,000 ordinary shares of 1 pence each in the capital of the Company ('Share Options') to certain Directors and employees of the Company in recognition of the salary cuts that the Board and staff have taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and market volatility (see announcement of 20 July 2020 for further details). For the Board, grants were based on 50% of salary with an assumed exercise price. Grants to other employees and consultants were determined by a mix of salary percentage and fixed amounts.

The Share Options, which have an exercise price of 1.23 pence per Ordinary Share, vest in three equal tranches after each of 12, 24 and 36 months and are valid until 4 August 2026. Exercise of the Share Options is conditional on the closing average mid-market price of an Ordinary Share exceeding the exercise price by two times for 30 consecutive trading days.

The details of the Share Options to be granted are set out below:

Option Holder No of Options Issued Simon Oddie 8,000,000 Brian O'Cathain 1,750,000 Stephen Williams 1,300,000 Other employees and consultants 4,900,000

Simon Oddie, CEO of Europa, said: "I had no hesitation in taking on the role of CEO on a permanent basis as I believe Europa is entering an exciting period in its development, starting with first oil at the Wressle field which is expected later this year, together with advancing our industry-leading exploration position in the proven gas play of the Slyne Basin offshore Ireland, and de-risking the 30 targets we have identified on our large Inzegane permit offshore Morocco.

"Furthermore, once we see an improvement in market conditions I intend to resume our efforts to add a third leg to our business by securing a late stage appraisal project. I look forward to working with Brian in his new capacity as non-executive Chairman as well as the rest of the Board and management team, as we look to realise the huge potential of our asset base."

* * 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. which contains a number of high-impact prospects and leads, any one of which could be transformation to the Company if it were to be successful on drilling.

Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Simon Oddie Reason for the Notification a) Position/status Chief Executive Officer b) Initial notification/Amendment Initial notification Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc b) LEI 213800JWTCW7TN3WRC06 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the Financial instrument, type of instrument Options over Ordinary shares of 1p Identification code GB00B03CJS30 b) Nature of the transaction Grant of Options c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s) 1.23p 8,000,000 d) Aggregated information: n/a e) Date of the transaction 3 August 2020 f) Place of the transaction Off market transaction

Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated a) Name Brian O'Cathain Reason for the Notification a) Position/status Non-Executive Chairman b) Initial notification/Amendment Initial notification Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor a) Name Europa Oil & Gas (Holdings) plc b) LEI 213800JWTCW7TN3WRC06 Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted a) Description of the Financial instrument, type of instrument Options over Ordinary shares of 1p Identification code GB00B03CJS30 b) Nature of the transaction Grant of Options c) Price(s) and volume(s) Price(s) Volume(s) 1.23p 1,750,000 d) Aggregated information: n/a e) Date of the transaction 3 August 2020 f) Place of the transaction Off market transaction
The boldness of a Hyundai truck driver to control his vehicle whose brake had failed while descending a hill around the Swedru Main Market, Monday morning averted what could have been a serious accident that could have affected many pedestrians.



The truck with registration number GE 9351 was fully loaded with chippings and cement and was from Kasoa heading towards Akyem Esuboa in the Eastern Region.



The driver of the truck, Ransford Appiah managed to climb the Mandela Market hill but as he was descending the main market hill to join the Swedru-Oda main road at Odakwanano, realized that the breaks of the truck had failed.



The driver, sensing danger due to the fact that it was a market day, started tooting his horn to clear other vehicles and pedestrians off the road to prevent a crash.



Traders who were selling along the streets abandoned their wares and together with pedestrians ran for their lives after they got the signal from the driver who was waving them off the road.



Unfortunately, the vehicle veered off the road and ran into a provisions shop around 9:30am, injuring six persons who were immediately rushed to the Swedru Government Hospital for medical care.



Confirmation



Confirming the incident to Graphic Online Tuesday, August 4, 2020, the Station Officer at the Swedru Divisional Unit of the Motor Traffic and Transport Department (MTTD) of the Ghana Police Service, Chief Inspector Sampson Boamah said that four of the injured were still on admission.



However, he noted that Delali Kwateng Agbenovor, 17, and Godfred Essuon,18, were severely injured and had been transferred to the Trauma and Specialist Hospital in Winneba for emergency medical attention.







Source: Graphic.com.gh









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| 2020-08-04 15:48:39|Editor: huaxia

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A woman ties "Rakhi" , a sacred thread, on the wrist of a man, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, in the outskirts of Agartala, India's northeastern state of Tripura, Aug. 3, 2020. Raksha Bandhan, meaning the bond of protection, is a festival to celebrate the relationship between brothers, cousins and sisters. At this festival, a sister ties a sacred thread on her brother's wrist, which symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her. (Str/Xinhua)

A woman ties "Rakhi" , a sacred thread, on the wrist of a man, on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan, in the outskirts of Agartala, India's northeastern state of Tripura, Aug. 3, 2020. Raksha Bandhan, meaning the bond of protection, is a festival to celebrate the relationship between brothers, cousins and sisters. At this festival, a sister ties a sacred thread on her brother's wrist, which symbolizes the sister's love and prayers for her brother's well-being, and the brother's lifelong vow to protect her. (Str/Xinhua)
Establishment Republicans sought Tuesday to thwart polarizing conservative Kris Kobach's bid for Kansas' open Senate seat, a task complicated by President Donald Trump's refusal to endorse their favored candidate in the primary.

Republicans haven't lost a Senate contest in Kansas since 1932. But party leaders in Washington and many GOP activists in Kansas fear that the normally safe seat held by retiring four-term Republican Sen. Pat Roberts will be in play if the party nominates Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state who is nationally known for advocating restrictive immigration policies.

A win in Kansas could help Democrats in their quest to retake control of the Senate, making New York Senator Chuck Schumer the new leader in that chamber. Democrats need to pick up four Senate seats - if President Trump wins election - to make that happen.

Republicans are trying to ensure a conservative firebrand doesn't win Kansas' GOP Senate primary but are being stymied by President Donald Trump's refusal to help them

The winner of Kansas' Republican Senate primary on Tuesday could ultimately decide which party controls the Senate and who is the chamber's next leader: Republican Sen. Mitch McConnell (left) or Democratic Sen. Chuck Schumer (right)

Trump didn't intervene to help Rep. Roger Marshall in the crowded GOP primary field, despite prodding from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and others. The two-term congressman for western and central Kansas faced blistering attacks in the final weeks of the campaign, including from a political action committee with Democratic ties.

The GOP already faces a potentially tough year in trying to retain its 53-47 Senate majority with competitive races in other states, including Arizona, Colorado and Maine. Republicans are hoping to avoid a repeat of 2018 when Kobach lost the state's gubernatorial race to Democrat Laura Kelly after alienating independent and moderate GOP voters.

Trump endorsed Kobach - an immigration hardliner - in that gubernatorial primary that saw the GOP ultimately lose the governor's seat. Kobach investigated allegations of voter fraud in the 2016 contest - after Trump named him the co-chair of his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity but that probe came to not.

The state saw a heavy reliance on mail-in ballots amid the coronavirus pandemic, and at least 234,000 voters cast ballots in advance - more than double the number from the 2018 and 2016 primaries. Counties could accept ballots until Friday so long as they were postmarked Tuesday, creating uncertainty that the GOP Senate primary would be decided before then.

Many Republicans were nervous about the Senate race because the presumed Democratic nominee, state Sen. Barbara Bollier, has raised more than $8.2 million for her campaign, seeing a flood of contributions from outside Kansas. Bollier is a retired Kansas City-area anesthesiologist and former moderate Republican who switched parties in 2018.

Marshall raised about $2.9 million and Kobach, a little more than $1 million in the Republican primary.

Marshall and Kobach sit atop an 11-person field, the largest one for the GOP since the state began holding Senate primaries more than 100 years ago.

Also a factor in their race is candidate Bob Hamilton, the founder of a Kansas City-area plumbing company largely self-funded a campaign heavy on television ads with $3.5 million in personal loans. Those figures were all dwarfed by PAC spending in the primary, which totaled about $11 million.

Republicans are worried if Kris Kobach (left) wins the primary he could lose the general election; Trump named Kobach the co-chair of his Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity in July 2017

Republican Congressman Roger Marshall is the favored candidate of the GOP establishment and Senator Mitch McConnell but Trump has notably not endorsed him

Kansas has no runoff elections, so if Kobach maintains his solid base on the right, he could emerge if the rest of the vote splinters.

Marshall and his allies made Kobach's loss in the governor's race a key issue and argued that he was the best alternative.

McConnell's first choice was U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, a former Wichita-area congressman, but while Pompeo made multiple visits to Kansas suggesting interest, he declared himself out in January.

Kobach argued that the issues he's often emphasized - particularly immigration - would play better in a fall Senate campaign and said he'd benefit from a flood of pro-Trump voters going to the polls in November after skipping voting in the 2018 midterms. He also played up his status an an informal adviser to Trump and the White House and the first prominent Kansas official to endorse Trump's presidential bid in 2016.

Roberts declared his support for Marshall after the congressman had picked up endorsements from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas Farm Bureau, the National Right to Life Committee and Kansans for Life, the state's most influential anti-abortion group. He also had the backing of 97-year-old political icon Bob Dole, the former U.S. Senate majority leader and 1996 GOP presidential nominee.
An interview that aired on HBOs Axios series Monday night has been making news all over, because of how President Donald Trump did, or didnt, answer questions from Jonathan Swan, Axios national political correspondent. The interview touched on topics including the coronavirus pandemic, foreign policy, vote-by-mail, the election coming in November and controversy surrounding the presence of federal officers in Portland.

When the Trump administration deployed federal officers to Portland in early July, the stated purpose was to protect the downtown federal courthouse, which had become a focus for ongoing protests against police brutality and systemic racism. Local officials objected to the unasked-for presence of federal agents, and officers were criticized for aggressive shows of force and use of tear gas and impact munitions in response to protesters.

Swans interview with Trump was taped on Tuesday, July 28, just before Oregon Gov. Kate Browns July 29 announcement that there would be a phased withdrawal of federal officers from Portland. As The Oregonian/Oregonlive reported, Brown described the federal officers as an occupying force that has refused accountability and brought strife to our community.

Trump has consistently defended the presence of federal officers in Portland, with comments that made it sound as if the entire city was engulfed in violent protest and would have been, as Trump wrote on Twitter, burned and beaten to the ground if federal forces hadnt come to the city.

During the Axios interview, Trump again made Portland sound like it was overrun with anarchists and agitators. Swan began the segment by citing the video of federal officers wearing fatigues beating a Navy veteran. (Swan and Trump begin discussing Portland at about the 26:45 mark.) Trump interrupted, calling that fake news, to which Swan responded, Its not fake news, its on video.

For 59 days, Trump said, these people were anarchists and agitators, and some protesters. But these were anarchists, these people were beating the hell out of the city, they were beating up our federal buildings, and one federal courthouse. We told the police to stop it....and the police wouldnt do it.

Swan cited the Justice Departments Office of the Inspector General launching an investigation into Department of Justice personnels use of force in protests in Portland.

Youre trying now to blame law enforcement instead of anarchists, instead of antifa, Trump said. Its antifa and anarchists that are causing the problem. Apparently referring to some demonstrators who set fires and threw objects at officers near the courthouse, Trump told Swan that if federal officers hadnt come to Portland, You would have your federal courthouse...burned to the ground.

Swan asked if Trump supported the investigations. I think antifa should be investigated, Trump said, asking Swan, Have you been watching television? Have you been seeing the violence? Trump went on to talk about watching NBC fake news coverage of Portland Mayor Ted Wheelers attendance at a downtown Portland protest on July 22, during which Wheeler was among the crowd that was tear-gassed by federal officers. Wheeler was also booed by some protesters who oppose Portland Police crowd control tactics, and Wheelers role as the city police commissioner.

Related: Portland protests: Federal officers unleash tear gas on Mayor Ted Wheeler, demonstrators

Wheeler and his team of security guards remained at the protest for nearly three hours, before eventually departing, and going inside the Portland Building on Southwest Fifth Avenue.

During the Axios interview, Trump described the episode as Wheeler standing out there, and hes being accosted by the people...he had five security guards, he got out with his life. Trump criticized the NBC News report, which, according to Trump, made Wheeler look like hes standing there, bravely fighting with the people...everything is wonderful. No, he went out there, hes lucky he got away with his life, cause they would have killed him....NBC News showed it like hes standing with the people for justice.

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New Delhi, Aug 4 : Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi has welcomed the Bhumi Pujan ceremony in Ayodhya which is to be performed on Wednesday to start construction of the Ram temple.

Priyanka in her statement said, "On August 5, the programme of Bhumi Pujan is scheduled, this programme with blessings of Lord Ram and his teachings should become a symbol of national unity, brotherhood and cultural amalgamation." The statement comes in the wake of many leaders in the Congress coming out in support of construction of Ram temple and in the strategy committee meeting held on Thursday last week leaders of UP expressed their views that Congress should support the construction of the temple.

"In Indian subcontinent and in the world Ramayan has put a stamp on every mind and the story of Bhagvan Ram, Sita and name of Ram is a catalyst of connecting humanity," said Priyanka.

Congress spokesperson and Lok Sabha MP Manish Tewari also congratulated the people of the country on the historic occasion.

The Congress has welcomed the decision of the Supreme Court which paved the way for construction of the Ram temple in Ayodhya. Congress leaders are now trying to claim credit as former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Kamal Nath said that late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi wanted to build the temple.

On Monday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Ayodhya, ahead of the 'bhoomi pujan' for the Ram temple, and checked the preparations for the mega event. The Chief Minister also went to the Ram Janmabhoomi site and inspected the security arrangements for the event as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to attend in the event on Wednesday.

Adityanath also went to the makeshift Ram temple and offered prayers and then went to the Saket Mahavidyalaya where a helipad has been constructed for the Prime Minister's helicopter to land.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's fetishes were revealed in court documents last week, exposing how the warped financier had pink bed sheets to remind him of 'p***y', liked his nipples pinched and had enormous naked portraits of women.

According to his victims, the sex-obsessed 66-year-old demanded three orgasms a day and forced his underage 'sex slaves' to fulfill a plethora of twisted fantasies.

As well as his perverse lust for girls as young as 13, Epstein's alleged sexual kinks were laid bare in a slew of legal filings from a 2015 lawsuit against his accused madam Ghislaine Maxwell, unsealed by a judge on Thursday.

Maxwell fought tooth and nail to keep the files secret, lodging a flurry of last-minute legal roadblocks.

She has managed to temporarily keep sealed some of the documents  including a transcript of her deposition believed to include sordid details of her own sex life during her alleged time procuring girls for Epstein.

But transcripts of legal interviews with her alleged victims, witnesses and a copy of a memoir by Epstein 'sex slave' Virginia Roberts Giuffre expose the warped details of Epstein's sick sex life.

Late billionaire pedophile Jeffrey Epstein's alleged fetishes were revealed in court documents last week, exposing how the warped financier had pink bed sheets to remind him of 'p***y', liked his nipples pinched and had enormous naked portraits of women

In Epstein victim Virginia Roberts Giuffre's memoir, The Billionaire's Playboy Club, she wrote that Epstein even chose the color of his bed sheets to be reminded of female genitalia. Pictured: A room in Epstein's New Mexico home

Workers at his mansions in New York, Florida and New Mexico have claimed the walls were adorned with erotic pictures of naked women. Pictured: A naked woman who appears to be Maxwell in a photo at Epstein's home in Florida

Giuffre (left as a teen at Epstein's New Mexico home and right in 2019) wrote: 'I wrapped myself in Jeffrey's pink bed sheets, which is the color preference he chose to sleep in because it reminded him of the same color of his own words ''P**sy'', and covered my face from the unexpected intrusion'

In her memoir, The Billionaire's Playboy Club, Giuffre wrote that Epstein even chose the color of his bed sheets to be reminded of female genitalia.

She recounted in the manuscript one incident where she claimed Epstein's lawyer, Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, walked in on her and the financier after sex.

'After an explicit session of Jeffrey's vulgar pilgrimage into my body, we were interrupted by a knock at the door by Jeffrey's good friend Alan,' Giuffre wrote.

'I wrapped myself in Jeffrey's pink bed sheets, which is the color preference he chose to sleep in because it reminded him of the same color of his own words ''P**sy'', and covered my face from the unexpected intrusion.'

Dershowitz claims he has never met Giuffre and denies any involvement in Epstein's child sex crimes.

The billionaire's former butler, Juan Alessi, said he had found sex toys including a double-ended dildo in the massage room of Epstein's Florida mansion, which accusers claim was the location for many of his sex sessions with minors.

'I would find things like a dildo, it's called a double,' Alessi claimed in a 2016 legal interview with Giuffre's lawyers. 'I hate to say it because these ladies. But I find these things, put my gloves on, took it out and rinse it, and put it in Ms. Maxwell's closet because I knew that's where they were kept.'

The former butler said he also saw a 'shiny black costume' in the closet that he believed was used for sex.

She recounted in the manuscript one incident where she claimed Epstein's lawyer, Harvard professor Alan Dershowitz, walked in on her and the financier after sex. Dershowitz claims he has never met Giuffre and denies any involvement in Epstein's child sex crimes

A former IT worker claimed Epstein kept a 6 ft naked portrait of Maxwell posing provocatively above the pool at his New Mexico ranch. The employee, who worked on 'internet, security and communications' for Epstein from 1999 to 2007, told The Sun: 'There was this huge painting of Ghislaine naked with her legs open, six foot by six foot. 'She was on a chair, leaning back, with her legs open. 'You could see everything. She would definitely have posed for that. It was in the basement by the pool'

Maxwell has always denied any involvement or knowledge of her close friend's sex abuse, and is pleading not guilty to current child sex trafficking charges filed against her in New York.

In a 2011 interview between Giuffre and her lawyers published for the first time on Thursday, the accuser also said Epstein was into 'lots of' role-playing including latex and schoolgirl outfits for his sex sessions.

'Jeffrey loved the latex outfits Ghislaine had for us girls, he had bondage outfits, he had all the different kinds of outfits, but his favorite was the schoolgirl,' she claimed.

Previously released court documents in Giuffre's case show the late pedophile bought books on sadomasochism.

Filings showed an Amazon receipt listing titles including 'SM 101: A Realistic Introduction,' 'SlaveCraft: Roadmaps for Erotic Servitude,' and 'Training with Miss Abernathy: A Workbook for Erotic Slaves and Their Owners.'

Shawna Rivera, who appeared in Netflix's Epstein documentary Filthy Rich, claimed she was just 14 when the perverted financier told her to pinch his nipples while he masturbated during a massage he hired her for.

'[Epstein] wanted me to rub the lotion we were using all over his chest,' she told the documentary makers.

'And he told me to just grab his nipples and squeeze and pinch as hard as I could.

'I was like, 'What the f**k is this?' I'm 14 years old.

'It just went on like that for a couple of minutes and he finished.

'I was so embarrassed. I didn't know how to say, ''No, I don't want to do that''.'

The billionaire had an insatiable appetite for sex, according to his victims.

Shawna Rivera (pictured), who appeared in Netflix's Epstein documentary Filthy Rich, claimed she was just 14 when the perverted financier told her to pinch his nipples while he masturbated during a massage he hired her for

One alleged victim, Johanna Sjoberg (pictured), claimed that Epstein told her he needed 'three orgasms a day.' 'It was biological, like eating,' she said in a previously unsealed deposition from Giuffre's 2015 defamation lawsuit

One alleged victim, Johanna Sjoberg, claimed that Epstein told her he needed 'three orgasms a day.'

'It was biological, like eating,' she said in a previously unsealed deposition from Giuffre's 2015 defamation lawsuit.

Workers at his mansions in New York, Florida and New Mexico have claimed the walls were adorned with erotic pictures of naked women.

A former IT worker claimed Epstein kept a 6 ft naked portrait of Maxwell posing provocatively above the pool at his New Mexico ranch.

The employee, who worked on 'internet, security and communications' for Epstein from 1999 to 2007, told The Sun: 'There was this huge painting of Ghislaine naked with her legs open, six foot by six foot.

'She was on a chair, leaning back, with her legs open.

'You could see everything. She would definitely have posed for that. It was in the basement by the pool.'

In one sex-themed room of the house, described by the employee as 'sex-obsessed', the couches, pillows and artwork all featured 'nude women, couples having sex or fertility statues'.

In documents unsealed on Thursday, Giuffre told her lawyers that Epstein had a proclivity only for white girls.

In the 2011 interview, attorney Jack Scarola asked what criteria the late financier gave Giuffre to recruit other underage girls for his sex massages.

'What instructions were you given about what to look for?' he asked.

'Young, pretty, you know, a fun personality. They couldn't be black,' Giuffre replied. 'If they were any other descent other than white, they had to be exotically beautiful. That was just about it.'
Srinagar, Aug 5 : Ahead of the first anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370, terrorists on Tuesday evening shot and critically injured a panchayat member, reportedly associated with the BJP, in Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district.

Identified as Arif Ahmad from Akhran Mir Bazar in Kulgam, he was rushed to the hospital and a manhunt was launched by the police to nab the attackers.

In another incident, two policemen were injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Pulwama district.

According to details, terrorists lobbed a grenade on a police party at Wanpora Pulwama, leaving two personnel with splinter injuries. Both are said to be in a stable condition.
President Donald Trump signs the Great American Outdoors Act during a singing ceremony in the East Room of the White House in Washington, on Aug. 4, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Trump Signs Landmark Conservation Bill, Addressing Public Lands Infrastructure

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed into law a landmark conservation bill that addresses the backlog of infrastructure needs for public lands.

H.R. 1957, or the Great American Outdoors Act, (GAOA) establishes the National Park and Public Land Legacy Restoration Fund and provides permanent funding for the Land and Water Conservation Fund (LWCF).

President Trump made remarks during a press conference at the White House before signing the bill.

For more than 50 years, Congress has struggled to adequately fund land and water conservation, leading to a never-ending backlog of maintenance and other critical needs in our parks and public lands, Trump said. Today, more than 5,500 miles of road, 17,000 miles of trails, and 24,000 buildings are in critical need of repair; they have been for a long time. Many are closed, boarded up. They thought it was less expensive to close them than it was to repair them, he added.

President Trump just signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law. The GAOA will protect our countrys natural treasures and promote recreation and conservation for generations thanks to the strong leadership of @SenCoryGardner and @SteveDaines, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said on Twitter.

Sen. Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), one of the main sponsors of the bill, also took to Twitter Tuesday to celebrate the bipartisan support for his legislation.

This completes decades of bipartisan work to fully and permanently #FundLWCF and will provide jobs for the American people, economic stimulus to communities in need, and ensure future generations can enjoy the #GreatOutdoors, he said.

U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said that the act combines two significant proposals.

The first is the establishment of the national parks and public lands Legacy Fund, which is a fund that would be up to $1.9 billion per year over five years, that will be utilized to address. United States significant maintenance backlog at national parks, wildlife refuges, public lands, and even Indian schools with a very significant commitment to the to our deferred maintenance challenge, Bernhardt said.

Members of the Trump administration have been highlighting the conservation initiative to push the legislation forward, including First Lady Melanie Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, and the presidents daughter Ivanka Trump.

This legislation contains permanent funding for the Illinois Water Conservation Fund. In the tune of $900 million a year, Bernhardt told reporters. This is basically reaffirming and establishing the commitment made in 1964 with the Land and Water Conservation Fund commitment that has virtually never been fully funded.

Bernhardt said the LWCF fund will provide 40 percent of the money to state and local governments for land conservation and recreational facilities, and 60 percent will stay the federal government for expanding land acquisition and recreational facilities.

Five presidents have worked on addressing this issue, and none of them were able to come up with the legislative proposal that would get over the goal line. And here, President Trump combining these two proposals challenged Congress to move forward. And Congress moved forward with a large bipartisan majority in, really, incredible time, Bernhardt said.

The bill had 59 cosponsors in the Senate, including 42 Democrats, 15 Republicans, and two independents. The Senate passed the legislation 73-25 in June, and the House passed it 310-107.

This legislation marks the single largest investment in our national parks and public lands IN HISTORY! Senate Republicans wrote in a tweet Tuesday.

And were here today to celebrate the passage of truly landmark legislation that will preserve Americas majestic natural wonders, priceless historic treasuresand thats exactly what they aregrand national monuments and glorious national parks. This is a very big deal. And from an environmental standpoint and from just the beauty of our country standpoint, there hasnt been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect, said Trump.
Over the past day, Russia-occupation forces violated the ceasefire regime in Donbas three times, since the beginning of the current day provocation from the enemy has been recorded, Ukrainian military personnel have not suffered, the press center of the Joint Force Operation (JFO) headquarters said.

"For the ninth day in a row, since the ceasefire regime began to enter into force, there have been no combat losses or wounded persons from the Joint Forces. Servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and other units of the defense forces continue to carry out their tasks as intended. Over the past day, three shelling by Russian-occupation forces was recorded," the JFO headquarters said in a morning report on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

The headquarters said that on Monday, August 3, in the morning, one provocative shot from an anti-tank grenade launcher was fired by the enemy near Pivdenne, and in the afternoon several indirect shots from small arms were heard near Maryinka. Another shot from a grenade launcher was head near Mayorsk.

"In all areas of the front, the ceasefire regime was fully maintained. Servicemen of the Joint Forces did not respond to deliberate provocations by the enemy. There were no combat losses or wounded persons among the personnel of the Joint Forces," the JFO press center said.

Since the beginning of the current day, one provocation has been recorded by Russian-occupation forces. "In the middle of the night, the enemy fired one shot from an under-barrel grenade launcher near the village of Pisky. In response to the provocation, our defenders did not open fire. The situation remains fully controlled by the Ukrainian servicemen," the JFO headquarters said.
NORTH BRUNSWICK, N.J.  Federal Judge Esther Salas has spoken for the first time publicly about a shooting at her township home last month in which authorities say a disgruntled lawyer killed her son and seriously wounded her husband.

In a video statement issued Monday, Salas called for more privacy for federal judges in the wake of the July 19 attack at her home.

She noted that serving as judge involves making tough calls that sometimes leave people angry and upset. But she said judges should not have to live in fear for our lives because personal information, such as home addresses, can be easily obtained by anyone seeking to do them or their families harm.

'Lunatic hiding in plain sight': The bitter tale of a woman-hating lawyer who killed a rival and a judge's son

She said the shooter knew where she lived, which church her family attended and had a complete dossier on their family.

"At the moment there is nothing we can do to stop it, and that is unacceptable," the judge said. "My sons death cannot be in vain, which is why I am begging those in power to do something to help my brothers and sisters on the bench."

"My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain," she continued. "We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down."

Around 5 p.m. July 19, Daniel Anderl, 20, and his father, prominent defense attorney Mark Anderl, both went to the door of their Point of Woods Drive home in the Hidden Lake section of North Brunswick where the gunman, posing as a delivery person, opened fire, killing Daniel, the couple's only child.

Roy Den Hollander, 72, a self-proclaimed anti-feminist attorney who grew up in Bergen County, was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Rockland, New York, on July 20, the day after the ambush. Authorities believe he also shot and killed a fellow attorney in California in the days before the attack at Salas home.

Story continues

In addition, Den Hollander had a list of other potential targets, including another federal judge in New Jersey, as well as two New Jersey judges and two doctors, according to The New York Times. The list was reportedly found inside Den Hollander's vehicle.

"I later learned that this monster, who had a FedEx package in his hand, opened fire, but Daniel being Daniel, protected his father and he took the shooters first bullet directly to the chest, the judge said. "The monster then turned his attention to my husband and began to shoot at my husband, one shot after another. Mark was shot three times: one bullet entered his right chest, the other his left abdomen, and the last one in the right forearm.

Salas, who was in the basement of the home, was not physically injured.

"While my husband is still in the hospital recovering from multiple surgeries, we are living every parents worst nightmare  making preparations to bury our only child, Daniel," she said.

Daniel Anderl, son of a judge, was shot at the family's home in New Jersey.

Funeral arrangements have yet to be announced for Daniel Anderl, a 2018 graduate of St. Joseph High School in Metuchen and a rising junior at Catholic University of America in Washington, D.C. He had plans to follow in his parents footsteps and become a lawyer.

Salas said the shooting came at the end of a weekend in which the family had been celebrating Daniel's 20th birthday.

"Daniel always wanted to spend his birthdays with his dad and me, so he asked we host a party for a few of his Catholic University of America friends. Because of the pandemic, his father, Mark, and I had some concerns; however, we thought we could adhere to safety guidelines and we agreed to allow his friends to come spend the weekend. The weekend was a glorious one. It was filled with love, laughter and smiles," she said.

The morning of July 19, the parents went to church and allowed their son to rest. By the afternoon the family began cleaning up from the party, the judge said.

"Daniel and I went downstairs to the basement and we were chatting, as we always do. And Daniel said Mom, lets keep talking, I love talking to you, Mom, Salas said. "It was at that exact moment that the doorbell rang, and Daniel looked at me and said, Who is that?

"And before I could say a word, he sprinted upstairs," she continued. "Within seconds, I heard the sound of bullets and someone screaming, No!

She said now, more than ever, there needs to be a way to keep the lives of federal judges private.

"I know this is a complicated issue, and I dont pretend to know or have all answers, but together we can find a way. Lets commence a national dialogue, lets work collaboratively to find a solution that will safeguard the privacy of federal judges," she said.

"Let me be clear and tell you firsthand  this is a matter of life and death. And we cant just sit back and wait for another tragedy to strike," said Salas, who expressed her thanks to first responders, the medical staff at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick who have treated her and her husband, as well as those who have offered prayers for their family.

This article originally appeared on Bridgewater Courier News: Esther Salas wants privacy for federal judges, decries son's killing
Security forces averted a major tragedy on Tuesday (August 4) when an IED was detected by a road opening party on Srinagar-Baramullah Highway in Jammu and Kashmir. According to security forces, the improvised explosive device (IED) was planted by suspected terrorists in Tappar village of Pattan in North Kashmir's Baramulla district.

A top police official said During routine patrolling 29 RR jawans have found suspicious material likely an IED at Tappar village on highway under the culvert. The IED was later defused by bomb disposal squad of Indian Army."

The IED was detected by road opening party near a petrol pump in Pattan area of Baramulla district.

Meanwhile, Pakistan resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation in Krishna Ghati sector of Poonch District on Tuesday morning. Public Relations Officer, Defence Jammu told ANI that Pakistani forces initiated small arms firing and shelling with mortars on Tuesday.
OTTAWA - A Halifax-based charity is expressing confusion and frustration as it looks likely to have to foot the bill for nine students that it says were hired through the federal volunteer program at the centre of the WE affair.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The WE controversy that has been dogging the Liberals is expected to continue to follow Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government after Trudeau's appearance before a House of Commons committee Thursday. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau appears as a witness via videoconference during a House of Commons finance committee in the Wellington Building on Thursday, July 30, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - A Halifax-based charity is expressing confusion and frustration as it looks likely to have to foot the bill for nine students that it says were hired through the federal volunteer program at the centre of the WE affair.

That is because the Liberal government contends no students actually started their placements before WE Charity backed out of running the Canada Student Services Grant amid controversy about its ties to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his family.

Souls Harbour Rescue Mission CEO Michelle Porter says that isn't true and her organization brought the students in during the brief period, about a week at the end of June, when WE Charity was running the Canada Student Service Grant for the federal government.

Students participating in the grant program had been promised they would receive up to $5,000 toward the cost of their post-secondary educations depending on how many hours they volunteered.

"There was a formal process and we followed it," Porter said Tuesday. "And we have confirmations in our email saying you're approved for 15 positions. ... The students then applied on their own. They picked us and they contacted us."

The nine students have been working in the Souls Harbour thrift store, which helps fund a meal program for local families in need. Porter said they have been critical to the organization, which has seen about 60 fewer volunteers due to the pandemic.

Souls Harbour isn't alone in its confusion as a number of students have taken to online forums such as Reddit in recent days wondering whether they will receive any grant money for volunteer hours that they have already worked.

Many of the questions were prompted by Trudeau's appearance before the House of Commons finance committee last week, in which he suggested the grant program was not going to be part of the government's COVID-19 support for students.

Asked what that meant for charities such as Souls Harbour as well as students who had already started placements, Youth Minister Bardish Chagger's spokeswoman Danielle Keenan told The Canadian Press that those people didn't exist.

"The way that the program unfolded is unfortunate, especially as no students had started their placements through the CSSG at the time the decision was made that WE would no longer administer the program," Keenan said in an email.

Keenan repeated the assertion when asked specifically about Souls Harbour, saying only that when it comes to supporting students and charities, "we're looking at options on how best to proceed."

"Obviously I'm frustrated," Porter said in response to Keenan's statement. "Up to now I've just been assuming they'll come up with something. Are they really just leaving charities out in the lurch?"

While Porter said she intends to press the government to change its mind, the Souls Harbour board has agreed to pay the students if the program is cancelled, at an estimated cost of around $15,000  money that would normally go toward feeding local families.

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Opposition critics blasted the Liberal government for mismanaging the rollout of the program and for leaving charities and students in the dark about what will happen to them.

"The two things cannot be true: they cannot be saying they're not proceeding to these groups, and the groups saying they were approved," said Conservative economic development critic Dan Albas.

"It's almost been a month now since they stopped the program and they have yet to actually tell Canadians clearly what they're going to do about the different groups that did apply and if this program will be delivered."

NDP ethics critic Charlie Angus said students took the prime minister at his word that they would be compensated for volunteering through the program.

"It is unconscionable that Justin Trudeau is now telling students that signed up for the program that they aren't getting paid," he said. "The summer is ticking down and not a dime has flown to students who badly needed help."

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
As US-led wars against the Islamic State (IS) and the Taliban wind down, the head of US Central Command (CENTCOM) appears to be signaling that he prefers to leave troops in the Middle East to deter Iran  and now Congress wants to know how much it will cost.

House lawmakers have included a provision in their version of the 2021 National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Defense Department to regularly report on the militarys hidden price tag of warding off Tehrans ambitions in the region.

The draft legislation reveals the House Armed Services Committees particular interest in a broad but little-known program called Operation Spartan Shield.

Established in 2012 to help compensate for the withdrawal of US troops from Iraq, Spartan Shield is responsible for building Washingtons relationships with militaries across the Middle East and Central Asia, from Egypt to Oman to Kazakhstan.

The more than 10,000-strong partnership project has also given Washington a logistical platform for launching combat forces into the region on demand, including during the US-led war against IS in Iraq and Syria.

But House Democrats know little about it, according to a congressional aide who spoke to Al-Monitor on the condition of anonymity. It has been going on for about eight years and is not explicitly authorized by Congress, the staffer said.

It has also increasingly taken on a new role since Gen. Kenneth F. McKenzie took charge of CENTCOM last year.

It is to deter Iranian aggression, said Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Van, outgoing chief of staff for US Army Central, which leads the operation from a headquarters in Kuwait.

They need to know that we have red lines that we dont want crossed, but that when confronted, we can push forces into the region to regain deterrence, Van told Al-Monitor in a telephone interview.

As the Donald Trump administration shifts focus to Russia and China, CENTCOMs leadership is likely pushing to keep the forces and funding it has come to depend on in the region over the last decade, according to two former senior US officials.

Gen. McKenzie continues to emphasize that Iran is still vying to fill power vacuums in the Middle East and awaiting opportunities to push out US troops.

Due in large part to Spartan Shield, the United States now trains foreign militaries in 17 of the 20 countries in the region it covers. In two of the remaining three, Syria and Yemen, American combat troops have deployed under the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, which has effectively allowed the military to indefinitely pursue al-Qaeda and IS.

Only Iran remains untouched, and senior officers say the operation is designed to keep it that way.

Whether or not youre a proponent or a critic of the administrations Iran policy, it would certainly behoove Congress to understand how and how many taxpayer dollars are being consumed by this activity, what the objectives are and to what extent theyve been achieved, the congressional staffer told Al-Monitor via email.

But two senior US Army officers who have held top positions overseeing Spartan Shield say its successes are latent  and thats the point.

The fact that theres still stability in our area of operations, thats success, Brig. Gen. Van told Al-Monitor. Iran is continuing to contest US presence in the Gulf but also is aware of the military cost of confrontation."

The Trump administration has been bearing down on Iran in part as a response to Tehrans deployment of Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) military advisers  and, allegedly, weapons technology  to conflicts in Iraq, Syria and Yemen in recent years.

By its own admission, the US governments economic pressure campaign on Iran has led it to lash out, most notably with a series of sabotage attacks against oil infrastructure in the Gulf region last year.

The incidents culminated in a deadly tit-for-tat with the US military in Iraq before Trump had Quds Force commander Maj. Gen. Qasem Soleimani, architect of the IRGCs regional designs, assassinated in a January drone strike in Baghdad.

Spartan Shield played a central role in the Trump administrations effort to face down those tensions, according to Gen. Michael Garrett, who commanded US Army Central until last year.

Less than 36 hours after protesters accompanied by IRGC-linked militia figures stormed the US Embassy in Iraqs capital, The first brigade of the 82nd Airborne was in Kuwait and then in Baghdad. They were able to do that based on the organizations that are already sitting there in-theater, Gen. Garrett told Al-Monitor in a phone interview.

Having military-to-military relationships is very, very important, he said. You have to have some of that in place.

Questions about the future scope of Spartan Shield, and by extension the role of the United States in the Middle East, are compounded by House appropriators scrutiny of a controversial budget that has long funded the US militarys operations in the region.

Spartan Shield is largely underpinned by an undisclosed chunk of the Overseas Contingency Operations (OCO) budget, which is not subject to spending caps and has been criticized as a slush fund that allows the military to expand regional endeavors at the cost of strategic priorities.

A House Committee on Appropriations report recently called the OCO an abject failure that has given the Pentagon a budgetary relief valve that has allowed it to avoid making difficult decisions.

Brig. Gen. Van said the OCO is essential to meeting Spartan Shields current goals in the Middle East. Without it, he said, We cannot counter Iranian malign influence. We definitely couldnt compete against Russia and China in the region.

The program also pulls from the Pentagons base budget, and there may be other ways to help fund it, according to Anthony Cordesman, senior Gulf analyst at the Center for International and Strategic Studies.

Brig. Gen. Van and Gen. Garrett declined to discuss numbers, but Spartan Shields reliance on reserve forces led the Army to request $1.36 billion in OCO funds to call up personnel for next year, nearly double what it requested in the same category for the militarys efforts in Afghanistan, Iraq and Syria.

It would be a little cheaper if you did have assigned forces to the region, said Brig. Gen. Van.

US [Army Central] are good stewards of the taxpayers money, he said. Were trying to keep our headcount and our operations down to a minimum footprint that maintains stability in the region.

As Defense Secretary Mark Esper looks to free up resources to counter China and Russia, CENTCOM may have a hard time justifying Spartan Shields current expenses.

And as Cordesman sees it, doubling down on military partnerships to shore up Middle Eastern governments may not be the best way for Washington to outmaneuver Russia and China.

We dont have any stable partners in the Middle East. And a lot of that isnt about their relationship with us, he told Al-Monitor.

Administration officials and top military commanders still appear to be hashing out exactly what, and where, the militarys role should be in countering Beijing and Moscow  the Trump White Houses stated strategic priority.

They have to be sensitive to how they approach this. Look at the Chinese presence in the Gulf area  in the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean  it affects three different commands; not just CENTCOM, but also AFRICOM and INDO-PACOM, Cordesman said.

Defense Secretary Espers internal review of the regional combatant commands is set to conclude by Oct. 1, but a clear articulation of Washingtons future role in the Middle East may take several months, if not years.

First, American officials and their counterparts in Baghdad must agree on the future of the presence of US troops in Iraq. Next years budget will also ultimately shape the militarys options on the ground.

Theres always going to be some type of malign actors in southwest Asia, said Brig. Gen. Van. If were not there, then Russia and China will be.

Bryant Harris contributed to this report.
GAUTIER, Mississippi -- Gautier police are investigating what they believe to be a self-defense shooting that resulted in the death of a 34-year-old man.

At about 5:13 p.m. Monday, officers responded to a report of a shooting at a residence on Courtney Drive in the Cambridge Square subdivision. Upon arriving, the found the body of a man -- later identified as 34-year-old Rico Lynch -- inside the home.

Gautier police Lt. Jerry Killingsworth said Lynch appeared to be deceased when the officers arrived and medical personnel arrived a short time later and confirmed Lynch had died.

Killingsworth said they have not designated anyone as a suspect, but have spoken with all parties, adding that the shooting appears to have been the result of an altercation between roommates.

All evidence will be presented to a Jackson County Grand Jury to determine if charges are in order, Killingsworth said -- adding that as a matter of procedure all deaths are turned over to the Grand Jury.

Anyone with information on this incident is asked to contact the Gautier Police Department at 228-497-2486 or Mississippi Coast Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898.
He's the Australian actor who rose to fame starring as troubled school bully Billy Hargrove in the Netflix hit Stranger Things.

And now, Dacre Montgomery has spoken about his rebellious past in an interview with fellow thespian Austin Butler for Netflix Queue.

Dacre, 25, admitted that he struggled to get through his first year at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and was asked to leave the course three times.

'I was a little bit arrogant': Stranger Things star Dacre Montgomery (pictured) has spoken about his rebellious past in an interview with fellow thespian Austin Butler for Netflix Queue

'I had spent so long manifesting this idea that I wanted to go to drama school, and once I was there, I was maybe a little bit arrogant,' he explained.

Dacre continued: 'I didn't want to learn Feldenkrais, I didn't want to learn these multiple vocal techniques.

'There was a lot of stuff going on in my life: I got fired from my job, my girlfriend and I went on a break, all this stuff happened at the end of first year.

Ego: Dacre, 25, admitted that he struggled to get through his first year at the prestigious Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts and was asked to leave the course three times

'The staff said, "Look, if you want to come back here after the summer, you've got to think long and hard about what you're capable of."'

After taking a short break, Dacre returned with a different perspective and attitude.

He said: 'I came back, and we had our first public plays, and it was amazing.'

Although he found fame as Billy Hargrove in Stranger Things, Dacre has made no secret of his passion for poetry.

Back in April, the actor revealed he had signed a publishing deal.

He is set to release a book of poetry with Andrews McMeel, the same publishing house behind Cody Simpson's upcoming book.

'I had spent so long manifesting this idea that I wanted to go to drama school, and once I was there, I was maybe a little bit arrogant,' he explained. Pictured in Netflix's Stranger Things

'Very excited to share this news with you all!' Dacre announced on Instagram Stories at the time.

'I've been doing a podcast for over two years. It's kind of an amalgamation of beat poetry that I've been writing for a long time, and I collated into six distinct tracks.'

Dacre, whose as-yet-untitled book will be released later in the year, will also soon star in the The Broken Hearts Gallery, a movie produced by Selena Gomez.
Looking to support growth in the company's insurance operations, Markel Corp. (NYSE:MKL) co-CEO Tom Gayner (Trades, Portfolio) said in a July 29 earnings call that he significantly reduced the Virginia-based insurance company's exposure to publicly-traded securities during the strong market rally of the second quarter. Among Gayner's double-digit sale transactions, the top five divestments in terms of portfolio weight were CarMax Inc. (NYSE:KMX), Marriott International Inc. (NASDAQ:MAR), Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc. (NASDAQ:WBA), Automatic Data Processing Inc. (NASDAQ:ADP) and Anthem Inc. (NYSE:ANTM).





Guru cuts back on equity exposure following strong market rally

Gayner said during the earnings call that Markel's individual equity purchase and sale decisions continue to stem from a four-step process that mirrors that of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. (NYSE:BRK.A)(NYSE:BRK.B) co-managers Warren Buffett (Trades, Portfolio) and Charlie Munger (Trades, Portfolio): "good returns on capital with not too much debt, run by managers with equal measures of talent and integrity, with reinvestment opportunities and capital discipline at fair prices." Equity positions in Markel's investment portfolio gained 18% during the second quarter as the U.S. market rallied during May and June on the economy reopening across the nation. The second-quarter gains offset the first-quarter decline of 22%; equity losses now stand at approximately 8.40% year to date.

Gayner then discussed that given the growth in opportunities to increase insurance premiums and the "tough combination" of first-quarter equity losses and effects on tangible capital, he decided to "reduce [the company's] exposure" to publicly-traded equities during the second-quarter market rally, selling out of over 15 positions total.

Story continues

CarMax

Gayner sold 4,913,070 shares of CarMax, knocking 4.98% off the equity portfolio. Shares averaged $77.86 and gained approximately 70% during the second quarter.

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The Richmond, Virginia-based company sells, finances and services used and new cars through a network of over 200 retail stores. GuruFocus ranks the company's profitability 7 out of 10: Even though operating margins have declined and are underperforming over 59% of global competitors, CarMax has consistent revenue growth, as evidenced by its four-star business predictability rank.

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Gurus with large holdings in CarMax include PRIMECAP Management (Trades, Portfolio), Ruane Cunniff (Trades, Portfolio) and Chuck Akre (Trades, Portfolio)'s Akre Capital Management.

fd47f56ed78872355a2d01a35df8a5d7.png

Marriott

Gayner sold 1,592,769 shares of Marriott, trimming the equity portfolio 2.24%. Shares averaged $86.65 and gained approximately 25.26% during the second quarter.

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The Bethesda, Maryland-based company operates a wide range of hotel brands, including Marriott, Courtyard and Sheraton. GuruFocus ranks the company's profitability 7 out of 10 on the back of expanding operating margins and a return on assets that outperforms over 70% of global competitors.

9c51f5ed40c85e8165b9f325b5468135.png

Walgreens

Gayner sold 1,782,500 shares of Walgreens, trimming the equity portfolio 1.53%. Shares averaged around $42.49 and took a 3.93% loss during the second quarter.

724b4c5210a11c9a62386f96ef6401c5.png

GuruFocus ranks the Deerfield, Illinois-based health care provider's profitability 8 out of 10 on the back of a four-star business predictability rank and a three-year revenue growth rate that outperforms over 63% of global competitors. Despite this, operating margins have declined and are underperforming over 64% of global health care peers.

151afc54d0d6f46b3502a48a8d9ba2fb.png

Automatic Data Processing

Gayner sold 530,700 shares of Automatic Data Processing, trimming the equity portfolio 1.37%. Shares averaged $142.98 and gained 15.65% during the second quarter.

906fa6fc8084885fc5064dad0e78249b.png

GuruFocus ranks the Roseland, New Jersey-based payroll processor's profitability 8 out of 10 on several positive investing signs, which include consistent revenue growth and an operating margin that has increased approximately 3.4% per year on average over the past five years and is outperforming over 89% of global competitors.

becee4c01a0f0515f4b45b66cb9ffe87.png

Anthem

Gayner sold 174,000 shares of Anthem, trimming the equity portfolio 0.74%. Shares averaged $265.97 and gained 25.82% during the second quarter.

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GuruFocus gives the Indianapolis-based health care company a four-star predictability rank on the heels of strong and consistent revenue and earnings growth over the past 10 years.

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Disclosure: No positions.

Read more here:

Warren Buffett's Market Indicator Breaks 155%

Google Parent Alphabet Sinks on Otherwise Strong Day for Big Tech

The 4 Most-Voted Stocks in the Considering Basket as of July







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This article first appeared on GuruFocus.






Chandigarh, Aug 4 : Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that no one, whether a politician or a public servant, will be spared if found complicit in the recent hooch tragedy which snuffed out the lives of 111 people in the state.

The Chief Minister said that nobody will be allowed to get away with killing people with the poison called spurious liquor, adding that he has deployed the entire force of Punjab Police to crack down on the liquor mafia.

Some unscrupulous elements took advantage of the police's focus on battling the Covid-19 pandemic to satiate their greed at the cost of the lives of the people of Punjab, said the Chief Minister.

While the state government was busy battling the Covid-19 outbreak, which has claimed 449 lives in the state so far, the liquor mafia seized the opportunity to play with the lives of the people, he added.

This is sheer murder and the killers will not get away with it, Amarinder Singh said, referring to the death of 111 people -- 83 from Tarn Taran, 15 from Amritsar and 13 from Batala -- due to the consumption of spurious liquor.

"They knew this could kill and yet they supplied and sold the poison to the innocent people. They deserve no mercy," said Amarinder Singh, adding that his government stood with the families of the deceased in their hour of grief and he will leave no stone unturned to ensure justice for them.

Castigating the opposition for exploiting the tragedy for their petty political interests, the Chief Minister said that this is not the time to play politics but to stand by the government in its efforts to eliminate the liquor mafia that is indulging in such acts.

He also flayed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for holding sit-in protests against the hooch tragedy, and asked how this would help in battling the mafia or supporting the bereaved families.

The Chief Minister pointed out that such tragedies have been taking place through the years across states under different political dispensations.

Mafias and criminals do not have any political affiliation, their only interest is to earn money by hook or crook, he said, noting that the year 2019 had seen three hooch tragedies, all in the BJP-ruled states of Assam, Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, claiming 168, 97 and 30 lives, respectively.

In 2016, 16 people had died in the Janata Dal-ruled Bihar while in 2015, the BJP-led Maharashtra had lost 102 lives to hooch in Mumbai, and under the Trinamool Congress rule in West Bengal, as many as 167 people had died after consuming spurious liquor.

Almost every year, India witnesses hooch tragedy in some form or the other, which has nothing to do with who is in power in the affected state, said Amarinder Singh as he urged the opposition parties to stop playing politics over the lives of innocent Punjabis.

"Our people don't care which party is ruling the state, all they want is justice for their loved ones who fell victim to the greed of the liquor mafia," he said, pointing out that Punjab had also witnessed similar tragedies under the SAD-BJP regime.

The Chief Minister urged the Opposition to rise, for once, above their petty political interests and fight for justice for the people.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 20:34:38|Editor: huaxia

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RAMALLAH, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A senior Palestinian official said on Tuesday that Israel is accelerating its move to implement the plan of annexing parts of the West Bank.

Walid Assaf, head of the National Commission to Resist the Wall and Settlements in the West Bank, told reporters that the West Bank witnesses unprecedented Israeli escalation, mainly the confiscation of lands and settlement expansion.

"The Israeli government has officially postponed the implementation of its annexation plan, but what is happening on the ground is a large preparation for implementing the plan," he said.

Oslo peace accords signed between Israel and the Palestinians in 1993 had divided the West Bank into three areas, as Area A is under the full security and administrative control of the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Area B is under joined Israeli security control and PA administrative rule, while Area C is under full Israeli control.

"There is a significant and unprecedented Israeli escalation of confiscating lands and expanding settlements in Areas C to impose new realities on the ground," said Assaf.

The Palestinian official said that these moves did not take place haphazardly and the Israelis carried them out in certain areas.

He called for organizing "official and public campaigns" to defend the targeted Palestinian lands and topple the annexation plan, which undermines the vision of the two-state solution. Enditem
Health bosses have not yet reimbursed nurses with the pay they docked from their wages as they fought for safer conditions in the NHS six months ago, it can be revealed.

Thousands of healthcare workers, including some of the lowest paid NHS employees, lost hundreds of pounds as a result of their unprecedented strike action taken during the winter months.

The failure by the Executive to approve the repayment of the money is the latest slap in the face for nurses who have put their lives at risk to prop up the crisis-hit NHS throughout the Covid-19 pandemic.

It comes as healthcare workers face having to pay to use hospital car parks again after bosses controversially reinstated charges for staff.

Read More

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) has hit out at the Department of Health for its failure to include the docked money in nurses' July wages.

Rita Devlin, RCN (NI) associate director, said: "Nurses working on the front line have been under sustained pressure over the past few months as they have continued to care for and treat patients during the Covid-19 pandemic.

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"Learning that money had been secured to reimburse pay lost during strike action was a welcome boost.

"It has been disappointing that this has yet to be paid.

"The Department of Health has advised us that a paper is with the Executive on this issue."

The failure to pay the money in July comes despite the RCN making a plea in June for the matter to be resolved as a matter of urgency.

Nurses took to the picket line in December and January in a bid to secure safe staffing levels and better pay for healthcare workers.

The stand-off with health bosses came to an end after the Assembly was reinstated at the start of the year. However, staff involved in the strike had money docked from their wages for the time they took part in the industrial action.

Funding was subsequently made available to the Department of Health to enable it to reimburse affected workers, but Health Minister Robin Swann has said he needs Executive approval before it can be paid to nurses.

A query was submitted to the Department of Health asking whether the docked pay would be included in July's pay and for an explanation for why this would not happen.

The department was also asked whether the Executive has met to discuss the matter.

A spokeswoman said: "The Health Minister is seeking further engagement with the Executive to clarify some of the wider issues raised by this proposal."

The RCN is pressing for Mr Swann to deliver on the promises made when he took up his post in January.

Among the demands nurses were calling for during the strike action was pay parity with colleagues in the rest of the UK and an increase in the number of staff working across the health service.

Limited action has been taken to date, with health officials citing the pandemic as a significant reason for delays.

Meanwhile, a freeze on car parking charges at hospitals here has come to an end.

Responding to an Assembly question on the issue, Mr Swann said the measure was put in place "in recognition of the unprecedented nature of the Covid-19 pandemic" and the dedication of staff working hard to keep the NHS running through the initial stages of the pandemic.

He said continuing with free parking indefinitely will create access problems for staff and visitors and will also reduce the amount of money available to fund patient care.

He added that "the position will be kept under review in the context of the evolving position as regards the prevalence and impact of Covid-19".
August 04 : Among the A-listers of Bollywood, Akshay Kumar is the first to resume work amid COVID unlock 3, sending a positive message in the industry. While the Kesari actor announced his upcoming film Raksha Bandhan on Monday, he will soon jet off to the UK to shoot for his film Bell Bottom.

Talking to a news portal, the actor said despite his concern about the coronavirus pandemic, he feels that he can no longer live in fear and has to resume work. He pointed out that now with time, we know more about the virus, and with strong immunity, it is possible to beat the virus. He said he is taking all precautions for himself as well as for his entire team while he starts shoot of Bell Bottom this month.

The actor is always at work. Even at the peak of the COVID pandemic in May, Akshay had shot for a coronavirus awareness ad. In July, he shot for seven ads in just 10 days. After Bell Bottom, he will shoot for Aanand L Rais film Atrangi Re in October. The actor will also start shooting for his debut web series that is slated for 2021. Akshay will be next seen in Rohit Shettys Sooryavanshi that will hit the cinemas this Diwali.
US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a new Executive Order on aligning federal contracting and hiring practices with the "interest of American workers". It called for prohibiting American employers from using H-1B workers to displace Americans in outsourcing contracts.

"Today I'm signing an executive order to ensure that the federal government lives by a very simple rule: Hire American. We've been doing it at a level that hasn't been done maybe ever," President Trump said.

Hire Americans

This ensures that US federal agencies will prioritise hiring Americans rather than signing on foreign workers majority of those who are on H-1B visas.

The US President stated he will be taking firm, disciplinary action against the leadership of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which has "sadly and cruelly" betrayed American workers.

"As we speak, we're finalizing H1-B regulations so that no American worker is replaced ever again. H1-Bs should be used for the top, highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour program to destroy American jobs," he said.

Should not have negative impact on economy

The US President said formally removing the chairman of the board, James Thompson, and board member Richard Howorth. "If the TVA does not move swiftly to reverse their decision to rehire their workers, then more board members will be removed. We have the absolute right to remove board members," he said.

The Executive order signed by President Trump states that "the head of each agency that enters into contracts shall assess any negative impact of contractors' and subcontractors' temporary foreign labor hiring practices or offshoring practices on the economy and efficiency of Federal procurement and on the national security, and propose action, if necessary and as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to improve the economy and efficiency of Federal procurement and protect the national security."

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(TNS)  For more than year, state officials and community groups in California have pushed a singular message: the importance of filling out the decennial count.Organizations canvassed neighborhoods, and hosted rallies and information sessions where they explained how census data turns into federal dollars that trickle down to cities and states. After the coronavirus pandemic wiped out the chance to gather in person, they started phone banks and honed social media campaigns.Those efforts, officials said, have achieved some of the best results in the country in getting the hardest-to-count communities to respond  of the estimated 3.5 million to 4.1 million households in that category, some 2 million have replied  although there is still work to be done to ensure a more complete count of historically underrepresented groups.Now officials have discovered a different problem to worry about: Some affluent California neighborhoods have fallen far behind in their response rates compared with the 2010 count. "In Los Angeles, we see a low response from Malibu to Beverly Hills and even into Studio City," Ditas Katague, director of the California Complete Count Census 2020 Office, said on a Monday call with reporters. "That's concerning and alarming to us."Although some of those regions fell below the statewide self-response rate in 2010, the roughly 36 percent response rate in parts of Malibu  and the resulting 20 percentage point gap from the last count  is "unprecedented," officials said. Katague said her office has seen a similar phenomenon in other upscale areas of the state, such as parts of Newport Beach and Carmel-by-the-Sea.Several of the state's difficult-to-count tracts  where barriers exist to full and representative inclusion  are behind their 2010 self-response rates, such as spots in Boyle Heights and Santa Ana. But more surprising were pockets in the Bay Area's Marina, Cow Hollow, Pacific Heights and Presidio neighborhoods where there is a nearly 20-point lag in response rates, census workers said.Officials said it isn't clear what's behind the drop in participation. But demographers have pointed to the pandemic as a major source of the problem. Some say that, as in New York City, rich Californians may have fled their homes for vacation houses. Others believe it could be that some households haven't responded because their California addresses don't represent their main residence."It's the Manhattan effect. It's the same thing in New York," said USC demographer Dowell Myers. "In San Francisco, people who have alternate locations shifted away from the danger, and the middle class and working class stayed put."The [U.S.] Census Bureau put a lot of effort into the hard-to-count areas, but they didn't plan on this other thing happening. How could they?"The pandemic has disrupted the count in many communities, Myers said, "but you do need to sort of shock them with the consequences.""If they don't get counted, they will get public resources diverted from their communities," he said. "There will be downward pressure on their share of the public dollars, on their share of services, on their share of everything."The virus is affecting people's responses "regardless of economic background, regardless of political party," said Emilio Vaca, deputy director of the California Complete Count Census 2020 Office."What gets impacted is the social networks that people go to, and so in the hard-to-count communities, people may not be able to go to the local library or family resource center because they're sheltered in place," he said.The state made a sizable investment in the 2020 count, according to the Public Policy Institute of California, pouring some $187 million into census-related activities since 2018.The census office in California said it has focused its outreach on the most difficult to track households  including communities of color, those who don't have broadband internet access, people who speak English as a second language and those who live at or near the poverty line  because they have historically been at greater risk of being missed in the census.Households in Malibu and Beverly Hills typically haven't needed the extra nudge to participate, said Diana Crofts-Pelayo, spokeswoman for California Complete Count."You're also seeing a potential behavior change when it comes to people's prioritization of day-to-day activity and civic engagement," she said. "If you're caring for a loved one or someone with COVID, maybe the census is the last thing on your mind."States draw on census data to form school district boundaries, and many of the services that people rely on in California, such as nutrition programs and housing assistance, are tied to funds calculated using the census. In 2015, the most recent year for which an estimate is available, California received about $77 billion in census-related funding  "more than 80 percent of the total federal funds the state received that year," according to a report from PPIC.In fiscal year 2017, 316 federal spending programs called on 2010 census-derived data to distribute $1.5 trillion to state and local governments, nonprofits, businesses and households throughout the country, research from the George Washington Institute of Public Policy shows. At stake are not only federal tax dollars, but also political redistricting and the reapportionment of seats that each state is allocated in the U.S. House of Representatives.So far, 9.7 million California households have responded to the census. California's self-response rate is above the national average, at 64.2 percent versus 62.9 percent, but ranks 22nd among all U.S. states.Those figures belie another problem with census replies, said Paul Ong, director of UCLA's Center for Neighborhood Knowledge: the high chance of a "differential undercount," in which one group is less likely to be included than another group."Historically, this has included low-income households, people of color, Indigenous individuals, and immigrants. There are enormous political and economic implications from a racially biased census count," Ong said."Marginalized populations will be further disenfranchised and disproportionately left out for public funds and services."Ong said he believes that the country is facing a "massive problem" at this stage of the census count compared to 2010. The next phase of the enumeration, the "Nonresponse Followup Operation" that begins in most of the nation Aug. 11, will determine the size of a racial differential undercount, he said.That process, in which census workers will begin crucial door-knocking efforts, "will face many barriers and challenges to close the looming and massive bias." Those field data collection efforts  as well as self-response options  will end Sept. 30, a month sooner than initially scheduled.It's "certainly true" that some wealthier areas are not responding at their typical rates, Ong said, adding that he doesn't discount the issue. But to him, that's not the biggest problem."If we have to put in more resources in the last few months of the count, that is not my priority. It's more important to get the hard-to-count communities, because they are the ones on average really left behind," he said."Think about a hurricane hitting New Orleans again. You could always make stories that even rich neighborhoods have been hurt, but that narrative misses the fact that it is really the poor neighborhoods, with the least resources, disproportionately hurt."
The number of fires in the Amazon region showed a dramatic increase in the Amazon region in July compared to July last year, according to official figures from Brazil.

Brazil's National Space Agency revealed that there are 6,803 fires, a 28 percent increase. In July 2019, there were 5,318.

Last month, the National Institute for Space Research (INPE) recorded 2,248 fires, compared to 1,880 fires recorded in the same month last year.

Since the reports of increased fire last month, concerns are mounting that this year's fires would exceed the blazes from last year. In August 2019, fires peaked to 30,901, thrice the number recorded in 2018.

READ: Deadliest Year for Environmental Defenders; 212 Death Toll in 2019



Alarmed by the numbers

Erica Berenguer, an Amazon ecologist and a senior research associate at the University of Oxford, said that she was alarmed by the numbers as July is the burning season. "This is an indicator that the rest of the burning season is going to be very intense," she said.

The science director of Amazon Environmental Research Institute (IPAM), Ane Alencar, shares the same concern, Ane Alencar.

Last June, Greenpeace reports more than two thousand fires in Amazon, the highest in the past 13 years.

The burning season lasts typically from June to September every year.

The Amazon spreads on several South American countries, but 60 percent is in Brazil. It is the home of millions of species of flora and fauna and the home of millions of indigenous peoples.



Cause of Fire Outbreaks

In 2019, IPAM revealed that 33 percent of the fire outbreaks were from private lands, followed by areas with no specified land use. Alencar said that the fires in 2019 were not triggered by drought, but high deforestation levels as 2019 have not been particularly dry compared to previous years.

This year, illegal loggers and farmers wanting to clear the ground quickly deliberately started the forest fires in the country.

Agricultural and mining activities are encouraged by Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro as he believes that there should be more "development and economic opportunities" in the Amazon region.

Bolsonaro criticized its environmental agency of the country for imposing excessive fines on his first year of office. A drastic decrease in penalties for environmental violations was imposed. The increasing number of fires corresponded with a sharp drop in penalties for environmental violations, while the environmental agency remains understaffed and underfunded.

READ ALSO: Largest Meat Company JBS Linked to Amazon Farm Conducting Illegal Deforestation



A Call for More Meaningful Actions

Conservation groups accuse the government of inaction as concerns that another 2019 forest fire situation must not happen again. The pandemic is also worsening the situation as arson incidences are monitored less. Brazil is the second-highest coronavirus death toll in the world next to the US. The increased smoke could damage the breathing of virus patients.

After the increased numbers of fires last year, Greenpeace cites that many investors, companies, and governments have expressed their concern about the destruction of the Amazon forest. They are sending a message that they refuse to do business with forest destroyers.

Bolsonaro announced a fire moratorium for 120 days, but Greenpeace called the measure as "performative and inefficient."

Greenpeace said that to protect Amazon and its peoples, the Brazilian government needs to increase environmental agencies' funding, strictly implement the environmental laws, and protect the Indigenous People's rights.

READ NEXT: A River of Black Sludge With Debris Flooding Through Arizona
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Belmont Resources Inc. ("Belmont"), (or the "Company"), (TSXV:BEA)(FSE:L3L1)(DTC Eligible - CUSIP 080499502 -new).

Annual General Meeting Results;

Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX-V: BEA) is pleased to announce that the nominees listed in the management Information Circular for the 2020 Annual General Meeting of Shareholders (the "AGM") held on July 30, 2020 were elected as directors of the Company. The shareholders re-elected James H. Place, Gary Musil, and Vojtech Agyagos, and newly elected George Sookochoff and Laurence Sookochoff for the upcoming year.

The scrutineer reported that there were a total of 24 shareholders holding 2,766,169 common shares represented in person or by proxy at the meeting. This represented 11.45% of the total 24,162.155 issued and outstanding at record date. Detailed results of the vote for the election of directors are set out below:

Nominee Votes For % For Votes Withheld % Withheld George Sookochoff 2,766,169 100.00% Gary Musil 2,766,169 100.00% James H. Place 2,735,857 98.89% 30,312 1.11% Vojtech Agyagos 2,765,857 99.99% 312 0.01% Laurence Sookochoff 2,764,169 99.93% 2,000 0.07%



Other resolutions submitted by management to shareholders for consideration were approved as presented, including the approval of the Company's Stock Option Plan as summarized in the Information Circular (98.90% For; 1.10% Against). Approval of the re-appointment of Dale Matheson Carr-Hilton Labonte LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditors for the ensuing year, and authorized the Directors to fix their remuneration (99.93% For; 0.07% Withheld).

George Sookochoff joined the Board of Directors in October 2019 and was appointed President & CEO in November 2019.

The Company would like to welcome a new Director - Laurence Sookochoff, P.Eng.

Laurence has had over 50 years of experience in the mining and mineral exploration industry. He has authored well over 1,400 reports and was a founding director of many companies including Corona Resources Ltd. which was instrumental in the discovery of the Hemlo gold deposit in 1982. The Hemlo discovery was the most significant gold discovery in North America and was in production as the David Bell Mine from 1982 to 2013 having produced over four million ounces of gold.

Having been born and raised in Grand Forks and having consulted and written numerous reports for junior mining companies with projects in this area Laurence brings a wealth of experience to Belmont Resources Ltd. in Belmont's acquisition of mineral properties in the historic Phoenix Mining Camp located between Grand Forks and Greenwood in the southern interior of British Columbia.

He worked at the Phoenix Mine when Granby operated the Phoenix Mine from 1959 to 1976. He was the supervisor of the diamond drilling and drift development at the adjacent Golden Crown Mine, in addition to the supervision of an exploration program at the recent Belmont acquisition of the Pathfinder Property.

Laurence commented "I look forward joining the Belmont Board and returning to the prolific Greenwood mining camp as I strongly believe, along with Belmont management, that this area has significant potential for the discovery of deep seated copper gold porphyry deposits".

At the Directors Meeting following the AGM; the directors appointed George Sookochoff as President/Chief Executive Officer & Chairman, and Gary Musil as Corporate Secretary/Chief Financial Officer. The Audit Committee appointees are: Gary Musil, Vojtech Agyagos & Laurence Sookochoff.

The Board of Directors would like to thank the Company's shareholders for their continued support throughout the past year, and a looking forward to a very active exploration season in the Greenwood Gold Camp.

About Belmont Resources Inc.

Belmont Resources Inc. is a Canadian based resource company traded on the TSX-V under the symbol "BEA". The Company is systematically evaluating and acquiring gold properties in Southern British Columbia and Northern Washington State.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

"George Sookochoff"

George Sookochoff, CEO/President

Ph: 604-683-6648

Email: george@belmontresources.com

Website: www.BelmontResources.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

This Press Release may contain forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties, based on assumptions and judgments of management regarding future events or results that may prove to be inaccurate as a result of exploration and other risk factors beyond its control. Forward looking statements in this news release include statements about the possible raising of capital and exploration of our properties. Actual events or results could differ materially from the Companies forward-looking statements and expectations. These risks and uncertainties include, among other things, that we may not be able to obtain regulatory approval; that we may not be able to raise funds required, that conditions to closing may not be fulfilled and we may not be able to organize and carry out an exploration program in 2020, and other risks associated with being a mineral exploration and development company. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by applicable laws, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

SOURCE: Belmont Resources Inc.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600271/Belmont-Announces-Election-of-Directors-and-AGM-Results
Airport:--- The plans for a fully enhanced Airport Terminal Building was presented to members of the media on Tuesday by PJIAE Project Director Mirto Breell via a teams meeting.

PJIAE communication officer Audrey St Luce Jack organized the stakeholder's meeting as PJIAE is moving a bit closer to starting the project which kicked off some three years ago when the Terminal Building was destroyed by Hurricane Irma in 2017.

Breell said the remediation project that was scheduled to kick off in March 2020 had to be delayed due to fact that PJIAE had to pull back the first bid and now placed another bid on July 27th, 2020 to include local contractors. Breell admitted that the first bid that was published by PJIAE did not include local contractors because the management of PJAIE did not believe local contractors were equipped for the job.

He said last Friday some 21 contractors participated in a virtual tour of the building. He said some 21 local contractors also showed interest in the project. It is expected that some work for the remediation will begin in September 2020 and should be completed in the first quarter of 2021. The reconstruction of the terminal building bid is expected to go out sometime in August or September 2020 and should be finalized by December 2020, while the project may kick off by April 2021. The entire project is tentatively scheduled for completion in 2023. The estimated cost for the project is to the tune of $107M. $50M secured from the World Bank, $50M from the European Investment Bank while PJIAE contributed $7M from its insurance funds.

Three years later, and the reconstruction of the terminal building could not take place due to the lack of funding since the passing of Hurricane Irma in September 2017. Breell said that funding was secured in 2019 when the World Bank got involved in. He explained that the funds are now available while the plans are in place. The funding is monitored by the NRPB locally.

While the designs seem attractive here there is no area secured for US preclearance. Breell explained that PJIAE does not have the money available to fully established the US preclearance but said some plans are in place to begin the first phase of the preclearance. He said after the reconstruction PJIAE will do some extension to its building to house the US Preclearance.
LANSDOWNE, Va., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation announced the opening of applications for its Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship , which is designed to help reduce financial barriers for talented students applying to selective colleges and universities. In addition to the financial award, selected students receive college planning guidance and ongoing advising throughout their college experience and early career. Students also benefit from joining a unique network of scholars and alumni.

"We know that community college students demonstrate great leadership and academic achievements, yet are often overlooked by selective colleges and universities," said Seppy Basili, the Foundation's executive director. "We are proud to shine a spotlight on exceptional community college students, and offer a community of peers, advisers, and alumni that can support their transition to a new institution, and to a meaningful career."

The Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship , awards community college students with up to $40,000 per year for up to three years to complete their bachelor's degree. The application is available exclusively via the Common App's online platform, which provides a familiar and streamlined experience for students.

"Community college can be a terrific, affordable pathway to some of our country's top universities," said Jenny Rickard, President and CEO of Common App. "We are committed to helping vulnerable students and students of color access a life-changing postsecondary education, and believe the Cooke Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship is among the best opportunities for exceptionally talented students. Cost should not get in the way, and we are proud to make accessing financial aid easier for students."

To be eligible for the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship, at a minimum, applicants must meet the following eligibility requirements:

Sophomore Status  Be a current student at an accredited U.S. community college or two-year institution with sophomore status by January 1, 2021 , or a recent graduate (since spring 2016).

, or a recent graduate (since spring 2016). Fall College Enrollment Plan to enroll full-time in a baccalaureate program at an accredited college or university in fall 2021.

GPA Have a cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 3.50 or better on a 4.0 scale (or the equivalent).

Financial Need Demonstrate unmet financial need. We will consider applicants with family income up to $95,000 .

. No previous enrollment or attendance at a four-year institution  Students who have attended a four-year institution in the past are not eligible for this scholarship.

The Foundation received nearly 1,500 completed Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship applications last year and selected 50 Cooke Transfer Scholars. Before heading to campus this fall, new scholars have the opportunity to virtually connect and network with their cohort, and participate in college and career workshops led by program staff and alumni.

The final deadline to submit the completed Undergraduate Transfer Scholarship application is January 6, 2021. The application will close at midnight in the applicant's local time zone.

For more details on the scholarships and the application process, please visit: www.jkcf.org/transfer .

About the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation:

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation is dedicated to advancing the education of exceptionally promising students who have financial need. Since 2000, the Foundation has awarded over $222 million in scholarships to over 2,800 students from 8th grade through graduate school, along with comprehensive educational advising and other support services. The Foundation has also provided $115 million in grants to organizations that serve such students. www.jkcf.org

SOURCE Jack Kent Cooke Foundation
T he campaign to update Britains crumbling and unfair leasehold system is gathering pace, with the Government under increasing pressure to liberate owners of flats from their shackles.

A landmark series of reports by the Law Commission, the panel of experts which advises the Government on legal matters, was published last month calling for an urgent shake-up.

The commission believes it should be made easier for homeowners to buy out their leases and extricate themselves from the current feudal system.

But the road to freedom will be neither simple nor speedy:

What is a leasehold?

Most flats are sold not outright but on a leasehold basis  owners effectively buy the right to the property for a set amount of time. They pay an annual ground rent to a freeholder who manages the building, organising everything from cleaning of hallways to insuring the property, to making sure it is fire-safe.

In big developments the leaseholders often pay a monthly service charge to cover these costs. In smaller-scale buildings  a converted period house, for example  they may pay bills on a more ad hoc basis.

How many people live in leasehold properties?

It is estimated that there are at least four million leasehold homes in Britain. In London almost all flats are leasehold. Houses, by contrast, tend to be sold on a freehold basis.

What is the problem?

Where do we start? Ground rents can be very high, there have been reports of freeholders refusing to allow owners to make changes to their homes without paying a fee, and there are often complaints about very high service charges and poor quality of building management. Some leases ban you from keeping pets or renting out the property.

Can you extend your lease?

Yes, usually to a maximum of 125 years, although it varies from property to property.

The issue is that the process is complex and expensive.

How much you pay depends on a hugely elaborate formula linking the value of the property to the length of the remaining lease and the ground rent.

As well as the cost of extending the lease you will need a lawyer to deal with all the small print. You also have to foot your landlords legal bills.

Most people remortgage their home to pay to extend the lease, although this only works if the property has gone up in value since you bought it.

Failure to extend a lease has serious repercussions.

Once it dwindles to less than around 80 years it can really affect the resale value of a property  the shorter the lease the more it will impact the price. If it runs out completely the leaseholder must forfeit the home altogether.

Ive heard about people buying their freehold. What is that about?

Residents can club together and buy out the freehold of their building, becoming joint directors of a company which runs and owns the property. There are huge benefits to doing this. You can usually extend your leases to 999 years, you can choose your own builders when maintenance is needed, and there are generally no ground rent requirements. Owning a share of freehold will also increase the value of a flat. The downside is that it costs more than extending a lease and you need to get your neighbours to agree to the takeover and then work with them to run the building. This can be a very delicate, time-consuming scenario.

Where does the Government stand on all this?

Almost three years ago, in September 2017 Sajid Javid, then the communities secretary, promised an end to the feudal practice of leasehold. He called for new rules to make extending a lease or purchasing a freehold much easier, faster and cheaper. The Law Commission was then asked to look at the subject of leasehold reform and report back.

Has it done anything?

Last year the Government took action against developers who sell leasehold homes, banning the practice when the property is a house, and cutting ground rents on new leases for apartments to zero. However, the ban is not retrospective, leaving an estimated 100,000 stuck in unsellable homes with crippling ground rents, and freehold flats can still be sold.

What about people who are already freeholders?

This year the Law Commission called for the process of extending or buying a lease to be simplified, and for costs to be capped. It took the example of someone with a 250,000 property with only 76 years left on the lease, who was paying a ground rent of 50 which would rise to 200 a year as the lease got shorter. Under the current system it would cost 16,453 to buy out the lease. The Law Commission proposed a different formula, which would cut costs to around 10,000. Campaigners say this is still too expensive.

What is the alternative to the freehold/leasehold system?

The Law Commission wants to move over to a new system, called commonhold, where people own the freehold of their individual flat. They then manage the maintenance of the building jointly, or appoint a building manager. They wont have to pay any ground rent and will have more control about how their building is run.

That sounds good. Whats the catch?

Neighbours will have to work together, and getting lots of different households to agree on how to do this and how much to spend will be very tricky, particularly in larger blocks. Nervous mortgage lenders have so far proved reluctant to lend on the handful of commonhold homes that already exist.

What happens now?

Watch this space. Campaign group National Leasehold Campaign complains of years of empty promises on the topic of leasehold reform. And to be fair the Government clearly has other matters on its plate right now.
Election chaos. Thats the latest thing to fear this week. Trump apparently wants us to fear an inaccurate and fraudulent election, because so many ballots will be mailed in. His opponents apparently want you to fear that the fear hes ginning up will somehow empower him to reject the election results. And it seems that the media want you to fear an untraditional Election Night and that the counting of mail-in ballots will cause delays, with opportunistic charges and counter-charges of stolen and fraudulent results. Maybe a full-on Al Gore style in conceding could occur.

Ben Smith reports that John Podesta, the former Hillary Clinton campaign manager and blood-drinking cultist  I believe the Internet!  participated in a recent election war game in which he, playing Joe Biden, stole some Electoral College votes and depended on the threat of West Coast secession to gain the presidential office he had no legal right to occupy. Hey, maybe the Dems will steal this thing after all! We should fear the process, fear the institutional breakdown, and fear the lack of trust.

Some of these scenarios concern me. But I cant help but think that all of this is misplaced dread of the election itself.

Heres what to expect on Election Night: A nation that has grown tired, anxious, and worn out from its own political divisions over the past 20 years, one that is haunted by a fear that its institutions are fundamentally broken and unable to handle geopolitical challenges ahead, will elect a very old man who inspires little more than a sigh of relief that the other very old man didnt win.

Sure, partisans will try to impose on this event some massive epoch-shaping meaning to it all. If Trump squeaks out another win, his fans will hail him as breaking the back of the corrupt media, beating all expectations, and signaling the illegitimacy of the woke aristocracy that oversees and moderates our national conversation. We can all look forward then to the eventual diminution of COVID-19 restrictions and to a series of new presidential feuds with Joe Scarborough and Peggy Noonan, or something.

Story continues

If Biden wins, we will be told that it is the beginning of the end of illiberal democracy worldwide. His victory will be hailed as a triumph over obscurantism, hatred, and division. But Biden has already announced himself a placeholder or transitional figure, for a future Democratic Party that wouldnt quite have the mandate a victory gave him. It used to be that Democrats who wanted to avoid getting McGoverned or Mondaled looked to a Southerner. Now, to signal that they arent too woke, they must they depend on a man who is older than all the Boomers.

Even a lopsided victory for Biden and the Democrats would leave an uncertain mandate. Four years ago, we know what Trump said he would do: build a wall and rewrite the deals governing Americas trading relationships. Hes taken a few bites at that agenda. What is Bidens list? There are countless policy ideas on his website, but his campaign gives little sense about how he ranks them. All the background chatter on the Democratic side is about procedural reforms of the Senate, or even reform of the Constitution that would make it easier to pass an agenda. Theres almost no talk about what that agenda is, or why the American people would like it.

The dread is that we are a nation that is divided, but nothing of import can be resolved or reconciled in an election. America will still be at war in half a dozen countries in the Islamic world. No comprehensive strategy about managing Chinas power is on the horizon. In fact, all foreign threats or challenges will likely be ranked and reinterpreted as symbols of our domestic politics. Were going to get stirred up, but for what? A bunch of executive orders and control of the bully pulpit?

The next president will have no mandate to govern. Dont fear election chaos, fear meaninglessness. These men are placeholders.

More from National Review
Napoli keep the suspense over Insigne injury FC Barcelona - La Liga Suffered thigh injury against Lazio

Napoli are refusing to rule Lorenzo Insigne out of Saturday's Champions League clash with Barcelona.

The Italian club confirmed that the forward had suffered tendon damage in his left thigh during last Saturday's game with Lazio.

"Insigne will be closely monitored over the coming days," Napoli said in a statement.

Insigne left the pitch in tears and clearly in pain on Saturday, leading many to think that he wouldn't be able to play against Barcelona.
NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian speaks at a press conference in Homebush, Sydney, Australia on July 14, 2020. (Brook Mitchell/Getty Images)

Two Sydney Schools Closed Due to COVID 19

A high school and primary school in south-western Sydney are closed due after three students were diagnosed with COVID-19.

Bonnyrigg High School and Greenway Park Public School are both closed on August 4 for deep cleaning and contact tracing and students have been advised to self-isolate.

All students will undertake at home learning tomorrow, Bonnyrigg High School said on its website on Monday night.

Bonnyrigg High is closed on Tuesday to complete contact tracing and have the school cleaned, the post says.

All staff and students are asked to self-isolate while contact tracing occurs, it says.

Greenway Park Public School said students will learn from home on Tuesday after two students tested positive to COVID-19.

Further advice will be provided on Tuesday on when the school can reopen.

The NSW Education Department was told by NSW Health that one student from Bonnyrigg High and two from Greenway Park Public had tested positive for COVID-19.

NSW Health has requested anyone linked to the schools who has been unwell or has flu-like symptoms to be get tested.

Meanwhile, NSW Premier Glady Berejiklian has warned the state could toughen border restrictions with Victoria after a baby from Victoria was among the states latest cases of the disease.

If we have to do more, we will, she said on Monday.

NSW reported 13 new COVID-19 cases on Monday  four of which were returned travellers from overseas or Victoria, and one with no known source.

Berejiklian has stopped short of making masks compulsory, for now.

Sydney
Vincent Nolte, 19th-century German immigrant and cotton merchant, made millions after he survived a bout of yellow fever and went on to prosper in New Orleans. As historian Kathryn Olivarius writes, Nolte benefited from immunoprivilege: Since he had made it through the sickness, he became credit-worthy and found himself accepted in elite society. His experience did not, however, endow him with much sympathy for his fellow victims of yellow fever. He believed both that God had blessed him and that he had saved himself, having not at all fe[lt] like dying.

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Olivarius wrote about New Orleans 19th-century culture of immunoprivilege in the New York Times way back in April, when we didnt yet know how complicated the question of coronavirus antibodies was going to be. Back then, some were floating the idea of asking young people to deliberately infect themselves with the coronavirus so they could, brimming in antibodies, spearhead the reopening of the economy. Reading Olivarius workan article in the American Historical Review, her dissertationin the more uncertain month of August, I felt a violent shock of recognition at the social phenomena she chronicles.

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In New Orleans, Olivarius finds, elites refused to do anything at all about yellow fever for a hundred years. Theirs was a mindset of fatalism and cruelty that reinforced the societys many human hierarchies; they saw yellow fever as a dangerous rite of passage that the truly worthy would come through. But poorer people who survived yellow fever were rewarded with the worst, most dangerous jobs; white people used Black peoples supposed natural resistance to yellow fever to justify the continuation of slavery. And the wealthy often turned profoundly hypocritical when it was their own families in danger. (That eras elite fled to their summer houses too.)

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Olivarius book, Necropolis: Disease, Power, and Capitalism in the Cotton Kingdom, which will be coming out next year, is about the Deep SouthLouisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and eastern Texas. Since the work I was able to read was about 19th-century New Orleans culture of yellow fever, thats what we covered in our conversation, which has been edited and condensed for clarity.

Rebecca Onion: At this point in the pandemic, as opposed to when you first wrote about the history of immunoprivilege, we obviously dont know who is going to be immune, under what circumstances, and we may not know that for a while. There are so many uncertainties.

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So I wanted to talk about the way an attitude of fatalism around yellow fever worked to keep elites in New Orleans in charge: what they thought about their own immunity, and what those thoughts about their immunity translated into when it came to policy around the disease.

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Kathryn Olivarius: New Orleans had a big yellow fever problem in the 19th century because of three things: hot weather, a large population of Aedes aegypti mosquitos, and a lot of immunologically naive people who are densely packed together. With this, you get epidemics. New Orleans had some pretty serious epidemics in the 1790s, but then in 1804, the first year of American rule after the Louisiana Purchase, it had a very, very bad epidemic of yellow fever, and that just continued and continued through the 19th century as more and more people came there.

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There was this idea that the Louisiana Purchase was this absolute windfall for this young nation because it opened up this vast territory (which of course had thousands and thousands of people already living there, but thats what they thought). And New Orleans, because its at the base of the Mississippi River, is a strategic spot. And so there was a disease problem that set in, but also an attitude that we have to maintain New Orleans because we need this depot at the base of the Mississippi.

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There was this attitude that we cant give New Orleans up. An attitude like, A lot of people will die here, but thats the price we will pay as a nation, and individuals have to take this risk themselves. If you were a white man, and you were ambitious and wanted to make money in cotton or sugar, through the violent suppression of African and African American enslaved people, if you want to tap into this El Dorado, you have to risk your life with disease first, and thats just the way it will be.

As wild as this sounds, its even wilder when you consider how terrible yellow fever was. It was a dramatic disease.

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Yes, famously, just before you die, you vomit up this sort of coagulated blood that looks a lot like coffee groundsits very painful. I have these examples of pious minsters and pious people screaming profanities at the end. Its so painful.

But even so, one of the truisms that developed in New Orleans was that everyone has to get acclimated. Theres wrangling about what exactly it means to get acclimated. Some doctors said it just meant you basically have to live in the South for a long period of time, not survive yellow fever. Then by around the 1830s it was pretty clear: You had to have gotten sick, with yellow fever, and survived, and then developed lifetime immunity.

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But the problem is of course this getting acclimated was a very, very risky process. About 50 percent of people died.

A 50 percent case fatality rate.

Yes. In that century, yes. So youre very much gambling your life.

There developed this immune elite of white men over time. The people called Creoles, born and raised in Louisianathat terminology meant something a little different in the 19th century than it means todayprobably developed immunity early in life from having yellow fever as a child, when it was less dangerous, just some flu-like symptoms. Those men, and the Americans and European white men who came to New Orleans and who got acclimated, had this sort of guild. They adopted an attitude that, yes, its risky here, but we did itwe survived yellow fever, so you can do it too.

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And until you survive, people will not take you seriously. We will not employ you. You cannot purchase life insurance. All kinds of social disabilities were attached to not being acclimated.

Meanwhile, immigrants coming to New Orleans from the North or from Europe would die of it all the time.

Yes, New Orleans was the second biggest immigration destination after New York City for large parts of the 19th century before the Civil War, especially in the 1830s and 1840s. There was an influx of people mostly from Ireland, escaping the Potato Famine, and the German states, fleeing from the political upheavals around 1848.

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They get to New Orleans after a journey on a ship for about two or three monthsyoure going to be immunosuppressed. Bad food, bad water on board. The Middle Passage that brought Africans into slavery in the New World was far worse, but I wouldnt want to be on basically any ship in the 19th century going anywhere.

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Oh, me neither. No thanks!

So they arrived in New Orleans like this. Every mortality report you look at, you see how they died at horrible rates, extremely high death ratesin the 1853 epidemic for example, which was the worst epidemic of yellow fever in New Orleans, where about 12,000 people died1 in 12 citizens of the city, and 1 in 5 Irishmen. A hefty number of people.

A lot of Creoles were nervous about an influx of immigrants: Theyre going to run roughshod over customs and laws. So, many people living in New Orleans were actually happy about the effects that yellow fever had on the immigrant population. They used metaphors, like its checking the tide; its the dam holding back the waters.

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And of course, they said things about immigrantsthey bring it on themselves, they get it because of their dissolute lifestyle, their poor morality. Yellow fever was often called the strangers disease.

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All of this is pretty familiar in thinking about other 19th-century responses to epidemicsblaming poor people for getting cholera, for examplebut I found it extremely interesting to read your analysis of the way that rich people incorporated the death of their own into that worldview. Because sometimes they did die. You said in a footnote that it sometimes seemed like rhetorically, the rich and poor died from two different diseases. There wasnt a coherent ideology about what it meant to die from yellow fever; it shifted, based on the needs of power.

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Yes! If a rich, slaveholding white lady, a Creole lady, died from yellow fever, it was Gods will. If the poor died, they brought it on with their own dissolute choices.

This is something thats obviously happening today with COVID, where theres condemnation of some victims for having brought the disease on themselves, through mention of any number of underlying factors that are dog whistles for poverty or for being African American.

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I feel like, at the beginning of our own pandemic, a lot of us who believed the coronavirus was a big problem were saying to one another, OK, when it gets to the point where most people know somebody who has died or been very sick, even disbelievers will change their tune. With a few months experience, I see how naive that was. And your work made me see how very capable people can be of accommodating all kinds of deaths in their worldview.

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Of course! Weve learned a great deal about COVID over the past four or five months, but theres still so much we dont know, and when we dont know things, diseases are very apt to be made into metaphor, as Susan Sontag said.

I think a lot about how, in the 19th century, people in New Orleans were living in this very high-risk, low-information setting. And today, were in a high-risk, high-information setting, where we have so muchwe were able to map a genome of the coronavirus basically instantaneously; were probably on our way to a vaccine; there are already books being published about COVID. We have so much information, but theres so much its almost unintelligible, and were in the same trap as people in the past, where we pick and choose what we want to see.

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Thats another thing about the way people incorporated yellow fever into their worldview in 19th-century New Orleans: There was so much uncertainty about the epidemics. It feels like a whole century of uncertainty that youre writing about, basically.

There was so little known about it. They didnt know that it was spread by mosquitoes. There was no conclusive evidence why it came to affect certain people more than others. It wasnt clear whether a doctors attention actually helped; it wasnt clear what medicines actually worked for people.

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So basically, everyone became a 19th century version of our armchair epidemiologists. Everyone was talking about yellow fever all the time, theorizing based on what theyd heard and seen. Thats one thing people say all the time in letterstheyve just arrived in New Orleans, they know that yellow fever is a problem, but theyre exhausted, within weeks of arriving, of everyone giving them yellow fever advice. Should they be eating fruit? Should they be taking exercise? If the fever comes, should they escape town? What doctor should they use? Everybodys an expert.

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And they all spent so much money on medicine. People, even poor immigrants, were told basically to squirrel away as much as you can for their inevitable health costs, when they inevitably get yellow fever. And it was so much money to pay for treatment for a bout of yellow fever! Fifty dollars, maybe more if you went to a private hospital or used certain doctors. That was many months of salary for a clerk. And of course, this was free people; if you were enslaved and didnt have any money, you were in a particularly dire situation.

This is an era that predates health insurance of any kind. So people are spending their entire life savings, if they have life savings, on surviving the disease. There are many people who talk about how they cant plan for the future, they cant purchase property, because they have to keep this money on retainer for when they get sick.

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One thing I really wonder, given the present-day conflict between people who care about COVID deaths and people who shrug, is whether there were countervailing opinionswhether there were people who were horrified at the way New Orleans handled its epidemics, who argued for something different.

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Yes, there were! There were people who said, What are we doing? Especially by the 1850s, when there was a very large epidemic in 1853 and another one in 1854. There was at least one doctor, J.C. Simonds, who argued that there was an economic and social cost to letting yellow fever run through New Orleanshe basically said, Were losing capital, were losing reputation, because people hear about this, and not only do they physically not want to come to New Orleans in person, they dont even want to invest money here. He was saying, This is lunacy.

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By the time of the 1840s and 1850s there were doctors with a public health bent who were saying, We should be doing something like what other cities are doingimposing quarantines, which were controversial in New Orleans because they slow commerce, maybe draining the streets, installing water pumps and systems to help sanitize the city. Medical professionals in New Orleans maintained an anti-contagionist stance longer than mostthey continued to argue that yellow fever was spread miasmatically, through bad air, so that it wouldnt make a difference whether or not the city quarantined incoming vessels.

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So there are voices that do argue for trying to ameliorate the problem, but they are always much quieter than the voices that essentially say, No, we dont want to do that. New Orleans City Council spent less on public health than any other American city of its size, even other Southern cities. The elites thought, All this money, on pumps, on quarantine, is just delaying the inevitable process of acclimation.

The attitude was, Its not the governments responsibility to protect your health. You must take this on yourself. And if you survive, if youre a white man, we will help you make money. But until you get acclimated, theres nothing we can do.
WASHINGTON  A Trump administration appointee whose anti-L.G.B.T.Q. comments had spurred calls for her removal has left the United States Agency for International Development, an agency spokeswoman said on Monday.

The appointee, Merritt Corrigan, had drawn scrutiny shortly after becoming the agencys deputy White House liaison this year because of her previous statements that America is in the grip of a homo-empire pushing a tyrannical LGBT agenda. She had also argued that America has no moral imperative to accept immigrants and called for women to take up traditional roles of wife, mother and homemaker.

Ms. Corrigan said on Twitter on Monday that she had been targeted by Democrats on Capitol Hill and the news media because of her Christian faith.

For too long, Ive remained silent as the media has attacked me for my Christian beliefs, which are shared by the majority of Americans, she said, adding that gay marriage isnt marriage and men arent women.
Evie Brown (8) and dad Justin, from Dublin, enjoy a pedestrianised Drury Street in the city

Dublin City Council officials have announced they are happy with the trial pedestrianisation of the Grafton Street area and will be meeting to discuss the scheme's future.

The pedestrianisation of the south city centre area was welcomed by traders last week, as it was extended across the August bank holiday weekend.

And it seems all has gone well, as far as city officials are concerned.

A Dublin City Council spokesman said: "The relevant department has advised me that it has gone well and we will be assessing it during the week."

The area was closed to vehicles across the weekend until 11pm and now the city will have to wait and see if this plan could be extended into the future.

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The initiative had been extended, the council said, due to "extremely positive feedback" following the first weekend of the trial, which took place last weekend, and saw a number of streets pedestrianised until 7pm.

Richard Guiney, from Dublin Town, said recently: "We would like to see the trial extended to a seven-day basis to fully understand the impact for business."

The group said 2,500 business representatives in the city centre believe there are "merits in trialling and measuring the impacts of this pedestrianisation on a seven-day basis".

Boosting trade was vital from Monday to Wednesday as this is when trade is "struggling the most", the group added.

The streets were closed to traffic from 11am to 11pm across the bank holiday weekend.

The council has closely monitored the scheme.

If it is agreed there was enough positive feedback, it could now mean the Grafton Street area is closed to traffic until 11pm for the weekends of August 8 and August 15.

The measures have been rolled out to support the economic recovery of the city by providing more space for pedestrians during weekends to encourage shopping and eating out.

However, not everyone was pleased with traffic being banned from the area.

One driver took to Twitter to complain, saying: "I'm guessing Dublin City Council haven't spoken to too many motorists in Dublin about the pedestrianisation of our city.

"Motorists are being forced off the road by ridiculous decision making.

"If the roads were left the way they were 20 years ago, there would be no congestion in the city."

But Adrian Cummins, from the Restaurants Association of Ireland, welcomed the move to close down some streets to traffic.

"Dublin City Council needs to push on with pedestrianisation of trial streets to a permanent basis," he said.

"The elephant in the room, which the Government hasn't addressed, is commercial rents.

"If businesses are down 70pc, surely landlords and especially institutional landlords can reduce rent."

Five disabled parking bays were moved to alternative locations during the times of the trials.

Transformed

Last week, Dublin City Council stated that barring traffic had led to up to a 100pc upturn for businesses.

The first of the four consecutive trial weekends had resulted in increased takings of between 40pc and 100pc, according to a survey of 292 businesses in the area.

The council reported to councillors that at the start of July, figures showed Grafton Street was only trading at 20pc of pre Covid-19 levels.

Meanwhile, north of the Liffey, on Henry Street the figure was 50pc.

The car-free trial, if made a permanent fixture, could see Dublin city centre transformed into a greener capital, say supporters of the scheme.
Madhya Pradesh Congress president Kamal Nath on Tuesday hosted a 'Hanuman Chalisa' recital at his residence in Bhopal and announced sending 11 silver bricks for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya, on the eve of the 'bhoomi pujan' ceremony.

IMAGE: MP Congress chief Kamal Nath during a 'Hanuman Chalisa' recital at his residence in Bhopal on Tuesday. Photograph: Courtesy @OfficeOfKNath/Twitter

Nath said the silver bricks were bought from contributions made by members of the Congress.

"We will send 11 silver bricks for the construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya on the behalf of citizens of Madhya Pradesh," the former chief minister told reporters.

He said 'Hanuman Chalisa' was recited for happiness, progress and prosperity of Madhya Pradesh.

Welcoming the upcoming construction of a Ram temple, Nath said its foundation had been led by prime minister (late) Rajiv Gandhi 'who had opened the Ram Janmabhoomi temple site in 1985'.

"These are our sentiments... Rajivji had said in 1989 that 'Ram Rajya' should come in the country. It's due to Rajiv Gandhi that the dream of Ram temple is coming true. Had he been alive, he would have been very happy," Nath said.

The former CM also listed various works done by his government, which collapsed in March this year, for the protection of cows and development of temples.

"I had installed a huge idol of Lord Hanuman in Chhindwara. We built 'gaushalas' or cow shelters when in power. We also removed obstacles that came in the way of construction of 'Ram Van Gaman Path' (a mythological route taken by Lord Ram on his way to the 14-year exile). We had also planned the development of Mahakal and Omkareshwar temples," he said.

When asked about the Bharatiya Janata Party's allegations that the Congress lacked a firm stand on the issue of Ram temple, Nath

said, "We do think about the party line. They (the BJP) think about the party line. These are our sentiments."

Earlier in the day, Nath posted his picture clad in saffron on his Twitter profile.

Several leaders of the Congress, including former Union minister Arun Yadav and his MLA brother Sachin Yadav, have posted videos reciting 'Hanuman Chalisa' on social media.

However, the ruling BJP took a swipe at the Congress, saying it was trying to take undue credit for the Ram temple.

"How can the party whose president Sonia Gandhi has not spoken a word about Ram temple is trying to take credit? Devotees of Lord Ram understand this politics of the Congress," said state Home Minister and senior BJP leader Narottam Mishra.

He also referred to Congress veteran Digvijaya Singh's demand to postpone the Wednesday's foundation laying ceremony in Ayodhya in view of 'inauspicious muhurat'.

"Construction of a Ram temple in Ayodhya is part of the BJP's agenda," said Mishra.
Tuolumne County Board of Supervisors Sign View Photo

Sonora, CA  Despite concerns raised by members of the lodging industry, Tuolumne County will ask voters to increase the Transient Occupancy Tax in November.

If approved, the tax paid by visitors to hotels would go from the current 10-percent to 12-percent. In addition, it would also be expanded to RV parks and campgrounds (currently they are not taxed). However, it cannot legally be applied to campgrounds on state or federally owned lands.

Frank Helm, owner of Dodge Ridge said the supervisors were making a big mistake by moving this item forward, especially after a similar measure went down in defeat in March.

Cindy Zelinsky, who owns several local businesses, like the Lazy Z Resort, and Emberz, also spoke concerns, noting that she feels taxing campgrounds would feel like being taxed to visit our backyards. She stated, If you want to be successful with this, you have to have community support, and I think it is going to be very hard to find community support at this time.

Teri Marshall of Rush Creek Lodge was also critical about various aspects of the measure.

After the public comment period ended, supervisor Karl Rodefer said he was torn and saw both sides of the issue.

Supervisor Ryan Campbell then argued that new revenue from the TOT would help tourism by funding things like law enforcement, fire and roads. He also notes that many in the community want to continue library and recreation programs. He stated, You cannot cut your way to prosperity and we need new revenue sources.

Supervisor Anaiah Kirk has been against the tax measure from the start, and stated that he continues to be opposed, citing the poor economy, California already being high taxed, and wanting to focus the countys energy instead on a special fire dedicated parcel tax measure in the spring.

Meanwhile, Supervisor Sherri Brennan said she was reluctant to support the TOT increase, and indicated the timing is bad, given the economic downturn, and a similar measure recently failing. However, the next time the county can put a TOT increase on the ballot would be during the election of 2022. On the matter of adding campgrounds to the tax, she noted that law enforcement and fire need additional revenue, and pointed out that a vegetation fire over the weekend near the Donnell Vista was started by an escaped campfire. All things considered, she expressed support.

Supervisor Rodefer then stated that the remarks by Brennan and Campbell convinced him to also vote in favor.

The roll call vote was 4-1.

A similar measure was approved last night for the city of Sonora, so both the city and county will have TOT increases on the November General Election ballot.
TORONTO - Porter Airlines is extending its suspension of all flights until Oct. 7, the third such delay caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

The carrier had previously planned to resume flying on Aug. 31, after initially setting a late-July date.

Porter says the decision stems from travel restrictions that include the ongoing Canada-U.S. border shutdown, mandatory quarantines upon arrival in the country and the Atlantic Canada travel bubble that requires 14 days of self-isolation for non-residents who enter the region.

CEO Michael Deluce says the travel barriers serve to keep most people at home and show no signs of easing.

The continued flight suspension means Porter, which halted operations on March 21, will have grounded its fleet for at least six and a half months this year.

The airline says it will waive change and cancellation fees on all fares booked through Oct. 7.

Porter, which serves cities in Eastern Canada and the United States, is one of multiple Canadian airlines to ground some or all of its fleet amid border closures and plummeting travel demand triggered by the coronavirus.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
Moscow and Washington are considering the possibility of holding consultations on counterterrorism, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said.



"Indeed, such a meeting is under consideration," he said in response to a question, adding that Deputy Foreign Minister Oleg Syromolotov would lead Russias delegation.



According to Ryabkov, another round of Russian-U.S. consultations on strategic stability may take place in the near future.



"I believe that this [another round of consultations] will take place in the near future," Ryabkov said. "For the time being we have not achieved understanding regarding dates. As far as the venue is concerned, Vienna is most likely."



Ryabkov said he had discussed the results of expert consultations that took place in the Austrian capital last week. "We have the understanding what problems there are and what opportunities exist," he said. "We will stick to the achieved understanding that pauses between contacts should not be too long."



Ryabkovs previous talks with US special representative for arms control Marshall Billingslea took place in Vienna on June 22, TASS reported.
Washington: It had all the withering satire of an ABC sketch featuring comedic duo John Clarke and Bryan Dawe.

The musings of an American president struggling with the facts. The baffled expressions of an Australian journalist refusing to accept the spin. And all the subject matter you'd expect to find in a game of 2020 Nightmare Bingo: Global Pandemic! Sex Trafficking! Civil Uprisings!

Except this wasn't satire at all, but a serious political interview with US President Donald Trump merely 91 days from one of the most consequential elections in US history.

To the credit of Axios reporter Jonathan Swan - a former scribe at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald and the son of our own coronavirus guru and presenter of the ABC Health Report Dr Norman Swan - the 37-minute interview was an eye-opener from the start.
Trex Company Inc (NYSE:TREX)

Q2 2020 Earnings Call

, 5:00 p.m. ET

Contents:

Prepared Remarks

Questions and Answers

Call Participants

Prepared Remarks:

Operator

Good afternoon, and welcome to the Trex Company Second Quarter 2020 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please also note this event is being recorded.

I would now like to turn the conference over to Viktoriia Nakhla. Please go ahead.

Viktoriia Nakhla -- Investor Relations Director

Thank you all for joining us today. With us on the call are Bryan Fairbanks, President and Chief Executive Officer; and Dennis Schemm, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer. Joining Bryan and Dennis is Bill Gupp, Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary, as well as other members of Trex management. The company issued a press release today after market close containing financial results for the second quarter 2020. This release is available on the company's website. This conference call is also being webcast and will be available on the Investor Relations page of the company's website for 30 days.

I would now like to turn the call over to Bill Gupp. Bill?

William R. Gupp -- Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Thank you, Viktoriia. Before we begin, let me remind everyone that statements on this call regarding the company's expected future performance and conditions constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Federal securities laws. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements.

For a discussion of such risks and uncertainties, please see our most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs as well as our 1933 and other 1934 Act filings with the SEC. Additionally, EBITDA will be referenced in this call and is considered a non-GAAP measure. A reconciliation of EBITDA to net income can be found in our earnings press release at trex.com. The company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

With that introduction, I will turn the call over to Bryan Fairbanks.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thank you, Bill. Good afternoon, everyone. We welcome you to our second quarter 2020 earnings call.

Before we get into the quarter results, let me take a moment to thank the people who made this quarter's success possible. First, I commend the entire Trex team for their hard work and dedication to ensure we maintained continuous operations and we were able to sell our products in a safe and effective manner during the COVID-19 pandemic. We are also immensely grateful to our channel partners who in no small part contributed to the success we have seen this year. Despite the unprecedented challenges arising from the pandemic, they found ways to serve customers and keep their employees safe. Thank you again to the extended Trex team.

We continue to drive improvements across the company with the focus on health and safety of our employees, the needs of our customers and operational excellence. This disciplined approach allows us to execute through a challenging macro environment while we continue to invest in the future and generate further shareholder value. By all measures, this was a strong quarter for Trex. We increased revenue by 7%. It's fair to say that the resilience of the Trex customer far surpassed our expectations at the beginning of the pandemic when we saw key states with major population centers shutdown large portions of their economies. We increased EBITDA by 32% to $67.5 million. We invested $40 million in the second quarter, primarily for capacity expansion, and we achieved a 33% increase in diluted earnings per share to $0.81.

Our sales growth reflected both the strength of the fast-growing outdoor living category and the high demand for Trex decking and railing products. Our Trex Enhance decking products, which appeal to the more cost conscious consumer, have significantly expanded the size of our addressable market and accelerated Trex's ability to take share from wood, which today account for approximately 80% of decking materials used. At the same time, Trex Transcend and Trex Select decking continue to grow, appealing to homeowners looking for advanced performance materials with market-leading aesthetics.

We remain focused on allocating cash flow to our capacity expansion program, which progressed considerably in the second quarter. By the end of the quarter, we started three new production lines at our Nevada facility. With these Nevada lines up and running, we will now direct our primary attention to our new production facility in Virginia, with the first of those new lines coming online in the first quarter of 2021.

We are also committed to our environmental, social and governance heritage. As we prepare to release our updated ESG report in the next couple of weeks. I wanted to share a few key improvements that we've made. As a reminder, for those that may be newer to the Trex story, since inception, our decking products have been made with 95% recycled material content. Recycled consumer and industrial polyethylene film and reclaimed wood are the primary material sources for Trex's decking. In addition, our aluminum railing is made with approximately 50% recycled content.

Since our 2016 lifecycle analysis, the environmental footprint for Trex decking has improved across all impact categories. We think this is particularly noteworthy given the increased production associated with the introduction of our new Enhance decking product, sourcing more materials to support higher volume, upgrading our manufacturing operations and improving the output on legacy product lines.

We are very proud that the result of our water conservation efforts, approximately 99% of the water used in our Virginia and Nevada facilities, are now recycled. Additionally, Trex safety program resulted in a 24% reduction in recordable incident rates over the same two-year period, and we were able to achieve a 25% increase in retention of our hourly team during a period of very low unemployment rates. Do the right thing is our operating philosophy, and I'm convinced that it helped Trex achieve a 150-basis-point improvement in gross margins during the quarter.

At Trex Residential, gross margin improved by 80 basis points, primarily driven by material reduction in our Enhance product, which more than offset the increased costs associated with start-up of the new lines in Nevada. Trex Commercial improved gross margin as well, benefiting from the absence of low-margin legacy contracts, coupled with the mix of higher margin contracts, better execution and manufacturing cost savings. We continue to be encouraged by the progress being made at the Commercial segment.

I'd like to welcome Laura Rygielski Preston to the Trex Executive team as President of Trex Commercial Products. Laura came on board last week and has an impressive record of driving growth and implementing operating efficiencies in her prior tenures with Trane Technologies and Johnson Controls. We are confident she will further accelerate the momentum that we're seeing in the business.

In summary, this was a strong execution quarter for Trex, tapping the first half where we saw 9% sales growth within a challenging operating environment. I'm pleased to report that the positive momentum we experienced in the second quarter has continued into the third quarter. Demand for our products and discussions with our channel partners and sales teams are providing us with increased visibility and confidence for the second half of the year.

We estimate consolidated net sales of $215 million to $225 million for the third quarter, representing year-over-year growth of 13% at the midpoint. While we are encouraged by the current demand climate, we are further inspired by the opportunities for sustainable long-term growth. As many of you heard me say in the past, we're in the very early stages of converting the large wood market to low maintenance Trex composite decking and railing. We will see many of years' growth opportunities ahead.

I'll now turn the call over to Dennis to provide additional details on our financial results, balance sheet and outlook.

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Thank you, Bryan, and good afternoon to everyone on the line. This was another period of strong financial performance for Trex. Consolidated net sales increased 7% to $221 million, led by an 8% sales increase in Trex Residential Products. This impressive growth reflects robust and broad-based demand for composite decking and railing products and our brand leadership, which is driving continued market share gains from our main competitor, wood. Throughout the quarter, we continued to see unprecedented demand indicators from our websites, including trex.com and decks.com.

Consolidated gross margin in the second quarter increased 150 basis points year-over-year to 41.9%. Trex Residential Products' gross margin expanded by 80 basis points to 42.5%. This improvement is primarily related to our success in removing material from the Trex Enhance board and improved throughput, which more than offset increased start-up costs associated with our Nevada lines. We expect to return to the original Trex Enhance design by the end of the third quarter of 2020 and, as we have noted in the past, we will be bringing on labor in advance to the Virginia start-up, which will have an impact on the second half of the year. Trex Commercial Products' gross margin increased to 30.7% from 21.4%, reflecting our execution of higher margin products this quarter as well as an overall operating improvement.

SG&A expenses were $29 million compared to $36 million in the second quarter of 2019. As a percentage of net sales, SG&A declined to 13.2% compared to 17.3%. The savings were primarily driven by disciplined spending as the effects of the pandemic played out. Our branding and advertising expense was lower than normal as we pulled back on spending early in the quarter as many jurisdictions ordered the closure of the businesses in the construction industry, and there were areas where our channel partners closed. Later in the quarter, as closures were lifted and our channel partners reopened, we began to increase our spending. We expect to see spending on branding and advertising to return to a more normalized level of between 5% and 6% of sales as we move forward. The tax rate in the second quarter was 25.6%, up slightly compared to 25.2% in the year-ago quarter.

Net income was $47 million or $0.81 per diluted share, up 32% and 33% respectively from $36 million or $0.61 per diluted share reported in the second quarter 2019. EBITDA was up 32% to $68 million, while EBITDA margin expanded 580 basis points to 30.6%. Our performance year-to-date has been equally strong. Consolidated net sales were $421 million, representing a 9% increase from 2019 led by a 10% increase in Trex Residential Products sales to $396 million. Year-to-date net income was $90 million or $1.54 per diluted share compared to $67 million or $1.14 per diluted share. EBITDA was up 34.9% to $126 million, while EBITDA margin expanded 570 basis points to 30%.

Moving to the balance sheet and cash flows. Our $200 million capital expansion program, which will enable us to meet continued growth, remains on track and within our expectations. First half capital expenditures were $63 million compared to $19 million a year ago, which are primarily related to our capacity expansion program. In May of 2020, we amended and restated our revolving credit agreement to provide us with an additional $100 million of borrowing capacity, bringing our total revolver to $350 million. The purpose of the additional $100 million in revolving credit is primarily to reduce risk associated with COVID-19 pandemic. We had no outstanding borrowings at the end of the quarter.

Reflecting our positive outlook, the Trex Board of Directors has approved a two-for-one stock split of the company's common shares. The stock split will be in the form of the stock dividend to be distributed on September 14th, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 19th, 2020.

I will now provide additional insight regarding expectations for the third quarter and full-year 2020. We expect consolidated net sales for the third quarter to be in the range of $215 million to $225 million. We expect full-year consolidated incremental gross margins to be 45% to 50%, inclusive of additional COVID-related expenses. We expect full-year consolidated SG&A as a percentage of sales to improve by 80 basis points to 100 basis points over the prior year.

Our tax rate is anticipated at approximately 25%. We expect full-year spending on capex to be in the range of $150 million to $170 million. And days sales outstanding will be higher in the third quarter compared to the prior year because of our sales programs, which were set at the end of 2019. For the full year, working capital will normalize to historical levels.

Now, I'll return the call back to Bryan.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Dennis. I'm proud of the entire Trex team and the unrivaled strength of our channel partners. Their exceptional efforts and resilience have allowed Trex to execute our strategy and operate with excellence through very challenging time. Through our combined efforts, we will continue to generate strong cash flows and reinvest that cash into our business to further build market share, extend our cost leadership and provide significant returns to our shareholders.

Operator, I'd like to open the call to questions.

Questions and Answers:

Operator

Thank you. [Operator Instructions] Today's first question comes from Ryan Merkel with William Blair. Please go ahead.

Ryan Merkel -- William Blair -- Analyst

Hey, guys. Congrats on the quarter.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Ryan. Appreciate it.

Ryan Merkel -- William Blair -- Analyst

So, first off, on the revenue guidance for 3Q, it looks like it assumes that you don't see normal seasonality this year. So, is this mostly about the new capacity coming online or is there some inventory channel filling going up?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

I think we're seeing a little bit of both of those things going on. The market is continuing to operate at quite strong levels. Inventories are lighter than the channel would like today. So I expect there will be some backfilling of the inventory in the channel during the course of the quarter. But I also expect to see significant sell-through as well.

Ryan Merkel -- William Blair -- Analyst

Got it. My thought, OK. And then, second question, for the full year, the incremental gross margin guide, it implies gross margin down year-over-year in the second half, a little bit more than I thought or had that in my model, but is this just the new lines coming on in this unproductive labor and D&A or is there anything else?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

As we started the year, our guidance was 50%. Since that time, we've increased the range 45% to 50% to take into account the COVID costs that are coming into the business. But, yeah, exactly right, in the back half of the year, we are seeing additional labor coming into our manufacturing facilities, primarily in Virginia. That's where the majority of the labor will be as we begin to train them up for the new lines that will start in early 2021. We'll also see some of the depreciation from the new lines started up in Nevada.

Ryan Merkel -- William Blair -- Analyst

Got it. Perfect. I'll pass it on. Thanks.

Operator

And our next question comes from Tim Wojs with Baird. Please go ahead.

Tim Wojs -- Robert W. Baird -- Analyst

Hey, guys. Nice job on the quarter. Is there any way to kind of frame up, as you kind of put in the Fernley lines, what capacity utilization looks like today? And just -- are you seeing any kind of pressure on output still or should the Fernley lines kind of alleviate that in the near-term?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Yeah. So, real quickly, within about two weeks after we enabled the lines, we were up running at full capacity, and we continue to be running at full capacity across the plant network.

William R. Gupp -- Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

I expect that we'll continue doing that through the end of the year. And as we bring on the new capacity, we'll be using that capacity as well too.

Tim Wojs -- Robert W. Baird -- Analyst

Okay. And I guess, from a product portfolio standpoint, have you seen any pressure in certain areas of your portfolio? So, for example, like on some of the entry-level products like Enhance Basics, I mean, do you see any sort of -- kind of stocking impacts on those levers? Are you seeing a pretty healthy kind of inventory availability across your portfolio?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

All of the product lines continue to perform in line with our expectations when we look at it as a percentage of the portfolio. There could be more stock out in the channel. So, from an availability perspective, we could see improved availability, and that really goes across all of our product lines at the time and after this additional capacity, it's so important to the marketplace and to our customers.

Tim Wojs -- Robert W. Baird -- Analyst

Okay. Okay. So it doesn't sound like there's any sort of kind of incremental mixed impact in the back half of the year?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

I wouldn't expect to see anything outside of our normal plans.

Tim Wojs -- Robert W. Baird -- Analyst

Okay. Okay, great. Good luck in the second half guys. Nice job on the quarter.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks.Tim.

Operator

Our next question comes from Keith Hughes from SunTrust. Please go ahead.

Keith Hughes -- SunTrust Robinson Humphrey -- Analyst

Thank you. I think you said in the assuming, the prepared statement, the Enhance design would be converted as of the end of the third quarter. Are there some extra costs, duplicate inventory stuff that you have to do in the third quarter to get that done efficiently?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

We've been able to transition that product without having any inventory issues either on our ground or at our customers. The product, the form, fit and function is exactly the same with the lighter board as it is the slightly heavier board along the way. So it's not been a problem for us or for the channel.

Keith Hughes -- SunTrust Robinson Humphrey -- Analyst

Okay. And then, the third quarter guide, do you have any sort of feel for what your commercial business will look like in the third quarter, just up, down, sideways, whatever?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

There's definitely more movement and a little bit less visibility on the commercial business. We are seeing certain projects be pushed out to 2021. And we're also seeing other projects coming back in. We're not really seeing at this point any cancellations of those projects along the way. So, I may see a little more volatility on that number. Of course, the growth expectations are inclusive of the consolidated number that we provided.

Keith Hughes -- SunTrust Robinson Humphrey -- Analyst

Okay. And final question, you briefly mentioned inventory earlier, given how strong the channel has done. We'll be again here in the third quarter. Is there a possibility in the winter month, you might have to run more aggressively just to kind of keep it where demand is in the channel?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

I expect that we will need to run pretty aggressively for quite some time. As we bring up the new capacity in Winchester, some of that we brought up and run at 100% as soon as it's available.

Keith Hughes -- SunTrust Robinson Humphrey -- Analyst

Okay. Thank you.

Operator

Our next question comes from Matthew Bouley with Barclays. Please go ahead.

Matthew Bouley -- Barclays -- Analyst

Hey, yeah. Good afternoon, guys. Thanks for taking the questions. I just wanted to see if you had any more color around the start-up cost with Virginia particularly. Just -- are the costs or the labor and start-up costs in Virginia, are they greater than kind of -- or carry a greater cost than sort of the existing lines starting up and does that anniversary in the second half of '21. How should we think about when that's fully phased in? Thanks.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Yeah. No, that's a great question. The cost will be higher in Winchester, Virginia because there are more lines. This is a bigger facility than what we saw ramping up in Nevada this year. So, then when you look forward to when the anniversary would occur, it would roughly be around the second quarter again or at the beginning of the third quarter of 2021.

Matthew Bouley -- Barclays -- Analyst

Okay, perfect. And then, just secondly, I wanted to ask about lumber, just given the increase in the commodity there and tightness in that market, does that flow into pricing for, I guess, pressure-treated decking at all whether at retail or at builders and sort of help that relative cost versus Enhance?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Sure. Lumber -- the price of lumber has gone up significantly over the past couple of months. We'll see whether this is a sustained price increase in the market or once they get back to full capacity and get back to normal inventories, if it goes back to the more normalized price along the way. Something that we do keep an eye on. I think I've always said in the past where minor changes in lumber really don't impact our strategy. So instead of being $0.85 a foot for a normal piece of pressure tree, let's say, it goes to $0.95 or drops down to $0.75 for a period of time. That's not going to have an impact on our strategy immediately. Now, if we see a more significant shift, especially on the upside, maybe something we consider, but it's something we do keep an eye on in the marketplace.

Matthew Bouley -- Barclays -- Analyst

Okay. Thanks, guys. Congrats on the results.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks.

Operator

And our next question comes from Phil Ng with Jefferies. Please go ahead.

Philip Ng -- Jefferies -- Analyst

Hey, guys. Pretty impressive demand backdrop, and sounds like you maybe running pretty full out for some time. Do you have enough capacity at this juncture, at least for the back half pretty kind of sustain that low- to mid-teen growth trajectory? And any color on how lead times are kind of shaking out for your channel partners, should that kind of return back to more normalized levels by year-end?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

It is still a seasonal business. I expect that we will see some of the decking demand drop off later in the year, as we normally see. There will still be some inventory building going on in the back half of the year. So I think we're setting up for a strong back half of the year. We haven't provided guidance for the last quarter.

Philip Ng -- Jefferies -- Analyst

Got it. Okay. That's helpful. And then, from a raw material standpoint, any limitations due to COVID in just getting recycled plastic given any bottlenecks and has that led to impact on your cost side of things as well? Thanks a lot.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Early on, we did see there were some challenges in getting some of the grocery-related material. Grocery is not a huge part of what we use as an overall mix that we were able to pick up further industrial supplies along the way. We didn't really see any sort of supply issues with recycled materials that we were buying -- clinical supplies available.

Philip Ng -- Jefferies -- Analyst

Okay. Thanks a lot.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks.

Operator

And our next question today comes from Reuben Garner with The Benchmark Company. Please go ahead.

Reuben Garner -- The Benchmark Company -- Analyst

Thank you. Good afternoon, everybody, and congrats on the quarter.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Reuben.

Reuben Garner -- The Benchmark Company -- Analyst

Most of my questions have been asked. I have a follow-up on the capacity side. You mentioned you're running full out. I guess, the question is, if demand is even in excess of your expectations or in excess of what you guided for the third quarter, would you be able to meet a higher level of demand in the third quarter beyond or are you kind of running up against what you're able to produce at this point and you're really reliant or not reliant waiting on that Virginia facility as we get into next year to be able to kind of ramp up what you can sell?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

The additional capacity in Winchester is extremely important for us to be able to support the market in the way that we see that the growth is going to be there in the future years.So those three lines in Nevada are up and running at this point, that will help us on the decking side of the business, be able to drive more product to the market.

Reuben Garner -- The Benchmark Company -- Analyst

Okay. And a quick follow-up. Any changes at all to pricing in the marketplace at any of your price points have you made increases or changes of any kind, I guess, or do you anticipate doing so in the near future?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

We continually look at pricing. One of the things we always do with pricing is any price changes would be communicated to our channel partners first. We've not made any price changes during the course of 2020.

Reuben Garner -- The Benchmark Company -- Analyst

Great. Thanks, guys. Congrats again.

Operator

And our next question comes from Kurt Yinger with D.A. Davidson. Please go ahead.

Kurt Yinger -- D.A. Davidson -- Analyst

Yeah. Hi, Bryan and Dennis. Thanks for the details and taking my questions. First, I was just curious, could you talk about how much the branding and advertising component was of the $7 million lower SG&A number and is that 80 to 100 basis points of leverage you're kind of talking about for this year, is that a reasonable way that we can kind of think about the next couple of years or are there some kind of benefits here in 2020?

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Yeah, Kurt. So, SG&A as a percentage of sales, it's certainly lower this quarter. Because in certain jurisdictions during the year, right, or in the beginning of the quarter, businesses were closing down in that construction sector. And as a result, certain of our channel partners also shutdown as well. As a result, we pulled back on some of that advertising and branding. As we saw the reopening start to occur, restrictions starting to lift, we began to put that money back into play, putting more branding and advertising back into the quarter. Over the longer run though, we still expect to see our branding and advertising spend to be around 5% to 6% of sales. So that seems to be something that makes sense for us on a historical basis and a go-forward basis.

Kurt Yinger -- D.A. Davidson -- Analyst

Got it. Okay. Thanks, Dennis. And then, just my second quickie. Could you help us think about Residential D&A over the next couple of quarters. And is there a good way to think about maybe a run rate exiting 2021 as Winchester 2 kind of ramps up?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

We've not provided any specific guidance on D&A, but you're absolutely right. It will ramp up quite significantly, especially as the lines in Virginia start coming up in the first quarter of next year. Let Dennis take that away and talk about what we can do maybe in the third quarter to help out. I think you're going to see in the third quarter a change in D&A that will help you be able to model the number for next year, because it is quite a bit more capacity in Virginia than what we're opening in Nevada.

Kurt Yinger -- D.A. Davidson -- Analyst

Got it, OK. Thanks, Brian. Appreciate it. Good luck in the coming quarter.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks.

Operator

And our next question today comes from Alex Maroccia with Berenberg. Please go ahead.

Alex Maroccia -- Berenberg -- Analyst

Good afternoon, guys. Thanks for taking my question. In the press release, you called out potential COVID expenses in that incremental gross margin number. Is this more of a caveat In the event that cases spike again and it impacts operations or does it just relate to costs that will absolutely be incurred in the second half of the year?

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Yes, and yes, there will be costs that we will incur in the back half of this year and just being able to manage the current regulations that are in place for COVID today. So really picks up both of those.

Alex Maroccia -- Berenberg -- Analyst

Oka. Got it. And then, secondly, it's on the commercial business, I know Laura is new, I'm sure there's been limited strategy talks thus far, but can we expect any major changes in that segment's market and product strategy?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

I wouldn't expect anything in the short term of major changes of what we're going after. We've laid out our strategy to continue focusing on the large higher profile projects, which the company has always done very well with. But also recognizing that there is a much larger market for many of the smaller projects, your malls, your residential high-rise, office buildings, things like that, but clearly there will be some questions about that I'm sure in the-short term as that marketplace begins to shake out. And we've got the utmost confidence and Laura to guide us through any strategy changes that may be necessary.

Alex Maroccia -- Berenberg -- Analyst

Okay. That's helpful. Thank you.

Operator

And our next question today comes from Seldon Clarke with Deutsche Bank. Please go ahead.

Seldon Clarke -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst

Hey. Thanks. Good evening. You raised your full-year capital budget from $150 million to $175 million. So, can you just talk about what's driving that and whether that implies any change to your multi-year plan of $200 million targeted for growth?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks for the question. That's a really good question. The reality is, the increase is mainly timing related. We provided a range in the prior quarter of $140 million to $160 million. We're only ratcheting that low end and the top end up by $10 million. So we feel really good about the range, but it's really timing.

Seldon Clarke -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst

Okay. That's helpful. And then, could you just clarify whether your guidance for SG&A improvement includes the severance charges that were in the second quarter last year?

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Yes, it would have included those. Yes.

Seldon Clarke -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst

Okay. I appreciate the time. Thanks, guys.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

All right.

Operator

And our next question today comes from Alex Rygiel with B. Riley FBR. Please go ahead.

Alex Rygiel -- B. Riley FBR -- Analyst

Great quarter, gentlemen. Congratulations.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Alex.

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Thank you.

Alex Rygiel -- B. Riley FBR -- Analyst

Bryan, can you provide us a little bit of idea how the sales in the quarter expanded across the separate retail division -- retail market and the wholesale market?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Sure. When we last talked, I had told everybody that April was a pretty normal month, but it was in line with our expectations. But we did see at that time the expectation of May falling off. And it did a little bit early on with the various states that were closed and then picked up in the back half of May and into June to deliver the revenue that we delivered. In those states where DIY customers remained for the most part open, we did see a bit of a shift to those retailers. But we saw that both of the products they had on the shelf as well as to the special order demand. We did see that shift back again as all of the channels were able to reopen again. So there was just a little bit of a one-time shift. I don't see that as being something that that will be ongoing there.

Alex Rygiel -- B. Riley FBR -- Analyst

And when we look out into 2021, I understand you don't have guidance out there yet, but how should we think about mix shift across the Enhance product and Transcend and Naturals?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

We really continue to focus on the opportunity to upsell our customers. The strategy of launching Enhance wasn't just about converting that lumber buyer at 2 times the price of wood. It was about bringing them into the channel, have the discussions, understand that there are other product lines that may carry a higher level of aesthetic and a potential higher level of performance, that's exactly what we've seen now that we're a year-and-a-half into that strategy.

Now, will we see some mix shift? I'm sure there will be some along the way. We are working to convert that wood marketplace, and we may see more people who make that decision because of the cost with an Enhance Basics that they're willing to make that change and install that product along the way. That's inclusive of the strategy that we have, and we're comfortable with that.

Alex Rygiel -- B. Riley FBR -- Analyst

Thank you.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Alex.

Operator

[Operator Instructions] Today's next question comes from Trey Grooms with Stephens. Please go ahead.

Trey Grooms -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst

Hey, good afternoon. And I want to echo the congrats on the quarter.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Good Afternoon. Thanks, Trey.

Trey Grooms -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst

So, I want to go back to one of the questions asked earlier, just to make sure I heard it right. But just as far as the timing when you're bringing this labor on and D&A is increasing, and Dennis, I think you mentioned that kind of being a factor through kind of 2Q or 3Q of next year, but is that the first half? I want to make sure I heard that right. And then, secondly, is that about the time when you guys expect to have those lines up and running to the point where, I guess, the volume kind of catches up with the labor and the other costs you're bringing on there, is that the way we should think about that?

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Let me step back and answer that again, so just to make sure I'm clear on that. So, I would expect to see, we're going to be ramping up with labor here in Q3 and Q4 to ready ourselves for those lines in Virginia coming online in the first quarter of 2021. So we're bringing on labor now.

Trey Grooms -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst

Yeah.

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

We're going to start training them, getting them geared up to be able to run those lines. And then what you would see, in Q1, those lines would start coming online, and by the time we get to like a Q3, yeah, we should be anniversarying those costs.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

And we'll continue to be bringing labor on during the first quarter. It's not as if January 1st hit and all of a sudden entire building turns on, there will be a ramp-up of the lines over the course of the first half of the year.

Trey Grooms -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst

Understood. Okay. Thank you for the clarity there. And last one is just bigger picture with composites being about 20% or so of the market now. And I know, clearly there is the expectation for years of continued conversion there. And we've -- and I think everybody has kind of seen those studies that suggest we could see that mix go to 35% or so over the next 10 years maybe or so, but any update on how you guys are thinking about that or where do you think that mix can go over time?

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Yeah. We think the opportunity is definitely there for that 35%, 40% and even beyond. When we look out over the past year and the success of the Enhance launch, and I'll go back to the comments I made with the last question that all those customers didn't immediately rush in and buy the entry-level product. They were there to have the discussion to understand the composite products are affordable and will provide lasting low maintenance product for them. They moved up to Enhance Natural, people who came in looking for Enhance Natural, in some cases moved up to our Select and to our Transcend product along the way. Because of that overwhelming demand that we've seen, part of that we didn't have enough capacity to be able to support just how much of that demand was going to be. We see that top end could be quite a bit above that 35% to 40% over the longer-term.

Trey Grooms -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst

Got it. Okay. Makes sense. Well, thank you both and thank you for taking my questions.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Thanks, Trey.

Operator

[Operator Instructions] And ladies and gentlemen, this concludes the question-and-answer session. I would like to turn the conference back over to Bryan Fairbanks for any closing remarks.

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Right. Thank you for joining us today. We look forward to speaking with many of you in the coming weeks and then a number of conferences that we'll be participating in. So, thanks and have a great evening. Bye.

Operator

[Operator Closing Remarks]

Duration: 40 minutes

Call participants:

Viktoriia Nakhla -- Investor Relations Director

William R. Gupp -- Senior Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary

Bryan H. Fairbanks -- President and Chief Executive Officer

Dennis C. Schemm -- Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

Ryan Merkel -- William Blair -- Analyst

Tim Wojs -- Robert W. Baird -- Analyst

Keith Hughes -- SunTrust Robinson Humphrey -- Analyst

Matthew Bouley -- Barclays -- Analyst

Philip Ng -- Jefferies -- Analyst

Reuben Garner -- The Benchmark Company -- Analyst

Kurt Yinger -- D.A. Davidson -- Analyst

Alex Maroccia -- Berenberg -- Analyst

Seldon Clarke -- Deutsche Bank -- Analyst

Alex Rygiel -- B. Riley FBR -- Analyst

Trey Grooms -- Stephens Inc. -- Analyst

More TREX analysis

All earnings call transcripts
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An interactive map that breaks down new coronavirus cases by postcode has revealed a neighbourhood near a university in Bradford was the worst-hit part of England last week.

Public Health England figures show that Shearbridge, in the south west of the city in West Yorkshire, recorded 32 cases in the week that ended July 26.

The statistics are used to help health chiefs target specific areas of the country with tough coronavirus-controlling measures, rather than using another blanket lockdown on the entire nation.

After Shearbridge  the home of the University of Bradford campus, the next four worst-hit areas of England were all also in the north of England.

Bastwell in Blackburn saw 23 cases in the space of a week, while Alexandra Park in Oldham had 22. Waddleworth and Newbold Brow in Rochdale had 21, while Pellon East in Halifax saw 20.

There were also spikes seen across Leicester, despite the city being under stricter rules than the rest of England for nearly a month.

Belgrave North West recorded 19 new cases, while Highfields South saw 16, Spinning Hill Road 18, Crown Hills 15 and North Evington and Rowlatts Hill 14.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said there are still far too many cases in Leicester for restrictions to be lifted, meaning the city's 330,000 residents must still avoid non-essential travel out of the area, stick rigorously to social distancing rules and not enter other people's homes.

It comes as a major incident was declared by authorities in Greater Manchester this week following a rise in the number of coronavirus infections.

New measures affecting 4.5million in the region, as well as people in parts of Lancashire and Yorkshire, forbid people from different households from meeting each other inside their homes or in gardens, while also banning separate households from mixing in pubs, restaurants and other hospitality venues.

In other coronavirus developments in Britain today:

The mayor of an upmarket coastal town dubbed 'Chelsea-on-Sea' urged visitors to 'show a bit of respect' and follow social distancing rules after the normal population surged by 1,000 per cent amid a staycation boom;

Pizza Express became the latest business to be devastated by coronavirus as it revealed it could shut 67 of its UK restaurants with up to 1,100 jobs at risk;

The cost of furloughing almost 10million British workers rose by more than 2billion in the last week of July to 33.8billion, figures revealed;

Ministers admitted the struggling coronavirus contact tracing system must improve  but insisted schools will reopen in September despite fears of a catastrophic second peak;

Eighty per cent of new Covid-19 cases Trafford  a badly-hit borough of Greater Manchester  are among white people, according to a local official who fears a 'complacent white middle class'.

Pressure had been mounting on the Government to be more transparent about rolling Covid-19 data in local areas, to prevent other towns and cities being hit by local lockdowns.

It was accused of not sharing the data quickly enough with public health officials in Leicester, which was forced to revert to lockdown on June after a spike in cases.

THE 10 PLACES WITH THE HIGHEST INFECTION RATES IN THE LAST WEEK Shearbridge, Bradford - 32 Bastwell, Blackburn - 23 Alexandra Park, Oldham - 22 Waddleworth and Newbold Brow, Rochdale - 21 Pellon East, Halifax - 20 Belgrave North West, Leicester - 19 Highfields South, Leicester - 16 Spinning Hill Road, Leicester - 18 Crown Hills, Leicester - 15 North Evington and Rowlatts Hill, Leicester - 14 Advertisement

Public health professionals across each region are now given positive test data and contact tracing figures every day.

The public are able to access the interactive map themselves to gain insight into Covid-19 cases near their home. But it is not possible to identify individuals by name and address.

It comes after Bradford East MP Imran Hussain said there was a 'clear link' between poverty and outbreaks in the city, which is currently the fourth worst-hit area in England with an infection rate of 51.0 cases for every 100,000 people between July 26 and August 1.

Mr Hussain revealed some of the worst hit areas of the city included Shearbridge, which local media says has at least one in three households living in poverty.

Separate more up-to-date figures released by the NHS show that Blackburn with Darwen still has the worst infection rate in the country  88.6 cases for every 100,000 people between July 26 and August 1.

The Lancashire authority is followed by Oldham (53.9), Leicester (52.9), Bradford, Swindon (48.2), Calderdale (37.1), Trafford (32.6), the city of Manchester (31.8), Rochdale (26.4) and Stockport (26.0).

Coronavirus cases jumped again today in Britain as official statistics show the average daily number of infections has topped 800 for the first time in a month.

Department of Health chiefs confirmed another 670 Britons had tested positive for the life-threatening disease  down from yesterday's six-week high of 938. But the rolling seven-day average now stands at 802 and has been on the rise since it fell to a four-month low of 546 on July 8.

But official data shows Covid-19 deaths in England and Wales are at their lowest point since before lockdown.

There were 217 Covid-19 deaths registered across the two nations in the week ending July 24  2.4 per cent of all deaths in that time period.

This is a 26.4 per cent fall from the previous week, when there were 295 deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate.

The last time deaths involving coronavirus were so low was in the week ending March 20, before lockdown, when there were 103 deaths. For comparison, more than 1,000 people died every day in the UK for 22 consecutive days during the height of the crisis in April.

However, due to the roughly three-week time period it takes for a patient to fall seriously ill and pass away, deaths might not trickle into the data for several weeks yet. Figures also show only 100 patients are still being hospitalised each day, a rate which has barely changed over the past fortnight.

There were 217 deaths registered in the week ending July 24 involving Covid-19  accounting for 2.4 per cent of all deaths

Separate data showed the number of Covid-19 fatalities decreased across all English regions, except for Yorkshire and the Humber and the East Midlands.

The South East had the largest number of weekly deaths involving Covid-19 (40), while the East Midlands had the highest proportion of deaths involving coronavirus (4.4 per cent).

All regions, except for the North East, East Midlands and West Midlands, had fewer overall deaths than the five-year average.

Wales recorded one death fewer than its five-year average registered in the week ending July 24. More than 56,600 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.

Tuesday's ONS figures show that 51,596 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to July 24, and had been registered by August 1.

Equivalent figures for Scotland registered up to July 26 and Northern Ireland up to July 29 take the total to 56,651.

These are deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.

Carl Heneghan, professor of evidence-based medicine at Oxford University, said the figures released by the ONS were more evidence of Public Health England's inaccuracies.

It emerged last month that PHE has been classing people as Covid-19 victims if they died of any cause any time after testing positive for Covid-19  even if they were hit by a bus months after beating the life-threatening infection.

The statistical flaw was uncovered by Professor Heneghan and Dr Yoon Loke, from the University of East Anglia, who believe more than a thousand people have had their deaths wrongly attributed to the disease.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a fortnight ago that an 'urgent' review was being carried out into how the Government agency was counting deaths.

Professor Heneghan said: 'These deaths [ONS'] do not match the Public Health England data, which reported 442 deaths in England alone for the week to the 24th of July. Given the inaccuracies in the PHE data set it should be discontinued.'
The Bihar government on Tuesday recommended probe by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in the Sushant Singh Rajput death case.

Chief minister Nitish Kumar said the decision was take after Rajputs father met the state police chief. The DGP spoke to Sushant Singh Rajputs father this morning and he gave consent for CBI inquiry. So now, we are recommending CBI probe in the matter, said Kumar.

Rajputs father KK Singh had also met Kumar seeking CBI investigation in the case. A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed before the Bombay high court in this regard. The hearing was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, but has been postponed due to heavy rain in Mumbai.

Earlier, Lok Janshakti Party (LJP) leader Chirag Paswan had also requested Kumar to transfer the case to CBI without further delay. Paswan said that LJP leaders, related to the late actor, had informed him that on August 5 that the Supreme Court will hear a petition seeking transfer of the case from Bihar to Mumbai.

The actors father had said on Monday that he had filed a complaint with Mumbai police in February claiming his sons life was in danger. The revelation came as Singh filed an FIR with Patna police, alleging Mumbai police of inaction even after 40 days of the actors sudden death.

In a self-made video, Singh alleged that the accused in the actors death case is on the loose and Patna Police should be provided with help.

An FIR was registered by Bihar Police on Singhs complaint against actor Rhea Chakraborty under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including abetment of suicide. Bihar Police started the investigation and dispatched a team to Mumbai.

Separately, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) questioned Rajputs chartered accountant in connection with a money laundering probe that stemmed from the complaint lodged by the actors father with the Bihar Police.

The Bihar Police, meanwhile, recorded the statement of Sushant Singh Rajputs friend and creative content manager Siddharth Pithani. He was summoned by the police on Monday evening.

Pithani was staying with the actor for the past one year, police said. They have already recorded statements of Rajputs sister, former girlfriend Ankita Lokhande, director Rumi Jaffrey, his cook, friends and doctor.

This comes hours after Rajputs father KK Singh met chief minister Nitish Kumar seeking CBI investigation in the case. The Bombay high court will hear a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) in this regard. The hearing was scheduled to take place on Tuesday, but has been postponed due to heavy rain in Mumbai.
A 72-year-old man has been found not guilty of the execution-style murder of a business associate in their Gold Coast office more than 23 years ago.

Neil Andrew Pentland denied shooting his marketing manager Philip Carlyle four times in the head on April 13, 1997.

The 47-year-old's body was found in the soundproof air-conditioning plant room in the Robina office.

He had been shot four times in the head.

Neil Andrew Pentland (pictured outside court) denied shooting his marketing manager Philip Carlyle four times in the head on April 13, 1997

Justice Martin said he did not accept the prosecution's case that the relationship between Pentland and Mr Carlyle had been deteriorating enough to provide a motive

Brisbane Supreme Court Justice Glenn Martin handed down a verdict of not guilty in the judge-only trial on Tuesday.

Mr Carlyle was employed by a start-up internet company owned by Pentland and his wife. He was not a shareholder, but the men had agreed he could buy shares in future.

Justice Martin said he did not accept the prosecution's case that the relationship between Pentland and Mr Carlyle had been deteriorating enough to provide a motive.

'The material demonstrates that they had a number of disagreements ... But those disagreements were nothing more than one might expect from persons engaged in an enterprise with considerable pressure upon them and in which each saw the prospect of considerable success,' he said in his published reasons.

He also found an insurance policy the two men had taken out that would pay out $500,000 if either one died wasn't a motive.

'To kill Mr Carlyle, in order to obtain the payout from the insurance policy, when, on any reasonable view of the evidence, the defendant thought that they were on the cusp of great success, makes no sense at all.'

Philip Carlyle's body was found in the soundproof air-conditioning plant room in the Robina office

Mr Carlyle had left behind a trail of failed businesses, disappointed investors and angry creditors when he started to work with Pentland.

'He was, at times, including in the year before his death, a heavy gambler,' Justice Martin said.

He had also been threatened with violence, had moved his family following a threat and his wife had once been threatened at knife-point over a debt.
ATLANTA, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Randstad US today announced the findings from its COVID-19 2020 U.S. Compensation Insights survey and accompanying white paper, which explored the sentiments of 1,200 American workers on compensation, salary negotiation and job confidence amidst the coronavirus pandemic. The results showed that despite COVID-19 being the catalyst for the global conversation and the resulting economic uncertainties, job seekers are displaying signs of confidence. Seventy-five percent of all workers surveyed agree that they have a positive outlook on their employment options over the next six to 12 months.

Randstads white paper, Workforce Management in the COVID-19 Economy provides counsel on how companies can plan for future recovery.

Randstad US COVID-19 2020 U.S. Compensation Insights Survey

The survey also revealed that compensation remains a key factor in employee retention, but employees' confidence in receiving higher pay lessens amid high unemployment:

Four out of five people (80%) believe their compensation is enough to make them stay in their current role for the next 12 months, a four percent increase since 2019.

The number of people expecting a pay raise every year has been steadily decreasing year-over-year (82% in 2018; 66% in 2019; 62% in 2020).

Sixty-four percent of all surveyed agree that "I would rather take a position with growth potential than a position that pays more but does not challenge me."

Fifty-eight percent of all surveyed agree that "I would rather negotiate for a stronger benefits package than a higher salary."

"In early 2020, the U.S. was seeing unprecedented growth and the lowest unemployment rates since World War II. However, because of the COVID-19 pandemic, our world has been turned upside down," said Karen Fichuk, CEO, Randstad North America and Randstad N.V. executive board member. "The silver lining is that despite the economic uncertainty, we're seeing confidence  and resilience  from job seekers. Our survey reveals a willingness from employees to look beyond salary and focus on future growth, which points to a brighter future and stronger workforce."

In addition to job and salary satisfaction, the Compensation Insights survey found that although younger workers are more likely to get cold feet or "ghost" prospective job offers, millennials and Gen Z are doing less of it  and the number of traditionalists (age 65+) ghosting is on the rise. For more information, visit our COVID-19 2020 U.S. Compensation Insights survey.

Workforce Management in the COVID-19 Economy

Randstad's white paper, " Workforce Management in the COVID-19 Economy ," used findings from the Compensation Insights survey to provide counsel on how companies can plan for future recovery. The white paper outlines three key considerations businesses face as they develop plans for reopening during the pandemic:

Adjust benefits in line with company values and employee expectations in the wake of COVID-19.

Utilize agile workers to fill talent gaps and mitigate risk.

Encourage employees to pursue skilling for mutual future benefit.

For example, according to a recent Randstad survey, most Americans (78%) feel as though their employers are taking care of their employees' emotional well-being during the pandemic. With that, the workforce anticipates benefits related to the impacts of COVID-19, including telehealth, behavioral health, primary care and leave policies.

"As we look ahead to a COVID-19 and economic recovery, it is achievable for businesses and workers to emerge stronger, but it will take emotional resiliency plus thoughtful assessment and planning to navigate the uncertain future," said Karen Fichuk.

To learn more about the strategies for companies to consider, visit Workforce Management in the COVID-19 Economy .

Randstad US COVID-19 2020 U.S. Compensation Insights survey methodology

Research findings are based on an OmniPulse survey fielded by national polling firm Dynata on behalf of Randstad US. The survey was fielded from June 22 to June 25, 2020. It included 1,200 employed people between the ages of 18 and 65+ and a nationally representative sample balanced on age, education, race, gender and region.

About Randstad

Randstad North America, Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Randstad N.V., a 23.7 billion global provider of flexible work and human resources services. As a trusted human partner in the technology-driven world of talent, we combine the expertise and passion of our employees with some of the most innovative HR technologies on the market today to advance the careers and business success of our candidates and clients.

Randstad's North American operations comprise nearly 5,700 associates and a deployed workforce of more than 94,000 in the U.S. and Canada. In addition to staffing and recruitment, Randstad offers outsourcing, consulting and workforce management solutions for generalist and specialist disciplines, including technology, engineering, accounting and finance, clinical and non-clinical healthcare, human resources, legal, life sciences, manufacturing and logistics, office and administration and sales and marketing. Global concepts available to North American client companies include RPO, MSP, integrated talent solutions, payrolling and independent contractor management and career transition services. Learn more at www.randstadusa.com or www.randstad.ca .

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:20:11|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- "The Eight Hundred," a war epic film, is slated for release on Aug. 21.

The film depicts Chinese soldiers' defense of a warehouse against the invading Japanese army during the Battle of Shanghai in 1937. It is directed by Guan Hu, whose best-known works include the 2015 film "Mr. Six," or "Lao Pao Er."

"The Eight Hundred" will be the first major Chinese production to hit movie theaters since the COVID-19 outbreak. A trailer of the film was released Tuesday through social media.

Movie theaters are gradually reopening in parts of China deemed to be low-risk areas. Many Chinese films whose scheduled releases were postponed due to COVID-19 are yet to announce their new release dates.

Some industry observers believe that the release of "The Eight Hundred" would help the movie market recover. Enditem
BOSTON, Aug. 03, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Mass Technology Leadership Council (MassTLC) announced today that it is launching a 2030 Challenge for the tech community with a goal of doubling the percentage of the states Black and Latinx tech workers - currently at 5% and 7% respectively - by the end of the decade. The 2030 Challenge will also continue to work towards gender parity in the states tech workforce.

The 2030 Challenge benchmarks participation of Black and Latinx workers in tech occupations across all industries. These are the specific jobs within tech companies as well as healthcare, financial services, life sciences, and all other industries that require technical skills. This is in alignment with the benchmarking MassTLC has been doing of Black and Latinx workers in tech occupations since 2015 as part of the organizations State of the Technology Economy reports and 2020 Challenge to create 100K net new tech jobs in Massachusetts.

This new challenge came about in response to the organizations benchmarking of the states tech sector, including key metrics on race, ethnicity and gender, which showed that the Massachusetts tech sector, one of the highest paying sectors in of the most expensive regions in the country, does not adequately reflect the diverse population of the state.

To kick off the 2030 Challenge, MassTLC is inviting organizations that employ tech workers to take a critical look inside their organizations and join a Tech Compact for Social Justice by committing to change within their own organizations. MassTLC will work with Tech Compact signers over the coming months and years to track progress, spotlight leadership, share best practices, work to overcome roadblocks, and develop initiatives in support of the 2030 Challenge objectives.

"This is a time when people are speaking out and we, as leaders, need to listen to them. This is how change happens, and it is why we launched The Tech Compact for Social Justice." stated Tom Hopcroft, CEO of MassTLC. "We recognize that Boston and the tech industry have more to do to support and encourage the inclusion of black, Latinx and Indigenous people and we accept our responsibility to do more to make change at the company and community level."

Story continues

As of today, 62 companies have signed on to the Tech Compact, including some of the largest MA-headquartered companies, such as Akamai, PTC, TripAdvisor and Wayfair.

At Akamai, diversity is a mission-critical goal, said Anthony Williams, executive vice president and chief human resources officer, Akamai Technologies. As long-time active members of MassTLC we are proud to join forces with them to create long-term change in the Massachusetts technology community. By pooling resources with other companies, we harness our collective influence for greater impact.

PTC is proud to be one of the first companies committed to MassTLCs Tech Compact for Social Justice, said Jim Heppelmann, President and CEO, PTC. Weve reached a moment where real change is needed, and we all must recognize our role in bringing it forward. PTC aims to be a meaningful part of the change here in Massachusetts, as we help make inclusion and diversity a pillar of how our technology community does business. We look forward to partnering with Tom and the entire MassTLC organization on this needed initiative.

The 2030 Challenge is designed to drive meaningful impact on tech diversity and inclusion, while fueling the growth of the tech sector and the Massachusetts economy as a whole.

About Massachusetts Technology Leadership Council, Inc.

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John MacArthur addresses critics, says church is not 'spreading anything but the Gospel'

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John MacArthur responded to a pastor's criticisms of his churchs decision to reopen in defiance of Gov. Gavin Newsom's second round of lockdown orders, saying his church is not spreading anything but the Gospel.

We are a church that has a reputation for the last 50 years of obeying the government, MacArthur, senior pastor of Grace Community Church in Los Angeles County, California, said in a Monday interview with Fox News Shannon Bream.

We are a friend to this society, to every level of this society. We have been given awards and accolades and plaques from the city government, the police department, all in authority, because they recognize what an honorable congregation this church has been, he said.

But never before has the government invaded the territory the belongs only to the Lord Jesus Christ and told us we can't meet, we can't worship, we can't sing, the pastor continued. There's no power given to the government to make those kinds of calls against us. ... We love our neighbors. We're not spreading anything but the Gospel.

MacArthurs comments were made in response to Pastor Gavin Ortlund, senior pastor of First Baptist Church of Ojai, who wrote in a blog post that while he affirms the vital importance of corporate worship, he believes the current situation is more complicated than MacArthurs perspective allows.

According to Ortlund, there are at least four biblical values that should inform the churchs decision-making in this situation: The importance of worship, love for neighbor, obedience to government, and maintaining a good witness.

What concerns me about defying the state order right now is that it seems to prioritize 1 at the expense of 2-4, Ortlund wrote. Christ, not Caesar, is head of the church: and when the two conflict, we must obey Christ. But when we seek to avoid undue defiance of Caesar, we also act in obedience to Christ.

Similarly, Jonathan Leeman, editorial director of the church-equipping ministry 9Marks, penned a response and said, civil disobedience may not be the only legitimate or moral course of action at this moment. Leeman said he wanted to open up a little space of Christian freedom for other churches to make different judgments.

"Christians have endured the inconveniences of persecution and pandemics for years, even decades, before," he wrote.

Speaking to Bream, MacArthur said that out of 7,000 church members, no one has had any effect if theyve had COVID.

We've had no issues there in the state of California, he said. The statistics are about 8,500 to 9,000 people have died out of 40 million. That means in California, you have a 99.98 percent chance of getting through this without any fatal illness. So the lockdown and the draconian things that have been going on to stifle this culture, to stifle it educationally, to stifle the businesses, to lock down people, and then to shut down churches is just not warranted by the reality of the virus.

We feel like we are the most essential reality in the world, MacArthur added. Look, Jesus is Lord. That is the Christian confession. It's always been our confession since He rose from the dead, Jesus is Lord. He's Lord of the universe, and He's Lord and head of His beloved Church, which He redeemed with His own blood. He is the head of our church. Governor Newsome is not the head of the church, Mayor Garcetti is not the head of the church.

Officials from the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health have reportedly threatened MacArthur with repercussions such as fines and even possible arrest if his church doesnt comply with state orders.

In response, MacArthur said that while he respects civil leaders for their their temporal officer leadership in our government, theyre usurping a role that they don't have when they move into the life of the church and tell the church what it can do.

The Constitution doesn't give them the power to do that, he stressed. And they don't certainly have the spiritual power to usurp the place that only Jesus Christ has over His Church.

Californias restrictions for indoor religious gatherings include a ban on singing, as chanting and singing "negate the risk-reduction achieved through six feet of physical distancing," according to health officials.

At least three churches in California have already sued the state for banning singing and chanting in places of worship, calling it an unconstitutional abuse of power.
A handful of educators signed their wills outside of Centennial Hall Monday in a recognition of their opposition to the resumption of in-person learning this fall.

The teachers, members of the Pikes Peak Education Association, stopped by the organization's tent to have their wills notarized and signed in front of witnesses, or to symbolically sign a will as a gesture of solidarity for those returning to the classroom.

"The way it is set up right now, I would never go," said Cari Fox, a seventh grade teacher at Challenger Middle School in Academy District 20 and president of the association. "They're wanting me to teach 100 students a day, and that's a lot of contact for someone that's been in her house all summer. It's a scary proposition."

Parent protesters urge full reopening of Douglas County schools Parents rallied in Castle Rock on Friday, calling for Douglas County schools to fully reopen this school year, a week after the county school district announced it would operate on a "hybrid" model alternating between online and in-person learning to start the 2020-21 school year.

Teachers gathered at the same venue two weeks ago to call on the county health department to set standards schools must meet to open for in-person learning, such as requiring masks be worn by everyone in attendance and mandating social distance of 6 feet be maintained among individuals.

Under Gov. Jared Polis' mask mandate, those age 11 and older must wear a mask when in public, including at schools. All other guidance issued by the state is just that: guidelines, not requirements.

Decision-making authority as to the re-opening of schools rests with local school boards and superintendents, unless local public health agencies require that schools submit re-opening plans for approval. El Paso County Public Health has not issued such a requirement, and will not, although it has released optional guidance, including recommendations of social-distancing, face coverings and cohorting, which is when a group of students stay together throughout the school day to minimize exposure for students, teachers, and staff, Dr. Leon Kelly, the county's deputy medical director, told The Gazette this month.

"The hard truth is I can write all the guidance I want, and schools can follow, but if the community fails to control the transmission outside schools, that's going to be the biggest driver as to whether schools succeed or not," Kelly said. "We cannot ask these schools to do something the community is incapable of doing."

Earlier this month the department recommended schools delay the first day of classes until at least Aug. 17 because of the increase in coronavirus cases in the Pikes Peak region. The delay would allow decision-makers more time to analyze virus levels, official said. Many districts had already planned to resume school after that date, and most of the exceptions updated their in-person learning start dates accordingly.

While all area school districts will offer online learning options, schedules and rules for in-person learning vary widely by district -- ranging from a hybrid of both to full-time remote learning.

Fox said teachers must prepare themselves for the dangers of returning this fall, and that signing a will is one of those preparations.

"We don't have a budget to go to school safely. We don't have a budget for [personal protective equipment]. We don't have a budget for extra soap and hand sanitizing," Fox said. "We're drawing from reserves to make it work, but not every district in this state can do that."

As the start date for some schools looms two weeks away, some teachers such as Angela Bird are preparing for the worst.

"My preparation used to be, what do I want my bulletin boards to look like, how do I want to arrange groups so my kids talk to each other, and now that's changed," said Bird, a teacher at Mesa Ridge High School in Widefield District 3.

Regarding signing her will, "it's one of those things I used to think 'What if?' But it seems to be staring me a little more eminently in the face," she said.

Bird said she and her colleagues love to teach and that in-person classes are much easier than digital classes, but the safety of her students and family are a higher priority.

"I've been to students' funerals," Bird said. "I don't want to go to anymore student funerals because of something like this."
(Newser)  A massive explosion rocked downtown Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings, and blowing out windows and doors as a giant mushroom cloud rose above the capital, per the AP. The health ministry says the preliminary toll is 50 dead and 2,750 wounded. The sudden devastation overwhelmed a country already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis: Beirut hospitals quickly filled beyond capacity, pleading for blood supplies and generators to keep their lights on.

As for the cause, the head of Lebanese General Security said highly explosive material that was confiscated from a ship some time ago and stored at the port may have triggered the blast. Local television channel LBC said the material was sodium nitrate. The AP notes witnesses reported seeing a strange orange-colored cloud over the site after the explosion. Orange clouds of toxic nitrogen dioxide gas often accompany an explosion involving nitrates.

story continues below

From Beirut Governor Marwan Abboud, per the Guardian: This reminds me of what happened in Japan, to Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Ive never seen damage of this size and width, and so catastrophic. This is a national catastrophe. This is a problem for Lebanon, and we dont know how were going to get out of it."

It was like a nuclear explosion, said Walid Abdo, a 43-year-old school teacher. Charbel Haj, who works at the port, said it started as small explosions like firecrackers, then the huge blast erupted and he was thrown off his feet.

One witness said that while driving past the port he saw a fire and then felt a blast so strong the highway lifted.

The blast was stunning even for a city that has been shaken by civil war, suicide bombings, and bombardment by Israel. It could be heard and felt as far away as Cyprus, more than 180 miles across the Mediterranean. Miles from the port, balconies were knocked down, windows shattered, and streets were covered with glass and bricks and lined with wrecked cars.

(Read more Beirut stories.)
Bloomberg

President Donald Trump bet the house that getting a sweetheart trade deal with the Chinese government would boost the American economy and his electoral odds before the election. Now, with that election less than 100 days away, some members of his inner circle are pushing him to make a new bet: that hell win if he blows it all up.

Four people with knowledge of the situation tell The Daily Beast that in the past three weeks, an internal campaign has intensified within the Trump administration to convince the president to nuke the China trade dealan international agreement that Trump has considered a crowning, legacy-defining process of his first term in office.

These efforts in the administration have been spearheaded by a variety of political aides, economic and policy advisers, and President Trumps perennial China hawks, including White House trade adviser Peter Navarro. Some of these officials have taken to showing Trump printed data, pictures, and charts that they claim demonstrate how China still is not buying American goods at a level high enough to satisfy the presidents aims.

Trump Couldnt Give a Shit About China Rounding Up Millions of Muslims

But as part of their pitch, these senior officials have also increasingly insisted to Trump that he and the United States are still being ripped off by the Chinese government on trademuch in the same way, they argue, that Trumps predecessors, Barack Obama and George W. Bush, were taken advantage of. The reference to the two prior presidents is strategic, as Trump regularly rips both men as weak and stupid on China matters. The thinking goes that he will recoil at being compared to them.

Currently, trade talks between the Chinese and U.S. governments have hit a perilous patch, in large part due to the global coronavirus pandemic. The Phase Two stage of negotiations, meant to build off of the initial deal, have stalled, with Trump telling CBS News last month that he was not interested right now in talking to China [about Phase Two].

Story continues

In the recent past, the president had been so enthusiastic about getting a deal jammed through before the 2020 election that he was willing to overlookand by some accounts, actually encouragesome of Beijings grossest abuses of human rights. And it wasnt long ago that President Trump and his team were actively campaigning for re-election in part on his policies, trade war, and phased deal with the Chinese, and attempting to make China the biggest policy liability for Team Biden.

But according to the four sources, the advisers have also recently told Trump thatgiven the trade realities, the coronavirus pandemic, and other political disputes and diplomatic tensions with Beijingit would be bold and necessary for the president to call things off with the Chinese government, even if it threatens to throttle stock markets.

Appearing tough against a major adversary may have political upside. But it would also risk the self-inflicted detonation of one of Trumps biggest policy initiatives, one that has consumed nearly four years of the presidents political capital, and one that grew out of a trade war thats taken its toll on American farmers and businesses.

Trumps China Confusion: Are They Trade Partners or Murderers, Mr. President?

So far, according to three of the knowledgeable sources, the president has seemed receptive to the idea of playing hardball and walking away, and has told confidants that hes strongly considering it. One of these individuals said Trump privately mentioned last month that it could teach [the Chinese] a lesson, if he were to go through with deep-sixing negotiations. However, the sources noted that the president did not tip his hand to them on which way hed end up going, between now and the November election, and that he was still hearing a lot from pro-deal forces in his administration.

There was so much increasing hostility toward China right now in the White House and around the country; I do believe there should be a reconsideration because they havent held up their end of the bargain, said Stephen Moore, a longtime conservative economist who informally counsels Trump and other top officials. Im not sure what the best path forward is. I would certainly say that now is a time for isolating China Whether or not its time to rethink the China trade deal, I dont know. I think theres arguments on both sides I can see the arguments of being punitive toward China[And] I was very pleased with the trade deal with China. But the coronavirus has been a game changer They still havent really acknowledged any wrongdoing.

Two individuals, both of whom have informally advised the administration on the deal in the past, said they had, for months, pushed senior officials to implement stricter enforcement mechanisms into the phase one pact before its signing. Since then, those individuals and a cohort of other traditionally hawkish China policy experts have privately called out the White Houses inability not only to get Beijing to live up to its purchasing commitments but also to leverage the deal to stop the country from engaging in malign practices such as intellectual property theft.

Others in the China think-tank world have called out the Trump administration for the crumbling deal.

The phase one trade deal is the only part of the U.S.-China relationship that hasnt come under pressure the last six months. The deal was supposed to force China to buy more goods and to compete fairly. But the purchases dont seem to have matched the promises, said Zach Cooper, a research fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, a right-of-center think tank in Washington. FBI Director Wray and Attorney General Barr have said that Chinese theft has increased. How long can the phase one deal survive if it hasnt delivered the fair economic relationship that the Trump administration sought?

With increasing frustration over the belief that Beijing has failed to uphold its commitments, several Republican China hawks have held informal talks with the Biden campaign about the candidates plans for addressing the trade gap between the two countries. The Daily Beast previously reported that Team Biden has recently launched a new effort to attack Trump on the trade deal he made with Chinese President Xi Jinping and connect with those Republicans who, until recently, were in Trumps greater orbit.

China experts say they are expecting the release of a new set of trade numbers, including export and sale data, in the coming days that could determine if Trump decides to move to pull out of the deal.

In the upper ranks of Trumpworld the president is hardly alone in venting his frustrations about China and the current deal. Some do so at scripted, high-profile speaking engagements, or while on live television.

In a speech delivered late last month at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo charged that the regime in China interprets their trade agreements as mere recommendations.

We imagined engagement with China would produce a future with bright promises of comity and cooperation, said Pompeo. But today were all still wearing masks and watching the pandemics body count rise because the [Chinese Communist Party] failed in its promises to the world.

In late June, Navarro even went on Fox News and said that the U.S.-China trade deal was over. This one comment on cable news resulted in a brief nosedive in the markets, causing the White House to quickly spring into damage control and clean-up mode.

On that day in June, when asked if what Navarro had said on-air was true, Trumps top White House economic adviser Larry Kudlowwho has at times found himself at odds with Navarro in heated, and sometimes loud and profane, policy squabbles within the Trump administrationmessaged The Daily Beast close to midnight a simple, emphatic, one-word comment:

No!

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JOHANNESBURG, Aug 3 (Reuters) - Power utility Eskom and South Africa's Special Investigating Unit (SIU) said on Monday they had issued a court summons in an effort to recoup 3.8 billion rand ($221 million) they allege was diverted by former Eskom executives and the Gupta family, who ran high profile businesses in the country.

The move by Eskom and the SIU relates to the 2015 acquisition of Optimum Coal by the Gupta-controlled company Tegeta Exploration and Resources. At issue is a claim by Eskom that the deal involved a payment to the Guptas which was authorised by previous executives, damaging the company financially.

Eskom alleged "a concerted effort corruptly to divert financial resources from Eskom, (and) to improperly and illegally benefit the Gupta family" in a statement issued jointly with the SIU.

"If they serve a summons properly and my clients are properly cited, then I will have something to respond to. At the moment I know nothing about it," Krause said. Krause decline further comment on Monday's statement.

Eskom is one of several South African state-owned firms which have been investigated over allegations of corruption involving government contracts.

The investigations have prompted the overhaul of Eskom's management and board, as well as government promises of stronger oversight, with President Cyril Ramaphosa last year announcing Eskom would be spilt into three separate entities.

Eskom also has had a succession of chief executives over the past decade as it struggled to service debts totalling 450 billion rand, while trying to keep power supplies going.

Brian Molefe, who resigned as Eskom CEO in 2017 after South Africa's state corruption watchdog questioned coal deals struck during his term, was one of the individuals named in the statement. He also said he had not received a summons.

"Suddenly they whip out this file after three years. Nobody has contacted me," Molefe said.

Another former Eskom CEO Matshela Moses Koko, who was also named in the statement, also dismissed the legal move.

"What a horrific blunder and a bad publicity stunt by Eskom and the SIU," Koko wrote on Twitter. "I really want to comment but I don't have the summons. So I don't know what Eskom is accusing me of," Koko later told Reuters.

The SIU is an independent statutory body that is accountable to South Africa's parliament and the country's president. It says it conducts investigations at the president's request.

A judicial inquiry into alleged corruption involving state contracts worth billions of rand at Eskom and other state firms, which began two years ago, is ongoing.

South Africa's parliament and National Treasury have also conducted investigations into Eskom's Tegeta deal and other aspects of its procurement arrangements, but have not brought any criminal or civil charges.

($1 = 17.1724 rand)

(Reporting by Mfuneko Toyana; Editing by Alexander Smith)

Messaging: mfuneko.toyana.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
To improve latency and network performance across North America, NetActuate announces the expansion of services  including anycast, virtual machines, bare metal, and colocation  in Toronto, Canada. Our expansion in 151 Front Street West provides the additional peering and infrastructure capacity we need to keep our networks resilient and high-performing during this time of greatly increased bandwidth demand said Mark Mahle, CEO and Principal Technology Architect of NetActuate.

To improve latency and network performance across North America, NetActuate announces the expansion of services  including anycast, virtual machines, bare metal, and colocation  in Toronto, Canada.

Our expansion in 151 Front Street West provides the additional peering and infrastructure capacity we need to keep our networks resilient and high-performing during this time of greatly increased bandwidth demand said Mark Mahle, CEO and Principal Technology Architect of NetActuate.

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Da Nang City: Purchasing power increased due to mentality



According to Mr. Tran Duy Dong, Director of the Domestic Market Department under the MoIT, the commodity market in July was fairly active with stimulus and promotional activities following the trade promotion programs launched by the MoIT and provinces. The supply of goods was plentiful and relatively stable. During that time, because it was hot season and students were in summer break so the demand for traveling and services also increased highly and the market was vibrant. The purchasing power was more optimistic than the previous months.



However, after Da Nang City and Quang Nam Province announced cases of Covid-19 and isolated the entire city of Da Nang, the people's psychology has become more discreet so the demand for tourism has significantly decreased. As for the market situation, because provinces and enterprises have had experience in implementing response measures so essential food commodities have always been provided sufficiently at stable prices. People have no longer hurriedly flocked to buy goods to reserve like before. According to Mr. Tran Duy Dong, in the previous turn of the pandemic, the MoIT quickly developed the scenarios for goods supply and instructed provinces to implement under the proposed scenario. Currently, when the outbreak reoccurs, the ministry has activated these scenarios. At the same time, basing on the actual situation, it has sent an official dispatch to provinces and enterprises on ensuring the supply of goods to people, especially products for the prevention and the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic, and at the same time encouraged enterprises to take measures to increase online sales.



In Da Nang City alone, due to mentality on the evening of July 29 and on the morning of July 30, lots of people had flocked to buy goods for stockpiling. Mr. Nguyen Ha Bac, Director of the Department of Industry and Trade of Da Nang City and the representatives of distribution channels in the area also affirmed that markets and supermarkets in Da Nang City will still operate normally. There will be no closure of markets and supermarkets. The traffic is smooth, the supply of goods is not interrupted and constantly arrives at the city daily so people should not hoard goods.



The Department of Industry and Trade of Da Nang City sent an official dispatch to commercial centers, supermarkets, convenience stores, grocery stores, units that provide rations, food, foodstuffs, necessities, units that produce and trade medical masks, disinfectant hand sanitizers, and medical supplies and equipment in Da Nang City, to request them to build a plan of balancing and storing goods and ensure sufficient supply of medical masks, hand sanitizers, medical supplies and equipment, consumer goods, food, foodstuffs, and daily necessities for the people. The department ordered that they must not hoard goods, speculate, and overcharge, causing uncertainties to the market.



Besides the supply of goods, market inspection and surveillance were also got the attention of the MoIT. Mr. Nguyen Quang Huy, General Department of Market Surveillance, said that right after the recurrence of Covid-19 outbreak, the General Department instructed the local market surveillance authorities to continue coordinating to strengthen inspection and control on the market, in which, they must focus on medical equipment items, food, and foodstuffs. In Da Nang City, on the 28th and 29th of July, the market surveillance authority detained 58,000 masks without clear origins and invoices, and they have continued to clarify and strictly handle them according to the regulations.



Ho Chi Minh City: Goods supply is plentiful



It is recorded in the market in HCMC in recent days that goods were abundant and plentiful while the prices are stable. There is no situation of people lining up or elbowing each other out to buy goods in supermarkets. Mr. Do Quoc Huy, Marketing Director of Saigon Co.op, said that this unit has carried out stockpiling of essential goods and scheduled a route to step-by-step restart response measures at Saigon Co.ops supermarkets and retail stores, of which the starting point was Co.opmart Da Nang supermarket.



Accordingly, a series of response measures will be activated by Saigon Co.op. Essential goods will be guaranteed with reserves at a safe level. At the same time, the volume of antimicrobial cloth masks, medical masks, and hand-washing gels, as well as human resource, and transportation options, have already been ready for Saigon Co.op Co.opmart, Co.opXtra, Co.op Food, and Co.opSmile supermarkets across the country.



Compared to the peak of the previous turn of the pandemic, Saigon Co.op now has added separate options of goods and transportation for each locality and region. Saigon Co.op is currently paying special attention to transportation options and isolation measures for supermarkets in Da Nang City, Quang Nam Province, and Hue City, heading to neighboring areas with supermarkets. Ho Chi Minh City and other provinces where Co.opmart supermarkets are located have been on high alert following the developments of the pandemic.



Many other supermarket networks, such as Big C, Lotte Mart, Vinmart, and Mega Market, also provide sufficiently a wide range of essential goods. As for medical masks, antimicrobial cloth masks, and hand sanitizers, supermarkets still receive them daily, so they can ensure the demand of the people in the situation that the pandemic develops complicatedly.



To contribute to the effective prevention of the Covid-19 pandemic, the Ho Chi Minh City government directed the city's force 389 on anti-smuggling, trade fraud and counterfeit goods to strengthen control on the market and the prices of essential goods, especially for medical equipment, such as masks, and disinfectant liquid; the market surveillance authority, police, and customs to strengthen the control of illegal smuggling, hoarding goods, and overcharging of medical equipment, and strictly handle violations.





By Hai Mien  Translated by Thuy Doan
OTTAWA - Canada's top public health doctors warned Tuesday that vaccines in development for COVID-19 provide hope but will not mean an immediate end to the pandemic.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa arrives to hold a press conference in Ottawa on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

OTTAWA - Canada's top public health doctors warned Tuesday that vaccines in development for COVID-19 provide hope but will not mean an immediate end to the pandemic.

Dr. Theresa Tam said the Public Health Agency of Canada is planning to be responding to the pandemic for at least a year and more likely two or three.

"I would say that a vaccine is a very important aspect of the response going forward but we can't, at this stage, put all of our focus in the hopes this is the silver-bullet solution," Tam said at a national briefing on the COVID-19 situation in Canada.

"It is a very important solution if we get a safe and effective vaccine but I would say the public health measures that we have in place, the personal daily measures that we take, is going to have to continue."

There are more than two dozen vaccines for COVID-19 in clinical trials around the world, and in the best-case scenario, one or two might be approved for widespread use by the end of the year. But approval is only a step in the process, and it will take time to then produce, distribute and administer billions of doses of vaccine around the world.

Dr. Srinivas Murthy, a critical-care specialist and pandemic researcher at the University of British Columbia, says the world has never attempted a vaccine program at this speed or scale before.

"We have no idea how this is going to work," he said.

He said once a vaccine is approved, then the questions become who gets it first, will people feel comfortable taking it, and how do you get it into them.

Volker Gerdts, CEO of the Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization at the University of Saskatchewan, said he wants Canadians to know that even as the timeline for developing vaccines is accelerated, speed is not coming at the expense of safety. He said Health Canada will not approve a vaccine that is not safe or that cut safety corners to get through faster.

In 2009, when the H1N1 flu virus was declared a pandemic, there was a wide-scale vaccination effort but that illness did not have the same impact as COVID-19, and the development of the vaccine was different because flu vaccines are developed every year.

Murthy said the world knew it should have a specific coronavirus vaccine because a pandemic like this was predicted, but nobody ever got as far as making one, so the research was starting much further behind where H1N1 was when a pandemic was declared. COVID-19 is also wider-spread and more lethal than H1N1 was.

"The whole world wants this one at the exact same time and that is something that is going to require unprecedented amounts of co-ordination and collaboration across the world," Murthy said.

The World Health Organization says vaccines must be effective in at least 50 per cent of the population for any chance of approval, and closer to 70 per cent is better. Once a vaccine developer declares a vaccine is both safe and effective, nations can begin the work to approve its use on their citizens.

Here that falls to Health Canada, which is already working with the provinces, through the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, to determine how approval, manufacture and distribution will work. The committee is expected to announce before the end of the summer which segments of the population will be prioritized for getting the vaccine.

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During the H1N1 pandemic, which was found to affect children more and seniors less, priority groups included the very young, health workers, remote communities and people with chronic illnesses under the age of 65. This time the expectation is that older Canadians and front-line workers may be among the priority groups.

Statistics Canada reported that about two in five Canadians were vaccinated in the first six months the H1N1 vaccine was available. Supply of a COVID-19 vaccine may be more difficult, with such high demand. Canada is also, at the moment, limited in its ability to produce a vaccine at home and may rely on international manufacturers to help.

University of British Columbia pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Manish Sadarangani said people should see the goal as "controlling" the pandemic rather than "ending" it. He said realistically, a vaccine will only slow the spread of the novel coronavirus at first: it often takes years, if not decades, to eradicate a virus entirely.

Measles, mumps and polio all have vaccines, he notes, but they still exist and spread, often because of a lack of vaccinations.

However, he added, we don't have to vaccinate everyone to control transmission because reducing the number of people who can get or spread the virus will cut down on the infection rate.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
Video courtesy of Reid Park Zoo. Read our latest update about baby elephant Penzi here: http://tucne.ws/1fjr

The American Red Cross is seeking volunteers who want to be trained to help out in emergency situations during hurricane season.

The agency is seeking people who would be trained disaster volunteers who can be sent to other parts of the country as needed to help with shelter operations and other emergency services. Arizona volunteers routinely help in areas hit by hurricanes.

Volunteers are needed to train in sheltering operations, including supervisory roles. Volunteers are needed to help staff shelter reception, registration, feeding, dormitory, information collection and other vital tasks.

Health-care professionals with current licenses are also being sought as volunteers. Needed are nurses, EMTs, paramedics, nurse practitioners, doctors and physician assistants. They would volunteer to assist in the health needs of people staying in shelters. Roles are also open for certified nursing assistants, home health aides, student nurses and medical students. Volunteers are needed who can provide care as delegated by a licensed nurse in shelters.
Her rally a few days ago in Brest on the border with Poland drew over 20,000 people, a massive showing for a city that has never seen big political protests. A few days before that, Tsikhanouskayas rally in the capital, Minsk, attracted more than 60,000. It was the largest opposition gathering in Belarus since the rallies in the months before the 1991 Soviet collapse.
Skypath Defender Panic Button "Our first responders in the state of Florida require the best technology to make Floridians safer in their homes and in the community at large." said Jeff Marano, Vice President for Charters of the Florida Police Benevolent Association.

On August 4, 2020 Skypath Security, Inc. the leader in mobile intelligent and interactive threat assessment, threat awareness and personal safety which is linked, in real time, directly to first responders, is announcing today the integration of a wearable device, key fob and SmartPhone Personal Alert System into its World Class, Award Winning Mobile Defense Platform.

School Systems can use the wearable devices, key fobs or SmartPhone Personal Alert System as part of their overall school safety plan to save lives. The wearable devices, key fobs or SmartPhone Personal Alert System allow teachers and staff to tap a single button to make an emergency call while simultaneously sending an alert message including their EXACT location in the building or on campus by text, email and directly to dispatchers and emergency responders in car computers which have the blueprints, schematics and layout of the building through the Skypath Mobile Defense Platform.

The results are faster and more accurate response creating better situational awareness for first responders. Technology advancements have dramatically increased the number of options available for student safety. Only 31% of active shooter incidents last longer than five minutes, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation. With such a small window to act, it is critical for first responders to be notified and dispatched quickly and for those at the scene to take immediate action. Seconds Saves lives.

This technology specifically complies with the State of Floridas newly passed bill SB 70 amending S.1006.07, F.S.; requiring each public school to implement a mobile panic alert system for specified purposes beginning in a specified school year.

Alert Systems in Public Schools; Citing this act as "Alyssas Law"; requiring each public school to implement a mobile panic alert system for specified purposes beginning in a specified school year; authorizing public school districts to implement additional strategies and systems for specified purposes; requiring the Department of Education to issue a competitive solicitation to contract for a mobile panic alert system

"Our first responders in the state of Florida require the best technology to make Floridians safer in their homes and in the community at large." said Jeff Marano, Vice President for Charters of the Florida Police Benevolent Association. Every single day emergency calls are made for medical, fire or general safety issues. The Skypath Security Panic Button Alert System and Mobile Defense Platform can instantaneously communicate with first responders and each other. It also has the ability to improve communication around non-emergency events, ensuring daily use and familiarity with the application. The result is improved safety and peace-of-mind. Mr. Marano concluded.



Skypath Security specializes in Certifying schools, retail stores, restaurants and all public buildings and spaces against threats with an interactive mobile defense platform linked directly to first responders and the development and commercialization of automated systems for control and tracking people and valuable assets through an online application that enables real-time information and live monitoring.

This is accomplished through the provision of complete solutions based on wearable products, key fobs and applications developed by the company using BLE / GPS / GPRS / GSM / WIFI / 4G / 5G/ technologies in the Android and IOS environment combined with solutions for the global market.

Skypath Security provides customized solutions in the retail market for special populations with risk of disappearing like adults, children and mentally frail people, as well as people with disabilities and special needs such as Alzheimer's, dementia, autistic people, etc. The system supports the personal safety of these populations, as well as the routine of their lives and their independence.

With the Skypath Mobile Defense Platform School Administrators, business owners or managers and landlords can easily upload blueprints or schematics directly to Skypaths Threat Assessment Team. (TAT)

Skypaths Threat Assessment Officers are highly trained former law enforcement, military and homeland security professionals.

Our systems enable businesses and organizations to manage their resources more efficiently, improve performance and maximize resources in managing and controlling risks, threats, tasks and events in routine and emergency situations

The Skypath Alert System (panic button) instantly notifies first responders while simultaneously immediately alerting on-site personnel of the emergency and opening up a communication channel between responders and others involved in the incident, said Amir Student, Skypath Security Vice President of Corporate Development It also allows our response teams to save precious minutes, which can be the difference between life and death. It enables us to better protect our community across the spectrum of ALL HAZARDS and is an invaluable integration into our core capabilities." Mr. Student concluded.

Skypath Security, is the leader in solutions that exemplify community safety and is working to offer cities, states and countries around the world to equip local authorities and first responders with FREE ACCESS to the tools they need to communicate with the public and protect front-line workers as they respond to every possible hazard.

If you are interested in learning more about Skypath Security OR would like to install the technology to protect your teachers, students or patrons please contact Skypath Security "Safety Ambassador" Gus Moyer at 401-351-7900 Ext 4911 (for 911)

About Skypath Security, Inc.

Skypath Security is the leader in mobile intelligent and interactive threat assessment, threat awareness and threat safety which is linked directly to first responders has announced today the integration of a wearable device, key fob or SmartPhone Personal Alert System into its World Class, Award Winning Mobile Defense Platform. Skypath Security specializes in Certifying schools, retail stores, restaurants and all public buildings and spaces against threats with an interactive mobile defense platform linked directly to first responders and the development and commercialization of automated systems for control and tracking people, valuable assets through an online application that enables real-time information and live monitoring. Skypath Security Inc. is located at 1350 Division Rd Suite 303 West Warwick, RI 02893 and can be reached at 401-351-7900 or info@skypath.com and found on the web at http://www.skypath.com
Lebanese authorities have said at least 78 people have been killed and some 4,000 wounded in a massive explosion at the port in the capital, Beirut.

The explosion on Tuesday sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage even on the outskirts of the capital.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Officials linked the explosion to some 2,700 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Lebanese President Michel Aoun assembled the countrys High Defence Council following the explosion.

Here are the latest updates:

23:35 GMT  Death toll rises to 78 following massive Beirut explosion

The death toll from the massive blast at a port warehouses near central Beirut has risen to 78, with over 4,000 wounded.

Officials said they expected the death toll to rise further after Tuesdays blast as emergency workers dug through rubble to rescue people and remove the dead.

President Michel Aoun called for an emergency cabinet meeting on Wednesday and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared.

22:47 GMT  Trump says explosion looks like a terrible attack

US President Donald Trump said the huge explosion that shook Beirut appeared to be a terrible attack.

We have a very good relationship with the people of Lebanon and we will be there to help. It looks like a terrible attack, Trump told reporters at the White House.

Ive met with some of our great generals and they just seem to feel that this was not some kind of manufacturing explosion type of an event  They seem to think it was an attack. It was a bomb of some kind.

The US president, however, did not present any evidence to back his claim.

22:03 GMT  Explosion damages UNIFIL ship, hurts personnel

The United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) said one of its ships docked at the port was damaged in the explosion, leaving a number of its personnel wounded, including some in critical condition.

UNIFIL said it was transporting the wounded peacekeepers to the nearest hospitals and was assessing the situation, including the scale of the impact on its personnel.

We are with the people and the Government of Lebanon during this difficult time and stand ready to help and provide any assistance and support, Major General Del Col, UNIFIL head of mission and force commander, said in a statement.

Some pictures from inside Beirut's mangled port today. pic.twitter.com/ccf3drv3QX  Timour Azhari (@timourazhari) August 4, 2020

22:01 GMT  US embassy urges people to stay indoors

The US embassy in Beirut warned residents in the capital about reports of toxic gases released by the explosion, urging people to stay indoors and wear masks if available.

21:59 GMT  Beirut declared disaster-stricken city

Lebanons High Defence Council, which brings together the president and all major security agencies,declared Beirut a disaster-stricken city.

#Lebanon President called urgent meeting of national defence council, which declared Beirut disaster zone, while PM Diab declared Wednesday day of mourning.What happened will not pass without accountability," said Diab.Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price."  Zeina Khodr (@ZeinakhodrAljaz) August 4, 2020

21:52 GMT  Investigation committee to say who is responsible within days

After the council meeting at the Baabda presidential palace, which was also attended by Prime Minister Hassan Diab, the following was announced:

 An investigation committee has been tasked to say who was responsible for the blast within five days.

 The families of victims will be paid compensation.

 Import traffic will be routed to the Tripoli port in northern Lebanon.

21:39 GMT  60 wounded in critical condition

At least 60 of the wounded people were in critical condition, according to the Red Cross.

The organisation said it had also set up triage and first aid stations to help people with non-critical injuries.

Lives lost  homes destroyed  a tired and hungry population  Aid agencies reported 500,000 children going hungry in Beirut area alone  and then this  #Beirut  months ago people asked for a new leadership they faced a militarized state https://t.co/0Xfnv3HDah  Zeina Khodr (@ZeinakhodrAljaz) August 4, 2020

21:11 GMT  Unacceptable 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate stored without safety measures: Aoun

Aoun said that it is unacceptable that 2,750 tonnes of ammonium nitrate were stored in a warehouse for six years without safety measures, according to statements published on the presidencys Twitter account.

Aoun also pledged that those responsible would face the harshest punishments and said a two-week state of emergency should be declared.





21:00 GMT  2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate at Beiruts port when they exploded: Official

General Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim said some 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate were in Beiruts port on the way to Africa when they exploded.

Ibrahim made the comments after the meeting of Lebanons Higher Defence Council.

20:54 GMT  Death toll rises to 73

According to Lebanons health ministry, the death toll has risen to 73, with 3,700 wounded.

20:45 GMT  I cant believe Im alive: Survivors recount Beirut explosion

Confusing, devastating, disastrous: these were some of the words people in and around Beirut used to describe the huge explosion that ripped through the Lebanese capital.

The explosion at Beiruts port was felt across the city and beyond, causing widespread damage and spreading panic.

Al Jazeera spoke to survivors and witnesses in the immediate aftermath of the explosion. Read about what they had to say here.

People run for cover following an explosion in Beiruts port area, Lebanon [Mohamed Azakir/Reuters]

20:34 GMT  Turkeys Erdogan offers aid

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has spoken with his Lebanese counterpart, Michel Aoun, and said Turkey is ready to provide humanitarian aid as needed, the presidency has said.

20:30 GMT  Qatar to send field hospitals to support medical response

Qatar has promised to send field hospitals to support the medical response.

During a phone call with Aoun, Qatars ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani offered his condolences and wished a speedy recovery for the injured, Qatar News Agency reported.

Read more international reaction here.

20:24 GMT  France in process of sending aid to Lebanon

France is in the process of sending aid to Lebanon, President Emmanuel Macron has said.

France is side by side with Lebanon. Always, Macron tweeted. French aid and resources are currently on their way.

Macrons office said he has also called Aoun to express Frances support for the Lebanese people.

20:20 GMT  Hezbollah calls for national unity

Lebanons Hezbollah movement has said all of the countrys political powers must overcome the painful catastrophe and unite.

The explosion which rocked Beirut is shown. The explosion, which rattled entire buildings and broke glass, was felt in several parts of the city [Anwar Amro/AFP]

20:10 GMT  Saudi Arabia following with great concern Beiruts explosion

Saudi Arabias foreign ministry has said that it is following with great concern the consequences of Beiruts port explosion, according to the state news agency.

The statement also affirmed the kingdoms full support and solidarity with the Lebanese people.

Smoke rises after an explosion was heard in Beirut [Issam Abdallah/Reuters]

19:38 GMT  More than 50 people killed: Health minister

In televised remarks, Lebanons Health Minister Hamad Hassan has said the death toll has risen to more than 50 people killed and more than 2,700 have been wounded.

Hassan said that they had contacted the World Health Organization (WHO) to bring in an aid plane.

19:35 GMT  Lebanon PM says those responsible for Beirut explosion will pay the price

Lebanons Prime Minister Hassan Diab has said that those responsible for an explosion at a dangerous warehouse in Beirut port area that rocked the capital would pay the price.

I promise you that this catastrophe will not pass without accountability Those responsible will pay the price, he said in a televised speech.

Facts about this dangerous warehouse that has been there since 2014 will be announced and I will not preempt the investigations.

Read more here.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion near the the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut [STR/AFP]

19:33 GMT  Israel offers humanitarian aid

Israel says it has offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon via foreign channels, as the two countries have no diplomatic relations.

Under the direction of Minister of Defence Benny Gantz and Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabi Ashkenazi, Israel approached Lebanon through international defence and diplomatic channels to offer the Lebanese

government medical humanitarian aid, the two said in a joint statement.

19:22 GMT  Explosion destroys Italian civilian ship

Vincenco Orlandini, 69 [Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera]

At the port Al Jazeeras Timour Azhari spoke to Vincenco Orlandini, 69, a crew member of an Italian civilian ship, the Orient Queen, that was docked near the blast site.

He was covered in blood after the explosion threw him across a room of his ship, while several people on board were wounded and taken to hospital, Azhari said.

I heard the blast and I flew to the opposite [side] of the lobby. I landed on the carpet and Im lucky; I think that saved me. The ship is totally destroyed  the cabins, the lounge, everything, Orlandini said.

A civil defense worker who has worked in the sector for 20 years was in disbelief at the scale of the damage.

Ive seen the assasinations and the explosions but this is something else. There is something wrong here, he told Al Jazeera.

Vincenco Orlandini, 69 [Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera]

19:13 GMT  Israel: No reason not to believe Beirut blast was an accident

Israeli Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi says the massive explosion in Beirut was an accident caused by a

fire. I suggest caution with speculation  I do not see any reason not to believe the reports from Beirut.

He made the comments to Israels Channel 12.

19:07 GMT  UK PM Johnson offers support to Beirut

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson says the UK is ready to provide any support it could to help Beirut.

The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking, Johnson wrote on Twitter. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident.

The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.

The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) August 4, 2020

18:53 GMT  More than 25 people dead, 2,500 wounded: health minister

Lebanese Health Minister Hamad Hassan says more than 25 people have been killed and more than 2,500 are wounded.

It is a disaster in every sense of the word, Hassan said in an interview with several television channels while visiting a hospital in the Lebanese capital.

18:50 GMT  Iran ready to help Lebanon, Zarif tweets

Iran is ready to help Lebanon in any way necessary, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has tweeted.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon. As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary. Stay strong, Lebanon, Zarif tweeted.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon. As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary. Stay strong, Lebanon.   Javad Zarif (@JZarif) August 4, 2020

18:48 GMT  More than 2,200 injured: Lebanese Red Cross

The Lebanese Red Cross says that more than 2,200 people have been injured and that the numbers are likely to rise, local broadcasters have reported.

Lebanese army soldiers are seen while a helicopter puts out a fire at the scene of an explosion at the port of Lebanons capital Beirut [STR/AFP]

18:34 GMT  Secretary General of Lebanese Kataeb Party among the dead

Among the dead is the Secretary General of the Lebanese Kataeb Party, the party has announced.

The headquarters of the Kataeb Party, one of the oldest parties in the country, is located right next to the port.

18:31 GMT  Some 400  500 people wounded: hospital sources

Local television quoted hospital sources as saying some 400 to 500 people have been wounded, and that all of the hospitals in the capital are overwhelmed as people are brought in.

18:20 GMT  Dozens of people being turned away from hospital

Dozens of people are trying to enter a hospital in Beirut and are being turned away, Al Jazeeras Timour Azhari said.

People are discussing about which hospital they can get to across the city. This hospital, the Hotel-Dieu hospital has formally announced that people should stop coming here.

There are corridors lined with wounded, bloody people, Azhari said.

There are people crying. The hospital itself has sustained damage; its ceiling looks very precarious, it looks like its going to fall apart.

18:17 GMT  PM calls for day of mourning on Wednesday

Lebanese President Michel Aoun has called for an emergency meeting of the countrys Supreme Defence Council, according to the presidencys Twitter account.

Prime Minister Hassan Diab has called for a day of mourning on Wednesday.

18:08 GMT  Ammonium nitrate stored in the port: Interior Minister

The Lebanese interior minister has said that ammonium nitrate was stored in the port, which is what caused the explosion, local media reported.

He said Lebanese customs should be asked about why it was there.

Lebanon-based broadcaster Mayadeen cited the countrys customs director saying tonnes of nitrate exploded.

17:51 GMT  In Pictures: Lebanons capital Beirut shaken by massive explosion

A massive explosion has rocked Lebanons capital, Beirut, causing many casualties, damaging buildings and shattering windows.

The blast, which flattened much of the capitals port, was felt across the city as a giant mushroom cloud rose above it.

View the photo gallery here.

People help a man who was wounded in a massive explosion in Beirut. [Hassan Ammar/AP Photo]

17:38 GMT  Cars were thrown three floors up onto roofs of factories: Al Jazeera correspondent

Al Jazeeras Timour Azhari reaching the Beirut port shortly after the explosion, said the site looks like a wasteland with debris seen everywhere.

Cars [from the ground] were thrown three floors up onto roofs of factories here, Azhari said.

Rescue services have not been able to reach the actual site of the explosion yet because fires are still raging. Helicopters are circling the area trying to extinguish the fire.

It really was an incredible explosion. People here are saying that they have never seen anything like it.

Even on the way here the roads were covered in glass, Azhari said.

17:27 GMT  Explosion caused by highly explosive material stored in warehouse: Official

Al Jazeeras Zeina Khodr reporting from Beirut said the head of General Security, General Abbas Ibrahim, visited the site of the explosion and said it appears the explosion was caused by highly explosive material that was stored in a warehouse.

According to Ibrahim, the explosive material was confiscated years ago.

We are at the entrance of Beiruts port, you can see behind me the chaos. Ambulances continue to arrive, continue to evacuate the casualties, Khodr said.

So far, according to security sources, at least 10 people have been killed, but we are expecting that number to rise because we understand from the health minister as well as the Lebanese Red Cross that there has been hundreds of injuries.

Ambulances have been called from across the country to help in the rescue effort. It was a massive explosion; you can see the fire trucks arriving at the scene trying to put out the flame.

17:25 GMT  Newsfeed: Large explosion rocks Lebanons capital





17:22 GMT  Israel not involved in Beirut explosion, Israeli official says

Israel has nothing to do with a huge explosion at the Beirut port area, an Israeli official has said.

Israel has nothing to do with the incident, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Israels Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi told Israeli N12 television news that the explosion was most likely an accident caused by a fire.

16:51 GMT  At least 10 people killed in explosion: Report

At least 10 bodies have been taken to hospitals following the explosion in Beiruts port area, a Lebanese security source and a medical source has told Reuters News Agency.

16:50 GMT  Hundreds of people wounded: health minister

Hundreds of people have been wounded in a huge explosion that ripped through Lebanons capital, Beirut, Hamad Hassan, the countrys health minister, told Al Jazeera.
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will consider legislation this week that would provide testing and health services to veterans sickened by exposure to hazardous chemicals in combat or garrison.

Sen. Thom Tillis, R-N.C., introduced the bill last week. It also would expand research on toxic substances found on military installations and used in combat, and broaden training among Department of Veterans Affairs medical providers to screen for possible exposures.

Read Next: She Was a Pioneering Coast Guard Rescue Swimmer. A Tsunami of Sexual Harassment Followed

The measure also would establish a commission to research the health effects of exposures to burn pits, hazardous waste, chemicals, runoff and other pollution sources and give former service members access to their Individual Longitudinal Exposure Records, kept by the Department of Defense.

Tillis, who was instrumental in creating the VA's Airborne Hazards and Burn Pits Center of Excellence, said he became involved in the issue after working with veterans and family members sickened while stationed at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, where the drinking water supply was contaminated with industrial solvents for more than 30 years.

In 2012, Congress ruled that all veterans who served at Camp Lejeune for at least one month from Aug. 1, 1953, to Dec. 31, 1987, were eligible for health care from the VA and those with any of eight medical conditions considered related to exposure could receive disability compensation.

Family members with one of 15 diseases presumed to be related also were designated as eligible for health care paid for by the VA.

But veterans waited for years before they were given access to health care and services for their exposure-related illnesses.

"Veterans stationed at Camp Lejeune spent decades pushing for documentation of their exposure and fair treatment for the damages caused by the military, but this cannot continue to be the norm," Tillis said in a release Friday.

"After working alongside veterans who were stationed at Camp Lejeune and fighting for service members exposed to toxicants from burn pits in Afghanistan and Iraq, it's clear the men and women who served our country deserve better," he added.

At the height of the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the U.S. military used 270 pits to dispose of refuse generated by military operations, burning all sorts of material, including food and household trash; industrial and office equipment like tires, batteries, computer parts and furniture; hospital waste; and more.

Troops reported working and living under black clouds of thick smoke that emanated from the burn pits, and some say they have developed chronic illnesses, including respiratory diseases and cancers, as a result.

Other exposures encountered by service members include smoke from oil well fires set by Iraqi forces as they left Kuwait in 1991; nerve chemicals from the demolition of an Iraqi weapons cache, also in 1991; exposure to chemicals used for industrial cleanup, firefighting and other operations in the past 30 years; and radiation exposure.

Service members seeking to establish a link between military exposures and illnesses for the sake of receiving VA health care and disability compensation, however, have faced challenges over the past four decades because the Defense Department often failed to document the environmental conditions of locations where troops were stationed.

In addition, the VA decides most exposure claims on a case-by-case basis and, without clear proof of exposure or scientific evidence of a link between a chemical and an illness, veterans seeking health care or benefits are often denied.

Rep. Raul Ruiz, D-Calif., has worked since 2019 to pass legislation to help veterans exposed to burn pits. This year, four of his proposals are included in the proposed fiscal 2021 national defense policy bill.

The measures would require the VA to expand its Airborne Hazards and Burn Pit Registry to include veterans who served in Egypt and Syria; force the DoD to implement mandatory training on the health effects of burn pits for all medical providers; add a stand-alone question on burn pits to the services' post-deployment health questionnaires; and require the Pentagon to give Congress a report on any studies it is conducting on the health effects of burn pits.

Of Ruiz' proposals, the measure requiring the DoD to modify the post-deployment health questionnaire is most likely to become law, as the Senate's version of the National Defense Authorization Act also includes the provision.

"My bills will help bring us closer to providing the attention that this DoD self-inflicted public health crisis requires, quickly identify at-risk service members and give them the timely and appropriate care they need," Ruiz said after the House passed the defense bill. "Service members and veterans continue to become severely sick, permanently disabled, or die from respiratory failure, cancers, or autoimmune or other diseases due to toxic military burn pit exposure."

The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee will consider Tillis' bill, S. 4393, the Toxic Exposure in the American Military Act, on Wednesday, along with legislation proposed by Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Ala., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., that would require the DoD to assess the exposure to chemicals by troops who served at Karshi Khanabad Air Base in Uzbekistan, known better as K2, from 2001 to 2005.

The lawmakers will also consider a proposal from Sullivan and Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., that would affirm that most veterans were exposed to burn pits during military service overseas.

Tillis' bill has the support of nearly 30 advocacy groups that banded together last year to improve research, treatment and benefits for service members with diseases linked to environmental exposures.

"We're honored to stand alongside Sen. Tillis and others who are championing this necessary reform to help those coping with these specific wounds of war," Wounded Warrior Project CEO retired Lt. Gen. Mike Linnington said Friday.

-- Patricia Kime can be reached at Patricia.Kime@Monster.com. Follow her on Twitter @patriciakime.

Related: Military Firefighters Say DoD Isnt Moving Fast Enough to Protect Them from Toxic Chemicals
(CNN)  Manhattan prosecutors on Monday asked a federal judge to dismiss President Donald Trump's lawsuit challenging a subpoena for his financial records, emphasizing that their investigation extends beyond hush-money payments and pointing to public reports of "extensive and protracted criminal conduct" at the Trump Organization.

Manhattan District Attorney Cy Vance's lawyers have previously said the probe is expansive, and on Monday they pointed out that when the subpoena was issued, "there were public allegations of possible criminal activity at Plaintiff's New York County-based Trump Organization dating back over a decade."

Last week, lawyers for Trump filed an amended complaint seeking to block the state grand jury subpoena to Trump's long-time accountant Mazars USA for eight years of personal and business records by arguing the subpoena was "wildly overbroad" and issued in bad faith.

Trump's latest legal challenge comes after the US Supreme Court ruled last month that the President does not have broad immunity from a state grand jury subpoena.

At the White House, Trump called Vance's probe "a continuation of the witch hunt."

"It's Democrat stuff," Trump said during Monday's press briefing. "They failed with Mueller. They failed with everything."

In their court papers earlier Monday, lawyers for Vance wrote of Trump's amended complaint: "This 'new' filing contains nothing new whatsoever, and Plaintiff has utterly failed to make a 'stronger showing of bad faith than he previously made to this Court."

The district attorney's office added that Trump's lawyers are relying on a false assumption that the investigation is limited to hush-money payments made to two women during the 2016 presidential campaign who alleged affairs with Trump. Trump has denied the affairs.

"Plaintiff's argument that the Mazars Subpoena is overbroad fails for the additional reason that it rests on the false premise that the grand jury's investigation is limited to so-called 'hush-money' payments made by Michael Cohen on behalf of Plaintiff in 2016," the district attorney's office said.

CNN has previously reported that Vance is investigating other transactions that go beyond the hush-money payments.

On Monday, they told the court that given public reports "of possibly extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization, there was nothing facially improper (or even particularly unusual) about the Mazars Subpoena, which issued in connection with a complex financial investigation, requesting eight years of records from an accounting firm."

In 2019, Vance's office described the scope of its investigation in court filings, but redacted several paragraphs over three pages. That filing openly described the hush money investigation because it was already public. US District Judge Victor Marrero privately viewed the unredacted information and found the subpoena was not overly broad.

Last year, ProPublica revealed discrepancies about the information the Trump Organization told tax authorities and lenders about its business. New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio asked Vance's office to look into the allegations.

Cohen, Trump's former personal attorney, told Congress in 2018 that he believed Trump artificially inflated the value of some of his assets in dealings with insurers and banks. Cohen offered only three internal financial documents as his proof, but no other documents to bolster his claims.

The district attorney's office interviewed Cohen as part of its Trump investigation at least three times last year, CNN has previously reported. People familiar with the inquiry say Cohen was asked about the range of allegations he has made against the President.

This story has been updated with comment from President Trump.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "NY prosecutors say Trump investigation extends beyond hush money payments."
Despite decades of positive messaging to encourage women and girls to pursue education tracks and careers in STEM, women continue to fall far below their male counterparts in these fields. A new study at Carnegie Mellon University examined 25 languages to explore the gender stereotypes in language that undermine efforts to support equality across STEM career paths. The results are available in the August 3rd issue of Nature Human Behavior.

Molly Lewis, special faculty at CMU and her research partner, Gary Lupyan, associate professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, set out to examine the effect of language on career stereotypes by gender. They found that implicit gender associations are strongly predicted by the language we speak. Their work suggests that linguistic associations may be causally related to people's implicit judgement of what women can accomplish.

"Young children have strong gender stereotypes as do older adults, and the question is where do these biases come from," said Lewis, first author on the study. No one has looked at implicit language -- simple language that co-occurs over a large body of text -- that could give information about stereotypical norms in our culture across different languages."

In general, the team examined how words co-occur with women compared to men. For example, how often is 'woman' associated with 'home,' 'children' and 'family,' where as 'man' was associated with 'work,' 'career' and 'business.'

"What's not obvious is that a lot of information that is contained in language, including information about cultural stereotypes, [occurs not as] direct statements but in large-scale statistical relationships between words," said Lupyan, senior author on the study. "Even without encountering direct statements, it is possible to learn that there is stereotype embedded in the language of women being better at some things and men at others."

They found that languages with a stronger embedded gender association are more clearly associated with career stereotypes. They also found that a positive relationship between gender-marked occupation terms and the strength of these gender stereotypes.

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Previous work has shown that children begin to ingrain gender stereotypes in their culture by the age of two. The team examined statistics regarding gender associations embedded in 25 languages and related the results to an international dataset of gender bias (Implicit Association Test).

Surprisingly, they found that the median age of the country influences the study results. Countries with a larger older population have a stronger bias in career-gender associations.

"The consequences of these results are pretty profound," said Lewis. "The results suggest that if you speak a language that is really biased then you are more likely to have a gender stereotype that associates men with career and women with family."

She suggests children's books be written and designed to not have gender-biased statistics. These results also have implications for algorithmic fairness research aimed at eliminating gender bias in computer algorithms.

"Our study shows that language statistics predict people's implicit biases -- languages with greater gender biases tend to have speakers with greater gender biases," Lupyan said. "The results are correlational, but that the relationship persists under various controls [and] does suggest a causal influence."

Lewis notes that the Implicit Association Test used in this study has been criticized for low reliability and limited external validity. She stresses that additional work using longitudinal analyses and experimental designs is necessary to explore language statistics and implicit associations with gender stereotypes.

Lewis and Lupyan received funding for the project, titled "Gender stereotypes are reflected in the distributional structure of 25 languages," from the National Science Foundation.
Two Rockets Land Near Iraq's Taji Military Base Hosting US Troops, Reports Say

Sputnik News

13:51 GMT 03.08.2020

MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Two rockets fell in the vicinity of Iraq's Taji military base, which is located north of the Baghdad capital and hosts US-led coalition troops, but did not explode, Al Sumaria broadcaster reported on Monday.

"The security forces found two rockets near Camp Taji and in the vicinity of the district of Al Moshahda", a source told Al Sumaria broadcaster, adding that the landing did not result in a blast.

The base repeatedly comes under rocket fire attacks, as does Baghdad's international airport and the so-called green zone of the Iraqi capital, where government buildings and embassies are located.

The most recent attack on Camp Taji took place late on 27 July. The explosion follows in the wake of several incidents that have taken place over recent weeks. On 20 July, the Camp Taji military base, which hosts US-led coalition troops to the north of Baghdad, came under rocket fire.

The Majid al Tamimi airbase in the northern province of Saladin was also targeted on the same day, the Iraqi news agency Shafaq reported.

A Sputnik

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Steve Rollins We are here to take the drudgery out of relocating or clearing an estate so you can move onto the next stage of your life and enjoy your time with your loved ones. We all lead such busy lives and time is precious  dont spend it packing boxes. - Steve Rollins

Steve Rollins is pleased to announce the launch of his new senior-focused relocation and estate-clearing company, Caring Transitions of Albany Georgia.

Caring Transitions specially-trained professionals handle decluttering, organizing, packing, moving, resettling, in-home estate sales and online auctions, home clean-outs, estate clearing and preparing homes for market. Caring Transitions of Albany Georgia serves Albany, Leesburg, Tifton, Dawson, Smithville, Leary, Milford, Baconton, Ashborn, TyTy, Warwick, Sylvester and the surrounding areas.

Moving is always a challenge, but it gets harder the older you get. As a fellow senior and a single guy, even moving myself from my apartment to a larger house was difficult  my family is scattered across the country and its hard to think about what you want to take, what you dont want to take, what youll sell, what youll donate, what your kids might want At Caring Transitions, we want to be your partner in those situations. We are here to take the drudgery out of relocating or clearing an estate so you can move onto the next stage of your life and enjoy your time with your loved ones. We all lead such busy lives and time is precious  dont spend it packing boxes, Rollins said.

Caring Transitions services are perfect for managing the many aspects of a senior move, including assisting with the process of downsizing to provide a safer living situation, as well as for busy families and people clearing out the home of a loved one who has moved into assisted care or passed away. All of Caring Transitions services are customizable, so clients choose the solution that best fits their needs.

Rollins, who is a Senior Relocation and Transitions Specialist, started his career when he earned his bachelors degree in mathematics from Iowa University in just two years and then earned his masters degree in mathematics from New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, had also served with the United States Air Force and the Army National Guard before taking a job for the Department of Defense, where he worked in analysis for weapons systems and aircraft survivability. After that, he was an operations research analyst for the United States Marine Corp. and eventually went to work for Amazon. Over the years, he also taught mathematics, statistics and scuba and owned two scuba shops. As he was considering his next steps, Rollins thought about his own experiences and realized he had an opportunity to make a difference.

I was living in Georgia when I got a call from Portland  my mom was dying and my dad had late stage Alzheimers disease. I had a little time I could take off work, so I took a week, flew to Portland and spent the week trying to arrange my moms services and find my dad a place to live, since he couldnt be alone. The last thing I had time to do  or wanted to do  was clear out their house and get it ready for sale. I was grieving and it was an overwhelming situation and Im so thankful I was able to find someone to help, Rollins said. As I started thinking about opening my own business and I heard about Caring Transitions, I thought back to my own experience and realized this was an opportunity for me to help someone else going through the kind of transition my family was going through back then.

Caring Transitions of Albany Georgia, which is part of the national Caring Transitions franchise, is bonded and insured and all employees are background checked. For additional information, call 229-302-4395, email SRollins@CaringTransitions.com or visit http://www.caringtransitionsalbanygeorgia.com/.


The president of Belarus says that the over 30 Russian mercenaries arrested there last week weren't just plotting to disrupt the election, that they were plotting an outright revolution and had already confessed.

A massacre in the capital of Minsk, President Alexander Lukashenko said in a fiery speech Tuesday (August 4), where he denounced Moscow's assertion that the men were just passing through his country.

The Belarus government has previously suggested that Russian security contractors may be linked to Lukashenko's political rivals.

This was the president on Tuesday (August 4):

"I am probably a bad geographer - but I do not understand, why would someone going to Africa by get there through the North Pole? It is much easier (to go there) from Novorossyisk, from Crimea. Skip and you are there, in Istanbul. Why go through Belarus? Or to Libya or somewhere else! Do not listen to those lies! Nobody needs those lies."

Belarus and Russia are traditionally allies, and Moscow has always maintained that it does not use security contractors to influence affairs in other countries.

Moscow says the men worked for a private company and were only en route to a third country, but had missed their connecting flight.

Lukashenko counters that the mercenaries had been given the order to enter Belarus and wait for further instructions.

There was no immediate reaction from Moscow, which has in the past dismissed Lukashenko's criticisms as emotional.

Lukashenko, in power since 1994, is up for re-election on Sunday and faces his biggest challenge in years amid public anger over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, the economy and human rights.
The Army on Tuesday set August 31 as the deadline for short-service commissioned (SSC) women officers to submit their applications for permanent commission. This comes days after the government on July 23 issued a formal sanction for granting the permanent commission following the Supreme Courts February verdict in this regard.

The court ruled that women officers, who have joined the Indian Army through SSC, are entitled to permanent commission. It added that women should be considered for command roles and that all women officers are entitled to permanent commission. The court asked the Army to give them permanent commission within three months in a major boost to gender parity.

The Centre got a one-month extension on July 7 to implement the verdict after it moved an application before the apex court seeking the extension of the deadline by another six months citing the Covid-19 pandemic and the lockdown imposed to check its spread from March 25.

Detailed administrative instructions have been issued to all affected women officers giving out guidelines for submission of applications for consideration by a selection board, an army spokesperson said on Tuesday. He said the Army headquarters was in the process of convening a special selection board for screening women officers for permanent commission.

Specimen formats and detailed checklists have been included in the administrative instructions in order to facilitate correct documentation.

The governments July 23 order specified grant of permanent commission to women officers in 10 streams -- Army Air Defence, Signals, Engineers, Army Aviation, Electronics, and Mechanical Engineers, Army Service Corps, Army Ordnance Corps, and Intelligence Corps in addition to the existing streams of Judge and Advocate-General and Army Educational Corps. The selection board will be held after the receipt and verification of applications.

The Supreme Courts judgment was hailed for creating a new equality paradigm in the armed forces. It upheld a 2010 Delhi high court verdict. The Supreme Court ruled that women officers, who joined the Indian Army through SSC, are entitled to permanent commission even if they have more than 14 years of service. It also held that there cannot be an absolute bar on women officers being considered for command appointments, paving the way for their elevation to such roles. The case before the Supreme Court was only about permanent commission and command roles in the armys non-combat streams.
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What if the U.S. government tries to restrain the power of Americas tech superstars, and it doesnt work?

Thats essentially what has happened so far in Europe, where some regulators and lawmakers have been ahead of the United States in putting guardrails on Google, Amazon, Facebook and Apple.

I talked with my colleague Adam Satariano, who writes about technology in Europe, about what happens when government officials decide they want to do something about Big Tech, but struggle to figure out what that something should be.

Shira: Whats been Europes approach to the American tech superpowers?

Adam: Europe started doing antitrust investigations several years ago. But the resulting lawsuits and regulation havent done much.
President Donald Trump bragged that a new conservation he signed was the most impressive 'since Teddy Roosevelt' at a bill signing, where he mispronounced the name of Yosemite National Park.

Trump committed the gaffe when he spoke about Americans gazing on 'Yosemite's towering sequoias,' though he was mocked on Twitter for his mispronunciation of the park Roosevelt visited in 1903.

Trump has signed into law legislation that will devote nearly $3 billion dollars annually to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands.

The measure was overwhelmingly approved by Congress  but Trump took advantage of a signing ceremony to hail two endangered Senate Republicans who worked on the bill as 'two fine people.' He singled out both Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner and Montana Sen. Steve Daines, who each are facing toss-up races for reelection.

Trump also read through a list of seven other Republicans he thanked, as well as daughter Ivanka Trump, who the president said has been 'very very active in this.'

BIG STICK DIPLOMACY: U.S. President Donald Trump holds a Tennessee hiking stick given to him by U.S. Senator Lamar Alexander (R-TN) at a signing ceremony for the Great American Outdoors Act, in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 4, 2020

'This is a very big deal from an environmental standpoint and from just the beauty of our country standpoint,' Trump said. There hasn't been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect,' Mr Trump said about the 26th president, who created many national parks, forests and monuments to preserve the nation's natural resources.

Supporters say the Great American Outdoors Act is the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century.

Opponents counter that the money is not enough to cover the estimated 20 billion US dollar maintenance backlog on federally owned lands.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended the exclusion of Democrats by pointing to a different issue - the standoff over extending expired unemployment benefits. House benefits passed a long term extension of the benefit, but when it lapsed Democrats refused a one-week extension.

U.S. President Donald Trump signs HR 1957, the Great American Outdoors Act, as U.S. Senator Martha McSally (R-AZ), U.S. Rep. Jeff FortenberryA (R-LA), and unidentified young girl, U.S. Forest Service Chief Vicki Christiansen Senator Cory Gardner (R-CO) and Rep. Don Young (R-AK) look on in the East Room of the White House in Washington, U.S., August 4, 2020

Trump claimed 'there hasnt been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect'

'Youre asking about recognition of congressional Democrats right now,' McEnany told a reporter Tuesday. 'The only thing that were recognizing about congressional Democrats right now is how appalling it is that Americans there are going without paychecks because they refuse to partner with' Republicans.

SIGNED : President @realdonaldtrump has signed the Great American Outdoors Act into law!



This legislation marks the single largest investment in our national parks and public lands IN HISTORY! pic.twitter.com/vYa0sbrA4Y  Senate Republicans (@SenateGOP) August 4, 2020

'You look at this - you look at what we do with our wildlife. It's really been incredible,' Trump said.

Trump acknowledged that Roosevelt  who established a wealth of national parks and national monuments  was 'the great conservation president.' Trump has touted a series of rollbacks of Obama-era regulations on power plants, water, and emissions.

He also pointed to his threat to prosecute people who destroy monuments on federal property amid protests over the death of George Floyd.

'People going around a knocking down monuments, some very beautiful monuments. They were knocking them down with impunity,' Trump said.

He said it was 'amazing' the way things had 'quieted down.'

The new law requires full, mandatory funding of the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund and addresses the maintenance backlog facing America's national parks and public lands.

The law would spend about 900 million dollars a year, double current spending, on the conservation fund and another 1.9 billion US dollars per year on improvements at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and range lands.

Supporters say the legislation will create at least 100,000 jobs, while restoring national parks and repairing trails and forest systems.

The park maintenance backlog has been a problem for decades, through Republican and Democratic administrations.

The House and the Senate cleared both bills by overwhelming bipartisan margins this summer.

Among the bills' congressional champions are Republican senators Cory Gardner of Colorado and Steve Daines of Montana.

Both are among the Senate's most vulnerable incumbents, and each represents a state where the outdoor economy and tourism at sites such as the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone national parks play an outsize role.

Daines and Gardner persuaded Mr Trump to support the legislation at a White House meeting this year, even though Mr Trump has repeatedly tried to slash spending for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in his budget proposals.

Ivanka Trump, the Republican president's daughter and adviser, also supported the legislation.

The legislation's opponents, mostly Republicans, complain it would not eliminate an estimated 20 billion US dollar maintenance backlog on 640 acres of federally owned lands.

The legislation authorizes $9.5 dollars for maintenance over five years.

Politicians from Gulf Coast states also complained that their states receive too small a share of revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling that is used to pay for the conservation fund.
Delicately but clearly, Zelensky explained that it's he who is President and it's he who determines all key policy directions, while Avakov is responsible for security.

Mykhailo Podolyak, an anti-crisis communications advisor to Head of the President's Office Andriy Yermak, has said Interior Minister Arsen Avakov is no longer a threat to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, since the president "clearly explained" to him who is in charge in the country.

"Sometimes Avakov was too obviously trying to take over presidential functions. I don't know why. Now, in my opinion, Volodymyr Oleksandrovych [Zelensky] has delicately but clearly explained it's he who is President of this country, and that only he determines all key policy directions, while Arsen Borysovych [Avakov] is responsible for security," Podolyak told RFE/RL's Ukrainian service in an interview.

Asked when exactly the conversation took place, the advisor said that was "not a matter of a single conversation."

Read alsoZelensky: Avakov must bring Sheremet murder case to end

"It's a matter of behavioral internal reactions. You know how they say, 'sidelines.' Here on the sidelines, people act in a certain way. And it seems to me this disposition, a new disposition, arose in the last three or four months, when it became clear that Volodymyr Oleksandrovych was a serious player and that he came to power for a long time (longer than many people think, but I'd say at once we aren't talking about authoritarianism, a police state, and so on, not at all). And Arsen Borysovych also understood this. And that's very good. Because it is impossible [to work effectively] amid someone's illusion that they are entitled to take over presidential functions," Podolyak said.

At the same time, he said he has "the warmest attitude" toward Avakov and believes "he is a good man."

"Holding on to this position for six years is, of course, a cool story," the adviser said.

Prior to joining the President's Office, Podolyak wrote in his blogs that Avakov had been an "informal" president and had "almost engulfed" Zelensky, while being an "ineffective and lazy" manager for the interior ministry.

On June 6, Zelensky said Avakov is a "powerful minister."

Avakov has served as Interior Minister for over six years already. Many lawmakers accuse him of the failure in police reform and investigation of high-profile criminal cases.
New Delhi: Virgin Galactic, a vertically-integrated aerospace and space travel company has announced signed a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Rolls-Royce to collaborate in designing and developing engine propulsion technology for high speed commercial aircraft.

"This follows the successful completion of its Mission Concept Review (MCR) program milestone and authorization from the Federal Aviation Administrations (FAA) Center for Emerging Concepts and Innovation to work with Virgin Galactic to outline a certification framework," an official statement said.

The basic parameters of the initial high speed aircraft design include a targeted Mach 3 certified delta-wing aircraft that would have capacity for 9 to 19 people at an altitude above 60,000 feet and would also be able to incorporate custom cabin layouts to address customer needs, including Business or First Class seating arrangements, a company statement said.

The aircraft design also aims to help lead the way toward use of state-of-the-art sustainable aviation fuel. Baselining sustainable technologies and techniques into the aircraft design early on is expected to also act as a catalyst to adoption in the rest of the aviation community, it added.

Virgin Galactic further said that the design philosophy of the aircraft is geared around making high speed travel practical, sustainable, safe, and reliable, while making customer experience a top priority.

The company is designing the aircraft for a range of operational scenarios, including service for passengers on long-distance commercial aviation routes.

The aircraft would take off and land like any other passenger aircraft and be expected to integrate into existing airport infrastructure and international airspace around the world, it said.

We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience. We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft, and we are pleased to be working with the FAA to ensure our designs can make a practical impact from the start. We have made great progress so far, and we look forward to opening up a new frontier in high speed travel, George Whitesides, Chief Space Officer, Virgin Galactic said.
Iraqi Prime Minister Mustafa al-Kadhimi announced on July 30 that early elections will be held on June 6, 2021. Early elections are a priority for the Kadhimi government, which was formed in the wake of anti-government protests that erupted in Iraq on Oct. 1. The protests killed more than 500 people, according to government estimates.

President Barham Salih praised on Aug. 4, setting time for the early elections, calling upon the parliament to accelerate the process of finalizing the electoral law and the federal court law which is the responsible body for overseeing the elections.

"If the prime minister requests resolving the parliament, I would approve it and send it to the parliament to vote over it," Salih said.

The prime minister's spokesperson, Ahmad Mulla Talal, said on Aug. 2 that a special committee is preparing all requirements for the elections, which will be held on time and in accordance with international standards.

The Independent High Electoral Commission (IHEC)  the institution in charge of elections  has declared its readiness. Yet it requires a full quorum of an incomplete Federal Supreme Court of Iraq, which is the sole body legally authorized to certify election results, among other requirements.

The IHEC also requires preparation of the electoral budget and availability of supplies that it had previously requested from the relevant ministries and which would contribute to holding elections on time.

Hussein al-Hindawi, Kadhimis election adviser, told Al-Monitor, It is a government commitment to set the elections date and hold them.

He added, There are challenges to the elections, though not compelling, particularly at the security level. There are also financial challenges related to the elections cost, ranging between $250 million and $300 million, according to preliminary estimates.

Hindawi noted that Kadhimi asked the IHEC to cut costs, rely on some of the nationally [made] supplies and reduce the expenses. We heavily bank on the elections, and we want them to be fair; otherwise, they are deemed unnecessary.

Several signs indicate that the elections cannot be held on time, such as the controversial election law, existing obstacles relating to the Federal Court overseeing the elections and disagreements over the new IHEC.

Yaseen al-Bakri, a political science professor at al-Nahrain University, said some political blocs are stalling. They want the current parliamentary term to be completed and avoid going to early elections because they are well aware of the little chances they have in the early elections.

That is one of the challenges to early elections. The new electoral law passed by the parliament has not been sent to the president for approval, due to differences about it among the protesters and the political parties. Now, the political blocs that approved the new, incomplete election law may even reconsider it, particularly since their vote came in light of the heated street protests that they wanted to cool down in any way.

Nevertheless, Kadhimi has embarrassed the political blocs by putting the ball in their court. Success will be recorded for the Kadhimi administration if they agree with him and move forward with the elections. Yet public anger will be taken out on them if they oppose and obstruct him.

Salah al-Arabawi, independent politician and former office director for Ammar al-Hakim, leader of the National Wisdom Movement, indicated that there are multiple technical, political and legal challenges that may delay the elections."

He said, The political challenges lie in the parliament's dissolution. A political consensus is needed in order for parliament to dissolve itself. I do not think that the political blocs will agree that their time in the current parliamentary term be reduced, although some of them are in favor of the date Kadhimi set. Yet they do not want to lose with the early elections being held.

Arabawi added, All data indicate that the elections will not be held in June 2021. They may be held in early 2022, and then they will be viewed as early elections.

Rahman al-Jubouri, senior researcher at the Regional Center of the American University of Iraq at Sulaimaniyah, told Al-Monitor, The date that Kadhimi set is not official. The parliament and the presidency need to agree as well. The 10-month period of time is not enough, and the elections expenses need to be covered.

I think that setting a date is designed to prompt parliament and the presidency to take the appropriate measures to choose a clear election law and vote on it in parliament. Many are the problems facing the elections, including the arms and militias and other problems related to the training of the IHEC and its members. All of that cannot be solved in 10 months, he added.

One can say that Kadhimi was taking a risk when setting a date for early elections at a time when security, technical, legal and even political conditions are less than ideal. However, his intention is to continue to win the street's support, particularly since holding early elections has been its key demand.

Liqaa Maki, senior researcher at Al Jazeera Center for Studies, told Al-Monitor, There are serious challenges facing Kadhimi. It is not easy to anticipate what will happen. Yet Kadhimi's behavior in general, his ability to govern and understanding of the government mechanism in Iraq affirm that he will not be able to hold early elections.

Maki added, If Kadhimi escalates the confrontation with the armed forces, the latter's reaction might be violent and would subsequently result in a state of genuine chaos and total collapse. If he does not, things will remain unchanged. A third option would be that he takes exceptional and unconventional measures to preoccupy his opponents and pave the way for the elections. Yet in order for him to achieve that, he will need international assistance as well as a bit of creativity.

Kadhimi is probably aware of the many challenges to holding elections in June 2021, but he has decided to put the ball in the court of the political blocs, parliament and the IHEC, who must now initiate the legislation and steps to make it possible. He has shown Iraqis his commitment to the process. The focus will now be on the parliament to implement that promise.
Nunavut's members of the Legislative Assembly, the territory's member of Parliament and its senator can now be exempt from the territory's public health order to self-isolate before travelling to Nunavut, according to the chief public health officer.

In Tuesday's press conference Dr. Michael Patterson said these officials will be required to submit a written request to be approved by his office to get the exemption.

It only applies to necessary travel related to Parliamentary, Legislative Assembly, and constituency business  not to personal travel. It does not apply to government staff or elected officials' families.

The change in the travel restrictions is to allow the Nunavut government to conduct government business, Patterson said.

If they choose, officials can still isolate in the hotel quarantine for 14 days in one of the territory's southern hubs.

Upon returning from official business, Nunavut representatives will be required to follow the protocols for all critical workers for 14 days. That means they will have to self-isolate when not at work, maintain physical distance at work, and should wear a mask when separation cannot be maintained, Patterson said.

What's the latest?

Government offices will reopen to the public on Monday, according to Premier Joe Savikataaq.

There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Nunavut. As of July 29, the government website states that public health is monitoring 236 people for symptoms. In total, 1,751 people have been investigated.

The last public health emergency order was extended until Aug. 6.

The premier's office said this will be the last weekly news conference on COVID-19 this month. A statement said it will schedule news conferences if and when they're needed over the next few weeks.

At the last news conference the government announced it had opened a second isolation centre in Winnipeg.

Subsequently, some Nunavummiut spoke out about the need for change at the government-approved isolation centres in the Manitoba capital, saying rules are inconsistent, there have been incidents with disruptive guests, and a lack of communication.

Story continues

Nunavut education authorities also went public last week with their concerns over school reopening plans in the territory  particularly around the cost and implementation of new cleaning guidelines, and physical distancing requirements.

Three presumptive cases announced in July at the Mary River Mine near Pond Inlet were all confirmed negative by an Ontario lab.

Tuesday's news conference will also play on local cable, on channel 233, and will air at 4 p.m. ET on the CBC Radio show Tusaajaksat.

Missed the press conference? Watch it here:
New figures show that people who work long hours and have a poor work/life balance are twice as likely to say their health is poor. Linda Stewart talks to three people who made the decision to switch jobs.

FROM FAST-PACED EXECUTIVE... TO YOGA TEACHER

Anne Monaghan (45), from Ederney in Co Fermanagh, was a director of stakeholder engagement with a leading company before giving it up to become a yoga teacher. She had worked in community relations for many years before moving into the construction industry.

Describing the lifestyle she led before making her momentous decision, she says: "I could jump on a plane in Toronto or Brussels and I'd take a sleeping tablet and a glass of whiskey to get to sleep and I'd wake up in Dublin or Belfast, do a considerable drive to do a day's work and then I might drive back up the road to Belfast, if somebody was coming into town for meetings the next day."

Expand Close Anne Monaghan on a business trip in Canada / Facebook

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It was a gruelling schedule and eventually Anne, who is single and lives near her dad Patsy (73) and has two sisters, Monica (46) and Pauline (43), decided that she'd had enough.

"I was getting older and the workload and work-life balance was terrible. I just couldn't do it any more in terms of my mental health as well as my physical health. I couldn't go out for a walk like I am doing now," she says.

"I was living on adrenaline, nerves and cortisone, all the stress hormones, and that can only last for so long. I recognised the signs that if I kept going like that, something would break down.

"It was more a build-up over time," she says. "I probably started to drink more, I didn't have time to exercise. I had read about women going into their 30s, 40s, 50s and how a pattern of alcohol abuse could develop and I didn't want to go there.

"I knew everything was going to have to change, and I knew I couldn't just change one part of my life - it was all going to have to change."

Anne had dabbled with yoga over the years but made a pledge to attend a weekly class to take some time out for herself. In 2017, at the age of 42, she resigned from her job and decided to become a yoga teacher, travelling to India to complete a training course in early 2018.

Looking back, she says: "I had anxiety, but I didn't know it. I thought it was normal to be living on your nerves all the time.

"I couldn't sit down and be with myself for five or 10 minutes. My brain was always thinking what I had to do next."

Unable to find a class in the area of Fermanagh where she lived, she hit upon the idea of training to become a yoga teacher and offer classes herself, and headed off to India in January 2018 to undergo a month-long 200-hour yoga training course.

"I came back and advertised classes in Ederney and Kesh. My first class in Ederney was in the town hall and people were queued out the door," she says.

"At that stage, I wasn't a typical yoga teacher - I wasn't stick thin, I wasn't that flexible, I was beginning to suffer from arthritis and I couldn't sit on my hunkers. I was starting to lean on an umbrella for support."

Anne admits it was a huge decision to make after spending 20 years building a career, not to mention the financial implications.

"I thought I'm hitting 40 now. If I have 40 good years left, how do I want to spend them? But I also felt mine was a meaningless existence and I had to think about what I valued in life. It was a very tough decision. I didn't even know I was going to teach yoga or be able to support myself doing it."

Happily, Anne is now able to support herself after building up her small business, Well Worth It, and is branching out into reflexology and reiki. She offers workshops in schools on stress management and has been helping teachers and classroom assistants to deliver yoga in the classroom. During lockdown, she posted a series of yoga videos which reached over 15,000 people and has just completed a yogathon to support the Aisling Centre in Enniskillen.

Anne says she earns about half of what she used to, but after working for 20-odd years, her mortgage had started to come down and she could afford to switch careers.

"All I wanted to do was make my mortgage payments and keep my car going," she says. "My lifestyle had changed - mostly in terms of the cost of living. Now, I would be more selective about nights out and weekends away, and I look for bargains."

Anne also only drinks alcohol occasionally these days and, an added benefit of her new job, is time to do what she wants during the day. "Rather than working 9-5, I teach yoga classes in the evening and that gives me more free time during the day to do the things that I want to do.

"Don't get me wrong, there were parts of my past life that I enjoyed - I enjoyed getting to do and see a lot of the things I did and saw," she says.

"But 90% of the time I have no regrets. I love having the time for the people in my life - family and friends and all the people I've met through teaching yoga.

"I used to take anxiety tablets but now I don't need them. I don't take medication for anything. I'm definitely healthier. I can sit with myself in peace and my mind is a lot clearer and cleaner.

"Even though I've less money and I don't have the lifestyle that I had, I have fewer fears. Maintaining all that income, lifestyle and title was very tiring."

FROM SCHOOL PRINCIPAL... TO PHOTOGRAPHY BUSINESS

Former school principal Ivan Skinner (59), from Ballynure, gave up his job due to heart problems and has now started a photography business. He is married to GP practice nurse Gail and has two children, Aaron and Hanna, and four grandchildren, Eva (13), Aria (5), Sam (5) and Charlie (6 months).

Expand Close New focus: former school principal Ivan Skinner has taken up photography / Facebook

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Whatsapp New focus: former school principal Ivan Skinner has taken up photography

Although Ivan had wanted to be a teacher when he was at school, he didn't become one until later on in his career, but rose through the ranks to become principal of King's Park Primary in Newtownabbey.

"I had a fantastic time," he recalls. "I was there for five years and I had the best five years of my teaching career - great staff, great vice principal, great relationships with the kids and parents."

Ivan had hoped to be in the post for another 10 years, but began feeling unwell in 2016. "I wasn't ill, I just felt unwell. I felt more tired than I should have been, things felt like more of a burden."

Ivan collapsed one evening in February during half-term and arrested several days later as he visited A&E.

The consultant told him he had cardiomyopathy and warned him that he would be out of school for the rest of the year.

"My heart was enlarged and wasn't working efficiently and the two sides were not working together. My heart was functioning at about 18%. That explained why I'd been feeling tired and so breathless."

After the doctors fitted a pacemaker/defibrillator, Ivan was allowed to return home, but was warned that he needed to consider his options.

"I genuinely was shocked by that," he says. "I said 'I've another 10 years to work as principal because I started late'.

"But the doctor said 'Let me be frank,if the device works, and the medication works, then you should be good for 10 or 12 years at least. But if you go back to a stressful job you'll be lucky to see two years."

After mulling it over for a couple of months, Ivan retired from teaching. "It was really quite a shock," he admits.

He misses the buzz of school life: "If you want to do it, teaching is the best job in the world, though it was certainly stressful at times too. But to be taken out of that suddenly, and be left with, in a sense, nothing was hard. A fair amount of my self-esteem was wrapped up in my career." Ivan suffered with depression for a while.

"That's probably past now, and I think I have accepted where I am now," he says.

Two years ago, he launched a part-time photography business called Tin Man Photography.

"That keeps me as busy as I can probably manage. I always kind of thought when I retired from teaching, I'd like to do a little bit more with my photography and that happened sooner than I thought."

During lockdown, Ivan moved to the family's caravan in Castlerock with his dog to protect his health because his wife works in the NHS.

"We thought I'd be there for a few weeks, but I ended up here on my own for 13 weeks, which was bizarre just me and the dog, and the camera. To keep myself occupied, I set myself a little target of getting out at least once every day to get some photographs and I then posted them on the Facebook page. And it actually became something quite big and people were waiting for them."

He adds: "My health is certainly away from the point where we thought I wasn't gonna be around - it's a lot better than it was.

"I haven't seen the doctor since last December when things were okay. The doctor said you can stop thinking about having 10 or 12 years - you should be fine for the foreseeable future, as long as nothing else changes.

"I just need to be careful. Physically I'm not as strong as I would have been and if I overdo it I'd be aware of it, even the next day. I'd still get breathless if I'm exercising, or walking up steep hills or something like that, but part of that's being 60 and too heavy."

FROM PhD RESEARCH... TO MASTERS

Gaelle Esnault (27), who is Italian-French, was doing a PhD developing a diagnostic protocol for viruses related to bovine respiratory disease in cattle at a research centre in a small town in Ireland, but made the decision to drop out due to depression and anxiety. She has now switched to a Masters and is living in west Belfast with her boyfriend Nicholas McCleary.

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Gaelle says her research was going well but she began to feel increasingly unwell due to the pressures of working in academia.

Living in a small town, Gaelle felt increasingly isolated and frustrated with the pressurised situation.

"I tried to cope on my own for a bit and then I felt that it wasn't possible any more so I started seeing a CBT therapist," she says.

The CBT helped for around a year or so, but after a visit home, things came to a head and she felt that she couldn't go on with it any more.

"I couldn't cope any more with the anxiety. It was very, very dark - I used to have panic attacks quite often and then I had the constant feeling that I couldn't breathe," she says.

"In the morning I was waking up and I just wanted to cry and not get up at all. It was like 'please let me go back to sleep because I don't want to go through another day like that'."

It was only when she began seeing Co Down psychotherapist Dr Melania Duca Canavan that she was able to tackle the anxiety properly. In the meantime, she made the decision to drop her PhD.

"I had two choices - I could just stop and not do anything, or I could switch from a PhD to a Masters which meant I would keep on doing the project but basically just doing a smaller project," she says.

"I finished my lab work in June, and now I'm writing up in order to hand in the thesis at the end of September."

Gaelle had hoped to do a PhD in order to progress in her field, but has now decided to take a break from academia.

"I tried, it did not work out, and now I am okay with the decision that I took. Melania helped me a lot through all this stuff - I accept what happened and I'm like, okay, then I will try something else.

"It was a hard decision. I knew that if I took a certain decision I would not be able to follow the path that I wanted and it was very hard; the idea that I was failing or that I was disappointing people around me.

"But I also feel that I'm in control of my life now. I can start fresh and choose whatever I want."

Getting the right balance

Experts have warned that the return to work and the long hours workplace culture can affect our health.

A new study, published in the journal BMC Public Health, surveyed 32,000 working adults and found that those who worked longer and reported poor work/life balance were twice as likely to say that their health was poor.

The association between poor health and a bad work/life balance was slightly higher for women, and the UK and Ireland reported the worst work/life balance out of all 30 European countries.

Women suffered poor health slightly more than men due to "higher demands from household activities and other care responsibilities", according to the co-author Dr Nicholas Kofi Adjei.

The UK and Ireland fared worse than Nordic countries "because of the strong male-breadwinner tradition, minimal social policies and poorly regulated labour market".
Reverend Bayes set out his ideas in An Essay Toward Solving a Problem in the Doctrine of Chances, published posthumously in 1763; it was refined by the preacher and mathematician Richard Price and included Bayess theorem. A couple of centuries later, Bayesian frameworks and methods, powered by computation, are at the heart of various models in epidemiology and other scientific fields

As Marc Lipsitch, an infectious disease epidemiologist at Harvard, noted on Twitter, Bayesian reasoning comes awfully close to his working definition of rationality. As we learn more, our beliefs should change, Dr. Lipsitch said in an interview. One extreme is to decide what you think and be impervious to new information. Another extreme is to over-privilege the last thing you learned. In rough terms, Bayesian reasoning is a principled way to integrate what you previously thought with what you have learned and come to a conclusion that incorporates them both, giving them appropriate weights.

With a new disease like Covid-19 and all the uncertainties it brings, there is intense interest in nailing down the parameters for models: What is the basic reproduction number, the rate at which new cases arise? How deadly is it? What is the infection fatality rate, the proportion of people with the virus that it kills?

But there is little point in trying to establish fixed numbers, said Natalie Dean, an assistant professor of biostatistics at the University of Florida.

We should be less focused on finding the single truth and more focused on establishing a reasonable range, recognizing that the true value may vary across populations, Dr. Dean said. Bayesian analyses allow us to include this variability in a clear way, and then propagate this uncertainty through the model.
Lights went dark, connections to the outside world were severed and sump pumps stopped in homes without generators Tuesday afternoon across the Lehigh Valley and northwestern New Jersey.

Heavy rainfall and winds from Tropical Storm Isaias were to blame for tree damage and power outages, the National Weather Service reported.

As of 2 p.m.:

Systemwide, FirstEnergys JCP&L was reporting 652,558 outages -- 57.7% of its customers -- without power in New Jersey.

Met-Ed, also a FirstEnergy company, reported 48,236 outages in Pennsylvania, or 2.4% of its 2 million customers across Pennsylvania and New York.

PPL Electric Utilities systemwide in Pennsylvania reported 34,107 outages, or 2.13% of customers.

Here is a breakdown of the outages by county in the Lehigh Valley region and northwestern New Jersey. Click here if its not displaying.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to lehighvalleylive.com.

Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : Considered the father of modern Indian theatre, Ebrahim Alkazi, the first Director of National School of Drama (NSD) breathed his last in the capital on Tuesday. He was 94.

Also an art connoisseur, collector and gallery owner, he founded Art Heritage Gallery in New Delhi.

This Royal Academy of Dramatics Art (RADA) pass-out staged more than 50 plays during his distinguished career and won the BBC Broadcasting Award in 1950.

Some of the major plays directed by him include "Tuglaq" (Girish Karnad), "Ashadh Ka Ek Din" (Mohan Rakesh), Dharamvir Bharti's "Andha Yug" besides several Greek tragedies and Shakespeare's works.

Recipient of the Padma Vibhushan (2010), Padma Bhushan (1991) and Padma Shri (1966) honours, he was known to be a strict disciplinarian who provided a blue print for theatre training during his years as the Director of NSD (1962-1977).

Associated with training some of the best known talents in the country, including Naseeruddin Shah, Om Puri, Uttara Baokar and Rohini Hattangadi, besides a host of major theatre directors in the country, Alkazi was married to Roshan Alkazi, who designed costumes for his plays.

His two children are also theatre artists. Amal Allana, is a theatre director and former Chairperson of National School of Drama while Feisal Alkazi too is a theatre director.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
The Federal Government has warned that COVID-19 will spread more to rural areas across the country. The Minister of Health, Osagie E...

The Federal Government has warned that COVID-19 will spread more to rural areas across the country.





The Minister of Health, Osagie Ehanire, who said this on Monday at the daily briefing of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on COVID-19 in Abuja, urged Nigerians to be ready for the pandemic.





He also said that the FGs objective was to reduce Nigerias COVID-19 fatality case to one per cent.





Our objective is to reduce the case fatality to 1 per cent, Ehanire said.





COVID-19 will also spread more to rural areas, and we should be ready for that.





It is too early to read meanings to the COVID-19 data in Nigeria.





The testing for COVID-19 increased by 40, 000 between June and July.





Our health workers should not be apprehensive over PPE as the country has a reasonable stock.




With more than 52,000 cases in 24 hours, India's Covid-19 tally has reached 18,55,746 cases, with 38,938 deaths. Meanwhile, the Union Health Ministry also recorded the highest-single day tests of 6.6 lakh samples in its fight against the pandemic.

India witnessed a single-day spike of 52,050 COVID-19 cases as the total cases in the country reached 18,55,746, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday.

803 COVID-19 related deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. The total cases include 5,86,298 active cases, 12,30,510 cured/discharged/migrated and 38,938 deaths, the Health Ministry added.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state as it has a total of 1,47,324 active cases and 15,842 deaths. A total of 4,50,196 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the state up to Monday, according to Union Ministry of Health.

Also read: After BSY, former Karnataka CM Siddaramaiah tests positive for Covid-19

Also read: Only invitees should come, says Yogi Adityanath as Covid threat looms Ayodhya

Tamil Nadu reported 5,609 new COVID-19 cases and 109 deaths on Monday, taking total cases to 2,63,222 including 2,02,283 discharges and 4,241 deaths, the state Health Department said.

The total cases in Delhi have risen to 1,38,482 including 1,24,254 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 4,021 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

Meanwhile, India recorded the highest single-day testing by conducting over 6.6 lakh tests to diagnose COVID-19 in the last 24 hours.

In its fight against COVID-19, India scales a new high of 6,61,715 tests in the last 24 hours, said the Health Ministry in a tweet.

A total of 2,08,64,206 samples for COVID-19 have been tested across the country so far, said the Health Ministry.

Also read: Gyms to reopen on August 5: MHA issues guidelines
People will have the choice to attend the festival in person or online when things kicks off in September.

Earlier this year ,the decision was made not to proceed with the July 2020 Galway International Arts Festival in the interests of public health.

Today John Crumlish (chief exectuive) and Paul Fahy (artistic director) announced details of a new programme of events entitled Galway International Arts Festival, autumn edition.

The once-off autumn programme of events welcomes audiences to safely experience visual arts , music, theatre and talks live in person while facilitating those who may prefer to engage from home.

Were delighted to announce Galway International Arts Festivals Autumn Edition. We hope you can join us to celebrate great art both in-person and online

September-October 2020https://t.co/ZZiAwHPbyC@artscouncil_ie @Failte_Ireland @galway2020 @nuigalway @flogas

 @MooseIreland pic.twitter.com/4lMRDjGAG8 Advertisement  Galway International Arts Festival (@GalwayIntArts) August 4, 2020

The programme will take place this September and October and will include both live arts and an enhanced digital component giving audiences a choice as to how they wish to engage with it.

In a statement, the GIAF said:

"We acutely aware of public health concerns, the programme is designed to be presented within public health and Government guidelines, with all events allowing for limited attendance and social distancing.

"The centrepiece of the programme will be the world unveiling of a major new visual arts commission for Galway 2020, European Capital of Culture.

"Presented outdoors in Galway city and in Connemara, the unveiling of John Gerrards Mirror Pavilion will be a dazzling moment on the Irish landscape.

"Mirror Pavilion by John Gerrard, using cutting edge digital technology, will be one of the largest outdoor installations ever to be seen in Ireland, as well as new work in the Festival Gallery from Hughie ODonoghue and online from Sarah Hickson.

They also announced that there will be a range of speakers at the festival which includes the likes of: Samantha Power, Professor Luke ONeill, Marion McKeone, Colm Toibin, Gaia Vince, Eamon Dunphy and Fintan OToole.

Speaking about today's announcement, Mr Crumlish said:

"While this has been a very challenging time for everyone, we were determined to present a programme in Galway this year despite everything and we are set to do just that with our autumn edition.

"We wanted this to be a love letter from the arts to our audience during a very difficult period for people.

Tickets go on-sale at 1pm Monday 10 August at www.giaf.ie
Appointment

4 August 2020

Thibaut Asso has been named Director of Sales and Marketing at Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth, the island's renowned retreat which is set to reopen in Spring 2021 following an extensive restoration. In his new role, Asso will be responsible for developing and leading the resort's reopening marketing strategy, establishing relationships with industry partners, and continuously developing new business alongside his sales team.

With 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry representing some of the finest hotels and brands in the world, Asso will apply his operational knowledge and executive insights to his new position at Rosewood Le Guanahani St. Barth. Most recently, Asso served as Cluster Director of Sales and Marketing, Americas for COMO Hotels and Resorts based in Miami Beach, Florida, where he directed all aspects of the Sales and Marketing department for two COMO properties, including implementing operational decisions as part of the executive committee and reopening COMO Parrot Cay in 2017 following an extensive renovation. Previously, Asso was based in New York City and was the Director of Sales North America for Carlisle Bay Resort in Antigua; and Associate Director of Sales North America for Pineapple Luxury Hotels and Resorts, representing prestigious hotels including Carlisle Bay in Antigua, La Tremoille in Paris, One Aldwych in London, Il Salviatino in Florence and Upper House in Hong Kong. Prior to this, Asso spent eight years with Belmond Hotels (formerly Orient Express Hotels) in various sales and management positions.

Asso got his start in the industry on the floor and in management in food & beverage operations at hotel and resort properties in Monaco, Scotland, French Polynesia and the Caribbean. He earned a Baccalaureate in economy from Lycee Sasserno in Nice, France; a Hospitality Management Certificate from E-Cornell in the US; and a diploma in information and communication from the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis.
Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz testifies in front of the Senate Judiciary Committee in Washington on Dec. 11, 2019. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

FBI Finds Sample of Spy Warrants Almost Error-Free, in Contrast to Major Failures in Surveillance of Trump Associate

A Department of Justice review of 29 spy applications approved by a secret court uncovered only two material errors, in stark contrast to the 17 major errors discovered in applications to spy on former Trump campaign associate Carter Page.

The findings bolster the case that the FBI acted with bias against Trumps campaign.

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISC), a secret court that operates with little oversight, ordered the FBI to overhaul its spying practices after Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz uncovered major errors in applications to surveil Page.

Earlier this year, Horowitz found the FBI failed to properly support every single application out of the 29 selected for an audit. Probing the Woods files of each application, or records that are supposed to back up assertions in the applications, Horowitz found that no Woods files existed for four of the applications while the remaining applications had apparent errors or inadequately supported facts.

The FISC ordered the Department of Justice to review the applications.

That review found all 29 applications did, however, contain sufficient basis for probable cause, John Demers, assistant attorney general for national security, said in an Aug. 3 statement. Two material errors uncovered during the review didnt invalidate the FISC authorizations. In contrast, the Justice Department conceded early this year that the material errors in the Page FISA applications invalidated two of the four warrants the bureau obtained.

The findings, along with the dozens of corrective actions undertaken by the FBI and the departments national security division, should instill confidence in the FBIs use of surveillance granted through FISC, Demers said.

A voicemail left for a Horowitz spokesman wasnt returned by press time.

The portrayal triggered some pushback from lawmakers.

Carter Page, petroleum industry consultant and former foreign policy adviser to Donald Trump during his 2016 presidential election campaign, in Washington on May 28, 2019. (Samira Bouaou/The Epoch Times)

FBI Director Christopher Wray at the Justice Department in Washington on Oct. 4, 2019. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

So the FBI made 201 errors in 29 FISA warrants. But dont worry everybody because they reviewed their own files (except the four THEY LOST) and they have assured the court that none of the errors were significant. Nothing to see here. Move along, Rep. Kelly Armstrong (R-N.D.) wrote on Twitter.

In an 88-page explanation of the review, officials said 48 of the nonmaterial errors reflect typographical errors or misstated dates. Seventy-three others involved non-material deviations between a source document and an application. The source of an otherwise factual assertion was misidentified in 13 errors; the remaining four involved assertions that may be accurate, but the supporting document was missing.

Horowitz instituted the broader review after finding 17 significant errors or commissions in the applications to spy on Page. Many additional errors were uncovered in the Woods files for the applications.

Horowitz concluded that the errors and other failures constitute serious performance failures by the supervisory and non-supervisory agents.

The Page FISA applications cited the unverified dossier compiled by former British spy Christopher Steele, without mentioning the dossier was paid for by the campaign of Hilary Clinton, Trumps opponent, and the Democratic National Committee.

The review punctured the belief among some of Steeles veracity, noting that he relied on second- and third-hand reporting.

Without a legal foundation to surveil Page, FBI agents were conducting illegal surveillance, Horowitz told lawmakers.

There is such a range of conduct here that is inexplicable, and the answers we got were not satisfactory, that were left trying to understand how could all these errors have occurred over a nine month period or so, among three teamshand-pickedthe highest profile case in the FBI, going to the very top of the organization, involving a presidential campaign, he said in an appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee in late 2019.

Horowitzs report now makes clear that the FBI launched an intrusive investigation of a U.S. presidential campaign on the thinnest of suspicions that, in my view, were insufficient to justify the steps taken, Attorney General William Barr said after the report was released.

In a rare statement, Rosemary Collyer, the presiding FISC judge at the time, suggested the behavior of the FBI agents was so egregious that it calls into question whether information contained in other FBI applications is reliable.

The FBIs handling of the Carter Page applications, as portrayed in the [Inspector Generals] report, was antithetical to the heightened duty of candor described above, she said.

Zachary Stieber Reporter Follow Zachary Stieber covers U.S. news and stories relating to the COVID-19 pandemic. He is based in Maryland.
Last week alone, Russia delivered to the occupied areas in eastern Ukraine at least 10 armored combat vehicles, up to 30 trucks loaded with small arms, ammunition, and military equipment, as well as about 1,000 tonnes of fuel, Ukrainian military intelligence has reported.

Russia continues to supply weapons, military equipment, ammunition, fuel and lubricants, as well as other military assets, to the temporarily occupied territory in Donetsk and Luhansk regions through sections of border beyond Ukraine control.

That's according to the press center of the Joint Forces Operation Headquarters referring to the Main Intelligence Directorate of the Ministry of Defense.

Read alsoUkraine's Defense Ministry responds to Russia's statements on possible arming of Donbas

Last week alone, Russia delivered to the occupied areas in eastern Ukraine at least 10 armored combat vehicles, up to 30 trucks loaded with small arms, ammunition, and military equipment, as well as about 1,000 tonnes of fuel, Ukrainian military intelligence has reported.

"Also, servicemen with individual units of the Russian armed forces, which are not part of the 1st and 2nd Army Corps, went on rotation, along with the arrival of mercenaries  Russian citizens  to replenish the ranks of Russia's occupation forces," the report concludes.
Biswajit Dhar By

With trends for several key indicators now available for the April-June quarter, the impact of the pandemic on the Indian economy is becoming increasingly clear.

The most recent of the numbers show that the production in eight core sectorscoal, crude oil, natural gas, refinery products, fertilisers, steel, cement and electricitydeclined by 15% in June 2020 as compared to 22% in the preceding month.

Except fertilisers, all other sectors were in the red. For the first quarter of the 2020-21 fiscal taken as a whole, the decline in their production was almost 25%.

A couple of weeks earlier, foreign trade figures for June as well as the April-June quarter provided yet another facet of the state of the economy.

These figures showed that India had recorded a trade surplus in June 2020, an augury that was favourably commented on by the government.

However, the reality is quite different since the trade surplus resulted from the collapse of imports, which is a strong indication that the economy, especially the manufacturing sector, was on a low ebb. Imports had collapsed through the quarter: While in April and May, imports declined by over 50% as compared to the corresponding period in 2019, the decline was close to 48% in June.

A third indicator is the state of Central government finances, which, not surprisingly, are looking very weak on the revenue side. The lockdown has made its impact felt on net revenue receipts which, for the quarter that ended in June 2020, were down by about 50% over the same period in the previous fiscal. However, monthly net revenue receipts are looking better in June than what they did in April, when they were 71% below the level in April 2019.

It is thus quite evident from all available indicators that in the previous quarter, the Indian economy has experienced an unprecedented decline.

This implies that considerable efforts would be required to get consumer demand and business confidence back to an even keel so that the economy begins to tick again. For this to happen, the government must step up to provide sustained support to the most vulnerable, including the micro enterprises.

This can be gleaned from the experience of most major economies. Furthermore, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) has backed governments to revive their economies, a sharp departure from its earlier position.

With these learning experiences and the IMF advice at hand, it seemed somewhat surprising that in the reckoning of Indias Chief Economic Advisor (CEA), the government would provide the next stimulus when the vaccine for Covid-19 was available, for this, in his view, would stimulate consumer demand for discretionary items. There are two covert messages in the CEAs view.

The first is that the next stimulus could be expected not before the end of the year or the beginning of the next, since this is the most optimistic time frame for the availability of the vaccines. In other words, the next tranche of stimulus can wait. Secondly, in the economic package announced in May, the government had provided everything necessary to get the fundamentals of the economy in order.

The IMF provides the first set of evidence that the CEAs views are at variance with reality. In a recent assessment of the initiatives taken by G20 countries to rescue their economies from the throes of the pandemic, the IMF had shown that among them, India is the second lowest in terms of additional spending and revenue, namely on fiscal measures.

This also means that India has devoted the least fiscal resources from among the top 15 economies. Clearly, India needs to do more, for apart from supporting one of the largest economies, government support is urgently needed to support a large informal sector that sits at the base of the Indian economy.

This informal sector has largely been neglected in the economic package, raising concerns about the future of livelihoods. In the May economic package, the government promised Rs 3 lakh crore to businesses and the MSME sector, comprising 6.3 crore units (as of 2015); 99% of these units are micro and are part of the informal sector that do not normally borrow from the formal banking system. The support that the government had promised to businesses and MSMEs are not tailored to the needs of the latter set of enterprises, for at least two reasons.

First, enterprises can receive additional working capital support at concessional rates, equivalent to 20% of their outstanding credit.

This implies that in order to receive support, the units must have borrowed from formal institutions earlier.

Secondly, only those enterprises that follow standard principles for maintaining their accounts can receive support. These are two conditions that almost all MSMEs do not fulfil.

The revival of the Indian economy is impossible without ensuring that the MSME sector gets back on track. Long-term institutional support is essential for ensuring viability of this sector, which the government must provide through its agencies.

Biswajit Dhar

Professor, Centre for Economic Studies and Planning, School of Social Sciences, JNU

(bisjit@gmail.com)
Christopher Parham was grocery shopping for his boss when Henry Daverin, a plainclothes NYPD officer, approached him. Daverin accused Parham of driving recklessly on an illegal scooter without a helmet; a few minutes later, Parham was writhing in pain on the sidewalk outside. What happened during those few minutes was a matter of dispute. The NYPD said that Parham, a Black 19-year-old, had violently resisted arrest. Daverin and his colleagues said that they did not use force against him even though Parham had gruesome Taser burns all across his back.

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Then surveillance video of the episode emergedand proved that nearly every detail of the NYPDs account was false. Parham had immediately cooperated with Daverin; he did not resist arrest. Nonetheless, Daverin and his colleagues had assaulted Parham, tackling him to the ground, then Tasing him over and over again. After Parhams attorneys released the videoand his local representatives raised concernsthe district attorney dropped all charges. Daverin, who had been named in at least 10 other misconduct lawsuits, was never disciplined, either for brutalizing Parham or for lying about it. Two years later, he remains on the force.

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The police reaction to George Floyds murder, as well as the resulting nationwide protests, introduced many Americans to the fact that law enforcement officers lie. After officer Derek Chauvin killed George Floyd, the Minneapolis Police Department issued a statement falsely claiming that Floyd physically resisted officers and excluding the fact that Chauvin knelt on Floyds neck for nearly nine minutes. When Buffalo police officers violently shoved a peaceful 75-year-old man, their department falsely asserted that the victim tripped and fell during a skirmish involving protesters.

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This tendency to lie pervades all police work, not just high-profile violence, and it has the power to ruin lives. Law enforcement officers lie so frequentlyin affidavits, on post-incident paperwork, on the witness standthat officers have coined a word for it: testilying. Judges and juries generally trust police officers, especially in the absence of footage disproving their testimony. As courts reopen and convene juries, many of the same officers now confronting protesters in the street will get back on the stand.

Defense attorneys around the country believe the practice is ubiquitous; while that belief might seem self-serving, it is borne out by footage captured on smartphones and surveillance cameras. Yet those best positioned to crack down on testilying, police chiefs and prosecutors, have done little or nothing to stop it in most of the country. Prosecutors rely on officer testimony, true or not, to secure convictions, and merely acknowledging the problem would require the government to admit that there is almost never real punishment for police perjury.

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Officers have a litany of incentives to lie, but there are two especially powerful motivators. First, most evidence obtained from an illegal search may not be used against the defendant at trial under the Fourth Amendments exclusionary rule; thus, officers routinely provide false justifications for searching or arresting a civilian. Second, when police break the law, they can (in theory) suffer real consequences, including suspension, dismissal, and civil lawsuits. In many notorious testilying cases, including Parhams, officers blame the victim for their own violent behavior in a bid to justify disproportionate use of force. And departments will reward officers whose arrests lead to convictions with promotions.

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Two major cities are taking two different approaches to the problem. In New York City, prosecutors keep secret databases of unreliable police officers, though only two boroughs actually prohibit those officers from taking the stand. Without further reforms, however, this approach fails to address the underlying problem: Prosecutors are reluctant to accuse officers of lying in the first place, or to investigate an officers claims to learn if they align with reality. As a result, an officer who lies convincingly can evade the list indefinitely. In San Francisco, by contrast, District Attorney Chesa Boudin has sought to eradicate the incentives that lead police to lie in the first place. Both cities are witnessing an experiment play out in real time: What happens when the criminal justice system can no longer rely on its enforcers to tell the truth?

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The New York Police Department provides a case study in how the criminal justice system rewards lying. One NYPD officer, David Griecocommonly known as Bulletheadhas been sued at least 32 times, costing the city $343,252, for civil rights violations, including excessive force and fabrication of evidence. Yet Grieco was promoted and prosecutors continued to call him to the stand long after a slew of his victims blew the whistle on his violent and lawless behavior. Judges continued to rely on his word to lock up defendants. And Griecos name did not appear on Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalezs long-secret list of officers with known credibility problems.

When you have a system of that kind of impunity, it snowballs. It teaches, encourages, and enforces bad behavior.  Chesa Boudin, San Francisco district attorney

Grieco is a symptom of a much deeper problem. Widespread lying about Fourth Amendment violations is at least as old as the exclusionary rule itself. The Supreme Court applied this rule nationwide in 1961s Mapp v. Ohio, preventing state prosecutors from relying upon illegally obtained evidence to secure a conviction. Mapp spawned a surge in dropsy cases: Rather than admit to an illegal search, police claimed that defendants simply dropped drugs on the ground in front of them, since evidence found in plain view can be used at trial. Studies of criminal trials in New York City found that, after Mapp, police began lying about arrests to ensure that evidence would be admissible. In the early 1970s, the New York district attorney even told the New York Court of Appeals that, since Mapp, officers lied on the stand in a substantial number of dropsy cases. Two decades later, the Mollen Commissiona famous investigation of the NYPDfound that officers routinely engaged in perjury and falsification of records, the most common form of police corruption.

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When NYPD officers are accused of illegal behavior, the department itself usually investigates, then conceals its findings and imposes, at worst, a slap on the wrist, like brief paid leave. Prosecutors could separately investigate, but they have little incentive to question an officers story: If they know an officer is lying, they cannot legally rely on his testimony; if they remain in the dark, they can still use his perjury to clinch a conviction. Moreover, prosecutors and police work together to put defendants behind bars, developing a team mentality that prevents prosecutors from scrutinizing officers testimony with appropriate skepticism. As long as officers lies cannot be proved false, prosecutors have little reason to question their account of events. As a New York assistant district attorney told the Mollen Commission: Taking money is considered dirty, but perjury for the sake of an arrest is accepted. Its become more casual.

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Occasionally, the system will catch these lies. Yvette, an Egyptian American who lives in New York City, believes cross-examination of deceitful officers likely secured her acquittal. (Her name has been changed at her request to protect her from retaliation.) In 2017, Yvette witnessed three NYPD officers arresting the owner of a Brooklyn hookah lounge. As the police were detaining him, he handed Yvette his phone and asked her to call his mom. The officers promptly attacked her, she told me, severely damaging her knee. When she begged for an ambulance, the officers ignored her. Yvette eventually called one herself and learned at the hospital that the attack tore her ACL. When two officers visited her bedside, she asked if they were going to take her statement. They explained that they were there to arrest her for allegedly attacking the officers at the hookah lounge.

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What these officers did not know was that Yvette had recently recovered from multiple surgeries on her knee, one of which resulted in a staph infection. It had been a mere two weeks since Yvette learned how to walk without a cane again. Now the NYPD was accusing her of a violent assault.

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At a three-day bench trial, Yvettes public defender, Theodore Hastings, grilled the cops about their account. Two officers claimed that Yvette had attacked them at the exact same time, a physical impossibility. A third alleged that Yvette had run about 500 feet before lunging at the officers.

Yvette herself also testified. The judge heard my story and understood and felt my pain, she told me. She saw I really wasnt lying. The judge acquitted Yvette of all charges.

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But hoping a judge will vindicate the truth is a luxury most wrongfully accused people cannot afford. Not everyone has a medical record or video footage to prove their account. If an individual goes to trial, they have a right to access the arresting officers record of misconduct because it could help prove their innocence. But the vast majority of criminal cases do not go to trial, and until recently, defense attorneys in New York City could not obtain officers disciplinary records due to a notorious shield called Section 50-A. The state repealed this law in June, and Mayor Bill de Blasio has since promised to publish an online database of police disciplinary records. With New York Citys prosecutors still fighting to conceal their do-not-call lists, it will now be left to defense attorneys, activists, and the public to track untrustworthy officers.

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Across the country in San Francisco, newly elected District Attorney Chesa Boudin is taking a different approach. Boudin, a former public defender and staunch critic of mass incarceration, confronted testilying head-on. Police are allowed to lie and get away with it over and over and over again in matters big and small, he told me. I can think of dozens of examples where police were either able to get away withor faced no consequences if they were impeached and called out on their dishonesty. When you have a system of that kind of impunity, it snowballs. It teaches, encourages, and enforces bad behavior.

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Boudin has minimal control over the SFPD itself. But he has created a robust do not call list of officers whom his office will not call to the stand as a witness. Officers who are caught testilying go on the list, as do those who commit other forms of misconduct. Boudin has also mandated careful assessment of charges like assaulting an officer and resisting arrest. When police use excessive force or brutalize someone, Boudin said, the most common outcome is that the police arrest the person and ask prosecutors to charge that person with resisting arrest or assaulting an officer. He now requires his staff to review video footage of the incident before filing those charges. Its not because we think officers are lying most of the time, he said. We just know that, until we watch video footage, we have no ability to distinguish between a testilying police report to cover up excessive force and legitimate criminal activity of assaulting an officer.

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A third reform may have more direct practical consequences for victims of routine testilying designed to avoid the exclusionary rule. Too often, officers find a trivial reason to stop someone, or just make one up, then discover drugs or weapons in the ensuing search. The target of these pretextual stops is usually a person of color. We know driving while black is a reality for far too many people, Boudin said. If you have dark skin, youre more likely to get pulled over, more likely to get searched, and more likely to get arrested. Youre also more likely to have force used during your arrest than if youre white.

To disincentivize this behavior, Boudins office stopped charging any contraband case that grew out of a pretextual stop. As an example, he cited searches initiated after a stop for some minor traffic offense. Our vehicle code makes it possible for police to legally stop any car, Boudin said. We all know that most drivers do not come to complete stops at stop signs and most police dont enforce that law most of the time. If the police do pull over a driver for an incomplete stop, and the encounter results in an arrest for possession of drugs or guns, his office will not bring charges.

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Ilona Solomon, a San Francisco public defender and former colleague of Boudins, admires his work but remains skeptical that he has the power to change the citys broken law enforcement apparatus. There is an entrenched culture in the DAs office that is very resistant to reform, Solomon told me. Chesa cant fix all the problems immediately, and some things he doesnt have control over.

Still, in his seven months on the job, Boudin has made headway in the face of sustained opposition from the SFPD. Solomon pointed to two recent cases involving the same officer, Robert Gilson. In 2017, a California judge found Gilson had changed his testimony regarding a search and arrest, deeming him not reliable. Yet prosecutors continued to call him to the stand, and judges continued to paper over his inconsistencies.

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In one recent case, Gilson stopped a Samoan man who was holding a bag of marijuana, which is legal in California. After a lengthy search, the officer discovered bindles of cocaine. Gilsons reason for the stop shifted: At the time, he said he wanted to search bulges in the mans pocket; later, he testified that he sought to determine if the man was holding an illegal amount of marijuana. A judge accepted this reasoning and refused to suppress the cocaine. In another case, Gilson stopped a Black man, justifying the action because the man was jaywalking. After Gilson threatened to strip search the man, he let the officer search him, uncovering a small stash of cocaine. A judge refused to suppress the evidence, crediting Gilsons testimony that he believed the man was concealing drugs due to his worried demeanor during the search.

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Solomon represented both men. She told Boudin that, in both cases, Gilson had engaged in blatant racial profiling. Boudin agreed and dismissed all charges. Still, Boudins office could not say whether it had placed Gilson on its do not call list, which is not public. The SFPD confirmed Gilson was assigned to field operations but said they could not comment further on personnel matters.

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The system cannot exist without it. It would grind to a halt.  Bennett Capers, Fordham Law professor

Kate Levine, a Cardozo Law professor and former public defender who studies police accountability, told me shes skeptical that patchwork solutions like a do not call list can ever stamp out testilying. Maryanne Kaishian, a public defender in Brooklyn, agreed, noting that its easy for clean officers to conceal the involvement of a known dirty cop by keeping his name off all paperwork. Nor do these lists remove officers strong incentive to lie: Police are more likely to get promoted if they effect more arrests that result in successful prosecutions. Promotions come with more prestige and a higher salary. Prosecutors still have an incentive not to question officers blue lies.

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To end testilying, Levine said, I would entirely change incentive structures. Officers would be rewarded for reporting on their colleagues lies and scrutinized when their stories do not line up. They would no longer be able to coordinate their stories before testifying, a common procedure that lets them iron out potential inconsistencies. Nor could they watch bodycam footage before providing their version of events, another perk thats not provided to civilians. Prosecutors would be rewarded for rooting out unconstitutional behavior. Officers who lie, and prosecutors who tolerate them, would be terminated immediately. In short, the system would encourage police officers and prosecutors to focus less on winning cases and more on following the rules, even when a constitutional violation stands in the way of a conviction.

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What would happen if a city really tried to eliminate testilying? I posed this question to Bennett Capers, a former federal prosecutor and Fordham Law professor who studies police lies. In all honesty, I think my initial reaction would be that the system cannot exist without it, he told me. It would grind to a halt. Capers said that run of the mill policing would have to change. We are doing about 13 million misdemeanor arrests a year. With a lot of those small crimes, theres fudging. Nobodys paying attention.

Police, in other words, would have to stop arresting so many people for minor crimes. Once cities stopped deploying officers to harass misdemeanants, they could shrink their police force, reducing the number of encounters between cops and civilians. Agencies might then dedicate those resources to investigative and detective work in order to build solid cases against suspects, thereby creating a higher bar for which cases to pursue. Prosecutors would be forced to make a more careful calculation about the risk of bringing a case to trial and drop cases that rested on a search of dubious legality. In the short term, the legitimacy of the entire system might take a hitthough only because its participants confronted the illegitimate basis of so many convictions. Over time, however, the system might regain the legitimacy it lost with a preference for punishment over justice.

We all wanted to see justice happen, Capers recalled from his time as a prosecutor. And law enforcement often thinks that, in the interest of justice, the rules get in the way. Im not aware of ever saying, Does this story sound quite right? We benefited from small lies.

For more of Slates news coverage, subscribe to What Next on Apple Podcasts or listen below.
PRINCETON, N.J., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- NeuTigers , a leading-edge startup that is revolutionizing the next generation of energy/latency-efficient artificial intelligence (AI), has teamed up with Rajant Corporation, to bring new solutions to the world. As a first step, both companies are addressing the global public health crisis through CovidDeep, an AI-powered monitoring and screening solution to detect the different phases of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19, currently in validation after a promising clinical trial.

In a recent study with San Matteo Hospital in Pavia, Italy, researchers demonstrated that CovidDeep's efficient AI neural networks can differentiate between healthy participants (tested SARS-CoV-2 negative), asymptomatic (tested SARS-CoV-2 positive that can stay home), or even symptomatic (SARS-CoV-2 positive that needs hospitalization), using only a small field of clinical biometric data obtained non-intrusively from off-the-shelf, wearable medical sensors. Following further validation, the solution could help in triaging people for targeted viral and antibody testing, getting them to self-quarantine sooner, get treatment faster, and, importantly, enable the world to get back to work and restart the economy.

CovidDeep can empower medical professionals and individuals by:

Using data collected in a HIPAA/GDPR-compliant manner from medical sensors embedded in smartphones, smartwatches and/or wearables

Applying a machine learning model to screen participants and classify them as healthy, asymptomatic, or symptomatic

Delivering efficient screening methods for SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 globally, so those in resource and supply-strained areas can concentrate on the most urgent cases

"Right now, our biggest question is, how can we return to an open society and a productive economy without risking the collapse of the healthcare system? The answer is through a scalable SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 screening system, which we knew we could bring to life with Rajant as our partner," says Adel Laoui, CEO and founder of NeuTigers. "This is an essential advancement in smart healthcare, but our work doesn't stop there. This partnership with Rajant also enables us to strategically address issues across cybersecurity, edge computing, and other IoT use cases across multiple verticals."

"When we think about an AI-powered future, a SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 screening solution is just the beginning. Our partnership with NeuTigers enables state-of-the-art AI applications in the healthcare, construction, and transportation industries, among others," says Robert Schena, CEO of Rajant. "We have a responsibility to apply our technology in ways that support the greater global good, and with NeuTigers, we're poised to tackle the immediate challenges of AI without losing sight of the big picture."

"CovidDeep does not require the presence of a nurse or physician during testing. It uses physiological signals extracted using commercially available devices and achieves high test accuracy. As a result, it provides a testing mechanism that is accurate, easily accessible to the public, and easy for individuals to use. Furthermore, this mechanism only requires a few minutes of data collection from an individual to perform an inference," says study co-author Professor Ignazio R. Marino MD, EVP Jefferson International Innovative Strategic Ventures, Thomas Jefferson University, and Jefferson Health. "Thus CovidDeep has the potential to impact how we screen for SARS-CoV-2, and subsequently triage the use of other diagnostic resources."

About the Validation Study

NeuTigers and Rajant partnered with San Matteo Hospital in Pavia, Italy for a clinical trial, obtaining digital physiological data with the following paired mobile devices: Empatica E4 smartwatch, Samsung Galaxy S8 smartphone, and a pulse oximeter and questionnaire. Results suggested a promising tool in the future, so the companies are proceeding with validation testing.

The validation study is especially critical to frontline healthcare workers. CovidDeep is based on voluntary participation, provides anonymity, does not use personal data nor geolocation information, and operates in full compliance with US-HIPAA and EU-GDPR regulations. If interested in volunteering for this no-cost, crowd-sourced study to help enable a much-needed COVID-19 screening solution, please visit https://www.neutigers.com/coviddeep , or call 401-326-4839.

About NeuTigers

NeuTigers is a leading edge company that is revolutionizing the application of state-of-the-art Artificial Intelligence property from Princeton University. It specializes in solving healthcare and IoT problems using a unique energy/latency-efficient AI technology platform that can port intelligent services to diverse hardware platforms from sensors to mobile devices and cloud servers. For more information, visit www.neutigers.com .

About Rajant Corporation

Rajant Corporation is the exclusive provider of private wireless networks powered by the patented Kinetic Mesh network, BreadCrumb wireless nodes, and InstaMesh networking software. With Rajant, customers can rapidly deploy a highly adaptable and scalable network that leverages the power of real-time data to deliver on-demand, mission-critical business intelligence. A low-latency, high-throughput, and secure solution for a variety of data, voice, video, and autonomous applications, Rajant's Kinetic Mesh networks provide industrial customers with full mobility, allowing them to take their private network applications and data anywhere. With successful deployments in more than 60 countries for customers in military, mining, ports, rail, oil & gas, petrochemical plants, municipalities, and agriculture. Rajant is headquartered in Malvern, Pennsylvania with additional facilities and offices in Arizona and Kentucky. For more information, visit Rajant.com or follow Rajant on LinkedIn and Twitter.

SOURCE NeuTigers
Sitting behind a keyboard and writing novels does not sound particularly complicated. However, being able to build, and keep, a loyal readership is an entirely different story.



With more than 8 million new graduates flocking into the job market over the past few months, online literary writing, like many other internet-based channels, has played a pivotal role in propping up the country's efforts to secure a decent employment rate in spite of the economic impact of the pandemic.

A few weeks ago, the Ministry of Education announced that a range of professions, such as writers and freelancers, would be recognized as formal positions. Meanwhile, graduates who have taken up roles such as these can be identified as employed.

"Relying on the power of the internet, online writing which offers a substantial number of jobs such as writing, editing and operations, focusing on pooling together all possible resources is emerging as a promising industry," explained Xu Miaomiao, research fellow of aesthetic education at Capital Normal University in Beijing.

According to the People's Daily, there are now 14 million contracted writers at the country's 45 major online literary websites, such as qidian.com, readnovel.com and jjwxc.net, accounting for nearly 1% of the country's entire population.

Jin Lei, a 24-year-old author of web novels, has been writing under the penname "Ku Xuanjun" for around 10 years. Although time-consuming, Jin feels he has gained a lot from the job. Not only did it help him shake off an internet addiction, but it also helped him develop a strong spirit, resilience and perseverance.

"Reading online novels has been a hobby of mine since I was at secondary school," Jin recalled. "One day, when engrossed in one of these stories, I decided to try and create one of my own."

However, becoming a professional writer is no simple matter. As a youngster, Jin came up short several times while trying to get a contract with various web novel websites.

But he never gave up, and Jin's stubbornness pushed him to work even harder at becoming a qualified author. Three months later, he finally succeeded.

However, a contract is no magic bullet guaranteeing that writers will find a wider audience. When he was first starting out, Jin was not even paid until the novel he was writing reached 900,000 Chinese characters. Meanwhile, his second payment came only after he completed 600,000 characters for his next novel.

"Driven on by a keen interest and strong will, I've been able to see my writing progress from one book to the next. There are no shortcuts if you want to be an author  you just need to spend as much time possible reading and writing," he explained.

Chen Hongyan, who publishes under the name "Ling Chen" (meaning "dawn"), is a veteran web novelist from Hangzhou, the capital of China's eastern Zhejiang province. Born in the 1990s, she used to be an executive director at Shanghai Lixin Exhibition Co Ltd. However, with a passion for writing, she resigned and established her own studio focusing mainly on web novels.

"The easy access to online novels creates a false impression that so long as someone can type, they can write. But in reality, it's quite the reverse," said Chen.

Online novels can go on be published in hard-copy or even adapted into screenplays, but are often lengthy. Some can be as long as a million, or even several million Chinese characters.

"The career is stressful because of its high requirements on basic writing skills, your capacity to learn new things every day and the need for a never-ending supply of inspiration. In this line of work, writing 10,000 characters a day is nothing unusual," she elaborated, joking that the most competent writers must be those with bald heads  having pulled out their hair from stress.

However, according to Chen, despite the high workload, writing web novels in China remains a promising career since the internet is now an integral part of the lives of those born after 2000.

"Web novels are growing like a bud which can blossom fully with careful watering," she said.

To improve the quality of writing online, regulatory bodies in China have organized training sessions for those in the industry. Meanwhile, they also periodically select the best-written stories and compile a list of recommendations for readers.

In addition, independent-learning is one way in which web novelists can develop more insightful ideas and grasp more skills.

"No matter how busy I am, I'll spend two hours every day reading a wide range of topics. Sometimes I'll also chat with other writers, seeking new ideas that can appear seemingly out of nowhere from our brainstorming," Chen said.

Supported by a large readership, Chen recalled that the most unforgettable message she received was left by a female fan, who said that she had managed to get through a really tough time in her life by reading her serialized novels.

"I'm extremely happy to have people who love my work, and I hope I can help more people escape from difficulties in their life by reading more of my creations," she said.
By Ayya Lmahamad

Azercosmos OJSC, Azerbaijan's and South Caucasus region's only sattelite provider, has joined the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, the companys press service reported.

By becoming a member of the society, Azercosmos is able to establish active and mutually beneficial cooperation with the world's leading research centers in the field of remote sensing, including geographic information systems.

Moreover, membership in the society will provide an opportunity to promote the widespread use of Azersky optical satellite images in scientific research around the world, more closely study the trends and prospects for development in this area.

It should be noted that the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing was founded in 1910 and is a non-governmental organization devoted to the development of international cooperation for the advancement of photogrammetry and remote sensing and their applications.

The Society unites and strengthens cooperation between about 200 member organizations, associations, companies, scientific and educational centers working in the field of photogrammetry, remote sensing and spatial data.

On July 28, Azercosmos signed a cooperate agreement with Prime African Media Systems company. Under the cooperation agreement, Prime African Media Systems will broadcast ATN in the West African region, using the bandwidth of the Azerspace-2 satellite, and in the African region, especially in populated areas without a cable network.

Earlier, Azercosmos OJSC signed a cooperation agreement with Space Engineering, a provider of telecommunications and Internet services in the African region. As part of this partnership, Mwangaza TV and radio channels will be broadcast via Azerspace-1 satellite by means of Space Engineering provider.

Formerly, Azercosmos OJSC signed a cooperation agreement with TheAngle, a company providing satellite network service in the United Arab Emirates. According to the agreement, the parties will jointly provide reliable communication services in the regions of the Middle East and Europe.

Azercosmos reported that it ended 2019 with a net profit of $2.13 million. In addition, the company exported services (satellite telecommunications and optical satellite services) worth $19.1 million to 26 countries in the period between January and May in 2020.

According 2019 results, Azercosmos ranks first among state and non-state exporters in terms of exports in the service sector.

Established in 2010, Azercosmos OJSC is the first and only satellite operator in the South Caucasus, which provides high-quality satellite services for telecommunications and geographic intelligence.

It should be noted that today Azersky satellite is able to directly and unconditionally shoot high resolution satellite images from anywhere in the world. Organizations from Central Asia and Eastern Europe, including Azerbaijan, use Azersky satellite images in agriculture, environment and ecology, cadastre and mapping, emergency situations and oil pollution at sea and on land. It also provides analysis of satellite images, orthophotos in various formats, image modification and other complementary services. At the same time, Azersky supports the socio-economic and technological development of the country, especially in the regions, within the framework of the State program for the development of remote sensing services for 2019-2022.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
President Donald Trump repeatedly insisted on Monday that any sale of TikToks US operations would have to include a substantial payment to the US -- but it wasnt clear under what authority he can extract a payout.

It would be unprecedented, based on recent history, for the US government to collect a cut of a transaction involving companies in which it doesnt hold a stake. Trump said the money would come from China or an American buyer such as Microsoft Corp.

The United States should get a very large percentage of that price, because were making it possible, Trump told reporters at a news conference Monday evening. Whatever the number is, it would come from the sale, which nobody else would be thinking out but me, but thats the way I think. And I think its very fair.

Earlier in the day, Trump said TikTok will have to close in the US by Sept. 15 -- unless theres a deal to sell the social networks domestic operations to Microsoft or another American company.

Trump set off a furious scramble over the fate of the Chinese-owned app on Friday, when he said he would ban the companys operations through an executive action on Saturday. But the weekend passed without any official move from the White House, after the president spoke with Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Satya Nadella about his companys efforts to purchase the viral video application.

Clock ticking

Microsoft said in a blog post that it was aiming to complete a deal for TikToks operations in the US, as well as in Canada, Australia and New Zealand, no later than Sept. 15. The White House had insisted upon that deadline, according to people familiar with the matter. It could prove an uphill climb, with key details for the deal -- including price -- still not worked out, people familiar with the discussions said.

Microsofts blog post also said its committed to providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury. That language referred to tax revenue and job creation, according to a person familiar with the matter -- rather than some sort of special transaction fee.

Trump compared the arrangement to landlord-tenant dynamics. Without the lease, the tenant doesnt have the value, he said. Well, were sort of in a certain way the lease. We make it possible to have this great success.

The US assesses fees associated with deals under review by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, which investigates overseas acquisitions of US businesses. But those charges -- set on a sliding scale and going no higher than $300,000 -- didnt fit what Trump described.

CFIUS has been reviewing ByteDance Ltd.s 2017 purchase of the lip-synching app Musical.ly that was later folded into TikTok.

The White House has said its concerned that ByteDance could be compelled to hand over American users data to Beijing or use the app to influence the 165 million Americans, and more than 2 billion users globally, who have downloaded it. And Trump has looked to ratchet up pressure on China ahead of Novembers election, frustrated by slow implementation of the trade pact inked earlier this year and the spread of the coronavirus for which he blames China.
Highlights:

Sulphide material: recoveries up to 89.1% copper and 82.7% silver using conventional flotation methods producing commercially attractive ~30% copper & ~2,000 g/t silver concentrate

Oxide material: recoveries up to 96.4% copper with acid leach and 96.7% silver recoveries with cyanide leach

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / AZARGA METALS CORP. ("Azarga Metals" or the "Company") (TSX-V:AZR) reports that final results have been received from metallurgical test work on samples taken from the recently completed drilling program on the Unkur Copper-Silver Project in Eastern Russia.

Michael Hopley, President and CEO said: "These final results are very encouraging and show that both copper and silver from the deeper sulphide material and the upper oxide material can be recovered efficiently by conventional methods. Being able to produce a very saleable concentrate consisting of approximately 30% copper and 1,600 - 2,000g/t silver is very positive for the project".

The metallurgical tests were completed by "The Eastern Mining and Metallurgical Research Institute for Non-Ferrous Metals" (VNIITsvetMet). They reported that the chemical analyses of the cupriferous quartz-feldspar sandstone drill core samples sent for metallurgical tests were as follows:

Metal Oxide Sulphide Copper % 0.56 0.56 Silver g/t 30.8 38.0 Gold g/t 0.07 0.05

These results are positive because they represent close to the anticipated average grades of the Unkur deposit when mined and show no elevated values of deleterious components, such as arsenic, were identified in mineralized material.

Metallurgical Recovery Tests - Sulphide

The best results were from sulphide drill core ground to 80% -0.071 mm. Using various optimized two-stage cleaning locked cycle standard flotation tests on this material showed 87.8 to 89.1% recovery of copper producing a 25.78% to 30.9% copper concentrate. In this same test, silver showed an 81.6% to 82.7% recovery with concentrate grades ranging from 1633.6 g/t to 2034 g/t - see details in Table 1 below:

Table 1 - Sulphide Test Results

Product Yield, % Copper, % Silver, g/t Percent Recovery Copper Percent Recovery Silver Concentrate 1.93 25.78 1633.6 89.1 82.7 Tailings 1 88.10 0.053 5.7 8.4 13.2 Tailings 2 9.97 0.14 15.6 2.5 4.1 Total Tailings 98.07 0.062 6.7 10.9 17.3 Mineralized material 100.00 0.558 38.1 100.00 100.00

Product Yield, % Copper, % Silver, g/t Percent Recovery Copper Percent Recovery Silver Concentrate 1.59 30.9 2034 87.8 81.6 Tailings 1 87.96 0.053 6.0 8.3 13.3 Tailings 2 10.45 0.21 19.4 3.9 5.1 Total Tailings 98.41 0.070 7.42 12.2 18.4 Mineralized material 100.00 0.56 39.65 100.00 100.00

Metallurgical Recovery Tests - Oxide

Tests were run on various size fractions: -20 mm, -10 mm, and -0.071 mm. The best recoveries were achieved by using the finest (-0.071 mm) fraction size. On this material, the best sulphuric acid leach test results achieved were 73.6 to 96.4% recoveries of copper. On the same fraction size, a cyanide leach over a 2-day period showed a 55.6% recovery for copper and a 96.7% for silver - see details in Table 2 below.

Table 2 - Oxide Test Results

Leach Tests Sulphuric Acid Cyanide Leach Copper recovery 73.6 - 96.4% 55.6% Silver recovery Not applicable 96.7%

The laboratory work also included a phase analysis of copper minerals identified in the oxide and unoxidized phase of mineralization, which confirms observations of the drill core, summarized as follows:

Copper Minerals Oxide % Sulphide% Chalcanthite 12.5 3.4 Malachite, azurite, chrysocolla, cuprite, tenorite 83.9 0.2 Bornite, chalcocite, covellite 1.8 42.8 Chalcopyrite 1.8 53.6 Totals 100.0 100.0

The proportion of acid soluble copper in the oxide material is 96.4%. The proportion of copper sulphides in the sulphide sample is 96.4%.

For the program being reported today, both sulphide material was taken from recent drill holes from deeper parts of the Unkur mineralization. Oxide material was collected from an outcrop.

Qualified Person

Azarga Metals' President and CEO Michael Hopley, a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, verified the data disclosed and has reviewed and approved the disclosure contained in this Press Release.

About Azarga Metals Corp.

Azarga Metals is a mineral exploration and development company that owns 100% of the Unkur Copper-Silver Project in the Zabaikalsky administrative region in eastern Russia. On completion of a first phase physical exploration program in 2016-2018, the Company estimated an Inferred Resource of 62 million tonnes at 0.53% copper and 38.6g/t silver for the project in the report entitled "Technical Report and Preliminary Economic Assessment for the Unkur Copper-Silver Project, Kodar-Udokan, Russian Federation" dated effective 30, August 2018 authored by Tetra Tech Mining & Minerals. The Resource remains open in both directions along strike and down-dip.

AZARGA METALS CORP.

"Michael Hopley"

Michael Hopley,

President and Chief Executive Officer

For further information please contact: Doris Meyer, at +1 604 536-2711 ext. 6, visit www.azargametals.com or follow us on Twitter @AzargaMetals. The address of the head office of Azarga Metals is Unit 1 - 15782 Marine Drive, White Rock, BC V4B 1E6, British Columbia, Canada.

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.

Cautionary Statement:

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are based on the Corporation's current expectations and estimates. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as "plan", "expect", "project", "intend", "believe", "anticipate", "estimate", "suggest", "indicate" and other similar words or statements that certain events or conditions "may" or "will" occur. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from estimated or anticipated events or results implied or expressed in such forward-looking statements. Such factors include, among others: the actual results of current planned exploration activities; conclusions of economic evaluations; changes in project parameters as plans to continue to be refined; possible variations in mineralization grade or recovery rates; accidents, labor disputes and other risks of the mining industry; delays in obtaining governmental approvals or financing; and fluctuations in metal prices. There may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

SOURCE: Azarga Metals Corp.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/599816/High-Recoveries-Product-Grades-from-Unkur-Metallurgical-Testing
MINNEAPOLIS  The burgundy Oldsmobile sped through an intersection in a tree-lined residential neighborhood on Minneapoliss North Side, and Lisa Williams shook her head in disgust.

Look at this, she said, surrounded by four of her young grandchildren on the short stoop of her home. They ride as fast as they can right down through here with no regard for the children.

It is in such moments  when she is reminded of the many dangers in her community, from speeding cars to gunshots  that Ms. Williams, 50, would welcome the presence of the police.

But then she recalls the time several years ago when she and her husband arrived home to find several police vehicles parked on their front lawn. Officers told them to mind their own business when they asked what was going on, leading to an argument that ended with her husband getting handcuffed and taken to jail.
The California senator Dianne Feinstein urges the United States to renew the Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms (the New START Treaty), according to the letter published in The New York Times.



The senator stressed that the United States and Russia account for 90% of the worlds nuclear weapons. "Ending the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty and the limits it imposes on the worlds two largest nuclear arsenals is no way to advance nonproliferation. Likewise, the treatys limitations on nuclear weapons and its irreplaceable monitoring and verification regime are vital to arms control," Feinstein stressed.



"The United States should demonstrate global leadership by renewing New Start," she said. At the same time, the U.S. can begin "holding multilateral arms control discussions with other nuclear powers," the senator believes. "I support including China and other nuclear powers in future talks and agreements, but that should happen apart from an immediate extension of New Start," Dianne Feinstein concluded.

The New START Treaty was signed by Russia and the U.S. in 2010. It will expire in February 2021 unless U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agree to extend it. The document can be extended for no more than five years, that is, until 2026, by mutual agreement of the parties. Moscow urges Washington not to postpone the decision on the extension of the Treaty, characterizing it as a gold standard in the disarmament sphere.
The 220-1002 exam is part of the CompTIA A+ certificate that you should deal with after passing the Certbolt 220-1002. Thelatest version of these prerequisite exams was released by CompTIA on January 15, 2019 and was created specifically for the IT technicians who are mainly interested in the IT operational roles as well as technical support, including troubleshooting and providing solutions for various IT problems.To be an A+ certified professional, you need to pass both tests with high results, but in this post, we will tell you how to do it for the second exam. However, first of all, lets look at the details that you need to know before taking CompTIA 220-1002.

Essential exam details you should know

The Certbolt CompTIA A+ Certification Practice Test Questions 1 Exam 220-1002 covers the configuration and installation of operating systems, operational procedures, expanded security domains, and software troubleshooting. The sections below describe everything you should know about this CompTIA certification test:

Recommended Experience: It is recommendedthat an applicant has 9-12 months of hands-on experience in the field, but no particular experience is actually required for attempting this A+test;

It is recommendedthat an applicant has 9-12 months of hands-on experience in the field, but no particular experience is actually required for attempting this A+test; Number of Questions: There is usually a maximum of 90 questions;

There is usually a maximum of 90 questions; Types of Questions: The exam includes multiple-choice and performance-based questions, as well as drag and drop;

The exam includes multiple-choice and performance-based questions, as well as drag and drop; Time Limit: The length of the Certbolt.com Page test is 90 minutes;

The length of the Certbolt.com Page test is 90 minutes; Passing Score: The students need to get 700 points (or more) out of 900;

The students need to get 700 points (or more) out of 900; Language: CompTIA offers the 220-1002 test in several languages, including Japanese, English, Spanish, Thai, Portuguese, German;

CompTIA offers the 220-1002 test in several languages, including Japanese, English, Spanish, Thai, Portuguese, German; Price: The exam fee is $226;

The exam fee is $226; Retirement: The test is usually retired three years after launch.

By knowing all these details, you can start your preparation. This is the most important part of the certification process because your level of preparedness will affect your overall score in the test. Click Here to Visit Resource URL Link lets look at what you can do to get the highest possible result.

Effective preparation options you should use

For those candidates who want to learn each exam objective in detail, online training courses, private tutoring, or instructor-led training are the perfect choices. For those individuals who dont prefer thorough studying, exam dumps can be the easiest preparation option. Trying practice tests before appearing for the real exam is also useful because they can help you identify your weak areas. The good thing is that dumps also act as practice questionsby helping evaluate your knowledge. That is why these are the most popular options of preparation among the learners.



Great career opportunities you can get

Successfully completing the CompTIA Security+ Certification Practice Test Exam: SY0-601 grants you the A+ certificate. This credential makes you a certified computer support specialist or an IT technician, which are among the leading roles in the IT field. Most employers prefer hiring those professionals who are properly certified or well-trained. According to the report by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, there is a steady growth in employment of the computer support specialists across the United States by 12% between 2014 and 2024.

Talking about the A+ certification in general, it also supports a number of other roles, including a field service technician, a help desk tier support, and a desktop support analyst. In addition, thesepositions are in high demand by many popular support companies, such as HP, Dell, Nissan, Ricoh, and Blue Cross Blue Shield.

Conclusion

The Security+ Certification Practice Test Questions 88 will help you boost your IT career and get not only higher positions but also better salaries. Once you pass this test and become a certified professional, you will be a masterof skills in configuring and installing software and hardware applications. And at the same time, it will bring you a lot of benefits.
Upon further exploration, we suggested a greater amount of funds be secured from the referendum to ensure that our District has additional funds to affect real change for our children once the budget is balanced and the raises are awarded.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 16:04:21|Editor: huaxia

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HANOI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Vietnam earned nearly 25.7 billion U.S. dollars from exporting phones and components in the first seven months of this year, posting a year-on-year decline of 6.6 percent, accounting for roughly 17.6 percent of Vietnam's total export revenue, according to the country's General Statistics Office on Tuesday.

In July alone, Vietnam fetched 3.7 billion U.S. dollars from selling the products overseas, down 7.1 percent on-year.

Between January and July, Vietnam spent approximately 7.1 billion U.S. dollars importing phones and their components, seeing a year-on-year decrease of 2.4 percent.

In 2019, the country reaped more than 51.8 billion U.S. dollars from exporting phones and components, posting a year-on-year increase of 5.3 percent, said the office. Enditem
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BELLEVUE  A small business park at 12230-1230 Northup Way in Bellevue sold for $8 million, according to King County records.

The seller was Pine Forest Business Parks LLC, which had owned the land for decades and likely developed it in 1980. Pine Forest is the investment and development arm of the Burnstead family.





. . .
The August issue of Construction Global Magazine is now live, and features topics including digitisation and innovation in construction, and smart cities of the future

NORWICH, England, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BizClik Media announced today the launch of the August edition of Construction Global Magazine.

In this issue of Construction Global we hear from Mark Lowman, the Vice President of McDermott International, about the positive impact that digitalisation is having on construction projects in the energy industry. Lowman also tells us how the company is reaping the rewards of working the 'One McDermott Way'.

In our lead digital report we speak with CEMEX Ventures about the future of innovation in the construction industry. The head of CEMEX Gonzalo Galindo explains the link between venture capital and construction, and introduces the 2020 Construction Startup Competition.

Elsewhere in the magazine, Georgia Wilson explores the smart cities of the future, Harry Menear reports on the digital manufacturing revolution happening in the construction industry, and Marcus Lawrence highlights the ways that construction is benefitting from Artificial Intelligence (AI).

As Dubai's Burj Khalifa tower prepares to lose its crown as the world's tallest building, we give a profile of the skyscraper that is about to take its place, and put a spotlight on the rest of the 10 tallest buildings on earth.

READ CONSTRUCTION GLOBAL MAGAZINE HERE

Contact:

Shirin Sadr

Shirin.sadr@bizclikmedia.com

+442080542069

About Construction Global Magazine

https://www.constructionglobal.com/

Construction Global is a 'Digital Community' for the global construction industry that connects the world's largest construction brands & projects and their most senior executives with the latest trends as the construction industry pivots towards technology and digital transformation.

Construction Global is a 'trusted authority' on the latest construction news combining 'Executive Thought Leadership Interviews' with the very latest case studies on Construction 4.0, construction investments, building innovation, automation & AI, smart cities and sustainability.

The focus of Construction's 'Digital Community' is to provide our users with the 'Ultimate Digital Experience' - an incredible digital magazine, an world-class website, an award-winning newsletter service as well as video reports, podcasts, blogs, webinars, white papers, research reports, virtual events and a database second to none.

Construction Global also offers its advertising partners a unique blend of digital branding, content syndication and executive thought leadership articles as well as a 'gated intelligence community' providing ultimate demand generation and measurable 'Ad-Campaign' ROI's.

Construction Global is read by industry professionals at all levels, real estate investors, equipment & machinery suppliers as well as technology and consulting executives.

About Bizclik Media Group

https://www.bizclikmedia.com/

BizClik Media Group is a UK-based media company with a global portfolio of leading industry, business and lifestyle digital communities.

BizClik Media is fast becoming the trusted authority in Digital Media with a portfolio of brands across Technology & AI, Finance & Insurance, Manufacturing & Supply Chain, Energy & Mining, Construction, Healthcare, Wireless Communications & Data Centres.
Guests Of The Kapil Sharma Show

While Kapil will be hosting the show, Archana Puran Singh's husband Parmeet Sethi, Krushna Abhishek's wife Kashmera Shah, Kiku Sharda's wife Priyanka Sharda will be appearing on the show as guests. Apparently, it is going to be a laugh riot!

Family Special Episode

According to TOI report, in the family special episode, the guests will be seen revealing things from how they met their respective life partner to how they got married and their journey as couples till now. The actors will be seen dancing and revealing a few candid moments of their lives. Also, the audiences, for a change, will get to see Kiku Sharda and Krushna Abhishek in their original avatar (not as Bumper and Sapna Sharma).

It Was A Homely Feeling

In an interview with Pune Mirror, Kapil expressed his wish of shooting an episode with his wife Ginni Chatrath. He said, "Films are not releasing theatrically right now, so actors won't come often. But, we have done an episode with Archanaji's husband, Parmeet Sethi, Kiku's wife Priyanka and Krushna's wife Kashmira. It was a homely feeling."

Kapil Expresses His Wish To Shoot With Ginni

Admitting that his wife Ginni won't be stepping out for the next six months, till their baby starts walking, the comedian said, "In fact, I have heard that parents get even busier when the child starts walking. But sometime in the future, we'd like to do an episode with Ginni too."
A Portuguese airline TAP plane is seen near a sign, which reads: "Emergency Meeting Point", at Lisbon's airport

LISBON (Reuters) - Portuguese airline TAP said on Monday it would resume 40% of its pre-coronavirus crisis operations in September, gradually restoring flights after travel demand collapsed in the pandemic.

TAP was forced to suspend almost all flights in April. It started resuming some international operations in May as lockdown measures were slowly lifted but, with little demand, the airline took a step back. It is now giving it another go.

TAP said it had about 500 weekly round-trip flights to various destinations scheduled for August and this was expected to rise to 700 in September.

"The list of routes and flights may be adjusted whenever circumstances require due to the evolution of restrictions in various countries, the pandemic, as well as demand," TAP said.

TAP has incurred heavy losses in recent months, reporting a first-quarter net loss of 395 million euros (359.5 million pounds).

(Reporting by Catarina Demony and Sergio Goncalves, Editing by Edmund Blair)
An adaptation of Aladdin proved stubborn. By this time Ashman had received his HIV diagnosis, at a time in the AIDS epidemic when contracting AIDS virtually guaranteed a short and terrible finale. In the time he had left, Ashman rejoined Menken on another stalled Disney animation project, Beauty and the Beast. From the sweeping, theatrically scaled opening number Belle onward, Ashman and company made it clear: The movie, as New York Times drama critic Frank Rich later wrote, was the best Broadway musical of 1991. It just happened to be on film, and wasnt (yet) a stage phenomenon or, as Disney continued to drag its hits on stage, another dutiful example of brand extension.
DETROIT - Jim Farley will lead Ford Motor Co. into the future as the global auto industry faces a new era of autonomous and electric vehicles.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

FILE - In this March 28, 2018 file photo, Jim Farley, Jr. executive vice president and president of Global Markets of the Ford Motor Company, is shown in this photo during New York International Auto Show. Farley will lead the storied automaker into the future starting Oct. 1 2020, when current CEO Jim Hackett retires. The company has struggled in recent years and is in the midst of an $11 billion restructuring plan designed to make it leaner and crank out new vehicles to replace what was an aging model lineup. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

DETROIT - Jim Farley will lead Ford Motor Co. into the future as the global auto industry faces a new era of autonomous and electric vehicles.

The company named Farley, 58, as its new CEO effective Oct. 1, replacing Jim Hackett, who will retire after three years at the helm. Farley, who has been with Ford for more than a decade, had been chief operating officer since February and clearly was being groomed for the top position.

He faces tough challenges as the industry emerges from the coronavirus pandemic. Ford is losing money and is transitioning from an aging model lineup to new vehicles, including those powered by electricity. It's also in the midst of an $11 billion restructuring plan to cut costs and bureaucracy and make money off its autonomous vehicle unit.

Executive Chairman Bill Ford, the great grandson of founder Henry Ford, said the board briefly discussed looking outside for a CEO, but was inspired by Farley's leadership and felt the company is moving in the right direction. We talked about it and we did throw some names around, he said on a conference call Tuesday. Every time we did that, we always felt that Jim Farley rose to the top.

As COO, Farley led the company's global markets and product development. He was in charge as Ford rolled out a revamped F-150 pickup  the country's bestselling vehicle  the new Bronco off-road SUV brand and the electric Mustang Mach-E SUV.

Farley, who was hired away from Toyota by then-CEO Alan Mulally in 2007 to run Ford's marketing operations, said Tuesday that his main goal is for a smooth transition, but he has plans for the future that will be announced later.

The company, he said, would continue on the path set by Hackett, with priorities of reaching a 10% profit margin in North America, seeking immediate material and warranty cost improvements, fixing under-performing businesses, maximizing opportunities in commercial vehicles and outperforming the industry in rolling out new models.

The 117-year-old company, he said, would grow and expand where it is strong, like making the transition from internal combustion engines to electric powered commercial vehicles. It also wants to move more toward digital sales and add revenue from services such as electric vehicle charging and software, he said in an interview.

Ford has been phasing out most cars in recent years because they didn't make money. But that has left the company without low-priced vehicles. Farley said he wants to change that by using Ford's lower cost structure to really create a lineup of more affordable products that go below what we offer today, so the brand is approachable and affordable, but do so in a profitable way.

He wouldn't say whether the new vehicles would be cars or SUVs.

In a nod to the changing auto industry, Farley left out traditional rivals General Motors and Fiat Chrysler when naming Ford's competitors. Instead, he identified them as retail giant Amazon, Chinese search engine Baidu, electric car maker Tesla, iPhone maker Apple, and Japanese automaker Toyota.

The 65-year-old Hackett took over for the ousted Mark Fields in May of 2017. Almost immediately he began reviewing Ford's management structure and flattened the organization so it could move faster. But his often lengthy directives confused employees who weren't clear on where the company was headed. In 2018, an analyst asked Hackett how much longer he expected to be with the company.

Investors weren't impressed during Hackett's tenure as analysts complained about the slow pace of restructuring. Ford shares lost 37% of their value under Hackett, but they closed 2.5% higher at $6.86 on Tuesday.

Farley said Tuesday he's optimistic about Ford's future as new products arrive and cost cuts take hold.

Hackett, a retired Steelcase office furniture CEO who had run Ford's mobility efforts, will stay on as an adviser through March. Bill Ford praised Hackett for taking difficult steps to modernize the company, reducing bureaucracy, and preparing it for the future.

We now have compelling plans for electric and autonomous vehicles, as well as full vehicle connectivity. And we are becoming much more nimble, Ford said. He cited Fords quick shift to make ventilators, face shields and other protective equipment at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.

Hackett also made the difficult decision to move Ford out of the sedan business in the U.S. as the market shifted dramatically to SUVs and trucks.

It was apparent that Farley would take over as CEO in February, when Ford announced a management shakeup after a poor fourth-quarter financial performance and the botched launch of the Explorer SUV.

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Farley's chief rival, automotive President Joe Hinrichs was pushed out and retired March 1, and Farley was named COO.

Fords full-year profit plunged last year by more than $3.6 billion. It lost nearly $2 billion in the first quarter this year, and made just over $1 billion in the second quarter only because of an increase in the value of its autonomous vehicle unit.

Hackett has said the company fell short of expectations for last year, and he blamed the performance largely on the flubbed launch of the new Explorer at a factory in Chicago.

Morningstar analyst David Whiston said the jury is still out on Hacketts tenure as CEO because his restructuring efforts are still in progress. If the fitness moves started under him eventually lead to nice free cash flow generation, then history may be kinder to Hackett than his critics have been while he was CEO, Whiston said.

____

This story has been corrected to show that Ford's stock price dropped 37% since Hackett became CEO, not 25%.
Nigerian refugees shelter in the Cameroonian town of Goura after fleeing violence in February 2019.  UNHCR/Xavier Bourgois

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, strongly condemns an unprovoked and brutal attack on a site hosting 800 internally displaced people (IDPs) near the village of Nguetchewe, in Cameroons Far North region.

At least 18 people were killed and 11 injured in the incident during the early hours of Sunday 2 August when assailants threw an explosive device, thought to be a grenade, into the makeshift camp while people were sleeping.

Some of the wounded were evacuated to Mokolo district hospital, an hours drive from Nguetchewe.

Some 1,500 people, including terrified residents of the hosting village, have fled to the nearby town of Mozogo for safety.

UNHCR is deploying an emergency mission to assess the situation and evaluate the protection and health needs of those affected.

Local communities in this impoverished area are often the first responders to those fleeing growing insecurity and violence in the area which covers Lake Chad and north-east Nigeria. They are sometimes related and they share with them the few resources they have.

Against the background of growing insecurity, UNHCR anticipates enhanced community protection, shelter, water and sanitation will be needed as the country responds to the COVID-19 pandemic.

UNHCR calls on all actors to respect the civilian and humanitarian character of IDP camps, and to respond promptly to the urgent needs of people who have fled violence and suffered multiple displacements.

This attack follows a significant rise in violent incidents in Cameroons Far-North Region in July, including looting and kidnapping by Boko Haram and other armed groups active in the region. The Far North region, tucked between Nigerias Borno and Adamawa states and Lake Chad, currently hosts 321,886 IDPs and 115,000 Nigerian refugees.

The incident is also a sad reminder of the intensity and brutality of the violence in the wider the Lake Chad Basin region that has forced more than three million people to flee: 2,7m are internally displaced in Northeast Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad and Niger, while 292,682 Nigerian refugees fled into neighbouring countries.

Cameroon reports that since January this year, it has recorded 87 Boko Haram attacks on its northern border with Nigeria. Twenty-two of them were in the northern district of Mozogo alone.

Violent attacks have cost the lives of 30,000 people and displaced more than 3 million in Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad.

For more information on this topic, please contact:
The statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee that stands in the middle of a traffic circle on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., on June 27, 2017. (Steve Helber, File/AP Photo)

Virginia Governor Faces New Hurdle in Bid to Remove Lee Statue

RICHMOND, Va.A judge dismissed a legal challenge Monday that had been blocking Virginia officials from removing a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the states capital city, but he immediately imposed another injunction against dismantling the figure.

The new 90-day injunction (pdf) bars Gov. Ralph Northams administration from removing, altering, or dismantling, in any way the larger-than-life statue of Lee on a prominent Richmond avenue while claims in a lawsuit filed by local property owners are litigated.

Now covered in graffiti, the Lee monument has become a focal point and gathering spot amid Richmonds sustained anti-racist protests since the police custody death in Minnesota of a black man, George Floyd. Northam announced plans in June to remove the statue, citing the pain felt around the nation by Floyds killing.

Floyds death sparked a renewed wave of Confederate monument removals across the United States, just like a violent 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville before it and a mass shooting at a historic African American church in South Carolina before that.

The statue of Confederate general Albert Pike is pictured after it was toppled by vandals in Washington on June 19, 2020. (Eric Baradat/AFP via Getty Images)

Vandals attempt to pull down the statue of President Andrew Jackson in the middle of Lafayette Park in front of the White House during racial inequality protests in Washington, on June 22, 2020. (Joshua Roberts/Reuters)

Should a court eventually clear the way, it wont be a simple task to take down the 21-foot equestrian statue of Lee, the military commander of the Confederacy that for nearly all of the Civil War had its seat in Richmond. The statue weighs about 12 tons and sits on a massive pedestal. A removal plan calls for cutting it into three sections for eventual reassembly elsewhere.

Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant wrote (pdf) in the decision released Monday that the public interest does weigh in favor of a temporary injunction barring the statues removal.

Separately, Marchant dismissed entirely (pdf) as not legally viable the claims filed by a descendant of signatories to an 1890 deed that transferred the statue to the state, and he dissolved an existing injunction in that case.

Plaintiff William C. Gregory, the great-grandson of land donors, had argued the state agreed to faithfully guard and affectionately protect the statue on historic Monument Avenue that is among the most prominent Confederate tributes in the United States. His attorney didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The governor appreciates the dismissal of the Gregory case and looks forward to another victory in court as soon as possible, his spokeswoman, Alena Yarmosky, said in a statement.

This statue will come downand Virginia will be better for it, she said.

An inspection crew from the Virginia Department of General Services inspect the statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee on Monument Avenue in Richmond, Va., on June 8, 2020. (Steve Helber/AP Photo)

In the property owners case (pdf), Marchant found that the plaintiffs have the general standing to sue.

Four of the plaintiffs own property near the statue; another is a trustee of a property owner. Among them is Helen Marie Taylor, a longtime Monument Avenue resident and defender of the statues. The group argues that removing the Lee statuethe last Confederate statue now standing on Monument Avenuecould result in the loss of the neighborhoods National Historic Landmark designation, which will have a substantial adverse impact, including the loss of favorable tax treatment and reduction in property values.

In deciding whether to issue an injunction, Marchant considered one of their five claimsthat they have a right to enforce restrictive covenants contained in deeds from 1887 and 1890 dealing with the statue and land it rests upon. The judge found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on that issue under the common law doctrine of restrictive covenants running with the land.

He said he would hear evidence and arguments on all five counts at another hearing. Court records did not indicate such a hearing has been scheduled.

University of Virginia law professor Richard Schragger said the judges ruling was favorable for the property owners.

That doesnt mean the state cant prevail but that the judge has at least taken the basic facts and read them in a favorable light for the plaintiffs, said Schragger, who teaches property law and whose scholarship includes a focus on the intersection of constitutional law and local government law.

He said he expects the case to end up before the Supreme Court of Virginia on appeal.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has filed a motion to dismiss the property owners lawsuit, and remains committed to ensuring this divisive, antiquated relic is removed as soon as possible, according to a statement from his spokeswoman, Charlotte Gomer.

Patrick McSweeney, an attorney for the property owners, has said he does not comment on pending litigation.

By Sarah Rankin
LATEST FORECAST TUESDAY MORNING: Tropical Storm Isaias to blast N.J. with up to 75 mph wind gusts, heavy rain

UPDATE: Tornado watch expanded to all of N.J. as Tropical Storm Isaias nears

Gov. Phil Murphy declared a statewide state of emergency in New Jersey beginning early Tuesday as Hurricane Isaias was expected to hit the region with powerful winds and heavy rainfall.

Murphys order goes into place as of 5 a.m. Tuesday, the governor announced on Twitter. While there were no mandatory travel restrictions, Murphy urged residents to stay off the roads. Damaging winds, flooding and thunderstorms were forecasted to batter much of the state from daybreak through the evening Tuesday.

UPDATE: I am declaring a STATEWIDE STATE OF EMERGENCY for Hurricane Isaias effective at 5:00 AM on Tuesday, August 4, 2020:

Do not be on the roads unless absolutely necessary

If you MUST drive, take it slow, use caution, and leave extra time to get to your destination pic.twitter.com/mMDUJsPhal  Governor Phil Murphy (@GovMurphy) August 4, 2020

All state offices will be closed Tuesday, Murphy said. Outdoor structures, including tents setup for dining during the coronavirus pandemic, should be taken down, the governors tweet said. The states emergency operations center was also activated in response to the approaching storm.

Hurricane Isaias is expected to impact the state with severe weather conditions, including strong winds and heavy rainfall, the governor added. The safety of our residents is our main priority, and we urge everyone to be informed of local weather conditions and to stay off the roads.

Isaias late Monday strengthened from a tropical storm back into a hurricane as it moved toward the East Coast, according to the National Hurricane Center. Maximum sustained winds of 85 mph were reported as the powerful weather system was expected to make landfall late Monday near border between South and North Carolina.

Earlier on Monday, the National Weather Service warned residents to take this storm seriously as Isaias was expected to dump up to 6 inches of rain in the northern portions of the state. Wind gusts along the coasts of New Jersey and Delaware could reach 65 to 75 mph with inland gusts of 65 mph possible.

The main threats with this system are heavy rainfall resulting in widespread flash flooding as well as some river flooding, as well as strong and damaging winds, especially near the coast. In addition, minor to potentially moderate coastal flooding, and dangerous marine conditions will occur, the weather service said in an advisory.

Murphys state of emergency declaration came as New Jersey remained under both a state of emergency and a public-health emergency issued because of the coronavirus pandemic. States of emergency orders can mobilize various agencies, bring specific executive powers and allow the state to seek disaster aid.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:15:32|Editor: huaxia

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DAMASCUS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- A total of 15 pro-government fighters were killed by airstrikes in eastern Syria on Monday, a war monitor reported Tuesday.

The airstrikes targeted the positions of Iranian-backed Iraqi fighters in the al-Bukamal area in the countryside of the eastern province of Deir al-Zour, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

The Britain-based watchdog group said the airstrikes renewed on the same area on Monday evening by an Israeli warplane in tandem with Israeli helicopters firing on Syrian military sites in the southern province of Quneitra.

The pro-Iranian fighters have been on alert in recent months amid intensified Israeli targeting.

The Israelis repeatedly said they will not tolerate an Iranian military buildup in Syria. Enditem
At the end of Katsuhiro Otomos dystopian Japanese anime film Akira, a throbbing, white mass begins to envelop Neo-Tokyo. Eventually, its swirling winds engulf the metropolis, swallowing it whole and leaving a skeleton of a city in its wake.

The atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki  along with the firebombings of Tokyo  were traumatic experiences for the Japanese people. Its no surprise that for years, the devastation remained at the forefront of their conscience, and that part of the healing process meant returning to this imagery in literature, in music and in art.

The finale of Akira is only one example of apocalyptic imagery in the anime and manga canon; a number of anime films and comics are rife with atomic bomb references, which appear in any number of forms, from the symbolic to the literal. The devastating aftereffects  orphaned kids, radiation sickness, a loss of national independence, the destruction of nature  would also influence the genre, giving rise to a unique (and arguably incomparable) form of comics and animated film.

The directors and artists who witnessed the devastation firsthand were at the forefront of this movement. Yet to this day  75 years after the bombs  these themes continue to be explored by their successors.

An iconic filmmaker paves the way

We can see the lasting images of the firebombings and the atomic bombs in the works of artist and director Osamu Tezuka and his successor, Hayao Miyazaki. Both had witnessed the devastation of the bombings at the end of the war.

The bomb became a particular obsession of Tezukas. His films and comics both address themes like coping with grief and the idea that nature, in all its beauty, can be compromised by mans desire to conquer it.

His stories often have a young character who is orphaned by particular circumstances and must survive on his own. Two examples are Little Wansa, about a puppy who escapes from his new owners and spends the series looking for his mother; and Young Bear Cub, who gets lost in the wild and must find his own way back to his family.

Story continues

Misuse of technology

The tensions of technology are apparent in the works of Tezuka and his successors. In Tezukas Astro Boy, a scientist attempts to fill the void left by his sons death by creating a humanlike android named Astro Boy.

Astro Boys father, seeing that technology cannot replace his son completely, rejects his creation, who is then taken under the wing of another scientist. Astro Boy eventually finds his calling and becomes a superhero.

Like Tezuka, the award-winning animator Hayao Miyazaki witnessed some of the American air raids as a child.

Miyazakis work often refers to the abuse of technology, and contains pleas for human restraint. In Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, the radioactive mutants populate the land; at the beginning of the film, the narrator describes the strange, mutated state of Earth as a direct result of mans misuse of nuclear technology.

In the postwar years, Japan grew into an economic superpower. Possessing a fascination with technology, the country became a world leader in the production of cars and electronics. Yet in characters like Astro Boy, we see some of the tensions of the modern age: the idea that technology can never replace humans, and that technologys capacity for helping mankind is only equaled by its capacity to destroy it.

Orphans and mutants

There were also the aftereffects of the bombs, some of which are still felt today: children left parentless, others (even the unborn) left permanently crippled by radiation.

For these reasons, a recurrent theme in anime films is the orphan who has to survive on his own without the help of adults (many of whom are portrayed as incompetent).

Akiyuki Nosaka relayed his personal experiences as a child during the war in the popular anime film Grave of the Fireflies, which tells the story of a young boy and his sister escaping from the air raids and the firebombings, scraping by on whatever rations they can find during last part of the war.

Meanwhile, there are often young, powerful female orphans or independent female youths in Hayao Miyazakis works, whether its in Kikis Delivery Service, Howls Moving Castle, or Castle in the Sky.

Likewise, in Katsuhiro Otomos Akira, the adults are the ones who squabble: they jockey for power, and their lust for control of the strange, alien technology of Akira causes the atomic-bomb-like catastrophe at the end of the film. The teenaged characters, on the other hand, display common sense throughout the movie.

The message seems to be that adults can be reckless when mans desire for power and ambition outweigh what is important on Earth. And the children, still untainted by the vices that overtake humanity in adulthood and innocent enough to the point of thinking rationally, are the ones who end up making the most practical decisions overall.

Many families were orphaned by the war, and the bomb as well, so a number of children were also mutated or affected by the bomb. In anime and manga, this is seen in the form of radioactive mutations or having some extraordinary powers, in addition to taking on more adult responsibilities at an early age.

A number of films feature characters who display special powers or abilities, with radiation often being the main cause. Several films exploring the idea of unusual events or experiments resulting in young persons having exceptional abilities include Inazuman in the comic of the same name and the character Ellis in the comic El Cazador de la Bruja (The Hunter of the Witch).

Additionally, the manga series Barefoot Gen tells the story of a family wiped out by the atomic bomb, with a young boy and his mother the only survivors. Author Keiji Nakazawa loosely based these comics on his own life: growing up, Nakazawa watched a sister die several weeks after birth from radiation sickness, and witnessed his mothers health quickly deteriorate in the years after the war.

Death, rebirth and hope for the future

Osamu Tezuka believed that the atomic bomb acted as the epitome of mans inherent capacity for destruction. Yet while Tezuka commonly referenced death and war, he also believed in the perseverance of mankind and its ability to begin anew.

In a number of his works, both a futuristic and historic Japan are seen, with the themes of death and rebirth being commonly used as plot devices to symbolize Japans (and the lives of many Japanese) wartime and postwar experiences, including the aftermath of its destruction after the bombs fell. But much like the Phoenix  the mythical bird that sets itself on fire at the time of its death, only to experience a rebirth  Tezukas Japan experiences a resurrection, which mirrors Japans real-life postwar ascension to world superpower.

In fact, Phoenix was the title of Tezukas most popular series, one that the artist considered his magnum opus. The work is a series of short stories dealing with mans search for immortality (given or taken from the Phoenix, which represents the universe, by mans drinking some of its blood); some characters appear several times in the stories, mostly from reincarnation, a common precept in Buddhism.

Other filmmakers have repurposed this theme. In Space Cruiser Yamato (also known as Star Blazers), an old Japanese warship is rebuilt into a powerful spaceship and sent off to save a planet Earth succumbing to radiation poisoning.

In essence, what we have seen is that the atomic bomb indeed affected Japan to the point that the works of Tezuka and later artists inspired by him reflect on the bombs effects on families, society and the national psyche. Much like the cycle of life, or the immortal Phoenix in Tezukas case, Japan was able to reinvent itself and come back strong as a powerful world player capable of starting anew, but with the idea that mankind must learn from its mistakes and avoid repeating history.

This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts.

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Frank Fuller does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
Right now, West Australians looking to buy or build a house can benefit from the McGowan governments Building Bonus grant, the Australian government HomeBuilder grant and the first home owner grant  in some cases all three.

The emphasis on the importance of home and the building of homes has never been higher.

Around 9100 West Australians currently experience homelessness every night.

Yet, in the three years since the McGowan government came to power, the total number of public housing properties available in WA has dropped by 1327, or almost 4 per cent.

Pre-pandemic, around 9000 West Australians were experiencing homelessness every night. This number has already climbed to 9100 per night, according to Homelessness Australia and Everybodys Home. The data was released this week to mark the beginning of Homelessness Week 2020.
File image: Indian Army soldiers guarding the border

Reacting to Pakistan government's new "political map" which includes regions of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), and Junagadh in Gujarat as a part of Pakistan, the Indian government on August 4 called it "an exercise in political absurdity" and said that the country's "ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility".

"We've seen a so-called 'political map' of Pakistan that has been released by PM Imran Khan. This is an exercise in political absurdity, laying untenable claims to territories in the Indian state of Gujarat and our union territories of Jammu Kashmir and of Ladakh," the Indian government said in a statement.

"These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistan's obsession with territorial aggrandisement supported by cross-border terrorism," it added.

Earlier in the day, Pakistan had released a new "political map" and its Prime Minister Imran Khan said that this was "the most historic day in Pakistan's history" after getting cabinet approval for the map.

The new map showed Pakistan frontier clearly marked with India with the entire Kashmir as its territory. However, the part of Kashmir and Ladakh border with China was not marked and described as Frontier Undecided.

Similarly, the Line of Control had been extended to the Karakoram Pass, clearing showing Siachen as part of Pakistan. The LoC had been marked by a red dotted line.

The changes in the map by Pakistan were made a day before the first anniversary of India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019.
When President Donald Trump canceled a rally in New Hampshire last month, his campaign cited concerns over Tropical Storm Fay.

On Monday, the president said it was actually concerns over the coronavirus that led to postponing the event.

In an interview with Axios, Trump was discussing his campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma and why he decided to conduct the rally amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Trump called the state a very good area at the time and said, Oklahoma was doing very well as a state. It was almost free. It spiked a month later.

During the conversation, Trump said, I canceled another one. I had to cancel it. We were going to have a great crowd in New Hampshire and I canceled it for the same reason.

On July 10, the director of communications for the Trump 2020 campaign tweeted that the rally in New Hampshire scheduled for the next day was going to be postponed due to Tropical Storm Fay.

The rally scheduled for Saturday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire has been postponed for safety reasons because of Tropical Storm Fay.



It will be rescheduled and a new date will be announced soon.  Tim Murtaugh - Download the Trump 2020 app today! (@TimMurtaugh) July 10, 2020

Meanwhile, in New Hampshire, forecasters predicted the storm would miss the Granite State.

July 11 turned out to be a clear day.

A live look at #Portsmouth, New Hampshire.



78, sunny skies, winds south at 13 mph, and a stunning evening.



No rain is expected tonight, with clear skies.



The #president called off his rally  scheduled for now  citing concerns of dangerous weather.https://t.co/gmqqsgVejG pic.twitter.com/l5xR9oUIkI  Matthew Cappucci (@MatthewCappucci) July 12, 2020

During the interview Trump was pressed on his response regarding the coronavirus as more than 155,000 people have died in the United States and cases climb toward 5 million. As of Tuesday afternoon, the U.S. had reported 4.7 million COVID-19 cases according to Johns Hopkins.

Trump told Axios that the virus was under control, before being asked if 1,000 people dying a day warranted saying it was under control.

They are dying, thats true and it is what it is, Trump said. But that doesnt mean we arent doing everything can do. Its under control as much as you can control it.

Trump deferred blame and pointed to the work of governors in each state as reasons why the virus has spiked in some places.

Someday well sit down and talk about the successful ones, the good ones, Trump said. We had good and bad.

In Massachusetts, health officials announced another 10 coronavirus deaths on Monday, bringing the statewide death toll to 8,427.

Officials also confirmed another 165 cases of the virus, for a total of at least 110,595 statewide. Thats based on 12,278 new molecular tests reported on Monday, according to the Department of Public Health.

Related Content:
How far off is A.G. BARR p.l.c. (LON:BAG) from its intrinsic value? Using the most recent financial data, we'll take a look at whether the stock is fairly priced by projecting its future cash flows and then discounting them to today's value. One way to achieve this is by employing the Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. Believe it or not, it's not too difficult to follow, as you'll see from our example!

We would caution that there are many ways of valuing a company and, like the DCF, each technique has advantages and disadvantages in certain scenarios. If you still have some burning questions about this type of valuation, take a look at the Simply Wall St analysis model.

Check out our latest analysis for A.G. BARR

Is A.G. BARR fairly valued?

We are going to use a two-stage DCF model, which, as the name states, takes into account two stages of growth. The first stage is generally a higher growth period which levels off heading towards the terminal value, captured in the second 'steady growth' period. To begin with, we have to get estimates of 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 (, Millions) UK26.3m UK23.2m UK26.6m UK26.8m UK27.0m UK27.3m UK27.5m UK27.8m UK28.2m UK28.5m Growth Rate Estimate Source Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Analyst x4 Est @ 0.71% Est @ 0.86% Est @ 0.97% Est @ 1.05% Est @ 1.1% Est @ 1.13% Est @ 1.16% Present Value (, Millions) Discounted @ 6.8% UK24.7 UK20.4 UK21.8 UK20.6 UK19.5 UK18.4 UK17.4 UK16.5 UK15.6 UK14.8

("Est" = FCF growth rate estimated by Simply Wall St)

Present Value of 10-year Cash Flow (PVCF) = UK189m

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. For a number of reasons a very conservative growth rate is used that cannot exceed that of a country's GDP growth. In this case we have used the 5-year average of the 10-year government bond yield (1.2%) to estimate future growth. In the same way as with the 10-year 'growth' period, we discount future cash flows to today's value, using a cost of equity of 6.8%.

Terminal Value (TV)= FCF 2030  (1 + g)  (r  g) = UK28m (1 + 1.2%)  (6.8% 1.2%) = UK521m

Present Value of Terminal Value (PVTV)= TV / (1 + r)10= UK521m ( 1 + 6.8%)10= UK271m

The total value, or equity value, is then the sum of the present value of the future cash flows, which in this case is UK460m. The last step is to then divide the equity value by the number of shares outstanding. Compared to the current share price of UK4.2, the company appears around fair value at the time of writing. Remember though, that this is just an approximate valuation, and like any complex formula - garbage in, garbage out.

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. If you don't agree with these result, have a go at the calculation yourself and play with the assumptions. 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 A.G. BARR 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 6.8%, which is based on a levered beta of 0.800. 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.

Looking Ahead:

Although the valuation of a company is important, it shouldn't be the only metric you look at when researching a company. The DCF model is not a perfect stock valuation tool. Preferably you'd apply different cases and assumptions and see how they would impact the company's valuation. For instance, if the terminal value growth rate is adjusted slightly, it can dramatically alter the overall result. For A.G. BARR, we've put together three additional aspects you should look at:

Financial Health: Does BAG have a healthy balance sheet? Take a look at our free balance sheet analysis with six simple checks on key factors like leverage and risk. Future Earnings: How does BAG'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 British 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.
Worship leader: US on 'cusp of revival,' time to change narrative of burning cities with worship

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Worship artist Sean Feucht believes that the coronavirus prohibitions on holding church services is a double standard and that the United States is on the brink of a revival.



In an interview with Fox & Friends, Feucht noted that he is participating in and helping lead gathering outside the four walls of the church, in the open air.

"It's not just beaches," he said. "We're going under bridges, we're meeting in fields, really anywhere we can gather and spread out and worship, we're finding those places. It's summer time in California, it's just such an amazing movement that we've seen so much momentum on."

Feucht, who recently ran for Congress in California but lost in the primary, is a worship leader with an extensive missionary background and is the founder of Hold the Line, an activist movement aimed at engaging the church and millennials, urging them to become more politically active.

He has been taking the power of worship to the streets where tragedies have happened, including the place where George Floyd was killed while in police custody earlier this year.

Asked by host Pete Hegseth about why singing and church services have been deemed "non-essential" and banned but protests that have drawn large crowds have been permitted, Feucht replied, "It is a double standard and I would say at best it's hypocrisy and at worst, it's bigotry. You know there's a target on churches."

"I think it's time. We have to rise up. We need bold and courageous pastors that are not only going to stand on our Constitutional rights to worship, but are going to stand up against the insanity of these laws that are targeting the church."

Yet he is taking the opportunity to worship outdoors to shift the spiritual atmosphere in troubled places around the nation. One such worship gathering is planned in the streets of Portland, Oregon, for Aug. 8.

"The narrative that we've seen has just been burning and destruction. It's been disheartening, but yet the church in Portland, the church of Oregon, they want to gather, they want to rise up. They want to change the narrative and flip the script on their cities. It's going to be peaceful. It's going to be full of love," he said.

Thanking his followers on his Instagram account after the Fox News interview, Feucht commented that he believes that "we are on the cusp of a revival that will sweep America!"

The worship leader noted in a separate post that he has invited California Gov. Gavin Newsom to pray on the steps of the Capitol building for an event called "Let Us Worship" on Sept. 6.
A Brazilian woman who will turn 105 years old on Wednesday will have to wait a few more days to celebrate with her family as she recovers from a tough bout with the coronavirus.

Ada Adelia Giovine, who survived the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic, has spent 45 days in the hospital and 25 days connected to a respirator after falling ill with COVID-19. She's expected to be discharged this week.

Giovine was initially hospitalized June 22 in Sao Paulo before her condition worsened and required her to be connected to a ventilator June 26, according to Brazilian news outlet G1.

Giovine, who had a head surgery at the age of 99, wowed doctors at Hospital 9 de Julho when she improved and had the respirator removed July 21.

Ada Adelia Giovine will celebrate her 105th birthday Wednesday, just two weeks after she was removed from a ventilator after her COVID-19 infection worsened. She is expected to rejoin her family this weekend

Ada Adelia Giovine (second from left) with her three children Jose Ricardo (first from left), Isabel (second from right) and Heitor (right)

Her son Jose Ricardo Manrubia, 71, said he and his two two siblings were being prepared by doctors to say their last goodbyes before they organized a video conference call with her.

The familiar voice of Giovine's loved ones instantly did its wonders on her road to an unthinkable recovery considering her age.

'It was impressive, when she heard our voice she recovered. We saw her waving,' Manrubia said.

As of Tuesday, Brazil had reported 2,750,318 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 94,665 deaths.

Manrubia said that since his mother was taken off the ventilator, she had been going through 'speech therapy and physiotherapy to be able to return home.'

Giovine went to music school and taught piano lessons before she quit her job to raise her three children, Jose Ricardo, Isabel and Heitor.

Despite living with her children for several years, she went back to her residence in the coastal city of Guaruja, where she felt more comfortable.

Ada Adelia Giovine pictured on the day of her 100th birthday celebration with her son Jose Ricardo (left) and her two grandsons

A fan of Italian music, Giovine took an interest in computer classes at the age of 90 because she wanted to learn the ins and outs of the internet.

A fall at the age of 99 cause her a head injury and loss of movement.

'The doctors said that only surgery would be the solution,' Manrubia said. 'We were worried. That was when one of her grandchildren decided to tell her that she would need to undergo the delicate surgery. She showed such optimism that she said: 'is that all? Then operate soon.''

She spent her 100th birthday in the hospital while she recovered and started walking normally.

'She went through the Spanish flu ... operated on her head at the age of 99 and is now over Covid-19. The party is going to be big,' Manrubia said.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) has secured the Higher Education Funding Agency's (HEFA) approval for Rs 455.02 crore fund for construction of new academic buildings, hostels and research centres.

With several new schools and centres coming up at the JNU, the requirement for academic and hostel facilities has increased.

"The funds allocated by the HEFA will be used for construction of hostels for students and researchers of the School of Engineering and the Atal Bihari Vajpayee School of Management & Entrepreneurship, and the new academic complexes," said JNU Vice-Chancellor M. Jagadesh Kumar.

The new complexes, included facilities for trans-disciplinary academic research, advanced animal research, advanced instrumentation research, incubation centre for startups, special centre for e-learning, lecture hall complex and integrated & unified education ERP system, he added.

The JNU admits over 2,000 students each year from among 1.3 lakh applicants.
The Federal government has lifted the travel warning for Turkey partially. The Foreign office said on Tuesday in his travel notes on the Internet, that the formal warning against tourist travel in the provinces of Antalya, Izmir, Aydin and Mugla is omitted.

In all the four provinces, it is holiday regions on the West coast. So far, Turkey was one of the approximately 160 countries outside of the European Union and the Schengen area, for which the travel warning actually, to 31. August was considered. With the present step, the Federal government makes for the first time, an exception.

Test-wear cost travelers

The Foreign office stressed that it had lifted the travel warning "under the condition of strict observance of the Turkish government had a comprehensive tourism and hygiene concept". "This includes a mandatory PCR testing for all travellers in Turkey, within 48 hours before the return journey to Germany."

The cost of the equivalent of 15 Euro in a certified laboratory, or 30 euros at the airport, the traveler would have to bear itself. Testing positive for have to go in Turkey in quarantine or medical treatment.

The Turkey had insisted for many weeks on this step. The German tourists are one of the largest groups of tourists in Turkey.

Updated Date: 04 August 2020, 12:19
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:43:29|Editor: huaxia

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ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the African continent reached 968,020 on Tuesday, the Africa Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said.

The Africa CDC, a specialized healthcare agency of the 55-member African Union (AU) Commission, in its latest situation update issued on Tuesday, said that the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases across the continent rose from 957,035 on Monday to 968,020 as of Tuesday.

The Africa CDC report also said that the number of deaths related to the COVID-19 pandemic rose to 20,612 deaths on Tuesday, up from 20,288 on Monday.

The continental disease control and prevention agency further noted that some 629,726 patients who tested positive for COVID-19 have recovered across the continent so far, registering about 18,000 new recoveries as compared to Monday's 611,957 report.

South Africa is Africa's highest affected country in terms of positive cases, followed by Egypt, Nigeria, Algeria and Morocco, it was noted.

The Southern Africa region is the most affected area in terms of confirmed cases, followed by Northern Africa and Western Africa regions, respectively, the Africa CDC said.

Amid the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic across the African continent, the Africa CDC disclosed recently that some 34 African countries are under "full border closure" in an effort to halt the spread of the infectious virus. Enditem
The coronavirus pandemic, which has already brought unprecedented change in the way people live and work, could be a catalyst towards adoption of digital technology which will open health and education to millions, said N Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons. He said that every crisis contains within it an opportunity for profound change. This time, the opportunity has come in the form of adoption of digital technology, which could make India a global leader in R&D, science and technology, AI, advanced manufacturing and next generation products and services.

Speaking at a webinar, Tata Sons chairman said that digital solutions can place India at the vanguard of a fourth industrial revolution, while positively impacting 30 million jobs. To do this requires rethinking and redesigning our whole economy, suited to India's specific needs - not just building digital imitations of what we have now, or what we see in other parts of the world, he said.

In a few short months, COVID-19 may provide as much digital acceleration as the many billions of dollars of venture capital invested over the last decade, said Chandrasekaran while speaking at a webinar on "India's opportunities in the decade of 2020s".

"Many trends, already underway, have speeded up. The decline of bricks and mortar retail. The rise of e-commerce. The decline of offices. The rise of remote working," he said.

Also Read: COVID-19 ushering in change for mobility segment, consumer behaviour will transform: Chandrasekaran

The IT industry veteran said that all will count for little unless digitisation occurs where it is needed the most - in public services. He said that I have said it many times that India's two great problems are jobs and access. "Our education and health systems, though often high in quality, do not extend far enough to meet the demands of our huge population," he said.

"This is not to say we haven't made progress. Three decades ago, India had only 794 institutions offering technical qualifications. Today we have over 10,000. Three decades ago, only 40 per cent of our population could read or write. Now it is closer to 75 per cent. We have come a long way. But we have so much further to go," he added.

Calling for a revolution in technological education, he said that there is need to design a new education system, not a virtual replica of the existing one, based on five principles: digital skills; 21st century skills, new-age apprenticeships, lifelong learning, and entrepreneurial thinking.

Also Read: Tata Consumer Products to become a full-fledged FMCG company: Chairman N Chandrasekaran

Chandrasekaran said that the new technology will not only educate more people, but will also lower education costs and make it more affordable. It will also help teachers take pride in their work.

The smart application of technology is key to transforming the other access problem exposed by the pandemic, which is health. "To grant everyone access to basic care, India needs 600,000 more doctors and 2.5 million nurses. They also need to be more evenly distributed. More than 65 per cent of doctors operate in urban areas - where only a third of Indians live," he said.

Chandrasekaran said that the first reaction to these figures would be that there is need for more health infrastructure and manpower, but this problem can be solved by technology. "With the smart application of technology, scarce resources can be extended. Many pre-diagnosis activities currently undertaken by doctors could be turned into a checklist programmed onto a kiosk, a handheld tablet, or even a smartphone. These could be used by someone without a clinical background, but who has received three to four months' training on the technology," he said.

"The freed-up doctor time could be used to conduct virtual consultations with patients in underserved rural areas. The net effect would be to create jobs and increase the supply of medical help. As many as one million new jobs for low-skilled workers could be created and a million more would be suddenly more productive," he added.

The benefits of such measures could lead to increased coverage, better health outcomes and more jobs for less-qualified workers. This could be extended well beyond health, across agriculture, financial services, retail and the justice system as well.

By Chitranjan Kumar
Mumbai is witnessing incessant rainfall since August 3. The weather department has sounded a red alert that rainfall will intensify further in the metropolis and its suburbs during the next two days. Forecasting agencies have also said that there would be the second spell of heavy rainfall this monsoon after a gap of a fortnight.

Private forecaster, Skymet Weather, has advised Mumbaikars

to avoid going out on August 4 and 5. "The intensity of the rainfall will start decreasing from August 6," it said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has advised fishermen to not venture deep into the Bay of Bengal till August 6 as surface winds with speeds up to 50 kmph will make the sea conditions very rough.

Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has ordered the closure of all offices and establishment, except essentials. It has issued suitable warnings and advisories to all coastal security agencies, disaster management department and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). The body has requested people to stay indoors unless extremely necessary.



In the past 3 hours, very heavy showers lashed Kandivali West, Borivali, Goregaon, Mira Bhayandar and nearby locations recorded over 100mm rain. Track #MumbaiRains and traffic in real-time, download #MumbaiRain app: https://t.co/AxUgRG4Z49 @MumbaiRainApp pic.twitter.com/VTAZ1MY6jD

 SkymetWeather (@SkymetWeather) August 4, 2020



As per the @Indiametdept forecast, extremely heavy rainfall is expected in the city & suburbs today with high tide at 12.47 PM. Mumbaikars are requested not to venture out unless extremely necessary & stay away from the shore & waterlogged areas#MyBMCUpdates #mumbairain   Mumbai,  BMC (@mybmc) August 4, 2020



Rainfall has also caused waterlogging at Hindmata, Dadar TT, Sakkar Panchayat, SIES College, Goel Deul, Bhendi Bazar Junction, JJ Junction, Thakurdwar Naka, Shanmukhananda Hall, Shaikh Mistri Dargah Road, Postal Colony, the BMC said.

According to Central Railway update, suburban services on the main line and Harbour line will remain suspended due to waterlogging.

"Due to high tide resulting in waterlogging at Vadala and Parel, suburban services are suspended on main line and harbour line. However, shuttle services are running between Vashi and Panvel, Thane and Kalyan-beyond. No suburban trains are being held up in stations. Down mail/express trains are being rescheduled," Shivaji Sutar, Central Railway CPRO has said.



Trains Rescheduled due to heavy rains 01301 CSMT-KSR Bengaluru Special sch dep 08.10 hrs on 4.8.2020 is RESCHEDULED at 12.00 hrs on 4.8.2020. 02534 CSMT-Lucknow Special sch dep 08.25 hrs on 4.8.2020 is RESCHEDULED at 12.15 hrs on 4.8.2020. Inconvenience caused is regretted.  Central Railway (@Central_Railway) August 4, 2020



Mumbai and around rain updates at 7.45 am on 4 th Aug

Colaba 220, Santacruz 254, Ram Mandir 152, Mira Road 152, Mahalaxmi 172, Vidyavihar 159 mm. Most of the stations in Thane and NM reported more than 150 mm

Trend to continue for next 48 hrs

RED ALERT IS ON FOR MUMBAI, THANE.. pic.twitter.com/BKtazHZ0Mf  K S Hosalikar (@Hosalikar_KS) August 4, 2020

Deputy Director-General, IMD Mumbai, KS Hosalikar said, "In the last three hours, Mumbai and neighbouring areas have received very intense rainfall. Mumbai is now on Red Alert, with possibilities of extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places."

Heavy-to-very heavy rainfall and thunderstorms are likely to lash many parts of Madhya Pradesh, too, where the monsoon activity has remained subdued so far.

In north India, sultry weather prevailed in Delhi, Punjab and Haryana as the monsoon trough, which was active over the region last week, shifted southwards.

Meanwhile, the flood situation in Assam improved on August 4 as the water receded from many areas, though one more person lost his life in the deluge. This year, floods and landslides have damaged roads and other infrastructure at several places and claimed 136 lives in Assam, according to official estimates.

The number of flood-hit people decreased by 4.65 lakh since Sunday but around 3.89 lakh people in 17 districts are still affected, the Assam government said in a bulletin.

The Brahmaputra river is flowing above the danger mark at Dhubri town, Nimatighat in Jorhat and Tezpur in Sonitpur districts. Its tributaries Dhansiri, Jia Bharali and Kopili are also flowing above the danger level.
Portland police on Monday released a draft of a proposed policy governing their duty to alert prosecutors about an officers potential credibility problems on the witness stand -- more than three years after the citys Independent Police Review found the bureau had no written directive and urged it to adopt one.

Police distributed a two-page draft for community comment through Sept. 1. Its not clear when the bureau will approve it and put it into practice.

A years-long delay given whats at stake is unacceptable, said City Auditor Mary Hull Caballero.

She oversees the office that issued the report so long ago I had to refresh my memory about the extent of our recommendations.

The draft calls for the commander of the bureaus Professional Standards Division to notify the Multnomah County District Attorneys Office about any officers found to be untruthful or biased, if theyve engaged in misconduct that casts substantial doubt on the accuracy of evidence or if they face any criminal charges.

Any bureau member aware of an officer who has been arrested for crimes of moral turpitude must report the charges to the Professional Standards commander, who must report it to the district attorneys office. The draft doesnt define moral turpitude.

If the Professional Standards commander has questions about whether to turn over information to prosecutors, the commander would consult with the deputy chief, assistant chief of services and city attorneys office to determine if the allegations are substantial and credible enough that they might be favorable to defense lawyers in a case or could impeach the officer as a witness.

If the high-ranking officers cant come to an agreement, the police chief would decide.

In April 2017, an Independent Police Review study found that Portland police had no policy and officers received no training on their duty under the landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Brady v. Maryland to alert prosecutors about an officers potential credibility problems on the witness stand or the need to turn over information that might be favorable to defense attorneys in a case.

A police internal affairs supervisor who tried to draw attention to the problem in January 2013 by writing a letter to then-District Attorney Rod Underhill was transferred and passed over for promotion by former Chiefs Mike Reese and Larry ODea, according to the report and former supervisor.

The bureau had an ad hoc approach at best to following the law, the Independent Police Review report found.

The Supreme Court decision, creating what is known as the Brady rule, and subsequent case law requires police and prosecutors to provide defense attorneys with an officers past record of any falsification of reports that could affect their credibility as a witness. It includes all credible allegations of untruthfulness, not just substantiated findings.

The bureaus draft policy spells out what generally wont be reported to prosecutors: allegations that cant be substantiated, arent credible or have resulted in exonerated, not sustained, or unfounded findings.

The Bureau recognizes the obligation imposed on the State by Brady v. Maryland, a subsequent line of court decisions, and state criminal discovery statutory requirements to affirmatively disclose to the defense prior to a criminal trial, material or information in their possession that may be exculpatory or impeaching of a government witness, the draft states.

In 2017, the Independent Police Review noted that the Police Bureau was currently working on creating a written Brady policy. At the time of its report, it also wrote that no bureau member interviewed could recall any training by the Police Bureau' for its officers on how to comply with the Brady law.

Former Chief Mike Marshman, in his April 25, 2017, response to the report, wrote that a group of staff would develop a draft policy for universal review within 90 days.

Hull Caballero said Monday that its important to not lose sight that requirements to disclose information about officers conduct to prosecutors are in place to ensure fair trials. Brady was decided more than 50 years ago. Independent Police Reviews recommendations for a bureau policy, training, and tracking mechanism were made more than three years ago.

Constantin Severe, then the Independent Police Review director, highlighted a model policy created by the International Association of Chiefs of Police, which recommended police agencies disclose when an officer has engaged in excessive force, untruthfulness, dishonesty or bias.

A statewide work group also recommended in March 2014 that police agencies in Oregon adopt a comprehensive policy to ensure they promptly share Brady material with prosecutors, including when an officer has lied, committed a crime, been biased or suppressed evidence.

Even though a Portland police captain and a deputy city attorney participated in the work group, Portland police still have no policy in place six years later.

Police Bureau officials had not yet responded Monday to questions on what had contributed to the years-long delay in adopting a policy. Officer Daryl Turner, president of the Portland Police Association, said the Police Bureau has been sharing such information on officers with prosecutors, but he couldnt explain why the agency hasnt formally adopted a policy governing the practice.

-- Maxine Bernstein

Email at mbernstein@oregonian.com; 503-221-8212

Follow on Twitter @maxoregonian https://twitter.com/maxoregonian

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Sushant Singh Rajput's father's lawyer Vikas Singh claims that Rhea Chakraborty, who has been accused of abetting suicide, has gone into hiding.

It was earlier reported that Rhea and her family had left their Mumbai residence in the middle of the night. Vikas Singh has corroborated this but refused to divulge more information.

Speaking to Pinkvilla, Vikas Singh said, "Firstly, Rhea Chakraborty has gone into hiding. Of course, I know where she is hiding but I can't tell you that right now. Patna Police cannot reach there because the senior officer (IPS officer Vinay Tiwari) who came to investigate the case from Patna, has already been quarantined in Mumbai. The earlier team that was already there, they are also trying to quarantine them. They are in fact on the lookout for the other officers from Bihar Police as well. This is why the urgency for getting the matter referred to CBI today itself."

Based on the information provided by Rhea's building supervisor, a Republic TV report had claimed that Rhea, her brother and her parents, had left their home three days ago. "They left together in a blue car and had big suitcases with them," the report quoted the supervisor as saying.

However, Rhea's lawyer Satish Maneshinde said in a statement that Bihar Police's contention that Rhea is missing is not correct. He added that the actress has not received a summons from the Bihar Police for interrogation.

Rhea Chakraborty and five others have been named in an FIR filed by Sushant's father K.K. Singh, alleging them of abetting the actor's alleged suicide, theft, fraud, confinement and more.

The Jalebi actress recently released a video saying that she has faith in the judiciary, and is positive that truth will prevail.

ALSO READ: Rhea Chakraborty Used Sushant Singh Rajput To Further Her Own Career: Sushant's Family's Lawyer

ALSO READ: Late Sushant Singh Rajput's Family Lawyer Is Hopeful That CBI Will Take Over The Case Now!



Worried about your mental well-being or of someone you know? Help is just a call away. Reach out to the nearest mental health specialist at COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ)- 0832-2252525, Parivarthan- +91 7676 602 602, Connecting Trust- +91 992 200 1122/+91-992 200 4305 or Sahai- 080-25497777/ SAHAIHELPLINE@GMAIL.COM
Val Kilmer (Credit: Michael Tullberg/Getty Images)

Val Kilmer has said that he has had to adapt to the new sound of his voice, which has been altered by treatment for throat cancer.

The Top Gun icon is recovering from a two-year battle with cancer, which necessitated a procedure on his trachea.

Appearing on Good Morning America yesterday, he said: I'm doing great, I feel a lot better than I sound.

Read more: Batman Forever at 25

It's just like any other language or dialect. You have to figure out a way to communicate that's no different than any other acting challenge but it's just a very unique set of circumstances.

Kilmer kept his struggle with cancer private for much of his treatment, though he would appear in public wearing a scarf.

Val Kilmer and Al Pacino attend the Simply Shakespeare's Live Read of The Merchant Of Venice in 2019 in Los Angeles (Credit: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images)

After much speculation in the press, the Batman Forever actor, who is a lifelong Christian Scientist, said that he had been through 'a healing of cancer' in 2017.

A profile in The Hollywood Reporter later the same year revealed the extent of his treatment.

He is returning to the screen, however, with three movies in post-production.

Read more: Kilmer reveals why he quit Batman

Kilmer is currently doing the online promotional rounds for crime thriller Paydirt, co-starring Luke Goss and also his 28-yer-old daughter Mercedes in her screen debut.

He also reprised his role as Tom 'Iceman' Kazanski in the forthcoming Top Gun: Maverick, the long-awaited sequel to Top Gun, the movie that gave Kilmer his big break in Hollywood.

Starring alongside Tom Cruise, Miles Teller, Jennifer Connolly and Jon Hamm, it's due out in July, 2021.

You can check the trailer below...
Microphone and US Flag View Photo

During the Democratic Weekly Address, Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) stated that the coronavirus relief proposal by Senate Republicans is heartless.

Wyden was Tuesdays KVML Newsmkaer of the Day. Here are his words:

Hello, Im Senator Ron Wyden from the wonderful state of Oregon.

Ive talked a lot recently with Oregonians who are walking an economic tightrope every day, having lost jobs or hours at work during the pandemic, trying to figure out a way to make rent, pay groceries, medical bills and car insurance. But one conversation in particular has really stuck with me.

I was speaking with a mom in Portland. She knew that supercharged unemployment benefits that we pushed so hard to achieve  the $600 weekly boost that was passed in the CARES Act  she knew those benefits were set to expire at the end of July. She told me that for her money was already awful tight, and with benefits expiring, she didnt know how much food she could afford to buy for August. She said that shed already started telling her kids they might have to eat less.

Imagine for a moment how difficult its got to be for a parent to have that conversation with her kids. And shes just now dealing, alone, with that kind of hardship.

Supercharged unemployment benefits have been an economic lifeline for 30 million Americans during this pandemic. Democrats have been calling on Leader McConnell and Senate Republicans for months to work with us to extend the benefits to keep all these families in a position to make rent, pay for groceries. Republicans on the other hand just sat on their hands throughout the spring and the summer. And now because of them, benefits are going to lapse.

When Republicans finally brought forward a plan this week, they began by slashing this vital lifeline by two thirds  costing workers $400 per week. And then incredibly, they made it even worse, and they did so in the midst of the biggest unemployment crisis since the Great Depression. Theyre calling for complicated new regulations that according to those who are expert[s] at the state level, the Republican ideas would make it impossible to get benefits out anytime soon. This is just out-and-out sabotage, just throwing sand in the gears.

And Republicans are inflicting all of this pain on the economy and the unemployed, just when were getting reports that the economy is cratering. If Republicans get to slash unemployment benefits drastically when our economy is in freefall, the Republicans will be taking away one of the best tools for economic relief for our working families that can keep a struggling economy afloat.

And furthermore, while the Republicans shortchange the unemployed, Republicans have a priority to protect the multinational corporations from COVID-19. What they want to do is protect them from lawsuits with a federal liability shield. And on top of that, the Senate Republicans are proposing new money for defense contractors, new taxpayer subsidies for corporate power lunches, and a sweetheart real estate development deal that would benefit the Trump Hotel. Theyre even trying to create a backdoor for cuts to earned Medicare and Social Security benefits.

The bottom line is what Republicans are proposing is heartless and its just unthinkable. There is no time to waste on these kinds of partisan proposals. Supercharged unemployment benefits are going to lapse, and then all of the Americans who lost work through no fault of their own could face eviction, could go hungry, may not be able to fill their prescriptions and their message to us is clear. Its time to renew these benefits and help the unemployed now. And I know I speak for all my Democratic colleagues when I say that were going to keep working and working around the clock to get folks the help they need from sea to shining sea.

Thanks everybody for watching, and I wish everyone the best.

The Newsmaker of the Day is heard every weekday morning at 6:45, 7:45 and 8:45 on AM 1450 and FM 102.7 KVML.
Jake Muzzin left Game 2 on a stretcher after falling awkwardly into a Blue Jackets player. (Photo by Andre Ringuette/Freestyle Photo/Getty Images)

The Maple Leafs had a big bounce-back win in Game 2 of their series against the Blue Jackets, but a big win was marred by a terrifying incident with less than two minutes left in the contest.

As the time ticked down in the final frame, Leafs blueliner Jake Muzzin lost his footing after receiving a shove while coming around the Toronto net before falling awkwardly. He then slammed into Oliver Bjorkstrand, with his head and neck being the first points of contact.

Muzzin down on the ice after a few collisions, last with Bjorkstrand. Being attended to by the #LeafsForever trainer. #CBJ pic.twitter.com/Cbp9Uweztp  Alison (@AlisonL) August 4, 2020

Muzzin tried to reach his feet, but was eventually instructed to lay down. He stayed on the ice for what seemed like an eternity while paramedics and team doctors examined him in front of an eerily empty and silent Scotiabank Arena.

When Muzzin was finally loaded up onto the stretcher, he was carted off the ice to stick taps from both benches and a pat from his partner Justin Holl.

The Columbus Blue Jackets and Toronto Maple Leafs show support for Jake Muzzin as he is taken off the ice on a stretcher. pic.twitter.com/9qoctxBs7K  #StanleyCup Qualifiers on NBC (@NHLonNBCSports) August 4, 2020

The Leafs did not provide a definitive update on Muzzins condition, but did reveal that the defenseman had been transported to hospital with vital signs and full use of his extremities, and they the club was awaiting the results of a full assessment.

Leafs captain John Tavares, who was close to Muzzin as medical officials tended to him, said that signs were very positive from his vantage point.

More NHL coverage from Yahoo Sports
Lebanon's prime minister Hassan Diab pledged on Tuesday to track down the people responsible for two massive blasts in northern Beirut which killed at least 73 people and injured nearly 3,000.

In a televised address to the nation, Diab said: "What happened today will not pass without accountability. Those responsible for this catastrophe will pay the price.

Diab also appealed for international assistance to help Lebanon, which is suffering its worst economic crisis in decades.

France was among the nations which responded to the call.

French foreign minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, said in a tweet: "France stands and will always stand by the side of Lebanon and the Lebanese."

Israels defence minister, Benny Gantz, and foreign minister, Gabi Ashkenazi, issued a joint statement offering medical and humanitarian aid via international intermediaries.

Gulf nations also responded to the appeal. Qatar and Kuwait promised to send field hospitals to support the medical response.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon," Irans foreign minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted. "Stay strong, Lebanon."

Blasts

The initial explosion happened just after 6pm local time. Video footage of the second blast showed an enormous orange fireball that consumed nearby buildings and sent a shockwave through the city.

General security chief Abbas Ibrahim said the blasts may have been caused by explosive materials confiscated years ago and stored at the city's port.

"We heard an explosion, then we saw the mushroom," said one resident who witnessed the second explosion from her balcony in the city's Mansourieh district.

"The force of the blast threw us backwards into the apartment," she added.

The Lebanese media carried images of people trapped under rubble.

Injured survivors roamed the streets while outside the Clemenceau Medical Centre, dozens of wounded waited for treatment.

The port zone was cordoned off by the security forces, allowing access only to ambulances and fire trucks.
The project represents the biggest investment in Ireland's water infrastructure in over 60 years

The delivery of the planned 1.3bn Shannon to Dublin water pipeline is needed according to Green Party Minister Malcolm Noonan, despite previous opposition in his party to the project.

The project, which represents the biggest investment in Ireland's water infrastructure in more than 60 years, has faced public opposition from two campaign groups, Fight the Pipe and the River Shannon Protection Alliance, who say the project will result in the "destruction of 2,000 acres" of farmland.

Responding to questioning, Minister Noonan said the pipe is needed to address climate change and to ensure the supply is fit for purpose and can withstand extreme weather such as droughts and storms.

"It will enable the provision of treated water to communities in north Tipperary, Offaly, Laois, Westmeath, Kildare, Meath and Wicklow in addition to Dublin," he said.

"The delivery of the Shannon water supply project is a key strategic investment priority for Irish Water under the National Development Plan 2018-27."

High-ranking

The Green Party's support for the project comes despite recent opposition within the party to the plan by high-ranking members.

Green MEP Ciaran Cuffe last year said the Government should prioritise water harvesting and water conservation to reduce the need for new supplies.

"Pumping water from Lough Derg to Dublin will cost more than 10m annually, and may breach the European Union's Water Framework Directive," he said. "High energy costs for pumping will also threaten our climate mitigation targets."

Independent Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath, a vocal opponent of the plan, asked Minister Noonan, "as a member of the Green Party, to stop this madness which will have an effect on ecology, land masses, farmers and people who want to carry on their business uninterrupted".

"Compulsory purchase orders and notices to treat will be issued. The land will never be the same again. There are problems whenever there is that kind of major excavation of the land.

"It is fine when a road is made because the road is made compacted, but the pipe will always keep sinking through the land. There will be considerable damage to the flora and fauna, and to the rich heritage in the lands it goes through."
Son Ye Jin has "crashed landed" in the Philippines!

#MakeYourMark is Smart Communications' newest campaign slogan for Smart Signature. And you heard it right, our beloved actress who starred as Yoon Se Ri in CLOY, is the newest face of SMART!

From Korean food to Korean style, no doubt Philippines is one of the countries greatly influenced by the Korean wave. Filipinos are without a doubt big fans of not only K-pop but especially Korean dramas.

The hit series "Crash Landing On You," starring Hyun Bin and Son Ye Jin, made Filipino fans head over heels with their extraordinary love tandem. Their unconventional relationship led to a plan of even having a remake in the Philippines, but it has not been pursued yet.

Tagged as 2020's most beautiful woman, Son Ye Jin, though nearing her forties, still has that wow factor. Who could not agree more?

In an interview, Son Ye Jin expressed her thanks with a message, "As an actress, I am always grateful and thankful for having a platform to entertain and inspire the lives of others through my passion. I would like to thank Smart for giving me an opportunity to specifically reach out to my Filipino fans and inspire them to make a mark in whatever path that they have chosen. I wish to see you all soon."

Son Ye Jin is surely an influencer. And being labeled as the "Queen of Melodramas" in South Korea, no wonder, she became the newest endorser of Smart Communications, which is one of the largest telecommunications company in the Philippines. Filipino celecbrities like Anne Curtis and Kim Chiu even bought the same sunglasses worn by Yoon Se Ri in the series, proving her impact.

As of press time, many Filipino fans still can't get over with Yoon Se Ri and Captain Ri's (Hyun Bin) love story, with many still wishing for CLOY sequel.

Hyun Bin made headlines when he became the newest brand ambassador for Smart last June and fans were very happy and excited at the same time. Now here comes Son Ye Jin, and it looks like the two will have a so-called mini-series of their own as the joint-forces is definitely unbreakable.

According to Jane J. Basas, the Senior Vice President and Head of Consumer Wireless Business of Smart Communications, she wants to highlight, "Son Ye Jin's appeal among Filipinos is undeniable and the Korean wave have swept the Filipino community and Smart is thrilled to fulfill their wish. This is one way of supporting the Hallyu passion of their customer who has been trusting the network so they can binge-watch the latest K-dramas, watch online stream of K-pop hits and stay updated of their Korean idols."

Furthermore, she added, "More than this, we know Son Ye Jin embodies the Smart Signature brand as it simplifies the postpaid experience so customers can make their mark in their career or passion."

Truly, Filipinos have been very welcoming with Koreans. We cannot deny that kimchi down to sampgyusal Korean dish is now a very common term for Filipinos.

Who knows, who might be the next Korean Celebrity endorser? Comment below and Join our conversation.

Watch Son Ye Jin's Smart TVC below!
Dr. Vidya Sagar

30.07.2020 LISTEN

Universally parents always wish the best for their children at any given stage of their lives. Right from the day the child is born, parents play a crucial role in taking important decisions that can have far-reaching effects on their childs life be it concerning the childs health, education, and career.

One of the most important roles that parents must take in a newborn childs life is vaccination. Vaccination against major preventable diseases prevents childhood mortality and morbidity. Vaccination against Hepatitis B was included in the National Universal Immunizations Programme in 2007. This World Hepatitis Day, let us understand why it is important for your child to receive the Hepatitis-B vaccination.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a worldwide public health issue. With an approximate of more than 200 million HBV carriers in the world, the most worrying fact is that about 500,000 people die from Hepatitis B - related viral disease. It is common in India with an estimated 4 crore people who are suffering from it. With growing awareness and implementation of vaccination programs, this specific infection has decreased over the years. But HBV is still under the list of infections that can be chronic and fatal.

HBV can spread in two ways, vertical i.e., from mother to child and horizontal i.e., through contaminated needles, blood transfusion, unprotected sexual intercourse and intravenous drug use via sharing contaminated needles and syringes. In many patients, the obvious mode of transmission is actually not obvious. But the least known fact about HBV is that it never spreads through food/water, breast feeding, coughing, sneezing or through insect bites and other such direct contact.

A child needs at least 3 doses of hepatitis B vaccine to be fully protected; from the time of birth till 18months of age. Newborns should receive the first dose of vaccine within the first 24 hours of birth. The most important reason for this shot is, to prevent infection to pass on from an infected mother to child. If a newborn contracts hepatitis B, there are very high chances that the infection will be chronic which means it will persist for a long time .

If a pregnant woman is found positive for HBV infection during routine prenatal screening or at the time of delivery, the child must receive the first shot of the hepatitis B vaccine within 12 hours of birth. The second dose should be given at 1 month of age and the final dose by 6 months of age.

The timeline for taking the vaccine is very important because when its taken within the first 12- 24 hours, the chances of the child being free of HBV infection is more than 95%. On the contrary in non-vaccinated newborns, there is a very high chance of chronic persistent HBV infection that may lead to liver damage over a period of time.

The initial infection may cause no symptoms in the majority of the newborns due to the immature immune system in a newborn wherein the virus escapes the immune system and generally persists progressing on to chronic infection.

the event a child contracts HBV infection in the later years, the child may develop acute / lived symptoms such as fever, jaundice, dark urine, loss of appetite, nausea/vomiting, body aches, and fatigue. In majority it may progress to chronicity (persistence of virus for a long time) without any symptoms It is important to note that all children with Hepatitis B infection do not need antiviral medications.

It is imperative that patients should go for regular check-ups and follow-up with a qualified specialist rather than fall prey to dubious claims of cure, unscientific healing techniques, and spurious medications that may have detrimental effects on the liver and kidneys in some instances.

Hepatitis B is a global health problem. Universal screening of pregnant women and unvaccinated children and vaccination of the newborn and unvaccinated individuals are the simplest and most effective means to stem the rising tide. So always take the required precautions and safety measures to put such infections at bay by opting into the Hepatitis B vaccination for your child.
- Former MPs had through the Parliamentarians Association been pushing for a pension plan to cater for them

- A new bill seeks to impose a minimum pension for lawmakers who retired between 1984 and 2001

- If passed into law, 375 ex-lawmakers will see their monthly pension rise from KSh 33,000 to KSh 100,000 per month

Retired Kenyan MPs are set to receive a KSh 100,000 monthly pension for life in revised changes to the National Assemblys retirement benefits law.

The House is on Wednesday, August 5, expected to pass the Parliamentary Pensions (Amendment) Bill, 2019, which seeks to impose a minimum pension for lawmakers who retired between 1984 and 2001.

READ ALSO: Sonko wowed by striking resemblance between MP Jaguar and his daughters: "Copyright hajachezwa"

Parliament buildings, Nairobi Kenya. Photo: Parliament of Kenya.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: Wandani wa Raila Odinga wapenyeza ndani ya ngome ya DP Ruto kutafuta ushawishi

The move would see 375 legislators who served during the period benefit as their monthly pension would rise from KSh 33,000 to KSh 100,000 adding more burden to taxpayers who are already feeling the pinch of the dwindling economy.

Legislators who served for only one term would now get millions of shillings in arrears as their pay would be backdated to July 2010 in new amendments to the Parliamentary Pensions Act.

That the Bill be amended by deleting clause two and substituting therefore the following new clause-in sub-section (1) (b) by deleting the word two and substituting therefore the word one, the new amendments to the Bill read.

The National Assembly in session. Photo: Parliament of Kenya.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Georgina Rodriguez donates KSh 2.5 million to help in coronavirus vaccine research

The act which became law in 2002 initially stated that only MPs who served for two terms or more were entitled to a monthly pension of at least KSh 125, 000 for the rest of their lives.

MPs who lost after serving one term were refunded the equivalent of three times their monthly pension deductions plus 15% interest for every year served.

The law, however, had not taken in the interests of MPs who retired before 2002.

Wafula Wamunyinyi, the MP for Kanduyi, was spearheading the effort to get the bill passed to amend the Parliamentary Pensions Act. Photo: Wafula Wamunyinyi.

Source: Facebook

READ ALSO: Sam: One of Nairobi National Park's oldest lions dies

In this, 290 former MPs would receive a lump sum of about KSh 6 million each while the remaining 80 would get KSh 11.9 million and 100,000 as monthly pension for life.

Given that 130 of the 290 ex-lawmakers are dead, their dependents are set to be given half of their monthly pay.

Retired MPs had through the Parliamentarians Association been pushing for a pension plan that would see them get paid a monthly pension of KSh 100,000 for the rest of their lives.

They wanted any MP who served in parliament since 1963, even if they only served one term to receive equal monthly pension.

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.

Update: Rwandese woman yet to see her children days after Kenyan husband ran away with them

Source: TUKO.co.ke
At least 10 persons have been killed while many sustained injuries in a massive explosion that rocked Beirut, capital of Lebanon, on Tue...

At least 10 persons have been killed while many sustained injuries in a massive explosion that rocked Beirut, capital of Lebanon, on Tuesday.





The state-owned national news agency traced the source of the explosion to a warehouse of firecrackers near the port in Beirut.





Many cars and buildings got damaged in the incident.





Some residents said the explosion sounded like an earthquake as the grounds shook and a large flame filled the air.





I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding. Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street, Reuters quoted a witness to have said.





  This was the biggest explosion in Lebanese history. (And Lebanon has witnessed hundreds of huge explosions!) @LamiaMoubayed  and I miraculously emerged unscathed as we were going down the stairs to reach the underground parking lot at USJ on rue Huvelin, pretty close pic.twitter.com/el9QW3SJWg August 4, 2020 The explosion happened ahead of the verdict in the trial over the killing of Rafik Hariri, former Lebanon prime minister, by car bomb on February 14, 2005.

A UN tribunal is set to issue its verdict in the trial involving four suspects in the murder case. A UN tribunal is set to issue its verdict in the trial involving four suspects in the murder case.





The four suspects are members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah group, a Shiite Muslim political party and militant group based in Lebanon.





Hariri was travelling in a motorcade when the explosion went off in a busy area in the state, causing great damage to lives and properties.





Before his assassination, the ex-PM joined calls for Syria to withdraw troops which had been in Lebanon since 1976.




Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:42:37|Editor: huaxia

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ANKARA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hamit Ekinci, a 32-year-old Turkish emergency doctor, warns the public not to underestimate the COVID-19 after his own experience of contracting the deadly virus at work and recovering through treatment in hospital.

In Diyarbakir, the biggest province of Turkey's southeast where Ekinci works in a private hospital, daily reported coronavirus cases have been increasing for two weeks.

According to Turkish Health Minister Fahrettin Koca, Diyarbakir was among five provinces where new cases were recorded on the rise, as daily cases in Turkey dropped 10 days ago to 900 before going upward again to nearly 1,000.

Ekinci began developing some classic symptoms of the COVID-19 pandemic in early April when the outbreak in Turkey hit its height.

"I had strong pain in my bones and I started to run a fever which got higher. I immediately understood I contracted the virus from a patient with whom I had a brief close contact at the clinic," he told Xinhua in an interview at the end of a 24-hour shift.

"I am a relatively young person with no chronic illnesses and I don't smoke, but despite that, it was very difficult to shake off the coronavirus. This is really a serious disease," Ekinci said, urging the public to strictly abide by the health and safety measures.

After a couple of days of self-isolation at home, Ekinci's symptoms started to worsen and he was sent to the intensive care unit (ICU) of his own hospital where the Turkish doctor tested positive for COVID-19.

"My condition could be described as mild as I spent only over a week in hospital before a two-week quarantine at home. Nevertheless, this disease is something very different, as it attacks the lungs very aggressively and may cause severe pneumonia," Ekinci explained.

He told Xinhua that many of the elderly people with chronic diseases did not make it after their treatment in the ICU of his hospital.

"For senior citizens, the effects of the virus are devastating and on top of it, if they have another illness, like diabetes or a heart condition, the mortality rate gets immediately higher," he noted.

In his modest clinic, the Turkish doctor said, around 20 COVID-19 patients have been recorded each day since mid-July.

"This pandemic is far from being over. Until an effective vaccine is found, which is currently not the case, we must obey the safety measures," Ekinci warned.

The doctor also called on the population to avoid gatherings such as weddings or funerals as many new cases related to such occasions have been reported in recent weeks.

Sending "a special message" to the young people, Ekinci warned that "they can get infected too and they can die."

"What we all have to understand is this virus is still very dangerous. We don't have the luxury to underestimate it," he concluded. Enditem
US President on Monday signed a new Executive Order on aligning federal contracting and hiring practices with the "interest of American workers". It called for prohibiting American employers from using H-1B workers to displace Americans in outsourcing contracts.

"Today I'm signing an executive order to ensure that the federal government lives by a very simple rule: Hire American. We've been doing it at a level that hasn't been done maybe ever," President Trump said.

This ensures that US federal agencies will prioritise hiring Americans rather than signing on foreign workers majority of those who are on H-1B visas.

The US President stated he will be taking firm, disciplinary action against the leadership of the Tennessee Valley Authority, which has "sadly and cruelly" betrayed American workers.

"As we speak, we're finalizing H1-B regulations so that no American worker is replaced ever again. H1-Bs should be used for the top, highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour program to destroy American jobs," he said.

The US President said formally removing the chairman of the board, James Thompson, and board member Richard Howorth. "If the TVA does not move swiftly to reverse their decision to rehire their workers, then more board members will be removed. We have the absolute right to remove board members," he said.

The Executive order signed by President Trump states that "the head of each agency that enters into contracts shall assess any negative impact of contractors' and subcontractors' temporary foreign labor hiring practices or offshoring practices on the economy and efficiency of Federal procurement and on the national security, and propose action, if necessary and as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, to improve the economy and efficiency of Federal procurement and protect the national security.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Candidates on polar opposites of the political spectrum are facing challenges on Tuesday amid increased polarisation.

Kansas archconservative Kris Kobach and prominent Michigan progressive Rashida Tlaib  candidates from the outer edges of the Republican and Democratic parties  are on the ballot Tuesday when five US states hold primary elections for Congress.

The outcomes in Kansas, Michigan, Arizona, Missouri and Washington states will set the stage for November 3 elections to the United States House of Representatives and Senate that will determine the balance of power in Washington, DC.

In a tumultuous year, the Kobach and Tlaib races will test whether each party will steer to the right or left, or stay closer to the political centre.

Establishment Republicans are vexed by the Senate candidacy of Kobach, a well-known firebrand who advised President Donald Trumps 2016 presidential campaign on immigration. He later served as vice chairman of Trumps short-lived voter fraud commission.

Kansas has not had a Democratic senator since the 1930s. But some centrist Republicans fear Kobach, who failed to win the governors race in 2018, could put the Senate seat in reach for Democrats. The expected Democratic nominee, state Senator Barbara Bollier, is a former Republican who is breaking fundraising records.

The race is drawing in national Republican money the party will need as it fights to protect its 53-47 Senate majority.

The Senate Leadership Fund, a political action committee aligned with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, promoted Kobachs strongest opponent, Representative Roger Marshall, with a $1.2m advertisement buy in the closing stretch of the campaign.





Kobach said the Senate leader should stay out of it, arguing that polling shows whoever wins the Republican primary will prevail in the general election.

Whenever a conservative is in the lead in a Republican Senate primary, McConnell jumps in to support the moderate opponent. McConnell wants a yes man in the Senate, Kobach said in a recent statement.

Squad rematches

In Michigan, a member of the Squad  four first-time congresswomen who have become the face of the House of Representatives left wing  faces a stiff primary challenge.

Rashida Tlaib, 44, is in a rematch against a prominent Black leader, Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones.

Jones, 60, lost to Tlaib by fewer than 1,000 votes two years ago. The district, which includes parts of Detroit, is over half African American.

Tlaib, of Palestinian descent, was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress.

She became famous just after her election for a profane promise to impeach Trump. A backer of former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, she has not endorsed the partys more moderate presumptive nominee, Joe Biden.

Representatives Rashida Tlaib, Ilhan Omar, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Ayanna Pressley, collectively known as the Squad, respond to remarks by President Trump after his call for the four Democratic congresswomen to go back to their broken countries [J Scott Applewhite/AP Photo]

Jones suggests that Tlaib puts celebrity ahead of constituents. I am one that works with people  even when I dont always agree with them  in order to get things done for my community, Jones said.

Jones has also enjoyed warm relations with Biden. The two have appeared together in Detroit.

But Tlaibs campaign spokesman said she had held dozens of town halls and helped residents secure unemployment benefits and protective equipment during the coronavirus pandemic.

In Arizona, voters are choosing nominees for what is expected to be one of the most expensive Senate battles of the year.

Senator Martha McSally is expected to win her Republican Party primary over Daniel McCarthy, who says she is not conservative enough.

The contest is a prelude to a daunting general election fight as she trails expected Democratic nominee, astronaut Mark Kelly, in the polls and has about half his $21m campaign war chest.

Missouri features another House rematch. Democratic Representative William Lacy Clay faces progressive challenger Cori Bush, who became a community activist after Black man Michael Brown was fatally shot by police in 2014.

Both candidates are Black. Clay or his father have represented the district in Congress since 1969.
Besieged by criticism over the Vista Ridge pipeline and confronted with economic uncertainty caused by the coronavirus pandemic, the San Antonio Water System board decided against a $100,000 bonus for CEO Robert Puente but did approve a 4 percent raise after he received a sterling evaluation.

Puentes salary is $496,520; the pay raise means an additional $19,860.80 annually. Last year, he received a 5 percent raise and the $100,000 bonus called for in his contract when he meets goals.

SAWS officials said Puente far exceeded goals set by the board, scoring 115 points out of 100 with an outstanding rating on seven of 10 metrics.

If this were a privately held company, I promise you he would be getting his bonus. He would be treated very, very fairly in making him competitive, SAWS Chairman Heriberto Berto Guerra said.

On ExpressNews.com: Three finalists chosen for SAWS board

Trustees noted the devastating financial effects of COVID-19 on SAWS customers in making their decisions about the bonus.

From March through the end of June, utility reports show operating revenue fell millions of dollars short of the amount projected, and SAWS has boosted its reserve for uncollectable bills, citing increases in customer account delinquencies related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Despite that downturn, Puente said he believes the raise is appropriate.

Four percent is what is in line with what all the other higher-performing individuals at SAWS received. So I think it took the current situation into consideration  the board did  and Im very happy about that, Puente said.

He also agreed with trustees decision to withhold his bonus.

Obviously, you would want that, but under these circumstances, it would not be the right thing to do, Puente said. The comments that the board made about my performance mean just as much as the compensation.

Puente was given the bonus in 2010 and 2018, but he returned it both times because of the economic situation at the time.

In its financial report for June, SAWS said operating revenue for the month was $68.8 million, $1 million less than budgeted.

Mays operating revenue was $62.4 million, $4.1 million less than expected.

In April, SAWS reported operating revenue of $55.3 million, $7 million short of budget, and said the pandemic had significantly impacted water consumption.

In March, operating revenue was $55.6 million, nearly $3 million less than forecast for that month.

The utility has not yet posted its July financial results.

In February, before the pandemic struck South Texas, SAWS monthly revenue was nearly $1 million higher than budgeted.

The shortfalls in operating revenue from water and wastewater services do not mean SAWS is in danger of going into the red. The utility has reduced expenses, and it has other revenue sources, such as investment income. For March through June, it reported positive net income every month.

The raises follow years of efforts by SAWS to ensure Puentes compensation was in line with that of other executives at major water utilities. That wasnt always the case.

SAWS hired two compensation consultants, Atlanta-based ScottMadden Inc. and Paradox Compensation Advisors of Dallas, in 2018 after Mayor Ron Nirenberg had supported a pay increase a few months earlier for CPS Energy CEO Paula Gold-Williams, then voted against a raise for Puente.

Nirenberg, who sits on the boards of both city-owned utilities, said at the time the process SAWS used for evaluating its CEO lacked clear metrics and didnt have criteria aligned with broader goals of the organization.

The raises have continued since SAWS entered three-year contracts with the two consultants. Last year, SAWS officials said Paradox found Puente needed the 5 percent salary increase to remain competitive. Trustees provided the raise and the $100,000 bonus, which is in Puentes contract.

Not everyone agrees that the utilitys CEO needs such high compensation.

A group known as the SAWS Accountability Act PAC, along with the Alamo Sierra Club and League of Independent Voters of Texas, have been gathering signatures for petitions seeking a May 2021 vote on capping the CEOs salary at no more than 10 times the lowest-paid SAWS employees.

Puente said such a move would limit the CEO salary to about $317,000 and would prompt a flight of talent from SAWS, rendering it unable to pull off difficult water-supply and sewer projects, while maintaining a high credit rating.

At least three vice presidents at SAWS who contribute substantially to the utilitys ability to provide abundant, clean water and effective sewer management already are above the cap activists are seeking, Puente said.

Nirenberg, who had to leave for a meeting with Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff and Gov. Greg Abbott, did not vote for or against the compensation for Puente, which passed without opposition. He was pleased the board decided not to approve the bonus.

Based on where the organization has been and where we are today, it is progress that there no longer is a bonus awarded, Nirenberg said. My goal when we first started was just to ensure that were paying people fairly, and that a bonus is not part of that equation in a publicly owned utility.

New owner

In other board action Tuesday, majority ownership of the Vista Ridge project will be in the hands of an investment company, instead of the construction firm that built the $2.8 billion water pipeline. But the change wont affect SAWS, officials said.

In a 6-1 vote, the SAWS board supported a resolution consenting to a transfer of control of Vista Ridge LLC, the project company, from Garney Construction to Ridgewood Infrastructure, to be called RI-VR Holdings in the project.

Under the new ownership structure, RI-VR Holdings will own 75 percent of the project, while Canadian-based EPCOR USA, pipeline operator, will hold 5 percent.

Abengoa Vista Ridge, a subsidiary of a Spanish conglomerate that was the original lead company on Vista Ridge, still owns 20 percent, and has one representative on a seven-member project company board, SAWS officials said.

Ridgewood, with offices in New York and New Jersey, is an asset manager founded in 1982, overseeing a little more than $5 billion in holdings, and has been a key player on Vista Ridge since 2017, officials said.

Trustee Amy Hardberger, a water law expert who has been a skeptic of the pipeline project since before she was appointed to the board in 2018, voted against the resolution.

This is an enormous project with lots of potential legal issues, Hardberger said. I think it would be helpful to have a lot more information about companies before we make amendments that are this large in this short a period of time without any sort of personal knowledge about the company.

Nirenberg asked the utilitys attorney to explain whether protections for SAWS and ratepayers remain in place for the water-purchase agreement under the new ownership structure.

The change in ownership of the project company, the entity thats controlling it, does not change any of the risk allocation that exists in the contract, said Nancy Belinsky, SAWS vice president and general counsel.

The 142-mile pipeline that runs through Central Texas began carrying water to San Antonio homes and businesses in April.

On ExpressNews.com: SAWS denies claims of water waste

Guerra was presiding as chairman at his final board meeting, an in-person gathering of officials wearing masks and practicing social distancing. He said leaders of the water utility have fully vetted Ridgewood.

And they are by far the best out there, Guerra said.

Tuesdays meeting was also the last one for trustees Pat Jasso and Pat Merritt, whose terms have expired.

Staff Writer Marc Duvoisin contributed to this report.

shuddleston@express-news.net
White House national security adviser Robert O'Brien walks on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington on July 10, 2020. (Andrew Harnik/ AP Photo)

Trumps National Security Adviser Recovers From COVID-19

WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trumps national security adviser, who tested positive for the coronavirus, returned to work Tuesday after recovering from a mild case of COVID-19, the White House said.

Robert OBrien has resumed his meetings with the president, said National Security Council spokesman John Ullyot.

He has been cleared by doctors after two negative tests for the virus, and has been asymptomatic for over a week, Ullyot said, adding that OBriens return to the West Wing was consistent with advice from the White House medical unit and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. During his quarantine at home, Ambassador OBrien worked his normal duties.

OBrien is the highest-ranking U.S. official to test positive for the virus. After testing positive late last month, OBrien isolated himself and worked from a secure location away from the White House. The administration said there was no risk of exposure to the president or Vice President Mike Pence.

White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said earlier that OBriens daughter also contracted the virus and that that is how officials think he was exposed. OBrien also had recently returned from a trip to France, where he met with top European officials and was photographed standing close to others and not wearing a mask.

OBrien was the first White House official known to have contracted the virus since May, when a personal valet to the president and the vice presidents press secretary tested positive. Numerous Secret Service agents and Trump campaign staffers have also tested positive, including national finance chair Kimberly Guilfoyle, who is the girlfriend of Trumps eldest son, Donald Trump Jr.

Senior White House staff and anyone who comes into close contact with the president and vice president are tested for the virus daily, but mask-wearing remains lax across the White House complex.
British lawmakers investigating rights violations by police have urged the government to sanction the city's leader for allowing excessive police violence toward humanitarian workers helping those injured in pro-democracy protests.

Tuesday's report from the bipartisan All Party Parliamentary Group on said first aid workers, as well as doctors and nurses, have been subjected to intimidation, threats, physical violence and arrests during months-long clashes between police and protesters that began in the city last year.

The Police Force's treatment of humanitarian aid workers and their interference within hospitals have resulted in injured protesters not receiving the required medical care in time or at all, the report said.

Lawmaker Alistair Carmichael, who co-chairs the parliamentary group, said the violence was not the actions of a few rogue officers and was clearly a systematic and quite deliberate change that aligned more with policing in mainland China.

The report's authors said they drew their conclusions after receiving over 1,000 pieces of written evidence and hearing many firsthand experiences from witnesses.

It called for Britain to urgently impose sanctions on Hong Kong leader Carrie Lam and the city's police commissioner.

The semi-autonomous city has seen its most violent anti-government protests in the past year, as demonstrations against a proposed law that would allow suspects to be extradited to China grew into a much wider protest movement.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Heavy rains lashed the high range Idukki, Wayanad and Palakkad districts in Kerala on Tuesday as Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan urged people to be vigilant as weathermen predicted widespread showers in the state's central and northernparts this week.

Idukki's Peermade received 14 cm, the tourist town of Munnar 12 cm in the last 24 hours, while Vythiri and Mananthavady in Wayanad recorded 13 and 12 cm respectively.

In Palakkad and Ottapalam in Palakkad district, eight and seven cm rain was recorded. The Bhavani river is overflowing and at least 51 people in low-lying areas were shifted to safer places. No camps have been opened so far, government sources said.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued orange alerts for the five northern districts and Idukki for this week.

Other districts have been issued the Yellow alert for the same time period.

Orange alerts have been issued in the five northern districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod from August 4 to 8.

Orange alert indicates heavy rainfall to very heavy rainfall ranging from 6 cm to 20 cm while yellow alert is heavy rainfall ranging from 6 cm to 11 cm.

"Stay Weather Aware. Forecasters predict heavy rains in most parts of the State this week. Districts in the central & northern parts of the State are likely to see heavy rains. Orange alerts have been issued. We urge the people in these districts to be vigilant," Vijayan said in a tweet.

Alert A Low Pressure Area has formed over the North Bay of Bengal. It is likely to become more marked during the next 24 hours. Under the influence of this system, Heavy to Very heavy rainfall is likely in the State from 4th to 7th. Extremely Heavy rainfall likely on 8th. CMO Kerala (@CMOKerala) August 4, 2020

The IMD on Tuesday updated its special weather bulletin on the formation of low pressure areas over North Bay of Bengal and said heavy rainfall is expected in Kerala from August 4 to 8.

"Under the influence of yesterdays cyclonic circulation over northeast Bay of Bengal & neighbourhood a low pressure area had formed over North Bay of Bengal and neighborhood on today morning and now lies over North Bay of Bengal off West Bengal- Bangladesh coasts. It is likely to become more marked during the next 24 hours.

"Associated with the above system heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected from 4th to 7th August and extremely heavy rainfall on 8th August over Kerala," IMD said in its special weather bulletin.

Vijayan had on Monday said the state government has set up a 24-hour functioning control room and said caution will be exercised in the districts of Idukki, Wayanad, Kozhikode, Malappuram and Palakkad which are prone to landslides.

Kerala had been devastated by the worst floods in the last 100 years during August 2018 that claimed over 400 lives and razed several houses, while last year the state's northern parts were flooded again in August as heavy rains and widespread landslides wreaked havoc, claiming over 120 lives.

Many had had lost their lives at Kavalapara in Malappuram and Puthumala in Wayanad alone due to massive landslides.
Panaji, Aug 5 : On the occasion of the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya, Goa Chief Minister Pramod Sawant should announce a financial package for vulnerable groups who have been hit hard by the COVID-19 lockdown, the state Congress unit demanded on Tuesday.

"It is a moment of pride for all of us that the foundation stone of the sacred Shree Ram Temple will be laid on the tithi of Shravan Krishna Dvitiya, Wednesday August 5, at the hands of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the auspicious presence of various spiritual scholars and saints," Leader of Opposition and former Chief Minister Digambar Kamat told reporters in Panaji.

"On this auspicious occasion, I appeal to Goa CM Pramod Sawant to announce a financial package for all those who have suffered badly during Covid lockdown and release pending dues of all Social Welfare department schemes on this historic day," Kamat also said, adding that the move would be in sync.

"with the teachings of Lord Ram to help the deserving and needy, during critical times".

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
CLEVELAND, Ohio  A Miami-based company with ties to Ukrainian oligarchs, now under federal investigation, was once one of downtown Clevelands largest landlords, with stakes in office buildings and a hotel.

Optima, a conglomerate of businesses with connections to former PrivatBank owners and oligarchs Igor Kolomoisky and Gennadiy Bogolyubov, went on a buying spree for real estate in downtown Cleveland within the past 15 years.

In that time, Optima owned or had stakes in the following buildings:

55 Public Square

View of the 55 Public Square building in downtown Cleveland, OH, Monday, August 13, 2018.The Plain Dealer

One Cleveland Center

One Cleveland Center on Aug. 4, 2020.

The AECOM Centre

The AECOM Centre, seen here in a file photo.

The former Huntington building, now known as The Centennial building

The former Huntington building, now known as the Centennial building, seen here in a file photo.

The Westin Cleveland Downtown hotel

The Westin Cleveland Downtown, seen here in a file photo.

The FBI and IRS on Tuesday raided Optima Management Groups offices at One Cleveland Center, as well as another company office in Miami. The searches are the first time agents were seen in public working on a years-long investigation. The Daily Beast first reported on the investigation in 2019, and cleveland.com did shortly after.

While the government has not detailed what is at the heart of its investigation, sources have said the Justice Department is looking into whether Kolomoisky and others committed money laundering and other financial crimes.

A lawsuit filed by PrivatBank in Delaware last year alleges that Optima, its affiliates and the oligarchs bought hundreds of millions of dollars worth of U.S. assets through the laundering and misappropriation of corporate loan proceeds issued by PrivatBank.

Optima, at one point, was one of the largest landlords of real estate in downtown Cleveland, owning more than 2.8 million square feet of office space. The lawsuit notes that its investments in Cleveland totaled around $190 million.

Over the past decade, though, the companys footprint in Cleveland and Northeast Ohio  where it also owned a Mahoning Valley steel mill that closed in 2016  shrank. Optima sold the former Huntington building, which it had pitched to Cuyahoga County as a site for its downtown headquarters, for $22 million in 2015. It sold the AECOM Centre building in 2018 for more than $36 million.

That leaves two buildings they manage, as well as a stake in the Westin hotel on St. Clair Avenue. The company has also tried to sell the 55 Public Square tower, which was completed in 1958 and is in need of renovations, but no sales have gone through.

A message left at Optimas offices in Cleveland was not immediately returned.
Campus Technology Insider

Podcast Bonus: Managing Higher Ed's "New Normal"

The Campus Technology Insider podcast explores current trends and issues impacting technology leaders in higher education. Listen in as Executive Editor Rhea Kelly chats with ed tech experts and practitioners about their work, ideas and experiences.

Bonus: Managing Higher Ed's "New Normal"

Dr. Elliot Stern

A couple weeks ago, Campus Technology held a Distance Learning Summit  a virtual event focused on the most critical considerations for managing higher ed's "new normal" during the COVID-19 pandemic. In this bonus episode of the podcast, I wanted to share the conversation I had with Dr. Elliot Stern, president of Saddleback College in Southern California, from the summit session titled "What Will the Fall Semester Look Like?" in which Dr. Stern talked candidly about how his institution is making strategic decisions for the fall and what kinds of policies and infrastructure they are putting in place to move forward. He had so many insights and ideas to share, I really think it's worth a listen.

One caveat  since this came from a webcast recording, the audio is not the best quality, so apologies in advance. I hope you find it valuable in spite of that.

Resource links:

Where to Listen

Campus Technology Insider is available on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify and Stitcher. Subscribe today or listen below, and stay tuned for more episodes!
Press Release

August 4, 2020 New AFP Chief's proposal to regulate social media, illegal and unconstitutional, says Drilon Senate Minority Leader Franklin M. Drilon said that the suggestion of Armed Forces of the Philippines chief Lt. Gen. Gilbert Gapay to include provisions to regulate social media in the Implementing Rules and Regulations of the Anti-Terrorism Act is "illegal and unconstitutional." "That will go beyond the real intent of the law and, therefore, it is illegal and unconstitutional. Freedom of speech is a sacred and inviolable right of every human being. The Constitution guarantees freedom of speech," Drilon stressed. Drilon stressed that the Implementing Rules and Regulations cannot be contrary to the text of the law itself, saying that Supreme Court cases have held that administrative or executive acts are invalid if they contravene the laws or the Constitution. "No law can be amended by a mere administrative rule issued for its implementation," he emphasized. At a virtual press briefing, Gapay said he would propose provisions in the implementing rules and regulations of the anti-terrorism law that will regulate the usage of social media as it is the platform being used by the terrorists to radicalize and even plan terrorist acts. Gapa officially assumed his post last Monday. "There is nothing in the law which would allow enforcers to regulate or control social media. A proper governmental purpose may not be achieved by means that unnecessarily sweep its subject broadly, thereby invading the area of protected freedoms," Drilon said. An act of government that chills expression is subject to nullification or injunction from the courts, as it violates Section 3, Article III of the Constitution, he stressed. "The threat of restraint, as opposed to actual restraint itself, may deter the exercise of the right to free expression almost as potently as the actual application of sanctions," the former justice secretary said. If the intention is to clamp down on terrorist propaganda posted on social media, there are existing models on how that can be done without the need to regulate social media in general - youtube videos and soundbites posted by terrorist groups communicating to a wider audience are clearly identifiable and may be taken down. If Gapay is after personal communications between terrorists to pre-empt terrorist attacks, then he would do well to acquaint himself with Section 16 the Anti-Terror Law which requires a law enforcement agent or military personnel to file an application with the Court of Appeals before surveillance activities may be conducted, according to Drilon. The provision applies to private communications, data, information, messages between members of judicially outlawed terrorist organizations, members of a designated person, or a person charged with or suspected of committing terrorism. Drilon voted in favor of the controversial measure that is now pending for review by the Supreme Court. In defending his vote, Drilon said that he had no ulterior motive but to balance the need to protect the Bill of Rights and address the security of the state. "I proposed about 14 amendments in order to address the issue of human rights and, at the same time, address the security of the state, because terrorism is a matter that we must all confront. I proposed about 14 amendments precisely to protect the right of the people against the incursions of the state and the police," Drilon said earlier. "Social media is an effective platform for our people to voice out their criticisms against the government.If we insist on implementing the law this way, which is clearly contrary to legislative intent, then we justify the fears aired by the people against the passage of the law. Let us not be so imprudent as to prove to the people that they are right in their distrust of the law's implementors," Drilon said.
More than half of patients who receive hospital treatment for Covid-19 later develop a psychiatric disorder, a study reveals.

A total of 402 coronavirus patients at San Raffaele hospital in Milan were assessed as part of a research project to see the long-term impacts of the virus on the brain.

It revealed that one month after leaving hospital, a large amount of people suffered from either post-traumatic stress (PTSD), anxiety, insomnia or depression.

Scroll down for video

The study found evidence of between one and four per cent of people infected with virus developing psychosis-like symptoms. While these symptoms may be seen in only a small amount of COVID-19 patients, they pose considerable difficulty to clinicians (stock photo)

The survey showed that more than half of the patients - 265 men and 137 women - experienced at least one of these disorders.

'It was immediately clear that the inflammation caused by the disease could also have repercussions at the psychiatric level,' said professor Francesco Benedetti, group leader of the Research Unit in Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology at San Raffaele, in a statement.

The report was published in the scientific journal Brain, Behavior and Immunity.

Based on clinical interviews and self-assessment questionnaires, physicians found PTSD in 28 per cent of cases, depression in 31 per cent, anxiety in 42 per cent of patients and insomnia in 40 per cent, and finally obsessive-compulsive symptoms in 20 per cent.

Women are less likely to die from Covid-19 than men but this study found they are more at-risk of suffering from induced anxiety and depression, the study reveals.

The researchers are unsure why this is but believe it may be due to the immune systems of men and women functioning slightly differently.

Covid-19's most lethal symptoms are caused by inflammation, when the body's immune system goes into overdrive and its attacks on the virus go haywire.

Clinicians try and control this response but it can be like a runaway train once initiated.

A team of Australian researchers claim a small number of COVID-19 patients may develop psychosis as a side-effect of their infection. This can manifest itself as hallucinations and hearing voices (stock photo)

Covid-19 causes delirium, stroke and nerve damage Infection with the coronavirus can cause delirium, stroke and nerve damage in 'a higher than expected number of patients', a study has found. Experts from University College London have reported a 'concerning increase' amid the pandemic of a rare brain inflammation known to be triggered by viral infections. Typically seen in children, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis  or 'ADEM', for short  affects the both the brain and spinal cord. The condition  which can follow on from minor infections such as colds  sees immune cells activated to attack the fatty protective coating that covers nerves. The researchers have warned that clinicians need to be aware of the risk of neurological effects to help early diagnoses and improve patient outcomes. Advertisement

It is thought the resulting inflammation can be devastating for the brain. This is then compounded by the psychological stress factors such as stigma, social isolation and worries about infecting others, the study states.

The results will underscore growing concerns about potential debilitating health complications for survivors of the disease.

Earlier this month, scientists warned of a potential wave of coronavirus-related brain damage in people who have had the disease.

A May study from Australia found evidence that between one and four per cent of people infected with virus developing psychosis-like symptoms.

This can manifest itself as hallucinations and hearing voices, the scientists say.

A July paper looked at the impact of inflammation on the brain and found infection with the coronavirus can cause delirium, stroke and nerve damage in 'a higher than expected number of patients'.

Experts from University College London have reported a 'concerning increase' amid the pandemic of a rare brain inflammation known to be triggered by viral infections.

Typically seen in children, acute disseminated encephalomyelitis  or 'ADEM', for short  affects the both the brain and spinal cord.

The condition sees immune cells activated to attack the fatty protective coating that covers nerves.

Writing in the latest paper, the researchers say: 'PTSD, major depression, and anxiety are all high-burden non-communicable conditions associated with years of life lived with disability.

'Considering the alarming impact of Covid-19 infection on mental health, the current insights on inflammation in psychiatry, and the present observation of worse inflammation leading to worse depression, we recommend to assess psychopathology of Covid-19 survivors and to deepen research on inflammatory biomarkers, in order to diagnose and treat emergent psychiatric conditions.'
Hibiscus & Bays Local Board staff, who support the work of elected members, have accessed legal advice on the vexed question of whether or not Board workshops should be open to the public.

Currently the Hibiscus & Bays Local Board holds workshops behind closed doors. The workshops include presentations by staff and discussion, and although decisions are not made at workshops, recommendations that lead to decisions are often formulated there.

The legal advice that the local board used in its discussions with members this term was originally obtained in 2016 in response to a request from the Devonport Takapuna Local Board.

It includes the statement that: The Local Government and Official Information and Meetings Act 1987 (LGOIMA) does permit (and it is therefore legal) for non-decision making workshops to be held in closed session (without the public present). This is because workshops or other non-decision making meetings have been purposefully excluded from the LGOIMA definition of meetings

It goes on to say that effectively it is up to each local board to decide whether or not to open its workshops  However, as a general proposition, Local Boards can legally hold non-decision making workshops in open and invite members of the public, media or stakeholders to attend.  from a legal perspective there is no reason why a local board cannot hold a closed workshop but also no reason why a local board cannot hold an open workshop.

Hibiscus representatives on the local board campaigned to end closed, confidential workshops and the matter is expected to come before a public meeting for a decision in due course.

Correspondence shared

Interestingly, Hibiscus Matters discovered that its correspondence with Auckland Councils media team about this matter was shared with local board members, which the media team says is normal practice.

However, two former Hibiscus & Bays local board members and two current ones spoken to by Hibiscus Matters say receiving copies of journalists email traffic is not normal practice, and something theyve never seen happen before  although general information about media enquiries is shared.
RESEARCH TRIANGLE PARK, N.C. -- New rules of engagement on the battlefield will require a deep understanding of networks and how they operate according to new Army research. Researchers confirmed a theory that find that networks of no more than 150 are optimal for efficient information exchange.

"This is the beginning of a new way to address competition and conflict in today's complex world," said Dr. Bruce West, senior scientist, Army Research Office, an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command's Army Research Laboratory. "To increase the utility of the Army's evolving network structures in terms of robustness, resilience, adaptability and efficiency, requires a deeper understanding of how networks actually function, both ours and those of our adversary."

Researchers at ARO and the University of North Texas tested a theory proposed by British anthropologist Robin Dunbar in the 1990s, which suggested that 150 was the largest group that humans can maintain stable social relations. In the vicinity of this size the social group becomes unstable and splinters into smaller groups.

"It takes a network to defeat a network," wrote retired Army Gen. Stanley McChrystal, in his book Team of Teams. He discusses understanding the implications of the theory, abstracting from battlefield experiences in Iraq battling the loosely networked but effective terrorist organization Al Qaeda.

Researchers published their findings in the peer-reviewed Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. In their study, they prove Dunbar's conjecture, demonstrating that certain sized network has better information transport properties than others, and that networks of no more than 150 are optimal for internally sharing information.

"A fundamental property of a network is the relation between its functionality and size, which is why understanding the source of the Dunbar Number is important," said West, a co-author of the paper.

The researchers propose that the number 150 arises as a consequence of internal dynamics of a complex network self-organizing within a social system.

Based on that theory, the researchers also indicated that a peaceful demonstration can be turned into a mob by just a few agitators, with the size of 150 being the most vulnerable to such disruption.

"The 150 optimum has been observed by Dunbar and others, but Dr. West and colleagues are the first to computationally capture the theorized process of information dynamics, which are fundamental to problem-solving, development of group factions, and formation of cohesive groups," said Dr. Lisa Troyer, who manages ARO's social and behavioral sciences research program. "This is an important leap forward by for social science theory and will likely lead to further research and insights on collective action."

Dunbar predicted that social groups have optimal sizes. He referred to these group sizes as nested layering and that they have a scaling ratio of approximately three. Consequently, he identified the sequence of sizes of cognitively efficient social groups 5, 15, 50, 150 and 500, explaining that these layers were not equal in terms of strength of relationships.

"The layering sequence is interesting because each number in the sequence is within a factor of two of the empirical magnitudes of entity sizes in the U.S. Army, ranging from a squad of roughly 15 to a platoon of approximately three times the squad size, next to a company consisting of three platoons and followed by a brigade the size of roughly three companies and so on," West said. "This is the intuition on which armies have been hierarchically constructed by military leaders since the Roman Empire."

According to West, understanding how information flows within, is analyzed by, and is accepted or rejected from groups of various sizes is crucial in the training of teams. He said that this is not only true in the development of a single team, but is just as important for the training of teams to work together, to form teams-of-teams.

"The size of a team may be the determining factor in the potential success of a complex mission that depends on adaptability and collective problem solving," West said. "The same understanding can be applied to the reverse process, that of insinuating disinformation within an adversarial group. The size of the group may at times be more important than the form the lie takes for its acceptance and immediate transmission, witness the recent riots."

###

CCDC Army Research Laboratory is an element of the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command. As the Army's corporate research laboratory, ARL discovers, innovates and transitions science and technology to ensure dominant strategic land power. Through collaboration across the command's core technical competencies, CCDC leads in the discovery, development and delivery of the technology-based capabilities required to make Soldiers more lethal to win the nation's wars and come home safely. CCDC is a major subordinate command of the U.S. Army Futures Command.
MANILA, Philippines - Commuter trains, buses and other public vehicles stayed off the main roads of the Philippine capital Tuesday and police were again staffing checkpoints to restrict public travel as surging virus cases forced another lockdown.

Officials deployed dozens of shuttle buses, along with army trucks, to ferry stranded medical personnel and workers of authorized businesses. Most domestic flights to and from the capital were cancelled, and night curfews will return in places.

Crowds trooped to some supermarkets Monday to stock up on food after the hasty return to a lockdown sparked panic-buying.

The lockdown is milder than was first one imposed, which largely confined most people to their homes for months, but is more severe than the quarantine restrictions the capital had been under recently. It is being imposed in metropolitan Manila and outlying provinces for two weeks.

Businesses previously allowed to partly reopen, including barbershops, gyms, dine-in restaurants and tourist destinations, will again be closed. Authorized companies including banks, health and food processing firms must shuttle their employees between home and work. Travelling by bike, motorcycle and private car is allowed for essential reasons, but mass transit will be closed.

President Rodrigo Duterte agreed to reinstate the lockdown after medical groups warned the health care system was being overwhelmed by COVID-19 patients. Health officials reported a record-high daily tally of 6,352 new infections Tuesday, bringing the countrys total to more than 112,500, including 2,115 deaths.

In other developments in Asia and the Pacific:

 Indias daily increase in infections topped 50,000 for a seventh straight day. Tuesdays spike of 52,050 cases recorded in the past 24 hours took the national total to 1,855,745, according to the Health Ministry database. The ministry also reported 803 new deaths, taking total fatalities up to 38,938. Several political leaders have either tested positive for the coronavirus or gone into quarantine over the last few days. Since Sunday, Indias powerful home minister Amit Shah and the chiefs of two big states have been hospitalized with COVID-19. On Monday, Tripura states chief minister, Biplab Deb, and Indias Law and Justice Minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad, also went into isolation.

 Two more patients have died in Vietnams outbreak, with an additional 10 people infected. The man and woman who died Tuesday were in their 60s and had kidney disease, the health ministry said. All eight of Vietnams deaths from COVID-19 were connected to a Da Nang hospital where another dozen patients remain in critical condition. The ministry said the 10 new cases were traced to the hospital cluster. Da Nang has mobilized the army to disinfect hot spots in the city. An army laboratory truck has also been deployed to increase testing capacity. Ho Chi Minh city will resume requiring face masks to be worn in public on Wednesday after closing bars and cancelling public events last week.

 Australias hard-hit Victoria state banned people who should be self-isolating from exercising outside their homes and introduced tougher fines for infected people who continue to go to work. Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews said self-isolation was hard to enforce if people used a lawful excuse to justify other decisions. Military and health teams who knocked on the doors of 3,000 homes recently could not find 800 people who should have been there because they had the virus or were awaiting a test result. The government has also increased the fine for failing to self-isolate from 1,652 Australian dollars ($1,169) to AU$4,957 ($3,507). The most serious cases could also be taken to court and fined up to AU$20,000 ($14,151), Andrews said. Victoria reported 439 new cases overnight and 11 new deaths.

 Both mainland China and Hong Kong reported fewer new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday as strict measures to contain new infections appear to be taking effect. Mainland China announced 36 new cases across the country, down from 43 the previous day. Of those, 28 were in the northwestern region of Xinjiang and two in Liaoning province in the northeast. Another six cases were brought by Chinese arriving from overseas. Hong Kong reported 78 new cases, the first time in almost two weeks that new cases had fallen into double-digits. Authorities ordered mask wearing in public places, restrictions on indoor dining and increased testing to contain the citys outbreak.
Democrats, Republicans differ over priorities in new round of coronavirus aid between $1 trillion and $3.3 trillion.

Negotiators on a huge coronavirus relief bill reported slight progress after talks between congressional Democrats and the White House resumed in the United States Capitol, with issues like food for the poor and aid to schools assuming a higher profile in the discussions.

After a week of almost daily negotiations, Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said he, House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows have moved closer in several areas.

We remain far apart on a number of issues. But were finally moving in the right direction, Schumer said on the Senate floor on Tuesday. At the moment, the gap between our two parties in the negotiations is about priorities and about scale.

After meeting on Monday, Pelosi told her Democratic colleagues on a call that she is hopeful a deal could be reached this week but does not know if it is possible, according to a Democratic aide who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe the private discussion.

Neither side has budged from their positions, with Democrats demanding an extension of the $600-per-week supplemental unemployment benefit that is credited with propping up the economy.

Republicans have yet to offer any aid Democrats want for US states to prevent furloughs, layoffs and cuts to public services. Both sides will likely have to compromise before a deal can be agreed.

The $600 unemployment insurance benefit is essential because there are no jobs to go back to, House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries of New York said on MSNBC on Tuesday morning.

Weve got to help out every-day Americans. Thats a line in the sand, Jeffries said.

Senate Republicans facing re-election in the USs turbulent political environment are among those most anxious for an agreement.

Senators John Cornyn, of Texas, said on Monday that the chamber should not go on recess without passing the huge relief measure, and Lindsey Graham, of South Carolina, offered a jobless benefit proposal more generous than a pending Republican alternative. Both are facing closer re-election bids in states that should be easy holds for Republicans.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, a lead negotiator for President Donald Trump, said on Monday that we continue to make a little bit of progress and that the administration is not insistent on a small-bore approach centred on extending the supplemental unemployment benefit and leaving other items for later.

A Republican move to advance a slimmer relief package has been a point of conflict, with Democrats insisting there must be a comprehensive deal.

Were open to a bigger package if we can reach an agreement, Mnuchin said.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, right, and White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows, second from right, sit down in the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in the US Capitol to brief him on talks with Democrats [Susan Walsh/AP Photo]

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell renewed his complaints that Democrats are taking too tough a line. McConnell is not a direct participant in the talks but is likely to be an important force in concluding any potential agreement.

Speaking to reporters after Mondays two-hour session, Democratic negotiators pressed the case for additional food aid, funding for the Postal Service, and the $600-per-week jobless benefit that lapsed last week.

The benefit has helped sustain consumer demand over recent months as the coronavirus has wrought havoc on the US economy.

Pelosi wants to extend the $600-a-week benefit through January at a cost of more than $400bn, while Republicans are proposing an immediate cut to $200-a-week and then replacing the benefit with a calibrated system that would provide 70 percent of a workers replacement wage.

Most members of the Democratic-controlled House have left Washington, DC and will not return until there is an agreement to vote on, but the GOP-held Senate is trapped in the capital.

I cant see how we can go home and tell people weve failed, so I think thats going to be a lot of pressure on everybody to come up with something, said Cornyn, a close ally of McConnell.

It really is a matter of will. Its not a matter of substance at this point. This is just a painful period between people finally deciding OK, we want a deal, and then what that deal will ultimately look like, Cornyn said.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, walks back to his office in the US Capitol in Washington, DC on August 3, 2020. McConnell has resisted renewing a $600-a-week federal payment to unemployed workers [Susan Wals/AP Photo]

Areas of the agreement already include another round of $1,200 direct payments and changes to the Paycheck Protection Program to allow especially hard-hit businesses to obtain loans under generous terms.

On unemployment, Pelosi said she would consider reducing the $600 benefit for people in states with lower unemployment rates. Republicans want to cut the benefit to encourage beneficiaries to return to work and say it is bad policy because it pays many jobless people more money than they made at their previous jobs.

Graham is among the Republicans who most aggressively protested the $600-a-week benefit when it passed Congress in March, but on Monday he said he wants to replace it with a system ensuring 100 percent of replacement wages.

The House passed a $3.5 trillion pandemic rescue measure in May, but Republicans controlling the Senate had demanded a slower approach, saying it was necessary to take a pause before passing additional legislation. Since they announced that strategy, however, coronavirus cases have spiked, and the US economy has absorbed a new slowdown.

The Senate Republican proposal carries a $1.1 trillion price tag, according to an estimate by the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget.
KUALA LUMPUR Broadcaster Al Jazeera said Malaysian police had raided its office in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday, amid an investigation into a programme it aired on the countrys treatment of undocumented foreign workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

The July 3 programme, entitled Locked up in Malaysias lockdown", prompted a backlash in the Southeast Asia nation, with authorities branding the report inaccurate, misleading and unfair.

Rights groups have accused the government of suppressing media freedom after Al Jazeera journalists were called in for questioning by the police and an investigation was opened into alleged sedition, defamation and violation of a communications law.

Malaysian police seized two computers from the Al Jazeera office during Tuesdays raid, the Qatar-based broadcaster said in a statement.

Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities crackdown on media freedom and shows the lengths they are prepared to take to try to intimidate journalists," Al Jazeera said.

Al Jazeera said it stood by its report and called on authorities to drop the criminal investigation.

Malaysian police did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Malaysia arrested hundreds of undocumented foreigners, including children and Rohingya refugees, after the country imposed a lockdown to contain the spread of the new coronavirus.

Human rights activists have condemned the arrests as inhumane. Malaysian officials have said they were necessary to prevent the spread of the virus.

Activists have voiced concern that the five-month-old administration of Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin is stifling dissent amid a series of clampdowns, an accusation it has denied.

Last month, authorities arrested a Bangladeshi man who criticised the governments treatment of migrant workers in the Al Jazeera programme.

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
Im a pediatrician, and I feel pretty strongly that there are benefits for in-person education, especially for younger children who dont learn well from screens, and all of the social and emotional benefits, and all of the other things weve talked about, Arwady said. But it all comes back to what that local data looks like.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 23:15:45|Editor: huaxia

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-- U.S. President Donald Trump sets Sept. 15 as the deadline for TikTok purchase. Otherwise, he will shut down the app in the United States.

-- The video-sharing app is owned by China-based company ByteDance. It has about 70 million monthly active users in the U.S.

-- For weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly targeted the company, citing concerns over the privacy and security of its American users. TikTok has refuted these allegations and said it faced plagiarism and smears from competitor Facebook.

BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Facing threats of a U.S. ban and smears by rival Facebook, popular video-sharing app TikTok is compelled to respond to what observers describe as an effort to rip up the Chinese-owned firm and reap their own commercial, political benefits, and monopolize the tech economy.

In a statement issued Monday, ByteDance, owner of the video platform, said in the course of becoming a global firm, it has "faced all kinds of complex and unimaginable difficulties, including the tense international political environment, collision and conflict of different cultures and plagiarism and smears from competitor Facebook."

The company vows to strive for its vision of globalization, strictly abide by local laws, and actively safeguard its legitimate interests and rights.

PROOF OF PLAGIARISM

Bytedance's allegations of plagiarism against Facebook have two aspects, said Zhang Xiaorong, an internet market analyst in Beijing.

Facebook launched a knockoff app named Lasso in 2018, but it soon failed. In November last year, Facebook launched Instagram Reels, which also bears highly identical features as TikTok, and is spending hugely to promote the app in several countries, Zhang said.

Facebook has promoted the new app in Brazil, France, Germany and more recently in India, he said.

TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer mentioned the two copycat products in an article on the company website last week.

"At TikTok we welcome competition. We think fair competition makes all of us better. To those who wish to launch competitive products, we say bring it on. Facebook is even launching another copycat product, Reels (tied to Instagram), after their other copycat Lasso failed quickly," Mayer wrote.

Mayer slammed Facebook's "maligning attacks" disguised as patriotism to drive TikTok out of the United States.

He added the company is willing to take all necessary steps to ensure its long-term availability and success.

"Facebook has fared rather poorly in the field of short videos, and it then launched the two apps which resemble TikTok. The logic and facts speak volumes of copying. Even Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg did not deny it himself," said Huang Yuanpu, founder of EqualOcean, a leading tech-media and investment research company in China.

The logo of TikTok is displayed on the screen of a smartphone on a computer screen background in Arlington, Virginia, the United States, Aug. 3, 2020. (Xinhua/Liu Jie)

THREATS LAID BARE

The U.S. government threatened to ban TikTok video app Monday under the pretext of maintaining a free and fair market as well as national security concerns, a pretense widely used to discriminate against Chinese companies and investment.

Speaking to reporters at the White House briefing, U.S. President Donald Trump confirmed that he is open to a deal in which Microsoft Corp. or other U.S. companies buy one of the most popular video-sharing apps. He set Sept. 15 as the deadline for TikTok to find a U.S. buyer or face shutdown in the country.

"The fate of the platform remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: Banning it would upturn fundamental principles of democracy," wrote Nicholas Thompson, editor in chief of Wired, in an article titled "The Rank Hypocrisy of a TikTok Ban" Monday.

"It's a rare feat to upturn two such fundamental democratic values -- free speech and free markets -- at the same time," Thompson said.

Beneath the excuse of national security lies the true intent for political and commercial gains, analysts say.

"The tricks used by the U.S. against firms like TikTok reflect a deep-rooted prejudice against China," said Luo Yihang, founder of Pingwest, a tech consulting firm.

"Flagrant suppression of rivals and containment will eventually undermine commercial innovation in the United States in the long run and it will surely block technological exchanges between the two countries," he said.

OUTPOUR OF ANGER

Washington's TikTok ban has sparked outrage among more than 70 million monthly active users of the app in the United States. A hashtag #savetiktok2020 was seen trending, and videos with the hashtag #ban had more than 620 million views by Sunday night on TikTok. Many users have grown to rely on the platform for building a career in social media and earn a living.

Since September 2018, TikTok usage among adults in the United States has increased exponentially, doubling and reaching 14.3 million in just six months, recording the third-highest number of downloads in the world. As of April, the app has been downloaded more than 2 billion times worldwide on both the Apple App Store and Google Play.

The firm's U.S. job growth has already nearly tripled this year, surging from almost 500 employees on Jan. 1 to just under 1,400.

"We're not planning on going anywhere," said TikTok's U.S. General Manager Vanessa Pappas, who thanked American users for their "outpouring of support" in a video posted on its official TikTok account.

"When it comes to safety and security, we're building the safest app because we know it's the right thing to do ... We're here for the long run. Continue to share your voice here and let's stand for TikTok," said Pappas.

For weeks, the Trump administration has repeatedly targeted the company, citing concerns over the privacy and security of its American users. TikTok has refuted the allegations saying it has an American CEO and that its servers are in the United States.

In a statement Wednesday, CEO Kevin Mayer said, "we are not political, we do not accept political advertising and have no agenda -- our only objective is to remain a vibrant, dynamic platform for everyone to enjoy."

"Without TikTok, American advertisers would again be left with few choices. Competition would dry up and so too will an outlet for America's creative energy," Mayer said. 

(Video reporters: Hu Yousong, Tan Yixiao, Wu Mengda, Meng Jing, Zhao Xu, Wang Xiaojie; Video editor: Zheng Xin)
BP shareholders who rely on dividend payments from their investments will see their income slashed after the oil giant halved the profits it pays out.

It is the first time the BP has cut its dividend in a decade and follows a string of similar moves from companies seeking to protect themselves from the pandemic.

BP generates the largest dividend payout among the blue chip FTSE 100 giants and experts say the firm will remain one of the largest payers this year, despite the cuts. Investors can still expect returns of around 20p per share, a yield of 6.7 per cent.

BP traditionally generates the largest dividend payment among the big blue chip FTSE 100 giants and experts say the firm will remain one of the largest payers this year despite the cuts

Laura Suter, personal finance analyst at AJ Bell, says other FTSE 100 options include Aviva, which has a forecast yield of 11.7 per cent and M&G at 11.5 per cent.

But she adds these may be overly optimistic and notes BP's initial forecast yield was 10.6 per cent.

BP's move came as it posted a record 5.2 billion ($6.7 billion) quarterly loss, after a drop in the demand for oil. The firm has announced it will cut 10,000 jobs, with as many as 2,000 at risk in the UK.

Many companies are seeking to hang on to cash reserves by slashing dividends.

Banks have cancelled them altogether and Shell made its first dividend cut since World War II in April, reducing the quarterly payouts by two-thirds.

Link Group's Dividend Monitor shows dividends fell by 57 per cent in the second quarter of the year as 176 companies cancelled payouts and 30 more have cut them.

Ms Suter says investors could look at firms with track records of dividend growth, such as industrial equipment rental company Ashtead, which has delivered a compound annual growth for its dividend of 29 per cent over the past ten years.

Adrian Lowcock, of investment firm Willis Owen, says investors should look at diversifying their portfolio in the UK and consider funds such as Threadneedle UK Equity income, whose holdings include AstraZeneca and GlaxoSmithKline, as well as supermarket Morrisons.

m.dilworth@dailymail.co.uk
Famous Class RecordsYeah Yeah Yeahs guitarist Nick Zinner and Interpol touring bassist Brad Truax have formed a Black Sabbath cover band called BSCBR.

The group also includes vocalist Angel Deradoorian, guitarist Mick Barr and drummer Greg Fox.

"The love of Sabbath has brought so much joy to this group and there's no greater feeling than spreading that joy to fellow fans," reads a description of the band.

The debut BSCBR release is a cover of "Sweet Leaf," which you can download now via Bandcamp. The recording will be released on a vinyl single alongside a cover of another Sabbath tune, "Fairies Wear Boots," due out September 4.

By Josh Johnson

Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.
By Online Desk

India witnessed a single-day spike of 52,050 COVID-19 cases as the total cases in the country reached 18,55,746, the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare said on Tuesday. Almost 803 COVID-19 related deaths were reported in the last 24 hours. The total cases include 5,86,298 active cases, 12,30,510 cured/discharged/migrated and 38,938 deaths, the Health Ministry added.

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state as it has a total of 1,47,324 active cases and 15,842 deaths. A total of 4,50,196 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the state up to Monday, according to Union Ministry of Health.

Tamil Nadu reported 5,609 new COVID-19 cases and 109 deaths on Monday, taking total cases to 2,63,222 including 2,02,283 discharges and 4,241 deaths, the state Health Department said. The total cases in Delhi have risen to 1,38,482 including 1,24,254 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 4,021 deaths, according to the Ministry of Health.

The United Nations chief said the coronavirus pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education in history, with schools closed in more than 160 countries in mid-July affecting more than 1 billion students.
Guwahati, Aug 5 : A 24-hour channel -- Doordarshan Assam -- dedicated to the northeastern state, was launched on Tuesday by Union Minister for Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javadekar.

Calling the channel "a gift to people of Assam", the Minister said it will cater to all sections of the people of Assam, and will also be immensely popular. He said it is important that all states have their own Doordarshan channel.

Reiterating Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of turning northeast into India's growth engine, the Minister said that the region has immense natural and human resource potential, and the connectivity has been improving steadily.

The Doordarshan channel in Assam is part of a never-before focus on northeast under the current Government, the Union Minister said via video conferencing from the national capital.

Calling it a significant day for the people of Assam, the Union Minister said: "This channel would boost the growth of Assam in all spheres of human activities, while at the same time help percolate the initiatives and programmes of the Government to grassroots." Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, who joined the occasion from state capital Dispur, acknowledged Modi's commitment, saying: "PM Modi, from day one, has been sincerely trying to focus on the true potential and possibilities of the northeast." Assam Governor Jagdish Mukhi said, "it is a happy moment for all of us in Assam because the public broadcaster is adding a feather to its kitty with the launch of DD Assam".

Information and Broadcasting Ministry Secretary Amit Khare, who was present at the Doordarshan Kendra in New Delhi, said that since the launch of "DD Arun Prabha" by the Prime Minister last year, the Ministry was discussing the conversion of DD North East to a new channel exclusively for Assam.

Khare stressed that Assam is the gateway to the northeast region and the northeast is the gateway to ASEAN countries.

"The state can be a great link between India and ASEAN. I am sure DD Assam will provide a new platform for the emerging talent of the region and bring the rest of India closer to north-east and also make the talent of north-east to all of India," the I&B Ministry Secretary said.

He said DD Assam would also be contributing in a major way to the educational development of the state like other regional channels and it will be another milestone in the government's effort to provide online education in regional languages across states.
Two explosions shook Beirut  the second one much larger than the first, carrying enough force to overturn cars, damage and shake buildings across the city and strew, debris over a wide area.

The larger explosion, at 6:08 p.m., blew out the glass from balconies and windows of buildings several miles away from the port and at least one building collapsed from the force of the blast. One resident said the streets looked like they were cobbled in glass.

Videos posted online showed a shock wave erupting from the second explosion, knocking people down and enveloping much of the center city in a cloud of dust and smoke. Cars were overturned and streets were blocked by debris, forcing many injured people to walk to hospitals.

Flames continued to rise from the rubble well after the explosions, and a cloud of smoke, tinted pink in the sunset, rose thousands of feet into the sky.

The larger blast was heard and felt in Cyprus, more than 100 miles away, and registered on seismographs at magnitude 3.3.

I was bloodied and dazed. Beirut strangers treated me like a friend.

Vivian Yee, a correspondent for The New York Times, was at home in Beirut when two explosions convulsed the city. This is her first-person account of what happened.

I was just about to look at a video a friend had sent me on Tuesday afternoon  the port seems to be burning, she said  when my whole building shook. Uneasily, naively, I ran to the window, then back to my desk to check for news.

Then came a much bigger boom, and the sound itself seemed to splinter. There was shattered glass flying everywhere. Not thinking but moving, I ducked under my desk.

When the world stopped cracking open, I couldnt see at first because of the blood running down my face. After blinking the blood from my eyes, I tried to take in the sight of my apartment turned into a demolition site. My yellow front door had been hurled on top of my dining table. I couldnt find my passport, or sturdy shoes.

Later, someone would tell me that Beirut is of her generation, raised during Lebanons 15-year civil war, instinctively ran into their hallways as soon as they heard the first blast, to escape the glass they knew would break.

I was not so well-trained, but the Lebanese who would help me in the hours to come had the steadiness that comes from having lived through countless previous disasters. Nearly all were strangers, yet they treated me like a friend.

When I got downstairs, someone passing on a motorbike saw my bloody face and told me to hop on.

Everyone on the street seemed to be either bleeding from open gashes or swathed in makeshift bandages  all except one woman in a chic, backless top leading a small dog on a leash. Only an hour before, we had all been walking dogs or checking email or grocery shopping. Only an hour before, there had been no blood.

Read more of Ms. Yees account.

Health facilities were badly damaged at the moment they were most needed.
Interior minister says explosion at port appears to be linked to ammonium nitrate stored in a warehouse.

Beirut, Lebanon  At least 73 people have been killed and nearly 4,000 wounded in a powerful explosion that ripped through Lebanons capital, Beirut, leaving much of it a wrangled mess.

The massive explosion on Tuesday at Beiruts port sent shockwaves across the city, causing widespread damage to buildings and shattering windows even on the outskirts of the capital.

The cause of the explosion was not immediately clear. Officials linked the explosion to some 2,700 tonnes of confiscated ammonium nitrate that were being stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Prime Minsiter Hassan Diab promised that what happened will not go without accountability.

Health Minister Hamad Hassan called for international aid to Lebanon, and a number of nations in the West and the Gulf have said they were willing to provide assistance.

Dramatic footage captured of the huge blast that ripped through Lebanon's capital, Beirut. Read more: https://t.co/lLrXFvox4Q pic.twitter.com/oHxrjxyCbm  Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 4, 2020

The explosion left the port a wasteland; cars hanging from the mangled beams of warehouses, bent containers spread across roadways and a large ship listing onto the quayside. A health worker on the scene told Al Jazeera that he had seen at least 10 people dead near the explosion site, many left disfigured.

Helicopters circling the port area were trying to extinguish a large fire. Sirens filled the air.

Hospitals in the city were overwhelmed with wounded and turning those with non-serious injuries away.

At Hotel-Dieu hospital, itself left damaged by the explosion, dozens of people trying to enter were told to go elsewhere. Its a catastrophe, a catastrophe, a man said in disbelief.

Inside the crowded lobby, a family got the news that their relative was dead. A young woman bent over in anguish, spread her arms open to an infant child and said Youssef, dad is in heaven. An old man fell to his knees and smacked the ground, over and over.

Pharmacies in the city were asked to welcome the wounded in order to take pressure off hospitals.

On TV screens, doctors asked for people to come donate blood. Newscasters read out the names of missing people  some were port employees, others were firefighters who had first responded to the fire at the port, before the massive explosion ripped the capital apart.

Joseph Ruukoz, the newscaster read. Marwan Chartouni. Charbel Hitti. Mohammad Mustafa Dakdouki. An Ethiopian woman.

Earlier at the port, a man in the all-white uniform of a boat crew, stained with blood, wandered near an Italian ship docked near the explosion site, the Orient Queen. Its interior was blown out, it was sloped sideways onto the quayside.

The ship is totally destroyed  the cabins, the lounge, everything, Vincenco Orlandini, the 69-year-old Italian crew member, told Al Jazeera.

I heard the blast and I flew to the opposite of the lobby, then I landed on the carpet and Im lucky, I think that saved me.

Video of the explosion taken by Al Jazeera shows a large column of smoke billowing from an area of the port that houses large warehouses before a large orange explosion is seen and huge dome-shaped blast wave shoots into the air.

Glass storefronts and windowpanes across the city were shattered in the explosion, while videos and pictures shared on social media showed doors ripped from their hinges and ceilings filled with gaping holes.

A civil defence worker who has worked in the sector for 20 years was in disbelief at the scale of the damage.

Ive seen the assassinations and the explosions but this is something else. There is something wrong here, the worker said.

The explosion in Beirut port comes as the country faces an unprecedented financial crisis and a surging coronavirus outbreak.

Located in the heart of capital, the port is a vital piece of infrastructure used to get scarce goods in the country. There explosion damaged grains silos in the port which are a strategic reserve of wheat for the crisis-hit nation.

A picture shows the scene of an explosion near the port in the Lebanese capital Beirut [Timour Azhari/Al Jazeera]
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has once again written to the President of the UN Security Council, raising the Kashmir issue, the Foreign Office said on Tuesday.

Qureshi sent the letter ahead of the first anniversary of India's decision to revoke the special status of Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. Pakistan has been unsuccessfully trying to drum up international support against India for withdrawing Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcating it into two Union territories.

India has categorically told the international community that the scrapping of the Article 370 was its internal matter. It also advised Pakistan to accept the reality and stop all anti-India propaganda. In his letter, Qureshi has raised the issue of India's new domicile rules in Jammu and Kashmir, and also conveyed Pakistan's concern over the alleged ceasefire violations on the Line of Control, the Foreign Office said.

He earlier sent letters to the President of the UN Security Council and the UN Secretary General on March 9 and May 21.
By Express News Service

MUMBAI: Visually-impaired Jayant Mankale, a residence of Beed, fought against all odds to secure all India rank (AIR) 143 in the civic service examinations.

The 27-year-old Mankale, who studied mechanical engineering at Amrutvahini College of Engineering, Sangamner, worked as a maintenance engineer in a private firm before cracking the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) examination this year. He lost his father, a water pump operator, at the age of 10. Since then his mother and two elder sisters were shouldering the responsibility of his education in Pune.

Jayant Mankale lost 75 per cent of his vision after suffering from retinitis pigmentosa, a group of rare genetic disorders that involve a breakdown and loss of cells in the retina. But he continued to work hard to realise his dream with the help of his teachers and friends. The financial situation of Jayant's family was very grim after the demise of his father. As the pension of his father was not sufficient, his mother started making pickles and sold him to support Jayant in his educations.

Jayant said he lost his eyesight but not the vision of his life. I became 75 per cent blind while working for a private firm in 2015. After that my life was in complete darkness. My father had already passed away and earning a livelihood was a big task. But UPSC gave me hope and a new life. I am happy that I overcame all physical and financial odds in life to achieve success, he said.

Mankale prepared his UPSC studies in Marathi. Because of my financial condition, I could not afford the audiobook and screen reader. I listened to the news and, and lectures on All India Radio. The debate programme at Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha TV was very useful for me. Besides, I listened to speeches of eminent Marathi writers on Youtube. If we are determined to get success then we can cross all hurdles that come in our way, Mankale said.

Jayant had cracked the UPSC exam in 2018 with AIR rank 923.

He is the second visually-impaired person to crack the UPSC exam in the state after Pranjal Patil. In fact, Patil was Indias first visually-impaired person who passed the UPSC exam. She is currently working as a sub-collector of Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram district.
Early voting has begun in Belarus in a contentious presidential election set for August 9 that pits authoritarian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka against an opposition united around a political novice.

The Central Election Commission said on August 4 that the country's almost 7 million eligible voters could cast ballots at 5,767 polling stations set up in public spaces including medical facilities and army barracks and at 44 polling stations abroad.

Lukashenka, who has been in power since 1994, is seeking to extend his rule for another five-year term. His main challenger is 37-year-old Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya, an English translator who is running in place of her jailed husband.

The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), which carries out international election and conflict monitoring, has not recognized any elections in Belarus as free and fair since 1995.

Tsikhanouskaya said she expected Lukashenka's supporters to seek to falsify the election results and called on citizens to vote on August 9 -- when more observers are present -- to reduce election fraud.

The election commission has said that no more than three observers can be present at each polling station during early voting due to the coronavirus pandemic and only five will be permitted to oversee ballot boxes on August 9.

The OSCE said it will not send observers to the vote this year after Belarus failed to issue an invitation in time.

Based on reporting by AFP and TASS
A judge on Monday cut nearly in half a Stafford County mans 25-year prison sentence for raping an intoxicated 18-year-old woman.

Timothy Racen Brown Jr., 28, was convicted of rape in April 2019. Judge Victoria Willis in November upheld the 25-year prison sentence that a jury recommended.

But on Monday, in response to a motion for reconsideration filed by defense attorney Jim Ilijevich, the judge suspended 12 years of Browns sentence, leaving him with 13 years to serve.

The rape charge stemmed from an April 28, 2018, incident that took place in the woods off Morton Road in southern Stafford. Brown had purchased Crown Royal whiskey that day and took it to a gathering in Stafford, where he consumed it along with five people under the legal drinking age.

Witnesses testified that Brown was known for providing alcohol to and spending time with teens between the ages of 15 and 19.

The victim in the April 2018 case had previously expressed a lack of sexual interest in Brown, prosecutor Kristin Bird said, and Brown took advantage of her extreme intoxication to rape her.
The worst economic news Thursday was not the official announcement that the American economy shrank at an annualized rate of 32.9% in the second quarter of 2020  a grim quantification of the pain caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

No, the really bad news was the lack of action on Capitol Hill.

Congress needs to extend the emergency aid programs that were created in March to help Americans endure a broad suspension of economic activity. Instead, even as the pandemic rages on, Congress is allowing those aid programs to expire.

People who lost jobs during the pandemic have received $600 a week from the federal government on top of standard unemployment benefits. For many, the money is all that has kept them from going hungry and has allowed them to stay in their homes. It has prevented a significant increase in the share of Americans living in poverty. But those payments end this week, even as unemployment remains at a level last experienced during the Great Depression.

The federal government also is ending a moratorium on evictions, as well as a program that provides aid to small businesses.

Among those pleading for aid that hasnt come: state and local governments starved of tax revenue. School districts that need money for safety equipment. Hospitals caring for the victims of the pandemic. Elections officials bracing for November.

The abject failure to act is not the fault of Congress in a collective sense. House Democrats passed a serviceable aid bill more than two months ago. Responsibility for the current debacle rests specifically and squarely on the shoulders of the Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and the other 52 Senate Republicans.

From the moment Congress passed the last big coronavirus aid bill, in March, it has been a matter of public record that the aid was going to end in August.

For a time, there was reason to hope that the worst of the pandemic could be over by now, too. But it has been clear for weeks that the United States has failed to control the pandemic and that many Americans still would need economic aid beyond July. Yet McConnell and his caucus chose to spend the summer confirming federal judges rather than confronting the crisis.

Only in recent days have Republicans belatedly begun a frantic effort to devise a coherent response to the crisis. Like students who wait until the night before an assignment is due, they have pleaded for more time and asked if they could submit a part of the work. The nation will suffer the consequences.

McConnell put forward a proposal Monday that included billions of dollars for new F-35 jet fighters, but not a penny in aid for state and local governments. In any event, it quickly became clear that many Senate Republicans were not exactly on board.

Even with the infusion of trillions of dollars in federal aid since March, many Americans are struggling to ride out the crisis. Almost 40 million people do not expect to be able to make their next rent or mortgage payment. Almost 30 million Americans said they did not have enough to eat during the week ending July 21. Last week, for the 19th straight week, more than 1 million people filed fresh claims for unemployment benefits.

Grim as those numbers may be, the United States is on the verge of an even deeper crisis.

Senate Republicans proposed an inadequate stopgap: a narrow extension of supplemental unemployment benefits. Democrats refused to accept the proposal, and Republicans refused to do anything more.

The result: More than 20 million unemployed Americans are about to lose $600 a week. They need the money. They cant find jobs. And the Senate is leaving for vacation.

President Donald Trump is not helping. The administration fought for the inclusion of a payroll tax cut  a proposal so patently misguided that it forced Senate Republicans into the rare position of opposing a tax cut. It asked Republicans to include funding for a new FBI headquarters. It backed the inclusion of billions of dollars in new military spending, partly to replace money Trump diverted for construction of his border wall.

One thing Trump has not fought for is aid for Americans in need.

But Trump is not a member of the Senate. He does not have the power to prevent Senate Republicans from doing their jobs. That responsibility is theirs alone.

 New York Times




Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc, ASEAN 2020 Chairman and National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan, Chair of the 41st General Assembly of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA 41) co-chair the ASEAN Leaders Interface with Representatives of ASEAN Inter-Parliamentary Assembly (AIPA) within the framework of the 36th ASEAN Summit, which is held in the form of a video conference, Hanoi, June 26, 2020 (Photo: VNA)
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Linkedin Ivany Atina Arbi (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Tue, August 4, 2020 11:37 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b72b69 1 National political-dynasty,regional-elections,Jokowi,Gibran-Rakabuming,Bobby-Nasution,Kompas,survey Free

Many Indonesians are fed up with Indonesia's thriving political dynasties, a recent survey by the Research and Development Department of Kompas daily has revealed.

Nearly 61 percent of the total 553 polled respondents said they did not like the idea of family members of political leaders running for regional head posts.

Around 28 percent of them regarded political dynasties as normal practice and part of the democratic process in Indonesia, the world's third-largest democracy.

The remaining 11 percent said they did not know what political dynasties really meant, according to the survey results cited by kompas.com.

The survey, conducted via phone interviews from July 27 to July 29, further revealed that 58 percent of the participants wanted a regulation to limit or altogether bar family members of public officials from running in regional elections.

Around 35.8 percent of them did not agree with such regulation, while 6.2 percent chose to abstain.

Attempts to limit the growth of political dynasties have occurred in the past. In 2015, for instance, the House of Representatives passed the Regional Elections Law, which barred family members of an incumbent from running for a regional head post.

Read also: Gibran, exception to PDI-Ps own rules

However, the law was later overturned by the Constitutional Court, which argued that equal opportunity needed to be preserved for all.

Public discourse over political dynasties has intensified recently after a number of highly connected candidates announced their decisions to join the upcoming 2020 simultaneous regional elections.

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo's son Gibran Rakabuming Raka and son-in-law Bobby Nasution, for instance, are running for the seats of Surakarta mayor and Medan mayor, respectively, while the fourth daughter of Vice President Ma'ruf Amin, Siti Nur Azizah, is joining the South Tangerang mayoral race.

The candidates, however, have denied accusations that they are building political dynasties in the country.

Jakarta-based think tank Nagara Institute said recently that political dynasties had apparently proliferated in the three latest simultaneous regional elections, in 2015, 2017 and 2018. At least 80 regions, amounting to nearly 15 percent of the total number, were exposed to political dynasties during the period.

Nagara executive director Akbar Faizal said the finding was a strong indication of a problem in the political parties' recruitment systems and that oligarchies in political parties, as reflected in the strengthening of political dynasties, would adversely affect democracy.
Pastor Ed Young says it's 'critical' churches reopen despite COVID-19

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Ed Young, founding and senior pastor of Fellowship Church, is challenging churches across the U.S. to reopen their doors, warning that the spiritual ramifications of refusing to meet outweigh the hype of the coronavirus pandemic.

Look at our culture. There is so much going on right now spiritually, especially among young people facing depression, anxiety, and attempting suicide, Young, who leads the evangelical megachurch in Grapevine, Texas, told The Christian Post. I have counted the cost of not opening our church versus opening, and I believe that risk and faith go hand in hand. Its critical to reopen churches.

Young, author of The Fear Virus, believes fear is what compels many churches to remain closed. Many pastors, he said, fear theyll face online vitriol, criticism from the media, or their services will be poorly-attended should they reopen. He noted that some pastors have said they'll suspend in-person services until they're able to guarantee the safety of their members.

I understand where these pastors are coming from, but I disagree, Young said. I can't guarantee Ill be in a 100% safe environment when I take my trash down to my street. Its simply not doable.

I just don't want us to lose our boldness and I don't want the church to mail it in. Throughout church history, the church has not mailed it in. We've stood in pandemics, we've stood during wars, and in all sorts of chaos and mayhem. Today, technology has allowed us to take the easy way out.

Several of Fellowship Churchs campuses reopened immediately after Texas Gov. Greg Abbotts stay-at-home order expired, a move Young said had been in the churchs plan from the beginning of the pandemic.

We followed all of the guidelines, all of the protocols, and that's something that we have to do. I think thats wise due to the severity of the pandemic, he said, stressing the importance of using common sense when it comes to reopening.

According to Young, the Fellowship Church sanctuary underwent thorough cleaning before the services and again between each service; congregants were provided with face masks, and social distancing was maintained.

We had to really work in some unique things to make our church COVID-19 ready, and it wasn't easy, he admitted.

But since reopening, the response has been incredible, he said, adding that within the last few months, Fellowship Church has seen an uptick in first-time visitors, conversions, and spiritual engagement.

Acknowledging that there are at-risk groups, Young highlighted the importance of providing options when it comes to worship.

Options are important. I am very much a proponent of having different doors of the church open, whether they be physical doors or digital doors, he said. We want to show love to those who arent comfortable with meeting physically. Thats their prerogative.

The pastor cited Hebrews 10:25 which says, And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near, to encourage congregations to meet physically.

He compared digital services to decaf coffee, noting: It's another option out there. It's like fishing. If you don't cast repeatedly, you're not going to catch a fish, so don't just have one rod and reel, have two or three out there. Were called to be fishers of men, and I believe that by meeting in a physical location, were obeying Hebrews 10:25.

Young admitted Fellowship Church has withstood its own share of criticism for its approach to COVID-19. Several campers tested positive for COVID-19 after attending the churchs Allaso Ranch retreat center, which opened June 13.

Some parents spoke anonymously to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, saying they weren't notified about possible exposure to the coronavirus until later. Photos from the camp showing young campers and volunteers without masks and not practicing social distancing also drew criticism.

Young said, After being made aware of the COVID situation, we alerted parents and quarantined and followed proper protocol, and I think we handled it beautifully. The response from parents and from the church was overwhelmingly positive.

Parents, he said, made a calculated risk sending their children to the camp. He shared the story of one young camper who expressed no regret over attending the camp despite testing positive for the virus.

This young man made a decision during an altar call at the camp to go into the ministry, Young recounted. After he tested positive for COVID, he told his mother, COVID or not, I would do it all again because of what God did in my life at that camp.

But positive stories like this one, he said, wont be publicized by the secular media.

Its amazing how the media can downplay positive stories about the church and focus on the negative, he said. Weve had a lot of positive things happen over the last few months.

Young said there are more questions than answers when it comes to COVID. Still, he believes physical worship is important to God  and so it should matter to the body of Christ.

I want to applaud churches that are reopening and would encourage the ones who aren't to really think through why they arent reopening, he said. Something supernatural happens when we gather physically in a house of worship. I believe the risk of not coming together is greater than the risk of meeting."
LOS ANGELES, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Charity, Crayon Collection , is hosting the World's Largest Kindness Event (virtually) on August 15, 2020 at 11am PST. Inspired by the incredible work of frontline workers, the event was created to support these heroes with notes of gratitude and kindness. Collectively all participants will join a livestream event and together will draw or write a note of kindness that will be sent to hospitals locally so that doctors and nurses can decorate their wards with these uplifting messages. The national event is free to register here.

The event aims to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS title for the most handwritten notes uploaded to Instagram in one hour (the charity first Guinness World Record was for most crayons donated to charity totalling 1,009,500). An adjudicator from GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS will be present to count the uploaded images that users will post while using the hashtag #CrayonCollection. The event will be powered by Google Meet.

Highlights of the event include:

Crayon Collection Founder, Sheila Morovati , will host the event. "We are so grateful for frontline workers yet it's difficult to communicate our thanks. This event is an opportunity to share our gratitude with handwritten notes".

will host the event. "We are so grateful for frontline workers yet it's difficult to communicate our thanks. This event is an opportunity to share our gratitude with handwritten notes". Artist Oliver Jeffers , illustrator, "The Day the Crayons Quit", of which Crayon Collection is the partner charity.

, illustrator, "The Day the Crayons Quit", of which Crayon Collection is the partner charity. Dr. Nina Shapiro of UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital

of UCLA Mattel Children's Hospital Joe Whale aka "Doodle Boy" will join us as our kid artist

aka "Doodle Boy" will join us as our kid artist Drew Daywalt , author of 'The Day the Crayons Quit" will do a reading

, author of 'The Day the Crayons Quit" will do a reading Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti will join the program and thank volunteers for their role in supporting their communities and essential workers throughout the pandemic.

Supporters of the event include, Mattel, Inc. who will be donating craft kits and art supplies, Penguin Random House who will generously donate 100 copies of "The Day the Crayons Quit" books to Head Start Centers in addition to themed stationary. Thrive Global, and Lady Gaga's Born This Way Foundation are among other supporters who are helping amplify the event. California Volunteers, Office of the Governor will offer this opportunity to #CaliforniansForAll Summer of Service participants. Time spent on creating drawings or notes of kindness will be counted as part of their service hours.

Visit www.crayoncollection.org

SOURCE Crayon Collection

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A 43-year-old Indian-origin woman researcher in the US was killed while she was out jogging in Plano, a suburb near Dallas, and police have initiated a homicide investigation, according to media reports.

According to the police, Sarmistha Sen, who was based in Plano, Texas, was randomly attacked and killed while jogging on August 1 near the Chisholm Trail Park.

Her body was found lying in the creek-area near Legacy Drive and Marchman Way by a passer-by, according to a report in the WFAA.com.

Sen was a pharmacist and researcher who studied molecular biology and worked with cancer patients.

She originally was from Sindri in Jharkhand and moved to Plano after her marriage to Arindam Roy. She has two young sons.

According to the Dallasnews.com, a person of interest in the case has been arrested on a burglary charge.

The suspect is identified as 29-year old Bakari Moncrief and is being held on a USD 1 million bond for the burglary charge.

We have our suspicions, but we have to have proof, Plano police spokesperson David Tilley said.

And thats what theyre looking for right now is trying to obtain proof as to whether or not this individual is or is not responsible for her death, he said.

Police say around the same time of the murder, someone broke into a house nearby on the 3400 block of Michael Drive, fox4news.com reported.

This is not something we see and definitely something very very random, Plano police spokesperson David Tilley was quoted as saying by the WFAA.com.

For something like this to happen, clearly it concerns all of us. And were very hopeful that this is going to be an isolated incident, he said.

The medical examiner has not released the cause of death, and police are not saying how Sen died.

An athlete, Sen used to run the popular Chisholm Trail nearly every morning before her children woke up, the report in the fox4news.com said.

The incident led to an outpouring of grief and support for the family.

Her family says she went for her regular run on Saturday morning and never came back.

Her elder brother, Sumit Sen, a doctor, has flown in from California after hearing the news.

He said that Sen had a go-getter spirit and was an avid runner.

She just immediately connected with anybody she met on a deeply personal level with a very infectious smile and energy, Sumit, her brother, said.

A day after the incident, strangers, neighbours and friends surrounded two trees near the park with flowers and hundreds of running shoes.

It touched me. Its great when Ive seen hundreds of shoes because you know what, people care, Mario Major, close friend of the family, was quoted as saying by WFAA.com.

Why would something like this happen to someone whos such a great human being? Major said.

Aneesh Chintala, who visited the memorial on Sunday to pay his respects, said, Im upset. I feel really bad for the family. My heart goes out to them because I know they were a nice family. Her neighbours are also planning a memorial run next Saturday in her memory.
United Cerebral Palsy of Los Angeles, Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties (UCPLA) President and Chief Executive Officer, Lori Anderson said, It's with great sadness that I announce the passing of our friends, mentors and Board Members, Peter Devereaux and Bryan Stockton. We are grateful for the many years of their outstanding leadership, friendship, guidance and wisdom. Peter and Bryan will be greatly missed by the entire UCPLA family and our larger community. We extend our deepest condolences to their respective families and many friends.

Devereaux and his wife, Sandra, first connected with UCPLA in 1998 when they were looking for support for their son, Jason, who had cerebral palsy. While Jason never lived at one of the UCPLA homes, the Devereaux family was inspired to bring their friends into the fold to raise funds for the people who rely on UCPLAs supports and resources every day. Devereauxs passion was driven by Jason, along with his twin brother Matthew and their younger brother Michael. His commitment was embraced by Matthew and Michael, who have also volunteered many hours with UCPLA. Devereaux enjoyed spending time with Sandra and his sons. He was enormously proud of the men that they have become. Devereaux leaves a legacy of 22 years of warmth, compassion and integrity that will continue to guide UCPLAs leadership, board members and families.

In a legal career spanning nearly 40 years, Devereaux was a partner in the Los Angeles office of Latham & Watkins. During his tenure he served as Chair of the Firms Securities Litigation and Professional Liability Practice for many years before retiring at the end of 2012. Devereauxs vast legal experience made him an invaluable member of the UCPLA organization. He was instrumental in UCPLA receiving a $400,000 Cy Pres Award from the 2009 class action suit against the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company. Over the years, Devereaux volunteered tireless hours in leadership roles on multiple boards within the UCPLA family of organizations, including the Board of Governors, Board of Directors, HUD and SCEF Boards and chaired many committees on the organizations governing board.

Devereaux and Stockton enjoyed a long and close friendship, sharing an affinity for their families, their friends and a passion for classic automobiles. Devereaux recruited Stockton to join the UCPLA Board in 2015. Serving as Vice Chair of the Board of Directors, Stockton generously shared his extensive business and marketing experience with UCPLA. Stocktons professional career spanned more than 35 years in senior leadership roles as a global consumer products executive creating brand and shareholder value. Stockton was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Mattel, Inc., the worldwide leader in the design, manufacture and marketing of toys. Prior to Mattel, Stockton held numerous senior leadership roles with Kraft Foods. His professional experience made him an invaluable leader of several Board committees with UCPLA. He was the Chair of the committee leading the organizational rebrand scheduled for public launch in early 2021 and was also involved with the business planning for a new service line for UCPLA. Stockton and his wife, Maureen, were generous and committed supporters of UCPLA. Stockton was also a passionate musician and photographer. He enjoyed time with Maureen, his daughters, Meredith and Lauren and two grandchildren, along with their sons, Garrett and Chase.

Stockton served as an active Board member and advisor for a number of organizations, including the Board of Advisors of privately-held Sierra Nevada Brewing Company; UCLA Anderson School Board of Advisors as a member of the Executive Committee and Chair of the Strategic Planning and Initiatives Committee; and as a member of the Getty Museum Conservation Council. He held a variety of senior leadership roles on the Toy Industry Association, including two years as Chairman, and was a member of the Board of Mattel Childrens Hospital UCLA from 2001 to April 2010. Stockton is a past member of the Board of Directors of the 2015 Special Olympics World Summer Games hosted in Los Angeles.
BOGOTA, Colombia, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Ecopetrol S.A. (BVC: ECOPETROL;NYSE: EC) announced today the Ecopetrol Group's financial results for the second quarter and the first half of 2020 and the update of the Business Plan 2020-2022. Financial results were prepared in accordance with the International Financial Reporting Standards applicable in Colombia.

Table 1: Financial Summary Income Statement - Ecopetrol Group

























Billion (COP)

2Q

2020 2Q

2019  ($)  (%)

6M

2020 6M

2019  ($)  (%) Total sales

8,442 18,309 (9,867) (53.9%)

23,514 34,251 (10,737) (31.3%) Depreciation and amortization

2,236 2,052 184 9.0%

4,388 4,023 365 9.1% Variable cost

3,570 6,777 (3,207) (47.3%)

10,266 12,893 (2,627) (20.4%) Fixed cost

1,810 2,385 (575) (24.1%)

4,249 4,531 (282) (6.2%) Cost of sales

7,616 11,214 (3,598) (32.1%)

18,903 21,447 (2,544) (11.9%) Gross income

826 7,095 (6,269) (88.4%)

4,611 12,804 (8,193) (64.0%) Operating and exploratory expenses

2 1,138 (1,136) (99.8%)

1,081 1,892 (811) (42.9%) Operating income

824 5,957 (5,133) (86.2%)

3,530 10,912 (7,382) (67.7%) Financial income (loss), net

(599) (391) (208) 53.2%

(1,265) (776) (489) 63.0% Share of profit of companies

77 72 5 6.9%

77 233 (156) (67.0%) Income before income tax

302 5,638 (5,336) (94.6%)

2,342 10,369 (8,027) (77.4%) Income tax

(3) (1,872) 1,869 (99.8%)

(633) (3,546) 2,913 (82.1%) Net income consolidated

299 3,766 (3,467) (92.1%)

1,709 6,823 (5,114) (75.0%) Non-controlling interest

(277) (280) 3 (1.1%)

(624) (593) (31) 5.2% Net income attributable to owners of Ecopetrol before impairment

22 3,486 (3,464) (99.4%)

1,085 6,230 (5,145) (82.6%) (Expense) recovery for impairment long-term assets

4 1 3 300.0%

(1,204) 2 (1,206) (60,300.0%) Deferred tax of impairment

(1) 0 (1) -

277 0 277 - Net income attributable to owners of Ecopetrol

25 3,487 (3,462) (99.3%)

158 6,232 (6,074) (97.5%)





















EBITDA

1,996 8,307 (6,311) (76.0%)

7,253 15,665 (8,412) (53.7%) EBITDA Margin

23.6% 45.4% - (21.8%)

30.8% 45.7% - (14.9%)



* Ebitda adjusted to exclude the effect of the Voluntary Retirement Plan amounts to COP 2,168 billion in 2Q20 and COP 7,425 billion in 6M20.



The figures included in this report are not audited. The financial information is expressed in billions of Colombian pesos (COP), or US dollars (USD), or thousands of barrels of oil equivalent per day (mboed) or tons, as noted. For presentation purposes, certain figures in this report were rounded to the nearest decimal place.

In words of Felipe Bayon Pardo, CEO of Ecopetrol:

"In line with the guidance announced at the end of the first quarter, results for the second quarter reflect the impact of the unprecedented situation caused by the global spread of COVID-19. April reported the worst performance of crude prices since the beginning of the crisis. The inventory build-up and the contraction in demand as a result of the lockdown measures implemented worldwide led to a 38% decline in the Brent, compared to 2019 year-end, even with negative levels for WTI, and below USD 20 for Brent during some days. Likewise, during the second quarter, sales of our main products reported a decrease of 46%, mainly in jet fuel (-89%), gasoline (-46%) and diesel (-35%).

This new reality required a rapid financial and operational adjustment that we executed decisively, while reinforcing our three strategic pillars: strict capital discipline, cash protection and cost efficiency, as well as reserve growth and profitable production.

Thanks to this intervention, along with the gradual improvement in market conditions reported since mid-May, our operating and financial results, although impacted, were positive. As a result, the Ecopetrol Group reached a net income of COP 158 billion and an EBITDA of COP 7.3 trillion by the end of the first half of the year.

In response to the COVID-19 health emergency, we adapted our operations prioritizing the care and safety of our employees and contractors, through strict biosafety protocols and prevention measures, both in our operation areas and for those working remotely.

As part of Ecopetrol Group's commitment to the country, we continue allocating social investment resources to confront the pandemic, for a cumulative total of COP 88 billion to date, which includes: humanitarian aid, biosafety elements supply, aid for vulnerable families, provision of medical equipment to strengthen the healthcare system, in addition to our participation in the "Comparto mi Energia" program to support the payment of electricity services for low income families, the "Ayudar Nos Hace Bien" campaign which benefits the most vulnerable families, as well as initiatives in technology and innovation for medical equipment.

We continued to structure the economic reactivation program, which aims to support territorial entities in the implementation of short-term projects to help promote local productive employment. As part of this initiative and to alleviate the financial crisis of our small and medium suppliers, Ecopetrol implemented advance payments or "early payments" without discount for nearly COP 60 billion per month, which has allowed them to preserve their economic activities, leverage their cash flow, safeguard employment and mitigate the negative impact from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In order to address the health emergency caused by the pandemic, the COVID-19 Crisis Committee continues its operations, deploying the protocols and guidelines for the prevention, control and mitigation of the pandemic's effects on our employees, and to ensure the continuity of our operations during this health emergency.

Likewise, our Oil Price Committee has deployed the financial contingency plan through which we have managed the economic impact of the international oil price drop and changes in demand.

In response to the aforementioned, we were able to promptly reassess the 2020-2022 Business Plan, which responds to the crisis and protects the business sustainability going forward.

The new Plan includes: i) an organic investment of USD 11 - 13 billion, of which between USD 3.0 - 3.4 billion will be invested in 2020, similar to the investment levels that of 2019, and higher than the announced in May; ii) sustainable levels of profitable production in a range between 700  720 mboed, maintaining the focus on exploration, where more than 30 wells are expected to be drilled; enhance recovery in higher value opportunities; Comprehensive Research Pilot Projects development for unconventional reservoirs in Colombia (PPII for its Spanish acronym); and continuity of highest potential international investments; iii) stable transported volumes in a range between 1,100  1,025 mbd, iv) increasing consolidated throughput in a range between 300 - 380 mbd by 2022, focusing on developing initiatives to increase the refining margin and iv) a continued focus on reducing operating cost and expenses without affecting the reliability and safety of our operations, which will allow us to achieve cumulative savings of up to COP 6.5 trillion by 2022.

The Technology, Environmental, Social and Governance (TESG) front remains a priority. Therefore, we maintain our decarbonization target of 1.8 - 2.0 MtCO 2 e/year in 2022, renewable energy generation capacity of ~300 MW by 2022, and social and environmental investment of COP 1.7 trillion between 2020 and 2024. Likewise, in an effort to accelerate digital transformation, we will invest around USD 158 million in innovation and technology. The commitment to the continuous strengthening of our corporate governance has been reflected in a greater periodicity of the Board of Directors meetings, which has followed up on all the strategic aspects to confront the current exceptional environmental conditions.

Regarding the results for the first half of the year, we highlight the strength of our commercial strategy which has allowed us to maintain the combined refineries operation above their minimum levels and ensure the necessary revenues to make operations in our fields viable.

In the exploration campaign, during the first half of the year, the Group and its partners completed the drilling of seven wells, five in Colombia and two in Brazil. Ecopetrol and Shell continue to move forward with the COL-5, Purple Angel and Fuerte Sur projects, highlighting the start in the second half of the year of the environmental monitoring activities in the area where the appraisal well will be drilled, which is expected to occur in 2021.

In the first half of 2020 Ecopetrol Group's average production closed at 706 mboed, 19 mboed less than first semester of 2019, mainly explained by the current situation, as well as by public order events and blockages in the Rubiales and Suroriente fields. These impacts were partly offset by higher sales of white products from the LPG Plant in Cupiagua, and the operations reversal in the Pauto and Florena fields.

The gas business made a significant contribution to the country's energy safety, whose hydric reserves reached critical levels during May and June. Transitional regulation allowed gas to replace hydro generation, compensating for the impact on the Group's demand as a result of the health emergency.

Regarding Non-conventionals, the Ministry of Mines and Energy published the technical regulation on July 7th, and we expect that the environmental, civil and contractual regulation will be published released in the coming months, completing the regulatory framework for the development of the Comprehensive Research Pilot Projects (PPII). The activity planned in the Mid-Magdalena Valley remains within the new 20202022 Plan, with an investment of around USD 127 million, and we recently announced a preliminary agreement with ExxonMobil to jointly work on these pilots.

We highlight the reactivation of operations of our activity with Oxy in the Permian during the second half of 2020. Activities will mainly focus on the drilling of 22 new wells, additional to the 22 already producing, and that will be completed and begin production in the first quarter of 2021. We estimate an average net production for the Ecopetrol Group of ~5.5 mboed in 2020, higher than the 4 - 5 mboed announced in the first quarter of the year. In addition to the economic rationale, this reactivation allows us to continue with the knowledge transfer and confirms the competitiveness of the position and the alignment with our strategic partner.

In the midstream segment, transported volume decreased 10% as compared to the first half of 2019, impacted by lower domestic production, as well as lower consumption of crude by our refineries. Given the exceptional situation and, with the aim of mitigating permanent impacts on volumes, a temporary relief program was activated that resulted in total financing of USD 8.7 million and commercial tariffs discounts between 5.5% and 10%s, for April and May. Also, volume requirements were relaxed for some ship-or-pay contracts. No reversal cycles have been carried out this year, thanks to reduced maintenance times for the repair of the Cano Limon oil pipeline.

The downstream segment performance was negatively impacted by the drop in demand associated to the lockdowns, as well as in the prices for major refined products worldwide. However, given the gradual recovery in demand, refineries have increased their throughput, reaching a combined throughput of 300 mbd and an integrated refined gross margin of 8.1 USD/Bl, compared to 364 mbd and 9.7 USD/Bl for the first half of 2019.

On June 25, 2020, the Superintendence of Companies decreed the termination of the reorganization process of Bioenergy, a subsidiary of the Ecopetrol Group, and the opening of a judicial liquidation process within the framework of the corporate insolvency law 1116 of 2006. The liquidation process will be carried out under the rules that govern this kind of processes, under the direction of the Superintendence of Companies.

Continuing with our commitment towards the energy transition and the preservation of the environment, during the first semester we achieved a reduction of 687,769 tons of CO 2 equivalent, verified by Ruby Canyon Engineering firm, which will be registered in order to obtain an equivalent number of Certified Emission Reductions. Likewise, in line with the announcement made in the first quarter, the competitive bidding process for the procurement of the San Fernando Solar Park received six bids for its construction. This is the Group's second mega solar farm, which will have a capacity of 50 MW and will be located in the municipality of Castilla La Nueva in Meta, and whose contract is expected to be signed in August. Additionally, we continue to make progress in the maturation of other projects for nearly 100 MW of solar generation that are expected to be awarded during the second half of 2020.

Ecopetrol remains committed to generating sustainable value for society. Today more than ever, the safety and care of our employees and contractors, the reliability of our operations and the financial discipline that leverages results are at the core of our business. With our actions, we continue to promote the implementation of better environmental, as well as the social and economic development of the regions where we operate."

To review the full report please visit the following link:

http://www.ecopetrol.com.co/wps/wcm/connect/41e44fb5-ed1a-4bc9-b410-4d01219c28d6/Q2+Earnings+Release+-+ENG+-+VF.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&id=1596535705431

Bogota, August 4, 2020









This release contains statements that may be considered forward looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All forward-looking statements, whether made in this release or in future filings or press releases or orally, address matters that involve risks and uncertainties, including in respect of the Company's prospects for growth and its ongoing access to capital to fund the Company's business plan, among others. Consequently, changes in the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements: market prices of oil & gas, our exploration and production activities, market conditions, applicable regulations, the exchange rate, the Company's competitiveness and the performance of Colombia's economy and industry, to mention a few. We do not intend, and do not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

For further information, please contact:

Juan Pablo Crane de Narvaez

Head of Capital Markets

Phone: (+571) 234 5190

E-mail: [email protected]

Jorge Mauricio Tellez

Media Relations (Colombia)

Phone: (+ 571) 234 4329

E-mail: [email protected]

SOURCE Ecopetrol S.A.

Related Links

http://www.ecopetrol.com.co


Sao Paulo (AFP) - Doctors in Brazil, the country with the second-highest number of cases and deaths in the coronavirus pandemic, have a new tool in their fight against COVID-19: artificial intelligence to detect infections.

Under-testing remains a huge problem in the sprawling South American country, but AI is helping fill the gap, thanks to a system called RadVid-19 developed using algorithms from German company Siemens and Chinese firm Huawei.

Brazil has been hit harder by the pandemic than any country except the United States, with nearly 2.8 million infections and 95,000 deaths.

Experts say the numbers would be much higher if there were more widespread testing.

RadVid-19 seeks to fill that gap, and help doctors decide the right course of treatment for their patients.

It analyzes chest X-rays and CT scans to find spots on patients' lungs that are likely markers of infection by the new coronavirus.

"The software identifies those areas and estimates the probability of a case of COVID-19," says Marcio Sawamura, deputy head of the radiology center at the University of Sao Paulo Clinical Hospital.

The program shows doctors on a computer screen how their patients' lungs are changing over time and enables them to analyze the white and yellow circles marking potential infection.

The software is being used by 43 Brazilian hospitals, 60 percent of them public, thanks in part to funding from the Inter-American Development Bank.

It is not a replacement for a lab-based diagnosis by a physician.

But it can help doctors decide what treatment to pursue during the sometimes long wait for lab results to come back, in a country where no large-scale testing campaign has been launched and President Jair Bolsonaro faces criticism for downplaying the pandemic.

- Creativity in crisis -

"Since Brazil is testing less than it should, CT scans and X-rays end up being used as diagnostic tools," says Arthur Lobo, a radiologist in the northern city of Belem.

Story continues

"It's helped us reach diagnoses when we were in doubt."

That was welcome relief in the early stages of the pandemic in Brazil, when doctors were racing to keep up with a rapidly exploding infection curve, says Claudia Leite, a professor in the radiology and oncology department at the University of Sao Paulo.

"At the beginning, we were really in anguish, because sometimes the lab results were taking a long time to come back and the patient would start getting worse, developing breathing difficulty, and we still didn't have a diagnosis," she says.

Using AI, she says, "we were able to conclude it was COVID and take the right measures. And the test results later confirmed it."

RadVid-19 had analyzed 10,700 X-rays and CT scans as of the end of July. Researchers are still assessing its accuracy rate.
With over 85 microbiome-based, live biotherapeutic products under preclinical and clinical development, the demand for R&D and manufacturing services for such products is anticipated to increase beyond the capabilities of innovator companies alone

LONDON, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Roots Analysis has announced the addition of "Live Biotherapeutic Products and Microbiome Contract Manufacturing Market, 2020-2030: Focus on Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients and Finished Dosage Forms, 2020-2030" report to its list of offerings.

Manufacturing live biotherapeutic products is both technically challenging and financially demanding; as a result, innovator firms are becoming increasingly reliant on contract service providers to access specialized facilities and optimize overall costs.

To order this 300+ page report, which features 140+ figures and 125+ tables, please visit this link

Key Market Insights

Over 25 players claim to provide microbiome-based live biotherapeutics contract manufacturing

More than 80% of the companies engaged in this domain are mid-sized and large firms; examples of firms established in 2019 include Arranta Bio and BacThera (a Lonza and Chr. Hansen joint venture). Further, nearly 50% of the CMOs have established the necessary expertise for handling both anaerobic and aerobic strains.

35+ manufacturing facilities focused on live biotherapeutics have been established worldwide

Majority (~55%) of the manufacturing facilities are located in Europe, followed by North America. Prominent manufacturing hubs in the Europe include (in decreasing order of number of manufacturing facilities) the UK, France, the Netherlands, Italy, Germany, Switzerland, and Sweden.

Approximately 88% of the total installed capacity is dedicated to commercial scale manufacturing

Whereas, rest (~10%) of the capacity is being used for preclinical / clinical scale manufacturing of microbiome products. In addition, over 60% of the total current global, installed manufacturing capacity is installed in Europe.

Over 170 registered clinical trials involved the use of microbiome-based live biotherapeutics

Majority of these studies are being conducted at various hospitals / centers across the US. Examples of leading non-industry players include (in decreasing order of number of trials) University of California, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, Radboud University, and The University of Texas Health Science Center.

The global clinical demand for microbiome-based live biotherapeutic products is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 23%, between 2020 and 2030

By 2030, over 31,000 patients are estimated to be enrolled in the clinical trials involving the use of microbiome-based live biotherapeutics. Industry players are anticipated to contribute majority (over 60%) of the demand in the short-term as well as long-term.

Several big pharma players are actively engaged in the microbiome live biotherapeutics domain

In fact, leading pharmaceutical companies have partnered with smaller business entities to develop manufacturing capabilities related to microbiome-based therapies / diagnostics. Examples of such small ventures with players with in-house capability include (in alphabetical order) Assembly Biosciences, Enterome Bioscience, Finch Therapeutics and NuBiyota.

By 2030, North America and Europe are anticipated to capture over 85% of the market opportunity

In terms of type of product manufactured, APIs currently represent the highest share (58%); this trend is unlikely to change in the foreseen future.

To request a sample copy / brochure of this report, please visit this link

Key Questions Answered

Who are the leading CMOs offering microbiome contract manufacturing services, across the world?

What are the key challenges faced by microbiome contract manufacturers?

Who are the most likely partners ( microbiome-based live biotherapeutic drug developers ) for microbiome contract manufacturers?

) for microbiome contract manufacturers? What is the annual clinical demand for microbiome-based live biotherapeutic products?

What is the current, installed contract manufacturing capacity for live biotherapeutics?

What are the key factors influencing the make ( manufacture in-house ) versus buy ( outsource ) decision in this field?

) versus buy ( ) decision in this field? What are the various initiatives undertaken by big pharma players in this domain?

What percentage of live biotherapeutics manufacturing operations are outsourced to service providers?

How is the current and future market opportunity likely to be distributed across key market segments?

What are the anticipated future trends related to live biotherapeutics manufacturing?

The USD 300 million (by 2030) financial opportunity within the microbiome contract manufacturing market has been analysed across the following segments:

Type of Product Manufactured

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs)

Finish Drug Formulations (FDFs)

Type of Type of Formulation

Solid Formulations

Oral Liquids

Injectables

Others

Scale of Operation

Clinical

Commercial

Company Size

Small-sized

Mid-sized

Large

Key Geographical Regions

North America

Europe

Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World

The report features inputs from eminent industry stakeholders, according to whom the microbiome therapeutics contract manufacturing services market is likely to witness substantial growth in the foreseen future. The report includes detailed transcripts of discussions held with the following experts:

Veronika Oudova (Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, S-Biomedic)

Gaurav Kaushik (Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals)

(Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Meteoric Biopharmaceuticals) Assaf Oron (Chief Business Officer, BiomX)

(Chief Business Officer, BiomX) Alexander Segal (Vice President, Business Development, Universal Stabilization Technologies)

(Vice President, Business Development, Universal Stabilization Technologies) Debbie Pinkston (Vice President, Sales and Business Development, List Biological Laboratories)

(Vice President, Sales and Business Development, List Biological Laboratories) JP Benya (Vice President, Business Development, Assembly Biosciences)

Rob van Dijk (Business Development Manager, Wacker Biotech )

(Business Development Manager, ) Alexander Lin (Associate General Manager, Chung Mei Pharmaceutical)

The research covers detailed profiles brief profiles of several companies (including those listed below); each profile features an overview of the company, its financial information (if available), microbiome-related service portfolio, facilities dedicated to microbiome manufacturing, and an informed future outlook.

Biose

BJP Laboratories

Capsugel (acquired by Lonza)

Cerbios-Pharma

Cobra Biologics (acquired Cognate Bioservices)

Inpac Probiotics

Paragon Bioservices (a unit of Catalent Biologics)

UAS Labs

For additional details, please visit https://www.rootsanalysis.com/reports/view_document/microbiome-contract-manufacturing/306.html or email sales@rootsanalysis.com

You may also be interested in the following titles:

The Human Microbiome Market: Focus on Therapeutics (including gut-brain axis targeting drugs), Diagnostics and Fecal Microbiota Therapies (3rd Edition), 2019-2030 HPAPI and Cytotoxic Drugs Manufacturing Market (3rd Edition), 2020-2030 Antibody Contract Manufacturing Market, 2020 - 2030 Nuclear Medicine and Radiopharmaceuticals Manufacturing Market, 2020-2030 Antibody Discovery Services and Platforms Market (3rd Edition), 2020-2030

Contact:

Gaurav Chaudhary

+1-(415)-800-3415

+44-(122)-391-1091

Gaurav.Chaudhary@rootsanalysis.com

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/742223/Roots_Analysis_Logo.jpg
Deputy first minister of Scotland and education secretary John Swinney visits Stonlelaw High School in Rutherglen on the day pupils receive their exam results.

The Scottish government has become embroiled in a row over the moderation of exam results disadvantaging students from poorer backgrounds as critics warned the same problem could happen in the rest of the UK.

In Scotlands first school year without exams due to coronavirus, the Scottish Qualifications Authoritys (SQA) moderation process reduced the pass rate of the poorest Higher pupils by more than twice that of the richest.

The pass rate of pupils in the most deprived data zones was reduced by 15.2% from teacher estimates after the exam boards intervention.

In contrast, the pass rate for pupils from the most affluent backgrounds dropped by 6.9%.

Education commentators said systemic biasing in favour of the least deprived was the result of basing results on a schools previous performance, rather than an individuals track record.

Labours shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray said using previous results from schools to decide grades embeds disadvantage and the ridiculous league tables that has artificially hampered schools in more deprived areas.

SNP MP Mhairi Black said she was deeply concerned with students from deprived areas seeing their results reduced at a higher rate and urged her colleagues running the Scottish Government to address the issue.

But Scotlands first minister Nicola Sturgeon said that without the moderation the results would have been unprecedented and therefore not credible.

The reduction based on deprivation levels is linear

7% for least deprived

9% for next least deprived

11% for next least deprived

13% for next least deprived

15% for most deprived



No random variation between groups ... a systematic biasing in favour of the least deprived https://t.co/7SwkuHOJFw  Dr Nick Troop   (@NicholasTroop) August 4, 2020

Barry Black, a postgraduate researcher at the University of Glasgow, told HuffPost UK that the SQA was warned about the impact on the most disadvantaged pupils by the Scottish parliaments...

Continue reading on HuffPost
Frances Hinojosa: As the moderator, I want to have a whole-hearted, fireside chat with the individuals on the panel so participants can come away with a true understanding of how diversity and inclusion matter in the industry, and how, if we start to change the way we think, we can adopt a lot of these best practices that will see all of us succeed in business.

Laura Martin: I am looking to accelerate a paradigm shift in the financial services industry by bringing awareness and understanding to issues of diversity and inclusion. Expect to hear some hard questions and deeper insights on the insidious nature of bias and systemic oppression in the industry (and society), along with prescriptive next steps to move forward. This is a must-watch for industry leaders, as they are in a position to benefit their organizations and those within it the most.

Why is diversity something brokers should be thinking about?

Stephen Thomas: Too often we segment ourselves into specific niches inside of our comfort zone. As brokers, our purpose is to help people in need; if we are spending all our time being comfortable or politically correct, we run the risk of alienating the other demographics that might need our services or support. You are limiting yourself and your business if youre not focused on diversity.

Frances Hinojosa: Understanding and embracing the diversity of human beings makes you a better mortgage broker. It brings empathy, vulnerability and emotional intelligence into the conversation, which, unfortunately, is sometimes lacking in this industry. The idea of ignoring diversity, in my world, makes no logical sense.
A former World Health Organization doctor who helped eradicate smallpox says the the global fight against COVID-19 will carry on for at least the next four years as the virus moves from one hotspot to the next.

Dr Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist from California, told USA TODAY that the next few years would not be 'all doom and gloom' because effective vaccines will emerge.

'We will still be chasing the virus four years from now. But it won't be like (today),' Brilliant said.

'It will be like the smallpox eradication program. The polio eradication program. Having yellow fever in some countries and not in others.

'We're in for a bad and rocky ride.'

Dr Larry Brilliant, an epidemiologist from California who was among the WHO team who fought the eradication of smallpox in the 1970s, says the the global fight against COVID-19 will carry on for at least the next four years

Dr Brilliant, who was among the WHO team who fought the eradication of smallpox in the 1970s, now chairs the Ending Pandemics advisory board.

He said the US was likely to experience a substantial increase in deaths and infections.

Currently, there are now 4.7 million coronavirus cases in the US and more than 155,000 Americans have died.

Dr Brilliant said upcoming challenges included Labor Day celebrations, schools reopening, election lines and the flu season.

It comes as Dr Anthony Fauci said the US needed to drive new COVID-19 cases downwards to under 10,000 per day by next month or risk a catastrophic situation in the fall.

Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the US, said on Monday that coronavirus cases needed to decline rapidly in order to gain some control of the pandemic by the end of the year.

The US is currently averaging about 60,000 cases each day, bringing the total number of infections to more than 4.7 million.

'The country continues to log 50,000 to 60,000 new cases a day, suggesting it is right in the middle of the first wave,' Fauci told JAMA Network's Dr Howard Bauchner.

Dr Anthony Fauci, the leading infectious disease expert in the US, said on Monday that coronavirus cases needed to decline rapidly in order to gain some control of the pandemic by the end of the year

'If we don't get them down then we're going to have a really bad situation in the fall.

The outbreak first struck the US back in March when New York and other Northeastern states saw a surge.

Infections were on the downward trajectory before spiking in Sunbelt states throughout June and July.

Fauci said when cases initially declined, it came down to a baseline of about 20,000.

He said even 20,000 new cases each day was 'not a favorable baseline'.

'We've got to get our arms around that and contain it as we enter the fall,' he said of the recent surge in cases.

Fauci urged Americans to 'show a degree of consistency' when it comes to wearing masks, washing hands and social distancing.

'It's not rocket science,' he said.

He said unless people followed these countermeasures, 'the virus, if left to its own devices, is going to keep resurging'.
Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat on Tuesday hit out at the Congress saying the party that denied the existence of Lord Ram is now signing his praise after taking a "U-turn" over the issue. His comments came after Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said Lord Ram belongs to everyone and that she hoped the ground-breaking ceremony of the temple in Ayodhya becomes a celebration of national unity.

"The Congress' statement on Lord Ram is a historic U-turn. The Congress filed an affidavit (in the Supreme Court) denying the existence of Lord Ram. It is his magic (leela) that the general secretary of the political party that denied his existence is praising him today," Shekhawat said in a statement in Hindi.

He was referring to the affidavit filed by the then UPA government in the Supreme Court in 2007 saying there was no historical proof of the existence of Ram.

Shekhawat said the Ram temple issue is linked to the faith of crores of people.

Ahead of the ground-breaking ceremony of the temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, the Congress general secretary for Uttar Pradesh, said Ramayana has left an indelible mark on the civilisation of the world.

"The 'bhoomi poojan' ceremony of Ram Mandir in Ayodhya has been scheduled for August 5. Hope this event becomes a celebration of national unity, brotherhood and cultural harmony in accordance with the message of Lord Ram and with his blessings," she said.
Tesla Cybertruck.

Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk said that it's 'highly likely' Tesla will eventually create a smaller version of the Cybertruck.

A smaller Cybertruck would likely appeal to the European market because there's higher demand for smaller vehicles amid regulations around emissions and road width.

Tesla is planning to produce the new Cybertruck at Gigafactory Austin by the end of 2021, but Musk has said the first model won't be sold globally.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Elon Musk said that it's 'highly likely' Tesla will eventually create a smaller version of the Cybertruck.

Tesla's CEO and product architect responded to a question on Twitter on August 4, noting that a smaller version of the truck, if made, wouldn't arrive in the short-term but "down the road."

A smaller Cybertruck would likely appeal to the EU market, where as Electrek points out, there's higher demand for smaller vehicles and regulations around emissions and road width.

The Cybertruck is similar in size to some bigger versions of the Ford F-150.

In a recent interview with Automotive News, Musk said that the Cybertruck won't be sold globally.

"We're really, fundamentally making this truck as a North American ass-kicker, basically," Musk said. "The goal is to kick the most amount of ass possible with this truck. We want it to be something you could use to tow a boat, a horse trailer, pull tree stumps out of the ground, go off-roading and you don't have to worry about scratching the paint because there is no paint. You could just be smashing boulders and be fine."

Additionally, Musk said that Tesla didn't perform any consumer research on the truck's Sci-Fi inspired design. This comes in stark contrast from rest of the pickup-truck market, where designs are extensively tested with potential buyers.

Musk also revealed in the interview that Tesla has a "fallback strategy" of creating a more 'normal' pickup truck if sales of the Cybertruck don't take off.

Story continues

So far, Musk has said over 200,000 reservations have been made, and Wedbush analysts estimate the number could be as high as 650,000  but the $100 reservations are refundable, which means those numbers could change if people cancel leading up to launch.

Compared to the vast US market for pickup trucks that were purchased by over 3 million American consumers one year ago, pickup trucks in the EU have gained some traction over the last few years.

Tesla currently manufactures its vehicles in the US in California, China at its Shanghai Gigafactory, and is constructing car factories in Austin, Texas and Europe, near Berlin.

Musk hasn't yet offered a timeline on a smaller version of the Cybertruck for the European market, per Electrek. However, Tesla is planning to produce the new Cybertruck at Gigafactory Austin toward the end of 2021, and work continues on its European factory, which is located near Berlin, Germany.

Read the original article on Business Insider
WASHINGTON - The novel coronavirus is surging in several Midwestern states that had not previously seen high infection rates, while average daily deaths remained elevated Monday in Southern and Western states hit with a resurgence of the disease after lifting some restrictions earlier this summer.

Missouri, Montana and Oklahoma are among those witnessing the largest percentage surge of infections over the past week, while, adjusted for population, the number of new cases in Alabama, Florida and Mississippi still outpaced all other states, according to a Washington Post analysis of health data.

Experts also see worrying trends emerging in major East Coast and Midwestern cities, and they anticipate major outbreaks in college towns as classes resume in August.

The University of Texas at Austin notified students that parties are prohibited when the campus reopens in three weeks. The school cited city health guidelines prohibiting groups larger than 10 people and requiring a mask when out in public.

President Donald Trump continued his push to fully reopen schools, even as some of the nation's largest districts are delaying in-person instruction amid continuing spread of the virus.

"Ideally, we want to open those schools. We want to open them," Trump said during a White House news conference

Trump also said the United States is doing much better dealing with the virus than most other countries - a claim inconsistent with the facts - and accused the news media of trying to make him and the country look "as bad as possible."

At least 4.6 million coronavirus cases and 151,000 fatalities have been reported in the United States since February.

Despite growing momentum in the search for a vaccine and Trump's confident assessment Monday that "we're on pace to have a vaccine available this year, maybe far in advance of the end of the year," the head of the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that "there's no silver bullet at the moment, and there might never be."

WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said Monday that "a number of coronavirus vaccines are now in Phase 3 clinical trials, and we all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection."

He cautioned, however, that "of course there are concerns that we may not have a vaccine that may work" or that its protection would be effective for a short time.

The economic fallout from the virus widened, with the parent company of Men's Wearhouse declaring bankruptcy as people have stayed away from offices and the suits and other business attire once needed for work.

Tailored Brands, which also owns Jos. A. Bank, K&G and Moores, filed for Chapter 11 protection on Sunday evening, the same day that department store chain Lord & Taylor did so. They are among about a dozen large retailers that have tipped into bankruptcy as pandemic-fueled store closures sent sales plummeting.

Top executives at Disney, IBM, Mastercard and Microsoft were among more than 100 business leaders who called on Congress to provide emergency relief for small businesses facing economic calamity.

In a letter sent to congressional leaders of both major political parties Monday, the executives issued a dire warning of mass closures triggered by the coronavirus, as companies report declining revenue and face the prospect of shutting down yet again to contain the outbreak.

The signatories put forward a series of recommendations, including federally guaranteed loans to last into 2021, flexibility in how those loans are put to use, partial loan forgiveness for small and midsize companies that have suffered significant revenue declines, and a focus on funding for businesses owned by people of color, who have less access to funding.

More than 4 million businesses have received emergency loans from the Small Business Administration, with Congress approving $700 billion in funding to support them. But for the 30 million small businesses in the country, that funding was too limited and short-lived, business leaders say. The letter calls for a more robust and sustained effort from the federal government.

"We cannot stress enough the urgent need to act," the letter says. "Every day that passes without a comprehensive recovery program makes recovery more difficult."

The business leaders predict another wave of permanent business closures by Labor Day if the government does not provide aid.

Trump continued to insist that hydroxychloroquine is an effective treatment for the coronavirus even as leading health officials in his administration have concluded otherwise. The president suggested that opposition to its effectiveness is because he supports it, not because of science.

"Hydroxy has tremendous support, but politically it's toxic because I supported it," Trump told reporters at the White House on Monday. "If I would have said, 'Do not use hydroxychloroquine under any circumstances,' they would have come out and they would have said, 'It's a great, it's a great thing.' "

He recounted taking the anti-malaria drug in May after it was announced that a couple of White House staffers had tested positive for the coronavirus.

"I mean, I had no problem. I had no problem whatsoever. And importantly, I didn't test positive," Trump said.

Pressed by a reporter about the differing opinions of leading health experts, including Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious-disease official, Trump stood his ground.

"I don't agree with Fauci on everything," Trump said.

In several recent interviews, Fauci has dismissed hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the coronavirus, calling it ineffective.

Trump also feuded publicly with the other leading official face of the U.S. government response. Trump on Monday tweeted criticism of Deborah Birx, the physician overseeing the White House's coronavirus efforts, a day after she warned that the United States is entering a "new phase" of the pandemic.

Trump tweeted that after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., criticized Birx for being "too positive" about his handling of the pandemic, the doctor "took the bait & hit us." He appeared to be referring to Birx telling CNN on Sunday that increasing outbreaks in rural and urban areas are "different from March and April" and "extraordinarily widespread."

- - -

The Washington Post's Lateshia Beachum, Kim Bellware, Felicia Sonmez and Rick Noack contributed to this report.
For anyone who still actually thinks America's role in Syria was ever somehow about "protecting human rights" or "promoting democracy"  here's the latest out of Syria, which the Trump administration has since confirmed:

Syrias foreign ministry said on Sunday that an American oil company had signed an agreement with Kurdish-led rebels who control northeastern oilfields in what it described as an illegal deal aimed at stealing Syrias crude.

US forces patrol Syrian oil fields in eastern Syria, via AP.

That's right, the some 700 to perhaps 1000+ US troops still occupying Syrian territory in the country's oil and gas rich northeast are overseeing a deal for an American company to come in and take the oil.

This is after Trump has said for much of the past year that he's keeping American forces there to "secure the oil"  though it's long been left open whether this means "secure" it from ISIS, or the Russians, or Damascus. Now in practice we see it's all about taking these vital resources away from the government and ultimately the already impoverished Syrian people.

Syria's foreign ministry as well as state media SANA said it condemns in the strongest terms the agreement signed between al-Qasd militia (SDF) and an American oil company to steal Syrias oil under the sponsorship and support of the American administration.

Damascus also said This agreement is null and void and has no legal basis, and is likely to lodge an official complaint with the UN. It's as yet unknown precisely what US company or companies are involved.

When early reports surfaced last week, it was Syrian state sources making the allegation. But US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo since confirmed it, according to Reuters:

A U.S. senator and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo had referred to an oilfields deal between the SDF and a U.S. firm during a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on Thursday. Republican Senator Lindsey Graham said during the committee hearing that SDF General Commander Mazloum Abdi informed him that a deal had been signed with an American company to modernize the oil fields in northeastern Syria, and asked Pompeo whether the administration was supportive of it. We are, Pompeo responded during the hearing streamed live by PBS. The deal took a little longer... than we had hoped, and now were in implementation.

Administration hawks have argued that it's ultimately about keeping funding and resources out of Iranians' hands, and out of the control of Tehran's allies like Damascus.

Pre-war Syria had produced a meager 380,000 barrels of oil per day, but it was enough fuel local industries and to support the population.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo described the deal between a US firm and the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) as "very powerful"https://t.co/kXB879Dk3g  Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) August 2, 2020

But now, not only will Syrians see their oil siphoned off by an American company via US proxy 'rebels' on the ground, but the population is being strangled through far-reaching Washington-imposed sanctions to boot.

Meanwhile, like in neighboring Iraq, the mass looting of national resources is set to further devastate the local population for generations. As the The National Interest describes: "The lack of modern oil infrastructure has forced the regions inhabitants to rely on dangerous, primitive backyard refineries and high-risk smuggling operations to export their oil. Local doctors report massive increases in birth defects and other diseases as oil spills and plumes of smoke from poorly-maintained facilities pollute the water and air."

So much for America's "humanitarian war"... the mask has utterly fallen off, and did so long ago for those who were paying attention.
On July 30, sources revealed that Kim Kardashian West flew out to Kanye Wests ranch in Cody, Wyoming, to tell him their marriage was over.

While it seemed like the couples relationship would soon be coming to an end, a source now says that the Wests are trying to save their marriage before its too late.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West | David Crotty/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West have been going rough patch lately

Things between KimYe have been far from ideal these past few weeks. Ever since West revealed personal information about their relationship during his presidential rally on July 19, his dynamic with Kardashian West has continued to crumble in front of our eyes.

After his shocking statements at the rally swept the internet, the rapper went on Twitter to put his wife on blast even more for trying fly out to his Wyoming ranch with two doctors to lock [him] up. He also called out her mother, Kris Jenner, for ignoring his phone calls and claimed that she was not allowed around their kids: North, 7, Saint, 4, Chicago, 2, and Psalm, 1.

West even tweeted that hes been trying to divorce his wife ever since she had a meeting with Meek Mill about prison reform.

RELATED: Kim Kardashian West Is Upset With Kanye West for Putting Her on Blast at Campaign Rally, Report Says

While Kardashian West has remained tight-lipped regarding her husbands outbursts on social media, a source told People that his behavior had taken a significant toll on their marriage. So much so that Kardashian West is also considering divorce, as she believes their marriage is too far gone to save now.

Kim Kardashian Wests recent trip to Wyoming

After spending weeks apart, KimYe finally reunited for the first time in person at the rappers Cody, Wyoming ranch on July 27.

Upon her arrival, the Keeping Up With the Kardashians star was photographed crying while having what appeared to be a heated conversation with West while seated inside his car.

While it was unclear what the couple discussed in the car at first, a source soon revealed to People that the pair talked about their future together.

She isnt getting back what she needs from Kanye, the source shared. She was to the point that she flew to Cody to basically tell him their marriage is over and to say goodbye.

Though the Selah rappers open to the idea of working with Kardashian West to fix their relationship, shes reportedly torn over what to do.

The last thing she wants is to be divorced with four kids, the source added. She knows that she will be fine financially, but her concerns are the kids and the partnership. She is moving towards a divorce, but who knows if she will actually sign papers.

Kim Kardashian West and Kanye West are trying to save their marriage

Though it seemed like the Wests marriage would soon be coming to an end, the couples now working toward saving their marriage for the sake of their four children.

RELATED: Kim Kardashian West Has an Insane Plan to Save Her Marriage to Kanye West, Source Says

While Kardashian West was ready to end their relationship, West has been listening to her concerns and recommended they take a family trip with their kids to work through their issues.

Kanye suggested that they take a family trip together and Kim agreed. She wants to do everything she can to save her marriage, a separate source told People. Its all very complicated though. Kim wants him to get proper help and Kanye still doesnt want to. Kim is just taking things day by day right now. She isnt sure if their marriage can be saved, but she is willing to keep trying for their kids.

On August 2, the couple hopped on a private jet with their children to an undisclosed location. While its unclear how long the couple plans to stay on vacation, hopefully, this trip will help them mend their relationship before its beyond repair.
NYPD officers attempt to detain a protester who defaced with black paint the Black Lives Matter mural outside of Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan on July 18, 2020. (Yuki Iwamura/AP Photo)

Recognizing the Courage of African American Dissidents

Commentary

Our present idea of a culture war implies a conflict between those who support traditional virtues, well-ordered liberty, national sovereignty, and free-market economics with those who seek permanent socialist majorities, ever-evolving progressive values, and the surrender of economic independence to the global hegemony of the Chinese Communist Party and its international accomplices.

A favorite tactic of those on the progressive side of this Kulturkampf is to deny the best impulses of human beings and focus on the worst in people on the other side of a political debate. This has become a basic tactic of The New York Times and like-minded media outlets since the unexpected setback for the left in the 2016 U.S. election.

Nowhere has this strategy played out more perniciously than in the lefts ongoing gaslighting on the issue of race relations.

The 1619 Project

The most recent example of this divisive practice is the 1619 Project, ostensibly timed for the 400th anniversary of the arrival of African slaves in Virginia, but conveniently playing out in the lead-up to the 2020 election.

The project was initiated in August 2019 by New York Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, who has since been awarded a Pulitzer Prize for her work. Hannah-Jones contends that virtually every facet of the American nation formed in 1776 has been irredeemably tainted by the years of slavery practiced in the southern states of the Republic.

For the most part, the 1619 contributors are an ideologically homogeneous group of progressive academics, journalists, and activists who are calling for a reexamination of the legacy of slavery in the United States.

Originally published as a New York Times Magazine special issue, the project has developed into a formative public educational program that includes special events, media productions, and plans to be embedded into the nations school curricula.

Supporting authors of the project basically argue that Americas founding democratic ideals were false from the beginning and that only African Americans have endeavored to turn them into a reality.

Epoch Times contributor Clifford Humphrey, a doctoral candidate at Hillsdale College, said last summer: We should see the 1619 Project for what it is: part of a comprehensive attempt at political revolution. It seeks to transform the American republican regime, which is based on equal rights for individuals, into one defined by identity politics and the unequal treatment of identity groups.

The 1776 Project

Following the rollout of the 1619 Project, a dissident group of African American academics and writers took steps to challenge what they consider to be the general historical inaccuracies and misleading premises contained in Hannah-Joness Pulitzer Prize-winning narrative.

Some of the high-profile black scholars involved include Robert Woodson, Carol M. Swain, Glenn Loury, Jason D. Hill, Wilfred Reilly, Shelby Steele, John McWhorter, and John Sibley Butler. Other contributors include journalists Coleman Hughes and Clarence Page.

Writing in the Washington Examiner in February 2020, Woodson described the 1776 Project as an assembly of independent voices who uphold our countrys authentic founding virtues and values and challenge those who assert America is forever defined by its past failures, such as slavery.

The 76ers also seek to promote what they consider to be founding American values, such as entrepreneurship, self-determination, and mutual support.

They have pointed to past and present examples of prosperous black communities to challenge the claim that the destiny of black Americans is determined by what whites do now or did throughout history. They highlight black achievers, their contributions to the national economy, and the important stake that African Americans have in the nations life and destiny.

A Dark and Bloody Crossroads

This tale of two Americas presents itself at a time when most rational adults understand that the United States is entering a dark and bloody historical crossroads.

Quiet, hardworking, productive Americans have been getting up and going to work, day after day, year after year, decade after decade, while a long march of socialist intellectuals has been busy capturing virtually all the nations formative institutions and positions of power in the permanent state.

In 2016, middle America said enough is enough and elected a quintessential American capitalist to renew the nation to its former self. After the inauguration of President Donald Trump, the left descended into a condition of apoplectic rage, which is why the United States currently finds itself in one of the most destabilizing and violent election campaigns in the nations history.

Prolonged riots, arson, looting, and murder in U.S. cities and calls for mail-in ballots are unlikely harbingers of a fair and orderly democratic vote in the fall of 2020.

Not a New Challenge for America

The challenge from the 1619 Project isnt new. Division between Americans who remain devoted to the nations founding vision of a free-market economy in an open, democratic society, and those attracted to the empty promises of a more perfect world under socialist authority, goes back at least as far as the English translation of Marxs Das Kapital in 1887.

From 19th-century socialists such as Edward and Francis Bellamy, to John Dewey (iconic founder of the progressive school movement), to the Christian socialist Reinhold Niebuhr (intellectual mentor of the first FBI director to lead an attempted bureau coup against a duly elected president), to the inspirational communist author John Steinbecks dark portrayal of capitalism in The Grapes of Wrath, to the post-1960s Marxist sophistry of public intellectuals such as Herbert Marcuse and Noam Chomsky, to the present darling of the left, the Pulitzer Prize-winning Hannah-Jones, socialists have achieved enormous levels of influence in American culture.

Hannah-Joness timely piece of political mischief is simply the latest iteration of Marxist revolutionary propaganda that has wormed its way into an upper-class American Zeitgeist that polarizes citizens along the contrived dialectical fault lines of class, race, and gender.

Anti-Americanism Is Risk-Free

Over the past six decades, taking a position against the Enlightenment principles of the American Republic has become risk-free. In fact, anti-U.S. academics, journalists, community activists, educators, and entertainers are constantly rewarded with well-paid positions in schools and universities, literary prizes, media stardom, or political office.

Two years prior to coming up with the 1619 Project, the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced Hannah-Jones to be one of 24 recipients of its annual genius grant, which each year awards $625,000, no strings attached, to those that the U.S. radical chic deem to be exceptionally creative people.

Talk about a circular, self-congratulatory woke mindset! You can bet the farm that African American scholars such as Woodson, Steele, and their colleagues in the 1776 Project will wait a long time before foundations such as MacArthur discover genius in the positive things they have to say about Americas history.

African Americans Resisting the Left Is Heroic

For the black 76ers, taking a position in favor of America can be a dangerous undertaking. For their honest and ethical scholarship, there will be no six-figure genius awards. Their resistance to critical race theory, the Marxist trope that invokes white privilege to explain all forms of contemporary injustice, will invite systemic persecution from the most powerful forces on the U.S. left.

At the hands of the cancel culture, the lot of these brave African American dissidents is more likely to be professional insecurity, social marginalization, or worse. Writing in The Mail, British senior scholar John Gray, said, Its not an exaggeration to compare the methods used by the new woke movement to those of Maos Red Guards who terrorized the Chinese people half a century ago.

Those who say Grays contention is nothing more than hyperbole might pause to consider the abrupt and tragic demise of Bernell Trammell.

Late in July, Trammell, a 59-year-old African American resident of Milwaukee, was shot dead in broad daylight outside his store while sitting beside his hand-crafted Trump 2020 signs. Local press outlets, contending for Orwellian assertion of the week, have reported that police are still looking for a possible motive for the crime.

Should the American republic overcome the destructive forces that have been raging through the summer of 2020 and rediscover its path toward peace, freedom, and prosperity, all of us would do well to remember the brave African American scholars who have supported the 1776 Project.

Such courageous men and women hold out a measure of hope for the future of America and the free world. As with the signatories of the 1776 Declaration of Independence, they have mutually pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor in defense of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

William Brooks is a Montreal writer and educator. He currently serves as editor of The Civil Conversation for Canadas Civitas Society and is an Epoch Times contributor.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Increase in bad debts

Soon after the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, many forecast that NPL in banks might increase when businesses become negatively affected by the disease due to difficulties in production and operations. Since 13 July, all credit institutions (CIs) have restructured repayment terms for more than 272,000 customers with outstanding loans of almost VND 210,000 bn, as these debts were not transfered to debt groups, but NPL ratio in many banks still inched up.

According to the latest financial report for the second quarter of 2020, NPL ratio in Vietcombank increased from 0.79% to 0.83%. This is the ratio of bad debts to total outstanding loans, while in terms of absolute numbers, bad debts have increased significantly. Specifically, Group 3 debt increased to 58%, from nearly VND 687 bn to more than VND 1,086 bn; and Group 4 debt increased by 56% from about VND 587 bn to nearly VND 919 bn. In general, total bad debts in Vietcombank have increased by 11% in the last month.

At VietinBank, the ratio of bad debts to outstanding loans increased from 1.16% at the beginning of the year to 1.7% by the end of June. In absolute numbers, the total bad debts also increased by 48% compared to the beginning of the year. Although Group 5 debt dropped to 17% from VND 7,204 bn to VND 5,959 bn, Group 3 and Group 4 debt increased sharply. Specifically, Group 3 debt increased by 247%, from about VND 2,062 bn at the end of the year to VND 7,155 bn; and Group 4 debt increased by 84% from VND 1,546 bn to VND 2,853 bn.

The same happened at joint stock commercial banks. ACB recorded NPL ratio that increased slightly from 0.54% to 0.68% in the first two quarters of 2020. However, total bad debts as of 30 June increased by 32% to VND 1,918 bn. Group 3 debt increased by 48% to VND 348 bn; Group 4 debt increased by 64% to VND 510 bn; Group 5 debt increased by 17% to about VND 1,060 bn. VietBank recorded nearly VND 807 bn in the first two quarters, an increase of 50% compared to the beginning of the year. In particular, Group 3 debt increased by 72%, Group 4 debt increased by 26%, and Group 5 debt increased by 51%, pushing the ratio of bad debts to outstanding loans from 1.32% to 1.88%.

BAB's total NPL increased by 19% compared to the beginning of the year, bringing ratio of bad debts to outstanding loans from 0.69% to 0.8%. In particular, Group 4 debt and Group 5 debt increased by 66% and 35%, respectively. The total bad debt of TPBank increased by 20% compared to the beginning of the year, causing the bad debt ratio to increase from 1.29% to 1.47%. In particular, Group 3 debt and Group 4 debt increased by 47% and 22%, respectively. The amount of bad debt at VIB increased to VND 3,267 bn, up 29%, and the ratio of bad debt to outstanding loans increased from 1.96% to 2.3%.

Pandemic causing road block

After three years of implemention of Resolution 42 of the National Assembly for the restructuring of Credit Institutions dealing with bad debts for the 2016-2020 period, the NPL ratio decreased to 1.63%. While the process of dealing with bad debts was earlier on a positive track, it encountered a road block when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out at the beginning of 2020.

According to experts, although the financial crisis caused by the Covid-19 pandemic is different from any previous crisis, the present situation will certainly affect the credit quality of banks, reflected in the debt situation in many Commercial Banks. The State Bank of Vietnam has issued a policy allowing Commercial Banks to implement a structure of repayment terms, keeping the debt group for hundreds of thousands of customers.

At this time, the bad debt ratio is still low, but allowing bad debts and potential bad debts to be kept in the current status quo so that enterprises can continue to borrow capital is a risk for banks in the future, because the pandemic is still complicated and unpredictable.

Proactively measure risks

Sacombank increased its credit risk provision by 50% compared to last year, to more than VND 1,565 bn in the first two quarters of the year. TPBank's total credit risk provision at the end of the second quarter stood at VND 765.7 bn, upto 49.1% over the same period in 2019. VIB increased by 31.7% over the same period last year with more than VND 421 bn. Similarly, other banks have also added relatively strong credit risk provisions.

It is easy to understand this, because banks will be prepared to deal with bad situations in the medium term. According to a report by the State Bank of Vietnam in April 2020, the expected outstanding debts affected by the Covid-19 pandemic are around VND 2,000,000 bn, accounting for about 23% of total outstanding loans.

Dealing with bad debts is always a big challenge for most banks, especially small banks with old bad debts. Resolution 42 of the National Assembly resolved many issues but legal administrative procedures hindered the process of handling bad debts. Therefore, under the pressure of potential bad debts this year, most of the comments made recently say that this year banks will have to accept reduced profits, seriously set aside risk provisions, and tighten credit quality of new loans to avoid more bad debts.

That is the most practical solution to dealing with bad debts. However, if the Covid-19 pandemic continues to rage and disrupt businesses, banks will need to assess financial endurance and plan robustly for the future. Banks need to establish a specialized credit risk management department internally and review the criteria to measure credit risks in banking.

Thien Minh
Trinidad and Tobago goes to the polls today to determine which political party will form the next government.

The Express takes a look back at the history of elections in T&T.

Trinidad and Tobago held elections to the then Legislative Council on November 28, 1946. This was the first election since the introduction of universal adult suffrage in 1945. Five political parties contested the then nine seats. The British Empire Citizens and Workers Home Rule Party and the United Front won three seats each. The Trade Union Congress and Socialist Party won two seats and the one seat was won by an independent candidate.

Four years later, in 1950, the country returned to the polls. This time, the boundaries of constituencies had been redefined and 18 seats were up for grabs. The British Empire Citizens and Workers Home Rule Party was victorious, winning the majority of six seats.

Five years later, in 1955, the Peoples National Movement was founded by Dr Eric Williams. The one-year old party went on to contest and win the general elections of September 24, 1956.

Williams became the countrys first Chief Minister.

The party won 13 of the 24 seats with 38.7 per cent of the votes cast.

The party held on to power for the next 30 years, until 1986.

Williams served as Prime Minister until his death in 1981 when he was succeeded by George Chambers who served as Prime Minister until the partys defeat in 1986.

Birth of the NAR, UNC

In 1986, ANR Robinson formed the National Alliance for Reconstruction (NAR) which won 33 of the 36 seats. The PNM won just three, breaking the partys 30-year rule.

Robinson would serve as Prime Minister until 1991.

The PNM was returned to power in the 1991 elections winning 21 of 36 seats with 45 per cent of the vote. The partys then leader, Patrick Manning, became Prime Minister.

The United National Congress, which had been formed by Basdeo Panday in 1989, contested the elections winning 13 seats and 29 per cent of the vote. The NAR won just two seats.

The United National Congress became the main Opposition party to the PNM then, and in the November, 6 1995 general elections the party tied with the PNM winning 17 seats each of the 36 seats.

The UNC formed a coalition with the NAR which had won two seats, allowing Panday to assume leadership of the country as its Prime Minister.

The UNC won the elections of 2000 outright, securing 19 of the 36 seats. The PNM won 16 seats while the NAR won one seat.

The UNC would lose again to the PNM just one year later. In 2001, a split in the party caused the UNC to lose its parliamentary majority and control of the government. The elections were held on December 10, 2001 and resulted in a deadlock with the PNM and the UNC both winning 18 of the 36 seats. The UNC won the popular vote with 279,002 votes to the PNMs 260,075. Although the UNC received the most votes, Robinson who had been appointed President at the time, nominated Manning as Prime Minister.

The country returned to the polls for the third election in three years on October 7, 2002. Manning had failed to secure a majority in the hung parliament produced by the 2001 elections.

This time the PNM was able to secure a majority, winning 20 of the 36 seats. The UNC picked up the remaining 16 seats. In the aftermath of the election, Manning increased the number of parliamentary seats from 36 to 41 in order to prevent any future ties.

In 2007, Manning again became Prime Minister after the PNMs victory at the polls, winning 26 of the 41 seats. A total of 126 candidates from six political parties and three independent candidates contested the election held on November 5 that year. The UNC-Alliance (a coalition of the UNC and six smaller parties), contested the election, winning the remaining 15 seats. The Congress of the People (a UNC splinter group), also contested the election but won no seats.

The PP rolls in

By the time the 2010 election rolled around, five Opposition parties had formed a coalition in a bid to oust the PNM. The coalition was called the Peoples Partnership (PP) and consisted of the UNC, The Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP), and the National Joint Action Committee (NJAC), the Congress of the People (COP), and the Movement for Social Justice (MSJ).

The five parties signed a unity accord in April, 2010 a few weeks before the May 10 general elections.

Kamla Persad-Bissessar, who had replaced Basdeo Panday as political leader of the UNC, led the Partnership to victory at the polls.

The final results gave 29 seats to the Peoples Partnership while the PNM took the remaining 12 seats. Persad-Bissessar became the countrys first female Prime Minister.

But the Partnership fractured and two years later the MSJ severed ties with the coalition citing poor governance.

The Peoples Partnership suffered several election defeats with the TOP losing all 12 seats in the Tobago House of Assembly to the PNM in January 2013.

In April 21, with allegations of corruption surrounding him, UNC Chairman Jack Warner resigned, triggering a by-election in the Chaguanas West constituency.

Warner won the seat again under his newly-formed Independent Liberal Party (ILP).

That same year, amidst the Section 34 fallout, UNC MP for St Joseph Herbert Volney resigned, triggering another by-election in the St Joseph constituency.

The seat was lost to the Peoples National Movement on November 4, 2013.

Rowley becomes PM.

The general election of 2015 was held on September 7.

A total of 127 candidates contested the election for 17 different political parties, with another five running as independents. The PNM was the only party to contest all 41 seats. The UNC contested 28 and the ILP 26. The COP ran in eight seats.

The results saw the PNM, now led by Dr Keith Rowley, regaining power after five years in Opposition. The party won 23 of the 41 seats. The Peoples Partnership took the remaining 18 seats.
Smoke rises from the site of an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

A huge explosion in a port warehouse district near the centre of Beirut killed more than 25 people, injured over 2,500 others and sent shockwaves across the Lebanese capital on Tuesday, shattering windows and causing apartment balconies to collapse.

Officials expected the death toll to rise sharply as emergency workers dug through rubble across a swathe of the city to rescue people and remove the dead. It was the most powerful blast to hit Beirut in years, making the ground tremble.

"What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe," the head of Lebanon's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen. "There are victims and casualties everywhere - in all the streets and areas near and far from the explosion."

Three hours after the blast, which struck shortly after 3pm Irish time, a fire still blazed in the port district, casting an orange glow across the night sky as helicopters hovered and ambulance sirens sounded across the capital.

A security source said victims were being taken for treatment outside the city because Beirut hospitals were already packed with wounded. Red Cross ambulances from the north and south of the country and the Bekaa valley to the east were called in to cope with the huge casualty toll.

The blast was so big that some residents in the city, where memories of heavy shelling during the 1975 to 1990 civil war live on, thought an earthquake had struck. Dazed, weeping and, wounded, people walked through streets searching for relatives.

Lebanon's interior minister said initial information indicated highly explosive material, seized years ago, that had been stored at the port had blown up. The minister later told Al Jadeed TV ammonium nitrate had been in storage there since 2014.

Footage of the explosion shared by residents on social media showed a column of smoke rising from the port district followed by an enormous blast, sending a ball of white smoke and fireball into the sky. Those filming the incident from high buildings 2 km (more than a mile) from the port were thrown backwards by the shock.

Expand Close Aftermath of a massive explosion is seen in in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar) / Facebook

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Whatsapp Aftermath of a massive explosion is seen in in Beirut, Lebanon, Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020. (AP Photo/Hassan Ammar)

Lebanon's health minister said more than 25 people had been killed and more than 2,500 were injured. Lebanon's Red Cross said hundreds of people had been taken to hospitals.

Day of mourning

Lebanese President Michel Aoun called for an emergency meeting of the country's Supreme Defence Council, according to the presidency's Twitter account. Prime Minister Hassan Diab called for a day of mourning on Wednesday.

The explosion occurred three days before a U.N.-backed court is due to deliver a verdict in the trial of four suspects from the Shi'ite group Hezbollah over a 2005 bombing which killed former Prime Minister Rafik al-Hariri and 21 other people.

Hariri was killed in another huge blast on the waterfront, although on that occasion it was caused by a truck bomb.

Expand Close Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir / Facebook

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Whatsapp Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut, Lebanon August 4, 2020. REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

It was not immediately clear what caused Tuesday's blaze that set off the blast.

Internal Security Chief Abbas Ibrahim, touring the port area, said he would not pre-empt investigations. An Israeli official said Israel, which has fought several wars with Lebanon, had nothing to do with the blast.

The governor of Beirut port told Sky News that a team of firefighters at the scene had "disappeared" after the explosion.

"I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding. Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street," said a Reuters witness.

Residents said glass was broken in houses from Raouche, on the Mediterranean city's western tip, to Rabieh 10 km (6 miles) east). In Cyprus, a Mediterranean island 110 miles (180 km) across the sea from Beirut, residents heard the blast bangs. One resident in Nicosia said his house and window shutters shook.

"All the downtown area windows are smashed and there are wounded people walking around. It is total chaos," a Reuters witness said.
Eminent Nigerians on Tuesday paid tributes to the late Afenifere leader, Ayo Fasanmi, as his remains were interred in his country home in Iye Ekiti, Ilejemeje Local Government Area of Ekiti State.

Mr Fasanmi, a Second Republic Senator, died on July 29 at the age of 94.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the casket conveying Mr Fasanmis corpse was brought to the community in a white jeep for the funeral service held at Saint Johns Anglican Church, Iye Ekiti.

Ekiti State governor, Kayode Fayemi said Mr Fasanmis contributions to the development of democracy was immeasurable, particularly his role in the formation and operation of the defunct National Democratic Coalition (NADECO) that fought the military.

The governor disclosed that his government was already constructing a secondary school to honour the deceased for his contributions to the state before his death.

My only regret is that he has left us before the school will be officially inaugurated for academic activities when schools finally reopen, Mr Fayemi said.

The governor, in his tribute entitled, Tribute to a Man of Integrity, said what attracted him to the deceased was his integrity.

His death has, therefore, robbed me of a godfather, counsellor, an advocate and a father. A good man has left us.

We will sorely miss him but we are consoled that he was dedicated to selfless service, he said.

Mr Fayemi added that Mr Fasanmi belonged in the class of the youth of the 1950s when the nationalist movement was at its feverish peak.

He noted that the deceased got indoctrinated into nationalism struggle through the writings of Nnamdi Azikwe and his contemporaries.

He proved his political mettle in 1964 when he was elected as a member of the Federal House of Representatives before 1966 and he got imprisoned in Agodi Prison and was later released.

He offered to serve as governor of the old Ondo state in 1978 and slugged it out with Chief Michael Adekunle Ajasin who defeated him in the primary.

One legacy for which Baba would be fondly remembered was his credential of incorruptibility. He was a man of tall integrity and honesty.

It would be recalled that he was the first to start the Anti-Bribery and Corruption Committee in 1973 under Col. Oluwole Rotimi of the Western Region.

Chief Ayo Fasanmi has come, he has seen and conquered. He conquered human cravings, vanity of power, ostentation, greed and malice, he said.

Speaking on behalf of the Southwest governors, Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, said the news of the passage of the icon was a loss to the Yoruba and Nigeria at large.

Baba living long for 94 years was not what we are celebrating, but we are celebrating how many lives he had impacted on. He lived an impactful life.

He was not petty but he spoke truth, lived a remarkable life and was one politician who became senator and came home to rest, he said.

The governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, represented by his Special Adviser on Civic Engagements, Aderemi Adebowale, said Mr Fasanmis influence became more pronounced by his incorruptible nature.

The All Progressives Congress National leader, Bola Tinubu, represented by former Lagos State Deputy Governor, Abiodun Ogunleye, said Nigerians must learn from the late politician who lived a modest and Spartan lifestyle.

Mr Tinubu described Mr Fasanmi as a revolutionary and a politician of outstanding mien, civility and character who was worthy of being emulated.

In his sermon, the Bishop of Ekiti Oke, Anglican Communion, Peter Olubowale, said Mr Fasanmi was not a noise maker and trouble maker during his time.

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The cleric urged the people to continually do good to humanity the way Mr Fasanmi did to his family, political associates, friends and companions.

We need to be available to ourselves and committed to God. Nigerians are number one people in the world that are easy to govern with patience, zeal and endurance.

Baba has told us that all these monies you are spending and the one you are keeping inside bullion vans and the ones being stashed in banks accounts are all vanity.

Use the position you are occupying very well to develop humanity. This is the only way you can gain eternity because materialism will lead you to hell fire, he said.

(NAN)
If you are missing your fix of bingo, the perfect socially distanced solution is on offer in Laois.

Killeshin GAA club near the Carlow border have announced that they will host Drive In Bingo on four Sundays over the months of August and September.

Drive In Bingo is taking off all over Ireland as a safe way of playing during the Covid-19 pandemic, with players parking in their cars to play.

Breda McDonald is the organiser.

The reason we are doing it is because of the year thats in it and we need income to survive like most clubs. We are the first in the area to do it and we think it will be a big success, she told the Leinster Express.

"We will be adhering to all Covid Guidelines on the day but promise Sunday afternoons that will bring craic and big prize money to a lucky few," the club says.

The bingo will be on August 16 and 30, and September 13 and 27. Eyes down at 3pm for prizes totalling 3,000.

For more information contact 086 8399110.
Sean Duffy has been waiting since 2012 for a critical development in a plan to deepen the Mississippi River Ship Channel to 50 feet. The wait ended on Friday with a partnership agreement from the state of Louisiana that authorizes the $250 million project to move forward.

"Having the state agreement is huge," Duffy, executive director of the Big River Coalition, told FreightWaves. "We've been working with the state on this for eight years. They've told us the money was going to be there and that they were behind the project, and this confirms that. Now the dredging contracts can be issued and the deepening can begin."

Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards' and Louisiana Department of Transportation Secretary Shawn Wilson's signoff with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers essentially unlocked federal funding within the Army Corps' budget that had already been allocated to the project.

"When completed, this project will allow larger vessels that can currently use the widened Panama Canal to reach Louisiana ports as far north as Baton Rouge," commented Bel Edwards. "It will also allow for some vessels to carry heavier loads."

The project, which could be completed as early as 2024, will deepen from 45 to 50 feet two sections within a 256-mile stretch of the Lower Mississippi River from the Port of Baton Rouge south to the Gulf of Mexico. It will allow bulk cargo vessels to take on full loads at river ports instead of having to partially load and transfer cargo to larger ships elsewhere.

On average, 1 foot of additional depth allows approximately $1 million in additional cargo, which can translate to significant transportation cost savings for shippers while stimulating U.S. agribusiness exports.

"The Lower Mississippi River is the No. 1 export region for America's soybean and corn farmers," said Mike Steenhoek, executive director of the Soy Transportation Coalition. "Enhancing the Mississippi River simultaneously enhances the competitiveness and profitability of American agriculture."

Story continues

Along with the Port of Baton Rouge, the deepening will allow larger ships to access the Port of South Louisiana and the Port of New Orleans.

"The Mississippi River connects 31 states to the world and 60% of all grain exported from the U.S. is shipped via the river," said Paul Aucoin, executive director of the Port of South Louisiana, the largest port by tonnage in the Western Hemisphere. "It's my hope that a fully dredged river will power our nation's economy and help us recover from this terrible economic downturn caused by the pandemic."

Phase 1 of the project, which is expected to be completed within two years, will open approximately 175 miles of the ship channel to the deeper draft from the Gulf of Mexico to an area that encompasses the entire jurisdiction of the Port of New Orleans (Port NOLA). The project is expected to help the port handle growing container volumes at its Napoleon Avenue Container Terminal.

"A deeper river will allow Port NOLA and the Lower Mississippi River port-complex to reliably handle larger vessels that carry more cargo and generate significant economic benefits for the region," Port NOLA President and CEO Brandy Christian commented last year. "The capability of handling larger vessels is essential to Port NOLA's competitive advantage and supports our existing success with retaining the service of major carriers."

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Click for more FreightWaves articles by John Gallagher

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 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Here is a look at our coverage of races leading up to todays primary election.

Catch up on whats at stake and whats expected today:
CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- The American College of Surgeons (ACS) strongly opposes the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule proposed rule released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for calendar year 2021 (CY2021), which hurts our health care system and surgical care at the expense of patients. Although the proposed rule takes steps to increase access to care through telehealth, it reduces patients' access to surgical care.

In the fee schedule, general surgeons will see their Medicare payments cut by 7 percent for CY2021. The cuts, set to take place January 1, 2021, affirm and in some cases increase the cuts CMS announced last year. The proposed rule will reduce payments to nearly all surgical specialties, including up to 9 percent for cardiac surgery, 8 percent for thoracic surgery, 7 percent for vascular surgery, 7 percent for neurosurgery, and 6 percent for ophthalmology. This was a detrimental policy for patients even before the pandemic started, but could be even more harmful as our health care system continues to weaken under COVID-19.

"Today's proposed rule from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services is a big disappointment for patients and surgeons. We support steps to expand access to care, but this rule takes one step forward and several steps back by overlooking both patients and the surgeons who care for them," said David B. Hoyt, MD, FACS, Executive Director of the American College of Surgeons. "Congress has a chance to stop these cuts by waiving Medicare's budget neutrality requirement to protect patients. All we ask is that Congress protect America's surgeons so we can continue to do our jobs."

The ACS is a founding member of the Surgical Care Coalition, a group of 12 surgical professional associations that opposes these cuts and urges Congress to act now to preserve care for patients. The Surgical Care Coalition is proposing that Congress enact legislation to waive Medicare's budget neutrality requirements for these E/M adjustments and to require CMS to apply the increased E/M adjustment to all 10- and 90-day global code values.

A recent survey of ACS and other coalition members found that one-in-three private surgical practices state that they are already at risk of closing permanently due to the financial strain of the COVID-19 crisis. In the same survey, it was found that nearly half of surgeons face more difficult financial decisions and are responding by either cutting their own pay or paying employees in the face of declining revenues. The proposed rule will likely force surgeons to take fewer Medicare patients, leading to longer wait times and reduced access to care for older Americans.

About the American College of Surgeons

The American College of Surgeons is a scientific and educational organization of surgeons that was founded in 1913 to raise the standards of surgical practice and improve the quality of care for all surgical patients. The College is dedicated to the ethical and competent practice of surgery. Its achievements have significantly influenced the course of scientific surgery in America and have established it as an important advocate for all surgical patients. The College has more than 82,000 members and is the largest organization of surgeons in the world. For more information, visit www.facs.org.

About the Surgical Care Coalition

The Surgical Care Coalition advocates for access to quality surgical care for all Americans. The Surgical Care Coalition is comprised of 12 surgical professional associations that proudly represent more than 150,000 surgeons working across the country with a common goal of improving the quality of care, and quality of life, for all patients. The founding members have worked together for nearly three decades to promote sound policy solutions to the U.S. Congress and federal regulatory agencies to solve the biggest challenges in health care.

SOURCE American College of Surgeons

Related Links

https://www.facs.org/


Kailyn Lowry of Teen Mom 2 fame welcomed her fourth child on July 30.

The 28-year-old reality star gave birth at home to a baby boy at 2:47 p.m., and he weighed 8lbs, 15oz and was 22.5in long, according to E! News.

'No name yet but we are all healthy and so in love,' Kailyn told the publication. 'I can check giving birth during a pandemic off my bucket list now.'

Bundle of joy: Teen Mom 2 star Kailyn Lowry, 28, welcomed her fourth son on July 30 during a home birth, according to E! News

She already has three older boys: Isaac Rivera, 10, whom she welcomed on Teen Mom with her ex Jo Rivera, Lincoln Marroquin, six, whom she shares with her ex Javi Marroquin, and Lux Lowry, two, whom she shares with her ex-boyfriend Chris Lopez, who is also the father of the new bundle of joy.

Though they share two children, she claims Chris hasn't been actively parenting with her.

'Theres no co-parenting right now. Right now, he is just working and going to therapy as far as I know. Working on himself. And I know he will see Lux when the time is right,' she said during a Teen Mom 2 reunion.

Kailyn shared the happy news of her pregnancy back in February with an Instagram post featuring her sonograms of the growing baby.

'Things have been so different this time around  its weird knowing the sex of this baby & trying to solidify a name so he doesnt go nameless like Lux did + my anxiety is through the roof. Im scared of doing anything wrong,' she wrote at the time, though she didn't speed up the naming process this time around.

Baby on board: Kailyn shared the happy news of her pregnancy back in February with an Instagram post featuring her sonograms of the growing baby

On her own: She shares the unnamed baby, as well as her youngest son Lux, with her ex Chris Lopez, though she said he's not involved in parenting at all

Though she has had three pregnancies before, the reality star said this one presented new challenges on Instagram.

'Physically, this has been a really easy pregnancy, but it is getting a little harder to hold Lux, no real complaints. Emotionally, this has probably been my toughest pregnancy,' she revealed.

Last month, Kailyn revealed on her Coffee Convos podcast that her pregnancy had been designated 'high risk' because of her weight.

'I am at the heaviest weight I've ever been; before I got pregnant and then obviously now while I'm pregnant,' the 28-year-old said. 'So that's been a little hard.'

She added, 'But also I haven't had any real complications. Like, I just haven't. My glucose is good. All my stuff is good. So I went into the doctor today and I saw a new doctor.'

Risks: Kailyn revealed last month that she was designed a 'high-risk' pregnancy because she is anemic and weighed more than she ever had before

Kailyn had long been adamant about wanting a home birth, but multiple doctors had cautioned her against it due to her high-risk status and anemia.

'I know that I'm anemic and I've known that I'm anemic for years, but [the doctor] was telling me how he wanted to make sure I was taking my iron and I said, "Yeah," and he told me that with every pregnancy you lose more blood, which is new to me,' she continued on the podcast.

'Why is this the first time that I'm hearing this with baby No. four at over 37 weeks?' added the TV personality.

'This is now the third doctor that's giving me a different reason for why I should be induced instead of home birth,' she said.

'And then on top of it said, "Because you're anemic, because you lose more blood with every baby, we wouldn't want to see you get a blood transfusion."'

Although the news prompted her to take her health more seriously, it doesn't seem to have deterred her from having a home birth.
Mumbai: The financial capital of India woke up to heavy rain on Tuesday (August 4) in several parts of the city leading to waterlogging. The weather department has issued a red alert for today and tomorrow for extremely heavy rain in Mumbai.

High tide is also expected at 12:47 pm today. The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has issued an alert to all concerned departments and also to citizens to not go near any beach or low lying areas. Tides waves of around 4.51 meters have been predicted due to the heavy rains.

According to BMC, Mumbai city received 140.5 mm rain from 8 am on August 3 to 3 am on August 4. The Eastern and Western Suburbs recorded 84.77 mm and 79.27 mm of rainfall respectively.

BMC issued suitable warnings and advisories to all coastal security agencies, disaster management department and Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST). The city corporation has also put on alert fire brigade, pumping stations and operating staff at temporarily installed 299 pumping machines.

Officers have also been put on alert in case evacuation is required when the water level of the Mithi river increases due to rains. Education officers have been told to keep the BMC schools prepared if any emergency situation arises and people need shelter.

The IMD said that extremely heavy rain will occur at isolated places in Mumbai, Thane and Raigad districts of Maharashtra on August 4 and August 5. Ratnagiri district is also expected to receive extremely heavy rain on August 4, while Paldhar district is expected to receive extremely heavy rain on August 5.

(With ANI input)
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Two years ago, Sam, 32, a former interpreter with British troops in the war-torn Afghan province of Helmand, was kidnapped at gunpoint by the Taliban and held captive for more than three months.

With execution looming as punishment for throwing in his lot with the infidels, he managed to escape. His 22-year-old brother, Parwiz, another former translator, was less fortunate.

After being branded a British spy by the Taliban, he was shot four times in the chest on the doorstep of his home and died.

Sam, married with a young son, is just one of dozens of Afghan interpreters and translators who live each day in fear of their lives, despite a pledge two years ago by the then Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson to relocate up to 50 men who had been the eyes and ears of the British military.

Under relentless pressure from the Mails award-winning Betrayal of the Brave campaign, which has told the terrifying stories of translators left to face the threat of the Taliban and Islamic State, he said it is right to honour their extraordinary service.

The hard-won policy change widened the criteria under which translators could find sanctuary in the UK. Yet, as the Mail revealed last week, only two interpreters have been granted visas.

Their hopes were raised anew when  after pressure from the Mail  the current Defence Secretary Ben Wallace met with Home Secretary Priti Patel and promised their crucial service would be recognised and a settlement found.

Here, the Mail highlights the cases of 48 translators who could qualify to make up the promised Williamson 50.
New Delhi: The Mumbai Police will appoint an auditor to check actor Sushant Singh Rajput's bank transaction entries amid money laundering allegations against his actress girlfriend Rhea Chakraborty. The auditor will examine the financial transactions of Sushant's bank accounts and his deals in various mutual funds and fixed deposits.

On Monday, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) had questioned Sushant's Chartered Accountant Sandeep Sridhar in Mumbai about the financial transactions. The ED's money laundering case pertained to transactions totalling Rs 15 crore and were allegedly related to Sushant's death by suicide.

Earlier, the ED had sought details of the police FIR against Rhea and details of two companies owned by Sushant and Rhea's family from the banks. Also, details in the financial transactions of Vividrage Rhealityx, in which Rhea is a director, and Front India For World, in which her brother Showik is a director, were sought.

Sushant's father had last week lodged the FIR against Rhea in Patna, accusing her of cheating and threatening his son. Following which, the Bihar Police launched a parallel investigation in the case.

Sushant's case is being investigated by the Mumbai Police since his death on June 14.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Tuesday recommended a CBI probe into the death of Sushant.

(With IANS inputs)
Police in Muhoroni, Kisumu County have arrested a man who allegedly beat his daughter to death for leaving home without his permission.

Maurice Owino Owaga, 48, was arrested after he was caught red-handed trying to bury the body of his 15-year-old daughter. He was taken to Chemelil Police Station where he is being held awaiting his arraignment.

The suspect is said to have beaten the deceased together with her 14-year-old sister, who is reported to be nursing serious injuries.

Deputy County Commander Erick Wanyonyi said the suspect will be charged with murder.

He also cautioned parents and guardians against using corporal punishment on their children.

Elsewhere, police in Machakos last week arrested a 17-year-old girl for killing her stepfather.

The teenager allegedly stabbed her 31-year-old stepfather during a domestic wrangle between the deceased and the girls mother at the couples home in Mukameni Village, Kangonde Location in Masinga Sub-County on Thursday, July 30.

Area Assistant Chief, Caroline Mwaluko, told K24 Digital that the juvenile suspect stabbed her step-father in the rib area, leaving him seriously wounded.

The victim was rushed to Masinga Sub-County Hospital before being transferred to Matuu Level 4 Hospital, where he died.

The teenager who sat her KCPE exams in 2019 was arrested and is being held at Masinga Police Station.

After failing to secure secondary school admission this year, she went to Nairobi to seek employment as a house-help. Recently, she returned home after her mother complained to her that she (mother) and her husband were having unending marital conflicts, he said.
Heartless thieves have stolen a woman's $300 online grocery delivery from outside her front door.

Melbourne author Anna Spargo-Ryan shared her dismay on Twitter, explaining she even met the Coles driver at the door and asked him to put the bags down before going back inside for a quick Telehealth appointment.

The mother-of-two wrote: 'When the appointment ended, they were gone. Literally at my front door, lights on in the house, cars in driveway.'

But after posting the story Ms Spargo-Ryan was overwhelmed by the response from her community, and the supermarket which promptly refunded her order.

Melbourne author, Anna Spargo-Ryan (pictured) had her groceries stolen from her front porch

The mother-of-two tweeted the ordeal to her followers, surprised at the brazen theft

The theft took place outside Ms Spargo-Ryan's home in Melbourne, when she went back inside quickly for an appointment

'Friends, Coles just called me at 7:30pm and reimbursed me for the missing order even though it was really my fault for not bringing it in fast enough,' she wrote.

She added love heart emojis and the comment 'My chocolate is not here but it is in my future once again.'

Under Victoria's stage 4 coronavirus restrictions, only supermarkets, bottle shops, petrol stations, pharmacies, post offices and banks are still open but people are encouraged to shop online instead of going out when they can.

The strict measures are in place due to the rise in COVID-19 infections, with the state reporting an additional 439 cases and 11 deaths in the past 24 hours.

ABC Mornings Presenter Virginia Trioli was one of many followers who offered to help Ms Spargo-Ryan after the brazen theft.

The author thanked her and responded: 'Thank you so much, Coles sorted it but the floods of generosity here have been amazing.'

'Thank you for offering to replace them,' she wrote to another follower. 'There are people who need it much more than I do but I really appreciate the kindness.'

She wasn't the only person to have their shopping stolen, a neighbourhood Facebook group revealing someone in the next street also had their overnight food delivery stolen.

'I guess this is going to be a thing that happens during a time when many people are forced into desperate vulnerability,' she tweeted.

HEARTWARMING RESPONSE: Coles refunded the online shopping order to Ms Spargo-Ryan

Ms Spargo-Ryan's followers were quick to offer their help and to ask if it was all resolved
Polands government is looking to hold its delayed 5G spectrum auctions in early 2021.

The sale of 3.4GHz-3.8GHz spectrum was originally scheduled for this year, but due to the Covid-19 pandemic the government opted to cancel the auction process rather than delay it.

Local news outlet Dziennik Gazeta Prawna quoted Deputy Minister of Digitisation Wanda Buk as saying: I believe that the allocation of the C-band block to operators will take place in the first quarter of 2021.

Buk noted that cancelling rather than delaying the auctions was a strategic action as suspending the process could have resulted in one of the bidders launching a legal challenge, which would have caused further delays.

Explaining the rationale behind the move, Buk said: it was a difficult decision  we chose the lesser evil. TeleGeography reported that Polish regulation UKE would open a fresh consultation on the licensing process before the new auctions take place.
OTTAWAThe Royal Canadian Air Force is being forced to fly its ancient search-and-rescue planes even longer as COVID-19 further delays the delivery of replacement aircraft.

The Defence Department is playing down any significant impact on the militarys search-and-rescue operations from the new delay, which has left the first of 16 new Airbus-built CC-295s stranded in Spain for at least several more months.

Jessica Lamirande, a department spokesperson, said a recent analysis conducted by the Air Force and procurement officials concluded the military has the necessary flexibility to keep flying its current search-and-rescue planes.

Those planes include six Buffalo aircraft and seven older-model Hercules planes. Their primary role is to find and rescue Canadians stranded or in danger in places or situations where municipal or provincial authorities are unable to respond.

Yet the planes are all around 50 years old and scheduled for retirement as maintenance requirements have grown and spare parts become harder to find. In 2014, officials had to get parts from a museum in Trenton in 2014 to fix a broken Hercules.

Canadas auditor general also raised concerns about the state of the aircraft in a scathing report in 2013, noting the Buffalo aircraft were unavailable on 119 occasions in 2011. In five of those cases, no other airplane was available.

Lamirande said the Buffalo and Hercules planes would be able to operate until the CC-295s are in the air, saying: We have the necessary flexibility to ensure continued and safe SAR coverage utilizing the existing capability.

Although there are still schedule risks given the uncertainty of the pandemic situation, Canadians can rest assured that the Royal Canadian Air Force will continue to provide uninterrupted search-and-rescue services until we transition to the new capability.

The federal government first started looking for new search-and-rescue planes in 2002, but the effort ground to a halt in 2007 after the Air Force was accused of rigging its requirements to favour an Italian-made plane.

A new competition was eventually launched and saw Airbus selected in 2016 to build 16 new CC-295s for $2.4 billion, with the first plane to be delivered last December and flying rescue missions this year.

Lamirande acknowledged the aircraft will remain in Spain until at least the early fall, saying the COVID-19 pandemic set back production as well as the militarys ability to travel to Spain to review the plane and ensure it meets the Air Forces requirements.

We are and have been working closely with Airbus to develop and implement mitigation strategies that will ensure continued progress notwithstanding the situation, she said.

The government receives about 10,000 distress calls a year. Most are handled by the provinces or territories, with police and volunteers tasked with responding. About 750 of the most high-risk calls are answered by the military.

Military search-and-rescue personnel often use their specialized airplanes and helicopters to parachute or rappel into remote areas such as mountains, the high Arctic or one of Canadas three oceans to respond to plane crashes and sinking ships.

The military considers search-and-rescue a no-fail mission, meaning it must be ready around the clock and respond when called upon to help because of the potentially deadly consequences.
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Hamad Alkaabi, the country's representative to the IAEA, says that this is an Historic milestone for the nation with a vision set to deliver a new form of clean energy. Nuclear fission has begun in one of four reactors. Oil-rich UAE wants Barakah to meet a quarter of its energy needs. Qatar calls the plant a "flagrant threat to regional peace and environment.

Abu Dhabi (AsiaNews/Agencies)  Oil-rich United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday announced the start-up of its Barakah nuclear power plant, a first for the Arab world.

"UAE first nuclear reactor at the Barakah Nuclear Energy Plant has achieved first criticality and successfully started up," tweeted Hamad Alkaabi, the country's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"This is a historic milestone for the nation with a vision set to deliver a new form of clean energy for the nation," he added.

Nuclear fission has begun in one of four reactors at the Barakah plant, which uses South Korean technology. The oil-rich UAE wants Barakah to meet a quarter of its energy needs, as it adopts more sustainable energy sources.

However, some energy experts have questioned the power plants logic, arguing that solar power is cleaner, cheaper and makes more sense in a region beset by political tensions and terrorism.

In 2019, Qatar called the Barakah plant a "flagrant threat to regional peace and environment. Scientists also highlighted the risk of radioactive pollution in the Gulf.

The UAE Prime Minister and ruler of Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al-Maktoum, tweeted that work at Barakah had "succeeded in loading nuclear fuel packages, carrying out comprehensive tests and successfully completing the operation.

"Congratulations on realising this historic achievement in the energy sector & marking this milestone in the roadmap for sustainable development," Sheikh Al-Maktoum added.

The UAE started loading fuel rods into the reactor at Barakah in February, after regulators gave the green light for the first of the plant's four reactors, opening the way for commercial operations.

Located on the Gulf coast, west of Abu Dhabi, the plant had been due to go online in late 2017 but faced a number of delays that officials attributed to safety and regulatory requirements.

The UAE has substantial oil and gas reserves, but with a power-hungry population of 10 million it has made huge investments in developing clean alternatives, including solar energy.

The plant is a regional first. Saudi Arabia, the world's top oil exporter, has said it plans to build up to 16 nuclear reactors, but the project has yet to materialise.
Writing in Al-Ahram Weekly a few weeks ago, Aziza Sami welcomed the appearance in English translation of the Treasure Trove of Benefits and Variety at the Table (Kanz al-fawaid fi tanwi al-mawaid), a mediaeval Egyptian cookbook.

But rather like London buses that always seem to come by in twos or threes no matter how long one might have been waiting, it appears that the relaunch of mediaeval Arab cooking has become something of a trend, with another compilation of recipes recently becoming available in a new English translation from New York Universitys Arabic Library of classical Arabic texts in translation.

This recipe book, translated by US Arabist Charles Perry as Scents and Flavours from an Arabic manuscript entitled Kitab al-Wuslah ila l-Habib fi Wasf al-Tayyibat wal-Tib, is the first translation into any language. It was originally compiled in Syria, probably Aleppo, in the early 13th century, in other words during the Ayyubid sultanate that once ruled over Egypt and much of the Levant.

It is an important record of the kind of dishes that households of the time would have feasted on, Perry says, and perhaps it also contains recipes that adventurous cooks might like to try out in their probably somewhat smaller kitchens today.

Among the recipes collected in Scents and Flavours are ones for starters, main courses, desserts and sweets, though the organisation of an Ayyubid meal was somewhat different from the pattern familiar to us today. There would have been more extensive preparations for one thing, particularly if a banquet was what the mediaeval chefs had in mind. Much activity would have focused on the production of the scents and perfumes that were essential parts of any well-organised soiree.

Then there would have been the main courses, and here the compiler of the mediaeval cookbook focuses particularly on meat dishes based on chicken and lamb. Many of the recipes are likely to be familiar even centuries later, with dishes resembling todays shish tawook and lamb kebabs probably featuring at many Ayyubid banquets. The chefs would have been expected to develop variations on such perennial themes, and the cookbook typically presents both a recipe for a dish in its basic form along with a series of more complicated variations.

Section five on chicken dishes offer themes and variations on roasted, fried, stuffed and other forms of chicken, for example, often using fruit, nuts or yoghurt to taste. Section six, the longest, is on lamb dishes and includes recipes for kebabs and roast meat as well as stews and broths of various kinds.

Vegetables are used to bulk up meat dishes, especially stews, and here the Ayyubid chefs show themselves to have been open to a range of regional influences. The perfumed rice that still today is a mainstay of Persian cooking  often cooked with saffron, dried fruit or almonds  thus receives much attention, as do meat dishes with chickpeas, cauliflower and leeks.

There are also more elaborate meat and vegetable dishes, including some well-known in Egypt today, including stuffed vegetables and lamb stews with molokhiyya (Jews mallow).

Lastly, there are sweets and desserts, and here too the cookbook contains many almost-familiar recipes. There are recipes for cakes drenched in sugar syrup and stuffed with nuts, for example, much like today, as well as more elaborate sugar-based confections that must have taken great skill to produce in the probably rather smoky atmosphere of Ayyubid kitchens.

Among the missing elements familiar in Middle Eastern cooking today are potatoes, brought back from the New World too late to make it into mediaeval kitchens, along with tomatoes, a staple of popular dishes like Egyptian koshari, a mixture of pasta and rice drenched in spicy tomato sauce. There is also little or no fish, explained, Perry says, by the original audience for this cookbook living well inland.

While some of the recipes in Scents and Flavours could be worth trying out today, it might be difficult to be entirely sure one had got them right. The compiler of this cookbook apparently intended it to function more as a set of broad guidelines or rules of thumb than as instructions for novice chefs. As a result, there are few if any details on amounts and cooking times, and in any case Ayyubid ovens were unlikely to have been as adjustable as modern ones.

However, it is striking that, as Perry says, few other cultures seem to have invested so much time and effort in compiling cookbooks, todays Western culture excepted, of course. There is only one surviving ancient Roman cookbook, and this does not seem to have been aimed at practising chefs.

Can the relative abundance of mediaeval Arab cookery books be explained by a greater interest in good food? As Perry notes, the mediaeval Arabs had a highly developed food culture because of their inheritance of the culinary traditions of several civilisations, including those of the ancient Mediterranean, the Turkic peoples and the ancient Persian Empire.

Writing in her foreword to Scents and Flavours, UK food writer Claudia Roden, herself born in Cairo, draws attention to some of the continuities between mediaeval and modern Arab cuisine. The codifying of recipes in the Arab middle ages would have started in the huge court kitchens, for example in Baghdad, where cooking had to be recorded so that it could be easily passed on and instructions read out to illiterate cooks, she says. The recipes included much that may be familiar to us today, including lamb with apricots or sour cherries, stuffed eggplants with spiced minced meat, pastries stuffed with chopped almonds and rose water, or milk pudding with ground rice garnished with pistachios and pomegranate seeds.

Roden also notes that there has been growing interest in mediaeval Arab food writing since French orientalist Maxime Rodinson blazed the trail in a pioneering conspectus published in 1949. Rodinson was among the first to take a serious interest in mediaeval Arab food culture, rightly seeing it as a necessary pendant to the surviving literary writing of the time.

Some of this literary writing at least could perhaps have originated in mediaeval dinner parties of which one can catch a glimpse in recipe books of this kind.

Scents and Flavours: A Syrian Cookbook, translated by Charles Perry, New York: New York University Press (Library of Arabic Literature), 2020, pp194.

Some mediaeval recipes

Scents and Flavours contains recipes for starters, main courses and desserts, arranged according to the pattern of a mediaeval Arab meal.

Egyptian kebabs:

Cut the meat into thin kebabs and smoke them. Once smoked, moisten with water. Put sesame oil in a brass pan and fry the meat, repeatedly spraying with rose water and salt. When done and browned, sprinkle with coriander seeds, and they are ready to eat. Serve on dishes, either as a garnish or by itself.

A variation: Cut filet and loin into thick kebabs and put them on a skewer. Rub with sesame oil, olive oil, pounded coriander seeds and garlic. Roast on the skewer over a low fire.

A delicious variation, the best there is: Cut filet into pieces, and cut tail fat into similar pieces. String on a skewer, alternating two pieces of meat with one piece of fat, and roast over a charcoal fire. Whenever the fat is about to drip, lift the end of the skewer so that the fat falls back on the meat, and rub it with rose water and sesame oil. Repeat until the meat is done. Sprinkle with coriander seeds, and its ready to eat.

Sanbusak [a kind of sweet]:

Take a sheet of sanbusak dough, trim the edges, spray with rose water, and sprinkle with finely pounded sugar. Fold the corners to the centre and sprinkle with sugar, and crimp together in that way to make it the size of a large flat cake. Then take sesame oil, heat it in the pan, and lay the cake in it, corners and upper surface protruding, until it firms up in frying. Then turn over and repeat until it has browned like a sanbusak. Put it in a dish, pour on thick syrup, and sprinkle with crushed toasted pistachios. The key is careful folding.

*A version of this article appears in print in the 6 August, 2020 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly

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Copyright  2020 Albuquerque Journal

SANTA FE  Gov. Michelle Lujan Grishams administration has eased restrictions on New Mexicos programs for individuals with developmental disabilities, roughly four months after locking down group homes and freezing some services.

Under Department of Health changes that took effect Saturday, family members or guardians can now do outdoor visits with group home residents, provided they comply with certain COVID-19 guidelines, and therapists can resume face-to-face sessions with clients.

Pamela Stafford, the public policy director of The Arc of New Mexico, a group that provides services for those with developmental disabilities, described the changes as a positive step.

We think this goes a long way, she said in an interview Monday.

She said the lockdown had led to a surge in anxiety, depression and suicide attempts among those who live in group homes, along with at least three instances of bed bug infestations.

Roughly 200 family members signed on to a recently sent letter to the governor requesting the restrictions be relaxed, saying individuals, many with past trauma, were being isolated from the people who care about them the most.

During a news conference last week, Lujan Grisham described group-living homes as high-risk settings for coronavirus outbreaks given the proximity of residents.

But she said the state was working to address families concerns, while referring to her sister Kimberly, who was disabled and died at age 21.

We also believe that the emotional and physical health consequences of not being able to provide some relief to both leaving your residence and having visitors has to be addressed, the governor said in response to a Journal question.

However, the top medical official in her administration, Human Services Secretary David Scrase, called it a difficult decision to relax restrictions, noting the states seven-day rolling average of new COVID-19 cases reached a record high last week.

We understand the perception is were exercising too much caution, Scrase said.

New Mexicos state-run developmental disabilities programs  there are two programs that are both largely funded by federal Medicaid dollars  currently provide services to about 4,800 individuals and their families, though thousands more are on a waiting list to join the program.

Those enrolled in the programs qualify for a range of services  from physical and speech therapy to respite care for parents and guardians.

The developmental disability services are known as a waiver program. Thats because the federal government, for states including New Mexico, has waived the requirement that help be provided in a nursing home or other type of institutional setting.

That allows families and guardians of adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities to decide whether they should live at home, semi-independently or in group homes.

As of last week, a total of 551 individuals enrolled in New Mexicos developmental disabilities programs had been tested for the coronavirus, according to a memo sent by an acting DOH deputy secretary.

Of that amount, 25 had tested positive and seven have died.

Stafford acknowledged Monday the lockdown on group homes and limited services had proven successful in preventing virus outbreaks, like those seen in some nursing home settings, despite its unintended consequences.

As a result, she said that families will be advised to be cautious and abide by state guidelines  including wearing face masks and social distancing  when visiting family members.

We all have to be so careful, because the threats are real, she said.
Union Pacific's (NYSE: UNP) police force will not ask for the immigration status of people it comes across on Union Pacific's network in California, nor will the railroad work with any joint law enforcement task force whose sole purpose is to identify, detain or deport people who entered the U.S. illegally.

These actions are according to Union Pacific's (UP) police force order, dated March 2020.

UP's March order was in the news last week because the Southern California chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) recently agreed to settle allegations that it refused to turn over documents that alluded to a relationship between ICE and UP.

Civil liberties groups had filed a Freedom of Information Act request in September 2018 to receive ICE documents about its relationship with UP, according to the ACLU. The groups subsequently sued ICE and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in March 2019.

The groups argued that on six occasions, UP's police force detained individuals and then transferred custody of the individuals to ICE. The groups contended that the individuals were targeted because of their race or ethnicity and that their detention violated the Fourth Amendment, according to court filings.

ICE settled with the groups before the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, on July 26 for $15,000. That settlement dismisses the case against ICE.

The groups involved in the lawsuit were the Immigrant Defenders Law Center, Western State College of Law Immigration Clinic, Public Counsel and Esperanza Immigrant Rights Project at Catholic Charities.

Meanwhile, as the lawsuit was occurring, the Southern California chapter of the ACLU said that it and other groups had pressed UP in a March 2019 "demand letter" to address allegations that UP's railroad police had unconstitutionally stopped, arrested and detained individuals based on their race or ethnicity, and then transferred them to ICE.

Story continues

"UP's collaboration with ICE threatened immigrant families and was inconsistent with the California Values Act," said Jessica Bansal, senior staff attorney with the ACLU Foundation of Southern California. "We are pleased the new policy cuts ties with ICE and will be monitoring closely to ensure the troubling practices revealed by the FOIA litigation do not return."

ICE told FreightWaves that it doesn't comment on the specifics of litigation proceedings or outcomes.

Speaking on background on the agency's immigration policies, an ICE official said it does not request for or expect non-immigration officials to enforce immigration statutes.

Union Pacific's Response

Of last week's developments, UP said it "remains committed to full observance with all federal, state, and local laws and regulations. Consistent with this commitment, Union Pacific has policies in place to ensure its interactions with ICE are consistent with both Federal and California law."

UP's March order says as a general policy, "personnel who encounter a non-employee on Union Pacific property shall not (a) use suspected immigration status as a factor in determining whether to confront, detain, or arrest the person; (b) ask the person to disclose his or her immigration status; (c) order the person to produce immigration documents; or (d) initiate contact with a federal immigration agency to report the person. UPPD personnel may contact any law enforcement agency at any time to request additional assistance if necessary for officer safety."

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Joanna Marsh.

Related articles:

CBP finds 48 alleged stowaways in BNSF, UP trains at border

TSA to require freight railroads to provide training addressing terrorist threats

GAO critical of "outdated" inspection practices at U.S. ports by Customs and Border Protection agents

Photo by Levi Saunders on Unsplash

See more from Benzinga

 2020 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
A hostile crowd prevented Portland police from investigating a stabbing at the site of nightly racial justice protests and rioting on Monday.

A woman had walked into Lownsdale Square park in downtown Portland and was taking photos or recording video just before 6:30 p.m. when an argument began between the woman and other people in the park.

The woman who had been taking photos then brandished a knife and stabbed another woman in the chest.

Officers were met with a hostile crowd on the scene and were forced to bring in reinforcements to the area. As police were trying to secure the crime scene, someone picked up the knife used in the stabbing and ran off with it, Portland police said.

Supervisors made the decision to disengage after officers could not safely conduct an investigation in the presence of the crowd.

The suspect fled the area but later returned and was interviewed by police. The victim, whom officers found a few blocks away at SW 5th Ave and SW Taylor Street, was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The city has experienced months of rioting and unrest following the death of George Floyd, leading to the deployment of federal agents to the city. Rioters have repeatedly used violence to target the federal courthouse there, attacking federal law enforcement with various weapons including Molotov cocktails, and in some cases blinding officers with lasers.

While Oregon elected officials demanded the removal of federal law enforcement from the city, President Trump said there would be no Portland if Department of Homeland Security personnel had not been sent in.

A phased removal of federal law enforcement from the city began last week.

More from National Review
East Alabama Medical Center saw a decline in the number of COVID-19 patients, but hospital officials are still concerned about the number of people hospitalized.

There were 46 COVID-19 patients hospitalized at EAMC on Monday, the lowest number of patients since July 17, according to hospital data.

Despite the decline in patients hospitalized, EAMC spokesman John Atkinson says the number shows how fast the virus can spread.

We started July with 24 hospitalized patients with COVID-19 and only one on a ventilator, he said. Exactly three weeks later, on July 22, we had 62 patients with COVID-19 and eight on ventilators. That shows you how quickly this virus can get out of hand. And why we must respect it.

EAMC attributes the decline in COVID-19 patients to a mixture of fewer admissions as well as patients who have been discharged home to recover. Deaths of COVID-19 patients, such as Lee County Commissioner Johnny Lawrence who passed was Friday, also play a role in the decline of patients.
Mumbai, Aug 4 : With the Opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) pointing a needle of suspicion at him, Maharashtra Tourism Minister Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday broke his silence on late Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajputs case, 50 days after his death.

Terming the allegations and ongoing whisper-campaign against him as 'low-level dirty politics', Thackeray Jr. said that so far he has maintained restraint in the matter though he was "not connected to the case in any manner".

"Maharashtra government is making all-out efforts to combat the Coronavirus pandemic. Given the government's success and popularity, those who cannot digest it have started to play politics with Sushant Singh Rajput's case," Aaditya Thackeray said in a statement.

He said that disgruntled political elements were using unnecessary slander to target the Thackeray family as a whole and him personally, though he took no names.

"It is like licking off the 'ghee' from a dead body, which is sickening. Sushant Singh Rajput's death is sad and shocking. I have absolutely no connection with the case," Thackeray Jr. said.

He admitted that since Mumbai is the capital of Bollywood, that is a source of employment for thousands of people, he enjoys excellent relations with many in the film industry, which "is not a crime".

Aaditya Thackeray added that the Mumbai Police and Maharashtra Police, which have a global reputation, are investigating the case in-depth, "but only those who don't have faith in the law are indulging in such scurrilous allegations to misguide the investigations".

"I wish to make it clear that I am the grandson of Hindu Hriday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeraya and I will never do anything that will sully the image of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena or the Thackeray family. Those making such cheap allegations must realise this," Aaditya Thackeray asserted.

He said if anybody has any concrete evidence in the matter, they should approach the police who will investigate it, but nobody should remain under the impression that they can succeed in ruining the image of the government or the Thackeray family by such mudslinging.

Aaditya Thackeray's statement came shortly after former Shiv Sena Chief Minister and present BJP Rajya Sabha MP Narayan Rane made sensational allegations that both Sushant and his ex-manager Disha Salian were "murdered".

Rane is the latest entrant to the controversy with several other BJP leaders, including Leader of Opposition Devendra Fadnavis, and sections of Bollywood demanding a CBI probe into Sushant's case.

Latest updates on Sushant Singh Rajput Death Mystery
The United States on Tuesday successfully tested an unarmed Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in a launch directed from an airborne command center, the Air Force said.

The missile was launched at 12:21 am (0721 GMT) from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, travelling 6,700 kilometers (4,200 miles) over the Pacific Ocean before landing in the sea near the Marshall Islands.

"The test demonstrates that the United States' nuclear deterrent is safe, secure, reliable and effective," the Air Force said in a statement.

"Airmen... were aboard the US Navy E-6 aircraft to demonstrate the reliability and effectiveness" of the airborne launch control system, it said.

Colonel Omar Colbert, commander of 576th Flight Test Squadron, said "the Minuteman III is 50 years old, and continued test launches are essential."

"This visible message of national security serves to assure our allies and dissuade potential aggressors," he said.

The Air Force added that test launches were "not a response or reaction to world events or regional tensions."

The Minuteman III has been the only surface-to-air missile in the US nuclear arsenal since 2005. It is installed at bases in Wyoming, North Dakota and Montana.

Trident nuclear missiles are deployed on US submarines, and US strategic bombers also carry nuclear devices.

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This letter is in response to the July 24 letter Rethink criticism of UVa re-opening (The Daily Progress).

I disagree with my fellow Wahoo that Charlottesville Mayor Nikuyah Walkers comments about the university reopening plans are unnecessarily pessimistic. I believe she is being a realist.

The reality is that the COVID-19 pandemic is more prevalent now than it was last March when the university suspended in-person instruction. Any progress that had been made with the initial shutdowns and travel restrictions has been erased by the recent resurgence.

This resurgence has largely been driven by younger Americans not taking safety precautions seriously. Just a few weeks ago, images and videos of packed bars and fraternity houses circulated on social media during Midsummers.

I believe Mayor Walker is very concerned that those scenes could recur, just with thousands more students around to join in.

The university has access to federal CARES Act money and an endowment worth billions to care for its students. The Charlottesville community has a poverty rate of 23% and an uninsured rate of around 10.4%. While a young UVa student likely has good health insurance and resources to recover from COVID-19, many Charlottesville residents do not.

If university students return and cause a large outbreak, it will likely lead Gov. Ralph Northam to issue another executive order shutting down businesses once again. Nothing is more harmful to economic prosperity than the continued uncontained spread of COVID-19.

Experiencing cabin fever is far less traumatic than contracting COVID-19 without having health insurance, exposing yourself every day as a front-line worker, or experiencing job loss due to the economic downturn.

There is nothing more I want than to start the school year celebrating and catching up with friends like I have been able to do the past three years, but I know this year that cannot and should not happen.

The pandemic demands that we all  especially the young, mostly privileged UVa students  make sacrifices and exert selflessness, empathy, and compassion for our fellow citizens.

Trevor Doiron

Jay, Maine

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Voters voiced concerns about the delivery and security of mail ballots as five states held primaries Tuesday, highlighting how the rapid shift to absentee voting during the coronavirus pandemic has emerged as a central issue in this year's elections.

In Michigan, voters complained that they received their ballots just before Tuesday's vote or not at all, raising fears that political pressure could be affecting the U.S. Postal Service three months before the Nov. 3 presidential election. In Kansas and Missouri, many conservatives chose to cast ballots in person despite the possible health risk, some echoing President Donald Trump's unfounded claims that mail voting leads to widespread fraud.

The number of absentee ballot requests broke records in at least two states with primaries on Tuesday, offering further evidence of voters' embrace of mail voting to avoid potential exposure to the novel coronavirus at polling locations. At least 77 percent of American voters will be able to cast ballots through the mail in the fall, according to a Washington Post tracker of state rules.

Yet the dramatic shift has not always been smooth, with local election administrators struggling to meet demand for absentee ballots with what they describe as a lack of sufficient funding and personnel.

Recent policy changes at the Postal Service put in place by the new postmaster general, a top Trump donor, have caused days-long backlogs of mail, according to postal employees and union officials, heightening fears that some absentee ballots will not be delivered in time to be counted.

The Postal Service has said the changes are aimed at stabilizing the agency after decades of financial problems and not meant to delay ballots, which it has promised to deliver in a timely manner.

But as some Detroit residents reported waiting weeks to receive their absentee ballots, officials and voters said they were worried about how it bodes for the fall.

"I believe there are going to be delays and all kinds of confusion and chaos, depending on where one lives, how informed they are," said Linda Grissom, 65, who chose to vote in person Tuesday, wearing a blue mask as she cast her ballot at Wayne County Community College on the city's northwest side.

Claretha Doggan, 70, said she applied for an absentee ballot at the beginning of July but did not receive one until Monday. She decided to drop it off in person at the polling location to make sure it was counted, noting that not everyone has the ability to get to the polls.

"Some people don't have transportation. So that could be a problem," said Doggan, who said she hopes she is able to vote by mail in the fall because of her age.

"It didn't work for me this time," she said, referring to the wait to receive her ballot.

Requests for absentee ballots have risen around the country this year because of the pandemic, including in Arizona, Kansas and Missouri, which also were holding primaries on Tuesday. Voters also cast ballots in Washington state, which has held universal mail elections for nearly a decade.

However, public surveys show a growing divide between Democrats and Republicans about the security of voting by mail, with Republicans saying they are far less likely to trust it in November. Party leaders in several states said they are encountering resistance among GOP voters who are being encouraged to vote absentee while also seeing the president describe mail voting as "rigged" and "fraudulent."

Trump, who has attacked voting by mail roughly 80 times since late March, has recently intensified his criticism of the Postal Service.

"The post office, for many, many years, has been run in a fashion that hasn't been great," the president told reporters Monday. "Great workers and everything, but they have old equipment, very old equipment, and I don't think the post office is prepared for a thing like this."

Some Republican voters echoed his comments as they went to the polls Tuesday.

"We don't have a good mail system. It's really not viable anymore," Frederick Thompson, 62, an attorney, said as he voted in Kansas City, Mo. "We have been on a downward spiral with the mail for some time."

Thompson, a Trump supporter, said he does not think expanded mail-in voting is a good idea because of what he says is a vulnerability to tampering.

"One, there is no accountability, he said. "There is no degree of certainty it would even work. And two, it is potentially rife for fraud."

Election officials throughout the country have challenged Trump's claims that voting by mail will lead to widespread fraud, saying that with the right safeguards, mail voting is secure. Data from several states with all-mail elections show they have had a tiny rate of potentially fraudulent ballots in recent years.

Trump's message shifted slightly on Tuesday, when he urged Floridians to use absentee ballots to vote in November.

"Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True," Trump wrote on Twitter. "Florida's Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail!"

The flood of absentee ballots will delay the primary results in Kansas and Michigan because of the extra time needed to process and count those votes, officials there said - offering a preview of November, when final tallies are expected to take days or even weeks.

In Michigan, which sent out almost 2.1 million absentee ballots for Tuesday's primary - compared with about 485,000 total ballots cast at the same point in August 2016 - election officials began counting them as soon as the polls opened.

"It's important from the perspective of the integrity of the elections to try and make sure we have ballots counted in a reasonable time," said Jake Rollow, a spokesman for Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson.

As of 6:30 p.m. Tuesday, Michigan voters had returned nearly 1.59 million absentee ballots, breaking the state's previous record of 1.27 million absentee ballots cast in the November 2016 general election, according to Benson's office.

In Detroit, where Rep. Rashida Tlaib, a Democrat, faced a challenge from Detroit City Council President Brenda Jones on Tuesday, approximately 90,000 absentee ballots had been issued and 58,000 had been returned as of Saturday, according to City Clerk Janice Winfrey.

At the polling location at Wayne County Community College, where voters were screened for the coronavirus, Annie and Roy Hall said their absentee ballots did not arrive in the mail until Saturday and their daughter did not receive hers until Monday. The couple decided not to risk returning their ballots by mail, choosing instead to drop them off.

"If this works fine, then I'm sure [in November] it will as well," said Annie Hall, 61.

In a statement Tuesday, Winfrey said the Elections Department had received a "small number of complaints about delayed absentee ballots, which we attribute to mail delays with the Postal Service."

A spokesperson for the city of Detroit said the city had received a notice from the Postal Service that it could not guarantee delivery of mail-in ballots by Aug. 4.

The USPS said in a July 30 statement to The Post that it planned to send letters to election officials in states that have "deadlines for requesting and casting mail-in ballots" that "appear to be incongruous with the Postal Service's delivery standards."

A Detroit-area mail carrier, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he is not permitted to talk to the media in his job, said he was told by a manager to leave mail behind at processing facilities to adhere to the procedures on delivering late mail. He said that he and his fellow carriers delivered the mail anyway, many of them on their own time.

"We said, 'It's election season. Do you see all this political mail? What do you want us to do about that?' " the employee said, adding: "The carriers were so outraged about the ballots and the political mail, we said we were still going to take the ballots out. We're still going to take the political mail out and deliver it."

A USPS spokesperson responsible for the Detroit area did not respond to a request for comment.

Rollow said Tuesday that his office did not have specific evidence that mail delays would lead to absentee ballots not being counted, but that it was safer for voters to drop off their ballots in person. Under Michigan law, ballots must be received by Tuesday night to be counted.

Rollow said that the secretary of state's office has been in frequent communication with the Postal Service and that it redesigned ballot envelopes to make sure they could get delivered as quickly as possible.

"What we've been told from USPS is that they, on a daily basis, clear their system of ballots, which are essentially fast-tracked and treated differently than other mail," he said.

As the after-work rush of voters picked up outside Edison Elementary School on Detroit's west side Tuesday evening, former state senator Coleman Young II said it was vital that the Postal Service is equipped to handle the unprecedented number of absentee ballots expected in November.

"The post office is more than capable. I think that if we gave them the resources that they were supposed to have, this could be more efficient and effective," he said. "I think it's more political in terms of not giving them the resources."

Meanwhile, there were also reports of long Postal Service delays in Missouri, with mail taking up to 24 days to arrive back at the county election board, compared with up to 10 days in previous years, according to Nancy Miller, co-president of the League of Women Voters of Metro St. Louis.

Statewide, more than 226,000 people in the state had submitted requests for absentee ballots as of Monday - far more than in previous years. Missouri officials relaxed notary requirements for high-risk groups such as the elderly to make it easier for them to cast absentee ballots.

But some elderly voters faced another hurdle: Their ballots were rejected because of an error they made signing their envelopes, Miller said.

The League of Women Voters was deputized by St. Louis County to contact voters whose ballots were rejected and give them an opportunity to visit the county office in person to verify their identities or give them the option to vote in person on Tuesday. While hundreds showed up in person in recent days to make sure their votes were counted, not all of those whose ballots were rejected were able to do so, Miller said.

"People who were very old did not drive or did not have a family member available to take them up to remedy whatever they had not done correctly," Miller said. "It was very frustrating because you really didn't have a good solution for them."

The county is looking into redesigning the ballot envelope to avoid this problem in November, she said.

In Kansas, state law allows ballots postmarked on Election Day to be counted through Friday. Officials will release results starting at 7 p.m. Tuesday - as well as on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings.

"There could be a significant number of ballots received and counted after election day," the elections board of Johnson County, the state's most populous, said in a statement.

At Westside Church of the Nazarene in Olathe, Kan., many GOP voters were choosing between the two front-runners to replace retiring Sen. Pat Roberts, a Republican: Rep. Roger Marshall, the establishment pick, and firebrand conservative Kris Kobach, the former Kansas secretary of state who has made fighting election fraud the hallmark of his political career.

Some at the church said they felt that more widespread voting by mail in November would be risky.

"I think mail-in voting is a disaster in the making. There is too much corruption, and we have already seen that in some states," said Ron Harrison, 70, a retired mechanical engineer and conservative Republican. "It's silly. There is no reason to do that and open up potential problems. The post office can't handle that amount of mail."

But Keri Smith, 47, a nurse and "unhappy Republican," said she supported mail-in voting, adding, "I'm all for anything that allows more people to vote." Trump, she said, was "ridiculous."

- - -

Gowen reported from Kansas City, Mo., and Olathe, Kan. Ruble reported from Detroit. The Washington Post's Jacob Bogage, Michelle Ye Hee Lee, Amy Gardner and John Wagner in Washington contributed to this report.
VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Granite Creek Copper Ltd. (TSX.V:GCX) ("Granite Creek" or "the Company") is pleased to provide an update with respect to progress and early findings from its 2020 exploration campaign at the 100%-owned Stu Copper-Gold project in the Minto Copper District of Canada's Yukon Territory. The phase one 2020 exploration program, launched in mid-July, included re-logging and re-sampling of historic core, multi-element soil sampling to determine the precious metal response in soils, and the refinement of target sites for a potential follow-up diamond drilling campaign later this year. Additionally, the Company announces its participation in the Yukon Exploration Series event hosted by the Yukon Mining Alliance ("YMA") on August 6th.

Exploration Program Update

As detailed in a news release dated July 25, 2020, past operators at Stu selectively sampled just 20-30% of the core from the highly prospective Zone A during a drill campaign in 1980. Granite Creek was able to locate a significant portion of the highest-grade core and complete a program of re-logging and re-sampling, including analysis of core that hand not been previously sampled. Multiple measurements consisting of near infrared spectral analysis (NIR), magnetic susceptibility, conductivity, and X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) on over 1400 metes of core were collected systematically over entire holes. Samples have been shipped to Bureau Veritas assay labs for full multi-element analysis, including fire assay for gold. The data from the program will be used to further the Company's understanding of structural controls, alteration, and metal distribution within the mineralized zones on the Stu property (see photos below).

Photos demonstrating the following copper oxide and sulphide mineralization are included overleaf:

Typical oxide core mineralised with malachite and azurite. Foliated granodiorite unit mineralised with malachite and chalcopyrite from trenches. Foliated granodiorite unit mineralised with malachite and chalcopyrite from outcrop. Typical higher grade, sulfide mineralised core.

Story continues

YMA Yukon Exploration Series

Granite Creek is pleased to announce that President and CEO Tim Johnson will participate in first of two planned webinars hosted by the Yukon Mining Alliance ("YMA") and featuring three member companies. The event, which starts at 10am PST on August 6th, will be moderated by Trevor Hall and is being coordinated with 6ix as part of the YMA's Investment Summit Series.

Mr. Johnson stated, "As a proud member of the YMA Granite Creek is delighted to participate in this high-quality virtual investor conference. The Yukon is recognised globally as one of the best jurisdictions for mineral exploration and development due in no small part to the excellent work done by the YMA in support and promotion of its member companies."

Figure 5 - Granite Creek field crew including CEO Tim Johnson (center) & Geologist Debbie James (4th from left)

About Granite Creek Copper

Granite Creek Copper is a Canadian exploration company focused on the advancement of its 100%-owned Stu Copper-Gold project located in Yukon's Minto Copper District. This 115-square-kilometer property is on trend with Pembridge Resources' high-grade Minto Copper-Gold Mine to the north and Copper North's advanced-stage Carmacks Copper-Gold-Silver project to the south, of which Granite Creek owns 30%. The Stu project has excellent access to infrastructure with the nearby paved Yukon Highway 2, along with grid power within 12 km. More information about Granite Creek and the Stu Copper-Gold Project can be viewed on the Company's website at www.gcxcopper.com.

About Yukon Mining Alliance

Founded in 2009, Yukon Mining Alliance ("YMA"), a strategic industry alliance of Yukon's leading exploration, development and mining companies, is focused on creating innovative capital attraction initiatives to promote Yukon's competitive advantages as a top mineral investment jurisdiction and its member companies and their Yukon-based projects. All member companies must have significant project expenditures in Yukon; as well as, adopt and adhere to a corporate sustainability policy including community relations, environmental responsibility and labour relations.

YMA's initiatives include international "investment focused" roadshows, conferences, events and campaigns in the North American, European and Asian financial markets. Senior representatives from Government of Yukon support and participate in these targeted activities, delivering the message that Yukon has a unique competitive advantage as a politically stable and mining-friendly jurisdiction. Funded largely by the member companies, YMA also receives financial assistance from Government of Yukon. More information and be found at https://investyukon.ca/

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Timothy Johnson, President & CEO

Telephone: 1 (604) 235-1982

Toll Free: 1 (888) 361-3494

E-mail: info@gcxcopper.com

Website: www.gcxcopper.com

Quality Control and Quality Assurance

Ms. Debbie James, P.Geo., a qualified person for the purposes of National Instrument 43-101, has reviewed and approved the technical disclosure contained in this news release.

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this news release, including, without limitation, statements relating to Granite Creek's on going review of its investment in Copper North, its intentions following each such review, the filing of the Report and the timing thereof are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Granite Creek's plans or expectations include Granite Creek's ability to obtain regulatory approval and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by Granite Creek with securities regulators. Granite Creek expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

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.

SOURCE: Granite Creek Copper Ltd.





View source version on accesswire.com:

https://www.accesswire.com/600200/Granite-Creek-Copper-Provides-Exploration-Update




Spain's former monarch, Juan Carlos I, is leaving Spain to live in another, unspecified, country amid a financial scandal, according to a letter published on the royal family's website yesterday.

The letter from Juan Carlos to his son, King Felipe VI, said: "I am informing you of my considered decision to move, during this period, out of Spain."

Juan Carlos (82), in the letter, said he made the decision against the backdrop of "public repercussions of certain episodes of my past private life".

He said he wanted to ensure he doesn't make his son's role difficult, adding that "my legacy, and my own dignity, demand that it should be so".

Last night, Juan Carlos' whereabouts were not known.

Spain's prime minister recently said he found the developments about Juan Carlos - including probes in Spain and Switzerland - "disturbing".

Since Spain's Supreme Court began its investigation earlier this year, Spanish media outlets have published damaging testimony from a separate Swiss probe into millions of euros that were allegedly given to Juan Carlos by Saudi Arabia's late King Abdullah.

Juan Carlos allegedly then transferred a large amount to a former companion in what investigators are considering as a possible attempt to hide the money from authorities.

The companion, Corinna Larsen, is a Danish-German businesswoman long linked by Spanish media to the former king. Spanish prosecutors have asked her to provide testimony in the case next month.

The former king is credited with helping Spain peacefully restore democracy after the death of dictator Francisco Franco in 1975.

But marred by scandals in the later years of his reign, Juan Carlos in 2014 abdicated in favour of his son Felipe VI, losing the immunity from prosecution Spain's constitution grants to the head of state.

After media reports claimed Felipe was a beneficiary of an offshore account holding an alleged 65m from Saudi Arabia to Juan Carlos, Felipe renounced any future personal inheritance he might receive from the former king. Felipe also stripped his father of his annual stipend of 194,232.

The royal house has denied that Felipe had any knowledge of his father's alleged financial irregularities.

The royal website said in a statement that Felipe respected his father's decision.
The Roman republic was on the ropes in 458 B.C. A slave rebellion had captured Capitoline Hill itself, and gangsters were calling the tune in the Temple of Jupiter. Foreign raiders brought trade and supply to a standstill and negotiated with compromised rich merchants to fund the invasion. A neighboring rival, Aequi, had broken its truce with Rome and was running roughshod over Rome's demoralized army.

Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus had already washed his hands of the political hardball in Rome that had taken his son's life and retired to family property west of the Tiber River. He was at the plow when a delegation from the Roman Senate came out to speak to him.

They requested he dress in his ceremonial Senate toga to receive an official communication from the supreme council of the Roman state. Cincinnatus sent his wife to their house to bring back his toga, then received the unwelcome news that the Senate had appointed him dictator of the crumbling republic.

He moved quickly. Step one was universal conscription. On the morning after he crossed the river back into Rome, he ordered all men of military age to assemble on the Field of Mars that very day. The draftees were ordered to pack five days' rations, although many felt they were marching to their deaths far sooner than five days.

Roman soldiers customarily brought a vallum, a sharpened pole or stake used to fortify camps during campaigns in hostile territory. But Cincinnatus told his cavalry commander to order the men to bring 12 stakes apiece instead of one.

There were grumbling and despair. But they came. While other Roman generals dithered and procrastinated, Cincinnatus marched hard, directly at the Aequi invaders on Mount Algidus, where they had cornered a desperate Roman army. After his forces located the Aequi army and evening came, their work was just beginning.

Cincinnatus besieged the besiegers. He ordered his men to drive in their 12 stakes overnight to constrict the enemy's movement and prevent their escape. The Aequi invaders would have to fight for their lives or surrender. They tried to break out, but the drafted Romans repeatedly beat them back.

With the surrendered Aequi men at their mercy, the Romans plundered their belongings, but there was no mass slaughter. As a condition of amnesty, Cincinnatus required that they execute three of their worst instigators and that they surrender their leaders to the Romans. These surely wished they had been fortunate enough to be executed with the others.

The vanquished Aequi invaders were required to march under a long row of crossed swords held by the triumphant Roman draftees, held low enough that the warlike Aequi men had to stoop in unmistakable submission to the shopkeepers and laborers who had defeated them against all odds.

There were triumphal parades through Rome, with captured Aequi leaders on display before their penalties were executed. And I like to think the Romans had something special for those rich merchants who were willing to help the invaders destroy their republic.

Fifteen days after the unsmiling Senate delegation waved to Cincinnatus across his field, he disbanded his army, sent his men home to their families, and resigned as dictator. On the 16th day, he was back at his plow.

This is a very hopeful story 2,478 years later. It suggests that even when the cause appears to be lost, purposeful citizens in a republic can mobilize under the right plan to reclaim their sovereignty, repel their invaders, and overcome the sloth of their allies to subdue evildoers. That's great news in 2020.
The H-1B visa, most sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. It is said that 70 per cent of H-1B visas are awarded to Indians. (Photo | Pixabay - Mohamed Hassan)

Washington: In another huge blow to Indian IT professionals eyeing the US job market, President Donald Trump has signed an executive order asking federal agencies to hire Americans and preventing them from contracting or subcontracting foreign workers, mainly those with H-1B visas.

The move came over a month after the Trump administration on June 23 suspended the H-1B visas along with other types of foreign work visas until the end of 2020 to protect American workers in a crucial election year.

The H-1B visa, most sought-after among Indian IT professionals, is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. The technology companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries like India and China.

Today I am signing an executive order to ensure that the federal government lives by a very simple rule, hire American, Trump told reporters in the Oval Office of the White House on Monday before signing the order against hiring H-1B visa holders for federal contracts.

Trump told reporters that his administration will not tolerate firing of hardworking Americans in the pursuit of cheap foreign labour.

As we speak, were finalising the H-1B regulation so that no American workers are replaced ever again. H-1B should be used for top highly paid talent to create American jobs, not as inexpensive labour programmes and destroy American jobs, said Trump, who was surrounded across the Cabinet Room table with individuals campaigning against job outsourcing.

Prominent among them were Sara Blackwell, founder and president of Florida-based Protect US Workers organisation; Jonathan Hicks, a software engineer in the Tennessee Valley Authority; and Kevin Lynn, founder of Pennsylvania-based US Tech Workers.

The H-1B visa has an annual numerical limit cap of 65,000 visas each fiscal year as mandated by the Congress. The first 20,000 petitions filed on behalf of beneficiaries with a US masters degree or higher are exempt from the cap.

The executive order requires all federal agencies to complete an internal audit within 120 days and assess whether they are in compliance with the requirement that only US citizens and nationals are appointed to the competitive service.

As a result, the Department of Labour will also finalise guidelines to prevent H-1B employers from moving H-1B workers to other employers job sites to displace American workers.

Trumps order follows the federally-owned Tennessee Valley Authoritys (TVA) announcement that it will outsource 20 per cent of its technology jobs to companies based in foreign countries.

TVAs action could cause more than 200 highly-skilled American tech workers in Tennessee to lose their jobs to low-wage, foreign workers hired on temporary work visas, the president said.

Outsourcing hundreds of workers is especially detrimental in the middle of a pandemic, which has already cost millions of Americans their jobs, the White House said in a statement.

Given the current climate of rampant intellectual property theft, outsourcing IT jobs that involve sensitive information could pose a national security risk, it said. According to the White House, Trumps actions will help combat employers misuse of H-1B visas, which were never intended to replace qualified American workers with low-cost foreign labour.

One of the participants present during the signing of the order told the president that as many as 70 per cent of the H-1B visa goes to people from India.

Trump said he favours a merit-based immigration system that brings in high-skilled people that creates jobs inside the US and not take away the jobs of Americans.

We are going to be discussing very shortly an immigration bill, which covers this and many other things. It will be a very, very comprehensive bill. Its a word that some people love, and some people hate. But itd be very comprehensive only in the sense that it covered just about everything.

It will be based on merit. It will cover territory that nobody would have thought could have ever been agreed to, Trump said.

The bill will be signed after the convention, Trump said, referring to the ruling Republican Party event later this month where he would be formally nominated as the partys candidate in the presidential election. Democratic Partys candidate and former US vice president Joe Biden will challenge Trump in the November 3 election.

Immigration will be very merit based, but itll be, itll be great for the worker. And itll be great for people coming into our country, but coming into our country legally and loving the country and wanting to help our country as opposed to people coming in. And they dont like our country, Trump said.

Whether changes will be implemented and enforced remains to be seen, said Ron Hira, a Howard University professor who studies the H-1B visa regime.

Major Silicon Valley technology companies may be affected, as most have extensive contracts with the federal government and also obtain workers from staffing and technology firms, Hira was quoted as saying by The Mercury News.

The US government is by far the largest consumer of contracted information-technology work but data are scarce on how many H-1Bs may be working on government contracts or how much government contract work is being done overseas, the San Jose-based newspaper quoted Hira as saying.

Click on Deccan Chronicle Technology and Science for the latest news and reviews. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter.
Mr Samuel Atta Akyea, Minister of Works and Housing, says Subterranean drains will discourage people from littering the environment.



If you care to understand subterranean drains, it means the drain is underground, so where are they going to throw the rubbish?"Mr Akyea asked.



Mr Akyea repeated the call to stop the throwing of unwanted materials into the drains, in an interview with the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in Accra, after the House had approved some loan agreements for the construction of covered drains and ancillary sewage system for Nima drains.



The House approved a total of 101.76 million loan agreement to finance the design and construction of drainage and ancillary sewage system that will cover the Nima drain from Kaokudi to the Odaw River Basin.



The agreement is between the Government of Ghana and Standard Chartered Bank, London. The facility comprises of the Term Loan Facility of 91.4 million as well as the Commercial Facility of 10.38 million between the Government of Ghana and Standard Chartered Bank, London.



The Minister expressed serious concern over the throwing of waste materials into drains, which eventually led to flooding with attendant environmental and health catastrophes.



He described the habit of throwing waste materials into the drains as very obnoxious habit, and said the underground sewage system to be constructed in the Nima is the first to be done in the country, with the hope that it would be replicated across the country.



That discourages the very obnoxious habit of dumping what you hate in your house into the open drains.



This is the first time were doing a major subterranean drain. So this is what we call a major infrastructural work that will discourage people from littering the environment, the Minister emphasized.



Mr Akyea described the project as a paradigm shift, a departure from the open drain situation in Ghana, where no filth will be seen, but all the sewage will go underground, and delivered at a designated place.



What is even more important for us also is that, then, we wouldnt be using too much money in trying to do the desilting  which is a yearly ritual; that we dont have money, but every year monies are voted for us to do it, Mr Akyea said.



He said in the year 2019, GHS 250 million was voted for desilting and drainage lining.



If we had the situation of subterranean drainage, wed not be spending this level of money in trying to maintain our drains and keep our environment safe, the Minister, who is also the MP for Abuakwa South, said.

Source: GNA









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International Transport and Logistics Company Boosts Customer Service with Strategy Assistance in the United States

Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebruder Weiss USA announced enhanced import consulting services for all of its offices in the United States.

Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebruder Weiss USA announced enhanced import consulting services for all of its offices in the United States.

CHICAGO, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Gebruder Weiss, the globally active transport and logistics company has announced the expansion of its import consulting program in the United States.

U.S. Customs applies a reasonable care standard to judge the compliance of import transactions. Failure to meet this standard could result in penalties and extensive costs to correct violations. Gebruder Weiss USA, and its team of licensed professionals, encourages clients to partner with them to carefully examine the compliance of their U.S. import process with a particular focus on critical areas such as;

Tariff classification

Invoice description of the merchandise

Valuation

Country of origin marking

Anti-dumping and countervailing duty

Intellectual property rights

Other government agency requirements

Record keeping

Additional services also include binding rulings, CTPAT certification, scope rulings, and duty drawback.

While the U.S. import process can undoubtedly be confusing to new importers, even experienced importers can be well served by a detailed review of the compliance of their import process. A comprehensive evaluation of this process is best handled outside of the day-to-day import clearance environment. A consultation between the client, who knows the details of the import transaction, and Gebruder Weiss USA, the experts on Customs regulations and the Harmonized Tariff (HTS), can achieve the desired results.

"Do it once and do it right! At the onset, we provide clients with a solid foundation for compliant transactions with evidence of the exercise of reasonable care, as required by U.S. Customs, "said Mark McCullough, CEO of Gebruder Weiss USA. "We pride ourselves on helping companies mitigate their exposure to compliance issues, while at the same time providing valuable education and tools to their organization," he continued. "By expanding our import consulting services, we're demonstrating our commitment to our customers so that they have a true partner in the U.S. import process."

Story continues

For more information on the services and locations offered by Gebruder Weiss, visit the website at www.gw-world.com or contact directly at usa@gw-world.com.

About Gebruder Weiss

Gebruder Weiss, a global freight forwarder with a core business of overland transport, air, and sea freight and logistics, is the world's oldest transport company with a history that dates back more than 500 years. The family-owned company employs more than 7,300 people worldwide and boasts 150 company-owned locations. The business established a presence in the United States in Chicago in 2017 and has since expanded its North American locations to include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Los Angeles, San Francisco, and New York. Developing and changing with the needs of its customers during its long history, Gebruder Weiss is also a pioneer in sustainable business practices having implemented myriad ecological, economic, and social initiatives. The company's voyage into North America, along with its continuous growth, illustrates the need for highly experienced providers of global solutions through an international network of supply chain experts. Customized solutions with a single point of contact, provide customers with an exceptional service experience focused on responsible and economical solutions.

Attachment

CONTACT: Karolyn Raphael Gebruder Weiss 3124940422 karolyn@wingermarketing.com




Another vaccine is showing promising results in the fight to find a COVID-19 solution.

Novavax, a Maryland-based company with $1.6 billion federal funding behind its coronavirus vaccine development, released two preliminary studies Tuesday. In one, all of its more than 130 human volunteers produced antibodies to combat the coronavirus, and in another, monkeys developed strong a resistence to the virus.

All of the humans in Novavax's trial may have some form of protection against COVID-19, but 56 of them produced a high level of antibodies without any dangerous side effects, The New York Times notes. Volunteers who had two doses of the vaccine three weeks apart, plus a booster, had the best results. Their antibodies measured approximately four times higher than those in patients who'd recovered from coronavirus, Stat News reports. Still, more than 60 percent of recipients had side effects including pain, headaches, and fatigue. Eight people had to be hospitalized, though their side effects were not life threatening and they were quickly released.

Novavax's vaccines are only in their first phase of study, while other developers have some in a phase three, where large amounts of people receive the vaccine. Still, John Moore, a virologist at Weill Cornell Medicine who was not involved in the studies, told the Times these were some of the most promising vaccine results he has seen yet. "This is the first one I'm looking at and saying, 'Yeah, I'd take that,'" Moore said. Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at Columbia University who was not involved in the studies, cautioned there's no guarantee of safety until a phase three trial compares people who get the vaccine with people who got a placebo. It's still essential this study receives a peer review as well.

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MBABANE - The Alliance Church in Eswatini and its pastor, Reverend Johannes Mazibuko are opposing the of E1.5 million lawsuit which has been instituted against them by two members of the church.



The church members, Peter Maseko who is a businessman and Delisile Sibandze of Sidvwashini claim that Reverend Mazibuko and Malibongwe Dlamini who is the church board secretary of the Mbabane Branch impaired their dignity. Defendants in the matter are the church, Reverend Mazibuko and Dlamini.



In their particulars of claim, the plaintiffs (Maseko and Sibandze) claim that the incident first occurred on or about early 2019 in Mbabane.

It is alleged that the church board secretary (Dlamini) told Sibandze that he had obtained information that she had a travel document which was fairly new.

According to the particulars of claim, Dlamini allegedly further told Sibandze that based on the above information, he was aware that she had travelled to the Republic of South Africa with Maseko on various dates. These are allegations contained in particulars of claim whose veracity is still to be tested in court and the defendants are yet to file their papers.



Reverend Mazibuko published by disclosing the allegations referred above to Masekos wife. Reverend Mazibuko had neither sought nor obtained Masekos consent when making the publication, reads part of the claim.

In their opposing papers, Mazibuko and the church contended that the plaintiffs particulars of claim for invasion of privacy was bad in law and did not disclose a cause of action.



Through lawyers from Robinson Bertram, the church averred that in order to sustain a cause of action based on privacy, Maseko and Sibandze must demonstrate and prove the following; an unlawful intrusion on the personal affairs of someone without permission of justification; the sharing and/or disclosure or publication of private facts or personal information about a person without his or her permission.



Private



It was further their contention that the plaintiff should prove where the disclosure and/or publication of those private facts took place.

In so far as the plaintiffs claim for patrimonial loss in the sense of pure economic loss in reliance on the lex Aquilia, the plaintiff must also allege wrongfulness of the defendants conduct and plead further facts in support of such an allegations, argued the defendants (Mazibuko and the church). The lex Aquilia was a Roman law which provided compensation to the owners of property injured by someones fault.



According to the defendants, the plaintiffs did not pleaded any wrongfulness on the defendants conduct to support patrimonial claim neither had they pleaded any facts to support their economic loss on the lex Aquilia.

The duo of the church and the pastor further submitted that the plaintiffs had allegedly failed to demonstrate and/or plead the above allegations against either of the defendants.

In the circumstances, the plaintiffs particulars of claim are bad in law and lack the necessary averments to sustain a cause of action against the defendants, contended the defendants.

They then pleaded with the court to dismiss the plaintiffs particulars of claim for failing to disclose a cause of action against them.



Meanwhile, Maseko and Sibandze averred that consequently, they were allegedly humiliated and demeaned by the defendants unlawful conduct and they suffered damages amounting to E1.5 million. Maseko claimed that for the alleged invasion of privacy he suffered damaged amounting to E1million while Sibandze wants E500 00 as compensation for the alleged invasion of privacy.



The duo submitted that, notwithstanding demand, the defendant had allegedly refused, failed and/or neglected to pay them.

In both their claim, the plaintiffs want the court to direct the defendants to pay the different amounts they were claiming with interest at the rate of nine per cent per annum from the date of issue of summons to date of final payment.

The matter is still pending in court.


BRUSSELS/FRANKFURT/PARIS (dpa-AFX) - European stocks turned in a mixed performance on Tuesday with investors largely making cautious moves as they digested the latest batch of earnings reports, and kept an eye on the geopolitical front, and awaited progress on U.S. stimulus.



U.S.-China tensions remained on investors' radar after U.S. President Donald Trump said he will ban popular Chinese-owned video app TikTok in the United States unless a tech company such as Microsoft buys it. Meanwhile, the China Daily newspaper said China will not accept U.S. theft of TikTok.



In another development, the editor of a newspaper published by China's ruling Communist Party's People's Daily said that Beijing would retaliate if all Chinese journalists based in the United States are forced to leave the country.



The pan European Stoxx 600 edged down 0.07%. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 edged up 0.05% and France's CAC 40 advanced 0.28%, while Germany's DAX declined 0.36% and Switzerland's SMI slid 0.66%.



Among other markets in Europe, Austria, Czech Republic and Greece closed sharply higher. Iceland, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Russia and Spain ended with modest gains. Denmark, Ireland, Sweden and Turkey ended weak, while Belgium, Finland and Netherlands closed flat.



On the economic front, preliminary data from Eurostat showed that euro area industrial producer prices increased for the first time in five months in June and at a faster than expected pace, even though economic activity remained damped by the Covid-19 containment measures in most of the countries in the EU.



The producer price index for Eurozone rose 0.7% from May, when it fell 0.6%. Economists had forecast a 0.5% increase.



According to a survey report from the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs, or SECO, Switzerland's consumer sentiment recovered from its slump in April after the relaxation of the measures to contain the coronavirus.



The report said, consumer confidence index rose to -12 in July from a historic low of -39.3 in the previous quarter. Nonetheless, the reading was well below its long-term average of -5. Expectations regarding general economic development improved significantly, with the index rising to -16.7 from -78.3.



In the U.K. market, TUI shares soared more than 9%, EasyJet gained 8.75% and IAG moved up 6.6%.



Rolls-Royce Holdings gained about 6.5%. BT Group shares rose 8.4%. BP ended higher by about 6.5% after it posted a record loss and cut its dividend, as widely expected.



Carnival, BAE Systems, Melrose, Hiscox, Whitbread, ITV, Royal Dutch Shell and Meggit gained 3 to 5.2%.



Diageo lost more than 5% after the company reported a bigger-than-expected decline in underlying net sales in the second quarter.



Berkeley Group shares shed about 3.1%, while Hikma Pharmaceutical, Intertek Group, Rentokil Initial and AstraZeneca lost 2.5 to 2.7%.



In France, Renault rallied nearly 7%. Societe Generale gained 5.3% and Unibail Rodamco moved up 4.2%. Accor, Peugeot, Airbus Group, Safran, Publicis Groupe, Total, BNP Paribas and Credit Agricole also ended sharply higher.



On the other hand, Dassault Systemes, Sanofi and Worldline ended lower by 2 to 2.75%.



In the German market, Lufthansa surged up 5.25%. BMW gained nearly 3.5%, Dalmier moved up 2.8% and Volkswagen rallied 2.5%.



Infineon Technologies shares ended more than 2.5% up after the company confirmed its revenue guidance for the year after posting an after-tax loss for the third quarter of its fiscal year on higher revenue.



Bayer slipped nearly 2.5% on weak results. The multinational pharma and life sciences company said it expects sales of 43 billion euros to 44 billion euros this year, a range that's 1 billion euros lower than the previous target.



Covestro lost 2.3% and Merck ended nearly 2% down, while Fresenius Medical Care, Wirecard, SAP and Siemens ended lower by 1.3 to 1.7%.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Gov. Phil Murphy said enforcement of a new mandate restricting indoor gatherings to just 25 people  including house parties, which have led to an increase in coronavirus cases  will fall on local police, but some police chiefs are worried about how to make that happen.

We may have a situation where were able to go to the house and speak to the homeowner, and say, we believe youre over the limit and its something you need to rectify, but we dont have the authority or the right to go into the home and say, you three need to leave, Sparta Township Police Department spokesman Lt. John Lamon told NJ Advance Media after the governors press conference.

Murphy on Monday instituted the new change, as a way to curb the spread of the virus that had been increasing recently and had been attributed partially to parties.
Netflix USA wowed netizens after the streaming giant ran away with 160 nominations in the Emmys 2020.

On July 28, the Television Academy announced the 72nd Primetime Emmy Awards nominations. But this year's competition took a dramatic turn after Netflix garnered a whopping number of nominations, leaving HBO behind with only 107 nods.

As the platform continues to solidify its claim to the throne, it beat its own record of 117 nominations last year.

Without its award-winning titles, Netflix USA would not be where they are now. But before they take home another set of recognitions from Emmys 2020, here are some of the best shows that received nods from the award-giving body.

Black Mirror

"Black Mirror" is back on track again after it won two awards in the 2019 Emmy Awards.

The sci-fi anthology series started playing with people's minds in December 2018. Moreover, as it took its fans back in 1984, the Bandersnatch show even allowed its viewers to make decisions for the main character -- a young programmer named Stefan Butler.

There are also plenty of mind-bending standalone installments to choose from, which should give everyone a great viewing pleasure.

American Son

Kenny Leon's 2019 film is based on his Broadway play of the same name. It tells the tale of an estranged couple who reunited to find their missing son together.

As of writing, it only has 48 percent audience score on Rotten Tomatoes and 34 percent on Metacritic. Despite that, "American Son" landed on Emmys 2020 and nabbed a nomination for Outstanding Television Movie 2020.

El Camino

The neo-Western crime thriller film goes by its name and literally made "a royal road" towards Emmys 2020.

"El Camino" is the sequel and epilogue to the TV series "Breaking Bad." It bagged four nominations for Outstanding Television Movie, Sound Editing - Limited Series, Sound Mixing - Limited Series, and Single Camera Picture Editing Limited Series/Movie.

The Crown

The three-season old Netflix hit series revolves around the lives of Queen Elizabeth II and the members of the British monarchy.

The historical drama series started to air in 2016, and the first season even passed Queen Elizabeth II's standards after she felt intrigued by the way the series brought the past back and how it made her feel nostalgic.

Currently, it holds the title of the most expensive series of all time with its first-season budget of $130 million. The cost was overwhelming due to the royal costumes, cast and the eight filming locations from London to Scotland.

However, its 90 percent critics ratings at Rotten Tomatoes alone makes all the expenses worth it, and fans are now looking forward for more.

Though the release of Season 4 is yet to be determined, "The Crown" nabbed three nominations for this year's Emmys. It is competing for Outstanding Drama Series, Lead Actress - Drama Series (Olivia Colman), and Supporting Actress - Drama Series (Helena Bonham Carter).

Stranger Things

The science fiction series also secured a slot for the Outstanding Drama Series category in the Emmy Awards nomination.

After the slogan "We're Not in Hawkins Anymore" concluded Season 3, Hopper was assumed to be dead while Eleven's powers are gone and Russians have a mysterious American prisoner along with a Domogorgon.

Although Season 4 has faced delays after delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the "Stranger Things" cast see the postponements as blessings in disguise -- especially since everyone is still worried about the health crisis.

With the crisis the world is facing right now, watching these Netflix USA hit series will surely alleviate your worries in an instant.

READ MORE: 'Umbrella Academy' Season 2: What the Critics Said So Far
A Vietnamese man obsessed with traditional porcelain dishes and antiques has spent the last 25 years of his life decorating his house with almost 10,000 porcelain bowls, plates and urns.

Nguien Van Truong first fell in love with porcelain antiques in 1986, a year after being discharged from the army and returning to his home village of Kieu Son, in Vietnams Vinh Phuc province. He was making a living as a carpenter at a time and got the chance to paint the table and chairs of a local antique collector who first introduced him to the beauty of traditional porcelain dishes. Truong was so impressed that he decided to become a collector himself, and scoured all of Vietnams northern provinces in search of traditional porcelain objects, and spent all of his money trying to acquire as much of it as possible.

Truongs obsession with porcelain was hard to accept, even by his family, especially since he would spend every last dong he had on it, and then borrowing more from neighbors, relatives and friends. He traveled the country, visiting every place where he heard that people were selling porcelain dishes, and carried the objects in his backpack for weeks, sometimes months on end.

The 58-year-olds original plan was to buy the porcelain and than sell it off for a profit, but after seeing the bleeding of antiques overseas, he just couldnt be involved in the practice. So instead of selling the dishes, he simply stockpiled them until he could figure out what to do with them.

Nguien Van Truong said that he was afraid his collection would get stolen or broken if he simply kept it in his home. He even took into consideration his own demise, and the probable sale of his porcelain objects by his family, something that he couldnt cope with. So to make sure his collection endured the test of time, he decided to incorporate it all into his home.

I thought the only way to protect the legacy of our ancestors was to attach them to the walls of my house, Truong said. So one night, after dinner, he started mixing some mortar and attaching some of the porcelain bowls in his collection to the walls of his house. Then he moved on to the fence and gate, and then to the interior.

Truongs house is now covered in nearly 10,000 porcelain plates, bowls and urns, and photos of the unique property have been doing the rounds on social media. The collector says that while beautiful, most of the pieces incorporated into his home are relatively cheap, although he does have a few pieces dating back to the 17th and 18th centuries.



The Vietnamese porcelain collector does not care about the financial value of his dishes, all he wants is to preserve his countrys culture. To make sure his legacy outlives him, he has already told his children that they cannot sell or demolish the house after his demise. They can either live in it or build their own.

Sources: Vietnamnet, Thanhnien, Baobacgiang
The Most Creative People in Business list recognizes individuals who used their innovative thinking to make an impact on the world beyond financial success. These engineers, executives, choreographers, activists, designers, journalists, and founders have created something new this year within their field that's never been done before in their industries. Many achieved these societal problem-solving accomplishments in one of the most contentious and erratic times in history.

"I am honored to be included among such an impressive list of creative, innovative individuals," said Michael E. Hansen, CEO at Cengage. "This recognition is a reflection of the collaborative, driven and creative culture that exists at Cengage, which allowed us to disrupt a 100-year old business model from within to benefit students and address the affordability crisis in U.S. education."

"Higher education has reached an important inflection point, and the impact of COVID-19 has stressed an already struggling system," continued Hansen. "Our mission at Cengage is to make education work for students, meeting them where they are, and providing valued, quality learning materials and solutions that support them throughout their lives."

Earlier this year, Cengage was also named a finalist for Fast Company's 2020 World Changing Ideas Award for its efforts tackling college affordability with Cengage Unlimited.

Michael Hansen joined Cengage as CEO in December 2012 and spearheaded its transformation from a traditional print publisher to a digital education company. In August 2018, the company launched Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind subscription service for college textbooks and course materials. Cengage Unlimited gives students access to more than 22,000 digital course materials, including eBooks, online homework access codes and study guides for just one price, thus significantly reducing the cost of materials. Within the first seven months of availability, more than a million Cengage Unlimited subscriptions were sold - a milestone the company reached faster than Hulu, Netflix and Spotify.

Building on the success of Cengage Unlimited, this month the company introduced Cengage Unlimited eTextbooks to provide students with another affordable option. At just $69.99, Cengage Unlimited eTextbooks provides an affordable alternative for students who don't need a full Cengage Unlimited subscription that includes online homework access codes, but still want access to Cengage's catalogue of eTextbooks.

"Each year, we recognize artists and conventionally creative people making their mark on business and corporate executives deploying creativity and innovation to address some of the biggest challenges facing businesses and society," says Stephanie Mehta, editor-in-chief of Fast Company. "Individually and collectively, the Most Creative People are an inspiration."

Fast Company's Most Creative People in Business issue (September 2020) is on newsstands beginning August 11, 2020. To see the complete list of honorees, go to: https://www.fastcompany.com/most-creative-people/2020.

About Cengage

Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. As the largest US-based provider of teaching and learning materials for higher education, we offer valuable options at affordable price points. Our industry-leading initiatives include Cengage Unlimited, the first-of-its-kind all-access digital subscription service. We embrace innovation to create learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. Headquartered in Boston, Cengage also serves K-12, library and workforce training markets around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About Fast Company

Fast Company is the only media brand fully dedicated to the vital intersection of business, innovation, and design, engaging the most influential leaders, companies, and thinkers on the future of business. The editor-in-chief is Stephanie Mehta and the publisher is Amanda Smith. Headquartered in New York City, Fast Company is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with our sister publication, Inc., and can be found online at fastcompany.com.

Media Contact:

Kristina Massari, Cengage

203.965.8694, [email protected]

SOURCE Cengage

Related Links

http://www.cengage.com


Protesters in Argentina question the governments motives for a proposed overhaul of the justice system.

Argentinas government has unveiled plans to reform its judiciary by increasing the number of federal courts.

But the opposition says the move is President Alberto Fernandezs attempt to shield his predecessor from prosecution.

Al Jazeeras Teresa Bo reports from Buenos Aires.
SHANGHAI, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Cango Inc. ("Cango" or the "Company") (NYSE: CANG), a leading automotive transaction service platform in China, today announced that the Company received the "Best Auto Finance Risk Management Innovation Award" at the 5th Annual China Auto Finance International Summit, which took place in Shanghai, China on July 30, 2020.

As a leading company in China's auto finance market, Cango has served the industry for a decade while continuing to grow and explore new markets and new technologies. Based on machine algorithms, artificial intelligence and big data, Cango has independently developed its core risk control system, aiming to manage dealers' decision-making process, anti-fraud, credit risk, GPS early warning and asset disposal. Through this multi-dimensional and comprehensive risk control mechanism, Cango uses advanced technologies to support post-loan management, and explore innovative post-loan management methods, including the use of social media, all in an effort to help Cango-facilitated auto loans continue to perform well.

Over the past year, the entire auto finance industry has undergone structural adjustments, with the COVID-19 pandemic making the already sluggish automotive market a more difficult environment to navigate. Facing these multiple challenges, the auto finance industry is working diligently to continue serving and supporting the market and help players along the industry value chain weather the storm. The acceleration of transformation from offline to online remains a top priority for the auto finance industry. All parties involved need to explore more advanced business models, as well as seek cooperation in capital, technology and sales channels, to gain a firm foothold in the fiercely competitive arena and seek breakthroughs.

Mr. Jiayuan Lin, Chief Executive Officer of Cango, commented, "We are honored that this award has recognized our outstanding performance and highlighted our relentless efforts in risk management. Since our inception, Cango has emphasized the importance of risk control and regarded it as the cornerstone of our business development. We endeavor to create value for all parties along the auto transaction value chain by strictly managing risks, actively exploring innovative risk management methods, and offering safe and professional one-stop auto financing services. Looking forward, we remain committed to supporting all industry participants as they continually evolve, as well as making further contributions to drive innovation in the industry."

The 5th Annual China Auto Finance International Summit was hosted by Shine Consultant International and supported by China Auto Finance Association. Over 150 industry leaders attended the summit, more than 20 experts from the governments, industry associations, global leading institutions delivered speeches. Nearly 200 distinguished guests gathered together, sharing new ideas, interpreting the industry's latest policies, reviewing the key issues for the industry's sustainable development and exploring ideas and solutions for the industry development.

About Cango, Inc.

Cango Inc. (NYSE: CANG) is a leading automotive transaction service platform in China connecting dealers, financial institutions, car buyers, and other industry participants. Founded in 2010 by a group of pioneers in China's automotive finance industry, the Company is headquartered in Shanghai and engages car buyers through a nationwide dealer network. The Company's services primarily consist of automotive financing facilitation, automotive transaction facilitation, and after-market services facilitation. By utilizing its competitive advantages in technology, data insights, and cloud-based infrastructure, Cango is able to connect its platform participants while bringing them a premium user experience. Cango's platform model puts it in a unique position to add value for its platform participants and business partners as the automotive and mobility markets in China continue to grow and evolve. For more information, please visit: www.cangoonline.com .

Safe Harbor Statement

This announcement contains forward-looking statements. These statements are made under the "safe harbor" provisions of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements can be identified by terminology such as "will," "expects," "anticipates," "future," "intends," "plans," "believes," "estimates" and similar statements. Among other things, the "Business Outlook" section and quotations from management in this announcement, contain forward-looking statements. Cango may also make written or oral forward-looking statements in its periodic reports to the SEC, in its annual report to shareholders, in press releases and other written materials and in oral statements made by its officers, directors or employees to third parties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements about Cango's beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement, including but not limited to the following: Cango's goal and strategies; Cango's expansion plans; Cango's future business development, financial condition and results of operations; Cango's expectations regarding demand for, and market acceptance of, its solutions and services; Cango's expectations regarding keeping and strengthening its relationships with dealers, financial institutions, car buyers and other platform participants; general economic and business conditions; and assumptions underlying or related to any of the foregoing. Further information regarding these and other risks is included in Cango's filings with the SEC. All information provided in this press release and in the attachments is as of the date of this press release, and Cango does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement, except as required under applicable law.

Investor Relations Contact



Caesar Cao

Cango Inc.

Tel: +86 21 3183 5088 ext.5579

Email: [email protected]

Emilie Wu

The Piacente Group, Inc.

Tel: +86 21 6039 8363

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Cango Inc.

Related Links

www.cangoonline.com


The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on August 4 cleared the name of Sashidhar Jagdishan as the next chief executive officer of HDFC Bank, according to a senior RBI executive who didnt want to be named. Jagdishans name has been approved, the executive told Moneycontrol.

CNBC-TV18 was the first to report this story.

Jagdishan's selection confirms HDFC Banks outgoing Chief Aditya Puris recent comments that his successor will be an insider. There has been a lot of talk about the successor not being with us for a long time. Our potential successor has been with us for 25 years. My successor was always in place, at least in my mind. It is now for RBI to decide, Puri said at the banks recent AGM.

Jagdishan is currently serving as the additional director of HDFC Bank and has been with the bank for nearly three decades. Jagdishan served as the Group Head of Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Secretarial, Administration, Infrastructure, Corporate Communications and Corporate Social Responsibility.

He joined the bank around 1996 as a Manager in the Finance function, and then went on to become Business Head - Finance in 1999 and Chief Financial Officer in the year 2008.

Jagdishan, along with Kaizad Bharucha, another HDFC Bank senior executive, was among the top three names recommended by the bank to RBI early this year. The third name was Sunil Garg, CEO of Citi Commercial Bank.

Puris term is ending in October this year. Paresh Sukthankar, deputy managing director of HDFC Bank and a trusted lieutenant of Puri was seen as a worthy successor to his boss. But Sukthankar surprised the markets by quitting in August 2018, thereby confirming the ensuing hunt for another candidate.

Jagdishan will be taking over at a time when the banking industry is in the middle of a crisis following the onset of Covid-19. About 9 per cent of the HDFC Banks loan book is under moratorium as on June 30. The bank has admitted that COVID-19 has already taken a toll on the retail loan book.

The continued slowdown in economic activity has led to a decrease in retail loan origination, sale of third party products, use of credit and debit cards by customers, efficiency in collection efforts and waivers of certain fees. As a result, fees/other income was lower by approximately Rs 2,000 crore, the bank said announcing the first quarter results.

In the retail loan portfolio, the auto loan portfolio has shrunk to Rs 81,082 crore from Rs 83,935 crore while the home loan portfolio declined to Rs 62,652 crore from Rs 63,445 crore. Two-wheeler loans shrank to Rs 9,568 crore from Rs 9,855 crore. Clearly, the COVID-19 stress is visible on the books of HDFC Bank.

Also, the successor to Puri is entering at a time the bank is under the shadow of a controversy surrounding auto loan division. There were allegations that the banks vehicle financing division flouted rules to sell GPS devices bundled with auto loans. Post an internal investigation, the bank had sacked a few officials. Puris successor will have to take steps to send a message to the investors about good corporate governance standards in the bank.
Geneva, Switzerland (PANA) - There is no silver bullet to combat COVID-19, and there might never be, the head of the UN health agency told journalists here on Monday
The price of life in the UK was among the lowest at around $100,000, and lower still once under-reporting of COVID-19 deaths is accounted for.

Price of life lowest in UK during COVID-19 pandemic, study finds

The price the UK government was prepared to pay to save lives during the COVID-19 pandemic was far lower than in many other developed nations, a study has revealed.

In a cross-country comparison across nine nations  Belgium, the US, Germany, Korea, Italy, Denmark, China, New Zealand and the UK  researchers used epidemiological modelling to calculate how many lives were lost through delaying lockdown, estimating that a UK lockdown date just three days earlier would have saved 20,000 lives.

They then linked those policy decisions to the financial cost lockdown had on GDP, resulting in a price of life estimate  the amount of money governments were willing to pay to protect their citizens lives, reflected in the economic activity sacrificed.

The price of life in the UK was among the lowest at around $100,000, and lower still once under-reporting of COVID-19 deaths is accounted for. In contrast countries that were quicker to go into lockdown, such as Germany, New Zealand and South Korea, put a price on life in excess of $1million.

Price of life estimates are of critical importance given that government intervention has the ability to save life, yet trades off against other goods, said lead author Ben Balmford, from the University of Exeter Business School.

Comparing across countries those who pursued an early lockdown strategy reveal themselves to be willing to pay a high price to save their citizens lives, only rejecting prices above $1m.

However, some countries, those which imposed lockdown relatively late-on in their respective pandemics, were clearly only willing to pay far less.

The study addressed why countries have suffered such huge variations in death tolls and established how the timing of lockdowns impacted on mortality rates, complementing the official Covid-19 statistics with excess mortality data and taking into account socio-economic and demographic factors such as age, population density and income inequality.

Modelling mortality across the countries before simulating changes in the date of lockdown, the researchers calculated that 20,000 lives in the UK would have been saved by imposing lockdown three days earlier.

Even further delays would have cost yet more lives: 32,000 extra people would have died had lockdown come in three days later than it did; while a delay of 12 days would have cost more than 200,000 extra lives.

Similarly high figures were observed in other countries that acted relatively late  such as Italy  highlighting how earlier governmental action would have saved many more lives.

Price of life was then calculated using estimates of the financial cost of lockdown on GDP, comparing IMF forecasts pre-lockdown to the most recent figures and teasing apart the amount of GDP loss that comes from the effects of lockdown policy, as opposed to other factors.

Imposing lockdown earlier on in a countrys outbreak means saving more lives, but at a higher cost to the economy. This means countries that delayed their lockdowns such as the UK, US and Italy are revealed to price the lives of their citizens relatively low (at around $100,000) whereas the price of life in Germany, a country very similar to the UK in terms of GDP per capita, was $1.03m  around an order of magnitude higher.

For those countries whose governments acted quickest  South Korea and New Zealand  and whose response to date has been deemed most successful, the price of life was $6.7m and $11.6m respectively.

Seemingly, much like a bird in the hand, cash flowing through the market is worth much more than value passing through wellbeing, at least to some countries, said Balmford.

By choosing not to impose lockdowns three days earlier, governments rejected saving more lives when the price was relatively high.

The same logic reveals them to have accepted the implied price of life from a delay  they would rather bear the cost in terms of GDP than as further human lives lost.

The study is published in the journal Environmental and Resource Economics.
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

By Nargiz Sadikhova - Trend:

The value of trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Israel amounted to $199.4 million over first five months of 2020, compared to $250.3 million during the same period of 2019, Trend reports with reference to Kazakhstans Statistics Committee.

The share of Israel in total value of Kazakhstans trade turnover was 0.6 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 0.7 percent during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export to Israel amounted to $183.7 million over the period from January through May 2020, compared to $236.9 million during the same period of 2019.

Israels share in total volume of Kazakhstans export amounted to 0.8 percent during the reporting period of 2020 compared to 1 percent during the same period of 2019.

In turn, Kazakhstans imports from Israel amounted to $15.7 million over the reporting period, compared to $13.4 million during the same period of 2019.

Israels total share in Kazakhstans import was 0.1 percent during the reporting period of 2020 which is flat year-on-year.

The total volume of Kazakhstans trade turnover amounted to $34.9 billion over the period from Jan. through May 2020 which indicates a decrease from $37.5 billion during the same period of 2019.

Kazakhstans export amounted to $22.3 billion during the reporting period of 2020 ($23.6 billion in the same period of 2019), whereas import amounted to $12.6 billion ($13.9 billion).

---

Follow the author on twitter: @nargiz_sadikh
A 24-year-old man was arrested Tuesday in last weeks shooting outside a Bessemer store.

Bessemer police announced the arrest of 24-year-old Aaron Foster. He is charged with two counts of first-degree assault, one count of second-degree assault, five counts of discharging a firearm into an occupied and/or unoccupied vehicle and certain persons forbidden to possess a firearm.

The shooting happened Monday, July 27, in the parking lot of the Family Dollar on Highway 150, said Lt. Christian Clemons. Detectives learned that Foster and another man got into a shootout in parking lot.

Clemons said Fosters girlfriend works at the store and Foster believed she was involved in flirtation with a deliveryman for one of the stores vendors. He drove to the store and was sitting in the parking lot while talking with his girlfriend on a cell phone.

A couple entered the store, saw something was amiss and asked her if she was OK. She told them her boyfriend was jealous, a conversation which police said Foster overheard.

When the couple left the store, police said, Foster exchanged words with the male customer. He then pulls a gun and shoots at the man, who returned fire. It was during the exchange of gunfire that the mans wife was struck.

She was treated on the scene by Bessemer Fire medics and then taken to UAB Hospitals Trauma Center in Birmingham. Her injuries were not life-threatening.
In every great American crisis, there is a moment where the whole world can see the true character of a President.

For George W. Bush it came when he was photographed staring down from the luxurious comfort of Air Force One on the wreckage wrought by Hurricane Katrina, after his government's woefully inadequate federal response. The picture made him look detached and uncaring, and worst of all, a weak and ineffectual leader. He never recovered from it.

For Bill Clinton, it came with his infamous 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky' declaration. When it turned out he had indeed had multiple sexual relations with that woman, his reputation was badly damaged.

Conversely, for John F. Kennedy, you could point to his rousing 1962 speech challenging America to go to the moon, instilling in Americans a spirit of unlimited optimism, as the moment when he sparked a deep abiding popularity that lasts to this day.

Similarly, for Ronald Reagan, his audacious 'Mr Gorbachev, tear down this wall!' command at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate to the leader of the Soviet Union, cemented his place in history.

For President Donald J. Trump, there have been many grim moments during his catastrophic handling of the coronavirus pandemic that may end up defining his presidency.

For President Donald J. Trump, there have been many grim moments during his catastrophic handling of the coronavirus pandemic that may end up defining his presidency

During an extraordinary, toe-curling HBO interview with AXIOS's Jonathan Swan (right), President Trump exposed just why the US has become a horrifyingly bad template for how NOT to combat Covid-19

But last night, during an extraordinary, toe-curling HBO interview with AXIOS's Jonathan Swan, he exposed just why the US has become a horrifyingly bad template for how NOT to combat Covid-19.

In an attempt to defend his indefensible record, and specifically why the US has one of the worst death rates in the world, Trump suddenly produced a collection of graphics.

'Look at some of these charts,' he said. 'This one, right here, the United States is lowestin numerous categorieslower than the world.'

'In what?' said an incredulous Swan.

'Take a look,' said Trump, handing the chart over.

Swan, a very good and well-prepared journalist, studied the chart quickly and forensically.

'Oh, you're doing death as a proportion of cases,' he replied. 'I'm talking about death as a proportion of population.'

'Well well' Trump stammered.

'That's where the US is really bad,' persisted Swan, 'much worse than South Korea, Germany etc.'

'You can't do that!' exclaimed Trump.

'Why can't I do that?' asked Swan, looking understandably confused.

'You have to go by the cases,' said Trump. 'We're last, meaning we're first!'

It was a stunning exchange.

George W. Bush it came was photographed staring down from the luxurious comfort of Air Force One on the wreckage wrought by Hurricane Katrina, after his government's woefully inadequate federal response

Bill Clinton, infamously said: 'I did not have sexual relations with that woman, Ms Lewinsky'. He is pictured at his impeachment

Here was the President of the United States telling a journalist that he couldn't mention America's shocking coronavirus death toll because all that matters is not how many people have died, but how many people have been tested.

'You know there are those that say you can test too much,' Trump blathered. 'You do know that?'

Swan didn't know that, because nobody other than Trump has said that.

'Who says that?' Swan asked.

'Oh, just read the manuals,' Trump retorted. 'Read the books.'

'Manuals?' Swan pressed. 'What manuals?'

'Read the books, read the books,' Trump repeated.

Of course, there are no manuals, or books, that say you can do too much coronavirus testing.

Obviously, as any scientist will attest, you can never do enough testing. It's the only way to get on top of this virus until there's a vaccine.

What Trump actually means is that he wishes America did less testing so they didn't have so many cases because it makes HIM look bad.

That's why he doesn't want to talk about America's appalling death toll because, again, it makes HIM look bad.

'A thousand people are dying a day,' Swan told him.

'They are dying,' replied Trump. 'It's true. It is what it is.'

Wow.

'It is what it is' - that was the President's staggering response to the ongoing horrific slaughter of Americans by a deadly virus.

No empathy, no apology, no expression of sorrow.

Just a heartless, dismissive shrug.

The problem for Trump in this crisis is that the stats don't lie like he does.

When Swan pointed out that South Korea has a population of 51 million people but has only suffered 300 coronavirus deaths, Trump inferred, with zero evidence, that the statistics were fake news.

It's his default response to any facts he doesn't like, but now he is being exposed by the cold, hard reality of data-backed truth.

The World Health Organisation reports today there have been 18,100,204 confirmed cases of coronavirus in the world, and 690,257 deaths.

Of these, America has had 4,629,459 cases, which is 25% of the global total, and 154,226 deaths which is 22% of the global total.

Yet it has just 4.2% of the world's population.

So whichever way you look at the numbers, the United States is doing catastrophically badly.

Trump insisted that the US had the virus 'under control' despite more than 154,000 Americans dying from COVID-19

When Swan told Trump that up to 1,000 Americans were dying everyday, the president said: 'It's true. It is what it is.' Pictured: Bodies are transferred to a temporary morgue in Brooklyn during the height of the pandemic

Trump knows it, everyone knows it.

But he also knows if he admits it, it may cost him the election in November.

So, he's now reduced to lying, obfuscating, deflecting, and anything else he can think of to avoid being held accountable for what has happened on his watch.

Last night, Americans saw their President deny the incontrovertible.

They saw him pretend he's got coronavirus under control when he's completely lost control.

And they saw him challenged relentlessly on all this bullsh*t by a top-class journalist determined not to let him off the hook.

It made for electrifying but very unedifying viewing, combining the detached uncaring conduct of George W. Bush during the Katrina crisis with Bill Clinton's cynical lying about Monica Lewinsky.

There were many other awful moments during the interview, including Trump once again offering weirdly uncritical support to accused child sex trafficker Ghislaine Maxwell, refusing to call the late civil rights campaigning legend, Congressman John Lewis, 'impressive' because Lewis hadn't gone to his inauguration, and stoking self-serving fears of election night mail voting fraud.

But it was his meandering disingenuous nonsense about coronavirus that swiftly went viral around the world.

Some people on social media even assumed it must be a comedy sketch given how preposterous it appeared and the fact it was appearing on a network famed for shows like Veep and Succession.

This, sadly, was very real.

I didn't laugh.

Instead, I cringed, I despaired, and then I felt angry.

America is being overrun by coronavirus because its narcissistic President has put his personal ego before doing his job  from spewing his dangerous 'cure' theories to trashing his top medical experts if they dare to speak the truth and boasting inanely about his covid news conference TV ratings.

Trump's made the crisis all about him, not the American people.

As a result, the American people are dying in massive numbers all over the country.

Jonathan Swan's constantly bemused face last night perfectly summed up what we were all thinking as the President brandished his meaningless self-serving charts and spouted his nonsensical self-justifying drivel: what the f*ck is he talking about?
State regulators are negotiating a settlement with the owners of Three Mile Islands Unit 2, the storied nuclear reactor that partially melted down in 1979, amid objections over the proposed sale to a third party that would take over its decommissioning.

The Department of Environmental Protection raised a number of concerns over FirstEnergys plan to transfer its license for Unit 2  along with ratepayer-funded money set aside from decommissioning  to the Utah-based EnergySolutions.

Last week, the DEP told the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission that it was reviewing information and asked the federal agency not to rule on matters related to the transfer until after Aug. 10.

Jennifer Young, a FirstEnergy spokeswoman, said in a written statement that details of the settlement agreement are confidential, and I dont have additional information regarding the settlement to provide at this time.

DEP spokesman Neil Shader said the agency will reach a decision soon.

Meanwhile, Exelon received the go-ahead to scale back emergency planning in the event of an accident at the plant.

READ MORE: Whos paying to decommission Three Mile Island? You are, and youre keeping the nuclear waste, too.

State Environmental Secretary Patrick McDonnell raised a number of unanswered questions about the proposed transfer this spring. They included concern that FirstEnergy, whose decommissioning funds are tied to a faltering stock market, wont leave EnergySolutions with enough money for cleanup; that radiation levels at the old reactor remain largely a mystery; that FirstEnergy hasnt provided enough detail about what it plans to do with radioactive material; and that the entire process could leave the area with longterm environmental and public health hazards.

Regardless of the answers to these concerns, Three Mile Island will house toxic nuclear waste for years and possibly decades due to the absence of a national repository.

FirstEnergy provided state regulators with at least some of what they asked for but only after the state employees signed nondisclosure agreements (also referred to as NDAs) ensuring that the material remained secret.

However, DEP is not the only party involved.

Eric Epstein, an activist whos followed Three Mile Islands legacy for four decades, also filed a brief in the matter and has received material from FirstEnergy  although possibly not the same material the DEP was privy to.

[FirstEnergy] provided us proprietary data that does not satisfy our concerns, Epstein said. I cant speak for the DEP; were not a party in the discussions they are having.

Epstein, who also signed an NDA, vowed to continue fighting the transfer even if the DEP reaches an agreement and lifts its objections.

We dont accept making TMI a high-level radioactive waste site, he said. Regardless of the guarantees, the amount of money [FirstEnergy] anticipates for the cleanup is based on a quick and dirty plan. Were not going to sign off on that.

READ MORE: We believe theres a clear and present danger: Three Mile Island decommissioning in question

He also objects to FirstEnergys signing over the decommissioning trust fund to a private trust fund that he believes wont be held adequately accountable if something goes wrong with the decommissioning process.

In its most recent filing with the NRC this March, GPU Nuclear reported having about $899 million in its decommissioning fund against estimated cleanup costs of more than $1.3 billion. The wildcard, of course, is that these funds are linked to the stock market, which has proven exceedingly volatile during the coronavirus crisis.

FirstEnergy has contended that the fund has a highly conservative investment strategy and that recent market fluctuations have had very little impact on the balance.

EnergySolutions, the Salt Lake City-based company which would take over from FirstEnergy, bills itself as a less expensive alternative for utilities looking to dismantle their old nuclear reactors and has stepped into a number of decommissioning projects in recent years.

Last week, the NRC allowed Exelon to reduce its emergency planning responsibility for both units. While the company owns the recently shuttered Unit 1, it was put in charge of emergency planning for both.

That means Exelon will end the routine siren tests, off-site radiation monitoring and the 10-mile evacuation zone around the site. It would also end its contributions to local governments which, in 2018, included $425,000 to the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency; $87,000 to Dauphin County and $5,000 to Londonderry Township, where the facility is located.

READ MORE: How did 4,707 coronavirus cases go missing? The devils in the data

Ruth Miller, spokeswoman for the state Emergency Management Agency, said PEMA and the DEP will continue to conduct planning, training and exercises to ensure state, county and local readiness for possible incidents at the facility despite the NRC decision.

Miller and Shader did not respond to questions about whether this meant the two agencies would continue overseeing the 10-mile evacuation zone or off-site radiation monitoring.

Epstein said the larger problem with both Exelon and FirstEnergys recent actions with regard to the two reactors at Three Mile Island is that neither have received much public scrutiny. The public comment periods were not well-publicized and theres been no recent local public hearing to gather the input of nearby residents.

Officials from Dauphin County and Londonderry Township did not respond to requests for comment Monday but the county commissioners did issue a joint letter to the NRC last fall seeking greater local input into the decommissioning process.

Given the history of this plant, and the significant impact decommissioning will have on our region, the letter read, we believe having a community advisory board would be of great benefit.

Wallace McKelvey may be reached at wmckelvey@pennlive.com. Follow him on Twitter @wjmckelvey. Find PennLive on Facebook.

Read the The hunt for Ray Gricar.

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WORCESTER, MA  Tenet Healthcare, the for-profit owner of major hospitals in MetroWest and Worcester, saw its profits increase during the peak of coronavirus in Massachusetts, a time when the company furloughed local employees.

According to an earnings report released Monday, Dallas-based Tenet earned $88 million between April and June, more than triple the same period in 2019. However, the company saw a large drop in elective surgeries and other services due to the coronavirus pandemic, and overall revenue was down to $3.6 billion compared to $4.5 billion in the second quarter of 2019.

Tenet owns the MetroWest Medical Center, which includes Framingham Union and Natick's Leonard Morse Hospital, and Saint Vincent Hospital in Worcester.

Tenet buoyed profits in several ways through April, May and June, according to the earnings report.

The company was able to recoup losses through approximately $867 million in grants from the federal CARES Act stimulus, plus about $1.5 billion in advance Medicare payments. Tenet CEO Ronald Rittenmeyer said that the stimulus payments provided the company "an important bridge to minimize the financial crisis."

During the pandemic, the company's 65 hospitals also spent much less on salaries and supplies compared to the same period in 2019. Salaries dropped from $1.8 billion in Q2 2020 to $1.5 billion during the pandemic, and supply costs dropped from $644 million to $530 million, according to the earnings report.



The cost of charity care and uninsured patients in the second quarter also fell from $205 million in 2019 to $188 million in 2020.

The company has been allowed to resume providing elective surgeries in some states, including Massachusetts. The earnings report says the company has access to cash and credit  and possible future government stimulus  that should allow it to remain in business if coronavirus reaches levels seen this spring.

However, the report cautions that a second coronavirus peak could have a serious impact on the company.

Story continues

"The COVID-19 pandemic is significantly affecting our operations and financial condition, and our liquidity could also be negatively impacted, particularly if the U.S. economy remains unstable for a significant period of time," the earnings report warns.

Read more about Tenet Healthcare in Massachusetts:



This article originally appeared on the Worcester Patch
VIENNA, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Today Lexogen, the transcriptomics and next-generation sequencing company, announced that Stephane Barges, PhD, MBA has been appointed as new Chief Executive Officer effective from September 1, 2020.

Dr. Barges said "Lexogen is already a renowned company thanks to the quality of its very innovative products and of its customer support provided by dedicated and talented experts. Its technology has been widely adopted and I am glad to join Lexogen at an exciting period where the importance of RNA in the understanding of the biological processes, in diagnostics and in therapy has been highlighted to everyone during the Covid crisis. Lexogen will contribute to democratize transcriptomic and RNA based technologies in order to support research and enable development of healthcare solutions to ultimately improve people well-being and save lives. Lexogen has the potential to become the leader in its area and one of the best companies to work for. With the support of an exceptional team of collaborators, I am eager to reach these goals and to build value to all our stakeholders."

Stephane Barges succeeds Alexander Seitz, MD, the company's founder who will take on the role as Chief Innovation Officer.

"I am delighted to welcome Stephane to our company," said Dr. Seitz. "He brings on deep knowledge of commercial operations with proven track records in the life sciences and diagnostics industries. With a significant international exposure, Stephane is recognized for his outstanding leadership and I am confident that he will successfully drive the expansion of Lexogen."

Stephane Barges holds a doctorate in Genetics and Molecular biology from the University of Geneva (Switzerland) and an MBA in International Management from HEC Geneva. He has 20 years of experience in a wide range of management positions in the life science and clinical diagnostics industry. Since 2005, he has worked in various commercial areas and held diverse positions with increasing management responsibility in the industry leaders (Life Technologies, Bio-Rad, and Tecan), most recently as a Vice President in the Molecular Diagnostics division of QIAGEN.

About Lexogen

Established in 2007, Lexogen is a transcriptomics and Next-Generation Sequencing company, focusing on the development of innovative methods for RNA analysis. Its portfolio includes multiple innovative and well-established protocols for RNA sequencing sample preparation, external RNA spike-in controls, as well as bioinformatics tools and sequencing services. Lexogen is a privately held company, headquartered in Vienna, Austria with a subsidiary in New Hampshire, US.

To learn more, visit www.lexogen.com and follow @lexogen.

Contact person at Lexogen

Jekaterina Aleksejeva

Senior Marketing Manager

E-mail: jekaterina.aleksejeva@lexogen.com

Tel.: +43 699 1023 8946

www.lexogen.com

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The state comptroller projected Monday that Connecticut will finish the recently completed fiscal year with a $128.1 million deficit, adding that the future of the states economy will be dependent on federal action.

A crucial factor going forward, Comptroller Kevin Lembo said, is the federal aid package that is currently being negotiated by Congress and the White House.

Its decision time, Lembo said. Our state economy is showing signs of recovery from the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, but without a significant investment from the federal government, those gains may slip away, and Connecticut families and businesses will suffer.

While the state has recovered more than 100,000 jobs as the economy has largely reopened since the depths of the pandemic, Connecticuts unemployment rate remains high. Overall, the state still has nearly 173,000 fewer jobs than at this time last year.

A key issue in the short term is whether Congress and the White House will agree to continue the $600 per week unemployment benefits that have gone to millions of workers across the nation in recent months. Those benefits expired last week, and lawmakers say that any extensions could be made retroactive so that the benefits would continue. But Congressional Republicans and Democrats have been stalemated on the negotiations, and no final deal had been announced as of Monday.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal said in Hartford that the stalemate has been the cause of deep frustration as families have been struggling to pay their bills at a time of high unemployment.

This is one of the most frustrating and frightening moments of my entire political life, said Blumenthal, who has served for more than 40 years as the U.S. attorney for Connecticut, a state legislator, state attorney general and U.S. senator. In my entire public life in public service, no time has been more frustrating than this one. There is a clear solution to move forward. It is sitting on the desk of Mitch McConnell in the United States Senate.

Story continues

McConnell has blocked the Democratic-written Heroes Act that was passed by the U.S. House in mid-May, and the two sides have been negotiating to reach a compromise.

Lembo and Gov. Ned Lamonts budget office say the state has a budgetary cushion with a rainy day fund for fiscal emergencies that could grow to $2.8 billion that would be used to plug budget gaps.

Lembo, though, said the extension of unemployment benefits would be an economic shot in the arm that would help struggling families that are trying to find work.

Without sufficient support, Connecticut and nearly every state across the country, will see spikes in evictions, foreclosures and bankruptcies, and the jobs weve yet to recover may be lost permanently, he said. State and local governments will be forced into impossible budgetary choices.

This is the biggest economic disaster in generations and the response must match that scale. Without it, Americans will suffer and every dollar weve spent so far will go to waste.

Lembo released his economic data Monday in his monthly letter to Lamont that is required by state law.

State budget director Melissa McCaw said the Capital Region Development Authority faced a shortfall of $3.45 million in the just-completed year because of multiple cancellations at the XL Center in Hartford, Rentschler Field in East Hartford and the Connecticut Convention Center in Hartford due to the pandemic.

She also said UConn Health in Farmington finished the fiscal year on June 30 with a projected operating deficit of $31.5 million. The health center has struggled through financial problems through the years and has received subsidies in the past from the legislature. This spring, UConn Health was forced to cancel elective surgeries and other appointments and procedures due to the coronavirus pandemic.

This is due to the public health emergency which impacted revenues from clinical operations, McCaw wrote in a letter to Lamont. The shortfall will cause cash-flow issues for the agency until clinical revenues return to pre-pandemic levels, and will exacerbate concerns about the ongoing financial position of UConn Health.

McCaw said that Lamont, the legislature and the health center will determine how much money UConn should receive for the current fiscal year as well as a long-term approach for addressing this issue.

A complete accounting of the fiscal year that ended June 30 will be completed in September.

Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@courant.com.



2020 The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.)

Visit The Hartford Courant (Hartford, Conn.) at www.courant.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
JOHNSTON, Iowa  Gov. Kim Reynolds warned Tuesday that school districts defying her order to provide at least 50 percent in-person instruction for core subjects when classes resume would not meet state requirements for instructional time and would have to make up the time for students to receive credit.

Speaking to reporters, the governor noted most of Iowas school districts are planning to resume classes in compliance with a directive she said was based on a state law passed unanimously in the last session.

The five or so that are looking to provide at least initial instruction via online only, or with a hybrid that falls short of the in-person threshold, will be in violation of state law if they defy last weeks proclamation.

The law is the law and we expect our school districts to operate within the law, said Reynolds, who indicated her administration is trying to balance safety with the needs of students but is being thwarted by media scare tactics that are escalating the anxiety of students, parents and teachers.

Those few districts not intending to comply, Reynolds said, are defying the law established by the Legislature in Senate File 2310 that she signed earlier this year providing for in-person classes as the preferred method of instruction.

It is the expectation of the law and if they fail to comply or follow the law, then the days when theyre not in compliance will not count toward the instructional time and so it will have to be made up, she said.

School administrators may also be subject to licensure discipline as well and that is within the law, the governor said, later adding that there are consequences like everything else to not following the law.

SF 2310 states that schools submitting return-to-learn plans for this fall must contain provisions for in-person instruction and provide that in-person instruction is the presumed method of instruction.

Reynolds said Tuesday the statute is binding and supersedes the local control during the pandemic.

She said her proclamation permits remote learning when parents select online-only learning as the best option for their family. She noted it also provides an option if an outbreak requires schools to change.

Under state guidelines, school districts may request a temporary waiver to send students home for 14 days and move all instruction online if 10 percent of students are absent and a 14-day average shows at least 15 percent of county residents screened for the coronavirus tested positive. School districts given permission to conduct all classes online due to high COVID-19 case counts may do so for 14 days but then would have to again get state officials permission for subsequent weeks.

Not everyone agreed with the Republican governors interpretation of the new state law.

Democratic Sen. Herman Quirmbach of Ames, ranking member of the Senate Education Committee, accused the governor of continuing to hide behind SF 2310 as she puts students and teachers at risk by forcing them back into classrooms.

Quirmbach said the law contains vague language that only sets a general priority for in-person education and that the governors 50 percent rule is her own interpretation.

Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, said the governor has thrown up last-minute roadblocks for schools by misinterpreting the intent of the law in a way that has made a difficult situation worse by failing to recognize that her one-size-fits-all approach falls well short of whats needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep students, teachers, and school staff safe.

Steckman said House Democrats trust local leaders and educators to determine what is best for their communities.

Reynolds told the news conference at Iowa PBS in Johnston she believed all Iowans want whats best for Iowa students and she said whats best for kids is for them to be in school and in the classroom.

Going back to school will be different and we will need to remain flexible, she noted.

By far the vast majority of Iowa schools already have plans in place that meet the requirement for at least 50 percent in-person instruction, the governor added. These plans are creative, innovative and adaptable and value the health and well-being of the whole student. There are only a few schools requesting waivers to return by remote learning and we are actively working with them.

She noted that some of the objecting schools managed to conduct summer sports programs without problems.

Reynolds said her team of public health officials and other experts had made significant progress in their ability to target, contain and manage virus activity in Iowa  including tracking trends in real time.

We have the tools that we need to protect the health of our state and safely reopen our economy and our schools. We all know that COVID-19 is a serious situation and were appropriately managing it as such, but the headlines would have you believe otherwise, she noted.

As the governor, I have the responsibility to not react to partially informed headlines or news stories but to make decisions based on data and the Department of Public Health experts and the epidemiologist team thats in the best interest of the lives and livelihoods of Iowans, she added.

Reynolds said the coronavirus outbreak will be a concern until a vaccine is available to combat it and until then come hell or high water were going to get through this.

At the same time, the governor noted that the COVID-19 numbers involving positive cases, hospitalizations and recovery rates all have improved significantly since the pandemic forced school and business closures in April and May.

It would be naive for us to think that at no point were not going to see positive cases in school districts, she said. But she called upon the news media to report COVID-19 numbers in context so as not to exacerbate anxiety  especially among children.

What were doing to these kids is unconscionable  the fear that were instilling in them, Reynolds said. And so I think we all have a responsibility to do better, including me.

PHOTOS: 42 historic images of Sioux City schools




Haiti - News : Zapping...





A man electrocuted by a high voltage cable

Early Monday morning at Delmas 75, more precisely at Puits Blain 26, a man lost his life electrocuted by a high voltage cable which had broken and was lying on the ground...



Individuals open fire on a minibus, 8 victims

Monday morning, near Papaye (Ganthier commune), unidentified heavily armed individuals opened fire on a minibus injuring 6 people and killing two others, a mother and her baby...



CEP : The voodoo sector appoints its representative

The mambo Euvonie Georges Auguste responding to the request of the Head of State announced that the former Commissioner of the Government of Gonaives Me Enock Genelus, had been appointed as Representative of the voodoo sector, to sit on the new Provisional Electoral Council (CEP) .



New DG to fight corruption

By presidential decree dated July 23, 2020, Me Hans J. Ludwig Joseph becomes the new Director General of the Anti-Corruption Unit.



US Ambassador Sison speaks of impunity

US Ambassador to Haiti Michele Sison spoke with Jessy Menos, the Minister responsible for human rights and the fight against extreme poverty, to underscore the importance of accountability for human rights violations, the fight against impunity, the need to reduce prolonged pretrial detention, and protecting freedom of expression. They also discussed the need for Haitian authorities to pursue justice for the victims of the Raboteau massacre, as well as for the victims of La Saline and Belair.



Big cleaning at DCPR

The past weekend, cleaning work was carried out at the level of the Traffic Department and the Road Police (DCPR). Spaces crowded with end-of-life vehicles have been freed. These new provisions aim to project a new image of the DCPR which at the same time is preparing to adopt new measures to facilitate the movement of vehicles on public roads, as the official resumption of school activities approaches, scheduled for August 10. See also : https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-31439-haiti-flash-official-revised-school-calendar-2019-2020.html



HL/ HaitiLibre


















By PTI

BENGALURU: Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa on Tuesday held a review meeting with officials from a hospital where he has been admitted for COVID-19, on increasing ventilator beds in the state.

"Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa held a review meeting over phone with officials regarding increase of ventilator beds in the state today," his office said in a statement.

Yediyurappa is undergoing treatment for coronavirus at Manipal Hospital.

He was admitted on Sunday night after he tested positive for COVID-19 and doctors have said he is "doing well" and is "clinically stable".

According to the release, 681 ventilators have been received by Karnataka from the Centre under PM-CARES.

Another 1,279 ventilators allotted to the state by the union Government of India, will be received this month.

Of the 681 ventilators, 166 were installed in Bengaluru city and 169 in other parts of the state, it said, adding that the remaining 346 would be installed by the end of this week.

The Chief Minister also asked officials to appoint necessary staff like anaesthetics, paramedics and nurses who are required to utilise these ventilators immediately, the CMO statement said.

He also directed considering the requests of private hospitals in Bengaluru for ventilators temporarily for COVID purposes and decide the terms and conditions, it added.

Meanwhile, Manipal Hospital said in a release that the Chief Minister continues to remain stable since his admission and has been responding to treatment.

"He is cheerful and attending to his activities. He is closely being monitored by an expert panel of doctors," it said.
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Tata Motors has begun working on its plan to induct a foreign partner into passenger vehicle business and might transfer the unit for Rs 9,417 crore.

The group is in talks with several automakers, including European and East Asian companies, to sell as much as a 49 percent holding in its passenger vehicle business, according to a report by The Times of India.

Moneycontrol could not independently verify the story.

Tata Motors has, however, denied such reports issuing the following comment:

"All such published news about 'Tata Motors to sell up to 49% stake in PV Business and the names of potential partners/investors mentioned is incorrect and misleading."

The statement went on to add, "In March 2020, TML had announced the intent to subsidiarise its PV business as the first step towards securing mutually beneficial strategic alliances that provide access to products, architectures, powertrains, new-age technologies and capital. Securing a mutually beneficial alliance is a priority. However, it is not an imperative for today but an opportunity to be secured for tomorrow. The imperative for today is to win sustainably by delivering market beating growth and positive free cash flows by delighting our customers with exciting products and exceptional service while continuing to drive a strong cost savings agenda.

As per the earlier report, Tata Motors' subsidiary TML Business Analytics Services will be renamed Tata Motors Passenger Vehicles, and will issue fresh shares to the parent company towards the Rs 9,417 crore payment.

Tata Motors held discussions with some Chinese automobile companies, including Geely, Changan, and Chery, which is a 50 percent partner in Jaguar Land Rover's (JLR) China venture, the report said.

Strained relations between India and China had put a dent in the deal talks, a source said as per the report.

Among European automakers, Tata Motors has held talks with France's PSA, the report said. But since PSA has merged with Fiat Chrysler, the process has slowed down.
Little Pilgrim's Big Journey Breaks Christian Crowdfunding Records for Children's Fiction

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Lithos Kids

Aug. 4, 2020

ONTARIO, Canada, Aug. 4, 2020 /Christian Newswire/ -- Lithos Kids is pleased to announce that Little Pilgrim's Big Journey has raised more than triple its funding goal and is the highest funded Christian book project for kids' fiction in the history of crowdfunding.

Little Pilgrim's Big Journey features 226 pages of beautiful artwork and faithfully adapts the Pilgrim's Progress by John Bunyan, which is the most printed and translated book of all time, second only to the Bible.

"Pilgrim's Progress was the first book I read as a young Christian," said author Tyler Van Halteren, a Canadian missionary currently serving in Cambodia. "When I looked for a version for my kids, I found there were none that combined engaging full-color illustrations with simplified language for children. I hope this version will inspire my two sons and many other children to believe the King's Word, follow the King's Path, and seek the King's City."

A Kickstarter success, this project reached its original funding goal in only 6 hours. Additionally, Little Pilgrim's Big Journey is gaining enthusiastic praise and reviews by a number of Christian authors and teachers.

Andy Naselli, Associate Professor at Bethlehem College & Seminary, described the book as, "Excellent. Equally engaging for a 3-year-old and 11-year-old. My four girls loved it!"

"Here is a wonderful visual telling of The Pilgrim's Progress for young readers," said M. Scott Bashoor, Faculty Associate at The Master's Seminary. "Beautifully illustrated and thoughtfully worded, it guides youngsters through the rich allegories in Bunyan's work. This is a valuable resource for kids, families, and churches."

On August 6, the Kickstarter pre-order campaign will end and production for the books will begin. Delivery of the book is scheduled for this October, along with coloring books, ebooks, and audiobook versions. In November, Van Halteren will donate over 150 copies to a Cambodian school through the Christian mission organization, Action International.

Little Pilgrim's Big Journey and its extra items can be pre-ordered now, worldwide on Kickstarter: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/littlepilgrim/little-pilgrims-big-journey-pilgrims-progress-for-kids?ref=5uc1ml

About the Author: Tyler Van Halteren is from Ontario, Canada. He is a graduate of The Master's Seminary. Today he serves as a missionary in Cambodia with his wife and two children. He created Lithos Kids with a desire to publish gospel-centered children's books. His sincere hope is that these books are treasured by Christian families for years to come. More information can be found at www.lithoskids.com.

SOURCE Lithos Kids

CONTACT: Jeff Lai, 646-535-4869, jeff.lai@lithoskids.com

Related Links

www.lithoskids.com
On Monday, hotel heiress-turned-reality TV icon Paris Hilton officially debuted her new puppy, which was a gift from her live-in love, M13 co-founder Carter Reum.

'So in love! She is a Teacup Pomsky, a Pomeranian mixed with a Siberian Husky,' the 39-year-old socialite - who boasts 41.2M social media followers - gushed.

'She is so adorable with beautiful baby blue eyes! I started a @TikTok account for my pets. Click link to follow her on @HiltonPets on @TikTok and put your suggestions in the comments section of what you think I should name her?'

'So in love!' On Monday, hotel heiress-turned-reality TV icon Paris Hilton officially debuted her new puppy, which was a gift from her live-in love, M13 co-founder Carter Reum

Technically, Paris was first spotted with her latest canine companion on a beach in Malibu on July 27, and she's already getting used to her jet-setting lifestyle.

The cute pup joins around eight more tiny dog siblings residing in their own mini-mansion in the backyard of Hilton's 'Slivington Manor' in Beverly Hills.

The Simple Life alum and the 39-year-old Columbia University grad celebrated yet another so-called 'anniversary' visiting the Napa Valley where they stayed at Calistoga Ranch.

'Happy anniversary my love! From the moment you walked into my life you changed it in every way,' Paris gushed on July 29.

The 39-year-old socialite gushed: 'She is a Teacup Pomsky, a Pomeranian mixed with a Siberian Husky. She is so adorable with beautiful baby blue eyes...what you think I should name her?'

Private jet back to LA! Technically, Paris was first spotted with her latest canine companion on a beach in Malibu on July 27, and she's already getting used to her jet-setting lifestyle

Dog mother: The cute pup joins around eight more tiny dog siblings residing in their own mini-mansion in the backyard of Hilton's 'Slivington Manor' in Beverly Hills

'Every day with you has been a blessing. You have shown me what true love really is. Thank you for all the incredible memories, the late night laughs and the early morning kisses. Thank you for making me feel safe, holding my hand through this life and proving that good men still exist.

'In you I've found the love of my life, my other half, my partner, and my best friend. Thank you for making me the happiest girl in the world! I'm so excited for our future together! I love you forever and ever!'

Hilton previously celebrated her monthly 'anniversary' with Reum on May 29 and April 29, but for some reason not June 29.

The Manhattan-born blonde was first spotted kissing Carter at Warner Bros. and InStyle's Golden Globes after-party on January 5.

'Romantic weekend!' The Simple Life alum and the 39-year-old Columbia University grad (R) celebrated yet another so-called 'anniversary' visiting the Napa Valley where they stayed at Calistoga Ranch (pictured Sunday)

Paris enjoyed wine country writing: 'So beautiful here in Napa. So happy my love brought me here for my first time on a surprise trip for our anniversary. Loves it!'

Hilton gushed on July 29: 'Happy anniversary my love! From the moment you walked into my life you changed it in every way. Every day with you has been a blessing. You have shown me what true love really is'

'You are perfect for me in every way!' The Manhattan-born blonde previously celebrated her monthly 'anniversary' with Reum on May 29 and April 29, but for some reason not June 29

New couple: Paris was first spotted kissing Carter at Warner Bros. and InStyle's Golden Globes after-party on January 5

The Tesla shareholder is Paris' first public romance since ending her 10-month engagement to The Death and Life of John F. Donovan actor Chris Zylka in November 2018.

Hilton next reveals her childhood trauma in the 110-minute documentary This is Paris, which premieres September 14 on YouTube Originals.

This Is Paris was directed by Alexandra Dean, who helmed the Netflix documentary Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story in 2017.

The Kim Petras video vixen is also penning her first cookbook and she's filmed more web-isodes of her YouTube series Cooking with Paris 'over the past few months.'

Premieres September 14 on YouTube Originals! Hilton next reveals her childhood trauma in the 110-minute documentary This is Paris
This review was originally published in the Houston Chronicle on Aug. 4, 1960. Mildred Stockard was the newspapers chief film critic during the Golden Age of Hollywood. The Santa Anna native and Rice grad joined the Chronicle in June 1923 as a cub reporter. She later joined the newspapers copy desk and was a general assignment reporter before becoming a movie critic in 1938.

Her favorite actress was Greta Garbo. Favorite actor, Ronald Coleman. Her favorite films were Lost Horizon, Double Life, Gone With the Wind and Bridge on the River Kwai. Stockard had a particular distaste for horror and teen films. Of the controversial 1958 film Gods Little Acre she wrote: This is well-acted trash.

Stockard died in San Francisco in 1965 while on a leave of absence from the Chronicle. Jeff Millar would then become the newspapers chief film critic.

Psycho would play for nearly a month at the Metropolitan.

John Springer Collection/Corbis via Getty Images

Alfred Hitchcock can always be depended upon to make suspense-filled pictures that hold the interest from start to finish, but in Psycho, now at the Metropolitan, he has outdone himself.

It is adult fare, a shocker to send a chill down the spine of the most devoted murder mystery fan. There is nothing of the supernatural in Psycho. The story is logical and plausible, but that will not prevent the action on the screen from being punctuated by shrieks from the audience.

In all Hitchcock films, one can expect to find an unusual story, an excellent cast, a surprise ending and the appearance of the master showman, himself.

Unusual Plot

Psycho certainly has the unusual plot. It also has an excellent cast, headed by Anthony Perkins, one of the countrys most sensitive and versatile young actors; Vera Miles, a beauty who is as talented as she is photogenic; Janet Leigh, who has developed into a fine dramatic actress, and handsome John Gavin.

The stage-trained Tony Perkins has given many fine performances since his film debut in Friendly Persuasion but none will haunt the memory like his interpretation of the lonely, mother-dominated operator of the motel on the little-traveled road where most of the action of Psycho takes place. He gives a superb performance. The motel and the dilapidated Victorian mansion which stands nearby provide the proper atmosphere for the character he is portraying.

Houston Chronicle file

Perkins Stands Out

While all members of the cast, including such dependable supporting actors as John McIntyre, Lorene Tuttle, Martin Balsam and Simon Oakland give realistic performances, that of Perkins stands [out].

The picture has also the characteristic surprise ending, not one that leaves the audience with a gasp and a laugh as many Hitchcock thrillers do, but one of chilling horror.

Hitchcocks face probably appears in the picture, somewhere, but this reviewer was too absorbed in other things going on upon the screen to notice it. However the Hitchcock family is represented. His daughter, Pat, is seen in one of the early scenes as the secretary who shares Janet Leighs office. It is a small role, but she handles it well.

Psycho is best seen from the beginning, which accounts for the policy adopted by the theatre of not seating anyone after the picture starts. The less viewers know of the story beforehand, the better they will enjoy it. It is a real shocker, one that Hitchcock fans will enjoy.
Workers manufacture garment products at a factory in the southern province of Long An. Photo by VnExpress/Quynh Tran.

With the second wave of Covid-19, Vietnam's textile and footwear industries, still reeling from the impact of the first, are likely to see things worsen.

TNG Investment and Trading JSC., which manufactures clothing and footwear for various domestic and international brands, reported first half revenues and net profit were down 10 percent and 29 percent at VND1.84 trillion ($79.3 million) and VND66 billion ($2.84 million).

The Vietnam National Textile and Garment Group (Vinatex) reported a 15 percent decrease in revenues and 25 percent decrease in profits despite partially switching to manufacturing face masks and protective clothing and retaining all its workers.

The situation was "better than predicted," according to Vinatex's deputy general director, Cao Huu Hieu, who said the company had anticipated declines of 30 percent and 50 percent.

Song Hong Garment JSC. reported its profit had fallen by 44 percent to just VND122 billion ($5.26 million).

RTW Retailwinds Inc., one of its major partners in the U.S., has filed for bankruptcy but still owes it around VND166 billion ($7.16 million).

According to a report by the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Vietnam's apparel production in July increased by 13.2 percent from June but was nearly 5 percent down year-on-year in the year to date.

Exports of textiles and footwear are down 21 percent and 8 percent in the first seven months of the year.

While the switch to making face masks and protective clothing was considered a lifesaver for many garment firms in the first half of the year, a global oversupply of these products have caused prices to plummet. Firms such as TNG have even stopped manufacturing masks and started focusing on high-value products.

With many countries, including Vietnam, being hit by a new wave of Covid-19, getting orders has also become a difficult task for the majority of garment firms. Many did not receive a single order for high-value products in the second half of the year, according to the ministry.

Another challenge facing the garment industry is the fact that consumer behaviors have changed dramatically due to the pandemic.

Recent surveys by the global professional services company Deloitte of the international market and Vietnamese garment producer Vinatex of the domestic market show that the top priorities for consumers now are medicines, food and savings. While clothing did come fourth in the list, the budget for clothes was very limited.

"The trend of consuming less, using basic products more and low purchasing power will dominate the fashion market in future," Le Tien Truong, CEO of Vinatex, said.

Vinatex forecast the countrys garment exports to decrease by 14-18 percent year-on-year in the second half, and full-year exports to drop by 16 percent to around $32.75 billion.

The International Textile Manufacturers Federation said if the Covid-19 pandemic lasts until the end of the year, the global textile and garment trade would decrease by 15-20 percent this year to $600-640 billion, but even if it is controlled well, it would still take at least until the third quarter of next year for demand to return to normal.
Parliament has approved the agreement between the government and the African Union (AU) for the establishment of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) Secretariat in Accra.



Key provisions of the agreement require that Ghana, as the host country, shall provide, at its own expense, a secure, equipped and furnished permanent premises for the secretariat.



It said the secretariat shall have a legal personality with the capacity to enter into a contract and acquire and dispose of movable and immovable property needed for its operations in accordance with the laws of Ghana.



The agreement also said the government shall provide a secure, equipped and furnished official residence for the head of the secretariat, and shall guarantee the inviolability of the premises of the secretariat, which shall also be accorded diplomatic status.



Officials of the secretariat and state parties to the AfCFTA agreement shall enjoy within the host country privileges and immunities as established by the General Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the Organisation of African Unity (OAU).



Member states participating in the work of the secretariat and representatives of non-African states accredited to the secretariat shall be entitled to the same privileges and immunities as accorded to diplomatic envoys of comparable rank under international law, it said.



Compliance



The agreement also stipulates, however, that all persons enjoying privileges and immunities accorded by the host country were to comply with the laws and regulations of Ghana.



The secretariat shall freely purchase any currencies through authorised channels and hold and dispose of them, transfer its funds to or from the host country, and operate accounts in any currency.



The secretariat is exempt from any direct or indirect taxes except for charges and taxes on public utility services including compulsory contributions to any social security scheme of the host country, it stated.



Laying



The Host Country Agreement was executed between the GoG and the AU Commission on February, 10, 2020 for the establishment of the secretariat of the AfCFTA, pursuant to Article 75(2) of the 1992 Constitution.



It was laid in Parliament by the Minister of Foreign Affairs and Regional Integration, Ms Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, on June 3, this year, and the Speaker referred it to the Committee on Foreign Affairs for consideration and report.



Report



Presenting the report, the Chairman of the committee, Mr Frank Annoh-Dompreh, said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs worked closely with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and other stakeholders to conclude the agreement.



Stakeholder consultations were organised to seek inputs before finalising the agreement with the AU Commission, he said.



He informed the House that the AfCFTA Secretary-General had been appointed by AU Heads of State and Governments at the 33rd Ordinary Session of the Assembly.



In addition, he said four Directors and essential staff were currently being recruited, while other essential staff for the secretariat would be seconded by the AU Commission and the member states.



Employment opportunities for Ghanaians



Mr Annoh-Dompreh said hosting the secretariat in Ghana would offer job opportunities for Ghanaians.



Apart from the AU Commission, he said member states and regional community groups and associations that were required to second essential and technical staff to work with the secretariat, majority of the job offerings at the secretariat, particularly in the general staff category, would be available to qualified persons.



Although the Ministry Foreign Affairs could not provide the specific percentage of Ghanaians that would be employed at the secretariat, the committee was assured that the secretariat would be guided in its recruitment policy to hire the majority of Ghanaians, particularly in the general staff category as the practice pertaining in countries hosting AU Organs, he stated.



Commencement of operation



Mr Annoh-Dompreh indicated that the commencement date of the operation of the secretariat had been rescheduled from July 1, this year to January 1, next year.



The change in date was as a result of the closure of borders in many African countries, including Ghana, because of the outbreak of COVID-19 late last year, he said.



The situation made it impossible for the movement of the Secretary-General and the support staff who were leading the processes towards the commencement and full operationalisation of the secretariat, he said.



He added that in pursuit of the new commencement date, an AU summit was scheduled for December, 2020 to consider and approve the protocols for trading, including Rules of Origin and Rules on Market Access, which were to be determined first by the Council of Ministers of Trade.



Minority Leader



Contributing to the motion to approve the agreement, the Minority Leader, Mr Haruna Iddrisu, commended the President, Ministers of Trade and Industry and Foreign Affairs for getting Ghana to host the AfCFTA secretariat.



He, however, asked the House to find out why initially Nigeria and South Africa, two major economic players on the continent, were reluctant to sign on to the agreement, saying some had argued that it had the potential to undermine local businesses.



Citing statistics to justify his concern, Mr Iddrisu said at the end of 2016, intra-trade among Asian countries was between 59 and 69 per cent, while that among Africans was only 18 per cent.



Mr Speaker, if you take global trade generally, the contribution of Africa was two per cent at the end of 2017, but I recognise the potential in the future of Africa and that is why Ghana must take full advantage, he said.



Minister



Ms Botchwey said the AfCFTA would be the largest trading bloc since the formation of the World Trade Organisation (WTO).



It is made up of 55 member states with a combined market size of 1.2 billion people and Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of almost $3 trillion.



Mr Speaker, this affords us a great opportunity for Africa to take its rightful place when trading is concerned, she said.









Source: Graphic.com.gh









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Atlanta, GA, August 4, 2020  Breckenridge Insurance Services is pleased to announce the promotion of Teri Colburn to regional vice president, managing broker for wholesale brokerage and binding operations in the southeast. Colburn has been in the insurance industry for 25 years and is a commercial property specialist.

Before her promotion, Colburn was a vice president, broker with a proven track record of growth and profitability within the organization. Colburn now oversees several senior level brokers new and existing to Breckenridge. She is charged with facilitating the collective growth of all lines of business the region represents including casualty, coastal property, general liability and aviation risks among others.

I have worked with Teri for over a decade and she is a fixture in our company. Ive always respected Teris work ethic and collaboration with her agents, carriers and fellow team members, stated Trevor Pierce, president of Breckenridge Insurance Services. She has earned this integral leadership role by way of hard work and dedication and I look forward to her continued efforts in building our presence in the southeast region, he added.

Colburn is based in Charlotte, North Carolina and serves agents nationally. She can be reached at tcolburn@breckis.com.

About Breckenridge Insurance Services:

BRECKENRIDGE INSURANCE SERVICES is a national wholesale insurance brokerage/MGA delivering top-rated, competitive commercial coverage solutions. With more than three decades of providing responsive counsel and risk management insights, Breckenridge has become a recognized leader and trusted partner to valued agents and coveted carrier partners internationally. With significant in-house contract binding authority and expert, award-winning brokers spanning nearly all property and casualty, workers compensation and professional liability risks, we offer collaborative, comprehensive solutions. As part of Breckenridge Insurance Group, the team has access to additional resources and expertise to help clients go further. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKIS.COM.

About Breckenridge Insurance Group:

BRECKENRIDGE INSURANCE GROUP, headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., is an international specialty wholesale insurance broker, program manager, managing general agent (MGA) and insurance services provider. The company offers access to diverse range of commercial insurance and financial services products to businesses and professional services firms in a variety of industries. The company serves independent insurance agents, brokers, and financial institutions nationally by way of Blue River Underwriters, OSC, Breckenridge Insurance Services brokerage and contract binding group and Southeastern Underwriters, Inc. For more information, please visit WWW.BRECKGRP.COM or call 855.728.8822. CA Insurance License #0G13592

Media Contact:

Caren Henry

chenry@breckgrp.com

267.961.8252

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Authorities in Ho Chi Minh City will start fining people who fail to wear a face mask in public from Wednesday, in an effort to curb the COVID-19 epidemic, the citys chairman Nguyen Thanh Phong announced on Monday.

The fine will be applied in accordance with a 2013 government decree on penalties for administrative violations in the medical sector, the municipal Department of Information and Communications deputy director Tu Luong further explained Phongs announcement to Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper on Tuesday morning.

Accordingly, the decree dictates that failure to practice personal protection measures as instructed by health authorities among those at risk of catching diseases shall carry a fine of between VND100,000 (US$4) and 300,000 ($13).

Chairpeople of district-level administrations and the director of the municipal health department will guide authorities, civil servants, public health officials, and relevant agencies in implementing the regulation.

Ho Chi Minh City will ensure enough supply of face masks for all citizens, Nguyen Thien Nhan, secretary of the municipal Party Committee, said at a meeting of the citys Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control on Monday afternoon.

People wear face masks at a market in District 12, Ho Chi Minh City during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic in this undated file photo. Photo: Ngoc Phuong / Tuoi Tre

Nhan warned that the risks of COVID-19 spreading remain high in the southern metropolis, with two potential sources being returnees from the current epicenter in Da Nang City and foreigners making an illegal entry.

However, at least 20 percent of people in the city do not wear face masks in public, Nhan added.

In March, two months after Vietnam was first hit by the pandemic, the government required that people wear face masks at crowded public places like airports, bus stations, and supermarkets.

At that time, the Peoples Committee of Ho Chi Minh City also issued an official directive on penalizing people for failure to comply with measures to prevent and control COVID-19, including not wearing face masks in public.

However, people have become complacent due to the deceleration of infection rates in Vietnam, with no community-based case reported for over three months between mid-April and July 24.

The preventive measures have thus been loosely practiced, Luong said.

Ho Chi Minh City has logged eight COVID-19 cases since July 25, when Vietnam documented its first local infection after 99 days.

Vietnam has closed its borders to foreigners since March to prevent coronavirus spread.

But foreign experts and skilled workers are still allowed to enter the country, subject to government approval and mandatory quarantine.

Vietnamese returnees from abroad on board government-sanctioned planes have to undergo compulsory collective isolation as well.

Like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter to get the latest news about Vietnam!
CLEVELAND, Ohio  More than 200 doctors and health care professionals from around Ohio signed a letter to Secretary of State Frank LaRose on Monday calling for minimum requirements for polling locations to help keep voters and poll workers safe from the coronavirus this election.

As the election nears and the possibility of shifting to an all vote-by-mail election slips away, the group of doctors through the Ohio Voter Rights Coalition asked LaRose in the letter to mandate six items for in-person voting. A draft memo sent by LaRoses office to the Ohio Department of Health for approval contains most of the requests, though some differences remain  mostly because of state law.

It appears that about two out of every five Ohio voters have an underlying condition that makes them at risk for the most serious complications of COVID-19 if they get infected, said Dr. Michael M. Lederman, an infectious disease expert and professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine. The measures we have proposed will reduce the risk of COVID-19 infection to voters and poll workers alike.

The six recommendations are:

 Requiring all voters both inside and outside polling places to maintain social distancing of six feet

 Signage posted for people with underlying health conditions to ask for special protection  including being allowed to vote outdoors

 Requiring facial coverings for all voters and poll workers; providing paper masks to those who enter without masks; and requiring those who refuse to wear a mask to vote outside, including expanding drive through voting for those who are unable to wear a mask because of a health condition

 Requiring voters to either wash their hands or use hand sanitizer when entering the polling location

 Constructing plastic barriers at poll worker stations where there may be interactions of more than 1 minute

 Ensuring polling places are well ventilated or properly filtered if air is recirculated

LaRoses office and county boards of elections took some steps to prepare for in-person voting during the primary to prevent coronavirus spread on short notice. The draft memo LaRose sent to ODH includes most of the requests by the doctors and health care professionals, though stops short of labeling some as requirements. State law prohibits elections officials from preventing eligible voters from casting a ballot for any reason.

LaRose spokeswoman Maggie Sheehan said officials have the benefit of being able to plan for the November election with the coronavirus already a part of daily life.

The November 3rd election will be different from the spring primary because our office and Ohios 88 county boards of elections have the time and information necessary to prepare for an election in a pandemic based on the guidance from the CDC and Ohio Department of Health, as well as an increased supply of PPE, sanitizer, and more, Sheehan said. Every eligible voter in Ohio will receive an absentee ballot request in just a few weeks, but for those voters who prefer to vote early in-person at their board of elections or at their precinct on election day, theyll see the most comprehensive and medically proven protocols in place to keep them healthy.

Ohios primary election initially coincided with the onset of the pandemic in the state in March when the science wasnt as widely known as it is today. In preparing for that election, LaRoses office reimbursed county boards of elections for purchases of gloves, hand sanitizer and other cleaning supplies. LaRose also extended curbside voting to all voters statewide the day before voting was to commence, though officials postponed the primary election later the same day.

The ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which is showing no signs of slowing down across the country with fewer than 100 days to go until Nov. 3, has cast a pall over how officials plan to ensure voters and poll workers safety.

Multiple counties around the state faced a poll worker shortage in March as the mostly volunteer  and often elderly  workforce called off at the last minute once the coronavirus showed up in the state. Elections in other states that went through with their primaries as planned, including Illinois and Wisconsin, turned into fiascos marred by long lines and a greatly reduced amount of polling places in metropolitan areas.

In preparation for what could become a debacle of an election without action, advocates and officials, including LaRose, a Republican, have pushed for easier access to mail-in voting for the general election. However, the Republican-controlled legislature has declined to take up the issue and Republican President Donald Trump  facing diminishing re-election prospects  has publicly and falsely undermined voting by mail as corrupt despite voting by mail himself in 2018.

Read the letter:

Read more politics coverage:

Joe Biden campaign planning statewide push in Ohio this week

House passes bill to fund Great Lakes projects and numerous federal departments

FBI agents raid ex-House Speaker Larry Householders legislative office

Donald Trump planning Aug. 6 fundraiser in Northeast Ohio
Amy Kennedy, of Brigantine, was one of dozens of Democratic candidates nationally endorsed Monday by former President Barack Obama, her campaign announced.

Kennedy won the July 7 primary election in the Congressional 2nd District, beating a field of four other Democrats to go up against U.S. Rep. Jeff Van Drew, R-2nd, for his congressional seat.

Obama called it his first wave of endorsements for the November election. In New Jersey, he also endorsed incumbent U.S. Reps. Andy Kim, D-3rd; Josh Gottheimer, D-5th; Tom Malinowski, D-7th; and Mikie Sherrill, D-11th.

All 435 House seats are up for election in November, as well as 35 U.S. Senate seats, including that of Sen. Cory Booker, D-NJ.

Im proud to endorse this diverse and hopeful collection of thoughtful, empathetic, and highly qualified Democrats. Together, these candidates will help us redeem our countrys promise by sticking up for working class people, restoring fairness and opportunity to our system, and fighting for the good of all Americans  not just those at the top, Obama said.
Photos: Golestan hosting online marriage festival of Iranian tribes

07/22/20

Report by Tehran Times; photos by Mahsa Safari, Mehr News Agency

The second national marriage festival of Iranian tribes opened online in northern Golestan province on Monday. The two-day festival covers traditional rituals of tribal marriage, traditional tribal music, stand-up comedy, and various cultural programs, IRNA reported.

One of the goals of this festival is to revive the traditional rituals of tribal marriage and to encourage young people to simple inexpensive marriage due to the economic conditions of the society, advisor of the Festival Sadegh Khosravi said.

This year, due to the onset of the coronavirus, the festival is held virtually with the presence of 9 tribal groups of the country and with the performance of traditional rituals, folk music, and other cultural programs, he explained.



Khosravi stated that the festival is held in cooperation with 15 NGOs active in fields related to youth.


































































Dockworkers at the Port of Montreal began their third limited strike in a month Monday, in response to management provocations last week at two terminals contracted to Termont, a container shipment operator. This weeks strike, which is limited to four days, involves 355 longshoremen, foremen, and maintenance personnel at the two terminals.

All told, 1,125 members of Canadian Union of Public Employees (CUPE) Local 375 are involved in a long-running contract dispute with the Maritime Employers Association. Due to restrictions imposed under the federal governments essential worker regulations, a portion of the workforce is required to stay on the job during any work stoppage, to process grain shipments and shipments bound for Newfoundland.

In a separate contract dispute, checkers at the two Termont terminals are set to strike for 48 hours this Wednesday and Thursday. The checkers, who coordinate the loading and unloading of container cargo and its transfer to trains and trucks, are resisting the Port of Montreals plans to use technological change to slash jobs. They are represented by Local 1657 of the International Longshoremens Association (ILA).

The Port of Montreal longshoremen have been working without a contract since December 31, 2018. At the beginning of July, they conducted a 40-hour strike to press their demands for a new contract that addresses the oppressive working conditions on the docks and provides enhanced job security provisions. Last week, most dockworkers throughout the entire Port complex joined a four-day strike. During that work stoppage, managers from Termont crossed picket lines to perform work normally handled by the union workersan action described as a declaration of war by CUPE Local 375 official Michel Murray.

Strikers at the two Termont terminals confronted the managers when they ended their strikebreaking shifts last Monday and again on Wednesday when managers, in an unsuccessful attempt to avoid strikers, were bussed directly from the Port to their cars parked near Montreals Olympic Stadium. During the Wednesday confrontation, Termont managers called the police. However, by the time they arrived, the strikers had left the scene. No charges were laid despite allegations of violence made by managers against the longshoremen. Michel Murray said tempers had flared because one of the strikebreakers drove his car through a crowd of strikers. In answer to Termonts use of management strikebreakers, workers are mounting this weeks four-day strike.

The full gamut of employer and business organizations is agitating for the intervention of government authorities to force an end to all job actions at the Port. The Chamber of Commerce of Metropolitan Montreal, the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce, the Quebec Employers Council, the Manufacturers and Exporters of Quebec, and the Canadian Federation of Independent Business have all lined up to complain that the strike is damaging profits for the companies they represent, and threatening the Ports future.

The Maritime Employers Association, which oversees contract negotiations at the Port, has worked might and main for almost two years to outlaw strike activity on the docks and enforce brutal working conditions on the dockworkers. Over the past 21 months the workers have three times voted overwhelmingly for strike action. Yet until last month, no strike had taken place as the union bowed to employer interference and federal government foot-dragging in the interminable strike authorization process.

The workers are demanding a new contract that addresses the gruelling working conditions on the docks. Current scheduling practices force workers to labour 19 days out of every 21. Citing an expansion in the volume of imports and exports at the port, the employer has insisted on a threefold increase in the pace of work during weekend shifts. In addition, a vicious disciplinary regime has resulted, since the last contract was signed in 2013, in 30 firings and over 1,000 suspension days levied against members who have resisted the brutal working conditions. Finally, the Maritime Employers Association is demanding job reductions even as the pace of work has steadily increased.

After the first strike vote in December 2018, the Canada Industrial Relations Board convened to decide which, if any, of the various cargoes regularly loaded and unloaded at the port would be declared essential. Federal regulations allow for any service necessary to prevent imminent and serious danger to the health and safety of the public to be designated as essential. Brazenly, the Maritime Employers Association insisted that all tasks performed by the dockworkers should fall under the essential designation.

Workers, however, pointed out that shipments of wine, furniture and a whole array of other consumer goods are hardly essential. Furthermore, products such as pharmaceuticals that could be considered important for public health can easily be unloaded at other Canadian ports or delivered by truck from the United States. The employer simply refused to absorb any extra costs that would ensue from additional overland transport. Although questions of convenience and cost savings are not meant to be part of essential services deliberations, the Canada Industrial Relations Board (CIRB) took over a year to hand down a ruling. Delivered on June 9, that ruling found the strike could go ahead, but only provided grain shipments and services to Newfoundland were maintained.

Employers across Canada and internationally are determined to extract the last ounce of sweat from their workforces in order to maintain and increase the profits for their shareholders. In order to resist this onslaught against their living standards and physical well-being, dockworkers must recognize that they are confronting not just an individual employer, but big business as a whole, its political hirelings, and the capitalist state. CUPE is doing everything to prevent an open clash with the federal Liberal government and its resort to strikebreaking legislation, by limiting the dockers to rotating strikes and strictly abiding by the CIRB decision on the provision of essential services.

During the coronavirus pandemic, the unions have further integrated themselves into a corporatist partnership with the government and big business. As a union representing tens of thousands of health care workers, CUPE has played a crucial role in smothering action to secure personal protective equipment (PPE) for frontline care workers, and has lent its support to the reckless drive, spearheaded by the Trudeau government, to force workers back on the job amid the pandemic.

The unions that serve as the bargaining agents for dockworkers on the Pacific and Atlantic coasts as well as in the St. Lawrence Seaway have, for decades, presided over one concessions contract after another. In 2010, following a bitter five-day lockout in 2010, CUPE agreed to an early retirement program to remove workers with higher seniority from the workforce and allow the employer to replace them with lower-paid younger workers.

This time around, CUPE did nothing to challenge the pro-employer labour relations process, which enabled the Maritime Employers Association to ignore workers demands for close to two years. Murray now claims that limited strike action will force management back to the bargaining table, a perspective that can only serve to lead the strikers struggle to defeat and another rotten concessions deal.

In reality, the only way the employers will concede to the longshoremens demands is if they face a powerful mass working-class movement fighting against speed-up and heavy workloads, job cuts, and workplace harassment. Conditions are ripe for the development of such a working-class counteroffensive. Workers across the country, who have endured years of austerity and concessions, are now being forced back to work under conditions of stepped-up exploitation by the corporate elite and a raging pandemic.

However, this strategy can only be developed if striking workers take control of their struggle out of the hands of the CUPE union bureaucrats by forming an independent strike committee. Such a committee should advance a series of nonnegotiable demands, including an end to management strikebreaking, relief from the gruelling work schedule, and guaranteed jobs for all workers. It also must appeal to workers in Montreal, across Canada, and internationally for a joint struggle against the assault of the corporate elite and its governments on workers pay and conditions, and to secure decent-paying, safe and secure jobs for all.












U.S. President Donald Trump earlier told reporters about his plan to ban TikTok operations in the U.S. and gave Microsoft and ByteDance 45 days to come to a deal.





The proposed acquisition would offer Microsoft an opportunity to take charge of TikTok's U.S. user data and become a major competitor to big social media platforms like Facebook and Snapchat.

Microsoft owns LinkedIn and now intends to buy TikTok's Canadian, Australian, and New Zealand interests as well. The company's shares experienced a 3% rise in early trades on Monday.





The deal talks haven't yet been confirmed by Microsoft. However, in a reported internal letter to staff this Monday, Zhang Yiming, ByteDance's founder and CEO mentioned that the firm had started talks with a tech company. The proposed deal is likely to enhance U.S.-China relations.





Reliable sources have revealed that while all of TikTok could be worth $50 billion, the forced division of its U.S. sales and other units will most probably generate a lesser amount.





Fred Hu, chairman of Primavera Capital Group and investor in ByteDance said that if the forced deal results in an unfavorable outcome to private stakeholders, it would lead to limitless litigations.

He further added that Microsoft is a credible buyer, but questioned the reliability of the deal for ByteDance considering the plan to sell large parts of TikTok's operations at an early stage of the company's growth.





Hu continued, saying that "Bytedance is an innocent victim of the mad politics and mad geopolitics. It is a sad outcome for Bytedance, for entrepreneurial capitalism, and for the future of global commerce."





A senior banker with a U.S. bank in Hong Kong said that the situation was hard to predict and that it'd be challenging for the company to structure the deal in such a way that would keep Washington happy.





Furthermore, Zhang Yiming's internal letter also mentioned that ByteDance did not agree with the stance taken by the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, to fully divest TikTok's U.S. operations.

Talks about Microsoft to acquire TikTok in the U.S. led to an outcry on Chinese social media and criticism from a Chinese investor in ByteDance, TikTok's parent company, along with other prominent people from the country.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 05:28:19|Editor: huaxia

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Palestinian children hold candles and a Lebanese flag to show solidarity with Lebanese people in the southern Gaza Strip city of Rafah, on Aug. 5, 2020. Palestine expressed its solidarity with Lebanon after massive explosions rocked Beirut. (Photo by Khaled Omar/Xinhua)

RAMALLAH/GAZA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Palestine on Tuesday expressed its solidarity with Lebanon after massive explosions rocked Lebanese capital Beirut.

According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said his country is ready to provide any support it could to Lebanon to help it recover from the tragedy, while sending his condolences to the families of the victims.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammed Ishtaye said in a press statement that Palestine is "ready to put all its capabilities" for the service of Lebanon and provide any needed assistance immediately.

Member of the Palestine Liberation Organization's Executive Committee Hanan Ashrawi also expressed sorrow over the "devastating tragedy," wishing for Beirut to overcome the calamity.

For his part, Head of Islamic Hamas movement's politburo Ismail Haniyeh phoned Lebanese President Michel Aoun, stressing his support amidst this grave situation.
MINNEAPOLIS, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Walden University is bringing together a prestigious group of speakers for its next Talks for Good, "Online and Hybrid Instruction: Preparing K-12 Educators for the Upcoming Academic Year," on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 from 7 to 8 p.m. ET. With COVID-19 disrupting schools and classrooms across the U.S., educators must ensure all students continue to have the opportunity to learn. This fall, many K-12 classrooms will follow online and/or hybrid models of instruction, and Walden's panel will address how educators can be as effective as possible teaching online.

"It's important to address the issues and challenges facing teachers and administrators this fall to see how we can help them provide effective instruction in online and hybrid learning environments," says Dr. Kelley Costner, dean of Walden University's Richard W. Riley College of Education and Leadership (COEL). "Our online panel will provide a robust discussion around these challenges and provide best practices for delivering online instruction to K12 students."

The virtual panel will feature the personal experiences of Walden alumni who serve as educators, as well as insights and best practices from COEL faculty and leadership. The event will be moderated by Dr. Darrell Luzzo, senior vice president and general manager at Walden, where he leads a new initiative to provide outreach, support and guidance to K-12 schools and districts in an increasingly online instructional world.

The esteemed group of panelists include:

Dr. Kelley Costner , dean of Walden's COEL

, dean of COEL Dr. Stephen Canipe , associate dean of Walden's COEL

, associate dean of COEL Dr. Kisha Walker , academic coordinator for Walden's Master of Arts In Teaching program

, academic coordinator for Master of Arts In Teaching program Dr. Suzanne Wesson , academic coordinator for Walden's COEL

, academic coordinator for COEL Dr. Sharon Porter , elementary school principal

, elementary school principal Tennith Scott, elementary school teacher

The Talks for Good are part of Walden's Mobilize for Good initiative, which celebrates its 50-year history of empowering the greater good by recognizing its community's passion and commitment to social change. In addition to Talks for Good, Walden is giving back to local schools across the country as part of its Acts for Good. The first set of acts took place in Tampa, Florida, Baltimore, Maryland, Houston, Texas and the Washington, D.C. area.

To learn more about Walden University's 50th anniversary and its Mobilize for Good initiative, please visit WaldenTurns50.com.

About Walden University

Celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2020, Walden University was founded to support working professionals in achieving their academic goals and making a greater impact in their professions and communities. Students from across the U.S. and 120 countries are pursuing a certificate, bachelor's, master's or doctoral degree online at Walden. The university offers more than 80 degree programs with over 350 specializations and concentrations. Walden University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, hlcommission.org. For more information, please visit WaldenU.edu.

SOURCE Walden University

Related Links

https://www.waldenu.edu


Ram temple in Ayodhya to be ready by 2025, open for 'darshan' to devotees by 2023 end

Foundation works for Ram Mandir to be ready by October, 'garbhagriha' by Dec 2023: VHP

Mandir wahin banega: The BJPs rise from 2 to 303

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Aug 04: August 5, 2020, will be a tremendously significant day for the Bharatiya Janata Party as its "Mandir wahin banega" slogan is coming true.

The temple is a political, intellectual and legal victory for the BJP, that rose steadily from just two MPs in the 1984 elections to 303 in this year's Lok Sabha elections.

The ram temple bhumi pujan also coincides with the first anniversary of the annulment of Article 370, another key ideological plank for the saffron party.

Want to donate for Ayodhya Ram Mandir construction? Here's how you can contribute

The pledge to construct the temple found its way in all BJP's manifestos following the demolition of Babri Masjid in Ayodhya in December 1992. It never gave up on its core ideology that include abrogation of Article 370, Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and National Register of Citizenship.

Vivo pulls out of IPL, Chinese-owned Vivo pulls out amid row | Oneindia News

The party has been steadfast in its commitment to its core causes after Modi took charge of the party and brought it to power in 2014.

This was the first time that the BJP won a majority in the 543-member Lok Sabha, making it immune to political pressures that its earlier government under Vajpayee often felt. The party's win in 2019 with an even bigger mandate has seen it pursue its core causes with a renewed vigour.

Prime Minister Modi and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath elevating the significance even further, by attending the ceremony on Wednesday, as both are known for their uncompromising commitment to the Hindutva cause.

Notably, Modi as a national office-bearer in the BJP played an important role in L K Advani's 'Ram Rath Yatra' in 1990 while Adityanath's late guru Mahant Avaidyanath headed the group of sadhus and Hindu organisations that was formed in 1984 to spearhead the temple movement.

BJP's role in the Ram Janmbhoomi movement

Though it was Vishwa Hindu Parishad under late Ashok Singhal which conceptualised the Ram Janmbhoomi movement in 1984 and began mobilising sadhus and Hindu groups nationwide, the issue gained political currency like never before after the then BJP president L K Advani started his 'Ram Rath Yatra' in 1990.

This had followed the party's decision to come out openly in support of the temple's construction, where the Babri mosque stood at that time before being brought down by frenzied kar sevaks in 1992, in its national executive meeting in Palampur in 1989.

Advani's Rath Yatra was also seen as a counter to the Mandal politics aimed at reservation for Other Backward Groups unveiled by the V P Singh government in 1990. Advani launched his famous 'Rath Yatra' from Somnath temple in Gujarat, drawing people in thousands as his chariot rolled through the country's heartland, at times triggering communal riots as well, while the movement gained momentum.

Opposition's silence

Opposition's silence on the ground-breaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya during the Covid-19 pandemic, also show how Prime Minister Narendra Modi has swayed the issue.

No invitation has been extended to Congress leaders, even interim Congress president and the party's only Lok Sabha member from Uttar Pradesh, Sonia Gandhi, has not been invited.

Several Congress leaders believe that political slugfest on the Ram Mandir is now pointless since the matter was given a finality by the Supreme Court.

Others like Rajya Sabha MP Digvijaya Singh hope to keep politics away from the issue as the movement for the construction of the temple preceded the founding of the RSS or the BJP and "was a public movement".

Also, opposition leaders in Uttar Pradesh believe that the BJP will contest the 2022 assembly elections citing the Ram Temple as its biggest achievement. The parties don't want to give the BJP any chance to polarise the issue and make it a prominent poll plank.
Microsoft has emerged as a savior to young users of TikTok, who praised the tech industry giant for trying to buy parts of the social media company's operations, in hopes of avoiding a US shutdown. Bearing hashtags like #SaveTikTok and #Microsoft, which have attracted nearly 1 billion views combined, TikTok'ers - an overwhelmingly young group that uses the app to create short dance, lip-sync, comedy and talent videos - embraced a company founded by people their grandparent's age and whose former chief executive's pre-internet-era onstage outbursts and profuse sweating ...
Strongly opposing the bail plea of



accused Swapna Suresh, the on Tuesday alleged in a special court here that she along with four co-accused had illegally brought in gold worth over Rs 100 crore through diplomatic channel since November last year.

In a detailed counter to the bail application moved by Suresh, the Investigation Agency, probing the sensational case, also submitted that she had knowledge that the smuggled gold would be used for subversive activities and threaten the country's security and monetary stability.

"The accused A-1 to A-5 (Sarith, Suresh, Faisal Fareed, Sandeep Nair and Ramees) and others colluded and conspired to make use of this channel and smuggle gold along with the materials genuinely required by the foreign diplomats at consulate of UAE in Thiruvananthapuram.

"Hence, instead of sending just the materials required by Consulate staff, co-conspirators including Fareed in UAE packed gold into various materials neatly hidden and submitted the baggage to the Air Cargo authorities at UAE," the said.

On earlier occasions, since November, 2019, when such baggage reached Thiruvananthapuram Airport, Sarith collected it and handed over to Nair who in turn had taken it to his house and other places, opened it with the help of Ramees and other associates, the agency said.

"The gold is then handed over to persons known and directed by A-5 to be used in lieu of cash for unlawful activities including funding of such activities," the said and submitted that using this process, the five accused had smuggled in gold around 20 times since November, 2019.

"The total quantity of gold smuggled is to the tune of approximately 200 kgs, which is worth more than Rs 100 crores," it said in the counter.

Asserting that intensive investigation was required in the case to add value to the prima-facie findings that the gold smuggled could have been so used for anti- activities, NIA said apart from Fareed, who is currently in UAE, other persons from the foreign country were also involved in such smuggling during earlier occasions.

"The petitioner also knew about the antecedents of all the accused while she transacted with them. It is also learnt during investigation that the initial money required for obtaining gold was funded by various persons with dubious antecedents and the money was sent abroad through hawala channel. The source of gold smuggled from UAE is also under investigation," the agency said in the counter.

The NIA said there was prima facie evidence to the effect that the accused intentionally committed the act which will fall directly under Section 15 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

"It is revealed during investigation that the petitioner as well as other accused had knowledge that their act would threaten the security including economic security and affect monetary stability of India", NIA said.

The agency also submitted the case diary before the court for its consideration.

The Court adjourned the matter to Thursday.

In her plea, Suresh alleged she was implicated in the crime on a wild imagination without any basis and the case was an offshoot of the "political rivalry" between the state and central governments, triggered by the colourful and fictitious stories aired by the media.

She claimed there was no prima facie evidence to attract an offence under Sections 15, 16 and 17 of UAPA.

Suresh and Sandeep Nair were arrested from Bengaluru on July 11 by the NIA. So far ten people have been arrested by it in the case, which also led to the suspension of senior IAS officer M Sivasankar after allegations about his links to Suresh surfaced.

The case related to seizure of gold worth nearly Rs 15 crore from a "diplomatic baggage" at the Thiruvananthapuram International airport on July 5.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Title changed; details added: first version posted on 18:49 August 3

BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

Trend:

Assistant to the President of Azerbaijan, Head of Foreign Policy Affairs Department of the Presidential Administration Hikmat Hajiyev met with members of the Azerbaijani community of the Nagorno-Karabakh region of Azerbaijan, Trend reports.

Spokesperson for the Azerbaijani Foreign Ministry Leyla Abdullayeva also attended the meeting.

The meeting participants noted the importance of various projects carried out at the instruction of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev to solve the problems of those Azerbaijani citizens who became internally displaced persons.

The community members stressed that they always feel the care of the state, and on behalf of the internally displaced persons, expressed gratitude to President Ilham Aliyev.

The meeting focused on the activities of the Azerbaijani community of Azerbaijans Nagorno-Karabakh region aimed at exposing the aggressive policy of Armenia at all international platforms and conducting proactive diplomacy in accordance with the instructions and recommendations of the president.

The meeting participants also discussed issues related to further strengthening of such activities. It was particularly stressed that the main objective of the policy pursued by Azerbaijans leadership is the restoration of the territorial integrity in a short time and the return of the Azerbaijani internally displaced persons to their homeland.

The conflict between the two South Caucasus countries began in 1988 when Armenia made territorial claims against Azerbaijan. As a result of the ensuing war, Armenian armed forces occupied 20 percent of Azerbaijan, including the Nagorno-Karabakh region and seven surrounding districts.

The 1994 ceasefire agreement was followed by peace negotiations. Armenia has not yet implemented four UN Security Council resolutions on the withdrawal of its armed forces from Nagorno Karabakh and the surrounding districts.
<! Governor Nyesom Wike >



Okafor Ofiebor/Port Harcourt

Rivers Governor Nyesom Wike has made a sensational claim that N10billion was withdrawn from the accounts of the Niger Delta Development Commission for 2019 election.

He claimed the money was used to fight him in the election.

It was not clear how the Rivers State Governor came upon the staggering slush fund.

He did not provide details, how it was taken, who took it and under what cover.

He however told Channels Television Tuesday, that it was time to involve technocrats in the administration of the Commission.

He agreed with President Muhammadu Buhari that it was obvious that politicians appointed to choice positions in the NDDC have failed to develop the Niger Delta region.

Wike claimed that Governors of the South South who were elected on the platform of the PDP are never consulted even though the law establishing the Commission recognizes them as part of the management of the agency.

He acknowledged that President Muhammadu Buhari has made efforts recently to correct the defect.

But he said that there is a mentality in the minds of members of the political class that the NDDC is a cash cow.

Governor Wike about a week ago secured a state High Court judgement that NDDC is barred from executing any project in the state without the consent of the state government.

The judgement was passed by Justice Adolphus Enebeli of the state High Court in case filed by the State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice against NDDC and its management.

Related
A man in China has been jailed for more than three years after brutally beating a bus driver who had asked him to wear a face mask.

The angry commuter hit the transport worker's head at least 16 times after being reminded to use the protective covering on board, according to state media.

The culprit was allegedly acting under the influence of alcohol when he refused to follow the mandatory rule aimed at preventing the spread of coronavirus.

Surveillance footage shows the unruly bus rider, who was wearing a face mask under his chin, approaching the transport worker in China before beating him on the head for at least 16 times

The incident took place in the city of Guangzhou in southern China on April 21.

According to state-run Guangzhou Daily, the attacker, known by his surname Li, had drunk several bottles of beer before boarding the bus at around 10am in the district of Conghua.

He allegedly refused to wear his face mask properly and the bus driver, known as Mr Wang, had to urge him to follow the rule repeatedly.

Mr Li was enraged by Mr Wang's act and started to assault him verbally and physically.

The attacker was found guilty of endangering public security by dangerous means and sentenced to three years and three months in prison by he Conghua District Court yesterday

Surveillance footage shows the unruly bus rider, who was wearing a face mask under his chin, approaching the transport worker. He then started to punch the victim, who was still steering the vehicle.

After Mr Wang stopped the bus to call the police, Mr Li carried on striking him before walking to the middle of the bus to try to smash open the windows.

Mr Wang sustained minor injuries in the incident, the report said.

The perpetrator stood trial at the Conghua District Court yesterday, the court said in a social media post.

He was found guilty of endangering public security by dangerous means and sentenced to three years and three months in prison.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : Defending champions Mumbai Indians have started assembling slowly with most of the domestic players having arrived in Mumbai or arriving in the next couple of days. The Indian stars are also set to join them in the next 7-8 days as they gear up for the 13th edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) to be played in the UAE.

Speaking to IANS, an MI official said that players have already started arriving and there is a strict protocol in place to ensure that nobody falls prey to the coronavirus.

"The domestic players have started to arrive and they all are sent into a 14-day quarantine wherein the only time they are allowed to exit the room is when they need to get their test done. Apart from that, all facilities are being provided inside the rooms.

"The India players are also expected to come in soon and they too will go through the quarantine phase. As and when a player's quarantine period is over, he is then given the go-ahead to start training at our ground," the official explained.

Asked about the testing part, the official explained that there will be five rounds of testing for the MI players by the time they take the plane to UAE.

"See, we have asked all the players to undergo two rounds of testing in their home city before they come to Mumbai. And here, we will do another three rounds of testing which we believe is good enough. There might be one or two cases wherein a player might not have had adequate facilities at home and managed to get just one test instead of two. But all in all, we are looking at five rounds of tests before heading to play the IPL for the players as well as the support staff," the official pointed.

Asked about the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), the official said that these are tough times and the franchise believes it is important to work in tandem with the BCCI and ensure smooth functioning.

"We are waiting for the SOP from the BCCI, but we do understand that these are unforeseen times and the pressure is already that much more on the board. We also have prepared our roadmap on how we are looking to approach the tournament and will integrate it with the SOP which the BCCI is expected to give us in the next couple of days. Patience is the key as nobody was prepared for such a turn of events," he said.

Commenting on when the team plans to leave, the official said: "Let's see. Maybe around August 21 or 22. The final date hasn't been zeroed in on as yet. We should have a clearer picture after the meeting with the IPL Governing Council."

Latest updates on IPL 2020

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Bollywood diva Anushka Sharma is one of the fittest actors. Back in the year 2018, Anushka announced that she has turned vegetarian but her love for street food has never changed ever since she was a child. In a recent Q&A session that was hosted by her on Instagram, the actor gave her fans an insight into her street food choices. From tasty dosas to tea, she was seen revealing about the best street food she has tasted so far. Take a look at it here:

Masala Dosa from CTR

When one of her fans asked her about Masala Dosa from Central Tiffin Room (CTR). The actor expressed her excitement saying that she has one last time when she was in Bengaluru. For the unversed, CTR is a heritage restaurant in northwest Bangalore which was established back in the year 1920. The place is popular for its Masala Dosas that comes in several variants, be it buttered or cheesy.

ALSO READ| Viral Video Of Police Rescuing Rhino Captivates Anushka Sharma's Heart, Sends Love

Momos and Paani puri

One of her fans asked Anushka whether she likes Momos or Paani puri. The actor couldnt choose between the two delicacies, however, she revealed that she loves the veg Momos that are made by her mother. Talking about Paani puri, the actor suggested her fans have Paani Puri from the stall which is located at Sanjeev Enclave, Andheri. She mentioned that it is her favourite.

ALSO READ| Anushka Sharma Remembers Her Friends With An Adorable Throwback Picture On Friendship Day

Veg Puff and Cream Bun

During the Q&A session, the Jab Tak Hai Jaan actor also expressed her love for veg puffs and cream buns. She added that she puffs and buns that comes out of City Bakery are the best she has ever tasted. The bakery is located at Dr. Annie Besant Road, near Worli Naka in Mumbai.

ALSO READ| Anushka Sharma Reveals Her Favourite Food Spots Around The World

Tea

Anushka is also very specific when it comes to tea. Revealing her love for tea, she said that she came across Chef Alons tea from her last trip to Bhutan. Sharing the picture of the tea bottle, the Anushka disclosed that she yet loves the taste of Bhutans tea. Not only that, but she also thanked the Chef for gifting her the tea.

ALSO READ| Anushka Sharma Wishes Sunil Chhetri On Birthday, Says 'Keep Inspiring Young Athletes
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 17:13:55|Editor: huaxia

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NEW DELHI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Chinese embassy in India Tuesday urged India not to politicize regular cooperation regarding Confucius Institutes in the country.

In response to a media query on the decision of the Ministry of Education of India to review China-India higher education cooperation programs including Confucius Institutes, spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in India Ji Rong said, "We hope Indian relevant parties can treat Confucius Institutes and China-India higher education cooperation in an objective and fair manner."

She expressed hope that India can "avoid politicizing normal cooperation, and maintain the healthy and stable development of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges."

It has been reported that the Ministry of Education of India has decided to review Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms jointly established by China's Confucius Institute and seven Indian universities and colleges, as well as 54 Memoranda of Understanding on inter-school cooperation signed between Indian and Chinese higher education institutions.

Ji noted that with increasingly close economic, trade and cultural exchanges between China and India, the demand for Chinese language teaching in India is growing.

"China-India cooperation on Confucius Institute Project has been carried out for more than 10 years," she said.

"All Confucius Institutes were established by Chinese and Indian universities after signing legally binding cooperation agreements in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, friendly consultation, equality and mutual benefit, and on the premise that the Indian side ... met the conditions for running the Institute," she added.

The spokesperson stressed that the Confucius Institutes have always been largely managed by the foreign side, with the Chinese side offering assistance and both sides jointly raising funds.

"Over the years, Confucius Institutes have played an important role in promoting Chinese language teaching in India and China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges," Ji said, adding that "this has been generally recognized by the Indian education community." Enditem
Mumbai, Aug 4 : Describing Sanskrit as the "mother of Indian languages" and repository of wisdom in many disciplines, Maharashtra Governor Bhagat Singh Koshyari on Tuesday called for making efforts to promote it among the youth and students as a 'world language'.

"Merely singing praises of Sanskrit will not suffice to preserve and promote the language. We must bring the language into practical use," urged the Governor while inaugurating a national webinar on 'Sanskrit: Origin of All Languages: Its Past and Present Relevence'.

Crediting the ancient language with keeping India united for many centuries, Koshyari said that the Sanskrit mantras sung in all corners of the country, including at Rameshwaram, Jagannath Puri, Badrinath-Kedarnath and even at the Pashupatinath Temple in Kathmandu (Nepal), underscore the unifying character of the language.

The Governor pointed out that while many modern European languages have literature dating back to only 500 years, Sanskrit has literature dating back millennia.

Koshyari also appealed to scholars to undertake research about the science of sound and music associated with Sanskrit language.

The webinar was organised by the School of Language and Literature of the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Solapur University (PAHSU).

Among those who attended the webinar included PAHSU Vice Chancellor Mrinalini Fadnavis and Pro-VC Debendranath Mishra, Kavi Kulguru Kalidas Sanskrit University Vice-Chancellor Shrinivasa Varakhedi, Deccan Deemed University Acting V-C Prasad Joshi, 800 principals, teachers and students from across the country.
Deputy Chairman of the Council of Ministers and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia-Herzegovina Bisera Turkovic met and held talks on Monday with Mahmoud Heidari, Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran to Sarajevoc Trend reports citing IRNA.

Turkovic urged the need to promote friendly relations between the two countries in various fields while appreciating the support of Iran.

She also reminded the effective role of the Iranian government and people in supporting the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina in difficult times.

Turkovic said that the people of Bosnia-Herzegovina will always appreciate the support of the Iranian people.

Heidari described the efforts and achievements made to improve the relations between the two countries in recent years and called for more preservation and strengthening of the process of expanding bilateral relations in the future.
GHAZNI, Afghanistan -- In a reminder that Afghanistans hard-line Islamist Taliban movement is hoping to revive its harsh rule from a quarter-century ago, residents and officials in a southeast Afghan province say the group has imposed restrictions ranging from bans on music and mobile phones to shaving beards.

While a purported Taliban spokesman has denied such restrictions, residents of the rural Andar, Dehyak, and Giro districts in Ghazni Province say clerics loyal to the militant movement have recently announced the new bans over loudspeakers at mosques across the region.

The basic aim of the Talibans restrictions is to limit freedoms of the youth, Wahidullah, a resident of Andar, told Radio Free Afghanistan.

In announcements made at mosques and bazaars, the Taliban has asked the youth not to carry smart phones, refrain from wearing brightly colored clothes, and stop shaving their beards, while encouraging them to shave or cut their hair short, he said.

Zainullah, a resident of Giro, says similar bans were announced in his district. The Taliban has ordered the youth not to wear tight-fitting clothes and refrain from listening to music, he told Radio Free Afghanistan. It has also banned them from shaving or cropping their beards while forbidding them from growing longer hair.

Many Afghans view such measures as part of the Talibans effort to recreate its Islamic Emirate -- the formal name of their regime, which faced domestic resistance and international condemnation for its harsh rules and governance practices often invoked in the name of Islamic Sharia law.

After the hard-line group's emergence in southern Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, the Taliban imposed heavy restrictions in the regions it overran. These included but were not limited to banning girls education, photography, music, cinema, television, photography, and the shaving of beards. The Taliban regime even commissioned a special morality police to enforce its edicts.

But Zabihullah Mujahid, a purported Taliban spokesman, denied imposing any bans in Ghazni. He told Radio Free Afghanistan that the group has announced no such restrictions. In recent years, senior Taliban leaders have repeatedly claimed to have moderated their views and be more amenable to certain freedoms, education and work for women, and the use of modern technology.

Officials in Ghazni, however, maintain the bans are part of a Taliban strategy to assert control over the people living in regions controlled by the insurgents.

They imposed restrictions over mobile phones and the Internet years ago because they didnt want the youth to connect to the world, Wahidullah Jumazada, the spokesman for Ghaznis governor, told Radio Free Afghanistan. They are afraid that an aware and connected youth is not likely to submit to their harsh rules.

The restrictions imposed in Ghazni are similar to other parts of Afghanistan where the Taliban controls large parts of the countryside.

The issue is expected to figure prominently in upcoming peace negotiations between the Taliban and supporters of the Afghan government. Civil society activists and most major political factions in the country have opposed such restrictions because the current Afghan Constitution guarantees individual freedoms.

Abubakar Siddique wrote this story based on Radio Free Afghanistan reporter Habibur Rahman Taseers reporting from Ghazni, Afghanistan.
Actor Amitabh Bachchan took to Instagram to thank the popular Indian milk brand, Amul, for their latest ad campaign. He added that they had been continuously thinking about him throughout his coronavirus-related hospitalisation. He also hit back at a troll who suggested that he was paid for the advertisement.

He wrote: Thank you Amul for continuously thinking of me in your unique poster campaigns ... varshon se Amul ne sammanit kiya hai mujhe ek sadharan shakshiyat ko amulya banaa diya mujhe (For years, Amul has given me respect and made an ordinary person like me priceless). The picture showed the Amul girl clinging on to an elderly Amitabh, in his trademark churidar kurta and shawl combination with a mobile in hand and flashing a thumbs up sign. The caption says, AB beats C.

A troll thought this was paid for. Taking to his blog, Amitabh posted screengrabs of his conversation with the said troll and mocked him by saying ... and the graciousness of the comment went as follows ....

The particular person had commented in Hindi, Kam se kam muft mein toh amulya nahin banen honge... tay rakam li hogi. Saal dar saal badhi hogi (In the process of making you invaluable, they must have given you a fair amount of money, which must have grown with each passing year).

Amitabh hit back saying that he had never campaigned for Amul and that his upbringing prevented him from saying unsavoury things. He replied in Hindi, Bahut badi galat faimi mein chal rahen hain aap, miyan. Jab sach na maloom ho toh aapne swachh mukh ko swachh rakhiye. Na toh main Amul ko endorse karta hoon aur na kabhi kiya hain. Teer chalaane se pehle soch samajh lena chahiye, nahin toh woh aap pe hi aakar geerenge, jaise ki abb hua hai. Teer ki jagah jo mahawraa iss vishaye par woh kisi aur padaarth ka varnan karta hai. Meri sabhya parvarish ne mujhe uss ka varnan karne se rokk diya (You have been living with an impression that is entirely wrong. It is always healthy to think before you speak and keep ones thoughts clean. I do not endorse Amul and have never have done so in the past. Before you shoot an arrow, watch out that it might just land on you, like it has in this case. In fact, in place of an arrow, there is an idiom that comes to my mind which describes another thing, which, my civilised upbringing prevents me from using.)

Amitabh was admitted to Nanavati hospital last month after he tested positive for the coronavirus. His son Abhishek, too, tested positive and was admitted to the hospital. Some time later, Amitabhs daughter-in-law Aishwarya Rai Bachchan and granddaughter Aaradhyas tests too came positive. While initially they were in home quarantine, they too had to be shifted to hospital, after they reportedly complained of breathlessness.

ALSO WATCH | Raksha Bandhan: PM Modi, Priyanka Gandhi, Big B & others extend wishes

On August 2, Amitabh tested negative for Covid-19 and was subsequently discharged from hospital. His son Abhishek, however, continues to remain in hospital, as his tests are still positive. Abhishek had made the announcement on Twitter when he said: I, Unfortunately due to some comorbidities remain Covid-19 positive and remain in hospital. Again, thank you all for your continued wishes and prayers for my family. Very humbled and indebted. Ill beat this and come back healthier! Promise.

Also read: Amitabh Bachchan replies to woman who said shes totally lost respect for him: My respectability is not going to be judged by you

He had continued, My father, thankfully, has tested negative on his latest Covid-19 test and has been discharged from the hospital. He will now be at home and rest. Thank you all for all your prayers and wishes for him.

Amitabh had undergone treatment in the Mumbai hospital for three weeks. Both father and son had been admitted on July 11.

(With ANI inputs)

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There are a few personal qualities that we have come to expect of all our politicians. We take it for granted that they will be reasonably likeable; that they will be polite to constituents and careful not to talk over their heads; that they will be generally optimistic about the future, if not the present; and that they will tell us that public problems are, in the end, solvable.It's possible to cheat on one of these basics and still win elections. We can all think of a few who have done it. But what kind of a career can a politician have if he disdains every one of them? Basically, the answer is not much of a career at all. Unless, that is, he is Jerry Brown. This politician broke virtually every norm of public social comity, won four elections as governor of California, and left office last year with an exemplary reputation not only in his state but all over the world.How did he do that? And are there lessons his unlikely career might offer politicians of the future? Perhaps not. "I can't see anyone patterning themselves on his persona," the political scientist Thad Kousser remarked a couple of years ago. Kousser described that persona succinctly. "Be grouchy and supercheap, quote obscure philosophers, avoid social media, and never make a public presentation without a doomsday-predicting graph." It's not much of a formula for attracting public adulation, is it?Perhaps the best move is to accept that Brown was unique and move on to another subject. But in the last couple of years, two very good books have taken the measure of Brown's nearly 50-year career in California politics and sought to reach some conclusions about what sort of man this actually was. One is 2018's The Browns of California , by the journalist and scholar Miriam Pawel. The other, published this spring, is Man of Tomorrow , by Jim Newton, a formereditor and columnist.One fact that emerges crystal-clear from both books is that Brown was (and is) a man of paradox. I have always been suspicious of arguments based on paradox. They usually tell you that someone or something is both A and B, but that doesn't really answer any hard questions. In Jerry Brown's case, however, the paradoxes stand out so glaringly that they may be where you have to begin.Let's start with this one: Brown's half-century in politics, from his election to a Los Angeles community college board in 1969 at age 31 to his final retirement from the governorship in 2019, was a baffling combination of brazen ambition and humble self-abnegation.By one indisputable standard, he was a compulsive and somewhat irresponsible campaigner. Almost as soon he took office as governor in 1975, having won the office in large part because he was the son of former Gov. Pat Brown, he started running for president. He did pretty well, too. He won five primaries before losing the Democratic nomination in 1976 to Jimmy Carter. Despite a credible record of accomplishment in his first year as governor, one that included a landmark law providing legal protection for farmworkers, it was never clear what he was running for president on, other than being a fresh face and claiming that the other candidates weren't exciting enough.He ran again in 1980, shortly after his re-election as governor, dropping out when he saw that the Democratic primaries were a contest between Carter and Edward M. Kennedy. He tried once more in 1992, this time running a cranky and mean-spirited effort that accused everyone else in the Democratic field of campaign-finance corruption. It's hard to see that record as anything but an extended exercise in egotism.But all along the way, he was making impassioned confessions of personal humility. There is nothing unusual in a politician proclaiming his modesty, but Brown went quite a bit further. "You need someone who's been trained in the arts of self-abnegation and mortification," he declared early in this career. "You must die to yourself." Brown attributed this conviction to his three years in a Jesuit seminary in the 1950s. The California electorate bought it and, in 2010, returned him to the governor's mansion for a third time.Those are all good ways of describing Jerry Brown, at least in his first few political decades. To say he didn't suffer fools is an understatement. Even at the height of his early success, political writers came to California and marveled at the fact that more than 85 percent of the California electorate approved of him. "He is the most interesting politician in the United States,"proclaimed in 1976, "and at the moment he is one of the most popular," despite the fact that "he is not a particularly likeable young man" and asks "hostile and irreverent questions."There is also the paradox that Brown was, his constant campaigns notwithstanding, an introvert in politics. That's not unknown; Richard M. Nixon certainly fit that description. But Nixon turned on the bonhomie when he had to; Brown almost never did. And he admitted it. He confessed his distaste for the public as early as his seminary years. "I don't quite enjoy the crowds and the handshaking," he said when he first became governor. "I'm not ready to sentence myself to a life in politics." His chief of staff once admitted that Brown "just doesn't have what people typically think of as personal relationships with people." But a long life in politics is what he conducted, and seemed unable to escape. A pretty good paradox, if you ask me.There's no real reason to doubt Jerry Brown's sincerity as a moralist. He was a consistent advocate of personal responsibility, from his first term as governor, when he opposed a helmet requirement for motorcyclists on the grounds that they must practice correct behavior on their own. Around the same time, he was asked to define his objectives in politics. His answer was: "Reduce the sum of human misery, I guess. Help people expand their lives a little bit, give them an awareness of their own potential." All of this paints a portrait of a man with strong moral convictions struggling to implant them in public life.But then there is the Brown who could be disturbingly, sometimes shockingly, pragmatic. Exhibit A is his awkward reversal on Proposition 13, the massive and ultimately crippling property-tax cut that California's voters approved in June of 1978. Adamantly opposed to it at first, Brown ended up supporting it in his re-election campaign that fall, describing himself as a "born-again tax cutter." There is also the Brown who accepted the position of chairman and chief fund-raiser of the California Democratic Party in 1989, then quit that job to launch a presidential campaign in which he denounced the system he had just been part of. Defensible, perhaps: There is such a thing as genuine remorse in politics, even instant remorse. But in this case it is part of a paradoxical public life.Finally, there is the uneasy balance between Brown the dreamy visionary, the "Governor Moonbeam" who based a presidential campaign on a promise to explore the universe, and the sober realist who spent decades proclaiming that no administration could solve many of the most perplexing public problems close to home. "I view with some skepticism," he announced in his first gubernatorial campaign, "the ability of government to make people happy." It's common to hear politicians proclaiming the impotence of government  Republicans do it all the time. But Brown had something else in mind: He didn't just say that government couldn't cure their ills; he said nothing could. "There are limits to the planet," Brown declared in his first term as governor. "There are many things that cannot be solved."ascribe the emergence of a truly new and different Jerry Brown to his political comeback in Oakland, across the bay from San Francisco, where he was elected mayor in 1998. Suddenly he began paying less attention to sweeping philosophical controversies and focusing more on the mundane challenges of modern urban life. "When I was governor," Brown said, "it was 'labor' or 'the environment.' In Oakland it was somebody wanting to build a house on a lake."Whether or not the Jerry Brown who returned to the governorship in 2011 was a genuinely reborn public figure, he was a politician unlike the one who had taken over in Sacramento 36 years earlier. Once he had been a disrupter, Pawel explains. Now he was a mender. He was also a deal-maker in ways he had never been before. He lobbied hard and successfully for prison reforms and action on climate change. He held the line on questionable spending programs his fellow Democrats wanted to implement. But the signature accomplishment of Brown 2.0, indeed of his entire political career, was Proposition 30, an increase in income and sales taxes that took the state from the brink of fiscal insolvency to a condition of stable economic health.When he left Sacramento for his ranch in Colusa County, at the start of his ninth decade of life, Jerry Brown was the most popular California governor in modern history. And he deserved to be. Flaws and all.But in the end, what are we to make of this wildly improbable public life? Does it offer any lessons at all to the aspiring politician? I can think of one: Follow your own instincts to the extent you can at any given moment, accepting the inconsistencies that such stubborn behavior generates over a long career. Ignore the paradoxes; you will never resolve them. To quote two of Brown's Jesuit mantras: "Do what you are doing." "Live in the inquiry."That's the best I can come up with, given the fact that Brown himself has never quite understood why he did the things he did. "As much as I dislike politics," he said toward the end of his political career, "I have devoted my life to it  out of some form of enlightened masochism or some other deep motive that I have not yet been able to plumb." Students of government can keep trying, but they are unlikely to plumb it either.
British statistician John Brian Copas will be awarded the Akaike Memorial Lecture Award, the Japanese statistical research community's major prize, for his many contributions to the study of data bias in the fields of medical statistics, econometrics and psychometrics. He is honored in particular for his work on the risk of re-conviction in the field of criminal justice, and for shedding light on the issue of publication bias in the estimation of cancer risk from passive smoking.

John Brian Copas, Professor Emeritus at the University of Warwick, UK will receive the Akaike Memorial Lecture Award from the Institute of Statistical Mathematics (ISM) and the Japan Statistical Society (JSS) in recognition of his considerable and wide-ranging achievements in statistical methodology with a focus on practical applications, especially in regard to various sources of data bias within medical statistics, econometrics and psychometrics, for his work on risk of re-conviction with the field of criminal justice, and for his research into publication bias in the estimation of cancer risk from passive smoking. This is the third time the award has been given.

Research Accomplishments

Professor Copas presented his doctoral thesis in 1967 on the compound decision problem to the Imperial College London under the supervision of Professor George Alfred Barnard. In 1969, he published a paper with discussion on compound decisions and empirical Bayes a in the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society (JRSS) [1]. This paper provided a penetrating insight into decision-making problems in the case where each observation has an unknown parameter. This work laid the foundation of his famous 1983 article, "Regression, Prediction and Shrinkage" [2]. The 1983 paper shed light on Stein's seemingly strange phenomenon in estimating means (Stein's paradox) from the viewpoint of prediction, expanding statistical understanding of the shrinkage behavior. Excellent works on shrinkage estimation theory have been conducted by many Japanese statisticians, and Professor Copas' 1983 article is considered to have served as a springboard for their achievements. Professor Copas's six papers were read before the Royal Statistical Society and published with discussions in JRSS. His works are always achieved on a fine balance between theory and application. Moreover, his research efforts provided a deep insight and wide perspective on various sources of data bias [3][4], making a lasting impact for years to come. His research interests are wide-ranging, and his contributions have spanned academic disciplines such as medical statistics, econometrics and psychometrics.

For example, he co-authored an article that revisited meta-analytical evidence on lung cancer and passive smoking [5]. This work showed possible involvement of publication bias in the estimation of cancer risk, and suggested that the epidemiology community should reconsider the conventional approaches to meta-analysis and interpretation. The Copas selection model, developed for sensitivity analysis in this work, has been a common method for assessing the impact of publication bias in meta-analysis [6].

Moreover, Professor Copas' long-term achievements include criminal statistics analysis. With the rising sex, drug, and other offence rates resulting from rapid social changes in the UK, he made a series of contributions, as a statistician, to the understanding and prediction of delinquency. In particular, his approaches using Cox model analysis for re-offending events and logistic regression analysis for re-conviction and risk factors were highly appreciated by the Ministry of Justice experts, and the "Copas rate," a re-offence probability estimator, has been in reports by the Ministry of Justice [7].

His research stance reflects the rich tradition of the British school of statistics. He has extended open arms and accepted students and researchers from Japan, China, Iran, and other countries.

Since Professor Copas retired from the University of Warwick, he has continued his research activities in affiliation with the University College London and other institutions. In those years, he has been vigorously engaged in multivariate meta-analysis, network meta-analysis, and other topics of practical significance together with many British front-line scientists. His unrelenting enthusiasm is an inspiration for many researchers.

[1] Copas, J. B. (1969).

Compound Decisions and Empirical Bayes (with discussion).

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, B, 31, 397-425.

[2] Copas, J. B. (1983).

Regression, Prediction and Shrinkage (with discussion).

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, B, 45(3), 311-354.

[3] Copas, J.B. and Li, H.G. (1997).

Inference for non-random samples (with discussion).

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, B, 59, 55-95.

[4] Copas, J.B. and Eguchi, S. (2005).

Local model uncertainty and incomplete-data bias (with discussion).

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, B, 67, 459-513.

[5] Copas, J. B. and Shi, J.Q. (2000).

Reanalysis of Epidemiological Evidence on Lung Cancer and Passive Smoking.

British Medical Journal, 320 (7232) 417-418.

[6] Copas, J.B. and Shi, J.Q. (2000).

Meta-analysis, funnel plots and sensitivity analysis.

Biostatistics, 1, 247-262.

[7] Copas, J.B. and Marshall, P. (1998).

The Offender Group Reconviction Scale: A Statistical Reconviction Score for Use by Probation Officers.

Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, C, 47, 159-171.

Reasons for Award

In the 1980s, he developed a novel concept for expanding the Akaike Information Criterion model selection method (whose developer gives the Akaike Award its name), and proposed a method to consider measured and predictive distributions separately.

Professor Copas's contributions in the area of statistical inference are particularly salutary. The Rubin causal model, proposed in the 1970s by Professor Donald Rubin at Harvard University, is one of the most well-known statistical frameworks for causal inference. But it was Professor Copas's efforts regarding statistical causal inference that laid the foundation for Rubin with respect to how epidemiologic research prompted mathematical arguments about proliferation of attributable risk (Hamilton's model).

The research efforts of Professor Copas have always achieved a fine balance between theory and application. Above all, his research efforts have provided deep insights into data bias in a wide range of areas, from medical statistics to econometrics and psychometrics.

Biography of Professor John Brian Copas

John Brian Copas, born in 1943, is Professor Emeritus at the University of Warwick. With a focus on both theory and application, his works provide a deep insight and wide perspective on various sources of data bias. His contributions span over a wide range of academic disciplines, including statistical medicine, ecometrics, and pscyhometrics. He has developed the Copas selection model, a well-known method for sensitivity analysis, and the Copas rate, a re-conviction risk estimator used in the criminal justice system.

Experience

1967 Imperial College London: PhD Statistics

1966-1973 Lecturer/Senior Lecturer, University of Essex, UK

1969-1970 Assistant Professor, State University of New York at Buffalo, USA

1973-1983 Professor of Statistics, University of Salford, UK

1983-1991 Professor of Statistics, University of Birmingham, UK

1992- Professor of Statistics, University of Warwick, UK

2009 - Emeritus Professor at the University of Warwick, UK

2019- Honorary Professor at University College London, UK

Served two three-year terms as head of the Department of Statistics at Warwick.

Also short-term visiting appointments at several overseas universities and research institutes (including the ISM).

Overview of the Akaike Memorial Lecture Award

The Akaike Memorial Lecture Award has been planned since 2014 under the joint sponsorship of ISM and JSS. We have named this lecture award after Dr. Hirotugu Akaike, who left a wide-reaching and influential legacy of research in the statistical sciences, and intend for these events to be both opportunities for exchange among statistical researchers from inside and outside Japan and to provide inspiration to young and talented researchers, contributing to further advances in this field.

Every two years, one lecturer is selected under the standards of the Akaike Memorial Lecture Award Nominating Committee from among those individuals who have, like Dr. Akaike, stood out as being ahead of their time, exercising an international influence over a wide range of fields in the statistical sciences (including mathematical sciences such as control and optimization, and mathematical engineering) and applied fields. The awardee receives an honorarium (100,000 yen), an award plaque, and travel expenses.

To promote the education of students and young researchers, the Akaike Memorial Lecture features a selected board of representatives who will engage in discussions after the lecture. The lecture and follow-up discussion will be published as an invited paper in the Annals of the Institute of Statistical Mathematics (AISM) or the Journal of the Japan Statistical Society (JJSS).

###

The 2020 Akaike Memorial Lecture

Speaker: Prof. John Brian Copas

(University of Warwick, Department of Statistics)

Title: Some of the Challenges of Statistical Applications

Discussants: Professor Masataka Taguri (Yokohama City University) and Dr. Masayuki Henimi (The Institute of Statistical Mathematics)

Date and Time: September 9, 2020, 16:30-18:00

Venue: Toyama International Conference Center

For more information, please visit: http://www.ism.ac.jp/index_e.html

About the Research Organization of Information and Systems (ROIS)

The Research Organization of Information and Systems (ROIS) is a parent organization of four national institutes (National Institute of Polar Research, National Institute of Informatics, the Institute of Statistical Mathematics and National Institute of Genetics) and the Joint Support-Center for Data Science Research. It is ROIS's mission to promote integrated, cutting-edge research that goes beyond the barriers of these institutions, in addition to facilitating their research activities, as members of inter-university research institutes.

About The Institute of Statistical Mathematics (ISM)

The Institute of Statistical Mathematics (ISM) is one of Japan's national research institutes and also a part of ROIS. ISM is an internationally renowned institute with more than 75 years of history, specialized in research on statistical mathematics. ISM pursues research and high quality education by its biaxial structure for research and education programs, three basic research departments, four NOE (Network Of Excellence)-type research centers, and the school for professional development. Through the efforts of its research departments and centers, ISM aims to continuously facilitate cutting edge research collaboration with universities, research institutions, and industries both from Japan and abroad.
Congress continues to negotiate the newest coronavirus relief bill, so we dont yet know how it will all shake out.

One thing Republicans and Democrats seem to agree on is that Americans should receive another direct stimulus payment.

Both sides are looking at $1,200 payments per person, but their plans differ in how they will treat payments for dependents.

You can use our stimulus calculator to see how much of a benefit you might get under each plan.

But how will the payments come to you?

We expect the payment delivery will be similar to how you received your first payment. Most people received it by direct deposit or paper check.

But some four million Americans received a debit card loaded with the stimulus payment.

The cards caused a lot of confusion because many recipients were expecting a paper check based on what they were told from the IRS Get My Payment tool.

Some people thought the cards were scams or junk mail, and they threw them away.

They were able to get a replacement card by contacting Money Network  the company handling the cards for the government  at (800) 240-8100.

Many readers are concerned, saying once they got their money off the card, they tossed it. So now that a second stimulus payment is expected, what happens if you didnt hold onto the card?

You can still get a new one  but it might cost you.

The IRS said people who have lost or destroyed their card can get a free replacement from Money Network.

But its only free for your first replacement.

So if you threw out the card when you first received it, you were able to get a replacement for free.

But if you didnt save the card after you took your stimulus money off the card and you order a new one, as of right now, it will cost $7.50 to replace.

Its always possible that the IRS revises its agreement with the card company, but as of now, the agency hasnt said thats on the table.

The fee would be subtracted from that balance on your card.

Some people may want to replace their cards now to hope they get a faster stimulus payment, but we dont yet know for sure that the second payment will be put on the card. Well be on the lookout for new guidance from the IRS once the relief package is passed.

Karin Price Mueller may be reached at KPriceMueller@NJAdvanceMedia.com.
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP ("Scott+Scott"), an international securities and consumer rights litigation firm, is investigating certain directors and officers of Under Armour, Inc. ("Under Armour") (NYSE: UA) for breaching their fiduciary duties to Under Armour and its shareholders. If you are an Under Armour shareholder, you may contact attorney Joe Pettigrew for additional information toll-free at 844-818-6982 or [email protected].

Scott+Scott is investigating whether Under Armour's board of directors or senior management failed to manage Under Armour in an acceptable manner, in breach of their fiduciary duties to Under Armour, and whether Under Armour has suffered damages as a result.

On November 5, 2018, the Wall Street Journal reported on a male-dominated corporate culture at Under Armour that tolerated and encouraged systemic sexist behavior throughout its ranks.

On November 4, 2019, the Wall Street Journal published an article reporting that the U.S. Department of Justice and Securities and Exchange Commission were investigating whether Under Armour "shifted sales from quarter to quarter to appear healthier."

What You Can Do

If you are an Under Armour shareholder, you may have legal claims against Under Armour's directors and officers. If you wish to discuss this investigation, or have questions about this notice or your legal rights, please contact attorney Joe Pettigrew toll-free at 844-818-6982 or [email protected].

About Scott+Scott

Scott+Scott has significant experience in prosecuting major securities, antitrust, and consumer rights actions throughout the United States. The firm represents pension funds, foundations, individuals, and other entities worldwide with offices in New York, London, Amsterdam, Connecticut, California, Virginia, and Ohio.

Attorney Advertising

CONTACT:

Joe Pettigrew

Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

230 Park Avenue, 17th Floor, New York, NY 10169

844-818-6982

[email protected]

SOURCE Scott+Scott Attorneys at Law LLP

Related Links

http://scott-scott.com


An op-ed recently appeared in the Connecticut Post written by Tressa Pankovits regarding Bridgeport Public Schools delivery of educational services through a distance learning model during the last three months of the 19-20 school year. Her feeling was that, given the already adverse circumstances caused by distance learning forced by the COVID-19 pandemic, increased effort should be taken to bridge students through the summer into the 20-21 school year. In addition, she addresses the BPS fall reopening plan and her belief that the district is not adequately prepared for it. She also questions the degree of professional development provided to teachers to operate in a distance learning environment.

BPS agrees that remedial efforts are crucial to assisting students to bridge the summer gap so that they retain what they learned in the last school year and remain motivated for the coming one. To that end, BPS has held a virtual early learning program for identified students in grades K-2 and a district-wide virtual extended school year (ESY) program for special education students. In addition, a virtual credit recovery program was also provided for high school students.

With respect to the opinions put forth by Ms. Pankovits concerning the districts lack of preparedness in planning for the fall reopening, on July 24, BPS submitted a detailed, 45-page, reopening plan to the state Department of Education entitled Welcome Back Bridgeport. This plan was developed over the past six weeks through the work of a 35-member reopening task force comprised of teachers, school administrators, parents, Board of Education members and high-ranking members of the citys administration. A public presentation of the plan was given at a special Board of Education meeting on July 23.

The plan provides for three reopening scenarios: 1. all in-person learning; 2. all distance learning; and 3. a hybrid of in-person and distance learning. It is detailed and nimble enough to be effective no matter what the future holds. It addresses all areas affecting students and teachers, including student and staff safety, development of appropriate educational opportunities and awareness of social and emotional well-being, as well as a plan to assess growth and achievement by June 2021.

Finally, her expressed concern for the professional development and preparedness of the faculty and staff is shared by us, as well. In fact, the Welcome Back Bridgeport Plan provides for robust ongoing professional development of faculty and staff, building on professional development initiatives which occurred during the period of forced distance learning. Under this plan, any of the reopening scenarios can be implemented with an equal degree of success.

Having said this, we would like to note that, while she clearly has a passion for the subject of public education, Ms. Pankovits professional expertise lies in other areas. She is co-founder of the Chicago-based Vallas Group, Inc., which is a consulting firm with experience in providing public administration consulting services. Some of these are related to schools in the areas of administration, grant management and lobbying. As a point of full disclosure, the Vallas Group contacted the district immediately after it was announced that BPS would be receiving funding under the CARES Act to try to arrange a consulting agreement. The district did not have an interest in pursuing such an arrangement.

The district values all feedback and input from the community. As written, the Welcome Back Bridgeport Plan is proof positive that Bridgeport Public Schools is taking proactive measures to reopen in the fall to serve students, staff, faculty and parents regardless of which model is followed. It is also a testament that all district staff are working extremely hard for Bridgeports kids and will continue to do so with the communitys support as we move through the coming school year.

The Welcome Back Bridgeport Plan can be viewed on the BPS website: www.bridgeportedu.net

Michael J. Testani

superintendent of schools

and the members of the Bridgeport Board of Education
The plot to kill former rep. Steve Stockman is unfolding before our eyes. Unjustly convicted of campaign finance violations (three grand juries refused to indict him), imprisoned in a federal facility with a very high rate of COVID-19 infection, denied compassionate release despite serious comorbidities, Steve now is being denied medications that have been prescribed to him.



Patti Stockman protesting outside Steve's prison (Twtter video screen grab).

Steve's wife Patti emails:

Steve is improved , though definitely still sick. However, the prison refuses to refill his long-standing prescription for Zinc and the hospital ER doctor prescription for Hydroxychloroquine! Its just outrageous! Thank you for trying to call the prison; all of you Ive heard from havent even been able to get an answer. We have to find another way to reach them.

Reach out to their regional management 

Regarding Inmate Stephen Stockman, #23502-479 :

Juan Baltazar, Jr.

Director, BOP South Central Region

US ARMED FORCES Reserve Complex

344 Marine Forces Dr.

Grand Prairie, TX 75051

972-352-4400

And BOP in Washington:

Mr. David Brewer, Director

Acting Senior Deputy Director of BOP

Central Office

320 First Street, NW

Washington, DC 20534

202-353-3638

Get letters out as quickly as possible. REMEMBER: to use Steves name and number (given above).

Complain that they did not approve transfer to home confinement of this highly at-risk inmate, allowing him to contract the life-threatening COVID virus.

But MORE, complain now that the prison in Beaumont is completely irresponsible, negligent, indifferent, (or whatever adjectives you want to use ) because (1) they wont fill this inmates long-standing prescription for Zinc that was prescribed for medical reasons, AND (2) they refuse to fill the Emergency Room doctors prescription for Hydroxychloroquine. The ER doctor obviously treats a lot of COVID patients. How many is the prison treating? NOT A ONE!

PLEASE do not merely copy and paste what I wrote as that is obviously worded as my message to you - not yours to prison management. If youre outraged, express it.

Both the Bureau of Prisons and the Beaumont Prisons claims have been that their highest priority is the well-being of the inmates of whom they have charge! Well, their actions concerning Stephen Stockman say otherwise.

Because Steve needs the prescriptions now , express your outrage now.

Meanwhile the conservative press numerous good articles in conservative media, and theyre still coming, are stirring things up in DC (pretty PDFs attached):

Western Journal https://www.westernjournal.com/former-gop-rep-steve-stockman-contracts-covid-prison-request-early-release-denied/

Town Hall https://townhall.com/columnists/rachelalexander/2020/08/03/conservative-former-rep-steve-stockman-gets-covid19-in-prison-while-convicted-murderer-gets-to-leave-n2573578

And a petition by national conservative leaders, whose signatures are still coming in (no PDF attached): http://www.conservativehq.com/node/33009
Noting that lockdown was a temporary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, a senior official of the World Health Organisation on Tuesday said India has a low testing rate when compared to some of the countries that are successfully trying to curb it.

The Chief Scientist of WHO, Soumya Swaminathan, in an interactive session through video conference said,as of now about 28 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are under clinical trial, of which five are entering Phase-II and over 150 candidates are in pre-clinical trials across the globe.

"India as a whole, the testing rates are much lower compared to some of the countries, who have done well like Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan. Even the United States is testing a huge number of people. So we need to have some benchmark and every public health department needs to have benchmarks on what is the rate of testing per lakh or per million, what is the test positivity rate," she said.

Without adequate number of tests, fighting the virus is like "fighting fire blindfolded," she pointed out. According to Swaminathan, the number of tests being conducted is not adequate if the COVID-19 test positivity rate is above five per cent.

Governments need to constantly monitor the availability of beds, quarantine facilities, ICUs and oxygen supplies in district hospitals.

"So there is a set of 8 to 10 indicators that thegovernment needs to keep a close watch on. And you can ramp up or ramp down based on what you are seeing on the ground," she said.

Observing that the scientists' community was stillstudying the body's immune response to coronavirus and the next 12 months were crucial to put in place the public healthand social measures, she said the virus has spread to every country in the world and "established community transmission".

"We know that lockdowns are temporary measures or a temporary measure which reduces the spread because it prevents people from getting closer together and the idea of the lockdown is to buy time for the government to put in place the system needed to tackle the virus," the WHO official said.

On the ongoing vaccine trials, she said the WHO has issued guidelines on it and if the efficacy rate of the vaccine is 70 percent, then it is considered to be a good one. On the COVAX facility, a mechanism designed to guarantee rapid, fair and equitable access to COVID-19 vaccines worldwide, Swaminathan said by the end of 2021 it is aimed to deliver two billion doses of safe, effective vaccines that have passed regulatory approval and/or WHO prequalification.

All the 194 member countries of the WHO need to come together and take a decision on the way they want to proceed for the equitable and fair distribution of vaccine (once successfully comes out) and other products that are being developed for COVID-19, she opined. Krishna Ella, Chairman and Managing Director of Bharat Biotech, which is into developing Covaxin, a vaccine candidate for COVID-19,said the Centre needs to decetralise some of the regulating authorities such as Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO for faster approvals.

Telangana Minister for IT and Industries KT Rama Rao acted as a moderator for the session titled The Vaccine Race-Balancing Science and Urgency.
Texas Mutual Insurance Co. and Volunteer Firemens Insurance Services of Texas are awarding $500,000 to nonprofit emergency service organizations across Texas through two separate grant programs.

$200,000 will be designated for a financial relief grant program to help provide funding assistance to emergency service organizations affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

$300,000 will support these organizations in investing in their teams health and wellness.

Grant applications for a financial relief grant ($2,500 per organization) will open on Aug. 10 and will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Applications for health and wellness grants will be open from Sept. 1 through Dec. 31 and grants will be awarded the first quarter of 2021.

Texas Mutual and VFIS of Texas partner with the State Firefighters & Fire Marshals Association of Texas to manage the application process and select grant recipients. Texas Mutual and VFIS of Texas have awarded safety and wellness grants to emergency responders throughout the state since 2013. This year, they expanded their funding to include a grant program specifically to assist in the financial recovery of emergency responder organizations, as result of COVID-19.

Austin-based Texas Mutual Insurance Co. is a policyholder-owned company, providing coverage to 44% of the market.

VFIS of Texas is a division of WinStar Insurance Group LLC in Austin,TX. VFIS is a provider of insurance, education and consulting services to emergency service organizations across the U.S. and Canada.

Topics Texas
Mr Hume was a key architect of Northern Irelands historic Good Friday peace agreement and was awarded the Nobel Prize for the decisive part he played in ending the Troubles.

The former Foyle MP, who had dementia and in recent years had lived in a care home in Derry, died in the early hours of Monday morning.

His funeral will take place in his native Derry on Wednesday morning in a ceremony limited in size due to coronavirus restrictions.

President Michael D Higgins said Mr Hume had transformed and remodelled politics in Ireland, while Taoiseach Micheal Martin said he was a great hero and a true peacemaker.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair hailed Mr Humes epic contribution to the peace process and former US president Bill Clinton insisted his legacy would live on.

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Northern Ireland First Minister Arlene Foster and Deputy First Minister Michelle ONeill also paid tribute.

Current SDLP leader Colum Eastwood, who represents the Foyle seat Mr Hume held for two decades, said the island had lost its most significant and consequential political figure of the 20th century.

As he signed a book of condolence in Derry on Monday, Mr Eastwood compared his political hero to the famous US civil rights leader.

John Hume was our Martin Luther King, he said.

He was the greatest Irishman ever and he achieved something that no one could ever achieve before him: he ended the Anglo-Irish conflict, the conflict that had gone on for 800 years, and he gave my generation the opportunity to achieve our political goals peacefully and democratically, and that is an enormous legacy.

Mr Hume, a former MEP for Northern Ireland, was a founding member of the party he went on to lead for 22 years.

He was a key figure in the civil rights campaigns of the late 1960s and also played a leading role in the formation of the credit union movement in his home city.

Throughout his political career he remained steadfast in his commitment to non-violence.

His participation in secret talks with then Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams in the late 1980s and early 1990s was a key catalyst for the nascent peace process.

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The SDLP leader faced intense criticism, including some from within his own party, when his dialogue with Mr Adams became public in 1993.

Despite threats to his life, he persisted with his efforts to engage with the republican movement and to convince the IRA to end its campaign of violence.

On Monday, Mr Adams paid tribute to Mr Humes bravery and persistence.

We have all lost a friend, he said.

The highlight of Mr Humes career came in 1998 with the signing of the historic Good Friday accord which largely ended Northern Irelands 30-year sectarian conflict.

Along with Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble, Mr Hume was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his contribution to stopping the bloodshed.

In 2010, Mr Hume was named Irelands Greatest in a poll by RTE.

His death comes just six months after that of fellow Good Friday architect and long-time SDLP deputy leader Seamus Mallon.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said there would have been no Good Friday Agreement without Mr Hume.

John Hume was quite simply a political giant, he said.

He stood proudly in the tradition that was totally opposed to violence and committed to pursuing his objectives by exclusively peaceful and democratic means.

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Mr Johnson added: With his passing we have lost a great man who did so much to help bring an end to the Troubles and build a better future for all.

His vision paved the way for the stability, positivity and dynamism of the Northern Ireland of today, and his passing is a powerful reminder of how far Northern Ireland has come.

Taoiseach Micheal Martin described Mr Hume as a great hero and a true peacemaker.

Throughout his long life he exhibited not just courage, but also fortitude, creativity and an utter conviction that democracy and human rights must define any modern society, he said.

Mr Clinton said he and his wife Hillary had lost a friend who fought his long war for peace in Northern Ireland.

His chosen weapon: an unshakeable commitment to non-violence, persistence, kindness and love, he said.

With his enduring sense of honour he kept marching on against all odds towards a brighter future for all the children of Northern Ireland.

Through his faith in principled compromise, and his ability to see his adversaries as human beings, John helped forge the peace that has held to this day.

President Michael D Higgins said Mr Hume had transformed and remodelled politics in Ireland.

All of those who sought and worked for peace on our island of Ireland, and in the hearts of all, will have been deeply saddened by the passing of John Hume, Nobel Peace Laureate and statesman, he said.

UK Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said: Life across the island of Ireland is peaceful and more prosperous today because of his courage, vision and determination.

In a statement, Mr Humes family said: John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great-grandfather and a brother. He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family.

It seems particularly apt for these strange and fearful days to remember the phrase that gave hope to John and so many of us through dark times: we shall overcome.
Huberty discusses school opening, flood control

It is critical to get kids back to school, State Rep. Dan Huberty told almost a hundred viewers watching the Lake Houston Chambers State of the State Lunch-In on their computers July 21.

As the parent of a 16-year-old, he must go back to school for MY mental health, Huberty said.

State officials  the governor and lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house, the senate education chair and Huberty as house education chair  have communicated with an array of groups including school boards, school district officials, teachers,  as many people as possible about reopening the schools, he said.

Schools in Texas are called independent school districts for a reason, he said. Local control is important and, working with health representatives and state officials, we believe the districts and their boards know what is best for their schools.

Emergency management, workforce speakers give updates at chamber luncheon

Huberty assured viewers that school funding, which is based on attendance, will include both virtual and in-person students. He also assured viewers that the state is providing schools with personal protection equipment at no charge and that sick leave will not be counted against teachers and school staff who must be quarantined for themselves or a family member.

Our purpose is to draft goals that give flexibility to schools. One size does not fit all. What Huffman or Humble require may be different from what Katy requires, Huberty said.

On another topic, Huberty praised Houston Mayor Pro Tem Dave Martin for his effort in purchasing the Montgomery County land north of Elm Grove Village in Kingwood and for the dredging of more than 200,000 cubic yards of sand and silt from the San Jacinto River mouth-bar.

Huberty said MUD 153 in Atascocita is leading efforts to seek funding to continue dredging the inlets along Lake Houston, praising State Sen. Brandon Creighton and Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw as well.

We now have a viable solution to flooding, Huberty said.

Weve got constituents who dont like to be told what to do, Huberty said in the question and answer session. I understand. People are tired of staying home but we must focus on getting kids back to school. Support our local businesses. Follow the Centers for Disease Control guidelines.

Also speaking virtually at the chamber lunch-in was Jay Hall, assistant for the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

Under the CARES Act, Texas has been allotted $11 billion for medical, public health, payroll and other expenses in support of the COVID-19 response. Hall ticked off the millions of personal protective equipment items his agency has distributed to medical personnel, first responders, police and fire officials, and school districts. The items include protective clothing, helmets, gloves, face shields, goggles and face masks.

When asked about hurricane preparedness in the age of COVID-19, Hall said it is important to have a to-go kit, including cash and clothes in case of evacuation. Hall said the pandemic has required his division to rethink what they do.

In the past, a disturbance forming from Africa would give us time to formulate our plan, he said. Now, because of social distancing, for example, we could shelter fewer people so we may need to find more sites. Planning is going to take more time.

Commissioner Aaron Demerson with the Texas Workforce Commission recalled jogging past a school recently and realizing that the quiet signified no students.

We did as much work in the last four months than we would normally do in four years  four million claims, $20 billion paid out, 3.4 million calls, he said. In response, the workforce commission doubled the number of call centers, now open 7 a.m.-7 p.m. seven days a week. We hired more staff and initiated a chat box to handle questions and concerns.

The commission invested $10 million in training programs and currently there are 600,000 available jobs listed on their website.

We have 2.6 million small businesses in Texas, and weve held virtual meetings listening to them and helping them work out their problems, Demerson said. It was refreshing to see that businesses care about their employees. Texas is ready to get back to work safely.

The July 21 lunch-in can be viewed on the Lake Houston Chambers YouTube channel. Martin and Dr. Katherine Persson, president of Lone Star College-Kingwood, will speak at the virtual Kingwood BizCom set for Thursday, Aug. 6 at 11 a.m. The virtual Summer Creek BizCom will be held Thursday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m., the virtual Humble BizCom is Thursday, Oct. 8 at 11 a.m., and the virtual Atascocita BizCom is Thursday, Nov. 5 at 11 a.m. Register for all virtual programs at lakehouston.org.
Three missing sailors have been found on a tiny island in the Western Pacific after they wrote a large SOS message in the sand that was spotted from the air by Australian pilots.

The men were found on Sunday after they had been missing for three days and were 'in good health,' the Australian Defence Ministry said.

Their call for help, written on the beach of Pikelot Island, 190km west of where they had set out from on July 30, was seen by Australian and US aircraft.

The men were found on Sunday after they had been missing for three days and were 'in good health,' the Australian Defence Ministry said

A map showing where Pikelot Islannd in the Western Pacific where the men were found

The men were reportedly sailing between the atolls Poluwat and Pulap, a journey of 42km, when they veered off course and ran out of fuel.

The Australian Defence Force had been asked to support a search-and-rescue effort by the Rescue and Coordination Centre in Guam on August 1 after reports the men were missing.

The HMAS Canberra joined the operation while returning to Australia and sailed overnight to reach the search area.

With assistance from US Aircraft operating out of Guam, the HMAS Canberra located the sailors on the island.

An Army reconnaissance helicopter landed on the island and delivered food and water to the three men.

They confirmed the identities of the sailors and checked to see if they had suffered any injuries.

A Micronesian patrol vessel, FSS Independence, is heading to the island to pick up the men.

Their call for help, written on the beach of Pikelot Island, 190 kilometres west of where they had set out on July 30, was seen by Australian and US aircraft (pictured: The SOS message written in the sand)

The HMAS Canberra located the three men and provided supplies to the helicopter which delivered them to the beach

Canberra's Commanding Officer Captain Terry Morrison said the response by the ship's company to the operation was outstanding.

'The ship's company responded to the call and had the ship quickly prepared to support the search and rescue,' Captain Morrison said.

'In particular, our embarked MRH90 helicopter from No. 808 Squadron and the four armed reconnaissance helicopters from 1st Aviation Regiment were instrumental in the morning search that helped locate the men and deliver supplies and confirm their welfare.

'I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world.'

Pikelot Island, which is only 450 metres long, is part of the Caroline Islands, a scattered archipelago in the western Pacific.
One of Editor & Publishers 10 That Do It Right 2021
Trillium Gold to Acquire Rivard High Grade Gold Property in Red Lake, Ontario

Posted by Publisher Internet

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Previous drill results include13.16 grams per tonne (?gpt?) Au over 9 m (0.42 ounces per ton (?opt?) Au over 31 ft) and 20.93 gpt over 1 m (0.67 opt Au over 3.28 ft) drill by Rubicon Minerals.

Previous drill results include 12.38 gpt Au over 2.00 m (0.40 opt Au over 6.56 ft) in hole EE08-05, 34.07 gpt Au over 1.5 m (1.10 opt Au over 4.92 ft) in hole EE-07 15, 13.65 gpt Au over 1.00 m (0.44 opt Au over 3.28 ft), 28.62 gpt Au over 2.90m (0.92 opt Au over 9.51 ft) drilled in 2007 by E-Energy Ventures.

Surface channel sample results include 188.49 gpt Au (Fire Assay) 80.38 gpt Au (Pulp & Metallic) over 0.45 m and 28.29 gpt Au (Fire Assay) 53.91 gpt Au (Pulp & Metallic) over 0.30 m.

Confirmation of geological data has been initiated with a drill program expected to commence later this year

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. (TSXV:TGM) (?Trillium? or the ?Company?),?is pleased to announce that?is has signed an agreement to acquire the Rivard Property, contiguous to its Newman Todd Property, in the Red Lake Mining District, Ontario.

Russell Star, CEO of Trillium Gold, states that ?The Rivard Property adds another significant piece to our exploration package in Red Lake. The property includes an on-strike extension to the Newman Todd Zone (?NTZ?) to the southwest of our current land holding and adds a new exploration dimension with the high grade gold veins that have been mined on surface by the Rivard Family[1] to the northwest in the footwall of the NTZ. We plan to initiate aggressive exploration by updating the geologic mapping and surface sampling in advance of drilling later this year on this very underexplored and highly prospective property. The addition of the Rivard property is another step Trillium has taken to continue to add value for shareholders.?

The Rivard Property consists of one lease of six contiguous minerals claims encompassing 90 hectares. Upon completion of the transaction Trillium will acquire a 100% interest in the property, subject to a 1.5% NSR royalty, by completing payments totalling $400,000 and 400,000 shares over 3.5 years. The Company has the right to repurchase ? of the Royalty (0.75%) for consideration of $1.2 million, payable in cash or shares. In addition, the Company has a right of first refusal should the holders of the Royalty sell the Royalty in the future.

The Rivard family, a long-standing northern Ontario family,? has been selectively sampling high-grade gold from the property for more than 30 years from trenches and pits along a 300 metres strike length of altered sulphide bearing volcanic rocks cut by a series of? quartz veins and strings that carry visible gold.

Photo: 1 Trillium Gold\-\-s geologist holding a specimen with visible gold collected from the Rivard Property

Geological Setting:

Gold is observed in quartz veins in drill core, outcrops and in trenches across the property. Alteration and wide-spread gold mineralization occur extensively within structurally and chemically favorable rocks. It is underexplored and has not been drilled below 300m vertically. Historically, the Rivard Property contains both visible gold in narrow high-grade veins as well as in broader zones of lower grade gold mineralization.? Our technical team will commence an exploration program by updating and confirming the geological data from our predecessors ahead of a drill program planned for later this year.

Photo: 2 Visible Gold in quartz collected from the Rivard Property, July 27, 2020

History of Exploration on Rivard Property:

Early exploration was carried out on the Property in the middle 1930s and again later in the middle 1940s. There is little information available about work in these periods aside from reports regarding trenching, drilling and bulk sampling. Diamond drill hole results reported in The Northern Mine (1946), after converting gold values at $38.50 per ounce, include:

19.60 gpt Au over 1.52 m (0.63 opt over 5 ft)

12.44 gpt Au over 3.05 m (0.40 opt over 10 ft)

6.22 gpt Au over 2.74 m (0.20 opt over 9 ft)

7.78 gpt Au over 1.83 m (0.25 opt over 6 ft)

Canamax Resources Inc. and Inmet Mining worked the property in the 1980s and 1990s, but reporting is very sparse.

Rubicon Minerals held the property in 2003 and completed 15 diamond drill holes. Highlights (from Rubicon Minerals news release, June 3rd, 2003) include:

32 gpt Au over 9.45 m (0.46 opt Au over 31.00 ft) from 263.00 m.

22.83 gpt Au over 1.00 m (0.73 opt Au over 3.28 ft) from 281.60 m

E-Energy Ventures acquired the property in 2006 and held it through 2015, completing 35 holes. Results (listed in E-Energy news releases on March 12 and May 28th, 2007) from this drilling included:

38 gpt Au over 2.00 m (0.40 opt Au over 6.56 ft)

07 Au gold over 1.5 m (1.10 opt Au over 4.92 ft)

65 Au gold over 1.00 m (0.44 opt Au over 3.28 ft),

62 Au gold over 2.90 m (0.92 opt Au over 9.51 ft)

Channel samples collected by E-Energy were encouraging with diamond saw cut channels returning 188.49 gpt Au (5.49 opt Au) (Fire Assay), 80.38 gpt Au (2.34 opt Au) (Pulp & Metallic) over 0.45 m (1.47 feet) including 28.29 gpt Au (0.83 opt Au) (Fire Assay), 53.91 gpt Au (1.57 opt Au) (Pulp & Metallic) over 0.30 m (0.98 feet) (Reference: E-Energy News Release November 14th, 2006).

(These results are historical and are provided for context only with respect to the Rivard project and are not contained in a 43-101 report and were taken prior to the implementation of national instrument 43-101.)

The technical information presented in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Robert W. Schafer QP, PGeo, a director of Trillium Gold Mines, as defined by NI 43-101.

For further information about this news release and the Company?s current activities contact

info@trilliumgold.com, visit our website at?www.trilliumgold.com?or call us at 604-688-9588.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

?Russell Starr?

Russell Starr

President, CEO and Director

Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

In Europe:

Swiss Resource Capital AG

Jochen Staiger

info@resource-capital.ch

www.resource-capital.ch

About Trillium Gold Mines Inc.

Trillium Gold Mines Inc. is a British Columbia based company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of mineral properties located in the highly prospective Red Lake Mining District of Northern Ontario.

Disclosure and Caution

Completion of the transaction is subject to a number of conditions, including TSX Venture Exchange acceptance. The transaction cannot close until the required conditions are satisfied and required approvals are obtained. There can be no assurance that the transaction will be completed as proposed or at all.. Trading in the securities of the Company should be considered highly speculative. The TSX Venture Exchange has not reviewed or approved the terms to the Transaction.

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.

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 ability to complete the transaction, the ability to satisfy the conditions required and approvals needed to complete the transaction, the expected viability? of the assets subject to the transaction,? availability of funds and the results of financing efforts,  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.

The securities referred to in this news release have not been, and will not be, registered under 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 unless pursuant to an exemption therefrom. This press release is for information purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any securities of the Company or Canadian Shield in any jurisdiction.

[1] The Rivard Family includes all the following individuals: John O?Brien Rivard, Shirley Rose Aimee Rivard, Louis William Rivard, Danny Donat Rivard, Patrick Robert Rivard, Joanne Cathy Petticrew, Nadia Louiselle Stewart and Olga Olivia Yauch.
Whale-watching has boomed into a multi-million dollar industry. Over the years it has transformed sleeping communities into tourism icons and provided a boost to local employment and economy. But the practice also comes with danger to the animals that it dearly features. (Photo : Pixabay)

In 2011, the whale watching industry was estimated to be more than 2 billion dollars, as 13 million people went whale watching. With the advent of selfies and social media, whale watching fans are expected to increase at a much higher rate over the years.

Over the years, the industry has transformed sleeping coastal communities into tourism icons, significantly contributing to local employment and the economy. In these communities, the income and jobs generated from whale watching provide a sense of pride and stewardship for the whales and dolphins.

It also increased awareness on conservation and protection of marine life in some coastal communities. Whale watching may also serve as an avenue to collect data on the whale and dolphins.

GOOD NEWS: Orca Who Once Carried Her Dead Calf for 17 Days, Pregnant Again

However, there are also potential impacts of whale watching that we must be aware of:



1. Changes in whale's behaviors to avoid the presence of the whale-watching boat

Studies have shown that whales tend to change their responses in the presence of a whale-watching boat. They may tend to prevent the vessel or change direction. A study noted that killer whales increased their speed when boats are within 400 meters from them.

Some countries mandate a 100-meter distance away from the whale, but even then, whales are still disturbed as they change course, tend to breathe rapidly, alter their singing frequency, or stop singing at all.



2. Interruption of essential activities like feeding or resting or nurturing the young

A whale-watching boat interacting with the whales can disrupt their foraging and relaxing activities. While such incidences may be okay if it happened once or twice, but problems arise if this is repeated several times over long periods. As the whale industry is a vast one, some places may have ten whale sight-seeing boats a day.

According to Dr. David Lusseau, from the Institute of Biological and Environmental Science at the University of Aberdeen, this repeated disturbance can even cause females to stop producing enough milk for their calves, thus decreasing the survival rate of their young.



3. Whale watching activities have been linked to a decrease in whale's population size or movement away from whale watching area

A study on bottlenose dolphins in Bay of Islands, New Zealand documented avoidance of vessels with a recorded subsequent annual decrease in population numbers. A survey of dolphin's response to vessel presence in Australia showed decreased presence over the years.

READ: Young Humpback Whale Found in Ocean Shores, Dead Due to Blunt Force Trauma



4. Noise from boat engines may affect whale and dolphin

The noise or sound that the engines generate causes stress to cetaceans as it limits their abilities to find mate, engage in social contact with other whales, and communicate with their offsprings. The dominant sense of whales is hearing.

A study on how much noise comes from boats indicates that at the highest level of 172 decibels from a distance of 100 meters, mother whale's resting time decreases by 30 percent, their respiratory rates doubled. They increase their swimming speed by 40 percent, thereby affects the young caves as they have slower swimming speed.



5. Death from collisions

According to the International Whaling Commission, whales are most likely to be hit by whale-watching boats. The figure is expected because whale-watching ships are more likely to report collisions than other vehicle types. Naval vessels are most likely to cause death, while whale-watching vessels cause more injuries.

Management measures may be considered to lessen the impact of whale watching on these fantastic creatures. These measures may be tailored to the species. Compliance with the regulations must also be ensured.

Suggestions and rules must be based on scientific knowledge on the matter. Undertaking measures such as establishing biologically essential areas for the whales and dolphins to travel, feed, and socialize must also be included in the rules.

READ NEXT: Hong Kong's Rare Pink Dolphins at Higher Risk of Disappearing
Four decades of policies that encouraged China to become more economically integrated with the world are unravelling.

Before he died in 1994, former United States President Richard Nixon had an uh-oh moment of historic proportions, at least according to his speechwriter William Safire  a moment of doubt that is reverberating to this day.

I asked him  on the record  if perhaps we had gone a bit overboard on selling the American public on the political benefits of increased trade [with China], Safire wrote in an opinion piece for The New York Times in 2000.

That old realist, who had played the China card to exploit the split in the Communist world, replied with some sadness that he was not as hopeful as he had once been: We may have created a Frankenstein, Safire quoted Nixon as saying.

Last month, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo invoked that apocryphal mea culpa in a speech at Californias Richard Nixon Presidential Library and Museum, as he and his boss, President Donald Trump, attempt to put China back into a Cold War-like deep freeze.

Pompeo said Washington and its allies must use more creative and assertive ways to press the Chinese Communist Party to change its ways on unfair trade practices, human rights abuses and efforts to infiltrate US society, calling it the mission of our time.

The irony, of course, is that their late Republican hero had made thawing out Chinas relationship with the West the centrepiece of his presidency  while he was not battling political scandals, that is.

There is no place on this small planet for a billion of its potentially most able people to live in angry isolation, Nixon famously wrote in October 1967, setting the tone for his policy of detente towards China once he entered the White House in 1969.

US President Richard Nixon met with Chinas Communist Party Chairman Mao Zedong in 1972, paving the way for Chinas entry into the global economy [File: AP]

The decades that followed have seen China rise from the ashes of Mao Zedongs Cultural Revolution to become the worlds second-largest economy. Today, it is anything but isolated, even if not everyone is its friend. Few, if any, countries can say they are not affected by China, either politically, economically or both.

But as the economic war between the US and China morphs into a rapidly escalating political dispute, threatening their phase-one trade deal reached in January, the close ties the two countries have built up since the 1970s are unravelling. This is creating opportunities for some commercial interests on both sides, but also risks for others.

And while the two giants slug it out, many smaller economies are being forced to take sides. The collateral damage of the great US-China decoupling is spreading.

Front lines

Some aspects of the decoupling of the worlds top two economies had begun even before Trump took office in 2017. Rising costs in China, increased automation  and growing anger at Beijings appropriation of intellectual property in exchange for access to its markets  had already been pushing some Western companies to start looking at alternatives to China.

But the US-China trade war forced many firms to move quickly.

The trade war between the US and China is just one of many disputes between the superpowers [File: Peter Foley/Bloomberg]

There are now a number of fronts along which the two countries are engaged in direct economic or political conflict.

These include punitive tariffs placed by the US on about $370bn worth of Chinese imported goods, and retaliatory levies by China; the USs accusations that Chinese telecommunications equipment maker Huawei Technologies helps Beijing snoop on its enemies; the coronavirus; a row over Beijings move to impose a security law on Hong Kong; US sanctions on some Chinese individuals linked to alleged human rights abuses against Uighurs and other minority Muslim groups; territorial disputes in the South China Sea; and most recently, the tit-for-tat closures of each others consulates in Houston and Chengdu.

All these developments have pulled the two superpowers further apart. The tariff war in particular has made a sizeable dent in both economies.

The US Federal Reserve estimates the conflict (PDF) has resulted in a net loss of employment among US manufacturers in the first half of 2019, while the Federal Reserve Bank of New York says the trade war wiped $1.7 trillion off the value of US-listed firms over the two years since it began.

Meanwhile, the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development says higher US tariffs on Chinese goods resulted in a 25 percent dropin Chinese exports to the US, and tens of billions of dollars of losses for Chinese firms.

[Alia Chughtai/Al Jazeera]

One direct consequence of the trade war has been to force some US companies that had over several decades outsourced manufacturing to low-cost centres  including China until recently  to accelerate plans to move some of those activities back home, a process known as reshoring.

Research firm Enodo Economics says the sectors most likely to do this are makers of cars and electrical machinery, wood processors, chemical firms and companies involved in railways, shipping, aircraft and pharmaceuticals.

But reshoring might be easier said than done.

Modern manufacturers farm out the production of components to other companies, which might in turn hire others to make the bits that go into those parts, and so on down the value chain. Thus, moving one part of such a supply chain somewhere else would require a complex  and costly  rearrangement of capital and labour, affecting countless numbers of people, many in economically disadvantaged countries.

And the difficulty of moving highly interdependent production lines appears to be playing into Chinas hands.

Trade tensions between mainland China and the US appear to have raised, not lowered, the reliance of third markets on inputs from mainland China, according to research by global banking giant HSBC.

Mainland China continues to raise its global market share as a component supplier in electronics, pharmaceuticals, and autos, HSBC said in a July research note sent to Al Jazeera.

Winners and losers

But more broadly, the economic realignment of the US-China axis is forcing almost every country that deals with them to rethink what they do.

Several Asian countries could become beneficiaries of the great decoupling. And the USs disengagement from multilateral trade agreements appears to be pushing those countries towards Chinas sphere of influence.

For most economies in Asia, China has already eclipsed the US not just as a trading partner, but as a source of final demand, wrote Frederic Neumann, HSBCs co-head of Asian economics research, in a note to clients.

For instance, HSBC says, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea could see significant gains in income by 2030 from their membership of two major regional free trade agreements. China is a big player in one of them, while the US is not a part of either.

But for some companies, the US-China divorce is proving to be particularly awkward.

After Beijing enacted its Hong Kong security law, London-based banks HSBC and Standard Chartered publicly supported the move, breaking their silence on political matters despite intense opposition to the legislation by many in the territory. Both lenders count Hong Kong as their biggest market. Even before the security law controversy, pro-democracy protesters had attacked HSBCs iconic bronze lions  named Stephen and Stitt  outside its Hong Kong office in January over its perceived ties to Beijing.

TikTok, the Chinese-owned video-sharing app that has become wildly popular with teens the world over, has found itself in Trumps crosshairs. Trump accuses its owner, ByteDance, of allowing the Chinese government to gather the data of TikToks users, something TikTok has denied.

That controversy has drawn in US tech giant Microsoft, which is now trying to buy TikTok and sever all the social media platforms links with Beijing.

If the deal succeeds, it would be a prime example of how a successful US-Chinese commercial relationship  most of the funds that ByteDance raised came from the US  has unravelled. An editorial in the Beijing-backed China Daily newspaper on Tuesday complained that the US is bullying Chinese tech firms.

Meanwhile, India has its own issues with China over data security. After the two engaged in a deadly border skirmish in June, India banned nearly 59 Chinese mobile apps, including TikTok.

The battle of Huawei

But it is Huawei that provides arguably the best example of just how far the fissures from the US-China split have reached.

The Chinese firm reportedly owns the highest number of patents relating to equipment running the newest-generation 5G mobile phone networks.

The stakes for 5G are huge. Research firm IHS Markit estimates that by 2035, 5G technology will help to create more than 22 million jobs worldwide and generate $13.2 trillion worth of economic output annually. That is roughly the amount that US consumers spent last year, or the combined consumer spending of China, Japan, Germany, the United Kingdom and France in 2018.

The USs efforts to block American and other firms from dealing with Huawei over 5G telecommunications symbolises the broader divergence between China and the US [File: Dado Ruvic/Reuters]

The US claims Beijing can use Huaweis equipment to gain access to confidential data, something Huawei has long denied. The Trump administration has banned American telecommunications firms from doing business with Huawei.

But the US is also pressuring its allies to ditch Huawei, leaving many countries that rely on the firms equipment to build affordable 5G networks in a quandary.

For instance, after initially allowing Huawei in January to build parts of the UKs so-called non-core 5G network, with some security restrictions, the European Commission gave a similar green light to its member countries to do the same.

The US turned up the pressure on the UK to reverse its decision, and in May, London said it would review it. Last month, the UK also banned Huawei from its 5G roll-out.

And following that decision, the European Commission said member countries must take urgent action to diversify their 5G suppliers, without mentioning Huawei by name.

The winners of such a diversification could be Finlands Nokia and Swedens Ericsson, direct competitors to Huawei. They scored one such victory last month, when Singapore  a small trade-dependent Asian nation with deep economic, political and cultural ties to China  announced that it would choose the two European firms for its 5G network over Huawei.

But Nokia and Ericsson are themselves reliant on China for many of the components that go into their network equipment. They operate factories employing thousands of people in the country.

The Wall Street Journal reported last month that Beijing is considering retaliatory measures against the two firms if the EU follows the US and UK in banning Huawei, citing people familiar with the matter.

Nokia and Ericsson could relocate their Chinese manufacturing plants, perhaps to another part of Asia, but at a significant cost. And for countries forced to use competing firms, the costs of building 5G networks without Huawei could be much higher.

The result could be delayed roll-outs of 5G, or worse still, systems in one country that are incompatible with those in another, reducing the smooth flow of information and knowledge across borders, reinforcing and accelerating the breakdown of global commerce and progress.

But as high as the stakes are with 5G and other disputes, right now, nothing could be more important than how the deteriorating US-China relationship is affecting the global fight against the coronavirus.

A coordinated response to the pandemic in its early stages might have saved countless thousands of lives. Instead, the mutual suspicion and outright hostility between the two nations has resulted in missed opportunities to fight the virus and protect the global economy.

Trump pulled the US out of the World Health Organization in May, blaming it for helping China cover up the pandemic early on.

Thomas J Christensen, a nonresident senior fellow at the Brookings Institution and a former US deputy assistant secretary of state for East Asian and Pacific affairs, wrote in May: The finger pointing and politically driven accusations between the worlds two leading powers  might have catastrophic results, particularly when the virus spreads to the worlds most impoverished nations.

China and the United States should be behaving like confident great powers, not like insecure and tragically flawed players in an ancient Greek drama.
Bailey's Cafe Storefront in Brooklyn, NY We deeply appreciate Stertil-Konis willingness to support a small, grassroots organization.

Stertil-Koni, the leader in heavy duty bus lifts and truck lifts, has continued its support of Brooklyn, NY-based Baileys Cafe, a 501(c) (3) non-profit organization, with an additional $5,000 donation.

The funds are targeted to support a collaborative, creative and enriching summer program that engages young people  and the surrounding community  to focus on positive intergenerational interaction involving important touchstones that include service, arts education and inclusion.

As Bailey's Cafe founder and director, Stefanie Siegel, notes: "We deeply appreciate Stertil-Konis willingness to support a small, grassroots organization in Bedford-Stuyvesant Brooklyn for so many years, especially in these difficult times. We are honored to have you as part of the Bailey's family.

In making today's announcement, Dr. Jean DellAmore, President of Stertil-Koni, stated, "Stertil-Koni is very proud to partner with Bailey's Cafe in its mission to develop artistic talent and foster community inclusiveness through the arts. Its mission to provide a place of healing and belonging, and welcome all with an open heart, acceptance and community, is inspiring. Baileys helps us all strive to build a better world."

About Baileys Cafe

Baileys Cafe is a Brooklyn-based, 501(c) (3) charitable organization dedicated to providing creative and collaborative environments to communities across New York City. The organization creates these types of environments through partnerships with local leaders and inter-generational volunteers, all focused on community-building through service and the arts.

About Stertil-Koni

Stertil-Koni is the market leader in heavy duty vehicle lifts, notably bus lifts and truck lifts, and proudly serves municipalities, state agencies, school bus fleets, major corporations, the U.S. Military and more. Stertil-Koni's breadth of products meets all ranges of lifting needs and includes Mobile Column Lifts, 2-post, 4-post, inground piston lifts, platform lifts, and its axle-engaging, inground, scissor lift configuration, ECOLIFT. The companys innovative, inground telescopic piston DIAMONDLIFT is available with an optional Continuous Recess System, ideal for low clearance vehicles. Stertil-Koni USA is headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland with production facilities in Europe, the Netherlands, and in Streator, IL.


Hansal Mehta's biographical crime drama Omerta, recently made its way to the OTT platform. The filmmakers and lead actor Rajkummar Rao have now received due recognition for the film which had received a limited reception at the time of its theatrical release. Omerta was a film that explored the mind and some of the crimes of Omar Saeed Sheikh, a British terrorist of Pakistani descent.

Hansal recently opened up about the tremendous appreciation and feedback that is flowing in from audiences on OTT. He shared that he was disappointed when not enough people watched the film in theatres, and revealed that Anurag Kashyap had more conviction in the film than he did.

"I showed the film to Anurag Kashyap in 2017 March or April. From that day, he had more conviction in what the film was, even more than me. He said it is my best film and Anurag's beliefs has been constant. To add to that, the things Anubhav Sinha tweeted about the film. Sudhir Mishra is a senior and someone I look up to. The way he described the film, it was beautiful because somebody has understood my film so well. There are so many people writing to us everyday," said Hansal, in an interview with Hindustan Times.

When asked if he feels the appreciation came too late, Hansal said, "For me, people finally watching Omerta is great. Not enough people saw the film and I was very depressed due to this. But my philosophy in life is that things may take time but they are done eventually. It is very heartening that the film has found an audience. My films have that kind of shelf life, I am used to that journey - the journey of a film does not end. The kind of response we are getting is overwhelming, we did not even publicise. People having conversation and people loving the film. It is very heartening. I think some films have some shelf life beyond that weekend. I think my films in particular, Aligarh, Shahid. Etc."

Talking about his characterization of Sheikh in Omerta, Hansal said, "I wanted a villain who is not making faces or has crazy long hair. I did not want the physicality of the villain. He was like The Joker - looks like the normal man. The only difference is this is not Gotham city but the real world and it is not some imaginary character but a real man whose impact the world has seen. It is scary that the Pakistani government acquitted him recently."

ALSO READ: Omerta: Who Exactly Is Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, The Terrorist Played By Rajkummar Rao?
Most Americans think that for every white family, a Black family has $90. That is far from the truth.

Reuters

Americans of all backgrounds underestimate the wealth gap that exists between white and Black families, a 2019 national survey of over 1,000 US adults shows.

For every $100 in wealth held by a white family, a Black family has just $10, per research from the Fed's 2017 "Survey of Consumer Finances."

Yet, the average American thinks that for every $100 in wealth held by a white family, a Black family has $90, the survey found.

Some 97% of Americans underestimate the racial wealth gap, Michael Kraus, social psychologist at the Yale School of Management, told Business Insider.

This could be because Americans hold a rosy ideal of our country's past, or because they think progress is always linear, he said.

To address the wealth gap, people must educate themselves on modern systems of inequality.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

They say to fix a problem, first you have to recognize that it exists.

When it comes to the racial wealth gap  that might be an issue. The disparity in money between white and Black Americans has become one of many important topics of public conversation amid the Black Lives Matter movement, but it's a problem that's been around for decades.

From slaveholders accumulating massive wealth to the decimation of Tulsa's "Black Wall Street" to Jim Crow laws, Black people have been routinely denied the opportunity to create wealth in the same way white people have. And many Americans are still unaware of just how bad it is, ongoing research from Yale University shows. That presents a huge problem if there's to be any hope in fixing it.

The median white family had more than 10 times the wealth of the median Black family in 2016, according to the Fed's 2017 "Survey of Consumer Finances." In other words, for every $100 in wealth held by a white family, a Black family has just $10.

Yet, a series of ongoing studies by the Yale School of Management reveal that Americans are largely unaware of this. Most Americans think that for every $100 in wealth held by a white family, a Black family has $90.

Story continues

"Americans  they're inaccurate about the racial wealth gap's magnitude," Michael Kraus, social psychologist at the Yale School of Management, told Business Insider. "Our national survey found that 97% of Americans are overestimating racial equality."

Kraus and his colleagues have been surveying Americans since 2016 in an ongoing survey. Their largest, national survey of over 1,000 Americans was conducted in Sept. 2019. The racial and ethnic breakdown of the sample group of respondents was designed to be roughly representative of the country's population, in line with US Census data.

Americans think the racial wealth gap is closing, when it's actually gotten bigger

Americans also believe that the wealth gap is closing, the national survey found. When in fact, it's gotten bigger over time.

"The difference in median household incomes between white and Black Americans has grown from about $23,800 in 1970 to roughly $33,000 in 2018 (as measured in 2018 dollars)," the Pew Research Center said.



In Kraus's 2019 study, people were given 12 randomly ordered years and asked to estimate the wealth gap between white and Black Americans at those dates. For example, a person was asked to estimate the gap in 1963, in 2012, and in 1975. The vast majority of respondents answered in a way that showed the gap improving over time.

"In fact, the wealth gap has gotten larger since 1963, the earliest time point we used. The result is that people are overestimating equality in 1963 by 40 percentage points. At the most recent time point, 2016, the estimates are off now by 80 percentage points," Kraus told the Yale University's academic blog.

Why do people underestimate the racial wealth gap? Kraus and his research team are focusing on that question next. It could be a false understanding of progress, where people view it as linear, rather than a series of fits and bouts.

"There's this belief that we're marching steadily toward progress, when in reality people have to give up things, there's struggle, there's retrenchment: periods where you have lack of progress, you have things becoming worse," Kraus told Business Insider.

It's also because of how Americans view their country.

"We would like to think about our country's history in terms of overcoming racial injustice rather than having it be a part of our everyday lives," he said.

We can't move forward if we don't recognize modern systems of inequality

Addressing the wealth gap will be near impossible if Americans continue to deny it exists, Kraus said.

Black Americans still face racist lending practices from banks and financial institutions. Though the federal Fair Housing Act banned racial discrimination in lending in 1968, African Americans and Latinos continue to be denied mortgage loans at rates far higher than white people, Reveal, a publication of the Center for Investigative Reporting, found in 2018. Reveal analyzed millions of Home Mortgage Disclosure Act records and found evidence of modern-day redlining practices, or the routine denial of credit to nonwhite people, in 61 metro areas.

Black Americans also still face prejudice in the job market. They're underrepresented in high-paying jobs and overrepresented in low-paying jobs. Black people, especially Black women, are also promoted less often and paid less.

These discrepancies add up over time. White Americans can expect to earn a whopping $1 million more than their Black counterparts over their lifetime, a 2019 McKinsey study found.

In order to fix inequality, Americans need to get educated, and get honest.

"If you believe that we automatically move toward equality you will be more likely to endorse the use of symbolic and cosmetic actions for justice. Only when you view racial justice as a constant struggle, one that we all might lose, can you see how much commitment is necessary for real change, and similarly, how cosmetic changes won't get the job done," Kraus said.

Read the original article on Business Insider
[August 03, 2020]

Bright Pattern Partners with NCSi to Deliver AI-Powered Omnichannel Communication Solutions to Service Management Organizations

SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., Aug. 3, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Bright Pattern, leading provider of omnichannel communication software for innovative companies, partners with NCSi, leading IT service management consultant and solution provider. Together, Bright Pattern and NCSi deliver a modern Omnichannel Communication Interaction Platform for IT Service Management to improve ROI by automating common processes including; incident management, problem management, change management, request management, service catalog, quality management, and omnichannel contact center communications. With the current pandemic and the move to remote workforces, it is critical now more than ever to get more out of service management solutions.

"Bright Pattern's Omnichannel Communication Interaction Platform paired with NCSi's deep service management knowledge provides a perfect combination to help you get more out of your current solution, allowing you to communicate on all voice and digital channels while providing advanced automation," said Michael McCloskey, CEO of Bright Pattern.

Bright Pattern software dramatically improves the ROI of service management solutions with automated password reset, automated incident creation and resolution, status updates and notifications, voice self-service, and automated routing of all communications. The software also lets companies measure employee performance and customer satisfaction with advanced quality management features to improve every interaction.

"The Bright Pattern and NCSi partnership brings much-needed new and innovative solutions to the ITSM marketplace," said Kevin J. Smith, President of the IT Transformation Institute and author of 'World-Class IT Service Management'. "Bright Pattern offers a unique set of AI and automation tools and in combination with NCSi's proven knowledge of Service Management processes and solutions including Ivanti and ServiceNow, this partnership will help companies tackle many of the common challenges faced by Service Management teams todayincluding automated password reset and proactive outage notifications which in combination provide a compelling ROI and are proven to reduce service desk call volumes by 30-60%."

"Our customers want more options to interact with, and better performance analytics from their IT Service Desk," said Bryan Hadzik, Chief Technology Officer at NCSi. "Bright Pattern affords them the opportunity to go beyond the normal channels to ensure the highest customer satisfaction. By utilizing Bright Pattern's voice, text and social platforms for incident requests, we help our clients increase overall Service Desk adoption and resolution satisfaction."

The Omnichannel Communication Interaction Platform is proven to save companies like the world's largest HR service firm, Randstad , hundreds of thousands in IT costs per month. Companies are able to achieve ROI in just months and reduce call volume by 30-60% with top use cases including:





Automated Creation of Incident Record

Automated Password Reset

Create Incident on Any Channel

Service Desk Quality Management

Outbound Customer Care Outreach

About Bright Pattern

Bright Pattern provides the simplest and most powerful AI-powered omnichannel contact center software and service management solutions for innovative midsize and enterprise companies. With the purpose of making customer service brighter, easier, and faster than ever before, Bright Pattern offers the only true omnichannel cloud platform with embedded AI that can be deployed quickly and nimbly by business userswithout costly professional services. Bright Pattern allows companies to offer an effortless and personal customer experience across channels like voice, text, chat, email, video, messengers, and bots. Bright Pattern also allows companies to measure and act on every interaction on every channel with embedded AI omnichannel quality management . The company was founded by a team of industry veterans who pioneered the leading contact center solutions and are now delivering an architecture for the future with an advanced cloud-first approach . Bright Pattern's cloud contact center solution is used globally in over 26 countries.

About NCSi

NCSi turns knowledge into power, allowing you to provide unparalleled service and security to your organization. We have the experts and software partners you need to define, build, unify and manage your technology vision. NCSi specializes in End User Success, IT Security, Enterprise Service and Asset Management solutions  key elements to creating a productive and safe workforce.You need a partner who listens attentively, responds efficiently, and provides timely resolution to your challenges  experts you can trust to design secure Unified Endpoint Management Solutions.

NCSi, an Ivanti and ServiceNow consulting partner, stands ready to serve you with your licensing, training, renewals, implementation, project management and managed services needs. We have the consultative experience, engineering expertise and premier software partners to envision and execute successful project outcomes for your specific needs.

View original content to download multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/bright-pattern-partners-with-ncsi-to-deliver-ai-powered-omnichannel-communication-solutions-to-service-management-organizations-301104883.html

SOURCE Bright Pattern
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., and Rep. Jamie Raskin, D-Md., said Tuesday that they will introduce a bill to remove the name of a white supremacist senator from a fountain that straddles the Washington-Maryland line.

In Chevy Chase, Md., A 60-foot sandstone fountain honors Francis G. Newlands, a U.S. senator from Nevada and the neighborhood's founder. Newlands, who died in 1917, wrote in a 1909 journal article that African Americans were "a race of children" and advocated abolishing their voting rights.

Last week on the District of Columbia side of the circle, the Chevy Chase Advisory Neighborhood Commission voted 5-0 to ask the National Park Service, which manages the fountain, to remove a plaque bearing Newlands's name. The Park Service said it must first determine the authority it has because Congress voted the 87-year-old memorial into existence.

"Because the fountain was specified by Congress as a memorial, specifically, it would take an act of Congress to un-memorialize it," Bradley Krueger, the agency's Rock Creek Park cultural resource specialist, said at the meeting in which the resolution passed.

On Tuesday, Norton and Raskin, who represents the Maryland district that shares the fountain with D.C., said they would propose that congressional act. Their bill would remove Newlands's name from the fountain and the plaque honoring him, which was placed in the circle in 1990.

Norton said Tuesday that the fountain was "easy to overlook" amid efforts to rid D.C. of memorials to Confederates and others with a history of racism.

"We certainly don't want the fountain taken down, but the plaque is dedicated to an archsegregationist," she said. "There is simply nothing to teach here by preserving his name."

In a statement, Raskin said Newlands's "disturbing legacy" should be left "to his family and others who want to continue to honor him."

"The people of Maryland and Washington can move on," the statement said. "We should stop rewarding racist ideology and politics with a public memorial on public property. It is time to write a new story for the new century."

Chanda Tuck-Garfield, the commissioner who introduced the resolution, said in an email that the proposed legislation was "great news." She thanked Norton and Raskin "for taking up the mantle to ensure that we create a positive environment for all residents."
The history of the newspaper business was on vivid display at a hearing on Tuesday, when a federal bankruptcy judge confirmed the sale of the McClatchy Company, a newspaper chain run by the same family since 1857, to a New Jersey hedge fund in a deal valued at $312 million.

The sale of McClatchy, the owner of The Sacramento Bee, The Miami Herald and more than two dozen other news outlets in 14 states, to Chatham Asset Management was in the works since February, when McClatchy filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after more than a decade of losses and cutbacks.

The deal, which will move a prestigious news publisher from family control to an investment company, is in keeping with a broader trend that has alarmed many press advocates, who argue that finance firms are imperfect stewards of an industry built on the watchdog work of chronicling government and commerce.

At the 3 p.m. hearing, Judge Michael E. Wiles approved the result of an auction held last month in which Chatham, a fund that controls more than $4 billion in assets, emerged as the winning bidder.
MUMBAI: BJP leader Narayan Rane on Tuesday (August 4) claimed that Sushant Singh Rajput did not commit suicide and alleged that the actor was murdered. He also alleged that the Maharashtra government is trying to save someone.

Addressing a press conference here, Rane said, "Sushant Singh Rajput did not commit suicide. He was murdered. Maharashtra government is trying to save someone. It is not paying attention to the case."

Meanwhile, the Bihar government sent a recommendation for the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry in the case filed by Rajput's father KK Singh in Patna.

"The State Government has sent a recommendation for CBI inquiry in the case filed by Late Shri Sushant Singh Rajput's father, Shri KK Singh, related to the death of Late Sushant Singh Rajput in Patna," Chief Minister Nitish Kumar tweeted.

Earlier, KK Singh had revealed that he had filed a complaint with Mumbai police in February claiming his son's life was in danger.

The revelation came as he filed an FIR with Patna police, alleging Mumbai police of inaction even after 40 days of the actor's sudden death.

In a self-made video, Singh alleged that the accused in the actor's death case is on the loose and Patna Police should be provided with help.

"On February 25, I informed Bandra Police that the life of my son Sushant is in danger. He died on June 14 and I asked them to act against people named in my Feb 25 complaint. No action has been taken even 40 days after his death. So, I filed FIR in Patna. Patna Police swung into action. But the accused is running away(on the loose). Patna Police should be given help. I thank Chief Minister Nitish Kumar and his colleague Sanjay Jha who gave support to the truth in this hour of grief," he said.

After the actor's demise on June 14, he asked the police to take action against the people named in the complaint given by him on February 25, said Singh, adding that no action has been taken.

An FIR was filed by Patna Police against actor Rhea Chakraborty in the Rajput's death case under several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including abetment of suicide. Bihar Police started the investigation and dispatched a team to Mumbai.

Earlier, Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh condemned the demand for Sushant Singh Rajput's death case to be handed over to the CBI.
The disruption to the mainstream media industry over the past decade has been immense, with heritage media companies increasingly challenged by the expansion of new online sources of information.

In itself, this is not a bad thing for diversity of voices and consumer choice. The move to digital has opened up more decentralised lines of communication and given everyone, from local groups to politicians, a chance to directly speak to their audiences.

Yet the process has also resulted in a proliferation of fake and untested news sources, which spew out nonsense about everything from 5G phones to COVID-19 and racist conspiracy theories.

As a media organisation that tries, however imperfectly, every day to help our readers understand their world based on objective reporting, the Herald therefore welcomes two recent moves on defamation law and digital rights which could benefit us and other mainstream media organisations.

While defamation law is necessary to protect reputations from malicious accusations, Australias laws are among the harshest in the world with the balance often set against free speech and a tradition of cases resulting in enormous damages. The record was set last year when The Daily Telegraph was ordered to pay $2.9 million to the actor Geoffrey Rush.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:55:14|Editor: huaxia

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YANGON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's border guard police and military personnel were attacked by Arakan Army (AA) armed group for two days, leaving casualties in Rathedaung township of Rakhine state, a military official said Tuesday.

"The members of AA fired on a border guard police force for two times on Aug. 2, killing three police while the group also attacked a joint police force comprising of members of border guard police force, military and immigration department on Aug. 3," said Brigadier General Zaw Min Tun, secretary of the Military True News Information Team.

Members of the AA armed group attacked border guard police on Mayyu mountain range in Rathedaung township twice on Sunday, and the military carried out counter-terrorism operation while the attack on the joint police force including staff from the Ministry of Labour, Immigration and Population on Monday left some casualties to the personnel and some went missing, the official said.

According to the military, AA has carried out a series of attacks at police outposts in Rakhine state and the government has named it as a terrorist group. Enditem
Gurugram:

The district health department has achieved contact tracing of nearly 82% of Covid-19 positive cases in the city, up from 50% about two weeks ago, according to state government data.

Health officials said investigation of positive cases improved in the last two weeks in the district, increasing from 50% to more than the desirable limit of 80%. The overall contact tracing percentage for Haryana is 88%.

By August 2, contacts of 7,559 Covid-19 patients were traced in Gurugram while that of 1,700 is yet to be located, the data shows.

Contact tracing has remarkably improved in the last two weeks. It was nearly 50%, which has now exceeded to 82%. It is above the desirable limit of 80%. Thorough contact tracing and testing is a part of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) guideline, Dr Virender Yadav, chief medical officer, said.

The official said the curve had flattened in Gurugram due to aggressive testing and contact tracing. The city on Monday reported 43 positive cases. The total count of confirmed cases is now 9,288, out of which 826 are active and 8,338 have recovered. The Covid-19 death toll stands at 124.

Contact tracing, a crucial public health strategy, involves health staff interviewing confirmed Covid-19 positive patients and find out others who have been in contact with them.

In case there is a possibility of exposure, the health team asks the contacts to quarantine for almost a week.

In case the patient has symptoms or is a high-risk contact with underlining health conditions such as hypertension or diabetes, then their nasal swabs are taken for the antigen detection test or Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) test. Our ASHAs and ANMs reach out to the contacts who have been exposed and give them instructions about the possible symptoms and the measures to be adopted for safety, said Dr Hardeep Kaur Saluja, medical officer, Primary Health Care Centre, Tigra.

According to the district epidemiologist, the situation improved after the team switched from paper forms to mobile applications for collecting details for contact tracing.

The process is streamlined as details of contacts are collected through a mobile application for the departments internal use. The ground team can directly upload the details of the person who has been in contact with an already infected person. It makes verification process easy as suspected cases can be easily contacted and isolated. It saves time, said Ram Prakash, epidemiologist, district health department.

COMPLETE CONTACT TRACING

Others districts such as Sonepat, Fatehabad and Kurukshetra are also conducting more than 80% contact tracing of positive cases. Districts such as Palwal, Panchkula, Panipat, Rewari, Rohtak and Sirsa are conducting investigation in nearly 71% -77% of positive Covid-19 cases.

Faridabad, Charkhi Dadri and Faridaba are doing 100% contact tracing, according to the state data. Experts, however, question this claim.

Contact tracing helps in early detection of cases. But it is not possible to have 100% contact tracing because there are chances of wrong addresses or delayed sampling. It can maximum exceed up to 95%. Complete contact tracing is possible if there cases are on the lower side, said Ram Prakash.

Lalit Kant, scientist and former head of epidemiology and communicable diseases, ICMR, said, Theoretically, 100% contact tracing is possible but it depends upon the infrastructure available, workforce and the way it is being conducted. It is seen that an infected person can transmit the virus to at least 10 people. If all the suspected cases are covered, then the infectivity curve should flatten. The case load should show stagnation and decline.

Faridabad has the highest number of active cases and Covid-19 death toll. Out of the 9,002 cases there, 1174 are active while 7,694 have recovered. The death count stands at 134. Health officials of Faridabad were unavailable for a comment.
United Nations secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday that the world faces a generational catastrophe because of school closures amid the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic and said that getting students safely back to the classroom must be a top priority.

Guterres said that as of mid-July, schools were closed in some 160 countries, affecting more than 1 billion students, while at least 40 million children have missed out on pre-school.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

This came on top of more than 250 million children already being out of school before the pandemic and only a quarter of secondary school students in developing countries leaving with basic skills, he said in a video statement.

Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities, said Guterres as he launched a UN Save our Future campaign.

Once local transmission of Covid-19 is under control, getting students back into schools and learning institutions as safely as possible must be a top priority, he said. Consultation with parents, carers, teachers and young people is fundamental.

Educationist and former University Grants Commission (UGC) member Dr Inder Mohan Kapahy said: Covid-19 pandemic has caused an unprecedented existential crisis in the whole world, particularly in the developing nations. In India alone, a minimum of 30 million school students are adversely affected. In poorer countries, schools provide not only education but also nutrients, food and life skills. A conservative estimate is that disruption in school education may continue for at least four months more.

Also read: UN chief says 1 billion students affected by Covid-19 closures

According to a global projection covering 180 countries by the UN education agency UNESCO and partner organisations, some 23.8 million additional children and youths from pre-primary school to university level are at risk of dropping out or not having access to school next year due to the pandemics economic impact.

We are at a defining moment for the worlds children and young people, Guterres said in a video message and a 26-page policy briefing. The decisions that governments and partners take now will have lasting impact on hundreds of millions of young people, and on the development prospects of countries for decades to come.

According to the policy briefing, the unparalleled education disruption from the pandemic is far from over and as many as 100 countries have not yet announced a date for schools to reopen.

Guterres called for action in four key areas, the first being reopening schools. Once local transmission of Covid-19 is under control, he said, getting students back into schools and learning institutions as safely as possible must be a top priority.

Guterres said increasing financing for education must be given priority. Before the pandemic, low- and middle-income countries faced an education funding gap of $1.5 trillion annually, he said, and the gap in education financing globally could increase by 30% because of the pandemic.

The secretary-general said education initiatives must target those at greatest risk of being left behind, including youngsters in crises, minorities, and the displaced and disabled. And these initiatives should urgently seek to bridge the digital divide that has become even more evident during the Covid-19 crisis, he said.

On a positive note, Guterres said the pandemic is providing a generational opportunity to reimagine education and leap forward to systems that deliver quality education.

Ameeta Mulla Wattal, principal of Delhis Springdales School, said: There is no doubt this is one of the greatest human crises that has taken place. And its largest impact has been felt on children  regular students, more so children in rural areas across the world because they have absolutely no access to education. So there is no doubt an entire aspect of learning that will be affected by the pandemic because there are these ages of learning that will face a gap at different levels because of the pandemic, whether it is the foundation, primary, middle level or another level.

Educationist Meeta Sengupta said that the continuity of learning is the first step for bringing back students to classrooms whenever the schools reopen.

We need to start working as a community to create a mesh network of the internet to make it available to the poor. There should be measures to raise funds for digital devices and internet connection to enable children from poor families to continue learning at their homes. The continuity should not break because once students step out of learning; coming back is very difficult. The relationship between students and schools should be continued, she said.

Findings from a National Statistical Office survey on social consumption on education, conducted in 2017-18, show that Indias gross enrolment ratio was 99.2 between primary and middle school education level. It is the ratio of the number of persons currently enrolled in a particular level of education to the number of persons in the corresponding official age group. For example, the ratio of 99.2 in primary to middle school level means for every 100 persons in the age group of 6 to 13 years, there are 99.2 students enrolled in Classes 1 to 8. To be sure, this does not mean nearly everyone in the age group of 6 to 13 years is enrolled in school because some of the students in Classes 1 to 8 would be students from other age groups, particularly above the age of 13, who enrol at a age higher than the one recommended.
Google has finally announced the 2020 Pixel phone updates, and perhaps forced into the situation because of the global Coronavirus pandemic, the company announced three phones in total of which two will only arrive later this year. In fact, the rollout schedule of the new Pixel phones is pretty complicated whichever way you look at it, particularly if you are in India. Let us get the complication out of the way first. First and foremost, Google announced three phonesthe Google Pixel 4a, the Google Pixel 4a 5G and the Google Pixel 5. Interesting to note, there is no XL version of any of these phones this year. The Google Pixel 4a is up for preorders in the US with prices starting $349 , which would be around Rs 26,200 on direct conversion, without factoring in local taxes etc. Nevertheless, a whole lot of disappointment awaits you if you live in India and had been eyeing splurging on a new Google Pixel phone.

All these phones, the Google Pixel 4a, the Google Pixel 4a 5G and the Google Pixel 5, will roll out in various countries before the end of the year 2020 , while the exact roadmap remains as a good a guess as any. What does Google say? The Pixel 4a (5G) and Pixel 5 will be available in the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, France, Germany, Japan, Taiwan and Australia in the coming months, is all they say.

But what About India?

Well, let us look at the two important takeaways for India from the Google Pixel phone announcement for 2020. First and foremost, of the Google Pixel 4a, the Google Pixel 4a 5G and the Google Pixel 5 phones, only the Google Pixel 4a will arrive in India . Google has categorically said that the Google Pixel 4a 5G and the Google Pixel 5 phones will not be launched in India. And Singapore. Regarding the two new 5G Pixel phones that were announced globally today, these will not be available in India or Singapore, based on a variety of factors including local market trends and product features. We remain deeply committed to our current Pixel phones and look forward to bringing future Pixel devices to these countries, says an official statement by Google. The company hasn't clarified why the two phones are giving India a miss, though one would suspect it could also be a cost issue since 5G is not yet available in India and 5G networks which you and I can use are still some way away. Though, that hasn't stopped rivals from launching phones that are 5G ready, in India, over the past few months.

This is a follow through on last year, when the Pixel 4 and the Pixel 4 XL phones were also never launched in India . Some suspected it was because of the Soli radar chip, since some wireless frequencies in India are not unlocked for commercial usage.

Secondly, and more important, is when should we be ready to welcome the Google Pixel 4athe only Google Pixel phone of 2020 that will be launched in India. Well, it is still a long wait because Google just says that the Google Pixel 4a will launch in India in October . It will be available on Flipkart, something that is now confirmed. We do not yet know the India specific price of the Google Pixel 4a, which Google says they will reveal closer to the date of the launch.

Is The Google Pixel 4a Up For Sale Anywhere in The World?

The Google Pixel 4a is up for preorders in the US with prices starting $349. As far as the Google Pixel 4a specs are concerned, this has a 5.81-inch display, is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon 730 processor and retains the single 12-megapixel camera at the back, something that Google Pixel phones have rocked for many years now. There is just one variant at this time, with 6GB RAM and 128GB storage. The Google Pixel 4a has a 3140mAh battery.
The impact of COVID-19 on regional Ireland is having a devastating effect as Ireland West Airport reveals the impact of the pandemic on the airports business.

2019 was a record year for passenger numbers at Ireland West Airport with 807,000 passengers using the facility. This was the fourth consecutive year of passenger growth at the airport with passenger numbers forecasted to reach 1 million passengers annually in the next two years. The airport had a strong portfolio of European airlines serving the West of Ireland with Lauda, the Austrian based carrier, set to be welcomed as the airports newest carrier in March of this year.

2020 had started off very positively with passenger growth in the first two months of the year and with the airport on target for another strong performing year. However, March 2020 and the onset of the Corona Virus pandemic changed the aviation landscape with unprecedented consequences as the airport was forced to close its doors on March 30th.

The airport was closed for 91 days with airport staff furloughed and all airport operations suspended during this time. This followed the news of key airline partner, Flybe, who had been operating from the airport for over ten years, ceasing trading in early March, with the immediate loss of their longstanding and popular services to Birmingham, Edinburgh and Manchester.

The airport reopened for business on Wednesday July 1st 2020, however the impact of the pandemic has been far reaching both in the short and medium term. Whilst air services have resumed with Ryanair at 40% of their planned schedule in operation, passenger numbers are significantly impacted as a result of the current travel advices in place. Aer Lingus operations on their service to London Gatwick remain suspended with a provisional return date planned in mid-September.

By the end of July passenger numbers will have declined by 350,000 compared to the same period in 2019 and the full year forecast for 2020 will result in a 75% decline in passenger numbers to just over 200,000 - a level last seen almost 20 years ago in 2001.

This will have a devastating impact on the hospitality and tourism industries in the west and North West of Ireland that rely heavily on the overseas connectivity and the 250,000 inbound visitors annually that travel through the airport.

From an employment perspective the airport has had to reduce its workforce by 25% to respond to a prolonged period of reduced flight services and passenger demand, combined with a major decline in commercial income for the airport, all of which will result in the airport forecasting revenues to decline by over 11m in 2020. Since reopening, all staff at the airport are working on a four-day week basis which has been made possible for the airport as a result of the Government Temporary Wage Subsidy Scheme (TWSS).

Commenting on the most challenging and unprecedented period in the airports history, Arthur French, Chairman, Ireland West Airport said "COVID-19 has and continues to have a devastating effect on, not just the airport, but the entire aviation and tourism and hospitality sector. We expect passenger numbers in 2020 to decline by over 600,000 passengers in comparison to 2019 levels and its expected to be 2023 at the earliest before aviation returns to pre COVID-19 passenger levels.

"We welcome the recent publication of the Government formed Aviation Task Force report which set out clear recommendations to support and rebuild the aviation sector and in particular to support regional connectivity which is of critical importance for the recovery of the regional economy. We have recently met with and continue to have positive discussions with the Department of Transport and the new Minister of State, with responsibility for Aviation, Hildegarde Naughton, TD, as regards implementing the actions of the report and putting in place the appropriate financial support mechanism to support and incentivise the restoration of critical air access into regional Ireland."
ATLANTA, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MoistureShield, a division of Oldcastle APG, a CRH Company, has expanded in Minnesota with BlueLinx Corporation based in Marietta, GA. BlueLinx's facility in Minneapolis now offers the full line of MoistureShield composite decking products to its dealers throughout the state, known as the "upper Midwest region."

"We're excited to expand our reach in Minnesota with BlueLinx," said Matthew Bruce, VP of Sales, MoistureShield. "MoistureShield provides BlueLinx customers with moisture-resistant products that enhance their outdoor spaces and the thousands of docks and boat slips throughout the lake areas." All MoistureShield decking products feature the Solid Core Difference for advanced strength and moisture resistance, and can be installed directly on the ground, in the ground or under water.

"The BlueLinx team strives to provide customers with durable, weather-resistant products like MoistureShield," said Ken Black, Regional VP of the Western Region for BlueLinx. "MoistureShield's innovative decking allows us to deliver the highest levels of performance to endure Minnesota's harsh winters."

MoistureShield's Vision product line features its DiamondDefense Coating, the strongest cap in the industry, resisting scratches, stains and damage on impact. Vision features the unique option of CoolDeck Technology, reducing heat absorption by up to 35% compared to traditional capped composite boards in a similar color. MoistureShield also recently introduced Elevate, an entry-level capped composite decking, in four colors including tropical hardwood looks.

MoistureShield is proven in the field with zero structural failures in over 30 years and is backed by a 50-year transferrable structural warranty for all decking series. Learn more at www.MoistureShield.com.

About Oldcastle APG

Oldcastle APG, North America's largest manufacturer of outdoor living products, is part of CRH's Building Products division. CRH is a leading global diversified building materials group with locations in 31 countries worldwide. MoistureShield, a division of Oldcastle APG, manufactures composite deck boards and related products serving retail and distribution customers across North America and several international markets. Visit www.MoistureShield.com.

About BlueLinx:

BlueLinx is a leading wholesale distributor of building and industrial products in the United States with over 50,000 branded and private-label SKUs, and a broad distribution footprint servicing 40 states. Headquartered in Marietta, Georgia, BlueLinx has over 2,200 associates and distributes its comprehensive range of products to over 15,000 national, regional, and local dealers; and national home centers, industrial, and manufactured housing customers. Learn more at www.BlueLinx.com.

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Four of the technology industrys biggest companies were grilled by Congress last week, with leaders from both parties raising big questions that bear on public education.

The daylong virtual hearing , held by the House Judiciary Committee, was primarily focused on the ostensible monopoly power held by Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, most of whom have growing, if sometimes indirect, footprints in the K-12 sector.

Their control of the marketplace allows them to do whatever it takes to crush independent business and expand their own power, said Rep. David Cicilline of Rhode Island, the committees Democratic chairperson. Some need to be broken up. All need to be properly regulated and held accountable.

The Judiciary Committee is in the midst of a year-long investigation that is expected to yield a scathing report about the anti-competitive practices of the tech giants. The Department of Justice is also said to be pursuing an antitrust suit against Google .

Among the accusations that flew during last Wednesdays hearing:



Amazon was criticized for using its massive online platform to determine which other products sell well, then undercutting them with its own private-label alternatives.

for using its massive online platform to determine which other products sell well, then undercutting them with its own private-label alternatives. Apple was accused of using its popular App Store to punish rivals to services the company itself offers.

Facebook was slammed for making corporate acquisitions in order to neutralize a competitor, words taken from one of founder and CEO Mark Zuckerbergs own emails , collected by the committee as part of its investigation.

, collected by the committee as part of its investigation. Google was pressed on favoring its own pages and products in search and advertising.

Like Amazons Jeff Bezos, Apples Tim Cook, and Googles Sundar Pichai, Zuckerberg of Facebook defended his company vigorously.

We compete hard. We compete fairly. We try to be the best, he said.

Here are four issues from the hearing for the K-12 sector to keep an eye on:

1. Tech companies controlling markets to which their own products have privileged access

This is the biggest complaint against the tech titans. The general argument is that because technology companies control essential infrastructure (think Amazons online marketplace, or Googles online search engine), they are able to give their own products and services unfair advantages while controlling the extent to which consumers and other companies can find and do business with each other. The implications stretch across nearly every sector of society.

One example, raised by Rep. Lucy McBath, Democrat from Georgia: At the same time Apple released its Screen Time feature, it allegedly removed from its app store a number of third-party apps that provided similar functionality.

Schools are also affected by this dynamic, maintained Doug Levin of EdTech Strategies. He said the current marketplace resembles a feudal system in which school district IT administrators often work to align their technology offerings to the products and services of a single big tech provider. Such an approach may be convenient and come with some benefits, but it also can leave districts beholden to the changing whims and aims of their masters, Levin said.

Among the drawbacks: Significant risk to cost containment, choice of solution provider, control over data privacy and security, and interoperability, he argued.

2. Pandemic profiteering?

Democratic Representative Jerry Nadler of New York leveled this charge at Tim Cook of Apple, specifically raising schools as a potential area where the company might extract commissions from businesses that change their models from in-person to online amid coronavirus-related shutdowns and closures.

School is about to start around the country and millions of parents and students will attend school online. They will rely on apps to talk to teachers, tutors and virtual learning tools. Are these online learning tools...next on Apples list to monetize? Nadler said.

Cook denied the charge, saying Apples commission model has long been in place and is a good deal for developers seeking access to the App Store.

The Software and Information Industry Association declined to comment on whether theyve seen any evidence of Apple charging exorbitant or unusual commissions to ed-tech services trying to move into the app store in recent months.

3. The possibility of big tech companies acquisition strategies quashing innovation

It was Facebook that found itself in Congresss crosshairs on this issue, particularly with regard to its 2012 purchase of Instagram, exactly the type of anticompetitive acquisition that the antitrust laws were designed to prevent, Nadler said. The concern is that big companies gobbling up potential competitors before they can get a foothold stifles innovation.

The same dynamic is at play in the K-12 market, said Levin of EdTech Strategies, although Silicon Valleys Big Four arent often directly involved.

The ed-tech market is made up of many small companies and only a handful of large ones, who are still dwarfed in size by those who participated in the hearing, he said. Given the ability of these outsized players to influence the market in which smaller companies operate, to say nothing of the risk that they might choose to directly compete with promising new entrants and sustain an operating loss indefinitely while doing so, special risks are borne by those seeking to truly offer innovative new products.

4. How the flow of misinformation about COVID-19 might shape the debate about school reopenings

While Wednesdays focus was mostly on tech companies monopoly power, several Republican members of the Judiciary Committee chose to instead level complaints that Facebook and Google, in particular, were censoring conservative viewpoints on social media. That quickly veered into an acrimonious conversation over the companies proper role in managing the flow of information, and misinformation, related to COVID-19 and the politically charged issue of whether to restart in-person schooling this fall.

Take this statement, from Representative Greg Steube, Republican from Florida.

There are rioting groups that are going unchecked with the posting of what I would contend is very violent video, yet yesterday I was sent a YouTube video about doctors discussing hydroxychloroquine and discussing the dangers of children not returning to school, and when I clicked on the link, it was taken down...How can doctors giving their opinion on a drug they think is effective for the treatment of COVID-19 and doctors who think it's appropriate for children to return back to school violate YouTube's community guidelines when all of these videos of violence is [sic] all posted on YouTube?"

Pichai, the CEO of Google and its parent company Alphabet, through which YouTube operates as a subsidiary, said the company believes in freedom of expression and allows robust debate, but will remove videos that explicitly state something is a proven cure for COVID-19 when that claim does not meet CDC guidelines.

Is misinformation about COVID-19, or tech companies decision to remove it from platforms such as YouTube, making states and school districts decisions about whether and how to reopen schools more difficult?

Both the Council of Chief State School Officers and AASA, the Superintendents Association, declined to comment.

Image: J. Scott Applewhite/AP

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for the latest news on ed-tech policies, practices, and trends.
On Monday, some at the meeting expressed their distrust of government in general, especially where COVID-19 restrictions are concerned.

Are we going to listen to the media? Are we going to listen to the experts, who change their minds every time they come along? questioned Joe Bruns of Beaver Dam. You know, I think as a county board you need to take those facts into consideration before you ever make any decision on letting somebody have those types of control. Where are they going to get their information from? We as the general public need to know that you have our best interests at heart and are not pursuing somebody elses agenda.

Nine other people echoed similar ideas, with several returning to the microphone to concur with others or to share stories about elderly people dying alone or a wedge driven between the faithful and their churches.

Some shared what might be called a conspiracy theory.
The Webb County Sheriffs Office will receive COVID-19 testing kits today to administer on the Webb County Jail staff and inmates, according to county officials.

I am happy to report that the sheriff will be receiving some help through the (State of Texas Assistance Request). We are going to get some people to start helping them and teaching us how to start testing there at the jail, said County Judge Tano Tijerina during a COVID-19 media briefing.

Tijerina sees the assistance as a great help and a great asset.

As of Monday, the jail had 60 confirmed cases of COVID-19: 39 inmates and 21 correctional officers, according to Tijerina. He lauded the Sheriffs Office for working to deter the spread of COVID-19 inside the jail.

I am impressed it has not gotten crazy out of control at the jail. Thats through the measures that the sheriff has taken to do everything that he has done already to try to stop this as much as possible because it couldve (turned) in a really bad situation at the jail, Tijerina said.

Eduardo Chapa, Sheriffs Office spokesman, said authorities have been proactive since day one in taking precautionary measures to curtail the spread.

Last month, Sheriff Martin Cuellar announced that the jail had passed inspection by the Texas Commission on Jail Standards for the 12th consecutive year, Cuellar previously stated that the safety of personnel, inmates and visitors was his priority.

Improvements at the jail included a medical ward area for inmates that have tested positive for COVID-19, installment of negative pressure ventilators, sanitizing tunnels and plastic covers in-between cells. Authorities have also used the mist spray to sanitize cells.

Officials Monday during the citys media briefing also issued an update on the detention centers in Laredo.

Webb County Detention Center has reported 226 positives in their building, with only 20 employees reported in that count.

At Rio Grande Detention Center, 23 positives have been recognized. However, mass testing has yet to be ordered.
The doodle marks the birth in 1908 of the actress, producer and director

Google Middle East on Tuesday marked the 112th anniversary of the birth of Egyptian filmmaking pioneer Bahiga Hafez with a special doodle.

Hafez was an actress, producer, director, soundtrack composer, fashion designer, trade union activist and owner of one of the most famous literary and artistic salons in Egypt in the last century.

Born on 4 August 1908 in the Moharram Bey district of Alexandria to an aristocratic family, she studied music during her childhood under Italian maestro Giovanni Gergizi.

She went on to get a diploma in musical composition from Paris in 1930 and was celebrated as the first Egyptian female composer.

She became a member of the Society of Authors, Composers and Publishers (SACEM) in Paris.

Also in 1930, she starred in the silent film Zeinab, written by prominent politician Mohamed Hussein Heikal.

She married Mahmoud Hamdy, and together they founded a film production company they named Fanar Film that produced The Victims (1932), which featured the debut of iconic songstress Leila Mourad.

Among Bahiga Hafezs productions were The Accusation (1934), Leila, Daughter of the Desert (1937), The Flower of the Market (1947, Hussein Fawzi and Kamal Abu-Ela), Al-Sayyed Al-Badawi (1953), and Cairo 30 (1966), in which she played a princess.

She died on 13 September 1983, having made a name as one of the pioneers of Egyptian cinema.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 23:20:57|Editor: huaxia

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BEIRUT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Hundreds of Lebanese protesters gathered outside the energy ministry in capital Beirut to demonstrate against successive power cuts, the National News Agency reported.

Protesters attempted to break into the ministry which caused clashes with security forces. They also blocked the roads leading to the ministry by using trash bins.

They attributed excessive power cuts to money squandering and failing policies.

Lack of electricity in Lebanon has been a problem for years, as governments failed to build power stations to solve it. Enditem
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Srinagar, India  Tue, August 4, 2020 08:30 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b5af89 2 World India,kashmir,curfew Free

A curfew has been imposed across Indian Kashmir just two days before the first anniversary of New Delhi's abolition of the restive region's semi-autonomy, officials said late Monday, citing intelligence reports of looming protests.

"These restrictions shall come into force with immediate effect and shall remain in force on 4th and 5th August," stated the government order issued for the main city of Srinagar.

"Full curfew will be enforced in all Kashmir districts," a senior police officer, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.

A "full curfew" means people can only move around with an official pass, usually reserved for essential services like police and medical professionals.

The Himalayan region is already subject to restrictions to reduce the spread of the novel coronavirus amid a jump in infections, with most economic activities limited and public movement curtailed.

The order said the separate virus lockdown would be extended until August 8.

Police vehicles fitted with megaphones patrolled Srinagar after dark, with officers ordering residents to remain indoors for the next two days.

Increased security

Authorities have been tightening restrictions across the Kashmir valley since the weekend of August 1.

Early Monday morning, new razor-wire and steel barricades were used to block the city's main roads.

Residents in other major towns and many villages told AFP that police also ordered them not to venture out of their homes until Thursday.

The curfew is similar to the one introduced just before Kashmir's semi-autonomy was stripped on August 5.

A total communications blackout was imposed, with phone and internet lines cut and tens of thousands of fresh troops moved into the valley in one of the world's most militarized regions.

"Police went around in jeeps ordering everyone not to leave their homes just like this time last year," a resident in the southern Kashmir valley region of Kulgam, who asked to remain anonymous, told AFP.

The curfew came as Kashmiris called for August 5 to be observed as a "black day".

Anger across Muslim-majority Kashmir against India's Hindu-nationalist government has been growing since last year, particularly over the granting of rights -- once reserved for Kashmiris -- to tens of thousands of people from outside of the region to buy land.

Kashmir has waged a three-decade-long armed rebellion against Indian rule with tens of thousands of lives, mostly civilians, lost in the conflict.

Topics : India kashmir curfew
Kishwar Desai, is the chair of the Arts and Cultural Heritage Trust, which is setting up the Partition Museum at Town Hall, Amritsar.

Boris Johnson is now worried, scared of a second wave. So rules changed again, catching holiday makers unawares

Another scorching weekend, 100 F! And while we dither as a country between being locked down or being let out, pubs are full especially those which can offer outside seating.

You dont see much social distancing there nor on the beaches where people flock every warm weekend. Many are working from home, so office time is flexible  and what can one do when sunshine beckons ?

But now everything is changing, because Covid-19 is back. Leicester was the first city to be out under lockdown a fortnight back. Now the virus has spread to Manchester, East Lancashire and Yorkshire.

With Eid this weekend, there was a lot of inconvenience for Muslims as any meeting between more than two families indoors is banned under lockdown.

Before that, the rules of going out kept changing as well as for holidaying abroad. After an initial complacency till mid-March, and a tight lockdown till mid-July, things had begun to finally move forward. Both the Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and the Chancellor Dishy Rishi, wanted to restart the economy in a hurry.

But Boris is now worried, scared of a second wave. So rules changed again, catching holiday makers unawares.

Earlier last week, foreign travel to European destinations was allowed. Then Spain had a second wave of Covid-19.

Many who had landed in sunny Spain, including a UK Cabinet Minister, were told that upon return they face a fortnight s quarantine.

As the policies are now being made keeping in mind the capricious ways of the virus, the rest of the year is going to be tough, till the vaccine arrives.

Last Sunday, we had the first episode of A Suitable Boy, based on novelist Vikram Seths much loved book, and directed by Mira Nair. This is the first TV serial from the BBC with all Indian characters, who are not ( for a change ) caricatures or stereotypes. And not served with a dash of colonial masala, either.

Nor is this a story of the Raj like Jewel in the Crown with mixed nationalities. This is hundred percent desi. It looked beautiful and got five star reviews in the newspapers.

So India, of a distant past, should be part of our Sunday evenings for a while. Yes, the local Indians are being critical about it  as are Indians elsewhere too but this is the BBC version of India, and it looks good and feels good.

Speaking of the BBC, it is sad to record the passing away of Kailash Nath Budhwar, the first Indian head of the BBC Hindi and Tamil service . He had heralded an important change  as before him the head of the Hindi service had invariably been White.

For many in the United Kingdom and listeners of the BBC Hindi Service he had been the voice of India, and will be missed.

Central London is deserted. But at the Trafalgar Square, there is a new presence. The fourth plinth has been reserved for bold and experimental sculpture which is given space for a while and then another one comes along. The latest is called The End is by Heather Phillipson.

It is a sculpture of whipped cream with a cherry on top. But its not all cheery as there is a fly climbing up the side and a small drone. Dont laugh.

It is thirty feet high and weighs nine tons. The artist said that it symbolised something about to collapse, like the United Kingdom after Brexit. Previous sculptures have been equally adventurous or pretentious, depending on which side you are on.

One was a thumbs up. another was of Nelsons famous ship Victory inside a bottle.

It was Ken Livingstone, while Mayor of London, who had the idea of opening up the empty plinth for installations or sculptures by young artists.

Well done Ken! Looking at it I am always reminded of the empty canopy near India Gate. After the removal of the statue of King George V, in 1968, it has remained empty.

Perhaps it too could be given over to modern Indian sculptors, displaying contemporary work.

Every time a new list comes out of people raised to Peerage, the House of Lords gets abused in the media as useless, waste of money and so on.

Boris has just announced his list and it is the usual mix of party political croniesdonors , retiring MPs, dissidents from the Opposition etc. But two names are noteworthy as friends of India.

Jo Johnson, an old friend who was posted in Delhi as a correspondent for Financial Times, then became an MP and Minister in the United Kingdom under successive Conservative governments. Jo had resigned on grounds of conscience because he could not agree with brother Boriss Brexit policy.

Jo was helpful in setting up the Gandhi Statue in Parliament Square. The other is Nemat Talaat (Minouche) Shafik the Director of the London School of Economics (LSE).

She has set up Mahatma Gandhi Scholarship Fund for Indian students coming to LSE with a donation of 100,000 from the Gandhi Statue Memorial

Fund.
Nigerias candidate for the top job of the World Trade Organisation (WTO), Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, said fixing the Geneva-based bodys dispute settlement system would be one of her priorities if elected as the new chief of the WTO.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, who is competing with seven other nominees for the position of director-general of the WTO, told Xinhua in a recent interview that her top priorities if selected, would be preparing for the WTOs 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) in Kazakhstan in 2021.

She also hoped to work on restoring the dispute settlement system and updating the WTOs rule book.

The WTOs dispute settlement body is currently paralysed.

The Appellate Body, considered as the Supreme Court for global trade disputes, is supposed to have seven judges and needs a minimum of three judges to function.

The U.S. administration has been blocking new appointments for more than two years, with U.S. officials claiming that the court had gone beyond its remit.

I would be focusing, if I get the job, on the dispute settlement system because this is the fundamental pillar of the WTO, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala said.

If you have a rules-based organisation, you must have a place where rules are arbitrated and thats what happens with the dispute settlement system.

So, restoring that will be a top priority as well.

Nigeria nominated Mrs Okonjo-Iweala, an economist who twice served as Nigerias finance minister and briefly acted as foreign minister, for the post of WTO director-general in June.

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She also had a 25-year career at the World Bank, including as a managing director.

The candidate, who also sits on the board of Twitter and the Gavi Vaccine Alliance, said she was confident to win the selection process and that she would be a listener-in-chief as well as a tough negotiator.

I have strong political skills and negotiation skills.

I think thats very much needed; I am a consensus-builder and Im a good listener too.

The candidate showed her confidence to find a way to unlock the seeming division on the trade side, between China and the United States, underlining that finding areas of mutual interest and to build trust within the WTO trading system would be important.

Actually, if you listen to the two members, they have some things in common, Mrs Okonjo-Iweala added.

The dispute settlement system of the WTO is valued by both, they want it to reform, they dont want it to disappear.

Mrs Okonjo-Iweala also said she hopes China will play the role of an economic growth engine in the current COVID-19 pandemic as it did during the 2008 global financial crisis.

I think the best thing China can do is to recover quickly.

Because its one of the engines of growth in the world and its almost a quarter of world trade, she told Xinhua.

So, if it recovers quickly, it means that it can help the rest of the world recover.

So, thats the role I would see for China.

Roberto Azevedo, the incumbent WTO chief, announced in May that he will officially leave his post on August 31, a year before his term expires.

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The second phase of the selection process, in which the candidates make themselves known to members, will end on September 7 and then the General Council chairperson will consult with all WTO members before making the final decision.

(Xinhua/NAN)
Containers are seen at the Yangshan Deep Water Port in Shanghai, China, on Aug. 6, 2019. (Aly Song/File/Reuters)

China Only Fulfills 5 Percent of Sino-US Energy Trade Deal in First Half of 2020

BEIJING/SINGAPOREChina bought only 5 percent of the targeted $25.3 billion in energy products from the United States in the first half of 2020, falling well short of its trade deal commitments at a time when relations between the two top economies are already sour.

Chinas imports of crude oil, liquefied natural gas (LNG), metallurgical coal, and other energy products totaled around $1.29 billion this year through June, according to Reuters calculations based on China customs data.

While Chinese purchases of U.S. products accelerated recently, analysts say weak energy prices and worsening relations means Beijing may undershoot its full-year goal in the Phase 1 deal agreed in January.

China is unlikely to fulfill its Phase 1 commitments as they were overly ambitious to begin with, said Michal Meidan, a director at the Oxford Institute for Energy Studies.

Failure to meet the target could further strain U.S.-China relations, which have nosedived since the outbreak of the coronavirus.

A maze of crude oil pipes and valves pictured during a tour by the Department of Energy at the Strategic Petroleum Reserve in Freeport, Texas, on June 9, 2016. (Richard Carson/Reuters)

Crude Oil

U.S. crude oil had been expected to feature prominently in Chinas Phase 1 purchases. But a surge in freight rates coupled with a collapse in fuel demand, as the coronavirus spread, made U.S. imports relatively costly for refiners in China.

China imported only 45,603 barrels per day (bpd) of U.S. oil in the first half of 2020 compared with 85,453 bpd in the same period in 2019.

Sushant Gupta, research director at consultancy firm Wood Mackenzie, said that to meet the trade deal target, China would need to import 1.5 million bpd of U.S. crude in 2020 and 2021, revising that estimate up from nearly 1 million bpd previously as low oil prices reduced the value of crude purchases.

Chinas refiners boosted U.S. purchases after flagship oil grades slumped into negative territory in April.

China imported roughly 940,000 bpd of U.S. crude in July, and is expected to average 1.01 million bpd in August, an all-time high, said Refinitiv analyst Emma Li.

But narrowing refining margins and swelling stockpiles are expected to slow the import pace in the third quarter.

LNG & Coal

China more than trebled its LNG import volumes from the United States in the first half of 2020 compared to 2019, to 878,754 tons.

However, due to lower prices the value of those purchases only doubled, underscoring the challenge of racking up high value trade deal goals while energy prices are weak.

A similar problem is afflicting U.S. exports of metallurgical coal, which have already struggled to compete internationally in recent years.

The political risks and great uncertainties are hampering Chinas long-term oil and gas purchases, said Li Yao, CEO of Beijing-based consultancy SIA Energy.

By Muyu Xu and Chen Aizhu
Louisiana has joined five other states in a pact to expand rapid diagnostic tests by negotiating with two U.S. manufacturers to buy 500,000 tests per state in hopes of stemming outbreaks more quickly.

Gov. John Bel Edwards joined the governors of Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Ohio and Virginia in the bipartisan arrangement, which comes as testing delays have proved problematic to states in tracking and suppressing the viruss spread.

Rapid access to testing is crucial in our collective fight against COVID-19, which is why I am grateful to join these other governors in a collaborative effort to purchase testing supplies and help identify outbreaks more quickly, while improving the turnaround time for test results, Edwards said in a statement. COVID does not know any borders and by working together we strengthen our response, improve testing access and ultimately help our communities become safer and healthier.

Edwards administration said the purchasing agreement will allow states a platform to buy tests and other supplies in a sustainable and cost-effective manner, and will help expand testing in congregate settings like schools, workplaces and nursing homes. The Rockefeller Foundation is assisting the states with the deal, which was spearheaded by Marylands Republican Gov. Larry Hogan.

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Rapid antigen tests are used to quickly diagnose people by detecting proteins in the virus through nasal cavity swabs, and the two manufacturers in talks with the coalition of governors, Becton Dickinson and Quidel, have won emergency approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for their tests. The governors said the testing pact is the first of its kind.

Testing delays have helped thwart Louisianas effort to conduct widespread contact tracing, a practice in which health workers call those who were infected and track down their close contacts to advise them to quarantine. Once thought to be the cornerstone of the states reopening strategy, the program has foundered.

Delays have also muddied the waters of Louisianas data, which is reported daily. On Tuesday, a large backlog in cases was reported to the state, which posted more than 3,600 new cases while attributing half to a backlog. It is not clear when such test results--which date to as far back as May--were reported to patients.

Edwards has a press conference to discuss coronavirus at 2:30 p.m.
The Electoral Commission (EC) says it has started prosecuting non-Ghanaians who attempted registering for the voter's ID card.

Also, persons who guaranteed for non-eligible persons are also being prosecuted.

The Deputy Chairman of the Electoral Commission, Dr. Bossman Eric Asare has said.

He urged Ghanaians to be wary of persons they guarantee for and ensure that they only guarantee for persons they personally know as a number of non-Ghanaians are currently facing prosecution while one, a Nigerian has also been jailed for attempting to register for the voter's ID card.

Guarantors must make sure that they know the nationalities of the applicants they are guaranteeing for. It is a crime to guarantee for foreigners to register and vote. If the commission establishes that they are not Ghanaians and you guarantee for them, you are liable for prosecution Foreigners caught trying to register will be prosecuted. An example is a Nigerian who was arrested and sentenced on Wednesday, July 29, by the Kaneshie District court to 6 months imprisonment with hard labour for attempting to register. There are two individuals who guaranteed for him, the police are looking for them, he said.

He added that some Nigeriens have also made their first court appearance for attempting to register for the card.

Duplicate names

Dr. Bossman Eric Asare further noted that persons found to be engaged in multiple registrations will have their names expunged from the voters register.

This registration is an offline registration as such, those applicants who have registered more than ones will be identified through the de-duplication process. Those who have registered more than ones will have their names expunged from the register of voters ones they have been identified as having registered double of multiple timesWe are urging those who have already registered not to go to the registration centre again because our system will identify you.

---citinewsroom
The proposal initially would increase payments by $266 per person. The money would come from an increase in the Illinois estate tax, which is levied on the estates of deceased people. The tax applies to people with estates worth more than $4 million. The current federal SSI program, which is supplemented with additional aid in some states, provides $783 in monthly payments to individuals and $1,175 for couples, according to the Social Security Administration.
Two massive explosions that hit Beirut on Tuesday may have been caused by explosive materials confiscated years ago and stored at the citys port, General Security chief Abbas Ibrahim said.

It appears that there is a warehouse containing material that was confiscated years ago, and it appears that it was highly explosive material, the senior security official said, adding that an investigation would be launched into the explosions.

The explosion killed and wounded dozens of people, shaking buildings and sending huge plumes of smoke billowing into the Beirut sky.

Video footage of the second blast showed an enormous orange fireball that dwarfed nearby buildings and sent a devastating tornado-like shockwave ripping through the city.

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New Delhi, Aug 4 : Mounting pendency of cases from the Supreme Court to the lower courts has Vice President M. Venkaiah Naidu worried as he expressed concern on the issue.

Naidu also urged the government and the judiciary to ensure faster justice. He was addressing the Platinum Jubilee meet of Dr B.R. Ambedkar College of Law, Andhra University on the occasion of its 76th Foundation Day.

Naidu underscored the need to make delivery of justice speedier and affordable. Citing adjournment of cases over long periods, he observed that justice was becoming costly and referred to the well-known proverb "justice delayed is justice denied".

"There is also a need to make the delivery of justice speedier and affordable. The legal profession must continue to address this issue collectively," he said.

In a significant statement, the Vice President remarked that Public Interest Litigations (PILs) should not become private interest litigations for personal, pecuniary and political interests.

Asking the law students to be the voice of the voiceless and to use their legal knowledge to empower the marginalised people, he advised them to take up legal aid for the poor as a commitment. He also told the budding lawyers to nurture professionalism and ethical conduct, while being fearless and fair when it comes to discharging their duties.

"Fight injustice wherever it exists and in whichever manner it is perpetuated", he added.

Highlighting the need to avoid ambiguity while drafting laws, the Vice President said laws should be simple and uncomplicated. The focus should not only be on the letter but also on the spirit of the law and the intent behind our laws. "The intent and purpose of the law must be very clear", he added.

Observing that lawyers are capable of bringing about great social transformation, the Vice President said that as a society evolves, so must its laws. "We must constantly introspect and scrutinise our laws from the prism of justice, fairness, equity, compassion and humanity and must continually reform and update our laws, rules and regulations", he added.

Calling for an all-round effort to improve our justice system, Naidu stressed on the need to continually improve the legal infrastructure and access to justice, especially for the common man.

"A vast majority of our laws and regulations are still illegible to the ordinary citizen. Here comes the importance of expanding the reach of legal literacy and the need to simplify our laws and rules. I appreciate the government for scrapping several redundant and obsolete laws," he said.

Referring to the New Education Policy, he stressed the need to impart basic primary and upper primary education in the mother tongue. "I go a step further, in due course of time, we must strive hard to see that in all our systems and public life mother tongue must be used, practiced and propagated. Whether it is education, whether it is governance or whether it is judiciary, people must be able to speak, argue and write in their mother tongue so that they are able to express freely".

Paying rich tributes to the founder of the College -- Dr C.R. Reddy, Naidu recalled his student days and said that his time at the college laid strong foundations for his political and public life.
Final acquisition of 100% of the shares of LCI medical validated by the General Meeting held today

Eragny-sur-Oise, France, August 4th, 2020, 18h00 CEST - Safe Orthopaedics (FR0013467123 - ALSAF), a company specializing in the design and marketing of ready-to-use technologies for spinal surgeries, delivering the safest treatment of spinal fractures urgently treated, presents today the terms and conditions of the acquisition of the company LCI Medical.

On May 6th, 2020, Safe Orthopaedics announced it had entered into exclusive negotiations for the acquisition of the company LCI Medical, manufacturer of medical devices and historical and strategical supplier of Sage Orthopaedics. The acquisition of the totality of the securities of LCI Medical required payment in cash and in Safe Orthopaedics' shares.

The Board of Director of Safe Orthopaedics approved on June 12th, 2020, this transaction and thus authorized the Chief Executive Officer to sign the share sale agreement and the contribution agreement, and has given its consent on the proposed capital increase as compensation for the contribution of shares of the company LCI Medical.

On June 16th, 2020, Safe Orthopaedics confirmed the acquisition of LCI Medical, materialized through the signing of (i) a share sale agreement for 3.672 shares of LCI Medical upon payment on cash, subject to conditions precedent (the "Sale") and (ii) a in-kind contribution agreement whereby Jean-Marc Feige committed to the contribution of the 328 remaining shares as compensation for the delivery of Safe Orthopaedics' securities (the "Contribution").

On July 27th, 2020, Safe Orthopaedics announced the acquisition of 92% of LCI Medical shares from the associates of LCI Medical upon payment in cash.

The approval of the Contribution by the shareholders of Safe Orthopaedics has been postponed to August 4th, 2020, for lack of quorum for the holding of the Combined Annual General Assembly on July 24th, 2020. The Combined Annual General Meeting of the shareholders of the Company approved today the contribution in kind, its contribution and the resulting capital increase.

The terms and conditions of the Contribution are detailed below.

Reasons for the transaction

The Contribution of LCI Medical shares will allow Safe Orthopaedics to acquire 100 % of the share capital and of the voting rights of LCI Medical.

Parties to the Contribution

Issuer - Beneficiary of the Contribution

Safe Orthopaedics

Contributor

Jean-Marc Feige

Before the Sale, Jean-Marc Feige controlled and was the Chairman of LCI Medical.

Company whose securities are being contributed

LCI Medical, societe par actions simplifiee, whose head office is located 80, rue de montepy - Zone artisanale de Montepy - 69210 Fleurieux-sur-l'Arbresle, registered under the trade and compaies register of Lyon under number 511 813 123.

Relationship between Safe Orthopaedics and LCI Medical

Since the achievement of the Sale, Safe Orthopaedics is the majority shareholder of LCI Medical, with 92% of the share capital and voting rights of the company.

Pierre Dumouchel, Chief Executive Officer and Francois-Henri, Chief Financial Officer of Safe Orthopaedics have been respectively appointed Chairman and Director General of LCI Medical.

Shares of the Contribution

The shares subject to the Contribution, being 328 shares, numbered from 1.926 to 2.253, constitute 8,2 % of the share capital and voting rights of the company LCI Medical (the "Contributed Shares") and are fully provided by Jean-Marc Feige.

Contribution Plan

The Contribution is made under the common law system of contributions in kind, as defined by the provisions of article L225-147 of the French Commercial Code.

Valuation of the Contribution

The Contributed Shares were estimated to the global amount of 214.380,80 , which can reach the maximal total value of 489.330,80 , depending on the growth of the turnover of LCI Medical, exclusive of the sales achieved with Safe Orthopaedics and the company Top Clean Injection (482 263 605 RCS Clermont-Ferrand) in the 12 months following the final completion of the Contribution (respectively, the "Turnover Exclusive SO" and the "Reference Period").

The exchange ratio is the result of the negotiations of the parties to the contribution agreement dated June 15th, 2020. LCI Medical was mainly valued on the basis of its turnovers and namely on the turnover expectations for the period ended June 30th, 2020, with a multiple of 1,3; the past profitability of LCI Medical has also been taken into account as well as its expected future incomes. The same methods (and namely the same multiple of turnover), combined with those of comparable companies, transaction multiples, the impact of dilutive instruments and the fiscal impacts have been applied to Safe Orthopaedics.

Compensation of the Contribution - Amount of the capital increase of Safe Orthopaedics

Under the contribution agreement, the Contributed shares are provided by Jean-Marc Feige, in return for a payment, in new ordinary shares of Safe Orthopaedics, of an initial compensation on the date of the final completion of the Contribution and, depending of the additional value resulting from the growth of the Turnover Exclusive SO of LCI Medical on the Reference Period, of an additional compensation, through the exercise of share subscription warrants allocated to Jean-Marc Feige on the date of the final completion of the Contribution.

Safe Orthopaedics announced today the issuance of 267.194 new ordinary shares, with a nominal value of 0,10  each, representing a share capital increase with a total nominal value of 26.719,40 , amounting to a capital increase, contribution premium included, of 213.755,20 .

343.536 share subscription warrants have also been issued on this date, in order to secure payment of the additional compensation for the Contribution, those warrants giving the right to subscribe to a total amount of 343.536 new ordinary shares with a nominal value of 0,10  each, representing a share capital increase with a total nominal value of 34.353,60 , amounting to a capital increase, contribution premium included, of 274.828,80 .

An admission request for the 267.194 new ordinary shares issued today to be traded on the Euronext Growth market will be made and will be admitted to trading on the same quotation line as the existing shares of Safe Orthopaedics. They will be assimilated to the existing ordinary shares and subject to all statutory requirements of Safe Orthopaedics.

The shareholder owning 1 % of the share capital of Safe Orthopaedics before the Contribution will own 0,98 % of the share capital of Safe Orthopaedics after the issuance of the 267.194 new ordinary shares.

The shares issued as compensation for the Contribution will are covered by a commitment to retain the shares for six (6) months as from their issuance.

Assessment of the value and compensation for the Contribution

Under article L225-147 of the French Commercial Code and the AMF position-recommendation n2011-11 of July 21st, 2011 (repealed since June 17th, 2020), the firm BM&A, represented by Pierre Beal, was designated as contribution auditor (the "Contribution Auditor") by order of the President of the Commercial Court of Pontoise on May 26th, 2020, in order to assess, under his responsibility, the value of the Contribution and, if need be, the special benefits and to control the compensation of the Contribution for purposes of assessing the equity of the exchange ratio.

The reports of the Contribution Auditor were deposited at the head office on June 30th, 2020 and deposited at the clerk of the Commercial Court of Pontoise on July 7th, 2020.

- Conclusion of the Contribution Auditor on the value of the Contribution

In his report on the value of the Contribution dated June 30th, 2020, the Contribution Auditor wrote that "On the basis of our work and on the date of this report, we are of the opinion that the value of the contributions, of 213.755,20  is not over-estimated, and, consequently, is at least equal to the amount of the capital increase of the company resulting from the contribution plus the contribution share premium."

- Conclusion of the Contribution Auditor on the compensation for the Contribution

In his report on the compensation for the Contribution, the Contribution Auditor wrote that "On the basis of our work and on the date of this report, we are of the opinion that the compensation for the Contribution of the issuance of 267.194 Safe Orthopaedics shares and 343.536 free Safe Orthopaedics share subscription warrants, potentially resulting in the issuance of a maximum amount of 343.536 additional Safe Orthopaedics shares, is fair."

To the extent that the securities of Safe Orthopaedics to be issued as compensation for the Contribution represent less than 10% of the number of securities under the same category already traded on the Euronext Growth market, the transaction is not subject to the visa from the AMF under article 15 of the AMF instruction n2019-21 dated December 6th, 2019.

Next financial release:

First semester 2020 results, September 28th, 2020 (post-market)



About Safe Orthopaedics

Founded in 2010, Safe Orthopaedics is a French medical technology company, a pioneer of the design and marketing of innovative ready-to-use technologies (single-use implants and instruments) for spinal diseases, delivering the safest treatment of spinal fractures. The technologies include sterile implants and ready-to-use instruments available to the surgeon at any time and anywhere, enabling minimally invasive approaches, reducing the risks of cross contamination and infection in the interest of the patient. Protected by 17 patent families, the SteriSpineTM Kits are CE marked, FDA and CFDA approved. Safe Orthopaedics, has its headquarter close to Paris (95610 Eragny-Sur-Oise - France) and has created a subsidiary in the UK, Germany and in the US, employing around 50 employees for a total sales of 4.7M in 2019.

For more information: www.SafeOrthopaedics.com

Contacts

Safe Orthopaedics

Francois-Henri Reynaud

Chief Financial Officer

Tel.: +33

Press Relations

Ulysse Communication

Bruno Arabian / +33

Nicolas Daniels / +33

Attachment
Pupils in Scotland receiving their exam results today are being encouraged by farming groups to seek a career path into agriculture.

About 138,000 students began receiving their results at 08:00 on Tuesday (4 August).

Groups such as NFU Scotland, Lantra and Young Farmers (SAYFC) are now highlighting the variety of different jobs within agriculture.

With a variety of different types of jobs within agriculture, suited to a range of different skills and aptitudes, there is a career path for almost any pupil, the groups say.

Through a series of case study videos, they have been sharing the stories of different professionals working in different areas of agriculture.

NFU Scotland vice president Charlie Adam said there was 'no wrong path' when choosing a career in agriculture.

"It will not have been easy over the last few months but the wait is finally over and hopefully you received the results you were hoping for," he said.

Agriculture is a fast moving, dynamic sector which provides a wide range of career opportunities to suit all interests and qualifications whatever your aspirations are."

He is now encouraging those unsure of their next step to go to Lantras website or even contact them directly.

"They have a lot of resources for those looking to get into farming and have a fantastic track record of getting enthusiastic young people onto the right career path, Mr Adam said.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar outside the Vidhan Bhavan before the start of the session. (PTI)

Patna: Bihar government on Tuesday recommended a CBI probe into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput after the deceased actors father KK Singh made a formal request regarding the issue.

The state government recommended a CBI probe into the death of Sushant Singh Rajput after his father spoke to the DGP," Bihar CM Nitish Kumar said.

The move comes amid ongoing tussle over the jurisdictional issue between Maharashtra and Bihar Police. Bihar CM Nitish Kumar and DGP Gupteshwar Pandey had earlier expressed displeasure over the mistreatment of Patna police who have been sent to Mumbai to probe the case.

IPS officer Vinay Tiwary, who had landed in Mumbai on Sunday to supervise the ongoing investigation by the Bihar police, was forcibly placed under home quarantine by the BMC authorities. The development was termed as inappropriate and unfortunate by the Bihar CM.

They are not responding to our repeated messages and phone calls. In a way, they have announced that they will not let us work there. I have not seen this kind of non-cooperation in my entire career," DGP Gupteshwar Pandey said.

While backing Nitish Kumars recommendation to hand over Sushant Singh Rajputs death case to the CBI, the Bihar DGP also said that the state police would lodge a formal protest with the BMC authorities over placing IPS officer Vinay Tiwary under forcible home quarantine.

The alleged mistreatment of the Bihar police team in Mumbai had snowballed into a political controversy. The issue was also raised by political leaders, including BJP MLA and the late actors cousin Neeraj Singh in the state Assembly on Monday.

However, on Tuesday after Bihar CM announced his decision to recommend a CBI inquiry into the case, leader of the Opposition Tejashwi Yadav claimed that his party RJD was the first party to raise the issue forcefully in the state Assembly and said that a court-monitored CBI probe would be better.

The Bihar police had launched an investigation last month after Sushant Singh Rajputs father lodged an FIR against actress Rhea Chakraborty, her family members and six others for abetment of suicide of his son and fraud.
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- The New York City Department of Education (DOE) released additional instructional, grading and scheduling guidance to public schools to help principals, teachers, families and students prepare for the return to school during the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The guidance was developed in close partnership with the Council of School Supervisors & Administrators and the United Federation of Teachers (UFT) unions, and is based on feedback from school leaders and educators, according to the DOE.
The special operations group (SOG) of Rajasthan Police on Tuesday handed over the three cases related to attempts to topple Congress government in the state to the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) after dropping charges of sedition, an official said.

This happened on the day the Rajasthan high court was supposed to hear a petition of rebel Congress MLA Bhanwarilal Sharma seeking quashing of SOG case against him or referring the case to National Investigation Agency as sedition charges were pressed against him.

The hearing on the petition would be held on August 13, said Anil Upman, special public prosecutor. We informed the court that the SOG has filed an application in the lower court that investigation of the cases should be done by the anti-corruption bureau (ACB) as the preliminary investigation reveals only corruption charges. Hence, the petition should be considered as infructuous.

SOGs additional director general of police, Ashok Rathore, said facts related to corruption surfaced during the preliminary probe. We took suggestions from legal experts and on the basis of their advice, we are sending all documents related to cases in FIR Nos. 47, 48 and 49 to the ACB, he said.

The SOG has so far registered three FIRs on the complaint filed by Congress chief whip in Rajasthan assembly, Mahesh Joshi, related to the horse-trading allegedly aimed at dislodging the Congress government in the state.

The first FIR, number 47, was registered on July 10, in which two accused, Ashok Jain from Banswara and Bharat Malani, were arrested. They are presently in judicial custody.

The second and third FIRs, numbers 48 and 49, were registered on July 17. In the FIR number 48, Sadulshahar MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma, Sanjay Jain and Gajendra Singh were booked. Jain was arrested on July 17.

The SOG reports to chief minister Ashok Gehlot.

Sanjay Jains counsel Vivek Bajwa said that the SOG filed an application in the court of the chief judicial magistrate court saying that evidences found so far do not make out 124-A (sedition) charges and the investigation should be done by the ACB.

We have requested the court that in the SOG FIRs charges of only criminal conspiracy are left which is a bailable offence. We have requested the local court to grant bail to my client Sanjay Jain and the hearing on the bail application would be held tomorrow, said Bajwa.

An MLA from the Sachin Pilot camp said the sedition charge was dropped because of the petition by Bhanwarlal Sharma in the high court to transfer the case to the NIA.

Legal expert Akhil Choudhary said that Indian Penal Code does not criminalize actions of destabilsing Government, but if the Government wanted to at all criminalize such actions, as is happening in Rajasthan, and have happened earlier in Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, then the sections of Prevention of Corruption could have been used against receiving or attempting to receive bribes.

MLAs are public servants under the Prevention of Corruption Act, and they can be prosecuted for such offences, he said.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Satish Poonia said that the party had maintained that sedition provisions in the IPC were very old and were used by British to suppress the freedom fighters.

There were no legal grounds to get the FIR registered under sections of sedition. Congress was afraid that the FIR may be quashed by the HC. The withdrawal reveals the moral defeat and exposure of Congress plan to create fear in independents and MLAs of an independent party. It has also revealed that the ACB and SOG are being misused, Poonia said.

Reacting to the allegations of Poonia, state Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said that it is a moral victory for chief minister Ashok Gehlot because the investigation revealed that the MLAs were offered money. This is a moral victory for the Congress as preliminary investigation reveals that facts regarding the offering of money were true, Sharma said.

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Boko Haram grenade attack kills 15 in north Cameroon

CNN :

A grenade exploded in a camp for internally displaced people (IDP) killing 15 and wounding five in an attack on Sunday morning, a a local official told CNN.

The incident happened in Nguetchewe village in Cameroon's far north region, near the country's border with Nigeria, and was carried out by suspected Boko Haram militants, the official said.

The militants crossed from neighboring Nigeria around midnight and stormed an IDP camp, throwing a grenade in a group, killing 13 people instantly, according to Medjeweh Boukar, the town's mayor.

"13 persons died on the spot and two died in the hospital and my convoy is now taking the bodies to the village," Boukar told CNN after the incident.

Boukar said Cameroon's soldiers are investigating the attack.

The ambush is the second this year in the region after about seven persons were killed in suicide bombings in April.

Boko Haram, originally from Nigeria, has been mounting attacks in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

The jihadist organization and its splinter group, the ISIS-aligned Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP), have caused violence and destruction in Nigeria's northeast and the surrounding Sahel region over the last decade.



The government of Nigeria declared Boko Haram a terrorist organization in 2013, and several months later, the US State Department followed suit.

A CFR security tracker estimates that more than 37,000 people have been killed, and millions have been displaced in the conflict in Nigeria between 2011 and 2018.




A website of Naver Finance / Screen capture from Naver Financial





By Lee Min-hyung







Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance CEO Choi Young-moo

Major insurers are in a dilemma over emerging threats from Naver, as the nation's dominant internet portal operator is seeking to make rapid inroads into the lucrative finance industry by taking advantage of its massive user base.



Naver has recently contacted the so-called big four non-life insurers here  Samsung Fire & Marine Insurance, Hyundai Marine & Fire Insurance, DB Insurance and KB Insurance  for partnerships before the internet firm launches an online rate comparison site for car insurance.







Naver is reported to have demanded the insurers pay around 11 percent of car insurance premiums paid by subscribers referred to them by the portal operator as an advertising cost. Despite the high commission, they are in a growing dilemma over whether to accept Naver's proposal due to the firm's dominant online influence in Korea.







Samsung Fire, the largest non-life insurer here, has rejected the offer, considering its leadership particularly in the online car insurance market. The company also said it did not want to shift its commission burden to subscribers by signing the partnership with Naver.







Naver CEO Han Seong-sook

DB Insurance and KB Insurance are also in internal talks over whether to take part in the project. As the site has not yet been launched, they are taking a wait-and-see approach before signing partnerships with Naver. The high commission rate has caused the firms to hesitate.







Amid mounting media reports criticizing Naver's "excessive demand," Naver Financial, the financial service arm of the company, took a step backward, denying that it demanded the 11 percent commission fee in exchange for the partnership on the rate comparison site. The company also said it did not have any specific timeline for the launch of the service.







Despite its denial, industry watchers believe Naver's inroads into the insurance industry are looming closer, after Naver Financial established an insurance subsidiary called NF Insurance Service last month.







Officials in the non-life insurance industry remained negative over Naver's expansion into the insurance sector, as the company is taking advantage of "legal blind spots" to diversify its revenues in new areas.







"If Naver or its financial subsidiaries are trying to tap into the insurance industry on an equal footing as other traditional insurers, no one can blame the portal giant," an industry source said.







"But this is not the case because Naver is using partnerships with existing players, rather than seeking to receive licenses, in an apparent move to evade regulations and reap more profits by using its massive influence on the internet."







Naver is often compared with Kakao, the nation's leading mobile messenger app operator, in that it has expanded its business on the back of the firm's tens of millions of users here.







Starting this year, both firms are speeding up their drive into the financial sector, as they believe they can draw more users from existing financial firms by using their easy-to-use online platforms.







But Kakao is relatively free from such a controversy, as the company is expanding its financial foothold after obtaining licenses just like existing financial players, according to the official.







"Kakao's major financial subsidiaries  such as Kakao Bank and KakaoPay Securities  operate with licenses and are competing with other conventional players on an equal footing, which is one big difference between Kakao and Naver," the official said.







"It is not fair for Naver to operate any financial businesses without relevant licenses," the source said. "By simply providing platforms, the company can evade a series of tough financial regulations. Under the current business structure, Naver will bear little responsibility for any potential mis-selling of financial products, and only those who signed partnerships with Naver will have to take all the blame."







But chances are most midsize and large non-life insurers will have to join hands with Naver amid their deteriorating profitability in the car insurance business due to rising repair costs.







Samsung Fire takes up more than half the online car insurance market share. For this reason, more non-life insurers are under pressure to partner with Naver to expand their presence online as competition gets tougher.


By PTI

NEW DELHI: Gyms and fitness centres on Tuesday geared up to open their doors after almost five months with managements busy fine-tuning operational details such as hourly sanitisation, spacing out equipment to ensure social distancing and minimising staff in accordance with government guidelines, even as there has been no green signal from the Kejriwal government.

Thousands of small gyms and bigger chains will welcome customers to 'fitness in the COVID era' though outlets in states where lockdown rules have not been relaxed will continue to be closed.

After the crippling losses and layoffs, the Ministry of Home Affairs' July 30 notice allowing gymnasiums and yoga institutes to reopen from August 5 was a huge relief, said gym owners.

On Monday evening, the Health Ministry issued its guidelines and establishments are quickly making sure that everything is in place before they reopen for business.

Aseem Rao, who owns Hype, a franchise of nearly 40 fitness centres across Delhi-NCR, said his outlets will follow all government-instructed protocols, including availability of sanitisers and oximeters, spaced out equipment and thermal screening of both staff and members.

"Most of my outlets are 6,000 square feet in area. To ensure social distancing during group classes, we have decided the space that was earlier occupied by as many as 60 people at a time will now house not more than 25 people," he said.

Rao will be reopening 19 of his centres across Haryana and Ghaziabad, while the Delhi outlets will remain shut.

Several states and cities, including Delhi and Maharashtra, will continue to keep gyms shut.

Maharashtra has reported 15,842 COVID-19 deaths and Delhi 4,004, according to Union Health Ministry figures on Monday.

Pravesh Gaur, who owns the Fast Fit chain of gyms, is also getting ready to open his outlets in Faridabad.

"We will be adhering to all the government directions, thermal temperature check before entering the centre, sanitisation of all equipment on an hourly basis and before every use, as well as monitoring the staff for any symptoms on a regular basis," Gaur told PTI.

The staff capacity will be at 50 per cent, he added.

ALSO READ | Many gyms in Kolkata will open on August 6

The ministry's 'Guidelines on Preventive Measures to Contain Spread of COVID-19 in Yoga Institutes & Gymnasiums' also suggests staggered visits by members and instructs that equipment, including cardio and strength machines, be placed six feet apart wherever possible.

It also says visors should be used as far as possible while exercising.

Before exercising, people have to get their oxygen saturation checked.

If below 95 per cent, they should not be allowed to exercise, the notification says.

The fitness industry was among the first to take a hit with gyms across states shutting down rapidly even before the nationwide lockdown began on March 25, leaving thousands of trainers and support staff unemployed.

According to Gympik, a health and fitness aggregator, there are approximately 20,000 gyms across the country, including neighbourhood workout centres as well as nationwide chains like Gold Gym and Cultfit that have multiple centres in a single city alone.

These centres offer facilities like strength, weight and cardio training, alongside yoga and Zumba classes, and cater to over 10 million gym goers, it estimates.

Gaur, who owns four centres across Delhi and Faridabad and is ensuring that he complies with all the orders, has incurred an approximate loss of Rs 20-30 lakh per branch.

He said he was also compelled to either let go off, or send some of his employees on "temporary unpaid leave".

Some of his trainers conducted online classes, but that did not really work.

"Using equipment that specifically targets each muscle group, along with the personal guidance of a trainer to correct forms and techniques cannot be replicated in online classes. We hardly generated four to five per cent of our revenue through these sessions," he added.

Rao agreed.

Over the last five months, he said, the losses had been massive, with no income but rents and staff salaries that had to be paid.

ALSO READ | Gyms, Yoga centres to reopen from August 5. Here are the guidelines

"Although we were doing online classes, even our existing members did not seem very interested in those sessions and there were no new registrations during that time," he said.

Shalini Bhargava, director at Mumbai's JG's Fitness Centre is not looking at opening her facility immediately with the Maharashtra government extending the lockdown till August 31, but is prepping for it.

"Most of our existing clients have been calling to get an idea of the time slots, rules and safety measures that will be followed. All the government guidelines were expected, so we are completely prepared," Bhargava said.

Machines and gym equipment have been spaced out, sanitisation machines have been installed, and fitness sessions have been moved to the open air terrace.

She added that she is also planning to install a UV tower which will keep disinfecting the gym every one hour.

Fitness enthusiasts have been missing their workout sessions at the gyms but are wary of stepping into one.

Gurgaon-based Chetna Beniwal, for instance, would visit the gym five days a week before the lockdown.

Given the continuing spread of the disease, she said she has decided to continue to work out at home.

"My major concern is using the same equipment and machines that other people have been using. Besides, I have been working out at home using a mat and a few weights, and it feels like a better alternative to gyms."

"Working out at home is more convenient and easy. I can exercise anytime I want, be it day or late at night," the 28-year-old customs inspector said.

Unlike her, Mumbai-based Ankit Doshi said he can't wait for the gyms to reopen in his state.

"I used to work out a minimum of five days a week before the lockdown started. Thanks to the online classes and workout apps, I have been able to maintain my fitness schedule. I also did a yoga training course for 21 days with The Yoga Institute. But it has been difficult to manage weight training. Also, at gyms, you maintain a certain discipline, which you tend to lose at times while working out at home," said the 34-year-old CEO of a Mumbai-based enterprise.

The fitness business might be taking tentative steps to normalcy but drastic changes are in store, said Amaresh Ojha, founder and CEO of Gympik.

Agreeing with Gaur and Rao that online alone is not a viable business model for gyms, Ojha said the industry is likely to now function on the "hybrid business model", a combination of limited on-premise and online classes.

"The fitness business will no longer be a volume game. Most estimates show that the footfall will probably reduce significantly to allow only 33-50 per cent member attendance, depending on the availability of space.

"The hybrid model will allow the gyms to up their game and offer the best of both the online and offline worlds to their members by giving them more freedom and flexibility to workout anytime, anywhere," he said.

No green signal from Delhi government

Gymnasiums and yoga institutes in Delhi are unlikely to re-open from Wednesday as no new order has so far been issued by authorities to allow them in the national capital, officials said.

On July 31, the Delhi Disaster Management Authority issued an order lifting restrictions on night curfew and since then, the DDMA has not issued other orders giving relaxations under ''Unlock-3'' phase.

Asked whether gymnasiums and yoga centres will be allowed in Delhi from Wednesday, a top official said, "The government has already issued status quo orders."

Another official said, "Such establishments (yoga institutes and gymnasiums) will not be allowed to re-open from Wednesday as the COVID-19 threat may loom large".

However, in its "Unlock-3" guidelines issued on July 29, the Centre had allowed opening of yoga institutes and gymnasiums from August 5.

According to Unlock 3 guidelines, schools, colleges, metro rail service, cinema halls along with bars will continue to remain shut till August 31 and political and religious gatherings too will remain prohibited.

Last week, the Arvind Kejriwal government decided to allow hotels and weekly markets to reopen in Delhi.

However, Lt Governor Anil Baijal overturned the decision as the COVID-19 situation continues to be "fragile" and that infection threat is still "far from over".

In a recent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has sought his direction to Baijal to allow hotels and weekly markets.

In the letter, Sisodia has also said that the AAP government would again send the proposal to LG.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:37:27|Editor: huaxia

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TIRANA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Albania reported 168 fires in July, more than half of the total 329 reported in the first seven months of the year, the National Agency for Civil Protection (NACP) said on Tuesday.

Director of the NACP Haki Cako said in a press conference that most of the fires currently raging in Albania were started deliberately and the State Police are investigating them.

Cako called on local authorities to cooperate with the State Police to find responsible individuals.

Up to date, the fires have destroyed a total of 598 hectares of forest, including 2,419 olive trees and 217 fruit trees.

Recent heatwave and high temperatures that the country is experiencing have also contributed to the frequent occurrence of the fires, according to the official.

Defense Minister Olta Xhacka said on Tuesday that extinguishing efforts have involved 200 personnel of Albanian Armed Forces. Enditem
Chad Daybell with his ex-wife Tammy. A text exchange where he went to great length describing his day on September 9 was read aloud in court on Tuesday. It was also the same day Lori's daughter, Tylee, was last seen alive

Chad Daybell texted his late first wife telling her he'd shot a large raccoon and buried it in his pet cemetery where his second wife Lori Vallow's kids were found dead in June, on the same day that one of the children vanished.

The texts were sent from Daybell to his wife Tammy on September 9 last year, the day Lori Vallow's daughter Tylee, 17, went missing.

He said in them: 'I've had an interesting morning! I felt I should burn all of the limb debris by the fire pit before it got too soaked by the coming storm.

'While I did so, I spotted a big racoon along the fence.

'I hurried and got my gun, and he was till walking along. I got close enough that one shot did the trick.

'He is now in our pet cemetery. Fun times!' he said.

A month later, Tammy died mysteriously. Two weeks later, Lori and Chad got married in Hawaii.

By then, Lori's seven-year-old son JJ had also gone missing.

His body was also found on the site Daybell called a 'pet cemetery' in the exchanges.

The texts were brought up on Tuesday at a preliminary hearing for Daybell, who is charged with concealing evidence in the search for Lori's children. A judge later ruled the trial should proceed.

FBI Special Agent Benjamin Dean said they stood out to him when he was going through Tammy's phone because they were longer than any other texts Chad typically exchanged with his wife.

The texts between Daybell and his wife, Tammy, who died suddenly in October, two weeks before he and Lori got married

In this aerial photo, investigators search for human remains at Chad Daybell's residence in the 200 block of 1900 East in Salem, Idaho on June 9

The pair's previous messages included messages like 'I love you' and 'cant sleep without you.'

Other details emerged about the last time JJ was seen alive - September 22.

Vallow told friends JJ was a 'zombie' and that she'd sent him to stay with her brother Alex Cox on September 22 last year because he was 'out of control'.

It was the last time the boy was seen alive. His remains were found on Vallow's husband Chad Daybell's property, buried in a pet cemetery where a dog and cat had also been buried, earlier this year. His sister Tylee's burned remains were found nearby on the Idaho property.

The day police made the grim discovery, Lori called Chad from jail where she was being held at the time for telling police where JJ and Tylee were for months.

At the time, Chad was still free. He was on the property and the pair spoke on the phone where he told Lori it was 'logical' for police to search the home.

The new details emerged on Tuesday at a preliminary hearing for Daybell to decide whether or not his trial should proceed.

Neither he nor Vallow have been charged with either of the children's deaths and it remains unclear how they died.

To find JJ's body, police tracked data from Lori's brother Alex Cox's phone. Family friend David Warwick testified on Tuesday that on September 22, the last day JJ was seen alive, Vallow asked her brother Alex to come and collect JJ.

This is the last photograph taken of JJ, Tylee and their uncle Alex Cox. It's believed to have been in Yellowstone National Park shortly before the kids vanished in September. Cox died in December

Chad Daybell in court on Tuesday for the second day of his preliminary hearing in Idaho

Lori Vallow remains in custody on charges of concealing evidence. She is shown on March 6

'She said JJ was being a zombie. He was out of control so she had Alex come get him,' he told the courtroom in Idaho.

Lori had complained that JJ was climbing the cabinets and the refrigerator, and that he had smashed a photograph of Jesus.

Warwick testified that he and his girlfriend, Melanie Gibb, were at Lori's home to record a podcast and that they last saw JJ being carried by Cox. He looked like he was sleeping, he said.

Cox died in mysterious circumstances in December last year. His death is one of the many unexplained deaths in Vallow and Daybell's circles.

As part of their case, prosecutors are tying to piece together the days and months before the children vanished.

They have now asked multiple witnesses how close Lori and her brother were.

Cox followed his sister from Arizona to Idaho after shooting dead her ex-husband, Charles Vallow, last summer in an apparent domestic dispute.

At the time, he told police he was protecting Lori from Charles and that the shooting happened in self-defense.

He was never charged for it.

They then moved to Idaho, where Daybell lived with his wife of 23 years. She died not long after Lori arrived with the children.
Chinese military: on guard for peace

PLA Daily

Source: Xinhuanet

Editor: Li Jiayao

2020-08-03 11:10:47

by Xinhua writer Guo Yage

BEIJING -- On Aug. 1, 1927, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China was born out of a mission to seek national independence and liberation of the Chinese people.

More than nine decades have passed. And now the PLA, ever developing and modernizing, has not only been standing guard for the security and well-being of the Chinese people, but also contributing to regional and global peace and security.

First, the PLA has been firmly following a path of peaceful development. This determination can be well reflected in China's military expenditure.

China is now the world's second largest economy. Yet its defense spending has stayed at around 1.3 percent of its gross domestic product for many years, well below the world's average of 2.6 percent.

According to a draft budget report in late May, China will continue to lower its defense budget growth rate to 6.6 percent in 2020. Besides, a defense white paper issued July last year said the Chinese military has cut 300,000 personnel to keep the total active force at 2 million.

Second, the Chinese military has been faithfully implementing a defense-oriented policy. Far from bellicosity, China always tries to solve disputes and conflicts through dialogue and consultation, and deplores the use of offensive force.

In particular, the PLA has been committed to a self-defense nuclear strategy of no first use of nuclear weapons at any time and under any circumstances, and not using or threatening to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear-weapon states or nuclear-weapon-free zones unconditionally.

Beijing has been widely recognized and praised for long maintaining its strong commitment to global nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament efforts.

Third, Chinese soldiers have repeatedly demonstrated to the world with tangible action that China has always been ready to do its part and help build this world into a more peaceful and better place.

Over the past 30 years, some 40,000 Chinese "blue helmets" have already been dispatched to conflict-affected countries and areas in 25 United Nations (UN) peace operations. China has become the largest troop contributor among the five permanent members of the Security Council and the second largest financial contributor to the UN peacekeeping budget.

The PLA has provided many other public security services, completing numerous long and short distance patrols and armed escorts, treating more than 230,000 patients, and offering anti-epidemic supplies to the military forces of over 20 countries during the COVID-19 pandemic.

It has also joined other global partners to address unconventional security challenges and improve global security governance. China's recent accession to the Arms Trade Treaty is a case in point.

China will unswervingly follow the path of peaceful development, safeguard world peace and promote common development, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in his 2020 New Year message.

Indeed, just as Xi has committed, the PLA, as the military of a responsible major country, will continue to do its best to make the world a better place not only for Chinese, but for all.

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New Delhi, Aug 4 : Congress leader Jairam Ramesh has kicked up a row by questioning the government over not convening the Parliament session and even comparing it to Pakistan.

Jairam Ramesh questioned, "How is it that even Pakistani Parliament can convene, but India, the world's largest democracy and a tech-savvy nation can't even meet virtually?" Ramesh said that even parliamentary committees are not meeting virtually. "Not even smaller groups like parliamentary committees can meet virtually? What happened to Digital India?" he said.

The Congress has been demanding a Parliament session to discuss the current political situation and has been accusing the government of running away from parliamentary oversight.

The leaders of both the Houses have met several times and discussed the issue on how to convene Parliament amid the Covid pandemic.

The government is mulling options to adhere to the social distancing norms and convene the session. It is mandatory to convene a session once in six months but this time period has not passed yet as Parliament was in business till March 23. The stipulated six months will be over in September and the government has time, experts say.

The parliamentary committees have started meeting since July 10.

The Rajya Sabha Secretariat is exploring seating for members of the Upper House in the chamber as well as the galleries in conformity with the physical distancing norms and to enable virtual participation of other members from either the Central Hall or the Balayogi Auditorium in the Parliament premises for the monsoon session.

Rajya Sabha Chairman Venkaiah Naidu had detailed discussions on various options for conducting the proceedings of the Upper Hhouse during the ensuing monsoon session of Parliament with the Secretary General and other senior officials of the Rajya Sabha Secretariat.
Video shows scuffle between police and NHS doctor after father refuses to leave bedside of critically ill daughter.

Video footage has emerged showing the father of a dying six-year-old girl being violently dragged away from her hospital bedside.

The video, from a United Kingdom officers bodycam, showed the moment that police arrived at the intensive care unit room as respiratory expert Rashid Abbasi, who has worked in the UKs National Health Service for more than 30 years, was holding the hand of his daughter and near his wife Aliva, also a doctor.

Thirty minutes prior to the arrival of police, the parents had been told their daughters life support was going to be withdrawn.

The couples six-year-old daughter Zainab was suffering from respiratory problems and a rare genetic illness called Niemann-Pick syndrome.

We have just been told about half an hour ago that they are going to take the tube out and that our daughter is going to die, Aliva told police officers as they repeatedly asked Abbasi to join them outside the room.

The police were called to the hospital, which cannot be named for legal reasons, after a complaint about Abbasis behaviour due to a protracted dispute between the girls parents and doctors over Zainabs healthcare.

Thirty minutes prior to the arrival of police, the parents had been told their daughters life support was going to be withdrawn [Credit: Northumbria Police via Christian Concern via Storyful]

The couple insisted they wanted the hospital to try a treatment they believed would help, against the advice of the hospitals doctors, who claimed nothing more could be done and she should be allowed to die.

The dispute escalated after the police repeatedly asked the 59-year-old father to step outside the intensive care unit room. Abbasi refused to leave and continued holding his daughters hand.

After a few minutes of talking, officers removed him by force, dragging him away from his daughters bedside.

Abbasi is seen resisting the police before being slumped on the floor, shouting that he had chest pain and needed his medication. Ill have a heart attack, Abbasi is heard saying in the video.

Abbasi was later told he had suffered a heart attack and had an angioplasty procedure the next day [Credit: Northumbria Police via Christian Concern via Storyful]

You are acting like an animal; its disgusting, a female police officer told Abbasi as his legs and ankles were strapped together.

Abbasi was later told he had suffered a heart attack and had an angioplasty procedure the next day.

The incident took place in August 2019, but the footage has been released now as part of a legal case brought by the parents against Northumbria police.

Six-year-old Zainab died in September 2019, three days before a court hearing on whether the hospital should be allowed to take her off the ventilator.
Artificial intelligence can increase the effectiveness of drug repositioning or repurposing research, according to a study published in Translational Psychiatry. In the study, which was supported by Sao Paulo Research Foundation - FAPESP, Brazilian researchers correlated information on genes associated with psychiatric and neurological disorders and drugs approved for use in treating other diseases that might potentially inhibit or activate these genes.

The study identified 63 drugs targeting 31 genes and potential candidates for testing against Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and autism. A total of 1,588 genes were correlated with 722 drugs.

In addition to identifying these candidate drugs, the researchers also developed a novel drug screening approach that can be used in studies of other diseases. They then applied the novel methodology in another study with the aim of repurposing drugs to treat COVID-19.

"We are producing much more knowledge than we can absorb. Scientific journals publish more than a million articles per year, so it is impossible to keep abreast of the literature in areas other than one's research interests," Helder Nakaya, principal investigator for the study, told.

Nakaya is a professor at the University of Sao Paulo's School of Pharmaceutical Sciences (FCF-USP) in Brazil and a senior researcher at the Center for Research on Inflammatory Diseases (CRID), one of the Research, Innovation and Dissemination Centers (RIDCs ) funded by FAPESP.

Novel approach: network medicine

Drug development requires large amounts of time and money. Repurposing can be a vital shortcut because existing drugs have already passed the relevant safety tests. The usual approach is to study how drugs and diseases share molecular mechanisms.

To make these correlations more effective, the researchers used a machine learning approach known as network medicine to investigate the molecular characteristics and mechanisms of psychiatric and neurological disorders.

Network medicine is an emerging field that combines systems biology and network science to understand how genes interact in disease and health. "We organized and structured a network of knowledge about psychiatric and neurological disorders correlating with information about relevant drugs and genes," Nakaya explained. "Network medicine uses graph theory to analyze these complex interactions and suggest drugs that have never been tested for the treatment of certain diseases."

The group used IBM Watson for Drug Discovery (WDD), as well as programs developed in their own laboratory, to mine information in millions of scientific articles published in the last 50 years and construct a network connecting knowledge about disorders, genes and drugs.

IBM WDD can read more than 20 million articles infinitely faster than a human being can. The computer used machine learning algorithms to make correlations based on the information in the articles, such as gene activation and inhibition by certain substances, and links between these processes and mental health problems. It is not magic. You do not just press a button to get results. It is hard to identify the associations that are significant." Helder Nakaya, principal investigator for the study

Tool to direct future studies

The researchers found entirely novel candidates for drug repurposing studies. "The analysis revealed drugs never before described as alternatives for the treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. We hope other researchers will use the list produced by our research to begin testing in vitro, in animals, and in future clinical trials if all goes well to determine whether these drugs do in fact work against the indicated diseases," said Thomaz Luscher Dias, first author of the paper. The study was conducted as part of his PhD research, which was supported by the Ministry of Education's Coordination for the Improvement of Higher Education Personnel (CAPES) and supervised by Nakaya.

The drug repurposing process was made more effective by the combination of machine learning and network medicine. "Instead of screening 2,000 possible candidates and then testing to determine which of them could treat a disease, it is possible to use the results of our study to analyze a much smaller, more assertive list of probable candidates," Dias said.

In a study to be published soon, the group led by Nakaya carried out laboratory experiments to test the effects of one of the drugs on the list when used to treat schizophrenia. "We have set up a research collaboration to determine whether treatment with this drug is effective. Experimental validations are fundamental to prove the utility of these analyses," he said.

The researchers are also applying the methodology to search for correlations between drugs, genes and COVID-19. "In this case, we are using a large volume of information on infectious diseases caused by all types of virus, as well as the main problems relating to severe COVID-19, to look for associations and create networks linking genes and drugs that can be used to treat the disease. In the current crisis, it is essential to narrow the field of study. Network medicine can contribute help us focus in this way," he said.
A new $160 million, eight-gate terminal will highlight the details included within a master plan for the Mobile Downtown Airport. The details will be released later today.

The terminal would be located within the Brookley Aeroplex south of downtown Mobile and would be in a different location than the current $8 million terminal that, until this past spring, was hosting flights by Frontier Airlines to cities like Chicago and Denver. The Aeroplex is the Mobile regions largest industrial and transportation business park anchored by Airbus largest North American manufacturing plant.

The footprint is smaller than the existing terminal (at Mobile Regional Airport) and its designed to be smaller and more efficient with the ability to expand, said Chris Curry, president of the Mobile Airport Authority. There is a possibility that as the future of air transportation growths, that we have a chance to expand it further. However, with the initial build  we will only build as much as will be needed.

The new terminal and its exact location will be part of Currys presentation that will take place during a webinar from 6 p.m. 7:30 p.m. To access the webinar and to ask questions, visit maamasterplan.com. A media presentation will take place from 5:15 to 6 p.m. at the Downtown Airport.

Why the relocation?

The roll out of the master plan is part of a process that began in 2018, with a feasibility study that revealed it was critical for the Mobile Airport Authority to move commercial air passenger service from Mobile Regional Airport in west Mobile to the Downtown airport near Interstate 10.

The overall plan is to relocate commercial air service closer to where people in coastal Alabama live, and to provide more flights for Mobile residents. Mobile Regional Airport is located on the western edges of the city and, while it has handled commercial flights since 1986, has long suffered a reputation for offering few direct flights and having costly fares compared to nearby airports in Gulfport, Miss. and Pensacola, Fla.

Mobile Regional is also far removed from the interstate highways. Trips to downtown can be a half-hour or longer depending on traffic along congested routes such as Airport Boulevard.

Brookley, by comparison, is a mere four miles from downtown Mobile and is in closer proximity to the Eastern Shore area of Daphne, Spanish Fort and Fairhope  among the fastest-growing areas in Alabama.

The master plan, which cost around $1.6 million, was conducted by consulting experts Leigh Fisher, and was financed largely through funds authorized by the Federal Aviation Administration.

The process also included multiple public meetings and the formation of a citizens advisory committee to provide feedback about concerns over issues like noise and increases in commercial activity.

Throughout this process, we have engaged our major stakeholders and the citizens in the community throughout our different advisory committees, Curry said. We have a good idea how the public will receive the plan based on the recommendations that we received from citizens in and throughout the community.

Curry added, It will give the public a good idea as to where we are headed and how much was involved in assembling this plan by everyone. The stakeholders, elected officials and community were all involved in this plan.

Housing concerns

State Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, speaks at a Democratic town hall meeting on Feb. 21, 2019. (file photo).

At least one lawmaker has concerns. State Rep. Barbara Drummond, D-Mobile, said she is worried about the potential displacement of public housing residents who could be affected by the airport project. She is also concerned about homeowners in the region, who could see their property values affected by an expected growth in commercial activity through the relocation of commercial air service.

This is very concerning to me, said Drummond. We want to see growth happen and the airport moved, but  we have to do right by the folks who own homes by the airport and those who rent and live in public housing.

Drummond has sponsored legislation in Montgomery in recent years that would require a property owner receive fair market value  instead of appraised value  for their property if its seized by a governing body. Curry has long denied that eminent domain was never part of the airport discussions.

Brookley, which is almost entirely industrial, does have some residential streets within the complex. But most of the residential properties are on the opposite side of I-10.

Drummond said she remains concerned over homeowners who are displaced because of a growth of commercial activity near the airport, and having inadequate compensation to purchase a similar home elsewhere in the city.

My concern is John E. Resident, who lives near that airport, (developers) will come in and do what needs to be done to bring in commercial development and that person cannot take the appraised 2020 value of that house and move somewhere else, said Drummond. I am concerned we will turn homeowners into renters.

Curry said the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will also play a role in determining where the airport will be built, based on whether future public housing development will replace existing housing within the area.

Michael Pierce, executive director with the Mobile Housing Board, said that three public housing projects  R.V. Taylor Plaza, Boykin Tower and Thomas James Place  are all slated for a demolition disposition in October. He said that HUD will review the applications, and that it could take a minimum 18 months and no more than 24 months to determine the fate of the properties.

Of the three, Boykin Tower is already vacated. Pierce said that a few hundred residents live at R.V. Taylor and Thomas James Place. All three venues are west of Brookley and I-10 either on or near Michigan Avenue.

The Mobile Housing Authority will have five years to complete tenant relocations and the demolition project. Pierce said that the entire costs of the demolition project will be around $18 million to $20 million and would be financed largely with HUD money.

But Pierce said the Housing Authoritys activity is separate from the Downtown Airport project. He said that once the properties are demolished and cleared, they will be sold through a public process to the highest bidder.

One is not dependent on the other, said Pierce. We dont know what will happen with the acreage once its completely done.

Drummond, though, said she is concerned about the displaced public housing residents. She and Pierce acknowledge that public and affordable housing stock in Mobile is limited, presenting a challenge for public officials.

Where will those people go? Drummond said.

Mobile City Councilman C.J. Small, who represents the neighborhoods near Brookley, said the Housing Board has committed that affordable housing will remain within the vicinity and that HUD will have to give them permission to sale any land.

Said Small, Im hoping that all of the residents will return to a revitalized community.

Small said that Curry and the Airport Authority have assured him that precautions are being taken to ensure that the community is not adversely impacted by noise due to the airports growth.

My understanding is the placement of any new runways and new plane technology will limit noise pollution to local residents, Small said.

Economic return

The inaugural flight from the Mobile Downtown Airport took place on Wednesday, May 1, 2019, in Mobile, Ala. Frontier Flight 413 to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport was the first flight to depart from the approximately $8 million new terminal. (John Sharp/jsharp@al.com).

Curry, meanwhile, said that new terminal would be financed largely through the FAA. He said the FAAs commitment of financing the lions share of the master plan indicates to him interest in having the federal government invest heavily into the Mobile terminal.

He is also touting an economic impact study on Alabama airports released last month that showed the Mobile Airport Authoritys impact on the state at around $1.4 billion. The impact in Mobile was only slightly behind the impact at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth International Airport, which was estimated at $1.6 billion. Huntsville International Airport came in at No. 1, at $1.8 billion. The report was prepared for The Aviation Council of Alabama by M. Kevian Deravi at Economic Research Services Inc.

Curry said the new airport terminal at Brookley is cheaper compared to a $201 million modernization project at Birmingham-Shuttlesworth. That project was a two-phased development financed largely through borrowing and grants, but also $10.8 million from the Birmingham Airport Authority.

This is a building that is from the ground up versus a renovation, said Curry.

Mobile launches a game changer with inaugural departure from Downtown airport

In Mobile, transformative effort could move airport from suburbs to downtown

Business or pleasure? Mobile Downtown airport seeks its niche in state, along Gulf Coast

Alabama airports scrubbing and sanitizing to stay ahead of coronavirus
Only 1.2 per cent of people caught the virus after they were in contact with 27 children or teachers who were infectious, according to a study of schools and nurseries in New South Wales, Australia, where track, trace and isolation measures were used. Further analysis of seven sites found the disease was less likely to spread from child to ...

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Digital Editor
Perhaps it's time for Meghan Markle and Prince Harry to kiss Hollywood goodbye.

A royal biographer has claimed that the Duke and Duchess of Sussex may struggle to launch careers in Los Angeles because influential studio executives see the couple as a "red-carpet fodder, not as a bankable item."

Christopher Wilson claims that Meghan Markle and Prince Harry has still not received any offers of any roles for TV or movies.

Speaking to The UK Express, "Crucially for Meghan, no studio seems to have stepped forward with the offer of a leading lady role, her hope, and dream."

Wilson continued, "If they had, we'd have heard about it. It would seem the all-powerful studio bosses look on the couple as red-carpet fodder, not as a bankable item."

When their relationship became public, Meghan Markle and Prince Harry were seen as the power couple. It even intensified when they were put together with Prince William and Kate Middleton.

In the UK, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex were seen as powerful forces, the biographer said. But with Prince Harry stepping away from his royal duties, the 35-year-old Duke "broke the magic thread which binds royalty to the people."

"It's taken a long time for the penny to drop, but Harry has discovered he is no king of the high seas but a castaway stranded on a desert island."

With Prince Harry's dented reputation, financial problems, isolation without friends, and abandonment of things and people that were once close to his heart, Wilson thinks that these are just the price to pay for a single mistake.

News of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle being snubbed by Hollywood came before the release of their highly-anticipated biography, "Finding Freedom."

Wilson said that the couple needs are understanding and sympathy, but the Toronto Sun believes that they won't get any sympathy once their book comes out.

Even Meghan Markle's father, Thomas, agrees.

The 76-year-old dad told The Daily Mail, "This is the worst time in the world for them to be whining and complaining about anything," he continued, "Because people everywhere are suffering due to the coronavirus pandemic."

"I love my daughter, but I really don't appreciate what she's become right now."

Meghan Markle and Prince Harry don't seem to have friends in the British media as well.

The author of their 2018 book, "Harry: Conversations with the Prince," Angela Levin wrote in The Telegraph that the 39-year-old former "Suits" star is a "mega-watt attention grabber with the eyes of the world on her."

Levin described Meghan's husband as someone who "faded in her shadow."

She further described the California-born duchess as "not a team player," because of her ambitions to become number one.

On the other hand, Prince Harry was described as "once a charismatic and accessible" man, but now, a "nervy, tense man who constantly seems on edge."

The book, written by royal fans of the Sussexes Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, will be released on August 5, 2020.

Currently, Prince Harry and Meghan Markle are staying in an $18 million rented mansion from Tyler Perry since March.

READ MORE: Fact Check: Royal Family Involved in Ghislaine Maxwell Case?
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CFA Institute, the global association of investment professionals, announces that it will transition to Computer-Based Testing (CBT) for all three levels of the CFA Program in 2021. Level II and Level III examinations for 2021 will be administered via CBT, along with the already-announced transition for Level I. The December 2020 administrations will therefore be the final paper-based tests for any CFA Program exam.

The decision to accelerate the move to CBT for Levels II and III is in response to the impact of COVID-19. CFA Institute had been planning this transition as part of a broader effort to deliver exams via computers in secure test centers vs. on paper in large testing spaces; this shift is already underway for Level I. This change allows CFA Institute to provide smaller exam settings, more exam dates, and easier scheduling with more locations.

This natural evolution also responds to how global testing and credentialing practices have changed and the recognition that the investment profession operates in a digital world. Offering the exams and learning experience in a digital environment will allow CFA Institute to better model the tasks and work experience of today's investment professionals. As with the Level I exams, CFA Institute will work with Prometric as its primary collaborator to administer CBT, with British Council serving as collaborator in India and Africa.

"While the last paper-based test marks the end of an era for CFA Institute, technological advances in computer-based testing enable us to meet the growing global testing demands of candidates and will improve their experience with a wider selection of test venues and more flexible scheduling options," said Margaret Franklin, CFA, President and CEO of CFA Institute. "We are working diligently to ensure a seamless transition and superior exam experience for our candidates. It goes without saying that we will uphold the rigor of the passing standard to earn the CFA charter."

August 20th, 2020 will mark the opening of registration for all 2021 CBT exams. There are several key changes that offer candidates greater flexibility and an enhanced examination experience:

The Level I computer-based exam will be offered four times per year, beginning in 2021. The Level II and Level III computer-based exams will be offered two times per year, starting in 2021. To earn the charter, a candidate must pass all three levels in sequential order and complete work-experience requirements. As part of the move to CBT in 2021, candidates will be offered windows of up to 10 days for scheduling their exams at a secure test center (testing will be in-person only, not remotely) as opposed to the current single-day testing. The schedule for 2021 follows:

February: Level I only

May: All Levels

August: Level I and Level II

November: Level I and Level III

In consideration of COVID-19, CFA Institute is offering all currently registered December 2020 candidates the opportunity to keep their exam date or to postpone their date to one of the CBT dates in 2021. Please see our FAQs for more details about changes to the exam cycle, information on computer-based testing, and exam policies.

CFA Institute intends to hold the December 2020 exams for all levels in every location globally where it is possible with the relevant health measures in place and in line with local government and health regulations. CFA Institute is following local health policies across the globe, tracking developments closely, and will adapt examination plans as needed.

For more information, visit www.cfainstitute.org

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U.S. aviation regulators have proposed a long list of fixes to Boeing Co.s grounded 737 Max in one of the most extensive set of requirements the agency has issued following an accident.

The Federal Aviation Administration on Monday asked for public comment on the changes it expects to require to the plane linked to two fatal crashes.

In addition to fixes specific to the system implicated in the accidents, it would mandate broad computer changes to improve reliability, add a warning light that was inoperative in the two crashes and require rerouting electrical wires that dont meet safety rules.

Boeing climbed 2.7% to $162.27 at the close in New York. after the announcement. The shares have dropped 50% this year, the worst decline on the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

The release of the FAA proposal shows that, after 16 months of the planes grounding and a series of investigative reports and congressional hearings, aviation regulators are satisfied that the fixes will allow the plane to safely resume service. Flight tests of the redesigned systems by FAA were completed July 2.

The agency has preliminarily determined that Boeings proposed changes to the 737 Max design, flight crew procedures and maintenance procedures effectively mitigate the airplane-related safety issues" revealed in the crashes, it said in a summary report it included with the proposal.

The step is a welcome milestone, but needs to be approached with caution because other critical regulators in Europe and Canada havent acted, said Richard Aboulafia, an industry analyst with Teal Group.

Well see what the commentary period brings and well see, most importantly, what the international partners do," Aboulafia said.

While the European Aviation Safety Agency hasnt yet been able to conduct its own test flights of the Max, Boeing has demonstrated compliance" under the European standards, the FAA said in its summary of the review.

The FAAs proposal for fixes and a preliminary report on its findings from its own internal investigation provide the most detailed accounting to date by the agency on the planes original shortfalls and what went wrong in the two crashes.

The actions would cost U.S. airlines about $1 million for the 73 planes registered in the country, the FAA said. The agency didnt estimate how much it would cost to make the required changes on the several hundred jets registered in other countries and didnt account for Boeings costs. The Chicago-based manufacturer may cover some of the airlines repair costs under warranty, FAA said.

The FAA also proposed requiring a test of the sensor -- known as an angle of attack vane -- that failed in the crashes and giving each aircraft a test flight before its permitted to return to service.

The fixes outlined by FAA apply only to the Max models, but the agency said Boeing is considering some changes to the 737 Next Generation family, which preceded the Max but werent susceptible to the same failure. Boeing has sold more than 7,000 Next Generation planes, meaning costs could be higher if upgrades are eventually required.

Were continuing to make steady progress toward the safe return to service, working closely with the FAA and other global regulators," Boeing said in an emailed statement. While we still have a lot of work in front of us, this is an important milestone in the certification process."

The public has 45 days to comment on the FAAs plans. That means the plane most likely cant get the official go-ahead to return until October at the earliest. With airlines having to retrain pilots and perform maintenance on the grounded fleet, it will take weeks or months longer before the planes begin carrying passengers.

The changes listed by the FAA track with those that have been discussed for months, indicating no new problems were found in the later stages of the agencys review.

A pair of crashes -- each tied to the same flawed system that malfunctioned and repeatedly dove the planes -- killed 346 people less than five months apart.

The first occurred Oct. 29, 2018, in the Java Sea shortly after takeoff from Jakarta. The second was on March 10, 2019, in Ethiopia. The plane was grounded worldwide three days after the second crash.

The FAA said that a feature, known as Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System, had failed to meet safety requirements because it could fail with a single malfunctioning sensor and its repeated attempts to push down a planes nose could overpower pilots who didnt react properly.

MCAS was installed to meet FAA safety requirements, the agency said.

In both crashes, a malfunctioning sensor that erroneously reported the planes were pointed too high began automatically and repeatedly pushing down the noses of the jets.

Boeings engineers assumed that pilots would know how to disable the motor driving down the nose and the procedure for doing so is taught to all 737 pilots. But both crews apparently became confused during the emergencies and neither was able to do so.

The redesigned system will have multiple protections to prevent such crashes in the future.

Instead of firing repeatedly, it can only activate once in the new design. It checks data from two sensors instead of one. And its power to dive a plane has been reduced.

In addition, there will be training for pilots and documentation of how the system works to help crews prepare for failures in the future. Boeing is also revising eight emergency procedures in its flight manuals for the plane, FAA said.

Originally, pilots werent told about the system. Both the company and the FAA didnt realize it could pose a danger.

The accidents also prompted a reexamination of the 737 Maxs flight-control computer, which led to a redesign of that system as well in an attempt to make it more resilient against failure.

Finalizing new pilot training will be done separately by an FAA panel that will also give the public a chance to comment on the changes.





This story has been published from a wire agency feed without modifications to the text. Only the headline has been changed.

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More than five months into the COVID-19 crisis, the number of people killed by the disease in San Antonio since the epidemic began varies widely depending on where you look.

The state is reporting nearly twice as many Bexar County deaths as the Metropolitan Health District, a jarring contrast that muddies a fundamental measure of the crisis severity.

Metro Health officials say they believe the states numbers are inflated and include people who died in Bexar County hospitals but lived elsewhere, and some who werent tested for the disease but whose death certificates nonetheless listed COVID-19 as a cause.

Metro Health on Monday reported a toll of 370 deaths since March. The states official count was much higher: 622.

The larger number is widely reported nationally by major outlets that rely on state-by-state reports, including the influential Johns Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center.

The difference of 252 deaths has created confusion over the impact of the disease here and throws into question whether some rural counties whose residents were treated and died in San Antonio hospitals have suffered more deaths than previously known.

The state has asked us, not just us, but local jurisdictions have been asked to report back discrepancies, said Anita Kurian, head of the communicable disease division at Metro Health.

But she said the state can only update its figures after death certificates are corrected, which takes a long time to happen.

The Texas Department of State Health Services did not respond to a request for comment.

Last week, DSHS said in a statement that it had begun identifying COVID-19 fatalities through the cause of death listed on death certificates. Previously, the state had counted deaths as they were reported by local and regional health departments after they received a notification and verified the death.

This method allows fatalities to be counted faster with more comprehensive demographic data, the states release said. Using death certificates also ensures consistent reporting across the state and enables DSHS to display fatalities by date of death, providing the public with more information about when deaths occurred.

The state also said it records deaths based on where the person lived.

But Kurian said the state has relied on permanent addresses in Bexar County to determine where people lived  even though some people were living outside the county when they died.

We did have many cases that resided outside of Bexar County jurisdictions, although their permanent address was Bexar County, Kurian said. What is happening is that nobody is verifying that address.

Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff said about 20 percent of people in Bexar County hospitals live outside the county.

I think (the state was) attributing some deaths to us that may have died here but dont live here, Wolff said. There was one (death) in a Dallas nursing home that was attributed to us. And we all know one of the worst cases has been the (Rio Grande) Valley, South Texas.

Some of the discrepancy comes down to timing: The state gets mortality data before Metro Health does.

Funeral homes and hospitals send death certificates to the state, which registers the deaths and sends the information to the city clerks office. Once a week, the city clerk sends a batch of records to Metro Health, which sorts COVID-19 deaths and investigates them.

Metro Health takes time to confirm an actual diagnosis of COVID-19 before adding the death to its total, resulting in an overall lag of about 10 days.

Kurian cited at least 177 cases that the state logged that were not recorded by Metro Health.

Of those, about two-thirds were because of the lag in receiving data. In the remaining 55 cases, the health district disagreed with the state as to the cause of death.

Since then, there have been more deaths reported by the state, Kurian said. We are hoping that those additional deaths that the state is reporting are in the pipeline.

Mayor Ron Nirenberg boiled down the discrepancy in deaths to a more careful attention to detail paid by Metro Health, an accuracy also reflected in its reporting of positive antigen tests as confirmed cases of the disease.

Unlike 27 other states, Texas excludes the results of the increasingly popular, rapid COVID-19 antigen tests from the numbers it reports publicly, resulting in yet another discrepancy between state and local data. In this instance, the state is undercounting cases.

I think the basic difference between the state and local counts, as weve seen in even the positive case reporting, is that Metro Health is more deliberate, thorough and focused on being accurate, Nirenberg said. The state approach leaves room for error.

Wolff echoed Nirenbergs overall assessment of the discrepancy.

Weve been conservative and have not overstated the number of deaths, Wolff said. (Metro Health is) taking time to verify it so were not overstating a problem.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
KRBEs Roula Christie is putting her culinary knowledge to good use, creating a signature sandwich at Antone's Famous Po' Boys for charity.

The Houston radio personality, whose family is behind Christies Seafood & Steaks and husband owns Bread Man Baking Co., worked with Antones chef Alex Padilla to come up with the "Roulas Greek Getaway," according to a Monday release.
With a rainbow as the backdrop, Italy's president and other dignitaries inaugurated a new bridge in Genoa yesterday. However, the families of those killed when the Morandi Bridge collapsed boycotted the event, along with the firefighters who pulled many of the 43 dead from smashed cars and trucks.

Two years ago this month, a stretch of the Morandi Bridge suddenly gave way in a violent rainstorm, sending vehicles plunging to the dry riverbed below. The new bridge - a key artery for the northwestern Italian port city - was erected thanks to round-the-clock construction, even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rain drenched the new bridge just before the ceremony, which started with the national anthem and a recitation of the names of the dead.

But shortly before the ceremony, the downpour ended and a rainbow arched over a nearby hillside.

The families of the dead agreed to meet with President Sergio Mattarella privately before the event but announced they were skipping the ceremony. They're angry, not with him, but upset that the company which maintained Morandi Bridge will still run the new bridge for a while more, since poor maintenance is being investigated as a possible cause of collapse.

"No one can give us back our dead,'' said Egle Possetti, who leads an association of the bridge victims' families.

Ms Possetti, who lost a sister and other family members in the collapse, said she hoped attention would stay focused on the ongoing criminal investigation into the collapse.

Firefighters who battled clouds of debris dust to extract survivors and bodies from tons of twisted metal also boycotted the ceremony in solidarity with the families, according to Sky TG24.

Prosecutors are probing what caused Morandi Bridge to collapse on August 14, 2018, on the eve of Italy's biggest summer holiday.

Riccardo Morandi, the engineer who designed the bridge that was built in the 1960s, had recommended continual maintenance to remove rust. Prosecutors have said they are investigating to see if proper maintenance was consistently carried out over the years.

Earlier this summer, the Italian government forged a deal in which the Benetton fashion family agreed to exit Autostrade per l'Italia, the company that manages and maintains many of Italy's highways and bridges.

Designing the new span was Genoa native Renzo Piano, a renowned architect. The design features 43 lamps in memory of the dead.
Chennai: A sitting DMK MLA from Thousand lights constituency, KK Selvam, is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the presence of BJP president JP Nadda in Delhi on Tuesday (August 4) evening. The development is seen as a major setback for M K Stalin-led DMK when the party is making all preparations for the upcoming Assembly election year.

It is a common practice for politicians to switch between the Dravidian parties, but switching over to BJP from DMK is a rare development.

Thousand Lights is a prestigious constituency located in the heart of Chennai city as the residences of popular actors and top politicians fall under this assembly seat.

Earlier, DMK president MK Stalin had also contested from this Assembly seat on many occasions.

The sitting DMK MLA will be joining the BJP after meeting the party chief at his residence.



A press meet has been scheduled in the national at 5:30 outside JP Nadda's residence.
Over the past week, reports emerged about Bytedance looking to sell its USA operations of viral social media app TikTok to an American company, with Microsoft emerging as frontrunners. The app, which rose to viral fame across the world, has faced considerable setbacks in recent times, with the service being banned in India following a government directive. While it is seemingly staring at a potential ban in USA as well, the Chinese government is taking an offensive approach to combat American strong-arming, as per a recent editorial published by Global Times, the English newspaper of Chinas government-backed publication, Peoples Daily.

'Submission or mortal combat'

The international mouthpiece of the Chinese government has accused USA of theft, describing the TikTok deal as an act of bullying. It went on to state that China will have plenty of ways to respond, should it see the US government force its hand in what it has described as a smash and grab strategy to manipulate a Chinese company operating in America. The narrative also appears to have ruffled sentiments in China, with Bytedance founder-CEO Zhang Yiming facing public backlash for being too accommodating and yielding to Americas demands.

The TikTok-USA saga, and the recent Global Times editorial in particular, signifies what may become the start of the Chinese government hitting back at international pressures. The Chinese government has stated that USA is using its technological superiority and its relations with its allies to create an unfavourable and biased environment of business for Chinese companies. However, while it cries foul over the Trump administrations tactics, word from China indicate a direct response to USAs threats. A Reuters report said that the China government has accused USA of creating an atmosphere, where the only two options left were submission or mortal combat in the tech realm. It isnt a threat, but a subliminal warning for sure.

A billion-dollar lawsuit

Chinas recent trend of hitting back at USA further continued with Shanghai Zhizhen Intelligent Network Technology Company, commonly known as Xiao-i. The latter has filed yet another lawsuit against Apple, one of the biggest American (and global) companies, accusing it of stealing bits from its patents on voice recognition technologies and using them with Apples digital assistant, Siri.

The move coincides with Chinas continued conflict with USA, where Huawei  arguably one of Chinas biggest electronics companies  is already blacklisted, and Bytedance is close to selling off its operations to a US firm. Even though Apples statement expressing disappointment at a lawsuit filed by Xiao-i again suggests that it is fairly confident of defending itself in court, the $1.4 billion patent infringement claim suggests China is attempting to make inroads into US technology dominance, and prove that it is not going to take things quietly.

No longer dependent

Also important to note here is a recent report by market research firm Canalys, which suggested that for the first time ever, Huaweis disclosed shipment numbers were higher than that of Samsungs. According to the report, Samsung saw a 30 percent global shipment decline due to the Covid-19 pandemic to clock 53.7 million units shipped in the latest quarter. Huawei, meanwhile, exhibited only a 5 percent drop to clock 55.8 million units shipped in the same quarter. Whats important to note here is the distribution of nations for units shipped  while Samsung is a uniform, global player, over 70 percent of Huaweis shipments come from China only.

While this means that Huawei will likely drop back in ranking once the pandemic normalises, it also goes on to show Chinas might in the global technology industry  in turn hitting back at USA that even after being banned from conducting business with US companies, China is threatening to emerge as a potential global strength that can be large enough without bowing down to the dominant market players.

Even as US president Donald Trump makes a perplexing demand that the US government treasury should receive a very substantial portion of whatever price Microsoft pays to acquire TikToks USA business, Chinas plans are different. It is on a trajectory to fight out the eyeballing episode, and state that it is no longer standing at a juncture where its businesses would fall if US or global coordination does not come through.
The members of the new security organization at the site of the Amulsar gold mine project of Armenia have the shack of the Amulsar guards at night, placing their own cabin. Arshak Melkonyan, one of these guards, said this in a conversation with Armenian News-NEWS.am.

"They [the members of the new security organization] took advantage of the [current] calm situation at Amulsar, the guards were at home, and they removed the guards' shack," he said.

Shirak Buniatyan, another guard of Amulsar, posted a video on his Facebook page, informing that the guards had already started to gather and drive around in cars.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4) -- Philippine Health Insurance Corporation President and CEO Ricardo Morales admitted he has not done enough to rid the agency of corruption as senators raise irregularities under his watch.

"Inaamin ko kulang ako sa paghanap ng mga gumagawa ng katiwalian," he said in a Senate Committee of the Whole hearing on Tuesday.

[Translation: I admit that I am lacking in my efforts to look for those who are committing irregularities.]

Morales said he admitted this given that some irregularities are still present in the agency.

Among the issues raised in the hearing was the release of the Interim Reimbursement Mechanism funds, a cash aid program, to healthcare institutions reeling from the COVID-19 crisis.

Senator Ping Lacson said the IRM is meant for hospitals and healthcare providers hit by a fortuitous event with clear and apparent intent to continuously operate and or rebuild the HCI to provide continuous care services to adversely affected Filipinos.

PhilHealth President and CEO Ricardo Morales told Lacson in response that COVID-19 pandemic is a fortuitous event to which the latter agreed.

But the lawmaker questioned the quick release of funds to healthcare providers which he said do not cater to COVID-19 patients.

He cited as example the provision of P45,176,518 to five dialysis centers of Braun Avitum Philippines, Inc. Meanwhile, he claimed that Ospital ng Maynila, which accepts COVID-19 patients, has not received any cash advance yet.

He also cast doubt on the release of P226 million to maternity care providers. Other senators also raised the same issue.

Morales later defended that they released the funds to areas with high COVID-19 incidence rates such as Metro Manila, Calabarzon and Central Luzon. He later added that they also distributed to other areas such as Bicol Region and Eastern Visayas which initially had yet to record high number of infections, to allow them to prepare for the outbreak. He assured that COVID-19 referral hospitals were prioritized.

However, he also conceded that the system was "not perfect."

"There are some areas that are more administratively efficient than others so 'yun ang reason kung bakit may nakakatanggap at may hindi nakakatanggap," he lamented.

[Translation: There are some areas that are more administratively efficient than others so that is the reason why some have received the funds while others have not.]

Morales maintained that the irregularities will be resolved once they get their proposed new information technology systems, though these have also been contested by lawmakers.

READ: PhilHealth chief endorsed 'overpriced' IT projects, says official

Running out of funds

Morales said initially, the IRM funds were meant for Level 1 to 3 hospitals, but later on, they also provided financial assistance to dialysis centers and maternity care providers, noting without the relief, they will be forced to turn away patients.

They appealed to us as their patients need to be taken care of, Morales said.

Morales also said that as of June 23, P19.3 million was released to Ospital ng Maynila, but Lacson told him Philhealth should better check their record again. Lacson said according to the Office of the Mayor of Manila, no IRM releases were made as of Monday.

For his part, PhilHealth Executive Vice President Arnel de Jesus said the purpose of IRM is to provide aid to all healthcare providers hit by the pandemic, not just hospitals which cater to COVID-19-related concerns.

PhilHealth said over P14 billion IRM funds were already released to hospitals and other healthcare institutions, most or P7.15 billion of which were provided to Level 3 hospitals.

Earlier in the hearing, the state-run agency's former anti-fraud legal officer Thorrsson Montes Keith, who earlier resigned due to "widespread corruption" within the office also accused PhilHealth chief of instructing him to talk to Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission Commissioner Greco Belgica to amend a pending case involving the agency's overpriced COVID-19 testing kits.

"Inutusan ako para hilutin ang kaso sa overpriced test kits," Keith bared.

[Translation: He asked me to negotiate on the case involving overpriced test kits.]

But Keith said he did not agree to Morales' directive.

In May, Senator Franklin Drilon questioned the supposed overpriced COVID-19 testing package of the agency. In June, PhilHealth reduced their rates, citing an increase in number of testing kits and accredited coronavirus testing centers.
Editors Note: This is the second of our four pieces on this network. In December 2019, we first established the scope of the pink slime network distributing algorithmic stories and conservative talking points. In October 2021, we found that the network had received funding from multiple dark money groups as well as collaborated with advocacy groups on topics to cover prior to the 2020 Election.

The run-up to the 2020 November elections in the US has produced new networks of shadowy, politically backed local news websites designed to promote partisan talking points and collect user data. In December 2019, the Tow Center for Digital Journalism reported on an intricately linked network of 450 sites purporting to be local or business news publications. New research from the Tow Center shows the size of that network has increased almost threefold over the course of 2020, to over 1,200 sites.

Identifying these new sites is a result of further analysis of the closely linked entities with conservative ties illustrated in Figure 1 (below). The Tow Center focused predominantly on Metric Media, Franklin Archer, Local Government Information Services (LGIS), and Locality Labs. Both Metric Media and Franklin Archer claim to be the largest local news provider in the US, though many of their sites have low visibility in both search and social media. Over 90 percent of their stories are algorithmically generated using publicly available data sets or by repurposing stories from legitimate sources. In the remaining stories that have an authentic byline, there is often a conservative bent. As reported by the Lansing State Journal and The Guardian, this includes articles about voter fraud using data from the Heritage Foundation, negative pieces about elected Democratic representatives, and stories supporting conservative candidates. This low-cost automated story generation has come to be known as pink slime journalism. In addition to the hundreds of titles that ape the look and feel of local news, our research has detected new sites in this network that address single subjects, appeal to religious orientation, and focus on business news.

The recent increase in activity is in line with the election cycle. It is becoming an increasingly common campaign strategy for pacs and single-interest lobbyists to fund websites that borrow credibility from news design to help advance particular agendas. The proliferation of politically funded local news sites across the political spectrum raises questions about how these entities represent themselves to the public, and how they are categorized by search engines and social platforms.

The number of news media properties funded by often obscure political interests has been growing for years and will reach a new peak in the 2020 election cycle. A recent report from Open Secrets highlighted dark money networks funded by liberal-leaning donors. Academics Jessica Mahone and Phil Napoli recently plotted some of these known entities on a map to show the geographic concentration of the networks. But the definitions of what constitutes a politically funded network are hard to establish, particularly if the financial and ownership structures are not clear. A recent report from Politico outlined how Courier Newsroom, a group of politically affiliated local news sites, was spending large amounts of advertising money on Facebook on articles promoting Democratic candidates. Establishing how politically funded networks are intrinsically different from news organizations with strong political affiliations, such as Breitbart or Fox News, can be a tall order. Politically funded networks can appear on Facebook pages classified as Media/News company, and articles from partisan sites are indexed by Google News.

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Today, along with further analysis of this network, we are publishing the full list of websites, the geographic focus of each publication where one exists, and the corresponding organizational entity each site belongs to. However, due to the convoluted connections between these organizations, precise ownership is difficult to establish. Often a site will carry different information about its provenance on its About page, its Facebook page, and in the terms and conditions it publishes on its own site.

The overlapping networks seem designed to confuse casual observers as to their origins and ownership, and delineations between them are fuzzy. The publishers involved are incorporated in different states, have different business models, and provide different services. However, they all share certain distinguishing traits that suggest close overlapping relationships, such as the same authors, story templates, analytics identifiers, and other technological resources.

To identify these new sites and the evolution of the networks, we adopted the same techniques we used for our investigation in December, relying heavily on third-party tools like RiskIQ and Farsight DNSDB.

In our latest research, we found the vast majority of the domains were under the umbrella of Metric Media, a Delaware limited-liability company that is a division of Situation Management Group. Metric Media properties now account for over 960 sites, or 80 percent of all the domains weve identified that belong to this network. All publishing is done under a licensing agreement with the Metric Media Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit news content provider.

Over seven hundred of these local sites have been activated in 2020, pointing to a sharp acceleration in the lead-up to the November elections. The new activity has seen a host of titles, such as the Philly Leader and San Francisco Sun, added to the network, with the number of states expanding from ten to all but one. (While Metric Media doesnt have any titles for Illinois, LGIS does.)

Beyond Metric Medias rapid expansion, our research showed that Franklin Archer had also expanded the number of networks under its umbrella. The organization boasts that it is the largest producer of local news in the United States, with better than two hundred active websites and two networks: Metro Business Network and Local News Network. A third, the American Catholic Tribune Media Network, was created in March 2020. There are currently six sites in the network, including the American Catholic Tribune. Further, Franklin Archer products now also include a handful of stand-alone titles that are either single-subject (e.g., Current Science Daily) or geographically focused on specific towns or neighborhoods (e.g., West Loop Today), as well as two podcasts hosted by the Freedom Media Network. Franklin Archer also lists public relations activities on its website, where user testimonials boast about the effectiveness of sponsored content as a marketing tool.

Evolution and Sprawl of the Network in 2020

The bulk of sites that went live in 2020 are under the Metric Media banner. In 2019, when we were first looking at Metric Media, its stated goal was to launch hundreds [of sites] nationwide to inform citizens about news in their local communities. Today, the language on the same page indicates it has reached the goal of creating hundreds of sites. A website lists its publications by state, along with a one-line explanation of what the company is: a digital firm managing the online presence of the portfolio of local news sites known as Metric Media. Based on passive DNS data (RiskIQ and DNSDB Scout), by the end of January 2020, Metric Media had publications devoted to all but one of the forty states that werent already covered in 2019; the domains for these were registered in the second half of 2019. The one exception was Illinois, which we cover in more detail further down.

Some sites cover entire states, whereas others are devoted to specific cities and metropolitan areas. The nomenclature is often formulaic, combining compass directions with the names of the states or cities and then generic terms for news publications. Site names include SW Oklahoma News, NE Ohio Times, and West SFV Today (in Californias San Fernando Valley). Many major cities get their own wire publication: Detroit City Wire, Dallas City Wire, Seattle City Wire.

Figure 3 illustrates the number of publications present in each state. Rhode Island has the fewest devoted to it (four), California the most (seventy-four). We didnt find any publications for either of these two states in 2019; in fact, we only found Metric Media properties in ten states then. Now there are sites covering forty-nine states; only Illinois and Washington, DC, are absent from the Metric Media network.

The absence of Illinois publications may have a relatively simple explanation: LGIS, a stand-alone corporation devoted to covering Illinois since 2015, is part of the extended network, with connections to Metric Media. LGIS has ties to conservative figures in the state, including Dan Proft and Brian Timpone. Proft, who through his pacs has raised millions to back conservative candidates in Illinois, shut down two pacs earlier this year. Timpone has a long history creating businesses focusing on automated low-cost journalism (or pink slime journalism), including the controversial Journatic and its successor Locality Labs. Locality Labs appears to be the organization creating the technology that allows for the automation of news stories using publicly available data sets across this entire ecosystem of 1,200 websites. One of Profts now-shuttered pacs has paid one of Timpones other companies, Newsinator, for Advertising  newspaper, according to campaign finance records.

Until December, the About Us page of the Illinois sites stated they were a product of LGISLocal Government Information Services, while the Terms of Service and Privacy pages indicated they were properties of Locality Labs LLC. As of March, however, the Terms of Service and Privacy pages are blank. The language on their About Us pages hasnt changed, maintaining that the sites are part of LGIS and funded in part by advocacy groups who share our beliefs in limited government. (Most of the Illinois websites have similar language in their About Us pages, where they mention details specific to the publication, and then details about the objectives of LGIS and its funding. However, for some sites, like the Grundy Reporter and Southern Illinois News, the About Us pages have been blank since at least last year, based on snapshots in the Internet Archive.)

In March, these Illinois sites adopted the same website theme (and thus the same look and feel) as the sites that Metric Media explicitly states it runs.

Additionally, Metric Media has at least two single-subject sites: Insurance Rate Reporter and Education Daily Wire. The About Us page for the former is blank, but its Privacy Policy and Terms of Service pages say the site is operated by Metric Media LLC. Education Daily Wires Privacy and Terms of Service pages are blank, but its About Us page says its funded by the Metric Media Foundation. These publications are not mentioned on either Metric Media website: the LLC or the foundation.

Also absent from any Metric Media website are the fifty-one Metro Business Network publications operated by Metric Media LLC, per their privacy policies and terms of service. According to the Metro Business Network site, these publications aim to cover news from Fortune 500s to SMBs on Main Street [sic]. While the site does not mention anything about the ownership or funding of these publications, the Privacy Policy and Terms pages state that the network is operated by Locality Labs.

Tracing the ownership of sites within the network is made more complicated by how the sites label themselves on Facebook. The Facebook pages for the business news sites include information about the page owner, which is where information about news and media properties on the platform can be found. However, sites within the same subnetwork (Metro Business Network, in this case) have different confirmed page owners, and in a handful of cases, no confirmed owner at all. Those with confirmed page ownership are split between Franklin Archer and Metric Media, and while the addresses for the two owners are different, their phone number is the same. The social presence of the network is very small, with negligible interactions (followers, likes, and shares) on each page.

Franklin Archer, a fictitious name for Iowa-incorporated DirecTech LLC, brings coverage to underreported areas of American life, according to its website. It has two networks: the Metro Business Daily Network and the Local News Network. As reported by The Guardian, the CEO of Franklin Archer is Timpones brother, Michael Timpone. On the corporate front, the relationship between Metric Media LLC and Franklin Archer remains unclear, but they appear to share not only technology resources and authors, but also the publications themselves. To wit, as can be seen below in Figure 4: at the time of writing, the Arizona Business Daily is owned by Franklin Archer, according to Facebook, and the Michigan Business Daily by Metric Media LLC. The New Jersey Business Daily has no confirmed page owner.

In 2020, a third network was added to the Franklin Archer portfolio, although it is not mentioned on its website: the American Catholic Tribune Media Network, which includes five state-specific publications (in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Michigan, Florida, and Arizona) and one national one (the American Catholic Tribune). These sites relay information about parishes and churches, including updates on how various churches intend to conduct Mass every week. Earlier this year, the sites mentioned they are a product of Franklin Archer, but that disclaimer no longer exists. Their Facebook pages, however, state they are owned by Franklin Archer.

These sites follow the exact same model as all the other sites in the extended network: rewrite original reporting from existing sources, including diocesan newspapers; repurpose announcements (including Mass timings and homilies) published by various churches under the guise of press release submissions; and sprinkle on some original reporting.

Yet another new product of Franklin Archer is the Freedom Media Network, which hosts podcasts and a YouTube channel with just under a thousand subscribers. The channel is described as your source for positive news and content aimed at helping you become more purposeful, productive, and prosperous. One of the podcasts, Freedom Mindset Radio, is rife with anti-science positions, including the suggestion that getting a diagnosis is dangerous, as theyre labeling a bag of symptoms. The YouTube videos started being uploaded in January, and the website went live in March.

One-off sites continue to be created alongside these dedicated networks and channels. Sites created since our last investigation include the Neighbourhood Guardian, West Loop Today, the Midland Times, and Current Science Daily.

If you have examples of similar networks operating in your area or would like access to more granular data, please get in touch with us here.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Priyanjana Bengani is a senior research fellow at Columbia Journalism School's Tow Center for Digital Journalism.
Had you or I met Caleb Reed, had we heard him speak about violence in this city and seen up close the light in his eyes, I guarantee you his death Sunday would have been a gut punch, and we would still be hunched over, breathless. Instead, were reading about him and shaking our heads at how wrong and messed up it all seems.
The man who drowned in the River Lee while going to the rescue of another has been described as a hero in the community.

Bernard Geasley, 38, of Innishmore in Ballincollig, tragically lost his life after he entered the water at Ballincollig Regional Park in a bid to save another man from the strong current of the river.

The incident happened at approximately 8.30pm on Sunday evening. Cork City Search and Rescue, Mallow Search and Rescue, the Coast Gaurd, Ballincollig Fire Service, and An Garda Siochana attended the scene.

Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the emergency services, Mr Geasleys body was recovered from the river at approximately 12.30am.

Councillor Colm Kelleher, from Ballincollig, described Bernard as having a heart of gold".

Lord rest his soul. He would have been the same age as my brother and they would have been friends as children. He was a lovely man. Its horrible what happened to him.

The Fianna Fail councillor described the area of the river as treacherous and said he put in a request for additional signage warning people of the danger.

The area where they were would be a notoriously dangerous spot," he said.

Read More Man who died in Cork after getting into difficulty in river named as Bernard Geasley

"Especially since the weir collapsed in 2014. It has changed the currents on the river and can be very deceiving at times.

We all would have gone swimming there as children. Unfortunately, it got the better of Bernard, and he lost his life. Its a tragic day for the village, Cllr Kelleher added.

Bernard has been described locally as a hero for his actions.

Councillor Derry Canty, who has been a councillor in the area for the past 28 years, says there has been a number of near-misses in the area in recent times.

Since the weir collapsed, the water comes down from the dam so fast," he said. "When the weir was there, it did something to stop the flow. Without it has become even more dangerous. It creates dangerous currents and whirlpools and unfortunately now, someone has lost their life, said Cllr Canty.

I would like to extend my deepest sympathies to the family and to the mans brother. It is a very sad day for the area.

A spokesperson for An Garda Siochana confirmed that they are treating the incident as a tragic accident.

Garda and emergency services attended the scene of a fatal drowning incident that occurred in the Ballincollig Regional Park area at approximately 8:30pm, the spokesperson said.

A man, aged in his 40s, was taken from the water after getting into difficulty and was later pronounced dead at the scene. The local coroners office has been notified. The mans remains were removed to Cork University Hospital. Investigations are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Irish Water Safety, (IWS) issued a warning for people to exercise care near lakes, rivers, streams and sea areas over the August Bank Holiday weekend.

Over 100 people drowned in Ireland last year.
Air transmission of Covid-19 is being underestimated - which could impact guidelines on social distancing, ventilation systems and shared spaces, warns new research.

Researchers at Heriot-Wyatt University and University of Edinburgh found evidence that both small and large droplets can travel relatively long distances through the air - and not always in predictable directions with airflow.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) warned aerosol transmission of Covid-19 is being underestimated as a study reveals droplet spread from humans does not always follow airflow.

Researchers say the new findings on droplet migration may have important implications for understanding the spread of airborne diseases such as COVID-19.

It comes after top US infectious disease specialist Dr Anthony Fauci admitted during a Monday JAMA interview that there is much unknown about how coronavirus spreads through the air and that he himself needs to 'study' papers that suggest big droplets can travel further than six feet.

Scientists of the study at Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh in Scotland echoed his sentiments that a better understanding of different droplet behaviors and their spread based on droplet size is also needed.

Scientists in the UK found that both small and large droplets from people coughing or just breathing can travel far distances and unpredictable directions, suggesting the airborne danger of coronavirus - but they invented a device to 'extract' tiny infectious particles not stopped by masks from the air (file)

Government guidelines will need to be considered if air transmission is proven to be significant.

Dr Cathal Cummins, an assistant professor at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, said: 'The flow physics of someone coughing is complex, involving turbulent jets and droplet evaporation.

'And the rise of Covid-19 has revealed the gaps in our knowledge of the physics of transmission and mitigation strategies.'

One such gap in the physics is a clear, simple description of where individual droplets go when ejected.

Dr Cummins added: 'We wanted to develop a mathematical model of someone breathing that could be explored analytically to examine the dominant physics at play.'

The team created a mathematical model that clearly shows small, intermediate and large-sized droplets.

They found simple formulas can be used to determine a droplet's maximum range.

This has important implications for understanding the spread of airborne diseases such as Covid-19 because their tests revealed the absence of intermediate-sized droplets, as expected.

As a person breathes, they release droplets of different sizes that do not necessarily follow the airflow.

Dr Cummins said: 'We represent breathing as a point source of both air and droplets and include a point sink to model the effect of extraction of air and droplets.

'To take their size and density differences into account, we use the Maxey-Riley equation, which describes the motion of a small but finite-sized rigid sphere through a fluid.'

This work gives researchers a general framework to understand the droplet dispersion.

The model shows that bimodality, or having two modes, could actually be a property of the droplets themselves.

Researchers provided formulas to predict when such droplets will have short ranges and say both large and small droplets can travel further than medium-sized ones.

A diagram from the study shows the varied and far trajectories that simple heavy breathing can send both small and large particles

Co-author Dr Felicity Mehendale, an academic surgeon at the University of Edinburgh, said: 'Our study shows there isn't a linear relation between droplet size and displacement, with both small and large droplets travelling further than medium-sized ones.

'We can't afford to be complacent about small droplets. PPE is an effective barrier to large droplets but may be less effective for small ones.'

As a solution, Dr Mehendale came up with the idea of creating an aerosol extractor device.

The team is working on plans to manufacture the product to keep clinicians safe during a wide range of aerosol-generating procedures routinely performed in medicine and dentistry.

Extraction units placed near the droplet sources can effectively trap droplets, if their diameters fall below that of a human hair.

Dr Cummins said: 'This has important implications for the COVID-19 pandemic.

'Larger droplets would be easily captured by PPE, such as masks and face shields. But smaller droplets may penetrate some forms of PPE, so an extractor could help reduce the weakness in our current defence against Covid-19 and future pandemics.'

Dr Mehendale said a better understanding of the droplet behavior will help 'inform the safety guidelines for aerosol-generating procedures.

She added: 'It will be relevant during the current and future pandemics, as well as for other infectious diseases.

'This mathematical model may also serve as the basis of modelling the impact on droplet dispersion of ventilation systems existing within a range of clinical spaces.'

Findings were published in the Physics of Fluids journal from AIP Publishing.
The top diplomats of Ukraine and Moldova met in Kyiv to discuss security issues of the Donbas conflict settlement and those related to the Russia-occupied Crimea.

Oleg Tsulia, Minister for Foreign Affairs and European Integration of the Republic of Moldova, has confirmed support for the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine.

The statement came during Tsulia's joint online briefing with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Dmytro Kuleba in Kyiv, an UNIAN correspondent reports.

Read alsoRussian intelligence working to destabilize southern Ukraine  expert

"We discussed security issues regarding the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the Crimean issue. We reaffirmed Moldova's support for the independence, sovereignty, and territorial integrity of Ukraine within its internationally recognized borders," said Tsulia.

Separately, he expressed gratitude to Ukraine for its support "in the context of identifying a number of sustainable solutions in the process of the Transnistrian settlement."
Indias permanent representative to the United Nations, TS Tirumurti, has lashed out at Pakistan, saying it is the nerve centre of terrorism.

It is a well-known fact that Pakistan is the nerve centre of terrorism. Pakistan is home to largest number of listed terrorists, internationally designated terrorist entities and individuals, including Jamaat-ud-Dawah, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad and Hizbul Mujahideen, Tirumurti said.

Pakistan prime minister (Imran Khan) has on record said that there are around 40,000 terrorists present in the country, Tirumurti further said.

Referring to United Nations 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, the ambassador said there is a clear acknowledgement that the leadership and funding for the terrorist entities like Al-Qaeda, ISIS emanate from Pakistan.

Under the 1267 Committee, which submits its report periodically terrorist activities of ISIL al Qaeda and its affiliates. There are several direct references to Pakistans involvement, Tirumurti said.

He stepped up the attack further, saying Pakistan has been trying to internationalise the bilateral issues it has with India. Tirumurti said that Pakistans latest attempt fell flat.

Attempts by Pakistan to try and internationalise what is a bilateral issue is nothing new. Contrary to what the foreign minister of Pakistan has asserted, there has been no formal meeting of the UN Security Council on India-Pak issue since 1965, said Tirumurti.

What came up recently was a closed-door and completely informal meeting under Any other business, which is not even a recorded discussion, Indias permanent representative to the UN added about the recent UN meeting.

Pakistans attempt fell flat. Even UN secretary general, in his statement last August, clearly referred to 1972 bilateral Shimla Agreement. Consequently, Pakistans efforts havent met any traction in UNSC. Even if Pakistan persists, there are no takers here in the United Nations, he said.

Tirumurti then went on to talk about the infodemic launched by Pakistan about the Covid-19 situation in India and how New Delhi countered it.

India and a group of select countries, cutting across regions, made a joint statement in the context of infodemic in the context of Covid-19, at the UN. The statement was designed to counter exactly this type of disinformation spread by countries like Pakistan in the context of Covid-19 to foment division and create disharmony among communities, he said.

Tirumurti was appointed Indias permanent representative to the United Nations in April. He will replace Syed Akbaruddin.
A slew of Ontario Sires Stakes (OSS) events for sophomore pacing fillies filled the Industry Day card at Grand River Raceway on Monday (Aug. 3), with two Gold divisions and five Grassroots splits going on the 10-race card.

Karma Seelster took her competition coast to coast in the first $105,600 OSS three-year-old pacing filly split.

Launching from post 4, Karma Seelster secured the front with Betalady also charging to land in the pocket ahead of Alicorn unhurried in third. Karma Seelster led through quick fractions of :26.1 and :54.3 before facing a challenge from Alicorn heading to three-quarters in 1:23.1. From there Alicorn began to falter, leaving Karma Seelster to a 1:53 win over Sound Idea closing for second. Betalady finished third.

Owned by Eileen Waples, Keith Waples and Karen Hauver, Karma Seelster won her first race from five starts this season and her fifth from 16 overall, earning $345,005. The Sportswriter filly had Doug McNair in the bike for trainer Gregg McNair and paid $17.70 to win.

With a downpour passing by midway through the card, a harsher storm prompted a delay prior to the second OSS Gold division. But once the horses hit the track, 2-5 favourite Lauras Love lunged to a 1:54.2 win going first over.

Rose Run Vantage took command from post 1 circling the first turn with All Day Sunshine settling into second and Lauras Love third. Past the first quarter in :27.1, Lauras Love readied an uncovered bid and angled off the pylons past a :56.1 half. Rose Run Vantage continued on a firm lead by three-quarters in 1:24.2 but shortened in stride through the stretch as Lauras Love rolled past to win by a length. All Day Sunshine took third.

Trained and co-owned by John Pentland with Gracie Mae Barr, Lauras Love won her seventh race from 11 starts, earning $141,584. Bob McClure drove the Betterthancheddar filly who paid $2.70 to win.

Preeminence topped the $114,350 OSS Grassroots Three-Year-Old Filly Pace by posting the quickest time of the five divisions, storming to a 1:54 win by open lengths.

Parked the mile, Preeminence progressed towards the lead through fractions of :27.1, :56 and 1:25. Trafalgar led the field to the quarter but Odds On Vero Beach brushed to the lead before the half and became the target for Preeminence moving up the backside a final time. The Sportswriter filly edged past Odds On Vero Beach approaching the final turn and blew away from the field. Into the stretch she owned a six-and-a-half length lead that expanded to nine-and-a-half lengths under the finish, with Keystone Kalimba closing for second and 7-5 favourite Trafalgar giving chase in third.

Owned by Claude Baril, Gilles Caouette and Michel Daneault, Preeminence won her second race from seven starts this season and her fourth from 16 overall, earning $63,066. Marcel Barrieau trains the $5.80 winner while Bob McClure sat in the bike.

Kat clung to command in the opening split for the Grassroots to win in 1:56.

Rose Run Victory held the lead to a :27.3 first quarter before yielding control to Kat moving into the second turn. Docs Harmony soon tipped first over from fourth and rushed towards the leader moving to a :56.4 half and managed to edge in front past three-quarters in 1:25.2 but could not clear. Kat came back at the inside to reclaim the lead moving into the stretch while holding off a late rally from Count To Three, finishing second by three-quarter lengths in a 1:56 mile. Admityourewrong finished third.

Winning her first race from seven starts this season and her second from 17 overall, Kat has earned $130,591 for owners Wilma and James MacKenzie. James Dean trains the Hes Watching filly while Jody Jamieson sat in the sulky. She paid $3.70 to win.

Free Flyin Ticket fended off all challengers with a blowout win as the 3-5 favourite in the second OSS Grassroots split.

Protecting position from the pylon post, Free Flyin Ticket took the field past the quarter in :27.3 and soon bore a first-over challenge from Watch My Speed moving to a :56.3 half. However Watch My Speed failed to advance, forcing second-over high Roller Duke three wide by three-quarters in 1:25.2. Free Flyin Ticket just scooted away from High Roller Duke into the stretch, opening three-and-a-half lengths to stop the clock in 1:54.1. Tuggingoncredit gave chase from third.

A filly by Betterthancheddar, Free Flyin Ticket won her third race from five starts this season and her fourth from 15 overall, earning $109,369. Anthony Beaton trains and co-owns the $3.40 winner with partners David Mercer, Gary Volpe and George Quartarone. Paul MacDonell sat in the sulky.

Following a storm which downgraded the track to sloppy, Bettorthanbobbi rolled to a 1:54.4 win in the third OSS Grassroots split as the track upgraded to good.

Driver Sylvain Filion sent Bettorthanbobbi to the front from post 5, edging past Hit By A Bus just before a :27.3 first quarter. Happy Looker tipped first over from fourth moving to the top of the stretch for the first time, progressing towards the leader past a :57.1 half and nearing three-quarters in 1:25.3. Though Bettorthanbobbi kept Happy Looker at bay through the stretch, maintaining a half-length advantage at the finish of a 1:54.4 mile. Hit By A Bus took third.

Trained by Marcel Barrieau for owner Ian Smith, Bettorthanbobbi won her sixth race from eight starts this season and her 11th from 18 overall, earning $53,828. The Betterthancheddar filly paid $2.40 to win.

Landry Seelster led every step in the fourth OSS Grassroots split, strolling to a 1:55 win as the 7-5 favourite.

Starting from post 1, Landy Seelster slid to the lead while Mary Kat cleared into the pocket. Landry Seelster led to a :26.4 first quarter and :57.1 half before facing pressure from Siochan racing first over towards three-quarters in 1:25.4. Though Siochan stalled into the final turn as Landry Seelster paced to the finish two-lengths better than Mary Kat. Coqui Coqui closed for third.

A filly by Mach Three, Landry Seelster won her second race from six starts this season and her fourth from 15 overall, earning $67,859. Michael Ellis trains the $4.60 winner for owner Kim Lezanchuk while Doug McNair sat in the bike.

Alongside the provincial-bred stakes, Pretty Handsome powered to a 1:55 win in the $15,000 Horses & Geldings Preferred Handicap Pace.

Jay Eye Em set the tempo through fractions of :27.1, :57.1 and 1:26. Driver Colin Kelly positioned Pretty Handsome fifth to the quarter from post 7, sitting 10 lengths off the speed. Kelly quickly moved the five-year-old Mach Three gelding to recoup ground moving to the half, ranged to race alongside Jay Eye Em by three-quarters and took over the lead moving into the stretch. Exit Smiling darted out of the pocket to hold second while Toot Toot N finished third four lengths farther back.

Owned by Glenview Livestock Ltd., Pretty Handsome won his second race from seven starts this season and his 27th from 57 overall, earning $270,975. Lacey McCabe trains the $8.60 winner.

The finals of the Battle of the Belles and Battle of Waterloo served as the headlining features of the Industry Day card. For recaps of those races, click this link.

To view Monday's harness racing results, click on the following link: Monday Results  Grand River Raceway.
The daily case average rose slightly in St. Charles County, which has been adding around 100 new cases a day since mid-July. Jefferson County rose to 50 new daily cases on Monday from an average of 40 last week.

In Metro East, average daily case counts stayed about the same in Madison County this week, but increased by about 11% in St. Clair County.

The countys averages include:

 ST. LOUIS COUNTY: The county reported a 13% decrease in daily case counts from July 27 to August 3. Some of the decrease could be caused by a backlog of more than 17,000 test results that were sent to the county over three days last week by Total Access Urgent Care, according to county officials. Still, the countys 7-day average for new daily cases on Monday was 281, compared with around 80 in early July. The county 13,474 total cases on Monday and 650 total COVID-19 deaths.

 ST. LOUIS CITY: The 7-day average for new daily cases in the city fell by about 4.7% from July 26 to August 2, but is still up by 31% from mid-July, going from an average of 68 daily cases July 20 to 89 on Sunday. The city had reported 4,524 total cases and 169 COVID-19 deaths by Sunday.
A was imposed across the valley on Tuesday as authorities apprehended violent protests in view of plans by separatists and Pakistan-sponsored groups to observe August 5, the first anniversary of revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's special status, as black day.

Police and CRPF personnel were deployed in strength across the valley to ensure that the plans of the separatists to disturb peace did not succeed, officials said.

They said police vehicles, fitted with public address systems, went around localities announcing imposition of strict for two days.

"People are requested not to violate the law and stay indoors, " the police said.

Barricades have been set up at hundreds of places in Kashmir, including Srinagar city, to regulate movement of essential services and emergencies while concertina wires have been also been laid, the officials said.

The authorities had announced on Monday that the would be imposed in Srinagar and other parts of the valley in view of the inputs about violent protests endangering public life and property as the separatist and Pakistan-sponsored groups were planning to observe August 5 as a "Black Day".

An order issued by Srinagar district magistrate Shahid Iqbal Choudhary said any such mass gathering would also be detrimental to efforts related to COVID containment.

Choudhary said the movement and assembly of people have been prohibited to avoid the spread of infection, particularly in the wake of a recent spike in cases.

"Therefore, after having considered the material facts in said report and examining the situation in backdrop of prevailing factors, I, District Magistrate, Srinagar, by virtue of powers vested in me u/s 144 Cr PC hereby order complete restrictions on public movement/curfew in territorial jurisdiction of District Srinagar," the order read.

However, medical emergencies and movement of staff on COVID-19 duty with pass/valid cards shall be exempted from the restrictions, the order said.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
NEW YORKGutted by the pandemic lockdowns, the citys once-thriving restaurant industry has struggled to keep afloat. But as the city enters its final Phase 4 reopening plan, some restaurant owners are starting to feel more optimistic.

Restaurants, often seen as the economic and social heart of a city, were hit especially hard in New Yorkonce the U.S. epicenter of the virus. Most shut down entirely for months, while some relied on takeout to generate some income.

In interviews with The Epoch Times, restaurant and bar owners detailed their struggles during the pandemic. Some are still struggling to open after having no choice but to lay off their employees.

One owner described how the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) saved their business from closing its doors. Others touched upon the positive community response they saw after recently opening for outdoor dining. Under the citys Open Restaurants plan, more than 9,000 restaurants have applied and been granted permission for extended outdoor seating, including in closed off streets on weekends.

Sal Scognamillo, owner of Patsys Italian Restaurant in Manhattan, said the business was closed for months until last week, when it reopened for outdoor dining and takeout. He hopes the worst is now behind them.

Weve been very, very blessed by the outpouring of support and love by our steady customers, Scognamillo told The Epoch Times. To me and to my family, they are more than just customersthey are part of our extended family.

Patsys cookbook. (Courtesy Sal Scognamillo)

Scognamillo said he and his family are starting to feel optimistic about the future. Four generations of his family have worked at Patsys, which has been around for 76 years and whose most famous customer was Frank Sinatra.

Its also that way with our customers, he said. Generations and generations of customers have been coming for years.

Hes received countless emails and messages on Facebook, and well-wishes from people coming in to support the business. Others have been buying their jarred sauce. One customer told him he had been checking every day and walking by, hoping, waiting for you to reopen.

Under lockdown restrictions, restaurants are still not allowed to open for indoor dining, and restaurants that do open for outdoor dining must also follow social distancing guidelines.

The outdoor seating program has been such a success that New York Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the program will tentatively start again on June 1 next year.

Some owners say authorities have failed to stay consistent in their guidelines.

Ivy Mix, co-owner of Leyenda, a Latin American restaurant in Brooklyn and author of Spirits of Latin America, said financially the restaurant is barely reaching 50 percent of its normal sales. Leyenda recently opened for outdoor dining, using both its front and back patios.

Each week, rules change, and communication from authorities does not exist, Mix told The Epoch Times. I am lucky enough to be on the board of the NY Restaurant Coalition, and I have a direct line into some governmental agenciesand still I am confused.

Ivy Mix, co-owner of Leyenda inside her restaurant. (Courtesy Leyenda/ONS).

On Aug. 2, the New York State Liquor Authority (SLA) and State Police Task Force visited 874 establishments in New York City and on Long Island, where they observed 29 establishments that were not in compliance with state requirements.

Now, with the SLA, some bars and restaurants who have been closed with no income are being shut down by the city when they didnt even know what they were doing wrong, Mix said.

Its stressful.  Who knows what will happen come November when weather is colder?

There have been a total of 416,843 confirmed cases of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus in New York state, according to the latest data. All regions in New York also are now under the current Phase 4 reopening effort.

Greg Sherry, owner of Old Homestead Steakhouses in Manhattan, meanwhile said the PPP money he received from the federal government was critical to his businesss survival.

That saved me, because without that money, I couldnt pay my mortgage for the next three months, Sherry told The Epoch Times. We had no cash-flow coming in.

A recent survey (pdf) by the NYC Hospitality Alliance found that 83 percent of the citys eateries were unable to pay the full amount of their rent in July, while 37 percent couldnt pay anything.

Sherry called the pandemic a terrible thing, noting that he doesnt want it to get out of control in New York anymore. He said he believes that when restaurants do manage to fully reopen, 50 percent of staff will have lost their jobs.

Its getting to the point now that the economy is more important, he said. Get the economy healthy again.

According to the governors office, both hospitalizations and intubations have hit new lows since mid-March. As of Aug. 4, there were no deaths reported in New York City for the third day in a row.

There are two messages he has for de Blasio.

Lets get the restaurants open safely, he said. Lets get crime under control in New York so people are not afraid to come into town.

Eimear Conway, owner of Mad Morton (which has two locations) and Angel of Harlem, said both Morton locations had to be closed since they couldnt meet the outdoor dining requirements. This resulted in the loss of 45 jobs, she said.

Rents, property taxes, insurance are still due, which we are unable to pay as we have no income, so the effect is devastating, Conway told The Epoch Times. We cannot use PPP as we have no staff on the payroll.

The closed Mad Morton restaurant. (Courtesy Eimear Conway)

Angel of Harlem is faring better and was able to reopen its sidewalk cafe, as well as set up additional seating in the parking bays.

Conway said she has invested more than $2 million in her businesses and that making a profit now is impossible.

Phillippe Issa, owner of Velvet Brooklyn, said the restaurant used to host up to 80 people at a time. Now its capacity is down to 12 seats outdoors. After closing in March, it had to cancel and refund about 16 events that were planned for the 2020 calendar.

Issa urged New Yorkers to support small businesses. As for New York officials, he wants them to put themselves in business owners shoes before making any decisions or changing any rules.

Outdoor seating area at Velvet Brooklyn. (Courtesy Phillipe Issa)

Some restaurants have no choice but to let their employees go, even with PPP money.

Kazusa Jibiki, owner of restaurant Lovely Day, said she was forced to lay off about 14 staff and had to close one location as she was unable to pay rent.

While the outdoor dining program has been doing well, takeout orders are down. Their sales are only a little higher than when they were only doing takeout. Now she also needs more staff to serve the outdoor dining area.

Lots of my friends own restaurants downtown, she told The Epoch Times. Four people I know already decided to close permanently, and more are planning to hand in their keys after their PPP runs out.

She said theyre relying on the second round of PPP money as they have to pay outstanding bills for their vendors.

Andrew Gillick, co-owner of Josie Woods Pub, said the business closed in March and hasnt reopened in any way since then. Gillick told The Epoch Times the management had to let go of more than 20 employees and are trying to reopen and hire them back in order to save the business.

Not all bars and restaurants have the option to do outdoor dining, which Mayor de Blasio is heralding as the great success and savior of the business, Gillick said.
Punjab chief minister Amarinder Singh on Tuesday assured that no one found guilty in the recent hooch tragedy in the state that killed over 100 people, will be spared amid voices within his own party alleging state governments complicity with the illicit liquor mafia.

At least 110 people died after consuming spurious liquor, mainly in the three districts-- Tarn Taran, Amritsar and Batala. The Punjab government is facing a barrage of attacks from opposition and even from within the ruling party over allegations of state governments alleged connivance with the mafia running the illicit liquor trade.

Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, who had ordered a magisterial inquiry into the incident and instructed the police chief for a swift crackdown on the spurious liquor network in the state, said no one will be spared irrespective of their influence and position.

Deaths by illicit alcohol are extremely sad and unfortunate. Police and Excise Depts tasked to nab all responsible, irrespective of their affiliations & position. Assure you as CM that no one will be spared & guilty will be punished to ensure justice, Singh tweeted on Tuesday.

Also Read: Six more die due to spurious liquor in Punjab; death toll 110

Singhs tweet follows a Congress MP accusing the state government of being complicit with the accused.

Its a big tragedy, such a thing has never happened in Punjab. It couldnt have happened without the knowledge of government & police. That is why no action is being taken. How did raw material for liquor come amid curfew?, Congress Rajya Sabha MP Shamsher Dullo was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.

Dullo further questioned how the tragedy took place despite him having warned the state government and the party top brass in Delhi about the menace of spurious liquor trade in the Punjab.

I had warned the state government a month back in writing, even wrote to Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi & Manmohan Singh... but no action was taken. Govt seems to be in cahoots with smugglers, Dullo was quoted as saying.

Dullo is not the only Congress leader to have attacked the Punjab government, also run by the Congress party. Congress leader Pratap Singh Bajwa had also hit out at Amarinder Singh government over the tragedy. Now, a miffed Punjab Congress is demanding disciplinary action against the duo.

Also Read: Punjab ministers defend their govt over hooch tragedy

The state police have made around 40 arrests including of two businessmen in the case and a manhunt has been launched for a Ludhiana-based paint business owner who is believed to have supplied three drums of spurious liquor, responsible for the deaths.

Police are chasing eight more identified accused, including the Ludhiana-based paint shop owner, Rajesh Joshi, who is believed to be a key player in the mafia chain, said DGP Dinkar Gupta.

The magisterial inquiry ordered by the government is also probing the role of six police and seven excise and taxation officers who were suspended on Saturday for alleged dereliction of duty.

The state government has also rejected a demand for CBI probe into the incident made by Delhi chief minister and AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal
The cooler temperatures this week have been welcome.

Less sweating. Less air conditioning. More open windows and fresh air in the house. And, most importantly for farmers, less stress on crops.

Corn manages more heat than beans, but it does not want too much and in some places in the Corn Belt, there has been too much heat on the corn.

Data from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet shows high temperatures have reached 90 degrees or more across Iowa over the last six weeks. Nearly 8% of the state is suffering from severe drought, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor maps.

Has Pritzker been overextending his executive authority? Here's what the House GOP leader said today. I just had a very difficult time understanding the logic of keeping a Target or Walmart open while small mom-and-pops couldnt open their stores. They were determined to be nonessential."

Crops are showing obvious signs of moisture stress. Were seeing pineapple corn. Corn leaves are rolling, soybean leaves are flipping over. You start to see the lower leaves on the corn firing, says Iowa State Climatologist Justin Glisan.

West Central Iowa has been without rain, and with high heat for months. Glisan says there are slightly elevated probabilities for drier-than-normal conditions across the northern two-thirds of the Hawkeye state.

Precipitation probabilities are closer to normal across the southern third. Any storms that do pop up seem to avoid the driest parts of the state since they dont have any fuel to feed the thunderstorm, explains Glisan.

Data-wise, rainfall in West Central Iowa has been 58% of normal over the last 60 days, one of the driest years on record. West Central Iowa is the third largest corn producing district in the nation, growing 2.7% of the crop.

So, what does that mean for the 2020 corn crop? Purdue University ag economist David Widmar suggests that some corn acres are in drought trouble. He says, For 2020, an estimated 44% of U.S. corn acres are in dry (30%) or drought (14%) conditions. On the surface, thats eye-catching. However, keep in mind 28% of acres (14% plus 14%) are in dry and drought conditions on average. In short, there are always acres in trouble.

Farmers typically hope for a crop failure, somewhere other than on their farm. And for Central Illinois farmers, that wish may be happening in West Central Iowa, where precipitation deficits are anywhere from 8 to 12 inches in some locations, says Glisan. He reports there was good subsoil moisture to start the crop, but when showtime came, the soil dried out for pollination and grain fill.

In the big picture provided by the National Weather Service, cooler weather is in the forecast, and in fact, below normal temperatures are expected for most of the month. Predictions are for some initial heat next weekend, but an overall cooldown is the bottom line.

And that is good for the corn crop, says Stone-X Group chief economist Arlan Suderman. He says, August is currently looking much cooler for the Midwest than it did two weeks ago. If it verifies, that would extend the grain fill period for crops, helping yields.

It may help yields, but not prices, which are weak for both corn and soybeans, thanks to the cool forecast for August.

GALLERY: A look back at Decatur Celebration through the years

Stu Ellis is an observer of the Central Illinois agriculture scene. In addition to his weekly column, you can view his From The Farm and Harvest Heritage reports on WCIA 3 News.

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Shanghai (Gasgoo)- Huawei has announced the establishment of a joint laboratory focusing on autonomous driving network (AND) at the 2020 Huawei Autonomous Driving Network Technology Summit recently held in Suzhou, Jiangsu province.

At the summit, Huawei discussed with many professors from such renowned universities as Fudan University, Zhejiang University, Xian Jiaotong University, Northeastern University and Soochow University about the development prospect, the standard definition and forward-looking technologies related to autonomous driving network industry.

(Photo source: Huawei)



The company said the joint lab is launched to build a technology cooperation platform for firms, universities and research institutes and promote the transfer of the research achievements of the autonomous driving technologies from laboratory to market. Going forward, the development of Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous driving technologies should rest upon the joint development of the industrial community, the academic world, scientific research institutions, the standard-setting bodies and clients.

Based on the technical directions currently recognized, Huaweis newly-launched joint lab will place emphasis on such areas as the intention perception and understanding, the intelligent recommendation and decision-making, network simulation calculation and digital twin, in a bid to speed up the scale application of autonomous driving network.

According to Huawei, it has achieved Level 3 autonomous driving network in data center, which has been deployed in areas of finance and large enterprise first.

The concept of AND more targets the field of telecommunications. By applying the advanced AI and analytical capabilities that power complex systems such as self-driving vehicles and data center networks, Huawei's ADN aims to bring automation to core processes and inject higher intelligence into network operations and maintenance.

In last October, Huawei unveiled its autonomous driving network strategy at the SDN NFV World Congress 2019.

According to the keynote speech delivered by Yuan Bo, director of the Network Architecture Transformation Marketing Department of Carrier BG, Huawei proposed different levels of driving automation to apply to carriers' core operation processes in different scenarios and promoted gradual implementation of network intelligence.

He said the Huawei autonomous driving network features a simplified architecture and intelligent O&M (operations and maintenance). On one hand, the architecture of the network, from wireless, transport and core networks to the edge cloud, is all simplified to provide a foundation for autonomous driving. On the other hand, network O&M is more intelligent. Huawei launched iMaster intelligent O&M solutions that enable intelligent closed-loop O&M through intra-domain autonomy and inter-domain collaboration. iMaster NCE is intended for FBB, iMaster MAE for MBB, and iMaster AUTIN for inter-domain collaboration. iMaster NAIE provides an AI training platform, a data lake, and a reasoning framework, making it easier to apply AI technologies in the telecom industry and helping carriers, their partners, and third-party developers improve AI development efficiency.
Scenario planning, speed, and creating a human member experience top the list.

As leaders committed to success at the strategic level, awareness and understanding of industry trends are vital for excellence in governance.

The boards knowledge of trends allows it to have substantial conversations with the CEO. It also determines conditions where your credit union might act, continuing its focus on growth, income, and service experiences.

During the next five years, industry leaders believe retail financial institutions will face several strategic priorities. As a board, be prepared to engage in conversations to address these priorities and how they could impact your credit union.

Top priorities for 2020 include:

Scenario planning

COVID-19 reinforced the importance of what if? projections to determine if your credit union can weather limited operations, growth, and earnings. Discuss multiple simulations with significant changes in growth, interest margins, delinquencies, and losses.

Observe the effect on earnings and capital.

Preparation and awareness are crucial for potentially significant decisions.

Faster market delivery

In a world where credit unions seek to lead at the speed of members, its vital to deliver relevant solutions to members in record time. How quickly can your credit union design, test, and deliver new products and services?

A more human member experience

When digital channels wont suffice, members expect to access well-trained, well-versed, and highly professional experts. What ongoing training and development programs does your credit union provide to enable this?

Enhanced digital marketing and engagement

How does your credit union prioritize its mobile and digital strategies?

Other priorities the board should consider:

Whether to cut costs or increase profit margins:

This is about making the best use of resources and maximizing opportunities for revenue. How can your credit union increase operating efficiencies and income production?

Regulatory requirements. How do any new compliance costs related to COVID-19, for example, impact return on assets, and how will your credit union offset these costs with revenue?

Members use of digital channels

Members who go digital are more satisfied, loyal, and profitable. What growth rates does your credit union experience regarding member digital engagement?

Talent acquisition, engagement, and retention

The employee experience is crucial, as it is a major component of the member experience. What are your credit unions employee satisfaction, engagement, and retention rates?

Emerging trends that will grow in importance through 2025:

Maximum personalization in member engagement

One size will never fit all in marketing, sales, and service. How well does your credit union understand and act on granular details about member transactions, patterns, and propensities?

Open banking

Partnerships and collaboration will be essential in providing the necessary technology. What existing and new collaborations will be essential for operating and member-facing technology?

Keeping up with industry trends becomes increasingly important as your credit union grows and your board increases its focus on strategy.

While constant scanning of industry trends is fundamental, your CEO adds extra value. Ask your CEO to update the board on trends that may affect your credit union.

Will significant changes be required? Will the board need to consider substantial investments? How might members be affected?

This way, the board will be better able to understand, discuss, and act on strategic opportunities. This will provide increased value to the CEO as the board maintains focus on the highest levels of strategy and long-term success.

By Jeff Rendel, president of Rising Above Enterprises

This article initially appeared in Credit Union Directors Newsletter, which provides strategic insights for policymakers. Subscribe now to the print or PDF version.
The much-awaited foundation-laying ceremony for the grand Ram Temple is to be held on August 5 in UP's Ayodhya, likely to be attended by high dignitaries including PM Modi, various Chief Ministers and RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat, as Ayodhya gets embellished and illuminated to welcome the occasion.

Ahead of foundation laying ceremony of Ram Temple on August 5, festivities have begun in Ayodhya which will host several national leaders including Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

A bridge over Saryu river was illuminated and priests performed aarti at the ghat of the river and temples were decorated with lights as part of the celebrations.

Pandit Kalki Ram, President of Ramdal Seva Trust performed havan at the yagyashala at Ram Ki Paudi on the last Monday of Sawan month.

Temples across the city were decorated with lights and diyas ahead of the grand event.

Sharan Das Maharaj, priest of Rang Mahal shared that Deepotsav will be celebrated like never before on August 5.

Also read: Details of Ram Temple ceremony revealed: PM Modi and 4 others on stage, 175 invites sent

Also read: Only invitees should come, says Yogi Adityanath as Covid threat looms Ayodhya

I am associated with Ram Janamabhoomi Aandolan for a long time. We have struggled a lot for this day. We are doing preparations in the Rang Mahal and will observe Deepotsav like never before. Ayodhya will become synonymous with Deepawali. I am feeling fortunate that I will witness the construction of Ram temple, Maharaj told ANI.

VHPs Ashok Singhal used to come here Rang Mahal often. This palace was given to Kaushalya to Sita. It is our fortune that PM Modi is a leader who does not have biases. CM Yogi visited here today to take stock of the preparation for the foundation laying ceremony, he added.

Speaking to ANI, Mahavir Mandir trustee Acharya Kishore Kunal said: On the occasion of bhoomi pujan in Ayodhya, 1,25,000 laddoos will be distributed under the name of Raghupati Laddoo. 51,000 laddoos will be handed over to Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust.

The remaining laddoos will be sent to the temples in Janakis birthplace at Sitamarhi in Bihar and around 25 pilgrimage places where it is believed that Lord Rams padchinhas (footprints) lie. Laddoos will also be distributed among devotees of Lord Ram and Hanuman in different parts of Bihar on August 5. These laddoos are being made with pure cow ghee, Kunal added.

He added that Mahavir Mandir Trust, Patna has already donated a contribution of Rs 2 crores to Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust and it will give a total of Rs 10 crores for the construction of Ram temple. We are also running Ram Rasoi free of cost for Ram devotees in Ayodhya, he added.

In other news, in order to avoid any untoward incident on August 5, during bhumi pujan of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, section 144 will be imposed from August 4 from 8 pm to 6 am on August 6 in Mangaluru, the city police commissioner, Vikas Kumar said.

Due to Bhoomi puja for Ram Mandir on August 5, section 144 to be imposed (4 August 8.00 pm to 6 August 6.00 am), in Mangaluru Police Commissionarate Limit, Commissioner office press release read.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5.

Yogi offered prayers at the Hanuman Garhi temple during his visit to Ayodhya to take stock of the preparations for the bhoomi pujan.

He along with officials also visited Ram ki Paudi to inspect the arrangements ahead of the foundation stone laying ceremony.

PM Modi is scheduled to lay the foundation stone of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5.

Also read: Mandir Bhumipoojan Anticipation: Yogi takes stock of preparedness at Ayodhya
When he was sentenced, a federal judge noted that the bombing took place on a public street in Berwyn and that Sarno was willing to endanger people who might have been nearby. The need to protect the public is very high, the judge said.
Sony has listed which PS4 accessories will be compatible with the PS5. The PS4 DualShock 4 will not work with the PS5. The PlayStation Platinum and Gold Wireless Headsets will work with the PS5.

During the life cycle of the PS4, it is possible that you have acquired a number of accessories to enhance your gaming experience. You may have invested in a racing wheel to make the experience of Gran Turismo more immersive. Or you may have invested in arcade sticks and flight sticks for fighting and racing games respectively.

You may have invested in a gaming headset or some third party controllers, so on and so forth. So if you are wondering whether all these accessories will work with the PS5, then we say, worry not. We are here to tell you which of your accessories will work with the PS5. All this information is also listed on the official PlayStation Blog. So lets start with the most important one.

Will the PS4 DualShock 4 work with PS5 games?

According to the PlayStation Blog, No, we believe that PS5 games should take advantage of the new capabilities and features were bringing to the platform, including the features of DualSense wireless controller. Even though the PS5 DualSense controller has a touchpad and the same traditional button layout we are used to on a PlayStation controller, the PS4 controller will not work with PS5 games. The new DualSense controller is slightly chunkier than the PS4 controller, but thats not the only change. It brings with it haptic feedback and adaptive triggers giving you a unique gameplay experience. So when you pull the triggers, the feeling of shooting a bow and arrow in a game will be a lot different than shooting a gun adding to a new level of immersion. This is the reason the PS4 Dualshock controller will not be compatible with PS5 games.

So, will the DualShock 4 work with PS4 backwards compatible games on the PS5?

Yes. According to Sony, The DualShock 4 wireless controller and PlayStation officially licensed third-party gamepad controllers will work with supported PS4 games. So if you plan on playing the PS4 backwards compatible library of games on the PS5, then know that not only the DualShock 4 but also other compatible officially licensed third-party controllers will also work with the upcoming PS5 console.

Is the PlayStation Camera for PS4 compatible with PS5?

According to Sony, Yes, PlayStation Camera will work with PS5 for playing supported PS VR games. It will require a PlayStation Camera adaptor that will be provided at no additional cost to PS VR users. More details on how to get the adaptor will be announced at a later date. The fact that the adapter to connect the PSVR camera will be provided at no additional cost is a big deal and how this will play out in the future remains to be seen. So it is confirmed that the PSVR will work with the PS5. But what about the accessories?

Will the PSVR and PSVR accessories be compatible with the PS5?

As mentioned above, the PSVR and the camera will work with the PS5. Sony has also said that both the PS Move Motion Controllers and the PlayStation VR Aim Controller will work with supported PS VR games on PS5. So you will be able to enjoy your PSVR games (the ones that are supported) on the PS5.

Which existing PS4 peripherals/accessories will work on PS5?

Specialty peripherals, such as officially licensed racing wheels, arcade sticks, and flight sticks, will work with PS5 games and supported PS4 games.

The Platinum and Gold Wireless Headsets, as well as third-party headsets that connect via USB port or audio jack, will work on PS5 (the headset companion app is not compatible with PS5).

So if you are someone that has a favourite controller to play games like Mortal Kombat or Street Fighter or a flight stick to play aerial combat games, then your peripherals will work with the upcoming console.

Even your headsets will work with the upcoming console. Microsoft removed the optical port from the upcoming Xbox Series X so any audio peripheral that requires that connection will not work with the console. We still do not know the port layout at the back of the PS5, so we will have to wait to know if the same is the case with Sonys console as well.

If you have a headset that connects to the console's USB port, then that will work with the PS5 as well. So will the headsets that connect to the 3.5mm port on the controller. However, it remains to be seen how these devices will work with Sonys upcoming 3D audio technology.

On the Xbox front, know that Microsoft has said that its Xbox One controllers will work with the series X. The new Series X controller features a slight redesign of the grip to suit smaller hands as well as large hands. It also comes with a new share button thats missing from the Xbox One controller. Microsoft says that they have implemented something called Dynamic Latency Input (DLI) which helps reduce the latency between an action performed on the controller and its resulting action on the screen. This feature will make its way to Xbox One controllers as well via an update. You can read more about it here.

Both Sony and Microsoft may have homogenous hardware under the hood with some key differences, however, the approach to the next-gen philosophy is different for both the console makers. Where Sony clearly believes in a generation shift from the get-go, Microsoft is ensuring that Xbox Series X games are available for the Xbox One for a year or 2 to ease the shift in generation. How this affects the next-gen console wars is something only time will tell.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft Corp could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy the Chinese owned short-video app TikTok.

"So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised?" Navarro said in an interview with CNN. "Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?"

President Donald Trump has agreed to give China's ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of popular short-video app TikTok to Microsoft, three people familiar with the matter said on Sunday.

U.S. officials have said TikTok, under its Chinese parent, poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. Trump said on Friday he was planning to ban TikTok in the United States after dismissing the idea of a sale to Microsoft.

In an earlier interview with Fox News Channel, Navarro said any potential buyer of TikTok that has operations in China could be a problem.

Navarro cited Microsoft's Bing search engine and Skype platform, saying they "effectively are enablers of Chinese censorship, surveillance and monitoring."

Microsoft has over 6,000 employees in China and offices in Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou.

While the company has been there for decades, business from China accounts for just over 1% of the company's revenue, Bloomberg reported Microsoft President and Chief Legal Officer Brad Smith stating at a conference in January.

Widespread piracy of Windows and Office once prevented the company's cash cow from bringing in money.

The company is now pushing its Azure cloud service to customers in China, via a partnership with local data service provider 21Vianet.

Its crown jewel is arguably a research center in Beijing, which has produced a number of alumni who have gone on to executive positions at Alibaba, ByteDance, Xiaomi, and facial recognition unicorns Sensetime and Megvii.

It also was the site of origin for the so-called "ResNet" paper, currently the most-cited AI paper according to Google scholar metrics.

(Reporting by Doina Chiacu, Susan Heavey and Pete Schroeder; Additional reporting by Josh Horwitz; Editing by Nick Zieminski and Christopher Cushing)
Voting with Their Feet: Children of High-Level CCP Officials Choose to Live Abroad

By Ming Yang August 03, 2020

A recent article by an outspoken Chinese sociologist has gone viral on Beijing's tightly-controlled social media, sparking debates about the children of China's privileged class who choose to live overseas.

Zheng Yefu, a retired sociology professor from China's prestigious Peking University, wrote that although the Chinese Communist Party maintains its grip on power in order to better serve the ruling elite, their children are choosing to "vote with their feet," taking-up permanent residence in western countries.

Exactly how many children of China's Communist Party leaders choose to live overseas is unknown, but there have been several high-profile children who have sought degrees in top tier American universities.

Chinese President Xi Jinping's only daughter, Xi Mingze, was educated at Harvard. Two of the party's last three top leaders, former President Zhao Ziyang and Jiang Zemin, had grandchildren who attended Harvard. Jia Qinglin, a former member of the Politburo Standing Committee, the party's highest ruling organ, had a granddaughter at Stanford. The now disgraced former Chongqing party star Bo Xilai, is the father of Bo Guagua, who had attended the Harvard Kennedy School of Government.

The Washington Post reported that at least five of the nine members of the last Politburo Standing Committee have children or grandchildren who studied in the United States.

The Washington-based Migration Policy Institute noted in a report that affluent and educated elites are the main force driving emigration from China to the U.S.

According to a report from the China-based wealth research firm Hurun Research Institute, more than a third of rich Chinese "are currently considering" emigrating to another country, for better education systems elsewhere and to flee the country's polluted cities and strict government, as well as protecting their wealth.

Voting with their feet

Zheng Yefu, a long-time critic of Communist Party policy, wrote that China has spent billions of dollars to "maintain stability," in order to "safeguard the country created by the great Communist Party."

Zheng argued the effort is mainly aimed at protecting the country's privileged class and passing those economic and political advantages on to their children.

Yet, he noted, the children of a number of Communist Party leaders seem to be indifferent to the idea of inheriting their parents' political power. They have voted with their feet and moved to western countries, particularly the U.S.

"They don't love the power, they love America," Zheng concluded.

He pointed out there are several reasons for this change of mind from their fathers and grandfathers, including a worsening environment for freedom of speech and movement, and a general dissatisfaction with the previous generation's way of seizing and maintaining power.

He also noted that after China's opening up in 1978, people have the chance to go abroad more freely. Benefiting from that policy, some of these elites decide to stay in western countries after comparing the two ways of life.

'They can't change China'

China observer Zan Aizong told VOA that one of the reasons that these elites decide to emigrate is that they feel they have no way to change China.

"If China has democracy, constitution, the rule of law, human rights and universal value, then although there're problems, they could stay and try to fix it. But if they see there's no way to change the current status, they would just give up. Vote with their feet," Zan told VOA.

Rights activist Hu Jia said that there's another reason: if they choose to stay and fight for their positions in the party, there are huge risks involved.

"For the second or third generation reds, if you lose in the power struggle, you are going to lose everything. Compare that to your opportunity to live a peaceful life in a free and democratic environment," he said. "So for some, they choose to stay away from the mess."

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Demand for regional properties is surging as capital city dwellers head for outer suburbs and the country for a better lifestyle while still working in their city jobs from home.

The trend, fuelled by a huge number of employees working from home in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, appears to be keeping prices buoyant for regional properties and comparatively cheaper houses in outer-city suburbs. Regional rental vacancy rates are also plunging.

The pandemic may be accelerating the tree-change trend. Credit:Erin Jonasson

While capital city property prices overall lost ground in the three months to the end of July, regional prices held firm.

Figures from CoreLogic show Sydney property prices fell 2.1 per cent in the period, while they slumped 3.2 per cent in Melbourne. More cheaply priced houses in our two biggest cities  generally those further from the CBD  held steady over the period.
Victorian Labor Premier Daniel Andrews yesterday announced the closure of some Melbourne workplaces and the curtailment of operations in a number of other industries. On Sunday, his government declared a state of disaster amid the ongoing surge of coronavirus infections.

The measures, to last six weeks, go hand-in-hand with an end to face-to-face school teaching in Melbourne, the current epicentre, as well as enhanced restrictions on movement, a ban on virtually all outdoor gatherings and on visiting other peoples homes. The stage four regulations are slated to last for the next six weeks in Melbourne, along with stage three requirements everywhere else in Victoria, mandating mask-wearing and curtailing social and other activities.

COVID-19 testing site in the Melbourne suburb of Fawkner (Photo: @JoanWil85024201, Twitter)

The announcement of the limited workplace shutdowns is an indictment of the Victorian government and the entire political establishment, including the national cabinet and the federal Liberal-National Coalition of Prime Minister Scott Morrison.

It is a tacit admission that the policies they have pursued since May, including a pro-business reopening of the economy and the premature lifting of lockdown measures, have resulted in a public health crisis.

Hundreds of new infections are being reported in Victoria every day and hospitalisation rates are surging. A further 439 confirmed Victorian cases, the majority of them in Melbourne, were announced today, following yesterdays toll of 429 infections and 13 deaths, which equaled the previous daily record for fatalities.

Since Victorian case numbers began to rise in the latter half of June, the Andrews government has imposed a succession of localised and limited lockdowns, aimed above all at minimising the impact on big business.

This has been in line with the policy adopted by all governments in April, when they rejected calls from epidemiologists for a push to eliminate COVID-19 transmission as being too costly. Instead they opted for a suppression strategy, allowing the virus to continue to circulate, while supposedly keeping its spread to manageable levels through contact-tracing, testing and localised restrictions.

Sundays declaration of a state of disaster occurred a little over three weeks after Andrews imposed a limited lockdown in Melbourne on July 10. Under those stage three restrictions, virtually all workplaces remained open, while classroom teaching was resumed for an older cohort of students, in defiance of widespread opposition from educators.

The consequence has been an ongoing surge of infections. The July 10 tally of 288 Victorian infections was, at that point, the highest daily toll in any state. That figure has since been repeatedly surpassed, culminating in Thursdays record of 723 confirmed cases.

Under the limited lockdown, medical experts warned that infection rates were tending to double every 16 days. Workplace clusters continued to emerge on an almost daily basis, as Andrews admitted that places of employment had been the source of 80 percent of new cases since May.

At least 87 schools were forced to shut in the space of a fortnight after infections were detected. There are around 1,000 active cases in almost 100 aged-care facilities, amid ongoing revelations of criminally inadequate safety measures and a lack of staff due to the rampant casualisation of the workforce.

There has been a breakdown of contact-tracing, with the majority of daily cases being announced as under investigation, meaning their source has not been confirmed. More than 700 infections have been dubbed mystery cases, with the authorities having no idea of how transmission occurred.

Medical experts, who had been calling for sharper restrictions for weeks, had stepped up their warnings in the days preceding the imposition of stage four measures. In late July, doctors took to the press anonymously, to warn that if a hard lockdown were not imposed, hospital admissions would rise by 700 every week and the system would be overwhelmed.

Already, there are almost 400 COVID-19 patients in Melbourne hospitals, up from 25 a month ago. Most strikingly, 706 cases have been confirmed among healthcare workers, many of them doctors and nurses in Melbourne hospitals, a figure that rose by 57 on Monday alone.

It is clear that the government only introduced the new measures amid real fears of an Italian or New York-style scenario of a complete breakdown of the healthcare system.

Under the workplace regulations, much of retail will be forced to close, while cafes and restaurants will only be able to provide takeaway. A number of factories will be shuttered, including in fields such as textile and metal production.

Broad sections of industry, however, are set to remain open. This includes many warehouses and factories as well as abattoirs, which been major centres of infection. They will be required to develop a COVID-Safe plan. In some cases this will mean sharp reductions in workforce numbers.

In announcing the measures yesterday, Andrews declared that they did not go as far as an earlier lockdown in New Zealand. This signals that the government is still seeking to keep some areas of the economy open solely in the interests of corporate profit.

The construction industry has been exempted from the shutdown, with Andrews describing it as the lifeblood of the economy. Property development is central to the fortunes of many billionaires, while a speculative housing bubble has boosted the wealth of the rich and compounded the social crisis for working people.

Major construction sites will remain in operation, supposedly with no more than 25 percent of their previous workforce on site, while only five employees will be permitted on small residential builds. The decision came after joint lobbying from the construction companies and the unions for an exemption. The sector has been allowed to remain open throughout the pandemic, jeopardising the safety of hundreds of thousands of workers.

In another pro-business decision, most mining will continue with a reduced workforce, including fly-in fly-out employees, whose movements across the state pose a particular danger of widespread transmission.

The cost of the business shutdowns will be borne by workers, sole traders and small businesspeople. The latter will be eligible for a $5,000 government payment, following a previous subsidy of the same amount. Many have warned that this will still not enable them to pay the rent and utilities.

Some 250,000 more workers will likely be stood down or sacked, on top of the worst unemployment figures since the 1930s depression. Hundreds of thousands more jobs are set to be lost across the country, with the Victorian shutdown measures forecast to cut national GDP by $3 billion per week.

The affected workers, many of them low-paid casuals, will only receive the meagre JobKeeper wage subsidy, which is set to be reduced in September. Rates of poverty will sky-rocket.

At the same time, the lockdown measures are being accompanied by a boosting of police powers, triggered by the declaration of a state of disaster. This provides for sweeping search and seizure provisions, and allows the state government to override any act of parliament.

Today, the Victorian government announced that individuals who breach regulations can be subject to $5,000 fines. This has gone hand in hand with a campaign to blame ordinary people for the surge, including unsubstantiated assertions that infected individuals are leaving their homes.

While restrictions are necessary to address the pandemic, the central role of the police and military in the crisis dovetails with a protracted build-up of the repressive powers of the state. This is directed above all against the working class.

Already, the worsening pandemic and the dangerous conditions enforced by governments and corporations have resulted in a stoppage by Melbourne cleaners last week and a strike yesterday by more than 200 Woolworths warehouse employees. JBs meat workers briefly walked off the job last week, while Diamond Valley Pork staff in the Melbourne suburb of Laverton have resisted unsafe conditions.

The announcement of limited workplace shutdowns is in part an attempt to head off this emerging movement of the working class, amid the unprecedented social, political and health crisis set-off by the pandemic.
The Assistant Director, Fisheries of the Federal Capital Territory Administrations Department of Fishery, Jonah Dabit, has warned Nigerians to be wary of the danger of consuming a lethal fish animal group called the pufferfish.

Mr Dabit, disclosed this in an interview with PREMIUM TIMES on Monday.

Pufferfish, commonly known as fugu in Japan, is found in tropical and subtropical ocean waters, but some species live in fresh and brackish water.

It belongs to the family of Tetraodontidae, with many species which are variously called pufferfish  toadfish, globefish, blowfish, balloon fish, bubble fish, swellfish, toadies, sea squab, sugar toads and honey toads.

Report has it that there are more than 120 species of pufferfish worldwide.

Majority of these species are toxic, and some are among the most poisonous vertebrates in the world.

In certain species, the internal organs such as the liver, intestines and sometimes the skin contain tetrodotoxin which is highly poisonous when eaten.

It has also been isolated from other species including California newt, starfish, blue-ringed octopus, goby, parrotfish, angelfish, xanthid crabs and shellfish.

It has been reported that tetrodotoxin does not cross the blood-brain barrier, hence, people with tetrodotoxin poisoning remain conscious while their central nervous system gradually shuts down.

Symptoms such as numbness in the face, mouth and tongue develop within 30 minutes to six hours of ingestion.

The victim begins to experience headaches, nausea, slurred speech, diarrhoea and vomiting, as well as muscle weakness.

The rest of the body gradually becomes paralysed, causing death, when the heart and lung muscles are also paralysed.

Deaths

In recent years, there has been a report of fatalities associated with the consumption of pufferfish.

In 2015, PREMIUM TIMES reported how two people died in Ezillo community of Ebonyi State after eating poisonous fish.

In China, pufferfish poisoning affected 131 people from 2004 to 2007 and 35 deaths were reported.

In Taiwan, from 1992 to 2012, 128 people were affected and 11 died.

Two people were affected in Chicago in 2007. The fish, bought in Chicago, was labelled as monkfish.

In 2008, inland populations in Bangladesh reportedly purchased unknowingly cheap pufferfish at local markets, which gave rise to three outbreaks with 141 cases and 17 deaths.

A similar outbreak occurred in Khulna, involving 37 cases with eight fatalities in 2002.

In 2016, five people in an inland community in Sylhet died from eating pufferfish.

In the U.S., a case of tetrodotoxin poisoning, related to pufferfish, was reported in Virginia in 2014 and two also occurred in Minneapolis in the same year.

Pufferfish is a popular traditional dish in Japan. It is the most common natural marine toxin causing food poisoning in the country. In 2009, there were 50 cases but no deaths.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Mr Dabit, said, This fish is so deadly and poisonous. Its mostly seen in Asia countries.

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According to him, some people still eat pufferfish around the world, despite having such deadly venom.

Surprisingly, the meat of some pufferfish is considered a delicacy, especially in Japan and (it) is only specialised chefs that are licensed to even prepare it.

Because of the high risk, chefs must undergo two to three years of training to obtain a fugu preparing license, he said.

Mr Dabit said the fish can also be found in Nigeria. Yes, they are found everywhere in this country.

You know Lagos is close to the ocean, that is a marine environment. It is also found in places like Abuja and other places in the North and in the South.

You can get them there, if you interview the fisherman there they will tell you that yes the fish is common there and even in the North here people that live around the riverine area like Lokoja, Adamawa, Taraba even in Kebbi and places like Niger, they will tell you they know about the fish very well and they are aware that it is poisonous, he said.

A family ate pufferfish in Ghana, all of them were rushed to the hospital. Three out of the five people in that family lost their life.

That led the ministry of health of Ghana to notify our federal ministry of health and because FCT is a seat of government, the Minister of Health wrote to the Minister of (the) Federal Capital Territory to ensure that such a case is not found in the FCT.

That is why we have to go on a campaign to create awareness. We went from market to market and only populated places and restaurants to show them how the fish looks like, because it contains a toxin so deadly. The toxin is called tetrodotoxin and it is about 1200 times more poisonous than cyanide, he said.

Creating awareness is to discourage people from eating it because they will not know how to prepare it.

It is not that it cannot be eaten but the poison is so deadly we just want to discourage people from eating it.

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Studies have shown that the toxin in one pufferfish is enough to kill 30 adults in a very short time and then there is no antidote for it. That is even the worse thing. No antidote, he said.

In Abuja, people do bring in the fish from outside.

Some years back, when we were going around on inspection, we saw it in Kado fish market in Abuja we warned them and since that time weve not seen it again and weve not heard of it again. Not until now that we got this letter from the head of service to the minister of FCT that we should make sure that people are aware of this deadly fish, he said.

When we were going around I was asking people and some of them said hunters use the poison as an arrow, they suck the arrow inside the skin of the fish and when they shoot an animal it cannot run more than 10 minutes and then the poison will make it fall down.

We thank God that most of the people we met, especially those ones that came from the riverine area, are aware of this fish, he said.

Also speaking to PREMIUM TIMES, Oyesola Peter, a graduate of aquaculture and fisheries management, said people should Desist from eating pufferfish, it is deadly.

Nigeria is a maritime state where nine of the 36 states have a coastline in the Atlantic Ocean.

The coastal states of Nigeria are Ogun, Ondo, Bayelsa, Lagos, Edo Delta, Rivers, Akwa Ibom and Cross River states found in the southern part of the country.

Recently, it was rumoured that pufferfish were being sold in some markets of Lagos State, he said.

He further advised the country to know the risk and dangers of consuming this fish.

Hence, Nigerias are hereby advised to know the dangers involved in consuming this fish.

The poison paralyzes the muscles while the victim stays fully conscious.

The poisoned victim is unable to breathe and eventually dies from asphyxiation, a condition of the deficient supply of oxygen to the body that arises from abnormal breathing.

This toxin is heat stable, cannot be destroyed by cooking and has no antidote to date, he said.

In a bid to prevent tetrodotoxin related food poisoning, he urged Nigerians to pay attention to the type of fish they eat.

Nigerians should pay attention to the type of fish and fish products available in the markets, to ensure they are safe for consumption.

The public is hereby advised not to consume pufferfish, he said.
A boy from an elite Sydney school who was part of a gang allegedly responsible for a horrific stabbing texted his mates after the attack to brag about 'what the knife had done' to his victim.

The 15-year-old, who cannot be identified, was one of eight teenagers who attacked a man, 36, at Pyrmont, inner-Sydney, at 11pm on Friday.

The victim, a 36-year-old man police say didn't even know his attackers, was left blind and in a coma.

Police will allege the man was 'sliced' at least seven times across the face, before he was kicked and punched while writhing in agony on the ground.

Magistrate Mary Ryan told the Surry Hills Children's Court that in all her years in the legal system she 'has never read anything so abhorrent' as the details of the alleged attack.

The alleged attackers and some friends - many of them students at some of Sydney's most prestigious private schools - had rented an Airbnb in the city for the night and CCTV footage from the apartment block will be used in evidence.

It is understood the attack may have been sparked by two girls who were among the group claiming they had been 'raped' or 'groped' by the victim.

The court heard that in the moments before the attack, one of the girls was asked: 'Is that the one who raped you?' to which she replied: 'Yeah that's the one'.

But NSW Police have said in court documents that the man was an 'innocent victim'.

Details of the alleged crime were revealed as two teenagers faced court on Tuesday, with police prosecutor Peter Mort calling it a 'sickening' attack and 'violence of the highest order', and flagging that they would likely be dealt with in an adult court.

Eight teenagers have been arrested over a shocking stabbing attack on a 36-year-old man at Pyrmont, in Sydney, about 11pm on Friday night. The assault by a group of youths (one of who is pictured but cannot be identified) left the man in a coma and blind in one eye

Two alleged offenders faced Surry Hills Children's Court on Tuesday, with police prosecutor Peter Mort calling it a 'sickening' attack and 'violence of the highest order', and flagging that they would likely be dealt with in an adult court

Mr Mort detailed allegations that while other members of the gang fled after the man had been stabbed, the 15-year-old remained behind stomping on the victim's head.

He said the youngster had been arrested at school on Monday and found a backpack allegedly matching one that could be seen in the phone video shot by a witness.

'We have evidence from a mobile phone, from a witness from a balcony nearby that we allege captures the incident,' Mr Mort said.

'We have direct evidence from a witness, being what they saw and heard. They were in the proximity and they heard the words: '"They're going to stab him".

'We allege this young person is seen stomping on the head of the victim while he is on the ground. The victim was unable to protect himself.

'We will allege a number of people from that group fled while he continued to stomp on the victim, and another co-accused joined.

'A co-offender (allegedly) slashed the face of this male whilst he was on the ground.'

He was charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray.

Mr Mort said the scene that confronted paramedics and police when they arrived on Saturday night 'would have been incredibly distressing'.

The teenager's parents and sister sat in court as his solicitor Peter Linegar applied for bail.

Mr Linegar claimed that the boy's parents had agreed to forfeit $2,000 and keep him under watch at home, adding it could be a long time before the matter is finalised in court.

Magistrate Mary Ryan told Surry Hills Children's Court that in all her years working in the legal system she 'has never read anything so abhorrent' as the details of the alleged attack (Police are pictured at the scene of the attack)

A 15-year-old was arrested by police at his school on Monday and charged with wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and affray (Pictured are objects left at the scene of the alleged assault)

The alleged attackers and some friends had rented an Airbnb in the city for the night and CCTV footage from the apartment will be used in evidence.

But Mr Mort said 'there are no conditions that I would possibly imagine that could be imposed to the bail concerns of serious offence, endangering the safety of victims, community, or interfering with witnesses

Magistrate Ryan agreed, saying she did not feel she could allow the youngster back into the community.

She added that the text messages sent by him in the hours after the alleged assault detailing his role showed he had 'no remorse'.

'Bail must be refused and with good reason, that I will detail so the community know why I am refusing bail for a 15-year-old with no previous criminal history,' Magistrate Ryan said.

'The facts before me and the actions taken by these young persons are abhorrent. It is reading that offends the normal notions of what a civil society is.

'There is an indication of his thoughts in the form of text messages (he sent) that are so concerning, that it is just something I've not read as facts from an adult who has carried out an offence - let alone a young 15-year-old.

'As an adult, as a mother, as a grandmother, it is very upsetting that this young person has allegedly behaved in this manner and reported back to his friends about his behaviour.'

It is understood the attack may have been sparked by two girls who were among the group claiming they had been 'raped' or 'groped' by the victim, but NSW Police have said the man was an 'innocent victim'.

There are serious fears the victim will lose his eye following the attack.

The 15-year-old boy was refused bail over the attack, while his 16-year-old co-accused was allowed to go home under strict conditions

Outside court the teenager's mothers defended her son as a 'sweet boy' and said she was shocked at the allegations against him.

One of his co-accused who was arrested on Sunday returned to court on Tuesday in a bid to be granted bail.

The 16-year-old's parents broke down in tears as Magistrate Ryan allowed him to be released from prison and placed into what she described as 'home detention'.

His parents had submitted they would take time away from work and essentially see him confined to home detention when not at school, if he was granted bail.

'His mum is working from home and his father has taken leave and will take more time off if necessary,' the youngster's solicitor Peter O'Brien told the court.

'He has just recently had his 16th birthday and you have read, and I do not intend to regurgitate, his tremendous family support.'

In granting bail, Magistrate Ryan said the allegations against him were 'different' to those against his co-accused.

The youths are due to reappear before Surry Hills Children's Court (pictured) on September 29

'This is a different set of facts. We dont know how many punches were inflicted and we dont know where those punches landed,' she said.

'The young person was cooperative with police which indicates to me there is some remorse here. He also indicated the name of the main assailant.'

Magistrate Ryan ordered the teenager - who she said was on a scholarship at his high school - be driven to and from school by his parents, and not contact his co-accused on social media.

The youths will reappear in court on September 29.
Mumbai:

Nearly 90% of the 2 lakh ATMs deployed across the country have been re-calibrated to dispense the new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes, says a key maker of the machines even as millions of people continue to face acute cash shortages in the aftermath of demonetisation last month.

As per the plan, all the ATMs should have been ready by Wednesday. These machines needed to be re-calibrated after the government on November 8 announced the scrapping of old 500 and 1,000 rupee notes in a bid to crack down on black money, and introduced of new 500 and 2,000 rupee notes of different size and high-security features.

"A working group, formed under a RBI headed task force, was given a deadline to recalibrate all the ATMs by November 30. About 90%, which is around 1.80 lakh ATMs, have been re-calibrated so far to dispense new Rs 500 and Rs 2,000 notes," ATM manufacturer NCR Corporation's managing director, (India & South Asia) Navroze Dastur told PTI.

Following the announcement to scrap old high currency notes, a task force was set up on November 14 under the chairmanship of Reserve Bank deputy governor SS Mundra to oversee the recalibration process of all the ATMs.

Under the task force, a working group was formed which included of representatives of ATMs manufacturers like NCR, Diebold Nixdor, cash in transit companies and managed service providers, among others.

Dastur said the working group consisted of around 40-60 people and they have been recalibrating on an average 12,000 ATMs per day. He said the rest of the ATMs would be re-calibrated over the next 10 days to dispense new notes.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 15:36:13|Editor: huaxia

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CANBERRA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Australia's Deputy Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Nick Coatsworth has called for all Australians to do the right thing to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Coatsworth said on Tuesday morning that Australian authorities were relying on everyone to mitigate the spread of the virus by abiding by quarantine guidelines after travelling interstate.

"We are relying on the whole community," he told Nine network television.

"What can we do when people don't obey the rules? Well, you know, there are significant penalties. People end up with a criminal record. They could end up in jail."

"So anybody who's contemplating that sort of thing, you just got to ask yourself, is it really worth it both for you personally and for the whole of the Australian community?"

As of Tuesday noon there had been 18,729 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Australia, and the number of new cases in the last 24 hours was 452, said Coatsworth later in a press conference.

The death toll has climbed from 221 to 232. Of the new cases, 439 were confirmed in Victoria and the 11 new deaths were also in the state.

"All of the 11 new deaths are linked to known outbreaks in aged care facilities. To date, 147 people have died from coronavirus in Victoria," said a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services in Victoria on Tuesday.

Coatsworth also said that the basic reproductive number in Melbourne, the capital city of Victoria, for COVID-19 was about one, meaning that each infected person was passing the virus to one other person on average, which he said was far too high.

He said that the strict lockdown that has been imposed across Victoria was the way to bring the number back down.

"It's just the way the virus works."

"And what we need to do now is over the next one to two weeks getting some runs on the board for Victorians." Enditem
Thousands crowd into Caracas open-air bazaar and pay little heed to social distancing despite rising coronavirus cases.

Venezuela capital Caracass largest produce market is at the centre of a worsening COVID-19 outbreak, but cash-strapped merchants refuse to stop hawking food there for the citys five million residents, many of whom are starving.

Three days a week  down from six before the pandemic  some 10,000 people, including retailers and consumers, pack into the state-run Coche Wholesale Market. The produce is trucked out to the citys supermarkets, providing a lifeline amid Venezuelas six-year economic crisis.

Caracas depends on this market, its administrator Walter Rivera said in an interview, adding that about 17,000 tonnes of goods are sold there each month.

But the open-air bazaar, where people pay little heed to social distancing though most wear masks, upsets President Nicolas Maduros governments efforts to stop an accelerating number of coronavirus cases from overloading Venezuelas dilapidated health system. So far authorities have confirmed 20,206 cases and 174 deaths, though the opposition and medical NGOs warn that testing is insufficient.

People gathered at the Coche wholesale market in Caracas, Venezuela [Manaure Quintero/Reuters]

On July 29, authorities limited the opening hours of wholesale markets across the capital to between dawn and 2pm.

Coche is a potential site of high contagion due to its lack of social distancing, Jose Manuel Olivares, a health adviser to opposition leader Juan Guaido, said in an interview.

Maduro ordered harsh lockdown measures in March which slowed the viruss spread, but basic goods shortages forced many merchants to return to wholesale markets to make a living.

If you dont go out every day you dont eat, said Moises Rojas, 23, who sells carrots, potatoes and onions in Coche.

Rojas, one of the markets 3,500 workers, said on pre-pandemic days he could sell three 45kg (110 pounds) sacks of carrots. Now, he sells only 5kg (11 pounds).

Some traders lugging sacks and pushing carts around the market said they feared getting infected, but they were more afraid the government would stop them from working.

It would get ugly for us, said Angel Serrano, who has spent 32 of his 44 years selling there. This supports all of us here.

Coche administrator Rivera said in the last few weeks they carried out 4,500 rapid antibody tests there, with only one positive result. Were working so that they dont shut the market, he said.
The federal government has said students with COVID-19 symptoms should stay at home, as SS3 students return to schools this week natio...





The federal government has said students with COVID-19 symptoms should stay at home, as SS3 students return to schools this week nationwide.





The National Coordinator of the Presidential Task Force on COVID-19, Dr Sani Aliyu, stated this during Mondays press conference in Abuja.





The PTF faulted state governments who directed students to produce results of their COVID-19 tests before resumption.





It said instead of compulsory tests, students already showing symptoms of coronavirus should be asked to stay away.





In preparation for the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE), students in Ogun and Benue would resume today, while those in Kano and Ekiti will return to school on August 10.





The Ogun State Government before it made a U-turn on Monday, had asked all boarding students to go for a compulsory COVID-19 test.





This resulted in a protest by parents whose children are in private schools, who would have paid N25,000 for the test.





But Aliyu while responding to a question on the issue, said: It is far more important to monitor for symptoms and check for temperature, and ensure students that have symptoms of cough or any other respiratory symptoms are told to stay back at home and seek medical attention.




The East Ridge Police and Fire Departments will be hosting a Blood Assurance Blood Drive on Tuesday, August 18 from noon-6 p.m. at the Police Department, 4214 Ringgold Road.

Donors do not have to be police or fire department employees.

Its recommended to schedule an appointment by visiting www.bloodassurance.org/erpd, calling 423-756-0966 or emailing amyobrien@@bloodassurance.org.

There will be free covid-antibody screening for donors. A free beach towel will be given to donors. Donors who give blood twice this summer will be entered to win a Big Green Egg.

"Please support our effort to meet blood needs for our area," organizers said.








Provincial health officer Dr. Bonnie Henry announced 146 new cases of COVID-19 in British Columbia since Friday, including 9 new cases in the Interior Health region.

In the past four days, there have been no new deaths. The total number of deaths related to COVID-19 in B.C. remains at 195.

The new cases bring the province's total positive tests to 3,787. Of these, 377 have come from the Interior, up from 369 on Friday. One case previously incorporated in IH numbers has been dropped.

Active cases in B.C. have increased to 319, including eight people in hospitalization and four in ICU. Across the province, 3,273 have fully recovered from the virus.

There has been one new outbreak in the Fraser Valley region at the Maple Ridge Seniors Village assisted living facility, which consists of a single case affecting a staff member.

The outbreak at Mission Memorial Hospital has now been declared over, and three active healthcare outbreaks remain. All three are in long-term care or assisted living facilities.

Active outbreaks and a number of exposure events have continued in the community, especially in the Fraser Valley region, says Dr. Henry.
Lee Eun Kyung, who was on the panel of judges that presided over Korea's first-ever sexual harassment case, which Park Won-soon won, in her office in Seoul on Aug. 3.

Lee Eun Kyung remembers Park Won-soon from his work arguing South Koreas first-ever sexual harassment case, beginning in 1993. Lee was on the panel of judges that first presided over the case, and Park was the star lawyer for the womans legal team. In 1999, after six years of pro-bono work, he helped win a conviction, also a first for the country.

I remember how Park calmly gave his defense, Lee recalls.

Parks high-profile record as a civil rights lawyer helped catapult him into public life. He was elected Seoul mayor in 2011 and was a leading contender to run for president in 2022. Park was widely seen as a champion of womens rightsuntil July 10, when his body was found in the mountains of Seoul. Two days earlier, his former secretary had filed a police report, saying he sexually harassed her for four years. Parks apparent suicide and the accusations against him have bitterly divided Korea, which must confront the uncomfortable questions behind the gleaming legacy of one of the countrys most powerful men.

Park Won-soon celebrates with supporters after being elected Mayor of Seoul on Oct. 27, 2011 | Jeon Heon-KyunEPA/Shutterstock

For Lee, who acknowledges the significance of Parks work on the 1990s sexual harassment case, the priority now is clear. We cant let his death cover the error of his ways, she says. The truth must be uncovered. The victim must feel surrounded by enemies on all four sides. She must feel so lonely.

Lee now heads a law firm with an elegant office in Seoul. She isnt affiliated with the case against Park, although as a long-time advocate of womens rights, she feels compelled to speak out. Its risky for me to speak publicly to the press about this issue, but I wanted to talk. I wanted to give power to the victim in the small way that I can.

Read more: How #MeToo Is Taking on a Life of Its Own in Asia

But, Parks death has incited as much defensiveness as disappointment. The memories of his righteous past, including his role in the 1990s sexual harassment case, are deepening the divide. To his supporters, his past is vindication that he was a good man, that his accuser is in the wrong. To others, his good man image is a painful reminder of his alleged betrayaland that hypocrisy isnt always visible to the public.

Story continues

He led the team responsible for making sexual harassment punishable by law for the first time in Korea. And now, just a few days after he was accused of sexual harassment, he was found dead. All this is very shocking, says Lee.

Police officers carry Park's body on July 10 | Chung Sung-JunGetty Images

Few of Parks defenders were willing to be interviewed about the allegations, but one of the fellow lawyers from the 1990s sexual harassment case spoke to TIME on the condition of anonymity, citing professional backlash: That man dedicated his life to human rights. Which of us is 100% perfect? Were only hearing one side of the story.

Many of his supporters argue that the sexual harassment accusation shouldnt erase the accomplishments he made during his lifes work. Must we abandon everything he left behind for the women in this land? wrote historian Chun Wooyong, who also criticized politicians refusing to attend Parks funeral service. Tears flow ceaselessly down my face.

Still others, particularly on social media, have attacked Parks former secretary for hurting him and his family.

The accusation

Parks former secretary, who has not been publicly named, detailed her accusations on July 13three days after he was found dead. At a press conference that was called jointly with prominent womens organizations, her lawyer said the mayor touched her inappropriately in the bedroom attached to his office, sent pictures of himself in his underwear and asked her for pictures.

Left: Kim Hye-jeong (R), deputy head of the Korea Sexual Violence Relief Center, holds up a sign declaring solidarity with Park's former secretary on July 13; Right: A city official holds Park's suicide note outside the funeral hall of Seoul National University on July 10 | Yonhap/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock; Yonhap/AFP/Getty Images

The day I mustered the courage to file my complaint, and was questioned throughout the night, the person that ruined my human dignity let go of his own, she wrote in a letter read by her representatives.

Especially troubling, are her accusations that he used his positions to continue abusing her. She says she was assigned to wake the mayor from his naps, because she was told hed be less irritated by a female secretary. The nature of the secretarys job was to keep the mayor happy, said her representatives in a written statement.

Within the safety of a courtroom, I wanted to yell at him to stop. I wanted to scream that I am in pain, wrote Parks former secretary, who says she decided to report her boss after receiving counseling. Her legal team says it has screenshots of her conversations with the mayor on the messaging app Telegram.

A landmark case

The 1990s sexual harassment case that Park argued was a milestone for womens rights. It was also a personal one for Lee, who had just turned 30 in 1994, when her team first declared the perpetrator guilty. She was the only female judge in her team, in an era where women were so rare in the justice system that her court building didnt even have bathrooms for women. I was the only judge identified in the media by my gender, and age in parenthesis, she recalls.

Lee working as a judge in the 1990s in Seoul | Courtesy Eun-Kyung Lee

Her team fined Shin Jeong-hyu, a chemistry professor from Seoul National University, 30 million won (about $25,000 today) for harassing a student. Nowadays, sexual harassment is a familiar concept, says Lee. Back then, it was still very new. [At the time] people said, Why does something like this need to be fined? The court even received telephone calls threatening to blow us up.

Society was divided at the time, says Lee Sooyeon, an honorary senior research fellow at the Korean Womens Development Institute, a government think tank. I remember being enraged by my husband, who was also a professor in the sciences. He said, Professor Shin is a good person. Theres no way hed do this.

At the time, many minimized the victims experiences by highlighting the perpetrators good deeds and reputation, downplaying the damage of sexual harassment, or outright calling her a flower snakea Korean term for a female con artist who exploits men through sex appeal. Shin, the perpetrator, even published a book in defense, Am I A Sexually Harassing Professor?

In 1999, the Supreme Court finally upheld the original decision by Lees team (with a smaller fine). Since then, Korea has made leaps in womens rights. There are various laws regarding sexual offenses and a vibrant feminist movement.

Backlash

But the current backlash surrounding Parks former secretary feels eerily familiar to the rhetoric over two decades ago. She, too, has been labeled a flower snakeby some of Parks defenders on social media.

Prominent liberals have publicly sided with the mayor, saying the harassment allegations are lacking proof and damaging to Parks family.

Doubting the credibility of #MeToo survivorsdespite research that shows consistently low rates of false sexual violence allegationsis so commonplace worldwide that backlash seems to come with the territory, especially when an alleged perpetrator is as respected and powerful as Park.

Sexual harassment is extremely hard to prove. Usually the only evidence are witness testimonies, says scholar Lee Sooyeon. It also isnt a matter of romance; its about power. When power is involved, its incredibly hard for people to reject the abuse. They dont know when to say no. Thats how sexual harassment intensifies.

Over 40,000 South Korean women protest against sexism and hidden camera pornography in Seoul on Aug. 4, 2018 | Jean ChungGetty Images

The power dynamics are especially rigid for secretaries and it wasnt an easy environment to draw clear boundaries.

People accuse her why it took so long to come out, says Lee Eun Kyung, the former judge. But the fact that it took her four years shows how helpless a small individual feels within a powerful system.

The victim requested a department transfer multiple times, Song Ran-hee, secretary general of Korea Womens Hotline, said in a second press conference representing the former secretary on July 22. What makes her suffer the most arent the online comments of utter strangers. Its the fact that around 20 colleagues, who knew about the situation directly and indirectly, concealed, distorted and minimized the case.

Political implications

Partisan national politics have been an undercurrent complicating the public reaction to the case. Park was one of the most prominent members of the ruling Democratic Party, in addition to being the leader of the South Korean capital.

After initially denying the harassment allegations as rumors, the Seoul governmentwhich, ironically enough, had an excellent manual on workplace sexual harassment under Parkhas belatedly vowed to try its best in uncovering the truth. Although the police case related to the womans original report was automatically closed with Parks death, the National Human Rights Commission said it will conduct an independent probe.

The former secretarys first press conference coincided with the beginning of Parks lavish five-day funeral organized by the Seoul governmentdespite nearly 600,000 people signing a petition opposing the public ceremony.

Mourners pay their respects at a public memorial for Park in Seoul on July 11 | Ed JonesAFP/Getty Images

And national leaders have been inconsistent in their messaging. The head of the Democratic Party came under fire for calling a reporter a bastard, when questioned at the funeral home about the centrist partys response to the sexual harassment allegations. President Moon Jae-in has kept silent, despite running in 2017 as a feminist president; meanwhile, his press secretary publicly expressed support for the victim, only to clarify a few hours later that it was his personal opinion, and not the Blue Houses official position.

The #MeToo movement, which has swept the country since 2018, has brought down prominent men, most recently the mayor of Busan, South Koreas second largest city. Prior to Park Won-soon, the most prominent #MeToo scandal was that surrounding Ahn Heejung, who was also a star in the Democratic Party and a strong presidential contender. Ahn is now in prison for raping and harassing Kim Ji-eun, his former secretary.

In order to #MeToo, I had to risk my life as a worker, which meant everything to me. I had to abandon the future I built, Kim told newspaper Hankook Ilbo. I felt wretched and distressed [seeing Parks case]. Her situation is so similar to mine. Two years ago, I shouted #MeToo, hoping there would be no more victims. But reality hasnt changed a bit. I couldnt stop crying.

A work in progress

The #MeToo movement in Korea is a work in progress, says scholar Lee Sooyeon, who researches sexual abuse policies for the government. She says the budget related to sexual harassment prevention has increased in recent years, along with awareness. But its still hard to systematize our ideas. We need to ride the current momentum to push for more change.

Publicly, Park Won-soon believed in justice for women. I decided to volunteer as defense because I am certain the immovable truth stands with the victim, he said in 1994. Yet a note, found not long after his death, says nothing of the alleged victim in the current case.

Lee Eun Kyung, despite her respect for what Park did in the past, believes the case must be rigorously investigated. Why do sexual harassment and violence continue in South Korean society? Parks death cannot blur out the truth of the case. We must be brave.

Lee outside her office in Seoul. | Yezoi Hwang for TIME

If you or someone you know may be contemplating suicide, in the U.S. call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text HOME to 741741 to reach the Crisis Text Line. In emergencies, call 911 or seek care from a local hospital or mental health provider. In South Korea, contact the Korea Suicide Prevention Center at 1393 or LifeLine Korea at 1588-9191.
At a Houston-area gas station, cashier Mililai Najera can sense the displeasure of cash-paying customers when it comes time to give them their exact change.

Thats because many times she cant. The pandemic had led to a nationwide coin shortage, caused by a slower pace of circulation of coins among households, banks and retailers.

I have had customers who have gotten upset because I cant give them four pennies, Najera said. Sometimes, she will give them a dime in exchange for a few pennies. When customers cant give her exact payment, the 19-year-old tells them, Your change might be a little bit short, but I can try.

Some retailers have started posting signs notifying customers that they might not be able to provide exact change for their purchases, and instead ask for them to pay with a credit or debit card or exact payment.

Its not like coins are not there, said Venky Shankar, professor and director of research at the Center for Retailing Studies in Texas A&M Universitys Mays Business School. The coins are just being used less as business has slowed and more people stay home.

Another hurdle for coin usage, Shankar said, is the fear that money could carry the novel coronavirus, even though experts dont know definitively whether cash actually poses a threat.

In order to keep coins circulating, the U.S. Mint has asked people to pay with exact change. We ask that the American public start spending their coins, depositing them, or exchanging them for currency at financial institutions or taking them to a coin redemption kiosk, the mint said in a news release. A new task force  the U.S. Coin Task Force  has also been charged with determining how to reinvigorate the supply chain.

After a cashier asked Ellis Terrell to pay for his breakfast in exact change recently, the 34-year-old found himself scrounging around underneath the seats in his truck to find 7 cents.

Terrell pays in cash every day and usually uses a debit or credit card to pay bills. Hell buy breakfast on the way to work or energy drinks and small miscellaneous items during the day. The coin shortage is a mild inconvenience, but it impacts him directly.

I run into that all the time, Terrell said of the shortage. Its been happening over and over. Terrell just wants to go in and get his items without the added burden of counting up exact change.

According to Shankar, roughly 45 to 50 percent of sales in smaller stores  places such as convenience stores  are made in cash. But big grocers such as H-E-B, Kroger and Walmart have also faced a shortage of coins.

In response to the shortage, some retailers and restaurants have started to pay or reward customers for their coins.

The U.S. Mint has also increased production from 1.2 billion coins in June to 1.35 billion coins per month for the rest of 2020, according to a Statista review.

But that doesnt solve everything.

That still will not unlock the coins that are already in the drawers and the banks, Shankar said.

Laundromats, which rely heavily on coins to function, are among the businesses directly impacted by the coin shortage.

On a recent afternoon at Truxillo Washateria in Third Ward, a steady stream of people filtered in and out of the laundromat, carrying bundles of clothes. A sign out front reminded people that change is for customers only.

Some customers, such as April Terry, have cut down on visits to the laundromat because of the pandemic. Terrys 3-year-old daughter comes with her to do the laundry  now just once every three weeks instead of her usual weekly wash. Shes anxious about COVID-19, and her family has been directly impacted by the virus, so she tries to stay away from crowded places as much as possible.

The impact of the coin shortage will most likely fall on those who usually pay with cash or dont have credit cards, a population often referred to as the unbanked or underbanked.

A 2017 survey from the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. found that the Houston area has an unbanked household rate that is nearly twice the national rate  11.8 percent compared with a national rate of 6.5 percent. The Houston-area rate is also higher than the Texas state rate of 9.5 percent. This rate has increased in the Houston area by 1.4 percent since 2015.

They would be people that would be bearing the brunt, Shankar said. He also said that those earning $25,000 a year or less often complete about 40 to 45 percent of transactions using cash and that this group will be very unfortunately affected.

The lower end of the economic spectrum doesnt have the flexibility of credit cards or debit cards that many of us take for granted, said Brian Carr, chief advancement officer at Northwest Assistance Ministries, a community-based nonprofit. They work and live strictly on a cash basis.
CHICAGO, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corporate gifting has long been a key tool for business leaders to strengthen their most important relationships, but its been difficult to quantify just how valuable it is. Today, the corporate gifting company Packed with Purpose released its 2020 Business Gifting Report that puts hard numbers on these critical questions.



The survey of a representative sample of employed U.S. adults over age 18, conducted by the independent research firm Justkul, found that 68 percent of people who have received a memorable gift basket or gift box from a business said it strengthened their relationship with the business.

However, when that gift had a philanthropic benefit, respondents were even more affected:

53 percent said they would be more delighted by a gift that had a positive social impact;



43 percent said they would be more likely to recommend a company on the basis of such a gift; and



33 percent said theyre prepared to spend more at businesses that gave a gift with a positive social impact.

These findings spotlight the importance of purpose in peoples lives, said Leeatt Rothschild, founder and CEO of Packed with Purpose , a Chicago-based company that curates corporate gifts that do good. Particularly now, people want to feel like theyre helping affect positive change in the world. And they want the organizations they work with to be making a difference, too.

All the adults surveyed had received a gift in the last three years from a current or prospective employer. Interestingly, the survey found that gift baskets and gift boxes were nearly twice as memorable in a recipients mind as a charitable donation, suggesting that employees and business leaders are more apt to remember something tangible than an email receipt from a donation made in their name.

Across industries, the technology and banking sectors placed the highest value on gifts with a positive social impact, the survey found, while professionals in healthcare and sales-oriented professions put the lowest value on such gifts.

Many employees at large tech or finance companies may not feel that their day-to-day work directly contributes to making the world a better place, Rothschild said. Thats part of the reason these companies have corporate social responsibility (CSR) departments -- to give their employees a stronger sense of purpose. When these companies give their employees an appreciation gift that supports an important social cause, it accomplishes the same purpose.

The full 2020 Business Gifting Report can be found here .

About Packed with Purpose

Packed with Purpose is on a mission to create meaningful impact by changing the way companies and individuals give gifts. Packed with Purpose discovers products produced by social enterprises and curates memorable gifts that wow recipients and create positive change. From granola handcrafted by female survivors of abuse to glass-blown wine stoppers that support teens affected by gun violence, Packed with Purpose curates unforgettable gifts that do good. Gift with Impact. For more information, visit packedwithpurpose.gifts/

About the Survey

This research was conducted by the independent research firm Justkul Inc. via an online survey administered between April 8-22, 2020. Participants were recruited from a general audience of adults over the age of 18, balanced across standard demographic categories and U.S. geographical regions, and including participants from all 50 states and at least three U.S. territories. To qualify, a participant had to indicate that they had received a business gift worth at least $15 in the past three years. Three hundred and seventy four (374) participants qualified and completed the survey. At the 95% confidence level this yields results with a confidence interval of approximately +/- 5%.

Media Contact: Becca Reyes, rebecca@propllr.com
Caparol Arabia, Middle Easts leading German paint manufacturer, claims it has successfully tested CapaCare Protect, one of its flagship and innovative paint products, in the fight against coronavirus.

The tests were conducted in the United States and proved the efficacity of the solution in curbing the spread of coronavirus and other microbes, the company claims. These tests follow the successful launch of the product in the UAE market in April 2020.

The premium interior emulsion CapaCare Protect is the only paint in the region with 99.9% kill rate against Human Coronavirus and H1N1 influenza A. The reports were tested as per American and Japanese standards in two independent ISO 17025 laboratories in USA, approved and accredited by the International Antimicrobial Council.

Martin Rosocha, Managing Director at Caparol Arabia said: Caparol is committed to developing environment-friendly solutions that contribute to comfortable living, healthier and more energy efficient spaces. Since the beginning of the pandemic, our expert solutions team have joined the fight against the virus with the introduction of CapaCare Protect, a premium anti-microbial paint suited for homes, hospitals, clinics and day-care centres. These efforts paid off and we have now proved that we have a solid solution that can effectively kill 99.9% of coronavirus particles. This is a ground-breaking development and we are delighted to now make the paint available across the region to secure and protect the walls of as many residents as we can.

CapaCare Protect is manufactured in our production plant in the UAE and has already been used over the past three months on various projects including commercial, residential areas, hospitals and schools. The demand for the product is on the rise and its production is expected to further increase following the news around positive tests to combat coronavirus.

According to global real estate advisors Savills, the Middle East has seen an impressive rise in the number of construction projects over the past decade, and this number is only set to increase with close to $2 trillion worth of projects planned and in the pipeline in the region. In this context, modern methods of construction and the solutions employed will play a vital role in ensuring the sustainable development of the cities.

Mowaffaq Balish, Commercial Director at Caparol Arabia adds: Ultimately, Caparol wants to play a key role in supporting the positive development of the region and reflect governmental shift towards a green economy. We are seeing more and more developers keen to make projects more efficient and sustainable. Theres a real opportunity to help them improve the performance and safety of their buildings and enhance the experience of residents with our innovative solutions.

Caparol offers over 125 years of global experience and has been family-owned for five generations. The brand was founded in Germany with the invention of emulsion paint technology, which transformed the way people painted buildings and homes. Caparol Arabia was established in 1999 in Dubai and is part of global company DAW, which has 6,000 employees and is present in over 40 countries. -- Tradearabia News Service
Asylum seeker activist groups have slammed the federal government over its plans to reopen the Christmas Island detention centre, calling for a reduction in the number of people held in immigration facilities.

The Australian Border Force (ABF) confirmed the decision on Tuesday night, saying its ability to remove unlawful non-citizens from Australia had been curtailed by global COVID-19 measures.

The ABF said that as a result, this was placing the detention network under pressure.

"To relieve capacity pressure across the detention network in Australia, detainees will be temporarily transferred to the immigration detention facility at North West Point on Christmas Island in the weeks ahead," a statement read.
Heavy rains in South Korea ended up causing floods which in turn killed 13 citizens and displaced 1,000 people from their homes, the local authorities confirmed on August 4. As per several local media reports, deaths were caused due to the landslides. Apart from 13 deaths, 13 people are also reported as missing, as per the officials.

Reportedly, among these 13 missing, one is a 60-year-old man whose truck was swept away in a flash flood in North Chungcheong province. A number of videos surfaced which showed vehicles being swept away by water. The disaster officials have also said that the waters inundated more than 5,751 hectares of farmland.

According to the officials, as a result of these heavy rains, key highways and bridges got flooded in South Korea's capital Seoul. The South Korean government had also mobilised more than 25,000 police officers and volunteers to do damage control. Around 50-100mm rainfall is also predicted for August 4.

Read:South Korea Confirms 113 Fresh Coronavirus Cases, Highest Since March

Read: China, South Korea See Upticks In Virus Cases

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in to hold an emergency meeting

South Korea's President Moon Jae-in will be holding an emergency meeting on August 4. The president raised concerns over citizens and frontline workers battling the ongoing coronavirus pandemic while also struggling with 42 days of monsoon rains, which weather officials termed as the longest stretch of monsoon since 49 days of rain in 2013.

"I call for preventive checks and proactive precautionary measures to the level that could be deemed excessive." Moon said in an emergency meeting. The president has also urged national authorities to make necessary efforts in order to prevent further loss of lives and damages. As per several reports, in the early hours on August 4, work crews returned to operating the flooded roads and bridges along the Han River that had backed up traffic and damaged infrastructure.

After this flood situation in South Korea, state media in North Korea also warned of possible flooding as some areas were already experiencing heavy rainfall. According to reports, North Korea had also opened the floodgates of a border dam on August 3 without giving any notice to its neighbour.

Read: South Korea Reports 30 New Cases

Read: Heavy Rain In South Korea Kills 6, 7 Others Missing

(Image credit: AP)
Shoprite, Africas largest food retailer, announced on Monday it is considering selling off its majority share in its Nigerian subsidiar...

Shoprite, Africas largest food retailer, announced on Monday it is considering selling off its majority share in its Nigerian subsidiary.





In a trading update filed at the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE), the retail giant said it has begun the formal process of liquidating its majority share.





Following approaches from various potential investors, and in line with our re-evaluation of the groups operating model in Nigeria, the board has decided to initiate a formal process to consider the potential sale of all, or a majority stake, in Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited, a subsidiary of Shoprite International Limited. As such, Retail Supermarkets Nigeria Limited may be classified as a discontinued operation when Shoprite reports its results for the year, it said.





TheCable reports there is a corporate tussle among three entities to bite into the larger stake of the retailer.





Persianas Nigeria Limited, a property development company, owned by Tayo Amusan, is said to be the preferred bidder for the Shoprite stake.





Amusan is a businessman invested in property development. Some of his properties house the stores of Shoprite.





Amusan founded Persianas in 1990. In 2004, he launched, The Palms. Owing to the success of The Palms in Lagos, he floated three additional malls in Enugu, Kwara, Ota and Ibadan.





Amusan sits on the board of several Nigerian companies, including African Paints Nigeria Limited, and he is also the chairman of Resourcery Limited.





The two other contenders are said to be another property development company but with links to a foreign country, and a South African company backed by South Africas pension fund. Though Amusan is mooted to be the favoured investor, the other bidders are pushing negotiations hard.





TheCable also reports that the deal will involve Shoprite retaining the management of its chain of operations, brand name, trademarks, and supply chain.





In an internal memo of July 31, Carl Erickson, general manager of the retailer, informed employees that the revision in the business is to make the company truly Nigerian.





The memo read: The expansion of the retail business in Nigeria to a greater consumer market should remain everybodys shared vision. It has, however, become apparent that the best manner in which to do this is by engaging Nigerian investors who share in this vision. In so doing we will be creating a truly Nigerian business run and owned by Nigerians for the Nigerian market.





Shoprite posted a sharp decline in sales of 6.3 percent in the 2020 fiscal year.





The retailer launched in Nigeria nearly 15 years ago, opening its first store in Lagos in December 2005.




President Trump played down the accomplishments of Representative John Lewis, the recently deceased civil rights icon, and criticized him for not attending the Trump inauguration in an interview conducted while Mr. Lewis was lying in state at the Capitol.

The comments from Mr. Trump, which aired on Axios on HBO Monday night, were unsurprising, given his penchant for grievance. But they were nonetheless stunning for the degree to which Mr. Trump refused to view Mr. Lewiss life and legacy in terms beyond how it related to Mr. Trump himself.

I never met John Lewis, actually, Mr. Trump said. He didnt come to my inauguration. He didnt come to my State of the Union speeches, and thats OK. Thats his right.

When asked to reflect on Mr. Lewiss contributions to the civil rights movement, Mr. Trump instead talked up his own record.
BANGALORE, India, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Contactless payment systems include smart cards or other devices that incorporate RFID or NFC technology to make payment safe and contactless. In comparison to mobile payments made over the internet, contactless payments are made in near physical proximity prohibiting unauthorized access during the transactions.

The global contactless payments market size was valued at USD 8.3 Billion in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 19.3 Billion by 2026, registering a CAGR of 12.8% from 2020 to 2026.

Global customer inclination towards mobile payment methods is growing in the form of contactless payment methods on POS networks, owing to which card and financial service providers either sell their card solutions on smartphones or via third-party vendors.

The growth of Contactless Payments market size is propelled by decreased transaction time, simplicity in handling low-value payments, and improved revenue opportunities.

This research analyses the Contactless Payments market size by participants, countries, product types, and end industries. The Contactless Payments market report also examines the dynamics of global market competition, market factors and patterns, opportunities and threats, risks and barriers to entry, distribution channels, distributors, and Porter's Five Forces Analysis.

Get Detailed Analysis of COVID-19 Impact on Contactless Payments Market https://reports.valuates.com/request/sample/QYRE-Auto-39D2532/Covid_19_Impact_on_Contactless_Payments_Market

TRENDS INFLUENCING THE CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS MARKET SIZE

The increasing hardware encryption on NFC Chips and the incorporation of contactless payment solutions on EPOS terminals as well as with Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards are expected to increase the growth of Contactless payments market size during the forecast period.

Furthermore, the growing knowledge among buyers of plastic money(hard plastic cards used in day to day life in place of actual banknotes) and smart cards, along with the need for fast transaction time without any inconvenience of standing in long queues are also accelerating the growth of Contactless payments market size.

Coronavirus outbreak has made Contactless payments a popular payment form, as it needs less physical interaction. This, in turn, is expected to increase the adoption of contactless payment during the forecast period.

Increasing financial fraud around the world has, in recent years, pressured government regulatory bodies to protect payment transactions. Therefore, these regulatory bodies have greatly impacted the adoption of POS terminals. Mobile POS systems are gaining momentum and are expected to see a rise in adoption rates with the introduction of cashless transaction technologies.

High costs involved in building EPOS terminals and lower acceptance rates are hampering the development of the Contactless payments market size.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-39D2532/covid-19-impact-on-contactless-payments

CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

Based on hardware, the Point of Sales (POS) segment holds the largest contactless payments market share during the forecast period. The POS terminal is an electronic system used in retail stores to handle payment transactions. Due to various benefits, such as ease of use, low implementation costs, and durability, these terminals have seen substantial growth in the contactless payment industry.

Based on region Europe is expected to hold the largest contactless payments market share. The region contains several both economically and technologically developed countries like the UK and Germany. The leading countries in the European market are the UK, Poland, Spain, and Germany. With the growing proliferation of contactless cards and terminals by card companies, such as Visa and Mastercard, total contactless spending has risen in these countries.

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CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS MARKET BY REGION

Asia-Pacific ( China , Japan , South Korea , India and ASEAN)

( , , , and ASEAN) North America (US and Canada )

(US and ) Europe ( Germany , France , UK and Italy )

( , , UK and ) Rest of World ( Latin America , Middle East & Africa ).

CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS MARKET BY TYPE

Payment Terminal Solution

Transaction Management

Security and Fraud Management

Hosted Point-of-sale

Analytics.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS MARKET BY APPLICATION

BFSI

Retail

IT & Telecom

Transportation

Hospitality

Government

Others.

CONTACTLESS PAYMENTS MARKET: KEY PLAYERS

Major competitors identified in this market include

Ingenico Group,

Verifone Systems,

Inside Secure,

On Track Innovations,

Oberthur Technologies,

Proxama,

Wirecard,

Giesecke & Devrient,

Gemalto,

Heartland Payment Systems,

Others.

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SIMILAR REPORTS :

Digital Payment Market Report

In 2019, the global Digital Payment market size was USD 35510 Million, and it is expected to reach USD 70640 Million by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 10.2% during 2021-2026.

The major vendors include Alipay, Tencent, ACI Worldwide, Adyen, Aliant Payment Systems, Aurus, Authorize.Net, Bluesnap, Chetu, Dwolla, Financial Software And Systems, First Data, Fiserv, Global Payments, Net 1 Ueps Technologies, Novatti, Paypal, Paysafe, Payu, Six Payment Services, Stripe, Total System Services, Wex, Wirecard, Worldline, Worldpay, Yapstone, etc.

Digital payment includes payment gateway solutions, payment processing solutions, mobile wallet solutions, mobile protection, and fraud detection solutions, and POS solutions

Digital payment services are classified into managed and professional services. During the forecast period, the payment gateway solutions subsegment is expected to grow to the highest CAGR.

This report focuses on the global Digital Payment market size, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market, and key players. The study objectives are to present the Digital Payment development in the United States, Europe, and China.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-9U1275/global-digital-payment

Mobile Contactless Payments Market Report

The top companies in the Mobile Contactless Payments Market include Heartland Payment Systems, Oberthur Technologies, Ingenico Group, Verifone, Inside Secure, On Track Innovations, Cryptomathic, Wirecard, Giesecke & Devrient, Location Sciences, Gemalto, etc.

This report focuses on the global Mobile Contactless Payments status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market, and key players. The study objectives are to present the Mobile Contactless Payments development in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, and Central & South America.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-31L2701/covid-19-impact-on-global-mobile-contactless-payments

Near Field Communication Market Report

Increasing penetration of mobile devices and rising numbers of online users are expected to boost m-commerce demand. The near field networking technology is commonly used to pay terminals using mobile devices. This, in turn, is expected to increase the Near Field Communication Market size.

This report focuses on the global Near Field Communication market size, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market, and key players. The study objectives are to present the Near Field Communication development in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India, and Central & South America.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-8B2449/global-near-field-communication

Contactless Smart Cards Market Report

The convenience of contactless smart cards and increased usage by governments to address their rising need for security are some of the major factors expected to increase the Contactless Smart Cards Market size.

The key regions covered in the Contactless Smart Cards market report are North America, Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-3L187/global-contactless-smart-cards

Wireless POS Terminal Market Report

The Global Wireless POS Terminal Market report focuses on the Wireless POS Terminal status, future forecast, growth opportunity, key market, and key players.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-37E1888/global-wireless-pos-terminal

Digital Payment Solutions Market Report

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-2D253/digital-payment-solutions

Mobile Wallet Market Report

The mobile wallet market size was valued at USD 1,043.1 Billion in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 7,580.1 Billion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 28.2% from 2020 to 2027.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/ALLI-Manu-4A19/mobile-wallet

Payment Processing Market Report

The global Payment Processing market size is projected to reach USD 68.8 Billion by 2026, from USD 36.2 Billion in 2019, at a CAGR of 9.6% during 2020-2026.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-1W325/payment-processing

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57% of those initially laid off/furloughed reported being put back on payroll sometime after their initial dismissal, but 39% of such respondents say they were put back on payroll yet were not asked to return to actual work.

Real-time data collected by RIWI from July 23 to August 1, 2020, under the auspices of the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index (JQI) and Cornell Law School Senior Fellow and Adjunct Professor, Daniel Alpert, has demonstrated that workers placed back on payrolls by U.S. employers, after the initial round of layoffs and furloughs occasioned by the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis, have recently been facing renewed layoffs.

The survey was initiated to test whether U.S. employees were vulnerable to business failures following the influx of U.S. government support to small and medium sized businesses that received an aggregate of $521 million in forgivable loans under the U.S. Treasury departments Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) promulgated under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act of 2020, the funding under which has been largely fully-expended by employers.

Of particular interest, the survey determined three salient points:



Of workers who were placed back on payrolls after being initially laid off/furloughed as a result of the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis, 31% report that they have been laid off a second time, and another 26% of those placed back on payrolls report being told by their employer that they may be laid off again.

37% of respondents employed by third-party employers (i.e. not self-employed) have been laid off/furloughed  at least once  since March 1, 2020.

57% of those initially laid off/furloughed reported being put back on payroll sometime after their initial dismissal, but 39% of such respondents say they were put back on payroll yet were not asked to return to actual work.

"The COVID19 Crisis is extremely fast moving - both in terms of the virus and the economy. RIWI's unique technology has enabled us to obtain a real-time assessment of the impact on the US employment situation of Payroll Protection Program funds being exhausted and other factors that are critical for markets and policy makers to understand - without waiting for the publication of official data, said Daniel Alpert, co-creator of the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index. The RIWI dataset output clearly shows that a substantial portion of the job growth experienced in May and June resulted from anomalies associated with PPP requirements, as opposed to underlying economic strength."

"Official and private sectors jobs data have not yet picked up the significant share of American workers that have already been re-laid off, said Danielle Goldfarb, Head of Global Research at RIWI. Since the impact is actually worse in states that have not seen COVID surges, these data indicate a systemic problem and a much deeper recession than the mainstream data suggest."

The survey utilized a unique methodology such that each day from July 23-August 1, a new set of randomly engaged Americans, including those that have never answered a survey before, was asked the same question set. The results remained consistent throughout the period, despite the unique set of respondents each day.

RIWI gathered these data using a unique technology -- originally developed for pandemic surveillance -- that engages randomly from the broadest possible swath of the American population on a continuous, real-time basis. As a result of this approach, over one half of RIWIs US respondents have not taken a survey in the past month, and one quarter say they have never taken a survey. Unlike traditional or online survey approaches, the technologys algorithms ensure that anyone on the Web has an equal chance of being randomly exposed to the questions. This technology allows hearing from those that would be less likely to answer typical government surveys such as BLS surveys. It also enables the rapid and continuous fielding of questions on the re-payrolling and layoff risk effect across the US and reports the results in almost real-time. The data extracted using this method are naturally representative of the US population before weighting to census demographics.

Read the full report, including methodology and accompanying graphs, here.

About RIWI:

RIWI stands for real-time interactive world-wide intelligence. The company provides access to continuous consumer and citizen sentiment in all countries. RIWI breaks through the noise to find the truth about what people really think, want and observe  by reaching the most diverse audiences, including the disengaged and quiet voices who do not typically answer surveys or express their views on social media. RIWI technology rapidly collects data in every country around the world and displays the results in a secure interactive dashboard in real-time. RIWI only collects anonymous information: 229 countries and territories, over 80 languages and 1.6 billion interviewees and counting.

About the U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index:

The U.S. Private Sector Job Quality Index (JQI) assesses job quality in the United States by measuring desirable higher-wage/higher-hour jobs versus lower-wage/lower-hour jobs. The JQI results also may serve as a proxy for the overall health of the U.S. jobs market, since the index enables month-by-month tracking of the direction and degree of change in high-to-low job composition. By tracking this information  and other alternative measures developed by the JQI team  policymakers and financial market participants can be more fully informed of past developments, current trends, and likely future developments in the absence of policy intervention. Economists and international organizations have in recent years developed other, complementary conceptions of job quality such as those addressing the emotional satisfaction employees derive from their jobs. For the purposes of this JQI, job quality means the weekly dollar-income a job generates for an employee. Payment, after all, is a primary reason why people work: the income generated by a job being necessary to maintain a standard of living, to provide for the essentials of life and, hopefully, to save for retirement, among other things.

###
Over two lakh bricks inscribed with Sri Ram (Lord Ram) in different languages collected from across the country over 30 years will form the foundation of the temple.

As Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares for the foundation stone laying ceremony for the Ram Temple in Ayodhya on August 5, Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has said the bhoomi poojan will become an occasion of national unity with the blessings of Lord Ram.



, , , , ,         ,    

                    ,          pic.twitter.com/ZDT1U6gBnb  Priyanka Gandhi Vadra (@priyankagandhi) August 4, 2020

Taking to Twitter, Vadra said, "Simplicity, courage, restraint, sacrifice and commitment are the essence of Lord Ram. Ram is within everyone, Ram is with everyone."

"With the grace of Lord Ram and Mother Sita, the bhoomi poojan ceremony of the temple will become an occasion for national unity, fraternity and cultural congregation," the Congress leader tweeted.

She said for ages Lord Ram's character had served as a source of unity for the entire Indian subcontinent.

"Ramayana has left an indelible mark on the civilization of the world and the Indian subcontinent. For ages, Lord Ram's character has helped the Indian subcontinent. Lord Ram belongs to everybody. Lord Ram wants everybody's welfare. That is why he is called 'Maryada Purshottam'," she said ahead of the grand celebrations planned in Ayodhya tomorrow.

Also read: Ram Mandir Bhoomi Poojan: Here's PM Modi's itinerary for August 5

Security has been beefed up in Ayodhya with multiple agencies taking over the security net.

Besides local police force, about 3,500 policemen, 40 companies of Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and 10 companies of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been requisitioned from other districts for deployment in Ayodhya for the event.

Barricades are already in place in Ayodhya and UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has issued an appeal, asking only those invited for August 5 bhoomi pujan ceremony to come to the temple town.

The CM, who visited Ayodhya on August 3 to oversee preparations for the event, said that the COVID-19 protocol will be strictly followed during the bhoomi pujan ceremony for Ram temple.

The Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra general secretary on August 3 said 175 eminent guests have been invited for the foundation stone-laying ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya.

The invitation list has been prepared only after "personally discussing" with BJP veterans LK Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi, lawyer K Parasaran and other dignitaries, the trust's general secretary, Champat Rai said.

He said 175 eminent guests, including 135 seers belonging to as many spiritual traditions, would be present at the programme, adding that some eminent citizens of the temple town have also been invited.

Salil Singhal, the nephew of late VHP leader Ashok Singhal, will be the "yajmaan" (ritual patron) at the ceremony. Hindu seers from Nepal have also been invited as Janakpur has relations with Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Ayodhya, Rai said.

(With PTI inputs)
Virgin Galactic has finally revealed the first conceptual images of the supersonic jet they are planning to build that will fundamentally change the way we travel by air.





Revealing Conceptual Image of Supersonic Jet

In a Daily Mail report, the company has shared new information about the jet, saying it should be able to shuttle 19 passengers at a time with the speed of Mach 3, which is as fast as three times the speed of sound.

Additionally, the jet should be able to fly at an altitude of more than 60,000 feet, double the altitude of a common commercial plane.

The company has also announced its partnership with Rolls Royce to design and develop the supersonic jet's engine propulsion technology to ensure smooth flights at great distances.

When it comes to the design, the Virgin Galactic supersonic jet has a design unlike any other commercial plane as it looks more like modern fighter jets, complete with the triangular "delta wing," and looking straight out of science fiction movies.

Inside the jet, there will be customized cabins for each of the passengers that will address all of their needs during the flight and business to first-class seating arrangements.

The company is yet to announce the price for the seats, but they're already offering a spot on their tourist spaceplane for $250,000, which would essentially bring tourists to space, much like SpaceX's plan in the future.

Read Also: NASA's Lucy Mission Progresses to Spacecraft Assembly to Assess Trojan Asteroids

Working With Rolls Royce and the FAA

"We are excited to complete the Mission Concept Review and unveil this initial design concept of a high-speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivaled customer experience," said George Whitesides, the chief space officer of Virgin Galactic.

"We are pleased to collaborate with the innovative team at Rolls-Royce as we strive to develop sustainable, cutting-edge propulsion systems for the aircraft," Whitesides further said.

The Virgin Galactic officer also announced that they are working with the FAA to ensure that their designs have a "practical impact."

Furthermore, the company disclosed that they had made some progress with the supersonic jet.

There isn't much information regarding the company's progress with the jet, but the team is preparing for the next phase of the jet's design, which is defining the specific configurations and architectures as well as determining what materials they will use to build the jet.

They are also working on fixing several issues, such as noise, thermal management, emissions, maintenance, and economics for commercial high-speed flights.

Delaying SpaceShipTwo Commercial Flights

In other news, the company is delaying the beginning of commercial flights for its SpaceShipTwo, a suborbital vehicle.

According to SpaceNews, the company will be delaying the flights in the first quarter of 2021, but they are expecting to conduct a couple more test flights, with both being powered flights, for its SpaceShipTwo from New Mexico at the Spaceport America.

The company has also announced its plans to sell the additional stock so they could raise money.

Read Also: Elon Musk Admits He Prayed for the Success of the SpaceX ISS Mission in an Emotional Speech

This article is owned by TechTimes.

Written by: Nhx Tingson

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
SRINAGAR, India - Authorities imposed a curfew in many parts of Indian-controlled Kashmir on Tuesday, a day ahead of the first anniversary of Indias decision to revoke the disputed regions semi-autonomy.

Shahid Iqbal Choudhary, a civil administrator, said the security lockdown was imposed in the regions main city of Srinagar because of information about protests planned by anti-India groups to mark Aug. 5 as Black Day.

Police and paramilitary soldiers drove through neighbourhoods and went to peoples homes, warning them to stay indoors. Government forces, carrying assault rifles and wearing riot gear, erected steel barricades and laid razor wire across roads, bridges and intersections. They patrolled largely deserted streets in Srinagar and restricted civilian movement.

Scores of young men have been detained in the last few days in anticipation that they would organize anti-India protests in the region, a police officer said on condition of anonymity in keeping with department policy.

A series of inputs have been received suggesting that separatist and Pakistan-sponsored groups are planning to observe Aug. 5 as Black Day, and violent action or protests are not ruled out, he said.

Late Tuesday, authorities lifted a curfew in Srinagar but said restrictions on public movement, transport and commercial activities would continue because of the coronavirus pandemic. Choudhary said in a new government order that the decision to remove the curfew was taken because Tuesday remained incident-free.

In an earlier order, government had announced a curfew for Tuesday and Wednesday.

Last year on Aug. 5, Indias Hindu-nationalist-led government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi stripped Jammu-Kashmir of its statehood and divided it into two federally governed territories. Since then, New Delhi has brought in a slew of new laws that residents say are aimed at shifting the demographics in the Muslim-majority region, where many want independence from India or unification with Pakistan.

The status of Kashmir has been a key dispute between Pakistan and India since the two split after the end of British colonial rule. They each control part of Kashmir and have fought two wars over its status.

Initially, the anti-India movement in the Indian-controlled portion of Kashmir was largely peaceful. But after a series of political blunders, broken promises and a crackdown on dissent, Kashmiris launched a full-blown armed revolt in 1989.

Following the Aug. 5 move, Indian authorities enforced an information blackout and a harsh security clampdown in Kashmir for months. Thousands of Kashmiri youth, pro-freedom leaders and politicians who have traditionally supported Indian rule were arrested. Hundreds are still incarcerated.

As some of the restrictions were eased, India enforced another harsh lockdown in March to combat the spread of the coronavirus, deepening the social and economic crises in the restive region.

Human Rights Watch asked that India reverse its abusive policies in the region and said it was dismayed that New Delhi persisted with its repression of Kashmiri Muslims despite the pandemic forcing the world to address discrimination and inequality.

Indian government claims that it was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmirs constitutional status, Meenakshi Ganguly, the New York-based rights groups South Asia director, said in a statement Tuesday. The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights.

Also on Tuesday, Pakistans prime minister unveiled a new national map that includes Indian-controlled Kashmir and Junagadh, part of the western Indian state of Gujrat, into the Muslim countrys boundaries for the first time in 70 years.

In the new map, the status of Kashmir is changed from a disputed territory to Indian illegally occupied Jammu-Kashmir, awaiting final status to be decided by United Nations resolutions.

Prime Minister Imran Khan said the international community had promised to give the right of self-determination to Kashmiri people, but this promise was still to be honoured.

Pakistan has always thought that Kashmir should be a part of the country, he said, adding that the redrawing of the map was a first step in that direction.

Many Kashmiris seek a united Kashmir independent of either Pakistan or India.

The Pakistani move was mostly symbolic, highlighting the ongoing rivalry between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

India responded by calling the map an exercise in political absurdity that lays untenable claims to Indian territory.

These ridiculous assertions have neither legal validity nor international credibility. In fact, this new effort only confirms the reality of Pakistans obsession with territorial aggrandizement supported by cross-border terrorism, Indias foreign ministry said in a statement late Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the president of the Pakistani-controlled portion of Kashmir urged the international community to save Kashmiri people from what he described as imperialism and said Kashmiris were being made homeless in their own homeland.

Sardar Masood Khan commented in a video message on Tuesday, a day after Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Defence Minister Pervez Khattak visited a frontier village along the Line of Control that divides Kashmir between India and Pakistan.

Indian and Pakistani soldiers have traded near-daily gunfire along the highly militarized line for over a year, killing dozens of civilians and soldiers on both sides. Each has accused the other of violating their 2003 cease-fire accord.

The rival troops again attacked each others positions along the de facto frontier early Tuesday and blamed each other for initiating the skirmishes.

Pakistani officials said at least 11 people were wounded in the Indian firing in Tattapani village. The Indian military said its soldiers responded to the Pakistani shelling and reported no casualties.

___

Associated Press writers Munir Ahmed in Islamabad and Roshan Mughal in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan, contributed to this report.

Read more about:
A grieving widow whose husband died from 'the ravages of the COVID-19 virus' has hit out at President Trump and 'the many ignorant, self centered and selfish people' who refuse to wear masks in a gut-wrenching obituary, blaming them all for the great-grandfather's 'needless' death.

David W Nagy, from Jefferson, Texas, passed away on July 22 at the age of 79, leaving behind his 'inconsolable' wife Stacey, their five children, and 'numerous grandchildren, great grandchildren and friends'.

And now his wife Stacey, 72, has launched a scathing attack on all the people that she feels are to 'blame' for her husband's 'needless' death, while detailing how the beloved great grandfather 'suffered greatly from the ravages of the virus' while totally isolated in hospital before passing away.

Heartbroken: Grieving widow Stacey Nagy has penned a gut-wrenching obituary for her husband David, who died from coronavirus complications on July 22 at the age of 79

Backlash: Stacey, 72, hit out at Trump, Texas Governor Greg Abbot, and all of the 'ignorant, self centered' people who refuse to wear face masks, blaming them for her husband's death

'Family members believe David's death was needless,' Stacey wrote in the obituary, which was published in local newspaper the Jefferson Jimplecute on July 30.

'They blame his death and the deaths of all the other innocent people on Trump, [Texas Governor Greg] Abbott and all the other politicians who did not take this pandemic seriously and were more concerned with their popularity and votes than lives.'

Stacey went on to eviscerate all people who still refuse to wear face masks, branding them 'ignorant, self centered and selfish', while accusing them of 'killing innocent people' just to protect their '"right" not to wear a mask'.

'Needless': In her obituary, Stacey wrote that her husband's death was 'needless', while saying that she hopes 'Karma comes for' all those who contributed to her family's loss

The mother of five concluded the obituary with a warning to all of those she blames for her husband's death, writing: 'A statement issued by the family declared that Dave did everything he was supposed to do, but you did not.

'Shame on all of you, and may Karma find you all!'

The obituary was quickly shared on social media by Jefferson locals, where it spread like wildfire, with thousands of people sharing their heartache over Stacey's loss - while praising her for speaking out about David's 'needless' death.

Speaking to Buzzfeed about the viral obit, Stacey opened up about her heart-wrenching grief over the loss of her husband - and her anger at those who have refused to 'follow the recommendations' from medical professionals.

'We were married for 20 years and now I'm not with him,' she said. 'It's just been devastating for me.

'It p****s me off because he didn't need to die. Had people been following the recommendations, things would have been different. But people don't.'

She added that her husband had taken every possible precaution to protect himself against the virus, because he suffered from a number of pre-existing health conditions - including diabetes, heart problems, and early signs of dementia - which put him at much higher risk from the deadly illness.

Support: Stacey's obituary was shared on social media, where it quickly went viral, sparking a wave of replies from Twitter users, many of whom praised her writing and her bold stance

The grieving widow recalled how her husband was hospitalized in late March after suffering a serious fall, revealing that he was taken into a nursing home after receiving treatment - where she believed he had the best chance of remaining safe amid the ongoing pandemic.

David remained in the nursing home for almost four months, living under a lockdown that saw him almost entirely isolated from his family.

'He stayed there and I would go and visit, and just go to the window and we'd yell back and forth at each other to talk,' she told Buzzfeed, adding that the couple would 'kiss the glass to give kisses to each other'.

David got sick in early July and was taken to the hospital, where he tested positive for COVID-19 - and where his condition continued to worsen, despite desperate efforts from doctors.

The great-grandfather was placed on a ventilator, and given Remdesivir and plasma therapy, however he never regained consciousness - and remained in hospital alone, completely isolated from his family.

David's death was needless. The blame for his death and the deaths of all innocent people falls on Trump, Abbot and all the other politicians who did not take this pandemic seriously

Stacey explained that she was allowed to visit her husband, but could only speak to him through the sliding glass door to his room, revealing that she 'told him she loved him and cried' as he lay unconscious in his bed.

Their children also had a chance to see their father for the last time, but were again forced to remain separated from him by the glass door.

Speaking about the viral reaction to her obituary, Stacey said that she didn't publish the article in order to 'make people like it' but rather because she was 'pissed off' at the circumstances surrounding her husband's 'needless' death - and all those who caused it.

'I did it because I was p****d off and I wanted people to know the ones that refuse to wear a mask, that they are the killers and they are to blame, not just for Dave's stuff but for all these people,' she told Buzzfeed.

'He's not the only husband to die. There's been thousands of other husbands and wives and fathers and mothers and brothers that have died.'

As well as publishing the obituary in the paper, Stacey also shared it on Facebook, where she revealed that her husband had died 'a horrible death'.

She received a slew of praise and sympathy on the social media site - with hundreds of users sharing very similar thoughts.

Backlash: The obituary quickly went viral on social media, and Stacey was forced to face cruel criticism from trolls, who accused her of 'faking' David's death

'My heart goes out to his family, and to those who have lost a loved one to this (as Trump put it) "hoax",' one person wrote. 'Had the government stressed the importance of practicing preventative measures instead of denying that COVID-19 existed, less people would have caught it.

'Regardless of anyone's health status, much of what's happening in the US is Trump's fault for caring more for his image rather than for his country.'

On Twitter, the obituary was shared by dozens of different users, and sparked a wave of replies, with many people insisting that they would want their families to write similar passages if they should die from COVID-19.

'If I die from Covid-19 Ive instructed my family to make my obituary exactly the same,' one person wrote.

'I'm getting my will out & adding this as an addendum,' another added. 'I will write out my own words to be put in the local paper. Will be my parting words for this red state I live in.'

Also to blame are the many ignorant, self centered and selfish people who refused to follow the advice of medical professionals

However Stacey also faced criticism from furious trolls as a result of her passionate stance against Trump and his supporters, with some even accusing her of 'faking' her husband's death.

'For those of you calling the death of my husband "fake" you do not know what you are talking about,' Stacey fired back on Facebook.

'This is f***ing real! Those who say you couldn't find his funeral home, why would you even look? He was cremated at Welch Funeral Home in Longview, Texas. He was cremated and sent to his children in California per his wishes to be placed in a niche close to his father.

'A memorial service will be held for family and friends in California when this COVID this is over. Not that any of this is even your business. Now keep your hateful comments to your hateful selves. Or find some other widow to hassle.'

The viral response to the obituary comes as Trump spoke out about the ongoing pandemic in an interview filmed last Tuesday, insisting that the virus was well-controlled across the US despite the country averaging about 65,000 new cases and 1,000 deaths per day.

'They are dying, that's true. And you have - it is what it is. But that doesn't mean we aren't doing everything we can. It's under control as much as you can control it. This is a horrible plague,' Trump said.

As of Tuesday morning, Texas has reported more than 462,000 coronavirus cases, and 7,688 deaths.
Throughout Latin America, nearly all schooling is being carried out online or through television as the pandemic continues to surge here. School districts around the world are struggling with the decision, knowing that for most students there is no substitute for in-person instruction.
A primary school teacher has been sacked over an affair with a pupil's father and a string of 'inappropriate' relationships with other parents.

Colleagues raised concerns over Ann Brenen's 'inappropriate' relationships with several parents at Westoe Crown Primary School in South Shields between 2016 and 2017.

An employment tribunal heard she formed a sexual relationship with the father of one child, allowed another to attend a school trip despite reporting him to the police for harassing her, and shared details of a different pupil with a parent they were no longer in contact with.

Mrs Brenen, 42, a mother-of-three, was sacked for gross misconduct in 2018 amid concerns from parents and teachers that she was not properly safeguarding children.

An online profile on TutorFair suggests she is now working as a 30-an-hour private tutor in the South Sheilds area, and boasts of her 'professional rapport with pupils and parents'.

Ann Brenen was sacked from Westoe Crown Primary School in South Shields in 2018 amid fears she was not properly safeguarding children

After separating from her husband, Mrs Brenen, who started working at Westoe Crown in 2004, formed a brief relationship with one pupil's dad after meeting him at a parents evening.

Complaints against Ann Brenen related to four children and their parents The basis of the complaints centred around four anonymous pupils and their parents. Pupil D: This child's mother raised concerns that Mrs Brenen was sharing information with Pupil D's father, whom they were not in contact with. The teacher admitted her behaviour was inappropriate. Pupil E: Mrs Brenen was texting a parent at the school whom she was friends with about their child not doing any homework, and recommended that child was not sent to homework club. Pupil F: Mrs Brenen engaged in a short sexual relationship with Pupil F's father and later lied about it when asked by the school's headteacher. She also 'threatened,' another teacher who commented on the relationship, by pointing out she would be their line manager the following year. Pupil G: In June 2017, she started a friendship with the father of Pupil G, who was in her class. She later reported the father to policce for harassing her, but allowed him to go on a school trip as a parent helper. Mrs Brenen says her 'judgement was impaired at this time'. Advertisement

As rumours started to fly, a teaching assistant claimed she saw Mrs Brenen's car outside the father's house.

A committee heard Mrs Brenen lied to the school's headteacher when asked about it, claiming they were only friends.

She also is said to have 'threatened' another teacher who commented on the relationship, referencing that she would be the other teacher's line manager soon.

Mrs Brenen admitted she 'reacted in anger'.

Employment tribunal papers reveal she became friends with another dad at the school, but later reported him to police for allegedly harassing her.

Despite making the report, she allowed the same father to attend a school trip to help out.

A mother at the school went on to complain that Mrs Brenner was sharing information about her child with their father, whom were they were not in contact with.

Following disciplinary proceedings in 2018, Mrs Brenen, who was considered one of the school's 'Leaders of Learning,' launched an appeal to win back her job, but it failed.

She then filed a claim for unfair dismissal and disability discrimination on the grounds she was depressed. The case was dismissed.

However, she did not attend displinary proceedings at the school and instead sent in a lengthy letter.

Employment tribunal papers read: 'A number of the staff indicated but they had concerns about the claimant's unusual behaviour.

'They all said that the claimant did not say anything to them about any about her depression all medication.

'They are all attributed how unusual behaviour to the problems in her marriage breakdown. A number of staff brought to their concerns to the attention of the headmaster.'

The tribunal also heard how she asked other teachers to mark homework for her.

Westoe Crown Primary School in South Shields sacked Ann Brenen amid fears of 'inappropriate' relationships with several parents

Ann Brenen lied to the headteacher at Westoe Crown Primary about sexual relations she had been having with the father of a pupil, according to the hearing

Mrs Brenen, a mother-of-three, claimed this was common among teachers.

A panel ruled she was guilty of a 'serious breach of the standards expected' of a senior teacher.

The tribunal judgment stated: 'In her evidence to the tribunal, [Mrs Brenen] said she started a sexual relationship with the father of pupil F, a child at her school.

'The claimant did not disclose that relationship to the head teacher. She said she did not do so because it only lasted a short time.

'The claimant's inability to recognise safeguarding issues was clearly a serious matter for the respondent. Her actions amounted to gross misconduct.'

Do YOU know Ann Brenen? Email emer.scully@mailonline.co.uk
As Americas political middle ground gives way to sharp left-right divisions and even violence, there are winners and losers in the war on ideas. What in the recent past would have been considered up for debate, now shifts firmly into the settled science category by those who are intolerant of differing viewpoints.

In 2020, winners consist of those who control social media networks, of which a mere handful now have a stranglehold on the national conversation. Because these firms are primarily located in the ultra-liberal San Francisco Bay Area, their hiring pool has long consisted primarily of left-leaning employees.

With the inevitable temptation to use this incredible power to influence public sentiment and elections, leftists have had the inside advantage, leaving conservatives, moderates and others shut out of the debate almost entirely.

Twitter, for example, is facing a public relations nightmare over recent revelations that 1100 insiders and contractors had access to the disturbingly-named God Mode, which allows almost total control over user accounts and content. As there was no internal oversight over such a powerful access level, this led to a major security breach affecting celebrities and political leaders.

No stranger to accusations of unfair control over user speech is Facebook, a platform originally designed to bring people together. It has recently come under fire for suppressing debate over so-called climate change. The dispute is over the ability of one group to control another's free expression via the Menlo Park-based companys Orwellian Oversight Board and moderation team.

Reeling from the 2016 elections outcome and aftermath, Facebook began site reforms to regulate user content. That opened a Pandora's box of criticism and scrutiny over censorship and the outright de-platforming of voices. A central target of that debate has become the suppression of voices that challenge left-leaning scientists prevailing opinions.

When it comes to climate change, Facebook has cared little for honest discussion and debate, instead tipping the scales in favor of alarmists. It has already banned site users from seeing and sharing factual content created by credentialed climate scientists.

Even worse, in a recent open letter to former Denmark Prime Minister Helle Thorning-Schmidt, who now co-chairs the companys Oversight Board, leftist zealots want Facebook to go a step further. They claim that the integrity of the Oversight Board is at risk unless they begin this troubled process again for opinion pieces that challenge the progressive climate change orthodoxy.

When you were Prime Minister, you knew for certain that climate change was fact, not opinion, and needs to be treated as such, wrote its signers, which included the Sierra Club, 350.org, and the Center for American Progress. In your current role as an overseer of Facebooks dangerous misinformation practice, our plea is grave: please, Ms. Thorning-Schmidt, take action now.

Meanwhile, many of these same groups have endorsed legislators like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), who proclaims that the world is going to end in 12 years, if we dont address climate change. Despite sophomoric and outlandish assertions, they seemingly want to force a new Facebook policy that will prevent the public from ever countering radical viewpoints.

To say that energy science is settled law is not only untrue, its downright dangerous. On June 29th, for example, Biomass supplier Enviva revealed that a sizable portion of their product wasn't carbon neutral as previously believed. This finding runs counter to the European Unions longstanding belief that biomass is the prime option for reducing carbon emissions. Now, regulators must reassess their polices for a source that accounts for over 60 percent of their clean energy needs. But we would have never learned that if public scepticism were banned.

Without the protection of free thought and discussion, scientific work cannot proceed. We need to share ideas, opinions, and perspectives to allow for the uncovering of truth, not suppress it.

Perhaps the Sierra Club doesnt want a debate because other groups within their school of thought could challenge them. Take, for example, the process of making EVs, which some have found can actually be highly destructive to the environment. Sierra Club has preached EVs for years and finds dissenting arguments "dangerous." When the debate is shut down, the public fails to hear about the horrendous misuse of child labor at cobalt mines in the Congo and other disturbing details.

As Mark Zuckerberg put it, Powerful people are always going to have a voice. I feel like someone needs to stand up for giving everyone a voice. Facebooks platform is unique in its ability to allow for the sharing of ideas worldwide. By attempting to stifle our ability to speak freely, the signers of this letter are working to shut it down.

Zuckerberg and Facebook have been right to reject calls for suppression to date. As science and society will be better as a result, they should hold firm under pressure from these narrowminded special interest groups.

Brian Maloney is the co-founder of the Media Equality Project.
Technavio has been monitoring the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market in Europe and it is poised to grow by USD 5.81 billion during 2020-2024, progressing at a CAGR of almost 5% during the forecast period. The report offers an up-to-date analysis regarding the current market scenario, latest trends and drivers, and the overall market environment.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005064/en/

Technavio has announced its latest market research report titled Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe 2020-2024 (Graphic: Business Wire)

Although the COVID-19 pandemic continues to transform the growth of various industries, the immediate impact of the outbreak is varied. While a few industries will register a drop in demand, numerous others will continue to remain unscathed and show promising growth opportunities. Technavio's in-depth research has all your needs covered as our research reports include all foreseeable market scenarios, including pre- post-COVID-19 analysis. Download a Free Sample Report on COVID-19 Impacts

Frequently Asked Questions-

What was the size of the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market in Europe in 2019?

Technavio says that the value of the market was USD 22.28 billion in 2019 and it is projected to reach USD 28.09 billion by 2024.

Based on segmentation by product, which is the leading segment in the market?

The home RTA furniture segment is expected to be the leading segment in the global market during the forecast period.

At what rate is the market projected to grow?

Growing at a CAGR of almost 5%, the incremental growth of the market is anticipated to be USD 5.81 billion.

Who are the top players in the market?

Decorative Panels Holdings Ltd., Dorel Industries Inc., FABRYKI MEBLI FORTE SA, FLEXA4DREAMS AS, Inter IKEA Group, Meubles Demeyere SA, Rohr-Bush GmbH Co.KG, SBA Group, Steinhoff International, and Tvilum AS are some of the major market participants.

What are the key market drivers and challenges?

The advent of e-commerce and increased preference for multi-functional furniture are the major factors driving the market. However, the uncertainty in the costs of raw material used for RTA furniture restraints the market growth.

How big is the Rest of Europe market?

The market in the Rest of Europe region was valued at USD 6.80 billion in 2019 and it is anticipated to grow to USD 8.72 billion by 2024.

The market is fragmented, and the degree of fragmentation will accelerate during the forecast period. Decorative Panels Holdings Ltd., Dorel Industries Inc., FABRYKI MEBLI FORTE SA, FLEXA4DREAMS AS, Inter IKEA Group, Meubles Demeyere SA, Rohr-Bush GmbH Co.KG, SBA Group, Steinhoff International, and Tvilum AS are some of the major market participants. To make the most of the opportunities, market vendors should focus more on the growth prospects in the fast-growing segments, while maintaining their positions in the slow-growing segments.

Buy 1 Technavio report and get the second for 50% off. Buy 2 Technavio reports and get the third for free.

View market snapshot before purchasing

The advent of e-commerce has been instrumental in driving the growth of the market.

Technavio's custom research reports offer detailed insights on the impact of COVID-19 at an industry level, a regional level, and subsequent supply chain operations. This customized report will also help clients keep up with new product launches in direct indirect COVID-19 related markets, upcoming vaccines and pipeline analysis, and significant developments in vendor operations and government regulations.

Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe 2020-2024: Segmentation

Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe is segmented as below:

Product Home RTA Furniture Office RTA Furniture

Distribution Channel Offline Online

Geography Germany France Sweden The UK



To learn more about the global trends impacting the future of market research, download a free sample: https://www.technavio.com/talk-to-us?report=IRTNTR43235

Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe 2020-2024: Scope

Technavio presents a detailed picture of the market by the way of study, synthesis, and summation of data from multiple sources. The ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market in Europe report covers the following areas:

Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market Size in Europe

Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market Trends in Europe

Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market Analysis in Europe

This study identifies an increased preference for multi-functional furniture as one of the prime reasons driving the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market growth in Europe during the next few years.

Technavio suggests three forecast scenarios (optimistic, probable, and pessimistic) considering the impact of COVID-19. Technavio's in-depth research has direct and indirect COVID-19 impacted market research reports.

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Ready to Assemble (RTA) Furniture Market in Europe 2020-2024: Key Highlights

CAGR of the market during the forecast period 2020-2024

Detailed information on factors that will assist ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market growth in Europe during the next five years

Estimation of the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market size in Europe and its contribution to the parent market

Predictions on upcoming trends and changes in consumer behavior

The growth of the ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market in Europe

Analysis of the market's competitive landscape and detailed information on vendors

Comprehensive details of factors that will challenge the growth of ready to assemble (RTA) furniture market vendors in Europe

Table of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Overview

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Product

Market segments

Comparison by Product

Home RTA furniture Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Office RTA furniture Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Product

Market Segmentation by Distribution Channel

Market segments

Comparison by Distribution channel

Offline Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Online Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Distribution channel

Customer Landscape

Overview

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

Germany Market size and forecast 2019-2024

France Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Sweden Market size and forecast 2019-2024

UK Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Rest of Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Drivers, Challenges, and Trends

Market drivers

Market challenges

Market trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Decorative Panels Holdings Ltd.

Dorel Industries Inc.

FABRYKI MEBLI FORTE SA

FLEXA4DREAMS AS

Inter IKEA Group

Meubles Demeyere SA

Rohr-Bush GmbH Co.KG

SBA Group

Steinhoff International

Tvilum AS

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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.

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The central board of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) will meet on August 14 to discuss the dividend transfer to the government, according to a person aware of the matter.

The government has budgeted Rs60,000 crore as dividends from Reserve Bank of India and state-run banks and financial institutions, according to the Union Budget 2020-21.

The central bank had transferred a sum of Rs1.76 lakh crore to the central exchequer for the year to June 2019, including Rs52,637 crore of excess contingent reserves. The panel headed by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan set up in 2018 had recommended a formula for the sharing of its profits with the government. The panel had approved a record dividend and has said an interim dividend could be paid only under exceptional circumstances.

An email sent to RBI didnt elicit any response

The Reserve Bank of India and the government follow different fiscal years. RBI is in the process of changing its fiscal to the same as that of the government from April 1, 2021.

RBI did not pay any interim dividend to the government for the year to June 2020 as the Jalan panel had recommended that interim dividend should be paid to the government only in exceptional circumstances.

The dividend from the central bank will come at a time when the Centres finances are under severe strain.

The governments fiscal deficit as on June 30 touched 83.2% of the full-year target of Rs7.96 lakh crore, primarily on a sharp fall in revenues due to the nationwide lockdown.

The liquidity situation, given that there has been a preponderance of excess liquidity in the banking system, which is parked with RBI, may have a connotation in the form of a lower dividend to government, said Soumyakanti Ghosh, chief economist, State Bank of India. Dividend transfer also needs to be juxtaposed against the possibility of monetisation of government deficit in the current fiscal, he added.
Delaying quarantine measures at the border was a 'serious mistake' that allowed 10,000 infected people into the UK accelerated the virus spread, a major report by MPs says.

The cross-party inquiry is highly critical of the Government's 'inexplicable' decision to lift its initial quarantine measures in mid-March, ten days before lockdown.

Experts from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine calculated that up to 10,000 infected people, largely from Spain, France and Italy, imported the virus into the UK.

The cross-party inquiry is highly critical of the Government's 'inexplicable' decision to lift its initial quarantine measures in mid-March, ten days before lockdown. Pictured, passengers arrive at Heathrow Airport in London on July 30

It concluded many more Britons were infected in the 12 weeks after that decision before compulsory self-isolation was re-introduced for international passengers on June 8.

However, it stopped short of saying lives had been lost as a result.

The home affairs select committee report, published today, says: 'The decision to lift all Covid-19 related guidance for international arrivals on March 13, just as other countries were expanding their border measures, is inexplicable.

'Evidence suggests that thousands of new infections resulted from cases arriving from Europe in the ten days between this decision and the introduction of lockdown on March 23.

'The failure to have any special border measures during this period was a serious mistake that significantly increased both the pace and the scale of the epidemic in the UK.

'Had stronger early measures been taken, we conclude that it is likely that the spread of the virus could have been slowed.'

MPs asked the Government nine times for scientific evidence behind the decision to end travel restrictions  but nothing was provided.

'In such circumstances as these, the committee could quite reasonably conclude the advice we requested simply does not exist,' it says.

Committee chairman Yvette Cooper added: 'The Government's failure to have proper quarantine measures in place in March as the infection was spreading fast was a grave error and meant Covid spread faster and reached more people. The UK was almost unique in having no border checks or quarantine arrangements at that time.

The failure was likely to have allowed 'thousands' of infectious travellers into Britain, it says. Pictured, passengers at Heathrow Airport on July 30

'That alone should have rung loud alarm bells for ministers and made them think again.' She added: 'We are concerned that border measures just weren't taken seriously enough at the beginning of the crisis.'

Re-introducing restrictions as virus flashpoints occur in countries like Spain is the right thing to do, she added. But she called for better communication by the Government to ensure families who have booked holidays are not left in the lurch.

Arrivals by air to the UK totalled 7 million in January, 6.8 million in February and 3.8 million in March before falling to just 112,000 in April, the report says.

The Government first issued quarantine rules on February 25 for travellers from Wuhan and Hubei province in China, Iran and parts of South Korea. Northern Italy was added to the list on March 8, and the whole of the country two days later.

For these 'category 1' countries, self-isolation was compulsory for 14 days and advisable for arrivals from other 'category 2' countries.

MPs asked the Government nine times for scientific evidence behind the decision to end travel restrictions  but nothing was provided. Pictured, beachgoers enjoy the sunshine in Brighton on July 31

The reports says: 'Neither Spain nor France were ever added to either the category 1 or category 2 list.'

Academic studies later estimated the largest number of UK infections originated with arrivals from Spain  just over 33 per cent, followed by France with 28.5 per cent  peaking at an estimated 900 infectious people arriving here from abroad every day.

The report goes on: 'Evidence shows it is highly likely uncontrolled importations of the virus from European countries contributed to the rapid increase in the spread in mid-March. The failure to properly consider stricter requirements on those arriving was a serious error.'

There was also a 'lack of clarity' over who was responsible for monitoring emerging infection threats from different countries, it adds.

The report concludes that border measures will have to remain in place for 'some time to come'.

A Government spokesman said: 'The Home Affairs Select Committee are incorrect in their assertions.

'All of our decisions throughout the pandemic have been guided by the science, with appropriate measures introduced at the right time to keep us all safe.

'And with passengers numbers significantly reduced, the scientific advice was clear that quarantine measures for those entering the country from abroad would be most effective when the UK has a lower level of infection.

'Therefore, as the virus was brought under control here, border measures were introduced on June 8 to protect public health and help avoid a second peak that would overwhelm the NHS.'
(HealthDay)Midwestern states are starting to see surges in coronavirus cases, just as Southern and Western states are scrambling to contain their own outbreaks of COVID-19.

Missouri, Montana and Oklahoma are among those witnessing the largest percentage surge of infections over the past week, the Washington Post reported. At the same time, the number of new cases in Florida, Mississippi and Alabama still outpaced all other states.

Experts also see worrying trends in major East Coast and Midwest cities, the Post reported, and they anticipate major outbreaks in college towns when classes resume in August.

Still, President Trump continued his push to fully reopen schools on Monday. "Ideally, we want to open those schools. We want to open them," Trump said during a White House coronavirus task force briefing.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious diseases expert, on Monday agreed with that sentiment, telling CNN that schools and college campuses across the country should be able to reopen, but officials need to make safety a priority.

The default position with kindergartens, grade schools and high schools should be to reopen them, Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CNN.

On college campuses, Fauci said plans should include testing people before they arrive on campus, when they arrive and quarantining them for 14 days.

"If done properly, it would not be a risk, but then again, you've got to be careful when you get people coming in from outside," he said. "But I think if they maintain the guidelines that are put together for people coming back, then they should be fine."

Regardless of what safety measures need to be taken to reopen schools this fall, many students need the psychological and nutritional benefits of being in school, Fauci added.

At the coronavirus task force briefing on Monday, Trump also announced that his administration is taking steps to give telehealth a broader role in Medicare, using an executive order that calls on Congress to make doctor visits via personal technology a permanent fixture of the government's health insurance program for seniors.

The order is specific in its target: It applies to seniors living in rural communities. But administration officials told the Post that it signals that Trump is ready to back significant legislation that would permanently open up telehealth as an option for all people with Medicare.

Final stage vaccine trials underway

On the vaccine front, the final phases of testing for two potential COVID-19 vaccines have been launched.

In one trial, the first of 30,000 volunteers will be given either a vaccine developed by Moderna Inc. and the U.S. National Institutes of Health or a placebo shot, the Post reported.

Pharmaceutical giant Pfizer has also announced that it was starting a 30,000-person final phase vaccine trial, to be conducted at 120 sites globally.

Fauci predicted that researchers would probably be able to tell whether the Moderna vaccine was effective by November or December, although he added that it was a "distinct possibility" an answer could come sooner. Pfizer officials have said the company expects to be able to seek regulatory authorization or approval for its vaccine by October, the Post reported.

As cases have surged and testing delays have followed, contact tracing is becoming irrelevant in many parts of the country.

In many cities in Florida, a state which has seen soaring cases counts in the past month, officials have largely given up on tracking cases, and the situation is equally grim in California, the Times reported.

"I think it's easy to say contact tracing is broken," Carolyn Cannuscio, an expert on the strategy and an associate professor of family medicine and community health at the University of Pennsylvania, told the Times. "It is broken because so many parts of our prevention system are broken."

By Tuesday, the U.S. coronavirus case count passed 4.7 million as the death toll neared 156,000, according to a Times tally.

According to the same tally, the top five states in coronavirus cases as of Tuesday were: California with over 522,000; Florida with nearly 492,000; Texas with nearly 462,000, New York with over 421,500, and New Jersey with more than 184,400.

Nations grapple with pandemic

Elsewhere in the world, the situation remains challenging.

In Australia, the premier of Victoria declared a "state of disaster" on Sunday, announcing even stricter lockdown measures, introducing a nightly curfew and banning virtually all trips outdoors after Australia's second largest state recorded 671 new infections in a single day.

"We have to do more, and we have to do more right now," said Premier Daniel Andrews. "Where you slept last night is where you'll need to stay for the next six weeks."

Things continue to worsen in India. On Tuesday, the country passed 1.8 million infections and nearly 39,000 deaths, a Johns Hopkins tally showed. The surge comes weeks after a national lockdown was lifted, and it's prompted some parts of the country to revert back to stricter social distancing measures. Only the United States and Brazil have higher caseloads.

Brazil is also a hotspot in the coronavirus pandemic, with over 2.7 million confirmed infections by Tuesday, 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 Tuesday, that country reported the world's fourth-highest number of COVID-19 cases, at nearly 859,700, the Hopkins tally showed.

Worldwide, the number of reported infections passed 18.3 million on Tuesday, with nearly 695,000 deaths, according to the Hopkins tally.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

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.
People in Germany are afraid of a second corona wave.

Exceptional circumstances in the US. Second lockdown in Australia. Empty beaches at Europes holiday destinations. The worlds economy in tatters. A ten percent drop in the German economy. Empty stadiums. Oktoberfest cancelled.

And in China? Theres happy cheering and drinking. The regime that brought us into the worst pandemic in world history has an Oktoberfest going on while German pub-owners are facing bankruptcy.

Five tough truths

BILD states what politicians from all over the world far too rarely tell Chinese President Xi Jinping (67).

1. The silence of the Chinese regime is to blame for the rapid spread of corona, for overburdened hospitals, deaths, and mourning. On 20 January, China disclosed that corona is transmitted from one human to another. That was the day when a Chinese woman infected the first person in Germany (at car parts supplier Webasto).

It is proven that the Chinese government warned the world far too late  and allowed its citizens to fly around the world, even though it already knew how dangerous corona is.

2. The Chinese regime has destroyed the World Health Organization, which should be our worlds alarm bell.

Auch Interessant



The head of the WHO, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus (55), is a puppet of the Chinese regime. The Ethiopian was member of the Socialist party Tigray Peoples Liberation Front and, for a long time, a cabinet member. China keeps supporting his home country with billions in loans. In return, the WHO has spread Beijings virus cover-up propaganda.

3. Millions of European citizens are struggling for their existence and, at the same time, must finance the biggest bailout package in European history with their tax money (750 billion euros, including 105 billion from Germany).

Beach kiosk owners in Spain, assembly-line workers in Germany, guesthouse owners in Italy have to answer for the damage done by the Chinese regime.

BILD explicitly states what was not sufficiently addressed at the EU summit in Brussels: China should pay for this damage  NOT tax payers in Belgium, Barcelona, and Brandenburg.

4. While the world is trembling, the Chinese regime is stomping on democracy  and even profits from the corona catastrophe that it has brought about.

First, since Western governments are paralyzed because of corona, there was only mild protest (concerned) when China destroyed Hong Kongs flourishing freedom by the security law.

Second, since the heads of Western companies are even more dependent on new markets following the corona disaster, they keep silent about racism, deportation, torture, reeducation, and labour camps in China  or they spruce up their companies in order to sell them to Chinese firms. BILD says: corona must never be a reason for submitting to the oppressors of people that is the Communist Party.

5. It is only a few months ago that we were able to hug each other, that our children could look their friends in the face in the schoolyard, that we could see their laughter.

The Chinese regime has transformed our wonderful world into a world of masks in which we are afraid of infection by our fellow human beings. Our parents and grandparents spend their remaining years in isolation instead of with their children and grandchildren.

We should not stop documenting what the Chinese regime has done to billions of people because it wanted to cover up the virus danger.
She told police that she went downstairs and told him that if he did that their relationship was over. Instead, she told him she would go to the store because she didnt want him to drive drunk. After she changed and came downstairs again, she asked him if they should sell their house.

Dawn Christianson told police that she went to a Pick n Save store but the store had closed for alcohol sales by that time and when she returned home was met by Travis Christianson as she came in through the garage, where she found him with a kitchen knife with an approximately 12-inch blade.

I asked about (Addrianna), Dawn Christianson told police, and he said, I already killed her.

He then reportedly attacked Dawn Christianson with the knife before she was able to wrest it away from him, call 911 and bang on a neighbors door for help.
When Fabio Paco Rueda of Saddle Brook died alone of COVID-19 at a Bergen County hospital on May 1, he didnt have much with him  some jewelry, a cellphone, his slippers, eyeglasses and the clothes he wore when he was admitted.

There was also a framed photo the family sent of themselves to keep near his bed.
Local affiliates of Boys & Girls Clubs of America do not uniformly respond to reports of sexual misconduct according to a third-party review of the organizations policies made public Tuesday.

While the organization has enhanced policies to prevent abuse over the years, its programming is not consistently implemented at local clubs, according to a summary of the review, conducted by Atlanta-based law firm Alston & Bird and the nonprofit Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network.

The review, which has been in the works for nearly a year, was prompted by a six-month Hearst Connecticut Media investigation into allegations of child sex abuse connected to Boys & Girls Clubs of America affiliates across the country that found 280 people in 31 states who say they were sexually abused as children by employees, volunteers and other members of the clubs.

RAINN found that clubs are not fully utilizing the national resources, training programs, or guidance currently offered by BGCA, reads the summary of the report that Boys & Girls Clubs of America provided to the public. Clubs are not fully executing a consistent and methodical response to reported incidents of sexual misconduct.

The recommendations for change in the report include the organization developing a three- to five-year strategic plan to make comprehensive, intentional, and measurable changes at all of its clubs.

The Hearst investigation was spurred by three lawsuits against the Boys & Girls club in Greenwich, Conn., alleging ongoing sexual abuse there in the 1970s and 1980s.

Since last year, Hearst has found an additional 61 victims alleging sexual abuse and the investigation now includes clubs in 34 states. Of those cases, 10 occurred in Texas.

A Houston Chronicle examination of state licensing documents found that 15 Texas Boys & Girls Clubs of America affiliates failed to meet minimum state requirements for child care centers more than 100 times in the last three years.

A new lawsuit was filed July 2 against the Greenwich club, and several lawsuits were filed against New York clubs under the Child Victims Act there, which extends the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse victims to come forward.

The national organization is currently named as a defendant in 15 pending sexual abuse lawsuits in state and federal courts, nine of which were filed in the past year. Some of the lawsuits claim that club leadership knew of the abuse, did not report it to law enforcement and allowed it to continue; that administrators at some clubs did not adhere to Boys & Girls Clubs of America safety guidelines or failed to conduct sufficient background checks.

There are also 12 pending criminal cases across the country against men who have in some way been affiliated with local clubs and stand accused of sexual misconduct. Several of those cases are set for trial this fall after having their court hearings delayed over the summer due to COVID-19.

An official from the national organization said that it strives to keep kids physically and emotionally safe, which is why it opted to organize the review.

Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas number one priority is the safety and protection of youth, reads a statement from an official. Enhancing our safety protocols is a continuous process.

Despite the finding that some local clubs lack the support to be able comply with national safety guidelines, the report recognizes Boys & Girls Clubs of Americas ongoing commitment to continuing enhancement of policies and practices in child safety.

BGCA has an extensive organizational network that analyzes, develops, trains and responds to the complex issues that clubs face, the report reads. BGCA has made significant strides in their sexual misconduct prevention and response programming and it continues to roll out new initiatives to protect their community and keep their members safe.

Recommendations

The issues identified in the report include difficulty for clubs in accessing resources, limits on the ability to execute programs at individual clubs and a lack of understanding by club staff on the purpose of those programs.

The review recommends the organization make existing resources more easily available by updating its website to make documents and links to other materials more accessible.

RAINN advocates in the report that Boys & Girls Clubs of America focus on actively engaging clubs to use the abuse prevention resources already available to them, including policy templates and training videos. By doing this, clubs will be better prepared to respond to abuse and to prevent it, according to the review.

Another challenge identified by RAINN is that the same resources are not always available at each club.

The abuse prevention training program used by club staff also reportedly poses issues. The online learning offered is time intensive and requires a supervisor to help navigate the content, according to the review.

The need for assistance to access these materials diverts the time and attention of staff members and negatively impacts the clubs ability to meet staff-child ratios, reads the report.

The review suggests creating a more flexible learning process, with a reformatted curriculum that builds a pathway specific to preventing abuse. Evaluating and updating the training material to be trauma-informed and more victim-centered, as well as diversity training that examines vulnerabilities of specific communities, was also recommended by RAINN.

It is important that BGCA consistently communicate the message that they believe survivors and will support them through a fair and equitable response process, the report says.

Recent changes

Last week, the Boys & Girls Clubs of America National Council made up of local club leaders voted to make some safety measures mandatory for all clubs, which was not previously the case.

The measures include standardizing all local club safety committees to ensure that each and every one is being held accountable to the same metrics and responsibilities, officials said this week.

The board also voted to strengthen the reference check requirement to clarify that all clubs must receive rehire eligibility information for all prospective staff and volunteers who previously worked at other clubs before being allowed to be employed or volunteer at another one.

The RAINN review found that BGCA meets or exceed current background check best practices.

In Sonoma, Calif., a perpetrator was able to move to another club even after the abuse was reported to staff at the original club, according to an ongoing civil lawsuit. He was later convicted of child sexual abuse and is now in prison.

The club denied every allegation made in the complaint in documents filed in the civil case and the national organization has denied wrongdoing on its part. BGCA has said it cant comment on specific cases.

Existing requirements for what kinds of criminal convictions should prohibit someone from being hired are being enhanced, according to the organization. Since 2005, Boys & Girls Clubs of America has required all staff members and volunteers who have contact with children to undergo criminal background checks annually. Violent felonies, convictions of any charges related to harming a child are already disqualifying.

Clubs will now be required to report any licensing inspection failures within 24-hours to the national organization, to display its safety helpline and crisis text line and tell parents about safety policies when their child applies.

Changing policies on paper isnt enough to bring systemic change, said Marci Hamilton, CEO of CHILD USA, a nonprofit child safety advocacy group.

The problem is, every youth-serving organization can adopt procedures, she said. But if not theyre not being carried out on the ground, children simply are not protected.

Rules need to be routinely enforced across the organization, she said.

Data analyst Viktoria Sundqvist contributed to this report.

hannah.dellinger@chron.com
Asuncion: Latin America has broken through 5 million confirmed cases of COVID-19, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring the region hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The coronavirus was initially slower to reach Latin America - home to about 640 million people - than much of the world. But health experts say it has been hard to control the virus due to the region's poverty and densely packed cities.

A worker takes the temperature of a woman at the entrance of Corabastos, one of Latin America's largest food distribution centres, in Bogota, Colombia. Credit:Getty Images

The more than 10,000 new cases reported by Colombia's Health Ministry on Monday pushed the region past the 5 million mark, a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases.

Latin America has now topped 200,000 deaths. Brazil's total approached 96,000 on Monday and Mexico surpassed 48,000. The two countries have the world's second and third highest death tolls, after the United States.
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Two Indian nationals, who were released by their captors in Afghanistan on July 31, returned to India on Tuesday. The duo was a part of a group of seven Indian nationals who were abducted by the Taliban in Baghlan province.

Two Indian nationals, who were released from captivity in Afghanistan on 31 July 2020, returned to India today. It would be recalled that seven Indian nationals were kidnapped in Afghanistan in May 2018, including the two who returned today.

Six Indian nationals have now been released so far from captivity, the ministry of external affairs said in a statement. Seven Indians, working for Maharashtra-based KEC International Limited were abducted by the Taliban.
The first trial will be for Moderna, which is expected to enroll approximately 30,000 participants in the United States. RCA will recruit between 300 to 500 participants for Moderna's trial alone.

Moderna (July 27th Press Release):

"The Phase 3 study protocol follows the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance on clinical trial design for COVID-19 vaccine studies. The randomized, placebo-controlled trial is expected to include approximately 30,000 participants in the United States, testing an mRNA-1273 dosage of 100 g. The primary endpoint will be the prevention of symptomatic COVID-19 disease. Key secondary endpoints include prevention of severe COVID-19 disease (as defined by the need for hospitalization) and prevention of infection by SARS-CoV-2 regardless of symptomology. SARS-CoV-2 is the virus that causes COVID-19.

The primary efficacy analysis of the Phase 3 study will be an event-driven analysis, based on the number of participants with symptomatic COVID-19 disease. To ensure the ongoing safety and monitoring of the participants in the trial, data will be reviewed by an independent Data and Safety Monitoring Board organized by NIAID throughout the study. The clinicaltrials.gov identifier is NCT04470427."

Research Centers of America is honored and excited to begin this process and to be a part of the fight against the Coronavirus, which has dramatically affected the entire world we live in. RCA is using every possible channel and means at their disposal to inform and involve the community in this important mission and study.

Dr. Howard Schwartz, Chief Medical Officer at Research Centers of America, met with several news media channels and was also part of a roundtable discussion with Vice President Mike Pence, school leaders and members of the Miller School of Medicine, along with several other researchers working to end the ongoing battle against the Coronavirus.

"Today is a day of hope," Pence concluded. "Today is a day of promise. If all of us continue to do all we can, we're going to reach the day when we put this coronavirus behind us."

About RCA:

RCA is an independently owned and operated research company. RCA specializes in conducting Phase I-IV vaccines and CNS trials for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. At RCA we are committed to delivering solid science and applying strict adherence to GCP/ICH, as well as training according to FDA Code of Federal Regulations. Committed to the integrity and quality of our work, RCA delivers accurate results and aims to exceed our goals in medical advancement.

RCA team members have been leaders in the clinical trial industry for the past 25 years, successfully executing over 1000 research studies across multiple therapeutic areas. Dr. Schwartz has done approximately 250 vaccine trials. The clinical team has built a solid reputation over the years by dedicating themselves to be a truly exceptional, first-in-class, independently owned and operated clinical research site - which consistently sets RCA apart from the standard.

Research Centers of America - DISCOVERING NEW TREATMENTS AND CHANGING LIVES.

7261 Sheridan Street, Suite 210,

Hollywood, FL 33024

Recruitment (954) 919-7723

Text us at 954-588-4500 to enroll today!

www.rcatrials.com

Media Contact: [email protected]

SOURCE Research Centers of America
BANGALORE, India, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- IoT sensors are devices that take input from the physical environment and use built-in computing resources to perform predefined functions when specific input is detected, and then process data before it is passed on. IoT systems operate and use a variety of sensors to provide useful information and data.

The Global Internet of Things (IoT) Sensors market size was valued at 14.9 Billion USD in 2019 and is projected to reach 58.9 Billion USD by 2026, with a CAGR of 21.7% between 2020 and 2026.

Increasing use of IoT sensors in the automotive sector and booming industrial IoT sensors are major factors that are expected to increase the IoT sensor market size during the forecast period to develop.

The report includes a list of all main players on the IoT Sensors market and a thorough overview of the strategies adopted by the companies..

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TRENDS INFLUENCING THE IOT SENSORS MARKET SIZE

Rising demand for IoT integration in industries that involve sensor-based measurements for purposes of analysis and decision support is expected to increase the IoT market size during the forecast period.

Increasing use of area sensors for various manufacturing applications, from system assembly lines to testing and inspection, and continuous innovation and increasing smart sensor applications in multiple industries such as rubber, plastics, and textile sectors are some of the key factors driving the growth of the IoT sensor market.

Increasing demand for smart TV in the consumer electronics sector is exacerbating IoT sensor demand. Furthermore, the rapid adoption of the IoT sensor market is expected to increase the impelling demand of the IoT sensor market is the growing adoption of smartphones and associated items.

Narrowband Internet of Things (NB-IoT) integration will boost demand for IoT solutions across various industries, which, in turn, is expected to increase the IoT sensors market size during the forecast period.

IoT's introduction in the automotive industry has opened new markets for carmakers and customers around the world. IoT has become a common hotspot for varied multifunctional applications in the automotive sector. IoT provides improved communication, monitoring, and distribution of data at any point of transport. This increased adoption of IoT sensors in the automotive sector is expected to increase the IoT sensors market size.

The incorporation of Artificial intelligence in the IoT sensors is expected to increase the IoT sensors market size during the forecast period. AI will assist in IoT data analysis in the following areas: data accuracy in time series, predictive and advanced analytics, data preparation, geospatial, and location real-time (logistic data).

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IOT SENSORS MARKET SHARE ANALYSIS

North America holds the largest IoT Sensors Market share during the forecast period. North is also the largest consumer of IoT Sensors, with a revenue market share of 34.95% in 2017. Most companies in this region are increasingly implementing IoT to keep track of their output to prevent expensive breakdowns or inefficient shutdowns during routine maintenance.

The second region is Europe, following North America, with a sales market share of 34.35% in 2017. Due to the growing innovation in smart homes and gaming applications, and the rising usage of IoT sensors in manufacturing industries, Europe has seen strong growth in recent times.

The Asia Pacific is expected to witness the highest growth during the forecast period. This rapid growth is attributed to the increasing demand from the automotive industry.

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TOP COMPANIES IN THE IOT SENSORS MARKET

The IoT Sensors Market is highly competitive, with multiple regional and international players.

Some of the top companies in the IoT Sensors Market are

Bosch

Honeywell

NXP

Infineon

Analog Devices

Panasonic

InvenSense

TI

Silicon Laboratories

ABB Ltd

STM

TE Connectivity

Huagong Tech

Sensirion

Zhonghang Electronic Measuring Instruments

Vishay

Hanwei Electronics

Semtech

Omron

ABB

Others.

IOT SENSORS MARKET BREAKDOWN DATA BY TYPE

Pressure Sensor

Environmental Sensor

Optical Sensor

Chemical Sensor

Motion Sensor

Others.

IOT SENSORS MARKET BREAKDOWN BY APPLICATION

Smart Home & Wearables

Smart Energy

Smart Security

Manufacturing

Transportation & Logistics

Healthcare

Others.

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SIMILAR REPORTS :

?COVID-19 Impact on Global Wireless IoT Sensors Market Report

The key advantages these sensors offer are improved protection, convenience, and low cost. Wireless IoT sensor market size is driven by increasing demand for mobile devices, connected cars, and intelligent grids.

The Wireless IoT Sensors Market report offers an exhaustive geographical analysis of the global Wireless IoT Sensors market, covering important regions, viz, North America, Europe, China, Japan, and South Korea.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Othe-4C277/wireless-iot-sensors

?IoT Sensors in Healthcare Market Report

Enhanced patient engagement, improved data analytical precision, enhanced disease detection, treatment outcomes, and decreased clinical costs are key factors driving IoT sensors' growth in the healthcare market size.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-26B1445/global-iot-sensors-in-healthcare

?IIoT Sensors in Oil and Gas Market Report

The commercial acceptance of IIoT sensors is a big factor driving the growth of the IIoT Sensors in Oil and Gas Market size. Furthermore, the need to reduce costs drives the adoption of IIoT sensors in the oil and gas sector.

EMEA contributed the majority of shares toward the IIoT sensors market in the oil and gas industry during 2017. It has been estimated that the segment will continue to lead the IoT in the oil and gas market in the forthcoming years.

View Full Report: https://reports.valuates.com/market-reports/QYRE-Auto-10Z424/global-united-states-european-union-and-china-iiot-sensors-in-oil-and-gas

?Gas Sensors Market Report

The global gas sensor market size was valued at USD 823.1 Million in 2019, and is projected to reach USD 1,336.2 Million by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 6.4% from 2020 to 2027.

The Gas Sensors Market report includes a country-wise and region-wise market size for the period 2015-2026. It also includes market size and forecast by Type and by Application segment in terms of production capacity, price, and revenue for the period 2015-2026.

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?Optical Sensors Market Report

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?Remote Temperature Sensors Market Report

In this report, 2018 has been considered as the base year and 2019 to 2025 as the forecast period to estimate the market size for Remote Temperature Sensors.

With the growing demand for smart homes and in-home weather stations in the U.S, the North American market is expected to hold the major market share in the future.

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?Infrared Sensors Market Report

The global Infrared Sensors market size is projected to reach USD 1417 Million by 2026, from USD 946.3 Million in 2020.

This report focuses on the volume and value of Infrared Sensors at global, national, and enterprise levels. This study reflects the overall market size of Infrared Sensors from a global perspective by evaluating historical data and future prospects.

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?Pressure Sensors Market Report

In 2019, the global Pressure Sensors market size was USD 9832.4 Million, and it is expected to reach USD 15250 Million by the end of 2026, with a CAGR of 6.4% during 2021-2026.

Top companies in the Pressure Sensors Market that are analyzed in the report include Bosch, Denso, Sensata, Amphenol, NXP+ Freescale, Infineon, STMicroelectronics, TE Connectivity (Measurement Specialties), Omron, Honeywell, Siemens, Continental AG, Panasonic, Emerson, ABB, Yokogawa Electric Corporation, KEYENCE, Keller, Balluff, and WIKA Alexander Wiegand SE.

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DUP MP Sammy Wilson has insisted there is not significant proof that face masks protect people from Covid-19.

Mr Wilson defended his stance while speaking on Tuesday on BBC Radio Ulster's Talkback programme after he was heavily criticised for a tweet last week in which he referred to masks as "muzzles".

The East Antrim MP said that conflicting information had been put out around the wearing of masks, stressing that experts couldn't make up their minds whether masks were "effective or not".

Currently face coverings are strongly encouraged to be worn while in shops here, but are not mandatory.

The Executive is expected to make a decision on August 20, although the Health Minister, Robin Swann has urged ministers to make masks compulsory next week.

Mr Wilson's comments come as fellow DUP MP Ian Paisley said the controversial issue of whether or not masks should be made mandatory in Northern Ireland is a "difficult decision" for the Executive.
Togbui Amenya Fiti V, Paramount Chief of Aflao Traditional Area has accused authorities of the Republic of Togo of bad faith in extending borderline into Ghana land space and called for a re-demarcation of the frontier.

He said the long and deep trench constructed along the Ghana side of the border by the Togolese officials, hundreds of meters beyond the designated borderline, was a recipe' for conflict and must be corrected.

He said the trench dug between Wudiaba and Aflao within Ghana's land space was preventing residents from doing their normal businesses, which is compounded by the presence of the military deployment and consequent road blockade.

"By this, residents on the side before the trench cannot have access to their compatriots beyond the trench as Ghana's military have also erected barriers and preventing people within Ghana from crossing into Aflao Town or elsewhere."

The Paramount Chief raised the concerns when the Standing Committee of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs undertook a tour of border communities in the Region.

He said "this is act of provocation.

We have no protector, so the Togolese government comes to ward-off my people. The border they are creating is on Ghana's land, we know the traditional borderline and these people are callously intruding with impunity.

The main boundary is far down there and government has to re-demarcate Aflao lands, he said as he showed the Committee led by Togbe Afede XIV, President of the National House of Chiefs round border posts and security installations in the Ketu South Municipality.

The Committee was shown a barrier placed in the heart of the Wudiaba community.

Togbui Nyakeli Tortsofia VII, Chief of the area said military officers had been operating the barriers every night for the past two months, and that residents could not enter the community whenever they were present.

The Committee had earlier toured border security posts in the Afadzato South, and the Ho West Districts.

Officers of the Ghana Immigration Service stationed at the border at Leklebi Kame in the Afadzato South District, confirmed that the siting of the security post away from the border affected frontier communities during the closure.

Traditional authorities in the districts confirmed some tensions, as well as alleged acts of intimidation reported by residents in communities, where the military had been deployed, but said there had been no incidences or reports of violence.

Togbe Afede, who also is the Agbogbomefia of Asogli State, called for a human face approach to the border closure, and said authorities must ensure that livelihoods were not affected.

He urged security officers to sympathize with the people, and work towards maintaining national unity and cohesion.

Togbe Afede called for peaceful conduct especially in the runoff to the elections, and urged all to register and to vote, saying both were very important.

Nana Soglo Aloh IV, Paramount Chief of Likpe Traditional Area, and President of the Volta Regional House of Chiefs said it was the Committee's resolve to tour border communities to ascertain the accuracy of news flooding social and mainstream media regarding the military deployment.

Osie Adza Tekpor VII, Paramount Chief of Avatime Traditional Area and a member of the Committee assured traditional leaders of affected communities of the support of the House of Chiefs, and promised that consensus would be attained.

---GNA
CHICAGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- MyValue365.com is changing its name to Quicklly.com, the e-grocer and food delivery service announced today. The brand has gone through a website experience update for customers to make it more appealing and easier to use.

Insights

MyValue365.com, Chicago's #1 South Asian Online Ethnic food and grocery delivery service, is changing their name to Quicklly.com to further their commitment to faster deliveries to customers

#1 South Asian Online Ethnic food and grocery delivery service, is changing their name to Quicklly.com to further their commitment to faster deliveries to customers This makeover is aimed at promoting the brand's modern, fun, and caring culture

Quicklly.com will bring the most popular South Asian/Indian names in the food & beverage industry to its customers.

The new name suggests more of a corporate sheen to Quicklly, as it oversees a growing portfolio of retail sub-brands in food & groceries. It also further distinguishes the company from its competition in Chicago.

Perhaps most remarkably, this name change comes amid a flurry of innovation at Quicklly.com. For the last few years, the brand has been serving the Indian, American communities in Chicago with its innovating offerings and services in the food & grocery niche. Along with the name change, Quicklly.com will now also deliver tiffin and meal basket services to its customer base.

The spokesperson Raghavendra Sai (Head of Business Operations) at Quicklly.com says, "Speed of delivery has become a key differentiator in the food delivery sector. With our new makeover, we are introducing a 45-60-minutes food and tiffin delivery concept and will soon be expanding the same to our grocery offerings. These services are designed to serve our vibrant Indian community in Chicago and soon in San Francisco."

Some of the top new South Asian restaurants and services launching with Quicklly.com are Chicago Tiffinwala, popular for their tiffin services & meal basket, Momo Factory for Nepalese food and momos, Moti Cafe for Indian street food like the Vada Pav, and Mysore Woodlands for their dosas and other south Indian food.

"We are excited to present our new avatar to our beloved customers. Our South Asian grocery segment has seen close to 750% growth in the last one year. With customers' needs always at our heart, we wanted to stick our roots and make sure we go as deep as possible in terms of South Asian food and grocery offerings. Our name exhibits everything we aspire to be - an omnichannel ethnic retailer with the fastest delivery of fresh nutritious ethnic food and groceries to our customer's doorstep," the Quicklly.com Co-founders (Hanish, Keval & Pritesh) said in a statement. "We have always focused on building local businesses and communities, and with this name change, we hope the brand will be engraved deeper into our customers' minds."

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Secretary of Education Pedro Rivera (seen here at the Community College of Philadelphia in November 2019) has been in the position since 2015. Read more

Spotlight PA is an independent, non-partisan newsroom powered by The Philadelphia Inquirer in partnership with PennLive/The Patriot-News and other news organizations across Pennsylvania. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter.

HARRISBURG  Pennsylvanias top education official will leave his post this fall, just weeks into what promises to be an extraordinarily challenging school year for districts statewide as they grapple with the coronavirus pandemic.

Education Secretary Pedro Rivera will become the next president of Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology on Oct. 1, the Lancaster-based school announced Tuesday. He will serve in his current position until then.

As we all prepare for the upcoming school year during unprecedented times, I am reminded every day of the exceptional leadership we have in the education community, that even under challenging conditions, these leaders and educators continue to serve students and communities equitably and with understanding, Rivera said in a statement.

While leaving this position was a difficult decision, I am comforted that my new role allows me to continue to serve Pennsylvania students and continue to advocate for equity, access, and opportunity for all.

Gov. Tom Wolf said he plans to nominate Noe Ortega, deputy secretary and commissioner for postsecondary and higher education, to replace Rivera.

His leadership has been critical during the commonwealths response to COVID-19, Wolf said of Rivera in a statement, and the relationships he cultivated with education stakeholders during his tenure have strengthened the ties between state and local partners, and allowed local schools to inform state education policy.

Rivera became secretary of the Department of Education in 2015. During his tenure, Pennsylvania adopted a formula designed to ensure equitable funding for districts, though it only applies to a fraction of the money state lawmakers appropriate every year for education.

The way the state funds schools is the subject of a lawsuit led by the Education Law Center and Public Interest Law Center against legislative leaders, state education officials, and Wolf. Rivera was superintendent of the Lancaster School District when it joined the case as a plaintiff, but as education secretary, he became a defendant. He is expected to give a deposition.

I think he has exhibited a strong commitment to equity and providing all children a high-quality education, Dan Urevick-Ackelsberg, an attorney on the case, said of Rivera. But when the legislature deprives you of the power to give those districts what they are most lacking  funding  your ability to implement meaningful change is severely limited.

In recent months, Rivera has overseen the closures of public and private schools statewide to slow the spread of COVID-19, and is now tasked with guiding districts on how to safely reopen.

The states Education and Health Departments in July released guidance that reminds districts that masks are required inside schools, and directs them to implement policies that keep six feet of distance between students and staff. Difficult decisions  like whether to teach students in person, online, or through a hybrid model  have been left to individual districts and superintendents.

The Philadelphia and Pittsburgh School Districts have opted to begin the school year fully virtual, while other large districts plan to offer options.

I know there continues to be great uncertainty regarding the pandemic and its impact on our communities, but I am hopeful that this health-focused guidance will serve as an additional resource to help you plan, Rivera wrote in a memo announcing new guidelines for schools.

While some local officials have bristled against statewide mandates that limited business operations and required masks in public areas, those in charge of schools are seeking more hands-on involvement from the state.

Amidst a backdrop of rapidly changing guidance and direction, school superintendents have spent the summer leading their districts through an emotionally charged public discernment process  one many of them feel was unfairly put upon their districts, Mark DiRocco, executive director of the Pennsylvania Association of School Administrators, wrote in a recent op-ed. While the state has emphasized a need for local decision-making, school leaders have questioned time and again why decisions about public health have been placed in the hands of educators.

John Sanville, superintendent of the Unionville-Chadds Ford School District, told Senate lawmakers during a recent committee hearing that the guidance offered by state and federal officials has been conflicting or left to localities to interpret the true meaning.

Theyve left local schools in the unenviable task of making public health policy decisions, which is clearly not our wheelhouse, Sanville said. What is clear is that there is no perfect solution.

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Denise Richards addresses rumors of her affair with Brandi Glanville during a chat with Lisa Rinna on Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this week.

Richards is seen setting the record straight in a preview clip from this week's episode, which airs Wednesday on Bravo, as she claims Glanville started the rumors 'for shock value,'.

The 49-year-old told co-star Rinna: 'I've seen her a couple times in my life. She wanted to do a podcast and I told her I was out of town, so she asked, could she come up and interview me and the cast.'

Rumors denied: Denise Richards claimed Brandi Glanville started the rumors of their affair 'for shock value,' as she set the record straight in a clip from this week's episode of RHOBH

She said when Rinna asked how long Glanville stayed in Northern California for the trip: 'I don't know. Actually, maybe a day. I think she stayed overnight.'

'Have you tried calling her and saying, "What the f*** are you doing?" Rinna asked, to which Richards responded: 'Oh God no, I'm going to handle it though another way.'

She continued: 'It's not cool. first of all, I do not have an open marriage and I have not cheated on my husband, okay?'

Brief acquaintances: The 49-year-old told co-star Lisa Rinna: 'I've seen her a couple times in my life. She wanted to do a podcast and I told her I was out of town, so she asked, could she come up and interview me and the cast'

Handling it: 'Have you tried calling her and saying, "What the f*** are you doing?" Rinna asked, to which Richards responded: 'Oh God no, I'm going to handle it though another way'

Shock value: The Wild Things star said of why she thinks Glanville started the rumors: 'Well, for shock value'

The Wild Things star said of why she thinks Glanville started the rumors: 'Well, for shock value.'

Her heart-to-heart with Rinna came after co-star Teddi Mellencamp revealed the rumors on last week's episode.

Mellencamp recounted how Richards allegedly told Glanville she had an open relationship with husband Aaron Phypers.

But according to Glanville, the story changed after they slept together, Richards telling her to keep her mouth shut about it.

Richards also addressed other rumors Glanville started, in which she said that the Bond girl was throwing shade at her co-stars, particularly Mellencamp.

Bombshell: Her heart-to-heart with Rinna came after co-star Teddi Mellencamp revealed the rumors on last week's episode

Open marriage: Mellencamp recounted how Richards allegedly told Glanville she had an open relationship with husband Aaron Phypers

She said: 'What I got from all of it, was Teddi being upset I said all these things about her and I did not. Anything that I felt about Teddi, I've said to her face.'

The Starship Troopers actress continued: 'I'm gonna be super honest. Brandi said that, "I want to let you know" things that the group was saying behind my back.'

'So, you talked to Brandi about it?' Rinna inquired, appearing to poke a hole in her story, just as the teaser ended.

Dailymail.com reported back in January that Richards stormed away during the dramatic confrontation on the cast's trip to Rome in November.

An insider said: 'Since the affair was exposed, Denise has basically walked away from the show. Everyone in Beverly Hills knows about it. It was the talk of Kathy Hilton's Christmas party.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 11:45:31|Editor: huaxia

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QUITO, Aug. 3 (Xinhua) -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to wreak havoc around the globe, China is leading the post-pandemic economic recovery thanks to its sound policies, said Ecuador's international observer Milton Reyes.

"Worldwide, one can see that China is leading several processes of economic recovery. This is due to clear public policies and the efficiency and leadership of the Chinese government in tackling economic challenges," Reyes told Xinhua.

For example, the Chinese government strove to compensate for losses caused by the pandemic, and supported small and medium-sized companies that operate in essential supply chains with credits and loans to maintain employment, said the expert.

China "adopted policies to maintain domestic consumption" and support production resumption, said Reyes.

As a result, "e-commerce has rebounded, which sustains the economy. In the context of a pandemic, that is spectacular," he said.

China's gross domestic product (GDP) expanded 3.2 percent year-on-year in the second quarter of 2020, data from the Chinese National Bureau of Statistics showed.

Reyes, who also serves as a coordinator of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Institute of Higher National Studies, highlighted Chinese government's policies that aim to "generate a strong internal market" and support entrepreneurs in the country.

He added that China has also been working to reduce poverty and generate greater capacity for domestic consumption. Enditem
President Donald Trump came out for vote-by-mail efforts in his home state of Florida Tuesday  after spending months blasting mail voting nationwide as rife with fraud.

Trump, who himself casts an absentee ballot by mail in Florida  a state he made his domicile after leaving higher-tax New York  made the surprising turnaround on Twitter, after a series of polls showed him trailing Democrat Joe Biden in the state.

He then defended the move in a Tuesday evening news conference where his first justification for his position was that the state has a 'great Republican governor.'

'Floridas got a great Republican governor,' Trump said, asked why he supported mail-in voting there

Trump was referring to ultra Trump-loyalist Gov. Ron DeSantis.

'Floridas got a great Republican governor,' Trump said, singling out DeSantis and predecessor Gov. Rick Scott.

'Over a long period of time, they've been able to get the absentee ballots done extremely professionally,' he said. 'Florida's different from other states.'

He added: 'Florida has been working on this for years and they have a very good system of mail-in.'

But he trashed Nevada's move to send a ballot to every state vote amid the coronavirus pandemic  a move that prompted Trump to threaten a lawsuit earlier.

'In the case of Nevada theyre going to be voting in a matter of weeks. You cant do that,' Trump said.

Trump also cited Florida's low taxes, a factor in his decision to move his domicile there and no longer pay taxes in New York, where he has a business and a penthouse condo in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue.

'Theyre so well run. Floridas a very well-run state, low taxes, low everything,' Trump said.

But he refused a follow up question on why he was against mail-in voting in other states.

Trump was asked about his surprise tweet Tuesday where he came out for mail-in voting in Florida.

'Whether you call it Vote by Mail or Absentee Voting, in Florida the election system is Safe and Secure, Tried and True,' Trump wrote.

'Florida's Voting system has been cleaned up (we defeated Democrats attempts at change), so in Florida I encourage all to request a Ballot & Vote by Mail!' Trump added. He concluded his missive by writing '#MAGA'  his 'Make America Great Again' slogan.

Trump did a U-turn on mail-in voting, at least as it applies to his home state of Florida

The administration has repeatedly called mail-in voting procedures rife with fraud

Trump lauded Florida's election system despite the state's national reputation for dysfunction in counting ballots, including during the disputed 2000 presidential election that led to the landmark Bush v. Gore Supreme Court decision.

The flip comes days after Florida Sen. Marco Rubio told reporters he was 'not concerned at all' about mail-in voting in his stage, which hosts a large number of elderly residents as well as a COVID-19 spike.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who like Trump votes by mail absentee in Florida, denied the president was making a U-turn.

'Hes been unmistakably clear that when you have this mass mailout voting  the consequences are real,' she said. She pointed to an alleged election fraud case in Patterson, New Jersey that Trump has also pointed to.

Trump on Monday threatened to go to court to prevent Nevada from mailing ballots to voters.

Trump is trailing Biden by an average of 6 percentage points in the RealClearPolitics Florida average.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, who like Trump votes by mail absentee in Florida, denied the president was making a U-turn

Trump has repeatedly bashed mail voting in a bid that rival Joe Biden and some Democrats consider a bid to undermine the result of the elections.

'I want to have the election. But I also don't want to have to wait for three months and then find out that the ballots are all missing and the election doesn't mean anything. That's what's going to happen,' Trump Thursday at a press conference. 'Mail-in ballots will lead to the greatest fraud,' he said.

Some Trump allies have raised concerns that his harsh rhetoric about mail-in voting could ultimately suppress his own vote in some areas.

Trump again warned of the danger of election fraud by mail-in ballots in a new interview and claimed the election could be delayed by its unprecedented scale.

'You know, you could have a case where this election won't be decided on the evening of November 3. This election could be decided two months later.' Trump told Axios.

The president added: 'We have a new phenomenon it's called mail-in voting. It's new in terms of the kind of millions and millions of ballots. So they're going to send tens of millions of ballots to California, all over the place.

'I have a friend, lives in Westchester County his son passed away  He called me, he said, 'I just got a  I just got a ballot for my son Robert.' He died seven years ago.'

'Somebody got a ballot for a dog, somebody got a ballot for something else. You got millions of ballots going, nobody even knows where they're going.'

Trump has increasingly sought to cast doubt on the election and the expected pandemic-induced surge in mail-in and absentee voting - particularly as he has found himself trailing in public and private polling.

Trump has called remote voting options the 'biggest risk' to his reelection. His campaign and the Republican Party have sued to combat the practice, which was once a significant advantage for the GOP.

On Monday, Trump told a White House press conference that he had the authority to issue an executive order on mail-in ballots.

'I have the right to do it,' Trump told reporters at a White House press conference. 'We haven't gotten there yet, we'll see what happens.'

Trump added that Republicans are planning to file suit as soon as Tuesday to try to block Nevada's expansion of mail-in voting.

President Donald Trump (R) and Vice-President Mike Pence (L) arrive to participate in a roundtable with stakeholders positively impacted by law enforcement, in the East Room of the White House last month

Nearly all election procedures are governed on a state-by-state basis, with the remainder set by Congress or enshrined in the Constitution.

There is no precedent or apparent authority for Trump to try to curtail the use of mail-in ballots by executive order, though he could use a document to formalize his opposition to the practice.

Trump's claimed authority comes days after he publicly floated a delay to the November 3 presidential election, a notion that was met with swift bipartisan blowback.

There is no evidence of widespread voter fraud through mail-in voting and the states that use it say they have necessary safeguards in place to ensure that a hostile foreign actor doesn't disrupt the vote.

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks about his plans to combat racial inequality at a campaign event in Wilmington, Delaware, U.S., July 28, 2020

Election security experts say voter fraud is rare in all forms of balloting, including by mail.

In addition to his claims of fraud, Trump argued that voting by mail would delay the determination of the election's victor, noting that the winner of a New York Democratic congressional primary vote conducted by mail weeks ago remains undeclared. Trump said he believes that race would need to be 'rerun.'

Trump claimed the challenge would be greater in a presidential election, where the Electoral College vote could come down to just one state, and some states allow mail-in ballots to be received up to a week after Election Day.

'You'll never know who won that state,' Trump said Monday of Nevada's expansion of mail voting.
Coleen Rooney has denied rumours that she and Wayne are expecting their fifth child while slamming unflattering photos of her current holiday to Barbados.

The 34-year-old is enjoying a lavish beach break with her four sons: Kai, 10, Klay, seven, Kit, four and Cass, two and hubby Wayne.

In a candid tweet about recent pap pictures of the family, Coleen told trolls she was not pregnant and had simply put weight on.

Sharing a smiling snap of herself and mum Colette enjoying a drink, she wrote: Having a great time on our favourite island, so lucky and grateful to be here.

A lot of local paparazzi on the beach as always (doesnt stop us all having fun) seen some unflattering photos outbut no am not pregnant for them asking. Ive just put weight on.

Coleen was soon swamped with well-wishing comments, many of whom praised her for her honesty.

Good for you! one wrote, Be happy and dont worry about the negativity! Everyone is allowed to put weight on and enjoy their holidays!

Havent we all! a second offered, Happiness is all that counts.

A third chimed in: Who hasnt and also who cares, enjoy your holiday with your family making memories, much more important xx.

Enjoy having a great time, a fourth penned, loving life and the wine, you look fab by the way!

Coleen and Wayne have jetted out to the Caribbean island ahead of her court battle with fellow WAG Rebekah Vardy.

Follow Us on Facebook  @LadunLiadi; Instagram  @LadunLiadi; Twitter  @LadunLiadi; Youtube  @LadunLiadiTV for updates
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, President of Ghana has said, if Ghanaians give him a second term, he would use it to build on the foundation he built during his first term to industrialize the country.



He said he had been faithful to Ghanaians and urged the electorate to re-elect him based on his achievements.



President Akufo-Addo who was speaking in an interview on a local radio station in Koforidua and monitored by the Ghana News Agency (GNA) explained that illegal mining, the plastic waste menace and landguards were not easy issues to be resolved, but what was important was to create conditions for their gradual eradication.



He said the government had already introduced the community mining system which had a lot of the illegal miners.



The President said, the government had also initiated alternative livelihood programmes in the mining communities and it was expected that as the economies of those communities improved, many of the people in the illegal mining would be attracted to join other sectors of the economy.



The President gave the assurance that the affordable housing project started in Koforidua during the era of President Kufuor and the Kwahu East District Hospital started by the government of President Mahama would be completed.



He assured that all those who invested in the collapsed financial institutions would be paid by the end of August this year and said already 98 per cent of those people were paid out of the GHC 21 billion provided by the government.

Source: GNA









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The former teacher and of the highest-profile politicians in Northern Ireland for more than 30 years, came to prominence during the Civil Rights Movement in 1968.

He passed away in the early hours of Monday at the Owen Mor nursing home in Londonderry, reports the BBC.

Dublin, Aug 3 (IANS) Former Irish politician and Nobel Peace Prize winner John Hume died on Monday at the age of 83, his family said in a statement.

He was one of the founding members of the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) in 1970.

He became leader of the party in 1979, a post which he relinquished in November 2001.

Hume, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1998, had been suffering from dementia for many years.

In a statement, his family said: "John was a husband, a father, a grandfather, a great grandfather and a brother.

"He was very much loved, and his loss will be deeply felt by all his extended family."

Politicians have paid their tributes to Hume, also known as one of the architects of the Northern Ireland peace process, the BBC reported.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin said that Hume was a "great hero and a true peacemaker".

"Throughout his long life he exhibited not just courage, but also fortitude, creativity and an utter conviction that democracy and human rights must define any modern society."

Former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair called him "a political titan; a visionary who refused to believe the future had to be the same as the past", while First Minister of Northern Ireland Arlene Foster said: "In our darkest days he recognised that violence was the wrong path and worked steadfastly to promote democratic politics."

In his message, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: "We can never repay all that John did for us but we can live the values that meant so much to him. We shall overcome."

--IANS

ksk/
The weekend yielded two more COVID-19 deaths in Montgomery County, bringing the countys total to 69.

The two deaths, a Conroe man in his 20s and a Montgomery woman in her 80s, follow the countys deadliest week where officials with the Montgomery County Public Health District logged 13 deaths. To date, July was the county deadliest month with 31 deaths confirmed.

According to public health officials, the number of cases increased to 6,291. Of those 2,316 are active, a decrease of 95 from Friday. Total hospitalizations, both county and non-county residents, decreased from 183 to 160 with 40 of those in critical care beds.

Montgomery County Judge Mark Keough urged residents to continue taking necessary precautions.

As we have seen a decreasing number of new cases from our highs a few weeks ago please don't let your guard down when it comes to practicing the CDC guidelines when in public, he stated on social media Monday.

The CDC recommends the following measures in a public place: stay at least six feet from others at all times; wear a cloth face covering to help protect yourself and others; 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; and bring hand sanitizer with at least 60 percent alcohol to use if soap and water are not available.

For those needing to be testing, MCPHD has launched an online registration process for its voucher program for both symptomatic and asymptomatic. The testing is for Montgomery County residents only.

To get a voucher, go to mchd-tx.org or mcphd-tx.org and click on the need to be tested link. Fill out the information. A voucher will be emailed. Once you have the voucher, make an appointment at your choice of testing center and get tested.

The MCHD/MCPHD COVID-19 Call Center is open Monday-Friday, from 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Call 936-523-5040.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
Contributed

NEW HAVEN  A former city police officer was charged Thursday in connection with a use of force investigation from a December 2019 incident, officials said.

Jason Santiago, 33, was arrested Thursday and charged with third-degree assault and second-degree breach of peace. The warrant, issued based on a Division of Criminal Justice investigation, stemmed from an incident on Dec. 25, 2019, in New Haven.
It is very clear that whether one is a Tamil or a Sinhalese or a Muslim, we all had Tamil mothers.





by V. Anandasangaree





We cant go on like this for ever. A solution should be found without any more delay, to unify all Communities. The various communities in Sri Lanka should shed all their suspicions against one another and get united. I am of the opinion that lack of knowledge of certain events in the history of our country, is the main reason for the distrust that had developed among the major communities in Sri Lanka, over a period of time. It had resulted in one group looking upon the other with suspicion. What Percentage of the countrys population knows of the ancestral relationship the Sinhalese and the Tamils have and also the Muslims.













The history of our country, as known to most of us is that Prince Vijaya took the Pandiyan Princess, from Madurai in Tamil Naad, as his wife. So were the 700 followers of Vijaya for whom King Pandiyan sent suitable maids. I quote below the following paragraph from the Mahawamsa.





When he had thus obtained many maidens and had given compensation to their families, he sent his daughter, bedecked with all her ornaments, and all that was needful for the journey, and all the maidens whom he had fitted out, according to their rank, elephants withal and horses and wagons, worthy of a king, and craftsmen and a thousand families of the eighteen guilds, entrusted with a letter to the conqueror Vijaya (Chapter 7  55 to 58)





History had also recorded that the Arabs who settled in Sri Lanka took Tamil and Sinhalese women as their wives.





It is very necessary for every Tamil to know what the Father of the Nation, Rt. Hon. D.S.Senanayake told the Tamil Members of the out going State Council. He asked them whether they preferred to be ruled from London or want as Ceylonese, help to Govern Ceylon. Concluding his notorious speech, He as a good statesman assured On behalf of the congress and on my own behalf, I give the minority communities the sincere assurance that no harm need you fear at our hands, in a free Lanka. This assurance by no less a person than the late Rt. Hon. D.S.Senanayake, who was later acknowledged as the Father of the Nation, convinced the Tamil Members of the State Council. Taking his word as gospel truth, they all unanimously voted for the adoption of the new constitution of Lord Soul bury, that was to come into operation on the country attaining independence on the 4th February 1948. and Rt. Hon. D.S.Senanayake as our first Prime Minster of Sri Lanka.





It is very clear that whether one is a Tamil or a Sinhalese or a Muslim, we all had Tamil mothers. No one can deny this if we have faith in Mahawamsa. If this position is accepted, not because I am saying so, but because it is a part of the recorded history of Sri Lanka, Why should we fight among our Selves? should be the question that we should ask ourselves and every other person in Sri Lanka, over and over again.





My comment Breath there the man with soul so dead, who never to himself hath said this is my own my native land.  A Poet





V.Anandasangaree, Secretary-General, Tamil United Liberation Front.




India's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador TS Tirumurti, on Monday took on Pakistan for harbouring, funding largest number of terror groups in the world, referred UN Report on ISIS, presence of terrorists from Pak in Afghanistan, as India continues to see unprovoked ceasefire violations at the Line of Control and threats of violence in the Kashmir valley.

Calling Pakistan a nerve centre of terrorism, Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador TS Tirumurti, has lashed out at Islamabad for harbouring terror groups, saying it is home to the largest number of listed terrorists internationally and designated terrorist entities.

In an interview to ANI, Ambassador Tirumurti on Monday (local time) said terror groups such as Jamat-ud Dawah, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen are continuing their operations from Pakistan.

Its a well-known fact that Pakistan is the nerve centre of terrorism. Pakistan is home to the largest number of listed terrorists internationally designated terrorist entities and individuals, including Jamat-ud Dawah, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen, they are continuing their operations from Pakistan. Let me state that the UN and its reports have reiterated the involvement of Pakistan in terrorist attacks abroad. You know, even in the recent report of the analytical support and sanctions monitoring team, he said.

Also read: China calls for forced Uyghur marriages in new surveillance efforts

Also read: Anti-Netanyahu protests rock Jerusalem over corruption charges

Referring to United Nations 26th report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team concerning ISIS, the ambassador said there is a clear acknowledgement that the leadership and funding for the terrorist entities like Al-Qaeda, ISIS emanate from Pakistan.

Under the 1267 Committee, which submits its report periodically terrorist activities of ISIL al Qaeda and its affiliates. There are several direct references to Pakistans involvement, Tirumurti said

This report, clearly mentions that Pakistanis are in leadership positions of terrorist groups, for example, the report mentions by name the leader of the Al Qaeda who is a Pakistani national, the names of the head of Isil and former head again Pakistani national clearly mentioned in this report. There is a clear acknowledgement that the leadership and funding for these entities emanate from Pakistan, he added.

The UN report revealed that an estimated 6,000-6,500 Pakistani terrorists are in neighbouring Afghanistan, most of them with the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, posing a threat to both the countries.

In another report released in May, it mentions that Pakistan based terrorists organizations Lashkar-e-Taiba and the Jaish-e-Mohammed continue to have a large presence of terrorist fighters in Afghanistan and are involved in carrying out terrorist attacks there, the Ambassador said.

Tirumurti said Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has acknowledged that there are around 40,000 terrorists present in Pakistan and they have attacked neighbouring countries.

Even in the recent resolution of the UN Security Council on the session of hostilities in the context of COVID-19, the security council has clearly recognised that they need to make an exemption for countries fighting against globally designated terrorist entities and individuals thereby in effect vindicating our position, he said.

Also read: US presses Pak for legal reform over killing of Tahir Naseem
According to a May 18, 2020 Reuters article, the medical diagnostic firm PerkinElmer, Inc. is involved in a federal investigation regarding its role in an alleged Medicare fraud. The investigation involves tens of thousands of unnecessary genetic cancer tests.

According to the article, investigators are exploring whether the company helped to enable a scheme by some of its laboratory clients  two of which have already been charged in connection with alleged Medicare fraud, Labsolutions and Personalized Genomics. The tests under scrutiny were conducted by PerkinElmer over the course of eighteen months and earned the company millions of dollars.

The tests run by PerkinElmer are done in high volume and determine whether patients are at risk of developing certain hereditary diseases, including breast cancer and colon cancer. If a physician considers the test the be medically necessary due to family medical history, Medicare will cover the test screening. If the test is not medically necessary, Medicare may not cover the cost.

The investigators are trying to determine whether the company knew (or should have known) that the tests were not medically necessary and that its clients were billing the tests to the Medicare insurance program.

According to Reuters, some of the tests sent to PerkinElmer raised concerns among employees because the patients did not always fit the typical testing profile, and few of those test results showed a cancer risk.

Chief Scientist Also Under Investigation

Reuters also cites reports that Madhuri Hedge, in her role as chief scientist for PerkinElmers genetic testing unit, is under investigation for her role in establishing business relationships with the lab clients that have already been charged in the fraud schemes. In an email to Reuters, Hedge denies any wrongdoing whatsoever.

Lab Clients Charged

As mentioned above, two of PerkinElmers lab clients have been charged with wrongdoing following an investigation.

LabSolutions LLC, started working with PerkinElmer in late 2017 by outsourcing genetic cancer testing to PerkinElmer until it could set up its own labs. In September 2019, LabSolutions owner Minal Patel was indicted on charges of healthcare fraud and paying/receiving kickbacks to and from marketers who collected cheek swabs from patients for genetic testing. Patel has pled not guilty.

The owner of other lab client Personalized Genomics  Ravitej Reddy  was charged by the DOJ for allegedly conspiring to pay and receive kickbacks to and from business consultants, a telemedicine company, and marketers who collected cheek swabs from patients for genetic testing. Reddy pled guilty in January 2020 and is expected to be sentenced in September 2020.

Broader Investigation

The PerkinElmer inquiry is just one of multiple in a Medicare fraud investigation unveiled by the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) in September of 2019. In this case, the DOJ is allegedly working with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG).

PerkinElmer Denies the Allegations

Interestingly, PerkinElmer has denied these allegations by saying it has not received any information, and is not aware of any wrongdoing, as is implied by the Reuters report. The company also denied any of its personnel being investigated by the government. PerkinElmer did acknowledge receiving subpoenas, but said they were regarding investigations into third parties and that it has fully cooperated with authorities.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:44:10|Editor: huaxia

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TOKYO, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Japanese government said Tuesday that assets from a Japanese company seized under a South Korean court ruling on compensation for wartime labor must not be liquidated in the interests of bilateral ties.

Japan's top government spokesperson Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga told a press briefing on the matter that, "Liquidating the Nippon Steel Corp. assets would bring about a serious situation and must be avoided."

"Japan has repeatedly pressed the South Korean side on this matter, and will continue to strongly urge them to resolve the issue," Suga added.

On Tuesday, a branch of the Daegu District Court became able to order the sale of assets held in South Korea by Nippon Steel.

The Japanese steelmaker, for its part, said it would file an appeal against the sale.

Suga said that Tokyo had a range of "options available" if the sale goes ahead.

Such options include, toughening visa requirements for South Korean visitors, temporarily recalling its ambassador from Seoul, or imposing additional tariffs on South Korean products.

In addition, Tokyo could opt to restrict remittances to South Korea, among other measures, sources close to the matter said, although Suga did not specifically refer to any of these.

"We will continue to firmly deal with the issue," Suga said.

Ties have deteriorated between both sides following a South Korean Supreme Court decision in October 2018 ordering Nippon Steel to compensate South Koreans for forced labor under Japan's 1910-1945 colonial rule.

Japan, for its part, has claimed the rulings are not in line with international law and run contrary to the foundation of friendly and cooperative relations between the two neighbors since the 1965 normalization of diplomatic ties.

Japan maintains the matter of compensation for wartime labor was "finally and completely" resolved under the pact.

Suga on Tuesday doubled-down on Tokyo's position that Seoul not abiding by the pact was a "clear violation of international law."

If the asset sale goes ahead and Japan retaliates, South Korea, for its part, has said that it will issue its own reprisals against Japan, proportionate to Japan's punitive measures, sources close to the matter here have said. Enditem
North Korea is in the hearts of many Christians who are praying for the freedom of Christian brothers and sisters who are unsettled and troubled.

Praying, worshiping, and having a Bible in North Korea is forbidden and if one is caught they will be put into prison or sentenced to death. For Christians it is sometimes difficult to pray especially for countries or people who face brutality. Looking for the right words can be hard, but when it comes to scripture-based prayers, it helps and is encouraging. There are five biblical verses that can help those who have a heart for the fellow Christian brothers and sisters in North Korea and for that country.

As Kim Jong Un began leading North Korea's government, the numbers of persecution and oppressions on anyone he saw as his enemy stormed up. Many people who were seen as a disruption, an enemy, or an intruder to Kim Jong Un's eyes, were killed, kept in prisons and camps or banished them to closed villages. The first verse from the Bible is from Mark 4:39, Jesus is the only one who is able to calm the storm. You can pray and ask God, to calm the storm in North Korea, the storm of Kim Jong Un's brutality.

In Luke 18:16 says, " But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these." The most discouraging and distressing thing for a Christian parent in North Korea may be not being able to pray for meals, taking their children to church without worrying, and not able to share bible stories to their children. As many children of North Korea are indoctrinated, being instructed to follow and obey Kim Jong Un's regime, they may describe their parents as dangerous or enemies of their country. "Parents can only pray that once their children are old enough they will be receptive to the gospel" (Joshua Pease, an author of Open Doors). Secondly, you can pray for the families in North Korea, for strength over the believers and seeds of the gospel to be planted in the hearts of the North Koreans.

Human trafficking in North Korea is still happening today. It was stated by Joshua Pease, "Thousands of North Korean women, often mothers, have been tricked into human trafficking or voluntarily entered into it out of a need to feed their families." These women are forced to be with Chinese men and live their lives with them. "Jesus answered her, 'If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is speaking to you, 'Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water." (John 4:10). As these women are living in sorrow and pain, the next prayer topic will be for healing and restorations in their hearts, for Him to be revealed to the broken women, and to physically heal them.

"And Peter answered him, 'Lord, if it is you, command me to come to you on the water'" (Matthew 14:28). For Christians who are living life in North Korea, the following questions listed is something that is being frequently asked in their thoughts: When will I meet another Christian, is it possible? Is it safe to spread the gospel? How can I help the community around me? As there may be more questions and doubts during these tribulations, you can ask God to show glimpses of His love, grace, and mercy to them and to receive the wisdom and discernment, to know what is right or wrong. Just like Jesus' disciple, Peter, from the Bible you can also pray that these brothers' and sisters' eyes may be fixed upon the Lord.

Lastly, as one body, let us pray and ask God to give people the heart of love and forgiveness. As Satan has hardened and closed many North Korean rulers' hearts, pray that God will soften their hearts and bring peace, love, and His light over their lives. The prayers of yours may not or never see the outcome of the prayers over the leaders, but let us follow the example of Christ and pray for the North Korean churches and for the oppressors. As it is said in Luke 23:34, "Jesus said, "Father forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." Jesus asked God, His Father, not to hold this sin against the sinners.
Tran Quoc Phuong, Deputy Minister of Planning and Investment

A number of challenges were raised at the Ministry of Planning and Investments (MPI) online meeting with all cities and provinces on July 28 amid the new developments of COVID-19 in the country. What are the MPIs policy scenarios for the upcoming months to ensure economic recovery, thus meeting the highest possible economic growth for 2020?

Recent COVID-19 cases in the central city of Danang have made people concerned. At present, ministries and agencies at all levels, especially the National Steering Committee on COVID-19 Prevention and Control, have taken bold actions to effectively control the situation to prevent a new outbreak of the health crisis in the community, thus easing negative impacts of the pandemic on the ongoing economic recovery for the second half of the year.

The MPI has resumed all works on making reports and building possible scenarios, as well as making necessary proposals and solutions as we did in the first half of the year to give advice to the government in socioeconomic steering works to enable the economy to meet the yearly targets as much as possible.

People have often talked about an adaptive economy. Has Vietnam developed such a thing during COVID-19?

An adaptive economy is a new concept that requires deep study to find appropriate solutions. The pandemic has serious impacts on peoples lives and economic activities. Thus, it is not easy for a country to achieve. Many countries have only just approached the new concept, and none claims to have their own adaptive economy.

Economies are struggling with the rapid developments of COVID-19, but an adaptive economy has been discussed for some time, such as for climate change, or for other specific conditions.

Many struggles may be ahead, so what are key tasks and solutions that the MPI will give priority to for its performance in the second half of the year?

To fulfil the targets, the ministry will continue to make reforms and innovations while taking concrete actions, focusing on the several major tasks and solutions.

First, we will closely work with ministries, agencies, and localities on supervising socioeconomic development at home and abroad, make forecasts, and give timely advice to the government and prime minister about possible solutions for their monitoring and directing, thus enabling the country to meet the set targets.

Moreover, we will focus on synchronous and strong implementation of strategic breakthroughs, and study policies and mechanisms to mobilise and effectively use all resources for business activities and investment development. The MPI will focus on the implementation of new legislation including the Law on Investment, the Law on Enterprises, the Law on Public-Private Partnership, and the Law on Planning, while proposing solutions to uphold the role of economic hubs, growth areas, and major urban areas.

The MPI will collaborate with ministries, central-level agencies, and localities in building reports such as those on socioeconomic development in 2020 and the development plan for 2021; the report on review of the 2016-2020 socioeconomic development plan and the 2021-2025 development plan; and another on review of the governments action plan to fulfil the 2016-2020 socioeconomic development plan and the threshold for the 2021-2025 period.

Also importantly, as leader of the governments macroeconomic executive team, the MPI will work closely with the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the State Bank of Vietnam on supervising regional and global developments, as well as possible policy changes of economies, thus making forecasts and proposing appropriate policies and solutions to take the initiative in all cases.

Regarding public investment, a number of solutions will be taken to spur the disbursement process, while focusing on building the mid-term public investment plans for the 2021-2025 period.

The MPI will concentrate on three national strategies, six master plans, one law, four decrees, and 10 major reports. They include the national strategy on foreign investment cooperation during 2021-2030; the strategy on service development master plan during 2021-2030 with a vision towards 2050; and another on green growth in the 2021-2030 period.

The six master plans will focus on application of modern administration of state-owned enterprises; criteria on foreign investment attraction, and the others on assessment about efficiency of foreign investment; and management and use of official development assistance and preferential loans until 2025.

Meanwhile, the decrees include one on amending business registration, a second on amending the regulations on outbound investment, and one amending the rules on management of industrial parks and economic zones, among others.
CONTACT - Media:



CONTACT - Investor Relations: Amsterdam +31.20.721.4133 Brussels +32.2.620.15.50 +33.1.70.48.24.17 Dublin

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EURONEXT COMPLETES THE ACQUISITION OF VP SECURITIES

Amsterdam, Brussels, Dublin, Lisbon, Oslo and Paris  4 August 2020  Euronext, the leading pan-European market infrastructure, announces today that it has completed the settlement of shares under its offer launched on 23 April 2020 to acquire 100% of VP Securities, the Danish Central Securities Depository. Euronext will now fully consolidate VP Securities accounts in its financial statements.

Shareholders representing more than 90% of the total share capital of VP Securities (adjusted for treasury shares) have already accepted Euronexts offer. Euronexts tag-along offer to acquire the remaining shares in VP Securities will remain open until 31 August 2020. Any other shareholders, and shareholders with specific rights, who accept the Euronext offer before 31 August 2020 will receive payment on or around 10 September 2020. Following such settlements, Euronext will initiate a compulsory acquisition procedure to acquire the remaining shares not already tendered, in accordance with the rules of the Danish Companies Act.

The acquisition of VP Securities positions Euronext as a leading CSD operator in Europe with three CSDs (Euronext VPS in Norway, Interbolsa in Portugal and VP Securities in Denmark) representing 2.2 trillion in assets under custody, 31 million settlement instructions per year and 4.5 million accounts. Post-trade is now a major contributor to Euronext revenues, reaching 23% of 2019 pro forma revenue, significantly increasing the share of non-volume related revenue. Furthermore, following the acquisition of Oslo Brs VPS, completed in June 2019, and Nord Pool in January 2020, Euronext has developed a strong Nordic skillset and has built increasing proximity with the client community in the Nordic region, to the full benefit of the local ecosystems.

Story continues

Euronext also announces today the appointment of Maria Hjorth, current deputy CEO, as the new CEO of VP Securities, subject to regulatory approval. Maria Hjorth will replace Niels Olsen who decided to resign to pursue personal projects, after leading the strong development of VP Securities over the past seven years. Maria Hjorth will report to Anthony Attia, Euronexts Global Head of Listing and Post-Trade.

Maria Hjorth, new CEO of VP Securities, said:

VP Securities is entering into a new phase of its development, as a Euronext company. It is now part of a larger, international group, with a clear strategy: build the leading pan-European market infrastructure.

Since I joined VP, I have led and developed our company strategy as a standalone business. I am delighted to now become CEO of the company to lead the next step of its transformation as part of a larger group. I want to thank Niels Olsen for seven dedicated years as CEO and I wish him all the best in this new phase of his life.

Niels Olsen, former CEO of VP Securities, said:

After 30 years in management positions in the financial industry, I have now decided to resign from my position as CEO of VP Securities to look into a more flexible work life. As I hand over to Maria Hjorth, I am pleased to witness VP Securities entering a new stage of its development as it becomes part of the Euronext Group, and I wish VP Securities and Euronext all the best for the future.

Stephane Boujnah, CEO and Chairman of the Managing Board of Euronext, said:

Post-trade activities are at the heart of Euronexts growth strategy, and will be an even larger contributor to our revenue following the acquisition of VP Securities. Alongside Euronext VPS and Interbolsa, we will strengthen our positioning in this field, and continue to expand our footprint in the Nordic region with new and improved services to the benefit of the Danish economy and European capital markets. I would like to thank Niels Olsen for his achievements and success as CEO and welcome Maria Hjorth as the new CEO of VP Securities. I have full confidence that, under her leadership, VP Securities will continue its successful development within the pan-European framework of the Euronext Group.

CONTACTS -

Pauline Bucaille (Europe/Paris) : +33 1 70 48 24 41; pbucaille@euronext.com

Pascal Brabant (Brussels): +32 2 620 15 50; pbrabant@euronext.com

Michael Russell (Dublin): +353 1 617 4221; mrussell@euronext.com

Sandra Machado (Lisbon): +351 210 600 614; smachado@euronext.com

GeirHarald Aase (Oslo): +47 22.34.19 15; GeirHarald.Aase@oslobors.no

Analysts & investors

Aurelie Cohen/Clement Kubiak +33 1 70 48 24 27; ir@euronext.com





About Euronext





Euronext is the leading pan-European market infrastructure connecting local economies to global capital markets, to accelerate innovation and sustainable growth. It operates regulated exchanges in Belgium, France, Ireland, The Netherlands, Norway and Portugal. With close to 1,500 listed issuers worth 3.8 trillion in market capitalisation as of end June 2020, it has an unmatched blue chip franchise and a strong diverse domestic and international client base. Euronext operates regulated and transparent equity and derivatives markets and is the largest centre for debt and funds listings in the world. Its total product offering includes Equities, FX, Exchange Traded Funds, Warrants & Certificates, Bonds, Derivatives, Commodities and Indices. Euronext also leverages its expertise in running markets by providing technology and managed services to third parties. In addition to its main regulated market, Euronext also operates Euronext GrowthTM and Euronext AccessTM, simplifying access to listing for SMEs. Euronext provides custody and settlement services through central securities depositaries in Norway and Portugal.

For the latest news, find us on Twitter (twitter.com/euronext) and LinkedIn (linkedin.com/euronext).

Disclaimer

This press release is for information purposes only: it is not a recommendation to engage in investment activities and is provided as is, without representation or warranty of any kind. While all reasonable care has been taken to ensure the accuracy of the content, Euronext does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness. Euronext will not be held liable for any loss or damages of any nature ensuing from using, trusting or acting on information provided. No information set out or referred to in this publication may be regarded as creating any right or obligation. The creation of rights and obligations in respect of financial products that are traded on the exchanges operated by Euronexts subsidiaries shall depend solely on the applicable rules of the market operator. All proprietary rights and interest in or connected with this publication shall vest in Euronext. This press release speaks only as of this date. Euronext refers to Euronext N.V. and its affiliates. Information regarding trademarks and intellectual property rights of Euronext is available at www.euronext.com/terms-use .

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Attachment




Donald Trump's lawyers said that a subpoena for his tax returns amounted to harassment of the president - AFP

A New York prosecutor trying to obtain Donald Trump's tax returns has told a court he was justified in demanding them due to media reports of "extensive and protracted criminal conduct at the Trump Organization".

It was the latest twist in a long saga over access to Mr Trump's tax returns.

Cyrus Vance Jr., the Manhattan District Attorney, is seeking eight years of Mr Trump's personal and corporate tax records.

Mr Trump's lawyers said last month that a subpoena for them amounted to harassment of the president and was "overbroad".

Mr Vance had so far disclosed little about what prompted him to request the records, other than part of the investigation relates to alleged payoffs to women to keep them quiet about alleged affairs, which Mr Trump has denied having.

But in a court filing on Monday Mr Vance said Mr Trump's arguments that the subpoena was too broad stemmed from "the false premise" that the investigation was limited to those so-called "hush-money" payments.

Lawyers for Mr Vance said public reporting demonstrated that, at the time the subpoena was issued, there were "public allegations of possible criminal activity at plaintiff's New York County-based Trump Organization dating back over a decade."

They said: "These reports describe transactions involving individual and corporate actors based in New York County, but whose conduct at times extended beyond New York's borders.

"This possible criminal activity occurred within the applicable statutes of limitations, particularly if the transactions involved a continuing pattern of conduct."

They cited several newspaper articles, including one in the Washington Post examining allegations that Mr Trump had a practice of sending out financial statements to potential business partners and banks that inflated the worth of his properties.

Mr Vances filing also noted a court opinion from the judge in October that the information being subpoenaed could be useful in examining claims of "alleged insurance and bank fraud by the Trump Organization and its officers.

Story continues

There was no immediate comment from the Trump Organization.

Lawyers for Mr Vance said Mr Trump was not entitled to know the scope and nature of the investigation.

But they said information already in the public domain about Mr Trump's business dealings provided satisfactory support for the subpoena of his tax records.
(Natural News) Twitter has once again acted as judge, jury, and executioner. For four days, Twitter prevented the @BreitbartNews twitter account from posting, only restoring its permissions earlier today. This is in no small part because Twitter dragged its feet on Breitbart Newss appeal

(Article by Allum Bokhari republished from Breitbart.com)

Twitter initially locked Breitbart Newss account because it posted a video of a press conference featuring Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) and licensed doctors sharing their views and opinions on coronavirus and the medical response to the pandemic. The event was held by the organization Americas Frontline Doctors and organized by the Tea Party Patriots.

In short, Twitter has punished a news organization for posting a video of a live-streaming of a press conference held by a congressman and licensed medical doctors.

At the event, some of the doctors shared their opinion on hydroxychloroquine, highlighting it as a potentially helpful treatment in fighting COVID-19. One doctor called it a cure.

Because Breitbart Newss Twitter account carried a video livestream of their comments, Twitter accused Breitbart of spreading misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19.

As an aside, Breitbart News is a news company, not a licensed medical professional and has no editorial position on the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for COVID-19. But for Twitter (which is also not a licensed medical professional) to assert the video contained potentially harmful information rings hollow. Hydroxychloroquine is not Tide Pods; its not something people can simply go down to the local drugstore, buy, and ingest without medical advice and supervision.

In the United States, hydroxychloroquine is a legal, FDA approved medication available only by prescription; so a person would have to go to their doctor and get it prescribed after making a decision with their own doctor whether or not to take hydroxychloroquine.

And, whether Twitter likes it or not, or thinks it should be otherwise, doctors are prescribing hydroxychloroquine on an off-label basis for COVID-19. Twitter trying to pretend it is not happening or wishing it was not happening is self-sophistry.

Twitter has demanded that Breitbart News delete the following tweets before restoring access to the account. Breitbart appealed that decision, and pending appeal has been locked out of its account. Incredibly, Twitter took almost three full days to reply to Breitbarts appeal  meaning time and traffic lost during a fast-moving election season. When Twitter finally did respond, it denied the appeal.

Twitter then demanded that Breitbart News delete the following tweets before restoring access to the account and that Breitbart serve a 12-hour time out  meaning even more time and traffic lost during a fast-moving election season. (Update: Twitter has unrestricted Breitbart News Twitter account.)

Twitters actions have public health implications. The tech giant is preventing the public, including the critically ill, from receiving information from physicians with first-hand experience treating COVID-19 patients. Twitters censorship denies the public access to information  and that can put lives, health, and the well-being of Americans at risk.

Hydroxychloroquine is a commonly prescribed drug that has been approved for use in the United States since the 1950s and is widely prescribed to treat malaria. The effectiveness of the drug as a treatment for COVID-19 is still the subject of discussion and debate among medical professionals.

Harvey A. Risch, a professor of epidemiology at the Yale School of Public Health, has argued in Newsweek that tens of thousands of patients with COVID-19 are dying unnecessarily because use of the drug has become so politicized.

A media panic broke out after President Trump referenced reports that the drug might be effective in treating COVID-19, leading to the drug briefly being banned in Ohio. That ban has now been reversed by the Ohio Board of Pharmacy.

The panic even extended to The Lancet, one of the oldest and perhaps the most prestigious medical journals in the world. A study, widely covered by the corporate media, claiming hydroxychloroquine is ineffective and potentially dangerous, had to be retracted by the journal after major discrepancies were found in the studys data.

Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX), who recently contracted COVID-19, announced yesterday that he would be taking the drug to treat the illness following advice from his doctor.

I am taking #Hydroxychloroquine to treat my coronavirus diagnosis. It is what was decided as the best course of action between my doctor and menot by government bureaucrats. How long until the tech tyrants censor this tweet? https://t.co/dzAYAXiQ8p  Louie Gohmert (@replouiegohmert) July 31, 2020

Here is where things stand: There is no definitive medical study that answers the question of hydroxychloroquines usefulness in treating COVID-19, especially when used in conjunction with other medications. Many licensed professionals have reportedly treated COVID-19 patients with it, and some have reported at least anecdotal evidence of efficacy. Another way to put it is that the usefulness of hydroxychloroquine remains a topic of open discussion and debate.

Twitter has decided that discussion and debate should not be happening, and is punishing anyone (even a news organization covering a third-party press conference), who in any way airs that discussion and debate. That is not Twitters job. And, in the end, it may be that Twitter is the one that has, by censorship and omission, effectively spread misleading and potentially harmful information related to COVID-19.

Read more at: Breitbart.com and Censorship.news.
A cat, who was detained for transporting drugs into Sri Lanka's Welikada Prison, has escaped from a heavily guarded prison, days after it was caught by intelligence officers, local media reports said Monday.

The local Aruna newspaper, quoting prison officials said the cat was detected by prison guards last Saturday with nearly two grams of heroin, two SIM cards and a memory chip found in a small plastic bag tied around its neck. Investigations found that the cat was smuggling the drugs and banned items into the Welikada Prison located in Colombo.

The cat was thereafter detained in a room in the Colombo Magazine Prison for further investigations but escaped some time on Sunday with authorities now launching a manhunt to catch the feline.

Investigators believe the cat was used as a smuggler.

(CGTN)
A row over a parking space took a bizarre turn when one neighbour escalated the dispute by blocking in his rival's car with scaffolding after he kept taking 'their spot'.

Police were called to the incident when the owner of a blue VW Passat found his vehicle completely trapped in the makeshift construction on an estate in Haywards Heath, West Sussex.

Those involved are being 'spoken to' by police about the dispute, which they confirmed was over a parking space.

Those involved are being 'spoken to' by officers about the dispute, which is said to be over a parking space

A series of huge scaffolding poles had been tightly screwed in place to encase the estate car and prevent it from being driven away.

A trailer next to the parking space had also been cemented into the ground beside the vehicle before the cage was built, police said.

Inspector Darren Taylor, from Mid Sussex Police, was called to the scene of the escalating neighbourly conflict and was shocked at what he found.

He wrote: 'Over 20 years of policing, I have dealt with many neighbour disputes and parking issues.

'But nothing like this one which the team are dealing with at the moment in Haywards Heath.

'Need to speak to the individual who thinks this is acceptable to do this to someone else's vehicle.'

Inspector Taylor added: 'I know this job throws up many different things but I have never seen anything like it before.

'My team are looking into what offences if any need to be investigated,' he added.
ALBANY, N.Y. and EDISON, N.J., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CS Energy, LLC, a leading integrated energy firm that designs and builds optimized projects in the solar, storage and emerging energy industries, has opened its first office in New York state. Located in Albany, the regional office is a testament to the firm's commitment to the New York solar and energy storage markets.

CS Energy installed the largest community solar project in New York in 2019.

CS Energy is already a leader in New York's renewable energy industry, with more than 120 megawatts (MW) installed across the state. Recent projects include a 27 MW facility in Dryden, a 24 MW project in Spencer, and an 18 MW project in Norwich. The company expects to be playing a major role in New York's renewable energy transition and is gearing up to support the massive growth of solar and energy storage installations throughout the state. As the state continues to safely reopen, CS Energy expects to build approximately 130 MW of community solar and large scale solar projects in the statean ambitious goal strengthened by the central location of the new office.

"We are redoubling our commitment to New York," said Matthew Skidmore, CEO of CS Energy. "This office will allow us to grow quickly and recruit more local workers. As we aim to be the top solar EPC firm in New York, this new base is a big step in achieving our objective."

The move also positions CS Energy to help the state with two of its 2030 energy goals: to receive more than 70 percent of its electricity from renewable sources and to develop 3,000 MW of energy storage. CS Energy was recently ranked the #1 solar installation company in New York by Solar Power World.

Establishing the office isn't the only growth the company is doing in New York: CS Energy will help restart the local economy by increasing its local workforce by more than 300 percent this year. The company has already established relationships with universities and developed internship programs in order to fast track the recruitment process.

"We have a long-term strategy in New York," Skidmore added. "Every step we've taken in the state has been designed to set ourselves up for success over the next decade as we help New York achieve it's clean energy goals."

"Under Governor Cuomo's leadership, New York's renewable energy policies are helping to attract new businesses to the state and proving to be a significant economic driver and job creator across as we work to rebuild our economy," said Doreen M. Harris, Acting President and CEO, NYSERDA. "Congratulations to CS Energy on the opening of their new office in the Capital Region  a welcomed demonstration of their continued investment in New York and support in the achievement of the Governor's nation-leading climate and clean energy goals."

About CS Energy

CS Energy, LLC is a national EPC, O&M, and energy storage company. CS Energy's attention to detail, flawless execution and collaborative culture has enabled them to successfully design and install nearly 1 GW of solar projects since their early initiatives in 2004. CS Energy leverages established partnerships with solar developers, IPPs, utilities, off-takers, suppliers and landowners to streamline project development, design, construction and operations, driving down project costs and creating value across all project stakeholders. Majority-owned by Ares Infrastructure and Power with a minority position retained by The Conti Group, CS Energy is well positioned with a diversified network of industry experts and the financial resources to be a trusted, long-term partner.

CS Energy Media Contact:

Dianaliz Santiago-Borcan

732.520.5143

[email protected]

SOURCE CS Energy
New Delhi: Two Indian nationals who were kidnapped more than two years ago in Afghanistan will return back to India on Tuesday. These two were among the 7 Indians working for Maharashtra-based KEC International Limited who were kidnapped in May 2018.

They were abducted by the Taliban in Baghlan Province of Afghanistan in Bagh E Shamal village of provincial capital Pul E Khomre.

KEC is helping in the development of electricity infrastructure in Afghanistan. The company owns an electricity sub-station contract in the area. More than 60 Indians were working for KEC in different projects across Afghanistan.

Out of seven Indians who were abducted, 4 have already returned to India. The first one came in March of 2019, the other 3 came back in October in exchange for 11 Taliban prisoners.

This is not the first case of the abduction of Indians in Afghanistan.

In 2016, an Indian aid worker Judith D Souza was kidnapped by and was released after 40 days.
Apple Inc made a statement on Tuesday saying its Siri application does not infringe a Chinese technology company's patent for a voice recognition software.

The statement came after Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology Co, the developer of voice recognition technology Xiao-i Robot, filed a lawsuit on Monday to the Shanghai High People's Court against Apple.

The Chinese company applied for a patent for its technology in 2004 and was awarded it five years later.

In the lawsuit, Shanghai Zhizhen Network Technology has requested Apple to cease patent infringement and manufacturing, usage, promotion, sales and imports of products with Siri as it violates its patent. It also sought 10 billion yuan ($1.43 billion) in compensation.

"This case has been going on for eight years. Siri does not contain features covered by their patent, which relates to games and instant messaging. We are disappointed that Xiao i Robot has filed another lawsuit," the statement read.

The statement stated that independent appraisers certified by the Supreme People's Court have also concluded that Apple has not infringed Xiao-i Robot's technology.

"Apple deeply respects innovation and our teams work tirelessly to create new technology and product features to delight our customers. We look forward to presenting the facts to the court and we will continue to focus on delivering the best products and services in the world to our customers," the statement added.

Xiao-i Robot started in 2003 as a chat tool for MSN, Yahoo Messenger and other similar networks. It has since expanded to Android and Apple's iOS, where it bears a striking similarity to Siri.

Siri, which was first developed in 2007 by Siri Inc and acquired by Apple in 2010, made its debut with the release of the iPhone 4S in 2011.
Fast tracking the critical task of building South Africas digital economy

South Africa lags behind the rest of the world when it comes to embracing the digital economy.

There are five critical areas we need to address to bring us up to speed.

In this article, we discuss the feasibility of a successful digital transformation in South Africa. Are our economy and society ready to embrace digital so that it will fill the dominant role suggested by Coleman and others?

In a recent report from the World Bank Group, digital transformation and the growth of the digital economy in South East Asia is analysed. The authors point to some of the successes that have been achieved, but also highlight some of the key gaps that have hindered the development of the digital economy in that region. The report identifies five factors that influence the successful development of the digital economy. These are: connectivity; digital payments; skills; logistics; policies and regulations.

Digital readiness

Global technology company Cisco has developed a Digital Readiness Index, which provides a measure of how likely countries are to successfully achieve digital transformation. The five key factors identified in the World Bank report are included in this index, together with other factors such as basic human needs and ease of doing business.

Ciscos 2019 report covers more than 100 countries. The following extract shows the index and its components for South Africa. For comparison, we have included the scores for New Zealand, Chile and Vietnam (one of the countries discussed in the World Bank Report). It is interesting to note that South Africa is less digitally ready than peer middle-income countries (Chile and New Zealand), and even lags behind Vietnam, an emerging economy.

Building a market for our own products

Before analysing the five factors in the World Bank Report, we will introduce an additional factor that we believe is missing. This is a strong domestic market for local products. One of the greatest weaknesses in the South African economy is the fact that consumers are drawn to imported products rather than home-grown ones.

For many years, our local economy has struggled to achieve and sustain industrialisation. A strong domestic market for locally manufactured goods encourages foreign investment and boosts exports of products that have been tried and tested at home. This would lead to strong economic growth, something which we have failed to achieve in recent years.

With respect to the digital economy, South Africa fares equally poorly in terms of locally developed products, both hardware and software. Almost all digital equipment, from processing and storage devices in data centres, to digital communication networks, to end-user devices, are imported. The same is true for software systems. The current international software scene is dominated by large multinational platform vendors such as Microsoft, Google, IBM and Amazon. There is the potential for domestic software developers to create applications which run on these platforms. While there are some examples of these, our local software sector has failed to use the local user-base as a springboard to capture international markets for such niche applications.

Connectivity

The General Household Survey, conducted by StatsSA in 2016 found that just under 60% of South Africans had access to the internet. More than half of these only connected to the internet via a mobile device, while only 9.5% had a connection at home. In Gauteng and the Western Cape, about 70% of people have internet connections, while in Limpopo this number was 42% with only 1.6% of people connected at home. There was also a huge gap between metropolitan and rural areas in terms of internet access.

The Covid-19 pandemic has shone a spotlight on the significant digital divide in South Africa. The country is divided into digital haves and digital have-nots. With respect to those on the haves side of the digital divide, South Africa is in a good position to drive a vibrant digital economy.

Businesses and homes in metropolitan areas have high-speed fibre connections. While the cost of data is seen as an inhibitor to digital communication, connectivity is well developed. However, on the have-nots side of the digital divide, the situation is entirely different. As can be seen from the numbers quoted above, a significant majority of South Africans are excluded from participation in the digital economy due to lack of connectivity and access.

Digital payments

At the heart of a digital economy is the ability of people to transact digitally. Compared to other parts of sub-Saharan Africa and other developing regions in the world, South Africa is well-provided with modern financial systems supported by secure and pervasive digital networks. There is, however, still room for improvement as we move towards a cashless economy.

Much has been written about cashless payment systems in Africa, such as M-Pesa in Kenya. The reason that M-Pesa, or something similar, never took off in South Africa was partly due to the highly regulated nature of the SA banking sector. Another reason was that there was less need for such solutions since the cash economy remains ubiquitous and well-organised.

There is, however, a great deal of innovation and creative thinking in SA around the digital financial ecosystem. A number of fintech start-ups have been launched recently. In addition, after a slow start, e-commerce is taking off and is growing.

Digital skills

Skills are a critical building block in developing the digital economy. Much has been written about digital skills in South Africa. To enable a growing digital economy, it is necessary for there to be both widespread digital literacy among all citizens and a strong cohort of people with the ability to code, work with data and develop new applications, and systems.

As with connectivity, there is a significant digital divide in South Africa between a relatively small segment of the population with an excellent level of digital literacy and a large majority of those without. We have also struggled to train sufficient numbers of digital professionals to meet the needs of our digital economy. As a result, work is outsourced to India and elsewhere, or foreign workers are employed locally to fill the gap.

Logistics

Logistics is an important bridge between the digital economy and the physical economy. If, for example, one orders food via an online platform, how efficiently is this food delivered? The US is a good example of best practice. An important factor in the US is that there is a high level of trust with respect to logistics. Deliveries are made in a highly dependable and predictable way. Orders can be accurately tracked and other information is available via a digital platform.

The problem faced in South Africa is that, since e-commerce has been slow to develop, our related logistics systems deal with low volumes and low levels of densification, i.e. the more affluent parts of our major cities are spread over relatively large areas. There are also low levels of trust with respect to predictability and accuracy of information. However, improvements are being made. Some of these improvements are being driven by the Covid-19 lockdown.

Policies and regulation

The World Bank report cited above places much emphasis on the role of government in creating a policy and regulatory framework that supports and enables the growth of the digital economy. In South Africa, the government has failed to adequately create this supportive framework. Issues such as spectrum allocation, lack of appropriate regulations and adverse effects of taxation laws have inhibited the growth of the digital economy. In addition, some of the negative effects of BBBEE policies have slowed progress in the growth of our digital economy.

In conclusion, like most other economies, South Africas success in the 21st century will largely be determined by our ability to grow our digital economy. This needs to become the focus both of our domestic economy and how South Africa engages with the rest of the world. Using factors identified in a World Bank Report, we have discussed South Africas strengths and weaknesses in relation to these factors. We have also highlighted some additional factors which will influence our ability to grow our digital economy.

This should provide some insights for those in business and in government, responsible for enabling the growth and development of our digital economy.

Professor Barry Dwolatzky is Emeritus Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and director of the Joburg Centre for Software Engineering. Mark Harris is CEO of Altron Nexus. This article was originally published in the Daily Maverick.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 17:15:18|Editor: huaxia

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CAPE TOWN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Doctors without Borders (MSF) on Tuesday commended South Africa for advocating the removal of intellectual property (IP) barriers that stand in the way of access to COVID-19 drugs, tests and vaccines.

Past experience has shown that IP barriers severely hamper the development of and access to medical tools, especially in low- and middle-income countries, MSF said in a statement emailed to Xinhua.

According to MSF, South Africa took leadership in calling for IP barriers to be removed when the World Trade Organization (WTO) met on July 30 for a Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Council formal session.

At the meeting, South Africa called on WTO members to explore new bold measures to address IP barriers, including binding commitments to ensure open sharing and global non-exclusive rights to use know-how, data and technologies, and legislative measures to restrict patent evergreening.

An effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic requires that all COVID-19 medical tools, including treatments, vaccines and tests, are affordable, available and accessible to everyone and allocated based on public health need, MSF said.

While the 73rd World Health Assembly "COVID-19 response" resolution recommends countries to use the health safeguards enshrined under the TRIPS Agreement to facilitate equitable access, there has not been, until this point, any formal discussion about their use or limitations at WTO, according to MSF.

"We are excited to see South Africa stand strong in the interest of public health today in front of WTO members, highlighting the importance of health safeguards to ensure access to COVID-19 drugs, tests and vaccines, and the limitations of the current international mechanism to overcome barriers to access," said Yuanqiong Hu, Senior Legal and Policy Advisor, MSF Access Campaign.

MSF has seen time and time again how IP barriers leave lifesaving medicines, essential diagnostics and new vaccines out of the hands of the most vulnerable people in developing countries, Hu said.

For example, past experience with the pneumococcal vaccine and human papillomavirus vaccine has shown that IP can affect every step of vaccine development, and monopolies can hinder timely introduction of affordable vaccines in developing countries, Hu said.

"We cannot risk repeating the same mistakes in the face of this global pandemic," he stressed.

Since the start of the COVID-19 outbreak, there have been several concerning examples of pharmaceutical corporations seeking monopoly power through patents.

For example, the voluntary licenses recently signed in secret by Gilead, a research-based biopharmaceutical company, for the investigational drug Remdesivir that was approved for emergency use in treating COVID-19 inexcusably exclude nearly half of the world's population.

"These actions provide scant assurance that pharma can be trusted to act in the public interest and illustrate how we cannot rely on the voluntary actions of companies in this pandemic," Hu said.

MSF hopes that WTO members recognize the gravity of the challenges faced by countries today and show solidarity once again during this pandemic and support the demand raised by South Africa to pursue a comprehensive and expeditious approach to removing IP barriers, Hu said.

All governments, he said, should take urgent actions to knock down these IP barriers that stand in the way of people's access, including suspending and overriding patents and other exclusivities. Enditem
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

The development of eco-friendly pesticides urgently required to protect crops will be accelerated with funding from the Australian Research Council.

Researchers from the University of Queensland, government and industry will be developing pesticides from the butterfly pea plant that could help to reduce the 2030 percent of crop yields eliminated by plant pests worldwide.

Professor David Craik from UQ's Institute for Molecular Bioscience will work with Mr Nicholas Watts and Mr Kerry Watts from Innovate Ag Pty Ltd, and Dr. Karen Kirkby from the NSW Department of Primary Industries (NSW DPI).

Professor Craik said his team were world leaders in harnessing cyclotides, circular mini-proteins made by plants, which are potent insecticides and antifungals.

"An ecofriendly pesticide called Sero-X, extracted from the butterfly pea plant, is already on the market due in part to this partnership," Professor Craik said.

"Sero-X is now successfully used on cotton plants and some vegetables, but a deeper understanding of how these active molecules work is crucial to allow it to be rolled out to other crops.

"One of the clear benefits of Sero-X is that it is non-toxic to bees, who are important pollinators of our food crops and under threat."

Pesticide qualities of the butterfly pea plant were discovered by Dr. Robert Mensah during his research for the NSW Department of Primary Industries when he noticed that the plant was not attacked by insects.

Since then, 79 different insecticide and antifungal properties have been characterised within the plant.

"Cyclotides are very stable molecules which make insects feel sick, so they avoid coming back to eat the plants," Professor Craik said.

Insects consume five to 20 percent of major grain crops and this figure is set to rise with climate change.

Pests include fungal diseases, which cost Australia's wheat and barley industry $1 billion per year.

"Sero-X also exhibits antifungal properties, so we are testing to see if we can use it more broadly and on a wide variety of crops," Professor Craik said.

"We will investigate the environmental impact of these molecules after they have done their job by determining how long they persist in field runoff and waterways.

Innovate Ag will cultivate and harvest butterfly pea plants across Queensland and Professor Craik's lab will use these plants to identify more bioactive molecules.

"With the expertise of plant pathologist Dr. Kirkby from NSW DPI, we can characterise the modes of action of Sero-X and fast-track the development of the next generation of bio-pesticides," Professor Craik said.

"By protecting a wide variety of crops both here in Australia and overseas, we have the potential to generate significant and wide-reaching economic, social and environmental benefits."

Explore further Turning plants into medicine factories
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Washington, United States  Tue, August 4, 2020 07:55 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b56f46 2 News Virgin-Galactic,Rolls-Royce,supersonic,commercial,airplane,aviation,aviation-industry,aviation-technology Free

Space tourism company Virgin Galactic on Monday announced a partnership with engine-maker Rolls-Royce to build a supersonic commercial airplane that flies at three times the speed of sound.

The aircraft would travel at Mach 3 -- rather than the Mach 2 speed of Concorde, the pioneering jet that operated from 1976 to 2003.

Any new supersonic plane would have to solve the problems that doomed Concorde, in particular noise and fuel consumption.

"We are excited to... unveil this initial design concept of a high speed aircraft, which we envision as blending safe and reliable commercial travel with an unrivalled customer experience," said George Whitesides, chief space officer at Virgin Galactic.

The aircraft's draft design showed a plane with a triangular "delta wing" carrying between nine and 19 passengers at an altitude of more than 60,000 feet, or 18,000 meters -- about twice as high as normal commercial flight.

The plane would take off and land at existing airport runways.

Virgin Galactic said its team would "work to address key challenges in thermal management, maintenance, noise, emissions, and economics that routine high speed commercial flights would entail."

The company signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce to develop an engine for the aircraft.

Virgin Galactic's main focus this far has been its part-plane, part-rocket craft that is being developed to carry tourists to the edge of space.

It is awaiting more test flights, and no launch date for commercial journeys has been set.

The company, which was listed on the stock exchange last year, is seeking to diversify and in May it announced an agreement with NASA to develop high-speed technology.

NASA has also been working for decades on a silent supersonic experimental aircraft, the X-59. A first prototype is being built by Lockheed-Martin in California.

The project hopes to make the supersonic boom -- the explosion caused by crossing the sound barrier -- almost inaudible on the ground.


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"We're pleased to name RevBits as a winner among the Top 100 Cybersecurity Startups for 2020 in our second annual Black Unicorn awards. This award showcases those companies like RevBits with this kind of incredible potential in the cybersecurity marketplace," said Judges Robert R. Ackerman Jr. of www.allegiscyber.com, David DeWalt of www.nightdragon.com and Gary Miliefsky of www.cyberdefensemediagroup.com.

"We are honored to be recognized by Cyber Defense Magazine as a Top 100 Cybersecurity Startup. As the threat level in the cyberspace continues to rise with an alarming increase in the number of companies compromised and hacked, it has become crystal clear that mainstream solutions are failing to provide adequate protection," said David Schiffer, CEO "That is why we are confident that our full suite of solutions will greatly reduce clients' exposure and loses worldwide, while providing more protection and actionable information about their networks."

About RevBits

Established in 2018, RevBits is an innovative cybersecurity company dedicated to providing their customers with superior protection based on expert knowledge.

The platform architecture is based upon thinking ahead of the growing threats and the lack of innovation in detection and prevention solutions in existing cybersecurity products.

Cutting-edge modules include:

Email Security: detects the most sophisticated phishing emails by analyzing them at the endpoint, with more than fifty algorithms and two patents.

Endpoint Security: robust three-phased analysis of new executables, advanced exploit detection and the most extensive EDR solution in the market.

Detection Technology: dual-layer virtualization delivering thorough protection and low resource consumption, deploys real-servers based honeypots, and lures attackers with manual and automated implanted credentials.

Privileged Access Management: four-in-one solution that includes privileged access management, password management, key management and certificate management.

Anticipated to be released for Fall 2020, RevBits Cyber Intelligence Platform (RevBits CIP), with all four modules running in one dashboard, with single-sign on, integrated notifications and communication between modules.

RevBits is headquartered in Mineola, NY with offices in Princeton, NJ, Boston, MA and Antwerp (Belgium). For more information on RevBits please visit www.revbits.com/aboutrevbits

About Cyber Defense Awards

This is Cyber Defense Magazine's 8th year of honoring cybersecurity innovators, in this case the Black Unicorn Awards for 2020 on our Cyber Defense Awards platform. In this competition, judges for these prestigious awards includes cybersecurity industry veterans, trailblazers and market makers Gary Miliefsky of CDMG, Robert R. Ackerman Jr. of Allegis Cyber and David DeWalt of NightDragon with much appreciation to emeritus judge Robert Herjavec of Herjavec Group. To see the complete list of Top 100 Cybersecurity Startups for 2020 please visit https://cyberdefenseawards.com/top-100-cybersecurity-startups-for-2020/

About Cyber Defense Magazine

Cyber Defense Magazine was founded in 2012 by Gary S. Miliefsky, globally recognized cyber security thought leader, inventor and entrepreneur and continues to be the premier source of IT Security information. We are managed and published by and for ethical, honest, passionate information security professionals. Our mission is to share cutting-edge knowledge, real-world stories and awards on the best ideas, products and services in the information technology industry. We deliver electronic magazines every month online for free, and limited print editions exclusively for the RSA, BlackHat and IPEXPO conferences and our limited edition paid reprint subscribers. Learn more about us at http://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com. Cyber Defense Magazine is a proud member of the Cyber Defense Media Group.

Media Contact: Neal Hesterberg, Vice President, Business Development, RevBits, (609) 516-2846, [email protected]

SOURCE RevBits LLC

Related Links

https://www.revbits.com/


A more recent publication of this set of statistics is available. Latest publication: Foreign Shipping Traffic 2021, November

Published: 4 August 2020

Sea transport decreased in June

The goods volume of foreign sea transport was in total 7.3 million tonnes in June 2020. Sea transport decreased by 15 per cent from last year's June. Exports decreased by eight per cent and were 3.9 million tonnes. Import volume decreased by 22 per cent and amounted to 3.3 million tonnes.

Foreign sea Transport by month (tonnes) in 2018 to 2020

General cargo was transported most, in total 1.4 million tonnes, which is 19 per cent of all transport. The second most transported was oil products, 1.0 million tonnes, and chemicals, 0.6 million tonnes.

Container transport

A total of 1.0 million tonnes of containers were transported through Finnish ports in June 2020, which is five per cent less than in June 2019. The number of containers transported was 73,273 (131,432 TEU containers) 1) . Exports of containers went down by eight per cent measured in tonnes and imports stayed unchanged compared to June 2019.

Vehicle transport

A total of 218,339 transport equipment were transported in foreign sea traffic in June 2020. Most transports of transport equipment were passenger cars belonging to passengers. In June, 122,982 passenger cars were transported. The second most transported were trucks, 57,621 and truck trailers, 35,422.

Passenger traffic

A total of 463,447 persons were transported in passenger traffic in June 2020. In all, 375,234 persons travelled between Finland and Estonia and 73,280 persons between Finland and Sweden. Altogether, 9,476 passengers were transported between Finland and Latvia and 5,456 passengers between Finland and Germany. Passengers made up only 22 per cent of the number of passengers in June 2019. In June 2020, no passengers of foreign cruise ships arrived in Finland.

Vessel traffic and goods volume in the Saimaa Canal

A total of 146,567 tons of transport were registered through the canal in foreign traffic. Timber was transported most in vessels in foreign traffic, in total 76,882 tonnes. The second most transported was crude minerals and cement.

1) TEU, the basic measurement unit of container traffic, refers to one container that is twenty feet long, eight feet wide and 8.5 feet high.

Source: Transport and tourism, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Matti Kokkonen 029 551 3770, Sami Lahtinen 029 551 3207, matti.kokkonen@tilastokeskus.fi

Director in charge: Mari Yla-Jarkko

Publication in pdf-format (167.6 kB)

Updated 04.08.2020

Referencing instructions: Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Foreign Shipping Traffic [e-publication].

ISSN=2670-2002. June 2020. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 19.1.2022].

Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/uvliik/2020/06/uvliik_2020_06_2020-08-04_tie_001_en.html
Epidemiological studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of early cases of COVID-19, said WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus

Geneva: The World Health Organization said Monday an advance team looking into the origins of the COVID-19 outbreak has concluded its mission in China, and the UN health agency is preparing the deployment of a larger group of experts to the suspected outbreak zone.

WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said the "international team" will deploy to Wuhan, the city where the pandemic is believed to have erupted late last year. Tedros said "terms of reference" have been drawn up by the WHO and China, but he did not specify.

"The WHO advance team that traveled to China has now concluded their mission to lay the groundwork for further joint efforts to identify the virus origins," he told a news conference. "Epidemiological studies will begin in Wuhan to identify the potential source of infection of the early cases."

He said "evidence and hypothesis" generated from the work would "lay the ground for further, longer-term studies."

The comments came amid an increasingly heavy toll from the pandemic in the United States, Brazil and India, as investigators seek to clarify the origins of the virus and how it may have jumped from animals to humans late last year.

Dr Michael Ryan, the WHO's emergencies chief, noted "gaps in the epidemiological landscape" and said it would be assessed what studies to conduct and what data to collect. He said the two-person advance team had not returned from China, and had not been "debriefed" yet.

"The real trick is to go to the human clusters that occurred first and then to work your way back systematically looking for that first signal at which the animal human species barrier was crossed," Ryan said. "Once you understand where that the barrier was breached, then you move into the studies in a more systematic way on the animal side."

The WHO press office, contacted by The Associated Press after the news conference, did not provide details of the terms of reference, say whether they would be made public, or indicate how big the international team would be or when it could be sent to China.

It said team members had "extensive discussions" with their Chinese counterparts during the three-week visit, and had discussions by video with virologists and other scientists in Wuhan  including the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

US President Donald Trump in April claimed to have seen evidence to support the theory that the lab was the origin of the virus.

On Sunday, Dr Deborah Birx, the White House top coronavirus adviser, said the virus was "extraordinarily widespread" in the US and infections in urban and rural America marked a 'new phase' for the pandemic in the country.

Ryan, asked to comment about such remarks, said he didnt believe the intention was "to create a sense of a new phase ... but to really remind all states that the disease never went away."

"Its not our job to tell the US what it should be doing at sub-national level: The state-based planning and implementation guided by the national scientists seems to be (on) the right path," Ryan added. "The difficulty for us all is: sometimes we know the right path. The difficulty is choosing to walk it."
By Paul Mulshine

Thanks to Tropical Storm Isaias, the New Jersey Supreme Court could face an unprecedented question on Wednesday:

Will an argument over the legal impact of the term act of God be delayed because of an actual act of God?

The debate in question concerns a case in which New Jerseys minority Republicans are challenging a law enacted by the majority Democrats. The law would permit the Murphy administration to borrow up to $9.9 billion to deal with the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic. Hed have to get approval of both houses of the Legislature, but the Democrats hold comfortable majorities in the Senate and Assembly.

Normally a bond issue that size would have to be approved by the voters. But there is an exception for an emergency caused by an act of God.

Oral arguments are set to begin at 10 a.m. Wednesday. In normal times, that sort of debate might have been postponed because of the storm that could hit New Jersey by later on Tuesday.

But these are not normal times. Because of the pandemic, the argument was already scheduled to be held online. If all goes according to plan, you will even be able to watch the webcast on the courts website.

I strongly recommend you do. Thats because your house and land might be used as collateral for the loans if the Murphy administration succeeds in getting the court to accept its interpretation of the legal impact of an act of God.

The Democrats argue the pandemic is an act of God that permits an exemption to the debt clause. The Republicans say not so fast.

In their brief, they argue that even if the court construes the pandemic as an act of God, the only permissible use of any borrowed money would be to cover expenses incurred in fighting the disease, such as purchase of personal protective equipment, ventilators, or healthcare related products and services.

But Gov. Phil Murphy intends to use the money to make up for tax revenue lost because of the economic slowdown caused by COVID-19.

The bonds in question are called general obligation bonds. In the event the state cant make the payments, the creditors can demand that a statewide property tax be imposed to reimburse them in the event the sales tax doesnt provide sufficient revenue.

Thats why such borrowing usually goes on the ballot.

Whether this bond issue should go before the voters will be one question for the seven justices to decide. Another concerns whether borrowed money can be considered as revenue for the purposes of balancing the budget.

The Republicans cite the 2004 Lance v. McGreevey case in which the court ruled that borrowed monies, which themselves are a form of expenditure when repaid, are not income and cannot be used for the purpose of funding or balancing any portion of the budget pertaining to general costs without violating the Appropriations Clause.

There is no act of God exception to that clause. The plaintiffs argue that the budget has to be balanced without borrowed money - period.

Murphy argues that its fine to make up for revenue losses with borrowed money  and plenty of it. At a May 22 briefing, the governor said, The revenue losses we can already project stemming from our current emergency are drastic  $10 billion, over the next, slightly more than, calendar year.

The Republicans point man on budget issues, state Sen. Steve Oroho, who represents Sussex County and part of Warren County, says any such projections are premature.

We dont know what the real number is, Oroho said. What we do know is that the sales tax collections for June came in just 3.7 percent below the prior year. They had projected 30 percent below.

Meanwhile the July 15 income tax receipts have yet to be reported, he said. But they are based on calendar year 2019, which was a good year because of the economic boom.

And the administration has already certified that the budget for the current fiscal year, which ends Sept. 30, has enough revenue to meet expenditures.

Murphy will not be submitting his budget for Fiscal 2021 for three weeks.

So whats the hurry?

Oroho argues that Murphy is just following in the tradition of prior governors of both parties. Back in 1997, Republican Christie Whitman sold $2.7 billion in pension bonds. Well still be paying them off at $500 million a year until 2029.

When they have the opportunity to defer, the government defers all the time, said Oroho. That hurts and its bad fiscal policy.

But is it bad legal policy? In the administrations brief supporting the borrowing, Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal argues that the State may use the proceeds of General Obligation bonds issued under the emergency provision of the Debt Limitation Clause to make up for revenue deficits in order to pay for operating expenses over multiple fiscal years.

Or in other words, the skys the limit.

Paul Mulshine is a columnist for The Star-Ledger and nj.com.
A San Francisco Superior Court judge upheld a city ordinance on Monday that prevents landlords from evicting tenants unable to pay rent or penalties during the COVID-19 pandemic.

A coalition of real estate industry and landlord groups  including the San Francisco Apartment Association, the San Francisco Association of Realtors and the Small Property Owners of San Francisco Institute  sued the city in June, claiming that the law was an unconstitutional overreach.

Judge Charles Haines flatly disagreed, ruling that the ordinance, authored by Supervisor Dean Preston, is a permissible exercise of the citys power to regulate evictions to promote public welfare. He also ruled that the law did not conflict with state emergency orders, as the landlord and real estate groups contended.

This is a resounding victory for vulnerable tenants in San Francisco, Preston said in a statement following the ruling.

I have said from the start, we will not stand by and watch thousands of San Franciscans become homeless because of a pandemic they cannot control, and Im proud that our legislation has been upheld and vindicated in court, he said.

Prestons ordinance also prohibits landlords from charging late fees, penalties and interest related to delayed rent. It does not, however, prevent rent payments from accruing.

The organizations that sued the city argued in their suit that Prestons legislation foisted an undue burden on housing providers, particularly landlords of smaller properties, whove also been hurt financially by the pandemics economic fallout.

The organizations issued a joint statement saying they were disappointed in the judges decision.

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.

Small property owners who have not been able to collect rent since April are struggling with their own mortgages and expenses, the statement read. We are reviewing our options moving forward. In the meantime we remain hopeful that Congress will pass a relief package which includes meaningful financial support for renters and out-of-work individuals.

Lawmakers are scrambling in Sacramento to stave off what many are forecasting to be an unprecedented wave of evictions brought on by the pandemic, and several bills are moving through the Legislature to prevent that from happening. An emergency judicial order that largely halted eviction proceedings for the past four months could end as soon as Aug. 14, heightening the sense of urgency in Sacramento.

One in 7 tenants in California did not pay rent on time last month, according to a survey by the U.S. Census Bureau, and nearly 1 in 6 doesnt expect to pay on time in August either.

Dominic Fracassa is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: dfracassa@sfchronicle.com
STAMFORD  By mid-afternoon, Isaias pummeling winds closed scores of Stamford roads due to downed wires and trees.

A 65-foot sailboat broke loose and was thrown on the rocks on the east side of Dolphin Cove, while some 9,000 households in the city were reported to be without power.

Public Safety Director Ted Jankowski said no major injuries were reported during the storm. But Stamford Police urged residents to stay home due to dangerous conditions caused by the winds.

Numerous trees and power lines are down throughout Stamford, especially in north portion of the city, due to storm, the department tweeted in the afternoon. A number of roads are completely closed. Please do no come out unless it is absolutely necessary to do so.

Well-traveled roads such as Long Ridge Road at Cloverhill Road, Highland Trail at Westover Road, Newfield Avenue at Eden Road, and High Ridge Road at Square Acre Drive reported partial or all lanes blocked, said Sgt. Simon Blanc.

Trees were reported to have crashed into homes up above the Merritt Parkway on Dawn Avenue, over on the West Side on Libert Street and down in the Cove on Caldwell Avenue.

As the storm began to recede later in the afternoon, Mayor David Martin urged residents via the citys reverse 911 system to continue exercising caution and to only call 911 in the event of an emergency.

Do not drive or travel during storm conditions and do not go near downed electrical wires, Martin said. Thank you for your patience.

At 2:20 p.m., a U.S. Postal Service truck was reported under wires on Bertmore Drive. Vehicles were reported trapped by downed wires and trees on Intervale Road and a tree was reported on fire on Westover Road near the Mianus River.

Marine Unit Sgt. Kevin Fitzgibbons said winds in the mid afternoon were gusting to 65 miles per hour. Waves were getting up to 6 or 7 feet inside Stamford Harbor and were building much higher outside the breakwall.

City officials opened up the Emergency Operations Center and Jankowski said Stamford High School was being made ready in case residents needed shelter from the storm. At 4:40 p.m. Jankowski said no one had made it to the high school to avail themselves of the offer.

Before the winds and rain arrived in earnest, at 11:30 a.m., the Stamford Marine Unit along with the Coast Guard and Darien fire and police boats were out on Long Island Sound looking for anyone who might have been in a sea kayak that was found floating off the Stamford coastline Tuesday morning. Marine Unit Sgt. Kevin Fitzgibbons said the shell might have been blown off a beach or dock during Monday nights windstorm and was spotted about 150 yards off Cummings Beach a little after 10 a.m.

Fitzbibbons said the boats were searching from Westcott Cove to about the middle of Long Island Sound in 3-foot waves that were building as Isaias rushed up the Interstate-95 corridor. No one was found.

Jankowski said the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was manning the Hurricane Barrier on the East Branch of Stamford Harbor in order to close the huge sea door when needed.

Jankowski said staffing increases for police and firefighters were to be made as needed.

jnickerson@stamfordadvocate.com
United States President Donald Trump called for a rerun on Monday of the primary election in the 12th Congressional District held on June 23. The voting has not yet tallied a winner due to a problem with mail-in ballots where thousands were discarded or not counted.

Discredited votes

The president's comments suggest the continuation of his moves to question the authenticity and accuracy of nationwide mail-in balloting, which he had previously warned could potentially cause the greatest election disaster in the history of the United States.

According to Fox News, in a press conference at the White House on Monday, Trump said that officials should do a rerun of the Carolyn Maloney race.

The 12th Congressional District election resulted in the invalidation of thousands of mail-in ballots, which both election experts and Republicans have stated that it could result in a catastrophic November election.

Trump added that the elections were becoming a mess, and nobody knew what was happening and called it a total disaster.

The president said the United States Postal Service (USPS) suffered from systemic mismanagement and said it was not prepared to handle the responsibility of a massive number of mail-in ballots.

Adding to his previous comments, Trump also said that there were other issues with mail-in ballots across the country, including one that says Thomas Cooper, a mail carrier from Pendleton County, confessed that there was indeed fraud in the elections.

Also Read: Donald Trump Suggests Delaying Presidential Election Due to Possible Fraudulent Results in Mail-In Voting

After lawmakers in Nevada approved legislation that would send mail-in ballots to all voters in the state, Trump said he would possibly file something the next day to stop universal mail-in voting, whose passing he called an "illegal late-night coup" which he claims would go against Republicans and make it impossible for them to win.

Several analysts have said that the City of New York was not the best model to showcase the authenticity of mail-in voting in other parts of the US due to its notorious image of poorly administered elections, as reported by Forbes.

New measures

To counter its previous mismanagement, New York has since implemented new measures to counter the issues that could arise during the elections. One of these solutions is legislation in July that would give voters the power to address challenges to their ballots.

Democrat Suraj Patel said the New York elections were a foretelling of a greater disaster. Patel had also filed a federal lawsuit over the primary after results showed him behind 3,700 votes where there have been 12,000 disqualified votes.

According to The New York Times, there have been other problems with mail-in voting in other states and localities that implemented the process, but none has come close to the issues encountered in New York.

However, with the coronavirus pandemic causing a potential extension of the mail-in voting, the process is expected to surge through the country. It could potentially result in the New York dilemma being mirrored in other regions.

Related Article: Foreign Threats Loom as US Elections Draw Closer, Inciting Doubt and Accusations

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Argentina has said it reached a deal with three creditor groups to restructure $65bn in sovereign debt, potentially helping it climb out of a damaging default and revive the recession-hit economy.

The Economy Ministry said in a statement on Tuesday it would adjust some payment dates and legal clauses to sweeten what had been touted as its final proposal made in early July, without increasing the overall principal or interest payout.

A major grain producer and once one of the worlds wealthiest countries, Argentina fell into its ninth sovereign default in May and is headed for an estimated 12 percent economic contraction this year on the back of two years of recession.

Today [we] have reached an agreement that will allow members of the creditor groups and such other holders to support Argentinas debt restructuring proposal and grant Argentina significant debt relief, the ministry said.

That included the Ad Hoc Group, Argentina Creditor Committee and the Exchange Bondholder Group, a trio which united last month to oppose a previous government offer, sparking a deadlock that threatened to derail an eventual deal.

The ministry said it would extend the deadline for creditors to formally accept the new deal to August 24.

It had been set to expire on Tuesday.

News of the deal helped lift the governments existing eurobonds by as much as 3 cents. They had already rallied on Monday in anticipation.

The country had been at an impasse with creditors, which included big-name funds such as BlackRock and Ashmore, over revamping the debt in the face of Tuesdays deadline. There was no immediate confirmation of an agreement from the creditor groups.

Demonstrators take part in a protest against the national government and the quarantine measures in the city of Buenos Aires [File: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

But investors were cheered.

It is good for bondholders to be able to put this behind them and good for Argentina as it can return to a clean sheet, said one holder of Argentina eurobonds not affiliated with any groups, who asked not to be named.

It helps for creditors on the NPV [net present value] but not a lot, and means Argentina will eventually be able to return to financial markets when needed.

Payment date changes

As part of the deal, the government said it would adjust some payment dates for the new bonds set out in the offer sent to creditors on July 6. This would not raise the aggregate amount of principal or interest payments for Argentina but would enhance the proposals value for creditors, it said.

A key issue during the restructuring talks were so-called collective action clauses (CACs), which determine how future changes can be made to bond agreements

Some bondholders, fearing Argentina would try to use the CACs to adopt the Pac-Man strategy of attempting to get them on board one at a time, had made informal contact with global bodies including the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for their support to amend legal clauses.

To address creditors proposals on the contractual framework, the government said in its statement it would adjust certain aspects of the CACs in the new bond documentation.

Demonstrators take part in a protest against the national government and the quarantine measures in the city of Buenos Aires next to a dummy depicting Argentinas Vice President Cristina Fernandez de Kirchner holding Argentinas President Alberto Fernandez as a puppet [File: Agustin Marcarian/Reuters]

Under the deal, payment dates on the new bonds will be January 9 and July 9, instead of March 4 and September 4. The new bonds will begin amortising in January 2025 and mature in July 2029.

New US dollar and euro-denominated 2030 bonds will begin amortising in July 2024 and mature in July 2030, Argentina said, with the first instalment in an amount equivalent to one half of each remaining instalment.

The new dollar and euro-denominated 2038 bonds to be issued in exchange for existing discount bonds will begin amortising in July 2027 and mature in January 2038, the ministry said.

President Alberto Fernandez and Economy Minister Martin Guzman had been adamant that Argentina was unable to surpass the offer made in early July after months of talks.

Argentina struck a $57bn loan deal with the IMF in 2018 and has said it will seek a new programme with the fund after it wraps up its talks with private creditors.
2020 will be remembered as the year the world endured an unprecedented public health crisis with vast implications for the entire global community. The COVID-19 pandemic highlights the critical need for unorthodox research in immunology and vaccine discovery. Daring young pathfinders need partnerships with those who believe in their potential. That is why the Michelson Medical Research Foundation and the Human Vaccines Project engage in an annual international search to identify and support the most promising projects from young investigators.

"Our current system is rigged, making it nearly impossible for a young researcher to get funding," says Dr. Gary Michelson, founder, and co-chair of the Michelson Medical Research Foundation. "Even the head of the NIH cites the advancing age at which investigators receive their first NIH grant as 'the greatest problem facing U.S. science.' History shows that profound breakthroughs are made by researchers under age 35. We must invest in next-generation scientists who have demonstrated excellence in their field by combining disruptive thinking with a novel scientific approach. My wife Alya and I are proud to help Dr. Hill and Dr. Birnbaum pursue their revolutionary ideas."

"We need courage, passion, and creativity to achieve true progress in science. It inspires me to see young researchers like Dr. Hill and Dr. Birnbaum display these strengths with their innovative proposals," says Dr. Wayne Koff, CEO of the Human Vaccine Project. "Only by thinking beyond conventions, we will be able to transform the future of human health. I look forward to seeing how the research of our 2020 Michelson Prize winners will contribute to the Human Vaccine Project's grand vision of decoding the human immune system."

About the winners:

Danika Hill, Research Fellow, Department of Immunology and Pathology, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Danika Hill received the Michelson Prize 2020 for: "Exploiting T Follicular Helper Cells as an Innovative Tool to Discover Targets for Long-Lived Humoral Immunity."

Dr. Hill aims to find specific antigens responsible for long-lived humoral immunity. With the help of a human Strep A challenge model, she will identify T cell receptor types in circulating T Follicular helper cells, which will be used to engineer reporter cell lines to uncover novel vaccine candidates. Dr. Hill uses an innovative approach with clear trans-disease applicability to identify antigens for vaccines or immunotherapy for various infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmunity.

"The Michelson Prize comes at a critical point in my career," says Dr. Hill. "It will enable me to peruse my own research directions and enable me to follow-up on some exciting discoveries that I've made. With the prize, I'll be able to apply some cutting-edge techniques to study hundreds of thousands of cells in molecular detail. And it's my hope that with this project we can better understand what to pinpoint when we design vaccines to generate these T follicular helper cells that are so essential for good vaccine responses."

Michael Birnbaum, Assistant Professor, Department of Biological Engineering, MIT, Cambridge, Mass.

Michael Birnbaum received the Michelson Prize 2020 for: "Repertoire-Scale Determination of T Cell Recognition and Cross-Reactivity to HIV via pMHC Lentiviral Display"

Dr. Birnbaum strives to expedite and perfect the process of vaccine antigen selection. He is using HIV "elite controllers," who can safely go long periods without treatment, to identify which antigens their immune system successfully targets. By working with a lentiviral display, he can identify specific antigens, which might be ideal targets for use in HIV vaccines. Dr. Birnbaum's method is applied for HIV but can easily be expanded to various other diseases, including infectious diseases, cancer, and autoimmunity.

"The Michelson Prize is funding our development and deployment of a technology that would supercharge our ability to define what T cells recognize during the course of HIV infection. The support provided by this award will let us work faster than would be possible otherwise. We will be trying many of our best ideas at once to press this technology into service, in a time where better tools to study infectious disease are clearly needed," Dr. Birnbaum explains.

The Michelson Prize 2020 winners were selected from more than two hundred applicants from around the world. Hill and Birnbaum will receive their awards in an open webinar on August 13, 2020, at 9 a.m. EDT. This special two-hour event connects the experts of today with the leaders of tomorrow: Pulitzer Prize winner Laurie Garrett will introduce the winners and preside over the presentation of awards. After the award presentation, Harvard Professor Dr. Dan Barouch will present the latest data set published in Nature with his insights on the pandemic in the Global COVID Lab Meeting, where the Human Vaccines Project connects experts in the field to discuss the latest COVID-19 data. Everybody is welcome to join the event. Register for the webinar here.

About the Michelson Medical Research Foundation

Founded by Dr. Gary K. Michelson in 1995, the Michelson Medical Research Foundation accelerates solutions to global health challenges by fostering high-risk, high-reward approaches that disrupt the status quo to make innovative ideas a reality. Through convergent collaboration among engineers, scientists, and physicians, the foundation helps rapidly move bold concepts and technologies from the laboratory into clinics and communities around the world. For more information, visit https://www.michelsonmedicalresearch.org/

About the Human Vaccines Project

The Human Vaccines Project is a bold public-private initiative that aims to decode the human immune system to make the next leap forward in human health. Pioneering a new era in health, the Human Vaccines Project will enable the creation of next-generation vaccines, diagnostics, and therapies across diseases. For more information, visit https://www.humanvaccinesproject.org/

SOURCE Michelson Medical Research Foundation

Related Links

https://www.michelsonmedicalresearch.org/


Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has decided to go it alone and overrule the national exemption to COVID-19 rules for diplomatic and consular staff.

The circumstances surrounding the COVID-positive private security contractor who sparked the policy change are under investigation, with NSW and Queensland health officials providing differing accounts and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade advising it did not support the man's application for a quarantine exemption when he arrived home.

Diplomatic and consular staff arriving in Queensland from overseas or interstate hotspots will now be sent to hotel quarantine, with the Premier saying she "can't wait" for other states to get on board.

Queensland Chief Health Officer Jeannette Young said the change would take effect from Wednesday and exemptions to hotel quarantine for diplomatic and consular staff would only be granted in "extremely extenuating circumstances", as was the case for everyday Queenslanders.
RTHK: 'New evidence' emerges in Red Bull heir's case

The heir to the Red Bull energy drink fortune was believed to have been driving much faster than initially thought when he was involved in a fatal hit-and-run in 2012, a prosecution spokesman said on Tuesday, in a case that has stirred anger in Thailand.

Vorayuth Yoovidhya was accused of crashing his Ferrari into policeman Wichien Klanprasert and dragging his body for dozens of metres before fleeing the scene.

He missed eight summonses to appear in court and his case raised angry questions about impunity for the rich. He was eventually charged with reckless driving causing death, with a statue of limitations until 2027, but his whereabouts are not known.

Last month, in a surprise move, police said the charges against him were being dropped.

But that decision was questioned in parliament and elsewhere and the police, the government and the Attorney General's office all said they would investigate.

A spokesman for the Office of the Attorney-General said new evidence had been found about the speed at which Vorayuth was believed to have been driving when he crashed into the policeman, who was on a motorcycle, on a Bangkok street.

"This case is not over because the law says if there is new evidence, we are able to proceed," Prayut Phetkun, the office's deputy spokesman, told reporters.

Previously, the speed of Vorayuth's Ferrari at the time of the accident was allegedly 80 kph but Prayut said, according to an expert opinion not previously included in the police report, the speed was closer to 170 kph.

"This is new evidence according to the law."

Vorayuth could also face a new charge because blood tests after the accident showed traces of cocaine, but he was not charged at the time due to a possible false positive from the use of other medication, Prayut said.

Vorayuth, the grandson of the late Chaleo Yoovidhya, creator of the Krating Daeng, or Red Bull, energy drink was 27 at the time of the accident.

Prayut said the Attorney-General's office would recommend that police re-investigate the case due to discrepancy over the vehicle's speed. (Reuters)

This story has been published on: 2020-08-04. To contact the author, please use the contact details within the article.
New York City's health commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot has resigned in protest over Mayor Bill de Blasio's handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

The city's top doctor announced the news Tuesday morning - two months after it was revealed she disparaged an NYPD official who asked for her help with providing officers with face masks.

A copy of her resignation latter, obtained by the New York Times, reveals Barbot was incensed by the fact that the city's disease control experts were not given center stage amid the pandemic.

'I leave my post today with deep disappointment that during the most critical public health crisis in our lifetime the Health Departments incomparable disease control expertise was not used to the degree it could have been,' she wrote.

'Our experts are world renowned for their epidemiology, surveillance and response work. The city would be well served by having them at the strategic center of the response not in the background.'

For months, New York City was the global epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic, clocking more than 220,00 infections and 23,021 deaths.

New York City's health commissioner Dr. Oxiris Barbot has resigned in protest over Mayor Bill de Blasio's handling of the coronavirus pandemic

Meanwhile, in a separate letter penned to her Department of Health and Mental Hygiene 'family', Barbot stated that she was also leaving her post because the Big Apple would be better served without 'distractions' as it braces for an 'inevitable second wave' .

Barbot has become somewhat of a controversial figure in recent months, after the New York Post published a report detailing an alleged phone conversation she had with Police Chief Terence Monahan.

During the exchange - which is purported to have occurred in mid-March as coronavirus cases surged across the city - Barbot brutally rejected Monahan's plea for 500,000 masks to protect police officers.

'I don't give two rats' a**es about your cops,' Barbot is alleged to have responded.

'I need them [masks] for others.'

She allegedly agreed to provide just 50,000 masks.

The NYPD was hit hard by the coroanvirus pandemic, with thousands of officers becoming infected.

More than 40 employees have died from the disease and, at the peak of the pandemic in the city, 20 percent of officers were out sick.

Barbot has become somewhat of a controversial figure in recent months, after the New York Post published a report detailing an alleged phone conversation she had with Police Chief Terence Monahan. Cops are pictured patrolling the streets last month

Barbot allegedly quit in protest over Bill de Blasio's handing of the coronavirus pandemic. She is said to be incensed that the city's disease control experts were not given center stage amid the pandemic

Cases have dramatically decreased in the Big Apple, but Barbot says experts are now bracing for an 'inevitable second wave'

Meanwhile, Barbot says she will continue to serve the city in a different capacity, claiming her commitment to public health is 'unwavering'.

'I am proud of the accomplishments we have achieved as an agency over the past several years including using a racial equity lens to center communities at the heart of what we do... and action in addressing structural inequities,' she wrote in her letter to colleagues.

'I am proud that as a woman of color raised in public housing in this city, I always put public health, racial equity and the well-being of the city I love first.'

In a press conference Tuesday afternoon, de Blasio played down rumors of a feud with Barbot, thanking her for her 'good work in addressing the crisis'.

He announced Dr Dave A. Chokshi as Barbot's replacement.

Chokshi, who is a Bellevue Hospital physician and associate professor at NYU, served as a White House Fellow during the Obama administration.
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BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Delek Logistics Partners, LP (NYSE: DKL) ("Delek Logistics") today announced its financial results for the second quarter 2020. For the three months ended June 30, 2020, Delek Logistics reported net income attributable to all partners of $44.4 million, or $1.18 per diluted common limited partner unit. This compares to net income attributable to all partners of $24.9 million, or $0.69 per diluted common limited partner unit, in the second quarter 2019. Net cash from operating activities was $37.5 million in the second quarter 2020 compared to $24.8 million in the second quarter 2019. Distributable cash flow was $57.0 million in the second quarter 2020, compared to $31.2 million in the second quarter 2019. Reconciliation of net cash from operating activities as reported under U.S. GAAP to distributable cash flow is included in the financial tables attached to this release.

For the second quarter 2020, earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") was $64.8 million compared to $44.8 million in the second quarter 2019. Results improved on a year-over-year basis primarily due to the drop down of the Big Spring Gathering System and Trucking Assets, increased crude gathering, operating expense reductions and an increase in income from equity method investments. This was partially offset by a lower West Texas gross margin on a year-over-year basis. Reconciliation of net income attributable to all partners as reported under U.S. GAAP to EBITDA is included in the financial tables attached to this release.

Uzi Yemin, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Delek Logistics' general partner, remarked: "Despite continued macro volatility stemming from COVID-19, Delek Logistics delivered stellar financial performance in the second quarter, with EBITDA and Limited Partners interest in net income increasing approximately 45% and 107%, respectively, versus last year. Second quarter distribution growth was 5.9% on a year-over-year basis.

The combination of recent asset drop downs from our sponsor Delek US Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DK) ("Delek US") along with internal business initiatives, asset optimization efforts and the Red River pipeline expansion, which is currently underway, should lead to improving performance in the second half of the year. I am pleased to announce an agreement with Jefferson Energy, that will provide Jefferson's Beaumont Terminal with direct connection to the Paline Pipeline. This agreement expands Paline's reach by giving shippers increased destination points for their crude leading to better flexibility for our customers."

Mr. Yemin continued, "Our strong outlook gives us confidence in delivering 5% distribution growth on a year-over-year basis in 2020. We have already exceeded our distribution coverage target in the second quarter, well in advanced of our guidance to achieve this by year-end and we remain confident in reducing the leverage ratio below 4.0x before the end of the year."

Distribution and Liquidity

On July 24, 2020, Delek Logistics declared a quarterly cash distribution of $0.90 per common limited partner unit for the second quarter 2020, which equates to $3.60 per common limited partner unit on an annualized basis. This distribution will be paid on August 12, 2020 to unitholders of record on August 7, 2020. This represents a 1.1% increase from the first quarter 2020 distribution of $0.89 per common limited partner unit, or $3.56 per common limited partner unit on an annualized basis, and a 5.9% increase over Delek Logistics' second quarter 2019 distribution of $0.85 per common limited partner unit, or $3.40 per common limited partner unit annualized. For the second quarter 2020, the total cash distribution declared to all partners, including incentive distribution rights (IDRs), was approximately $36.0 million. Based on the distribution for the second quarter 2020, the distributable cash flow coverage ratio for the second quarter was 1.58x.

As of June 30, 2020, Delek Logistics had total debt of approximately $995.2 million and cash of $16.2 million. Additional borrowing capacity, subject to certain covenants, under the $850.0 million credit facility was $100.0 million. The total leverage ratio, calculated in accordance with the credit facility, for the second quarter 2020 was below 4.1x, which is within the current requirements of the maximum allowable leverage ratio of 5.5x.

Financial Results

Revenue for the second quarter 2020 was $117.6 million compared to $155.3 million in the prior-year period. The decrease in revenue is primarily due to lower commodity prices and average throughput volumes. Total operating expenses were $12.4 million in the second quarter 2020, compared to $17.3 million in the second quarter 2019. The decrease was primarily due to cost control measures put in place at the end of the first quarter 2020. Total contribution margin was $61.3 million in the second quarter 2020 compared to $44.2 million in the second quarter 2019, mainly driven by the contribution from new assets and lower expenses. General and administrative expenses were $4.7 million for the second quarter 2020, compared to $5.3 million in the prior-year period.

Pipelines and Transportation Segment

Contribution margin in the second quarter 2020 was $42.5 million compared to $24.1 million in the second quarter 2019. The recent drop down of Big Spring Gathering System and the Trucking Assets were the primary drivers behind the year over year growth. Operating expenses were $9.7 million in the second quarter 2020 compared to $12.7 million in the prior-year period.

Wholesale Marketing and Terminalling Segment

During the second quarter 2020, contribution margin was $18.8 million, compared to $20.0 million in the second quarter 2019. This decrease was primarily due to lower terminalling throughput and gross margin in west Texas. Operating expenses of $2.7 million in the second quarter 2020 were lower than the $4.6 million in the prior-year period.

Lower demand negatively impacted volumes and margins in the west Texas wholesale business. Average throughput in the second quarter 2020 was 9,143 barrels per day compared to 11,404 barrels per day in the second quarter 2019. The west Texas gross margin per barrel decreased year-over-year to $0.64 per barrel and included approximately $0.6 million, or $0.76 per barrel, from renewable identification numbers (RINs) generated in the quarter. During the second quarter 2019, the west Texas gross margin per barrel was $6.25 per barrel and included $0.3 million from RINs, or $0.25 per barrel.

Average terminalling throughput volume of 138,593 barrels per day during the second quarter 2020 decreased on a year-over-year basis from 156,922 barrels per day in the second quarter 2019. During the second quarter 2020, average volume under the East Texas marketing agreement with Delek US was 65,028 barrels per day compared to 71,123 barrels per day during the second quarter 2019.

Second Quarter 2020 Results | Conference Call Information

Delek Logistics will hold a conference call to discuss its second quarter 2020 results on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 7:30 a.m. Central Time. Investors will have the opportunity to listen to the conference call live by going to www.DelekLogistics.com. Participants are encouraged to register at least 15 minutes early to download and install any necessary software. An archived version of the replay will also be available at www.DelekLogistics.com for 90 days.

Investors may also wish to listen to Delek US' (NYSE: DK) second quarter 2020 earnings conference call on Wednesday, August 5, 2020 at 8:30 a.m. Central Time and review Delek US' earnings press release. Market trends and information disclosed by Delek US may be relevant to Delek Logistics, as it is a consolidated subsidiary of Delek US. Investors can find information related to Delek US and the timing of its earnings release online by going to www.DelekUS.com.

About Delek Logistics Partners, LP

Delek Logistics Partners, LP, headquartered in Brentwood, Tennessee, was formed by Delek US Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: DK) to own, operate, acquire and construct crude oil and refined products logistics and marketing assets.

Safe Harbor Provisions Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are based upon current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements concerning current estimates, expectations and projections about future results, performance, prospects, opportunities, plans, actions and events and other statements, concerns, or matters that are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements," as that term is defined under the federal securities laws. These statements contain words such as "possible," "believe," "should," "could," "would," "predict," "plan," "estimate," "intend," "may," "anticipate," "will," "if," "expect" or similar expressions, as well as statements in the future tense, and can be impacted by numerous factors, including the fact that a substantial majority of Delek Logistics' contribution margin is derived from Delek US, thereby subjecting us to Delek US' business risks; risks relating to the securities markets generally; risks and costs relating to the age and operational hazards of our assets including, without limitation, costs, penalties, regulatory or legal actions and other effects related to releases, spills and other hazards inherent in transporting and storing crude oil and intermediate and finished petroleum products; the impact of adverse market conditions affecting the utilization of Delek Logistics' assets and business performance, including margins generated by its wholesale fuel business; the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the demand for crude oil, refined products and transportation and storage services; uncertainties regarding future decisions by OPEC regarding production and pricing disputes between OPEC members and Russia; an inability of Delek US to grow as expected as it relates to our potential future growth opportunities, including dropdowns, and other potential benefits; the results of our investments in joint ventures; the ability of the Red River joint venture to complete the expansion to increase the Red River pipeline capacity; adverse changes in laws including with respect to tax and regulatory matters; and other risks as disclosed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other reports and filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding future growth at Delek Logistics; distributions and the amounts and timing thereof; potential dropdown inventory and the evaluation of incentive distribution rights; expected earnings or returns from joint ventures or other acquisitions; expansion projects; ability to create long-term value for our unit holders; financial flexibility and borrowing capacity; and distribution growth of 5% or at all. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not be accurate indications of the times at, or by, which such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking information is based on information available at the time and/or management's good faith belief with respect to future events, and is subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Delek Logistics undertakes no obligation to update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur, or which Delek Logistics becomes aware of, after the date hereof, except as required by applicable law or regulation

Non-GAAP Disclosures:

Our management uses certain "non-GAAP" operational measures to evaluate our operating segment performance and non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate past performance and prospects for the future to supplement our GAAP financial information presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. These financial and operational non-GAAP measures are important factors in assessing our operating results and profitability and include:

Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization ("EBITDA") - calculated as net income before net interest expense, income tax expense, depreciation and amortization expense, including amortization of customer contract intangible assets, which is included as a component of net revenues in our accompanying condensed consolidated statements of income.

Distributable cash flow - calculated as net cash flow from operating activities plus or minus changes in assets and liabilities, less maintenance capital expenditures net of reimbursements and other adjustments not expected to settle in cash. Delek Logistics believes this is an appropriate reflection of a liquidity measure by which users of its financial statements can assess its ability to generate cash.

EBITDA and distributable cash flow are non-U.S. GAAP supplemental financial measures that management and external users of our condensed consolidated financial statements, such as industry analysts, investors, lenders and rating agencies, may use to assess:

Delek Logistics' operating performance as compared to other publicly traded partnerships in the midstream energy industry, without regard to historical cost basis or, in the case of EBITDA, financing methods;

the ability of our assets to generate sufficient cash flow to make distributions to our unitholders;

Delek Logistics' ability to incur and service debt and fund capital expenditures; and

the viability of acquisitions and other capital expenditure projects and the returns on investment of various investment opportunities.

Delek Logistics believes that the presentation of EBITDA, distributable cash flow and distributable cash flow coverage ratio provide useful information to investors in assessing its financial condition, its results of operations and the cash flow its business is generating. EBITDA, distributable cash flow and distributable cash flow coverage ratio should not be considered in isolation or as alternatives to net income, operating income, cash flow from operating activities or any other measure of financial performance or liquidity presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP.

Non-GAAP measures have important limitations as analytical tools, because they exclude some, but not all, items that affect net income and net cash provided by operating activities. These measures should not be considered substitutes for their most directly comparable U.S. GAAP financial measures. Additionally, because EBITDA and distributable cash flow may be defined differently by other partnerships in its industry, Delek Logistics' definitions of EBITDA and distributable cash flow may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other partnerships, thereby diminishing their utility. See the accompanying tables in this earnings release for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measures.

Delek Logistics Partners, LP Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited) (In thousands, except unit and per unit data)



June 30, 2020

December 31, 2019 ASSETS







Current assets:







Cash and cash equivalents

$ 16,196



$ 5,545

Accounts receivable

15,907



13,204

Inventory

2,140



12,617

Other current assets

499



2,204

Total current assets

43,497



33,570

Property, plant and equipment:







Property, plant and equipment

680,969



461,325

Less: accumulated depreciation

(207,225)



(166,281)

Property, plant and equipment, net

473,744



295,044

Equity method investments

255,323



246,984

Operating lease right-of-use assets

18,884



3,745

Goodwill

12,203



12,203

Marketing Contract Intangible, net

127,393



130,999

Rights-of-way

35,698



15,597

Other non-current assets

6,995



6,305

Total assets

$ 973,737



$ 744,447











LIABILITIES AND DEFICIT







Current liabilities:







Accounts payable

$ 1,795



$ 12,471

Accounts payable to related parties





8,898

Interest payable

2,596



2,572

Excise and other taxes payable

4,330



3,941

Current portion of operating lease liabilities

5,793



1,435

Accrued expenses and other current liabilities

3,461



5,765

Total current liabilities

17,975



35,082

Non-current liabilities:







Long-term debt

995,200



833,110

Asset retirement obligations

5,802



5,588

Deferred tax liabilities

1,158



215

Operating lease liabilities, net of current portion

13,091



2,310

Other non-current liabilities

18,826



19,261

Total non-current liabilities

1,034,077



860,484

Total liabilities

1,052,052



895,566

Equity (Deficit):







Common unitholders - public; 8,687,371 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2020 (9,131,579 at December 31, 2019)

160,870



164,436

Common unitholders - Delek Holdings; 20,745,868 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2020 (15,294,046 at December 31, 2019)

(235,961)



(310,513)

General partner - 600,678 units issued and outstanding at June 30, 2020 (498,482 at December 31, 2019)

(3,224)



(5,042)

Total deficit

(78,315)



(151,119)

Total liabilities and deficit

$ 973,737



$ 744,447



Delek Logistics Partners, LP Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited) (In thousands, except unit and per unit data)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Net revenues:













Affiliate $ 87,629



$ 61,918



$ 194,328



$ 124,883

Third-party 30,008



93,424



86,710



182,942

Net revenues 117,637



155,342



281,038



307,825

Cost of sales:













Cost of materials and other 43,892



93,854



145,185



190,119

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below) 11,623



16,521



25,577



31,828

Depreciation and amortization 8,223



6,188



14,026



12,312

Total cost of sales 63,738



116,563



184,788



234,259

Operating expenses related to wholesale business (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below) 826



806



1,616



1,557

General and administrative expenses 4,721



5,293



10,851



9,766

Depreciation and amortization 471



451



967



901

Other operating income, net 



(27)



(107)



(25)

Total operating costs and expenses 69,756



123,086



198,115



246,458

Operating income 47,881



32,256



82,923



61,367

Interest expense, net 10,670



11,354



22,494



22,655

Income from equity method investments (6,462)



(4,515)



(12,015)



(6,466)

Total non-operating expenses, net 4,206



7,300



10,477



16,650

Income before income tax expense 43,675



24,956



72,446



44,717

Income tax (benefit) expense (740)



71



235



136

Net income attributable to partners $ 44,415



$ 24,885



$ 72,211



$ 44,581

Comprehensive income attributable to partners $ 44,415



$ 24,885



$ 72,211



$ 44,581

















Less: General partner's interest in net income, including incentive distribution rights 9,647



8,079



18,724



15,348

Limited partners' interest in net income $ 34,768



$ 16,806



$ 53,487



$ 29,233

















Net income per limited partner unit:













Common units - basic $ 1.18



$ 0.69



$ 1.98



$ 1.20

Common units - diluted $ 1.18



$ 0.69



$ 1.98



$ 1.20

















Weighted average limited partner units outstanding:













Common units - basic 29,427,298



24,409,359



26,953,934



24,408,270

Common units - diluted 29,430,555



24,414,343



26,956,523



24,414,077

















Cash distribution per limited partner unit $ 0.900



$ 0.850



$ 1.790



$ 1.670



Delek Logistics Partners, LP Condensed Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (Unaudited) (In thousands)



Six Months Ended June 30,



2020

2019 Cash flows from operating activities







Net cash provided by operating activities

$ 72,381



$ 51,823

Cash flows from investing activities







Net cash used in investing activities

(114,242)



(136,556)

Cash flows from financing activities







Net cash provided by financing activities

52,512



85,651

Net increase in cash and cash equivalents

10,651



918

Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period

5,545



4,522

Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period

$ 16,196



$ 5,440



Delek Logistics Partners, LP Reconciliation of Amounts Reported Under U.S. GAAP (In thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA:













Net income $ 44,415



$ 24,885



$ 72,211



$ 44,581

Add:













Income tax (benefit) expense (740)



71



235



136

Depreciation and amortization 8,694



6,639



14,993



13,213

Amortization of customer contract intangible assets 1,803



1,802



3,605



3,605

Interest expense, net 10,670



11,354



22,494



22,655

EBITDA $ 64,842



$ 44,751



$ 113,538



$ 84,190

















Reconciliation of net cash from operating activities to distributable cash flow:













Net cash provided by operating activities $ 37,545



$ 24,806



$ 72,381



$ 51,823

Changes in assets and liabilities 19,345



7,133



20,999



9,489

Non-cash lease expense (366)



(393)



(640)



(1,409)

Distributions from equity method investments in investing activities 1,580







1,690



804

Maintenance and regulatory capital expenditures (98)



(963)



(726)



(1,781)

Reimbursement from Delek Holdings for capital expenditures 16



670



55



1,384

Accretion of asset retirement obligations (107)



(99)



(214)



(198)

Deferred income taxes (943)



3



(943)



3

Other operating income, net 



27



107



25

Distributable Cash Flow $ 56,972



$ 31,184



$ 92,709



$ 60,140



Delek Logistics Partners, LP Distributable Coverage Ratio Calculation (In thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, Distributions to partners of Delek Logistics, LP 2020

2019

2020

2019 Limited partners' distribution on common units $ 26,490



$ 20,755



$ 48,229



$ 40,769

General partner's distributions 542



423



986



831

General partner's incentive distribution rights 8,937



7,736



17,632



14,752

Total distributions to be paid (2) $ 35,969



$ 28,914



$ 66,847



$ 56,352

















Distributable cash flow $ 56,972



$ 31,184



$ 92,709



$ 60,140

Distributable cash flow coverage ratio (1) 1.58x

1.08x

1.39x

1.07x



(1) Distributable cash flow coverage ratio is calculated by dividing distributable cash flow by distributions to be paid in each respective period.

(2) The distributions for the six months ended June 30, 2020 reflect the impact of the distribution waiver that waived all of the distributions for the first quarter of 2020 on the 5.0 million Additional Units, related to the Big Spring Gathering Assets transaction, with respect to base distributions and the IDRs. In addition, the distributions for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 reflect the waiver of distributions in respect of the IDRs associated with the Additional Units for at least two years.

Delek Logistics Partners, LP Segment Data (unaudited) (In thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Pipelines and Transportation













Net revenues:













Affiliate $ 61,394



$ 36,731



$ 99,897



$ 73,390

Third party 2,032



7,477



11,496



11,451

Total pipelines and transportation 63,426



44,208



111,393



84,841

Cost of sales:













Cost of materials and other 11,182



7,357



17,280



12,924

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) 9,731



12,728



21,187



23,562

Segment contribution margin $ 42,513



$ 24,123



$ 72,926



$ 48,355

Total Assets $ 836,510



$ 525,070

























Wholesale Marketing and Terminalling













Net revenues:













Affiliates (1) $ 26,235



$ 25,187



$ 94,431



$ 51,493

Third party 27,976



85,947



75,214



171,491

Total wholesale marketing and terminalling 54,211



111,134



169,645



222,984

Cost of sales:













Cost of materials and other 32,710



86,497



127,905



177,195

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization) 2,718



4,599



6,006



9,823

Segment contribution margin $ 18,783



$ 20,038



$ 35,734



$ 35,966

Total Assets $ 137,227



244,240

























Consolidated













Net revenues:













Affiliates $ 87,629



$ 61,918



$ 194,328



$ 124,883

Third party 30,008



93,424



86,710



182,942

Total consolidated 117,637



155,342



281,038



307,825

Cost of sales:













Cost of materials and other 43,892



93,854



145,185



190,119

Operating expenses (excluding depreciation and amortization presented below) 12,449



17,327



27,193



33,385

Contribution margin 61,296



44,161



108,660



84,321

General and administrative expenses 4,721



5,293



10,851



9,766

Depreciation and amortization 8,694



6,639



14,993



13,213

Other operating income, net 



(27)



(107)



(25)

Operating income $ 47,881



$ 32,256



$ 82,923



$ 61,367

Total Assets $ 973,737



$ 769,310













(1) Affiliate revenue for the wholesale marketing and terminalling segment is presented net of amortization expense pertaining to the marketing contract intangible we acquired in connection with the Big Spring acquisition.

Delek Logistics Partners, LP Segment Capital Spending (In thousands)

Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30, Pipelines and Transportation 2020

2019

2020

2019 Maintenance capital spending $ 119



$ 818



$ 430



$ 1,228

Discretionary capital spending 298







433



14

Segment capital spending $ 417



$ 818



863



1,242

Wholesale Marketing and Terminalling













Maintenance capital spending $ 232



$ 302



1,362



409

Discretionary capital spending 3



222



1,456



595

Segment capital spending $ 235



$ 524



2,818



1,004

Consolidated













Maintenance capital spending $ 351



$ 1,120



1,792



1,637

Discretionary capital spending 301



222



1,889



609

Total capital spending $ 652



$ 1,342



$ 3,681



$ 2,246



Delek Logistics Partners, LP







Segment Data (Unaudited)









Three Months Ended June 30,

Six Months Ended June 30,

2020

2019

2020

2019 Pipelines and Transportation Segment:













Throughputs (average bpd)













El Dorado Assets:













Crude pipelines (non-gathered) 79,066



37,625



75,995



33,179

Refined products pipelines to Enterprise Systems 56,093



29,893



55,110



26,511

El Dorado Gathering System 9,447



14,315



13,449



14,798

East Texas Crude Logistics System 10,275



19,550



12,224



18,835

Big Spring Gathering Assets 105,162







105,162





















Wholesale Marketing and Terminalling Segment:













East Texas - Tyler Refinery sales volumes (average bpd) (1) 65,028



71,123



68,839



69,857

Big Spring marketing throughputs (average bpd) 76,004



82,964



71,195



85,339

West Texas marketing throughputs (average bpd) 9,143



11,404



12,612



12,418

West Texas gross margin per barrel $ 0.64



$ 6.25



$ 1.96



$ 4.84

Terminalling throughputs (average bpd) 138,593



156,922



136,961



154,643





































(1) Excludes jet fuel and petroleum coke.

Information about Delek Logistics Partners, LP can be found on its website (www.deleklogistics.com), investor relations webpage (ir.deleklogistics.com), news webpage ( www.deleklogistics.com/news) and its Twitter account (@DelekLogistics).

SOURCE Delek Logistics Partners, LP
ARLINGTON, Va. and SAN DIEGO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CDC Small Business Finance, the nation's leading mission-based small business lender, and Capital Impact Partners , a Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) that champions social and economic justice nationally, are proud to announce a new alliance. With a focus on economic empowerment and equitable wealth creation, the two organizations have the unique ability to deliver a full suite of lending products and programs that support community efforts to create strong, vibrant, and healthy places of opportunity.

Realizing the need for a new approach to implement scalable solutions that address the widening racial wealth gap, CDC Small Business Finance and Capital Impact have been in conversation for more than a year and, last fall, began to work diligently together to create the foundation for this new enterprise effort. Today the need is greater than ever as generations of systemic inequality are magnified by the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 on Black and Latinx communities, as well as the issues raised through the racial justice groundswell.

The alliance will immediately focus on supporting recovery and relief needs of community members, small businesses, and organizations, delivering key social services that have been devastated by these uncertain times. With a $4 million grant from JPMorgan Chase as part of its effort to support underserved small businesses and a grant from the Heron Foundation, CDC Small Business Finance and Capital Impact are well positioned to scale the alliance's impact.

"Issues of access and opportunity in American communities require bold new thinking to drive measurable change in community and economic development," said Ellis Carr, president and CEO of Capital Impact Partners. "We understand that banks, funders, and other institutions have historically been challenged to connect capital to communities. By leveraging our unique expertise, complementary mission-based approaches, and holistic strategies, it is our hope that the alliance will accelerate solutions to address critical needs at scale."

"Capital Impact and CDC Small Business Finance are industry leaders with a track record of driving innovative community development with an equity lens. Now, at a time when CDFIs and CDCs play a critical role in the COVID-19 economic recovery, their alliance reimagines the scope, scale and impact mission-based lenders can have on underserved communities," said Ted Archer, Head of Small Business Forward at JPMorgan Chase. "JPMorgan Chase is proud to support this alliance and deepen impact, particularly in communities of color."

Work will begin through three place-based pilots in the Los Angeles, Detroit, and Washington, D.C. Metropolitan (DMV) areas. In each community, cross-organizational teams will listen and actively engage with local community members to understand the problems that are unique to each region, while sharing tools, programs, and services that are strategically customized to address high-priority issues.

The locations of the three pilots were intentionally chosen based on the current geographic focus for place-based community empowerment strategies within both organizations. Capital Impact is headquartered in Arlington, Va., with significant experience in the DMV for initiatives such as the DHCD Preservation Fund and Entrepreneurs of Color Fund . Similarly, Capital Impact has been engaging with partners in Detroit since 2011 and has been deeply involved in launching the Detroit Neighborhoods Fund and Equitable Development Initiative .

CDC Small Business Finance was founded in San Diego and today still offices there as well as locations and teams across California, Arizona and Nevada. For over four decades CDC Small Business Finance has helped California small business owners access more than $18.6 billion in financing. With an office in Oakland for the past two decades, Capital Impact already has a history of community and economic development that complements CDC Small Business Finance's SBA lending activities across California.

Efforts will be replicated and expanded in other parts of the country based on lessons learned through the initial pilots in these three cities.

Collaboration with the New Alliance

Over the last 41 years the individual impact that CDC Small Business Finance and Capital Impact have each made in their respective areas of focus have totaled over $23 billion. Capital Impact Partners has invested more than $2.5 billion to community facilities and other intermediaries focused on equitable access to affordable housing, health care, food, and education. Across all programs, CDC Small Business Finance has helped small businesses access over $20.7 billion in financing. This deep and proven expertise will shape how the alliance works across:

CommunitiesCity and State: The experience of both organizations will allow for a spectrum of solutions to be created in partnership with communities, addressing whole-person strategies to influence measurable, systemic change. Partnerships will occur at all levels of community and economic development, including community members, organizations, financial institutions, investors, philanthropy, and government.

The experience of both organizations will allow for a spectrum of solutions to be created in partnership with communities, addressing whole-person strategies to influence measurable, systemic change. Partnerships will occur at all levels of community and economic development, including community members, organizations, financial institutions, investors, philanthropy, and government. Lending and Capital Industries: Industry innovation is critical to meet the immense challenges American communities face in achieving racial, social, and economic justice. The alliance will holistically focus on economic empowerment and wealth creation by jointly developing solutions that are uniquely tailored to solve for the specific issues facing each community.

Industry innovation is critical to meet the immense challenges American communities face in achieving racial, social, and economic justice. The alliance will holistically focus on economic empowerment and wealth creation by jointly developing solutions that are uniquely tailored to solve for the specific issues facing each community. Funders and Investors: By joining forces, the organization will, over time, work to become a collaborative conduit and partner to banks, funders, and large institutions in an effort to help them overcome legacy challenges in effectively connecting capital

to communities.

"Community development without economic development does not build intergenerational wealth and pathways out of poverty. And, economic development without community development can lead to gentrification and displacement," commented Kurt Chilcott, president and CEO of CDC Small Business Finance. "With the alliance, it is our hope that a holistic approach that is inclusive, collaborative, and equitable will drive greater impact than what the industry has seen before. In order to be successful, we realize we must create solutions that consider that every community and its residents have varying needs, backgrounds, and access."

Capital Impact and CDC Small Business Finance were first introduced to each other by Next Street, a mission-driven advisory firm that had been advising each of the organizations about their individual strategic planning process. Next Street has continued to play an integral role in helping to shape the alliance to help maximize the organization's complementary expertise for maximum social impact.

Additional Background

CDC Small Business Finance is a leader in the community and economic development field, providing access to transformative products, services, and advocacy to ensure all small businesses have the opportunity to succeed and grow. Key offerings include:

Commercial real estate lending



Small business lending



Business advising services



Advocacy and policy

Through capital and commitment, Capital Impact helps people build communities of opportunity that breaks down barriers to success. Core offerings focus on:

Mission-driven lending



Capacity building and technical assistance programs



Public policy

ABOUT CDC SMALL BUSINESS FINANCE

CDC Small Business Finance is the nation's leading mission-based small business lender, award-winning nonprofit and advocate for entrepreneurs. Over four decades, the organization has provided more than 12,000 small business owners access $20.7 billion in financing. CDC Small Business Finance's small business and commercial real estate loans have also played a critical role in bolstering economic development, and helping to create and preserve more than 209,000 jobs in California, Arizona and Nevada. For more information, please visit: cdcloans.com.

ABOUT CAPITAL IMPACT PARTNERS

Through capital and commitment, Capital Impact Partners helps people build communities of opportunity that break barriers to success. Through mission-driven financing, social innovation programs, capacity building, and impact investing, we work to champion key issues of equity and social and economic justice. Our commitment to community focuses on ensuring that individuals have access to quality health care and education, healthy foods, affordable housing, cooperative development, and the ability to age with dignity.

A nonprofit Community Development Financial Institution, Capital Impact has disbursed more than $2.5 billion since 1982. Our leadership in delivering financial and social impact has resulted in Capital Impact being rated by S&P Global and recognized by Aeris for our performance. Headquartered in Arlington, VA, Capital Impact Partners operates nationally, with local offices in Austin, TX, Detroit, MI, New York, NY, and Oakland, CA. Learn more at www.capitalimpact.org .

SOURCE Capital Impact Partners and CDC Small Business Finance

Related Links

https://cdcloans.com


'We Love, We Can, We'll Win': Belarusian Opposition Candidate Tsikhanouskaya Rallies Thousands Ahead Of Presidential Vote

By RFE/RL's Belarus Service August 03, 2020

An estimated 20,000 people attended a sprawling rally for Belrusian opposition candidate Svyatlana Tsikhanouskaya one week ahead of the country's presidential vote.

That's according to the human rights center Vyasna (Spring), which oversaw the counting for the August 2 rally outside the western city of Brest.

Tsikhanouskaya, a 37-year-old former teacher, is challenging Belarus's authoritarian leader, Alyaksandr Lukashenka, who is facing mounting public opposition after 26 years in power.

Tsikhanouskaya announced her candidacy after her husband, vlogger and activist Syarhey Tsikhanouski, was arrested and banned from the election after he had expressed his intention to run.

An accidental candidate, Tsikhanouskaya now finds herself at the forefront of a political wave that a growing number of Belarusians hope can bring in a democratic tide to the Eastern European country of some 9.5 million.

The August 2 rally took place in a park on the outskirts of Brest, in an area designated by local government authorities.

It was the smallest location that Tsikhanouskaya has been permitted to hold a political rally at, and her supporters spilled into the woods outside the park due to the lack of space in front of the stage.

The start of Tsikhanouskaya's rally was delayed because her car was stopped several times by police as she traveled to Brest from the city of Baranavichy.

Tsikhanouskaya's August 2 rally coincided with Belarus's Airborne Troops Day and she saluted several servicemen who were in the crowd.

Trust in the authoritarian president has suffered since Lukashenka downplayed the coronavirus pandemic as nothing more than a "psychosis" that could be warded off with vodka, a tractor ride, or a visit to a sauna.

The first round of the election is scheduled for August 9, but previous elections in Belarus have not been considered free or fair by Western governments or observers.

During this campaign, hundreds of opposition activists have been arrested, and other opposition figures were prevented from running for president.

Tsikhanouskaya is part of a female trio who together are challenging Lukashenka. She joined forces with Veranika Tsapkala (left, in third photo below) and Maryya Kalesnikava (right), who both represented would-be presidential candidates who were barred from the August 9 ballot.

Brest was the latest city in western Belarus to host a Tsikhanouskaya rally.

Tsikhanouskaya has said that all events planned for her campaign would proceed despite a warning from the Belarusian Security Council about the need for additional security measures at public events.

Source: https://www.rferl.org/a/we-love-we-can -we-will-win-belarusian-opposition-candidate- tsikhanouskaya-rallies-thousands-ahead-of- presidential-vote/30763467.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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National Education Policy 2020 aims to address the many growing developmental imperatives of our country. A major drawback, however, is the lack of emphasis on promotion of English learning.

The Narendra Modi government denies that English is being ignored. In an interview with Hindustan Times, Education Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said, Young children learn and grasp non-trivial concepts more quickly in their home language/mother tongue. Wherever possible, the medium of instruction until at least Grade 5, but preferably till Grade 8 and beyond, will be the home language/mother tongue/local language/regional language.

He went on to assert, Nowhere the policy talks about shedding the English language, instead it emphasizes on the importance of multilingualism which has great cognitive benefit for young children.

As we mentioned in the beginning, it is the emphasis that matters; and that is clearly not on English, which is the passport to success. Everybody knows this simple truth  the ruling class and the ruled, the rich and the poor, the educated and the uneducated. But, thanks to the overpowering hypocrisy in public life, all manner of politicians unite to wage their jihad against English  and end up hurting the prospects of teeming millions of India. From socialists and communists to the sanskaris  everybody is opposed to the language that adds a competitive edge to our economy, that affords an opportunity to the children of the poorest to improve their lot, that opens up new vistas for the Indian mind. But the anti-English activists never relent.

So, the RSS-affiliated Shiksha Sanskriti Utthan Nyas (SSUN) urged the Ministry of Human Resource Development four years ago that the medium of instruction from elementary to higher levels in schools should be the mother tongue.

Foreign languages should not be offered as an alternative to any Indian language at the school level. English should no longer be mandatory at any level. All research works must be linked to national requirements and projects that do not meet this condition should not get UGC scholarships. References that insult Indian culture, tradition, sects, thoughts, eminent personalities and offer wrong explanations must be removed from textbooks at all levels, The India Express reported on October 20, 2016.

This is a recipe for disaster. The antipathy towards foreign languages implicit in these recommendations is reminiscent of the medieval taboo on sea travel  the taboo that precluded India from becoming a seafaring nation despite having a long coastline, a good location (between the Far East and the West), abundant natural bounties, and the economic prowess that is the product of civilization. The SSUN was not bothered about the baneful effects its recommendations would have on not just education but also on the economy, culture, science, etc.

The most baneful effect of removing English, however, is on the prospects of the poor. It is an indisputable fact that the students passing out from government schools dont do as well as their counterparts from public and convent schools. There is an economic factor involved here: as a rule, those who send their wards to prestigious schools are better-off than the ones whose children go to government schools. But the more important factor is that the teaching of English begins at a later stage in government schools.

This single fact is responsible for making most of them laggards in the job market and elsewhere. Not many of them are able to overcome this drawback, despite trying very hard. A cottage industry has evolved to fill this lacuna; there are English-speaking classes and courses; but evidently they have not been able to undo the damage done by the self-appointed champions of vernaculars.

It is not that these champions are unaware of the damage caused by their policies. This is the reason that they ensure that their own children do not suffer because of the consequences of their policies. So, the great socialist Mulayam Singh Yadav sent Akhilesh to a military school and then Australia; the venerable communist Jyoti Basu sent Chandan, who grew up a capitalist, to the upper class South Point School. And not a few sanskari luminaries sent their kids to English-medium schools.

The intellectuals advocating the cause of vernaculars are no less hypocritical than politicians. No Hindi writer or journalist sends their children to Hindi-medium schools, nor do they want their children to become Hindi writers or journalists.

The importance of English is recognized by everybody, even the poorest and the unlettered, but not by politicians and a section of opinion makers. This is the reason that the poor send their children to local English-medium schools which charge heavy fees and provide poor learning.

To be fair to the Modi government, it needs to be mentioned that it has not ignored English. The policy document says, All efforts will be made in preparing high-quality bilingual textbooks and teaching-learning materials for science and mathematics, so that students are enabled to think and speak about the two subjects both in their home language/mother tongue and in English.

At the same time, however, it has not ignored the retrograde demands of the SSUN. English is not being promoted as it should have been. That is unfortunate.
Cracking the whip on tax defaulters, the Tuesday warned them of stringent action as it found that 10,800 companies did not pass on the full amount they collected from people as taxes, an official statement said.

It stated that around 970 companies have paid zero tax to the from January to March.

The statement said the government has issued notices to all defaulters, saying that the tax should be paid within 15 days failing which stringent action would be taken against them.

The has so far evaluated 15,000 companies and plans to examine seven lakh firms registered under the GST, the statement said.

"The Delhi government has received around Rs 2,015 crore lesser tax than last year's (collection). In 2019, the government had collected around Rs 5,792 crores as tax returns but this year from January to March, the tax collection has been only Rs 3,777 crore," the statement said.

The Delhi government has also issued notices to 111 liquor companies that did not pay VAT from January to March.

In the statement, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who also holds the finance portfolio, appealed to all the companies that have not deposited the full tax to immediately deposit the amount.

"This is public money which the companies have collected from the people but did not deposit to the government. This will affect government work for the development of the citizens including the fight against the COVID pandemic.

"The Delhi government will take stringent actions against the companies who will not deposit the full amount of tax," Sisodia was quoted as saying.

The Trade & Taxes Department has started analysing the return filing status of taxpayers registered in GST.

"Around 15,000 high turnover taxpayers were analysed and it was seen that almost 970 taxpayers belonging to both Centre and state jurisdiction have not filed returns for Q4 2019-20 and Q1 2020-21.

The extended time period granted for the filing of GST return for Q1 2020-21 got over in July 2020," the government said in statement.

The department has been able to recover Rs 10 crore from two such defaulting companies in the last one week, it said, adding that it is also analysing the profile of such taxpayers along with their overall tax profile in the previous quarters.

Last week, three major search operations were conducted against the defaulters, including marble and granite companies and bulk taxpayers and a tax of Rs 20.70 lakh was collected from them.

"In one case, the company's office was sealed. In the second case, the company's papers were confiscated. The Delhi government has also taken action against movement of goods without carrying e-way bills.

"With effect from June 23, around 140 vehicles have been detained and tax and penalty collected to the tune of approximately Rs 1 crore," it added.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 430 domestic visitors who have been unable to leave Da Nang as the central city entered social distancing to stem the spread of COVID-19 last week are expected to be returned to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City on two flights, the Da Nang Department of Tourism said on Monday evening.

Da Nang requested authorities in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City collaborate in the organization of the two special flights.

The stranded visitors will have to pay for the flights tickets with registration open at the Da Nang Visitor Center until 3:00 pm on Tuesday, August 4.

The Da Nang Visitor Center is located at 108 Bach Dang Street in Hai Chau District. Its hotline number is 0236 3550 111.

Those wishing to register for a seat on one of the flights are expected to provide the center with a confirmation letter from their current accommodation in Da Nang to prove that they cannot leave the city due to the COVID-19 social distancing rules, and a copy or a photo of their flight bookings, flight tickets, train tickets, passenger bus tickets or tour bookings to verify their means of transport to the city.

Those who are staying at a friends or relatives house will need to acquire confirmation from the local authorities regarding their temporary residency, in addition to the two aforementioned papers.

Enhanced social distancing rules have been implemented in Da Nang since July 28 in accordance with prime minister directive No. 16 on urgent measures against COVID-19, after the city recorded Vietnams first community-based COVID-19 case after 99 days on July 25 and continued logging a drove of related cases in the following days.

The social distancing measures are being implemented in six districts namely Hai Chau, Thanh Khe, Son Tra, Ngu Hanh Son, Cam Le and Lien Chieu, while the city has placed three hospitals and an area surrounding them on lockdown after many infections were reported there.

Citizens are requested to stay home and only go out under absolutely necessary circumstances, and maintain a minimum distance of two meters in social interaction.

Gatherings of more than two people outside public offices, schools, hospitals, and in public spaces in general are banned while all non-essential businesses must be shuttered.

All domestic flights and bus and train services to and from Da Nang have also been suspended for 15 days since July 28.

While tens of thousands of domestic tourists left Da Nang before the social distancing period began, over 430 people failed to exit the central city before the travel ban.

Most of the stranded visitors come from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, the Da Nang Department of Tourisms deputy director Nguyen Xuan Binh said on Monday morning.

The visitors will be quarantined upon their return to the two cities, according to the municipal tourism department.

Da Nang has reported 142 cases of COVID-19 so far, with four deaths, since July 25.

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Discount airline CEO Jozsef Varadi said that sudden changes to COVID-19 quarantine regulations in Europe will have a "rollercoaster effect" on airlines and economic recovery.

Varadi appeared on TV talking about the effects of coronavirus on the aviation industry.



"We are standing still very well against any kind of shocks which could affect the industry going forward," he said regarding Wizz Airs financial stability.



"If we get grounded completely and we cannot perform a single flight, we would still be in business in two years, so thats how strong we are with regard to liquidity."



The report on CNBCs website notes that the U.K. government surprised a number of British tourists by introducing a mandatory self-isolation for 14 days. The U.K. argued that the decision was made in the light of the resurgence of coronavirus cases in Spain.



The Spanish government came out against the decision, claiming that the country was still safe for tourists in spite of regional outbreaks.



"Spain will improve again but some other markets might come under scrutiny," Varadi said, arguing that airlines will have to cope with the uncertainty.



"We used to be debating the recovery of the pandemic is V shape or U shape I think we should expect a rollercoaster effect," he noted.





MTI Photo: Zsolt Czegledi
NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Current, a leading U.S. challenger bank serving Americans overlooked by traditional banks, today announced the launch of its points rewards program for all members. Current becomes the first mobile bank in the U.S. to offer points rewards on debit purchases for its members, who have now deposited over $1 billion in Current.

Current members can earn up to 15x points on purchases at over 14,000 merchants, including local businesses and national retailers such as Subway, Rite Aid, True Value and Cold Stone Creamery. Points are earned instantly after purchases at participating merchants and can be redeemed for cash in the Current app at a rate of 100 points per dollar.

"We are proud to lead innovation among challenger banks and to be the first to launch points rewards for our members," said Stuart Sopp, CEO and Founder, Current. "We are committed to building products that put more money into our members' pockets and help close the growing wealth inequality gap in this country. Over 130 million Americans are living paycheck to paycheck, and we are giving them additional cash back on their everyday purchases."

At gas stations alone, Current members are expected to earn $165 a year in cash back just from swiping their Current Card at the pump. New offers are added regularly and members can find all offers on a map in the Current app.

"With so many Americans working hard to make ends meet we will continue to build products that help improve our members' financial situations," Sopp said. "Reaching over $1 billion in deposits over the last year is a testament to the trust our members have put in us as their primary bank and that we are solving their banking needs."

About Current

We are a leading U.S. challenger bank built to meet the needs of people with unique lives who have been overlooked by the traditional banking industry. Our proprietary Current Core technology allows us to provide premium banking services for everyone, regardless of age or income, and improve the financial outcomes of our members without overdraft fees, minimum balance requirements, or hidden fees. We give members up to two days faster direct deposit paychecks, free overdrafts up to $100 with Overdrive , points on purchases redeemable for cash back, access to 55,000 free ATMs worldwide as well as 24/7 member support 365 days a year. To learn more about us, visit http://www.current.com or download our app on the App Store or Google Play.

Current is now backed through investments from Foundation Capital, Wellington Management Company, QED Investors, EXPA, Galaxy Digital, CUNA Mutual Group and Elizabeth Street Ventures.

Media Contact:

Erin Bruehl

Director of Communications, Current

[email protected]

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Wockhardt shares were trading 10% higher in Tuesday's early trade after the Indian drugmaker said it will supply millions of doses of multiple COVID-19 vaccines to the United Kingdom.

Following the news, shares of the pharmaceutical and biotechnology major Wockhardt opened at Rs 308 and later touched an intraday high of Rs 333.7, rising 9.9% against the earlier close of Rs 303.40 on BSE. Wockhardt share price has gained 29% in the last 6 days. Wockhardt stock has only buyers and no sellers offering the stock.

Wockhardt share price trades higher than 5, 20, 50, 100 and 200-day moving averages.

Market cap of Wockhardt rose to Rs 3,695.50 crore as of today's session. The stock price of Wockhardt has gained 21% in one month and 42% since the beginning of the year.

UK government has reserved one fill and finish production line for its exclusive use for the next 18 months in order to guarantee the supply of vaccines required to fight COVID-19, company said in a regulatory filing.

The manufacturing will be undertaken at CP Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Wockhardt based in Wrexham, North Wales, it added later. The vaccine is co-invented by the University of Oxford and its spin-out company, Vaccitech and licensed by AstraZeneca.

Dr Habil Khorakiwala, Founder Chairman of Wockhardt emphasised, "The pandemic of COVID-19 is a challenge for all and needs a concerted effort to overcome. We are proud to be collaborating with the UK Government to make vaccines available and the arrangement brings in a huge sense of purpose and pride, it upholds our ongoing commitment to fight against such a pandemic of global human importance. As a global organisation, we are focussed and committed to assisting in mitigating the worldwide impact of COVID-19."
In an action that combines authoritarian contempt for Congress and a direct appeal to racist and fascist sentiments, President Trump has installed retired Army Gen. Anthony Tata in a top policy-making position in the Pentagon.

Trump took the action after Tata withdrew his name Sunday from consideration for the post of undersecretary of defense for policy, the third-ranking position in the Department of Defense. Tata withdrew following the cancellationwith only an hours noticeof a July 30 confirmation hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee.

According to the Pentagon announcement, Tata has been designated as the official Performing the Duties of the Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Policy reporting to the Acting Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Dr. James Anderson. Anderson had been named as a temporary fill-in for the post after the previous undersecretary, John Rood, was forced out for opposing Trumps action in withholding military aid to Ukrainethe decision that led to his impeachment last December.

Under the thoroughly anti-democratic procedure employed by the White House with increasing frequency, when the Senate declines to confirm his nominee, Trump simply appoints the person to fill the position of top deputy to the vacant post, and the new acting deputy becomes a temporary replacement filling the vacancy more or less indefinitely.

Trump applied the same technique last fall when Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell opposed the nomination of former Virginia state Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli for the number-two position in the Department of Homeland Security. Cuccinelli is now the acting deputy, serving under the acting Secretary Chad Wolf, meaning that the huge department, with more than 240,000 employees, is entirely run by Trump nominees who have not been confirmed by the Senate.

Tata, former planning director of the 82nd Airborne Division and later deputy commander of the 10th Mountain Division in Afghanistan, was forced to retire as a brigadier general in 2009 after an investigation into allegations of adultery (considered a crime under the Uniform Code of Military Justice). He went on to hold several high-level positions in the Republican-run state government of North Carolina. His nomination for Pentagon policy chief was called into question after his record of Islamophobic remarks on Twitter came to light.

Among other things, in tweets posted in 2018, Tata called former President Barack Obama a terrorist leader and a Muslim who did more to help Islamic countries than any president in history. He also described Islam as the most oppressive violent religion I know of.

A political supporter of President Trump, Tata was a regular commentator on Fox News before taking a position with the Pentagon as a senior adviser to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper. He at one point accused former CIA Director John Brennan of having issued a coded order for the assassination of Trump and urged Brennan to commit suicide rather than be prosecuted for treason.

After Democrats on the Senate Armed Service Committee called on Tata to withdraw, a Pentagon spokesman issued a disclaimer, saying, The general himself has stated that he does not believe or support the comments he made. He issued a letter to the committee retracting those statements.

Tatas letter dismissed his attacks on Obama and Islam as a few misstatements, which, while grievous, are not indicative of who I am. He deleted the remarks only after his nomination to the top Pentagon job led the media to dig up his social media history.

Senator Jack Reed (D-Rhode Island), a former paratrooper who is the ranking Democrat on the Armed Service Committee, condemned Trumps appointment maneuver for undermining the military, saying that his goal is to hollow out, politicize, and undermine the Pentagon the way he has the State Department and Intelligence Community. 

This is an offensive, destabilizing move, he added, calling the method of Tatas appointment an insult to our troops, professionals at the Pentagon, the Senate, and the American people.  Clearly, President Trump wants people who will swear allegiance to him over the Constitution.

The other Democrats on the committeeElizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Mazie Hirono, Richard Blumenthal and Gary Petersall backed Reed in opposing the nomination. Besides the Democrats, at least two committee Republicans, Joni Ernst of Iowa and Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, had indicated they were likely to oppose Tatas confirmation.

The installation of General Tata is part of a larger process in which Trump is seeking to fill positions in the national security apparatus with fascist-minded individuals completely loyal to him personally, while removing anyone with ties either to previous administrations or to his own former defense secretary, retired Gen. James Mattis.

Four top Pentagon officials announced in late June that they were leaving the administration, including the two top technology officials, Michael Griffin and Lisa Porter, the top foreign policy official, Kathryn Wheelbarger, and the acting comptroller, Elaine McCusker. Previous departures, according to an account in the New York Times, included Espers chief of staff, Eric Chewning; Randall Schriver, the assistant secretary of defense for Indo-Pacific affairs; and two Navy secretaries, Thomas Modly and Richard Spencer.

Trump has also installed an ultra-right figure, filmmaker Michael Pack, a longtime associate of former Trump counselor Stephen Bannon, as head of the US Agency for Global Media, which oversees the Voice of America. Pack carried out a full-scale purge of all the agencies that broadcast American government propaganda to the world, installing ultra-right figures loyal to Trump.

Voice of America Director Amanda Bennett and Deputy Director Sandy Sugawara announced their resignations after Pack took over. He then dismissed the heads of Radio Free Asia, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Middle East Broadcasting Networks, the Office of Cuba Broadcasting, and the Open Technology Fund.

Trump appointed another former Bannon associate, Sebastian Gorka, for a four-year term on the National Security Education Board, which oversees a program aimed at training US citizens in foreign languages useful for the pursuit of the foreign policy interests of American imperialism.
A bakery championed by the Duchess of Sussex has shared an unseen throwback snap of the royal donning an apron during a visit to its ktichen as it launches a bake along and raffle to mark her birthday.

The Duchess of Sussex, 39, made several visits to the Luminary Bakery while living in the UK, and promoted their work in her September issue of Vogue last year.

The snap, which was shared by the organisation today, shows the Duchess smiling at a volunteer while accepting an apron to wear at the officially opening of the second bakery in Camden last year.

Posting the picture on Instagram, Luminary Bakery wrote they were partnering with Camfed to mark the Duchess' birthday, saying: 'To celebrate, one of our Luminary grads, Monica who is based in London, will be joining Tisiyenji, in Zambia from to bake cakes "together" from across the globe to honour The Duchess of Sussexs birthday & celebrate ALL women with through their beautiful bakes.'

The cake baked by Monica is now being raffled off, with the organisation asking royal fans for donations of 10 to be entered into the draw.

They explained: 'Today, we're partnering with @Camfed to celebrate #WomenEmpoweringWomen and say a Happy Birthday Meghan, who has championed the work of both our organisations!

They went on: 'This picture is of Monica meeting Meghan when she came to help us officially open our second bakery in Camden last year.

'Monica enthusiastically lent her the apron she was wearing, which is true to Monica's generous spirit!'

In the snap, Meghan can be seen wearing her relaxed 80 With Nothing Underneath shirt tucked into a pair of dark jeans.

The unseen snap of the Duchess of Sussex, 39, visiting the Luminary Bakery in London was shared today as the royal celebrates her birthday in Los Angeles

The two charities featured are all close to the Duchess' heart, and she has made her support clear by visiting them during her time as a working royal.

The Luminary Bakery in East London provides employment and support for women who are trying to escape poverty, homelessness and violence.

The Duchess visited the organisation last December, and used her @SussexRoyal Instagram page to shine a spotlight on their work.

The post accompanying the snaps contained a personal account from Meghan of her visits to the organisation.

Snaps from the visit to the official opening of the Camden bakery were shared last November, with the Duchess promoting the organisation as 'exceptional'

'What theyve created at Luminary Bakery is exceptional - its a space for baking, healing and rebuilding,' she said.

'When I visited the women earlier this year I was struck by how the baking, itself, is a means of therapy for these women - which in many ways makes complete sense - feeling they had no control over their lives based on their previous (and often harrowing) circumstances, they found comfort in the measured nature of baking.'

The bakery's cakes begin at 45 and include flavours such as lemon and blueberry, chocolate and salted caramel.

It was among a number of favourite causes, people and tips highlighted by the Duchess in her Vogue issue.

The Duchess has keenly championed the organisation throughout her time in the royal family, promoting their efforts on Instagram and

And in March last year, Meghan joined a panel alongside Angie Murimirwa, executive director of Campaign for Female Education (CAMFED) on International Women's Day in London.

The post comes as the Duchess marks her 39th birthday today in Los Angeles with Prince Harry, 35, and baby Archie.

Birthday celebrations are likely to be low-key as the state of California they now call home reportedly has the highest number of Covid-19 cases in the US.

Birthday celebrations for Meghan, who is currently living in Los Angeles with Prince Harry and their son Archie, will likely be low-key due to state restrictions in California

Meanwhile the Royal Family continues to reel from the bombshell claims made in the Sussexes' biography Finding Freedom, released next week, which lays bare a rift between the couple and senior members of The Firm.

The book, written by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durant, claims relations between the Sussexes and the Cambridges grew so bitter that by March, when Harry and Meghan officially hung up their HRH titles, the couples were barely speaking. It is also said the Queen was 'blindsided' by Harry and Meghan's 'Megxit' announcement.

There are fears the book's publication could spark a fresh rift within the Firm.
Turkey says oil deal between SDF, US firm amounts to 'financing of terrorism'

Iran Press TV

Monday, 03 August 2020 3:03 PM

Turkey has denounced a deal recently signed between the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) and an American company aimed at stealing oil in northeastern Syria, describing it as equivalent to 'financing of terrorism'.

"We regret the US support for this step that ignores international law and that targets Syria's territorial integrity and sovereignty," Turkey's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

It considered the deal to be "the financing of terrorism" and "unacceptable."

The Foreign Ministry accused the Syrian Kurdish militants of advancing the SDF's "separatist agenda by confiscating, with this step, Syrian people's natural resources."

"Syria's natural resources belong to Syrian people," the Turkish statement added.

The Syrian government on Sunday also condemned the agreement, which Turkey has also described as "unacceptable."

Damascus says the deal is "an affront to national sovereignty" that amounts to "theft."

The Syrian Foreign Ministry has slammed Washington for hindering the Syrian government's efforts for rebuilding what has been destroyed by the foreign-led terrorism, which is "mostly backed by the US administration itself."

Al-Monitor, citing unnamed sources, also named the company in a report on Thursday as Delta Crescent Energy LLC, a corporation organized under the laws of the state of Delaware, without giving further details.

On July 30 and during his testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo confirmed for the first time that an American oil company would begin work in the SDF-controlled northeastern Syria.

A US-led military coalition has been bombarding what it claimed was positions of the Daesh Takfiri terrorists inside Syria since September 2014 without any authorization from the Damascus government or a UN mandate.

The strikes have on many occasions resulted in civilian casualties and failed to fulfill their declared aim of countering terrorism.

The White House has long been providing the SDF with arms and militant training, calling them a key partner in the purported fight against Daesh. Many observers, however, see the support in the context of Washington's plans to carve out a foothold in Syria.

That support has also angered Washington's NATO ally, Turkey, which views militants from the Kurdish People's Protection Units (YPG)  the backbone of the SDF  as a terrorist organization tied to the homegrown Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK).

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Chen Guorui, a post-80s man from a village in southeast Chinas Fujian province, has revived a local handicraft that involves making artworks out of rice grains after it had disappeared for nearly seven decades, Chinanews.com reported Monday.

Chen is now the only representative inheritor of the handicraft, which originated in Gaolou village, Guhuai township, Changle district, Fuzhou, capital of Fujian province.

The folk art used to be an essential part of ancestor worship rituals in Gaolou village. It dates back to the late Qing Dynasty (1636-1912) and was very popular during the Republic of China period (1912-1949).

According to credible sources, every year, each of the several hundred families in Gaolou village would make an artwork out of rice grains in the first lunar month and place it in the ancestral hall as a tribute to their ancestors.

In 2016, an overseas Chinese who was almost 90 years old mentioned the art while talking with villagers from Gaolou. The old man had returned to spend the Spring Festival in his hometown, and said it was a pity that the once well-known folk art had vanished for decades, and that young people didnt even know what it was.

My family talked about the art form after that. And I thought that since I majored in a fine arts-related subject in college, I had the responsibility of carrying forward this outstanding traditional handicraft, Chen said, revealing that he visited the senior overseas Chinese citizen shortly after and asked him about these special artworks.

After reading related literature and practicing repeatedly based on oral accounts of the folk art from older generations, Chen finally revived the handicraft, and reproduced spectacular scenes of the once famous ancestor worship rituals.

In 2017, Gaolou village became famous once again for its unique rice grain artworks, with many overseas Chinese flocking to their hometown for a glimpse of this long lost ancient folk art.

That year, so many people visited Chens familys ancestral hall that even Chen himself couldnt squeeze into it, even though it could hold as many as 10,000 people, according to Chen.

Chens rice artworks feature various subjects, including roosters, swans, and airy pavilions and pagodas. All of them are made with great care and meticulous efforts.

For his artworks, Chen uses a kind of rice that originated in Thailand. The grains are usually more than seven millimeters long and spotlessly white, which makes them suitable for his art. The grains are glued to each other using a paste made of sticky rice.

Chen says it usually takes him a lot of time and effort to complete a work, explaining that he spent nearly one month creating a rooster with rice, during which he worked an average of eight hours a day.

Ive understood the spirit of craftsmanship during the process of creating these works. The art has made me calm and allows me to focus on one thing, Chen said.

Thanks to Chens efforts, the local folk art was officially included on the list of the intangible cultural heritage (ICH) of Fuzhou in 2018, becoming an ICH item that carries both the charm of ancient times and dynamism of the modern age.

In an effort to ensure that the handicraft will last, various parties in the locality have made joint efforts to set up a teaching base for the art in the elementary school of Guhuai township. Since then, Chen has served as the teacher at the base and taught his skills to local children, who have taken Chens creativity to the next level by bringing the concept of colored works to the art.
Thousands of Indian troops imposed a curfew in Kashmir on Tuesday, with razor wire and steel barricades blocking main roads a day ahead of the one-year anniversary of the restive region being stripped of its autonomy. Prime Minister Narendra Modi imposed direct rule last August 5, promising peace and prosperity after three decades of violence that have seen tens of thousands of people killed in an anti-India uprising. Officials announced a two-day "full curfew" on Monday citing intelligence reports of looming protests in the Muslim-majority region of seven million people, where locals have called for the anniversary to be marked as a "black day". Police vehicles patrolled the main city Srinagar after dark on Monday and again on Tuesday morning, with officers using megaphones to order residents to remain indoors. A "full curfew" means people can only move around with an official pass, usually reserved for essential services such as police and ambulances. The Himalayan region is already subject to restrictions to reduce the spread of the coronavirus, with most economic activities limited and public movement curtailed. On Monday morning, new barricades were placed on main roads on Srinagar, and on Tuesday thousands of government troops fanned across the city and surrounding villages. "Police in vehicles moved through our locality and from loudspeakers ordered us to stay indoors for two days -- as if we were not already caged," said Imriyaz Ali, who lives in the Srinagar old town. "I saw mobile phones of two of my neighbours taken away by soldiers when they got out to buy bread from a local baker early in the morning," said one villager by phone from Nazneenpora village. - Painful memories - For locals, the new curfew brought back memories of the weeks-long clampdown a year ago. Then, a total communications blackout was imposed, with phone and internet access cut and tens of thousands of fresh troops moved into the valley -- already one of the world's most militarised regions. Around 7,000 people were taken into custody -- including three former chief ministers. Hundreds remain under house arrest or behind bars to this day, mostly without charge. For Modi's Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, Kashmir's special status had produced "nothing but terrorism, separatism, nepotism and big corruption," he said last year. The move, which has been accompanied by an upsurge in violence that is set to make 2020 the bloodiest year in a decade, has triggered major economic hardship exacerbated by the coronavirus pandemic. Many locals are also angry that for the first time, people from outside Kashmir are being granted rights to buy land, fearing that India wants to change the region's demographic makeup. "Indian government claims that it was determined to improve Kashmiri lives ring hollow one year after the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir's constitutional status," Meenakshi Ganguly from Human Rights Watch said in a statement. "The authorities instead have maintained stifling restraints on Kashmiris in violation of their basic rights." - Anti-India protests in Pakistan - Kashmir has been split since 1947 between India and Pakistan, both of which claim it in full. it has been the spark for two wars between the arch-rivals. India accuses Pakistan of sending militants over their de-facto Kashmir border to commit violence and of supporting rebels on the ground, charges that Islamabad denies. Prime Minister Imran Khan, likening Modi to Hitler, has attempted to have India pilloried at the United Nations over Kashmir, but to little avail despite backing from China. On Wednesday, Khan is expected to visit Muzaffarabad, capital of Pakistan-administered Kashmir, to mark what Islamabad has labelled the "Day of Exploitation". Anti-India protests are planned throughout Pakistani Kashmir while all major cities in Pakistan will hold solidarity marches, along with a one-minute silence. "Kashmiris have rejected the Indian annexation of August 5, no one has accepted this decision and the struggle for the right to self-determination will continue," Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said Monday. pzb-burs-stu/qan Authorities have imposed a curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir ahead of the one-year anniversity of the restive region being stripped of its autonomy Map of disputed Kashmir showing the areas administered by Pakistan, India and China. Thousands of troops have been deployed to enforce the curfew in Indian-administered Kashmir
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New Delhi, Aug 4 : Vidyamandir Classes on Tuesday said it has started online classes under a Rapid Success Programme for Class 12 pass students preparing for IIT Joint Entrance Examination (JEE) and National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET).

This would be the most rigorous, success-oriented programme for students preparing for JEE/NEET 2021 in the country, VMC said, adding that students of this course will be entitled to a flat 50 per cent COVID Support scholarship.

Due to the prevailing uncertainty triggered by Covid-19 crises, this course has a flexible format which allows an exit of the students who would crack NEET/IIT-JEE exams in September-2020 with a refund of the balance course fee and the rest can continue the preparation for entrance exams of 2021, the institute said.

VMC said it has conceptualised this nine-month course to emphasise on a focused approach of propelling students to score higher grades within the reduced time frame.

During the entire period of this course, 20+ hours of course delivery is targeted every week from teachers in India (including VMC Founders) who have a good track record of excellent results in the past three decades.

"This special course is designed for those students who are aiming to score higher marks in their NEET and IITJEE exam. During this unpredictable situation, it is hard to define what is waiting for them in the future," Brij Mohan Gupta, Founder, Vidyamandir Classes, said in a statement.

"So, this course will work as a backup plan for 12th pass students who can continue preparation for the 2021 entrance examination and also can exit from the course if they get selected in NEET/IITJEE 2020. We are confident of a very successful outcome for students through the Rapid Success Courses," he said.

Students will also receive specially designed study material with high focus on the most important concepts and practice questions.

These courses have been designed for helping droppers to prepare strategically within a short period of time.

"We believe students will definitely score higher marks if they follow our study material and practice sessions meticulously," Gupta said.

Students will be further inspired to appear for more mock tests and to attend practice sessions in order to boost up their confidence.

Students who wish to opt for a combination of Crash Course and Rapid Success course would get additional savings on the package.

Students who are part of VMC's Fast Track Success programme (Crash Course for JEE/ NEET 2020) can also take admission in Rapid Success Program for September batch, later this year, VMC said, adding that students of current Rapid course can also upgrade to the regular classroom programme anytime.
SALT LAKE CITY, UT / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Northern Minerals & Exploration Ltd. (OTC PINK:NMEX) is pleased to provide the following update on NMEX's Winnemucca Gold & Silver Property.

Recent field sampling has returned high grade surface assays of up to 5.3 g/t gold and 180 g/t silver on an area of Winnemucca Mountain not previous inspected by the company. The following assays are from grab samples taken from historic workings on Winnemucca Mountain. Assay results are:

Sample # Au ppm* Ag ppm* M19-01 5.390 180.0 M19-02 1.165 244.0 M19-03 3.820 85.7 M19-05 0.763 37.5 M19-06 2.320 68.3 M19-07 0.115 19.1 M19-08 5.330 403.0 M19-09 0.378 30.2 M19-10 0.289 7.2 M19-11 3.310 28.5 M19-12 5.780 176.0 M19-13 0.440 30.0

*1ppm = 1 gram

This area of the Winnemucca Mountain covers many historic workings including the Pride of the Mountain, 3A Hill, Gossan tunnel and Gold Hill. From initial mapping by the company of the area of the Pride zone vein system alone appears to be about 1500 feet long and up to 200 feet wide. The addition of the Gossan Tunnel zone to the northwest effectively doubles the strike length. With historical newspaper records discussing the numerous shallow high grade gold and silver mining operations in this area NMEX could find no evidence of recent exploration.

Based on the high grade assays received by NMEX additional claims have been staked to cover this area of Winnemucca Mountain increasing our land position to over 2800 acres.

NMEX plans are to aggressively target this and other areas of Winnemucca Mountain to define further drills targets and continue exploration to evaluate areas of the mountain as potential mineable deposits especially with the current gold and silver prices

Noel Schaefer, COO of NMEX, stated, "With prices for gold and silver continuing to strengthen, increasing our land position and focus on our Nevada gold property we at NMEX look to increase value for our shareholders.

Gold closed on Monday, August 3, 2020 at $1,976.87 per ounce. Some analysts speculate gold could go to $3,000 within the next 18 months.

About Winnemucca Gold & Silver Property:

The Winnemucca Mountain Gold and Silver Property covers an area of over 2,800 acres, located in Humboldt County, in northwestern Nevada. Humboldt County is the second largest gold producing county in the United States and hosts numerous past and producing gold mines. The Property is located near the northern end of the highly productive Battle Mountain-Eureka mineral trend and is underlain by Triassic sediments cut by several phases of Cretaceous- Jurassic intrusives and Tertiary volcanic rocks.

These deposits, along with the Sleeper, Sulphur-Hycroft, Goldbanks, Blue Mountain, Sandman, and other precious metals deposits located along the western splays and associated fault-fracture zones of the mid-Miocene (Tertiary) Northern Nevada Rift, define an important epithermal province in northwestern Nevada

NMEX has an option to acquire an 80% interest in the Winnemucca Gold and Silver Property in Humboldt County, Northern Nevada.

For further information on NMEX please go to www.northernmineralsexploration.com or www.sec.gov.

About NMEX:

Northern Minerals & Exploration ("NMEX") is an emerging publicly traded company focused on oil and gas exploration & production, gold & silver exploration in Nevada & real estate development projects in Mexico.

Contact: Noel Schaefer

Phone: 801-885-9260

Email: cerronrs@msn.com

Forward Looking Statements: Statements which are not historical facts contained in this release are forward looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to, the effect of economic conditions, the impact of competition, the results of financing efforts, changes in consumers' preferences and trends. The words "estimate," "possible," "seeking," and similar expressions identify forward-looking statements, which speak only to the date the statement was made. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, because of new information, future events, or otherwise. Future events and actual results may differ materially from those set forth herein, contemplated by, or underlying the forward-looking statements. The information herein is subject to change without notice. Northern Minerals & Exploration Ltd. shall not be liable for technical or editorial errors or omissions contained herein.

SOURCE: Northern Minerals & Exploration Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600137/NMEX-Samples-Surface-High-Grade-and-Increases-Land-Position-on-Nevada-Gold-Property
Less than two years after the collapse of a highway bridge in Genoa took 43 lives and became a source of national embarrassment, Italys leaders flocked to the city on Monday to inaugurate a gleaming replacement that they called proof of the countrys resilience and prowess.

Today Genoa is starting again, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte told a crowd of officials gathered in the port city, in an event broadcast live nationwide. Our country can face and overcome difficulties, and can go back to racing.

Genoas mayor, Marco Bucci, called the new bridge a message of trust and competence for the future.

The inauguration commanded national attention, offering a rare bright spot after months of suffering from the coronavirus pandemic and the resulting recession.
<! Bald men at greater risk of having serious symptoms of coronavirus >

By Kazeem Ugbodaga

Nigeria again recorded fewer cases of Coronavirus on Monday, as 21 states did not record any new case.

The Nigerian Centre for Disease Control, NCDCs report on Monday shows that the nation recorded just 288 new cases, which represents a drop from the 304 cases it raked in on Sunday.

This brings the total confirmed Coronavirus cases in Nigeria to 44,129, with 20,663 discharged so far and 896 deaths.

In the last one week, Nigeria has continued to record fewer cases of Coronavirus even with increased testing.

In Mondays infections, no state recorded up to 100 cases.

Lagos, however, tops the chart with 88 new cases, with Kwara coming second with 33 cases; Osun, 27 cases and FCT and Enugu, 25 cases each.

According to the NCDC, On the 3rd of August 2020, 288 new confirmed cases and 8 deaths were recorded in Nigeria

Till date, 44,129 cases have been confirmed, 20,663 cases have been discharged and 896 deaths have been recorded in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory

The 288 new cases are reported from 15 states- Lagos (88), Kwara (33), Osun (27), FCT (25), Enugu (25), Abia (20), Kaduna (17), Plateau (13), Rivers (13), Delta (10), Gombe (8), Ogun (4), Oyo (3), Katsina (1), Bauchi (1).

How States Stand

Lagos-88

Kwara-33

Osun-27

FCT-25

Enugu-25

Abia-20

Kaduna-17

Plateau-13

Rivers-13

Delta-10

Gombe-8

Ogun-4

Oyo-3

Katsina-1

Bauchi-1

Related
Medical workers collect samples from people in Da Nang for Covid-19 tests, August 3, 2020. Photo by VnExpress/Nguyen Dong.

Six patients, one medic at Da Nang Hospital and three people who had contact with infected cases have raised Vietnams Covid-19 active patients to 272.

Seven of them are residents in Da Nang City and three live in the neighboring Quang Nam Province.

Those in Quang Nam, aged 35-67, are numbered 643-645. One of them tested positive for the novel coronavirus when staying at the Department of Internal Medicine - Neurology  Hematology of Da Nang Hospital as a patient. The other two had contact with another patient at the hospital who was later diagnosed with Covid-19.

Patients 646-652 reside in Da Nang. They are aged between 30 and 68.

One of them is a medical worker at the Da Nang Hospital and five are patients there.

The remaining one gets infected after having contact with another Covid-19 patient at the hospital. This person has already been quarantined at a college dormitory in Lien Chieu District of Da Nang.

Since July 25 when community infections returned to Vietnam after more than three months, Da Nang has become the epicenter with 142 cases so far, followed by Quang Nam with 44 cases.

HCMC has now recorded eight, Quang Ngai Province in the central region and Dak Lak in the Central Highlands get three each. Hanoi has reported two cases, while northern Thai Binh and Ha Nam provinces, as well as Dong Nai Province that neighbors HCMC one each.

Six Covid-19 patients have died since Friday. They were aged between 53 and 86, and all suffered pre-existing chronic diseases. Another 13 patients are in critical condition.

Nationwide, more than 133,000 people are in quarantine at present.

Around 696,000 have died of Covid-19 globally.
Isaias is headed toward the North Carolina coast, but so is a Statesville Electric Line crew. On Monday they departed to New Bern, a city located on Neuse Bay, and in the crosshairs of Isaias.

We are glad that the City is in a position to help out New Bern. We have certainly had our times in the past when we have benefited greatly from the emergency assistance program. I know they (public power communities) would be here for us if we needed them, Statesville Electric Utilities Director John Maclaga said in a press release.

They will be joined by a crew from High Point. New Burn is currently under a storm surge warning by the National Hurricane Center.

According to the city of Statesville's press release, the trip was organized through the ElectriCities Emergency Assistance Program which provides a network of support in times of trouble, bringing public power communities together to restore, building, and get the power back on safely. It also said crew members will wear face coverings, maintain social distancing, wash and sanitize hands, and use any other reasonable precautions due to the coronavirus.

They aren't the only workers in Iredell County headed toward the storm, either.
Against the backdrop of New Delhis reported plans to review the setting up of Confucius Institutes in the country, China on Tuesday said India should handle collaboration in education in an objective and fair manner and avoid politicising normal cooperation.

As reported by HT on Sunday, Indias education ministry plans to review the setting up of Confucius Institutes and Confucius Classrooms in seven colleges and universities after security agencies alerted the government about growing Chinese influence in higher education.

The ministry also plans to review 54 memoranda of understanding (MoUs) signed between Chinese institutions and prestigious Indian institutions such as the Indian Institutes of Technology, Banaras Hindu University, and Jawaharlal Nehru University. Reacting to these developments, Chinese embassy spokesperson Ji Rong said, We hope Indian relevant parties can treat Confucius Institutes and China-India higher education cooperation in an objective and fair manner, avoid politicising normal cooperation, and maintain healthy and stable development of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The Chinese side has responded in an increasingly assertive manner to Indias actions amid the months-long border standoff between the two sides, which currently shows little signs of abating.

After India imposed a fresh ban on 47 clones of prohibited Chinese apps last month, China had said it will take necessary measures to safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of Chinese companies.

The Chinese embassy spokesperson said the two sides have cooperated on the Confucius Institute Project for more than 10 years, Ji added.

All the Confucius Institutes in India were established by universities from the two countries after signing legally binding cooperation agreement in accordance with the principles of mutual respect, friendly consultation, equality, and mutual benefit, and on the premise that the Indian side applied voluntarily and met the conditions for running the Institute, Ji said.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rezaul H Laskar Rezaul H Laskar is the Foreign Affairs Editor at Hindustan Times. His interests include movies and music. ...view detail
Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee president DK Shivakumar on Tuesday declared that Lord Ram is in the hearts of all Congressmen and that they do not need an invitation from anyone. A mega event is scheduled to take place tomorrow for the ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed Ram temple in Ayodhya.

Construction of Ram temple is not anybodys personal property. We dont need an invitation from anybody. Happy to watch it on television. Lord Ram (resides) in the heart of all Congressmen, said Shivakumar while responding to a question at a press conference in Kalburgi district.

Another senior Congress leader RV Deshpande said: The Congress has already welcomed the Supreme Court decision on Ram temple. All Indians should follow the principles propagated by Lord Ram and the construction of the temple should be done by winning everybodys confidence rather than using it as a measure to divide people.

Shivakumar, who was on a maiden visit to the district after taking over as the KPCC president, repeated the Congress partys allegation that there was large scale corruption amounting to more than Rs 2,000 crore in the procurement of medical equipment required for the treatment of Covid patients.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has served a legal notice to both Shivakumar as well as leader of opposition in assembly Siddaramiah for what it has alleged are false, baseless and defamatory charges. It has asked the leaders of the opposition to apologise and withdraw remarks or face legal action.

Meanwhile, Siddaramiah too, who has tested positive for Covid-19, has been admitted to the same Manipal Hospital in Bengaluru where Covid-19 positive CM Yediyurappa is undergoing treatment. Leaders across the political spectrum wished Siddaramiah a speedy recovery.

A hospital bulletin said that CM Yediyurappa is stable and has been responding to treatment. He is being monitored closely by an expert panel of doctors, the release added. Yediyurappa also held a meeting through video conference to monitor the availability of ventilators and beds across the state.

Karnataka imposed prohibitory orders in Kalburgi, Mangalore and Kodagu, apart from a few other districts ahead of the mega Ayodhya ceremony tomorrow.
We should find out this evening if pubs that dont serve food can reopen on August 10.

This will happen after a cabinet meeting this afternoon. The National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) has been meeting this morning and the cabinet will consider its advice.

The government decision on pubs is part of a bigger decision on whether we are ready to move to phase four of its reopening plan from Monday.

Is it likely to be allowed?

Its difficult to call. Its a tricky decision for Taoiseach Micheal Martin who will want to avoid following the example of other jurisdictions like Leicester or Melbourne where there are second lockdowns. Reopening pubs or nightclubs too early could have a serious impact on the decision to reopen schools.

Nphet is likely to urge caution due to a recent rise in community transmission of the virus.

If it is allowed, there are likely to be strict rules. This could include limits on the number of customers and earlier closing times.

Read More

How many pubs would reopen if they get the go-ahead?

Around 3,500 of them.

Where are they?

Many are based outside Dublin, where there are not as many gastropubs.

Kerry TD and Kilgarvan publican Danny Healy-Rae has said that two thirds of Dublin pubs serve food and it was probably the same in Cork city.

Once Dublin is sorted, they dont care about the rest of the country, he claimed, when the decision to reopen pubs was previously postponed last month.

If permission to reopen is refused, whats next for the industry?

It is likely that jobs will be lost and some pubs could close permanently. Vintners associations warned last month that the governments decision to delay phase four then was a hammer blow. The Licensed Vintners Association said the future of the pub trade was at stake and 7,000 pubs and 50,000 workers depended on an urgent government response that included compensation and support.

How much longer will we have to buy 9 worth of toasted sandwiches to have a pint?

Industry sources claim this rule is likely to stay in place for now. Currently, pubs can only serve alcohol to those who purchase a substantial meal and stay on the premises for one hour and 45 minutes.

Have any pubs closed down?

A spokesperson for the Licensed Vintners Association said 11 pubs have closed down in Dublin alone, and 2,450 jobs have been lost.

He said this represents more than one in every five of the 12,000 jobs in Dublin pubs before the beginning of the crisis.

Since the government closure in mid-March, he said the Queens in Dalkey, The Donaghmede Inn and The Cardiff Inn in Finglas have shut down.
Neil Young has sued the Donald Trump campaign to try to get them to stop using his music at their rallies.

The 74-year-old rocker objected to the divisive politician playing his hits Rockin' in the Free World and Devil's Sidewalk in legal documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday.

The Heart of Gold hitmaker said he 'in good conscience cannot allow his music to be used as a "theme song" for a divisive, un-American campaign of ignorance and hate.'

Neil Young [R, in 2014] has sued the Donald Trump [L, on Monday] campaign to try to get them to stop using his music at their rallies

Young is asking for damages and an injunction to ban Trump from playing his songs at future campaign rallies.

Young previously voiced his objections to the Trump campaign using his songs at an event last month.

During his rally, held at the base of Mount Rushmore on Friday, US President Donald Trump played three of the rocker's songs, to Young's apparent irritation.

'This is NOT ok with me,' the musician tweeted from his official account, alongside a video of his 1989 hit Rockin' in a Free World blaring out over the event's speakers.

Angry: The 74-year-old rocker objected to the divisive politician playing his hits Rockin' in the Free World and Devil's Sidewalk in legal documents obtained by TMZ on Tuesday. Seen here in 2014

Repeat offender: Young previously voiced his objections to the Trump campaign using his songs at an event last month

Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Lionel Richie are among over 50 musicians imploring US politicians on both sides of the aisle to stop using their songs without permission.

The Artists Rights Alliance (ARA) penned an open letter to Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday asking them 'to pledge that all candidates you support will seek consent from featured recording artists and songwriters before using their music in campaign and political settings.'

'This is the only way to effectively protect your candidates from legal risk,' the letter continued.

No satisfaction: Elton John, The Rolling Stones and Lionel Richie are among over 50 musicians imploring US politicians on both sides of the aisle to stop using their songs without permission. Mick Jagger seen here in August last year

The letter continued, 'Being dragged unwillingly into politics in this way can compromise an artists personal values while disappointing and alienating fans  with great moral and economic cost.'

'For artists that do choose to engage politically in campaigns or other contexts, this kind of unauthorized public use confuses their message and undermines their effectiveness.'

'Music tells powerful stories and drives emotional connection and engagement  thats why campaigns use it, after all! But doing so without permission siphons away that value.'

'It should be anathema to any honest candidate to play off this kind of uncertainty or falsely leave the impression of an artists or songwriters support.'

Also signing the letter were artists such as Sia, Lorde, Courtney Love, the estate of Kurt Cobain, Sheryl Crow, R.E.M. and Cyndi Lauper.

Consent: The Artists Rights Alliance (ARA) penned an open letter to Republicans and Democrats on Tuesday asking them 'to pledge that all candidates you support will seek consent from featured recording artists'. Pictured: Elton John [L, in 2019] and Lionel Richie [R, in February 2020]
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:12:47|Editor: huaxia

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"Young people in China and around the world can help continue to lead the way." UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres calls on youth to fight climate change at an online open lecture of China's Tsinghua University.
Suspect seed packages being delivered to homes across Canada and in the United States have arrived in Brandon.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

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Suspect seed packages being delivered to homes across Canada and in the United States have arrived in Brandon.

Jolene Patterson said Saturday a neighbour had been collecting their mail while they were away at the lake, and about 10 days ago called to tell them they had received a package addressed to her husband, Dave, that felt as though it had seeds in it.

SUBMITTED Unsolicited seed packages such this one sent to a Brandon couple are appearing across Canada.

The neighbour sent them a screenshot from Facebook saying that if anyone receives unsolicited seeds to call the Canadian Food Inspection Agency immediately.

Patterson said she called and an agent told her to put the seeds in the freezer to kill any bugs that could be inside.

The agency will decide how to pick up all the packages, Patterson said, or will have her drop the package off at the Brandon Research and Development Centre.

They are now waiting for instructions on what to do with the package.

The agent told Patterson many of the packages have the word jewelry written on them. Their package said it contained a glove.

"Im surprised it was addressed to my husband because he doesnt order often online," Patterson said.

She was even more surprised that the package had their old phone number and cellphone number on the shipping label.

"That phone number has not been in the phone book for probably eight months because that was ported over to my husbands cellphone," she said, adding cellphone numbers are often not readily available.

She speculates that whoever sent the package may have been using an old phone book.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency last week issued a notice that it is investigating reports of individuals receiving unsolicited packages of seeds.

"Do not plant seeds from unknown origins," the agency wrote. "Unauthorized seeds could be the seeds of invasive plants, or carry plant pests, which can be harmful when introduced into Canada.

"These species can invade agricultural and natural areas, causing serious damage to our plant resources," it said.

"So far, there have been reports from most Canadian provinces of people receiving seeds of different types," Wendy Asbil, national manager of the CFIAs Invasive Alien Species section, said in a release last Wednesday.

"The CFIA is working with our United States counterparts on this issue."

Asbil said people who have such seeds should not dispose of them in the trash or compost them because they could sprout.

The United States Department of Agriculture said on its website it is aware that people across the country have received suspicious, unsolicited packages of seed that appear to be coming from China.

The USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is working closely with the Department of Homeland Securitys Customs and Border Protection, other federal agencies and state departments of agriculture to investigate the situation, it said.

"At this time, we dont have any evidence indicating this is something other than a brushing scam where people receive unsolicited items from a seller who then posts false customer reviews to boost sales," the post reads.

"I dont understand why someone would review a product that they didnt order," Patterson said.

 brobertson@brandonsun.com, with files from The Canadian Press
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. With no regular flights and international tourism due to the COVID-19 pandemic, tourism operators and tour agencies in Armenia are re-organizing their work to survive the consequences and offering Armenians domestic tour packages.

One of these agencies is Vardan Travel, which was offering almost exclusively outbound destinations to travelers before the pandemic. CEO Vardan Sargsyan says he personally started travelling across Armenia to find perfect places for leisure, and it sparked interest among others and many wanted to join.

People started writing me and asked to join. I decided to organize interesting tours, and the first destination was chosen to be Syunik, he told ARMENPRESS.

I cant say that domestic tours are helping us a lot, he confessed.

As soon as the flights resume I intend to continue focusing on outbound destinations, but I have to say that I like the idea of discovering sights in Armenia and perhaps we can organize such tours a couple of times in a month, he said.

Another company, One Way Tour, isnt new to domestic tourism but is now offering new, undiscovered places for travelers.

Now there is great demand for hotel leisure. Although hiking tours are also in demand. Many people prefer traveling to rather unknown places, more remote provinces, One Way Tours domestic tour manager Lusine Hakobyan said. One such destination is Horbategh, a town in Vayots Dzor famous for a natural spring.

Horseback riding in Dilijan and rafting are also popular among travelers, she said.

Hakobyan reassures that they are paying special attention to the coronavirus guidelines and the safety of their customers is their top priority.

Anriva Travel Company, known for offering tour packages to Egypt, the UAE and Tunisia, is also working domestically these days.

Most travelers prefer the Goris-Tatev destination, as well as Sevan, Dilijan, Haghartsin, Haghpat and Akhtala, says Anriva CEO Hripsime Stambultsyan. She says the majority of travelers seek hotel leisure. But Stambultsyan says travel agencies cant survive only by offering domestic tours.

Hotels are expensive. Many have been left out of business these days. You need 60,000 drams for a one day stay at a normal hotel with breakfast for two adults and two children. Its not that easy for people who get 150-200 thousand drams salary, she said.

Stambultsyan has 30 employees in her agency, but 29 of them are furloughed without pay. The volumes of domestic tourism demand is such that only one employee was reinstated.

Our only hope is that the flights resume and the roads are opened. We will be able to reinstate our employees with outbound flows. If just a single flight per week was to operate travel agencies would be able to gradually reinstate their employees. We dont have clarity today, we dont know when and what will happen, she said, adding that they need to know timeframes about the resumption of flights to be able to start preparations and marketing.

Reporting by Anna Gziryan; Editing and Translating by Stepan Kocharyan
Rating Action: Moody's upgrades Yes Bank to B3 following equity capital raising; outlook stable

Global Credit Research - 03 Aug 2020

Singapore, August 03, 2020 -- Moody's Investors Service (" Moody's ") has upgraded Yes Bank Limited's (Yes Bank) long-term foreign currency issuer rating to B3 from Caa1.

Moody's has also upgraded the bank's long-term foreign and local currency bank deposit ratings to B3 from Caa1, and its foreign currency senior unsecured MTN program rating to (P)B3 from (P)Caa1.

In addition, Moody's has upgraded the bank's long-term local and foreign currency Counterparty Risk Ratings (CRR) and long-term Counterparty Risk (CR) Assessment to B3 from Caa1 and B3(cr) from Caa1(cr) respectively.

At the same time, Moody's has upgraded Yes Bank's Baseline Credit Assessment (BCA) and Adjusted BCA to caa2 from ca.

The outlook on Yes Bank's ratings where applicable is changed to stable from positive.

For a detailed list of the affected ratings for both Yes Bank Limited and Yes Bank, IFSC Banking Unit Branch, please refer to the end of this press release.

RATINGS RATIONALE

IMPROVED SOLVENCY AS A RESULT OF A CAPITAL INCREASE DRIVING THE UPGRADE

Yes Bank's successful equity capital raise of INR150 billion (about $2 billion) has bolstered its solvency and is the main driver of the ratings upgrade.

The successful equity raising showcases Yes Bank's regained access to external market funds, which is a result of its improving financial strength and will support depositor confidence.

Given the improved solvency, Moody's has upgraded Yes Bank's BCA to caa2 from ca. The bank's B3 issuer rating is two notches above the bank's caa2 BCA, reflecting Moody's expectation of a high level of support from Government of India (Baa3 negative), in times of need.

Following the capital increase, the bank's Common Equity Tier 1 ratio will more than double to 13.4% from 6.6% based on the bank's capital position at the end of June 2020, bringing its capitalization largely in line with its private sector peers. The significantly improved solvency ratio strengthens the bank's resilience to potential asset quality risks resulting from the ongoing impact of the economic slowdown and coronavirus-related disruptions on India's economy.

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Yes Bank's funding and liquidity have moderately improved in the second quarter of 2020, although they are still weaker than a year ago. Deposits, including current, savings and term deposits, increased 11% during March and June 2020, but remain 48% less than the same period last year. The deposit growth was largely driven by current account, corporate term deposits and certificate of deposits.

Despite the improvement in its deposits base, Moody's expects that it will be challenging for Yes Bank to restore its low-cost current and savings account (CASA) deposits to pre-March 2020 rescue levels. Even prior to its rescue, Yes Bank's low CASA ratio was a weakness relative to other rated Indian private sector banks.

In addition, the bank's liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) has trebled to 114% as of 30 June 2020 from 40% at 31 March 2020. The LCR improvement is partially driven by the liquidity support from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

However, Yes Bank continues to face the risk of a further deterioration in asset quality in light of the ongoing economic disruption caused by the coronavirus outbreak. About 40%-45% of the bank's loans were under a repayment moratorium as of mid-April 2020. Any further deterioration in asset quality will strain the bank's already weak profitability.

Yes Bank reported a modest profit with return on assets of 0.1%, in the first quarter of financial year ending March 2021. Moody's expects the bank to remain profitable over the next 12-18 months, but it won't be enough to support a significant internal capital generation.

Moody's assumes a high level of government support for Yes Bank, resulting in a two-notch uplift. This is lower than the three notches of support Moody's previously incorporated in the bank's rating, but is still higher than the moderate support Moody's assumes for higher rated private sector Indian Banks.

Government support in the form of a recapitalization as orchestrated by the authorities in March 2020, under which a number of Indian public and private sector banks injected capital into Yes Bank following a moratorium imposed by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), has enabled the bank to continue as a going concern.

Yes Bank continues to benefit from liquidity support of around INR250 billion from the RBI as of 28 July 2020. In March 2020, the bank had received a total of INR500 billion in liquidity support from the RBI.

Moody's expects that as the bank's operations normalize the extraordinary government support will reduce. As a result, Moody's expects to lower support assumption in Yes Bank's rating to moderate from high, as currently assumed, in line with the level assumed for Yes Bank's other Indian peers. A change in the support assumption to moderate may result in a one notch uplift to the bank's ratings.

FACTORS THAT COULD LEAD TO AN UPGRADE OR DOWNGRADE OF THE RATINGS

WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATING UP

Given the bank's improved solvency, Moody's notes that there is further upside potential to Yes Bank's BCA and ratings over the next 12-18 months. Nevertheless, similar to other banks that undergo a restructuring, Moody's expects that any improvement in BCA will be gradual depending on the bank's ability to restore its franchise strength, improve its funding and maintain its stable solvency.

WHAT COULD CHANGE THE RATING DOWN

Moody's could downgrade the bank's ratings and BCA if: (i) its capital deteriorates materially because of asset strain and/or (ii) the bank's funding and liquidity deteriorate and the bank continues to remain dependent on liquidity support from the regulator for a period beyond the next 12-18 months.

The principal methodology used in these ratings was Banks Methodology published in November 2019 and available at https://www.moodys.com/researchdocumentcontentpage.aspx?docid=PBC_1147865. Alternatively, please see the Rating Methodologies page on www.moodys.com for a copy of this methodology.

Yes Bank Limited is headquartered in Mumbai and reported total assets of INR2.6 trillion ($33.8 billion) at 30 June 2020.

LIST OF AFFECTED RATINGS: Upgrades: ..Issuer: Yes Bank Limited

.... Adjusted Baseline Credit Assessment, upgraded to caa2 from ca

.... Baseline Credit Assessment, upgraded to caa2 from ca

.... Long-term Counterparty Risk Assessment, upgraded to B3(cr) from Caa1 (cr)

.... Long-term Foreign currency and Local currency Counterparty Risk Ratings, upgraded to B3 from Caa1

.... Long-term Foreign currency Issuer Rating, upgraded to B3 from Caa1, outlook changed to stable from positive

.... Long-term Foreign currency Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note Program, upgraded to (P)B3 from (P)Caa1

.... Long-term Foreign currency and Local currency Deposit Ratings, upgraded to B3 from Caa1, outlook changed to stable from positive

..Issuer: Yes Bank, IFSC Banking Unit Branch

.... Long-term Counterparty Risk Assessment, Upgraded to B3(cr) from Caa1 (cr)

.... Long-term Foreign currency and Local currency Counterparty Risk Ratings, upgraded to B3 from Caa1

.... Long-term Foreign currency Senior Unsecured Medium-Term Note Program, upgraded to (P)B3 from (P)Caa1

.... Long-term Foreign currency Senior Unsecured Regular Bond/Debenture, upgraded to B3 from Caa1, outlook changed to stable from positive

Affirmations:

..Issuer: Yes Bank Limited

.... Short-term Counterparty Risk Assessment, Affirmed NP(cr)

.... Short-term Foreign currency and Local currency Counterparty Risk Ratings, Affirmed NP

.... Short-term Foreign currency and Local currency Deposit Ratings, Affirmed NP

..Issuer: Yes Bank, IFSC Banking Unit Branch

.... Short-term Counterparty Risk Assessment, Affirmed NP(cr)

.... Short-term Foreign currency and Local currency Counterparty Risk Ratings, Affirmed NP

Outlook Actions: ..Issuer: Yes Bank Limited

....Outlook, changed to stable from positive

..Issuer: Yes Bank, IFSC Banking Unit Branch

....Outlook, changed to stable from positive

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.

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Local coronavirus contact-tracing teams have been set up in the worst-affected part of England to plug holes left by the creaking national test and trace system, it was revealed today.

Staff from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council said its staff will use their local knowledge to help find people who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus.

Details will be passed on to the local service if the national NHS Test and Trace system cannot make contact with a local resident after two days of trying. A home visit from the local public protection team will take place if another 48 hour passes and the resident has not responded by email, text or phone.

The announcement came as ministers today admitted the struggling national coronavirus contact tracing system must improve - but insisted schools will reopen in September despite fears of a catastrophic second peak.

Scientists said the only way of bringing back schools and avoiding another crisis around Christmas was to ramp up dramatically the NHS test and trace operation.

To prevent a second wave when schools reopen, the NHS contact tracing system must reach 68 per cent of cases and their contacts, according to researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

But the current NHS system is 'not good enough' as it reaches just half of contacts and only a fraction of symptomatic cases are tested.

Senior council officer Paul Fleming, who is developing the scheme alongside Public Health England, said: 'Our system complements the national system because we have the local knowledge of the area and the ability to send officers round to people's addresses. Our system is also beneficial because we can refer those who need to isolate to local support services if necessary.

'Our system has already gone live and we are already seeing its benefits as we have managed to contact people the national system couldn't.

'I want to ask all residents to continue to work with us, continue to follow our advice and guidance and continue to take responsibility.'

Figures released on Monday showed the rate of new cases in Blackburn with Darwen, fell slightly from 81.9 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 24 to 77.9 in the seven days to July 31. A total of 116 new cases were recorded.

In other coronavirus developments:

There were a total of 8,891 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to July 24, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), 161 fewer than the five-year average of 9,052. It was the sixth week in a row that deaths had been below the five-year average;

Pizza Express has said it could close around 67 of its UK restaurants, with up to 1,100 jobs at risk, as part of a major restructuring plan;

The first day of Rishi Sunak's Eat Out To Help Out scheme for 50 per cent means saw restaurants and fast food chains packed;

Government figures show the cost of the furlough scheme has hit 33.8billion, with 9.6million jobs having been subsidised by the state since the crisis erupted.

Staff from Blackburn with Darwen Borough Council said its staff will use their local knowledge to help find people who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for the virus

Local government minister Simon Clarke conceded there is 'more to do' after a major study warned a resurgence of the disease could be twice as bad as that in the spring

Lockdown restrictions Northern areas hit by Covid rise are published Laws enforcing lockdown restrictions for parts of the North of England including Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire have been published. The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions on Gatherings) (North of England) Regulations 2020 come into force from midnight on Wednesday. Ministers had said the rules - which bans people from different households meeting following a spike in coronavirus cases - would be effective from midnight on July 31. Anyone found flouting the restrictions could be fined 100 and up to a maximum of 3,200 for repeat offences. The legislation imposes restrictions on all local authority areas covered by: Bolton Metropolitan Borough Council; Bury Metropolitan Borough Council; Manchester City Council; Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council; Rochdale Borough Council; Salford City Council; Stockport Metropolitan Borough Council; Tameside Metropolitan Borough Council; Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council; Wigan Metropolitan Borough Council, Burnley Borough Council, Hyndburn Borough Council, Pendle Borough Council, Rossendale Borough Council, Calderdale Metropolitan Borough Council, Kirklees Metropolitan Council. But the restriction zone could change at any time as directed by the Health Secretary Matt Hancock, according to the legislation. Advertisement

Blackburn with Darwen council leader Mohammed Khan said: 'Once again we see how local government, with its knowledge and connection to the local area, can rise to the challenge and deliver for our residents.

'I am proud that we have designed and delivered an effective and efficient local system to complement the national programme very quickly.'

Local government minister Simon Clarke conceded this morning that there is 'more to do' after a major study warned a resurgence of the disease could be twice as bad as that in the spring.

The dire picture came as WHO expert David Nabarro cautioned that the virus is not 'going away', and it would return with a vengeance if people get 'bored' and stop obeying lockdown rules.

Meanwhile, former PM Tony Blair has called for a fresh push on mass testing, dismissing the idea of relying herd immunity or completely eradicating the disease. He said unless people without symptoms were routinely screened most of cases would continue to be missed.

However, in a round of interviews today Mr Clarke insisted that the reopening of schools in September was 'not up for debate' and will definitely go ahead. While stressing that the test and trace system was 'delivering', he said: 'There's always more to be done, we're very honest about the fact this is a challenge.

'There's a massive role here for the public in helping us with this process, because in the end it is up to all of us to do the right thing.'

He added: 'One thing is clear, schools are going to reopen in full in the autumn, that is not up for debate.'

Today researchers at UCL working with a team at LSHTM revealed that, if schools do re-open and lockdown is gradually lifted with more people slowly returning to work, a second wave will occur.

The secondary wave would result in the R rate  the number of people each Covid-19 patient infects  rising above the dreaded number of one.

This could yield a secondary wave of infections 2-2.3 times the size of the first, which has so far killed around 46,201 people.

The peak would come in December, or in February 2021 if schools re-open on just a part-time basis.

Dr Jasmina Panovska-Griffiths, study author, said: 'Our results are reflective of a broader loosening of lockdown, rather than the effects of transmission within schools exclusively.'

Children returning to school in September will trigger a devastating second wave of Covid-19 that could infect twice as many as the first unless the test and trace system improves, a major study has claimed (file photo of children heading to class)

A second wave could be avoided  with pubs remaining open and no draconian lockdowns needed  if testing is dramatically ramped up and the contact tracing system becomes better (file photo of a doctor testing for virus with swab)

Experts found that, to prevent a second wave when schools reopen, the NHS contact tracing system must reach 68 per cent of cases and their contacts. But as well as that, three quarters of people with Covid-19 would need to be tested and self-isolate (bottom, the measurements combined showing a second 'wave' would not occur)

SLIM DOWN EXAMS, SAY UNIONS Teaching unions are demanding a reduction in content in next year's exams due to the learning disruption caused by the pandemic. This year's GCSE and A Level exams were cancelled  and teachers now say next year's exams should cover less material to mitigate the effects of pupils' disrupted education. Although Boris Johnson has said all pupils will be back full-time from next month, union leaders say schools will not be able to make up for lost time. Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders' union NAHT, said: 'Schools and students are now being left in the unenviable position that they will be expected to cover as much content as possible in a reduced amount of time.' Mr Whiteman's comments came after Ofqual, the exams watchdog, revealed its initial decisions about next year's exams. At present, most exam criteria will remain the same  but Ofqual has reduced the workload for English Literature GCSE. Ofqual has not yet said how it plans to ensure fairness between pupils, or whether exams will be held later in the summer than usual. Advertisement

The study, published today in The Lancet Child and Adolescent Health, assumed children were as infectious as adults.

But the results remained true even when the team re-ran the model with the assumption that children and young people were 50 per cent as infectious as adults.

The authors said without improvements in testing it will be 'absolutely essential' to introduce other measures in September to 'mitigate' the effects of schools opening. This could mean pubs are forced to shut or greater restrictions are placed on people meeting indoors.

England's chief medical officer last week admitted the UK may have reached a limit for how much society can be opened up safely, without leading to a resurgence of the virus.

One scientist who advises the government even suggested closing pubs as a trade-off for allowing schools to finally open again.

But the contact tracing will be critical in keeping the virus under control as the country starts to get up and running.

Dr David Nabarro, the WHO's special envoy on Covid-19, warned that if Test and Trace is 'not done properly, then you get very bad surges occurring'.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'This virus is capable of surging back really quickly and is actually doing so in most countries where there's been success at getting it under control and, as it surges back, the way you stop outbreaks developing is through having well-functioning contact tracing linked to testing, with isolation of people who've got symptoms or who've been in contact.

'If we can do that, and do it well, then the surges are kept really small, they're dealt with quickly and life can go on. '

If, on the other hand, this testing and tracing and isolation just is not done properly, then you get very bad surges occurring and this will lead to economic challenges.'

RECOVERED COVID PATIENTS 'SHOULD BE EXEMPT FROM SOCIAL DISTANCING' Recovered coronavirus patients should be exempt from social distancing and self-isolation if they develop further symptoms, according to scientists advising the Government. Experts at the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) looked into evidence from top virologists who found people with Covid-19 antibodies are unlikely to become infected again in the short-term. It follows previous suggestions over the idea of 'immunity passports', which say someone has had the disease and therefore they cannot get it again. Scientists had said this would be 'premature' because declining antibody levels may not mean that the body cannot fight off the virus a second time. But a Sage meeting last month chaired by Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and attended by England's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty decided there was enough evidence for a variation on the rules to some of those confirmed to have had coronavirus. According to the i newspaper, the minutes of the meeting said: 'Sage advised that, based on current understanding, it would be premature to introduce immunity passports, but it advised that use of antibody positivity for short-term decisions may be possible.' Advertisement

Mr Blair said a mass testing regime - covering people who are not displaying coronavirus symptoms - was essential to avoid the need for another lockdown.

'On some estimates 70 per cent of people with the disease are asymptomatic, so if you are only testing people with symptoms you are losing the majority of people from your testing strategy,' he told Times Radio.

Without a vaccine or an effective treatment, mass testing is the only way to control the spread of the virus, he said.

'From the very beginning, mass testing has been the only thing that gets you through this, avoids the severity of the very blunt instrument of lockdown and gets you to a place where you can more or less get your economy moving whilst containing the disease.'

Getting children back to classrooms was heralded by Boris Johnson as a 'national priority' and it emerged last night ministers are considering sending testing squads into schools in hard-hit regions.

A localised approach to tackling the crisis has been adopted by Downing Street, which has reimposed lockdown restrictions in some Northern towns suffering flare-ups.

Teachers and pupils in areas with higher infection rates will receive be tested for the virus to allow authorities to identify any cases and keep schools open, according to The Times.

When Leicester was plunged into a second lockdown, all schools were forced to shut - blanket measures ministers are keen to avoid in future.

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson is working on a timetable to have all schools open full-time in September.

He is expected to hand millions of pounds to councils to bolster bus services for pupils, making social distancing easier.

Getting children into classrooms is also a crucial element in firing up the economy, as it will allow parents providing childcare to go back to work.

Many businesses are not expecting workers to return to offices until the end of the year, while the likes of Facebook UK and the RBS banking group said staff will not go back until 2021.

Financial services company Legal & General said just 1,200 of its 5,000 staff were back in the office and it was aiming to get 80 per cent of its workers back to the office 'for a day or two per fortnight'.

Advertising giant WPP said 99 per cent of its 11,000 staff continue to work remotely, adding: 'We will continue to allow people to work from home until they feel safe commuting and coming into work.'

HSBC, Europe's largest bank, said it expected flexible working to become the norm after the pandemic, reducing its need for office space.

Shell, which has 4,700 UK office workers, said it would start a 'phased return' from the end of September.

It came as a new report found 80 per cent of workers claimed they were more or equally productive at home as in the office. And more than six in ten surveyed by Equiem said they expected to work remotely from the office at least once a week once lockdown is lifted.

MATT HANCOCK DENIES PLANS FOR LOCKDOWN OF THE OVER-50s Matt Hancock has denied claims that over-50s will be targeted for a fresh lockdown as the Government was told that any new measures should be aimed more at young people. Officials have drawn up radical plans that could see millions of people asked to stay at home if a second wave of coronavirus infections takes hold. Under one option, people aged between 50 and 70 would get personalised risk ratings as part of a significant widening of the shielding programme. Asked about the report Mr Hancock told Sky News: 'We have paused the shielding programme because the number of infections is so low. The reports with respect to the over-50s are inaccurate and they are speculation. But we will always do whatever is necessary to keep people safe.' However, neither he nor Number 10, who repeated his claim of inaccuracies later, were able to explain which parts of the report they believed were wrong. After a weekend when the young flouted distancing rules across the country, the proposals last night attracted a storm of protest. Critics warned that they failed to recognise the important contribution over-50s make to the economy and risked stigmatising older people in the workplace. Former government adviser Joan Bakewell said ministers needed first to tackle the problem of young people failing to socially distance. Advertisement

The Government has admitted just one in five of its own 430,000 workforce has returned to the office  meaning hundreds of thousands of civil servants are still working from home.

Another study also published today suggested that schools could re-open safely but only under strict rules and with robust contact tracing.

The research looked at how Covid-19 spread in schools in Australia, one of the only countries to keep its schools open during the pandemic.

It found that outbreaks were not common in schools and children do not spread the coronavirus as much as adults do. Separate scientific research has found exactly the opposite.

Schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland are planned to return in September, while Scotland's first term begins at a slightly later date than usual on August 11.

But as cases of Covid-19 rise in the UK, there are concerns school start-dates will be delayed. The easing of some lockdown restrictions were set back on August 1.

Professor Chris Whitty, England's CMO, said on Friday the UK has probably reached a limit for how much of society can be opened up safely just weeks before schools are supposed to return.

The Lancet study found a second wave could be prevented, however, if a robust testing and an adequate contact tracing system was in place.

Both have come under intense scrutiny in the UK, with test and trace performance figures in England worsening last week.

The research will heap pressure on Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Baroness Harding  the head of the test and trace scheme  to get the system up to scratch before children go back next month.

The study said testing would need to be ramped up so between 59 per cent and 87 per cent of symptomatic patients are tested during the infectious period.

It is not clear how many symptomatic patients in the UK are tested each day.

But one of the study authors, Chris Bonell, professor of public health sociology at LSHTM, said: 'It looks from the ONS data like there are about 4,200 new infections per day.

'And it looks like from the testing data there are about 4,200 testing positive per week. So it looks like about one in seven (14 per cent). So, that's not good enough, basically.'

The study said 75 per cent of individuals with symptomatic infection would need to be diagnosed and isolated if schools return full-time in September. It dips to 65 per cent if schools run on a part-time rota system.

This is based on the contact tracing system reaching 68 per cent of people  a combination of 75 per cent of positive Covid-19 cases and 90 per cent of their contacts.

The NHS is currently reaching an overall standard of 50 per cent, Professor Bonell claims.

'Currently, test, trace, isolating (TTI) is not achieving the levels that we modelled. Looking at the NHS reports from the TTI system, it looks like it's about 50 per cent coverage.'

SHOULD PUBS CLOSE FOR SCHOOLS TO OPEN? The study comes after one scientist suggested that pubs may need to shut to allow schools to reopen. Professor Graham Medley told the BBC on Sunday there may need to be a 'trade-off', with the reopening of schools seen as a 'priority' for children's wellbeing. Professor Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said England could have to consider closing pubs in order to reopen schools next month. When asked about the chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty's prediction that the country was 'near the limits' of opening up society, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine academic told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'I think that's quite possible. 'I think we're in a situation whereby most people think that opening schools is a priority for the health and wellbeing of children and that when we do that we are going to reconnect lots of households. 'And so actually, closing some of the other networks, some of the other activities may well be required to enable us to open schools. 'It might come down to a question of which do you trade off against each other and then that's a matter of prioritising, do we think pubs are more important than schools?' He claimed he thought it was 'highly unlikely' that restrictions imposed on the north-west of England last week would be 'the last intervention that has to be done regionally', adding: 'I fully expect there will have to be others in different places at different times.' Advertisement

He added: 'The most recent data [shows] about 81 per cent of positives are interviewed, about 81 per cent of those report contacts and about 75 per cent of those contacts are reached so overall that equates to coverage of 50 per cent.'

If only 40 per cent of contacts could be traced, under a more pessimistic tracing scenario, testing would need to increase to a higher 87 per cent if school returned full time.

Professor Bonell said: 'Our study should not be used to keep schools shut because of a fear of a second wave but as a loud call to action to improve the infection control measures and test and trace system so we can get children back to school.'

Professor Bonell suggested that other sectors will face new restrictions in September unless the coverage reached by NHS Test & Trace improves.

He said: 'We're not giving specific recommendations about what sectors need to have restrictions imposed, but logically that is absolutely essential.'

Professor Bonell added that 'safe mitigation measures must be in place' before schools reopen for all pupils in all year groups in September.

Professor Russell Viner, president of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, said the NHS and Government must be 'held to account' over the test and trace strategy.

He added that officials should be 'thinking carefully' about what measures could be taken in September to allow schools to reopen safely.

But he said that game-changing virus tests which provide results in 90 minutes provided 'real reasons for optimism'.

Commenting on the study, Matt Keeling, professor of populations and disease at University of Warwick, said: 'In essence the problem is simple.

'Reopening schools is going to increase the R number so if we are to keep R below 1 and prevent a second wave, some other forms of control are necessary.

'The reopening of schools should clearly be a key priority for the UK, many children will have gone over 5 months without setting foot in a classroom.

'The key questions are how much impact will school reopening have on the epidemic and what can be done to mitigate this.'

Business and Industry Minister Nadhim Zahawi yesterday said the tests, which will be rolled out next week, could be used to help schools stay open.

It follows Professor Graham Medley, a top Government scientific adviser, suggesting on Sunday that pubs may need to shut when schools open.

Another study published in the same Lancet journal today also suggests schools in the UK can re-open safely  but only if stringent control measures are in place.

Researchers identified all staff and children who attended a school or nursery in the Australian state of New South Wales while they had Covid-19.

Overall, 12 children and 15 adults were found to have attended schools or nurseries while infectious between 25 January to 10 April, when term ended.

All adults or the parents of children were interviewed at diagnosis to track who the cases had been in contact with during the time that they were infectious.

The study said 75 per cent of individuals with symptomatic infection would need to be diagnosed and isolated if schools return full-time in September to avoid a second wave (graph on left, middle row). This is based on the contact tracing system reaching 68 per cent of people. The findings for a partial opening of school is shown on the right

The study shows that even with contact tracing, testing needs to be ramped up in order to reduce cases and deaths. The top graphs show how deaths would increase if testing only reaches 18 per cent of symptomatic cases

Once contacts were identified, they were told to self isolate and were tested if they showed symptoms, allowing the authors to calculate how many secondary transmissions were linked with each primary case.

IS THE TEST AND TRACE SCHEME GETTING WORSE? Figures last week revealed some 4,242 people infected with coronavirus were referred to the test and trace scheme during the week of July 16-22. But just 2,809 (77 per cent) agreed to provide details of people they had come into close contact with recently, meaning thousands of potential patients went missed. A total of 646 with the virus could not be reached at all by the tracers, who phone, text and email someone up to 10 times a day to get hold of them. The contact tracing figures, released by the Department of Health, also found the programme failed to reach almost a fifth of people who tested positive for Covid-19 last week. Little over 81 per cent of infected people were actually tracked down by tracers  marking the first time the system had caught more than 80 per cent of patients since it launched on May 28. One in four people who came into close contact with someone infected with coronavirus could not be reached by the NHS Test and Trace service. Only 75.1 per cent (13,974) of contacts were reached and asked to self-isolate. This was down from the 78.4 per cent reached in the previous week, and the 90.8 per cent reached in the first week of Test and Trace. Scientists have previously said eight in 10 Covid-19 sufferers need to be reached and their contacts isolated for the system to be effective. Advertisement

The team showed that, of the 633 close contacts who were tested following symptoms, 18 were found to have Covid-19.

It means that 1.2 per cent of all close contacts (1,448) got the coronavirus from a primary case.

However, some asymptomatic or milder cases may have been missed seeing as testing was only of those with tell-tale signs.

Further analysis of a subset of schools showed the transmission rate between staff (4.4 per cent) was much higher than between children (0.3 per cent), suggesting children do not spread the virus as much as adults.

The attack rate from child to staff was one per cent for child-to-staff, compared to 1.5 per cent the other way around.

The researchers, led by Professor Kristine Macartney also said the transmission rates may have been higher in areas where contact tracing systems and testing were not as rigorous.

In a linked commentary discussing both articles, Professor John Edmunds, a leading authority on mathematical modelling of the spread of infectious diseases at LSHTM, said: 'Both studies give potential options for keeping schools open and show the clear importance of adequate contact tracing and testing.'

The UCL study modelled six different scenarios of school reopening using baseline data about how the coronavirus spreads.

Alongside school reopening, the model included the relaxation of measures across society, which they assumed would accompany one another.

For each scenario, they estimated the number of new infections and deaths, as well as the effective reproduction number.

As with any modelling study, a number of assumptions were made about the spread of the virus to measure the effects of lifting lockdown.

For example, it assumed the test used by Public Health England is 100 per cent accurate  however it is known this isn't the case. And the model assumes everyone tested gets their result within 24 hours, which official statistics show is not true either.

In the UK, around three quarters of tests outside of hospitals are being returned in 24 hours, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson setting a target of 100 per cent by the end of June.

Dr Adam Kucharski, an associate professor in infectious disease epidemiology, LSHTM, said the model uses a 'very optimistic scenario about the speed and performance of testing'.

WHY ARE MASKS NOT COMPULSORY IN SCHOOLS? In England, the Government has decided that face masks will not be necessary in schools. Its guidance for schools states that: 'Wearing a face covering or face mask in schools or other education settings is not recommended. 'Face coverings may be beneficial for short periods indoors where there is a risk of close social contact with people you do not usually meet and where social distancing and other measures cannot be maintained, for example on public transport or in some shops. 'This does not apply to schools or other education settings. 'Schools and other education or childcare settings should therefore not require staff, children and learners to wear face coverings. 'Changing habits, cleaning and hygiene are effective measures in controlling the spread of the virus.' Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said: 'If you're in a space with the same people repeatedly and for long periods of time, whether an office or a classroom, then a mask doesn't actually protect them.' Advertisement

He added: 'In reality, there will be a trade off with speed and effectiveness  even if a high proportion of people ill with COVID-19 are tested, it won't stop transmission if test results end up taking too long or infected contacts aren't traced before they become infectious.'

It comes as Mr Hancock said that testing in schools will be expanded due to machines which can reveal if a person is infected within 90 minutes.

He said there is 'currently survey testing' in some schools but suggested the machines could be deployed to screen pupils even if they don't show symptoms.

But the researchers warned that without improvements in testing, it will be 'absolutely essential' to introduce other measures to 'mitigate' the impact of schools opening.

This could mean that pubs are forced to shut or greater restrictions are placed on meeting others indoors.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman confirmed that all pupils will return full-time in September but acknowledged that outbreaks of coronavirus could force some schools to close.

He said: 'You've heard from the Prime Minister on many occasions his absolute commitment to getting children back into school in September and that's vital for their education and their development.

'We are planning for all pupils in all year groups to be in school full-time from the beginning of the autumn term.'

Evidence shows children are unlikely to get ill with the virus but it is still not clear how much they contribute to its spread.

Yesterday new Australian research found there were 'low' levels of coronavirus transmission in schools and nurseries. Figures collected from 15 schools and ten nurseries showed that although 27 children or teachers went to lessons while infectious, only an additional 18 people became infected.

A Government spokesman said: 'NHS Test and Trace is already working - last week over 80 per cent of those testing positive were reached with over 75 per cent of their contacts reached as well.

'We have rapidly built, from scratch, the largest diagnostic testing industry in British history.

'Over 2.6million people have been tested in just eight weeks and we have the capacity to carry out more than 330,000 tests per day, growing to 500,000 per day by the end of October.'
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:55:47|Editor: huaxia

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BEIJING, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- China said Tuesday that the United States should immediately stop the political oppression of U.S.-based Chinese media and journalists.

On May 8, the U.S. side limited visas for Chinese journalists to 90 days, requiring them to apply for visa renewal every 90 days. "As we understand, relevant Chinese journalists already applied for visa extension but none of them has received reply from the U.S. side," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin at a daily press briefing.

"If the United States is bent on going down the wrong path and doubles down on its mistakes, China is compelled to make necessary and legitimate reactions to firmly safeguard its legitimate rights and interests," said Wang.

"We said many times that the United States caused the current situation and is responsible for it. The United States should immediately correct its mistakes and stop its political oppression on the Chinese media and journalists," said Wang.

Wang said for a while, the United States, entrenched in the Cold War mentality and ideological bias, launched one round of political suppression after another against Chinese media.

In December 2018, it demanded relevant Chinese media organization's U.S. office to register as "foreign agent." Since 2018, the U.S. side has indefinitely delayed approval and even denied application of visas for 20 U.S.-based Chinese journalists. In February 2020, the U.S. side designated five Chinese media organizations in the United States as "foreign missions" and then placed a cap on the number of their staff, in effect expelling 60 Chinese journalists. In May, the U.S. side limited visas for Chinese journalists to 90 days. In June, the U.S. side again added an additional four Chinese media organizations in the United States to the list of "foreign agent."

Wang stressed that Chinese journalists have followed journalism ethics and the principle of objectiveness, fairness, truthfulness and accurateness when conducting reporting activities across the world, including in the United States.

He said the relevant U.S. actions have severely disrupted Chinese journalists' normal reporting activities, gravely damaged the reputation of the Chinese media and affected the normal people-to-people exchanges between the two sides.

While priding itself on freedom of the press, the United States now obstructs the Chinese media from doing their job. "Such a two-faced behavior exposed its hypocrisy in so-called freedom of the press, nothing short of double standards and hegemonic bullying," said the spokesman. Enditem
Pay Rs 1,500 and get an e-pass within two hours to travel across India reads an advertisement that is spreading like wildfire on WhatsApp groups in Vellore.

At a time when travel permissions to move to hinterlands is hard to find due to pandemic-induced restrictions, a commercial enterprise has sprung up in the state, riding on government connections to secure the same.

Calls to the numbers specified in the Whatsapp ads confirmed that the persons behind the enterprise were able to secure e-passes within two hours.

The person said all he needed was an original Aadhaar identification card of the traveller.

He added for vehicles with white number plates (private ones) the cost would be Rs 1,650, while commercial taxis that sport yellow number plates would cost lesser.

When asked, Vellore district officials told News18 that stringent action will be taken against those acting as agents for securing e-passes.

In our district, we approve requests for passes if they have valid reasons for travel. It usually takes us less than one hour to approve e-passes here. However, we came to know that a person has been spreading WhatsApp messages promising to get e-passes for travellers for money. We will arrest the person at the earliest under charges of forgery and cheating, Vellore Collector Shanmuga Sundaram said.

Hours later, a class 12 passout was arrested.

Sources said that to cash in on the demand for e-passes without hassles, several such attempts -- conning people for what is essentially a seamless government service -- are being made.

A similar advertisement went viral recently in Cuddalore district.

A person who runs a travel service agency in the district circulated an audio claiming that he will help people with e-passes within half an hour for a service charge of Rs 500. The man was arrested on Tuesday.

In the audio sent to many groups in Cuddalore district, the person claimed a client count of over 50,000 people over the past four months and requested those wishing to travel to send him records of their credentials and pay for his service after receiving the e-passes.

A hunt is on to trace the person.

Non-metropolis districts of the southern state have turned into key centres of the coronavirus outbreak. Besides extending lockdown, the state government has been closely monitoring movement of people to bring unnecessary travel to contain the spread of the virus.
Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews speaks to the media at the daily briefing in Melbourne, Australia on Aug. 3, 2020. (Darrian Traynor/Getty Images)

Victorian Authorities Struggle to Trace 760 Mystery COVID-19 Cases

At a press conference on Aug. 2, Premier Dan Andrews announced harsh stage four restrictions across metropolitan Melbourne citing unacceptably high levels of COVID-19 community transmission as the deciding factor.

Victorias contract tracers are struggling to keep up with the number of mystery active cases as the figure increased up to 760 over the weekend.

They are active casescases where we cant trace back the source of that persons infections, said Andrews.

Andrews conceded that due to the increased COVID-19 cases in recent weekswith 598 currently under investigationhis health department is struggling to keep records up to date.

If youve got that many casesand theyre not just in metropolitan Melbourne, theyre in regional Victoria as wellif you have that many cases of community transmission you must assume you have even more and on that basis you can no longer be confident that youve got a precise understanding of how much virus is there, Andrews said.

You have to err on the side of cautionerr on the side of caution and go further and harder.

The Andrews government has enforced a hard lockdown which includes an 8 p.m. curfew and outside exercise restricted to one hour a day. Melbourians have been told they cannot travel further than 5km from their homes for any reason, and only one person from a household can leave the house for shopping a day, amongst other restrictionsthe toughest seen in Australian history.

Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton explained that strong measures have been implemented to reduce the strain on contact tracers by limiting the movement of people.

But we know that if we constrain those opportunities, then those community transmission cases those mystery cases will also diminish over time, Sutton said.

Community transmission has been a concern for Victoria since the start of the second wave in early July. A succession of restrictions that have been put in place to slow the spread of the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus.

COVID-19 cases have been up and down throughout July but has remained in triple-digits for weeks, with record highs broken serval times. This shows that the social-distancing measures put in place have not had the effect of lowering cases.

However, according to Sutton, an estimated 20,000 COVID-19 cases have been avoided through stage three restrictions.

Data from Australias COVID-19 website shows that Victoria currently has 3,163 cases under investigation and 6,322 active cases.

The 760 mystery CCP virus cases are among 1,962 community transmission cases contact tracers have been unable to find the origin.

The Victoria government drafted in assistance from the federal government to analyze data on the virus cases during the first three weeks of stage three restrictions. The decision to enact stage four restrictions was made on this data.

Social distancing measures affecting businesses announced Aug. 3 will see most essential services operate as normal, this includes supermarkets, banks, and post offices. All tour operators will shutdown throughout the week, as well as all drinking establishments excluding bottle shops. Places of worship also will close.

The construction and meat processing industries will operate in a limited capacity.
Workers have responded with outrage to the recent leaked memos detailing efforts to privatize the United States Postal Service (USPS) by implementing major cost-cutting measures, slowing down the mail delivery speed, and making the federal agency seem unreliable in the middle of an election year that will see an increase of mail-in voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The internal memo, released July 10, stated that mail deliveries would be delayed due to cost-cutting and prohibitions on overtime, with more to come.

On July 27, newly appointed Postmaster General Louis DeJoy declared: The Postal Service is in a financially unsustainable position, stemming from substantial declines in mail volume, and a broken business model.

DeJoy continued: We are currently unable to balance our costs with available funding sources to fulfill both our universal service mission and other legal obligations. Because of this, the Postal Service has experienced over a decade of financial losses, with no end in sight, and we face an impending liquidity crisis.

The campaign to privatize the Postal Service

This is only the latest in a campaign to privatize the Post Office spanning over a half century, which began in 1970 with the adoption of the Postal Reorganization Act after a nationwide postal workers strike. The law, first proposed under President Johnson in 1967, outlawed strikes in favor of binding arbitration, and spun off the Post Office Department, formerly a cabinet-level agency, into a publicly owned corporation, the United States Postal Service.

By the 1980s, the USPS was cut off from all federal funding, forcing it to rely solely on revenue from its own products and services. In 2006, George Bushs Postal Accountability and Enhancement Act forced the USPS to fully fund retirement benefits without governmental assistance, creating a mountain of debt for the agency. The USPS has had declining revenue since the early 2000s as a result of the decline of paper mail delivery, and it has been losing money since 2007.

In 2018, the Trump administration released a plan calling for the USPS to either be sold off to a private company or become a publicly traded entity with shares bought and sold by wealthy investors on the stock market.

The working class faces the brunt of the consequences for these conscious actions to undermine the USPS as a public service. According to a 2019 article by Government Executive, the USPS has slashed 300,000 career worker jobs since 1999, an average of 14,285 per year.

Public postal services have already been privatized throughout Europe and in Japan, a process that is praised as a model to use in the United States by the right-wing Cato Institute think tank: Congress should prepare for longerterm changes by studying European experiences with postal service reform and readying the USPS for privatization and increased competition.

For the ruling class, it is not a matter of if the USPS will be privatized, but when and how it will be done. Those who currently manage the USPS are well aware of their aims.

Who runs USPS?

The USPSs Board of Governors, equivalent to a board of directors for a private company, is given the power to direct and control its expenditures, review its practices, conduct long-range planning, approve officer compensation and set policies on all postal matters.

Board members are appointed by the president and must be confirmed by the Senate. The Postmaster General is appointed and voted on by the Board of Governors. Since 2006, members serve terms of seven years and supposedly must represent public interest generally and cannot be representatives of special interests.

But the current members of the USPS Board of Governors represent their class with all of its criminal, profit-driven, and anti-worker characteristics.

Louis DeJoy (photo: Wikimedia)

Louis DeJoy is the new Postmaster General, approved unanimously by the Board of Governors in May. He is the former president of investment firm LDJ Global Strategies and long-time CEO of New Breed Logistics, which merged with XPO Logistics in 2014 for a reported $615 million. Along with his record as a wealthy corporate executive, he serves as a mega-donor and well-known fundraiser for the Republican Party and Donald Trump. DeJoy is the first Postmaster General to be appointed from outside the USPS in decades.

Robert M. Duncan is the Chairman of the Board, appointed by Trump and approved by the Senate with 86 bipartisan votes and 11 abstentions in August 2018. Like DeJoy, he is well-known for his service to the Republican Party, having served in an administrative position under George H.W. Bush. As Chairman of the Republican National Committee, his USPS web biography explains, he raised an unprecedented $428 million and grew the donor base to 1.8 millionmore donors than at any time in RNC history. He also sits on the boards of the coal industry lobby group American Coalition for Clean Coal Electricity, a private liberal arts college in Kentucky, and a regional bank chain in Kentucky.

Ron A. Bloom was also appointed by President Trump and unanimously approved by the Senate in August 2019. With a background in investment banking, Bloom is more closely aligned with the Democratic Party and the unions. He served as Special Assistant to the President of the United Steelworkers (USW) between 1996 and 2008, representing the union in contract negotiations with steel companies that caused hundreds of thousands of workers to lose their jobs and pensions.

From 2009 to 2011, he advised the Obama administration during its restructuring of the auto industry, which returned US automakers to profitability by slashing wages in half for new hires and shedding tens of thousands of jobs. Bloom has advised over 100 corporate restructurings with similar results.

Ron A. Bloom (photo: USPS.com)

While his career accomplishments have been devastating to the lives of many workers, Bloom is beloved by the unions, who gained access to lucrative pension and health care investment funds from the restructuring agreements.

According to a CNN article in 2011, the National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC), one of the four postal unions and which covers 250,000 workers, hired Bloom to help them develop a pro-growth business plan that would supposedly save the postal service while avoiding drastic cuts. At the time, NALC President Frederic Rolando said that Bloom had extensive experience helping to revitalize numerous large and complex business enterprises around the world.

John M. Barger was appointed as a board member by President Trump and unanimously approved by the Senate in August 2019. He is registered as a Republican and continues to operate as the active managing director of NorthernCross Partners, an investment and advisory firm providing private capital and advisory services to middle market companies and private equity funds. Barger has resided on the management boards of a variety of private e-commerce and logistics companies, offering financial and investment advice.

Barger also served as chairman of the Board of Investments of the Los Angeles County Employees Retirement Association (LACERA) between 2011 and 2014, overseeing $65 billion in pension assets for more than 150,000 public county employees. During that time, he offered expert advice on placing those public assets into Wall Street and business investments.

Roman Martinez IV was appointed by Trump and approved by the Senate in August 2019. Previously, he had been a leading investment banker with Lehman Brothers since 1977, when it first merged with Kuhn Loeb & Company. Over the decades, Martinez has become an expert in mergers and acquisitions and in corporate restructurings. Since his retirement in 2003, he has served on the board of directors for a few companies, including the private health insurance corporation Cigna.

Donald M. Moak and William D. Zollars joined as governors in June, after being appointed by Trump and approved by voice vote in the Senate. Moak is a long-time donor to the Democratic Party and serves as CEO for his own public affairs and business consulting firm. He has served on the AFL-CIO Executive Council and Financial Oversight Committee of one of its departments. Zollars was a corporate executive of private transportation company YRC Worldwide from 1999 to 2011 and an executive of Ryder Integrated Logistics in the mid-1990s, and currently resides on the boards of various logistics and technology corporations. YRC faces allegations of fraud for financial practices carried out while Zollars was CEO.

The bipartisan gang-up against the USPS and the response of the working class

In short, the USPS is headed by former Wall Street and corporate executives, whose collective millions are derived from decades of corporate raiding and financial speculation, ramping up corporate profits at the expense of the working class.

The fact that all of the current members received overwhelming bipartisan support in the Senate demonstrates that regardless of their pretensions, both Democrats and Republicans are united in their assault against postal workers and the social rights of the working class. This truth obliterates the claim by the unions, Bernie Sanders, and the Democratic Socialists of America that postal workers can save USPS by pressuring Congress to provide adequate financial assistance.

Moreover, the presence of many union advisors on the Board shows that unions themselves are involved in this bipartisan conspiracy. No doubt the postal unions stand to receive billions of dollars in public stock and other financial incentives, similar to the 2009 restructuring of the auto industry when the United Auto Workers became the largest shareholder in General Motors.

The management of the critical social service provided by the USPS cannot be left in the hands of the corporate oligarchs or their union lackeys. Postal workers must take matters into their own hands and form rank-and-file workplace committees to oppose the privatization of the post office. They should demand that the USPS be transformed instead into a fully funded public utility, run democratically by the working class, with the wages and benefits of all employees and retirees fully guaranteed.

This must be connected to the fight for safe working conditions during the pandemic. The USPS facilities must undergo regular cleaning, with regular testing of postal workers and prompt reporting of all confirmed cases. If the working environment is unsafe, workers should insist that they have the right to not work under such conditions.

The defense and transformation of the USPS can only be secured through the mobilization of the working class as an independent force, opposed to both capitalist parties. Such a struggle will not be authorized by the union executives, who are completely tied to the Democratic Party and will continue to benefit from the pro-business deals negotiated by Ron Bloom and others.

Rather, postal workers must link up with their real allies in the American and international working class, including Amazon and other logistics workers, transit workers, autoworkers and teachers, all of whom face similar conditions.
Some local educators believe experience should account for something when hiring new directors of education after the Ontario government announced that it would be rolling back some qualifications for future hires.

Both the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board and the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board are beginning searches for new education directors after Jennifer Leclerc and Michael Nasello respectively both recently announced they are retiring early next year.

Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith said he sees the value in allowing school boards to choose to hire someone as an education director who could possibly help run the school board better or has strengths that others might not have.

The role as director of school board is not necessarily the role of educator because you have superintendents of education, Smith said.

The education director is the person who is guiding the entire system, he said, and if there are weaknesses in the system, hiring someone who isnt necessarily an educator could help make the school board much stronger.

It comes down to a holistic approach for the organization, Smith said. All key components need to be in place to run the organization, he said, and if they are not, an examination is needed to effectively get those key components in place.

Leclerc said she understands why the government has opened the position up to other professions, but she said that there is value in having an educator helming the main seat.

The government laid out this intent to make it a bit broader, for the right reasons, to reflect a more diverse culture, I feel there is a value having lived life as a teacher and an educator and a principal and worked throughout the education system, Leclerc said.

At the end of the day students are at our core, but our work really is to use educational data to support the best practices for teaching and learning and I believe that educators would do that best.

Michelle Griepsma, chair of the Catholic board, said it is difficult to imagine looking at the qualifications of someone who has never worked in education before and trying to transfer those skills over to the education director role.

My knowledge base has really been looking at candidates from the educational field, she said. I can see the advantages there, because they would bring experience and knowledge of the sector already to the position.

Griepsma, a bereavement co-ordinator with Community Care City of Kawartha Lakes Hospice Services, equates it to her position in hospice care, where without the knowledge of the industry she wouldnt have been able to take on a leadership role.

I had that basic knowledge, she said. I worked my way up, so for me, personally, it feels the same way.
President Donald Trump listens to a question from a reporter during a briefing in the Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House in Washington on Aug. 3, 2020. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

Trump Not Sure If Epstein Killed Himself

President Donald Trump said hes among those who are unsure whether convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein committed suicide in jail.

Trump, during a recent interview with Axios, was asked about it when he wished Epsteins former girlfriend Ghislaine Maxwell well.

Maxwell was arrested last month on child sex trafficking charges. Shes now being held in prison in New York City.

Trump said he wasnt aware of the charges when he told reporters at the White House: I just wish her well.

But I do know that her friend, or boyfriend, was either killed, or committed suicide in jail. Shes now in jail. Yeah, I wish her well, Id wish you well, Id wish a lot of people well. Good luck. Let them prove somebody was guilty, he said in the new interview.

Ghislaine Maxwell, longtime associate of accused sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein, speaks at a news conference at the United Nations in New York on June 25, 2013. (UNTV via Reuters)

Her boyfriend died in jail, and people are still trying to figure out how did it happen. Was it suicide, was he killed? And I do wish her well. Im not looking for anything bad for her. Im not looking bad for anybody. And they took that, and they made it such a big deal, he added.

But all it is is, her boyfriend died, he died in jail. Was he killed, was it suicide? I do, I wish her well.

New York City Medical Examiners Office Barbara Sampson concluded through an autopsy that Epstein, 66, killed himself in prison last year.

Our investigation concluded that the cause of Mr. Epsteins death was hanging and the manner of death was suicide, Sampson said in a statement.

Widespread skepticism of the conclusion was bolstered by Dr. Michael Baden, a forensic pathologist who observed the autopsy on behalf of Epsteins brother, Mark Epstein.

Baden said Epsteins injuries were more consistent with homicidal strangulation, pointing out three fractures bones in Epsteins thyroid.

Hanging does not cause these broken bones, and homicide does, Baden told Fox News. A huge amount of pressure was applied.

The Metropolitan Correctional Center financier Jeffrey Epstein was being held, in New York City on Aug. 10, 2019. (Don Emmert/AFP/Getty Images)

Sampson said she stood by the suicide determination, adding after Badens remarks: The original medical investigation was thorough and complete. There is no reason for a second medical investigation by our office.

Mark Epstein, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, and Epsteins lawyers were among others questioning the official findings.

Martin Weinberg, one of the lawyers, told a judge last year that Epstein was not despairing, despondent, or suicidal.

In addition to the two guards on duty inside Epsteins block at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center allegedly falling asleep and failing to conduct a series of checks on the inmate, video footage from outside the cell no longer exists, the government said in January, blaming the development on an accidental erasure.

A lawyer representing some of Epsteins alleged victims told The Epoch Times in July that hes concerned Maxwell will end up dead like Epstein.

I have grave concerns that she doesnt make it out of jail alive, Spencer Kuvin said.

Jack Phillips contributed to this report.
Nicosia, CYPRUS  KYC SCREEN, a secure identity documents reading app, developed by Cyprus-based company Captela, launched today on App Store and Google Play. The purpose of the app is to help businesses that require customer KYC verification to provide a faster, easier and safer onboarding by scanning government-issued identity documents. Financial institutions, universities and colleges, rental property managers, to name a few, require customer identification and are looking for 
A very small fraction of Ontarians  roughly one per cent  have been infected by the novel coronavirus, according to new antibody blood-testing data from the provinces public health agency.

The findings suggest that the true number of people sickened by COVID-19 in Ontario is closer to 160,000, more than four times the official tally. While that might sound high, it actually means the province is doing a fantastic job at catching infections, one epidemiologist says  and a much better job than other jurisdictions. Recent U.S. research has estimated the true caseload there at six to 24 times higher.

The presence of antibodies to the virus was higher in certain age groups and some parts of the province, including Toronto, according to the Public Health Ontario study. But the overall low numbers attest to Ontarios success in stifling the initial wave of the pandemic, the scientists say.

When you think about what the numbers mean, it really suggests that our social distancing and our public health measures have been really effective at preventing widespread infection in the population, said Shelly Bolotin, a Public Health Ontario scientist and University of Toronto professor who led the study.

She noted, however, that this study could not compare antibody prevalence across different income or demographic groups; the blood specimens were stripped of identifying details before analysis. Data from multiple sources has shown the pandemic is exacting a disproportionately high toll on low-income and racialized Ontarians.

And the downside of low antibody prevalence is that nearly the entire population of Ontario carries no immunity to COVID-19. Even for those who do test positive for antibodies, researchers still dont know how long or strong their protection will be.

It also reminds us that were still vulnerable, Bolotin said. Weve done well so far, but we need to really be vigilant about continuing to maintain these public health precautions.

The estimates were obtained by gathering 8,902 blood samples sent to Public Health Ontarios Toronto lab between March and June to be tested for other diseases. The specimens were then re-analyzed to detect antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19.

The presence of antibodies, a product of the bodys immune system, suggests that a person has been infected to the virus. The relationship between severity of illness and the concentration of antibodies in a patients blood is still an evolving area of research, but Bolotin said the threshold the study used was likely to capture people who were infected but had no symptoms, one of COVID-19s more dastardly features.

Because health-care services were so severely curtailed at the height of the pandemic, far fewer specimens were collected in the earlier months  827 in the March-April and 1,061 in May. In June, however, the researchers were able to access 7,014. As a result, comparisons between the earlier and later time periods should be made with caution.

Nevertheless, the number of specimens with detectable antibodies was consistently low: just 97 total tested positive.

The researchers estimate for SARS-CoV-2 antibody prevalence across Ontario in June, the most reliable period because of the large number of specimens, was 1.1 per cent. It was 0.5 per cent in March-April and 1.5 per cent in May. (The estimates were adjusted to compensate for the tests tendency to miss about one in 10 positives and to be representative of Ontarios population.)

In the June samples, the researchers found that those over age 80 had the highest prevalence of antibodies, at 2.6 per cent, while the five to nine year olds had none. Bolotin noted that the researchers are less confident about their findings for children: because healthy children rarely get blood drawn, they had fewer samples to work with, and the samples they did have are probably not representative of the pediatric population.

Bolotin said Public Health Ontario will be publishing new antibody survey reports at regular intervals, and hoped to track this data in children as schools reopen. Researchers believe that kids may also be under-identified using the typical viral-genetic testing, known as PCR, because they are more likely to have a mild or asymptomatic case of COVID-19.

Our estimates are very, very low for children in this report. How is that going change in the fall? . . . we may be able to capture it, if we get enough of a signal with these samples, Bolotin said.

The percentages of antibody prevalence differed by geography, too. Toronto and the Central East portion of Ontario, which includes Peel Region, both had estimates of 1.5 per cent. In Toronto, that means the true caseload is likely closer to 44,000 than the official count of 15,400.

Dr. David Fisman, an epidemiologist at the University of Torontos Dalla Lana School of Public Health, said that catching one in three COVID-19 cases is fantastic. His own analyses of published antibody blood surveys have suggested that globally, only about seven per cent of the true number of infections are being identified.

Given some of the struggles weve had with testing, and the restrictions on testing, I think its quite remarkable that we identified one-third of cases, Fisman said.

In New York City, one of the hardest-hit cities in the pandemic, data from antibody blood surveys has estimated that approximately 23 per cent of residents have been infected by the novel coronavirus, 10 to 12 times higher than reported case counts. A recent study estimated that in Missouri, true case counts are 24 times higher.

Fisman noted that the higher prevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies does not mean New Yorkers are more protected from second or third waves of the pandemic.

We are very vulnerable to future waves, Fisman said, noting that an estimated 60 per cent of the population would need to be vaccinated or have durable natural antibody protection to reach herd immunity.

Our population and New Yorks population are both vulnerable. We have just saved more lives so far.
Chennai/New Delhi, Aug 4 : In an apparent sign of revolt, DMK lawmaker Ku. Ka. Selvam, who met top BJP leaders on Tuesday, said his party President M.K. Stalin should condemn the denigration of Hindu deity Murugan and prayer 'Kanda Shasti Kavacham' by YouTube channel Karuppar Koottam.

The YouTube channel had aired an objectionable video denigrating Lord Murugan, the son of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi, and the Kanda Shasti Kavacham to seek his blessings. Stalin has not condemned the Karuppar Koottam for the controversial video.

The DMK leader also asked Stalin to hold organisational elections in the party.

Denying that he is joining BJP, Selvam, who met BJP President J.P. Nadda, said he had come to Delhi to meet Railways Minister Piyush Goyal to discuss issues relating to his Assembly constituency.

Selvam, who spoke to reporters in New Delhi after meeting Nadda and Goyal, also demanded Stalin cut the DMK's ties with the Congress as its leader Rahul Gandhi has been critical of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

His meetings led to the speculation that the DMK legislator, who is also the party Headquarters Secretary, will be formally joining the BJP, following the footsteps of former Assembly Deputy Speaker V.P. Duraisamy.

Duraisamy quit the DMK soon after meeting Tamil Nadu BJP President L. Murugan. The DMK had stripped him of his party post for meeting the BJP leader.

Selvam, who had joined the DMMK in 1997 after quitting the AIADMK and is the sitting MLA from the Thousand Lights constituency in Chennai, also said he is ready to face any action that DMK may take against him.

It is rumoured that Selvam was hoping for the post of DMK's Chennai West District Secretary following the death of sitting legislator J. Anbazhagan due to Covid-19.
CAMBRIDGE  A man riding a bicycle was airlifted to a Hamilton hospital by helicopter after colliding with a vehicle Monday.

It happened around 1 p.m. on Elgin Street North between Galt and Winter avenues.

Waterloo Regional Police closed the road to investigate and asked people to avoid the area. The cyclist was airlifted by an Ornge air ambulance.

No further details were available about his injuries or condition.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 3) A two-week modified enhanced community quarantine in Metro Manila will be manageable for the economic sector, but a possible extension will prove to have some serious effects, an adviser to President Rodrigo Duterte said Monday.

Presidential Adviser for Entrepreneurship Joey Concepcion told CNN Philippines that the sector respects Dutertes decision to place the capital region under a stricter lockdown status, adding officials will make the best out of the protocol by improving the health care system in the country.

However, he expressed hope that there will be no need for a longer extension, with local governments urged to implement localized lockdowns.

Part of the plan really is to move towards a granularized lockdown, but in this case, because of the number of infections rising, I understand that we will have to take a pause, Concepcion said in an interview with The Source.

Two weeks is not too long, we can manage that, but if it goes beyond two weeks, then it becomes a little bit more serious, he added.

Duterte on Sunday announced that Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal will be shifting back to MECQ starting Tuesday partly heeding the call of frontliners who have sought for the strictest ECQ in Mega Manila.

The administration has been wary of implementing the strictest lockdown policy in the capital region despite the surge in COVID-19 cases as it works to restart the economy by gradually allowing businesses to reopen.

Concepcion, for his part, joined calls for the government to shift to effective granularized lockdowns, saying the move will let citizens coexist with the unpredictable virus.

Moving forward, to co-exist with the virus, we have to allow a granularized type of lockdown and approach it from a data-driven approach by getting the source from DOH (Department of Health) as to the number of infections in each barangays, then well know what barangays to lockdown immediately, he said.

READ: Difficult to go back to ECQ, DTI chief says amid medical communitys plea for stricter quarantine in Manila

The medical communitys plea for a timeout came in the wake of the rapid rise of coronavirus infections in the country, which have now surpassed the 100,000 mark. Frontliners said a stricter quarantine will help the healthcare system and the workers themselves breathe, and will pave the way for the refinement of pandemic controls strategies.

Private sector to pitch in in COVID-19 pooled testing

While some industries are set to be locked down for the next two weeks, the private sector will meanwhile roll out initial "pooled" polymerase chain reaction or PCR testing programs in the metro before August 15.

The sector will fund the pooled PCR tests that will be conducted in 16 cities and one municipality in the region, Concepcion said.

Under the said approach, patients samples will be grouped into 10 and will undergo one PCR test a move officials labeled as more cost-efficient and speedy. Lawmakers who have pushed for the implementation of this protocol also argued it will accelerate the isolation procedures in the country.

That will help increase the visibility to determine where the infections are. This will be a game-changer. It will speed up testing and make it cheaper, Concepcion said.
Mukesh Ranjan By

Express News Service

RANCHI: Ravi Jain, the ninth rank holder in 2020 - Union Public Services Commission (UPSC) Civil Services Examination, said that he had never expected that he will come in the top 10 rankers.

Jain, coming from a business family, after completing his schooling from St. Francis School in Deoghar, did engineering from Netaji Subhash University of Technology under Delhi University in 2012 and got selected for Bechtel India Limited, where he worked for three years.

"In 2015 while working with Bechtel India Limited, I realized that I was not adding value to my life which was only salary oriented. Then, I quit the job and started preparing for Civil Services. Though, I always wanted to become an IAS officer, rank nine was not even my wildest dreams," said Jain.

It was really disappointing for him as he was not able to clear mains examination for the last two times, but he managed to get into it this time, he said.

Recalling his interview, Ravi said he was asked which pillar of government was working efficiently at that point of time, to which he replied, executive.

"Though, every pillar of the Government works efficiently, I replied executive as I had to take a side with an explanation that legislature is not in session at this time of pandemic, executive is doing its work efficiently and is ensuring that coronavirus does not get to spread further in the Country," said

the ninth rank holder.

After losing two interviews and not making it to prelims last year, Jain was not very confident and just wanted to clear the examination and hence appeared for Bihar Public Services Examination Civil Services Examination. Last year, he also cleared it and is currently working as State Tax Officer at Jamui

district of Bihar.

Interestingly, on Tuesday, he had gone to Jamui to re-join office as he had taken leave for appearing in UPSC interview but as soon as he reached there he got to know about his result and returned back to his home.

Ravis father Ashok Jain is a businessman who deals in food grains and mother Mangala Devi is a housewife. According to Ravi Jain, he got inspired to do engineering by his elder sister as she was the first engineering graduate in the family.
Flags are today being flown at half mast at government buildings in the Republic in honour of John Hume.

The former SDLP leader and key architect of the Northern Ireland peace process passed away yesterday at the age of 83.

Tributes have poured in from around the world for the former Foyle MP who is regarded as one of the most important political figures in recent Irish history.

A spokesperson for the Irish Foreign Ministry said the tricolour was flying at half mast at Government Buildings and Iveagh House to mark the passing of Mr Hume.

The spokesperson said the Derryman was was 'rightly remembered across the world today as one of Irelands and Europes greatest political leaders and peacemakers'.

Mr Hume's remains will be brought from his home in Moville this evening to St Eugene's Cathedral in Derry from where he will be buried tomorrow.

His family have asked that people stay at home this evening because of public safety concerns in relation to the coronavirus pandemic.

Instead, people are being asked to light a candle at 9pm in Mr Hume's honour.
South-east Queensland roads would be burdened with a massive increase in freight trucks unless the Queensland leg of the $9.3 billion Melbourne-Brisbane Inland Rail project is addressed, key industry figures say.

Industry groups want the Queensland and federal governments to release a two-year study into options to get extra freight by rail from Acacia Ridges freight centre to the Port of Brisbane.

The number of freight trucks on south-east Queensland roads will more than triple, a study suggests, if rail links are not improved to the Port of Brisbane. Credit:Louise Kennerley

A Palaszczuk government spokesman confirmed the report was finalised and was now being considered by the Queensland and federal governments.

Unlike ports in other capital cities where rail delivers up to 30 per cent of freight to the port, only 2.5 per cent of freight goes to Brisbanes port by rail.
The past few months of life during the coronavirus pandemic have been a whirlwind of last-minute activity and decisions. Countless employees were suddenly thrust into remote work, changing their calendars on a dime, and many companies had to move in-person gatherings and conferences to virtual meetings.

For instance, the United Nations  known for its formal meetings and conferences  began teleconferencing with mixed results, according to Devex reporting from late April 2020. Not accustomed to working virtually, U.N. employees had to pivot to recover after initial hiccups with online meetings.

A June 2020 Harvard Business Review piece outlines a similar situation for Adobe. The brand had to cancel its annual Nevada convention abruptly in light of the pandemic. Rather than lose the chance to bring everyone together in one physical location, though, Adobe moved its conference online  and more than quintupled the guest list.

Related: 10 Tips on Getting the Most Out of Business Meetings

Making online miracles out of potential mayhem

Your company might not be as well-known as the U.N. or Adobe, but youve likely experienced the need for unplanned, urgent virtual meetings to deal with time-sensitive information during COVID-19. That wont stop anytime soon.

Youll continue to be bombarded by all kinds of unexpected information. Budgets will be lost and, in some cases, found. Markets will shift. The government could release regulations affecting your operations. These shifting sands mean you can expect to arrange and execute plenty of last-minute meetings. That can be a tall order, but its not too tall if youre prepared.

Salesforce, as an example, had to switch its March 2020 World Tour Sydney event from an in-person gathering to an online experience with two weeks notice. Their leaders stepped up to the challenge and moved everything to a livestream format. The result? The company surpassed the expectations with a record 80,000 participants.

Handling last-minute meetings with confidence

To be sure, Salesforces event planning was mostly done. The company could leverage talk tracks, sessions and content, making the move to a virtual stage slightly less arduous. Organizers didnt need to start from scratch  they just needed to reframe a live experience to fit a digital format.

You might not be as lucky or well-equipped with resources the next time you face an urgent situation that requires immediate communication and collaboration through virtual channels. And thats OK. You can still successfully host meetings and events online by practicing the three techniques below.

1. Map out a fluff-free agenda and guidelines.

You just realized you need to set up an online gathering. Dont panic. Instead, channel your nervous energy into creating and disseminating an airtight agenda. Having a set schedule ensures all topics remain relevant to attendees. Plus, you can distribute the agenda ahead of time to encourage ordinarily quiet people to participate more fully by giving them time to think.

While working on the agenda, consider the overall length of your meeting to ensure it doesnt spin out of control or devolve into endless segments. Thirty minutes is a good baseline. Remember: virtual-meet fatigue is real  real enough to warrant coverage by the BBC. Keep sessions tight, allowing only priority items to make the final cut. Its easier to schedule a follow-up meeting than force people to stare at their screens for hours.

As a final note, craft meeting guidelines surrounding expected protocol, such as when participants should unmute themselves or whether everyone is required to appear on video. Mention whether youre archiving and recording the communication to share with anyone who is unable to attend. If youre worried about this, you can hire a digital producer to facilitate the production aspects and leave you to focus on the content.

Related: 3 Things That Will Boost Your Teams Communication

2. Divvy up assignments and take a practice run.

Have you ever sat in a meeting without clear leadership or purpose? Its frustrating and often disastrous. Even if youre pressed for time, determine who needs to be present and who needs to speak. Figure out who will handle the technical aspects and who will be front and center. Even if youre planning a seemingly straightforward meeting, outline everyones role to prevent missing anything important.

After fleshing out an event management document that includes specific assignments, share it. The more prepared everyone is, the better the event will flow. Oh, and make sure to practice everything from screen-sharing to using touchscreen interactive software. Videos dont always look flawless when played over teleconferencing platforms. Slide decks can freeze and screens can become pixelated. Technology is designed to make your meetings productive and compelling, but its always prudent to give everything a trial run before going live.

3. Answer questions candidly and with empathy.

If youve asked attendees for questions in advance, distribute them to every presenter to make Q&A sessions efficient. If you havent requested audience questions, try to anticipate the questions participants might ask. Once you have a good idea of what people might want to know, you can consider your responses and write down bullet points. When youre leading the meeting, answer into the camera with conviction and honesty.

When Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg faced 25,000 unhappy workers via a video call in June 2020, he could have prepared and delivered a clear answer in response to concerns about the controversy swirling around the presidents "shoot and loot" posts. He didnt, according to Voxs coverage. Instead, he talked about trust with employees, using language that made him seem less like their boss and more like an equally concerned colleague. His words werent eloquent, but they spoke volumes because they were authentic. Even though your job is to plan for your last-minute meetings, dont plan so much that you sound robotic.

Related: Why Empathy Is Important in Leaders Right Now

Its tough to pull together an award-winning show without much notice, but it certainly can be done. The next time youre faced with whipping up an online meeting, take a deep breath and apply the aforementioned best practices. Over time, youll get a reputation for hosting every impromptu event just as well as you would have in-person.

Related:



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The Special Operations Group of Rajasthan police, probing into the cases of alleged horse-trading of the Congress MLAs aimed at toppling the Gehlot government, on Tuesday transferred them to the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau, saying no case of sedition is made out.

A statement by ATS and SOG wing of the state police said all documents pertaining to the three cases registered by it last month were transferred to the ACB on legal advice.

The legal advice said that no case of sedition under section 124 A of the Indian Penal Code was committed and the offences pertained to the Prevention of Corruption Act to be probed by the ACB, the SOG statement said.

Prima facie, the crime was proved to be committed under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Hence the case papers and all other documents have been sent to the ACB for further necessary action, the statement said.

The SOG had registered the first FIR on July 10 under IPC sections 124-A and 120-B and two persons were arrested in the case.

Later on July 17, two more FIRs were registered by the SOG on charges of sedition and criminal conspiracy on a complaint by Congress Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi.

The SOG had arrested an alleged middleman, Sajay Jain, on July 17 and a court had remanded him in police custody for interrogation.

In an audio clip, he was purportedly heard talking to Congress MLA Bhanwarlal Sharma and one Gajendra Singh, who the Congress claims, is Union minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat.

Sanjay Jain was allegedly acting as a middleman and the Congress claims he is a BJP leader while the BJP has rejected the allegation saying Jain has no association with it.
The Bidens are looking for somebody as loyal to them as they were to Barack and Michelle Obama, Christine Pelosi, the daughter of the speaker, told my colleagues recently.

Although, as my colleague Lisa Lerer wrote, its best not to get too caught up in the chatter.

So, how does this all affect California?

Ms. Bass and Ms. Harris are not the only competitors, of course; the Biden campaign is orchestrating an unusually public veepstakes, in which all the contenders are established public servants who would represent subtly different visions of the Democratic Party, said Raphael Sonenshein, the executive director of the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles.

And Mr. Bidens announcement during the primaries that hed choose a woman for the job has helped head off less substantive discussion about a womans electability and instead focused it on which woman would be most likely to help Mr. Biden beat the president. That, Mr. Sonenshein told me, is the biggest priority for many California Democrats.

Still, he said, its notable  nay, exciting  to have two Californians at the top of the list.

Whats interesting is, historically, California has not been a site for Democrats to get on the national ticket, he said.

Despite Democrats current dominance within the nations most populous state, when it comes to national elections, California has been a more powerful springboard for Republican politicians  think Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon.
Today, Teledyne Aerospace Defense Electronics UK (TADE UK) announced the latest business unit addition to its brand portfolio, Teledyne Energetics UK, headquartered in Lincoln, England.

This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005875/en/

The new Teledyne Energetics UK website (Graphic: Business Wire)

Visit the home page of the company's new website here. The new website gives an overview of the Energetics UK systems, subsystems, and component offerings, which are ITAR-free and designed and manufactured exclusively in the UK. The website promotes the company's extensive heritage in all major deployment theatres including aerospace, land, surface maritime, subsea ASW and LEO launch.

TADE UK is now comprised of 8 distinct business units, including Teledyne CML Composites; Teledyne Defence Space; Teledyne Defence Australia; Teledyne Energetics UK; Teledyne Labtech Limited; Teledyne Lincoln Microwave; Teledyne Paradise Datacom; and Teledyne Reynolds UK.

Teledyne Energetics UK designs and develops solutions for the safety, arming, and initiation technology sector, in particular military energetic devices from components through to complete systems. Some of the flagship product lines include active vehicle safety systems; sea mine fuzes; modular artillery fuzes; flight termination units; electronic Safe Arm Units (eSAUs); and electronic Ignition Safety Devices (eISDs).

"By joining the Teledyne Defense Aerospace Electronics UK family of companies under our own new Teledyne brand, we believe Energetics UK can better define our capabilities to customers as we execute go-to-market strategies," said Brion Weller, General Manager of Teledyne Energetics UK. "We can now better leverage the complementary technologies and global sales presence of our fellow TADE UK business units to grow our business opportunities globally."

Originally part of the Teledyne e2v family, the new Teledyne Energetics UK has been active in safety, arming, and initiation technology since 1984. Building on the existing high speed switch tube technology, early development activity began with Exploding Foil Initiator (EFI) technology in conjunction with RARDE (now QinetiQ and Dstl).

Today, Teledyne Energetics UK supplies eSAU and eISD units to over 27 active weapons systems, including missiles, torpedoes, and Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) systems for warhead initiation and rocket motor ignition.

Teledyne Energetics also delivers a range of services to its global customer base. Design services include modelling and testing of fully packaged circuitry for control and initiation of detonators. For manufacturing and test, the Energetics UK facility in Lincoln is licensed to store and test explosives and is certified for BS-EN-ISO 9001:2015, BS-EN-ISO 14001:2015, and BS-EN-ISO45001:2018.

For more information on the new Teledyne Energetics UK and its products and capabilities, contact them at energeticsuk@teledyne.com.

ABOUT TELEDYNE AEROSPACE DEFENSE ELECTRONICS UK (TADE UK)

Serving Defense, Space and Commercial sectors worldwide, the business units of Teledyne Aerospace Defense Electronics UK have a long and distinguished history operating in the UK since 1947. With capabilities that have supported both the UK and European armed forces, TADE UK's product and services support applications in airborne, commercial aviation, energy, energetics, electronic warfare, industrial, maritime, missiles, radar, satcom, space, test and measurement and more. TADE UK offers highly engineered solutions that meet your most demanding requirements in the harshest environments. Manufacturing both custom and off-the-shelf product offerings, TADE UK is a business segment of Teledyne Technologies, Inc., a leading provider of sophisticated instrumentation, digital imaging products and software, aerospace and defense electronics, and engineered systems. www.teledyne.com. Our business unit websites can be found on www.teledynedefelec.com.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005875/en/

Contacts:

Darrek Porter, Director of Marketing

Teledyne Defense Electronics U.S.

Teledyne Aerospace Defense Electronics UK

(404)-368-9714 darrek.porter@teledyne.com
The drone that carried the first commercial residential delivery of its kind in the U.S. will soon be displayed at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C.

Wing, a Google sister company with a delivery hub in Christiansburg, announced Tuesday that it had donated aircraft A1229 to the national museum.

The Smithsonian was such an inspiring place for a lot of people on our team and to be able to give back to that collection is really exciting for us, Wing spokeswoman Alexa Dennett said. None of this would have been possible without the support of the Christiansburg community and the broader New River Valley region.

Aircraft A1229 completed its historic 2.32-mile trip on Oct. 18, 2019, when it delivered a winter vest from Dicks Sporting Goods via FedEx Express to the home of Paul and Susie Sensemeier in Christiansburg, according to Wing.

The flight took less than 3 minutes.

That day two other drones made simultaneous deliveries in Christiansburg: cough medicine from Walgreens and popcorn and chocolates from Sugar Magnolia in Blacksburg.

Wing has since expanded its service to deliver products from six area businesses, and during the pandemic it has delivered library materials to Montgomery County Public Schools students.

Wings aircraft joins a long list of firsts in the drone industry to be collected by the Smithsonian, aerospace curator Roger Connor said.

Other unmanned autonomous vehicles in the collection include the first public service drone to save a human life and the first drone used for utility inspection, Connor said.

The museum also holds the first drone certified by the Federal Aviation Administration to deliver medical supplies in the U.S. That aircraft flew supplies to the Remote Area Medical Clinic in Wise County in 2015 and was acquired by the museum in 2016.

Wings drone will be the third aerial delivery drone put into the museums collection, and the first to do home delivery, Connor said.

Delivery drones are one of the most challenging areas for the technology, he said. It requires the most integration into the community, so things like safety and obstacle avoidance become central to making it effective.

Wing was one of 10 companies to benefit from a White House push two years ago to ramp up the technology, and its Christiansburg project was the first to feature real customers ordering real products, Connor said.

But drone home delivery is still very much in the research and development phase.

The deliveries are very short range, under six miles; the package sizes are quite small, Connor said. Over time what we should expect to see is a range of improvements.

And in some cases, Connor said, surface delivery will remain cheaper and more practical.

On the other hand, theres going to be some sorts of applications that this will make a lot of sense for, Connor said. Where those lines will be drawn remains to be seen, but these kinds of demonstration projects are very important to work that out.

Wings drones fly to the customers home and hover overhead while a string lowers the products to the ground in a small cardboard box.

The company says its service has been especially helpful during the pandemic, as some states, including Virginia, issued stay-at-home orders.

Wing says is global orders increased five-fold in early April, and its aircraft are making thousands of deliveries per month in the communities it serves.

The company closely guards information about its operations, and Dennett declined to say how many drones Wing keeps in its Christiansburg fleet, or how many deliveries A1229 made during the time it was in service.

A1229 weighs 10 pounds, has two forward propellers that help it fly at high speeds and 12 vertical propellers for braking and hovering over its delivery target.

Wing first gained attention in 2016 when it used a drone to deliver burritos in Blacksburg.

The company then shifted its focus to Australia, where it launched its first full-fledged drone delivery trial in 2018, followed by Helsinki, Finland, and Christiansburg, both in 2019.

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On July 22, Marion County, Texas resident David W. Nagy, 79 died of COVID-19. His wife Stacey Nagy wrote an obituary for her husband that ran in the Jefferson Jimplecute newspaper. The newspaper has no Web site but someone snapped the photo above and it went viral. While some have questioned its authenticity, Snopes confirms that it's all too real. From Snopes:



[Stacey] Nagy said she has seen a lot people around her town failing to wear face masks, from drugstore employees to deputies at the Marion County Sheriff's Department, even though Marion County is now under Abbott's mask mandate.





"It gets me so angry that people are aren't taking this seriously," Nagy told us by phone. "The people who are dying are the older people especially  a lot of younger people are dying too  but it's almost like they're saying, 'Who cares about the older people?' I've been with my husband for 20 years and all of a sudden he's gone. People should know how this makes others feel."





She also expressed anger that the pandemic has been politicized. "It's not political," she said. "It's life and death.[]"





"I miss my husband dearly," Nagy told us. "I'm taking one day at a time to just try to keep going. When I wrote that thing it was because of him. I don't want his death just to disappear. I wrote that and partially, it keeps him alive for me."
By Nam Hyun-woo





Hanwha Solutions Vice President Kim Dong-kwan



Hanwha Corp., the de-facto holding company of Hanwha Group, said it will spin off its cluster munitions business and set up a new company, tentatively called Korea Defense Industry, which will develop and manufacture products including explosives and munitions.



In announcing this, Hanwha Corp. cited its efforts to comply with environmental, societal and governance (ESG) standards. The company's cluster munitions business has been criticized by activists across the world as inhumane. In 2007, the Norwegian Government Pension Fund dropped Hanwha from its list of companies to invest in due to this.



Since developing these tools of death and destruction affects the reputation of the entire Hanwha Group, the spin-off is interpreted as an effort to hedge potential risks across the group in terms of drawing investments from overseas funds.



Hanwha Corp. does not disclose its cluster munitions business sales alone, but it is said to account for less than 2 percent of the company's total sales.



Hanwha said the separation has "no relation" with the possible succession of heir Kim Dong-kwan to ownership of the company. Since Kim's stake with voting rights in Hanwha Corp. remains at 4.44 percent, far below his father, group Chairman Kim Seung-youn, with 22.65 percent, spinning off Hanwha Corp.'s multiple businesses will save costs for the younger Kim in taking control of the holding firm. The company's recent move to spin off its cluster munitions business is in line with this approach, industry officials said.



Hanwha Corp. is comprised of four divisions  defense, explosives, trade and machinery. The chances are slim for Hanwha Corp. to use the spin-off as a tool for the ownership succession.



"The benefits coming from the spin-off are too small for the company to take on negative public perceptions of the ownership succession," an industry source said.



A Hanwha Corp. official said the spin-off of the cluster munitions business has "no relation" to the ownership succession, and it decided to do so to "promote Hanwha Corp. shareholders' value."



"With a growing number of investors placing more importance on corporate ESG compliance, we believe the spin-off will have a positive impact on the share price in the future," the official said. "The spin-off has no relation with ownership succession, and the succession issue is a matter for the future."



Earlier thoughts are that since inheriting shares worth more than 3 billion won is subject to at least a 50 percent tax, handing over Chairman Kim's stake in the company to his son is not a priority for the group. Due to this, industry officials said one of the most realistic scenarios is the merger between Hanwha Corp. and H Solution, a software firm controlled by the younger Kim.





Hanwha Group headquarters in Janggyo-dong, Seoul / Korea Times file
Its nearing two years since the day Jamal Khashoggi, a well-known dissident in Saudi Arabia, walked into a Saudi consulate in Istanbul to acquire documents for his forthcoming wedding. Fifteen Saudi operatives would then assassinate and dismember Khashoggi. To date, the Saudis responsible have not been held accountable, and Saudi Arabia has not faced any major repercussions from its partners in international politics.

By now, many understand that for the United States to not only turn a blind eye, but act as facilitators for an authoritarian regime that murdered a contributor to American free press, is a gross stain upon its reputation as leader of the free world. Its also a betrayal of American legal responsibility, since Khashoggi was a U.S. resident.

By now, many also understand that U.S. President Donald Trump is not an ally of the free press. In fact, Trump endears his base precisely by vilifying it. Trumps disdain for the free press is a fundamental feature of his political rhetoric.

The CIA concluded that the Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman was personally responsible. Despite this information, MBS is a friend of Jared Kushner and Trump himself. Trump actually saluted his friend MBS 18 months to the day that Saudi Arabia killed Khashoggi.

For now, hope has been lost that the Trump administration will hold the Saudis accountable for the assassination of Khashoggi.

As is the case with many areas of policy, politics, and everything else  November 2020 is a potential critical juncture in terms of how the U.S. can respond to Saudi Arabias recklessness in international affairs.

Joe Biden wrote an article (albeit, likely ghostwritten) titled Why America Must Lead Again, where he argues that America has to rescue itself from the many failures of Trumps foreign policy.

To achieve that goal, Biden must reaffirm Americas commitment to the domestic and international free press. It cannot be that Biden is complacent in how the U.S. handled the politics surrounding Khashoggis murder, if he does want to make America the active leader of the free world once again. Biden understands this state of affairs.

When asked at the Nov. 20, 2019 Democratic Debate whether Biden will make the Saudi regime answer for Khashoggis murder, he clearly responded yes. He then continued to condemn Saudi Arabia for a number of other matters, calling the regime a pariah.

In Bidens aforementioned article on his foreign policy strategy, he explicitly states that America must end our support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen. Whats more, he lumps Saudi Arabia in a category with Russia, Iran and North Korea.

Whether these directed criticisms and promises would translate into a real shift in American-Saudi relations is very much a matter up for debate.

While the Democrats, not without bipartisan support, have been proactive in efforts to condemn Saudi Arabia for the killing of Khashoggi, its important to note that its much easier to criticize Saudi Arabia from outside the Oval Office. Saudi Arabia houses crucial U.S. military bases that function to deter and contain a common enemy  Iran. Moreover, Saudi Arabias abundant oil reserves means the country has the capability to severely disrupt international markets and supplies.

But the U.S., still the worlds unipolar power, can find new airbases. It can navigate international oil markets. And it can find new regional partners.

What the U.S. cannot reestablish so easily is its reputation and soft power a term in international relations theory to denote a countrys sense of legitimacy attributed to its culture, political values, and other social influences. If America cannot defend its own free press, what does it say about the force and legitimacy of its soft power abroad?

If Biden takes the election in November, he ought to understand that America cannot maintain its stature on the international stage while sanctioning the murder of a U.S. resident on Turkish soil by an extremist, authoritarian, and human rights-abusing Saudi Arabia.

That the Saudi government blatantly murdered a human being in cold blood is not to be forgotten. But Khashoggi is also a symbol. What happened to him is a symbol of the state of the world order, where the free press is at a loss for allies, where authoritarian regimes can get away with belligerence, and where America cannot enforce international laws based on the liberal principles at the U.Ss very foundation.

In November 2020, it will be over two years since Khashoggi was murdered in Istanbul. Biden must hold true to his promise that the U.S. will avenge Khashoggi, for the free press and to reestablish the U.S.s role in international political order.

Jacob Benjamin is a master of political science candidate at the University of Waterloo

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Joint 77, formerly of SM Militants of the Shatta Movement, has descended on Pope Skinny for questioning Shatta Wales video with Beyonce and describing it as fake and photoshopped.

Speaking in a video, Joint 77 stated that if Pope Skinny felt that Shatta Wale had wronged him in any way he is at liberty to throw jabs at him but not at his recent performance with the world-renowned female musician.

According to him, this is a great achievement for Shatta Wale which needs congratulatory remarks. "So Pope Skinny should congratulate Wale and stop the hate."

According to Joint 77, Pope Skinny feels he can say anything at any time because of the linguist title he had been given.

Watch the video below;

Source:
The state fisheries department on Tuesday initiated an investigation and called for action regarding unauthorised fishing practices affecting rare and endangered marine species along the Maharashtra coastline.

The fisheries commissioner ordered the inquiry based on a report by marine biologists from the Mangrove Foundation (under the state mangrove cell), which documented how unsustainable fishing practices, excessive juvenile by-catch, and illegal shark fin trade were leading to a rapid decline of threatened, vulnerable, and critically-endangered sharks and allied species.

HT had reported the details on Monday, elucidating how such practices along seven commercially important landing sites, including three in Mumbai, with high-density of elasmobranch (sharks, skates, rays, and sawfish) population, were leading to overall habitat degradation at fishing grounds.

In view of the seriousness of the matter highlighted by national and regional media, I have called for a detailed investigation across all 173 marine fish landing centres across seven Konkan districts as well as inspections to be undertaken at markets, said Atul Patne, state fisheries commissioner, adding, Strict action needs to be taken against fishing boats, sellers, buyers, and boat owners under the Maharashtra Marine Fisheries Regulation Act, 1981, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, for unauthorised capture and sale of rare and endangered elasmobranch species. Reports on action taken have been called for at the earliest.

The fisheries department plans to set up an enforcement cell and increase manpower to address the issue. Under the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, the assistant commissioner of fisheries (ACF) is empowered to take action for the protection of rare and endangered marine species.

We have reiterated this in an order issued on Tuesday, said Patne. Presently, the department is facing a staff crunch with more than 60% vacancy, with 23 licensing officers managing 173 landing centres. Even if the ACF manages to track down cases, he is unable to prepare the required documents, present submissions in court, and track investigations.

Patne said that along with additional manpower, he plans to rope in non-government bodies or marine respondent groups involved in curbing such violations (sagar rakshaks) to assist his staff. If shark fin trade is operational in the domestic circuit, it will be tracked to the source, and we will identify how it is operating, he said.

The Mangrove Foundation report also identified a fish landing centre at Satpati in Palghar, where the capture of eight shark species, including some part of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, saw their fins removed and kept out to dry.

Shark fishing is not illegal in India. However, catching 10 species protected under the Wildlife Act is prohibited and considered illegal. Shark fin import and export was banned by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry in 2015.

The mangrove cell study identified 34 elasmobranch species  14 sharks, 15 rays, and five species of wedges, sawfish and guitarfish  being caught across Satpati, Sassoon Dock, New Ferry Wharf, and Versova in Mumbai; Alibag in Raigad, Harnai in Ratnagiri, and Malvan in Sindhudurg. Of these, 24 species each fell under the vulnerable, endangered, and near-threatened categories of the IUCN Regional Red List, while one species of guitarfish (schedule I under WPA) was critically endangered. Eighteen of the 34 species caught were juvenile elasmobranchs.

We appreciate that the fisheries department has taken cognisance of the report. If such a study has made any contribution towards marine conservation, it has achieved its purpose, said Virendra Tiwari, additional principal chief conservator of forest (Mangrove cell).

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A research vessel that has collected data on the Great Lakes for 30 years will remain docked this summer. Government scientists studying the emissions of heavy-duty diesel trucks do not have access to their labs. And Andrew Wheeler, administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, is no longer signing critical regulations by hand.

In Wheeler's view, no single event during his tenure has forced more change at the EPA than the coronavirus pandemicand that includes the climate crisis.

"I think the pandemic is more important," he said. "There's just a lot of changes in how we function."

EPA headquarters was closed and employees have been working from home, but Wheeler, President Donald Trump's second EPA administrator, has gone into the office almost every day. His travel has slowed since the coronavirus outbreak, and he says he misses in-person contact that allowed more in-depth discussions with his staff.

"There are certainly things like that that are going to have more medium to long-term impact on the agency that a lot of people don't realize," Wheeler said in an interview with McClatchy on Friday. "There are certainly lessons learned from the pandemic, and we will be changing how the agency operates and how the federal government operates because of it. But I think it's a little too soon for lessons learned on how we're going to change things."

As head of the EPA, Wheeler has navigated the agency through a series of controversial policy rollouts, repositioning its focus away from climate change toward what he calls the agency's "core missions" of providing clean air and water.

The administration's replacement of stringent government regulations meant to reduce climate-changing carbon dioxide emissions, as well as other pollutants, has drawn widespread criticism from environmental activists, despite Wheeler's insistence that the president's policies have contributed to declines in emissions and air pollution.

But the coronavirus has created challenges for the agency both large and small.

The impact of the pandemic has affected simple functions.

"I'm now signing regulations by digital signature," Wheeler said. "The agency has never done that before. The administrator's always signed everything by hand."

The sheer scope of the pandemic in the United States is also providing the agency with large new datasets on the effects of air pollution and "forever chemicals" such as PFAS on respiratory illnesses.

Preliminary independent studies have suggested a linkage may exist between regions with poor air quality and clusters in COVID-19 cases, and that chemical agents in commercial products could be suppressing the immune system's ability to produce coronavirus-fighting antibodies.

Wheeler said he asked EPA scientists to look into whether air pollution has been a factor in the pandemic.

"I asked my scientists in ORD (Office of Research and Development) just a couple weeks ago, how soon would we be able to make determinations about the impact on air quality as far as COVID deaths?" Wheeler said. "And they said, because the COVID death statistics are honestly questionable, it's going to take us some time to figure out what the impact is and what changes will need to occur."

"We're going to have to take a hard look at the impact of COVID on public health as far as air quality and air pollution," he added.

Research has slowed across much of the agency as employees have been encouraged to follow social distancing guidelines. A research vessel that has sailed the Great Lakes for the past 30 years collecting the government's most comprehensive dataset on that region's habitats will remain docked this summer.

Some regulatory work has also slowedgovernment researchers have been unable to collect data at the same pace as before, and outside industry groups are submitting data at a slower rateand at least one highly anticipated new regulation, on heavy-duty trucks, is significantly delayed as a result.

But the agency has also picked up new tasks during the outbreak, issuing new guidance to Americans on what cleaning products are effective at killing the coronavirus on surfaces.

While the Food and Drug Administration approves cleaning products used directly on people, such as hand sanitizer, the EPA approves products such as aerosols, kitchen counter cleaners and disinfectant wipes.

"At the beginning of March we had approved 40 products, and now we've approved over 450 products," Wheeler said. "Our guys are very creative, and created an app that people can download on their phones when they go to the store to make sure that the product they're buying is effective against coronavirus."

Despite the pandemic's impact on the agency, Wheeler has managed to deliver on a deregulatory agenda core to Trump's reelection strategy, announcing some of the EPA's most significant actions of his tenure during the height of the crisis.

The administration finalized a rule on fuel efficiency standards for cars after a belabored process that divided the auto industry and infuriated California's state government. And it helped the White House complete significant revisions of the National Environmental Policy Act, a cornerstone conservation law that protects communities against construction projects that could damage local environments.

The EPA's inspector general is now investigating whether agency leadership acted appropriately as it put together its final rule for tailpipe standards, and whether career EPA officials were sidelined. Wheeler rejected that notion and said he would fully cooperate with the probe.

"They were not shut out," he said. "The criticism is unfounded, and I'm sure that the IG willit should be a fairly quick review by the IG. We followed the exact same procedures that have been followed by the agency in previous administrations, including the Obama administration."

He also pushed back against Democratic lawmakers who have roundly criticized the president's changes to NEPA, announced in a major event on the South Lawn of the White House.

"We actually provided in the NEPA regs for community involvement earlier in the process, which I think is very important," Wheeler said. "One thing that we did in this administration is take environmental justice out of the enforcement office and put it into the administrator's office, so that we could focus on environmental justice across the board and in everything. I don't think you should wait till the end. I don't think you should wait until enforcement actions to think about environmental justice."

The timing of such large policy announcements has raised red flags among environmentalist groups, which have accused Wheeler of exploiting the pandemic crisis as cover for a dramatic series of environmental rollbacks.

As a former lobbyist for the coal industry and senior aide to Sen. James Inhofe, R-Okla., who once brought a snowball onto the Senate floor in 2015 as evidence against global warming, Wheeler is familiar with the criticism.

"People say I'm doing this for former clients. I have no financial interests with former clients. You know, at the end of the day, under our administration, air pollution has dropped 7%," Wheeler said.

While Wheeler has said he views climate change as a distant concern, 50 to 75 years down the line, he has acknowledged that the threat is real and that he is unable to identify its tipping point.

Nevertheless he remains a defender of fossil fuelsnot only as a source of jobs but as a reliable source of energy in an unstable world.

Wheeler recalled as a child on the outskirts of Cincinnati in the 1970s being stuck at home for over a month, prevented by a polar vortex from attending school because natural gas pipelines were too cold to fuel the Ohio Valley.

The experience ingrained in Wheeler a lesson that has proven especially prescient during the coronavirus pandemic.

"Because of crises, you can't depend on any one energy sourceyou have to have multiple energy sources," Wheeler said. "I played poker for three weeks, and then did all my homework the last week before I went back to school. So you know, it'swe need nuclear. We need solar. We need wind. We need coal. We need natural gas. We need all of it."

That philosophy has found him a home in the Trump administration, which asserts that private sector innovation will be a more efficient method of combating climate change than government regulation.

"By reining in EPA overreach, my administration has returned the agency to its core mission of ensuring clean air, clean water, and a truly pristine natural environment," Trump said at the July 16 event on rolling back regulations. Wheeler was in attendance and was thanked for his work. "Our air now and our water is as clean as it's been in the last four decades," Trump said.

And the EPA administrator plans on sticking around.

"I'm not leaving yet. I'm still here for at least another two to three years," Wheeler said, in an expression of confidence in the president's prospects in the November election.

"The president has already asked me to start planning for a second-term agenda. So I'm taking that as he wants me to implement it," he said. "But I serve at the president's request. I am more than willing to serve in a second term if he would like me to stay."

Explore further EPA won't tighten rule for emissions tied to respiratory illness

2020 McClatchy Washington Bureau

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
Since March, the U.S.-Canada border has been closed to all but essential traffic in an effort to contain the spread of the coronavirus. But Americans being Americans, they are flouting the new regulations in the pursuit of their usual summer fun.

According to NPR, Canadian border patrol has effectively prevented caravans of Americans from crossing the border. Most are arriving by sailboats and luxury yachts.

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Those crossing the border have often told officials that they are heading to Alaska to circumvent the new regulations. But because so many Americans are using the so-called Alaska loophole, authorities have increased restrictions.

One reason Americans are being spotted is that Canadian boaters are using technology to monitor them. With the requirement that all passenger boats have to be equipped with tracking devices to help prevent weather-related accidents, anyone with an internet connection can monitor border-crossings and identify vessels by type and country of origin.

A number of us that are retired boaters and still members of the Council of BC Yacht Clubs started looking at the number of American boats that were crossing our border, in spite of the prohibition by the federal government, President of BC Marine Parks Forever, George Creek, told NPR.

But Creek says that the Americans are starting to catch on to the tracking.

Theyre turning them off as they cross the border. We see them on the computer, and at a particular point a few minutes later, theyre not there anymore, he said.

Both Creek and his fellow Canadians dont appreciate border crossing Americans. As NPR points out, one poll found eight in 10 Canadians want the border with the United States to stay closed due to the coronavirus.

Story continues

Creek told NPR hed been angered by an incident involving Americans exiting a large yacht at an outpost for supplies, saying, They wandered the dock. Three or four adults and the rest were teenagers with no social distancing, no masks, and went through the store as if they were just shopping at Walmart.

All of this has frustrated Creek, as America has failed to successfully quell the coronavirus outbreak. When I called the U.S. the biggest petri dish in the world, that was not just off the cuff, Creek said.

See where your favorite artists and songs rank on the Rolling Stone Charts.



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The special CBI court observed that the people who demolished the mosque were anti-national elements and that the accused people were, in fact, trying to control the crowd

Editor's note: This article was originally published on 10 November, 2019, after the Supreme Court allowed the construction of a temple at the site where the Babri Masjid once stood in Ayodhya. The article is being republished after a special CBI court acquitted all the 32 accused in the Babri Masjid demolition case, saying that the demolition was not pre-planned.

A special Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) court in Lucknow on Wednesday acquitted all the 32 accused in the Babri Masjid Demolition case nearly 28 years after the mosque was razed by a mob in Uttar Pradesh.

The court acquitted the accused, which included BJP veterans LK Advani and MM Joshi, Union minister Uma Bharati and then UP chief minister Kalyan Singh, among others, as the evidence against them was not strong enough. It also observed that the Babri Mosque demolition incident "was not pre-planned".

The court observed that the people who demolished the mosque were anti-national elements. The accused people were, in fact, trying to control the crowd, the judgement added, reported News18.

The CBI, which went into the case, produced 351 witnesses and 600 documents as evidence before the court. Charges were framed against 48 people, but 16 had died during the course of the trial.

Twenty-six out of the 32 accused were present in the special court when the judgment was pronounced. Advani (92), Joshi (86), Bharti (61), Singh (88), Nritya Gopal Das, and Satish Pradhan were not present in court and attended proceedings via video conferencing on Wednesday.

The CBI court verdict has come just months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for a Ram temple after the November 2019 Supreme Court verdict which paved the way for the construction of the Ram Temple at the site of the Babri Masjid.

The Supreme Court on November, 2019, settled the seven-decade-long Ram Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid land dispute with the historic verdict of awarding a Hindu group the ownership of a centuries-old religious site. It ordered the allotment of an alternative piece of five acres of land to the Muslims for a mosque.



The core of Janmabhoomi-Babri Masjid dispute lies in the belief that Lord Ram was born in a room located under what was the central dome of the Babri Masjid. The masjid was built on the orders of Mughal emperor Babur in the 16th century before its demolition by kar sevaks on 6 December, 1992.

Following is the timeline of events leading up to the special CBI court acquitting all the 32 accused in the planning the demolition of the Babri Masjid on 6 December 1992.

30 September, 2020: Special Judge S K Yadav delivers judgment in the mosque demolition case, all accused acquitted.

22 August, 2020: Supreme Court extends by a month the deadline for completion of trial in the Babri Masjid demolition case.

5 August, 2020: Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes part in 'Bhoomi Poojan' ceremony for the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya.

4 August, 2020: Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Monday said that the COVID-19 protocol will be strictly followed during the bhoomi pujan ceremony for Ram temple and only those invited should come.

4 August, 2020: Iqbal Ansari, who was a litigant in the Ayodhya land dispute case, has decided to gift a Ram nami stole and a copy of the Ramcharitmanas to Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he attends the bhoomi pujan ceremony for the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

3 August, 2020: Ayodhya District Magistrate Anuj Kumar Jha formally handed over the certified copy of five-acre land to the Sunni Waqf Board, as mandated by the Supreme Court for the construction of Babri mosque.

A delegation of the newly formed Masjid Trust  Indo-Islamic Cultural Foundation led by its president Zufar Faruqi and the Board's Chief Executive Officer Sayyad Mohammad Shoib met Ayodhya DM Anuj Kumar Jha at the latter's residence.

30 July, 2020: The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board formed a 15-member-trust to look after the construction of a mosque on five acres of land allotted by the Supreme Court.

Zufar Ahmed Faruqi, chairman the board  which was the main Muslim litigant in the title suit  said the trust was named as Indo Islamic Cultural Foundation, which will ensure the development of the allocated land in Dhannipur village in Ayodhya.

26 July, 2020: More than five months after its announcement, the trust meant to construct a mosque in Ayodhya following the Supreme Court verdict in the Babri Masjid-Ram Janmabhoomi title suit, is yet to be constituted.

24 February, 2020: The Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board decided to accept the five acres allotted to it by the state government for building a mosque in Dhannipur village in Sohawal tehsil of Ayodhya, around 25 km from the site where the Babri Masjid had stood.

The board, which was the main litigant in the case, also announced the formation of a trust to look after the construction of the mosque as well as an Indo-Islamic Centre, a grand hospital and a public library on the land.

12 December, 2019: The Supreme Court dismissed a batch of petitions seeking review of its Ayodhya land dispute case verdict. The top court, which took these review pleas for consideration in-chamber, rejected them after finding no merit.

There were 18 review petitions, out of which nine have been filed by parties who were part of the earlier litigation and the other nine were filed by third parties.

6 December, 2019: Four review petitions supported by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) was filed on 6 December, 2019, against the Supreme Court's Ram-Janmabhoombh-Babri-Masjid land title dispute verdict.

The review petitions were filed by Maulana Mufti Hasbullah, Mohd Umar, Maulana Mahfoozur Rehman and Mishbahuddin.

Challenging the ruling, the petitioners argued that Hindus never had exclusive possession of the entire site. They added that the apex court's judgement had, in fact, given directions to clear the existing structure that remains after the Babri Masjid was demolished at the site in December, 1992.

3 December, 2019: Senior advocate Rajeev Dhavan, who appeared for Muslim petitioners in the landmark Ayodhya temple-mosque case, posted on Facebook that he had been sacked unceremoniously by the group Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind over reasons he described as "total nonsense".

Reflecting a rift within, however, other Muslim petitioners asserted that Rajeev Dhavan remained their lawyer and had been removed only by the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind.

2 December, 2019: Maulana Syed Ashhad Rashidi, a legal heir of original Ayodhya land dispute litigant, had filed a review petition in the Supreme Court against its ruling in favour of the Ram temple at the disputed site. This was the first review petition filed by a Muslim party against the verdict.

Rashidi said the judgment by the five-judge bench had acknowledged "few of the several illegalities" committed by the Hindu Parties but "proceeded to condone the said illegal acts and awarded the disputed site to the very party which based its claims on nothing but a series of illegal acts".

November 2019: On 9 November, the Supreme Court granted the entire 2.77 acre of disputed land in Ayodhya to deity Ram Lalla. The possession of land will remain with the Central government receiver until a trust, as mandated by the court, is formed. The Supreme Court also directed the Centre and Uttar Pradesh govt to allot 5 acre land to the Muslims at a prominent place for building mosque.

August 2019: The mediation panel failed to reach an amicable settlement. The top court began hearing the case on 6 August.

2018: In February, Kapil Sibal, who appeared for the Uttar Pradesh Sunni Central Waqf Board questioned the court about the hurry and requested that the hearing to be put off till July 2019. In September, the Supreme Court declined to refer the case to a five-judge bench. In March, SC appointed a mediation panel headed by Judge (Retd.) FMI Kallifulla for an out-of-court settlement.

2017: The Supreme Court said that the matter is sensitive and the rival parties should settle it out of court.

2011: In May, the Supreme Court stays the High Court order to split the land, stating that the status quo will remain.

2010: The Allahabad High Court ruled that the disputed land be divided into three partswhere one third will belong to Ram Lalla, represented by the Hindu Mahasabha; one third to the Islamic Waqf Board; and the remaining third to the Nirmohi Akhara. In December, the Akhil Bharatiya Hindu Mahasabha and the Sunni Waqf Board move the Supreme Court, challenging the HC ruling.

2002: In an attack on a train from Godhra in Gujarat, believed to be carrying karsevaks to Ayodhya, at least 58 people were killed. Riots erupted across the state and about a thousand people were said to have been killed during it.

The High Court ordered the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) to excavate the site and to determine if it was earlier a temple. In April, three HC judges started the hearing to determine who the site belongs to.

1992: The disputed Babri Mosque was razed to the ground by karsevaks on 6 December. This led to some of the most deadliest riots across the country which led to the deaths of more than 2,000 people. The central government, headed by PV Narasimha Rao, formed a commission of inquiry under Justice MS Liberhan.

1989: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) laid the foundation of a Ram temple on the land next to the Babri Masjid. Justice Deoki Nandan Agarwal, former VHP Vice-President, filed a fresh suit asking for the mosque to be shifted elsewhere.

In October, the four suits that have been pending at the Faizabad court are transferred to a special bench of the High Court.

1986: A district court ordered that the gates of the mosque be opened and Hindus be allowed to worship there, on a plea by Hari Shankar Dubey. As Muslims protested the move to allow Hindus to pray in the mosque, a Babri Mosque Action Committee is formed.

1961: The Sunni Central Board of Waqf filed a case against the placing of idols inside the mosque and claimed that the mosque and surrounding land was a graveyard.

1959: The Nirmohi Akhara filed a third suit seeking possession of the site and claimed to be the custodians of the Ram Janmabhoomi.

1950: Gopal Singh Visharad and Mahant Paramhans Ramchandra Das filed suits at the Faizabad court seeking permission to offer prayers to the idols in the janamsthan. While the inner courtyard remained locked, prayers were allowed.

1949: Lord Ram's idol appeared inside the mosque. Muslims claimed that the idol was placed by Hindu groups. Both sides file civil suits following which the government declared the area as disputed and locked the gates to the premises.

1885: Mahant Raghubir Das filed the first case, seeking permission to build a canopy on the Ramchabutra (a raised platform) outside the mosque. The plea was rejected by the Faizabad district court a year later.

1859: The officials from British colonial administration erected a fence at the site to separate the places of worships. While the Muslims were allowed to use the inner court, the Hindus were allowed the outer court.

1853: The first recorded incident of violence between Hindus and Muslims over the holy site took place during the reign of Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh. Nirmohis, a Hindu sect, claimed that a Hindu temple had been destroyed during Babur's times to build the mosque.

1528: Mughal emperor Babur's commander Mir Bagi came to Ayodhya, and is believed to have destroyed the pre-existing temple dedicated to Lord Ram to build Babri Masjid.

With inputs from PTI
Lori Vallow Daybell glances at the camera during her hearing, with her defense attorney, Edwina Elcox (R) in Rexburg, Idaho, on March 6, 2020. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP, Pool, File)

Court Hearing Held in Notorious Case of Childrens Deaths

BOISE, IdahoA detective Monday described in excruciating detail how investigators unearthed the remains of two children who had been missing for months while searching the rural Idaho property of a man charged with concealing evidence.

The testimony came during a preliminary hearing where a judge will decide whether there is enough evidence to hold Chad Daybell for trial. He and the childrens mother face charges related to the hiding of the remains of 17-year-old Tylee Ryan and 7-year-old Joshua JJ Vallow, although authorities have yet to say how the two died, or whether homicide charges will be filed in the case that has attracted worldwide headlines.

Daybell late last year married Lori Vallow Daybell, whos charged with conspiring to help him keep the bodies of her children hidden. Both have pleaded not guilty in the case that has ties to doomsday beliefs and the mysterious deaths of others close to the couple.

A boy looks at a memorial for Tylee Ryan, 17, and Joshua JJ Vallow, 7, at Porter Park in Rexburg, Idaho, on June 11, 2020. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP, File)

Rexburg Police Detective Ray Hermosillo said JJ Vallows body was found beneath fresh sod, under which were three large white flat rocks in a row and then a piece of wood paneling. He said the body was buried in a black plastic bag covered in duct tape.

He said when the body was taken to the medical examiners office, investigators found a white plastic garbage bag over the boys head covered with layers of tightly wound duct tape. Hermosillo said the boys wrists and ankles were also bound with duct tape, and that more duct tape bound together his forearms over his chest. The boy was dressed in red pajamas and was wearing black socks.

Hermosillo testified that the girls body was found a short distance away. He said they found evidence that the remains appeared to have been burned.

Investigators said they found the bodies by tracking the movements of Lori Vallows brother, Alex Cox, using cellphone data. Rexburg Police Lt. Ron Ball wrote in court documents that Cox was involved in the conspiracy to hide the childrens remains. Cox died of an apparent blood clot in his lung at his Arizona home last December.

Defense attorney John Prior (R) addresses Magistrate Judge Faren Eddins as to why he and Chad Daybell (L) are not wearing masks in court during a preliminary hearing in St. Anthony, Idaho, on Aug. 3, 2020. (John Roark/The Idaho Post-Register via AP, Pool)

Court documents in Lori Daybells criminal case include claims that the couple believed dark spirits, or zombies, would possess people. A friend, Melanie Gibb, said Lori Vallow told her at different times last year that both children had become zombies and that the couple believed the only way to rid a person of a dark spirit was by killing them.

The strange case began last summer after Cox fatally shot Lori Vallows estranged husband, Charles Vallow, in suburban Phoenix in what he asserted was self-defense. Vallow had been seeking a divorce, saying Lori believed she had become a god-like figure who was responsible for ushering in the biblical end times.

A short time later, she and the kids moved to Idaho, where Chad Daybell lived. He ran a small publishing company and had written many fiction books about apocalyptic scenarios loosely based on the theology of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Friends said he claimed to be able to receive visions from beyond the veil.

Lori Vallow (L) and Chad Daybell (R). (Rexburg Police Department)

At the time, Chad Daybell was married to Tammy Daybell. She died in October of what her obituary said were natural causes. Authorities grew suspicious when he married Lori Vallow just two weeks later. Police had Tammys body exhumed last December in Utah for further investigation; the results of that autopsy have not been released.

Police began searching for Tylee and JJ in November after relatives raised concerns, and they soon discovered that both children were last seen in September. Police say the Daybells lied to investigators about the childrens whereabouts before quietly leaving Idaho. They were found in Hawaii months later.

The case has drawn so much attention that Madison County Prosecutor Rob Wood recently hired a public relations firm to handle the influx of media requests. Authorities have not given details on exactly what they believe happened to the children.

Chad Daybells defense attorney, John Prior, also will get a chance to argue his side during the hearing, that is expected to continue Tuesday. Neither the couple nor their lawyers have spoken publicly about the case.

In most preliminary hearings, defense attorneys try to show the judge that prosecutors evidence is not strong enough to justify sending the case to trial.

By Keith Ridler and Rebecca Boone
STRATFORD  Natalie Terentieff had a busy Tuesday morning.

The lifelong Lordship resident returned to her home on Victoria Lawn just before 11 a.m. after a shift at Home Depot, where there was no lack of customers prepping for Tropical Storm Isaias.

We were very busy today, Terentieff said. I dont know what people do with their flashlights, but when a storm comes, its flashlights and batteries. Flashlights were the big things this morning, and DampRid.

The store didnt move too much plywood, though, she said, in contrast to preparations for storms past.

For Sandy and Irene, I remember we sold a lot, Terentieff said.

Terentieff said her husband had already brought in the cushions from their wrought-iron lawn furniture after Monday nights high winds blew apart a wooden market umbrella.

Terentieff said the area didnt see much impact from the most recent hurricanes to hit Connecticut.

Worse was the damage in 2010 when a tornado hit the area, she said.

That came through, two houses down, Terentieff said. If you rode around Lordship you could see the path it took.

A year later, residents worried Hurricane Irene would wallop them again, but it didnt turn out to be so bad.

When the eye came, everybody went down and was standing up on the bluffs, talking and figuring the second half was supposed to be worse, Terentieff said. Everybody high-tailed it home but luckily the second half wasnt as bad as the first.

Superstorm Sandy swept through a year later.

The worst that we had out here was being without electricity for three days, and that we can all manage, Terentieff said.

She planned on taking in things that could blow away in high winds and hoped damage wont be too bad as winds began to pick up late Tuesday morning.

Probably tree damage is what youre afraid of the most, Terentieff said. Usually before a bad storm everything is so quiet, the treetops arent moving, everything is still. This doesnt seem the same to me.

A few blocks away, father-and-son contracting team Tom and Ian Wahlberg were boarding up a Beach Drive home for a customer, but said residents of the area did not seem as alarmed for Isaias as past storms.

When Sandy hit, one of my regular customers had to put plywood up and then other people came by and saw me and said Could you do my house too? Tom Wahlberg said. It worked out great.

I think this will be the only house this time, Ian Wahlberg said.

In an update shared with residents on the towns Facebook page, Mayor Laura Hoydick said the town had partially opened its Emergency Operations Center on Tuesday in anticipation of possible power outages.

As of 5 p.m. Tuesday, United Illuminating reported 3,617 power outages, or 15.23 percent, of the utilitys customers locally.

The mayor asked residents to exercise caution and stay clear of areas that normally flood during and after the storm.

Hoydick said residents in need of non-emergency assistance can call 203-385-4100 for help.
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

A new longitudinal study published in the Journal of Educational Psychology from Vanderbilt's Study of Mathematically Precocious Youth finds that there are no negative effects on the long-term well-being of gifted youth from academic acceleration such as skipping grades, graduating early, or a combination of advanced educational placement methods.

Despite numerous short-term studies that support educational acceleration as a way to meet the advanced learning needs of gifted youth, popular psychology often fuels concerns among parents and teachers, positing the "happy fish, little pond" theory. This idea promotes inclusion in an age-matched group as a better way for gifted learners to experience the positive emotions associated with achievement, like enjoyment and pride. Conversely, it suggests that being with their intellectual peers might increase negative emotions like anger, anxiety, shame and hopelessness.

"The evidence is very clear that educational acceleration for the gifted is educationally efficacious," said David Lubinski, professor of psychology and human development and holder of a Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair, who, along with Camilla Benbow, Patricia and Rodes Hart Dean of Education and Human Development, and current doctoral candidate Brian O. Bernstein, co-authored the study. Lubinski and Benbow co-direct SMPY.

"However, people worry about long-term effects of acceleration," he said, "and that's where our study is useful."

The longitudinal study looked at similar groups of gifted students identified over a 20- year period and surveyed again at age 50. In the first study, a total of 1,636 participants from three SMPY cohorts identified between 1972 and 1983 were surveyed, each representing a different level of intellectual ability (the top 1 percent, top .5 percent, and top .01 percent). Each participant completed surveys at age 13 (identification), age 18 (after high school) and age 50 (mid-career). Well-being was measured in terms of personal growth, purpose in life, autonomy, self-acceptance and life satisfaction. The pattern replicated across all three cohorts indicated that participants did not suffer from a decline in psychological well-being at age 50 due to educational acceleration at an earlier age. And this was true for both men and women.

A second study designed to replicate the first consisted of a gender-balanced cohort of 478 graduate students identified in 1992 from top STEM graduate institutions in the United States. Participants were surveyed at age 25 (identification) and again at age 50 (mid-career). The age-25 survey collected information about educational acceleration opportunities participants had experienced prior to high school graduation. The age-50 survey used the same questionnaire as the first study, with the same measures of psychological well-being. Again, the amount of academic acceleration among these highly accomplished STEM graduate students did not correlate with individual differences in psychological well-being at age 50, replicating the findings of the first cohorts for both men and women.

While many fear possible adverse consequences from moving a gifted child to a more advanced group of peers, the research here maintains that it is also important to consider the negative outcomes of holding the child back.

"What we need to do for gifted children is basically operate the same way we do at the post-secondary levels," said Benbow. "If an undergraduate, for example, wants to take a high-level course at a university and approaches the professor of that course, the professor would never ask how old they are. Rather, they would probe whether the student meets or can meet the prerequisites and, if they do, they allow the student into the course," Benbow noted. "It's called appropriate developmental placement. You find out where the person is at, and you structure the curriculum accordingly.

"There is really no age at which this philosophy is inappropriate. We do this in early childhood education and then again in higher education. Why would we think we need to treat the intervening years differently?" Benbow asks.

"This was research the gifted field has needed for a long time," Lubinski added, "because this is the first study to examine the relationship of acceleration with psychological well-being over an extensive time frame, and we found no evidence for long-term concerns."

More information: Brian O. Bernstein et al. Academic acceleration in gifted youth and fruitless concerns regarding psychological well-being: A 35-year longitudinal study., Journal of Educational Psychology (2020). Journal information: Journal of Educational Psychology Brian O. Bernstein et al. Academic acceleration in gifted youth and fruitless concerns regarding psychological well-being: A 35-year longitudinal study.,(2020). DOI: 10.1037/edu0000500
The US President Donald Trumps recent executive order that bans H-1B workers in federal contracts is based on misperceptions and misinformation, said IT industry body NASSCOM.

The order on Aligning Federal Contracting and Hiring Practices with the Interests of American Workers focuses on reviewing and policy development around federal contracting and H-1B programme rather than mandating immediate changes, NASSCOM said in the statement.

The recent order directs the heads of each federal department and agency to review the use of offshore services as well as temporary foreign labour such as H-1B and L-1 in the execution of contracts awarded in FY 2018 and 2019 and issue a report within 120 days to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget. The budget agency can review and recommend changes and also propose Presidential action if needed on these contracts.

In addition, the executive order also requires the Secretaries of Labor and Homeland Security to take action within 45 days to protect United States workers from any adverse effects on wages and working conditions caused by the employment of H-1B visa holders at job sites (including third-party job sites), the statement explained.

According to NASSCOM, this underscores and sets a timeline for the agencies to finalise and publish some of the regulatory measures that have been discussed by the administration and mentioned again in the June Proclamation, which banned entry to non-immigrant visa workers till December 31, 2020.

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 order is particularly coming at a time when there is a huge shortage of STEM skills in the US, that workers on short-term non-immigrant visas like H-1B and L-1 help bridge, NASSCOM said.

While the unemployment rate has increased to 13.5 percent in May from 4.1 percent in January since the onset of the pandemic, it declined in computer-related occupations, which most H-1B visa holders avail of. The unemployment declined from 3 percent in January 2020 to 2.5 percent in May 2020.

In addition, there were over 625,000 active job vacancy postings advertised online for jobs in common computer occupations, including those most common to H-1B visa holders, the statement added.

As the world opens up post the COVID-19 induced lockdowns, it is important for the US to be able to access talent critical to the recovery phase. Measures that restrict access to talent will slow-down the recovery phase of US economy, jobs, innovation and research and development, NASSCOM said in the statement.
HARVIA PLC PRESS RELEASE AUGUST 4, 2020 AT 10:00 A.M. EET

Harvia will publish its half-year financial report for the period of January-June 2020 on Thursday, 13 August 2020 at around 09:00 a.m. Finnish time. The stock exchange release and the presentation material will be available at https://harviagroup.com/investor-relations/ .

Analyst, investor and press briefing

Harvia will hold a press conference for analysts, investors and media on the same day at 11:00 a.m. Finnish time, at Allas Sea Pool, Smart & Clean Showroom (address: Katajanokanlaituri 2a, Helsinki, Finland). The conference will be held in English. The conference will be hosted by Harvia's CEO Tapio Pajuharju and CFO Ari Vesterinen.

The conference can be followed as a webcast, accessible at: https://harvia.videosync.fi/2020-q2-results

You can also participate by calling:

FI: +358 981 710 310

SE: +46 856 642 651

UK: +44 333 300 0804

US: +1 631 913 1422

PIN: 55761802#

A recording of the webcast will be available later at the company's website.

HARVIA PLC

For further information, please contact:

CFO Ari Vesterinen, ari.vesterinen@harvia.fi , tel. +358 40 505 0440

Harvia is one of the leading companies operating in the sauna and spa market globally, as measured by revenue. Harvia's brands and product portfolio are well known in the market, and the company's comprehensive product portfolio strives to meet the needs of the international sauna and spa market of both private and professional customers.

Harvia's revenue totaled EUR 74.1 million in 2019, and with EOS the pro-forma net sales of the group are estimated to exceed 90 million. The company employs more than 500 professionals in Finland, China and Hong Kong, Romania, Austria, United States, Germany, Estonia and Russia. The company is headquartered in Muurame, Finland, adjacent to its largest sauna and sauna component manufacturing facility.
Sushmitha Ramakrishnan By

Express News Service

CHENNAI: It would be inaccurate to say that Tamil Nadu has been following a two-language policy for the last several years, for most private schools in the State offer a total of three languages. And, that is not just the central board schools but also the matriculation ones. In private schools there is already a three language formula. There are many students from other states studying here.

How will they pick up Tamil if they migrate when they are older? asks KR Nandhakumar, member of a schools association. There is a lot of migration near the borders, he says. Many parents want their wards to learn their mother tongue formally. We cannot deny them that right. Many private schools in the State offer third languages including Hindi, Sanskrit, Marathi, Telugu, German, French and Urdu- from Class 1-12. The principal of a leading school in Chennai told Express that parents ask for Hindi as an option.

Many parents want their children to learn Hindi and ask us if we offer it even before applying. We also offer French and German because some of our students apply abroad, she said. In fact, even government and aided schools offer languages other than Tamil along the States border. While teaching Hindi was discontinued decades ago, the State offers Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada lessons to schools in the border districts. We also have Urdu classes, said an official from the School Education Department. In private schools Hindi however, is the most opted language after Tamil.

This may mean that the language may gain more takers if it is introduced in the State. According to the New Education Policy, the three languages learned by children will be the choices of States, regions, and of course the students themselves, so long as at least two of the three languages are native to India. The policy reasons by saying that children pick up languages extremely quickly between the ages of 2 and 8 and that multilingualism has great cognitive benefits to young students.

Children will be exposed to different languages early on starting from the Foundational Stage. Speaking to Express, K Deena Bandhu, Special Officer, Dakshin Bharat Hindi Prachar Sabha, Tamil Nadu said that many students in Tamil Nadu want to learn Hindi for a variety of reasons. Learning an additional language is a plus anyway. Hindi is one of the most spoken languages in India and it is important for employment opportunities. We have students from across different backgrounds who want to learn Hindi in Tamil Nadu, he said adding that many students approach the institution because they cannot find good Hindi classes outside. After all, there is a difference between imposition and having a choice.
The first dog in Louisiana has tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, according to a press release from the Department of Agriculture and Forestry.

Officials did not release the dog's name or where the dog lives.

The pet tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, which is the virus that causes COVID-19 in humans.

Initially, it was believed pets could not get the disease, but the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) is now learning that animals can be infected, said Commissioner Mike Strain, D.V.M.

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Officials do not believe that pets play a significant role in spreading the virus. Strain cautioned owners not to surrender or abandon pets due to the concern of spreading coronavirus.

"It appears that people with COVID-19 can spread the virus to animals during close contact," Strain said. "It is important for people with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 to avoid contact with pets and other animals to protect them from possible infection. At this time, routine testing of animals is not recommended.

Can your pet spread coronavirus? Not likely, Louisiana veterinarians say A coughing tiger that tested positive for the novel coronavirus at a New York zoo is raising concerns among Louisiana veterinarians and federa

The CDC has release recommendations for coronavirus patients with pets.

If you are diagnosed with COVID-19, allow a family member or close friend to care for your pets. If no one is available, maintain a safe distance from your pet and frequently wash your hands before and after contact with your pet, their food and supplies, said Strain.
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Orange Niger, the second largest mobile operator in Niger, has selected wireless backhaul solutions and services from wireless hauling specialist Ceragon Networks Ltd to modernise its nationwide backbone network to 4G.

The partners say that this multi-million-dollar project will enable Orange Niger to leapfrog to 4G, starting with the capital city of Niamey and expanding to other major cities to secure over one million 4G subscribers by the end of 2020.

By selecting Ceragons IP-20 platform, Orange Niger is able to double its backbone capacity, utilizing new and wider regulatory spectrum allocations of 112MHz. Ceragon says that the combination of ultra-high-power radios, and the companys wide channel multicore technology with what are known as Advanced Space Diversity techniques, allows Orange Niger to achieve the 4G capacity and coverage it needs, using 50 percent less hardware, with smaller and fewer antennas.

With Ceragons professional services, including network planning and rollout, Orange Niger is able to achieve faster, more accurate first-time-right installations that will meet its subscriber acquisition targets, says the company. Ceragon adds that its solutions and services deliver Orange Niger significant savings in equipment, real estate, energy, installation and maintenance costs and time.

Available figures indicate a subscriber base for Orange Niger in 2018 of over 2.2 million or close to a quarter of the countrys subscribers, putting it some way behind Airtel Niger, which serves nearly half the country. Orange Group announced last year that it was selling its entire 95.5 percent holding in its Niger operation to Zamani Com after getting the green light from Nigers telecommunications authorities.
A home ministry report shows terror-related activities have reduced by around 36 percent in Kashmir after the junking of Article 370

The headlines in the mainstream media on Kashmir in the past year have almost entirely centred on an internet ban, and then the missing 4G connectivity.

For the narrative-setters, the other stuff happening in Kashmir in the past 12 months has been way out of their comfort zone to report. In fact, a nightmare is unfolding for those who made their careers making Jammu and Kashmir burn.

The Union Territory is heading towards normal life with the stride of a patient miraculously cured of a chronic disease. This is despite the undesirable internet bandwidth restrictions in view of severe terror threat from across the border.

The scrapping of Article 370 last year on 5 August caught Pakistan completely off-guard. It felt humiliated, but a direct path of revenge was virtually shut after India's unpredictable and fierce military responses to the Uri and Pulwama attacks.

So, Pakistan woke up late to start an international diplomatic offensive, which failed with even its big brother China and Arab nations refusing to join.

It then stoked and allegedly funded anti-Citizen Amendment Act protests. The 'Kashmir under internet blackout' headlines kept coming internationally and nationally in the mainstream media. Indian agencies and forces could not afford to put their guard down. A seething Pakistan continues to be a top exporter of terror, and use of internet to mobilise violent mobs or orchestrate terror attacks is increasingly common worldwide.

Jan Rydzak, a research scholar at Stanford University, has documented 400 to 450 cases of internet blackouts since 2011 across the work from Russia to South Korea, Venezuela to Sri Lanka.

But in this fixation on reporting the throttling of bandwidth, the media chose to ignore a far more profound change afoot in Jammu and Kashmir in the past 366 days.

Justice for Kashmir's faceless

Besides restoring the right to property for many Kashmiri women and children, the scrapping of Article 370 and Article 35A in one stroke ended the discrimination against marginalised communities like the Valmikis, Gorkhas, Dalits and LGBTQIA individuals. Now, 170 more Central laws are applicable in the Union Territory.

More than 20,000 West Pakistan refugees have got domicile rights, citizenship, and Rs 5.5 lakh per family. Nearly 10,000 safai karmacharis or sanitation workers are now legitimate domiciles with access to all rights and privileges.

The Jammu and Kashmir government has initiated a rare recruitment drive. Initially, it is filling 10,000 vacancies, with 25,000 more to follow. These include posts of doctors, veterinarians, panchayat accounts assistants as junior posts. The hiring process has been redesigned to give preference to widows, candidates without any family member in the government and a five-year age relaxation to casual workers.

The Union Territory administration has decided to provide reservation to Pahari-speaking people (four percent) and economically weaker sections (10 percent). Reservation, so far available only to people living in villages on the Line of Control, has been extended to those living on the international border, benefiting nearly 70,000 families.

More than three lakh Jammu and Kashmir government employees are now getting benefits under 7th Central Pay Commission such as leave travel, children education allowance and hostel subsidy available to Central government employees. The states police, pivotal in the fight against terror and separatism, has been given hardship allowances and additional ration.

A big push for projects

The highest railway bridge in the world is being built over the river Chenab at 359 metres from bed-level (the Eiffel Tower is 324 metres tall).

By December 2022, places in Kashmir will be connected by train. The Udhmapur-Katra (25 kilometres) section, Banihal-Quazigund (18 kilometres) section and Quazigund-Baramulla (118 kilometres) section have already been commissioned.

Work on Shahpur-Kandi, an electricity and irrigation project hanging for five decades, has started. The Ujh project has been fast-tracked. And the metro rail is on its way to Srinagar and Jammu.

The toll tax at Lakhanpur and all other entry points has been abolished from 1 January, 2020.

Reforms have already touched the power sector. The department has been decentralised into five autonomous corporations for better customer response and stable revenue.

Jammu and Kashmir has recouped Rs 100 crore from stamp duty and registration fee after reform in the land registration process.

Urban local bodies are also changing. Municipal committees can now approve projects of up to Rs five crore. Transparent e-tendering has been made mandatory, for instance.

War on corruption and terror

One of the deadliest pests eating away at the erstwhile state has been corruption. In the past year or so, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has repealed the Roshni Scheme, described as India's biggest land scam and also a prolific ploy to change the demography of Jammu and Ladakh. It stopped gratuitous perks to former chief ministers.

All the provisions of Central RTI Act 2005 have been enforced in the Union Territory. The Anti-Corruption Bureau has been brought under the direct supervision of Central Vigilance Commission. The police crime wing now has teeth to deal with economic offences and cyber crime.

Lastly, terror levels have gone down since 5 August last year.

A home ministry report shows terror-related activities have reduced by around 36 percent in Kashmir after the junking of Article 370. In 2019, the Valley recorded 188 terror incidents from 1 January till 15 July compared with 120 in 2020. More terrorists were killed too: The number went to 136 from 126. Grenade attacks came down from 51 to 21. There were 532 incidents of stone pelting in 2018, 389 in 2019, and 102 in 2020.

The armed forces killed 110 local terrorists in 2020 so far, including top ones like Hizbul commander Riyaz Naikoo, Lashkars Haider, Jaishs Kari Yasir and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind's Burhan Koka.

Surprisingly, old hawk of separatism Syed Ali Shah Geelani distanced himself from the Hurriyat Conference.

This is a gist. A lot more is afoot in the Union Territory. But sunshine dancing on the chinar does not make news. The hyenas just come sniffing for blood.

Views expressed are personal
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing the sensational Kerala gold smuggling case has sought the Centres nod to send a team to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) as part of the investigation, an official familiar with the probe said Tuesday.

The official said the trip may be cleared by the Union Government in a couple of days. He also said two more persons, Mohammad Shafeeq and E Sharfuddin, were arrested from north Kerala for facilitating the distribution of smuggled gold. A total of 12 people have been arrested so far in the case.

The gold smuggling racket came to light on July 5 after 30 kg of the yellow metal that was sent on an air consignment to the UAE consulate in Thiruvananthapuram was seized at the airport by the Customs. P Sarith, who came to receive the consignment, was arrested by the Customs immediately and two other accused Swapna Suresh and Sandip Nair were arrested from their hideout in Bengaluru five days later.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayans secretary M Sivasankar, a senior IAS officer, was later suspended after his alleged links with Suresh surfaced.

The Customs department, which is part of the probe headed by the NIA, has decided to question Sivasankar again because there were many discrepancies in his earlier statements, said a senior official.

He has already been questioned by the Customs and the NIA separately. There are also reports that a senior politician will also be questioned for helping some members of the smuggling racket.

When two lockers of Swapna Suresh were opened last week, investigators reportedly found one crore cash and two kg gold. These lockers were in the joint name of Suresh and a chartered accountant. The latter told the investigators that he was allegedly asked by Sivasankar to help Suresh to open lockers three years ago.

Suresh reportedly gave a detailed statement to the NIA containing vital information about all financial dealings and persons involved in the smuggling, said the official. He said more people will be arrested in a couple of days.

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At work, Susan Kaars-Sypesteyn and Pieter Sypesteyn serve the foods of New Orleans and the South at their Cookhouse Restaurant, NOLA Brunch & Beignets and Buds Southern Rotisserie.

At home with their four children, the couple shifts to the Cambodian cooking of Kaars-Sypesteyns upbringing. And starting Aug. 19, theyll be sharing a taste of Cambodia with San Antonio through a new restaurant called Golden Wat Noodle House.

Golden Wat will offer only curbside and delivery service, sharing the same building and kitchen space with Cookhouse. That means the same team will be cooking for both operations, except that Kaars-Sypesteyn will be helping them adapt to the unfamiliar recipes and flash-fire cooking styles of her beloved Cambodian specialties.

Those specialties will include a half-dozen noodle dishes and a half-dozen rice dishes, including a chicken and fish creation called nom banh chok using a complex ginger paste called kroeung to make a broth poured over vermicelli noodles. Sypesteyn compares it to chicken noodle soup, a comforting dish that Kaars-Sypesteyn said is even more important during the pandemic.

We cook this so much at home, and its been so healing for me, she said.

On ExpressNews.com: How Cookhouse Restaurant chef Pieter Sypesteyn balances family and work amid coronavirus

Other options include a dish of pork belly, egg and fish-sauce caramel called kaw and stir-fry specialties called mee kan tang with beef and noodles and a noodle stir-fry called kuy teav cha.

Wat is the word for temple in Cambodias Khmer language, and Golden Wat evokes Kaars-Sypesteyns childhood days going to Buddhist temples. Shes first-generation Cambodian American, her parents coming to the United States after fleeing the Khmer Rouge genocide of the 1970s.

This is really a love story to my mom, Kaars-Sypesteyn said.

Golden Wat will handle orders through goldenwatnoodlehouse.com, which is still in development, with hours of noon to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday. Until then, follow Golden Wat on Instagram at @goldenwatnoodle.

Meanwhile, Cookhouse Restaurant, which closed briefly during the pandemic, will reopen exclusively for curbside and delivery service starting Wednesday.

Mike Sutter is a food and drink reporter and restaurant critic in the San Antonio and Bexar County area. To read more from Mike, become a subscriber. msutter@express-news.net | Twitter: @fedmanwalking | Instagram: @fedmanwalking
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On Monday, the city's Animal Care Services received a call about a small, terrier mix puppy who had several porcupine quills around his snout.

Quilliam Shakespeare, the name ACS gave the puppy, wondered in a yard of a resident who lives in the 1900 block of Hausman Road, near the University of the Texas at San Antonio and had an encounter with a porcupine, according to Lisa Norwood, ACS public information officer.

The resident attempted to approach Shakespeare to help him, but the 2-year-old puppy would run away, Norwood said. After the resident made a report to 311, two ACS officers went out to the location and were able to rescue Shakespeare.

ACS found 17 quills on Shakespeare's snout, Norwood said.
The club stressed that verdicts issued by Egyptian courts are based on principles of consolidating rights and freedoms without undermining the safety of the society

Egypts Judges' Club has rejected statements made by Germany's commissioner for human rights over the recent jailing of a number of Egyptian female social media influencers, describing the comments by the German official as interference in Egypts judicial system.

Barbel Kofler, human rights commissioner for the German government, said last week she was troubled by "long prison sentences and high fines" against Egyptian influencers including Mowada Al-Adham and Haneen Hossam. She said the rulings were passed on questionable legal bases with the aim of intimidating a whole generation of courageous young women.

The Judges Club, an association comprising judges across Egypt, said the statement constitutes an encroachment on the independence of the judiciary stipulated in international charters and an unacceptable interference in the work of the Egyptian judiciary.

Last month, three Egyptian TikTok and Instagram influencers  Haneen Hossam, Mawada Eladhm, and Manar Samy  were sentenced to between two and three years each in jail and fined EGP 300,000 ($19,000) after being convicted of inciting debauchery, promoting immorality and violating the country's family values through videos they share on social media.

The German commissioner said, This way of restricting freedom of expression, which targets in particular young women who communicate very successfully on a wide range of topics on social media, must be soundly rejected.

In response, the Judges Club said the Egyptian judiciary is well aware of the difference between freedom of opinion and expression, and what is considered a violation of social values and a deviation from Egyptian traditions.

The club stressed that verdicts issued by Egyptian courts are based on principles of consolidating rights and freedoms without undermining the safety of the society.

It called on all domestic and international institutions to not rely on misleading misinformation," to comply with international charters, and to not address court rulings and public prosecution decisions in order to preserve the independence of judiciary.

Late last month, 20-year-old university student Haneen Hossam was sentenced to prison for encouraging young women to make money by making friendships through a video app. Mawada Al-Adham, who has 3.2 million followers on TikTok and 1.6 million on Instagram, was found guilty of publishing indecent photos and videos on social media.

Both young women were handed two years in prison.

Two days later, Manar Samy, who has tens of thousands of followers on the video-sharing platform TikTok, was sentenced to three years on similar charges.

The three rulings are not final and can still be appealed.

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JNU student, Sharjeel Imam was in touch with members of the Tablighi Jamaat and residents of Okhla to mobilise crowd for anti-CAA (Citizenship[Amendment] Act) protests outside Jamia Millia Islamia campus last year, Delhi police told a city court last Saturday.

On December 15, violence had erupted following an anti-CAA protest outside Jamia campus with a mob torching vehicles and pelting stones at the police on the Jamia Road, near Friends Colony and on Mathura Road.

Referring to the violence and road blockade of December 15 in the charge sheet against Imam, police have attached a WhatsApp message that they had allegedly retrieved from Imams cell phone. The message has been taken on record and verified by the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, according to the submission by the police.

The police have filed a charge sheet against Imam in connection with making inflammatory speeches at Jamia and Aligarh Muslim University. Police have also booked Imam for sedition for a speech in which he had allegedly talked about cutting off the Northeastern states from India. Imam is currently lodged in a jail in Guwahati.

In the charge sheet, the police have quoted the message which Imam purportedly posted on the WhatsApp group,Muslims of JNU, that was created by Imam on December 5, according to the police.

The message sent at 9.57:15 am on December 15 reads....Yesterday dozens of people from our group were present at Jamia...The following decisions were taken. 1) We will talk to various organisations of Jamia tomorrow and try to work for a joint plan of chakka jam.....Some important roads like Mathura road need to be blocked..2) The zuhar namaaz will be offered in Jamaat ki Markaz Masjid and there will be talk to Jamaat seniors about our plan. 3) We shall from groups of 10 or more than start touring Okhla using mike.....

When contacted, Imams lawyer, Ahmad Ibrahim said, We do not have anything to say now. We would see everything at the stage of trial.

In the charge sheet, police have said that the message(WhatsApp) makes it clear about Imams intention to block the Mathura Road. ...Further during the day, the intention of the accused was implemented as well and a riot also took place there. Further, the accused has also mentioned that they will involve jamat ki markaz masjids seniors. This message makes it clear in advance about the future role of other characters, which materialised at a later stage, police wrote in their charge sheet submitted to the court.

The first time, police mentioned about Markaz in the context of the north-east riots was on June 3, in their charge sheet against a school principal, who was arrested for allegedly orchestrating violence in north-east Delhi. Police had then said that the man was in touch with members of Pinjra Tod (whose members have been arrested), Tablighi Jamaat and Popular Front of India (whose members have also been arrested).

Senior Delhi police officers refused comment on Imams WhatsApp, messages saying that they have presented their case in the charge sheet before the court and the court has taken cognizance. Police also said the investigation into the conspiracy behind the riots is still on.

The Tablighi Jamaat has rejected the police claims and denied any association with the riots. Its well known fact that the Tablighi Jamaat is an absolutely apolitical entity. Since the day of its inception in1926, it has not participated in any political movement, whatsoever. Therefore, all such allegations are wide of the mark, said Fuzail Ayyubi, counsel for the Jamaat.

Imam,31, a student of the Jawaharlal Nehru University was arrested on January 28 from his house in Bihars Jehanabad. After his arrest police had said that they would probe him for the violence in Jamia campus. A resident of Kako in Bihar, Imam was pursuing his PhD from the Centre for Historical Studies in JNU.

Many activists such as Imam, Safoora Zargar and others arrested for their alleged involvement in the northeast Delhi riots, have accused Delhi police of launching a witchhunt against the anti-CAA voices. Police have denied the allegations and said that their cases are being heard in courts and that courts have denied bail because of the evidence against the arrested persons.

The CAA was passed by Parliament last year and opened a fast-track to citizenship for Hindu, Sikh, Parsi, Buddhist, Christian and Jain refugees who fled religious persecution in Bangladesh, Pakistan or Afghanistan and entered India on or before December 31, 2014. Soon after, protests broke out across India, with activists and opposition parties saying the law violated constitutional provisions and was discriminatory towards Muslims. In response, the government said the law aimed to provide a safe haven for people fleeing persecution and was not meant to take away anyones rights or citizenship.

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Lucknow :

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav laid the foundation of Patanjalis food and herbal park in Noida to be constructed in 455 acres with an investment of Rs 1,666.80 crore on Wednesday.

Praising Baba Ramdev in his addressing Akhilesh said that the project will not only help youths and farmers of the region but will also create direct employment opportunities for over 8,000 persons and indirect opportunities of 80,000 people.

Terming UP as a big market, Akhilesh said if anyone wanted to invest in vegetables and milk production, they would get a big market in the state itself which they would not get in the entire country.

Assuring all the help possible from the state government for the establishment of the park, Akhilesh said it would also encourage other entrepreneurs to invest in the state.

Baba Ramdev on the occasion praised CM Akhilesh for the development works initiated by him and said that state government is doing whatever is possible for making state modern and developed.

He said that the work on the park would be completed by end of next year and it would be biggest food park of the country where products worth Rs 25,000 crore would be produced per year.

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The NIA informed the court that some 1.26 lakh mails have been recovered from Hany Babu's email account and they need to be scrutinised.

Mumbai: A special court on Tuesday extended till 7 August the NIA custody of Delhi University's associate professor Hany Babu, who was arrested in connection with the Elgar Parishad case.

Hany Babu Musaliyarveettil Tharayil, 54, associate professor in the Delhi University's Department of English, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) last week for his alleged involvement in the case.

The NIA submitted that the accused had links with the CPI (Maoist).

The special court had last week remanded him in NIA custody till 4 August.

As his custody ended on Tuesday, he was produced before the court by the probe agency.

Seeking his custody further, the NIA informed the court that some 1.26 lakh mails have been recovered from his email account and they need to be scrutinised.

His social media accounts, which were used for communicating with other accused persons, suspects and sympathisers of CPI (Maoist) also needed to be scrutinised, it said.

The NIA further said investigations revealed that Tharayil was in contact with the other arrested accused and they were involved in raising fund for Maoists released from prison, and further probe in this regard was underway.

It came to light during the probe that a conspiracy was hatched by the accused persons, who promoted enmity between various caste groups. It led to violence, loss of life and statewide agitation, the NIA said.

After hearing the probe agency''s submission, special court judge RR Bhosale granted the accused's custody to NIA for three more days.

The case relates 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 located on the outskirts of the western Maharashtra city.

The Pune police filed a chargesheet and a supplementary chargesheet in the case on 15 November, 2018 and 21 February, 2019, respectively.

The NIA took up the investigation in the case on 24 January this year.
In an exculsive interview with NewsX, Mr Pulin Vaidhya, Managing Director of Aztec Group, Fluids and Machinery Pvt Ltd talks about the manufacturing sector in India, his thoughts on MSME sectors and being 'aatmanirbhar', and how to stay true to your ambition during difficult circumstances

Quite recently, Mr. Pulin Vaidhya, Managing Director of Aztec Group, Fluids and Machinery Pvt Ltd joined NewsX for an exclusive interview. Mr Vaidhya is a first time entrepreneur and his company deals with the production and sales of printers all around India. Recognizing an increasing demand in the market for cost-friendly solutions in relation to CIJ products; the company sought to provide necessary remedies through their business.

Aztec as a company is a renowned manufacturer, trader, exporter as well as distributer of CIJ Printers, Fluids and other related services. The goods and services are used in variable data, coding and marketing systems as well as markings on final products. With a good financial position and an experienced R&D department, the company assures quality and increased shelf life.

Upon asked about the functioning of the company during the global pandemic the world is facing and whether they have opened services to customers, Mr Pulin gave a positive response that they have availed services to their customers without charging them during these difficult circumstances.

He also revealed that coronavirus has affected their business but the company is resilient and working tremendously with essential care keeping in mind the health precautions. Customers are in regular contact with the companys employees through virtual platforms or telecommunication services. Moreover, the employees have been receiving internal trainings provided by the company to keep themselves updated and develop their soft as well as technical skills. Through working hard and keeping a positive mindset, the company has been sailing through the pandemic and has not lost a single customer associated with them.

When asked about the practice of being Aatmanirbhar and motivating others to produce and use indigenous products, the Managing Director had a lot to say. Being a made in India company, Aztec aims to lay a major emphasis on their in-house manufacturing facilities. They have been researching on various countries manufacturing processes and have tried adapting their work accordingly while keeping in mind that Indias culture and style of working is unique from other countries.

Mr Pulin also raised an important point that the labour of our countries should not be only seen at a price value but their skills and education should be also taken into consideration. He claims that by encouraging labour, development of our countrys manufacturing sector will soon happen. He also says that in India, the cost of raw materials is high and the labour efficiency is at an all time low; and we should be working on that.

When asked if he has any expectations from the government, he states that the government sector has to work on manufacturing facilities in India. The government focuses more on businesses that lay emphasis on soft skills. Ultimately, the technological and manufacturing companies often get sidelined and seldom given any attention. He wishes that the government take essential measures for companies in the technological sector of India.

Upon asked to give his opinion of MSME sectors, he jokes that they are the middle class of the whole industry. In his opinion, he says that investors are more inclined to invest in start-ups as well as app-based companies. MSME sectors have a major problem in the capital investment and by only looking forward to software-based companies, they often forget about technical and manufacturing units.

When asked for his advice for people that want to be a part of manufacturing sector, he claims that there is a lot of potential of manufacturing, especially in India. There are many tool based and electronic companies flourishing in the nation. Yet, he sees a major gap in the demand and supply. He also confirms that while our country has a lot of goods available, people are still dependent on the neighbouring countries for their supply. If worked hard in achieving to develop a good company, these obstacles can be easily tackled, he advised.

Finally, we asked about what keeps him motivated during difficult times and his success mantra, he claims that by working hard and being dedicated to it with precise planning of everything, one can achieve a lot. He also shared that he uniquely believes that he finds it better to be at the second position rather than the first, as there is always room for more hard work and improvement.
Plans to reopen pubs across Ireland next week have been put on hold for the second time after the Government said it will not give the go-ahead to move to the next phase.

Pubs, bars, hotel bars, nightclubs and casinos will remain closed until a review at the end of the month.

Further restrictions on pubs serving food and restaurants was also announced after Taoiseach Micheal Martin said they will now have to close at 11pm.

Mr Martin said there was worrying evidence of an increase in transmission of the coronavirus within society.

I wish I was in a position to share better news today, but I am not, he said.

He said the 14-day incidence per 100,000 is 7.54, which is up from 2.46 in the 14 days up to June 30.

Given these figures, and the international trend of increased transmission, the Government has made a number of decisions today based on the advice of NPHET (National Public Health Emergency Team), Mr Martin said.

I know that this will come as a bitter disappointment to many people. The cabinet has agreed to continue with the current public health measures that are in place.

The current restrictions on numbers attending indoor and outdoor gatherings will remain unchanged.

We will review the evidence again in three weeks time. I know that this will come as a blow to pub owners and I want them to know that I have enormous sympathy for their plight.

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This virus is taking away their ability to earn a living. It is stopping them from providing a key service in the heart of many communities, especially in rural Ireland.

Were doing what were doing to save lives and to give our society and economy the best chance we can to reopen safely and sustainably.

It means that gatherings of people outdoors will remain at a limit of 200, and not increased to 500 as hoped.

It was also confirmed that face coverings will be mandatory in shops and shopping centres across the country from the August 10.

The so-called green list of countries that could be travelled to and from without movement restrictions has been shortened from the previous 15 to 10.

The countries removed from the list were Malta, Cyprus, Gibraltar, Monaco and San Marino.

However, the Government repeated its message that people should stay at home and not travel abroad.

Mr Martin appealed for the public to have patience.

Please let us continue to fight the virus together for our brilliant health workers, for our children who need to get back to school, for our vulnerable loved ones, for our society and our economy, he added.

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Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said the virus is blazing around the world and is worse now than ever.

He added: I know for workers who thought they were going back to work next week and for businesses who thought that they might be able to reopen, this is going to be a body blow for them. And were very sorry about that but this is the right decision to take.

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said that while Ireland has been doing well, he warned about the spike in cases.

Ten days ago the five-day average for Ireland was 20 new cases per day  its now 53 new cases per day, he added.

Two weeks ago, we had 120 new cases. Last week we have 284 new cases.

Acting chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn said that a significant proportion of new cases over recent weeks are being found in those aged under 45 years.

No age group is immune from this virus and NPHET has recommended today that more is done to reach out and communicate with younger people, Dr Glynn added.

This is not about blame. We will all slip up on occasion, but the priority now must be on continuing to encourage each other to build on and sustain the great efforts that we have all made to date.

We must not drop our guard, whether thats in our own homes in our workplaces, or when were meeting our friends.

Mr Martin also ruled out reopening pubs on a regional basis, saying there were spikes in clusters and community transmission cases in many counties.

He also could not guarantee that pubs would reopen this year, adding that it depends on the prevalence of the virus.

Dr Glynn said there were issues around the manner in which people travel to and from venues where there are large gatherings.

The concern is that they congregate before and afterwards. We have multiple incidents of cases arising from people sharing transport, from household mixing, he added.

In a statement, the Licensed Vintners Association (LVA) and the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI) accused the Government of abandoning the 3,500 smaller pubs across Ireland.

Make no mistake, this is a full-blown crisis for the trade as over 3,500 pubs must now remain shut. Padraig Cribben, VFI

VFI chief executive Padraig Cribben said: This is Groundhog Day for the trade as twice now the reopening of pubs has been postponed.

The new Governments decision has caused grave alarm within the trade as publicans face an extremely uncertain future with little to feel optimistic about.

Make no mistake, this is a full-blown crisis for the trade as over 3,500 pubs must now remain shut.

No further deaths with coronavirus have been reported in Ireland by the NPHET, leaving the national total at 1,763.

However, 45 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 have been notified, bringing the total number of Irish infections to 26,253.

Of these new cases, 77% are aged under 45, and 31 are associated with outbreaks or are close contacts of a confirmed case.
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday (August 1, 2020) refused to entertain public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to the Delhi government to take steps to waive off the school tuition fee amid the ongoing coronavirus-induced lockdown.

A bench of Chief Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan also expressed displeasure with the petitioner and counsel and asked why did you not apprised the court that a similar matter was already dismissed by the same court.

This is clear misconduct," the bench said, after which advocate N Pradeep Sharma sought an apology from the High Court and withdrew the PIL as the court was not convinced by his arguments.

The plea, filed by one Naresh Kumar, prayed for the interpretation of Force Majeure clauses in the present pandemic situation and sought directions to the Directorate of Education, Government of NCT Delhi to take steps to waver off the school tuition fee.

According to the petition, the impact of COVID-19 is building by the day, supply chains are being significantly disrupted and businesses` rights and obligations under contracts are coming into sharp focus.

The plea said that private school administrations have been demanding school fee and other charges without rendering any services. It said that the school admission form does not have any clause that in case of an adverse situation, the school would charge tuition fees for providing online classes.

"The students are facing several side effects and such online classes offered by schools have other medical and psychological implications, which is against the concept of school education," the plea said.

"The schools are duty-bound to follow and abide the terms and conditions which are a part of school prospectus and if there is no Force Majeure clause in the school prospectus, demanding of tuition fee, without providing the actual education, is a violation of law in terms of a contract and also against the principle of natural justice," it added.

The plea said that it would not be out of the question to mention that the school prospectus does not contain any clause with respect to a pandemic or like situation and further that in such a condition, the school would provide online classes and charge tuition fees for the same.

It also said that the entire student community is facing a lot of problems to gain knowledge through the online education system.

"Some homework and class tests are required to be undertaken under the guidance of trained teachers so as to achieve, through the online way of teaching. It would be important to mention that private schools are either being run by the Society or trust and are not doing any social service to society. Even otherwise, the school is a service provider and thus is covered under the Consumer Act also," the plea said.
Philadelphia Police commissioner Danielle Outlaw at the scene of the shooting in the 200 block of N. Simpson St, where a 7 year old child was shot in the head on Saturday. The boy had been playing with a toy on the porch when gunfire erupted in the street. Read more

Philadelphia police on Tuesday identified two men wanted in the shooting of 7-year-old Zamar Jones, who died after being struck in the head Saturday by a stray bullet during a shootout in front of his West Philadelphia home.

Damar Bashier Jones, 27, of Southwest Philadelphia, and Michael Banks, 30, of Darby, are wanted for their roles in the gunfight on the 200 block of Simpson Street, police said. It was not immediately clear if Damar Jones was related to Zamar.

Police have said Christopher Linder initiated the shootout, driving onto Simpson Street around 7:40 p.m. Saturday and firing a hail of bullets at a group of people standing outside, prompting two men to return fire.

One of the shots hit Zamar in the head as he sat on his porch next to his toy race car and scooter.

Staff Inspector Sekou Kinebrew, a police spokesperson, said that police were still seeking to determine what role Jones and Banks played in the incident but that warrants had been issued for their arrests.

The motive for the crime remains under investigation, police said.

After opening fire, Linder crashed his truck on Simpson Street, stole an SUV and drove away, then returned to the scene, police said. By that time, officers were on the block, and they chased him and arrested him, police said.

Zamar was taken to Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia and clung to life until Monday, when he was pronounced dead at 1 p.m.

Linder, who was arraigned early Monday on charges including attempted murder and aggravated assault, would also be charged with the boys murder, authorities have said. He remains jailed after being denied bail.
A constable of the Border Security Force (BSF) shot dead two of his colleagues in north Bengal late at night on Monday in another case of fratricide in paramilitary forces.

The accused surrendered a few hours later and was handed over to the police.

Inspector Mahendra Singh Bhatti and constable Anuj Kumar were shot dead by constable Uttam Sutradhar. They died on the spot. Sutradhar surrendered before the company commander a few hours later, said Sumit Kumar, superintendent of police (SP), Uttar Dinajpur district.

The three BSF personnel were on duty along the Indo-Bangladesh border under Raiganj police station in North Dinajpur district at night on Monday.

They were attached to the Maldakhand border outpost of BSFs 146 battalion.

While Sutradhar belongs to Tripura, slain Bhatti and Kumar hailed from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, respectively.

Even though a senior police officer said that Sutradhar had some grievances against some BSF officers, which could have led to the fratricide, the paramilitary authorities are yet to ascertain the cause of the incident.

On Monday night, at around 11:50 pm, Sutradhar fired two rounds in the air from his service rifle. When Bhatti and Kumar rushed to the spot, Sutradhar opened fire on them and killed them on the spot.

The company commander reached the spot and the constable surrendered to him at around 3 am. The victims neither had any quarrel nor scuffle with the accused. The cause of firing will be ascertained after the conduct of a probe, said Rajeev Ranjan Sharma, deputy inspector- general (DIG) BSF, North Bengal Frontier.

The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination and Sutradhar was handed over to the police, he added.

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August 5

Local group meets weekly for networking

The Spring Business Builders - a referral-based networking group - meets at 8 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. every Wednesday via Zoom.

Whats new in Spring?: New bakery, bistro opens in CityPlace

The group used to meet at IHOP on Kuykendahl. Newcomers are encouraged to bring their 60-second commercial about their business or services.

Email scangirlone@gmail.com for more information or for the link for the weekly Zoom video conference. Learn more at www.facebook.com/Springbusinessbuilders.

Senor Burrito Company opens for business

Chef Miguel Camacho and his Senor Burrito Company food truck will celebrate its grand opening from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Aug. 5 at 403Eats Food Truck Park in Tomball.

Specializing in burritos, carne asada fries and street tacos, Senor Burrito Company blends California and Mexican taste. Other food trucks at 403Eats Food Truck Park in Tomball include Draculas Chimney Cakes, Dexter Dogs, Kennys Grub, Marcos Pepper Grill and Venezuelan Taste.

403Eats is located at 403 E. Main Street in Tomball. Learn more at www.403eats.com.

August 7

Drive-in concert features hard rock

Blacktop Mojo will perform during an event called Tailgate & Tunes at the field next to Bareback Bar and Icehouse from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. on Aug. 7. Admission is $25 per car for this drive-in concert.

On HoustonChronicle.com: New Flower Child restaurant opens in Houstons Heights neighborhood

The East Texas band has released four albums since their 2014 debut I Am. The hard rock band blends post-grunge licks with southern styled ballads. The event is kid friendly.

Bareback Bar and Icehouse is located at 19940 Kuykendahl Road in Spring. Learn more at www.facebook.com/barebackbar.

Donate school supplies to Team Abilities

Team Abilities presents a sock hop back to school supply drive from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 7.

The event will feature food, music, dancing and games as the organization collects school supplies for underserved students in Montgomery County. Needed items include backpacks, pocket folders, colored pencils, notebook paper, 3-ring notebooks and more. Team Abilities serves low- to high-functioning adults with special needs through various programs.

Team Abilities is located at 1029 Pruitt Road in Spring. Learn more at www.facebook.com/teamabilitiesthewoodlands.

Comedy night raises money for Cy-Hope

Cy-Hope presents a comedy night starring Srsly Melissa at 7 p.m. on Aug. 7 at The Cypress Alamo. Tickets are $40.

Cy-Hope is a nonprofit that raises money to benefit at-risk children in Cy-Fair. The group frequently distributes food to those in need each week among other service projects. Srsly Melissa is a professional comedian who overcame a speech impediment and believes laughter can serve as medicine.

The Cypress Alamo is located at 12715 Telge Road. Learn more at www.facebook.com/CyHopeTx.

August 8

Art gala fundraiser goes virtual this year

The Pearls of Art Gala 2020 has been transformed into a virtual event set for Aug. 8 starting at 6:30 p.m. to raise money for the Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts.

The theme is now Art Heals and will allow for an opportunity to gather to celebrate heroes on a shared road to recovery. A silent auction and cocktails begin at 6:30 p.m. and master of ceremonies Harris County Commissioner Jack Cagle and Pearl Board Chair Calvin Cobb will speak guide patrons through a virtual experience at 7 p.m.

Learn more and tune in at www.pearlmfa.org.

August 10

County Pct. 4 presents Shrek movie night

Harris County Pct. 4 presents a summer movie night showing of Shrek at Pundt Park at 7 p.m. on Aug. 10. The event is free, but registration is required.

Seating is limited to ensure social distancing. Register by calling 713-274-4050 during business hours.

Pundt Park is located at 4129 Spring Creek Drive in Spring. Learn more at www.facebook.com/HCPrecinct4.

August 11

Cypress Creek FACE continues virtually

Cypress Creek Foundation for the Arts and Community Enrichment will continue its Virtual FACE to Face Summer Concert Series at 2 p.m. on August 11.

On July 28, the concert series performance was by Carnaval Guitar Duo, comprised of classical guitarists Edward Grigassy and Rodrigo Gamboa. The duo performed tangos, waltzes, rumbas and more from Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Brazil and Italy. The performance is available on YouTube.

Learn more and tune in at www.facebook.com/CyCreekFACE.

August 12

Randall King performs at Dosey Doe Barn

Randall King will perform an acoustic set at 8 p.m.on Aug. 12 at Dosey Doe The Big Barn. Tickets start at $24.

Earlier this year, country heartthrob King released the single Hey Cowgirl, a catchy radio hit thats racked up more than 4.9 million views on YouTube.

Dosey Doe The Big Barn is located at 25911 I-45 North in The Woodlands. Learn more at www.doseydoe.com or call 281-367-3774.

August 14

Junior Brown performs two nights at Main Street

Junior Brown will perform at MainStreet Crossing in Tomball for two shows each night for two nights at 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Aug. 14-15. Tickets start at $30.

Browns latest record is 2018s Deep in the Heart of Me which opens with a track about honkeytonks long gone and burned down. Some of Browns best-known songs include My Wife Thinks Youre Dead, Broke Down South of Dallas and My Baby Dont Dance to Nothing but Ernest Tubb.

Main Street Crossing is located at 111 W. Main Street in Tomball. Learn more at www.mainstreetcrossing.com or call 281-290-0431.

August 15

Interactive murder mystery takes stage at brewery

Creative Learning Society presents Cold Case Murder Mystery Evening at 7 p.m. on Aug. 15 at Twisted Acre Brewery in Cypress. Registration is $35 for a two-person team.

Each team will receive a detective packet with full case details  but there are twists and turns as the teams compete to find the clues first.

Twisted Acre Brewery is located at 16103 Grant Road in Cypress. Learn more at www.facebook.com/CreativeLearningSociety/.

August 18

Cypress-Tomball Democrats will meet virtually

Mariana Sanchez will be the featured speaker as the Cypress-Tomball Democrats will meet virtually at 6:30 p.m. on Aug. 18.

Sanchez is the founder of Bonding Against Adversity, an advocacy organization that assists immigrants in their search for safe housing, healthy living, dropout prevention and citizenship assistance.

For the link for the Zoom video conference, email cytomdemocrats@gmail.com. Learn more at www.facebook.com/CyTomDems.

Entertainment roundup is a weekly feature compiled by freelance writer Brandon Moeller. Send entertainment submissions to Brandon at moellerbrandon@gmail.com .
Once a local water board approves a rate increase, voters cannot prevent it from taking effect by circulating a referendum, though they can seek to reduce it later, the state Supreme Court ruled Monday.

A referendum ordinarily blocks implementation of a new law once it qualifies for the ballot until voters decide whether to approve the law. But the court said the California Constitution exempts laws from a referendum challenge if they impose taxes for usual current expenses of the state or local government.

That exemption applies to water rates and other assessments to fund essential government operations, Justice Leondra Kruger said in the unanimous ruling.

Dunsmuir, a small city in Siskiyou County, depends on water charges to provide water to residents and to maintain the infrastructure necessary to do so, Kruger said. Suspending those charges, even temporarily, to await a public vote could impair the citys ability to carry out one of its most basic and essential functions, she said.

The ruling would not prevent local voters from trying to reduce water rates by circulating an initiative after the increase took effect  a procedure attempted, unsuccessfully, by opponents of the Dunsmuir water rates. But Michael Colantuono, a lawyer for Dunsmuir, said the city could obtain a bond to finance its costs and keep the new rates in place at least as long as it took to pay off the bond.

The case required the court to weigh the needs of state and local governments against policies set forth in ballot initiatives to limit lawmakers ability to raise taxes and require voter approval in some cases. The justices will face a similar conflict shortly if they take up a challenge to a 2018 San Francisco tax on businesses to fund services for the homeless. A state appeals court ruled in June that because the measure was placed on the local ballot by a voter initiative, it did not require the two-thirds majority normally needed for tax increases.

Dunsmuir, a community of less than 1,600 just south of Mount Shasta, prides itself on a water supply drawn from mountain springs. But a city assessment in 2014 found numerous leaks in aging water pipes and a need to upgrade a 105-year-old water storage tank to maintain water pressure and fire protection.

The City Councils approval in 2016 of a five-year, $15 million upgrade, funded by ratepayers, was challenged by Leslie Wilde, a former councilwoman. She tried, but failed, to collect enough signatures from property owners to legally block the increase, and local voters rejected an initiative she sponsored in November 2016 to set lower rates.

But she had also gathered enough signatures for a local referendum, and argued that it should have prevented the new rates from taking effect until another public vote. The court disagreed, saying California law, despite initiatives requiring voter approval of most new local taxes, does not mandate such approval or authorize a referendum on taxes that pay for water, sewer and garbage collection services.

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.

Rejecting a lower-court ruling that the water rate was a fee rather than a tax, Kruger said the law defines taxes broadly to include any contribution imposed by government upon individuals, for the use and service of the state, including water delivery.

Wilde said Monday that the court had missed an opportunity to protect vulnerable populations of California ratepayers.

The case is Wilde vs. Dunsmuir, S252915.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @BobEgelko
K anye West has withdrawn his petition to appear as a presidential candidate on New Jerseys ballot, according to an email chain between a judge and what appears to be the rappers campaign email address.

In email correspondence, an unidentified person writing from a Kanye 2020 address tells administrative law judge Gail Cookson that West is dropping his effort to appear on New Jerseys ballot.

At this time, Kanye 2020 has no further option than to regrettably withdraw from New Jersey and cease further efforts to place Mr Wests name on the New Jersey ballot, the Kanye 2020 email said.

Ms Cookson replied on Tuesday, accepting the withdrawal.

I will consider this email as a request for a withdrawal of your petition to be placed in nomination for the President of the United States in the State of New Jersey, Ms Cookson wrote.

Rapper Kanye West at his first rally in support of his presidential bid in North Charleston / REUTERS

Election lawyer Scott Salmon objected to Wests petition last month, arguing that it failed to pass legal muster because signatures were incomplete and in some cases appeared written in very similar handwriting.

Mr Salmon, who is a registered Democrat but brought the complaint on his own behalf, reacted positively to the news that West had withdrawn.

I am glad that the Kanye campaign has realised that their petition was so deficient that it wasnt even worth defending, Mr Salmon said in a phone interview.

It sort of highlights the fact that it shouldnt have been submitted in the first place.

The New Jersey petition showed a number of signatures looked nearly identical, including lower-case is dotted with a small circle. Some signatures lacked complete addresses.

On the petition, West listed his residence as Cody, Wyoming, where he bought two ranches in the area last year.

Questions about why West withdrew and whether the campaign disputed Mr Salmons objection were sent to the Kanye 2020 email address.

New Jersey is a reliably Democratic state in presidential elections, siding with the Democrats since 1988.

The status of Wests presidential campaign and whether he is truly seeking the White House remains unclear.

Kim Kardashian West last month asked for empathy for her husband and said he is bipolar.

Last month in South Carolina, Kanye West delivered an unconventional campaign introduction speech during which he proposed a one million US dollars payout to mothers and decried slavery abolitionist Harriet Tubman for her work on the Underground Railroad project.

The Kanye 2020 website invites visitors to sign a petition so he can appear on the South Carolina ballot and uses a shorthand name that West uses as his Twitter handle as a slogan: Ye for President.

Reporting by Press Association.
By Jack Stubbs

LONDON (Reuters) - Suspected state-backed Russian hackers are believed to have stolen the entire contents of a personal email account used by former British trade minister Liam Fox as part of an attempt to sway the 2019 UK election, two sources told Reuters.

Reuters reported on Monday that Fox's account was accessed multiple times by the hackers between July 12 and Oct. 21 last year.

The Kremlin did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the hacking of Fox's personal email.

Some of the hacked documents detailing UK trade negotiations with the United States were then leaked online by what London has said were "Russian actors" seeking to interfere in British politics. Moscow has denied the allegations.

The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a criminal investigation into the hack is underway, said the compromised account was hosted by an online email service and was not an official government address.

They said the hackers are believed to have accessed the contents of Fox's mailbox, which could number thousands of emails and documents.

"It would be unusual for hackers to make off with just one email," one of the sources said. "You don't stop to read them in the middle of the heist."

Reuters was not able to determine which online email provider was used, and representatives for Fox declined to comment on Tuesday.

A government spokeswoman referred to an earlier statement, which said: "There is an ongoing criminal investigation into how the documents were acquired, and it would be inappropriate to comment further at this point."

"But as you would expect, the Government has very robust systems in place to protect the IT systems of officials and staff."

The British government does not explicitly bar the use of private email accounts for official business, but says all information must be handled in accordance with the law, including the Official Secrets Act.

Story continues

Government guidance to ministers and their staff issued in 2013 says that in addition to official email systems "other forms of electronic communication may be used in the course of conducting Government business," but highlights a series of privacy and security factors that should be taken into account.

The government spokeswoman declined to comment on whether any more recent guidance had been issued or if Fox had breached those rules.

The sources said Fox's private email account had been identified as part of an investigation into how the classified trade documents were leaked online, which was launched following a Reuters report that the activity mirrored a previously-identified Russian disinformation campaign.

In line with usual practice, investigators had to obtain Fox's permission to access the account and study the details of the hack, which involved a so-called "spear phishing" message designed to trick targets into revealing their passwords, the sources said.

(Reporting by Jack Stubbs; Editing by Mike Collett-White)
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 02:06:14|Editor: huaxia

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LONDON, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- To blame China for this pandemic is to rewrite the history of COVID-19 and to marginalize the failings of Western nations, said Dr. Richard Horton, editor-in-chief of medical journal The Lancet.

"The present wave of anti-China sentiment has now evolved into an unpleasant, even racist, sinophobia, which threatens international peace and security," Dr. Horton said in an opinion article recently published by British newspaper The Guardian.

"At moments of geopolitical stress, it is surely better to intensify, not weaken, personal and institutional relationships. It is surely better to build better understanding between peoples," Dr. Horton said in the article.

"China's 1.4 billion people are not immune from the economic shocks that are currently enveloping the world. A pandemic is a moment for solidarity between peoples, not conflict between governments," he said.

A pandemic is a moment for "conciliation, respect, and honesty between friends", Dr. Horton noted.

Instead of accelerating a new cold war between the West and China, Dr. Horton called on medicine and medical science to help establish a new compact between nations.

He also praised China's scientists who acted "decisively and responsibly" to protect the health of the Chinese people in the case of COVID-19.

"They advised early lockdown to cut the lines of viral transmission. They implemented strict physical distancing policies to reduce social mixing. And they built temporary hospitals to expand bed capacity and to enable triage of the sickest patients to intensive care," he said. Enditem
Coronavirus Updates: The positivity rate in Delhi stood at 6.4 percent while the recovery rate was nearly 90 percent on Wednesday, a state health department bulletin said

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Of the total 2.08 crore tests conducted so far, around 26.5 lakh are antigen tests, an ICMR official said.

A record 6,61,892 samples were tested for COVID-19 on Monday, taking the total number of tests conducted so far in the country to 2,08,64,750 and the Tests per Million (TPM) to 15,119.

Rapid antigen tests comprise nearly 25-30 per cent of the total daily tests conducted for the detection of COVID-19 in the country at present, ICMR Director General Balram Bhargava said on Tuesday.

While 330 patients have recovered from the disease so far in the state, five have died due to the virus.

Meghalaya on Tuesday recorded the highest single-day recovery of 66 COVID-19 patients, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said. Fifteen more people also tested positive for coronavirus, increasing the state's tally to 917.

Pune district reported 2098 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, taking its COVID-19 count to 94,978 on Tuesday, a health department official said. He said the death toll rose to 2,185 with 56 more patients succumbing to the infection during the same period in the western Maharashtra district, reports PTI.

Public health experts say the problem has been compounded by confusing and inconsistent guidance from politicians and a patchwork quilt of approaches to containing the scourge by county, state and federal governments.

Many Americans have resisted wearing masks and social distancing, calling such precautions an overreaction or an infringement on their liberty.

Fourth of July gatherings, graduation parties, no-mask weddings, crowded bars there are reasons the US has racked up more than 155,000 coronavirus deaths, by far the most of any country, and is fast approaching an off-the-charts 5 million confirmed infections, easily the highest in the world, reports AP.

Assam on Tuesday reported its highest single-day spike of 2,886 new COVID-19 cases, taking the state's tally to 48,161, Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said. Six more patients died in the state, following which the toll rose to 115.

Maharashtras case count rose to 4,57,956 after 7,760 new infections, and the toll went up by 300 to 16,142. Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu has 2,68,285 cases and the toll stood at 4,349.

The number of active cases in Delhi went below the 10,000-mark. The Capitals coronavirus tally stood at 1,39,156, including 1,25,226 recoveries and 4,033 deaths.

The company said it could start a large pivotal Phase III trial as soon as late September, and on a conference call added that it could produce 1 billion to 2 billion doses of the vaccine in 2021.

Novavax Inc said on Tuesday its experimental Covid-19 vaccine produced high levels of antibodies against the novel coronavirus, according to initial data from a small, early-stage clinical trial, sending the companys shares up 10%, reports Reuters.

The global toll rose to 6,99,134 on Wednesday with the United States adding 1,302 more fatalities to the tally, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The global coronavirus count crossed 1.84 crore. As many as 1.10 crore people have recovered.

"India as a whole, the testing rates are much lower compared to some of the countries, who have done well like Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan.

The Chief Scientist of WHO, Soumya Swaminathan, in an interactive session through video conference said,as of now about 28 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are under clinical trial, of which five are entering Phase-II and over 150 candidates are in pre-clinical trials across the globe.

Noting that lockdown was a temporary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, a senior official of the World Health Organisation on Tuesday said India has a low testing rate when compared to some of the countries that are successfully trying to curb it.

"I will lead a silent prayer in the memory of COVID Warriors. I appeal to my 4.5 crore sisters and brothers of Odisha to join this silent prayer at 6 pm tomorrow (5 August)," Patnaik said.

In a bid to boost the morale of the thousands of people engaged in the fight against COVID-19 in the state, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged people to observe a silent prayer on Wednesday and take an oath to follow guidelines to avoid infection.

"India as a whole, the testing rates are much lower compared to some of the countries, who have done well like Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan. Even the United States is testing a huge number of people. So we need to have some benchmark and every public health department needs to have benchmarks on what is the rate of testing per lakh or per million, what is the test positivity rate," said Soumya Swaminathan, the Chief Scientist of WHO.

Noting that lockdown was a temporary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, a senior official of the World Health Organisation on Tuesday said India has a low testing rate when compared to some of the countries that are successfully trying to curb it.

India registered over 19 lakh COVID-19 infections on Wednesday after 52,509 more individuals tested positive for the novel coronavirus. With 857 more deaths in the past 24 hours, the COVID-19 toll climbed to 39,795, according to the health ministry.

So far, 12,82,216 COVID-19 patients have been cured, taking India's recovery rate to 67.19 percent.

Of the total 19,08,255 confirmed coronavirus cases, there are 5,86,244 active cases, according to the latest data by the health ministry.

Reports of him contracting the viral infection came on 25 July. The hospital advised him to quarantine himself at home and monitor his health for further seven days.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivrah Singh Chouhan has been discharged from Bhopal's Chirayu Hospital on Wednesday after recovering from COVID-19, reported ANI.

"After symptoms of coronavirus, I got tested on advice of doctors. I have tested positive for COVID-19. Those who came in contact with me in past few days are requested to follow government guidelines and quarantine themselves and get themselves tested," said Pathak.

Uttar Pradesh cabinet minister Brajesh Pathak on Wednesday said he has tested positive for the novel coronavirus, and asked people who came in contact with him recently to get themselves tested as per norms.

Of 18.55 lakh total confirmed COVID-19 cases, nearly 5.8 lakh patients are being treated for coronavirus in different parts of the country, as per the Union Health Ministry.

Of the 32 new cases, eight were reported from Lohit district, Lower Siang (7), East Siang (4), West Kameng and Capital Complex three each, Changlang, Tirap and Papumpare reported two cases each and one from East Kameng district, State Surveillance Officer Dr L Jampa said.

Arunachal Pradesh on Wednesday reported 32 fresh COVID-19 infections including 13 security personnel, taking the northeastern state's overall count to 1,790, a senior health official said.

The state recorded 32,900 COVID-19 recoveries so far, according to the Rajasthan government.

With 593 fresh COVID-19 infections in Rajasthan, the overall count in the state climbed to 47,272 on Wednesday, ANI reported. The COVID-19 toll has reached 742 after 10 more patients succumbed to the viral infection.

Stating that a realistic timeline to start receiving first million doses of COVID vaccine is mid-2021, World Health Organizations Chief Scientist Dr Soumya Swaminathan cautioned that it might take longer "as we did not understand the virus completely".

Favipiravir has received authorisation from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for emergency use, Lupin said in a regulatory filing.

Drug major Lupin on Wednesday announced the launch of its Favipiravir drug under the brand name 'Covihalt' for the treatment patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 symptoms at Rs 49 per tablet in India.

"ZyCoV-D was found to be safe and well tolerated in the phase I clinical trial. The company will now commence phase II clinical trials from the 6th of August, 2020.

Drug firm Zydus Cadila on Wednesday said the phase I clinical trial of its COVID-19 vaccine candidate, ZyCoV-D, has been completed and it will commence phase II clinical trials from 6 August.

Odisha's COVID-19 caseload crossed the 39,000-mark with the detection of 1,337 fresh infections, while nine more fatalities pushed its coronavirus toll to 225 on Wednesday, reports PTI. The fresh infections reported in 28 districts took the state's tally to 39,018.

The Ministry of National Health Services said a total of 675 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the country. The total number of infected cases reached 281,136 after 675 new cases were detected while the death toll due to the infection has surged to 6,014, the ministry said in a statement.

Pakistan has reported 15 more deaths due to coronavirus in the last 24 hours, taking its death toll to 6,014 while the total number of infections in the country stands at 281,136, the health ministry said on Wednesday.

The police personnel who tested positive for the disease included 1,035 officers, he said. "So far, 10,026 personnel have tested positive for COVID-19. Of them, 107 personnel, including 10 officers, have died," the official said, adding that more than 50 percent of the casualties were reported from the Mumbai Police force.

Over 10,000 Maharashtra Police personnel have so far tested positive for coronavirus and 107 of them have died due to the viral infection, reports PTI.

Tripura's COVID-19 caseload increased to 5,646 on Wednesday with the detection of 125 fresh infections, while two more fatalities pushed its coronavirus toll to 30, reports PTI.

The singer shared his diagnosis in a Facebook videoearlier today. He said that he had tested positive a few days back but it was a mild case of the virus.

Popular playback singer SP Balasubrahmanyam has tested positive for the coronavirus. Despite doctors advising home quarantine, the singer chose to admit himself to the hospital.

Trump, who has in the past upped the ante against Beijing over its handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that the coronavirus should not have hit the world.

Americas attitude towards China has changed greatly since the coronavirus pandemic hit the country, US President Donald Trump has said, asserting that the Chinese government should have stopped the deadly contagion in Wuhan.

According to ANI reports, former Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah has no fever and his vital parameters are stable. "He has been started on appropriate treatment and is being closely monitored by our experts. His symptoms have improved since admission and is comfortable at present," Manipal Hospital told the news agency.

According to the Puducherry health department, 286 new COVID19 positive cases and 7 deaths were reported in the Union Territory. The total number of cases now at 4,432 including 1,721 active cases, 2,646 recovered cases and 65 deaths.

The new cases raised the total number of COVID-19 infections in the country to 54,254, the MOH said.

Singapore on Wednesday reported 908 new coronavirus cases, the highest daily figure recorded since May, with the Ministry of Health (MOH) attributing the high number of infections to the ongoing clearance of dormitories housing foreign workers.

The boy, who was a resident of Junglighat area of Port Blair, was suffering from diabetes. He died of COVID-19 at the G B Pant Hospital here, the official said, adding the fresh fatality has pushed the coronavirus death toll in the islands to 12.

Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported the first death of a child due to COVID-19 as an eight-year-old boy succumbed to the infection on Wednesday, reports PTI.

The BMC on Wednesday said that one new coronavirus case was reported in Mumbai's Dharavi area, taking the total number of cases to 2,589, including 77 active cases and 2,254 discharges.

The Goa government said that all passengers arriving in the state are "required to go for 14 days of home quarantine or they can opt for 14 days of paid institutional quarantine."

Kerala reported 1,195 cases in the last 24 hours taking the overall tally across 29,000. The state's toll has reached 94. Of the positive cases, 971 were infected through contact and the source of infection of 79 people is not known, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Sixty six of those who tested positive have come from foreign countries and 125 from other states. Thirteen health workers are among those infected,he told reporters.

They said while one death took place in Jammu region, eight were reported from the Kashmir Valley. The coronavirus death toll in the union territory has now risen to 426 of which 395 are from the valley and 31 from Jammu region

Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday recorded 559 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infected people to 22,955, even as 9 COVID-19 patients died during the last 24 hours in the union territory, officials said. "Nine people, who were COVID-19 positive, have died over the past 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir," the officials said.

The state of Maharashtra reported 10,309 new coronavirus cases today while 334 people succumbed to COVID-19. Total number of cases in the state is now at 4,68,265, including 1,45,961 active cases, 3,05,521 recovered & 16,476 deaths, the state's health department said.

Five people died in the city on Wednesday taking the toll from the virus to 1,617, the state health department bulletin added.

Of the total cases, Ahmedabad reported 161 infections takings its overall tally to 27,283.

According to the state health department, Gujarat's COVID-19 tally reached 66,777 with 1,073 patients testing positive on Wednesday while 23 patients died from the virus, taking the overall toll to 2,557, PTI reported.

All passengers arriving in Goa are required to go for 14 days of home quarantine or they can opt for 14 days of paid institutional quarantine. #COVID19 pic.twitter.com/R7YR8OMj6T

The Goa government said that all passengers arriving in the state are "required to go for 14 days of home quarantine or they can opt for 14 days of paid institutional quarantine."

Kerala reported 1,195 cases in the last 24 hours taking the overall tally across 29,000. The state's toll has reached 94. Of the positive cases, 971 were infected through contact and the source of infection of 79 people is not known, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Sixty six of those who tested positive have come from foreign countries and 125 from other states. Thirteen health workers are among those infected,he told reporters.

Uttar Pradesh reported 4,078 COVID-19 cases and 40 new fatalities on Wednesday, bringing the infection tally to over 1.04 lakh and death toll from the disease to 1,857. However, the state government said 4,154 cases were reported in the last 24 hours, taking the total number of infected people to 1,04,388. There are 41,973 active cases in the state while 60,558 people have been discharged from hospitals after recovering from the infection, the statement said.

They demanded relief measures from the government, including waiver of road and passenger taxes for the next three quarters, deferment of tax payments and extension of vehicle insurance validity, among others, according to a joint statement. The passenger transport operators also sought deferment of EMI payments for the next 6-12 months and waiver of interest component for the deferred period; discount of 10-25 percent on toll taxes; and extension of validity of documents like fitness certificate, permits, driving licence and registrations, till March 2021.

The Bus and Car Operators Confederation of India (BOCI) and the Delhi Contract Bus Association on Wednesday sought government intervention to "save" contract carriage and all-India tourist permit bus operators saying the sector is on the verge of a collapse due to the coronavirus pandemic. The two bodies said transporters in Delhi alone have suffered a financial loss of Rs 65,000 crore in the past two months and the business has no money to continue operations in the coming months.

They said while one death took place in Jammu region, eight were reported from the Kashmir Valley. The coronavirus death toll in the union territory has now risen to 426 of which 395 are from the valley and 31 from Jammu region

Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday recorded 559 new coronavirus cases, taking the total number of infected people to 22,955, even as 9 COVID-19 patients died during the last 24 hours in the union territory, officials said. "Nine people, who were COVID-19 positive, have died over the past 24 hours in Jammu and Kashmir," the officials said.

The state of Maharashtra reported 10,309 new coronavirus cases today while 334 people succumbed to COVID-19. Total number of cases in the state is now at 4,68,265, including 1,45,961 active cases, 3,05,521 recovered & 16,476 deaths, the state's health department said.

Five people died in the city on Wednesday taking the toll from the virus to 1,617, the state health department bulletin added.

Of the total cases, Ahmedabad reported 161 infections takings its overall tally to 27,283.

According to the state health department, Gujarat's COVID-19 tally reached 66,777 with 1,073 patients testing positive on Wednesday while 23 patients died from the virus, taking the overall toll to 2,557, PTI reported.

The active cases tally on Wednesday rose to 10,072, from 9,897 on Tuesday. The daily cases count had dipped to 674 and 12 deaths were recorded on Tuesday. As per Wednesday bulletin, the positive rate stood at 6.4 percent while the recovery rate was nearly 90 percent.

Delhi reported 1,076 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Wednesday, the lowest daily fatality count in more than a month, authorities said, adding the city's caseload has surpassed 1.4 lakh and death toll has risen to 4,044.

In a statement, the government said that the chief minister, who held a meeting with representatives of these committees set up on July 31, said that all steps should be taken to bring deaths to zero in the city.

Four death monitoring committees constituted by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to analyse the high mortality rate in ten COVID-19 hospitals on Wednesday submitted reports suggesting measures like early recognition and transfer of patients to ICU, and use of plasma at the initial stage.

2,816 new COVID19 cases, 2,078 discharged and 61 deaths reported in West Bengal today. Total number of cases in the state is now at 83,800, including 58,962 discharged, 22,992 active cases and 1,846 deaths, the state health department said.

Coronavirus LATEST Updates: Delhi reported 1,076 COVID-19 cases and 11 deaths on Wednesday, the lowest daily fatality count in more than a month, authorities said, adding the city's caseload has surpassed 1.4 lakh and death toll has risen to 4,044.

The active cases tally on Wednesday rose to 10,072, from 9,897 on Tuesday. The daily cases count had dipped to 674 and 12 deaths were recorded on Tuesday.

The state of Maharashtra reported 10,309 new coronavirus cases today while 334 people succumbed to COVID-19. Total number of cases in the state is now at 4,68,265, including 1,45,961 active cases, 3,05,521 recovered & 16,476 deaths, the state's health department said.

While Mumbai reported 1,125 cases on Wednesday, the Pune Municipal Corporation reported a rise of 1,282 cases, taking the total number of cases to 65,136, a state bulletin said

Gujarat's COVID-19 tally reached 66,777 with 1,073 patients testing positive on Wednesday while 23 patients died from the virus, taking the overall toll to 2,557, a state health department bulletin said.

Of the total cases, Ahmedabad reported 161 infectiosns takings its overall tally to 27,283.

Five people died in the city on Wednesday taking the toll from the virus to 1,617, the bulletin added.

Uttar Pradesh reported 4,078 COVID-19 cases and 40 new fatalities on Wednesday, bringing the infection tally to over 1.04 lakh and death toll from the disease to 1,857.

Of the positive cases, 971 were infected through contact and the source of infection of 79 people is not known, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said. Sixty six of those who tested positive have come from

Andaman and Nicobar Islands reported the first death of a child due to COVID-19 as an eight-year-old boy succumbed to the infection on Wednesday, reports PTI.

The boy, who was a resident of Junglighat area of Port Blair, was suffering from diabetes. He died of COVID-19 at the G B Pant Hospital here, the official said, adding the fresh fatality has pushed the coronavirus death toll in the islands to 12.

10,026 personnel have tested positive for COVID-19. Of them, 107 personnel, including 10 officers, have died, an official said, adding that more than 50% of the deaths were reported from the Mumbai Police.

Pharma major Lupin Limited today announced the launch of its Favipiravir in India under the brand name Covihalt for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19.

India registered over 19 lakh COVID-19 infections on Wednesday after 52,509 more individuals tested positive for the novel coronavirus.

The global toll rose to 6,99,134 on Wednesday with the United States adding 1,302 more fatalities to the tally, according to the Johns Hopkins University. The global count crossed 1.84 crores.

India's COVID-19 tally rose by over 50,000 for the sixth consecutive day on Tuesday, taking the total cases to 18,55,745. In the past 24 hours, 52,050 new cases were reported. Meanwhile, the recoveries crossed the 12-lakh mark, according to the Union Health Ministry's data.

The toll due to COVID-19 climbed to 38,938 with 803 new fatalities being reported in 24 hours, the data updated at 8 am showed.

A total of 12,30,509 people have recovered, while there are 5,86,298 active cases of coronavirus infection in the country presently.

The recovery rate among COVID-19 patients has risen to 66.31 percent, while the fatality rate has further dropped to 2.10 percent, the data stated.

The health ministry also said that the number of recovered patients is now double than the number of active cases.

According to the ICMR, a cumulative total of 2,08,64,750 samples have been tested up to 2 August with 6,61,892 samples being tested on Monday, the highest done in a day so far, scientist and media coordinator at ICMR, Dr Lokesh Sharma, said.

"A total of 1,05,32,074 tests for detection of coronavirus infection have been performed with per day average of 3,39,744 tests in July, the highest number of tests conducted in a month so far," Sharma said.

There are 917 labs in the government sector and 439 labs in the private sector for conducting COVID-19 tests.

Dharmenda Pradhan, Siddaramaiah tests COVID-19 positive

Union Minister of Petroleum and Natural Gas, Dharmendra Pradhan informed that he has tested positive for COVID-19. Taking to Twitter, Pradhan said that he has been hospitalised as per doctor's advice and is in a healthy condition.

"I decided to get myself tested after noticing some symptoms of COVID-19 and my report came back positive. As per the doctor's advice, I have admitted myself in a hospital and I am in healthy condition," his tweet read.

Union Minister Amit Shah also tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday.

Other politicians testing positive for COVID-19 include Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Karnataka chief minister BS Yediyurappa.

Earlier on Tuesday, former Karnataka chief minister and Leader of Opposition in the state Assembly, Siddaramaiah said that he has tested positive for COVID-19 and admitted himself to a hospital.

"I have been tested positive for COVID-19 and also been admitted to the hospital on the advice of doctors as a precaution. I request all those who had come in contact with me to check out for symptoms and to quarantine themselves," Siddaramaiah tweeted.

Centre says 68% men, 32% women make up COVID-19 casualties

The Union Health Ministry said that of the people who died due to coronavirus in the country, 68 percent are men and 32 percent are women.

Union Health secretary Rajesh Bhushan gave mortality analysis for COVID-19  gender and age-wise respectively.

"These are cumulative figures. If you see the mortality analysis i.e. the deaths caused by the coronavirus, you will find that 68 percent deaths are reported among male patients. And 32 percent of deaths are among female patients. This is broadly in line with the global scenario also, although the percentages may differ," he said.

"If you look at age-wise mortality analysis, 50 percent of deaths were reported in patients above 60 years and above; 37 percent deaths were seen in among patients with the age group of 45 to 60 years. This means that on one side  we have to save lives of our senior citizens, they should not go out unnecessary  and, on the other hand, we have to see that people between 45 to 60 years age group are also vulnerable too. Most importantly, those who are co-morbid should follow guidelines and everyone should wear mask, maintain distance and hand hygiene," Bhushan said.

According to the health ministry, about 11 percent mortality was seen in patients with 26 to 44 years of age. Only one percent fatality was observed in patients in the age group between 18 to 25 years and below 17 years of age.

Centre says 96% of 60,000 ventilators being procured are indigenous

In a briefing on the coronavirus situation in the country, the Union health ministry on Tuesday said that 96 percent of the 60,000 ventilators being procured by the government are indigenous and most of them have been sponsored by the PM-CARES fund.

Health Ministry secretary Rajesh Bhushan said 60,000 ventilators are being procured and 18,000 have already been supplied to states and union territories.

"Of the 60,000 ventilators, 50,000 are being funded by PM-CARES fund which comes to about Rs 2,000 crore in monetary terms," Bhushan said during the briefing.

He further said all the ventilators that are being procured under PM-CARES and those by the budgetary allocation of the Health Ministry have GPS chips embedded that can be tracked.

"The 'Make in India' (indigenous) ventilators have a share of more than 96 percent by volume and more than 90 percent by value," he said.

Delhi's LNJP records 'zero deaths' on two days in a week

The LNJP Hospital, the Delhi government's biggest COVID-19 treatment facility, did not report any death due to the disease on two days in a week, signalling improvement in the pandemic situation.

The 2,000-bed hospital's medical director Suresh Kumar said on Tuesday the number of people on ventilator at the facility has come down by nearly 25 percent, compared to the figure a month ago.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted on 28 July that LNJP Hospital had not reported any death on 27 July, a feat, doctors said, recorded for the first time in the last couple of months.

"After that day, on two more days, our hospital saw no death from COVID-19.... It is definitely a good sign for all of us who are fighting this situation," Kumar told PTI.

WHO chief scientist says India's COVID-19 testing rate is low

Noting that lockdown was a temporary measure to contain the spread of coronavirus, a senior official of the World Health Organisation on Tuesday said India has a low testing rate when compared to some of the countries that are successfully trying to curb it.

WHO chief scientist, Soumya Swaminathan, in an interactive session through video conference said, as of now about 28 vaccine candidates for COVID-19 are under clinical trial, of which five are entering Phase-II and over 150 candidates are in pre-clinical trials across the globe.

"(In) India as a whole, the testing rates are much lower compared to some of the countries, who have done well like Germany, Taiwan, South Korea, Japan. Even the United States is testing a huge number of people. So we need to have some benchmark and every public health department needs to have benchmarks on what is the rate of testing per lakh or per million, what is the test positivity rate," she said.

Without adequate number of tests, fighting the virus is like "fighting fire blindfolded," she pointed out. According to Swaminathan, the number of tests being conducted is not adequate if the COVID-19 test positivity rate is above five percent.

State-wise cases and deaths

Maharashtra continues to be the worst-affected state as it has a total of 1,47,324 active cases and 15,842 deaths. A total of 4,50,196 coronavirus cases have been recorded in the state up to Monday, according to Union Ministry of Health.

Tamil Nadu reported 5,063 COVID-19 cases, 6,501 discharged and 108 deaths on Tuesday. Total number of cases in the state is now at 2,68,285, including 2,08,784 discharged, 55,152 active cases and 4,349 deaths.

Delhi reported 674 COVID-19 cases, 972 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 12 death. The total positive cases here rises to 1,39,156 including 1,25,226 recovered/discharged/migrated cases and 4033 deaths.

4,108 RTPCR/CBNAAT/TrueNat tests and 5,187 Rapid antigen tests conducted.

As many as 390 cases, 824 recovered and 10 deaths were reported in Jammu and Kashmir, taking the total number of cases in the Union Territory to 22,396, including 7,123 active cases, 14,856 recovered and 417 deaths.

Andhra Pradesh on Tuesday reported 9,747 new COVID-19 cases with 67 deaths. The state government said that the total count of cases has gone up to 1,76,333 with 79,104 are active cases, 95,625 recovered patients and 1,604 deaths due to the disease.

A total of 1,124 new COVID-19 cases and 13 deaths were reported from Rajasthan till 8.30 pm on Tuesday.

State Health Department said the count of cases in the state stands at 46,679 including 13,115 active cases and 732 deaths. A total of 32,832 persons have recovered from the viral infection in the state so far.

Gujarat reported 1,020 new COVID-19 cases and 25 deaths in the last 24 hours, informed the state health department on Tuesday.

"With this, state tally has risen to 65,704 including 14,811 active cases, 48,359 cured/discharges and 2,534 deaths," the State Health Department said.

With inputs from agencies
PUBS will not reopen on Monday, August 10, Taoiseach Micheal Martin has announced in a briefing this Tuesday evening

"I know it will come as a bitter disappointment that they will remain closed," said the taoiseach.

"I wish I was in a position to give better news but I am not," he added.

Also, the size of crowds that can gather will not change. These will remain at 50 for indoors and 200 for outdoors.

Mr Martin also said face coverings will be mandatory in shops and shopping centres from Monday, August 10. Five countries have been removed from the Green List - Malta, Cyprus, San Marino and Monaco.

"This virus has not changed. It has remained indiscriminate in its cruelty," he said as he appealed for "patience".

Mr Martin appealed to public to keep up the effort for our "vulnerable loved ones, frontline workers, schoolchildren and all those who have lost their lives".

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar said: "I know for workers and businesses who thought they were going back to work next week, this will be a body blow. We are very sorry about that. But it is the right thing to do."

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly thanked everyone for "doing the basics right".

On Monday, the Vintners Federation of Ireland said the ongoing treatment of their members, including postponing the reopening of pubs and delaying publication of guidelines, is placing huge strain on publicans, their families and local communities.

Chief executive Padraig Cribben had said: "Its vital that our members open on August 10. After the government decision to postpone reopening at virtually the last minute three weeks ago, any further delay would bring many publicans to breaking point. They simply cant survive much longer."

According to VFI President, Padraic McGann, society will be living with the virus for some time to come so keeping pubs shut is not a viable solution.

"Our members are closed for 140 days and counting, it is simply unfair to deny publicans the opportunity to trade when every other sector in society is open. The last three weeks has seen restaurants and pubs serving food open with, according to An Garda Siochana, an extremely high level of compliance.

"Either pubs are given the greenlight to open on Monday next or a realistic and meaningful compensation package must be put in place immediately. Otherwise many pubs will remain permanently closed," Mr McGann said on Monday.
In the absence of a national testing strategy for the novel coronavirus pandemic, seven governors have formed a first-of-its-kind purchasing compact they hope will pressure companies that make rapid-detection tests to quickly ramp up production.

The governors, three Republicans and four Democrats, say that other states and cities may join them and that talks have already begun with one of the two companies approved by the Food and Drug Administration to sell point-of-care antigen tests that can detect the virus in less than 30 minutes.

Maryland's Republican Gov. Larry Hogan negotiated the deal during the final days of his tenure as chair of the National Governors Association. His office said the Rockefeller Foundation is willing to act as the financing entity if needed.

Each state - Virginia, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, North Carolina and Ohio, in addition to Maryland - would request 500,000 rapid tests, for a total of 3.5 million that could be deployed to address outbreaks.

Having access to that many rapid tests would reduce the need for states to rely on traditional testing infrastructure, which primarily involves private labs that have been beset by long delays.

"With severe shortages and delays in testing and the federal administration attempting to cut funding for testing, the states are banding together to acquire millions of faster tests to help save lives and slow the spread of COVID-19," Hogan said in a statement. "We will be working to bring additional states, cities, and local governments on board as this initiative moves forward."

Virginia's Democratic Gov. Ralph Northam, a physician by training, said in a statement that the states involved in the compact are "leading America's national response to COVID-19."

"We are bringing together this bipartisan, multistate coalition to combine our purchasing power and get rapid testing supplies to our communities as quickly as possible," Northam said. "The people in our ... states want to see action, and we're delivering."

President Donald Trump delegated responsibility for building a testing system to states, which developed a patchwork system - more robust in some places than others. As of Tuesday, 57.5 million tests had ben administered nationwide since the start of the pandemic, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

Hogan, a moderate Republican who has often broken with the Trump administration over the pandemic response, sharply criticized the president for leaving states to secure testing on their own.

In April, as testing nationwide was scarce, Hogan bought 500,000 test kits from South Korea to great fanfare. But it took many weeks before all the necessary supplies to use them were in place, and The Washington Post reported that U.S. manufacturers had offered test kits for a lower price. Maryland ultimately exchanged most of the original test kits from South Korea for an upgraded version, which Hogan's spokesman said work faster and "better."

Nationwide, testing expanded dramatically through June, when caseloads began to spike. Backlogs at big national labs led to waits of 10 days or more nationwide, rending the results nearly useless for contact tracers attempting to control the spread of the virus.

The rapid tests being sought by the seven states are sold by Becton Dickinson and Quidel Corp., the U.S.-based manufacturers of antigen tests that can be run at a doctor's office.

Earlier this month, the FDA approved Becton Dickinson's handheld device, which can detect a coronavirus infection within 15 minutes. Quidel's rapid-screen antigen test, the first of its kind, was approved in May.

Rather than detecting the virus's genetic material, the antigen tests identify a protein on the virus's surface - a process cheaper and faster than the more complex and more precise polymerase chain reaction tests being used across the country right now.

While health experts have heralded the antigen tests as a way to quickly screen large populations, they have yet to be widely available.

Quidel spokeswoman Jeannine Sharp Mason declined to comment on any potential discussions with the states. Becton Dickinson did not immediately respond to a request for comment Tuesday.

Hogan, in a statement announcing the compact, said he hoped that the states banding together would demonstrate sufficient demand for the companies to ramp up production. The precise role of the Rockefeller Foundation was not immediately clear, but the Hogan administration said the organization would help facilitate the purchase of tests when they become available.

The compact comes as states across the country are seeing rising coronavirus caseloads, and governors are weighing a variety of measures to curb its spread.

In a letter of intent sent to the Rockefeller Foundation, the governors indicated the rapid test purchase would be the first of several multistate purchases.

"We plan to leverage all available resources, collective expertise and proven cooperative contracting capabilities to enable a national cooperative agreement for national testing and tracing actions, which all interested states and their political subdivisions may participate in," the letter said.

"Our entire nation faces a health crisis the likes of which have not been seen for one hundred years, and we look forward to working with the Foundation and working in concert with other states as we fight together collaboratively against the novel coronavirus."

The greater Washington region on Tuesday reported 1,940 additional coronavirus cases and 34 deaths, with Virginia seeing an upward trend in coronavirus fatalities.Maryland reported 710 new cases and seven deaths, Virginia added 1,145 cases and 26 deaths, and D.C. reported 85 new cases and one death.

While the average daily caseload across the three jurisdictions has mostly held steady in the past week, the average daily death toll has doubled in recent days, standing at 32.

The seven-day average of daily new deaths in Virginia stands at 21, its highest level in a month. The five fatalities reported in Fairfax County on Tuesday was that jurisdiction's largest daily total since July 16.
He said he could not accept there are 'areas in which censorship is acceptable'

Salman Rushdie, pictured, has warned that Left-wing cancel culture is a threat to literature and freedom of speech

Salman Rushdie has warned that Left-wing Cancel Culture is a threat to literature and freedom of speech.

Responding to the idea that authors should write only what they know or risk being cancelled, the Booker Prize winner said he could not accept that there are areas in which censorship is acceptable.

He added: Ive always seen democracy as a public square in which everyone is arguing... The ability to have the argument is what I would call freedom because in countries that are authoritarian the first thing rulers try to do is to shut down that argument.

The Anglo-Indian author has long been a staunch defender of free speech and his own life was under threat for many years after Irans spiritual leader Ayatollah Khomeini issued a fatwa against him in 1989, following the publication of his novel The Satanic Verses.

Most recently he joined more than 150 signatories of an open letter in US magazine Harpers, objecting to cancel culture.

Speaking to Times Radio he said: If you can only write about a gay character if youre gay or you can only write about a straight character if youre straight, very rapidly the form of literature becomes difficult to continue with.
Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

In a now viral video posted to social media, Concord resident Manette Sharick confronts a man who she says had been repeatedly erasing the word "Black" from the chalk "Black Lives Matter" message written in front of her house.

"I was upset because it wasn't the first time that it happened. I caught him when he did it for the fourth time," Sharick told ABC7. She says she finally spotted the man, who identifies himself as "Jim" in the video, pouring bottles of water on the chalk using video surveillance.
Kodak's CEO, Jim Continenza (above), was awarded stock options that could net him a profit of more than $30M just a day before the Trump administration announced a $765M loan to develop generic pharmaceuticals

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission is investigating the circumstances around Kodak's announcement of a $765million government loan to make drugs at its U.S. factories that sent stock prices soaring last week, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Shares of Kodak surged more than 1,000 per cent following news of the loan, generating a windfall for executives, some of whom received options on July 27 - one day before the deal with President Donald Trump was announced.

Jim Continenza, who heads the beleaguered Rochester, New York-based film company, and three other top Kodak executives were awarded stock options that included the right to buy Kodak stock at $3.03, $4.53, $6.03, and $12 per share until February 2026.

According to filings obtained by the Popular Information newsletter, Continenza was the primary beneficiary, having been awarded 1.75 million options.

Most of those options - 981,707 shares - were purchased at a stock price of $3.03 per share.

Continenza and three other top Kodak executives were awarded stock options that included the right to buy Kodak stock at $3.03, $4.53, $6.03, and $12 per share until February 2026

On Friday, Kodak's share price closed at $21.85. That means if Continenza chose to sell options that he was awarded on Monday, he would bank a before-tax profit of $30million

The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday reported that the SEC investigation is at an early stage and may not produce allegations of wrongdoing by Kodak or any individuals, according to people familiar with the matter.

The probe will look into how the company disclosed news of the loan that caused stock prices to rise by 25 per cent last Monday, the day before the announcement.

The company's shares were down 2 per cent at $14.64, as of Tuesday.

The SEC declined to comment. A representative for Kodak said it intends to fully cooperate with any potential inquiries.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday wrote a letter to the SEC asking that it investigate potential insider trading that happened before the announcement of the $765million loan.

'This is just the latest example of unusual trading activity involving a major Trump administration decision,' she wrote.

Shares of Eastman Kodak Co jumped more than 20% in premarket trading on Thursday after ballooning nearly 16 times in value this week, following a $765 million loan from the U.S. government to produce pharmaceutical ingredients

There was heavy trading volume in Kodak shares the day before the loan was announced.

Kodak's stock value soared last Monday, a day before the announcement, rising 25 percent in share value with more than 1.6million shares traded  a huge leap from the daily volume of 231,000 shares a day during the previous 30 trading days.

The Wall Street Journal said it was due to reports on websites of ABC and CBS affiliates in Rochester which reported on news of a government loan ahead of embargo.

Local station WHAM said the Kodak press release was sent without an embargo.

Kodak later said it 'forgot' to include the embargo and the stories were eventually removed but had been already collected by internet data websites like Meltwater.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren on Tuesday wrote a letter to the SEC asking that it investigate potential insider trading

The company granted Continenza options for 1.75million shares as the result of what a person familiar with the arrangement described as an 'understanding' with its board that had previously neither been listed in his employment contract nor made public.

A Kodak representative said that Executive Chairman Jim Continenza has regularly purchased Kodak shares since joining the company in 2013 and has invested more capital in the company than he has earned during his tenure.

On Friday, Kodak's individual share price closed at $21.85 - a 734 per cent increase.

That means if Continenza chose to sell those options, he would bank a profit of $18.47million.

Continenza was also awarded options at $4.53, purchasing nearly 300,000 shares. If he chose to sell those options, he would earn a profit of $5.17million before taxes.

The loan to Kodak comes at a time when the Trump administration has been looking to bolster the ability to produce drugs and their raw materials in the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the industry's dependence on China and India for its supply chain

SEC filings also indicate that Continenza bought 298,780 shares at $6.03 as well as 170,733 shares at $12 per share. Selling those at Friday's stock price would net him a pre-tax profit of more than $6.4million.

In total, the value of Continenza's stock options, which were purchased last Monday, were $30million higher as of Friday thanks to the Trump administration's loan.

At the closing bell last Monday, Kodak stock was trading at $2.62 per share and the company was valued at $114.5million.

By the closing bell on Friday, Kodak was trading at $21.85 per share with a market capitalization of $955million.

The recent windfall comes on top of another bulk purchase of options that were executed just as the company began negotiating with the federal government over two months ago.

Earlier this week, Continenza admitted talks to turn the fallen photo giant into a pharma company began a month before he bought thousands of shares.

Continenza, who only took over as de facto CEO last year, told CNBC Wednesday the initial discussions started in May.

The loan to Kodak comes at a time when the Trump administration has been looking to bolster the ability to produce drugs and their raw materials in the United States after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed the industry's dependence on China and India for its supply chain.
HOPKINTON, MA  A Hopkinton High School teacher was awarded the Presidential Awards for Excellence in Mathematics and Science. Douglas Scott, Hopkinton High School's business, technology and engineering teacher earned the award.

Scott and one other teacher, Jedediyah Williams of Nantucket, were the Massachusetts recipients of the award. The award is the highest honor given by the U.S. government to kindergarten through 12th grade teachers of mathematics and science, including computer science.

A panel of distinguished mathematicians, scientists, and educators at the State and National levels assess the applications before recommending nominees to OSTP. Teachers are selected based on their distinction in the classroom and dedication to improving science, technology, engineering, and math education.



Scott has not only been busy as an excellent teacher, but using his STEM skills to help the community through the COVID-19 pandemic. Scott is a proud member and leader of "The Shield Team" which is a group of people, that 3D print face shields and personal protective equipment for medical professionals.

In the spirit of teamwork, Scott praised his colleagues and district upon hearing the news of his award, tweeting, "Such a special group of educators from @MASchoolsK12 or as we say up here ... A wicked smaht bunch of teachers."

Honored and humbled. TY @jedediyah @romano_mich @aserkin @melbourne_mr Such a special group of educators from @MASchoolsK12 or as we say up here...A wicked smaht bunch of teachers :) Proud to stand alongside of each of them and my colleagues and students @HopkintonHS Team win! https://t.co/txwnxJdSid

 Mr. Scott (@mrscottbot) August 3, 2020





This article originally appeared on the Holliston-Hopkinton Patch
UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres on Tuesday said getting students safely back to classrooms must be a top priority of the governments once local transmission of Covid-19 pandemic is under control. He said the world is facing a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities.

India needs to be extra cautious in preventing its school enrolment rates from falling, particularly because many of those who stop going to school in the country do so because of financial reasons. A drop in school enrolment would not only cost the country in terms of upward mobility in education but also hit the nutrition levels of children who receive free mid-day meals in schools.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

Findings from a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey on social consumption on education, conducted in 2017-18, show that Indias gross enrolment ratio (GER) was 99.2 between primary and middle school education level. GER is the ratio of the number of students currently enrolled in a particular level of education to the number of persons in the corresponding official age-group. For example, the ratio of 99.2 in primary to middle school level means for every 100 persons in the age group of 6 to 13 years, there are 99.2 students enrolled in classes 1st to 8th.

To be sure, this does not mean nearly everyone in the age group of 6 to 13 is enrolled in schools because some of the students in classes 1st to 8th would be students from other age groups, particularly above the age of 13. The high enrolment ratio at primary to middle level is a promising figure, but it drops to only 78.8 at the secondary and higher secondary level.

Also read: Brazil, hotbed for Covid-19 vaccine testing, may struggle to produce its own

A fall in GER from primary to higher levels of schooling means that students drop out. Nationally, 10% of students enrolled in primary school had dropped out, the survey found. A drop-out is defined as a person who did not complete the last level of education the person was enrolled in (for any reason other than completion of the desired level of education). The drop-out rate increases to 17.5% in upper-primary/middle school and to 19.8% in secondary school. This means nearly every fifth student was dropping out of secondary school in India.

Among big states, the overall dropout rate from education institutions is the highest in West Bengal, 23.5%. Odisha, Assam, and Gujarat also have high dropout rates.

Why do Indian students drop out? Financial constraints and engagement in economic and domestic activities were the leading reasons cited. Only 18.8% of men and 14.8% of women were not attending schools because of not being interested in education. As many as 61.2% of men cited financial constraints or engagement in economic activities as the reason for not attending schools while 47.9% of women blamed financial constraints or engagement in domestic activities.

As India struggles to recover from the economic fallout of the Covid-19 pandemic, it would be a challenge to get people to prioritise education in times of financial difficulties and a need to engage in economic activities.

In case there is a drop in school enrolment or an increase in the number of students dropping out, it would not only mean that India will suffer in terms of upward mobility in education, but also in terms of health. This is because India has a free mid-day meal scheme for school-going children.

The NSO survey found that in government schools, nearly 97% of students attending primary level, nearly 87% attending upper-primary/middle level, and nearly 26% attending secondary level were receiving free mid-day meals. A majority of Indias students study in government schools  74% of all primary school students, 76% of upper-primary/middle students and 68% of secondary and higher secondary level students.

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In 1869 the Gullah Geechee people owned half of Beaufort County of South Carolina. Since then, theyve lost fourteen million acres. The best example of the rapid marginalization of Gullah Geechee people is on Hilton Head Island, one of the most lucrative places in the South.

In 2018, the Conde Nast Traveler ranked Hilton Head Island as the best island resort area in the United States for the second year in a row, and for good reason. The island is full of world-class resorts, delectable cuisine, and sandy beaches, and it generally has idyllic weather. But beyond the optics of a wonderful vacation spot, theres a grim side. Although Gullah Geechee people are spread out all across the island, their biggest concentration is in the north end. Hilton Head Island was once one large plantation. After the Civil War, freed black people bought land from the United States government and settled into what was the first self-governed town of formerly enslaved black people in the country: Mitchelville. Other pieces of land were sold to (white) speculators or previous plantation owners, who settled on the south end. In 1956, Charles Fraser, the son of a well-off family who made their fortune in timber, started the modern era in Hilton Head by creating the first resort, Sea Pines Plantation, on the south end, constructing a bridge to connect to the mainland, and bringing air-conditioning to the island. But over time, developers wanted to expand to the north, as well, and were ultimately successful. The lack of legal protection for those who had heirs property, the rising land taxes, and the exodus of African Americans leaving the South in general as a part of the Great Migration, all allowed Fraser to succeed in converting most of Hilton Head into a prime resort community.

[ Return to the review of Wandering in Strange Lands. ]

Over 80 percent of early black landowners from the post Civil War period and later did not have wills or clear titles. These landowners simply passed down their acres to their descendants or relatives as what is called heirs property. But families who have heirs property cannot get mortgages, do home repairs, apply for state or federal aid, get conservation funding, or take out loans available through the US Department of Agriculture. Heirs property is one of the biggest issues when it comes to black land preservation and cultural heritage on Hilton Head Island.

I perused the internet to find Hilton Head locals who were outspoken about the effects of business expansion into predominantly Gullah Geechee communities, and found Taiwan Scott. Coincidentally, Taiwanor Tai, for shortwas born in New Jersey like me. But unlike me, Tai has traveled regularly to his grandmothers birthplace in Hilton Head and decided as an adult to move there to help preserve Gullah Geechee heritage. Unlike any other person Id met from the Lowcountry, Scott was a real estate agent and therefore was willing to divulge his personal and professional stakes in Hilton Head. At the time that I was scheduled to meet him, Scott was in the midst of an ongoing battle with the town to run a business on his own property, and he believed the local media was not adequately covering the story.
Proud dad: Benny McNulty and his son Jake, who has cancelled a Leaving Cert holiday to Spain in favour of a break in Wexford. Photo: Tony Gavin

A father has spoken of his pride in his 18-year-old son after he opted not to travel to Spain on a fully paid-for Leaving Cert holiday because of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Benny McNulty's son, Jake (18), decided instead to take a break with six of his friends in Wexford.

However, it has been estimated that more than 2,000 Leaving Cert and first-year college students will travel overseas in the next three weeks - some to countries not even on Ireland's Green List - despite the Government advice that people should holiday at home this year.

"Of course, I am proud of him - he's got his head screwed on straight and decided to go on an Irish break with his friends," the Kildare father-of two said.

"I have to say that not all young people do have their heads screwed on straight."

It has been a challenging summer in the McNulty home with Jake having his Leaving Cert exams cancelled and his younger brother Conor (15) having his Junior Cert exams scrapped.

Jake now faces a nervous wait until September to learn his assessed grades from his Leaving Cert. He is hoping to study music at a Dublin college.

"Jake decided that if he couldn't have a normal holiday out in Spain, he wasn't going to go," Mr McNulty said. "Instead, he is heading with his friends to Curracloe in Wexford for a few days.

"I do feel very sorry for young people over everything that has happened this year.

"They've had no debs, no Leaving Cert finishing parties, they have missed out on a load of concerts that they had booked tickets for and they were also hoping to go to Electric Picnic, which is off now as well."

Mr McNulty said that his son is unsure whether he will get a refund on the Spanish break, which was due to go ahead later this month.

"I think they are looking at the loss of the flights - if their plane takes off, I don't know if they will get a refund."

Jake now has a construction job until September - and his father said he was very proud of how Jake approached the entire lockdown.

The teenager's stance was guided by the strong advice relating to foreign travel from both the Government and healthcare chiefs.

Jake and his girlfriend also played their part by staying apart.

"He took it very seriously - his girlfriend and himself decided they should stay apart in the early part of the lockdown, though they chatted on their phones each day.

"He's a great lad - I'm very proud of him and his brother."
Photo credit: Nutexzles - Getty Images

From Oprah Magazine

Horses were born to social distance.

For a start, theyre simply built for it. The average equine, from fluted muzzle to fly-whisking tail is longer than six feet, that margin of social safety that is repeated like an incantation to ward of evil, especially where Im from: New York City, the nations first epicenter of coronavirus, a disease that stole 22,859 of my neighborsand counting.



And they carry heavy artillery to ensure their personal bubble: their hooves. They kick.



Of course, a good horse wont kick you anymore than it would its mother. Nevertheless, the adage to give their rear end a wide berth is gospel to riders, and even when a pandemic is not trouncing the human world outside their pastures, horses give one another space.



But humans? We touch, we hold, we interlace our fingers into one another's (hooves aren't great for that), and we melt into each other with a kiss. Out in the herd, though they sometimes groom each other, horses are mostly together apart, wheeling across pastures like flocks of starlings, guiding one another with silent commands of ear and eye and flank that ensure gallops never collide. Yet the human species knows no other way of togetherness than what is now, in the era of Covid-19, unacceptable social nearness. It is a habit that now puts us in range of something far more brutal than a hoof to the chestinfection.



When I found out I was infected with the coronavirus, I couldnt stop thinking about horses.

I contracted it in March, after dashing headlong into the heart of New York States viral outbreak, the city of New Rochelle, where one of the first cases was diagnosed, notebook in hand on assignment for the New York Times, where I am a reporter. The disease had not yet seared through Georgia, burned across Texas or scorched Florida, and we all knew so little then that I hustled through the small city, interviewing those who were unknowingly ill, unmasked, ungloved, undistant.

Story continues

As soon as I filed my story, I lost my sense of taste and smell, then my ability to do much more than shuffle to the bathroom. For 24 days I did not leave my home so as not to infect others, and I couldnt if I wanted to: the disease induced a torpor where even lying down felt like exhausting over-exertion.

I wanted to be carried, spooned, stroked, to be told through touch that it was okay that a petrifyingly unknown virus was manifesting science fiction-like symptoms within me." For weeks I lost my ability to tell the difference between hot and cold temperatures, and the taste of lasagna became warm, wet paper.



I wanted my mother, but at 72 years old, the virus that undid me could have ended her. My boyfriend of over two years and I had just split, and my vibrant city went as dark as the grave it would soon become for so many. I wanted to see my friends, to cry over my ex on their shoulders and into a beer at a pub. But bars were shut down and my friends were holed up in the bunkers of their homes, in the battle for their lives.

Alone, I thought about horses. They stampeded through my fever dreams, those creatures that had always sustained and inspired me, ever since I began riding at age 2 years old and remained a hidden, unusual passion for a city dweller. I thought of the animals I patrolled through Central Park as a teenaged mounted auxiliary ranger, and the inner-city children I taught to ride at an urban stable in the middle of the Harlem River.

I emerged from my near-month of solitude in my 1-bedroom apartment in the West Village, blinking into a city still locked-down. It was springtime then, and I needed horses more than the sun.



The closest equines were actually in my own city; in Queens, theres an urban farm run by GallopNYC, a therapeutic riding organization of which I am an advisory board member. There, a herd of 35 humble, gentle horses teach disabled New Yorkers and those with autism or post traumatic stress disorder what it is to feel powerful and belong to the herd.

Photo credit: Erin O'Leary

I was too weak to do more than collapse on the grass beside their pasture in Howard Beach as the citys freeways grumbled nearby. I stared at them like a shipwrecked woman who touches dry land at last. The five shaggy horses nudged towards the gate to inspect me.

Then one frisky little pony aimed a kick at the horse beside it.

It missed the haunch of the black mare she launched at, but the horse edged away to avoid it, towards a shaggy gelding with a sandy blond mane. The black mare then pointed her hind end at him, and he sidled away from her, towards another pony in the field. That pony was too clever to need the point made with a hoof aimed at his head; he got the message and trotted a few feet away. Everyone went back to cropping grass

Five horses stood before me, happy, together. Each six feet apart.

Then, they bolted. It was dinner time soon, and they frolicked with joy at the sudden sound of sweetfeed pouring into their pails echoing down the hill from the barn. As I sat on the ground they schooled across the field like minnows, turning as one at the command invisible to meof a ripple of muscle or stomp of a hoof. All were participants in an inaudible dialogue that nonetheless instructed them just as surely as troops would obey a spoken command.

The horses were connected, in distance, interlinked even without touching; together, apart.

I had thought that togetherness was over, that the coronavirus had robbed me not just of so many of my fellow New Yorkers, and now, months on, 142,000 Americans, but also of our ability to connect with one another. I feared that masked and distant, we would be starved of that intrinsic need: connection.



But as I watched the herd of horses in their graceful dance, there was incredible oneness, even as they skirted one another. I saw that the distance between them impinged not at all on the closeness of their souls.

In our new reality of waving at grandparents through glass porch doors, of masked drinks with friends on separate picnic blankets, I look to horses to remind me that connection is still possible. Even if hoovesor the specter of a cruel virusmeans we cannot hold hands.

Sarah Maslin Nir is a staff reporter for the New York Times. She is a Pulitzer Prize finalist for her 2016 investigation into the working conditions and health effects endured by manicurists in New York Citys nail salons. Her debut book, Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal will be published on August 4 by Simon and Schuster.

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The number of active terrorists present right now in Kashmir Valley has come down to below 200.

In current year, security forces were able to kill 148 terrorists out of which 14 were foreign terrorists from HM, LeT and JeM. (PTI)

New Delhi: There has been a decrease in terrorist violence in Kashmir with 70 incidents reported this year against 107 in the same period last year, said sources in security establishment on Monday.

According to the report, security forces were able to foil six attempts of IED blast in Kashmir Valley by the terrorists through their timely detection, preventing serious casualties.

The report said that the security forces have been able to stabilise the situation in Kashmir after Article 370 was abolished last year in August. It said security forces carried out aggressive anti-terrorists operations to prevent them from creating trouble in the Valley and also increased alertness at the LoC to prevent Pakistan from sending large number of terrorists into Kashmir.

Due to these measures, the number of active terrorists present right now in Kashmir Valley has come down to below 200.

Last year there were intelligence reports that some 350 terrorists were waiting at various launch pads in PoK to infiltrate into J-K. However, Pakistan has increased ceasefire violations with 2,662 such incidents reported along LoC till July end.

In current year, security forces were able to kill 148 terrorists out of which 14 were foreign terrorists from HM, LeT and JeM. In 2019, 152 terrorists were killed in Kashmir by security forces. In 2018, 215 terrorists were neutralized by security forces.

This has also resulted in decrease in protests and stone pelting incidents. The report said that local recruitment is now mostly restricted to "four districts of South Kashmir." Till June 2020, 74 people are reported to have joined terrorist outfits. In 2019, the local recruitment to various terrorists groups was 119 and in 2018 it was around 219.

Security forces also foiled terrorists attempt to carry out terror activities in Jammu division and has killed seven terrorists in Doda and Kishtwar since August 2019, said the report.
A large number of the valley networks scarring Mars's surface were carved by water melting beneath glacial ice, not by free-flowing rivers as previously thought, according to new UBC research published today in Nature Geoscience.

The findings effectively throw cold water on the dominant "warm and wet ancient Mars" hypothesis, which postulates that rivers, rainfall and oceans once existed on the red planet.

To reach this conclusion, lead author Anna Grau Galofre, former PhD student in the department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences, developed and used new techniques to examine thousands of Martian valleys. She and her co-authors also compared the Martian valleys to the subglacial channels in the Canadian Arctic Archipelago and uncovered striking similarities.

"For the last 40 years, since Mars's valleys were first discovered, the assumption was that rivers once flowed on Mars, eroding and originating all of these valleys," says Grau Galofre. "But there are hundreds of valleys on Mars, and they look very different from each other. If you look at Earth from a satellite you see a lot of valleys: some of them made by rivers, some made by glaciers, some made by other processes, and each type has a distinctive shape. Mars is similar, in that valleys look very different from each other, suggesting that many processes were at play to carve them."

The similarity between many Martian valleys and the subglacial channels on Devon Island in the Canadian Arctic motivated the authors to conduct their comparative study. "Devon Island is one of the best analogues we have for Mars here on Earth--it is a cold, dry, polar desert, and the glaciation is largely cold-based," says co-author Gordon Osinski, professor in Western University's department of earth sciences and Institute for Earth and Space Exploration.

Collage showing Mars's Maumee valleys (top half) superimposed with channels on Devon Island in Nunavut (bottom half). The shape of the channels, as well as the overall network, appears almost identical. CREDIT Anna Grau Galofre

In total, the researchers analyzed more than 10,000 Martian valleys, using a novel algorithm to infer their underlying erosion processes. "These results are the first evidence for extensive subglacial erosion driven by channelized meltwater drainage beneath an ancient ice sheet on Mars," says co-author Mark Jellinek, professor in UBC's department of earth, ocean and atmospheric sciences. "The findings demonstrate that only a fraction of valley networks match patterns typical of surface water erosion, which is in marked contrast to the conventional view. Using the geomorphology of Mars' surface to rigorously reconstruct the character and evolution of the planet in a statistically meaningful way is, frankly, revolutionary."

Grau Galofre's theory also helps explain how the valleys would have formed 3.8 billion years ago on a planet that is further away from the sun than Earth, during a time when the sun was less intense. "Climate modelling predicts that Mars' ancient climate was much cooler during the time of valley network formation," says Grau Galofre, currently a SESE Exploration Post-doctoral Fellow at Arizona State University. "We tried to put everything together and bring up a hypothesis that hadn't really been considered: that channels and valleys networks can form under ice sheets, as part of the drainage system that forms naturally under an ice sheet when there's water accumulated at the base."

These environments would also support better survival conditions for possible ancient life on Mars. A sheet of ice would lend more protection and stability of underlying water, as well as providing shelter from solar radiation in the absence of a magnetic field--something Mars once had, but which disappeared billions of years ago.

While Grau Galofre's research was focused on Mars, the analytical tools she developed for this work can be applied to uncover more about the early history of our own planet. Jellinek says he intends to use these new algorithms to analyze and explore erosion features left over from very early Earth history.

"Currently we can reconstruct rigorously the history of global glaciation on Earth going back about a million to five million years," says Jellinek. "Anna's work will enable us to explore the advance and retreat of ice sheets back to at least 35 million years ago--to the beginnings of Antarctica, or earlier--back in time well before the age of our oldest ice cores. These are very elegant analytical tools."

Valley formation on early Mars by subglacial and fluvial erosion, Nature Geoscience (2020)

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Actress Swastika Mukherjee, who worked with Sushant Singh Rajput in Dil Bechara and Detective Byomkesh Bakshy, opened up about the discussions surrounding his demise. The actress said that even though the debates and discussions surrounding nepotism can lead to change, Sushant's grieving family has been forgotten in the midst.

Speaking to Hindustan Times, Swastika said, Right now the situation is such that one runs the risk of being misinterpreted. These repercussions on social media and even otherwise does affect you. But Im still trying to understand, where are these paranormal conversations, assumption and presumptions coming from?

The actor said that while celebrities are expected to have an opinion during debates, many people are using Sushant's death as a way to settle personal scores.

She said, I dont like these agenda driven conversations. Why do I want to sell my points of view based on somebodys demise?

Swastik, who lost her father, veteran actor Santu Mukherjee in March and then Sushant in June, said that she has been deeply saddened by the loss. The actor said that it was getting difficult for her everyday. She also shared that her father was excited about Dil Bechara and neither him or Sushant was present when the film was released and loved.

Sushant Singh Rajput passed away on June 14, 2020 by suicide. He was 34.

This news piece may be triggering. If you or someone you know needs help, call any of these helplines: Aasra (Mumbai) 022-27546669, Sneha (Chennai) 044-24640050, Sumaitri (Delhi) 011-23389090, Cooj (Goa) 0832- 2252525, Jeevan (Jamshedpur) 065-76453841, Pratheeksha (Kochi) 048-42448830, Maithri (Kochi) 0484-2540530, Roshni (Hyderabad) 040-66202000, Lifeline 033-64643267 (Kolkata).
STORY LINK Pound to Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY) Exchange Rate Falls as Japanese Yen Benefits from Safe-Haven Status

GBP/JPY Exchange Rate Sinks as Dimming Global Economic Outlook Boosts Safe-Haven Demand

Pound (GBP) Sinks as UK Economic Outlook Darkens

GBP/JPY Forecast: Could a Dovish Bank of Japan Weaken the Japanese Yen?

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The Pound to Japanese Yen (GBP/JPY) exchange rate fell by -0.4% today, with the pairing currently fluctuating around 138.098.The Japanese Yen (JPY) rose today as concerns over the global economy have benefited the safe-haven currency. With global Covid-19 infection rates continuing to rise, investors have fled to safe-havens like the US Dollar, Swiss Franc, and Japanese Yen instead.Meanwhile, in other Japanese economic news, yesterday saw the release of the final Jibun Bank manufacturing PMI for July, which remained in contraction territory at 45.2.Tim Moore, Director at IHS Markit, commented on the report:Japans manufacturing sector remained severely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent downturn in worldwide economic conditions. However, the headline PMI recovered some of the ground lost in the second quarter, helped by the smallest declines in output and new orders for five months during July.However, we could see the Japanese Yen (JPY) shed some of its gains if the outlook for Japans economy continues to be compromised by rising Covid-19 cases.The Pound (GBP) struggled today as Britains coronavirus situation continues to threaten the economy. As a result, fears over a possible second lockdown for London are dampening confidence in the nations economic recovery.Today also saw the restaurant chain, PizzaExpress, say that it may have to cut 1,100 of its staff as the coronavirus situation continues to drag down significant sections of the UK economy.Zoe Bowley, who is involved with running Pizza Express in the UK and Ireland, was downbeat, saying:Our business has a long history of success, but the UK-wide lockdown has hit the hospitality industry particularly hard. As a result, it is with a heavy heart that we expect to permanently close a proportion of our restaurants, losing valued team members in the process.Japanese Yen (JPY) investors will be awaiting tomorrows speech from the Bank of Japans Governor, Haruhiko Kuroda. Any dovishness about the economy would prove JPY-negative.Pound (GBP) traders, meanwhile, will be paying close attention to tomorrows release of the UK Markit Services PMI for July. If this improves, then we could see Sterling rise as Britains largest sector shows signs of recovery.The GBP/JPY exchange rate will likely remain in negative territory this week, with fears continuing to grow over the UKs coronavirus situation.

International Money Transfer? Ask our resident FX expert a money transfer question or try John's new, free, no-obligation personal service! ,where he helps every step of the way, ensuring you get the best exchange rates on your currency requirements.

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The investigation into the Japanese-invested Tenma Vietnam companys allegation of bribing civil servants and tax and customs officers of northern Bac Ninh province is still ongoing, according to a police official.

Tenma Vietnam, located in Bac Ninh province, is a subsidiary of Japans plastic product maker Tenma Corporation (Photo: dantri.com.vn)

At the Governments press conference on August 3, Maj. Gen. To An Xo, Chief of the Office of the Ministry of Public Security (MPS), said following the Prime Ministers order for the Ministry of Finance and the MPS to probe into this case, the MPS directed its relevant agencies and the Bac Ninh Department of Public Security to conduct investigation and asked the Finance Ministrys Inspectorate to inspect this companys tax payment.

However, he noted, the general director and production director of Tenma Vietnam already returned to Japan due to the COVID-19 outbreak and have yet to come back to Vietnam, so police havent been able to investigate these two persons.

The MPS has coordinated with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Japans representative agency in Vietnam to collect information, and they will continue clarifying the case in line with regulations, Xo added.

According to the Vietnamese Embassy in Japan, some Japanese media outlets like the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Kyodo news agency and Nikkei reported that the Tenma Vietnam Co. Ltd, whose parent company is based in Tokyo, had given two bribes worth 25 million JPY (over 235,000 USD) in total to several Vietnamese civil servants to persuade them to reduce the tax arrears the firm had to pay.

Responding to the report, on May 25, the Finance Ministry assigned its inspectorate to set up a team to inspect the taxation and customs departments of Bac Ninh, along with collectives and individuals concerned.

The Vietnamese general departments of taxation and customs suspended 11 officials from work to serve the investigation./.VNA

Eleven officials suspended for involvement in alleged bribery at Tenma Eleven officials, including five in taxation and six in the customs have been suspended from work due to their involvement in an alleged bribery case at Japans Tenma Vietnam company, Government meeting.
A former Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Kwamena Ahwoi has revealed how it took him and some other prominent members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) about four hours to convince the late President, John Evans Atta Mills from resigning from office.



According to him, Mills decision to leave office was based on what he felt were the continuous verbal attacks on him by the founder of the party and former President, Jerry John Rawlings.



Speaking on Footprints on Citi TV, Prof. Ahwoi said the late president called him while he was at an IEA workshop at Aburi to inform him of his decision to leave office.



There was one particular incident which caused President Mills nearly to resign. In fact, he resigned, the only thing that saved this country was that he called to tell me that he was resigning. I was at. [an] IEA workshop at Aburi. He said have you heard what Jerry [Rawlings] has said about me in Tamale? he said, get the tape and listen to it because I have resigned and I dont want anybody to try and stop me.



Prof. Ahwoi said he asked then-President Mils to give him time to consult a few people and get back to him.



I said to him, Mr. President, I believe that you have decided to resign, but I also believe that you are not sure whether you have taken the right decision. You want a second opinion, otherwise, you would not have called to tell me. I would have heard about it in the media.



Kwamena Ahwoi indicated that the following day [a Sunday] he, Captain Kojo Tsikata and Totobi Quakyi visited President Mills on Sunday evening at his residence and at the time, he [President Mills] had actually packed his things in suitcases, ready to leave.



So we talked for about four hours which ran into 12 midnight and we managed to convince him to stay because we were taking certain corrective measures, he revealed.



We were successful in those measures and as a result, he stayed. Otherwise, he was going to resign on an account of the way Jerry Rawlings was treating him, he added.



Konongokaya story



According to Prof. Ahwoi, some of the remarks of President Rawlings that caused Mills to consider resignation were comments such as references to Atta Mortuaryman and a Konongo kaya story.



On Konongo kaya, he said Rawlings references were to suggest that The man [Mills] is not well and so he cannot govern and he wont leave it for somebody else to come and do it. And all kinds of innuendos.



Jerry Rawlings had been an ardent critic of President Mills, who took over the administration of Ghana on January 7, 2009.



Atta Mills, however, died in 2012 few months to the 2012 general elections.



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Delhi: Sweeping curbs on movement and on the internet have been imposed in India's portion of the disputed Muslim-majority region of Kashmir ahead of the one-year anniversary of the revocation of seven decades of regional autonomy.

The administration announced a 48-hour curfew in capital Srinagar on Tuesday and Wednesday fearing violent protests from separatists against the ending of the special autonomous status for the Jammu and Kashmir territory, The Hindustan Times reported citing an order by district magistrate Shahid Chaudhary.

A Kashmiri woman requests a police officer to let her cross a street during curfew in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, on Tuesday. Credit:AP

On August 5 last year a surprise move to make Kashmir a "union territory", similar to India's capital Delhi, gave Prime Minister Narendra Modi's federal government complete control over the state's police machinery and administration.

The state's former chief minister Mehbooba Mufti remains in detention which last week was extended until November. Many other leaders including another former chief minister, Omar Abdullah, were freed after being held for several months.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump signed legislation Tuesday that will devote nearly $3 billion a year to conservation projects, outdoor recreation and maintenance of national parks and other public lands following its overwhelming approval by both parties in Congress.

There hasnt been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect, Trump said, seemingly comparing himself to the 26th president, an avowed environmentalist who created many national parks, forests and monuments that millions of Americans flock to each year.

Supporters say the Great American Outdoors Act is the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century. Opponents countered that the money isnt enough to cover the estimated $20 billion maintenance backlog on federally owned lands.

At a White House bill-signing ceremony, Trump failed to give Democrats any credit for their role in helping to pass the measure, mispronounced the name of one of Americas most famous national parks, blamed a maintenance backlog that has been decades in the making on the Obama administration and claimed to have deterred a march to Washington that had been planned to tear down monuments in the nations capital. No such march was ever planned.

The Great American Outdoors Act requires full, permanent funding of the popular Land and Water Conservation Fund and addresses the maintenance backlog facing national parks and public lands. The law would spend about $900 million a year  double current spending  on the conservation fund and another $1.9 billion per year on improvements at national parks, forests, wildlife refuges and range lands.

Trump in the budget proposals he has sent to Congress had previously recommended cutting money allocated to the fund, but reversed course and requested full funding in March.

Interior Secretary David Bernardt said the law will help create more than 100,000 jobs.

The maintenance backlog has been a problem for decades, through Republican and Democratic administrations. Trump falsely claimed it was caused by the last administration.

The House and the Senate cleared the bill by overwhelming bipartisan margins this summer, including significant support from congressional Democrats. No Democratic lawmakers attended the ceremony and Trump, in his remarks, credited only Republicans.

Asked why Democrats werent recognized, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said it was because Democrats and Republicans  including the administration  have yet to agree on extending now-expired coronavirus relief payments and protections.

Her answer focused on Senate Democrats rejection of a proposal by Sen. Martha McSally, R-Ariz., for a one-week extension of a special federal unemployment benefit. She ignored that Senate Republicans themselves are divided over how to proceed on a larger relief package.

The only thing were recognizing about congressional Democrats right now is how appalling it is that there are Americans who are going without paychecks because they refused to partner with Martha McSally, Republicans and the president in ensuring that those payments go out.

Among the bills congressional champions are Republican Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Steve Daines of Montana. Both are among the Senates most vulnerable incumbents, and each one represents a state where the outdoor economy and tourism at sites such as the Rocky Mountain and Yellowstone national parks play an outsize role.

Daines and Gardner persuaded Trump to support the legislation, which Gardner has made the cornerstone of his reelection campaign.

Democratic Sens. Maria Cantwell of Washington state, Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Tom Udall of New Mexico all were instrumental in getting the bill passed. Cantwell has spent years working to reauthorize and fund the Land and Water Conservation Fund, and she worked with Gardner and Daines to make it happen.

For all of us whove fought for years to protect our public lands and invest in our outdoor recreation economy, today is a historic win for Americas beloved shared spaces, Cantwell said in a statement that criticized environmental and public health rollbacks by Trump that benefit the oil and gas industry.

The laws mostly Republican opponents complained it would not eliminate an estimated $20 billion maintenance backlog on 640 million acres (259 million hectares) of federally owned lands. The legislation authorizes $9.5 billion for maintenance over five years.

Lawmakers from Gulf Coast states also complained that their states get too small a share of revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling that is used to replenish the conservation fund.

Ivanka Trump, the Republican presidents daughter and adviser who supported the legislation, described it at the ceremony as a great legacy for the administration as well as the country.

In discussing the beauty of national parks Tuesday, President Trump tripped over one name when he referred to Yosemites towering sequoia trees. He twice mispronounced Yosemites as yoh-SEH-mytz instead of yoh-SEM-it-eez.

Trump also claimed an executive order highlighting the threat of up to 10 years in prison for defacing federal monuments was the reason a march to Washington for the sole purpose of destroying statues was canceled.

People protesting racial injustice after George Floyds death in police custody in May began toppling monuments around the country of Confederate and other figures considered racist, but no such march to Washington was ever planned.

They were having a march on Washington to knock down a lot of monuments, and I signed it before the march, Trump said of the executive order he signed June 26. We announced it at a news conference that you go to jail for 10 years if you knock down a monument, and the march to Washington never happened. I dont know  thats strange how that all works. Isnt it, though? Isnt that a beautiful thing?

The Rev. Al Sharpton is planning a march on Washington for Aug. 28, the anniversary of the 1963 march in the nations capital led by Martin Luther King Jr.

___

Associated Press writers Matthew Daly, Kevin Freking and Deb Riechmann contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to show the area with the maintenance backlog is 640 million acres, not 640 acres.
Massachusetts health officials announced another nine coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, bringing the statewide death toll to 8,436.

Officials also confirmed 438 new cases of the virus, for a total of at least 111,033 across Massachusetts. Thats based on 15,316 new molecular tests reported on Tuesday, according to the Department of Public Health.

There are currently 354 people hospitalized with COVID-19, including 56 patients in intensive care.

Officials also reported another 108 probable cases of the virus, for a total of at least 8,170 statewide.

As of Tuesday, there are roughly 4,649,102 cases of COVID-19 across the United States, and 154,471 deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The latest numbers come as Massachusetts is seeing a small uptick in infections, which state officials believe to be tied to small clusters caused by parties and instances of people ignoring the mask mandate, or not properly social distancing. Gov. Charlie Baker on Tuesday said officials have not ruled out stricter regulations on businesses and reduced gathering sizes amid the increase in cases.

Were not taking any options off the table when it comes to fighting COVID, reopening the Commonwealth, getting back to a new normal, Baker said during his daily press briefing at Bostons MedFlight headquarters in Bedford.

The number of COVID-19 cases at Baystate Medical Center tied to last weeks outbreak has increased to at least 55, hospital officials said Monday. Baystate Health has since strengthened its rules for mask-wearing and distancing and reconfigured some indoor spaces after hospital officials traced a cluster of new cases there to a single employee who had been to a COVID-19 hotspot state.

Ten Falmouth lifeguards have also tested positive for the coronavirus after several of them had attended a recent party, Town Manager Julian Suso said on Monday.

The data also comes after Bakers travel order took effect over the weekend, requiring that visitors from states designated as COVID-19 hotspots must quarantine for 14 days before entering Massachusetts if they cannot produce a negative coronavirus test, or face a $500 fine each day. Baker said on Tuesday that tens of thousands of people have already filled out the Massachusetts Travel Form, which visitors must complete before arriving.

Coronavirus in Mass.: See cases, maps, charts and resources

Here are the cases listed by county:

Barnstable County: 1,770

Berkshire County: 661

Bristol County: 9,224

Dukes County: 66

Essex County: 17,494

Franklin County: 406

Hampden County: 7,499

Hampshire County: 1,145

Middlesex County: 26,027

Nantucket County: 33

Norfolk County: 10,447

Plymouth County: 9,163

Suffolk County: 21,481

Worcester County: 13,469

Unknown location: 318

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At a time when the Turkish governments decisions are further polarizing Turkish society and simmering the fault lines between secularists and conservatives, Muslims and non-Muslims, Turkeys capital, Ankara, is slated to host an exhibition that spotlights two issues that touch a nerve: imprisoned Turkish philanthropist Osman Kavala and his long-standing efforts to promote interfaith dialogue.

After its Istanbul debut last year, the globetrotting exhibition, Shared Sacred Sites, which highlights interfaith dialogue, is planned to continue at Ankaras only contemporary art museum, CerModern, from the beginning of November to December 2020. The curation of the Turkey exhibit is partly the result of consultations with Kavala, one of the prominent patrons of artworks and cultural initiatives that serve dialogue. Kavala has been behind bars for more than 1,000 days on flimsy charges that many see as politically motivated.

After traveling from Marseilles MuCEM to New York City, Paris, Thessaloniki and elsewhere, Shared Sacred Sites" debuted in Turkey at Istanbuls Depo, an art space co-founded in 2008 by Kavala.

The Turkey part of the exhibition also features photographs from Istanbul's Hagia Sophia, which was turned into a mosque on July 24 amid strong criticism at home and abroad.

The politicized reopening of Hagia Sophia as a mosque commemorated the Treaty of Lausanne, which led to the founding of the Republic of Turkey in 1923. Eleven years later, when Hagia Sophia became a museum, its treasury of Muslim heritage was arguably downplayed by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, founder of the modern Turkish republic's hard-line secularism. Islamic calligraphy on Hagia Sophias ceiling panels by Izzet Effendi is the largest of its kind in the world. As is evident from photography and art history, the panels were taken down and stowed away during its conversion to a museum.

Last year, before Shared Sacred Sites came through Depo from April to July, Kavala worked from jail with curators Manoel Penicaud and Dionigi Albera, advising on the inclusion of artworks relevant to Turkey. There are three photographs of Hagia Sophia by Izzet Keribar. His piece Interior of Hagia Sophia (2012) recalls the 1935 photographs of Dumbarton Oaks from inside the edifice, in which the calligraphic panels are conspicuously missing.

Kavala, who has been in Silivri prison since Nov. 1, 2017, is currently anticipating an indictment for allegations of espionage during the failed coup of July 2016. In February, the Silivri courthouse acquitted his earlier indictment for attempting to overthrow the government during the 2013 Gezi Park protests, but he was re-arrested the same day before leaving the prison.

Shared Sacred Sites embodies the principles for which Kavala stood and that are increasingly important as Turkey confronts international criticism over the problems of interfaith harmony.

While imprisoned, Kavala has continued to work with Depo, which is based in the building where his grandfather ran a tobacco business after their family endured the Greek-Turkish population exchange of 1923. The curation of the exhibition exemplified Kavalas nonpartisan, pluralist, civil society advocacy.

He is always gentle, considerate, altruist; he has always been open to dialogue and did a lot to bring people together, Depos project coordinator, Asena Gunal, told Al-Monitor. She is also executive director of Anadolu Kultur, the not-for-profit cultural institution that Kavala founded in 2002 and still chairs from jail.

They are punishing him not only because of his cultural work but also because of his collaboration and exchange with European civil society members and politicians, she added.

Kavala has stirred political controversy for providing space to Kurdish artists, especially at the Diyarbakir Arts Center that he founded in the countrys embattled southeast, and for hosting civil society activities in his restaurant in Istanbul where artists and writers from different ethnicities could express themselves freely.

Over the past two years [since Kavalas arrest], solidarity and collaboration between artistic communities continued, said Ferhat Ozgur, an artist and professor who worked with Kavala in the first Mardin Biennial in 2010. Galleries have opened.  I believe Kavala is so happy to see us organizing. His arrest and the ongoing political crisis united us strongly, more than before, he added.

He was doing critical work, but not specifically critical of this government. What he does and has been doing at Depo is against the denial of past atrocities, Gunal said.

The latest curation of Shared Sacred Sites at Depo is under further revision following the reconversion of Hagia Sophia. The remount in Ankara, a collaboration between Anadolu Kultur and The French Institute, will not only feature the work of Izzet Keribar on Hagia Sophia but also photography by Manuel Citak of Eyup Sultan Mosque, Surp Hresdagabed Armenian Church, Beth Yaakov Synagogue and the St. George Monastery on Istanbul's Buyukada Island. Other works, by Gencer Yurttas for example, are focusing on interfaith shrines in Istanbul.

At Depo, the sprawling three-floor show portrayed common sacred spaces across Turkey, from Antakya, Cappadocia, Mardin, Ephesus and Dersim. CerModern, a larger space, anticipates the show's renewed curatorial expansion.

This project resonated very deeply with Kavalas life-long engagement for dialogue and encounter beyond the conflicts and the differences, Albera told Al-Monitor. Osman Kavala monitored the preparation of the exhibit despite the severe limitations in his communication with the external world. We immensely admire his courage!
By PTI

COLOMBO: Sri Lankans will vote in the twice-postponed parliamentary election on Wednesday with the powerful Rajapaksa family-run party expected to gain control of the assembly that could allow them to amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers.

Over 16 million people are eligible to vote to elect 196 out of a total of 225 lawmakers for the next five years.

Twenty-nine others will be named from a national list according to the number of votes received by each party.

The counting would take place only on the following morning - a departure from the practice of counting the ballots from 8 pm on the election night.

ALSO READ | Sri Lanka's August 5 general elections to be the costliest ever

President Gotabaya Rajapaksa hopes for a two-thirds majority for the Sri Lanka People's Party (SLPP) in the general election so that he can amend the Constitution to restore presidential powers curbed by a 2015 constitutional change.

His older brother and former president Mahinda Rajapaksa, who is seeking reelection as prime minister, is assured of a sweeping victory as the main Opposition is badly divided.

As many as five members of the Rajapaksa family are in the fray - Mahinda Rajapaksa, his elder son Namal Rajapaksa, the older brother Chamal Rajapaksa and nephews Shasheendra Rajapaksa and Nipuna Ranawaka.

Basil Rajapaksa, the powerful national organiser of the SLPP, said that the entire Opposition would poll less than half of the SLPP's total votes.

"We will record a sweeping victory at the election and our opponent will not be able to muster even half our votes," Basil said.

According to many political watchers, the Rajapaksas' victory is only a matter of how many seats and not if they would win it.

This may seem an almost unthinkable return to the pinnacle of power for the family who had been electorally disgraced by the unexpected loss of Mahinda Rajapaksa in 2015.

In 2015, the Rajapaksas were battling arrests and corruption cases in court.

There were scores of cases filed against them for alleged misappropriation and the cases are still pending with no conclusions to them.

Gotabaya's victory in the November presidential election was the second reversal of their fortunes for the better.

The first was in 2018 when their fledgling SLPP recorded a resounding win in the local council election, which to all intents and purposes signalled their return to power.

President Gotabaya has campaigned for unbridled power to him through the repealing of the nineteenth amendment (19A) to the Constitution.

In 2015, President Maithripala Sirisena and Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's government moved the 19A which brought in a stream of reforms that strengthened the post of the prime minister.

The reforms also ensured the independence of judiciary and elections.

However, the Rajapaksas' saw the amendment as a move to curb them politically  some of its provisions such as those which barred dual citizens from holding political office.

Gotabaya had to renounce his US citizenship to contest the November election.

The Rajapaksa campaign in this election was for parliamentary control to give Sri Lanka a strong government.

They cashed in on failings of the last government  the power struggle between Sirisena and Wickremesinghe, who headed rival parties while in government.

Sirisena, the man who ended the family grip of power in 2015, has mended fences with the family and he is contesting a seat from his north-central district home base from SLPP while for Wickremesinghe it had been downhill since he became the prime minister in a fragile coalition.

Wickremesinghe had to give in to his deputy Sajith Premadasa to run for presidency in November.

After Premadasa's loss, the chorus for Wickremesinghe's exit from being the leader of the country's oldest political party became louder.

He held on as he had done over the last 26 years  only to face a challenge from Premadasa's newly formed SJB who are expected to win more seats than the UNP.

The Marxist JVP, a key ally of the then opposition against Rajapaksa in 2015, is going on their own.

Their campaign is based on blaming both the two major political parties which ruled the country since 1948.

They seek to increase their numbers by posing as the alternative to the parties who had bungled for 70 years.

In the north and east, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), who were also part of the 2015 pro-democracy alliance against Mahinda Rajapaksa, seeks the Tamil support to pursue their struggle for political autonomy to the Tamils.

They are facing stiff resistance by the hardline Tamil bandwagon led by the former northern chief minister CV Wigneswaran.

A total of 7,452 candidates from 54 political parties and independent groups are contesting the election in 22 districts.

The polls would be held under strict COVID-19 health guidelines.

Mahinda Deshapriya, the Chair of the Elections Commission, has said that there is no threat of the coronavirus at polling centres.

"Voters can cast their vote without any fear during the poll," he said.
"Along history, forever / some woman dancing, / making shapes on the air; / forever a man / riding a good horse, /sitting the dark horse well / his penis erect with fantasy"  Muriel Rukeyser

By Deauwand Myers





I've never been that fond of men. Even someone with a cursory understanding of history can understand why. The list of despotic kings and dictators is too long to enumerate here.



The problem with patriarchy is obvious: It concentrates power only among men, while relegating women to second-class status. But far worse, it truncates the pool of talent readily available in the broader society: Everything from corporate stewardship to national governance.



But the worst, probably, is the male ego, particularly in geopolitics. "Mine is bigger than yours." Let's tour some of the most glaring examples in our current historical moment.



Japan

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his conservative Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) have been on a lifelong quest to revise Imperialist Japan's brutal history, all the way from the occupation of Korea to the many atrocities of World War II.



Imperialist Japan enslaved, tortured, raped (systemically, at that, with their international network of "comfort women," a euphemism for sex slaves, many of whom were Korean), performed many gruesome medical experiments on living human beings with no anesthesia, and treated much of Asia as the Nazis did Europe.



Yet, Abe and his ilk say these things are exaggerated, and that Japan's defeat in World War II and the subsequent written Constitution was a national "castration." Imagine a female head of state using such language. For sure, there are women in the LDP who subscribe to this nonsense, but empirically, we have found that more women in national and local government leads to more compromise and better outcomes (the same with corporate governance in the private sector).



Abe and his bruised, male ego, going on about Japan's "glorious" and misunderstood history during the 20th century is dangerous and hubristic. Japan needs to have full military and intelligence cooperation with all its democratic neighbors, especially Korea, as both share common enemies: North Korea and China.



China

Which leads us to China. President Xi Jinping's consolidation of political power was so breathtaking and complete, even I was surprised. The Chinese government, under the auspices of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), has governed for most of its modern history as a "democracy of the few." The Standing Committee, the very highest decision-making body in China, made policy through debate and consensus.



Not anymore. Now, Xi as head of all important committees, has expanded surveillance and security forces to the point that his country is a police state; placed an entire population of minority Muslims (Uyghurs) into re-education concentration camps, violently clamped down on Hong Kong freedoms, claims most of the South China Sea, and has engaged in bloody border battles with India.



Xi has the same perception of his country that Abe has. China's long and glorious history, its culture and inventions, were stolen or appropriated, and China's sovereignty was violated time and again: by the Mongols, the British, and the Japanese.



Xi's male ego, magnified by the CCP's odd and obvious push to create a cult of personality around him, going so far as to produce massive posters of him everywhere, and even abolishing the 10-year term limit for presidents, has led to dangerous and expansionary domestic and foreign policies.



Worse, to reclaim Xi's fetishized, romanticized version of ancient Chinese dynasties and empires, he and the government will go to great lengths to achieve whatever version of a new and powerful China he imagines: especially obfuscation. The government says they do not practice military and corporate espionage. A lie. They say they haven't created concentration camps for Muslims. A lie. They say they want a peaceful rise for China. A lie. On and on it goes.



Besides the many moral and geopolitical dilemmas this presents to the international community, the scariest may be Xi's male ego itself. To suddenly attack India at a disputed border is highly provocative, and considering both India and China have nuclear weapons, foolish. Xi needs a lesson in humility, and none too soon.



The United States

President Donlad Trump is a malignant narcissist, and someone with a very low self-esteem masquerading as competent pride. His entire "Make America Great Again" campaign is a clarion call to white supremacy and grievance, one that can be satiated with nostalgia for "the good old days," where minorities were wholly second-class citizens and women stayed at home and baked bread.



The simplicity in MAGA is both its genius and its weakness. Stoking white fears and xenophobia may feel good, but it doesn't provide food, shelter, or a competent, coordinated federal response to COVID-19 ravaging most of America.



Women, please get more involved in politics. You bathe regularly and read books. We need you.

Deauwand Myers (deauwand@hotmail.com) holds a master's degree in English literature and literary theory, and is an English professor outside Seoul. The views expressed in the above article are the author's own and do not reflect the editorial direction of The Korea Times.
Three men have been rescued from a remote, uninhabited island in the Micronesia archipelago after writing "SOS" in the sand, authorities said.

The unnamed sailors had been missing in the western Pacific Ocean for nearly three days when their giant message outlined on the beach of tiny Pikelot Island was spotted from above by searchers in Australian and U.S. aircraft on Sunday. All three men were found in "good condition," according to a press release from the Australian government's Department of Defense.

PHOTO: An Australian Army ARH Tiger helicopter lands near the letters 'SOS' on a beach on Pikelot Island where three men were found in good condition after being missing for three days, Aug. 2, 2020. (Australian Defense Force)

The men had apparently set out on a 23-foot skiff from Pulawat atoll on July 30, intending to travel about 26 miles to Pulap atoll, but they sailed off course and ran out of fuel.

MORE: Message in a bottle saves family stranded on waterfall

Search and rescue teams from the U.S. territory of Guam had asked the Australian Defense Force for help on Saturday afternoon. The Royal Australian Navy's ship HMAS Canberra happened to be sailing in the region and agreed to change course to join the U.S. searchers from Guam, according to Australia's Department of Defense.

"The ships company responded to the call and had the ship quickly prepared to support the search and rescue," according to the Canberras commanding officer, Capt. Terry Morrison, in a statement Monday. "In particular, our embarked MRH90 helicopter from No. 808 Squadron and the four armed reconnaissance helicopters from 1st Aviation Regiment were instrumental in the morning search that helped locate the men and deliver supplies and confirm their welfare."

PHOTO: Australian Army soldiers from the Royal Australian Regiment deliver food and supplies to three stranded sailors from the Federated States of Micronesia following a search and rescue mission, to Pikelot Island in Micronesia, Aug. 3, 2020. (AUSTRALIAN DEFENCE FORCE HANDOUT)

The missing men were ultimately located some 118 miles west from where they had started their voyage.

MORE: American prosecutor gunned down in Micronesia had 'most dangerous job' on the tiny island

An Australian military helicopter managed to land on Pikelot Island to deliver the men food and water, confirm their identities and check they had no major injuries. A Micronesian patrol vessel has been sent to the island to pick them up, according to Australia's Department of Defense.

"I am proud of the response and professionalism of all on board as we fulfil our obligation to contribute to the safety of life at sea wherever we are in the world," Morrison said.

SOS message saves men stranded on tiny, uninhabited island originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
In September, both Canadian and international students will unwillingly participate in the greatest post-secondary experiment in national history.

COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on Canadian universities, polytechnics, and colleges. Earlier this year, institutions adapted to pandemic realities and limped through the academic year. But as the start of the fall semester approaches, the enormity of the educational challenge is becoming apparent.

Conditions are not in institutions favours. Governments are making it hard for international students to come to Canada. A substantial but unknown number of students will not start or return to school, leaving institutions strapped for cash. As financially troubled post-secondary institutions reduce staff, cancel new hires, and cut back on expenditures, they also prepare for the most uncertain instructional semester ever.

But the situation is graver than these painful realities suggest. The incoming high school graduates are probably the least well-prepared in modern history. Regular classes ended mid-March and students made a chaotic transition to temporary, online instruction. To call the resulting educational experiences uneven would be too kind.

Problems will worsen if post-secondary institutions do not adapt their first-year courses. Given an existing failure or dropout rate of nearly 30 per cent for first years in regular times, the added complication of online instruction after a weak ending to their high school years could easily be a bridge too far.

While studying online can be as rewarding and intellectually challenging in-person instruction, online learning requires skills not typically taught in high school such as a high level of commitment, careful attention, and considerable independence. For many younger students, this transition could well prove to be extremely difficult.

Conestoga College has taken the bold step of declaring that the institution will be almost entirely online for the whole 2020-2021 academic year. This is likely realistic and honest given even optimistic timelines for a COVID-19 vaccine.

Many students might be best served by delaying their studies, but for those who hope to press forward, there are a few steps that students and their parents should consider to improve their chances of success.

Academically weaker students  those who achieve marks under 80 per cent  in core academic subjects, are particularly at risk. These students should seriously consider taking a gap year or enrolling in an appropriate transition program. Alternatively, students in this category should consider registering for a partial course load, a step that might increase their chances of completing their courses.

Incoming students should also take the next few weeks to experiment with online instruction. Many institutions have voluntary summer online transition programs, which students should participate in. Those who cannot will be less likely to study online successfully.

All students must realize that full-time study is more than a full-time job. Students enrolling in a full course load, particularly at university, should budget at least 50 hours a week for their studies. This includes direct class/instructional time, assignments, and some extracurricular activities. It also includes a substantive amount of reading, far more than students have likely ever done, and those who are unprepared to do so often struggle with coursework.

Finally, students will need appropriate digital devices, a proper study space, and a lot of quiet time. Sadly, this attaches some serious socio-economic conditions to post-secondary participation. Many First Nations and rural communities do not have proper and reliable Internet connections. Students in poor families often do not have the resources necessary for a good learning environment, despite an often extraordinary personal and family commitment to post-secondary study. If proper supports are not in place, there will be an even stronger than normal outcome bias in favour of students from high-income families.

Online education can be successful, as institutions like Athabasca University have demonstrated. But this autumn will see most unusual circumstances, with the chaos of the pandemic and the uncertain adaptation to online instruction. Faculty are trying. Institutions are working hard. But students have not been well-informed about the challenges and the realities of online instruction. Students and their families will likely pay the lions share of the personal and financial challenges in the great post-secondary experiment of 2020.

Ken Coates is a Senior Fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute. Carin Holroyd is a professor of Political Studies at University of Saskatchewan.
On Monday the King Emeritus, Juan Carlos, informed his son and successor, King Felipe, that he intended to move abroad given the public impact of certain past events in his private life. He was referring, euphemistically, to the ongoing investigation into the cash he had stashed away in a Swiss bank account and he had allegedly received from contract commissions and other shady business dealings. The reputational damage endured by King Juan Carlos is so huge and has been going on for so long that at the moment it might be difficult to fully grasp the historical implications of this news. The same monarch who, not even ten years ago, was regarded as one of the masterminds of Spains political transition [after General Francos death] and hailed as the saviour of Spanish democracy in the obscure 1981 military coup, the same king whose approval ratings were off the charts, is now having to leave Spain to dodge the accusations of corruption, in disgrace and disrepute.

All it has taken for the idyllic image of the King Emeritus crafted over the years to come tumbling down is for some media to shake off the censorship and dump the prevailing spirit of loyalty that for years kept a gag on reports about the Spanish royals one day this sad chapter in the history of Spanish journalism will need to be studied in detail plus a Swiss prosecutor who had the guts to probe the source of Juan Carlos cash.

Any attempt to separate the former kings private affairs from his reign is bound to fail because such a distinction is impossible in a figure that is, in itself, institutional by nature. A monarchs financial affairs are, as the classics would put it, a state matter because the survival of a monarchy in a democracy depends only on the consent of its subjects. Failing that, the institution itself starts to wobble.

For that same reason it is unrealistic to assume that the downfall of his father will leave King Felipe unscathed. You cannot build a high enough wall between the father and his son because the very essence of the monarchy is that it is a hereditary office, where the heir takes on the legacy of his predecessor in the Bourbon house. We would have to go back all the way to the 19th century to find a Bourbon monarch whose reign didnt come to a humiliating end.

At the moment Spains political class is faced with an extremely serious dilemma: it can either look the other way and pretend nothing has happened or it can rise to the challenge and put the question to the Spanish people so they can vote whether they wish to keep the monarchy or not. In Catalonia we have had a taste of the Spanish rulers aversion to referendums and all the States structures will undoubtedly come together to shield the Crown, which they regard as the current regimes best line of defence. However, their efforts will bear no fruit because the younger generations have long felt unbound by the 1978 pacts and a monarchy that was reinstated by a dictator who hated the Republic and everything it stood for.
BUENOS AIRES (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 04th August, 2020) Paraguay is entering the most difficult phase of the epidemic of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) due to an increased number of new cases of the disease, the country's Health Ministry said in a statement.

The ministry expressed concern about the situation in three regions: in the departments of Alto Parana and Central and in the capital of Asuncion.

"We are entering the most difficult phase of the epidemic, indicators that are mainly concentrated in the epicenters, especially in Alto Parana, suggest that there is an increase in the average number of confirmed cases per day, and especially in this area, which accounts for 40 percent of cases, as well as a little more than a third of active cases.

The same applies to the number of deaths," Health Minister Julio Mazzoleni said as quoted by the ministry.

Paraguay has 5,644 confirmed cases of coronavirus (2,132, or 47.1 percent in Alto Parana, 1,296, or 28.6 percent, in Central, and 571, or 12.6 percent in Asuncion), with 52 deaths and 3,966 recoveries.

The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the outbreak of the new coronavirus a pandemic on March 11.

According to the WHO, the global coronavirus death toll has surpassed 686,000 people, with the number of cases worldwide exceeding 17.9 million.
New York: North Korea is pressing on with its nuclear weapons program and several countries believe it has "probably developed miniaturised nuclear devices to fit into the warheads of its ballistic missiles".

A new and confidential United Nations report by an independent panel of experts monitoring UN sanctions said the countries, which it did not identify, believed North Korea's past six nuclear tests had likely helped it develop miniaturised nuclear devices. Pyongyang has not conducted a nuclear test since September 2017.

Kim Jong-un attends an emergency Politburo meeting in Pyongyang on July 25. Credit:AP

The interim report, seen by Reuters, was submitted to the 15-member UN Security Council North Korea sanctions committee on Monday.

"The Democratic People's Republic of Korea is continuing its nuclear program, including the production of highly enriched uranium and construction of an experimental light water reactor. A Member State assessed that the Democratic People's Republic of Korea is continuing production of nuclear weapons," the report said.
New Delhi:

A Rs 2,000-crore development package for displaced people of Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) living in the country was on Wednesday approved by the government.



The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, approved the Home Ministrys proposal to provide enhanced financial aid to 36,384 families, who are mostly living in Jammu region after their displacement from PoK post Independence.



Each of these families will get around Rs 5.5 lakh as aid, a senior official said.



The refugees from West Pakistan, mostly from PoK, settled in different areas of Jammu, Kathua and Rajouri districts. However, they are not permanent residents of the state in terms of Jammu and Kashmir Constitution.

Some of the families were displaced during Partition in 1947, and others during the 1965 and 1971 wars with Pakistan.



The displaced people can cast their votes in Lok Sabha polls but not in the elections to Jammu and Kashmir assembly.



Jammu and Kashmir Sharanarthi Action Committee (JKSAC), an organisation representing the displaced people of the PoK has been maintaining that the package should not be seen as final settlement as Rs 9,200 crore was required to settle all of them.



The Modi government had in January 2015 approved certain concessions for the refugees from West Pakistan settled in Jammu and Kashmir after considering the problems being faced by them.



The concessions include special recruitment drives for induction into paramilitary forces, equal employment opportunities in the state, admission for the children of refugees in Kendriya Vidyalayas, among others.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Sudan, Egypt and Ethiopia on Monday resumed a new round of talks on filling and operation of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD), according to Sudan's Irrigation and Water Resources Ministry, Trend reports citing Xinhua.

"The three parties agreed to continue the negotiations at the level of experts and to return to the talks at the ministerial level on Aug. 6," the ministry said in a statement.

Yasir Abbas, Sudanese Irrigation and Water Resources Minister, said in a statement that it is important to sign an agreement among the three countries regarding the Nile Dam.
In the afternoon of 17 Oct, a particularly violent explosion occurred at Anak Krakatau, blasting away a portion of the southern crater rim. A similar event might have been the final trigger for the catastrophic landslide that let the cone collapse and cause a devastating tsunami on 22 Dec 2018.
Democratic presidential candidate, speaking during a virtual campaign fundraiser, said he believed the US leader would do everything in his power to "argue this election is fraudulent.

Mr Bidens remarks were his strongest on the issue since the president said last week that he would not trust results of an election that included widespread mail voting.

"He suggested we should postpone the election, full of just bald-faced lies about how mail-in votes were fraud, and how it was so terrible, Mr Biden said.

"Well look, he's calling out any effort to exploit this pandemic for political purposes. It distracts from his complete failure," he said.

Mr Trump had suggested the November 3 vote could be postponed, an idea immediately rejected by Democrats and his fellow Republicans in Congress , which has the authority to make such a change.

The presidents campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh said Mr Trump was "rightfully calling attention to the clear fact" that universal mail-in voting creates "nightmare election scenarios".

"Joe Biden and the radical left are fearmongering as they capitalise on the coronavirus crisis in an effort to scare voters into staying home on Election Day," Mr Murtaugh said.

The US is enduring a coronavirus pandemic that has claimed more than 155,000 lives - the most of any country in the world - a crippling recession sparked by the outbreak, and nationwide protests against police violence and racism.

Without evidence, Mr Trump has repeatedly claimed increased mail voting would be rife with fraud, remarks that have deepened Democrats' fears that he will refuse to accept the election outcome should he lose.
Montgomery County Republican nominee Vince Santini was sworn in Tuesday morning after being appointed July 23 by Gov. Greg Abbott to fill the interim bench of the new 457th state District Court.

Santini was sworn in by 284th state District Judge Kristin Bays.

Santini secured 18,767 (78.06 percent) votes over The Woodlands attorney Eric Yollick with 5,274 (21.94 percent) in the GOP primary runoff election July 14.

Santini will face Democratic challenger Marc Meyer in November. Meyer, who currently serves and the Democratic party chairman, is an attorney and former firefighter and paramedic.

Santini said he is excited to get the court up and running. He added he will structure his court similar to the 284th state District Court.

I have never been judge before, it is a new position but my skill set will work well in this court, he said. I am used to moving large dockets of cases and making decisions on a grand scale that affect many people.

The 457th state District Court will be solely civil cases and will inherit more than 2,000 cases from the 410th state District Court and the 284th state District Court immediately. Santini said he will be on the same playing field with the other judges his first day.

Introduced in February by state Rep. Steve Toth, R-The Woodlands, Toth said he requested the new judicial district at the behest of the Montgomery County Commissioners Court in light of a caseload growth.

In a unanimous vote in June, Montgomery County commissioners allocated $131,560 for personnel, benefits and operational services for the upcoming budget year for the new court.

I think the budget is appropriate and we will work to keep costs as low as possible, he said. We will be accountable.

cdominguez@hcnonline.com
A young thug who brutally bashed an elderly man at a shopping centre and then fled the scene has made a bizarre exit from court after escaping a jail sentence.

Tye-Allen Gycabi Eldridge, 22, was walking with his girlfriend at Pacific Fair on the Gold Coast when the man, 66, approached him on December 20, 2019.

The Good Samaritan saw Eldridge shove his girlfriend and stepped in to protect the woman - but was punched three times in the head for his trouble.

Eldridge's savage attack left the victim bruised and struggling to digest food.

Tye-Allen Gycabi Eldridge (pictured) was sentenced to 18 months probation in Southport Magistrates Court, on Queensland's Gold Coast, for the assault on Monday

Eldridge was sentenced to 18 months probation in Southport Magistrates Court after pleading guilty to the assault on Monday, the Gold Coast Bulletin reported.

He gave a 'shaka' - a Hawaiian hand gesture for 'hang loose' - and laughed as he was approached by media outside of court.

'What guy? What are you talking about? I don't even know what you're talking about,' he shot at a reporter who asked him if he wanted to apologise to his victim.

He later on screamed into the reporter's microphone and said he was 'deeply remorseful' and begged her to leave him alone.

The 22-year-old is also facing charges of shouting obscenities at Nerang station on February 15 following an AFL match.

Eldridge screamed into the reporter's microphone and said he was 'deeply remorseful' and begged her to leave him alone

Demi Quadrio, Eldridge's lawyer, said her client suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder after he witnessed his uncle be run down and killed.

Eldridge's lawyer also said his anger management was a concern.

He pleaded guilty to breaching bail, creating a disturbance and seriously assaulting a person over 60.

Eldridge was sentenced to 18 months probation and no conviction was recorded.

Magistrate Cameron McKenzie said: 'A person of some age was merely coming to the assistance of your partner for what appeared to be a physical assault  I cannot look past that.'
Trend-watching fashionistas can buy a remarkable 'dupe' of this year's 'must-have' $1,196 designer skirt from an Australian clothing brand for just $48.

The lingerie-inspired 'Gamine' miniskirt from New York label Orseund Iris has dominated Instagram feeds for the past 12 months, with supermodels and world-famous influencers slipping into its lace-up detailing and sultry suspender straps.

Even Kendall Jenner has posed in the piece, channelling her inner pin-up girl in a 1950s style photoshoot to promote her and sister Kylie's new makeup collaboration for Kylie Cosmetics in June.

The corseted material cinches the waist and hugs the hips, enhancing every curve of the lower body in a flattering, fashion-forward manner.

But shoppers deterred by the eye-watering price tag can achieve a similar effect with the 'Dangerous Woman' skirt from Sydney website Lioness, which usually costs $69 but is currently reduced to $48 while stocks last.

Scroll down for video

The $1,196 'Gamine' miniskirt from New York label Orseund Iris (left) is one of this year's 'must-have' pieces - but shoppers can get a remarkable dupe from Australian brand Lioness (right) for just $48

The skintight skirt has an almost identical lace-up front and comes in two colours - black and creamy beige - just like the Orseund Iris original.

Beige has already sold out but black is still available in sizes small, medium and large.

The site is offering free express shipping worldwide, so overseas customers need not miss out.

Fashion lovers have been raving about the skirt on Lioness' Instagram, calling it 'so hot' and tagging friends telling them they 'need' to buy it.

And at $1,148 cheaper than the original, the dupe is certainly a pocket-friendly way to invest in a piece inspired by high fashion.

Pin-up vibes: Kendall Jenner channels her inner pin-up girl in a sexy '50s chic campaign photoshoot to promote her new beauty collaboration with Kylie Cosmetics

Models wear Lioness' 'Dangerous Woman' skirt in black (left) and Orseund Iris' 'Gamine' skirt in black (right)

Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine wears the $1,196 'Gamine' skirt in an Instagram photo taken before the coronavirus crisis

Lioness is not the only Australian brand known for re-imagining haute couture designs at affordable prices.

Up-and-coming footwear brand Alias Mae rolled out one of the most convincing catwalk copies of 2019 with its $189.95 Inika lace-up heels, which were strikingly similar to the $1,215 'Paris' leather sandals from French fashion house Saint Laurent.

Kmart also got in on the action by releasing a $15 clutch that looks exactly like Bottega Veneta's $3,700 iconic pouch, haled as the 'IT bag of 2019'.

Saint Laurent's $1,125 'Paris' sandals (left) and Alias Mae's $189.95 'Inika' lace-up heels (right)

Sydney fashion blogger Lori holds Kmart's $15 'large clutch', which is almost identical to Bottega Veneta's $3,700 pouch dubbed the 'IT bag of 2019'

Britsh model turned designer Rose Huntington-Whiteley totes the Bottega Veneta clutch

Sydney fashion blogger Lori was one of the first to get her hands on the discount version, sharing an Instagram photo of herself dressed in a white top and belted shorts, holding the bag.

'I definitely need more neutral outfits in my closet,' she captioned the shot.

Followers said they couldn't wait to get their hands on the affordable accessory, which comes in tan, black and khaki green.

Like the Bottega Veneta option, the Kmart bag features gathered detail at the top of the clutch, buttery soft leather and a deep interior for keeping your purse, lipstick and keys.
Children in some of the Germanys provinces returned to school this week, the first in Europe to do so. The schools are ensuring social distancing, hand hygiene, and proper ventilation, although masks are not mandatory in classrooms in some regions (they are in others, and are also mandatory in the corridors). Deutsche Welle reported that schools are considered low-risk, citing research by doctors at the University Clinic of Leipzig that showed that fewer than 20 of the 2,600 students and teachers tested showed Covid-19 antibodies, an indication of past infections. The cup-half-empty way of looking at that finding (which, this writer believes, is the best approach to dealing with Covid-19; prepare for the first, and then take what comes your way) would be that students and teachers are vulnerable to infection given the low immunity in the study group, but Germanys management of the pandemic, thus far, has been exemplary, so I will hold my criticism.

There can also be no arguing with the fact that children will have to return to schools sooner than later. On Tuesday, United Nation secretary general Antonio Guterres said the world could face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities. Guterres said a billion students across 160 countries have been affected and that the decisions governments and partners now take will have lasting impact on hundreds of millions of young people, and the development prospects of countries for decades to come (see front page). The UN chiefs reference to decisions is clearly about the reopening of schools and colleges  something that has challenged policymakers around the world, including in India where online learning disadvantages those students who are already disadvantaged, amplifying the divide between them and others , which the country can ill-afford.

But the risks of opening too early are significant.

Israel, for instance, opened schools in May, only to see a wave of cases which set off the countrys second wave of infections, and caused school closures (and mass quarantines). The country is now making plans to open in fall for the school year; like many other countries, Israel has decided that not opening schools this year is not an option.

Click here for full Covid-19 coverage

Still, the experience of Israel comes up in any discussion on school openings; indeed, in education and government circles, the countrys hasty reopening of schools has become a cautionary tale.

Like Israel, the Australian state of Victoria reopened schools only when it looked like it had the pandemic well under control, but after a resurgence of cases  not linked to the schools, but the sharing of a cigarette lighter among guards at a facility where international travellers were being quarantined  the state finally decided, late last week, to close most schools again.

What does science say? The most authoritative research on the subject is a paper published in JAMA Pediatrics by doctors from the infectious diseases and pediatrics departments of the Ann and Robert H Lurie Childrens Hospital, Chicago, and from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago. The study found that very young children (younger than five years), with even mild infections, have more of the viral RNA of the Sars-CoV-2 virus which causes Covid-19 in their nasopharynx (the upper part of the pharynx, between the nose and the mouth) than older children and adults and that while the infectious virus itself wasnt measured pediatric studies [have] reported a correlation between higher nucleic acid levels and the ability to culture infectious virus.

The study concluded that young children can potentially be important drivers of the infections spread in the general population. The study, which covered 145 patients, comes with caveats associated with any study of this size, but it pretty much rules out day-care or school for very young children. And more research is needed on older children and their role as potential super spreaders.

Yet, as Guterres pointed out on Tuesday, the alternative isnt acceptable.

PS: Indias decision is made easier by the fact that Covid-19 cases are continuing to rise and spread across the country (India saw 1,852,668 cases cumulatively till Monday night, of which 584,674 were active), which pretty much rules out opening schools for now  although when the time comes to open them, it will be interesting to see how the country goes about it.
Appropriately enough, it all began with a credit union loan. It was 1972 and the North was enduring terrible mayhem, including the killing of 14 innocent people by British soldiers in Derry.

John Hume, a charismatic civil rights leader from Derry, had big ideas about a way out of this murderous mess the country was in. But he had no money.

He and his wife, Pat, had five children and all were entirely dependent on her teacher's salary.

Suddenly, he got an invitation to meet one of the most influential Irish-Americans, Senator Ted Kennedy, at the Irish Embassy in Bonn.

The credit union loan, aptly for a man who had championed the foundation of those people's banks all over Ireland, covered the flight and a hotel room. And happily the meeting was a huge success.

Ted Kennedy believed John Hume had the formula which could unlock the conflict in the North, and he was prepared to use his influence in Washington to put the case to Britain.

Expand Close Time for peace: John Hume alongside George Mitchell and Gerry Adams at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston. Photo: REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp Time for peace: John Hume alongside George Mitchell and Gerry Adams at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston. Photo: REUTERS

The story is well told in the documentary film 'John Hume in America'. The documentary drew in a huge range of characters who were at the heart of it all over almost 40 years.

Contributors included two US presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton; two British prime ministers, John Major and Tony Blair; the American mediator George Mitchell and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern.

There was also a host of former Irish diplomats whose unsung skills proved vital in the whole 30-year-long series of interlinked projects.

John Hume's message was deceptively simple: nothing would be achieved by violence.

The people of Ireland were divided - it was not about two pieces of turf. Resolution must begin in the North and the key to any change was the principle of consent.

In America, promoting this message faced two potent enemies.

One enemy was Irish-Americans' unthinking IRA support, via the "money jar on the bar".

The other, more powerful, enemy was reticence by Washington's political elite, who saw Northern Ireland's problems as an internal UK matter, and not worth offending London by interfering in.

John Hume set out to change the Washington elite's view of Northern Ireland as a more urgent but achievable goal.

Changing grass-roots Irish-America would have to wait.

Relatively quickly he succeeded by persuading not just Ted Kennedy, but a host of others including the legendary Tip O'Neill, as speaker of the House of Representatives, the second most powerful politician in the US.

To paraphrase Hume's long-time colleague, the late Seamus Mallon, John Hume went to where power was and sought to use all his own persuasive powers to influence those with that power. Over a tireless political career, he successfully sold this self-proclaimed "single transferable speech" in Dublin, Washington, London, and Brussels.

Eventually he sold it, albeit very belatedly, to Sinn Fein and the IRA.

There is an interesting contribution in the film from Gerry Adams, who admits they "wasted years". He does not add that they also wasted thousands of lives.

John Hume himself was too ill to take part in the making of that 2018 film. But it is replete with footage of his memorable comments and assessments.

Very striking is his defence of the hugely controversial "Hume-Adams dialogue" in the early 1990s, insisting he was doing it to help save lives and it was no disrespect to IRA victims.

There are many other evocative moments, not least Hume's lament for the dead hunger striker Bobby Sands, whom he saw as a pawn of both British and IRA propaganda.

It was praise indeed to hear the Democratic Unionist Party MP Geoffrey Donaldson admit Hume was light years ahead of unionists in opening up US contacts.

It was also interesting to note that Margaret Thatcher's close ally Lord McAlpine had said the hardline British prime minister lamented ever agreeing the 1985 Anglo Irish Agreement. But she said the Americans had "made her do it".

This film is not all upbeat achievements, though there are uplifting moments.

The grim reality of all the reverses, the senseless killing and destruction, are well chronicled via lots of old footage.

Alongside that is slow political progress.

John Hume worked closely with Dublin, especially with the Irish diplomats.

But he always argued that Dublin governments had never defined what they wanted from Irish unity.

This left unionists to characterise it as "conquest of the North by the south", making unity a dirty word.

"Ireland must be one of the few places on earth where people seriously suggest it is wrong to unite people," Hume reflected.

But for all that, John Hume was no saint.

Seamus Mallon, who died this past January, said he could be a difficult person, bad at accepting criticism, and prone to solo runs which disenchanted colleagues.

Yet Mallon's verdict was unequivocal: "There is a greatness about his political life, what he did, and what he helped to change.

"I would put him in the same breath as Parnell and Daniel O'Connell."
Recently, Patna SP Vinay Tiwari was quarantined after his arrival in Mumbai to investigate Bollywood actor Sushant Singh Rajput's death case. Sushant's father KK Singh is unhappy with this development.

Vikas Singh, the lawyer of Sushant's father has said that the quarantining of Patna SP clearly indeicates that the Mumbai police wants to disable or obstruct the investigation by Patna police. He also said that Sushant's death case should be probed by CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation).

Vikas Singh said in a statement, "I don't think any state government would have quarantined an enforcement officer. Quarantining of a police officer clearly means they want to disable or obstruct the investigation by Patna police."

"Basically, Mumbai Police is buying time to ensure that the evidence gets destroyed. So we decided that this matter should be given to CBI and Nitish Kumar had earlier promised that if the father wants a CBI probe, it will be handed it over to CBI," he further added in his statement.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has recommended a CBI inquiry in Sushant Singh Rajput's death after receiving a formal request from the late actor's family. On Monday, Sushant's father had released a video in which alleged that he had alerted the Bandra police on 25 February that his son's life is in danger. He also claimed that the Mumbai police didn't act on his complaint back then.

Sushant Singh Rajput died by suicide on June 14, 2020. His post-mortem report confirmed his death by asphyxia due to hanging. Currently, the Mumbai police and the Patna police are conducting two separate investigations in this case.

ALSO READ: Sushant's Family Shares Their WhatsApp Chats With Mumbai Police Months Before Actor's Death

ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput's Death Case: Bihar CM Nitish Kumar Recommends CBI Probe

Worried about your mental well-being or of someone you know? Help is just a call away. Reach out to the nearest mental health specialist at COOJ Mental Health Foundation (COOJ)- 0832-2252525, Parivarthan- +91 7676 602 602, Connecting Trust- +91 992 200 1122/+91-992 200 4305 or Sahai- 080-25497777/ SAHAIHELPLINE@GMAIL.COM
A study by researchers from Malawi and United Kingdom reveals a significant discrepancy between predicted coronavirus disease (COVID-19) mortality in the observed severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) seroprevalence rates in health care workers and reported deaths in urban Malawi in southeastern Africa, indicating early exposure, but a slow progression of the outbreak. Their findings are currently available on the medRxiv* preprint server.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, caused by SARS-CoV-2, had a dramatic impact worldwide due to high mortality rates in Asia, the United States, and Europe. As a result of specific socio-economic conditions, high prevalence of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and challenged health system infrastructure, it was predicted that the pandemic in Africa would be swift and dire.

However, in low-income countries like Malawi, there are no reliable estimates of the actual burden of COVID-19 infection and death, primarily due to limited testing capacity. Due to the latter, initial testing efforts focused on case identification in patients with COVID-19-like symptoms, as well as inbound travelers.

Such unrestricted nature of the COVID-19 epidemic in Malawi enables the comparison of its trajectory in a low-income setting with reports from high-income settings. Moreover, it has been shown that the rate of asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection among health care workers actually reflects community transmission rather than in-hospital exposure.

Consequently, researchers from Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme, the University of Malawi and Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi, as well as from the University of Liverpool and Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine in the UK, conducted a SARS-CoV-2 serological survey among health care workers in Blantyre city to appraise the cumulative incidence of SARS-CoV-2 infection in urban Malawi.

Map of Blantyre showing geospatial distribution of seropositive results using the low local assay cut-off, Black dot, negative; Red dot, positive; Orange dot, indeterminate

Measuring SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies

A total of five hundred (otherwise asymptomatic) health care workers were recruited from Blantyre City in Malawi between May 22, 2020, and June 19, 2020. Peripheral blood samples were taken from all study participants in serum separation tubes.

A commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) that targets viral spike protein and nucleoprotein was utilized for measuring SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies in serum. For control purposes, the researchers ran local negative samples to verify the specificity of the assay.

Finally, in order to appraise the seroprevalence of SARS CoV-2 antibodies, the researchers have adjusted the proportion of positive results based on the local specificity of the assay. A Bayesian model was used to produce a posterior distribution of seroprevalence that takes into account uncertainty associated with finite sample size.

High and widespread local transmission

A total of 84 study participants tested positive for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies, and the adjusted seroprevalence rate of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies was 12.3%. This implies that local transmission was rather high and that SARS-CoV-2 may have been circulating for some time in Blantyre.

Furthermore, healthcare workers with a positive SARS-CoV-2 antibody test result came from different parts of the city, suggesting that local viral transmission was indeed widespread across the city.

The use of age-stratified infection fatality estimates has revealed that, at the observed adjusted seroprevalence, the number of predicted deaths was eight times the number of reported deaths. When this is extrapolated to entire Malawi, it predicts more than five thousand deaths; nevertheless, only 51 deaths have been reported by July 16, 2020.

As a result, these crude estimates emphasize a sizeable discrepancy between the predicted deaths informed by infection fatality rates from elsewhere and the actual number of reported lethal outcomes due to COVID-19 in Malawi.

Outbreak following a different trajectory

"Our data could suggest that Malawi is relatively early in the epidemic and that COVID-19 cases are likely to continue to rise sharply in the coming weeks, but the serology also suggests that large numbers of cases must be either asymptomatic or only show mild disease", explain study authors.

Moreover, the discrepancy between the predicted mortality and currently reported numbers may also suggest that Malawi may be faced with a large number of misclassified or underreported deaths. Nonetheless, other countries have also shown low mortality and case fatality rates (most notably South Africa with abundant testing capacity).

This may suggest that the impact of COVID-19 in Africa is potentially less severe or following a different trajectory when compared to experiences in China, the United States, and Europe. Some of the reasons might include climate, population demography, and prior cross-reactive immunity.

In any case, the development of locally parameterized mathematical models should be prioritized in future research endeavors to increase the accuracy of trajectory prediction in sub-Saharan Africa. This will, in turn, open the door for improved evidence-based policy decision-making and public health response planning.

*Important Notice

medRxiv publishes preliminary scientific reports that are not peer-reviewed and, therefore, should not be regarded as conclusive, guide clinical practice/health-related behavior, or treated as established information.

null PREPRINT ALERT Fascinating data from #Malawi with high levels of COVID immunity found in healthcare workers despite relatively low cases and deaths (at the time of writing). Data like this is vital for us to improve the models used to predict SARS-CoV-2 impact in Africa. https://t.co/4kT3Bcaqfm

null One more study in (urban) East Africa, pointing to fairly high Covid-19 rates of infection, but seemingly low mortality. https://t.co/6iVoDiPNMB

null Important data on which to base better mathematical models to estimate the #COVID19 epidemic in urban southern African countries. Reported deaths 8x lower than predicted from European models. Excellent work from @MlwTrust @kjambo @Stephengordon14 and team https://t.co/OGbzh66tga

null Congrats to @kjambo & @MlwTrust team for this important work. Adjusted #SARSCoV2 seroprevalence 12.3% (95% CI 9.0-15.7) among 500 asymptomatic healthcare workers in Blantyre #Malawi. 1/3 https://t.co/dKJR0mmxC0
Montreal, CA (H4T1V6)

Today

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies with snow developing overnight. Low --12C. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch..

Tonight

Partly cloudy skies this evening will give way to cloudy skies with snow developing overnight. Low --23C. Winds ESE at 5 to 10 mph. Chance of snow 90%. Snow accumulations less than one inch.
The India Meteorological Department has issued a red alert for the next 48 hours in Mumbai as it anticipates extremely heavy rains. The city has witnessed extremely heavy rains since Monday and IMD predicts that it would only get worse in Mumbai and the suburbs including Thane, Pune, Raigad and Ratnagiri. According to the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, Mumbai has recorded more than 230 mm of rainfall in the past 10 hours.

The city has witnessed waterlogging at several places and trains on all the four lines have been stopped. "Due to high tide and heavy rains resulting in waterlogging at Dadar and Prabhadevi, special suburban services are being run between Virar-Andheri-Bandra and suspended between Bandra-Churchgate," said Western Railway. "Due to high tide resulting in waterlogging at Vadala and Parel, suburban services have been suspended on the main line and the harbour line. No suburban trains are held up in between stations. Down mail/express trains are being rescheduled," said Central Railway.

Maharashtra: Severe waterlogging in various parts of Mumbai following incessant rainfall in the city; visuals from Parel East.



More than 230 mm of rainfall recorded in Mumbai city in the last 10 hours, according to Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation pic.twitter.com/JVhEWcICvK ANI (@ANI) August 4, 2020

Central Railway, additionally said, 01301 CSMT-KSR Bengaluru Special has been delayed by around four hours, while 02534 CSMT-Lucknow Special has also been rescheduled by four hours.

All offices and establishments have been asked to remain closed. The BMC appealed to all offices and establishments to remain shut for the day in view of the heavy rainfall.

BMC said that bus services have also been in at least eight routes in the city and the suburbs. Roads in areas including Goregaon, King Circle, Hindmata, Dadar, Shivaji Chowk, Shell Colony, Kurla ST Depot, Bandra Talkies, Sion Road are water-logged. Landslide has also been reported on the Western Express Highway in Malad. A landslide near suburban Kandivali disrupted vehicular movement from western suburbs towards south Mumbai. Traffic movement from Byculla to South Mumbai was also affected due to inundation at some places.

The municipal corporation has also advised Mumbaikars to not go to the beaches or other low lying areas as high tide of 4.51 metres is expected today at 12:57 pm. Mumbai residents have also been asked to not step out unless it is extremely urgent.

Also read: Mission Begin Again: All shops allowed to open in Mumbai from August 5, says BMC

Also read: IRB Infra bags NHAI contract for Vadodara-Mumbai expressway project
Rumble

Flossey is living a wonderful life on a beautiful farm in Millbrook, Ontario. It's what is knows an "ethical farm" where cows have space to roam and graze instead of being kept indoors for most of their lives. Flossey's farm has vast expanses of lush, green grass, rolling hills, ponds full of fresh water, and forested areas for shade. This is life as it should be for these gentle creatures. Dave is a farm hand who often helps out with some of the chores and animal care. He decided to take a break on this warm, summer day and he took a seat on the hill overlooking the pasture.
The team at Classic Group is celebrating the results of the recently announced Waikato and Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards for 2020.

Tauranga featured strongly in the award results with winners including The Lakes New Shoots Childrens centre, which was designed by Copeland Associates and was a Classic Developments and CBC Construction project.

The building was described by the judges as a progressive and human solution to an institutional brief.

The centre was one of two winners in the education category  the other win went to The University of Waikato Tauranga CBD campus.

Classic Developments commercial projects manager Damian Pootjes says the award was a great result for the project team.

Completed in October last year, Damian describes the early childhood education centre as a celebration of impressive design and excellent workmanship.

Ultimately you dont get an award-winning building without everyone involved taking pride and ownership."

The project involved a great deal of effort and attention to detail, he says, with eye-catching special features including the exposed laminated timber and exposed fixing plates and hardware in the roof structure, and the verandahs sloping pilaster detailing.

The judges acknowledged the buildings strong, sheltering roof. That, combined with a dynamic timber structure, creates a stimulating learning space, they say.

Shelter, sunlight, air, tactile materials and a child-friendly environment are sensitively considered throughout."

Centre director Amy Dyer is delighted with the result.

The centre has an amazing warm, welcoming and homely feel to it. The natural wood, large windows and doors paired with the covered outdoor deck connect us beautifully to our outside environment.

"This creates harmony and aesthetically pleasing spaces for our children to freely play, explore and learn."

Damian says the Copeland Associates and Classic Developments/CBC Construction team has united again to create another early childhood centre  this time in Hunua Views, Drury.

CBC Construction director Drew Beekie describes The Lakes New Shoots Childrens centre as a special building and is not surprised the architectural award judges also recognised this.

Classic Developments and CBC Construction have featured numerous times over the years on the Waikato and Bay of Plenty Architecture Awards winning list.
COVID-19 is shown to impact the heart and, in some cases, have long-lasting cardiac effects. To discover the extent to which COVID-19 affects the heart, cardiologists and researchers with the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine have begun multiple studies.

We are conducting data and laboratory studies that could eventually lead to potential treatments for coronavirus-related heart problems." Jeffrey Goldberger, M.D, M.B.A, Professor of Medicine and Chief, Cardiovascular Division, Miller School of Medicine, University of Miami

The Miller School is collaborating with other U.S. cardiovascular programs examining connections between COVID-19 and myocardial infarctions (MIs) or heart attacks. "We will be participating in the North American COVID-19 and MI registry to study the treatment of patients with confirmed or presumptive COVID-19 who suffer an acute myocardial infarction," said Dr. Goldberger.

"We will also be collaborating with the American Heart Association (AHA) on a COVID-19 registry to identify the best practices, quality measures, and treatments for patients with COVID-19 and cardiovascular diseases."

The research accompanies the University's recently announced COVID-19 Heart Program, which is aimed at identifying and diagnosing serious conditions related to COVID-19 at an early stage and protecting the heart from serious damage.

The Miller School's clinical research team includes Carlos E. Alfonso, M.D., associate professor of medicine, director of advanced interventional cardiology and director of the Cardiovascular Fellowship Program; Mauricio G. Cohen, M.D., professor of medicine and director of the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory; and Raul D. Mitrani. M.D., professor of clinical medicine, director of clinical cardiac electrophysiology and director of the Electrophysiology Fellowship Program.

For instance, Dr. Mitrani is collaborating with Dr. Goldberger on a follow-up study of COVID-19 survivors to assess arrhythmia risk.

"Approximately 25 percent of COVID-19 patients with severe lung disease also appear to have an inflammation of the heart called myocarditis," said Dr. Mitrani. "Based on prior studies of viral-related myocardial injuries, it is likely that COVID-19 will have some type of impact on the heart leading to cardiovascular abnormalities, such as coronary artery disease, atrial fibrillation or ventricular arrhythmias."

To help answer that question, Leonardo Tamariz, M.D., M.P.H., professor of medicine, is evaluating if patients with less severe forms of coronavirus have any level of heart damage as indicated by blood tests and cardiac imaging.

Another study involves patients with hypertension and other cardiovascular conditions who are taking two types of medications: angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors (ACE-I) or angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB). "It is uncertain if these drugs play a role in regard to COVID-19 infection since the virus uses the ACE2 receptor to enter the cells," said Dr. Goldberger.

He noted that Miller School researchers hope to participate and enroll patients in a randomized trial now under way at the University of Pennsylvania led by a UM graduate, Julio Chirinos, M.D., and other investigators.

Other Miller School researchers are digging into COVID-19 from the biological side, hoping to gain a better understanding of the viral infection process. For instance, Lina Shehadeh, Ph.D., associate professor of medicine in the Division of Cardiology and the Interdisciplinary Stem Cell Institute, is working on identifying new mechanisms for coronaviral entry into the cells and blocking these infection mechanisms by repurposing existing drugs.

Robert J. Myerburg, M.D., professor of medicine and physiology, is also planning a new biomarker study with UM cardiologist Chunming Dong, M.D., professor of medicine. They will use sophisticated statistical and bioinformatical analyses to predict COVID-19 disease course and severity.

"This study would allow for appropriate patient triage and efficient utilization of health care resources," said Dr. Myerburg. "It would also provide new insights on the pathogenesis of COVID-19."
(Natural News) Its quite obvious by now that not only are the major social media platforms vehemently opposed to President Donald Trump, they are very accommodating to some of the worlds most dangerous tyrants.

That includes Twitter, of course, whose social justice editors have recently taken to flagging and fact-checking the presidents tweets, as though they are the arbiters of what the American people can and cannot hear from their own leader.

At the same time, however, the platform has consistently looked the other way when tyrants and would-be mass murders  like, say Irans supreme leader, the Ayatollah Khamenei  threatens to wipe out entire countries  like, say, Israel.

Breitbart News notes that Israels legislative body, the Knesset, has called out Twitter for ignoring Khameneis threats while flagging President Trumps comments on the issues of the day that are germane to Americans:

Twitter came under fire at Israels Knesset Wednesday for flagging President Donald Trumps tweets while allowing those by Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei calling for Israels destruction to remain untouched. Incredibly, a Twitter official said Ayatollah Khameneis tweets do not violate the companys rules against hate speech.

During a Knesset hearing on antisemitism in social media, international human rights lawyer Arsen Ostrovsky asked Twitters regional policy head Ylwa Pettersson why the U.S. presidents tweets were labelled as violating the social media giants rules on glorifying violence, and on a separate occasion abusive behavior, but not those of Khamenei, who literally called for the genocide of Israel and the Jewish people.

I kid you not! At Knesset hearing on Antisemitism, @Twitter rep tells me they flag @realDonaldTrump because it serves public conversation, but not Iran's @khamenei_ir call for GENOCIDE, which passes for acceptable 'commentary on political issues of the day'. cc. @CotlerWunsh pic.twitter.com/AXwjkrvlql  Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) July 29, 2020

This came amid the platforms suspension of Donald Trump Jr. after he tweeted out a video of doctors promoting hydroxychloroquine as a cure for COVID-19, as well as a 48-hour boycott of Twitter by Jewish people and their supports for anti-Semitism expressed online.

In response to the Iranian leaders call for genocide  wiping out Israel completely and all Jews living in the country  Pettersson said that merely amounted to foreign policy saber-rattling and, thus, its no big deal.

We have an approach toward leaders that says that direct interactions with fellow public figures, comments on political issues of the day, or foreign policy saber-rattling on military-economic issues are generally not in violation of our rules, she told the Knesset members.

The member who initiated the hearing, MK Michal Cotler-Wunsh, interjected at that point and said, I just want to fine-tune [Ostrovskys] question: Calling for genocide on Twitter is okay, but commenting on the political situation in certain countries is not okay?

If a world leader violates our rules but there is a clear interest in keeping that up on the service we may place it behind a notice that provides some more context about the violation and allows people to click through if they wish to see that type of content, Pettersson continued.

For example: The platform removed the like button from Trumps tweet about looting and shooting, but left the post up so users could click on the content to see it.

This is the problem with putting young Millennials in positions of power after they have been propagandized and brainwashed by modern Left-wing education systems.

If Iran had the power to do so and believed it could get away with it, the country would literally destroy Israel and kill every Jewish citizen living there (and elsewhere) because of the Ayatollahs militant Islamic beliefs.

That Pettersson, as a regional policy head, either doesnt know this or is tone-deaf to it is an outrage. Clearly, there is no comparison between President Trump using a saying from the 1960s in response to looting and violence to the leader of a country threatening to wipe out an entire country over religious differences.

.These THUGS are dishonoring the memory of George Floyd, and I wont let that happen. Just spoke to Governor Tim Walz and told him that the Military is with him all the way. Any difficulty and we will assume control but, when the looting starts, the shooting starts. Thank you!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 29, 2020

Following the hearing, Cotler-Wunsh tweeted, Wow. Twitter just admitted that tweets calling for genocide against Jews by Iranian leaders DONT violate its policy! This is a double standard. This is antisemitism.

Yes, and yes.

Meanwhile, those Ayatollah tweets, though.

Today more than ever, the interest of the Islamic Nation lies in #unity, the type of unity that creates power against enemies and shouts out loudly at the embodied #Satan, the encroaching US, and its chained dog, the #Zionist regime, and stands up against aggression.  Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) July 29, 2020

The elimination of the Zionist regime does not mean the massacre of the Jewish ppl. The ppl of Palestine should hold a referendum. Any political sys they vote for should govern in all of Palestine. The only remedy until the removal of the Zionist regime is firm, armed resistance.  Khamenei.ir (@khamenei_ir) May 21, 2020

Sources include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
Scientists at Tokyo Institute of Technology and Socionext Inc. have developed a novel transceiver for enabling seamless communication between earth ground platforms and satellites in the low, middle, and geostationary earth orbits. Among other things, this transceiver could bring Internet to people in remote rural areas and at sea.

We live in the information age, where communications technologies have reached unprecedented levels of advancement. Yet, bringing connectivity to remote locations, such as rural areas or the open sea, remains difficult. Satellite communication (SATCOM) is an attractive option for providing data links to such places; but for effective SATCOM, the right equipment must exist both in space and here on Earth.

At the forefront of research to achieve superior SATCOM are scientists from Prof Kenichi Okada's lab at Tokyo Institute of Technology (Tokyo Tech), who have developed a novel transceiver[1] for SATCOM using standard CMOS[2] technology. This transceiver operates in the "Ka band," which, for SATCOM, means a 27-31 GHz frequency range for uplink (ground to satellite) and 17-21 GHz range for downlink (satellite to ground).

Their design carries a variety of features that make it stand out from the competition. On the transmitter (TX) side, a high-quality-factor transformer is employed to achieve efficient power use and high linearity in transmission, which results in lower distortion during transmission. The receiver (RX) side features a dual-channel architecture that unlocks several capabilities.

First, having two RX channels allows for receiving signals from two satellites simultaneously. These signals are received in parallel using either two independent polarization modes or two different frequencies. In addition, the proposed design can perform adjacent-channel interference cancellation; that is, the "contamination" on a signal received in one channel by another signal on an adjacent frequency band is eliminated using information received at the other channel. This strategy increases the dynamic range of the system, thus allowing it to operate correctly even in less-than-ideal scenarios with stronger noise and interference.

Both the TX and RX perform direct conversion of a signal; that is, the TX directly converts a baseband signal[3] into a modulated signal[4] and the RX performs the inverse process without additional intermediate frequency conversions, unlike the more commonly used superheterodyne receivers. This makes the overall complexity, size, and power consumption of the transceiver considerably lower.

The scientists created a prototype chip to test the actual performance of their design when using all the modulation schemes regulated by the SATCOM DVB-S2X standard. This includes high-order modulation techniques like 64 APSK[5] and 256 APSK, which provide fast data rates.

The performance test results are very promising, especially when compared with other existing SATCOM transceivers, putting this developed novel design on the map. Prof Okada remarks, "Our paper presents the first Ka-band SATCOM transceiver implemented using standard CMOS technology and designed for an earth ground platform communication with geostationary and low Earth orbit satellites."

These orbits are at 35,786 km and 200-2,000 km, respectively. Communicating with satellites that far away from a 3 mm by 3 mm chip is certainly no simple feat.

For years, Prof Okada's lab has been developing various types of state-of-the-art transceivers for next-generation technology, including 5G applications, Internet-of-Things-enabled devices, and low-power Bluetooth communications. This latest transceiver is another piece in the puzzle of enabling seamless worldwide connectedness. "Satellite communication has become a key technology for providing interactive TV and broadband internet services in low-density rural areas. Implementing Ka-band communications using silicon--CMOS technology in particular--is a promising solution owing to the potential for global coverage at low cost and using the wide available bandwidth," Prof Okada says.

Let us hope that the efforts of these Tokyo Tech researchers help more people benefit from instant communication in the current information era.

###

Technical Terms

[1] Transceiver: A device capable of transmitting and receiving signals

[2] CMOS: Complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor; a modern type of fabrication process for transistors widely used for highly integrated circuitry

[3] Baseband signal: A signal in its "pure" form at its original frequency, without modulation

[4] Modulated signal: An encoded signal that carries all the information of a baseband signal, usually at a higher frequency so as to make it easier to transmit

[5] APSK: Amplitude and phase shift keying; a modulation technique where a baseband signal is encoded in both the phase and amplitude of a carrier signal

About Tokyo Institute of Technology

Tokyo Tech stands at the forefront of research and higher education as the leading university for science and technology in Japan. Tokyo Tech researchers excel in fields ranging from materials science to biology, computer science, and physics. Founded in 1881, Tokyo Tech hosts over 10,000 undergraduate and graduate students per year, who develop into scientific leaders and some of the most sought-after engineers in industry. Embodying the Japanese philosophy of "monotsukuri," meaning "technical ingenuity and innovation," the Tokyo Tech community strives to contribute to society through high-impact research.

https://www.titech.ac.jp/english/

About Socionext

Socionext is a global, innovative enterprise that designs, develops and delivers System-on-Chip solutions to customers worldwide. The company is focused on technologies that drive today?s leading-edge applications in consumer, automotive and industrial markets. Socionext combines world-class expertise, experience, and an extensive IP portfolio to provide exceptional solutions and ensure a better quality of experience for customers. Founded in 2015, Socionext Inc. is headquartered in Yokohama, and has offices in Japan, Asia, United States and Europe to lead its product development and sales activities. For more information, visit https://www.socionext.com.

All company or product names mentioned herein are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners. Information provided in this press release is accurate at time of publication and is subject to change without advance notice.
The authorities in countries like Japan and Canada warned that these seeds could possibly harm the environment or introduce harmful species when planted

Mysterious seed packets, often labelled with a misleading description and possibly coming from China, were received in mails in India, Japan, Canada, the United States of America and United Kingdom over the past week, raising a seed terrorism alarm.

The International Seed Testing Agency (ISTA) issued a warning in this regard on Friday asking the Indian government to be wary of unsolicited mail packages containing seeds. The warning was followed by a high alert in Hyderabad, considered Indias seed capital.

The authorities in countries like Japan and Canada warned that these seeds could possibly harm the environment or introduce harmful species when planted.

The National Seed Association of India (NSAI) also issued a warning stating that the impact of seed contamination could overturn the fragile biodiversity in India.

Indra Shekhar Singh, Director-Policy and Outreach, NSAI, told BusinessLine that China has been studying the Indian germplasm and seeds for the last 20-25 years and taking a hybrid parent line back to China. "Such seed terrorism could create a threat to food security. China has much-advanced biotechnology and has the capacity to destroy Indian food production. The NSAI is going to write to the government requesting it to take stringent steps to stop seed contamination," said Singh.

Keshavulu said the seeds may spread crop diseases and can also pose health and environmental problems. "Tests are being conducted in the US and Canada. India needs to be highly vigilant at seaports, airports and all entry points of cargo through road among others," he told The Times of India, adding that those who receive such seeds should approach the police.

Preliminary inquiries by US Department of Agriculture (USDA) also confirmed that such seed packets were likely coming from China, New Indian Express reported.

A report by The Independent said such packages were received in all 50 states in the US, with labels on most packets bearing the source destination of the Chinese city of Suzhou. ISTA vice-president K Keshavulu said information was received about these packages from people in Washington, New York, Virginia and Florida. Florida alone recorded 630 such instances, with many shipments bearing the name of recipients, pointing to a possible data breach, according to The Guardian.

We have received reports of people receiving seeds from China that they did not order. If you receive them - don't plant them. Report to @USDA_APHIS at https://t.co/0U53rbAiHs pic.twitter.com/Y4yAKv5bk7  WA St Dept of Agr (@WSDAgov) July 24, 2020

However, USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service has not linked the seeds to agro-terrorism. The agency has said the most likely explanation could be a brushing scam, in which sellers try to boost sales by sending unsolicited items to unsuspecting customers, then post false online reviews of the item.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA), meanwhile, took a more stringent view on these mysterious packages. CFAI released a statement on Tuesday, urging citizens to not plant such seeds. "Unauthorised seeds could be the seeds of invasive plants, or carry plant pests, which can be harmful when introduced into Canada," the statement said, while instructing people to hand over such packages, including the mailing labels to concerned regional government offices.

Plant quarantine experts in Yokohoma, Japan also expressed similar concerns over the seeds that appear to be coming from China. ANI quoted local reports as saying that thousands of such suspicious shipments are being received across the world since late June.

Initial investigations have revealed that the seeds include species of morning glory plants, hibiscus, wild rose, fruit, vegetables, herbs, weeds and Japanese knot beads, according to a report. But the adaptation and performance of these non-native varieties remain unknown.

On the other hand, the Chinese Foreign Ministry denied that the parcels have anything to do with the country, noting that postmarks indicating their origin are forged, according to a report.
All the Kodak TVs run on the Android TV platform. There are 7 TVs in total ranging from 32-inch HD TV all the way up to a 75-inch 4K HDR TV. The TVs come with a minimalistic remote control that resembles the fire TV stick remote control.

At the beginning of 2020, Kodak launched its first range of Android TV powered TVs with screen sizes ranging from 43-inch to 65-inch and you can read more about them here. Today, the company has announced a range of new Android TVs starting at Rs 10,999. There is also a 75-inch 4K HDR TV running on the Android TV platform and it is priced at Rs 99,999. All the Kodak TVs are made in India.

Mr Avneet Singh Marwah, Director and CEO, Super Plastronics Pvt Ltd said, We are proud to be recognised as Googles official partner for Android TVs, which have enhanced customer experience. These new variants are an outcome of investments that we made in technology research within India. With the 75-inch CA series model, we will be a tough competitor in the premium affordable Smart TV segment. He added, Content consumption patterns have changed due to COVID-19 and Kodak 7XPRO is a certified Google Android TV that optimises data usage across 5,00,000 movies, shows, games and music available on the Google Play Store.

Kodak 7X Pro specifications and features

The Kodak 7X Pro lineup has HD, FHD and 4K HDR TVs in its portfolio with sizes ranging from 32-inch all the way up to 75-inches. Lets take a look at the TVs in detail. In the Kodak 7X Pro portfolio, we have the 32-inch HDTV, 40-inch FHD and 43-inch FHD TV, and 43-inch 4K TV. The 50, 55 and 75-inch TVs are all 4K with support for HDR.

All the TVs run on Android TV 9 out of the box giving users access to the Play Store, Chromecast built-in and streaming services. Under the hood, the TVs are powered by a Cortex A53 quad-core CPU and Mali450 GPU. The TVs have 8GB built-in storage and 1GB RAM. The TVs feature the Google Assistant along with a dedicated button on the remote control to bring up the assistant. The TVs also come with Chromecast built-in. They feature HDMI, Bluetooth, USB and Wi-Fi Connectivity along with ARC and CEC controls for the HDMI input. The TVs have 24W of sound output.

The TV comes with a sleek remote control that looks a lot like the Fire TV stick remote control. It has a minimalistic design and comes with hotkeys to launch Prime Videos, YouTube and Sony Liv. It also has a dedicated google assistant button.

Kodak 7X Pro Price and Availability

Speaking of the price of the Kodak 7X Pro, the 32-inch HD TV is priced at Rs 10,999. The 40-inch FHD TV is priced at Rs 16,499. The 43-inch FHD TV is priced at Rs 18,999. The 43-inch 4K TV is priced at Rs 21,999. The 50-inch 4K TV is priced at Rs 25,999 and the 55-inch 4K TV is priced at Rs 29,999. The 75-inch TV is a part of the companys CA portfolio and is priced at Rs 99,999. The TVs will be available from August 6.

Thomson recently announced its portfolio of budget 4K Android TVs in India and you can read more about it here.
A tornado warning for Toronto other parts of the GTA has ended.

Environment Canada issued the alert for Toronto, Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon, Halton Hills and Milton just prior to 5 p.m. Tuesday. It ended at around 6:45 p.m..

The areas were under watch for severe thunderstorms that may produce tornadoes. Environment Canada said the tornadoes can pose a potential life-threatening situation.

Environment Canada, as well as the Office of the Fire Marshal and Emergency Management, warned the public to be prepared for severe weather and to take cover if threatening weather appeared.

Residents were urged to stay in rooms on the lowest floor of a home and to stay away from outside walls and windows.

Environment Canada advised residents not to stay in mobile homes, vehicles, tents or any temporary shelter and remain in a building if possible.
Credit: Unsplash/CC0 Public Domain

Millions of people in the Philippines were ordered to stay home Tuesday as global coronavirus infections kept soaring, with the World Health Organization warning against relying on a vaccine "silver bullet" to end the pandemic.

More than 18 million people worldwide have been infected with the virus since it first emerged in China late last year and it shows no sign of slowing down.

Brazil is driving a surge in Latin America and the Caribbean where infections have topped five million.

South America's largest country has recorded 2.75 million cases, and close to half the region's more than 202,000 deaths.

Only the United States has been worse affected.

Desperate to contain the spread and relieve pressure on overwhelmed hospitals, some countries such as the Philippines have resorted to reimposing economically painful restrictions on travel and businesses.

More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon, including the capital Manila, went back into a partial lockdown for weeks from Tuesday.

People have been told to stay home unless they need to go out to buy essential goods, for exercise or for work after the number of recorded infections surged past 100,000.

With only 24 hours' notice of the shutdown, many found themselves stranded in Manila and unable to get back to their hometowns after public transport and domestic flights were halted.

"We've run out of money. We can't leave the airport because we don't have any relatives here," said Ruel Damaso, a 36-year-old construction worker trying to return to the southern city of Zamboanga.

"We will have to stay here for two weeks until we get our flights back."

The world's hope of ending the current cycle of outbreaks and lockdowns rests on a vaccine.

Russia said Monday it aimed to launch mass production of a vaccine in September and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year.

But Vitaly Zverev, laboratory chief at the Mechnikov Research Institute of Vaccines and Sera, said it was "impossible to ensure a vaccine's safety in the time that has passed since the beginning of this pandemic".

"You can make anything, but who is going to buy it?"

The WHO warned that governments and citizens should focus on what is known to work: testing, contact tracing, maintaining physical distance and wearing a mask.

"We all hope to have a number of effective vaccines that can help prevent people from infection," WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told a virtual press conference.

"However, there's no silver bullet at the momentand there might never be."

'Extraordinarily widespread'

Despite months of crippling restrictions, the pandemic is gathering pace with the worldwide death toll nearing 700,000.

As the number of fatalities in the United States surpassed 155,000, President Donald Trump lashed out at his coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx after she warned the virus was "extraordinarily widespread" in the country where more than 4.6 million infections have been recorded.

Trumpangered by what he sees as overly pessimistic media coverage of his handling of the epidemiccalled her remarks "pathetic" and accused her of giving into pressure to sound negative about the new surge.

"Deborah took the bait & hit us. Pathetic!" Trump said on Twitter.

Despite rising infection numbers in Europe, some countries are pushing ahead with plans to reopen schools and finding ways to keep their battered tourism sectors functioning.

Germany watched anxiously Monday as 150,000 children returned to school in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, the country's first state to restart full-time classes after the summer holidays.

In France, Prime Minister Jean Castex urged the nation "not to let down its guard" as surging cases led the Riviera resort city of Nice to become the latest to mandate outside mask-wearing.

"The virus has not gone on holiday and neither have we," Castex said.

Explore further Follow the latest news on the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak

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Spains former King Juan Carlos, 82, has left the country, weeks after he was linked to an inquiry into the alleged corruption case, as per reports. Juan Carlos gave this information via letter, which he gave to his son Felipe VI. Felipe was given power six years ago. Reports suggest that King Juan Carlos would be available if prosecutors needed to interview him. Juan Carlos, who was known for helping the country and guiding Spain to democracy after the long dictatorship of Francisco Franco, but in recent years his image got many blots. A Royal Household spokesperson reportedly said that after the publication of the letter on August 3 the former monarch has left the country, but declined to reveal where he has gone.

Read: Spains New Wave Of Coronavirus Hits The Young, Middle-aged

Corruption case

Read:'You're Right For Me': Finland PM Marries Long Time Partner Markus Raikkonen, See Pics

In the month of June, Spains Supreme Court has launched an investigation into former king Juan Carlos's possible illegal commissions linked to a high-speed rail project in Saudi Arabia. The court prosecutor's office said it aims to establish the ex-monarch connection with the project after his abdication in June 2014. At that point, he lost his immunity from prosecution.

Read: Health Minister: 52% Of Spain In Phase 3 Of Virus

According to media reports, Spanish anti-corruption officers doubt that the king kept some undeclared funds in Switzerland, and a Swiss agency is investigating this case. However, officials are awaiting documentation from the Swiss authorities. The investigation focuses on establishing or discarding the criminal relevance of deeds that happened after June 2014 said the Spanish prosecutor's office to media.

Read:Spain Makes Face Masks Mandatory Until COVID-19 Pandemic Is Defeated
Cannabis use is costing Australia $4.5billion a year, with more than half of the toll related to the criminal justice system.

More than two million Australians reported using cannabis in the 12 months to June 2016, a new study published by Curtin University's National Drug Research Institute shows.

About 150,000 people met the criteria for cannabis dependence, a figure NDRI professor Steve Allsop described as significant.

Cannabis use is costing Australia $4.5billion a year, with more than half of the toll related to the criminal justice system (file picture)

The social and economic costs of cannabis use include more than $700million in increased demand on the healthcare system.

Worker absence and reduced productivity was estimated to cost about $560million.

But the greatest costs by far were related to crime including policing, prosecution and an estimated $1.1billion spend on imprisonment.

'It could be people who are found in possession of small amounts for personal use,' Professor Allsop told AAP.

'Some people might be engaging in other risk behaviours or criminal activity where cannabis use is associated with it ... someone who is completely dependent, who uses a lot of the substance, might resort to either selling the substance or might resort to property crime in order to continue to support the purchase.'

Prof Allsop said it could not be extrapolated from the data whether the costs to society would be lower if cannabis was decriminalised, as it has been in some jurisdictions around the world.

But while stressing the seriousness of crimes such as driving under the influence, he said non-punitive measures were more likely to be effective for minor possession charges.

'I've worked in this field for 40 years ... if someone's found with small amounts of cannabis for personal use, we shouldn't potentially do more harm,' he said.

'The evidence tells us we're going to have a better chance of success if we have a health response as opposed to a criminal response as our first response.'

The study also quantified a further $100 million in intangible costs due to the premature death of 23 people, mostly through cannabis-related traffic accidents.

'I think it's important to recognise that those costs don't just impact on the individual user,' Prof Allsop said.

'If somebody's using cannabis and they're driving a vehicle, they're not just putting themselves at risk.'

Researchers from the University of Adelaide, UNSW, Flinders University and the University of Queensland contributed to the study led by the Perth-based NDRI.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : A Delhi court on Tuesday granted three months time to the Central Bureau of Investigation and the Enforcement Directorate to obtain a report on Letters Rogatory from two foreign countries in connection with their investigation into the Aircel-Maxis case against former Union Minister P. Chidambaram and his son Karti Chidambaram.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, appearing for the CBI and the ED, informed the court that the report on Letters Rogatory sent to the UK and Singapore is awaited and it might take about three months to come.

Letters rogatory is a formal communication in writing sent by the court in which action is pending to a foreign court requesting judicial assistance. The most common remedies sought by letters rogatory are service of process and taking of evidence.

Jain said that a reminder was sent to the competent authority in the UK and Singapore on June 27 to expedite the report on the Letters Rogatory. The agency sought the matter to be adjourned for arguments on the cognisance, "suitably so that required reports on Letters Rogatory are obtained".

Special Judge Ajay Kumar Kuhar, in proceedings held through video conferencing, allowed the request and adjourned the matter to November 3.

"Although, sufficient time has passed since filing of the charge sheet in CBI, but in view of the aforesaid request, the matter stands adjourned. List on November 3, 2020," the judge said.

The case relates to alleged irregularities in the grant of Foreign Investment Promotion Board approval in the Aircel-Maxis deal in 2006 when P. Chidambaram was the Union Finance Minister.

According to rules and the foreign direct investment policy in force at that time, Chidambaram was allegedly empowered to give approval to proposals involving foreign investment only up to Rs 600 crore.

The CBI and the ED had alleged that Chidambaram, as Finance Minister, had granted approval to the deal beyond his capacity, benefiting certain persons and had received kickbacks.
Edward added that it can 'sometimes take a minute to understand the rules'

Said: 'She walked into institution and everyone expected her to know the rules'

British Vogue editor revealed he doesn't think criticism was 'down to racism'

Edward Enninful has denied criticism of Meghan Markle was racist as he suggested it 'took a minute' for the Duchess to 'understand the rules' of the royal institution.

The editor-in-chief of British Vogue, 47, and the Duchess of Sussex, 39, collaborated on September 2019's special 'Forces for Change' edition, which featured a grid of 15 'incredible' women on the cover with articles commissioned by the royal inside.

Speaking in an interview with Sky News, Edward said he wouldn't put criticism of the royal 'down to racism', explaining: 'The Duchess of Sussex is a brave woman. I feel that it wasn't. Parts of it were probably racism, but it was more of an institution.'

He added that while criticism was 'harsh', he 'wouldn't just blame it on racism', saying: 'She walked into an institution and everyone expected her to know the rules. And I think sometimes it takes a minute to understand the rules.'

British Vogue Editor Edward Enninful, 47, has denied criticism of the Duchess of Sussex, 39, was racism as he said it 'sometimes takes a minute to understand the rules' of an institution

Edward went on to say: 'She did get a very unfair treatment, I thought.'

Last month, Edward won both Editor of The Year and Diversity Initiative of the Year at the Professional Publishers Association (PPA) Awards for the 'Forces for Change' edition which was guest-edited by Meghan.

Meghan selected 15 'trailblazers' and 'changemakers' to appear on her front cover.

The line-up of women she admires included celebrities, politicians and activists known for championing issues such as diversity, body positivity, transgender rights and climate change.

Edward, who worked with Meghan Markle on the September 2019 Forces For Change issue, said the Duchess had received 'unfair treatment'

The magazine's September edition - which featured women including model Adwoa Aboah, New Zealand prime minister Jacinda Ardern, actresses Gemma Chan, Laverne Cox, Jane Fonda, Salma Hayek Pinault and Yara Shahidi, activist Greta Thunberg and author Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie on the cover - was the fastest selling issue in the magazine's 104-year history, selling out in less then 10 days.

Meghan, who is currently living in Tyler Perry's $18 million mansion in LA, responded to the magazine's award last month.

She revealed she had wanted the issue of Vogue that she guest edited to 'reflect the world as we see it - beautiful and strong in its diversity'.

She said: 'I'm honoured to have this very special issue recognised.

During the interview, Edward said that while the criticism of the Duchess had been 'harsh', he 'wouldn't just blame it on racism'

Edward previously named Meghan's Forces For Change cover one of his favourite of all time at the magazine (pictured, Edward with the Duchess of Sussex)

'Creating Forces for Change with Edward was an opportunity to have the September issue of Vogue reflect the world as we see it - beautiful and strong in its diversity.'

And Edward spoke of the success of the issue earlier this year, branding the Duchess of Sussex's Forces For Change initiative 'not a moment, but a movement.'

He described the response to the September edition, which was released on August 2, as 'phenomenal,' before declaring the idea would be continued in every issue.

Meghan's role as guest editor represents one of the most radical moves in Vogue's 100-year history, with the magazine saying it considers the new September issue to be its most important edition of its year.

Edward revealed how the team were 'exhausted' after production of the magazine alongside the Duchess of Sussex

Edward has now previously revealed how working with the Duchess was 'a special time in his editorship', explaining how he and the team worked tirelesssly on the project for nine months with the royal.

Speaking to Vogue, he revealed how the team were 'exhausted' throughout production, adding: 'The energy and team spirit within the Vogue team during that nine-month period was incredible.'

Production took nine months, with Edward saying he was 'blown away' by the success of the magazine when it was launched in September.

He said the team were 'so close' to the magazine that they could only fully appreciate the project and it's power after the issue came out.
'There is a significant improvement, thank God,' Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah was quoted as saying

The health of the Kuwait's 91-year old emir has shown "significant improvement", parliament quoted the prime minister as saying in a tweet on Tuesday.

"There is a significant improvement, thank God," Prime Minister Sheikh Sabah Al-Khalid Al-Sabah was quoted as saying.

Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Sabah is in the United States completing medical treatment following surgery for an unspecified condition in Kuwait.

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Lake Urmia, Iran. Credit: Artem Grachev / shutterstock

Salt storms are an emerging threat for millions of people in north-western Iran, thanks to the catastrophe of Lake Urmia. Once one of the world's largest salt lakes, and still the country's largest lake, Urmia is now barely a tenth of its former size.

As the waters recede, extensive salt marshes are left exposed to the wind. These storms are getting saltier and are now happening more ofteneven in the cold and rainy seasons of the year. As more drying uncovers more salt marshes, things will only get worse.

Salt storms pose a direct threat to the respiratory health and eyesight of at least 4 million people living in both rural and urban areas around Lake Urmia. Increasing soil salinity reduces the yield of agricultural and orchard crops grown around the lake, while the lake has shrunk so much that boating is no longer possible, resulting in a loss of tourism.

This dramatic decline is down to human activity. Over the past three decades, Iran has followed a succession of five-year economic development plans, part of which involved providing large government loans for the agricultural sector to expand and switch from being primarily rain-fed to irrigated. To provide the necessary water for the farms, as well as for growing domestic and industrial use, more than 50 dams were constructed on rivers that drain much of north-western Iran and flow into the lake.

While these dams siphoned off the water that once fed the lake, the drying process was intensified by climate change. The rate of rainfall has reduced in recent decades and the Urmia basin has experienced several multi-year droughts.

All this has left a massively shrunken lake and a host of associated economic, social and health impacts. Yet what's happening with Lake Urmia is just one example of water-environmental problems emerging right across Iran.

Urmia 1986-2016. Salt marshes have been exposed as the lake has shrunk. Credit: Google Timelapse

Iran is getting warmer and drier

In a recent journal article, we examined how both climate change and human activity had affected hydrological changes in Iran in recent decades. The country has 30 main river basins, and we gathered three decades of key hydro-climatic data for each, including surface temperature, precipitation, how much water was stored underground in soil and rock, surface runoff (the amount of excess rainwater that cannot be absorbed by the soil), and measures of evaporation and transpiration from plants.

We then calculated the average values of each of these variables over two 15-year periods, 1986-2001 and 2002-2016, and compared the two. This allowed us to see what was changing in each of these basins and by how much.

Our work showed that Iran's main river basins have got warmer but are receiving less precipitation, are storing less water underground, and seeing less runoff.

Some river basins where precipitation and runoff decreased still saw an increase in evapotranspiration (the sum of evaporation and plant transpiration). This may seem odd at first, as less rainwater surely means there is less water to evaporate or for plants to transpire. Lake Urmia, for instance, is an endorheic basin, which means nothing flows out of it and all water that flows in eventually evaporates (this is why the lake is salty). But why would evapotranspiration have actually increased, even as the basin is fed by less water?

A boat is left to rust as Lake Urmia shrinks. Credit: Tolga Subasi / shutterstock

This is actually an indicator of human activity. First, all those dams generally increase the surface area of the body of water, compared to the natural flow before the dam was built. Artificial lakes and reservoirs, therefore, leave more water exposed to air and direct sunlight, thus increasing evaporation.

But it's also down to farming. As more crops are grown, more water is transpired by plantsand more water is needed to grow those plants. To add water where needed, farmers have turned to groundwater and large-scale water transfer engineering projects.

This use of water to maintain and expand human activities is unsustainable and has serious environmental and socio-economic consequences, particularly in this dry part of the world, as seen by changes to Lake Urmia. Policymakers need to mitigate the adverse hydrological changes and associated socio-economic, environmental and health impacts, and move towards something more sustainable.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Ridhima Gupta By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Despite testing positive for COVID-19, work does not stop for Additional DGP (Women Safety Wing) Swati Lakra. Lakra, who is in home quarantine, said she knew that she would have got infected despite taking measures.

"I was taking all the precautions  from wearing masks, to regular sanitising. However, I knew that I would get infected as I was continually meeting people and going to different places due to the nature of my work," she said.

A few days back, Lakra had mild fever, following which she got herself tested and was found to be Covid-positive. "My entire family was tested but only I was found positive. After consulting doctors from Sunshine Hospital and Dr Satayanarayan Reddy, the police department doctor, I decided to home quarantine myself. Fortunately, it was possible for me to isolate myself at home, and my family, who has been my biggest support, could take care of me at home," said Lakra.

Talking about her work-from-home experience, she said that while she is taking care of her health, she is still on duty. "I am not able to go out but my office work has to go on. So when it is required, I am working from home by using my phone," she said.

She added that once she recovers and if her health permit, she will go for plasma donation. "It is a novel deed, which might save the life of others. Therefore, I will go for plasma donation and will also encourage those who have recovered to do so," she said.

Department takes care of personnel

Stating that the police department is taking all the necessary measures to curb the spread of COVID-19 among the personnel, Lakra said, "We have been regularly sanitising our officers. The department is also distributing immunity-boosting kits and ayurvedic medicines to our staff," said the official.

She also added that the DGP and other senior police officials had informed that the police department would take care of all the police personnel and their family members if they get infected. "We have doctor facilities on call, and any police personnel or their family members can reach out to them for both psychological and physical issues. So police personnel need not be worried," she said.

"But even if anyone is infected, there is nothing to fear, you should just take good care of yourself. Isolate yourself, have good food, practice yoga, and consume immunity boosters," Lakra said.
ANN ARBOR, Mich., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Michigan Business Connection (MBC) is excited to announce that they are now managing credit union MBL portfolios exceeding $1 Billion dollars. MBC is the first single State focused MBL CUSO to achieve this milestone.

While there are several measures of success that Michigan Business Connection uses, the company's loan portfolio growth demonstrates the impact a Credit Union Service Organization (CUSO) like MBC can provide to its credit union partners, businesses and the local economy. Assets under management also is important as it reflects the level of trust that credit unions have in the CUSO to help manage the risk of their portfolios. MBC's portfolio servicing support includes all aspects of billings, accounting, monitoring, and collections. The portfolio includes credit unions and their borrowers from 51 counties across Michigan.

MBC embodies the cooperative spirit of the credit union movement with several lending success stories that range from financing more than 1,000 SBA PPP loans, traditional small business and SBA financing and nearly all community based commercial real estate types.

When asked, Bill Beardsley President/CEO of MBC reflects back on MBC's 16-year history stating, "I couldn't be prouder of the work we do for our credit union partners and our business borrowers. Now more than ever, during the unprecedented times we are experiencing this milestone has tremendous meaning. It demonstrates just how strong the cooperative movement's commitment to people helping people is." Beardsley goes onto say, "Since our inception, MBC has been committed to building a team of experts that can not only provide expertise and support that enables credit unions to lend to businesses in their local markets, but also demonstrates the power of collaboration."

MBC is one of the leading commercial lending CUSOs in the United States. With a culture that embodies being positively responsive and a workforce that is comprised of 45 employees MBC work diligently to provide services that range from back-end processing, credit risk and assessment services, hot topic training and customizable front-end business development and loan origination support.

About Michigan Business Connection, LLC

Since 2004, Michigan Business Connection (MBC) has supported the State of Michigan's small and medium-sized businesses and real estate investors by underwriting and servicing commercial loans for financial institutions statewide. They primarily serve Michigan credit unions and their members. MBC is a credit union service organization (CUSO) leveraging a collaborative effort of more than two dozen affiliated credit unions. They now help manage a portfolio exceeding one billion dollars in business loans for these financial institutions.

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By Cassandra Garrison and Andrea Shalal

BUENOS AIRES/WASHINGTON, Aug 3 (Reuters) - A battle is brewing for control of Latin America's main development bank.

On one side, U.S. President Donald Trump is looking to combat the rising influence of China; on the other, there is a quiet rebellion of countries chafing at losing control of their regional lender.

Trump's pick is his hawkish adviser Mauricio Claver-Carone, known for his bare-knuckle approach and tough stance on Venezuela and Cuba. Claver-Carone is the favorite to win the Inter-American Development Bank's leadership election in September, with the backing of countries including Brazil and Colombia.

However, his candidacy has riled others in the region. He would be the first person from outside Latin America to lead the Washington-based IDB, a smaller cousin of the IMF that has been led by Latin Americans since its founding in 1959.

Argentina, which has its own candidate, favors delaying the vote until after the Nov.3 U.S. election in the hopes of weakening Claver-Carone's position should Trump lose, two Argentine government sources said. Mexico is likely to back Argentina, though faces a tricky political balancing act.

The vote reflects a wider geopolitical struggle in Latin America, long seen as the backyard of the United States, but which has been pulled closer into the orbit of China, the main consumer of its commodities and an increasingly active lender.

China was "definitely an important factor" in Washington's decision to put forward a candidate, said one senior U.S. official, who described Claver-Carone as a "straight-shooter who gets things done." U.S.-China tensions have flared under Trump, who has bridled at Beijing's push for global influence.

In an interview with Reuters last week, Claver-Carone acknowledged there had been some regional push-back, but brushed it off and said that he had "overwhelming" support, citing public backing from 15 countries and six more privately.

Story continues

"I think there's possibly going to be even more, all want to see us succeed because it's good for their countries," he said. "Any effort by one country to try to delay the election goes against the will of the overwhelming majority of the region."

A candidate needs support of at least 15 of the 28 regional member countries and a majority of the total vote to win. The percentage of voting control relates to each country's shares in the bank and there must be at least 75% for quorum or the election must be rescheduled.

In the near future, the IDB will need to help cash-strapped countries in the region bounce back from the impact of COVID-19. Claver-Carone said he wants to boost the bank's capital and help countries that he said had been saddled with non-transparent Chinese lending.

He also said the United States is looking at offering incentives to companies to bring as much as $50 billion in U.S. investment back to the Americas from Asia.

'DIFFICULT, BUT NOT IMPOSSIBLE'

Blocking the election of Claver-Carone may prove tough with the muscle of the United States, which holds 30% of the bank's voting power.

The United States also caused a deadlock at the World Trade Organization this month after it pushed to have a U.S. citizen act as interim director general, in what other members saw as an unwarranted power grab.

One of the Argentine government sources said the U.S. bid for the role was less about the region's development and more about countering China, as well as an attempt to win over voters in Florida who agree with Claver-Carone's hardline approach on socialist-run Cuba and Venezuela.

The source said delaying the election by forcing a postponement would be "difficult, but not impossible."

A second Argentine official said a delay beyond the Sept. 12 vote was "an option that would suit us" and said the country was confident its candidate would gain Mexico's support. Both officials declined to be named.

Argentina, the IDB's largest borrower last year, has just over 11% of the voting share, while Mexico has above 7%, meaning they would need more support to hold up a vote.

A Mexican government official said the country was unlikely to support Claver-Carone, due to his hawkish views. Another official was more non-committal, underscoring the diplomatic sensitivities for Mexico if they openly oppose Trump. Both declined to be named.

Chile and Peru, which are run by centrist governments and control less than 5% of IDB votes combined, have yet to state their position publicly.

The IDB declined to comment on the election.

Latin American former presidents and ministers from across the political spectrum have voiced opposition to the nomination of Claver-Carone, including from Argentina, Brazil, Chile and Colombia. In the United States, Democratic Senator Patrick Leahy said Claver-Carone was "the wrong nominee," calling him the "architect" of Trump's "most ideologically-driven policies" toward the region.

Susana Malcorra, a foreign minister in Argentina's previous conservative administration who signed a letter in opposition to the U.S. candidate, told Reuters the region needed "to find a way to put a halt to this process" to give Latin American countries a chance to settle on a consensus candidate.

Benjamin Gedan, director of the Wilson Center's Argentina Project in Washington, said that a rejection of Claver-Carone "would be a black eye for the Trump administration, showing waning influence." If Trump loses the presidency, and Claver-Carone won the vote, Latin Americans may end up with a lame duck head of the regional bank, he added.

"You may be saddled with a candidate you were bullied into choosing by a president who may be out of office for the entire term." (Reporting by Cassandra Garrison in Buenos Aires and Andrea Shalal in Washington; additional reporting by Dave Graham in Mexico City, Alvaro Murillo in San Jose, Aislinn Laing in Santiago and Marco Aquino in Lima; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Rosalba O'Brien)
Moments from strengthening Chinese military

PLA Daily

Source: Xinhuanet

Editor: Li Jiayao

2020-08-03 11:23:36

BEIJING -- China's Army Day falls on Aug. 1. As the top commander, President Xi Jinping has been leading efforts to modernize national defense and the armed forces, and turn the People's Liberation Army (PLA) into world-class forces.

To reach this goal, Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, has designed and carried out massive military reforms and directed military development through meetings, orders and instructions.

In addition, Xi has reviewed troops, visited barracks, boarded armored vehicles and warships, and sent his regards to border patrol soldiers.

The following are some highlights of such moments over the past few years:

DRONE LAB

Xi visited a laboratory for drone technology at the Aviation University of the Air Force when he inspected northeast China's Jilin Province in July 2020.

He inspected teaching facilities for drone operating systems and learned about the training of drone operators.

He stressed strengthening research into unmanned combat, enhancing drone education as a discipline, stepping up training in real combat conditions, and cultivating professionals who can use drones and take command in such warfare.

AIRCRAFT CARRIER

Xi attended the commissioning ceremony of China's first domestically built aircraft carrier, the Shandong, in December 2019 at a naval port in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province.

Xi boarded the aircraft carrier and reviewed the guards of honor. He also inspected the onboard equipment and asked about the work and life of carrier-based aircraft pilots.

Commending China's achievements in aircraft carrier construction, Xi encouraged the officers and soldiers to continue their efforts to make new contributions in the service of the Party and the people.

TIAN'ANMEN SQUARE PARADE

On Oct. 1, 2019, Xi reviewed the armed forces at Tian'anmen Square in central Beijing as a grand rally was held to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the People's Republic of China.

The National Day parade was the first overall demonstration of Chinese armed forces after their comprehensive reform and restructuring in recent years.

A total of 15,000 personnel, 580 pieces of armament and more than 160 aircraft in 15 foot formations, 32 armament formations and 12 echelons took part in the historic parade.

Xi stressed that the PLA and the People's Armed Police Force should always preserve their nature, purpose and character as the forces of the people, resolutely safeguard China's sovereignty, security and development interests, and firmly uphold world peace.

MULTINATIONAL NAVAL PARADE

In April 2019, Xi reviewed a multinational fleet in the Yellow Sea as part of the activities to mark the 70th founding anniversary of the PLA Navy.

Xi boarded the destroyer Xining, and reviewed 32 Chinese navy vessels and 39 aircraft, including China's first aircraft carrier the Liaoning and nuclear-powered submarines, as well as 18 visiting naval ships from 13 countries.

In a group meeting with the heads of foreign delegations, Xi proposed building a maritime community with a shared future, and called for joint efforts to address common threats and challenges at sea and safeguard maritime peace and tranquility.

ELITE GROUND FORCE

Inspecting a division of the PLA ground force in the Central Theater Command in January 2018, Xi boarded China's self-developed main battlefield 99A tank, known as the "king of land battles," and the Red Arrow-10 anti-tank missile launching vehicle to learn about armaments used in the army.

He visited a reconnaissance company to watch training conducted by snipers, visited a simulation training center and met with officers of the division. He also visited the exhibition center detailing the division's history.

Xi stressed building an elite combat force through real combat training, digitalization, innovation and reform.

FIELD PARADE

Xi reviewed the armed forces in July 2017 as part of the commemorations to mark the 90th PLA founding anniversary.

More than 12,000 service personnel took part in the parade at Zhurihe military training base in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Advanced weapons including stealth fighters and nuclear missiles were displayed. It was the first time for Xi to oversee such a large military parade in the field.

Delivering a speech after the parade, Xi said China's need to build strong armed forces is greater than at any other time in history, as the Chinese nation is closer to the goal of great rejuvenation than ever.

"The PLA has the confidence and capability to defeat all invading enemies and safeguard China's national sovereignty, security and development interests," said Xi.

BORDER TROOPS

In January 2014, Xi visited soldiers stationed on the Chinese-Mongolian border.

Braving the cold, Xi met soldiers on a patrol mission and expressed his appreciation to them for working in the harsh weather to safeguard the country. He also stopped at a hilltop border post and inspected the garrison of a border troop company, where he joined officers and soldiers for lunch at their canteen.

"I am very proud of our border troops. With you guarding the country's border, people feel safe and can concentrate on economic development, reform and opening-up," Xi said, stressing the great responsibility of border troops and urging them to work hard and perform their duties well.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 23:36:13|Editor: huaxia

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BERLIN, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Forty-seven percent of German citizens generally supported a reduction of U.S. troops in Germany, according to a survey published by the market research institute YouGov on Tuesday.

Only 32 percent of Germans wanted U.S. troops to stay in the country at current strength or even increase their numbers, according to the survey conducted among more than 2,000 German citizens on behalf of the German Press Agency (dpa).

Last week, U.S. Secretary of Defense Mark Esper announced that the United States would withdraw a total of 11,900 soldiers from Germany. Around 6,400 soldiers would be sent home while almost 5,600 would be relocated from Germany to other countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

In June, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the U.S. military to withdraw 9,500 troops from Germany. Trump argued that Germany was not fulfilling its obligation to invest sufficiently in defense as a member of NATO.

One in four Germans, or 25 percent, even wanted all U.S. troops stationed in their country to leave, the survey found. Currently, about 36,000 U.S. troops are deployed in Germany. Enditem
After the sand is dredged from the harbor, Hoxsie said it is transported to the first beach and mixed with water so it is easy to pump onto the beach, where it will dry. Earth moving equipment will be used to make sure it is in the best place for beach use.
Its crunch time.

The fall semester is right around the corner, and those who operate our schools are considering various possibilities. Should brick-and-mortar schools remain closed and distance learning continued in the face of the pandemic? Should schools reopen on a part-time basis? Should students and teachers wear masks and maintain social distance?

Those are some of the options on the table.

But what about your options?

Some Alternatives

More parents than ever are considering homeschooling their children. Compared to the 1980s, when my wife and I first began teaching our little ones at home, parents today are living in a golden age of home education, with an enormous number of programs and curricula available to their students, and with the world at their fingertips through their electronic devices.

In many places, families band together to form homeschooling co-ops. Generally, these co-ops meet once or twice a week with classes taught either by a parent with a particular set of skills, a volunteer, or a paid teacher. Twelve-year-old Jenny goes to a weekly seminar in Latin, returns home with her Henle Latin First Year textbook, completes three hours of homework under the supervision of her mother, and returns the next week for further instruction.

This year, some families are instituting a new systempod schoolswhere they join with other families and hire a licensed teacher to give daily instruction to small groups of students. Think one-room schoolhouse, and youll get the picture.

This approach is more expensive than the alternatives listed above, but may be a boon to working parents.

Asheville Latin

For almost 20 years, I operated Asheville Latin Seminars in Asheville, North Carolina. As the sole proprietor, principal, and teacher, I offered classes in Latin, English composition and literature, and history to homeschooling students ages 1218. Other subjectsmath, science, Frenchthey either learned at the dining room table in their homes or from another tutor.

From Monday through ThursdayFridays I reserved for grading and lesson planningI taught a total of 12 classes, each of them one hour and 50 minutes long, including a five-minute break. A typical Monday might find me teaching Latin II from 9:0010:50, United States history and literature from 11:151:05, and Latin I from 1:153:05. The students then returned home with 25 hours of homework, which was due the following week.

The class size ran from one studentthat was the year only one young man enrolled in Advanced Placement Latinto 16 or 17 girls and boys. These numbers allowed me to charge modest fees for each student and still earn a living.

I selected the textbooks we used, the novels and poems we read, and the books for history classes. If you wish to pay a visit to my website to see recommended books, go to AshevilleLatin.com. Below is a typical reading list for my middle school students:

Writers Inc.

Harp and Laurel Wreath edited by Laura Berquist

Blue Book of Grammar and Punctuation by Jane Straus

The Bible (King James or RSV recommended)

The Essential Calvin and Hobbes

Gift of the Magi

Importance of Being Earnest

The Penderwicks: A Summer Tale of Four Sisters, Two Rabbits, and A Very Interesting Boy

True Grit by Charles Portis

Animal Farm by George Orwell

Indian Captive: The Story of Mary Jemison by Lois Lenski

Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Cracker: The Best Dog in Vietnam

Shakespeares A Midsummer Nights Dream

Success

Did this system work?

Absolutely.

My students won admission to institutions of higher learning such as Brown, West Point, and the University of North CarolinaChapel Hill. Others attended the local community college, joined the military, or entered the workforce. At least five of my former students now teach Latin in various parts of the country, one is a 24-year-old now running for Congress, and others have become lawyers, doctors, and nurses, welders and mechanics, or small-business owners.

Best of all from my perspective, many of these kids learned how to write well. Often, they returned from their freshman year in college to thank me for teaching them that skill. I accepted the appreciation with gratitude, but the truth was they became good writers because I made them write scores of compositions.

Challenging Our Young People

In my years of teaching, I learned some things about our young people.

First, they respond to challenges, particularly when they can see the good in those challenges. Every spring, for example, I required my middle school students to write a 1,500-word essay on Where I Will Be in 15 Years and What It Cost Me to Be There. These middle school students had to follow their dreams 15 years into the future, until they were 27 or 28 years old, and describe their lives and what sacrifices theyd made to achieve their goals.

We spent weeks on this project. In addition to the writing, which we broke into parts, this essay required some research. If they planned on attending North Carolina State University to become an engineer, they needed to go to that schools website and figure out what courses and grades the engineering school required for admission as well as its requirements for a degree. If they wanted to enter the trades, as some did, they had to research the skills they needed to master carpentry, plumbing, or masonry, requirements for certification, and the employment opportunities for their particular trade.

Students also had to envision their lives aside from work. Did they want a spouse and family? Did they wish to live in a big house in the country or an expensive apartment in a large city? If so, how did they intend to pay for these things?

Other Lessons the Teacher Learned

Young people need praisenot the false accolades of the I Am Special movement, but praise sincerely rendered for a job well done. A pat on the back or a complimentary comment on an essay keeps them in the race.

We should also encourage our children to pursue what they love. While writing this article, I spoke with a husband and wife who were worried about the lack of academic prowess and advancement in some of their seven home-educated children, six of whom are adopted. Of those six, five were addicted to drugs at birth through their natural mothers. When Mom and Dad asked for my advice, I recommended they stop comparing their children to others and reminded them of the noble work they had undertaken in raising these children.

I also suggested that even at a young age, their kids were exhibiting certain inclinations toward a lifes work. One of them, for example, loves sawing dead tree limbs, hammering nails into lumber, and hanging around adults performing these tasks. We need people in the trades as much or more than we need them in the professions, so why not encourage that boy, if he retains those interests as he grows older, to follow that route?

As I frequently told my students, all too often we equate high academic achievement as a sure-fire sign of success in life. We make grades and classroom abilities the criterion for a happy and productive life. Nothing could be further from the truth. If we look at the successful people we know, we find factors such as personality, virtue, a servant leader mentality, personal integrity, and even physical appearance can contribute to success as much as straight As on a report card.

Willpower and Love

On my site, youll notice a Latin tag attributed to Hannibal: Inveniemus viam aut viam faciemus, which translates to We will find a way or we will make a way. I often wrote those words of grit and wisdom on the whiteboard in my classroom. When we teach willpower to our students by example and by our words, we enhance their ability to tackle difficult problems.

And when we love our young people, and show them that love, we may be giving them the greatest gift of all. To toss off another Latin adage, Omnia vincit amor, or Love conquers all.

Love, grit, challenge, virtue, wisdom, vision: these transform our children into responsible and happy adults.

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.
Liquid Telecom has announced a strategic repositioning as Liquid Intelligent Technologies, which will include job cuts at the company.

The company said in a press statement that the repositioning follows the transitioning of the business over the last two years.

This may, however, be seen by many as candy-coating the fact that the company is planning to retrench a large number of employees.

The press statement, which did not mention job cuts, came shortly after Liquid Telecom staff were sent Section 189 notices, informing them of the planned job cuts.

The Section 189 notices state that the company is contemplating dismissing employees based on its operational requirements.

The operational requirements relate to the companys technological and structural needs, Liquid Telecom said.

It added that it is difficult to estimate the number of employees who may eventually be retrenched because of the proposed restructuring and efficiency measures.

Industry speculation suggests that Liquid Telecom South Africa may cut as much as a third of its workforce. It currently employs 864 people.

The company said it envisages that initial consultation meetings will be held this week.

It is anticipated that the consultation period will end on 4 October 2020, and that the date of retrenchments will be 4 November 2020.

The latest retrenchments follow large-scale retrenchments at the company in 2018, which were implemented to support its new operating model.

Liquid Telecom was asked for comment about its strategic repositioning and planned job cuts, but the company said it can currently not comment on the issue.

Strive Masiyiwa struggles to sell stake in Liquid Telecom

This announcement comes shortly after a report that the coronavirus pandemic is hampering efforts by Zimbabwean billionaire Strive Masiyiwa to sell a stake in Liquid Telecom.

Masiyiwa is seeking buyers for 20% to 34% of Liquid Telecom for as much as $600 million, according to four people with direct knowledge of the matter.

He needs the money to repay a $375-million loan that was backed by Public Investment Corp (PIC), the continents largest money manager, they said.

The PIC, which oversees the equivalent of $135 billion mainly on behalf of South African government workers, is demanding the issue be resolved by the end of August after granting an extension on the payment earlier this year, the people said.

The loan it backed was used to fund a pay-TV venture, which failed last year because Zimbabwes economic woes and currency shortages meant the company couldnt pay suppliers.

The 59-year-old tycoon had pledged shares in Liquid Telecom to the PIC as security for the loan, which had been taken out with Deutsche Bank AG. Masiyiwa was planning to repay the debt from the proceeds of an initial public offering in Liquid Telecom, which was scrapped because of volatile equity markets, the people said.

The founder of Econet, which has interests in mobile-phone network operators and digital-banking operations across the continent, would rather sell part of his 66% stake in Liquid Telecom to avoid surrendering shares in the company at a discount to the PIC, one of the people said.

Masiyiwa hired Goldman Sachs earlier this year to sell the stake, but talks with potential investors started unravelling after the COVID-19 outbreak intensified in March, the people said. Buyers wanted more time to assess the economic fallout of lockdowns to contain the virus on Africas economies, they said.

Now read: Strive Masiyiwa struggles to sell stake in Liquid Telecom
Malaysian police raided the office of news broadcaster Al Jazeera and two local TV stations on Tuesday, seizing computers as part of an investigation into a documentary on undocumented migrants that enraged the government.

Al Jazeera, a Qatari-state owned broadcaster, said in a statement that police seized two computers during the raid, which it called a troubling escalation in a government crackdown on media freedom. It urged Malaysian authorities to cease the criminal investigation.

Police opened an investigation last month into the Al Jazeera documentary on the treatment of undocumented migrants after officials complained it was inaccurate and biased. Seven Al Jazeera staff members have been grilled by police as part of the probe for alleged sedition, defamation and violating the Communications and Multimedia Act.

Police obtained court warrants to search the offices of Al Jazeera as well as local broadcasters Astro and Unifitv, criminal investigation chief Huzir Mohamed said in a statement. The two local TV stations had reportedly aired the video.

Huzir said the raids were conducted jointly with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, which is also investigating the stations.

He said police seized computers which will be sent for further analysis and took statements from witnesses during the raids. No individual or entity will be spared from action if they have violated the law, he said.

Al Jazeera said the raid was an attack on press freedom as a whole and urged Malaysian authorities to cease the criminal investigation.

Conducting a raid on our office and seizing computers is a troubling escalation in the authorities crackdown on media freedom and shows the lengths they are prepared to take to try to intimidate journalists, said Giles Trendle, managing director of Al Jazeera English.

Al Jazeera stands by our journalists and we stand by our reporting. Our staff did their jobs and theyve got nothing to answer for or apologize for. Journalism is not a crime, he said.

The documentary, titled Locked Up in Malaysias Lockdown, investigated undocumented immigrants it said were at risk during the coronavirus pandemic. More than 2,000 migrant workers were arrested during raids in areas in Kuala Lumpur that were placed under tight virus lockdowns.

Malaysian authorities also detained a Bangladeshi man interviewed in the documentary after revoking his work permit, and said they will deport him for criticizing the government over its handling of undocumented migrants.

The authorities relentless pursuit of Al Jazeera seems to be driven by a desire to punish journalists who aired Malaysias dirty laundry rather than a good faith application of the law, said Matthew Bugher, head of the Asia program of British-based rights group ARTICLE 19.

He said Malaysia should investigate the rights violations shown in the documentary instead of targeting the filmmakers.

Rights activists have voiced concern over a clampdown on freedom of speech and media independence under new Malaysian Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who took power in March.

Astro was recently fined for airing an Al Jazeera documentary in 2015 about the 2006 murder of a Mongolian woman that allegedly contained offensive content.

Popular online news portal Malaysiakini and its editor face rare contempt proceedings from the attorney general over comments posted by readers against the judiciary. Police also questioned an activist about a social media post alleging mistreatment of refugees at immigration detention centers.

A journalist from the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post was also questioned earlier about her reporting on migrant arrests.
Caparol Arabia, the Middle East arm of top German paint manufacturer, has announced that it has successfully tested CapaCare Protect - its flagship product being used in commercial and residential projects besides hospitals and schools across the Middle East - to demonstrate its use in the fight against coronavirus.

The tests were conducted in the US and proved the efficacity of the solution in curbing the spread of coronavirus and other microbes. These tests follow the successful launch of the product in the UAE market in April, said the company in a statement.

The premium interior emulsion CapaCare Protect is the only paint in the region with 99.9% kill rate against human coronavirus and H1N1 influenzae A, it stated.

The reports were tested as per American and Japanese standards in two independent ISO 17025 laboratories in USA, approved and accredited by the International Antimicrobial Council, it added.

Managing Director Martin Rosocha said: "Caparol Arabia is committed to developing eco-friendly solutions that contribute to comfortable living, healthier and more energy efficient spaces. Since the beginning of the pandemic, our expert solutions team have joined the fight against the virus with the introduction of CapaCare Protect, a premium anti-microbial paint suited for homes, hospitals, clinics and day-care centers."

"These efforts paid off and we have now proved that we have a solid solution that can effectively kill 99.9% of coronavirus particles. This is a ground-breaking development and we are delighted to now make the paint available across the region to secure and protect the walls of as many residents as we can," noted Rosocha.

"CapaCare Protect is manufactured in our production plant in the UAE and has already been used over the past three months on various projects including commercial, residential areas, hospitals and schools. The demand for the product is on the rise and its production is expected to further increase following the news around positive tests to combat coronavirus," he stated.

According to global real estate advisors Savills, the Middle East has seen an impressive rise in the number of construction projects over the past decade, and this number is only set to increase with close to $2 trillion worth of projects planned and in the pipeline in the region.

In this context, modern methods of construction and the solutions employed will play a vital role in ensuring the sustainable development of our cities, it added.

Commercial Director Mowaffaq Balish said: "Ultimately, Caparol wants to play a key role in supporting the positive development of the region and reflect governmental shift towards a green economy."

"We are seeing more and more developers keen to make projects more efficient and sustainable. Theres a real opportunity to help them improve the performance and safety of their buildings and enhance the experience of residents with our innovative solutions," he added.

Caparol offers over 125 years of global experience and has been family-owned for five generations.

The brand was founded in Germany with the invention of emulsion paint technology, which transformed the way people painted buildings and homes.

Caparol Arabia was established in 1999 in Dubai and is part of global company DAW, which has 6,000 employees and is present in over 40 countries.-TradeArabia News Service
Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corp. is requiring its employees to mask up when serving customers.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries Corp. is requiring its employees to mask up when serving customers.

Starting Thursday, non-medical face masks will be mandated for all Liquor Mart employees, a MLL spokesperson said.

While such masks have not been made mandatory for the general public in the province, casino employees were required to wear them when Winnipeg gaming facilities reopened last week.

"We have, and will, continue to evolve, expand and implement these types of initiatives as new information about COVID-19 preventative best practices becomes available," the MLL spokesperson said Tuesday in an email to the Free Press. "The shift to mandatory masks is an example of one such measure."

Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union president Michelle Gawronsky said liquor store workers were notified of the requirement over the weekend.

"The members themselves are supportive of the decision to ask employees to wear the masks at work. They recognize, I think most of us do, that weve all got a responsibility," she said Tuesday.

MGEU has yet to hear any direct concerns from its members regarding the decision to require from the Crown corporation that only employees  not customers  be required to wear face masks in liquor and gaming establishments.

"I think our members know we should be making sure were following the health guidelines as close as we can," Gawronsky said.

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There are no current plans from the MGEU to advocate for mandatory mask measures for customers  rather, the unions focus will be on following recommendations set by chief provincial public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin, she said.

"We would just ask the public to please respect our members, the employees, the people that are serving them at those liquor stores."

Mandatory face-covering measures have been put into place across Canada in areas with a range of case counts. For example, Kenora, Ont., which had recorded eight COVID-19 cases so far, will require people to wear masks in enclosed public spaces starting Aug. 17.

In his routine public COVID-19 status briefings, Roussin has only suggested a recommendation Manitobans mask up indoors may come in the fall.

malak.abas@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: malakabas_
Midland ISDs school year will start with at least four weeks of at-home learning for all students.

That was the announcement Monday as the district updated parents, students and staff about the opening of the 2020-21 school year, which will begin Aug. 19.

During the meeting on Monday, the district reported there were 2,179 COVID-19 cases inside Midland County at the end of July, including 790 confirmed cases over the past two weeks (the highest two-week period during the pandemic).

Midland ISD learned in conversations with health officials from Midland Memorial Hospital and the Midland Health Department that Midland has a more than 21 percent positive test rate  comparable to Dallas, Houston and San Antonio, according to the district.

Ector County has 3,287 positive cases and a positive test rate above 30 percent, the district said.

Infectious disease experts recommend both a local positive case rate of less than 5 percent and a 14-day decline in positive case counts as conditions for safely reopening schools, according to MISD.

Not only did Midland ISD officials take the information that indicated a high level of community spread, but it also had information that showed more than 66 percent of the 2,082 MISD staff responding toa survey are either extremely concerned (39.4 percent) or moderately concerned (27.1 percent) with the impact of COVID-19 in relation to the on-campus learning/working environment.

It also showed 65.2 percent of 2,086 responding staff would support a fully virtual launch to the school year. Of the 13,690 responses from families, more than 50.6 percent are interested in a full-time virtual learning option.

Midland ISD Chief of Staff Katie Atkins told the Reporter-Telegram Monday that after four weeks, the district can submit a waiver -- with board approval  requesting that the Texas Education Agency extend at-home learning an additional four weeks.

Given the level of COVID-19 transmission in our community, we will start the school year at home for the health and safety of our students, staff and community, Superintendent Orlando Riddick stated in a press release. Our staff has worked tirelessly this summer to ensure learning would occur this fall no matter the status of COVID-19 in Midland.

At-home instruction will not impact extracurricular activities, officials said.

Atkins said that the decision announced Monday was going to make some people unhappy, but that the district didnt want to put its students, staff or the community at risk. She said that coronavirus is not just the flu.

Atkins said teachers report back to school next week, but there is no timeline for parents and students. She said students and parents received texts and emails about Mondays decision and expects texts and emails from campus leadership to continue.

Midland ISD reported Monday that instruction will be facilitated through Google Classroom, and technology -- such as Google Chromebooks and Wi-Fi hotspots -- will be available to families as needed. Families can request learning technology and Wi-Fi hotspots through their campus.

During at-home instruction, students will learn remotely, and staff will report to campuses. The district will provide grab-and-go meals, with the summer meal program continuing through Aug. 31, according to the district.

At-home instruction is one of three learning models the district has created in preparation for the school year. On-campus instruction is modeled on traditional in-classroom learning, and blended-learning instruction sees students rotate between face-to-face instruction and at-home learning.

The district is also offering the Midland ISD Online Academy, a 100 percent virtual instructional option for families. Applications opened Monday at Apply Midland. Students enrolled in the Online Academy will still have a seat reserved for them at their home school should their family decide to re-enroll them in on-campus learning, the district stated.
Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion - REUTERS/Mohamed Azakir

A massive explosion shook Lebanon's capital Beirut on Tuesday wounding dozens, according to a security source.

The health ministry reported "a large number of wounded" by the afternoon blast that shook several parts of the capital.

Video shared online showed an enormous explosion near the Beirut waterfront followed by a billowing tower of orange smoke rising from near the port area.

Local media showed images of blooded people trapped under rubble following the explosion, the cause of which was not immediately clear.

The blast broke windows in other parts of the city, and footage shared online showed damage to the offices of the Daily Star newspaper.

Another angle of the explosion at the docks in Beirut. https://t.co/xtgu0LcYCq  Quentin Sommerville (@sommervilletv) August 4, 2020

Initial reports in local media suggest the incident was not a bombing but an accidental fireworks explosion.

The loud blast was felt across large parts of the city and some districts lost electricity.

"Buildings are shaking," tweeted one resident, while another wrote: "An enormous, deafening explosion just engulfed Beirut. Heard it from miles away".

This is a breaking story, more to follow
The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has said there was nothing wrong with Nigeria ceding her sovereignty to China. The...

The Minister of Transportation, Chibuike Amaechi, has said there was nothing wrong with Nigeria ceding her sovereignty to China.





The Minister was fielding questions on the controversies surrounding the $500 million loan from China on Channels Televisions Politics Today.





Amaechi insisted that Chinese loans are the cheapest form of loans the country can get anywhere.





What is wrong with Nigeria ceding its sovereignty to China? Amaechi asked Tuesday evening.





I said this because the sovereignty you are ceding is not the sovereignty that makes you a nation.





If you watch my interview with the AIT, youll see that I was very proud to have been trained at the University of Port Harcourt because that training at the University of Port Harcourt makes me understand that theres a difference between what the honourable Minister of Justice was explaining today  what is diplomatic immunity, jurisdictional immunity and commercial immunity.





Calm down, I did not receive any contract from NDDC - Ibori replies Akpabio NEWS:Calm down, I did not receive any contract from NDDC - Ibori replies Akpabio

Just like the commercial banks will ask you for collateral before giving you loan, this country is saying were not Nigerians; were not you father, if we want to give you $500m we want you to wave the immunity that will stop us from taken you arbitration if you default.




New Delhi, Aug 4 : The ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) in Delhi has decided to restructure its units at the assembly, district, ward, polling centre and booth levels, senior party leader and Cabinet Minister Gopal Rai said.

The decision to restructure has been taken in view of the scheduled municipal body elections in 2022.

AAP's Delhi convenor Rai said that the restructuring work will begin on Wednesday and will continue till August 20. He said, "The party will give new responsibilities to those who did well in the assembly elections held earlier this year. The restructuring work will start from Wednesday and will last for 15 days." The purpose of restructuring at the district, assembly, ward, polling station and booth levels is to strengthen the organization. Rai said, "We will review the work of our leaders at these five levels and then the party will take a decision. Those who did good work during the COVID-19 epidemic will be given new responsibilities." The Aam Aadmi Party lost the municipal elections in 2017. The BJP holds the corporation while the AAP is in the role of the opposition. In the assembly elections held this year, the AAP won 62 seats in the 70-member Delhi Assembly under the leadership of Arvind Kejriwal while the BJP got just eight seats. The Congress once again failed to open its account in the Assembly.

The Aam Aadmi Party wants to get the maximum seats in the corporation elections. For this, the process of strengthening the party at the booth level is being started. Apart from Delhi, the party also wants to establish a foothold in other states.
Academics on Twitter mourned the death of an indigenous, queer Arizona State University professor over the weekend who documented their journey with COVID-19 online, but the university says no such person was ever employed and the entire account was a hoax.

A mysterious Twitter account known as @Sciencing_Bi was created in 2016, used a flower for an avatar image, and had about 6,000 followers before going private this weekend.

The account claimed to be an outspoken bisexual anthropologist from ASU with Hopi Native American heritage who tweeted on social justice and her battle with coronavirus.

The account said they didnt use their name for fear of retaliation because they were bisexual and did not have tenure.

On Friday, a friend of the account, former Vanderbilt University Assistant Professor of Neurology BethAnn McLaughlin tweeted: 'Sad to report @Sciencing_Bi died from COVID this evening', triggering a wave of condolences from online acquaintances.

However, the account has been unraveled as a farce and @Sciencing_Bi along with McLaughlin's account have been suspended by Twitter after officials at ASU say no such person ever worked on campus.

A Twitter account posing as a queer, indigenous anthropology professor at Arizona State University with the handle @Sciencing_Bi has been exposed to be a hoax. A friend of the account said @Sciencing_Bi died of COVID-19 on Friday, but the school said no employee matched the account's description

@Sciencing_Bi along with McLaughlin's Twitter account have been suspended by Twitter after officials at ASU say no such person ever worked on campus

A view of @Sciencing_Bi's account before it was suspended by Twitter

ASU spokesperson Katie Paquet said on Sunday that the university believes it was a hoax and they couldn't find any connection in real life between the account and ASU. 'We also have had no one, such as a family member or friend, report a death to anyone at the university,' Paquet said

The hoax has outraged the academic communities and professors who interacted with the account on Twitter.

Jacquelyn Gill, a University of Maine climate scientist, apologized to her followers on Sunday for being duped by the catfish account.

'Im now convinced @Sciencing_Bi was a fake account. Im so sorry to those of you whose trust was violated. Creating a fake pseudonymous account and pretending various marginalized identities is wrong. Its evil,' Gill tweeted.

The account claimed they taught in-person classes through April and they were hit with a pay cut later that same month as they were in the hospital with COVID-19.

Sciencing_Bi tweeted: 'ASU kept teachers, staff and students on campus until April. Many got COVID. Including me.' Those classes included a 'giant seminar class and two smaller classes. Im guessing 400 students.'

The university says classes went remote in March and no pay cuts were announced at all for any employees in the pandemic.

ASU spokesperson Katie Paquet said on Sunday that the university believes it was a hoax and they couldn't find any connection in real life between the account and ASU.

Deans and faculty members couldn't identify who the person might be and indigenous staffers on campus were clueless to the account's true identity.

'We also have had no one, such as a family member or friend, report a death to anyone at the university,' Paquet said to AZ Central.

The university is yet to respond to DailyMail.com's request for comment.

The face behind the account? Accusations quickly emerged on Twitter that BethAnn McLaughlin (above), a former Vanderbilt professor and leader of MeTooSTEM, created the @sciencing_Bi Twitter account herself and she interacted with the account regularly. McLaughlin contradicted those claims claiming: 'I knew this person'

McLaughlin (above) shared a lengthy tribute to @Sciencing_Bi as if she had interacted with her in person

This screengrab from @Sciencing_Bi's account before it was suspended shows she claimed ASU kept her working through April, resulting in her catching the virus. ASU enacted remote learning in March

Matthew Sakiestewa Gilbert, the head of the University of Arizona's Department of American Indian Studies, is an enrolled member of the Hopi tribe and said he would've known @Sciencing_Bi if she was employed at the university.

'There are very few Hopi faculty in the academy. We tend to know each other,' he said. 'I have not heard of any Hopi faculty at ASU dying from COVID-19. From what I can tell, the claims that are attributed to @Sciencing_Bi are a hoax, and a sick one at that.'

Soon after McLaughlin announced the death, @Sciencing_Bi's Twitter account went private.

By Sunday several Twitter users revealed they believe the account was fake and they were catfished.

'I went from thinking a Twitter friend and colleague died of COVID after being forced by her institution to teach, to doubting she had existed in the first place,' Gill said to the Daily Beast.

Accusations quickly emerged on Twitter that McLaughlin created the @sciencing_Bi Twitter account herself and she interacted with the account regularly.

McLaughlin contradicted those claims claiming: 'I knew this person.'

As of Monday morning both Twitter accounts were suspended.

'We have suspended these accounts for violating our spam and platform manipulation policies,' a company spokesperson said.

Jacquelyn Gill, a University of Maine climate scientist, was outraged to learn the account was fake after thinking they were friends

McLaughlin is a neuroscientist who leads a non-profit called MeTooSTEM which works to expose harassment in the science fields. She came under fire last year for allegations of mistreating people and a lack of transparency in the group, prompting several members to leave.

Women of color who were involved in the group said they felt white peoples perspectives were prioritized over the voices of people of color, Buzzfeed reported.

She left Vanderbilt last July after she was denied tenure following a years-long review process.

She has not responded to questions about whether she ran @Sciencing_Bi's account.

In her Twitter tribute to @Sciencing_Bi she made it appear that they had met several times.

In a lengthy eulogy McLaughlin tweeted: 'I wanted to out there so bad when she went back in the shospital. But they wont let you in. This disease. She said she was supposed[d] to get Hopi talisman for health as gifts for us but she ran out. God. The irony of running out of health talisman.'

In another tweet McLaughlin said 'Even when she was P*SSED at me, shed text me daily.'

She said @Sciencing_Bi gave good hugs, she fought against systemic issues in science, she advocated for her students and sent 'Hopi bandanas' to a few people.

McLaughlin has not responded to questions about whether she ran @Sciencing_Bi's account

Other Twitter users revealed they too had doubts about @Sciencing_Bi's account and her posts that didn't quite line up. This Twitter user noted she 'died' well after being discharged from the hospital with COVID-19, which was suspicious

This Twitter user condemned the hoax account saying 'blood is on her hands'

The exposure of the hoax has touched a vein in Arizona, where the Native American population was disproportionately hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak as cases spike in June and July

However, eagle-eyed Twitter users pointed out strange things about @Sciencing_Bi's account noting every photo they posted was a stock photo.

'If what happened with @Sciencing_Bi is true, it's utterly tragic and I am deeply sorry for everyone's loss. That said, there are discrepancies about their identity. There is evidence this might be a catfish account. I sincerely hope I'm wrong,' a chemist on Twitter named Amber tweeted.

She said she once DM'ed @Sciencing_Bi to share her email in a campaign for McLaughlin's tenure and received an Google Doc invite from McLaughlin's email when @Sciencing_bi said she sent out an invitation.

The exposure of the hoax has touched a vein in Arizona, where the Native American population was disproportionately hard hit by the COVID-19 outbreak as cases spike in June and July.

'My real concern, though, is that someone leveraged racism, sexism, homophobia, and COVID fears for their own personal gain. Any time someone fakes a marginalized identity, it provides fuel for people who dont want social justice movements to succeed,' Gill said.
The recommendations came as suburban Cook Countys rolling seven-day positivity rate for COVID-19 rose from 5.2% on July 22 to 5.8% on July 31, according to the department. Hospital capacity in suburban Cook County has not been overburdened to the point of threatening surge capacities, although there have been two consecutive days of more hospital admissions. About one-third of ICU and surge beds are open in the suburbs.
Former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer has weighed in on the companys plans to acquire the US arm of TikTok. In an interview with CNBC, Ballmer said Microsofts pursuit of TikTok is exciting.

Obviously it depends on the price, Ballmer said. Price is important as well as whatever restrictions come with it from a government perspective, but I think its an exciting avenue for Microsoft to really increase its consumer base.

Microsoft announced its intent to acquire TikTok in the United States on Sunday. The Trump administration was on the verge of banning the popular Chinese app on security grounds before the company stepped in last week. The software giant is looking to buy TikToks operations in the US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand. It promises transparency and that itll transfer and keep all private data of TikToks American users within the country.

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Microsoft also promises appropriate security oversight by governments into the service. However, acquiring TikTok would still likely put the company under the regulatory scrutiny it has largely avoided of late. Other major consumer-facing tech companies  Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google  have all been subject to some intense scrutiny in recent years.

CEOs of these four tech giants last week testified in front of the House Judiciary subcommittee on antitrust. Among other things, there were questions regarding Facebooks acquisition of Instagram. The social media giant bolstered its dominance in the industry by gobbling up a rival startup in 2012. Now, Microsoft, already a dominant force in the tech industry, taking over TikTok is being seen as an anti-competitive move as well.

Microsoft is well-equipped to deal with any regulatory scrutiny regarding TikTok: Ballmer

Microsoft has had its focus more on enterprise customers over consumer-facing businesses in recent years. And that is one of the reasons why it isnt much under regulatory scrutiny of late. Perhaps, lessons learned from the previous antitrust battle some 20 years ago.

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However, if the company acquires TikTok in the US, which seems very likely, itll once again be playing in the consumer-facing business industry. This move could also put the software giant back in the regulatory hot seat.

Ballmer, who served as Microsofts CEO between 2000 to 2014, says consumer-facing businesses are the companys roots and that it is well-equipped to deal with any regulatory issues that TikToks acquisition would bring. He further said that Microsoft doesnt have any cozy relationship with the Chinese government. If there was any, Microsofts business would have been bigger in China, Ballmer suggested. The ex CEO is still the companys largest shareholder.
No one knows whether New Jersey meant to do it. Later though, the state constitution's signers made it clear they meant to keep it.

In the summer of 1776, the colonies were about to collectively declare independence, and the Provincial Congress in Trenton was in a rush to write a state constitution. The state's framers wrote and passed it in only five days.

In the document, where it explains rules for elected officials, the governor is referred to as "he"; each assembly member, "he"; each county's sheriff and its coroners, a "he."

But for some reason, when it describes the rules for the electorate, it says "they." All inhabitants who are worth at least 50 pounds and have lived in New Jersey for a year, "they" shall have the right to vote.

And that is how, for the first three decades of American independence, it was legal for some New Jersey women to vote, more than a century before the passage of the 19th Amendment.

Even if it started out as an accidental loophole, a 1790 statute clarified that "they" meant "he or she" in seven New Jersey counties with large Quaker populations. In 1797, another statute expanded female suffrage from those counties to the entire state.

For decades, there has been only anecdotal evidence that any women actually used this right - newspaper accounts complaining about women voting, and a copy of a poll list with two names that could have been women's names, or men's names incorrectly transcribed.

"This is the kind of detective work that historians love, because it's an untold story," said Philip Mead, chief historian at the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia.

Starting in 2018, museum staff led by curatorial fellow Marcela Micucci dug into the New Jersey State Archives, local historical societies and other cultural institutions looking for harder evidence.

After months of searching, they hit pay dirt.

"We found a poll list . . . from an election in Montgomery Township, Somerset County, in October of 1801. There were 343 voters on that list and 46 of them were women," Micucci told The Washington Post. "I barged into [Mead's] office, the list printed out in my hands, jumping up and down. It was very exciting."

Since then, museum researchers have found 18 more poll lists, ranging from 1797 to 1807, nine of which contain women's names. In total, they have identified 163 women who voted.

"This was not just some women, but quite a substantial number of women," Micucci said.

The women's names often appear together, indicating that they arrived at the polls in groups, perhaps for their own protection, Mead said.

"That in itself, I think, is an expression of bravery," he said.

There were limitations. At the time, married women generally had no property rights - a woman's property went to her husband upon marriage - meaning only single and widowed women could meet the property requirement to vote.

But there was also another surprising benefit - that "they" in the state constitution wasn't just gender neutral but race neutral. The museum team has found evidence that at least one free black man legally voted in 1801. And though it is theoretically possible that free black women voted, too, the team has yet to prove it happened. It's already difficult to track white women in the historical record, Micucci explained, and even more so black women. It is possible there is a black woman among the 163 names already found, and researchers just haven't been able to find biographical information about her in other extant records yet.

And though researchers know now that female voting was widespread, the team hasn't found evidence of any type of organized proto-suffrage movement in the colonial era, Mead said.

That doesn't mean it escaped notice in the young nation.

Nelly Custis, George Washington's step-granddaughter, was once described by John Adams as having "jumped on a horse and galloped off to the polling place demanding the vote" as a property owner, Mead said.

In a 1797 letter to her sister, then-first lady Abigail Adams asked her to tell a losing candidate in a local race that if the Massachusetts state constitution "had been equally liberal with that of New jersey and admitted the females to a Vote, I should certainly have exercised it in his behalf."

And there is, of course, Abigail's famous letter to her husband in 1776, urging him to "remember the ladies" as he and the other founders deliberated on independence.

Both of these letters, along with the unearthed poll lists, will be included in a new exhibit at the museum called "When Women Lost the Vote: A Revolutionary Story 1776-1807." Originally scheduled to open in August, it has now been delayed until October because of the pandemic.

So how did New Jersey women lose the vote?

In a most American way - on the altar of partisan politics.

By the time Washington left office in 1797, fights between the nascent political parties - the Federalists and the Democratic Republicans - were becoming so bitter that the first president spent much of his farewell address warning against them.

The situation worsened over the next decade, and with that came a rise in accusations of voter fraud. In 1802, political leaders in Hunterdon County urged the New Jersey legislature to overturn a local election, claiming some people on the poll lists were Philadelphia residents, immigrants, enslaved and, in particular, married women, Micucci said.

In 1806 in Essex County, women and people of color were blamed again when more votes were mysteriously cast than there were eligible voters.

"This was a moment, in 1807, where Americans were having serious doubts about their democracy," Mead said. "I think [legislators] were looking for a big action they could take to restore confidence in the voting system, and they crudely scapegoated women, people of color, immigrants."

The law was changed to remove the property requirement and limit the franchise to white men only.

"And, of course, that wasn't a solution. Voting problems continued," Mead said.

Eight years later, in neighboring New York, a woman named Elizabeth Cady was born. She grew up to be an activist, married fellow abolitionist Henry Stanton, and, in 1848, met with other supporters of women's rights at Seneca Falls, where she presented a draft of the Declaration of Sentiments.

By 1880, Elizabeth Cady Stanton was living in New Jersey, and since she had to pay taxes there, decided she would attempt to vote. She went to the polling place donned in her "Sunday attire," she recounted, with her friend Susan B. Anthony, who was "always ready to make an escapade on the ballot-box."

The inspector refused to give her a ballot, explaining there was no precedent for a woman to vote.

On the contrary, she told him, "On the sacred soil of New Jersey, where we now stand, women voted thirty-one years, from 1776 to 1807."

The inspector said he knew nothing about the matter. He had never read the state constitution.
Airmen from the 117th Maintenance Group traveled to the Museum of Aviation to disassemble and relocate an A-26 Invader. This mission served two purposes. The Invader will be restored and put on display at Sumpter Smith National Guard Base. This also constituted the annual Crash Damage or Disabled Aircraft Recovery training for the Maintainers.

The Invader is tied into Sumpter Smith Air National Guard Base history. The 117th Tactical Reconnaissance Group flew them from 1946 until the arrival of the RF-84F Thunderstreak in 1957. In 1961 the CIA recruited airmen from the 117th to support the Bay of Pigs Invasion. They were chosen for their experience with the Invader (at the time redesignated as the B-26), as the 117th had among the last Wings to operate the aircraft. Their mission was to travel to Nicaragua where they would provide training, maintenance and other support for Cuban exiles, who flew Invaders in an attempt to overthrow the regime of Fidel Castro.

In the last day of the attack eight Americans volunteered to fly in order to relieve the exhausted Cuban pilots. Four of those airmen died: Pete Ray, Riley Shamburger, Wade Gray, and Leo Baker. American involvement in the invasion was classified until 1998. The tail number on this A-26 matches that of one of the aircraft used in the invasion. The airplane was delivered to the USAAF on 6 August 1945. It served at various air bases to include Turner AFB, GA and arrived for conversion to a TA-26B at Warner Robins Air Material Center, Robins AFB, GA in November 1946. It then served with various Air National Guard units until being transferred to Headquarters Air National Guard, Andrews AFB, MD as a VB-26B and flew with HQ ANG until October 1972. As the last B-26 in USAF service, it was retired and transferred to the National Air & Space Museum for preservation. In May 2017 it was transferred to the Museum of Aviation for display.
Over the weekend, Seoul, South Korea was hit by torrential rain described as one of the worst in a century. The city was triggered by landslides and flash floods that destroyed many properties.

According to the reports, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said, "the heavy rainfall over the weekend triggered landslides in dozens of places, flooded residential areas and roads, and damaged some riverside structures. The Seoul metropolitan area and the central region were damaged the most."

Not only has the recent tragic incident caused few deaths, but it also affected citizens' livelihood, severe structural damage, and destroyed agricultural farms.

One of the active Korean celebrities who quickly took the initiative to help is national MC and comedian, Yoo Jae Suk. The Hope Bridge Disaster Relief Association stated on August 3rd that Yoo Jae Suk had donated 100 million won (approximately 83,000 USD) to the "2020 Flood Damage Emergency Relief Campaign."

The said donation will help restore the areas affected, which incurred a great deal of damage by the recent heavy rainfall. It will help support flood victims as well.

It was a great relief not only to the people in need. According to the Korea Disaster Relief Association, "We are glad whenever there is a new campaign for disaster relief. MC Yoo Jae Suk has always quietly given a generous sum of money. As several regions of the country suffered an unexpected rainstorm, we look forward to how Yoo Jae Suk's donation will have a positive influence."

Early this year, Yoo Jae Suk also donated 100 million won to help aid in the country's battle due to the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. Yoo Jae Suk is considered a role model among his fellow entertainers and citizens of Korea for his exemplary image and participation in philanthropic acts.

The pretty Actress Yoo In Na also recently donated 50 million won (approximately 41,800 USD) to the flood victims through the Hope Bridge campaign. The actress is known for her generosity and spending her time helping children and teenagers. She had sponsored children's meals in Africa and the Salvation Army's Christmas Kettle Campaign.

The actor-screenwriter Yoo Byung Jae also donated 10 million won (approximately 8,370 USD) to help out the flood victims.

Moreover, the Korean celebrity couple Hong Hyun Hee and Jason donated as well. Comedian Hong Hyun Hee wrote on her Instagram account, "We hope this can become a small source of strength to the flood victims across the country affected by the unexpected torrential rains." The married couple donated 20 million won (approximately 16,000 USD).

The said donations would be used to support homeless victims and to restore damaged facilities.
Amidst worsening insecurity across the country and separate resolutions by the National Assembly demanding the sack of military chiefs, President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said he is convinced the security chiefs are doing their best to address the challenges.

The president said this at the National Security Council meeting held at the Council Chambers of the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

Details of the meeting were announced by the National Security Adviser, Babagana Monguno, who addressed journalists after the meeting.

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The President said to the Service Chiefs, you are doing your best as far as I am concerned but there is still a lot more to be done. I am more concerned about the promise we made to the larger Nigerian society and I am ordering an immediate re-engineering of the entire security apparatus, Mr Monguno said.

The NSA said President Buhari, however, ordered the security chiefs to reorganise their strategies.

He has also directed that we must rejig our strategies both in terms of operations and intelligence. We must rejig our strategy to prevent further catastrophe; that we must bear in mind that we owe a duty that elected his government and at the end of the day, without securing the nation, all other things like revamping the economy and fighting corruption cannot be addressed.

Mr Monguno said the defence minister, Bashir Magashi, is currently working on a strategy that will help resolve the security challenges across the country.

Based on the marching orders given to us by the president form the last time till now, basically, these are operational matters that are best dealt with by the Minister of Defence.

I know there is something he is working on which has led to this meeting being delayed slightly because it was actually supposed to take place before the sallah break but I think one or two things have come up which I dont want to disclose but I want Nigerians to be comfortable that something is being done since the last marching order, he said.

The NSA also spoke on the use of hard drugs across Nigeria. He said there was a connection between drug use and the increase in crime rate. He said Nigerias security agencies shut 17 factories producing dangerous drugs between 2011 and 2019.

This is the third National Security Council meeting we have had this year and todays meeting focused on the problem of drug trafficking and drug addiction in Nigeria, as contained in two memos that I presented to the council, he said.

We considered the widespread use of these substances and their dangerous impact on our socio-economic situation. I also briefed on the security situation in the North-West and North-Central, looking at kidnapping and banditry in killing of innocent people. The Service Chiefs and Inspector General of Police also gave their various synopsis on what their outfits are doing on the matter.

For the issue of drug trafficking and abuse of same, I told the council that this has taken a worrisome dimension because Nigerias perception in the drug trafficking index has changed from the status of a transit hub to a production centre, he said.

There is hardly any violent crime today in Nigeria that is not propelled by the use of these hard substances, which have been coming in form all nooks and crannies.

What is worrisome is that the reports we received form the Chairman of the National Drugs Law Enforcement Agency NDLEA shows that the numbers keep increasing and despite the closure of orders, we are still having to contend with the influx of these drugs.

The problem here is that the reckless use of these substances is directly linked to the insecurity we are confronted with.

Security Situation

Premium Times earlier reported that Tuesdays meeting, chaired by Mr Buhari, was attended by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, Chief of Staff to the President Ibrahim Gambari, National Security Adviser Babagana Monguno and some ministers.

The heads of the army, navy, air force, police, State Security Service, and Directorate of Military Intelligence also attended the meeting.

The meeting held about a week after armed persons attacked the convoy of the Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, in Baga, Borno State, where he had gone to distribute materials to internally displaced persons.

Mr Zulum has since said he believes the attack was carried out by soldiers.

The NSA gave no indication that the attack on Mr Zulum was discussed at the security council meeting.

Apart from the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno and its neighbouring states, armed bandits are also attacking northwestern states randomly, killing and kidnapping dozens of people every month.

Many people have also been killed in renewed violence in Southern Kaduna, Kaduna State.

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Amidst the worsening security situation, the Senate (twice) and the House of Representatives have demanded the sack of the service chiefs, who should have retired from the military based on military rules. President Buhari has repeatedly rejected the lawmakers resolutions.
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Various healthcare and government insurance providers are offering reimbursement for diagnosis of chronic disorders such as cervical cancer screening. For instance, Medicare - US government-funded health insurance provider, provides reimbursement to people who are of age 65 or older and some younger population with disabilities.

Moreover, for cervical cancer diagnosis, such plans cover reimbursement for one pap test every three years or a combination of pap test & HPV testing every five years. Favorable government initiatives as such are expected to drive the demand for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) testing market in the years to come.

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Company Profiles F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Agilent Technologies, Inc.

Becton, Dickinson and Company

Qiagen N.V.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Abbott Laboratories

Hologic Inc.

Cepheid Inc.

Seegene Inc.

Takara Bio Inc.

DaAn Gene Co., Ltd. of Sun Yat-Sen University

Promega Corporation

Greiner Bio-One International GmbH (Greiner Holding AG)

Enzo Biochem Inc.

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Hybribio Limited

Zytovision GmbH

Arbor Vita Corporation

Medical & Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd

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HPV testing is gradually becoming crucial for cervical cancer screening, according to recent report published by Persistence Market Research.

The report estimates that in 2017, the global market for Human Papillomavirus testing will reach an estimated value of US$ 629.4 Mn. Improving reimbursement scenario, coupled with high sensitivity of Human Papillomavirus testing in low resource setting, is expected to drive the markets growth.

By the end of 2025, the global market for Human Papillomavirus testing will have soared at 7.6% CAGR, bringing in more than US$ 1,100 Mn in revenues.

Get To Know Methodology of Report @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/methodology/11737

Global HPV Testing Market  Key Challenges

A key limitation for Human Papillomavirus testing is that these tests are confined to women as men undergoing HPV testing have higher risks of getting infected with genital warts. In addition to this, patients are not willing to take Human Papillomavirus tests because of lack of diagnosis options.

Over-diagnosis of Human Papillomavirus testing can cause more complications and can even risk the life of patients. Meanwhile, the global revenues from Human Papillomavirus testing are being lowered due to availability of HPV vaccines.

Preference to HPV vaccines is directly impeding the revenues arising from Human Papillomavirus testing. High cost of HPV screening test, overburdened healthcare system, low awareness on HPV prevention, and imperfections in organized screening programs are some other challenges impacting the growth of global HPV testing market.

According to the report, North America's Human Papillomavirus testing market will be valued at nearly US $ 640 Mn, dominating the global market revenues.

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The demand for Human Papillomavirus testing will also be significant in Europe, Latin America and Asia-Pacific, while Middle East & Africa's Human Papillomavirus testing revenues will attribute to less than 4% of global market value.

The report also projects that over 60% of global HPV testing revenues will be accounted by DNA-based test products. While hospitals will be the largest end-users of HPV testing globally, the end-use of Human Papillomavirus testing will gain traction in diagnostic centers as well.

And, the report also reveals that close to 90% of global Human Papillomavirus testing market value throughout the forecast period will be accounted by molecular diagnostic application of Human Papillomavirus testing.
Large explosions hit Beirut today, causing extensive damage and thousands of casualties. The incident comes at a horrible time for Lebanon, which is already dealing with an economic crisis.

At around 6:00 pm local time, a massive explosion took place in Beiruts port, sending shockwaves across the city. The blast occurred near the Lebanese capitals downtown, causing massive destruction reminiscent of a war zone in the vicinity. There was also damage several miles outside of Beirut.

Stunning video shows explosions just minutes ago at Beirut port pic.twitter.com/ZjltF0VcTr  Borzou Daragahi (@borzou) August 4, 2020

Lebanese authorities have blamed the blast on large quantities of ammonium nitrate  a highly explosive material  stored in a warehouse at the port for six years.

Lebanese Prime Minister Hassan Diab said the incident took place at a dangerous warehouse and noted that it is under investigation.

Meanwhile, Lebanese President Michel Aoun tweeted that it was "unacceptable" for such a large quantity of the dangerous material to be stored without proper saftey measures.

Prior to the large explosion, there was already a cloud of smoke emanating from the port. Agence France-Presse reported that two explosions took place.

Beirut resident Alvis Albazi said the explosion was so loud he thought it was an air strike.

I thought an explosion on the ground couldnt do this, he told Al-Monitor.

The number of casualties continues to rise. There were at least 70 people killed and 4,000 wounded as of late Tuesday night local time, according to Lebanon's health minister.

I promise that this catastrophe will not go unpunished and those responsible will be held accountable, Diab said in a speech.

An Israeli official said Israel was not responsible for the explosion, according to the outlet. Israel and the Lebanese armed group Hezbollah have clashed recently.

Rescue and emergency workers are continuing to treat victims and free people still trapped by the rubble. Hospitals are also asking people to donate blood. France, Qatar, Iraq and other countries have pledged to help Lebanon deal with the tragedy.

France stands alongside Lebanon. Always. French aid and resources are being delivered, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Twitter.

Lebanon is already in the midst of a devastating economic crisis. The Lebanese currency's value has plummeted and electricity cuts are worsening during the humid summer. The government has so far been unable to obtain financial assistance from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and others. Anti-government protests have continued since October. COVID-19 cases are also rising and the government's anti-virus measures have contributed to job and income losses. Some top officials have resigned in recent months, saying the government is not serious about implementing reforms.

This story has been updated to reflect new information. This is a developing story.
A grenade attack launched early Sunday morning at a displaced person's camp in the Far North region of Cameroon killed 16 people and wounded seven, according to local officials.

It's obvious that Boko Haram is responsible, Mahamat Chetima Abba, the mayor of Mayo-Moskota, where Nguetchewe camp is located, told AFP newswire.

The town has an informal camp of about 800 people where many have fled the violence from Islamist group Boko Haram. Mayo-Moskota is near the Nigerian border.

Reports indicate that the attackers arrived with a woman, who was holding the grenade.

The Extreme North region had been calm for a few weeks, according to Abba, so the attack was a surprise, he said.

Boko Haram is a Nigerian separatist group that is trying to create their own Islamist caliphate in the country. Fighting does spill into countries bordering Nigeria, however, including Cameroon, Niger, and Chad.

Some 30,000 people have died, while millions have been displaced due to the violence.
Imported pork in first seven months doubled on-year

According to statistics published by the Department of Animal Health under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (MARD), in the past seven months, 130 Vietnamese businesses imported 93,248 tonnes of pork, up 223 per cent on-year.

Regarding breeding pigs, 27 enterprises registered to quarantine 292,590 imported pigs, 15 of which have so far brought in 16,537 animals almost entirely from the US, Canada, Thailand, and Taiwan.

As of now, Vietnam allowed more than 800 enterprises from 19 countries to import into Vietnam pork and goods processed from pork. Between June 12 and August 1, 36 traders registered to quarantine 4.7 million pigs imported from Thailand. However, only 75,334 pigs were brought to Vietnam by 15 enterprises to be processed into food.

In the morning of August 4, the selling price of pigs was VND87-90,000 ($3.80-3.90) per kilogramme.

The African swine fever (ASF), which decimated the pig population across the region in 2019, returned to 235 districts of 44 cities and provinces, forcing farmers and authorities to destroy 39,000 pigs (2,000 tonnes) by the end of July.

Phung Duc Tien, deputy minister of the MARD, ensuring biological safety is the most important task for the pig breeding sector in the context of the ASF breakout as there is no vaccine or effective medication available yet.
Rising water levels from Tropical Storm Isaias torrential rains Tuesday left a gut-wrenching sight thats become all too familiar in Bethlehem.

The Colonial Industrial Quarter grounds were left submerged in muddy water as the Monocacy Creek became one of several waterways to overspill its banks across the Lehigh Valley.

Musikfest and its vendors, for once, were spared, as the coronavirus pandemic forced the 10-day festival happening this week to go mostly virtual. No events were being held in the quarter, where irreplaceable artifacts of Bethlehems Moravian roots again became islands among the flooding.

During the 3 p.m. hour, rain that had begun after 1 a.m. finally gave way to clearing skies, according to National Weather Service observations at Lehigh Valley International Airport.

Still, the havoc continued after Isaias dropped as much as 7 inches of rain Tuesday on Lehigh Valley communities. At least one person died, after driving into floodwaters, authorities said.

Along with road closures by the score and thousands of power outages, first responders were frantically rushing from water rescue to water rescue, in addition to calls to pump out basements across the region, emergency radio broadcasts indicated.

Lehigh County was particularly hard hit by dangerous conditions.

In Lynn Township, a call around 3:50 p.m. for stranded dogs quickly devolved into a search for a woman in floodwaters, according to the broadcasts. Two boats were responding to assist. That call was reported under control as of about 5:15 p.m.

In Slatington around 3:45 p.m., crews relayed that the Lehigh County Housing Authority was evacuating about 30 people from its Seventh Street Village, relocating them to George Dillard Manor on Kuntz Street.

Rescue calls were continuing as Tuesday afternoon progressed to evening, including one in Northampton Countys Allen Township for a male clinging to a tree about 5:45 p.m. in the swollen Hokendauqua Creek. He was able to make it to shore, emergency radio broadcasts indicated.

Bethlehem's Colonial Industrial Quarter is left underwater the afternoon of Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, as Tropical Storm Isaias gives way to blue skies -- but flooding problems continued.Nick Falsone | For lehighvalleylive.com

In Tatamy, Mayor Christopher Moren broadcast live around 2 p.m. from atop the Bushkill Street bridge with the Bushkill Creek rushing up against its upstream barrier.

"You can see how crazy this is," he said through the roar and the rain. "This is absolute insanity."

Moren implored people to not drive around barricades: "Otherwise, then we're going to be having more water rescues and we don't have the time for that."

"Be careful. If you're home, stay home," Moren said. "This'll all be over soon and by tomorrow the streams and the rivers and everything will start to recede and we can start to get this cleaned up."

The National Weather Service reported the Little Lehigh at Allentowns 10th Street Bridge was running at 12.2 feet at 5:45 p.m., up from 8.9 feet as of 2 p.m., above the 8-foot flood stage. It was expected to fall below flood stage Tuesday evening. The weather service said the rise was comparable to a previous crest of 11.1 feet on Oct. 8, 2005, and that at 12 feet flooding expands along Martin Luther King Jr. Drive.

The NWS Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service also was showing the Lehigh River at Glendon nearing major flood stage of 21 feet, with an elevation of 20.73 feet and rising as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, up from 19.32 feet at 6 p.m. and 17.06 feet at 3 p.m. The action stage in that area is 16 feet, with minor flooding beginning at 19 feet.

The Delaware River at Riegelsville rose to 15.13 feet as of 8 p.m. Tuesday -- into the action stage of 15 feet -- with a forecaset crest of 16.8 feet shortly around 2 a.m. Wednesday, the AHPS system showed.

The weather service issued a flood warning until 7:30 p.m. for Lehigh and Northampton counties, plus southwestern Warren County.

At 3:35 p.m. EDT, Doppler radar indicated up to six inches of rain have fallen across the Lehigh Valley, northeast into Warren County, New Jersey, the warning read. The Little Lehigh and Monacocy Creeks are flooding. Portions of the Lehigh River are rising rapidly. Flooding will persist into this evening.

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Kurt Bresswein may be reached at kbresswein@lehighvalleylive.com.
by Sumon Corraya

Some 605 fruit trees  guava, lemon, quince, gooseberry and grapefruit  were planted yesterday in parish villages. For BCA secretary Hemanto Corraya, during the coronavirus pandemic, people came to realize how badly they behaved towards nature.

Dhaka (AsiaNews)  A total of 605 fruit trees  guava, lemon, quince, gooseberry and grapefruit  were planted yesterday in villages in Mausaid parish with the local pastor, Fr Chanchal Hubert Pereira, as the guest of honour.

We responded to what our Holy Father asked us in Laudato Si', namely to take care of our land. Hence, we are planting trees, said Dominic Ranjan Purification, a Catholic, president of Mausaid Christian Multipurpose Cooperative Society Ltd (members pictured).

Speaking to AsiaNews, Ranjan Purification said that some coop leaders recently decided to plant a tree to celebrate Mujib Year[*]. The country's Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina, also called for planting trees.

In December last year, the Archbishop of Dhaka, Card Patrick DRozario, announced that Bangladesh Catholics would plant 500,000 trees, in line with Laudato Si.

Overall, we feel the need for plants in our villages to save the environment and create a green common home, Ranjan Purification said.

All the members of the Cooperative Society call on members and others to encourage their families to plant at least one fruit tree at home and follow instructions.

If any member of our Coop Society responds to our appeal by planting trees, we will give them priority in our Cooperative loans, Ranjan Purification explained.

Fr Pereira likes the Coop Societys initiative. It seems that tree planting is very timely, commendable and essential to our parish, he said. I thank those who undertook this initiative. They responded to the Popes appeal, which could be successfully implemented. I thank them.

The parish priest also said that the Catholic Church is also planning to plant around 500,000 trees, a process that will start soon. A few days ago, organisers met for this purpose.

Home to about 620 Catholics, Mausaid parish is located on the extreme edge of Dhaka. New manufacturing plants have set up shop in the area, accentuating urban sprawl. This has led to the cutting of trees. As a result of this, Catholics now realise that tree planting is essential.

Patrick Purification, head of the Bangladesh Catholic Students Movement (BVSM), Hemanto Corraya, secretary of the Bangladesh Christian Association (BCA), and other Mausaid parish leaders attended the event. They too welcomed the tree planting scheme.

BCA secretary Corraya told AsiaNews that during the coronavirus pandemic, people came to realise how badly they have behaved towards nature.

If we plant trees, we will get a greener land. We need to respond from the heart to Pope Francis' appeal, he said. I think that the appeal to take care of our common home is very timely and appropriate.

[*] In 2020-2021, Bangladesh marks the centennial anniversary of the birth of the countrys founder, Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.
NOTE: The Press Council has not upheld a complaint about this article. Read the full adjudication here.

NSW Treasurer Dominic Perrottet has fast-tracked a scheduled review into besieged insurer icare, while admitting he knew about a conflict of interest involving the chief executive early last year.

Mr Perrottet told the NSW Parliament his office received an anonymous complaint in February 2019 about icare boss John Nagle's failure to properly declare that his wife had been given a contract with the agency.

Mr Nagle resigned late on Monday night after appearing before a NSW upper house inquiry earlier in the day, where it emerged he had been stripped of his bonus by the icare board over his handling of the issue.
How we determine who is deserving of honor and think about representation is often complicated by the altar. The Augustus of Primo Portos argument is about the glory of imperial Rome and the divinity of the emperor; the Confederate memorials of Monument Avenue make an erroneous claim about the righteousness of the Lost Cause. The altar to the Unknown Gods claim is different  theres a humility in its design, an ambiguity in its meaning and even an uncertainty in its subject. The historian Alain Besancon explains in The Forbidden Image: An Intellectual History of Iconoclasm that the tradition of avoiding images of God is born from two incoercible facts about our nature: first that we must look toward the divine  and, second, that representing it is futile, sacrilegious, inconceivable. The sculptors of statues and memorials promise us gods and heroes, but those who created the altar at the Palatine Museum achieved a far greater verisimilitude regarding those subjects, and they did it by depicting nothing.

Any statue  be it of Christopher Columbus or Abraham Lincoln, Thomas Jefferson or Frederick Douglass  makes a statement about who is worth preserving in bronze. To make a statue of a recognizable subject is to venture something about that subject, but an altar for nothing argues that its subject is so all-encompassing, so universal, so grand that it cant be circumscribed in mere stone. Christian theologians speak of a methodology called apophasis, whereby the divine is discussed in terms of what cant be known about it, where definition is always deferred and thought cant be put into mere words. In some ways the altar to the Unknown God is a form of apophatic sculpture, whereby nonexistence is a heftier material than steel or bronze.

Id also suggest that the apophatic is precisely the mode in which we should think of our national future, for if God is a lofty subject, then so are freedom, democracy and America. We are better served in memorializing the contradictory, conflicted and hypocritical history of this nation not in monumental equestrian statues punctuating traffic roundabouts but in a humbler idiom that paradoxically expresses an inherent greatness in all the more remarkable way.

This would be nothing new for the United States as a nation. One of the most popular memorials on the National Mall already considers its subject in an apophatic way. When Maya Lins Vietnam Veterans Memorial was completed in 1982, it was met with great controversy. It is an ascending V-shaped wall of polished black granite inscribed with the names of the more than 58,000 Americans who died in the Vietnam War. Lin intended there to be no statues of men atop tanks, no sculptures of brave soldiers traipsing through the jungle (the inclusion, against her wishes, of just such a depiction at the edge of the memorial speaks to the controversy, despite its popularity).

Unlike Lincolns Parthenon or Washingtons obelisk, Lins memorial ventured no argument other than the sheer unimaginable depth of the wars toll. Abstraction has been used to great effect in other modernist memorials, such as the Oklahoma City National Memorial, the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, Pa., and especially the National Memorial for Peace and Justice in Montgomery, Ala., where each of 805 hanging steel rectangles represents an American county where a lynching is known to have taken place.
According to the release, the flagship A380, initially introduced in October 2019, will be operated four times a week from Dubai

Gulf airline Emirates has resumed its Airbus A380 services to Cairo this week, with four weekly flights from Dubai, a press release by the airline read on Tuesday.

According to the release, the flagship A380, initially introduced in October 2019, will be operated four times a week from Dubai.

The airline says it has also commenced its A380 operations to Amsterdam and introduced a second daily A380 service to Londons Heathrow to serve market demand and offer customers more travel options.

It also announced operations of its A380 aircraft to Guangzhou starting 8 August.

Tuesdays announcement comes after Emirates resumed its A380 services to five cities under a gradual expansion of the aircrafts deployment amid demand and operational approvals.

It said that it has resumed flights over the past week from Dubai to Addis Ababa, Clark, Dar es Salaam, Nairobi, Prague, Sao Paulo, Stockholm and Seychelles.

It aims to gradually expands its passenger services to 68 cities in August, returning to 50 percent of its pre-pandemic destination network, the statement added.

Emirates restarted passenger flights to Cairo and Tunis on 1 July, after Egypt began a gradual resumption of regular international flights at all its airports with countries that have reopened their airports since last month.

Foreign tourists have been allowed entry only into the three coastal Egyptian governorates with the lowest coronavirus infection rates in the country.

Egypt halted all international flights on 19 March in a bid to curb the spread of the coronavirus. It has since only allowed its airports to open to domestic, freight and special repatriation flights.

The areas that are open to foreign tourists at this stage are South Sinai, where the popular seaside resort of Sharm El-Sheikh is located, the Red Sea governorate, home to the city of Hurghada, and Marsa Matrouh on the Mediterranean.

Egypt hopes that the resumption of regular flights will boost its ailing tourism sector, an essential source of foreign currency.

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The agreement will help UK address a key challenge in supply that vaccine makers are likely to face  shortage of vials to rapidly 'fill and finish' tens of thousands of vaccine doses.

Mumbai-based pharmaceutical and biotechnology giant Wockhardt has announced a new deal it has inked with the British government to supply millions of doses of various COVID-19 vaccines for the United Kingdom population.

The British government intends for the agreement to help address a key challenge in supply that many global vaccine makers are likely to face  enough vials to rapidly 'fill and finish' to vaccinate a large population. The manufacturing will be undertaken at CP Pharmaceuticals, a subsidiary of Wockhardt based in Wrexham, North Wales.

The government has reserved one fill and finish production line for its exclusive use for the next 18 months in order to guarantee the supply of vaccines required to fight COVID-19 in the UK, as per a statement from the company.

As per the agreement, over the next few months, Wockhardt is expected to fill vials with around 30 million doses of the vaccine candidate developed jointly by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca. However, the agreement isn't limited to just the Oxford vaccine candidate. Khorakiwala said in a statement that the agreement will cater to the vaccine candidates that the UK government has entered into agreements for, including candidates from Sanofi-GSK, Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna-NIAID.

Wockhardt is also looking to partner up with other vaccine makers whose candidates are in early stage human trials, for similar manufacturing tie-ups. It is currently also the middle of a dialogue with the Indian government about its fill and finish services for COVID-19 vaccines at its facility in Aurangabad. The facility can fill around 600 million doses a year, as per the company's founder chairman Dr Habil Khorakiwala.

"We have been in touch with the scientific advisor to the Prime Ministers Office, Dr K. VijayRaghavan, and we are in communication with him, Khorakiwala said. The firm is of the understanding that, as of now, it is part of the countrys vaccine management programme, he added.
WELLINGTON, New Zealand - A New Zealand honeymoon couple stranded on the remote Falkland Islands in March because of the coronavirus has managed to return home by hitching a ride of more than 5,000 nautical miles (9,200 kilometres) on an Antarctic fishing boat.

Feeonaa Clifton said she had never spent even a single night on a boat before she and her husband Neville embarked on the monthlong voyage through some of the worlds most forbidding seas. After weeks spent watching albatrosses and learning how to don survival suits, they were finally able to set foot on land again Tuesday.

Their adventure began on Leap Day, Feb. 29th, when they were married at their Auckland home. They had been together for 25 years and raised three children but Feeonaa, 48, an artist, said they hadnt believed in the idea of marriage.

We realized, at some point, we hadnt actually appreciated or celebrated one another, at least not in front of family and friends, she said. It was just something we wanted to do, and the time felt right.

The plan was to spend two weeks of their honeymoon on the Falkland Islands, where Neville, 59, a communications engineer, was born but left as a young child, and then a month in South America.

They arrived on the Falklands on March 7, just as the pandemic was worsening. Their flight back to Brazil was cancelled, and they ended up spending 12 weeks in lockdown with an elderly aunt.

With a population of about 3,000, the Falklands are about 500 kilometres (300 miles) east of Argentina in the south Atlantic Ocean. The islands have reported 13 cases of the virus, all now recovered.

With not much to do, the newlyweds took long walks, climbing every hill they could find. They admired the rugged landscapes that were devoid of trees. But with limited human contact, they began to feel that they were living in an eerie alternate reality.

Few of their options for getting home were realistic. The only possible flights were convoluted routes through Britain or Africa and the prospect of lengthy quarantines along the way.

Then they heard a New Zealand fishing boat was planning to make the journey with the crew and catch from a sister boat. Run by the company Sanford, the sister boat had spent months at sea catching Patagonian toothfish, which are often sold in the U.S. as Chilean sea bass.

Skipper Shane Cottle said he was a bit nervous at first about taking the couple on his 38-meter (125-foot) vessel San Aotea II, along with the crew of 14.

I wasnt sure about their sea legs and that sort of thing, Cottle said. We go south around Cape Horn and across a part of the ocean we call Middle Earth. Theres nothing there and nowhere to get medical assistance.

Cottle said the couple turned out to be lovely and, after a couple of days of queasiness, perfect sailors. He said the crew managed to get an excellent run home, without the huge storms and icebergs they sometimes encounter.

Clifton said the seas still seemed big enough, and they often werent allowed on deck because it was too dangerous.

Walking around without getting injured was our main objective, she said.

The couple gradually fell into a routine. They used their body weight to do resistance workouts each day in the confined space. They did some research and work. They played cards. They watched films on shared hard drives and chatted with the crew. They tried to help with some light duties but mostly tried to stay out of the way.

They saw dolphins, watched albatrosses follow them, and heard some of the crew had spotted whales spouting in the distance. Meals were generous portions of lamb, pork and steak for the hard-working crew, and Clifton said she was excited to finally get some fresh fruit, some New Zealand bread, and the yeast spread Marmite.

She said they slept in bunks, rather than the romantic notion of hammocks.

The mattresses were surprisingly comfortable, she said. Im going to miss that feeling of being on an ocean, of being swung to sleep like a baby.

Their honeymoon wasnt what they expected but she said it was wonderful in many ways.

We spent an unheard of amount of time together, she said. It was frustrating with the restrictions at times, but it also opened up new possibilities in our lives.

They landed in the port of Timaru and expect to be back in Auckland within a few days. Clifton said the first things she wants to do are to hug her kids and have a glass of sparkling wine to celebrate being home.
Indian and Nepal authorities held an informal two hour long meeting on Tuesday at the Indo-Nepal border near Champawat district of Uttarakhand to discuss the encroachment in no mans land by Nepalese citizens and agreed not to carry any activity on the disputed land and to restore the status quo, said officials.

The meeting was attended by the district magistrate of Champawat, superintendent of police (SP), Champawat and commandant of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) from the Indian side. The Nepalese side was represented by chief district officer (equivalent to DM in India) of Kanchanpur district adjoining the border in Nepal, SP Kanchanpur and SP Armed Police Force (SSBs counterpart).

Both the sides discussed the border issue and agreed upon taking measures to not allow it (tensions) to escalate. We also agreed on not carrying any activity on the disputed land till the border is clearly demarcated, said Surendra Narayan Pandey, district magistrate Champawat district.

Watch: One Indian national among ten killed in landslides in Nepal

Pandey added that the two sides also agreed to restore the state quo at the no mans land during the meeting. The meeting was meant for confidence-building and maintaining harmony between the two sides, Pandey said.

We both stressed on ending the border dispute permanently by involving the agencies concerned in both the countries to conduct a survey of the disputed area so as to demarcate the border clearly. We all also agreed to end the dispute and restore the status quo as it was earlier before the recent encroachment by Nepalese people on no-mans land, said Pandey.

Make sure differences do not escalate into disputes: China to India on border row

The India officials said that their Nepalese counterparts had assured that the fencing pillars erected in the no-mans land will be removed.

Nepalese authorities assured that they will soon work on it and remove them. Till the border is not demarcated, no objectionable activity will be carried by any side at the border, said DM Champawat.

The two sides also agreed to soon hold a formal meeting on the border issue to resolve it soon.

The genesis of the current row along the Indo-Nepal border in Champawat district lies in Nepalese people erecting fencing pillars on the no-mans land near the border on July 22. Following the development, Indias border patrolling agency SSB held a meeting with Nepals APF on July 23, in which the latter assured to remove the encroachment which was not fulfilled.

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A Rajasthan police investigation of an alleged plot to topple the Ashok Gehlot government has found that the states Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president, Satish Poonia, met the Sachin Pilot camp of MLAs twice in July even as the BJP said it had nothing to do with the rebellion in the local unit of the Congress, an officer said on Monday .

Poonia met the Pilot camp MLAs twice between July 18 and July 29, an officer who is part of the investigation, being carried out by the Special Operations Group (SOG), said on condition of anonymity. The first meeting took place between July 18 and July 20 and the second meeting was on July 28. Both the meetings took place in Manesar, in Haryana.



When asked whether Poonias name had surfaced in the investigation, SOGs additional director general of police Ashok Rathore said: The case is under investigation and details related to findings of the investigation done so far cannot be revealed.

Pilot has been ousted as president of the Congresss state unit and as deputy chief minister for a rebellion he mounted last month against the Gehlot government. Pilot and 18 legislators supporting him on July 12 questioned Gehlots leadership and called for his removal -- a demand the party leadership has resisted.

Poonia denied meting any of the rebels. I have never met Pilot or any other rebel MLA. Police are speaking the governments language, he said.

Chief minister Gehlot hit out at the state BJP chief on July 30, alleging that he had been meeting Pilot camp legislators secretly. If BJP leaders are not part of the conspiracy to topple the government then why do they go to Delhi at night and return early morning? Why do they go secretly, Gehlot had asked.

The next day, Poonia denied this through a tweet. I heard the lecture of Ashok Gehlot. What is wrong in going to Delhi? You also go to Delhi and Mumbai? I will keep going to Delhi for partys work, he wrote.

Poonia also denied that he was in touch with three independent MLAs  Suresh Tank (Kishangarh), Khushveer Singh (Marwar Junction) and Omprakash Hudla (Mahuwa)  who had gone to Banswara in first week of July and were in touch with at least five MLAs of Banswara, Dungarpur and Udaipur districts.

The SOG had claimed that the independent MLAs had offered money to the Congress legislators to topple the Congress government. Mobile phones of the MLAs, Khushveer Singh, Suresh Tank and Omprakash Hudla, were switched off.

The SOG is investigating three cases registered under section 124A (sedition) and 120B (criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code for the alleged attempt to topple the state government. Officers from the SOG, state crime branch and anti-terror squad (ATS) are conducting the investigation.

The first case was registered on July 10 on the basis of phone intercepts. Two persons Ashok Jain of Banswara and Bharat Malani of Ajmer  were arrested on July 11 and are currently in jail. The second and third cases were registered on the basis of audio tapes in which some people were purportedly striking deals to pull down the Gehlot government.

The SOG officers said that it was also investigating various modules that worked at the same time to lure the MLAs to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan.
O ffices specialist IWG today said it expects Londoners increasingly to work in the suburbs as it took a 156 million hit from shutting sites across the globe due to Covid.

The Regus owner plans to cut about 130 of its 3000 strong network of sites at a cost of 126.7 million after the virus accelerated plans to shut less profitable sites. IWG also took a 29.1 million charge for a string of issues including "expected credit losses, transaction costs for deferred deals, restructuring costs and goodwill impairment".

With employees in Britain still largely working from home, bosses are rapidly assessing their needs in terms of office space, with sites in city centres seen as vulnerable.

But IWG believes it is well placed to capitalise on a growing desire to work closer to home as it has more sites in suburbs than rivals including WeWork. It has sites on Londons outskirts including in Hemel Hempstead and Hayes. The firm raised 320 million in May to fund acquisitions.

Chief executive Mark Dixon said: "This global crisis has dramatically changed the ways companies will work. In the new world of working post COVID-19, offices will still be needed but there will be a greater requirement for more flexible space.

"More companies will have distributed workforces with more satellite offices, more employees working closer to home or continuing to work from home. With our decentralised portfolio of workplace locations in over 1,100 towns and cities, both urban and suburban, we are uniquely positioned to help companies adapt to a new world of working.

First half revenues rose 3% to 1.3 billion but losses hit 176 million and the shares fell 8% to 207p.
Winona County

Friday:

2:52 p.m.: A 12-year-old male was injured in an ATV accident in the 30000 block of County Road 33 just outside of Utica. He was taken to the hospital, the report states, but the extent of his injuries are unknown.

Winona Police

Friday:

3:25 p.m.: A man at Dicks Marine, Inc. reported that five to eight red and black lifejackets and a package of four orange lifejackets had been taken from his boat. According to the complainant, some of the jackets had a Full Throttle decal on them. The estimated value of the property is $600, according to the complaint.

Sunday:

2:28 a.m.: Melvin Earl Kimp, 29, of Winona was arrested and referred for felony domestic assault after police received a report of an incident in the 850 block of West Sixth Street. According to the complainant, Kimp had jumped on her car and partially caved-in her roof while she was attempting to get away from him. The complainant said she was able to drive to a well-lit area and call the police. While waiting for law enforcement, the complainant stated, Kimp had attempted to get into the vehicle, but was unsuccessful.

3:46 a.m.: Isaiah Anthony Barr, 30, of Winona was arrested and referred for felony domestic assault after police received a report of an altercation in the 550 block of East Fourth Street. According to the complaint, Barr is accused of head-butting another individual on the bridge of their nose, as well as causing some damage to property. Barr was ultimately arrested without further incident.

6:04 p.m.: Samuel Von Lee Jett, 19, of Westby, Wisconsin, was arrested and referred for misdemeanor domestic assault (fear and harm) after getting into an altercation with a woman in the Menards parking lot. According to the complainant, Jett choked and hit her, as well as pulled her hair. Both parties eventually left the area and Jett was arrested by police in another part of town later in the day.

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SP Vinay Tiwari reached Mumbai last week as a part of the special team designated by Bihar Police to investigate the charges levelled by Sushant Singh Rajput's father in his FIR against actor Rhea Chakraborty, has been put in home isolation, as Sushant's death probe gets embroiled in a political tussle of two states.

Relieve Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari from home quarantine as it is creating obstructions in the probe of case related to actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death, read a letter written by Inspector General of Police (IGP), Patna (Central) Sanjay Singh to Mumbais Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner.

The letter, dated August 3, to BMC Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal states that a four-member SIT has been camping in Mumbai since July 27 to probe the matter related to the actors death.

City SP Vinay Tiwari had reached Mumbai on August 2 for further investigation and better coordination in connection with the case. Notice of him reaching Mumbai had been given in writing by SSP, Patna to Deputy Commissioner of Police, Zone-9, Bandra, the letter read.

It added that as per the information SP Vinay Tiwari has been quarantined at his residence by BMC officials till August 15. The letter stated that the exemptions can be provided by the local district or municipal administration to passengers arriving from domestic flights for contributing to an office or for other important work.

Also read: SSR Probe: Sushants father talks to Bihar CM, demands CBI investigation

Also read: SSR death probe: Sushants father ends silence, exposes Bandra polices laxity

It is noteworthy that Vinay Tiwari reached Mumbai in connection with an investigation in a case, and investigation in cases is a constitutional procedure and home isolation is creating obstructions in it. So, in this situation, we expect that Vinay Tiwari will be released from home isolation, it read.

SP Vinay Tiwari, who is heading a team probing the case related to the actors death, was home quarantined by the municipal authorities in Mumbai.

An FIR has been registered in Patna, based on a complaint filed by Rajputs father KK Singh, against actor Rhea Chakraborty under several sections including abetment to suicide. A team of Bihar Police is in Mumbai to probe the matter.

In another development, the Bombay High Court will today hear a petition seeking transfer of the case from the Mumbai Police to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

Also read: SSR death probe: Patna cop Vinay Tiwari forcibly quarantined in Mumbai
John Hume, the former SDLP leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner who has died aged 83 after a short illness, earned a place in history as the father of the Northern Ireland peace process.

Mr Hume's family announced his passing, saying: "It seems particularly apt for these strange and fearful days to remember the phrase that gave hope to John and so many of us through dark times: we shall overcome."

John Hume spent his entire political career working to try to remove Northern Ireland from the United Kingdom and turn it into a united Ireland.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next John Hume 1937 - 2020: A life in pictures Close John Hume playing with his children John Hume is carried aloft through Londonderry city centre after being returned as MP for Foyle in 1987 John Hume on his wedding day with wife Pat John Hume is detained by soldiers during a civil rights protest in Londonderry in August 1971. John Hume John Hume in thoughtful mood at the SDLP party conference in Newcastle in 1979 Bertie Ahern and John Hume as they took part in a press conference on the 10th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement in Belfast. Picture Charles McQuillan/Pacemaker. U2 star Bono is flanked by David Trimble and John Hume on stage during a special concert in Belfast to promote the Yes vote in the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement (Chris Bacon/PA) PA John Hume with his good friend, Senator Ted Kennedy, in the Bogside John Hume with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan John Hume and his wife Pat at the Foyle Arts Centre in Londonderry after hearing that he and David Trimble were to share the Nobel Peace Prize Photopress Belfast John Hume with party colleague Seamus Mallon John Hume and David Trimble with U2 frontman Bono celebrating the Good Friday Agreement The SDLP team led by leader John Hume arrives at Stormont in 1999 to start the process of selecting ministers for the devolved government John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim Photopress Belfast John Hume waiting for the verdict of the referendum on the Good Friday Agreement, David Trimble, Tony Blair and John Hume at Dunadry in Co Antrim Photopress Belfast Hometown heroes: John Hume celebrates with Derry City players after their 2010 First Division win SPORTSFILE Former SDLP leader John Hume and Bill Clinton pictured in front of the Guildhall. Photo-Jonathan Porter/Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. Sinn Fein president Gerry Adams (left) and SDLP leader John Hume (Chris Bacon/PA) PA John Hume worked with Ian Paisley PA SDLP leader John Hume with his wife Pat speak to the media after he and David Trimble won the Nobel Peace Prize (PA) PA John Hume in front of the Stormont Building in 2002 (Paul Faith/PA) John Hume with David Trimble (PA) PA Bill Clinton in front of the Guildhall with former SDLP leader John Hume and his wife Pat. Photo-Jonathan Porter/Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. SDLP Conference, St Columb's Hall, Derry 12th March 2016. SDLP Leader Colm Eastwood John Hume at the conclusion of the conference Photo:Presseye. Photo by Kelvin Boyes / Press Eye. File photo dated 19/10/2000 of the Dalai Lama (left) meeting with fellow Nobel peace laureate John Hume, the former SDLP leader has died at the age of 83. Photo: Martin McCullough/PA Wire PA File photo dated 24/08/2014 of John Hume and his wife Pat, the former SDLP leader has died at the age of 83. PA Photo.Photo: Niall Carson/PA Wire PA Handout File photo dated 12/04/2000 of Former South African President Nelson Mandela meeting John Hume at the South African Embassy in Dublin Photo: PA Wire PA / Facebook

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But he is best known for his efforts to secure peace and a power-sharing government in Northern Ireland which culminated in the Good Friday Agreement in 1998. Hume simply never gave up, although at one point his life was under constant threat, his house and car firebombed and the word 'Traitor' daubed on the walls of his home.

He responded by pushing the problems of Northern Ireland onto an international stage.

He formed close links with powerful political figures in Britain, America, Europe and Ireland to find a peaceful response.

Throughout his career Hume stuck firmly to the view that violence only deepened division.

"The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace - respect for diversity," he stressed in his Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech.

The eldest of seven children, John Hume was born on January 18, 1937. The family lived in a small terraced house in the Glen area of Londonderry.

When he passed the 11-plus exam he secured a place in secondary school, which his parents could not otherwise afford.

His first calling was to study for the priesthood in St Patrick's College, Maynooth, Co Kildare, but he opted instead to become a secondary school teacher in his home town.

He married Patricia Hone in 1960 and the couple had five children, three daughters, Terese, Aine and Maureen, and two sons, Aidan and John.

Chronic social problems in Derry politicised the young teacher who decided that financial cooperation between all sides could lift people out of poverty. His solution was to help set up the first Credit Union in Northern Ireland.

Irish President Mary McAleese recalled being taken by her grandmother to a public meeting about the Credit Union where she heard Hume explain "what seemed like an exotic concept - people power."

Hume campaigned for civil rights. When police batoned participants in a march in 1968 it transformed the Civil Rights protest into a mass movement with Hume at the forefront.

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By February of the following year he was elected as an Independent Nationalist to the Stormont Parliament.

He also made his first trip to America, to Boston and convinced the influential Ted Kennedy that there was an alternative to the IRA to get social justice in Northern Ireland.

From that point onwards Hume had the ear of every subsequent US President.

Deciding that politics was the way forward, in 1973 he was elected to the short-lived Northern Ireland Assembly and appointed Minister for Commerce.

A founding member of the SDLP, Hume became party leader in 1979, the same year he was elected to the European Parliament.

Four years later he took a seat at Westminster as the representative for Foyle and helped shape to Anglo-Irish Agreement which was signed two years later.

It gave the Irish government a formal role in the affairs of Northern Ireland.

The pivotal moment for Hume came in 1987 when he was on holidays with his wife in Gweedore in Donegal.

He was asked to meet Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams and the pair talked in secret over the next six years.

"The very purpose of our talks was to try and end all violence," said Gerry Adams.

When Adams was spotted going into Hume's house in 1993, Hume instantly became a target for loyalist paramilitaries and even his own party members disapproved.

"I wanted total peace in our streets and I knew that talking to Gerry Adams was a major way of doing that," Hume insisted.

Adams said later: "There wasn't somebody prepared to break the cycle and John Hume did that."

Hume was not deterred by hostility from all sides and declared he did not care "two balls of roasted snow" about all the criticism.

His wife Pat, however, described this period as a very turbulent one for her husband.

"He lost weight, he found it very difficult to sleep, the stress was unbelievable."

The talks ultimately led to the 1994 ceasefire between the IRA and the unionist paramilitaries.

At Easter 1998, the Northern Ireland political parties signed what became known as the Good Friday Agreement in which Hume played a leading role.

In the autumn of that year the Nobel Committee decided to award the Peace Prize to Hume and Ulster Unionist Party leader David Trimble.

Hume was also awarded the Gandhi Peace Prize and Martin Luther King Award and is the only person to get all three major peace awards.

In his Nobel Prize acceptance speech he said: "I want to see Ireland as an example to men and women everywhere of what can be achieved by living for ideals, rather than fighting for them and by viewing each and every person as worthy of respect and honour."

Television proved the ideal medium for Hume who was both articulate and persuasive. He knew how to work TV for the greatest impact.

He drew his inspiration from Mahatma Gandhi and Dr Martin Luther King Jr and quoted from them extensively. Hume became seriously ill at a peace conference in Austria in 1999 when his intestine ruptured.

He had to have three abdominal operations and was put on a ventilator in the intensive care unit.

Pat her husband "suffered some brain damage" as a result which caused memory problems.

While John could not remember things for more than half an hour he could still enjoy crosswords and the newspaper "so it could be worse".

"People love John. He can go out for a walk. Every taxi in the place will stop for him," she added.

After his retirement the memory difficulties intensified and became quite severe.

He announced a complete retirement from politics on February 4 2004 and did not contest the European election that year or the general election of the following year.

John Hume has been acknowledged as a man of intelligence, energy and passion and above all a peacemaker of world status.

John Hume's hope for Ireland was one of "partnership where we wage war on want and poverty, where we reach out to the marginalised and dispossessed, where we build together a future that can be as great as our dreams allow".
RAMAT GAN, Israel, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Voiceitt, Israel-based award winning leader in commercial speech recognition technology, successfully raised an additional $10 million in a successful Series-A round which closed June 30, 2020.

New York based Cahn Capital Corp. served as Investment Bankers for the Company. Investors included Viking Maccabee Ventures, Microsoft's M12, AMIT Technion, Cahn Capital Corp, Connecticut Innovations and AARP along with Quake Capital, SLJ Family Office, Dreamit Ventures and The Disability Opportunity Fund ,bringing total funds raised to over $15M.

Greater Independence Through Voice with Voiceitt

Voiceitt's unparalleled application translates unintelligible and atypical speech in real time, enabling people with severe speech impairments to communicate by voice. Voiceitt participated in the Alexa Accelerator, powered by Techstars in Seattle in 2018 and is an Amazon Alexa Fund portfolio company.

"Voiceitt provides a new dimension of independence and quality of life for people with speech and motor disabilities, and a compelling tool for those who care for and about them. Our technology helps with this and much more," said Danny Weissberg, CEO & Co-Founder. "With the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, our objectives are not only to support the individual's in-person communication, but also to assist healthcare professionals and support the continuum of care for their patients."

Viking Maccabee Ventures, a leading investor in the round, said, "We could not be prouder of Danny and the Voiceitt team. Voiceitt has matured from a concept into a cutting edge technology which will materially change the lives of tens of thousands by giving voice to those who cannot speak on their own. We are excited for Voiceitt to serve so many more people in need worldwide in 2020 and beyond."

AMIT Ltd., the Technion's investment arm in the life science arena, investing in Technion based technologies and early stage companies says: "With a vast portfolio and two exit success stories, AMIT continues to focus on game changing technologies effecting the lives of millions, with Voiceitt being a natural choice. AMIT believes that Voiceitt's technology generates significant social value and creates real opportunities for individuals with speech disabilities by granting them with the two most prominent human life qualities: communication and independence, and is proud to take part in its road to both impact and success".

"As we continue our growth, we are committed to our mission of making speech accessible to all. Our long-term vision is to integrate Voiceitt's customizable speech recognition with mainstream voice technologies to enable environmental control through a universally accessible voice system," said Sara A. Smolley, Voiceitt's EVP & Co-Founder. "Voiceitt's versatile technology can be applied in a range of voice-enabled applications in diverse contexts and environments."

One of Voiceitt's most significant partners is the Department of Intellectual & Developmental Disabilities of Tennessee, who along with The Arc of Tennessee participated in a pilot of Voiceitt's technology with the state. Brad Turner, DIDD Commissioner said, "Our work with Voiceitt is already yielding impactful results for people with intellectual disabilities supported within the DIDD Waiver programs. It's our hope to expand use of this innovative product in order to provide more opportunities for people to use this technology as a bridge for communication with their loved ones, friends, colleagues and community members."

Voiceitt's network of international partners includes healthcare providers, speech and occupational therapists, researchers, and disability organizations in the United States and throughout Europe.

The 25-person software startup is headquartered in Israel with offices in the United States.

To learn more about how Voiceitt changes lives visit www.voiceitt.com and watch this video.

For more information:

Miri Feldsharov

VP Marketing

[email protected]

SOURCE Voiceitt
Los Angeles, Aug 4 : Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve says he is working hard to finish his much-hyped upcoming film, Dune, to meet the December 2020 release date.

Villeneuve's film is still on track to release on December 18.

In a Montreal-based interview promoting the Shanghai International Film Festival, Villeneuve opened up about how the pandemic "crushed" the film's editing schedule, reports indiewire.com.

While the production was mostly wrapped before the quarantine amid the pandemic, Villeneuve had been planning reshoots, which were challenged by the shutdown.

"I was planning to go back and shoot some elements later because I wanted to readjust the movie. I needed time. At the time I didn't know that it would be a pandemic... as we were about to go back to do those elements," he said.

"The impact was that it crushed my schedule right now. It will be a sprint to finish the movie on time right now, because we were allowed to go back to shoot those elements in a few weeks... it meant also that I have to finish some elements of the movie, like VFX and the editing, being in Montreal as my crew stayed in Los Angeles," he added.

Villeneuve shared that the biggest hurdle in getting "Dune" ready has been the editing process.

"As a director there are things that can be done remotely to deal with technology. The supervision of VFX with some equipment is easy to do from afar but, editing, for me, the big lesson from this is I thought it would be possible to edit at a distance," he said," adding: "With my editor (Joe Walker) sharing equipment, being afar from the (one another), but I realise how much editing is like playing music with someone and you need to be in the same room. There's something about the interaction, human interaction, the spontaneity, the energy in the room. I really miss not being in the same room as my editor... it's very, very painful." "Dune" is official adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi classic of the same name, and features Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.
Today

Generally cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 44F. Winds light and variable.

Tonight

Overcast. A few flurries or snow showers possible. Low near 35F. Winds light and variable.

Tomorrow

Cloudy. A few flurries or snow showers possible. High 41F. Winds light and variable.
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Read our full Opinion Policies here. Updated on 10/7/2020
Afghan authorities were searching Tuesday for about 270 inmates -- most of them Islamic State fighters -- who remained on the loose after escaping during a deadly prison raid. At least 29 people were killed when Islamic State (IS) gunmen attacked the facility in Jalalabad on Sunday, with fierce fighting lasting until Monday afternoon. More than 1,300 inmates tried to escape, a senior Afghan security official told AFP on condition of anonymity, but most were either swiftly re-arrested or surrendered when surrounded by security forces. But some 270 prisoners are "still on the loose", the official said. "Most of those who escaped are from ISKP," he said, referring to IS's Afghan branch, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province. They included militants responsible for several bloody attacks, a second security official told AFP. Nangarhar provincial governor's spokesman Attaullah Khogyani confirmed many prisoners were still missing, but couldn't say how many were IS members. Officials also said that security forces had shot dead on Tuesday another group of IS fighters who had launched a mortar attack targeting Jalalabad airport from a neighbourhood in the city around the same time when the prison raid commenced. Several mortar shells and other ammunition seized from a house in the neighbourhood were shown to journalists. The brazen prison raid came a day after Afghanistan's intelligence agency announced the killing of a top IS commander near Jalalabad. Nangarhar province, where IS got its first foothold in Afghanistan, has seen repeated attacks by the group, including a suicide bomb that killed 32 mourners at a funeral in May. - Calm shattered - The attacks have continued even though officials last year claimed IS had been defeated in Nangarhar. "A large number of their leadership was arrested or killed... so it (the prison raid) was some sort of revenge to free some of their comrades," a senior Afghan security official said. Some local officials and analysts, however, have cautioned that elements of group remained. "They (IS) want to challenge the monopoly of the Taliban over militancy or anti-state violence in the country," said Abdul Sayed, independent researcher on jihadism in Afghanistan and Pakistan. He said the Taliban, Kabul and Washington miscalculated about IS's defeat in Afghanistan. "They (IS) now seem to have changed their strategies to (launch) high profile terrorist attacks in Nanagarhar to Kabul to provide proof of their existence," Sayed told AFP. The prison raid shattered the relative calm of the final day of a three-day ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan forces. IS was not part of the truce. The Afghan government still attempted to link the raid to the Taliban, which it said had violated the ceasefire 38 times. Acting Interior Minister Massoud Andrabi said on Twitter that IS's new head in Afghanistan, Shahab Al-Mahajir, was a member of the Haqqani network, considered linked to the Taliban. Washington has branded the Haqqani network, accused of carrying out numerous deadly attacks in Afghanistan, a terrorist organisation. str-eb-us-jds/je A man watches from behind a closed gate after a raid at the prison in Jalalabad Afghan soldiers walk past the prison in Jalalabad after regaining control following the raid Inmates peer out from behind a gate at the prison in Jalalabad
The President of the National House of Chiefs, Togbe Afede VIX, has said that it is high time the international frontiers, which separated Ghana and her neighbours for several decades, became points of reunification among them.



He described as a crime against humanity the separation of families with blood bonds by imaginary borders sketched by colonial authorities.



Togbe Afede, who is also the Agbogbomefia of Asogli, in the Volta Region, made the call at the Leklebi-Kame, a border post in the Afadzato South District, on Saturday when he led a delegation of chiefs from the Volta Region House of Chiefs on a tour of some border traditional areas.



The tour was prompted by persistent reports of dehumanising treatment being meted out to people in some border communities by personnel of the security agencies in the wake of the ongoing voter registration in those areas.



Togbe Afede noted that the inappropriate citing of some borders posts in Ghana, far away from the pillars demarcating Ghana and Togo had resulted in a situation in which some Ghanaians were being deprived of their status and citizenship and were being persecuted at the voter registration centres without justification.



At Leklebi-Kame for instance, the immigration control post is situated about 300 metres from the pillars between the countries.



As result, many Ghanaian families whose houses are on that vast stretch of land in Ghanaian territory behind the gate at the border post are now trapped there, as they cannot cross the gate into the main town due to the closure of the border.



Consequently, they have lost their livelihood as they can longer visit their farms on the other side of the gate.



Some Senior High School students who live behind the gate were unable to return to school due to the situation.



Meanwhile, Ghanaian families whose houses are behind the gate can no longer walk to Tornu in Togo to grind their corn, a situation worsened by the collapse of cross-border petty trading between Leklebi and its neighbours on the Togo side of the border.



During the visit to the immigration post by the chiefs, some children behind the gate looked on desperately in the hope of catching a glimpse of the family members on the other side of the gate.



Togbe Afede pointed out that the European colonial authorities who separated kith and kin in Africa by drawing fantasy frontiers on paper with their pencils now had no borders in their continent.



So why cant we live in peace and unity as people of the same blood, culture and language on our God-given land, he sought to know.



Assistant Superintendent of Immigration in-charge of the Leklebi-Kame border post, ASI Iddris Yunus, explained that the countrys borders were still officially closed, and that the closure was being enforced without compromise.



He said that personnel of the military were deployed along the unapproved entry points in the area to ensure that the border closure was not flouted.



ASI Yunus said there had never been any case of people crossing into Leklebi from Togo to take part in the voter registration exercise as alleged earlier.

Source: The Ghanaian Times









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upGrad, Indias largest online higher education company in a most recent development, ropes The Womb - a leading Brand & Creative agency/consultancy to chart out an impactful communication drive for the brand. The agency will be responsible for driving the brand communication strategy for upGrad, thereby propelling a long-term brand building by the power of creative and experimental storytelling.

Speaking on the partnership, Arjun Mohan, CEO - India, upGrad said. Given the COVID-19 sentiment, it is imperative for us to understand the evolving consumer preferences and derive actionable insights which in turn, will help us deliver appropriate results. We are excited to onboard 'The Womb' to spearhead our upcoming branding and communication drive. The agency, with its right balance of strategic and creative capabilities, will help us create a compelling business and brand proposition, thereby transforming the online learning landscape in India and overseas.

Kawal Shoor, Founding Partner, The Womb said, From the era of doctors, engineers, and CAs, Indias come a long way, and is now firmly part of the global new age economy. The service sector is the fastest growing sector in the country. New careers in the areas of technology, data and finance are now the way to grow faster in life. Indias traditional education system has struggled to keep pace with the needs of modern industry, and this is where new age education brands like upGrad have unique opportunities. As any young brand and business, getting it right early is crucial for transformative growth. And this is where we come in. There are no proven ways to communicate online education brands, and blank pages are what we like the most.

Navin Talreja, Founding Partner, The Womb adds, The team at upGrad believes in doing things that have never been done before. So it was a great culture fit with what we believe and the work we create. Having said that their faith and trust in us to award us the business without a pitch creates a huge sense of responsibility to ensure that the brand wins in the market. We are up for the challenge and excited. Look forward to this journey.
Post-Stabilisation Announcement

04.08.2020

Not for distribution, directly or indirectly, in or into the United States or any jurisdiction in which such distribution would be unlawful.

European Investment Bank /ISIN XS2194790262



Stabilisation Notice

Further to the pre-stabilisation period announcement dated July, 30th 2020, Landesbank Baden-Wurttemberg (contact: Torsten Zittlau; telephone: +49 711 127 74640) hereby gives notice that no stabilisation (within the meaning of Art. 3.2 (d) of the Market Abuse Regulation (EU/596/2014) or the rules of the Financial Conduct Authority) was undertaken by the Stabilising Manager(s) named below in relation to the offer of the following securities.

Issuer: European Investment Bank (Aaa/AAA/AAA by Moody's, S&P) Guarantor (if any): NA Aggregate nominal amount:  300.000.000 (new total:  1.300.000.000) Description: Tap of 0% due 15 November 2035, RegS, Bearer, off the issuer's EMTN programme, Regulated Market of Luxembourg Stock Exchange Stabilising Manager(s) DekaBank, LBBW, Nomura, SEB Offer price: 101.88%

This announcement is for information purposes only and does not constitute an invitation or offer to underwrite, subscribe for or otherwise acquire or dispose of any securities of the Issuer in any jurisdiction.

This announcement is not an offer of securities for sale into the United States. The securities referred to above have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933 and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration. There has not been and will not be a public offer of the securities in the United States.
Amy Kennedy, who emerged from a hard-fought primary to win the nomination against party-switching Rep. Jeff Van Drew, received the backing of President Barack Obama on Monday.

Kennedy, the wife of former Rep. Patrick Kennedy of Rhode Island, was one of five House Democratic candidates from New Jersey endorsed by Obama. She was the only challenger in the state to receive his support.

She defeated the South Jersey political machine led by George Norcross to win the nomination last month to take on Van Drew, R-2nd Dist., who switched parties after voting against impeaching President Donald Trump.

Kennedy said she was honored to win Obamas endorsement.

In these unprecedented times, leadership is more important than ever, she said.

Patrick Kennedys late father, U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, D-Mass., gave Obama a much-needed boost during the 2008 election by endorsing him over Hillary Clinton for the Democratic presidential nomination. Obama later delivered the eulogy at Senator Kennedys funeral.

Van Drew is rated as a slight favorite to win re-election by the Cook Political Report and in a tossup race by Inside Elections, the Washington-based publications that track congressional races.

Obama also endorsed three rookie New Jersey representatives, Andy Kim in the 3rd District, Tom Malinowski in the 7th District, and Mikie Sherrill in the 11th District, as well as sophomore Rep. Josh Gottheimer in the 5th District. All four flipped Republican-held seats in the last four years.

Calling them thoughtful, empathetic, and highly qualified, the former president also backed dozens of other Democrats throughout the country, including incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Susan Wild in Pennsylvanias 7th Congressional District that covers Lehigh, Northampton and Monroe counties.

They make me optimistic not just about our partys chances in November, but about our countrys future long after that, Obama said. So if youre in one of their districts or states, make sure you vote for them this fall. And if you can, vote early  by mail or in person.

Im proud to endorse this diverse and hopeful collection of thoughtful, empathetic, and highly qualified Democrats. If youre in one of their districts or states, make sure you vote for them this fall. And if you can, vote earlyby mail or in person. https://t.co/PSm3Rf3wkF pic.twitter.com/7RXrJriBz8  Barack Obama (@BarackObama) August 3, 2020

Both Kim, who was a National Security Agency aide, and Malinowski, a former assistant U.S. secretary of state, worked in the Obama administration and received the former presidents endorsement two years ago as they ousted Republican incumbents.

The four Democratic incumbents all entered July with at least $2 million apiece to spend on their re-election campaigns. Only Malinowskis opponent, state Senate Minority Leader Tom Kean Jr., R-Union, with $1.3 million, had more than $310,000 in the bank as of June 30.

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Jonathan D. Salant may be reached at jsalant@njadvancemedia.com.
Photo: Xinhua

By Ma Yichong

KHARTOUM, Aug. 4 -- A total of 225 members of the 15th Chinese peacekeeping engineering contingent to Darfur was awarded the UN Peace Medals of Honor and was commended by the UN and the United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID) on July 30, 2020.

Li Meng, commander of the engineering contingent, read the order of commendation issued by Lieutenant General Leonard Muriuki Ngondi of Kenya, Force Commander for UNAMID, at the ceremony held in UNAMIDs super camp in El Fasher.

According to Li Meng, during the 20-month peacekeeping mission, the peacekeeping engineers have successively completed the infrastructure construction of the UNAMIDs temporary operating base in Golo, the clearing, rectification and transfer of 10 peacekeeping camps, the upgrade of the El Fasher super camp, as well as other construction support tasks. In particular, since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic in the mission area, the contingent has strictly organized construction support tasks under normalized pandemic prevention and control to ensure their ability to perform various tasks at any time, which has been unanimously recognized by UNAMID. To this end, the chief of staff, the minister of supply chain management, and the chief of the engineering division of UNAMID respectively issued the commendation orders to each Chinese peacekeeper.

China began to dispatch peacekeeping engineering contingent to Darfur, Sudan to perform missions since 2007. At present, the contingent is mainly responsible for road construction, camp fortification construction, and maintenance of airport aprons.
The American scholar, William Arthur Ward, once wrote: The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; and the realist adjusts the sails.

In todays market, the price of a stock is influenced by more than just conventional factors. We live in an evolving world experiencing swift and transformative change. For this reason, an investor needs a more comprehensive way to analyze investment opportunities.

This is exactly why TipRanks created the Smart Score  an all-encompassing way to evaluate a stock. The Smart Score aggregates eight important factors, some of which are unfamiliar to the average investor, such as hedge fund and insider activity. Each stock is then ranked from 1 to 10, with 10 being the highest, so that an investor can keep up and make a more informed decision.

With this in mind, using TipRanks database, we identified three stocks that have earned the Perfect 10 Smart Score. Not to mention each offers up double-digit upside potential.

Gaia Inc. (GAIA)

To start us off we have Gaia, Inc. (formerly Gaiam), an internet media company that provides video streaming and on-demand services through a subscription. The company has a library of about 8,000 titles which focus on topics including spiritual growth, yoga and alternative healing.

Gaia experienced strong demand for its services in the first quarter of 2020 when people stayed home due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Revenue climbed 16% to $14.5 million, from $12.5 million the year before. The increase was driven by growth in paying members and average revenue per member.

The positive trend continued when management announced that despite the relaxing of stay-at-home orders, sales momentum persisted. Some investors were concerned that demand would drop-off when the economy re-opened.

Weighing in on the news, Roth Capitals Darren Aftahi stated, GAIA announced that it anticipated second quarter 2020 ending subscription count of ~655,000 or ~19,000 better than our estimate as the company has continued to benefit from increased engagement from the dynamics of stay at home orders through second quarter (despite the recent easing). We see this as favorable as it increases the starting subscription base for third quarter, where GAIA reiterates it expects to be earnings and free cash flow positive in July.

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To this end, the 5-star analyst rates GAYA a Buy along with a $13.00 price target. This indicates significant upside potential of 41% from current levels. (To watch Aftahis track record, click here)

As for the rest of the Street, only one other analyst provided a recommendation on the stock over the last three months, which was also a Buy. This translates to a Moderate Buy consensus rating. The average price target is $15, which represents substantial upside potential of 62%. (See Gaia stock analysis on TipRanks)

Athene Holding (ATH)

Next on our list is Athene Holding, a financial services company that sells retirement savings products such as annuities to individuals and institutions.

Athene has been able to achieve respectable operating results during the COVID-19 pandemic. In the first quarter of 2020, the company generated $3.9 billion of deposits. Although this was a decrease of 17% year-over-year, deposits actually rose 8% quarter-over-quarter.

5-star analyst James Fotheringham, of BMO Capital, provided his take on the companys growth prospects: We view Athene as a compelling GARP (growth at a reasonable price) opportunity. Athene shares offer above-average capital-adjusted growth (i.e., earnings plus excess capital) at a very meaningful valuation discount."

Theres another side to Athenes business, which is how it deploys the earnings deposits. The company invests the funds it receives from customers and attempts to realize a greater return than they promised to pay out. Given all of the recent market volatility, Athene had to mark down the fair value of its assets in the first quarter, resulting in a $1.1 billion loss compared to net income of $708 million the year before. Nevertheless, the analyst is not concerned, noting: Investor concerns around credit risk for Athenes invested assets, are misplaced (we think).

Based on all of the above, Fotheringham has an Outperform (i.e. Buy) rating on the stock with a $62 price target, which suggests huge upside potential of 85%. (To watch Fotheringhams track record, click here)

Looking at the rest of the analyst community, the bulls represent the majority. 5 Buys and 1 Hold add up to a Strong Buy consensus rating. The $44.80 average price target implies 34% upside potential. (See Athene stock analysis on TipRanks)

Sterling Bancorp (STL)

We end our list with another financial services company, Sterling Bancorp, which offers banking products and services to consumer, commercial, and municipal customers primarily in the New York metropolitan area.

Sterlings operating performance was negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On July 22, the company reported second quarter adjusted EPS of $0.29, compared to the consensus estimate of $0.31 and the prior-year quarter result of $0.46. The poor showing was due to a $56.6 million credit loss provision, which couldnt be offset by deposit growth of 4.6% and loan growth of 2.9%.

While the stock has significantly underperformed the broader market, plummeting 46% year-to-date, Maxim analyst Michael Diana believes the sell-off is overdone. STL shares are currently trading at 5.9x our 2021 EPS estimate; very undervalued, in our view, he explained.

Diana is very bullish on the stock going forward. He noted, Over the next four quarters, we expect, stock price appreciation of nearly 71% (to our price target) and a dividend yield of 2.4%, which should result in an estimated total return of about 73%. To explain how he reached his price target, the Maxim analyst stated, Our price target equates to 10.0x our 2021 EPS estimate (unchanged) and is in line with high-quality small and mid-cap banks.

To this end, Diana rates STL a Buy rating, while his $20 price target implies a hefty upside potential of 78%. (To watch Dianas track record click here)

All in all, other analysts are in agreement. The stock received 7 Buy ratings and 1 Hold in the past 3 months, which amount to a Strong Buy consensus view. The average price target is not as aggressive as Dianas at $15.33, yet it still suggests healthy upside potential of 36%. (See STL 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.
Aditya Puri, who is set to retire as Managing Director and CEO of HDFC Bank on October 26, has lauded the decision to appoint Sashidhar Jagdishan as his successor, saying that the bank will be in good hands.

His comment came after the RBI approved the appointment of Sashidhar Jagdishan as Managing Director & CEO of HDFC Bank, the country's largest private lender in terms of market capitalisation. Jagdishan has been appointed for a period of three years, effective from his date of taking charge on October 27, 2020.

Veteran banker Puri, who has 26 year-long stint at the bank, said that he was delighted that a candidate endorsed by the search firm, the search committee and the board has been approved by the central bank. Jagdishan has been working with me for 24 years and is "humane, motivational and a thorough executor", Puri told in an interview to CNBC-TV18.

"Sashidhar Jagdishan brings to the table -- he is humane, he cares about people, he is motivational, he is a very thorough executor and he understands the business and over a period of time, the people in the bank will love him," he told the news agency.

Also Read: 5 big challenges for new HDFC Bank CEO Sashidhar Jagdishan

On key priorities for the newly appointed CEO, Puri said that the bank needs to be digitised, taking services across the length and breadth of the country. He also stressed on widening the bank's product range.

Secondly, the bank needs to increase its penetration in semi-urban and rural area where its credit products are low. "We can create another bank just out of going deeply in there," he said.

He suggested the bank should train personnel to prepare for the change. "The man who touches the customer is the man who has to deliver the bank. So the training of the people," he said.

Also Read: The twists and turns of CEO succession at HDFC Bank - Sashidhar Jagdishan wasn't the only choice

On his recent stake sale, Puri said that selling of the bank's shares was a personal decision and not in any way related to the bank. He said that the bank had granted him shares as a part of his salary which is ESOPs.

"Fundamentally, I will also need to raise money when I retire. So, all the options rest on me, I need money for that. It has got nothing to do with the bank, it is just the timing, he said.

As per exchange data, Puri has sold 95 per cent of his equity stake - 74.2 lakh shares - worth Rs 842.87 crore during July 21-24. Puri had 0.14 per cent stake or 77.96 lakh equity shares in his name in the bank as on March 31. He now holds 3.76 lakh shares or 0.01 per cent stake in HDFC Bank.

By Chitranjan Kumar
Corporate strategy and SaaS model veteran Eva F. Huston appointed company's first CSO

Boston, Aug. 04, 2020announced today that experienced strategic corporate finance executive Eva F. Huston has joined the company as Chief Strategy Officer. Huston will be responsible for creating and executing on strategic initiatives designed to build value for the company, reporting to CEO Michael Jackowskiand working closely with both Executive Committee members and the organization's Board of Directors to spearhead the communication and sustainment of corporate strategy.

"Eva's deep experience with corporate strategy at the highest level and delivery of the SaaS model to enterprise businesses made her a clear standout for us," said Michael Jackowski, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek Technologies. "As our company grows and leads the P&C insurance industry through unprecedented change, we need leaders at all levels with the expertise and insight to lead us to the next chapter of our story. I am thrilled to welcome Eva to the Duck Creek family and look forward to working with her as we continue to help our customers revolutionize insurance for the greater good."

"My passion is helping define and execute on growth strategies that deliver significant value to organizations as they help transform the industries they serve," Huston said. "I believe Duck Creek is positioned to help guide P&C carriers to levels of operational efficiency, customer experience, and growth that have not been possible before the widespread adoption of SaaS in insurance. I'm excited to be part of this industry at such a pivotal moment, and particularly proud to be joining a group with the strong track record and reputation that Duck Creek has."

"Duck Creek has established ourselves as a SaaS leader in the P&C insurance industry, and as we move forward with our growth plans and seek to capitalize on opportunities, we need a veteran strategist on our team to guide us through this exciting future," said Jackowski. "Eva's knowledge of the industry and her strategy and business development experience make her a great choice to lead our corporate strategy. We're thrilled to have her join our team."

Huston also currently serves as an independent director and member of the audit committee for CC Neuberger Principal Holdings I. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Huston was the Chief Financial Officer at Verisk Analytics from June 2016 to November 2017, and a consultant from November 2017 to March 2018. She also served in various other roles at Verisk, including Treasurer and Chief Knowledge Officer and Head of Investor Relations at IPO. Previously, Ms. Huston was a Managing Director in telecom, media, and technology investment banking at JP Morgan Chase & Co. Ms. Huston received a B.S. in Foreign Service from Georgetown University.

About Duck Creek Technologies

Duck Creek Technologies is a leading provider of core system solutions to the P&C and General insurance industry. By accessing Duck Creek OnDemand, the company's enterprise Software-as-a-Service solution, insurance carriers are able to navigate uncertainty and capture market opportunities faster than their competitors. Duck Creek's functionally-rich solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. For more information, visit www.duckcreek.com.

Media Contact:

Paul Rechichi

Racepoint Global

617-624-3295

prechichi@racepointglobal.com
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention anticipates 2020 will be another peak year for cases of acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, the mysterious polio-like illness that causes paralysis in children.

The agency attributes this increase in cases to enteroviruses, particularly EV-D68, according to the CDC Vital Signs report released Tuesday. Its the most common virus identified among patients with AFM.

Researchers had pinpointed enteroviruses in the past, suggesting the devastating disease could be caused by this strain of respiratory virus. Results of a fall study were published by the University of California, San Francisco in the peer-reviewed journal Nature Medicine in October 2019.

The CDC said the disease has peaked every two years between August and November in the United States since 2014, when the CDC first began AFM surveillance.

Fewer than 1 in 1 million children are affected by AFM, but cases have grown over the years.

While other countries have reported cases, including Canada, France, Britain and Norway, the size and pattern of the U.S. outbreaks have been more pronounced. More than 550 Americans have been struck this decade. The oldest was 32. More than 90% were children, most around 4, 5 or 6 years old.

AFM cases are still exceedingly rare, but the results are devastating. It can paralyze a childs arms and legs. Some need ventilators to breathe. It can also cause muscle weakness, slurred speech and difficulty moving eyes and swallowing.

What parents should know: About the polio-like paralyzing disease the CDC is warning about

Many families say their children have regained at least some movement in affected limbs, but stories of complete recovery are unusual.

While symptoms of the disease resemble polio, the CDC said all AFM patients tested negative for the poliovirus.

The agency also reported 35% of patients werent hospitalized until two or more days after limb weakness in 2018, delaying care that could be vital to patient treatment.

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Recognition and early diagnosis are critical, said CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield. CDC and public health partners have strengthened early disease detection systems, a vital step toward rapid treatment and rehabilitation for children with AFM.

Rachel Scott, left, talks with her son, Braden, in Tomball, Texas, on Friday, March 29, 2019. Everyone is desperate for some magical thing to cure the kids, said Rachel. Braden developed acute flaccid myelitis, or AFM, in 2016.

Dr. Thomas Clark, deputy director of the CDCs division of viral diseases, says the COVID-19 pandemic may require clinicians to perform evaluations by phone or telemedicine. However, he urges doctors not to delay hospitalization when they suspect AFM.

Dr. Robert Glatter, emergency physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, said there has been a sharp decrease in emergency room visits not related to COVID-19.

He predicts the pandemic's impact on the health care system and access to medical care will "most likely have an adverse effect on our ability to detect, refer and rapidly evaluate patients with AFM."

"While we recognize that parents are concerned about the risks of COVID-19 when making a visit to the ER, the greater risks of permanent paralysis and mechanical ventilation resulting from AFM should take precedence," he said.

Common early symptoms of AFM include difficulty walking, neck or back pain, fever and limb pain. There is currently no specific test, proven treatment or prevention method for AFM.

Contributing: Mike Stobbe, Associated Press. Follow Adrianna Rodriguez on Twitter: @AdriannaUSAT.

Health and patient safety coverage at USA TODAY is made possible in part by a grant from the Masimo Foundation for Ethics, Innovation and Competition in Healthcare. The Masimo Foundation does not provide editorial input.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Acute flaccid myelitis: CDC anticipates AFM case increase in 2020
(Natural News) Four of Americas richest and most powerful tech CEOs  Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg, Amazons Jeff Bezos, Apples Tim Cook and Alphabets Sundar Pichai  faced a tough crowd at the US House of Representatives antitrust subcommittee Wednesday, with the executives repeatedly hit with markedly tough and harsh questions from both Republicans and Democrats in Congress about their allegedly harmful and predatory business practices.

Held virtually amid the coronavirus outbreak, the hearing marked the first time the four executives had spoken to Congress as a group.

The hearing, which is the culmination of Congress year-long probe into competition in the digital market, proved especially tough for the executives from the get-go, with antitrust subcommittee chairman David Cicilline kicking off the proceedings by saying that just like the way the Founding Fathers would not bow before a king, nor would Congress  and the American people  bow before what he called emperors of the online economy.

In his statement, Rhode Island Representative Cicilline raised the possibility that Big Tech  the collective name for the four companies  could consolidate even more power during the coronavirus pandemic, adding that it is important for authorities to confront monopolies so that they do not crush other businesses.

Armed with internal corporate emails, as well as the results of interviews with the heads of smaller companies who said they were harmed by anti-competitive practices, Congress grilled Zuckerberg, Bezos, Cook and Pichai about several important issues, such as content theft and the aggressive copying and purchasing of competing businesses.

In addition, the executives were also questioned about their companies connections to China, as well as their commitment to preserving freedom of expression. (Related: OBEY OR BE SILENCED: Google now ranking the truthiness of websites on the coronavirus to determine ad eligibility.)

The executives, during the hearing, primarily rejected the premise of the questions, most of which almost uniformly portrayed the American companies as monopolistic, dangerous, unpatriotic and ruthless.

Zuckerberg, for his part, faced a series of questions about Facebooks acquisition strategies and was grilled for allegedly conspiring to take out social media platform Instagram.

According to House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler, Zuckerberg described the image-sharing platform as a threat that can hurt Facebooks place in cyberspace meaningfully, quoting an email sent by the latter well before his companys acquisition of the popular social media platform in 2012.

Facebook, by its own admission  saw Instagram as a threat, Nadler said during the hearing, noting that rather than competing with the then-emerging startup, Facebook just made the decision to go out and buy it.

This is exactly the type of anti-competitive acquisition the antitrust laws were designed to prevent, Nadler said.

Zuckerberg, however, rebutted Nadler, noting that the Federal Trade Commission or FTC has already obtained documents related to Facebooks corporate acquisitions when they reviewed it for compliance with existing antitrust laws.

Stemming from issues surrounding his acquisition of the then-nascent Instagram, Zuckerberg also found himself in a corner after being asked by Washington Democrat Pramila Jayapal if Facebook indeed copied features pioneered by its competitors.

Do you copy your competitors? Jayapal asked, after quoting internal company emails in which Facebooks executives discussed plans to prevent smaller companies from gaining a foothold against the social media giant.

The Facebook CEO answered in the affirmative, noting that the social media platform adapted features that others have introduced. Zuckerberg, however, could not give a definite figure when asked about the number of companies Facebook has copied.

Much like Zuckerberg, Amazons Jeff Bezos also received a tongue-lashing from Congress over its purportedly sketchy business practices, among which were the machinations behind its 2011 acquisition of the online store Diapers.com.

According to Pennsylvania Representative Mary Gay Scanlon, Amazon resorted to unscrupulous practices in order to acquire the company.

Scanlon, during the hearing, noted that while Diapers.com did not want to be purchased initially, it was forced to do so after Amazon aggressively cut prices on baby products on its own site, which led to a slowdown on sales at Diapers.com.

Amazon shut down the service several years later.

Bezos, who, in earlier emails spoke about pursuing small companies the way a cheetah would pursue a sickly gazelle, denied having any memory of that incident.

I dont remember that at all, Bezos said.

According to Scanlon, there is a distinct possibility that the prices of essential items could be driven up by Bezos tactics.

Republicans: Big Tech is out to get conservatives!

Representative Jim Jordan, from Ohio, tore into the tech executives during the hearing, condemning what he said is Big Techs purported mission to get conservatives.

Thats not a suspicion, thats not a hunch. Thats a fact, Jordan said, rattling off a laundry list of suspected behavior from the companies in question, such as Googles removal of Breitbart articles from search results, Facebooks routine censorship of conservative views, banning of pro-life advertisements and removal of Trump campaign posts, Amazons temporary banning of an e-book critical of COVID-19 lockdowns by conservative journalist Alex Berenson and Google and YouTubes censorship of health-related content that dont align with directives approved by the World Health Organization.

Representative Matt Gaetz, during his turn, grilled Zuckerberg about Facebooks purported bias against conservatives, referring to the firing of former Facebook employee Palmer Luckey after the latter  who sold his virtual reality headset company Oculus to Facebook in 2014  was found to have given USD 10,000 to an organization that opposed Hillary Clinton in 2016.

When you fire people as a consequence of their politics, do you think that impacts the culture and perhaps empowers some of the content moderators to also treat people worse as a consequence of their politics? Gaetz, a Republican from Florida, asked.

Zuckerberg, however, denied that he did this, noting in his rebuttal that he had nothing to do with Luckeys removal from the company.

Representative Jim Sensenbrenner, meanwhile, sparred with Zuckerberg over the issue of free speech, with the Wisconsin Republican asking Zuckerberg to present evidence that his company does not discriminate against or suppress conservative views.

The way the net was put together, in the eyes of Congress, is that everybody should be able to speak their mind, Sensenbrenner said.

Sensenbrenner, during the hearing, also asked Zuckerberg to explain the companys purported removal of a post by Donald Trump Jr. that promoted hydroxychloroquine as a possible treatment option for COVID-19.

The above incident, however, as noted by Zuckerberg, actually happened on Twitter.

I think what you might be referring to happened on Twitter. So, its hard for me to speak to that, Zuckerberg replied, adding that while Facebook does ban posts that point to alleged cures for the deadly disease, the social network itself does not prohibit discussion of drug trials.

Among the executives, however, it was Alphabets Pichai who was put to task with answering questions about Big Techs political meddling.

Pichai, during the meeting, found himself grilled by Ohio Representative Jordan over Googles supposed meddling in the 2016 elections, with the latter citing two leaked videos as proof.

One of the videos cited by Jordan during the hearing was an undercover expose in which Google executives explained how they planned to undermine Trump and influence the 2016 election. The other was footage of Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page lamenting President Trumps victory at a meeting of Google executives, with the two vowing not to make the same mistake again.

Jordan, during the hearing, also cited a 2016 e-mail to Google execs that referred to a silent donation the company had made to the Clinton campaign, before asking Pichai if there is a possibility that Google will skew its search engine results to give preference in the November election to Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden, compared with President Trump.

Can you assure Americans today you wont tailor your features to help Joe Biden in the upcoming election? Jordan, whose campaign has also been funded by Google since 2012, asked.

Pichai, however, denied any partisanship and noted that he and the company are both committed to preserving fairness.

We approach our work  we support both campaigns today. I think political ads are an important part of free speech and democratic societies, Pichai stated, noting that the company will not politically tilt any of its work as that is against its core values.

Gaetz, meanwhile, mentioned in the hearing several accusations against Google, including one by Facebook investor Peter Thiel. These accusations, according to Gaetz, centered on the companys purported work with the Chinese military as well as the alleged existence of a Google artificial intelligence (AI) center in China.

These rumors, Gaetz said, call into question the companys commitment to America and its values.

Pichai, however, said the company  which abandoned several projects linked to the Pentagon including one that aims to analyze drone data using artificial intelligence  does not work with the Chinese military, and that compared to its peers, their presence in China is very limited in nature.

Sources include:

NewsBusters.org

WSJ.com

CNET.com

TheHill.com

BusinessInsider.com

Observer.com

SMH.com.au

CNBC.com

CBSNews.com

NYPost.com

MediaPost.com

TechnologyReview.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 14:53:05|Editor: huaxia

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JAKARTA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's National Narcotics Agency and Customs Office in Bali have arrested a student from Puerto Rico identified as JO for consuming marijuana in the form of chocolate cakes.

"The cakes were found to contain marijuana following a test conducted together with the Customs Office," head of the agency's narcotics eradication unit in Bali, I Putu Agus Arjaya, told a press conference in the Bali provincial capital of Denpasar on Tuesday.

"Knowing that marijuana is illegal in Indonesia, the suspect dissimulated it in cakes which were produced in his country and sent by his family to him in packages mixed with clothes and toys," said Arjaya.

"Marijuana in the cakes is for self-consumption. Data showed no indications of inviting anyone else to consume the illicit goods. The suspect said he has been consuming marijuana for two years," Arjaya added.

After getting reports from the public about a postal package suspected of containing marijuana, officers immediately conducted delivery control to Abiansemal district and arrested the suspect on June 25. Enditem
Beatrice may see some new projects around town, after the City Council approved applying for three Community Development Block Grants from the Nebraska Department of Economic Development Monday evening.

The projects include developing three ball fields near the Beatrice Mary Family YMCA, doing revitalization projects downtown, and holding a planning study for parking, the flow of vehicles and pedestrian traffic downtown.

City Administrator Tobias Tempelmeyer said there are two T-ball fields already on the YMCAs property. He said the grant would cover half of the project of reworking the dimensions of one field into a baseball and softball field for kids 12 and younger, as well as building an additional field for that age range, and a third for kids 13 and older.

Tempelmeyer said the fields would be owned and maintained by the city through a lease agreement with the YMCA.

Well work with them, make sure they can use those fields for activities, Tempelmeyer said. When it comes time for especially weekend and ball team practices, well make sure we have some scheduling opportunities.

Council member Rich Kerr said the city had a ball fields at Riverside and Chautauqua Parks that have since been torn out.

I think the $100,000 can be used elsewhere, Kerr said. Ive been asking for a bathroom down at West Scott ones on the east side of Center Street for years, but we dont have enough money. But weve got enough money to develop three more ball fields.

The $100,000 Kerr's referring to is the amount matched by the city if the grant is approved by the Nebraska Department of Economic Development. The DED grant for the ball fields asks for $400,000. The YMCA would not have to contribute money for the grant.

Tempelmeyer said the previous fields were in the floodplain, and damaged in the flood in 2015. He said that the proposed locations for the new fields are out of the floodplain, and that the YMCA has bathrooms and a concession stand on-site already, as well.

Depending on need and determination of this council going forward, you might look to add something there, or you may just look to put bathroom facilities at other locations, Tempelmeyer said.

Tempelmeyer explained that the second grant would look at code enforcement and life safety issues downtown, including fire exits and elevators to allow for upper-level development, as well as installing hollow sidewalks to combat floods.

I would imagine that if it was successful, we would look to do something similar to what we did before where property owners could make their match in these grants, Tempelmeyer said.

With the third grant, Tempelmeyer explained that Main Street Beatrice approached the city to hold a study to get a more comprehensive idea of the flow of traffic downtown, which could also provide insight on beautification projects, too.

In my tenure here, I think weve done six of these studies here in downtown, council member Ted Fairbanks said. I could be wrong. It could be four, but weve done a lot. Ive asked this body to implement some part or all of those at least four or five different times, and Ive gotten nowhere.

Tempelmeyer said elements of those plans may not work in regards to present concerns.

What we dont want to do is start a project and Fourth Street turns out great, but then you go to Third Street and it doesnt work, or those developments no longer make sense, he said. "Were trying to make sure that we have a plan altogether before we get startedWe will look at [past plans] as we do this study, but things have changed, and weve got to make sure that we keep it current.

A lot of those projects, we just flat didnt have the money to go forward on, or at that time maybe the means or the desire to go forward, councilmember David Pede Catlin noted.

Fairbanks suggested the council do the study and approve the results, whether or not the individuals agree with it personally.

Main Street Beatrice Director Michael Sothan said he agreed with Kerrs frustration about projects not resulting from the studies, and that they need to provide enough input to the consultants to get suggestions the council can agree with.

Sothan called the downtown area both beautiful and harsh.

Theres a lot of concrete, a lot of those things that doesnt necessarily compliment the beauty of the architecture, Sothan explained.

The safety project grant was unanimously approved, with the ball fields and study grants approved in a 7-1 vote, with Kerr voting against.

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Rep. Ken Buck: Radical Left Tactics to Divide America, Rewrite History

Violence and calls for revolution have engulfed Portland, Oregon and other major U.S. cities. Rioters have attacked police officers with rocks, bottles, bricks, and fireworks. Authorities have responded with tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper balls, and arrests.

How did we get here? And what is really at stake?

In this episode, we sit down with Colorado Congressman Ken Buck to discuss his new book Capitol of Freedom: Restoring American Greatness, which takes readers on a journey through the halls of the U.S. Capitol to understand the principles that make America exceptional and that are now under siege.

We also explore foreign threats to America, and Congressman Bucks push to ban government employees from using the Chinese-owned TikTok app on their phones.

This is American Thought Leaders , and Im Jan Jekielek.

Mr. Jekielek: Rep. Ken Buck, such a pleasure to have you on American Thought Leaders.

Rep. Ken Buck: Thank you.

Mr. Jekielek: Youve written this fascinating book, Capital of Freedom: Restoring American Greatness. Ive been looking in there. This kind of stems from your love of the Capitol. I know Ive actually spoken with a number of people who have told me about the tours of the Capitol that you give, and how insightful they are and so forth. Were going to deep dive into that. Before we go there, I want to talk a little bit about your work in getting the app Tik Tok banned on government cell phones, and why you think thats important.

Rep. Buck: Sure, well, its important because China is stealing information from the US in every way possible. And Tik Tok is a Chinese app that is being used by Americans. Its used by China to gather information on Americans, and if there ever was a conflict between China and the United States, they will use that information in a cyberwar with the United States. And so I think its really important [not only] that everyone knows about Tik Tok and knows about the Chinese Communist Party and their plans, but also that on government phones, those phones that are issued by the government to government workers, the government makes sure that Tik Tok is not on those phones so that China cant gather information that is intended to be secret, intended to be confidential.

Mr. Jekielek: Tik Tok says its an independent company.

Rep. Buck: Sure. Its an independent company controlled by a communist China.

Mr. Jekielek: Should this app be banned across the board or is it just important for the government?

Rep. Buck: Well, it should be banned across the board. We should stop espionage from our adversaries in any possible way. But the reality is that in this country with free speech and other issues, its difficult to do that. While a case could be made that it is a tool of espionage, it is also clear that many Americans favor these kinds of toys without realizing just how dangerous they are.

Mr. Jekielek: I was just reading that India banned Tik Tok, and in addition, another 47 apps got added to this blacklist. They just cant show up presumably in the app stores and so forth. Is this kind of legislation something that youd be interested in?

Rep. Buck: It is, and obviously, India is a different country with a different set of values and a different set of rules. And so we would have to look at each of the apps, see how its being used, see what the ownership is, see what the agreements are with the ownership. And I think its not unreasonable for the US to treat Red China as an adversary, to treat Red China as someone who is or a country that is interested in trying to gather more and more information about Americans. I think a country like India really shows great insight and vision in banning apps from China.

Mr. Jekielek: So just roughly, broadly speaking, in your mind, what is the Communist China threat here?

Rep. Buck: Theres no doubt, and I wasnt born yesterday. Im sure were doing the same thing with the Chinese and the same thing with the Russians and others that we consider potential adversaries in the future. So I think that intelligence gathering is one of the functions for which the superpower is all conducted in engaging. But I think its incumbent on the US to counter that espionage whenever we can. Clearly, the Russians, the Chinese, and other countries want to know the patterns of behavior. They want to know our dates of birth and social security numbers. They want to know our bank accounts. If they could shut down our economy during times of war, thats exactly what they want to do. And we are much more vulnerable now to something like that than we were in the 1940s or early turn of the last century.

Mr. Jekielek: So lets move into talking about your book. Its very interesting. First of all, tell me about the inspiration. As far as I can tell, you use the Capitol as the centerpiece to discuss American exceptionalism and essentially what you see as being great about America. How did this come about?

Rep. Buck: I really have, one, a love for history. And two, I like to spend evenings giving my constituents a tour of the Capitol. They think its special. I learn something new every time I go through the Capitol. So I visited the Capitol with historians and others to talk to them and learn from them about the features of the Capitol, stories that occurred in the Capitol, and architectural features, statues, other items that I think are really fascinating. In the process of doing that, I gained a great appreciation of the Capitol.

And I use my tours as a way to talk about conservative principles because the symbols of our foundation are just so prevalent in the Capitol that when I talk about freedom of speech, when I talk about freedom of press, when I talk about freedom of religion, when I talk about separation of powers or federalism, theres just symbolism all over the Capitol for those concepts. And so, its not just a historical tour to me, its a way of talking to Americans about why our foundational principles are so important and why we should not ignore or try to rewrite history.

Mr. Jekielek: Well, one of the things you talked about in the bookbasically youre talking about how many Americans just simply arent aware of a lot of their own history and what a big challenge it is. Tell me a bit more about this.

Rep. Buck: Sure. Im always amazed when I go through the Capitol and I talk about separation of church and state. So many Americans believe that thats actually written into our Constitution. Its not. Its something that the Supreme Court wrote into our Constitution. Or I talk about the fact that we dont have three co-equal branches of government. The judiciary was never meant to be a co-equal branch of government. Our founders talked about it as the weakest branch of government. It was something that was there to help the executive branch and to help the legislative branch in their respective roles, but it was never meant to compete or overrun those branches of government. So, [with] many of the issues that I raise, we get into very good discussions because people are just unaware of what our founders intentions were and why its so important to follow the intentions of our founders.

Mr. Jekielek: One of the most fascinating things for meand someone shared this with me, and it really turned my thinking aroundis in a sense, the American system is a way to have representative government, but to act to protect from the tyranny that can happen through actual democracy. And I find thattell me more about this.

Rep. Buck: Oh, I read about that in the introduction, and it was fascinating to me to research it more and more. In fact, a colleague just last week in the committee hearing said, We are a democracy and President Trump is a threat to our democracy. And I went into quite a long-winded discussion about how were not a democracy. Democracies, as John Adams said, commit suicide. [There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide.] They envelop themselves with this constant shift in policy.

Were a republic. We elect individuals to represent us and legislative bodies at the federal level. At the state level, democracies actually take votes of the entire population on important issues. And thats not what our system of government was set up to do. In fact, our Constitution has only been amended a handful of times, because we dont want to continue to shift our fundamental rights, and the left would love to take our fundamental rights in various directions. Thats why they love the courts so much, because they can rewrite the constitution through the courts. It wasnt intended to be that way. And so we have to respect the fact that we are a republic and not a democracy.

Mr. Jekielek: You were speaking offline earlier, and you were describing an event here in DC where people basically had come out to support the police, against the idea of defunding the police. And then they were met with force so to speak. Tell me about this. Tell me how what your book has to say about that.

Rep. Buck: Sure. In my hometown of Colorado, there was a rally to support the police; very peaceful, mostly older Americans had gathered to support the police and show their support for the police during this very difficult time. There was a counter-protest, again, a peaceful counter-protest. But at that point in time, elements of Antifa infiltrated the peaceful protest and then started to physically assault the supporters of the police. The police were ordered to withdraw at that point in time.

Its a perfect example of what weve seen across the country with these fascists from the left, who are intending to stop speech that they disagree with. We see it in universities. They talk about needing safe spaces. They talk about being triggered by ideas that they disagree with, as if [once] you disagree with an idea, I dont have a right to talk about that idea anymore. They want to suppress speech they disagree with. They do it with thugs from the left in rallies, like we just talked about, but they also do it all around at our universities that are supposed to be really the most open part of our society.

Mr. Jekielek: So what do you see as the roots of this? And I think maybe weve already started talking about that. But tell me about that.

Rep. Buck: So the roots go back to fascism and obviously go back centuries, in terms of political discourse. Those that believe in totalitarian concepts, those that believe in a top-down government system, believe that they can suppress speech. Even American leaders, John Adams, Woodrow Wilson, developed laws that they got through Congress, the Sedition Act and other laws that were designed to stop those who wanted to criticize the government.

Its unbelievably un-American and not just un-American, but John Adams was a founder. But he lost an election to Thomas Jefferson, based on his belief that he could stop people from criticizing his government. He then lost to Thomas Jefferson. And I think its really important to realize that the founders intended this country to be a country that was run by the people, not the government. It was the people that gave government power, not the other way around. It was God who gave us certain unalienable rights and empowered people with those rights, and government cant limit that which God gives us.

Mr. Jekielek: So,  you described that the system was created to actually prevent the government from taking too much power, right?

Rep. Buck: Absolutely, yes. I think the greatest founding document, even more so than the Constitution, is the Declaration of Independence. It sets out clearly what our rights are, where those rights come from, and how those rights cannot be infringed. And then we have the Constitution that builds from that and is more explicit about those rights. But its clear that this country was founded on the concept that the people are in charge and that the people create government; its not the government that gives people certain rights. And if government doesnt give us rights, government cant take those rights away from us.

Mr. Jekielek: So why in a nutshell, is freedom of speech so important for all of this to work well?

Rep. Buck: The most basic right we have in this country is to speak our mind, and obviously there are some appropriate limits on speaking our mind. We cant incite riots, and we cant cause others physical harm with what we say, but absent that very small area of speech, we are a stronger country, because we disagree with each other. And we find that middle ground that Americans can move forward on.

When we dont hear from one side or the other, we create a revolutionary spirit, a set of circumstances that allows revolution, and thats not what we want. We want evolution in this country. We want peaceful evolution. We want people who disagree with each other to be able to learn, to be able to grow and move on as united people. One of the Latin sayings that really shows us unity is E Pluribus Unum, out of many, one.

We arent intended to be a country that excludes immigrants. We arent intended to be a country that excludes ideas. Were a country that welcomes people to our land or a country that welcomes different ideas, different religions to our land. And then as we move forward, we assimilate. We come together as one people. And I think that Osama bin Laden learned the lesson the hard way that when you mess with this country, there will be a swift unified response. It doesnt mean we dont argue among ourselves just like families do, but we are a family. And we need to make sure that we come together and we stop the kind of divisive behavior thats going on right now.

Mr. Jekielek: Wheres that divisive behavior coming from in your mind?

Rep. Buck: Well, the divisive behavior comes from the anarchists. It comes from the left. It comes from the progressives, the socialists that are trying to cause our country to break down, so that they can rewrite some of the norms, some of the values, some of our Constitution, in a way that allows their godless, socialist country to exist. We havent accepted Western European socialism. We havent accepted Chinese, Russian communism for a very good reason, because we know that our system works better. So the left needs to tear that down. They need to pit black against white, woman against man, tall against short, fat against skinny. Whatever it is, they want to pit people against each other to try to break down the unity that we have in this country.

Mr. Jekielek: You do talk a lot about socialism and communism in the book. How is it that, and you actually started talking about it I suppose a little earlier, but how is it that this has somehow managed to take root here given the various checks and balances that exist?

Rep. Buck: Yeah, I dont think it does take root in a country that thrives on capitalism, that thrives on our republican form of government, that thrives on our history of prosperity. The reason that were a prosperous people is because we let people go out and succeed or fail. Our government doesnt create wealth; individuals working hard create wealth, and that wealth allows us to rise in the economic structure in this country.

My grandparents came here; they were poor. They raised my mother, and my grandparents raised my father, with the same principles, the idea that if you worked hard, you could get ahead. My parents raised me with that idea. Its only a couple of generations from dirt poor immigrant to congressman. My family and so many families in America can tell that same story.

That doesnt happen in socialist countries. When you look at a country like France or a country like Germany or a country like Sweden, the Muslim immigrants from Syria or other Middle East countries that move to those countries, they arent German; they arent French; they arent Swedish. It will take generations before theyre accepted in those countries as a part of that country. Our fabric immediately weaves people into our country, welcomes people and accepts them for the hard work and their character that they bring to our country.

Mr. Jekielek: So one of the interesting things you actually also talked about in the book is that some of these ideas of multiculturalism, diversity, and tolerance are actually all good values ostensibly, but these are somehow being used to undermine this actual tolerance that you were just describing.

Rep. Buck: Sure. So I think that the left is very talented at taking words that you and I believe have one meaning and completely changing the meaning. For example, Antifa stands for anti-fascists. Theyre one of the most fascist organizations thats been in America and in our history. They are created to prevent speech that they find objectionable; that is a hallmark of fascism.

The idea that we need to be more tolerant, what the left means by that is, You need to accept our version of the world. It doesnt mean we have to accept your version of the world. Tolerance only runs one way [for them]. We know that tolerance works both ways. Judge certain actions based on the result. Dont just prejudge something as good or bad. And so the left has co-opted language and used it in a way that really fools many Americans.

Its sad because the most tolerant people in this country are Christians, and for some reason they have been deemed to be haters. If you think about what our command is from our God, it is to love our neighbor. Our commandment is to love our neighbor; that it completely runs contrary to what the left is trying to portray as the Christian spirit.

Mr. Jekielek: And thats very interesting. So, to that point,  correct me if you see this differently, but when I look at some of the founding ideas of this nation, there were people of multiple religious backgrounds who frankly didnt really see eye to eye on a heck of a lot of things right? And the system was structuredthis is where this freedom of religion piece comes into ensure that these different-thinking people could all actually work together, function and have a successful union. Am I reading this right? I find that really fascinating.

Rep. Buck: I think thats right, and yet there has been discrimination in this country since our founding. Obviously, there was slavery, a terrible stain on our countrys history. When Catholic immigrants came to this country, they were discriminated against. There is constant discrimination in this country, and yet we grow from that, and we get better. Nobody should deny that that discrimination occurred, because it happened.

The first groups that came here were mostly Protestant groups. They fought among themselves, and then another group would show up, and they would fight with that group. So its not as if its always been harmonious in this country. It hasnt. But weve always had the intention in this country to find that common value and move forward with that common value. And I think thats one of the things that truly has made us a great nation.

Mr. Jekielek: But would you say  that people did find that value? Of course, there were all sorts of instances where that didnt happen, but Im unaware of other founding stories where people were forced to face that reality.

Rep. Buck: I think thats absolutely right. We are not a homogenous society. We are a heterogeneous society, and the story of the Catholics and the story of the Mormons clearly [show] discrimination in our history. But if you look at those groups, now they are mainstream religions, and they are accepted by the vast majority of Americans as being Americans, as being patriotic, and as really co-equals.

Mr. Jekielek: Tell me about Statuary Hall. I know that you mentioned that in the book as being one of the places when you give the tour thats most inspiring, that gets you talking the most. Tell me about that.

Rep. Buck: Sure, so Statuary Hall used to be the chamber for the United States House of Representatives. And on the floor, you can see the plaques where some of the famous Americans sat, who later became president. In one instance, John Quincy Adams, he served as president and then was elected to the US House. In the House, we consider that a promotion; others might disagree. Theres a plaque for Abraham Lincoln and a plaque for others who sat in the house and then became president.

Its also filled with wonderful statues. There are statues of many famous Americans. My favorite is a statue that sits above the House floor, and it sits right over where the speaker would have been on a raised platform. It is the statue of Liberty [Liberty and the Eagle]. The statue of Liberty has a scroll in her hand, and shes handing that scroll as if shes giving it to the members of the House as theyre sitting there.

That scroll is the constitution, and it is supposed to serve as a reminder to the members of the House to think about the constitution before you vote on this particular bill. Its something that I look at over and over, and I wish it was in the House chamber now because I wish more members were forced to reconcile their views with the constitution before they voted.

In Statuary Hall

Thats the statute that we were talking about [Liberty and the Eagle]. You can see the scroll in her right hand. That is a great symbol to me. The serpent representing wisdom, the eagle representing strength, and the statute of freedom with the Constitution I think is just an awesome symbol. And then on this side, we have [the person] who was recording in history so that all the members of the House would realize that history is being recorded.

Every state in the Union gets to place two statues here. And its not Congresss decision; its up to the state legislature, and its just this idea of federalism that the states created the United States. The federal government didnt create the states, the states created the federal government, and theres a recognition by having two statues from every state that the federal government owes its existence to the states. Its just an important thing thats been forgotten largely that thats the way it happened.

So this is a replica of the Declaration of Independence. And whats odd to me, and no ones ever explained this to me, but whats odd to me is, it sits on this wall, and it sits on that wall, the exact same document. I think its because Democrats and Republicans sit on either side of the aisle. So its a reminder to Republicans, and its a reminder to Democrats, that these are our founding principles. This is why we revolted against English rule.

So heres where John Quincy Adams sat. John Quincy Adams was the son of John Adams. John Adams was the second president of the United States and was vice president to George Washington. John Quincy Adams was the sixth president of the United States. And after he left the presidency, he ran for the House in Massachusetts  .

He was a staunch abolitionist, and he served at the same time that Abraham Lincoln served. And so a lot of Abraham Lincolns thought on the abolition of slavery came from John Quincy Adams. John Quincy Adams was quite old when he served in the house, and he had one good ear and one bad ear. If you look at the ceiling, you can see the curvature of the ceiling. So you can hear a whisper. The pro-slavery Democrats were on that side of the room, and John Quincy Adams could hear their strategy as he sat here. Now turn around and say something.

Man from across the room: Hello.

Mr. Jekielek: Wow, thats incredible.

Rep. Buck: And they thought he was napping. I mean, he had his head down on his desk; they thought he was napping and wasnt listening to them. So at his desk, he had a stroke. They carried him into that room right there, and he died. The couch where he died is still sitting in that room with a plaque above it that recognizes thats where he died. So he spent most of his life in public service but passed away in that room right over there.

Mr. Jekielek: Why is it that you chose to write your book using the Capital as a backdrop for all these concepts?

Rep. Buck: I love to give tours of the Capitol, and Ive studied the history of the Capitol. I think the history is so amazing because it speaks to our foundational values. And the further we get away from our foundational values, the less exceptional America is. I think its so important to learn those values and to see evidence of those values all around us. And then to make sure that our children learn that and our grandchildren learn that so that we keep those traditions going.

Mr. Jekielek: Is there one value that one of these gentlemen here would personify that you can think of?

Rep. Buck: Yes, I think that of all the founding fathers, George Washington really personified American exceptionalism. He was willing to take a risk as a military leader. And most importantly, and this is something that really shocked the leaders in Europe, he was willing to give up power before he died. There is a great portrait in the rotunda of George Washington resigning his commission to the Continental Congress. And I think that thats such an important concept in America that you come to government, you serve, and you leave. You dont try to grab as much power as you can and stay forever. George Washington was so benevolent and selfless in how he led that it really made an impression on America.

Mr. Jekielek: A great inspiration, clearly.

Rep. Buck: Yes, and its the reason that the district is named after George Washington. And its the reason why they intended to have him buried in the Capitol Building. Just because if theres anybody Americans should choose to be like, its George Washington.

In seated interview

Mr. Jekielek: Something that you talked about prominently, which frankly, I dont think very much about, which you find quite important is private property. And you actually dig into that a little bit and explain what it actually means. What are the implications? Whats the social function? I found that whole element of the book fascinating because its not something Ive really, frankly given much thought to at all. I take it for granted. Tell me about that.

Rep. Buck: Sure. I think private property is at the heart of our foundation, and I think that the idea that the government determines how much property you have or dont have is the old Europe, the way that the world used to see property. It was the monarch who decided what land you could work and where the proceeds of that work went. In a very feudal system of wealth distribution, the idea that was really revolutionary with our founders was that you owned your property.

And private property was more than just my car or my home. Private property was my thoughts, my writings, and my creative product. And so the idea of patents and copyrights are so important in the concept of private property. Having private property is essential to incentivizing hard work. If we dont have priority property, weve seen what happens in the old Soviet Union, weve seen what happens in socialist countries around the world that have done away with private property and people owning the means of production. And so I think that in order to have a true republic, in order to have a political system that works, youve got to have an economic system that works, and private property is at the heart of successful economic systems.

Mr. Jekielek: If it were up to you, how would you address the challenges in education that you see that lead to this loss of memory of what America is all about?

Education is a fundamentally local matter. So its very difficult as a federal official to say, We should mandate more civic lessons and more American history in our schools. I think its something that local school boards should do, but I also think its really unfortunate when Americans dont have a unifying knowledge of history and what makes this country great. And so I hope that the federal government in some ways can incentivize through an awareness with state governments and local school boards that need to make sure that Americans understand American history.

Also, Im sure youre familiar with the 1619 Project. Associated with the 1619 project is a curriculum, very extensive curriculum, that has already been adopted by many schools in a number of states. I dont remember right now exactly where, but from what I know, they provide these materials free of charge, and theres a big kind of movement around that. Is there something in that vein that would offer the more traditionalist version of history?

Rep. Buck: Well, theres certainly one. Theres a curriculum that exists, and I know Texas, for example, uses a more traditional curriculum. But heres the unfortunate thing with the 1619 Project. Theres nothing wrong with information, and theres nothing wrong with spreading information. And there is a point in time at which students can see two different views of the world and make an informed decision about that. Elementary School is not that point in time. Its high school; its college; its graduate school. But to suggest that elementary school students should be taught that the foundations of America are based on slavery is just not true, number one, and it is totally unfair to what happened in this country and why this country is great.

Mr. Jekielek: What do you see the role of slavery being in how America has developed to this day?

Rep. Buck: Well, I think there was an economic system that existed during our founding. It existed in many other countries and was brought to this country. And we werent able to resolve that. I say we, [but I mean] our founding fathers. The founders of this country, werent able to resolve the issue of slavery. And we ended up 100 years later in a civil war that tore our country apart and killed hundreds of thousands of Americans. And so its unfortunate that they werent able to resolve it.

But the country would have been split into 13 separate countries if they had tried to resolve it at the time that they wrote the Constitution. So its horrible that it existed ever on this continent, and its understandable that it wasnt resolved until after the Civil War. That system of slavery was an economic feature of our government that has really tarnished our reputation.

And those that can trace their lineage back to slaves absolutely deserve our respect and deserve every opportunity to succeed in this country. In no way should anyone ever consider someone a second class citizen because of their race, religion, or ethnic background in any way. I hope as a country, we come together, and we move past many of those issues. The vestiges of discrimination continue in this country. Its terribly unfortunate. We have to recognize it, we have to deal with it, and we have to move on. We shouldnt condemn our country for the future as a result of what our ancestors did in the past.

Mr. Jekielek: What do you see as the prescription for moving on and continuing to crack the wrongs that you see.

Rep. Buck: I think that its clear that there are African Americans who can trace their history back, who are continuing to be discriminated against. We need to craft laws. We need to educate. We need to make sure that we have institutions in place that promote diversity and promote understanding and tolerance and [promote] that it is a value in this country that we will never discriminate because somebody has a particular skin color or national background.

Mr. Jekielek: So Congressman Buck, who should be reading your book?

Rep. Buck: I think all Americans should read the book in order to understand their roots and also understand our future. My faith teaches me that truth will set me free. This book is filled with truth. And its filled with the historical analysis thats important, so that somebody is able to put the arguments that they hear from the news and from various sources in perspective and to be able to move forward in a unifying way.

Mr. Jekielek: If theres a single message that you would expect people will gain from reading this and you would hope they would gain from reading this, what would that be?

Rep. Buck: I think the most important message from this book is that America is an exceptional country, and we will remain exceptional as long as we look back and see the foundations that we were built on.

Mr. Jekielek: Wonderful. Well, such a pleasure to have you.

Rep. Buck: Thank you very much. Good to be with you.

This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.

American Thought Leaders is an Epoch Times show available on YouTube, Facebook, and The Epoch Times website. It airs on Verizon Fios TV and Frontier Fios on Channel 158.
A Dickinson College graduate has filed a federal lawsuit against her alma mater, saying the school failed to properly, and in a timely manner, investigate her report of being sexually assaulted, and ultimately issuing a lenient penalty against her attacker.

Rose McAvoy said Tuesday she filed her suit in federal court because the college continues to violate students rights, showing deliberate indifference towards sexual harassment and assault on campus and has failed to comply with an agreement the college reached with her after she led a sit-in on campus earlier this year.

Dickinson College graduate Rose McAvoy has filed a lawsuit against her alma mater, saying the school is not living up to its agreement with her after she led a reform effort designed to bring change to the college's handling of sexual assault complaints.

In the suit filed Friday in the U.S. Middle District Court of Pennsylvania, McAvoy says when she was a freshman in the fall of 2017, she was on what she thought was a platonic hang out with a male student, who she said sexually assaulted her.

Dickinson Colleges investigation of her report under Title IX procedures, and the punishment given to the male student involved are at issue in the lawsuit. Title IX refers to the federal law that prevents all forms of sex discrimination in education.

McAvoy first made headlines in February during a four-day sit-in at the college, which ended when administrators agreed to students demands that included 18 changes to the colleges Title IX process, she said.

But McAvoy said she decided to file the lawsuit because she doesnt believe the college is living up their agreement.

The college is deliberately indifferent to a culture of sexual hostility and violence against women, McAvoy said.

Dickinson College spokeswoman Christine Baski provided this statement Tuesday:

Dickinson takes sexual assault cases very seriously. We do more than follow the law on Title IX, we work diligently with those involved to reach a fair and equitable resolution of these cases. While we cannot comment further on pending litigation, we can share that we were surprised and disappointed to learn of this lawsuit because we worked with Rose to come to an agreement that instituted the majority of the changes she requested. Rose and other students joined the administration in signing that agreement in February, and we have lived up to the letter and the spirit of that agreement since then.

It started in the fall of 2017 when McAvoy said a fellow student made an unexpected and unwanted sexual advance, and eventually pinned her to the floor and partially disrobed her before she was able to break free.

She says in the lawsuit that after the assault, she filed a Title IX complaint with the school, and the college unnecessarily delayed the investigation.

She says investigators did not notify the accused student of a no contact directive until five days after the complaint was filed and three days after the investigation had started.

Investigators also dismissed many of the details of the incident she provided, she said, while taking into account conflicting stories from the other student, in which the suit states he all but admitted to sexually assaulting Ms. McAvoy.

The lawsuit further says McAvoy was forced to attend college alongside the accused student during the delayed investigation, making her feel unsafe and rendering her unable to participate in campus and social activities the two had shared.

She noted the college even assigned the student accused of assaulting her to the same residence hall the following year.

Once the investigation was completed in May 2018  five months after it was initiated and well over the 60 days promised for such investigations  McAvoy says the college was extremely lenient in its punishment. University Investigators found the student was responsible for the sexual assault, but a sanction was not issued for another two months, and when it was issued, the suit states it amounted to a semester probation in which he was allowed to remain at the college, with the college rescinding a no-contact directive.

Because of Dickinsons deliberate delays and willful inaction, Ms. McAvoys attacker was able to hurt at least two other students on campus after she reported the sexual assault, her attorney, Andrew Miltenberg, said in a press release. By filing this lawsuit, Ms. McAvoy is now bravely coming forward to hold Dickinson College accountable and protect other students from the schools deliberate indifference to sexual assault.

McAvoy previously said that her attacker assaulted two other women in the course of the investigation. College officials said at the time of the sit-in that they were investigating that and other allegations about McAvoys treatment during the investigation.

The accused student ultimately withdrew from Dickinson College, and McAvoy says there is also no evidence that he was actually punished, or the punishment will be marked on his record.

An appeal was denied by the college. The college also denied her access to the case files, which she said was a violation of Title IX.

Frustrated over the colleges delays and lack of a punishment, she wrote an article for the school newspaper, The Dickinsonian, detailing what happened to her and the colleges handling of it, which prompted about 10 percent of the student body to then take part in the sit-in.

She said the college had agreed to the changes she was seeking, but she said college officials only fixed part of the problem. The college still destroys recorded interviews from the Title IX process, she said, and failed to include her assault in their Security and Fire Safety Report, violating the agreement.

In the suit, McAvoy is alleging these counts:

Discrimination in violation of Title IX: Hostile education environment  sexually hostile culture,

Gender discrimination in violation of Title IX: Deliberate indifference to plaintiffs assault,

Negligence,

Intentional and/or negligent infliction of emotional stress,

Breach of implied and/or express contract.

She is asking the court to require Dickinson College to address the Title IX violations by:

Instituting and enforcing a comprehensive sexual harassment policy with outside experts weighing in,

Distributing these written policies to all students,

Enforcing a zero-tolerance policy with punishment proportional to the offense and procedures set for protecting victims of sexual violence,

Providing an annual, independent review of compliance with these policies,

Revising the colleges policy to allow participants to retain Title IX investigative files,

And allowing full transparency of the Title IX investigative process.

She is also seeking damages, including reimbursement of tuition or related expenses, payment of expenses occurred from the sexual assault, damages for deprivation of equal access to education benefits and opportunities, and damages for pain, suffering and mental anguish, as well as attorney costs and fees.

What happened to me should never happen to another Dickinson student, McAvoy said. Dickinson has continued a horrible pattern of ignoring and dismissing student concerns. I have tried to reason with them for years. The Dickinson administrations failure to act, or even to communicate, makes it very clear they do not care about the wellbeing of their students and they will not live up to the commitments they made to us. Theyve left me no other option. I am suing Dickinson to make them do what is right.

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The Australian Financial Complaints Authority has received more than 4700 complaints related to COVID-19 since the World Health Organisation declared a pandemic in March.

More than 1500 are connected to travel insurance and likely to include policyholders who have been denied premium refunds.

Travel plans are cancelled so what are the options with your travel insurance? Credit:Shutterstock

It is understandable that some insurers, to retain as much revenue as possible, prefer to offer a credit or a voucher for the value of a premium for use at a future date, rather than a refund.

However, it is hard to see overseas travel restarting before next year, at the earliest, and many consumers may have a long wait before they can use their prepaid insurance.
A man watches from behind a closed gate after a raid at the prison in Jalalabad A man watches from behind a closed gate after a raid at the prison in Jalalabad (AFP Photo/NOORULLAH SHIRZADA)

Afghan authorities were searching Tuesday for about 270 inmates -- most of them Islamic State fighters -- who remained on the loose after escaping during a deadly prison raid.

At least 29 people were killed when Islamic State (IS) gunmen attacked the facility in Jalalabad on Sunday, with fierce fighting lasting until Monday afternoon.

More than 1,300 inmates tried to escape, a senior Afghan security official told AFP on condition of anonymity, but most were either swiftly re-arrested or surrendered when surrounded by security forces.

But some 270 prisoners are "still on the loose", the official said.

"Most of those who escaped are from ISKP," he said, referring to IS's Afghan branch, known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province.

They included militants responsible for several bloody attacks, a second security official told AFP.

Nangarhar provincial governor's spokesman Attaullah Khogyani confirmed many prisoners were still missing, but couldn't say how many were IS members.

Officials also said that security forces had shot dead on Tuesday another group of IS fighters who had launched a mortar attack targeting Jalalabad airport from a neighbourhood in the city around the same time when the prison raid commenced.

Several mortar shells and other ammunition seized from a house in the neighbourhood were shown to journalists.

The brazen prison raid came a day after Afghanistan's intelligence agency announced the killing of a top IS commander near Jalalabad.

Nangarhar province, where IS got its first foothold in Afghanistan, has seen repeated attacks by the group, including a suicide bomb that killed 32 mourners at a funeral in May.

- Calm shattered -

The attacks have continued even though officials last year claimed IS had been defeated in Nangarhar.

"A large number of their leadership was arrested or killed... so it (the prison raid) was some sort of revenge to free some of their comrades," a senior Afghan security official said.

Story continues

Some local officials and analysts, however, have cautioned that elements of group remained.

"They (IS) want to challenge the monopoly of the Taliban over militancy or anti-state violence in the country," said Abdul Sayed, independent researcher on jihadism in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said the Taliban, Kabul and Washington miscalculated about IS's defeat in Afghanistan.

"They (IS) now seem to have changed their strategies to (launch) high profile terrorist attacks in Nanagarhar to Kabul to provide proof of their existence," Sayed told AFP.

The prison raid shattered the relative calm of the final day of a three-day ceasefire between the Taliban and Afghan forces.

IS was not part of the truce.

The Afghan government still attempted to link the raid to the Taliban, which it said had violated the ceasefire 38 times.

Acting Interior Minister Massoud Andrabi said on Twitter that IS's new head in Afghanistan, Shahab Al-Mahajir, was a member of the Haqqani network, considered linked to the Taliban.

Washington has branded the Haqqani network, accused of carrying out numerous deadly attacks in Afghanistan, a terrorist organisation.

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Shiv Sena leader and state minister of tourism and environment Aaditya Thackeray on Tuesday described the rumours linking him to the death of actor Sushant Singh Rajput as dirty politics by the Opposition. The 30-year-old minister said in a statement released on social media that he is not connected to Rajputs death, which was declared a suicide in the post mortem report and is the subject of an ongoing investigation by Mumbai Police. Meanwhile, the state government has reiterated that it is opposed to transferring the probe into the circumstances surrounding Rajputs death to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

On Tuesday, Thackeray issued a strongly-worded statement in Marathi, in which he said the rumours linking him to Rajput, who died by suicide on June 14, are mudslinging by the Opposition.

Those who are pricked by the success and popularity of the Maharashtra government have started dirty politics over the death of Sushant Singh Rajput. Unnecessary mudslinging is going on at me and the Thackeray family. This is nothing but dirty politics arisen out of frustration, said Thackeray in his statement. Referring to recent speculations about his close friendships with people in the commercial film industry, he said, The film industry is an integral part of Mumbai. Several thousand livelihoods depend on this industry. I have personal relationships with some from the industry and it is not a crime.

In his statement, Thackeray described the rumours and speculations surrounding Rajput as politics over the dead and an assault on humanity. Denying any involvement in Rajputs death, Thackaeray said he would never do anything that would hurt the prestige of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena and the Thackeray family.

I am not even remotely connected to the case. I wish to say as the grandson of Hinduruday Samrat Balasaheb Thackeray that I will never do anything that would hurt the prestige of Maharashtra, Shiv Sena and Thackeray family. The people who are levelling baseless allegations should understand this, Thackeray said in the statement which he tweeted on Tuesday evening.

This is the first time Thackeray has responded to the rumours implicating him in Rajputs death.

Over the past month, speculations have circulated on social media and some news media, which link Thackeray to actor Rhea Chakraborty, who is believed to have been in a relationship with Rajput. There are also allegations of misappropriation of funds levelled against Chakraborty by Rajputs family. Among the allegations to go viral was one that claimed the Maharashtra government did not want to transfer Rajputs case to CBI because it wants to protect a young politician who is implicated in the case.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders like Atul Bhatkhalkar and Narayan Rane have openly alleged Mumbai Police are under pressure to protect vested political interests. On Tuesday, Rane said Mumbai Police was trying to shield someone by terming Rajputs death a suicide and not calling it a murder.

Sena minister Anil Parab on Tuesday challenged the Opposition to show proof of Thackerays involvement in the case. Whoever has evidence that Aaditya Thackeray is connected to the case or he went to some party, should come forward. This is nothing but an attempt to malign the image of the young leader. The Opposition is playing politics keeping the upcoming Bihar elections in mind, Parab said while speaking to the media in Mumbai.

He also responded to former chief minister Devendra Fadnaviss wife Amruta, who had tweeted that she felt Mumbai was no longer a safe place. When the government changes, the police force does not. The same police provided them security for five years, and they are protected by the same police even today. If they do not have faith in the police any longer, then she should gladly leave the state, Parab said.

Meanwhile, after chief minister of Bihar Nitish Kumar said on Tuesday that his government has recommended Rajputs case be transferred to CBI, the Maharashtra government reiterated its support of Mumbai Polices investigation.

Chief secretary Sanjay Kumar said, Our stand is clear that we do not want to hand over the case to CBI as Mumbai Police is competent to handle the case. We have filed a caveat in the Supreme Court [SC] where it will be argued. It is now up to the Apex Court to decide upon the jurisdiction of the court.

Officials from the home department said that since Rajputs death took place in Mumbai, there is neither reason nor legal provision for transferring the case to CBI without the Maharashtra governments permission.

The main allegation against actor Rhea Chakraborty is illegal transfer of the money and for it, the Enforcement Directorate has already started investigation. Mumbai Polices investigation is on the right track and has not found any substantial to book anybody by filing a first information report [FIR]. In such a case, the consent of the government that has jurisdiction over the place where the case occurred, is necessary, said a state government official.

A home department official said the state government would oppose the FIR that has been filed in Patna regarding Rajputs death, on the basis of jurisdiction. Rhea Chakraborty has made the petition in the Supreme Court for the transfer of the case to Mumbai. We will bring to the notice of the Supreme Court that it should be investigated where the case has taken place, said the official.

However, Nishant Katneshwarkar, former state government counsel in SC, questioned why Mumbai Police had neither filed an FIR nor closed the case. It is beyond imagination why Mumbai Police has neither filed an FIR nor closed the case if it has not found anything substantial. But there is no precedent of any state having demanded transfer of any case from one state to another.
Mr Mohammed Adjei Sowah, the Accra Metropolitan Chief Executive, on Monday wished candidates writing the West Africa Senior Secondary Certificate Examination (WASSCE) best of luck.



He asked the candidates to continue to adhere to the COVID-19 safety protocols by washing their hands frequently with soap under running water, using alcohol-based sanitizers, wearing of nose masks as well as keeping some reasonable distance.



Mr Sowah, who was accompanied by the Metro Director of Education, Mr Stephen Abamfo and other officials from the Assembly, extended the best wishes when they toured some WASSCE centres in the Accra Metropolis.



Some of the centres visited were the Accra Wesley Girls High School where 487 candidates were writing, Accra Academy - 672, Sacred Heart Technical Institute  286, and the Holy Trinity Cathedral Senior High School where 402 candidates were taking part in the examination.



I am here on behalf of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to wish all of you well in your examination; the nation is solidly behind you... We want you to become shining examples as well as productive in future, we are hopeful you will all pass," he said.



Mr Sowah commended the authorities of the schools for ensuring that candidates and invigilators were in strict compliance with the COVID-19 protocols and advised the students to mask up at all times even when they left the school premises.



"Do not drop your nose masks, they are supposed to cover your nose and mouth and prevent you from either spreading or contracting the virus. Do not drop your guard," he said.



All the centres visited had Veronica buckets on display, dedicated officials on hand checking the temperature of students, with COVID-19 protocol notices placed at vantage points.



The WASSCE, expected to end on September 5,2020, began on July 20 with Project Work for Visual Arts candidates, while the theory papers started on Monday, August 3.



In all 60 subjects, made up of four core and 56 elective subjects, are to be written by 313,837 final year senior high school students across the country.



The subjects are General Arts, General Science, Business, Agricultural Science, Visual Arts, Home Economics and Technical Skills.

Source: GNA









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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With a menu spanning more than 60 Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, Agave Azul has opened in Tobin Hill at the longtime home of Saigon Express on McCullough Avenue.

Co-owner Paola Roldan said she opened Agave Azul to honor her father and co-owner, Ismael J. Roldan, whos been in the restaurant business for more than 40 years.




The soldiers were among the armed robbers that attacked a bullion van leading to death of four police officers

Seven armed robbers including two soldiers  one serving, one dismissed  have been arrested by men of the Nigeria police for alleged robbery of a bullion van in Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

The incident caused the death of four police officers, leaving others injured.

The bullion van was coming from Enugu State when it was attacked on July 29, 2020.

The suspects were nabbed in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

On Monday, the Police Situation Report (SITREP) seen by PRNigeria, said, IRT Detectives with technical Intelligence Support from TIU arrested one Alfred Robinson, 45, a native of Gelegele Town in Ovia North LGA of Edo State on 1/8/2020 in Asaba, Delta State.

It added that: During intensive follow up, six more gang members were arrested by IRT detectives within 24 hours.

The SITREP listed them as Sgt Ayeni Samuel, a Nigerian soldier serving in Ikeja, Lagos; Cpl Emeka Harrison, a dismissed Soldier who had served in Borno State; Emeka Illo, sponsor of the operation; Abuchi Elijah, aka Chime D Mosquito, the informant for the robbers; and Ibanifiroi Ekiene, a native of Tombia community.

A number of firearms were recovered from the criminals.

These are 12 improvised explosives that did not detonate: One GPMG, six rifles, 51 AK-47 magazines, 1,620 ammunition, 2 robbed vehicles, breaking implements and charms.

The Police said all suspects, upon interrogation, confessed to the bullion van robbery.

They confessed that 4 out of the rifles recovered belong to the policemen killed during the operation.

The suspects are assisting police to arrest the remaining gang members
Tapestry Health will provide free COVID-19 testing in Springfield as part of the Stop the Spread testing initiative and announced the sites on Monday.

Sen. Eric Lesser applauded the news of more testing sites but felt the news bittersweet, adding that more needs to be done to expand testing in the western half of the state.

This is a critical time to ramp up testing in order to contain the virus and hopefully avoid the secondary surges that have happened in other states. Tapestry has always stepped up to address public health in moments of crisis, and it makes sense that Tapestry is being called upon to make this happen, said Tapestry CEO Cheryl Zoll.

Gov. Charlie Baker announced that the state is expanding its free coronavirus testing program to eight more communities with slightly higher rates of infections, including Springfield and Worcester.

The initiative, dubbed Stop the Spread, launched on July 10, and included free COVID-19 testing at sites in Chelsea, Everett, Fall River, Lawrence, Lowell, Lynn, Marlborough and New Bedford, where officials have observed higher rates of infection and lower testing levels.

It was welcome news to learn that our call for testing outside of I-495 was heard and that some action was taken, said Lesser. The inclusion of Agawam and Springfield in the Stop the Spread testing initiative will take some pressure off our local healthcare systems and will help some of our most vulnerable populations access COVID-19 testing at no cost, without prior referral and close to home.

The testing sites come as more than 50 infections have been tied to a recent coronavirus outbreak at Baystate Medical Center but the outbreak has not spread beyond the affected unit, hospital officials said Monday.

The Massachusetts Department of Public Health reported on Sunday that 406 people are hospitalized in Massachusetts because of the virus.

The states positive test rate rose to 2.2% based on a seven-day weighted average. In mid-July, the average was at 1.7%. State officials said last week that a slight increase may be the result of several small clusters of cases linked to recent gatherings.

We have many very vulnerable and very high-risk communities, Lesser told the Boston Herald on July 12. The idea that a person of limited needs, a low-income person, a person from an immigrant community or non-English speaking community is going to be able to access a site in Marlborough 70 miles away is totally unrealistic and totally defeats the purpose of the initiative.

Free testing sites opening in Western Massachusetts is welcome news, but Lesser said more needs to be done.

More needs to be done to expand testing capacity in Western Massachusetts, a highly diverse region that encompasses nearly 3,000 square miles and remains the poorest area of our Commonwealth, said Lesser. We all have a part to play in stopping the spread of the COVID-19 and that starts with an even playing field that includes all areas across our Commonwealth.

Testing will be drive-through, free, and available for both asymptomatic and symptomatic individuals. Testing will be done via nasal swab and results will be available within 48 hours. The program is scheduled to run through Aug. 14. Testing is not limited to only residents of Springfield or other named cities; it is open to all residents of Massachusetts.

Springfield testing locations and dates are:

Aug. 7: from 3-6 p.m. at South End Middle School, 36 Margaret St.

Aug. 11: from 3-6 p.m. at Zanetti Middle School, 474 Armory St.

Aug. 14: from 3-6 p.m. at Kennedy Middle School, 1385 Berkshire Ave.

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The Covid pandemic continued to batter the US economy, with the countrys GDP shrinking 33 percent in the April-June quarter to record its worst contraction since World War 2. Unemployment, too, is at its worst level since that war. With a presidential election around the corner, the rhetoric around jobs for Americans, predictably, is again rising. On cue, President Donald Trump has announced further restrictions on people with H-1B visas, preventing them from working in federal contracts.

In June, the American President banned workers on H-1B visas from entering the US till the end of the year. Theres nothing new here, however. Restricting guest worker visas has been a part of Trumps Buy American, Hire American agenda since his inauguration in January 2017.

Indias IT services companies, by now accustomed to Trumps ways, will nevertheless wince at his latest move, though experts say it will not impact them much as only about 3 percent of their work involves federal contracts.

As V Ramakrishnan, CFO of TCS pointed out in an earlier interview with Moneycontrol, companies will always figure out a way to work within the rules, though it may not always be the most efficient way.

Trumps clampdown since taking over has already resulted in increased localisation in the US, with top Indian IT firms now having more than 60 percent of their employees in the US as locals. Indian firms visa dependency has also come down in the last three years.

Even so, given that the US is the largest market for Indias IT services firms, more restrictions will impact their ability to cater to the market in the long run. They will therefore need to look at others options that offer them stability.

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

Yugal Joshi, Vice President of IT consulting firm Everest Group, said: Besides the political rhetoric given the election and ongoing pandemic, the direction of such a move (ring-fencing federal contracts) is problematic for any skill-based industry and this isnt limited to India-based IT service firms.

What impact will the restrictions have?

Experts believe that offshoring will rise as will localisation as firms seek to further reduce their dependence on US visas. The US will consequently lose out on innovation as well as research and development, IT services industry lobby Nasscom said in a statement.

While billing from federal contracts may not be huge, Joel Yanovich, Attorney at Murthy Law firm, a US-based immigration firm, said the number of H-1B workers Indian IT services companies deploy on such contracts is not insignificant. And from here on, these firms will have to use American workers for federal government projects.

Krishnan Venkatachary, Chief Financial Officer, Cigniti Technologies, said that the company is currently in talks to close a federal project. If the project goes through, we will be employing American workers instead of H-1Bs, he added.

Offshoring

According to Venkatachary, though the restrictions might be challenging, the company is talking to clients about moving projects offshore. This is the option most IT firms are likely to explore. Offshoring refers to movement of resources from a high-cost area to the area that is more cost efficient. Here the move will be to India.

In terms of the resource mix, Cigniti has about 74 percent its people off shore and 26 percent on site. We are looking at 80-20, where 80 percent will be offshore and the rest onsite, he added.

Other firms, too, are looking at improving their offshore mix. In a recent conversation with Moneycontrol, Manoj Bhat, CFO, Tech Mahindra, said the company is in discussions with clients to move work offshore.

Milind Lakkad, Human Resources head, TCS, told Moneycontrol that the pandemic has made it a challenge but TCS is always looking for an opportunity to move work offshore.

HCL Tech started moving work offshore for a large client in January, said Prateek Agarwal, the companys CFO, during a recent interaction. With remote working becoming the norm, clients are more understanding about moving work offshore, he added.

Challenges

But all this will come with its own challenges. In the short-term, with visa extensions taking time, projects will suffer since firms might not be able send resources onsite or assign an H-1B resource instantly.

Also, without visas, thousands of techies will be forced to return home. This would inflate the local labour market in India, Joshi said.

Also, onshore deployment is a major attraction for employees, and if that reduces, it will impact the IT industrys positioning as an employer, he added.
State benefits, on average, cover about 40 percent of the typical workers lost wages, says Michele Evermore, senior policy analyst at the National Employment Law Project. Given the extraordinary economic crisis, federal lawmakers wanted to top up state benefits so that workers would get close to 100 percent of their lost wages. Because so many states unemployment IT systems are ancient and decrepit, though, targeting a specific fraction of lost wages proved nearly impossible to administer. So Congress passed a $600 weekly supplement because it seemed about the right amount to make the average worker whole.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Supreme Court on Tuesday ordered immediate release of two social workers arrested and remanded to judicial custody for providing support to a gang-rape victim on the orders of the Araria district court in Bihar.

Tanmay Nivedita and Kalyani Badola, both members of an NGO called Jagran Shakti Sangathan, said in their plea, "As the state's judicial machinery has been seriously impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the petitioners' right to access judicial remedies as per the provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure stands suspended infinitum. The social workers were sent to judicial custody on July 10 for their alleged misdemeanor while assisting and supporting the victim in court." A top court bench comprising Justices Arun Mishra, B.R. Gavai and Krishna Murari has issued a notice to the Bihar government, directing the immediate release of the social workers on a personal bond of Rs 10,000.

"The order by which the petitioners were sent to custody was totally impermissible," noted the top court.

Advocate Vrinda Grover, representing the social workers, contended before the bench that the plea was filed under extraordinary circumstances due to the prevailing Covid-19 situation.

The petitioners contended that they were sent to custody for providing support to a gang-rape victim. "The gang-rape survivor in her anguished state had expressed uncertainty and anxiety which was misunderstood by the judicial magistrate and he expressed anger and took offence at the victim and the petitioners/support persons during the proceedings under Section 164 of the CrPC," said the plea.

The plea added, "The petitioners (social workers) along with the survivor had sought bail from the CJM (Chief Judicial Magistrate), Araria, who vide order dated July 17 granted bail to the survivor but denied bail to the petitioners. The order of the CJM is unsustainable in law as it is contrary to the settled bail jurisprudence as laid down in a catena of judgments of this court." The petitioners contended that the FIR registered in Araria was not maintainable in law as there was a statutory bar against the police investigating criminal contempt of court.

"The inclusion of provisions from the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971 in the FIR reveals the non-application of mind and arbitrary exercise of authority which unfortunately is writ large over the entire proceedings against the petitioners," the plea added.
A 'flabbergasted' motorist has been handed a fine by a private parking firm after being snapped by cameras while taking a drive-thru coronavirus test at a car park in north London last month.

Geoff Pugh, 52, received the 90 penalty charge notice (PCN) from Highview Parking after taking his family for a throat and mouth swab in the car park at Edmonton Green Shopping Centre in Enfield on 7 July.

The site has been been a Covid-19 testing location for front-line workers since the beginning of May and to the general public during the lockdown period.

Fine mess: A motorist who took his family to a registered Covid-19 testing site in north London has been slapped with a 90 fine by the private parking firm that operates the car park

Mr Pugh, a photographer from Stoke Newington, east London, told the PA news agency: 'At first I thought it was just a genuine fine, so I was about to pay it, but when I looked into where it happened and realised what it was, I was flabbergasted.

'I think it's completely ridiculous to charge someone for looking after the health of their family, neighbours and work colleagues.

'I didn't even leave the car the whole time I was there.'

Mr Pugh said he was at the site for 23 minutes with his wife and two children  aged nine and 11  and followed all of the advice from staff directing him where to go.

His vehicle had been detected by a camera using automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) which was situated in the car park and provides a feed to the private parking firm that operates the site.

Mr Pugh, 57, a photographer from Stoke Newington, said he and his family were in the car park for 23 minutes to have the tests, but followed all instructions from members on site

A Highview Parking spokesman said it would cancel any PCNs issued to visitors 'incorrectly'.

The spokesman said: 'The car park terms and conditions and the pay-for-parking system and tariff are set by our client  we do not have any involvement in setting these rules, or indeed when they do or do not charge for parking.

'We cannot confirm whether or not the car park has been repurposed by Enfield Council, just that we have been asked to suspend enforcement activity on specific days and times where they have agreed to provide space for Covid testing.

'However the car park is still being used for retail during this time.

'As these are specific dates, we rely on notification of those dates in advance.

'July 7 was an occasion where we were only notified that the site had been used for Covid testing, more than a week later, and PCNs were already issued.

'We will cancel any PCNs that have been issued to visitors incorrectly on this or any other specified date where testing is taking place.'

The north side car park at Edmonton Green Shopping Centre has been a Barnet Council Covid-19 site since the beginning of May

Signage on entry to the car park states it is a private car park enforced by ANPR cameras. However, it has been a registered testing site in north London for three months and Mr Pugh had followed all of the advice from staff directing him where to go

A new Parking (Code of Practice) Act 2019 was created last year and provides a new appeals service would make it easier for drivers to challenge unfair parking charges.

Drivers can currently appeal through the Parking on Private Land Appeals (POPLA) service, provided the issuer of the charge is a member of the BPA.

This is Money launched a campaign against private parking firms in 2018.

Hundreds of readers responded with tales of their own unfair charges, and we also reported on the Basildon car park which led to so many shoppers being landed with fines that it spawned its own dedicated Facebook group with 5,000 members.

Our campaign has been backed by AA president Edmund King, who wrote to the Transport Secretary in 2018 calling for government intervention to 'restore the principle of deterrence in the enforcement of parking and moving traffic offences  instead of the harvesting of charges at every opportunity.'
New Delhi:

Defence minister Manohar Parrikar will embark on a two-day visit to Bangladesh on Wednesday during which he will call on the top leadership there and firm up defence cooperation initiatives ahead of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's trip here next month.

Parrikar, who will be the first Indian defence minister to visit Bangladesh, will call on President Abdul Hamid in Dhaka and hold talks with the security advisor to Prime Minister, officials said.

On December 1, Parrikar, who will be accompanied by the vice chiefs of the army and air force, deputy chief of navy besides Coast Guard chief, will visit the military academy in Chittagong and meet Hasina, who also holds the defence portfolio.

Top defence ministry officials said the focus of the trip was to deepen security ties and firm up a defence cooperation agreement that is likely to be signed when Hasina visits here around December 17.

They said that Parrikar was originally scheduled to travel to Bangladesh much earlier this month but the visit was delayed. They also ruled out any link between the visit and the sale of two submarines by China to Bangladesh.

Hasina announced the plan to purchase two submarines in 2013 as part of her government's move to build a modern navy.

When Bangladesh Navy chief Muhammad Farid Habib had visited India in November last year, he had said Bangladesh is going to buy two used submarines from China for "training" its surface crew and Sonar crew in anti-submarine warfare.

"Since the delimitation of maritime border problem has been solved, we are now trying to cooperate. We are trying to patrol in our areas. So in our sea, we also expect lot of gas and oil," Habib had said then.

He also said Bangladesh wants to work with the Indian Navy as there are many "non-traditional threats" in sea, a reference to piracy, floating armouries among others.

"We cannot tackle those threats alone. It requires cooperation so that we can together fight non-traditional threats and make the area peaceful," the visiting Navy chief had said.

Areas of naval cooperation that are proposed include option of coordinated patrolling along International Maritime Boundary Line(IMBL), bilateral exercises between both navies, joint surveillance of Exclusive Economic Zone and cooperation in hydrography.

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ANN ARBOR, MI - The University of Michigan failed to properly address earlier reports of sexual misconduct by former Provost Martin Philbert, President Mark Schlissel said Monday.

Schlissel addressed the recently-released report issued Friday by WilmerHale following their investigation of sexual misconduct allegations against Philbert, who the report found to have sexually harassed numerous university and student employees, and engaged in multiple sexual relationships with subordinate employees.

Philbert, who was placed on administrative leave and removed from his position as provost, was found to have engaged in conduct that violated UMs sexual harassment policy, and the firm identified numerous times when university personnel received information about Philberts conduct.

Schlissel wrote in a message to the campus community Monday, Aug. 3, that the behaviors uncovered by the investigation were both awful and unacceptable, falling short of the universitys often-stated values. You can read Schlissels full remarks here.

The university has fallen far short of creating a culture that rejects harassment and misconduct and ensures that no one in our community fears retaliation for reporting, Schlissel said. What kept coming through to me was how many people were badly hurt by Philberts behavior, but also how afraid they were about coming forward.

The findings of this report are deeply distressing, both as to the harms to members of our community and to our institutional failings. The safeguards, policies and procedures we had in place were inadequate.

The report revealed that personnel had first warned the university of Philberts conduct in 2003, when a male employee in Philberts lab alleged that he was in a close personal relationship with a female lab employee. WilmerHale called the universitys initial investigation superficial, and the incident was part of a wrongful termination lawsuit, but WilmerHale said it did not bring to light any evidence of an improper relationship.

In 2005, a professor in the School of Public Health received two first-hand accounts of sexual misconduct by Philbert from a female graduate student and a female research assistant, the report said. Both said Philbert kissed them on the neck and one said he propositioned her for sex, according to the report.

The professor reported the information to Anthony Walesby, then-director of the Office for Institutional Equity. The two women declined to speak with Walesby and file reports, the report said, and the university decided not to investigate.

In this instance, WilmerHale said the university should have taken further steps to investigate Philbert.

In 2010, Philbert was a candidate for dean of the School of Public Health when then-provost Philip Hanlon and chair of the search committee, Paula Lantz learned of the 2005 allegations against him. Lantz reported it to the provosts office, and both she and Hanlon had access to a confidential survey in which one anonymous participant said, I was subject to inappropriate and unwanted sexual comments and suggestions, according to the report.

Unwanted hugs and sexual propositions: Report details former UM provosts harassing behavior

One of the research assistants who told the School of Public Health professor about Philberts conduct in 2005 reenrolled as a graduate student in the fall of 2012. In spring of 2013, she filed petitions requesting a tuition refund and transcript amendment when she withdrew from the school based on emotional distress she was experiencing related to Philberts alleged sexual misconduct in 2005, the report says.

Walesby told multiple university officials, the report says, and the petitions were the third time in eight years that the 2005 allegations came to the attention of senior university administrators. But, because the research assistant provided no new information and senior officials believed OIE had fully investigated her allegations, they did not ask OIE to investigate in 2013.

In his remarks, Schlissel noted he, too, missed an anonymous allegation of misconduct by Philbert in 2019 after reviewing the WilmerHale investigation.

As part of the WilmerHale investigation, I provided access to all of my documents for their review, Schlissel said. It was in those materials where they discovered something I had missed in 2019  an anonymous allegation of misconduct by Philbert. I sincerely regret that. Had I seen it, I would have reported it immediately to the Office for Institutional Equity for evaluation.

In all, the report found significant evidence that for 15 years, Philbert engaged in a wide range of sexual misconduct, including sexual harassment, and neither OIE or senior leadership of the university understood the seriousness of Philberts misconduct. WilmerHale made three recommendations at the end of the report, which fall into three categories:

Ensuring that information reaches OIE and appropriate university officials

Ensuring that findings are based on full investigations

Ensuring that all hiring decisions are informed by past findings of policy violations

In their report, WilmerHale did not find evidence that UM personnel intentionally hid allegations about Philberts misconduct, but rather the university should have done more to investigate in 2005.

Schlissel said UM must address WilmerHales recommendations, while also looking beyond to determine what it needs to do to address the fear of retaliation in its community and build a culture that does not accept misconduct or harassment at any level.

It is clear from the report that our institution must work to support and empower individuals to report misconduct, Schlissel said. The university also needs to develop ways to better capture and, when appropriate, act on anonymous reports and information we receive from those who do not wish to file a formal specific complaint.

READ MORE:

Investigation into former UM provost reveals long history of sexual misconduct

Former University of Michigan provost to relinquish tenured faculty position June 30

Unwanted hugs and sexual propositions: Report details former UM provosts harassing behavior
A Reading Half Hour activity was held by Shenzhen Library in South Chinas Guangdong Province on the World Book and Copyright Day which falls on April 23 each year. Applying augmented reality (AR) technology, the activity encouraged people from Guangdong, Hubei and the Macao Special Administrative Region to read together and livestreamed the process on internet platforms.

Thanks to the continuous advancement of digital technologies in the recent years, cultural resources are better protected and exploited. Digital technologies have brought whole new exhibition forms and user experience, which enables people to enjoy the charm of culture without stepping out of their houses.

The Reading Half Hour activity has an AR venue and four sub-venues in Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan and Macao. It was joined by nearly 150 libraries and 430 other sites, including schools, enterprises, residential communities, hospitals, industrial parks, cafeterias and families in Guangdong, Hubei and Macao.

The event aimed to encourage citizens to open the books and enjoy the pleasure of reading, said Huang Jing, an employee with the Shenzhen Library.

Apart from the Reading Half Hour activity, the Shenzhen Library also established a cloud library to better help citizens read books where they can acquire massive digital resources online. A reader card is all they need to move almost the entire library into their phones. The readers of the library do not have to turn pages of heavy and thick books to finish thesis, as information is acquired easily after a few clicks on their screens.

To offer comfortable experiences of digital reading, the Shenzhen Library also launched a digital reading room - a mini program on social platform WeChat. Having no more need of waiting in a long line for the library to open in the morning, readers are now more enthusiastic about reading. The mini program was visited by 36,000 people in the first week since it was launched, and its resources were visited over 340,000 times.

To read at home is not only the last choice made due to the COVID-19 epidemic, but also a possible new model of reading in the future, said Xiao Yongshan, director of the general office of the Shenzhen Library.

Due to epidemic prevention and control, the library suspended operation for two months, but its resources were visited 250,000 person-times, up 21 percent from a year ago. A total of 2,400 gigabits of resources were downloaded, up 58 percent year-on-year.
In New York, thousands of police discipline records that were kept secret are now public thanks to a change in the law. A statute known as 50-a meant the public could not know about complaints made against police officers or the outcomes of those complaints but, after the mass anti-racism protests sparked by the police killing of George Floyd in May, activists in New York successfully pushed for the law to be repealed.

Related: New York police officer faces charges over apparent chokehold

Soon after the law changed, the news organization ProPublica asked New Yorks Civilian Complaint Review Board (CCRB) to see this information. The result is a publicly available database of active-duty officers in New York City with at least one allegation against them that has been substantiated by the CCRB. Almost 4,000 officers are included in the database, representing 11% of the 36,000 officers in the NYPD.

Shown above are the 10 New York City police officers with the most allegations against them.

Often, there is a clear pattern in the allegations made against these officers. Take Daniel Sbarra for instance, a lieutenant in the Organized Crime Investigation Division. Of the 69 allegations against Sbarra where race and ethnicity data for the complainants was recorded, 58 of the civilians were Black and 11 were Hispanic. Most were men. The allegations include offensive language, abuse of authority and use of force.

Of the allegations made against Sbarra, 16 have been substantiated. The lieutenant who currently works in Brooklyn North has also been involved in at least 12 lawsuits that have cost the city over $1.5m in settlements.

Although it receives thousands of complaints each year, the CCRB is unable to substantiate most of them. Often, they have to rely on NYPD officers to cooperate in the investigations (for example, to hand over body-cam footage) and, despite a legal obligation to do so, the department often fails to comply.

Speaking to ProPublica, the former CCRB investigator Dan Bodah said: I exonerated tons of cases that involved awful conduct that fell within the guidelines. Its kind of haunting. The law and policy gives cops a lot of discretion. Out of 3,000 allegations of misuse of force in 2018, just 73 were substantiated.

The earnings shown here, which are collected by the Legal Aid Society using New York City Open Data, are from 2018 and include salary as well as overtime and other benefits. Its important to include those other earnings, since New York police officers often make a huge amount of money in overtime.

Take this years budget, for example. In 2020, the NYPD had a budget of $5,921,060,664 (thats $5.9bn), but an additional $5.3bn was spent on overtime, pensions and fringe benefits. That means that the city spends almost $21,000 per minute on the NYPD.
The cost of furloughing millions of British workers rose by more than 2billion in the last week of July, new figures show.

Some 9.6 million jobs had been covered by the coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (JRS) up to August 2, Government figures show. This was an increase of 100,000 on the previous week.

The cumulative cost of the scheme rose from 31.7billion on July 26 to 33.8billion on Sunday, an increase of 2.1billion.

However, HM Revenue and Customs said it does not currently have data on how many jobs are currently furloughed.

This makes it hard to determine how many people have gone back to work amid Boris Johnson's call for offices and other workplaces to reopen to stimulate the economy.

Yesterday was meant to be the day many Britons returned to their workplaces after official guidance was altered to dissuade people from working from home.

But many offices, factories and other workplaces have remained closed as reluctant Brits stay home - many with the blessing of their employers.

Last week the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said almost a fifth of workers - an estimated six million people - remained on furlough despite Government attempts to bring the economy back to life.

Yesterday was meant to be the day many Britons returned to their workplaces after official guidance was altered by Boris Johnson (pictured yesterday leaving London to work from Chequers) to dissuade people from working from home

It said roughly one in three furloughed workers in Britain returned to their jobs in the first two weeks of July as the hospitality industry began to reopen to the public after a coronavirus lockdown.

But in a further blow for ministers hopes of a swift economic recovery, businesses surveyed between June 29 and July 12 said 7 per cent of their staff had returned from furlough within the past two weeks.

Some 18.5 per cent remained on leave on a government-funded programme which pays 80 per cent of their salaries.

An ONS survey released last week posted a bleak picture of the return from furlough

The JRS is due to end in October, prompting forecasts of a big rise in unemployment.

Last week the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR) said it could cost 1.2million jobs.

Meanwhile more than 50 billion of loans to businesses hit by Covid-19 have been approved so far, the Treasury said today.

This includes, up to August 2, 33.34billion in bounceback loans for 1,135,575 businesses.

The Government, which is guaranteeing the vast majority of the loans should they not be repaid, added that 13.08billion has been endorsed through the coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS) and 3.27billion through the coronavirus large business interruption loan scheme (CLBILS) to larger firms.

A total of 537 convertible loans have been awarded through the Future Fund, totalling 534 million.

The Whitehall workers who STILL arent back in the office: Number of civil servants at their desks plummets despite Government pleas for their return

Just days ago civil servants were urged to return to the office by the Government  but far from leading by example, the number back at their desks in Whitehall has plummeted further.

MPs called on staff to show the way for the rest of Britain last week after a Mail investigation revealed ministerial offices were like ghost towns with only a fraction of staff turning up.

But despite Boris Johnson stepping in to reassure employees it was safe to go back, the number of people arriving at ministerial offices yesterday morning was down by up to a third on last week.

It comes after health officials investigated a coronavirus outbreak at the Cabinet Office and Home Office last week (file photo of Lunar House, which houses a division of the Home Office)

The largest drop was at the 800,000-square-foot Home Office headquarters where only 94 staff arrived  50 fewer than last Wednesday.

Meanwhile only one per cent of the Department for Educations London workforce were observed entering its seven-floor offices, which held up to 2,000 staff before lockdown. The two dozen seen arriving yesterday was down from 34 last Thursday.

Offices are understood to be running at a reduced capacity of 30 per cent. But just 112 people were counted going in to work at a 100-year-old Government building that would normally house thousands of staff from five ministries, including the Treasury. Last week the average was 140.

Treasury staff, who must book a space 48 hours in advance if they want to go in, have reportedly been assured they will get two months notice before any collective return to work. Only the Department for Work and Pensions, which has space for around 1,700 workers, saw a slight uptick in staff turning up to work  from 31 last Thursday to 33 yesterday.

It comes after health officials investigated a coronavirus outbreak at the Cabinet Office and Home Office last week.

Workers are reportedly being reassured privately by some department bosses that they will be able to continue working from home this month and only need to come in if they want to.

Just 112 people were counted going in to work at a 100-year-old Government building that would normally house thousands of staff from five ministries (file photo of HM Treasury)

There are growing fears city centre shops and eateries which rely on custom from office workers face ruin if more employees are not encouraged to return. Last week Alex Chisholm, second-in-command at the Civil Service, told departments it was time to change the default that civil servants should work from home and accelerate the return to the workplace from August.

Dave Penman, general secretary of the FDA union representing civil servants, said the Government should not be using officials to virtue-signal to the private sector.

A Government spokesman said: We are consulting closely with employees on ending the default that civil servants should work from home and have ensured workplaces are Covid-secure so civil servants can return safely.
Boeing announced Monday that it has secured a $265 million contract for nine more MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command, bringing the total compliment of next-generation Chinooks to be produced at its Ridley plant to 24.

The G-Model is a critical asset for the Army, our nation, and the defense industrial base, said Andy Builta, vice president and H-47 program manager, in a release. Were honored that the Armys special operators trust us to deliver it.

The MH-47G Block II Chinook features an improved structure and weight reduction initiatives like new lighter weight fuel pods that increase performance, efficiency, and commonality across the fleet, according to Boeing, and will give the Army significantly more capability for extremely challenging missions.

The Chinook Block II upgrades were on the chopping block as recently as last year, when Army Under-Secretary Ryan D. McCarthy announced a decision to delay the program. The move was met with bipartisan opposition, including from U.S. Rep. Mary Gay Scanlon, D-5 of Swarthmore, and U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, R-PA, of Zionsville, both of whom voiced strong support for the upgrades.

The House Appropriations Defense subcommittee last July directed the Army to restore funding for the program in future budget requests and the House Armed Services Committee sought an additional $28 million to keep the Chinook Block II program operational for the next five years. Those recommendations were included in the Fiscal Year 2020 National Defense Authorization Act passed in December.

Boeing has more than 4,600 Boeing employees in Pennsylvania supporting the Chinook, V-22 Osprey, MH-139A Grey Wolf, and a number of services and engineering efforts. The company said in a release that its presence in Pennsylvania supports an estimated 16,000 total jobs, including suppliers and vendors.
RIO GRANDE CITY, Texas  A tense rescue scene has been unfolding for weeks outside a small rural hospital on the Mexican border that has been the first line of defense against one of the most voracious coronavirus outbreaks in the country.

Nearly every day, a crew at Starr County Memorial Hospital prepares a patient whom its doctors are unable to help, loads the gurney into a helicopter and stands back as the aircraft roars into the country sky.

Very, very unfortunately, of all of the patients we have transferred, none have come back alive, said Dr. Jose Vazquez, the health authority in Starr County, a remote section of the Rio Grande Valley in Texas that before the coronavirus outbreak did not have a single I.C.U. bed.
Workers at Toyotas San Antonio plant are working overtime, and the automaker is adding a Saturday shift as demand for pickup trucks outpaces supply.

Toyota continues to see strong demand for our pickups. However, inventory remains tight, Toyota spokesman Victor Vanov said in an email.

Consumer demand for Toyota pickup trucks and those of other auto manufacturers has been a bright spot for a COVID-19-ravaged U.S. auto industry.

Company officials said the overtime is tacked onto each of the two weekday shifts weekdays at the South Side factory, which produces Tacoma and Tundra pickups. A single Saturday shift begin next weekend.

Toyota reopened its San Antonio plant and most others in North America on May 11 after it closed for sevens weeks for deep cleaning and to institute measures to safeguard workers from the spread of COVID-19. The shutdown resulted in the short supply of trucks.

Yet a San Antonio Toyota employee filed a complaint against the manufacturer with the Occupational Health and Safety Administration, accusing the company of not following Centers for Disease Control and Preventions COVID-19 guidelines. Its one of more than 6,000 open, pandemic-related complaints filed with OHSA from across the U.S.

Toyota spokeswoman Melissa Sparks said, The health and safety of our team members remains our priority and we are following all appropriate guidelines.

As Toyota moves to increase production, July figures show that sales of the midsize Tacoma and the full-sized Tundra fell from the same month a year earlier. But auto industry analysts said the numbers were misleading because the low inventory of the trucks has slowed sales.

The vehicle manufacturer sold 17,412 Tacoma trucks last month, down 14.7 percent from July 2019. The Tundra saw sales of 9,086 this July, down 18.2 percent from a year ago.

Dealers inventories of pickup trucks have to be greater than other vehicles because there are many manufacturer options and consumers may be looking for specific features, said Jessica Caldwell, executive director of Insights at the autmotive website Edmunds.com.

Pickup features include multiple engine choices, single or double cabs, two-door and four-door models and varying cargo bed lengths.

While Toyota dealers may have some inventory, it may not be a pickup truck with the options a buyer wants, Caldwell said.

She said demand for pickup trucks has been helped by the pandemic in some cases.

It can be used for business, it can be used as a family vehicle, she said. People can use it to tow an Airstream vehicle for camping, which is becoming more popular as an alternative to staying at a hotel during the pandemic.

Randy Diamond covers aviation, tourism and the travel industry. To read more from Randy, become a subscriber. randy.diamond@express-news.net
At around 9pm Gardai received a report that a man was seen climbing up scaffolding on the South Mall.

They attended the scene and found a man, covered in blue paint, in the reception area.

Gardai searched the rest of the building and discovered that blue paint had been put on the walls in several rooms.

The man, aged in his 20s, was arrested and brought to Bridewell Garda Station. He was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 and has since been charged.

He is due to appear before Mallow District Court this morning.
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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) Ajaccio, France  Tue, August 4, 2020 14:07 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b7b8bd 2 People vandalism,Anne-Frank,France,memorial-site,Corsica,Jews,Holocaust Free

A commemorative tree grown from a cutting of the horse chestnut Anne Frank wrote about in her diary during World War II, has been vandalized on the French island of Corsica, prompting an investigation, prosecutors said Monday.

The damage to the tree, donated in 2010 to Corsica by the Anne Frank Museum in Amsterdam, was discovered early Sunday, just hours before an annual event was hosted on the Mediterranean island to remember the Holocaust.

Jewish teenager Frank found encouragement in a white horse chestnut tree she could see from a window in a concealed apartment on Amsterdam's Keizersgracht where she and her family hid from the Nazis for nearly two years.

On February 23, 1944, she wrote in her diary, now one of the world's most widely-read books: "The two of us looked out at the blue sky, the bare chestnut tree glistening with dew, the seagulls and other birds glinting with silver as they swooped through the air."

"We were so moved and entranced that we couldn't speak."

Anne Frank died in 1945 at the age of 15 at the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp in northern Germany.

Read also: Anne Frank's diary in 2020: Vlogging from the annex hideout

The near 200-year-old tree, diseased and propped up with a steel frame, finally toppled in strong winds in 2010, but not before saplings were sent to recipients all over the world, including the village of Pianello in eastern Corsica.

Prosecutors from the nearby city of Bastia said Monday the tree trunk had been stripped of some of its bark, potentially threatening its survival.

An investigation has been opened into willful destruction of property.

Bastia prosecutor Caroline Tharot told AFP no one had claimed responsibility and the vandals had left no inscription. It was therefore impossible to say for certain that the act had an anti-Semitic objective, she added.

The damage was done on the same day that Pianello hosted an annual day of debates, conferences and concerts in commemoration of the Holocaust, the massacre of some six million Jews at the hands of the Nazis.
Washington, D.C., Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The uncertainty of indefinite shutdowns and shifting reopening phases are causing hardship to people across Massachusetts. The New Civil Liberties Alliance, a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group, has filed an opening brief on behalf of plaintiff-petitioners in Dawn Desrosiers, et al. v. Governor Charles D. Baker. The plaintiff-petitioners which include business owners, church pastors, and the headmaster of a private school, have bypassed state trial court to ask the states highest court to decide directly whether the governors March 10, 2020, Civil Defense State of Emergency declaration and the ensuing emergency orders responding to the coronavirus pandemic are lawful exercises of gubernatorial authority.

On July 10, 2020, Justice Barbara A. Lenk of the Supreme Judicial Court entered an order to reserve and report the matter to the full court for decision. Justice Lenk agreed with the parties that promptly obtaining a decision by Massachusettss highest court is in the public interest. Such an approach will provide clarity regarding the validity of Governor Bakers decisions more quickly. A major issue is his reliance on the Civil Defense Act, rather than the Public Health Act, to impose his unilateral orders to close and restrict access to businesses, churches, schools, and limit private and some public gatherings.

The Supreme Judicial Court will consider two questions: (1) whether the Civil Defense Act provides authority for Governor Baker to declare a state of emergency and if his issuance of the emergency orders violates the separation of powers; and (2) whether the emergency orders violate the plaintiffs constitutional rights to due process and free assembly.

NCLA argues that Governor Baker has arbitrarily declared which businesses, organizations, and activities are essential, and banned others by categorizing them into his unilaterally defined reopening phases. The governor has also indefinitely closed some businesses, making their operations contingent upon a treatment or vaccine for the coronavirusevents over which those affected have no control. Even while he has allowed certain businesses to reopen, he continues to exercise the authority he usurped from the legislature to pursue his own policies on conditions and restrictions to business operations.

The plaintiffs have argued that the governors orders are invalid because the COVID-19 pandemic is not a civil defense emergency and does not afford the governor sweeping emergency powers to mitigate the spread of infectious diseases. The Civil Defense Act is a 1950s-era statute designed to protect the Commonwealth from foreign invasions, armed insurrections, and civil unrest and destruction associated with natural disasters such as fire and earthquakes.

The Massachusetts legislature, adopted the Public Health Act to empower health authorities to control and prevent transmission of infectious diseases dangerous to public health. It never intended for the Civil Defense Act to supersede it. Under the Public Health Act, principal responsibility for disease control lies with local boards of health and healthcare officials. The governor does not have the lawmaking prerogative to legislate the police power in either the Public Health Act or the Civil Defense Act.

Furthermore, even if the CDA allows Gov. Baker to suspend some laws, the Massachusetts Declaration of Rights does not allow him to dispense any laws, which is what happens when he suspends the application of laws to some citizens but not others or comes up with new rules that only apply to certain groups that he has identified. Nor does the constitution permit him to deny peoples civil liberties without a hearing and adequate due process.

NCLA released the following statements:

The plaintiffs are conscientious citizens and good neighbors. They have been doing their part to stop the spread of COVID-19, and they will continue to do so. But they refuse to sit idly by and watch a health crisis worsen into a socio-economic crisis caused by Governor Bakers unconstitutional law-by-decree regime. A return to constitutional order will restore health to our communitiesphysical, social, and economicand ensure that the concerns for the welfare of all will be addressed by the legislature, as the Constitution intended.

 Michael P. DeGrandis, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA

No governor is above the law. They are instead required to faithfully carry out the law as written and stay within the confines of their constitutional authority. The coronavirus simply cannot become a vehicle by which to weaken and undermine our Republican form of government. Protecting our civil liberties and freedoms is critical to the long-term health of our country.

 Harriet Hageman, Senior Litigation Counsel, NCLA

ABOUT NCLA

NCLA is a nonpartisan, nonprofit civil rights group founded by prominent legal scholar Philip Hamburger to protect constitutional freedoms from violations by the Administrative State. NCLAs public-interest litigation and other pro bono advocacy strive to tame the unlawful power of state and federal agencies and to foster a new civil liberties movement that will help restore Americans fundamental rights.

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Proctorio + Derivita This partnership...[will] expand the subjects that Proctorios platform can be used for. We want students to be able to take STEM courses and add value to the degrees they are earning, whether they are online or in-person. - Proctorio Founder and CEO Mike Olsen.

Derivita, a powerful online STEM platform, today announced it has partnered with Proctorio, the leading remote proctoring solution, to help educators extend remote math assessments to more students as demand for online solutions grows amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

The coronavirus pandemic changed nearly every aspect of modern life overnight, and education is no exception, says Derivita Founder and CEO Devlin Daley. Through our partnership with Proctorio, were trying to help colleges, universities, and K-12 school districts make an unprecedented transition easier on their faculty, staff, and most importantly, their students.

Through the partnership, Derivitas cloud-based STEM learning platform has been fully integrated with Proctorios remote assessment proctoring platform. This will enable educators to administer mathematics assessments using Derivitas content and technology, and ensure rigorous adherence to academic integrity standards as students take quizzes and tests from non-classroom settings around the world.

Both Derivita and Proctorio integrate with popular learning management systems including Canvas, Blackboard, D2L Brightspace, and Moodle, allowing seamless integration into the existing technology stack for most educational institutions.

Proctorios Learning Integrity Platform uses machine learning algorithms to protect integrity in remote testing environments. Exam administrators can customize their assessments with Proctorios full suite of secure exam settings that include recording, lockdown, and identity verification options, allowing instructors to verify student activity while in their exam and protect the value of the degrees they issue.

From April 2019 to April 2020, Proctorio experienced a 900% increase in the number of exams proctored monthly, skyrocketing from 250,000 to 2.5 million while maintaining an uptime of 99.991% and an average support chat response time of 7.9 seconds. Proctorio is currently serving 850 partner institutions, supporting 1,200,000 active weekly users, and has collectively proctored 18 million exams in all but four countries around the world. Proctorio is now offering a free lockdown option and $5 per exam automated proctoring option for the duration of the COVID-19 crisis. Visit Proctorio's website to learn more.

In the past, subject matter for remotely proctored exams has been limited since STEM courses often require specific tools and platforms to accurately assess a students knowledge, says Proctorio Founder and CEO Mike Olsen. Through this partnership, we are hoping to give more students an opportunity to earn their degrees remotely, and expand the subjects that Proctorios platform can be used for. We want students to be able to take STEM courses and add value to the degrees they are earning, whether they are online or in-person.

Derivita was founded in response to growing demand for better online math and STEM instruction. Derivitas platform allows for more complex question types such as those in Statistics, College Algebra, Precalculus, and Calculus. The platform also offers an elegant user interface, improving both the student and instructor experience.

"Math is a leading predictor of student success when it comes to completing their degrees, and we dont want students to fall behind just because they cant enter a physical classroom right now," Daley says. "The digital infrastructure of education was already changing before COVID-19, and the pandemics impact on delivery of education will only accelerate these important changes. Our goal is to provide the best possible solutionsboth through our own development and through partnershipsto empower delivery of robust and rigorous educational material wherever a student may be."

About Derivita

Derivita is a STEM technology company founded by Devlin Daley, cofounder of Instructure, and Ryan Brown, former Google engineer. While working with hundreds of higher education institutions, they discovered that there was a significant need for better online math software and decided to build it themselves. Derivita provides a powerful computer algebra system that supports deeper and more complex question types with an elegant user interface that vastly improves the instructor and student experience. Derivita can be used with any publishers textbook or open education resources (OER) and seamlessly integrates with the schools learning management system (LMS).

Click here to learn more about Derivitas STEM Platform.

About Proctorio

Proctorios Learning Integrity Platform is a live and fully automated remote proctoring service that provides a scalable, cost-effective solution to validating test taker identities, activity, and originality during online exams. Proctorio ensures the integrity of distance learning and online certifications while protecting institutional accreditation, increasing the value of online degrees and credentials, and helping institutions grow their programs.

Proctorios customizable, secure exam settings, recording options and live ID verification allow institutions to set up unscheduled, on-demand proctoring specific to their assessment needs. Proctorio ensures fairness for test takers by increasing accountability, securing exam content, deterring cheating, and promoting a culture of integrity while improving learning outcomes.

Click here to learn more about Proctorio's Learning Integrity Platform.
The Hamburg frigate departs from Germanys Wilhelmshaven on a five-month mission to enforce a UN arms embargo.

A German frigate carrying 250 soldiers has departed at the start of a five-month mission as part of the European Union efforts to enforce a United Nations embargo on the flow of weapons into war-torn Libya.

The Hamburg frigate set sail for the Mediterranean from the port city of Wilhelmshaven on Tuesday.

The EUs Irini mission, launched in May, is tasked with preventing the flow of weapons into Libya as well as gathering information on illegal oil exports from the country and disrupting people smuggling in the region.

Satellites and planes are also being used to monitor the arms embargo.

The Hamburgs crew members are set to return on December 20 and may not see any days on land until then, due to precautions regarding the coronavirus pandemic.

We are facing a mission that will present the ship and crew with previously unknown challenges in several respects, Commander Jan Fitschen said at the start of the mission.

It is taking place on difficult political and operational terrain, he said.

Alleged violators

Countries accused of violating the embargo include Turkey, Russia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

Libya has been engulfed by civil war since the overthrow of longtime leader Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, with the conflict increasingly turning into a proxy war.

Turkey supports the government of Prime Minister Fayez Serraj, which is vying for power with renegade military commander Khalifa Haftar, who is backed by several militias.

Egypt, Russia and the UAE are on Haftars side.

Ankara, in turn, accuses the UAE of supplying Haftar with weapons, and argues that the EUs Operation Irini disproportionately targets Serraj.

International attempts of mediation have so far proved unsuccessful, including the latest Libya summit held in Berlin in January.

Recently, Germany, France and Italy for the first time threatened sanctions to enforce the UN arms embargo, which has been in place for nine years with repeated violations.
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We remember how praising Fidel Castro doomed the Bernie Sanders candidacy. I'm sure you remember all of those videos of Sanders talking about Cuba and the socialist paradise. It was enough to make many Democrats between the coasts worry about getting wiped out in November.

We may be watching how praising Fidel Castro is now destroying any chance of Karen Bass becoming Biden's V.P. choice. In 2016, Bass praised Fidel Castro following his death, calling him "Comandante en Jefe."

Like Sanders, Bass is now discovering that Castro was a dictator. She praised him before, but now she's doing "the Miami 2-step."

This is from her appearance with Chris Wallace:

Bass told Fox host Chris Wallace that her perspective "developed over time" and that she now understood that the Castro government "was a brutal regime." Bass said she spoke with colleagues from Florida who raised concerns about her comments and that she "would not do that again, for sure." "I absolutely would have not put that statement out," she said.

How convenient! What a timely conversion.

My guess is that Biden will skip Representative Bass because of Florida and her leftist past. At the same time, he committed himself to a "woman of color," and most of them have a leftist past.

PS: You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
Lisa Wilkinson has revealed she has Nicole Kidman to thank for her decade-spanning career in the Australian media.

In a teaser ahead of her interview on Anh's Brush with Fame on Tuesday, the 60-year-old revealed she was eternally grateful to the Oscar-winning actress.

Lisa said she was editing teen magazine, Dolly, back in 1983, when she decided to take a chance on an unknown redhead.

Life-changing: Lisa Wilkinson (left) has revealed she has Nicole Kidman (right) to thank for her decade-spanning career in the Australian media

'In 1983, I was really starting to feel like, I can try things here. And so, that month, I put on the cover a red-haired, corkscrew-curled 15-year-old by the name of Nicole Kidman,' she explained to host Anh Do.

She added: 'Of course, blonde-haired, blue-eyed surfie chicks ruled in Australia at that time.'

Before signing off on the cover, Lisa said she went to show it to her boss 'as a courtesy', but he had some reservations.

Before she was famous: Lisa said she was editing teen magazine, Dolly, back in 1983, when she decided to take a chance on an unknown redhead

'In 1983, I was really starting to feel like, I can try things here. And so, that month, I put on the cover a red-haired, corkscrew-curled 15-year-old by the name of Nicole Kidman,' she explained

'I went and showed it to my boss, and he said to me, "She's got freckles." And I said, "I know, isn't it fantastic?"' she recounted.

'And he said, "But she's got red hair." I said, "I know! Isn't it brilliant?" And he said, "I don't think you can run that, that's not going to sell."'

But Lisa said the cover proved to be a huge hit, and in a post on Instagram on Tuesday, admitted she'll 'always be so grateful' to the 53-year-old actress.

Taking chances: Before signing off on the cover, Lisa told host Anh Do (pictured) that she went to show it to her boss 'as a courtesy', but he had some reservations

'It was my first ever complete sellout. And young women embraced it and thought, "Great! She looks like me!" Change is a great thing,' added Lisa.

In a post on Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Lisa acknowledged: 'In 1983, an unknown 15-year-old called Nicole Kidman changed my life forever.'

Anh's Brush with Fame airs Tuesday at 8pm on ABC
Bangladesh: Aquaculture success story

by Megan Howell

August 04,2020 | Source: The Fish Site

A recent review in Aquaculture and Fisheries has tracked two decades of expansion in Bangladeshs fishery and aquaculture industries and linked it to the countrys overall economic growth, suggesting that additional investment could boost Bangladeshs economy.



The researchers reviewed data from Bangladeshs Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock and the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics to quantify the countrys fish production and import and export volumes for the last 20 years. Initial analysis showed that fish production has increased dramatically in the past two decades, starting from 1.781 million metric tonnes in 2000-2001 and reaching 4.134 million metric tonnes in 2016-2017. Employment opportunities in the sector are a boon as well  official statistics show that the fisheries and aquaculture sectors (directly and indirectly) support more than 18 million people. It also showed that Bangladesh is becoming less reliant on capture fisheries and is embracing aquaculture to meet domestic and export demand.

Though the data suggests that the industry has been a runaway success, there are some obstacles Bangladesh must overcome to maintain its position as a top aquaculture producer. Fish and shrimp quality, as well as low food and worker safety standards, remain pressing concerns for the aquaculture sector. If these concerns arent addressed, the industrys growth could quickly stagnate. The researchers suggest that policymakers prioritise product safety and sustainability as part of Bangladeshs wider blue growth plan for aquaculture. This will allow the current growth trajectory to continue, while improving the quality of farmed fish and shellfish.



Why aquaculture works in Bangladesh



Though Bangladesh is largely agrarian, analysts have identified the fish and seafood sector as a core component of the countrys economic development. The fishery and aquaculture industries play a decisive role in the Bangladeshi economy, supporting millions of jobs and providing reliable foreign export earnings. In 2018, Bangladesh was the fifth largest global aquaculture producer and the sector is expected to continue growing in the coming years. Economists expect Bangladesh to come out of the low-income country category and move into the lower-middle income category within the next seven years  aquaculture exports will play an instrumental role in the transition.



Other elements have contributed to the success of Bangladeshs aquaculture sector. The country already had vast and diverse stocks of fish at the start of the millennium. Fish is also the primary source of animal protein for Bangladesh, so generating domestic demand for cultured fish and shrimp wasnt an issue. Official data shows that aquaculture production has increased threefold since the year 2000, largely thanks to technological innovations and regulations that are producer friendly.



The story behind the data



The researchers highlighted the general growth trend of the aquaculture sector but explained that the 20 years of growth reflects the rapid changes in fish farming. Over the course of the study, Bangladesh became self-sufficient in fish production (utilising both fishery and aquaculture resources) and gained global recognition as a leading fish producer. The countrys aquaculture industry has shown sustained growth and has become a key part of its macroeconomic framework.



In terms of aquaculture exports, frozen shrimp has emerged as Bangladeshs main commodity. Much of the frozen shrimp produced in Bangladesh heads to the European Union  making the country one of the few low-income nations to export food products to the trading bloc. Though the rise of frozen shrimp is a story of growth, official data indicates that total aquaculture exports are mixed. Though they have grown in volume and earnings, the researchers could not identify any reliable trends. In the last years of the study, 2016-2017, the Bureau of Statistics logged a decline in aquaculture exports. The researchers believe that the dip can be attributed to poor quality and safety standards in fish and shrimp  something that could threaten the long-term growth of export commodities.



The researchers stress that the industry must boost its production standards to achieve the benchmarks imposed by its trading partners. This is the only way Bangladeshs exports will remain competitive and viable. When viewing Bangladeshs entire aquaculture sector, the data indicate that the industry has plenty of scope for development and is well-positioned for growth. Fish farming plays a pivotal role in the nations food security and generates significant employment and foreign exchange earnings. Policymakers need to harness this potential to strengthen the national economy.



The researchers stress that the governments blue growth agenda should continue. The eco-friendly programmes that stimulate production could be modified to include improved safety and quality standards for farmed shrimp and fish. This will not only keep Bangladeshs exports competitive but will also keep the country on its current growth trajectory.
Shrek the sheep ran away into a cave to avoid getting sheared, 6 years later he was found pic.twitter.com/aKDAsuiWr7  Nature & Animals  (@AnimalsWorId) August 3, 2020

Mother Cat Brings Her Ill Kitten To The Hospital, Medics Rush To Help Them Bored Panda (Phoebe)

Long Island goose rescued after being found strapped with explosives New York Post (J-LS)

Bill English: Computer mouse co-creator dies at 91 BBC (resilc)

Common crustacean turns microplastics into nanoplastics in days New Atlas (David L)

Wakaresaseya: Private Agents Hired To End Relationships BBC

Statins may not slash the risk of dying from heart disease: Controversial study claims the cheap cholesterol-busting pills offer no consistent benefit Daily Mail (J-LS). Not surprising. Statins are way overprescribed. Previous studies found they were beneficial only for people who had heart disease, not ones merely deemed at risk due to high LDL.

2+2 Never Equals 5 New Discourses. David: Some wokeists are now arguing that 2+2 does not necessarily equal 4 because hegemonical discourse. This is not a joke.

#COVID-19

Online Applications Open for New Work from Bermuda Residential Certificate Business Wire (UserFriendly). Note the only place I know up until now that provides for a self-employment visa is Mauritius.

China?

Beijing pushing New Delhi toward a hard choice Asia Times (Kevin W)

India

Watch | People seen wading through knee-deep water in the low-lying Elphinstone Road area in Mumbai amid heavy rain. #MumbaiRainspic.twitter.com/PlCB5TJANs  NDTV Videos (@ndtvvideos) August 4, 2020

New Cold War

Argentina Nears $65 Billion Restructuring Deal With Bondholders Wall Street Journal

Big Brother is Watching You Watch

Imperial Collapse Watch

Trump Transition

Many Americans Are Convinced Crime Is Rising In The U.S. Theyre Wrong. FiveThirtyEight

Were Tackling Questions on Rent, Jobs and Food Access at the Next Open Newsroom. Join Us The City. For NYC denizens. If readers know of similar resources in other areas, please pipe up in comments.

Laffaire Jeffrey Epstein

The Seduction of Virginia Giuffre Thomas Neuburger. Note how quickly Maxwell moved Giuffre to sex with Epstein compared to his NYC prep school targets. Another sign of how finely tuned this operation was.

2020

Our Famously Free Press
UN chief Antonio Guterres said schools were closed in 160 countries in mid-July, amid coronavirus pandemic.

The United Nations chief Antonio Guterres said the COVID-19 outbreak has led to the largest disruption of education in history, with schools closed in more than 160 countries in mid-July, affecting over one billion students.

Millions of people on the main island of Luzon, including the capital Manila, went back into a partial lockdown for the next two weeks.

Latin America broke through five million confirmed cases of COVID-19, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring the regions position as the area of the worlds hardest hit by the pandemic. It has already reported more than 200,000 deaths.

More than 18.3 million people around the world have been diagnosed with the new coronavirus as of Tuesday, up more than 280,000 in just one day. More than 10.9 million have recovered, and more than 695,000 have died.

Here are the latest updates:

Tuesday, August 4

23:29 GMT  Eighth Brazilian Cabinet minister tests positive for coronavirus

An eighth minister in Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros Cabinet has tested positive for the new coronavirus, Reuters news agency reported, as Brazil fights the worlds worst outbreak of the coronavirus outside the United States.

Jorge Oliveira, secretary of the presidency, has been working remotely in isolation since his diagnosis, his office said in a statement. Eight of Bolsonaros 23 Cabinet ministers have now tested positive for COVID-19.

The president and his wife, Michelle, also contracted the disease. Bolsonaro resumed official meetings and travel after a test showed he was no longer infected on July 25.

Brazil has confirmed more than 2.8 million cases of the virus since the pandemic began. The official death toll has risen to 94,665, with 51,603 new cases and 1,154 deaths in the past 24 hours, the Health Ministry said Tuesday.

11:45 GMT  NY Fed finds stark racial disparities in access to aid

Black-owned businesses have been hardest hit by the coronavirus pandemic, and there are stark disparities in their ability to access US government aid, the New York Federal Reserve Bank said.

These businesses, which already suffer from racial differences in access to bank lending, have been hit by a double-whammy of a health crisis and financial issues making them almost twice as likely to close their doors than occurs at the national rate, according to a new study.

But in many of the coronavirus hot spots, the share of black-owned firms receiving forgivable loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) is far lower than the national average, the study shows.





11:28 GMT  Turkey clamps down again after severe jump in virus

Turkey rolled out new inspection and enforcement rules after coronavirus cases jumped above 1,000 for the first time in three weeks, in what the government called a grave rise during peak holiday season.

Top doctors have warned about insufficient testing and urged a tougher message from Ankara, which lifted a partial lockdown in June and has since lobbied hard for countries to allow tourists to visit to help get the economy back on its feet.

11:18 GMT  Defending champ Rafael Nadal to miss US Open amid pandemic

Reigning champion Rafael Nadal will skip the US Open because of the coronavirus pandemic, putting on hold his bid to equal Roger Federers mens record for Grand Slam titles.

Nadal explained his decision in a series of tweets sent in Spanish and English.

The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still dont have control of it, Nadal wrote.

After many thoughts I have decided not to play this years US Open. The situation is very complicated worldwide, the COVID-19 cases are increasing, it looks like we still dont have control of it.  Rafa Nadal (@RafaelNadal) August 4, 2020

11:05 GMT  COVID-19 devastating to education: UN chief Guterres

The United Nations chief says the COVID-19 pandemic has led to the largest disruption of education in history, with schools closed in more than 160 countries in mid-July, affecting over one billion students.

In addition, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Tuesday at least 40 million children worldwide have missed out on education in their critical preschool year.

As a result, Guterres warned that the world faces a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities.

Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres [File: Carlo Allegri/Reuters]

19:40 GMT  Trumps national security adviser returns to work after COVID-19 recovery

President Donald Trumps national security adviser, Robert OBrien, returned to work at the White House on following his recovery from a mild case of COVID-19, a National Security Council spokesman said.

OBrien has already met with the President, who warmly welcomed him back to the West Wing, spokesman John Ullyot said in a statement.

He has been cleared by doctors after two negative tests for the virus, and has been asymptomatic for over a week, Ullyot said.

19:18 GMT  Bulgaria to allow fans in stadiums for new season

Bulgarian football stadiums can welcome supporters at matches when the Balkan countrys league season starts on Friday, the health ministry announced.

According to an order issued after talks between Prime Minister Boyko Borissov, Sports Minister Krasen Kralev and Health Minister Kostadin Angelov, fans will be allowed at stadiums if they take up no more than 50 percent of a venues capacity.

Bulgaria has just over 12,159 confirmed cases to date, according to Johns Hopkins University [File: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters]

18:59 GMT  Gambian mayor tests positive for COVID-19

The mayor of Gambias biggest municipality has tested positive for COVID-19, according to a statement.

Talib Bensouda, 34, is currently receiving treatment, said the statement from the Kanifing municipality. The news comes just two days after three Cabinet ministers also tested positive.

18:35 GMT  Venezuela market at centre of Caracas virus outbreak

Venezuela capital Caracass largest produce market is at the centre of a worsening COVID-19 outbreak, but cash-strapped merchants refuse to stop hawking food there for the citys five million residents, many of whom are starving.

Three days a week  down from six before the pandemic  some 10,000 people, including retailers and consumers, pack into the state-run Coche Wholesale Market. The produce is trucked out to the citys supermarkets, providing a lifeline amid Venezuelas six-year economic crisis.

Read more here.

Walter Rivera, director of the Coche wholesale market, announcing the rules that would help prevent the spread of COVID-19 in Caracas, Venezuela [Manaure Quintero/Reuters]

18:18 GMT  Ireland delays reopening of bars again after COVID-19 rate doubles

Ireland announced a fresh delay to the full reopening of bars, putting off a move to the final stage out of lockdown by three weeks while also tightening travel restrictions after new COVID-19 infections more than doubled in a week.

I know that this will come as a blow to pub owners, and I want them to know I have enormous sympathy for their plight. This virus is taking away their ability to earn a living, to provide a key service in the heart of many communities, Prime Minister Michael Martin told a news conference.

18:08 GMT  Proportion of youth with COVID-19 triples in five months  WHO

Young people who are hitting nightclubs and beaches are leading a rise in fresh coronavirus cases across the world, with the proportion of those aged 15 to 24 who are infected rising three-fold in about five months, the World Health Organization said.

An analysis by the WHO of six million infections between February 24 and July 12 found that the share of people aged 15-24 years rose to 15 percent from 4.5 percent.





17:54 GMT  Turkeys COVID cases back over 1,000 for first time in 3 weeks

Turkeys new coronavirus cases surpassed 1,000 for the first time in three weeks according to an official tally, breaching what the government has called a critical threshold to possibly reconsider rules.

The 1,083 new COVID-19 cases reflects a severe rise in recent days that raises concerns as Turkey wrapped up a four-day holiday weekend that occurred while many Turks were taking domestic vacations, Health Minister Fahrettin Koca wrote on Twitter.

17:35 GMT  White House: Democrats making mockery of US coronavirus relief talks

Democrats have rejected four offers from the White House in negotiations over another round of economic aid meant to blunt the effects of the coronavirus pandemic and are making a mockery of the talks, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said.

It is Democrats  that are making an absolute mockery of this process, McEnany said at a briefing. Were still engaging with them, but this president has been clear: He is ready to act on this.

White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany [File: Carlos Barria/Reuters]

17:20 GMT  US announces clinical trial of antibody treatment for COVID-19

The US has begun late stage clinical trials into a drug formulated to fight COVID-19, officials said.

The medicine is an antibody against the new coronavirus called LY-CoV555, which was identified in the blood sample of a recovered patient by Canadas Abcellera Biologics.

It was then developed synthetically for mass production by US-based Lilly Research Laboratories in partnership with Abcellera.

16:59 GMT  Cancer diagnoses rates fell by half during US lockdown  study

The number of cancers diagnosed weekly in the United States fell by almost 50 percent during March and April compared to the recent average, a study said, the latest to examine the effects of COVID-19 lockdowns.

Emergency room visits additionally appear to have dropped for heart attacks, strokes and even appendicitis  trends that are being confirmed through ongoing studies.

Child vaccinations have also stalled globally, according to the UN, and world health bodies are alarmed by the impact on the fight against HIV, malaria and tuberculosis as screening campaigns, logistics and access to health care have been disrupted.

Over 4.7 million people have been infected in the US from the coronavirus [Maria Alejandra Cardona/Reuters]

16:39 GMT  Zimbabwe VP named health minister after virus graft scandal

Zimbabwes Vice President Constantino Chiwenga was appointed health minister, the presidency said, one month after his predecessor was sacked over corruption allegations related to coronavirus testing kits.

Former health minister Obadiah Moyo is suspected of illegally awarding a $20m contract for coronavirus testing.

16:20 GMT  Greece reports 121 new coronavirus cases, highest in weeks

Greeces top scientific adviser warned against complacency on Tuesday over risks lurking from the coronavirus after the country reported its highest single-day increase in infections in weeks.

Authorities reported 121 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday after a steady rise over the past 10 days. Tuesdays tally was the highest since April 22, bringing the total number of infections in the country to 4,855 since the start of the outbreak in late February.

16:12 GMT  Germany lifts travel warning for four Turkish regions

Germany lifted its travel warning for several coastal regions of Turkey, ceding partially to weeks of campaigning by Ankara, whose tourism industry relies heavily on German visitors.

The warning will be lifted with immediate effect for the four coastal provinces of Antalya, Izmir, Aydin and Mugla, government spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer said in Berlin.

Turkey has developed a special tourism and hygiene concept for these four regions in order to realise safe tourism under the conditions of the pandemic, Demmer said.

15:40 GMT  India starts phase two trials for virus vaccines

Indian health authorities say phase two clinical trials for coronavirus vaccines developed by Indian companies have started

They involve an inactivated virus vaccine developed by Bharat Biotech and a DNA vaccine candidate developed by Zydus Cadila.

The phase 2 trials for the vaccine candidate developed by the University of Oxford will start at 17 locations in the next week [Amarjeet Kumar Singh]

15:30 GMT  WHO urges Russia to follow guidelines on virus vaccine

The World Health Organization urged Russia to follow the established guidelines for producing safe and effective vaccines after Moscow announced plans to start swiftly producing COVID-19 jabs.

Russia said Monday it aims to launch mass production of a coronavirus vaccine in September and turn out several million doses a month by next year.

Russia is pushing ahead with several vaccine prototypes. Officials claimed that one trialled by the Gamaleya institute in Moscow has reached advanced stages of development and is about to pass state registration.

15:15 GMT  Lukashenko says he has recovered from COVID-19

The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, said he recovered from the coronavirus and called on people to adopt a healthy lifestyle to be able to fight COVID-19.

The Belarus leader, who dismissed concerns about the novel coronavirus as psychosis, had announced last week he had been infected with the virus but was asymptomatic.

14:37 GMT  Paris wants to make mask-wearing mandatory in some outdoor areas  Le Monde

Paris wants to make the wearing of face masks mandatory in certain outdoor areas in order to prevent a new spike of coronavirus infections, French daily Le Monde reported.

The paper said that mayor Anne Hidalgo would put in a formal request with the Paris prefecture about ordering the use of face coverings in specific areas, after the government on Friday gave local authorities the power to order the wearing of masks in outdoor public spaces.

People wearing protective face mask queue outside the Grand Palais in Paris, France [Raphael Lafargue/AFP]

14:10 GMT  Nigerian airline sacks pilots, cuts pay over virus hit

Nigerias largest airline Air Peace said it had laid off a number of pilots and cut salaries in order to cope with the impact of the coronavirus on its operations.

The private carrier did not disclose the number of pilots affected, but industry sources put the figure at around 70.

Air Peace serves cities in Nigeria as well as elsewhere in West Africa and in the Middle East.

13:45 GMT  Number of cases in Italy higher than expected  study

Six times as many people as officially recorded could have been infected with the coronavirus in Italy, according to a study published by the government.

The study, which was conducted by health authorities and the statistics bureau Istat, found that 1.5 million people, or 2.5 percent, of Italys population could have developed coronavirus antibodies.

Italy has 248,229 confirmed cases and over 35,000 deaths [Marco Bertorello/AFP]

13:15 GMT  Vietnams new outbreak started in early July  govt

Vietnams recent coronavirus outbreak in the central city of Danang, which led to over 200 cases and eight deaths, appears to have started early in July, the government said, amid concern the virus may have been spreading undetected earlier.

After having conducted antibody tests on 5,000 samples collected from infected patients and their relatives, it can be concluded that the outbreak appears to have started in early July, Dang Duc Anh, Director of the National Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology said in a government statement.

Vietnam has registered 670 COVID-19 cases with eight deaths.

Hello, this Usaid Siddiqui in Doha taking over from my colleague Arwa Ibrahim.

12:30 GMT  Macron announces bonus package for home care workers

French President Emmanuel Macron said the countrys 320,000 home care workers would each be granted a COVID-19 bonus of 500 euros ($587), a package worth 160 million euros ($188m).

These men and women were the forgotten ones of the COVID bonus, Macron said during a news conference in the southern city of Toulon, adding the French state would put up 80 million euros and the local governments the other half of the package.

French President Emmanuel Macron is the first world leader to visit Beirut after the deadly port blast [File: Anadolu]

11:46 GMT  Coronavirus cases spike in Netherlands

New confirmed coronavirus cases nearly doubled in the Netherlands over the past week to 2,588, health authorities said, continuing a steady surge continuing since lockdown measures were eased at the start of July.

The new cases registered in the week through August 4 were up 95 percent from 1,329 in the week through July 28, the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment said in its weekly report.

11:09 GMT  Indonesia reports 1,922 new coronavirus cases, 86 deaths

Indonesia has recorded 1,922 new coronavirus infections, bringing the total number of cases in the Southeast Asian country to 115,056, official data by the countrys COVID-19 task force showed.

The data also showed there were 86 additional deaths, taking the overall number of fatalities to 5,388.

10:46 GMT  Hong Kong reports 80 new cases, mostly local transmission

Hong Kong has reported 80 new coronavirus cases, including 75 that were locally transmitted, as authorities raced to contain a third wave of the outbreak which has seen infections soar over the past month.

Since late January, Hong Kong has reported more than 3,600 infections and 40 related deaths.

10:33 GMT  Philippines reports 6,352 coronavirus cases, Southeast Asias biggest daily jump

The Philippines health ministry has reported 6,352 new coronavirus infections, marking the biggest daily jump in cases in Southeast Asia and after posting a record rise in five of the past six days.

In a bulletin, the ministry said total confirmed cases had increased to 112,593, while deaths rose by 11 to 2,115.

A police officer inspects the temperature of a motorist at a quarantine checkpoint on the first day of a reimposed lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 in Manila [File: Ezra Acayan/Getty Images]

10:07 GMT  Poland reports record increases in COVID cases as coal mines hit

Poland has reported its fourth record daily increase in coronavirus cases in a week, with more than 30 percent of cases coming from the Silesia region in the south, which has been grappling with another outbreak among coal miners.

The daily record, with 680 new infections and six deaths, comes as Poland considers introducing stricter restrictions, including mandatory testing for travellers returning to Poland and quarantine for those coming from certain countries.

09:46 GMT  Second COVID wave highly likely to hit France this year, scientists say

A second wave of the novel coronavirus is highly likely to hit France in the autumn or winter seasons, the governments top scientific body warned, as authorities seek to contain an increase in new cases over the past two weeks.

After strict lockdown measures pushed down infection rates, many European countries are now watching numbers creep back up, a consequence of easing curbs to try to limit economic damage and greater social mixing in the holiday season.

The situation is precarious and we could at any moment tip into a scenario that is less under control, like in Spain, the French scientific committee said in a statement published by the health ministry.

09:04 GMT  Taiwan provisionally approves dexamethasone as coronavirus treatment

Taiwan has provisionally approved the use of dexamethasone, a cheap and widely-used steroid, to treat the new coronavirus, as the island faces a shortfall of the antiviral drug remdesivir after the United States bought nearly all global supplies.

Taiwan Centres for Disease Control Deputy Director-General Chuang Jen-hsiang told reporters that medical experts had decided to provisionally allow dexamethasone to be listed as a COVID-19 treatment but that procedures still needed to be completed before it could be given to any patients.

Taiwan has reported 476 cases of the new coronavirus, including seven deaths. Most of the cases are imported and almost all have recovered. It has kept numbers low thanks to early and effective prevention work.

Taiwan has reported 476 cases of the new coronavirus, including seven deaths [File: Yves Herman/Reuters]

08:10 GMT  UK risks twice-as-big second COVID wave without better testing, study finds

The UK will face a second wave of COVID-19 this winter twice as widespread as the initial outbreak if it reopens schools without a more effective test-and-trace system in place, according to a study published.

Researchers from University College London and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine modelled the impact of reopening schools either on a full- or part-time basis, thus allowing parents to return to work, on the potential spread of the virus.

They concluded a second wave could be prevented if 75 percent of those with symptoms were found and tested and 68 percent of their contacts were traced, or if 87 percent of people with symptoms were found and 40 percent of their contacts tested.

07:36 GMT  Russia reports more than 5,100 new coronavirus cases

Russia has reported 5,159 new cases of the coronavirus, pushing its national tally to 861,423, the fourth largest in the world.

The countrys coronavirus crisis response centre said 144 people had died in the past 24 hours, bringing the official death toll to 14,351.

07:15 GMT  Germany already dealing with second coronavirus wave, says doctors union

Germany is already contending with a second wave of the coronavirus and risks squandering its early success by flouting social distancing rules, the head of the German doctors union said in a newspaper interview published.

The number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases has ticked up steadily in recent weeks, with health experts warning lax adherence to hygiene and distancing rules among some of the public is spreading the virus across communities.

We are already in a second, shallow upswing, Susanne Johna, president of Marburger Bund, which represents doctors in Germany, told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper.

The number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has ticked up steadily in recent weeks [File: Maja Hitij/Getty Images]

06:54 GMT  Pizza restaurant launches Spains first virtual waiter app

A restaurant on Spains northeastern Mediterranean coast is pioneering a dining experience that allows customers to avoid most face-to-face contact with staff and minimise the risk of coronavirus contagion.

Customers at Funky Pizza, in Palafrugell on the Costa Brava popular with tourists, can browse the menu, order and pay via the Funky Pay app on their phones  the first time a purpose-designed app has been integrated into a restaurants ordering system in Spain.

A waiter does bring the order to the table. Staff manage the orders from screens behind the bar.

Through this system we have tried to keep physical distance with our clients, which is what people are looking for during COVID, said restaurant owner Carlos Manich.

06:20 GMT  Indigenous Australian group blocks Uluru access route over pandemic fears

Australia has closed the national park, home to its revered indigenous site of Uluru, after some in the community blocked an access route for fear that visitors could carry in coronavirus infections.

The country is battling a new wave of the deadly virus, with southeastern Victoria state reeling from hundreds of infections, while Indigenous Australians are seen at greater risk as they suffer a higher incidence of other health woes.

Its up to tourists to stay away if they come from hotspots or are sick, Thalia Bohl-Van Den Boogaard, the representative of a group of Indigenous Australians protesting against the visits, told Reuters by telephone.

05:52 GMT  Philippines orders millions to stay home as global virus cases soar

More than 27 million people on the main island of Luzon, including the capital Manila, went back into a partial lockdown for the next few weeks.

People have been told to stay home unless they need to go out to buy essential goods, for exercise or for work after the number of recorded infections surged past 100,000.

With only 24 hours notice of the shutdown, many found themselves stranded in Manila and unable to get back to their hometowns after public transport and domestic flights were halted.



Hi, this is Arwa Ibrahim in Doha, taking over the blog from my colleague Ted Regencia.



05:21 GMT  South Korea reports 34 new COVID-19 cases, mostly from abroad

South Korea has reported 34 more cases of the coronavirus, with the number of imported cases almost twice that of local infections, Yonhap news agency reported on Tuesday.

The 21 imported cases and 13 local infections raised countrys total COVID-19 infections to 14,423, according to the Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC).

The accumulated number of imported cases reached 2,482 in South Korea.

But the country reported no additional deaths, with the death toll remaining at 301, while the number of patients fully cured of the virus reached 13,352, up 72 from the previous day.

05:00 GMT  Trump nursing home plan limits supply of free COVID-19 tests

The Trump administrations plan to provide every nursing home with a fast COVID-19 testing machine comes with an asterisk: The government will not supply enough test kits to check staff and residents beyond an initial couple of rounds.

A programme that sounded like a game changer when it was announced last month at the White House is now prompting concerns that it could turn into another unfulfilled promise for nursing homes, whose residents and staff represent a tiny share of the US population but account for as many as four in 10 coronavirus deaths, according to some estimates.

I think the biggest fear is that the instruments may be delivered but it wont do any good, if you dont have the test kits, said George Linial, president of Leading Age of Texas, a group that represents nursing homes.

The weekly cost of testing employees could range from more than $19,000 to nearly $38,000, according to estimates by the national organisation.

The Trump administration said nursing homes could cover the cost of ongoing testing from a $5bn pot provided by Congress, and allocated to the facilities by the White House.

04:30 GMT  UN chief warns world facing generational catastrophe on education

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has warned that the world faces a generational catastrophe because of school closures amid the coronavirus pandemic and said that getting students safely back to the classroom must be a top priority, according to Reuters news agency.

Guterres said that as of mid-July schools were closed in some 160 countries, affecting more than 1 billion students, while at least 40 million children have missed out on pre-school.

This came on top of more than 250 million children already being out of school before the pandemic and only a quarter of secondary school students in developing countries leaving with basic skills, he said in a video statement.

Now we face a generational catastrophe that could waste untold human potential, undermine decades of progress, and exacerbate entrenched inequalities, said Guterres as he launched a U.N. Save our Future campaign.

Read more here.

According to the UN chief, as of mid-July schools were closed in some 160 countries, affecting more than 1 billion students [File: Chamila Karunarathne/EPA]

04:00 GMT  China and Hong Kong report fewer coronavirus cases

Both mainland China and Hong Kong reported fewer new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday as strict measures to contain new infections appear to be taking effect, according to AP news agency.

Mainland China announced 36 new cases across the country, down from 43 the previous day. Of those, 28 were in the northwestern region of Xinjiang and two in Liaoning province in the northeast.

Another six cases were brought by Chinese arriving from overseas. No new deaths were registered , leaving Chinas total at 4,634 among 84,634 cases reported since the virus was first detected in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

Hong Kong reported 78 new cases over the previous 24 hours, the first time in almost two weeks that new cases had fallen into double-digits.

03:35 GMT  US adds more the 48,000 new COVID-19 cases, 582 deaths

The United States has added 48,395 new coronavirus cases pushing the total number to 4.73 million, according to a Reuters news agency tally.

Reuters also reported another 582 deaths, adding to the total of almost 156,000.

03:20 GMT  Germanys confirmed coronavirus cases rise by 879 to 211,281

The number of confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany increased by 879 to 211,281, Reuters reported on Tuesday quoting data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases.

The reported death toll rose by eight to 9,156, the tally showed.

02:45 GMT  Australias Victoria deploys military, imposes fine for breach of isolation orders

Australias second-most populous state Victoria said on Tuesday that it will deploy its military and that anyone who has contracted COVID-19 and caught outside their home in breach of isolation orders will face fines of as much as 20,000 Australian dollars ($14,250), according to the Reuters news agency.

Victoria state earlier this week imposed a nightly curfew, tightened restrictions on peoples movement and ordered large parts of the local economy to close to slow the spread of coronavirus.

But state Premier Daniel Andrews said nearly a third of those who had contracted COVID-19 were not home when checked on by officials, requiring tough new penalties to stop community transmission.

Andrews also said 500 military personnel will this week deploy to Victoria to bolster enforcement of self-isolation orders.

02:05 GMT  Filipino doctors to Duterte: We never called for revolt

The Philippine capital, Manila, and four nearby provinces have been placed under a new lockdown starting on Tuesday until August 18 [Eloisa Lopez/Reuters]

A organisation representing thousands of doctors in the Philippines has issued a new statement saying they have not called for a revolution against the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte.

The doctors also said that there was no threat from their group to leave patients since our oath instructs us to first do no harm to anyone who needs our help.

This after a furious Duterte, dared medical workers early on Monday to revolt against him, after they demanded a new lockdown order to help the spread of the coronavirus.

As of the end of Monday, there were over 106,000 cases reported in the Philippines and more than 2,000 deaths. The Philippine capital, Manila, and four nearby provinces have been placed under a new lockdown starting on Tuesday until August 18.

01:50 GMT  Italy reports 159 new coronavirus cases

The number of new confirmed cases of the coronavirus in Italy has fallen below 200 for the first time in a week, with 159 new cases registered, according to AP news agency quoting the health ministry.

That brings the total number of cases in Italy to 248,229 and deaths to 35,166 as of the end of Monday.

Lazio, the central region that includes Rome, now has the highest number of patients hospitalised for COVID-19 in Italys 20 regions. Health officials said nine of the regions new cases were brought by travelers from abroad.

Two clusters of infections have also been traced to popular seaside areas near Rome. Monday figures tend to be lower since they often dont include tallies from the weekend.

01:26 GMT  Australias Victoria reports 439 new coronavirus cases

Australias state of Victoria reported at least 439 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday.

Victoria has declared a state of disaster and imposed strict lockdown following the surge in cases of the disease, also known as COVID-19.

Australia has reported over 18,300 cases and 221 deaths.

01:00 GMT  Mexico reports 4,767 new coronavirus cases, 266 more deaths

Mexicos health ministry has reported 4,767 new confirmed coronavirus cases and 266 additional fatalities, bringing the total in the country to 443,813 cases and 48,012 deaths, according to Reuters news agency.

The government has said the real number of infected people is likely significantly higher than the confirmed cases.

With more than 48,000 confirmed deaths, Mexico is already the third country in the world with the most deaths due to the coronavirus pandemic [Jorge Nunez/EPA]

00:31 GMT  Hong Kong to build temporary hospitals for COVID-19: report

The South China Morning Post has reported that Hong Kong is planning to build at least two temporary hospitals as part of its response to contain the spread of the coronavirus in the semi-autonomous Chinese city.

The report said that the temporary hospitals could accommodate as many as 2,400 beds.

The latest development comes as cases continue to rise over the last few days. The city has reported at least 3,589 cases, with 38 related deaths. However, the latest number of cases reported was much lower that previous days, when reported new infections hit over 100 daily.

00:05 GMT  Chief of staff to Brazils Bolsonaro tests positive for coronavirus

Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaros chief of staff, Army General Walter Souza Braga Netto, has tested positive for COVID-19, his office said on Monday, becoming the seventh Brazilian minister to have contracted the disease.

Braga Netto is doing well and has no symptoms, according to Reuters News Agency quoting a statement from the government.

Netto will remain in isolation until a new examination and medical evaluation is carried out, and will continue to work remotely.

Last week, Bolsonaros wife and one of his ministers tested positive for COVID-19. Bolsonaro also contracted the disease, but his latest test showed he was no longer infected.

00:01 GMT  Latin America hits five million COVID-19 cases

Latin America has broken through five million confirmed cases of COVID-19, a Reuters tally showed, underscoring the regions position as the area of the world hardest hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic.

The more than 10,000 new cases Colombias health ministry reported on Monday pushed the region past the 5 million mark, a day after the Andean nation reported a record 11,470 cases.

Mexico has also racked up record numbers of new confirmed infections in recent days, registering more than 9,000 daily cases for the first time on Saturday, a day after Mexico overtook the UK as the country with the third-highest number of deaths caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

The region, which has now topped 200,000 deaths, is struggling to stall the spread of the virus, with infections picking up pace in many countries even as governments look to ease lockdowns and revive economic growth.

_______________________________________________________________

Hello and welcome to Al Jazeeras continuing coverage of the coronavirus pandemic. Im Ted Regencia in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

For all the key coronavirus-related developments from yesterday, August 3, click here.
CHICAGO, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Copado , a leading native DevOps platform for Salesforce, today announced Copado Government Cloud to help government agencies accelerate the time-to-value of Salesforce digital transformation projects. With Copado DevOps, federal, state and local governments can optimize and measure innovation delivery on the Salesforce platform with full visibility and accountability to ever-changing regulatory and security environments. Copado will enable agencies to respond faster, deliver more digital services, scale to unprecedented demands and connect to its citizens.



Due to COVID-19, government agencies are working to address the exponential demand for digital solutions to meet the needs of the public. This demand is overwhelming delivery capacity. Additionally, government projects require a high level of quality, compliance and governance to reduce risk and protect against increased digital threats.

Copado delivers the quality, speed and scale required by federal, state and local governments to address these needs. Currently in process to be FedRAMP Moderate Authorized by the end of 2020, Copado offers the only Salesforce DevOps platform that scales to the needs of large government projects with the visibility, governance and analytics required to manage multi-million dollar budgets. The company continues to offer its platform free to COVID-19 specific projects to help the fight against the global pandemic.

Since March, Copado has signed contracts with seven new government agencies. The company is helping five agencies rapidly build and deliver high-quality COVID-19 communication, reporting and tracking apps to its citizens. These include scaling and optimizing call, web, chat and text response systems. Copado has deep experience working with government customers including the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs , the states of California , Kansas , Massachusetts , Missouri and Vermont , the Louisiana Department of Health , the District of Columbia , and international government agencies including the Province of Ontario, Canada .

Governments are scrambling to address the demands from constituents on many fronts since COVID-19 disrupted daily life. They are creating contact tracing apps, digitally delivering needed services and scaling existing services to handle exponentially higher demand -- all with a remote workforce, said Ted Elliott, Chief Executive Officer of Copado. Copado can offer the scale, security and experience in optimizing Salesforce deployments to even the most sophisticated government projects. Beyond our own industry-leading DevOps technology, we are partnering with the leaders in government technology and services to ensure the highest levels of success in these projects. Copado DevOps gives government agencies the confidence to move at the pace of todays uncertain world.

Copado is also partnering with Carahsoft Technology Corp. , The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider, to streamline the procurement process. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will serve as Copados public sector distributor and make Copado DevOps available to government agencies as an AppExchange vendor for Salesforce's Government Cloud through Carahsofts NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V contracts and National Association of State Procurement Officials (NASPO) ValuePoint cooperative purchasing contract. The partnership is designed to help federal agencies modernize their Salesforce development cycles with a best-in-class DevOps solution.

Copado has experience working with large-scale government initiatives and can help any agency using Salesforce deliver their digital transformation project, said Bethany Blackwell, Director of the Salesforce Team at Carahsoft. With Copado, government development teams can align and collaborate around value delivery, gain visibility into the development lifecycle, identify and remove bottlenecks, and deliver more predictable, higher quality releases. We look forward to working with Copado and our reseller partners to optimize Salesforce deployments in government agencies.

As government agencies implement large-scale digital initiatives, Carahsofts technology and reseller partners offer a range of solutions that enable telework, support collaboration, ensure business continuity, and scale communications channels and security. Copado is the only solution for Salesforce delivery performance and management, all built natively on the Salesforce platform. Organizations rely on Copado to align people, processes and goals in order to quickly and confidently deliver digital customer experiences on the Salesforce platform.

Copado is available through Carahsofts SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B and NASPO ValuePoint cooperative purchasing contract. For more information, contact the Copado team at Carahsoft at (877) 733-2007 or SalesforceISV@carahsoft.com .

Additional Resources

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/copado-solutions-s.l/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/CopadoSolutions

Copado blog: https://www.copado.com/learning/blog/

About Carahsoft

Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider. As a top-performing GSA Schedule and SEWP contract holder, Carahsoft serves as the Master Government Aggregator for many of its best-of-breed technology vendors, supporting an extensive ecosystem of manufacturers, value-added resellers, system integrators and consulting partners committed to helping government agencies select and implement the best solution at the best possible value.

The company's dedicated Solutions Divisions proactively market, sell and deliver Copado, Salesforce, VMware, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Palo Alto Networks, Symantec, Veritas, McAfee, Dell, Adobe, F5 Networks, Google Cloud, ServiceNow, Open Source, Micro Focus Government Solutions, SAP, and Innovative and Intelligence products and services, among others. Carahsoft is consistently recognized by its partners as a top revenue producer and is listed annually among the industry's fastest growing and largest firms by CRN, Inc., Forbes, Washington Technology, The Washington Post, Washington Business Journal, and Bloomberg Government. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com or follow us on Twitter and Facebook .

About Copado

Founded in 2013, Copado is a leading DevOps platform for Salesforce. For enterprises wanting to accelerate their Salesforce deployments, Copado simplifies the release process, increases developer productivity and maximizes return on investment. The platform is comprised of Agile Planning, Release Management and Compliance & Testing. Backed by Insight Venture Partners and Salesforce Ventures, Copado counts more than 500 enterprises as customers, including Fair Trade, MassMutual, Shell and Vlocity. With more than 50 million transactions per month, Copado has received the top rating of 100 percent positive feedback on Salesforce AppExchange. More information can be found at: https://www.copado.com/

Salesforce and others are among the trademarks of salesforce.com, inc.


<! The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed (right), and the Acting Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba (left), at the unveiling of the reviewed Nigeria Broadcasting Code in Lagos on Tuesday >

By Taiwo Okanlawon

Nigerian government has raised the fine for hate speech from N500,000 to N5 million, according to the amended Nigeria Broadcasting Code, which also contains an Antitrust provision.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made this known at the unveiling of the reviewed Code in Lagos on Tuesday.

The event was organised by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC).

The minister said the Antitrust Provision will boost local content and local industry due to laws prohibiting exclusive use of rights by broadcasters who intend to create monopolies.

He said the Antitrust provision would also encourage open access to premium content.

I must explain that this provision is not new to Nigeria Broadcasting. Exclusivity was disallowed at a certain time in the history of our broadcasting.

I recall Multichoice sub-licensing EPL matches to other local operators in Nigeria. I recall HITV engaging several local operators on sub-licensing the EPL when they got the rights, Mohammed said.

He said the revised Code contains the law prohibiting backlog of advertising debts to promote sustainability for the station owners and producers of content, as well as the law on registration of Web Broadcasting, which will grant the country the opportunity to regulate negative foreign broadcasts that can harm the nation.

The provisions on responsibility of broadcast stations to devote airtime to national emergenciesobviously mandates terrestrial and Pay TV channels to make their services available to Nigerians at time of national emergencies  like the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic  for their education and enlightenment, the Minister said.

Mohammed said the amendments were necessitated by a presidential directive in the wake of the 2019 general elections for an inquiry into the regulatory role of the NBC with a view to repositioning the regulator for optimum performance.

He said despite the attacks by some vested interests, who believe that their singular business interest is superior to national interest, over the provisions of the amended Code, the Federal Government remains unperturbed,

But, as it currently stands, the 6th edition and the amendments, which we are unveiling today, remain the regulations for broadcasting in Nigeria.

Our intention remains the good of the country. We need to catalyse the growth of the local industry.

We need to create jobs for our teeming creative youths. The opportunities must be created, and we believe that effective regulatory interventions are a sure way of attaining this.

Thats why we will not waver, the Minister said.

Acting Director-General of the NBC, Prof. Armstrong Idachaba, commended the Buhari administration for showing keen interest in the development of the Broadcasting Industry through the implementation of reforms and several other interventions.

Related
The White House press secretary on Tuesday blamed the spike in crime in several cities over the past month on the movement to defund the police, making a logical leap that criminologists say has no basis in fact.

During her afternoon press briefing, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany linked the crime rate in New York City with local officials support for defunding the police, which generally means reallocating funds from police departments to social services and programs. Municipal budgets are set in advance, and the effect of any defunding proposals could not have affected crime rates that began rising months ago.

In New York City, you had the New York City Council voting to cut the police budget by $1 billion. ... [You had] New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio saying, We think its the right thing to do. It was absolutely not the right thing to do, as weve seen a 177 percent increase in shootings from July 2019 [to July of this year] in New York. When you defund the police there are consequences, and thats where the Democrats of today stand. And unfortunately weve seen a corresponding rise in violence in these Democratic cities, and its not acceptable.

She drew the same connection between spiking crime rates in Minneapolis and Los Angeles and proposals that affect the cities police departments.

Its true that officials in those cities are moving forward with measures that cut funding for police departments or, in Minneapoliss case, dismantle the police department and replace it with a Department of Community Safety and Violence Prevention. In New York City, where shootings have spiked in recent months, the City Council and de Blasio agreed on a budget for fiscal year 2021 that includes $1 billion in cuts and cost shifts to the New York Police Department, de Blasio announced on June 30.

White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany during a press briefing at the White House on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

But these actions are relatively new. The New York City budget, for example, has not been fully enacted.

Kayleighs comments dont make any sense and dont add up, Bill Neidhardt, a spokesman for de Blasio, told Yahoo News in a statement on Tuesday. But that isnt anything new. Whats more telling is the blame the White House is trying to cast as they refuse to take action on a stimulus in the face of the worst economic drop in history and a pandemic that is reshaping daily life. Weve been clear its a perfect storm that is driving this shooting uptick, and Washington needs to do their part for once.

Story continues

Richard Rosenfeld, a criminologist at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, said there is no connection between the municipal legislation and increasing crime, which he dates back to late May.

Rosenfeld added that cities being under Democratic leadership is completely irrelevant to understanding the causes of the increase in violent crime.

It makes no criminological sense, he told Yahoo News. The party affiliation of the mayor has no direct impact on crime.

Rosenfeld and other criminologists have attributed rising crime to several factors, including the stress of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic uncertainty and increasingly strained relations between police and communities in the wake of the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor at the hands of police. Most large cities have Democratic mayors, but authorities do not believe that has anything to do with crime rates.

McEnanys comments, and the Trump administrations fixation on violent crime, are motivated by politics, according to Eugene ODonnell, a former New York City police officer and professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice. President Trumps reelection campaign ran an ad on July 2 that suggested defund-the-police efforts would lead to utter lawlessness, Politifact reported.

Its a complicated topic, and theyre distilling it into the idea that the Democrats want to put the police out of business, ODonnell said. So theyre doing that because that works best for a 30-second commercial. And of course, its a more complicated conversation. But for their purposes it does the trick.

Speaking about the NYPD, ODonnell said the budget is a futuristic document.

Its hard to make the case that the shootings in June and July have increased because of the funding.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Hunters, an Amazon Original show, follows a diverse band of Nazi hunters based in New York City in 1977.

Fans of Amazon Prime based conspiracy thriller Hunters, have a reason to rejoice as the show-makers have decided to renew the show for a second season, Variety reported.

"With Hunters, [creator] David Weil's bold vision and fearless imagination powered a thrilling, twisty, action-packed first season that engaged Prime Video customers around the world," Variety quoted Jennifer Salke, head of Amazon Studios.

"We are thrilled that David, Jordan [Peele, executive producer], and the Hunters will be back with us for more," Salke added.

Created by David Weil, the first season of the Al Pacino-starrer show debuted on 21 February.

"I am beyond grateful to Jen and the Amazon family for their continued extraordinary support of Hunters," Variety Quoted Weil as saying.

"Alongside our magnificent cast, incredible crew, and brilliant writers and producers, I am more eager than ever to share the next chapter of the Hunters saga with the world," added Weil.

Check out the announcement here

Justice is calling and they're coming back to answer. Hunters returns for Season 2. pic.twitter.com/xpNCF8lRO5  Prime Video (@PrimeVideo) August 3, 2020



The Amazon Original show follows a diverse band of Nazi hunters based in New York City in 1977.

The hunters in the show are known to have discovered that scores of Nazi officials are conspiring to create a Fourth Reich in Amerca.

Besides Al Pacino, the show starred actors like Logan Lerman, Josh Radnor, Jerrika Hinton, Tiffany Boone, Dylan Baker, Carol Kane, and others.

(With inputs from Asian News International)
The armoured deployment is such that the Chinese would find it difficult to operate there, officials said.

New Delhi: In response to China's deployment of more than 17,000 troops and armoured vehicles opposite Daulat Beg Oldi (DBO) and Depsang plains in Ladakh, India has made heavy deployment of troops and tank regiments in the area to counter any misadventure by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) there.

"We have done a very heavy deployment of troops and tanks in the DBO and Depsang plains area including the T-90 regiments which are part of an armoured division," government sources told ANI.

The deployments have been made from the Patrolling Point 1 near the Karakoram Pass (PP-3) to the Depsang plains where the Chinese have amassed more than 17,000 troops since April-May time frame and have been blocking Indian patrols from PP-10 to PP-13, sources said.

The armoured deployment is such that the Chinese would find it difficult to operate there, in case, they try out any misadventure, they said.

Before the Chinese started build-up opposite the DBO and Depsang, the entire area was looked after by a mountain brigade and an armoured brigade but today more than 15,000 troops and several tank regiments have been moved there both by road and by air to tackle the threat from China, sources said.

One of the major intentions of the Chinese in this area has been to build a road from its TWD battalion headquarters opposite the DBO sector to the Karakoram pass area and connect the battalion there.

The connectivity plan, which has been foiled in the past, will allow the two Chinese units to reach other in a matter of a couple of hours against the 15-hour drive through the Highway G219 in their territory, sources said.

A small bridge was put up by the Chinese inside Indian territory on a nala (drain) near PP-7 and PP-8 but it was broken by Indian soldiers a few years ago, sources said.

At present, India and China are engaged in a dialogue focusing on disengagement from Finger area and other friction points but Chinese build up along the LAC in Depsang plains and DBO area has not yet been taken up in the military talks.

At present, we are in a position of strength in the Depsang Plains and DBO area now and we are not in a hurry to discuss that with the Chinese. Let the disengagement first take place and then we can talk about de-escalation there also, sources said.

On Sunday, India and China held Corps Commander-level talks at Moldo on the Chinese side of LAC to discuss disengagement.

The Chinese had earlier agreed for complete disengagement at Galwan valley, PP-15, Hot Springs and Gogra along with Finger area near Pangong Tso lake.

However, China stopped honouring their commitment after initial disengagement in Finger area and is now wanting to build an observation post at Finger 5. This has been rejected by India which has clearly stated that it will have to disengage completely and restore the status quoted existing in April/May 2020.
YEREVAN, AUGUST 4, ARMENPRESS. At least 10 have died as a result of the massive explosions in Lebanese capital, Beirut, ARMENPRESS reports Reuters informs, citing the Lebanese sources of security and health spheres.

Two major explosions rocked Beirut and witnesses filmed the explosions and presented the devastation in the area.

The first explosion took place at the port of Beirut at about 18:00. A few minutes later a more massive blast occurred. The video shows the blast wave, which shook building some kilometers away.

Lebanon's healthcare ministry urged all the hospitals to get ready for receiving injured patients, while the healthcare minister said that the number of injuries is very high.

Edited and translated by Tigran Sirekanyan
Worldwide mobility sector has been one of the worst hit segments with movement of people coming to a standstill for months. The nascent ride-sharing ecosystem in India was no exception. However, with start-ups in the space looking to secure revenue streams while managing costs, Bengaluru-based ride-sharing aggregator Rapido has pivoted its business to focus on logistics.

Aravind Sanka, Co-Founder, Rapido tells that in pre-COVID times, the company's people transportation business (bike taxi) formed over 90 per cent of the revenues. The bike rider whom they term 'captains' would do nearly 5 lakh trips a day across 100-plus locations in the country. "At peak we used to have 250,000-300,000 captains working with us," said Sanka. With business evenly spread out between tier-1 and tier-2 cities, in spite of work from home and worsening pandemic in metros, the initial impact for Rapido was not much. However, with almost no business in the primary ride-sharing segment for nearly two months starting April, the company sharpened its focus on logistics business. While initially the company started out by partnering with state governments such as Delhi and Karnataka for delivering essentials during lockdown, later it collaborated with major aggregators such as Zomato, Swiggy, Big Bazaar and Spencer's for delivering groceries, food and milk to consumers. Over the last one month Rapido has launched two new offerings Rapido Local (hyper local delivery service) and Rapido Local (deliveries for local and kirana stores) to strengthen the delivery portfolio. "Earlier only 8 per cent of the business used to come from logistics, but in April and May it was 100 per cent. In June and July steadily about 30 per cent of the business is coming from logistics," added Sanka. Rapido says its hyper local delivery has already seen 60,000-plus transactions till date, while the overall logistics segment has seen nearly 1 million transactions a month.

Buoyed by the growth of the segment Rapido now intends to focus heavily on the category and build it to scale. "Initially our target used to be only 10 per cent of the business, post lockdown we are revising our target to minimum 25 per cent." The reasons on the big bet on logistics include B2C delivery companies looking at other aggregators to weed out inefficiencies of the demand to manage costs and the cost advantage which Rapido believes to be much lower than competitors.

Also in its main business, the changes due to the pandemic and the safety of customers and 'captains' are taking paramount importance, and hence Rapido has enforced changes to its cancellation policies and safety and hygiene measures. While the business is operational in most locations, the uncertainty continues to throw a spanner every now and then. Rapido says in FY20 the revenue growth was 8X compared to 13X in FY19 and has two years runway with its capital. Last August the company raised nearly Rs 400 crore from Westbridge with Nexus capital and Shunwei also participating in the round.

Also Read: Sun Pharma launches Favipiravir for Rs 35 per tablet to treat COVID-19 patients

Also Read: Railways rejects private train bidder's plea to revise net worth criteria
Son of an Assyrian Iraqi Immigrant Sets His Sights on Washington

Eric Esshaki, his wife, Heather, and their two sons. ( Esshaki for Congress) Eric Esshaki has a unique perspective when it comes to the Middle East.

He is the son of an Iraqi Chaldean Catholic immigrant, and as a Michigander, is part of the largest Chaldean community outside of Iraq. He's also running for Congress as a Republican in Michigan's 11th congressional district, on the outskirts of Detroit.

Esshaki has watched with dismay as the Chaldean community that remains in Iraq has become increasingly persecuted in recent years. Though he believes some of the responsibility lies with the Obama administration for failing to stop ISIS's spread throughout the region, Esshaki told JI that President Donald Trump has not done enough to help the Chaldeans and other Christian minorities in the Middle East immigrate to the U.S.

"The Trump administration has the authority to increase the number of refugees that we're bringing in up to 100,000 a year, and right now we're seeing it right around 30,000," said Esshaki, whose father immigrated in the 1970s. "So I think in a country that's based on Judeo-Christian values... I think we have an obligation to these folks who are suffering from religious persecution."

"I think that this is an issue where the Trump administration has taken notice and it would be my hope that it would move faster," he added.

Esshaki, a lawyer and registered nurse, and Carmelita Greco, an entrepreneur, are leading the five-person Republican field in fundraising and media attention. Also in the running is former Rep. Kerry Bentivolio (R-MI), who served in Congress from 2013 to 2015. Bentivolio has made two successive, unsuccessful attempts to win back his seat, running as an independent in 2016 and again as a Republican in 2018, when he came in last in the party primary, pulling in 11.3% of the vote.

The GOP aims to unseat first-term Rep. Haley Stevens (D-MI), who flipped the seat in 2018, beating her Republican opponent by 6.6 percentage points.

"I think that our Congress is broken," Esshaki told Jewish Insider. "We're obviously facing some tough times here. We have civil unrest across the country. We're in the middle of a global pandemic. And our politicians seem more concerned about playing politics, hiding behind slogans and talking points without having a substantive discussion on the issues and on the policies, how we can make those policies better for the people in Michigan and across the country."

Esshaki's views on U.S. military engagement in the Middle East are nuanced.

"We have interests in the Middle East for security and economic interests, and as a standpoint of leading on human rights issues and what happens over there in those countries, the persecution of religious minorities," he said. "I think it's important that we have a role there. I think it's something though, that we need to have an adult conversation about, we need to constantly reassess whether it makes sense for American interests to be there to the extent that we are."

Esshaki said he was concerned that withdrawing U.S. forces could create a vacuum that would allow Iran or Russia to gain increased influence, as well as endanger Israel.

"The situation there in the Middle East is obviously complicated by multiple layers of complexity," he said. "And I think that I don't have the magic answer, but I think what is important is that we stand by our allies and we have a presence there as long as it's prudent to do so."

When asked about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and a potential peace deal, Esshaki demurred.

"I think that's largely dependent on what the Israeli people want for themselves," he said. "I think that the United States and U.S. foreign policy should be supportive of that and play a supportive role."

Within the U.S., Esshaki described public universities as "indoctrination centers" for antisemitic and anti-Israel beliefs. He was also critical of Democrats' handling of issues related to antisemitism.

"You see this with the left's refusal to condemn [Rep.] Ilhan Omar's antisemitic remarks. You see it with the universities that are pushing the boycott movement of Israel," he said. "If we're looking at it from a policy perspective, I think that there's no doubt in my mind that the policies that tend to lend themselves to antisemitism are certainly coming from the left these days."

In addition to anti-Israel sentiments, Esshaki claimed American schools are a hotbed of socialist indoctrination.

"We're seeing that our young people are buying into this lie called socialism. And I think that's largely because they're pushing that agenda in our public schools and universities," he said. "And we need young people who understand the other side of the coin, who understand the conservative issues and who are willing to actually engage in substantive arguments instead of just hiding behind these sort of platitudes that we hear far too often."

Republicans view the district, which was won by Trump by 4 points in 2016 and has traditionally leaned Republican, as a vulnerable target, although the Cook Political Report rates the seat as "lean Democratic."

Esshaki holds a narrow fundraising lead, with $418,000 raised compared to Greco's $396,000, though Esshaki has about half his haul left in the bank, while Greco has spent all but $23,000. Both candidates have relied heavily on self-funding -- Esshaki provided a $100,000 personal loan and Greco provided a $275,000 loan.

Either Republican would be entering the general election at a severe financial disadvantage. Stevens has raised nearly $4 million already and has approximately $3 million remaining -- enough to wage a tough battle against today's winner.
A Department of Homeland Security intelligence report leaked to The Nation has some experts skeptical of the department's motives.

The report targeted several left-wing American activists who the department would normally be prohibited from gathering intelligence on unless they had reason to believe the individuals were operating on behalf of a foreign power. The people named in the report, many of whom have identified with far-left causes, do have connections abroad  they traveled to Syria in the past and fought against the Islamic State alongside Kurdish factions like the YPG, PKK, and the Peshmerga.

The U.S., of course, considers ISIS an enemy, so it may seem surprising the U.S. government would focus on people who volunteered to fight against the terrorist group, but critics argue the Syria connection could be a ruse to root out potential antifa members. (Some of the individuals denied membership in antifa, which does not necessarily operate in any organized capacity to begin with.)

This is a big deal. Much as Trump et al want, domestic groups like the anti-fascist movement can't be formally labeled terror orgs. But tying them to foreign groups like the YPG (based on <12 people, incl. those who don't ID as antifa) opens them to otherwise-illegal surveillance https://t.co/upHP57QLdD  Kelly Weill (@KELLYWEILL) August 3, 2020

The report eventually appears to conclude there is no evidence of a "centralized effort to give marching orders to returning antifa-affiliated" U.S. residents, but either way, the briefing didn't sit well with everyone. "They targeted Americans like they're Al-Qaeda," a former intelligence officer in the department with knowledge of the operations told The Nation. "They were essentially violating people's rights like this was the '60s." Read more at The Nation.

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Sushant Singh Rajput death: The Bihar government has decided to recommend a CBI inquiry into Sushant Singh Rajput's death case after the late actor's father KK Singh made a request for the same, said Bihar CM Nitish Kumar.

Kumar also said that Bihar Police DGP Gupteshwar Pandey met Sushant's father today and it is during this interaction that the latter pressed for a CBI probe into his son's death. He further stated that the DGP will initiate the necessary steps to urgently send a proposal to the state government in this regard.

"The state government would formally recommend the case to be handed over to the CBI today itself after completing all the procedures and formalities," assured the Bihar CM.

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: Bihar Police looks into actor's finances; friend says forced to give false statements

According to one of Nitish Kumar's close associates, the Chhichhore actor's father demanded a CBI inquiry into the case citing the obstacles created for Bihar Police officials in Mumbai, who are there to pursue investigation into the written complaint filed by the late actor's family at the Rajiv Nagar police station in Bihar.

Meanwhile, Sushant Singh Rajput's family lawyer Vikas Singh has also sought a CBI investigation into this case. Singh said that the Mumbai police is not investigating this case thoroughly. He went on to accuse that the casual attitude adopted by the Mumbai police in this case is benefitting the people responsible for the actor's sudden demise.

Also read: Sushant Singh Rajput case: Actor's family lawyer demands CBI inquiry
The global coronavirus pandemic--a true black swan event--has altered the course of the entire oil and gas industry, and not even the mighty US shale industry will emerge unscathed.

Employment in the oil and gas industry in the United States has already dropped off considerably in the months following the coronavirus, exacerbated by Russia and Saudi Arabias oil price war that saw millions of extra barrels of oil flood into the market, including into the United States.

The combination of those two events put remarkable pressure on the shale industry in the United States. And the industry is unlikely to return to normal in the near future--or ever, perhaps.

Oil Workers, the Backbone of U.S. Shale

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statics Current Employment Statistics published last month, support activities for oil and gas operations fell by 20% between February and May.

In Texas, the heart of the US shale industry, oil and gas production jobs could fall to a 15-year low in the coming months, according to the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers as cited by the Houston Chronicle.

And those jobs may never return.

Drilling and oilfield service companies were hit especially hard. In June, Texas employed 162,350 workers in this field. This is about half of what it was in December 2014. From February to June, Texas shed 46,100 jobs in production and oilfield services.

More Pain to Come

Some industry experts see even more job cuts on the horizon, as oil demand isnt expected to snap back anytime soon. Indeed, in the United States, reports of an increased number of new coronavirus cases have the market spooked, and some government officials at state and local levels are rethinking their plans to reopen--a necessary element in any oil demand recovery.

Related: The Sky Is The Limit For Clean Energy Subsidies In Europe



Ramanan Krishnamoorti, professor of Petroleum Engineering at the University of Houstons Cullen College of Engineering, sees the industry in big trouble, according to Houstons abc13.

Story continues

Youre going to see a lot of bankruptcies, a lot of furloughs, more than furloughs. Youre going to see layoffs. Youre going to see people leave this entire industry because there arent going to be jobs.

Indeed, Schlumberger slashed 25% of its workforce. Halliburton shed more than 5,000 workers in Texas alone, and many companies have filed for bankruptcy within the last couple of months.

Krishnamoorti also sees big oil companies snapping up smaller ones. Case in point, Chevrons takeover of Noble Energy. His outlook? The industry will snap back, but not for years.

Krishnamoorti is not alone. The demand for jet fuel just hasnt snapped a back like gasoline, and it isnt going to for years. Jet fuel demand recovery is expected to drag on for years, possibly until 2023, Bank of America suggests.

The length of the demand recovery is expected to pose a grave challenge for the U.S. shale industry. When the industry does snap back down the road--and most analysts agree that it will come back--it may look quite different.

Welcome to the New $40 Per Barrel World

Some of the takeaways from the last oil price crisis were mergers and acquisitions, weaker shale companies going under, and the remaining shale companies finding unique ways to improve efficiency and, arguably, better cost discipline.

Some have said that there are few gains left to be made, with most of the less desirable shale companies and inefficiencies within the shale industry going the way of the dinosaur the last go around. In other words, some suggest that the belt is already as tight as it will get.

But changes are still afoot because changes must be made.

While oil and gas companies have seriously chopped its workforce, shale--like it did last time around--will find a way to do more with less.

Necessity being the mother of invention, U.S. shale is already finding ways to keep production up with a reduced workforce and less capital. They are already making the transition to $40 oil.

This can be seen with the Baker Hughes rig count and with Primary Visions Frac Spread Count. While the EIA is showing that U.S. production has sunk 2 million barrels per day on average over the last couple of months, rigs and frac spreads have fallen more sharply than what the current production levels would merit.

The New U.S. Shale Industry

U.S. shale will still likely emerge from this protracted low-priced environment with some battle scars. When rigs are idled for a long period of time, they are more likely to be idled forever. According to Clay Bretches, executive vice president at Apache Corp, When you shut in wells, especially for a long period of time, you have a lot of surprises. Some of them are good and some of them are bad, Bloomberg reported back in May.

One of those surprises is finding out that there is reservoir damage due to prolonged idling. Some smaller businesses that do not have the capital to make necessary changes will go under. Some necessary workers will be lost to other industries forever.

Nothing would make OPEC and Russia happier than to put U.S. shale on the backfoot. But just because U.S. shale may emerge from these difficult times with battle wounds doesnt mean OPEC should count it out.

U.S. shale has proved fantastically resilient in the past to any downturn, even long ones. It may look different, yes indeed. Perhaps smaller, as some analysts say. But a few years down the road, and U.S. shale will still be a force that OPEC must reckon with.

By Julianne Geiger for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:

Read this article on OilPrice.com
The Fort Hood Army Base in Texas is investigating the death of a fourth soldier whose body was pulled from a lake following a boating accident over the weekend.

Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas, 24, died in a boating incident and his body was recovered Sunday in Stillhouse Hollow Lake near the base, Fort Hood announced in a press release Tuesday.

Base authorities are now working with police to investigate the circumstances of his death.

Hernandezvargas death is the fourth under investigation at the base in the last two months following the disappearances and deaths of Specialist Vanessa Guillen, Private Gregory Wedel-Morales and Private Mejhor Morta.

The Fort Hood Army Base in Texas is investigating the death of a fourth soldier, Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas, 24, whose body was pulled from a lake following a boating accident over the weekend

The discovery of Hernandezvargas' body comes after the long search for 20-year-old soldier Pfc. Vanessa Guillen (left), whose remains were first found on June 30. She was found days after search teams discovered the corpse of missing soldier Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, 24, (right) on June 19. Foul play is suspected in both of their deaths

Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, of Florida was found unresponsive on July 17 near Stillhouse Hollow Lake

A view of Stillhouse Hollow Lake where Hernandezvargas' body was found a little before 1.30pm on Sunday

Witnesses told Bell County Deputies said Hernandezvargas was in a boating incident on Saturday where he was riding an inner tube behind a boat and went underwater and didnt come back up, according to WXRTV.

Rescue teams from the Texas Parks and Wildlife and Bell County Sheriffs Department spent hours looking for the victim.

His body was recovered Sunday after 1.30pm and an autopsy was performed by the Dallas County Medical Examiners Office.

Hernandezvargas was from Woodside, New York and entered the Army in May 2017 as an automatic rifleman.

He had been assigned to 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division since December 2017.

His awards and decorations include the National Defense Service Medal, Korean Defense Service Medal, Army Good Conduct Medal, Overseas Service Ribbon and the Army Service Ribbon.

Vanessa Guillen, 20, was reported missing from Fort Hood on April 22 shortly after she told her family she was being sexually harassed and felt unsafe

Morales (left), who was also known as Gregory Wedel, was last seen on August 19, 2019, driving his personal vehicle outside of Fort Hood. He was to be discharged within days after his disappearance, the Army said. Morta (right) entered the Army in September 2019 as a Bradley Fighting Vehicle mechanic. His family believes foul play is involved in his death

'The Black Knight family is heartbroken by the loss of Spc. Francisco Hernandez. Our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time,' Lt. Col. Neil Armstrong, commander of 1st Bn. 5th Cav. Regt said.

Timeline of Fort Hood disappearances/deaths August 19, 2019: Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, 24, disappeared. He was last seen driving his personal vehicle outside of Fort Hood days before he was due to be discharged. He was listed as a deserter by the Army one month after he was last seen. April 22, 2020: Vanessa Guillen goes missing and is last seen in the parking lot of the base. She disappeared after telling her family she was being sexually harassed by a sergeant on the base. June 19, 2020: Search teams discover the corpse of missing soldier Wedel-Morales following a tip to Army base investigators. Remains were found in a field in Killeen, just over 10 miles from Stillhouse Hollow Lake, five miles from Fort Hood. June 30, 2020: First parts of Giullen's remains found about 20 miles east of Fort Hood July 17, 2020: Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, of Pensacola, Florida was found unresponsive July 17 in the vicinity of Stillhouse Hollow Lake, around 15 miles from the Fort Hood base. August 2, 2020: The body of Spc. Francisco Gilberto Hernandezvargas, 24, is recovered from Stillhouse Hollow Lake following boating incident not far from where Morta was found.

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'Spc. Hernandez served his country honorably both stateside while at Fort Hood and abroad in Korea and Romania and this tragic loss is felt by every member within our formation,' he added.

Hernandezvargas is the second soldier to have died near the lake in less than a month.

Pvt. Mejhor Morta, 26, was found unresponsive in the lake's vicinity on July 17.

Morta was found along the edge of Stillhouse Hollow Lake Dam by a fisherman, about 20 miles away from the base.

Investigators said the circumstances of his death were consistent with drowning.

His family is in the Philippines but he was most recently from Pensacola, Florida with dreams of becoming a Marine.

His family believes foul play was involved.

'It was shocking,' his stepfather Lance McLarrie said to Fox San Antonio.

'He had his goals set and he had his future ahead of him. He was really doing good. I was surprisedTheres definitely foul play here, he added.

The base became shrouded in mystery earlier this year when 20-year-old Private First Class soldier Vanessa Guillen, 20, disappeared from the base on April 22 in a case that captured national attention.

President Donald Trump met with Guillen's heartbroken family in the White House late last month to discuss #IAmVanessaGuillen, a proposed bill to help victims of sexual harassment in the military.

Her remains were first found on June 30. She disappeared after she told her family she was being sexually harassed by a superior.

According to the FBI investigation, the young military woman was allegedly killed by Private Aaron Robinson, 20, who committed suicide as police closed in on him.

All soldiers were stationed at the Fort Hood Army Base in Killeen, Texas

Robinson allegedly killed her with a hammer and stuffed her body in a box to carry off post. He allegedly enlisted his 22-year-old girlfriend Cecily Aguilar to help dismember and dispose of Guillen's body.

She was found days after search teams discovered the corpse of missing soldier Pvt. Gregory Wedel-Morales, 24, on June 19. Police are pleading for any tips regarding his death.

Foul play is suspected in both of their deaths.

Hernandezvargas is the eighth soldier this year to die in a non-combat related incident on or around Fort Hood.
BOGOTA, Colombia Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe will not be allowed to remain at liberty while the Supreme Court investigates allegations of witness tampering against him, the nations current leader said in a video address Tuesday.

Ivn Duque lamented in the short statement that his political mentor will not be allowed to defend himself in freedom with the presumption of innocence as news about one of the nations most powerful leaders rocked the country.

The Supreme Court has not yet made an official statement and Duque did not provide any details on what sort of detention Uribe would face, though analysts expect that he will likely be subject to house arrest because of the pandemic.

Uribe himself said on Twitter that he would be confined, though offered no details, other than to say that it brings profound sadness for his family and for the Colombians who still believe that Ive done something good for the homeland.

The news touched off a firestorm of debate in Colombia, where Uribe remains a domineering voice in the nations highly divisive politics. Critics and civil rights groups praised the Supreme Court for continuing to pursue the accusations against Uribe in a country where the powerful routinely escape punishment for wrongdoing.

I think this is a decision that helps us consolidate democracy in Colombia," said Sen. Ivan Cepeda, who has spearheaded the investigation against Uribe.

Meanwhile, the ex-presidents supporters - including Duque, his mentee - decried the court for what they denounced as a political decision.

Uribe served as president from 2002 to 2010, overseeing the country at a time of continuing conflict with the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, who later signed a historic peace accord with his successor.

The former chief of state is being probed for allegedly trying to influence and bribe members of a paramilitary group who had damaging information against him. He has denied all accusations and no official charges have been filed.

The case has divided the South American nations and set off demonstrations both in favor and against Uribe prior to the pandemic. Political analysts have been watching it as an important test of Colombias justice system, which throughout its history has struggled to hold prominent political and military leaders accountable.

Human Rights Watch Americas director Jos Miguel Vivanco praised the Supreme Court Tuesday.

The court is showing that everyone even the most powerful is equal before the law, he said. The international community will support the court.

Uribe has continued to exert influence over the nations politics, and was considered instrumental in launching Ivn Duque, a young congressman, into the presidency in 2018. He led the no campaign in 2016 in which Colombians voted against a peace accord with left rebels that was later modified and adopted.

Allegations of ties to drug cartels and paramilitaries have dogged him for decades. The civil aviation agency he led in the early 1980s was accused of giving air licenses to drug traffickers. Declassified State Department cables from a decade earlier show U.S. officials were told the up-and-coming politician had ties to cartels.

The current accusation stem from a dispute with Cepeda, who claims he has firsthand witness accounts that Uribe was a founding member of a paramilitary group in his home province during the decades-long civil conflict involving government forces, leftist rebels and right-wing bands that convulsed the nation.

In 2012, Cepeda made allegations about Uribes paramilitary ties during a debate in Congress. Uribe later accused Cepeda of slander, but the Supreme Court dismissed the case, instead opening up an investigation against the ex-president for purportedly trying to bribe and sway witnesses who could testify against him.

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
London, August 2: The United Kingdom is considering minting a coin to commemorate India's independence hero Mahatma Gandhi. Britain's Finance Minister Rishi Sunak had even asked the Royal Mint Advisory Committee (RMAC) to pursue recognition of individuals from the Black, Asian and other minority ethnic communities. The step has been undertaken amid growing interest in recognising the contributions of people from various communities.

The UK Treasury said in an emailed statement late on Saturday that Sunak had written a letter to them regarding the issue. In the letter, the British Finance Minister had said, as quoted by the Reuters, "RMAC is currently considering a coin to commemorate Gandhi." Earlier, the idea of having Gandhi on a British coin was announced by former chancellor Sajid Javid in October 2019. Limited Edition Bank Notes of Zero Value to Be Released to Mark Mahatma Gandhis 150th Birth Anniversary.

The move now undertaken by the British government aims at celebrating the achievements of non-white individuals who have helped in building Britain. Sunak also wrote to We Too Built Britain campaign chief Zehra Zahidi and said, "Black, Asian and other ethnic minority communities have made a profound contribution to the shared history of the United Kingdom."

Adding more, the UK Finance Minister said, "For generations, ethnic minority groups have fought and died for this country we have built together; taught our children, nursed the sick, cared for the elderly; and through their enterprising spirit have started some of our most exciting and dynamic businesses, creating jobs and driving growth."

The latest move by the UK government is seen as a reassessment of history, colonialism and racism triggered by the death in May of a Black man -- George Floyd -- in the United States. Following Floyd's death, global protests against racism, colonialism and police brutality were observed. Even London had imposed restrictions for some time on protesters and had issued guidelines.

Earlier in 2019, the UK government had announced to issue a commemorative coin to mark the 150th birthday anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi. Former chancellor Sajid Javid had asked the Royal Mint to work on the coin so that the world never forgot what Gandhi taught it. Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi -- popularly known as Mahatma Gandhi -- left for London to attend law school in 1988. He attended University College of London law school and was called to the English bar in 1891.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 02, 2020 03:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).
Japanese businesses have begun relocating factories to Vietnam, and it is expected that American and European businesses will also come soon.

Japan has announced that 87 enterprises will receive 70 billion yen ($653 million) to relocate their factories out of China to ease reliance on the country.

Uniqlo has opened four shops in Hanoi and HCM City, within a short time



Of these, 30 companies will partially or fully relocate their production lines to Southeast Asian countries.



According to JETRO, the Japanese business organization, 15 out of the 30 companies, mostly in the fields of medical equipment, automobile parts and pharmacy, are operational in Vietnam and will scale up production here.



Hirai Shinji, chief representative of JETRO HCM City, told Nguoi Lao Dong that these enterprises are receiving support under a Japanese government initiated program, aiming to diversify Japanese production bases as the supply chain, which relies on China, has been disrupted because of Covid-19.

There are 2,000 Japanese enterprises in Vietnam and half of them are in the production sector.

There are 2,000 Japanese enterprises in Vietnam and half of them are in the production sector.

A survey conducted by JETRO in late 2019 about international activities of Japanese companies found that Vietnam was the favorite destination.



Of 159 Japanese enterprises planning to relocate production activities outside of China, 39 chose Vietnam. Thailand ranked second.



Hirai Shinji said Vietnam is not only a place for investment but also a large market. In the past, Japanese companies came to Vietnam to make products for export to third countries. But now, they can sell products in the Vietnamese market.



Uniqlo, the Japanese fashion group, for example, has opened four shops in Hanoi and HCM City, within a short time.



Experts believe that Vietnam is not only attractive to Japanese, but also to South Korean, American and European investors as well.



The Foreign Investment Agency (FIA) reported that of 136 countries and territories with investment in Vietnam, South Korea is the biggest investor with $68.3 billion of investment capital, followed by Japan and Singapore.



South Korea's Samsung Group alone had invested $17.36 billion as of July.



As for the US, its investment in Vietnam remains modest compared with the total amount of $4 trillion its businesses have poured into markets in Asia as of 2017, according to Nguyen Mai, chair of VAFIEs.



As of the end of 2019, FDI capital registered by US investors had reached $11 billion.



However, analysts say US politicians and businesses are optimistic about the expansion of relations with Vietnam. Many US companies are negotiating for implementation of large-scale projects in manufacturing and processing, clean energy, aviation, healthcare and medicine.

Le Ha

Vietnam govt to offer extraordinary incentives for high-impact FDI projects By fulfiling certain criteria, some foreign investors would receive special treatment, said Minister of Planning and Investment Nguyen Chi Dung.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry has reacted to the ongoing debate about a clause in a Chinese loan to Nigeria, which allegedly cedes Nigerias sovereignty to China in the even of default.

The Chinese government through the ministry denied that China had any such clause inserted in its loan contracts with Nigeria. The Foreign Ministry, in a statement, said: We follow a 'five-no' approach in our relations with Africa:

No interference in African countries' pursuit of development paths that fit their national conditions; no interference in African countries' internal affairs; no imposition of our will on African countries;

No attachment of political strings to assistance to Africa; and no seeking of selfish political gains in investment and financing cooperation with Africa, the ministry quoted President Xi Jinping, as saying at the FOCAC Beijing Summit in 2018.

The Foreign Ministry said: China is committed to enhancing investment and financial cooperation with African countries based on their needs to help them improve infrastructure and extradite socio-economic development.

By funding infrastructure and other areas that lag behind for short of money, we have helped the relevant countries break bottlenecks, enhance their capacity for independent development, realise social and economic sustainable development, and improve people's livelihood.

Such cooperation has delivered tangible benefits to African countries and peoples.

In the process, China always gives full consideration to debt sustainability and seeks mutually-acceptable proposals through equal and friendly consultations.

That is the fundamental reason behind the enormous popularity of China-Africa cooperation in Africa.

The House of Representatives members had claimed they had uncovered clauses in a loan obtained by Nigeria from China that conceded Nigeria's sovereignty to China.

But the Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi, had dismissed the claim, saying that what the lawmakers were touting as a discovery was just a contractual term.

He said, while answering questions about the loan controversy on a TV programme, he was ashamed that people can't understand that the clause 'waiving sovereignty' in China's loan agreement with Nigeria is only a contract term, a sovereign guarantee that assures payback according to the terms and conditions of any loan.
In a regulatory filing, MEA parent Monadelphous stated: Although the writ does not specify any damages, Rio Tinto has separately informed MEA that its claim is for AU$493 million in loss and damage.

This amount comprises AU$35 million in material damage costs associated with the reconstruction of the Sinter Fines processing facility, and AU$458 million for a temporary operating solution and business interruption losses arising from the alleged inability to process iron ore during the period of reconstruction of the facility.

Meanwhile it was noted that MEA denies the allegations and claimed losses, with the subsidiary being of the view that these have not been substantiated. Monadelphous added that the contract between Rio Tinto and MEA contains exclusions and limitations of liability which will be relied on by the latter in defence of the claim.

Also, according to Monadelphous, MEA has public liability insurance in place with a total limit of $150 million. The insurance provides cover for property damage claims and associated losses.

The engineering group went on to say: Monadelphous is unaware of any reason why the insurance policies would not respond to indemnify MEA for liability it may have to Rio Tinto. Along with its insurers and their legal representatives, MEA intends to fully defend Rio Tintos legal action.

Monadelphous highly values its long-term business relationship with Rio Tinto, and is proud of its track record providing maintenance and construction solutions to this very important customer for over two decades. The company remains committed to working with Rio Tinto to seek a satisfactory outcome in this matter.

MEAs insurer was not identified in the regulatory filing.
(Natural News) The Big Apple may be heading back to its bloody past, according to long-time residents and authorities, after the city saw a spike in shootings and other violent crimes within the past few months.

Were starting to see significant upticks in crime  particularly in violence. And it could get worse, police commissioner Dermot Shea said.

Shea, in an earlier interview, linked the rise in shootings to the release of thousands of people from Rikers Island under a new bail law and measures meant to contain the spread of the coronavirus  albeit without providing data to support his claim.

The uptick in crimes, Shea said, may also be linked to the present hostile political climate that has put police operations under intense  and unfair  scrutiny.

When you put those two factors together and now you add in an anti-police sentiment and new laws that do not help the police, it is a toxic, toxic environment, Shea said, noting that authorities cannot be expected to keep people safe if they do not keep dangerous individuals off the streets.

Sheas sentiment echoed that of NYPD Chief Terence Monahan, who said the violence was linked to a multitude of factors, including a sharp decrease in jail population because of the coronavirus pandemic and a measure that requires judges to release defendants awaiting trial on misdemeanors and nonviolent felonies.

Monahan, in a press briefing earlier this month, also said animosity toward law enforcement after the May 25 death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police  as well as demonstrations calling for cuts in their budget  may have contributed to the spike in cases, noting that it has emboldened some people who believe that cops cant do anything anymore.

The sharp increase in shootings and violence in New York puts innocent people at risk and tears at the fabric of life in our city, Shea said in a statement.

According to the New York Police Department, the spike in cases started in early June, which saw a total of 205 shooting incidents, or a 130 percent increase in cases from a year earlier. By July, the cases went up to 764, according to police data.

Other crimes have also increased, with burglaries and murder having gone up by 118.2 percent and 23.1 percent, respectively.

As noted by its residents, this spate of shootings, robberies, murders, burglaries and auto thefts, is reminiscent of New York Citys situation during the 1970s and 1980s, during which crime and violence were widespread and whole neighborhoods were considered to be dangerous no-go zones  a situation that is said to have been the result of an unfortunate mix of a floundering economy and a reduction in the police force, as well as an increase in the number of street gangs and extremist organizations.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, in a statement, pointed to the currently closed courts as one reason for the spike in violent crimes, noting that dangerous individuals and elements must be tried in order to get them off New Yorks streets.

You cant adjudicate the case until theres a trial and that determines whether someone should be allowed to be on the streets or not, de Blasio said, adding that only 50 percent of firearms charges have reached the point of indictments.

Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Shea have since called for the citys five district attorneys, as well as New York states Chief Judge Janet DiFiore, to reopen the citys courts in order for the trials to fully resume.

In addition, Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner Shea also unveiled an End Gun Violence Plan, as part of their promise to go all-out with curbing the sharp increase in shootings in order to prevent the city from sliding back into the bloody violence that characterized the citys previous eras.

The violence has to stop, Mayor de Blasio said. It is not acceptable and were going to beat it back.

Cuomo: No federal officers in New York City for now

Despite the steady rise in violence in the Big Apple, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said President Donald Trump will not send in federal officers into the city  at least for now.

According to Cuomo, while Trump had floated the idea of sending federal agents to New York in order to deal with the citys crime problem, he was able to dissuade the president from doing so.

I spoke to the president about it, said I was also concerned about the increase in crime in New York City and that people in New York City are also concerned about the increase in crime. I also said that at this point, I think that the situation can be managed by the state, Cuomo said. (Related: Trump to deploy more federal officers to protect Americas cities: The bloodshed must end!)

Trump, in an earlier press conference, noted that Cuomo must stem the rising number of gun-related violence in New York City lest he step in and send troops of federal authorities to restore order the way he did with other cities such as Chicago, Portland, Albuquerque, Washington, D.C. and Kansas City.

New York was up 348 percent  the crime rate. So the governor has to do something about it. And if the governor is not going to do something about, well do something about it, the President said.

Sources include:

FT.com

Reuters.com

1.NYC.gov

NewYork.CBSLocal.com

FoxNews.com

ABC7NY.com

NBCNewYork.com
The first is the damage to the hopes of a peaceful two-state settlement. Israelis have been most amenable to territorial concessions when they felt reasonably confident that Americans understood their security predicament (narrow borders, mortal enemies, ambivalent friends) and believed in the moral necessity of a Jewish state. Its why the George W. Bush administration achieved more in terms of territorial withdrawals by hugging Israel close than Barack Obamas administration did by deliberately trying to maintain daylight between Washington and Jerusalem.

This is not old history. Benjamin Netanyahu came close this summer to unilaterally annexing large parts of the West Bank, partly on the view that the delegitimization of Israel meant that it should take what it can get while it can get it. The more Israel is ostracized because its a Jewish state, the less amenable it will be to make concessions of any sort. Far from creating pressure on Israel to make way for a Palestinian state, as some advocates of a one-state solution fancy, Beinart and his fellow travelers are unwitting handmaidens to the Israeli right-wingers they claim to despise.

Next there is the damage to the Palestinians. Scores of Palestinians were killed in 2018 and 2019 in a long series of border clashes in Gaza, purportedly to demand their right of return to pre-1967 Israel. That demand, as left-leaning Israeli writers Adi Schwartz and Einat Wilf demonstrate in their convincing and essential book, The War of Return, has been the central obstacle to reaching a peace settlement. Unlike the surrender of settlements (which Israel repeatedly proved willing to abandon in Sinai and Gaza for the sake of peace), it is the one demand no Israeli government can concede if it means to preserve the countrys Jewish character.

Anyone who demands that Israel withdraw from part or all of the West Bank needs to be equally forceful in demanding that Palestinians abandon this so-called right. One-state advocates achieve the precise opposite: They foster a crippling fantasy that the right of return need never be conceded because eventually Israel will be pressured into dissolving itself. That will never happen, but chances for peace will be missed in the future, as they were in the past, so long as the fantasy survives.

The final bit of damage is to the American Jewish community. For decades, the opinions and advice of American Jews mattered to Israel. But if the views of a significant segment of American Jewish opinion are soon to harden into a moralizing anti-Zionism, it will only persuade Israelis to reciprocate with indifference and contempt. Whatever else advocates of a one-state solution think they are doing, they are withdrawing from any meaningful dialogue with Israelis about the future of a Jewish homeland.
Last month Ethiopia started filling its Grand Renaissance Dam (GERD) on the Blue Nile River. The development made downstream dependants of the water bodyEgypt and Sudan extremely worried over the inevitable environmental, human, and economic consequences.

Whereas Addis-Ababa appreciates these worries, they are secondary issues to Ethiopias development agenda. This constitutes a possible serious conflict of permanent fixture. Uganda has since offered a general approach to resolving this and other related future water resource conflicts across Africa.

Kampala is proposing to the entire regional membership of NBI-the Nile Basin Initiative of Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda to expeditiously make modalities of broadening the usage of River Congo water which is several times more than that provided by both the Blue and White Niles. While the water volume of the two Niles is 85 billion cubic meters per year that of the Congo River is 3,000 billion Cubic meters per year, which is 35 times more.

Considering the tripartite-nation dispute; whether it takes 10 years as suggested by Egypt or four years as planned by Ethiopia to fill the new dams reservoir (estimated to the size of Greater London), ultimately the volume of water reaching both Sudan and Egypt will keep reducing as its already the case with diverse effects. Therefore, Kampalas proposal offers a sensible sustainable optionif only can secure the vital backing and guarantee of multilateral organizations and financial institutionsi.e. United Nations, World Bank, African Development Bank, African Union, Arab League, Inter-Governmental Authority on Development and the Nile Basin Initiative.

The River Congo waters provide a solution that is not limited to responding to current disputants but also more African countries beyond the Equatorial Plateau. In fact, South Africa, which is about 3,373km away from River Congo, is already making use of the Inga Falls on this River. It is jointly developing Inga Dam III, to produce a total of 4,800MW. From this, 2,500MW will be transmitted to South Africa. Once developed to maximum potential, this project, which is funded by the World Bank and African Development Bank at the Inga Dams, will produce a mammoth 40,000MW, enough for half of Africa. This will be the worlds largest hydroelectric project, overtaking that of Chinas Three Gorges in Shanghai that produce 22,500MW.

Already many dams in Africas Equatorial Plateau are designed at sites that serve as reservoirs for Egypts Aswan High Dam. Therefore, if South Africa alone can transmit power for over 3,000km, Egypt which is already directly or indirectly involved in designing and building dams in Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi, Tanzania and DRC can easily mobilize stakeholders for a project to push sufficient volumes of water for only 1,386km from River Congo to River Ruvyironza (or Luvironza) in Burundi. From here more water will flow into the Kagera River in Tanzania, and from there into Lake Victoria, which is the lake source of the White Nile.

This collective effort would then guarantee more reliable and sustainable access of water for mega irrigation and power dam projects in Sudan and Egypt and end their sole reliance on the Blue Nile from Ethiopia. More water from the White Nile than the Blue Nile can be generated and accessed by individual member nations for their sustainable needs.

In the long run, this will foster productive cooperation across the board and avert unending tensions, particularly the current belligerence over the River Nile waters.
The 16-year matured single malt was made prior to the closure of the George Roe distillery in Dublin in 1923 (Victor Mee Auctions/PA)

A rare century-old bottle of Irish whiskey is estimated to fetch up to 12,000 euros when it goes under the hammer at a virtual auction.

The 16-year matured single malt from the George Roe distillery is the star lot in an Irish pub memorabilia and collectables auction later this month.

The whiskey was made prior to the closure of the distillery in Dublins Thomas Street in 1923.

The George Roe brand had been trading for 170 years prior to its demise.

The bottle, which will be sold online by Victor Mee Auctions on Wednesday August 12, was originally destined for export to the US market.

The family-owned company has moved its sales online due the coronavirus pandemic.

Other items due to be sold include a 1950s bottle of John Jameson Extra Quality Dublin Whiskey and a 19th century copper whiskey still, both of which are estimated to attract bids of up to 1,200 euros.

Auctioneer Victor Mee said: After a tough few months for our industry we are extremely happy to be hosting our first pub memorabilia sale of the year.

The rare lots set to appear in the auction have been handpicked by our specialist team and have been waiting in the wings ready to hit the auction block on 12th August.
New York, Aug 4 : US President Donald Trump has said that the country should get a large percentage of the proceeds if part of the short video-sharing platform TikTok's business is bought by an American firm.

Trump said that he made the demand that a "substantial portion" of that price should come into the US Treasury during a conversation with Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella over the weekend.

Microsoft on Sunday confirmed that it wanted to proceed with talks to purchase the US business of TikTok.

The discussion between the Microsoft CEO and the US President led to setting a date for closure of the deal around September 15.

If such a deal does not materialise, TikTok will be out of business in the US by that time, Trump said.

"I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because we're making it possible for this deal to happen," Trump said in a meeting with US tech workers on Monday.

He even explained the rationale behind his demand.

"It's a little bit like the landlord/tenant: Without a lease, the tenant has nothing. So they pay what's called 'key money,' or they pay something," Trump said.

"But the United States should be reimbursed or should be paid a substantial amount of money, because without the United States, they don't have anything -- at least having to do with the 30 per cent," he said.

Trump said he does not mind if Microsoft, or any other "secure" American company, buys TikTok's business in the US and he also shared the observation with the Microsoft CEO that that it is "probably easier to buy the whole thing than to buy 30 per cent of it." TikTok, owned by Chinese unicorn ByteDance, is facing scrutiny over its data sharing practices.

The Trump administration has raised allegations that TikTok provided users data to Chinese government.

Both Beijing and TikTok have denied the allegations.

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
Vow ASA has through its subsidiary Scanship AS been awarded an 8.4 -million-euro contract for the delivery of its waste management systems to four (4) cruiseships to be built in Italy. The contract includes options at a value of another 4.2 -million-euro.

We are thrilled about this contract, continuing the delivery of Scanships advanced technologies processing foodwaste and garbage on cruiseships. Even during these most difficult times, we are proud to be part of an industry that remains committed to a long-term plan of sustainable growth; says Henrik Badin, CEO Vow ASA in a statement.





Henrik Badin, CEO

Vow ASA

Tel: +47 90 78 98 25

Email: henrik.badin@vowasa.com





About Vow ASA

In Vow and our subsidiaries Scanship and Etia we are passionate about preventing pollution. Our world leading solutions convert biomass and waste into valuable resources and generate clean energy for a wide range of industries.

Cruise ships on every ocean have Vow technology inside which processes waste and purifies wastewater. Fish farmers are adopting similar solutions, and public utilities and industries use our solutions for sludge processing, waste management and biogas production on land.

Our ambitions go further than this. With our advanced technologies and solutions, we turn waste into biogenetic fuels to help decarbonize industry and convert plastic waste into fuel, clean energy and high-value pyro carbon.

Our solutions are scalable, standardized, patented and thoroughly documented, and our capability to deliver is well proven. They are key to end waste and stop pollution.

Located in Oslo, the parent company Vow ASA is listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange (ticker VOW from 13 January 2020). The Vow group has 120 employees in Norway, France, Poland and the US.





This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.








DAYTON, Ohio  Tormented by mind-scarring memories and questions without answers, Dion Green has dedicated his life after the death of his father and eight other people in a mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, to memorializing them and trying to bring helpful change.

That purpose is my Why?' said Green, whose father died in his arms after he was caught in the barrage of bullets in Daytons Oregon entertainment district in the early morning of Sunday, Aug. 4, one year ago. I didnt die, so thats why Im still here fighting.

Besides the nine killed, 17 other people were wounded in barely half a minute before police fatally shot the gunman in front of a bar where, had he gotten inside, the toll could have risen rapidly. The mass shooting brought an outpouring of community grieving and support, along with a Dayton Strong slogan.

There is frustration and disappointment as the first anniversary Tuesday nears, much of it because of coronavirus-necessitated safety orders and restrictions against large public gatherings and late-night bar discussions.

Thats whats so tough about it, Mayor Nan Whaley said. This is a bad mix for COVID-19, frankly. We want to hug each other and to be with each other, and we just cannot do it.

I believe that, at least for some, this is going to be a very difficult one-year mark without that presence of community, said Dayton Police Chief Richard Biehl, who recounted an astoundingly large turnout for a community vigil the night following the shooting.

Ohios governor Tuesday recounted how he heard loud calls to Do Something! from that vigil crowd a year ago.

Sadly, Ohios laws are exactly where they were a year ago, Republican Gov. Mike DeWine said during one of his regular updates on COVID-19 in the state.

DeWines STRONG Ohio proposals to address gun violence in the wake of the Dayton shooting never contained the toughest measures that gun control advocates favored such as a so-called red flag law to restrict firearms for people perceived as threats. His legislative proposals, which increase and improve background checks, have been stalled for months at the Statehouse.

We ask the legislature to please pass this bill, DeWine said. Doing nothing is simply not an option.

The city plans a series of activities people can share in at home. There will be a nine-minute remembrance at 8:04 p.m.  representing Aug. 4  as well as candle-lighting and special online programming.

Whaley said land has been donated for a permanent memorial, but authorities want to be deliberate about deciding what to put there.

There are small posters in many storefronts in the Oregon district offering a mental health program through a county board for a long list of issues, from anger to nightmares to withdrawal from others.

Social distancing for the pandemic hasnt helped the situation, said city Fire Chief Jeff Lykins.

I think personally, the best healing occurs when we talk with each other face-to-face. Maybe its on the back porch  the COVID has hurt; that people arent able to get together, not able to have the parking lot therapy, said Lykins.

He and Biehl said their departments members are recovering at different rates after a traumatic year that also included responding to damaging tornadoes, a deadly accident involving a stolen police cruiser that killed two 6-year-old children, and the fatal shooting of a Dayton police detective. A Dayton firefighter also killed himself, although authorities arent sure what led to the suicide.

Biehl said authorities are disappointed theyre still awaiting the findings of an FBI investigation into the influences and motivations of Connor Betts, the 24-year-old gunman whose sister, Megan, 22, was among those killed. He said more than 100 interviews have been conducted in that probe.

We had hoped to have this investigation concluded and to be able to report to the community before Aug. 4, Biehl said, saying he hopes police officials will have a pandemic-delayed meeting with federal authorities within weeks.

The FBI Cincinnati office said in a statement Monday that it is still investigating the shooting in partnership with local officials.

We remain engaged with our partners at the Dayton Police Department in this ongoing investigation, and will continue to do so to ensure all evidence and information connected to this case is thoroughly examined, it said.The families deserve to know, said Green, whose father, Derrick Fudge, died at age 57.

There are other frustrations unrelated to the coronavirus. Within hours of the Dayton shooting, which came on the heels of a mass slaying of 22 people in El Paso, Texas, politicians started calling for gun ownership reforms.

But a year later, theyre still waiting.

Im disappointed by just how little has changed, said Whaley, a Democrat. I was hoping Dayton would be the city that made change happen.

Reducing gun violence has been among the projects Green has taken on. He helped organize a No More Silence End Gun Violence rally recently in his native Springfield, Ohio. Hes formed the Fudge Foundation  Flourishing Under Distress Giving Encouragement  to provide support and connections for survivors of violence and trauma.

He also published a book Act of God/Act of Man detailing the Memorial Day 2019 tornadoes that damaged his home, followed by the Dayton shootings. He offers personal testimony of religious faith.

He remains in therapy; sometimes he gets angry, sometimes, I just shut down, he said.

Its hard to believe that its about to be a year since Ive had a conversation with my father, Green said in an interview outside his home, a tornado-uprooted tree in view nearby.

You can keep replaying that scene over and over and over. Like what if? What if I didnt take him there? Green said. Thats one of the toughest battles I fight.

On Tuesday evening, he will return to the Oregon district site. He has bought flowers to place in honor of the victims, and will bring masks and hand sanitizer for anyone who wants to join in a socially distanced candlelight vigil.

For something like that that affected plenty of people, he said, it was only right that I bring people together.

___

This story has been corrected to show that the name of a foundation referenced is Under Distress, not Under Duress.

___

Associated Press reporters Andrew Welsh-Huggins and Farnoush Amiri contributed in Columbus.

___

Follow Dan Sewell at https://www.twitter.com/dansewell.
Jagdishan had an offer to join the investment banking division of Deutsche Bank in Singapore, and had no clear idea about HDFC Bank, whether it was a public or a private institution, or how much stake parent HDFC held in the bank. It wasnt money or the organisation or the pride of working for a domestic firm but the thought of leading a team that was the most exciting part, he told senior journalist Tamal Bandyopadhyay for his book on ...

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OLMSTED TOWNSHIP, Ohio -- A four-month investigation into allegations of workplace harassment by Olmsted Township Trustee Larry Abbott against Township Administrator Rebecca Corrigan came to an end last week.

A report prepared by Krugliak, Wilkins, Griffiths & Dougherty attorney Leslie Iams Kuntz confirms alarming behavior by the elected official.

cleveland.com reached out to Abbott via emails, which were not returned. cleveland.com also talked to Kuntz, who declined comment beyond what is included in the report.

The harassment began after Abbott and Corrigan -- who had started a sexual relationship in January 2019 while attending a conference in Columbus -- ended their consensual relationship four months later.

Kuntzs report, which included interviews with 13 township employees and office holders, states that through November 2019, there were ongoing issues among Corrigan, Abbott and Abbotts wife, Jennifer.

It appears from this information that both Ms. Corrigan and Ms. Abbott engaged in behavior that was viewed as harassing and hostile towards the other, while Mr. Abbott claimed that he could not control the behavior of his wife and took no steps to prevent it, Kuntz wrote in her report.

Corrigan first revealed details of the affair and situation to Trustees Lisa Zver and Jeanene Kress in October 2019. A month later, the administrator made a verbal hostile work environment complaint.

The complaint initially was that Jennifer Abbott was continuing to try to intimidate her by coming into the workplace and meetings, and that she (Corrigan) no longer felt safe at work, Kuntz wrote.

At some time during the investigation, other allegations were added. These allegations related to a low-rated performance evaluation done by Mr. Abbott of Ms. Corrigan and the fact that Mr. Abbott requested that certain terms in her contract renewal were changed at the last minute that she felt was adverse.

Lastly, Im very troubled by Mr. Abbotts continued lack of understanding of the impact of his behavior towards Ms. Corrigan, said Kuntz, who noted a June 2020 email from Abbotts township email account to other township officials -- including Corrigan.

In the email, Abbott stated, I cannot wait for the day when this BS investigation is over.

The report also mentions uncomfortable conversations Abbott had with township employees about his relations with Corrigan.

Despite being asked by the trustees to resign after the report was released, Abbott refused. The trustees decided to follow directives suggested in the report to ensure that harassing behavior in the future isnt tolerated.

The recommendations, which were approved by the Board of Trustees on July 31, included a series of controls and limitations regarding Abbott interacting with Corrigan.

Abbott must refrain from direct communication (telephone, text, email or other such electronic messaging) with all township department heads and employees on any matters involving township business, operations or actions.

Abbotts input on township matters shall be confined to direct communication with the other township elected officials.

In addition to township administrative offices, town hall and other building access being restricted to meeting attendance and mail drop-off and pickup, Abbott must refrain from publicly stating, posting on social media or otherwise disseminating any derogatory remark or suggestion relating to Corrigan.

Also, Abbott is not allowed to have involvement in the supervision or management of Corrigan.

On July 31, the trustees not only met in executive session, but also released the meeting minutes. The plan is for the township leadership to pass a resolution of censure and require Abbott to complete ethics training and a course on professionalism in the workplace.

The township is exploring options for financial reimbursement related to all expenses incurred in this investigation. Kress estimated that the townships legal bills related to the investigation are more than $35,000.

The trustee statement read: The hostile work environment you created by bringing your personal life into the workplace created a hostile and retaliatory environment for our employees. Your actions have been a destructive force in our township.

Theres also a fear among trustees about the potential of a lawsuit from Corrigan or other employees.

This report opens the township to liability from lawsuits due to the hostile and retaliatory work environment you created, read the trustee statement. Weve been communicating with our insurance counsel and its unclear if the conditions you created by your actions are covered by our policy. Its imperative that we limit exposure for the township.

Corrigan said she is thankful the township not only supported her, but also took the allegations seriously and conducted an independent investigation.

The actions of Trustee Abbott against me have significantly impacted me and my family, Corrigan said. Throughout this ordeal, it has been really difficult to work in this environment of hostility, retaliation and intimidation.

The residents and staff of the township deserve better than how Trustee Abbott has conducted himself, Corrigan said. Its troubling that he continues to ignore the negative impact of his actions on the township administration.

Although the report was thorough, uncovered the untruths of Trustee Abbott and exposed the retaliation taken against me in the workplace, there are items that remain unaddressed. Im working with private counsel to address these items and others, she said.

Corrigan added that she has taken every effort to ensure that her work performance has been to the benefit of the township residents.

I will never be deterred from performing those responsibilities, Corrigan said. Im beyond grateful to my staff and township employees that have stood beside me through this ordeal.

Both Zver and Kress expressed shock and dismay regarding Abbotts actions.

The township is doing everything legally that we have to do in order to protect our employees, Zver said. We put all of these actions in place according to the Ohio Revised Code.

Kress added: There is absolutely nothing that we can put in place to remove him from office. The only way is through a recall petition on the part of voters in the community.

At press time, neither trustee knew of any resident initiative aimed at putting the issue on the November ballot.

Larry Abbott has made his decision not to resign, Zver said. I would lie if I said its going to be easy, because its not. Its going to be difficult for us to govern moving forward. It just is, but we can only do what we can do to protect the township and the employees.

Kress said she is hoping the recommendations regarding Abbotts behavior will close a chapter that put unfavorable light on the township.

Our goal is to move forward here, Kress said. Sometimes, theres a chapter thats not a very good thing, but what you want to do is move on to make your organization and everyone a little bit stronger. Thats what were hoping to do right now.

Read more news from the Sun Post Herald.
Actor Aftab Shivdasani and wife Nin Dusanj welcomed their first child, a baby girl on July 28 in London, UK. The happy news which the actor announced on August 1 came a surprise, including Shivdasanis friends in the industry.

The actor says he and his wife wanted to keep things private, and also shares that they are both elated to be proud parents and overwhelmed with the arrival of their daughter.

Excerpts:

Congratulations for the good news. So, how did you manage to keep this a secret all this while?

We consciously chose to keep it a surprise as somethings in life are private and sacred. It wasnt easy to keep it quiet as this is not something one can hide easily for obvious reasons! But we planned it strategically and decided to have the baby in London just to get some space and some quality time for ourselves as well.

Was pregnancy during the pandemic a worry for both of you?

Well, the pandemic was always at the back of our minds but luckily that also gave us time for ourselves and to stay protected from all that was going on outside. We didnt focus too much on the negative but instead try and have a positive mindset through all this as we didnt want any of this to affect the mother or baby.

Now that you have become a father, what is it that youre most looking forward to?

Just the thought of fatherhood always excited me as I love children. The thought of seeing a product of our love is the most beautiful feeling ever. Im looking forward to nurturing and loving this beautiful child of ours. Right from changing nappies to comforting and taking care of Nin and the baby. In fact the only thing Im not looking forward to is staying away from them.

Since you have resumed work as well in Mumbai, how are you going to balance things?

These are exciting and busy times for us, as Im resuming shoot for my webs series soon back in Mumbai and then we have Dhundh (his first production) lined up after that. But its most important to multi-task and plan your day wisely so we can have that work-life balance. Nin being super organised helps in all of this as she has great management skills.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Manchester City are expected to finalise their first summer signing today by landing Ferran Torres from Valencia.

Torres will cost City an initial 20.9million after agreeing a five-year contract, with the finer details and a medical set to be completed.

The 20-year-old's arrival at the Etihad Stadium is seen as a coup for Pep Guardiola, who wanted fresh energy in wide areas ahead of next season.

Manchester City are set to complete 37m signing of Ferran Torres from Valencia on Tuesday

Torres is regarded as one of the most exciting wingers in Europe and was a highlight in Valencia's otherwise disappointing LaLiga campaign.

Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Atletico Madrid and Juventus had all retained interest in signing Torres, who had signalled his intention to leave the Mestalla.

Guardiola is hoping for four new faces over the coming weeks.

City boss Pep Guardiola is eager to strengthen his squad as he looks to reclaim the league title

City are in the disadvantageous position of juggling both their Champions League campaign with summer recruitment but are moving quickly in a bid to narrow the gap to Liverpool.

Nathan Ake is also close to a move after City agreed a 40m fee with Bournemouth last week, while Napoli's Kalidou Koulibaly is another target in the central defensive area.

City are back in Champions League action on Friday for their last-16 second-leg against Real Madrid.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : The Supreme Court Tuesday restrained the Navy from discharging four women officers under the Short Service Commission (SSC) without considering their requests for Permanent Commissions. The officers were due to complete their SSC tenure this week.

A bench of Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice K.M. Joseph said: "Prima facie, the Union of India, having failed to comply with the directions contained in the judgment of this court dated March 17, 2020 which mandated consideration for the grant of Permanent Commissions within three months, it would be unfair to discharge the Short Service Commissioned officers in the meantime, pending consideration." Counsel representing the women officers submitted that the Centre was required to implement the decision of the top court granting Permanent Commissions within a period of three months, but this exercise has not been initiated (beyond inviting applications) and completed.

Additional Solicitor General Sanjay Jain, representing the Centre, stated that an application for extension of time has been filed before the top court in view of the intervening pandemic and the lockdown which was occasioned, as a consequence.

Responding to this contention, counsel for women officers submitted that as a result of the Delhi High Court verdict, even those cases where interim orders have been granted by the Armed Forces Tribunal are now being listed for vacating them.

After the hearing on the matter, the bench said: "We accordingly issue an ad-interim order and direction that the petitioner(s) shall not be discontinued from service pending consideration of their requests for the grant of Permanent Commission. The judgment of the Delhi High Court dated July 23, 2020 and of the Armed Forces Tribunal (AFT) dated July 13, 2020 shall remain stayed." Issuing notice to the Centre, the court listed the matter for further hearing on August 20.

The officers had initially moved the AFT seeking interim relief of restraining the Navy from releasing them from services till their claim for grant of Permanent Commissions was considered on merit. After getting no relief from the tribunal, they moved the Delhi High Court, and then finally filed a special leave petition in the apex court. A total of six Navy officers - four women and two men - moved the court.

On March 17, the apex court had said yes to Permanent Commissions for women officers in the Navy, citing any effort to deprive serving women officers of the opportunity to work as equals with men in the service is plainly discriminatory.

A bench, headed by Justice Chandrachud and comprising Justice Ajay Rastogi, said: "A hundred and one excuses are no answer to the constitutional entitlement to dignity, which attaches to every individual irrespective of gender, to fair and equal conditions of work and to a level playing field." The apex court asked the Centre to complete the modalities in the view of this judgement within three months.
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Southern England will melt in 99F (37C) temperatures by the weekend as the Met Office issues a health alert - but rain today hit northern parts of the country as well as Scotland.

The scorching air from Europe at the end of the week will come after the wet weather that has lashed the North West clears by tomorrow.

The Met Office put out a yellow weather warning for north of the border today as west Scotland - including Glasgow and Stirling - was drenched.

The heat from the Continent is due to be carried on southerly winds across the majority of England, meaning hot and dry conditions for many.

Temperatures could peak at around 90F (32C) for the south of England on Thursday and 79F (26C) in the north of the country.

While the Bahamas, in the Caribbean, could be as hot as 89F (31C) on Friday, the Met Office has said temperatures in England could reach 99F (37C).

Casablanca, in Morocco, is due to see highs of 81F (27C) on Friday, by comparison. While Lisbon has seen recent hot weather, it is expected to have peaked by the weekend with temperatures around 86F (30C).

Three friends stroll along the promenade at Bournemouth beach this afternoon as the weather stayed warm in the South

People with a dog walk in a lavender field at Hitchin Lavender farm in Ickleford on Tuesday. Temperatures could peak at around 90F (32C) for the south of England on Thursday and 79F (26C) in the north of the country

Women walk across the sand along Bournemouth Beach this afternoon after taking a dip in the English Channel as the sun came out

Two friends have a chat after swimming in the sea off the coast of Bournemouth this afternoon, with their inflatables wrapped around their ankles

One man applies sun cream to his mate as a woman watches on in Bournemouth this afternoon as the sun came out again

Meanwhile up in Scotland downpours lead to flooded roads in Lochwinnoch as cars tried to make their way through it without getting stuck

Vehicles have water up to their bonnet as they slowly make their way through the floods in Lochwinnoch in Scotland today

Heartbroken daughter tells how her hero father 'used all his strength' to give his three children a final smile after rescuing them from a rip current before he drowned The heartbroken daughter of a father-of-seven who died while rescuing three of his children after they got caught in a rip tide has revealed how he 'used all his strength' to give them a final smile. Jonathan 'Joff' Stevens, 36, was with the youngsters aged ten to 12 at Barmouth in North Wales when they began to struggle in the water yesterday lunchtime. The plasterer tried to pull the children to safety, and a major rescue operation was launched involving a lifeboat and Coastguard search and rescue helicopter. Jonathan Stevens is pictured with his partner Laura Burford and four of their children - including Lacey (bottom right) and Jack (bottom centre), whom he rescued yesterday Mr Stevens, from Telford, Shropshire, was then pulled from the water and flown to Gwynedd Hospital in Bangor in an air ambulance but died. Now, his daughter Lauren, 11, has shared how she ran to lifeguards and pleaded 'my dad is drowning, please save him'. In a tragic revelation, she also said her father smiled at his children one last time after saving Lacey, 12, and Jack, ten. Earlier, Mr Stevens' heartbroken partner Laura Burford, who was back home 80 miles away when the tragedy happened, said he had died a hero while 'saving their babies'. Daughter Lauren told the Sun that the lifeguards rushed to save her father, carrying him to the beach, adding that he looked 'lifeless'. She said: 'Dad opened his eyes and looked over to me, Joshua, and Lacey and Jack, who by now were back with us and he gave us a smile. 'But the next second he collapsed again and the lifeguards carried him in, laid him down on the sand and gave him CPR. He never opened his eyes again. 'I think Dad had used his last bit of strength to open his eyes and smile at us and when he saw we were all okay he knew he could let go and die happily.' Advertisement

Although the hot spell is due to last throughout Saturday, the temperature is due to drop and by Sunday some parts of the country could see thunder storms.

The Met Office has also issued a heat health alert for the south east of England and warned UV levels could be high in some parts.

High temperatures on Saturday could see heatwave conditions being met in southern and the south east of England.

Bonnie Diamond, a forecaster for the Met Office, said: 'It's a bit of an unsettled start in north western parts but for the southern half of the country, it is a dry first half of the week.

'The heat turns up from Thursday with warmer weather across the whole of the country. It will be really quite hot across parts of the south east of England where we expect to see temperatures in the low to mid-30s, with the peak of the heat on Friday.

'Southerly winds across England are going to bring warm air over from Europe and further south it is going to be hot. Temperatures in England and south Wales will be in the high 20s and low 30s.

'By Friday, we will be seeing the hottest of the spell with temperatures widely over 30C (86F).

'There will be a focus of temperatures reaching around 34C (93F) to 35C (95F) in the south east and we are going for a maximum of 37C (99F) on Friday in the south east of England.

'Saturday looks to be very warm or hot for many, although not quite as hot as Friday. Sunday we should have sunshine to go along with the temperatures. There is a possibility of thunder storms for some part of the country.'

Met Office Chief Meteorologist Frank Saunders added: 'Most of us will see a spell of warm, summery weather later this week, with hot weather developing across southern parts of the UK.

'From Thursday temperatures will be in the low- to mid-20s Celsius for Northern Ireland, Scotland and north Wales, but it will be much warmer across southern and central areas, with temperatures widely reaching around 30 Celsius, possibly 32 Celsius in the southeast of England.

'It'll be another hot day on Friday with temperatures widely reaching 30 Celsius, or higher, in central, southern and some northern parts of England. It is likely to be hotter still in southeast England where 34 to 37 Celsius is possible.

'Saturday will likely be another hot day for southern and central parts of the UK, with heatwave conditions possibly being met in parts of southern and southeast England.'

It follows a weekend of hot weather which saw some of England's most popular tourist hotspots deluged with visitors.

The Met Office confirmed last Friday was the third hottest day since records began in 1910, after 100.04F (37.8C) was recorded at London's Heathrow Airport.

There are fears Cornwall could face being locked down as locals blast holidaymakers for not wearing face coverings or respecting social distancing.

The county's narrow streets have been flooded with tourists and the local council was forced to deploy street patrols to reprimand rule breakers.

Deputy Leader of Cornwall Council Adam Paynter warned a local lockdown - as seen in Leicester and parts of the North West - would spell doom for the staycation season.

Paddleboarders take a leisurely trip along the River Thames in Kingston, Greater London, this afternoon as a swan swims just inches away

Three people row down the River Thames in a small vessel as the sun comes out in Kingston-Upon-Thames on Tuesday afternoon

The River Thames by Kingston paints a stunning scene as people take to the water and enjoy the sun on Tuesday afternoon

A woman jogs through Burgess Park, as the iconic Shard is seen in the background, in London this morning as the sun came out again

Drone pictures show the morning sunrise over Victoria Tower on Castle Hill in Kirklees Sunrise at Castle Hill, West Yorkshire, this morning

A beautiful sunrise at Branksome Chine, Bournemouth, Dorset, this morning sees the sky reflect off the sea-covered sand

The stunning 'Sturgeon moon' is pictured The world looked up in wonder on Sunday night as the August sturgeon moon rose in the night sky. Photographers around the world captured incredible shots of the full moon sitting above iconic landmarks. The huge moon was seen behind cathedrals in Colombia, the London skyline, the Statue of Liberty in New York and more. Taking its name from Native American folklore, the August 'sturgeon moon' was named after the river fish common in New England. Native American tribes in the area named the moon after the fish because sturgeons were most readily caught in August. The August full moon also goes by other names, including the 'Barley Moon,' 'Green Corn Moon', 'Fruit Moon' or 'Grain Moon', as it is referred to in the UK. The 'sturgeon moon' rises behind Temple of Poseidon in Greece Advertisement

He told Cornwall Live: 'I urge all visitors to Cornwall to follow guidelines such as washing hands, wearing a mask when required to and maintaining a social distance.

'We want to avoid the local lockdowns that have happened further north that have seen places shut down and we want to make sure the attractions stay open for local and visitors to enjoy and don't want to see anything closed and the best way to achieve that is if people do all they can to follow the rules to avoid spreading the coronavirus. If they do that, they'll remain open.'

He added: 'Just because you're on holiday it doesn't mean you can just forget everything. There have been reports that some people when refusing to wear a mask have said they've come down to Cornwall to get away from it as if the coronavirus doesn't exist in Cornwall when it does. People need to be sensible and follow all the guidelines.'

Nearly 20million Britons plan to go on a staycation holiday in the UK this year, a poll found yesterday, amid fears over a fresh stampede of revellers to beauty spots.

Tourists are expected to flock back to beaches across the country as temperatures up to 99F (37C) sweep in from central Europe by the end of the week amid a level two heat warning.

A YouGov poll found 28 per cent of Britons plan to take a holiday in the UK this year.

It is the equivalent of about 19million people.

Meanwhile only 9 per cent will go abroad and a further 49 per cent do not intend on holidaying.

A man is pictured jogging with his dog in the bright morning sunshine on Wimbledon Common in south west London this morning

Red sky in the morning, shepherds' warning: Rain looks set for the Sunflower Maze in Tarbock, Merseyside, as it wakes up to a crimson sky today

A field in Bingham, Nottinghamshire, sits under as stunning sky ahead of a warm day in the East Midlands before temperatures rocket at the weekend

The sun rises above the morning fog at Rockford Common in the New Forest in Hampshire this morning ahead of a warm day in the southern county

Joggers were up bright and early as they exercised on Wimbledon Common in south west London this morning as the temperature rose

Dawn colours over electricity pylons at Bingham, in Nottinghamshire, with parts of the UK looking set for a scorching weekend

A couple are pictured holding hands as they walk together in the bright morning sunshine on Wimbledon Common in south west London today

The night sky is lit up by the huge pink moon in London's financial district in the UK on Sunday night. The sturgeon moon is known as the 'grain moon' in Britain

The 'Sturgeon moon' creeps up over the famous Millionaire's Row at Sandbanks in Poole, Dorset, on Sunday night

People take pictures of the giant pink moon in the night sky in Istanbul, Turkey, on Saturday night. The sturgeon moon takes its name from Native American folklore
- Chief Edwin Clark has sent an important message to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo

- The Ijaw leader warned Osinbajo against antagonising Niger Deltans

- Clark flayed the federal government for reneging on its promise to attend to the 16-point demands presented by the PANDEF

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An elder statesman and prominent south-south leader, Chief Edwin Clark, has warned Vice President Yemi Osinbajo to tread with caution over sensitive issues bordering on the Niger Delta and its people.

Nigerian Tribune reports that the elder statesman warned that people of the squalid region were prepared to take their destiny in their own hands not minding the consequences of the perennial agitations over critical issues affecting the region were not addressed.

Legit.ng gathered that Clark gave the warning in a lengthy letter he personally signed and addressed to Osinbajo, copies of which were electronically made available to journalists on Tuesday, August 4.

A prominent south-south leader, Chief Edwin Clark.

Source: Depositphotos

The nonagenarian is upset over a closed-door meeting Osinbajo held a few days ago at the State House, Abuja, with the duo of the minister of state for petroleum, Timipre Sylva and the deputy governor of Delta state, Kingsley Otuaro, over renewed agitations in the Niger Delta region without involving aggrieved stakeholders.

The former minister of information referenced the recent developments in Delta State; where some communities and groups i.e. Ijaws of Gbaramatu and Ogulagha, Itsekiris, Urhobos, Ukwanis, Isokos, etc. issued ultimatums and threats to disrupt oil and gas operations in their areas, due to federal governments continued apathetic attitude towards the region.

I have been inundated with countless calls since the news of that supposed meeting from various quarters, including the media, and many have expressed serious exception to the fact that critical stakeholders of the region were not consulted or involved.

The action, whatever the intentions were, is not only thoughtless but is also a betrayal of trust, to say the least, and likely to stir up unnecessary tension in the region. This again shows the creepy attitude of this administration, and its practice of exclusion, and non-committal to issues of the Niger Delta."

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He flayed the federal government for reneging on its promise to attend to the 16-point demands presented by the Pan Niger Delta Forum (PANDEF) in the wake of hostilities against oil and gas assets by militants in 2016.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had previously reported that the South East for President 2023 (SEFORP2023) and the Pan-Nigeria Presidency of Igbo Extraction Coalition (PANDIEC) engaged in a political battle.

It was reported that the groups are angling over who should superintend the quest for a Nigerian president of Igbo extraction in 2023.

PANDIEC recently declared it was the umbrella body for groups championing the cause for an Igbo president in 2023 and that other groups with similar objectives had ceded leadership to it.

Yerima Shettima reveals what Igbos need to do to win presidency seat | - on Legit TV

Source: Legit.ng
- The five suspects are believed to be members of a gang that has been unleashing horror on residents of Nakuru county

- They were ambushed by DCI detectives at midnight at their one-room hideout within Zanzibar area in Rurii

- Police recovered military uniforms, SIM cards, rolls of bhang and bottles of alcohol from the scene

A night of fun for five suspected notorious criminals was on Monday, August 3, cut short after they were busted by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The five (four men and one woman) are believed to be behind a criminal gang that has been terrorising residents of Nakuru county.

READ ALSO: List of companies, directors named in multi-billion COVID-19 tender scandal

The suspects will be presented before a court of law after completion of investigations. Photo: Kenya Law.

Source: UGC

READ ALSO: News achor Trevor Ombija shows off his exquisite house while anchoring news from home

They were nabbed by the police at their single room rental house hideout within Zanzibar area in Rurii-Nakuru County.

"Five members of a suspected criminal gang were last night ambushed and arrested in a rental house at Zanzibar area in Rurii-Nakuru County.

READ ALSO: News achor Trevor Ombija shows off his exquisite house while anchoring news from home

Acting on a tip-off from members of the public, the team of officers launched an operation in the said location minutes before midnight, ambuscading the drunk gang of four men and a lady in the single room.," read a brief statement from the DCI.

During the operation, the DCI recovered two pairs of military fatigue, rolls of bhang, bottles of alcohol and several sim cards.

READ ALSO: Ledama Ole Kina claims senators are being bribed with KSh 5M to support contentious revenue formula

Those who were arrested were identified by the police as Clinton Engoke Isandura, 38, Evans Siocha Mose, 27, Ephantus Kariuki Mwangi, 22, Peter Gachiengu Kariuki and, 22, and Betty Wanjiku Githuku, 38.

The suspects are currently under protective custody awaiting arraignment after completion of investigations.

The arrest comes as criminal activities gain an upward trajectory in the country. Section of observers has blamed escalating thuggery and increased insecurity on destitution caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

In a separate story, TUKO.co.ke reported that Nairobi-based detectives arrested three suspects who have been swindling money from unsuspecting members of the public by posing as employees of Safaricom and Stattimes.

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.

My husband's family took everything from me after he died and called my children garbage | Tuko TV.

Source: TUKO.co.ke
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Earlier this summer, the Trump administration announced new rules that would eliminate asylum eligibility for people arriving from countries where COVID-19 is prevalent, even if they are fleeing for their lives. This is the latest in a string of anti-immigrant policies being pushed forward during the pandemic under the guise of public health. As physicians who care for migrants within and outside of the United States, we are gravely concerned. Not only do these policies actually cause harm and threaten lives, but they also weaponize a flawed public health narrative to advance this administrations xenophobic agenda.

Since the pandemic took hold in the U.S., the Trump administration has introduced multiple policies that restrict immigration and decimate asylum processes. In March, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an operating agency of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), issued an order that directs the closure of land borders to newly arriving migrants, stating that this is necessary to prevent viral transmission. Other policies have severely curtailed worker and student visas (though the latter rule was rescinded in the face of legal challenges from universities.)

In June and July, two sets of asylum rules were introduced that threaten to deport thousands of asylum seekers without due process. The July asylum rules would also bar people if they are essential workers who may come into contact with COVD-19 (while helping to support the U.S. pandemic response), or if they contracted the virus while awaiting their hearing, even if transmission occurred inside immigration detention.

The public health rationale for these policies is severely flawed. The U.S. currently has among the highest per capita rates of known COVID-19 in the world  if anything, we are the threat. Under the CDC order, anyone arriving at the borders with valid travel documents is still allowed entry (even though clearly, a document cannot confer protection from an infectious virus). Although some have argued that denying entry is necessary to prevent overcrowding and COVID-19 transmission in detention, the routine use of detention is not required and can be modified to ensure cases are handled quickly, and people are released to their family members in the U.S. while they await their court dates. Lastly, the exclusion of essential workers and people previously infected with COVID-19 is unscientific  the standard is to test and care for people who are high risk, not punish them, and those who already recovered pose no infectious risk.

Rather than promote public health, these anti-immigrant policies actively cause harm. Since the borders were shut down, over 40,000 asylum seekers have been expelled. Many have been deported back to the same situations they were fleeing, where they are at risk of assault, kidnapping, rape, and murder.

Those who are denied entry at the land ports, or deported to third countries where they lack resources or social supports, may have no alternative but to stay in crowded encampments or shelters where physical distancing is impossible, as we have seen with migrants impacted by the so-called Migrant Protection Protocols, aka Remain in Mexico policy. The emotional toll of these challenges amplifies past traumas, leading to extreme functional impairment and suicides.

Inside the U.S., migrants family members suffer the emotional toll of separation and fear for their loved ones. The bars on eligibility for essential workers threaten the health of communities served by these workers. Finally, the continuing deportations from within U.S. borders have been exposing migrants to COVID-19 as they travel on crowded planes and spreading the disease throughout the globe.

In addition to the immediate harm caused by expulsions and deportations, the weaponization of a public health narrative to support xenophobic ends also perpetuates racism. This is nothing new.

For centuries, U.S. scientists and physicians have used their expertise to claim white superiority, justify enslavement and oppression and pathologize and punish political resistance. The current public health arguments for immigrant exclusion support the white nationalist idea, openly endorsed by many in the current administration, that immigrants, especially immigrants of color, represent a fundamental threat.

To be sure, it is unlikely that all of the scientists and physicians involved in COVID-era immigration policies are directly aware of the racist nature of their policymaking, but the discriminatory impacts and political context surrounding these plans are undeniable.

The current attempts to eviscerate immigration protections, under cover of COVID-19, are exceedingly dangerous.

But we have the opportunity to promote a new public health narrative, one that is based on inclusion, refuge from harm, and community care. We must marshal a powerful criticism of the most recent proposed asylum rules, which are subject to comments in the Federal Register until August 10th.

We must support immigrants in our communities and follow the lead of grassroots organizations that have been fighting racist immigration policies for decades. And we must be vigilant. Public health means all of us, interconnected in our communities and across the globe. By prioritizing compassion, and rejecting racism in all its forms, we can protect our communities during the pandemic, while also defending and strengthening humane immigration policies.

Mara Divis, Juliana Morris, and Eva Raphael are family physicians.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
MONTREAL / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Quebec Precious Metals Corporation ("QPM" or the "Company") (TSXV:CJC)(OTCQB:CJCFF)(FSE:YXEP) announces that the TSX Venture Exchange ("TSXV") has approved a change in the Company's stock symbol trading on the TSXV.

Effective on or about August 7, 2020, the Company's common shares will trade on the TSXV under the symbol "QPM" (TSXV:QPM). The previous trading symbol was "CJC".

About Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

QPM is a gold explorer with a large land position in the highly-prospective Eeyou Istchee James Bay territory, Quebec, near Newmont Corporation's Eleonore gold mine. QPM's flagship project is the Sakami project with significant grades and well-defined drill-ready targets. QPM's goal is to find the next gold mine in this territory.

For more information, please contact:

Jean-Francois Meilleur

President

Tel.: 514 951-2730

jfmeilleur@qpmcorp.ca

Normand Champigny

Chief Executive Officer

Tel.: 514 979-4746

nchampigny@qpmcorp.ca

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

SOURCE: Quebec Precious Metals Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600178/Quebec-Precious-Metals-Corporation-Changes-Its-Stock-Symbol
AUSTIN, Texas -- Many governors are yet again urging the White House to extend federal funds for National Guard troops deployed to fight the coronavirus pandemic as cases of the virus continue to mount up across the country.

The National Governors Association said Monday that its membership of the leaders of the 55 states, territories and commonwealths "strongly urge" President Donald Trump to extend the authorization of federal National Guard orders to allow states to continue to use troops in various missions associated with the coronavirus pandemic "likely until a vaccine is available." The existing federal orders are set to end Aug. 21.

"While we appreciate the administration's support over the past few months, short-term extensions and last-minute authorizations are adversely impacting and disrupting state plans and operations," according to an association statement sent to the White House.

The federal status, known as Title 32, provides federal funds to pay for the troops to complete missions approved by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but keeps the Guard members under the control of the state's leadership. The status also provides Guard members with additional federal benefits and pay not afforded them on state status, such as education and health care benefits, housing allowance, promotion points and benefits associated with retirement.

As of Monday morning, more than 24,900 Air and Army National Guard members were deployed in 50 states, three territories and the District of Columbia to support civilian agencies with coronavirus missions, according to the National Guard Bureau. At the height of deployment levels in May, nearly 50,000 troops were activated for missions that included sorting and delivering medical supplies, cleaning high-traffic public spaces and assisting nursing homes with testing, cleaning and caring for patients.

When the coronavirus first hit the United States in March, the National Guard was called up to help mitigate the spread and the secondary effects of the virus through state missions such as operating testing sites, assisting food banks, and manning call centers for health concerns and unemployment offices. As the pandemic escalated, Trump authorized the use of federal funds for the troops, but through state-by-state memos instead of a blanket approval.

Once all states gained access to federal funds, the deadline to employ the troops has been an issue. Governors and National Guard proponents have repeatedly had to ask for extensions that helped the states plan response efforts and gave Guard members access to various time-related benefits. In May, Trump authorized the latest deadline of Aug. 21.

The White House did not immediately respond about whether Trump supports another extension of federal funds.

Trump has downplayed the spread of the virus, though the death toll across the country has almost reached 150,000. During a news conference last week, Trump said large portions of the country are free of coronavirus. No states have overcome the virus and data from Johns Hopkins shows at least 20 states are experiencing an upward trend in new cases.

"We're seeing improvements across major metro areas, and most hotspots, you can look at large portions of our country, it's corona-free," Trump said. "But we are watching very carefully California, Arizona, Texas and most of Florida, it's starting to head down in the right direction. And I think you'll see it rapidly head down very soon."

While the deadline for federal status for the Guard is still weeks away, the governors association said some states have begun "the transition process for Guard members to ensure compliance with required quarantine policy," according to the statement. "Likewise, states and territories will begin the paperwork and training of new Guard members in state active duty starting [Monday]."

The United States has more than 4.6 million confirmed cases of the virus with an average of 61,815 new cases each day during the past week, according to The New York Times.

"This is a needs-based mission and you can clearly see that the need is still there," said John Goheen, spokesman for the National Guard Association, an advocacy group for the service.

Most governors have asked for federal funds for the Guard be in place for the rest of the calendar year, he said.

"The Guard doing a phenomenal job. I hear from everyone involved that the mission is not over," Goheen said.

Stars and Stripes reporter Steve Beynon contributed to this report.
(Natural News) In the early weeks of the Portland riots, left-wing Antifa protestors planned to make a statement and behead a Yorkshire pig in the streets. Some people use the word pig as a derogatory term to describe police officers. The antifa protesters had previously dumped a severed pigs head on an American flag and then proceeded to burn it outside the Justice Center in downtown Portland. According to undercover journalist Andy Ngo, antifa demonstrators placed a cops hat on the pigs head and set the American flag and pig head display on fire.

Portland police rescue pig that was to be beheaded and burned by antifa thugs

The demonstrators were not done killing pigs to make their point. In fact, they planned to behead a Yorkshire pig and sacrifice it in the streets in order to end all police brutality.

Their murderous plan was foiled by an animal rights activist named Mary McDonald-Lewis, who rescued the abandoned pig on the night it was supposed to be slain. McDonald-Lewis told the Portland Police that the animal was going to be slaughtered by protestors that night.

The pig, named Betty, was found wrapped up in a flower bed near the Portland waterfront. Police officers rescued the pig and took her to a farm sanctuary not long thereafter. One of the officers who helped rescue the pig, Brian Pelster, wrote on Facebook SAV-N LIVESONE HOG AT A TIME !!! Its going to live out its days as kind of a pet, he added. Its not headed to the slaughterhouse.

The domestic terrorist organization, antifa, continues to pillage the city of Portland. Their tactics are reminiscent of the Islamic State terror network in the mid 2010s, which used beheadings and immolation to further terrorize the world and take power. (Related: Black journalist stabbed in the back at Portland protest was targeted for being conservative.)

Rule by terror now condoned by authorities

Right now, antifa thugs are threatening a federal courthouse in Portland. The rule of law in America is on the brink of being replaced by rule by terror. Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler has condoned the peaceful protests and has not put a stop to the nonstop violence and anarchy. Instead, Wheeler has criticized the federal agents who have helped protect people and property in Portland. He has even tried to remove the federal agents from the city. The United Nations has also come to side with antifa too, condemning federal law enforcement instead of denouncing the human and animal rights abuses being committed by domestic terror groups like antifa.

Americans are constantly being told that attacking law enforcement with explosives, lasers, and rocks, while beheading animals in the streets is a peaceful form of protest. The Nation is not buying it anymore.

Sources include:

NationalFile.com

Twitter.com

Newstarget.com

Newstarget.com

NaturalNews.com
New Normal of Truth Side TV. Talking to Nilantha Ilangamuwa from her home in Yangon, She has recalled the memories of her father and the current situation in Myanmar. The country is once known as the rice of Bawl of Asia.





Rule of Law is worsening as State Counsellor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is isolating herself without initiating a constructive approach to consolidate the political parties and movements in the country, Daw Than Than Nu, a founding member of Democratic Party in Myanmar told the. Talking to Nilantha Ilangamuwa from her home in Yangon, She has recalled the memories of her father and the current situation in Myanmar. The country is once known as the rice of Bawl of Asia.





Daw Than Than Nu is a daughter of the first Prime Minister of Myanmar (Burma) U Nu. Prime Minister U Nu has ruled Myanmar twice but he was ousted in a military coup by one of his most trusted men in 1962. Then, Than Nu left the country with her father and briefly lived in Thailand before settling down in India. She worked as a translator-announcer at the New Delhi office of All India Radio for two decades and was heavily involved in providing assistance to Burmese refugees in India in the years following the 1988 student uprising. Daw Than Than Nu returned to Myanmar in 2003 and contested the 2010 general elections.




said its air force held a joint military exercise with the United States Air Forces Central Command for the second time in 2020.

The so-called "Enduring Lightning 2" exercise took place in southern on Sunday, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

The army said that the exercise was held in accordance with the guidelines of the Israeli Health Ministry, with planning and debriefing done at a distance and through digital means.

The US and the Israeli air forces maintain close cooperation, including in training and mutual learning.

The exercise was held amidst tensions along Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria, sparked by the killing of a fighter with Hezbollah, a Lebanese Iran-backed armed group, in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria in July.

--IANS

rt/

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Small business ombudsman Kate Carnell has called on the federal government to reinstate the Australian content quotas on commercial television broadcasters to save thousands of struggling screen production businesses.

In a boost to a campaign by Screen Producers Australia, Ms Carnell said the COVID-19 crisis had taken a heavy toll on the production industry, where 86 per cent of companies were small businesses.

The Ten Network's Five Bedrooms. Credit:Ten

The industry needs a clear commitment that the quota suspension period will not be extended beyond 2020," Ms Carnell said. "The government should also ensure mandatory Australian-made quotas apply to all other streaming services."

With production halted by the pandemic, the government suspended this year's quota requirements for Australian drama, childrens and documentary content on free-to-air and subscription television as an emergency measure in April.
A man puts on his face mask to protect against the coronavirus in Beijing on Tuesday as he passes by the Chinese character for "complicated." (Andy Wong / Associated Press)

In Australia, soldiers go door to door to find out who's broken quarantine in Melbourne, which is back under lockdown a second time.

A coronavirus outbreak on a Norwegian cruise ship is feared to have spread the disease in towns along the Scandinavian countrys scenic coast.

Hong Kong, a city that earlier went weeks without reporting new infections, is scrambling to build temporary hospitals to prepare for a surge in COVID-19 patients.

Eight months after first emerging from China, the coronavirus continues to spread across the globe at a relentless pace, sparking outbreaks where there largely were none and resurfacing in countries that fought off earlier waves.

The fresh spikes in countries that had successful containment strategies, such as Vietnam, also underscore the challenges facing the United States, which has struggled to implement a cohesive plan to beat back a global pandemic that has killed more Americans than the citizens of any other nation.

The World Health Organization raised the grim possibility that no vaccine will ever eliminate the virus and urged all governments to instead take the necessary steps to stem its spread. The coronavirus has infected more than 18 million worldwide and killed nearly 700,000.

Theres no silver bullet at the moment, and there might never be, Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the WHO's director general, told reporters Monday. For now, stopping outbreaks comes down to the basics of public health and disease control. Testing, isolating and treating patients, and tracing and quarantining their contacts  do it all.

Vietnam began testing tens of thousands of people linked to an outbreak in the tourist hub of Da Nang after an outbreak was reported late last month. The Southeast Asian country hadn't had a domestic transmission for more than three months and was lauded for its quick response to the virus, which included sealing its borders and imposing mass quarantines.

Health officials are unsure of the origins of the outbreak in Da Nang, which was linked to over 200 cases and the first COVID-19-related death in the country last Friday. Official cases of coronavirus in Vietnam, a nation of about 97 million, stood at 652, with seven deaths as of Tuesday, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Story continues

A resurgence of COVID-19 in Hong Kong has intensified the sense of unease in a city already confronted with a political crisis and a new Chinese national security law. Infections started rising in early July and were blamed on the more than 250,000 visitors, mostly comprising business executives, truck drivers, and aircraft and ship crew members, who were granted exemptions from testing and 14-day quarantines.

While no lockdown has been imposed, many businesses have been ordered shut, masks must now be worn at all times in public and gatherings are restricted to no more than two people.

"We are on the verge of a large-scale community outbreak, which may lead to a collapse of our hospital system and cost lives, especially of the elderly," Hong Kong's chief executive, Carrie Lam, said in a public address last week.

The government, citing the outbreak, also postponed the city's upcoming legislative elections  a move decried by critics as a way to stifle political dissent.

In another unfolding crisis, Australia's second-most populous state of Victoria issued a state-of-disaster order, transforming the country's second-biggest city, Melbourne, into a ghost town with the introduction of an 8 p.m.-to-5 a.m. curfew.

Hundreds of new daily cases and untraceable community transmissions led to the stringent measures, which include stay-at-home orders for six more weeks and remote learning for schoolchildren. The outbreak marks a major reversal for Australia, where health experts declared in June that the coronavirus would soon be eradicated.

Australian military personnel in camouflage fatigues accompanied health authorities conducting over 3,000 "door knocks" of Victoria residents ordered to quarantine at home and found 800 people absent. Days earlier, people who tested positive for COVID-19 were reportedly found to have still gone to work.

"That is completely unacceptable," said a visibly flustered Victoria Premier Daniel Andrews in a televised news conference Tuesday, revoking permission for people under quarantine to exercise outdoors. "I apologize to those who were doing the right thing, but we simply have no choice."

While lockdowns have helped cities across the world slow the spread of COVID-19, many countries are struggling to keep the disease in check once reopenings commence.

Spain, which emerged from a three-month lockdown in June, has seen cases rebound to more than 3,000 a day  10 times more than there were two months ago. That's rekindled fears of a return to the dire situation in March and April, when most of the country's 28,000 coronavirus-related deaths were recorded.

Back then, the virus was mostly confined to the elderly, especially those in nursing homes. Now it has spread to younger Spaniards, dropping the average age of coronavirus patients from 63 to 45. While that lessens the concern that hospitals will be overwhelmed by patients with acute symptoms, as younger people generally don't react as severely to COVID-19, the government is still imposing partial lockdowns in parts of the country to stanch the virus' spread.

We are out of the storm, but we still havent arrived at a safe port, Spanish health minister Salvador Illa was quoted as saying in the newspaper El Pais.

Young people, distressed by the closure of nightclubs, are also being cited for a resurgence of the coronavirus in Germany, where the instinct to stave off a deadly virus is running up against the desire to consume drugs and dance at underground techno parties. Police dispersed one such affair last month where 3,000 revelers congregated at a park in Berlin.

Meanwhile, in a scene reminiscent of the outbreaks aboard cruise ships in the early days of the pandemic, more than 40 people tested positive for COVID-19 on the Norwegian passenger liner MS Roald Amundsen. The ship, which provides passengers with views of Norway's fjords, docked at several ports, raising concerns that disembarking passengers transmitted the disease on land.

The infected members of the cruise, which included at least five passengers and 36 crew, were sent to a hospital in Tromso, a city in northern Norway. The ship's operator, Hurtigruten, was one of the first to restart business during the pandemic, launching a cruise in June.

A preliminary evaluation shows that there has been a failure in several of our internal procedures, the company's chief executive, Daniel Skjeldam, said in a statement, adding ruefully: We have made mistakes. ... I am sorry for what has happened. We take full responsibility.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A mother has created a spectacular DIY Korean barbecue spread in her backyard - complete with bulgogi beef, fried chicken, soju and kimchi.

The Filipino woman said her family wanted to host a dinner party at their Sydney home by marinating their own meat and preparing the small side dishes.

The spread included everything diners would find at a Korean BBQ restaurant, including marinated slices of beef and pork belly, corn cheese, fried chicken, and a platter full to the brim of fresh lettuce leaves, enoki and king brown mushrooms.

'Doing our bit to help minimise the spread or contacting the virus by staying away from crowded places as much as possible,' the mother wrote in a Facebook group.

A mother has created a spectacular DIY Korean barbecue spread in her backyard - complete with bulgogi beef, fried chicken, soju and kimchi

The spread included everything diners would find at a Korean barbecue, including marinated slices of beef and pork belly, corn cheese, fried chicken, and a platter full to the brim of fresh lettuce leaves, enoki and king brown mushrooms

'Instead of going out to a restaurant, I decided to set up my own in our backyard. Korean BBQ dinner prepared and cooked by my two adult children and set up by me - so much better than any other restaurants we've been to.'

The family gathered around the dining table, as they grilled the marinated meats and mushrooms on the hot plate until they were slightly charred and enjoyed fruit-flavoured soju, which is a popular Korean alcohol.

After sharing her DIY Korean BBQ on social media, many were amazed by her dinner, while others urged her to share the recipes for the marinated meats.

The woman said her family wanted to host a dinner party at home by marinating their own meat and preparing side dishes - including bulgogi beef, kimchi, tofu and and fish balls

They also made their own fried chicken, cheese corn and a platter of fresh lettuce leaves, enoki and king brown mushrooms

The family gathered around the dining table, as they grilled the marinated meats and mushrooms on the hot plate until they were slightly charred and enjoyed fruit-flavoured soju

'Thank you for the lovely compliments on my backyard restaurant and homemade Korean BBQ family dinner,' the mother wrote, as she pointed out she's not Korean so her recipes are inspired by the authentic restaurants.

'For those of you who asked for the recipes, my 18-year-old son who did all the cooking has complied a fancy recipe booklet. Enjoy making these and have fun sharing it with your family.'

To make the beef bulgogi, her son used soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and sesame seeds to marinate the meat.

He also purchased the prepackaged thinly sliced beef and pork while the bite size chicken pieces were marinated in salt, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, oyster sauce, cayenne pepper, vinegar, black pepper and water.

The bite size chicken pieces were marinated in salt, onion powder, garlic powder, sugar, oyster sauce, cayenne pepper, vinegar, black pepper and water

Next, they transferred the chicken into the ziplock bag, sealed, and then shake until the pieces are well coated in flour before cooking it in a deep fryer

To make the beef bulgogi, her son used soy sauce, sugar, sesame oil, onion, garlic, salt and pepper and sesame seeds to marinate the meat

Once the chicken has been marinated in the fridge between for up to 24 hours, they prepared the plain flower, corn starch and a pinch of salt in a ziplock bag.

Next, they transferred the chicken into the ziplock bag, sealed, and then shake until the pieces are well coated in flour.

Heat oil in a medium size Dutch oven pot, then add the coated chicken and fry until the coating is golden brown, flipping several times to ensure it's cooked.

Take the chicken out of the oil and set aside to rest. Serve with sesame seeds and chopped up spring onion.

To make the corn cheese, add drained tin of corn into a bowl with diced onion and three tablespoons of mayonnaise and mix until well combined.

Heat a pan over a stove, add butter and olive oil, then pour the corn mixture in and cook for four minutes before sprinkling mozzarella cheese on top.

Cover the pan with a lid and cook until the cheese has melted then transfer to an oven and bake until cheese is golden brown.
The Government has confirmed details of the repatriation of Vanuatus High Commissioner to New Zealand, late Johnson Naviti, will be announced shortly and it will take into account all measures and protocols applicable against the COVID-19 threats. Photo: File
By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan is planning to allocate additional AZN 843.6 million ($496.2M) to support healthcare system, businesses and state companies during the coronavirus pandemic, local media reported with the reference to the Finance Ministry of August 3.

According to the statement, additional funds for these purposes will be allocated as a result of planned amendments to the state budget for 2020. The relevant draft amendments have submitted to the parliament and will be reviewed on August 4.

The amendments envisage allocation of additional financing in four directions in the amount of AZN 843.6 million ($496.2M).

Of these, AZN 369 million ($217M) will be directed to healthcare, AZN 238 million ($139.9M) to social protection of population, AZN 136.6 million ($80.3M) to support state companies, and AZN 100 million ($58.8M) to support business.

Moreover, as a result of the state budget review, the volume of additional funding in various directions will amount to AZN 1.3 billion ($764.7M), including AZN 465 million ($273.5M) for the improvement of Azerbaijans defense capability.

Earlier, the government allocated AZN 1.4 billion ($823.5m) from the state budget to combat the coronavirus pandemic and to curb its negative impact on the countrys economy according to the relevant presidential decree. Of this AZN 752 million ($442.3M) have been used in six months.

Some AZN 149 million ($87.6M) out of AZN 250 million ($147.1M) allocated for healthcare has already been used, including AZN 281 million ($165.3M) out of AZN 570 million ($335.3M) allocated for social and economic support measures.

Moreover, AZN 244 million ($143.5M) out of AZN 309 million ($181.7M) allocated for social security measures, and AZN 118 million ($69.4M) out of AZN 280 million ($164.7M) allocated for financial support to state companies has also been used already.

---

Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz
Today, the Airborne Forces of the Russian Army celebrate 90-year anniversary from the day of foundation.

In Ryazan, at the "Spartak" stadium, a military-sports festival "Ryazan - the city of the Airborne Forces" was held. The theatrical performance "Officer's Waltz", tattoos of the honour guard company of The General V.F. Margelov Ryazan Guards Higher Airborne twice Red Banner Order of Suvorov Command School, airborne troops, athletes parachutists and paramilitary relay were held in the city.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:11:15|Editor: huaxia

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HONG KONG, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Tuesday it strongly objects to France's termination of ratification of the agreement on surrender of fugitive offenders (SFO) with Hong Kong.

Stressing that every country has laws to safeguard its national security and sovereignty, a spokesperson of the HKSAR government pointed out that the French government's decision to terminate ratification of the SFO agreement with Hong Kong is for political purposes, aiming to use China's enactment of the law on safeguarding national security in Hong Kong as an excuse.

"It is gross interference in China's internal affairs and the HKSAR government strongly objects to this move," the spokesperson said in response to media inquiry.

The French government has taken a decision to terminate the ratification of the SFO agreement already signed with Hong Kong, thereby knowingly allowing criminals to continue to evade justice, the spokesperson said, adding that France will need to be answerable to the international community. Enditem
While the 1936 Berlin Olympics featured the first modern Olympic torch relay, commemorating that isnt always looked on fondly, especially considering how the cauldron lighting in particular was orchestrated for Nazi propagandist Leni Riefenstahls 1938 film Olympia. Even general discussions of the torch relay and the Olympic cauldron have touched on that, sometimes with calls to get rid of the tradition altogether given its past.

So it probably wasnt a good idea for the International Olympic Committee to post a video and tweet that included footage celebrating that 1936 torch lighting Thursday, one they eventually wound up deleting after widespread criticism (including from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum) and apologizing to those who feel offended for.

Heres the preserved version of the initial tweet:

Heres more on that from The Associated Press:

The IOC apologized on Friday and deleted a Twitter message which some saw as celebrating Nazi Germanys hosting of the 1936 Olympics. Joining a message thread on Thursday one year before the Olympic cauldron is lit at the postponed 2020 Tokyo Games, the International Olympic Committee used its official account to tweet a film about the first-ever torch relay entering the Berlin stadium. We apologize to those who feel offended by the film of the Olympic Games Berlin 1936, the IOC wrote on Friday. We have deleted this film, which was part of the series of films featuring the message of unity and solidarity, from the @Olympics Twitter account.

An Agence France-Press story (via Yahoo) has more on the specific criticisms the IOC took, including the one from the Twitter account of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum:

This is turning out to be quite a ThrowbackThursday already! Berlin 1936 marked the 1st Olympic torch relay to bring the flame to the cauldron. We cant wait for the next one in Japan, said the Berlin tweet, followed by #StrongerTogether. The cheery tone contrasted with the images which, as well as photos of black American sprinter and long jumper Jesse Owens, also showed images of the lighting of the cauldron, carefully staged by film-maker Leni Riefenstahl to serve as Nazi propaganda. The 1936 Games were exploited by Adolf Hitler to promote Nazi ideas of racial supremacy. The volley of critical reactions included a tweet from the Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum which said the Nazi dictatorship used the Olympics to camouflage its racist, militaristic character and to impress foreign spectators with an image of a peaceful, tolerant Germany.

Here are the tweets the IOC sent on this front Friday from their @IOCmedia account:

However, we understand from specific reactions on social media that the film about the Olympic Games Berlin 1936, which includes Jesse Owens and Luz Long as well as the Olympic flame, was interpreted in the opposite way to that intended. (2/8)  IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 24, 2020

The story of Jesse Owens and Luz Long represents an iconic, historical moment, where the spirit of fraternity was demonstrated at the highest level. Jesse Owens, the legendary four-time Olympic champion, had to suffer at home from the painful reality of racial segregation. (4/8)  IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 24, 2020

Through his outstanding sporting achievements, he taught a resounding lesson to the Nazi regime, shattering its despicable fascist claims of racial superiority. He befriended his German competitor Luz Long, creating iconic Olympic moments of respect and solidarity. (6/8)  IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 24, 2020

We apologise to those who feel offended by the film of the Olympic Games Berlin 1936. We have deleted this film, which was part of the series of films featuring the message of unity and solidarity, from the @Olympics Twitter account. (8/8)  IOC MEDIA (@iocmedia) July 24, 2020

That is quite the high-profile misstep. And the IOC could probably stand to be a little more careful with any future descriptions of the 1936 Olympics.
Despite the raging pandemic and Israels ever-increasing restrictions on the movements of Palestinians, a few friends and I still manage to meet occasionally to chat and catch up. As we sit, drinking tea and coffee, my phone would buzz with constant updates sent by journalists, activists or friends about the rising number of infections and developments surrounding Israels annexation plans.

As I read one depressing message after the other, the faces around me would go blank. These occasional gatherings  meant to distract us from the suffocation of living in a pandemic and an occupation  often sink into the generally sombre mood dominating the Palestinian experience.

Although we do not know what will happen next, we are terribly afraid that it is going to be perilous. Every now and then, we would ask each other, Do you think we will survive what is coming?

We know some of us will not. We are constantly reminded of that. On June 23, 27-year-old Ahmed Erakat, was executed at an Israeli checkpoint near Bethlehem. Two weeks later, 29-year-old Ibrahim Abu Yacoub was also shot and killed by Israeli forces north of Salfit in the West Bank. In a trigger-happy occupation, none of us is safe.

As international media is abuzz with speculation about Israels intent to formally annex parts of the West Bank, and as world governments prepare to issue their n-th statements of empty words against Israel, we in Palestine wonder how much more annexation we can survive.

Decades-long annexation

For decades, before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made his formal call to annex Palestinian lands, we have been experiencing persistent annexation. Illegal Israeli settlements spring up so quickly, you would think they were built overnight. And just as quickly, they continue to expand, creeping ever closer towards our villages and towns.

When was this settlement so close? I can see the insides of the houses! has become a common refrain across the occupied and colonised West Bank.

They never built the settlements in a temporary fashion, a friend from Jerusalem once told me.

In parallel, Israeli checkpoints have also proliferated throughout the West Bank to provide security for colonisation activities. Flying checkpoints manned by Israeli soldiers in armoured vehicles would sporadically appear and disappear, obstructing Palestinian movement at every step, causing millions of dollars of damage to the Palestinian economy. The 25km trip between Ramallah and Bethlehem, for example, can take a Palestinian hours.

There are also the more permanent checkpoints, such as the infamous Qalandia, which separates Jerusalem from the West Bank and through which Palestinians can enter the rest of historic Palestine (present-day Israel), if they have permits. In 2019, the Israelis added a massive structure to the checkpoint. Shortly after, I went through Qalandia checkpoint for the first time. My jaw dropped when I saw it. It looked like an airport terminal, rather than a checkpoint.

I recalled how not that long ago we were protesting in front of its scattered concrete structures and metal barriers, getting shot at with live ammunition.

What I saw in 2019 was a massive building with electronic doors, surveillance cameras and Israeli soldiers sitting behind large glass windows, barking orders: Move further, come closer, you can enter, you cannot, you need to be checked!

Beyond taking our freedom to move within the West Bank, Israel has also annexed our freedom to leave. Allenby bridge, connecting the West Bank with Jordan, was once meant to be an interim humanitarian crossing. Today it is the only port of entry/exit for West Bank Palestinians and it is operated by the Israeli Airport Authority, which can deny Palestinian travellers the right to leave.

A divided Palestinian people

The Palestinian population is facing the looming annexation divided, not just politically and geographically, but also in their experience of occupation. Palestinians in Area C  de facto under the control of Israel  or in Gaza have a different reality than those of us residing in Areas A and B.

Living in Ramallah, I recognise that the imminent threat to be expelled is less acute than for Palestinians living in Area C or in East Jerusalem, who are regularly evicted and their land and property confiscated to make way for Israeli settlers. I also know that unlike Palestinians in Gaza, I am safe from Israeli bombardment, because the West Bank is surrounded by Israeli settlers and settlements. Bombing is not an option.

Preserving my identity and the Palestinian character of my immediate surroundings is relatively easier than it is for Palestinians with Israeli citizenship. The systematic erasure they face within the Israeli state is coupled with a broad range of laws, ensuring they remain second-class citizens.

Living in Ramallah also means that I do not face the hostility of a host nation, denied the right to work or receive healthcare, like millions of Palestinian refugees in Arab countries. Living in Ramallah, also means that I do not experience the discrimination faced by Palestinians living in the West.

Yet, I too face the violence of the occupation and the precarity of being Palestinian in this world. If I am not shot randomly at a checkpoint, my home can still be raided at any Israeli officials whim, or attacked by settlers surrounding our villages. And if not that, then the Palestinian Authority (PA) may decide I am a political threat and detain me.

In this sense, the annexation will be felt differently by different Palestinian communities. And this is probably what the occupier is counting on  that divided in our experiences, we will not be able to unite in our response.

Economic debilitation

Many Palestinians live in such destitution due to the occupation and their expulsion from their lands that their main concern is physical survival. This further erodes their ability to mobilise politically.

The 1994 Paris Protocol meant as an interim measure, has effectively ensured the economic insecurity of Palestinians through its customs union model making the Palestinian economy dependent on Israel. This allowed Israel to rein in the Palestinian resistance.

In the West Bank and Gaza, hundreds of thousands of families depend on salaries from the PA, which itself is depending on Israel to allow the transfer of its budget and its Western backers to donate the funds for it. The private sector is completely dominated by and dependent on the Israeli economy and political mercy. The PAs talk about economic disengagement from Israel is simply laughable.

Palestinians who cannot make a living in the economically underdeveloped West Bank and Gaza are forced to seek employment in Israel, where they are thoroughly exploited and left at the mercy of their Israeli employers. They face the risk of their work permits being revoked if they or their relatives show any sign of political resistance.

After 13 years of a military-imposed siege aided by Egypt and the PA and several murderous Israeli assaults, Gaza is a living human catastrophe. The strip is unliveable and its economy is in shambles. The Palestinian population there is left in permanent economic, health, nutritional and sanitation crises. In the Arab neighbourhood, Palestinian refugees are barely scraping a living.

The occupier hopes to starve us into apathy. But just in case, it has also deployed military force, political oppression and control.

Resisting occupation and its supporters

Palestinian resistance is more than 100 years old. We have fought the British empire, Israeli colonialism and international complicity with Israeli crimes.

As Palestinians, we have tried to stop Israeli colonisation of our lands by any means available to us.

We have tried armed resistance, and have been met with the brutal response of a nuclear army; we have attempted peaceful protest only to be shot at, arrested and tortured; we have appealed to international institutions and law and have been foiled by Israeli and American diplomatic bullying; and we have also tried to promote the non-violent boycott, divestment and sanctions (BDS) movement, which has been viciously attacked with various laws seeking to criminalise it as anti-Semitic.

Nothing has worked on the ground for the Palestinians. Nothing has stopped Israeli encroachment on our rights and theft of our land. We have been abandoned by friendly governments and Arab allies, while the international community has continued to maintain its complicity in Israeli crimes.

Apart from Israeli colonialism, we have also had to face the authoritarianism of our own Palestinian leadership. The Palestinian Authority in the West Bank and Hamas in Gaza have deliberately quashed our ability to mobilise by imprisoning political activists, violently repressing protest, and pumping more resources towards their security forces rather than community development and empowerment.

Under these conditions, a 1987 or 2000-style mass uprising seems unlikely. Israel has learned its lessons and has worked hard to undermine our ability to mass mobilise.

This, of course, does not mean we will not resist. The Great March of Return of 2018 demonstrated to the Israelis and the world that we can and will march for our rights even as live bullets rain on us. The Al-Aqsa protests of 2017 proved we can mobilise momentarily without or even despite the Palestinian political factions. The Bedouins of Araqib rebuilding their homes after they were bulldozed 173 times by the Israelis shows we can persevere. Resistance will most likely be carried out at a community level. The residents of the Jordan Valley have already vowed to remain on their land, no matter what.

I admit, with all that is happening in Palestine, freedom seems to be increasingly more distant. It is a heart-breaking experience to drive between Palestinian towns and villages in the West Bank and observe how blatant the violence of the occupation has become in taking over what little remains of Palestine.

It makes me think of cities like Yaffa, Safad and Haifa. They too were once Palestinian cities but now almost no one remembers that. They have been annexed, Israelised, their Palestinian population ethnically cleansed, their Palestinian character and flavour completely scraped off.

I can see the Tel Aviv skyline from my balcony and I wonder, will Ramallah wake up one day to the glitzy new buildings of a European colonial city, thoroughly sanitised and scrubbed free of its Palestinianness? And will I survive the violence that this process will entail?





The views expressed in this article and video are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial stance.
Students will be expected to follow a set school day schedule remotely if the e-learning plan is adopted by the Hobart board.

"While I know there is unhappiness surrounding this recommendation, the COVID-19 pandemic proves repeatedly that normalcy is hard to achieve as the experts learn, grow and change their positions often," Buffington writes. "Think, in such a short amount of time, how much the information and recommendations have changed. All we can do is make the adjustments and move forward as responsibly as we can."

More information about the School City of Hobart's response to the coronavirus pandemic is available online at hobart.k12.in.us.

Online learning in Highland

The School Town of Highland will begin online for the first nine weeks of the 2020-21 school year following the new Lake County Health Department guidance.

"Positivity rates are not dropping quickly enough in the county to be able to keep schools open," Smith, the district's superintendent, said in a Monday letter to parents.
A Tanzanian subsistence miner hit the jackpot on Wednesday after the government handed him a cheque for 7.74 billion Tanzanian shillings ($3.35 million) for the two largest tanzanite gemstones ever found.

The two dark violet-blue gemstones, each about the size of a forearm, were discovered by Saniniu Laizer in one of the tanzanite mines in the north of the country which are surrounded by a wall to control cross-border smuggling of the gemstones.

The first gemstone weighed in at 9.27 kg while the second weighed 5.103 kg, a mines ministry spokesperson said.

Tanzanite is a gemstone found only in a small northern region of the East African nation.

Todays event... is to recognise the two largest tanzanite gemstones in history since the beginning of mining activities in Mirerani, Simon Msanjila, mines ministry permanent secretary, said at a ceremony in Simanjiro district in Tanzanias northern Manyara region.

Laizer was pictured on Tanzanian television being presented with a large cheque after the Bank of Tanzania bought the gemstones. President John Magufuli phoned to congratulate Laizer live on television.

This is a confirmation that Tanzania is rich, Magufuli told minerals minister Doto Biteko.

Tanzania last year set up trading centres around the country to allow artisanal miners to sell their gems and gold to the government. Artisanal miners are not officially employed by any mining companies and usually mine by hand.

Magufuli inaugurated the wall around tanzanite mining concessions in northern Tanzania in April 2018, in an attempt to control illegal mining and trading activities. At the time he said 40% of tanzanite produced there was being lost.
ALTON  Alton Community School District 11 officially begin the 2020-2021 school year with remote-only learning for the first quarter, according to a letter to students and parents.

In the letter, Alton District Superintendent Kristie Baumgartner and Board of Education President David Fritz stated that the district has continuously monitored Madison Countys COVID-19 positivity rates and consulted with the Madison County Health Department.

The current information and trends for our region is deeply concerning, they said.

Baumgartner and Fritz said certain facts led them to this decision, as follows:

 On Friday, Madison County set a single-day record for the highest number of positive cases to date.

 Also on Friday, the city of Alton had the highest number of positive cases in Madison County.

 The entire Metro East region continues to demonstrate volatile and erratic positivity rates ranging from 5% to 11% on a given day over the past two weeks.

 Rates among Madison County youth and young adults continue to steadily increase. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study last week regarding a recent outbreak among youth stating children are more susceptible to the virus than originally suspected and this plays an unintended  but key role  in exposure and transmission.

The first date of remote instruction has been delayed to Monday, Aug. 24. The previous opening dates of Aug. 20-21 will be dedicated days for parents/students/teachers introductory conferences, remote planning, and device and supply distributions for students and families.

Both Baumgartner and Fritz know that this places and enormous hardship on many district families, they stated in the letter.

We realize that childcare for working parents and support for students during remote instruction are of the utmost concern. Our teachers, staff and administrators are mindful of these valid concerns and are prepared to support students and families at the highest level possible.

Remote instruction this fall will look different than in the spring semester, according to Baumgartner and Fritz.

Per Illinois State Board of Education guidelines, teachers will provide at least 2.5 hours of live, also known as synchronous, instruction for students each day, as well as recorded, known as asynchronous, instruction and independent work to students. Attendance also will be taken each day and schools will return to their grading and assessment practices that were in place prior to the spring closure due to the novel coronavirus pandemic. Modifications will be made where needed, they said.

Baumgartner and Fritz closed the letter by stating that the decision was made to place the health, welfare and safety of students first. If a parent has already registered for remote or in-person learning they are still registered and do not have to register again.

For more information and to register for remote learning, visit www.altonschools.org. Parents also can email questions about the new plan to parentquestions@altonschools.org.
It is time to celebrate Maori artists over the coming month to help lift the wairua of indigenous music artists all over the world.

Saturday, August 1 marked the start of the fifth annual Te Marama Puoro Waiata Maori  (Maori Music Month), designed to nurture, grow and inspire up and coming performers and established artists alike.

There are a range of events planned for the month which starts with officially opening nominations for the 13th annual National Waiata Maori Music Awards.

The awards executive director Ellison Huata says everyone around the world is feeling the impact of the international pandemic and Maori music will be a good way to lift the spirits of people no matter where they are in the world.

"I think our Maori artists in particular have been doing it tough this year and its great that were going to be able to have these two events to celebrate our singers, songwriters and performers.

"Itll give people something positive to focus on over the next couple of months, a chance to reset and refocus, a reprieve from the challenges of the past three or four months."

Ellison says this years Te Marama Puoro Waiata Maori will keep to its original kaupapa, putting a focus on celebrating emerging and established performers, growing their musical talents.

"One of the events we have planned is a singing competition where people can create their own compositions which they can submit to us, and the work can be judged by a panel of artists.

"We will bring the top 10 finalists to the Waiata Maori Music Awards to meet those working in the industry, at the Waiata Maori Music Conference which is on the 1st of October."

At the conference, established artists and music producers will be able to give the competition finalists some advice and guidance.

"We hope in the end, theyll want to take a more serious look at a career in music, song writing or performance, so we can continue to grow the next generation of talented Maori artists."

There will be two categories for the singing competition, Rangatahi, for those under 25 years old, and Pakeke, for those over 25.

There will also be a Whanau TikTok Challenge for Maori Music Month.

"The challenge is for whanau to perform or dance to a waiata recorded by one of our many Maori artists."

Ellison says with TikToks popularity among young people around the world, it will be a good avenue to promote Maori music to an international audience.

"We have a chance to share our music world-wide through TikTok, show who our Maori performers are and how much talent we have in New Zealand.

"Its also definitely a way to give thanks to all those that shared their musical talent during the lockdown period, they really uplifted people by sharing their gifts.

"The TikTok Whanau challenge winners get to come along and celebrate with Maori music industry at the 13th National Waiata Maori Music Awards too."

The National Waiata Maori Music Awards celebrates music released in the 12 months to June 2020 and nominations are now open.

For more information visit the website.
IONIA COUNTY, MI  Police are investigating the killing of a 47-year-old woman at a Lake Odessa mobile-home park.

The victims name was not immediately released.

Lake Odessa police were called late Monday, Aug. 3, to Lakewood Mobile Home Estates on a report of an injured woman. She was deceased when police reached the scene.

Police said investigators remain on scene investigating. Police expect to release additional details later.

State police are assisting the investigation. Ionia County victim advocates responded.

Read more:

It might be August, but Lake Michigan is dangerously cold with temps below 50, NWS says

Pastor at Grand Rapids megachurch tests positive for coronavirus

Drinking and walking allowed in parts of downtown Kalamazoo due to pandemic
BAKU, Azerbaijan, Aug. 4

Trend:

The national air carrier of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL), organized an important flight on August 4, bringing a group of doctors from China to help battling the COVID-19 pandemic in the country, AZALs press service told Trend.

Humanitarian assistance consisting of medical equipment was also delivered through this flight to Azerbaijan.

A group of leading Chinese experts consisting of 10 people arrived in Baku on a special flight of AZAL.

Highly qualified medical experts will work together with Azerbaijani colleagues to prevent the spread of coronavirus infection.

The organized plane also delivered medical equipment and medicines from China to the capital of Azerbaijan.

The direct flight, carried out from Chengdu city (the capital of Sichuan province in southwestern China) to Baku lasted more than seven hours.

The flight was organized on behalf of the Operational Headquarters under the Cabinet of Ministers of Azerbaijan.
Africa Mobile Networks has extended its satellite cellular backhaul contract with Gilat Satellite Networks.

The largest of its kind in Africa, AMNs network serves several top-tier telecom operators across the continent using Gilats VSAT technology.

Michael Darcy, CEO at AMN, said: We are pleased to contribute to closing the digital divide by furthering the reach of our network to additional countries reaching more of the population in rural areas.

Gilats VP of Global Broadband Networks Michal Aharonov added: Gilat has provided over 2,000 VSATs to AMN and is pleased to participate in plans of site migrations from 2G/3G to 4G, as the requirement for data communication is rising.
<! Ibori and Akpabio >

Former Delta State Governor, James Ibori has told Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Godswill Akpabio not to drag him into contract scam at the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC.

Ibori said he was never a part of any contract from the NDDC and that he had never been a government contractor.

Ibori, in a statement issued by his Media Assistant, Tony Eluemunor, said he had to make the clarification for the records because friends and associates had inundated him with phone calls since Monday morning.

According to him, he is stating categorically that he never solicited for, or was awarded, or indeed executed, any contract with NDDC or any government agency, at any time, for that matter.

The statement further said; And in all he has been through in and out of public office, he has never been accused of being a government contractor, let alone a failed one hence he did not want to dignify the allegation with a response because it is ridiculous.

So, Ibori is advising Akpabio, his brother, friend and member of the former Governors Forum, to please calm down and focus on the task at hand.

The statement quoted Ibori as saying that the NDDC we have today is a product of his personal sacrifice as well as those of his Niger Delta colleagues (1999 -2007) who rose to the occasion to override the veto of President Olusegun Obasanjo who refused to assent to the NDDC Bill at the time.

If not for the exemplary courage some of us exhibited, there would have not been an NDDC to bicker about today.

The former governor said watching the level the NDDC had degenerated to is a tragedy.

We owe it a duty to the people of the Niger Delta to make NDDC work to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the region and to realise the dream for which we fought for it to be set up. So, let everybody involved in the NDDC do their duties to the good people of the region.

Related
H eidi Klum has denied ever travelling on Jeffrey Epsteins private jet, with her representatives calling the rumour totally false.

According to US TV news channel WPEC, a defamation case filed by survivor Virginia Roberts (now Virginia Giuffre) against Ghislaine Maxwell in 2015 includes documents in which Giuffre alleges Klum was one of many celebrities to fly on Epsteins private jet.

One of the released filings, opened by a federal judge on Friday, was reportedly from a 2011 deposition Giuffre gave to an attorney in West Palm Beach in which she declared Naomi Campbell, Heidi Klum, Bill Clinton and Al Gore travelled on Epsteins jet.

Now, a lawyer for Klum has told People magazine that the claim is totally false.

Heidi Klum Swim - in pictures 1 /5 Heidi Klum Swim - in pictures Heidi Klum Swim Heidi stars in the latest campaign for her eponymous swimwear label Heidi Klum Swim Heidi stars in the latest campaign for her eponymous swimwear label Heidi Klum Swim Heidi stars in the latest campaign for her eponymous swimwear label Heidi Klum Swim Heidi stars in the latest campaign for her eponymous swimwear label

"Any reference to Heidi Klum in connection with Jeffrey Epstein is totally false, they said.

Heidi Klums name and initials were absent from all the flight logs which were released. Many high profile people are listed, but Ms. Klum is not one of them.

The explanation is simple. She has never been on any of Mr. Epsteins planes. And that is because she did not know Mr. Epstein and was never on his island."

Jeffrey Epstein accuser Virginia Giuffre / AP

Klum herself said in a statement to People that she stands with Epsteins victims.

"I have been watching the news and see that I have been mistakenly named as a passenger on one of Mr. Epsteins flights, she said.

I did not know Mr. Epstein and therefore have never been on his planes, at his homes or his island. I am speaking up as I do not want to be falsely associated with Mr. Epstein and the horrific story surrounding him."

She continued: "I stand with the victims who have so bravely come forward and I too want the truth to come out and for justice to prevail."

The unsealed documents also contain details of Giuffres allegations that she had sex with Prince Andrew on three occasions.

The Duke categorically denies he had any form of sexual contact or relationship with Ms Giuffre.
Deputy Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Assembly Rajendra Rathore on Tuesday said dropping of the sedition charge from the three Special Operation Group FIRs in the alleged case of horse-trading of the Congress MLAs indicates that the state government has been misusing the probe agency to suppress the voice of rebel legislators.

Rathore made the statement shortly after the SOG of Rajasthan police announced that it has transferred all three cases on alleged horse-trading of the Congress MLAs to topple the state government, to the state's Anti-Corruption Bureau on legal advice.

As per the legal advice, no case of sedition was made out in the alleged bid to topple the government and the offences pertained to corruption under the Prevention of Corruption Act.

Rathore said it was known from the very first day that all the cases were registered by the SOG only to create the fear of arrest among the disgruntled MLAs.

In executing this conspiracy, selected police officers were dancing like puppets on the tune of the Chief Minister's Office, Rathore said in a statement.

He said the FIRs under IPC section 124-A (sedition) was lodged on a complaint by Congress Chief Whip Mahesh Joshi.

The National Investigation Agency NIA was formed by the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in 2008 to probe the charge sedition.

But, due to the fear of being exposed in the impartial probe, the SOG has now withdrawn the charges.

The SOG dropped the charge of sedition and transferred all three FIRs to the ACB shortly before the Rajasthan High court was to take up for hearing a plea by rebel Congress MLA Bhanwar Lal Sharma for annulment of sedition cases lodged against him by the agency.
Delhi has seen a dramatic fall in its daily Covid-19 cases since it recorded its peak of 3,947 infections on June 23. The daily count had dropped to a low of 613 on July 27 and settled at 961 on August 2  only the third instance in two months when the single-day count was less than 1,000.

Massive Dip in Daily New Cases

From an average of 3,333 daily cases for the week ending June 28, the mean dipped to 2,338 on July 5. It came down to 1,864 on the 12th of July and further declined to 1,471 for the week ending 19th of July. The average stood at 1,116 for the week ending July 26 and has further fallen to 1,010 as on August 2.

No other major city in India has witnessed such a dramatic fall (by more than three times) in the average number of daily new cases during this period.

Mumbais daily average has fallen marginally from 1,311 cases on the 29th of June to 1,039 on August 2. Chennai has seen its average fall from 1,888 cases on June 29 to 1,037 on August 2.

Delhis rate of growth of cases is second-lowest only to Mumbai (among eight major cities of India) over the last month. While Delhi has massively ramped up its testing numbers from end June, Mumbai has also started conducting almost double the number of daily tests from the last week of July.

A better estimate to gauge the current extent of the spread of the virus is the Positivity Rate in the two cities.

Weekly Positivity Rate Down to 6.04%

One of the major reasons for the success in containing the number of cases (and deaths) in Delhi has been its ramped up testing. High testing means more positive cases are detected, treated and isolated, thus keeping the spread of the infection low.

The national capital has conducted a total of 10.6 lakh Covid-19 tests till date  by far the highest among all cities in India. In terms of number of Tests Per 1 Million Population, Delhi with 53,700, has again tested the maximum number in proportion to its population amongst all major states in India.

Delhis Weekly Positivity Rate has gone down from 10.97% on the 6th of July to 6.05% on the 2nd of August. This basically implies that one in every 17 people being tested in Delhi currently is returning Covid-19 positive.

Its Daily Positivity Rate went below 6% four times in the previous week.

Mumbais Weekly Positivity Rate has almost halved from 20.15% on the 19th of July to 10.72% on the 1st of August but is still substantially higher than Delhi.

However, there is a caveat! While Delhi has tested more and seen a dip in the Positivity Rate, questions have been raised over the high ratio of antigen vs RT-PCR tests being employed. A very small percentage of the antigen negative is being re-tested by the RT-PCR test and this may lead to an underestimation of cases and give a false sense of security and an inaccurate estimate of the decline in new cases.

But there are two other indicators which suggest that Delhi is on the right track  its Reproduction Number and its Falling Mortality Rate.

R-Value Below 1 Since Beginning of July

The R-Value is the reproduction number or transmission rate and is defined as the number of people one infected person will pass the virus on to, on average.

It is an estimate of measuring a diseases ability to spread.

According to Sitabhra Sinha of the Institute of Mathematical Sciences in Chennai, the R-Value in Delhi first went below 1 in the second week of July. It was 0.66 between July 23 and 26 which basically meant that every 100 infected people in Delhi were passing the infection to only 66 other people.

The decline in the R-Value indicates the beginning of the end of a pandemic.

An R-Value of less than 1 suggests that a large proportion of a population has developed immunity against the virus.

Professor Sinha estimated that the number of active cases in Delhi could see a massive decline within a month and fall below 1,000 by the first week of September. Currently, there are 10,207 active cases in the city.

Nearly 90% (89.72%) of the total number of Covid-19 cases in Delhi have recovered  it is the highest Recovery Percentage amongst all major cities and states in India!

Maharashtra has a Recovery Rate of 62.7%, Tamil Nadu  76.3%, Gujarat  73.2%, Madhya Pradesh  70.2% and West Bengal  69.8%. Mumbai has a Recovery Rate of 76% and Chennai  86%.

However, one has to be cautious as the recently conducted Sero-Survey in Delhi concluded that only 23.48% of the citys population had been affected by the virus leaving more than three-fourths still vulnerable.

Mortality Numbers Witness Drastic Fall

The average number of daily Covid-19 fatalities in Delhi has almost reduced by two-third from 70 in the week ending June 22 to 24 on the 3rd of August. Delhi has reported less than 30 daily deaths from the 25th of July with the number going down to below 20 on the 2nd and 3rd of August.

The overall Mortality Rate has fallen from 3.72% on the 20th of June to 3.12% on the 1st of July to 3.02% on the 10th of July to 2.96% on the 20th to 2.90% on the 3rd of August.

This, by far, is the greatest achievement of the administration and authorities over the last one and a half months as nothing is more important during a pandemic than saving lives!

The percentage of vacant beds in hospitals has also increased significantly from 46.71% on June 10 to 51.48% on June 20 to 55.43% on June 29 to 75.14% on July 16 to 81.08% on the 29th of July, suggesting that the number of critical and severely affected patients has significantly reduced.

Delhi has done a remarkable job over the last 4-6 weeks - from where it was in June to be in the position it is today is a commendable effort. But the good work needs to continue and there can be no room for complacency.
BP reported a $16.8 billion quarterly loss on Tuesday, and cut its dividend in half for the first time since the Deepwater Horizon disaster a decade ago, as lower oil prices and plunging demand from the effects of the coronavirus pandemic took a toll on the London-based energy giant.

At the same time, the company took $17. 4 billion in write-offs in exploration and other activities, and cut its forecasts for oil and gas prices.

In cutting its dividend to 5.25 cents a share, BP said that it would prioritize keeping the payout at that level. The company has previously said it would cut about 10,000 jobs, with the majority expected to leave this year.

On a call with journalists on Tuesday, the companys chief executive, Bernard Looney, outlined an effort to shift BP away from its focus on oil to what he called an integrated energy company.
Parasites have a public relations problem.

Unlike the many charismatic mammals, fishes and birds that receive our attention (and our conservation dollars), parasites are thought of as something to eradicate -- and certainly not something to protect.

But only 4% of known parasites can infect humans, and the majority actually serve critical ecological roles, like regulating wildlife that might otherwise balloon in population size and become pests. Still, only about 10% of parasites have been identified and, as a result, they are mostly left out of conservation activities and research.

An international group of scientists wants to change that. About a dozen leading parasite ecologists, including University of Washington's Chelsea Wood, published a paper Aug. 1 in the journal Biological Conservation, which lays out an ambitious global conservation plan for parasites.

"Parasites are an incredibly diverse group of species, but as a society, we do not recognize this biological diversity as valuable," said Wood, an assistant professor in the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. "The point of this paper is to emphasize that we are losing parasites and the functions they serve without even recognizing it."

The authors propose 12 goals for the next decade that could advance parasite biodiversity conservation through a mix of research, advocacy and management.

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"Even though we know little to nothing about most parasite species, we can still take action now to conserve parasite biodiversity," said Skylar Hopkins, paper and project co-lead and an assistant professor at North Carolina State University.

Perhaps the most ambitious goal is to describe half of the world's parasites within the next 10 years. Providing taxonomic descriptions allow species to be named, which is an important part of the conservation process, the researchers said.

"If species don't have a name, we can't save them," said Colin Carlson, the other project co-lead and an assistant professor at Georgetown University. "We've accepted that for decades about most animals and plants, but scientists have only discovered a fraction of a percentage of all the parasites on the planet. Those are the last frontiers: the deep sea, deep space, and the world that's living inside every species on Earth."

Importantly, the researchers stress that none of the parasites that infect humans or domesticated animals are included in their conservation plan. They say these parasites should be controlled to safeguard human and animal health.

The paper is part of an entire special edition devoted to parasite conservation. Wood is the lead author on one study in the collection that finds the responses of parasites to environmental change are likely to be complex, and that a changing world probably will see both outbreaks of some parasites and a total loss of other parasite species.

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"We need to recognize that there will be a diversity of responses among parasite taxa and not take for granted that every parasite is dwindling toward extinction or about to cause a major outbreak," Wood said.

Parasites often need two or more host species to complete their lifecycle. For example, some parasites first infect fish or amphibians, but ultimately must get transmitted to birds to reproduce and multiply. They ensure that this happens through ingenious ways, Wood explained, often by manipulating the behavior or even the anatomy of their first host to make these fish or amphibians more susceptible to being eaten by birds. In this way, the parasite then gets transmitted to a bird -- its ultimate destination.

Given this dynamic, Wood and colleagues wanted to see what would happen to the abundance of parasites if the ecosystems in which they live changed. They designed an experiment across 16 ponds in central California's East Bay region. In half of the ponds, they installed structures such as bird houses, floating perches and mallard decoys intended to attract more birds, thus temporarily altering the natural ecosystem and boosting biodiversity in these ponds.

After a couple of years, the researchers analyzed parasite biodiversity in each of the 16 ponds. What they found was a mixed bag: Some parasite species responded to elevated bird biodiversity by declining in abundance. But other parasites actually increased in number when bird biodiversity increased. The authors concluded that as biodiversity changes -- due to climate change, development pressure or other reasons -- we can expect to see divergent responses by parasites, even those living within the same ecosystem.

Traditionally, the field of disease ecology assumes one of two paths: That we are either heading toward a future of more disease and massive outbreaks or toward a future of parasite extinction. This paper shows that both trajectories are happening simultaneously, Wood explained.

"This particular experiment suggests that we need to anticipate both trajectories going forward. It starts to resolve the conflict in the literature by showing that everyone is right -- it's all happening," Wood said. "The trick now is to figure out what traits will predict which parasites will decline and which will increase in response to biodiversity loss."

Wood's lab is working on that question now by reconstructing the history of parasites over time, documenting which parasites increased in abundance and which declined. However, there's almost no historical record of parasites and without this information, it's difficult to know how to conserve them. By dissecting museum specimens of fish, the researchers are identifying and counting various parasites found in the specimens at different places and times.

"These pickled animals are like parasite time capsules," Wood explained. "We can open them up and identify the parasites that infected a fish at its death. In this way, we can reconstruct and resurrect information that previously we didn't think was possible to get."
Dallas SEO is unique due to the overall size of the market and the coverage area. Unlike small towns or cities, businesses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area must rely on professional SEO companies in order to get to page one in Google searches. Gone are the days of doing your own optimization.

SEOblog.com, a fast-growing website providing the latest SEO news, tips and resources and helping business owners connect with leading SEO agencies, has released its exclusive 2020 ratings naming the best SEO companies in Dallas.

SEOblog analysts determined the 16 best SEO companies in Dallas based on dozens of key quantitative and qualitative factors. SEOblog industry experts examined each digital marketing agencys website, industry experience, market presence, client list, portfolio, expert certifications and authorship among other factors in its ranking system.

SEOblog has provided an in-depth view of companies in a particular city or focus area on various directory pages to help business owners find the expert help they need to grow. This was a new, free offer added by SEOblog in 2019.

Dallas has several of the nations top SEO agencies that provide a very competitive digital marketing landscape.

Dallas SEO is unique due to the overall size of the market and the coverage area, said Portside Marketing co-founder Lisa Parziale. Unlike small towns or cities, businesses in the Dallas/Fort Worth area must rely on professional SEO companies in order to get to page one in Google searches. Gone are the days of doing your own optimization.

Creative Mind Lab managing partner Sergio Alcantara also said the Dallas SEO market is a challenging one.

Dallas is a highly competitive market, Alcantara said. We have seen an influx of people from all over, creating a very diverse population with demand for high-quality products and services. For SEO companies, this means to create equally quality content to compete.

SEOblog.com rankings are updated regularly as the market shifts and new players emerge. SEOblog.com has published more than 1,500 agency listings with more added every day. There is no fee to participate, and the website welcomes all qualified agencies to apply.

SEOblog.coms 16 Best SEO Companies in Dallas in 2020:

Thrive Internet Marketing Agency, Red Spot Design, Frozen Fire, Miller Ad Agency, Click4Corp, IoVista, Modmar, Infinite Agency, REVX Marketing, Portside Marketing, Team One, CixxFive Concepts, Dallas SEO Dogs, Imaginuity, Agile Bronco and Creative Mind Lab.

Link: https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/dallas/

About SEOblog.com

SEOblog.com is a leading thought leadership site with a rich history of publishing educational and informative articles about SEO and digital marketing topics. In early 2019, SEOblog.com answered the call from buyers of digital marketing services that lacked unbiased, informative online resources and launched a comprehensive directory to highlight the best SEO companies in the United States -- https://www.seoblog.com/best-seo-companies/. SEOblogs mission is to connect businesses with qualified digital marketing agencies while also offering further SEO education, best practices and industry trends.

SEOblog.com is a one-stop shop for educational SEO and digital marketing content, research, ratings and reviews for the best agencies in each local market across the United States. The website will be increasing its coverage of U.S. SEO agencies and accepting more guest blog posts in the coming months. Contact SEOblog if youre interested in getting involved.
By Brendan O'Brien CHICAGO (Reuters) - Teachers and support staff at more than 35 school districts across the United States on Monday staged protests over plans to resume in-class instruction while COVID-19 is surging in many parts of the country. The protesters, who formed car caravans and attached signs and painted messages on their vehicles, demand schools hold off on August and September school resumptions until scientific data supports such a move.

By Brendan O'Brien

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Teachers and support staff at more than 35 school districts across the United States on Monday staged protests over plans to resume in-class instruction while COVID-19 is surging in many parts of the country.

The protesters, who formed car caravans and attached signs and painted messages on their vehicles, demand schools hold off on August and September school resumptions until scientific data supports such a move.

They want districts to wait until safety protocols such as lower class sizes and virus testing are established, and schools are staffed with an adequate number of counselors and nurses, according to a website set up for the demonstrations.

On Twitter, the Milwaukee Teachers' Education Association showed protesters making fake gravestones that said, "Here lies a third grade student from Green Bay who caught COVID at school" and "RIP Grandma caught COVID helping grand kids with homework."

Deaths in the United States rose for a fourth week in a row to more than 8,500 people in the seven days ended Aug. 2, while the number of new cases fell for a second straight week, a Reuters analysis found https://graphics.reuters.com/HEALTH-CORONAVIRUS/USA-TRENDS/dgkvlgkrkpb. More than 155,000 people have died of COVID-19 related illness in the United States, the most in the world. Cases rose week-over-week in 20 states, including in Missouri, Montana and Oklahoma.

Teachers also are demanding financial help for parents in need, including rent and mortgage assistance, a moratorium on evictions and foreclosures, and cash assistance.

Many of these issues are at the center of a political tussle in Washington, where Democrats in Congress and Trump administration officials held talks on Monday and will resume on Tuesday to hammer out a coronavirus economic relief bill after missing a deadline to extend benefits to tens of millions of jobless Americans.

Education employees in Chicago, Milwaukee and Philadelphia honked their horns in socially distanced car protests. Protesters rallied outside the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce building and in the Hartford, Connecticut, area, about 400 formed a car march that went by Governor Ned Lamont's home.

"I do not want to put my students or myself in harm's way. I do not want to be an experiment," Andrea Parker, an elementary school teacher in Chicago, told reporters before a car protest.

RE-ELECTION CAMPAIGN

With Democratic candidate Joe Biden ahead of him in opinion polls, President Donald Trump has made school reopenings for classroom instruction part of his November re-election campaign.

"Cases up because of BIG Testing! Much of our Country is doing very well. Open the Schools!" the Republican Trump tweeted on Monday.

While reported case numbers may be linked to more testing, the rise in hospitalizations and deaths have no connection to an increase in testing.

On Sunday, Deborah Birx, the coordinator of Trump's coronavirus task force, said the United States is in a new phase of the outbreak with infections in rural areas as well as cities.

States with high case counts should reconsider imposing some restrictions to push infections to a low baseline before the autumn flu season, the governments top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, said in an interview https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-fauci/fauci-says-states-seeing-surge-in-covid-19-cases-should-reconsider-some-lockdown-measures-idUSKCN24Z2DT with the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Previously hard-hit, densely populated parts of New York and New Jersey reduced the spread of the virus with stiff social distancing and healthcare measures. On Monday, however, faced with more new cases linked to indoor events, New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy reduced indoor limits to 25 people per room from 100.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said he would determine later this week based on the infection rate whether to reopen schools.

California Governor Gavin Newsom, reporting that new cases, hospitalizations and intensive care unit admissions were all trending down, said it was too soon to make modifications on reopening schools, which are scheduled to begin the academic year with online learning from home.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Chicago, Gabriella Borter in New York; additional reporting by Lisa Shumaker and Maria Caspani; writing by Grant McCool; Editing by Bill Berkrot and Howard Goller)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
New York: Tropical Storm Isaias swept into New Jersey and New York on Tuesday, leaving more than 1 million customers without power as it brought nearly hurricane-force winds and tornadoes to the northeastern United States.

Just after 2pm, more than 1 million customers in New Jersey were reported by utility companies to be without power, and, in New York City and the nearby downstate area, that number was more than 230,000. It was not immediately clear how long the outages were expected to last.

"This storm is escalating quickly, and the numbers are rapidly changing," Governor Philip D. Murphy said around noon on Twitter in reference to the outages.

The storm, which made landfall in North Carolina as a hurricane, has been swiftly moving up the East Coast. In North and South Carolina, Virginia and other coastal states, there were reports of damaged buildings, power outages and downed trees.
By, an independent journalist based in Melbourne, Australia. Her website is here and you can follow her on Twitter @caitoz

In the American corporatist system, where wealthy elites control the elected government through lobbyists, corporate media is state media, promoting narratives that help maintain the corporate-approved status quo.

The New York Times published an astonishingly horrible article the other day titled Latin America Is Facing a Decline of Democracy Under the Pandemic accusing governments like Venezuela and Nicaragua of exploiting Covid-19 to quash opposition and oppress democracy.

The article sources its jarringly propagandistic claims in multiple US government-funded narrative management operations like the Wilson Center and the National Endowment for Democracy-sponsored Freedom House, the extensively plutocrat-funded Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, and the United States Naval Academy.

The crown jewel of this piece of State Department stenography reads as follows:

Adding to these challenges, democracy in Latin America has also lost a champion in the United States, which had played an important role in promoting democracy after the end of the Cold War by financing good governance programs and calling out authoritarian abuses.

Whoa, nelly.

I wanted to laugh but it isn't funny that the New York Times thinks it's okay to publish such a blatantly false statement. pic.twitter.com/cBlcf4aq1l  Esha (@eshaLegal) July 30, 2020

The fact that Americas most widely regarded newspaper feels perfectly comfortable making such a spectacularly in-your-face lie on behalf of the US government tells you everything you need to know about what the mass media in America really are and what they do.

The United States has never at any time been a champion of democracy in Latin America, before or since the Cold War. It has intervened hundreds of times in the continents affairs throughout history, with everything from murderous corporate colonialism to deadly CIA regime-change operations to overt military invasions. It is currently trying to orchestrate a coup in Venezuela after failing to stage one during the Bush administration, its pushing regime change in Nicaragua, and The New York Times itself admitted this year that it was wrong to promote the false US government narrative of electoral shenanigans in Bolivias presidential race last year, a narrative which facilitated a bloody fascist coup.

This is propaganda. There is no other word for it. And yet the only time Western politicians and news reporters use that word is to talk about nations like Russia and China.

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Why is propaganda used in an ostensibly free democracy with an ostensibly free media? Why are its news media outlets so consistently in alignment with every foreign policy objective of US government agencies, no matter how destructive and inexcusable? If the media and the government are two separate institutions, why do they so consistently function as though they are not separate?

Well, thats easy. Its because they arent separate. The only thing keeping this from being seen is the fact that Americas real government isnt located where people think it is.

In a corporatist system of government, where no hard lines are drawn between corporate/financial power and state power, corporate media is state media. Since bribery is legal in the US political system in the form of corporate lobbying and campaign donations, Americas elected government is controlled by wealthy elites who have money to burn and who benefit from maintaining a specific status quo arrangement.

The fact that this same plutocratic class also owns Americas media, which is now so consolidated that its almost entirely run by just six corporations, means that the people who run the government also run the media. This allows Americas true rulers to set up a system which promotes narratives that are favorable to their desired status quo.

Which means that the US has state propaganda. They just dont call it that themselves.

Strip away the phony two-handed sock puppet show of US electoral politics and look at how power actually moves in that country, and you just see one more tyrannical regime which propagandizes its citizens, brutally cracks down on protesters, deliberately keeps its populace impoverished so they dont get powerful enough to change things, and attacks any nation which dares to disobey its dictates.

Beneath the thin layer of narrative overlay about freedom and democracy, the US is just one more despotic, bloodthirsty empire. Its no better than any of the other despotic, bloodthirsty empires throughout history. It just has good PR.

This is Newsweek not Infowars (although Infowars had story first) An ex president visiting the private island of a known pedophile who was running a human trafficking operation with the daughter of a spy. Just think about that the next time you ridicule conspiracy theorists. https://t.co/VDs1wpvide  Tim Dillon (@TimJDillon) July 31, 2020

Plutocrats not only exert control over Americas media and politics, they also form alliances with the secretive government agencies whose operators remain amid the comings and goings of the official elected government. We see examples of this in the way new-money tech plutocrats like Jeff Bezos, Peter Thiel and Pierre Omidyar have direct relationships with the CIA and its proxies.

We also see it in the sexual blackmail operation which was facilitated by the late Jeffrey Epstein in connection with billionaire Leslie Wexner and Israeli intelligence, along with potentially the FBI and/or other US intelligence agencies. Today the internet is abuzz as newly unsealed court documents relating to Epstein and his co-conspirator Ghislaine Maxwell reveal witness testimony regarding underage sex trafficking, with such high-profile names appearing in the documents as Alan Dershowitz, Bill Clinton and Prince Andrew.

The Overton window of acceptable political discourse has been shrunk into such a narrow spectrum of debate that talking about even well-known and extensively documented facts involving the real nature of Americas government and media will get you laughingly dismissed as a conspiracy theorist, which is itself a symptom of tight narrative control by a ruling class which much prefers Americans thinking they live in a free democracy whose government they control with their votes.

In the old days you used to be able to tell who your rulers were because theyd sit on thrones and wear golden crowns and make you bow before them. Human consciousness eventually evolved beyond the acceptability of such brazen indignities, so it became necessary for rulers to take on more of a background role while the citizenry clap and cheer for the illusory puppet show of electoral politics.

But the kings are still among us, just as cruel and tyrannical as ever. Theyve just figured out how to mask their tyranny behind the facade of freedom.

But 2020 has been a year of revelations, a trend which seems likely to continue accelerating. Truth cannot stay hidden forever.
Uttarakhands Shubham Bansal from Nainital district cleared the main interview of civil services examination 2019 to secure All India Rank 43 on Tuesday.

An elated Bansal, said that he cleared the examination in his third attempt. The 25-year-old boy currently works with a bank in Kanpur, but hails from Ramnagar in Nainital district.

I first appeared for the exam in 2017 when I could not clear the interview. In 2018, it came as a shock and I was a little demoralised when I could not even clear the prelims. But this time, I did not expect to clear, and securing AIR 43 is indeed a great surprise, said Bansal.

Bansal did his schooling from the state itself but went to Delhi for higher education. He studied mechanical engineering from Delhi Technical University and graduated in 2017.

It has been my dream to be an IAS officer since school days. Through all these years in college and then working, I did try other things too, but it was always my dream to crack the civil services. My dream has finally come true today, added Bansal.

His father works as a businessman in Ramnagar and his mother is a home-maker. He also has an elder sister who lives in Bengaluru. He said that his mother and sister were his constant support through his journey of clearing the exam in the past three years.
[August 04, 2020] Weyland Tech Expands New CreateApp Digital Marketing Campaign to Indonesia, Following High ROI Pilot and Launch in Taiwan NEW YORK, Aug. 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Weyland Tech, Inc. (OTCQX: WEYL), a leading global provider of eCommerce, mCommerce, and fintech business enablement solutions, has expanded to Indonesia a new digital marketing campaign for its CreateApp mCommerce platform-as-a-service (PaaS).

The launch in Indonesia follows a successful pilot marketing program recently completed in Taiwan that included new online seminars hosted by CreateApps chief product officer and founder, Eddie Foong. The seminars were attended by potential distributors and resellers interested in remarketing CreateApp as an ideal solution for any small and medium business (SMB) looking for an easy and affordable way to establish a mobile presence. CreateApp subscriptions were purchased by seminar attendees in blocks of 10, who then resold them to SMBs across Taiwan. This resulted in more than 1,000 new CreateApp customers, and generated a marketing ROI to Weyland of about 3-to-1 on the first month. The company has been selling CreateApp in Indonesia through distributors and primarily under private label. Under the new campaign, the company will offer CreateApp under its owned brand. Our new marketing campaign involves greater access to resellers, lower costs and higher margins as compared to our historical ways of distributing CreateApp, noted Foong. The new stay-at-home environment in Southeast Asia has opened up the large-scale opportunity to engage home based entrepreneurs looking to either sign up other businesses or launch their own online business. The population of Indonesia is the worlds fourth largest with over 267 million people, and has more than 90% smartphone penetration. There are currently 60 million SMBs in Indonesia, with around 10 million in the perfect target demographic for CreateApp. If Taiwan offers 3-to-1 marketing ROI, with a population one-tenth the size of Indonesia, we see an ample opportunity to replicate the same returns with a larger base of prospective customers in Indonesia, added Foong. We see near-term an $8 million subscription-based opportunity in Taiwan, along with much higher margins at around 30%. Turning to Indonesia, we see at least a 10x multiple in terms of the recurring revenue opportunity. CreateApp enables businesses anywhere in the world to create and deploy native Apple iOS or Google Android mobile applications without technical knowledge or background. CreateApp empowers SMBs to increase sales, reach more customers, manage logistics, conduct financial transactions, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable and highly efficient way. The CreateApp user base, comprised of bsinesses across Southeast Asia, grew 47 percent last year to more than 360,000.

Weylands acquisition of Minneapolis-based Logiq earlier this year is also expected to eventually provide lead-generation tools for Indonesian SMBs that can help to increase online sales. About Weyland Tech

Weyland Tech, Inc. (OTCQX: WEYL) is a U.S.-based leading global provider of eCommerce, mCommerce, and fintech business enablement solutions. Its CreateApp platform-as-a-service enables small-and-medium sized businesses worldwide to easily create and deploy a native mobile app for their business without technical knowledge or background. CreateApp empowers businesses to reach more customers, increase sales, manage logistics, and promote their products and services in an easy, affordable, and highly efficient way. CreateApp is offered in 14 languages across 10 countries and three continents, including some of the fastest-growing emerging markets in Southeast Asia. Weylands subsidiary, Logiq Inc., provides a data-driven, end-to-end eCommerce marketing solution for enterprises and major U.S. brands, like Home Advisor, QuinStreet and Sunrun. The AI-powered LogiqX data engine delivers valuable consumer insights that enhance the ROI of online marketing spend. The companys AtozPay subsidiary offers mobile payments, e-wallet, and the AtozGo hyper-local food delivery services in Indonesia, which has the fastest-growing mobile economy in Southeast Asia. For more information about Weyland Tech, go to weyland-tech.com. Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements relating to the business of the Company. All statements, other than statements of historical fact included herein are forward-looking statements including statements regarding: the adoption of our product offerings by SMBs and other businesses; the ability of the company to expand its new seminar marketing approach, the ability to expand its new seminar marketing approach to distributors; the ability of the Company to successfully integrate the assets of Logiq, the continued growth of the eCommerce segment and the ability of the Company to continue its expansion into that segment; the ability of the Company to attract customers and partners and generate revenues; the ability of the Company to successfully execute its business plan; the business strategy, plans, and objectives of the Company; the continued use and success of AtozGo and AtozPay; and any other statements of non-historical information. These forward-looking statements are often identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as believes, expects or similar expressions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, they do involve assumptions, risks, and uncertainties, and these expectations may prove to be incorrect. Investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this news release. The Companys actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in these forward-looking statements as a result of a variety of factors, including those discussed in the Companys periodic reports that are filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission and available on its website (www.sec.gov). All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these factors. Other than as required under the securities laws, the Company does not assume any duty to update these forward-looking statements. LogiqX is a trademark of Logiq, Inc. All rights reserved. Company Contact

Brent Suen, CEO

Weyland Tech Inc.

Email contact Media & Investor Contact

Ronald Both or Grant Stude

CMA Investor & Media Relations

Tel (949) 432-7566

WEYL@cma.team

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By PTI

NEW DELHI: The Indian Army has kickstarted the process to grant Permanent Commission to eligible women officers, nearly two weeks after the defence ministry approved the proposal.

Officials said the Army headquarters has invited applications by August 31 for grant of Permanent Commission (PC) to women officers recruited under Women Special Entry Scheme (WSES) and Short Service Commission (SSC).

"Consequent to the receipt of formal Government Sanction Letter for grant of PC to women officers in Indian Army, the Army headquarters is in the process of convening a special number selection board for screening women officers for grant of PC," said an Army statement.

The officials said women officers who have joined the Army through the WSES and SSC are being considered for grant of the PC.

Last month, the Ministry of Defence issued an order for grant of PC to women officers in the Army.

In a landmark judgement, the apex court in February directed that all serving women officers recruited under the short service schemes will have to be considered for PC.

Officials said 10 streams where PC of women officers are being made available include army air defence, signals, engineers, army aviation, electronics and mechanical engineers, army service corps and intelligence corps.

At present, the Army offers permanent commission to women officers in two branches -- judge advocate general (JAG) and education.

Under SSC, women officers are initially taken for a period of five years, which is extendable up to 14 years.

Permanent commissioning will allow them to serve till the age of retirement.

The Army recruits women officers under SSC for streams like air defence, engineering, signals and services and they can serve up to a maximum of 14 years.

The three services have allowed permanent recruitment of women in select streams including medical, education, legal, signals, logistics and engineering.

The women officers recruited through the SSC in the IAF have the option of seeking permanent commission in all streams except the flying branch.

The Navy has allowed permanent commission of women in a host of departments such as logistics, naval designing, air traffic control, engineering and legal.
With children preparing to return to classrooms, health-care workers nearing exhaustion and the fall flu season looming, Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner is right to begin enforcing fines for those who repeatedly shirk the statewide face mask order.

This is about public health, not politics. And the Democratic mayor is in bipartisan agreement with Republican Gov. Greg Abbotts statement that Wearing a face covering in public is proven to be one of the most effective ways we have to slow the spread of COVID-19.

Turner announced on Monday that Houston law enforcement officials would continue to issue warnings on first encounters before issuing a citation for $250 fines for second and subsequent offenses as allowed under Abbotts July 2 order.

For months, we have been focusing on education and not citations, he said, but now I am instructing the Houston Police Department to issue the necessary warnings and citations to anyone not wearing a mask in public if they do not meet the criteria for an exemption.

Those refusing to comply with the facial covering mandate in public have no excuse.

After weeks of cajoling and a full month under the statewide mandate, the importance of wearing a mask in public and the consequences of not doing so should be clear to everyone. The fine puts some teeth into what is essentially a public-safety and life-saving measure, no different than cracking down on speeding and seat belt laws.

Its all about public health and driving our numbers down, especially when in-person schooling is scheduled to start, Turner said at a press conference. Fall is right around the corner with flu season. August then becomes a very, very critical month. Lives are at stake.

Abbotts order requires every person in Texas to wear a face covering over the nose and mouth when inside a commercial entity or other building or space open to the public, or when in an outdoor public space, wherever it is not feasible to maintain six feet of social distancing from another person not in the same household.

The mandate includes exceptions for those under the age of 10, those with a medical condition or disability that prevents wearing a face covering and people who are eating, exercising outdoors individually or driving a vehicle alone or with someone from the same household.

Turner can expect criticism from the same quarters that have attacked Abbott for what they call government overreach and intrusion on their civil liberties. Both leaders should be praised for taking a crucial stand and should stick to their convictions.

The opposition may be noisy, but they are out of step with the overwhelming majority of Texans who see the wisdom using facial coverings to limit the spread of the virus. In a Quinnipiac University survey released late last month, 80 percent of voters said they approved of Abbotts face mask order. Only 19 percent said they disapproved.

Even President Donald Trump, who has often offered mixed messages on face masks, sent out a campaign email on Monday urging his supporters to get behind facial coverings as a way to help us get back to our American way of life.

We are all in this together. Joining voluntarily to look out for each other would have been a better way to go, but that hasnt always happened. Those who willfully and repeatedly ignore the mask order cant say they havent been warned. There are consequences.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 06:25:16|Editor: huaxia

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BANJUL, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Health Minister of The Gambia Amadou Samateh was put under quarantine Tuesday while the mayor of Kanifing Municipality, Talib Ahmed Bensouda, tested positive for the coronavirus.

For Samateh, he checked into quarantine on Tuesday after three other ministers were confirmed to have been infected earlier, who were Finance Minister Mambury Njie, Energy Minister Fafa Sanyang and Agriculture Minister Amie Fabureh.

"The preliminary results of his first COVID-19 test are inconclusive. While awaiting additional tests, Dr. Samateh, who is in high spirits, will continue to lead the operations of the Health Ministry from the quarantine," the Gambian Health Ministry said in a press release.

As for the mayor of the largest city in The Gambia, the Kanifing Municipal Council confirmed Tuesday the mayor tested positive for COVID-19 and has since been placed under isolation.

The Gambian presidential office also issued a press release Tuesday confirming that President Adama Barrow still tested negative. He was placed under self-isolation last week after the vice president tested positive.

According to the official site of the country's Health Ministry, The Gambia has reported 671 confirmed cases, including 14 deaths and 79 recoveries. Enditem
A man wielding two large knives stabbed to death his half-sister's partner as he sat in his car in broad daylight following a long-running feud, a NSW court has heard.

Crown prosecutor John Stanhope told a Newcastle Supreme Court jury on Tuesday Justin Fuller was in December 2018 armed with two 45-centimetre machetes when he leaned into the driver's side window and stabbed Guy McCulloch four times.

Mr McCulloch, 50, bled to death after one deep stab wound penetrated his liver.

Crown prosecutor John Stanhope told a Newcastle Supreme Court (pictured) jury on Tuesday Justin Fuller was in December 2018 armed with two 45-centimetre machetes when he leaned into the driver's side window and stabbed Guy McCulloch four times

Fuller, 34, has pleaded not guilty to murdering Mr McCulloch in Beach Street, Belmont South but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.

Mr Stanhope said there was no issue Fuller had killed Mr McCulloch, who went by the nickname 'Wink', but the jury had to decide if he had intended to kill or cause serious injury.

Defence barrister Winston Terracini SC told the jury Fuller's trial would also look at issues involving self-defence and provocation.

Mr Terracini said there had been a long-standing toxic relationship between Fuller and his half-sister Kristy Duley, the de facto partner of Mr McCulloch.

The defence barrister said the animosity between the pair extended to Facebook messages posted by Ms Duley targeting Fuller where she expressed feelings of hatred.

Mr Terracini claimed Ms Duley had also posted Facebook messages declaring it would be a great birthday present or Mother's Day gift if their mother was killed by a brown snake.

In his opening address to the jury, Mr Stanhope said the fatal stabbing occurred after Fuller and partner Narelle Abercrombie drove past Ms Duley and Mr McCulloch parked in Beach Street.

Ms Duley called out 'tick tock' to the pair and Ms Abercrombie gave her the finger.

Fuller later approached Mr McCulloch's Nissan 4WD on foot and argued with his sister and her de facto before Mr McCulloch twice reversed his car into Ms Abercrombie's Holden Commodore, stopped directly behind him.

Mr Stanhope said Fuller then went to his home and grabbed a backpack with two large knives before walking back to the Nissan where Mr McCulloch and Ms Duley were still seated.

As Fuller approached, one of Mr McCulloch's friends saw him and called out: 'He's got knives, go.'

But before Mr McCulloch could drive away, Fuller reached through the driver's side window and stabbed him with the machetes.

The prosecutor said Mr McCulloch suffered four stab wounds, went into cardiac arrest and died at 2.42pm. He said what killed him was the penetrating stab wound to the liver which had caused him to bleed to death.

The trial before Justice Richard Cavanagh continues.
SBS has announced SBS Emerging Writers Competition, a search for the next generation of bold new voices that reflect the diversity of contemporary Australia.

Writers aged 18 and over are invited to submit a memoir piece of 1,000-2,000 words on the topic of Growing up in diverse Australia. The winning submission will be awarded a $5,000 prize to further their storytelling future, as well as having their story published on SBS Voices. There are also runner-up prizes.

Entries will be judged by acclaimed author Melissa Lucashenko, winner of the 2019 Miles Franklin award for her novel Too Much Lip, and Benjamin Law, creator and co-writer of The Family Law and editor of Growing Up Queer in Australia.

SBS Emerging Writers Competition judge, Benjamin Law, said: The SBS Emerging Writers Competition is so necessary and important. Given the rich diversity of Australias multicultural communities, we dont nearly have enough of that diversity in publishing. And were definitely not hearing enough from young people. Thankfully we have a lot more young and diverse writers coming up through the ranks, but I want to hear more.

Fellow judge, Melissa Lucashenko, said: Australia is so much more than we have been led to believe. This is a country of Blak, brown and yellow voices, both heard and unheard. It is the country of those who know they dont feature in the mainstream imagination. The country of those excluded, and downtrodden and for too long left out of the picture. As a First Nations writer and the child of refugees, I feel a strong compulsion to say to emerging writers: you matter. Your story matters. Im listening. Together we can make change happen.

Marshall Heald, Director of TV and Online Content at SBS, added: SBS is committed to sharing stories that explore diverse cultures and experiences, and reflect what it means to be Australian today. Were excited about the opportunity to discover and support new talent through the SBS Emerging Writers Competition and elevate the next generation of diverse voices through this important initiative.

Open for entries from 15 August  15 September 2020.

There will also be a $3,000 prize awarded for second place, and two honourable mentions will each receive $1,000, to support the emerging writers to further develop their skills and knowledge. Winning entries will be announced in November 2020, with all winning entries having their stories published on the SBS Voices website.

Writers from diverse backgrounds, including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, are encouraged to enter submissions to share their unique experiences.

Entries open 15 August 2020 and must be submitted online at sbs.com.au/writers.

SBS Voices is a platform for and champion of emerging writers from diverse backgrounds in Australia, particularly women. In the past two years, the website is proud to have published more than 100 new writers, many of them coming through its emerging Asian-Australian writers project, and its Muslim women writers series, as well as its partnership with Sweatshop writers collective in Parramatta, Sydney.
TDT | Manama

The Ministry of Works, Municipalities Affairs and Urban Planning is proceeding with its implementation of an integrated scheme to intensify the afforestation and beautification work at a number of locations across the Kingdom.

Works Minister Eng Essam bin Abdullah Khalaf said that the ministry, within its national tree-planting strategy, has developed a plan of action to increase the green areas and beautify several intersections, bridges, streets and public squares.

This follows the governments work programme, headed by His Royal Highness the Prime Minister Prince Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa. The Works Minister conducted a visit to a few areas where the project is being carried out. He inspected a number of intersections and streets to determine the aesthetic situation for afforestation and for the development of the required irrigation system.

The Works Minister was accompanied by the ministrys Municipal Affairs undersecretary Eng Shaikh Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Khalifa and Joint Municipal Services assistant undersecretary Eng Shawkia Humaidan, Capital Municipality director general Eng Mohammad Al Sahli, and other officials. During an inspection at Al Farouq intersection, a trial run of a water fountain project was carried out.

The Works Minister explained that the project is being developed on an area estimated at about 22,000 square metres, with a green area designated at about 12,000sqm for a plan to increase the cultivation of trees. The project is one of the most important within the ministrys plan to afforest and beautify locations across Bahrain, the Works Minister said.

He also inspected the aesthetic situation along a number of streets and directed for the expansion of green areas, the habilitation and renovation of fountains, and developing irrigation systems and reservoirs, with the aim of beautifying these locations.

The Works Minister stressed the ministrys continued efforts to promote sustainable urban development to improve the environment and increase green areas. He noted that the ministry continues to implement its programmes related to agricultural and beautification work, which also aim to enhance the quality and efficiency of services provided to citizens and residents. The Works Min - ister added that the ministrys strategy of carrying out street beautification also contributes to helping preserve the environment.
Police and officials emerge from a high school as a man (L) disinfects the entrance in Beijing on April 27, 2020. (Greg Baker/AFP via Getty Images)

Beijing Hospitals Internal Virus Data Reveals Pandemic Coverup

Authorities in Beijing claim that the latest wave outbreak is under control, but internal data obtained by The Epoch Times tells a different story: one hospitals number of confirmed cases exceeded the officially reported cases for the entire city.

The Epoch Times received numerous internal CCP virus reports from the Beijing Ditan Hospital, which were reported to the Beijing Health Commission.

Among them are daily nucleic acid testing results. According to the June 19 data, a total of 800 test samples were performed on 773 people; 246 tested positive and had were hospitalized between 10 p.m. June 18 and 10 p.m. June 19.

The report indicates that within those 24 hours, Beijing Ditan Hospital alone admitted at least 246 confirmed CCP virus patients. This number does not include patients that were admitted earlier.

However, the Beijing Health Commission reported the total number of confirmed and hospitalized cases on June 19, 20, and 21 in the entire city were 205, 227, and 236, respectively.

Beijing has 20 designated hospitals for treating COVID-19 patients.

The data from Ditan Hospital suggests that the real number of cases could be many times higher than what is being officially reported.

In dealing with the pandemic, Beijing set up 79 fever clinics, including six by the army. According to a June 14 press conference by the Beijing Health Commission, fever clinics serve as outposts for containing the pandemic, and no patient should be refused medical help. Patients can take a COVID-19 nucleic acid test, COVID-19 antibody test, CT scan, and routine blood tests there. Ditan Hospital also has a fever clinic within its facility.

Among the documents obtained by The Epoch Times is a compilation of fever patients test results from the fever clinic of Ditan Hospital, dated June 17. The data shows that 288 patients visited the clinic that day and 26 of them tested positive.

However, the city Health Commission reported only 21 newly confirmed cases on June 17 for all of Beijing.

One fever clinic alone detected more new cases that day than what was officially declared by the Health Commission.

According to a June 15 report by state-run media Xinhua, authorities amped up prevention efforts across the board in Beijing. Surveillance will be conducted at all security checkpoints 24/7, with 100,000 personnel mobilized to contain the pandemic, according to the report.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 4)  Twenty-two petitions seeking to nullify the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 are now at the Supreme Court, after another group of Muslims assailed the controversial laws constitutionality.

Anak Mindanao Party-list Representative Amihilda Sangcopan, Deputy Speaker Mujiv Hataman, Muslim lawyers, a religious preacher, and a peace advocate filed on Tuesday a petition against the law, saying it threatens to sacrifice liberty in exchange for security.

Peace at any price is not peace, and the human cost is beyond exorbitant, they said.

In the 83-page petition, the Muslim leaders said it is a frequent occurrence that members of their community in Mindanao are dragged away by authorities simply on suspicion that they are partaking in acts of rebellion, kidnapping, and what now constitutes terrorism.

The petition read: "This is prejudice and injustice based on unfounded fear of Muslims. It is religious discrimination, plain and simple.

It added that the contentious law threatens to legalize "these clearly abhorrent state actions.

The petitioners urged the Supreme Court to promptly address appeals to void the anti-terrorism law, saying the issues concern the fundamental freedoms guaranteed by both local and international laws.

On July 23, a group of Muslim lawyers also formally asked the high court to declare the measure unconstitutional, saying it puts at risk the Bangsamoro, who "are likely to be the victims of injustices and abuses."

RELATED: PH version of anti-terrorism law most conservative, says Sotto

The Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020, signed by President Rodrigo Duterte on July 3, mandates the creation of a joint congressional oversight committee which can summon the council and law enforcement officers over the implementation of the measure.

Critics said it relaxes safeguards on human rights and is open to abuse, but lawmakers who authored and sponsored the measure maintained its validity.
Geologists from Florida State University's Department of Earth, Ocean and Atmospheric Science have discovered how carbon-rich molten rock in the Earth's upper mantle might affect the movement of seismic waves.

The new research was coauthored by EOAS Associate Professor of Geology Mainak Mookherjee and postdoctoral researcher Suraj Bajgain. Findings from the study were published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences .

"This research is quite important since carbon is a crucial constituent for the habitability of the planet, and we are making strides to understand how solid earth may have played a role in storing and influencing the availability of carbon in the Earth's surface," Mookherjee said. "Our research gives us a better understanding of the elasticity, density and compressibility of these rocks and their role in Earth's carbon cycle."

Carbon, one of the primary building blocks for life, is widely distributed throughout the Earth's upper mantle and is mostly stored in forms of carbonate minerals as accessory minerals in mantle rocks. When carbonate-rich magma erupts on the surface, it is notable for its unique, mud-like appearance. These types of eruptions occur at specific locations around the world, such as at the Ol Doinyo Lengai volcano in Tanzania.

Experts believe that the presence of carbonates in rocks significantly lowers the temperature at which they melt. Carbonates that sink to the Earth's interior, via a process known as subduction, likely cause this low-degree melting of the Earth's upper mantle rocks, which plays an important role in the planet's deep carbon cycle.

"Earth's mantle has less free oxygen available at increasing depths," Mookherjee said. "As the mantle upwells through a process of mantle convection, the slowly moving rocks that were reduced, or had less oxygen, at a greater depth become progressively more oxidized at shallower depth. The carbon in the mantle is likely to be reduced deeper in the Earth and get oxidized as the mantle upwells."

This change in depth-dependent oxidation state is likely to cause melting of mantle rocks, a process called redox melting, which could produce carbon-rich molten rock, also known as melts. These melts are likely to affect the physical property of a rock, which can be detected using geophysical probes such as seismic waves, he said.

Prior to this study, geologists had poor knowledge of the elastic properties of these carbonate-induced partial melts, which made them difficult to directly detect.

One set of clues that geologists use to better understand their science are measurements of seismic waves as they move through the layers of the Earth. A type of seismic wave known as a compressional wave is faster than another type known as a shear wave, but at depths of around 180 to 330 kilometers into the Earth, the ratio of their speeds is even higher than is typical.

"This elevated ratio of compressional waves to the shear waves has been a puzzle, and using the findings from our study, we are able to explain this perplexing observation," Mookherjee said.

Minor quantities of carbon-rich melts, approximately 0.05 percent, might be dispersed pervasively through the Earth's deep upper mantle, and that may lead to the elevated ratio of compressional to shear sound velocity, researchers explained.

To conduct the study, researchers took high-pressure ultrasonic measurements and density measurements on cores of the carbonate mineral dolomite. These experiments were complemented by theoretical simulations to provide a new understanding of the fundamental physical properties of carbonate melts.

"We have been trying to understand the elastic and transport properties of aqueous fluids, silicate melt and metallic melt properties, to gain better insight into the mass of volatiles stored in the deep solid earth," Bajgain said.

These findings mean the partially molten rocks in the mantle could hold as much as 80 to 140 parts per million of carbon, which would be 20 to 36 million gigatons of carbon in the deep upper mantle region, making it a substantial carbon reservoir. In comparison, Earth's atmosphere contains just over 410 ppm of carbon, or around 870 gigatons.

###

Researchers from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, China, and the University of Chicago contributed to this study. They performed calculations at the High Performance Computing Cluster at Florida State and at supercomputing facilities provided by the National Science Foundation's Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment.

The work was partly supported by the National Science Foundation and the National Natural Science Foundation of China.
NAFCUs Virtual Congressional Caucus kicks off in a little over a month and the agenda is quickly filling up with notable speakers including, NCUA Chairman Rodney Hood and Federal Housing Finance Agency (FHFA) Director Mark Calabria. NAFCU has revamped this years Congressional Caucus to ensure credit unions can remain politically active amid the coronavirus pandemic, although the event will no longer be held in person, the outstanding content attendees are used to is not changing.

See whos been added to the lineup:
TipRanks

Lets talk about quality stocks. Of course, this is the direction that every investor wants to go; but the question is, how to recognize them? Do we go all-in on the big-value, big-name giants? Or do we dig a little deeper, and find the high-end nuggets that are hiding in the sandheap? Weighing in from investment bank Morgan Stanley, chief investment officer Lisa Shalett recommends the latter. She recommends investors to look for beaten-down stocks, equities that have lost value recently  but t
Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak speaks during a news conference on the state's response to the coronavirus outbreak at the Grant Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas, Nevada, on March 17, 2020. (Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

Nevada Governor Signs Bill to Allow Statewide Mail-In Voting Despite Trumps Lawsuit Threat

Defying the threat of a legal challenge issued by President Donald Trump, Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak signed a bill on Aug. 3 that would allow every state resident to cast a ballot via mail during the 2020 election.

The new law was rushed through the Nevada legislature in a special session called by Sisolak on July 30. Under the new law, every resident in the state can receive a ballot in the mail. A separate provision hands Sisolak, and not Nevadas secretary of state, the power to determine how an election is run in the case of an emergency.

This bill will help prevent Nevadans from experiencing the long lines at polling locations they faced during the Primary election, which will protect their safety, safeguard their right to make their voices heard, and help reduce the spread of COVID-19, Sisolak said on Twitter.

President Donald Trump and Attorney General Barr have repeatedly warned that blanketed mail-in voting laws like the one in Nevada would increase the risk of voter fraud.

Trump had threatened to take the state to court the morning prior to Sisolaks signature.

In an illegal late night coup, Nevadas clubhouse Governor made it impossible for Republicans to win the state, Trump wrote on Twitter on Aug. 3. Post Office could never handle the Traffic of Mail-In Votes without preparation. Using Covid to steal the state. See you in Court!

The Department of Justice, which would be responsible for any legal challenge on behalf of the Trump administration, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Hillary Clinton won Nevada in 2016 by 2.5 points in 2016.

Both chambers of Nevadas state legislature are controlled by Democrats. The mail-in voting measure passed the state assembly 29-12 on July 31, and the state senate 13-8 on Aug. 2.

Republicans unanimously opposed the measure in both chambers.

Democrats generally argue that voter fraud does not exist and that Republican opposition to mail-in measures is an attempt to prevent people from participating in the election. Republicans argue that mail-in ballots open the door to a range of fraudulent schemes.

Youll have somebody like the governor of Nevada come out with this massive plan, out of nowhere, to take millions of ballots and send them all over the place. Youll never know who won that state. Itll get messed up just like New York and just like Paterson, N.J., and just like many other places, Trump said on Aug. 3 before Sisolak signed the bill.

The White House did not respond to a request for comment.

The United States has had 1,290 proven instances of voter fraud, according to a database maintained by the conservative Heritage Foundation.

Matthew Vadum contributed to this report.
BP published its results for the second quarter and first half of 2020, laying bare the impact of the coronavirus on demand for oil and gas. Photo: Jumana ElHeloueh/Reuters

BP (BP.L) has halved its dividend as it swung to a record loss in the second quarter, predicting its oil and gas production will fall by at least one million barrels a day by 2030.

BP said in its second-quarter results published on Tuesday that it saw losses  on its preferred measure of underlying replacement cost  of $6.7bn (5.1bn), compared to a profit of $2.8bn a year earlier, but broadly in line with analysts expectations.

BP put the losses down mainly to $6.5bn in post-tax write-offs on its oil and gas exploration assets, and pointed to lower current and expected prices, very weak refining margins, lower demand for fuels and lubricants, and BPs changing strategy.

On a reported basis, it swung from a $1.8bn profit a year ago to $16.8bn of losses.

It also announced a new strategy as part of plans to reach net zero emissions, saying it would increase its annual investment in low-carbon energies tenfold within a decade, to around $5bn a year.

The oil and gas giant also said its dividend, popular with UK pension funds, will fall to $5.25 a share per quarter, marking the first cut in a decade.

BP had previously resisted cutting payouts to shareholders during the crisis, but its first cut in a decade is a sign of the severe strain on the company as the coronavirus has hammered demand and price forecasts for oil and gas.

It expects global oil demand to be up to nine million barrels of oil a day lower this year than in 2019, and said energy demand could remain weaker for a sustained period.

READ MORE: Shell posts 14.1bn loss as oil price crash forces write-down

Brent oil price forecasts have been revised down by 30% and Henry Hub gas prices by 16% over the next 10 years, compared to BPs last annual report. BP assumes Brent will trade at $40 a barrel in the second half of this year, and be trading at $50 in 2025.

US benchmark Brent prices (BZ=F) were trading at $43.29 and West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude (CL=F) prices were trading at $40.78 in New York at around 2.30am eastern time on Tuesday (7.30am in London).

Story continues

Brent crude oil prices this year. Chart: Yahoo Finance UK

Oil and gas production is expected to drop by 40% on last years levels by 2030, but BP aims to increase its net renewable generating capacity twentyfold by 2030.

The company had announced 10,000 job losses as part of a drastic cost-cutting plan in June, and predicted the coronavirus crisis would accelerate a shift towards greener energy.

These headline results have been driven by another very challenging quarter, but also by the deliberate steps we have taken as we continue to reimagine energy and reinvent BP, said CEO Bernard Looney.

READ MORE: BP to slash 10,000 jobs on slump in demand

"I want to acknowledge the impact the reset dividend will have on many - whether individual retail investors or large holders. However, it is a decision that we wholeheartedly believe is in the long-term interest of our stakeholders."

Shares in BP soared 7.5% on Tuesday despite the dividend cut and heavy losses, as the latter were marginally less than expected by analysts and the companys trading income was strong.

Even with the cut the dividend is still a quite healthy 5%, said Michael Hewson, chief market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

The decision to cut the dividend has been a long time coming, the only surprise it has taken a change of CEO and a huge slump in the oil price to shake the company out of its complacency.

BP shares soared despite record losses. Chart: Yahoo Finance UK

Last week rival Royal Dutch Shell (RDSB.L) posted $18.3bn (14.1bn) of losses in the second quarter and record write-down in its asset values. The Anglo-Dutch company confirmed $16.8bn in post-tax impairment costs on Thursday.

But Shells adjusted earnings, which strip out such charges, were better than expected. It made $600m in the second quarter, down 82% year-on-year, when analysts had expected $674m losses.

The company announced earlier this year it would cut dividends for the first time since the Second World War and slash billions from planned spending to bring down costs.

Listen to the latest podcast from Yahoo Finance UK


(Photo: 5 Exciting Things to Do in Qatar)

A vacation to Qatar is full of surprises. Did you know that nearly 2 million people visit Qatar each year to find out just what it has to offer?

From culture to food to history and more, put Qatar on your list of must-visit spots.

To help you work out just why you should travel there, we've put together a list of things to do in Qatar that will help you get your planning off to a great start. Read on to learn more.

1. The Souq Waqif

The Souq Waqif neighborhood in Qatar is full of intricate streets and small shops. The food, architecture, and people of this area make it worth spending a day wandering around.

See shows, art on display, and live performances of music. And there is history to see, touch, and feel at every step.

If food is your thing, a visit to the Souq Waqif is one of the best things to do in Qatar. There's everything from fine dining to street food to sample.

2. The Pearl

The Pearl is the famous man-made island that's been called the "Arabian Riviera." This is luxury unbound. The wealth on display on the island is a sight worth seeing in itself.

The waterfront eateries are pricier than in the Souq Waqif, but it's worth a little splurge. After eating, jump on a dhow for a slow cruise through the waterways of the Pearl.

3. Doha Corniche

The Doha Corniche is a promenade that runs along Doha Bay. It's a great place to stay in Qatar, so check out villas for rent in that area.

Take a walk along the promenade. Stop for photo opportunities on the Doha Corniche that include wonderful shots of Qatar's impressive skyline.

There are great cafes and restaurants along here. You can also find green spaces that are hard to find elsewhere in the city.

4. The Museum of Islamic Art

For art lovers, the Museum of Islamic Art should be high on the list of things to do in Qatar. The museum holds one of the most important Islamic art collections in the world.

This museum is certainly worth half a day of your stay in Qatar. Works of art from Turkey, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, and beyond are on display.

The museum is open Monday through Friday from 9 AM to 7 PM and on Saturday from 1:30 PM until 7 PM.

5. The Katara Cultural Village

To learn about local traditions and culture in Qatar head to the Katara Cultural Village. Soak in performance, drama, theater, art, and architecture. You'll learn all about Qatar and the region and see local culture performed and on display.

The village houses a museum and information center. There is an amphitheater, an opera house, centers of learning, and art galleries.

The List of Things to Do in Qatar Will Keep You Busy!

With so many things to do in Qatar, you'll quickly see why it is one of the gems of the Middle East. The history and heritage on display at the museum and cultural sites are more than enough to keep you busy and learning. The food you'll find almost everywhere you go is a culinary delight.

And the opulence on display on the Pearl and elsewhere in Qatar will keep your head turning as you take in the luxury cars, incredible towers and skyscrapers, and designer labels flashing by.

For more travel tips and ideas on what to do wherever you want to go, check out our blog. We've got articles, guides, and top-5 lists for some of the best places in the world.

See Now: The U.S. had the highest number of Most Wanted properties, dominating the Hotels.com Loved By Guests Awards 2018
A video still from the NBC archive showing Donald Trump talking with Jeffrey Epstein at a party in Mar-A-Lago from 1992.

President Donald Trump banned his former friend, the wealthy investor Jeffrey Epstein, from his exclusive Mar-a-Lago Club for hitting on the teenage daughter of another member, a new book says.

The late Epstein's banishment by Trump from the Palm Beach, Florida, club appears to have occurred months before Epstein pleaded guilty in 2008 to state criminal charges in Florida, which included paying for sexual services from a 14-year-old girl.

But it also seems to have happened more than two years after a state grand jury charged Epstein with soliciting prostitution.

The new book "The Grifter's Club: Trump, Mar-a-Lago, and the Selling of the Presidency," also says that despite claims to the contrary by Trump's company, Epstein had been himself a member of Mar-a-Lago before he was banned.

A Trump Organization official last year denied that Epstein, who had a luxurious residence in Palm Beach, had been a dues-paying club member after the investor was arrested in July 2019 on child sex trafficking charges.

Epstein died a month later in a Manhattan federal jail from what authorities have ruled was a suicide by hanging.

At the time, Trump did not reveal publicly what led to his falling out with Epstein, whom he said he had not spoken to for up to 15 years.

"I'm not a fan of his," Trump said then.

But Trump, a real estate developer and reality TV star, for years had been friends with Epstein before booting him from his club. Epstein also previously was friends with President Bill Clinton, Britain's Prince Andrew, and other wealthy and powerful people.

In 2002, Trump told New York magazine, "I've known Jeff for 15 years. Terrific guy."

"He's a lot of fun to be with. It is even said that he likes beautiful women as much as I do, and many of them are on the younger side."
A massive explosion at Lebanons main port rocked the capital Beirut and its suburbs, injuring dozens of people and damaging many buildings.

Footage showed a huge plume of smoke billowing into the sky over the Port of Beirut, as well as severe damage to buildings and shops in the area, including the home of former Prime Minister Saad Hariri. Windows shattered in buildings across the city

The official news agency NNA said the blast occurred at a firework depot in the port.

Also read | Like an earthquake: Huge explosion rips through Beirut captured on video

Lebanon is undergoing its worst political and financial crisis in decades. The countrys foreign minister resigned on Monday, warning that conflicting interests threatened to turn the country into a failed state.

The government, backed by the militant Hezbollah group and its allies, has struggled to carry out reforms demanded by the international community as the price of a bailout. Talks with the International Monetary Fund for a $10 billion loan have stalled, and the government has appealed for aid from Gulf countries -- primarily Kuwait, Iraq and Qatar.

The onetime benefactors have been wary about channeling funds into Lebanon as theyd done in the past, especially given Iran-backed Hezbollahs growing influence in the country. Hezbollah is classified by Gulf states and the US as a terrorist group.

Hezbollah and Israel have also faced off in recent days traded blows in recent days after an Israeli airstrike that killed a Hezbollah fighter in Syria.

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Brexit has sparked an increase in migration from Britain to the EU, according to a new study.

Flows from the UK to countries in the bloc have risen 30 per cent since the referendum, with researchers suggesting around half of that increase was driven by the decision to cut ties.

The number of UK citizens seeking an EU member state passport also rose sharply after 2016, potentially because many Britons already living in countries felt the need to secure their residency status.

The picture emerged in a joint project between the Oxford-in-Berlin partnership and the WZB Social Science Centre.

However, despite the findings official government figures show that net migration to the UK by EU nationals is still well in positive territory.

Brexit has sparked an increase in migration from Britain to the EU, according to a new study (file picture)

And net emigration of British nationals has remained broadly stable over the past decade.

Analysis of OECD and Eurostat data showed migration from the UK to EU states averaged 56,832 people per year from 2008-15, but climbed to 73,642 a year from 2016-18.

Meanwhile, numbers of Britons seeking passports from EU states went up more than 500 per cent overall, and more than 2,000 per cent in Germany.

The authores, Daniel Tetlow of Oxford-in-Berlin and WZB's Daniel Auer, said the changes compared to 'stable migration flows' among other EU nationals, concluding that Brexit has been the 'dominant driver' of migration decisions by Britons since 2016.

'The study reveals the UK is facing a potential brain drain of highly-educated British citizens, who have decided to invest their futures in continental Europe,' the study's authors said in a statement.

Dr Auer said: 'These increases in numbers are of a magnitude that you would expect when a country is hit by a major economic or political crisis.'

Additional data from Britons in Germany revealed they had shown 'increased levels of risk-taking and impulsivity' in reaction to Brexit.

Some 57 per cent of interviewees reported taking a 'big risk' with their move, compared with just 24 per cent pre-referendum.

A majority of respondents had also agreed to a pay cut or wage freeze as part of their decision to leave Britain, whereas prior to the referendum the majority received a pay rise.

The largest rise in migration was to Spain, with France ranking second.

Despite the findings the most recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) found net emigration of British nationals has remained broadly stable over the past decade
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has called on the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to stop accusing the NPP of intimidating and preventing people from participating in the voter registration exercise.



Speaking at a press conference, the NPP National Chairman, Mr. Freddie Blay said the party is a unifier and doesnt engage in tribal politics.



He slammed the NDC for disrespecting the work of the security forces who are tasked to ensure law and order in the nation, particularly the Military to guard the countrys borders.



We want to remind Ghanaians once again that the NDC is trying to misuse social media to distort reality and stir up confusion where there should be none. We call on you the media to shine your eyes and be extremely careful in picking up videos from social media and so-called news from dubious news websites deliberately set up to manipulate you and the people. Stop picking up one-sided stories and narratives and magnifying them. Dont fall for their bait. As professionals, you ought to know that one-sided videos from sources of dubious or purely partisan origin can leave you with eggs on your faces. We believe in your sense of professionalism and encourage you to double and triple-check these videos for the actual back-stories.



For instance, a few days ago when tensions were rife in Banda, the Regional security council (REGSEC) brokered an agreement between the NPP and NDC. The agreement was to the effect that neither party should organize scores of citizens and bus or truck them to registration sites as this creates confusion when challenges ensue. John Mahamas NDC having signed up to the deal, then openly breached the deal and accused the innocent military men of an ethnic agenda when all sides had agreed that the military should be invited to enforce the deal if any party breached it, he said.



Mr. Blay added; In videos circulating on social media NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia could be openly heard whipping up ethnic sentiments against the Military and inciting the residents with misleading claims that the soldiers were there to act against their tribe. Other media reports capture him as leading scores of people to insult and denigrate the military officers with unprintable words. This is irresponsible, dangerous and consistent with the NDC playbook: when you have no credible message, whip up identity sentiments to galvanize your base. This is a shameful strategy.



So we beg of you, do not cut and paste stories from social media. The mainstream media are our trusted news sources. If you become purveyors of fake news, our country would be in trouble. This is our earnest and heartfelt plea to you. In addition, we entreat our fellow Ghanaians to be much more discerning when sharing videos and messages that promote ethnic division among our people.



Read the full statement below:



PRESS CONFERENCE BY THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) ON NDCS DANGEROUS ETHNOCENTRIC AGENDA. DATE: 4TH AUGUST, 2020. VENUE: ALISA HOTEL.





Distinguished Ladies and gentlemen of the media, fellow Ghanaians! We thank you for taking the time to join us on this Founders Day morning for this press conference.



Today, we commemorate our founding heroes and celebrate all the virtues they represented and sacrificed for. As we salute the heroes of our nation, we must, in turn, remind ourselves of the role we can play as heroes in our own time, standing on the shoulders of the giants of yesteryear. As long as we live and breathe, Ghana, our beloved country is a living, breathing organism, and we are all a piece of it, and are responsible for keeping her alive.



Unfortunately, however, our brothers and sisters of the NDC are desperately trying to undermine the simple, civil and peaceful exercise of voter registration into one of ethnocentrism through outright fabrications, needless exaggerations and old-fashioned fear-mongering and propaganda tactics.



It has not all been smooth. The Electoral Commission (EC), the arbiter with sole authority to determine elections has had to prove its mettle over and over again. This time, the EC was challenged by its decision to have a brand new voter register for the conduct of the 2020 General Elections.



Against the EC argument that the equipment holding the existing register was obsolete and the data unreliable, the NDC mounted an incredibly virulent yearlong campaign of demonstrations, press conferences, and boycotts of IPAC. They threatened brimstone and fire. Thankfully, these NDC protest-preneurs and their so-called militant allies in their red berets soon discovered that they couldnt fool Ghanaians to follow them in these pointless marches, which had in fact turned into a nice cottage industry for the organizers. Even the majority of their own NDC members refused to follow them as, thanks to Akufo-Addo, they had jobs to go to.



When they turned and found that no one was following them, they went to the Supreme Court. On June 25, when the Supreme Court ruled unanimously against the NDCs totally barren case, they tried quickly to steal the verdict with Asiedu Nketia, flanked by their battery of presumably knowledgeable lawyers, to claim that the Supreme Court had ruled in their favour.



When their claims of being in a comfortable lead fell flat, they raised the spectre of corona virus and swore that the registration exercise would fail. One member even publicly offered to be castrated as living sacrifice for the party if the exercise succeeded. Well, the EC is in the final phase of the registration exercise and we shall leave the commission to make public its final report for all Ghanaians to draw their own judgment in due time. Suffice it to say that the gentleman who promised self-castration in honour of his beloved NDC has since gone to register; we saw photographs of him sitting quietly but proudly to have his photograph taken at a well-organized registration centre. We thank God that he has not wasted his ability to bear children. Insha Allah, his children will grow up, enjoy free SHS, read the history of the 2020 registration exercise and promptly join the NPP!



Ladies and Gentlemen, now, the NDC, having failed at every turn, have decided to introduce and pursue an agenda of what they claim to be ethnic disenfranchisement as their last card. We are calling on the people of the Volta Region and indeed on all Ghanaians to stand up against being used as political pawns in this dangerous political game by a desperate John Mahama. Mahama showed very little concern for the people of the Volta Region when he had the opportunity as president to impact on the lives of the people. John Mahama cannot be trusted and we say so by his own record and not just his dangerous words.



Ever since the NDC flagbearer visited the Volta Region, starting with Aflao in Ketu South on Saturday 11th July, (a trip which took him to Akatsi South, Ketu North, South Tongu and Ho), we have observed with shock and dismay as the NDC suddenly changed course to spread falsehood that the Akufo-Addo government was pushing an anti-Ewe agenda to disenfranchise people from the Volta Region.



We have had instances of tense party political intrigues throughout the Fourth Republic, but nothing quite like what John Mahama is trying to unleash today simply because his record as President is desperately poor, and he has no message. In 2016, his campaign message was E dey be k3k3! Akufo-Addo, on the other hand, proposed a raft of policy measures including but not limited to Free SHS, and hes delivering! How did he expect to win simply by twisting his mouth and shouting E dey Be K3k3. And this was after he had been in office for eight years as Vice-President and President! What did he take Ghanaians for?



Well, for some strange reason that completely baffles the majority of Ghanaians, the NDC is presenting John Mahama again, and yet again he has no message. He has absolutely nothing to offer.



In his latest hate-for-votes campaign, John Mahama accused the military falsely of disallowing our brothers and sisters in the Volta Region and wherever there are settlements of Voltarians and non-Akans to register to vote. This is a big and dangerous lie.



The former president of the Republic, who should know better, had earlier said on 28th June that President Akufo-Addo was sending troops into regions in times of peace for the sole purpose of preventing them from registration, and that this amounted to declaring war. This is very rich coming from a president, who in desperation, after seeing the results were against him, deployed rocket launchers and other heavy artillery across the regions on December 8, 2016. We must not allow his desperation to use hate- for-votes to create needless tension among our peace-loving people.



How could John Mahama accuse President Akufo-Addo of ethnic discrimination when only last week, the President was in the Northern and Savannah Regions to ensure that 1.2 million people there have access to water, including John Mahamas own maternal hometown? John Mahama has no message because Akufo-Addo is working hard to solve the real-life problems that confront the Ghanaian people.



Does John Mahama know how many families in the Volta Region are benefiting from Free SHS and other social policies that are impacting on families and communities in every corner of this country since 2017? More than 400,000 young people who had qualified to attend SHS would have been denied access if it was not for President Akufo-Addos dogged insistence that no child, no matter their ethnic origin or station in life, should be denied secondary education.



As a simple illustration, here are two photographs of the kindergarten in Honuta in the Ho West District of the Volta Region. One was in 2016 under the NDC, and the newly-built one was done by the NPP. Let me state again, that this is in Honuta in the Volta Region. Do not be misled by John Mahamas hate-for-votes campaign. John Mahama has resorted to this old bogus propaganda trick used by empty and desperate tyrants of decades gone-by because he has no policy response to Akufo-Addos social interventions and economic policies.



Ladies and Gentlemen, Akufo-Addo has been instrumental in maintaining peace and tranquility throughout the country, including in Dagbon since he came into office. He will be the last to want to disturb the peace. We must completely and totally reject Mahamas hate-for-votes campaign and look at the real facts.



Ladies and Gentlemen, Is it true that Voltarians are really being disenfranchised? The facts say NO, theyre not! As at the end of Phase 5 of the registration exercise after 30 days, 816,069 people had registered in the Volta Region alone as against the 2019 regional voters register of 999,368. Indeed, on a national average, registration in Volta Region, particularly, in Ketu South, has been among the highest in the country.



As against the 2019 register, Greater Accra has performed the best across all regions of the country, followed by Upper West, Northern, Central, Savannah (John Mahamas own region), followed by Bono, Bono East, Western, Volta before Eastern. Where is the discrimination? Are the people of Savannah facing discrimination? What about the Northern Region? Are the Krobos and Ewes in Eastern Region, specifically the Abuakwa areas, complaining about discrimination? Have they not lived there for decades and is that not where Akufo-Addo comes from? Please, let us not allow John Mahama to fool us with his hate-for-votes agenda.



The military were deployed months ago to patrol all our borders for a variety of security-related reasons. The numbers were even greater along our northern borders than the south east. There were no complaints. John Mahama is using this reckless ploy to try to motivate the NDCs grassroots, cower the security agents from doing their legitimate job so that the NDC can employ foul means to populate the register.

We should not confuse the genuine efforts to police the borders throughout the country to mean that the NPP is against anyone. Elections in Ghana are for Ghanaians. Yet, as we speak, a number of Togolese and Nigerians have either been convicted or have their cases pending at the Keta circuit court charged with registering for a voter ID card.



1. Okafor Wale, age 47 years; nationality, Nigerian.

Offence: Registered for Ghana voter ID card when not qualified to register.

Convicted and Sentenced to 2years in hard labour by Keta Circuit Court on 30/07/20



2. Evoda Yao Dieu Donne, age 22 years, nationality Togolese.

Offence: Registered for Ghana voter ID Card when not qualified to register.

Convicted and sentenced to 2 years in hard labour by Keta Circuit Court on 30/07/20



3. Emmanuel Philip, age 32, nationality Nigerian.

Offence: Register for Ghana Voter ID Card when not qualified.

Case pending before Keta Circuit Court.



4. Jerry Azameti, age 28 years, nationality, Ghanaian; and 5. Abigail Tagbor age 20 years Ghanaian. Offence: the two abetted Emmanuel Philip a Nigerian who is not qualified to register to register for Ghana voter ID Card by standing as guarantors.

Case pending before Keta Circuit Court.



6. Ekoume Sena, age 32 years, Togolese. Offence: Register for Ghana Voter ID Card when not qualified to register. Case pending before Keta Circuit Court.



7. Ametame Raymond, age 33 years,Togolese.

Offence: Register for Ghana voter ID Card when not qualified to register.

Case pending before Keta Circuit Court.



Ladies and gentlemen, we love all our brothers and sisters of West Africa, but they cannot vote in our elections as we cannot vote in theirs. Please, respect our hard-won sovereignty as we respect yours. This is all we are saying.



Ladies and gentlemen, nationwide, 38.02% of people used guarantors to get their names on the register. In Ketu South, the figure is around 55% and rising. So far, Ketu South is among the top 10% of constituencies in meeting the target of the 2019 register. Ketu South registered over 132,000 as against the 2019 figure of 149,219. This is a higher percentage than Manhyia South, New Juaben South, Abuakwa South and Walewale. So what exactly is John Mahamas problem? Actually, we know John Mahamas problem. His problem is that they have no message. John Mahama and his NDC have no message. They didnt have one in 2016 and have none in 2020. Exactly what economic or social problem does E dey be k3k3 solve? It doesnt put a single child in school. It doesnt build a dam. It doesnt build flyovers at a fraction of John Mahamas invoices. It doesnt pay teachers and nurses allowances. It doesnt plant for food and jobs. It doesnt keep the bank accounts of 4.5 million Ghanaians open. And it doesnt open a Volkswagen factory. Ghanaians are much too intelligent to vote for someone whose overall vision for his country is E Dey Be k3k3!



We want to remind Ghanaians once again that the NDC is trying to misuse social media to distort reality and stir up confusion where there should be none. We call on you the media to shine your eyes and be extremely careful in picking up videos from social media and so-called news from dubious news websites deliberately set up to manipulate you and the people. Stop picking up one-sided stories and narratives and magnifying them. Dont fall for their bait. As professionals, you ought to know that one-sided videos from sources of dubious or purely partisan origin can leave you with eggs on your faces. We believe in your sense of professionalism and encourage you to double and triple-check these videos for the actual back-stories.



For instance, a few days ago when tensions were rife in Banda, the Regional security council (REGSEC) brokered an agreement between the NPP and NDC. The agreement was to the effect that neither party should organise scores of citizens and bus or truck them to registration sites as this creates confusion when challenges ensue. John Mahamas NDC having signed up to the deal, then openly breached the deal and accused the innocent military men of an ethnic agenda when all sides had agreed that the military should be invited to enforce the deal if any party breached it.



In videos circulating on social media NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia could be openly heard whipping up ethnic sentiments against the Military and inciting the residents with misleading claims that the soldiers were there to act against their tribe. Other media reports capture him as leading scores of people to insult and denigrate the military officers with unprintable words. This is irresponsible, dangerous and consistent with the NDC playbook: when you have no credible message, whip up identity sentiments to galvanize your base. This is a shameful strategy.



So we beg of you, do not cut and paste stories from social media. The mainstream media are our trusted news sources. If you become purveyors of fake news, our country would be in trouble. This is our earnest and heartfelt plea to you. In addition, we entreat our fellow Ghanaians to be much more discerning when sharing videos and messages that promote ethnic division among our people.



Ladies and gentlemen, considering what an auspicious day August 4 is to this nation, we wish to conclude by summoning the best in all of us, the kindness in all of us, the wisdom in all of us, the goodness in all of us, the brotherhood and sisterhood in all of us as we proceed towards December.



Our Democracy was hard-won. Democracy is a muscle that we must exercise, lest we lose it, and by doing so we show the world the true strength of Ghana and its people. Every Ghanaian has a God-given right to exercise his/her vote. Nana Akufo-Addo in particular has fought for this and other basic rights for more than 40 years, since he was in his thirties. His belief in the right of every citizen to exercise their fundamental freedoms comes as naturally to him as flying is to the eagle.



In December, Akufo-Addo wants you to look at his record, compare it to that of others. Ask yourself: which President delivered on his promises? Which President do I trust more to recover the economy and care for my livelihood, and have enough left to pay my water and electricity bills and support thousands of small and medium enterprises in the midst of this terrible corona virus pandemic? Some of the enterprises received their loans via mobile money? They needed just a little help to see them through and keep their enterprises afloat and people employed. Who do you trust? Ponder upon these questions and then go out and vote in December according to your conscience and what you believe is best for you and the future of your children. For us in the NPP, questions of ethnicity have no place in our democracy. It has no place in the Ghana that President Akufo-Addo wants to bequeath to our young people.



The Ghana we love, the Ghana of our founders, is one we build together  not one where we tear each other apart. The essence of Ghana is unity, and to be spreading ethnocentric lies, inciting violence and pitting brother against brother for political gain is not just selfish and dangerous  it is un-Ghanaian by its very nature, and such appalling behavior just cannot stand.



As Ghanaians, we all have reason to be proud over having conducted the most successful, transparent and constitutionally sound voters register in the history of our country and having done so in the midst of a global pandemic. Ghanaians across our great country have shown the world what we are made of and we can and should stand as an example of how to preserve and protect democracy in challenging times under the direction of a bold and caring leader.



We, the New Patriotic Party, choose to focus on the things that unite us as one nation, rather than the things that divide us along ethnic lines. For the NDC to be disrespecting the efforts and sacrifice of our people in the middle of this exercise and in such perilous times is unconscionable and an affront to everything we stand for. Therefore, we urge John Mahama and the NDC to stop working so hard to divide us. We must all refuse that perilous invitation to the NDCs devious dinner in the dark.



This is bigger than politics, bigger than all of us. This is about freedom and democracy, liberty and peace. We are brothers and sisters, children of the black star of Africa, and ethnocentric hatred has no place in this great land.



As it is written in Pauls letter to the Romans (14:19) let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification. We are one people, under God, and though the battle is always the Lords we must strive to act and live in his favor. Whether or not the NDC will choose to end its divisive campaign, ours will always be a message of unity and peace.



Candidate Mahama: we believe that there must be a corner somewhere deep inside your heart that remains free of ethnocentric bigotry. We ask of you to kindly enter there. If you listen carefully, you will hear the voices of the men and women who died that we would live; the men and women whose toil, whose legacy, whose spirits, whose souls we honour today the Fourth of August. Please heed their voices. Honour them by finding yourself a proper message; a message that binds and builds. Thank you for coming and God bless our homeland Ghana.

Source: peacefmonline.com









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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ORLANDO, Fla. - The U.S. Census Bureau is cutting its schedule for data collection for the 2020 census a month short as legislation that would have extended the national head counts deadlines stalls in Congress. The move is worrying researchers, politicians and others who say the change will miss hard-to-count communities, including minorities and immigrants, and produce less trustworthy data.

The Census Bureau said late Monday that the door-knocking and ability for households to respond either online, by phone or by mail to the questionnaire will stop at the end of September instead of the end of October so that it can meet an end-of-the-year deadline to turn in numbers used for redrawing congressional districts.

Census experts, academics and civil rights activists worry the sped-up count could hurt its thoroughness and produce inaccurate data that will have lasting effects through the next decade. The count determines how $1.5 trillion in federal spending is distributed and how many congressional districts each state gets.

This move will rush the enumeration process, result in inadequate follow-up, and undercount immigrant communities and communities of colour who are historically undercounted, U.S. Rep. Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform, wrote Census Bureau director Steven Dillingham in a letter Tuesday.

In the letter, Maloney, a Democrat from New York, requested interviews before her committee with eight Census Bureau officials, including two recent additions to the bureaus leadership whose appointments by the Trump administration have been sharply criticized as politically driven.

But Dillingham said the agency aimed to have the same level of responses as past censuses. We will improve the speed of our count without sacrificing completeness, he said.

If communities are missed, it will have a large downstream impact not only on apportionment but social science research and other Census Bureau surveys that rely on the once-a-decade census, said David Van Riper, director of spatial analysis at the University of Minnesotas Institute for Social Research and Data Innovation.

Its interesting that this is happening now because all of the COVID databases are using population data from the census, Van Riper said. Data used from an inaccurate count during a pandemic like the one the U.S. is experiencing would give us a false perception of whats going on on the ground, he added.

As of Monday, 37% of U.S. households hadnt yet responded to the census questionnaire. Some of the 500,000 door knockers hired by the Census Bureau have begun visiting those households, but they werent expected to go out in force until next week.

An analysis by the CUNY Center for Urban Research shows that 10 states currently are trailing their 2010 self-response rates by 5 to 10 percentage points, meaning they will require a greater share of door-knocking than they did a decade ago. Those states are Alaska, Montana, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Texas and Wyoming.

Four former Census Bureau directors who have served in both Democratic and Republican administrations warned in a letter that cutting short the door-knocking phase would force the bureau to rely on administrative records and statistical techniques to fill gaps on a much larger scale than in previous censuses.

Congress should task an independent institution to measure whether the 2020 count matches the outcomes of previous censuses, and if not, recommend what steps should be taken, said the letter signed by Vincent Barabba, Robert Groves, Kenneth Prewitt and John Thompson.

Facing delays caused by the pandemic, the Census Bureau had earlier this year pushed back wrapping up field operations for the once-a-decade head count from the end of July to the end of October.

The bureau also asked Congress in April to extend the deadline for turning in apportionment data used for drawing congressional districts from Dec. 31, 2020, to April 30, 2021. Top Census Bureau officials have said it would be impossible to meet the end-of-the-year deadline, and that the bureau expected bipartisan support for the request.

The request passed the Democratic-controlled House as part of coronavirus-relief legislation but it hasnt gone anywhere in the Republican-controlled Senate. The chambers inaction coincides with a memorandum Trump issued last month to try to exclude people living in the U.S. illegally from being part of the process for redrawing congressional districts.

Civil rights groups, states, cities and individuals have filed at least a half-dozen lawsuits challenging the memorandum as unconstitutional and an attempt to limit the power of Latinos and immigrants of colour.

The request to Congress also asked that the deadline for turning in data used for drawing legislative and local districts be extended from March 30, 2021, to July 31, 2021, but the Census Bureau is now aiming to finish those responsibilities by the end of March.

Maloney on Tuesday introduced an update to the legislation pending in Congress that would give the Census Bureau more time by pushing back the deadlines to the later dates.

Critics say the move to speed up the deadlines is just the latest Trump administration effort to politicize the 2020 census, starting with a failed attempt to add a citizenship question to the form.

This is nothing but a disgusting power grab from an administration hell-bent on preserving its fleeting political power at all costs, said Julie Menin, census director for New York City.

___

Follow Mike Schneider on Twitter at https://twitter.com/MikeSchneiderAP
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Table Of Contents:

Executive Summary

Market Landscape

Market ecosystem

Value chain analysis

Market Sizing

Market definition

Market segment analysis

Market size 2019

Market outlook: Forecast for 2019 2024

Five Forces Analysis

Five Force summary

Bargaining power of buyers

Bargaining power of suppliers

Threat of new entrants

Threat of substitutes

Threat of rivalry

Market condition

Market Segmentation by Product

Market segments

Comparison by Product

OSS Market size and forecast 2019-2024

BSS Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Market opportunity by Product

Customer Landscape

Customer landscape

Geographic Landscape

Geographic segmentation

Geographic comparison

North America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

APAC Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Europe Market size and forecast 2019-2024

South America Market size and forecast 2019-2024

MEA Market size and forecast 2019-2024

Key leading countries

Market opportunity by geography

Market Drivers Demand led growth

Market Challenges

Market Trends

Vendor Landscape

Overview

Vendor landscape

Landscape disruption

Vendor Analysis

Vendors covered

Market positioning of vendors

Amdocs Ltd.

Accenture Plc

CSG Systems International Inc.

Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.

Huawei Investment Holding Co. Ltd.

International Business Machines Corp.

Nokia Corp.

Oracle Corp.

SAP SE

Appendix

Scope of the report

Currency conversion rates for US$

Research methodology

List of abbreviations

About Us

Technavio is a leading global technology research and advisory company. Their research and analysis focuses 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.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 20:08:41|Editor: huaxia

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KUWAIT CITY, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Kuwait on Tuesday reported 475 new COVID-19 cases and four more deaths, raising the tally of infections to 68,774 and the death toll to 465, the Health Ministry said in a statement.

Currently, 7,983 patients are receiving treatment, including 131 in ICU, the statement added.

The ministry also announced the recovery of 587 more patients, raising the total recoveries in the country to 60,326.

On July 28, Kuwait started the third-phase plan of restoring normal life.

During the third phase, labor capacity will increase to no more than 50 percent and visits to social care homes will be allowed.

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
Flu-shot manufacturers plan to ship record numbers of vaccine doses to the U.S. this year as public health officials prepare to urge as many Americans as possible to protect themselves amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

"Though we don't yet have a vaccine for Covid, we do have a tool to prevent influenza," said Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, in a recent podcast interview.

The four makers of flu vaccines have said they plan to ship almost 200 million doses to the U.S. this year, up about 19% from last season. AstraZeneca, which makes the FluMist nasal spray vaccine, said it increased its plans for this season by 25% due to an expected need for more doses this year.

"The both public and private demand for this upcoming season has been tremendous," said Elaine O'Hara, head of North America commercial operations for Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccines unit of French drugmaker Sanofi.

Fewer than half of American adults, and about 60% of kids, typically get the flu shot each year, CDC data show. Public health experts are aiming for higher numbers this year to try to reduce the burden on hospitals already strained by Covid-19.

"The last thing we want on top of that now is to have beds that could go to Covid patients be used for influenza patients, ventilators that may be needed for Covid patients now have to be also diverted to influenza," said Dr. Jose Romero, a pediatric infection diseases specialist and interim director of the Arkansas Department of Health.

Every year, the flu sickens between 9 million and 45 million Americans, causes at least 140,000 hospitalizations and leads to 12,000 to 61,000 deaths, according to the CDC.

And while the flu shot isn't perfect  it ranges from 20 to 60% effectiveness each season, depending on how well scientists are able to predict which strains will be circulating  the agency says the vaccine prevents millions of illnesses and thousands of hospitalizations and deaths from flu each year.
Hemophilia Guidelines for All: A new ambition of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH)

MONTREAL, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ - Led by content leads, Alok Srivastava, MD, and Glenn Pierce, MD, PhD, WFH Vice-President, Medical, this 3rd edition of the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH) Guidelines for the Management of Hemophilia offers up-to-date guidance and practical recommendations on the diagnosis and management of hemophilia, including the management of musculoskeletal complications and inhibitors, updates to laboratory diagnosis and genetic assessments, as well as new recommendations on outcome assessments.

Informed by the best available evidence and supplemented with expert opinion and patient preference, the more than 300 practical recommendations in these guidelines were developed by consensus using the "Trustworthy Consensus-Based Statement" process to ensure reliable guidance. The guideline panel was composed of clinically and geographically diverse experts in hemophilia care, as well as 25% membership of people with hemophilia and caregivers.

These high-quality, evidence- and expert-informed treatment guidelines offer a means to bridge the gap between treatment practices and care around the world. They offer a set of practical recommendations intended to improve the quality of care globally, promote effective clinical interventions and decrease variations in clinical practice. Where recommendations lack adequate evidence, these guidelines can stimulate appropriate studies.

The World Federation of Hemophilia sincerely thanks the > 100 contributors who made the development of these guidelines possibleall under very tight timelines. A special thank you to the hemophilia care experts, people with hemophilia and reviewers who generously gave their time and expertise in order to ensure that each chapter attained the highest quality standards possible. As a result of their generosity, we are able to provide health care providers and people with hemophilia around the world with a set of invaluable recommendations on which to base their care. Thank you also to the external reviewers and Haemophilia journal peer reviewers who provided feedback under the very special current circumstances of the COVID-19 crisis.

To download The WFH Guidelines for the Management of Hemophilia, 3rd edition, please visit the following link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hae.14046

Thank you to our expert panelists who contributed to the development of The WFH Guidelines for the Management of Hemophilia, 3rd edition:

Srivastava A, Santagostino E, Dougall A, Kitchen S, Sutherland M, Pipe S.W, Carcao M.D, Mahlangu J, Ragni M.V, Windyga J, Llinas A, Goddard N.J, Mohan, R, Poonnoose P.M, Feldman B.M, Lewis S.Z, van den Berg H.M, Pierce G.F on behalf of the WFH Guidelines for the Management of Hemophilia panelists and co-authors*

*Abdelaziz Al Sharif, Manuel A. Baarslag, Lisa Bagley, Erik Berntorp, Greig Blamey, Mark Brooker, Francisco de Paula Careta, Kim Chew, Donna Coffin, Carlos D. De Brasi, Piet de Kleijn, Gerard Dolan, Vincent Dumez, Gaetan Duport, Carmen Escuriola Ettingshausen, Melanie M. Golob, Emna Gouider, Lucy T. Henry, Debbie Hum, Mathieu Jackson, Radoslaw Kaczmarek, Kate Khair, Barbara A. Konkle, Rolf C. R. Ljung, Silmara A. de Lima Montalvao, Augustas Nedzinskas, Sonia O'Hara, Margareth C. Ozelo, Gianluigi Pasta, David Enrique Preza Hernandez, Bradley Rayner, Fiona Robinson, R. Sathyanarayanan, Thomas J. Schofield, Andrew Selvaggi, Shrimati Shetty, Maura Sostack, Alison Street, Ekawat Suwantaroj, Claude Tayou Tagny, Pierre Toulon.

About hemophilia and other bleeding disorders

Hemophilia, von Willebrand disease, inherited platelet disorders, and other factor deficiencies are lifelong bleeding disorders that prevent blood from clotting properly. People with bleeding disorders do not have enough of a particular clotting factor, a protein in blood that controls bleeding, or else it does not work properly. The severity of a person's bleeding disorder usually depends on the amount of clotting factor that is missing or not functioning. People with hemophilia can experience uncontrolled bleeding that can result from a seemingly minor injury. Bleeding into joints and muscles causes severe pain and disability while bleeding into major organs, such as the brain, can cause death.

About the World Federation of Hemophilia

For over 50 years, the World Federation of Hemophilia (WFH)an international not-for-profit organization has worked to improve the lives of people with hemophilia and other inherited bleeding disorders. Established in 1963, it is a global network of patient organizations in 140 countries and has official recognition from the World Health Organization.

WFH support for the bleeding disorders community is provided by many endeavours which are making a difference in the community today, including:

WFH programs which are carried out in collaboration with national member organizations (NMOs) and a dedicated group of medical and lay volunteers, and are based on a comprehensive development model that aims to achieve sustainable comprehensive care and "Treatment for All".

The WFH Humanitarian Aid Program which provides a range of integrated care development training programs to ensure the local infrastructure and medical expertise in developed countries are able to use donated products in the most optimal way possible.

The Global Alliance for Progress (GAP) Program is the WFH flagship development program aimed at closing the gap in treatment between developed and developing countries in three key areas: the number of people born with hemophilia and those who reach adulthood; the estimated and actual number of people known with bleeding disorders; and the need versus the availability of treatment products.

WFH World Bleeding Disorders Registry ( WBDR ), which uses data collection to advance the understanding and care of people with hemophilia worldwide. An accessible patient registry strengthens our capacity to identify, diagnose, treat, and care for people living with hemophilia and other rare inherited bleeding disorders.

), which uses data collection to advance the understanding and care of people with hemophilia worldwide. An accessible patient registry strengthens our capacity to identify, diagnose, treat, and care for people living with hemophilia and other rare inherited bleeding disorders. The WFH Annual Global Survey which collects basic demographic information and data on access to care and treatment products in order to provide hemophilia organizations, hemophilia treatment centres and health officials with useful information to support efforts to improve or sustain the care of people with bleeding disorders.

which collects basic demographic information and data on access to care and treatment products in order to provide hemophilia organizations, hemophilia treatment centres and health officials with useful information to support efforts to improve or sustain the care of people with bleeding disorders. The WFH eLearning Platform which features hundreds of important educational resources for users with both medical and non-medical backgroundsin multiple languagesincluding guides, fact sheets, videos, articles, games, and interactive modules that are downloadable for free, and are well-suited for any learning style or area of interest.

To find out more about the WFH, please visit www.wfh.org .

SOURCE World Federation of Hemophilia

Related Links

www.wfh.org


A 14-year-old girl has raised $14,000 for senior dogs that have been left behind with the goal of helping them find a forever home like she did when she was adopted.

Meena Kumar at 9 months old was found abandoned in a basket on a college campus in Pune, India. After spending a year in an orphanage, she was adopted by a couple in Mumbai and brought to San Jose, California.

Meena Kumar, 14, helps abandoned senior dogs get a second chance. (Courtesy of Jayashree Subrahmonia)

In Mumbai, Meena would watch over a litter of puppies at her home. When she came to the United States, almost every weekend included a trip to the Humane Society or to Muttville Senior Dog Rescue.

Muttville is a cage-free dog rescue that gives senior dogs a second chance at life, according to their website. The organization was founded by 2016 CNN Hero Sherri Franklin and rescues about 1,000 dogs per year and runs mostly with the help of volunteers.

Meena Kumar pet sits in her home to raise money for Muttville Senior Dog Rescue. (Courtesy of Jayashree Subrahmonia)

Meena first heard of the rescue from a neighbor whose dog had been adopted from Muttville. The neighbor shared stories of how senior dogs are often left behind in shelters. With tender love and care, those dogs can make great companions.

More people should adopt senior dogs, says Meena. They give you the same unconditional love as any other dog.

Meena understood what it felt like to be left behind, and wanted to help the senior dogs find the loving homes they deserve, just like she did. However, the problem was Meena had to be 17 years old to volunteer at Muttville, and she was only 12.

But she was keen and wanted to find a way to support Muttville and thus came up with an idea. She advertised on Nextdoor offering pet sitting, and Pet Fairy Services was born.

Meena began pet sitting in her own home for her neighbors and school friends with the goal of supporting Muttville. You are never too young to start a business, says Meena.

Meena Kumar pet sitting at her home. (Courtesy of Jayashree Subrahmonia)

With rates of $35 per day and several years of hard work, Meena has managed to raise $7,000 for Muttville. That number doubled to $14,000 thanks to a matching donation program with Intel, where her father works. The Intel Volunteer Matching Grant Program encourages employees to donate time, money, or labor to nonprofits that give back to their communities, according to Intels website.

Meena plans to continue working with Muttville and hopes that more people will adopt older mutts from shelters during this pandemic.

(Illustration  Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock)

We need their love more than ever, she says.

The CNN Wire contributed to this report.
Cassidy, who has been representing her North Side district since 2011, shrugged off Madigans denials. When he says he didnt know what was going on, it may be an excellent legal strategy, but it says that hes bad at his job, she told me. Hes supposed to be in charge. Hes the one who manages every little thing in the General Assembly. And all this was going on right under his nose and he was just oblivious to it?
Press Release

August 4, 2020 De Lima relinquishes membership in Justice Committee in favor of Hontiveros Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has relinquished her membership in the Committee on Justice and Human Rights in favor of Sen. Risa Hontiveros, an action seen as a tactical response of anti-death penalty solons to the earlier move within the camp of pro-capital punishment where Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian gave up his committee membership to allow Senator Ronald dela Rosa to lead sub-committee hearings on pending death penalty bills. De Lima said she wants Hontiveros, a justice and human rights champion like her, to have the opportunity to vote and fully join the committee or subcommittee hearings and deliberations on the death penalty bills and other proposed measures referred to the Senate Justice and Human Rights Committee. "Given my current situation and limitations where I cannot vote and wholly participate in Senate sessions and hearings due to my continued unjust detention, I am relinquishing my membership in the Committee on Justice and Human Rights in favor of Sen. Risa Hontiveros," she said. "As a courageous voice in the Senate who speaks truth to power and fights for justice and human rights, Sen. Risa's participation and vote will definitely matter because she will always be on the side of justice," she added. Last Monday, Aug.3, Sen. Minority Leader Franklin Drilon read the letter of De Lima stating her decision to relinquish her membership in the Committee of Justice and Human Rights in the plenary session. Afterwards, Drilon moved to elect Hontiveros to replace De Lima in the committee and Majority Floor Leader Juan Miguel Zubiri seconded the motion. There was no objection. It may be recalled that in Duterte's fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27, he urged Congress to reinstate death penalty "by lethal injection for crimes specified under the Comprehensive Dangerous [Drugs] Act of 2002." Currently, there are seven death penalty bills at the Senate, which have been referred to the Justice and Human Rights Committee, chaired by Sen. Richard Gordon. De Lima used to chair that committee since the start of her term in June 2016 until her expulsion in September 2016 in the wake of her probe into the extrajudicial killings in Duterte's "war on drugs." De Lima, the first prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime, has consistently opposed the restoration of the capital punishment even way back when she was chair of the Commission on Human Rights from 2008 to 2010, and then as Secretary of the Department of Justice from 2010 to 2015. De Lima assures the public that despite her relinquishment of the Justice Committee membership post, she shall continue to actively engage in the discourses relative to the proposed pro-death penalty measure through inputs and proposed questions to be coursed thru Sen. Hontiveros, and via an intensified advocacy work against the proposed measure.
Former Desperate Housewives star Eva Longoria certainly knows how to take a good selfie.

The 45-year-old actress looked stunning on Tuesday, as she posted a sultry swimwear selfie to her 7.9 million followers on Instagram.

Simply captioning the post with three black heart emojis, Eva showed off trim figure in the very plunging swimsuit, that featured a plunging neckline displaying her decolletage.

Wet and wild! Eva Longoria, 45, takes the plunge in a VERY low-cut swimsuit that displays her decolletage for sultry mirror selfie posted to her Instagram account on Tuesday

Despite the glam exhibitionism going on, Eva is also known for keeping it real on her Instagram feed.

The busy mother is often sharing intimate snaps of her son, Santiago Enrique Baston, who she welcomed in 2018 with husband Jose Baston.

In April this year, Eva also shared an honest moment, revealing her grey roots which she had been struggling to conceal in lockdown, telling fans: 'Hi guys! Look at all this grey. This is crazy!'

Keeping fit in lockdown: Eva has been sharing workout snaps this month to Instagram

The actress continued: 'If you've been following me, you know that I've been going grey.'

She then whipped out a root spray by L'Oreal Paris, for whom she serves as an ambassador, which she used to blend her locks back to their raven hue in seconds.

Eva has been keeping herself busy amid the coronavirus pandemic, sharing footage of herself working out, and also appearing in a Desperate Housewives reunion.

Multitasking: She has also been working out with her young son Santiago in tow

Texas native Eva returned home to quarantine earlier this in March, after travelling to Italy, the centre of the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe.

On February 20, Eva flew from Los Angeles to Rome to shoot a short film amid the coronavirus outbreak that has since put all of Italy under lockdown.

She was staying in Castel Gandolfo, a medieval town 25 kilometres away from the capital, and was pictured running through the woods while shooting a scene.

Keeping it real: However, the former Desperate Housewives star also shared this honest moment with fans in April, showing off her grey hairs

Near the end of February, she assured her Instagram followers that she was all right since she was not in northern Italy, where the virus first became a major concern.

'Hi everybody. I am shooting in this small town in Italy. I am nowhere near the North, thank you for your concerns,' she said.

'Everyone was calling and texting me about the coronavirus in the north of Italy. It's really sad, but we're further away.'
Photo credit: Random House

From Oprah Magazine

Newly announced as Oprah's next Book Club pick, Caste by Isabel Wilkerson is an a rich, incisive, analysis of history, as engrossing it is enlightening. The crux of the book is the suggestion that racial inequality in America is a form of "Casteism," an incredibly rigid and indelible power structure popularized in India and Nazi Germany designed to keep entire class of people from attaining power and equality.

In this excerpt, four anthropologiststwo couples, one white and the other Blackwho descend on a town in Mississippi to conduct a "groundbreaking experiment in interracial scholarship," which would involve them infiltrating "the white and Black worlds to accurately render how caste, class, and race operated in the region."

Because two of the four researchers were Black, their studies were hampered by the very system they sought to expose, and their report fell, perhaps unsurprisingly to the margins of history.

Over the next few months, Oprah will be teaching Caste via social media, podcasts, and on other platforms. Join her on this journey by following @oprahsbookclub across social, including the brand new Oprahs Book Club Facebook group. Download your copy on Apple Books and #ReadWithUs.

On the Early Front Lines of Caste

In the fall of 1933, a distinguished black couple, newly returned from their studies in Europe, headed south from Virginia in the direction of Nashville and then, with both dread and anticipation, passed a symbolic iron curtain into the heart of Jim Crow Mississippi. They were anthropologists embarking on a perilous two-year study of the social hierarchy of the South. They were entering hostile and alien territory where they would have to learn to sublimate their upright bearing and submit to the humiliations of the social order, knowing that any slipup could cost them their lives.



They could not reveal the true nature of their mission at their final destination of Natchez, Mississippi. They would have to watch their every step in a world that preferred to keep its feudal conventions to itself and to keep people who looked like them in their place. They were driving headlong into a region where a black person was lynched every four days for some breach, large or small, of those conventions. They would soon discover that, just weeks before their arrival, a black man had been lynched in the county next to Natchez, under accusation of raping a white woman that even many local whites did not believe.

Story continues

Allison Davis was an impeccably tailored academic with the sculpted, square-jawed face of a film star, and his wife, Elizabeth, was a model of refinement. But their path had been a twisting obstacle course. Just the previous spring, they had cut short their advanced studies at the University of Berlin and fled Germany when Hitler took power. They had seen the Nazis burn books and jail teachers, and this gave him new insight into the nature of hate, and combined with the burdens he bore in his own country, further inspired him to examine injustice.



Davis was a young anthropologist with two degrees from Harvard University and a wealth of experience abroad, but, once in Mississippi, he could not in any way act like it. He would have to conceal his inner self to survive. The couple had chosen to make the personal sacrifice for the greater good of documenting the structure of human division, a mission that would practically render them undercover agents. Urbane and bespectacled though he was, he decided it best to keep a gun in the car to protect himself and his wife if it came to it.



In Natchez, they would be joining the other half of their team, a white couple named Burleigh and Mary Gardner, two other Harvard anthropologists, who, in keeping with the plan, had preceded the Davises to Mississippi. The mission was quietly revolutionary. Together, they would embed themselves in a closed and isolated southern town from both sides of the caste divide. Coming from the North, neither couple could fully know what they were getting themselves into. This was in the depths of the Jim Crow caste system, and they would find their every move dictated by the very phenomenon that they were studying.

This would be among the first studies of its kind and a groundbreaking experiment in interracial scholarship. They would have to plan every detail of their interaction with the local people and come up with plausible reasons for the four of them to be together in this alien landscape. Given the dangers, they would not be able to tell the local people the full intention of their projectthat they were seeking to infiltrate the white and black worlds to accurately render how caste, class, and race operated in the region.

The two couples were to report back to a senior professor who was overseeing the project from Cambridge. The pioneering anthropologist W. Lloyd Warner anticipated the dangers the team would face and went to Natchez himself ahead of the two couples to scout out the area and to prepare the town for their arrival.

Warner met with the mayor and law enforcement officials and with editors of the local newspaper before leaving the team on its own. He told town officials that they had chosen Natchez to represent a typical southern town and that the researchers would be collecting data to compare it with a town in the North. This was not altogether untrue. Warner had completed research on social stratification in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and could find the comparison useful.

The officials in Natchez were delighted to share the history of their town with the white husband-and-wife team. But it was harder for the team to come up with a credible reason for African-American scholars to come into town doing research.

They made the decision to tell the locals that the black researchers were there to study the black church, a safe enough subject for the town fathers to accept. As a measure of how far ahead of society the researchers were and of the proficiency of Allison Davis, it was he, the black anthropologist, who was chosen to lead the team on the ground in Natchez. They were two different castes studying caste in the belly of the caste system.

In order for the mission to work, the white couple went in first to get established before the black couple showed up. The Gardners rented rooms in an old country mansion as their base of operations and began gaining acceptance in Natchez society. But they had to give more forethought into where the Davises would live. The mansion was isolated, and the Davises would be uncomfortably, perhaps dangerously, conspicuous in that rural setting. Finding housing for them was a challenge in a region where most African-Americans were sharecroppers living in lean-to cabins. The team finally moved the project into the town itself, and the Davises rented rooms from a black doctor, who opened the way to the towns few black elites.



The couples soon found themselves embedded in their respective and separate castes, but that restricted them in other ways.



The team needed to study the layers within each castethe elite and the lowly. But the social hierarchy drew such stark lines that even within one caste, fraternizing with those not seen as on ones level invited scrutiny and potential ostracism. To reach poor white residentsthe lower class of the dominant casteMary Gardner took a position as a government caseworker in a New Deal program, which allowed her to meet poorer whites and to visit their homes.

That was not an option available to Elizabeth Davis as the Davises sought to meet with poorer black residents. At the time, few African-American women were permitted to hold those government jobs in Mississippi, and the federal relief that Mary Gardner was in a position to extend to the whites she met was not then being extended to poor blacks in Mississippi.

So Allison Davis sought to recruit a fifth researcher, St. Clair Drake, a former student of his who, decades later, would become a renowned scholar of mid-twentieth-century life in Chicago. The northern-bred Drake was not keen on spending months or years in the Jim Crow South, where, only a few years before, nine young black men, known as the Scottsboro Boys, had been imprisoned in neighboring Alabama, accused of attacking two white women, who later recanted their stories. Davis convinced him of the transcendent purpose of the mission. You cant really smash the system if you dont understand how it works, Davis told him.

Drake agreed to come, and he spent his time with sharecroppers and domestics that the Davises, now seen as part of the sliver of upper-middle-class blacks in Natchez, no longer had readily explainable access to. They were all locked in the roles into which they had been accepted, having to do whatever their subcaste did, or compromise their foothold in their research setting.

Their lives depended upon obeying the rules they had come to study and proving themselves loyal to the caste to which they were ascribed. Mary Gardner, the white woman researcher, went so far as to climb into a hoop skirt and to serve as hostess at a mansion tour to which she had been invited. It was perilous to step out of character, perilous for the white couple to be seen as too closely aligned with the Davises, with whom, in that world, the dominant caste would have had minimal contact.

Out in public, they had to remain in character at all times, with the Davises required to show deference to the Gardners and never give the appearance that they were, in fact, friends and colleagues in the trenches. The two women found that they could not be seen together in public at all, had to conceal how well they knew each other, the caste system disallowing that kind of camaraderie between women of different castes. Their encounters were limited to an occasional chance meeting at the chain grocery store in the center of town, wrote David A. Varel, Daviss biographer. There they exchanged only a polite, restrained greeting.

Over time, the white researchers came to see firsthand the barriers that African-Americans faced. Wherever they went, if they were together, there were no guarantees of food or restrooms for the Davises. Every move had to be thought out in advance with consideration of caste protocol. There were times when Gardner, the white researcher, had to request the bathroom key if Davis were to be allowed to use it.

Davis was the leader of the team, but they could not let the locals know that. They had to keep to their caste performance. It was a revolutionary concept, this idea of an educated black man working with a white man in this way to begin with, a spectacle the likes of which the townspeople would never have seen before.

They couldnt pretend that they werent working together, but it was explained to them, and generally understood by others that Allison was working for Burleigh: this was the only acceptable relationship between a white man and a Negro, Varel wrote. Just to meet and discuss their findings required an elaborate choreography. They had no outside office and could not go to each others homes without arousing suspicions or causing discomfort. It did not sit well with the caste system for a white person to visit a black person, so Gardner could not visit Davis. It would have been permissible, and in fact, expected, for a subordinate-caste person to go to the dominant-caste persons location for the convenience of the upper-caste person. But for purposes of morale and dignity, it would have been unacceptable for Davis, as the team leader, to walk through the back door of his colleagues home. It was not enough to say that Allison was working for Burleigh; each of them was expected to behave strictly according to his caste role, Varel wrote.



So they created a protocol for themselves whenever they needed to meet. One would telephone the other to make an appointment. Davis would arrive at an agreed-upon corner. Gardner would pick him up, and they would drive to a rural back road to go over their work in the car without bringing undue attention to themselves. Even this, they knew, was a breach of the caste system but it was their only option if they were to get their work done.

Later, Gardner happened to learn that both the chief of police and the sheriff were informed of each meeting, Varel wrote. The sheriff and police chief did not intervene, but it was so serious a violation that the sheriff felt compelled to keep tabs on the two men.



This surveillance was a reminder that, at any given moment, the authorities could shut down their project, or worse. The sheriff could seize their notes at any time, exposing the true nature of the larger study and destroying the data that they were gathering, Varel wrote.

To protect their research, they made frequent mailings to Warner back in Cambridge. But Allison had to be careful in doing so. Frequent mailings by a Negro, especially an educated Negro, would have aroused suspicion in the middle-aged, middle-class white postal clerk, Varel wrote.

The whole Negro-white research, Warner once said, was delicate and filled with dynamite.

In 1941, as the United States prepared to enter the Second World War, the Davis and Gardner team emerged with perhaps the most comprehensive study to date of the American caste system. The volume was 538 pages long and titled Deep South: A Social Anthropological Study of Caste and Class. It described the layers of social classes within the two major castes in Americawhite and black people.



Davis and the Gardners determined that caste was the fundamental division in the Jim Crow town they studied, built on economic interdependence, in which the caste system and the economic system reinforce each other. They documented the multiple rungs within the two castes, the layers of classes within each caste, the social control employed to keep the castes separate, and the slave-like conditions and power structure on the plantations in America as it approached the middle of the twentieth century.

They chronicled the rigid codes of conduct required to maintain the hierarchy. A black landlord, for instance, had to walk to the back door of his own building to collect the rent from his white tenants. The team described the terror campaign against the subordinate caste, the daily menace to the sharecroppers who were subject to ambush in the planters whipping parties and the risks to the Davises themselves as they documented the assaults on other African-Americans.

It had taken them eight years to publish their findings, and even then, the researchers were bedeviled with setbacks and the disadvantages of both caste and timing in getting it out to the world. They had begun the work in the midst of the Great Depression and thus faced the ongoing challenge of financing a project that seemed risky from the start.

Two years in, with the Depression worsening and the project taking longer than expected, the Davises, who had borne the brunt of the humiliation that confronted their caste and with the least personal resources, found themselves so strapped for money that they had to take on teaching duties at Dillard University, an underfunded, historically black institution in New Orleans. There, Allison Davis was weighed down with a teaching load of five courses each semester while trying to complete the larger caste study. Worn down by the isolation and indignities, having to perform in character over the course of several years, he fell into a depression over their circumstances.

At the same time, competition arrived on the scene. The Mississippi Delta got crowded with young social scientists investigating this feudal country-within-a-country, as the Depression had raised interest in rural and southern poverty. And while the interracial Davis and Gardner team had spent far longeryears, in fact living under the caste rules they were studying, two Yale anthropologists, both white and working in the same area in two separate studies, spent several months in Mississippi and, with their shorter timelines, were able to beat the Davises and the Gardners more comprehensive study to publication.

John Dollard of Yale spent five months in Indianola. Hortense Powdermaker, also of Yale, spent nine months there in the 193233 school year and another three months in 1934.

Dollards 1937 book, Caste and Class in a Southern Town, was the first of the three major works to be published. It received wide acclaim and defined the emerging field. Dollard was hailed as a pioneer while the Davises and the Gardners were still analyzing their volumes of data. Dollard acknowledged the limits of his work, conceded that, as a white Yankee in the southern caste system, he ran headlong into caste taboos that restricted his access to African-Americans. The local whites he needed to rely on couldnt understand why he would be interested in black residents. When he told some white residents of his plan to visit a black womans home, he said he was ostracized from the town.



Hortense Powdermakers After Freedom: A Cultural Study in the Deep South was published next, in 1939. Both Dollards and Powdermakers books were met with spirited reviews and came to dominate the field of southern caste scholarship. Even decades later, the journal American Anthropologist, in 2004, described the two books as canonical landmark studies, consigning the Davis and Gardner book to the footnotes.

Deep South was published in 1941 and has long been overshadowed by the two earlier works produced by scholars from the dominant caste. The Davis and Gardner project seemed to meet the same fate of marginalization as the subordinate caste that they had studied.

Neither Davis nor Gardner made the claim that the Indian caste system and the American one were identical. Yet, criticism of the idea of caste in America followed a pattern in caste relations that the team documented in Mississippi. They found that African-American workers, trained in the subordinated behavior and perspective necessary to survive in a caste system, were more likely to show respect for people in the dominant caste and to disregard or feel freer to criticize those from their own subordinated caste.

For a range of complex reasons, some leading African-American social scientists of the early to mid-twentieth century objected to Davis and others applying the notion of caste to the plight of African-Americans, even as they were living under one of the purest forms of it in American history. Restricted as they were, locked behind the walls of caste with no end in sight, they did not want to give credence to the possibility that the system might indeed be closed forever. If their status was seen as a fixed one, there might be no hope of rising above it.

They were deep in a caste wilderness, before Brown v. Board of Education, before the Montgomery bus boycott, before the 1963 March on Washington and the civil rights legislation of the 1960s that would formally prohibit the caste restrictions they were then living under. In the middle of the twentieth century, no one could have dreamt of a member of the subordinate caste sitting on the Supreme Court, becoming secretary of state, being in the Oval Office as president rather than as a butler.

Photo credit: Gemma Bauer

The lowest caste had yet to break free and disprove the assumptions of group inferiority that were the justification of the caste system, show that its members were as capable as anyone else in any endeavor, from singing Verdi at the Metropolitan to orbiting space to winning Nobel Prizes. These things were inconceivable because the caste system had disallowed any possibility of them. Thus there was an understandable fear that invoking the fixed and formal, millennia-long caste system of India could forestall the few hard-earned gains they had managed to achieve.

Any success that Davis might see was itself a challenge to the caste system. And as one of the few African-Americans given the chance to conduct this kind of research, he walked a narrower path, had put his life on the line in a way others had not, and was in line for more criticism than dominant-caste researchers might receive. The white researchers who were published before Deep South had the chance to seize on the novelty of the idea were more readily embraced by the mainstream and accorded more authority due in part to their position in the dominant caste.



Despite their immersion and mastery of the subject, Davis and Gardner fell under greater scrutiny and faced more obstacles just to complete their book. Publication was delayed in part because a leading black sociologist, Charles Johnson, trained in a different discipline, raised lengthy questions about the manuscript, which required Davis and Gardner to embark upon a significant revision. Davis, as lead researcher, was an easier target for criticism, particularly from peers in the subordinated caste who were under pressure to uphold the hierarchy if they wished to succeed and who would have been wary of calling into question the work of dominant-caste scholars. The resistance to Daviss work inadvertently proved the very theories Davis had devoted his life to exposing.



The concept of caste grew only more contentious as it was applied to the United States at midcentury. One leading sociologist, the Caribbean-born Oliver Cromwell Cox, assembled a cantankerous critique of this school of thought in his landmark 1948 book, Caste, Class and Race: A Study in Social Dynamics. He devoted a hundred pages to his reading of the Indian caste system and later chapters to the differences between the hierarchies of the two countries.

An underlying argument of his contrarian view was that the caste system in India was singular because it was considered stable and unquestioned, because even the lowest castes embraced their degraded lot as the fate of the gods. The fact that black Americans resisted their condition, both in slavery and afterward, and aspired to equality was evidence, to Cox, that the term caste could not be applied to this country. If, for instance, the Negro-white relationship were a caste relationship, he wrote, Negroes would not be aspiring toward the upper social position occupied by whites. 

In India, however, caste barriers in the caste system are never challenged, he wrote in a bafflingly misguided observation. From his perspective, up and down the Indian caste system, regardless of his position in the society, a mans caste is sacred to him; and one caste does not dominate the other.

Despite his brilliance, he disregarded both the injustices inflicted upon Dalits by castes that most certainly dominated them and the basic human will to be free. And he overlooked the fiery resistance and leadership of Bhimrao Ambedkar and other Dalits who were challenging the caste system at the very moment of his writing.

Before Coxs excoriation of the notion of caste, the findings of Davis and the Gardners got reinforcement from perhaps the most ambitious work ever attempted on race in America, the monumental two-volume American Dilemma, published in 1944. It was based on the research of a team of scholars, including Davis and his contemporary Johnson, and was overseen by the Swedish social economist Gunnar Myrdal. In this analysis of race, Myrdal described intergroup relations in the United States as a caste system, a term he returned to time and again.

The caste system, Myrdal wrote, is upheld by its own inertia and by the superior castes interest in upholding it.

Davis would go on to get a Ph.D. in anthropology at the University of Chicago and join the faculty there, thus becoming the first black tenured professor at a major white American university. But he would suffer additional indignities. Faculty colleagues openly debated whether he should be allowed to teach white students, and he was prohibited from eating in the faculty dining room for a time.

Of the major scholars of the American South in the first half of the twentieth century, he and his wife were among the only field researchers who labored under the cloud of caste subordination themselves. Their work would end up inspiring St. Clair Drake, Stokely Carmichael, and Martin Luther King, Jr., among others, all of whom read his work as undergraduates and saw themselves in his analysis.

Allison Davis was nearly lost to history, but he has become a champion to current-day researchers who seek to understand the infrastructure of our divisions. He brought a singular depth of commitment to understanding the caste system in hopes of defeating it. He had taken on the challenge as if his life had depended upon it, because in a very real way, it did.

Excerpted from Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. Copyright  2020 by Isabel Wilkerson. Excerpted by permission of Random House. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

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After conducting antigen and antibody testing, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to diagnose citizens for Covid-19 on the basis of their sound waves.

By the next week, the civic body will commence the non-invasive voice analysis of suspected and confirmed Covid-19 patients at the NESCO jumbo Covid-19 centre in Goregaon. The results of the analysis can indicate the presence of the virus in 30 seconds, and those testing positive, will undergo a reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) swab test to confirm if they are infected.

Using artificial intelligence, Dr RN Cooper Municipal General Hospital, which is run by the civic body, will conduct the study on 2,000 patients at the centre.

RT-PCR is considered the gold standard test for diagnosing Sars-Cov-2  the virus that causes Covid-19  but the result through this testing method takes more than eight hours. In contrast, a rapid antigen test can give results within 30 minutes, but this method can give a higher rate of false negatives according to the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR).

As lockdown restrictions have eased, civic officials said economic alternatives are required to rapidly and accurately diagnose the cases of Covid-19.

Dr Neelam Andrade, dean of Nair Dental Hospital, who is in-charge of the NESCO facility, said that though the concept of diagnosing patients through their sound waves is new, several countries such as the United States of America and Israel are using it.

When the symptoms of Covid-19 manifest, a patient starts developing breathing problems, which affects the amount of air exhaled, thereby interacting with inflamed muscles on its journey to generate voices or speeches. These interactions impact voice modulationsmeasurable qualities that form the basis of their biomarkers. Depending on its variations, an individual can be detected with Covid-19, said Dr Andrade.

There is a voice application which can be installed on phones or laptops. The suspected patient will be asked to count a few numbers before the device, similar to conducting a breath analyser test. The voice sample will automatically get synced with the main server of the provider. Then, through artificial intelligence, the result will be procured within 30 seconds, said Dr Andrade.

The app will analyse voices of three types of individuals  suspected, positive and negative patients. Depending on their vocal biomarkers (VB), they will be diagnosed. For example, if a persons VB is below the standard point (0.5), the person will be considered as negative. But if anyone records VB above it, the person will be considered a suspected patient and undergo RT-PCR test for a confirmed result.

As the technology is in the initial stage, we need to cross-check its results. So even if a person tests negative, he/she will have to undergo voice analysis to check the authenticity of the technology. It will take two-three months to conclude the study, said Suresh Kakani, additional commissioner, BMC.

Cooper hospital, which has been given the responsibility of conducting the study, is yet to get the final nod from its ethical committee. We are hoping to get it in a day or two, added Kakani.

Dr KK Agarwal, a cardiologist and former president of Indian Medical Association (IMA), said, For centuries, doctors have relied on sound beats of the heart to detect a person through a stethoscope. Now, the same technique can be used to screen suspected Covid-19 patients. This technology may be new but is being widely used across the globe.

Medical experts believe that this technique can help detect people faster and earlier, especially when the BMC is planning to open up theatres, malls and restaurants.

We have seen that people often pop in fever suppressants to avoid getting detected. Later, they spread the virus to more people. But this technique, which is completely non-invasive, can detect infected people easily especially at railway stations and airports, added Dr Andrade.
Diageo Plc, the world's largest spirits maker, reported a bigger-than-expected decline in underlying net sales on Tuesday as demand for its whiskeys, vodka and gin fell in all markets except North America.

The Johnnie Walker whisky maker reported an 8.4% drop in organic sales for the year ended June 30, wider than the 7.3% fall analysts had expected, according to company supplied estimates.

This marks the company's worst annual sales performance in more than a decade, according to Bernstein analysts.

By region, organic sales in Asia declined the most, falling 16% due to the impact of coronavirus-related closures of alcohol outlets and pubs in India and Thailand, while in China the lack of the key Chinese New Year drinking period hit demand.
A dozen people overall were either brought into the government, or had their posts upgraded.

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has announced a limited government reshuffle to improve performance on health and EU fund management.

The move was an operational improvement to the government, the prime ministers spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Tuesday.

Among the goals of the revamp was the management of increased EU funds and the organisational reinforcement of the health ministry, Petsas said.

Greece has seen COVID-19 infections increase this month to levels last seen in April, with officials blaming overcrowding in clubs and social events.

Since July 1, there have been more than 340 confirmed infections among nearly 1.3 million incoming travellers, according to the civil protection agency.

Greece has so far recorded 209 COVID-19 deaths and more than 4,700 infections.

Mitsotakis appointed new deputy ministers for health, social insurance, and environmental protection, and upgraded two other officials to junior minister.

A dozen people overall were either brought into the government, or had their posts upgraded.

Two officials were upgraded to oversee EU funding, and another to handle tourism.

Corrective moves

Greece stands to receive 32 billion euros ($37bn) from the 750 billion euro ($884bn) recovery package agreed by EU leaders last month.

Mitsotakis also had to fill the post of the deputy environment minister who recently resigned to take up an EU position.

A reshuffle had been expected since June, when Mitsotakis dropped a hint about corrective moves in the government during a visit to Israel.

Just over a year after coming to power, Mitsotakis New Democracy party leads in opinion polls by at least 14 percent.

The economy is expected to contract by 5.8 percent this year according to the Bank of Greece, partly because of the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on tourism revenue.
Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot's elder brother Agrasian Gehlot skipped summons for a second time Tuesday in a money-laundering case, citing health issues, officials said.

He was first summoned to appear on July 29, but he had sought exemption on health issues.

Officials said Agrasain Gehlot did not appear before the investigating officer on Tuesday as well on the ongoing health grounds and has now been asked to appear next week in Delhi.

Agrasain Gehlot's son Anupam had deposed before the ED on July 29 and had informed the agency about his personal business links with his family-promoted firm Anupam Krishi.

He was then handed over fresh summons for his father to appear on August 4 in connection with the money-laundering case linked to alleged financial irregularities in exporting fertiliser.

Anupam, too, is expected to be called again by the agency.

On July 22, the central agency had raided Agrasain Gehlot's premises in Jodhpur and a few other places in connection with the case filed under the criminal charges of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Officials had said the agency had seized a number of documents during the raids and Agrasain Gehlot and a few others were required to be questioned about their fertiliser business.

Some other people involved in the case have also been summoned by the probe agency.

The raids came about after the agency filed an Enforcement Case Information Report (ECIR), the ED equivalent of a police FIR, in a 2007-09 Customs Department case registered for alleged irregularities in the procurement and export of subsidised Muriate of Potash (MOP), meant for farmers, and investigation in this case was finalised in 2013.

The ED took cognisance of the Customs FIR and a July 13 charge sheet to press money-laundering charges to probe a "smuggling syndicate", allegedly run by Agrasain Gehlot, his firm Anupam Krishi and others, officials said.

The agency said the case pertains to alleged fraudulent export of MOP in the guise of industrial salts to buyers based in Malaysia and Taiwan.

The MOP is restricted for exports so that it is easily available to farmers in the country.

The ED action came at a time when a political slugfest was on between CM and his former deputy Sachin Pilot, with the Congress accusing the BJP o engineering the dissent.

Pilot, a former Union minister, was sacked as Rajasthan deputy CM and PCC chief recently.

Also, R K Sharma, a Rajasthan-based businessman and promoter of the 5-star Fairmont hotel in Jaipur was summoned by the ED in a foreign exchange and the Yes Bank money laundering case.

Sharma, officials said, has informed the agency that he has contracted COVID-19 infection and will be able to join ED investigation in the two cases once he recovers.

The businessman is alleged to have been a business partner of Vaibhav Gehlot, the son of the Rajasthan CM, in a car rental company in the past.

The officials said Yes Bank had given a Rs 168-crore loan to Triton Hotels and Resorts in which Sharma is a shareholder and a promoter.

Responding to the raids, Congress leader Randeep Surjewala had told reporters that "Prime Minister Modi has created 'raid raj' in the country but we are not going to be scared."



When the Centre's "gimmicks" failed to topple the Congress government in Rajasthan, ED raids started at the premises of Gehlot's elder brother, he had said.

Agency sources had said Agrasain Gehlot and his firm were slapped with over Rs 60 crore penalty by the Customs Department for these alleged export irregularities in 2013.

It is alleged that Gehlot's company "diverted" 35,000 metric tonnes of MOP that had a value of Rs 130 crore in the international market.

The ED alleged Agrasain Gehlot, in his capacity as a dealer, was the custodian of the MOP and was "solely responsible" for its proper distribution to farmers, and his alleged connivance with a company, Saraf Impex Pvt Ltd, and others resulted in the diversion of MOP that was imported by Indian Potash Limited at a concessional rate of duty.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Former U.S. Marine Paul Whelan, sentenced to 16 years on espionage charges that he rejects, has been transferred to a penal colony in the region of Mordovia, historically known for Russia's toughest prisons, including Soviet-era labor camps for political prisoners.

Whelan's lawyer, Olga Karlova, told TASS news agency on August 4 that her client had left the Lefortovo detention center in Moscow and was currently being transferred to a Mordovian penal colony.

Karlova said she had received the information from Whelans brother David, who had been informed by the British Embassy.

Whelan holds U.S., Canadian, British, and Irish passports.

Karlova added that Lefortovo officials refused to comment.

The U.S. Embassy in Moscow said it was aware of the reports of Whelan's transfer but had not yet received official notification.

"We continue to press Russian authorities for fair & humane treatment of #PaulWhelan, & regular contact with US consular officials," Rebecca Ross, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Embassy, said in an August 4 tweet.

Valery Krutov, chairman of the Mordovia branch of the Public Monitoring Commission rights group, said on August 4 that Whelan was expected to arrive at Correctional Colony No. 18 in Mordovia in the coming days. He will be transferred several days later to Correctional Colony No. 17 to serve his term.

Whelan's relatives and lawyers said earlier that the ex-U.S. Marine will most likely be held in Lefortovo for a longer time, as it was expected that he may be exchanged for Russian nationals held in the United States in September.

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 notorious system of correctional colonies in Mordovia, established as part of the gulag system in the 1930s, is known as one of the toughest in the former Soviet Union.

Also, the process of transferring convicts in Russia can last for weeks. The process, known as "etap," involves trains specially designed for convicts stopping in transit jails and prisons. Convicts traveling in such trains stay in crowded caged compartments with almost no access to fresh air, no shower, and limited access to the toilet and food for days or weeks.

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 materials and because of measures to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

The United States has called the proceedings a "mockery of justice" and demanded Whelan's immediate release.

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 his 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
Heavy rainfall overnight in Mumbai has rendered three females who fell into an open drain missing in Santa Cruz. Fire Bigade officials have reported that the accident occured after ceiling collapsed; search operation underway.

Three women went missing in Trimurti Chawl in Mumbais Santa Cruz on Tuesday after the floors of their rooms collapsed and they fell into the sewage channel at the back of the building, Prabhat S Rahangdale, Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of the Mumbai Fire Brigade informed.

We received a phone call about the incident around 11:30 am. When we arrived at the scene, it was brought to our attention that the flooring of the upper floor and ceiling of the ground floor had completely collapsed, Rahangadale said.

One girl was rescued by the police before the arrival of the fire department and was taken to the VN Desai Hospital.

Three females are still missing. A search operation is underway the CFO said.

Also read: Covid-19 wont deter Amit Shah from posing a threat to Gehlots govt in Rajasthan: Shiv Sena

Also read: SSR death probe: Rhea Chakrabortys lawyer objects Bihar govts involvement

Mumbai and its suburbs woke up to severely waterlogged roads after the 10 hours of incessant rainfall the night before. The India Meteorological Department has sounded a red alert for today and tomorrow for extremely heavy rain in Mumbai.

Also read: Heavy rains lash Mumbai; BMC halts transport services
WONDER POTIONs action-platformer has new content to test in this limited-time preview version of the next side-scrolling hit from NEOWIZ
As companies around the country wrestle with balancing safety and the desire to return to normal, return-to-work planning committees are facing a major hurdle: ensuring a safe and manageable commute . Many companies have historically left this part of the workday up to employees (one of the reasons it's listed as a top reason for employee turnover), but COVID-19 has made the emerging commute management field more important than ever.

CommuteWise makes it easy for companies to communicate their full set of commute options, benefits and subsidies to its employees, particularly during initial onboarding and the upcoming wave of re-onboarding employees who have spent months working from home.

To provide employees with full door-to-door commute plans, the system takes into consideration local transit routes and fares (including commuter-friendly passes), best options for biking and walking, private employer-provided options such as carpool and vanpool, and parking options. Employees can compare cost and time, select their preferred choice, and directly enroll in pretax benefits systems such as Edenred or others.

"We designed our newest product to fill the most important gap in employee onboarding, and what we're looking at right now is the largest simultaneous onboarding process of all time," said TransitScreen CEO and cofounder Matt Caywood. "Return-to-work task forces are focused on so many considerations right now, but an elevator safety protocol won't make much difference if your employees can't get to the office. Our solution suite, starting with CommuteWise, can save immense time in communicating with employees, both during onboarding and throughout their time at the company."

Employees will also have access to a mobile application featuring real-time information about all public and private options (including shuttles, carpool, and employee parking), alerts from local transit agencies about service changes or safety protocols, and daily commute reminders. Employers can also share messages about safe commuting protocols.

With CommuteWise as its cornerstone, TransitScreen's full commute management platform makes it simple for employers to create and manage a commute program without adding extra work for staff  from automated trip planning during employee onboarding through providing real-time data to inform their daily lives.

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TransitScreen is known for its lobby display software and CityMotion mobile app, featuring real-time information about all mobility choices in corporate offices, commercial buildings, and multifamily apartment complexes. The company coordinates more than 2,000 data feeds of public transportation like subways and buses, shared transportation like scooters, bikeshare, and ridehailing services such as Uber, Lyft, and Via, and private transportation like shuttle buses and vanpool programs.

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Gov. Greg Abbott stressed Tuesday that only local school boards, not local governments, have the power to decide how to open schools this fall amid the coronavirus pandemic.

"The bottom line is the people who know best ... about that are the local school officials," Abbott said during a news conference in San Antonio, echoing a message he's now been relaying amid questions about the process.

Texas educators and parents have been confused about who has the power to keep school buildings closed. They have also been frustrated by conflicting messages from state and local leaders.

Abbott also said in preparation for the new school year, the state has already distributed to schools more than 59 million masks, more than 24,000 thermometers, more than 565,00 gallons of hand sanitizer and more than 500,000 face shields. He promised schools "will have their [PPE] needs met at no cost" to them, with the state picking up the tab.

In general, he described the state's personal protective equipment levels as bountiful even as the state faces an "an even greater strain" on the supply due to the coming school reopenings and flu season.

Abbott and other state leaders have backed a legal opinion from Attorney General Ken Paxton that prohibits local health authorities from issuing blanket school closures for all schools in their jurisdiction before the academic year begins. Local school boards can currently decide to keep schools closed to in-person learning for up to eight weeks, with the possibility to apply for waivers to remain shuttered beyond that timeframe.

Under the state's guidance, local health officials can only intervene if there is an outbreak once students return to campus, at which point they can temporarily shut down a school.

Abbott stressed Tuesday that the policy does not mean that local health authorities are cut out of the reopening process, saying local school boards are free to consult with the health experts.

"Nothing is stopping them from doing that, and they can fully adopt whatever strategy the local public health authority says," Abbott said.

The states guidance has overruled orders from local health authorities to keep schools closed to in-person learning for certain periods. For example, Metro Health in Bexar County had ordered schools to remain virtual until Sept. 7.

As for the PPE for schools, the Texas State Teachers Association said it was not nearly enough.

"The governors optics today on PPE is a drop in the bucket, compared to what will be needed if schools are forced to reopen before its safe," the union's president, Ovidia Molina, said in a statement. "59.4 million masks are roughly 11 masks per student. That might get students through the first week of school."

Aliyya Swaby contributed reporting.
Learn more about the all-new Dragmax I received a lot of positive feedback on the Dragmaxs grip and durability over the weekend, said Dunlop Product Manager Chad Geer.

The all-new Dragmax made its first appearance at the Xtreme Dragbike Association (XDA) event in Maryland International Raceway (MDIR), and the results speak for themselves: The Dragmax won 14 out of the 15 premier class Pro Street rounds, including the final, and 7 out of 12 rounds, including the final, in the Real Street class.

Along the way, riders choosing the new Dragmax rear tire posted two new records, including Gaige Herrera, who ran a 6.667 to become the Worlds Quickest Nitrous Hayabusa in Pro Street, and Spencer Claycomb, who set a new Real Street world-record ET of 7.531 seconds set in qualifying. Additionally, the overall quickest Pro Street pass of the weekend was set by Rodney Williford during testing with a 6.489 second pass at 229.39 mph on the Dragmax.

Not only did the Dragmax provide the grip to win, it also impressed several riders with its durability and ability to post more runs than they were normally able to get on other brands.

I received a lot of positive feedback on the Dragmaxs grip and durability over the weekend, said Dunlop Product Manager Chad Geer. Getting in more runs saves on the tire budget for these riders, and the results from Maryland show the Dragmax not only lasts, but delivers the next-level performance it was designed to provide.

The Dragmax is a radial tire that utilizes construction similar to that of Dunlops rear road racing slicks. This construction minimizes centrifugal growth to keep the tire footprint as consistent as possible, which also reduces the risk of de-beading. A wide and flat profile helps lay down a bigger footprint, while the overall design allows racers to run very low pressures, increasing the footprint even more for maximum traction. The tire also utilizes the softest street compound Dunlop has ever produced in its Buffalo, NY plant.

To find out more about the all-new Dragmax, go to https://www.dunlopracing.com/

About Dunlop Motorcycle Tires

Dunlop is the largest supplier of original equipment and replacement motorcycle tires in the U.S.A.
By Patricia Zengerle WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior U.S. congressional committee Democrats announced subpoenas on Monday for depositions from four aides to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as they investigate President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of Steve Linick as State Department inspector general. The subpoenas were issued on Monday to Brian Bulatao, Under Secretary of State for Management; Marik String, Acting State Department Legal Adviser; Michael Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and Toni Porter, a senior adviser.They were announced by Representative Eliot Engel, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and Senator Bob Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee

By Patricia Zengerle

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Senior U.S. congressional committee Democrats announced subpoenas on Monday for depositions from four aides to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as they investigate President Donald Trump's abrupt firing of Steve Linick as State Department inspector general.

The subpoenas were issued on Monday to Brian Bulatao, Under Secretary of State for Management; Marik String, Acting State Department Legal Adviser; Michael Miller, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Political-Military Affairs and Toni Porter, a senior adviser.They were announced by Representative Eliot Engel, chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Foreign Affairs, Carolyn Maloney, chairwoman of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform and Senator Bob Menendez, ranking Democrat on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

The three panels are looking into the May 15 firing of Linick, one of a series of federal government watchdogs fired by Trump. Members of Congress, including some of Trump's fellow Republicans, are concerned that the dismissals will prevent adequate oversight of the government.

In a statement, Engel, Maloney and Menendez also said that a former State Department official, Charles Faulkner, had provided voluntary testimony on July 24 about Trump's 2019 decision to bypass congressional review in order to proceed with an $8 billion arms sale to Saudi Arabia and other countries despite humanitarian concerns.

Linick's office was looking into the administration's declaration of a national emergency in order to justify the sale. Faulkner told congressional investigators that State Department staff were concerned about civilian casualties from strikes in Yemen by a Saudi-led coalition.

The State Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Patricia Zengerle; Editing by Chris Reese)

This story has not been edited by Firstpost staff and is generated by auto-feed.
A bench of (HC) will hear a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking transfer of Sushant Singh Rajput's death case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) today.

The matter will be heard by the bench headed by Bombay HC Chief Justice Dipankar Datta.

The PIL for transferring the case related to the actor's death to the CBI has been filed by one Sameet Thakkar, through his lawyer Raspal Singh Renu.

Earlier, actor Rhea Chakraborty had approached the Supreme Court and filed a transfer petition stating that has no jurisdiction to investigate in Sushant Singh Rajput's death case legally and otherwise, her lawyer Satish Maneshinde said.

"Rhea Chakraborty has always been living in Mumbai. She was in Mumbai on 14th June 2020. She was not allowed to attend the funeral of Sushant Singh as her name was struck off from the list of 20," Maneshinde said.

Rhea was summoned by Mumbai Police on June 18 at Bandra Police Station, he said adding that "Her statement was recorded there. Subsequently, she was summoned to appear on July 17 at Santacruz Police Station. She appeared and recorded her supplementary statement."

"Later, when the came to Mumbai to investigate the case on the basis of an FIR registered in Patna, Rhea approached the Supreme Court and filed a Transfer Petition on July 30 for transfer of the case to Mumbai in view of the legal position that a case registered beyond the jurisdiction of the local police station where the alleged incident has taken place can only record a 'Zero FIR' and transfer it for the investigation to Mumbai where the criminal law has already been set in motion. The has no jurisdiction to investigate the case legally and otherwise," he added.

Rhea's lawyer also said that she is cooperating with Mumbai Police and she was always available for the investigation whenever called. Rhea has already recorded her statement with Mumbai Police twice on June 18 and July 17.

Rhea has approached the top court seeking to transfer the investigation in the case registered by the Bihar Police in the matter to Mumbai. Bihar government and the family of have also filed caveats on the matter.

In another development in the case, Patna Superintendent of Police (SP) Vinay Tiwari, who is heading a team probing the case related to the actor's death, was home quarantined by the municipal authorities in Mumbai.

An FIR has been registered in Patna, based on a complaint filed by Rajput's father KK Singh, against actor Rhea under several sections including abetment to suicide. A team of Bihar Police is in Mumbai to probe the matter.

(Only the headline and picture of this report may have been reworked by the Business Standard staff; the rest of the content is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As a pandemic rages and weakens fragile societies, terrorists lie in wait to pounce on vulnerable people, especially on the African continent, says a top U.S. military commander. U.S. military officials say their work on the continent has continued unabated, but that extremists are actively seeking every opportunity to gain a foothold, from Senegal to Somalia.

Violent extremist organizations, or VEOs, are seizing on Africas coronavirus chaos to advance their goals in vulnerable societies, from Nigeria to Mozambique, says the head of U.S. Special Operations Command Africa, Maj. Gen. Dagvin Anderson.

He spoke to reporters via Zoom video conference from AFRICOM headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany.

FILE - U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Dagvin Anderson, commander of the U.S. military's special forces in Africa, speaks to the Associated Press in Thies, Senegal, Feb. 25, 2020.

I do believe the extremists will look to exploit any opportunity they get, and COVID presents those opportunities, because COVID stresses any government. ... we know the governments and the nations of Africa are also feeling that stress, and the VEOs will look to exploit that. I can't tell you exactly how, because that will manifest itself in different ways in each of these countries. But these VEOs are very dynamic and they're very flexible, and they will look to see where those weak points are, where that can be exploited, and they will go after it, he said.

In West Africa, Islamist extremists have shut down educational systems  Anderson cited more than 3,000 schools shuttered by extremist groups in Mali and Burkina Faso. In the Democratic Republic of Congo, Central African Republic and Mozambique, theyve harnessed local grievances to feed their activities.

And, he said, some of these groups count on foreign assistance from mercenary groups with murky affiliations. The shadowy Wagner Group is thought to be active in as many as 20 African countries, including Mozambique, Libya, Sudan, the Ivory Coast and the Central African Republic.

Anderson echoed analysts who believe the Wagner Group is closely connected to the Kremlin, a charge the Kremlin has denied.

Russia is directly engaged with them. I see them as being very corrosive. I see them as being detrimental to what should be a common international threat. Unfortunately, what we see is they're fueling the conflict in Libya. To say that that is a private military contractor, I think, is a bit of a stretch, because they are bringing in weapons systems that we saw recently reported in the press that private companies just don't have access to. Those are state-provided weapons systems.

Anderson also touched on the recent announcement that U.S. Africa Command headquarters would move out of Germany, to another European nation. He noted that the disruptions of the coronavirus crisis didnt change or diminish U.S. operations in Africa, and reasoned that a change of headquarters would have little effect on their work.

What worries him more, he said, is the pandemics disastrous effect on government services and institutions in Africa. And, he noted, the militarys role is limited, and often too late.

FILE - A U.S. special forces soldier trains Nigerian soldiers during Flintlock 2016, a U.S.-led international training exercise with African militaries in Thies, Senegal, Feb. 11, 2016.

We are often the firemen, that if you're calling the firefighters it means the fire has already broken out and that we need to do things to do fire prevention and we need to be able to cut firebreaks to keep that fire from spreading. So while I appreciate everyone's interest in what the military brings, if you're ringing the fire alarm, it's probably a little late. We need to do things ahead of it in order to prevent, he said.

Right now, the American general said, families and communities across the world face uncertainty and fear as the coronavirus continues to spread. A military solution alone will not address their needs for food security, schools, decent health care, and basic government services. Some extremist groups say they arose specifically to address those injustices  but, Anderson said, their violent methods are a dead end.
Dhaka, Aug 4 : The Bangladesh government has failed to distribute relief material properly, claimed famous economist and labour rights activist MM Akash.

In an exclusive interview with IANS, the economist said: "It is true that the Bangladesh government has failed to distribute the relief and other health materials to the properly targeted people.

"This is because the government has a list of the extreme poor, but not the moderate poor or lower middle class. The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has led them (moderate poor or lower middle class) to a big crisis only to be enhanced by the floods. So those people need big support by the relief and other health materials.

"But the 1st problem is, the list is not there, 2nd problem is, how to deliver it. The cash donation can be delivered through Bkash and any mobile network system, but they need the mobile number of the targeted people." He added that the major problems were 'Inclusion error' and 'Exclusion error'.

"The 'Inclusion error' is, they're including those people, who are not really eligible for the relief and the 'Exclusion error' is, they are exclusing those who really deserve the relief." The government can organize a team including social experts and right activists, which can help to overcome this crisis, Akash told IANS.

He further said that there was also a problem with a lack of coordination.

"As example, lack of coordination will imply much allocation to apply, where the crisis is not so severe. Or less allocation to apply, where the crisis is severe. This kind of mis-allocation may occur due to lack of coordination." The distribution of relief materials among low-income people, whose livelihood has been badly affected due to the lockdown amid the coronavirus spread, is facing mismanagement for lack of coordination among the aid providers.

Different government and non-government agencies, social organisations and people from all walks of life have come forward to extend their helping hand to low-income people and those, who live hand to mouth.

Akash concluded with a suggestion: "If the list of extremely poor is there, and although it has some problem, the government should first try to reach those people." There must also be a cross-check, he said, adding that "if a mistake is found in the list, it should be corrected. So, in the next stage, the mistake doesn't come back".

Meanwhile, the government is continuing relief distribution across the country as part of its humanitarian assistance to reduce people's sufferings amid the coronavirus pandemic.

A total of 2, 11,017 metric tonnes of rice has already been allocated in 64 districts.

Besides, 122 crore taka has been distributed in cash for the purchase of baby food and other items, says NDRCC.

The aid, allocated through the Ministry of Disaster Management and Relief is being distributed through the entire district and Upazila administrations of Bangladesh.
Finding out if the food and water we consume are safe from toxic and carcinogenic metals can now be much faster and simpler. Researchers at the University Johannesburg developed an efficient and more sensitive method to test for dangerous levels of heavy metals, like arsenic, cadmium and chromium in vegetables and water. The method can be used to test other foods also. It is possible to test for several metals at the same time and automation can be added. The method can be used to test other foods. The instrumentation used is readily available in laboratories in developing countries.

Is it safe?

Researchers at the University of Johannesburg have developed a faster, more economical method to directly identify toxic and carcinogenic heavy metals in vegetables and drinking water.

Trace metals such as lead (Pb), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and thallium (Tl) are toxic even at very low concentrations (levels). Arsenic, cadmium and chromium hexavalent compounds are also recognised as carcinogens by International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Toxicology Program (NTP).

Combining accurate established techniques, the method makes it possible to test for several trace metals simultaneously.

"The study provides a simple, fast and sensitive method for laboratories with limited resources. The research results can also improve food quality for consumers," says lead author Prof Philiswa Nomngongo. She is the SARChI Chair: Nanotechnology for Water at the University of Johannesburg.

"This study contributes data that can be used as a reference when setting up or revising the guidelines for the maximum allowable levels in common vegetables and palatable water," she adds.

"The method is environmentally friendly and conforms to green analytical chemistry principles. It does not introduce secondary pollution."

New combination of techniques

Previous studies used similar methods, but for analysis of organic pollutants says Mr Luthando Nyaba, co-author of the study, also at the University of Johannesburg.

"This is the first time where a clay-based adsorbent is combined with a cloud point extraction method for simultaneous analysis of trace metals in vegetables and palatable water," he says.

"In this method, we convert solid vegetable samples into liquid form. This makes it possible to directly analyse trace metals with a suitable analytical instrument. Direct, simultaneous analysis means that more vegetable samples can be analysed at the same time, and quicker than was possible before," adds Nyaba.

The method uses ultra-sound assisted cloud-point extraction and dispersive micro-solid phase extraction to preconcentrate samples from vegetables and water. The samples are then directly analysed with inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry.

The equipment used for the research is a few years old, says Nomngongo. However, if "we buy vegetables at 8 in the morning, we have the analysis results by 1 in the afternoon," she adds.

Chemistry like mobile apps

To identify trace metals in foods and water, analytical chemistry techniques are required. These evolve over time much like apps on mobile phones, he says.

"The developers of a phone app can fix software bugs without rewriting the app completely. They add fixes to a new version, and users download the new version to benefit.

"Analytical chemists are like software developers, making updates to an existing method to make them compliant with new analytical chemistry principles. In this case, one of our goals was to significantly the reduce the amounts of hazardous solvents traditionally used in testing for trace metals," adds Nyaba.

Hard to detect

All over the world, unwanted trace metals are showing up in vegetables and drinking water. These metals are among many pollutants that seriously affect human health. Monitoring which metals occur in foods and beverages can really challenge a laboratory.

Firstly, often labs cannot directly measure some trace metals in foods, because they occur in 'too low doses': the equipment is not designed to detect such low concentrations. This means that sophisticated methods and expensive equipment are needed to detect the presence of some trace metals.

Secondly, vegetables are inherently very complex to accurately analyse for chemical elements. This creates long, time-consuming procedures to prepare samples to be ready for metals testing.

Combined, this means that monitoring for trace metals in agricultural produce is generally slow, expensive, and can only be done by highly qualified scientists. For developing countries, monitoring can be inaccessible because of that.

More than a good thing

To stay healthy, humans need to eat vegetables and drink water. High quality vegetables contain many micronutrients, including trace metals the body needs to function well.

But too high doses of some metals can make people sick, though health conditions such as cancer may take years to manifest. Others are so toxic that very low amounts can make people extremely ill within days or weeks.

"We need to eat foods containing some trace metals, such as copper, zinc, and iron. But others are toxic: lead, arsenic cadmium, mercury, among others. On the one hand, vegetables form a vital part of human nutrition. On the other, they are good accumulators of heavy metals," says Nomngongo.

"Knowing the level of metal contamination in the vegetables we eat and the water we drink can make a difference to health and quality of life," she adds.

Metals everywhere

Unwanted metals affect food crops and drinking water world-wide. Heavy metals pollution from urbanisation, factories, mines, and other industries filter into sources for drinking water and irrigation in agriculture. Some agricultural fertilizers, including re-purposed sewage sludge, also affect food crops.

Many of these metals bio-accumulate in the human body, in animals, plants and the environment. This means that the metals cannot be removed and that the resulting problems can only be managed, not cured.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and national governments publish drinking water guidelines and other standards, which show what levels of metals in food and water are likely to affect human health. And the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and the US National Toxicology Program (NTP) publish lists of known and probable human carcinogens.

Next steps

Locally, the research results can help improve the quality of life for communities that depend on the studied water sources, says Nomngongo.

"The results can also assist the South African government and environmental protection agencies to set, review and enforce water quality regulations," she adds.

###

There is a MULTIMEDIA PRESS PACK for download from Google Drive:

SHARE LINK: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1XgoDV9qdq5_RQlSlZ6u_WFCaBNkkinyI?usp=sharing

The press pack contains subfolders:

TV INSERT: A broadcast-quality TV insert of 2min30sec of the researchers in their laboratory. The folder contains the insert without subtitles, with English subtitles burnt in, and English subtitles as a separate text file as exported by DaVinci Resolve. The codec is full HD 1920X1080 25fps 48khz h264. A preview version with subtitles is available as one of the multimedia files of this release.

ONLINE VIDEO: An online video version of the researchers in their laboratory. The folder contains the video without subtitles, with English subtitles burnt in, and with English subtitles as a separate text file as exported by DaVinci Resolve. The codec is full HD 1920X1080 25fps 48khz h264. A preview version with subtitles is available as one of the multimedia files of this release.

GRAPHICS ANIMATION: An online video version using colorful stop-motion animation, showing the method from vegetable sample through to metal ions emitting unique light patterns in the spectrometer. The folder contains the video without subtitles, with English subtitles burnt in, and with English subtitles as a separate text file as exported by DaVinci Resolve. The codec is full HD 1920X1080 24fps 48khz h264. A preview version is available as one of the multimedia files of this release.

QUESTIONS: Please contact Therese van Wyk at +27 71 139 8407 or theresevw@uj.ac.za with any questions about the press pack.

INTERVIEWS: For email / mobile phone / Skype / Zoom interviews with Prof Nomngongo or Mr Nyaba, contact Ms Therese van Wyk at Theresevw@uj.ac.za or +27 71 139 8407 (mobile) in Johannesburg, UTC + 2.

The research was funded by South African National Research Foundation grants 91230 and 99270.

The researchers thank UJ Chemical Sciences Doornfontein and UJ Spectrum Analytical Facility Kingsway for laboratory facilities.
The masks were called muzzles, germ shields and dirt traps. They gave people a piglike snout. Some people snipped holes in their masks to smoke cigars. Others fastened them to dogs in mockery. Bandits used them to rob banks.

More than a century ago, as the 1918 influenza pandemic raged in the United States, masks of gauze and cheesecloth became the facial front lines in the battle against the virus. But as they have now, the masks also stoked political division. Then, as now, medical authorities urged the wearing of masks to help slow the spread of disease. And then, as now, some people resisted.

In 1918 and 1919, as bars, saloons, restaurants, theaters and schools were closed, masks became a scapegoat, a symbol of government overreach, inspiring protests, petitions and defiant bare-face gatherings. All the while, thousands of Americans were dying in a deadly pandemic.

1918: The Infection Spreads

The first infections were identified in March, at an Army base in Kansas, where 100 soldiers were infected. Within a week, the number of flu cases grew fivefold, and soon the disease was taking hold across the country, prompting some cities to impose quarantines and mask orders to contain it.

By the fall of 1918, seven cities  San Francisco, Seattle, Oakland, California, Sacramento, Denver, Indianapolis and Pasadena, California  had put in effect mandatory face mask laws, said Dr. Howard Markel, a historian of epidemics and the author of Quarantine!

Organized resistance to mask wearing was not common, Markel said, but it was present.

There were flare-ups, there were scuffles and there were occasional groups, like the Anti-Mask League, he said, but that is the exception rather than the rule.

At the forefront of the safety measures was San Francisco, where a man returning from a trip to Chicago apparently carried the virus home, research archives show.

By the end of October, there were more than 60,000 cases statewide, with 7,000 of them in San Francisco. It soon became known as the masked city.

The Mask Ordinance, signed by Mayor James Rolph on Oct. 22, made San Francisco the first U.S. city to require face coverings, which had to be four layers thick.

Masks That Looked Like Slabs of Ravioli

Resisters complained about appearance, comfort and freedom, even after the flu killed an estimated 195,000 Americans in October alone.

Alma Whitaker, writing in The Los Angeles Times on Oct. 22, 1918, reviewed masks impact on society and celebrity, saying famous people shunned them because it was so horrid to go unrecognized.

The big restaurants are the funniest sights, with all the waiters and diners masked, the latter just raising their screen to pop in a mouthful of food, she wrote.

When Whitaker herself declined to wear one, she was forcibly taken to the Red Cross as a slacker and ordered to make one and put it on.

The San Francisco Chronicle said the simplest type of mask was of folded gauze affixed with elastic or tape. The police went for gauze masks, which resembled an unflattering nine ordinary slabs of ravioli arranged in a square.

There was room for creativity. Some of the coverings were fearsome looking machines that lent a piglike aspect to the wearers face.

Mask Court

The penalty for violators was $5 to $10, or 10 days imprisonment.

On Nov. 9, 1,000 people were arrested, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. City prisons swelled to standing-room-only; police shifts and court sessions were added to help manage.

Where is your mask? Judge Mathew Brady asked offenders at the Hall of Justice, where sessions dragged into night. Some gave fake names, said they just wanted to light a cigar or that they hated following laws.

Jail terms of eight hours to 10 days were given out. Those who could not pay $5 were jailed for 48 hours.

Mask Slacker of San Francisco Shot

On Oct. 28, a blacksmith named James Wisser stood on Powell and Market streets in front of a drugstore, urging a crowd to dispose of their masks, which he described as bunk.

A health inspector, Henry D. Miller, led him to the drugstore to buy a mask.

At the door, Wisser struck Miller with a sack of silver dollars and knocked him to the ground, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. While being pummeled, Miller, 62, fired four times with a revolver. Passersby scurried for cover, The Associated Press said.

Wisser was injured, as were two bystanders. He was charged with disturbing the peace, resisting an officer and assault. The inspector was charged with assault with a deadly weapon.

In Los Angeles, To Mask or Not to Mask

That was the headline for a report published in The Los Angeles Times when city officials met in November to decide whether to require residents to wear germ scarers or flu-scarers.

Public feedback was invited. Some supported masks so theaters, churches and schools could operate. Opponents said masks were mere dirt and dust traps and do more harm than good.

I have seen some persons wearing their masks for a while hanging about their necks, and then apply them to their faces, forgetting that they might have picked up germs while dangling about their clothes, Dr. E.W. Fleming said in a Los Angeles Times report.

An ear, nose and throat specialist, Dr. John J. Kyle, said: I saw a woman in a restaurant today with a mask on. She was in ordinary street clothes, and every now and then she raised her hand to her face and fussed with the mask.

In Illinois, the Right To Choose, and To Reject

Suffragists fighting for the right to vote made a gesture that rejected covering their mouths at a time when their voices were crucial.

At the annual convention of the Illinois Equal Suffrage Association, in October 1918, they set chairs 4 feet apart, closed doors to the public and limited attendance to 100 delegates, the Chicago Daily Tribune reported.

But the women showed their scorn for masks, it said. It is unclear why.

Allison K. Lange, an associate history professor at Wentworth Institute of Technology, said one reason could have been that they wanted to keep a highly visible profile.

Suffragists wanted to make sure their leaders were familiar political figures, Lange said.

Four Weeks of Muzzled Misery

San Franciscos mask ordinance expired after four weeks at noon on Nov. 21. The city celebrated, and church bells tolled.

A delinquent bent on blowing his nose tore his mask off so quickly that it nearly ruptured his ear, The Chronicle reported. He and others stomped on their masks in the street. As a police officer watched, it dawned on him that his vigil over the masks was done.

Waiters, barkeeps and others bared their faces. Drinks were on the house. Ice cream shops handed out treats. The sidewalks were strewn with gauze, the relics of a torturous month, The Chronicle said.

The spread had been halted. But a second wave was on the horizon.

By December, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors was again proposing a mask requirement, meeting with testy opposition.

Special Investigation 147 NY dams are 'unsound,' potentially dangerous Thousands of dams have not been inspected in over 20 years.

Around the end of the year, a bomb was defused outside the office of San Franciscos chief health officer, Dr. William C. Hassler.

Things were violent and aggressive, but it was because people were losing money, said Brian Dolan, a medical historian at the University of California, San Francisco. It wasnt about a constitutional issue; it was a money issue.

By the end of 1918, the death toll from influenza had reached at least 244,681, mostly in the last four months, according to government statistics.

1919: A New Year

In January, Pasadenas city commission passed a mask ordinance. The police grudgingly enforced it, cracking down on cigar smokers and passengers in cars. Sixty people were arrested on the first day, The Los Angeles Times reported Jan. 22, in an article titled Pasadena Snorts Under Masks.

It is the most unpopular law ever placed on the Pasadena records, W.S. McIntyre, the chief of police, told the paper. We are cursed from all sides.

Some mocked the rule by stretching gauze across car vents or dog snouts. Cigar vendors said they lost customers, though enterprising aficionados cut a hole in the cloth. (They were still arrested.) Barbers lost shaving business. Merchants complained traffic dropped as more people stayed home.

Petitions were circulated at cigar stands. Arrests rose, even of the powerful. Ernest May, president of Security National Bank of Pasadena, and five prominent guests were rounded up at the Maryland Hotel one Sunday.

They had masks on, but not covering their faces.

The Anti-Mask League

As the contagion moved into its second year, so did the skepticism.

On Dec. 17, 1918, the San Francisco Board of Supervisors reinstituted the mask ordinance after deaths started to climb, a trend that spilled over into the new year with 1,800 flu cases and 101 deaths reported there in the first five days of January.

That boards decision led to the creation of the Anti-Mask League, a sign that resistance to masks was resurfacing as cities tried to reimpose orders to wear them when infections returned.

The league was led by a woman, E.J. Harrington, a lawyer, social activist and political opponent of the mayor. About a half-dozen other women filled its top ranks. Eight men also joined, some of them representing unions, along with two members of the Board of Supervisors who had voted against masks.

The masks turned into a political symbol, Dolan said.

On Jan. 25, the league held its first organizational meeting, open to the public at the Dreamland Rink, where they united behind demands for the repeal of the mask ordinance and for the resignations of the mayor and health officials.

Their objections included lack of scientific evidence that masks worked and the idea that forcing people to wear the coverings was unconstitutional.

On Jan. 27, the league protested at a Board of Supervisors meeting, but the mayor held his ground. There were hisses and cries of freedom and liberty, Dolan wrote in his paper on the epidemic.

Repeal came a few days later on Feb. 1, when Rolph cited a downturn in infections.

But a third wave of flu rolled in late that year. The final death toll reached an estimated 675,000 nationwide, or 30 for every 1,000 people in San Francisco, making it one of the worst-hit cities in America.

Dolan said the story of the Anti-Mask League, which has drawn renewed interest now in 2020, demonstrates the disconnect between individual choice and universal compliance.

That sentiment echoes through the century from the voice of a San Francisco railway worker named Frank Cocciniglia.

Arrested on Kearny Street in January, Cocciniglia told the judge that he was not disposed to do anything not in harmony with his feelings, according to a Los Angeles Times report.

He was sentenced to five days in jail.

That suits me, Cocciniglia said as he left the stand. I wont have to wear a mask there.

This article originally appeared in The New York Times.
The court ordered the ministry of foreign affairs to approach India and Jadhav again to make them a part of the hearing

Islamabad high court on Monday ordered the Pakistan government to give "another chance" to recruit lawyer for former Indian naval officer Kulbhushan Jadhav. (PTI Photo)

Islamabad: The Islamabad high court on Monday ordered the Pakistan government to give "another chance" to India to appoint a lawyer for death-row prisoner Kulbhushan Jadhav.

A two judge-bench, comprising Chief Justice Athar Minallah and Justice Miangul Hassan Aurangzeb, heard a petition filed by the Pakistan government to appoint a lawyer for Jadhav.

The Pakistan government, in the petition, asked the court to appoint a legal representative for Jadhav so that it can fulfil its responsibility to see to the implementation of the ICJ's decision. It also claimed that Jadhav refused to file a review petition to reconsider the verdict against him by the military court.

"Now that the matter is in the high court, why not give India another chance," Justice Minallah was quoted as saying by Geo News.

"India and Kulbhushan Jadhav should once again be extended an offer to appoint a legal representative" for the death row prisoner, he added.

The court ordered the ministry of foreign affairs to approach India and Jadhav again to make them a part of the hearing. The attorney general Khalid Jawed Khan assured the court that the government will follow the courts directives.

The judge also instructed government officials to not make any unnecessary comments on the case. The hearing has been adjourned till September 3.

When asked whether Indian lawyers could appear in Islamabad high court on behalf of Jadhav, Khan said that only Pakistani lawyers and those who are entitled to practice in Pakistan can be appointed.

Another report said that the court is yet to consider whether Indian lawyers will be representing Jadhav or any lawyer in Pakistan, including those with Indian nationality, can do so.

Jadhav, the 50-year-old retired Indian Navy officer, was sentenced to death by a Pakistani military court on charges of espionage and terrorism in April 2017. India approached the International Court of Justice against Pakistan for denial of consular access to Jadhav and challenged the death sentence.

The Hague-based ICJ ruled in July 2019 that Pakistan must undertake an "effective review and reconsideration" of the conviction and sentence of Mr Jadhav and also to grant consular access to India without further delay.
Ontarios plan to reopen schools without reducing class sizes for elementary students in the age of COVID-19 is disappointing and disturbing, says one Toronto parent.

Kelly Iggers, who works as a teacher-librarian for the Toronto District School Board, said it is nearly impossible to practise physical distancing in already overcrowded classrooms.

On Saturday, she started a petition calling on the Ontario government to reduce class sizes. By Monday evening, more than 65,000 people had signed it.

Iggers fears the lack of physical distancing in schools will lead to coronavirus outbreaks in the wider community. Iggerss child is set to enter junior kindergarten in September.

We cant just accept an irresponsible, unsafe plan because our schools dont have enough room in them. Thats not an adequate reason to jeopardize the safety of our communities, she said.

Premier Doug Ford and Education Minister Stephen Lecce last week announced the plan for a full-time return to school for elementary students across the province this fall, and a part-time class schedule for secondary students in larger school boards. They also announced mandatory face masks for students starting in Grade 4, and said the province will spend $309 million on personal protective equipment for educators, additional staffing and cleaning supplies. But reducing class sizes for elementary students was not part of the plan.

All four provincial teachers unions issued a statement last week saying the government is jeopardizing the safety of students, educators and all Ontarians by severely underfunding the reopening.

School boards are expected to release their plans about how they will implement the fall reopening plans on Tuesday.

Guidelines for schools released by the Hospital for Sick Children recommended a one-metre separation between desks for elementary school students. Other recommendations included proper ventilation, cohorting and general physical distancing.

Iggers said that based on her experience, many classrooms in Toronto cant accommodate physical distancing with 30 students inside. Also, most schools are in old buildings that have very very poor to no ventilation and many schools have windows that dont open at all, she said.

Its irresponsible to do anything but trust the medical and scientific evidence that is out there, Iggers said.

But at least one infectious disease specialist said Ontario is taking a reasonable approach to bringing students back in September.

Mandatory masks for students in grades 4 to 12 is a step in the right direction, as is the idea of alternating school days for older students in densely populated areas, said Dr. Isaac Bogoch, an associate professor in the University of Torontos faculty of medicine.

I really think there is a lot of attention focused on the right places, said Bogoch, who researches infectious diseases.

If there is one wrinkle in this, it is the physical distancing piece, which is important, he said. We know that spreading apart is really helpful in preventing the spread of COVID-19, especially in indoor settings.

Using bigger spaces such as gymnasiums, taking classes outside or opening windows are possible solutions for schools that have crowded classrooms, he said.

The measures at school, ideally, are meant to prevent transmission of cases unintentionally brought into the school. Are they good enough? I dont know. I honestly dont know, said Bogoch.

Provinces across Canada are taking different approaches to reopening schools in September. British Columbia and Quebec were the only two provinces to reopen schools before the end of the last school year. In B.C., students will return to school full-time in September, with elementary students allowed to interact with up to 60 students and secondary students allowed to interact with up to 120 students.

Nova Scotia joined Ontario in mandating masks, but only in certain settings, such as buses and hallways.

Bogoch emphasized that provincial governments are only able to release what is essentially a playbook on how to reopen schools. Each school district and school will implement the guidelines differently, he said.

I think parents really have to ask the hard questions to see what is the plan at their particular school.

But thats where the Ontario governments plan could do real long-term damage, Iggers said.

Its a plan that is absolutely inequitable and it really undermines and even attacks our public education system, she said.

Iggers believes most parents wont be satisfied that schools are safe for children, and that families with the resources to school their children elsewhere, by paying for private school or hiring a tutor, will do so.

This means families in poorer neighbourhoods will bear the brunt of the risk. But its also bad for the entire public school system, said Iggers.

Thats why its important that the provincial government set an example and show that schools will be safe, she said.

When you prompt families with privilege to opt out, you remove a lot of really powerful voices with the ability to advocate, she said. Thats a really destructive thing to do.

With files from Kristin Rushowy and Alex McKeen
As the sun set on the horizons of Ayodhya in the backdrop of the mighty Saryu on Tuesday, a day before the scheduled bhoomi pujan for a Ram temple in Ayodhya, people from different walks of life lit earthen lamps to celebrate their 'moment of joy'.

IMAGE: Hindu devotees celebrate Deepotsav at Ramghat on the eve of bhoomi pujan of the Ram Temple, in Ayodhya, on Tuesday. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

As the evening progressed, Ram bhajans echoed at virtually each and every street of the temple town and earthen lamps lined the streets from Naya Ghat and Ram ki Paidhi to Hanumangarhi, giving children a perfect selfie background.

IMAGE: Streets decorated with flowers on the eve of the groundbreaking ceremony, at Hanumangarhi area in Ayodhya, on Tuesday. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

As people came out on the streets with children to celebrate the eve of the bhoomi pujan, a police patrol near Tulsi Udyaan kept an eye on the situation.

IMAGE: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend the ceremony, to be held in Ayodhya on Wednesday. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

Rajat Singh, a resident of Chhoti Devkaali area of the city, lit earthen lamps along with his friends to celebrate the moment.

IMAGE: NSG commandos stand guard at Ram Ki Paidi, on the eve of the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram Mandir, in Ayodhya, on Tuesday. Photograph: PTI Photo

"This is a rare moment for me, and I am going to treasure it for the rest of my life. The construction of a grand Ram temple will fulfil the dreams of crores of Hindus," he said.

IMAGE: People make 'rangoli' at Naya Ghat in Ayodhya. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

Other parts of the temple town such as Karsewakpuram, Nayaghat, and areas in and around Hanumangarhi were illuminated, with gates having huge pictures of lord Ram becoming one of the most favourite selfie points for youngsters.

IMAGE: The bridge over Sarayu river is illuminated. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

The routine evening aartis in different temples of Ayodhya were also held amidst rendition of bhajans, blowing of conch shells as eunuchs gathered at some temples of the city to participate in the programme.

IMAGE: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lights earthen lamps at his official residence, in Lucknow, on Tuesday. Photograph: PTI Photo

A number of shops, which had remained closed in the day, were open in the evening, and the shopkeepers too lit earthen lamps outside their shops.

IMAGE: Children and youngsters make 'rangoli' on pavement along a road, in Ayodhya, on Tuesday. Photograph: Nand Kumar/PTI Photo

Children and youngsters were seen making rangoli designs on streets of Ayodhya including the Naya Ghaat.

The bridge over river Saryu in Ayodhya wore an illuminated look on Tuesday evening.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 22:01:22|Editor: huaxia

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NEW YORK, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's anti-China speech at the end of July has undermined long-term U.S. interests, and appears likely to fail, like the country's many other foreign policies, according to a report published on The New Yorker on Wednesday.

The comments in the article named "Why Trump Will Never Win His New Cold War with China" came after Pompeo delivered a speech at the Richard Nixon Presidential Library, where he launched a fusillade of ill-founded attacks, inciting an ideological hatred against China and the Communist Party of China, and tried to coax others into forming an alliance against Beijing.

"To mindlessly hurl yourself against China is a misunderstanding of the situation in China -- and in East Asia," the U.S. weekly magazine quoted Stapleton Roy, U.S. ambassador to China in the 1990s, as saying.

Many of America's old friends in the Asia-Pacific region have more trade with China than with the United States, he said, pointing out that U.S. allies do not want confrontation and a U.S. Cold War with China could be "quite lonely."

Noting that China has improved living conditions for hundreds of millions of people with unprecedented speed, he said that "self-deception is very dangerous in diplomacy."

In response to Pompeo's claim that the United States is more dependent on China than vice versa, The New Yorker said the fact is that the United States relies on China for many basic commodities, taking the example that China has surpassed Canada to become its second largest source of car parts.

China has provided "the greatest contribution to global growth and fastest-growing destination for U.S. exports for fifteen years, until the Trump Administration," Robert Zoellick, former World Bank president, said at the Aspen Security Forum last month, according to the magazine.

China has expanded its influence largely by investing in development projects, while the U.S. administration has reduced its engagement globally, the report said.

China will be "the most consequential issue" in U.S. foreign policy for generations to come, Kurt Campbell, an Asia specialist who has worked at the State Department, the Pentagon, and the National Security Council, predicted at the Aspen Security Forum, according to the article.

Yet, the United States is "really plummeting down a staircase towards an extraordinarily competitive, confrontational set of relations, which will have consequences that are very difficult to predict," he said. Enditem
Bhubaneswar:

Rejecting apprehensions that the Indian economy would suffer due to demonetisation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Thursday termed as game changers the pulling out of high-value old notes as well as Goods and Services Tax, which is proposed to be rolled out from April 1.

I do believe that both (GST and demonetisation) will be game changers. This is because GST will ensure higher taxation as far as the Centre is concerned and also higher taxation for states. It is an efficient system. It blocks leakages. It will certainly help the consuming states like Odisha, he said.

Jaitley was speaking at the Make in Odisha conclave here. On the hue and cry over the demonetisation exercise, he said: As far as currency changes are concerned, once the demonetisation process is completed and the economy gets back to full stream, the size of the GDP will significantly expand, tax base will expand.

He added, More money will come to the banks which will be used fruitfully for the betterment of the economy.

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
MIDDLETOWN  A local collective of artists and activists with a goal of promoting peace is readying for a unique art giveaway this weekend that will equip children 3 to 12 with buckets full of creative inspiration.

Middletown-based Artists for World Peace initiated its Buckets of Love project in May, with a goal of gathering enough donations to purchase 300 beach buckets and supplies to keep kids busy this summer. The idea sprang from the charitys Council of Elders, comprised of 16 women, according to Phyllis Sheridan.

Were an idea and get-it-done factory, she said.

Founder Wendy Black-Nasta created the panel based on the Native American councils shes been involved with over the years, Sheridan said. Its a very vital, exciting group. We get a lot done and have fun doing it.

With many day and overnight camps, summer school, and even some day care centers closed due to the pandemic, children are lacking structured activities to keep them engaged during the warmer months, she said.

Kids have nothing to do. Its so sad. And parents are struggling to make ends meet. They cant really buy extra playthings, so we thought, A little bit of something  its not going to change everything, but its a little bright spot for kids, Sheridan said.

The Artists For World Peace office, at the deKoven House, 27 Washington St., is ideal for families without reliable transportation to access on foot if they live in the North End.

Each bucket will contain some portion of glitter and regular paint, sidewalk chalk, sketchbooks, journals, markers, crayons, pens and pencils, bubbles, colored paper, scissors, glue sticks and other items.

Coming up with money for the project was difficult, Sheridan said, because the nonprofit, like all those struggling during the COVID-19 outbreak, has not been unable to raise funds.

The drive was kicked off with a $500 grant from the Community Foundation of Middlesex County. Soon, donations from AFWP members and private donors came in, allowing supplies to be purchased throughout July.

To be giving at this time was a stretch, but its just amazing how things have happened, Sheridan said.

AFWP, which began in 2003, promotes peace by feeding, housing, educating and providing health care to those in need, lifting communities to a place of hope throughout the world, according its mission.

The organization supports and leads myriad community efforts, including paying living and educational expenses for 24 children in China, Haiti, India and Tanzania through the Children of Peace Initiative; providing need-based scholarships and grants to students and emerging artists in a variety of disciplines; farm and agriculture loans, which provide sustainability and nutrition to villages in Tanzania; and the establishment of the first eye care and dental clinics in Kibosho-Umbwe, Tanzania, according to its website.

Buckets of Love enjoyed another boost, as well, from former planning and zoning Commissioner Molly Salafia, who in June created a GoFundMe account to raise money to purchase 32-packs of the Colors of the World crayon collection.

The fundraiser, meant to supply kindergarteners in all eight of Middletowns grammar schools, as well as those attending St. John Paul II School, with crayons that represent every type of skin color, was so popular, Salafia reached her $475 goal in no time, she said.

Once she learned about the AFWP effort, Salafia jumped on board, donating the extra crayon packs to the initiative.

The event is scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Saturday. Supplies will be given out on a first-come, first-served basis in drive-by fashion. Organizers will be strictly enforcing the wearing of facial masks, people staying in their vehicles, and social distancing of at least 6 feet.

For information, visit artistsforworldpeace.org or Artists for World Peace on Facebook.
SRINAGAR: Congress leader Saifuddin Soz on Monday claimed that he not only continues to remain under house arrest but the police have now locked the entrance gate to his house near the Srinagar Airport from inside as well so that no one could enter the premises either.

I continue to be under house arrest. The only thing that has changed is; a lock has been put on my gate from inside also, the 83-year-old opposition leader said in a signed statement. He added, Ive already explained my position that I continue to be under house arrest.

Referring to the Jammu and Kashmir governments statement made in the Supreme Court on July 30 that he was not under house detention but a freeman, Soz reiterated, The government made a false statement before the Supreme Court and outside it too. It continued to spread falsehood, rather unnecessarily.

He asserted, Certain observers from outside the State (J-K) have been asking as to why the Supreme Court allowed narration of lies in its courtroom. To that question, I can only say that the countrys judicial system can take notice of all such situations.

A day after the J-K government had informed the Supreme Court that Soz was not under house detention, the statement which prompted the top court to dispose of a plea by his wife claiming that he had been illegally detained, its spokesman Rohit Kansal reiterated that he was never detained or put under house arrest.

Kansal in a tweet had claimed that Mr. Saiffudin Soz former MP and Minister not under arrest or detention. He has been to Delhi twice- in October and December. Free to go wherever he likes with usual security drill. No question of lying in Hon SC (sic)

However earlier during that day (July 30), Soz, who has served as a minister at the Centre and also as J-K PCC chief, was not allowed to speak to reporters who had reached outside his house here. As he came near the boundary wall of the premises to say that he was not a free man, but kept under illegal house detention, a few policemen tried to stop him and then a man in civvies, apparently a police officer, grabbed his one hand and whisked him away. Soz could be heard yelling from behind the boundary wall Dont touch me, dont touch me This is my house, get out of here.

The very next day, the J-K police evidently outsmarted the Congress leader by allowing him to come out of his house to visit his ailing sister in a Srinagar neighbourhood and then releasing the video footage of the same to substantiate its claim that he was not under house detention. Soz had termed the police claim nothing more than a white lie and claimed that he had later during the day tried to go out again to see his daughter in the neighbourhood but the police did not allow him to move out of his house.
The drug, also known by its generic name fenethylline, was sold under the brand name Captagon until the early 1980s, when most countries banned it as being highly addictive. But in Lebanons Bekaa Valley, Hezbollah-linked factories were soon producing the counterfeit version of the drug by the ton. Then, with the start of Syrias civil war, some manufacturing facilities moved to Syria, where they could operate without threat of interference from Lebanese or international law enforcement agencies. The new factories are located in government-controlled coastal provinces where Hezbollah maintains a heavy presence, U.S. and Middle Eastern intelligence officials said.
MARLBOROUGH, Mass., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Doble Engineering Company, a leader in power grid diagnostic solutions and subsidiary of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE), today announced its collaboration with SynchroGrid, an innovative power engineering consulting company specializing in system protection. The companies have created a joint solution for efficiently managing power system relay protection settings and ensuring compliance with NERC PRC-027-1.

SynchroGrid's SARA (Setting Automation Relay Assistant) and Doble PowerBase (PowerBase) are now connectable through an application programming interface (API), giving utilities an automated, end-to-end workflow for developing, reviewing and managing relay settings, as well as performing regular wide-area coordination studies. The system integration reduces time spent on settings calculations, eliminates errors from copying and pasting data points, and makes it easier for engineers to quickly identify and address non-compliant settings.

"Power and utility teams are already facing a busy and complex work environment, which can make staying on top of evolving compliance mandates challenging," said Joe Perez, president of SynchroGrid. "Our collaboration with Doble is intended to empower utilities with a streamlined, automated solution for ensuring adherence to NERC's new standard and similar regulatory requirements worldwide, while driving new process efficiencies for already busy staff."

SARA retrieves relay settings data directly from PowerBase and communicates with short-circuit models such as ASPEN OneLiner or PSSCAPE to automatically calculate faults, flagging any settings that should be changed to meet compliance standards. Engineers can easily accept relay settings and store them in PowerBase, issuing the new settings out into the field, and creating user-friendly, comprehensive reports to demonstrate regulatory compliance.

"SynchroGrid shares our commitment to continually make utility teams' lives easier and help the industry ensure the reliable, safe and secure flow of power. Our combined expertise and technology will enable global power and utility teams to elevate their performance in every aspect of protection settings management," said Bryan Gwyn, senior director of solutions at Doble Engineering Company. "Whether teams need support with testing, settings calculations, or navigating compliance standards, our new solution is designed to be more than two technologies, but an end-to-end service to help clients excel."

The NERC PRC-027-1 standard will be enforceable for North American organizations in 2021.

While SynchroGrid and Doble have teamed up to provide integrated software solutions for NERC compliance, SynchroGrid also provides consulting solutions for PRC-027-1. SynchroGrid has helped numerous utilities develop an established workflow from relay setting development to wide-area coordination, which is what utilities urgently need.

The collaboration strengthens this consulting capability by bringing Doble's extensive protection testing, development, knowledge and experience to the team.

For more information on PowerBase and integration with SARA, please visit here.

About Doble Engineering Company

The team at Doble Engineering Company ensures reliable, safe and secure power for all. We do this by providing comprehensive diagnostics and engineering expertise for the energy industry.

Founded in 1920, Doble is committed to the continuing education of our customers, and the support and training of the next generation of power industry workers  uniting the utility sector for an innovative future.

Doble serves customers around the globe; our companies and product lines include ENOSERV, Manta Test Systems, Morgan Schaffer, Vanguard Instruments, and Xtensible Solutions.

Doble is part of the Utility Solutions Group of ESCO Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ESE). For more information, visit: www.doble.com, follow us on Twitter @doble and connect on LinkedIn.

About SynchroGrid

SynchroGrid specializes primarily in system protection, providing services to transmission, distribution, and generation utilities. These services include relay setting development, relay coordination studies, protection and control design, mis-operation analysis, standardization of drawings and settings, and NERC PRC compliance (PRC-001 through PRC-027-1).

Since its establishment in 2012, SynchroGrid has grown to be an industry leader in establishing innovative relay settings development processes that substantially minimize human error. SynchroGrid has applied these principles to utilities by implementing conventional and intelligent automated templates that eliminate error-prone processes. Using this specialized expertise, SynchroGrid empowers utilities to transform their internal operations.

For more information, visit www.synchrogrid.com, email us at [email protected], or connect with us on LinkedIn.

SOURCE Doble Engineering Company
President Trump dismissed the legacy of the late Rep. John Lewis in an interview with Axios on HBO, saying only that Lewis made a big mistake by not coming to his inauguration.

The big picture: Trump's comments were a glaring contrast with the praise Republicans and Democrats showered upon Lewis this week, and a default to personal grudges during a week of mourning for a civil rights hero.

Driving the news: In the interview with Axios Jonathan Swan, Trump said, I really don't know how history will remember the Democratic congressman. I don't know John Lewis. He chose not to come to my inauguration. ... I never met John Lewis, actually, I dont believe.

When asked if he found Lewis life impressive, Trump responded, He didn't come to my inauguration. He didn't come to my State of the Union speeches. And that's OK. That's his right. And, again, nobody has done more for Black Americans than I have.

He should have come. I think he made a big mistake.

Trump also declined to say whether he found Lewis personally impressive: I can't say one way or the other. I find a lot of people impressive. I find many people not impressive.

Context: The interview took place last Tuesday as Lewis was lying in state at the Capitol.

Trump chose not to visit the Capitol to pay his respects to Lewis, but Vice President Mike Pence and Karen Pence did.

Between the lines: Lewis had made it clear what he thought of Trump. In 2017, he said he didnt see Trump as a "legitimate president" because he believed Russia helped Trump get elected.

And in the documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble, released shortly before his death, Lewis said, My greatest fear is that one day we might wake up and our democracy is gone.

Yet Lewis accomplishments for civil rights brought virtually all other Republicans and Democrats together in mourning this week, as they paid tribute to the man whose nonviolent activism helped secure the passage of the Voting Rights Act in 1965.

Former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton all spoke at Lewis funeral in Atlanta on Thursday, with Obama delivering the eulogy.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell quoted Martin Luther King Jr.s statement that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice in his tribute to Lewis at the Capitol. History only bent toward whats right because people like John paid the price to help bend it, McConnell said.

Trump did allow that he wouldnt object to the petition to rename the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama  where Lewis and hundreds of other peaceful marchers were beaten in 1965  after Lewis.
WINDSOR, N.C.  Isaias pounded the Atlantic Coast on Tuesday with ferocious wind and driving rain, flooding communities, knocking out power for millions and spawning a series of tornadoes along its path.

Although it quickly weakened to a tropical storm, Isaias made landfall in North Carolina as a Category 1 hurricane and maintained a punishing level of power as it raked over the Eastern Seaboard, forcing a swath of the country  from the Carolinas to the Northeast  to grapple with its devastation.

In North Carolina, one tornado killed at least two people as it eviscerated a rural patch of roughly a dozen mobile homes, leaving only two standing. The rest of them is pretty much gone, the Bertie County sheriff, John Holley, told a local television station.

It dont look real, he said. Its sad and its hard.

Officials throughout the storms path declared states of emergency and urged residents to stay out of harms way, underscoring the multitude of perils lingering in the storms wake.
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY, CA  Santa Cruz County reported 197 cases of the coronavirus in Santa Cruz Monday.

A total of 1,151 have been reported countywide, including 781 active cases. There have been four deaths.

Here's a city-level breakdown:

Capitola: 33

Santa Cruz: 197

Scotts Valley: 27

Watsonville: 577

Unincorporated: 202

Under investigation: 116

Don't miss updates about the coronavirus in California as they are announced. Sign up for Patch news alerts and newsletters.



In other Bay Area COVID-19 news, San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa plans to introduce an ordinance at the Board of Supervisors meeting on Tuesday that would impose fines for those who violate COVID-19 health orders like not wearing a face covering in high-risk settings.

Currently, those who violate the state's health order could be punished with a misdemeanor, with fines up to $1,000 and a potential jail sentence of up to 90 days.

Under Canepa's ordinance, individuals can be fined $100 as an administrative infraction, $200 for a second violation and $500 for additional violations. Businesses can be fined between $250 and $3,000 per violation depending on the gravity of the violation, prior warnings, efforts to comply or intent to profit.

State Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, and a group of public health officials expressed concern Monday about the potential for millions of renters across the state to be evicted later this month. Statewide emergency protections for renters, intended to prevent evictions during the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, are expected to end Aug. 14.

Chiu and public health officials like Sonoma County Public Health Officer Dr. Sundari Mase and UCSF Center for Vulnerable Populations Director Dr. Margot Kushel argued that failing to extend renter protections will force millions of residents into homelessness.

 Bay City News contributed to this report

Full coronavirus coverage: Coronavirus In California: What To Know

This article originally appeared on the Santa Cruz Patch
Company Announces its Mission Worcester Facilities are on the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission's August 6 Agenda for Final Adult-Use Licensing

PHOENIX, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- 4Front Ventures Corp. (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) ("4Front" or the "Company") announced that the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission ("CCC") has granted 4Front's Mission dispensary and cultivation/processing facilities in Georgetown, Massachusetts, authorization to commence adult-use retail and production operations. The Company will host a Grand Opening for adult-use sales on August 12, 2020.

The Company also announces that its Mission dispensary and cultivation/processing facilities in Worcester, Massachusetts are on the Massachusetts Cannabis Control Commission's August 6 agenda for final adult-use licenses. If approved, these facilities will be open for adult-use sales pending a final inspection and authorization by the Commission.

Entry into the adult-use market significantly expands 4Front's total addressable market and is expected to drive both top-line and bottom-line growth at the Company in the second half of 2020 into 2021. Massachusetts is a core growth market for 4Front, with the Company also executing its fully funded expansion plans that are underway at its Georgetown production facility, which are expected to significantly increase its output from this location to meet market demand.

"Commencing adult-use licensure is a milestone for the Company and we would like to thank the CCC for its support during the licensing process," said Leo Gontmakher, CEO, 4Front Ventures. "Consistent with our Company's culture of setting operational goals and executing upon them, it's great to see the building momentum as we announce another of what I expect to be many achievements in the back half of this year. I am proud of the hard work from each of our employees in making this happen. We can now look forward to accelerated growth in Massachusetts as our total addressable market opens-up significantly. We continue to move toward adult-use licensing at our Mission dispensary and production facilities in Worcester, Massachusetts, which we are hopeful will occur before the end of the summer."

To receive company updates and be added to the email distribution list please sign up here.

About 4Front Ventures Corp.



4Front (CSE: FFNT) (OTCQX: FFNTF) is a national multi-state cannabis operator and retailer, with a market advantage in mass-produced, low-cost quality branded cannabis products. 4Front manufactures and distributes a portfolio of over 25 cannabis brands including Marmas, Crystal Clear, Funky Monkey, Pebbles, and the Pure Ratios wellness collection, distributed through retail outlets and their chain of strategically positioned Mission branded dispensaries.

Headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, 4Front has operations in Illinois, Massachusetts, California, Michigan and Washington state. From plant genetics to the cannabis retail experience, 4Front's team applies expertise across the entire cannabis value chain. For more information, visit 4Front's website www.4frontventures.com.

4Front Investor Contacts

Andrew Thut, Chief Investment Officer

[email protected]

602-633-3067

Phil Carlson / Elizabeth Barker

[email protected]

212-896-1233 / 212-896-1203



4Front Media Contacts

Anne Donohoe / Nick Opich

KCSA Strategic Communications

[email protected] / [email protected]

212-896-1265 / 212-896-1206

This news release was prepared by management of 4Front Ventures, which takes full responsibility for its contents. The Canadian Securities Exchange ("CSE") has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy of this news release. Neither the CSE nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the CSE) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to sell any of the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements in this news release that are forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties concerning the specific factors disclosed here and elsewhere in 4Front Ventures' periodic filings with securities regulators. When used in this news release, words such as "will, could, plan, estimate, expect, intend, may, potential, believe, should," and similar expressions, are forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements related to future developments and the business and operations of 4Front Ventures, developments with respect to legislative developments in the United States, expectations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, future revenue or Adjusted EBITDA expectations, statements regarding when or if any contemplated or in-progress transactions will close or if/when required regulatory approvals are attained, and other statements regarding future developments of the business. The closing of the transactions described in this news release, including the divesture of Pennsylvania and Maryland assets and the sale of convertible debt, is subject to customary conditions and there can be no guarantee that such transactions will close.

Although 4Front Ventures has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements, there can be other factors that cause results, performance or achievements not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, including, but not limited to: dependence on obtaining regulatory approvals; investing in target companies or projects which have limited or no operating history and are engaged in activities currently considered illegal under U.S. federal laws; change in laws; limited operating history; reliance on management; requirements for additional financing; competition; hindering market growth and state adoption due to inconsistent public opinion and perception of the medical-use and adult-use marijuana industry and; regulatory or political change.

There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate or that management's expectations or estimates of future developments, circumstances or results will materialize. As a result of these risks and uncertainties, the results or events predicted in these forward-looking statements may differ materially from actual results or events.

Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this news release are made as of the date of this release. 4Front Ventures disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise such information, except as required by applicable law, and 4Front Ventures does not assume any liability for disclosure relating to any other company mentioned herein.

SOURCE 4Front

Related Links

http://www.4frontventures.com


Former National President, Association Of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Prince Olayiwola Shittu, Has Said That Officials Of The Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) And Other Government Agencies Have Too Much Discretionary Powers, Which They Flagrantly Abuse To Delay Cargoes To Frustrate Importers And Agents In Order To Force Them To Negotiate Underhand Payments.

Shittu said recently that the abuse of discretionary powers and corruption in the cargo clearing process has degenerated to the point of crisis at the port. He called on the Federal Government to declare a state of emergency in the industry over lack of automation of cargo clearing processes.

Shittu said the absence of a national single window platform at the nations seaports has made the clearing of cargo challenging for agents and affected the efficiency of the ports.

Shittu noted that unhealthy competition among government agencies at the port has been the greatest obstacle to the realization of the single window project.

He said, It is about time we call on the government to declare an emergency in the maritime industry. There is a crisis in the maritime industry. All our best practices have been jettisoned by the urge to either make money for government, organization or for individuals. That is the driving force now in the maritime industry and until a halt is made to this downward trend, the industry may collapse.

There is competition among regulatory agencies especially those with overlapping functions. We have been hearing about promises of us having a single window. Customs has established its own single window, NPA wants to have its own single window and at the end of the day, Nigerian Shippers Council too will want to have its own. How many single windows do we need to operate and get things right. If small maritime nations like Ivory Coast, Benin Republic can manage their affairs with one single window, what is wrong with us? Except probably the establishment of a single window will be an avenue for people to enrich themselves, otherwise I dont see any reason why all of us cannot work together and have a single window.

Shittu also expressed disappointment over PAAR, the cargo clearance document issued by Customs, saying that contrary to claims by the Nigeria Customs Service, PAAR has now become an advisory document giving room to the use of discretionary power by officers and thus encouraging corruption.

PAAR was supposed to be a final document. A document which Customs issues to certify your value and classification so that as soon as you pay your money, all they need to do is to look at the container to know what is inside and you carry your load. But now, the PAAR has become a suggestion. That was not the initial thinking. That would have even facilitated early clearance of cargo better than what is going on now. But right now everybody who is a government official whether Customs or any agency have this discretionary power that will delay your cargo and frustrate you so that you can negotiate, that is why nothing is working in the port. We must do what is done elsewhere.

When our PAAR came out, Ghana got their own and put s in front to have PAARS. Today, if you go to the CPC in Ghana, you wont see an agent. Nobody is allowed to enter anywhere that is Customs. Everything is done online. Once you do your online documentation in your office accredited with your system, you go to the delivery point to go and find out whether the Customs examination done meets with your declaration, once it meets, you carry your cargo. Why is it difficult for us here?

Why is it difficult that someone will travel to America, see a beautiful car, he cannot use an application created by Customs to put the TIN number to know how much duty he would pay to the government and come here and pay? It is not to wait for the car to come first, inspect it before we start calculating how much duty to pay and that encourages the same thing across board. We need to have a rethink and rethinking means all of us must agree that we are ready to change so that this country can move forward, he said.
Spains former king Juan Carlos left his country, dogged by allegations of bribery and corruption swirling around a Saudi rail contract.

It was a bombshell move and dramatic exit by the ex-monarch, who has gone from Spain's savior to a pariah in exile.

Juan Carlos was popular for most of his four-decade reign and seemed set for a grand role in the history books.

He led Spains transition from dictatorship to democracy, after the death of Francisco Franco in 1975.

But this latest case is one in a long line of scandals that tainted his image in later years and cast a shadow over the entire royal household.

In 2012, details emerged of a lavish hunting trip in Botswana.

It was bad timing at the height of a financial crisis, which saw huge spending cuts and widespread unemployment in Spain.

In 2014, corruption scandals circling the royals closed in.

His daughter was accused of tax fraud and became the first Spanish royal to stand trial.

She was later acquitted, but her husband was sentenced.

In a bid to save the scandal-hit monarchy, Juan Carlos abdicated in 2014, handing the crown to his son, Prince Felipe.

Last year, the former king withdrew from public life - undergoing heart surgery in August.

But he didnt stay out of the spotlight for long.

In June, Swiss and Spanish prosecutors began investigating the high-speed rail contract in Saudi Arabia, which was granted to a group of Spanish companies in 2011.

The deal was reportedly worth 6.7 billion euros and would link Medina with Mecca.

Spanish media says Juan Carlos received $100 million from the late Saudi king and gave millions to a businesswoman and former mistress.

King Felipe gave up his own inheritance and stripped his father of his palace allowance in March.

Juan Carlos is not formally under investigation - so is not technically a fugitive.

The ex-king has repeatedly declined to comment on the corruption claims.
My father is a strong man," said Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahus son Yair. "He sees the same scenes that we all see, those aliens from outer space at the demonstrations. It amuses him. Its like entertainment. Sometimes I show him select scenes from the demonstrations. I try to make sure that they are not too crude. It entertains him. It even gives him a little strength.

The interview, which aired Aug. 3 on the right-leaning Galei Israel radio station, seems likely to become one of the iconic moments of this period. It will certainly feature in the election campaign of Netanyahus rivals.

Netanyahu's opponents likely consider this testimony straight from Netanyahus house symbolic of the prime ministers total detachment from reality. The remarks intended to delegitimize the young demonstrators and their motivations paint an almost picturesque image of the prime minister sitting with his son and watching the demonstrators with amusement, and could prove lethal to his public image.

Retired Brig. Gen. Amos Haskel, a leader of the demonstrators outside the prime ministers residence, tweeted, Yair, I suggest that you and your father pay a visit to Independence Park, 500 meters from your home on Balfour Street, to see young people with nothing left in the refrigerator. If you have any bit of a heart left, you wont laugh. Youll cry. Yair, the public has already awakened. Our space ship has already taken off.

Haskel wasnt alone. Since yesterday, the internet has been flooded with responses like his, including a call for protesters to come to the next demonstration dressed as aliens.

But Netanyahu may not be worried at all. He may be relishing the opportunity in the attention. When the mass demonstrations started over the economic situation, he responded with an emergency economic plan that immediately sent money to the bank accounts of the self-employed, restoring a modicum of calm. That action likely reduced the participants in the demonstrations outside his home, on bridges across the country and even in major cities around the world over the last two weeks to smaller groups from further left.

Netanyahu is relying on painting the demonstrators as members of the far left, even as anarchists somehow motivated by big money from elitist millionaires, determined to bring down a right-wing leader. He knows that by doing so he will be able to rally his camp around him after his slide in the polls.

No one in Israel understands an underdog worldview better than Netanyahu. He knows exactly how to evoke a response from people who have felt excluded, victims of discrimination by the leftist elite. He knows how to stir them to action. He was in a similar situation after the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin in November 1995. He had been accused of incitement that pushed in turn a religious right-winger named Yigal Amir to assassinate the leftist prime minister who negotiated a peace plan. Netanyahu, who headed the opposition at the time, crashed in the polls, but managed to turn it around. He rallied his alliance of the disadvantaged: the ultra-Orthodox, Russian immigrants and Mizrahi Jews. Netanyahu took advantage of the calls from the left, collectively accusing the religious and the right of responsibility for the assassination, and was elected prime minister at the young age of 47.

Netanyahu is doing it again. Everything seems to indicate that he wants an early election, so he is rousing his camp. If the demonstrations are lemons, he is making lemonade.

That is why his son did not apologize, despite the shock, criticism and media outrage. Quite the contrary, he continued the line of attack from his popular Twitter account, posting more photos and videos from the demonstrations, zeroing in on demonstrators dressed up like Spiderman, dancing in fountains and carrying signs mocking him, slandering his mother and calling for the murder of his entire family.

Yair, now 29, is often seen as his fathers alter ego. Netanyahu once deftly disassociated himself from his sons tweets. This time, he has been ignoring them, probably because his sons remarks fit the political and media approach he has taken over the last two weeks, by portraying the demonstrators as leftist agitators and anarchists from wealthy families. Yair claims that they are both spreading the coronavirus and exploiting the pandemic, while trying to create the impression that the mass demonstrations transcend political differences.

The prime minister is saying the exact same things. For instance, in Sundays virtual cabinet meeting, he offered a stinging rebuke to Defense Minister Benny Gantz, who said that demonstrations are the lifeblood of democracy. Netanyahu said, In the name of democracy, I see an attempt to trample on democracy at these demonstrations. It is a distortion of all the rules. It increases the spread of the coronavirus. And no one tried to stop it. On the contrary, they are fueling the demonstrations by enlisting the media in ways that have never been seen before.

A line of Likud ministers are relaying the same message in interviews: This is a campaign of incitement against the prime minister and the right. It is a campaign of incitement by the left, fueled by the New Israel Fund and the media, said Minister of Transportation Miri Regev in a television interview on Aug. 1.

The governments ministerial liaison to the Knesset, David Amsalem, steps up to the podium every week to do the same. In a July 22 speech, Amsalem accused leftist groups of funding the demonstrations. There are people there who produce these events. I assume that they leave their Mercedes at Shaar HaGai [the highway to Jerusalem]. I want to tell you that you are causing anarchy in the State of Israel.

Minister of Internal Security Amir Ohana frequently warns against incitement to assassinate the prime minister in interviews and calls the demonstrations petri dishes for the coronavirus. Coalition chairman Miki Zohar also calls the demonstrations a health risk. It is no coincidence that they are the most prominent Likud voices. Regev, Ohana and Zohar are all Mizrahi Jews and second-generation immigrants from the Arab world, an essential part of Netanyahus base.
Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 3) The medical communitys latest public distress call is not an attempt to mount a revolution against the government amid the COVID-19 crisis, a group of doctors and a health expert told President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday.

Responding to Dutertes latest pronouncement, the Philippine College of Physicians clarified there was never a call for revolt during the frontliners virtual meeting over the weekend, where they publicly voiced concern about the countrys current health care status.

If you closely review the virtual conference on August 1, there was never a call for revolt nor was there any threat of leaving patients on their own since our oath instructs us to first do no harm to anyone who needs our help, the group said in a letter addressed to the President.

It was not the intention of the media forum to humiliate the administration and the IATF. The call was for the DOH and IATF to provide the HCWs a fighting chance in the war against COVID and prevent unnecessary fatalities nothing more, the letter further noted.

Dr. Tony Leachon who previously served as an adviser for the countrys COVID-19 task force echoed the sentiment, noting how the countrys healthcare capacity and manpower have been severely affected by the pandemic.

It might seem to be some sort of a revolution to the eyes of the President, but it was not meant that way, Leachon said in an interview with CNN Philippines The Source. We just like to be understood by the President that the medical community is having a hard time right now in trying to manage the avalanche of cases at the emergency room and also at the hospital level.

Over the weekend, representatives from various medical societies appealed to the chief executive to revert Mega Manila back to a stricter quarantine status, citing an overwhelmed healthcare system and frontliners. The move would also pave the way for officials to further refine pandemic control strategies, the group said.

In response, Duterte said he "fully understands" the healthworkers' call for a time out, but also warned them against hinting about staging a "revolution.

The President noted they could have just written a letter to authorities, instead of airing out concerns publicly.

So kami dito, hindi namin kayo kinakalimutan. There would not have been no need for you to go into and raising your hands as if sabihin ninyo revolution, revolution, Duterte said in his late-night address on Sunday.

Next time, huwag ninyo akong parinigrinigin ng revolution. Iyan ang mas delikado sa COVID. Eh kung mag-revolution kayo, you will give me the free ticket to stage a counterrevolution. How I wish you would do it, he added.

[Translation: We at the government do not forget about you. There would not have been no need for you to go into raising your hands as if youre shouting for revolution. Next time, dont imply revolution. Thats more dangerous than COVID. If you go on a revolution, you will give me the free ticket to stage a counterrevolution. How I wish you would do it.]

Malacanang, for its part, also said the doctors could have aired the issues directly to the government, instead of going public with their pronouncements.

Malinaw ang sinabi ng Presidente na hindi naman kinakailangang magkaroon ng splash kumbaga, sana binigyan naman siya ng pagkakataon na sagutin ang liham bago sila nagkaroon ng publicity, Roque said in his virtual media briefing later in the day.

[Translation: Its clear what the President said that there was no need for splash. They could have given him a chance to respond to the letter before seeking publicity.]

Nevertheless, the President partly heeded the call of the community, as he decided to place Metro Manila and the provinces of Bulacan, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal back to a stricter MECQ starting Tuesday.

Coronavirus infections in the country have breached the 100,000 mark on Sunday, with the Philippines once again listing a new record-high in daily cases.
NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani discussed the evolving security situation in Afghanistan and the wider region, besides other subjects of mutual interest in a telephone call on Monday, the government said. They also exchanged EidulAdha greetings, it added.

Ghani thanked Modi for the timely supply of food and medical assistance to Afghanistan. Modi reiterated Indias commitment to the people of Afghanistan in their quest for a peaceful, prosperous and inclusive society, the Prime Ministers Office said.

HE President @ashrafghani in a telephonic conversation with HE PM @narendramodi exchanged greetings on the joyous festival of #EidAlAdha & also discussed the evolving security situation in the region and other areas of bilateral interests," Tahir Qadiry, Afghan charge d affaires in New Delhi, said in a Tweet.

The phone call took place amid reports that Afghan forces had retaken a prison in the countrys east, a day after the Islamic State terrorist group attacked the facility killing at least 29 people.

The telephone conversation also came as a ceasefire between the Afghan government and the Taliban announced by the latter on the occasion of Eid came to an end.

The Afghan government has released hundreds of Taliban fighters to bring the group to the table for talks, in line with an agreement signed in February. President Ghani and the Taliban have both indicated that long-delayed negotiations could begin after Eid, according to news reports from Kabul.

Under the peace deal signed in February between the US and the Taliban, the intra-Afghan" talks were slated to start in March, but have been delayed amid political infighting in Kabul and the contentious prisoner swap condition put forth by the Taliban. Under the terms of the deal, the Kabul government was to free 5,000 Taliban prisoners in return for 1,000 Afghan security personnel held captive by the Taliban.

The Ghani government has so far released around 4,900 prisoners, according to news reports. On Friday, Ghani was quoted as saying that he had no authority" under the countrys constitution to release the remaining prisoners as they were involved in serious crimes. The Afghan president said he would soon call a consultative Loya Jirga, a traditional grand assembly of Afghan elders, to decide their fate.

On its part, the Taliban said it has freed all 1,000 Afghan prisoners it had pledged to release in a deal with the US, fulfilling their side of the exchange.

However, according to the Afghan government, there has been no let up in the violence in Afghanistan since the US-Taliban deal was agreed upon, with more than 3,500 Afghan troops killed by armed fighters.

New Delhi, which has pledged more than $3 billion in aid for reconstruction since 2001 when the US-led coalition dislodged Taliban from Kabul, is keen to see an India-friendly administration in Afghanistan.

New Delhi is wary that a Taliban government in Kabul will tilt towards Pakistan, which is seen as supporting the group with finances, training and safe havens.

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WASHINGTON - Three years after President Donald Trump canceled a decade-long plan to build an FBI headquarters in the Washington suburbs, the bureau's effort at securing a new home remains mired in uncertainty, with no active plan or funding source and thousands of agents still working at the crumbling and poorly secured J. Edgar Hoover Building in downtown Washington.

But there is ample financial support and a clear plan for another FBI headquarters project, one in Hunstville, Ala., that will welcome 1,500 of the bureau's headquarters staff members from the Washington region next year and probably thousands more in coming years.

The principal architect of the flow of FBI staff to Alabama's Redstone Arsenal complex is Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala., the powerful chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee who has shepherded the project through approvals and secured $1.1 billion in funding for it over the past four years.

During the same time period, Trump has fixated on building a new FBI headquarters in the District of Columbia, including his recent insistence that the Senate GOP coronavirus bill include a $1.8 billion request for the idea.

But Trump's request has further hardened opposition from Democrats who are angry with the president for canceling in 2017 a years-long effort by the bureau to construct a secure campus in the Washington suburbs. Democrats say Trump's interest is in preventing a hotel from ever being built on the Hoover site, where it could compete with the nearby Trump hotel.

"It reaffirmed what we originally thought - that this is personal to the president and his financial interests," said Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md.

White House spokesman Judd Deere denied the accusations and said "the FBI desperately needs a new building and this measure provides critical funding for this project that would keep the building responsibly near the Department of Justice."

Trump's surprise provision included no budget or plan for a new building and showed up in the bill after days of closed-door negotiations last month between administration officials, Shelby and other GOP senators on a variety of spending provisions in the legislation. A Shelby aide said the FBI money was included at the insistence of the administration.

"Republicans were trying to reach a unified position going into negotiations with the Democrats. The administration was taking the lead in those negotiations and insisted it be included. That's why it was in there," said the aide, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss internal deliberations.

Committee chairmen generally consult with leadership on potentially contentious issues in pending legislation, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., seemed caught off guard upon hearing that the FBI language had made it into the bill when it was released.

"I'm not sure that it is, is it?" McConnell replied after introducing the bill last week, when a reporter asked him why the FBI money was in the legislation. Upon being assured that it was, McConnell suggested asking the administration about its inclusion.

When asked what the FBI provision was doing in a bill aimed at combating the coronavirus, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows said, "I think everybody acknowledges that it's a funding mechanism. And I don't see it standing in the way of us getting a deal."

The FBI, which spent years pushing the Washington suburban campus project under previous administrations, issued a statement to The Washington Post on Thursday, saying that it now supports the president's plan to build a smaller structure downtown and move more staff members outside the Beltway, but that its top priority is having a fully funded plan.

"The FBI supports the option of staying on Pennsylvania Avenue; however, most important, the FBI seeks a viable, fully funded path that allows us to fulfill our facility requirements," spokeswoman Lauren Hagee Glintz said.

Trump's FBI funding request faces bipartisan opposition to make it into any final package. Shelby has acknowledged that the administration's provision was a "stretch" to link to the pandemic. McConnell has said he opposes the provision because he does not think the bill should include "non-germane amendments."

Before Trump came into office, Shelby had supported the Washington campus plan through an agreement with Barbara Mikulski of Maryland, a powerful Democratic senator on the Appropriations Committee at the time.

According to members of Congress and aides from both parties, Shelby agreed to support funds for a new 11,000-employee campus in the Washington area that Mikulski wanted for Maryland. She supported his efforts to beef up the bureau's presence in Huntsville, at the Redstone Arsenal complex that already includes a national center and school for the analysis of improvised explosive devices.

The agreement produced $913 million in appropriations for the Washington-area campus and an initial $76 million for Hunstville. In 2017, when Mikulski retired and Trump spiked the campus plan, the idea of a home for the bureau in Maryland's Prince George's County collapsed.

Shelby's ambitions for Huntsville, however, have grown. With him as chair of the committee the past three-plus years, Congress appropriated $313 million in 2018, $285 million in 2019 and $433 million this year for the project, putting it over $1.1 billion.

The FBI announced in 2018 that it would be moving 1,350 jobs to Huntsville from Washington-area locations.

"I'm bullish on the FBI here," Shelby said during a gathering of the Huntsville/Madison County Chamber of Commerce last year, according the website AL.Com. "I think it will be one of the biggest presences for the FBI outside of Washington."

Indeed, the bureau later disclosed that it could move as many as 4,000 people there over the next decade. Paul Abbate, associate deputy director at the FBI, told CNBC that "we really look at it like an HQ2, a backup for the footprint that we have here in Washington, D.C."

Regardless of whether Huntsville will benefit from the lack of a plan for a central FBI headquarters, it will be the bureau's biggest new facility outside Washington, capable of accommodating large staff transfers.

Hagee Glintz said that as of now, 1,500 jobs are headed there, with most of the functions scheduled to be operational by the end of 2021. The ultimate number, she said, will depend on future funding. The bureau also is planning to relocate 250 jobs to a new data center and office in Pocatello, Idaho, and is evaluating space availability at existing facilities in Clarksburg, W.Va., and at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Va.

When Trump came into office, policymakers in both major political parties were hopeful that he might be able to advance a building project that would consolidate the FBI by using his much ballyhooed dealmaking skills and private-sector real estate experience to cut red tape and construct a building that others could not.

But his efforts have run aground amid accusations of conflicts of interest and lack of transparency. Early in the administration, the Trump-appointed leader of the General Services Administration (GSA), the agency that handles federal real estate, was asked by House Democrats about the White House's involvement in the project.

When the administrator, Emily Murphy, did not disclose that she had met in the Oval Office with the president about it, the agency's inspector general later determined that she may have left Congress with the "misleading impression" that the White House had not been involved. The administration has since largely sidelined the GSA. When reached for comment, the GSA referred questions about the FBI provision in the coronavirus bill to the Office of Management and Budget and the FBI.

Instead it has been Shelby, not Trump, who has fashioned agreements and swung bureaucratic workarounds to advance construction - at least for the FBI building in his state. At Redstone Arsenal, which is already home to more than 40,000 employees working at commands including an office of the Missile Defense Agency and NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, the FBI facility will add to a secure campus and bring jobs to a state with one of the nation's highest poverty rates.

Sens. Cardin and Chris Van Hollen, Maryland Democrats, remain some of Trump's fiercest critics for his handling of FBI consolidation, saying he has set it back years and put the bureau at risk to advance his own interests.

"It was outrageous for the president to try to exploit a national health emergency for his own purposes," Van Hollen said of the provision.

But they do not begrudge Shelby for continuing to advance his part of the deal with Mikulski. There was no response to a message left with a former Mikulski aide.

"She envisioned both these efforts moving forward at the same time," Van Hollen said. "And obviously the much bigger operation has been set back."
Health officials are working to suppress a Covid-19 outbreak in Co Down, it can be revealed.

A popular pub in Castlewellan has been closed for a deep clean and to allow staff to undergo testing for the virus.

However, Mulholland's Sports Bar has now said that all of its employees have tested negative and it reopened its doors to customers again yesterday.

The Barbican SuperValu in Newcastle also closed yesterday for a deep clean after a number of employees tested positive. It was due to reopen again today after a deep clean.

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A spokeswoman said last night: "There have been a handful of confirmed cases of Covid-19 at our SuperValu Newcastle store.

"Our immediate priority is the welfare of our colleagues, their families and our customers. Our colleagues who have been impacted are following medical advice and are in self-isolation.

"Contact tracing has also taken place and any close contact individuals have been informed.

"If any customers who have been in store are worried or concerned, we would ask them to contact NHS 111 helpline service.

"In line with guidance from health experts, we closed the store today for a professional deep clean as a precautionary measure and will be fully operational at 6am tomorrow."

Drumaness GAC has also issued a statement in response to growing concerns the club had been caught up in the cluster and revealed it has been given the all-clear.

It comes as latest official figures show 40 people have tested positive with the virus in Northern Ireland over the weekend, with 34 new cases identified in the Newry, Mourne and Down area over the last seven days.

There have been no Covid-19 deaths reported over the weekend, although there were three people with the virus in intensive care units yesterday.

In relation to the cluster in Co Down, it is understood a person present at Mulholland's on the weekend of July 24 tested positive for Covid-19, where a number of senior members of Drumaness GAC were also present.

In a statement, the club said: "Several of our senior panel were in the bar over that weekend. We can confirm that none of the Drumaness players show symptoms or have been contacted by the government track and trace system. Players have been issued with the government guidelines.

"Subsequently we received advice from Public Health Agency (PHA) that our players would not be deemed as close contacts unless they were under two metres with the positive case for more than 15 minutes, in which case the positive case would have informed the PHA and the close contact would then have been contacted by PHA for trace and track purposes.

"None of our players have been contacted. This mitigates the players from Drumaness."

The PHA has declined to comment on the cluster as it said revealing details of outbreaks may discourage people from coming forward to be tested. It has also refused to say how many clusters are currently active or how many it has identified to date.

Concerns have been raised that people who have been shielding and who are particularly at risk from the virus are not being provided with enough information about the location of clusters.

However, South Down SDLP MLA Colin McGrath, a member of the Stormont health committee, said he is unconvinced details about clusters should be made public.

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He said: "It's a real fine balance because we had a small cluster in the Crossgar area and the jungle drums started and it had a significant impact on business because no-one went anywhere near the area.

"I think the best way for people to protect themselves is to follow the guidelines, follow social distancing, wash your hands frequently and wear a face covering if you are in an enclosed space."

It comes as Health Minister Robin Swann is facing mounting calls for the introduction of a regular Covid-19 testing regime for workers in food factories.

Prominent businessman Denis Lynn, chairman of fine food company Finnebrogue Artisan, has written to Mr Swann asking for him to implement the system already in place in England.

Referring to the dedication of food production workers, he said: "It is my understanding that the UK Health Secretary Matt Hancock is rolling out regular testing for English food workers imminently given the multitude of difficulties English food production facilities have faced in recent weeks."

A spokesman from the Department of Health said food production workers with symptoms of coronavirus can access testing.
Only evangelicals whove sold their soul to the devil' will vote for Biden: Robert Jeffress

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Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, staunch support of President Donald Trump, said on Friday that only evangelicals who have sold their soul to the devil will vote for presumptive Democratic Party presidential nominee Joe Biden in November.

Speaking to Lou Dobbs on Fox Business, the 64-year-old megachurch pastor and frequent Fox News contributor was asked what he thought of the Biden campaigns attempt to appeal to voters of faith in the final days of the election.

Jeffress, who has often engaged with the Trump White House and was a member of Trumps 2016 evangelical advisory council, said that theres not a snowballs chance  of Joe Biden gaining any significant evangelical vote at all.

The only evangelicals who are going to vote for Joe Biden are those who have sold their soul to the devil and accepted the Democrats barbaric position on abortion, Jeffress said. I mean, its so barbaric, Joe Biden believes in unrestricted abortion. He cant even get his own church, the Catholic Church, to stomach it. They have denied him communion because of that.

Jeffress cited a recent Pew poll that suggests that 82% evangelicals are gonna vote for President Trump on Nov. 3.

I think the numbers gonna be higher than that, he proclaimed.

The poll found that while 82% of white evangelical Protestant registered voters plan to vote for or are leaning toward voting for Trump, 17% of white evangelical Protestant registered voters said they plan to vote for or will likely vote for Biden.

In the 2016 presidential election, exit polls showed that 80% of white born-again or evangelical Christians voted for Trump. Meanwhile, 16% voted for Democrat nominee Hillary Clinton, a reduction from the 26% of white evangelicals who voted for Barack Obama in 2008 and the 21% who voted for him in 2012.

We know there is a whole group of evangelicals that didnt tell pollsters they were going to vote for [Trump] in 2016. They didnt want to be badgered or bullied. Thats even more so this time, Jeffress said.

People are being told that if [they] support President Trump, [they] are a racist. Nobody wants to be called that. So, they are not going to admit they are voting for President Trump on Nov. 3.

The pastor predicted that on election day, there is going to be a tsunami-sized surprise of voters turning out to support our great President Donald Trump.

A recent poll from the Cato Institute found that most Americans today feel the political climate prevents them from openly saying things they believe because others may find their beliefs offensive, including 77% of conservatives.

In June, Vice President Mike Pence spoke at the annual Celebrate Freedom Sunday event at First Baptist Dallas. During the event, Jeffress praised the Trump administration for enacting the most pro-life, pre-religious liberty, pro-Israel, pro-conservative judiciary in the history of America.

In July, more than 100 Christian pastors, academics and advocates called on the Democratic National Committee to recognize the inviolable human dignity of the child, before and after birth, as well as adopt a party platform thats friendlier to those who are pro-life.

The list was signed by prominent progressive pastors and activists including Shane Claiborne of Red Letter Christians, Gabriel Salguero of the National Latino Evangelical Association and Baylor University professor George Yancey.

The letter, organized by the activist group Democrats for Life, was also signed by the executive leadership team at the Transformation Church in South Carolina, a prominent multiethnic church led by Pastor Derwin Gray.

We urge the Democratic Party to embrace policies that protect both women and children: legal protection for pre-born children, improved prenatal care for women in need, especially women of color, alternatives to abortion, and a comprehensive culture of life free from violence, poverty and racism, they wrote in a letter to the Democratic Platform Committee.

The signatories urged the committee to reject a litmus test on pro-life people of faith seeking office in the Democratic Party.

Crucially, we urge you to end the explicit support in your platform for abortion extremism, such as taxpayer-funded abortion in America and overseas, opposed by 60% and 76% of voters, the letter explains.

Last year, Biden  a former Delaware senator and vice president under Obama  reversed his decades-long support for the Hyde Amendment. The measure has been in place since the 1970s and restricts federal funding of abortions.

Just as Ive never attempted to impose my views on anyone else as to when life begins, I have never attempted to impose my view on who should pay for it, Biden said in June 2019.

Last month, another prominent Christian conservative, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council, refuted the argument made by some Never Trump Republicans that Biden may be a more acceptable candidate for Christians in 2020.

This is [a] man running on a vision, not only of abortion-on-demand, but abortion right up until  and perhaps after  birth, Perkins stressed in a July 21 op-ed. To cap it off, for those Americans who do have a biblical or moral objection to abortion, he says they should still have to pay for them with their tax dollars. How does he square authentic faith with those radical positions?



Steven Krueger, president of Catholic Democrats, warned last year that the far left wing of the party has had influence on a number of issues, particularly on the issue of abortion. He told The Associated Press that the far-left influence is not going to serve candidates well once theyre in the general election.

And the problem is, its very difficult to kind of tack back to the middle once you take a stand on something as black and white as whether or not you want to repeal the restrictions on federal abortion funding, he added.

Democrats for Life Executive Director Kristen Day said earlier this year that the Democrat Partys position on abortion is the most extreme she has ever seen. In a February press conference, Day stated that Democrats have lost their political advantages in southern states since 2010.

During that time period, the Democratic Party moved away from safe, legal and rare to today, [supporting] abortion up to nine months for any reason, Day explained.
Qualified is solving a multi-billion-dollar problem for enterprise marketing and sales teams. For B2B brands, building sales pipeline is a slow, inefficient process with delayed handoffs and missed opportunities to meet with qualified buyers. Every year, B2B marketers spend more than $6 billion driving buyers to their website, but sales teams have no way of knowing when a qualified buyer is on their website, and no way of speaking with that buyer in that pivotal moment. The result is that B2B brands are wasting their marketing budget, and leaving pipeline and revenue on the table.

In enterprise sales, speed matters: Waiting even five minutes after a lead leaves a website decreases the chances of making contact by 10x. However, it takes salespeople 38 hours on average to respond to qualified leads. Studies show that 78% of B2B customers buy from the company that responds to them first.

COVID-19 has exacerbated this problem. Marketing and sales teams are scrambling to meet pipeline goals without in-person events. As a result, sales needs to maximize conversations with potential buyers through their digital channels.

"Your website should be your brand's biggest marketing asset to drive pipeline, but instead, it's your biggest blindspot," said Kraig Swensrud, co-founder and CEO of Qualified. "What if your sales team could meet with your most valuable buyers at the magic moment they're on your website and ready to connect? That's the future of B2B sales and marketing."

Qualified turns a B2B website into a real-time selling machine, enabling marketing and sales teams to identify when target buyers arrive on the website and instantly start a conversation. Qualified ties directly into Salesforce to give companies a 360-degree view of their website visitors, and arms them with tools to have a high-fidelity sales meeting, including live chat, chat bots, voice calls, and screen sharing. Within months of using Qualified, ThoughtSpot increased conversations with its target accounts by 10x, Bitly grew its enterprise sales pipeline by 6x, and Gamma drove over $2.5 million in new business pipeline.

"The conversational model is simply a better way to connect with new customers. Buyers love the real-time engagement, sellers love the instant connections, and marketers have the confidence that every dollar spent on demand generation is maximized," said Scott Beechuk, partner at Norwest Venture Partners. "The multi-billion-dollar market for Salesforce automation software is going to adopt this new model, and Qualified is perfectly positioned to capture that demand. If your company uses Salesforce, Qualified will be a multiplier on your sales and marketing investment."

Qualified takes a unique approach as the only conversational marketing platform designed to work seamlessly with complex Salesforce configurations. The platform is rated highest in its category on the Salesforce AppExchange, and built for enterprise-grade reliability and security with 99.9% uptime, GDPR compliance, SOC2 compliance, and Salesforce ISV certification.

"Qualified's conversational marketing platform is built natively on Salesforce, is custom built for Salesforce customers and a natural fit for our ecosystem," said Matt Garratt, managing partner, Salesforce Ventures. "Qualified's innovative technology accelerates the timeline from lead to opportunity, making the pipeline more efficient and creating loyal customers around the globe."

Qualified was founded in 2018 by former Salesforce executives Kraig Swensrud and Sean Whiteley. During their time at Salesforce, Kraig served as chief marketing officer and Sean as GM and product SVP. This is the third company that the duo has built in the Salesforce ecosystem. With this funding, Qualified will more than double the company's size in all key functions including sales, marketing, customer success and product, with additional features coming around artificial intelligence and Salesforce Einstein.

Quotes from Customers

"Qualified has been a total home run. We implemented the solution in under 30 days and had it working with our heavily customized instance of Salesforce. The solution is allowing us to have 10x more conversations with our target 'Diamond' accounts, which are global, billion-dollar-plus companies." - Scott Holden, CMO, ThoughtSpot

"We've been live with Qualified for over a year as a demand gen channel for enterprise clients and we've seen more than a 6x increase in sales pipeline as a result. We refer to it as the cash register for our B2B website." - Scott Keane, CEO, Bitly

"Within six months of go-live, Qualified has already driven more than $2.5 million in new business pipeline. As a CMO, conversational marketing is the single most valuable investment you can make in times like these." - Joe Leverson, head of digital marketing, Gamma

About Qualified.com

Qualified is the conversational marketing platform for companies that use Salesforce and the highest-rated solution on the Salesforce AppExchange. Enterprise sales and marketing teams at leading brands such as ThoughtSpot, Adecco, Bitly, and Zero Motorcycles trust Qualified to grow their sales pipeline by turning their greatest untapped marketing asset  their corporate website  into a real-time selling machine. Headquartered in San Francisco, Qualified is led by former Salesforce CMO Kraig Swensrud and former Salesforce Product SVP Sean Whiteley, and funded by Norwest Venture Partners, Redpoint Ventures and Salesforce Ventures. To learn more, visit qualified.com.

About Norwest Venture Partners

Norwest is a leading venture and growth equity investment firm managing more than $9.5 billion in capital. Since our inception, we have invested in more than 600 companies and partner with over 150 active companies currently in our venture and growth equity portfolio. The firm invests in early to late stage companies across a wide range of sectors with a focus on consumer, enterprise, and healthcare. We offer a deep network of connections, operating experience, and a wide range of impactful services to help CEOs and founders scale their businesses. Norwest has offices in Palo Alto and San Francisco, with subsidiaries in India and Israel. For more information, please visit www.nvp.com. Follow Norwest on Twitter @NorwestVP.

About Redpoint Ventures

Since 1999, the Redpoint team has been partnering with visionary founders who create new markets or redefine existing ones. From the earliest stages, Redpoint partners have supported over 350 companies, 44 IPOs and 73 upside acquisitions. Industry-defining investments include HomeAway, Fortinet, Qihoo, Right Media, Heroku, Netflix, Tivo, Juniper, among many others. Today, Redpoint manages over $3.3 billion across multiple funds and invests in disruptive founders and companies at the seed, early and growth stages. For more information on our portfolio and team, visit www.redpoint.com

About Salesforce Ventures

Salesforce is the global leader in Customer Relationship Management (CRM), bringing companies closer to their customers in the digital age. Salesforce Ventures, the global investment arm of Salesforce, invests in the next generation of enterprise technology that extends the power of the Salesforce Platform. Salesforce Ventures is building the world's largest ecosystem of enterprise cloud companies and extending that technology to customers. Portfolio companies receive funding, strategic advisory, and operating support, and can easily join Pledge 1% to make giving back part of their business model. Salesforce Ventures has invested in more than 400 companies, including DocuSign, GoCardless, Guild Education, nCino, Twilio, Zoom, and others across 22 countries since 2009. For more information, please visit www.salesforce.com/ventures.

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Chandigarh, Aug 4 : Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar said, here on Tuesday, he would write to party president Sonia Gandhi for action against the brazen indiscipline of two Rajya Sabha members Pratap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, who had criticised their own government.

Jakhar condoled the death of several people in the hooch tragedy, but said such tragedies didn't give licence to any individual to indulge in indiscipline.

It was time to stem the rot and save the Congress from the petty machinations of the likes of Bajwa and Dullo, who had no shame in biting the hand that fed them, he said.

Jakhar said he would seek strict action against the two MPs who were disgracefully exploiting a tragedy to further their own political ambitions and interests.

Asserting that the actions of Bajwa and Dullo could not be tolerated any longer, the Punjab Congress chief said men like them, who didn't have the courage to face elections, were no asset to the party.

Such members should be shown the door before they could cause any serious damage, said Jakhar.

On Monday, the two MPs had approached the Governor to demand probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Department (ED) into the liquor deaths.

"How many times in all these years did they ask for expediting the CBI probe into the sacrilege cases (which has since been taken over by the Punjab Police) or the ED probe into drugs, launched during the erstwhile SAD-BJP government," he asked.

Stating that Bajwa and Dullo had been engaging in such anti-party activities for some time, Jakhar said their attacks had increased after Amarinder Singh announced his decision to contest the 2022 elections.

Having probably seen the 2022 polls as their last chance to make it big in the corridors of power, the duo saw their hopes shattered and, out of sheer frustration, were knocking at all possible doors to sneak their way to the top echelons of power, he said, citing talk of the two MPs being in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Describing the attack of the two MPs on their own government as a 'copy-paste job' of what happened in Rajasthan in January in the wake of 107 infant deaths. Sachin Pilot had flayed his own government at that time.

Had action been taken against Pilot then, what was happening in Rajasthan could have been avoided, he said.

The Punjab Congress chief said the two MPs were surviving politically due to the largesse of the party high command, which had nominated them to the Rajya Sabha since they had run scared from contesting Assembly or parliamentary elections.
A play written entirely by artificial intelligence is expected to premiere next January.

Created by Czech researchers at Charles University, Svanda Theater and the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague, the piece will be a new reimagining of science-fiction script R U R by Josef Capek.

The play, which celebrates its 100th anniversary next year, is the first to explore the concept of a "robot" and introduced the word to the English language.

According to TechXplore, who interviewed one of the researchers Rudolf Rosa, the process has been a protracted one, with the team having to break down the overall play into individual scenes and moments that the AI can turn into dialogue.

The team is utilising what is known as a "pre-trained language model" (ie an AI system that has been fed with a wide array of English literature texts). The main limiting factor at the moment is that the existing model has not yet been trained to produce performance-suitable scripts, so the plan is for researchers to "feed" the AI with plays for it to learn from.

The model essentially takes a small chunk of existing text (in this case, Capek's original play) and then is "inspired" to create further lines, themes and ideas.

As Rosa puts it: "When we fed GPT-2 a scene setting and a few lines of the drama script, it generated further lines in the same style and focusing on the topic of the input script chunk."

As an open-source AI, it's available for anyone to use, and the results are already rather startling. As Rosa says, "We only fed it a few lines from a script and it picked up its genre, structure, topic and character names, using this information to generate more or less plausible lines.

"This was achieved without any adaptation or fine-tuning: we just used the model as it is available online for download, which shows that GPT-2 models really are quite powerful."

But humans are a vital aspect of the development, with Rosa saying that creatives "touch and retouch" what is created by the machine. Though this doesn't mean the human simply rewrites the lines: "We are trying to be very explicit on what the machine does and what a human does, making their cooperation an integral part of the system design, not a post-hoc fix."

The new play is expected to premiere in 2021, with a final script ready by September for actors to rehearse with. According to the Czech team, future plans include getting a play to be performed entirely by robots, without human performers or guidance.

A recent project led by Andy Serkis sought to use digital technology to allow actor's motions to be captured and then projected onto a table-top to create a "live" at-home experience. Utilising the hit musical The Grinning Man as a test, the machine was also able to swap out character features and alter dialogue.
The FBI has raided the offices of U.S. companies owned by a powerful Ukrainian tycoon linked to President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.

The FBI searched offices in Cleveland and Miami on August 4 belonging to billionaire Ihor Kolomoyskiy, whose media company informally backed Zelenskiy's successful presidential bid in 2019.

"I can confirm that we are at both locations," FBI Special Agent Vicki Anderson-Gregg said in an August 4 telephone interview with RFE/RL from Cleveland.

She said she could not discuss the details of the investigation as the case "is under seal right now." Anderson-Gregg said that no one had been detained in the raid.

Kolomoyskiy and his Ukrainian partner, Hennadiy Boholyubov, control several companies run out of Miami that own U.S. real estate as well as steel and alloy plants.

U.S. media reports in April 2019 and May 2020 said that the FBI was investigating Kolomoyskiy for money laundering. However, the FBI never confirmed those stories.

Kolomoyskiy and Boholyubov -- billionaires who own energy, metals, and media assets in Ukraine -- are among the most influential businessmen in the country.

The tycoons returned to Ukraine from self-imposed exile a month after Zelenskiy won the presidential election in a landslide in April 2019.

Kolomoyskiys 1+1 channel aired the TV comedy series produced by Zelenskiys production company.

Zelenskiy appointed Andriy Bohdan, Kolomoyskiy's former lawyer, as his first chief of staff before replacing him in February.

The president's reported close ties to Kolomoyskiy have been a concern for Ukraine's Western partners, who have tied financial and political support to Kyiv to reforms that reduce the influence of tycoons.

The United States does not have an extradition agreement with Ukraine, meaning the tycoons will likely never face prosecution in a U.S. court even if the Department of Justice were to bring charges against them.

RFE/RL could not immediately reach Kolomoyskiy or Boholyubov for comment.

PrivatBank Lawsuit

The confirmation of the FBI investigation follows on the heels of a civil lawsuit filed against the tycoons by Ukrainian lender PrivatBank in Delaware in May 2019.

Kolomoyskiy and Boholyubov owned PrivatBank until December 2016, when Ukraine nationalized it after the tycoons failed to inject capital to stabilize the lender during a severe economic downturn.

PrivatBank claims the men laundered $780 million into the U.S. financial system through a series of bogus loans issued to companies they control.

The tycoons then used the money to acquire commercial property, ferroalloy plants, and specialty steel companies in the United States -- along with several Cleveland office buildings -- without ever returning the money, the bank claims.

PrivatBank has dubbed the alleged fraud the Optima Schemes because the U.S. assets were largely controlled by companies with the name Optima. The bank is seeking hundreds of millions of dollars in restitution.

The Optima businesses are run out of Miami by the tycoons' U.S. business partners, Mordechai Korf and Uriel Laber. A spokesperson for Korf and Laber declined an RFE/RL request for comment about the August 4 raids.

Anderson-Gregg confirmed the FBI agents were at the Cleveland office of Optima Management, which oversees the tycoons' local real-estate investments.

Optima Management is located inside One Cleveland Center, which is one of the local commercial buildings owned by the tycoons.

The Ukrainian billionaires owned five commercial buildings in Cleveland by the early 2010s and were the city's largest commercial real estate owner at the time.

However, they have since sold off two of the buildings as well as properties in Dallas and Louisville.
The Nasarawa State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), on Tuesday, condemned the attack and brutal killing of its former treasurer, Benjamin Ekom, by unknown gunmen at his residence in Washo village, Nassarawa-Eggon Local Government Area (LGA), of the state.

The NUJ made its position known in a statement jointly signed by its Chairman and Secretary, Salihu Alkali and Sunday John, on Tuesday in Lafia, the state capital.

The Union described the attack on innocent residents of the state by criminal elements as one too many, and called for drastic and proactive measures to be taken to protect lives and properties of residents in all parts of Nasarawa State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that late Ekom, of the Federated Chapel of journalists, was gunned down on Monday night.

The leadership of the union further urged security agencies to fish out the killers of the former treasurer, to face the law; and also called for the support of members of the public in helping to unravel the mystery behind the incident, to expose criminal elements in their midst.

It, however, commended the efforts of the federal and state governments towards tackling insecurity, but urged that more be done to ensure that the people were safe to go about their lawful activities without fear, and also to avoid an escalation of the situation.

The entire journalists in the state also condole with the family and friends of the deceased, and pray God to forgive his shortcomings and grant him eternal rest, the union said in the statement.

The deceased, who retired as the information officer of Akun Development Area, was the immediate past National Secretary of Eggon Cultural and Development (ECDA).

(NAN)
TULSA, Okla., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- PPT Solutions, a premier provider of client-centric, performance-based Customer Experience and Business Optimization Solutions, announced today the addition of Kim Massey as Vice President of Enterprise Solutions. A seasoned business development and client solutions veteran, her appointment will further bolster the organization's business transformation and consulting capabilities and play a pivotal role in delivering innovative solutions to the company's growing client portfolio.

PPT Solutions' New Vice President of Enterprise Solutions

"We're thrilled to have Kim join our Enterprise Solutions team," stated Casey Kostecka, PPT Solutions' Senior Vice President, Enterprise Solutions and Marketing. "She has continuously built strong client relationships through a combination of listening, understanding, solutioning, execution and follow-through. PPT Solutions, our customers and business partners will all greatly benefit from Kim's experience, passion and proven ability to deliver innovative and strategic solutions."

Massey joins PPT Solutions with extensive experience in the financial services industry having served in senior-level accounts receivable management, business process outsourcing and business development roles. Most recently, she was a Senior Business Development Executive at Billing Tree and her background includes key leadership positions at Ford Motor Credit, Discover Financial Services, Account Control Technology (ACT), MRS and United Recovery Systems.

Visit pptsolutions.com to learn more about the company's industry-leading Customer Experience and Business Optimization Solutions. To learn more about PPT Solutions' career opportunities, visit pptsolutions.com/careers.

About PPT Solutions I Since 2013, PPT Solutions has served as a premier provider of client-centric, performance-based Customer Experience and Business Optimization Solutions. Whether a Fortune 50 company or an emerging business, we passionately deliver a broad range of people, process and technology solutions customized to increase customer advocacy, enhance revenue and optimize operational efficiency. With an extensive portfolio of Management Consulting, Managed Services and Cloud Solution Services capabilities, our clients rely on us for advanced insights, adaptive business processes and innovative growth strategies. Visit pptsolutions.com to learn more.

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PPT Solutions

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Langhorne, PA -- (SBWIRE) -- 08/04/2020 -- Residents of Bucks County and the surrounding areas who are looking for experienced bathroom remodeling contractors can turn to FINE Cabinetry Kitchen & Bath Co. for customized solutions and the highest quality bathroom design services, all of which are available at the most affordable prices.



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Another 'Russian Hacker' Story Debunks Itself

By Moon Of Alabama July 04, 2020 " Information Clearing House " - The British news agency Reuters is again distributing false claims about 'Russian hacking': Exclusive: Papers leaked before UK election in suspected Russian operation were hacked from ex-trade minister - sources Classified U.S.-UK trade documents leaked ahead of Britains 2019 election were stolen from the email account of former trade minister Liam Fox by suspected Russian hackers, two sources with direct knowledge of the matter told Reuters. The sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because a law enforcement investigation is underway, said the hackers accessed the account multiple times between July 12 and Oct. 21 last year. They declined to name which Russian group or organisation they believed was responsible, but said the attack bore the hallmarks of a state-backed operation. The highlighted date of July 12 is interesting. No Advertising - No Government Grants - This Is Independent Media Get Our Free Newsletter The Telegraph was the first to report from the leaked papers: Leaked documents expose lack of progress in US-UK trade talks

That was on July 10 2019, two days before the 'Russians hackers' allegedly got their hands on the British-U.S. trade documents!

Back in December the same Reuters 'European Cybersecurity Correspondent', Jack Stubbs, authored another wild scare story that blamed some dubious Russian group for different leak of UK government papers.

Leak of papers before UK election raises 'spectre of foreign influence' - experts

It was as fact free as his current one.

Stubbs should ask his MI6 handlers to stop embarrassing him.

- " Source " -

The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of Information Clearing House.

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By Lee Seong-hyon





Under the Chinese political landscape, the limits of Chinese think tanks derive from their mandate to provide logic to the government policies, and therefore a lack of autonomy from the state. This partially explains, for instance, why efforts by Korean think tanks and academic experts to persuade Beijing to reconsider its retaliation against Seoul (for hosting a THAAD anti-missile battery) were unavailing from the very beginning.



A person who participated in some of those closed-door discussions, and who tried to reason with his Chinese counterparts, later summed up his experience as like "talking to a wall." That is not to say that such communication efforts are unnecessary. The point is that they should keep this in mind when they sit down with the Chinese. After all, the challenge for Chinese think tanks is how to achieve independence and diversity of views, comparable to their overseas peer institutions.



Having said that, in addition to the previously mentioned CICIR (China Institutes of Contemporary International Relations), there are a few other major Chinese think thanks deserving our attention. One is the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS). Established in 1977, CASS ranks top among the Chinese think tanks each year. It is also "the world's largest think tank" with 4,000 people and 31 research divisions. It even has its own publishing company.



At the time of its establishment, China's Communist Party leaders gave three pillars of mandates to CASS: It should maintain an unwavering support for Marxism, it should keep its status as the supreme institution for Chinese philosophical and social science research, and it should serve as an important think tank for the State Council.



The current president is Xie Fuzhan, who worked for 20 years at the State Council's Development Research Center. He was a visiting scholar at Harvard University, and served at the National Bureau of Statistics and the Monetary Policy Committee of the People's Bank of China, which is China's central bank.



Regarding the Korean Peninsula, since 1993, CASS has published an academic journal, "Contemporary Korea." Scholars at CASS who visit Korea are usually from its National Institute of International Strategy that has a strong Northeast Asia research portfolio. In fact, its previous name was the Asia-Pacific Research Institute of CASS until 2012. There are a number of well-known Korea specialists at CASS, including Piao Jianyi who is known to make study tours to North Korea each year.



Among the research arms of CASS, other notables are the Institute of World Economics and Politics (IWEP) and the Institute of American Studies (IAS). IWEP provides research reports to major ministries of the Chinese government, on topics such as WTO, global trade and economic strategies. It is also home to Yu Yongding, a renowned economist who served as a member of the People's Bank of China's monetary policy committee. Yu often contributes to the Financial Times.



For Korea, the IAS also warrants attention, amid deepening rivalry and competition between the United States and China. It conducts all-around policy studies on the United States. Moreover, there are scholars at IAS who conduct research on Northeast Asian strategies, including the Korean Peninsula, under the larger China-U.S. relations context. Recently, the IAS added a new division, called the Strategic Research Center. The center is known to exclusively focus on updating current geopolitical affairs on the ground and provide policy briefs to the government.



The China Institute of International Studies (CIIS), located near Tiananmen Square, is a specialized research arm, directly under China's foreign ministry. It mainly carries out mid- and long-term research in areas such as international diplomacy and global economy. Founded in 1956 as the Institute for International Relations under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, it changed to its current name in 2014. The library has China's top international affairs book collections and currently has about 250,000 books and diplomatic materials, including in foreign languages: English, French, Russian, German, Japanese and others.



Since 2017, CIIS has been headed by Qi Zhenhong, a former career diplomat, who served as China's ambassador to Bahrain. CIIS has three vice presidents. Among them, Ruan Zongze served as minister-counselor at the Chinese embassy in Washington from 2007 to 2011. Ruan is a well-known figure who regularly appears on the state-run CCTV to explain China's position and views. Notable Korea watchers at CIIS include Yu Shaohua and Wu Jingjing, who have both served as Chinese diplomats in Pyongyang. Yu has recently retired, but is still known to be actively engaged in policy research and advising the Chinese government.





Lee Seong-hyon (sunnybbsfs@gmail.com), Ph.D., is director of the Center for Chinese Studies at the Sejong Institute.


Netflix released the first full length trailer for their forthcoming series Ratched on Tuesday.

The trailer opens with the mysterious Nurse Ratched (played by Sarah Paulson) starting a new job at a psychiatric hospital in Northern California.

She reflects on her time as a wartime nurse, telling Doctor Hanover (Jon Jon Briones) 'We had a saying in the Corps: Save one life, you're a hero. Save a hundred lives, well then, you're a nurse.'

Iconic: The trailer opens with the mysterious Nurse Ratched (played by Sarah Paulson) starting a new job at a psychiatric hospital in Northern California

Ratched begins to show a sinister side -and hint at her own dark history- when she tells a patient, 'You have been subjected to enough pain, but you deserve someone to show you mercy. How different I would be if someone had.'

The trailer then gives viewers a montage of ominous happenings in the hospital, including mental health treatments, Ratched appearing to slip drugs into someone's drink, and a hand holding a bloody knife.

In an extended dialogue scene, Ratched confronts a co-worker whom she believes has stolen a peach from her. The fellow nurse seems taken aback when Ratched tells her coolly that she's 'thinking of all the things she's going to do to her,' during their argument.

Evil woman: Ratched begins to show a sinister side -and hint at her own dark history- when she tells a patient, 'You have been subjected to enough pain, but you deserve someone to show you mercy. How different I would be if someone had'

Creeping dread: The trailer then gives viewers a montage of ominous happenings in the hospital

All star cast: Ratched also features Ryan Murphy regular Finn Wittrock [L] and Corey Stoll

The trailer then invites viewers to 'Witness the origin of one of the world's most iconic characters'.

'I know how you feel right now,' says Ratched in voice over, 'told that you're mad, when that's what's driving you mad.'

It's played over a series of increasingly horrific images, including patients in chains and a man's head being set on fire.

The final image is of Paulson's character hammering an ice pick into the eye-socket of a patient, in a since outmoded form of transorbital lobotomy.

It begins: The trailer then invites viewers to 'Witness the origin of one of the world's most iconic characters'

The horror: What follows is a series of increasingly horrific images, including patients in chains and a man's head being set on fire

Ouch: The final image is of Paulson's character hammering an ice pick into the eye-socket of a patient, in a since outmoded form of transorbital lobotomy

Netflix revealed the air date for its series Ratched last month with a first look at the highly anticipated show.

The streamer announced that the One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest prequel would be released in its entirety on September 18.

The show, which is executive produced by Ryan Murphy, stars his regular actress Sarah Paulson as the eponymous nurse Mildred Ratched in the early years of her career.

Coming soon! Netflix announced Wednesday that Ryan Murphy's highly anticipated series Ratched would premiere on September 18; publicity still from Ratched

The iconic character, the head nurse at a psychiatric hospital, served as the villain of Ken Kesey's iconic 1962 novel and was later immortalized by Louise Fletcher in the 1975 film adaptation, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress.

The series begins in 1947, when Mildred moves to Northern California to to begin work at a prestigious psychiatric hospital where 'new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind,' Netflix synopsized.

'On a clandestine mission, Mildred presents herself as the perfect image of what a dedicated nurse should be, but the wheels are always turning and as she begins to infiltrate the mental health care system and those within it, Mildreds stylish exterior belies a growing darkness that has long been smoldering within, revealing that true monsters are made, not born.'

Classic novel: The series is a prequel to the iconic novel and film One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest, with Sarah Paulson starring as Nurse Mildred Ratched

Big shoes to fill: The title character, the head nurse at a psychiatric hospital, was immortalized by Louise Fletcher in the 1975 film adaptation, for which she won the Oscar for Best Actress

In addition to Murphy, who also co-created Hollywood and The Politician for Netflix, Michael Douglas will executive produce the new series.

The actor previously produced the 1975 Milos Forman film in an attempt to expand the scope of his early career.

Though the new series will be released on Netflix, it was one of the last projects Murphy developed for Fox 21 Television Studios before beginning an exclusive deal with the streamer.

Heavy hitters: In addition to Murphy, who also co-created Hollywood and The Politician for Netflix, Michael Douglas will executive produce the new series

Chilling: The series follows Nurse Mildred Ratched (Paulson) in the early years of her career as she joins an asylum where 'new and unsettling experiments have begun on the human mind

Star power: In addition to Paulson lead character, Sex And The City's Cynthia Nixon will appear as Gwendolyn Briggs

In addition to Paulson lead character, Sex And The City's Cynthia Nixon will appear as Gwendolyn Briggs and Australian actress Judy Davis will play Nurse Betsy Bucket.

Sharon Stone's career revival will continue with her role Lenore Osgood, and American Horror Story star Finn Wittrock will reunite with Murphy as Edmund Tolleson.

Other cast members include The Strain's Corey Stoll, Vincent DOnofrio and Amanda Plummer.

Back on top: Sharon Stone's career revival will continue with her role Lenore Osgood

New nurse: Australian actress Judy Davis will play Nurse Betsy Bucket

Stock company: American Horror Story star Finn Wittrock will reunite with Murphy as Edmund Tolleson

Netflix seems to have plenty of confidence in the period series, which it gave an 18-episode two-season order.

One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was written in 1959 by author Ken Kesey and published in 1962, and has since become one of the most influential novels of the century, along with being one of the most commonly banned books in schools and libraries.

The influential counterculture novel exposed many of the failures of the country's mental institutions at the time.

Jack Nicholson won an Oscar for his portrayal of Randle 'R.P.' McMurphy, a criminal who fakes a mental illness in order to be confined to an institution instead of prison.

Legendary star Kirk Douglas originated the role of McMurphy in a broadway adaptation of the novel from 1963.

Strong start: Netflix seems to have plenty of confidence in the period series, which it gave an 18-episode two-season order

Classic: One Flew Over The Cuckoo's Nest was written in 1959 by author Ken Kesey and published in 1962, and has since become one of the most influential novels of the century
A massive fire broke out Friday afternoon in a rural area 75 miles southeast of Los Angeles. Three potential arson fires rapidly merged and spread through more than 1,900 acres Friday night, forcing hundreds of residents of Cherry Valley, Banning Bluff, and other nearby communities to evacuate. Extreme temperatures, low humidity and high winds drove the fire deep into the San Bernardino National Forest and up the southern face of the San Gorgonio Mountains over the weekend.

Firefighters struggled to slow the aggressive spread of the fire over the rugged and inaccessible terrain, and by Monday morning the fire had burned more than 26,000 acres (about 41 square miles) and was only 5 percent contained. More than 1,300 firefighters have been assigned to the fire, along with hundreds of fire engines, nine helicopters and two air tankers. It is steep terrain, rugged terrain, Captain Fernando Herrera of Cal Fire told the Palm Springs Desert Sun. We rely a lot on the aircraft to do the work during the day.

The eastern flank of the fire has already moved into the western section of the Morongo Reservation, home to over 3,500 Mission Indians. In the west, the fire has spread into San Bernardino County, threatening the Forest Falls community in the national forest, and forcing mandatory evacuations for the town of Oak Glen.

Strong westerly winds and high temperatures prevailed on Monday, amid an extended heat wave across the region. Given the fuel, given the weather, given the topography and where this is going, this fire is not going to stop tonight, it's going to keep going, Lisa Cox, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Forest Service told reporters.

The fire has produced massive smoke columns visible throughout much of Southern California, which have formed pyrocumulus clouds that have generated their own strong winds. Plumes of smoke have been swept as far as Las Vegas and central Arizona. The South Coast Air Quality Management District has issued air quality advisories for much of the Inland Empire and Los Angeles metropolitan areas. Unsafe smoke levels are of special concern for the sick and elderly, and are known to increase the severity of COVID-19, of which there are almost 40,000 active cases in Los Angeles County alone.

No deaths or injuries have been reported from Apple Fire, but evacuation orders have so far affected over 8,000 people from more than 2,600 residences. Among those who had to evacuate was Cherry Valley resident Rick Stewart, 67, who evacuated with his wife and three grandchildren as the fire approached his house. I was terrified. You have no idea the amount of heat that came off that. Literally burning your face, Stewart told the Desert Sun.

An evacuation shelter has been set up at a high school in the town of Beaumont, but only a small number of evacuees have reportedly come to the shelter. Only 32 evacuees stayed in Red Cross-provided hotel lodging Saturday night. Folks not taking advantage of it over concerns about COVID-19, we have measures in place. We planned for this months ahead, Cal Fires Captain Fernando Herrera explained to CBS News.

The low turnout at the evacuation shelter is doubtlessly due to a pervasive sentiment of distrust for the way state and federal authorities have handled the pandemic: the policies of the political establishment are correctly perceived as criminally indifferent to the safety of the broad population and many fear that staying in emergency shelters will increase their risk of contracting the deadly coronavirus.

A string of record-breaking wildfires has torn across California since 2017, including the Ranch Fire, the largest in the states history, and the Camp Fire, which completely destroyed the town of Paradise. Despite the growing danger of wildfires, the state has systematically cut funding for social infrastructure, including firefighting and wildfire prevention, and has increasingly relied on thousands of low-paid prison inmates to work as firefighting hand crews.

Due to COVID-19which has hit Californias prisons particularly hardless than half of these crews will be available during the 2020 fire season. To compensate, California lawmakers have set aside $85.6 million to hire additional firefighters, even as they have cut firefighters salaries by 10 percent, and slashed $680 million from the state budget for environmental protection.

Even as thousands of people were forced from their homes in yet another catastrophic fire under conditions of a historic pandemic, Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom made a television appearance Monday afternoon to congratulate his administration for encouraging signs in the fight against COVID-19. Meanwhile, the state is posting death rates which are 25 percent higher than in April.

Currently, there are more than 150,000 homeless people in California, and tens of thousands more are out of work and at risk of eviction as extended federal unemployment benefits were allowed by Congress to expire at the end of last month. To this number must be added the tens of thousands whose homes and lives are endangered by the constant threat of wildfires, while an indifferent ruling elite looks on.
China is vowing to retaliate against the the United States if Washington continues, quote, "hostile action" against Chinese journalists - journalists who may be forced to leave in coming days if their U.S. visas aren't extended.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said no Chinese journalist in the United States has been granted a visa extension since the U.S., in mid-May, limited their stay to 90 days, with an option to extend.

Wang didn't say how many Chinese journalists were affected or what retaliation China might consider.

But the editor of China's Global Times newspaper -- which is published by the Communist Party -- said earlier that U.S. journalists based in Hong Kong would be among those targeted should Chinese journalists be forced to leave the United States.

The two countries, whose relations have deteriorated sharply recently over various issues including trade and the novel coronavirus, have exchanged several tit-for-tat actions involving journalists in recent months.

Such a move would also follow the recent closures of diplomatic consulates in both countries.
What might TikTok, the China-based short-form video platform thats home to teenage nonsense and whimsy, look like under Microsoft, Americas most boring Big Tech company?

On Friday night, President Trump tweeted his intention to ban TikTok over concerns that the app is providing the Chinese government with data on U.S. users. (Though theres no evidence this has happened, there are legitimate concerns about any Chinese company handling users personal information.) Then, over the weekend, Microsoft entered furious negotiations with the White House to rescue its bid to purchase TikTok from its parent company, ByteDance, thereby allowing it to keep operating in the U.S. The deals and its details have yet to be finalized, and some within the administration like senior adviser Stephen Miller and trade adviser Peter Navarro are reportedly still pushing for an outright ban. Trump said on Monday that hes fine with the compromise, though, so theres a decent chance that TikTok will soon join Microsofts software lineup by Sept. 15. (The president has also suggested that the U.S. Treasury would get a cut from the deal, though its unclear how exactly that would happen.)

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The success and failures of Microsofts previous acquisitions might give us a clue as to whether TikTok can thrive under its umbrella. The former home-computing goliath has increasingly shifted its focus to enterprise products for business professionals, but its also a large tent that includes products like the Xbox and Surface tablet. The current pandemic has highlighted the pitfalls of one of its biggest purchases: Skype. Indeed, Zooms ascendance as the defining videoconferencing platform of the quarantine reveals just how much Microsoft bungled its 2011 acquisition of Skype, formerly the dominant player in the space, for $8.5 billion. As Wired lays out, Microsoft began piling features onto Skype in a bid to make it a competitor with messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram. Skype redesigns added emojis, YouTube and Giphy integrations, stories, and other functions cribbed from popular apps. Yet video calls, the tool that brought users to Skype in the first place, suffered a notable degradation of quality and reliability at the same time. Tech commentator Om Malik summed up the general reaction to Microsofts meddling when he tweeted in 2018 that Skype was a turd of the highest quality and added, Way to ruin Skype and its experience. I was forced to use it today, but never again. Skypes stumbles allowed Zoom to refine its video calling and add features that would more directly complement this core functionality, like meeting transcripts. Microsoft now plans to shutter Skype for use in business calls by July 2021, replacing it with the videoconferencing feature in Teams, Microsofts Slack competitor. Microsoft acquisitions for the ad giant aQuantive and Nokia have similarly gone up in smoke.

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Microsoft took the opposite approach with its 2016 acquisition of LinkedIn, which went for $26.2 billion. There was initially some speculation that Microsoft might try to bundle the job-oriented social network with other products, but LinkedIn has instead been able to operate as a fairly autonomous entity without any major redesigns or intervention from its parent. The site has continued to steadily add users over the last few years and has earned $14.3 billion in revenue for Microsoft thus far, though the purchase has yet to become profitable. Prior to the pandemic, the site was growing faster than it had been before the acquisition. LinkedIn has hinted at greater integrations with Office apps and will begin adopting Microsofts Azure public cloud, but these changes have been slow to come, like because Microsoft has some trepidations about messing around with its biggest acquisition thus far. The company has similarly taken a hands-off approach with the software-development platform GitHub, which it purchased in 2018 for $7.5 billion.

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Theres a lot that Microsoft could do with an immensely popular platform like TikTok and the associated troves of user data, though itll have to be careful so not as to alienate the apps teen fans. TikTok itself isnt profitable, but piling more advertising into its endless feed of viral dance crazes and eboys could dampen users experience. Thankfully for TikTokkers, Microsoft has shown that it can be a good steward for other youth-focused products. Minecraft, whose developer Microsoft purchased in 2014, remains a popular video game with more than 200 million copies sold thanks in part to a noninterventionist ownership approach. And Xbox continues to hold its own in the gaming-console market. On the other hand, Microsoft closed the video game-streaming platform Mixer on July 22 after failing to grow it enough to compete with Twitch, Amazons streaming platform. Microsoft could use TikTok to connect more than 100 million U.S. users to its gaming, augmented reality, and artificial intelligence products, but given how aggressive modifications havent paid off in the past, any potential new features would likely be slow to arrive. The company has been tight-lipped about what exactly it envisions for the video platform, merely stating that it would build on the experience that TikTok users currently love. To be clear, they love this dance:
DUBLIN, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ --

Second quarter net sales of $166.5 million net of the retrospective one-time Acthar  Gel Medicaid liability; adjusted net sales of $700.9 million , a decline of 14.9%, due primarily to demand impacts related to COVID-19 and competitive and payer pressures on certain products

net of the retrospective one-time Acthar Gel Medicaid liability; adjusted net sales of , a decline of 14.9%, due primarily to demand impacts related to COVID-19 and competitive and payer pressures on certain products Diluted loss per share of $11.04 with adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $1.89 , a decline of 25.3%

with adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) of , a decline of 25.3% Operating cash flows of $170.9 million in the quarter with free cash flow of $159.5 million

in the quarter with free cash flow of Key pipeline advancements include:

A positive vote by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) advisory committee for terlipressin



Completion of a rolling submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA for StrataGraft  regenerative skin tissue

regenerative skin tissue Company continues to work to resolve outstanding issues related to opioids, Acthar Gel, and other risks, as well as address overall debt levels, and is considering with its external advisors all options to address legal and financial challenges. While no final determination has been made, it is possible that Mallinckrodt plc and most of its subsidiaries could file for Chapter 11 reorganization in the near term

Mallinckrodt plc (NYSE: MNK), a global biopharmaceutical company, today reported results for the three- and six-months ended June 26, 2020. Unless otherwise noted, the quarter comparisons are to the prior year comparable three- and six-months ended June 28, 2019.

Net sales were $166.5 million in the second quarter and adjusted net sales, following the adjustment for the retrospective one-time Acthar Gel (repository corticotropin injection) Medicaid rebate liability, were $700.9 million, with diluted loss per share of $11.04 compared to diluted earnings per share of $0.08, following the $639.7 million impact from the retrospective Acthar Gel Medicaid rebate liability and a $63.5 million non-restructuring impairment of the OFIRMEV (acetaminophen) injection intangible asset. Adjusted diluted EPS were $1.89 versus $2.53, a decrease of 25.3%, on lower net sales in second quarter 2020, partially offset by non-operational favorability from adjusted income tax expense and interest expense.

"Our reported GAAP net sales were impacted by the retrospective one-time Acthar Gel Medicaid liability, and our normalized operating results also displayed a contraction this quarter due to the COVID-19 health crisis along with increased competitive and payer pressures on certain products. Amidst these challenges, we continued to operate well, which is a testament to our employees' hard work and commitment to our business, patients and customers," said Mark Trudeau, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mallinckrodt. "We also continue to execute on our strategic priorities  making important progress in advancing our pipeline, including a positive outcome of the recent advisory committee meeting on terlipressin and completion of a rolling submission of a Biologics License Application (BLA) to the FDA for StrataGraft regenerative skin tissue."

Trudeau continued, "Looking ahead, we expect our current challenges to continue in the back half of the year. We remain committed to ensuring patients have uninterrupted access to our medicines throughout the COVID-19 health crisis. We continue to be highly focused in the near term on addressing all legal and financial challenges impacting the business."

COMPANY FINANCIAL RESULTS

Second Quarter 2020 Results

Gross loss was $220.2 million as compared to gross profit of $388.9 million, driven in part by the retrospective one-time Acthar Gel Medicaid liability coupled with declines in overall net sales. Adjusted gross profit was $505.0 million, compared with $603.9 million, due primarily to the decline in net sales. Adjusted gross profit as a percentage of adjusted net sales was 72.1%, compared with 73.4%, due primarily to changes in product mix.

Selling, general and administrative (SG&A) expenses were $231.3 million or 138.9% of net sales, as compared to $225.9 million, or 27.4%, primarily impacted by legal expenses and separation costs. Adjusted SG&A expenses were $197.5 million or 28.2% of adjusted net sales, compared with $208.6 million or 25.3%. The decline in adjusted SG&A expense reflects the Company's ongoing efforts to reduce SG&A, while the percentage of net sales and adjusted net sales were impacted by lower net sales in the second quarter 2020.

Research and development expenses were $82.9 million, or 49.8% of net sales, as compared to $79.6 million, or 9.7%. Research and development as a percentage of adjusted net sales was 11.8% versus 9.7%.

Interest expense was $64.2 million as compared to $71.5 million, a reduction of 10.2%, driven by lower aggregate debt in 2020, a reduction in floating interest costs, and the reversal of deferred interest associated with the interest-bearing deferred tax obligations.

Income tax expense was $161.3 million, for an effective tax rate of negative 20.4%. The adjusted effective tax rate was 4.6% in the second quarter.

Six-Month Fiscal 2020 Results

Net sales were $832.3 million and adjusted net sales were $1,366.7 million, down 15.3% compared with $1,613.9 million. The adjusted net sales decrease is primarily attributed to the retrospective one-time Acthar Gel Medicaid liability, increased competition on certain products and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Net loss was $983.3 million, compared to net income of $161.7 million. Diluted loss per share was $11.66, compared to diluted earnings per share of $1.92, with adjusted diluted earnings per share of $3.53 versus $4.48.

BUSINESS SEGMENT RESULTS

Specialty Brands Segment

Net sales for the segment in the second quarter 2020 were $522.8 million.

Acthar Gel net sales were $213.7 million , a 19.8% decrease, primarily driven by continued reimbursement challenges impacting new and returning patients; continued reduction in new patients as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, which is anticipated to impact results in the second half of the year; continued payer scrutiny on overall specialty pharmaceutical spending; and, to a partial extent, the change in the Medicaid rebate calculation.

, a 19.8% decrease, primarily driven by continued reimbursement challenges impacting new and returning patients; continued reduction in new patients as a result of COVID-19 pandemic, which is anticipated to impact results in the second half of the year; continued payer scrutiny on overall specialty pharmaceutical spending; and, to a partial extent, the change in the Medicaid rebate calculation. INOMAX  (nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation, net sales were $154.9 million , an increase of 10.9%, or 11.0% on a constant-currency basis, driven by an overall increased consumption of nitric oxide by the Company's customers, including strong utilization within COVID-19 patients. The INOmax Total Care service offering remains a differentiating feature among competition.

(nitric oxide) gas, for inhalation, net sales were , an increase of 10.9%, or 11.0% on a constant-currency basis, driven by an overall increased consumption of nitric oxide by the Company's customers, including strong utilization within COVID-19 patients. The INOmax Total Care service offering remains a differentiating feature among competition. OFIRMEV  net sales were $52.4 million , a decrease of 42.1%, impacted by the overall reduction in elective surgeries due to public health orders and institutions being focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic.

net sales were , a decrease of 42.1%, impacted by the overall reduction in elective surgeries due to public health orders and institutions being focused on responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. Therakos  immunology platform net sales were $47.8 million , a decrease of 21.5%, or 20.7% on a constant-currency basis, driven largely by COVID-19 stay-at-home directives impacting patients' abilities to receive treatment in hospitals or apheresis centers.

immunology platform net sales were , a decrease of 21.5%, or 20.7% on a constant-currency basis, driven largely by COVID-19 stay-at-home directives impacting patients' abilities to receive treatment in hospitals or apheresis centers. AMITIZA (lubiprostone) net sales were $49.4 million , down 5.0% due to continued impact of competition in the U.S. and the biennial price reduction in Japan .

Specialty Generics Segment

Net sales for the segment in the second quarter were $178.1 million, as expected, with slight sequential increase from the first quarter 2020.

LIQUIDITY

Cash provided by operating activities in the second quarter was $170.9 million, with free cash flow of $159.5 million. For the six-month period, operating cash flows were $224.6 million, with free cash flows of $193.3 million.

The cash balance at the end of the second quarter was $818.3 million, and the revolving credit facility was fully drawn. Total principal debt outstanding at the end of the second quarter was $5.293 billion, with net debt of $4.475 billion.

BUSINESS AND LITIGATION UPDATE

The Company has identified several negative conditions and events impacting the business as of June 26, 2020. Due to pressures from the Acthar Gel Medicaid matter, the ongoing opioid litigation and the Company's existing debts and the related risk of non-compliance with its financial debt covenant over the next twelve months, the Company has been working with external advisors to explore a range of options and engage in dialogue with financial creditors and litigation claimants and their advisors, including the possibility of a filing for reorganization in bankruptcy under Chapter 11 by Mallinckrodt plc and most of its subsidiaries in the near-term. However, these plans have not yet been finalized nor are they fully within the Company's control. Further disclosure regarding this matter will be included within the Form 10-Q expected to be filed later today.

CONFERENCE CALL AND WEBCAST

Mallinckrodt will hold a conference call on Tuesday, Aug. 4, 2020, beginning at 8:30 a.m. U.S. Eastern Time. This call can be accessed in three ways:

At the Mallinckrodt website: http://www.mallinckrodt.com/investors/events-calendar/ .

website: . By telephone: For both listen-only participants and those who wish to take part in the question-and-answer portion of the call, the telephone dial-in number in the U.S. is (877) 359-9508. For participants outside the U.S., the dial-in number is (224) 357-2393. Callers will need to provide the Conference ID of 5970869. Dial-in 15 minutes in advance of the call is encouraged to avoid connection delays.

Through an audio replay: A replay of the call will be available beginning at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday , Aug. 4, 2020, and ending at 11:30 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday , Aug. 18, 2020. Dial-in numbers for U.S.-based participants are (855) 859-2056 or (800) 585-8367. Participants outside the U.S. should use the replay dial-in number of (404) 537-3406. All callers will be required to provide the Conference ID of 5970869.

ABOUT MALLINCKRODT

Mallinckrodt is a global business consisting of multiple wholly owned subsidiaries that develop, manufacture, market and distribute specialty pharmaceutical products and therapies. The company's Specialty Brands reportable segment's areas of focus include autoimmune and rare diseases in specialty areas like neurology, rheumatology, nephrology, pulmonology and ophthalmology; immunotherapy and neonatal respiratory critical care therapies; analgesics and gastrointestinal products. Its Specialty Generics reportable segment includes specialty generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients. To learn more about Mallinckrodt, visit www.mallinckrodt.com .

Mallinckrodt uses its website as a channel of distribution of important company information, such as press releases, investor presentations and other financial information. It also uses its website to expedite public access to time-critical information regarding the company in advance of or in lieu of distributing a press release or a filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) disclosing the same information. Therefore, investors should look to the Investor Relations page of the website for important and time-critical information. Visitors to the website can also register to receive automatic e-mail and other notifications alerting them when new information is made available on the Investor Relations page of the website.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This press release contains financial measures, including adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted net sales, adjusted gross profit, adjusted SG&A, net sales growth on a constant-currency basis, adjusted effective tax rate, net debt and free cash flow, which are considered "non-GAAP" financial measures under applicable SEC rules and regulations.

Adjusted net income, adjusted net sales, adjusted gross profit and adjusted SG&A represent amounts prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the U.S. (GAAP) and adjusted for certain items that management believes are not reflective of the operational performance of the business. The adjustments for these items are on a pre-tax basis for adjusted net sales, adjusted gross profit and adjusted SG&A and on an after-tax basis for adjusted net income. Adjustments to GAAP amounts include, as applicable to each measure, amortization; restructuring and related charges, net; inventory step-up expense; discontinued operations; changes in fair value of contingent consideration obligations; significant legal and environmental charges (inclusive of the CMS retrospective liability); losses on divestiture; unrealized gain on equity investment; gains on debt extinguishment, net; separation costs; tax effects of aforementioned adjustments, changes in uncertain tax positions, tax impacts related to substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, legislative changes and tax impacts from certain transactions, such as acquisitions or reorganizations; and other items identified by the company. Adjusted diluted earnings per share represent adjusted net income divided by the number of diluted shares.

The adjusted effective tax rate is calculated as the income tax effects on continuing and discontinued operations plus the income tax impact included in Mallinckrodt's reconciliation of net loss, divided by loss from continuing and income from discontinued operations plus the pre-tax, non-income, tax-related adjustments included in its reconciliation of adjusted net income (excluding dilutive share impact). The income tax adjustment included in the reconciliation of adjusted net income primarily represents the tax impact of adjustments between net loss and adjusted net income, changes in uncertain tax positions, tax impacts related to the substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, tax impacts of legislative changes and tax impacts from certain transactions, such as acquisitions or reorganizations.

Segment net sales growth on a constant-currency basis measures the change in segment net sales between current- and prior-year periods using a constant currency, the exchange rate in effect during the applicable prior-year period.

Free cash flow for the second quarter represents net cash provided by operating activities of $170.9 million less capital expenditures of $11.4 million, each as prepared in accordance with GAAP.

Free cash flow for the year to date represents net cash provided by operating activities of $224.6 million less capital expenditures of $31.3 million, each as prepared in accordance with GAAP

Net debt as of June 26, 2020 represents the total principal debt outstanding of $5.293 billion less cash of $818.3 million, each as prepared in accordance with GAAP.

The company has provided these adjusted financial measures because they are used by management, along with financial measures in accordance with GAAP, to evaluate the company's operating performance. In addition, the company believes that they will be used by certain investors to measure Mallinckrodt's operating results. Management believes that presenting these adjusted measures provides useful information about the company's performance across reporting periods on a consistent basis by excluding items that the company does not believe are indicative of its core operating performance.

These adjusted measures should be considered supplemental to and not a substitute for financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP. The company's definition of these adjusted measures may differ from similarly titled measures used by others.

Because adjusted financial measures exclude the effect of items that will increase or decrease the company's reported results of operations, management strongly encourages investors to review the company's consolidated financial statements and publicly filed reports in their entirety. A reconciliation of certain of these historical adjusted financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures is included in the tables accompanying this release.

Further information regarding non-GAAP financial measures can be found on the Investor Relations page of the company's website.

CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS RELATED TO FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this document that are not strictly historical, including statements regarding future financial condition and operating results, legal, economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting Mallinckrodt's businesses, and any other statements regarding events or developments the company believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future, may be "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and involve a number of risks and uncertainties.

There are a number of important factors that could cause actual events to differ materially from those suggested or indicated by such forward-looking statements and you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. These factors include risks and uncertainties related to, among other things: the dispute between Mallinckrodt, HHS and CMS, including the lawsuit filed by Mallinckrodt and any related appeals, as well as the time and expense of litigating this dispute; the impact of this dispute on Mallinckrodt's expectations for performance, as well as the financial impact of the retrospective one-time Acthar Gel Medicaid liability on Mallinckrodt or any other related impacts; the impact of the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus; the possibility that Mallinckrodt plc and/or certain of its subsidiaries will file for Chapter 11 and the potential effects of such a filing and resulting bankruptcy process on Mallinckrodt's liquidity, results of operations and business; governmental investigations and inquiries, regulatory actions and lawsuits brought against Mallinckrodt by government agencies and private parties with respect to its historical commercialization of opioids, including the non-binding agreement in principle regarding terms and conditions of a global settlement to resolve all current and future opioid-related claims; scrutiny from governments, legislative bodies and enforcement agencies related to sales, marketing and pricing practices; pricing pressure on certain of Mallinckrodt's products due to legal changes or changes in insurers' reimbursement practices resulting from recent increased public scrutiny of healthcare and pharmaceutical costs; the reimbursement practices of governmental health administration authorities, private health coverage insurers and other third-party payers; complex reporting and payment obligations under the Medicare and Medicaid rebate programs and other governmental purchasing and rebate programs; cost containment efforts of customers, purchasing groups, third-party payers and governmental organizations; changes in or failure to comply with relevant laws and regulations; Mallinckrodt's and its partners' ability to successfully develop or commercialize new products or expand commercial opportunities; Mallinckrodt's ability to navigate price fluctuations; competition; Mallinckrodt's and its partners' ability to protect intellectual property rights; limited clinical trial data for Acthar Gel; clinical studies and related regulatory processes; product liability losses and other litigation liability; material health, safety and environmental liabilities; potential indemnification liabilities to Covidien pursuant to the separation and distribution agreement; business development activities; retention of key personnel; the effectiveness of information technology infrastructure including cybersecurity and data leakage risks; customer concentration; Mallinckrodt's reliance on certain individual products that are material to its financial performance; Mallinckrodt's ability to receive procurement and production quotas granted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; complex manufacturing processes; conducting business internationally; Mallinckrodt's ability to achieve expected benefits from restructuring activities; Mallinckrodt's significant levels of intangible assets and related impairment testing; labor and employment laws and regulations; natural disasters or other catastrophic events; Mallinckrodt's substantial indebtedness and its ability to generate sufficient cash to reduce its indebtedness; future changes to U.S. and foreign tax laws or the impact of disputes with governmental tax authorities; and the impact of Irish laws.

These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the "Risk Factors" section of Mallinckrodt's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 27, 2019 and Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended March 27, 2020. The forward-looking statements made herein speak only as of the date hereof and Mallinckrodt does not assume any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events and developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

CONTACTS

Investor Relations

Daniel J. Speciale

Vice President, Finance and Investor Relations Officer

314-654-3638

[email protected]

Media

Michael Freitag / Aaron Palash / Aura Reinhard

Joele Frank, Wilkinson Brimmer Katcher

(212) 355-4449

Mallinckrodt, the "M" brand mark and the Mallinckrodt Pharmaceuticals logo are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company. Other brands are trademarks of a Mallinckrodt company or their respective owners.  2020 08/20.

MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited, in millions, except per share data)













Three Months Ended

June 26,

2020 Percent of

Net sales

June 28,

2019 Percent of

Net sales Net sales (includes a retrospective one-time charge of $534.4 million related to the Medicaid lawsuit for the three months ended June 26, 2020) $ 166.5

100.0 %

$ 823.3

100.0 % Cost of sales 386.7

232.3



434.4

52.8

Gross (loss) profit (220.2)

(132.3)



388.9

47.2

Selling, general and administrative expenses 231.3

138.9



225.9

27.4

Research and development expenses 82.9

49.8



79.6

9.7

Restructuring charges, net 14.4

8.6



(0.2)



Non-restructuring impairment charges 63.5

38.1



113.5

13.8

Gains on divestiture (0.6)

(0.4)







Opioid-related litigation settlement 8.5

5.1







Medicaid lawsuit 105.3

63.2







Operating loss (725.5)

(435.7)



(29.9)

(3.6)

Interest expense (64.2)

(38.6)



(71.5)

(8.7)

Interest income 1.0

0.6



2.2

0.3

Other (expense) income, net (0.6)

(0.4)



74.4

9.0

Loss from continuing operations before income taxes (789.3)

(474.1)



(24.8)

(3.0)

Income tax expense (benefit) 161.3

96.9



(24.3)

(3.0)

Loss from continuing operations (950.6)

(570.9)



(0.5)

(0.1)

Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes 17.5

10.5



7.3

0.9

Net (loss) income $ (933.1)

(560.4) %

$ 6.8

0.8 %











Basic (loss) earnings per share:









Loss from continuing operations $ (11.25)





$ (0.01)



Income from discontinued operations 0.21





0.09



Net (loss) income $ (11.04)





$ 0.08



Diluted (loss) earnings per share:









Loss from continuing operations $ (11.25)





$ (0.01)



Income from discontinued operations 0.21





0.09



Net (loss) income $ (11.04)





$ 0.08



Weighted-average number of shares outstanding









Basic weighted-average shares outstanding 84.5





83.8



Diluted weighted-average shares outstanding 84.5





83.8





MALLINCKRODT PLC NON-GAAP MEASURES (unaudited, in millions except per share data)





























Three Months Ended

June 26, 2020

June 28, 2019

Net

sales Gross

(loss)

profit SG&A Net

(loss)

income

Diluted

net

(loss)

income

per

share (1)

Net

sales Gross

profit SG&A Net

income

Diluted

net

income

per

share (1) GAAP $ 166.5

$ (220.2)

$ 231.3

$ (933.1)



$ (11.04)



$ 823.3

$ 388.9

$ 225.9

$ 6.8



$ 0.08

Adjustments:

























Intangible asset amortization 

190.8

(0.8)

191.6



2.26





215.0

(1.6)

216.6



2.58

Restructuring and related charges, net 





14.4



0.17









(0.2)





Non-restructuring impairment charge 





63.5



0.75









113.5



1.35

Income from discontinued operations 





(17.5)



(0.21)









(7.3)



(0.09)

Change in contingent consideration fair value 



4.9

(4.9)



(0.06)







3.2

(3.2)



(0.04)

Significant legal and environmental charges (2) 534.4

534.4

(17.2)

665.4



7.86















Divestitures 





(0.6)



(0.01)















Separation costs 



(20.7)

20.7



0.24







(18.9)

18.9



0.22

Gains on debt extinguishment, net 



















(62.3)



(0.74)

Unrealized loss on equity investment 





2.4



0.03















R&D upfront payment (3) 





5.0



0.06















Legal entity and intercompany financing reorganization 





(6.3)



(0.07)









3.0



0.04

Income taxes (4) 





159.9



1.89









(72.8)



(0.87)

As adjusted $ 700.9

$ 505.0

$ 197.5

$ 160.5



$ 1.89



$ 823.3

$ 603.9

$ 208.6

$ 213.0



$ 2.53





























Percent of adjusted net sales 100.0 % 72.1 % 28.2 % 22.9 %





100.0 % 73.4 % 25.3 % 25.9 %

































































(1) In periods where the Company reports a net loss from continuing operations, potential ordinary shares outstanding are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share, prepared in accordance with GAAP, as they would be anti-dilutive. These potentially dilutive shares are included in the calculation of adjusted diluted earnings per share when dilutive. As a result, the adjusted diluted earnings per share utilized a weighted average share count of 84.7 shares and 84.1 shares for the three months ended June 26, 2020 and June 28, 2019, respectively.



(2) Effective June 15, 2020, the Company was forced under protest to change the base date average manufacturer price ("AMP") for Acthar Gel, as directed by CMS. While the Company continues to pursue its appeal of the March 16, 2020 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that upheld CMS' position, the Company incurred a retrospective one-time charge of $639.7 million, of which $534.4 million and $105.3 million have been reflected as a component of net sales and operating expenses, respectively, in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations. The $105.3 million reflected as a component of operating expenses represents a pre-acquisition contingency related to the portion of the retrospective liability that arose from sales of Acthar Gel prior to the Company's acquisition of Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc. in August 2014. Of the $534.4 million recorded as a component of net sales, $12.3 million represents the impact of the Medicaid rebate calculation through June 14, 2020 for the three months ended June 26, 2020. Also includes $17.2 million in opioid defense costs and an $8.5 million increase in the fair value of the opioid settlement warrants. Opioid defense costs are considered to be non-recurring as a result of the opioid-related litigation settlement announced during the three months ended March 27, 2020; therefore, such costs are included as an adjustment to net income on a go-forward basis until effectuation of the opioid-related litigation settlement.



(3) Represents research and development ("R&D") expense incurred related to an upfront payment made in June 2020 to acquire product rights for terlipressin in Japan.



(4) Includes tax effects of above adjustments (unless otherwise separately stated), changes in uncertain tax positions, tax impacts related to the substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, legislative changes and certain intercompany transactions.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SEGMENT NET SALES AND CONSTANT-CURRENCY GROWTH (unaudited, in millions)





















Three Months Ended













June 26,

2020

June 28,

2019

Percent

change

Currency

impact

Constant-

currency

growth Specialty Brands (1) $ 522.8



$ 627.8



(16.7) %

(0.1) %

(16.6) % Specialty Generics 178.1



195.5



(8.9)



(0.1)



(8.8)

Segment net sales $ 700.9



$ 823.3



(14.9) %

(0.1) %

(14.8) % Medicaid lawsuit (534.4)







*

*

* Net sales $ 166.5



$ 823.3



(79.8) %

(0.1) %

(79.7) %



*Not meaningful



(1) The three months ended June 26, 2020 includes the prospective change to the Medicaid rebate calculation of $8.6 million for the period from June 15, 2020 through June 26, 2020, of which $6.8 million represents the channel impact.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SELECT PRODUCT LINE NET SALES AND CONSTANT-CURRENCY GROWTH (unaudited, in millions)





















Three Months Ended













June 26,

2020

June 28,

2019

Percent

change

Currency

impact

Constant-

currency

growth Specialty Brands

















Acthar Gel (1) $ 213.7



$ 266.4



(19.8) %

 %

(19.8) % INOmax 154.9



139.7



10.9



(0.1)



11.0

Ofirmev 52.4



90.5



(42.1)







(42.1)

Therakos 47.8



60.9



(21.5)



(0.8)



(20.7)

Amitiza 49.4



52.0



(5.0)







(5.0)

Other (2) 4.6



18.3



(74.9)







(74.9)

Specialty Brands Total $ 522.8



$ 627.8



(16.7) %

(0.1) %

(16.6) %



















Specialty Generics

















Hydrocodone (API) and hydrocodone-containing tablets $ 25.4



$ 18.1



40.3 %

 %

40.3 % Oxycodone (API) and oxycodone-containing tablets 15.0



19.6



(23.5)







(23.5)

Acetaminophen (API) 55.5



48.4



14.7







14.7

Other controlled substances 77.8



98.6



(21.1)



(0.1)



(21.0)

Other 4.4



10.8



(59.3)







(59.3)

Specialty Generics Total $ 178.1



$ 195.5



(8.9) %

(0.1) %

(8.8) % Segment net sales $ 700.9



$ 823.3



(14.9) %

(0.1) %

(14.8) % Medicaid lawsuit $ (534.4)



$ 



*

*

* Net sales $ 166.5



$ 823.3



(79.8) %

(0.1) %

(79.7) %







*Not meaningful



(1) The three months ended June 26, 2020 includes the prospective change to the Medicaid rebate calculation of $8.6 million for the period from June 15, 2020 through June 26, 2020, of which $6.8 million represents the channel impact.



(2) The three months ended June 28, 2019 includes $13.9 million of net sales related to BioVectra prior to the completion of the sale of this business in November 2019.

MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (unaudited, in millions, except per share data)













Six Months Ended

June 26,

2020 Percent of

Net sales

June 28,

2019 Percent of

Net sales Net sales (Includes a retrospective one-time charge of $534.4 million related to the Medicaid lawsuit for the six months ended June 26, 2020) $ 832.3

100.0 %

$ 1,613.9

100.0 % Cost of sales 768.7

92.4



889.9

55.1

Gross profit 63.6

7.6



724.0

44.9

Selling, general and administrative expenses 462.4

55.6



456.1

28.3

Research and development expenses 160.3

19.3



164.9

10.2

Restructuring charges, net 12.6

1.5



4.0

0.2

Non-restructuring impairment charges 63.5

7.6



113.5

7.0

Gains on divestiture (0.4)









Opioid-related litigation settlement (8.3)

(1.0)







Medicaid lawsuit 105.3

12.7







Operating loss (731.8)

(87.9)



(14.5)

(0.9)

Interest expense (138.7)

(16.7)



(154.2)

(9.6)

Interest income 4.5

0.5



3.7

0.2

Other income, net 1.1

0.1



90.7

5.6

Loss from continuing operations before income taxes (864.9)

(103.9)



(74.3)

(4.6)

Income tax expense (benefit) 142.4

17.1



(229.0)

(14.2)

(Loss) income from continuing operations (1,007.3)

(121.0)



154.7

9.6

Income from discontinued operations, net of income taxes 24.0

2.9



7.0

0.4

Net (loss) income $ (983.3)

(118.1) %

$ 161.7

10.0 %











Basic (loss) earnings per share:









(Loss) income from continuing operations $ (11.95)





$ 1.85



Income from discontinued operations 0.28





0.08



Net (loss) income (11.66)





1.93



Diluted (loss) earnings per share:









(Loss) income from continuing operations $ (11.95)





$ 1.84



Income from discontinued operations 0.28





0.08



Net (loss) income (11.66)





1.92



Weighted-average number of shares outstanding:









Basic 84.3





83.7



Diluted 84.3





84.3





MALLINCKRODT PLC NON-GAAP MEASURES (unaudited, in millions except per share data)





























Six Months Ended

June 26, 2020

June 28, 2019

Net sales Gross

profit SG&A Net (loss)

income

Diluted

net

(loss)

income per

share (1)

Net sales Gross

profit SG&A Net

income

Diluted

net

income

per

share GAAP $ 832.3

$ 63.6

$ 462.4

$ (983.3)



$ (11.66)



$ 1,613.9

$ 724.0

$ 456.1

$ 161.7



$ 1.92

Adjustments:

























Intangible asset amortization 

387.5

(1.7)

389.2



4.60





436.2

(3.2)

439.4



5.21

Restructuring and related charges, net 





12.6



0.15









4.0



0.05

Non-restructuring impairment charge 





63.5



0.75









113.5



1.35

Inventory step-up expense 















10.0



10.0



0.12

Income from discontinued operations 





(24.0)



(0.28)









(7.0)



(0.08)

Change in contingent consideration fair value 



5.7

(5.7)



(0.07)







(2.3)

2.3



0.03

Significant legal and environmental charges (2) 534.4

534.4

(39.7)

671.1



7.92















Divestitures 





(0.4)



















Separation costs 



(42.0)

42.0



0.50







(30.6)

30.6



0.36

Gain on debt extinguishment, net 



















(71.3)



(0.85)

Unrealized gain on equity investment 





(3.0)



(0.04)















R&D upfront payment (3) 





5.0



0.06















Reorganization of legal entity ownership 





(6.3)



(0.07)









(189.8)



(2.25)

Income taxes (4) 





138.1



1.63









(116.0)



(1.38)

As adjusted $ 1,366.7

$ 985.5

$ 384.7

$ 298.8



$ 3.53



$ 1,613.9

$ 1,170.2

$ 420.0

$ 377.4



$ 4.48





























Percent of adjusted net sales 100.0 % 72.1 % 28.1 % 21.9 %





100.0 % 72.5 % 26.0 % 23.4 %





































(1) In periods where the Company reports a net loss from continuing operations, potential ordinary shares outstanding are excluded from the calculation of diluted earnings per share, prepared in accordance with GAAP, as they would be anti-dilutive. These potentially dilutive shares are included in the calculation of adjusted diluted earnings per share when dilutive. As a result, the adjusted diluted earnings per share utilized a weighted average share count of 84.7 shares for the six months ended June 26, 2020.



(2) Effective June 15, 2020, the Company was forced under protest to change the base date AMP for Acthar Gel, as directed by CMS. While the Company continues to pursue its appeal of the March 16, 2020 ruling by the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia that upheld CMS' position, the Company incurred a retrospective one-time charge of $639.7 million, of which $534.4 million and $105.3 million have been reflected as a component of net sales and operating expenses, respectively, in the unaudited condensed consolidated statement of operations. The $105.3 million reflected as a component of operating expenses represents a pre-acquisition contingency related to the portion of the retrospective liability that arose from sales of Acthar Gel prior to the Company's acquisition of Questcor Pharmaceuticals Inc. in August 2014. Of the $534.4 million recorded as a component of net sales, $27.6 million represents the impact of the Medicaid rebate calculation through June 14, 2020 for the six months ended June 26, 2020. Also includes $39.7 million in opioid defense costs which are considered to be non-recurring as a result of the opioid-related litigation settlement announced during the three months ended March 27, 2020; therefore, such costs are included as an adjustment to net income on a go-forward basis until effectuation of the opioid-related litigation settlement. These costs were partially offset by a $8.3 million decrease in the fair value of the opioid settlement warrants.



(3) Represents R&D expense incurred related to an upfront payment made in June 2020 to acquire product rights for terlipressin in Japan.



(4) Includes tax effects of above adjustments (unless otherwise separately stated), changes in uncertain tax positions, tax impacts related to the substantial doubt about the Company's ability to continue as a going concern, legislative changes and certain intercompany transactions.The six months ended June 28, 2019 also includes certain installment sale transactions.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SEGMENT NET SALES AND CONSTANT-CURRENCY GROWTH (unaudited, in millions)





















Six Months Ended













June 26,

2020

June 28,

2019

Percent

change

Currency

impact

Constant-

currency

growth Specialty Brands (1) $ 1,013.4



$ 1,232.0



(17.7) %

(0.1) %

(17.6) % Specialty Generics 353.3



381.9



(7.5)







(7.5)

Segment net sales $ 1,366.7



$ 1,613.9



(15.3) %

(0.1) %

(15.2) % Medicaid lawsuit (534.4)







*

*

* Net sales $ 832.3



$ 1,613.9



(48.4) %

(0.1) %

(48.3) %







*Not meaningful



(1) The six months ended June 26, 2020 includes the prospective change to the Medicaid rebate calculation of $8.6 million for the period from June 15, 2020 through June 26, 2020, of which $6.8 million represents the channel impact.

MALLINCKRODT PLC SELECT PRODUCT LINE NET SALES (unaudited, in millions)





















Six Months Ended













June 26,

2020

June 28,

2019

Percent

change

Currency

impact

Constant-

currency

growth Specialty Brands

















Acthar (1) $ 381.3



$ 490.3



(22.2) %

 %

(22.2)

Inomax 296.6



290.8



2.0



(0.1)



2.1

Ofirmev 127.3



186.1



(31.6)







(31.6)

Therakos 111.5



122.7



(9.1)



(0.6)



(8.5)

Amitiza 90.5



105.0



(13.8)







(13.8)

Other (2) 6.2



37.1



(83.3)







(83.3)

Specialty Brands Total $ 1,013.4



$ 1,232.0



(17.7) %

(0.1) %

(17.6) %



















Specialty Generics

















Hydrocodone (API) and hydrocodone-containing tablets $ 51.9



$ 35.5



46.2 %

 %

46.2

Oxycodone (API) and oxycodone-containing tablets 31.9



36.1



(11.6)







(11.6)

Acetaminophen (API) 99.6



94.6



5.3







5.3

Other controlled substances 161.4



192.8



(16.3)



(0.1)



(16.2)

Other 8.5



22.9



(62.9)







(62.9)

Specialty Generics Total $ 353.3



$ 381.9



(7.5) %

 %

(7.5) % Segment net sales 1,366.7



1,613.9



(15.3)



(0.1)



(15.2)

Medicaid lawsuit (534.4)







*

*

* Net sales $ 832.3



$ 1,613.9



(48.4) %

(0.1) %

(48.3) %







*Not meaningful



(1) The six months ended June 26, 2020 includes the prospective change to the Medicaid rebate calculation of $8.6 million for the period from June 15, 2020 through June 26, 2020, of which $6.8 million represents the channel impact.



(2) The six months ended June 28, 2019 includes $26.3 million of net sales related to BioVectra prior to the completion of the sale of this business in November 2019.

MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (unaudited, in millions)









June 26,

2020

December 27,

2019 Assets





Current Assets:





Cash and cash equivalents $ 818.3



$ 790.9

Accounts receivable, net 493.3



577.5

Inventories 333.0



312.1

Prepaid expenses and other current assets 310.2



150.2

Total current assets 1,954.8



1,830.7

Property, plant and equipment, net 864.7



896.5

Intangible assets, net 6,566.5



7,018.0

Other assets 304.1



593.7

Total Assets $ 9,690.1



$ 10,338.9









Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity





Current Liabilities:





Current maturities of long-term debt $ 19.5



$ 633.6

Accounts payable 86.5



139.8

Accrued payroll and payroll-related costs 132.5



105.2

Accrued interest 67.2



62.9

Medicaid lawsuit 639.7





Accrued and other current liabilities 375.5



485.4

Total current liabilities 1,320.9



1,426.9

Long-term debt 5,223.4



4,741.2

Opioid-related litigation settlement liability 1,635.1



1,643.4

Pension and postretirement benefits 61.4



62.4

Environmental liabilities 60.3



60.0

Other income tax liabilities 220.9



227.1

Other liabilities 198.6



237.2

Total Liabilities 8,720.6



8,398.2

Shareholders' Equity:





Preferred shares 





Ordinary shares 18.8



18.7

Ordinary shares held in treasury at cost (1,616.0)



(1,615.7)

Additional paid-in capital 5,575.7



5,562.5

Retained deficit (3,000.2)



(2,016.9)

Accumulated other comprehensive loss (8.8)



(7.9)

Total Shareholders' Equity 969.5



1,940.7

Total Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity $ 9,690.1



$ 10,338.9



MALLINCKRODT PLC CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (unaudited, in millions)









Six Months Ended

June 26,

2020

June 28,

2019 Cash Flows From Operating Activities:





Net (loss) income $ (983.3)



$ 161.7

Adjustments to reconcile net cash from operating activities:





Depreciation and amortization 439.4



488.6

Share-based compensation 13.3



22.8

Deferred income taxes 314.1



(271.2)

Non-cash impairment charges 63.5



113.5

Gains on divestitures (0.4)





Other non-cash items (12.5)



(76.0)

Changes in assets and liabilities:





Accounts receivable, net 83.6



95.5

Inventories (27.2)



(23.8)

Accounts payable (45.7)



7.2

Income taxes (219.8)



22.4

Medicaid lawsuit 639.7





Other (40.1)



(73.3)

Net cash from operating activities 224.6



467.4

Cash Flows From Investing Activities:





Capital expenditures (31.3)



(77.6)

Proceeds from divestiture, net of cash (3.5)





Other 6.0



8.2

Net cash from investing activities (28.8)



(69.4)

Cash Flows From Financing Activities:





Issuance of external debt 



200.0

Repayment of external debt (129.6)



(685.9)

Debt financing costs (9.1)





Repurchase of shares (0.3)



(2.5)

Other (19.2)



(18.0)

Net cash from financing activities (158.2)



(506.4)

Effect of currency rate changes on cash (0.5)



0.8

Net change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash 37.1



(107.6)

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period 822.6



367.5

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 859.7



$ 259.9









Cash and cash equivalents at end of period $ 818.3



$ 241.1

Restricted cash included in other assets at end of period 41.4



18.8

Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period $ 859.7



$ 259.9



SOURCE Mallinckrodt plc

Related Links

http://www.mallinckrodt.com


The Democratic Partys recently released policy platform was greeted warmly by certain newspapers in Iran. Media outlets associated with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani praised the partys rejection of regime change as U.S. policy. They also welcomed its proposal for a return to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), the nuclear deal from which President Donald Trump withdrew in May 2018. If former Vice President Joe Biden wins in November, the Rouhani camp believes the new American administration will not only revive the nuclear deal, but also lift sanctions. This could save the Islamic Republic of Iran from economic devastation, internal rebellion, and further regional setbacks. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, whose hatred of America has always been bipartisan, begs to differ.

Khamenei believes the United States can never be trusted. In his eyes, Democrats who prefer soft power to hard power may be even more dangerous than hawkish Republicans. This good cop-bad cop routine fits perfectly into Khameneis paranoia. While Democrats preach engagement, Khamenei views American soft power as subtle warfare meant to undermine the spiritual basis of the Islamic Republic. According to a senior intelligence officer with whom we spoke and who has a long history of dealing with Iran, Khamenei is paranoid that the ultimate American goal is to use this soft power to destroy the regime from within. In his feverish, conspiratorial worldview, Khamenei believes that the Democratic and Republican parties are controlled by Zionists bent on overthrowing the Islamic Republic and reversing the victories of the 1979 revolution.

Khamenei came to understand that further economic pain from more punishing sanctions might trigger regime-changing protests.

The more Democrats and Trump disavow regime change, the more Khamenei becomes convinced thats exactly their goal. He understands better than American leaders the enduring appeal of America among Irans young and repressed population.

The supreme leader had no illusions about the 2015 nuclear deal. He did not view it as a first step in resolving more than 40 years of mutual enmity. He endorsed Rouhanis nuclear negotiations with the Obama administration as a policy of heroic flexibility, which he compared to the moves of a wrestler who changes tactics but should not forget who his rival is and what his goal is. Following the 2009 protests, which saw millions of Iranians in the streets confronting the regime, Khamenei came to understand that further economic pain from more punishing sanctions might trigger regime-changing protests. The 2009 Green Revolution had shocked the regime and, as Khamenei acknowledged, taken it to the edge of the cliff. So, he compromised at the negotiating table. This flexibility was made easier by the Obama administrations extensive nuclear concessions, which gave the Islamic Republic near-zero nuclear breakout time and easier advanced centrifuge-sneakout options, as key restrictions disappeared over time.

Today the regimes security apparatus is better prepared for popular unrest, as demonstrated by its effective crackdowns on continual protests between 2017 and 2019. As a result of Trumps maximum pressure campaign, the Islamic Republic faces an even more severe economic crisis today than it did prior to the JCPOA. Yet Khamenei thinks his regime can survive any pressure short of American military action or a massive domestic uprising that overwhelms his security forces.

Khamenei will never trust Americans: He knows that his regime is viewed as dangerous and odious by most of the Washington political and national security establishment, with the exception of a leftist fringe. Most Democrats embrace the JCPOA not because they tolerate the regime. Instead, they believe, as former President Barack Obama said in response to the 2009 Green Revolution, in his often-repeated phrase borrowed from Martin Luther King Jr., that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice. They believe more diplomatic engagement with Tehran will, over time, wear down the regime so that it must moderate or disappear. Republicans prefer greater coercion to bend the moral arc more rapidly. For Khamenei, who sees clearly through the partisan noise in Washington, American politics means he gets both devious seduction and regime-punishing pain, as successive administrations open up and crack down. The supreme leader sees both as a mortal threat.

Khamenei could have billions of dollars of Iranian oil flow freely with zero restrictions on hard currency under the Democrats for a few years.

Khamenei is in no mood for a simple re-entry into the JCPOA, regardless of who is elected. Under the JPCOA, a previous Democratic administration took away, at least temporarily, a chunk of his nuclear infrastructure in return for economic relief. And then Trump took away that economic relief and imposed crippling sanctions. Its also been a horrible few years for the supreme leader: Two major internal rebellions erupted. The Israeli Mossad sabotaged key nuclear, missile, and military facilities and embarrassed Iranian security services by removing a nuclear archive from right under their noses that demonstrated the regimes nuclear mendacity. In operations greenlighted by America and tolerated by Russia, the Israeli Air Force launched hundreds of strikes against Iranian commanders, weapons supply lines, and proxies in Syria and Iraq. And the most humiliating blow: Trumps killing of Irans top battlefield commander, Qassem Soleimani, whom Khamenei considered a national hero.

And Iranian officials expect it to get worse. Theres fear of more popular insurrections like the nationwide November 2019 uprising, which shook the regime to its core. The security apparatus may be more efficient and repressive than in 2009, but a large-scale counterrevolution could overwhelm the regimes stormtroopers. Khamenei also knows that while the Biden team has discussed a possible return to the JCPOA, meaningful sanctions relief could be ephemeral, since it will be almost unanimously opposed by Republicans. Khamenei could have billions of dollars of Iranian oil flow freely with zero restrictions on hard currency under the Democrats for a few years. That may help him avoid total economic collapse and find more money for Syrias Bashar al-Assad, Hezbollah, and his other murderous proxies.

Khamenei rightly fears that his regime will end up on the ash heap of history. Democrats and Republicans should be dedicated, in their own way, to helping Iranians achieve that goal.

But its difficult to imagine a Republican presidential candidate running in 2024 who will not support a return to a policy of maximum pressure. Many international companies and banks will be frightened to invest in Iran knowing that, four years later, a Republican president could yet again pull America out of the JCPOA and reimpose sanctions. (Ironically, since a Trump deal with Iran is more likely to be supported by Republicans and some Democrats and ratified by the Senate as a treaty, it could be more enduring than the Democratic alternative.)

Khamenei knows his days on Earth are numbered and that his legacy can be secured only by handpicking a younger, ideologically fanatical successor. Gone after 2021 will be Rouhani and possibly his mendacious but savvy foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif. Their successors will not be nearly as masterful at manipulating Western elites, even though some of those elites have shown a disturbing desire to be manipulated. Revealing the true face of the regime, these successors bellicosity and revolutionary zeal could strengthen the Washington consensus about the threat from the Islamic Republic. And the painful memories of the regimes leadership role in the slaughter of over 500,000 people in Syria on their watch may be enough to have awakened at least some senior members of Bidens foreign policy team to the horrendous depravity of the regime.

Khamenei rightly fears that his regime will end up on the ash heap of history. Democrats and Republicans should be dedicated, in their own way, to helping Iranians achieve that goal.

The opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily the views of Radio Farda
Chandigarh: Punjab Congress chief Sunil Jakhar on Tuesday said he will be writing to party president Sonia Gandhi to seek action against the brazen indiscipline of the two Rajya Sabha MPs Pratap Singh Bajwa and Shamsher Singh Dullo, who had chosen to attack their own government.

The Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee (PCC) chief extended his sympathies to the families of those who had lost their lives in the hooch tragedy but said such tragedies do not give licence to any individual to indulge in indiscipline.

Its time to stem the rot and save the Congress from the petty machinations of the likes of Bajwa and Dullo, who had no shame in biting the hand that feeds them, Jakhar said, adding Ye jis thali mein khatey hain ussi mein chhed kartey hain. He said he would seek strict action against the two MPs who were disgracefully exploiting a tragedy to further their own political ambitions and interests.

Asserting that the actions of Bajwa and Dullo could not be tolerated any longer, Jakhar said: Men like these who do not have even the courage to face elections, are no asset to the party. Such backstabbing members should be shown the door before they can cause any serious damage. Enough is enough. Im going to clearly demand action against them from the party president.

Jakhar described the action of the two MPs, who had approached the governor on Monday to demand a CBI and enforcement department (ED) probe into the liquor deaths, as a manifestation of their desperate desire to grab power by hook or by crook. How many times in all these years did they ask for expediting the CBI inquiry into the sacrilege cases (which has since been taken over by Punjab Police) or the ED probe into drugs, launched during the SAD-BJP government? he asked.

ENGAGING IN ANTI-PARTY ACTIVITIES

Pointing out that Bajwa and Dullo had been engaging in such anti-party activities for quite some time by talking against their own party and targeting the Congress government in Punjab, Jakhar said their attacks had increased after Captain Amarinder Singh announced his decision to contest the 2022 elections.

Having probably seen the 2022 elections as their last chance to make it big in the corridors of power, the duo saw their hopes shattered and, out of sheer frustration, were knocking at all possible doors to sneak their way to the top echelons of power, he added, citing rumours of the two MPs being in touch with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

TAKES SWIPE AT SACHIN PILOT

Jakhar described the attack of the two MPs on their own government as a copy-paste job of what happened in Rajasthan in January, in the wake of 107 infant deaths over which Sachin Pilot had flayed his own government. Had action been taken against Pilot then itself, what is happening today in Rajasthan could have been avoided, he said, adding that he will bring to Sonias notice the dangers of letting Bajwa and Dullo get away with their detestable act of expressing their dissent/concern not in the party or government forum but in public.

The PPCC president pointed out that the two MPs are surviving politically only due to the largesse of the Congress high command, which had nominated them to the Rajya Sabha since they had run scared from contesting assembly and parliamentary elections. He recalled that Rahul Gandhi had helped Bajwa by making him PCC president in the face of opposition, but his betrayal of Rahuls and the partys trust had exposed his petty political ambitions which he was bent on pursuing to the detriment of the Congress itself.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : Pratibha Verma has secured third rank in the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) 2019 examination and became topper among the total women candidates recommended for the appointment.

The Union Public Service Commission on Tuesday announced its result for Civil Services Exam 2019 and recommended 829 candidates for the appointment to Indian Administrative Service, Indian Foreign Service, Indian Police Service and Central Services.

The appointment has been done on the basis of the result of the written Civil Service Examination conducted in September 2019 and interviews conducted from February to August this year.

Out of the total 829 candidates, over 150 are women. In the top ten list, Pratibha Verma ranked third, followed by Vishakha Yadav and Sanjita Mohapatra who secured sixth and tenth position.

Meanwhile, Pradeep Singh topped the examination, followed by Jatin Kishore. Result of 11 candidates has been withheld.

There are 304 candidates from the general category, 78 from the economically weaker section, 251 from other backward classes, 129 from the scheduled class and 67 from the scheduled tribes.

Appointment to the various services will be made according to the number of vacancies available with due consideration to the provisions contained in the Rules for the Examination.

For this year, the Civil Services exam was scheduled to be held on May 31, but it has now been rescheduled to October 4 in view of the coronavirus pandemic.
2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

A 3,600-square-foot house in San Francisco is on the market for $5.5 million.

The home is located inside a former laundry and tooth powder warehouse.

It has two shipping containers inside that have been converted into a guest room suite and office.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

A San Francisco home on the market has some unusual details. Industrial buildings turned into lofts aren't exactly unheard of, but the former laundry and tooth powder warehouse is now a luxurious home with two refurbished shipping containers inside of it.

The house has other amenities too, including a home theater, a two car garage, 11-foot ceilings, and a fully updated roof deck.

2230 Bush Street is listed with Annie Williams of Sotheby's International Real Estate for $5.5 million. See inside.

The 3,600 square foot home is in the Pacific Heights and Fillmore District neighborhoods of San Francisco.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The industrial-looking building was converted from its former life as a tooth powder and laundry warehouse.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The loft has 17 foot tall ceilings in the main living area.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

In a nod to the home's industrial past, two shipping containers are part of the design, used to section of parts of the larger room.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The lower container has a bedroom and ensuite bathroom.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

It's one of three bedrooms in the home.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

For an efficient use of space, the container guest bedroom has a Murphy bed.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The "privacy wall" for the guest bathroom goes from clear to opaque based from a switch. The former owners told Dwell that the bathroom was designed to be reminiscent of a ship or train.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Both shipping containers were placed through the roof by crane, after the loft's floor was reinforced to hold the extra weight.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

With open doors, the custom shipping containers look intentional and blend into the home.

Story continues

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The sellers added drywall and a fireplace in the living room.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Listing agent Annie Williams told Business Insider that she thinks those details warm up the concrete space.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The kitchen is part of the large open living space with the living room.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

With an island and seating, separate table, and plenty of counterspace, the kitchen can easily host a family gathering.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Metallic details and hanging light fixtures continue the industrial vibe throughout the main living space.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The other container, stacked on top of the guest bedroom, is a home office.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The container also has a small lofted sleeping area inside, for late working nights.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Outside of shipping containers, the house has two more bedrooms and bathrooms.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Warehouse-style windows flood the upper level bedroom with light.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Concrete walls and the ceiling beams contrast with comfortable bedroom furniture.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The master bedroom has access to a private deck.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The roof, with 800 square feet of outdoor space, is the highlight of the property.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Sellers replaced the roof hot tub with a bar.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

It has professional details, like a drain with spring to wash glasses, and space for two kegs.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The bar even has a heater, plus the fire pit, to make the outdoor area useable in cooler temperatures.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Indoor and outdoor sound systems mean a gathering can take place on the roof and inside.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Williams noted that with indoor gatherings on hold because of COVID-19, the outdoor space could be a selling point for the house.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

The bar, grill, and seating make large roof deck an ideal place to have a socially distant gathering.

2230 Bush Street, San Francisco.

Open Homes Photography

Read the original article on Business Insider
New Delhi:

Former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda, who had implemented a Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) to unearth black money during his tenure, on Thursday said the present government had carried out demonetisation in a haphazard manner causing unimaginable sufferings to the people.

The JD(S) chief said Prime Minister Narendra Modi should have spoken on demonetisation in Parliament so that we could reply.

The best thing would have been that the Prime Minister should have made a statement in the House on the very first day of the ongoing Winter Session regarding the decision which he had already announced on November 8 when Parliament was not in session, Gowda told PTI here.

We are not against efforts to curb black money. But in my opinion, the Prime Minister announced demonetisation without any preparation. It was done in a haphazard manner, said the Lok Sabha member who has been waiting to speak on the issue in the House but could not due to its non-functioning.

Gowda said 22 days have already passed since the announcement was made by Modi in a nationally-televised address but people, particularly the farmers and the labourers, continue to go through unimaginable sufferings.

Noting that the Prime Minister had asked people to tolerate the difficulties for 50 days, he questioned, How long does this government want the people to suffer?

The senior leader from Karnataka said in his state, banks do not have enough cash and they close down as early as noon, leaving people high and dry.

It was a hasty decision by the Prime Minister without proper assessment which has put the country in an awkward situation, he emphasised.

83-year-old Gowda, who was Prime Minister from June 1996 to April 1997, recalled the VDS implemented by him during his tenure which had unearthed Rs 10,000 crore of undisclosed money.

FULL COVERAGE: BLACK MONEY CRACKDOWN

For all the Latest India News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Are Christian couples biblically mandated to have children? John Piper answers

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Theologian John Piper believes Christian couples are biblically called to have children unless God makes it crystal clear that the self-denying path of Christ-exalting obedience is childlessness.

In an episode of the podcast Ask Pastor John, a listener asked the 74-year-old founder of DesiringGod.org, Is it permissible for an ordinary Christian couple to simply choose to not have children?

In response, the chancellor of Bethlehem College & Seminary in Minneapolis, Minnesota first argued that theres no such thing as simply choosing to have children.

There are always realities, in our hearts and in our minds and in our experiences, that shape our so-called simply choosing, he explained. We are not simply choosing. We are choosing because of who we are, because of deep realities that have shaped our hearts, our preferences, our desires, our wants, our inclinations.

Piper then offered five observations that he said may reveal some of the hidden things of the heart.

He stressed, first and foremost, that Scripture defines children as a blessing.

[Children ] are a gift; children are a blessing. When they are withheld, it is a heartache  sometimes even a judgment, Piper said. What a sadness when many modern women, shortsightedly I think, choose to forgo that blessing, while millions would literally give their right arm to have it.

Second, Scripture is starkly realistic about how badly things may go in families, Piper acknowledged, adding: The Bible is not a Pollyanna tale of happy families.

Almost all of them in the Bible are broken  one way or the other, he continued. But none of this  none of it  hinders the ongoing reality that conceiving and raising children is normal, beautiful, fitting, natural, normative.

Third, Piper pointed out that the Bible does not share the modern mindset that the aim of life is the avoidance of hardship or heartache or suffering.

Before having children, parents do not know whether their offspring will have special needs, break their hearts with unbelief, or live six hours and die, he explained. However, they do know that raising a child in the Lord demands spiritual desperation, prayer, focus, and attention.

But from the standpoint of Gods word, none of those possible heartaches and none of these guaranteed stresses are reasons not to have children, because the Bible does not share the modern viewpoint that the aim of life is the avoidance of hardship, he said.

Fourth, the bestselling author pointed out that parents cant predict their childrens influence, and thus cannot presume to think that they can do more good by not having children.

[We] simply do not know whether our child will be a debit or a credit to the human race  a curse or a blessing, a taker or a giver, he said. We dont know.  Who do we think we are? My goodness, who do we think we are to predict that our children will be a loss rather than a gain for the world, and for the glory of Christ, whom we can believe and pray to?

Finally, Piper argued that most couples dont decide to have children after calculating the effect of their child on global warming, or the replacement rate for the population so that 30 years from now the workforce will be big enough to sustain the aged, or whether we will certainly have enough resources to establish the child in a fruitful location.

Rather, children are often the culmination of the biblical blessing pronounced upon having children together with the voice of God in nature every month as a woman ovulates and as the man stands ever-ready to deposit his seed as the deep-seated, God-given longings of a man and a woman to be a father and a mother rise up.

Piper concluded by saying that the biblical blessing, voice of nature and God-given longing should be followed unless God himself makes it crystal clear that the self-denying path of Christ-exalting obedience is childlessness.

Previously, Piper suggested it is permissible for Christian couples to wait to have kids and to limit the number of children they have.

God knows your heart. Hes a merciful Father, and he loves children, he said in 2018. But our having children is not his highest priority. His highest priority for his children is Christ-exalting faith and Christ-magnifying joy that overflows in meeting the needs of others. Thats his highest priority.

The theologian also said in the past that it is permissible, in some cases, for a missionary couple to forgo children altogether.

A recent survey by the Guttmacher Institute found that about a third of women in the United States ages 18 to 49 were planning to postpone pregnancy or forgo adding a child to their family because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Similarly, Wellesley College economics professor Dr. Phillip Levine, a one-time White House economic advisor, and a team of researchers from the Brookings Institution are projecting a decline of 300,000 to 500,000 births in the U.S. next year.

But birth rates were steadily declining in Western countries before the pandemic. According to a report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the number of births in the U.S. dropped to a three-decade low in 2018.

Its estimated that by 2035, the number of Americans over the age of 65 will outnumber those under the age of 18.
When Meghan, Duchess of Sussex arrived in the U.K. to join the British royal family, she was very much out of her element. The outspoken feminist, actor, and activist was leaving behind her anonymity, a successful career, Suits, and everything shed ever known.

While Meghan received a warm welcome from Prince Charles and Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, she hoped to bond with Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge. After all, Kate was once in Meghans position. The mother-of-three had met and fallen in love with Prince William during their college years. She experienced first hand the major adjustments it took to make it in the royal family.

In fact, despite their very different personality, Meghan went out of her way to try and bond with Kate. Sadly, things never panned out.

RELATED: Fans Are Furious That the Royal Family Is Defending Kate Middleton but Not Meghan Markle

Kate Middleton and Meghan Markle never became true friends

Though they both have fantastic attributes, its no secret that Kate and Meghan are very different people. Meghan has been outspoken for the majority of her life, taking charge of her image and her career. In fact, her work ethic and gusto often put her at odds with palace staffers.

In contrast, Kate has taken a more traditional role as a complement to Prince William. Though shes found her stride in her work in early childhood education and development, it took a moment to find it. Unfortunately, the duo never got a chance to bond.

Of all the people in the royal family, Meghan said she had hoped to develop a close relationship with Kate, but was never given the chance, a source told Daily Mail. It was hurtful and disappointing for Meghan.

RELATED: Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton Never Had a Feud

Meghan Markle is disappointed in her relationship with Kate Middleton

Like Prince Harry, Meghan hoped that she might live up to the fab four expectations. Unfortunately, Prince Harry and Prince Williams already strained relationship with one another did not foster a good environment for her to bond with Kate.

It was also hurtful to Meghan that Kate seemingly stood on the sidelines and did not reach out of her as she endured relentless racially and gender charged harassment from the British press. Royal reporters Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand write in their upcoming book Finding Freedom,

Meghan would agree with the assessment that the duchesses were not the best of friends. Their relationship hadnt progressed much since she was Harrys girlfriend. Meghan envisioned Kate would reach out and help her understand everything an outsider to the Firm needed to know. That didnt happen. Meghan was disappointed that she and Kate hadnt bonded over the position they shared, but she wasnt losing sleep over it.

RELATED: 4 Photos of Meghan Markle and Kate Middleton the Press Doesnt Want You to See

Meghan Markle was desperate to bond with Kate Middleton

Still, in the beginning, Meghan was desperate to make a good impression with Kate. In her BBC engagement interview with Prince Harry, the LA-born star gushed over Kate. She also tried her best to make a thoughtful first impression.

For Kates 36th birthday in January 2018 just a few months prior to Meghan and Prince Harrys wedding, the duchesses spent some time together. Meghan bought a present for the duchess, Scobie and Durand write in Finding Freedom via Hello! The soft leather Smythson notebook helped to break the ice, as did Meghans cooing over then 20-month-old Charlotte.

In the end, the two womens interactions would settle into distant politeness.
Some opposition leaders, top musicians and other South Africans have urged the Zimbabwean government to stop arresting civic society activists and opponents suspected to have organized an anti-corruption protest last Friday.

In different tweets on Monday, former leader of the opposition Democratic Alliance Mmusi Maimane, Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) kingpin Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, Thuli Madosela and musicians AKA and Casper Nyovest, suggested that the South African government and other nations should intervene to stop the arrest and human rights violations.

In his tweet, EFF leader Julius Sello Matema said, We call for the removal of the Zimbabwean Embassy in SA until they restore the human rights in that country. Failure to do so, we will prevent any official from the Zimbabwean government from participating in any gathering in SA until they respect ordinary Zimbabweans.

His views were echoed by Professor Jonathan Moyo, former Zimbabwean Cabinet minister and member of a Zanu PF group that opposed President Emmerson Mnangagwas rise to the southern African nations top political post.

In a tweet, Professor Moyo said, This is African leadership. True solidarity with the people. Asante sana. Tatenda. Siyabonga. Kea leboha!

But a person who responded to Malemas tweet, identified as Tendai Chirau, shot back, saying the protest organizers had a regime-change agenda.

Upon realising that their machinations are not finding traction in Zim's political space, members of the fallen G40 cabal have now elected to use @Julius_S_Malema

as their proxy. This will not work! Zim is a sovereign state! We will defeat the handled and the handlers!

At the same time, former DA leader Mmusi Maimane, backed Malema and several other people, who wanted the international community to intervene in Zimbabwe. He seemed to be courting the attention of firebrand talkshow host, Trever Noah.

Eita @Trevornoah can we find a way to bring global attention to the human rights abuses in Africa. The attacks on black lives in our neighborhood which need global solidarity. A burning topic right now is the arrests of journalists and activists in Zimbabwe #ZimbabweanLivesMatter

Responding to another person in the same tweeter thread, Maimani said, The options range from mediations, warnings, sanctions and even military intervention. However right now not enough action is being taken regionally.

The MDC Alliance led by Nelson Chamisa was also following the tweet. Dr. Nkululeko Sibanda, spokesperson of the MDC Alliance leader, said he was impressed by the South African politicians views on the current situation in Zimbabwe.

Thank you so much for hearing our suffering under the violent power of a heart despot. Yesterday, l had 4 AK 47s pointed at me and my colleague by abused soldiers that just wanted money or they would shoot. This is Zimbabwe, am glad the driver did not panic, could be dead.

But a person, who identified himself as Jay Mbongeni was not impressed by Maimanis tweet. Don't think you can write foreign policy on Twitter. You are not even an opposition leader. I am a Zimbabwean and I trust the government to maintain order.

Kea Mogetswe, who was also following these twitter threads, supported South African politicians and other people that are calling for an end to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe where some civic society leaders and journalists have been arrested for planning anti-corruption protests and uncovering corruption in government corridors.

I'm South African and right now Zimbabwe's pain is my pain. Such evil can not be ignored. #prayforZimbabwe #ZimbabweanLivesMatter.

Sibusiso Khumalo, another person who was following the tweets, was not impressed at all about what Malema and others were saying.

Khumalo said, ZANU PF ingotonga (will rule) they will buck world all round ZANU PF chikara (champion). We voted ZANU PF 2023 we will vote ZANU PF. It's ED Pfeeee until 2028. The is no social media pressure that will remove His Excellence our votes are more powerful.

Jones Musara was also not impressed. Thanks for letting the cat out of the bag. This whole plot is about military invasion of Zimbabwe to destroy Zimbabwe lives. #ZimbabweanLivesMatter.

In what appears to be a direct response to the South Africans calls for an end to human rights abuses in Zimbabwe, Nick Mangwana, permanent information secretary, said on Twitter, Sanctions imposed against Zimbabwe have killed many. They have unintended consequences. We need every voice to be heard because, #ZimbabweanLivesMatter.

Mangwana declined to comment on the issue.

President Mnangagwa said recently that people, who were planning the Friday protest, were terrorists with a regime-change agenda.

Several Zanu PF activists claimed that Generation 40 (G40) was spearheading the protest together with MDC Alliance, civic society organizations and several opposition parties.

Jacob Ngarivhumes party, Transform Zimbabwe, proposed the protest, which were supported by some government opponents nationwide.

Ngarivhume and journalist Hopewell Chinono are in remand prison facing charges of inciting people to revolt against the government.

Section 59 of the Zimbabwe Constitution stipulates that every person has the right to demonstrate and to present petitions, but these rights must be exercised peacefully.
In a huge provocation, Pakistan is now claiming Junagadh in Gujarat as its own territory. Pakistan has chosen to unnecessarily needle India a day before the anniversary of the abrogation of article 370.

After failing to garner any support on Kashmir at any international forum, Pakistan has now opened a new front with India. After baseless assertions on Jammu and Kashmir, believe it or not, Pak is now claiming Junagadh in Gujarat as its territory. Taking a cue from Nepals PM KP Oli, Pak PM Imran Khan has now released a new map of the country, where theyre claiming Junagadh in Gujarat as their territory.

In a huge provocation, Pakistan has now included the erstwhile state of Junagarh in Gujarat as Pakistani territories but it has also claimed J&K and Ladakh, it has also claimed. Interestingly, Pakistan has chosen to unnecessarily needle India a day before the anniversary of the abrogation of article 370 and weeks after Nepal made a similar move and included Indian territories of Lipulekh, Limpiyadhura and Kala Pani in its own political map. Raising doubts if countries like Nepal and Pakistan which are run by Xis puppets are maybe dancing to the dragons tune.

Imran Khan released the new political map of the country after holding a cabinet meeting. In this new map Pak has claimed not only Siachen in Ladakh, calling construction by India in the area illegal but also Gujarats Junagarh. As far as J&K is concerned Pak has earlier also made such claims in the past but whats especially intriguing is that this time Pak has chosen to stake claim on Junagarh in Gujarat as well. Looks like, Pak which is rattled with getting no international support on J&K, is trying to unnecessarily provoke India and raise another issue to divert attention from peace in J&K after the abrogation of 370.

Also Read: Bigger, taller, grander: All the details on what the Ram Temple will look like

Also Read: Three fall in open drain after their rooms collapse as heavy rains batter Mumbai

The claim comes as another huge provocation to India as it continues to counter China and Nepals territorial claims. While India is constantly resisting Chinas claims in Eastern Ladakh and other border areas, Nepals new map asserts its claim on Indian territories like Kalapani, Lipulekh and Limpiyadhura. Nepal plans to send the new map to the International community by mid August.

Interestingly, Pakistans claim over Junagarh comes hours after India slammed it at the UN and called it a nerve centre of terrorism. Indias Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador TS Tirumurti on Tuesday said it is a well-known fact that Pakistan is the nerve centre of terrorism. It is the home to the largest number of listed terrorists and terrorist entities like Jamat-ud Dawah, Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed and Hizbul Mujahideen. All of these entities are continuing their operations from Pakistan.

He added that under the 1267 Committee, which submits its report periodically on terrorist activities of al Qaeda and its affiliates, there are several direct references to Pakistans involvement. It is yet to be seen how India reacts to Pakistans yet another shallow move of expansionism.

Also Read: Bid to woo Hindu vote bank? Priyanka breaks silence on Bhumipoojan, says event promotes harmony


By Jung Min-ho







A Kazakh man, 28, an undocumented migrant who risked his life to rescue 10 people from a burning building in March, has received an award for his heroic deeds.





Kim Jin-ha, head of the Yangyang County Office in Gangwon Province, presented the award to Yuldashev Aliakbar, better known as "Ali" among Koreans, for outstanding bravery.





The ceremony was held at Kim's office after the Ministry of Health and Welfare selected him last month as one of the two recipients of the bravery honor, along with Kang Cheol-soo, a taxi driver who rescued a man trying to commit suicide in Seoul in January.





Ali came into the spotlight after saving people from a burning apartment at a Yangyang town on March 23. While trying to wake his neighbors and open windows to let the smoke out at around 11:20 p.m., he suffered burns to his back, neck and hands.





Despite his bravery, Ali immediately faced deportation after his illegal status came to light.





Moved by his story, more than 10,000 people signed a petition urging the government not to deport him, saying he deserved a reward, not deportation.





With the award, Ali is expected to gain government compensation and eligibility to apply for permanent residency.





A Ministry of Justice official told The Korea Times that the award would be factored into the ministry's review of his status.


A psychotic man shot dead by police as he repeatedly stabbed his mother with a stick ranted about being a 'demon warrior' just days prior, a coroner has heard.

Police rushed to a reserve in Gladstone Park in Melbourne's north-west on July 16 in response to multiple Triple-0 calls about a woman being attacked.

Officers arrived to find Lillia Messo, 54, being brutally assaulted by her son Gabriel Messo, 30, in a frenzied and sickening attack.

Confronting footage shows the moment police shot dead Mr Messo dead after he ignored repeated orders to stop stabbing his mother, who was rushed to hospital in a critical condition.

Almost three weeks on, Ms Messo is still recovering in hospital in a stable condition and is yet to be formally interviewed by police.

She needs facial reconstructive surgery and is expected to lose her sight in one eye.

A Coroner's Court directions hearing heard details about Mr Messo's final weeks, where he had moved from his parents' home into a sharehouse and confided in a family friend about his mental health battle.

Gabriel Messo (pictured) was dead down by police as he stabbed his mum with a stick

Gabriel's mother Lilla Messo (pictured) remains in hospital in a stable condition

Counsel assisting the Coroner Lindsay Spence told the court Mr Messo had been behaving erratically, the Herald Sun reported.

'He showed physical aggression and verbal abuse at times towards his family and in a further meeting a couple of days later Mr Messo was described as being very erratic  ranting and raving and talking about being a "demon warrior" and fighting the demons,' Mr Spence told the court.

More details about the lead-up to Mr Messo's final moments were also revealed.

He was captured on CCTV pacing up and down the footpath in John Coutts Reserve before stopping to take off his shoes and socks, which were placed on a park bench, along with a water bottle and notebook.

When his mother arrived a short time later, she was pushed to the ground by her son and violently attacked.

'On arriving the police officers observed Mr Messo was attacking his mother to the head  using repeated upward and downward stabbing motions with an implement later determined to be a stick,' Mr Spence said.

Gabriel Messo savagely stabbed his mum Lillia (pictured together) in a Gladstone Park reserve across the road from where he lived on July 16

The Coroner will examine footage captured by witnesses at the upcoming inquest after it was revealed the officer involved in the shooting was wearing a body camera but had not turn it on prior to the incident.

The inquest will also hear about Mr Messo's six year battle with mental health issues, which first came to the attention of police in 2016.

He told a family friend he suffered severe hallucinations as a result of cannabis use and was schizophrenic but declined treatment because the medication 'made him feel lifeless', the court heard.

It was also revealed Mr Messo was arrested a day prior to his death in relation to reports of an early morning aggravated burglary at his aunt and uncle's house.

Gabriel Messo (left) had been behaving erratically and unleashed an extraordinary rant about a demon warrior weeks before he was shot dead by police

Mr Messo told police he was there to speak to his cousin.

He was taken to the hospital for a mental health assessment before being discharged and taken back to a police station to be interviewed, the Age reported.

Mr Messo was charged with criminal damage and assault and released on bail.

He had no criminal convictions at the time of his death.

The inquest has been adjourned to a later date for homicide detectives to complete a brief of evidence.

Gabriel Messo was shot shot dead by police in Gladstone Park last month. Pictured is the scene

Gabriel Messo (pictured) had been battling with mental health issues since 2014

The Homicide Squad, with oversight from Professional Standards Command continues to investigate the incident.

State Coroner John Cain acknowledged the familys grief and loss and wished Ms Messo a speedy recovery.

Her son had only moved into the Gladstone Park home across the road from the reserve about three weeks prior to his death.

His housemate, Sylvester told Daily Mail Australia he lived in fear of Mr Messo and said it was only a matter of time before he killed someone.

'He's not really 100 per cent (mentally). But that poor mother was always coming here, giving food, washing the clothes - still all the washing clothes are outside and inside for him,' he said.

'I knew there was something wrong with him, but he's got angry with the mother.'

Paramedics treated a man in his 30s and an older woman at the scene in John Coutts Reserve. The man couldn't be revived

Sylvester said his mother loved her troubled son despite his wild behaviour.

Neighbours recalled her visiting her son up to four time a week.

'She brought him food and put it in the fridge all the time ... She did everything. I feel so sorry for her,' he said. 'She's a very nice lady,' Sylvester said.

In the days before the horrific attack, Mr Messo was heard to be in constant arguments with people on the phone.

He was also heard to argue with his mum.

'He sometimes argued with mum as well,' Sylvester said. 'But when I'm there he (doesn't).'

Sylvester said while he never believed Messo was capable of murder, he was not surprised at his violent outburst.

'I knew something was wrong with him,' he said. 'I never believe that he's guilty of bashing his own mother ... then I realised this is the guy. He can do that thing.'
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- An activist in Kazakhstan has been jailed after staging a one-man protest outside the Chinese consulate in Almaty over recent statements on Chinese-Kazakh military cooperation made by Chinese Ambassador Zhang Xiao.

A court in Almaty late on August 3 found Serik Azhibai guilty on charges of staging an unapproved public event and disobeying police orders. He was sentenced to 15 days in jail.

Azhibai pleaded not guilty, arguing that Kazakh laws allow an individual to hold a single-person protest without first obtaining permission from authorities. Azihibai also told the court that he has a right to express his opinion freely.

Azhibai was detained earlier on August 3 in front of the Chinese consulate. He was holding a protest sign reading: "Ambassadors bring reconciliation, enemies bring discord! Get out of the country!"

Before his arrest, Azhibai said he was protesting remarks by Ambassador Zhang in an interview with Chinese media last week.

According to Azhibai, who is fluent in Chinese, the ambassador had said that China and Kazakhstan would send troops to each other's territory to quash possible riots if need be.

"We are not a Chinese autonomous region, Azhibai said. We are a sovereign state, an independent nation.

Neither China nor any other state have a right to interfere in the internal affairs of other countries," Azhibai said.

Azhibai was one of many Kazakhs who have picketed outside the Chinese consulate in Almaty for many months.

They have been demanding the release of their relatives and other ethnic Kazakhs being held in internment camps in China's northwestern Xinjiang region.

In his interview last week, Ambassador Zhang said the Chinese and Kazakh armed forces "are decisively cracking down on the three evils" -- an expression used by Chinese media to refer to terrorism, extremism, and separatism.

Zhang also said in the interview that the two neighboring countries oppose "color revolutions" in the region.

Anti-China protests in Kazakh towns and cities have become frequent in recent years as Kazakh citizens challenge China's growing economic presence in the country.

Activists also have been denouncing the widespread incarceration of members of indigenous Turkic-speaking communities in Chinas Xinjiang region, including ethnic Kazakhs and Uyghurs.

In April, Kazakhstans government sent a note of protest to Beijing over an article on a Chinese website claiming that Kazakhstan was seeking to become part of China.

In August 2018, the United Nations said an estimated 1 million Uyghurs and members of other indigenous ethnic groups in Xinjiang were being held in "counterextremism centers."

The UN said millions more had been forced into so-called reeducation camps.

China denies that the facilities are internment camps. But people who have fled the region say thousands of ethnic Kazakhs, Uyghurs, and other Muslims in Xinjiang are undergoing "political indoctrination" at a network of camps.

Kazakhs are the second-largest Turkic-speaking indigenous community in Xinjiang after Uyghurs. The region is also home to ethnic Kyrgyz, Tajiks, and Hui, also known as Dungans.

Han, China's largest ethnic group, is the second-largest community in Xinjiang.

The United States has imposed sanctions on Xinjiang's current and former officials over the ongoing abuse of rights of the region's indigenous ethnic groups.
Leader of the Congress in Lok Sabha Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury on Tuesday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking the release of medical practitioner Kafeel Khan, booked under the National Security Act (NSA) for alleged hate speech.

Chowdhury contended that grievous injustice was being meted out to the Uttar Pradesh doctor.

Khan is in detention for allegedly making an inflammatory speech on the Aligarh Muslim University campus during the anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests.

With just a day to go for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple in Ayodhya, Uttar Pradesh, Chowdhury, in his letter to the PM, said, Ramraj (Lord Rams rule) is antithetical to injustice, discrimination and retribution. I, on behalf of my party, vehemently opposed the legislation (CAA) inside the Parliament and outside. However, no NSA was invoked against me or the millions of other protesters across the country.

I am quite bewildered as to why a young medical practitioner has been implicated despite the fact that freedom of expression has been engraved in the hallowed Constitution of India, Chowdhury wrote in the letter.

The senior Congress leader urged Modi to secure justice for Khan, who had been in jail since January.

Even international forums such as the United Nations have been persuading you for the release of Kafeel Khan. Sir, I firmly believe that Ramraj is simply antithetical to injustice, discrimination and retribution, the Lok Sabha MP from Berhampore said.

Khan was arrested at Mumbai airport on January 29 in connection with a case registered at Aligarhs Civil Lines police station under section 153-A of the Indian Penal Code.

The section relates to enmity promotion between groups over religion and other differences.

On February 10, Khan was granted bail by the Allahabad High Court but not immediately released by Mathura Jail authorities. His family then moved the court in Aligarh, claiming contempt of the HC order.

The court issued a fresh release order on February 13.

But before it could be executed, the authorities invoked the National Security Act against him.

The paediatrician had earlier faced arrest following the deaths of over 60 children in a week at a government hospital in UPs Gorakhpur in 2017.

About two years later, a state government probe cleared Khan of all major charges.
The U.S. Army Chinook helicopter assembly line, above, and the V-22 Osprey building at Boeing in Ridley Park. The plant just got a $265 million contract for nine more Chinook helicopters. Read more

A new $265 million contract between the Pentagon and Boeing could spell more future sales for the Ridley Park plant.

On Friday, Boeing announced that the funding would be used to build nine more of its MH-47G Block II Chinook helicopters for the U.S. Army Special Operations Aviation Command. This is the third contract of its type in three years that Boeing has received for the plant, which employs more than 4,600 workers. The other contracts, one in 2018 and another in 2019, each funded the building of four such Chinook helicopters.

Andrew Africk, a spokesperson for Boeing, said this contract wont add workers in Ridley Park, but it will support one of the plants most important products. The Chinook factory has two main production lines, and theyre used to build Chinooks for all of our global customers, he noted.

Boeing is one of the largest defense contractors in the world, and Africk pointed out that the Ridley Park site supports a very robust portfolio of helicopters that are used by or on order with 20 defense forces around the world, including those of nations such as Canada, the U.K., and Australia.

He also said that the program of record  or the number of products that a military customer has purchased or has in operation  is 69 Chinooks for Army Special Operations. Boeings Ridley Park plant, he said, is now on contract for 24 of the new Chinooks.

The increase in production numbers on this most recent contract could mean that the company is preparing to ramp up manufacturing for these new models, said Loren Thompson, a military analyst and chief operating officer at the Lexington Institute, a think tank in Arlington, Va.

He noted that although the nine helicopters on this contract are for Army Special Operations, the really big prize is to build a similar version of that helicopter for the Army because the Army would need hundreds of them. Entering this contract improves Boeings chances of making a much bigger sale to the U.S. Army.

Thompson suggested theres a big motivation for the Army to upgrade its Chinooks, largely because current models are limited in what they can carry. The ones that Boeing will be building for the Army Special Operations under this contract give the helicopter a lot more lifting capability than the ones that are in the Army fleet today.

More specifically, Thompson said that a future stream of funding from the government to build more Chinooks will help sustain the factory for years to come.

But if Boeing doesnt get that next deal, the consequences could be dire. The Chinook and the [Osprey] V-22 are the two main aircrafts they build there, he said. So if the Army doesnt follow the special operations community by buying new Chinooks, then the plant will take a huge hit.
The police in Telanganas Karimnagar district on Tuesday arrested a self-styled sorcerer who allegedly beat up a 24-year old woman to ward off evil spirits four days ago leading to her death Monday night.

The victim, Kanukuntla Rajitha, mother of a two-month old baby girl, succumbed to injuries at a private hospital in Karimnagar town on Monday night.

We have arrested the accused, Doggala Shyam and booked a case under Section 307 (attempt to murder) on him. He was handed over to the Jaypur police station in Mancherial district, where the incident happened, Karimnagar commissioner of police V B Kamalasan Reddy told Hindustan Times.

The womans uncle Pulikota Ravinder, who engaged the sorcerer, was also arrested. The accused were produced before the court and sent to 14-day judicial remand, Reddy said.

A video of Rajitha being beaten indiscriminately by Shyam on the pretext of driving away evil spirits from her surfaced in the social media on Monday.

Inquiries by the police revealed that Rajitha, an orphan, who pursued her graduation while staying in a social welfare hostel in Karimnagar, had been working as a salesgirl in a supermarket in Hyderabad since 2018. She came in contact with Mallesh from Gaddapaka village of Mancherial district, also a salesman and married him last year.

Two months ago, Rajitha delivered a baby girl. Since then, she had not been keeping good health. As she failed to recover even after treatment in the government hospitals at Mancherial and Karimnagar, her in-laws approached sorcerer Shyam, a native of Gaddapaka, through Ravinder.

On the request of Ravinder, Shyam visited Malleshs house four days ago and thrashed Rajitha severely stating that she was being troubled by evil spirits. He even got the treatment recorded in a mobile.

Unable to bear the torture, Rajitha fell unconscious. Her husband and in-laws brought her to Karimnagar for treatment. They admitted her in a private hospital, where she succumbed on Monday night.

The body was handed over to the family after post-mortem, which mentioned that she died of internal bleeding in the head, the police said.

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Iranian Workers Strike In Different Sectors, Notably Oil And Gas

Roozbeh Bolhari, Radio Farda August 02, 2020

A wave of labor strikes has hit Iran on Saturday, August 1 in different sectors and plants, including Haft Tappeh Sugar Cane industrial complex, and more importantly in the oil and gas industry.

Workers went on strike in the south if Iran, at Abadan, Parsian and Qeshm refineries, and in the Lamerd petrochemical complex, and South Pars oil field. All workers assembled, demanding the implementation of job-classification law and their overdue wages and benefits.

Workers at Qeshm oil refinery employed by several contractors say that their employers have failed to pay them regularly.

Nevertheless, the state-run Iran Labor News Agency (ILNA) cited one of the refinery's directors saying that the workers are after raises and have no problem concerning overdue salaries.

The Abadan oil refinery has also witnessed protests by contract workers in recent months, which gained momentum on Saturday.

Furthermore, workers in phases 22 and 24 of South Pars gas fields went on strike on Saturday with similar demands. Workers in these phases have held several strikes and rallies since 2017.

Meanwhile, Hepco, one of the principal manufacturers of road construction machinery, witnessed another round of workers' protest to confusion and uncertainty over undefined job descriptions and decline in the operational capacity of production lines.

A jewel in the crown of the industrial sector in Iran before the Islamic Revolution (1979), Hepco is reportedly operating with only 5-10 percent capacity.

Unpaid wages and benefits in Iran in recent years have become a major issue for workers. The ongoing hardship has forced struggling workers to hold protest rallies in different parts of Iran, including the Haft Tappeh Sugarcane Industrial Complex, in the oil-rich Khuzestan province.

On Saturday, workers at the plant marked the 48th day of their strike. At the same time, three parliament members visited the city of Shush (ancient Susa), where the complex is located.

In recent years, sugarcane workers have been demanding their overdue wages and requiring the company's return of ownership to the public sector or the workers themselves.

Once a lucrative plant, the massive agro-industrial complex founded in the 1960s in the oil-rich Khuzestan Province, is the oldest sugar mill in Iran. The mill was privatized under questionable circumstances in 2015.

With 24,000 hectares (about 60,000 acres), was transferred to Omid Asadbeigi and Mehrdad Rostami-Chegini in February 2015, in exchange for an advance payment of sixty billion rials (approximately $1.4 million), a clearly inadequate amount for the value of the company's land and assets. Since then there is no proof of further payment or any significant investment in the complex.

The company's workers have always complained about delays in their salaries over the years. As a rule, the Islamic Republic arrests whoever participates in labor protests. Many protesters, including the Haft Tappeh workers, have been detained and sentenced to long term imprisonment.

The Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers are demanding immediate payment of three-month overdue wages, renewal of their insurance, the return of fired employees, immediate arrest of the company's CEO, Asad Beigi, and sentencing him and the chairman of the company's board of directors, Mehrdad Rostami Chegini to life imprisonment.

The owners are also involved in a $1.5 billion FOREX corruption case.

The Haft Tappeh example shows that although U.S. sanctions have hurt Iran's economy and the government's ability to bail out troubled companies, corruption and mismanagement are at the core of many labor protests.

In one of the sessions of the trial, the prosecutor alleged that Omid Assadbeigi, the CEO of the company and one of its owners, has deliberately not paid the workers' wages as a tool to put pressure on the court to acquit him, presumably being aware of the complications that workers' protests and strikes will create for the government.

According to the Iranian Labor News Agency (ILNA), workers are also worried about the spread of coronavirus among them. "Forty of our colleagues are now in isolation due to COVID-19," one of the workers was quoted by ILNA as saying.

Meanwhile, a lawmaker, Alireza Khezrian, told the state-run radio and television that he and two other legislators had traveled to Shush to investigate the problems of the Haft Tappeh sugarcane workers and submit a report to parliament.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/iranian- workers-strike-in-different-sectors- notably-oil-and-gas/30761646.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Two of three sightseeing balloons that crashed are seen in an open area of Jackson Hole in western Wyoming, on Aug. 3, 2020. (Brad Boner/Jackson Hole News&Guide via AP)

Three Sightseeing Hot Air Balloons Crash Separately, Up to 20 Injured

Three hot air balloons crashed separately in Wyoming early Monday morning, injuring up to 20 people, officials said.

The crash occurred at about 8 a.m. over an area about two miles south of Teton Village, near Jackson Hole.

No deaths have yet been reported. About ten people were taken to St. John Medical Center for treatment, officials at the medical facility told KIFI. Five of the people have since been discharged, and the remaining five were expected to be released soon, according to the outlet.

At least one person was flown to a hospital in Idaho Falls. According to KIFI, the condition of the person, who was flown to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center, is unknown. The outlet noted that there have been conflicting accounts as to how many people were involved or injured.

The three balloons, owned by the same tour operator, Wyoming Balloon Co., did not crash into each other but went down separately, according to Teton County Sheriff Matt Carr. He said the weather was apparently a factor.

Jackson Hole Fire Chief Brady Hansen said that the balloons were not found near each other, and it appeared as though they were suddenly driven to the ground, reported Jackson Hole Radio.

Winds of 9 mph were reported in Jackson Hole shortly after the accident.

The National Transportation Safety Board and the Federal Aviation Administration is investigating the accident to establish the official cause of the crash.

Balloon passenger Clinton Phillips told the Jackson Hole News & Guide that the crash was terrifying.

I couldnt believe how beautiful everything was, Phillips told the outlet. And then we were in hell a few minutes later. It was crazy.

He added that about 20 people in the balloon he was on were trying desperately to not fall out.

It was lifting us up and slamming us back down again, he said.

A 12-year-old passenger, Robert Krayevski, said that he and his family were on a balloon that was dragged across a field and crashed into a fence.

Our captain fell off while we were in it, Krayevski told the outlet. We bounced and went back up in the air by ourselves. The captain was yelling to pull the red ropes. We tipped over and we had to get out because of possible fire. I got out and people were laying on the ground hurt.

According to new outlet Jacksom Hole Buckrail, two balloons went down in a field, and the other balloon crashed further south, near an area with trees.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
"Not for Distribution to the U.S. News Wire Services or for Dissemination in the U.S."

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / NV Gold Corporation (TSXV:NVX)(OTC PINK:NVGLF) ("NV Gold" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that the Company has arranged subscriptions for a non-brokered private placement of units of the Company for gross proceeds in excess of CDN$2,500,000 and may accept subscriptions for up to CDN$3,000,000 (the "Placement").

"We are excited about our upcoming fall exploration programs, both in Nevada at our Sandy and Slumber Gold Projects, and at the optioned high-grade Exodus Gold Project in British Columbia," commented Peter A. Ball, President and CEO of NV Gold. "NV Gold continues to receive significant interest from multiple new investors related to the upcoming exploration program at the Exodus Gold Project, and also our plans for a busy fall season in Nevada. With our existing cash balance, and the funds from this financing, NV Gold will be funded for our planned activities well into 2021. In addition, NV Gold has outstanding in-the-money share purchase warrants, that could yield proceeds if exercised of approximately CDN$1.8 million. NV Gold, being armed with a strong treasury and very prospective and drill-ready gold projects, is well positioned to benefit from the strong gold market as it continues to move towards USD$2,000/oz, or beyond."

The Placement is an offering of up to 9,375,000 units (the "Units") at CDN$0.32 per Unit. Each Unit consists of one share and one-half of one share purchase warrant exercisable at CDN$0.40 per share for 24 months from issue of the Units. A finder's fee is payable on subscriptions by certain subscribers of 7% of the cash proceeds paid by such subscribers and warrants to purchase 7% of the number shares issuable to such subscribers in respect of their subscriptions for Units.

Closing of the Placement is conditional on acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange. The proceeds of the Placement will be used by the Company for the advancement of existing properties, potential acquisition of new properties, and for general working capital. All securities issued under the placements will be subject to a four month hold period from the date of issue in accordance with applicable securities laws.

This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any of the Units in the United States. The Units have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "U.S. Securities Act") or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

About NV Gold Corporation

NV Gold (TSXV:NVX)(OTC PINK:NVGLF) is a junior exploration company based in Vancouver, British Columbia that is focused on delivering value through mineral discoveries in North America, leveraging its highly experienced in-house technical knowledge, and identifying and drilling 2-3 priority projects per year. NV Gold controls multiple drill-ready projects in Nevada, and has entered into an Option Agreement on the high-grade Exodus Gold Project in British Columbia, Canada.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

Peter A. Ball

President & CEO

For further information, visit the Company's website at www.nvgoldcorp.com or contact:

Peter A. Ball, President & CEO

Phone: 1-888-363-9883

Email: peter@nvgoldcorp.com

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements or information. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding the proposed raising of up to CDN$3,000,000, the Company's planned exploration activities and the other proposed uses of such funds and other future plans and objectives of the Company, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's plans or expectations include regulatory issues, market prices, availability of capital and financing, general economic, market or business conditions, timeliness of government or regulatory approvals and other risks detailed herein and from time to time in the filings made by the Company with securities regulators. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as otherwise required by applicable securities legislation.

SOURCE: NV Gold Corporation

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600189/NV-Gold-Arranges-Private-Placement-of-Up-to-CDN3000000
Students walk through Harvard Yard on the campus of Harvard University in Cambridge, Mass., on March 12, 2020. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

Students Must Be Tested Every 2-3 Days for Colleges to Safely Reopen, Study Finds

College students will need to be tested for COVID-19 every two to three days in order for schools to reopen safely, a study conducted by the Yale School of Public Health said, the Medical Press reported.

The study was published on the JAMA Open Network on July 31, for the purpose of discovering what kind of COVID-19 screening process should be put in place in order to maintain a safe reopening process for colleges as September approaches.

A. David Paltiel, one of the authors and a professor at the Yale School of Public Health, said that it is possible for schools to reopen safely in the fall, but it will require high-cadence screening in the add-on to script adherence to masking, social distancing, and other preventive practice.

Test frequency is important, according to the study, which stated that even with a low-quality COVID-19 test, it will be able to detect the prescience of infection more so than administering tests on a less frequent basis, the study found.

However, the study also found that it is possible to screen for COVID-19 too frequently.

Rochelle P. Walensky, one of the authors and chief of the Massachusetts General Hospitals Division of Infectious Diseases, said that testing too often overwhelms isolation facilities with false-positive results, generating unnecessary expenditures, fueling anxiety, and undermining confidence in the ability of the university to keep its students safe.

Many colleges and universities will face severe financial consequences should they decide against not reopening, the Medical Press noted.

Amy Zheng, co-author of the study, said that theres no way to react fast enough while waiting for the symptoms to show before jumping to containing the virus.

This virus is too readily transmitted by highly infectious, asymptomatic, silent spreaders, especially if there might be sporadic parties that lead to outbreaks, Zheng said.

I know that many schools are following [U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] guidelines and considering the option of just carefully monitoring students for symptoms and using signs of illness to trigger isolation and testing and contact tracing and quarantine. We explored thousands of scenarios, and we didnt find a single plausible circumstance under which that kind of strategy would be sufficient to contain an outbreak, Paltiel said, according to US News.

Despite that, Paltiel said that the tests will not be cheap, especially if schools follow suggestions offered by the study, which is to test every two to three days, but Paltiel said that hopefully the price will decrease as more and more inexpensive COVID-19 tests hit the market.

On the other hand, not everyone thinks that this the only way to keep schools open come September, as Elizabeth Bradley, president of Vassar College, called the approach very resource-intensive.

Their conclusion point to one specific strategy that is very resource-intensive and logistically very difficult to do, and neglect other strategies that one could use and be equally as safe, Bradley said, reported US News.

She said that at her own college, which is more isolated from the rest of the community, the ability to maintain no infections could be done if students get tested before arriving for the semester, and then for the rest of the semester as students stay on campus and away from the rest of the community. This way, when implementing mask-wearing or social distancing procedures, its just one extra stepand if some students fail to do so, they are still ok because they tested negative upon arrival.

Furthermore, in recent studies published in Iceland, Sweden, and Germany, opening schools didnt cause any deaths or an increased risk of infection in children; neither were the children likely to spread the disease. The Swedish study also noted no increase in infection among teachers compared to other professions.

Moreover, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Robert Redfield has said the agency never recommended schools close in the first place and advocates for reopening in the fall.

Having the schools actually closed is a greater public health threat to the children than having the schools reopen, Redfield said.

The Epoch Times reporter Charlotte Cuthbertson contributed to this article.
Vidya Iyengar By

Express News Service

BENGALURU: With the threat of coronavirus looming large in February, actor-anchor-speaker Kubbra Sait found herself returning to Mumbai, even though she was midway through a shoot in Ireland. For the next two weeks upon her return, Sait slept for 12 hours a day, getting all the rest she hadnt got in the last couple of years. That was a halt that I really needed. I asked myself a lot of questions about who I am as a person and my responsibilities, says Sait who shot to fame with the webseries, Sacred Games.

While thats one side of the story, she also had concerns about income, rentals and her brother  comedian-actor Danish Sait  and even considered moving back to Bengaluru. But luckily for her, none of those worries lasted too long. With work flowing in, keeping her in a comfortable position, and Danishs creative videos of fictional characters going viral, Sait is, in fact, rejoicing this and more. She has just signed a deal with HarperCollins, and is in the midst of writing her debut book.

In April, I reached out to Jacaranda Literary Agency, wanting to be a ghost writer for a book, the subject of which I thought Id figure out later. They immediately shot down the idea of me being a ghost writer and instead, suggested that I write a book of my own, she says. Before she knew it, she was sending writing samples  of her childhood, relationship with mum, Danish and her cats  and signing the contract.

Im already done with half the book, which is going to be a memoir with snippets from my journey and learnings, she reveals. The book is likely to be released in the first quarter of 2021. My wildest dreams are coming true in this lockdown. I didnt know that someone would make my dream of wanting to be an author real, says the 37-year-old actor, who also worked on a series, which will be out on OTT, and shot it from home.

In the middle of the writing process, Sait who sometimes writes 6,000 words and sometimes none at all, finds herself to be a better speaker than writer. Ive learnt to think on my feet as an anchor, and I find writing to be so different. I want to enjoy the process. I neither want to be overly-critical nor pressurise myself, she says, adding that naysayers are aplenty, critiquing every trait and move.

Ive heard so many negative things, like anchors cant turn actors, or curly-haired people dont make it in this business, and even that my hairline is too thick. There are always people who tell you, If you change that one little aspect, you will make a killing in the business. But no one ever says take a course and learn the craft, she says.

Although 2020 marks 10 years of Saits move to Mumbai, she admits that she doesnt consider it home. For me, Bombay is an office space. But then, I dont have one single city that I would call home, says Sait. Starring in Sacred Games has definitely been the life-altering episode of the decade. It began a new chapter, Sait says, hoping that her book will do too.
Chinese military expert says Kyodo misinterprets his words over Dongsha Islands drill

Global Times

By Yang Sheng and Guo Yuandan Source: Global Times Published: 2020/8/3 21:53:41

A Chinese professor said his words have been misinterpreted after Japanese media quoted his article and wrongly inferred that the Chinese mainland "is expected to carry out a large-scale landing drill" aimed at seizing the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha Islands in the South China Sea in August.

Kyodo News reported on Monday that in a paper published in the August issue of the Hong Kong-based Bauhinia Magazine, Li Daguang, a prominent expert in military strategy at the National Defense University of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), had "acknowledged" the drill will take place.

"Although Kyodo News reported the plan in May, citing sources familiar with the matter, it was the first time that a person related to the Chinese military acknowledged it," said the Japanese media.

However, Li told the Global Times on Monday that he did not confirm any speculation about the drill in his article, saying that "I did mention a PLA drill aimed at seizing the Dongsha Islands in August, but this was citing the report by Kyodo News in May. It's absolutely not a confirmation of their speculation."

The Dongsha Islands controlled by the Taiwan authority are located in the South China Sea, which is very close to Guangdong Province of the Chinese mainland but far from the island of Taiwan, and with no local residents. The Taiwan authority only sends a few troops of its naval forces to the islands for defense purposes.

A Beijing-based military expert who asked for anonymity told the Global Times that "seizing the islands is not a difficult mission at all. The PLA is capable of seizing them within one or two hours at the most, and with no casualties. But the move will bring significant impact to the South China Sea situation and the PLA will only take action when the mainland believes the move is necessary."

Song Zhongping, a military expert and TV commentator, told the Global Times that the "Dongsha Islands' location is strategically important as it links the South China Sea and the West Pacific, and if the Taiwan authority lets US military forces deploy facilities in the islands, it would be a major threat to the PLA and the mainland's security."

Large-scale landing drills are becoming normalized for the PLA. The drills target islands, and as the Taiwan-controlled Dongsha, Taiping, Penghu, as well as Taiwan, are all islands, it is possible for the PLA to transform the drills into real combat operations anytime if the Taiwan authority crosses the bottom line, Song noted.

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A Woodburn domestic violence suspect was arrested early Tuesday after an hours-long standoff with authorities, deputies say.

Raul Martinez, 19, is accused of strangulation, assault, coercion, theft and robbery, according to the Marion County Sheriffs Office. He was taken to the county jail.

Deputies were initially sent to a domestic incident on Oregon 219 Northeast near Woodburn early Monday evening.

Martinezs girlfriend told them that he had assaulted her, according to the sheriffs office. She was taken to a hospital with injuries that didnt threaten her life.

Martinez was gone before deputies arrived but later returned to the home, deputies said.

Deputies came back to the home shortly before 11:30 p.m. But as they prepared to contact Martinez, they were told he was inside the home with a gun, threatening to kill himself, according to the sheriffs office.

Deputies helped family members evacuate, and negotiators and SWAT personnel were called after attempts to get Martinez to come outside werent successful.

Attempts to get Martinez to speak with negotiators and ultimately surrender were also unsuccessful, according to the sheriffs office.

Authorities deployed gas munitions into the home shortly after 4 a.m. Tuesday, the sheriffs office said. Martinez came outside minutes later and was taken into custody.

A section of Oregon 219 was closed for about four hours during the incident, according to the sheriffs office.

-- Jim Ryan; jryan@oregonian.com; 503-221-8005; @Jimryan015

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USS Porter Departs the Black Sea

US Navy

From U.S. 6th Fleet Public Affairs

03 August 2020

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) began its southbound transit from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 3, 2020, after conducting maritime security operations in the region.

The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) began its southbound transit from the Black Sea to the Mediterranean Sea, Aug. 3, 2020, after conducting maritime security operations in the region.

While in the Black Sea, Porter and her crew participated in the 20th iteration of joint U.S.-Ukrainian hosted, annual maritime exercise Sea Breeze, a multinational effort that drew together air, land, and sea forces from Bulgaria, Georgia, Norway, Romania, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine, and the United States. This year's exercise involved over 400 U.S. service members and eight nations, with a focus on multiple warfare areas including maritime interdiction operations, air defense, anti-submarine warfare, damage control, and search and rescue operations.

"My crew and I always appreciate opportunities to operate and train with our regional allies and partners in the Black Sea" said Cmdr. Craig Trent, commanding officer of Porter. "The time we spend here is essential to building enduring relationships and developing our interoperability."

The ship entered the Black Sea July 19, to strengthen interoperability with NATO Allies and partners to demonstrate the collective resolve to Black Sea security while participating in exercise Sea Breeze 20. This visit marks the third Black Sea regional patrol in five months for Porter.

U.S. Navy vessels routinely conduct training with allies and partners in order to increase capacity and capability as we work together to strengthen regional ties.

During previous visits to the Black Sea, Porter and her crew took part in three naval exercises with naval forces from the Bulgarian, Georgian, Romanian, and Turkish navies, as well as the Harpers Ferry-class dock landing ship USS Oak Hill (LSD 51). Porter also conducted two visits to Batumi, Georgia while maintaining COVID-19 precautions.

The U.S. Navy routinely operates in the Black Sea consistent with international law, including the Montreux Convention.

Porter, forward-deployed to 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 and Africa.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.

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The federal government says it spent more than N500 million to feed pupils during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 ...





The federal government says it spent more than N500 million to feed pupils during the lockdown imposed to curb the spread of COVID-19 in the country.





Sadiya Umar-Farouq, minister of humanitarian affairs, disaster management and social development, disclosed the sum at the presidential task force (PTF) on COVID-19 briefing in Abuja on Monday.





According to the minister, the clarification became necessary to clear the air over speculations regarding how the federal government disbursed funds for the programme.





At the rate of N4,200 per family, and with 124,589 households impacted, a sum of N523,273,800 was spent on the programme.





It is critical at this juncture to provide details that will help puncture the tissue of lies being peddled in the public space. The provision of take-home rations, under the modified home grown school feeding programme, was not a sole initiative of the MHADMSD, she said.





The ministry, in obeying the presidential directive, went into consultations with state governments through the state governors forum, following which it was resolved that take-home rations remained the most viable option for feeding children during the lockdown.





So, it was a joint resolution of the ministry and the state governments to give out take-home rations. The stakeholders also resolved that we would start with the FCT, Lagos and Ogun states as pilot cases.





According to her, the implementation was done in line with the March 29 presidential directive, and each family was assumed to have three children.





Umar-Farouq added that the school feeding programme was modified, and 124,589 households were impacted, at the rate of N4,200 per family.





According to statistics from the NBS and CBN, a typical household in Nigeria has 5.6 to six members in its household, with three to four dependents. So, each household is assumed to have three children, she said.





Based on the original design of the home grown school feeding programme, long before it was domiciled in the ministry, every child on the programme receives a meal a day. The meal costs N70 per child.





When you take 20 school days per month, it means a child eats food worth N1,400 per month. Three children would then eat food worth N4,200 per month and that was how we arrived at the cost of the take-home ration.





The agreement was that the federal government will provide the funding while the states will implement. To ensure transparency in the process, we partnered with the World Food Programme (WFP) as technical partners.





Other government agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), non-governmental organisations, among others, according to the minister, monitored the process.





She said Lagos, Ogun and the federal capital territory (FCT) were covered in the programme which took place between May 14 and July 6.




The Electricity Company of Ghana (ECG) says the 100 per cent absorption of the electricity bills for lifeline customers on both the prepaid and postpaid metering systems as directed by the government will be realised from August 2020 to January 2021.



This was contained in a press statement signed and issued by the Managing Director of ECG, Mr Kwame Agyeman-Budu, as the company outlined a strategic guideline for the implementation of the governments extension of the free electricity relief package for Ghanaians.



This follows a decision by the government to absorb the electricity bills of consumers to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on Ghanaians.



Explanation



Explaining how the absorption would be implemented for lifeline prepaid customers, the ECG said customers on smart prepaid meters would be automatically credited each month with their free lifeline units, while customers on the non-smart prepaid meters would have to visit their vending points to recharge in order to receive their free life line units each month.



It said the governments absorption of bills for postpaid lifeline customers would reflect from August, 2020.



The ECG urged customers to contact its district offices with any challenge, adding that Management wishes to assure lifeline customers and stakeholders that it has resolved to implement this directive to the letter.



Background



In his 14th address to the nation, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo announced the extension of free electricity and water relief packages after the initial one ended in June.



The government had earlier absorbed fully electricity bills for one million active lifeline customers, granted 50 per cent subsidy on electricity bills of all other customers and granted free access to water for all households across the country.



Government is also extending free electricity supply to lifeline tariff customers until the end of the year, President Akufo-Addo said.







Source: Graphic.com.gh









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 Deceived

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Stacey Dooley And The Lockdown Babies  Panorama

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Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley. Only I wasnt dreaming, I was watching The Deceived (C5), a four-part chiller that steals shamelessly from Daphne du Mauriers Rebecca.

Both the 1938 novel and the wonderful movie they made of it two years later starring Oscar-nominated Joan Fontaine opened with that haunting line: Last night I dreamt . . .

The Deceived began with the same image, of a desolate country house rising out of the mist, its windows like hollow eyes. But the first line was more ominous: I was always frightened of the house from the first moment I saw it.

Emmett J. Scanlan, last seen bleeding to death in Sky Atlantics Gangs Of London, plays the womanising academic, a man whose hair is as smooth as his lies

The words were spoken by Ophelia (Emily Reid), a Cambridge undergraduate who has travelled to rural Ireland in search of her missing literature professor . . . who is also her lover.

She arrives to discover Prof Callaghan at his own wifes funeral. Emmett J. Scanlan, last seen bleeding to death in Sky Atlantics Gangs Of London, plays the womanising academic, a man whose hair is as smooth as his lies.

Emmett has also starred in Peaky Blinders and The Fall. Weve seen him shot, tortured, run over and brutalised in countless other ways, but his coiffure is always immaculate. That man must sweat hair gel.

As in any good Gothic melodrama, the handsome man of mystery is not to be trusted. Think of Laurence Olivier as Max de Winter in Rebecca, keeping his young bride a prisoner at Manderley with protestations of love.

Callaghan uses the same technique. You assume you can walk away from this? he asks Ophelia, caressing her cheek.

Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley. Only I wasnt dreaming, I was watching The Deceived (C5), a four-part chiller that steals shamelessly from Daphne du Mauriers Rebecca (above)

And all the other Gothic themes are present: the locked door in a deserted part of the house, the eerie sounds in the night.

Whenever Ophelia falls asleep, you know shes going to wake up disoriented and alone, and that her first impulse will be to go exploring (stay away from that cobwebby summer house, young lady! Oh . . . too late).

But Im not convinced our naive heroine is as guileless as she seems. She wasted no time in seducing her professor, after all, and shes quick with a lie when she has to be  telling the Donegal locals that shes a literary agent, and not Callaghans student.

Now she says shes pregnant with his baby. Weve only got her word for it. Rebecca was an innocent: Im not so sure about Ophelia. Well learn more tonight, as this four-part tale plays out.

No melodrama could be as emotionally wrought as the moment we saw a baby delivered by caesarean section in Panoramas Stacey Dooley And The Lockdown Babies (BBC1).

The child was not breathing, and nurses could not detect a heartbeat.

Though the mother had tested negative for Covid-19, the baby could not be treated in the same room as her: the tests were wrong about 20 per cent of the time, and doctors dared not take the risk.

Instead, they carried the limp bundle into a corridor, where thankfully they were able to revive him.

The chaos caused by the virus on the wards at this Bradford maternity hospital was terrifying to see.

So many high-risk patients were being treated that the unit was shut to new admissions. Where expectant mothers were supposed to go instead, we werent told.

One midwife at the end of her shift told Stacey she had barely time to dash home, have a cup of tea and a biscuit, snatch 40 winks and then rush back.

Im a key worker. This is where I belong, she said. This gripping half-hour report was too brief to do justice to her and her colleagues.

The chaos caused by the virus on the wards at this Bradford maternity hospital was terrifying to see

Biggest laugh of the night:

When Diane Morgans comedy short Mandy (BBC2) first aired last year, I called it tears-downyour-face funny. It was just as hilarious on a second showing.

A full series starts next week. Cant wait.
Speaking at the Knesset (parliament) on Monday, Netanyahu said that on Sunday night, Israeli troops "thwarted an attempt to plant explosives on the Syrian front," reported Xinhua news agency.

Jerusalem, Aug 4 (IANS) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned that his country will attack "anyone who tries to attack us," a day after Israel said it killed "terrorists" near the Syrian border.

Hours later, Israeli fighter jets and aircraft targeted Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip after a rocket was fired towards southern Israel from the besieged Palestinian enclave. The rocket was intercepted by Israel's anti-rocket Iron Dome system.

"We will hit anyone who tries to attack us and this principle applies to anyone who does," he said.

The incident near Israel's disputed border with Syria took place overnight between Sunday and Monday in the Golan Heights. A military spokesperson said Israeli troops opened fire at four armed men who were implanting explosives near the border. Media reports said later that the four were killed.

The army said that in a patrol near the site on Monday, weapons and a bag with a few improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ready to deploy were found some 25 meters from the security fence on the Israeli side of the Alpha Line, the 1967 cease-fire line between the two countries.

"IDF (Israel Defence Forces) troops on the Golan Heights remain ready for further developments," the military said in a statement, adding it holds Syria "responsible for any aggression from its territory."

Tensions along Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria have been on the rise since a fighter with Hezbollah was killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria in July.

Last Monday, Israel said it thwarted an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied such an attempt.

--IANS

rt/
A former MSNBC producer on Monday published a searing open letter explaining why she left the network, writing that the broadcast news industry is a cancer that stokes national division due to the prioritization of ratings.

Ariana Pekary, a producer for MSNBCs primetime show The Last Word with Lawrence ODonnell, said her last day at the network was July 24, and while she is unsure what her next step is, I simply couldnt stay there anymore.

My colleagues are very smart people with good intentions. The problem is the job itself. It forces skilled journalists to make bad decisions on a daily basis, Pekary said in a statement on her personal website.

Pekary said she witnessed the network make content decisions based on ratings, a consideration she said is practically baked in to the editorial process  and those decisions affect news content every day.

As it is, this cancer stokes national division, even in the middle of a civil rights crisis, Pekary said. The model blocks diversity of thought and content because the networks have incentive to amplify fringe voices and events, at the expense of others all because it pumps up the ratings.

The cancer also risks human lives amid the coronavirus pandemic, Pekary said, because the network focused on the Trump administrations response to the crisis rather than important facts or studies, which get buried.

It also risks our democracy, the former producer continued, because MSNBC focuses on President Trump rather than Joe Biden and fails to cover how to vote by mail, a topic Pekary said she has seen get killed more than once during the editorial process.

Choosing a story without considering its ratings potential is the exception, not the rule, Pekary said, adding that, context and factual data are often considered too cumbersome for the audience.

She cited a very capable senior producer, who according to Pekary said, Our viewers dont really consider us the news. They come to us for comfort.

Story continues

Pekary is the latest in a string of high-profile figures to depart the news industry over the last month.

Last month, opinion editor Bari Weiss resigned from The New York Times, penning a scathing letter of resignation in which she alleged that she was subjected to constant bullying from colleagues who deemed many of her ideas wrongthink.

Days later, British conservative columnist Andrew Sullivan departed New York Magazine for similar reasons, asserting that the magazine and its parent organization Vox Media are hostile to diversity of opinion.

More from National Review
When Beau Phillips checked into a hotel near Toledo recently, a table in front of the counter barricaded him from getting too close to the clerk, who wore a mask and stood behind a plastic window.

The key is gently tossed at you from three feet away, said Mr. Phillips, a public affairs executive who was staying at a Radisson Country Inn & Suites while visiting family.

The hotels breakfast buffet was gone, the fitness center closed, elevators limited to two riders. And to reduce the risk of an in-person visit, after Mr. Phillips left his room each day, no housekeeper came in to make the bed.

The pandemic has plunged the hotel industry into a historic downturn. Average hotel occupancy dipped as low as 22 percent in late March, and had risen to a still miserable 48.1 percent the week ending July 25, according to STR, a market research firm. So hotels nationwide have embarked on a transformation of the most basic ways they run their business, aimed at showing would-be travelers they understand where theyre at: terrified.
(Natural News) Its something that comes straight out of the Twilight Zone (if youre old enough to remember that series or if youve seen the re-runs). Or, perhaps, a more timely description would be Bizzaro World.

Once upon a time in America, we believed in the necessity of having functioning, well-funded, well-organized police departments in our cities to protect and serve our communities.

Police departments not only investigate criminal activity but they also act as our thin blue line keeping civil society civil while protecting against anarchy, a condition that simmers just below the surface.

In the absence of police, there is an absence of law and order and a plethora of violence and chaos  which is what is currently evolving in Minneapolis, site of the George Floyd incident in May.

Rather than simply investigate and, if necessary, punish a small group of police officers who may have acted inappropriately and caused Floyds death (simmer down  we dont know that yet because there hasnt been a trial), the Marxists running the city have bent a knee to the Black Lives Matter mob and have already voted to defund their police department with the goal of replacing cops with kinder, gentler social workers.

Or something like that.

But in the interim, the department has essentially been neutered and residents are paying a heavy price.

In fact, its gotten so bad that the department has actually sent out instructions to residents asking them to be prepared to be robbed and to willingly give up whatever the robber demands.

No, thats not a misprint.

Alpha News Minnesota reports:

The Minneapolis Police Department (MPD) told residents they should be prepared to hand over their phones, wallets, and purses to robbers.

The MPD has reported a 46 percent increase in carjackings and a 36 percent increase in robberies compared to this same time last year

Police in the citys Third Precinct alone have received more than 100 reports of robberies and 20 reports of carjackings in just the last month.

Officials are now telling residents to be ready and willing to comply with the demands of criminals in an email sent to Third Precinct residents.

Be prepared to give up your cell phone and purse/wallet, cops said in an email to residents, a copy of which was obtained by the news outlet.

The email also instructed cities to obey the criminals and do as they say.

In addition, the message warned some victims have been maced, dragged, assaulted, and some threatened with a gun.

And why not? There are entire segments of the city that are no-police zones. Thats not a misprint, either. (Related: Black journalist stabbed in the back at Portland protest was targeted for being conservative.)

MPDs cautious approach to the area around the George Floyd Memorial comes amid a sharp rise in the number of shootings citywide, including in the south Minneapolis neighborhoods around the memorial, the Minnesota Reformer reported. Minneapolis police recorded 162 violent crimes in the Third Precinct in June, compared with 102 for the same month last year.

In other words, Minneapolis is quickly devolving into a third-world lawless enclave where citizens are going to be forced to take care of themselves.

And indeed, thats already happening.

As break-ins and fires raged in the first days of mass protests over the killing of yet another black man in an encounter with police, the city seemed to descend into a security vacuum, NPR reported way back in early June. [Cesia Baires] says the police disappeared from this neighborhood. Thats when she and others started forming patrols to include people with licensed weapons.

This business of defunding police isnt going to end well. The gang bangers, the anarchists, the thugs, the druggies, and the homicidal will come to rule the streets if theyre allowed free passage. Thats just human nature and a lot of innocent people are about to learn that lesson the hard way.

Sources include:

NPR.org

Patch.com

AlphaNewsMN.com

NaturalNews.com
After months of ramping up the Everett casino, Wynn Resorts reported that Encore Boston Harbor finished the second quarter $53.8 million in the red as it remained closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The $2.6 billion resort casinos losses highlight the financial hit Wynn Resorts took as it retained its employees while it was shut down for part of the first quarter and for the entire second quarter. Nor do the losses include the $19.3 million the company spent to continue paying the Everett staffs salaries and benefits between April 1, the start of the second quarter, and May 15.

CEO Matt Maddox said the company avoided job cuts to preserve its brand even after the Everett and Las Vegas properties shut down in the wake of COVID-19.

We decided to pay all 30,000 team members their full wages and benefits through the closure, through the end of May, because we knew that over the long term our brand and our culture are what is going to lead us out of this and will continue to allow us to lead in this industry, Maddox told investors Tuesday during the companys quarterly earnings call.

In late June, Encore announced furloughs for 3,000 employees.

Wynn Resorts reported $85.7 million in operating revenues for the second quarter, a close to 95% drop from what the company reported this time last year.

The companys operating revenues fell by $1.57 billion with Wynn Palace losing $620.2 million, Wynn Mcau losing $534.6 million and the Las Vegas properties losing $399.3 million compared to the second quarter of 2019, according to the company.

Encore Boston Harbor reopened July 12, about a month later than the companys Las Vegas casinos, after the state moved into Phase 3 of its reopening plan. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission didnt allow poker, roulette or craps to resume, and craps and roulette remain closed. Every other slot was turned off to keep slots players at least 6 feet apart.

After the reopening in July there are 1,900 slot machines, 560 table games and the private rooms are still available. Maddox said the company sees more demand for slot machines than supply thats limited by the states restrictions.

Encore Boston Harbor is experiencing what many regional casinos are experiencing around the country, Maddox said, noting slots volumes are increased despite the smaller pool of machines. Slot volumes are actually quite good.

Related Content:
Business confidence fell in July, four months after the index suffered the largest one-time decline in its history a coronavirus hit followed by a modest spring recovery, Associated Industries of Massachusetts said Tuesday.

Associated Industries of Massachusetts Business Confidence Index fell 3.2 points to 45.8, showing a predominantly pessimistic outlook among businesses throughout the commonwealth, according to a news release Tuesday. Confidence was 16.2 points less than in July 2019.

Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a statewide business group, surveys employers each month and compiles the responses into the Business Confidence index.

Companies in western Massachusetts (46.3) were more upbeat than those in the east (45.3), according to the survey.

Employers in July showed more confidence in the Massachusetts economy than in the national economy. The Massachusetts Index rose 2 points in July while the National Index tumbled 6.5 points.

Businesses continue to face uncertainty around both the public-health crisis with COVID-19 and the economic crisis brought about by shutdowns and stay-at-home orders, said Raymond G. Torto, professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and chair of the Board of Economic Advisors .The uncertainty will only intensify as cities and towns debate what to do about opening schools in September.

The gain in the Massachusetts Index assessing business conditions here brought it up to 48.8, 19.4 points lower than a year ago.

The Employment Index, a measure where employers are asked if they plan to add staff over the next six months, declined slightly  0.5 points to 47.7 - while the Sales Index, a leading indicator, declined 9.1 points to 42.6 points, according to the release.

Manufacturing companies (46.7) were more confident than non-manufacturers (44.8). Medium-sized companies (46.9) were more optimistic than small companies (45.9) or large companies (44.1). Companies in western Massachusetts (46.3) were more upbeat than those in the east (45.3).

The US Index measuring conditions nationally ended the month at 37.2, losing 25.4 points during the past 12 months.

AIM called for the federal government to shore up state unemployment insurance funds, making sure that money is available to pay claims while not burdening business with more costly premiums.

Related content
The well-appointed and stylish Mazda3 2.5 Turbo is equipped with an impressive engine capable of delivering 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque on premium fuel (or 227 horsepower and 310 lb-ft of torque on regular fuel) and standard i-Activ all-wheel drive system. Sophistication with an edge.

The Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback with Premium Plus package shown in the launch film is equipped with the available Appearance Package that builds on its award-wining design by adding a more aggressive feel. The turbo hatchback offers two Appearance Package options. With the Premium Plus package, the front air dam and rear roof spoiler come standard, and the upgraded Appearance Package includes a rear diffuser and side sill extensions. Additionally, all four aerodynamic accessories can be equipped on the standard Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback with its own Appearance Package option. New BBS 18-inch gloss black forged wheels are available on all Mazda3 models. A full list of accessories can be found and ordered at Accessories.MazdaUSA.com or through a local Mazda dealership2.

With many options available to those interested in the 2021 Mazda3, every fan can find the ideal hatchback or sedan that best fits their lifestyle. For those who would like to be the first to have the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo to arrive in their driveway, interested fans can speak to a Mazda representative now that will collect details on their preferred Mazda3 2.5 Turbo and answer select product questions.

The starting MSRP3 for the 2021 Mazda3 is $20,500 while the Mazda3 2.5 Turbo will start at $29,900. For more information or to speak with a Mazda representative, please visit: https://www.mazdausa.com/vehicles/2021-mazda3-turbo.

MSRP4 FOR THE 2021 MAZDA3 IS AS FOLLOWS:



Drivetrain Sedan Hatchback Mazda3 2.0 FWD $20,500 - Mazda3 2.5 S FWD $21,500 $22,500 Mazda3 2.5 S w/ Select

Package FWD $22,700 $23,700 AWD $24,100 $25,100 Mazda3 2.5 S w/ Preferred

Package FWD $24,350 $25,350 AWD $25,750 $26,750 Mazda3 2.5 S (6MT) w/

Premium Package FWD - $27,850 Mazda3 2.5 S w/ Premium

Package FWD $26,850 $27,850 AWD $28,250 $29,250 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo AWD $29,900 $30,900 Mazda3 2.5 Turbo w/

Premium Plus AWD $32,450 $33,750

ACCESSORY PACKAGES:

BBS 18-inch gloss black forged wheel (price per wheel) $918.95 Aero Kit for Mazda3 2.5 Turbo hatchback

w/ Premium Plus Package $1,075 w/o Premium Plus Package $1,900

PREMIUM PAINT COLORS:

Soul Red Crystal $595 Machine Gray Metallic $495 Snowflake White Pearl Mica $395

Fans are encouraged to download the MyMazda mobile app to receive exclusive Mazda content as it becomes available (must have push notifications turned on), including the latest information on Mazda3 2.5 Turbo, which is expected to arrive in dealerships by the end of this year.

Mazda North American Operations is headquartered in Irvine, California, and oversees the sales, marketing, parts and customer service support of Mazda vehicles in the United States and Mexico through approximately 620 dealers. Operations in Mexico are managed by Mazda Motor de Mexico in Mexico City. For more information on Mazda vehicles, including photography and B-roll, please visit the online Mazda media center at InsideMazda.MazdaUSA.com/Newsroom.

Follow MNAO's social media channels through Twitter and Instagram at @MazdaUSA and Facebook at Facebook.com/MazdaUSA.

1 MSRP does not include $945 for destination and handling ($990 in Alaska), taxes, title or additional fees. Dealers set actual sale prices.

2 "Starting at" accessory pricing excludes taxes, installation and any dealer charges. Actual dealer price will vary. In some cases, parts in addition to those shown will be required for proper installation. In all cases, professional installation by your Mazda Dealer is recommended. Please see your Mazda Dealer for product details and availability.

3 MSRP does not include $920 for destination and handling ($965 in Alaska), taxes, title or additional fees. Dealers set actual sale prices.

4 MSRP does not include $945 for destination and handling ($990 in Alaska), taxes, title or additional fees. Dealers set actual sale prices.

SOURCE Mazda North American Operations

Related Links

www.mazdausa.com


KYODO NEWS - Aug 4, 2020 - 17:30 | All, Japan, Coronavirus

The Japanese government said Tuesday it has been allowing the entry of foreign nationals teaching at international schools and their families as exceptions to the travel ban imposed to curb the spread of the new coronavirus.

Foreign Minister Toshimitsu Motegi told a press conference that first-time entry and re-entry by international school teachers are regarded as "special circumstances" to protect children's rights to receive education and due to difficulties in finding replacements in Japan.

"Regarding teachers at international schools and their families, we are admitting new entries as well as re-entries of those with resident status," Motegi said.

Japan currently bans entry of all foreign nationals from 146 designated countries and regions in principle.

The denial of re-entry for those with permanent resident status has drawn fierce criticism particularly from Japan's expatriate community, as it effectively prevents them from traveling abroad and returning.

There are other exceptions in humanitarian cases such as foreign residents returning to their country due to the death of a family member.
The leadership of the local arm of Japanese carmaker Toyota expressed optimism despite the threats brought by the dreaded COVID-19 pandemic to the Philippines.

As Toyota Motor Philippines (TMP) celebrates its 32 years of operations in the country, Chairman Alfred Ty expressed confidence that they will all soon enjoy better days.

In our over 30-year history, we have faced many challenges but this is by far the most challenging we have seen. Of one thing I am sure: this will be our finest moment. We will draw on our collective strength to support government in its recovery efforts and we will assure our customers and each one in our Toyota family that we will stand by each other every step of the way, Ty, in a message to all team members, said.

Back in the earlier years, TMP team members would normally begin the day with a general assembly. This time around, with TMP president Atsuhiro Okamoto at the helm, regular calls for a virtual gathering are in line with new normal considerations.

Okamoto

Okamoto, for his part, echoed the chairmans sentiments, pointing out that New Zealand and Thailand had already made successful efforts to contain the virus.

Other countries have shown that this virus can be controlled. We will get there, too, if we continue our adherence to the necessary health protocols. We will win this battle, he said. I would like to thank the government and all our front line workers for their selfless efforts in this time of crisis. Let us work together and heal as one.

Last year, TMP enjoyed its 18th consecutive triple crowncontinuously proving that it is the most preferred automotive brand of Filipinos.

Since it started 1988 until June, 2020, TMP has already sold 1.78 million vehicles. Beginning with three models in its line-up, TMP has grown into a selection of 78 models and variants, like the Vios, Innova, Hilux, Fortuner, Wigo, Rush, Avanza and Hiace.

The Japanese manufacturer has also brought hybrid electric vehicles and a whole range of luxury products under its Lexus brand.

Story continues

Further, the brand has also become a steady partner in the countrys growing economy for over three decades. By the end of 2019, TMP generated jobs for around 55,000 Filipinos and has made cumulative investments of P64 billion, along with paying P384 billion in cumulative taxes and duties.

Now with a 71-dealer strong network, TMP is coming up with innovative ways to become the leader in mobility solutions. This year, it has opened its Kinto package (vehicle leasing program).

Aside from that, the company also ramped up efforts in digitalization with the virtual Toyota showroom, the new MyToyotaPH app and the new Supra GT Cup e-motorsports race.

This crisis is surely a very challenging experience for everyone. But as market leader, it is our responsibility to elevate customer service even in these most difficult times. We will redouble our efforts in helping to bring the Philippine economy back on track to a better tomorrow. Indeed, we are stronger together, Ty concluded.

Photos from Toyota Motor Philippines, Hiro Okamoto's Facebook Page

Also read:

TMP offers Balloon Payment Plus Plan for Vios

2021 Vios Racing Festival will let racers use 2019 model

Toyota PH provides free P2P booking service
90 Day Fiance stars Paul Staehle and Karine Martins Staehlewho are currently appearing on the fifth season of TLCs 90 Day Fiance: Happily Ever Afterhave always had a tumultuous relationship. Their relationship only seemed to go further downhill after they moved from Karines home country of Brazil to Pauls hometown of Louisville, Kentucky.

After going through multiple miscarriages and more than one breakup, 37-year-old Paul and 23-year-old Karine ultimately married in 2017 and had a son, Pierre. While they have announced a potential divorce several times since then, 90 Day Fiance fans have never seen the couple go through as many ups and downs as they have in recent days. Many viewers are deeply concerned for the estranged couple.

Karine Martins and Paul Staehle | Paul Staehle via Instagram

Paul and Karine have struggled in their marriage recently

Recently, Paul took to Instagram to share videos of local police responding to calls at their home about incidents of alleged domestic violence. (Neither Paul nor Karine was arrested.) Later, he went live again to claim that his wife had disappeared and was missing in action.

The 90 Day Fiance star also claimed that the couple had an open CPS case, that Karine had been unfaithful to him, and that he was being treated for a sexually transmitted disease (STD).

On Aug. 3, Karine released a public statement on Instagram refuting her estranged husbands claims. She also filed for a protective order that prevents Paul from coming within 500 feet of her or their young son.

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Paul Staehles Mom Refuses To Let Him Live With Her

RELATED: 90 Day Fiance: Karine Staehles Mom Says She Doesnt Trust Paul Staehle

Paul claimed that Karine took off with their son in another mans car

After his initial series of videos and posts about police responding to their home in the U.S., Paul filmed himself in what looked like a hospital bed on Instagram. Clad in a hospital gown and mask, Paul said he was receiving medical treatment for a serious condition.

Karine took off with Pierre, the 90 Day Fiance star claimed at the time.

Paul alleged that neighbors had called him to report that his wife was not in the right state of mind and had turned off her phone and hopped in some dudes car, driving away with the couples son.

The 90 Day Fiance star claimed he had contacted Karines mom, who reportedly also could not get in touch with her.

Karines mom is very worried for her safety, he said in the video.

The 90 Day Fiance star also claimed to be in the hospital receiving treatment for an STD

Whats more, Paul claimed that he had gotten an STD, heavily implying that he had contracted it from his wife.

Tested positive for an STD, wtfreceiving treatment, he wrote in a caption on his Instagram stories. I have never cheated on my wife.

The 90 Day Fiance star filmed yet another video from his hospital bed, in which he repeated that he was receiving medical treatment for what turned out to be an STD. He claimed that he had never been sexually unfaithful to his wife, which would, of course, mean that any alleged STD/STIs were from Karine.

I just want to let everybody know that Im gonna be all right. Im glad its nothing serious like cancer, Paul said of his purported medical issue. I never cheated on Karine, ever, but apparently I tested positive for an STD, and they gave me treatment for it. Hopefully everything goes well and I can get out of here.

Paul also claimed that Karine was missing

Paul also snapped photos of an emergency protective order filed by Karine. Under the terms of the order, he had to stay 500 feet away from his wife and son at all times.

This revelation led many 90 Day Fiance fans to suspect that there were deeper problems underfootespecially given Pauls criminal record, which includes a felony conviction for arson involving his ex-girlfriend.

Karine filed for a restraining order, Paul said in a video. Im not allowed to be around her or my son.

In the documents he revealed on Instagram, which were allegedly Karines protective order, she made serious accusations against her husbandsuch as claims about multiple escalating incidents of physical abuse and sexual assault.

Karine also claimed that Paul restricted her freedom in multiple wayssuch as holding her green card and other documents from her, not allowing her to work or keep money, and threatening to call the police if she tried to get away from him. Karine also claimed that Paul took to social media to air their dirty laundry and used it to control her by painting her as crazy.

Later, Paul took to Instagram again to claim that Karine was missing and to ask that anyone who knew her whereabouts to contact the sheriffs department.

Hey everyone, this is a little scary. I cant believe I have to make this message, he said in a video. Its got me really upset right now. The sheriffs department just came by, and they are looking for Karine. Karine is missing. They dont know where shes at.

Paul urged his followers to contact the police, saying, If anyone knows where she is at, please contact the sheriffs department and let them know where Karine is atObviously, I dont know where shes at because she got a PO, and what she does is her business at this pointIm very scared for her and for the child, as was the sheriff who was here.

Karine released a statement refuting her husbands claims

But, according to Yahoo!, Karine released her own statement on Instagram, claiming that Paul was misleading his followers.

I want you all to know that me and Pierre are doing well now, the 90 Day Fiance star wrote in her statement.

Later, Karine confirmed that she had indeed filed for an emergency protective order, using the help of a translator. The young mom also claimed that she had called the police out of fear for her life.

As the media showed, I had issues where the police was called because I feared for my life and my sons life which led me to ask for help, she wrote, and ultimately be rescued from an environment that no longer was healthy for none of us involved in the situation.

The 90 Day Fiance star appeared to believe that her relationship with Paul was over. Relationships are hard and sometimes it just cant be fixed anymore, she wrote.

Thanking her followers for their support, Karine added that her husbands claims about her unknown whereabouts were not true.

I also would like to state that Im not missing, she wrote. The police knows where to find me if they need me.

Karine urged her fans not to worry, saying she was getting the best help [she] could ever get and keeping her son safe as best she could.

Since then, Paul has made even more statements, even suggesting that he was headed to Brazil himself and that Karine was pregnant again. Its hard to parse the truth in the complicated situation, but fans will certainly continue to follow the evolving story.
(Newser)  A courtroom that included her husband, Chad Daybell, heard Lori Vallow tell police officers on a recording made last November, "I look like a suspect, but I'm a good person." The officers had come to the couple's home in Rexburg, Idaho, to ask about their two missing children, the New York Post reports. Their bodies later were found on the property. Daybell, who faces charges including destroying evidence, was in court Monday for a preliminary hearing. Vallow is charged with conspiracy. Both have pleaded not guilty, and no one has been charged in the deaths of their children, JJ, 7, and Tylee, 17. Accusations against Daybell include that he lied to police, sent texts intended to hide the location of Tylee's remains, and asked a friend not to cooperate with police.

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Daybell's hearing mostly concerned the discovery of JJ's body, per USA Today. A detective testified that Daybell stared intently at a nearby pond while police were searching the area in June. The body of JJ, in red pajamas and wrapped in plastic bags and duct tape, later was found near the pond. In the police body cam audio from November, Vallow says JJ was staying with a friend in Arizona. She also tells police that relatives are trying to harm them and take her son, forcing them to keep moving. "So I dont tell people the truth about where we are," Vallow told the officers. "I feel like Im being tracked all the time." The hearing for Daybell, who is being held on $1 million bond, is to resume Tuesday. (Read more Chad Daybell stories.)
A massive explosion rocked Beirut on Tuesday, flattening much of the port, damaging buildings across the capital and sending a giant mushroom cloud into the sky. More than 60 people were killed and more than 3,000 injured, with bodies buried in the rubble, officials said.

Hours later, ambulances still carried away the wounded as army helicopters helped battle fires raging at the port.

The sudden devastation overwhelmed a country already struggling with both the coronavirus pandemic and an economic crisis: Beirut hospitals quickly filled beyond capacity, pleading for blood supplies and generators to keep their lights on.

Abbas Ibrahim, chief of Lebanese General Security, said the blast might have been caused by highly explosive material that was confiscated from a ship some time ago and stored at the port. Local television channel LBC said the material was sodium nitrate.

President Donald Trump said U.S. military generals told him that they think the massive explosion was likely a bomb, an "attack."
When Prime Minister Narendra Modi lands at the Saket College helipad in Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya town at 11.30am on Wednesday, he will have a special ring of protection  local police personnel who have recovered from the coronavirus disease (Covid-19), the states deputy inspector general of police said on Tuesday.

The PM will spend roughly three hours in the temple town for the groundbreaking ceremony of the Ram temple and authorities are confident that the group of 150 recovered personnel  who experts say develop antibodies to the disease and are therefore unlikely to contract the infection or spread it , at least for the next few months  will be crucial to protect him from the threat of Covid-19.

Also read | Snippets from Ayodhya: How the city has prepared for Ram temple event

Its in the protocol for protecting the Prime Minister that he must be guarded by healthy personnel. Now what can be healthier in these times than a Covid-19 warrior, said UP deputy inspector general of police Deepak Kumar.

The recovered personnel will form the first layer of protection for the PM in a city where the disease has claimed 16 lives and where there are still 604 cases. They will also be posted at key positions in spots the PM is expected to visit to ensure that all security personnel in Modis proximity are not an infection threat.

Kumar said he wrote to the UP director general of police Hitesh Chandra Awasthy on July 29 and made a special request that around 150 UP Police personnel who had contracted the disease and recovered by July 25 make their way to Ayodhya. The request was allowed immediately. I had the entire list of all those impacted and the ADG (law and order) immediately okayed my request, said Kumar. Most of the personnel are from Lucknow though some are from far-off districts such as Bareilly.

The PM will visit the Hanuman Garhi temple, then make his way to the temple site where he will lay the foundation of the Ram temple and address 175 guests, plant a sapling and then meet members of the Shri Ram Janambhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust.

Kumar agreed that 150 personnel were not enough to protect the PM in the high-profile event but added that the larger security detail will comprise 400 additional personnel who have tested negative for Covid-19 in the past 48 hours and then been isolated.

Also read: Vedic rituals set stage for Ayodhya ceremony

Our aim is that every police personnel that the PMs eyes fall on, is either a Covid-19 warrior or has been tested in the last 48 hours, said Kumar. He said that the additional 400 personnel were isolated either at their own homes or a quarantine centre at the Ram Janambhoomi site. While 300 of those police personnel were administered Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (or RT-PCR) tests, the rest were given rapid antigen tests.

The decision came a day after a second priest at the existing makeshift Ram temple tested positive for Covid-19 and authorities expressed concern that local residents were flouting social distancing guidelines. Last week, a junior priest and four other personnel were found to be infected with the virus that has claimed 1,800 lives in the state.

To combat the threat of the infection, authorities have decided on a strict protocol that includes testing all guests, enforcing wearing of masks and sealing the district borders so that people from outside cannot gather at the site. The government has also appealed to local residents to remain at home and follow the event on television.

We are confident now that no one will be infected because we have tested anyone who will come within eight feet of a VIP, said district magistrate Anuj Jha, who is also a member of the temple trust.

Jha added that even people who put up the tents where the event will happen and the drivers of motorcades have been tested and found negative. Everyone will wear a mask, everyone will maintain social distancing and its going to be fine, he said.

People who have recovered from Covid-19 have increased immunity against reinfection because antibodies develop in their bodies that protect them in the event of any future exposure to the Sars-Cov-2 virus, at least temporarily.
The Federal High Court of Nigeria is pleased to announce that the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court of Nigeria, the Hon. Justice John T. Tsoho, with members of his immediate family have undergone 2 (two) COVID -19 tests that have both turned out NEGATIVE for all of them. The first test was done at the beginning of the 14-day self isolation, while the confirmatory test came thereafter. Both tests were conducted by the NCDC.

These measures were preventive rather than curative. Earlier, a close aide to His Lordship tested positive to COVID- 19, hence the precautionary measures that followed. The said aide has since been discharged from an NCDC Isolation Centre and is now doing well.

The Hon. Chief Judge expresses deep appreciation to colleagues, court staff, friends and extended family members, who kept faith with him for their prayers. He prays for showers of blessing upon all people of goodwill.

Signed

Catherine Oby Nwandu

Acting Information Officer

For: The Chief Judge

Federal High Court of Nigeria


A black family traveling in an SUV with children aged six to 17, were detained and handcuffed at gunpoint after police mistakenly thought their vehicle was stolen.

Bystander footage has emerged on social media showing the moment Aurora Police officers in Colorado arrested a driver and a group of young girls in the parking lot of a thrift store on Sunday morning.

The shocking video clip shows the family lying on their stomachs with their hands behind their backs in broad daylight as officers escort them into police vehicles.

Scroll down for video

Aurora Police were filmed detaining and handcuffing a black family with young children after they mistakenly thought their car was stolen

Bystander footage shows four children, aged six, 12, 14 and 17, sitting on the ground of a parking lot on Sunday

The younger family members can be heard screaming and crying as police lead the driver away in handcuffs

The four children, who are six, 12, 14, and 17 years old, can be heard screaming and crying throughout the arrest.

The incident was a case of mistaken identity after cops believed the car had been stolen because it matched the license plate number and description they were given.

They later determined they had stopped the wrong car and were actually looking for a motorcycle with the same license plate number from Montana.

The incident comes amid nationwide protests and mounting criticism of the Aurora Police Department which has been blamed for the death of 23-year-old black man Elijah McClain last August.

The driver of the blue SUV has been identified as Brittney Gilliam, who had been traveling with her nieces, younger sister and daughter.

She told local station 9News that she had taken her family to get their nails done but later realized the salon was closed.

The family then returned to their car only to be surrounded by officers who had their guns drawn.

The family was stopped after police believed their license plate number matched that of a stolen vehicle. They later realized they were looking for a motorcycle with the same license plate number but from out of state

Driver Brittney Gilliam, who had taken her family to get their nails done, was seen being led away in handcuffs (far left) as the rest of her relatives lie on the ground

Gilliam said the family returned to the car after realizing the nail salon was closed, only to be confronted by cops with their guns drawn

Gilliam slammed the police department for mishandling the situation, especially in front of young children

'There's no excuse why you [cops] didn't handle it a different type of way,' Gilliam told the news station.

'You could have even told them "step off to the side let me ask your mom or your auntie a few questions so we can get this cleared up." There was different ways to handle it.'

Police said cops may have accidentally targeted the car because it had been reported stolen in February in a separate incident.

Gilliam said the vehicle was stolen in February but was found the following day.

Aurora Police Chief Vanessa Wilson later released a statement on Twitter, apologizing for the mix-up.

'We have been training our officers that when they contact a suspected stolen car, they should do what is called a high-risk stop,' she wrote.

'This involves drawing their weapons and ordering all occupants to exit the car and lie prone on the ground.'

The Aurora Police Department has come under fire over the last few months following the death of 23-year-old black man Elijah McClain last year

McClain was placed in a lethal chokehold by Aurora cops after he was stopped while walking home on August 24, 2019. Police confronted McClain after receiving reports of a man who looked 'sketchy'

The Aurora Police department released a statement apologizing to the family over the mix-up

'I have called the family to apologize and to offer any help we can provide, especially for the children who may have been traumatized by yesterday's events.

'I have reached out to our victim advocates so we can offer age-appropriate therapy that the city will cover.'

Chief Wilson said an internal investigation has also been opened.

The family, who has filed a complaint, is now being represented by Denver attorney David Lane, the law partner of Elijah McClain's family lawyer Mari Newman, according to 9News.

McClain was placed in a lethal chokehold by Aurora police officers on August 24, 2019, after he had been stopped while walking home at night.

Police were called to the scene after receiving reports of a man wearing a ski mask 'acting sketchy' and flailing his arms.

McClain, a massage therapist described by friends and family as an 'oddball, vegetarian, athlete, and peacemaker' who loved animals, was handcuffed and placed in a carotid control hold, restricting his bloodflow, before losing consciousness.

Paramedics later sedated him with ketamine, sending him into cardiac arrest. He was declared brain dead and removed from life support six days later.
Microsoft's venture capital fund, M12 Ventures, has led a slew of strategic corporate investors backing a new chip developer out of Southern California called Syntiant, which makes semiconductors for voice recognition and speech-based applications.

"We started out to build a new type of processor for machine learning, and voice is our first application," says Syntiant chief executive Kurt Busch. "We decided to build a chip for always-on battery-powered devices."

Those chips need a different kind of processor than traditional chipsets, says Busch. Traditional compute is about logic, and deep learning is about memory access; traditional microchip designs also don't perform as well when it comes to parallel processing of information.

Syntiant claims that its chips are two orders of magnitude more efficient, thanks to its data flow architecture that was built for deep learning, according to Busch.

It's that efficiency that attracted investors, including M12, Microsoft Corp.s venture fund; the Amazon Alexa Fund; Applied Ventures, the investment arm of Applied Materials; Intel Capital; Motorola Solutions Venture Capital; and Robert Bosch Venture Capital.

These investment firms represent some of the technology industry's top chip makers and software developers, and they're pooling their resources to support Syntiant's Irvine, California-based operations.

smart speakers

Image Credits: Bryce Durbin / TechCrunch

Syntiant aligns perfectly with our mission to support companies that fuel voice technology innovation, said Paul Bernard, director of the Alexa Fund at Amazon. Its technology has enormous potential to drive continued adoption of voice services like Alexa, especially in mobile scenarios that require devices to balance low power with continuous, high-accuracy voice recognition. We look forward to working with Syntiant to extend its speech technology to new devices and environments.

Syntiant's first device measures 1.4 by 1.8 millimeters and draws 140 microwatts of power. In some applications, Syntiant's chips can run for a year on a single coin cell.

Story continues

Syntiants neural network technology and its memory-centric architecture fits well with Applied Materials core expertise in materials engineering as we enable radical leaps in device performance and novel materials-enabled memory technologies, said Michael Stewart, principal at Applied Ventures, the venture capital arm of Applied Materials, Inc. Syntiants ultra-low-power neural decision processors have the potential to create growth in the chip marketplace and provide an effective solution for todays demanding voice and video applications.

So far, 80 customers are working with Syntiant to integrate the company's chips into their products. There are a few dozen companies in the design stage and the company has already notched design wins for products ranging from cell phones and smart speakers to remote controls, hearing aids, laptops and monitors. Already the company has shipped its first million units.

"We expect to scale that by 10x by the end of this year," says Busch.

Syntiant's chipsets are designed specifically to handle wakes and commands, which means that users can add voice recognition features and commands unique to their particular voice, Busch says.

Initially backed by venture firms including Atlantic Bridge, Miramar and Alpha Edison, Syntiant raised its first round of funding in October 2017. The company has raised a total of $65 million to date, according to Busch.

Syntiants architecture is well-suited for the computational patterns and inherent parallelism of deep neural networks, said Samir Kumar, an investor with M12 and new director on the Syntiant board. We see great potential in its ability to enable breakthroughs in power performance for AI processing in IoT [Internet of things].
Ayatollah Who Voted For Khamenei In 1989 Says He Was The Only Choice

Radio Farda August 03, 2020

Ayatollah Mohammad Emami Kashani, a former Friday Prayer Imam and a member of the Assembly of Experts says Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was the only choice for the Islamic Republic's next leader when Ayatollah Rouhollah Khomeyni died in June 1989.

"We had no other choice," says Emami Kashani, adding that "We could have chosen a group of clerics to form a leadership council, but that was a problematic idea."

Meanwhile, he said in the interview which appeared on the semi-official news agency ISNA's webpage on Monday August 3 that Ayatollah Hossein Ali Montazeri who was the deputy supreme leader was initially opposed to his appointment and believed that Grand Ayatollah Golpayegani would be a better deputy leader.

Emami Kashani also for the first time revealed some information about the ouster of Montazeri. "We were told that Ayatollah Khomeini was planning to dismiss Montazeri from the post of deputy leader. It was at a meeting also attended by Ayatollah Khamenei and Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani."

Rafsanjani said dismissing Montazeri would be very dangerous. "Khomeini's son, Ahmad, said Montazeri had made some controversial remarks that led Khomeini to believe he was not good for the post," said Emami Kashani.

Montazeri at the time had opposed Khomeini's idea of hanging thousands of political prisoners in jail.

It is still not clear when the interview with Emami Kashani which appeared on the semi-official news agency ISNA was conducted. It is also not clear why the agency released the interview now after 31 years when the events took place.

Emami Kashani added that when the Assembly of Experts was discussing the idea of a leadership council, Khamenei was meant to be on the council.

He said Khamenei did not want to be the Supreme Leader, but Rafsanjani and I agreed that we had to make a choice quickly as Saddam Hussain's army was still at Iran's borders.

Emami Kashani quoted Khamenei as saying "Most of you do not believe in me as a knowledgeable man. But I told everyone that Khamenei used to teach advanced courses on theology in Mashhad and I was one of his pupils. I then stressed: I bear witness that Mr. Khamenei is a knowledgeable man."

"Then I suggested that we should put the matter to vote even if some people do not approve of his qualifications. First, we took votes for a single leader versus a leadership council and it was approved that we need a single leader," Emami Kashani added.

The reason was that earlier we did away with the Supreme Council of Judiciary and appointed one person as Judiciary Chief, as the idea of leadership council did not work at the Judiciary. By the same token, the Assembly of Experts came to the conclusion that it was best to have one person as Supreme Leader.

"Only a few people did not vote for Ayatollah Khamenei as the Supreme Leader. One of them, Ayatollah Hosseini Kashani, insisted that Montazeri should succeed Khamenei. To be on the fair and safe side, we put the matter to vote and approved Montazeri's ouster."

Speaking about Khamenei's merits as a "source of emulation," which is one of the highest clerical ranks in Shiism, Emami Kashani does not mention that still many clerics believe Khamenei lacks the qualifications for being a source of emulation. Instead he claims Khamenei had solid credentials. "After the death of Grand Ayatollah Golpayegani and Grand Ayatollah Araki, the clerical community held a debate about who can be a new source of emulation. There were seven candidates for the rank and Ayatollah Khamenei was one of them", he said.

Emami Kashani did not say that Khamenei's credentials as an ayatollah has also been questioned by some clerics and that in fact his title changed from Hojjat ol-Eslam, a lower rank, to one an ayatollah overnight as soon as he became the supreme leader.

Emami Kashani is currently a member of the Assembly of Experts, a body tasked to name the next supreme leader after Khamenei dies. In recent years he has been an outcast at the seminary and had to leave his position as one of the Friday Prayer Imams of Tehran. Regular attendees still remember that he used to lose track of his speech during his latest sermons in 2019 and at times looked lost in the middle of his sermons.

Source: https://en.radiofarda.com/a/ayatollah-who -voted-for-khamenei-in-1989-says-he- was-the-only-choice/30764415.html

Copyright (c) 2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Jill Biden said Joe Biden was 'close' on naming his running mate and she dinged President Donald Trump for criticizing her husband's cognitive ability.

President Trump has challenged Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee, to take a cognitive test and argued his rival wouldn't be able to beat his score.

Jill Biden told Fox News on Tuesday that it was 'surprising' the president would say that and argued the two men are close in age. Trump, who brags about his intellect and calls himself a 'stable genius,' is 74 and Biden is 77.

'I think Donald Trump is really about Joe's age right? I think there's like two or three years difference. It's surprising that he would say Joe wouldn't be up to it and made those comments,' Jill Biden said.

Jill Biden said Joe Biden was 'close' on naming his running mate and she dinged President Donald Trump for criticizing her husband's cognitive ability during an interview with Fox News

President Donald Trump has questioned Joe Biden's cognitive abilities and accused him of hiding in a basement during the pandemic

She also disputed Trump's characterization that Joe Biden is hiding in the basement. Trump has repeatedly gone after Biden for hiding in his basement after Biden cut down on his campaign rallies because of the coronavirus pandemic.

'You know, Joe is anything but that characterization. You know we've been campaigning, we've been listening to the experts, the scientists, and the doctors, and they have told us stay home and be safe,' she said.

She also said Joe Biden will name his vice presidential pick soon. Jill Biden is reported to be involved in the decision. She has held campaign events with all the women being considered for the number two spot on the ticket.

'Yep. We're close. He's close. He's got to make the final decision,' she said of the vice presidential pick.

'He wants someone who shares his values just like he and Barack shared the same values,' she said of the vice presidential pick. 'So when Joe and I talk, I mean we've been married 43 years this years, and we're one another's best friends and he relies on me to, you know, bounce things off of and I rely on him. And it's a partnership and it's, you know, it's just what married couples do right.'

Joe Biden has delayed naming his vice presidential pick by two weeks amid worries the process has become a mess that has pitted women against woman.

Biden said last week he would announce his running mate the first week of August but that appears unlikely to happen this week as he hasn't narrowed down his pick amid pressure to name a black woman.

But now that's been moved back by two weeks, The Washington Post reported, amid worries from Biden supporters that the process has become 'messier than it should be,' pitting women - and especially black women - against one another.

The delay indicates there is no clear favorite among Biden or his allies to be his running mate.

Joe Biden has delayed naming his vice presidential pick by two weeks after saying he would name the person the first week in August

Final contenders for the vice presidential spot on the Democratic ticket include Senator Kamala Harris, Senator Elizabeth Warren, Former National Security Adviser Susan Rice and Congresswoman Karen Bass

The former vice president is reportedly going to speak to five or six contenders instead of having the traditional short list of three names.

And allies of all the contenders are lobbying the former vice president and his campaign to pick the running mate of their choice.

The presumptive Democratic nominee joked last week he would have to escape the TV camera crews that are parked outside of his Wilmington, Delaware, home so he could meet his pick without being caught.

'I'm going to try to figure out how to trick you all so we can meet in person. I've got crews outside my house. I don't think it matters actually. What I said is I'm going to have a choice in the first week in August, and I promise I'll let you know when I do,' he said at a press conference on Tuesday.

At least nearly a dozen women have been named as potential partners for Biden after he vowed to put a woman on the ticket with him. But, in the wake of the demonstrations that sprung up after the death of George Floyd, pressure has increased for him to name a black woman.

And, with that pressure, came an increased scrutiny on the potential female candidates with reports California Senator Kamala Harris is too 'ambitious' to be picked and pressure on Congresswoman Karen Bass to explain her past praise for Scientology and Fidel Castro.

'It's been relentless. It's been unfortunate. But I must say it's been predictable,' Donna Brazile, a former interim chair of the Democratic National Committee, told The Post. 'It's extremely disappointing, because many of these attacks . . . are being made by Democratic men who should know better.'

'I would hope that in this selection process, we are mindful that Black women  and women of color  deserve respect,' she noted.

The finalists are thought to include Harris, former national security adviser Susan Rice, Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Karen Bass. And, of course, the pick could end being someone else.

Harris and Warren have already gone through some level of national vetting thanks to their presidential campaigns. Warren, a favorite of the progressives, would appease the left flank of the party if she joined the ticket but she is white when the pressure is on Biden to pick a black woman.

Harris has strong qualifications for the job but a report in Politico last week saw several Biden allies question how loyal the California senator would be to Biden given her attack on Biden in the July 2019 primary debate when she questioned his opposition to a busing program in the 1970s that she used to attend a better school.

Those Biden allies - both on the record and without using their names - indicated their concern Harris would be more consumed with a future presidential bid of her own.

Harris pushed back at the talk of her 'ambition.'

'There will be a resistance to your ambition,' she told young black women on Friday during a Black Girls Lead 2020 conference. 'There will be people who say to you, 'You are out of your lane,' because they are burdened by only having the capacity to see what has always been instead of what can be. But don't you let that burden you.'

And she was defended by Biden's campaign manager, Jennifer O'Malley Dillon, who tweeted: 'Ambitious women make history, change the world, and win.'

Biden is said to be comfortable with Rice, who worked with him in the Obama administration, and is said to envision with her the kind of partnership he had with Obama. While she is an expert on foreign policy, she has no previous political experience.

The former vice president is said to want a running mate who would have a similar relationship with him that he enjoyed with President Barack Obama.

Bass took the Sunday shows this weekend to push back on comments she made in 2016 praising Fidel Castro and calling his death a loss to the Cuban people.

She told 'Fox News Sunday' her perspective on the late Cuban dictator was 'developed over time' and that she now understood that the Castro government 'was a brutal regime.' She said she would not make similar comments again.

Bass also had to defend remarks she made in 2010 praising the Church of Scientology. She spoke at Scientology ceremony when she was in the California state assembly.

'Back in 2010, I attended the event knowing I was going to address a group of people with beliefs very different than my own, and spoke briefly about things I think most of us agree with, and on those things  respect for different views, equality, and fighting oppression  my views have not changed,' she wrote on Twitter. 'Since then, published first-hand accounts in books, interviews and documentaries have exposed this group.'

She also noted she worships at First New Christian Fellowship Baptist Church in South LA.

Bass, who serves as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, has a lot of support among Congressional Democrats, who have voiced that to Biden and his surrogates.

She has also privately reassured Biden allies she has no interest in the top spot and would be a loyal lieutenant, The New York Times reported.

Biden, if he wins in November, would be 78 years old on inauguration day, meaning his choice of a running mate could be of even greater consequence.
Six central Pennsylvania residents are accused of smuggling cell phones into the Dauphin County Prison in late 2015 and early 2016, federal prosecutors said.

U.S. Attorney David J. Freed said 42-year-old inmate Danny Cruz worked with others to bribe corrections officers and staff to bring cell phones into the facility.

The inmates had people outside the prison pay the bribes and get the phones that would be smuggled in, authorities said. Money was transferred to the staff members through Western Union and MoneyGram, Freed said in a news release.

Aida Rosado, 60, of Harrisburg; Lizarah Matthews, 28, of York, and Alice Martinez, 41, of Chambersburg were all indicted Friday with smuggling in contraband around this time period. Each of them had a familial or romantic relationship with Dauphin County inmates, Freed said.

Two others were separately indicted on similar charges.

Authorities said former corrections officer Kyle Bower, 31, was responsible for smuggling cell phones to inmates between October 2015 and January 2016. Freed said the Harrisburg resident was paid to bring the contraband for inmates.

Former kitchen staffer Kamilah Lewis, 32, of Harrisburg, was also paid to bring cell phones into the prison between April and May 2015, federal prosecutors said.

The maximum penalty for these offenses is five years in prison, followed by probation and a fine, Freed said.

These investigations were conducted by the FBI and Dauphin County Criminal Investigation Division.

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German supermarket chain Kaufland blew nearly $280million in its bid to set up a rival to Coles and Woolworths in Australia, despite failing to ever open a store.

The cut-price chain had plans to build a network of supermarkets across the country, before announcing its shock withdrawal from Australia in January.

Its latest set of accounts show the brand lost $277.7million after tax last year, after being $25.8million in the red the year before, the Financial Review reported.

Discount supermarket chain Kaufland (pictured in Poland) withdrew from opening stores in Australia after purchasing several properties and lost almost $280 million in the last year

Kaufland purchased more than 20 store sites across Victoria, South Australia, NSW and Queensland (Kaufland building site at Prospect in Adelaide pictured in September 2019)

The retailer (design sketch pictured) was expected to prompt price competition between nation-wide industry leaders Coles and Woolworths

Kaufland, owned by the Schwartz Group, purchased its first store site in 2017 after claiming it had an 'ambitious Australian investment and development program'.

The retailer bought plots of land across Victoria, South Australia, New South Wales and Queensland before starting work on a $460million distribution centre in suburban Melbourne.

It wrote down the value of its properties and cited a $116.5million impairment charge as its biggest loss.

The company also spent $52.4million on employee expenses and $82million in 'other' costs.

Dropping like flies: Some of Australia's recent retail casualties 2016: Dick Smith, Masters hardware, Payless Shoes 2017: Topshop Australia 2018: Avon, Espirit, Toys 'R' Us, Max Brenner, Roger David 2019: Ed Harry, Diana Ferrari, Napoleon Perdis, Ziera, Bardot, Harris Scarfe 2020: Tiger Lilly, Collette, Kikki K, G-Star Advertisement

The accounts also showed Kaufland had cash on hand of $150million and $119million worth of assets held for sale, taking total assets to $295million.

The company reported total liabilities of $80million and net assets of $215million. The company had also committed $135million to construction contracts.

Directors said the value of certain assets, such as properties, may have been impacted by the coronavirus pandemic since the accounts were signed off in April.

Kaufland, whose launch date was pushed back to 2021 from 2019, said 200 employees would be affected by its withdrawal from Australia.

About 2,400 jobs were forecast to be created by the launch of nine new stores in Victoria and Queensland this year.

Frank Schumann, acting CEO of Kaufland International, apologised to employees for the 'disruption this decision will cause'.

'This was not an easy decision for us. We always felt welcome in Australia,' he said in a statement.

Kaufland Australia managing director Julia Kern resigned in April and returned to Germany while chief operating officer Mark Hewlett returned to the UK.

Kaufland has roughly 1,300 stores across Germany, Poland, the Czech Republic, Romania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Croatia, and Moldova.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Kaufland and the Schwartz Group for comment.
Military personnel walk wearing face masks aboard the USNS Mercy Navy hospital ship docked in the Port of Los Angeles amid the COVID-19 pandemic in San Pedro, Calif., on April 15, 2020. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

LA County Firm Awarded Contract for Military COVID-19 Testing

SAN DIMAS, Calif. (CNS)A Los Angeles-based biotechnology firm was awarded a $42 million contract by the Department of Defense (DOD) July 31 to provide 250,000 COVID-19 oral fluid swab test kits to military treatment facilities.

The contract with Curative Inc. also provides for end-to-end testing operations, including testing at its high throughput lab, laboratory validation studies, personnel training, custom software integrations with electronic health records, shipping, and test results.

This is an important capability that will strengthen our medical professionals ability to detect, isolate, and defeat the spread of COVID-19 across the military, said U.S. Air Force Maj. Gen. Lee Payne, the DODs COVID-19 Lab Testing Task Force lead.

The ability to reliably test service members and their families is critical towards securing our forces health and readiness.

Under the contract, test kits and associated support will be provided to more than 100 military treatment facilities across the DOD in a manner that addresses medically urgent and emergent needs.

Curatives oral fluid sample collection method is less invasive than other methods of COVID-19 testing, which require the insertion of a cotton swab far into the nasal passage.

The test is also self-administered, meaning health care workers observe and guide patients through the sample collection process from a distance which significantly decreases both the demand placed on front-line staff and the need for frequent changing of personal protective equipment.

To collect a sample for testing, the patient is first instructed to cough three times, releasing particles from the upper and lower respiratory tract into the patients saliva.

The patient then swabs the inside of the mouth and seals the swab in a secure container for laboratory processing. Results are made available to patients via an electronic medical record within two-to-three days.

The contract follows a demonstration of Curatives testing method at Joint Base Langley-Eustis in Virginia, where approximately 7,800 joint active duty personnel were tested over a three-day period in June.

Curative is based in San Dimas, California, about 25 miles east of downtown Los Angeles. The company conducts L.A.s drive-through testing for the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, also known as the novel coronavirus.

Funding for the contract comes from the COVID-19 aid bill.
A message written on the sand saved three missing mariners who got stuck on a tiny Pacific Island, after US Air Force found their "SOS" message on the beach who did an air search, according to Australian and US authorities, Tuesday.

Last Thursday, the men set out to journey to Pulap reef from Puwalat atoll in the Federated States of Micronesia. They were aboard a 23-foot boat and were supposed to journey about 26 miles to their destination.

However, the three mariners went off-course and ran out of fuel. Thus, they ended up in the shores of an uninhabited island known as Pikelot. According to Australian and Us authorities, the said island is about 118 miles from their supposed destination.

When the men did not arrive in their intended destination, the US Coast Guard's Joint Rescue Sub Center in Guam immediately requested a search to be done. The Coast Guards also enlisted the help of several units within the region comprising the islands which are located at about 500 miles south of Guam.

According to CNN, a US Air Force KC-135 tanker first spotted the three Micronesian mariners. The said tanker operated from the Andersen Air Force Base on Guam and found the men after three hours of searching based on the information posted on the Facebook page of the base.

Read also: Can US Navy Reach 355 Ships to Increase Combat Power?

In a statement by Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, the pilot of the KC-135, they were already towards the end of their search pattern when they turned around in order to avoid rain showers. That was when they spotted the island, and when they decided to check it out they found the "SOS" message on the beach alongside the boat that carried the missing mariners. After this, they then called the Australian Navy who has two nearby helicopters that could help in the rescue and land on the uninhabited island.

An Australian helicopter that was from the HMAS Canberra, an amphibious assault ship, then landed on the beach in order to drop water and food to the three men while troops were still confirming their identities and were checking for any serious injuries.

On the other hand, a radio was dropped to the men by a US Coast Guard C-130 from Hawaii so that they would access communication to a Micronesian patrol vessel. Moreover, the US Coast Guard stated that the rescuers kept their distance from the stranded mariners due to the threat of COVID-19.

At around 8 PM on Monday, a patrol vessel dispatched from Yap reached the men.

In a report by The Week, Capt Christopher Chase of the US Coast Guard and commander of the US Coast Guard Sector Guam stated that it was partnerships that made the rescue successful. He added that though proper coordination with the different response organizations, the three mariners have safely returned to their families.

In addition, the commander of Canberra, Capt, Terry Morrison praised the professionalism displayed by his crew amid the search and rescue operation.

Andersen KC-135 crew locates missing mariners on lone Pacific island Andersen KC-135 crew locates missing mariners on lone Pacific island Guardsmen from the 203rd Air Refueling Squadron, Hawaii Air National Guard (ANG) and the 171st Air Refueling Wing, Pennsylvania National Guard deployed here, were the first to locate three missing mariners during a search and rescue mission in the Federated States of Micronesia southwest of Guam, Aug. 2, 2020 (ChST). On July 29, three mariners aboard a 23-foot white and blue skiff departed Puluwat Atoll intending to travel approximately 21 nautical miles to Pulap, Chuuk. However, they never made it to their destination and were reported missing. Joint Rescue Sub-Center Guam received notification of an overdue skiff last seen in the vicinity of Chuuk and requested our assistance, said U.S. Air Force Maj. Shaun McRoberts, 506th Air Expeditionary Aerial Refueling Squadron assistant director of operations. Once notified, we began immediately working a plan to launch crews to locate the missing vessel. Hawaii Air National Guardsmen Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, Maj. Byron Kamikawa, Tech. Sgt. Shane Williams along with Pennsylvania Air National Guardsmen Tech. Sgt. Rodney Joseph and Senior Airman Jeremy Williams took off from Andersen AFB in their KC-135 Stratotanker destined to locate the missing vessel. After almost three hours into their mission and flying at about 1,500 feet, the crew located the mariners on the tiny island of Pikelot, Yap. We were toward the end of our search pattern, said U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jason Palmeira-Yen, the KC-135 pilot. We turned to avoid some rain showers and thats when we looked down and saw an island, so we decide to check it out and thats when we saw SOS and a boat right next to it on the beach. From there we called in the Australian Navy because they had two helicopters nearby that could assist and land on the island. The Royal Australian Navy ship HMAS Canberra (L02) was also in the region and agreed to divert and provide search sorties with embarked helicopters while the FSS Independence departed from Yap to assist. A helicopter crew from HMAS Canberra delivered supplies to the stranded mariners while a U.S. Coast Guard HC-130 Hercules from Air Station Barbers Point, Hawaii airdropped a radio and message block informing them the FSS Independence was en-route to rescue and return them home. "Partnerships" said U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Christopher Chase, Coast Guard Sector Guam, commander. "This is what made this search and rescue case successful. Through coordination with multiple response organizations, we were able to save three members of our community and bring them back home to their families. At 12 a.m., August 3 (HST), the Independence arrived on scene, launched a small boat crew and rescued the mariners. By Master Sgt. Richard P. Ebensberger, 36th Wing Public Affairs United States Air Force, U.S. Pacific Air Forces, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, Air Mobility Command, Joint Region Marianas Posted by Andersen Air Force Base, Guam on Monday, August 3, 2020

Related article: US Navy Developing New Attack Weapons Against China in Indo-Pacific

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
(CNN)  In a video for his students that went viral, an Alabama educator channeled his background in music to help his school prepare for reopening in the era of Covid-19.

Childersburg High School Principal Quentin Lee was the mastermind behind a "U Can't Touch this" parody video, made to the tune of the famous MC Hammer song. Lee says he aimed to "share some joy" and deliver important safety lessons to prepare students for a strange new classroom environment.

Speaking with CNN's Anderson Cooper on "Anderson Cooper Full Circle" Monday, Lee said he likes to create amusing music videos "to engage his students and get the community involved."

His latest creation has been wildly successful, reaching 1.8 million views and counting.

The school district is beginning the year with a "blended model," operating at half-capacity with students going into class for in-person instruction on Monday and Tuesday or Thursday and Friday and alternating on Wednesdays.

The hybrid design is intended to provide opportunity for small-group instruction, to maintain safety guidelines and academic standards.

Lee's impeccable lyrics and dance moves have created an outpouring of support from the community as the first day of school approaches.

The superintendent and mayor of Childersburg were among those who praised the video for its positive messaging.

His whimsical way of connecting with students has not only given them a laugh, but also a fresh perspective on how to make the best of this fall's uncertainty.

"What I really hope to drive home with this is that our students see that creativity has no end," Lee said.

This story was first published on CNN.com, "An Alabama high school principal turned 'U Can't Touch This' into Covid-19 safety video."
Pepperfry, India's no.1 furniture and home products marketplace, has launched its new campaign, Swadeshi Is Great, to promote and celebrate Indian artisans and their creations. The brand, which was conceived with the idea of building an honest Indian company, impresses upon consumers the superiority of Swadeshi products on key variables of purchase decision-making i.e. quality, style and value. Through this heart-warming campaign, it urges people to buy Swadeshi furniture not only because it is Indian, but also because it is superior.

Historically, majority of India's handcrafted furniture was exported primarily to premium retailers in the US and Europe. However, since its inception in 2012, Pepperfry has aimed to democratize the furniture industry in India. With its unique marketplace model and an extensive catalogue that comprises 90%+ 'Made in India' products, the brand has made authentic Indian furniture accessible and affordable in every corner of the country. Additionally, Pepperfry has also provided the local manufacturers and artisans access to a steady national market and pride from the fact that fellow Indians are using their handcrafted products.

Having championed the cause of 'Made by Indians for Indians', Pepperfry has launched this three-part digital campaign to highlight that Indian is better and Indian is beautiful. It conveys that Indian furniture is not mass-produced and through each intricately carved piece a carpenter brings to life his expertise, craftsmanship as well as his rich lineage. Most of the furniture is made from hardwood like Sheesham, Teak, Mango and Acacia that lasts a lifetime and with beautiful designs, they are indeed priceless.

Conceptualized by L&K Saatchi and Saatchi, the first film captures a carpenter carefully working on a piece of furniture and as he finishes the article, he looks at his father and says that he has learnt this world-class manufacturing process from his abbu. The second film shows a carpenter that checks the wood of his furniture item, knocks it, varnishes it and critically eyes it before proudly claiming that this international quality piece is made in Ratangarh. The last video depicts a couple of carpenters painstakingly refine a motif as one of them proclaims that such edgy styling and design is their speciality.

Speaking about the campaign, Kashyap Vadapalli, Chief Marketing Officer & Business Head, Pepperfry said, "Pepperfry has always endeavoured to democratize the furniture industry in India. A one-stop-shop for authentic Indian furniture and home decor, it has not only made beautiful handcrafted furniture affordable and accessible but also empowered local artisans and manufacturers. Through this campaign, we are celebrating these skilled craftsmen and encouraging consumers to buy Indian furniture not only because it is Indian but because it is superior, beautiful, durable and stylish."

Debarjyo Nandi, Sr.Vice President, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, said, Swadeshi is at the very core and essence of brand Pepperfry and a dominant part of its product portfolio. The campaign looks to instil pride in Indian made furniture and celebrate the craftsmen who create beautiful and world-class furniture right here in our homeland.

Trishay Kotwal, Executive Creative Director, Law & Kenneth Saatchi & Saatchi, added, "We wanted to deliver the message with simplicity and authenticity, really focusing on the skill and dedication of the master craftsmen who create these exquisite pieces. The entire campaign is an ode to swadeshi furniture and everything that goes into making it so special."
Bina Mahawar, a 2011 batch Rajasthan Administrative Service officer, was posted as additional district magistrate of Bharatpur on August 2 in the recent round of reshuffle of junior bureaucracy in the state, almost a year after she was shunted out of the district after a verbal duel with the then tourism minister and now rebel Congress MLA Vishvendra Singh during an official meeting.

Mahawar, who was district supply officer of Bharatpur Rural, was shunted to the Board of Revenue as deputy registrar after the showdown in July 2019.

Singh is among the rebel Congress legislators backing ousted deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot, and political experts see Mahawars posting in Bharatpur again as a snub to him.

They said while the government posted her back in the district of her choice, another RAS officer, Praveen Kumar, who had been private secretary to Singh, is yet to get a posting.

In another politically significant posting, special assistant to former deputy chief minister, Aakash Tomar, was posted as additional commissioner of enforcement in the transport department on Sunday.

These are among the few officers transferred in the large-scale reshuffle of the state bureaucracy. According to orders issued by the state government, 379 officers have been transferred since the Rajya Sabha elections on June 19 when chief minister Ashok Gehlot had claimed for the first time that there was an attempt to topple his government by horse trading.

The list included 110 IAS, 66 IPS and 144 RAS officers, 128 of whom were transferred last week, apparently on requests of MLAs loyal to Gehlot.

Experts said transfer of junior bureaucracy, especially the RAS and RPS officer, has political meanings.

These transfers are mostly done on request of legislators. The MLAs want officers of their choice in their constituencies. This is a normal practice, said BJP leader and former minister Rohitash Sharma.

However, in the current political turmoil, Congress legislators, camping in a hotel in Jaisalmer, are having a field day as Gehlot is accepting all their requests for posting of officers, he added.

This is borne out by the fact that two major RAS transfers were carried out on July 31 and August 2.

Political expert Narayan Bareth said in principle, it is the duty of the chief minister to consider requests of his legislators because they choose him to be their leader.

Ashok Gehlot is known for conceding to requests of legislators. Sometimes, it also goes against him but thats the way he is. This time, maybe after the formation of the government he was busy striking political balance and couldnt focus more on the requests for posting of officers, he said.

Bareth said that at this time when theres some danger to his government because of rebellion within the party, the CM may be more magnanimous in accepting requests of his MLAs.

Congress spokesperson Archana Sharma said transfer and posting of officers was a routine work of governance and it should not be linked to the political situation in the state. But she conceded that the Congress government valued requests of its legislators.
The first series of Line of Duty returned to screens last night, eight years after it premiered.

The first ever episode of the show, which is now approaching its sixth series, introduced viewers to characters including DS Steve Arnott (Martin Compston), then DI Kate Fleming (Vicky McClure) and Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar).

While fans were delighted to be given a chance to relive the action, some found themselves distracted by how young Compston, McClure and Dunbar look in the first episode.

Dozens took to Twitter to comment on the trio's 'fresh-faced' appearances, with one saying it looked like Compston was on 'work experience' on set.

THEN: Line of Duty fans were struck by how young the stars looked when the first series of the BBC police drama returned to screens last night. Pictured, Martin Compston as a young DS Steve Arnott finding his feet in Anti-Corruption Unit 12 in the first episode of series 1

NOW: Eight years on from when the series premiere, fans were struck by how much Compston has changed. Some said he looked so young before it was like he was on 'work experience'

Dozens of Twitter users shared posts commenting on the difference in physical appearance

At the time the first series was broadcast in the summer of 2012, Compton was 28, McClure was 29 and Dunbar was 54. The actors, the only three cast members to appear in all five series, are now 36, 37 and 62, respectively.

Eight years seemed to make all the difference to fans of the show, who noted it was strange to see Compton without a beard and Dunbar with darker hair.

One tweeted: 'Rewatching @Line_of_duty on @BBCOne ....Steve looks so young its like hes on work experience.'

Another posted: 'Watching 2012 #LineofDuty all over again cos I can, bloody hell they look so god damn young.'

A third wrote: 'Go on...treat yourself to the Line of Duty reruns for a thrilling series! Starts tonight and youll see some young faces that featured in the last series.'

2012: Vicky McClure as the then then DI Kate Fleming in the first episode of series one

2019: By series five, which aired last year, Fleming has been promoted to Detective Inspector. Pictured, McClure as Fleming in the final episode of series five, which was broadcast in 2019

2012: Superintendent Ted Hastings (Adrian Dunbar) is one of only three characters who appears in all five series of the BBC police drama. Fans were struck by his youthful appearance

2019: Ted had been through the ringer in series five, above, and the effects showed on his face

Line of Duty was an instant critical success on its premiere eight years ago and became BBC Two's best-performing drama series in a decade with a consolidated audience of 4.1 million viewers.

The second series, which premiered in 2014, became a critical success and led to BAFTA nominations for the show and its stars.

The show moved to BBC One with its fourth series in 2017, in yet another sign of how it was growing in popularity.

The fifth series was met with huge excitement was premiered last year. However fans have been left on tenterhooks for news of series six's release after the Covid-19 crisis forced an end to filming just four weeks into a 16-week filming schedule.

Fans took to Twitter to share their excitement at revisiting the first ever episode of the show

Speaking in the Q and A as reported by The Sun, showrunner Jed Mercurio said he wanted to aim to have series six ready to broadcast next year.

He said: 'We are working towards a day and if we can get over all the hurdles we will be back filming. 'We'd love to be on air next year, so we really have to make sure we complete our filming before Christmas.'

Earlier this month, star Vicky McClure said that she has still had 'no word' on when the show will be able to resume filming.

Speaking via FaceTime on The Chris Moyles Show on Radio X, she said the cast had begun work on the forthcoming season of the police drama prior to the UK's lockdown during the coronavirus crisis.

Line of Duty series one continues tonight at 9pm on BBC1
India reports dip in Covid infections with 2,38,018 new cases, positivity rate at 14.43%

Failure to vaccinate everyone will give rise to new variants, says UN chief

Faith vs safety in burials: COVID-19 remains in dead bodies for 9 days says Centre

Coronavirus vaccine: Bharat Biotech, Zydus Cadila human trials move into phase 2

India

oi-Deepika S

New Delhi, Aug 04: As the race for coronavirus vaccine heat up, the Centre on Tuesday said that the human trials of Bharat Biotech and Zydus Cadila for a coronavirus vaccine has moved into phase 2.

"At the present moment, we have 3 Indian vaccines which are in different phases of clinical testing. The 2 vaccines- Bharat Biotech vaccine and DNA vaccine of Zydus Cadila have completed phase 1 and will begin phase 2 while third is Oxford vaccine," said Dr Balram Bhargava, DG, ICMR.

DCGI nod to Serum Inst. of India for phase 2 & 3 clinical trials of Oxford COVID-19 vaccine

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 deadly virus that has already infected nearly 20 million globally.

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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.

Vivo pulls out of IPL, Chinese-owned Vivo pulls out amid row | Oneindia News

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.

Bharat Biotech has received approval to conduct phase I and II clinical trial for its vaccine candidate Covaxin, that has been developed and manufactured in the company's facility in Hyderabad.

Leading vaccine major Serum Institute of India has said that it is hoping to develop a COVID-19 vaccine by the year-end.

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.

Globally, the World Health Organisation (WHO) is tracking around 140 candidates vaccines, of which around two dozen are in various phases of human clinical trials.
(Photo : Pixabay) (Photo : Screenshot from Twitter Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen (@Dr_ThomasZ)) Dr. Thomas Zurbuchen's video of #LucyMission Spacecraft

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's Lucy Mission reaches essential to progress in assessing various critical elements that are needed for the project to begin spacecraft assembly.

NASA's Lucy Mission got approved to go unto building and producing a spacecraft for its mission and deep-space exploration for the mysterious "Trojan Asteriods" that orbit the Sun and gas giant, Jupiter.

In the last week of July, the four-day meeting assessed the readiness of the mission's segments, components, subsystems, electrical, communication, and navigation systems, together with the scientific instrumentation that is critical for the spacecraft.

ALSO READ: NASA And Virgin Galactic Will Develop a Supersonic Aircraft Making New York City to Shanghai in 40 Minutes Possible

Lucy's test

The Systems Integration Review or SwRI facilitated the components' assessment and concluded that the facilities, personnel, and plan and procedures are on schedule for the mission's integration.

The said meeting happened virtually, as NASA prioritized its personnel's safety during this time of COVID-19.

Lucy's assembly, test, and launch operations, or ALTO, were delayed by NASA as the pandemic is right around the corner. Partner institutions and teams concerned with the Lucy mission are currently developing a new schedule to reorganize the construction, trials, and test of the spacecraft components. The spacecraft's preparation and readiness are expected to be done in preparation for 2021's October launch.

Lucy Principal Investigator Hal Levison said that their team was not prepared to build a spacecraft under the current circumstances. Still, he is impressed with the creativity and potential of the team in accomplishing the said project.

Another test that will up the mission's achievements and progress is the Key Decision Point -D (KDP-D). This is a mandatory test after passing a series of reviews and is set at the end of August.

Trojan Asteroids

Lucy is the first mission that is set to study the mysterious Trojan Asteroids. These asteroids are considered to be outer Solar System asteroids that orbit in front of the Sun, and behind the gas giant, Jupiter.

What made the Trojans interesting for NASA is that on a normal circumstance, asteroids near the area would scatter away due to Jupiter's mass, but instead, the Sun counteracts, pulling back the asteroid and trapping them on a stable orbit known as a Lagrange point.

These Trojans are of four billion years old, unique, and considered one of the earliest remains of the Solar System. NASA considers them an exceptional case to study because no one else attempted to pursue these estranged asteroids.

The Lucy mission received its name from an early fossilized skeleton of an early hominid found by explorers Donald Johnson and Tom Gray on Nov. 24, 1974, in Ethiopia. Later, an explorer named Pamela Alderman named the asteroid officially from the song "Lucy in the Sky with Diamonds" by the English rock band, The Beatles.

Scientists believe that the Lucy mission will help us in knowing more of the Solar System's origins and, of course, the planet.

The mission entails a 12-year period of deep-space exploration, heading towards eight different points where asteroids are scattered. Lucy's path will cover both aspects of the Trojan's cluster and will give a close-up view of the three major types of categorized asteroids (C-, P- and D-types).

ALSO READ: NASA Plans to Dig Water on Moon to Drink and Use as Fuel

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Written by Isaiah Alonzo

 2021 TECHTIMES.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Sea-Eye, Sea-Watch and SOS Mediterranee say ships were seized on spurious grounds to prevent migrants from landing.

Three migrant rescue organisations have called on the Italian government to release private rescue vessels being held in Italys ports.

The ships had been prevented from setting sail on spurious grounds  to prevent the rescued [migrants] landing in Europe by any means, Sea-Eye, Sea-Watch and SOS Mediterranee wrote in a joint statement published on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, the number of migrants requiring rescue continued to climb, the charities said, and called for boats Ocean Viking and Sea-Watch 3 to be allowed to leave Sicily, where they had been impounded.

The group criticised the European Unions failure and demanded that Germany use its current European Council presidency to introduce a solidarity distribution mechanism for migrants.

Italy impounded the Ocean Viking, a ship belonging to organisation SOS Mediterranee, on July 22 at Porto Empedocle, two weeks after the vessel Sea-Watch 3.

Irregularities

Authorities cited security and administrative irregularities in both cases.

All irregularities that could be remedied had been fixed on board Sea-Watch 3, said activist Marie Naas, adding that German authorities did not deem Italys remaining complaints to be valid.

We still dont know if we can set sail at all in the near future, Naas said.

Another ship, Sea-Watch 4, run by the Protestant church, is almost ready to set sail, though a definite time has not been set.

The vessel Alan Kurdi of the organisation Sea-Eye is currently being repaired in Spain, though it is still lacking authorisation to reach the rescue area between North Africa and Italy, a Sea-Watch spokesperson said.
The police said a massive search operation was soon launched to secure the release of Shakir

SRINAGAR: The parents of the Territorial Army (TA) jawan who was abducted by suspected militants from a remote village of J&Ks southern Kulgam district on Sunday appealed for his release on Monday saying they needed him to stay alive.

The soldier, Shakir Manzoor, was reportedly abducted by gunmen after they intercepted his car while he was travelling through Damhal Hanjipora, a militancy-infected area of Kulgam, on Sunday evening. Before taking him forcibly, the suspected militants reportedly torched his Maruti Brezza, police sources said.

The police said a massive search operation was soon launched to secure the release of Shakir, a resident of Harmain village of neighbouring Shopian district. The police also said that he was on leave and was heading home for Eid when his car was intercepted by gunmen.

Shakirs parents, while making a passionate appeal to his captors, said that he has to take care of his four sisters and them. We appeal to the abductors to please forgive him if he has committed a mistake and let him go for the sake of God. He is needed by us to stay alive, his father told reporters. He added, We learnt that his vehicle was burnt and when we reached the spot we only found the damaged car, but no trace of him.

One of his sisters said, We appeal to the abductors to please let him go. We dont need anything, we have everything. Just let our brother go and return to us. He is needed by his aged parents and us. We dont need this job. We just need our brother. She added, If he has committed some wrong, please forgive him and let him come back to us unharmed.
Over two lakh bricks inscribed with Sri Ram (Lord Ram) in different languages collected from across the country over 30 years will form the foundation of the temple.

When Prime Minister Narendra Modi will lay the foundation stone of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on August 5, along with millions of devotees, real estate players, too, will be watching the proceedings, hoping for a start in a town that holds a lot of promise for them.

Studio apartments, 1-BHK flats, second houses and starred hotels are what developers have planned for this small dusty town in Uttar Pradeshs Faizabad district that had been a battleground of faiths for decades till the Supreme Court settled the bitter land dispute in 2019.

We would be keen to launch service apartments and second homes in this city, Manoj Gaur, managing director of the Gaurs Group, told Moneycontrol over the phone. This town presents immense opportunities.

The price of farmland has gone up more than 30 percent since the Supreme Court order, developers scouting for real estate parcels told Moneycontrol.

An agricultural land parcel spread across an acre was available for Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore before the SC order. Currently, the asking price is Rs 1.25 to Rs 1.50 crore per acre, depending on the location. Most of these are located 10 to 15 km from the temple site, Shobhik Goyyal, member, Credai UP, and promoter of OP Chains Housings, which conducted a survey of the area, told Moneycontrol.

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 top court ordered that the disputed site be given to Hindus to build a Ram temple and Muslims be allotted another piece of land to build a mosque.

Gaur and other builders are now waiting for Ayodhyas Master Plan 2031.

Ayodhya is in the limelight and we are in talks with the government through bodies such as PHDCCI and Credai, Gaur said. Credai is an all-India lobby group of real estate developers.

Ayodhya is among the towns to be developed under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) that aims to provide basic amenities like water, sewerage and transport aimed at changing the face of urban India.

The National Remote Sensing Centre has been tasked with providing satellite imagery of the town. The team is working on it. The draft plan is likely to be ready by September 2020 and the final Master Plan of Ayodhya 2031 is expected to be ready by January 2021, Anoop Shrivastava, Chief Town and Country Planner, told Moneycontrol over the phone.

A master plan outlines developmental works expected to be carried out in an area. It demarcates land usefor residential and commercial purposes, including for hotels that Ayodhya will need in large numbers for pilgrims and workers involved in building the temple. Most of the land available right now is agricultural.

Unlike other asset classes, housing projects in holy cities have largely escaped the slowdown and the coronavirus outbreak unscathed.

Retirees or NRIs, who may want wish to spend a few months at the birthplace of Ram, will be among top property buyers in the town, say realtors.

Ayodhya has the potential to emerge as an ideal market for second homes or retirement homes.

Developers have launched several projects in holy cities such as Amritsar, Haridwar-Rishikesh, the four Hindu Dhams of Badrinath, Dwarka, Puri and Rameswaram and in South Indian temple towns of Madurai and Tirupati.

Ramandeep Singh, Alliance Residency Ltd, Credai, UP, said there was a dearth of organised real estate projects in the area. There may also be demand from the workforce that comes to work in this area going forward besides demand for pilgrimage housing. Most of the land right now is held by the Akharas. Akharas are Hindu monastic groups.

Also, most of the agricultural land parcels are 10 to 15 km away from the temple site. Two five-star hotels have already been signed up. We are hoping that five more would come up in the area besides 20 odd three to 4-star hotels, said Goyyal of Credai UP.

Once the Master Plan is in place, developers foresee a demand for studio apartments or 1-BHK units.

In the next five to seven years, one may see demand for at least 5,000 units in the range of Rs 15 lakh to Rs 30 lakh in this area, with maximum demand coming in from devotees. More than 15 developers have already shown interest, he said.

The town would also need a massive infrastructure upgrade, said Shobhit Dass, president, Credai, UP. There is not a single branded hotel in the area, only dharmshalas. Senior living housing could also come up in this area, he said.

We are all waiting for the master plan to be ready and once it is in place, the entire area is expected to be opened up for development, he adds.
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The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park was closed indefinitely on Tuesday after Indigenous locals protested against allowing tourists into the area to potentially spread coronavirus.

Protesters blocked the park entrance on Monday morning after 42 passengers arrived at 10am on a Jetstar flight from Brisbane.

NT Health officials said three of the passengers were from virus 'hotspots' - as declared by local officials - and were transported by bus to Alice Springs for the mandatory two-week quarantine.

Following the protest by the Mutitjulu Aboriginal Community Corporation (MCAC), Parks Australia chose to temporarily close the park until 12pm Tuesday.

The Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park is going to be closed indefinitely as Indigenous community members fear tourists could spread coronavirus

Traditional owners in the Northern Territory blocked the entrance to Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park as a protest on Monday (pictured) after 42 passengers arrived on a Jetstar flight

Parks Australia then released a statement on Tuesday saying it was extending the closure indefinitely.

'At the request of Mutitjulu Aboriginal Community Corporation (MCAC) and following further discussions with MCAC, Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia, the Central Land Council, Central Australian Aboriginal Congress and the Northern Territory Government, the Uluru-Kata Tjuta National Park will remain closed while re-opening protocols proposed by MCAC are considered,' Parks Australia said.

'We have the utmost respect for Uluru-Kata Tjuta's traditional owners and are continuing to work in good faith with them and all other parties to keep Mutitjulu residents safe.'

The Anangu are the owners of the land contained within the national park but lease it to Parks Australia.

The organisation is now pushing for flights from coronavirus hotspots to Yulara, about 30 minutes from the park, to be cancelled, ABC reported.

This would also mean people from declared hotspots in the Northern Territory would not be allowed to fly to Yulara.

MCAC general manager Glenn Irvine said all tourists who arrived on Monday are being tested for coronavirus and will be allowed into the park if their results were negative.

Pictures from the entrance to the national park on Monday showed members of MCAC standing on the highway in protest with cars parked across the asphalt.

Tourists are no longer allowed to climb Uluru but can still walk around the base of the rock

'We were told this flight would not be going ahead today after the NT declared Brisbane a COVID-19 hotspot on Friday,' Mr Irvine said.

'I watched most of the passengers enter Yulara this morning. This presents an egregious and totally unacceptable risk to the residents of Mutitjulu and the surrounding Lasseter region.'

An email from Parks Australia seen by the NT News revealed the organisation had previously refused to close the national park.

The email stated Parks Australia's position; that allowing tourists into Uluru would be safer for the local Aboriginal community because there would be less chance of transmission out in the open.

'Closing the park now would result in visitors being confined in Yulara where the opportunity for contact with residents is much greater,' the email reads.

Following the protest by the Mutitjulu Aboriginal Community Corporation (MCAC), Parks Australia chose to temporarily close the park until 12pm Tuesday

Mr Irvine said traditional owners had been clear they did not want the visitors to enter the park and were left with no choice but to blockade the entrance after they were ignored.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he respects traditional owners views and said anyone arriving from a hotspot would need to go through mandatory quarantine.

Jetstar told Daily Mail Australia they are operating two flights between Brisbane and Uluru per week to deliver supplies and transport visitors.

The airline added it was following federal and state guidelines.

'We advised all passengers including those from Brisbane, Ipswich and Logan areas they are subject to the travel restrictions that came into force on Saturday. Given these restrictions, we expect it will be largely outbound passengers and freight.'


But at least 80 percent of people who could benefit from it dont receive it. Some are deterred by the stigma still attached to taking Suboxone. But likely more important is the shortage of local providers. In 2016, the Obama administration increased the number of providers and allowed them to treat more patients. Its still far from enough.

So people buy Suboxone from their drug dealer. I bought it on the black market  a lot of people do, Michelle said. They sometimes try it because they cant get their drug of choice. Or theyre thinking about getting clean, and they dont have insurance and dont want to go through the red tape.

Ophelias medical director, Arthur Robin Williams, an addiction psychiatrist and assistant professor at Columbia University said, It is easier for people to get the dangerous drugs than to get the treatment for addiction.

Some clinics have been using telemedicine for the last few years, but patients still faced many barriers to treatment. The first visit had to be in person  which meant that access to treatment still depended on where you lived. Doctors were paid a pittance for telehealth appointments, so few doctors offered them. A patient could get only a weeks supply of buprenorphine at a time.

Advocates for treatment have campaigned to remove these barriers  unsuccessfully until Covid-19.

The pandemic has led to regulatory changes: Treatment can now be entirely virtual, including the first appointment. Medicare now pays providers the same for a video appointment as a conventional one  many insurers and Medicaid programs have followed. Patients can get a months prescription for buprenorphine instead of just a weeks.

These changes are temporary, but everyone I talked to wanted them made permanent.

This has just catapulted through this crisis, said Allegra Schorr, a Manhattan doctor and the president of Compa, a New York State coalition of medication-assisted treatment providers and advocates. Now everybodys doing it, she said. Within this environment, it certainly seems to be working.

Prevention Point Philadelphia is among the largest harm reduction centers in the country. It offers syringe exchange, medical care, social services  and now, food. The majority of its patients are without homes, and most suffer from multiple mental and physical illnesses.
A completion and commissioning ceremony for China's BeiDou Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3) was held in Beijing on July 31. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee attended the ceremony and officially announced the commissioning of the system.

It marked the completion of China's independent, open and compatible global navigation satellite system, and the BDS-3 has entered a new stage of global services to benefit all human beings.

Global navigation satellite system is a vital spatial infrastructure that concerns both national strategies and people's livelihood. To build an independent global navigation satellite system is an important major strategic decision made by the CPC Central Committee, the State Council and the Central Military Commission. General Secretary Xi has attached high importance on the construction of the system and made important instructions.

The completion and operation of the BDS-3 mark a significant milestone in China's efforts to boost science and technology and advance the country as a major power in space. The system is a major contribution to the global public-service infrastructure as well as a remarkable strategic achievement of socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era. Carrying generations of efforts of Chinese aerospace experts, and the persevering spirit of the Chinese nation, it has a profound and far-reaching significance for promoting the building of a modern socialist China and a community with a shared future for mankind.

The system is developed by a massive science force that has overcome tremendous difficulties and made painstaking contributions, and will serve the innumerable people and benefit generation after generation.

Since getting official approval in 1994, generations of aerospace scientists have made unremitted efforts to complete their mission of making China stronger through aerospace and scientific technology, with a sense of responsibility to put national interests, the cause of the CPC and loyalty to Chinese people above everything. They have overcome unimaginable difficulties, making a new exploration in an unfamiliar area and starting from scratch to develop high-end technology. They illuminated the BDS-3 with their conviction, and made the constellation shine in the universe and serve both China and the rest of the world. From the three-step strategy to adopting a technological development path different from other countries, and to launching a total of 30 satellites with 18 rockets, the BDS-3 demonstrates the ambition of the Chinese nation to develop independently and manifests the political advantages of the country's socialist system to concentrate resources to accomplish large undertakings.

Beidou is so far China's largest complicated space-based system that covers the widest area, features the best services, and has the closest relation with people's daily lives. More than 300,000 scientists, engineers and technicians from over 400 domestic institutes, universities and enterprises have been involved in Beidou's development and construction. They have always been carrying forward the BeiDou spirit of the "independent innovations, unity and collaboration, overcoming difficulties, and the pursuit of excellence." It is another spiritual milestone on the journey of the Chinese aerospace scientists to make China a scientific power, a legacy of the manned spaceflight spirit. The BDS-3 is also a valuable spiritual treasure that features distinctive characteristics of the times, spurring Chinese scientific workers to keep making efforts and building a magnificent power for the Chinese people to realize the Chinese dream.

General Secretary Xi pointed out that China is willing to share the achievements of the BeiDou system with other countries, and promote the development of global satellite navigation systems. The BDS-3 is now providing services for over a hundred million users in Belt and Road countries and regions, and its products have been exported to more than 120 countries and regions.

As long as China carries forward the Beidou spirit in the new era, stay true to its original aspiration, keep its mission in mind, make unremitted efforts and keep moving forward, it will be able to make greater contribution to realizing its two centenary goals and the Chinese dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, as well as offer better service for global satellite navigation systems and contribute wisdom and power for benefiting the mankind.
NORTHBROOK, Ill., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Astellas Pharma US, Inc. ("Astellas") today announced the call for entries for the Astellas Oncology C3 Prize (Changing Cancer Care), a global challenge that funds the best non-treatment ideas to improve cancer care for patients, caregivers and their loved ones. Now in its fifth year, the C3 Prize will award grants and resources totaling $200,000 to concepts that address everyday challenges facing people impacted by cancer. In particular this year, solutions that also ease the increased burden of COVID-19 on cancer care, as well as address health disparities affecting cancer patients, are encouraged.

The C3 Prize is open to all applicants through September 28. Astellas will select the finalists in December 2020. Each finalist will participate in a pitch event in March 2021 to determine the prize winners. Additional applicant information is available at www.C3Prize.com.

"Over the past five years we have sourced hundreds of ideas from people who embody the Astellas Oncology mission to make every day better for those living with cancer," said Mark Reisenauer, senior vice president, oncology business unit, Astellas US. "The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as existing health disparities, adds to the complexity of cancer care, creating additional emotional, financial and physical strain for people impacted by cancer, their loved ones and the medical professionals who care for them. The C3 Prize is uniquely designed to elicit the best ideas to address these challenges."

Cultivating Ideas that Unify Care Around People Living with Cancer

The C3 Prize is not just for complex solutions  ideas can be in the form of support tools, educational efforts, technology solutions and beyond. Past winners include people who have lived with cancer, caregivers, healthcare providers, patient advocates, entrepreneurs and more. Their winning ideas have included a video game designed to keep pediatric patients active and informed, a specialized childcare network that provides stability and normalcy for families, and a first-of-its kind and easy-to-understand digital audio series about cancer.

Celebrity entrepreneur and cancer activist Bill Rancic is lending his support to the 5th Annual C3 Prize for the third consecutive year to generate awareness about the importance of fostering advances in cancer beyond medicine and as host of the pitch event.

"As the husband of a cancer survivor, it's been an honor to be a part of an effort that puts a spotlight on life-changing cancer care solutions that ease the burden of the cancer journey for patients and their families," Rancic said. "I've been inspired and impressed by the creativity of the submissions we have received over the years, and I encourage anyone with an idea or concept to apply."

Tackling Everyday Challenges Facing the Cancer Community

The 5th Annual C3 Prize finalists will participate in a pitch event with an expert panel of volunteer judges: Mark Reisenauer, senior vice president, oncology business unit, Astellas; Margaret Laws, president and CEO, Hopelab; Ebele Mbanugo, executive director, Run for a Cure Africa; Steve Alperin, CEO, SurvivorNet and Steven Collens, CEO, MATTER.

"I've dedicated my life to cancer education and awareness, and through my experience with the C3 Prize I have learned that one good idea can make an immeasurable difference," said Ebele Mbanugo, 2018 C3 Grand Prize winner, 2020 C3 Prize judge and founder/executive director of the nonprofit organization Run For a Cure Africa (RFCA). "Through the grants we've received from the C3 Prize to help fund my idea, we've been able to provide more comprehensive care for breast cancer patients living in Nigeria."

Astellas Oncology will award the Grand Prize winner $100,000 USD in grants, and the two Innovation Prize winners $50,000 USD in grants each. All winners will be provided with access to tools and resources to help them develop and advance their idea, including a yearlong complimentary membership to MATTER, a global healthcare startup incubator, community nexus and corporate innovation accelerator.

All eligible entries will be evaluated on the following criteria: potential impact on people affected by cancer, originality/differentiation from existing solutions, scalability of idea, and the impact of the C3 Prize on the ability to further the idea.

For more information, visit www.C3Prize.com.

About the Astellas Oncology C3 Prize

The Astellas Oncology C3 Prize, launched in 2016, is a global challenge that aims to address the complexities of the cancer journey by funding the best ideas in cancer care beyond medicine. The C3 Prize sparks innovative developments in cancer care, tackling cancer challenges by awarding the winners with prize money and connecting them with resources and support. The C3 Prize directly reflects the mission of Astellas Oncology: striving to make every day better for those impacted by cancer. Astellas maintains no ownership in the ventures funded by the C3 Prize. For more information, visit the website at https://www.C3Prize.com and follow on social media with the hashtag, #C3Prize.

About Astellas

Astellas is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to improving the health of people around the world through the provision of innovative and reliable pharmaceutical products. For more information on Astellas, please visit our website at http://www.astellas.us. You can also follow us on Twitter at @AstellasUS, Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/AstellasUS or LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/company/astellas-pharma.

About MATTER

MATTER is a global healthcare startup incubator, community nexus and corporate innovation accelerator. MATTER mobilizes a community of entrepreneurs, industry innovators, scientists and clinicians committed to improving health and care for every patient.

SOURCE Astellas Pharma Inc.

Related Links

http://www.C3Prize.com


Luna Cart Clean We know that companies are looking for additional ways to protect their employees and customers.

As businesses strive to reopen, one company is offering a solution to help keep employees and customers safe. Florida based Lunasphere announced today the official launch of the Luna Cart Clean, a convenient, effective solution for disinfecting carts and baskets in major grocery and retail chains.

Bill Reicherter, CEO of Lunasphere said, We know that companies are looking for additional ways to protect their employees and customers. We are honored to do our part through the technology and convenience of the Luna Cart Clean. I am proud of our team that has worked so hard to make this exciting new solution possible and that we are able to manufacture it right here in Southeast Florida.

The Luna Clean Cart by Lunasphere is a revolutionary disinfectant system designed for effectively kill viruses and micro bacterium. The key component of the Luna Cart Clean is the UV- C lights, which emit very short ultraviolet wavelengths from 100 to 280 nanometers that damages the DNA of bacteria, viruses, and other pathogens.

As retail companies across the country are taking on responsibility for the safety of both consumers and employees, the Luna Cart Clean will help provide them the tools necessary to do it effectively and affordably.

I am so proud to come together with my Father to officially announce and share Luna Cart Clean by Lunasphere. With all of our products with Lunasphere we are looking for innovative ways to keep customers and employees safe, and happy to help our customers do just that, said Francesca Reicherter, President of Lunasphere.

Across the nation stores are doing their best to keep germs at bay by having their employees sit outside and wipe down every shopping cart and basket that is used. Employees spray disinfectant and wipe down every cart and basket with the same rags repeatedly. Chances are they are unknowingly not only missing most of the areas but also contaminating their employees in the process.

The Luna Cart Clean eliminates this by sending the carts through a quick sanitizing tunnel that sanitize carts thoroughly. The Luna Cart Clean system uses UV-C lights to kill 99.9% of germs and bacteria while eliminating the additional labor efforts and risk to employees, saving retailers both time and money and most importantly an added layer of protection agains dangerous viruses and bacteria.

About Lunasphere:

Lunasphere is a family owned and operated business, established when a father and daughter came together to develop a solution to the invisible germs and bacteria being spread through interaction with everyday items. A percentage of all Lunasphere proceeds are donated to the Inspiring My Generation Foundation, a Florida Non-Profit founded by Lunasphere President Francesca Reicherter that focuses on promoting mental health awareness, mental wellness, and expanded treatment options. For more information on the Luna visit http://www.theLunasphere.com.
Gayathri Vaidyanathan

Suganya Prakash, 21, left at 8 am from her home in a crowded area of Chennai, a city of 7 million in South India. After a quick breakfast and a visit to the offices of the Chennai Corporation, the civic body governing the city, she donned a surgical mask and, carrying a notebook and a ballpoint pen, walked to the first of 250 houses on her list. It was already 90 degrees and her mask hung askew as she climbed a flight of stairs to the second floor of a turquoise-painted duplex in Mylapore, a well-to-do neighborhood. The front door was open.

"Im from the Corporation and Ive come for a survey," Suganya said in Tamil to the old man seated near the door. She opened her notebook. Five people  three generations  crowded around her. She didnt fix her mask. How many members? How old is everyone? Does anyone have any disease? Any fever?

Suganya was part of a 16,000-strong surveillance team in Chennai that, in April, was going door-to-door with minimal personal protective equipment to find people infected with COVID-19. Most of these census takers are women, often poor, who are attracted to the risky job by its salary of 15,000 rupees ($200) a month  a good wage at a time when more than 100 million in India are without work. And its not just in India. In Bangladeshs Coxs Bazar, home to the worlds largest refugee camp, Rohingya women are going door-to-door to educate people on the importance of washing hands and maintaining social distancing. In Chinas Hubei Province, where the novel coronavirus originated, women make up 90 percent of the health care workforce.

With the COVID crisis, we're seeing that women are bearing the social and economic impacts to a disproportionate degree, said Julia Smith, a research associate at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, who is part of a global team examining the gendered effects of COVID-19. They are also on the front lines responding to the outbreak.

To be sure, the virus itself takes a greater toll on men, who are statistically more likely to die from COVID-19 once infected  two times more likely, according to some studies. Precisely why remains unclear.

Still, that grim statistic belies a complicated situation on the ground, where the impacts of the pandemic ripple through womens lives in profound ways. From nurses and doctors to contract tracers and community volunteers, women are disproportionately represented on the front lines of health care delivery and management for the millions of cases of COVID-19 around the world. Meanwhile, women-dominated industries like service and personal care have suffered some of the greatest job losses during the economic contraction. In turn, across the world  in rich countries as well as developing ones  women have been more likely to shoulder the burden of caring for children and elderly family members during widespread lockdowns, as well as suffering higher rates of domestic violence and higher levels of anxiety and stress.

Gendered patterns have surfaced amid other contagions, from HIV to Ebola, but experts say the disparate impacts on women in the midst of a fast-spreading disease are only now being studied in earnest  and none too soon. They warn that the long-term impacts of COVID-19 on the lives of women could roll back gains made over decades, in part because in the mad rush to address the looming public health crisis, most nations have failed to consider gender when planning their responses. We need to understand those things, Smith said, if we're going to make sure that those most in need get the help they need.

The HIV/AIDs epidemic first revealed to researchers in the 1990s the importance of the fact that men, women, and non-binary people experience infectious diseases differently, and that cultural expectations about appropriate male and female behavior matter. At different levels, gender affects your risk exposure, said Sara Davies, professor at the School of Government and International Relations at Griffith University in Australia. It affects how your body will react, and it also affects the consequences of getting infected.

Davies was in Thailand in the late 2000s, at the tail end of the H5N1  avian influenza  outbreak across Southeast Asia. Between 2003 and 2009, there were 468 confirmed infections resulting in 282 deaths worldwide. Davies noticed that most workers monitoring H5N1 on the ground were women, while men dominated all the policy workshops that Davies attended. Even the messaging seemed biased to Davies. Men were told about impacts on the job, while women  who also often worked  received instructions about household care, such as how to check for fever or sanitize surfaces.

The dominance of men at the top echelons of health policy has meant that the male body is considered the default in these discussions, said Anna Purdie, program manager for Global Health 50/50, an initiative focused on gender equality in global health based at University College London. For example, most clinical trials have a male bias. Heart attacks in women, which can cause atypical symptoms such as jaw pain, often go unrecognized because the default understanding is the male experience. On the flip side, men tend to seek medical care later than women due to cultural norms.

When Ebola broke out in in Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea in 2014, these nations in West Africa were already struggling with lack of access to school for girls, teenage pregnancy, domestic violence, and adequate maternal health care. In the Kailahun and Kenema Districts of eastern Sierra Leone, for example, there was only one hospital for about 670,000 people, so the sick were often cared for at home by women.

But as authorities scrambled to respond, gender was still mostly ignored, said Sophie Harman, a professor of international politics at Queen Mary University of London. She found that out of some 61 publications on the outbreak in the year ending February 2015, only two spoke of women and acknowledged their risk as primary caregivers.

The World Health Organization (WHO) did not publish gender-disaggregated data until a year after the outbreak began, and the data, when it was published, suggested that Ebola equally impacted men and women.

But global health experts on the ground could see that the statistical gender parity in the sparse data hid a world of nuance. Some research has found that women who survived Ebola disproportionately suffered secondary and long-term social impacts, such as being more likely to experience community stigma and ostracization. In Sierra Leone, as the health care system become overwhelmed with cases, 30 percent fewer women accessed routine health care, and pregnant women came to clinics only after facing obstetric complications because they worried about catching the disease. In Liberia, more women gave birth without the attendance of a health care professional of any kind. And among the women who did make it to the hospital, maternal mortality and stillbirth increased.

Women were also more likely to lose their jobs and remain out of work as economies contracted during the crisis. A 2015 World Bank report found that 60 percent of women in Liberia remained unemployed a year after the outbreak began, compared to 40 percent of men. In one micro-finance group set up to empower women in Kailahun in Sierra Leone that Smith of Simon Fraser University worked with, nine out of 35 women died of Ebola.

The wide, rippling effects were just almost too much to comprehend, Smith said.

Experts published papers on gender and infectious disease in academic journals, but Harman suggested these findings were largely ignored until women in Europe and the United States began experiencing negative impacts during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gender has historically flown under the radar when it comes to infectious disease, she said. Thats because it has mostly affected women in the global south. But COVID is different; it has affected women in the north.

During her rounds in April, Malathi Sasikumar was frazzled; as part of the team knocking on doors in Chennai, she was responsible for managing 75 surveillance workers in the area in addition to making her own visits. She stopped outside a cramped three-story apartment building where a woman had reported COVID-19 symptoms and rang the doorbell. The vendor at the milk depot next door, which was permitted to operate during the lockdown, said in Tamil, I don't know how you do this. I'd be scared. You are very brave."

A woman appeared on a second-floor balcony and gestured to Malathi to come upstairs. She climbed up and paused on the tiny landing. The woman gestured for her to enter. Malathi, who was wearing a surgical mask and white cloth gloves, hesitated. No, we just want to ask you about your fever, she said. But the woman insisted, and Malathi removed her sandals and went in. The room smelled musty; there were no windows. A surgical mask hung on a nail; the womans face was uncovered. A muted television played the days news.

The woman asked Malathi to sit next to her on the sofa. Malathi hesitated again before sitting down to hear the woman better. The woman said she worked for the government and was constantly around people. She was worried that she had the virus and wanted to get tested. Malathi assured her a doctor would check on her that evening.

Back on the street, Malathi explained her thinking. I was very scared, she said of entering the womans home. But the woman wouldnt listen, and I had to go in.

Data on COVID-19 shows that men are more likely to die once infected. In some parts of the world, such as South Asia and the Middle East, men are also more likely to be confirmed as infected. We don't know whether that's because more men have access to testing, or because more men are getting more infected than women because they are outside more, said Purdie of Global Health 50/50.

But within the health care sector, women are faring worse. This is unsurprising as women make up 70 percent of the worlds health care workers. In Spain, Italy, and the United States, between two thirds and three quarters of infections in health care workers are in women.

In almost all nations, nurses have complained about unsafe conditions. In India, where 90 percent of nurses are women, some hospitals require staff to work up to 12-hour shifts while wearing stifling personal protective equipment (PPE), said Joldin Francis, general secretary of the United Nurses Associations New Delhi chapter. The women cannot take toilet breaks while wearing PPE, and they complete weeklong assignments in COVID-19 wards, only to return home and worry about transmitting the virus to their families. They are under great mental strain, he said.

Its been difficult to fully understand the impact of COVID-19 on men and women because gender-disaggregated data are not easily available. Only 60 out of 194 member nations of the WHO are supplying such data consistently, Davies of Griffith University said.

It's been really shocking, she said. I'm on a project and we're trying to collect it, and it's really hard. We have a suspicion that sometimes it probably is being collected, but it's just not being shared.

Experts say policymakers must go beyond infection and mortality statistics while crafting policies. There have been knock-on effects on women, but getting relevant data on issues such as domestic violence has been challenging, said Tara Cookson, a postdoctoral research fellow at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver and co-founder of Ladysmith, a feminist research consultancy.

It's really hard to collect data on this at the moment because you're not sending around someone to do a household survey, she said.

Kamalam Johns occupation is snipping away excess threads from hemmed garments, putting in drawstrings, and other piece work for the garment industry. She had taken up this job a decade ago as it allowed her to earn from home while taking care of her family. And when COVID-19 hit, she was on the lowest rung of a garment supply chain in Tiruppur, a city 250 miles southeast of Chennai, which supplies domestic companies as well as major international fashion brands such as Zara.

Kamalam, 45, usually earns at least a quarter of a rupee (a fraction of a cent) per garment she processes, but as of early July, she hadnt worked for three months. Her husband, a full-time tailor at the local firm AKR Textiles, had also lost his job. They hadnt paid the rent on their house for the previous three months. Like many women here, Kamalam had taken out a microfinance loan and the representative was clamoring for dues. She estimated that half of the home-based workers in Tiruppur like her were still unemployed, and even the work that still trickled in paid lower rates.

We don't have work, she said in Tamil. Instead of being able to plan out our lives, suddenly, there's this problem in nature. We cannot handle the shock.

Janhavi Dave, international coordinator of HomeNet South Asia, an NGO that represents 900,000 home-based workers, the majority women, said that most have not earned a wage since March. They're almost desperate for work, for an income, she said.

Economists say that women have been more likely than men to lose their jobs during the pandemic, as the sectors dominated by women, such as retail and hospitality, have been hit hard. Globally, an estimated 220 million women are employed in at-risk sectors.

Women are also handing much of the burden of caring for children, as well as ill and elderly relatives, in both the developed and developing world. The only place [many women] used to work, which is their own home, is gone because now a lot of people are there, Dave said.

As nations locked down, some women were stuck with violent partners. Helplines around the world noted an uptick in distress calls. In France, domestic violence reports increased by 30 percent. In Cyprus and Singapore, calls increased by even more. In India, some helplines shut down at the beginning of the lockdown, leaving women with nowhere to turn, according to Dave.

They reached out to police, but the police were too busy, you know, implementing the lockdown and asked them to manage it on their own, she said.

While there has been a growing outcry over the disparate impacts of the pandemic on women, nations havent really applied a gender lens to their policymaking, according to Harman. If they had, they would have known that domestic violence would increase during a lockdown and devoted resources to addressing the spike.

Women have also been mostly absent at the topmost levels of outbreak response. In the United States, the White House Coronavirus Task Force, for example, has only two women among its 27 members. This mirrors the absence of women in the decision-making roles across the health care sector worldwide, where less than one-third of organizations have equal numbers of men and women, according to an analysis by Global Health 50/50.

While the WHO does have a gender unit, Davies noted, their research does not always surface in the work of the health emergencies program. There's not a lot of consistent international level policy, Davies said, on the gendered impacts of pandemics.

Gayathri Vaidyanathan is an independent, India-based journalist writing about the environment, science, and society.

This article was originally published on Undark. Read the original article.
A St. Catharines man who molested a nine-year-old girl after she offered to help him find a lost dog says he was sexually frustrated on the day of the offence but denied having a sexual interest in children, court heard Tuesday.

The 25-year-old said he decided in June 2019, after consuming alcohol and cannabis, to confront his anxiety about meeting a woman by setting out to have a casual conversation with a woman in his neighbourhood.

He said he later threw age out the window and approached the child.

In Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines Tuesday, Francesco Colocho-Romero received a conditional sentence  also referred to as house arrest  of 12 months on a charge of sexual interference.

House arrest is not jail, but it is a significant restriction on liberty, said Judge Joseph De Filippis.

Moreover, along with the probation to follow and the ancillary orders, it meets the primary purpose of all sentencing  namely, protection of the public.

The defendant told the author of the presentence report he is not sexually attracted to children, but admitted he holds sexual gratification in high regard, is impulsive and has had thoughts that alarm him.

A court-ordered psychiatric assessment concluded the offender was at moderately high risk of sexual recidivism.

Appropriate counselling, assessment and treatment is necessary to manage the risk of further misconduct, the judge said.

Court heard the child was riding her bike in the area of Haynes Avenue and Queenston Street when the defendant signalled to her to stop.

Colocho-Romero said his dog was lost and showed the girl a photograph of a dog. He asked if she had come across his canine companion.

During their brief conversation, the girl was molested.

The incident was captured by video surveillance from several cameras in the area.

In a victim impact statement submitted to court, the young victim explained how the incident has impacted her life.

She said she now feels uncomfortable with a male teacher and has miss[ed] a lot of school.

She added she feels uncomfortable about myself, I dont like anyone even my mom to see me change my clothes.

The victims mother confirmed the changes in her daughter, adding her once carefree child has not hugged her grandfather since the offence.

The mother said she feels guilty because she worked late on the day in question and her daughter was unable to get a hold of her immediately after the incident.

She should not feel guilty, the judge said. The defendant is to blame, not her.

In addition to the conditional sentence, Colocho-Romero was placed on probation for three years and ordered to undergo any recommended counselling or rehabilitative programs.

He was also prohibited from being in the company of anyone under 16 unless accompanied by an adult and banned from consuming alcohol, cannabis or any illicit drugs.

His name will appear on the national sex offender registry for the next 10 years.
Algerian President Abdelmadjid Tebboune Monday announced that his country "is reviewing the possibility to reopen mosques for the public", Trend reports citing Xinhua.

The president made the remarks during a meeting of the High Security Council attended by top military and security officials as well as cabinet members to assess the COVID-19 epidemic inside the country.

Tebboune instructed Prime Minister Abdelaziz Djerad to program a gradual reopening of mosques.

He added that the first phase of the program will be limited to 1,000 large mosques in the country, which "will be able to allow the essential physical distancing with the imperative wearing of masks by all."

The prime minister was authorized to estimate the reopening of beaches and other places for recreation and relaxation.

Mosques, beaches and parks in the country have been closed since mid-March, as part of measures taken by the authorities to stem the spread of the COVID-19 epidemic.
TORONTO - COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on some of Toronto's most vulnerable communities, but for two residents of a new housing project in the city's midtown area, the pandemic has been an unexpected blessing.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Jason is photographed in Toronto, on Thursday 30, 2020. Jason who, has spent numerous years living on the streets, was relocated to an apartment by the city, as part of their COVID response. The city has now given residents a month's notice of a further relocation site they still have to establish, after developers received a permit to develop the exiting midtown apartments ahead of schedule. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

TORONTO - COVID-19 has wreaked havoc on some of Toronto's most vulnerable communities, but for two residents of a new housing project in the city's midtown area, the pandemic has been an unexpected blessing.

Just a few months ago, Jason Greig and Rob Dods were each sleeping in tents. Now, the two men are among 149 previously homeless residents living in a pair of apartment buildings leased by the city at the height of the pandemic.

The deal was struck between Toronto's Shelter, Support and Housing Administration and the buildings' developer, the Times Group Corporation, not long after a number of outbreaks in the shelter system led to a wave of outdoor encampments cropping up across the downtown core.

Residents moved in at the end of April and have since enjoyed amenities they were deprived of while in the street: a hot shower, a kitchen of their own, air conditioning and privacy.

But the agreement was never supposed to be permanent, and at the end of this month, all 149 residents will have to move out as the buildings are prepared for demolition.

Both Greig and Dods said they were grateful for the program  and would like to see the city pursue similar options in the future.

"COVID made my life better. It really did," Greig said in a recent interview outside Sanctuary, a downtown Christian outreach centre.

"What was I doing before COVID? I was sleeping in a tent, going from this neighbourhood to that place. Never quite feeling safe enough to leave my tent or do anything, because if I leave anything anywhere, it's stolen.

Before the pandemic, Greig said, there were countless hoops to jump through in order to secure housing  but in the wake of the pandemic, the red tape seemed to disappear.

"Because of COVID, Ive never seen them change a law in this country that fast," he said.

Dods, who has been homeless for the last four years and struggles with alcoholism, said he was becoming disillusioned by the daily struggles of living on the street.

I was living in a tent right over there," Dods said, gesturing toward the courtyard beside Sanctuary.

"It was comfortable, shall we say, but it was also not comfortable. I ain't camping, you know? I'm not up north fishing."

Dods said he believes the city is genuinely trying its best to do right by the buildings' residents.

In a phone call with The Canadian Press, the director of Toronto's Shelter, Support and Housing Administration, Gord Tanner, said the city is working to make sure all residents have the chance to get permanent housing. He said another set of temporary housing will be arranged for any residents of the midtown apartments who aren't able to secure a place of their own before September.

For as many people as we can, we are trying to move them into permanent housing, but for those that can't, we will keep them accommodated through other means, Tanner said.

Jen Zoratti | Next A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future delivered to your inbox every Wednesday. Sign Up I agree to the Terms and Conditions, Cookie and Privacy Policies, and CASL agreement.

Given that this is another change for people, many of whom have been living outside, we want to make sure they have the right information and feel reassured."

Dods said the new housing program has had a hugely positive effect on his mental health, citing the profound difference made by things such as being able to have a hot shower, cook his own meals and lock his door at night.

While he's confident he'll be able to find a place before September, Dods said the main difficulty for homeless people finding housing often has more to do with prejudice from landlords than it does being able to pay rent.

Still, he's hopeful the city will approach the issue of homelessness with more compassion in a post-COVID world: in his eyes, both politicians and residents alike are starting to wake up to the brutal reality for those living on the street.

"Its a bigger problem than a lot of people realize. Its not just Joe Blow standing in front of Tim Hortons asking if you got any change. Its way bigger.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
The victims father had come up from Kentucky for graduation parties, records state and the victims sister and another man were also in the house at the time. After hearing a commotion or wrestling, the father had tried to go to the bedroom, but the door had been blocked by Marshall, records state.
Hospitality firm OYO on Tuesday told its employees that it is restoring the full salaries of staffers in India and South Asia, a company spokesperson said. Pay cuts for employees with fixed compensation of up to Rs 8 lakh have been reversed from August 1, while the rest will see restoration in a phased manner from October 2020, the spokesperson added.

The hospitality firm had on April 22 had asked some of its staff in India to go on leave with limited benefits from May 4 for four months. It also asked all employees in the country to accept a cut in their fixed salaries by 25 per ...
Italys president has inaugurated a replacement bridge in Genoa despite the event being boycotted by families of 43 people killed when part of the original structure collapsed.

Two years ago this month, a stretch of the Morandi Bridge suddenly gave way in a violent rainstorm, sending vehicles plunging to the dry riverbed below.

The new structure  a key artery for the north-western Italian port city  was erected thanks to round-the-clock construction, even during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Rain drenched the new bridge, stopping just before the ceremony which started with the reading out of the names of the dead.

We are suspended between grief over the tragedy and pride for the construction of the new bridge, its renowned architect, Renzo Piano, told his fellow Genoese in a speech.

Renzo Piano, left, walks along the new San Giorgio Bridge (Gian Mattia DAlberto/LaPresse via AP)

Mr Piano said he decided to give the new San Giorgio Bridge a low-key architectural style as if the span is asking permission to cross the river.

The families of the dead agreed to meet President Sergio Mattarella privately but announced they were skipping the actual ceremony.

They are upset that the company which maintained Morandi Bridge will still run the new structure for a while  even though poor maintenance is being investigated as a possible cause of the collapse.

No one can give us back our dead, Egle Possetti, who leads an association of the bridge victims families, said.

Ms Possetti, who lost a sister and other family members in the collapse, said she hoped attention would stay focused on the ongoing criminal investigation into the collapse.

During the ceremony, Mayor Marco Bucci had words for those who lost loved ones in the collapse. Our message to them is very simple. This must never happen again, the mayor said.

Nine Italian air force jets flew in formation over the bridge, trailing smoke in the red, white and green colours of the countrys flag.

Italian Air Force aerobatic jet fly over the new San Giorgio Bridge (Luca Bruno/AP)

Firefighters who battled to extract survivors and bodies from tons of twisted metal also decided to boycott the ceremony in solidarity with the families, Sky TG24 said.

Prosecutors are probing what caused Morandi Bridge to collapse on August 14 2018, on the eve of Italys biggest summer holiday.

Riccardo Morandi, the engineer who designed the bridge built in the 1960s, had recommended continual maintenance to remove rust, especially from the corrosive effect of sea air in the Mediterranean port city, and pollutions toll on concrete.

Prosecutors have said they are investigating to see whether proper maintenance was consistently carried out over the years on the heavily used span.

Earlier this summer, the Italian government forged a deal in which the Benetton fashion family agreed to exit Autostrade per lItalia, the company that manages and maintains many of Italys highways and bridges.

Its highway concession had included Morandi Bridge. But that exit will take some time, as Autostrade becomes a public company under the deal and pays 3.4 billion euros in compensation.

Mr Piano designed the bridge to evoke a ships bows, to honour the citys proud maritime history. The span has 43 lamps in memory of the dead.

Traffic will start crossing San Giorgio Bridge, named after St George, a saint popular in Genoa, on Wednesday.
(Natural News) In a letter he recently wrote to Attorney General William Barr, Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct a probe into the potential antitrust violations of tech giant Google, which we have covered extensively.

In the leadup to the DOJ making a decision soon about whether or not to proceed with a case, Cotton reiterated to the agency that Google is not only in violation of antitrust law, but also guilty of tampering with search results while maintaining a monopolistic presence online.

In recent weeks, news outlets have reported that the Department of Justice is nearing a decision about whether to take enforcement action against Google for anticompetitive behavior that violates U.S. antitrust law, Cotton wrote, citing a recent report published by Politico that discusses the DOJs potential action against the company.

I ask that the Department also investigate whether Googles dominance of online searches violates antitrust law, he added.

According to data compiled by Business Insider, upwards of 90 percent of all online searches worldwide take place through the Google platform. This is troubling when considering that evidence continues to emerge showing that Google is interfering with search results and even blocking certain websites from appearing at all.

The mere fact that Google continues to engage in monopolistic behavior warrants further action from the DOJ, Cotton contends, especially since Google is now using its power to support leftist causes. If Google is allowed to continue its current course, it could  and likely will  try to manipulate and steer voters away from voting for President Trump.

More than 90 percent of global searches are conducted through Googles search engine, suggesting that Google has a monopoly of internet searches by any objective standard, Cotton explained.

While monopolistic behavior alone should warrant Department action, its even more alarming that reports suggest Google is using that monopoly to achieve political goals and influence American elections.

Dont forget: Google CEO Sundar Pichai LIED lied to Congress

Cotton further pointed out that it is already on record that Google CEO Sundar Pichai lied to Congress about how his companys platform handles search results. Pichai falsely claimed that Google does not tamper with search results for political purposes, when in fact leaked documents show that the precise opposite is true.

In December 2018, Google CEO Sundar Pichai testified before Congress that Google did not manually intervene on any search results, Cotton pointed out.

A source from Google, however, later reported to a news outlet that YouTube (owned by Google) manipulated search results related to abortion after a left-wing journalist complained about the prominence of pro-life videos on YouTube. After the journalists inquiry, the search results were manipulated to feature more content supporting abortion from left-wing media.

Conservative media outlets are also being blocked or blacklisted by Google, which prevents their content from showing up in Googles featured snippets section. This, in effect, causes these sites to be demoted to the bottom of the search placement list along with other fringe domains.

Even where a user searches for an exact headline of an article that appears on a blacklisted website, they still may not find it, Cotton notes.

The end result of all this tampering and censorship is that most people who use Google to browse the internet are being prevented from accessing different perspectives on important issues that directly affect them. In other words, Google is colluding with the Left to present only leftist points of view, which is exactly what the Left falsely accused President Trump of doing with the Russians to steal the 2016 presidential election.

More related news about Googles monopolistic behavior, which includes the imminent threat of election tampering, is available at Censorship.news.

Sources for this article include:

Breitbart.com

NaturalNews.com
As little as 24 hours of overeating can have some negative consequences for our health, including elevated blood sugar concentrations.

Whether its a summer barbecue with friends, your favourite fast food takeaway, or Christmas dinner, we can probably all recall times when weve eaten more food in one sitting than we needed to. Plenty of research has looked at the long-term health effects of overeating calories  which include increased fat storage, impaired endocrine (hormone) control and changes to our skeletal muscle and fat tissue. Yet little is known about how our body copes with these one-off occasions of overindulgence, and whether they have any effect on our overall health  which is what our latest study aimed to find out.

Humans have a huge capacity to overeat over an extended period of time. For example, members of the Massa tribe participate in Guru Walla, the traditional fattening festival where they attempt to gain as much weight as possible by eating as much as they can. Many members gain 11 kilograms of fat in just two months by eating roughly 8700 calories per day  more than three times what most adults are advised to eat in a day.

While this is an extreme example, it shows us that our bodies are readily capable of over-eating  which isnt necessarily a good thing. Even as little as 24 hours of overfeeding can have some negative consequences for our health, including elevating blood sugar concentrations.

In our latest study, we wanted to understand how much humans can eat when they push past the point of fullness. We also wanted to know what effect this has on the body, by measuring how overeating affects metabolism in the hours after the meal.

We looked at a group of 14 healthy men between 22 and 37 years old. In one trial, we asked them to eat as much pizza as they could until they felt full. They ate roughly 1500 calories on average  just under one large pizza.

On a separate day, we then asked them to eat until they couldnt anymore, going beyond the normal feeling of fullness. Remarkably, they managed to eat almost double  around 3,000 calories on average, though some were able to eat the equivalent of nearly two and a half large pizzas (4,800 calories). This suggested that when you feel full, youre probably only half full.

Blood samples were taken at regular intervals for four hours after the beginning of the meal to see how the body was coping. Surprisingly, despite eating twice as much food, there was only a small increase in blood sugar and blood fat levels. Being able to keep blood sugar and fat in a normal range indicates how healthy a persons metabolism is. It can also show the risk for developing diseases, including type 2 diabetes or cardiovascular disease.

In these physically active and healthy people, the body is able to control the sugar and fat in the blood after a big meal by working a bit harder than usual to control metabolism. We saw that hormones released from the gut and pancreas (including insulin), helped the body to regulate blood sugar levels. Heart rate was also elevated after the meal, confirming that the body was working harder to keep things under control.

We also measured how people felt during the post-meal period, by looking at fullness, sleepiness, and cravings for certain types of foods. While we often feel like we have room for dessert, our studys participants had little desire to eat anything (even sweet foods) when they ate past the point of feeling comfortably full  even four hours after the meal. We also found that people felt sleepier and less energetic after eating too much.

We only measured up to four hours after the meal to get a snapshot of how the participants were coping with overeating. If we measured a longer period  six or eight hours, for example  we may have seen some more differences, especially because blood fat concentrations remain elevated for longer. However, our results tell us that one meal of overeating doesnt cause much harm for your health  although 24 hours of overeating does seem to have an effect. So the focus of further research may be to understand how our bodies cope with the next meal after a binge.

Understanding how the body copes so easily with occasions of extreme calorie intake helps us understand what goes wrong in the long-term. Healthy humans rely on the bodys ability to work harder in times of need (by increasing insulin, gut hormones and heart rate) to maintain metabolic control. When we repeatedly eat too many calories at each meal, metabolic syndrome (a combination of high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity) will ensue and the body becomes unable to react to these situations.

Before starting the study, we were expecting the body to struggle with the huge calorie surplus of overeating. Our results show the bodys remarkable capacity to cope with the stress of eating too much food, by tightly regulating blood sugar concentrations and blood pressure. Throughout history, the human body has had to cope with periods of famine and abundance  this study is another demonstration of that evolutionary adaptation.

Though we focused on young, healthy participants, it will be important to now look at how the body copes with overeating in people who are overweight or at risk of disease, such as type 2 diabetes. But while overeating sometimes may be normal  and doesnt pose too much of a risk to our health  its important to stress that eating more than we need on a regular basis isnt healthy. This is partly because eating more calories than are required over a long period of time will lead to weight gain, and could lead to metabolic disease.

Aaron Hengist, PhD Candidate, Department for Health, University of Bath; James Betts, Senior Lecturer in Nutrition, Metabolism and Statistics, University of Bath, and Rob Edinburgh, PhD Candidate, Health, University of Bath

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.
Whats on TV

JOHN LEWIS: CELEBRATING A HERO 10 p.m. on CBS. On Thursday, Representative John Lewis, who died on July 17, was eulogized by three former presidents at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta. Lewis, a luminary of the civil rights movement, represented the city in Congress for more than three decades, following his years as an activist working alongside the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. In a continued celebration of his legacy, Oprah Winfrey, Tyler Perry, Gayle King and Brad Pitt will host this one-hour special that looks back at Lewiss tireless civil rights work and political career, featuring appearances by Common, Jennifer Hudson, John Legend, Trevor Noah, Billy Porter and more.

THE SWAMP 9 p.m. on HBO. A key rallying cry during President Trumps 2016 campaign was his promise to drain the swamp by battling the corruption of special interests, lobbyists and big-money donors in Washington. This documentary follows three Republican congressmen who have tried to champion that mission: Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida, Rep. Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Rep. Ken Buck of Colorado. Over the course of a year, they navigate fund-raising requirements; the process of securing key committee assignments; and relationships with lobbyists and special interest groups. The result is a look at what substantial reform might actually require.

Whats Streaming
People on a beach in Biarritz, France. COVID-19 spikes in the country will be of concern to UK travellers. (AP)

A second wave of the coronavirus is "highly likely" this autumn or winter, the top scientific body in France has said following a rise in cases.

The warning comes as German doctors also said the country is already dealing with a second spike of infections because people were flouting social distancing rules.

Both France and Germany are currently on the UK governments list of air bridges, which means people arriving in England from those countries do not have to quarantine for 14 days upon their arrival.

The warnings came as the World Health Organization (WHO) said the virus is surging back in most countries that previously had it under control.

Frances health ministry said in a statement: France has the situation under control but it is precarious with a surge of virus circulation this summer. The short-term future of the pandemic mainly lies in the hands of the population.

"It is highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter."

On Monday, France reported 3,376 new confirmed cases over the previous three days, with the number of people being treated in intensive care units for the disease also creeping higher.

The seven-day moving average for new cases has held above the 1,000 threshold for the fifth day in a row, meaning the country is experiencing an infection rate not seen since the two-month lockdown.

In Germany, Susanne Johna, president of the Marburger Bund doctors union, told the Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper there was a danger that a longing to return to normality would damage the success Germany had achieved so far in restricting the spread of the virus.

"We are already in a second, shallow upswing," she said.

The number of daily confirmed coronavirus cases in Germany has risen steadily in recent weeks, with health experts warning lax adherence to hygiene and distancing rules among some people is spreading the virus across communities.

The number of confirmed cases in Germany increased by 879 to 211,281, data from the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) for infectious diseases showed on Tuesday.

Story continues

In the UK, there were 938 new COVID-19 cases confirmed on Monday. Overall, a total of 305,623 cases have been confirmed.

Virus capable of surging back really quickly

On Tuesday, Dr David Nabarro, the WHOs special envoy on COVID-19, warned on BBC Radio 4s Today programme: This virus is capable of surging back really quickly and is actually doing so in most countries where theres been success at getting it under control.

As it surges back, the way you stop outbreaks developing is through having well-functioning contact tracing linked to testing, with isolation of people whove got symptoms or whove been in contact.

If we can do that, and do it well, then the surges are kept really small, theyre dealt with quickly and life can go on.

If, on the other hand, this testing and tracing and isolation just is not done properly, then you get very bad surges occurring and this will lead to economic challenges.

Additional reporting by Reuters.

Coronavirus: what happened today

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A City Council committee recommended a former deputy city manager as the new head of the San Antonio Water System Board of Trustees, and chose a former councilwoman and previous manager of the Edwards Aquifer Authority to serve on the board.

The council is set to act on the recommendations Thursday.

The councils Governance Committee supported Mayor Ron Nirenbergs nomination of Jelynne Burley, president and CEO of the Center for Health Care Services, for chairwoman. She worked for the city of San Antonio from 1984 to 2008, including two years as deputy city manager. She would replace Heriberto Berto Guerra, who has served as SAWS chairman since 2011.

From a field of six other finalists, the panel selected former City Councilwoman Leticia Ozuna as the boards Southeast quadrant representative and former EAA general manager Robert Potts as the South sector appointee.

Robin Jerstad /

On ExpressNews.com: SAWS denies claims of water waste

Burley, the board nominee for the North sector, said she hopes to guide SAWS through the challenge of trying to keep up with projected growth and system maintenance while keeping rates affordable.

Having worked with the city when SAWS was created in 1992, then with CPS Energy for eight years, including more than two as executive vice president and chief delivery officer, she said she has been very engaged in many aspects of utility duties and projects, including rate structures, updated metering and community involvement.

Since its inception, SAWS has become much more transparent than its predecessor agency, City Water Board, and has experienced growing pains while dealing with some very tough issues, Burley said.

When asked by council members about the controversial $2.8 billion, 142-mile Vista Ridge pipeline, she said she wants to learn more about the utilitys growth projections, and was committed to maintaining a dialogue with critics of the pipeline  a diverse group that includes environmentalists and Central Texas landowners.

No issue is ever done, she said. In the role that youre in, you owe it to your constituency to answer their questions and provide factual information to them, and explain the basis for the decision.

Nirenberg said he was enthused by Burleys commitment to SAWS, and hopeful she could help create synergy between the water utility and CPS Energy, which also is municipally owned.

If we had to find someone to take SAWS into the next era, weve probably found the perfect person to do that, the mayor said.

Many of the council members questions for finalists centered on Vista Ridge, which went on line in April and will deliver up to 16.3 billion gallons of water annually, as part of a diversified water portfolio. The project was built to complement the Edwards Aquifer, which remains the primary drinking water source for the region, but with pumping limits that legally can be implemented in a drought.

Critics are concerned that SAWS may get more water than it needs in the initial phase of the 30-year project, and may relax its conservation ethic or sell cheaper Edwards water to other users in the region while leaving local customers paying for the more expensive Vista Ridge water.

On ExpressNews.com: Vista Ridge pipeline now delivering water to San Antonio

Ozuna, a systems engineer who served on the council from 2012-2013, said she would focus on environmental and financial resilience for SAWS, as well as affordability for customers with a limited income. She described herself as a hands-on manager who is open to input.

Vista Ridge is a long bet for our community, and I think its a sound bet, she said. Theres a lot of moving pieces with Vista Ridge, but I think I have an attention to detail, and I can kind of keep a good eye on what works best.

Potts, president and CEO of the Dixon Water Foundation, a nonprofit that promotes sustainable practices in agriculture, served as EAA general manager from 2004 to 2007. He said he wants to use better dialogue with other water utilities in the region to restore trust in SAWS, and has a depth of understanding to do that, having witnessed the legal and environmental battles surrounding EAAs creation in 1993 and adoption of emergency drought rules in 2000.

I have been through the water wars, Potts said.

Ozuna would replace SAWS Trustee Pat Merritt, while Potts would succeed Trustee Pat Jasso. Merritt and Jasso both were first appointed in 2013; they have reached the end of their terms.

Scott Huddleston covers Bexar County government and the Alamo for the San Antonio Express-News. To read more from Scott, become a subscriber. shuddleston@express-news.net | Twitter: @shuddlestonSA
BETHESDA, Md., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Knowledge to Practice (K2P) today announced the launch of CurrentMD COVID a groundbreaking subscription-based educational platform that empowers frontline teams to deliver the best quality care to their patients. CurrentMD COVID allows medical providers to access the latest information on COVID-19 in the form of microlearning modules of about 5 to 20 minutes each, designed to facilitate impactful, on-the-go learning.

A leading provider of personalized, competency-based lifelong learning for practicing physicians, hospitals, and healthcare systems, K2P developed and brought to market CurrentMD COVID in just two months to provide clinicians with the most up-to-date, comprehensive knowledge needed to respond effectively to the global pandemic. Developed in collaboration with leading experts and reviewed by K2P's editorial board, CurrentMD COVID boasts a curriculum that is regularly updated with the most recent discoveries about COVID-19, so providers are better positioned to diagnose, treat, and manage patients, including those with comorbidities.

"We're delighted to be launching this timely and highly effective education solution at a critical time, as COVID-19 cases surpass 4.8 million in the United States and hotspots continue to emerge at an alarming rate," said Mary Ellen Beliveau, founder and CEO of Knowledge to Practice. "Physicians on the frontlines need the most current information available in an easy-to-use format, and that's exactly what CurrentMD COVID delivers. Our platform distills the very latest findings on COVID-19 into short and effective learning modules, allowing providers to incorporate best practices at the rate of discovery."

CurrentMD COVID not only provides hospitals and healthcare systems with emerging COVID-19 information from experts and medical journals, but also meets the needs of leading insurance companies seeking opportunities to provide local support to their communities and providers in pursuit of aiding public health best practices in their networks. K2P recently partnered with Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina, the South Carolina Medical Association, and the South Carolina Hospital Association to roll out the program to 25,000 providers across the state.

"With our increased numbers of cases in South Carolina, it is essential we support our local physicians throughout this crisis," said Shawn Stinson, MD, SVP of innovation and improvement at BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina. "Partnering with Maryland-based Knowledge to Practice enabled us to bring state-of the-art COVID-19 curriculum and provide just-in-time learning that measurably improves clinical judgment, critical thinking, and the most current COVID-19 care across our state."

"By making CurrentMD COVID available to all the providers in their networks, payors are offering them a convenient and accessible way to keep up with the latest developments and giving them the confidence that they have the best information at their fingertips," added Beliveau.

Available in multiple formats to facilitate learning whenever busy physicians have time, CurrentMD COVID offers unbiased, current, comprehensive knowledge so interdisciplinary teams are better able to deliver consistent, quality care while improving patient outcomes.

The mobile-friendly platform offers four learning tracks: COVID-19 Background; Clinical Presentation; Diagnosis; and Treatment & Follow-up. Content is updated on a rolling basis and sourced from a panel of leading clinical thought leaders and contributing experts in Emergency Medicine, Intensive Care Medicine, Cardiovascular Care, Infectious Disease, Population Health, and Physician Leadership. Users can personalize their experience by adding content from their personal playlist to keep track of their progress and easily access their modules on the go.

The second wave of content, led by Dr. David B. Nash, Founding Dean Emeritus of Jefferson College of Population Health and a member of K2P's advisory board, will enable healthcare executives to leverage lessons learned to develop local guidelines to support the healthcare system to prepare and manage through a pandemic like COVID-19.

About Knowledge to Practice

Knowledge to Practice (K2P) delivers practice-changing, healthcare education solutions that help transform patient care, enable continuity of care, and mitigate risks across hospitals and healthcare systems. Knowledge to Practice's personalized curriculum and proprietary learning system embeds the best adult learning practices to result in better retention and more effective learning on the go. To learn more about Knowledge to Practice please visit www.KnowledgeToPractice.com.

Media Contact:

Hannah Noyes

Ditto PR

[email protected]

646-379-0607

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SAM Companies, a leading provider of geospatial and construction services in North America, is pleased to announce it has completed the acquisition of Midland GIS Solutions (Midland). Headquartered in Maryville, Missouri, Midland is the largest full-service GIS firm in the Midwest, providing comprehensive GIS and GPS services to municipalities, counties, utility companies, state agencies, and private sector organizations since its founding in 2000.

In addition to expanding SAM's geographic footprint, Midland offers a full suite of GIS services including unique offerings such as GIS hosting that will complement SAMs existing GIS business and further diversify SAMs capabilities and client base. The combination of SAMs extensive geospatial and construction services capabilities with Midlands deep GIS expertise will provide expanded opportunities and solutions for clients in multiple markets.

SAM continues to expand its geographic footprint and service offerings through organic growth and strategic acquisitions. This acquisition continues SAMs aggressive expansion, with this being SAM's fifth acquisition in four years.

SAM has always pushed to stay at the forefront of advancements in our industry, said SAM President and CEO, Chris Solomon. Midlands record of innovative GIS practices and data hosting expertise make them an ideal new partner to help enhance our competitive advantages for clients and we are thrilled to have them joining the SAM team.

Key Midland leadership staff will be joining the SAM team as part of the acquisition, including Director of GIS Operations Matt Sorensen, who focuses on county government clients, and Director of GIS Operations Kirk Larson, who handles municipal government clients.

According to Sorensen, "We are excited to become part of an industry-leading company like SAM. This will enable our team to expand the reach of our considerable experience and capabilities in GIS to broader markets and across the U.S. Larson agreed, noting The combined strengths and capabilities we can now offer is a win-win for both our companies and our clients.

SAM has acquired all operating assets of Midland, including its existing office. As of July 31, 2020, all employees of Midland became part of SAM, LLC.

BCC Advisers of Des Moines assisted Midland with the transaction.

About SAM, LLC

Founded in 1994, SAM has grown to become one of the largest providers of geospatial data solutions and construction services in the United States. The company offers a complete suite of services including professional land surveying, airborne/mobile/terrestrial LiDAR, aerial mapping, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), Utility Engineering (SUE), Utility Coordination (UC), Building Information Modeling (BIM), and photogrammetry. SAM also provides construction services through its wholly owned subsidiary, SAM-Construction Services, LLC (SAM-CS). Headquartered in Austin, Texas, and employing more than 900 professionals, SAM has the capacity to field more than 200 crews with the ability to mobilize quickly, perform reliably, and consistently. For more information, visit the SAM website at https://www.sam.biz.
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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday warned that his country will attack "anyone who tries to attack us," a day after Israel said it killed "terrorists" near the Syrian border.

Speaking at the Knesset (parliament), Netanyahu said that on Sunday night, Israeli troops "thwarted an attempt to plant explosives on the Syrian front."

Hours later, Israeli fighter jets and aircraft targeted Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip after a rocket was fired towards southern Israel from the besieged Palestinian enclave. The rocket was intercepted by Israel's anti-rocket Iron Dome system.

"We will hit anyone who tries to attack us and this principle applies to anyone who does," he said.

The incident near Israel's disputed border with Syria took place overnight between Sunday and Monday in the Golan Heights. A military spokesperson said Israeli troops opened fire at four armed men who were implanting explosives near the border. Media reports said later that the four were killed.

The army said that in a patrol near the site on Monday, weapons and a bag with a few improvised explosive devices (IEDs) ready to deploy were found some 25 meters from the security fence on the Israeli side of the Alpha Line, the 1967 cease-fire line between the two countries.

"IDF (Israel Defense Forces) troops on the Golan Heights remain ready for further developments," the military said in a statement, adding it holds Syria "responsible for any aggression from its territory."

Tensions along Israel's borders with Lebanon and Syria have been on the rise since a fighter with Hezbollah was killed in an apparent Israeli airstrike in Syria in July.

Last Monday, Israel said it thwarted an infiltration attempt by Hezbollah. Hezbollah denied such an attempt.




A week before Connecticuts first widespread mail-in ballot primary, town clerks said Tuesday that 20,000 absentee ballots have yet to be mailed and are blaming a mix-up between Secretary of the State Denise Merrills office and the mail vendor contracted to help with the process.

Merrills office counters that there has been no mix-up. Mailing of the last ballots close to the Aug. 11 primary election was always slated to return to the duty of the town clerks this week, a Merrill spokesman said.

At issue is who was, or is, supposed to mail the 20,000 ballots  roughly 7 percent of all absentee ballots requested for next weeks primary. The chaos and confusion comes as town clerks were already overwhelmed by the mass mailings and by preparations for an election that is expected to see as much as 60 percent of the vote by mail because of the coronavirus crisis.

Its unsettling that our town clerks are now being left with a nearly impossible task to complete in a week when the Secretary of the State knew there were going to be problems. This is incompetence at its worst, said Senate Minority Leader Len Fasano, R-North Haven, who sent a letter about the issue to Merrill on Monday.

It was unclear Tuesday whether any voters would not have a chance to cast ballots as a result of the confusion. Ballots must be received by town clerks by the end of the day on Aug. 11  next Tuesday  to count.

A list of the 20,000 names was shared by some members of the state House Republican caucus.

Secretary Merrills test run has failed, Fasano said in a written statement. Republicans have warned about the potential for issues, Secretary Merrill ignored those concerns and now we are facing problems and some people may not be able to have their vote counted. That's inexcusable.

Some Democrats, including the Middletown mayor, have also criticized the process developed by Merrill, a Democrat.

But Merrills office contends some chaos was expected. The state, after all, has never done this before. Spokesman Gabe Rosenberg said Tuesday that 267,000 ballots had already been mailed by Cathedral, the Rhode Island-based fulfillment business and longtime state contractor enlisted to help with this years massive mail-out.

Returning the mailing responsibilities to town control  as is traditionally done for absentee ballots in every election  was expected once the mail batches become so small that it no longer made economic sense for a large mail house to handle the mailing, Rosenberg said.

The switch was made late last week because the mail house had already processed and mailed more than a quarter of a million absentee ballots and the remaining numbers ... were too small to be done by them efficiently, Rosenberg said.

Thats because there are about 40 different ballot designs required for next weeks primary, reflecting local races.

House Republicans called for an investigation into the procedures, which were outlined in a document and sent to town clerks in early June.

Anna Posniak, president of the Connecticut Town Clerks Association, claimed in an email to fellow town clerks that the Secretary of the States office has been negligent in its communication with her, an assertion Merrills office vehemently denies.

The confusion comes as many Republicans charge that Connecticut and other states are not equipped to handle mass-mailing elections and police them for fraud. The Aug. 11 primary is considered a preview of the Nov. 3 general election, in which Connecticut voters will be allowed to cite fear of COVID-19 as a reason for requesting an absentee ballot.

The switch in mailing responsibilities was originally scheduled to happen Monday, Rosenberg said, according to guidance given to town clerks in June. He said it was moved up two business days to Thursday with approval from Posniak in a Thursday phone conversation with Ted Bromley, the elections director in Merrills office.

Bromley followed up with Posniak in an email to confirm what had been discussed over the phone, according to a copy of the email provided by Rosenberg.

But Posniak in her email to town clerks said she was not told the clerks would need to process an additional 20,000 ballots.

Had this information been given to us on Friday, I know that 169 Town Clerks would have worked over the weekend to get those ballots to their voters, Posniak said. I am extremely concerned for the voters in our large cities as this neglect by SOTS may disenfranchise their vote next Tuesday. If you unable to reprocess all of last weeks volume of applications in addition to this weeks requests, please reach out to me and we will try to get you some assistance from others towns with lower volumes to ensure that voters are not disenfranchised.

Rosenberg contended Tuesday that Posniak was told about the 20,000 ballots by Bromley on Thursday.

For most towns, Rosenberg said, the mailing is less than 100, and clerks should already have the ballots and other supplies on hand if they followed the instructions sent in June.

In the 12 towns with more than 400 ballots to process, Rosenberg said a staffer from the Secretary of the States office was sent to help with the mailing. In Middletown, 1,600 people have yet to receive their ballots.

A week out from the primary is absolutely insane, the towns Democratic mayor Ben Florsheim said Tuesday.

The way elections are run in the state is destined for chaos, he said. When it comes to the resources we need to run elections at the local level, were not getting them, said Florsheim, who believes the Secretary of the States office lacks the funding and resources it needs to make sure elections run smoothly in Connecticut.

The system was developed over the last three months, after an order by Gov. Ned Lamont loosening Connecticuts tight restrictions on who is eligible to vote by absentee ballot.

House Republicans placed some of the blame on Cathedral, the contractor, which, the Republicans said, did not keep up with the heavy flow of approved ballot requests.

It has become obvious that the entire absentee ballot mail-in voter process has been mismanaged, based on all the contacts that we have had with the elected officials who know this system best, our local registrars and towns clerks, both Republican and Democrats, House Republican Leader Themis Klarides and Deputy Leader Vincent Candelora said in a written release Tuesday.

Rosenberg contends there is no breakdown.

All of this was planned and clearly communicated to the town clerks, he said. Our Election Director and the head of the TCA speak daily, and today we completed our tenth call with all of the clerks and registrars since March. This process has been open and transparent from beginning to end.

Cassandra Day contributed to this story.

kkrasselt@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2563; @kaitlynkrasselt
(Newser)  A Silicon Valley investor's idea to start a "microschool" in his backyard amid the coronavirus pandemic is not going over so well in certain circles. "Looking for the best 4-6th grade teacher in Bay Area who wants a 1-year contract, that will beat whatever they are getting paid, to teach 2-7 students in my back yard," Jason Calacanis tweeted Sunday, adding the hashtag #microschool. "If you know this teacher, refer them & we hire them, I will give you a $2k UberEats gift card," added the angel investor, who has stock in companies including Uber. The problem: As the San Francisco Chronicle notes, "learning pods," while a popular idea amid the COVID-19 crisis, have been decried by many as simply making the already-existing privilege gap in education worse. Some school districts are actually speaking out against them.

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"Rethink everything about your familys priorities," was the reply from the editor-in-chief of Mother Jones, and others were similarly critical. But Calacanis was having none of it, pointing out that half the spots will be given to students in need via full scholarships and that the position could help a laid-off teacher. Not everyone was upset by the idea: "Jason, how can we make this work nationwide? Baltimore city spends roughly 20k/student. If those funds are redirected to the families for microschools this could be a way to positively disrupt education," suggested one commenter. "The state has failed, yet again, so we may have to build a replacement for the school system," noted another. "Combine digital curriculum, physical childcare, and actually-functional safeguards against COVID-19. Ultimately, this should be to 20th century K-12 what email was to the post office." (Read more coronavirus stories.)
A few short weeks ago, unidentified federal agents descended onto Portland, Oregon, attacking and kidnapping young Black Lives Matter protestors in clear violation of their constitutional rights. Id like to say I couldnt believe something like that could happen in my supposedly liberal, albeit whitewashed, American city. But after just seven months of the year 2020, I dont think much really surprises me anymore.

Although what I call my constant citizens outrage scale shot way up when I first saw the coverage, I was afraid to go down to the volatile late-night protests because I have two young kids to care for. But if youve seen any of the emotionally rousing footage of the now-infamous Wall of Moms using their privilege to stand between BIPOC kids and their federal attackers, you wont be surprised that my excuses quickly turned to vapor. If they could handle it, so could I. But wait, my mom brain raced, if I was about to get tear-gassed or shot with pepper rounds (and yes, it turns out, I was), what was I supposed to do about things like breastfeeding? How would I decontaminate before touching my kids?

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Although Black and brown women on the frontlines of civil rights protests have been dealing, unflappably, with mom-specific protest hazards for generations without fanfare, these questions were new and alarming to me. Although Im an experienced researcher, my initial Google searches turned up mixed messages from mostly dubious sources. And that includes a sweetly earnest but medically iffy info sheet shared via the moms Facebook group.

Moms protesting on the frontlineswhether as part of Moms United for Black Lives or any protestcould use some certainty and clarity. So, over several days of protesting, I gathered some questions from them. I then spoke with multiple doctors, two lactation consultants, and waded through what little hard data there is to collect these answers.

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Can I breastfeed after being hit by teargas? Do I need to wait? Should I pump and dump?

Blessedly, I can give you a short answer: Yes, you can go ahead and breastfeed after a teargas attack, with no pumping and dumping required, as long as youve left the contaminated area and have showered.

I have a ravenous 5-month-old at home, so this was the first question I found myself frantically Googling on my way downtown to the Wall of Moms that first night. I couldnt find a clear answer as I grabbed my bike helmet, snorkel goggles, and a ventilator mask I bought when I thought we might have bed bugs and needed to spray the living hell out of the guest room.

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Now, after speaking with Dr. Matthew Riddle, an emergency physician and medical toxicologist, I know that when your skin has been thoroughly cleaned and feels completely normal, you should be good to go Tear gas stays on exposed surfaces where it causes irritation and doesnt get absorbed into the body, he told me. So it shouldnt end up in breast milk. No need to pump and dump.

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If you are of the extra-cautious persuasion, you may want to follow this 2019 advice from La Leche League, an international community education and support group for breastfeeding mother. They say moms who have been teargassed could choose to wait one hour after decontaminating to breastfeed. However, both sources agree that the main risk to your baby comes from skin-to-skin transfer, with minimal risk from the milk itself.

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How do I decontaminate before touching my kids? Will I harm them by coming back into the house after being gassed or hit by pepper rounds?

Riddle recommends removing contaminated clothes and shoes before entering your living space and keeping them inside a plastic bag until they can be washed. Then, a simple shower (no baths) with soap and cold water will do the trick. Theres also some evidence, according to Riddle, that using vegetable oil will soothe skin and help remove capsaicin, which is a main ingredient in pepper ball rounds, pepper spray, and a few teargas varieties. For the other, more common ingredient in tear gasses, o-chlorobenzylidene malononitrile (CS for short), Riddle and the CDC recommend simple soap and cold water.

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After being engulfed by tear gas several times now, Ive taken to following the same basic routine my husband, a hospital physician who sometimes treats COVID-19 patients, follows when coming home. I enter through the basement, strip and put all garments directly into the washing machine, then slink up the stairs without waking or attracting attention from the kids or touching anything until after I disinfect in the shower for at least 10 minutes. Basically, you might not want to hang out in my basement right now.

What if Im detained by police or agents and need to pump?

This question may sound like a deep dive into the pool of what ifs. But if youve ever gone too long between pumping or feeding, you get it.

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When lactating breasts go too long without being emptied, more than just discomfort is at stake. A build-up of milk can result in blocked ducts and even mastitis, which, according to the Mayo Clinic, can cause serious local and systemic health issues in the mother. Bad news, American moms. There are currently no laws supporting breastfeeding moms who need to pump while they are being detained by police or federal agents. There is a sort of best practices guide by the National Commission for Correctional Healthcare about lactating moms who are incarcerated long-term, but still: No law, so no real protection.

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Can I participate in the Wall of Moms if Im pregnant?

There have been reports floating around for years that tear gas exposure may cause birth defects and even miscarriage. And here is the unsatisfying answer: This may or may not be the case. Theres simply not enough hard evidence to really know. Many people would advise an abundance of caution in the case of pregnancy and protest. But its a very thorny, very personal issue.

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As with many potential hazards to the safety of a pregnancy, theres simply no ethical way to conduct adequate testing. The FDA is not about to approve a study testing tear gas on pregnant moms. That means the only information scientists can draw on is from field data or anecdotal evidence.

A paper from the Physicians for Human Rights group documented some pregnancy loss following mass civilian teargassing in Bahrain in 2012. Other field documentation by University of California researchers has noted high incidents of miscarriage in Palestinian refugee camps that were repeatedly exposed to tear gas in 2017. But none of these data sets comes from randomized, double-blind, placebo-control trials, which are the gold standard in developing a scientific consensus.

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On the other hand, Riddle says that in what little testing there is, hes seen results that showed no significant increase in birth defects in humans and animals after exposure to CS. He also points to a report looking at CS exposure in pregnant women [that] found no major increases in miscarriages, stillbirths, or birth defects. Still, he laments that we have limited data in this instance. We can hope that the potential risks are enough to curb tear gas use in a more hopeful future.

How can I protect or treat myself from tear gas exposure if Im pregnant, nursing, or recently postpartum?

Riddle, as well as a San Diego pediatrician I consulted, said that the treatment for tear-gas exposure is the same for pretty much anybody. You can fight the gas best by protecting yourself in the first place by wearing long sleeves and pants and protective eyes, nose, and mouth gear.

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Then, the best way to clean out affected eyes is to use clean, cool water or medical grade saline. So no, those homemade tear gas wipes soaked in sugar, citric acid, water, and baby shampoo that a well-meaning mom passed me the first time I got gassed might not have been a good idea, according to the docs (they were horrified Id put them near my eyes actually). Finally, once youve been exposed, youll want to decontaminate. But first, try to get away from the gas. Moving to higher ground can work. Or, if youre in downtown Portland, all you need to do is wait for the Dads with Leafblowers.
US President Donald Trump is one of the few world leaders who has been undermining the risk of coronavirus and giving bizarre statements. From calling it a Chinese virus and suggesting people to inject disinfectants to eliminate the chances of contracting the infection, the President of the superpower did baffle us with his sheer ignorance of the issue.

Trump is now strongly calling for the reopening of schools even as coronavirus cases have spiked in the US. At present, US tops the list of countries with most number of coronavirus cases with 4,862,174 cases of infection and 158,929 deaths. Amid such trying times, a tweet from the President seeking the reopening of schools only sounds indifferent and ignorant.

"OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!! (sic)," Trump tweeted on Tuesday morning.

OPEN THE SCHOOLS!!! Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2020

Trump's outburst to let the schoolwork resume hasn't gone well with the Twitterati who think that the president isn't considering the risks of the pandemic.

Trump wont even send his own son to school for in-person instruction and yet hes telling everyone else to risk the lives of their children and their families. Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) August 4, 2020

Yes please lets open schools, the 155K adult deaths weve had in America are not enough to appease the @realDonaldTrump god. We need to sacrifice a goat and our first born. Lea DeLaria (@realleadelaria) August 4, 2020

WHAT IS THE HOLD UP?!?GOOOOOOOO!!!! pic.twitter.com/JPCctWNU4X Jo (@JoJoFromJerz) August 4, 2020

SEND YOUR KID FIRST AND MAKE EVERYONE ATTEND YOUR RNC HATE RALLY! pic.twitter.com/Ie1XNkNf8a Lesley Abravanel (@lesleyabravanel) August 4, 2020

The last time we heard someone so vehemently opposing the lockdown was Elon Musk who tweeted 'Free America Now' back in April and said that people should be given back their freedom.

Meanwhile, New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo has said parents are the "ultimate decision makers" on whether or not they want to send their children to school.

"This is between the school districts and the parents," Xinhua news agency quoted Cuomo as saying on Monday.

"The ultimate decision makers are the parents, and I don't hear enough of the parents' concerns and the parents' involvement and the dialogue with the parents." The Governor said he would issue a decision on school reopening this week.
HALIFAX - The Nova Scotia government has sold Liscombe Lodge to a private operator, officially ending its role in the resort business.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Nova Scotia Minister of Energy Geoff MacLellan watches video on the undersea exploration for oil during an announcement at the Bedford Institute of Oceanography in Halifax on Wednesday, June 20, 2018. Nova Scotia's government has sold Liscombe Lodge resort to a private operator, officially ending its role in the resort business. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Michael Tutton

HALIFAX - The Nova Scotia government has sold Liscombe Lodge to a private operator, officially ending its role in the resort business.

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The province announced today that it has sold the resort about 170 kilometres east of Halifax to Hearthstone Hospitality Ltd. for $450,000.

The new owner has agreed to invest $1 million in upgrades and offer employment to all current employees at the Guysborough County property.

Geoff MacLellan, the minister of business, said he's pleased Liscombe Lodge and another resort formerly owned by the province, Digby Pines, are both in the hands of experienced private sector operators.

The sale closed Aug. 1.

Hearthstone currently operates three hotels in Nova Scotia in Port Hastings, Sydney and Dartmouth.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Aug. 4, 2020.
Banks with powerful CEO's and smaller, less independent, boards are more likely to take risks and be susceptible to money laundering, according to new research led by the University of East Anglia (UEA).

The study tested for a link between bank risk and enforcements issued by US regulators for money laundering in a sample of 960 publicly listed US banks during the period 2004-2015.

The results, published in the International Journal of Finance and Economics, show that money laundering enforcements are associated with an increase in bank risk on several measures of risk. In addition, the impact of money laundering is heightened by the presence of powerful CEOs and only partly mitigated by large and independent executive boards.

Researchers Dr Yurtsev Uymaz and Prof John Thornton at UEA, and Dr Yener Altunbas of Bangor University, conclude that banks with powerful CEOs warrant the particular attention of regulators engaged in anti-money laundering efforts, especially when boards of directors are small and not independent.

The study is believed to be the first to show that money laundering is also a significant driver of bank risk, alongside banks' business models and ownership structures, the regulatory and supervisory framework, and market competition.

Previously banking research on the determinants of risk-taking has largely ignored the potential role of money laundering, which the authors say is surprising given combatting money laundering is a major focus of US, and other, bank regulators concerned with the stability of the financial system.

For example, the US Office of the Comptroller of the Currency views it as posing risks to the safety and soundness of the financial industry and the safety of the nation more generally as terrorists employ money laundering to fund their operations.

The Financial Action Task Force, the global money laundering and terrorist financing watchdog, also cites changes in money demand and increased volatility of international capital flows and exchange rates due to unanticipated cross-border asset transfers as being among the potential adverse economic consequences of money laundering.

Lead author Dr Uymaz, of UEA's Norwich Business School, said: "It is important to understand all possible risks, given those from money laundering have been increased by the growth in volume of cross-border transactions that have made banks inherently more vulnerable.

"They are also impacted by the fact that regulators are continually revising rules as their focus expands from organized crime to terrorism, while governments have expanded their use of economic sanctions to target individual countries, entities, and even specific individuals as part of their foreign policies.

"Money laundering exposes banks to serious reputational, operational, and compliance risks that could result in significant financial costs, for example through fines and sanctions by regulators, claims against the bank, investigation costs, asset seizures and freezes, and loan losses. It also results in the diversion of valuable management time and operational resources to resolve money laundering-related problems.

"We show that board size and independence can mitigate but not fully offset the impact of money laundering on bank risk, and that powerful CEOs impact adversely on bank risk taking and accentuate the negative impact of money laundering on risk."

The authors use three measures of bank risk. The first is default risk, the assumption being that money laundering enforcements could lead to the failure of an individual bank because of reputational damage and/or the impact of severe financial penalties on bank capital.

The second measure is systematic risk, where, for example, money laundering in the banking sector could be so widespread so as not to be diversifiable against within the sector.

The final one is a measure of systemic risk, which captures the reaction of individual banks to systemic events, for example if financial penalties and other costs associated with enforcements because of money laundering have debilitated the bank.

###

The study 'Money laundering and bank risk: evidence from US banks', Yurtsev Uymaz, John Thornton and Yener Altunbas, is published in the International Journal of Finance and Economics.
A former producer for MSNBC explained why she quit her role in a scathing letter, calling the left-leaning anti-Trump TV network a cancer that is stoking national division among Americans.

Ariana Pekary accused MSNBC of amplifying fringe voices while forcing journalists to make bad decisions on a daily basis.

Pekary wrote on her personal website:

"July 24th was my last day at MSNBC. I dont know what Im going to do next exactly but I simply couldnt stay there anymore."

"My colleagues are very smart people with good intentions. The problem is the job itself. It forces skilled journalists to make bad decisions on a daily basis."

Pekary also shared quotes of what people said to her during her years while working for MSNBC before pondering the harmful effect the network is having on society.

Pekary said MSNBC was practically baked into the editorial process, saying a decision on coverage was aimed at generating the most ratings.

Industry leaders will admit the damage thats being done," she revealed.

"We are a cancer and there is no cure. But if you could find a cure, it would change the world," one high profile TV veteran reportedly told her.

As it is, this cancer stokes national division, even in the middle of a civil rights crisis, Pekary said.
YEREVAN.  The court on Tuesday upheld the decision to seize property belonging to the second president of Armenia, Robert Kocharyan, and to former deputy prime minister Armen Gevorgyan.

The defenses motions to lift the seizure of this property are already being discussed in two court sessions.

After hearing the defenses arguments, presiding Judge Anna Danibekyan agreed with the defense that the assessment of the abovementioned should be carried out by the investigator, but noted that she had suggested that the defense conduct its own assessment to expedite the process.

But the defense refused to do so, and the court respects that position. However, it cannot resolve the issue without assessing the property, and it will return to the issue after examining its integrity. "The consideration of the lawsuit is postponed until the value of the property is decided," the judge said.

But defense attorney Hayk Alumyan objected, stating that the court had expressed a factual opinion that the investigator's illegal decision might remain in force to some extent. In other words, the court upheld its decision on the illegality of the investigator's decision, thus contradicting itself, the lawyer concluded. Defense attorneys Hovhannes Khudoyan and Erik Aleksanyan also spoke out against the presiding judge's actions.

The court informed that Sedrak Asatryan, the representative of Sedrak Kocharyanthe son of Robert Kocharyan, also submitted a motion to revoke the seizure of the property, as well as Samvel Manasaryan. Taking into account that they are connected with the motions of Hayk Alumyan and Erik Aleksanyan, those motions will also be considered later.
EMMET COUNTY, MI  A 38-year-old man has been charged for allegedly sexually assaulting his then-girlfriends child 10 years ago.

Michigan State Police Gaylord Post were contacted by the victims mother in April, according to a news release. The mother said that her child had recently told her of a sexual assault that occurred 10 years prior.

An investigation led to the arrest of Anthony Francis Wilson, 38, of East Jordan, police said. He has been arraigned on the charge of first-degree criminal sexual assault with multiple variables. First-degree CSC involves sexual penetration and carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

Wilson was dating the victims mother at the time of the alleged sexual assault, police said.

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Suspect charged with torturing teen girls now accused of sex crimes

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Bicyclist killed in crash at intersection of Falling Waters Trail, police say
Ben Lambert / Hearst Connecticut Media

NEW HAVEN  Police have identified the man who was shot and killed near First Street Sunday morning as a Meriden resident.

Capt. Anthony Duff said officers responded to the area of Kimberly Avenue and First Street at approximately 8:44 a.m. Sunday for a reported shooting, and found Carlos Gonzalez, 22, who had been shot.
A huge explosion has rocked the Lebanese capital of Beirut, killing at least 70 people and injuring more than 3,000.

Videos posted on social media captured the massive blast on Tuesday near the citys harbour, showing a mushroom cloud of dust billowing into the air.

It was reportedly caused by "highly explosive sodium nitrate" confiscated from a ship by Lebanese authorities placed in one of the warehouses located in the port.

Officials said at least 70 people had been confirmed dead and more than 3,000 were hurt.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirmed that British nationals were among those caught up in the aftermath of the blast.

The blast caused a mushroom cloud / Sky News

Mr Johnson said the Government is ready to provide support in any way we can, while Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said the UK stands in solidarity with Lebanon.

In a tweet, Mr Johnson said: The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident.

The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.

Officials expected the death toll to rise sharply as emergency workers dug through rubble across a swathe of the city to rescue people and remove the dead.

It was the most powerful blast to hit Beirut in years, making the ground tremble.

Hundreds are said to have been wounded / AFP via Getty Images

"What we are witnessing is a huge catastrophe," the head of Lebanon's Red Cross George Kettani told broadcaster Mayadeen.

"There are victims and casualties everywhere - in all the streets and areas near and far from the explosion."

The Prime Minister's wife and daughter were injured in the blast, according to local news media.

The country's Health Minister Hamad Hasan was quoted by Lebanese LBC television as saying the explosion had caused a "very high number of injuries" and extensive damage.

Al Mayadeen television said hundreds were wounded. Some local TV stations reported the blast was at Beirut's port inside an area where fireworks were stored.

The force of the first explosion set the port alight. It was then followed by an even larger second explosion that shattered windows miles away and tossed cars onto their roofs.

Pictures of the explosion in Beirut showed smoke billowing into the sky / via REUTERS

A witness told Reuters: "I saw a fireball and smoke billowing over Beirut. People were screaming and running, bleeding.

"Balconies were blown off buildings. Glass in high-rise buildings shattered and fell to the street."

One Twitter user wrote: "My brother sent me this, we live 10 KM away from the explosion site and the glass of our buildings got shattered."

Reports of the blast being felt as far away as Cyprus were reported on social media.

Firefighters battle a blaze caused by the explosion / REUTERS

Other footage showed cars flipped onto their roofs and streets carpeted in ash.

There were initial reports that a fire had broken out a fireworks storehouse before the explosion at the port, although the cause of the blast is unconfirmed.

A reporter for The Daily Star, a Lebanese newspaper, said the newspapers offices had been damaged by the blast.

Posting on Twitter, the reporter, Ghana Alsharif, wrote: Massive explosion in Beirut. Footage from the daily star office now in Lebanon.

Leila Molana-Allen, a Middle East correspondent for channel France24 English who is based in Beirut, posted on social media to say that her apartment in the city had been blown apart at around 4.15pm GMT.

The reporter wrote: My apartment in Beirut was just blown apart.

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Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab offered support to British nationals affected by the explosion.

"My thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the devastating explosion in #Beirut today", he tweeted.

"The UK stands in solidarity with the people of Lebanon  and is ready to offer help and support including to those British nationals impacted."

The blast came as the country awaits a verdict in a trial for the killing of ex-PM Rafik Hariri in 2005.

This page is being updated.
India cannot completely cut off its economic ties with China even though tensions between the countries have escalated in recent months, a former national security advisor to India told CNBC.

Relations between the two nuclear powers deteriorated after a border clash in the Himalayas killed 20 Indian soldiers. Beijing did not disclose information on casualties suffered by the Chinese side.

"We cannot completely block off all relationships with China economically. At least, that's the way I see it, because we need to progress," M. K. Narayanan told CNBC's "Street Signs Asia" on Monday. Narayanan was the former national security advisor between 2005 to 2010 and spent most of his public service career working in intelligence.

India's foreign ministry said last month that both sides agreed that "early and complete disengagement of the troops" along their de facto border  known as the Line of Actual Control  and de-escalation of border areas were essential for smooth bilateral relations.
PHOENIX  Arizona will be in the national spotlight in November as a presidential battleground and the home of one of the most closely watched Senate contests in the country. But Tuesdays primary featured few big-ticket contests.

Republican Sen. Martha McSally comfortably defeated businessman Daniel McCarthy, who ran to her right with an anti-government message and an appeal to voters who think the response to the pandemic is infringing on individual freedoms. He was not well known and spent little money to introduce himself to voters but still garnered about 20% of the vote in early returns.

Mark Kelly, a retired astronaut and the husband of former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, secured the Democratic nomination after facing only a write-in candidate in the primary.

The McSally-Kelly contest pits two former combat pilots against each other in the race to finish the final two years of John McCains last term in the Senate. After McCain died in 2018, McSally was appointed to the seat and faces a tough battle to hold onto it.

In an acceptance speech on YouTube, Kelly highlighted his effort to portray himself as an independent outsider, saying, Washington still isnt working together to solve problems.

In a statement, McSally looked to remind voters in a state where Republicans still outnumber Democrats that Kelly is a Democrat. A Democratic Senate majority, she said, would usher in the most far Left policies that have become mainstream in the Democrat Party.

Among U.S. House races, none is more prominent than the 6th District covering much of north Phoenix, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills and Scottsdale. Hiral Tipirneni defeated three other Democrats seeking the chance to take on scandal-scarred Republican Rep. David Schweikert in a heavily Republican district. Democrats hope the seat could be in play thanks to a long-running ethics investigation of Schweikert and a growing skepticism of the GOP among white voters with a college degree.

Incumbent Democratic Rep. Tom OHalleran in the sprawling 1st District held a lead over progressive champion Eva Putzova, while three Republicans are facing off to see who will be their partys candidate in the Democratic-leaning district.

Former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio was neck-and-neck with his former chief deputy, Jerry Sheridan, as he looks to return to his old job.

A number of state legislative districts also face ideological battles among either the Republicans or Democrats.

At a mall in Phoenixs Biltmore neighborhood, a steady sprinkle of people entered a vacant restaurant space turned polling site. Poll workers wore masks, gloves and even face shields. For James Maynard, a 29-year-old Republican, it was the first election cycle where he opted to vote in person. He plans to do so again in November despite the pandemic.

Like anything else its going to be chaotic but well get through it, said Maynard, who was wearing a mask decorated with the American flag. If we continue to take the necessary precautions the CDC puts out, we should be fine.

Election officials across the state have encouraged voters to request a mail ballot, and some have expanded options for early voting to reduce crowds on Election Day.

President Donald Trump has raised concerns that mail-in voting would be susceptible to voter fraud. That is a worry that Carol Santiago, 64, agrees with. She voted in person Tuesday in Phoenix as she does for every election.

I dont trust mail-in ballots, said Santiago, a Republican. I personally just feel better and feel more secure no matter what election it is. I like to vote in person.

Akil Zakariya, a 29-year-old Democrat, voted in person because he didnt request a mail-in ballot in time. He plans to vote by mail in the general election to avoid crowds. He called Trumps worries propaganda.

He votes by mail. His press secretary votes by mail. I dont understand why it wouldnt be trusted, Zakariya said.

A spokeswoman for the Secretary of States office said there were no major problems reported at the polls and turnout appeared very high for a primary.

It seems like were getting record turnout, said Sophia Solis.

____ Associated Press writer Terry Tang contributed to this report.
As first time moms, co-founders Kim Grant and Nikki Banner experienced first-hand the overwhelming task of preparing their lives, and homes for the welcoming of a new-born baby. Searching to equip themselves with the necessary baby products they found a confusing and disappointing trend. Trying to find trustworthy advice, unbiased product reviews and quality goods that didn't come with an endless list of chemicals seemed to be impossible.

Kim Grant Nikki Banner

Can you tell us a bit about Babalust?

We are incredibly proud of the local brands that we represent and we are thrilled to be able to show them off to new parents who may otherwise not have discovered so many of the outstanding producers that South Africa has to offer.

When, how and why did you get started?

We felt that there was a better way for soon-to-be parents to connect with their support systems and, in doing so, make it easy for them to really be there for the expectant parents. Inspired by the superior baby products that were coming out of South Africa, we decided to build a platform dedicated to doing just that.

What is the core function of Babalust?

Can you take us through the process of Babalust? From signup to deliver of goods?

What are some of the local brands that you're working with?

What are some of the obstacles you've had to overcome since starting out?

Covid-19 and the national lockdown has impacted many businesses. What impact did it have on Babalust?

How did you prepare for the lockdown?

What's the biggest challenge you are facing during this pandemic?

What sort of assistance will you need going forward?

What measures have you put in place for your employees?

E-commerce is a very competitive market right now. What competitive advantage do you have?

We are focused on fostering a strong sense of community between Babalust, our suppliers and our customers which we believe will convert to brand loyalty and give us that competitive advantage.

What do you predict the next six months will be like?

What has been your biggest lesson from all this?

Nothing made them feel confident that the decisions they were making would be the right ones for the little lives that were about to come into the world.Inspired to find a way to help other expectant mothers overcome the issues they had encountered, the two moms turned motivation into action and began working on an idea. That is how the Babalust brand was born.The two doting moms share the story of their newly born startup.Kim Grant: Babalust is an online baby registry service for new moms wanting to easily source trusted baby products and share their Babalist with their friends and family in time for their baby shower.Nikki Banner: It's also an online baby shop that offers moms a wide variety of quality, trusted and locally sourced baby goods to help them prepare for parenthood.We've built our offering for moms by moms and we are constantly working to expand and evolve our mother-to-mother network, whilst growing the local maternity market.Our aim is to become the helping hand that guides new parents through their pregnancy and connects them with both their village, and ours so that they can feel equipped and ready for their great adventure.Kim: Nikki approached me with her vision at the end of 2018 when she was pregnant and my son was just five months old. I was immediately struck by the necessity for a platform such as Babalust, and how much the genuine ethos of Babalust that she presented spoke to me. Combining locally sourced, responsible and trusted products under one roof sounded like any new moms' dream come true and we got started straight away with creating a wireframe for the new website.Nikki: Kim and I started Babalust because we felt that, as new moms, we had a great deal of hindsight knowledge to share with the world. Preparing for a baby is no easy task and was one that neither of us took lightly. We both put in the hard yards and researched furiously in the lead up to our babies arrivals, however, we found it difficult to find advice that was unbiased and locally relevant.Then came the baby shower - the perfect opportunity for new parents to cross off items from the long list of products that they still need. The sad reality was, that even with the best intentions, family and friends had spent fortunes on so many things that, really, we did not need, while most of our must-have items were yet to be ticked from our wishlists.We began developing our website at the beginning of 2019 and by October of that year we were ready to go live!Babalust's core function is to act as an information hub for expecting new moms to ease their journey into motherhood by placing products and information in front of them that they can trust, and put their mind at ease knowing that they are doing the right thing for their new baby.Expecting moms visit our site and create their baby registry - or as we call it, their "Babalist". After a simple sign up process, they are able to browse products on our site from a well rounded service offering and simply add them to their registry. In doing so they have the ability to tailor their lists to their exact needs, by specifying quantities, sizes and even ranking items in terms of their priority.They then share their registry via a URL with their family and friends who can then in turn visit the website and purchase gifts for the new baby, and add a gift card with a personal message. Babalust then orders, beautifully wraps and delivers the gifts ahead of schedule to the baby shower to be opened in front of friends and family on the special day.It really is difficult to name just a few as we work with so many incredible local brands servicing all areas of the baby industry from carriers to feeding to maternity care. Some of our well loved local brands include Jean Kelly, Ubuntu Baba, NurtureOne, GROW Baby, Oh Lief and Pure Beginnings.Online shopping, while taking the international market by storm, is still relatively new in South Africa and it has been a mission of ours to demonstrate the efficiency and security of online shopping to South African shoppers. Furthermore, on start up, there wasn't another successful online baby registry service out there, so essentially we were paving the way through uncharted waters and this certainly has been a fun but challenging experience.The largest impact it had on our industry and so in turn on us as a business was that social gathering was no longer possible, and physical baby showers had to be cancelled. However, Babalust was able to come to the rescue under these conditions too, as although baby showers weren't possible, showering the new baby with beautiful gifts was something we could fulfill as an essential service. And our products support local businesses to boot.Communication was key. After registering as an essential service to remain operational, we contacted all of our suppliers to establish their capacities. We set up weekly virtual meetings within our team to keep our lines of communication open. We communicated which parts of our business remained operational to our industry via social media channels and kept our suppliers abreast of the developments as the lockdown regulations eased or tightened.Small businesses are suffering as the economy has been put under such threat during the lockdown. We are doing our best to keep placing our local suppliers in the spotlight in order to give these hardworking people as much support and exposure as possible during this challenging climate.As a startup business, we are operating in a very lean financial framework and redirecting our profits straight back into the business to allow optimal growth. Additional capital investment would alleviate time and budget constraints allowing us to make logistics as efficient as possible and streamline our service delivery to meet the highest expectations.We are keeping our business small and manageable, remaining debt free, and keeping transparent communications between all employees.As parents of little ones ourselves, we know our service offering is something new moms can't do without. And we think our target market is moving more and more into a demographic of new parents who are very receptive to the benefits of streamlined online processes.Furthermore, we plan to grow our platform in alignment with our audience as their babies develop so that the benefits extend beyond the first year of their child's life, providing a resource to parents as their children grow.As a result of lockdown, we predict the next six months to be unprecedented but that they will also hold a lot of growth potential for our business as more and more people are looking to shop online and support local businesses wherever they can. We are excited by the challenges that the future presents and look forward to being a disruptive force that will shift consumer behaviour, creating a healthier and more sustainable consumer culture.I think one of our biggest lessons has been to be open to how your business grows organically and seemingly with a mind of its own despite how you might have expected it to grow when you first put together a business proposal. Being in tune with industry and economic trends allows your business to sit where it can best serve its industry and it's important to be fluid and remain open to accepting these shifts and changes.
Biden campaign faith director talks Christian beliefs, outreach to evangelicals and systemic racism

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The newly appointed head of faith outreach for former Vice President Joe Bidens presidential campaign is working on getting evangelicals to support the Democratic nominee.

Josh Dickson, an evangelical Christian who has been active in the Democratic Party for nearly 10 years, was appointed National Faith Engagement director for the Biden campaign.

During the Obama administration, for a time, Dickson worked as the director of the Center for Faith-based and Neighborhood Partnerships at the U.S. Department of Commerce.

Dickson believes some evangelicals are moving toward supporting Biden. An example of this, he said, is seeing evangelical leaders' embrace of the Black Lives Matter movement.

We have seen evangelicals marching in the streets, we have seen evangelicals talking about Black Lives Matter and speaking and praising Black Lives Matter, said Dickson. We've seen a tremendous response from individual pastors who have large followings who have marched in the streets. We've seen leaders, elected leaders who have marched in the streets from evangelical backgrounds.

This level of support leads Dickson to conclude that the real religious issue in this election is fighting systemic racism. Biden, he said, has an advantage in handling that issue.

We want to let people of faith know that in this moment that they are valued and they matter to the vice president and to this campaign and to the future direction of this country, continued Dickson.

The Christian Post interviewed Dickson on a variety of topics, including his faith journey, political views, and why he thinks evangelicals should support Biden for president despite certain ideological differences.

Staying Christian, changing parties

Born into a conservative family in which many attended Moody Bible Institute, Dickson had a Christian upbringing that involved attending church on Sundays and Wednesdays.

While enrolled at the University of Michigan, Dickson oversaw outreach efforts for the Campus Crusade for Christ chapter. After college, he became a teacher in the South Side of Chicago, Illinois.

Dickson explained to CP that it was his belief in the redemptive ministry and Gospel of Jesus that inspired him to take the teaching job instead of pursuing law school, noting that he was inspired by Luke 12:48, to whom much is given, much is required.

"Its the core of my values; its the first thing I identify with. It drives everything that I do  being a Christian, being a believer, said Dickson.

"My faith also led me into the public service arena after college, and it was the reason why I chose to be a teacher in the South Side of Chicago."

Dickson said that teaching in Chicago "really opened my eyes to the ministry of Jesus in a different way that I hadn't been as exposed to.

It really helped me see more of the example He set for us by how He lived His life and the ways that He showed His love, compassion, and commitment to the inherent and God-given dignity of other people through service, he said.

"In the Gospels, Jesus says 'the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve.' I think I really found what that meant for me a lot more when I was teaching and working in the little village community on the South Side of Chicago and working with the students that I worked with. The families were all just incredible people who were still invested in our shared work, trying to ensure that their children had just as much opportunity, regardless of their zip code or the color of their skin."

Dickson initially self-identified as a Republican. In 2004, the first presidential election he voted in, Dickson said he supported incumbent George W. Bush.

Yet, it was amid his time teaching in Chicago that Dickson leaned more "toward working to loosen the chains of injustice and tearing down the walls of oppression."

It was really my first year as a teacher that I started to see a lot of systemic injustice in our country, and very much through the life experiences of my students and their parents and the community that I had the privilege to serve in, and that really pushed me to start looking more deeply in the Scriptures, explained Dickson.

It pushed me to reexamine my politics. I started to say, 'in what ways do I think that my current political beliefs align with that.'"

He explained that the shift was not "an immediate switch, but came through personal experiences and reading works on "the Christian calling to poverty," such as Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger by Ron Sider.

Dickson was also inspired to change his political affiliation after reading then Sen. Barack Obamas bestselling book, The Audacity of Hope.

"The way he wove together his political theory, his theology, and his public policy really spoke to me. That was the first time I really started to follow someone who identified as a different political party, he noted.

By 2008, Dickson said he was finally confident to call myself a Democrat, citing among other reasons the party's preferential treatment of the poor and emphasis on caring for the poor and vulnerable.

A new evangelical Outreach

In 2018, Matthew Bennett, a political strategist who worked in the Clinton administration, said Democrats should do a better job of reaching out to evangelicals in 2020 than they did in 2016 when Hillary Clinton was their nominee.

The Clinton campaign did do a miserable job of this and there will be a correction around that outreach to particularly white evangelical Democrats  [it] will be better in 2020 than it was before, Bennett said at the time.

Dickson showcased the effort to improve upon 2016, as he listed multiple outreach efforts to faith communities in general and evangelicals in particular.

"We have evangelical leaders who will be supporting the vice president publicly. We are doing listening sessions with evangelical leaders to hear from them, he added.

"We're hearing from people; we're engaging people, we're developing relationships. We are going to be including evangelical voices in our 'Believers for Biden' events, and we are also going to be launching 'Evangelicals for Biden.'"

We're asking people of faith for their votes; we're asking evangelicals for their support. That is not always the case, he added in an apparent reference to the Democrats purported God problem concerning reaching out to Christian voters. That is the case now, he insisted.

Dickson believes that Biden, a practicing Catholic, is an authentic man of faith whose faith and values inform his political participation, his long history of fighting for civil rights and fighting for the least of these.

Bidens beliefs will inform his presidency, Dickson told CP, citing as an example the former vice presidents recently released racial economic equity statement.

I think that it encapsulates how Joe Biden's faith is going to inform his vision for the country. It is very much rooted in those values that come from Catholic teaching and rooted in those values that are very much centered on the common good, he said.

A big tent party

Although Dickson has spoken about efforts to reach out to evangelicals, some have argued that Bidens liberal stances on issues like abortion and religious liberty are deal-breakers.

For example, in July, Biden released a statement promising to roll back federal exemptions for religious groups, such as the Little Sisters of the Poor that oppose providing coverage for birth control and abortion-inducing drugs.

Biden promised to overturn a religious exemption the Trump administration put in place in 2017, reverting to before the United States Supreme Court ruling in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, which provided an exemption for closely-held businesses.

If I am elected, I will restore the Obama-Biden policy that existed before the Hobby Lobby ruling: providing an exemption for houses of worship and an accommodation for nonprofit organizations with religious missions, stated Biden.

The accommodation will allow women at these organizations to access contraceptive coverage, not through their employer-provided plan, but instead through their insurance company or a third-party administrator.

CatholicVote President Brian Burch denounced Biden's comments, telling LifeNews that, if elected, Biden would approve policies that mistreat and marginalize Catholics.

From his support for taxpayer-funded pro-abortion extremism, to his pledge to continue to harass the Little Sisters of the Poor, Biden will be a wrecking ball against all things that Catholics hold dear, said Burch.

All Catholics in America must speak out forcefully against these threats, lest the Catholic Church in America be trampled.

Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas, a longtime supporter of President Donald Trump, recently denounced evangelicals who plan to vote for Biden in November.

The only evangelicals who are going to vote for Joe Biden are those who have sold their soul to the devil and accepted the Democrats barbaric position on abortion, declared Jeffress in an interview with Lou Dobbs on Fox Business.

I mean, its so barbaric, Joe Biden believes in unrestricted abortion. He cant even get his own church, the Catholic Church, to stomach it. They have denied him communion because of that.

When asked by CP about concerns over Bidens stance on abortion, religious liberty, and similar issues, Dickson responded that theres room for disagreement on these matters.

"I know that not everyone is going to agree with him on everything. We're a big tent party as Democrats. Joe Biden is someone who is putting forward a vision that is inclusive," said Dickson. "We want to be working with as many people as possible."

"I see the values that Joe Biden lives by. I see the values that have been reflected in the history of his involvement in public life. And I see the ways in which he's going to lean into this moment right now where our country is hurting."

Dickson also reiterated his belief that the problem of "systemic racial injustices that our country has been perpetuating since its founding will be the issue of this election."
ESPOO, Finland, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Eficode, Europe's leading DevOps company, has been recognized in Gartner's Hype Cycle for Agile and DevOps, 2020 (1) . The Hype Cycle report includes key approaches and technologies used to support a DevOps initiative.

Eficode was recognized in the Gartner report as a Sample Vendor of DevOps Value Stream Management Platforms [VSMP], the report states "they provide visibility and traceability to every process in software delivery - from ideation through development to release and production, and extending to documenting feedback from customers."

"To scale agile and DevOps practices, organizations need a DevOps VSMP that provides visibility into higher level metrics", describes Hassan Ennaciri, Senior Director & Analyst at Gartner, in the report. "DevOps VSMPs serve as an orchestrator by integrating with existing DevOps tools. They provide product teams with flexibility and freedom in selecting their tools by simplifying integration with existing DevOps toolchains or value stream delivery platforms (VSDPs)."

"Gartner Hype Cycles provide a graphic representation of the maturity and adoption of technologies and applications, and how they are potentially relevant to solving real business problems and exploiting new opportunities. Gartner Hype Cycle methodology gives you a view of how a technology or application will evolve over time, providing a sound source of insight to manage its deployment within the context of your specific business goals." (2) You can learn more about the Hype Cycle here.

"We have built the Eficode ROOT DevOps Platform to help organizations manage their software delivery and DevOps toolchain. With Eficode ROOT, our customers deliver customer value faster, manage quality- and compliance-related risks, and improve the much-needed visibility into software development," said Ilari Nurmi, CEO at Eficode. "We are thrilled that Gartner, the world's leading research and advisory company, has recognized Eficode in their report. We view it as a great testament to the work we are doing."

Eficode has demonstrated its excellence in helping companies across all industries in their DevOps journeys, including Sennheiser (embedded software), DNA now part Telenor (telecommunications), and OP (financial services).

Most recently, Eficode has announced an agreement with Bankdata, one of the largest financial technology companies in Denmark, to deliver them Eficode ROOT DevOps Platform. Bankdata selected Eficode for its ability to offer a DevOps Platform solution that integrates best individual solutions in software development and operations into a continuous value stream.

(1) Gartner, Inc., Hype Cycle for Agile and DevOps, 2020, by George Spafford, Joachim Herschmann, July 15, 2020.

(2) Gartner Methodologies "Gartner Hype Cycle," 2020. https://www.gartner.com/en/research/methodologies/gartner-hype-cycle

Gartner Disclaimer

Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner's research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, express or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

CONTACT:

Lauri Palokangas, Chief Marketing Officer, Eficode. [email protected] , +358 50 486 4918

This information was brought to you by Cision http://news.cision.com

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Linkedin Kelly Macnamara (Agence France-Presse) Paris, France  Tue, August 4, 2020 16:30 532 6657ac82168da9fa101c8a4066b82bdc 2 Environment Leopard,wolf,giant-panda,conservation,environment Free

It may be one of the most recognizable symbols of conservation, but efforts to protect the giant panda have failed to safeguard large mammals sharing its habitats, according to research published Monday showing dramatic declines of leopards and other predators.

The giant panda has won the hearts of animal lovers around the world and images of the bamboo-eating creature with its ink-blot eye patches have come to represent global efforts to protect biodiversity.

Since conservation efforts began, China has cracked down on poachers, outlawed the trade in panda hides and mapped out dozens of protected habitats.

The strategy is considered one of the most ambitious and high-profile programs to save a species from extinction -- and it worked.

The panda was removed from the International Union for Conservation of Nature endangered species list in 2016 although it remains "vulnerable".

But a new study published on Monday in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution has cast doubt over the idea that efforts to protect the panda automatically help all other animals in its territory.

Researchers found that the leopard, snow leopard, wolf and dhole -- also known as the Asian wild dog -- have almost disappeared from the majority of giant panda protected habitats since the 1960s.

The findings "indicate the insufficiency of giant panda conservation for protecting these large carnivore species," said Sheng Li, of the School of Life Sciences at Peking University, who led the research.

The authors compared survey data from the 1950s to 1970s with information from almost 8,000 camera traps taken between 2008 and 2018.

They found that leopards had disappeared from 81 percent of giant panda reserves, snow leopards from 38 percent, wolves from 77 percent and dholes from 95 percent.

The predators face threats from poachers, logging and disease, the study found.

The authors said a key challenge was that while pandas may have a home range of up to 13 square kilometers, the four large carnivores can roam across an area exceeding 100 square kilometers.

Sheng Li told AFP that individual panda reserves -- typically around 300-400 sq km -- are too small to support a "viable population of large carnivores like leopards or dholes".

'Enormous charisma'

Panda conservation has helped protect other animals, he said, including small carnivores, pheasants and songbirds.

"Failing to safeguard large carnivore species does not erase the power of giant panda as an effective umbrella that has well sheltered many other species," he added.

But he called for future conservation to see beyond a single species, or animals with "enormous charisma", to focus on broader restoration of natural habitats.

He said he hoped this can be achieved as part of a proposed new Giant Panda National Park, a long-term program that would link up existing habitats over thousands of kilometers to allow isolated populations to mingle and potentially breed.

The recovery of large carnivore populations would "increase the resilience and sustainability of the ecosystems not only for giant pandas but also for other wild species", the researcher added.

The IUCN estimates there are between 500 and 1,000 mature adult pandas in the Sichuan, Shaanxi and Gansu regions of China.

The conservation group lists the leopard and snow leopard as vulnerable across the areas they are found in, while the dhole is listed as endangered.
Vineet Upadhyay By

Express News Service

DEHRADUN: After an RTI reply revealed anomalies in complying with state cabinet's decision of taking 30 per cent cuts by all MLAs including Chief Minister and cabinet ministers, state Legislative Assembly Speaker Prem Chand Agarwal said that the matter will be discussed with Indian National Congress MLAs.

"I have received the letter from the leader of opposition and Congress MLAs will be consulted in the matter soon. The final decision will be taken unanimously so there is no confusion about the deduction from salary and allowances," said the speaker.

Leader of Opposition Indira Hridayesh has written to the speaker about the issue. Earlier, an RTI reply revealed that majority of Bhartiya Janta Party MLAs failed to comply with the cabinet's decision.

Earlier in May this year, the state cabinet took a decision that 30 per cent of the salaries and allowances of ministers, MLAs of the state including the CM will take cut and the amount will be deposited in Chief Minister's Relief Fund' to be used in fight for Covid 19 epidemic.

Launching a scathing attack on the BJP, Hridayesh said, "People can see now how much the BJP cares for them. They are so insensitive that they won't give people's money back to them. This is not a conduct representatives of people."

Hridayesh, Leader of Opposition in the state legislative assembly, a rank that of a cabinet minister, has been taking a cut of Rs 75600 since the month of May 2020.

Amount of Rs 57,600 is being deducted from salaries and allowances from all 11 INC MLAs of while only 13 MLAs of BJP out of 57 have agreed to deduct Rs 57,600 from their salaries.

Total 16 MLAs of BJP are having a deduction of Rs 30,000 per month, four MLAs of ruling party are having a deduction of Rs 12,600 per month while three BJP MLAs are having a deduction of Rs 9,000 per month since the month of May, this year.

Salaries and allowances for a month for one MLA amounts to Rs 3.25 lakh.

Interstingly, the state assembly secretariat did not provide information about deduction from salaries and allowances of the Chief Minister and the cabinet ministers.
Obtaining multiple car insurance quotes is not that hard. There are various sources from where you can easily get them for free, said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company.

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The best places to obtain multiple car insurance quotes are the following:



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Specialized brokerage websites. Brokerage websites work with multiple car insurance companies. Obtaining quotes from a brokerage website is almost the same as obtaining quotes from car insurance company website. There is only one major difference. When a driver makes a request for quotes, the brokerage websites will offer multiple quotes from different insurance companies. This difference is a valuable advantage offered to drivers that want to scan the insurance market in an easy and fast manner.

Different blogs and forums. There are many car fans that operate various blogs or forums dedicated to car owners. Many of them are dedicated to specific brands like Ford, Toyota, Chevrolet, etc. Drivers can check them and see if there are dedicated insurance threads for specific models. This is not the ideal way to get quotes, but some of these forums can actually help drivers find a better insurance deal for a specific model.

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Compare-autoinsurance.org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden speaks at an event at the Colwyck Center in New Castle, Del., on July 21, 2020. (Drew Angerer/Getty Images)

Revolutionary Communist Party USA Leader Endorses Biden for President

The leader of an American communist group endorsed former Democrat Vice President Joe Biden for president, portraying the 77-year-old as a better choice than President Donald Trump.

The removal of Trump from office is part of the revolution to overthrow the current systems governing the United States, Communist Party USA leader Bob Avakian said in a statement on the groups website.

Imagine what Trump will do if he is given a second-term mandate through re-election this coming November, he wrote.

To ensure the Republican doesnt get re-elected, Avakian is urging fellow communists to choose Biden, even if theyre not enthused over his proposed policies, while expressing hope that Trump will be removed before the election.

If, in spite of mass protest demanding the removal of the Trump/Pence regime, this regime remains in power when it is time for voting, thenwithout placing fundamental reliance on thisusing all appropriate means to work for the removal of this regime must include voting against Trump (assuming the election is actually held), Avakian said.

To be clear, this means not a protest vote for some candidate who has no chance of winning, but actually voting for the Democratic Party candidate, Biden, in order to effectively vote against Trump.

President Donald Trump, right, and Vice President Mike Pence wait on the rooftop of the Operational Building at NASA before the launch of the SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket with NASA astronauts Bob Behnken and Doug Hurley aboard the rocket from the Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla., on May 30, 2020. (Saul Martinez/Getty Images)

In the past, voters who dont like either major party candidate either pencil in a name or choose the nominee of a lesser party.

Bidens campaign didnt respond to a request for comment on the endorsement.

The Trump campaign said in a statement that the endorsement further demonstrates that Joe Biden is an empty vessel for the radical left, adding later: Hes nothing more than an empty vessel for the extremist fringe of the Democrat Party, a terrifying cabal which now includes active communist leaders.

The campaign pointed to Bidens reported consideration of Rep. Karen Bass (D-Calif.) as his running mate. Bass has links to communism.

Avakian said Biden and the Democrat Party are representatives of the current system of capitalism-imperialism and accused Democrats of running the same basic con gameblackmailing people who hate injustice and oppression to vote for them as the lesser evil insisting in effect that, You may not agree with everything we say, you may even have serious differences and criticisms regarding what were all aboutbut do you want them to be in power?!'

But he reserved his harshest comments for Trump and Republicans, accusing the Trump administration of fascist actions and arguing that Biden is only better because he is not Trump.

Communism is a far-left ideology that advocates for near-continual revolution that often results in bloodshed. The ideology has led to tens of millions of deaths in countries that adopted it, including Russia, China, and North Korea.

Avakian did not endorse a candidate in 2016.
An infant boy has been ordered returned to his mother after a Manitoba judge ruled child welfare authorities had no reasonable grounds to seize him two days after his birth.

Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 4/8/2020 (532 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

An infant boy has been ordered returned to his mother after a Manitoba judge ruled child welfare authorities had no reasonable grounds to seize him two days after his birth.

"In my view (West Region Child and Family Services) concern for the constellation of circumstances that could jeopardize (the childs) safety is so remote in the circumstances of this case that it was not sufficient in law to justify his warrantless apprehension," provincial court Judge Geoff Bayly wrote in a decision released Tuesday.

The child was the third to be seized from the mother and her partner since 2016, when their first child was seized following an ultimately unproven allegation they had taken the then three-month-old child on a motorcycle ride.

"It is an allegation, however, that has resulted in (four) years worth of (CFS) involvement and it is an allegation that has served as justification, at least in part, for the apprehension of all three of the couples children," Bayly said.

The couples youngest child was seized by CFS this past spring. The agency argued in court it had concerns about both parents with regards to drug and alcohol abuse, their lack of parenting skills and mental health issues, as well as the fathers involvement with the justice system.

But Bayly said court testimony provided him with no evidence any of the concerns applied to the childs mother.

"Of concern is the abject failure of the agency to facilitate any contact between (the child) and his mother since the date of apprehension," Bayly said. "Compounding this tragedy, is the fact that (the child) has been permitted no contact with his father or either of his siblings since his birth. The agency has relied on the COVID-19 pandemic as their rationale for not facilitating contact between parent and the child."

At a hearing last month, a CFS worker testified she learned of the mothers pregnancy about two months before the child was born. At the time, the mother and father were having bi-weekly visits with their two children through CFS and were meeting with the worker at least once a month.

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"This level of contact suggests to me that had the agency wished, they could have made a collaborative effort to alleviate any protection concerns, short of apprehension," Bayly said. "The evidence before me was that no such attempts were made."

The CFS worker testified the agency "(didnt) really have too many concerns with (the mother), its just that she continues to stay with (the father)."

Bayly said he accepted evidence the childs father had been violent in the community, abused drugs and alcohol and had not complied with the agencys case plan. However, the man had never been accused of harming a child and there was no evidence of domestic violence in his relationship with the childs mother.

The agencys concern the fathers presence in the home might endanger the child "was nothing more than speculation," Bayly said.

"It is somewhat ironic, tragically so, that the agency, over the last five years has given (the mother) the tools to parent her children and yet not the opportunity to do so," he said. "Given the scrutiny (she) has endured the court is of the view that she has earned the right to parent her child and the opportunity to prove to the agency what she has learned."

dean.pritchard@freepress.mb.ca
VANCOUVER / ACCESSWIRE / August 4, 2020 / Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd. (TSX:NDM);(NYSE American:NAK) ("Northern Dynasty" or the "Company") announces it has hired Mr. Adam Chodos, a senior mining industry executive with more than 19 years of experience in corporate development and investment banking advisory, to serve as its Executive Vice President, Corporate Development.

Mr. Chodos was most recently a Director of Corporate Development for Teck Resources and, prior to that, was a Group Executive with Newmont's Corporate Development team. Before joining Newmont, Mr. Chodos spent nine years as an Investment Banker with J.P. Morgan Securities Inc., in New York, specializing in the natural resources sector. Over the course of his career, he has played a significant role in more than US$28 billion of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures and capital markets transactions.

"We're pleased to have an executive with Adam's corporate and banking experience, his skills and knowledge in the world of mining M&A, and his global contacts and reputation join the Northern Dynasty team at this critical juncture in the company's development," said Ron Thiessen, Northern Dynasty President & CEO.

"With a resoundingly favourable Final Environmental Impact Statement for the Pebble Project received last month, a Record of Decision on the project's key federal permits expected within weeks, and the initiation of an investment banking process to secure a major mining company or consortium of companies to become a partner in the Pebble enterprise, the timing for this addition to our corporate team could not be better."

Mr. Chodos' principal focus, over the next 12 months, will be leading a process to qualify and secure a major funding partner(s) for southwest Alaska's Pebble Project, preferably via Northern Dynasty's 100%-owned US-based subsidiary, Pebble Limited Partnership ("Pebble Partnership"). Whether a global mining operator or a consortium of minerals sector and financing interests, Northern Dynasty's goal is to involve incoming parties in the final stages of project evaluation, design and permitting.

"It's an exciting time to join the Northern Dynasty and Pebble Partnership team," Chodos said. "Not only does Pebble represent one of the truly great mineral development opportunities in the world today, it is achieving some key permitting milestones at a time when gold, copper and other mineral commodity prices are surging, and the world is waking up to a new phase of M&A activity in anticipation of a coming bull market in mining and metals.

"I look forward to working with Ron (Thiessen), Pebble Partnership CEO Tom Collier and the rest of the Northern Dynasty and Pebble teams to help capture the value of this remarkable asset for the benefit of all of our stakeholders."

About Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.

Northern Dynasty is a mineral exploration and development company based in Vancouver, Canada. Northern Dynasty's principal asset, owned through its wholly owned Alaska-based U.S. subsidiary, Pebble Limited Partnership ("PLP"), is a 100% interest in a contiguous block of 2,402 mineral claims in southwest Alaska, including the Pebble deposit. PLP is the proponent of the Pebble Project, an initiative to develop one of the world's most important mineral resources.

For further details on Northern Dynasty and the Pebble Project, please visit the Company's website at www.northerndynastyminerals.com or contact Investor services at (604) 684-6365 or within North America at 1-800-667-2114. Review Canadian public filings at www.sedar.com and US public filings at www.sec.gov.

Ronald W. Thiessen

President & CEO

US Media Contact:

Dan Gagnier

Gagnier Communications

(646) 569-5897

Forward Looking Information and other Cautionary Factors

This release includes certain statements that may be deemed "forward-looking statements". All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address exploration drilling, exploitation activities and events or developments that the Company expects are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in its forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements should not be in any way construed as guarantees of the ultimate size, quality or commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project, that the Pebble Project will secure all required government permits, or of the Company's future performance.

Assumptions used by NDM to develop forward-looking statements include the assumptions that (i) the Pebble Project will obtain all required environmental and other permits and all land use and other licenses without undue delay, (ii) studies for the development of the Pebble Project will be positive, (iii) NDM will be able to establish the commercial feasibility of the Pebble Project, and (iv) NDM will be able to secure the financing required to develop the Pebble Project. The likelihood of future mining at the Pebble Project is subject to a large number of risks and will require achievement of a number of technical, economic and legal objectives, including (i) obtaining necessary mining and construction permits, licenses and approvals without undue delay, including without delay due to third party opposition or changes in government policies, (ii) the completion of feasibility studies demonstrating the Pebble Project mineral reserves that can be economically mined, (iii) completion of all necessary engineering for mining and processing facilities, and (iv) receipt by NDM of significant additional financing to fund these objectives as well as funding mine construction, which financing may not be available to NDM on acceptable terms or on any terms at all. The Company is also subject to the specific risks inherent in the mining business as well as general economic and business conditions, as well as risks relating to the uncertainties with respect to the effects of COVID-19.

The National Environment Policy Act EIS process requires a comprehensive "alternatives assessment" be undertaken to consider a broad range of development alternatives, the final project design and operating parameters for the Pebble Project and associated infrastructure may vary significantly from that currently being advanced. As a result, the Company will continue to consider various development options and no final project design has been selected at this time.

For more information on the Company, Investors should review the Company's filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and its home jurisdiction filings that are available at www.sedar.com.

SOURCE: Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd.

View source version on accesswire.com:https://www.accesswire.com/600173/Northern-Dynasty-Retains-Senior-Mining-Executive-and-MA-Specialist-Adam-Chodos-to-Serve-as-EVP-Corporate-Development
The European Commission announced Tuesday that it has opened an investigation to assess the proposed acquisition of Fitbit by Google.

The probe into the $2.1 billion deal, which was agreed on last November, is taking place because the executive arm of the EU was concerned that Google could "further entrench" its market position in the online advertising business if it uses Fitbit data to help personalize the ads it shows users.

Margrethe Vestager, vice president for the European Commission, responsible for competition policy, said in a statement: "Our investigation aims to ensure that control by Google over data collected through wearable devices as a result of the transaction does not distort competition."

A verdict on the deal is expected by December 9.

Headquartered in San Francisco, Fitbit has become one of the leading wearable device manufacturers in the world since it was founded in 2007. The company has sold more than 100 million devices and it boasts 28 million users. Acquiring Fitbit would help Google to take on rivals like Apple, Samsung, Huawei, and Garmin in the wearables market.

The EU probe could derail the Fitbit purchase entirely. In an effort to address the EU's antitrust concerns, Google said last month that it would not use the fitness tracker's data for advertising purposes.

"This deal is about devices, not data," said Google's devices chief Rick Osterloh in a blog Tuesday. "We've been clear from the beginning that we will not use Fitbit health and wellness data for Google ads."

Osterloh added: "There's vibrant competition when it comes to smartwatches and fitness trackers, with Apple, Samsung, Garmin, Fossil, Huawei, Xiaomi and many others offering numerous products at a range of prices."

"We don't currently make or sell wearable devices like these today. We believe the combination of Google and Fitbit's hardware efforts will increase competition in the sector, making the next generation of devices better and more affordable," Osterloh said.

As of the end of 2018, Apple owned about half of the global smartwatch market in terms of units shipped, according to Strategy Analytics. Google currently licenses its Wear operating system to companies such as Fossil but does not make its own smartwatch.

Leo Gebbie, a senior analyst at CCS Insight, said Fitbit has a rich pool of historical user data, and this will be of huge value to a data-driven company like Google.

"The sheer number of regulatory cases currently lined up against Google across countries shows that the company has a trust problem with some regulators, who are not inclined to take this rationale at face value," he said.

"Fitbit has struggled to keep pace in an intensely competitive wearables market, and has become stuck in an uncomfortable middle ground between premium and budget players. Its proposed acquisition by Google would provide some benefits including greater scale and financial backing, and uncertainty over the deal is an additional challenge for the company."
MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 03rd August, 2020) Russian upper house lawmaker Grigory Karasin, who represents the country at talks with Georgia, told Sputnik on Monday that he could hold a personal meeting with Georgia's Special Representative for Relations With Russia Zurab Abashidze in the middle of September in the Czech capital of Prague.

"Taking into consideration the epidemiological situation, our meeting can be held in the middle of September, most likely in Prague," Karasin said.

The talks may focus on humanitarian contacts, transport connection and health care, including Russian experts' possible visit to the Richard G.

Lugar Center for Public Health Research in Tbilisi, the Russian lawmaker added.

Karasin also said that the Russian delegation would include him, a representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry and a representative of the Russian Transport Ministry.

When asked about the resumption of air travel between the countries, Karasin said that this is not discussed yet due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo has condemned the violent acts at various registration centres across the country.



Chaos recently broke out at a registration centre at the Awutu Senya East constituency which resulted in the Member of Parliament for the area firing gunshots to disperse people she believed were after her life.



Also, a similar incident occurred at Banda resulting in the demise of one person and calling for military reinforcement to beef up security in the area.



There are other places that confusion has erupted over who is qualified or not to register his or her name at some registration centres in the ongoing voter registration exercise.



Contributing to a panel discussion on 'Kokrokoo' on Peace FM, Prof. Joseph Osafo asked; ''Where are we really heading towards as a nation?''



The Psychologist wondered why there appears to be political violence any time there is an election or election-related activities in the nation.



According to him, this trend has become very disturbing and so warned Ghanaians to refrain from perpetrating violence in the nation because it is gradually dragging the country into the abyss.



''Where are we pushing our nation to with this sharp division between NDC and NPP? We're not heading towards anywher . . . .The political violence in Africa is getting endemic. We have to be careful. It is becoming an attitude. It's becoming a culture that in every year or any time that there is election, whether district assembly, Parliamentary or national, by all means someone must get hurt. We should get over that.



''I strongly believe that as we move forward as a nation, we have to be careful that political leadership doesn't lead Ghana into crisis, he advised.





Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana









Disclaimer : Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority.

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EDWARDSVILLE  More than four months after the COVID-19 pandemic started, the coronavirus continues to have a major impact on the areas senior population.

It has had an incredible impact on us, said Sara Berkbigler, executive director of Main Street Community Center. We focused on the nutrition programs for most of the early months of the pandemic because we didnt feel that we could safely provide transportation and certainly not activities in the center.

We are in the process of hiring some drivers and hope to have limited transportation available, but we would only have one to two people on the bus at a time. That will hopefully start next week on a part-time basis and we will increase hours as we have demand.

Despite the challenges, the centers meals program has continued as usual, delivering hot lunches to home-bound clients Monday through Friday.

Weve seen about a 25 percent increase, so we have more people getting meals, Berkbigler said. We still have our food commodity box program where people get a monthly box of shelf-stable food from St. Louis Food Bank. We are working with Madison County Township on farmers market vouchers.

We are able to see our meals program clients five days a week and check up on them. Sadly, a lot of older people are used to being isolated, so for people who didnt get out much before, this has not changed their lives that much. For those who came to the center for social activities, most of them three to four times a week, it has been a bigger adjustment.

At University Care Center in Edwardsville, the coronavirus has had an equally significant impact.

University Care Center offers long-term care and rehabilitation services and strives to create a home-like environment for its residents.

The pandemic turned us upside down, said Wanda Todoroff, director of business development. Our folks have been isolated in their rooms since March with just a small opportunity to get out. Things like doctors visits that arent an emergency have all been canceled.

Weve been working hard to reduce hospital admissions because when people come back, they have to be isolated for 14 days because they were potentially exposed (to the virus).

Keeping residents active and involved through a variety of activities has always been a goal of the University Care Center staff, and its an even bigger priority now.

Fortunately, we have a rock star activities team, Todoroff said. They have gone down the halls with a cardboard ice cream truck they put on a cart. Weve done a lot of room-to-room activities.

We have video calls with an iPad we will help people call their families. All in all, I think the residents are doing pretty well, but there is definitely stress for family members who cant see them.

St. Johns Community Care, which offers a variety of services for aging and disabled people, normally offers adult daycare at its facilities in Edwardsville at 1015B Century Drive and in Collinsville at 222 Goethe Ave.

But the adult daycare at St. Johns has been shut down since March 17.

Its a big adjustment, especially for the caregivers, who were thrust into having to care for their loved one 24-7, said Stacey Rhodes, adult day director and dementia care specialist at St. Johns. It goes in phases, and it was stressful at first, but then they kind of got into a routine at home.

Then it got to another phase where caregivers were burned out and stressed so they were asking for more services and more assistance. We have been calling them every week or two to give them support and see if there are any resources that we can provide for them.

St. Johns is in the process of reopening the adult daycare program, with social distancing and other safety guidelines, within the next month.

Like many other health care facilities, St. Johns has gone online to present virtual programs and events for its clients and caregivers.

We started doing our activities virtually for our participants who have dementia, and it involves a fun activity they can do together with their loved one, Rhodes said. We had a beach party the other day and we had a game called Where in the World is Raymond? who is the name of one of our site managers, and they had to guess his background and where he was.

Weve also sent out things like crafts and art at home activities. We are doing our Memory Cafe virtually and our Savvy Caregivers and Stress-Busting Caregivers classes are also being offered online.

Main Street Community Center, meanwhile, reopened its doors on a limited basis in July.

People can come in for appointments on a one-on-one basis if they need assistance with food programs, utilities or paralegal, Berkbigler said. We also have a nurse coming in and volunteering their time to take blood pressure by appointment.

Our front door is open, but people have to stop and be checked. But if they have questions and need directions, we can help them on a one-on-one basis.

The mental and emotional effects of being stuck at home can be just as devastating as the concerns created by being away from home and interacting with other people.

We have been keeping tabs on our clients and calling them to try to offset some of the isolation they may be experiencing, Berkbigler said. We have offered a full array of virtual programs and Zoom events, so if people have the technology, they can see their friends.

For those who dont have the technology and dont have people in the area to check up on them, this pandemic can really be isolating. We make sure that our clients are OK and that they dont need anything. Were also offering errand services for them where they can have things delivered to their home.

At University Care Center, the staff is finding creative ways for residents to interact with family and friends.

The administrators husband built a three-sided Plexiglas visiting booth in our courtyard and we can schedule a 30-minute visit with a loved one on the other side of the booth, which is sanitized between each visit, Todoroff said.

Its great, but it is very weather-dependent. Sometimes if its really hot or if it is raining, we have to cancel those visits at the last minute.

Other assistance is also available if needed.

About a month ago, St. Johns resumed its program to provide free medical equipment such as walkers, wheelchairs, bath benches and raised toilets. The items are currently available for pickup on Monday and Thursday.

Since the start of the pandemic, only three residents and one or two staff members at University Care Center have tested positive for the coronavirus.

I have a fabulous infection control nurse and he saw [the pandemic] coming and developed an infection control plan specific to COVID-19, Todoroff said. We shut down a week or two earlier than some places did, and I think that helped.

Like all non-profits in the community, Main Street Community Center is trying to find ways to survive financially through the pandemic.

We have no income related to fundraising events and activity fees, Berkbigler said. We have a big building and thats a challenge because we still have utilities and other expenses. Luckily, we have a great board of directors and volunteers who help us, and were going to make it through.

For Main Street, creativity is also a key in finding fundraising solutions.

Were going to have a yard sale in October because our retail boutique hasnt had any sales, and that usually brings us $400 to $500 a month, Berkbigler said. We hope to make up some of that, plus clear out the merchandise that we have.

We are also planning a virtual 5K race for October. Well have more information about that soon.

For more information about Main Street Community Center, go to https://mainstcc.org/ or call 618-656-0300.

For more information about University Care Center, go to https://universityedwardsville.com/ or call 618-656-1081.

For more information about St. Johns Community Care, go to https://stjohnscc.org/or call 618-656-7090 (Edwardsville) or 618-344-5008 (Collinsville).
Article L. 238-8-II of the French commercial Code and article 223-16 of the AMF (French Financial Markets Authority) general regulation

Regulatory News:

Corporate name of the issuer: Veolia Environnement (Paris:VIE) 21, rue La Boetie 75008 PARIS FRANCE (ISIN code: FR0000124141-VIE)

Information

closing date Total number of

shares forming

the share capital Total number of voting rights July 31, 2020 567,266,539 Total number of theoretical voting rights (1): 602,733,833 Total number of voting rights that may be exercised (2): 589,893,835

Inclusion in the Veolia Environnement Articles of Association of a clause requiring a reporting obligation of the declaration of crossing a shareholding threshold, complementary to the one relating to the thresholds provided by the French law and the regulations in force (article 8).

(1) Number of theoretical voting rights after taking into account the number of shares with double voting rights as of July 31, 2020 (35,467,294 shares) and the number of treasury shares held as of July 31, 2020 (12,839,998 shares).

(2) Number of voting rights that may be exercised number of theoretical voting rights (or total number of voting rights attached to shares) shares without voting rights (number of treasury shares held as of July 31, 2020).

Veolia Environnement

Siege social/head office: 21, rue La Boetie 75008 PARIS France

Adresse postale/Correspondence address: 30, rue Madeleine Vionnet 93300 AUBERVILLIERS France

tel.: +33 (0)1 85 57 70 00 Fax: +33 (0)1 71 75 10 45

www.veolia.com

A Public Limited Company (Societe Anonyme) with a share capital of 2,836,332,695 euros

403 210 032 RCS PARI

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20200804005844/en/

Contacts:

Veolia Environnement
Central Military Commission urges study of third volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China"

PLA Daily

Source: Xinhuanet

Editor: Li Jiayao

2020-08-03 11:27:38

BEIJING, July 31 (Xinhua) -- The general office of the Central Military Commission has issued a circular requiring the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) and the People's Armed Police Force (PAP) to earnestly study the newly published third volume of "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China."

It is a long-term political task to thoroughly study and implement Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, read the circular.

Stressing that the study should be carried out in a target-oriented, problem-oriented and result-oriented manner, the circular said the PLA and PAP, while implementing COVID-19 prevention and control measures on a regular basis, should deliver a solid performance in all areas of work, promote troop training and battle readiness, and resolutely accomplish all tasks assigned by the Party and the people.

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Negotiations between Ethiopia, Egypt and Sudan come as tensions sparked after Addis Ababas first step in filling dam.

Three key Nile basin countries have resumed their negotiations to resolve a years-long dispute over the operation and filling of a giant hydroelectric dam that Ethiopia is building on the Blue Nile, officials said.

The talks came on Monday, a day after tens of thousands of Ethiopians took to the streets of their capital, Addis Ababa, in a government-backed rally to celebrate the first stage of the filling of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dams 74 billion-cubic-metre reservoir.

Ethiopias announcement sparked fear and confusion downstream in Sudan and Egypt. Both Khartoum and Cairo have repeatedly rejected the filling of the enormous reservoir without reaching a deal among the Nile basin countries.

Ethiopia says the dam will provide electricity to millions of its nearly 110 million citizens, help bring them out of poverty and also make the country a significant power exporter.

Egypt, which depends on the Nile River to supply its booming population of 100 million people with fresh water, asserts the dam poses an existential threat.

Sudan, between the two countries, says the project could endanger its own dams  though it stands to benefit from the Ethiopian dam, including having access to cheap electricity and reduced flooding.

The confluence of the Blue Nile and the White Nile near Khartoum forms the Nile River that then flows the length of Egypt and into the Mediterranean Sea.

Irrigation ministers of Egypt, Sudan and Ethiopia took part in Mondays talks, which were held online amid the coronavirus pandemic. The virtual meeting was also attended by officials from the African Union and South Africa, the current chairman of the regional bloc, said Sudans Irrigation Minister Yasir Abbas.

Officials from the US and the European Union were also in attendance, said Egypts irrigation ministry.

Technical and legal experts from the three countries would resume their negotiations based on reports presented by the AU and the three capitals following their talks in July, Abbas said. The three ministers would meet online again on Thursday, he added.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed attributed the reservoirs filling to the torrential rains flooding the Blue Nile, something that occurred naturally, without bothering or hurting anyone else.

Key issues remain unresolved, including how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs [File: Eduardo Soteras/AFP]

However, Egypts Irrigation Minister Mohamed Abdel-Atty said the filling, without consultations and coordination with downstream countries, sent negative indications that show Ethiopian unwillingness to reach a fair deal.

Ethiopias irrigation ministry posted on its Facebook page that it would work to achieve a fair and reasonable use of the Blue Nile water.

Key sticking points remain, including how much water Ethiopia will release downstream if a multi-year drought occurs and how the countries will resolve any future disputes. Egypt and Sudan have pushed for a binding agreement, which Ethiopia rejects as it insists on non-binding guidelines.
On one side of Canyon View Drive, the Little Colorado River flows out of sight, at the bottom of a deep canyon. On the other side of the road, the terrain rises steeply, rough and rocky. Glenn Peaches steers his silver truck off the highway onto the remains of an old road, barely visible. He and his partner, Arizona state Sen. Jamescita Peshlakai, are heading to the top of Gray Mountain to see if their neighbor, Phillip Yellow, is tending to his herd of cattle.The two-and-one-half mile trip is slow and harrowing. With the two of them bouncing in their seats, Glenn picks his way around ruts and rocks, inching along at a walking pace. As they climb higher, they can see trucks trailing dust in the distance. The East entrance to the Grand Canyon is closed to visitors today, due to COVID-related restrictions on the reservation, but some people are determined to get there, using roads much like the one Glenn is navigating now. Still rising, Glenn keeps close to a rock face as he rounds another hairpin turn. Someone has sawed off the wooden guardrails.Reaching the top, the road flattens out and Phillips gray pickup comes into view. With his window down, he is behind the wheel, wearing a heavy green mask and blue baseball cap. A lone bull slowly approaches the visitors and Phillip suggests they stay in their vehicle. His herd is roaming out of site, presumably foraging for whatever they can find to eat on this parched mountaintop. Phillip makes the treacherous trip every day, carrying 500 gallons of water up the mountain to this plot of land thats been in the family for years. Weve been here quite a while, he says. My wifes mom lived up here.Despite his remote life, Phillip has not escaped the pandemic. A brother recently died of COVID-19. We didnt get a chance to see him, he says. He was doing OK until all of a sudden, he was gone. I never did see him again. Phillip watches his bull saunter off into a thicket of scrub. There he goes, he says, and points his truck back down the mountain.
Tennesseans will head to the polls across the state on Thursday to vote in the State and Federal Primary and County General election.

Election officials across the state have spent months preparing for this election to ensure the safety of voters and poll officials, said Secretary of State Tre Hargett. I encourage voters to do their part on Election Day and follow social distancing protocols and wear a face covering. I encourage voters to do their part on Election Day and follow social distancing protocols and wear a face covering.

Voters should expect to see signs with safety instructions at their polling locations. Poll officials will be wearing face coverings and are trained in social distancing protocols.

Polls open at various times, depending on the county. A list of when polls open in all 95 counties is available on sos.tn.gov . All polls in Tennessee close at 8 p.m. EDT/ 7 p.m. CDT.

Early morning, noon and 5 p.m. are peak times at the polls as people typically vote before work, after work or on their lunch breaks. Being flexible and casting your ballot in the mid-morning or mid-afternoon may shorten your time at your polling location. Frail, physically disabled or visibly pregnant voters should tell their election officials if they are unable to wait in line to vote. The law allows these voters to move through the process faster, it was stated.

Voters need to bring valid (may or may not be current) photo identification to the polls. A Tennessee driver license or photo ID issued by the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Tennessee state government or the federal government are acceptable even if they are expired. College student IDs are not acceptable.

State law requires polling locations, and the area within a 100-foot boundary of the entrance to remain campaign-free zones. Tennessee law prohibits the display or distribution of campaign materials and the solicitation of votes for or against any person, party or question on the ballot in these areas. Voters wearing campaign-related clothing or paraphernalia will not be allowed within the 100-foot boundary.



More than 578,000 Tennesseans voted in person or absentee during the two-week early voting period, which ended on Aug. 1.

The Secretary of State is planning to post unofficial State and Federal Primary election results from early voting and Election Day on Aug. 6. However, due to the larger number of absentee ballots cast during this election, voters should be prepared for results to possibly be delayed.


"We are excited to be able to provide our services to our newest clients so that they may focus on more mission critical during these challenging times. - Andrew J. Nash, CEO, PropertyRoom.com

In the second quarter of 2020, ten (10) Police Departments and Municipalities signed on with PropertyRoom.com to auction off their unclaimed stolen, seized or surplus assets and goods. PropertyRoom.com is an online auction site offering $1 No Reserve online auctions; bringing more deals to the community and generating income for their partners.



Indiana: Gary Police Department

Massachusetts: Braintree Police Department

Mississippi: City of Hattiesburg

North Carolina: Haywood County, NC

New Hampshire: New Boston Police Department

Nevada: City of Mesquite Police Department

Ohio: Pickaway County Sheriff's Office

Texas: Bexar County Sheriff's Office

Utah: Cedar City Police Department

Wisconsin: Menomonee Falls Police Department

Items available cover a wide range, varying from collectible coins and smartphones to handbags and vehicles, with more in between. The website also regularly auctions surplus municipal cars, trucks and heavy equipment as well as seized vehicles, with all assets open to public bidding nationwide.

Andrew J. Nash, CEO of PropertyRoom.com shared, Our focus is to provide the best online auction services to our clients to meet their needs. We are excited to be able to provide our services to our newest clients so that they may focus on more mission critical during these challenging times.

About PropertyRoom.com

PropertyRoom.com makes it remarkably easy for our 4,100+ clients to manage and sell surplus assets. We streamline the entire auction process on a clients behalf and deliver to the winning bidder. There is always a unique deal to be found, with hundreds of new auction listings added daily. Top categories include jewelry, watches, collectible coins and consumer electronics along with cars, trucks, heavy equipment, and firearms through a partner website, eGunner.com. Working with law enforcement agencies, municipal surplus departments, state/county fleet programs, airports and even museums, PropertyRoom.com has generated and distributed millions of dollars to local communities nationwide.
GBP/USD Exchange Rate Falls as US-China Trade Tensions Buoy Safe-Haven Demand for US Dollar

The Pound to US Dollar (GBP/USD) exchange rate fell by -0.6% today, with the pairing currently fluctuating around $1.29.

The US Dollar (USD) has continued to head higher today following yesterdays stronger-than-expected ISM manufacturing PMI, which rose to a 16-month high in July as American factory activity improved.

James Knightley, chief international economist at ING in New York, commented on the report:

After the scale of shutdowns we really should be seeing a large proportion of firms saying they are experiencing rising output.

Jobs continue to be lost in the sector. With COVID-19 cases picking up, businesses are likely to remain cautious.

Meanwhile, US-China trade tensions are boosting demand for the safe-haven Greenback today after US President Donald Trump angered Beijing after threatening to ban the Chinese software company, TikTok, from the United States.

In US economic news, today will see the release of the latest US Factory Orders figure for June. If this shows any signs of improvement, then we could see the Greenback edge higher.

Pound (GBP) Sinks as Concerns Grow Over UKs Coronavirus Situation

The Pound (GBP) has continued to suffer following this weeks news that London could potentially be put into another lockdown as the UK Government tackles the nations coronavirus crisis.

As a result, GBP investors are becoming increasingly concerned for Britains economic recovery going forward.

Lucy Powell, the shadow minister for Business and Consumers, also urged the Government to help struggling sectors of the UK economy, saying:

The jobs crisis is clearly accelerating with redundancies being announced every day. Its only Tuesday and just this week weve heard of mass redundancies in the hospitality, retail and travel sectors.

The Government is pulling the rug out from beneath businesses by ending furlough support indiscriminately and prematurely.

Meanwhile, GBP traders are becoming increasingly concerned over UK job losses after PizzaExpress, a giant restaurant chain, said that it could shed up to 1,100 staff as the Covid-19 pandemic continues to drag down the UKs economy.

Zoe Bowley, who runs the chain in both the UK and Ireland, commented:

Our business has a long history of success, but the UK-wide lockdown has hit the hospitality industry particularly hard.

GBP/USD Forecast: Could the Pound Rise on a Positive UK Services PMI?

Pound (GBP) investors will be keeping a close eye on tomorrows publication of Julys UK services PMI. Any improvement in Britains largest sector would prove GBP-positive.

US Dollar (USD) traders, meanwhile, will be looking ahead to tomorrows release of the ISM non-manufacturing OMI for July. However, if this falls below consensus we could see the Greenback suffer as investors become more pessimistic about the state of the American economy.

The GBP/USD exchange rate will likely remain subdued this week if the UKs coronavirus situation remains uncertain.
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Recently, the nation was riveted by photos of the wall of Portland moms who were tear-gassed while forming a human shield of linked arms and bodies to protect Black Lives Matter protesters from federal agents. These moms represent the instincts that all mothers have  fiercely protective with a drive to stand up for what they believe in, especially when it comes to the safety of children. It is those same shared instincts that have motivated physician mothers in Illinois to battle misinformation, and particularly those who oppose masks and vaccines in schools.

The Million Unmasked March is a group organizing through social media and claiming over 7,000 supporters. The group is protesting in Springfield, Illinois to advocate for their demands: remove the mask mandate for Illinois school children and the requirements for a COVID vaccine when such a vaccine becomes available. In essence, anti-maskers and anti-vaxxers are uniting, and their agenda is putting our children and our communities in danger.

The collaboration of anti-mask and anti-vaccine groups is not unique to Illinois. In California, where anti-vaccine sentiment among parents was already suboptimal prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, parents who oppose vaccines have also taken up the anti-mask agenda. In Utah, a community meeting was dismissed after unmasked parents flooded the room to protest masks in school. At the heart of both the anti-vaccine and anti-mask argument is a deep mistrust of science, misunderstanding of the scientific process, a claim that public health measures have a hidden agenda, and a zealous desire to sway people to their cause.

Social media platforms, like Facebook, allow these groups to grow exponentially, spreading dangerous misinformation. However, the use of Facebook is not relegated to only those who oppose science; it can also be utilized as an effective tool by physicians working to fight misinformation and the infodemic. For example, a group of physician moms from the Facebook group, the Physician Mommies Chicago (PMC), came together at the onset of the pandemic and formed IMPACT, vocal advocates for science-based policy. These types of groups utilize social media to circulate petitions, gather support, advocate, develop social media initiatives, and disseminate evidence-based information.

For years, physicians have had to advocate against misinformation, and now the stakes are higher than ever.

When the anti-mask and anti-vaccine rhetoric in Illinois culminated in a protest planned for July 25, physician moms were not just outraged; they were downright baffled that a group would demand no masks in schools and vaccines exemptions at the same time we are engaged in the fight of our lives against COVID-19 and sacrificing so much to keep our patients and our kids safe. As one physician mom wrote, Go against science AND endanger my child? I dont think so.

The few comments quickly turned into over 500 healthcare professionals signatures on a formal letter to the Illinois State Superintendent Dr. Carmen Ayala, the Illinois State Board of Education and Illinois lawmakers. Given the public health focus of our states leadership, one may question why it was necessary to do this. After all, the likelihood that the mask mandate would be overturned for school children is low. But this is where complacency and inertia are hidden enemies. The anti-vaccine movement is narrow in its mission and gains ground whenever focus is turned elsewhere. When physicians and others become complacent, these movements have taken the opportunity to grow exponentially unchecked, and have led to outbreaks of measles and other previously eradicated diseases in areas with low vaccine rates.

After submitting the letter, we posted our initiative on a national COVID-19 Physician Mom Group. It turns out that Illinois physician moms are not alone in this fight. Florida physician moms reached out and adapted our letter to create a Change.org petition for universal masking in schools that is now circulating in Florida physician mom Facebook groups. Texas, California, and Iowa physician moms thanked us for sharing tools and resources and are actively utilizing them to petition their own state and local policymakers for universal masking in schools.

Social media platforms are starting to take notice of the misinformation movement taking place on their sites. In fact, Facebook recently made the decision to remove an anti-mask group, Unmasking America, for spreading dangerous misinformation. While this is helpful for those fighting the infodemic of misinformation, many other groups will replace it, highlighting the work is never done.

Advocacy by moms is not new, but advocacy by physicians has been less common. Moms have been fierce advocates on a variety of causes ranging from Mothers Against Drunk Driving to Moms Demand Action, the anti-gun violence mom activist group led by Shannon Watts that has now helped launch moms into public office. As physician moms navigating a global pandemic, we are invested in ensuring that our patients, communities, and our children are safe. So, when misinformation threatens basic and effective public health measures, subsequently risking the health and safety of the public and of children, expect a wall of physician moms.

Laura Zimmermann, Eve Bloomgarden, Vineet Arora, and Shikha Jain are physicians.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
Facebook removed a pro-Donald Trump campaign ad because it contained false information about Joe Biden but has left up a doctored video that makes Speaker Nancy Pelosi appear as if she was drunk or drugged.

The social media company removed an ad entitled 'On Hold,' which was directed toward users of the platform in four states four states: North Carolina, Arizona, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

The ad shows a woman calling 9-1-1 and being put on hold. The scene changes to show Biden saying 'yes,' with a 'defund the police?' banner on it.

Biden has said repeatedly he would not defund police departments.

Facebook put a label on the pro-Trump ad, saying it was fact checked and contained false information

The ad claims Joe Biden wants to defund police departments but Biden has said repeatedly that is not the case

The ad was paid for by the super PAC America First Action, which supports President Donald Trump's re-election bid; it is visible on the PAC's personal Facebook page but has been removed as an ad from people's news feeds

The ad was paid for by the pro-Trump super PAC America First Action and spokesperson Kelly Sadler confirmed to Dailymail.com the ad was removed.

The ad is visible America First Action's Facebook page but has a label on it that reads: 'False Information. Checked by independent fact-checkers.' A viewer can still choose to watch the ad.

In June, Facebook removed 88 ads from the Trump campaign that featured an inverted red triangle, a symbol the Nazi's used to mark political prisoners in concentration camps during World War II, but the Trump campaign said it was simply an 'emoji.'

A Facebook spokesperson told Fox News that the Biden ad had contain false information and was not eligible to run as a paid ad but it video could run on the super PAC's page as original content.

Ads appear to the right of a user's feed in Facebook's platform. Owners of the ads pay for the prominent placement. Original video would appear in a person's feed if the person subscribed to the page the video was posted on or shared by a person's friend.

The company has come under fire for letting other false videos run as original content, including one of Pelosi altered to make her appear drunk or drugged.

The video, which has since been viewed more than two million times, shows Pelosi slurring her words and appearing to stare off vacantly into space as reporters ask her questions during a Capitol Hill conference.

Taken from a May 20 press briefing, the video of Pelosi was found to have been digitally slowed down to make it appear as if the top House Democrat was intoxicated. Undoctored footage of the same conference shows Pelosi speaking and acting normally.

Twitter, YouTube and TikTok have all removed the video from their platforms citing a breach of their respective media manipulation policies, however Facebook has so-far refused.

Scroll down for video

The video, which has since been viewed more than two million times, shows Pelosi slurring her words and appearing to stare off vacantly into space as reporters ask her questions during a Capitol Hill conference

Instead, the Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media platform has applied a fact-check label to the minute-long clip, warning that the scenes depicted are 'partly false'.

'The information in this post is a mix of true and false statements or it could simply be incomplete. In some cases, the information is misleading,' the full warning attached to the clip reads.

The video, which in its caption claims that Pelosi is 'blowed out of her mind', can however still be viewed and widely shared.

A similarly false and heavily edited video of Pelosi went viral on Facebook in May 2019 showing her appearing to slur her speech and stumble over her words, as if she was under the influence of alcohol.

Pelosi slammed Facebook for refusing to remove the video at the time. The social media site again placed a warning label on the footage but declined to remove it from public view.

In the latest instance, visual forensic expert and professor at the University of California Berkeley Hany Farid confirmed to CNN that the footage had been edited and slowed down.

'This appears to be the same type of manipulation [of] the Speaker Pelosi that made the rounds last year,' Farid said.

The professor said he believed the video should be removed from the site because of a breach of Facebook's manipulated media policy.

However, Facebook spokesperson Andy Stone told the network Sunday night that the video did not break its policies in a way that would warrant it being removed.

The video, which in its caption claims that Pelosi is 'blowed out of her mind', can still be viewed and widely shared

Instead of removing it, the Mark Zuckerberg-owned social media platform has applied a fact-check label to the minute-long clip, warning that the scenes depicted are 'partly false'

Taken from a May 20 press briefing, the video of Pelosi was found to have been digitally slowed down to make it appear as if the prominent Democrat was intoxicated. Undoctored footage of the same conference shows Pelosi speaking and acting normally

'Following an incident over a year ago with a previous video of Speaker Pelosi, we took a number of key steps, making it very clear to people on Facebook when a third-party fact-checker determines content to be false and updating our policy to make explicit the kind of manipulated media we will remove,' Stone said.

The spokesman added that when a video is marked as false on Facebook, it's promoted significantly less by the site's algorithms and users who share the images are sent a notification to flag the fact-check.

The video was first uploaded to Facebook by user Will Allen with the caption, 'This is unbelievable, she is blowed out of her mind, I bet this gets taken down!'

Allen shared a copy of the video that was originally posted on TikTok. The TikTok video was originally uploaded to the site in May and only had 37,000 views.

TikTok confirmed that it had removed the video for violating its 'synthetic media policy'.

'Our users value seeing authentic content on TikTok, and we do, too, which is why we remove harmful misleading and deceptive content as we become aware of it,' a company spokesperson told CNN.

Copies of the video also circulated on YouTube and Twitter. YouTube said it had removed three versions of the edited footage for violating its policies on manipulated media.

Twitter confirmed it also removed a version of the video that had been viewed more than 300,000 times.

On Facebook, the video was viewed so many times it's likely to renew scrutiny about the platform's perceived failures to tackle misinformation

The video, which in its caption claims that Pelosi is 'blowed out of her mind', has since been viewed more than two million times

On Facebook, the video was viewed so many times it's likely to renew scrutiny about the platform's perceived failures to tackle misinformation.
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 20:41:52|Editor: huaxia

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TASHKENT, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- Uzbekistan will implement a national strategy to improve the independence of the country statistics system, a presidential decree said Tuesday.

The document signed by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev prioritizes the measures to implement the strategy between 2020 and 2025, which was developed jointly with the World Bank, according to the decree published by the state media.

The decree says that the country's statistical bodies will be transformed into a professional independent service aimed at generating high-quality and reliable information, increasing the transparency and openness of statistical information.

The decree establishes the independence of the State Committee on Statistics from all state organizations, and its regional departments from the local government bodies.

Since Mirziyoyev took office in 2016, Uzbekistan has taken a series of measures to promote economic reforms, including liberalizing its foreign exchange market, reducing taxes and offering preferential treatment to foreign investment. Enditem
DENVER, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Pie Insurance, one of the nation's leading insurtechs providing workers' compensation insurance to small businesses, today unveiled its partner portal. The portal uses proprietary technology that makes it easier for partner agents to submit their clients for workers' comp coverage and track their status in real time.

The partner portal features an integrated appetite checker and can make automatic decisions on more than 70 percent of class codes. Pie's ability to auto-decide such a high percentage of class codes ensures agents get the information they need faster to better serve their clients.

"This functionality is a game changer for our agency partners," said Dax Craig, president and co-founder of Pie Insurance. "For decades, agents have submitted their clients' information to a carrier and waited up to weeks for an answer to the question, 'can you offer coverage?' By providing automatic bind and decline decisions for our partner agents, Pie is transforming the way agents do business."

The portal's integrated appetite checker enables partner agents to gauge whether their clients fit within Pie's broad appetite. They can seamlessly transition to submitting those clients without having to log into a new system, then see Pie's decisions instantly and track status updates in real time in a convenient dashboard.

"The addition of the partner portal to the Pie Insurance experience really sets them apart," said Garry McDade, workers' comp division director at Morstan General Agency, a division of Hull & Co. "It allows our team to know within minutes if a risk is eligible and if we should expect to receive a proposal. This type of efficiency is key to serving our clients and growing as an organization."

With the addition of the partner portal, Pie Insurance continues to make rapid progress on its mission to automate the entire small business insurance experience from quote to claim.

About Pie Insurance

Pie Insurance provides workers' compensation insurance directly to small businesses and also partners with local, regional, and national insurance agencies to provide coverage to their clients. Headquartered in Washington, D.C. and Denver, the company began offering policies in 2018 with a goal of helping small businesses experience up to 30% savings and outstanding service. Pie operates as a managing general agency for Sirius America Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Sirius Group, offering A.M. Best A- (Excellent) rated workers' compensation insurance. Pie's investors include SVB Capital, Gallatin Point Capital, Greycroft, Aspect Ventures, Sirius Group, Moxley Holdings, and Elefund.

SOURCE Pie Insurance

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CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Eliot Ness wasn't the only federal investigator who famously took on the mob before making his mark in Cleveland.

Before becoming RTA police chief in 2005, John Joyce spent 25 years as a special agent in FBI. In the early 1980s, he belonged to one of the bureaus squads assigned to secretly bug New York Citys notorious five families: the Bonanno, Colombo, Gambino, Genovese and Lucchese organizations.
Singapore government later developed a landlord model for shipping and logistics and are to date partnering multinationals as a nation to manage and develop terminals and businesses in logistics.





by Rohan Masakorala





The Sri Lankan President and the government to be elected is facing a decision on either to take an extreme nationalistic view or a more liberal view on handling a crisis unfolding in Colombo in a truly global business which is shipping and logistics. Trade unions with self-interests and Buddhist priests with ignorance driven by politics have already started to ruin the reputation of the Port of Colombo by taking strike action and giving all possible wrong signals to international investors and our friendly partners around the world.





Learning a lesson from Trincomalee debacle





Many in Sri Lanka do not realise that we have one of the best natural ports in the eastern coast of Sri Lanka. But it is dead in terms of shipping activity. Wonder why? Because extreme nationalists of the 1960s killed that location to be possibly the number one energy hub of Asia. The nationalisation of the petrochemical industry and the port sector made multinational companies with technology and capital leave the shores of Sri Lanka under a government led policy which drove away foreign companies and left an empty oil tank farm to be a jungle for 72 years around the port of Trincomalee.





The consequences of that decision gave birth to the energy hub of Asia to be in the then developing Singapore. On the invitation of late Lee Kuan Yew, multinational companies who were asked to leave Sri Lanka pumped in billions of dollars to develop the infrastructure for the energy industry in Singapore. The multiplier effect of that energy hub development made Singapore the preferred shipping hub in South East Asia and the number one bunker supplier of the world for global companies.













Singapore government later developed a landlord model for shipping and logistics and are to date partnering multinationals as a nation to manage and develop terminals and businesses in logistics. In fact Singapore, has done away with its biggest shareholdings of its national carrier NOL, as it could not compete with scale of global shipping lines but have instead opened up its economy to international players to create wealth, employment and bring in technology to transform that nation through a collective ecosystem to a thriving modern maritime, finance and tourism centre and is successfully standing among developed nations.





Instead, the Port of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka is just handling less than 4% of the countrys cargo tonnage and is a non-active port, as policy makers failed to develop it with partners for a viable business model and a distribution hub to service Asia.





Undressing the model of shipping hubs



Shipping and logistics are known as global businesses. A nation cannot prosper in this sector in isolation even though one has a location. Sri Lanka is a classic example for this, where for over the past 40 years it has stagnated as a regional transshipment hub depending on mainly Indias imports and exports of southern eastern states as it failed to move in great strides to embrace reforms after the initial 1977 economic liberalisation. We as a nation have utterly failed to transform the location into a maritime capital of the world simply due to wrong political decisions and protectionism. Due to these inward-looking policies from time to time, we have only driven our customers and investors out of Sri Lanka and helped our competition to pass us by many folds ahead.





A shipping hub does not happen just because its on an advantageous location alone anymore. A classic example is United Arab Emirates, the other major hub sitting west to Sri Lanka which is not on the main shipping route. What we need is not to re-invent the old nationalistic wheel to kill ourselves but to follow the best two examples of Singapore and Dubai for ports and shipping. The advantageous locations are created by working in partnerships with global giants who own cargo, who own mega shipping fleets, who have market access, who have competitive energy, who have the best technology and to achieve scale which will create team work and value addition for each other as well as the country. This is no more a secret if one studies globally successful maritime and logistics capitals and hubs.













Why we need to partner India





India is the most important regional cargo source for Sri Lanka. It is expected to be the worlds fifth biggest economy and probably the third by 2050. If Indian shippers and government feel that they are not appreciated for the business they provide to Colombo they will give preference to other Indian ports and regional transshipment hubs to move their cargo, then only Colombo will see the problem. The volumes that are shipped from India helps Colombo to increase its throughput attracting major shipping lines, as a result Sri Lankan exporters and importers get better freight space, better freight rates and mores shipping opportunities and scale.





Sri Lanka has already joined hands with China and local companies in operating most of the terminal capacity. Of course, due to political interference it is debatable, if these arrangements were the right mix, but to partner them was the right decision irrespective of which government took the decision. However, resisting India to be a partner and bringing in nationalism against India and Japan is the most astonishing question one could ask as India is supplying 70% of the container box volume and Japan has one of the biggest merchant shipping fleets in the world that service Colombo.





In the long run, these two partners along with China and other investors, can build Sri Lankas maritime capacity and convert the location to a world class hub, whereas, if we shut the doors to other international partnerships, Colombo is at risk, firstly losing out to Hambantota, secondly to regional competition.





It is indeed sad, that this picture is not given to the people of this country. It is not only the government that is at fault, but the businesses that benefit out of shipping and logistics and trade associations and chambers are not vociferous to put the right perspective in front of the nation. Instead of doing that, they have given ammunition and poison to politicians with vested interest, businesses with vested interest, unions with vested interest and finally the clergy with vested interest to write the fate of this country.





Understanding the market





Being an extremely small market, which I always call smaller than the greater municipal council of Mumbai and less than the income of the Amazon owner, if Sri Lanka doesnt connect to global value chains and global markets with international partners, it will only continue to protect a handful of people and cut off the road for real development and prosperity. What will be left is confusion, division, and frustration among the citizens as we have had for decades. Those who are able, will leave the country and the 72-year-old vicious circle will continue to drag Sri Lanka down the global standings as it is today in many reputable indices. It is worth to ask ourselves, do we deserve to be a US dollar 4,000 per capita economy when Singapore and Dubai have achieved USD 60,000 for its citizens whilst being behind us at the time of independence?





Mr. President, over to you





The President and the new government will certainly have to think, which direction they would want to take Sri Lanka, especially after the current COVID-19 pandemic and the changing landscape of global economics. Certainly as an individual who has been in this industry for 30 years, if the right pragmatic decisions are not carried forward and political decisions are taken on extreme inward looking nationalism listening to the whims and fancies of trade unions and the clergy, I can quite confidently say that over the next few decades, Port of Colombo is in great danger of losing business and killing itself. It will be the same lost opportunity of the Port of Trincomalee and which successfully gave birth to two competing countries which has developed two mega hubs to the west and the east of the island whilst Sri Lanka being the best located island in the Indian Ocean.





In hindsight, if the Trincomalee debacle did not happen, in my view Sri Lanka could have avoided an ethnically based separatism campaign as the economics would have neutralised political extremists in the north east.





(The writer is an economist, the CEO, Shippers Academy Colombo and Chairman, Logistics Advisory Committee, National Export Strategy to the Export Development Board  Sri Lanka. Currently the Director General of Sri Lanka Association of Manufacturers and Exporters of Rubber Products and former chairman of the Sri Lanka Shippers Council and Secretary General of Asian Shippers Council. Can be contacted at rohanmas458@gmail.com.)






While the rest of the country faces restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it was business as usual for the Darwin Cup with thousands of revelers attending the races on Monday.

Joining them were The Bachelor's Sam Royce and Bachelor In Paradise's Niranga Amarasinghe and Renee Barrett, as well as former My Kitchen Rules star Betty Banks.

The TV personalities donned their finest for the fun filled day out at the Northern Territory's biggest racing event of the year.

Race ready! The Bachelor's Sam Royce and Bachelor In Paradise's Niranga Amarasinghe and Renee Barrett joined former My Kitchen Rules star Betty Banks at the Darwin Cup on Monday

Bachelor in Paradise star Renee, 26, was pink perfection in a low-cut pink pantsuit that she teamed with a headband and nude heels.

Her fellow Paradise co-star Niranga, 28, looked chic in a black and white patterned jacket which he teamed with a white shirt and shorts.

He shaded his eyes from the sun with a pair of trendy sunglasses and wore a pair of suede loafers.

Dressed to impress: The TV personalities donned their finest for the fun filled day out at the Northern Territory's biggest racing event of the year. Pictured: Renee, Betty and Niranga

My Kitchen Rules star Betty, 30, looked radiant in a one sleeved blue dress featuring a cut out at her waist.

She accessorised the look with a cream handbag and embellished headband.

Former Bachelor star Sam, 30, wore a white fascinator and a lime silk dress that was sure to have onlookers green with envy.

The blonde beauty was forced to attend without her Victorian based beau Jarrod Woodgate, who she hasn't been able to see due to the closure of state borders because of the coronavirus pandemic.

All smiles: Sam (pictured) looked happy despite the fact that she was forced to attend the event without her beau Jarrod Woodgate, who is currently in Victoria - due to the closure of state borders because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Fun in the sun: Sam and Niranga (left) mingled with each other at the races and Renee (right) was spotted carrying a jug off Pimm's back from the bar for the pals to enjoy

Despite attending solo, Sam was all smiles as she mingled with her fellow reality stars and was pictured showing Niranga something on her phone.

The foursome posed for pictures together on the green, before watching the races and enjoying a few drinks together.

At one point Renee was spotted carrying a jug off Pimm's back from the bar for the pals to enjoy.

Pop of colour: My Kitchen Rules star Betty (left) looked radiant in a one sleeved blue dress featuring a cut out at her waist and Bachelor in Paradise star Renee (right) was pink perfection in a low-cut pink pantsuit that she teamed with a headband and nude heels

Picture perfect: The foursome posed for a number of photos together before watching the races and enjoying a few drinks together. Pictured: Renee, Betty and Niranga

The outing comes after Niranga and Renee were spotted on a wild night out at a gay nightclub in Darwin on Saturday.

They looked calm and relaxed with each other, as they socialised as they enjoyed a number of beverages.

Later, the two friends were also joined by Sam.
The on Tuesday



informed the Madras High Court that any challenge against its acquisition of 'Veda Nilayam,' the residence of late Chief Minister can only be made before the civil court and not the High Court.

The submission was made by Advocate General Vijay Narayan while opposing a plea moved by J Deepa, Jayalalithaas legal heir in this regard.

The AG noted that Deepa had not challenged the acquisition order, but only the award and added that under Section 61 of the Land Acquisition Act, the principal judge of city civil court is the competent authority to hear such challenges.

Narayan also pointed out that the Supreme Court had made it clear that such such acquisition cannot be challenged after the award of compensation.

The petitioner's counsel G J Baskar contended that such challenge can be made under Section 63 of the Act and that his client has challenged both the acquisition and the award ordered.

Justice N Anand Venkatesh, who was hearing the case, said the petitioner can approach the High Court only when no remedy is available under any provision of the Act.

But the statute is clear that challenge against the award can be made only before the principal judge of the civil court, the judge added.

Since the hearing was interrupted due to poor network connection on petitioner counsels side, the court adjourned the hearing to August 7.

had lived at 'Veda Nilayam,' before she breathed her last in December 2016, and the state government had in 2017 announced converting the property into a memorial.

Governor Banwarilal Purohit had promulgated the ordinance in May to facilitate the temporary possession of Jayalalithaa's residence to convert it into a memorial.
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Vietnamese authorities plan to press ahead with organizing the annual national high school exam this month despite the ongoing novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, while disease-stricken localities may be permitted to postpone the event.

The National Steering Committee for COVID-19 Prevention and Control convened a meeting chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam on Sunday.

Regarding this years national high school exam, scheduled to take place from August 8 to 10, members of the committee asked the Ministry of Education and Training to submit a detailed plan on organizing the exam and ensuring the safety of students.

Deputy Minister of Education and Training Nguyen Huu Do said that the agency had directed local authorities to ensure epidemiological hygiene at exam locations.

None of the countrys test takers are COVID-19 patients (F0 cases), while several are individuals who have had contact with COVID-19 patients (F1 and F2) and are mainly in the central city of Da Nang, Vietnams outbreak epicenter at the moment.

Despite the ongoing pandemic, this years exam must be organized as planned, according to the official.

Such localities as Da Nang and Quang Nam Province in central Vietnam, where the epidemic is serious and social distancing measures are applied, will be allowed to postpone the exam to a later date, Deputy Minister Do added.

Twelfth-grade students in Vietnam are required to participate in the annual national high school exam after finishing their study.

Results of the test are needed for graduation and serve to help universities and colleges enroll undergraduates.

Over 900,000 students are due to take part in the nationwide exam this year.

The exam usually takes place in July but has been delayed this year due to prolonged school breaks caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Vietnams COVID-19 tally sat at 652, with 374 having recovered and eight fatalities as of Tuesday afternoon.

A total of 205 locally-transmitted cases have been traced to Da Nang since July 25, after 99 days of no documented community transmission of the virus in the Southeast Asian nation.

The 205 cases are made up of 142 in Da Nang, 44 in Quang Nam, three in Quang Ngai Province, three in Dak Lak Province, one in Dong Nai Province, eight in Ho Chi Minh City, two in Hanoi, one in Ha Nam Province, and one in Thai Binh Province.

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Bangkok: Speakers at a Thai anti-government protest demanded reforms to the monarchy of King Maha Vajiralongkorn on Monday, calling for its powers to be curbed in unusually frank public comments.

Defaming the monarchy is punishable by up to 15 years in prison under Thailand's lese-majeste laws. Police did not stop the six speakers and more than 200 protesters, but said that any suspected offences would be investigated.

Anti-government protesters take part in a Harry Potter-themed rally in front of Democracy Monument In Bangkok on Monday. Credit:Getty Images

Protesters were dressed like the fictional wizard Harry Potter and other characters in what they said was a reference to vanquishing injustices under the military-backed government.

Lawyer Anon Nampa, 34, accused the palace of taking on increasing powers that undermined democracy and of inaction in the face of attacks on opponents of the government of Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha, a former junta leader.
The Tamil Nadu SSLC class 10th results 2020 is expected to be announced by Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Government Examinations in a few days. Once declared, the results will be available on Tamil Nadu's Directorate of Government Examination official websites - dge.tn.gov.in, dge1.tn.nic.in, tnresults.nic.in. Students can also view their results on alternative websites like - dge2.tn.nic.in, manabadi.co.in, schools9.com.

Reportedly, around 9 lakh students appeared for the Tamil Nadu Class 10 exams that held between March 27 to April 13.

Here's how you can check your Tamil Nadu SSLC Class 10 results 2020 online:

1. Visit the official website- tnresults.nic.in

2. Click on the link of 'SSLC Exam - March 2020 Results'

3. Enter the registration number and date-of-birth

4. The result will appear on the screen. Check for any discrepancy

5. Save and download the result

6. Take a print copy of the same and secure it for future

Students will also be able to access the Tamil Nadu SSLC Result 2020 via the app. All they need to do is download the TN SSLC Result app on their smartphone. To check their scorecard, visit the Results link in the app and enter credentials like Date of Birth and registration number and submit details. The Tamil Nadu class 10th SSLC Results 2020 will appear on the screen.

The Tamil Nadu's DGE has decided that 80% weightage will be given to marks in quarterly and half-yearly assessment tests, 20% weightage will be given to attendance. It may be recalled that Tamil Nadu Board Class 12 Results 2020 was announced on July 16.
Meghan, the Duchess of Sussex, scored a temporary victory Wednesday in her lawsuit against a U.K.-based tabloid.

A British judge ruled that Meghan can, for now, keep the names of five friends secret while she brings a copyright infringement lawsuit against Associated Newspapers, publisher of the Mail on Sunday, the Sunday edition of the Daily Mail.

"The Duchess felt it was necessary to take this step to try and protect her friends -- as any of us would -- and we're glad this was clear," a spokesperson for Meghan and her husband Prince Harry told ABC News in reaction to the judge's ruling. "We are happy that the Judge has agreed to protect these five individuals."

PHOTO: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex meets children as she attends the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 09, 2020 in London, England. (Chris Jackson/Getty Images)

Meghan and Harry publicly announced the lawsuit against Associated Newspapers last October.

While no trial date has been set, there have been two preliminary hearings in the lawsuit so far.

Here is what to know about the lawsuit, and what is expected to happen next.

Why is the Duchess of Sussex suing Associated Newspapers?

Meghan is suing Associated Newspapers, the parent company of The Mail on Sunday and MailOnline, over five articles published in February 2019 that included excerpts from a private letter she sent to her now-estranged father, Thomas Markle. The duchess is seeking damages from the newspaper for alleged misuse of private information, copyright infringement and breach of the Data Protection Act.

The letter, which is the focal point of the court case, describes the break down in relations between father and daughter.

In the run-up to the 2018 royal wedding Thomas Markle had been the subject of immense tabloid interest, which reached a pinnacle when the Daily Mail revealed just days before the wedding that, in an attempt to revamp his image, Thomas Markle had staged paparazzi photos of himself preparing for his daughter's big day.

Markle was then hospitalized and had to undergo surgery, which prevented him from traveling to his daughter's wedding.

Story continues

Relations between the two became strained and Thomas Markle gave several interviews to the media, which we now know greatly upset his daughter. The letter lays out Meghan's take on these events.

According to the duchess' legal team, the Mail on Sunday breached copyright by publishing the private letter as it legally belongs to the duchess, the author of the letter.

MORE: Prince Harry and Meghan sue over drone photos of son Archie

Her lawyers also argue that the Mail on Sunday breached privacy and data protection laws and that they cherry-picked portions of the letter to manipulate readers.

The letter was published by the Mail on Sunday in February 2019. In it, the duchess describes her sadness at the deterioration of her relationship with her father, asks why he spoke to the media and said he has broken her heart "into a million pieces."

Thomas Markle claims he agreed to the letter being published to set the record straight after a friend of the duchess mentioned the letter in an interview with People magazine.

PHOTO: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex speaks during a special school assembly at the Robert Clack Upper School in Dagenham on March 6, 2020 in London, England. (Wpa Pool/Getty Images)

Five friends, described as "an essential part of Meghan's inner circle," spoke anonymously to People, according to the magazine, saying they wanted to "stand up against the global bullying we are seeing and speak the truth about our friend."

They added, "Meg has silently sat back and endured the lies and untruths ... It's wrong to put anyone under this level of emotional trauma, let alone when they're pregnant."

One of these five friends referenced the letter Meghan had written to her father, saying, "After the wedding she wrote him a letter. She's like, 'Dad, I'm so heartbroken. I love you. I have one father. Please stop victimizing me through the media so we can repair our relationship.'"

Thomas Markle in turn said he felt compelled to publish the letter to defend his reputation -- asserting it was not the conciliatory missive described by this friend in People.

The lawsuit must determine whether the Mail on Sunday infringed Duchess Meghan's rights when it published the letter.

Prince Harry announces lawsuit blasting 'disturbing pattern' by British tabloid media

Prince Harry announced the lawsuit in a statement criticizing the media during his tour of southern Africa in October 2019.

He wrote, "My wife has become one of the latest victims of a British tabloid press that wages campaigns against individuals with no thought to the consequences -- a ruthless campaign that has escalated over the past year, throughout her pregnancy and while raising our newborn son."

PHOTO: In this file photo taken on March 5, 2020, Britain's Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex, and Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, arrive to attend the Endeavour Fund Awards at Mansion House in London. (Daniel Leal-Olivas/AFP via Getty Images, File)

"This particular legal action hinges on one incident in a long and disturbing pattern of behavior by British tabloid media," he added. "The contents of a private letter were published unlawfully in an intentionally destructive manner to manipulate you, the reader, and further the divisive agenda of the media group in question. In addition to their unlawful publication of this private document, they purposely misled you by strategically omitting select paragraphs, specific sentences, and even singular words to mask the lies they had perpetuated for over a year."

"My deepest fear is history repeating itself. I've seen what happens when someone I love is commoditized to the point that they are no longer treated or seen as a real person," wrote Harry, whose mother, Princess Diana, died in a paparazzi-involved car crash in 1997. "I lost my mother and now I watch my wife falling victim to the same powerful forces."

After the statement was released to the public, his law firm, Schillings, laid out their case.

"We have initiated legal proceedings against the Mail on Sunday, and its parent company Associated Newspapers, over the intrusive and unlawful publication of a private letter written by the Duchess of Sussex, which is part of a campaign by this media group to publish false and deliberately derogatory stories about her, as well as her husband," the law firm wrote. "Given the refusal of Associated Newspapers to resolve this issue satisfactorily, we have issued proceedings to redress this breach of privacy, infringement of copyright and the aforementioned media agenda."

What has happened so far?

While the trial date has not yet been set there have been two pretrial hearings.

The first hearing, known as a strike-out hearing, was on April 23 and was held to determine which of the duchess's claims could proceed to a trial against Associated Newspapers. In this hearing, lawyers for the Mail on Sunday successfully argued that certain parts of the duchess' claims should be removed.

Justice Mark Warby -- the judge who is presiding over the case -- agreed to take out complaints that the paper acted dishonestly, deliberately stirred up conflict between the duchess and her father, and pursued an agenda of publishing offensive or intrusive articles about the duchess.

MORE: Prince Harry, Meghan's reported tensions with Prince William, Kate revealed in new book

"I do not consider the allegations in question go to the 'heart' of the case, which at its core concerns the publication of five articles disclosing the words of, and information drawn from, the letter written by the claimant to her father in August in 2018."

These five articles were published in the Mail on Sunday in February 2019 and reproduced parts of her handwritten letter she sent to her father.

Having lost on those claims, the duchess agreed to pay Associated Newspapers' legal fees of approximately $87,000.

Meghan wins right to protect identity of her friends

The second hearing was on July 29 and in it the Duchess' legal team called for Warby to legally block Associated Newspapers from publishing the identity of the five friends who gave interviews to People magazine. Their names were revealed to the newspaper in a confidential court document attached to the first hearing and Meghan was worried the identity of her friends would be made public.

In a witness statement sent to the court before the hearing, the duchess argued, "Associated Newspapers, the owner of The Daily Mail and the Mail on Sunday, is threatening to publish the names of five women -- five private citizens -- who made a choice on their own to speak anonymously with a U.S. media outlet more than a year ago, to defend me from the bullying behavior of Britain's tabloid media.

"These five women are not on trial, and nor am I. The publisher of the Mail on Sunday is the one on trial. It is this publisher that acted unlawfully and is attempting to evade accountability; to create a circus and distract from the point of this case --that the Mail on Sunday unlawfully published my private letter."

Her lawyers argued that the friends have a double right to anonymity, firstly as confidential journalistic sources and secondly under their own privacy rights.

PHOTO: Meghan, Duchess of Sussex attends the Commonwealth Day Service 2020 on March 09, 2020 in London, England. (Samir Hussein/WireImage/Getty Images)

Lawyers for Associated Newspapers argued that the identities should be made public, calling them "important potential witnesses on a key issue."

"Reporting these matters without referring to names would be a heavy curtailment of the media's and the defendant's entitlement to report this case and the public's right to know about it," said Antony White, the lawyer representing the paper. "No friend's oral evidence could be fully and properly reported because full reporting might identify her, especially as there has already been media speculation as to their identities."

High Court Judge Mark Warby said Wednesday, "I have concluded that, for the time being at least, the court should grant the claimant the order that she seeks," protecting the anonymity of friends who defended Meghan in the pages of a U.S. magazine."

Judge Warby also added though that concerns about confidentiality "may fade or even evaporate if and when there is a trial at which one or more of the sources gives evidence."

Meghan's legal team is treating the five women as potential witnesses, so they may be named at trial.

Associated Newspapers declined to comment on the judge's ruling.

What's next?

A trial date has yet to be set, and according to a source close to the duchess, there are several procedural steps that have to be fulfilled first, including a Case Management Conference, the disclosure of documents and the exchange of witness statements.

Duchess Meghan allowed to keep friends' names private in lawsuit against UK tabloid originally appeared on goodmorningamerica.com
Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-05 00:18:21|Editor: huaxia

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NAIROBI, Aug. 4 (Xinhua)-- Kenyan military said Tuesday it has launched investigations into circumstances in which its helicopter crashed in southern Somalia on Monday evening when ten of its troops were injured.

Zipporah Kioko, Kenya Defense Forces(KDF) spokesperson said a KDF aircraft model was on routine duties when it crash-landed at the Dhobley airstrip.

"All the ten military personnel onboard the aircraft are at the Defense Forces Memorial Hospital in Nairobi in stable condition," Kioko said in a statement issued from Nairobi.

"An investigation team is in Dhobley to establish the case of the crash," she added.

Sources in Somalia said some of the injured soldiers were transferred to Nairobi while others were moved to the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) hospital in Mogadishu.

The helicopter is reported to have been on a return trip after delivering supplies to the soldiers who are part of AMISOM based in Lower Juba region near the Kenyan border.

There was no immediate comment from the AU mission. About 4,000 Kenyan soldiers are serving under the AMISOM and are responsible for sector 2 comprising Lower and Middle Juba.

The latest incident is the third this year after a civilian plane registered as 5Y-VVU, operated by Kenya's Bluebird Aviation, crashed on July 14 during landing at Ugaas Khalif Airport in Beledweyne town in Hiiraan region of central Somalia.

Abdirahman Riyale, Sector 4 Commander of Djibouti Army under AMISOM said then that three crew members aboard the plane which was carrying food aid from Djibouti, were rescued while the food aid burnt down.

On May 4, a Kenyan plane carrying health supplies was mistakenly shot down by Ethiopian troops on May 4, killing six people on board. Enditem
Esther Salas

A federal judge whose son was killed and whose husband was injured after an "anti-feminist" lawyer opened fire inside their New Jersey home is calling for stronger privacy protections to "make it hard for those who target us to track us down".

The video statement from US District Judge Esther Salas arrived two weeks after a man wearing a FedEx uniform killed her 20-year-old son Daniel Anderl and critically injured her husband Mark Anderl at their home.

"In my case, the monster knew where I lived and what church we attended and had a complete dossier on me and my family," she said. "At the moment there is nothing we can do to stop it, and that is unacceptable. My son's death cannot be in vain, which is why I am begging those in power to do something to help my brothers and sisters on the bench."

The suspect, Roy Den Hollander, was a self-described "men's rights" supporter who had unsuccessfully challenged the Violence Against Women Act and published dozens of pages of sexist writings on his website.

He also was connected to the killing of another men's rights activist in California.

Federal law enforcement said he is believed to have died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound following the shooting in North Brunswick on 19 July.

The family was cleaning their home after Judge Salas' son had recently celebrated his 20th birthday when the doorbell rang.

"Before I could say a word, he sprinted upstairs," she said in an emotional nine-minute video. "Within seconds, I heard the sound of bullets and someone screaming, 'No!'"

Mark Anderl was shot three times  once in the chest, once in the abdomen and once in the arm.

"Daniel, being Daniel, protected his father, and he took the shooter's first bullet directly to the chest," she said. "The monster then turned his attention to my husband and began to shoot at my husband, one shot after another."

Story continues

Mark Anderl remains hospitalised. Law enforcement believes the judge  who was in the basement at the time  was the intended target in the attack.

"We are living every parent's worst nightmare  making preparations to bury our only child," Judge Salas said. "My family has experienced a pain that no one should ever have to endure. And I am here asking everyone to help me ensure that no one ever has to experience this kind of pain. We may not be able to stop something like this from happening again, but we can make it hard for those who target us to track us down."

She said that while her job involves "making tough calls" that are likely to upset people, judges should not have to "live in fear" knowing their personal information, including home addresses, is publicly available.

Read more

Lawyer who killed Judge Salas' son may have been targeting enemies

Son of US federal judge killed and husband wounded in attack by gunman
Lucknow, Aug 4 : All invitees to the August 5 foundation stone-laying function for the new Ram temple in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh will have to carry a mandatory coronavirus-negative certificate, one of the organisers said on Tuesday.

Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teertha Kshetra Trust General Secretary Champat Rai said that the step was taken as a precautionary measure due to the coronavirus situation in the country.

"Only those who have a medical certificate that says that they have tested negative for coronavirus will be allowed entry for the 'bhumi pujan' on Wednesday," he said.

Deputy Chief Minister Keshav Maurya, who is among the invitees, said on Tuesday that he would get his corona test done as required.

Health officials, meanwhile, said that they were fully prepared to test VVIPs scheduled to halt briefly in state capital Lucknow while en route to Ayodhya for the religious ceremony.

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat is in Lucknow for a few hours and is scheduled to proceed to Ayodhya in the evening. Bhagwat is staying at the Saraswati Shishu Mandir where a posse of police has been deployed.

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan

-- The story has been published from a wire feed without any modifications to the text
RICHMOND, Va.  A judge dismissed a legal challenge Monday that had been blocking Virginia officials from removing a towering statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from the states capital city, but he immediately imposed another injunction against dismantling the figure.

The new 90-day injunction bars Gov. Ralph Northams administration from removing, altering, or dismantling, in any way the larger-than-life statue of Lee on a prominent Richmond avenue while claims in a lawsuit filed by local property owners are litigated.

Now covered in graffiti, the Lee monument has become a focal point and gathering spot amid Richmonds sustained anti-racist protests since the police custody death in Minnesota of a Black man, George Floyd. Northam announced plans in June to remove the statue, citing the pain felt around the nation by Floyds killing.

Floyds death sparked a renewed wave of Confederate monument removals across the U.S., just like a violent 2017 white supremacist rally in Charlottesville before it and a mass shooting at a historic African American church in South Carolina before that.

Should a court eventually clear the way, it wont be a simple task to take down the 21-foot- (6.4-meter) equestrian statue of Lee, the military commander of the Confederacy that for nearly all of the Civil War had its seat in Richmond. The statue weighs about 12 tons (11 metric tonnes) and sits on a massive pedestal. Removal plan calls for cutting it into three sections for eventual reassembly elsewhere.

Richmond Circuit Court Judge W. Reilly Marchant wrote in the decision released Monday that the public interest does weigh in favor of a temporary injunction barring the statues removal.

Separately, Marchant dismissed entirely as not legally viable the claims filed by a descendant of signatories to an 1890 deed that transferred the statue to the state, and he dissolved an existing injunction in that case.

Plaintiff William C. Gregory, the great-grandson of land donors, had argued the state agreed to faithfully guard and affectionately protect the statue on historic Monument Avenue that is among the most prominent Confederate tributes in the U.S. His attorney didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

The governor appreciates the dismissal of the Gregory case and looks forward to another victory in court as soon as possible, his spokeswoman, Alena Yarmosky, said in a statement.

This statue will come down  and Virginia will be better for it, she said.

In the property owners case, Marchant found that the plaintiffs have the general standing to sue.

Four of the plaintiffs own property near statue; another is a trustee of a property owner. Among them is Helen Marie Taylor, a longtime Monument Avenue resident and defender of the statues. The group argues that removing the Lee statue  the last Confederate statue now standing on Monument Avenue  could result in the loss of the neighborhoods National Historic Landmark designation, which will have a substantial adverse impact,  including the loss of favorable tax treatment and reduction in property values.

In deciding whether to issue an injunction, Marchant considered one of their five claims  that they have a right to enforce restrictive covenants contained in deeds from 1887 and 1890 dealing with the statue and land it rests upon. The judge found that the plaintiffs are likely to succeed on that issue under the common law doctrine of restrictive covenants running with the land.

He said he would hear evidence and arguments on all five counts at another hearing. Court records did not indicate such a hearing has been scheduled.

University of Virginia law professor Richard Schragger said the judges ruling was favorable for the property owners.

That doesnt mean the state cant prevail but that the judge has at least taken the basic facts and read them in a favorable light for the plaintiffs, said Schragger, who teachers property law and whose scholarship includes a focus on the intersection of constitutional law and local government law.

He said he expects the case to end up before the Supreme Court of Virginia on appeal.

Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring has filed a motion to dismiss the property owners lawsuit, and remains committed to ensuring this divisive, antiquated relic is removed as soon as possible, according to a statement from his spokeswoman, Charlotte Gomer.

Patrick McSweeney, an attorney for the property owners, has said he does not comment on pending litigation.
According to information published by the Info Defensa website on August 2, 2020, the Uruguayan National Army has launched a request for the maintenance of its fleet of AVGP (Armored Vehicle General Purpose). In 2008, the Uruguayan Army has purchased 44 second-hand armored vehicles Cougar that was used by the Canadian Army.

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Cougar 6x6 armored vehicle serving with the Uruguayan contingent of the MONUSCO, in Nord-Kivu, December 2013. (Picture source: Wikipedia)

The AVGPs (Armored Vehicle General Purpose) Cougar of the Uruguayan Army were rebuilt by the Chilean MOWAG-Piranha builder FAMAE without the turret. The original Cougar was fitted with a two-man turret armed with one 76mm cannon.

The Cougar is a 6x6 armored vehicle based on the Piranha 1 manufactured by the Swiss company Mowag now part of GDELS (General Dynamics European Land Systems). The vehicle is motorized with a Detroit Diesel 6V53T turbocharged diesel engine, developing 275 hp.

In 2009, Uruguay purchased a second batch of second-hand Canadian armored vehicles: 98 Grizzly armored personnel carriers and 5 Husky ARV (Armored Recovery Vehicle). According to a report published on the Internet, these vehicles were modernized by the company FAMAE in 2011 with new engines and gearboxes.

As for the Cougar, the Grizzly is also based on the MOWAG Piranha 1, but fitted with a one-man turret armed with one 12.7 mm and 7.62mm machine guns. The vehicle has a crew and can accommodate six infantrymen.

The Husky ARV is also based on the MOWAG 6x6 Piranha 1 armored vehicle. The vehicle is used to provide mechanical support to the family of Piranha 1 vehicles. The roof of the vehicle is fitted with a crane and a winch.
The Iron Dome air-defense system fires to intercept a rocket over the city of Ashdod, Israel, on July 8, 2014. (Ilia Yefimovich/Getty Images)

Iron Dome Missile Defense to Be Made in the United States

A manufacturing base for the Iron Dome system that intercepts rockets fired from the Gaza Strip into Israel is to be set up in the United States.

The Army currently has two Iron Dome batteries that are being used as a stop-gap in lieu of a new defense system that will counter the growing threat of adversaries armed with longer-reaching missiles.

The joint manufacturers, Raytheon Missiles & Defense and RAFAEL, announced on Aug. 3 that they were setting up a manufacturing site in the United States, to be chosen by the end of the year.

This will be the first Iron Dome all-up-round facility outside of Israel, and it will help the U.S. Department of Defense and allies across the globe obtain the system for defense of their service members and critical infrastructure, said Raytheon Missiles & Defense Systems Sam Deneke, vice president of Land Warfare & Air Defense business execution, in a statement.

Iron Dome missiles are able to intercept incoming cruise missiles, unmanned aerial systems, and short-range targets such as rockets, artillery, and mortars.

Raytheon says that Iron Dome is the worlds most-used intercept system, with more than 2,500 operational intercepts and a success rate of over 90 percent.

The United States adversaries, especially Russia, China, and Iran have built up growing arsenals of longer-reaching missiles.

An Israeli Iron Dome defense system battery, designed to intercept and destroy incoming short-range rockets and artillery shells, in the Hula Valley in northern Israel near the border with Lebanon on July 27, 2020. (Jalaa Marey/AFP via Getty Images)

Improved defense against incoming missiles is one of the Armys six modernization priorities.

Congress mandated that the Army adopt the Iron Dome as an interim solution as it tries to develop a more comprehensive, ambitious system to protect troops and infrastructure on the future battlefield.

Like all interceptor systems, Iron Dome is more than a smart interceptor missile: it is a comprehensive system that includes radar tracking, threat identification, and targeting.

Parts of the Iron Dome may ultimately end up in that more comprehensive solution.

The Army has struggled to integrate Iron Dome into the electronic eyes, ears, and brain of its missile defense system, according to Gen. Mike Murray, the head of Army Futures Command, which is in charge of the services modernization efforts.

Murray told the House Armed Services Committee earlier this year the main reason is that the Israeli government has refused to provide critical source code.

We believe we cannot integrate them into our air defense system based upon some interoperability challenges, some cyber [security] challenges, and some other challenges, said Murray. So what we ended up having is two stand-alone batteries that will be very capable, but they cannot be integrated.

The Armys other modernization priorities include longer-range missiles including hypersonics; a Blackhawk helicopter replacement with double the speed; semi-autonomous tanks and vehicles; next-generation weapons for soldiers, and integrated battle network.
LA JOLLA, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Kim Mitchell, a Navy veteran and longtime advocate for veterans and Gold Star families, will be the 2020 Commencement speaker at Northcentral University on Saturday, August 22.

"Kim is an exceptional person who exemplifies hard work, compassion and overcoming obstacles," said NCU President David Harpool. "Our graduates will be fortunate to hear her advice as they enter the next stage of their personal and professional lives."

Navy veteran and advocate for military families Kim Mitchell will give the 2020 Commencement speech at Northcentral University.

Mitchell is a nationally recognized advocate for service members, veterans and military families. She has worked with hundreds of communities and organizations to address the challenges of transition and reintegration.

After serving in the United States Navy for 17 years as a surface warfare officer, Mitchell co-founded the Dixon Center for Military and Veterans Service. Five years later, in 2017, she became the first non-Vietnam veteran and first woman to run the Veterans Village of San Diego. This spring she accepted a role to lead National University's educational efforts for service members as senior vice president for military, veteran and government affairs. National University and Northcentral University are both part of the National University System.

Adopted during the Vietnam War from an orphanage in DaNang in 1972, Mitchell has been active in supporting Vietnam veterans and Vietnam-era veterans. Her personal journey has been shared with media outlets including the Today Show, CBS News and People.

Mitchell serves on numerous nonprofit boards, including the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund, Hershel Woody Williams Medal of Honor Foundation, Infinite Hero Foundation and the Advisory Committee for Iraq Afghanistan Veterans of America. She is a 2019 George W. Bush Presidential Center Stand-To Veterans Leadership Program Scholar.

Northcentral University's Commencement ceremony will be held virtually for the first time due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The ceremony recognizes graduates who have completed their degrees during the last 12 months. More information can be found on the Commencement website.

About Northcentral University

Founded in 1996, Northcentral University is a regionally accredited, nonprofit, online and graduate-focused university serving professionals globally. NCU offers doctoral, master's and bachelor's degrees in business, education and psychology, as well as doctoral and master's degrees in marriage and family therapy, technology and health sciences.

Northcentral University is a nonprofit affiliate of the private, nonprofit National University System. It is regionally accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission (WSCUC). For more information, visit ncu.edu or call 866.776.0331.

SOURCE Northcentral University

Related Links

http://www.ncu.edu


The residential lease reform is going in the right direction, according to the tenants' defence association, but there is room for improvement.

The "Mieterschutz" association, which seeks to defend the rights of tenants, said it would be difficult to apply the new law in practice. The ASBL's president, Jean-Michel Campanella, spoke to RTL of their concerns.

He said the the so-called rental brake on five percent of the invested capital should be specified in the reform, as it could lead to lower rents in older buildings but not in new constructions.

In case of doubt, municipal rent commissions must decide, but Campanella recommended a more professional structure for such cases. The issue remains, however, that it is not certain who should support tenants in these commissions, and who is responsible for preparing the file. It would place people who are not well informed of the practices at a disadvantage.

On a more positive note, the association expressed their delight that rental deposits are now limited to a maximum of two months' rent (instead of three currently) and that agency fees, which generally represent one month's rent, can be split between the tenant and the owner. Campanella suggested proprietors could fully pay these costs in the future, saying that in general, the person seeking agency services should be liable for payment.
A Melbourne woman has called out a fellow shopper in Woolworths after watching them buy 15 packets of mince.

The disgruntled customer slammed the woman for her $1,200 purchase at a store in Highett, in Melbourne's southeast, on Sunday.

It came after Daniel Andrews announced a Stage 4 lockdown would be imposed on the city to curb the spread of COVID-19 but before the supermarket brought in a two pack limit on many items, including mince.

In a Facebook post the woman said she confronted the customer before taking a picture of her shop.

The disgruntled customer slammed the woman for her $1,200 purchase at a store in Highett, in Melbourne's southeast (pictured), on Sunday

The shopper said she confronted the woman and shared an image (pictured) of some of the other customer's shop. It included packets of mince, eggs, bread, a bag of pretzels and frozen food items

The 'angry' and disappointed' poster captioned the image: 'So so selfish. I was the only person who challenged her. Manager was "not in yet"'

As well as the mince it contained eggs, bread, a bag of pretzels and frozen food items.

The 'angry' and disappointed' woman captioned the image: 'So so selfish. I was the only person who challenged her. Manager was "not in yet".

'But your stores must stand up to these disgusting individuals and think of those who live week to week and cant get supplies and are possibly frightened now, thanks to that appalling behaviour.'

She said she felt as though limits should be introduced on items such as mince, which was done during the first wave.

However several social media users disagreed with the woman's reaction to the customer's shop.

'How do you know who or what she was shopping for ? She could be a chef at a nursing home, a pre-school or a school canteen,' one person said.

Others suggested the woman might have a large family and needs this many items.

Another said: 'My parents spend over $800 on shopping in one go. They shop like that every 6 weeks.

'They dont want to shop weekly. You dont know circumstances, dont jump to them.'

However some social media users did echo the woman's disgruntlement and state they did not agree with hoarders.

A Woolworths spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'We understand this is an anxious time for our Victorian customers, but we encourage everyone to continue shopping as they usually would and only buy what they need.

'Stock will continue to flow from our distribution centres and supermarkets will remain open to support our customers food and grocery needs.'

Woolworths introduced a two-pack limit on more than 50 items on Sunday afternoon.

Many people defended the woman's shop and said that she might have had an excuse. Pictured: People lining up for meat in Victoria

This included items such as mince, paper towels, tissues, canned fruit, packet pasta and eggs.

Increased restrictions in Victoria has led to a return to panic-buying in the state plagued by coronavirus.

The state's Premier Daniel Andrews on Tuesday announced thousands more businesses would also have to shut down from Thursday as 439 more cases were diagnosed.

Eleven more Victorians also lost their lives overnight.

The harsher lockdown has prompted thousands to flock to shops across Melbourne in a new round of panic buying.

Long lines and full trolleys were seen outside supermarkets as early as 7am - even though they would stay open under Stage 4.

Long lines and full trolleys were seen outside supermarkets as early as 7am - even though they would stay open under Stage 4. Pictured: People in line at a Costco in Melbourne

However, with meat stocks likely to be affected by the new restrictions, panic buyers snapping up meat to shove in their freezer could be on the money.

Abattoirs and fish markets will stay open but new the workplace rules will severely curtail their production, leading to potential shortages.

They along with warehousing and distribution centres in Melbourne will be limited to no more than two-thirds the normal workforce allowed onsite at any one time.

Stocks could run low at supermarkets, butchers, and even at fast food outlets that source their meat from within metropolitan Melbourne.

'Whether every single item you might normally buy will be on the shelves, I can't guarantee,' Mr Andrews admitted on Monday.

'Meat works, we know that meat works are a really significant challenge for us. Whether it be lamb, poultry or beef, they will move to two thirds production, reduce their production by one third,' Mr Andrews said.
Thomas Robb, the director of the "Knights Party" of the Ku Klux Klan, in 2015.

Johannes Schmitt-Tegge/picture alliance via Getty Images

An Arkansas Black Lives Matter group was confronted by an armed militia at a protest on Sunday.

The New York Post reported that the group congregated in Harrison, Arkansas, and landed near the compound of the Ku Klux Klan leader Thomas Robb.

One protester, Quinn Foster, told Insider that he carried a flamethrower as a "deterrent" after receiving over 100 deaths threats leading up to the protest.

Visit Insider's homepage for more stories.

A Black Lives Matter protester in Arkansas said he carried a flamethrower as a "deterrent" if things got out of control during a demonstration against white supremacy on Sunday.

Quinn Foster, an organizer of the protest in Harrison, Arkansas, told Insider that he had received more than 100 death threats from opponents of the Black Lives Matter movement before the protest. He said white supremacists were trying to normalize their beliefs, existence, and activities in Arkansas.

"I knew that a lot of the white supremacists and militia folks are extremely reliant on gun-powder-based weapons ... I needed something that was going to be a deterrent," Foster told Insider. "It could be readily available as a defensive weapon very quickly if I needed to get people to back up or stop shooting in our direction."

The New York Post reported that the protest began in Harrison and moved to Zinc, near the compound of the Ku Klux Klan leader Thomas Robb.

Aaron Clarke and Jessica Angelica, cofounders of Bridge the Gap NWA, a group that advocates for Black communities in the state, organized the protest to send a statement to the KKK, Foster said.

Foster is the director of Ozarks Hate Watch, which describes itself as a group protecting the state from extremists. The group was involved in organizing the protest and assisted with security and medical aid.

Foster said that during the protest, the group came into contact with an armed militia that had been requested by the KKK. He said the militia members wore neon tags and carried AR-15s.

Story continues

"While most of them were not an issue, we did have one who kept pointing her rifle at the crowd with her finger on the trigger, and that's probably the closest the confrontation came to spiraling out of control," Foster said.

Foster said the members of the armed group were "extremely aggravated" because they didn't have anything to defend themselves from a flamethrower.

"They were expecting me to show up with a rifle or shotgun like I've done in the past," he said.

Ozarks Hate Watch posted images of the armed group on Facebook. "Militia blocking the road to the Klan Compound," the caption said. "Too bad they didn't realize we had no intention on going to his compound."

The protest ended peacefully, and the militia allowed the demonstrators to go on their way, Foster said.

Foster said Bridge the Gap NWA and Ozarks Hate Watch were planning another demonstration in September.

Expanded Coverage Module: black-lives-matter-module

Read the original article on Insider
Countries around the world have been paying tribute to victims of two deadly blasts in Beirut on Tuesday and sending offers of assistance to Lebanon, a country already reeling from the effects of overlapping crises before disaster struck its capital.

"France stands and will always stand by the side of Lebanon and the Lebanese. It is ready to provide assistance according to the needs expressed by the Lebanese authorities," French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian said in a tweet after the incident in Beirut which left scores dead and wounded thousands more.

French President Emmanuel Macron said French aid and resources were being sent to Lebanon.

In Britain, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his country stood ready to provide any support it could to help.

"The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking," Johnson wrote on Twitter. "All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident.

"The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected."

In the United States, the State Department was closely following reports of an explosion in Beirut and stands ready to offer 'all possible assistance', a spokesperson for the agency said

The State Department has no information about the cause of the explosion, the spokesperson said and added that the agency is working closely with local authorities to determine if any US citizens were affected in the incident.

Israel offered humanitarian aid to Lebanon, with which it is still technically at war, after Tuesday's explosions.

"Following the explosion in Beirut, Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Foreign Minister Gabi Ashkenazi, on behalf of the State of Israel, have offered the Lebanese government -- via international intermediaries -- medical and humanitarian aid, as well as immediate emergency assistance," said a joint statement from the two ministries.

Story continues

Meanwhile, Iran's top diplomat expressed Tehran's support for the "resilient" people of Lebanon after the blasts.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the great and resilient people of Lebanon," Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif tweeted.

"As always, Iran is fully prepared to render assistance in any way necessary," he said. "Stay strong, Lebanon."

Countries in the Gulf paid tribute to victims as well, with Qatar saying it would send field hospitals to support Lebanon's medical response.

Qatar's ruler Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani called President Michel Aoun to offer condolences, according to the state-run Qatar News Agency.

Sheikh Tamim wished "a speedy recovery for the injured", QNA reported, adding that he "expressed Qatar's solidarity with brotherly Lebanon and its willingness to provide all kinds of assistance".

Field hospitals would be dispatched, the report added.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, the United Arab Emirates' Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Anwar Gargash tweeted that "our hearts are with Beirut and its people".

He posted the tribute alongside an image of Dubai's Burj Khalifa, the world's tallest building, illuminated in the colours of the Lebanese flag.

"Our prayers during these difficult hours are that God... protects brotherly Lebanon and the Lebanese to reduce their affliction and heal their wounds," he wrote.

Gulf countries including Qatar and the UAE maintain close ties with Beirut and have long provided financial aid and diplomatic assistance to mediate Lebanon's political and sectarian divisions.

Bahrain's foreign ministry urged its nationals in Lebanon to contact the ministry's operations centre or Manama's representative in Beirut, while Kuwait ordered its citizens to take extreme caution and stay indoors.

It also asked those in need of assistance to contact their embassy.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees extended his best wishes after the tragedy in Beirut.

"With my many Lebanese friends and colleagues tonight, and with all the people of Lebanon  in solidarity, wishing them renewed strength and much courage," UNHCR chief Filippo Grandi tweeted Tuesday. Lebanon, a country of around 4.5 million people has been disproportionately affected by the war in neighbouring Syria with an influx of an estimated 1.5 million refugees.

"My thoughts and heart are with people in Beirut, Lebanon, who lost loved ones or were injured in the explosion this afternoon," World Health Organization (WHO) chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus tweeted Tuesday, expressing his support for a country already reeling from the coronavirus pandemic among other crises.

The WHO's director-general added that his organization "stands ready to support the government and healthworkers in saving lives".

(FRANCE 24 with AFP and REUTERS)
California Trucking Company Ordered by OSHA to Reinstate Employee After Whistleblowing Incident

OSHA recently ordered JHOS Logistics and Transportation Inc. to reinstate an employee who had been terminated for refusing to drive an overweight vehicle at a California facility. OSHA is also charging the company $190,000 back in wages, $25,000 in punitive damages and $5,000 in compensatory damages and attorney fees.

An OSHA news article from July 15, 2020, discusses a recent incident between OSHA and a California trucking company. After an employee at JHOS Logistics and Transportation Inc. refused to drive a truck he believed was overweight, he was terminated. Now, the company must reinstate the employee and pay $190,000 back in wages, $25,000 in punitive damages and $5,000 in compensatory damages and attorney fees.

OSHA investigators found that the company violated the whistleblower provision of the Surface Transportation Assistance Act (STAA) when the company terminated the employee. Two months prior to the termination, the employee received a violation for operating an overweight commercial motor vehicle. The size of the previous load was similar to the size of the current load, said the article, which led the employee to believe the commercial motor vehicle was overweight.

The company must also train managers and post a notice informing their employees about workers rights under the STAA. JHOS Logistics and Transportation Inc. may appeal the order to the Departments Office of Administrative Law Judges.

This order underscores the U.S. Department of Labor's commitment to protect employees who report violations under Surface Transportation Assistance Act, said OSHA Regional Administrator Barbara Goto. OSHA enforces the legal provisions of the act, which protects employees who exercise their right to report health and safety concerns with commercial motor vehicles.

OSHA whistleblower protection laws are in place to protect workers by providing more than 20 whistleblower statues that protect workers from retaliation for reporting violations of various workplace safety and health, airline, commercial motor carrier, consumer product, environmental, financial reform, food safety, health insurance reform, motor vehicle safety, nuclear, pipeline, public transportation agency, railroad, maritime, securities and tax laws and for engaging in other related protected activities.

You can read more at OSHAs Whistleblower Protection Programs webpage.
TikTok logo is displayed on the smartphone on the U.S. flag on Nov. 8, 2019. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic)

Trump: US Should Get Substantial Portion of TikTok Operations Sale Price

WASHINGTONPresident Donald Trump said Monday the U.S. government should get a substantial portion of the sales price of the U.S. operations of popular short-video app TikTok and warned he will ban the service in the United States on Sept. 15 without a sale.

The turnaround came after Trump on Friday said he was planning to ban the Chinese-owned video apps U.S. operations as soon as Saturday after dismissing a possible sale to Microsoft.

I did say that if you buy it, whatever the price is that goes to whoever owns it, because I guess its China essentially  I said a very substantial portion of that price is going to have to come into the Treasury of the United States because were making it possible for this deal to happen, Trump said.

Trump later defended his push for a cut, adding, Nobody else would be thinking about but me, but thats the way I think.

It was not clear how the U.S. government would receive part of the purchase price.

Trump added it will close down on Sept. 15 unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out a deal, an appropriate deal so the Treasury  of the United States gets a lot of money.

TikTok said Monday it is committed to continuing to bring joy to families and meaningful careers to those who create on our platform as we build TikTok for the long term. TikTok will be here for many years to come.

Daniel Elman, analyst at Nucleus Research, said a sale could foreshadow a growing wave of U.S. company acquisition of Chinese Internet properties, particularly if the geopolitical tensions continue to mount.

Elman said that could impact Tencents WeChat.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo referenced WeChat on Sunday and said Trump will take action in the coming days with respect to a broad array of national security risks that are presented by software connected to the Chinese Communist Party.

U.S. officials have said TikTok poses a national risk because of the personal data it handles. TikTok CEO Kevin Mayer said in a blog post last week that the company was committed to following U.S. laws and was allowing experts to observe its moderation policies and examine the code that drives its algorithms.

Trumps comments confirmed a Reuters report Sunday that he had agreed to give Chinas ByteDance 45 days to negotiate a sale of TikTok to Microsoft.

President Donald Trump participates in a roundtable discussion on donating plasma at the American Red Cross National Headquarters in Washington, on July 30, 2020. (Jim Watson/AFP via Getty Images)

Landlord-Tenant Relationship

Trump, a former New York real estate developer, compared TikTok to the landlord-tenant relationship, suggesting TikTok is like a tenant. Without a lease, the tenant has nothingso they pay whats called key money or they pay something.

He said he did not mind whether its Microsoft or somebody elsea big company, a secure company, very, very American company buy it.

Microsoft said Sunday that CEO Satya Nadella had spoken to Trump and is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the United States.

Microsoft said Sunday it is committed to acquiring TikTok subject to a complete security review and providing proper economic benefits to the United States, including the United States Treasury.

Many prominent Republicans, including House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy, issued statements in support of a Microsoft acquisition of TikToks U.S. operations.

Microsoft and TikTok parent ByteDance gave the U.S. government a notice of intent to explore a preliminary proposal for Microsoft to purchase the TikTok service in the United States, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) also backed the sale, while a senior White House adviser raised concerns about a sale to Microsoft.

A U.S. company should buy TikTok so everyone can keep using it and your data is safe, Schumer said on Twitter, adding: This is about privacy. With TikTok in China, its subject to Chinese Communist Party laws that may require handing over data to their government.

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro suggested on Monday that Microsoft could divest its holdings in China if it were to buy TikTok.

So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised? Navarro said in an interview with CNN. Maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings?

Navarro said the Chinese regime and military use Microsoft software to do all the things they do.

By David Shepardson and Jeff Mason
340 people aboard the Paul-Gauguin, a cruise ship in Polynesian waters, have been asked to isolate themselves in their cabins, following the confirmation of one Covid-19 case. Testing is underway for the passengers and crew who are waiting to find out if a quarantine will be enforced.

The cruise ship Paul-Gauguin, belonging to the company Ponant has returned to Papeete in Tahiti, after a female passenger tested positive to coronavirus on Saturday evening.

The boat had been in Bora Bora just prior to the weekend, where the 148 passangers and 192 crew members were able to disembark and mingle with the local population for two days.

It turned back from Rangiroa, its next port of call, when the crew were alerted to the suspected coronavirus case, and all passengers were asked to stay in their cabins where food was brought to them.

So far, French Polynesia has not been severely affected by the coronavirus pandemic reporting only 62 cases and no deaths so far.

As of 15 July, flights to French Polynesia were made available again, along with other French overseas departments, to European and American tourists to help boost the economy.

Visitors are no longer subjected to quarantine, as was the case prior to 15 July, but they are required to show a negative test result three days before their departure for Polynesia.

Visitors then have to carry out a self-test after their arrival.

It was during a follow-up test that the female passenger from the Paul-Gauguin was identified, according to local news.

Most of the passengers are reportedly locals, but it is believed the positive case is a tourist from elsewhere.

The police in Bora Bora were informed of the situation and said that the person concerned is now in isolation, along with another passenger who shared her cabin.

A decision will be announced in the coming days as to whether a full quarantine will be put in place for the other passengers on board.
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Main Street, Inc., the leading provider of data-driven print services to community financial institutions across the nation, announced today the acquisition of Onovative, an automated marketing technology software provider based in Louisville, Kentucky.

The purchase of Onovative further enhances Main Street's marketing services solutions. Onovative's automated marketing platform enables banks and credit unions the ability to segment account holders, communicate effectively based on their current and likely next product, and consolidate multiple marketing functions in one user-friendly platform. By strategically combining marketing automation and a customer relationship management (CRM) system with a communications platform, Onovative gives financial institutions a smarter, more affordable way to connect with account holders in the markets they serve.

Ted Walton, President of Main Street, Inc. said, "Main Street's previous investments in digital marketing and print will be significantly amplified with the addition of Onovative's automated marketing platform. Our ability to engage consumers at every point along the consumer cycle will be a powerful tool for financial institutions and any business looking to grow relationships and revenue with their customers."

The Onovative marketing technology platform strengthens existing marketing solutions built on data, simplicity, and affordability for community banks and credit unions. This acquisition, as well as the investments made over the last six years, is evidence of Main Street's strategic commitment to serve community financial institutions.

Onovative will continue to operate in Louisville, Kentucky, under its current brand as a subsidiary of Main Street, Inc. Onovative's founders and management team contributed significant equity to the new subsidiary and will continue to focus on growing Onovative and improving its product offerings. Onovative plans to immediately hire more developers in the Louisville community due to Main Street's investment.

"I'm incredibly proud of what our small team has accomplished over the years, and I am looking forward to building on that success," said Michael Browning, CEO of Onovative, LLC. "Our customers have been integral in shaping our products through their feedback. Main Street's investment and experience will allow us to react to customer feedback more quickly and grow the product faster."

About Main Street, Inc.

Since 1998, Main Street, Inc. has partnered with more than 2,100 community-oriented financial institutions to enhance account holder relationships with affordable, simple and efficient checking programs. This family-owned company is a superior provider of customer service, program performance and growth solutions to financial institutions nationwide. To better serve their clients, Main Street launched TargetSmart, a data-driven marketing program that offers comprehensive analytics, targeted direct mailing, digital integration, creative services and print marketing. For more information, visit www.mainstreetinc.com.

About Onovative

Onovative creates simply powerful communication software to put control back in the hands of community banks and credit unions. Core iQ, Onovative's primary product offering, is the first all-in-one communication platform designed specifically for banks and credit unions. For more information, visit https://www.onovativebanking.com/.

SOURCE Main Street, Inc.

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SIUEs Lakesha Butler, PharmD, director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. We are committed to taking a more intentional and deeper dive into the topic of racial inequities in healthcare.

There are two public health crises going on in this countryCOVID-19 and racial injustices. This is the viewpoint of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Pharmacys (SOP) Lakesha Butler, PharmD, a national leader in conversations related to the growing relationship between the pandemic and the racial divide.

As president of the National Pharmaceutical Association, Butler recently led a joint coalition of 14 national pharmacy organizations in taking a collective stand against racial injustice with a statement release. The united statement is available in full at NationalPharmaceuticalAssociation.org.

For both crises, we have a subset of people who are disproportionately suffering, Butler said. We see that with COVID-19, as it is plaguing underrepresented minority populations. Because of the lack of opportunities for Black people or other underrepresented minorities, oftentimes they have to go out and work at potentially lower-paying jobs. They are potentially right in the face of many people in the public, being exposed to COVID-19.

Butler is the SIUE SOPs Director of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and a clinical professor in the Department of Pharmacy Practice. She is leading the Schools efforts to address such disparities and take action outside of and within the SOP.

We are committed to taking a more intentional and deeper dive into the topic of racial inequities in healthcare, Butler emphasized. The foundation of all of this is systemic racism. Weve seen this woven throughout the fabric of our country for hundreds of years, and unfortunately, the Black community has been a recipient of this treatment resulting in a higher prevalence of specific disease states.

Expanding on its strategic goal to cultivate diversity and inclusion, the SOP is bolstering curriculum to directly address racism. Faculty has traditionally discussed racial disparities in clinical trials and within disease states, such as the higher prevalence of hypertension and diabetes among Latinx and Black people. They will now delve deeper into the disparities throughout the curriculum.

This fall, Butler will begin teaching topics of systemic racism and social determinants of health in Pharmacy and Population Health, a newly required third-year course. Butler also teaches the required second-year Health Promotion and Literacy course, which will further explore systemic oppression and racism, toxic stress, and the negative health outcomes associated with chronic trauma in the spring.

We will specifically discuss the historical and current context of why these inequities exist, Butler said. It is important for us to make it known that racism, not race, significantly contributes to health inequities."

Todays pharmacists improve patients lives through the medication and education they provide. Dedicated to developing a community of caring pharmacists, the SIUE School of Pharmacy curriculum is a model that offers students a unique combination of classroom education, research, community service and patient care. The School of Pharmacys areas of excellence include a drug design and discovery core; pediatric practice; chronic pain research and practice; and diabetes research and practice. As the only downstate Illinois pharmacy doctorate program, the SIUE School of Pharmacy is providing highly trained pharmacists prepared for the rapidly changing healthcare environment.
TAMPA, Fla., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- CBD Dog Health, the leading provider of full spectrum CBD products for pets, announces the appointment of Dr. Zac Pilossoph, Certified DVM, CAVM, and CBD Professional, as the company's new Chief Veterinary Officer. As demand for pet products containing cannabinol (CBD) continues to skyrocket, Dr. Pilossoph brings experience as a global veterinary cannabis educational expert to CBD Dog Health's hemp-derived solutions for pets.

As one of the world's most cannabis-focused vets, Dr. Pilossoph will play a vital role in overseeing the quality, control and consistency of CBD Dog Health's holistic hemp product lines  including CBD oils, topicals and treats. Working alongside Angela Ardolino, Co-Founder of CBD Dog Health and Certified Cannabis Specialist, Dr. Pilossoph will serve as a premier advisor to pet parents and veterinary communities by providing personalized, medical cannabis consultations based on each pet's specific conditions and ailments.

"We're thrilled to welcome Dr. Zac Pilossoph to CBD Dog Health, and are confident that his experience in cannabis-based medicines for animals will propel the brand, and overall usage of CBD treatments for pets, forward," said Angelina Ardolino, Co-Founder of CBD Dog Health, Certified Professional in Medical Cannabis Biology and Therapeutic Use from the University of Vermont School of Medicine and Accredited Terpene Specialist by Cannabinoid Medicine Studies.

A nationally recognized veterinarian and Certified CBD Professional Educator from CBD Training Academy, Dr. Pilossoph began studying medical cannabis for animals after graduating from Tufts University Veterinary School of Medicine. Frustrated by the difficulty he saw pet parents experiencing when trying to find the right information about CBD, Dr. Pilossoph dedicated himself to advocating and educating on evidence-based information to help guide the therapeutic uses of medicinal cannabis on animals.

To learn more about Dr. Pilossoph, listen to his interview on "It's a Dog's Life Podcast with Angela Ardolino" on Cannabis Radio, and visit his website at http://validvet.org/. For more information about CBD Dog Health or to purchase products for delivery to all 50 states, please visit https://cbddoghealth.com/.

About CBD Dog Health

CBD Dog Health is a pet wellness company that offers a range of all-natural, full spectrum CBD products specifically made to help relieve and heal pets naturally.

Media Contact:

5W Public Relations

[email protected]

212.999.5585

SOURCE CBD Dog Health

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Male customers enjoy a night of drunken antics in a makgeolli house in this illustration that accompanied columnist Ahn Jung-hyo's article from Dec. 28, 1969. / Korea Times Archive



By Matt VanVolkenburg



In late 1969, Korea Times columnist and future novelist Ahn Jung-hyo wrote an article about makgeolli houses narrated by a drunken local who had bumped into a foreign tourist, told him to "Throw that damned tourist map away" and offered to show the tourist a "real place": Octopus House.



"We call this place Nowhere-House," the guide explained. "Means we come here because we don't have no other place to go. Don't have a wife or a girl to spend the evenin' with. Ain't rich enough to go to a bar and you come here. When you're so happy or so blue that you want to go somewhere, ya come here. People come here to complain about their sad life. Folks come here to feel big and happy. On all kinda occasions, you're here."



This was a far cry from another drinking spot explored a year earlier by American columnist Patty Barker, who decided she wanted to experience a beer hall, but found her husband and his translator, Mr. Kim, less than enthusiastic. When she asked Mr. Kim whether women were ever taken to beer halls, he answered, "There's no reason to take women to beer halls, they're already there!"



Deciding to "shatter precedence" and go, she first visited the "respectable" Tour d'OB in Myeong-dong before heading to a beer hall in Mugyo-dong, which she described as being on the "fine dividing line between the cabaret and a beer hall," what with its band and a "troupe of very attractive young ladies."



For Barker, the economics of the beer hall drew her attention. The beer hall had "30 tables and easily 30 or 40 girls, plus male waiters, and the manager. None of these people are paid a salary. In fact, usually the only salaried souls are the little boy barker down on the sidewalk, the bartender, and the cook, and a cashier." Everyone else worked on tips and percentages.



The beer hall owner took in a 10 percent service charge tacked onto the bill, 15 percent or 20 percent of what each waiter sold, and 30 won to 50 won for each table served by the hostesses. The women kept the rest of their tips. On top of sitting on laps and pouring drinks, they were expected to go up and sing songs with the band after convincing a customer to pay a song fee of 100 won. The band was salaried but also took in these fees, and provided added pressure: "The combo leader calls out the girls' numbers all evening long. Of course, the customer feels like a piker if his girl's number, after a long embarrassing interval, is passed over."



The waiters had a tougher go of it. They had to put down a security deposit of tens of thousands of won for the privilege of working in the beer hall and guarantee that loyal customers would follow them from their previous workplace. Keeping customers loyal often meant loaning them money to pay their bills, which came out of the security deposit. The head waiter would take all his waiters and clientele along with him when he left for a better job, leading Barker to describe "the beer hall game" as "a continuous round of musical chairs."



While Barker enjoyed her hour "watching the girls table hop without missing scarcely a beat in their smiles, gay chatter, and a tentative interest in their customers," the hall's extravagance made it a far cry from the makgeolli house experience. As Ahn's narrator put it, "We don't come here to enjoy teasin' or jokin' with dames. We come here for a more urgent need  relaxin'.?What we need is just to sit and talk, laugh and feel free."



He also added, "Even girls come to makgeolli houses these days. Most of them come with their boyfriends. What a place to date! Yet, they still come." This was, in fact, a fairly new phenomenon. A September 1968 article noted that "The drinking boom among young women has brought a subtle confusion to the nightclub scene, since no longer is the woman with a martini or gin and tonic the professional hostess but just as easily an educated young woman with her date."



It was also pointed out that women majoring in art and music were the most frequent visitors, and that they were seeking something more than intoxication. As a "pretty art student at Ewha" Womans University who didn't smoke put it, "holding a cigarette in one's hand will definitely create a mood. I like to watch circles of smoke go up... listen to drown out noise of people yakking. You can feel alone and together at the same time. It's that mood I like and want to have."





Women from Ewha Womans University are depicted drinking in this Korea Times illustration published Sept.1, 1968. / Korea Times Archive
Applications to re-open for 30 hours of funded childcare in Wales

This article is old - Published: Tuesday, Aug 4th, 2020

A childcare offer providing 30 hours of early education and care to the working parents of three and four year olds across Wales is to reopen.

The scheme was suspended in April to allow resources to be refocused, to support the childcare needs of critical workers and vulnerable children through the Coronavirus Childcare Assistance Scheme (C-CAS).

However as Wales moves to ease more lockdown restrictions and with schools set to return from September, Deputy Minister for Health and Social Care Julie Morgan today confirmed that the offer will reopen for applications enabling families to start accessing the funded childcare.

Parents who would have been eligible for the offer in the summer term, but who missed out on a full term because they had not started taking up the Offer before the pandemic, will be able to submit their applications from mid-August.

Applications from parents whose child becomes eligible for the offer in the autumn term will be considered from the start of September onwards.

Details on the timing and how to apply will be available on local authority websites and through Family Information Services.

As before Covid-19, local authorities will also be able to make use of the Additional Support Grant to ensure any child with additional needs can benefit from the Offer in the same way as other children.

Later this week updated guidance will be published for childcare settings on how they can operate safely, taking into account the First Ministers announcement on Friday that children under 11 do not need to socially distance.

The Deputy Minister for Health and Social Care, Julie Morgan, said: We have been working with our partners in recent weeks to explore our options for restarting the Offer.

I feel extremely indebted, especially to local authorities, for the way they have risen to the challenges of the past few months, administering the Coronavirus Childcare Assistance Scheme and supporting families with their very diverse and often complex needs.

Childcare providers have been fantastic too, many of whom stayed open when the virus was at its most prevalent to ensure that critical workers were able to contribute effectively to the national effort against the pandemic.

Many families will have suffered financial hardship as a result of Covid-19.

Some workers will have been hit harder than others and we know that for many women childcare has been a real barrier in terms of their capacity to work. Bringing the Offer back will not only help parents, but it is crucial for providers too in supporting their businesses to recover after what has been a period of great uncertainty and anxiety for many.

Funding childcare for 48 weeks of the year, the offer has been available all over Wales since April 2019. By January 2020, 14,600 children were being supported.




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Over the past year or so, the Gordon Murray Design T.50 has been taking shape, from its F1-inspired V12 to its wild fan-assisted active aerodynamics. Now the car has been fully revealed as the machine Murray says is meant to be the "greatest analog driver's car" ever. And based on the feature set, we'd say it has a good chance of meeting that goal.

The body and chassis are entirely made of carbon fiber, and as a whole, the car is similarly sized to a Porsche 718 Boxster. The design has some clear McLaren F1 cues, which is unsurprising since Murray was responsible for that supercar. The headlights, front fascia, roof scoop and split engine access panels are particularly reminiscent of the F1. The roof scoop also has a function where certain panels will conduct intake noise into the cabin, but they're only engaged under heavy throttle to keep the cabin civilized when cruising. There's significantly more glass area around the cockpit, though, and the rear fascia is unique, particularly with the big round fan opening, which we'll return to in a minute. The whole car is incredibly light, too, at just 2,174 pounds.

2022 Gordon Murray T.50

In the engine bay is a 3.9-liter V12 developed and built by Cosworth. It's completely naturally aspirated and makes 654 horsepower and 344 pound-feet of torque. Redline is 12,100 rpm, and peak power arrives not far from it at 11,500 rpm. Peak torque is available at a (slightly) more accessible level of 9,000 rpm. The engine can go from idle to redline in just three tenths of a second. The engine is apparently the lightest V12 ever used in a road-going car at 392 pounds, something that was achieved with the aluminum block and titanium connecting rods, intake and exhaust valves and clutch housing, as well as entirely gear-driven camshafts and accessories. Furthermore, the engine is the most power-dense naturally aspirated engine with 164 horsepower per liter. The engine is paired with a lightweight six-speed manual transmission and powers only the rear wheels.

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The aerodynamics are equally impressive. The centerpiece is the aforementioned fan that pulls air through different ducts in the car. When pulling air through the lower ducts, fed by vertical intakes with filters to keep debris from damaging the fan, downforce is increased. It can also pull from upper ducts that combine with the fan's rear exhaust to, aerodynamically-speaking, lengthen the car's body and reduce drag. There are also adjustable diffuser valves and spoilers that are all controlled via different aerodynamic modes. The Automatic and Braking modes operate automatically depending on driving situations. High Downforce mode activates the fan and lower ducts and angles the rear spoilers more for 50% more downforce over Automatic. Streamline mode activates the upper ducts and fan at high speed, partially closes some of the diffuser valves and lowers the spoilers to instead reduce drag by 12.5%. There's also a V-Max Boost mode that uses the Streamline settings, but also has the 48-volt electric starter/generator power the fan briefly to reduce parasitic losses on the engine. When using this mode at high speed, engine power climbs to 690 horses.

The suspension and brakes of the T.50 are comparatively simple. Double-wishbone suspension is used at all four corners and is made with forged aluminum components. Steering is a rack-and-pinion setup and only has power assist at low speeds, dropping the assist at higher speeds for maximum road feel. The Brembo brakes are carbon ceramic all around with six-piston calipers and 14.5-inch rotors at the front and four-piston calipers with 13.4-inch rotors at the back. Forged, center-lock aluminum wheels are fitted with Michelin Pilot Sport 4 S tires.

2022 Gordon Murray T.50

The interior is yet another throwback to the McLaren F1 with its center driving position flanked by two passenger seats. The driver has an analog tachometer smack dab in the middle with screens on either side and aluminum knobs and buttons for various controls. To the right is a little console jutting out with the shifter mechanism made of titanium. The clutch and brake pedals are made of aluminum and the throttle pedal is made of titanium. All three seats are formed from carbon fiber. The cabin isn't a completely barebones, uncompromising affair. It features a 700-watt 10-speaker sound system and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Each customer also gets a fitting session to have the seats and pedals placed in the most comfortable location possible.

Only 100 Gordon Murray T.50s will be built. Last we heard, there were still a few vehicles available, but you'll need 2.36 million pounds to buy one, or $3.08 million at current exchange rates. Production begins in January 2022 with deliveries happening a little later. And the whole car, including its engine and various components, are all developed and built in Britain.

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New York, New York--(Newsfile Corp. - August 4, 2020) - Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC notifies investors that a class action lawsuit has been filed against ProShares Ultra Bloomberg Crude Oil ("UCO" or "the Company") (NYSE: UCO) and certain of its officers, on behalf of shareholders who purchased or otherwise acquired UCO between March 6, 2020 and April 27, 2020, inclusive (the "Class Period"). Such investors are encouraged to join this case by visiting the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/uco.

This class action seeks to recover damages against Defendants for alleged violations of the federal securities laws under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.

The Complaint alleges that throughout the Class Period, defendants failed to disclose that: (1) extraordinary market volatility caused by decreased demand for oil from the coronavirus pandemic and increased oil supply and diminished oil prices caused by the Russia/Saudi oil price war; (2) a massive influx of investor capital into the Fund, totaling hundreds of millions of dollars, in a matter of days, which increased Fund inefficiencies, heightened illiquidity in the WTI futures contract markets in which the Fund invested, and caused the Fund to approach positional and regulatory limits (adverse trends exacerbated by the Offering itself); (3) a sharp divergence between spot and future prices in the WTI oil markets, leading to a super contango market dynamic as oil storage space in Cushing, Oklahoma dwindled and was insufficient to account for the excess supply expected to be delivered pursuant to the WTI May 2020 futures contract. As a result, UCO could not continue to pursue the passive investment strategy represented in the Registration Statement, causing its results to significantly deviate from its purported benchmark.

A class action lawsuit has already been filed. If you wish to review a copy of the Complaint you can visit the firm's site: www.bgandg.com/uco or you may contact Peretz Bronstein, Esq. or his Investor Relations Analyst, Yael Hurwitz of Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC at 212-697-6484. If you suffered a loss in UCO you have until September 28, 2020 to request that the Court appoint you as co-lead plaintiff. Your ability to share in any recovery doesn't require that you serve as a lead plaintiff.

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Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC is a corporate litigation boutique. Our primary expertise is the aggressive pursuit of litigation claims on behalf of our clients. In addition to representing institutions and other investor plaintiffs in class action security litigation, the firm's expertise includes general corporate and commercial litigation, as well as securities arbitration. Attorney advertising. Prior results do not guarantee similar outcomes.

Contact:

Bronstein, Gewirtz & Grossman, LLC

Peretz Bronstein or Yael Hurwitz

212-697-6484 | info@bgandg.com

To view the source version of this press release, please visit https://www.newsfilecorp.com/release/60874
Police take back the streets at around midnight after firing copious amounts of tear gas to disperse protesters and rioters outside the Minneapolis Police 5th Precinct during the fourth night of protests and violence following the death of George Floyd, in Minneapolis, Minn., on May 29, 2020. (Charlotte Cuthbertson/The Epoch Times)

The Preservation of Americas Republic Hangs in the Balance

Commentary

In January 49 B.C., Julius Caesar and his victorious 13th Legion approached a small river in what is now northern Italy called the Rubicon. Fresh from his conquest of Gaul, Caesar was returning to Rome after eight years in the fielda Rome riven by factions and intrigues and boiling on the edge of its second civil war in 40 years.

The Republic was in peril.

Roman law held that no general could reenter Roman territory under arms, and the Rubicon marked the northern boundary of the Republic. To cross it with a legion was treason. Nevertheless, Caesar didnt hesitate.

Alea iacta estthe die is casthe said as he forded the muddy stream.

Caesar returned home in triumph, routed his domestic enemies at Pharsalus, was proclaimed dictator for lifeand was assassinated in the Senate house in 44 B.C. by a group of aristocrats who feared for the future of the Republic.

As the saying goes, history may not repeat, but it sometimes rhymes. Civil divisionsand, often, civil warsoccur when the two sides no longer hold the same values in common, chief among them fidelity to their nation-as-founded.

The Roman civil wars began over which sidethe Optimates or the Popularescared more about the preservation of the Republic (which at that point was nearly half a millennium old), and ended with the destruction of the very thing they were fighting over.

From their fight emerged the Roman Empire.

Such a disruptive fate may now await the United States of America, once again riven by partisan disputes so intense that the future of the nationand the only empire in sight looking uncannily Soviet or Chineseis at stake. Since 1972, when George McGovern ran against Richard Nixon, we have been engaged in a Cold Civil War. All thats lacking now is a provocationand the media is doing its Pravda-like best to provide one.

Refusing to Concede

Indeed, Democrats are openly floating the notion that President Donald Trump will refuse to vacate the Oval Office in January 2021 should he lose the election.

Flipping the script, a piece this week in The New York Times, the Democrats house organ, discusses a possible scenario in which, after a narrow electoral defeat, candidate Biden simply refuses to concede, citing voter suppression, something that hasnt formally existed since Democrats controlled the ballot boxes in the Deep South.

Democratic politicians have gotten into the act as well. House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) has opined, without evidence, that Trump will emulate Russian strongman Vladimir Putin and find a way to continue in office indefinitely.

I feel very strongly that he is Mussolini, Putin is Hitler, Clyburn said. I believe very strongly that this guy never had any idea about being one to peacefully transfer power. I dont think he plans to leave the White House. He doesnt plan to have fair, unfettered elections.

This is, of course, rich coming from the party that has for four years refused to accept the results of the 2016 election.

Political Provocations

For the record, Benito Mussolini, Italys fascist dictator in the 1930s and 40s, was a revolutionary socialist so extreme that he was expelled from the Italian Socialist Party in 1914. Many of his socialist colleagues later joined him in the Fascist party, which adopted the old Roman symbol of the fascesa bundle of sticks emblemizing temporal authority.

Fascism, like socialism, is a movement of the left.

Bull Connor may be gone, but today, we witness with our own eyes police officers kneeling on the necks of black Americans, said former President Barack Obama, speaking recently at the funeral of Democratic politician and civil-rights movement veteran John Lewis. George Wallace may be gone, but we can witness our federal government sending agents to use tear gas and batons against peaceful demonstrators.

Left unsaid was that both Connor and Wallace werelike Obama, Biden, Lewis, and ClyburnDemocrats. But why let history stand in the way of a power grab?

At issue is the essential nature of our Republic. From the moment Trump took office, the Democrats and their media allies have been trying to destroy his administrations legitimacy.

Hoping to bring him down, they have invented all sorts of casus belli, including various sex scandals, a Russian-produced dossier peddled as legitimate by a corrupt FBI, and an innocuous phone call with a Ukrainian politician that somehow became the basis for an absurd impeachment trial late last year.

Destabilizing Culture

Those were political provocations. Now, led by the media commissars at the NY Times, the party of fundamental transformation (in Obamas words from 2008) has turned to destabilizing our culture, attacking Americas basic understanding of itself.

The first shot was the false and defamatory 1619 Project, a grievance-fueled revenge fantasy that declared, without evidence, that the year the first sub-Saharan African slaves arrived by accident in Virginia was the real founding event in American history.

The project was swiftly debunked by scholars of the left and the right, but the damage was doneand it has been lasting. The series claimed that the entire reason for the 1776 Revolution was the maintenance and preservation of African slavery, a lie that the NY Times has only partly walked back, even as its been disseminated to classrooms around the country.

Its also proven to be the propagandistic oxygen that caused George Floyds death in police custody in Minnesota to burst into the roaring flame of the Black Lives Matter and Antifa violence.

Alas, as our cities burn and statues topple, the larger culture remains too paralyzed by the bogus assertion of systemic racism to effectively fight back. Any resistance is now viewed as racist.

In the face of no effective opposition (least of all from the cowardly Republicans), no demand for legal or cultural redress is too audacious, up to and including the abolition of police departments, the elimination of immigration enforcement, and the payment of reparations to people who never suffered from slavery personally from people who had nothing to do with itall based entirely on skin color.

Meanwhile, anyone who disagrees is now subject to cancellation by the pitchfork mobs of Twitter. Old writings are unearthed and examined in light of todays pieties; a stray remark here, and a joke there by a hapless executive there, and corporate jellyfish immediately abandon all pretense of dignity and slither away on the tides.

When Bill Maher, one of the few honest liberals left, inveighs against the cancel culture, you know that a line, if not yet a river, has been crossed.

Marxist Lie

In our current scenario, theres fortunately no dictator in sight. No matter how the left frets and fulminates against Trump, hes no more likely to seize power at gunpoint than Casper Milquetoastalthough should the cardboard cutout of Joe Biden actually somehow win in November, the potential for radical mischief from his explicitly affirmative-action vice president (who will be the de facto president) shouldnt be underestimated.

Still, we have our Optimatesthe aristocracy of the media, academe, Hollywoodand our Populares, the populist-nationalists led by default by a billionaire New York City businessman.

And battle lines are surely being drawn: left versus right, black and brown versus white, blue states versus red, both coasts versus Middle America, and the American past versus the socialist future that our countrys domestic enemies have planned for us.

The death of Americans pride in their country, in its cultural, political, and scientific achievements, and in its moral goodness, has been based on a deliberate, malignant Marxist lie that has been uncoiling here for a century, beginning with the penetration of the America media and parts of the government up through World War II, the transplantation of the Frankfurt School communists such as Herbert Marcuse and their doctrine of critical theory to American academe in the postwar period, continuing through the Soviet destabilization of the civil rights movement in the 1960sand culminating in the socialists seizure of the Democratic Party.

And now, here we are, just a few hundred yards from our own Rubicon. Will the winner of the 2020 election be the savior of the Republic, or its destroyer?

Washington, like ancient Rome, nervously awaits.

Michael Walsh is the editor of The-Pipeline.org and the author of The Devils Pleasure Palace and The Fiery Angel, both published by Encounter Books. His latest book, Last Stands, a cultural study of military history from the Greeks to the Korean War, will be published in December by St. Martins Press.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
The Tripura government has introduced online admissions system for degree colleges due to rising number of Covid-19 cases in the state.

Students can apply for the colleges sitting at their homes through an online admission portal. They only need to share their photograph, marks scored in higher secondary examinations, roll number and signatures. After registration, they can apply for their preferred colleges and courses.

During admission, they can give their preferences for location. They will also have the choice to change their colleges for maximum three times if seats are available in their preferred colleges.

The students can apply for a minimum of six colleges and a maximum of 15 colleges. They can take admission in colleges online without moving out of their homes. Admission in colleges would be done on merit, Education Minister told reporters on Tuesday.

We have also decided to waive charges of online portal registration, admission, college development and tuition fees. But the university registration fees and other nominal fees would stay, said the minister. .

The students can fill up their requirement in opting pass or honours courses and it would be notified after colleges start notifying their merit lists.

The classes are supposed to begin online from September 6. The admission process will start from August 10 and continue till August 20. The merit lists will come out in three phases on August 25, August 29 and September 3. Notifications for confirmation of admissions would be available from August 26 till September 5.

According to Higher Education department officials, every college would notify their merit list, so that students get to know about availability of seats or if they have any chance to change their choices.
An organization of immigration attorneys has filed a lawsuit in federal court seeking to prevent Newarks immigration court from holding in-person hearings as the state continues to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic.

The lawsuit, which was filed by the New Jersey chapter of the American Immigration Lawyers Association (NJ-AILA) and three local immigration attorneys, raised concerns with the immigration court in Newark re-opening in July for certain non-detainee proceedings and not offering attorneys the ability to use video conferencing, like courts on all levels are doing in New Jersey.

The lawsuit requests a federal judge to prohibit immigration authorities from conducting in-person immigration proceedings for the time being and to allow for video conferencing to be used.

Since the pandemic began, the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR), a subsection of the Justice Department that runs the immigration court, has allegedly responded to the COVID-19 pandemic haphazardly, according to the lawsuit.

After the immigration court suspended in-person hearings in March, the EOIR announced in mid-June via Twitter  without consulting immigration attorneys or organizations, according to the lawsuit  that select immigration courts, including Newark, would be opening July 13.

NJ-AILA wrote to Chief Immigration Judge Tracy Short on July 6 to reconsider the re-opening date, as the organization said a plan following health guidelines had not be put in place to allow for judges, prosecutors, court staff, attorneys, litigants, family members and interpreters to gather in an indoor space.

EOIR did not respond to that letter, according to the lawsuit, but later affirmed their decision to hold certain in-person hearings on July 13, including merits hearings where evidence is presented to a judge regarding an immigrants removal from the country.

On Monday, more in-person hearings for non-detained immigrants resumed in Newark, while the immigration courts in neighboring New York are still not holding in-person hearings for non-detainees facing immigration proceedings.

The lawsuit argues hearings could be held virtually like most municipal, state and federal court proceedings are currently being conducted in an effort to limit indoor gatherings, which Gov. Phil Murphy pinpointed Monday as a reason the states transmission rate is increasing.

According to the lawsuit, the EOIR has a statue that allows for video conferencing to be conducted for immigration proceedings, but it has not chosen to utilize the technology for the non-detainee docket. It is unclear why the EOIR has not. The agency did not respond to a request for comment.

Attorneys have filed motions to push back hearings during the pandemic, but according to the lawsuit, Newark Immigration Court has insisted that attorneys appear in-person, and has specifically denied adjournment motions based on attorneys concerns about contracting or spreading COVID19 at the courthouse.

The lawsuit says immigration judges have even threatened attorneys with disciplinary action if they fail to appear.

Immigration attorneys, according to the lawsuit, have now been put in a predicament: either appear in court and risk their health and the health of others or risk being sanctioned for failing to appear, according to the lawsuit.

You are forcing a group of organizations to go back to work without proper protocols, without proper instruction, without proper leadership, said Cesar Estela, a member of NJ-AILA. You are setting them up to get sick.

If attorneys choose not to attend in-person, hearings can be conducted telephonically, though attorneys argue that the stakes are too high for their clients to conduct certain hearings by phone because they must waive their right to challenge evidence in order to do so.

Deportation is not something you want to do by phone, Estela said.

Its like choose between trying to fight your case and stay here or your health, he added. They are always going to go in and try and stay here. Damned if you, damned if you dont.

Attorneys who have gone to in-person hearings have observed immigration judges and others without face masks and multiple people crowding onto the buildings small elevators, according to the lawsuit.

With the docket expanding Monday, the lawsuit says it expects more people appearing in the courtroom facilities, thus making social distancing even more challenging.

The EOIR has issued safety guidelines for courtrooms, including requiring face coverings and practicing social distancing.

In arguing for the halt of in-person hearings, the lawsuit highlighted the devastating effects COVID-19 had on Newarks immigration court and the mixed-messaging attorneys dealt with in March, putting both lawyers and clients in a bind.

The death of Raymond DUva, a longtime immigration attorney who died of COVID-19 on June 3, and a senior immigration prosecutor becoming seriously ill from the virus is believed to be traceable to their appearances in the same courtroom at the Newark Immigration Court on March 11.

Around the same time, immigration attorney Elizabeth Trinidad received mix responses of how to proceed in light of the emerging pandemic, according to the lawsuit.

On March 10, Trinidads client had a high fever and stayed home. Trinidad, according to the lawsuit, was castigated by an immigration judge for appearing without her client, and the judge very nearly entered an order of removal against Ms. Trinidads client for failure to appear.

The following day, Trinidad went to to court with a different client, who was also ill. A different judge reprimanded her for bringing a sick client to court.

Since March, EOIR in Newark has responded to the COVID-19 pandemic haphazardly, with inconsistent notice to litigants, attorneys, and the public, regarding its continuing operations, the lawsuit says.

Lawrence Le Roy, an immigration attorney since 1981, said local court officials are doing what they can to keep those in court safe, but he said it has become problematic due to a lack of leadership from the top.

Clearly EOIR management has been lacking, he said.

Our journalism needs your support. Please subscribe today to NJ.com.

Joe Atmonavage may be reached at jatmonavage@njadvancemedia.com.
Donald Trump assured Tuesday that Texas won't turn blue in November because he claims Democrats are 'against religion,' will destroy the oil industry there and take away Texans' guns.

'They're against oil and gas. They're against guns, and I guess they're against God,' Trump told Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs during a phone-in interview Tuesday afternoon. 'They're against religion, they're against the bible, certainly.'

'If you're against oil, if you're against the guns and you're against the bible  and then you're supposed to win Texas, I don't think that's working out too well,' Trump continued, claiming Texas Governor Greg Abbott told him he has a 'tremendous lead.'

Despite the president's confidence in winning the deep-red state again in November, polls show him neck-and-neck with Joe Biden, with recent results trending toward the presumed Democratic nominee.

He slammed the polls as fake.

'How can you be against oil and gas and guns and lots of other things and you're in play?' Trump questioned the friendly Fox host. 'The polls are fake.'

President Donald Trump assured Tuesday that he will win in Texas in November, claiming it won't flip blue because Democrats are 'against religion, oil and guns'

'If you're against oil, if you're against the guns and you're against the bible  and then you're supposed to win Texas, I don't think that's working out too well,' Trump told Fox Business Network host Lou Dobbs in a call-in interview

Texas is one of the most gun friendly states and has some of the most staunch laws protecting American's Second Amendment rights  it also is the largest crude oil producing state, making up 41 per cent of the industry.

According to a FiveThirtyEight average, as of August 4, Biden is leading Trump in the Lone Star State by .2 percentage points.

While the margin is miniscule, it is still telling for a state that has not voted Democrat in a presidential election since 1976 for Jimmy Carter.

Trump said during his interview with Dobbs that he does not blame Biden for his progressive stances, claiming he is being controlled by the radical arm of the Democratic party.

'It's not him, he's told what to do. He's a puppet for the radical left,' Trump said.

Trump visited Texas last week to touch base with supporters in the energy industry as he toured Double Eagle Oil Rig  there he also promised he would again win the state in November

Texas makes up 41 per cent of the crude oil industry in the U.S.

The polling average shows Biden leading now, but the switch over didn't happen until early July, as the nation, including some of the president's base, widely began turning on Trump in the midst of his handling of the prevailing coronavirus pandemic, a faltering economy, months of nationwide Black Lives Matter protests and deteriorating relations with foreign adversaries like Russia and China.

Trump said during his interview with Dobbs that the economy has been unjustly shut down, claiming that the coronavirus pandemic is now in a spot where it should be reopened.

'Blue states will announce they are reopening their economies on November 4,' Trump said to Dobbs, who laughed in agreement.

The president added that Democrat governors want to keep the economy stunted for politically motivated reasons.

The largest poll margin with Biden leading Trump came on July 28 when he gained almost 1 percentage point over the president  46.5 per cent to 45.7 per cent.

During a trip to Texas last week, Trump insisted that he will again win Texas on November 3.

The Lone Star State is also one of the most gun-friendly states with some of the most strict laws protecting Texans' Second Amendment rights

'I don't think Biden's going to do too well,' Trump told a crowd during a campaign stop to touch base with supporters in the energy industry as he toured the Double Eagle Oil Rig.

In 2016, Trump won Texas by almost 10 points, earning 52.2 per cent of the vote to Hillary Clinton's 43.2 per cent.

'The radical left is fighting to abolish American energy,' Trump warned during his remarks following a tour of the oil field last week.

'If these far left politicians ever get into power they will abolish not only your industry but the economy,' he continued, railing against the progressive Green New Deal proposed by Representative Alexandria Ocasio-CortezThe New York congresswoman also helped Biden draft the energy and environmental part of his presidential policy proposals, which were released last month.
More than 2,700 tons of ammonium nitrate was stored in the Beirut warehouse that was the scene of Tuesday's deadly explosion that killed dozens of people in the Lebanese capital, authorities say.

At least 70 people are dead and more than 3,500 injured following the massive explosion that rocked the city Tuesday evening, according to the Lebanese health minister. Footage from the ground showed significant damage and plumes of smoke rising above the city.

Two explosions occurred in Beirut's port, according to the Agence France-Presse. Firefighters were seen battling flames at a warehouse at the scene of the blast, officials said.

An estimated 2,750 tons of ammonium nitrate, an explosive compound, was stored in the warehouse, according to Lebanon Prime Minister Hassan Diab.

PHOTO: People walk at scene of an explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 4, 2020. (Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images)

According to the office of Lebanese President Michel Aoun, Diab said that it is unacceptable that the compound was stored there for six years without precautionary safety measures in place.

Following a meeting with Lebanon's Supreme Defense Council, Diab said he will not be satisfied until someone is held accountable for the explosion.

After the meeting, Aoun declared Beirut a disaster zone and announced a two-week state of emergency. The military will have the authority to maintain security, Aoun said, according to a tweet from his office.

The Lebanese health minister originally said at least 50 people were killed and 2,700 were injured in the explosion, then raised the numbers to 70 dead and more than 3,500 injured.

PHOTO: Smoke rises after an explosion was heard in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 4, 2020. (Issam Abdallah/Reuters)

The U.S. embassy in Beirut has issued a security alert warning Americans to "stay indoors and wear masks if available" because "there are reports of toxic gases released in the explosion."

The German Foreign Office said on social media that German embassy employees are among the injured.

The United States Geological Survey reports that the explosion registered a magnitude of 3.3. The blast itself was heard up to 25 miles south of the city, and many streets in Beirut are now paved with broken glass.

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In an address to the nation, Diab said that the disaster will not pass "without accountability," and those responsible "will pay the price."

The "truth" about the six-year-old warehouse "will be revealed," he added.

Ghada Alsharif, a reporter from the Daily Star, one of Lebanon's most prominent news outlets, posted a video on social media showing significant damage within the newspaper's office building. Firefighters were seen battling flames at the scene of the blast.

The Lebanese Red Cross have dispatched 30 teams to the scene and are making an urgent call for blood donations.

PHOTO: Firefighters spray water at a fire after an explosion was heard in Beirut, Lebanon, Aug. 4, 2020. (Mohamed Azakir/Reuters)

Other eyewitnesses said there were multiple fires burning and that windows of apartment buildings were shattered in a large radius around the blast site. Video from the ground in Beirut shows cars crushed by rubble, injured people walking through debris and extensive damage to nearby buildings.

Hospitals in Beirut are so overwhelmed that some have been turning the injured away, with some of the injured now driving to Tripoli, 50 miles north, to receive treatment.

Alyssa Farah, the White House director of Strategic Communications, tweeted that President Donald Trump has been briefed on the explosion.

"Praying for the safety of the people of Lebanon," she posted on Twitter. "The President has been briefed. We continue to monitor the situation closely."

A U.S. State Department spokesperson said in a statement that the U.S. has "no information about the cause of the explosion." The department is working with local authorities to determine if any U.S. citizens were affected, the spokesperson added.

PHOTO: A picture shows the scene of an explosion in Beirut, Aug. 4, 2020. (Anwar Amro/AFP via Getty Images)

Dorothy Shea, the U.S. ambassador to Lebanon, said she witnessed the explosion firsthand. In a tweet, she said, "Having witnessed the horrific explosions at the Port this evening, our heartfelt sympathies go out to the victims and their families. We mourn each loss from this terrible tragedy alongside the Lebanese people."

The blast comes at a time of heightened tension between the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah, which makes up part of the Lebanese government, and neighboring Israel. An Israeli military official told ABC News they had no comment on the blast.

Lebanon is also in a position of severe financial difficulty which has exacerbated sectarian tensions within the country in recent months.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

ABC News' Leena Saidi, Conor Finnegan and Christine Theodorou contributed to this report.

Ammonium nitrate stored at site of massive Beirut explosion: Officials originally appeared on abcnews.go.com
: What the Muslims of Ayodhya think

"If the Kaaba is sacred to Muslims, the Ram Janmabhoomi is equally sacred to Hindus," says Babloo Khan, a day before the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of the Ram temple.

IMAGE: Silver bricks donated by BJP workers at Kavi Sammelan, on the eve of foundation laying ceremony of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya, at Delhi BJP office, in New Delhi, on Tuesday. Photograph: Vijay Verma/PTI Photo

Khan, a local politician and social worker, has been openly pro-temple during the bitter temple-mosque dispute.

But there are other signs that his community wants to move on, beyond the dispute that many Hindus and Muslims feel held Ayodhya back.

"The temple will usher in the development of Ayodhya, and it is likely to generate jobs," said Haji Sajid, a tailor who runs a shop in front of Ram Janmabhoomi police station.

Rafique Quereshi, who lives in a locality next to the Ram Janmabhoomi, where the bhoomi pujan for the Ram temple will take place Wednesday, said there is no tension ahead of the event which will be attended by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"The atmosphere in our locality Doraahi Kuan is fine and peaceful. It is first class," Quereshi told PTI.

The locality has 500 families, about 120 of them Muslim, he said.

"My house is situated next to the Ram Janmabhoomi, and the 'pandal' for the August 5 bhoomi pujan is clearly visible from my house.

"There is a possibility that forces may be deployed on my rooftop," he said on Tuesday.

The local intelligence unit of the police had come for a check and his shop may have to remain closed on Wednesday.

"I am confident that the day will pass off peacefully for the entire city," he said.

Babloo Khan, the social activist, said the event will help in nation-building.

"The bhoomi pujan is a pujan for the development of our country, for nation-building and for Hindu-Muslim unity," he said.

"The Muslims are eagerly waiting for the start of the construction of Ram temple in Ayodhya. This will usher in overall development of Ayodhya," he added.

Khan attacked those who had opposed the construction of the temple at the site where the Babri mosque was demolished in 1992 by kar sewaks.

"Those who had indulged in the anti-temple campaign have been given a tight slap. I feel that they should say Jai Shri Ram and wash off their sins."

Khan said he followed the Quran in letter and spirit.

"If the Kaaba is sacred to Muslims, the Ram Janmabhoomi is equally sacred to Hindus. This is the city of Lord Ram."
Sashidhar Jagdishan will be the next MD and CEO of HDFC Bank with effect from October 27. He is currently the Group Head of Finance, Human Resources, Legal & Secretarial, Administration, Infrastructure, Corporate Communications, Corporate Social Responsibility & the Strategic Change Agent of the bank.

The bank said in a regulatory filing on Tuesday, that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved Jagdishan's appointment as the next MD and CEO.

"The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) vide its communication dated August 3, 2020, has approved the appointment of Sashidhar Jagdishan as Managing Director & CEO of the Bank for a period of 3 (three) years w.e.f. his date of taking charge, i.e. October 27, 2020, under Section 35B of the Banking Regulation Act 1949," it said.

Further, it said that a meeting of the Board of Directors of the bank will be convened in due course to approve the appointment of Jagdishan in place of Aditya Puri, who is due to retire as Managing Director of the bank on October 26, 2020.

Jagdishan joined HDFC Bank in the year 1996 as a Manager in the Finance function and became business head, Finance in 1999. He was appointed as Chief Financial Officer in the year 2008.

"He has played a critical role in supporting the growth trajectory of the Bank. He has led the finance function and played a pivotal role in aligning the organization in achieving the strategic objectives over the years," the filing said.

He has an overall experience of 30 years. Prior to joining HDFC Bank, Sashi was a Senior Officer in the Country Financial Control Division of Deutsche Bank, AG, Mumbai.

He completed his graduation in Science with specialization in Physics, and is a Chartered Accountant. He also holds a Master's degree in Economics of Money, Banking & Finance from the University of Sheffield, UK.
It "may be dangerous to rely on" the evidence of a witness who told the Aaron Brady trial that she heard the accused admit that he "shot a cop in Ireland", the presiding judge has warned.

Mr Justice Michael White has today nearly completed his charge to the jury and told them they will begin their deliberations tomorrow having begun hearing evidence last January. 15 jurors were sworn at the start of the trial but two dropped out.

Today a juror said that he has a commitment next week and wished to be excused. Mr Justice White discharged the juror bringing the number to the required 12, comprising five men and seven women.



Aaron Brady (29) from New Road, Crossmaglen, Co Armagh has pleaded not guilty to the capital murder of Det Gda Adrian Donohoe who was then a member of An Garda Siochana on active duty on January 25, 2013 at Lordship Credit Union, Bellurgan, Co Louth. Mr Brady has also pleaded not guilty to a charge of robbing approximately e7,000 in cash and assorted cheques on the same date and at the same location.



The judge gave the jury a warning on the evidence of Molly Staunton. While Ms Staunton was giving evidence in front of the jury via video link from her New York home an unseen man interrupted her. Mr Justice White today told the jury that there was a previous interruption by the same man when the jury was not present.

On that occasion a radio could be heard in the background in Ms Staunton's home and when the judge asked her to turn it down she said to the man: "The judge says you have to leave. I don't want anyone else in the room." Mr Justice White said the man became difficult when asked to leave and said: "Call another boy, you should be with a lawyer" and later he said: "Just fucking do it," and, "Tell them what you're supposed to tell them." Ms Staunton replied: "I'm not telling them." She later described the man as a friend and said he had left.

Mr Justice White said that because of the interruption and possible interference he had to warn them about Ms Staunton's evidence. He said it "may be dangerous to rely on her evidence", but he added that if they are convinced beyond reasonable doubt of the truth and reliability of her testimony, they may rely on it.

The judge also described Daniel Cahill as "the most controversial prosecution witness". Mr Cahill told the trial that he heard Mr Brady admit to killing a garda on three occasions. Mr Brady's defence counsel Michael O'Higgins SC, in his closing speech, said Mr Cahill "might have had a lot of motives to make things up" in circumstances where he was detained by Homeland Security as a visa overstayer on the same day that he gave a statement to gardai.

Having spent five days going over the evidence Mr Justice White thanked the jury for their patience and apologised that it took longer than he expected. He told them that tomorrow he will explain the possible verdicts open to them before they begin their deliberations.
First grade teacher Yolanda Vasquez (R) stands in protest along with other teachers and counselors in front of the Hillsborough County Schools District Office on July 16, 2020 in Tampa, Florida. Teachers and administrators from Hillsborough County Schools rallied against the reopening of schools due to health and safety concerns amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Octavio Jones/Getty Images

At least 260 employees at Gwinnett County School District in Georgia have either tested positive for coronavirus or been exposed to the coronavirus, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

It's the largest school district in the state, and the report comes a day after teachers began in-person pre-planning for the semester, according to WBS.

The incident raised questions about the risks adults in schools take when it comes to in-person sessions.

Teachers have previously expressed concern over their safety in schools.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

Around 260 employees in Georgia's largest school district have tested positive for or been exposed to the coronavirus, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported.

According to WBS, the report came a day after teachers at Gwinnett County School District began in-person pre-planning for the semester that is set to begin online on August 12.

Additionally, the cases come as schools across the country decide whether it's safe to reopen for in-person learning this fall. The case highlights fears some teachers have expressed about going back to the classroom.

Several teachers in hard-hit states previously told Insider that they're concerned about going back to school while there are still surges in new coronavirus cases.

"I hate saying that but I totally am preparing to get sick," Kristin Carpenter, a music teacher in Texas, told Insider. "A part of me feels like let's just get it over with. I totally don't want it but that is where I am right now."

GCSD, for example, is a district in Gwinnett County, which currently has the second-highest number of coronavirus cases in all of Georgia's counties with 17,781 confirmed cases, according to Georgia's Department of Public Health.

President Donald Trump has pushed for schools to reopen, and on several occasions claimed that children were less likely to contract or transmit the virus.

Story continues

"Well they do say that they don't transmit very easily, and a lot of people are saying they don't transmit, and we're studying, Jon, very hard, that particular subject, that they don't bring it home with them. Now, they don't catch it easily," Trump said during a press conference in July, ABC News reported.

However, experts including Dr. Deborah Birx, who is a member of the White House coronavirus task force, have said more research needs to be done on how easily kids can transmit the virus.

"There's still open questions there, and that's why the president concluded with, 'we're studying this very hard,'" Birx said.

While the debate on how reopening schools may impact students, there's enough evidence to suggest that social distancing could be extremely difficult if not impossible in schools and that could leave teachers and adult staff at risk of contracting the virus.

Last month, three Arizona teachers who were sharing a classroom to conduct online classes caught the novel coronavirus, and one of them died.

On Monday, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's leading coronavirus expert said while there are several reasons to open schools back up for in-person learning, safety should take precedent.

"The primary consideration should always be the safety, the health of the welfare of the children, as well as the teachers and the secondary effects for spreading (to) the parents and other family members," Fauci said, according to CNN.

Read the original article on Insider
Several members of the Jersey City Board of Education believe the district should delay in-person instruction until October because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, a sentiment that is slowly growing as the new school year approaches.

Questions about students being diagnosed, cleaning standards and technology support piled up as the board discussed at a special meeting Friday if and how schools would re-open for its 30,000 students.

While Bayonne would need state approval for remote-only learning in the fall, Superintendent John Niesz said in a letter to parents that the plan is the safest course for all our students, their families, our community and our employees.

My fear is we might not have everything in place just in time and if thats the case, then I dont think we should open until we have everything, Verdibello told the board.

I dont know if you know Bayonne  is deciding to just do virtual learning. I dont know if they can do that, but if they can, why cant we?

Verdibello was the first to bring up the idea of delaying the re-opening until October, at a previous board meeting, but this time trustees Mussab Ali and Gerald Lyons voiced their support for it.

The state Department of Education released guidance last month on reopening schools. While districts have autonomy in determining the details, Gov. Murphys administration has said that its important to get the kids back into the classroom.

There are 182,614 total confirmed positive tests of COVID-19 in New Jersey since the outbreak began nearly five months ago. The state death toll is 15,846.

Jersey City, the second-largest school district in the state, is expected to unveil its full plan for re-opening schools on Thursday during a special meeting.

Verdibello, who has school-age children, isnt alone in thinking schools should hold off reopening its buildings. Ali brought it up Friday and Lyons said he reached out to the New Jersey School Boards Association, a federation of boards of education, to determine if local school boards can legally vote to open in October or go with an all-virtual curriculum.

The lawyers for the (NJSBA) said we dont have an answer to that, Lyons said.

The NJSBA and the state DOE did not respond for comment.

Walker announced earlier this month the district will implement a hybrid learning plan that includes both in-school instruction and remote learning, with only 33% of a each schools students in school at any given time. The district is also dealing with the possible loss of 200 teachers.

Board members Marilyn Roman and Joan Terrell-Paige said at the meeting they want to wait to hear the districts plan before speaking because they feel it will answer frequently asked questions. Board President Lorenzo Richardson recently told The Jersey Journal a similar notion.

Trustees Alexander Hamilton, Noemi Velazquez and Lekendrick Shaw could not be reached for comment.

Walker reassured the board Friday that he would not send anyone into the buildings if the facilities were dangerous. He said the board can vote to reopen or not, because it is supporting the health and welfare of students, mentioning it is a we decision.

What I am not going to do? I am not going to send anyone into a burning building, Walker said. I dont care what the law says in the process. If I see the building is burning, I am not going to say you have to go in there anyway.
A woman has denied involvement in an audacious "Ocean's Eleven-style" 4.2 million diamond heist at Mayfair jewellers Boodles.

Georgeta Danila, 52, was allegedly part of a crew of thieves who targeted the luxury store on New Bond Street in March 2016, stealing seven jewels from under the noses of staff.

In the heist, which has been likened to a scam from movie Oceans Eleven, the diamonds were taken and replaced with pebbles when Boodles believed a sale was about to take place.

Staff did not realise the diamonds - including a heart-shaped jewel worth 2.2 million - had been switched until the thieves had left the country.

The heist is believed to be the single biggest theft from a shop in British criminal history

A tearful Danila appeared in the dock at Southwark crown court this morning, pleading not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to steal.

Wearing a blue fleece, brown top and black trousers, the defendant listened to proceedings through a French interpreter, having lived in France for the last three decades. The court was told she would prefer a Romanian interpreter for future hearings.

Judge Martin Griffith told Danila to return to court for another hearing on September 1, but conceded he does not know when her trial will take place.

Things are up in the air, he said, referring to the impact of coronavirus on the justice system.

Danila, who has no fixed address in the UK, was remanded in custody and denies the charge of conspiracy to steal.
The Great American Outdoors Act is now the law of the land.

The act has been touted by conservation and access groups as one of the largest pieces of conservation legislation to pass in decades. The bipartisan bill fully funds the Land and Water Conservation Fund at $900 million annually and makes the allocation permanent in the budget. The bill also generates roughly $9.5 billion to finance backlogged maintenance on federal lands, including national parks, wildlife refuges, national forest and some tribal lands.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday signed the legislation into law.

There hasnt been anything like this since Teddy Roosevelt, I suspect, Trump said about the 26th president, who created many national parks, forests and monuments to preserve the nations natural resources.

The measure was overwhelmingly approved by Congress, passing the Senate 73-25 and the House 310-107.

Supporters say the Great American Outdoors Act is the most significant conservation legislation enacted in nearly half a century and will create at least 100,000 jobs, while restoring national parks and repairing trails and infrastructure.

LWCF uses a portion of offshore oil and gas royalties to fund a variety of conservation and recreation projects across the country. While the program may be most recognized for federal land purchases, state grants go to multiple programs on the local level including municipal parks, playgrounds and athletic fields. Montana has received more than $600 million in LWCF funding during the past 50 years.

"This is a landmark accomplishment and a tremendous victory for conservation," said Kyle Weaver, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation president and CEO. "It simply cannot be overstated how vital this program is for our public lands, wildlife and outdoor recreation.

The national parks portion of the legislation would tap oil and gas revenues from federal lands to pay for the backlogs, many of which are related to buildings and other infrastructure needs.

Among the bill's congressional champions are Montanas senators, including co-sponsorships from Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester. Rep. Greg Gianforte supported the bill but declined to cosponsor it, citing concerns that it could face amendments he did not agree with as it worked through the House.

Its a big win for conservation, its a win for jobs, theres a significant infrastructure component here as were dealing with the maintenance backlog in our national parks, its a win for our outdoor economy which is very important in Montana, and really just a win for our Montana outdoor way of life, for wildlife habitat, for outdoor recreation, and for bipartisanship, Daines said.

Daines and Colorado Republican Sen. Cory Gardner are credited with convincing Trump to support the legislation at a White House meeting this year, even though Trump has repeatedly tried to slash spending for the Land and Water Conservation Fund in his budget proposals. Both Republicans are in competitive races this year, although Daines has described the bills advancement as the result of years of efforts. He said it was on his short list of largest accomplishments.

I understand theres politics, were coming up on an election, but the reality is this should not be about politics, Daines said. "This is about protecting our Montana way of life, protecting our public lands  its something that Ive grown up with as a kid that was fortunate to grow up in the Gallatin Valley, went to kindergarten through college in Bozeman  this is an important legacy were leaving behind for the next generation related to public access, and protecting the public access, and then addressing the care and maintenance in our national parks, to be better stewards of this tremendous investment we have, this asset that we call our public lands.

Tester first introduced a bill to fully fund LWCF more than a decade ago and applauded Tuesdays signing.

This is a great day as the Great American Outdoors Act gets signed, Tester said. This is something that has been decades in process, something thats going to ensure the outdoor legacy for our kids and grandkids and make sure that we have good hunting and good fishing and great access to the outdoors for hiking and running around where cellphones dont work  its truly a great day.

Im very, very thankful that after my tenure here both in the state Legislature and at the federal level this bill is finally becoming law. Its the right thing to do for our kids and our grandkids, its the right thing to do for us today, and certainly the right thing to do for the ecosystems across this great country.

Gianforte was one of 81 Republicans to vote for the bill.

The Great American Outdoors Act, which I proudly supported, provides dedicated, lasting resources to increase public access to our public lands, conserving them for generations to come, Gianforte said in a statement. I thank Senator Daines for his leadership in getting this historic bill across the finish line, and I thank President Trump for his support of our public lands and for signing this critical bill into law.

Republican opponents of the bill brought a range of opposition. Some lawmakers cited concerns about growing federal land ownership or removing congressional oversight over spending. Others noted that the money isn't enough to cover the estimated $20 billion maintenance backlog on federally owned lands. The bill also saw opposition from some Gulf Coast lawmakers who complained that their states receive too small a share of revenue from offshore oil and gas drilling that is used to pay for the conservation fund.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- SKY Leasing ("SKY"), a full-service aircraft asset manager, announces it has signed an agreement for the sale and leaseback of (6) A321-200NEO aircraft with JetBlue. The transaction covers deliveries to JetBlue from Q2 to Q4 2020.

"We are excited for the new partnership with SKY Leasing. This transaction will help us offset our capital expenditures on our newest and most fuel-efficient aircraft in 2020 as we continue to focus on minimizing cash burn," said Steve Priest, Chief Financial Officer at JetBlue.

"We are pleased to start this new partnership with JetBlue and demonstrate our ability to quickly execute large-scale sale-leasebacks despite the challenging backdrop that Covid-19 presents," said Austin Wiley, Chief Executive Officer SKY Leasing. "The A321NEO and the JetBlue relationship represents the foundation of our strategy focusing on sale-leasebacks with top tier airlines on new and next generation technology."

If you require any further information, please contact:

SKY Leasing

Anne Marie Scaramuzza

Investor Relations

Tel: +1 415 655 5000

Email: [email protected]

About SKY Leasing

SKY Leasing ("SKY") is a premier aircraft leasing asset manager with offices in Dublin, Ireland and San Francisco, California. As a full-service leasing platform, SKY leverages its experience, global network, industry insights and managerial talent to acquire and lease new and young mid-life aircraft. SKY's corporate mission is to be a leading capital provider to airlines globally for sale and leaseback transactions. For more information about SKY Leasing, visit www.skyleasing.com.

The SKY Leasing management team, including Executive Chairman Rich Wiley and CEO Austin Wiley, have developed extensive relationships by leasing aircraft to over 200 airline customers globally and executing more than 600 aircraft transactions valued at over $20 billion. Rich and his previous management teams co-founded industry leading aircraft lessors including Pegasus Aviation Finance Company ("PAFCO"), which was established in 2004 and sold to AWAS in 2007, Jackson Square Aviation ("JSA"), which was established in 2010 and sold to Mitsubishi UFJ Lease & Finance Company ("MUL") in 2012, and Sky Aviation Leasing international Limited ("SALI"), which was established in 2015 and sold to Goshawk Aviation Limited ("Goshawk") in 2018.

SOURCE SKY Leasing

Related Links

http://www.skyleasing.com


It is all part of a privately funded infrastructure project aimed at demonstrating fiber-reinforced polymer composite materials, or FRPs, as a fast and easy sustainable solution for improving the thousands of structurally deficient rural bridges that plague financially strapped counties across the U.S.

Located one-hour northwest of Knoxville on Elizabeth Church Road, the two-lane bridge has needed repair for many years, Morgan County Highway Superintendent Joe Henry Miller said. Miller and county officials are partnering with private industry and researchers at the University of Tennessee (UT) and the Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation, or IACMIThe Composites Institute, in Knoxville to create an affordable bridge that can be installed quickly and will safely meet transportation needs in the rural community.

"For more than 20 years, FRP composites have been used in bridge applications, and they've met and exceeded all performance and safety standards set by the Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials," said John Unser, IACMI technology impact manager. "But when it comes to composite bridge decking, many transportation departments across the country are unfamiliar with the technology.

"As part of our objectives for sustainability and strategic planning, our goal in this demonstration is to develop a comprehensive case study for comparing the total costs of a typical concrete bridge and one using an FRP bridge deck. We will share the case study framework and results with federal, state and local officials, transportation departments and the civil engineering community so FRP composites will be more of a 'known' to them," Unser said.

The next-generation composites bridge deck design has already been tested in Oklahoma and Missouri, Unser said, and those trials have provided a greater understanding of the bridge's strength properties and confidence in the long-lasting, low-maintenance design.

Fiber-reinforced polymer composites products produced in the U.S. offer durable, sustainable and cost-effective solutions not only in bridges but in a variety of infrastructure and transportation applications as well, including highways, dams, railroads, semi-trailers, aircraft, waterfront structures, utility poles and buildings.

The Morgan County demonstration bridge has caught the attention of the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), a supporter of accelerated and innovative bridge design and construction techniques.

"The use of fiber reinforced polymer bridge deck units, as being coordinated by the University of Tennessee and IACMI, has the potential to greatly enhance the performance, durability and service life of our low volume rural bridge network across the state," said Ted Kniazewycz, TDOT structures division director.

Fiber Optic Sensors to Monitor Bridge System While in Use

A team of researchers at UT's Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility is working with IACMI and the bridge project team to equip the new FRP bridge deck with high-density fiber optic sensors and a state-of-the-art wireless sensor module system to monitor the composite bridge deck system while in service.

Luna Innovations Incorporated out of Roanoke, Virginia, developed the high-density fiber optic sensors and fiber Bragg grating sensors. A single 10-meter sensor can provide strain from mechanical loading or thermal/hygroscopic loading from thousands of locations simultaneously with exceptional precision. These are easy to install while composite decks are manufactured and become part of the structural component. In addition, wireless technology developed at UT will be utilized for monitoring the response of the bridge system and traffic counts remotely via cloud computing.

"Lack of durability data is one of the major barriers of the adoption of novel and advance materials including carbon, basalt, or glass fiber reinforced polymeric composites in civil infrastructure," said Dayakar Penumadu, the Fred N. Peebles Professor in the Tickle College of Engineering and Characterization Fellow for Materials and Processing group for IACMI.

Penumadu added, "this is a major obstacle for integrating new materials and structures quickly and thus require successful demonstration as being done through this IACMI project. Bridge decks are the most damage prone elements and we are integrating smart sensors distributed throughout the composite bridge deck that will provide us valuable performance data with time for years to come."

Public-Private Collaboration

Jeff McCay, CEO of Chattanooga, Tennesseebased Composite Applications Group, or CAG, has been instrumental in getting the rural bridge project off the ground.

"We have pulled together a unique team of public-private partners to address a specific need that exists in many rural communities in Tennessee and across the country: structurally deficient or obsolete bridges," he said.

When McCay learned Morgan County officials were looking for a highly durable, low-maintenance solution to replace the bridge, he saw an opportunity to incorporate composite bridge technology from Structural Composites and began discussions with IACMI and UT, along with in-state excavating contractor McKinney Excavating Inc. of Athens, Tn.

McKinney Excavating owner Brian McKinney welcomed the chance to partner in the project.

"We see this as a great opportunity to showcase FRP composite bridges as a great product and be at the forefront of cutting-edge technology and its implementation," McKinney said.

The four private corporations  Structural Composites Inc. in Melbourne, Fla., CAG, Luna Innovations and McKinney Excavating have committed to designing, fabricating, shipping, installing and monitoring the 16-by-25-foot bridge deck, all at no cost to Morgan County. Structural Composites designed the bridge and fabricated the deck at its Florida facility with support from the federal Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), under the CARES Act. In addition, Henry Pate with Neel-Schaffer in Nashville is providing structural engineering support.

Composite Bridges

Scott Lewit, Structural Composites president, said the new cost-effective, high-performance bridge will both demonstrate the general advantages of composite bridges and showcase the benefits of building composite bridges in rural communities across the U.S.

"More than 150,000 bridges in the U.S., many located in rural parts of the country, are in need of replacement," Lewit said. "Composites bridge deck technology can provide rural communities with a low-cost, lightweight bridge structure that requires less equipment, making a shorter period for on-site preparation and a vastly shorter period for on-site installation."

Lewit said that while his company is producing the bridge deck, or surface, at its Florida plant, his long-term vision is to deploy the "easy-to-build technology across the U.S. industrial base of composite fabricators.

"It moves infrastructure construction from the field into the factory, allowing for prefabrication in a controlled environment and very rapid field installation that minimizes installation traffic impacts," he said.

A shorter installation time is especially critical in single-access locations, which are more common in rural areas than urban. And for rural counties struggling with tight budgets, faster completion can mean significant savings in time and money.

In addition to Structural Composites and its key partners, several other private companies are contributing expertise and materials such as adhesives, epoxies, coatings and resins, preforms and reinforcements to the project. They include Interplastic Corporation, Engineered Bonding Solutions LLC, AcraLock Engineered Solutions, West System, Superior Fiberglass, METYX Composites and Compsys, Inc.

The installation of the composites bridge deck is expected to be completed late 2020 or in early 2021.

About IACMI  The Composites Institute

The Institute for Advanced Composites Manufacturing Innovation (IACMI), managed by the Collaborative Composite Solutions Corporation (CCS), is a partnership of industry, universities, national laboratories, and federal, state and local governments working together to benefit the nation's energy and economic security by sharing existing resources and co-investing to accelerate innovative research and development in the advanced composites field. CCS is a not-for-profit organization established by The University of Tennessee Research Foundation. The national Manufacturing USA institute is supported by a $70 million commitment from the U.S. Department of Energy's Advanced Manufacturing Office, and over $180 million committed from IACMI's partners. Learn more at IACMI.org .

SOURCE IACMI - The Composites Institute
Ayodhya, Aug 4 : Thirty years is not a small period -- to heal. But for Purnima Kothari, living in the suburbs of Kolkata, a lifetime may be too short to move on from the fact that her two brothers -- Ram and Sharad -- set off for kar seva in Ayodhya with a promise to return just before her wedding. They never did.

It was 1990. With just a day left for the Ram Mandir's 'Bhoomi Pujan', a reality now that the Kothari brothers had dreamt about, Purnima is back in Ram Janmabhoomi in pursuit of a closure.

"It gives a sense of relief that this moment has come for which my brothers paid with their lives. I feel proud that they sacrificed their lives for something whose culmination is taking place. However, I wish they were here with me today," Purnima Kothari told IANS, as she walks on the streets of Ayodhya on a humid day.

She adds that if she gets a chance to meet the Prime Minister, she will request for a museum to be constructed where the "struggle of 500 years" can be documented.

It was October 22, 1990, when Ram and Sharad -- then both in their early twenties -- decided that they will take part in the 'kar seva', an event that not only changed the political discourse of India but revealed new social fault lines followed by violent riots and acrimonious legal tangles. Purnima was about to get married on December 16.

"The two could only reach Varanasi by train after which they took a taxi and later walked till Ayodhya. The atmosphere was surcharged. I am told they were the first to hoist the saffron flag on top of the Babri dome," she says.

With former VHP leader Ashok Singhal giving a clarion call, Ayodhya was simmering. Then Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav who famously boasted about the security preparedness saying, "Wahan parinda bhi par nahi maar sakta," (Even a bird can't get in there) had ordered police firing to control the violence. Officially, 16 died (though some claim the number was higher), with the bodies scattered around Ayodhya and the surrounding areas. Years later, Yadav had said, "If more people were required to be killed for the country's unity and integrity, the security forces would have done it." A couple of the bodies recovered were in a bylane in Hanumangarhi. They were the Kothari brothers.

This Wednesday, the top political leadership of India is expected to visit Hanumangarhi as well.

For Purnima, this August 5 is more than realising the "dream" of a Ram Temple, but getting a closure for the emotional cyclone she has weathered for the last three decades, sitting in her Bengal residence, often crying over her brothers' photo.

"I received a letter, through post, after their death where they promised to come back home in time to attend my wedding," recalls the sister.

On the ghats of the Saryu river, as security personnel dot every inch of space and the media contingent continues to throng for a "story", a sister is trying to make sense of the loss that altered the fate of a family.

(Anindya Banerjee can be contacted at anindya.b@ians.in)

Latest updates on Ayodhya Ram Temple Bhumi Pujan
John Hume, the former Northern Ireland politician, who was awarded a Nobel Prize for his efforts to secure a peace deal in the region, has died at the age of 83.

Mr Humes family said they were deeply saddened to announce that John passed away peacefully in the early hours of the morning after a short illness, according to a statement on Monday by the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), which Mr Hume co-founded.

Mr Hume shared the 1998 Nobel Peace Prize with David Trimble, who was head of the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP).

Leaders of the two biggest parties in Northern Ireland at the time, the men were awarded for their efforts to end three decades of violence in Northern Ireland via the so-called Good Friday Agreement.

Their partnership crossed the regions ethnic and sectarian divide, with Mr Humes SDLP campaigning for the non-violent unification of Northern Ireland with the Republic of Ireland and the UUP seeking to keep the region under British rule.

Speaking on RTE, Irelands public broadcaster, Mr Trimble  who was the first head of the regional administration set up in Belfast after the 1998 agreement  said that from the outset of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, he (Hume) was opposed to violence.

Mark Durkan, a confidant of Mr Humes who succeeded him as SDLP leader, described the peace agreement as being based on Mr Humes blueprint.

Irish Prime Minister Micheal Martin described Mr Hume as a great hero and peacemaker who was one of the towering figures of Irish public life of the last century.

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British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Mr Hume stood proudly in the tradition that was totally opposed to violence.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Mr Humes integrity and courage played a profoundly important role in Northern Irelands transition from violence to peace.

During the darkest days of Northern Irelands recent past, he won the friendship and respect of countless Americans.

His early and sustained influence in bringing U.S. political and economic support to Northern Ireland cannot be overstated, and this profound partnership and friendship continues today, Mr Pompeo added.

Former U.S. President Bill Clinton, who pushed for the 1998 deal while in office, said: His legacy will live on in every generation of Northern Irelands young people who make Johns choice, to live free of the hatred and horror of sectarian violence.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said the continent has lost a great champion for peace.

Former British prime minister Tony Blair, a negotiator of the Good Friday Agreement with Mr Hume, described him as a political titan whose contribution to peace in Northern Ireland was epic.

Arlene Foster, the current head of Northern Irelands regional government, said Mr Hume was a giant in Irish nationalism who left a unique mark in the House of Commons, Brussels & Washington.

Gerry Adams, the former leader of Sinn Fein, the political party previously linked to the Irish Republican Army (IRA), said that Mr Hume played a key role in persuading armed factions to agree to ceasefires.

Johns agreement to examine the potential of building an alternative to conflict was the mark of a political leader genuinely prepared to look at the bigger picture, Adams said.

Mr Hume had in recent years been in a nursing home on the outskirts of his home town  Northern Irelands second biggest city Londonderry, more commonly known as Derry.

Current SDLP leader Colum Eastwood said: Derry, and the whole island, is in mourning today following the passing of our friend, leader and greatest peacemaker.

Catholic Bishop of Derry Donal McKeown, who will preside over Mr Humes funeral on Wednesday, said the late leader was firmly rooted in his local city. (dpa/NAN)
Doctors have discovered a bullet lodged in the brain of a nine-year-old Palestinian boy, as police investigate the possibility he was hit by gunfire during Eid al-Adha celebrations.

The child, from East Jerusalem, was rushed to hospital by his parents who were concerned over how sleepy he had become.

The unnamed boy was conscious when he arrived at Hadassah Medical Centre, but doctors discovered he had a small wound on his head with blood on his scalp.

Medics who performed a CT scan were left stunned at the discovery of a bullet lodged in the child's brain.

Neurosurgeon Guy Elor, the doctor who removed the bullet, told the Times of Israel that the boy's parents, from Ras al-Amud, were unaware their child had been shot

They said the bullet entered the side of his skull before passing through his brain and stopping at the back of his head.

Neurosurgeon Guy Elor, the doctor who removed the bullet, told the Times of Israel that the boy's parents, from Ras al-Amud, were unaware their child had been shot.

'The mother reported that he was playing with his friends and something happened, maybe something fell on him.

'The story really wasnt clear. He had just a tiny wound on the top of his head.'

The child was taken into surgery two hours after arriving at hospital, and Elor said he was 'very lucky' to have survived the ordeal.

'Had the bullet gone in at another angle it would have caused much more damage to the brain and left significant neurological damage,' he added.

The boy is now recovering well and is awake and communicating with medics and family.

Eid al-Adha - the festival of sacrifice - follows the completion of the annual Hajj pilgrimage.

It is the second major celebration of the Islamic calendar after Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of the month of fasting called Ramadan.

Many Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha, which can last between two to four days, by sacrificing an animal for feasts to be shared by family, friends and those in need in large groups.
Aspiring lawyers can (for now) say goodbye to the days of having to use uncomfortable cardboard applicators, because tampons and pads are allowed to be brought in during the upcoming bar exam in Texas.

Pearland attorney Sarah Riffel said she remembers feeling like an outlaw because she needed menstrual products at the exam last summer, according to the Texas Tribune, and she used her lunch break to smuggle in her own products before returning back to her testing room.

"Our only intent is to operate the examination fairly and securely, not to discriminate unfairly against any person or group," Texas Board of Law Examiners executive director Susan Henricks said in a statement to the Tribune.

Henricks added that until this month, they found that applicants were fine using the products that were being provided.

That doesn't seem to be entirely true though, because on July 20, hundreds of lawyers, law professors and students penned a letter to the National Conference of Bar Examiners with the subject Examinees Right to Bring Menstrual Products into Bar Exams.

"Without doubt, many people taking bar exams in the coming monthswomen, transgender men, and nonbinary personswill be menstruating," the letter said, citing that menstrual products are not 'one size fits all'. "It is critical that they have access to their own menstrual products during the exam as opposed to only unknown and likely uniform products that are provided by a state board in a restroom."

TESTING FOR COVID: Front-line workers describe a day at the Pridgeon Stadium COVID-19 testing site in Cy-Fair

Many people criticized the ban, and even generated a hashtag on Twitter to share their thoughts and keep others updated on what was happening with the request to lift it.

Because of the spike in COVID-19 cases, the Texas Supreme Court canceled the two-day in person exam for the month of July and added an alternative exam online for the month of October.

There's no word at this time on whether or not the rule will remain in place for the in-person February exam, but September test takers can breathe a slight sigh of relief knowing they can bring menstrual products of their choice -- as long as they are inside a clear, plastic bag.
Computer systems that emulate key aspects of human problem solving are commonly referred to as artificial intelligence (AI). This field has seen massive progress over the last years. Most notably, deep learning enabled groundbreaking progress in areas such as self-driving cars, computers beating the best human players in strategy games (Go, chess), computer games, and in poker, and initial applications in diagnostic medicine. Deep learning is based on artificial neural networks - networks of mathematical functions that are iteratively reorganized until they accurately map the data describing a given problem to its solution.

In biology, deep learning has established itself as a powerful method to predict phenotypes (i.e., observable characteristics of cells or individuals) from genome data (for example gene expression profiles). Deep learning is usually a "black box" method: Neural networks are very powerful predictors when provided with enough training data. For example, they have been used to predict cell type from gene expression profiles, and protein structures from DNA sequence data. But standard neural networks cannot explain the learnt relationship of inputs to outputs in a human-understandable way. For this reason, deep learning has so far contributed little to advancing our mechanistic understanding of molecular functions within cells.

To address this lack of interpretability, CeMM Postdoctoral Fellow Nikolaus Fortelny and CeMM Principal Investigator Christoph Bock pursued the idea of performing deep learning directly on biological networks, instead of the generic, fully connected artificial neural networks used in conventional deep learning. They established "knowledge-primed neural networks" (KPNNs) that are based on signaling pathways and gene-regulatory networks. In KPNNs, each node corresponds to a protein or a gene, and each edge has a mechanistic biological interpretation (e.g., protein A regulates the expression of gene B).

The CeMM researchers show in their new study published in Genome Biology that deep learning on biological networks is technically feasible and practically useful. By forcing the deep learning algorithm to stay close to gene-regulatory processes that are encoded in the biological network, KPNNs create a bridge between the power of deep learning and our rapidly growing knowledge and understanding of complex biological systems. As a result, the approach provides concrete insights into the investigated biological systems, while maintaining high prediction performance. This powerful new methodology uses an optimized approach for deep learning, which stabilizes node weights in the presence of redundancy, enhances the quantitative interpretability of node weights, and controls for the uneven connectivity inherent to biological networks.

CeMM researchers demonstrated their new KPNN method on large single-cell datasets, including a compendium of 483,084 single-cell transcriptomes for immune cells established by the Human Cell Atlas consortium. In this dataset, the scientists discovered unexpected diversity in the cell-type-defining regulatory networks between immune cells from bone marrow and cord blood.

The KPNN method combines the predictive power of deep learning and its ability to infer activity levels across multiple hidden layers with the functional interpretability of biological networks. KPNNs are particularly useful for the single-cell RNA-seq data, which are generated at massive scale using single-cell sequencing assays. Moreover, KPNNs are broadly applicable to other areas of biology and biomedicine where relevant prior knowledge can be represented as networks.

The predictions and biological insights obtained by KPNNs will be useful for dissecting cell signaling and gene regulation in health and disease, for identifying novel drug targets, and for deriving testable biological hypotheses from single-cell sequencing data. More generally, the study illustrates the future impact that artificial intelligence and deep learning, will have on mechanistic biology as the scientific community learns how to make AI results biologically interpretable.

###

The study "Knowledge-primed neural networks enable biologically interpretable deep learning on single-cell sequencing data" was published in Genome Biology on 3 August 2020. DOI: 10.1186/s13059-020-02100-5

Authors:

Nikolaus Fortelny and Christoph Bock

Funding:

This study was co-funded by an Austrian Science Fund (FWF) Special Research Programme grant (FWF SFB F 6102-B21), a New Frontiers Group award of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program (Grant Agreement No 679146 awarded to Christoph Bock). Nikolaus Fortelny was supported by a fellowship from the European Molecular Biology Organization (EMBO ALTF 241-2017).

Christoph Bock joined CeMM as Principal Investigator in 2012. He pursues interdisciplinary research aimed at understanding the epigenetic and gene-regulatory basis of cancer, and advancing precision medicine with genomics technology. His research group combines experimental biology (high-throughput sequencing, epigenetics, CRISPR screening, synthetic biology) with computer science (bioinformatics, machine learning, artificial intelligence). He is also a guest professor at the Medical University of Vienna, scientific coordinator of the Biomedical Sequencing Facility (BSF) at CeMM, and key researcher at the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute for Rare and Undiagnosed Diseases. He coordinates an EU Horizon 2020 project on the single-cell analysis of human organoids as a contribution to the Human Cell Atlas. Christoph Bock is an elected member of the Young Academy of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and has received major research awards, including the Max Planck Society's Otto Hahn Medal (2009), an ERC Starting Grant (2016-2021), and the Overton Prize of the International Society of Computational Biology (2017).

The mission of CeMM Research Center for Molecular Medicine of the Austrian Academy of Sciences is to achieve maximum scientific innovation in molecular medicine to improve healthcare. At CeMM, an international and creative team of scientists and medical doctors pursues free-minded basic life science research in a large and vibrant hospital environment of outstanding medical tradition and practice. CeMM's research is based on post-genomic technologies and focuses on societally important diseases, such as immune disorders and infections, cancer and metabolic disorders. CeMM operates in a unique mode of super-cooperation, connecting biology with medicine, experiments with computation, discovery with translation, and science with society and the arts. The goal of CeMM is to pioneer the science that nurtures the precise, personalized, predictive and preventive medicine of the future. CeMM trains a modern blend of biomedical scientists and is located at the campus of the General Hospital and the Medical University of Vienna. http://www.cemm.oeaw.ac.at
"You must reside in Ward 3, and have been a resident in Ward 3 for at least a year," said borough Manager Christine Hart.
nycshooter/iStockBy AARON KATERSKY, ERIN SCHUMAKER and MARK CRUDELE, ABC News



(NEW YORK) -- Dr. Oxiris Barbot resigned as New York City's health commissioner, saying in her resignation letter that "the Health Department's incomparable disease control expertise was not used to the degree it could have been."



"I leave my post today with deep disappointment that during the most critical public health crisis in our lifetime, that the Health Department's incomparable disease control expertise was not used to the degree it could have been," her resignation letter said, taking aim at Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration.



Her replacement was immediately announced as Dr. Dave Chokshi, a Rhodes Scholar who served at the Louisiana Department of Health during Hurricane Katrina and was the principal health adviser to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs in the Obama administration.



In a letter to her staff announcing her departure, Barbot described her rise to NYC health chief.



"I am proud that as a woman of color raised in public housing in this city, I always put public health, racial equity and the well-being of the city I love first," she wrote. "My commitment to this city and to public health is unwavering."



Barbot's resignation comes after de Blasio stripped control of the city's COVID-19 contact tracing program from the health department, which has historically handled tracing. The mayor instead placed the program under Health and Hospitals, the agency that runs the city's public hospitals.



In recent weeks, the city's contract tracing program has come under fire after complaints from contact tracers about the program being disorganized and having poor working conditions.



Barbot also butted heads with NYPD Police Chief Terence Monahan when he asked for more face masks for his officers in March, according to the New York Post. Following the incident, which was widely reported in the media, Barbot disappeared from public view for days -- at the height of the coronavirus outbreak in New York City.



Copyright  2020, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.




The initiative is aimed at stimulating more than 6 million potential travelers throughout the country.





"A domestic tourism campaign will be launched in the second half of 2020 under the umbrella of Marca Peru (Peru Brand). We expect to stimulate more than 6 million potential travelers and generate over S/370 million (around US$104.8 million)," he stated.





According to the President of the Council of Ministers , the Government through the Tourism Quality program is coordinating with national and international certification bodies to ensure that Peruvian destinations comply with the biosafety measures required around the world.





Financial support





The government official stressed that the creation of the Business Support Fund (FAE) , with S/500 million (around US$141.6 million) meant for credit guarantees, will give tourism sector companies some respite.





During its last year in office, the Government will expand the scope of this fund so as to cover a greater number of creditworthy companies, as well as the debt capacity.





By doing so, the fund will provide financing to more than 30% of micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs).









(END) RMB/MVB

Peruvian Prime Minister Pedro Cateriano has announced that in the second half of the year the Government will launch a campaign to revive domestic tourism in a responsible, gradual and safe manner.Published: 8/4/2020
BOISE  When schools closed their classroom doors in March, a result of the coronavirus pandemics initial roll through the U.S., officials looked for ways to provide lunches to students who rely on school for daily meals.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture approved the Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program that same month in order to provide families with extra money for food, and 49 states and the District of Columbia have signed on to that program so that people can receive so-called meal replacement benefits.

The lone state not to join? Idaho.

According to the USDA, the program was part of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act of 2020 and allowed states to help families have funds for food on all the days children were out of school because of the pandemic. All kids who were receiving free or reduced-price meals under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act became eligible.

More than 35 states were part of the program by mid-May, and applications to join have been granted as recently as July 9, when Utah came on board.

To ensure that children continue to have access to nutritious meals when schools are unexpectedly closed, Congress provided and USDA is making available funds to states for the implementation of P-EBT, the USDA explains on its FAQ page. State participation in P-EBT is optional; however, it is a significant opportunity to ensure children continue to have access to nutritious meals despite this national emergency. 

Niki Forbing-Orr, spokesperson for the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare  the agency responsible for filing the states P-EBT application  said Idaho is still reviewing the program and has not made a final decision. She said the department should know more this week  months into the pandemic, and just days before a new school year is set to begin, in whatever form the fall semester takes.

State Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra and the State Department of Educations child nutrition program staff have been working with Health and Welfare since mid-April to try to ensure that Idaho families have access to the P-EBT benefit, according to a statement provided by the Department of Education.

Given the rise in food insecurities we have seen in Idaho as a result of the public health crisis, we are committed to supporting our colleagues at DHW to implement this program and are working with our school districts to ensure families are aware of the program and have the opportunity to participate, the statement said.

Superintendent Ybarra has been supportive of the program from the beginning of the process. Nutrition is so important  a basic childhood need.

The Department of Education recorded that 43% of students enrolled in a public school in Idaho were eligible for the free or reduced-price lunch program during the 2019-20 school year.

Each child in Idaho who qualifies under the P-EBT program would be eligible for $114 for every four weeks of school days missed, or $5.70 per day. Most of Idahos schools shut down the week of March 15, so just on back pay for the spring semester, the total per child would be in the neighborhood of $300, depending on end dates.

Marisela Pesina, administrative assistant at the Caldwell Housing Authority, said she has been helping to deliver information on the pandemic to tenants who are largely low-income and farmworking families.

Seventy-four percent of students within the Caldwell School District qualify for free or reduced lunches. With the last 10-11 weeks of the in-school year lost in March, April and May, Pesina said she remains concerned that children did not always have access to nutritional food, despite community and school programs.

Of the Nampa School Districts more than 14,000 students, about 57% are enrolled in the school lunch program. According to Kathleen Tuck, the districts spokesperson, Nampa had provided 184,627 breakfasts and 194,945 lunches for children during the unanticipated springtime closure and as part of summertime food programs.

Considering that roughly 8,000 students are part of the program, the district ordinarily would have reached 200,000 lunches in just 25 school days. Instead, it did not hit that number even over 50-plus in-school days missed.

If youre hungry, you get sick a lot more. Especially with a pandemic, if a child is hungry, you need to have nutritional food to have a strong immune system, and if they dont have food, it starts an avalanche, Caldwells Pesina said. I see it in the kids that are out there and it breaks my heart.

Pesina said she is very grateful for donated food boxes that have come to neighborhoods such as Farmway Village, but she said its important for families to be able to choose what foods they have. That would be a benefit of the P-EBT money.

The program assumes that even if states and individual schools provided drive-thru or other programs to try to provide meals during the closures  as Nampa, Boise and other Treasure Valley districts did  there was no way to guarantee that all the students could access that food, meaning families had to spend extra money. P-EBT was meant to offset that.

Almost 284,000 Idaho residents were projected to experience food insecurity during the pandemic, according to a June report from Feeding America that examined the virus impact. As previously reported, thats a 49% increase over the nearly 190,000 who needed help before the pandemic. Feeding America estimated that Idaho would also see a 75% increase in its child food insecurity rate.

Still, the Gem State remains the only one in the nation not to have taken advantage of a program that would aid children and families that rely on the school-lunch program  something that Pesina said saddens her. She hopes Idahoans can benefit from P-EBT soon.

Especially our most vulnerable populations. Lets right this and make sure we get this applied for to get money for these families, Pesina said. Its out there for a reason.
Head of Psychology at the University of Ghana, Prof. Joseph Osafo has called on the Ghana Education Service (GES) to adopt strategies to help the final year students integrate well into society after they are done with their final examinations.



According to him, the students should not just return home without the education authorities developing ways to ensure they are not stigmatized.



This is because, he said, there have been cases where COVID-19 patients and recovered persons have had to face the complication of stigma.



Prof. Joseph Osafo, speaking to sit-in host Nana Yaw Kesseh on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', stated that the stigma attached to the disease needs to be dealt with stressing it's a canker to the growth of the nation and the fight against the virus.



To him, because some schools were affected by the pandemic disease, it is prudent for the GES to protect the students against any incident of stigmatization, therefore asserting that the Ministry of Education and the GES must make a public declaration to allay fears of parents and the society as well as kill any possible stigma that the students may face upon their return back home.



''We just want to hear a message that the children are not going to be left to return home just like that. We have been in Ghana and researching for awhile. And we know the mental health terrain and certain socio-cultural factors that fight against people who have been infected by this disease and reintegrated into their communities without anybody not rising or talking against them...There should be a public statement from the GES or Minister of Education to warn people against that (stigmatization),'' Prof Osafo added.







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
La Poste has reaped the rewards of its resolute diversification strategy:

Completion of the transaction between La Poste and Caisse des Depots and La Banque Postale and CNP Assurances

Strengthening of GeoPost activities with the acquisition of BRT, Italy's leading express parcel operator, and in East Europa and Asia

Consolidation in digital and home healthcare services

This enables La Poste to reach a net profit group share of 2.3 billion with the positive effects linked to the first-time recognition of CNP Assurances shares (3.6 billion)

Excluding the impact of the first-time recognition of CNP Assurances shares, the net loss group share would amount to 1.2 billion, including the heavy negative impacts of the global health crisis, estimated at 2.2 billion

Group performance

Operating revenue[1]: 14.5 billion, up 13.3% and down 1.1% at constant scope and exchange rates

Operating profit [2]: 2.6 billion vs 572 million in H1 2019, of which Up 3.0 billion from the effect of the initial recognition [3] of the CNP Assurances shares Negative impact from Covid-19 of 2.0 billion

[2]: 2.6 billion vs 572 million in H1 2019, of which

Net profit Group share : 2.3 billion vs 474 million in H1 2019, of which Up 3.6 billion from the effect of the initial recognition of the CNP Assurances shares Negative impact from Covid-19 of 2.2 billion

: 2.3 billion vs 474 million in H1 2019, of which Free cash flow [4]: -659 million (vs +132 million as at 30/06/2019)

[4]: -659 million (vs +132 million as at 30/06/2019) Net debt4: 8.5 billion (vs 6.5 billion as at 31/12/2019)

Net debt/equity ratio: 0.48 (vs 0.51 as at 31/12/2019)

After meeting today under the chairmanship of Philippe Wahl, the Board of Directors of La Poste approved the Group's consolidated financial statements for the first half of 2020.

"Le Groupe La Poste has had an unprecedented first half in 2020. In January, it took control of BRT, Italy's leading express parcel operator. On 4 March 2020, the historic strategic equity alliance between La Poste and Caisse des Depots and between La Banque Postale and CNP Assurances was realised.

Le Groupe La Poste has also actively continued to diversify in the Silver economy, digital services, the energy transition and local services, to strengthen our strategic and economic model.

Although several transformative projects were completed over the half-year, from mid-March the health crisis caused an acceleration of the decline in mail volumes upsetting the balance of the Universal Postal Service. Even the extremely strong activity recovery of the Parcel business, both in France and worldwide, due to a boom in e-commerce from April, was not enough to offset these severe losses. I would also like to pay tribute to the postal employees who, through their commitment and mobilisation, have made it possible to ensure the continuity of public service and to launch initiatives that are useful to economic players as well as to the most fragile of us[5].

Given the situation, the Group has committed to ambitious action plans to boost its commercial activities and cut costs, in order to mitigate the impacts of the crisis, some of which will be lasting, and continue its transformation plans.

Finally, La Poste is continuing to prepare its forthcoming Strategic Plan for 2030 "La Poste 2030", which will take into account the contributions of all stakeholders and the postal needs identified during the lockdown. With a special emphasis on the role of La Poste towards the French people carrying out our public service missions."

Highlights of the first half of the year

The completion of the strategic equity alliance between La Poste and Caisse des Depots and between La Banque Postale and CNP Assurances on 4 March 2020 , leading to the creation of a large public financial pole

between La Poste and Caisse des Depots and between La Banque Postale and CNP Assurances on , leading to the creation of a large public financial pole A major health crisis which has had a marked impact on the Mail business

which has had a A continuation of the geographical expansion and business diversification strategy:

- In home healthcare services, with a number of acquisitions including Nouveal e-sante (77%)

- In express, with the takeover of the leading Italian parcel operator BRT (85%), Geis Parcel in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Lenton (65%) operating in 39 countries

- In banking, with the acquisition of the remaining 35% stake in La Banque Postale Assurances IARD

- In digital services, with the acquisition of a majority stake in AR24 (electronic registered mail)

Signing of the fifth local postal coverage agreement in February 2020

in February 2020 Recognition of the Group's societal commitment with the highest rating ever awarded globally by Vigeo (75/100)

ever awarded globally (75/100) Success of the senior bond issue for 1.8 billion completed in April 2020

Selected financial information on 30 June 2020

Impact of the initial recognition of the CNP Assurances shares

The strategic equity alliance between La Poste and Caisse des Depots, and between La Banque Postale and CNP Assurances was finalised at the La Poste General Shareholders' Meeting on 4 March 2020 by the transfer by the French State and Caisse des Depots to La Poste, and then from La Poste to La Banque Postale, of their respective 1.1% and 40.9% stakes in CNP Assurances.

The reporting of this alliance in the consolidated financial statements is governed by IFRS 3 (Business Combinations), which requires:

- The valuation of the transferred shares at the stock market price on the date of the transaction (13.97);

- The revaluation/devaluation of the previously held shares based on the same stock market price;

- Recognition of goodwill/badwill equal to the difference between the total equity interest held (62.1%), valued based on the stock market price and the Group share of the net assets of CNP Assurances at fair value on the transaction date.

Furthermore, the unrealised gains and losses of CNP Assurances must be reclassified to the income statement when the transaction completes, based on the Group's previous equity stake of 20.15%.

On the day of its completion, this transaction generated the following impacts on the Group's financial statements for the first half of 2020:

Increase in equity of 4,027 million, Impairment of the value of securities previously accounted for by the equity method, i.e. 1,571 million, Recognition of badwill of 4,578 million,

i.e. an overall amount (2+3) of 3,007 million recorded under operating profit; Group share of the unrealised gains and losses of CNP Assurances reclassified in the income statement, generating an income of 594 million,

i.e. an overall amount (2+3+4) of 3,600 million recorded under net profit Group share.

Selected financial information on 30 June 2020

CNP Assurances, an equity associate (20.15%) until 4 March 2020, is fully consolidated since that date.

(In millions of euros) 30/06/2020 30/06/2019 Impact of the initial recognition of CNP Assurances shares Change vs n-1 (excluding the impact of the contribution of CNP Assurances shares) Change vs n-1 at constant scope and exchange rates In m in % In m in % Operating performance Operating revenue 14,495 12,795 +1,699 +13.3% -139 -1.1% Operating profit

(after share of net profit of jointly controlled entities)

2,588 572 3,007 -991 ns -1,661 ns Financial profit/(loss) -112 -124 +12 +9.7% +17 - Income tax -576 -108 -468 ns -244 - Net profit/(loss), Group share 2,315 474 3,600 -1,759 ns -1,896 ns Financial structure 30/06/2020 31/12/2019 Net debt (ND) 8,493 6,462 +2,031 +31.4% Equity

Group share (CP)

17,620 12,624 7,034 -2,038 -16.1% ND/E 48.2% 51.2% - - Key ratios - La Banque Postale CET1 ratio* 17.3% 12.2% +5.1 pt Liquidity coverage ratio* 157% 153% +4.0 pt

(*) Definitions provided in the "Alternative performance measures" section at the end of the press release.

Impacts of the health crisis on the Group's business activity

As of March, the health crisis caused a sudden drop in activity affecting the Group as a whole, followed by a recovery which varied by business unit. The crisis resulted in an 800 million decrease in Group operating revenue. The negative outlook for a short-term recovery in Mail revenue has resulted in an 863 million impairment of Mail assets. This impairment has impacted even further on the Group's operating profit, which is estimated to have decreased by 2.0 billion due to the Covid-19 crisis. An additional 269 million impairment of the deferred tax assets has increased the negative impact, estimated at 2.2 billion, of the pandemic on the net profit, group share. The Group has implemented action plans to boost business and cut costs.

Operating Revenue

Consolidated operating revenue amounted to 14,495 million, up 13.3% compared to the end of June 2019. After adjustment for scope effects, i.e. an additional 1,862 million driven primarily by La Banque Postale (964 million increase), GeoPost (804 million increase) and Digital Services (67 million increase), and an exchange rate loss of 24 million, including a 13 million loss on the Brazilian real and a 6 million loss on the Polish zloty, the Group's organic decrease [6] at the end of June 2020 was 1.1%.

(In millions of euros) 30/06/2020

30/06/2019

Change vs n-1 Change vs n-1 at constant scope and exchange rates Services-Mail-Parcels 5,510 6,122 -612 -10.0% -649 -10.6% GeoPost 5,057 3,730 +1,327 +35.6% +550 +14.9% La Banque Postale 3,793 2,850 +943 +33.1% -21 -0.7% Digital services 369 339 +30 +8.9% -37 -11.0% Other segments and intercompany -235 -245 +11 -4.4% +17 -7.1% OPERATING REVENUE 14,495 12,795 +1,699 +13.3% -139 -1.1%

The consolidated operating revenue for the first half of 2020 is characterised by contrasting trends at business unit level.

Services-Mail-Parcels business unit

Operating revenue for the Services-Mail-Parcels business unit stood at 5,510 million, down 10.0% compared to the end of June 2019. Following adjustment for positive scope and exchange rate effects (37 million increase) primarily due to the EDE consolidation and VLC disposal[7] at the end of 2019, there was an organic decrease of 10.6% compared to the end of June 2019, which includes the very high impacts of the health crisis.

Mail: Mail operating revenue has seen a steep 19.9% decline compared to the end of June 2019, primarily due to the effect of a 26%[8] decrease in addressed mail volumes (representing a decrease of 950 million). The lockdown also heavily impacted international mail (down 56 million). The mail price increase of 1 January 2020 for an average of 4.8% partially offset these falls, with a positive impact of 174 million.

The Parcel business (Colissimo) increased its operating revenue by 10.4% organically to 981 million due to a boom in e-commerce from April, with a 17.6% increase in parcel volumes to 199 million items delivered.

The subsidiaries posted organic growth of 114 million (up 12.5%). Other than Mediapost's activities, which were heavily impacted by the lockdown (down 97 million), business grew in the other subsidiaries. Asendia, which provides cross-border logistics solutions in e-commerce, achieved operating revenue of 742 million, an increase of 37.5% (36.4% in organic growth), buoyed by the excellent performance of its e-ShopWorld subsidiary specialising in e-commerce logistics from May onwards. La Poste Silver's operating revenue rose by 5.5% (3.2% in organic growth) to 88 million.

GeoPost

GeoPost's operating revenue rose sharply to 5,057 million (up 35.6%). Adjusted for positive scope and exchange rate effects of 804 million from the takeovers of BRT, Lenton and Geis Parcel, and an exchange rate loss of 28 million, organic growth remained high at 14.9% (essentially due to greater volumes).

At the end of June, GeoPost had delivered 850 million parcels compared to the same period of the previous year, driven by the unexpected boom in e-commerce which began in April in countries affected by the Covid-19 health crisis, and the ensuing surge in the BtoC segment (53.4% of volumes at the end of June 2020 vs 43.2% at the end of June 2019).

Most countries delivered higher operating revenue (up 23.2% in the United Kingdom, up 7.8% in Germany, up 10.8% in Spain, up 35.8% in Benelux and up 26.0% in Russia).

Operating revenue from New Urban Services saw organic growth of 9.1% (2 million), primarily driven by the activity of Stuart.

La Banque Postale

The Net Banking Income (NBI) was up 33.1% at 3,793 million, and down 0.7% excluding scope and exchange rate effects (consolidation of CNP Assurances) compared to the end of June 2019.

NBI for the Retail Banking division stood at 2,602 million, up 2.2%[9] at constant scope and exchange rates compared to the end of June 2019. The net interest margin amounted to 1,481 million (up 3% 9 ). Commissions were up by 19 million (up 1.6%) despite the impact of the Covid-19 health crisis. The lockdown impacted on commercial activities, causing a slowdown in new loans and particularly consumer loans and, to a lesser extent, home loans. However, outstanding customer loans were up by 8.8%.

). Commissions were up by 19 million (up 1.6%) despite the impact of the Covid-19 health crisis. The lockdown impacted on commercial activities, causing a slowdown in new loans and particularly consumer loans and, to a lesser extent, home loans. However, outstanding customer loans were up by 8.8%. NBI for the Asset Management division stood at 74 million, unchanged compared to the end of June 2019, despite the 2.6% decline in assets under management to 224.1 billion, mainly due to a negative market effect reflecting the volatility in financial markets during the period.

NBI for the Insurance division stood at 1,177 million following the entry of CNP Assurances into the scope of consolidation and at 153 million without this effect. The non-life insurance portfolio was stable at 4.633 million policies, of which 39% were Contingency policies. The portfolio of Contingency policies was up by 2.6%.

Digital Services

The business unit's operating revenue was up 8.9% to 369 million. Adjusted for positive scope and exchange rate effects of 67 million for Docaposte's acquisition of Softeam (January 2020) and of Arkhineo and Icanopee (end of 2019), the organic change was an 11% decline.

Revenue for the Commercial activities division, which encompasses Docaposte, Mediapost Communication and the laposte.fr e-commerce website, amounted to 340 million, down 32.4 million (down 10.6%) at constant scope and exchange rates. This was primarily due to the impact of the health crisis on Docaposte's activities (down 32 million at constant scope and exchange rates), which were heavily impacted by customer site closures and a drop in global demand from companies. At 18 million, the operating revenue of Mediapost Communication decreased by 8.4% compared to the end of June 2019, following the suspension of advertising campaigns during the lockdown. However, the laposte.fr website recorded a significant increase in sales to 135 million (up 33.1%).

The operating revenue of the Transformation and Innovation division totalled 29 million, down 14.2% due to cutbacks in cross-functional projects on behalf of the Group.

The Network

At the end of June, the La Poste Network had 17,027 La Poste retail outlets (7,708 post offices and 9,319 partnerships). The Network reduced its operating costs by 2.5% compared to the end of June 2019. This reduction, which includes Covid-19 costs, directly benefits the Group's business units by reducing billing linked to their use of the Network.

La Poste Mobile has adapted its commercial strategy to the health situation, which has enabled it to win 225,300 new customers over the first half-year, including 196,000 new subscribers. The total number of subscribers and prepaid customers grew by 3.8% over the year, to 1.7 million customers.

Other Segments

Other segments and intercompany notably includes Real Estate and Supports & Structures, primarily internal within the Group.

Operating profit/(loss) [10]

The consolidated operating profit for the first half of 2020 stands at 2,588 million, including 3,007 million linked to the impact of the contribution of CNP Assurances shares. Excluding this impact and scope and exchange rate effects, the operating profit decreased by 1,661 million. This figure was heavily impacted by the health crisis, with the overall negative impact valued at 2.0 billion.

(In millions of euros) 30/06/2020

30/06/2019

Impact of the initial recognition of CNP Assurances shares Change vs n-1 (excluding the impact of the contribution of CNP Assurances shares) Change vs n-1 at constant scope and exchange rates in  million in % in  million in % Services-Mail-Parcels -1,177

289 - -1,466 ns -1,484 ns GeoPost 351 193 - +158 +81.7% +114 +59.5% La Banque Postale 3,913 492 +3,007 +414 +84.2% -196 -39.8% Digital services -35 -5 - -30 ns -29 ns Network, other segments and intercompany -464 -397 - -67 +17.0% -67 +16.9% OPERATING PROFIT/(LOSS) 2,588 572 +3,007 -991 ns -1,661 ns

Services-Mail-Parcels : The operating loss amounted to 1,177 million, a substantial decrease of 1,466 million compared to the end of June 2019. This decrease is mainly due to the accelerated decline in Mail volumes affected by the health crisis, and to an 863 million impairment of Mail assets recorded at the end of June 2020. These two effects were partially offset by the savings made in operating expenses. The operating profit of the Parcel business increased very slightly by 1 million, as the network needed to be reinforced to cope with the growth in volumes. Finally, the Subsidiaries operating loss decreased by 24 million (or 42 million at constant scope). The marked impact of the suspension of printed advertising during the lockdown period was mitigated by the performances of Asendia and EDE.

: The operating loss amounted to 1,177 million, a substantial decrease of 1,466 million compared to the end of June 2019. This decrease is mainly due to the accelerated decline in Mail volumes affected by the health crisis, and to an 863 million impairment of Mail assets recorded at the end of June 2020. These two effects were partially offset by the savings made in operating expenses. The operating profit of the Parcel business increased very slightly by 1 million, as the network needed to be reinforced to cope with the growth in volumes. Finally, the Subsidiaries operating loss decreased by 24 million (or 42 million at constant scope). The marked impact of the suspension of printed advertising during the lockdown period was mitigated by the performances of Asendia and EDE. GeoPost generated operating profit of 351 million, up a remarkable 81.7% compared to the end of June 2019, against a backdrop of strong e-commerce growth from April which demonstrates its considerable ability to adapt. Adjusted for positive scope and exchange rate effects of 44 million, the operating profit delivered organic growth of 114 million (up 59.5%), despite the additional costs linked to the management of the health crisis.

generated operating profit of 351 million, up a remarkable 81.7% compared to the end of June 2019, against a backdrop of strong e-commerce growth from April which demonstrates its considerable ability to adapt. Adjusted for positive scope and exchange rate effects of 44 million, the operating profit delivered organic growth of 114 million (up 59.5%), despite the additional costs linked to the management of the health crisis. La Banque Postale : La Banque Postale's contribution to the Group's operating profit amounted to 3,913 million and to 906 million excluding the impact of the contribution of CNP Assurances shares. The change excluding this effect and at constant scope and exchange rates was a decline of 39.8%. Management expenses increased by 15.8%, including a negative scope effect of 363 million linked to the consolidation of CNP Assurances. Excluding this scope effect, management expenses are virtually unchanged and reflect La Banque's continuous cost control efforts while it continues to implement its transformation plans (integration of CNP Assurances and developing the subsidiaries). The cost of risk stands at 228 million, and incorporates a 141 million impact linked to the health crisis. It stands at a level of 32 basis points as a proportion of outstanding loans.

: La Banque Postale's contribution to the Group's operating profit amounted to 3,913 million and to 906 million excluding the impact of the contribution of CNP Assurances shares. The change excluding this effect and at constant scope and exchange rates was a decline of 39.8%. Management expenses increased by 15.8%, including a negative scope effect of 363 million linked to the consolidation of CNP Assurances. Excluding this scope effect, management expenses are virtually unchanged and reflect La Banque's continuous cost control efforts while it continues to implement its transformation plans (integration of CNP Assurances and developing the subsidiaries). The cost of risk stands at 228 million, and incorporates a 141 million impact linked to the health crisis. It stands at a level of 32 basis points as a proportion of outstanding loans. The Digital Services recorded an operating loss of 35 million, down 30 million. Excluding the negative scope and exchange rate effect of 1 million, the operating loss for Commercial activities stands at 26.5 million, down 27.1 million primarily due to the impacts of the health crisis.

recorded an operating loss of 35 million, down 30 million. Excluding the negative scope and exchange rate effect of 1 million, the operating loss for Commercial activities stands at 26.5 million, down 27.1 million primarily due to the impacts of the health crisis. Other Segments

Other segments' profits/losses are added to those of the business units to obtain the Group's consolidated operating profit/loss:

- The loss for unallocated expenses (335 million) includes the costs of the universal postal service accessibility and regional planning mission, the corresponding local tax allowance and the costs associated with end-of-career benefits that are Group cross-entity costs;

- The loss of the Support functions and Head Office Services (93 million);

- The operating profit for Real Estate (22 million) is down 35.4% compared to the end of June 2019, due to an unfavourable comparative basis following reversals of provisions applied in the first six months of 2019.

Net profit

The net profit/(loss) Group share amounted to 2,315 million, an increase of 1,841 million compared to the first half of 2019. The impact of the contribution of CNP Assurances shares added 3,600 million (the breakdown is provided in the paragraph: "Impact of the initial recognition of the CNP Assurances shares").

Excluding the impact of this transaction, the net profit/(loss) Group share was -1,285 million, a decrease of 1,759 million (and of 1,896 million at constant scope and exchange rates). This change is due to a 991 million decrease in the operating profit/loss (down 1,661 million at constant scope and exchange rates). In addition, the half year recorded a 468 million rise (244 million at constant scope and exchange rates) in the Group's tax expense integrating the 269 million impairment of deferred tax assets of the consolidated tax scope caused by the health crisis. The financial profit/(loss), which represents an overall expense of 112 million, improved by 12 million compared to the first half of 2019, primarily due to the lower net borrowing cost.

Free cash flow, net debt and financial structure

The free cash flow generated in the first half of 2020 was -659 million (compared to +132 million at 30 June 2019, representing a decrease of 791 million). The change is essentially due to a fall in income levels, the absence of La Banque Postale dividend payments (representing a negative impact of 327 million), and a 77 million increase in HR provision expenses (excluding end-of-career benefits), following an increase in the unemployment allowance provision, La Poste acting as its own unemployment insurer.

At the end of June 2020, net debt stood at 8,493 million, up by 2,031 million, of which 3,254 million was covered by lease liabilities. The increase is heavily correlated with the net flows linked to external growth and financial assets (down 667 million), with the change in finance lease liabilities (up 629 million in line with the external growth), and with the free cash flow used.

The consolidated equity, Group share amounted to 17,620 million, up 7,034 million due to the initial recognition of CNP Assurances shares, resulting in:

- A capital increase of 4,027 million (share capital and issue premiums of 1,968 million and reserves of 2,059 million);

- An income of 3,007 million (net of unrealised gains and losses on financial instruments and translation adjustments).

Consequently, the net debt/equity ratio stands at 0.48 (vs 0.51 at 31/12/2019).

Ratings

During the first half-year:

- Standard & Poor's confirmed its rating but revised the outlook from positive to stable, to reflect the circumstances of the Covid-19 pandemic.

- Fitch Ratings revised the outlook from stable to negative, following a similar revision concerning the French State on 15 May 2020.

Long and short-term rating Outlook Updated Standard & Poor's A/A-1 Stable 27/03/2020 Fitch Ratings A+/F1+ Negative 22/05/2020

2020 Outlook

In the first half of the year, the Group experienced an unprecedented health crisis. Despite the potential for future viral attacks, coupled with an ongoing adverse macroeconomic context, the Group expects its various business units to return to more nominal activity levels.

The Group is planning to implement an ambitious cost savings plan to mitigate the long-term impacts of the crisis, and is committed to ensuring that the balance of the Universal Postal Service is sustainable.

In addition, the Group will focus on the strategic equity alliance between Caisse des Depots and La Poste, and between La Banque Postale and CNP Assurances, and on the consolidation of recently acquired companies (BRT, EDE and Softeam).

The second half of 2020 will see the development of the new "La Poste 2030" strategic plan with all stakeholders.

Notes

Focus: La Poste during the crisis

The mobilization of La Poste employees enabled La Poste to deliver 860 million letters and 80 million parcels during the eight-week lockdown, which is more than its usual market share. During the two-month lockdown, as each month, La Poste also welcomed more than 1.5 million beneficiary customers receiving social benefits in its post offices across the country. La Banque Postale mobilized from the start of the crisis to support all of its individual customers, businesses and players in the local public sector.



Beyond its traditional activity, and in order to support the most vulnerable people, La Poste has maintained the delivery of meals and medicines 6 days a week and has made free its social interaction service "Watch over my parents"( Veiller sur mes parents ) to break the isolation of seniors. La Poste has also made available, free of charge, to traders and artisans, the online sales platform "Ma Ville Mon Shopping" to enable them to carry on their activity remotely.

With the French National Education ("Education Nationale"), La Poste has been working to maintain educational continuity with the delivery of IT equipment. Its digital subsidiary Docaposte addressed homework by mail to digitally disconnected students, enableling teachers to correct them online. 500,000 students disconnected from school system have been able to benefit from this initiative.

Docaposte also used its digital expertise for the launch of MaladieCoronavirus.fr, the information and referral site for people with Covid-19 symptoms. With more than 10 million users, MaladieCoronavirus.fr is the most used e-health application in France. It reduced pressure on the emergency telephone number by eight.

La Poste was also there to prepare for the lockdown release phase. Two new services were launched to support those who must continue to stay at home: collecting mail to be sent from the homes of isolated people and sending registered letters from their personal mailbox, without leaving home. Mailbox shipping has also been developed.

For small businesses and professionals, La Poste implemented a platform of marketing and delivery for 10 million masks, which was launched by the Ministry of the Economy and Finance with the support of CCI France and CMA France. This complete system includes online purchase and payment, order preparation and on-site delivery. Finally, at the request of the Ministry of Solidarity and Health ("Ministere des solidarites et de la sante"), La Poste also distributes 50 million masks to people with low wages.

Anchored in local communities, La Poste has mobilized in a difficult context to ensure the continuity of public service while protecting the health of La Poste employees and of its customers.

Alternative performance measures - Definitions

Change at constant scope and exchange rates (organic change) : Change at constant scope and exchange rates refers to the difference between the profit/loss obtained during the period and the profit/loss of a comparative period, following adjustment for any acquisitions or disposals which have been completed over the periods in question. The comparative periods are thus adjusted for identical scopes of consolidation. Currency transactions for the comparative period are valued at the average rate for the reference period.

Free cash flow : It consists of the following components: (i) Adjusted EBITDA, which comprises all operating revenue within the scope of consolidation excluding La Banque Postale, from which are deducted running costs and personnel expenses excluding allocations to end-of-career benefits (in the same scope excluding La Banque Postale), and to which is added the dividends received from equity associates and dividends received from La Banque Postale during the period relating to the previous year's results; (ii) change in working capital requirement; (iii) cash flows on purchases of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets net of disposals of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets; (iv) cash flows related to taxes (including CICE flows deducted and generated); (v) net interest paid; (vi) repayment of lease liabilities and interest expense on lease liabilities. Each of the free cash flow aggregates is added together for its value in terms of cash flows: positive for cash inflows and negative for cash outflows.

Net debt : Net financial debt includes all current and non-current financial debt, less cash and cash equivalents and derivative instruments linked to Group financing. It also includes financial debt arising from the application of IFRS 16 (Leases), short-term financial investments where there is no significant risk of a change in value, where the original maturity on the subscription date is greater than three months, and the net financial receivable against La Banque Postale.

Group net debt does not take into account La Banque Postale, for which this concept is not relevant.

Cost to income ratio : The cost to income ratio is calculated by dividing management expenses by the net banking income adjusted for doubtful interest. Management expenses are the sum of general operating expenses and the net depreciation, amortisation and impairment of property, plant and equipment and intangible assets.

This ratio is only calculated for La Banque Postale.

Common Equity Tier 1 ratio : This ratio is the calculation of the proportion of Tier 1 equity (CET 1) in relation to the total risk exposure amount (i.e. total risk-weighted assets - RWA - for the credit and counterparty risk, the market risk and the operational risk).

The CET1 ratio is the information which enables supervisors to determine whether or not a bank is solvent.

This ratio is only calculated for La Banque Postale.

Liquidity coverage ratio (LCR) : The LCR is a monthly short-term liquidity ratio which measures the bank's ability to resist a severe degradation of its situation in a context of a systemic shock over a 30-day period. The target ratio must be above 100%. This ratio is calculated by dividing the sum of high-quality, liquid assets free of commitments by the liquidity requirement under stress over 30 days.

This ratio is only calculated for La Banque Postale.

Net debt to equity ratio : The net debt to equity ratio indicates the proportion of the Group's net debt in relation to the Group share of equity.

-------------------

The half-year financial report of Le Groupe La Poste is now available online at https://www.groupelaposte.com / Our Financial Information / Publications

About Le Groupe La Poste

La Poste is a public limited company with public capital, and a subsidiary of Caisse des Depots and of the French State. Le Groupe La Poste is divided into five business units: Services-Mail-Parcels, La Banque Postale, La Poste Network, GeoPost and Digital Services. The Group operates in 47 countries spread over four continents. 1.3 million customers visit La Poste's 17,000 retail outlets each day. La Poste has the most extensive local commercial network in France. Every year, La Poste, which has been carbon neutral since 2012, delivers 21.6 billion items (letters, printed advertising and parcels) worldwide, six days a week. In 2019, the Group generated operating revenue of 26 billion (30% internationally) and employed more than 249,000 people. La Poste has set itself the goal of accelerating its transformation and continuing to diversify. La Poste is committed to making life more simple, realised in its ambition of becoming the leading proximity services provider for everyone, everywhere and every day.

PRESS CONTACT

(: (+33)1 55 44 22 37 - service.presse@laposte.fr

INVESTOR CONTACT

Yasmina Galle - (: (+33)1 55 44 17 02 - yasmina.galle@laposte.fr

[1] In all press releases, the term "Operating revenue" traditionally refers to all of the Group's operating revenue, including revenue from industrial and commercial activities, and La Banque Postale's net banking income which itself comprises the net insurance income from CNP Assurances.

[2] After share of the net profit of the jointly controlled entities.

[3] The impact of the initial recognition of the CNP Assurances shares is described in the "Impact of the initial recognition of the CNP Assurances shares" paragraph on page 3.

[4] Definitions presented in the paragraph "alternative performance indicators" in the notes to the press release.

[5] Please see on page 12  La Poste during the crisis .

[6] Definitions presented in the paragraph "alternative performance indicators" annexed to the press release.

[7] Viapost Logistic Connectee disposed of in full at the end of November 2019 (2019 revenue: 70 million).

[8] In equivalent open days.

[9] Adjusted for the home savings provision.

[10] Operating profit/(loss) (for the Group and business units) is presented after share of net profit/(loss) of jointly controlled entities throughout this press release.

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YEREVAN, 4 AUGUST, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 4 August, USD exchange rate down by 0.17 drams to 485.66 drams. EUR exchange rate up by 2.23 drams to 572.79 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate up by 0.02 drams to 6.59 drams. GBP exchange rate up by 0.60 drams to 634.22 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price down by 109.89 drams to 30581.45 drams. Silver price up by 2.37 drams to 378.34 drams. Platinum price up by 57.51 drams to 14193.43 drams.
McDonald's has capitalised on the coronavirus pandemic in Australia by doubling its online orders.

The local arm of the burger chain was singled out in the company's June update for being in one of the few countries where the company is actually exceeding sales from last year.

McDonald's said online delivery orders in Australia make up 10 per cent of its sales, compared with five per cent before the coronavirus crisis began.

The company's success in the delivery market through third-party party providers like Uber Eats and Deliveroo has prompted McDonald's to launch its own in-house delivery service focusing on regional areas.

A food delivery woman in a mask pictured in Sydney. McDonald's has announced national online delivery orders have increased from five to 10 per cent during the crisis as Australians are confined to their homes

McDonald's Australia chief executive Andrew Gregory said the aim of the service was to provide access to customers who live in towns not covered by companies such as Uber Eats.

The partnership with Menulog was announced in April and covers more than 60 restaurants including Dubbo and Bathurst in regional New South Wales and Colac west of Melbourne.

'Online delivery was about 5 per cent of our business before COVID-19 and already a strong part of our business with 600 restaurants,' Mr Gregory told The Australian.

'I think what we recognised straight away, as trends were accelerated during COVID-19, was delivery.

McDonald's has recently expanded to more than 900 restaurants nationally and Mr Gregory said the in-house delivery was an example of the chain being 'agile' in finding holes in the market.

Company executives said last week its Australian arm had strong sales through both drive-through and delivery performance in May and June.

McDonald's has launched its own in-house delivery service focusing on regional areas. Pictured is a McDonald's sign in Maryborough, north-west of Melbourne

Australia - along with Canada and the US - was one of the few markets where restaurants stayed open throughout the pandemic, McDonald's Corporation CEO Chris Kempczinski said.

Of the chain's 39,000 restaurants worldwide, 96 per cent are now open, compared with 75 per cent at the start of the second quarter.

Comparable-store sales that were down 39 per cent in April were down only 12 per cent by June.

The recovery is uneven though as stores with drive-through windows are recovering more quickly as customers try to limit contact, the company said.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, currently undergoing treatment for Covid-19 at a private hospital here, said in a video on Monday that there was no need for anyone to worry and he would soon get back to work.

Meanwhile, a day after he tested positive, Yediyurappas daughter B Y Padmavati too tested positive and was shifted to the same hospital that he is in. Random testing continued for the second day on Monday and the results are awaited. Family members and personal staff of the Chief Minister, including his younger son B Y Vijayendra, have gone into home quarantine.

Right: The barricaded CMs Office |

Nagaraja Gadekal, Vinod Kumar T

Six employees at Yediyurappas office have tested positive and more tests are being conducted, according to the CMO. Those infected include a gunman, two kitchen staffers, one housekeeping employee, one driver and a security personnel.

On Monday, Yediyurappa released a video from the hospital ward to say that all was well. Doctors after tests last night and this morning have said that there are no issues and I will recover soon. There is no need for anyone to worry. I have been in touch with officials to ensure that work does not suffer. With the prayers and well wishes of the citizens of the State, I will recover soon and return to work, he said.

He also thanked several leaders like BJP national president J P Nadda, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, JDS national president and former Prime Minister H D Deve Gowda and former Chief Ministers Siddaramaiah and H D Kumaraswamy for their wishes for his recovery.

At present, he (Yediyurappa) is doing well and is clinically stable. Appropriate treatment has been initiated as per current protocols. He is being treated and monitored closely by a multidisciplinary team of doctors, said a statement from Manipal Hospital where the CM is under observation.

Medical Education Minister Dr K Sudhakar said that Yediyurappa may have to remain in the hospital for about 8 to 10 days. The CM has a very mild cough and his chest is clear. All those who met him in the last 3-4 days...ideally they should be quarantined till they receive their results, he told agencies.

New police Chief kamal pant under home quarantine

Bengaluru: Two days after taking charge as Bengaluru Police Commissioner, Additional Director General of Police Kamal Pant has had to quarantine himself at home as he called upon Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa, who tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday night. Pant worked from home on Monday and also held meetings via video conference. He also spoke to police personnel affected by the pandemic and interacted with their families. Soon after taking charge as Bengalurus police chief on Saturday, Pant had met the CM according to protocol. Besides, as the chief of the state intelligence wing, the previous post held by Pant, he was meeting the CM on a daily basis almost and had reportedly done the same in the last week too. After Yediyurappas tests results came back positive, Pant quarantined himself starting Sunday night.

Special prayers held at Yediyur for CMs recovery

Tumakuru: In the wake of Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa testing positive for Covid-19, well-wishers on Monday held special pujas and rituals at the Siddalingeshwara temple at Yediyur -- the family deity of the CM -- praying for his speedy recovery. Priests performed rudrabhisheka, bilva patre archane and mahamangalarati.
I was pretty shocked, said Erica Smith, a postdoctoral researcher at Indiana University. I had never had particularly great experiences with @Sciencing_Bi, but I thought that she was a whole real human who had just died. I was surprised by how hard it hit me. I ate a pint of ice cream about it.

Ms. McLaughlin came across as particularly distraught. She mourned @Sciencing_Bi in a long thread, paying testament to her humanity and toughness.

She was supposed to get Hopi talisman for health as gifts for us but she ran out, Ms. McLaughlin tweeted. God. The irony of running out of health talisman. She also said that she and the person behind the account had been planning on getting matching tattoos in the Hopi language.

Ms. McLaughlin has prompted particular frustration and disgust by posing as a Hopi woman, right as the coronavirus has caused disproportionate harm to Indigenous communities in the United States.

There are millions who want to be us, said Jacqueline Keeler, a writer and the editor of Pollen Nation, a Native-led magazine. These people are centering themselves in our issues, they are heading Native American departments, they are telling Native students what they can and cant study  its to protect their own position. And so it does change our ability to advocate for ourselves when we are constantly being replaced by frauds, white people or other people of different backgrounds pretending to be us.

It Just Became Obvious to Me

The first time Mr. Eisen heard from the account was in defense of Ms. McLaughlin. The fact that @Sci-Bi was saying all these things about BethAnn, saying that BethAnn had helped her, it didnt make me trust BethAnn  but it made me less willing to publicly criticize her because I thought that public criticism would be felt by the people she was helping, he said. Who turned out to be fake.
On August 5, nine months after the Supreme Court (SC) decided in favour of the Ram temple at the disputed site in Ayodhya, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will preside over the bhoomi pujan to mark the beginning of the construction in the holy town. Ayodhya, in Indian history and mythology, is associated with the Hindu faith as the birthplace of Ram, and the Ram Rajya that he presided over after a long battle against evil. Ayodhya, in Indian politics, has been associated with unprecedented Hindu political mobilisation, the rise of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), a protracted legal dispute, and yes, Hindu-Muslim tensions and communal violence.

As the construction of the temple commences, Mr Modi has a rare opportunity to fuse together both these strands of Ayodhya. The temple is a political, intellectual and legal victory for the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, for the BJP, for its countless workers who participated in the rath yatra that brought the issue to national centre stage, for Mr Modi himself whose political life has coincided with the rise of Hindu political consciousness, and for millions of devotees who wanted to see a temple at the disputed site. This is a victory which the devout will, undoubtedly, mark with renewed faith. Mr Modi will not be off the mark in acknowledging this.

At the same time, the contentious history leading up to the temple cannot be erased. The fact that Muslims have abided by the rule of law and accepted the SC verdict in the spirit of closure is laudable  but cannot take away from the insecurity they have felt at the political mobilisation around the issue. The fact that the Babri masjid was demolished, and this was illegal according to the same SC verdict that allowed the temple, cannot be denied either. It is, therefore, incumbent on Mr Modi to not only mark the day as one of celebration for the devout, but also a day of sobriety, reaching out to those on the other side of the divide. There can be no better occasion to enunciate the sabka vishwas slogan of the government than in Ayodhya, to mark the end to an era of contentious political polarisation, and inaugurate a new phase of pluralism, secularism and harmony. Ram took care of all his subjects, with compassion and empathy. PM Modi must reach out to all citizens, with the same compassion. That would be a true tribute and redefine the meaning of Ayodhya in Indian political lexicon.
(Natural News) The next time you shop at Trader Joes  and we encourage you to support this great company if you have any locations near you  remember that this gem of a grocery store recently told the leftist mob no, which is a rarity in this day and age.

Though we had previously reported that Trader Joes was intending to cave to a pitiful petition calling on the company to change the racist names associated with its ethnic food packaging, we are overjoyed to inform you that Trader Joes has come out in condemnation of this apparently fake news, indicating that it is not planning to change anything.

Rather than capitulate to the demands of a privileged white girl from northern California who gathered about 4,900 unverified signatures for a petition calling on Trader Joes to rename everything in its store to be uniformly Caucasian, the company is sticking to its guns and defending its highly revered and principled name.

A few weeks ago, an online petition was launched calling on us to remove racist packaging from [our] products, a statement from Trader Joes reads. Following were inaccurate reports that the petition prompted us to take action. We want to be clear: We disagree that any of these labels are racist. We do not make decisions based on petitions.

The statement adds that Trader Joes makes decisions based on what customers purchase, as well as the feedback we receive from our customers and Crew Members, adding: If we feel there is need for change, we do not hesitate to take action.

Trader Joes represents everything that is RIGHT with corporate America

Similar to how the company handled so-called Blackout Tuesday by not putting up a black square on its corporate social media accounts, and instead explaining to its customers and followers that it has always valued all people  no matter their skin color  Trader Joes is once again silencing the bully mob that is constantly looking for something to cancel.

Trader Joes has repeatedly indicated that it will not be coerced, pushed around, or threatened into doing the political bidding of the radical extremist groups, and for that the company deserves to be commended many times over, and then some.

This is the model that all corporations would do well to follow, standing on principal rather than the raw emotion of special interest groups pushing a very narrow agenda. More than likely, Trader Joes will gain even more customers from all of this, even as its kowtowing competitors continue their decline into oblivion.

While we cannot confirm whether or not Trader Joes issued the seemingly capitulating response to the Change.org petition that we wrote about previously, the company is claiming that it did not. Regardless, we fully support what Trader Joes has bravely announced now in the aftermath of all this.

It is rather unfortunate that the left is unable to differentiate between appropriation and appreciation of different cultures, the latter being what Trader Joes aims to do with its lighthearted ethnic food product packaging. It is also rather pathetic that the left still has not learned the true definition of racism, projecting its own racism onto others in illogical, nonsensical ways, this Trader Joes saga being a case-in-point.

It seems the good guys are winning now, writes Monica Showalter for American Thinker. Enjoying another culture is not racism, its white Karenism, done by wokester teens with absolutely nothing intelligent to say. Glad Trader Joes woke up and smelled the coffee.

For more related news stories about the lefts obsession with race and constant misappropriation of words like racism, be sure to check out PoliticalCorrectness.news.

Sources for this article include:

AmericanThinker.com

NaturalNews.com
IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- With Helium 10 Alta, Amazon sellers now have access to powerful financial solutions that include a robust digital wallet, rapid approval credit lines, daily advances on Amazon payments, international direct payment and tax management.

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From COVID-19 to Ebola, naming diseases after locations breeds fear and hate, says UB expert

News and social media play a large role in labeling others as infected, leading to closed borders and tightened immigration policies

In many countries, the stigma of an infectious disease can be worse than the disease itself, as well as play a significant role in social and institutional responses. 

BUFFALO, N.Y.  The common practice of naming infectious diseases after specific people or places perpetuates xenophobia around the globe, says Tiffany Karalis Noel, a University at Buffalo expert on sociocultural inequity.

References to COVID-19 as the Wuhan virus or China virus have contributed to thousands of incidences of harassment and assault against people of Asian descent across the world. The problem is exacerbated, she says, by sensationalist media reports and the rise of social media.

This fear of unknown diseases is a part of human nature, especially when they are deadly and highly infectious, says Karalis Noel, PhD, clinical assistant professor of learning and instruction in the UB Graduate School of Education.

Stigmatization of COVID-19, led by some politicians, such as Donald Trump, might have reinforced such discrimination and social exclusion, she says. However, it is paramount to recognize the discriminatory behaviors that accompany fear, as they damage not only the sociocultural fabric in the long run, but they also compromise present efforts to contain the disease.

Karalis Noel calls on social scientists and education professionals to communicate accurate, socially-appropriate information with students and surrounding communities. She also stresses the importance of media monitoring in pandemic planning to help mitigate the spread of misinformation and establish trust with marginalized populations.

Finding a scapegoat

In a commentary published on July 7 in Social Sciences & Humanities Open, Karalis Noel explores the connection between xenophobia  the fear and hatred of foreigners or strangers  and global pandemics throughout history.

In pandemics caused by infectious disease, some media commentators and personalities enter into a blame game, labeling others as the scapegoat for the outbreak. Fault typically falls on the people most closely tied to the diseases name, regardless of scientific evidence, she says.

The 1918 flu pandemic is commonly referred to as the Spanish flu, even though the outbreak didnt begin in Spain. Journalists in Spain, a neutral country during World War I, were the first to widely cover the pandemic while other nations censored the news to avoid appearing vulnerable to enemies.

The Ebola virus received its name from the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The first outbreak occurred in a village near the river.

The panic caused by media coverage that labels a group of people as infected can result in closed borders, tightened immigration policies and a rise in hate crimes, Karalis Noel says. Social media is a new mode of communication  one not present during previous pandemics  that allows xenophobic messages to rapidly spread.

In many countries, the stigma of an infectious disease can be worse than the disease itself, as well as play a significant role in social and institutional responses, she says.

Within the United States, for example, much of the medias response to the COVID-19 outbreak has been a proliferation of sensationalized and misinformed headlines. Hot-button phrases such as Wuhan virus and China virus promote fear and panic, which propel prejudice, xenophobia and discrimination.

Within the first two weeks of the COVID-19 pandemic, people of Asian descent experienced more than 1,100 reported incidences of verbal harassment, shunning and physical assault, according to the Asian Pacific Policy and Planning Councils Stop Asian American and Pacific Islander Hate project.

Data also revealed that Asian American and Pacific Islander women were harassed at twice the rate of men, and 6% of the incidents involved children. Many people reported being laid off without cause or rejected from rental housing.

News headlines can have a powerful effect on the attitudes that people adopt, says Karalis Noel. If we wish to combat and overcome xenophobia, we must examine and amend the systems that produce and constrain it.
Hows this for a COVID-related headache? Employees at News Corps Holt Street bunker in Surry Hills who have been slowly trickling back into the office received an update this week from management regarding who can work in the office - and who cannot.

The Australian's editor-in-chief Chris Dore.

Given Potts Point has been designated as a so-called COVID-19 hotspot by NSW Health, News Corp employees who live in the locale have been encouraged to work from home. News Corp isnt the only media company to issue such a directive.

Which is fine, presumably, for most of the staff but more problematic for some at the top of the tree, including The Australian editor-in-chief Chris Dore who is a resident of Potts Point.

A company spokesman said Dore and the team had been producing the paper remotely for months since the start of the pandemic and that this weeks directive wasnt much of a change to the status quo. Others coming into the office who had grown accustomed to seeing their boss each day were more surprised, however, when they learned that he wouldnt be coming in.
Serviced office provider Glandore has said around 20% of its tenants have now returned to its Belfast and Dublin premises after prolonged working from home in lockdown.

The family-run business has serviced offices in Belfast's Arthur Street, with tenants from the technology and media worlds.

Writing in today's Business Telegraph, business development manager Nial Borthistle said firms were having to strike a balance between bringing staff back to meet operational needs, while maintaining a duty of care.

And he said that while tenants were now returning to offices, it was too soon to say when economic recovery would take root.

Firms were now looking at how to move forward, he said - adding that "as a result we are now seeing job losses and some employers will inevitably take the opportunity to reduce both their headcount and their property portfolio".

He said that while more office workers were expected to return in September when schools reopen, other firms, including in the IT sector, would keep staff working from home for some time.

And echoing a report from recruitment firm Hays last week, he said he believed a combination of remote working and office working would be the norm in future.

And he said that could mean companies wishing to avoid paying hefty annual rents. "A blended approach of working from home and being in the office could become the norm, so employers must assess if they need their current capacity or need to downsize. "Flexibility will be key and so companies will require a property solution that meets those needs."
Advertisement

Chief James Onanefe Ibori, on hearing the news of the alleged Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) contract award to him this morning, from the former Governor of Akwa-Ibom state, Senator Godswill Akpabio, as published by Punch newspapers and other online publications, he did not want to join in the dancing in the market square going on in the NDDC right now.

He has decided to make this clarification for the records because friends and associates inundated him with phone calls this morning. So, he is stating categorically that he never solicited for, or was awarded, or indeed executed, any contract with NDDC or any government agency, at any time, for that matter.

And in all he has been through in and out of public office, he has never been accused of being a government contractor, let alone a failed one hence he did not want to dignify the allegation with a response because it is ridiculous. So, Ibori is advising Akpabio, his brother, friend and member of the former Governors Forum, to please calm down and focus on the task at hand.

Ibori said that the NDDC we have today is a product of his personal sacrifice as well as those of his Niger Delta colleagues (1999 -2007) who rose to the occasion to override the veto of President Olusegun Obasanjo who refused to assent to the NDDC Bill at the time. If not for the exemplary courage some of us exhibited, there would have not been an NDDC to bicker about today, he said.

Ibori added: Watching the level the NDDC has degenerated to, is a tragedy. We owe it a duty to the people of the Niger Delta to make NDDC work to ameliorate the sufferings of the people of the region and to realise the dream for which we fought for it to be set up. So, let everybody involved in the NDDC do their duties to the good people of the region.
It was no routine shot in the arm.

Last week university professor Gary Stradiotto became one of 30,000 volunteers helping to test a vaccine in the world's biggest COVID-19 study.

Stradiotto, 52, an adjunct professor of Political Science at the University of San Diego, volunteered for the final phase of the moderna study and received his first 100mg of the experimental mRNA-1273 vaccine dose on Thursday.

He's due to get a second and final injection on August 26.

Moderna's vaccine is one of several promising candidates in the final stretch of the global vaccine race, as the US tops more than 155,000 deaths and surpasses 4.6 million reported cases of the virus, according to government figures.

Stradiotto said he decided to volunteer in the study because he doesn't 'see another way out of this pandemic other than to have an effective vaccine or a treatment.'

He admitted he was nervous as an EMT stood by in case of any medical emergencies and reported a short-lived ache in his arm where he was injected with the vaccine.

Still, Stradiotto said he's happy he went through with the shot and hasn't had any adverse side effects since.

San Diego university professor Gary Stradiotto is one of 30,000 volunteers helping to test coronavirus vaccine shots created by the US government

The 52-year-old claims research staff in California revealed a successful vaccine could hit the mass market as early as February 2021. Pictured: Urgent Care workers perform drive-up COVID-19 testing in LA

This comes as the grim coronavirus death toll has reached nearly 155,000 in the US with 4.6 million reported cases of the virus, according to government figures

Biotech firm Moderna is working closely with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and The National Institutes of Health (NIH), including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases' COVID-19 Prevention Network (CoVPN), to conduct the Phase 3 COVE study.

The project comes under the auspices of Operation Warp Speed, the publicprivate partnership that the federal government is plowing billions of dollars into to accelerate the development of a safe, effective COVID-19 vaccine and deliver 300 million doses to the public by January 2021.

Stradiotto, who lives in San Diego, told DailyMail.com that staff at the testing facility believe a new vaccine could be around the corner if tests are successful.

'The study is actually two years long, but I overheard them (clinical staff) talking and they said that if the study goes as planned and they get good results in the next couple of months they are hoping to release this vaccine in February next year,' he explained.

'And they said that if you got the placebo they would let you know so you can get the real thing.'

Stradiotto signed up for the study to help find a solution to combat the coronavirus which he said, 'seemed like a good thing to do'.

He was accepted and sent to the offices of the Medical Center for Clinical Research in San Diego last Thursday.

Stradiotto signed up for the study to help find a solution to combat the coronavirus which he said, 'seemed like a good thing to do'

The adjunct professor of Political Science at the University of San Diego volunteered for the final phase of the Moderna study. He received his first 100mg mRNA-1273 vaccine (pictured) dose last Thursday and is due to get a second and final injection on August 26

'I arrived there for a 1.30pm appointment and had to wait about 45 minutes. Then they took me to an exam room and asked me a number of medical questions, about pre-existing medical conditions, things like that.

'Then they do your weight, height and blood pressure and drew quite a bit of blood and did a nasal swab to test for any COVID-19 antibodies.

'Then they take you to the vaccine room and a nurse gives you an injection in your arm just below the shoulder.

'They give you either the vaccine or a placebo, you don't know and they don't know, it's a double blind study.'

After receiving the shot Stradiotto was taken to another room with two other volunteers and was asked to wait there for 30 minutes to make sure there was no adverse reaction from the shot.

An EMT stood by in case of any medical emergencies.

The university lecturer says he was patient number 35 to get the shot and said staff told him they were trying to test between 18-20 people a day at that location.

Stradiotto reported feeling an aching pain in his arm shortly after the injection was administered, but despite being 'nervous' about the shot, he's glad he went through with it and hasn't suffered any adverse side effects since.

'I think that something like this is very important because I don't see another way out of this pandemic other than to have an effective vaccine or a treatment,' he said.

'I don't know how long this is going to go on before we have a vaccine, so to me it's extremely important.'

It normally takes years to create a new vaccine from scratch, but scientists are speeding through the process in the knowledge that a vaccination is the world's best hope against the pandemic. Pictured: People wear protective face masks in New York City

In a two page 'study participation overview' pamphlet distributed to volunteers, it states that participants are 'contributing to a potential solution that could solve this global health crisis'.

The document titled 'COVE study' states eligible participants should be 18 years of age or older, be at high risk of COVID-19 infection, have no previous history of COVID-19 and not have received any other vaccines or treatment. COVE stands for Coronavirus Efficacy.

Reassuringly, it states: 'The vaccine cannot cause infection or make someone sick with COVID-19. Since March 2020, more than 300 people have received the vaccine so far with no serious side effects.'

The documents state the study will take up to 25 months and participants can expect seven visits to the study site and 24 phone calls.

DailyMail.com understands that volunteers in San Diego are given $90 for site visits on prepaid visa debit cards.

As well as regular check-in calls from researchers, the volunteers will also be asked to complete weekly diary entries via a health tracking app and they will have to answer a series of questions about the injection site, any COVID-19 symptoms as well as checking their temperature.

Participants can withdraw from the study at any time.

In a two page 'study participation overview' pamphlet distributed to volunteers, it states that participants are 'contributing to a potential solution that could solve this global health crisis'

The document titled 'COVE study' states eligible participants should be 18 years of age or older, be at high risk of COVID-19 infection, have no previous history of COVID-19 and not have received any other vaccines or treatment. COVE stands for Coronavirus Efficacy

According to the NIH, studies are going on at 89 trial sites across the US.

After two doses, scientists will closely track which group experiences more infections as they go about their daily routines, especially in areas where the virus is still spreading unchecked.

Moderna Co-founder and Chairman Noubar Afeyan has said that, depending on how many cases develop within the study group, Moderna and the NIH may know as early as 'late this year or early next year' if the shot is helping to prevent or reduce the severity of infections.

Unlike other studies, Moderna does not yet have a contract with the US government, which plans to purchase hundreds of millions of doses of the vaccines being developed by the two companies.

Moderna has not promised to sell its shot - to the government or otherwise - at a non-profit cost. Several other vaccines made by China and by Britain's Oxford University in July began smaller final-stage tests in Brazil and other hard-hit countries.

But the US requires its own tests of any vaccine that might be used in the country.

It normally takes years to create a new vaccine from scratch, but scientists are speeding through the process in the knowledge that a vaccination is the world's best hope against the pandemic.
Ukraine and Moldova have agreed to resume bilateral consultations to settle the problematic issues.

"Certainly, the issues of economic and trade cooperation between our countries were at the core of our conversation today. This is extremely important for the economies of our countries, and I am very glad that we managed to agree to resume meetings and consultations to settle the problematic issues that exist in our relations. Primarily, I mean the well-known package agreement which concerns the Dniester Hydro Power Plant and the Odesa-Reni road," Minister of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine Dmytro Kuleba said after a meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova Oleg Tulea in Kyiv, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

Minister Tulea noted that, in view of both ministers, bilateral trade and economic relations need to be intensified.

"In this regard, I suggested organizing a regular meeting of the Intergovernmental Commission on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Chisinau and further promoting direct dialogue at the level of the Commissions co-chairs," he said.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova added that a common European integration vector remained the basis for bilateral relations. The ministers also discussed security issues, including the settlement of the conflict in eastern Ukraine and the issue of Crimea.

"We reaffirmed our support for Ukraine's independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity within its internationally recognized borders. At the same time, I expressed gratitude for Ukraine's support to Moldova in the context of identifying some sustainable solutions in the Transnistrian conflict settlement," Tulea said.

As reported, Minister of Foreign Affairs and European Integration of Moldova Oleg Tulea makes a working visit to Ukraine on August 4.

ol
It's been 75 years since the brutal events that still loom over the life of elderly Lee Hak-rae.

He's the last of a group of Koreans who played a complex role in World War Two, and he's still fighting for recognition.

Lee was known by a different name then: Kakurai Hiromura.

In 1942, when Korea was occupied by Japan, Lee was recruited at 17 into Tokyo's wartime army.

Later, he was branded a World War Two criminal.

But when the postwar occupation of Japan ended, Lee and others Koreans that fought for Tokyo were rejected.

Both by Japan - and in Korea, where Lee feared he would be branded a traitor.

"Korean or Taiwanese war criminals are not recognized and treated equally as Japanese, even though we are the same war criminals as they are. That's what we want to talk about the most. But Japanese people pretend not to know," says Lee.

Lee oversaw some 500 Allied prisoners of war building a railroad between Thailand and what was then Burma, "The Death Railway" made infamous in the movie "The Bridge on the River Kwai."

Trial records reviewed by Reuters show prisoners remembered Lee, known as the Lizard, as one of the most brutal guards on the railway.

Lee denies charges of brutality, and says Koreans were on the lowest rung of Japan's army, and that they merely took orders.

He was sentenced to death along with other war criminals at age 23, but Lee's sentence was commuted - and he walked free on parole in Tokyo in 1956.

Nearly a quarter of a million Koreans fought on the Japanese side.

But they were not recognized in Japan as military veterans.

Japanese war criminals became eligible for pensions - up to $41,000 U.S. dollars a year - but not those of Korean ethnicity.

In 1999, Japan's Supreme Court rejected compensation claims by Lee and other Korean war criminals.

That's something historian Robert Cribb at Australian National University calls unfair.

"The Koreans who've been convicted of war crimes had a terrible time after the war because they were regarded as collaborators by other Koreans. But they weren't recognized by the Japanese government as veterans. So they were in a kind of black hole in the middle," said Cribb.

Story continues

In 2006, South Korea recognized them as victims of Japanese imperialism but offered no compensation for those living in Japan.

Lee keeps campaigning. He appeared before Tokyo's parliament in June to urge help for Korean war criminals and their families.

"I was lucky to live until 95. I don't want to live longer for myself but I can't stop fighting for my dead comrades," said Lee.
T he Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh have left Windsor Castle and are en route to Scotland for their summer break at Balmoral.

The monarch and Philip are going ahead with their annual stay in the Highlands after spending the last four months at their Berkshire residence during the coronavirus pandemic lockdown.

It is the first time the 94-year-old Queen and Philip have travelled away from Windsor since relocating from Buckingham Palace and the Sandringham estate on March 19.

The head of state and Philip, 99, have been staying at Windsor with a reduced household  dubbed HMS Bubble  for their safety ever since.

Video call hiccup for Queen and Anne

While the Queen has been active throughout the pandemic, delivering two rare televised addresses to the nation just weeks apart, Philip's public appearances have been few and far between since he retired in 2017.

The Duke of Edinburgh attended a rare public engagement on July 22 to hand the keys of his role as Colonel-in-Chief of The Rifles to the Duchess of Cornwall at Windsor.

The royal pair were pictured arriving by car at RAF Northolt in west London ahead of their flight to Aberdeenshire this afternoon. They will then stay at Balmoral until early October.

The Queen had long been expected to go ahead with her visit  one of her favourite parts of the year  if it proved safe and logistically possible.

The royal couple, who have been married for more than 72 years, are expected to remain in Scotland through August and September.

Captain Sir Tom Moore is knighted by the Queen - In pictures 1 /14 Captain Sir Tom Moore is knighted by the Queen - In pictures Queen Elizabeth II awards Captain Sir Thomas Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II talks Captain Sir Thomas Moore and his family after awarding him with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle Getty Images Captain Tom Moore, at his home in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire, ahead of being knighted by the Queen PA Queen Elizabeth II awards Captain Sir Thomas Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle Getty Images Captain Sir Thomas Moore arrives to receive his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II PA Queen Elizabeth II poses after awarding Captain Sir Thomas Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle Getty Images Captain Sir Thomas Moore arrives to receive his knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth AP Captain Sir Thomas Moore arrives to receive his knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth AP Captain Sir Thomas Moore after he received his knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II PA Captain Sir Thomas Moore arrives to receive his knighthood from Britain's Queen Elizabeth Getty Images Queen Elizabeth II talks Captain Sir Thomas Moore and his family after awarding him with the insignia of Knight Bachelor at Windsor Castle PA

Since lockdown began, the Queen has also celebrated her own birthday, Philip turning 99 and attended her granddaughter Princess Beatrices intimate wedding ceremony.

As the royals adapted to online appearances, the monarch took part in her first official video conference call as part of her public duties, speaking to carers with the Princess Royal on June 4.

She has also been holding her Privy Council meetings by video link and her weekly audiences with Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the phone.

On July, 17, she knighted Captain Sir Tom Moore in a special outdoor ceremony at the castle to honour the 100-year-old fundraising hero in what was her first face-to-face royal engagement with the public since March.

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The monarch will still continue with her official duties as sovereign while at Balmoral.
The family of a train guard who overturned a ban on non-white staff at British Railways in the 1960s has said his contribution to UK race relations should be taught in schools.

Asquith Xavier applied for a promotion that would see him move from Marylebone Station to Euston in 1966, a shift that would boost his salary by 10 a week.

But astonishingly at the time there was an informal ban at some stations on black workers holding railway jobs where they came into contact with the public and he was turned down.

Asquith Xavier with daughter Maria. Xavier's family said his contribution to UK race relations should be taught in schools

Asquith refused to accept the discrimination and his quiet determination not only ended in him securing the job as Euston's first non-white train guard - with his pay backdated to when he applied - it also led to the strengthening of the Race Relations Act and the creation of the Commission for Racial Equality.

It also sparked a full and independent inquiry into discrimination inside British Rail, which found that so-called colour bars were in place at several London stations.

Now on the 100th anniversary of his birth, Asquith's granddaughter - named in his honour - is leading calls for his story and those of other notable British black people to be included in the National Curriculum and laments the fact no-one has ever heard of him.

Camealia Xavier-Chihota, 35, says his contribution also means Britain's two million black people now live in a society where it is illegal for them to be penalised based on the colour of their skin.

She said: 'I want people to stop being omitted from British culture and history just because of the colour of their skin.

'I have a bit of a disdain for the term black history, because it's just history!

'If I'm honest I didn't have any idea of the enormity of what my granddad did until about 2006 in my first graduate role.

'When I did find out, I was brought to tears. I was filled with emotion because I realised exactly how important the work that he had put in place was.

'His contribution to our society has undoubtedly shaped the way we live today and it should be celebrated and never forgotten.'

Asquith Xavier's granddaughter Camealia Xavier. She is leading calls for his story and those of other notable British black people to be included in the National Curriculum

Asquith Camile Xavier was born on July 18, 1920, on the island of Dominica in the West Indies, then a British colony.

Not much is known about his early life, but in 1958 he answered the British government's call for those in the West Indies to move to Britain to work.

There were severe labour shortages as Britain rebuilt itself with Commonwealth citizens invited to come and help.

Modern immigration was born on June 22, 1948, with the arrival of the ship Empire Windrush at Tilbury Docks, carrying 492 Jamaicans.

It saw the country's non-white population soar from a few thousand in 1945 to more than a million by 1970.

Camealia explained: 'After World War II there was a campaign that went out in the Caribbean to recruit people to join their mother country because they needed people to help rebuild the economy.

'But they were met with quite a frosty response and lots of racial discrimination when they got here.

'Asquith came over first to secure employment and a home and then his wife Agnes followed with the children.

'They had four children between them and my dad - the fifth - was 18 months old.'

The family settled in Paddington and had another two children and Asquith worked as a porter at Marylebone before progressing to a train guard.

But with five mouths to feed, he was keen for a transfer to Euston to be a train guard there, which would boost his weekly income from 40 to 50.

Although a quiet man, he was heartbroken when he was turned down with his colour cited as the reason.

Camealia, of Rochester, Kent, went on: 'He started out in a menial role and worked his way up through the ranks.

'I was told that at Marylebone, if ever there was an important person passing through on their way to other parts of the country, for instance royalty, that black people working in the station would be asked to take the day off so that person wouldn't be met or see them.

'The reason he wanted to work at Euston station was that the same role would get him an extra 10 a week - in today's money this pay rise would have meant he'd earn the equivalent of just under 800 per week.

'He had high aspirations and he'd come from a background in law enforcement in the Caribbean. He wanted to do his best in Britain, for Britain.

Camealia Xavier. Camealia has written to her local MP, the Secretary of State for Education and will also lobby Boris Johnson to ask him to make learning about black historical figures part of the curriculum

'He was denied the promotion because of the colour of his skin and it was made quite clear by union officials that this racial discrimination was part of their unwritten policy.

'That's when the fight began.'

Asquith was determined not to drop the matter when he received his rejection letter from a staff committee at Euston, which said they could not employ him as he was black.

The first Race Relations Act was passed in 1965 making it illegal to discriminate on the grounds of colour, race, or ethnic or national origins in public places.

But the railways were not considered public and black people were only allowed to be cleaners or hold menial jobs at Euston.

A union official publicised Asquith's rejection letter, writing a letter to the National Union of Railwaymen on his behalf and, on seeing it, two MPs wrote to Barbara Castle, then Secretary of State for Transport.

Following the outcry, British Railways confirmed it would abandon the colour ban.

At a press conference British Railways denied the 12-year colour bar at Euston had ever been real and said it was born by workers keen to protect their jobs.

On August 15th, 1966, Asquith got the job he so craved, although it came at a price.

He had to ask for police protection on his way to and from work and he was also subject to race hate and threatening letters from the public.

On the day he started at Euston, station manager Ernest Drinnan said: 'We expect Mr Xavier to fit in very well here.

'His record at Marylebone was exceptionally good and we know everyone here will take to him.'

BR spokesman Leslie Leppington said to him: 'You will be fairly treated.There is now no colour bar at Euston. A coloured man can rise to any position here.'

With his extra wages, the family could now afford to buy their own house in Chatham, Kent, where they moved in 1972.

He travelled every day from Chatham mainline station to work in Euston, but not long after he secured his new position his health began to fail.

Two years later, in 1968, a new Race Relations Act made it illegal to refuse housing, employment or public services to people because of their ethnic background.

Presenting the Bill to Parliament, then Home Secretary Jim Callaghan said: 'The House has rarely faced an issue of greater social significance for our country and our children.'

Camealia, who was herself born in Chatham to Asquith's son Robertson, said: 'When he managed to secure that role and disband the colour bar, he would have been proud of what he'd achieved, not only for himself, but for others.

'But he underwent lots of racial discrimination not only from the public but also colleagues who saw him as a bit of a troublemaker.

'They wanted an easy life and didn't want him to rock the boat.

'There is nothing more disappointing when people say 'Go back to where you came from' - he was a British man who was invited here to rebuild the economy, just like the rest of the Windrush Generation.

'It was disappointing for him to not be regarded as equal.'

But Asquith was never the same again. He had an ulcer and suffered a stroke and died aged just 59 in 1980.

His widow Agnes died in 2004 aged 81 and both are buried in Chatham.

Camealia is desperately upset as she never got to meet her granddad - but her name is adopted from his middle name so she feels a special bond with him.

'Not having met him myself I am slightly removed from what happened, but at the same time I'm also overwhelmed and hugely proud.

'I feel a sense of duty to take the baton and advance the work he started

to eliminate racial inequality, disadvantage and discrimination.'

Camealia is also supporting the proposal for a blue plaque honouring her granddad at Chatham Station and is working on a charitable community initiative - Medway Culture Club - to support diversity and promote racial harmony in the Medway Towns.

She has also kept her maiden name Xavier to pass onto her children Ella, two, and Gabrielle, three, and is supported in her campaign by husband Shingirai Chihota.

Camealia has now written to her local MP, the Secretary of State for Education and will also lobby Boris Johnson to ask him to make learning about black historical figures part of the curriculum.

She added: 'These people helped shape this country and teaching of their accomplishments may help address issues of prejudice and bias, assisting cohesion within the multicultural Britain we live in today. There are many great examples of positive black role models, yet they remain under-represented and I believe my grandad was a great example in modern-day history of how when dealing with matters of discrimination, the pen was mightier than the sword.

'We need to bring the national curriculum up to speed to include the positive achievements of black and mixed race people and people of other ethnicities which are very relevant in both local and British history. It's a way of counteracting unconscious bias in the next generation.

'And I don't think there should be one month dedicated to it. It should just be integrated into the curriculum.

'What my granddad was able to justify over 50 years ago was not just that Black Lives Matter but that the quality of life of black people matters equally too.'
Mumbai High Court will on Tuesday (August 4) hear a PIL seeking transfer of Sushant Singh Rajput's death case from Mumbai Police to CBI. The PIL will be heard in the presence of a bench of Chief Justice Dipankar Datta.

It may be recalled that on July 30 the Supreme Court had rejected a PIL seeking transfer of the probe from Mumbai Police to the CBI. The apex court had directed the lawyers to file the PIL at the Bombay High Court if they had something concrete to show in the case. The order was passed by a bench of Chief Justice of India S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian.

In a related development, Sushant Singh Rajput's father on Monday (August 3) claimed that the Mumbai Police was warned about the threat to the actor's life in February. The Mumbai Police, however, countered Singh saying that he never made any written complaint about the threat to his son's life.

In a startling claim, Rajput's father Krishna Kishore Singh said that Mumbai Police was warned but it failed to take note of it and also did not act upon complaints against named persons a day after his death on June 14.

Meanwhile, Mumbai Police Commissioner Param Bir Singh on Monday (August 3) said that Mumbai police has started an investigation in this after filing an Accidental Death Report.



Singh said that forensic experts and team of doctors have been consulted to help Mumbai police in the probe and the police is yet to reach a conclusion in this case. According to Singh, Mumbai police is probing the matter from both angle, including natural death as well as suspected death.

Singh noted that Mumbai police has recorded the statements of Sushant's family members and they did not raise suspicion over the involvement of any third person in this matter.

Sushant, a resident of Patna, reportedly died by suicide at his Bandra residence in Mumbai on June 14.
An alliance with TikTok could further Microsoft's social network ambitions

The US tech titan seems to not have yielded the battlefield to Facebook after the failure of its social network Soclthree years ago as it has now taken a crack at acquiring one of the most popular platforms  TikTok.

Newswire CNBC stated that Microsoft on August 2 confirmed that it has been negotiating with TikToks parent company ByteDance to drive home the acquisition. Accordingly, Microsoft intends to conclude talks by September 15.

While the deal value has not been revealed yet, Microsoft is expected to pay top dollar for the the deal. According to Reuters, the Chinese platform was assessed at $50 billion. Moreover, ByteDance also forecast that TikToks revenue this year could reach $1 billion.

Previously, after proving unable to compete with Facebook, Microsoft was forced to close the curtains on Socl after five years of operation. Launched in May 2012, Socl was set apart from Facebook and Google+ through its focus on images  similar to Pinterest. However, at the time, Instagram, a photo and video sharing social network (which was bought in the same year by Facebook), was hugely popular and left little space for Microsofts platform.

Indeed, before Socl, the stranglehold of Facebook and Google on the global social network arena has led to numerous players, smaller and larger, to withdraw, including Orkut and OpenSocial (developed by Google).

Notwithstanding, as advertising on social networks has become more popular and immensely profitable  Microsoft cannot stay put and the deal with the billion-dollar TikTok could strengthen its competitiveness in the playground.

In 2007, the US software maker also poured $240 million into Facebook and since then the two have carried out various joint initiatives.

2019 has been a successful year for TikTok with revenue touching $176.9 million, according to market research company Sensor Tower. Specifically, the earnings from iOS and Android users quintupled over-year.

ByteDance launched TikTok outside of mainland China in 2017, following the introduction of a similar platform named Douyin. Last year, ByteDance reported $20 billion in revenue, up 180 per cent on-year.
Microsofts video game streaming technology, Project xCloud, will come to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate on September 15th, at no additional cost to members. The initial rollout covers 22 countries across North America, Europe and South Korea, and gives players access to more than 100 games, including Destiny 2, Gears 5, Minecraft: Dungeons, The Outer Worlds, Sea of Thieves and Yakuza Kiwami 2.

Microsoft revealed in July that xCloud would be rolled into Game Pass Ultimate in September, but didnt share an exact date or specific titles coming to the service. Today, Microsoft listed the names of 36 games heading to Game Pass Ultimate via xCloud, and weve published those at the end of the article.

Project xCloud makes Xbox console games playable on Android smartphones and tablets, streamed in over WiFi or cellular data. Its been live in beta since October 2019, and its proven to be one of the most consistent, steadily-growing streaming services out there.

The standalone Project xCloud preview program will shut down on September 1st, and Microsoft is no longer accepting new testers. From here on, an Xbox Game Pass Ultimate membership is the only way to try out Microsofts cloud-gaming technology.

Game Pass Ultimate costs $15 a month, and it gives members access to a massive game library on Xbox consoles, PC and Android devices, plus Gold multiplayer services. Theres also a basic version of Game Pass for consoles, which costs $10 a month, and a separate version for PC, which is on sale right now for $5 a month. Game Pass went live in 2017, and today there are more than 10 million members on the books, outstripping Sonys PlayStation Now subscriber count five times over.

Streaming is a critical aspect of Microsofts strategy for the future of console gaming. The company is banking on cross-platform subscription services like Game Pass to generate recurring revenue and create an all-encompassing gaming ecosystem for the largest number of players possible. Combined, Game Pass and xCloud streaming will theoretically give players a massive, constantly updated game library thats accessible on practically any piece of hardware they have, negating the need for a shiny new console. Microsoft has been dismantling the idea of strict console generations for years, and its now targeting players on any device.

Story continues

This inclusive approach comes with its drawbacks. Even though the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 have comparable CPU, GPU, RAM and SSD stats, its likely that games are going to look better on Sonys console for the first few years. Microsoft has promised that all first-party Xbox Series X games will also run on the Xbox One family of consoles for the foreseeable future, limiting developers to seven-year-old hardware. Thats one reason Halo Infinite received such a tepid reception after its reveal in July.

Meanwhile, Sony is maintaining rigid divisions between console generations. Games built for the PS5 are free to take advantage of its significant improvements in processing power, graphics capabilities and hardware-driven AI systems. PlayStation Now is lightyears behind xCloud, but Sony is actually partnering with Microsoft to leverage Azure and xCloud technology for its own use.

With xCloud in Game Pass Ultimate, players will be able to seamlessly transition among platforms, starting a game on the console and continuing it on a tablet, or vice versa. Friends list, achievements, controller settings and saved games exist across devices.

XCloud will be available via Game Pass Ultimate in 22 countries at launch, and those are as follows: Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Slovakia, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

And heres the list of confirmed xCloud-Game-Pass titles:

 Ark: Survival Evolved

 Bleeding Edge

 Costume Quest 2

 Crackdown 3 (campaign)

 Destiny 2

 F1 2019

 Forza Horizon 4

 Gears of War: Ultimate Edition

 Gears of War 4

 Gears 5 Ultimate Edition

 Grounded

 Halo 5: Guardians

 Halo Wars: Definitive Edition

 Halo Wars 2

 Halo: The Master Chief Collection

 Halo: Spartan Assault

 Hellblade: Senuas Sacrifice

 Killer Instinct Definitive Edition

 Max: The Curse of Brotherhood

 Minecraft Dungeons

 The Outer Worlds

 Ori and the Blind Forest: Definitive Edition

 Ori and the Will of the Wisps

 Quantum Break

 ReCore: Definitive Edition

 Ryse: Son of Rome

 Sea of Thieves: Anniversary Edition

 State of Decay 2: Juggernaut Edition

 Sunset Overdrive

 Super Luckys Tale

 Tell Me Why

 The Bards Tale Trilogy

 Wasteland 2: Directors Cut

 Wasteland 3

 Wasteland Remastered

 Yakuza Kiwami 2

Update 8/4 2:30PM: Microsoft announced the closure of the xCloud preview program this morning, and this information has been added to the story.
Hansford County Historical Commission Meet July 7, 2020

The regular quarterly meeting of the Hansford County Historical Commission met on Tuesday, July 7, 2020, at the Hansford County Annex Building.



Present were:



Chair Dorothy Cator, Vice Chair Don Maize, Secretary Kim Vera, Treasurer Cindy Scribner, Paige Bergin, Gina Gillispie.



Absent:



Ryan Davis, Paul Stavlo, J.D. Wilbanks, Joanne Eaton and Helen Boyd.



Special Guests:



Hansford County Judge Benny Wilson

Hansford County Treasurer Lynn French



Chair Dorothy Cator called the meeting to order. Kim Vera read the minutes of the January meeting. Minutes were approved as read. A treasurer's report was given.



Judge Benny brought a sample of the granite and font for the Veteran's marker that is currently being built. He reported that he hoped the monument would be ready to set in August. When the monument is set in place, the Historical Commission will host an event to dedicate it.



This date will be announced closer to time. At this time the donors will be recognized. Currently there is a total of nearly $13,000.00 to fund this monument.



Gina Gillispie asked the board if they wanted to include a ceremony to dedicate the Hansford County Courthouse during Spearman's 100th Birthday scheduled for next May.



The courthouse was recently designated by the Texas Historical Commission on the National List of Historic Places in Texas.



Even though the courthouse where it stands is not 100 years old, there has not been a ceremony to celebrate the designation of being listed in the registry.



With no further business, the meeting was adjourned. The next meeting will be held in October.




NEW YORK, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- On Monday, August 3, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros and New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, with the leadership of the Friends of St. Nicholas and the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, visited the World Trade Center to witness the resumption of construction of the Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine, the only house of worship destroyed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Once rebuilt, the Church and National Shrine will serve as a powerful symbol of resilience and a beacon of hope, welcoming people of all faiths to honor the lives lost on 9/11.

New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros (Photo: Michael Sellas) John Catsimatidis, Dennis Mehiel, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros, Michael Psaros, Richard Browne (Photo: Michael Sellas)

In his remarks, His Eminence Archbishop Elpidophoros of America stated, "Nearly twenty years ago, our Saint Nicholas fell with thousands of our fellow human beings lost in the ashes of 9/11, and countless others wounded in body, heart, and soul by a savage act of hatred and terror. We cannot, we must not, and we shall not let this stand. We are going to open the Saint Nicholas Church and National Shrine as a sign of love, not hate; a sign of reconciliation, not of prejudice; and a sign of the ideals that exist in this great American Nation, where one's religious liberty and freedom of conscience never excludes, but only embraces."

The Archbishop blessed the construction workers, praying that God might "protect the workers who have returned to this holy place to rebuild in safety and peace. Guide their hands aright, shield their eyes from harm, grant unto them and all who contribute to this Holy Work every blessing of body and soul."

Governor Cuomo stated, "In the face of tragedy and destruction on 9/11, the St. Nicholas community literally held its ground against what was an inconceivable tragedy inspired by hate, instead relying on the power of love to restore what was lost and create a symbolism of faith and tolerance." Governor Cuomo continued, "In New York, we know from experience that rebuilding after a crisis means more than just restoring bricks and mortar or reviving an economy; it also requires healing a broken spirit. This church helps achieve that healing, and it will be a national shrine, rising on a place made sacred by the suffering that took place here and will send a powerful message to the world that New York is a state made stronger by tolerance and our respect for one another."

Rick Cotton, Executive Director of the Port Authority said, "Today marks a new chapter in the historic rebuild of Lower Manhattan. The new St. Nicholas Church and National Shrine will be a source of inspiration and peace, while also helping to share the historical contributions of the Greek-Orthodox community to all who visit and worship. The Port Authority is proud to have worked alongside Governor Cuomo to bring us to this important milestone and today, we are pleased to see construction resume. I commend the work of the Archdiocese and Friends of St. Nicholas as they have worked hard to ensure that this project honors the strength and resolve of our World Trade Center Campus."

Kevin J. O'Toole, Chairman of the Port Authority said, "In a world filled with so much uncertainty, this restart brings hope that we are closer to restoring St. Nicholas as a solemn place for parishioners and visitors to worship, reflect, and honor the innumerable sacrifices made after the September 11th attacks. The church is a symbol of the continued resilience that has helped bring a rebirth to the World Trade Center campus, and today is a day to recognize those hard-fought achievements."

The election of Archbishop Elpidophoros in May 2019 reset the stage for a new, transparent approach to complete the Saint Nicholas reconstruction, which had been abruptly halted in December 2017 due to a series of managerial and financial crises in the Archdiocese. With the encouragement of Governor Cuomo, the non-profit Friends of St. Nicholas was formed to oversee the project. This group of prominent Greek Orthodox Christians, under the guidance of Archbishop Elpidophoros and Fr. Alexander Karloutsos, and the leadership of Dennis Mehiel, Michael Psaros and John Catsimatidis, raised the funds required to complete the construction of the Church and National Shrine.

At the conclusion of the event, Archbishop Elpidophoros, Governor Cuomo and those in attendance at the event observed the placement of the first skylight in the dome of the Church. Dennis Mehiel, Chairman of the Friends of St. Nicholas, remarked, "We have just witnessed the placement of the first piece of glass that what will eventually become a beacon of light at Ground Zero, shining brightly as a symbol of good versus evil and providing a peaceful and prayerful place for people of all faiths who visit the 9/11 Memorial."

The Church is slated to be completed in the fall of 2021.

To view the ceremony, please click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fRDpL2XyWs4&feature=youtu.be

Media Contacts:

George Gigicos

[email protected]

561-400-3604

Fr. Evagoras Constantinides

[email protected]

646-770-5022

SOURCE Saint Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and National Shrine
New York:

To watch the annual lighting of the Christmas tree in Rockefeller Center thousands of rain-drenched revelers gathered in midtown Manhattan.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio flipped the switch just before 9 pm (local time) on Wednesday, illuminating the 94-foot tall, 14-ton Norway spruce with 50,000 multicolored LED bulbs on five miles of wires. The tree is topped with a Swarovski star.

The 84th annual ceremony was televised by NBC and included performances by Neil Diamond, Sarah McLachlan, Tori Kelly and the Radio City Rockettes.

Security at the event was tight. Spectators were urged to use mass transit and umbrellas, backpacks and large bags were prohibited.

The holiday tradition started in 1931. This year's tree came from the backyard of Angie and Graig Eichler in the northern foothills of New York's Catskill mountain range.

Angie Eichler said their family has come almost every year to see the Rockefeller Center tree, but she never dreamed it would be theirs.

The tree will be lit every day from 5:30 am to 11:30 pm until January 7. On Christmas Day the lights will be on 24 hours.

After the holidays, the tree will be milled into lumber for Habitat for Humanity.

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 Flash

China on Monday urged the United States to immediately withdraw its wrong decision of imposing sanctions on the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps and two relevant officials, vowing to "resolutely fight back" if the U.S. side is bent on behaving like this.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin made the remarks in response to relevant U.S. move, and a recent statement by U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo criticizing China's Xinjiang policy.

"The U.S. action is a gross interference in China's internal affairs and a grave violation of basic norms governing international relations. China firmly opposes and strongly condemns it," Wang told a daily press briefing.

He said Xinjiang-related issues are never about human rights, ethnicity or religion, but about counter-terrorism and anti-separatism. "Xinjiang affairs are purely China's internal affairs. The United States has no right and no ground to interfere."

Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps has made important contributions to promoting Xinjiang's development, ethnic unity, social stability and border security, living in harmony with all ethnic groups as a friendly and supportive companion, said Wang. "The U.S. allegation is nothing but rumor-mongering and mud-slinging."

The Chinese government is resolute in upholding its sovereignty, security and development interests, in fighting violent terrorist, separatist and religious extremist forces, and in opposing any foreign interference in Xinjiang affairs and China's other internal affairs, Wang said.

While commenting on Pompeo's recent accusation about so-called "surveillance" against ethnic minorities in Xinjiang, Wang said the allegation has no factual basis at all. "It is a common international practice to use modern scientific and technological products and big data to improve social governance, and the United States is no exception.

The installation of cameras in public places in accordance with law in Xinjiang does not target any specific ethnicity and it aims to improve social governance and prevent and fight crimes. This measure has been widely supported by people of all ethnic groups as it makes the society safer, he said.

"Speaking of surveillance, the United States has long been criticized for its massive surveillance using high-techs," Wang said.

According to a report released by Georgetown University, half of American adults, or more than 117 million people, are enrolled in a law enforcement face recognition network, and African Americans are most likely to be singled out, he said.

Moreover, relevant U.S. agencies have long been conducting massive, organized and indiscriminate cyber theft, surveillance and attacks against foreign governments, companies and individuals in breach of international law and basic norms of international relations, Wang said. "This has been a well-known fact to all."

Pompeo and his likes' remarks are "nothing better than malicious slanders," Wang said. "Such attempt to sabotage prosperity and stability in Xinjiang and seek pretext to have a hand in China's internal affairs is doomed to fail."
Unions say $1,500 pandemic leave won't defeat Covid-19. Source: AAP/Getty

Unions have raised concerns $1,500 pandemic leave payments will leave holes in Australia's defences against the spread of coronavirus.

Victorian workers without sick leave will be able to access the fortnightly federal government payments while they self-isolate.

The Australian Council of Trade Unions wants workers to be compensated at normal rates of pay and the scheme administered through payroll systems.

"It's actually set at the rate of pretty close to the minimum wage, which is less than half the average wage," ACTU president Michele O'Neil told Seven Network on Tuesday.

"We want to make sure it works like sick leave. If you need to stop work and isolate you should get your normal pay and the government should reimburse businesses that can't afford to pay that."

Ms O'Neil is concerned workers having to call 1800 numbers to access the cash will be a barrier.

"It's a good start but leaves some holes in our defence against COVID-19," she said.

The payments will be available from Wednesday, with workers allowed to receive it multiple times if coronavirus testing or isolation is needed.

Business Council of Australia chief executive Jennifer Westacott said the grants must be easy to access and in line with health advice.

"It makes a huge difference in removing the disincentive for people to stay at home if they're tested of if they've come into contact and they've got to quarantine," she told ABC radio.

Unions are also calling for childcare workers to be reinstated into the federal government's JobKeeper wage scheme subsidy.

Victoria's strict six-week lockdown has triggered confusion about the future for childcare staff.

"This can be fixed today by Josh Frydenberg or Scott Morrison with a simple flick of the pen," Ms O'Neil told Sky News.

"We're hoping that decision gets made today to give those workers the surety they need."

Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he needed more clarity from the Victorian government about which industries would be allowed to continue and the demand for child care.

"We're very committed to ensuring those (child care) facilities remain available," he told reporters in Canberra.

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Escalating US-China tensions had prompted American politicians to warn that the app posed a potential national security threat and call for an investigation into whether US user data was being shared with Beijing, accusations that ByteDance has repeatedly rejected.

A US investigation into ByteDance's TikTok is really intended to smother a Chinese-owned app thats become a sensation with Americans, founder Zhang Yiming told employees in China Tuesday.

In his second missive to the troops in as many days, the billionaire entrepreneur said a government probe into the companys 2017 purchase of Musical.ly, TikToks progenitor, was intended to spur a complete shutout.

Escalating US-China tensions had prompted American politicians to warn that the app posed a potential national security threat and call for an investigation into whether US user data was being shared with Beijing, accusations that ByteDance has repeatedly rejected.

Beijing-based ByteDance has come under pressure from the White House and US lawmakers to sell off its US TikTok operations and now has until September 15 to hold negotiations with Microsoft over such a deal.

President Donald Trump said on Monday any sale of TikToks American operations would have to include a substantial payment to the US, though it wasnt clear under what authority he can extract a payment.

While a forced sale of TikTok to US buyer is unreasonable, it is still part of a legal process and the company has no choice but to abide by the law, Zhang said. But this is not their goal, or even what they want. Their real objective is to achieve a comprehensive ban, he wrote.

Zhangs comments were echoed by prominent venture capitalist Lee Kai-Fu, who wrote Tuesday on Chinese social media he found the fracas around TikTok unbelievable. The former head of Googles Chinese operations added that while Google was forced to leave China, Beijing had always been clear about its restrictions while Trump lacked a legal basis to bar TikTok.

In a separate letter yesterday, Zhang said ByteDance is exploring all possibilities to resolve an intensifying confrontation with Washington and that the worlds largest startup has made no final decision on options. The CEO said on Tuesday that both he and ByteDance have come under intense criticism at home following news of a possible sale and thanked China employees for their efforts.

Beijing has also waded into the fray. Chinas government wont accept an acquisition of TikToks US operations by Microsoft and may take action against Washington if a sale is forced, the state-run China Daily said in an editorial Tuesday.
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas, Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Traditions Health, LLC ("Traditions"), a hospice and home health provider in Texas, California and Arizona, announced that it has acquired two hospice providers, Faith Hospice of Oklahoma and Embrace Hospice of Georgia. Both providers were part of Diversified Health Care and operate out of a combined ten locations. The multi-state footprint strategically expands Traditions' presence to Oklahoma and Georgia, allowing Traditions to provide a high quality of clinical care to a broader base of patients across the country.

As a leading provider of hospice and home health services, Traditions offers skilled nursing, therapy services, and both physical and spiritual end of life care. The announcement was made by Bryan Wolfe, the President and CEO of Traditions. "I am extremely excited to expand our services to Oklahoma and Georgia. This is an enormous accomplishment for our organization and we are very honored to begin caring for patients in these great states," said Mr. Wolfe.

About Traditions Health, LLC

Headquartered in College Station, TX, Traditions Health is a leading provider of hospice care, home health care, consulting services and online policy manuals. The company provides care to over 2,500 patients across Texas, California, Arizona, Oklahoma and Georgia. The company was named to the 2019 Inc. Magazine's Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing businesses. Traditions Health is a portfolio company of Dorilton Capital Advisors. For more information, visit our website at www.traditionshealth.com.

About Dorilton Capital Advisors, LLC

Dorilton Capital Advisors is a family equity office that provides long term, patient capital to middle market companies across a variety of industries. As a partner, Dorilton works with entrepreneurs on growth while preserving the legacy and culture of their companies. Please visit www.doriltoncapital.com.

For media inquiries or relevant opportunities, please

contact [email protected]

SOURCE Traditions Health, LLC

Related Links

https://www.traditionshealth.com


Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 19:12:05|Editor: huaxia

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JUBA, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- The World Bank has approved a grant of 16.2 billion South Sudanese pounds (45 million U.S. dollars) to help South Sudan improve access to basic infrastructure and strengthen community institutions.

The funds will benefit as many as 630,000 citizens who live in 21 of the country's 79 counties by providing investments for community infrastructure and services prioritized by the communities, building inclusive and participatory community-led development.

"South Sudan is going through a critical period of transition. The project will help improve people's access to services more inclusively and equitably," Husam Abudagga, World Bank Country Manager for South Sudan said in a statement issued in Juba on Tuesday.

"The project will also contribute to the building of a national local-level institutional structure for more inclusive service delivery," Abudagga said.

The World Bank said enhancing community resilience and local governance projects will also help train designated community institutions on how to manage local development and social tensions over service delivery to enable them to form the foundations of local governance structures that can be sustained in the longer term.

The project will be implemented by the UN Office for Project Services, in close collaboration with the government and other development partners.

Salvatore Garang Mabiordit, South Sudan's Minister of Finance and Planning noted that the government is receiving much-needed assistance for basic service delivery, particularly in vulnerable areas that suffer gravely from impacts of violent conflict, high concentration of returnees, and natural hazards.

"Rebuilding social cohesion among different groups is crucial for the people and the country to move forward," he added.

Years of conflict and natural disasters have had a devastating effect on South Sudan's economy and people.

Millions of South Sudanese have been displaced, and the already scarce social and physical infrastructure is damaged as the protracted conflict has further eroded the social fabric, weakening both formal and informal institutions, according to the lender.

It said the majority of South Sudanese do not have proper access to basic services, with only one percent of rural households having access to electricity, and just five percent having access to improved sanitation.

It added that more than 70 percent of school-age children are not attending school and warned that the COVID-19 outbreak could exacerbate the situation and push vulnerable people into poverty. Enditem
As the US Navy is getting into a huge arms race, they need new attack weapons to counter threats and win in the battlefield. Areas like Asia and Europe are warefare theater, and these arms will give the US an edge in warfighting.

According to senior navy leaders in Fox News, the Navy is expediting the design and development of such weapon systems like new type destroyers, Tomahawk missile systems, hypersonic weapon, and laser-based types that will give the edge in offensive strategy in the high seas.

Vice Adm. Rich Brown, Command, Naval Surfaces Forces, mentioned that the Navy is moving forward to be a more effective fighting force. Better yet, the extra weapons will give the U.S. Naval forces a knockout punch against adversaries. He divulge these details during the Surface Navy Association Annual Symposium, as cited in Knowledia.

Furthermore, he noted that specific weapon systems are meant to keep the peace and avoid a full-scale conflict. Concentrating on this kind of deterrence will be the US Navy's focus in an era of great power competition. Competition from China and Russia is pushing America at the forefront of military technology, which means US needs to stay one step ahead of its adversaries.

Weapons like lasers that are mounted on ships, SM-6 missile, and DDG Flight III Destroyers are the types currently used by the Navy which are heavily-armed and advanced. Another edge is the SPY-6 radar that has more features than the last model.

Also read: US Navy Develops Sea Drones to Join Surface Fleet for Joint Attack

New missiles developed for ships will be Maritime Strike Tomahawk that is derived from the Tomahawk, which has been used for decades. The latest version will have an upgraded tomahawk that has better guidance to track targets that are moving at sea.

It can track and hit enemy ships beyond the visual range, which can be several hundred miles. Current versions of the Tomahawk will have a GPS guidance including drone functions with dual targeting link for hitting stationary targets. The maritime Tomahawk gives marine commanders an invaluable standoff option.

Brown said the Tomahawk will be able to have a wider range of targets to hit. Another system is the SM-6 missile, which is armed on multiple mounting that will be for attack and defensive purposes. The weapon will be able to track and interdict missiles that are targeting American ships. Airborne links will assist it to hit targets in multi-domain.

One of the interlinked attack systems that share a data network is called the Naval Integrated Fire Control Counter Air. These systems boast seamless connections like ship-radar and Hawkeye surveillance plane, or the F-35 that have clear sight from the air. These systems give better all-around battle awareness to attack and defend over the horizon.

Before F-35 came on the scene in sea warfare, the US Navy lacked an element in its BVR formula. Recently, USS America amphibious assault ship had 13 F-35 that gave it airpower, defense, and offense on a light carrier.

F-35s in a small flattop is no different than the Nimitz because of its smaller capacity. Admiral Michael Gilday, Chief of Naval Operations, agreed with an offense-oriented strategy to give hard hits to China or Russia in order to keep the peace in the Indo-Pacific.

Related topic: Future War Air Force F-22s and F-35s: Swarming Attack Drones Will Change Aerial Warfare

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
President Donald Trump has demanded that the US treasury should get a substantial chunk of the TikTok sale proceeds, as he set September 15 as the deadline for the popular Chinese short video app to be out of business in the country unless it is bought by an American company.

Trump was speaking to reporters at a White House news conference on Monday, hours after it announced the deadline for TikTok to stop operations in the US. Technology giant Microsoft is in talks with TikTok's parent company ByteDance to buy its US operation. However, the president is in favour of a complete 100 per cent purchase and not the 30 per cent as reportedly being negotiated now.

The United States should get a very large percentage of that price because we're making it possible. Without us, you know, I use the expression, it's like the landlord and the tenant. And without the lease, the tenant doesn't have the value, Trump said. Well, we're sort of in a certain way, the lease. We make it possible to have this great success. TikTok is a tremendous success. But a big portion of it in this country. It would come from the sale, yeah. Whatever the number is, it would come from the sale, he said.

Earlier in the day, Trump said that TikTok will close down on September 15, unless Microsoft or somebody else is able to buy it and work out an appropriate deal. He also spoke to Microsoft's Indian-American CEO Satya Nadella on the matter.

Redmond-headquartered Microsoft, in a statement on Sunday, said that following a conversation between Nadella and Trump, it is prepared to continue discussions to explore a purchase of TikTok in the US. Microsoft will move quickly to pursue discussions with TikTok's parent company ByteDance in a matter of weeks and will complete these discussions in any event by September 15, it said.

India's recent decision to ban TikTok and other Chinese apps have stirred a national debate in the US and there has been increasing demand in America to follow suit. India in June banned 59 apps with Chinese links, including TikTok and UC Browser, saying they were prejudicial to sovereignty, integrity and security of the country.

TikTok, Trump asserted, has to be an American company. We want no security problems with China. It's got to be an American company. It's got to be American security. It's got to be owned here. We don't want to have any problems with security, et cetera. And something could come out, he said.

I will tell you, there's a lot of excitement, not only by Microsoft, but by other companies in terms of buying it. So, we'll see what happens. But we want and we think we deserve to have a big percentage of that price coming to America, coming to the Treasury, Trump said in response to a question.

Earlier in the day, White House trade adviser and assistant to the president, Peter Navarro, said that TikTok poses a security threat to the country. The Chinese Communist Party may know where your children are. That's essentially the problem. You sign up for a Chinese app like TikTok, they get your user name and password, maybe if you use that across other applications, they've got that, he told CNN in an interview.

Microsoft, he said, is one of four or five American technology companies, Yahoo, Google, Sysco and others, who helped China originally build their great firewall of China, which is used to surveil, track, monitor, sensor and imprison the Chinese people. "But, more importantly, the one of the few surviving search engines from America in China is Bing, and Microsoft owns that. So you know that there's some fishy stuff going on there, he said.

If you're in China and doing a Skype call, which is another Microsoft product, the CCP is listening in. So the question is, is Microsoft going to be compromised? Would it be useful to have a rule if you sell it that it maybe Microsoft could divest its Chinese holdings and then we more comfortable? he said.

Meanwhile, Energy and Commerce Committee Republican Leader Greg Walden, House Minority Whip Steve Scalise and Consumer Protection and Commerce Subcommittee Republican Leader Cathy McMorris Rodgers wrote to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo requesting a classified briefing on TikTok and other technology companies with alleged ties to the Chinese Communist Party.

While we remain deeply concerned with TikTok, such concerns extend beyond the popular short-form video app. For example, we recently learned a retail store partnered with DeepCam LLC a company with links to China and its authoritarian government secretly to deploy facial recognition technology at hundreds of locations, collecting information on countless Americans, they wrote.

Additionally, we know companies like Shenzhen Hawk, a subsidiary of Chinese conglomerate, TCL, develop and offer apps with spyware and malware designed to harvest user data and send it back to China, the leaders wrote.

Also read: US to ban TikTok on Sept 15 unless American company buys it: Donald Trump
A Mississauga man and a 70-year-old American have been charged in the second wave of arrests in an OPP-led crackdown on contraband cigarettes and cannabis.

The arrests come less than two months after seven men from the Greater Toronto Area were hit with murder conspiracy charges in the police operation, called Project Cairnes.

Project Cairnes targeted the illegal manufacture and distribution of contraband tobacco and cannabis on an industrial scale. In the June arrests, 16 men from Ontario, across Ontario, B.C., and Quebec across Canada were charged with 218 offences.

Police announced in June they seized 11.5 million contraband cigarettes, with an Ontario street value of $942,000 and 1,714 pounds of cannabis with an estimated street value of $2.5 million.

Police also announced the seizure of three handguns, ammunition, a cocaine press, 1.14 kilograms of cocaine, 10.2 kilograms of Piperidone, which is used in manufacturing drugs, 1.3 kilograms of fentanyl, $236,750 cash and seven vehicles.

Project Cairnes investigators announced on Tuesday the arrest of Kalipersad Goberdhan, 57 of Mississauga for manufacturing and packaging a tobacco product without a licence, violating the Trade Mark Act and participation in a criminal organization.

Also charged in the latest arrests was Paul Embury, 70, of Miami, Florida for conspiracy to unlawfully manufacture a tobacco product without a license.
Representative Image

Global protests reached a historic high at the end of 2019, with demonstrations rocking governments across the world. Then, came a twist of fate and we saw the world become eerily still, as COVID-19 forced more than half the worlds population to live under some kind of lockdown.

While some protests continued, most major ones either faltered or subsided. In Santiago, Moscow, Hong Kong, Baghdad and Beirut, the once noisy streets suddenly went silent, as everyones attention rightfully shifted to stopping the spread of the deadly Coronavirus. Closer home, in New Delhi, the government disbanded the protest site in Shaheen Bagh, a neighbourhood that had become a central site against the Citizenship Amendment Act that was passed into law in December.

However, even as economic activity came to a stop, politics continued. Around the world, countries such as China, Russia, Hungary, Thailand and the Philippines used the threat of the virus to double back against growing dissent, curb freedoms or accumulate more power.

Add to that the economic pains inflicted by the lockdown, coupled with brutal governance failures in many countries such as Lebanon, Israel and Iraq, and we saw angry populations stepping out to protest, navigating travel restrictions and social distancing to push back against inequity and injustice.

While most protests have been non-violent and focussed on social distancing, in places like the United States, the protests against police brutality and racial inequality, triggered by the custodial death of George Floyd morphed into a pitched battle between demonstrators and federal forces in the city of Portland. US President Donald Trumps decision to send in the federal forces to the city has kicked off an intense political debate, exacerbating the situation on ground, with similar protests happening in Seattle and Austin.

The Changing Protest Culture

Largely though, as the world goes through an upheaval, creative and careful forms of disobedience have been complementing sit-ins, rallies and sloganeering. Where months ago, tens of thousands of protesters marched over inequality and rising living costs in Chile, some citizens created virtual murals to criticise government policies and projected images of recent demonstrations on public buildings.

In Hong Kong, which had witnessed one of the biggest pro-democracy protests this year, citizens used the viral video game Animal Crossing to stage protests. Faced with the sudden threat of prosecution under the new security law, citizens have now started using wordplay and subverting Chinese Communist Party dogma to express their frustration.

In Israel, in the early days of the virus, strictly standing two metres apart, citizens assembled at Tel Avivs Rabin Square to protest against the erosion of Israels democratic system under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Since the last few weeks, those protests have only intensified with thousands taking to the streets and gathering outside the prime ministers official residence in Jerusalem.

Besides, new protests directly related to the virus also emerged from countries such as Brazil and Colombia, where citizens banged pots and pans from their windows to express discontent with their governments responses, as well as organised rallies.

In Russia, the beginning of the lockdown saw virtual protesters gathered around government buildings, at a safe social distance, and posted messages demanding more financial assistance from the government. More recently, the country's far east saw thousands stepping out into the streets demanding the release of a popular Russian governor.

In Poland, tens of thousands of women have taken to the streets, across cities to protest government plans to pull out from an international treaty on preventing and combating domestic violence. A few months ago, women activists protested against a legislation to tighten the countrys abortion laws by blocking the roundabouts in Warsaw by using their cars  an action that helped halt the ruling partys attempts to ban abortions in the country.

Whats Driving The Protests?

Some of these protests are online, some offline. Many are aided by technology and social media, while still others are entirely virtual. The direct causes of many of them vary from country to country, but the underlying reasons are the same: a rage against the presiding political class, and a deep desire to have more say in things that shape their daily lives.

Sure, economics has a huge role to play in this, but concern about the pandemic and its economic impact is far from the demonstrators only issue. For many, the risk of the virus far outweighs the risk of not doing anything. Dominating protesters minds are things such as lack of economic opportunity, perceptions of rising inequality, and corruption by elites. Protesters are also worried about civil rights, racism, immigration, abortion, uneven access to healthcare, homelessness, and lack of basic government services.

Its not then a surprise that many of these protests are led by young people, who feel the system is especially rigged against them, with an older generation making all decisions, whose fall out they would have to suffer through. In a recent op-ed, an 18-year-old climate activist wrote, My generation is giving up our youth  our schooling, our fun and our freedom  so that you can see next year. When this [Covid-19 crisis] is over, you may have to keep giving something up so that we can see the next century.

With the gradual lifting of lockdown measures and in the absence of tangible solutions, experts say that the frequency, scope and size of protests will likely surge, with more targeted and focused demonstrations expected in the coming months.

We are already witnessing this in Israel, Lebanon, Thailand, Russia and the US, where protests have only intensified, as citizens anger has swelled. As the collective mobilisation grows, it will put unprecedented strain on societies and governments. This will not just worsen already strained relationships between citizens and governments, but also cause new rifts. Whether this will move us to a more equal world, or plunge us into deeper disorder, only time will tell.
Introductory remarks by Fabio Panetta , Member of the Executive Board of the European Central Bank, at a meeting of the Euro Accession Countries Working Group of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs of the European Parliament, Frankfurt am Main, 13 July 2020.

Honourable members of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs,

Thank you for inviting me to discuss with you the state of convergence of the EU Member States that are committed to adopting the euro under the EU Treaties, as assessed in our latest ECB Convergence Report. This gives me the opportunity to update you about the important decisions taken last week with regard to Bulgaria and Croatia and what this may imply for the future of the euro area. Let me thank the European Commission and the Bulgarian and Croatian authorities for the very smooth cooperation in the run-up to these decisions.

As we announced last Friday, the Governing Council of the European Central Bank (ECB) has decided to enter into close supervisory cooperation with the central banks of Bulgaria and Croatia (   and Hrvatska narodna banka). With this step, the two countries fulfilled the last prior commitment that was required for the other major decision, namely the inclusion of the Bulgarian lev and Croatian kuna in the exchange rate mechanism (ERM II). This decision was taken last Friday and entered into effect today.

As Bulgaria and Croatia have now simultaneously entered both the banking union and ERM II, they may be able to adopt the euro by around 2023, provided that they comply with all Treaty-based convergence criteria.

As I have argued in the past it is in everyone's interest that euro area accession countries meet the conditions for successful membership.

In my remarks today, I will explain the importance of the ERM II process, close cooperation and sustainable convergence in preparing to adopt the euro.

The role of ERM II in the euro area accession process

The euro represents a source of economic strength and a political commitment to grow closer together over time. All EU Member States are committed to adopting the euro once they fulfil the necessary conditions, except for Denmark, which has an opt-out.

All countries must strive to fulfil all the convergence criteria. Their readiness to adopt the euro is assessed by the ECB and the European Commission and described in their convergence reports.

In line with the role given to the ECB by the Treaties, let me focus here on readiness and the role of ERM II in the euro area accession process.

ERM II was introduced in 1999 as one of the ways to assess a country's convergence with the euro area. The mechanism not only enables exchange rates between the non-euro area Member State's currencies and the euro to be managed, it also, and most importantly, is a way to test the sustainability of convergence before and after euro adoption.

The ECB plays a central role in ERM II. It is the operational hub of the system. The ECB's General Council, which includes the governors of euro area and non-euro area central banks, monitors the operation of ERM II and ensures that monetary and exchange rate policies are coordinated. The General Council also administers the intervention mechanisms together with the Member State's central bank. The ECB is also one of the parties that decide whether a given currency can be admitted to join ERM II. To take this decision, it prepares annual reports on the functioning of the mechanism. And together with the European Commission it assesses whether a country's participation in ERM II has been sustainable.

The last wave of countries joined ERM II in 2004-05 and subsequently joined the euro area. From that experience, we have gained a better understanding of the regime shift that ERM II entails for participating countries. It became clear that participating in ERM II alters the economic incentives of international and local investors as well as those of the authorities of the participating countries. Evidence suggests, in particular, that after a country joins ERM II, it may experience large and volatile short-term capital inflows. Especially if coupled with a weak institutional set-up, this may set the wrong incentives, leading to the postponement of necessary reforms and a deterioration in the country's adjustment capacity.

We have learned lessons from the financial crisis related to sustainable convergence that have led to reforms in the architecture of Economic and Monetary Union, such as the establishment of the banking union.

These lessons were taken into account when designing the path of Bulgaria and Croatia towards ERM II.

Both countries made prior commitments that were designed to ensure that their participation in ERM II would be smooth. The fulfilment of these commitments was carefully monitored and assessed by both the ECB and the European Commission in their respective fields of competence.

More specifically, both countries made country-specific commitments pertaining to structural policies , strengthening the macroprudential toolkit and transposing the EU anti-money laundering directives into national legislation.

Close cooperation - the path to the banking union

Bulgaria and Croatia, as prospective ERM II members, also established close cooperation between ECB Banking Supervision and their national competent authorities (NCAs) under the legal framework of the Single Supervisory Mechanism (SSM).

They were asked to do so as any country that wishes to join the euro area not only has to ensure sustainable economic convergence, but should also be ready to participate in the banking union.

The idea behind a country participating in the banking union before adopting the euro is to promptly address potential weaknesses in its domestic banking sector. This, in turn, avoids these weaknesses weighing on the national economy and public finances in the future, with negative spillovers across the entire euro area.

From a procedural point of view, establishing close cooperation requires the prospective member country to adopt legislation that allows the ECB to carry out its supervisory tasks. Moreover, the banking sector has to undergo a comprehensive assessment by ECB Banking Supervision, very similar to the one conducted on euro area banks in 2014 before the SSM was set up. In addition, the ECB can request information from the national supervisory authority and provide it with technical support to facilitate its smooth transition to the SSM supervisory approach.

Once close cooperation is established, the Member State participates in the SSM - as well as the Single Resolution Mechanism - with the same rights and obligations as the other participating Member States, except for small differences.

As regards close cooperation with the central banks of Bulgaria and Croatia, the decisions of the ECB's Governing Council will apply 14 days after their publication in the Official Journal of the EU. Once the Bulgarian and Croatian significant banks have been formally identified, the ECB will begin supervising banks in these countries on 1 October 2020.

Ensuring a sustainable convergence path

The prior commitments taken by Bulgaria and Croatia in recent years spurred important reforms that will mitigate risks under ERM II. However, these reforms will not fix all the imbalances and vulnerabilities that the two countries are facing.

I therefore welcome the additional voluntary policy commitments taken by Bulgaria and Croatia when joining ERM II. These post-entry commitments aim at ensuring sustainable economic convergence by the time the two countries adopt the euro. The ECB and the European Commission, in line with their respective roles, will carefully monitor the implementation of these commitments.

Let me conclude by broadening the perspective and providing some general observations on the state of convergence of the non-euro area Member States that are committed to adopting the euro.

The ECB 2020 Convergence Report finds that mixed progress has been made over the past two years.

While important steps have been taken to address fiscal imbalances - and, in most cases, other macroeconomic imbalances, too - more progress is needed with regard to the overall quality of institutions and governance. In none of the seven countries examined is the legal framework fully compatible with all the requirements for adopting the euro. Advancing on this front is key as sustainable convergence requires sound institutions.

It is also important not to underestimate the risk of increased divergence due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) crisis. Given the cut-off dates for the analysis contained in the report, it was not possible to carry out a full assessment of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the convergence path.

We should not exit the crisis with more divergence than before, neither in the euro area nor in the EU as a whole.

The European Commission's proposal for a revised Multiannual Financial Framework and the temporary recovery instrument - Next Generation EU - are crucial in this respect. It is in Europe's common interest that a strong joint response is quickly deployed to counteract the fragmentation risk stemming from the crisis and potential divergence in the longer run. It is in this spirit that we all look forward to the upcoming meeting of European leaders.
Superintendents for the Port Arthur and Beaumont school districts laid out plans for the 2020-21 school year during a virtual town hall hosted by the Texas Legislative Black Caucus on Monday.

The group discussed student and family safety as well as the challenges of distance learning. BISD is currently awaiting the arrival of 9,500 devices to ensure each of the districts 18,000 students can have the option to stay home if they so choose.

BISD Superintendent Shannon Allen said a backlog is holding up the order.

We have purchased 9,500 devices and we are currently awaiting their arrival, she said. Ultimately, we will get to a 1-to-1. That is our goal. We are asking families to only accept a device if you need a device right now to start instruction on Aug. 17.

Parents sent in questions regarding contact tracing, virtual learning preparation for students and required face coverings.

On the call were state Reps. James White, R-Hillister, of District 19; Joe Deshotel, D-Beaumont, of District 22; Nicole Collier, D-Fort Worth, of District 95; and Harold Dutton Jr., D-Houston, of District 142.

Port Arthur and Beaumonts superintendents laid out their plans to open their classrooms virtually for the first four weeks. Allen said her district had already applied for a waiver that will allow BISD schools to continue virtual learning for four additional weeks given the number of coronavirus cases in the city.

Our board approved the waiver, Allen said. We took an aggressive stance to go ahead and apply. The potential for Beaumont ISD students to continue virtually for the first grading period is there.

BISD and PAISD are offering both virtual and in-person learning, but she added that the district is asking parents to make decisions about the type of learning their children will use soon.

Last year, BISD had approximately 18,000 students enrolled in schools. Allen said as of Monday, almost 5,000 students have signed up for virtual learning, while 2,200 signed up for in person.

One parent asked if the districts planned to teach the children how use the devices for distance learning much like the districts are training teachers before the school year begins. Allen said BISD has videos to help students learn on the districts website. PAISD Superintendent Mark Porterie said the students should be familiar with the Schoology program the district has been using. He expressed confidence that students will soon be showing teachers how to use it.

Both superintendents said that their respective districts will work hand in hand with the health departments to perform contact tracing on students and teachers who test positive for coronavirus.

Portier said a 7-year-old student from the district has been in the hospital on a respirator.

That is not a good feeling at all, he said. That is not something we want.

Dutton acknowledged the publics concerns about opening schools during the pandemic.

There are some parents who fear not only the kids catching something at school, but also fear the kid bringing something home, he said. Many of them are faced with the options of trying to educate their kid, but at the same time maintaining the safety of the kid and the rest of the family.

chris.moore@beaumontenterprise.com

twitter.com/chris_moore09
A campaigner for the elderly in Northern Ireland has said decisions which led to covid-positive patients being sent from hospital back to care homes must not be repeated.

The Belfast Telegraph reported on Saturday how seven patients with Covid-19 were returned to care facilities at the height of the pandemic.

It has now emerged that hundreds of others were not tested at all.

A Freedom of Information request by the Local Democracy Reporting service found that the Northern Trust discharged six people with coronavirus into nursing homes between March 1 and April 15, before the change in government guidance.

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A further person who tested positive was discharged by the Southern Trust in period.

However, the vast majority of patients were not even tested.

About one in six of the 433 patients returned to care homes by the Northern Trust were tested, while the Southern and South Eastern Trusts tested around one in five.

Of the 34 South Eastern Trust patients tested before discharge, one had coronavirus and went to a "Covid-specific recovery unit".

The protocol to test all patients before discharge to care homes was introduced in Northern Ireland on April 17.

According to the most recent NISRA figures, about half of those who died from the virus in Northern Ireland were care home residents.

Eddie Lynch, NI commissioner for Older People, said: "There is little doubt that there are lessons to be learned from decisions which were made in March and April when Covid first reached Northern Ireland.

"Going forward, it is essential that we do not repeat errors which were made that placed the residents in our care homes at even greater risk.

The Northern Trust said: "These patients with known Covid-positive status no longer required consultant-led care and would have been discharged to their own care home in consultation with care home managers with appropriate discharge advice on the need for isolation and use of personal protective equipment for staff."

A Southern Trust spokesperson said: "Prior to NI interim testing protocol version three (April 17) the guidance was to test for COVID-19 when there was a cluster in a long-term care facility.

"Care home residents would also have been tested if they met the case definition and required admission to hospital."

The South Eastern Trust spokeswoman said all patients were now tested before discharge to care homes, and had been since April 16 when Public Health England changed their guidance.
Specially trained officers assigned to such units investigate some of the most sensitive and disturbing crimes types, including sexual crime, human trafficking, child abuse and domestic abuse.

PSUs were introduced in four garda divisions in 2017.
Google posts trio of ads for the Google Pixel 4a, one of them starring Fred Armisen

Following Mondays unveiling of the Google Pixel 4a, Google released three video ads introducing the new midrange Pixel phone. One shows off the phones design and styling, the other highlights its features, and one ad that stars comedian and actor Fred Armisen highlights the Pixels camera capabilities.

The ads highlight Googles services like Duo Video calls, Googles photography prowess such as with the Astrophotography camera mode, and they touch on the phones supposedly long battery life. Googles Dough $aver starts at $349 and undercuts the Apple iPhone SE (2020) by $50 for 128GB of storage (double the storage tier of the iPhone SE).

The Pixel 4a wont beat the iPhone SE in raw performance scores, but it will beat it in battery life (which, frankly, isn't good on the SE), and offer comparable camera experiences and an all-around software performance.

The Pixel 4a launched with a 5.81-inch AMOLED screen, a Snapdragon 730G chipset, and 6GB of RAM. It comes in a single storage tier of 128GB and a powerful software-driven camera. For launch, the phone will only be available in black. Evidence of a white model is seen in promo renders, so perhaps Google plans to launch it later.
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.  Kanika White read a statistic in passing a few years ago that jarred her. She wanted to understand what was causing a 42% poverty rate among Black Knoxville residents.

"Like with anything that is that huge and complex...the initial thought is, (the issue is) too big for me," White said. "I can't do anything about it."

White wanted to do more. Today, she's a board member for Knoxvilles Community Development Corporation, and executive director of Knoxville Equity Partners, an organization that aims to facilitate economic development initiatives in East Knoxville and Mechanicsville, Tennessee.

But White, a real estate agent, wasn't alone in trying to figure out how she could help address the issue.

She, along with a several other women, began gathering informally in 2019 to talk about the challenges the Black community in Knoxville faces. At first, the group, made up of Black women entrepreneurs, business owners, activists and civic leaders, was just talking: discussing the high poverty rate, high underemployment rate, high unemployment rate, lack of small business support and lack of housing that's affordable in the Black community.

"I think that's an embarrassment to us," Dasha Lundy said of the poverty rate. "Knoxville's not that huge of a city compared to Nashville or Memphis, but we still have the highest poverty rate and we're still dealing with the issues of urban renewal."

Tanika Harper, found member of The Women, on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

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Tanika Harper founded Shora Foundation, which serves inner city teens in East Knoxville; skin care brand Harper's Naturals; and co-owns Elite Facility Maintenance. She invited the group of women to her home one Sunday last November. At some point during these meetings, she remembers that the group decided to stop talking and start doing.

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"What do we need, what does the Black community need from us?" Tanika Harper said. "And it's resources. It's financial resources at the end of the day."

White, Lundy, Tanika Harper, Deidra Harper and Angela Dennis, along with one silent partner, formed The Women LLC of Knoxville and The Women Foundation, two entities focused on closing the wealth gap in the Black community.

The Women, from left, Kanika White, Deidra Harper, Tanika Harper, Dasha Lundy, and Angela Dennis on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

The group will start addressing those issues by creating opportunities for Black business owners to get loans and by helping to revitalize Black communities by buying and redeveloping residential and commercial real estate at affordable rates.

For Deidra Harper, being part of an organization of hardworking, busy women with different backgrounds but similar goals has been inspiring, and she said she's happy to be taking action instead of just talking.

"I think that's what made me more attracted to being a part of The Women and adding another thing on my plate, is because we were actually bringing solutions," she said.

Angela Dennis, founding member of The Women, on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

Dennis, editor of Black with no Chaser, co-host of Black in Appalachia podcast, premiering in August, journalist and literary activist, has written extensively about these issues, including that 42% figure, which is mentioned in the Knox County fiscal 2020 action plan.

Access to capital

Among the topics of conversation was access to capital, an issue all the members of the group can relate to as business owners and entrepreneurs, Deidra Harper said. She's the co-owner of Elite Facility Maintenance with Tanika and chief office manager of B&B Lawn Services.

Deidra Harper, founding member of The Women, on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

"Black people who go to traditional lending institutions for capital have a hard time getting that capital," White said. "They are more likely to be denied loans; even here in Knoxville, with organizations that are traditionally set up, that should be beneficial to the Black community, there are hurdles there as well."

They founded the nonprofit arm of their venture, The Women Foundation, to address that need. The Women Foundation began fundraising in late May and plans to launch its micro lending program this fall.

"If we are supporting the small, Black-owned businesses on the local level, and hopefully getting them to a place to where they can grow and they can expand and they're generating enough revenues that they can hire additional people, they can hire employees and hopefully pay them livable wages," White said.

According to a study commissioned in 2019 by the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation, 28.4% of Black entrepreneurs - almost three times more than white entrepreneurs  said profits had been negatively impacted by access to capital.

Low levels of personal wealth are associated with low rates of creating businesses, the study continued, and inhibit an entrepreneur's ability to generate startup capital.

"Undercapitalized businesses are much more likely to report lower sales, profits and employment options and are at a much higher risk of failing within the five-year startup period, compared to businesses that obtain sufficient startup capital," the study concluded.

Dasha Lundy, founding member of The Women, on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

Lundy met many Black business owners during her time as neighborhood president of Burlington who had to choose between launching a business or paying the bills. Lundy, who is also running for County Commission District 1 seat and sits on the Knoxville College Board of Trustees, hopes these loans will be a source of funding and encouragement for those entrepreneurs.

According to a 2020 survey from the Small Business Trends Alliance, the top challenge Black small business owners face is access to capital. Only 9% of those surveyed had used a line of credit as financing and only 7% had utilized a loan.

The group plans to offer small, zero percent interest loans up to $5,000, and will begin accepting applications from Black small business owners and entrepreneurs this fall. The loans could fund specific needs, like equipment or a pop-up shop to launch a brand, or just general startup needs.

The Women, from left, Kanika White, Tanika Harper, Dasha Lundy, Angela Dennis, and Deidra Harper on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

"Access to capital for Black people, period, whether they are looking for capital to start or expand a business, or looking for financing to purchase a home, is severely restricted in Knoxville," White said. "The need for that access to be opened up and to make it normal, a normal part of business in Knoxville to lend capital to Black people is important enough to invest our time, our resources, and just get people talking about it and realizing not just the need for it but also the benefit of doing it."

The Women Foundation is promoting a campaign to commit 20,000 people to giving $5 a month, which would result in more than $1 million in funding a year.

So far, the group has raised almost $10,000. While they're far from their goal of 20,000 donors, White said, increasing donorship is a top priority.

Revitalization, not gentrification

The group's next focus will be creating affordable housing and affordable commercial property in Black communities in Knoxville.

Deidra Harper said she sees gentrification in her community daily  redeveloped houses selling for much more than market value, pricing poor and minority people out of the community.

For White, who has worked in affordable housing for 15 years, revitalizing a community and renovating blighted properties is a good thing when it's done with a balance of profit and community preservation in mind. A neighborhood that is financially and racially integrated contributes to community viability and sustainability, she said.

Kanika White, founding member of The Women, on Sunday, June 28, 2020.

"I think the part where the public and private fail is not ensuring that those who don't have means that they can stay or take part of that change," White said. "And I think if we put some focus on that part of it, we would begin to see revitalization in communities and cities across the nation as opposed to gentrification.

"I am 110% on board with growth and development in these privileged areas, it just needs to be a little bit more from our public side to make sure that people can be a part of that."

The Women LLC plans to participate in the revitalization of Black communities in Knoxville by buying and redeveloping residential and commercial properties in communities like East Knoxville, Mechanicsville, Lonsdale and other neighborhoods at affordable rates.

The Women publicly announced their plans for the first time at a rally in May at the Knoxville Police Department to protest against police brutality and systemic racism after George Floyd died in Minneapolis police custody when Officer Derek Chauvin kneeled on his neck for almost nine minutes.

In this time of social unrest, people are seeing the injustices the Black community faces, Lundy said, and want to offer help or support. They've received an influx of support financially but also offers of help marketing and promoting their vision.

"We need to get out of our tribalism," Lundy said. "I don't mean just Blacks, white, everybody. It doesn't matter color, what your belief system is, it's really time to just have these hard discussions. And I think we can move forward, because we have to go through the hard discussions to make things better."

Helping Black people grow personal and generational wealth is not a short-term endeavor, White said. She stays focused by reminding herself that change starts somewhere.

"It didn't take five years to get here," White said. "It took decades of systemic discrimination, racism and oppression that has led to this. As the old adage goes, it's easier to get into trouble than it is to get out of it."

Email business reporter Brenna McDermott at brenna.mcdermott@knoxnews.com and follow her on Twitter @_BrennaMcD.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How these women work to help Black entrepreneurs grow their business
Staffers arrived two weeks early and tested negative for the virus before any child arrived. Only 59 campers attended the first two-week session, less than half of peak capacity. The girls were assigned to cabins of no more than nine children in their age group, and those cabins became their family units. They stayed together for all of their activities and meals  so if one girl wanted to try horseback riding or canoeing, they all did. Bunk beds were spaced four to six feet apart, and private bathrooms were housed in the cabins. All campers had to track their temperatures, symptoms and exposure to the virus for two weeks before they arrived. Parents, who paid $4,000 for the camp session, were not allowed to exit their cars when they dropped off their kids on opening day.
OAKLAND, Calif., Aug. 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Brown & Toland Physicians announced today the appointment of Anne Barr as chief information officer, reporting to Chief Executive Officer Kelly Robison. Barr will execute Brown & Toland's information technology strategy and support the IT needs of its more than 355,000 members and 2,700 physicians.

"As Brown & Toland continues its journey of transforming health care delivery, Anne's expertise and passion for change is an exciting addition to this dynamic organization," said CEO Kelly Robison.

Barr brings more than 35 years of leadership in utilizing information technology to achieve strategic business goals. Most recently, Barr served as chief information officer and vice president of Operational Integration for Sutter Health in the San Francisco Bay Area. Her background also includes serving as chief information officer at Washington Hospital Healthcare System and business information officer at Kaiser Permanente, where she was responsible for IT services in the Southern and Northern California divisions. Barr's expertise in digital transformation has led to the implementation of electronic medical records for more than 7 million patients across California.

In addition to fostering a world-class IT organization, Barr is passionate about improving the delivery of health care and serves on the board of the National Kidney Foundation. Barr holds a bachelor's degree in engineering sciences and Asian studies from Dartmouth College and an MBA from Harvard Business School.

"I am excited to join the leadership team of Brown & Toland at such a pivotal time in the company's growth," said Barr. "Supporting our physicians by leveraging technology and executing on our plans for a new, integrated platform is a great opportunity."

About Brown & Toland Physicians

Brown & Toland Physicians is a leading network of independent doctors focused on delivering personalized and high-quality health care to the San Francisco Bay Area. Its network of more than 2,700 physicians, serving more than 355,000 HMO, ACO and PPO patients, is dedicated to improving care and reducing costs through innovative care management and care coordination programs, use of health care technology, and population health management strategies. Brown & Toland, which is celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2018, collaborates with leading hospitals and health plan providers to provide high quality care in the Bay Area. To learn more, visit www.brownandtoland.com .

SOURCE Brown & Toland Physicians

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JOHNSTON  Gov. Kim Reynolds warned Tuesday that school districts defying her order to provide at least 50 percent in-person instruction for core subjects when classes resume would not meet state requirements for instructional time and would have to make up the time for students to receive credit.

Speaking to reporters, the governor noted most of Iowas school districts are planning to resume classes in compliance with a directive she said was based on a state law passed unanimously in the last session.

The five or so that are looking to provide at least initial instruction via online only, or with a hybrid that falls short of the in-person threshold, will be in violation of state law if they defy last weeks proclamation.

The law is the law and we expect our school districts to operate within the law, said Reynolds, who indicated her administration is trying to balance safety with the needs of students but is being thwarted by media scare tactics that are escalating the anxiety of students, parents and teachers.

Those few districts not intending to comply, Reynolds said, are defying the law established by the Legislature in Senate File 2310 that she signed earlier this year providing for in-person classes as the preferred method of instruction.

It is the expectation of the law and if they fail to comply or follow the law, then the days when theyre not in compliance will not count toward the instructional time and so it will have to be made up, she said.

School administrators may also be subject to licensure discipline as well and that is within the law, the governor said, later adding that there are consequences like everything else to not following the law.

SF 2310 states that schools submitting return-to-learn plans for this fall must contain provisions for in-person instruction and provide that in-person instruction is the presumed method of instruction.

Reynolds said Tuesday the statute is binding and supersedes the local control during the pandemic.

She said her proclamation permits remote learning when parents select online-only learning as the best option for their family. She noted it also provides an option if an outbreak requires schools to change.

Under state guidelines, school districts may request a temporary waiver to send students home for 14 days and move all instruction online if 10 percent of students are absent and a 14-day average shows at least 15 percent of county residents screened for the coronavirus tested positive. School districts given permission to conduct all classes online due to high COVID-19 case counts may do so for 14 days but then would have to again get state officials permission for subsequent weeks.

Not everyone agreed with the Republican governors interpretation of the new state law.

Democratic Sen. Herman Quirmbach of Ames, ranking member of the Senate Education Committee, accused the governor of continuing to hide behind SF 2310 as she puts students and teachers at risk by forcing them back into classrooms.

Quirmbach said the law contains vague language that only sets a general priority for in-person education and that the governors 50 percent rule is her own interpretation.

Rep. Sharon Steckman, D-Mason City, said the governor has thrown up last-minute roadblocks for schools by misinterpreting the intent of the law in a way that has made a difficult situation worse by failing to recognize that her one-size-fits-all approach falls well short of whats needed to reduce the spread of COVID-19 and keep students, teachers, and school staff safe.

Steckman said House Democrats trust local leaders and educators to determine what is best for their communities.

Reynolds told the news conference at Iowa PBS in Johnston she believed all Iowans want whats best for Iowa students and she said whats best for kids is for them to be in school and in the classroom.

Going back to school will be different and we will need to remain flexible, she noted.

By far the vast majority of Iowa schools already have plans in place that meet the requirement for at least 50 percent in-person instruction, the governor added. These plans are creative, innovative and adaptable and value the health and well-being of the whole student. There are only a few schools requesting waivers to return by remote learning and we are actively working with them.

She noted that some of the objecting schools managed to conduct summer sports programs without problems.

Reynolds said her team of public health officials and other experts had made significant progress in their ability to target, contain and manage virus activity in Iowa  including tracking trends in real time.

We have the tools that we need to protect the health of our state and safely reopen our economy and our schools. We all know that COVID-19 is a serious situation and were appropriately managing it as such, but the headlines would have you believe otherwise, she noted.

As the governor, I have the responsibility to not react to partially informed headlines or news stories but to make decisions based on data and the Department of Public Health experts and the epidemiologist team thats in the best interest of the lives and livelihoods of Iowans, she added.

Reynolds said the coronavirus outbreak will be a concern until a vaccine is available to combat it and until then come hell or high water were going to get through this.

At the same time, the governor noted that the COVID-19 numbers involving positive cases, hospitalizations and recovery rates all have improved significantly since the pandemic forced school and business closures in April and May.

It would be naive for us to think that at no point were not going to see positive cases in school districts, she said. But she called upon the news media to report COVID-19 numbers in context so as not to exacerbate anxiety  especially among children.

What were doing to these kids is unconscionable  the fear that were instilling in them, Reynolds said. And so I think we all have a responsibility to do better, including me.

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Source: Xinhua| 2020-08-04 20:35:41|Editor: huaxia

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PARIS, Aug. 4 (Xinhua) -- As COVID-19 cases flared up and the number of patients requiring life support surged after declining for four months, a second wave of the coronavirus epidemic is highly expected this autumn or winter in France, the country's scientific council predicted.

In a report published on Tuesday, the scientific advisory body of the French government noted that "it is highly likely that we will experience a second epidemic wave this autumn or winter."

"France has the situation under control but it is fragile with a surge of virus circulation this summer," it warned, stressing that "the short-term future of the pandemic mainly lies in the hands of the population."

"The virus is circulating actively with an increased absence of distancing and barrier measures: the balance is fragile and we can switch at any time to a less controlled scenario like in Spain," it said.

The scientific council recommended better access to tests to rapidly trace and isolate cases and stricter control on travellers arriving from countries "at risk".

A total of 191,295 people in France have caught the coronavirus as of Monday, with 3,376 new confirmed infections at the weekend, data released by the Health Ministry showed.

The number of people in intensive care units, a key gauge to determine hospitals' ability to cope with the epidemic, stood at 384, up from 371 registered on Friday. It increased for the second time in a week after having been falling since early April. Enditem
New York, August 3, 2020  Authorities in Guinea Bissau should investigate the vandalism of broadcaster Radio Capital FM and hold those responsible to account, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

In the early morning of July 26, unidentified armed men in uniforms of Guinea Bissaus national guard smashed equipment and other property at the office of the privately owned Radio Capital FM station in Bissau, the capital, according to Lassana Cassama, the stations owner and director, who spoke to CPJ over the phone, and photos of the damage, which CPJ reviewed.

Cassama said Radio Capital FM has not broadcast since the attack because of the damage  including to a transmitter, mixer, computers, and microphones  which will cost an estimated 38,000 euros ($44,663) to fix.

He told CPJ that the station has received threats every few months since 2016, in response to its programming. Cassama said the station repeatedly reported the threats to the police, but continued receiving them.

The repeated threats and direct attacks on Radio Capital FM and its staff send a chilling message to the press of Guinea Bissau  all the more so since the recent attackers wore national guard uniforms, said Angela Quintal, CPJs Africa program coordinator. Authorities must take these threats and attacks seriously, identify the perpetrators, and hold them accountable.

Radio Capital FMs broadcasts include a live debate program, which allows people to call in and express their opinions about social issues, politics, and the economy, Cassama said.

He told CPJ that recent threatening calls have explicitly demanded that the station halt that program. He said the threats also stem from the stations general commitment to give a voice to the people.

The station is an affiliate of the U.S. Congress-funded broadcaster Voice of America, and broadcasts VOA news bulletins daily, according to Cassama, who also works as a VOA correspondent.

In June, armed men attacked and robbed Serifo Camara, an editor with Radio Capital FM, as he left the station following the 11 p.m. news broadcast, Cassama told CPJ, adding that he believed it was reprisal for the stations reporting and the incident was reported to the judicial police.

Bridget Ann Serchak, Voice of Americas director of public relations, told CPJ by email that the outlet had no evidence to suggest Radio Capital FMs broadcast of VOA content factored in the attack.

VOAs website reported on July 27 that Mamadu Serifo Djaguite, minister of Guinea Bissaus presidency and of the council of ministers and a spokesperson for the government, condemned the attack on Radio Capital FM.

Djaguite told the press that the judicial police would conduct an investigation into the July 26 attack, according to Cassama. CPJs messages to Domingos Correia, an inspector with the judicial police, were marked as read but went unanswered. Similar questions to Botche Cande, Guinea Bissaus minister of interior, went unanswered.

On July 29, the Economic Community of West African States, the African Union, the Community of Portuguese Speaking Countries, the European Union, and the United Nations issued a joint statement of concern over the attacks.
Press Release

August 4, 2020 Bong Go urges concerned agencies: provide timely, accurate and relevant information to help Filipinos overcome COVID-19 crisis Senator and Chair of the Senate Committee on Health and Demography Christopher "Bong" Go urged government agencies to improve its communication efforts and disseminate the right information to the public. "Sa ating mga officials, pakiusap lang po: tulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan na makabangon gamit ang tama at klarong impormasyon. Huwag natin silang mas pahirapan pa," Go appealed. Go emphasized that consistently providing timely, accurate and relevant information on COVID-19-related updates and initiatives to the general public will strengthen the country's collective efforts to overcome the ongoing health crisis. "Huwag na po natin dagdagan ang iniisip ng taumbayan lalo na't hilong hilo na po lahat dahil sa hirap na dulot ng pandemya. Siguraduhin ninyo po na maipaliwanag ng maayos at tama ang impormasyon na inyong binibigay," he added. He stressed that timely, accurate and relevant information will also improve the government's decision-making process, particularly when imposing community quarantine measures and implementing initiatives to help vulnerable sectors and those most affected by the health crisis, such as returning overseas workers and locally stranded individuals who need to go back to their provinces. "Nakasalalay po ang ating mga desisyon sa tamang impormasyon na base sa science at health experts. Tulungan natin ang ating mga kababayan na gumawa ng tamang desisyon para sa kanilang pamilya tulad ng mga desisyon na ginagawa ng Pangulo at ng gobyerno para sa kapakanan ng bawat Pilipino," he said. As the Chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Go said he is coordinating closely with the Department of Health to make sure that health officials are able to provide the leadership and the people timely, accurate and relevant information particularly on COVID-19 cases in accordance with World Health Organization guidelines. "I also call upon local government units, hospitals and accredited laboratories to closely coordinate with DOH to ensure that the needed data from their end are also validated and submitted on time," he also appealed. Go also reiterated his call urging the health department and other concerned agencies to prepare a national COVID-19 vaccine program in order to ensure the accessibility and affordability of the vaccine, once it is made available, to all Filipinos, especially the poorest and most vulnerable sectors. "Pinaghahandaan na natin ngayon kung ano ang gagawin kapag may bakuna na laban sa COVID-19. Siguraduhin natin na mabigyan ng prayoridad at unahin ang mga mahihirap at vulnerable sectors," Go stressed. "Pero habang wala pa ito, patuloy dapat tayong magtulungan at magbayanihan gamit ang tama at klarong impormasyon upang mapigilan ang lalong pagtaas ng COVID-19 cases sa ating bansa," Go said. Go also reminded the public that health and safety protocols must be followed, including wearing the proper mask in public areas, social distancing, hand washing and proper hygiene, in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19. "Ang pinakamabisang panlaban natin ngayon ay ang pagsunod sa mga itinakdang health protocols," said Go. "According to experts, wearing the right kind of mask decreases the risk of spreading the virus by 85%. With social distancing and the use of face shields, the risk may be reduced by more than 90%. This is why in the absence of a vaccine, wearing a mask remains a must," he finally explained. The Senator reiterated his earlier appeal to the government to prioritize the provision of proper face masks to the poor, in addition to his various recommendations in response to concerns aired by the medical community in an online press conference held last August 1.
Once a business has cameras and has electronic locks, they have a very secure site. They also have full info on whats going on at that site, whos going in and out, whos walking and moving about, and at what time. They can really keep tabs on their facility, says Mike Murphy.

Bay Area schools are planning to re-open, and more employees are returning to their offices. The influx of new visitors, combined with many buildings that remain vacant, is prompting business owners and educators to take new steps to safeguard their students, staff, and facilities.

A new partnership between ProdataKey (PDK), a leading innovator of networked cloud-based access control products and services, and datanet IT, a trusted IT solutions provider in the Bay Area for more than 35 years, enables mobile access control to better protect facilities from unwanted intruders.

Cloud capabilities are increasingly vital for businesses, and its a feature they now expect as part of their business security solutions. Mike Murphy, a senior sales engineer at datanet IT, says cloud integration with ProdataKey was an important consideration in the partnership.

Everyone is used to everything being in the cloud. It doesnt matter whether its Google Home or Alexa or their cameras, says Murphy. The business world has moved to that as well. ProdataKey is doing that for access control. The data for the customers and all the stuff that makes their system work is in the cloud. That was an option we wanted to have, and thats what customers ask for.

Mobile app integration is a key factor behind the partnership with ProdataKey. While many providers offer a mobile app, this feature needs the ability to take your access control on the go in order to be successful.

We had a mobile app with our previous access control partner, but you had to be on-site, explains Murphy. Using the mobile app on your phone while youre already at work isnt that big of an advantage. Being anywhere at any time with that phone  now thats an advantage.

The existing partnership between datanet IT and Digital Watchdog, the leading manufacturer of complete surveillance solutions, made working with ProdataKey a no-brainer for the business. Murphy says PDK was recommended by Digital Watchdog and integrating state-of-the-art digital surveillance with cloud-based access control was a natural fit.

It always goes back to safety and security, says Murphy. Once a business has cameras and has electronic locks, they have a very secure site. They also have full info on whats going on at that site, whos going in and out, whos walking and moving about, and at what time. They can really keep tabs on their facility.

Steve Muir, President of datanet IT, says partnering with ProdataKey and Digital Watchdog is crucial in their mission to provide top-of-the-line, comprehensive security solutions for their customers.

Combining the best in digital surveillance and access control just makes sense, says Muir. Through our partnership with PDK and Digital Watchdog, we can provide start-to-finish solutions that meet all of our clients needs. Mobile integration makes taking charge of your security easier than ever. Were thrilled to be working the industry leaders for these solutions.

###

For more information about datanet IT, please visit https://datanetit.com/.

For more information about ProdataKey, please visit https://www.prodatakey.com/.

About Datanet IT

With more than 35 years providing the latest in IT solutions, datanet IT offers comprehensive, start-to-finish services for clients ranging from small businesses to enterprise-level corporations. Its customizable, cutting-edge solutions enable customers to reach new levels of success. The IT leader has headquarters in Santa Clara, California, and Cary, North Carolina, to better serve small and medium-sized businesses from coast to coast. For more information about datanet IT, visit https://datanetit.com/.

About ProdataKey

ProdataKey (PDK) is a leading innovator of networked cloud-based access control products and services. The companys pdk.io cloud platform allows for complete system management and control through any web-connected device, anywhere, anytime. With thousands of systems managing tens of thousands of doors for a quickly expanding base of loyal customers throughout North America and beyond, PDK delivers an unparalleled user experience as well as the highest levels of security, safety and data privacy. For more information, visit http://www.prodatakey.com.
New Delhi, Aug 4 : While the world is still battling the Covid-19 pandemic, as people stay at home and away from each other - many are suffering from what can be termed as 'Quarandreams.

In the midst of this pandemic the reports of those experiencing 'super-vivid dreams' has surged dramatically. People are also claiming that they are now recalling their dreams in detail and that the effects of these dreams have taken a toll on their mental health.

Clinically, this mental state is common in humans in the backdrop of catastrophic situations which have impacted them socio-economically and psychologically across geographies in the world. Many doctors have deemed the dreams prevailing during the earlier pandemics as well, like the one we are currently faced with.

From apocalyptic to mundane, since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, reportedly many adults and children are suffering from intense dreams, nightmares and hallucinations. The common symptoms of this is waking up in a pool of sweat, fear and anxious feeling - often triggered by nightmares. These dreams include themes of being hospitalised with poor healthcare services, loss of job, loss of family members, caught amid natural disasters, etc.

'Quarandreams' are widely described, through social media channels as super-vivid dreams which have caught the attention of psychiatrists as scores of individuals seek help.

Why are we collectively as a human being going through it? There is still inconclusive data about what is the purpose of dreams in human biology, but it's linked with memory processing and consolidation. It also reflects one's predominant mood, thoughts and stress of course. Several people wake up and have no idea what they had dreamed, while other times, they can closely recall the dreams because they were too intense. These are known as vivid dreams.

Hypnagogic hallucinations are imagined sensations that seem very real. They occur as a person is falling asleep, and are also referred to as sleep hallucinations. Stress and anxiety during this pandemic have increased the cases of hallucinations during sleep.

What are super-vivid dreams? As previously stated, stress and anxiety during this pandemic has increased the cases of hallucinations during sleep, people are increasingly consulting doctors to explain 'weird' or 'bizarre' dreams that they are facing these days. It can range different from person to person wherein a non-healthcare professional could be dreaming of being held hostage in a closed dark room by an invisible enemy (in this case the coronavirus) which could be triggered due to the fact that they are staying at home to keep themselves at bay from contracting the virus or from spreading it further on.

In the case of healthcare workers, they might be dreaming of prolonged hours spent at the hospitals treating the patients, to those of unable to contain the virus from spreading to other people within the premises, which could be triggered by the stress of dealing with scores of patients with varying complications due to the contraction of the virus.

Do dreams and hallucinations occur in certain stages of sleep? There are several stages within one night's sleep. First of all, we get drowsy. Our brain activity begins to lull and we move quickly into light, then deep sleep - these three stages together are what's known as non-rapid eye movement (non-REM) sleep. After around an hour's sleep, we move into rapid eye movement (REM) sleep. Both REM and non-REM sleep are vital for the brain - any disruption to either has been observed to affect mood and memory in particular - and we cycle between the two several times during the course of the night. About 25 per cent of an adult's night of sleep is spent in REM cycles. The average adult should get between seven and nine hours of sleep per night for optimal health. While we don't yet fully understand exactly what happens in our brains while we sleep, our current best theory is that non- REM sleep is restorative, rejuvenating our neurons, while in REM sleep our brain is focused on consolidating memories.

Are dreams just a pattern of thinking in a multiple biochemical state? When one sleeps, their brain is still active, but their thoughts or dreams often make little or no sense. This may be because the emotional centers of the brain trigger dreams, rather than the logical regions. While we think of sleep as a time for recharging the body, the brain is actually quite active during sleep - dreaming. Our dreams can be soothing or scary, mysterious or helpful, and realistic or fantastical.

People are most likely to remember the last dream they've had in their sleep cycle. But it's possible to remember a vivid dream long after it's occurred if it seemed very intense as the brain is operating at a much more emotional level than when you're awake, your brain may make connections regarding your feelings that your conscious self wouldn't make.

Nine reasons why we are having such dreams? Given the symptoms of quarandreams, let's understand the possible reasons why you may be experiencing such dreams:

Change in the sleeping pattern - For many people, sleep pattern has changed drastically - they are sleeping at irregular times; binge-watching web series late in the night; continuing office work till late night; waking up late; snoozing alarms as there's no rush to reach offices, and sleeping for longer hours than usual. It affects the balance of NREM and REM sleep pattern, which in turn increases the time spent of sleep during REM phase of sleep - increasing dreams and more remembered dreams.

Stress - Emotions have major roles in our dreams. This pandemic has increased the emotional issues including stress and also the sensitivity of many people. So not surprisingly, more people are reporting vivid dreams.

Sleeping during the day/ longer naps/ naps at wrong times - During the day there is more REM sleep than NREM increasing more vivid dreams more during day.

Medications - Some medications reportedly induce vivid dreams. The medications include beta-blockers, antidepressants, Parkinson's disease drugs, blood pressure medications, etc.

Substance abuse - Over consumption of alcohol, drugs, or sudden retrenchment from drugs can initiate vivid dreams, often nightmares.

Health disorders - In line with stress/ anxiety, several other mental health conditions including depression and schizophrenia are associated with vivid dreams.

Early pregnancy - As pregnancy impacts changes in hormone levels of one's body, sleep, pregnant women can experience vivid dreams, during the early days of their pregnancy.

This pandemic has increased a lot of worries of uncertainty about illness, worries about our health and health of our dear ones, financial issues, job-related worries, restrictions of movement, lesser options for recreational activities, and reduced social interaction with friends and relatives, which in turn has increased negative thinking that reflects in the background of our dreams.

How to overcome it? Pivoting onto an exact cause of vivid dreams is however difficult and hence it is assumed that the dreams will go away with the time. However, seeking medical treatment and lifestyle modifications are suggested if dreams are causing emotional distress or physical problems.

One can follow some common treatments for vivid dreams like: Try to maintain the same sleep routine. Get up at the same time and sleep at the same time every day.

Practice bathing with warm water before going to bed.

Avoid tea, caffeine during late evenings.

Use the bed only for sleeping and not for any other purpose such as watching movies; working on a laptop, eating snacks, etc.

Dreams are a reflection of our thoughts before bed time, hence reading or watching the light and spiritual/ motivational books or simple positive imagery and positive remarks can shape our dreams.

(Dr Payal Sharma Kamath is an eminent Psychiatrist from Mumbai) (IANSlife Features can be contacted at ianslife@ians.in)
Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala on Tuesday said the 19 dissident party members of the Rajasthan legislative assembly (MLAs) should leave the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) hospitality and security of the Haryana Police, if they want to hold a dialogue with the party.

They (dissident MLAs) should first leave the hospitality of the BJP and security of the Haryana government, if they want to hold a dialogue. They should break their friendship with the BJP and ghar wapasi karein (return home), he said while responding to the media persons query whether the doors are open for 19 Congress rebel lawmakers, including sacked deputy chief minister Sachin Pilot.

Surjewala spoke to the media persons outside Hotel Suryagarh in Jaisalmer, where the Congress MLAs have been camping since last Friday.

He alleged that the innocent children are being murdered, women are gang-raped and people are beaten up in Haryana but there is no police protection available for them. But for 19 MLAs, around 1,000 police personnel has been deployed. The BJP is providing security to dissident Congress MLAs. What does this mean? he asked.

He also took an exception to the Bihar Polices alleged interference in actor Sushant Singh Rajputs death by suicide in Mumbai on June 14. He said the probe must be conducted under the jurisdiction of the Maharashtra Police.

The constitution and law uphold that maintaining law and order is the responsibility of the state government. Bihar government and its police cannot forcefully take action in other states. Such an action will lead to anarchy, he said.

Surjewala also read out the statement of Congress leaders such as Priyanka Gandhi-Vadra on the occasion of Bhoomi Pujan of the Ram temple in Ayodhya on Wednesday.

BJP leader Mukesh Pareek said it is surprising that the Congress speaks with a forked tongue while rubbishing baseless allegations against his party.